RTHK: US "Proud Boys" leaders face sedition charge

The former leader of the right-wing group the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, and four associates were charged with seditious conspiracy on Monday for their role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by Donald Trump's supporters.

Federal prosecutors accused the five men of plotting the attack in advance and encouraging other Trump supporters to prevent Congress from certifying his 2020 election defeat by Democrat Joe Biden.

Thousands of Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol that day after a fiery speech in which he repeated his false claims that his loss was result of widespread fraud, an allegation repeatedly rejected by multiple courts, state election officials and members of Trump's own administration.

Eleven members of another right-wing group, the Oath Keepers, were charged in January with seditious conspiracy for allegedly playing a similar leadership role in the deadly attack.

Federal prosecutors rarely use the seditious conspiracy charge, defined as attempting "to overthrow, put down or to destroy by force the government of the United States." It carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Federal prosecutors investigating the attack filed the new charges against Tarrio, Dominic Pezzola, Ethan Nordean, Joe Biggs and Zachary Rehl, according to court papers. All five have pleaded not guilty to other criminal charges related to the attack.

The new indictment accuses them of encouraging other Proud Boys to come to Washington on January 6, 2021; raising money to buy bulletproof vests and other tactical gear; and directing crowd members into the Capitol and assaulting police once the attack was underway.

It said Tarrio received a document titled "1776 returns" that laid out plans to occupy buildings in the Capitol complex three days before the attack.

About 800 people have been charged with taking part in the Capitol riot, with about 250 guilty pleas so far. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-06-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Ryanair said it introduced an Afrikaans test because of the prevalence of fake South African passports. File photo: AP

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Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, which does not operate flights to and from South Africa, said it required any UK-bound passengers from the country to fill in the "simple questionnaire" due to what it described as a high prevalence of fraudulent South African passports.



"If they are unable to complete this questionnaire, they will be refused travel and issued with a full refund," a spokesman for the Irish airline said.



South Africa's Home Affairs department, which has warned of syndicates selling fake passports, said it would issue a statement on the Ryanair test.



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The low cost carrier said the test would apply to any South African passport holder flying to Britain from another part of Europe on the carrier. The airline did not immediately respond to a query about why it would apply to those routes, given Britain says it is not a requirement.



The test, which is already being conducted, triggered a backlash from South Africans in Johannesburg.



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Afrikaans is the third most spoken of 11 official languages in South Africa, used by 12 percent of the 58 million people in the country. It was considered the official language until the end of apartheid in 1994.



The language was born of Dutch settlement in South Africa in the 17th century, and has long been identified with racial classification and the ideology of apartheid which was primarily enforced by the white minority National Party from 1948. (Reuters)
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Qatar Airways will not be flying to Hong Kong for the time being. File image: Shutterstock

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The administration in June to ease the flight suspension mechanism. Under the changes, an airline that breached the regulations once would be fined $20,000, with only a second breach warranting a flight ban.



Some business groups have called for the ending of the suspension mechanism, but the administration says it is required to keep imported Covid cases in check.
Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 7 (ANI/SRV): Max Cement, one of the region's most promising cement brands, recently launched a massive social media campaign that centred around the builders of our nation. The campaign #BuildersOfIndia is designed keeping in mind the Government of India's initiative, 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of India's independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. Max Cement's 'BuildersOfIndia' campaign started as a 75 days countdown to the upcoming Independence Day and it will alive the stories of the unsung heroes of our freedom movement whose supreme sacrifices have made freedom a reality for us. The idea of this campaign is to pay homage to these unsung builders of India by whose unique action and selfless patriotic duty India stand today as a giant amongst nations. Commenting on the campaign, Vineet Agarwal, Managing Director, Max Cement said, "Today India is ranked as one of the largest economic, military and cultural superpowers of the world. We enjoy the status of one of the leaders amongst nations. The growth of India in the last seven decades in the fields of technology, agriculture, education and other segments are the fruits of the vision and labour of countless freedom fighters who worked selflessly for the nation so that we can realize a superpower status today." He further added, "These are the true builders of our nation that laid the foundation of today's India whose tri-colour flies high with respect on a pedestal of achievements making it a symbol of pride and a beacon for the youth." As part of the campaign, Max Cement will engage the audience on social media with a weekly quiz contest based on various trivia about the freedom fighters of our nation and the winners will be rewarded with exciting prizes. A coffee table book on the 75 unsung heroes is under production and will be released on the upcoming Independence Day. A part of Green Valley Industries, founded by Late Gajanand Agarwal, Max Cement today holds a very prestigious position in the industry sector. The brand offers sustainable growth, value creation and innovative solutions to the construction industry and it assures best-in-class Strength, Setting and Stability, the 3Ss that have spelt success for its products. Max Cement is a brand of GVIL and has been servicing the customer through its broad network. Predominantly present in North East India, the brand has carved a niche for itself with its two popular products - Max Ordinary Portland Cement and Max Portland Pozzolana Cement. Be it individual house builders (IHB) or government projects or global construction firms, the consumers of Max Cement believe in the 'maximum' performance it has to offer. This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)
Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], June 7 (ANI/NewsVoir): Ashoka Innovators for the Public, the world's largest network of Social Entrepreneurs and Changemakers, has selected 13 changemakers from across India for the third edition of Ashoka Young Changemakers. Ashoka Young Changemakers is a carefully selected network of young people who have already launched their own initiatives, built teams, and created positive change in their communities. The new cohort of Ashoka Young Changemakers addresses a wide variety of issues ranging across mental health, financial literacy, environment conservation, education, communications, healthcare, gender and art and culture. These Young Changemakers include: Anagha R, Goa, Yours Mindfully: Anagha founded Yours Mindfully (earlier MindChamps), a robust community of 40+ youngsters aged 15-22 years from across the world, with a mission to bridge the gaps in awareness, inclusion, and accessibility in the mental health space. The platform offers inclusive and research-based mental health resources and organizes listening circles, workshops, and digital media campaigns that provide students, teachers, and parents a support system to deal with mental health challenges. T Anjana Suresh, Kerala, FunFunds: With the aim to deepen conversations around financial literacy, Anjana started FunFunds - a digital platform that provides free financial literacy courses for different age groups and attempts to counter stereotypes of finance as something dreadfully boring. The platform operates via social media and other channels. Bhagyashree P, Maharashtra, Empower: With the aim to empower and enable young minds to channel their creativity for change, Bhagyashree founded Empower magazine. It is a platform where young people can communicate issues near and dear to their hearts without the barriers of nationality, race, culture or gender. The magazine has published 11 editions and has a monthly readership of 4000+ across 80+ countries. Dhruv N, Tamil Nadu, Finance4Future: Dhruv founded 'Finance4Future' to address the problem of financial illiteracy that is largely prevalent in lower-income communities and rural areas of India. Dhruv and team have been able to reach hundreds of students belonging to underfunded schools and underprivileged communities and offered to take 10-14 classes on basic financial concepts. Dwishojoyee B, Bihar, The Soft Move: Dwishojoyee's initiative 'The Soft Move' focuses on helping young people move away from being 'Noise-makers' and towards being 'Change-makers'. The 30-member team led by Dwishojoyee, runs 'The Paperbag Project' that works closely with street vendors in helping them switch from plastic bags to paper bags. Kalash B, Maharashtra, Fun Learning Youth: Kalash runs 'Fun Learning Youth', an organization that involves youth in social activity which helps underprivileged children in education along with providing managing and change-making skills to the persons involved. Fun Learning Youth has mentored 700 students so far across the country and is now moving towards re-enrolment of students in formal schools and increasing accountability within traditional schooling systems. Krishna S, Jammu and Kashmir, Maunitva Nirakrn: Krishna founded 'Maunitva Nirakarn', an organization aims to draw awareness to and destigmatize mental health issues. The organization, with 10 Core Team members, 7 Cause Ambassadors and 40 Volunteers, has reached hundreds through its webinars across cities in the country. Prajal R, Sikkim, COVID Management System: Prajal founded 'Ripra Clothing Private Limited', an initiative to promote the unique societal flavour and cultural extravaganza offered by his native state to mainland Indians. During the second wave of COVID-19, Prajal also worked to create a management system with a 200+ volunteers' team. Using social media, he collaborated with various media houses of his state and across the country and worked as COVID emergency coordinator under the guidance of Chief Minister Sikkim. The team was active in 21 states in India and helped more than 1000 patients in 13 days. Rishikesh A, Odisha, Kisan Know: Rishikesh started 'Kishan Know', an IoT and AI-based model that helps recognize pests and microbial attacks in under 12 hours and recommends the right pesticide to use for that particular infestation, to help save crops from damage. Till now, this has helped over 7 villages save their crops from damage. Rishikesh is currently working with the government to be able to scale this service at the state and national level as well. Sagarika D, Assam, Maan Ki Umeed: Through 'Maan Ki Umeed', Sagarika and her team focus on enrolling slum kids to primary schools and organising various capacity-building programs for them. The team led by Sagarika has able to reach more than 500 girls and women from rural and underprivileged areas, donated over 15,000 sanitary napkins during the Assam floods of 2020, and provide food ration kits to over 1500 families during the COVID-19 pandemic covering 4 districts of Assam. Shloka A, Karnataka, InternMee: Shloka's initiative 'InternMee' is a one-stop platform to help high school students find work as well as helping organizations find and recruit passionate volunteers. With a core team of 25, the platform has 35,000 global users and has catered to 20,000 applications with a matchmaking rate of 50 per cent. Suhani D, Maharashtra, Sangam India: Suhani runs 'Sangam India', a platform for empowering local artists, entrepreneurs and creative minds, wherein they can showcase their skills, expand their businesses, and meet their future collaborators. With a team of 40 people aged between 14-24 years, the platform has a base of hundreds of member artists in their nation-wide community. Vasundhara C, Punjab, Inspire Dose: Vasundhara's initiative 'Inspire Dose' works to destigmatise mental health, provide mental health support to people, and make youth find new pathways through spirituality. With a team of four, Vasundhara has been organising surveys, writing blogs, making videos, recording podcasts and providing self-care items. "Our growing community of Ashoka Young Changemakers is a testimonial to the power of starting early to lead change which is a foundational step towards becoming lifelong changemakers. Even in the face of the many challenges and uncertainties brought on by the pandemic, these inspiring young changemakers remained committed to their goals of bringing about positive change and advancing their communities. We are looking forward to support them come up with their best ideas to create an 'Everyone A Changemaker' world around them," said Yashveer Singh, the Co-founder and Global Director of Ashoka Young Changemakers. These Young Changemakers will be introduced to a global platform with further access to co-leadership boot camps, media partnerships, public speaking platforms, exposure visits, strategic allies, and more opportunities to advance themselves to be the influencers of youth culture in India. Ashoka is leading the way to an 'Everyone a Changemaker' world. As the world's largest network of changemakers and social innovators with more than 4,000 social entrepreneurs in 93 countries, Ashoka aims to bring about large-scale social change. Ashoka supports innovators to get started, grow their ideas, collaborate, reshape whole systems and influence societal transformation. Founded in 1980 with the belief that the most powerful force in the world is a big idea in the hands of an entrepreneur, Ashoka applies insights from the world's leading social entrepreneurs to set in motion profound societal transformation. Current insights indicate that our rapidly changing world calls for an 'Everyone a Changemaker' world, one where every person practices the critical skills of empathy, teamwork, leadership and changemaking. For more information on Ashoka, please visit www.ashoka.org. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Dubverse.ai, an AI-powered SaaS video content dubbing and creation platform has raised USD 800K in seed funding led by global funds including Kalaari Capital. Founded in 2021 by Varshul CW and Anuja Dhawan, Dubverse is the first-ever platform which supports end-to-end dubbing and produces ready-to-publish videos in real-time. The self-service platform allows full control to the users to create, review and share the dubbed files. The company aims to break the language barrier by broadcasting speeches from the global leaders at the United Nations or "Mann Ki Baat" from India's PM Modi in real-time in all languages and dialects of India and the World. With its first-of-its-kind product, Dubverse is committed to make the internet a more inclusive place by simplifying technology that is accessible to all and enabling each and every creator to experience the power of AI. Commenting on the investment, Vamshi Reddy, Partner, Kalaari Capital said, "With over 100 million creators in India and 350 million+ consumers watching content, there is a strong need for content to be multilingual. Dubverse is building a technology platform that enables content to be created once and dubbed into different languages in a fast, easy and cost efficient way. We are highly excited to partner with Varshul and Anuja on their journey of solving this problem." Dubverse plans to use the funds to construct a creative tool and has thus chosen creator angels (Supriya Paul of Josh Talks, Jasminder Singh Gulati Ex-Founder of Now Floats and Sairee Chahal, Founder of Sheroes and others) who produce a lot of material, in India's vernacular market as well as internationally. In April, Dubverse.ai launched this self-service product and onboarded 200+ users who produced 2000+ videos in 30+ languages. With over 10 million words in their database, AI models are programmed to provide more contextual dubbing output. Each of them brings a distinct element of content creation to the platform, allowing India to grow sustainably. Commenting on the fundraising, Varshul, Co-Founder, Dubverse said, "While the global digital adoption is at its peak, there is still a huge barrier in consuming the internet for non-English users. We at Dubverse believe generative AI can help bridge this gap. Dubverse re-creates videos using our exclusive AI with human in the loop system to deliver highest quality video." Commenting on the fundraising, Anuja Dhawan, Co-Founder, Dubverse said, "In a world connected by Globalization and divided by Languages, we at Dubverse have set out on a mission to make every video multi-lingual. We want to deliver the power of AI to each and every creator, allowing them to reach more people with the same content, today businesses are not restricted by borders but only by languages." In India, short-form content monthly active users have increased 1.37 times and daily active users have increased 1.1 times since June 2020, making it one of the fastest-growing marketplaces. Dubverse features a diverse range of users, including marketers, agencies, media firms, and course producers. All of these user groups have different needs, such as expanding their reach by entering new countries or improving product adoption by presenting information in native languages. HP, Glenmark Aquatic Foundation, Vyapar, and Lead School are a few examples of brands that have been leveraging the platform to create multilingual content across use cases such as educational content, product explainers, training, and up-skilling courses amongst others. Video production is difficult and inefficient, and AI should be used to democratise it. Dubverse is developing the engine for Synthetic Media, in which AI augments human creativity. They have started with the specific use case of removing language barriers from video material, but the possibilities are limitless. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI/SRV): Symbiosis Law School, Pune one of India's topmost legal education institutions, has opened admissions for its five-year BA/BBA L.L.B (Hons.) programme for the year 2022. The online SLAT registrations for SLS Pune will close on 15th June 2022. The SLAT exam will take place on the 3rd July 2022, Sunday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM. It is mandatory to appear for SLAT (Symbiosis Law Admission Test) as a precondition for admission to SLS, Pune. Every candidate must pay INR. 1950 as a SLAT Registration Fees and must complete the SLS, Pune payment of INR. 1000 per programme (i.e. B.A. LL.B (Hons.) or/and BB.A. LL.B (Hons.)) while filling the SLAT registration form. Prof. Dr Shashikala Gurpur Director- SLS, Pune, Dean-Faculty of Law, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) quotes, "We at SLS Pune are looking forward to welcoming the new batch of aspirants to impart the best of legal education and to provide them with the right environment to help them grow and flourish." The institute has been ranked 1st among the top-50 private law schools in India by IIRF and awarded five prestigious awards in the category of top legal colleges in the country. It has also been selected by the Government of India, the Ministry of Social Welfare for awarding scholarships to SC & ST students. Symbiosis Law School, Pune has been consistently shaping accomplished leading lawyers of the country for the last 45 years, which is also evident from their 83.7% in placements. The college organizes placement drives with various companies and law firms. It comprises a few of the best and leading recruiters like Coca Cola, Bharti Airtel, Trilegal, ACC Cement, Luthras & Co, HDFC Ergo, Khaitan & Co, Indiabulls, Manupatra, Bajaj Allianz, Indusland Bank, and many more. The highest placement package of the institute is around 17.5 lakhs and the average placement package is around 8-9 lakhs. With its multiple student exchange programs and a variety of internship opportunities, SLS Pune is the preferred destination for every legal aspirant. Students have attended summer schools and universities like the National College of Ireland, Deakin University, Universiteit Leiden the Netherlands etc. Symbiosis Law School Pune is also a part of the EURASIA (European Studies Revitalised Across Asian Universities) project. This project addresses the challenges and needs to establish, update, and modernize curricula in EU studies in a globalizing world and refers to the strategic priorities of the EU Global Strategy. The SLS Pune faculty comprises highly qualified and esteemed educators who bestow students with their impeccable legal knowledge. The Institute also provides students with relevant exposure through its International collaborations with globally recognized legal leaders and experts. Not just academically but also creatively, SLS Pune ensures to bring the best out of its students. With Symbhav, an initiative created to portray the creative brilliance and artistic panache of students. Symbhav is the brainchild of some of our most illustrious alumni and has been a resounding success right from its inaugural edition, flaunting the cultural and extra-curricular talent of students not just from Pune but from numerous colleges across India. The school has always believed in working on the strengths and building top-class, diverse legal professionals mastering the skill of legal education. Hence three main strengths of the university- Education, Infrastructure and Alumni are always on the trajectory of being better every day. Symbiosis Law School Pune has never left any stone unturned, in building the best advocates in the country, epitomizing excellence in legal education. To know more visit: Symbiosis Law School, Pune This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 7 (ANI/PRNewswire): The admission for online courses is in full swing and KFBS invitesnext-generation aspiring entrepreneurs who want to align their family business with guidance provided by KFBS Online Courses. KFBS brings responsible programs and courses for a responsible future. Also, KFBS has research centers which were started to benefit KFBS students and instructors to do research on the new things and invent which is beneficial to business and society. KFBS Online Courses will be taught by Distinguished Faculties, Senior Leaders, and Entrepreneurs who have impacted the world and made a difference. Programs Post Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship Development Post graduate Diploma in Family Business Management Post Graduate Diploma in Comprehensive General Management Also, KFBS provides short term courses which is essential to Business. Note: Some of the courses are available throughout the year. Eligibility Criteria: Graduate in any Discipline For admission write to us at: Admission@kfb-school.org or call us at +(91) 86556 58744 or visit our website www.kfb-school.org for more details. Last date to apply is 15th July, 2022. The accelerated pace and global scope of business underscore the crucial need for both entrepreneurs, executives and organizations to continually reinvent themselves. Without leaders who have mastered the latest concepts and practices, companies are ill-prepared to compete and succeed in the long term. The solution is lifelong management development which is why at KFBS the faculty helps students to recharge entrepreneurs' thinking, enhance their individual management capacity, and apply their newly developed competencies for sustainable corporate advantage. KFBS offers a program experience that is truly transformational. Entrepreneurs & Executives return to their organizations empowered with: A greater understanding of the forces shaping the business climate An expanded view of general management as it relates to business operations, organizational structures, and competitive strategies Deep, practical knowledge and sound judgment for addressing day-to-day challenges A greater ability to think creatively, make sound decisions, and develop results-driven solutions A new vision-based view of the future filled with unprecedented business opportunities A new level of management expertise for implementing the corporate mission Best practice and strategies to deliver long-term success and ensure global competitiveness Key Elements of KFBS learning model provide the foundation for an unparalleled Education. Philosophy: The KFBS Education experience is shaped by the school's cross-functional approach to general management, innovative teaching methodologies, which promote teamwork and collaboration. Participants are exposed to an in-depth education that prepares them to immediately leverage their enhanced leadership capacity to build a sustainable advantage for the companies. Faculty: Every program is taught by a team of KFBS' highly respected academicians, educators, researchers, authors, and entrepreneurs who leverage their business expertise to create new and enduring concepts that shape the practice of management. As business practitioners, they are living models of effective management and leadership. Working with these international business minds, participants gain knowledge straight from the source, exploring current and future issues and gaining exposure to new research-based business models. Case Method: The case method is employed as the best tool to teach general management and leadership. This learning by analogy compels participants to apply practical business lessons to their own company's challenges. Executive Education & Other courses participants benefit from an added dimension. Interaction: Every program facet is structured to promote dynamics, interchange and share learning among talented, accomplished peers from diverse companies and industries. Technology: Simulation, online exercises, webcasts, teleconferences, and other technology-based methodologies expose executives to the most recent advances and help them maximize the potential of technology in their work. Kuril Founders B-School (KFBS) is an autonomous business school and provides Online Certificates, Post Graduate Diplomas, and Hybrid mode Executive Education in the area of Advanced Business Management, Entrepreneurship Management & Family Businesses Management Programs to Entrepreneurs and Family Businesses. KFBS is the Business school for Entrepreneurs and Family Business. KFBS was started in July 2021 and is located in Thane City, near Mumbai, Maharashtra-India. 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], June 7 (ANI/SRV): Delhi-based leading SEO and ORM Company, ORANKS INFOTECH is going beyond the scope of work and delivering exceptional services; recently won the prestigious "Most Trusted Brand of the Year" by My Brand Better on 30th April 2022. My Brand Better, an analytical company that maintains a high creative standard, recognized ORANKS INFOTECH for its outstanding performance in SEO and ORM services category. ORANKS INFOTECH was conferred the award by the hands of famous director and actor, Arbaaz Khan. Over 250+ nominations across India; ORANKS INFOTECH has won twice in a row. In 2019 the company was awarded the title of National Quality Of Excellence Award for its online reputation management services. ORANKS was presented with the award as it has shown exceptional performance. Launched in 2017, ORANKS INFOTECH, has been dedicatedly working to providing innovative and efficient SEO, ORM and website development solutions to its clientele. With a team of over 30 highly qualified industry experts, ORANKS INFOTECH has shown a constant upward trajectory and strives to continue the same. The company offers services like Web Design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Online Reputation Management (ORM), Social Media Marketing, and Pay-Per-Click Advertising and has served over 200+ clients since its inception. Khalid Gaur, Co-Founder of ORANKS INFOTECH, quotes, "It is an honour to get the country level recognition and to be awarded the 'Most Trusted Brand of the Year'. ORANKS is a top leading digital marketing agency and highly specialized in Online Reputation Management service in India, we cherish this association with our reputed clients across the globe. We have always kept all our clients at the highest pedestal, and upgraded our technology and services with utmost attention at every stage. With our clients' extraordinary support, we have earned the 'India's Most Trusted Brand of the Year award' which makes it extremely special for us. We thank everyone from our team and our clients for this honorary recognition and validation." ORANKS INFOTECH has collaborated with some of the top leading experts from various domains like businessmen, politicians, and celebrities to manage their online reputation on numerous social media platforms using advanced SEO strategies. The agency has always worked towards achieving its vision of providing the right value for its customers and has successfully procured client loyalty across the globe including India, UAE, UK and USA. This is a celebration of the best marketers from across the globe. The Awards are an acknowledgement of the tireless effort of the teams that build and maintain their brand presence in an ever-changing market." says, Sunando Sankar, Online Reputation Management Dept. Head of ORANKS INFOTECH. The company aims to aid startups and organizations with the best digital marketing solutions by driving high-quality relevant traffic and business online. Furthermore, the company has collaborated with a few of the top Indian brands like NNNOW, DLF, Medanta, Meizu India, TruSox, Nangia Andersen, Wave Group, Burj Noida Dasnac, Hamdard, Hindustan Power projects, Select Citywalk, Funcart, and many more. The agency has always worked towards achieving its vision and has won client loyalty in India, UAE, UK, USA and across the world. Today the company propels its vast clientele with numerous services and has definitely carved a niche for itself as a pioneer in the digital marketing industry. To know more visit https://www.oranks.com/ | https://www.oranks.com/services/online-reputation-management/ This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI/PNN): House Of Brands Company (HOBC), a premium D2C aggregator startup founded on the lines of Thrasio, has secured its seed funding from a clutch of investors. The firm saw participation from Ah! Ventures, LetsVenture and IITIITM Angels, along with marquee investors and family offices in this round. HOBC was founded by Roopam Nayak and Sreelaj John in May 2021. The company calls itself the "Thrasio for premium brands." HOBC has revealed that it has added 5 premium brands in the fashion and lifestyle segment to its portfolio in less than six months. So far, it has been operating under the radar and building its portfolio. Sreelaj John, the co-founder of HOBC, commented, "The company is founded on a vision to breathe life into everyday products, uncompromising on quality, accessibility, or affordability. We have worked very hard to create amazing designs. We wish to concentrate on bringing high-end brands to the Indian population. Further, this segment of 15-20 million upper-middle-class customers forms only 1 per cent of the Indian population but generates 70 per cent of all eCommerce revenue in India, making this group the ideal market for any D2C brand." He further added, "HOBC is on track to acquire 8 more brands by the end of the financial year. We are also the only Indian aggregator solely focussing on premium brands." The company aims to emulate the highly successful Thrasio model. This concept is relatively new to the Indian start-up scene but has acquired pace, garnered attention, and resulted in significant financing for the firms associated with it in recent months. A few Indian companies like MensaBrands, GOAT Brand Labs, GlobalBees, Evenflow, Powerhouse91, UpScalio and 10Club, most of which launched in 2021, are built on the Thrasio model. HOBC is set to enter the Thrasio club and give a strong competition to these existing eCommerce aggregators. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has signed MoUs with State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda (BOB), Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to boost investment in the UP Defense Industrial Corridor. As per the agreement, the bank will provide financial assistance in the form of ease of doing business to investors in the UP Defense Industrial Corridor. As part of its ongoing support to the investors in the Corridor, UPEIDA has now collaborated with three major nationalised banks of the country, State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda (BOB) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), UPEIDA said in a statement. These are aimed at assisting the investors desirous of setting up in the UP Defence Industrial Corridor in securing financial assistance as part of Ease of Doing Business. The banks shall be rendering customized financial assistance on a case-to-case basis to these investors to aid them in setting up, it said. UPEIDA has also signed an MoU with IIT Kanpur Research and Technology Park Foundation (Technopark@iitk) to address the growing R&D requirements and opportunities for collaboration of IIT Kanpur with the domestic Aerospace and Defence ecosystem. With companies in the defence sector are preparing to set up their production and manufacturing units in the state as part of the Defence Industrial Corridor, Technopark@iitk is reaching out to companies to set up their R&D units in its premises and support them in the areas of innovation and research, UPEIDA said. Speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer of UPEIDA Awanish Kumar Awasthi said these agreements would help boost investment in UP Defense Industrial Corridor. As private investors get support and assistance by the state, there will be an even greater surge in private participation in the sector. This contributes greatly to India's goal of achieving the Defence production target at $25 billion by 2025, Awasthi said. (ANI)
Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are presently writing 'Deadpool 3' for director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Reynolds. Reese assured fans that the script will not be 'Disney-fied'. According to Variety, the upcoming third chapter of the 'Deadpool' franchise will be the first made under Disney, which acquired Fox in 2019 after two R-rated 'Deadpool' films grossed over USD780 million worldwide. Fans have speculated about how a Disney-backed 'Deadpool' would look, as well as if the studio's family-friendly image will sanitize the bawdy and rude tone of the character. "It's these [Disney] people and these people do things their way," Reese recently told The Playlist. "And we were used to doing things our way, so there are differences, but I think the great part is that Marvel's been incredibly supportive. They are gonna let Deadpool be Deadpool, you know? It's not like any particular joke may be the one that they say, 'You know, that's too far,' that could happen, but to this point, it's been nothing but support." Reese added Marvel's views on the franchise's future, "It's been nothing but, 'How can we help you?' What from our universe would you like to use? How can we make your life easy? And we're gonna let Deadpool be Deadpool. We're not... this is not going to be the Disney-fied Deadpool. So they're awesome, and now it's up to us to come through and justify that faith." "Oh, sure," Reese said when asked if the 'Deadpool' trilogy will be rated R with the upcoming third film. "They're not gonna mess with the tone. I mean, I'd never say never, I guess there's an outside chance, but we've always been told it can be R-[rated] and we're proceeding as if it's R. We would like it to be R, we always have, so I don't think that'll change." The 'Deadpool' films have earned over USD780 million worldwide, making them the highest-grossing 'X-Men' films of all time. The first two films, which were released in 2016 and 2018, were produced by 20th Century Fox prior to Disney's acquisition of the studio. The release date for 'Deadpool 3' is presently unknown. (ANI)
Hollywood actor Brad Pitt has accused his ex-wife, actor Angelina Jolie of damaging the reputation of the Miraval wine business, which they co-owned previously by selling her part of the share to a 'stranger'. Earlier, Brad had filed a lawsuit against Angelina for selling her share of the Miraval vineyard even though both had agreed that they would not be selling their individual interests without the consent of any one part, reported People magazine. Brad accused that his ex-wife was deliberately trying to "inflict harm on" him, by selling her stakes. Brad further claimed that Angelina had "contributed nothing" to the success of the Miraval business. According to Brad's lawyers, Angelina had already planned on selling her shares to a French group Tenute del Mondo, which had always wanted to take control over Miraval, reported People magazine. "Jolie pursued and then consummated the purported sale in secret, purposely keeping Pitt in the dark, and knowingly violating Pitt's contractual rights," read the statement from Brad's team. In addition, the lawyers of Brad Pitt claim that Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler, who controls the Stoli Group, a company of vertically-integrated vodka producers has been seeking to get a hold of "confidential and proprietary information for the benefit of his competing enterprise." Shefler is also accused of engaging in "cutthroat business tactics and dubious professional associations," which run the risk of jeopardizing Brad Pitt's "carefully built" Miraval wine business, harming his reputation. Presently, Brad is seeking damages "in an amount to be proven at trial". The 'Troy' actor has also urged that the sale made by Angelina should be declared "null and void." Brad has asked for a trial by jury as well. (ANI)
On Tuesday, 'The Family Man 2' star posted her new pictures on her Instagram which garnered a lot of attention from the fans. It has been speculated that this new look of Samantha is from the sets of Karan's most controversial show.

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The backdrop seen in Samantha's pictures is similar to the post shared by Karan where he mentioned working on the new episode.

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'K for Koffee', Karan captioned the post.

Karan recently announced that the new season will exclusively stream on the OTT Platform which will mark the debut of several Indian actors on the show. The release date of this season is still awaited.

Meanwhile, Samantha is busy waiting for the release of her film 'Yashoda', which is scheduled to hit the theatres on August 12, 2022. Interestingly, the movie is clashing with Aamir Khan's much-awaited 'Laal Singh Chadha' which marks the Bollywood Debut of Samantha's ex-husband Naga Chaitanya.

Apart from this, she will be seen opposite Varun Dhawan in the Hindi Remake of the American Web Series 'Citadel' directed by the director duo Raj and DK. (ANI)
Actor Johnny Depp who recently emerged victorious in his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard, was recently spotted dining at an Indian restaurant in UK's Birmingham. The 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Star indulged in scrumptious Indian food, celebrating his big win. According to TMZ, the actor spent a whopping amount of Rs 48.1 lakh (around $62,000) at the restaurant. English musician Jeff Beck along with 20 other friends joined Depp for the lavish dinner. Johnny also interacted with restaurant staff and a few other people present there. The actor has been spotted at various restaurants across the United Kingdom post the win. Earlier this week, he was spotted relishing a British meal of fish and chips and a pint in a pub in Newcastle. The trial, which took the internet by storm, went on for about six weeks and was held in USA's Virginia. Depp won the highly-publicised defamation case and was awarded USD 10m in compensatory damages and USD 5m in punitive damages. Amber Heard, on the other hand, was awarded $2m compensatory damages. The couple that called it quits in 2016 battled in court over an article Amber Heard wrote in the year 2018 in which she described dealing with domestic abuse (without mentioning Johnny's name). Post the release of the article, Depp sued Heard for USD 50 million in damages. Proceedings of the trial began in April and the verdict was out on June 1, declaring Depp victorious. The Jury found that Amber Heard could not support her allegations against Depp with any substantial proof and thus noted that her claims of abuse were false when she published the article. However, the Jury also found that Depp had on one occasion defamed Heard, thus awarding her USD 2 million in compensatory damages. (ANI)
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the upcoming gig was announced just weeks after both the high-profile comedians were attacked on stage in separate incidents.

The duo will co-headline the show at the vast 02 Arena on September 3, with Live Nation organizing what it is billing as a "historic" and "iconic" event.

This stand-up event comes after Rock recently joined Chappelle on stage at West Hollywood's The Comedy Store, in early May, where both comedians made light of their recent attacks.

Chappelle, who was tackled by a man who rushed the stage just two nights earlier while performing as part of the 'Netflix Is A Joke' festival at The Hollywood Bowl, joked that Rock had been "smacked by someone of repute," whereas he had been "smacked by a homeless guy with leaves in his hair."

Rock was famously slapped on stage at the 2022 Oscars by Will Smith after making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. "I got smacked by the softest n--a that ever rapped," Rock summed up during The Comedy Store gig.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Isaiah Lee, the man accused of attacking Chappelle, has pleaded not guilty to four charges of battery, possessing a deadly weapon with intent to assault, unlawfully crossing from a spectator area onto a stage at a theatrical event, and interfering with or delaying such an event with unlawful conduct. (ANI)
The 'Jugg Jugg Jeeyo' star who was busy promoting the movie, jetted off to Paris for the shooting of his next movie 'Bawaal' with Janhvi Kapoor. On Tuesday, he shared a glimpse of their fun-shoot diaries with Jahnvi Kapoor in one of his Instagram stories.

In the picture, he could be spotted standing on a bollard, while sporting a white-blue attire. He opted for a white t-shirt, and a greenish-blue jacket, pairing it up with a pair of blue jeans and a cap. On the other hand, Jahnvi could be seen sporting a beige-hued outfit with white sneakers and a grey stole.

Taking to one of his Instagram stories, the 'Student of The Year' star also shared his video, grooving on the streets of Paris on his recent hit-maker song 'Rangsari' from 'Jugg Jugg Jeeyo'.

In the video, Varun can be seen sporting a dapper look in a grey coloured hoodie and pyjamas, pairing it with a yellow coloured jacket.

Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, 'Bawaal' is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The drama film is scheduled to hit the big screens on April 7, 2023. (ANI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday announced a solatium of Rs 5 lakh to the families of three persons who died due to consumption of contaminated water in the state's Raichur, as well as a through probe. Over the past week, at least 60 persons, including several children, have fallen sick and been hospitalised after consuming allegedly contaminated water supplied by municipal authorities. Addressing media persons, Bommai said: "The state government has taken the case seriously. The KWSSB Chief Engineer has been ordered to conduct a thorough inquiry into the unfortunate incident and submit a report. The Deputy Commissioner of Raichur has been instructed to test the samples of drinking water in every ward of Raichur." Water supplied from the Rampuru reservoir through a pipe to 35 wards in the city is suspected to have been contaminated by sewerage. A police investigation too would be conducted to ascertain whether there were any lapses on part of the officials. Action would be taken against those responsible if any lapses were found, Bommai said. --IANS pvn/vd ( 189 Words) 2022-06-06-23:18:33 (IANS)
Two criminals, including one member of the Hashim Baba gang, were arrested for pointing a gun at a man who scolded them for sitting on his scooty, a police official said. Interestingly, of the two accused, the one identified as Faizan was found to be a close associate of Shahrukh, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang while the other was named Suhail. Giving details, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar Sain said an FIR was lodged under sections 307, 341, 506 and 34 IPC & 27 Arms Act on May 25 on the complaint of Md. Kasim Khan and an investigation was initiated. During the investigation, the name of notorious criminal Salman alias JD surfaced. Besides, the involvement of Faizan alias Modal was also ascertained after scanning and analyzing the footage of the CCTV cameras installed in the vicinity. "Multiple raids were conducted by the police teams at the hideouts of the culprit. Through technical inputs, the police team zeroed in on a location in the area of Janta Colony," the DCP said. Acting on a tip-off received on June 3, the police conducted a raid and arrested Faizan, a resident of Matke Wali Gali in Jafrabaad, Delhi. On sustained interrogation, the accused confessed that he along with Salman and some other friends threatened Kasim Khan at gunpoint and after that they handed over the pistol to Salman aka JD. On Faizan's instance another raid was conducted and another accused Sohail was arrested. --IANS uj/uk/bg ( 262 Words) 2022-06-06-19:58:04 (IANS)
As many as 24 candidates including Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha filed their nomination papers for the June 23 bypolls to four Assembly seats in Tripura. Saha, currently a Rajya Sabha member and state BJP President, in his around three-decade-long political career will for the first time contest a direct election in the bypolls from the Town Bordowali assembly constituency. Saha, who assumed office on May 15, a day after Biplab Kumar Deb's resignation from the top post, has to become a member of the Assembly within six months. Accompanied by Deb and senior state party leaders he submitted his nomination papers on Monday, the last day of filing of candidature. The 69-year-old Congress-turned-BJP leader will contest against six other candidates including Ashish Kumar Saha (Congress), Raghunath Sarkar (Forward Bloc) and Sanhita Bhattacharya (Banerjee) of the Trinamool Congress. Of the total of 24 candidates contesting in the four assembly seats, eight women candidates are trying their electoral fortunes. The BJP and the Trinamool Congress fielded two women candidates each while the CPI-M led Left parties and the Congress nominated one woman candidate each. Multi-cornered contests would be witnessed in all the four assembly seats -- Town Bordowali, Agartala, Jubarajnagar and Surma (SC) -- between the nominees of the BJP, the CPI-M led Left Front, Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other smaller parties. The Congress has forged a tacit alliance with the leading tribal based party -- Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance headed by Tripura's former royal scion, Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman in Surma seat, reserved for the Scheduled Castes. The bypolls were necessitated after the resignation of three BJP MLAs and the death of CPI-M legislator Ramendra Chandra Debnath. Amid resentment by a section of BJP legislators against the then CM Deb, three MLAs -- Sudip Roy Barman (Agartala), Ashish Kumar Saha (Town Bordowali) and Ashis Das (Surma)-- quit the BJP and the Assembly. Roy Barman, also a former BJP minister, and Saha joined the Congress in February this year while Das joined the TMC last year. However, Das also resigned from the TMC last month. Elected from the Jubarajnagar constituency six times, Debnath was Assembly speaker multiple times. He passed away on February 2 in Kolkata due to kidney failure. According to the Election Commission's schedule, scrutiny of the nomination papers would be done on Tuesday and the last date of withdrawal of nominations is June 9. The votes will be counted on June 26. --IANS sc/uk/bg ( 417 Words) 2022-06-06-20:34:02 (IANS)
A high-level meeting was held in Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone in Anakapalle district following the gas leak incident. In the meeting, the Industrial Minister Amarnath, Pollution Control Board Chairman AK Parida, chemical engineers and district collector police officials participated. Industrial Minister Amarnath told ANI that 280 people have been discharged out of 369 people who were admitted to the hospital. The rest are getting treated in the hospital. "The government constituted a joint committee with government officials and experts. As per sources of the committee, 800 people were working in the unit where the gas leaked, which led to some workers feeling sick with a vomiting sensation on Friday," he said. "We are suspecting leakage from the air conditioner. We sent samples of chemicals and chlorine to the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad. The report will come today or tomorrow morning. Once the committee report comes, we will take action against the culprits. Seeds company was closed temporarily," the minister said. A "We have safety audits every six and three months. We constituted a committee after the gas leakage was reported in LG polymers two years ago. We also told the Pollution Control Board to take safety auditions from time to time. We definitely take necessary action to prevent these kinds of accidents in the future," he added. Trade unions and opposition parties have accused the authorities of not being able to identify the source of the gas leak for the last three days. They alleged that the government is colliding with the owners of the company to protect them. The TDP leaders also tried to meet Minister Amarnath and other committee team members. The TDP leaders tried to enter the meeting hall. The police force intervened and later escorted them away from the meeting. TDP senior leader and TDP Leader Yalamanchili constituency in-charge Mecha Nageswara Rao told ANI that the government has failed to identify the cause of the gas leakage. "Three days have gone. The state government collided with the management to hide the truth for protecting the management. Almost 400 workers fell sick and were admitted to the hospital. Nothing has been yet announced by the government for their future health problems from the gas leakage", said Nageswara Rao. (ANI)
Kanpur police on Monday refuted the reports of an attack on the police team that went to arrest an accused in the violence that occurred in the city on June 3, and termed the information "untrue and misleading". The police official said that the team was, however, opposed by the accused's family members. "Reports related to an attack on police team that went to arrest an accused under Bajaria PS limits are untrue and misleading. The team went for arrest which was opposed by the accused's family, but our force acted with restraint and arrested the accused," said AP Tiwari, Joint Commissioner on Monday. Meanwhile, Kanpur Police on Monday issued a poster of 40 suspects allegedly involved in the clash that occurred on June 3, said UP Police. The police issued posters on the basis of the CCTV footage, added the UP police. The police appealed to the public to help in the search for the suspects. Earlier, all accused, including key conspirator Hayat Zafar Hashmi, were sent to 14-day judicial remand on Sunday in connection with the Kanpur violence case. They were taken to District Jail in Kanpur by the police after they were sent on a 14-day remand. A violent clash broke out between two groups belonging to different communities allegedly over a market shutdown in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh on Friday. As many as 36 persons were arrested and 3 FIRs have been registered in the Kanpur violence case and further investigations are underway. Earlier on Saturday, the Uttar Pradesh Police had said the main accused in the Kanpur violence case, Hayat Jaffar Hashmi has been arrested along with three other masterminds. Four men involved in the conspiracy were identified, tracked, and arrested. "We will investigate if they had any links with PFI. Action will be taken under Gangster Act, and NSA and their properties will be seized," the Kanpur CP said. (ANI)
"As per the documents recovered from the killed Pakistani terrorist, he has been identified as Hanzalla of Lahore, Pakistan. One AK rifle, five magazines along with ammunition has been recovered. Further details shall follow," Jammu and Kashmir Police said in a tweet, quoting Inspector General Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar.

J&K Police had earlier tweeted that one Pakistani terrorist affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT killed, while two foreign terrorists and one local terrorist escaped from cordon and searches were on.

The encounter comes two days after Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist commander Nisar Khanday was killed in an encounter at Rishipora area in Anantnag district.

There have been a series of anti-terror operations in Kashmir over the last few months in which many terrorists and their commanders have been eliminated.

Most of the operations have been jointly conducted by the police and the army on the basis of specific intelligence inputs.

--IANS zi/vd

( 192 Words)

2022-06-06-23:28:10 (IANS)
Karnataka government is formulating a new Research and Development (R&D) policy whose announcement would be made within a month, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday. The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating a Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Lab and release of Dr H Narasimhaiah's autobiography (Translated English edition) 'Path of Struggle' as part of the 102nd birth anniversary of renowned academician and Padmabhushan awardee Dr H Narasimhaiah at the National College. "The proposed policy would identify and give a boost for research and innovations happening at Garage level to major institutions. Even individuals with innovative ideas and a passion for research would be encouraged. The policy would immensely benefit National Educational Institutions," Bommai said while assuring support for National College in its science and research endeavours. He exhorted the students to ask questions as it would help in developing logical thinking. "Children have the right to ask questions, their curiosity is the trigger for research," he said. Talking about the New Education Policy, the Chief Minister said the education system is undergoing comprehensive changes due to its implementation. "The National Education Institution is implementing the New Education Policy. It is bringing comprehensive changes in the education system. The NEP encourages experimentation and gives importance to Science. The state government is setting up Atal Laboratories in every school at a cost of Rs50 lakh. It would give a big boost for research," Bommai said. Recalling late Narasimhaiah's service and dedication, Bommai said, "Narasimhaiah worked for building a modern India while retaining the ancient values of the country. He was known for his scientific temper and campaign against superstition. Narasimhaiah has built a great educational institution and those who study here are very lucky." Meanwhile, during the eight-year tenure of PM Modi, many new initiatives have been taken in the country; New Education Policy is one of them. As a result of this policy, the youth of the nation will also get higher education in their regional language. Expenditure on education in the country has almost been doubled, at the same time, enough emphasis has been placed on skill development and the skills of 1.34 crore youth of the country have been enhanced. (ANI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has slammed Congress leader Siddaramaiah for his remarks on the revised textbooks and said that the former CM is "politicking in everything" as this is not the first time the Textbook Revision Committee has been dissolved. Notably, the Karnataka government recently dissolved the Committee stating that its work has been completed. Siddaramaiah had taken a potshot at the state government over the developments and said that the revised textbooks have hurt the sentiments of the Kannadigas. Bommai hit out at the Congress leader for his remarks and said, "It is not the first time that the Textbook Revision Committee has been dissolved. Siddaramaiah is politicking in everything." "It has happened many times in the past. Did they withdraw the revised text then? They should not create confusion unnecessarily. We have an open mind on this issue. We are ready to rectify the mistakes. We will rectify and reprint the textbooks," he said while addressing to the media. Talking about the Peer Pasha Dargah at Basavakalyans in the Bidar district about which a group of Veeerashaiva-Lingayat seers appealed to the Chief Minister for an Archeological survey, Bommai said, "The Seers have appealed for research on Peer Pasha Dargah. The Archeology department would look into it." The Chief Minister also spoke about the rising number of COVID cases in the country, and said that that Covid is under complete control in the state and people "need not panic unnecessarily" about the pandemic. "The Principal Secretary in the Health department would hold meetings to review the Covid management precautions taken in all the districts and submit a report. The appropriate decision would be taken based on the report," Bommai said. Earlier, the Chief Minister said that his government is formulating a new Research and Development (R&D) policy whose announcement would be made within a month. The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating a Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Lab and release of Dr H Narasimhaiah's autobiography (Translated English edition) 'Path of Struggle' as part of the 102nd birth anniversary of renowned academician and Padmabhushan awardee Dr H Narasimhaiah at the National College. "The proposed policy would identify and give a boost for research and innovations happening at Garage level to major institutions. Even individuals with innovative ideas and a passion for research would be encouraged. The policy would immensely benefit National Educational Institutions," Bommai said while assuring support for National College in its science and research endeavours. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet as many as 47 BJP corporators of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), along with office bearers of the Hyderabad unit and other senior leaders today in New Delhi. This is the first time that during his tenure as a Prime Minister, he has called for such an informal interaction. In a conversation with ANI on Monday, Prakash Reddy, BJP leader and a spokesperson said, "Our corporators and office bearers have been asked to meet the Prime Minister on Tuesday. He invited us all during his recent visit to ISB, Hyderabad. Due to heavy rains here, we were unable to him back then. PM has invited us once again to meet him." "We all will reach Delhi at 10 am tomorrow. PM Modi will hoist a tea meeting. It is only a courtesy visit. PM Modi will motivate us to work for the party. Keeping that spirit, we will meet the Prime Minister," he said. GHMC corporator of Musheerabad, Supriya Goud, said to ANI, "I am glad that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited corporators of GHMC, along with office bearers of the Hyderabad unit and other senior leaders, to meet him in Delhi. Recently, we received a call to meet him. We will highlight the problems faced in our corporation." This development comes just months before the Telangana Assembly elections which are slated to be held next year. In the Hyderabad Municipal Elections held in 2020, the BJP won 48 seats while AIMIM won 44. The TRS had won 56. (ANI)
Union Minister of State Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Monday in a meeting with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami urged him to promote agri-tech start-ups in the state to arrest the large-scale migration of youth. The Union Minister said that the geography and climatic conditions in Himalayan states like Uttarakhand favour the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants and these can be developed into agri-tech and aromatic enterprises. During the meeting, Dhami proposed setting up new scientific institutions in the state and extending the services of the existing Indian Institute of Petroleum at Dehradun. The Union Minister offered support for providing free quality planting material and end-to-end technology package for cultivation, processing, value addition and marketing of the Lavender crop to the farmers. He said the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will provide comprehensive handholding from product development to marketing to the willing youth and farmers. The Minister said as large numbers and area is under small and marginal holdings, appreciable economic outcomes can be achieved by pooling resources for Aroma mission. Further, Chief Minister Dhami discussed a wide range of state-related issues ranging from development to placement of All India Services officers with the Union Minister. He brought to the notice of Singh, who is also the Minister In-charge Department of Personnel and Training, some of the issues related to deputation and placement of IAS officers in Uttarakhand. (ANI)
He said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wants to create a "crime-free" state where rule of law will prevail.

Speaking to ANI, Bajpai said, "CM Yogi has made constant efforts against criminals. The state government works to adopt a strict legal process and in this action is being taken against the criminals at the district level by identifying them so that UP can become a crime-free state."

"The Chief Minister want to create a state where the rule of law will prevail and people of every society feel safe and secure," he said.

Kanpur Police on Monday released the pictures of 40 men after scouring through hours of CCTV and video footage in connection with the clashes and stone-pelting reported from the city last Friday.

The police suspect these men to have played an active role in the Friday violence that injured several people.

As per the directives of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, action will be taken against the identified criminals and their illegally-acquired property will be confiscated.

The administration has earmarked 62 mafias since March 2022 and a total of 788 people have been booked under the Gangster Act till May 2022. (ANI)
"The preliminary investigation will be done by DGCA in consultation with Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)," said a senior DGCA official.

In a statement, DGCA said that on Monday Air Arabia A320 Aircraft A6-AOT operating flight 3L-062 (Chittagong-Abu Dhabi) experienced No.1 Engine Stall and Engine Fail ECAM warnings came on.

The crew carried out ECAM actions.

"ENG1 was shut down. Crew declared MAY day and diverted to Ahmedabad," reads the statement.

"Aircraft landed safely at Ahmedabad. Team from DGCA, Mumbai office In consultation with AAIB is being sent to Ahmedabad for preliminary investigation, it further read. (ANI)
Delhi Police registered a case of violation of copyright on a complainant by a lawyer and author of a law book.

Additional Sessions Judge Lokesh Kumar Sharma dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Shailender Singhal. The court directed him to join the investigation as and when required by the Investigation Officer (IO).

The court dismissed the application after hearing the submissions made by the counsels for the accused and the complainant.

It is alleged that the accused made certain changes in the book without informing the complainant Advocate Tarun Narang.

The allegations against the accused appeared to be covered by the judgement of the Supreme Court in Arnesh Kumar's case, the court noted.

During the hearing on the application, the IO submitted that the accused had not joined the investigation despite the notice. He also submitted that he had not applied for permission to arrest the accused.

A case of copyright violation was registered at Dwarka South police station on the complaint by Advocate Tarun Narang. He alleged that he had jointly authored a book for the accused. He came to know that the accused had released the revised edition of the book without informing him and his name was also deleted from the revised book. He also alleged that before doing so his consent was not obtained. (ANI)
Disqualified elected members of the Karnataka municipality file an appeal in the Supreme Court, challenging an order of the Karnataka High Court, which dismissed their pleas against the state Election Commission over disqualification for not sharing details of election expenditure. The vacation bench of Justices MR Shah and Aniruddha Bose on Tuesday said that it will hear the matter day after tomorrow. The Court was hearing the petition filed by the petitioners K Srinivas and others through advocate Parmatma Singh against the impugned order dated May 30 passed by the High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru. The petitioners had filed before the Karnataka High Court being aggrieved by an order dated November 15, 2021, passed by the respondent Karnataka State Election Commission under section 16C of the Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964 thereby disqualifying the petitioners and 9 other councillors from Town Municipal Council, Anekal for a period of three years from the date of the order. According to the petition, the said order records that even though notice has been issued by the Karnataka State Election Commission to the candidates, they have not submitted any explanation and details of election expenditure. The respondent Karnataka State Election Commission passed the order disqualifying the petitioners without considering the response of the petitioners despite the same being on record, the petition said. "It is settled law that granting of reasonable opportunity of being heard is an essential element of administrative decision making, particularly in cases where drastic consequences of disqualification of an elected representative ensue. In the present case, the order of disqualification of the petitioners for a period of 3 years was passed by the Karnataka State Election Commission without looking into their reply and affording a personal hearing," the petition said. The High Court failed to appreciate that the order dated November 15, 2021, was passed by the respondent Karnataka State Election Commission in gross violation of the principles of natural justice without looking into the replies dated June 17, 2020, sent by the petitioners giving details about the election expenditure along with reasons for a delay in submitting the same, the petition said. (ANI)
According to Delhi Police, the syndicate has been indulged in supplying illegal arms and ammunition in Delhi NCR and Western Uttar Pradesh.

The arrested person is identified as Mange Ram (43), a resident of Meerut. Police recovered five semi-automatic pistols, 10 country-made pistols and four live cartridges from his possession.

Police had the information about that a member of the syndicate will come to Delhi to supply a big consignment of illegal firearms and ammunition, to some of his associates or dealer of illegal arms. He was arrested near Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay DTC Bus Terminal on Delhi-Tronika City Pusta Road.

A case has been registered under the arms act in Special Cell Police Station. Efforts are being made to nab other members of the syndicate. (ANI)
A total of around 42000 kg of narcotics would be destroyed at 14 locations across the country, said the Ministry of Finance said in a press release on Tuesday. "The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) would be conducting a Drug Destruction Day tomorrow as a part of Iconic Week of "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" (AKAM) celebrations of Ministry of Finance to mark the 75th year of Indian independence. A total of around 42000 kg narcotics would be destroyed at 14 locations across the country," stated the Finance Ministry release. The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman would be virtually witnessing the destruction process held at Guwahati, Lucknow, Mumbai, Mundra/Kandla, Patna and Siliguri and would be addressing the officers. (ANI)
Hormonal contraceptives, such as the birth control pill, are amongst the most widely used pharmaceutical products. Recent research has linked hormonal contraceptives to an increased incidence of attempted suicide, raising questions about their safety. Now, a new study shows that rates of attempted suicides in women using hormonal contraception are actually lower than in women who do not use hormonal contraception. Presenting the research at the European Congress of Psychiatry, Lead Researcher, Dr Elena Toffol (University of Helsinki) said: "We set out to verify previous data, so this is not what we expected, and it's good news for contraceptive users". She continued, "Women, especially younger women, have higher rates of depression and attempted suicide than men of similar ages. Many women using hormonal contraceptives, especially contraceptive pills, report mood changes as a side effect. Initial reports from 2018 and 2020 indicated that the use of hormonal contraceptives was associated with a higher number/risk of suicides and suicide attempts. We set out to confirm this data". The researchers, from the University of Helsinki, used several Finnish national databases to compare attempted suicide rates of hormonal contraceptive users and non-users using data from the 2017-2019 period. They took results from 587,823 women, which represents around 50 per cent of the total number of women in the 15-49 age group in Finland. Half of these women had used hormonal contraceptives, including pills, implants, patches, and rings. The research team found that attempted suicide rates between hormonal contraceptive users and non-users were similarly high in women between 15-19 (in general, suicide rates are higher in younger women and decrease with age), but suicide rates dropped in older age groups, with a greater drop in hormonal contraceptive users relative to non-users in the 20-24 and 25-29 age groups. In total, the researchers saw 474 cases of attempted suicide in women who didn't use hormonal contraceptives, with only 344 attempts in women who used hormonal contraceptives. Women not using contraceptives had a 37 per cent greater odds of attempting suicide in comparison with those using hormonal contraceptives. Dr Toffol continued "The strength of this study is a large size, and that we broke the data down according to suicide attempts, psychiatric history, age and contraceptive use. We included a wider age range than the other studies, and importantly, we used a 'nested' study design, where we were able to pair each attempted suicide with 4 control subjects, which allows us to see if contraceptive use in the previous six months was a factor in the attempt. After doing this we found that women with no psychiatric history and using hormonal contraceptives, specifically those containing ethinylestradiol had a significantly reduced risk of attempting suicide than women not using any hormonal contraception. The data indicates redeemed prescriptions, and of course, it may be that some of these prescriptions were redeemed but not used. Overall though, we think we have been able to account for most confounding factors. Our next step is to use data from this same population to examine the risk of depression associated with hormonal contraception use". (ANI)
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar on Tuesday said that the terrorists involved in the killing of the bank manager in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district have been identified and will be neutralised soon. The banker, Vijay Kumar, was a resident of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan and was working in Kulgam. Speaking with ANI, IGP Kashmir said, "In Vijay Kumar's murder case, terrorists have been identified. They'll soon be arrested/ neutralised." Condemning his killing, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had said that the "coward terrorists will not be spared". IGP Kashmir, while briefing about the recent civilian killings said that both the terrorists involved in Kashmiri TV actor Amreen Bhat's murder case were identified and neutralised. Jammu and Kashmir Police said that two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were involved in the killing of Amreen Bhat. Talking of Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Bhat's murder, the IGP said that two terrorists have been involved in his killing, one of whom has been killed. "Two terrorists were involved in Rahul Bhat's murder -- one neutralised, one remains and we are after him," he said. On May 12, Rahul Bhat, a clerk, was murdered inside the tehsildar's office in Chadoora tehsil of Budgam district. People belonging to the Hindu community employed in Kashmir have staged a protest in Jammu and demanded security for members of the Kashmiri Pandit community. A 36-year-old migrant Kashmiri Pandit and high school teacher Rajni Bala was also shot dead by terrorists in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Notably, two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists have been neutralized by security forces during an encounter at the Chaktaras Kandi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara on Tuesday, of which one was from Pakistan. The Pakistani terrorist goes by the code name Tufail, whereas the second terrorist killed has been identified as Ishtiaq Lone from Tral. In another encounter in Sopore on Monday, one Pakistani terrorist affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed by the security forces. As per the documents recovered from the killed Pakistani terrorist, he was identified as Hanzalla of Lahore, Pakistan. Earlier, a Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) 'commander' was killed in an overnight encounter in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, the Jammu and Kashmir police said on June 4. (ANI)
A five-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, who was suspected to have Monkeypox infection, has tested negative. The sample was sent for testing to ICMR - NIV Pune - official sources told ANI. The sample of the girl was sent for testing for Monkeypox after she complained of itching and rashes on her body. Earlier, the Chief Medical Officer of Ghaziabad said that the test is just a "precautionary measure" as the girl has no other health issues, nor does she have close contact with anyone who has travelled abroad in the past month. "Samples of a five-year-old girl have been collected for testing for monkeypox, as a precautionary measure, as she had complaints of itching and rashes on her body. She has no other health issues and neither she nor any of her close contacts travelled abroad in the past month," CMO Ghaziabad said. In view of the increasing reports of Monkeypox (MPX) cases in non-endemic countries, Union Health Ministry acted proactively and issued 'Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease' to ensure advance preparedness across the country. As per the guidelines, a confirmed case is laboratory confirmed for monkeypox virus by detection of unique sequences of viral DNA either by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or sequencing. "All the clinical specimens should be transported to the Apex Laboratory of ICMR-NIV (Pune) routed through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network of the respective district/state," it said in the guidelines. The Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease include the epidemiology of the disease (including host, incubation period, period of communicability and mode of transmission; contact and case definitions; clinical features and its complication, diagnosis, case management, risk communication, guidance on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) including use of personal protective equipment. "The guidelines stress surveillance and rapid identification of new cases as the key public health measures for outbreak containment, mandating the need to reduce the risk of human-to-human transmission. It explains the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures, IPC at home, patient isolation and ambulance transfer strategies, additional precautions that need to be taken care of and duration of isolation procedures," the statement reads. As per the guidelines, contacts should be monitored at least daily for the onset of signs/symptoms for a period of 21 days (as per case definition) from the last contact with a patient or their contaminated materials during the infectious period. Raising awareness of risk factors, the guidelines further explain in detail about raising awareness and educating people about the measures for Monkeypox virus-like avoiding contact with any material of the sick person, isolation of the infected patient from others, practising good hand hygiene and using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for patients. The Ministry further said that the Monkeypox has been reported as endemic in several other central and western African countries such as Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone. However, cases have been also reported in certain non-endemic countries e.g. USA, United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Austria, Israel, Switzerland etc. Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare continues to maintain a close watch over the evolving situation. (ANI)
All India Progressive Muslim Welfare Committee on Tuesday filed a complaint in Thane for the registration of an FIR against suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma over her controversial religious remarks. The committee has filed a complaint in Ambernath Police Station under sections 153A, 153B, 295(A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). "The complainant is a concerned citizen and Maharashtra President of All India Progressive Muslim Welfare Committee. The complainant is filing this complaint against offences committed by the accused namely Nupur Sharma inciting hatred between religious communities, making extremely inflammatory, hurtful and false comments on the Holy Quran, Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) and faithful beliefs of the Muslim Community during a show on National Television, a clear attempt to incite communal disharmony, doing acts prejudicial to national integration as well issuing statement conducive to public mischief," the committee said in a complaint. It further said, "The accused is a well-known BJP politician and national spokesperson named Nupur Sharma, residing at 5-8, Girdhar Apartment, Firozshah Road, New Delhi-110001, who had commented on Islam and its principles, the said speaker is clearly seen instigating hatred by saying words that have caused sentimental hurt to the Muslim Community." "She in the interview is clearly seen abusing Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and her comments can create communal tensions in the locality and the country. Accused used the National Television platform to speak such vile comments targeting the Muslim Communities of India. The Statements have been made with the intention of causing enmity, hatred and ill will in between religious communities and goes against the secular fabric," added the complaint. Several cases have been registered against the suspended BJP leader under the same set of legal provisions. The complaint alleged that Sharma had used "abusive, false and hurtful words against the Prophet and religion of Islam and hurt the feelings of Muslims" and sought immediate action. Last month, Sharma had allegedly made objectionable remarks against Prophet Muhammad during a television news debate on an English channel on the Gyanvapi issue. Earlier on May 27, Sharma had alleged that she has been receiving death and rape threats on social media after a "so-called fact-checker" circulated a heavily edited video from one of her recent debates on a TV channel on the Gyanvapi mosque case. Meanwhile, Delhi Police on Tuesday said that it has provided security to the suspended BJP spokesperson after an FIR was registered on a complaint that she was getting death threats following her controversial religious remarks. The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma from the party's primary membership after her alleged inflammatory remarks against minorities. While suspending Sharma, the BJP said that it "respects all religions" and is "strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion". The BJP leader's remark drew sharp reactions from Gulf countries. India has said that it had taken strong action against those who made controversial remarks against minorities. (ANI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, on Tuesday, confirmed the arrest of a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in Bengaluru. A suspected Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist was arrested in Bengaluru in a joint operation by the Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir police. The accused, Talib Hussain was arrested on June 5. Hussain had allegedly taken shelter at a mosque in Srirampura here and used to deliver sermons during Friday prayers. He had fled Jammu and Kashmir with his wife and children as the hunt for him was intensified by the armed forces, and was hiding in Bengaluru. CM Bommai assured that the State government would provide necessary assistance to the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Speaking to reporters, Bommai said, "The security forces keep a watch on the movements of suspicious elements. It is a routine exercise for them. Such arrests have been made in the past too in Bhatkal, Sirsi and other places." "Necessary assistance would be provided to the Jammu and Kashmir Police in their hunt for such elements," said the Karnataka Chief Minister. Meanwhile, there has been an ongoing spree of Hindu killings in Jammu & Kashmir in recent times. A 36-year-old migrant Kashmiri Pandit and high school teacher Rajni Bala was also shot dead by terrorists in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Notably, two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists have been neutralized by security forces during an encounter at the Chaktaras Kandi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara on Tuesday, of which one was from Pakistan. Earlier, a banker, Vijay Kumar, a resident of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan working in Kulgam, was shot dead by terrorists in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking to ANI, IGP Kashmir said, "In Vijay Kumar's murder case, terrorists have been identified. They'll soon be arrested/ neutralised." Jammu and Kashmir Police said that two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were involved in the killing of Amreen Bhat. IGP Kashmir, while briefing about the recent civilian killings said that both the terrorists involved in Kashmiri TV actor Amreen Bhat's murder case were identified and neutralised. On May 12, Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Bhat, a clerk, was murdered inside the tehsildar's office in Chadoora tehsil of Budgam district. Talking of Rahul Bhat's murder, the IGP said that two terrorists have been involved in his killing, one of whom has been killed. "Two terrorists were involved in Rahul Bhat's murder; one neutralised, one remains and we are after him," he said. In an encounter in Sopore on Monday, one Pakistani terrorist affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed by the security forces. As per the documents recovered from the killed Pakistani terrorist, he was identified as Hanzalla of Lahore, Pakistan. Earlier, a Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) 'commander' was killed in an overnight encounter in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, the Jammu and Kashmir police said on June 4. People belonging to the Hindu community employed in Kashmir have staged a protest in Jammu and demanded security for members of the Kashmiri Pandit community. (ANI)
This will be followed by his address on the occasion, said a statement issued by the PMO.

According to the PMO, the Biotech Startup Expo - 2022 is a two day event being held on June 9 and 10. It is being organised by the Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

It is being held to mark completion of ten years of setting up of BIRAC. The theme of the Expo is 'Biotech Startup Innovations: Towards AatmaNirbhar Bharat'.

The Expo will act as a platform to connect entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, scientists, researchers, bio-incubators, manufacturers, regulators, government officials, etc.

About 300 stalls will be set up at the Expo, which will showcase the applications of biotechnology in various fields such as healthcare, genomics, biopharma, agriculture, industrial biotechnology, waste-to-value, clean energy, among others. (ANI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, in his address on Tuesday after launching a slew of development projects in the Hosakote assembly constituency, said that the State government is mulling over developing Hosakote as a 'Satellite Town.' The Chief Minister, in his address, said, "Hosakote has immense potential for economic activities. Industrialisation, warehouses, drinking water, electricity and transportation facilities would be developed in the area. Extending Metro or Suburban Rail too would be considered in the next phases." The Karnataka Chief Minister also went on to talk about the Ettinahole project which was conceived with the objective to address the drinking water needs of Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru rural districts in 2012. "It is our responsibility to complete the project. Funds have been released for land acquisition. Works would be expedited and water would be brought to the region at the earliest. The project envisages to draw 24 TMC of water and Hosakote too will get Ettinahole water," Bommai said. The Chief Minister also reminded that he has provided grants for the development of Yele Mallappa lake near Hosakote. "Work has started on the project to fill 39 irrigation lakes in Anagonda hobli. An additional grant of Rs 50 crore has been provided for the purpose," he said. "Hoskote is developing as a prominent city. About Rs 3800 crore has been provided for development works in Municipalities and Town Panchayats in the budget, funds have been provided for 8 Railway projects, 8 ports are being developed, 5 lakh houses are being built, and grants have been hiked for education and health sectors," Bommai said. "Hosakote is witnessing a healthy competition among the local people's representatives," Bommai noted, and said one should make good use of the opportunity given by the electorate to resolve their grievances and emerge as true leaders of the people. (ANI)
The CRPF, a Central paramilitary force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, conducted these searches at specific locations in Chapal, Jurni and Guni villages based on a tip-off.

The seized ammunition includes six Improvised Explosive Devices (2 kg each), two bundle wires and 40 pieces of MSeal packets and 421 rounds of live cartridges.

On specific intelligence, CRPF's 158 Battalion troops along with state police carried out searches at around 10 am at Chapal village under Serendag police station and recovered 289 rounds of live cartridges.

In the second such operation conducted at Jurni village under Serendag police station at around 11.55 am, the CRPF and the police recovered a total of 132 rounds of live cartridges.

The security forces seized six IEDs, two bundle wires and 40 pieces of MSeal packets when they carried out searches at Guni village at about 12.30 pm.

The CRPF, with a strength of more than 3 lakh personnel, is the leading force for the internal security of the country. It is handling counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism and left-wing extremism apart from handling duties related to installation security, polling duties and VIP security. (ANI)
Election Commission of India (ECI) in its meeting held on Tuesday under the Chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar along with EC Anup Chandra Pandey decided to double the remuneration of the polling officials going to the polling Stations three days in advance. Till now the remuneration for Polling Officials used to be a uniform per diem amount for all alike. This is the third major decision taken by ECI after Rajiv Kumar assumed charge of CEC on May 15. ECI on May 26 has initiated graded action against 2100 RUPPs under the relevant sections 29A and 29C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. There are 2,796 registered unrecognised political parties in India as of September 2021, which is an increase of over 300 per cent since 2001. Kumar, after taking charge of CEC on May 15, in its first meeting of the commission on May 20, The Commission unanimously decided that Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners (ECs) will not take any income tax benefits presently given to them. Further, CEC and ECs will avail of only one LTC in a year in place of three LTCs presently available to them. According to ECI, all Chief Electoral Officer of Deputy Electoral Officers are also directed to reassess route charts to all Polling stations to work out paths with the best connectivity. The Commission decided to develop Special water/shock proof, extra protective backpacks/ cases to carry EVM-VVPATs and safeguard the machines provided to all such teams to aid hands-free movement in difficult terrain. The Commission further directed all DEOs/ROs to visit the P-3 Polling Station locations one year in advance of the General Election to the Legislative Assembly or the Parliament. Chief Electoral Officers would also visit some polling stations themselves. The Commission further directed that all DEOs/ROs would identify at least the 5 lowest voter turnout booths in each assembly constituency. They shall visit these booths to identify factors for low voting turnout and take targeted interventions to mitigate the factors hampering the voting process. In order to address voting apathy in urban areas, the Commission decided to undertake focused awareness activities in this respect, the Commission also took note of the fact that under the Negotiable Instruments Act, the polling day is declared as a holiday for all workplaces with the primary purpose of facilitating voting by the employees. All Central/ State Government Departments / CPSUs/ State PSUs and Corporate entities with 500 plus employees shall appoint a nodal officer to ascertain leave availing but non-voting employees. Special Voter Education and Electoral Participation Awareness sessions would be held for such non-voting members of these organizations. Further, the Commission shall continue to expeditiously home deliver EPICards to newly enrolled first-time voters. It would equally be their duty to cast their vote. Specially focused Voter Education and Electoral Participation Awareness campaigns would be undertaken for young voters. The voters migrate from the place of their registration to cities and other places for education, employment and other purposes. It becomes difficult for them to return to their registered Polling Stations to cast their vote. The Commission felt that time has come to explore possibilities of remote voting, maybe on a pilot basis. A committee would be set up to examine the issues of migrant voters. Given the fact that Voters and Political Parties are the primary stakeholders, the wider consultation with all stakeholders including Political Parties would be started thereafter. (ANI)
Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in the Kerala Gold Smuggling Case, on Tuesday revealed that she has declared in court about the involvement of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife and daughter in the matter. "I have already given 164 statements in court about a threat to my life. I have declared in court about all the people involved in this case. I have also filed a petition seeking protection in court. They are considering it. I have declared in the court about what is the involvement of M Sivasankar (then principal secretary to Kerala CMO), the Chief Minister, CM's wife Kamala, CM's daughter Veena, his secretary CM Raveendran, then Chief Secretary Nalini Netto IAS, then minister KT Jaleel," she said. Swapna claimed that a baggage containing currency was sent to Vijayan when he was in Dubai in 2016. "Way back in 2016, Sivasankar contacted me while the Chief Minister was in Dubai. At that time, I was the secretary at the consulate. Sivasankar told me that the CM had forgotten a bag which should be delivered to Dubai immediately. As per the instruction of the consulate general, the bag was handed over to a diplomat at the consulate. When the bag was brought in by the consulate official, we realised that it contained currency. We have a scanning machine in the consulate. Then we have to scan whatever parcel arrives there. That's how it all started," she added. She said that she only followed the instructions of Sivasankar and did what he said to her. "Surprisingly, we have delivered biriyani vessels with huge weight from the Consul General's house to Cliff House (CM's official house) in the vehicle of the consulate. This was according to the instructions of Sivasankar. It was not just biryani, it had metal objects. There have been many incidents like this. When taken to Cliff House I think it's common sense (on asking about whether CM is aware or not)," Swapna further said. She also urged the court and the investigation agencies to conduct proper investigation. "Everything else has been said in court. There is a case going on and the investigation should be proper. If everyone is involved, according to the decree of involvement, the court and the investigation agencies should listen to an accused and understand what is their involvement," she added. The Kerala gold smuggling case pertains to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels. It had come to light after 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crore smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage was busted by the customs department in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5, 2019. After spending 16 months behind bars, Swapna was released from jail in November last year. The case is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the customs department. Earlier this year, Swapna Suresh had alleged that she was exploited and manipulated by M Sivasankar, principal secretary of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The statements came after Sivasankar in his upcoming autobiography "Aswathamavu: Verum Oru Aana" alleged that Swapna had trapped him by gifting him an iPhone. Sivasankar was arrested on October 28, 2020, after the Kerala High Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition. In his upcoming book, he alleged that Swapna had deceived him and that she was the mastermind of the gold smuggling racket, according to vernacular media reports. Sivasankar was released on bail on February 4, last year. (ANI)
Election Commission of India in its meeting held today under the Chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with EC Sh Anup Chandra Pandey, took note of the details of the CEC's visit to one of the farthest by foot polling stations in the village Dumak and village Kalgoth in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. Pandey added insights from his experience as DM Pithoragarh, said the ECI in its statement issued today. As per the statement, Polling parties travel around 18 Kms on foot in tough hilly terrain from three days prior to the polling day. They also carry and protect the entire election material including EVMs and VVPATs. There are 440 remote/difficult Polling Stations (P-minus3 category) where they take 3days of arduous commute to reach the Polling Stations, read the Statement from the Election Commission of India. During the interactions, CEC was informed that remote areas like Dumak village had a 71.14% voter turnout and Kalgoth village recorded 80.45% voter turnout in recent elections. Female voters participated in equal numbers. It was further noted that in villages like Dumak and Kalgoth, about 20-25 pc of registered voters are unable to cast their vote in their Constituencies as they are required to move out of their village/State broadly on account of their jobs or educational pursuits, said the ECI. It further said that this situation opens up the opportunity to explore possibilities of a much-awaited leap forward to facilitate remote voting by migrant voters. It was also noted by the Commission that in contrast, during 2019 GE quite a few urban constituencies saw a poor, less than 50 per cent voter turnout. The Commission noted with concern the abysmally low voter turnout in some of the metropolitan/city areas despite the fact that polling stations are set up within 2km for any voter in urban areas. The need to address voting apathy in urban areas was felt, said the ECI. The Election Commission of India places on record its deep appreciation for enthusiastic and high participation by the voters of these remote villages of Dumak and Kalgoth and similarly placed villages, which contributes to making India a vibrant democracy. ECI said that it also salutes the grit, determination and faith of the dedicated team of Polling Officials in keeping the hope and spirit of democracy reigning supreme. Empathizing with the dedication of polling personnel who perform election duty in remote and difficult areas, the Commission decided to double the remuneration of the polling officials going to the polling Stations 3 days in advance (Till now the remuneration for Polling Officials used to be a uniform per diem amount for all alike). Chief Electoral Officers of the States and UTs shall specifically notify such PSs for enhanced remuneration during the election, said the Commission. It stated that over the years, various new roads have been constructed in rural areas. Therefore, the route map for Pminus3 and PMinus2 PSs shall be re-examined by all DEOs/ ROs to determine the shortest and safest route to the PSs. The Commission noted that while the EVM-VVPAT machines have been technologically designed to get triggered in 'Unauthorized Access Mode' whenever there is any unauthorized attempt to open the machines (and thus become unusable because of the one-time programmable chip). The Commission decided to develop Special water/shock proof, extra protective backpacks/ cases to carry EVM-VVPATs and safeguard the machines provided to all such teams to aid hands-free movement in difficult terrain. The Commission further directed all DEOs/ROs to visit the P-3 Polling Station locations one year in advance of the General Election to the Legislative Assembly or the Parliament. CEOs would also visit some polling stations themselves. The Commission further directed that all DEOs/ROs would identify at least the 5 lowest voter turnout booths in each assembly constituency. They shall visit these booths to identify factors for low voting turnout and take targeted interventions to mitigate the factors hampering the voting process. "In order to address voting apathy in urban areas, the Commission decided to undertake focused awareness activities in this respect, the Commission also took note of the fact that under the Negotiable Instruments Act, the polling day is declared as a holiday for all workplaces with the primary purpose of facilitating voting by the employees. All Central/ State Government Departments / CPSUs/ State PSUs and Corporate entities with 500 plus employees shall appoint a nodal officer to ascertain leave availing but non-voting employees. Special Voter Education and Electoral Participation Awareness sessions would be held for such non-voting members of these organizations," said the ECI. Further, the Commission shall continue to expeditiously home deliver EPICards to newly enrolled first-time voters. It would equally be their duty to cast their vote. Specially focused Voter Education and Electoral Participation Awareness campaigns would be undertaken for young voters. "Voters migrate from the place of their registration to cities and other places for education, employment and other purposes. It becomes difficult for them to return to their registered Polling Stations to cast their vote. The Commission felt that time has come to explore possibilities of remote voting, maybe on a pilot basis. A committee would be set up to examine the issues of migrant voters. Given the fact that Voters and Political Parties are the primary stakeholders, the wider consultation with all stakeholders including Political Parties would be started thereafter," it added. (ANI)
Earlier on Monday, the Bandra Police registered a case against an unidentified person on Monday after a threat letter was issued to actor Salman Khan and his father Salim Khan.

Mumbai police have recorded actor Salman Khan's statement and his father Salim Khan's statements in the case.

More than 200 CCTV footage have been seized by the Mumbai Police so far.

A total of 10 teams, including the Crime Branch and the local police, are involved in the investigation of the Salman case. (ANI)
The Delhi Police have arrested a 30-year-old man for snatching a gold chain from a retired government teacher, an official said on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Monu alias Badshah, is a habitual criminal and was previously involved in 35 cases of robbery, snatching, arms act, gambling, NDPS and theft. Dy. Commissioner of Police (North-West District) Usha Rangnani said a PCR call was received at Bharat Nagar police station on Sunday around 2 p.m. wherein it was reported that one person snatched a gold chain (with pendant) from a woman and escaped. The local police rushed to the spot, where the victim (61), a resident of Lajpat Nagar was present. The victim stated that she was a retired government teacher and she had come to her brother's house in Bharat Nagar a few days ago. At around 11 a.m., she along with her brother was buying fruits from a vendor near Laxmi Bai College, Ashok Vihar. Suddenly, one person came from behind and snatched her gold chain with a Lord Ganesha pendant and fled from the spot. "She was emotionally attached to her gold chain as it was gifted to her by her parents at her marriage 38 years ago," the official said. The police registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and initiated an investigation. A police team was constituted which examined the CCTV footage and analyzed all the exit routes of the culprit. After recording details given by the complainant, it was established that the accused person was seen running in a park after the incident. Finally, the snatcher was identified as Monu alias Badshah, a bad character. It was found that Monu was recently released from jail. "On June 6, a tip-off was received that he might visit a park in Ashok Vihar for getting smack. Accordingly, a raid was conducted and accused Monu was apprehended from a park in Ashok Vihar," the DCP said. The police recovered the snatched gold chain from him. --IANS uj/bg ( 343 Words) 2022-06-07-19:04:01 (IANS)
In a statement issued here, Duraimurugan said the state government has filed a new petition in the Supreme Court against CWMA discussing the Mekedatu Dam Project Report.

He said the CWMA in its letter dated May 25, 2022 had said it has the power to discuss the Rs 9,000 crore Mekedatu Dam Project Report.

Replying to that letter, the Tamil Nadu government on June 4, 2022 had said that the CWMA's decision is in contravention of the Supreme Court's order dated May 18, 2018 and the central government's announcement on the powers and duties of the Authority, Duraimurugan said.

Reacting to the development, PMK Founder S. Ramadoss said it is shocking to hear that CWMA would discuss the Mekedatu Dam project at its meeting when there is a case pending in the apex court.

Ramadoss said the central government had earlier said that with the consent of downstream state Tamil Nadu, Karnataka cannot build any dam across the river Cauvery.

He said the central government should cancel its consent given to Karnataka to prepare the Mekedatu project report.

--IANS vj/skp/

( 239 Words)

2022-06-07-19:28:04 (IANS)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said incidents of violence have reduced by about 70 per cent in the northeast in the eight years of the Narendra Modi government. Speaking at the inauguration of the National Institute of Tribal Research (NITR) in the national capital, Shah said that several problems related to tribals in the North-East, Left Wing Extremism affected areas, and Jammu and Kashmir were pending before the Ministry of Home Affairs which gradually turned into law and order situations. "Prime Minister Modi has taken many steps one after the other in the northeast after 2019. We have signed agreements with many tribes and today we have lifted the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from more than 66 per cent of the area and restored peace. In the eight years of the previous government from 2006 to 2014, there were 8,700 incidents in the northeast, whereas in the 8 years of the Modi government, these incidents have come down by about 70 per cent," Shah said. Shah noted that earlier 304 security personnel had died which now has seen 60 per cent reduction, the civilian death toll has also come down by 83 per cent compared to earlier and one can imagine how big a change has come in the northeast. "Development takes place in an area where there is peace, whether it is Left Wing Extremism affected areas or the northeast, which is mainly inhabited by tribes. A safe northeast and safe Left Wing Extremism-prone areas of Central India will pave the way for tribal welfare," Shah said. Noting that the Modi government has done much work for the respect of tribals, he further said, "Prime Minister Modi has given glory to the tribal leaders who have been rejected and forgotten in many states. Be it the Khasi-Garo movement, the Mizo movement, the Manipur movement, the bravery of Veer Durgavati or the sacrifice of Rani Kamlavati, the Modi government has glorified all of them. We have also decided to celebrate Adivasi Tribal Pride Day by associating with Lord Birsa Munda. We are also building 10 museums at a cost of about Rs 200 crore," he said. The union home minister further said that previous governments used to talk about tribal welfare, but houses of tribals did not have water, toilet, and health cards, there was no housing scheme, and they did not receive the Kisan Samman Nidhi. Shah listed that today, water has reached 1.28 crore tribal houses under the 'Har Ghar Jal Yojana', 1.45 crore tribals have toilets in their homes, 82 lakh tribal families have been given Ayushman cards, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana houses were provided to more than 40 lakh tribal families and about 30 lakh tribal farmers are getting the benefit of the Kisan Samman Nidhi. "Prime Minister Modi has closely monitored all these schemes and brought them to the ground for implementation. The Prime Minister has done this for tribal welfare in eight years, and he has full faith that after the completion of this research centre, for the first time in a structural way, welfare of tribals in the country will be looked after, by accommodating even the smallest tribes," Shah added. --IANS ssb/skp/ ( 550 Words) 2022-06-07-20:10:06 (IANS)
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar has expressed unhappiness after leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav was not invited for the inauguration of Mahatma Gandhi Setu here on Tuesday. Chitranjan Gagan, the state spokesperson of the RJD claimed that the NDA government was responsible for the pathetic situation of Mahatma Gandhi Setu after 2005. "When Mahagathbanghan government came into power in 2015, the then deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who was holding the road construction ministry of Bihar, had met Nitin Gadkari and requested him for the restart of the construction work of Mahatma Gandhi Setu. Due to his initiative, the Centre had approved a sum of Rs 1,742 crore for this project at that time," Gagan said. "Now, Tejashwi Yadav is a leader of the opposition in Bihar and he is a local MLA as one side of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu terminates in Hajipur which comes under the jurisdiction of Raghopur assembly constituency from where Tejashwi Yadav is an MLA. It is extremely unfortunate that the Bihar government did not invite him for the event," he said. The bridge connects Patna near zero miles with Hajipur in Vaishali district. Earlier on Tuesday, union road transport and highway minister Nitin Gadkari and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar jointly inaugurated the east side of the bridge. With this all 4 lanes have become operational for commuters. These two leaders also laid down the foundation of 15 roads and bridge projects in Bihar having estimated cost of Rs 13,585 crore. --IANS ajk/skp/ ( 265 Words) 2022-06-07-20:24:05 (IANS)
A group of Google contractors have called out a recruitment agency over being underpaid for a long time, amounting to thousands of dollars in unpaid wages per affected worker, media reports said. According to the workers, the payroll errors are happening so regularly that they believe it to be a kind of systematic wage theft, the Verge reported. Guy Mylius, who was doing work for Google at Artech a subcontractor hired via Google contractor Accenture, found he was underpaid four months into his job. At the behest of his co-workers, he checked his pay stub against the contractor's work order and found that he was contracted for 50 per cent more money than was making. "I found out they had been paying me $20 an hour, but they were telling Google they were paying me $30.08 an hour," Mylius was quoted as saying. "That was in the middle of March, and basically they haven't done anything about it." In his six-month term at Artech, the discrepancy added up to more than $10,000, the report said. Several such workers discovered that their contractors were paying them less than it told Google they were earning. While Accenture had set the pay rate for each role in a work order document before the hire was made, many found that the rate on their pay stub was $5 to $10 lower than the specified rate, the report said. In most cases, workers were either completely unaware of the underpayment or believed it to be an isolated incident. It was only when they started comparing experiences that they realised how common the underpayment really was. "We are looking into this matter," Accenture was quoted as saying, adding that it was investigating the claims to ensure all employees were properly paid. "This seems to be a pattern," Mylius says. "It's not just that this was an error on my paycheck. I've personally talked to five or six people who are at Accenture who have had the same experience." When the Verge reached Artech for comment, it said all employees were paid "in accordance with their employment agreements", per an internal investigation of the complaint. "Accordingly, at this time Artech denies the allegations in their entirety," Artech general counsel Eric Szoke was quoted as saying. "With respect to Artech's contractual terms with its client, that is a confidential matter between Artech and Accenture." Shortly after Artech sent the statement, Mylius received his back pay in full from the company. No explanation was given for the timing of the repayment, the report said. --IANS rvt/vd ( 441 Words) 2022-06-07-20:04:02 (IANS)
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin will visit the Indo-Pacific to contain Chinese assertiveness and to strengthen US force posture, infrastructure presence and readiness in the region. This will be Austin's fourth trip to the region since becoming defence secretary and his first in-person dialogue since the beginning of COVID-19, senior defence officials said. Alongside his trip to the Indo-Pacific, the secretary will also give a major speech at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore and is going to visit the defence leaders and American troops in Thailand. The trip comes after President Joe Biden's trip to South Korea and Japan last month and it is another instance of the importance America places on the region. Senior US officials continue to travel to the region and continue to interact with leaders in the Indo-Pacific. Chinese defence leaders have requested a meeting with Austin on the fringes of the Shangri-la Conference, the officials stated. China's belligerent attitude in the Indo-Pacific including an uptick in Chinese naval activity and its ongoing militarization of the South China Sea has compelled several Southeast Asian countries to explore multilateral security arrangements and moderation. In February, Washington released a 12-page fact sheet stating that they will focus on every corner of the region from South Asia to the Pacific Islands to strengthen its long-term position and commitment, including an emphasis on supporting and partnering with India. Washington-based experts have said this policy measure meant to strengthen America's relation with Asia and counterbalance China's influence lacks strong trade incentives that are viewed as politically perilous in the US. (ANI)
The South African government has said that the law enforcement authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have arrested Rajesh Gupta and Atul Gupta of the Gupta family, allegedly linked to former President Jacob Zuma in connection with financial wrongdoing. Their arrests come months after International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) issued a red notice last July. "The Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services confirms that it has received information from law enforcement authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that fugitives of justice, namely, Rajesh and Atul Gupta have been arrested," the South African Justice Ministry said in a statement. "Discussions between various law enforcement agencies in the UAE and South Africa on the way forward are ongoing. The South African government will continue to co-operate with the UAE," the statement added. Back in 2018, the South African government started to investigate the corruption charges levelled against former president Zuma. The former South African president is accused of overseeing widespread graft during his nine-year reign. The Guptas are accused of using their influence to profit financially and influence senior appointments. However, they have denied wrongdoing. Last year, Interpol said they were being sought in connection with a 25 million rand contract paid to a Gupta-linked company to conduct an agricultural feasibility study, Al Jazeera reported. The Gupta brothers -- Ajay, Atul and Rajesh -- had migrated from Uttar Pradesh to South Africa in the 1990s and owned a business empire spanning from computer equipment, media and mining in South Africa. The scandal had forced Zuma to quit in 2018 after he faced massive furore within his own ruling African National Congress (ANC) lawmakers over corruption charges. The former South African president also faced allegations of corruption relating to a 1990s arms deal. Following Zuma's resignation, the Gupta brothers had fled South Africa. (ANI)
China censored the country's top e-commerce live streamer, Li Jiaqi, after he and his co-host presented the audience with a plate of Viennetta ice cream from the British brand Wall's, resembling tank on the eve of June 4 - Tiananmen Square massacre day. The incident took place on Friday, when Li's event was ended abruptly when the layered ice cream, garnished with Oreo cookies on its sides and what appeared to be a chocolate ball and a chocolate stick on top, which resembled the shape of a tank was presented to the audience, reported CNN. For decades, the Chinese government has sought to erase all memories of its bloody military crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests, especially around the anniversary of June 4. But the fiasco has led his fans to ask about the Tiananmen Square massacre, as many young Chinese -- especially those born after the massacre -- have grown up with little knowledge of the tragedy. This year too, China attempted a crackdown on protest but, it backfired, drawing attention to and prompting questions about the massacre from previously oblivious young Chinese internet users. On the eve of June 4, 1989, Chinese leaders sent in tanks and heavily armed troops to clear Beijing's Tiananmen Square, where student protesters had gathered for weeks to demand democracy and greater freedoms. The crackdown, which killed hundreds, if not thousands, of unarmed protesters, is shunned in classrooms and strictly censored in the media and online. Censors are particularly vigilant in the lead-up to its anniversary, swiftly scrubbing even the vaguest references -- from candle emojis to coded phrases like "May 35" -- from the internet, reported CNN. Many of Li's mostly young fans were puzzled by the sudden suspension of his show. "What on earth happened to Li Jiaqi? All of a sudden his live stream is gone. Can anyone who knows about it tell us?" a user asked on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform. Shortly after his live stream was cut, Li told his 50 million followers on Weibo that his team was fixing a "technical glitch" and asked them to "wait for a moment." Two hours later, he apologized in another post that the live broadcast could no longer resume that evening due to "a failure of our internal equipment." On Monday, a search for Li's name no longer returned relevant results on Taobao, the online shopping site where Li's show was live-streamed. He boasts 60 million followers on the site, reported CNN. On Weibo, posts and comments linking the suspension of Li's broadcast to the tank-shaped ice cream started to proliferate. Some fans said they found out about the sensitivity of the tank symbol by circumventing China's Great Firewall of online censorship, alluding to the massacre as "that event." The discussions happened in veiled terms under the watchful eyes of censors, and many of them disappeared soon after they were posted. Similar incidents have happened before. Last year, Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social app similar to Instagram, had its Weibo account shut down after the company asked in a post on June 4: "Tell me loudly, what is the date today?" (ANI)
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay recently met the Sri Lankan Agriculture Minister.

The meeting came amid India's continuous support to Sri Lanka to address the problems in the agricultural sector during the unprecedented economic crisis in the country.Due to economic and political turmoil, large-scale protests have been taking place for months, leading to the ouster of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Last week, India handed a total of 3.3 tons of essential medical supplies to Sri Lanka.

These humanitarian supplies are in continuation of the Indian government's ongoing support to the people of the crisis-ridden island nation in forms such as financial assistance, forex support, material supply and many more.

According to Indian High Commission, more than 25 tons of drugs and medical supplies which were donated by the Government and people of India during the last two months are valued at close to SLR 370 million.

This is in addition to the economic assistance of around USD 3.5 billion and supply of other humanitarian supplies such as rice, milk powder, kerosene etc.

These efforts testify to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Neighbourhood First' policy which places people-to-people engagement at its core.

Ongoing commitment to the people of Sri Lanka attests to the importance attached by the peoples of India and Sri Lanka for the well-being of each other. (ANI)
According to the sources, in recent days, Taliban members have repeatedly inspected the offices of these two religious authorities and arrested their officials, reported The First 24/7 International News Channel for Afghanistan.

The development comes after the Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the US annual report on the persecution of religious minorities in Afghanistan.

The Taliban slammed the US State Department's "International Religious Freedom Report" and said that the religious and civil rights of minorities are protected in Afghanistan.

For decades, violence has torn through Afghanistan's Shiite community, perpetuated by the Taliban -- who consider Shiites heretics.

Moreover, the attacks on them also fuelled concerns in neighbouring Iran, a Shiite Muslim theocracy and self-proclaimed defender of Shiite Muslims around the world, where officials have voiced concerns about the fate of Afghan Shiites under Taliban rule.

Earlier, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan prohibited dozens of Shia mosques from holding Eid prayers.

The reports of prohibition were reported from the major cities of Herat and Kabul with some Shia Muslims also forced to break their fast prior to the announcement of Eid by their mosques.

Notably, the situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban's return to power in August last year. Although the fighting in the country has ended, serious human rights violations continue unabated, especially against women and minorities.

In the past few weeks, a series of deadly blasts, especially targetting minorities have hit Afghanistan. The series of blasts and vulnerable security conditions, especially for the minorities has drawn worldwide condemnation, including from the United Nations (UN), the EU, US and others. (ANI)
The three-nation tour of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu to Gabon, Senegal and Qatar ended today as he departed for New Delhi from Doha on Tuesday. Naidu reiterated that India will further strengthen its historic friendship with Qatar and agreed that a high-level engagement should be sustained, including an early visit of Qatar's Amir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the country. He reached Doha on Saturday accompanied by a high-level delegation including Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar and three Members of Parliament, Sushil Kumar Modi, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar and P Ravindhranath. Both sides positively assessed the developments in bilateral relations and Naidu expressed happiness at the first-ever visit at the Vice President level from India to Qatar. Both sides expressed satisfaction at the continued engagement at the highest levels between both countries since the landmark visits of Qatar's Amir to India in 2015 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Qatar in 2016. Vice President Naidu reiterated the high importance attached by India to close and friendly relations with Qatar and the commitment to deepen multifaceted bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, energy, food security, defence, technology, culture, education, health, and media and people to people contacts. On Sunday, Vice President launched the "India-Qatar Start-Up bridge" to link the start-up ecosystems of the two countries at the India-Qatar Business Forum in Doha. He also addressed members of the business community at India-Qatar Business Forum and highlighted the strength of India-Qatar ties and called for building an enabling environment and forging more collaborations for mutual benefit. India and Qatar decided in 2018 to establish a Joint Commission to strengthen the relations between the two countries in various fields with a view to further the common interests of their two friendly peoples. It is tasked with formulating the required basis to strengthen the relations between the two countries, particularly in the economic, commercial, cultural, scientific, technological, information technology and educational fields. The Joint Commission is co-chaired by the Ministers of External Affairs and Foreign Affairs of the two countries or their representatives. (ANI)
Gupta brothers, who are among South Africa's most wanted suspects linked to money laundering and criminal activities, were arrested by Dubai Police on Tuesday after receiving a red notice by Interpol. Earlier today, the South African government informed that the Rajesh Gupta and Atul Gupta of the Gupta family, allegedly linked to former President Jacob Zuma in connection with financial wrongdoing, were arrested by law enforcement authorities in the UAE. In a statement, the Dubai Police said the force has also coordinated with South African authorities regarding the extradition of the Gupta brothers to complete the legal procedures. "Dubai Police made the arrest after receiving a red notice for the Gupta brothers by Interpol. The force has also coordinated with the authorities in South Africa regarding the extradition file to complete the legal procedures," the police statement said. "The arrest reflects the continuous efforts of the UAE in combating money laundering crimes through local cooperation among the competent authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, the Dubai Public Prosecution, the Executive Office to Combat Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, and the Financial Intelligence Unit, as well as through vital coordination and collaboration with international counterparts," it added. Their arrests come months after International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) issued a red notice last July. In 2018, the South African government started investigating the corruption charges against former president Zuma. The former South African president is accused of overseeing widespread graft during his nine-year reign. The Guptas are accused of using their influence to profit financially and influence senior appointments. However, they have denied wrongdoing. The Gupta brothers -- Ajay, Atul and Rajesh -- had migrated from Uttar Pradesh to South Africa in the 1990s and owned a business empire spanning from computer equipment, media and mining in South Africa. The scandal had forced Zuma to quit in 2018 after he faced massive furore within his own ruling African National Congress (ANC) lawmakers over corruption charges. (ANI)
Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Monday sarcastically said he would "take responsibility" if any of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) law members tried to take their own lives. This comes after PTI party lawmaker Attaullah has threatened Shehbaz Sharif's government to carry out a suicide attack if even a "single hair strand" of party Chairman Imran Khan's head is harmed, adding that his partymen are ready to carry "suicide attacks". "The state will not be blackmailed by these things," said Sanaullah during Geo News' programme - "Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Ke Saath." The interior minister said, "Imran Khan has committed crime [...] we have evidence against him." "PTI chairman should be arrested and presented before the court," he adds. Sanaullah said that the former prime minister launched an anarchy campaign across the country. "He [Khan] has obtained interim bail, so he should come and present his argument before the court and the government will also present its stance," he added. He reiterated that no false case has been registered against any of the PTI members. It is rumoured that a plot is being hatched to assassinate former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Islamabad police department on Saturday night beefed up the security and a high alert was sounded in adjoining areas of Bani Gala in the city. Section 144 was imposed in Islamabad and gatherings were banned by the Islamabad police on Saturday. "In view of the expected arrival of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in Bani Gala, which is a residential area located in Islamabad, security in the area has been beefed up and a high alert has been sounded. However, until now Islamabad Police has not received any confirmed news of return from Imran Khan's team," Islamabad Police tweeted. "Security Division has deployed dedicated security in Bani Gala. A list of people in Bani Gala has not been provided yet to Police. Section 144 is imposed in Islamabad and any congregation is not allowed as per orders of District Magistrate," it said. "Islamabad Police will provide complete security to Imran Khan as per the law and reciprocal cooperation is expected from Security teams of Imran Khan as well," the police added. Hassaan Niazi, nephew of Imran Khan said that if anything happens to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, the act will be treated as an attack on Pakistan. (ANI)
The Pakistan National Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution condemning the efforts being made by former Prime Minister Imran Khan to "defame" the country's armed forces for political purposes. A resolution that was passed with a majority vote urged the "state" to move the Pakistan Supreme Court against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief over his "anti-Pakistan and anti-armed forces" remarks. "...House condemns the efforts being made by Imran Niazi to defame the armed forces of Pakistan for political purposes," the resolution says. According to Dawn newspaper, the resolution also said armed forces are not only discharging their responsibilities but are also the guarantors of Pakistan's geographical boundaries. This comes after Imran Khan last week said that if Pakistan's establishment does not make the right decisions, the country could split into three parts and end up losing its nuclear deterrent capabilities. The ousted PM made these remarks in an interview with a television channel. "If the establishment is not with you irrespective of your popularity as was the case with Benazir Bhutto, you will not be able to come back in power. Keeping this in mind, what is your future strategy?" he said. After these remarks, a number of leaders from the country including, former president Asif Ali Zardari slammed Khan saying no Pakistani could talk of tearing this country apart. "This language is not of a Pakistani but of Modi. Imran Khan's power is not everything in the world, be brave and learn to stand on your feet and do politics now," he said. In an apparent response to Imran Khan's rhetoric, the Pakistani Army on Monday said that country's nuclear capability is the guarantor of deterrence and defence of the motherland and no compromise will be made on the country's nuclear program. General Nadeem Raza, Pakistan's Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Monday stressed avoiding baseless and unnecessary comments on Pakistan's nuclear programme, Geo News reported. "Pakistan is a responsible and confident nuclear country," the deputy chairman of the National Command Authority said during a seminar at the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) in Islamabad. He asserted that national security is indivisible and assured that under no circumstances shall Pakistan allow a compromise on its nuclear program. (ANI)
In order to address the developmental needs of the underprivileged sections of society and make Jammu and Kashmir Atma-Nirbhar, the Union Territory has witnessed a renaissance in the cooperative movement during the past two years. In 2017, out of 3,000 cooperative societies, only 988 were functioning in Jammu and Kashmir while the rest had turned defunct. The eighteen Central Cooperative Banks in the erstwhile State had no Reserve Bank of India (RBI) licences as a sum of Rs 313 crore was needed to restore these. No elections were held for primary cooperative societies in Kashmir due to unrest. In a nutshell, the cooperative societies in Jammu and Kashmir were in the doldrums. The process to revamp cooperative societies in Jammu and Kashmir commenced soon after August 5, 2019--when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories--Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah emphasized the need to ensure that cooperative societies in Jammu and Kashmir get a breather in the changed setup. The process to revive the cooperative societies in the Himalayan region has been an uphill task but the consistent efforts of the government have infused new life into this sector. On May 30, 2022, a significant step was taken towards revamping the financial health of Cooperative banks, the Jammu and Kashmir Government infused Rs 366 crore for re-capitalization of three district Central Cooperative Banks in the Union Territory. The amount under the 'Recapitalization Package' was released and transferred to Jammu Central Cooperative Bank, Anantnag Cooperative Bank and Baramulla Central Cooperative. These banks were de-licensed by the Reserve Bank of India as per the Banking Regulations Act as their liquidity position was bad enough due to their asset erosion. For other defunct cooperative banks, the Jammu and Kashmir government has sought a rejuvenation package of Rs 238 crore from the Centre and the requisition in this regard has already been forwarded. During the past year, the Jammu and Kashmir Cooperatives Department has released Rs 280 lakh for the modernization of Super Bazars in the Union Territory. These have also been brought on the GeM Portal and are running their business in a professional manner. The proposal to come up with a Super Bazar in every district of Jammu and Kashmir has almost been finalized. In 2021-22, the Cooperative Department registered 64 Farmers Producer Organisation under its Acts to revive the defunct cooperative societies in Jammu and Kashmir. It's for the first time in the past 70-years that the Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Department has achieved 100 per cent end to end digitization. A departmental portal has been created for the interested parties to get the registration done in online mode within two to three months. The department has created 91 vacancies for Assistant Registrars. The department has tied up with the National Development Cooperative Commission (NCDC), New Delhi. The NCDC has sanctioned 35 poultry projects so far of various cooperative societies with an estimated cost of Rs 860.92 lakhs. Audits of 859 cooperative societies were conducted in 2020-21 and 849 cooperative societies in 2021-22 while elections of around 70 per cent of societies were held recently. A comprehensive plan to bring the cooperative societies back on track in Jammu and Kashmir is being implemented and the Union Ministry of Cooperatives is monitoring all the operations directly. During the past two years, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a renaissance in the cooperative movement to address the developmental needs of underprivileged sections of the society. The Jammu and Kashmir administration has put in all the efforts to facilitate the development of new women and youth cooperatives and provide them with a solid support system to flourish. The cooperative movement is being turned into a people-based movement to reach citizens at the grassroots with an aim to make all the cooperative institutions profitable ventures. The cooperative sector is being organized in terms of production and value addition so that its products can compete not only in the country but also in global markets. The government is providing all the possible support in every panchayat to increase the number of Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies. This has substantially increased credit lending in agriculture and allied sectors. The benefits are also flowing to small and marginal farmers. The steps are being taken to realize Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sahkar se Samriddhi', Cooperatives in Jammu and Kashmir UT with a focus on agri-marketing, food processing, branding, supply of seeds and other innovative activities in dairy and handicrafts. The Mission Youth in Jammu and Kashmir is working as a cooperative entrepreneurship organisation and demonstrating how business with a cooperative spirit could lead the way to tackle modern challenges. New concept envisaged in "Naya Jammu and Kashmir '' is not about confining cooperatives to just business or credit lending, a common man is being involved to make Jammu Kashmir Atam-Nirbhar (self-sufficient). The aim is to protect and promote the social and economic rights of every individual. Cooperative societies in the past were considered to be the most credible medium of socio-economic development of farmers, rural populations, unorganized sector workers and women. The present dispensation in Jammu and Kashmir is trying its best to meet the needs of rural and other areas. New cooperative societies are coming up and the old societies that had become defunct prior to August 5, 2019, are being revived. The government is focusing on at least 20 sectors of the rural system like cottage industries, agriculture and allied activities. Jammu and Kashmir Cooperatives Department is inspiring the young entrepreneurs to come forward to develop their projects on the line of IFFCO - a farmers-owned fertiliser cooperative sown on Indian soil, contributing immensely to making India self-reliant in food grain production. Amul, a world-renowned milk producers cooperative, and Krishak Bharti Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) as successful cooperatives which have secured a place in the top 10 cooperative institutions all over the world. The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED), is the vehicle of the development revolution, not only in Jammu and Kashmir but also in other parts of the country. The Union Ministry for Cooperatives is providing financial assistance of up to Rs 3 crore to the newly formed cooperatives, especially to the innovative organizations through the "Yuva Sahakar - Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme." Apart from this, if the institutions want to expand, then the Central Government and NABARD are also cooperating. To make women a part of the Cooperative Movement in Jammu and Kashmir awareness camps are being organized across the Union Territory. They are being informed about their role in the sector. Various schemes for women are being implemented for their welfare. The Women Credit Cooperative Limited has been directed to establish micro finance institutions at the village level and registration of cooperatives is being done on the spot during the awareness campaigns. The instructions have been passed to officers to work at ground level to ensure that maximum women get engaged with the Cooperative Department. The department is actively engaging in the registration of Cooperative Societies/Cooperatives in different economic areas like agriculture, and dairy. Poultry, housing, floriculture, medical, educational, consumer business, banking, micro-credit, women empowerment, transport, vegetable growers, labour etc. Under the moral help, the government has been entrusting the distribution of essential commodities and agricultural inputs to the cooperatives institutions, while under the financial help the government is directly contributing to the share capital of these Institutions. It's also providing generous financial support in the form of loans, subsidies etc. The Jammu and Kashmir government has contributed more than Rs 3300 lakhs as share capital to different cooperative institutions across the Union Territory. In 'Naya Jammu and Kashmir' stakeholders are being imparted training to enhance their capacities to enable them to diversify their activities and contribute to the nation-building process. (ANI)
Responding to concerns over rising gun violence in America, officials of the US embassy in New Delhi said that the universities are completely safe for students. Donald Heflin, Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs, US Embassy to India told ANI on Tuesday that officials have had a lot of parents asking them questions about the safety of universities in America. "US universities are generally very safe places. They usually have their own police force and have strong controls on who enters residential or instructional buildings. Unfortunately, most of these events have been happening at primary and secondary schools and it's just tragic," Donald Heflin asserted. Echoing similar sentiments Counselor for Cultural and Educational Affairs Anthony Miranda said that universities share those same concerns. "They want to ensure that the students who choose to attend that university are safe so that they can concentrate on their studies and also their extracurricular activities," Miranda said. Speaking over the provisions in universities for student safety, Miranda said universities have implemented a number of procedures and programs to ensure that their campuses are made safe which include making sure that people always have visible IDs on them. He further mentioned blue light phone booths. "These are phone booths that can be scattered throughout a university that connects directly to the police." "There are also student-led organizations that ensure that there is always someone who could walk you home to also facilitate safety," Miranda elaborated further. The United States recently witnessed a horrifying mass shooting that occurred at an elementary school in Texas on May 24. Talking about the Visa issuance for Indian students, Heflin said: "In the end, we'll have opened over 100,000 appointments this year. The demand is really strong. I'm very hopeful that every student who wants an appointment will be able to get one." "We basically missed the entire year of 2020 due to shutdowns here in India. And then we got back on our feet at Christmas time that year and had a big student visa season last year. This year is going to be our biggest ever. We have a lot of demand. So we're trying to answer that by opening a lot of interview slots," the Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs elaborated. US Charge d'Affaires Patricia Lacina, Embassy of the US to India also said: "Indians are the second-largest group of international students in the US. We've opened tens of thousands of visa appointments and expanded our interview waiver options for students under new visa guidelines." The US Mission in India organized its sixth annual Student Visa Day. Consular Officers at the US Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates General in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai interviewed more than 2,500 Indian student visa applicants. Student Visa Day celebrates higher education ties between the United States and India. This year, more than 200,000 Indian students are studying at US academic institutions, representing more than 20 per cent of international students currently in the United States. The US Mission encourages all students interested in studying in the United States to contact Education USA, the US government-sponsored advising service that offers credible and comprehensive information to help navigate the admission and visa processes. Education USA represents more than 4,000 accredited US colleges and universities with eight advising centres across India. (ANI)
He was on the trip accompanied by a high-level delegation including Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar and three Members of Parliament, Sushil Kumar Modi, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar and P Ravindhranath.

Naidu reiterated that India will further strengthen its historic friendship with Qatar and agreed that a high-level engagement should be sustained, including an early visit of Qatar's Amir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the country.

Both sides positively assessed the developments in bilateral relations and Naidu expressed happiness at the first-ever visit at the Vice President level from India to Qatar.

Both sides expressed satisfaction at the continued engagement at the highest levels between both countries since the landmark visits of Qatar's Amir to India in 2015 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Qatar in 2016.

Vice President Naidu reiterated the high importance attached by India to close and friendly relations with Qatar and the commitment to deepen multifaceted bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, energy, food security, defence, technology, culture, education, health, and media and people to people contacts.

On Sunday, Vice President launched the "India-Qatar Start-Up bridge" to link the start-up ecosystems of the two countries at the India-Qatar Business Forum in Doha.

He also addressed members of the business community at India-Qatar Business Forum and highlighted the strength of India-Qatar ties and called for building an enabling environment and forging more collaborations for mutual benefit.

India and Qatar decided in 2018 to establish a Joint Commission to strengthen the relations between the two countries in various fields with a view to further the common interests of their two friendly peoples.

It is tasked with formulating the required basis to strengthen the relations between the two countries, particularly in the economic, commercial, cultural, scientific, technological, information technology and educational fields.

The Joint Commission is co-chaired by the Ministers of External Affairs and Foreign Affairs of the two countries or their representatives. (ANI)
Tong Daochi, a former Communist party official of south China's Hainan Province, was recently sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by a Chinese court for bribery and insider trading. The Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court in Guangdong Province on June 2 deprived the former senior official of political rights and also confiscated all the personal property, adding that the illegal gains he obtained through the crimes, as well as the benefits generated from them, should be confiscated and turned over to the state treasury, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reported. The court stated, "The sum of bribes Tong had taken was especially huge and the circumstances of his crime were especially heinous, inflicting huge losses to the state and the people." "However, considering that he had faithfully confessed to his crimes during the investigation, showed repentance and had been cooperative in returning all his illegal gains, a lenient sentence was granted," Xinhua reported. Daochi served as a former standing committee member of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China. He was also a former Party chief of the province's Sanya City and held posts at the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). The court found that between 2004 and 2020, Tong had taken advantage of his various posts at the CSRC and in Hainan to offer assistance to others regarding the listing of companies, business operation, financing borrowing and personnel promotion. In return, he accepted money and gifts worth over 274 million yuan (about 41 million US dollars) either by himself or via people affiliated with him, Xinhua reported. He was also found to have abused the inside information he obtained via his post at the CSRC to instruct his close relatives and other close connections to buy relevant stocks worth over 31.65 million Yuan, obtaining illegal gains of over 3.38 million Yuan between 2006 and 2007, the court stated. (ANI)
In a veiled reference to China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday that India will never accept any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo and a posture that departs from established understandings will evoke its own responses. Speaking at an event to mark eight years of the Modi government, Jaishankar said when it comes to security, India will do what it takes to ensure national well-being. He said India will overcome the hesitations of history and won't allow anyone a veto on its choices. The External Affairs Minister also said that India looks forward to "joining Nuclear Suppliers Group overcoming political impediments that are against global interest". He said New Delhi acknowledges the role of trusted partners who work to help keep India safe and secure every day. "Our borders also need safeguarding and we'll never accept any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo. A posture that departs from established understandings will evoke its own responses," he said. "When it comes to security, we'll do what it takes to ensure national well-being. I acknowledge the role of trusted partners who work to help keep India safe and secure every day. We've overcome the hesitations of history and won't allow anyone a veto on our choices," he added. India and China have held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks following the standoff in April-May 2020 due to the actions of the Chinese Army and there has been disengagement from areas along the Line of Actual Control but some friction points remain. Jaishankar also said Indian Foreign Policy thinking is displaying greater conceptual and operational clarity. He said India looks forward to taking initiatives on global concerns that are truly consequential and referred to the International Solar Alliance. He also talked about Vaccine Maitri and India going the extra mile to help its neighbours. "We look forward to joining Nuclear Suppliers Group overcoming political impediments that are against global interest; taking initiatives on global concerns that are truly consequential. International Solar Alliance that we've collated now has 106 members," the minister said "Indian Foreign Policy thinking is displaying greater conceptual and operational clarity...Whether during COVID or current economic challenges, India has gone extra mile for its neighbours and will continue to do so. We count Vaccine Maitri as one of our key achievements. We supplied Made in India COVID vaccines to 98 countries. Our medical personnel are making contributions abroad in these crucial times," he added. (ANI)
A former Afghan official has said that the Taliban have killed his brother and nephew. According to a local media, Maulvi Hussamuddin Hussam, former head of the Ulema Council of Afghanistan said that the Taliban have captured and beheaded his wounded brother. The group had also shot dead his nephew. Meanwhile, the Taliban has closed the offices of Ayatollah Mohammad Ishaq Fayyaz and Ayatollah Mohaqeq Kabuli, two Shiite clerics in Ghazni. According to the sources, in recent days, Taliban members have repeatedly inspected the offices of these two religious authorities and arrested their officials, reported The First 24/7 International News Channel for Afghanistan. The development comes after the Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the US annual report on the persecution of religious minorities in Afghanistan. The Taliban slammed the US State Department's "International Religious Freedom Report" and said that the religious and civil rights of minorities are protected in Afghanistan. For decades, violence has torn through Afghanistan's Shiite community, perpetuated by the Taliban -- who consider Shiites heretics. Earlier, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan prohibited dozens of Shia mosques from holding Eid prayers. The reports of prohibition were reported from the major cities of Herat and Kabul with some Shia Muslims also forced to break their fast prior to the announcement of Eid by their mosques. Notably, the situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban's return to power in August last year. Although the fighting in the country has ended, serious human rights violations continue unabated, especially against women and minorities. In the past few weeks, a series of deadly blasts, especially targetting minorities have hit Afghanistan. The series of blasts and vulnerable security conditions, especially for the minorities has drawn worldwide condemnation, including from the United Nations (UN), the EU, US and others. (ANI)
According to the Dawn newspaper, students were detained at the Civil Lines police station for three hours. The detainees include the son of DHQ Hospital Deputy Medical Superintendent, the publication reported.

In Pakistan, there have been clashes between Police and students.

Recently, Pakistan police clashed with Baloch students protesting for the release of missing students.

According to students, plain-clothed officials snatched their mobile phones and dismantled the protest camp, reported local media.

Students activists claim that the peaceful protesters were unnecessarily manhandled and beaten by the Police.

As per the latest development, the Baloch students have blocked the main road in Islamabad, reported local media.

Balochistan's Human Development Index (HDI) ranks below 0.40 as compared to the other provinces of Pakistan that lie above 0.50. Within Pakistan, Balochistan lags far behind other provinces and 15 out of Pakistan's least-developed districts are in Balochistan.

Meanwhile, enforced disappearances and arbitrary killings of Balochs have also become a new 'normal in the region'.

Earlier, scores of students in Pakistan participated in a march to mark the 38th anniversary of the ban on student unions imposed by former president General Ziaul Haq, reported local media.

The protesters asked all political parties to unanimously pass legislation in parliament to decriminalise student politics, reported Dawn.

Criminalising politics in university campuses has had a devastating effect on the democratic process and particularly the development of youth said the Pakistani publication.

The students had also urged all mainstream political parties to act towards the restoration of student unions in colleges and universities. (ANI)
"As a matter of fact, we are now signing one of the largest, if not the largest, arms export contracts in the last 30 years. The sale of arms for the Ukrainians, to Ukraine. Weapons that have been tested will already be a very important weapon on the battlefield, most likely in eastern Ukraine," Morawiecki said.

However, he did not specify which types of weapons would be supplied to Ukraine under the contract.

Morawiecki said that the financing of arms supplies to Ukraine would be partially covered by the European Union.

"Ukraine partly receives money for this from the European Union, partly pays from its own budget. And Poland receives this money in order to boost our production potential," he said.

In turn, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State Assets of Poland Jacek Sasin said that the contract would be worth almost USD 630 million.

"Almost 3 billion, more than 2.7 billion zlotys (about USD 628 million). There has not been such a contract in the Polish defence industry over the past 30 years," Sasin said. (ANI/Sputnik)
Authorities in Nepal deployed security forces on Tuesday to clear the garbage collected from the Kathmandu Valley as their agreement with the local residents of Sisdol in Nuwakot faced hurdles. Residents of Sisodol and the authorities on Monday evening had reached an agreement which was expected to give relief to Kathmandu residents as garbage had accumulated for a month. But later the locals protested and rejected the terms of the agreement. "We have been living with this garbage for 17-18 years. We are not in hurry nor we are stressed about it, for now, we had tried to resolve it but due to some agents and groups, the problem has worsened," Bale Bhujel Chhetri, a resident of Sisdol in Nuwakot District told ANI. In an all-party discussion held at Nepal's Ministry of Urban Development with Minister Ram Kumari Jhakri on Monday evening, it was agreed to pick up garbage from Kathmandu and take it to Sisdol and Bancharedanda landfill sites. As per the agreement, the Ministry of Urban Development has allocated Rs 425 million for river control work, construction of community buildings, temples and a tree plantation program. It was agreed to spend a total of Rs 21.2 million on this. After receiving the report of environmental impact assessment regarding land acquisition, it was agreed to start the process of acquisition by identifying the land to be acquired on the basis of that report. Similarly, it has been agreed to provide health insurance to the permanent residents of the affected areas by completing the procedure from the Nepal Health Insurance Board. The beneficiaries of the insurance service will be residents of Dhunibeshi Municipality's wards 1, 3, 4 and Kakani Rural Municipality's wards 1, 2 and 3. It has been agreed to continue the grant provided in the past for the infrastructure development of the affected areas. The City has also announced that it will segregate solid waste as biodegradable and non-biodegradable at the source itself starting June 15. Based on the report of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), the process of removing odour by chemical or biological treatment will be started within 10 days. It has been agreed to make arrangements for lifting and covering the garbage with soil. The Ministry of Urban Development has also announced plans to start the land acquisition drive in the affected area. The locals now have demanded full implementation of previous agreements and terms that have been presented forward. An agitated group of locals came onto the road preventing garbage containing trucks to move forward which resulted in a clash with the Police. Later, the police arrested 14 locals from the protest site and hold them for the entire day and escorted vehicles to the site. "Their demands of health insurance, reconstruction of the road, construction of hospital and others, those have been committed by the government. Regarding the acquisition of land it would be done on the basis of the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) report, an agreement to that has been sealed a day earlier (Monday)," Engineer Madhav Katuwal from the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction under the Ministry of Urban Development told ANI. Kathmandu on daily basis produces about 1,200 metric tons of waste either from businesses or households which has continued to pile up in the streets increasing the risk of the outbreak of a pandemic. The Kathmandu Metropolitan 17 years before had selected Sisdol, as a landfill site for a couple of years but has been using it till date. An alternative to the existing landfill site has been located in Banchare of Dhading District which lately has come into operation but has to go through Sisdol whose road condition is pathetic. The existing landfill site, Sisdol lies at a distance of about 20 kilometres from the core of Kathmandu while the new landfill site lies at a distance of about 50 kilometres from the centre of the capital. Nepali capital Kathmandu is facing a problem with waste management as garbage from homes and various businesses is dumped in open spaces and points as the assigned local body, Kathmandu Metropolitan City Office is not able to move them to landfill sites. It has been over two months that garbage dumped on roadsides and pavements hasn't been collected. (ANI)
The Government of Nepal has decided to hand over the contract of the 750-megawatt West Seti Hydropower Project and 308-megawatt SR6 Storage Hydroelectric Project to National Hydro Power Company Limited, India. The 51st meeting of the Investment Board Nepal (IBN) chaired by Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has decided to award the company with the contract as per the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Member of the IBN and former president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Bhawani Rana said, "The decision was taken to hand over the West Seti and SR6 projects to Indian company NHPC for construction. The project, which has been stalled for a long time, is moving forward. Modalities will be decided after discussions with IBN. Building a power project will also help reduce the trade deficit." Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, while addressing an election rally in his home district Dadeldhura on May 10, had said that Nepal would not be able to build the West Seti project on its own and announced to contract an Indian company for that. "India does not buy electricity produced by China. They don't even buy electricity generated from the projects built by Chinese companies. That is why an Indian company had to be brought in," PM Deuba had said while addressing the election rally. The project has been in limbo for 29 years as it has not been able to formulate the modalities and investment structure. There is an obligation to meet the domestic demand by importing electricity from India when there is an energy crisis in winter. The Australian company Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation (SMEC) did nothing but hold the West Seti hydropower project's license for 17 years. The Nepal government then awarded the project to the Chinese company, China Three Gorges International Corporation (CTGI), but the Chinese company, too, did not build it. The government has not been able to move the project forward even though it was taken away from Three Gorges Company three years ago. Even though the government had showcased the project at the Nepal Investment Summit in March 2019, the foreign investment sources and structure could not be finalized for the construction of the project. Listed as a project of national pride, this project has been neglected for three decades. Earlier, the West Seti Hydropower Project was estimated to cost Rs 165 billion. (ANI)
Citing sources The News International reported that the cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has given the approval through a circulation summary today.

It is to be noted that the export of live animals is banned Under Export Policy Order 2020 in the country.

According to the publication, the Foreign Ministry had forwarded a summary of the export of the goats to the UAE on the special request of the Emirate's Embassy in Islamabad to the cabinet.

The goats would be exported for UAE President General Sheikh Muhammad Bin Zayed. The federal cabinet was requested to give special permission to export the goats for the UAE president.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan was elected as President after Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who had been in office since 2004, died at the age of 73 after a long illness last month.

Meanwhile, the Arabic Twitter handle of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been restored after suspension today.

Earlier on Tuesday, the government launched an official Twitter account of PM Shehbaz Sharif to strengthen its bond and engagement with Arabs and Pakistan.

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced on Tuesday said that Saturday holidays have been restored for the public sector.

A federal cabinet meeting today also approved restoring Saturday as a public holiday.

Addressing a presser following the meeting, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that restoring Saturday as a holiday would have an annual impact of USD 386 million and a USD 77 billion impact on the import bill, The Express Tribune reported.

Furthermore, the cabinet meeting would ratify the decisions of the Economic Coordination Committee on June 3, and a plan for load shedding would be presented by the Power Division. (ANI)
The Representative of the Tibetan government-in-exile Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa spoke about Beijing's restrictions and regulations on publishing books at the Taipei International Book Exhibition, 2022. He appreciated the intentions of a publication under the Office of Tibet to issue books on Tibet in the Chinese language. Representative Bawa appreciated the volunteers at the Ganjong Publication for their assistance and extended his gratitude to Taiwan, saying, "the country is the only Chinese speaking place where Chinese books on Tibet's issue are permitted to publish" a report by a policy research institute, Tibet Rights Collective said. He also acquainted the spectators with displayed books about Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Tibet's history, Tibet's religion and culture, Tibetan education and environment, relations between Tibet and China, and the books written by Tibetans, Taiwanese and Chinese, the report added. This year, the Taipei International Book Exhibition was held between June 2 - 7, which resumed after two years of the Covid pandemic. Ganjong Publication under the Office of Tibet, Taiwan participated in the book exhibition, along with several other participants across the world. Around 300 domestic and overseas publishers participated in the book fair. Organizers of the Taipei book fair said that Ukraine joined the expo for the first time at a special "We Stand with Ukraine" section, Focus Taiwan reported. The fair also included a special exhibition displaying works by 15 Ukrainian illustrators that reflected the current experience of Ukrainians about the ongoing war with Russia, which was among the most crowded exhibition booth. Featuring the theme "Reading and Publishing Beyond the Pandemic," the TIBE opened at Exhibition Hall 1 of the Taipei World Trade Center with around 160 domestic and 150 international publishers from 21 countries, Taiwan's Culture Minister Lee Yung-te said during a speech at the opening ceremony, Focus Taiwan reported. Lee believed the exhibition would flourish because of the great importance Taiwan places on the freedom of publishing. Chairman of the Taipei Book Fair Foundation, one of the main organizers of the TIBE, Robert Lin thanked France for taking the role of the "Guest of Honor" at the book fair for the fourth time. Meanwhile, Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te thanked publishers for their hard work in enabling the exhibition to be successfully held. "The TIBE is a very important annual event, it is also a very important platform for exchanges between Taiwanese and international publishers," Lai said, Focus Taiwan reported. According to the Taiwanese Culture Ministry, the book fair was free for visitors aged and below 18 years of age, possessing proof of their age, as well as the travellers from outside Taipei and New Taipei who present train tickets for travelling to Taipei on the day of their visit, and foreign nationals who present their passport. The Book fair was attended by Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te, Culture Minister Lee Yung-te and David Kibler from French Bureau Francais de Taiwan as the guests. (ANI)
Germany's ministry of foreign affairs confirmed her reports saying that "Annalena Baerbock had a positive screening test after lunch today," the News International reported.

After testing positive for the virus, the minister cancelled all further dates of the trip, which also included stops in Greece and Turkey, the ministry said.

As per the official Twitter handle of the ministry, Baerbock regularly tests herself for the virus. It further said that she was tested negative for the virus in the morning, the News International reported.

German FM Annalena Baerbock reached Pakistan today, where she was welcomed by the Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and other senior officials. The minister along with her Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also planted a sapling on the premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Baerbock's visit to Pakistan was scheduled for June 7 and 8 to hold a discussion on bilateral and global issues with her counterpart from Pakistan.

This comes as a response to the invitation of Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The two sides attach special importance to strengthening bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, including trade and investment, energy, defence, and people-to-people contacts, said the ministry.

The visit of the German foreign minister is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and is expected to further boost the multi-faceted Pakistan-Germany relationship, according to the statement.

This year both countries are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The German Foreign Minister's visit is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries. (ANI)
NextShark

A pair of identical twins who grew up in separate countries have somehow developed similar personality traits but significantly different IQ levels, a recent study has found. In the study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, researchers from Kookmin University in Seoul and California State University compared the characteristics of a woman who grew up in South Korea to that of her sister, who was raised in the U.S. The adoptee grew up without knowledge of her siblings, until she participated in a South Korean government program that reunited family members.
Photo credit: Mark Stevenson - Getty Images

Thankfully, the likelihood of a malicious alien civilization is vanishingly small, a scientist has found. Phew!



There may be as many as 4.42 in our vast galaxy, but just 0.22 could travel to us.



This research builds a cumulative math model that considers many factors.



Most people agree that we should be monitoring the airwaves, so to speak, to search for other civilizations in the universebut people strongly disagree about whether we should send our own messages out there. If a civilization is malicious, do we want them to know were out here? Are we waving hello to our own executioners?

In a new preprint paper published to the arXiv server in May (meaning it has not yet been peer-reviewed), researcher Alberto Caballero, a Ph.D. student at the University of Vigo in Spain, explores a really thorny issue within the community of people who work with SETI, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. SETIs main job is to listen to the swirling miasma of space in case we ever detect signs of life elsewhere or even receive a broadcast sent by another civilization.

 You love aliens. So do we. Lets nerd out over them togetherjoin Pop Mech Pro.

Active SETI (Active Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence), sometimes referred to as METI (Messaging to Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence), is a form of SETI that has been barely practiced since the first interstellar radio message, the Arecibo Message, was sent in 1974 to the globular star cluster M13, Caballero explains in the paper. Active SETI remains a sore subject because detractors believe were drawing attention to ourselves from totally unknown, possibly malicious aliens.

A lot is at play when it comes to the search for aliens in general. The Fermi Paradox is an idea that best sums it up: how can there be infinite planets in our universe with a nonzero possibility of life, but weve never seen so much as a glimpse or a whisper of another civilization anywhere? But, of course, that assumes the other civilization will be advanced enough to communicate or travel in space. There could be infinite planets with life forms that are still in the gloopy pond scum stage, just starting to develop photo-reactive eye cells, for instance. It may be a billion years before they start walking upright and tweeting reaction gifs.

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To estimate the likelihood of an invading nearby civilization, Caballero starts with an interesting premise: how likely are we to invade another civilization that we discover? To calculate that, he compiles the staggering number of times Earth nations have invaded each other as acts of war. This, he says, is a new methodology for calculating the likelihood of a malicious alien civilization.

He also observes that energy consumption on Earth has increased as the likelihood of invasion has decreased: [T]here seems to be an indirect correlation between the human probability of invasion and the worlds development based on energy consumption. The more developed humanity is, the less likely invasions are, Caballero says.

And when combined with well-established estimates of the likelihood of intelligent life elsewhere in our galaxy, we can work out a pure probability. That number is very loweight deep into the decimals of one percentwith a flat number of malicious civilizations of just 0.22. Hopefully thats the one-fifth that doesnt have access to their local planetary weapons systems.

Caballero told Vice that he didnt include one figure in the paper, which represents the total number of malicious civilizations that dont have intergalactic spaceflight yet. According to his calculations, there are likely 4.42 of these civilizations. But this brings up some philosophical questionsif a malicious tree falls in a forest but no one can hear it, does it make an intergalactic sound? After all, a guilty criminal must have means, motive, and opportunity. With just means and motive, youre sending mean tweets to Earth instead.



Photo credit: San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images - Getty Images

Caballero writes that ultimately, he believes the likelihood of a malicious alien civilization is lower even than the possibility of Earth being hit by a so-called planet killer asteroid. We could send up to 18,000 interstellar messages to different exoplanets and the probability of invasion by a malicious civilization would be the same as that of an Earth collision with a global-catastrophe asteroid, he concludes.

A paper like this is built on a series of estimations and decisions that many other experts may not agree with, but thats part of the point. For those who argue about the role of SETI versus active SETI, the debate has been very abstract because of the unknown nature of all the quantities involved. Caballero has put some of those numbers on paper and used them to come up with some kind of answersomething people can now discuss and iterate on in further study.



For some, seeing the vanishingly small likelihood of any kind of complex life, let alone malicious life, might make SETIs efforts seem more optimistic than ever.

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Gareth Bale (centre) celebrates with team-mates and staff after qualifying for the Qatar World Cup (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)

Wales will resume their Nations League campaign at home to Holland in Cardiff on Wednesday after sealing World Cup qualification.

Robert Pages side opened their League A campaign with a 2-1 defeat in Poland last week, while Holland began with a superb 4-1 win away to Belgium.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the main talking points around the game.

World Cup hangover?

There were plenty of sore heads in Wales on Monday as the nation celebrated reaching a World Cup for the first time in 64 years. The Wales players were among those partying into the night as the squad headed to Gareth Bales Elevens bar in Cardiff city centre. Page said his squad deserved to celebrate, but now hopes there will be no hangover against the Dutch.

Second string

(PA Wire)

Page fielded a shadow side in Poland last week, with the Nations League opener coming just four days before the World Cup decider against Ukraine. Greater current depth to the Wales squad was reflected by an impressive performance, although two late Poland goals sent them to a 2-1 defeat. Expect more changes after Sundays colossal effort against Ukraine, with several fringe players set to get another chance.

Rising star

Brennan Johnson is yet to establish himself as a Wales regular, but it can only be a matter of time. The gifted 21-year-old forward has had a season to remember at club level, with his 19 goals and 10 assists helping Nottingham Forest into the Premier League. Johnson has targeted a World Cup starting spot in Qatar, and that bid is expected to start against Holland.

King Louis

(AP)

Louis van Gaal is now in his third spell as Holland manager and will lead them at a second World Cup in November. The former Manchester United boss revealed in April that he had been receiving treatment for prostate cancer. But Van Gaal has enjoyed a successful return to the Holland hot-seat, unbeaten in 10 games with seven wins and three draws.

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Dutch domination

(PA Archive)

Wales have lost all eight of their games against Holland. The Dutch started their domination with a World Cup qualifying double before Italia 90, and repeated it ahead of France 98. A 3-1 win in Cardiff was followed by a 7-1 rout in Eindhoven. Holland have also won four friendlies between the two countries, the most recent being a 3-2 success at Cardiff in November 2015.
A condiment-obsessed Queens murder suspect hoarded sweet-and-sour duck sauce in his refrigerator  but not enough to stop him from killing a Chinese food delivery worker in a feud over his wish for more, a police source said Tuesday.

When cops opened accused killer Glenn Hirschs refrigerator, they found it full of items to flavor up his food  including lots of duck sauce of the kind given away by Chinese restaurants in little plastic packets.

His whole refrigerator was filled with duck sauce, the source said. And other condiments.

Hes a hoarder. And when you open the refrigerator, its like, condiments  theres duck sauce, soy sauce, ketchup.

Hirsch, 51, was busted last week on charges of shooting dead Zhiwen Yan, 45, on April 30 in Forest Hills after stalking Yans restaurant for weeks over his demand for more duck sauce in what the Queens DA called an obsessive point of contention.

Police said they had been building a case against Hirsch ever since learning he had been involved in ongoing tensions with the manager at the Great Wall restaurant, starting last Nov. 30 when he was furious there wasnt enough duck sauce for him to take home with his meal.

Indeed, after Hirsch was indicted and busted police searched his apartment on 141st St. in Jamaica they found in his refrigerator evidence of just how obsessed he is with condiments.

I guess in some pathology people like that take that stuff very seriously  you didnt give him enough duck sauce, said the police source.

Hirsch, who had 10 prior sealed arrests, has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail.

Police said the night of the murder he circled the block of the restaurant a number of times, then followed Yan as he drove off on his scooter to make a delivery before shooting him on the street.

Hirsch has not been charged with a hate crime in the case.
Adam Sandler swung by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Monday, to promote his new film, Hustle. But before that, he had to explain how an iPhone on his lap and a tightly tucked-in bed sheet left him bloody.

I had an accident, everybody, Sandler said. Everything's all right, but I wish it was a good story it's pathetic.

He explained how he got into bed and the sheets were tucked-in too tightly. When he tried to kick them loose with his feet, he forgot his iPhone was on his lap. The phone went flying in the air and ended up splitting the skin just beneath his eye. Sandler is no stranger to taking a beating in his movies, so he just acted like everything was fine and went to sleep.

I was bleeding terribly, Sandler explained. I mean, I thought it was pitch black in the room, and I feel wetness and I tricked myself. I go, This is probably just thick tears... I didn't want to get up, you know, because I was tired. And I was like, Ah, we'll fix that later.

When he woke up in the morning, there was so much blood everywhere that he knew he needed assistance.

I said, I've got to get this fixed, Sandler recalled. So I went to the Apple store.

Video Transcript

JIMMY FALLON: I noticed there's something going on under your eye, buddy.

ADAM SANDLER: I had an accident, everybody. Everything's all right, but I wish it was a good story. It's pathetic.

KYLIE MAR: Adam Sandler swung by "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" Monday to promote his new film "Hustle." But before that, he had to explain how an iPhone on his lap and a tightly tucked in bed sheet left him bloody.

ADAM SANDLER: I-- for real, I started getting panicky and I kicked my legs. You know, it's like, god damn bed. And boom, and a phone flies in the air and hits me in the face.

[? [SAD BASS NOTES] ?]

KYLIE MAR: Sandler is no stranger to taking a beating in his movies, so he just acted like everything was fine and went to sleep.

ADAM SANDLER: I was bleeding terribly. I felt-- it was pitch black in the room and I feel-- and I feel wetness. And I go, yes. I tricked myself. I go, those are probably just thick tears.

KYLIE MAR: When he woke up, there was so much blood everywhere that he knew he needed assistance.

ADAM SANDLER: It was bleeding all. It was gushing still. And I said, I got to get this fixed, so I went to the Apple store.
Three female otter pups were recently born at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher recently welcomed three new additions with the birth of a litter of otter pups.

Three female Asian small-clawed otter pups were born at the aquarium on May 21. According to aquarium staff, all three of the pups are doing well. Each is currently about the size of a kitten.

Shannon Anderson, the aquarium's primary otter keeper and one of three caring for the otters, said it is likely that the pups, as well as their parents, will remain in their nest behind the scenes for most of the summer.

Our goal is to make sure we have these conversations with our vet team and as soon as they deem them healthy, mobile, eating on their own, being able to navigate getting out of pools, etcetera, well definitely be doing another great press release with enough time and notification so everyone knows when to expect them, Anderson said.

Until they have entered their habitat, the public can follow the pups journey on the aquarium's social media platforms.

The death of the Fort Fisher Hermit 50 years later: The legend, and the questions, remain

From the archives: Photos of Otters at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher

The aquarium also is exploring ways that the community could help name the pups.

We have definitely discussed how can we get our community involved, because I think that not just internally are all very excited about pups, but were hoping that our community of course is too, and so we want them to feel that theyre part of their journey along the way, Anderson said.

She added that the aquarium is trying to share as much as possible with the community, while still being respectful of the animals.

Typically with Asian small-clawed otters, you dont do a press release until theyre about 30 days old, because a lot of things could happen when theyre that young and fragile, but we really wanted to be very open about this whole experience and for our community to follow along as we go, Anderson said.

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Wednesday was the first day that the aquarium's veterinary staff was able to work directly with the pups. Veterinarians examined them in only five minutes to reduce their time separated from their protective parents.

Aquarists are encouraged by the behavior of both parents, particularly the mother, Leia. It is not uncommon for otters to struggle with their first litter of pups.

Were very proud of her, and were very fortunate that both of them just kind of had this great instinct and are very attentive to the little pups, Anderson said.

Anderson previously worked with the father of the pups, Quincy, during her time at the Greensboro Science Center. Initially working with him around his first birthday, she said it has been incredible to watch him enter a new stage of life.

To just kind of see him turning into his dad is just really funny, Anderson said.

Otters at the aquarium are part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Species Survival Plan program, an effort that aims to ensure the survival of species whose populations are dwindling in the wild. Through the SSP program, the aquarium partners with the Hong Kong Zoo, in case the opportunity for a habitat reintroduction program arises in the future.

Other additions coming to the aquarium include a Caribbean coral habitat, which is set to open in 2022. Plans for two new habitats, dedicated to the rescue of injured screech owls and the Atlantic sea nettle respectively, are also in development.

Kate Marijolovic is an intern at the StarNews. You can reach her at kmarijolovic@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Fort Fisher aquarium welcomes baby otters
WASHINGTON  The Air Force would be allowed to cut aerial refueling tankers in the initial draft of the National Defense Authorization Act that a House Armed Services subcommittee will consider this week  though not as many as the service had hoped.

In a briefing with reporters Monday, committee aides for the HASC seapower and projection forces subcommittee said the proposed 2023 NDAA would lower the minimum number of tankers the Air Force is required to have in its fleet, from the current level of 479 to 466. The subcommittee is scheduled to mark up its section of the bill Wednesday.

A U.S. Transportation Command study in 2018 found that if war were to break out, the military would need at least 479 tankers in its fleet. Congress wrote that number into law when it passed 2019s NDAA.

But the Air Force is trying to trim multiple aircraft in its fleet to free up resources to modernize elsewhere. Last week, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said at a Heritage Foundation event the service would ask Congress to lower its tanker requirement to 455, which he said would be adequate to respond to a threat from China as well as other missions.

The proposed tanker number in the House NDAA would essentially split the difference.

The Air Force is now bringing on the KC-46A Pegasus tanker to replace the older KC-10 Extender and KC-135 Stratotanker. The services proposed 2023 budget would leave the overall number of tankers unchanged at 483, with 24 new KC-46s replacing 10 retiring KC-10s and 14 retiring KC-135s.

But if this provision makes it into the final version of the NDAA, it would open the door to further tanker cuts.

The proposed section of the NDAA would also grant the Air Forces request in its proposed 2023 budget to cut its C-130 fleet from 279 to 271. The Air Force is aiming to retire older C-130H Hercules transport aircraft at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, while replacing some with newer C-130J Super Hercules.
One of Londons most talked-about jewelry labels, Alighieri, is bringing a dash of Tuscan summer to West Londons Television Centre from Wednesday with a 10-day pop-up called Mercato Alighieri.

The forecourt of the former BBC headquarters between 1960 and 2013 will be transformed into a petit Italian market with pastel-hued structures created by set designer Joanna Goodman, and a piazza with seating.

More from WWD

It will host a tabaccheria selling souvenirs, a gelato shop supplied by Badiani, an aperitivo bar, a trattoria and a bridal shop, which will offer pearl earrings, chunky chokers and molten diamond rings from the brand, as well as private consultations for bespoke engagement rings and bridal styling sessions with the Alighieri team.

Named after Italian poet Dante Alighieri, brand founder Rosh Mahtani who received the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design in 2020, has always been inspired by elements of Italian history, literature and art for her wide range of recycled gold-plated fashion jewelry, with prices ranging from 12,000 pounds for a made to order chainmail dress to 100 pounds for an earring. Her bestselling medallion necklaces are priced between 150 and 2,250 pounds.

I fell in love with Dantes work and his hometown when I was 19. I am so excited to bring the energy and excitement of Florence  my favorite place on earth to West London.

The Mercato Alighieri is inspired by my memories of living in this historic and magical city; reminiscing about times spent strolling along the Arno, sitting on the steps of the Chiesa Santo Spirito with an aperitivo, and chasing the spirit of Dante through the cobbled streets and frescoed buildings.

Alighieri has always been about bringing people together through the universal language of jewelry, and this is an extension of that principle. We invite friends, families, and strangers to soak up the atmosphere of Italy and celebrate friendships new and old, Mahtani said.

Story continues

RELATED:

London Jeweler Alighieri on Breaking the Status Quo With Slower Presentation Format, New Experiential Showroom

Alighieri Debuts Wandering Stars Collection

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Kansas native Allison Fluke-Ekren pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization after heading an ISIS military battalion made up of more than 100 girls and women.

The battalion, called the Khatiba Nusaybah, is accused of perpetrating multiple terrorist acts in Syria after being launched by Fluke-Ekren with the intention of providing women with terrorist training and Islamic religious classes.

Officials say girls as young as 10 were involved with the battalion, where they were given weapons such as AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and explosive suicide belts.

The Khatiba Nusaybah was formed out of a womens center in Raqqa, Syria, allegedly established by Fluke-Ekren in 2016.

The center offered medical services and child care along with religious classes and terrorist training before the battalion officially arose in 2019 as an all-female arm of the Islamic State.

Witnesses testified that, before the creation of the Khatiba Nusaybah, Fluke-Ekren shared plans to attack a shopping mall and a college campus in the U.S.

Fluke-Ekren allegedly told a witness in 2014 that she planned to park a vehicle full of explosives in the basement of a U.S. mall. She discussed plans with another associate to bomb a college campus in the Midwest.

Fluke-Ekren expressed regret that attacks occurring across the world were not taking place in the U.S. and said that she considered any attack that did not kill a large number of individuals to be a waste of resources. She also shared that she considered it important to die as a martyr for ISIS and massacre non-Muslims.

A now-deceased member of terrorist group Ansar al-Sharia married Fluke-Ekren in the U.S. before her involvement with ISIS, and the couple moved to Egypt in 2008 to begin years of terrorist activity in the Middle East, including in Syria, Libya and Iraq, authorities say.

Fluke-Ekren allegedly aided her husband in reviewing stolen U.S. government documents and a stolen electronic device in Benghazi, Libya, in 2011, after which Fluke-Ekrens summaries were shared with the Ansar al-Sharia leadership.

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After moving to Syria, Fluke-Ekrens husband became the leader of ISIS snipers in the country, while Fluke-Ekren trained girls and women in terrorist activity.

An initial complaint against Fluke-Ekren was filed to the U.S. government confidentially in 2019 and has been backed by information given by six witnesses, some of whom have been charged with terrorist offenses.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh claimed in January that Fluke-Ekren trained her children in using assault rifles and that one was witnessed carrying a machine gun at 5 or 6 years old.

Fluke-Ekren has been a fervent believer in the radical terrorist ideology of ISIS for many years, having traveled to Syria to commit or support violent jihad. Fluke-Ekren translated her extremist beliefs into action by serving as the appointed leader and organizer of an ISIS military battalion, directly training women and children in the use of AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and suicide belts to support the Islamic States murderous aims, Parekh wrote at the time.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A 52-year-old man was arrested as a fugitive on June 5 after a monthlong investigation into a car crash, according to Louisiana police.

Earl Lewis IV of Cotton Valley faces an attempted second-degree murder charge in connection with an accident that injured both him and the driver, according to a news release from the Louisiana State Police.

Lewis was a passenger in a womans car on May 5 when the two were traveling on Interstate 20 in Bienville Parish, according to the news release.

Investigators discovered that Lewis became angry with the driver and intentionally affected the steering while the woman was driving, causing the car to crash, the release said.

Both Lewis and the driver were sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

TROOP G NEWS RELEASE

June 6, 2022

Troopers Arrest Cotton Valley Man for Attempted Second Degree Murder After Intentionally Causing Crash pic.twitter.com/jkOUQbcPYI  LA State Police (@LAStatePolice) June 6, 2022

Troopers obtained a warrant through the Bienville Parish District Court and found Lewis in Cotton Valley on June 5, the release said.

Lewis was booked into the Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center and will be extradited to the Bienville Parish Jail, according to the release. The investigation is ongoing.

Cotton Valley is about 44 miles northeast of Shreveport.

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From left: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, and Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney. Kevin Dietsch, Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency, and Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

AOC is backing state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi against fellow Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.

The endorsement pits a leading progressive against the head of House Democrats' campaign arm.

Maloney told Insider that while he respects AOC, he has to "agree to disagree" with the move.

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is backing state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi in a primary challenge against fellow Sean Patrick Maloney, a fellow House Democrat from New York and the chair of the party's House campaign arm.

Following her election in 2018, Biaggi, 36, became an influential progressive representing a sprawling Bronx district. She was at the forefront of efforts to remove former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo from office in 2021, and she was a vocal critic of the three-term governor on issues like COVID-19 nursing home deaths beforehand.

"Alessandra has been here before  she knows what it takes to go up against powerful opponents and win," Ocasio-Cortez said in a fundraising email. The news was first reported by the New York Times.

The decision by Ocasio-Cortez to buck Maloney, who's currently serving a second term as the chair of the House Democratic Campaign Committee, comes after the congressman angered progressives and other Democrats last month by announcing that he would be run in a district currently held by Democratic Rep. Mondaire Jones of New York.

Biaggi and Maloney will face Democratic primary voters on August 23.

Maloney chose to run in a district to the south of the reworked version of his current one in the Hudson Valley, the 18th district. By running in the 17th  which will cover some of the wealthy suburbs to the north of New York City on both sides of the Hudson River  he picked a much safer district, with a 7 percentage point partisan lean favoring Democrats instead of a 3 percentage point one in his old district, according to FiveThirtyEight.

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Maloney's campaign provided Insider with internal polling data indicating that 45% of the district's voters back him, while just 15% backed Biaggi, who represents a state senate district far outside the district; 76% said they were unfamiliar with her. The poll was conducted by Global Strategy Group over May 26 - June 1 and included 385 likely Democratic primary voters, with a margin of error of 5 points.

Some Democrats argued that Maloney should have stayed in the competitive district further to the north that included much of his old one.

Maloney has insisted that the district is his to run in, given his residency in Cold Spring within the newly-drawn boundaries.

Jones  a first-term progressive congressman and one of two Black, gay members of Congress  later opted to run instead for a newly-created open seat in New York's 10th congressional district, which covers Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn.

Biaggi had previously been running for an open seat that encompassed parts of Long Island and Westchester County before opting to challenge Maloney.

"His job is to maximize the number of seats that we have in the Democratic majority and if he was doing his job, he would have stayed in that district," she told the Times, referring to the more competitive district that Maloney had mostly represented before.

Biaggi told the Times that she was "thrilled" to have Ocasio-Cortez's support. She'd already received the backing of Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York, another progressive "Squad" member.

"Her endorsement is really an indication to everyone that this is an important fight for the party," Biaggi said. "She really is the standard-bearer."

In a statement to Insider, Maloney offered praised for Ocasio-Cortez but said he would have to "agree to disagree" on the congresswoman's decision to back his primary opponent.

"I respect Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and have worked with her on a number of policy matters, including as a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal," he said. "But, on her endorsement, we are going to have to agree to disagree."

He added, "This election comes down to voters in NY-17, and I am honored to have received overwhelming support locally, including endorsements from nearly 40 elected leaders and democratic party committees."

Biaggi's father, Mario, served in the House from 1969 to 1988. Facing expulsion amid corruption charges brought by Rudy Giuliani, then the US Attorney for the Southern District, he resigned and subsequently served 26 months in prison.

Read the original article on Business Insider
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia on Tuesday claimed to have taken control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraine's Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscows forces hold nearly all of Luhansk province. And it appears that Russia now occupies roughly half of Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts.

After abandoning its bungled attempt to storm Kyiv two months ago, Russia declared that taking the entire Donbas is its main objective. Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian government forces in the Donbas since 2014, and the region has borne the brunt of the Russian onslaught in recent weeks.

Early in the war, Russian troops also took control of the entire Kherson region and a large part of the Zaporizhzhia region, both in the south. Russian officials and their local appointees have talked about plans for those regions to either declare their independence or be folded into Russia.

But in what may be the latest instance of anti-Russian sabotage inside Ukraine, Russian state media said Tuesday that an explosion at a cafe in the city of Kherson wounded four people. Tass called the apparent bombing in the Russian-occupied city a terror act.

Before the Feb. 24 invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russia controlled some 7% of the country, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and areas held by the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces hold 20% of the country.

While Russia has superior firepower, the Ukrainian defenders are entrenched and have shown the ability to counterattack.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces made no significant advances in the eastern Donbas region over the past day.

The absolutely heroic defense of the Donbas continues, he said late Tuesday in his nightly video address.

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Zelenskyy said the Russians clearly did not expect to meet so much resistance and are now trying to bring in additional troops and equipment. He said the same was true in the Kherson region.

Speaking earlier to a Financial Times conference, Zelenskyy insisted on Ukraines need to defeat Russia on the battlefield but also said he is still open to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But a former senior U.S. intelligence officer said the time isnt right.

Youre not going to get to the negotiating table until neither side feels they have an advantage that they could push, said Andrea Kendall-Taylor of the Washington-based Center for a New American Security.

The Russians think they will be able to take the whole of the Donbas and then might use that as the opportunity to call for negotiations, Kendall-Taylor said at an online seminar organized by Columbia and New York universities.

Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, said Moscow's forces have seized the residential quarters of Sievierodonetsk and are fighting to take control of an industrial zone on the city's outskirts and nearby towns.

Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. They are among a few cities and towns in the Luhansk region still holding out against the Russian invasion, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces.

Shoigu added that Russian troops were pressing their offensive toward the town of Popasna and have taken control of Lyman and Sviatohirsk and 15 other towns in the region.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak urged his people not to be downhearted about the battlefield reverses.

Dont let the news that weve ceded something scare you, he said in a video address. It is clear that tactical maneuvers are ongoing. We cede something, we take something back."

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai conceded that Russian forces control the industrial outskirts of Sievierodonetsk.

The toughest street battles continue, with varying degrees of success, Haidai said. The situation constantly changes, but the Ukrainians are repelling attacks.

Moscows forces also kept up their artillery barrage of Lysychansk. Haidai said Russian troops shelled a market, a school and a college building, destroying the latter. At least three people were wounded, he said.

A total destruction of the city is under way. Russian shelling has intensified significantly over the past 24 hours. Russians are using scorched-earth tactics, Haidai said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has begun training Ukrainian forces on the sophisticated multiple rocket launchers that the Biden administration agreed last week to provide. The Pentagon said the training is going on at a base in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets, which can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). Officials said it would take about three weeks of training before they could go to the battlefront.

In other developments, Zelenskyy said Ukraine planned to publish a special Book of Executioners next week with information about war crimes committed by the Russian army.

These are specific facts about specific people who are guilty of specific cruel crimes against Ukrainians, he said. Those named would include not only people who carried out the crimes but their commanders, he said.

The war also brought a standoff Tuesday between the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and Ukrainian authorities over the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe.

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, wants to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant to help maintain its safety after it was taken by Russian troops in March.

But Energoatom, the Ukrainian state company overseeing the countrys nuclear plants, said in a blunt statement that Grossi isnt welcome. It said his planned tour is yet another attempt to legitimize the occupiers presence there.

Amid fears of a global food crisis because of the war, the Kremlin said Ukraine needs to remove sea mines near its Black Sea port of Odesa to allow essential grain exports to resume from there. Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that removing the mines could enable Moscows forces to attack.

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Associated Press journalists David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv; Andrew Katell in New York; and Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this story.

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Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
In this file photo, local fashion designer Ty Brueilly teams up with Emma Cheek, owner of The Exchange, in a fashion showcase for Small Business Saturday 2021. Along with other business owners, they are putting on another fashion show on Saturday, and have invited the current Mrs. United States, Brea Estep, to attend.

The current Mrs. United States, Brea Estep, could make a stop in Asheboro this Saturday as part of a fashion exhibit put on by an Asheboro-born entrepreneur.

A self-described artist, Tyler Brueilly partnered with a number of local businesses, including The Exchange, to put on the show, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 204 South Fayetteville St. in Asheboro.

Saturday's event is the second of its kind. Last year, Brueilly held a show as part of Small Business Saturday. He chose this weekend to hold his second show because it coincided with the beginning of summer.

"For the summer line reveal, I wanted to extend what we did previously and totally enhance the experience with more models, more designs, more performances, a more focused menu for brunch, while I incorporated more of my other art forms, particularly music..." Brueilly said, adding that the event will also showcase some of his original music.

Brueilly adds it isn't only his art that will be showcased.

"The whole event which will be reoccurring is beginning to evolve into something that could become a staple of the art community in the area and hopefully become a catalyst for other Asheboro area artists who dont necessarily feel they have an outlet to show off their art in a different more modern way," Brueilly said.

He later added that while Asheboro is changing, he feels events like his can help it change for the better.

"In ways, Asheboro is progressing at a great speed, but when it comes to the art community, its still stuck in the past," Brueilly said. "I want to help change that and I believe events like mine will help bring that change."

He added that many of the participating models are also pageant participants. He felt that inviting Mrs. United States Brea Estep was appropriate.

"There were a handful of the models who were winners/crown wearers of various pageants in North Carolina, and they really helped mold the November showcase into what I envisioned it should be, so I thought, who better than the Mrs.United States as our Guest Of Honor for this event to motivate and encourage these young women," Brueilly said. "So we are excited and proud to bring Brea Sharron Estep to Asheboro."

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Estep won the Mrs. North Carolina crown back in 2021 before moving on to secure the national title.

The event is free and open to the public.

Follow Dean-Paul Stephens on Twitter @DeanPEStephens. If you have tips, send an email to dstephens@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Courier-Tribune: Upcoming Asheboro fashion event to showcase local talent.
Countries like China and India have the power to undercut the European Unions latest move to sanction Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, potentially lessening the impact of one the most significant economic actions the west has taken against the nation thus far.

The EU on Friday officially agreed to ban imports of most oil from Russia, joining countries, including the U.S., who have vowed to forgo oil from the country.

But experts say the move likely wont push Russia to economic pariah status, as other countries, including major economies like China and India, will still import its fuels and give the Kremlin an alternate income source.

Were expecting the bulk of the volumes that Russia currently exports to be taken by other markets, said Alan Gelder, vice president of refining, chemicals and oil markets at energy research firm Wood Mackenzie.

If theyre still able to find buyers for their exports, and theyll need to negotiate a price, it does mean that theyre getting a steady revenue stream. If the world all said no, it would be quite different, but the world is not saying that, Gelder added.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said that China and India are likely to be even more incentivized to buy oil after the European embargo.

The bigger question is, how easy is it going to be for that Russian oil to make it to a country like China and India, which will probably continue to buy? De Haan said, adding that its kind of shifting oil purchases and consumption around.

Further complicating the matter, De Haan said, is that Russian oil is of a quality that makes it desirable in international markets.

Its the heavier oil that distills into more desirable molecules like diesel, which is what Europe is really craving at this point, he said.

And Kristine Berzina, head of the geopolitics team at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, said that the fact that the ban doesnt go into effect right away could also undermine its efficacy by giving Russia more time to adjust.

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She said that alarms in the market may raise oil prices in the near term, giving Russia a benefit as it sells oil for now, and the country will also be able to work with other countries like India that are likely to buy the oil.

They can negotiate the pricing there and try to adjust for the fact that theyll have to go to different markets long term, she said.

Ben Cahill, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that despite the limitations, the EU sanctions are probably the most significant action that the world has taken to date to limit the use of Russian oil.

This definitely is the most consequential move yet in terms of restricting Russian exports, he said. The big question is how much will this knock Russian oil offline and how much will it just redirect Russian oil from Europe to Asia.

He estimated that the move could take as much as a million barrels per day of Russian oil out of commission. Last year, Russia exported nearly 5 million barrels per day.

He added that a provision prohibiting EU companies from insuring the transport of Russian oil could significantly reduce the Kremlins sales.

Any ship that is lifting Russian oil or petroleum products cant get insurance from either an EU insurance company or U.K. insurance company, he said, noting that the United Kingdom is also expected to ban this kind of insurance.

If youre a ship owner, youll be very, very reluctant to lift a cargo of Russian crude if you cant insure it and you could even be blocked from entering some ports, he said.

Yet, the world has not gone as far as it possibly can to hamper Russian oil exports. Countries have refrained from implementing secondary sanctions in which they would penalize other countries for buying Russian oil.

Were not there yet, Cahill said. If too much starts to flow to India and China, policymakers may react to that.

But given the tight oil market, he warned, secondary sanctions that really tried to take Russia out of the global oil market would have a huge impact on everyone, and I think it would be extremely controversial and pretty risky.

The EU is far more reliant on Russian oil than the U.S. As part of the sanctions package, the EU included a number of exemptions to smooth the transition, including Bulgaria, which will be allowed to import crude and refined oil by sea through the end of 2024 due to its specific geographical exposure. Croatia, meanwhile, will be permitted to import the Russian oil needed to operate its refineries through 2023.

And companies will still be allowed to import the oil via pipeline, providing relief to countries like Hungary and Slovakia.

However, De Haan added, lack of Russian imports may soon be the least of Europe and the U.S.s oil woes, as fuel prices around the world soar.

I think whats more concerning here in the last couple of weeks is watching global refined product inventories decline, he said. And given how weve seen several really, frankly, many refinery shutdowns in the U.S. and Europe over the last three years, I almost wonder if that is going to be a bigger issue moving forward than the European Union cutting off Russian oil.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A 63-year-old business owner was found dead Sunday after Escambia County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to the shop on Creighton Road.

According to ECSO, surveillance video of the shop shows Baker Fire Chief Brian Keith Easterling entering the business and shooting the 63-year-old over a "dispute about prior business deals."

Baker Fire Chief Brian Easterling

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The victim allegedly owed Easterling money, according to ECSO.

Easterling has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder, according to ECSO.

Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies located Easterling in his home in Holt and he is awaiting extradition to Escambia County.

Baker Fire District Station is a volunteer fire department that covers 90 square miles in Okaloosa County. Its staff of 35 volunteer members serves 7,000 people, operating out of a single station at 1375 19th St. in Baker.

The district reaches from Yellow River east of Old River Road in Baker to the Santa Rosa County Line on West Highway 4.

How many volunteer firefighters are there in Florida? More than you might think

Baker Fire District Chief Brian Easterling shows off one of the department's fire trucks on March 25.

When initially contacted by the News Journal, an unidentified representative of the Baker Fire District said, "We don't have any information about our chief," and said they were still getting information about the situation. He then added, "Don't bother us," before hanging up.

In a subsequent call, the district's assistant chief said the district would release an official statement via a press release.

According to Easterling's LinkedIn profile, he has worked with the Baker Fire Department since 2005. He became captain in 2019. He previously worked with the Eglin Air Force Base Fire Department.

Easterling describes himself as an "experienced captain with a demonstrated history of working in the military industry." His profile states he attended Florida State Fire College.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Florida Fire Chief Brian Easterling under arrest, charged with murder
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish biotechnology company Bavarian Nordic said on Tuesday it had signed a $56 million contract with Canada for its smallpox vaccine, which is also approved for use against monkeypox in the country, with deliveries starting next year.

"In parallel, Bavarian Nordic continues to secure contracts with other countries, including Denmark, but also countries outside Europe, to supply the vaccine to mitigate the current monkeypox outbreak", said the firm.

Bavarian will also host an investor call later on Tuesday at 1500 CET (1300 GMT).

(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, editing by Terje Solsvik)
ELMONT, N.Y. - While there's no Triple Crown on the line in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, there's no shortage of intriguing storylines associated with the 154th running of the "Test of Champions."

And none is more compelling than the rags-to-riches tale of Rich Strike, who stunned the Kentucky Derby field at 81-1 with an epic late surge. After bypassing the Preakness, Rich Strike, a talented closer, is third choice in the morning line heading into the grueling 1-1/2 mile race.

"Just an incredible ride, as you can imagine if you are around horses at all, or even if you're not around horses, from where we were," said Rick Dawson, who claimed Rich Strike for $30,000 last September.

"When the bell rings it's up to (jockey) Sonny (Leon) to get him the right spot and see if we can't get him home."

Rich Strike rallied from 17th to win the Run for the Roses with a dramatic stretch drive.

I dont think the pace will be as fast," said Eric Reed, Rich Strike's trainer, reference the torrid early fractions in the Kentucky Derby. "He still probably will drop back, I dont think hell drop back near as far. And turning for home if hes close enough hell have a really good shot at it, but it is definitely not a race where you want to come from way, way back."

The morning line favorite, however, is We the People, installed as the 2-1 choice off an impressive win in the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park.

"He's 3-for-4, he's won by 10 lengths, and he's been here training very well," said trainer Rudolphe Briset. "I was actually thinking he would be the second choice.

"The way he galloped out last time, its always a question mark, but based on what we saw last time, and what (jockey) Flavien (Prat) said to me after the race, we are hoping he is going to be OK at a mile-and-1/2."

The second choice is the Todd Pletcher-trained Mo Donegal, at 5-2 after closing to finish fifth in the Kentucky Derby. Pletcher, who has won the Belmont Stakes three times, also has the filly Nest, 8-1 in the morning line.

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"I thought (Mo Donegal) ran a very credible race in the Derby," Pletcher said. "He was still closing at the end. Unfortunately, he drew the one hole, he didnt break well and we dropped back and were 19th going into the first turn, ahead of eventual winner, and ended up having to go a little wide. But what I liked is he kept running to wire and kept finding a little more."

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It was 15 years ago that Pletcher won the Belmont Stakes with Rags to Riches, the last filly to win it.

"I think (Nest) has the right disposition for it and has given us every indication that she is doing very well," Pletcher said.

Coverage from Belmont Park Saturday begins from 3-5 p.m. on CNBC, before moving to NBC from 5-7 p.m. Post time for the Belmont Stakes is set for approximately 6:49 p.m.

Sonny Leon rides Rich Strike (21) onto the track for the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Louisville, Ky.

Here are the eight entrants for this year's Belmont Stakes, with post positions and morning line odds:

1. We the People 2-1

Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset.

Jockey: Flavien Prat.

Turned in a sizzling performance in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont on May 14, winning by 10 1/4 lengths, with a Beyer Speed Figure of 103, best of any contender and second fastest among 3-year-olds this year. It also came on a sloppy track, with rain a possibility in the Saturday forecast. That performance came after disappointing seventh in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.

2. Skippylongstocking 20-1

Trainer: Saffie Joseph.

Jockey: Junior Alvarado.

Battled wide the entire trip in the Preakness before finishing fifth. Placed third in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, beaten 3 3/4 lengths by Mo Donegal. A son of Exagerator, who won the Preakness and Haskell in the slop. So if its an off track, look out.

3. Nest 8-1

Trainer: Todd Pletcher.

Jockey: Jose Ortiz.

This late-charging filly rallied for second behind Secret Oak in the Kentucky Oaks. That came after a dominating performance in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland, drawing off to win by 8 1/4 lengths. Has never missed the board in six career starts. A daughter of Curling, who finished second in the 2007 Belmont, and won a pair of Grade 1 races at Belmont.

Rich Strike, with Sonny Leon aboard, wins the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Louisville, Ky.

4. Rich Strike 7/2

Trainer: Eric Reed.

Jockey: Sonny Leon.

Pulled off one of the biggest upsets in racing history by winning the Kentucky Derby at 81-1. A colt that was claimed for $30,000 last September at Churchill Downs, breaking its maiden by 17 1/4 lengths, rallied from far back to nail Epicenter with a dramatic move along the inside. Closed for third in the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park two starts back. Should benefit from the added distance.

5. Creative Minister 6-1

Trainer: Ken McPeek.

Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.

Ran third in the Preakness, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Early Voting, tabbed with a 100 Beyer Speed Figure at 10-1. That came after an allowance win at Churchill Down on Derby Day for the closer, bred to go distances.

6. Mo Donegal 5/2

Trainer: Todd Pletcher.

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Had a terrible trip in the Kentucky Derby, battling wide the entire race before digging in late to grab fifth. Had never been off the board in five previous career starts, including a win over Preakness winner Early Voting in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, and a win over Zandon, third in the Derby, in the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct.

Kentucky Derby entrant Mo Donegal works out at Churchill Downs Thursday, May 5, 2022, in Louisville, Ky.

7. Golden Glider 20-1

Trainer: Mark Casse.

Jockey: Dylan Davis.

Secured a spot in the starting gate with a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont on May 14, although that was 10 1/4 lengths behind We the People. Ran fourth in the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland two starts back after pressing the pace. Golden Gliders sire, Ghostzapper, was 5-for-5 at Belmont Park, closing his career with a win in the Metropolitan Handicap.

8. Barber Road 10-1

Trainer: John Ortiz.

Jockey: Reylu Gutierrez.

Finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby at 60-1, beaten less than five lengths by Rich Strike, one of a host of closers who benefitted from a torrid early pace. Ran second behind Cyberknife in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, and ran a close third, a nose behind Ethereal Road, in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Belmont Stakes 2022 post positions: Rich Strike return in Triple Crown
It means a lot for young people to see themselves reflected on the big screen and actor Billy Eichner was no different, he says.

That's why he was so excited to write and star in his upcoming Universal Pictures film, "Bros."

On the red carpet at the MTV Movie & TV Awards in Santa Monica, California, on Sunday, Billy Eichner, who handed out the award for best comedic performance, spoke to TODAY about his upcoming groundbreaking film.

Eichner, who was wearing a Bros shirt, said that being a part of the first rom-com with an all LGBTQ cast was one of the best things thats ever happened to him.

I really, really want to do a good job because I think I owe it to the LGBTQ community, he shared. You know, we want to see ourselves reflected in an authentic way and I also wanted it to be really, really funny for everyone.

He said he grew up loving classic rom-coms like When Harry Met Sally" and Moonstruck, but he rarely saw an LGBTQ person in those films.

And so to make a movie like that, that felt smart and sophisticated and honest, but have it centered around a gay couple, I thought it was something that people would love and that the world needed, he said.

"Bros" features a story about "two gay men maybe, possibly, probably, stumbling towards love. Maybe. Theyre both very busy," according to the website. The comedy is about "how hard it is to find another tolerable human being to go through life with."

The film is slated to premiere on Sept. 30, 2022, according to its website.

Winners on Sunday night included Jennifer Lopez who was presented with the Generation Award at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards.

In a tearful acceptance speech, she gave a shoutout to her family.

I want to thank true love and I want to thank the way that I lied to myself because thats how I knew that I had to grow. I want to thank disappointment and failure for teaching me to be strong. And my children for teaching me to love, she said, fighting back tears.

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Lopez shares 14-year-old twins Max and Emme with her ex Marc Anthony.

She follows Scarlett Johansson, Dwayne Johnson, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Downey Jr., Sandra Bullock, Jamie Foxx and more actors who have received the Generation Award  which celebrates stars who have become household names.

Jack Black, 52, was given the Comedic Genius Award for the countless hilarious characters he has portrayed on the big screen, while other winners from the night included Tom Holland for best performance in a movie for his leading role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Zendaya for best performance in a show for Euphoria and Daniel Radcliffe for best villain for The Lost City.
KYIV (Reuters) -Russia has handed over to Kyiv the bodies of 210 Ukrainian fighters, most of whom who died defending the city of Mariupol from Russian forces at a vast steel works, the Ukrainian military said on Tuesday.

Ukrainians were holed up in the Azovstal steelworks for weeks as Russia tried to capture the city. The Ukrainian soldiers eventually surrendered last month and were taken into custody by Russia.

"The process of returning the bodies of the fallen defenders of Mariupol is under way. To date, 210 of our troops have been returned - most of them are heroic defenders of Azovstal," Ukraine's defence intelligence directorate said on Twitter.

There has been little information about the fate of the estimated 2,000 Azovstal defenders. Kyiv is seeking the handover of all in a prisoner swap, but some Russian lawmakers want some of the soldiers put on trial.

"Work continues on bringing home all of the captured Ukrainian defenders," said the directorate.

The families of Ukraine's Azov unit of the national guard had earlier reported the return of some bodies.

Last week an exchange of 160 bodies between Russia and Ukraine was announced by Ukraine's Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories.

"It's important to note that a third of the bodies (handed over) were Azov fighters, the affiliation of the other fighters to different units is being clarified," the families said in a statement on Monday.

Russia casts the Azov Regiment, which led the defence of the steel works at Mariupol, as a "Nazi" militia with radical far-right origins.

Ukraine denies that, saying the unit has been reformed and integrated into its armed forces and is outside politics.

(Reporting by Natalia Zinets and David Ljunggren; writing by Tom Balmforth/Nerijus Adomaitis; Editing by Gareth Jones and Cynthia Osterman)
Boris Johnson Holds Cabinet Meeting Following Vote Of Confidence Victory

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) addresses his Cabinet ahead of the weekly Cabinet meeting in Downing Street on June 7 2022 in London, England, a day after he survived a no-confidence vote among Conservative lawmakers. Credit - Leon NealWPA Pool/Getty Images

British prime minister Boris Johnson survived a bitter no-confidence vote on Monday after 148 lawmakers from his partymore than 40% of Conservative Members of Parliamentdeclared they had lost confidence in his ability to lead their party and govern the country.

Johnson has been mired in scandal following an official investigation into a series of illegal parties at his Downing Street office, which took place during nationwide COVID-19 lockdowns.

While many of the front pages of the British newspapers predicted that Johnsons victorya smaller margin than his predecessor Theresa May when she faced a similar challenge in 2018as the beginning of his eventual demise, some onlookers believe he might hold onto power for some time.

His fingers will have to be prized off the doorknob of 10 Downing Street, says Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University in London.

After receiving a fine in April from the London Metropolitan police for attending one of the illegal gatherings in June 2020, Johnson became the first sitting British Prime Minister to be found to have broken the law while in office. Political convention in the U.K. had long been that any breaches to the ministerial code require resignation, before Johnson amended the code ahead of the official investigation.

Read more: Why Boris Johnson Could Lose His Job Over a Birthday Party

But Johnson has vowed not to resign over what the media dubbed the partygate scandalcompelling some within his own party to withdraw their support for his leadership. The threshold of at least 54 Conservative lawmakers15% of the totalneeded to trigger a vote of no confidence was met on Monday.

Declining support for the Conservative Party

Although the Conservatives command a large majority in parliament, the partygate crisis has angered the British public, prompting fears that voters will punish the party during the next general election in 2024.

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There is also growing public dissatisfaction over the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, post-Brexit trade disagreements in Northern Ireland, and an economy still recovering from the pandemic.

Upcoming by-elections on June 23 in two Conservative, or Tory, constituencieswhich were both triggered by the resignation of lawmakers, one after being found guilty for the sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy, and the other for watching pornography in the House of Commonsare expected to see the Conservative share of the vote slip.

The biggest problem for Boris Johnson isnt how unpopular he is among Tory MPs, its how unpopular he is among the public, tweeted George Eaton, a senior editor at the New Statesman, following the no-confidence vote.

Polls predict that the Labour Party is set to win back one of the seats, Wakefield, in the north of England after losing it to the Conservatives in the 2019 general election. At the time, Johnson had led his party to its largest electoral majority in decades, partly by convincing voters in some Labour-backing regions that he would get Brexit done.

According to a poll by research firm JL Partners, Johnsons initial denials that illegal gatherings took place in Downing Street during COVID-19 lockdowns is the main reason for Labours rising support.

The other seat up for grabs, Tiverton and Honiton, is a safer bet for the Conservatives, who have a large majority there. But the centrist Liberal Democrat party is hoping to repeat surprise victories that it achieved in previous by-elections in 2021.

What happens next for Johnson?

Although Johnson and his backers have said it was time to draw a line under the leadership row, the partygate story is not expected to fade from headlines soon. The outcome of an independent investigation into whether Johnson misled Parliament over the lockdown parties is expected in the coming weeks. Johnson previously told lawmakers that no lockdown rules had been broken by his staffa claim that was discredited by both an official investigation and the London police.

If Johnson is found to have deliberately misled Parliament, he will be expected to resign. This process is not straightforward, however, as under the ministerial code it requires proof that Johnson knowingly deceived lawmakers. The Prime Minister claims that under his interpretation of the COVID-19 rules, the gatherings were necessary for work.

Within his own party, Johnsons position is protectedfor now. Under the Conservative Partys rules, another confidence vote cannot be called for 12 months. But if the results of the upcoming by-elections are a disappointment for the Conservatives, the party may try to change its own rules to call a vote soonerwhich might not end in Johnsons favor. I think if things get worse for the Conservative Party, then youll begin to see people break away, says Bale.

While some commentators have suggested that Mondays votealthough favorable for Johnsonsignals the beginning of the end of his leadership, as it did for his predecessor MayBale says the two situations are different.

With May, who won a vote of no confidence in December 2018, but later in June 2019 stepped down as Prime Minister after losing her parliamentary majority and because she couldnt get a Brexit deal through, was about policy not personality, says Bale. She had to be got rid of in order to change the governments Brexit strategy.

Read more: This Is the Fateful Decision That Led to Theresa Mays Downfall

This isnt the case with Johnson, however, who faces scrutiny over his integrity. For this reason, Bale says, any attempts to promote popular policies to distract from the partygate scandal wont work. This time, the Conservatives would need to get rid of the guy who most voters seem now to have rumbled. Three-quarters of the public now find Johnson untrustworthy, according to the most recent polling by YouGov.

The publics disapproval of Johnson was on display June 3 when he was booed by crowds during celebrations for Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee.

However, the issue of trustworthiness has not been fatal for Johnson at the ballot box in the past. Around half of British voters said they believed he was untrustworthy when he rode to victory in 2019.

There is a degree of magical thinking about Boris Johnson within the parliamentary Conservative Party, Bale says. They see him as this politician with almost superhuman powers, who has twice won the mayoralty in Londonwhat is essentially a Labour-voting cityand who pulled the party back from the brink in 2019.

Ultimately, the question is how long until the magic wears off. Bale suspects that, for now, Johnson may well convince his Conservative skeptics that he can charm his way back to public approval. He will look back at his personal and his political life, and remind himself and others around him that in the end, he always gets away with it.
Oxygen

Detectives continue to scramble for answers and any clues as to the whereabouts of an Oregon boy, who vanished from a school science fair at the age of 7 more than a decade ago. If alive today, Kyron Horman would be 19 years old. Last week, on the twelfth anniversary of his disappearance, officials released an age-progressed image of him in the hopes of drawing renewed attention to the case. As weve seen in recent days, families can get answers long after a childs disappearance, John Bischof
Aiden Aslin, originally from Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, joined the Ukrainian marines in 2018. (Twitter/@cossackgundi)

A Briton fighting in Ukraine who was been captured by Russian troops is now facing the death penalty.

Aiden Aslin, originally from Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, joined the Ukrainian marines in 2018 and had been fighting with his unit in Mariupol during the Ukraine crisis.

In April the 28-year-old was captured after his unit was surrounded and they ran out of ammunition and supplies.

Pictures and video of a battered and bruised Aslin were shared as part of Russia's propaganda campaign, in which he asked for Boris Johnson to swap him and two other British prisoners for a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician.

Russia claims he is a foreign mercenary - which would prevent him from having protection under the Geneva Convention - when, in fact, Aslin holds dual citizenship and was fighting with the Ukrainian Army.

Read more: Release of captured Briton Aiden Aslin could take days, weeks, months, says brother

Ukrainian servicemen drive a tank near the frontline in Donetsk region. (AP)

A woman clears the rubble of a temple that was destroyed during attacks in Gorenka, on the outskirts of Kyiv. (AP)

According to prosecutors in the self-declared, Moscow-backed separatist region of the Donetsk People's Republic, a "criminal investigation" into Aslin has completed and he has been charged with four offences, including that of being a mercenary.

A statement from the DPR prosecutor-general said: "Taking into account wartime, on the basis of the provisions of the current main law, according to the results of the trial, the mercenary may be assigned an exceptional measure of punishment  the death penalty."

Click on this image to see all Yahoo News UK's latest content on the Ukraine crisis

Two other captured British nationals, 48-year-old Shaun Pinner and 35-year-old Andrew Hill, are also being tried as mercenaries and could face similar charges.

All three have been filmed apparently "admitting" to war crimes, with the footage being shared online.

Ukraine's former defence minister, Andriy Zagorodnyuk, has described their treatment by Russian forces as a war crime.

Watch: Russia releases video of demining teams in Donetsk

Zagorodnyuk said: Mercenaries have a very clear definition. And what has happened [to Aslin and Pinner] does not fit that definition. Obviously, Russia would love to bring ambiguity in this question.

When asked about Aslin's case on Tuesday morning, deputy prime minister Dominic Raab told LBC: "In relation to that case, I don't know all the details, but of course we would expect the laws of armed conflict to be respected, and we will make sure that we will make all the representations.

"I know the Foreign Office will be looking at making sure all those representations are made."
Concern about rising crime is overtaking key elections in California Tuesday, where liberal voters are putting pressure on Democrats around the state to address a growing sense of lawlessness spurred during the pandemic.

In key statewide races and local contests in the Democratic strongholds of San Francisco and Los Angeles, tough-on-crime messaging and calls to remove homeless encampments are taking hold, testing the staying power of the criminal justice reform movement that swept the nation in recent years.

The issues have sparked a recall election targeting San Franciscos district attorney, driven the campaign of a billionaire mayoral hopeful in Los Angeles and shaped the state attorney general contest. Crime and public safety were among the top three concerns of the electorate, according to an April UC Berkeley poll, outranking race relations, health care and the coronavirus pandemic.

Tuesdays elections also see three Republican House members fighting primary challenges, as well as a slate of battleground-district voters preparing to choose nominees for November races that could decide control of the House.



Also on the ballot this week is the potential end of Roe v. Wade, as well as a spotlight on guns following several mass shootings. Abortion rights and gun safety have reignited Democratic fervor in California and elsewhere, and many candidates are seizing the moment to position themselves as the moral choice for liberals. Those issues may sway voters in several key House races and others around the country.

Heres what were watching across seven states with big primaries and other elections on Tuesday night:

House incumbents in danger

National Republicans have spent eye-popping sums to prevent GOP Reps. Young Kim, in Orange County, and David Valadao, in the Central Valley, from getting shut out of the general election in two battleground districts. A loss by either would be a disaster for Republicans.

Kim's challenger, Greg Raths, is a pro-Donald Trump local council member who was recently accused of making anti-Semitic comments. Valadao, one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, is trying to beat back a challenge Chris Mathys, a businessperson who ran for Congress last cycle in New Mexico. (House Majority PAC, Democrats flagship congressional super PAC, has been trying to boost Mathys on TV.)

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Biden won both of those districts in 2020  running up a 13-point margin in Valadao's seat. Democrats are targeting both districts and would much rather face Raths and Mathys than the two incumbents, who have large campaign accounts and known crossover appeal.

Another incumbent to watch on Tuesday: Rep. Dusty Johnson, the two-term Republican representing South Dakota's at-large district. He's facing a challenge from the right by state Rep. Taffy Howard, who says the incumbent has not been supportive enough of Trump.

Johnson voted for the creation of a bipartisan Jan. 6 commission and against stripping Trump-critical Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) from her leadership position. Two super PACs are spending big in the race, one for Johnson and one for Howard.



Progressive prosecutors

In San Francisco, residents appear to be on the verge of ousting their district attorney, Chesa Boudin, a leader of the national movement for criminal justice reform. Boudin became a target of a campaign buoyed by deep-pocketed tech and real estate interests that has tapped into voters anxieties about crime.

Concerns about the rising rates of homicide, assault and property crime have put an uncomfortable spotlight on Californias Democratic leaders, who in recent years have favored policies that reduce sentencing and aim to lower the population of overcrowded prisons.



The number of homicides in California increased by more than 500 statewide in 2020  the largest increase since the beginning of consistent crime recording in 1960, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. More recent data shows a decline in homicides and aggravated assaults since July 2021, but that hasnt placated voters.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat and criminal justice reformer, is also under pressure  but likely wont feel the heat until the general election this fall.

Its almost certain Bonta will make it to the top-two runoff, so the real contest tonight is which of his rivals will capture most of the conservative votes. Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, a former Republican running unaffiliated, has garnered widespread support among moderates for her record of prosecuting perpetrators of some of Northern Californias grisliest crimes  including the infamous Golden State Killer.



But the path to the runoff is looking narrow for Schubert: a recent poll put her in a distant fourth place behind Bonta and the two Republicans in the race. Nathan Hochman, former Assistant U.S. Attorney General, is the GOP endorsee. But Eric Early, an avowed Trump supporter, is polling above Hochman. The Republican has received a boost from a pro-Bonta PAC that is running radio spots to elevate Early as the pro-Trump, pro-guns, pro-life candidate.

Homelessness takes center stage

The political discourse in Los Angeles has been dominated by debates over how to curb homelessness and clamp down on crime, and the regions overwhelmingly liberal electorate will have the chance to show just how far to the right its willing to move on these issues.

The Los Angeles mayoral race has shaped into a showdown between Democratic Rep. Karen Bass, the longtime congresswoman and community activist, and billionaire businessperson Rick Caruso, a former Republican who vaulted into contention after spending $40 million  most of it from his own fortune  on campaign ads. Both say the tens of thousands of people who live on the streets daily indicate a city thats in a state of emergency, but they offer divergent views of how to solve that problem.



Carusos campaign has used a massive funding advantage to spread its message across television and social media. His proposals to put 1,500 new officers on the street and require that people move out of encampments and into shelter beds has struck a chord with some voters, but recent polling shows he faces long odds of reaching the 50 percent threshold to win the seat outright  and is likely headed to a runoff with Bass.

Voters across Los Angeles County could also decide the race for sheriff, another public safety-focused contest that has captured national attention. This campaign has proven to be less about policy and more of a referendum on incumbent Sheriff Alex Villanueva, whose rhetoric has taken a sharp shift to the right since being elected as a progressive reformer in 2018.

Villanuevas tenure has been marked by a series of scandals, including attacks on county supervisors and watchdog agency officials, along with a recent threat to investigate a Los Angeles Times reporter who wrote about a cover-up of an incident where a deputy knelt on an inmates head. The question isnt whether those incidents will stop Villanueva from advancing to the runoff, but rather if he will maintain his seat by winning reelection in the primary outright.

Battleground districts set up November face-offs

House races that could tip control of the House of Representatives in November are all over Tuesdays primary map.

In New Jersey, Tom Kean Jr. is seeking a rematch against Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski in one of the GOPs best pickup opportunities of 2022. They also have an inviting target in Iowa, where Republicans will choose a nominee to face Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne in the most competitive seat in the state. The names to watch are state Sen. Zach Nunn and businessperson Nicole Hasso.

Democrats are looking to flip battlegrounds as well: In New Mexico, Democrats will choose a candidate to take on Rep. Yvette Herrell in a seat that became more favorable to them in redistricting. The top contender is Gabe Sanchez, a former Las Cruces city council member.



But the bulk of the action is in California.

First elected in 2020, GOP Rep. Michelle Steel in Californias 45th District will easily make it past primary night, but in November she could be vulnerable to a challenge from Democrat Jay Chen in a district Biden won by 6 points two years ago. Rep. Mike Garcia will also learn the identity of his challenger in a tough Biden +13 district, while Rep. Ken Calvert is protecting more GOP-friendly territory.

On the Democratic side, the GOP is looking to target Reps. Julia Brownley, Katie Porter, Mike Levin and Josh Harder.

And Republicans are also going after the open seat that Democratic Assemblymember Adam Gray and 2020 candidate Phil Arballo are seeking.

A handful of marquee races in other states

Republicans will also choose a nominee to take on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in New Mexico, a state Biden carried by 9 points in 2020. Trump won the state of Iowa by nearly the same margin, but the GOP shift in the political environment since then means GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Chuck Grassley are on even safer ground now.

In Montana, former Trump-era Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is vying for a congressional comeback in the states newly drawn, heavily Republican House district. But he faces opposition from fellow Republicans and ethical issues in his past.

And in New Jersey, Sen. Robert Menendezs son  Rob Menendez Jr.  is seeking the open, heavily Democratic congressional seat currently held by retiring Rep. Albio Sires.
A Cape Coral woman used a work-issued credit card more than 120 times at a casino and cashed work-related checks ultimately taking more than $106,000 from her employer, police say.

Stephenie Lynn Parramore, 49, is facing felony charges of scheme to defraud $50,000 or more, grand theft over $100,000 and uttering forged bills, checks, drafts, or notes.

Parramore was arrested May 19 by the Cape Coral Police Departments Financial Crimes Unit and later released. A bond amount was not specified. Police issued a news release on Tuesday.

HOA fraud: Another big HOA fraud case in SW Florida: Scammers allegedly pilfer $500,000 from The Landings

Questions answered: HOA fraud investigation: What questions do you have for our reporters?

Court documents said the owner of the small business affected reviewed his America Express card and found Parramore conducted 122 unauthorized transactions each in the amount of $500 totaling $61,000. He also found she had, without authorization, endorsed, cashed and/or deposited approximately 82 unauthorized checks totaling $45,524.31.

The 13-year-old company works with environmental and technical products.

According to court documents, funds taken from a bank account Parramore created were used for personal expenses, restaurants, gas stations, retail shopping, cash withdrawals, cell phone payments, insurance premium payments, credit card payments, and electronic funds transfers through CashApp and Zelle and gambling venues.

Funds were also used, the court documents showed, for two accounts specifically used to fund or contact jail or prison inmates, JPay and GTL Inmate.

Airport cleaned: Airport cleaning contractor pleads to fraud, money laundering in 'ghost' worker scam

Parramore created a second account she used in a limited manner, the documents showed, for online transfers from the first account and IRS Treasury deposits.

No checks or cash deposits were made to this account during the time period noted and debits were comprised of only online transfers to the first bank account.

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A report from Cape Coral police said Parramore was working in her capacity as an office manager at the business , and misappropriated funds for her own personal benefits totaling approximately $106,524.31 from March through July 2021.

She was employed by the company in January 2020 and issued a company credit card, court and police records showed.

The business owner discovered the casino spending during a review of the credit card statement, a police report said.

According to those documents, Parramore wrote checks to herself and forged and or copied the business owners signature on several occasions.

The business owner said he had confronted Parramore about the numerous transactions at Vegas III, a legal, machine-operated casino in Cape Coral.

The business owner told police he attempted to work with Parramore to make restitution for the unauthorized transactions but then discovered the unauthorized checks.

A police report said the company filed a claim with American Express disputing the charges and was reimbursed approximately $12,500. However, due to the dispute and credit from American Express, a civil suit has been filed against the company by Vegas Ill seeking $37,500.

Social media accounts purporting to be Parramore's show a photo of a family member holding a payout ticket from another Cape Coral machine-operated casino.

A woman who answered a phone number listed for Parramore said she wasn't available.

"Don't call back," the woman said, and hung up.

Parramore is listed in Florida state prison records under Stephenie Parramore-Hand, and a dozen other aliases, as having served time on grand theft, fraud and forged check charges in 2008 and 2013. She was last released from prison in 2019.

Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook), @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral police: Company's worker spent $106K at casino, elsewhere
Jun. 7Representatives of chambers of commerce across New York were joined by Rep. Brian Higgins, (NY 26, D-Buffalo) in a virtual press conference on Monday to bolster support for a bill to reauthorize a federal assault weapons ban. The original national ban on assault weapons ran out in 2004 and has not been reinstated.

Speakers included Dottie Gallagher, CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, John Ravitz of the Business Council of Westchester, as well as Heather Briccetti , president of the Business Council of New York State. The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce were also noted to be supporters of the legislation.

Higgins and business leaders cited information regarding the steep incline of mass shootings in the almost 20-years since the ban expired. According to Higgins, the number of mass shootings increased by 183% and mass shooting deaths increased by 293%.

Higgins noted Aaron Salter Jr., a retired Buffalo policeman, was killed in the Buffalo mass shooting while working as a security guard.

"He was a good man with a gun," Higgins said. "He prevented others from being killed, but he was helpless against an 18-year old with a depraved mind and depraved heart, because he had an automatic weapon.

"This assault weapon ban is not ideological, it's common-sensical."

Gallagher said that Buffalo Niagara Partnership and the supporting regional chambers were, "stepping out of our traditional advocacy role in response to the racist mass shooting at Tops supermarket in Buffalo on May 14."

Gallagher said she called Briccetti the day after the tragedy about doing something in response. From that discussion came the idea of a coalition. Gallagher said that the time to add a new voice to the discussion was now.

Briccetti also attended the virtual conference.

"I'm here because in many instances, mass shootings occur in the workplace," Briccetti said. "There is no reason for non-military personnel to have access to military-grade weapons that have the ability to inflict the degree of damage that these weapons do."

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Both women also noted that discussion on gun-rights should be centered around "community rights" rather than those of the individual.

"This is about the ability for people to be free in the workplace," Briccetti said. "To be free in their lives. To go to the grocery shop. Go to school. We're not free if we take no action."

The bill if passed bans the sale, manufacture, transfer and import assault weapons, but owners may keep their weapons. It would also require a background check on any sale, trade or gift of assault weapons.

"Through the COVID we have seen now what a fear of violence does to people wanting to go back to work," Briccetti said. "It's a different context, but it's really important. Getting people to feel comfortable in the workplace  and retail settings  is very important. That people feel safe. This is something that's not a heavy lift to ask for an assault weapons ban at the federal level."
(Getty Images)

China has accelerated the launch of a solar power plant that will orbit the Earth.

The superpower has scheduled the craft for 2028, when a trial satellite orbiting our planet at 400km will test the concept.

It is planned that the satellite will convert solar energy into microwaves or lasers before beaming that power to fixed locations on Earth.

While the initial test will only reach 10 kilowatts of power - enough to meet the energy needs of a handful of homes - the technology could apparently be increased significantly. The first craft will be assembled on Earth before being sent into space, but future iterations will be assembled completely outside of the atmosphere.

Should the test be successful, it could be an effective contributor to reaching carbon peak and neutrality goals, Professor Dong Shiwei of the National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Space Microwave under the China Academy of Space Technology, said.

By 2035, it is expected that a full-scaled solar cell array, with high power transmission, will be completed - capable of beaming power over a 36,000km distance. A more complex solar cell array, with a voltage of between 10 and 20 kilovolts and two-gigawatts of power, will be assembled by 2050 should production go as planned.

This is approximately the same as a nuclear power plant on Earth, with the hopes that commercial assembly costs will have been reduced over time.

However, Professor Dong said that the technological challenges of such a craft would be unprecedented. It would require an antenna hundreds or thousands of metres long that could resist movement from solar winds, gravity, and thrusters.

Moreover, keeping components cool, penetrating the atmosphere in all weathers, and protecting it from space debris - which is only becoming more of a concern due to the increase of commercial space launches and a lacklustre effort from global governments to limit the detritus clogging the space around the planet - create further challenges.

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One Beijing-based researcher, quoted by the South China Morning Post which reported on the announcement, said that while solar farms in space could generate power much more efficiently than on Earth, such huge infrastructure in space could make many countries uncomfortable, especially those without the technology or capacity to build one.

High-power lasers could also be used to jam communications or damage hardware if used as an energy weapon - something that has been proposed by defense scientists. As well as China the British government, in collaboration with European defense contractors, and the United States military has considered similar proposals for solar power plants.

It is possible that these endeavors could launch in 2035 and 2025, respectively - raising concerns about the lack of international legislation protecting countries from the risks of this energy arms race.
Plenty of artists get pumped up from the energy of the crowd, but Coldplay is taking things one step further, literally harnessing their fans energy to help power their shows.

As part of a commitment to make their shows more sustainable, the British band has found some creative ways for their fans to generate electricity during their "Music of the Spheres" world tour.

Coldplay (Rick Scuteri / AP)

For one, theyve installed kinetic floors, meaning that whenever fans dance or jump up and down on them, it will create energy to power parts of the show.

Fans can also hop on an exercise bike in the stadium to generate some green power.

Coldplay (Rick Scuteri / AP)

Its all part of Coldplays goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 50% compared to their previous tour five years ago.

Frontman Chris Martin, 45, says the band realized that if they wanted to reduce the carbon footprint of their shows, they couldnt wait for anyone else to take the lead.

You know, we grew up thinking that Theyll take care of (it),'" he told Sheinelle Jones on TODAY. Theres always a they  and then you realize there is no they in the world really  they is you.

"So we felt like, rather than finger-pointing at this organization or that company, lets just try and change what we can within our own sphere.

Coldplays shows are full of green details, including reusable aluminum cups that can be refilled from water stations that draw from moisture in the air.

The tour wristbands and confetti are biodegradable, and for every ticket sold, a tree will be planted to offset carbon emissions.

This is not a one side of the political spectrum thing, Martin said. Its not us trying to look a certain way or earn more money by doing it. Its just about trying to prove that being clean and green can be part of any successful business.

Coldplay's Music of the Spheres tour kicked off in March and will wrap up its North American leg in Tampa, Florida, on June 14 before heading to Europe.
Don't miss CoinDesk's Consensus 2022, the must-attend crypto & blockchain festival experience of the year in Austin, TX this June 9-12.

The one thing thats constant in crypto is the speed at which things evolve, according to one CEO who left the traditional world of finance back in 2016 to build tech infrastructure.

Mriganka Pattnaik, co-founder of software development company Merkle Science, said the biggest pain point for small crypto companies as they grow will be the need to get licensed and stay on the good side of regulators.

This article is part of Road to Consensus, a series highlighting speakers and the big ideas they will discuss at Consensus 2022, CoinDesk's festival of the year June 9-12 in Austin, Texas. Learn more.

Our hypothesis was fraud, anti-money laundering (AML) and compliance is an evergreen space, [and] there will always be new opportunities, Pattnaik said.

Pattnaik is a speaker at this years Consensus 2022 Festival in Austin, Texas, and hes one of the brains behind Merkle Science, a top 8 finalist in this years Extreme Tech Challenge x CoinDesk Web 3 Pitch Fest, a global competition that looks to provide a platform for innovative projects and communities driving Web 3.

Read more: Eric Ma, Deeper Network: 'Web 2 Is on Its Way Out, and Web 3 Is the Answer'

Pattnaik says the Singapore-based companys services helping companies navigate compliance are likely to become more popular as startups realize the need for those services.

[In the past], they felt it was valuable, but it was more of a good to have, not a must-have, Pattnaik said. But now, everybody acknowledges that its a must-have and theres newer things coming about.

He expects decentralized finance platforms will face increased regulatory activity, more than crypto has faced.

We see where crypto was two years ago, Pattnaik said. But [now] these DeFi protocols and founders are wondering, Do they really need compliance? One year down the line, Im sure youll see them adopting compliance solutions as more regulatory clarity comes about in that space.

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Read more: Mona Is Building a Limitless Metaverse

Pattnaik thinks legal compliance costs can be prohibitive for startups entering the crypto sector.

By becoming one of the biggest reg tech players in the crypto space, we want to provide the infrastructure on which they can build the next generation of crypto tools, he said.

Merkle Science is looking to expand into the U.S., in part because of the country's aggressive and bigger market, including its pool of early adopters.
PHOENIX (AP)  An Arizona prisoner made a last-minute request to the U.S. Supreme Court to delay his execution scheduled Wednesday for his murder conviction in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl.

Frank Atwood made the request Tuesday after a lower court rejected his arguments that the execution should be called off because his degenerative spinal condition would make it excruciatingly painful for him to be strapped on his back to the gurney he will lie on during the lethal injection.

Atwoods attorneys also told the Supreme Court in court filings that the aggravating factor that made his crime eligible for the death penalty was invalidly applied. He was convicted in 1975 in California for lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under 14 and convicted of killing Vicki Hoskinson in 1987.

Atwood is scheduled to be lethally injected with pentobarbital Wednesday at the state prison in Florence, Arizona, for his conviction in the girl's killing.

The execution would be Arizonas second in less than a month, following an eight-year hiatus attributed to both on the difficulty of obtaining needed lethal injection drugs and criticism that a 2014 execution was botched.

Death penalty opponents worry that Arizona will now start executing a steady stream of prisoners who have languished on death row, but state officials didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on their future execution schedule and no more are currently scheduled. Arizona has 112 prisoners on death row, including Atwood.

Earlier on Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a request to delay Atwood's execution.

In addition to arguing that Atwood would suffer while strapped to the gurney, his lawyers questioned whether the state had met a requirement that the lethal injection drugs expiration date falls after the execution date.

And even though he didnt pick lethal gas as his execution method, his lawyers still challenged the states procedures protocol for gas chamber executions.

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The appeals court in its ruling said it was deferring to a lower-court judge who concluded that accommodations made by the state  allowing a pillow and tilting feature on the gurney to be used to prop up Atwood to alleviate his pain  prevented a ruling that the lethal injection protocol creates a risk of severe pain.

The appeals court also concluded Atwood lacks legal standing to challenge the lethal gas protocol because he will be executed by lethal injection.

Prosecutors have said Atwood is trying to indefinitely postpone his execution through legal maneuvers.

Atwood's lawyers said would suffer for an extended amount of time even before the lethal drug is injected.

In a statement, Atwood attorney Joseph Perkovich said the lethal injection procedure will intentionally inflict extreme pain for what will likely be an hour before, in the best-case scenario, he succumbs to the execution chemicals.

Authorities have said Atwood kidnapped Hoskinson, whose remains were discovered in the desert northwest of Tucson nearly seven months after her disappearance. Experts could not determine the cause of death from the remains, according to court records.

Atwood maintains that he is innocent.

Last month, Atwood declined to choose between lethal injection or the gas chamber, leaving him to be put to death by lethal injection, the states default execution method.

Even though he didnt pick the gas chamber, Atwood challenged Arizona's lethal gas procedures.

His lawyers said Atwood has a right to choose between methods of execution that are constitutional and suggested that the state switch its lethal gas from hydrogen cyanide gas to nitrogen gas because nitrogen would produce painless deaths. Arizona prosecutors say nitrogen executions are untried and untested.

Atwood's attorneys said the state's lethal gas protocol calling for the use of hydrogen cyanide gas  which was used in some past U.S. executions and by Nazis to kill 865,000 Jews at the Auschwitz concentration camp alone  is unconstitutional and would produce agonizing levels of pain in executions.

Arizona, California, Missouri and Wyoming are the only states with decades-old lethal-gas execution laws still on the books. Arizona, which carried out the last gas chamber execution in the United States more than two decades ago, is the only state with a working gas chamber.

In recent years, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Alabama have passed laws allowing executions with nitrogen gas, at least in some circumstances, though experts say its never been done and no state has established a protocol that would allow it.

On May 11, Arizona executed Clarence Dixon for his murder conviction in the 1978 killing of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old Arizona State University student.

It was the first execution carried out in the state since the July 2014 execution of Joseph Wood, who was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over nearly two hours.

Wood snorted repeatedly and gasped before he died. His attorney said the execution had been botched.
NextShark

A viral video of a 12-year-old girl kneeling and being repeatedly slapped in the face incited a citywide police search for her five assailants in Hong Kong. The 12-year-old victim kneeled as a group of teenagers, aged 12 to 19, took turns slapping her across the face on the rooftop of a five-story building on Luen Yan Street in Tsuen Wan shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Half the Hong Kong people hate [the victim], one attacker can be heard saying.
Dan Walker had a successful day in his new job. (PA)

Dan Walker has been celebrating a successful first day in his new job at Channel 5 by boosting viewing figures by 70% of their usual amount.

The former BBC Breakfast host announced earlier this year that he would be quitting after getting a job offer he couldn't refuse from Channel 5, where he will present 5 News bulletins and also front various other non-news programmes.

Walker couldn't have picked a better news day for his first one in the job, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the subject of a confidence vote by his party last night, which saw a majority of Conservatives vote in his favour.

Read more: Dan Walker admits to being 'embarrassed by the amount I earn'

Lots of talk about figures last night we are quite happy with ours 



The @5_News audience was up over 70%. Thanks so much for watching.



Well see you tonight at 5, on 5. pic.twitter.com/kdUJB8CnZz  Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) June 7, 2022

Journalist Walker tweeted photos from his new 5 News studio with co-host Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije and from his reporting post outside 10 Downing Street, referring to the vote and his own success.

He tweeted: "Lots of talk about figures last night we are quite happy with ours. The @5_News audience was up over 70%. Thanks so much for watching. Well see you tonight at 5, on 5."

Read more: Love Island fans label Michael Owen's daughter Gemma 'rude'

Yesterday, Walker began his first day away from the BBC with an interview on former rival breakfast show Good Morning Britain, where he pretended to storm out of the studio in a dig at the programme's ex-host Piers Morgan.

At the end of the interview, he said before walking out: "Im going to do what they normally do on this programme. Storm off."

Dan Walker and Piers Morgan would frequently spar on social media over the ratings for their breakfast shows. (Getty)

He and Morgan had regular Twitter spats over ratings during their time as rivals and Morgan quit GMB in March 2021 after walking out of the studio live on air following a row with colleague Alex Beresford about Meghan Markle.

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The controversial broadcaster has since joined Rupert Murdoch's new venture TalkTV with his evening show Piers Morgan Uncensored, although his ratings have been dropping since it launched in May.

After debuting to over 300,000 viewers, the show has plummeted in the ratings with a recent broadcast finishing on only 10,000 viewers.

Watch: Dan Walker 'storms off' Good Morning Britain in dig at old rival Piers Morgan
Dave Chappelle booked a last-minute show in Buffalo on Sunday to give back to a community still reeling from last month's mass shooting. Yahoo Entertainment can confirm all proceeds will benefit the family members of the 10 victims killed and three people wounded in the racially motivated hate crime.

Tickets sold out immediately at Shea's Performing Arts Center, which seats over 3,000 guests. Chappelle invited the victims' families to attend, according to reports on social media, and announced at the end of the show all ticket sales would be donated.

Saw @DaveChappelle last night! Great show and he donated all proceeds to families of the shooting at Tops in Buffalo  pic.twitter.com/5Li2Yn2icJ  ScottySpades (@ScottySpades) June 6, 2022

Dave chappelle was so good! He really came to buffalo spur of the moment because of the tops mass shooting! He donated all ticket sales to the victims family!  Chef Alicia G (@chef_aliciag) June 6, 2022

Dave Chappelle was off the chain tonight!! He really came to Buffalo last minute in light of the mass shooting and donated all ticket sales to the victims families. 10/10  Lexi  (@LexiLexiFBSM) June 6, 2022

On May 14, a white gunman drove three hours to Tops Supermarket, located in a predominately Black neighborhood, with the intent of killing as many Black people as possible, according to investigators. The 18-year-old suspect wore military fatigues, body armor and a tactical helmet and used an assault-type rifle inside and outside the store. All 10 victims who died were Black and ranged in age 32 to 86. A grand jury charged the suspect with domestic terrorism motivated by hate and 10 counts of first-degree murder.

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The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing on Tuesday to examine domestic terrorism and violent extremist threats following the Buffalo shooting. The son of the oldest victim appeared before lawmakers and pleaded for them to do something.

"I ask every one of you to imagine the faces of your mothers as you look at mine, and ask yourself, 'Is there nothing that we can do?'" Garnell Whitfield Jr., son of Ruth Whitfield, declared.

"Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism that inspires?" he continued. "Because if there is nothing, then respectfully senators, you should yield your positions of authority and influence the others that are willing to lead on this issue. The urgency of the moment demands, no less."

A spokesperson for Chappelle did not respond to Yahoo Entertainment's request for comment.

MORE: Dave Chappelle attacked on stage at the Hollywood Bowl
An employee at a deli in Deer Park is accused of stealing more than $40,000 in lottery tickets from the store, according to prosecutors.

Emilee Ellis, 34, worked at the family-owned Deer Park Deli. On Monday, June 6, she was indicted by a Hamilton County grand jury on one count of felony theft.

According to court documents, between January and May 25 of this year, Ellis is accused of stealing $40,500 worth of scratch-off Ohio Lottery tickets from the deli. Ellis would allegedly take the tickets from the store's back office, mark them as sold and cash in the winning tickets.

Lottery: Wrong number announced in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing

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The documents note that Ellis' actions were finally brought to light by the store's owners and Ohio Lottery investigators.

Deer Park Deli has been family-owned and operated for more than 70 years. The store sells produce, meat, liquor and grocery items. Keith, Diane and Kevin Kolthoff currently run the business.

Ellis was arrested on May 25 and was ordered to stay away from the store and its owners. She is due back in court on June 9.

Neither the deli owners nor the Ohio Lottery could be reached for comment.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati deli worker accused of stealing $40,000 in lottery tickets
Ahn Young-Joon/AP/Shutterstock

SEOULA lone defector from North Korea has begun wafting balloons over the country laden with face masks, medicine and vitamin pills rather than the leaflets that he previously rained down on the North in defiance of government attempts to stop him.

People are dying because of COVID in North Korea, Park Sang-hak, who defected from North Korea to South Korea more than 20 years ago, told The Daily Beast. Thats the top priority. Right now, hundreds of thousands are getting the virus, and thousands are dying every day.

Park, who runs an organization called Fighters for Free Korea, said the need to aid people in the North in the fight against the disease explains why hes again launching balloons, though he still faces charges for breaking a law imposed by the previous liberal government. The law remains on the books, but hes confident that under the conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol, he wont be arrested again.

The law is still there, but theyre not going to try to enforce it, he said. The current president as a candidate stated that he opposed this anti-leaflet law.

On Sunday, with the authorities well aware of what he was doing, Park said that no one tried to stop him as he fired off balloons carrying 20,000 masks, 15,000 Tylenol pills and 30,000 vitamin C pills from a mountainous area near the line with North Korea. Of course, the police were not there, said Park. If they saw me, they would have had to arrest me.

He Balloon-Dropped 500,000 Anti-Kim Flyers on North KoreaThen Cops Knocked on His Door

Technically, Park could face a two-year prison sentence and a hefty fine, but authorities appear to be looking the other way. They have not yet pressed charges already brought against him in April for launching balloons that dispersed a million leaflets over the North full of the kind of articles that have drawn threats of retaliation.

Park said, however, that he decided not to deluge the North with leaflets on the evils of the Kim dynasty that has ruled North Korea since the end of World War II or the regime of Kim Jong Un, grandson of founder Kim Il Sung.

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The only propaganda thats included in the balloon drops is a 78-page treatise on South Korea as a prosperous country along with American dollar bills as symbols of the capitalist Souths alliance with the U.S. The treatise, by a professor now in his 90s, who defected from North Korea decades ago, bears the intriguing title From an eel to a dragon to describe South Koreas rise to economic stardom.

Lee Jin-man/AP/Shutterstock

In a conversation conducted via Skype and interpreted by one of Parks friends, he talked about the desperation of those whom hes trying to help. COVID is spreading, said Park. Previously they said there are no cases at all. Now they say they dont need help. Moon, when he was president, offered emergency aid. They didnt acknowledge his offer.

Instead, said Park, they fire missiles, and by June 25, the anniversary of the North Korean invasion of the South in 1950, they may conduct another nuclear test.

Park said his campaign is the only way to get foreign aid into North Korea while Kim Jong Un keeps the borders closed to all foreign assistance except for limited shipments from China. He believes the regime has covered up the extent of the pandemic, claiming success in conquering it while reporting fewer than 100 deaths, a figure thats widely believed to vastly underestimate the number whove died.

Theres One Reason Kim Jong Un Is Loving North Koreas COVID Outbreak

Parks success in renewing his balloon campaign is just another sign of the shift in policy under President Yoon from appeasement to confrontation. Moon, during his five years as president, sought to bring about reconciliation with Kim Jong Un, whom he saw three times in 2018 but who cut off communications after the failure of his 2019 summit in Hanoi with Donald Trump.

Moon pushed through the anti-balloon law as a major step on the way to North-South reconciliation after the North threatened to fire across the border at the launch sites. When Moon was president, he had me arrested, said Park. They investigated my mother. They tried hard to make a case against me.

Ultimately, even before Moons term ended in May, the case proved an embarrassment for the government.

International opinion was on our side, he said. We wrote letters. All that pressure from outside was too much. They really could not enforce the law even then.

Now, he said the position of the new president and new unification minister is they dont need to enforce the law.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Iowa Democrat Mike Franken, a retired Navy admiral, will challenge Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley's reelection this fall after winning his party's nomination Tuesday over two competitors.

Franken beat former congresswoman Abby Finkenauer and physician Glenn Hurst to earn the right to run against Grassley, who is seeking an eighth Senate term and beat back a nominal primary challenge of his own.

"What must happen is we must defeat Chuck Grassley, Franken told supporters in Des Moines after receiving a call of congratulations from Finkenauer. Were done with this. Were absolutely done. Im not going to be the junior senator from Iowa. Im going to be the leading senator from the state of Iowa.

Frankens primary win is something of a surprise, given Finkenauer was better known throughout the state after her 2018 victory over a Republican congressman that made her the second-youngest woman elected to Congress. Finkenauer lost in a reelection bid in 2020 but was a frequent presence on cable television and raised millions of dollars toward her Senate run.

But Franken campaigned in more than 50 of Iowa's 99 counties, touting his upbringing in rural, northwest Iowa where Democrats have all but vanished from public office. And yet Franken beat Finkenauer soundly in the state's most populous areas including the Des Moines metro area, as well as in the liberal bastion of Iowa City, next door to Finkenauer's eastern Iowa base.

We're going to take this race from a third-tier Senatorial race to a tier one, the most interesting race in nation, Franken added.

In his campaign, Franken emphasized a need to dial down the political tension in Washington. He also called for adding a public insurance option to the Affordable Care Act.

Joyce Mahl of Council Bluffs in western Iowa said she voted for Franken because she was unsure Iowans would vote for a Democratic woman in the general election, though Iowa has elected Democratic women, including Finkenauer, to Congress. Mahl's top priority is a candidate she views as stronger against Grassley.

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If you want Grassley out, youve got to vote for the one that you think can beat him, Mahl, 66, said after voting at a downtown Council Bluffs church.

Franken will nonetheless face stiff headwinds going into the general election against Grassley, who has served seven terms. A state that Democrat Barack Obama won in two presidential elections has steadily shifted to the right in recent years, part of a broader transformation that has spread through the Northern Plains that has made it increasingly difficult for Democrats to compete statewide.

Mark Hollander, 47, a marketing professional from West Des Moines, said he voted for Finkenauer in part because of her background in Congress, but also because she represents a new generation. Finkenauer stressed limiting the number of terms a member of the Senate can serve.

I do agree with her on term limits, Hollander said. I feel that Grassley has not been especially effective in the last decade-plus and has turned more obstructionist at this point.

But Finkenauer's campaign faced an unexpected stumble in April when she nearly didn't make the primary ballot. Republican activists claimed she hadnt gathered enough signatures from enough counties. A district judge ruled Finkenauer hadnt qualified for the ballot, a ruling she called deeply partisan. The Iowa Supreme Court overruled that decision and allowed her to run.

Still, the episode turned off a number of veteran state Democratic activists, former candidates and officeholders, prompting some to give Franken a second look. He posted stronger first-quarter fundraising figures than Finkenauer and earned endorsements from some well-known former Finkenauer supporters bothered by her declining to accept responsibility for the filing mistakes.

Grassley, from New Hartford in northern Iowa, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980 after serving three terms in the U.S. House.

__

Associated Press writers David Pitt in West Des Moines, Iowa, and Grant Schulte in Council Bluffs, Iowa, contributed to this report.
Johnny Depp thanked his most treasured, loyal and unwavering supporters on Tuesday after winning his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard nearly a week earlier.

The actor shared an Instagram video showing fans who lined the streets and held up signs during the trial in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Weve been everywhere together, we have seen everything together, Depp wrote in an effusive Instagram post. We have walked the same road together. We did the right thing together, all because you cared.

And now, we will all move forward together, he continued. You are, as always, my employers and once again I am whittled down to no way to say thank you, other than just by saying thank you. So, thank you.

Depp, 58, sued Heard, 36, for $50 million over a 2018 op-ed in which she called herself a public figure representing domestic abuse. The piece didnt name Depp, but Heard had previously accused the actor of domestic violence, which he denied.

A seven-member jury said last Wednesday that Depp should receive $15 million in damages. The judge lowered the total to $10.35 million because punitive damages are capped in Virginia.

Heard was awarded $2 million in a $100 million counterclaim she filed over comments made by a Depp attorney that painted her abuse claims as a hoax.

Depp said in a previous statement that the jury gave me my life back.

I am truly humbled, Depp said shortly after the verdict reading last week.

The trial played out over six weeks, with Depp and Heard accusing each other of abuse while denying the others claims.

The court stenographer who worked on the trial has since said she observed multiple jurors dozing off during the drawn-out proceedings.

It was tough because there was a lot of video deposition, and theyd just sit there and all of a sudden Id see their head drop, Judy Bellinger told the Law & Crime Network in an interview published this week.

Heards attorney Elaine Bredehoft said on NBCs Today show last week that her client wants to appeal the verdict and has some excellent grounds to do so.

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(Depps attorneys) were able to suppress the medical records, which were very, very significant because they showed a pattern going all the way back to 2012 of Amber reporting this to her therapist, for example, Bredehoft said.

We had significant amount of texts, including from Mr. Depps assistants saying, When I told him he kicked you, he cried.

Heard and Depp met while making the 2011 movie The Rum Diary and married in 2015. Heard filed for divorce 15 months later.

Depp previously lost a libel lawsuit in the United Kingdom against the publisher of tabloid The Sun over an article that painted him as a wife beater. A High Court judge ruled in 2020 that the claims were substantially true.


Former Disney actor Stoney Westmoreland was sentenced to two years in a federal prison for attempting to lure a minor into sex and using interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor following a 2018 arrest in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Westmoreland, 52, initially faced 10 years behind bars on six separate felony counts, but he was allowed to plead down to lesser charges. He was arrested in December 2018 for allegedly trying to arrange to have sex with a 13-year-old boy.

Stoney Westmoreland will serve two years in federal prison for sex crimes with a minor. The former Disney star attended the premiere of "Solo: A Star Wars Story" on May 10, 2018, in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison

The former "Andi Mack" star also received 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender, according to Deadline.

His electronic devices will be subject to random searches and inspections, and he is required to report all electronic communication accounts, including email and social media handles.

EX DISNEY CHANNEL ACTOR STONEY WESTMORELAND CHARGED WITH SIX FELONY COUNTS FOR ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO LURE MINOR FOR SEX

He is also restricted from contact with individuals who are under the age of 18 and without adult supervision.

The actor was initially arrested on Dec. 13, 2018. He had been using the Grindr dating app when he found a profile that appeared to be of an underage boy, but was actually being operated by detectives in Salt Lake City where his Disney show was being filmed.

Westmoreland took a car from a ride-sharing app to meet the boy, so they could go back to his hotel room, authorities said at the time.

He had previously sent over explicit photos and asked for nude photos in return, authorities said.

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Westmoreland acknowledged to police that he had sent nude photos, and knew the person he was speaking with said he was 13 years old, charging documents state.

An attorney for Westmoreland tells Fox News Digital her client believed he was actually speaking to an adult.

"Mr. Westmoreland maintains that he believed the person he was speaking with was likely an adult engaging in role play," Westmoreland's attorney Wendy Lewis said. "Had there been an actual minor there when he arrived, he would have left."

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Lewis went on to say Westmoreland was evaluated by Dr. Fred Berlin of Johns Hopkins institute for the study, prevention and treatment of sexual trauma, who testified that Westmoreland showed no sexual interest in children.

Lewis continued, "Due to the possibility of a minimum 10-year sentence and conservative Utah juries, Mr. Westmoreland agreed to plead to the lesser offense of transmitting information about a minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity."

Shortly after his arrest, Westmoreland was dropped from his role as the grandfather of the teenage title character on the Disney show.

A Disney Channel spokesperson told Fox News at the time of Westmoreland's arrest: "Given the nature of the charges and our responsibility for the welfare of employed minors, we have released him from his recurring role and he will not be returning to work on the series which wraps production on its third season next week."

Westmoreland's other acting credits include "Scandal" and "Breaking Bad."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Jewish Community Alliance was damaged Tuesday afternoon after a car drove into the building located on San Jose Boulevard.

A JCA representative told Action News Jax that the driver of the car somehow lost control of it and drove into the lobby.

The car damaged a few pillars and a door, but no one inside was hurt.

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Read: I heard a loud kaboom: Neighbors in Atlantic Beach band together after overnight fire rips through

Action News Jax was told the driver had non-life-threatening injuries.

Its unclear at this point what caused the car to crash.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Dubai police said Tuesday they arrested two brothers from the Gupta family, wanted over allegedly looting state money with former South African President Jacob Zuma.

The arrest of Atul and Rajesh Gupta, who had lived for years in the sheikhdom, was the latest major extradition arrest by authorities in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai in particular has long welcomed the wealthy with little question into its luxury neighborhoods.

With the UAE now heading the international policing body Interpol, the country has faced renewed questioning over its lax checks on money laundering and reluctance to extradite suspects. That has only increased as Russian money flows into the Arabian Peninsula nation amid Moscow's war on Ukraine.

Police issued a statement saying they arrested the brothers in connection with money laundering and criminal charges in South Africa. The Emirates in a later statement said police arrested the two Guptas on June 2.

The two, as well as their brother Ajay, had been suspected of hiding out in Dubai since fleeing South Africa around the same time Zuma resigned in 2018 amid allegations he had overseen massive levels of corruption at state-owned companies.

The family has denied the allegations previously. It wasn't immediately clear if the two had a local lawyer.

South Africas City Press newspaper reported in 2016 that the Gupta family had purchased a $30 million residence in Dubais Emirates Hills neighborhood, which had 10 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, nine reception rooms, a double grand staircase, a hand-painted dome, space for 11 cars, and chandeliers in virtually every room.

Dubai police said they made the arrest after receiving an Interpol red notice warrant for the two.

The arrest reflects the continuous efforts of the UAE in combating money laundering crimes through local cooperation among the competent authorities, police said.

Dubai police did not immediately acknowledge Ajay Gupta's whereabouts. The Gupta family is originally from India.

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Authorities in South Africa late Monday said the two brothers had been arrested after discussions between them and Dubai officials. However, Emirati authorities did not confirm the arrests until Tuesday.

South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority said Tuesday it had assigned an experienced team of internal and external experts who were working to extradite the two men to South Africa.

The arrests come nearly one year after the UAE ratified the extradition treaty with South Africa. It came into effect in June 2021, just as Interpol issued the red notice against the two Gupta brothers and their accomplices.

The Guptas are accused of using their association with Zuma to cash in on huge government contracts and kickbacks, and were believed to be so influential they had a say in Zumas appointment of Cabinet ministers. Their names burst into public view in 2016, when an official said the Guptas allegedly offered him a $44 million bribe to become the finance minister in exchange for favors.

The U.S. Treasury Department placed the three Gupta brothers on a sanctions list in 2019, accusing them of being members of a significant corruption network. That forbids U.S entities from conducting business with them or handling their assets.

Until they are in front of a South African court, we need to be cautious but what has happened to date should be applauded, said Karam Singh, the executive director of the activist group Corruption Watch.

Zuma, 80, was president from 2009 until he was forced to step down by his African National Congress Party in 2018 amid the graft scandal. He faces corruption charges over a state arms purchase and went to prison in July 2021 for refusing a court order to testify before a judicial inquiry.

Zuma's incarceration sparked weekslong riots in parts of South Africa that killed over 300 people and saw 25,000 soldiers deployed in the worst violence since the end of the apartheid era. Zuma has been out of prison on a medical parole that was later revoked, a decision now being challenged in the courts.

Dubai's boom-and-bust real estate market, open to foreigners, has attracted investors and those fleeing conflicts from years. Just as long, war profiteers, terror financiers and drug traffickers sanctioned by the U.S. have used Dubais real-estate market as a haven for their assets.

Scrutiny also has increased after the Financial Action Task Force, a global anti-money-laundering body, placed the UAE on its grey list earlier this year, escalating its monitoring of the countrys efforts to crack down on illicit financial flows.

Over the last year, Dubai police have announced several major extradition-related arrests, typically involving suspected drug dealers and gangsters. The extraditions now appear to have stepped up into other crimes. Last week, Dubai police similarly arrested a British man wanted in Denmark over an alleged $1.7 billion tax fraud case. Sanjay Shah, who maintains his innocence, similarly had been living in Dubai for years amid court cases targeting him over allegedly masterminding the scam.

However, there's a renewed focus on Russian money flowing in as Moscow faces Western sanctions over the Ukraine war. In the northern emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, a sanctioned Russian oligarch's megayacht now hides from possible Western seizure. That vessel, the Motor Yacht A, is owned by Andrey Melnichenko, a European Union-sanctioned oligarch worth some $23.5 billion, according to Forbes. Melnichenko has rejected the sanctions and denied being close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

___

Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Andrew Meldrum and Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
Celebrities who have appeared to show support for Amber Heard are being bombarded with comments from Johnny Depps fanbase on social media.

Last week, Depp won his high-profile defamation case against ex-wife Heard and was awarded $10m (8m) in compensatory charges related to lost career opportunities, and $350,000 (280,000) in punitive damages. Heard was awarded $2m (1.6m) in damages for one of her three counterclaims leaving her to owe $8.35m (6.7m) in total to Depp.

Among those who appeared to be on Heards side after the verdict were actors Mia Farrow and Ed Norton. In a now-deleted tweet, Farrow shared an article in The New Yorker entitled, The Johnny DeppAmber Heard Verdict Is Chilling.

In a previous tweet that was also later deleted, Farrow wrote during the trial: So many women are picking on Amber Heard. Why?

Meanwhile, fans of Norton realised that the Fight Club actor had apparently liked a tweet linking to a New York Times article entitled: The Actual Malice of the Johnny Depp Trial.

People on Twitter have since shared screenshots of the backlash received by Norton and Farrow. Some of the vile comments targeted towards legendary actress Mia Farrow on ig [Instagram] after she comes in support of Amber, one person wrote in a popular tweet, alongside examples of the comments Farrow was receiving.

(Twitter)

The comments included people calling Farrow an abuser supporter and one saying: Justice has been served Johnnys name has been cleared, my only hope is AH will do jail time for perjury.

The same account that shared screenshots from Farrows Instagram also shared those from Nortons account, writing: Legendary actor, Edward Norton is being harassed on ig by Depp supporters for supporting Amber Heard.

The comments included: WTF is wrong with you  supporting Heard? You WERE one of my favorite actors but no longer. Apparently youre pretty damn dense and easily swayed by a bleached blonde gold-digger #boycottednorton.

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Hey, bud, just because you wanna support a liar isnt gonna make her sleep with you, wrote another.

(Twitter)

The Independent has contacted representatives for Farrow and Norton for comment.

Other celebrities who were shown to have received hateful messages from Depp fans included transgender activist Corey Rae, Game of Thrones star Lana Headey, US comedian Kathy Griffin and even Depps own daughter, Lily-Rose, who has not commented on the case.

Depp fans were previously condemned for harassing Lily-Rose during the trial. Lily-Rose is the daughter of Depp and his ex-wife Vanessa Paradis  the pair separated as a couple in 2012 after 14 years together.
Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Reuters

Elon Musk on Monday made his most viable threat yet to walk away from a $44bn deal to buy Twitter, accusing the company of committing a material breach by failing to disclose the number of bots on the platform.

The letter was published on the website of the US financial watchdog on Monday. He had previously tweeted that the deal cannot move forward until the spam and fake account issue had been resolved.

His move is the most concrete to suggest he may be reneging on his deal to purchase the social media platform and is the latest in a long and winding saga between the Tesla executive and the social media platform.

Related: Threat to bin Twitter deal over bots makes Elon Musk look like a time-waster

So, how did we get here?

In a 4 April filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Musk said he had bought up almost $3bn in Twitter shares, making him the platforms largest shareholder with a 9.2% stake. (Shortly after, Vanguard group surpassed him, now owning 10.3% of the company, and remains the largest shareholder).

On 5 April, Twitter announced Musk would be joining the board, a move that was quickly reversed when he declined the appointment and offered to buy the company outright and take it private. His offer was $44bn, or $54.20 a share  38% higher than Twitters 1 April close.

Scrambling, Twitters board was poised to implement a poison pill policy, which would allow existing shareholders to buy stocks at a substantial discount in order to dilute the holdings of new investors and prevent the sale. However, negotiations between Musk and the board appeared to change that  and a deal was approved on 25 April.

Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated, Musk said in a statement posted to Twitter following the purchase.

Twitter has tremendous potential  I look forward to working with the company and users to unlock it, he added.

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The deal went through  and was approved unanimously by Twitters board of directors  but a $44bn purchase does not happen overnight. The purchase has to be approved by regulators and shareholders, and was expected to close in late 2022.

While the mechanics of the deal move forward, investors and analysts are holding their breath. Musk could still pull out at any time  though he would be charged a $1bn break fee for doing so. The richest man in the world, Musk is worth $218bn.

Some signs pointed to Musk moving forward with the deal. On 25 May, filings revealed he had secured additional funding for the purchase that would allow him to complete the purchase while incurring minimal personal debt. Those filings revealed he has increased his personal funding of the purchase from $27.3bn to $33.5bn and secured an additional $6.25bn in equity financing.

But tides changed just weeks later when on Monday his lawyers wrote to Twitter accusing it of refusing to provide sufficient information about the number of false users on the service after Musk requested additional numbers on 9 May. It said information provided on 1 June was insufficient.

Twitters latest offer to simply provide additional details regarding the companys own testing methodologies, whether through written materials or verbal explanations, is tantamount to refusing Mr Musks data requests, said the letter from US law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Such requests lay the groundwork for Musk to back out with fewer penalties, said Anat Alon-Beck, a business law professor at Case Western Reserve University. Merger agreements typically contain certain covenants between both parties between the signing of the merger agreement and the closing.

Musk doesnt have to close unless Twitter shall have performed or complied, in all material respects, with its obligations required under this Agreement, the agreement said, according to Alon-Beck. That includes an obligation to furnish promptly to [Musk] all information concerning the business, properties and personnel of [Twitter] as may reasonably be requested in writing.

He can keep asking Twitter for more information about their bot problem, Alon-Beck said. Eventually hell ask questions they wont answer, and then he can walk away.
A Trump campaign staffer instructed a group of Republicans in Georgia who were planning to cast Electoral College votes for former President Trump to conduct the plan in complete secrecy, according to an email obtained by media outlets.

The Washington Post and CNN reported Monday evening that the email, written by Trump campaign Georgia operations director Robert Sinners, instructed the fake electors to tell security at the state capitol that they had appointments with two state senators.

I must ask for your complete discretion in this process, Sinners wrote.

Your duties are imperative to ensure the end result  a win in Georgia for President Trump  but will be hampered unless we have complete secrecy and discretion, Sinners wrote.

The Post reported that the email was sent on Dec. 13, 2020, and instructed the electors not to mention anything to do with Presidential Electors or speak to the media.

The Hill has reached out to a representative for Trump and to the former presidents campaign for comment.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in January that the Department of Justice was investigating fake electors who supported Trump.

Fake documents were sent to the National Archives in December alleging electors for the Electoral College supported Trump in seven states President Biden had won.

People from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have since been subpoenaed to appear before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack for their involvement with the alleged scheme.

The Jan. 6 committee is likely to highlight the newly uncovered email by a former Trump campaign staffer to fake electors during a prime-time hearing on Thursday, the Post noted.

Sinners said in a statement that he was working on behalf of senior campaign officials and senior Republicans in the state and was advised by attorneys that this was necessary in order to preserve the pending legal challenge, according to the Post.

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Attorneys for Trump had for months after the 2020 election embarked on an ineffective legal campaign across the country in an attempt to overturn Bidens victory, which ultimately failed.

Sinners now works for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), who recently fended off a Trump-backed primary challenger after Raffensperger refused to take up the former presidents effort to overturn the presidential election in the state, and he added that his views on the matter have changed significantly from where they were on December 13th.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Sacks of wheat flour are piled high in the Hamar-Weyne market in Mogadishu, Somalia on May 26. The country gets more than 90% of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine. Families across Africa are paying about 45% more for wheat flour. (Farah Abdi Warsameh / Associated Press)

European Council President Charles Michel accused Russia on Monday of using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries and blamed the Kremlin for a looming global food crisis, prompting Moscows U.N. ambassador to walk out of a Security Council meeting.

Michel addressed Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia directly at the council meeting, saying he saw millions of tons of grain and wheat stuck in containers and ships at the Ukrainian port of Odessa a few weeks ago.

That was because of Russian warships in the Black Sea," and Moscows attacks on transport infrastructure and grain storage facilities, and its tanks, bombs and mines that are preventing Ukraine from planting and harvesting, he said.

This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty, and destabilizing entire regions, Michel said. Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.

Michel also accused Russian forces of stealing grain from areas it has occupied while shifting the blame of others, calling this cowardly and propaganda, pure and simple.

Nebenzia walked out during Michel's briefing, giving Russias seat to another diplomat.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said later on Telegrams Russian channel that Michels comments were so rude that the Russian ambassador left the Security Council chamber.

The Security Council meeting was supposed to focus on sexual violence during the war in Ukraine, but Russias invasion and the consequences, especially on global food shortages and rising prices, were also raised.

Michel gave strong backing to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres efforts to get a package agreement that would allow grain exports from Ukraine and ensure that Russian food and fertilizer have unrestricted access to global markets.

Ukraine and Russia together produce almost a third of the worlds wheat and barley and half of its sunflower oil, while Russia and its ally Belarus are the worlds number two and three producers of potash, a key ingredient of fertilizer.

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Guterres warned last month that global hunger levels are at a new high, with the number of people facing severe food insecurity doubling in just two years from 135 million before the COVID-19 pandemic to 276 million today. He said more than 500,000 people are living in famine conditions  an increase of more than 500% since 2016.

Ukraines U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the Security Council on Monday that the country remains committed to finding solutions to prevent the global food crisis and is ready to create the necessary conditions to resume exports from the key southern port of Odesa.

The question is how to make sure that Russia does not abuse the trade route to attack the city itself, he said.

Kyslytsya said the question has become more relevant since four Russian missiles hit a plant in the capital Kyiv on Sunday where freight cars that carry grain to Ukrainian ports were being repaired.

It means all Putins fairy tales about his readiness to facilitate Ukrainian wheat export that he so eloquently tells his rare interlocutors remain too far removed from reality, the Ukrainian ambassador said.

Nonetheless, we continue our work with the U.N. and partners to ensure the functioning of the maritime rules for the export for Ukrainian agricultural products, Kyslytsya said.

As a first step," he said, Russia must withdraw its naval forces in the maritime waters around Ukraine and provide security guarantees against attacks in ports and against commercial ships.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, at a virtual roundtable discussion with private sector groups on food security issues arising from the conflict, accused Russian forces of planting explosives in captured farmland and hoarding Ukraine's food exports.

Blinken said Russian President Vladimir Putin is doing this and aggressively using his propaganda machine to deflect or distort responsibility because he hopes it will get the world to give in to him and then the sanctions. In other words, quite simply put: Its blackmail.

The Kremlin needs to realize that it is exporting starvation and suffering well beyond Ukraine borders," with African experiencing an outsize share of the pain," he said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Bruno Araujo Pereira; Dom Phillips

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Twitter

The family of a veteran British journalist missing in the Amazon rainforest since Sunday, says that "every second counts" in the search for his location.

Dom Phillips, a longtime contributor to The Guardian, was last seen in the remote Javari Valley of the far western Amazonas State on Sunday morning, alongside Bruno Araujo Pereira, a staffer on leave from the Brazilian Indigenous National Foundation (FUNAI), CNN reported.

It is believed that the pair had traveled through the densely forested region for around a week before venturing by boat to remote Jaburu Lake, close to the borders of Peru.

Phillips, 57, and Pereira were then expected to return to the city of Atalaia do Norte to meet with a local leader Sunday afternoon. Yet, the two never showed up, according to the Union of Indigenous Organizations of the Javari Valley (UNIVAJA).

RELATED: Coroner Releases Cause of Death for Mom and Her Twins, 3, Who Were Mysteriously Found Dead in Car

amazon rainforest

Mark Fox Photography/ Getty Amazon rainforest

Adding to the mystery, the organization also revealed Monday that Phillips and Pereira had "received threats in the field," in the week before their disappearance, CNN continued, adding "the threat was not the first."

Now, both Brazilian federal agencies and indigenous locals are searching the green canopy of Amazonas State for the pair of missing adventurers.

While two local fishermen were initially arrested in connection with the disappearance Monday evening, they have since been released, the BBC reported.

The families of Phillips and Pereira have also called on the Brazilian government to escalate their efforts to find the missing men.

Veteran foreign correspondent Dom Phillips visits in a mine in Roraima State, Brazil, on November 14, 2019. - Phillips went missing while researching a book in the Brazilian Amazon's Javari Valley with respected indigenous expert Bruno Pereira. Pereira, an expert at Brazil's indigenous affairs agency, FUNAI, with deep knowledge of the region, has regularly received threats from loggers and miners trying to invade isolated indigenous groups' land. (Photo by Joao LAET / AFP) (Photo by JOAO LAET/AFP via Getty Images)

JOAO LAET/AFP via Getty

"Please answer the urgency of the moment with urgent actions," Phillips' wife Alessandra Sampaio said in a statement, The New York Times reported.

"In the forest every second counts," she stressed. "Every second could be the difference between life and death."

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O indigenista Bruno Araujo Pereira e o jornalista ingles Dom Phillips estao desaparecidos na Amazonia. Estavam na regiao reportando invasoes de terras indigenas. Phillips me entrevistou para o @guardian em 2017. Espero que sejam encontrados logo, que estejam bem e em seguranca. pic.twitter.com/nuyJfmyOqr  Lula (@LulaOficial) June 6, 2022

On Monday, the former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also shared words of support for the search and rescue operation.

"Phillips interviewed me for the Guardian in 2017. I hope they are fine, safe, and will be found quickly," Lula tweeted.

RELATED: Canadian Hiker Dies on Grand Canyon Trail a Month Before Her Wedding: 'She Wouldn't Give Up'

Speaking to the BBC, The Guardian said it was "very concerned" about Phillips and was "urgently seeking" details of his "whereabouts and condition."

The veteran foreign correspondent has lived in Brazil for more than a decade and written extensively about the lives of people living in the Amazon basin.

Pereira is also well known in the region for his efforts to protect the lives of indigenous tribes in the rainforest.

"Bruno always acted fiercely against illegal activities in the region," Leonardo Lenin, from the Observatory for the Human Rights of Isolated and Recently Contacted Indigenous Peoples, told The New York Times.

Lenin added that groups wishing to exploit the natural bounties of the rainforest for profit, "were trying to intimidate him to stop monitoring the territory," the newspaper said.
A former congressman from Philadelphia has pleaded guilty to charges related to fraudulently stuffing ballot boxes for Democratic candidates between 2014 and 2018.

Federal prosecutors said former Democratic U.S. Rep. Ozzie Myers pleaded guilty Monday to violations of election law, conspiracy, bribery and obstruction.

Messages seeking comment were left for his defense lawyers listed on the online docket.

Federal prosecutors say the 79-year-olds criminal efforts were generally for judicial candidates running for Philadelphias Court of Common Pleas or Municipal Court who had hired him as a consultant.

Myers was expelled from Congress in 1980 after being caught taking bribes in the Abscam sting investigation.

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A former employee of a Midlands school district who previously pleaded guilty to scamming his bosses and South Carolina taxpayers out of more than half a million dollars, was arrested again Monday on tax evasion charges.

David Cortez Marshall Jr. is facing three counts of tax evasion for failing to report $1.1 million in sales from his technology company, the South Carolina Department of Revenue said in a news release.

The 31-year-old Orangeburg resident operated Level 8 Communications LLC from 2019-2021, according to the release.

During that time, Marshall didnt report sales but did collect $74,416 in sales tax through misrepresentation and use of shell companies, the Department of Revenue said. He is accused of not remitting the taxes and using several bank accounts to conceal his activities, according to the release.

Marshall was taken to the Orangeburg County Detention Center Monday and was issued personal recognizance bonds for a combined $30,000 on the charges, court records show. Hes scheduled to appear in court again on the tax evasion charges Aug. 8, according to judicial records.

If convicted, Marshall faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each charge, according to South Carolina law. Marshall would also be responsible for the cost of prosecution, according to the release.

Pleading guilty in the past

Marshall, a former media communication specialist with the Orangeburg County school district, pleaded guilty in January to federal charges of defrauding the district of more than $550,000 using shell companies, fabricated documents, forged signatures and a false identity, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Marshall exploited the COVID-19 pandemic and created a scheme to defraud the district while purchasing remote learning cameras for school classrooms, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Through the use of shell companies, fabricated documents, forged signatures and a false identity, Marshall steered the districts purchasing contracts to companies he created and controlled, purchased the cameras, then sold them to the school at a substantial markup, according to the release.

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Level 8 Communications was one of the shell companies Marshall created, along with Flex Technologies LLC and Orangeburg County Purchasing LLC, according the the federal charge.

Marshall also received funds from the school district for the cameras that he never paid to the seller, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

His scheme was eventually discovered by other school district employees, who confronted Marshall and reported him to the FBI, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Marshall has not been sentenced on the federal charges.

He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud and three years of post-prison supervision, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. There is no parole in the federal system.

In addition to paying restitution, Marshall also could be fined as much as $250,000, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

If you suspect or know of anyone or a business that has committed a state tax crime, such as tax evasion or tax fraud, the Department of Revenue asks you to contact its criminal investigators at criminalinvestigation@dor.sc.gov.
A former US schoolteacher who became a high-ranking Islamic State official and organized an all-female IS military battalion, pleaded guilty Tuesday to supporting a foreign terrorist group, the Justice Department said.

Kansas-born Allison Fluke-Ekren, 42, admitted to engaging in "terrorism-related activities" in Syria, Libya, and Iraq between 2011 and 2019.

"Fluke-Ekren ultimately served as the leader and organizer of an ISIS military battalion, known as the Khatiba Nusaybah, where she trained women on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and suicide belts," the department said.

"Over 100 women and young girls, including as young as 10 or 11-years-old, received military training from Fluke-Ekren in Syria on behalf of ISIS (Islamic State)."

Her husband was a member of the extremist Ansar al-Sharia group which attacked the US mission in Bebghazi, Libya in 2012, and then became a leader of an Islamic State sniper group in Syria.

The department said the two were involved in extremist activities across the Middle East after they left the United States in 2011.

While in Syria, the department said, she spoke of desires to bomb a US shopping mall or university.

In 2016-17 she became leader of the all-woman Khatiba Nusaybah battalion, which undertook physical, medical and weapons training to support Islamic state.

Fluke-Ekren was apprehended in Syria sometime after the early-2019 territorial defeat of Islamic State, and flown to the United States on January 28.

The court record indicates that her attorneys and the Justice Department spent months negotiating her guilty plea on a single count, supporting a foreign terrorist organization, a charge which brings up to 20 years in prison.

She is scheduled to be sentenced on October 25.

- Born on Kansas farm -

Fluke-Ekren was apparently notorious even inside Islamic State, where she carried the nom de guerre Umm Mohammed al-Amriki.

On a ten-point scale of radicalization, a person who knew her in Syria called her "an 11 or a 12."

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She was born on a Kansas farm and grew up Christian in Topeka, where she was known as a bright student.

"Never would any of us who knew her back then ever thought she would end up as she has today," Larry Miller, a retired science teacher, told the Topeka Capital-Journal in January.

She married a man named Fluke and had two children. They split and she married Volkan Ekren, a Muslim with whom she had at least three more children.

As Fluke-Ekren, she studied at the University of Kansas and then earned a master's degree in teaching from a college in Indiana.

In a 2004 article in the Lawrence Journal-World, Fluke-Ekren is shown wearing a headscarf while home-schooling her two eldest children, which included regular Arabic lessons.

The family moved to Egypt in 2008. Her personal blog showed the family celebrating birthdays, taking a cruise on the Nile and visiting the Pyramids.

- Joining extremists -

But the Justice department suggested her husband was already involved with radical Islamists at that time.

They moved to Libya in 2011, the year of the Arab Spring uprisings and the beginning of the Libyan civil war.

They were in Banghazi in September 2012 when Ansar al-Sharia attacked the US mission and CIA office there, killing the US ambassador and three others.

Her husband took documents and an electronic device from the fire-charred compound and Fluke-Ekren helped him analyze the contents for the group, the Justice Department said.

They then moved to Turkey and Syria, where they became deeply involved with Islamic State, even living in the group's Mosul, Iraq stronghold for a time.

She told a person she met that wanted to attack a shopping mall back home, and "spoke about learning how to make bombs and explosives," the department said.

"Fluke-Ekren further said that she considered any attack that did not kill a large number of individuals to be a waste of resources," it said.

pmh/bgs
By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hasbro Inc is poised to prevail over a board challenge from activist hedge fund Alta Fox, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

This outcome would be a blow to Alta Fox, which had pushed the toymaker to spin off its Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming unit and criticized how the company allocated its capital.

Early vote tallies show Hasbro ahead of Alta Fox, which nominated one director to the company's 13-member board, the sources said.

Investors will be allowed to vote until Hasbro's annual shareholder meeting begins on Wednesday and it is possible, albeit unlikely, that the outcome may change, the sources said, requesting anonymity ahead of an official announcement.

Hasbro declined to comment. Alta Fox did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hasbro, valued at $12 billion, is known for making Monopoly and My Little Pony. Its stock price has fallen 18% in the last five years while the S&P 500 Index has climbed 70%.

Alta Fox, which owns a 2.5% stake in Hasbro, first nominated five directors to the company's board before scaling back its ambitions.

Proxy advisory firm ISS has recommended that shareholders withhold votes for Edward Philip, who has served on Hasbro's board for 20 years, to signal their unhappiness. The sources said Philip is set to be re-elected regardless.

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss in New York; Editing by Greg Roumeliotis)
By Krystal Hu and Greg Roumeliotis

(Reuters) - Elon Musk's efforts to arrange new financing that will limit his cash contribution to his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter Inc have been put on hold because of the uncertainty surrounding the deal, people familiar with the matter said.

Musk has been threatening to walk away from the deal unless the social media company provides him with data to back up its estimate that false or spam accounts comprise less than 5% of its user base. This culminated in a letter from Musk's lawyers to Twitter on Monday warning he may walk away unless more information is forthcoming.

Musk is on the hook to pay $33.5 billion in cash to fund the deal after arranging debt financing to cover the rest. His liquidity is limited given that his wealth, which is pegged by Forbes at $218 billion, is largely tied to the shares of Tesla Inc, the electric car maker he leads.

Musk has been in discussions to arrange $2 billion to $3 billion in preferred equity financing from a group of private equity firms led by Apollo Global Management Inc that would further reduce his cash contribution, according to the sources. These conversations are now on hold until there is clarity about the future of the acquisition, one of the sources said.

The pause in financing activities offers the first clear sign that Musk's threats are interfering with steps that would help complete the deal. Twitter has insisted thus far that Musk has been performing his obligation under their contract, including helping to secure regulatory approval for the deal.

Spokespersons for Musk and Twitter did not respond to requests for comment. Apollo declined to comment.

Musk sold $8.5 billion worth of Tesla shares in April after he signed his deal to buy Twitter, and it is not clear how much cash he has available to meet his obligation. He has raised $7.1 billion from a group of equity co-investors to reduce his contribution. Musk also sought to reduce this exposure further by arranging a risky $12.5 billion margin loan tied to the shares of Tesla, but then scrapped it last month.

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Preferred equity would pay a fixed dividend from Twitter, in the same way that a bond or a loan pays regular interest but would appreciate in line with the equity value of the company.

BUYER'S REMORSE

The deal uncertainty has also weighed on the plans of banks to get $13 billion of debt they have committed to the acquisition off their books through syndication. While still preparing to syndicate the debt, the banks plan to wait until there is clarity on the deal to launch the process, the sources said.

The banks do not believe credit investors will buy into the debt as long as the uncertainty lingers, the sources said. The banks have also found Musk's disparaging public comments about the company unhelpful, and were hoping he would be helping them by now with investor presentations to syndicate the deal, the sources added.

To be sure, the halt of these activities does not affect the commitments made by Musk and the banks to fund the deal. Twitter can take them to court to force them to comply with their financing obligations under the deal contract if they come short.

The syndication of the debt could emerge as a major issue for the banks were Musk's dispute with Twitter to escalate in litigation and they were forced by a judge to fund the deal. In that scenario, they could struggle to get investors to buy the debt if Musk were unwilling to own the company.

That possibility, however, is seen as remote. Most investors are trading Twitter's stock on the assumption it is far more likely for the company to reach a settlement with Musk or let him walk away, rather than go through protracted litigation.

(Reporting by Krystal Hu and Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Additional reporting by Chibuike Oguh in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Law enforcement officials prepare for the arrival of President Joe Biden's attendance for mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on May 29, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Homeland Security said extremists are praising the deadly May 24 mass shooting in Uvalde.

In a new terrorism bulletin, officials said the massacre has been used to encourage copycat attacks.

DHS warned that the "proliferation" of misinformation could lead to increasing violence.

Extremists and conspiracy theorists are praising the deadly May 24 mass shooting at a Texas elementary school that left 21 people dead  and are encouraging others to shoot up schools in similar attacks  the Department of Homeland Security warned on Tuesday.

"Individuals in online forums that routinely promulgate domestic violent extremist and conspiracy theory-related content have praised the May 2022 mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas and encouraged copycat attacks," Homeland Security said in a new terrorism bulletin.

It continued: "Others have seized on the event to attempt to spread disinformation and incite grievances, including claims it was a government-staged event meant to advance gun control measures."

Nineteen children and two adults were killed when an 18-year-old gunman barged into two classrooms at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde and opened fire.

The massacre  the deadliest elementary school shooting since Sandy Hook in 2012  has sparked renewed debate over gun control legislation as the US battles a recent surge in mass shootings and other violence.

Homeland Security warned that the "proliferation" of misinformation could combine with various factors to "inspire" violence, especially ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

The department also said several attacks over the last few months have highlighted "the dynamic and complex nature" of the threats facing the US  which, officials say, is in a "heightened threat environment."

The department specifically cited shootings at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, and a church in Laguna Woods, California that authorities allege were fueled by racist hate, as well as a mass shooting on a New York City subway car.

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To respond to the rise in violence, Homeland Security said it is working with the FBI "to share timely and actionable information and intelligence with the broadest audience possible."

Read the original article on Insider
Liz White said she was shocked when she found out that her doctor had secretly fathered her son. Netflix

Liz White said she was impregnated by her fertility specialist without her knowledge or consent.

White and her son, Matthew, appear in the Netflix film "Our Father" about Dr. Donald Cline.

A lawyer and a psychiatrist shared their expert opinions on the matter with Insider.

Lying back on a treatment table and placing her feet in stirrups, Liz White waited patiently for her fertility specialist, Dr. Donald Cline, to enter the room with the sperm of an anonymous donor.

She said that Cline had given her husband a diagnosis of infertility and told the young couple that their only chance of having a baby was for her to undergo artificial insemination.

"It was the first time I felt it was hopeful," Liz White said in the Netflix film "Our Father," recalling the moment Cline injected her with the sample.

She said she was delighted to conceive a child after 15 attempts at his practice. But decades later, she said she was shocked when her son, Matt White, did a home DNA test and discovered that his biological father was Cline himself.

Cline has fathered at least 94 children by deceiving patients

Matt White's results also showed that he had scores of half-siblings whose unwitting mothers were impregnated by the prominent Indianapolis doctor from the 1960s to '80s.

At the last count, Cline had sired no fewer than 94 children. He would masturbate in his office, walk into the treatment room next door, and administer his sperm with a syringe.

"It's just too fucked up," Matt White said in "Our Father," adding, "It takes a sick individual to put themselves in the position to be able to do that."

Liz White, now 69 years old, told the filmmakers that when she found out the truth, her first words were, "I was raped 15 times and didn't know it."

She said she read a copy of the Indiana sexual-assault law and was convinced it legislated against perpetrators such as Cline.

But, she recalled, the assistant district attorney said that no law existed, and that the doctor could not be charged with rape because his actions needed to have the components of force and non-consent.

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"The issue for me is that there was no consent," Liz White said in the film. She went on, "He didn't give me a choice."

Matt White. Netflix

The mom joined forces with Jacoba Ballard, one of her son's half-siblings, to campaign for a change in the law. Jody Madeira, a legal expert, steered them through the process.

A legal expert said that perpetrators of fertility fraud should be heavily punished

"It matters that a doctor usurped upon the judgment of his patients, even if it was 30 or 40 years ago or more," Madeira told Insider. She said the behavior of physicians such as Cline should be categorized as a felony punishable by five years in jail and a $10,000 fine per victim.

The professor at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law helped Cline's victims lobby policymakers to make fertility fraud a criminal offense. The law has since been written into statute in Indiana, Texas, and Kentucky. Madeira, who said the measure is set to pass in Illinois and Ohio, is also pressing for it to be enforced at the federal level.

"Cline directly input himself into the family trees of these individuals," said Madeira, who is writing a book about fertility fraud as a follow-up to her 2017 book, "Taking Baby Steps: How Patients and Fertility Clinics Collaborate in Conception." She added, "I had no doubt that what he did was a crime."

As for the psychological effect on the half-siblings and their parents, Dr. Lucy Hutner, a reproductive psychiatrist, told Insider they were likely to have suffered "an enormous trauma."

A psychiatrist calls the effects of fertility fraud devastating

Hutner, a cofounder of Phoebe, a digital platform for pregnancy and postpartum, said Cline's actions were a "devastating betrayal."

But she said she hoped his victims would take some time to focus on the devotion of those who raised them, whether or not they had the same DNA.

Hutner said, "Biology and genetics are much less important than the people who've provided you with support, care, and love throughout your life."

Read the original article on Insider
By Pavel Polityuk and Abdelaziz Boumzar

KYIV/DRUZHKIVKA, Ukraine (Reuters) -Ukraine will fight to recover all its territory occupied by Russian forces, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday, as his troops struggled to hold their ground in bloody street-to-street fighting in the city of Sievierodonetsk.

"We have already lost too many people to simply cede our territory," Zelenskiy said by video link at an event hosted by Britain's Financial Times newspaper. "We have to achieve a full deoccupation of our entire territory."

Zelenskiy's remarks responded forcefully to suggestions that Ukraine must cede territory to Russia to end the war, now in its fourth month.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a recent interview it was important not to "humiliate" Moscow, comments interpreted in Ukraine as implying it must accept some Russian demands.

Asked about Macron's comments, Zelenskiy said: "We are not going to humiliate anyone, we are going to respond in kind."

As he spoke, Ukrainian troops in the ruins of Sievierodonetsk were trying to cling to gains Kyiv said its forces had made in a surprise counter-offensive that shifted momentum there last week.

The governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, said the defenders were finding it hard to repel Russian attacks in the centre of Sievierodonetsk, a small industrial city in the east.

"The Russians are trying with all their might to capture Sievierodonetsk and cut off the highway from Lysychansk to Bakhmut," he said in an online post. "In the regional centre it is hard to stave off the attacks, but the occupiers do not control the town."

Moscow said its troops have been advancing. Reuters could not independently verify the situation on the ground.

UNDER BOMBARDMENT

The fight for Sievierodonetsk has emerged as a pivotal battle, with Russia focusing its offensive might in the hope of achieving one of its stated aims - to fully capture surrounding Luhansk province on behalf of separatist proxies.

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Ukrainian officials had said their forces staged a surprise counter-attack last week, driving the Russians from a swathe of the city centre.

Before that, Russia had seemed on the verge of encircling Ukraine's garrison in Luhansk, attempting to cut off the main road to Sievierodonetsk and its twin city Lysychansk across the Siverskiy Donets river.

Gaidai said in his post that Lysychansk was under constant bombardment.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 saying it aimed to "disarm" and "denazify" the country. Ukraine and its Western backers say Russia launched an unprovoked war to grab territory.

Russia's troops were defeated on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv in March and it has since regrouped and ramped up an assault on the east, demanding Kyiv recognise its territorial claim to the Crimea peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014, and the claims of its separatist proxies in Luhansk and Donetsk, the southeastern provinces together known as the Donbas.

Russia has been pressing from three main directions - east, north and south - to try to encircle the Ukrainians in the Donbas.

In Druzhkivka, in the Ukrainian-held pocket of Donetsk province, residents were sifting through the wreckage of houses obliterated by the latest shelling.

Nadezhda picked up a pink children's photo album and kindergarten exercise book from the ruins of her house, and put them on a shelf somehow still standing in the rubble.

"I do not even know where to start. I am standing here looking but I have no idea what to do. I start crying, I calm down, then I cry again."

'TIME TO LEAVE'

The Donetsk regional governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, told Ukrainian television there was constant shelling along the front line, with Russia attempting to push towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the two biggest Ukrainian-held cities in Donetsk.

Efforts were underway to evacuate remaining residents, he said: "People are now understanding, though it is late, that it is time to leave."

Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv, was also hit by shelling early on Tuesday, and the local mayor said one person was killed. The northeastern city came under intense bombardment in the first two months of the war, but had been quieter in recent weeks after Russian forces retreated in the region.

Viacheslav Shulga, an employee at a pizzeria in the north of Kharkiv that was hit, said there had been hopes the restaurant could reopen soon after shutting at the start of the war.

"Everything is destroyed. We are removing equipment, there will be no business here for now," he said. "It is sad as so much effort was invested in it. But someone else has decided our destiny."

WAREHOUSES DESTROYED

Ukraine is one of the world's biggest exporters of grain, and Western countries accuse Russia of creating the risk of global famine by shutting Ukraine's Black Sea ports.

The governor of the region that included the port of Mykolaiv said weekend shelling had destroyed warehouses in one of the country's largest agricultural commodities terminals.

Moscow denies responsibility for the international food crisis, blaming Western sanctions.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the Russian-occupied Ukrainian ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol were ready to resume grain exports. Ukraine says any such shipments from territory seized by Moscow would amount to illegal looting.

Zelenskiy said Kyiv was gradually receiving "specific anti-ship systems", the best way to break a Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports.

The Kremlin said that for exports to resume from Ukrainian-held ports, Kyiv must first clear them of mines. Russia could then inspect and escort ships to international waters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Peter Graff and Alex Richardson; Editing by Gareth Jones and Mark Heinrich)
An eight-story office tower fully clad in solar panels will be built in Melbourne in 2023 (Neoscape)

Construction of the first ever solar skin office block in Australia is set to begin next year, in what is being hailed as a landmark moment for renewable energy.

The $40 million (AUD) building in Melbourne will be fully clad with 1,182 solar panels, which will help to eliminate an estimated 70 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

The solar panels have the same thickness as a regular glass facade, using a thin-filim PV module to harvest enough electricity from the Suns energy to power the eight-story building.

Project manager Neoscape said the building will set a new benchmark in ESD (environmentally sustainable design) for commercial officie buildings, allowing integrated solar facades on buildings across Victoria.

Manufactured by the German firm Avancis, the Skala solar skin is available in various lengths and colours and can be used on a wide range of buildings and construction projects.

Thanks to proprietary colour technology, the spectrum ranges from a discreet, silky-smooth matte look to intense, light-dependent colour gradients across the entire facade, the companys website states.

The technology has already been used on public, commercial and residential buildings in Europe, but this is the first time it will be done in Australia  one of the world leaders in solar power.

An even bigger 49-story office tower is also being planned in Melbourne for 2026, as part of Australias ambition to be carbon neutral by 2050.

We want this building to be a symbol of innovation and sustainability of how th built environment can be part of the climate solution, architect Pete Kennon told PV-magazine.

The fact a building can harness the sunlight from its own skin  it sounds like something you dreamed of, or you saw in a cartoon... We did not invent the product but weve invented the way it can come to our country, and our country is such an enormous market because of the access to sunlight.
Voters in the nations largest state will head to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots in a series of marquee races.

In San Francisco, voters will decide whether to boot their top prosecutor out of office, while Los Angeles residents will move a step closer to choosing their next mayor. There are also a pair of closely watched House races that will test the power of two GOP incumbents.

But Californias not the only state with primaries on Tuesday. There are also nominating contests in a half-dozen other states, including Iowa, Montana and New Jersey.

Here are five things to watch in Tuesdays primaries.

Does San Francisco recall flash warning signs for progressives on crime?

San Francisco voters are set to answer a key question on Tuesday: Should the citys progressive top prosecutor stay, or should he go?

The election to decide the fate of District Attorney Chesa Boudin has emerged as a local race with national implications. Boudin is among the most progressive top prosecutors in the country, and the election to recall him is widely seen as a referendum on the lefts approach to crime.

Proponents of the recall  including both Republicans and some Democrats  have spent massively on the campaign to oust Boudin. What little polling there has been in the recall effort suggests that the San Francisco DA is at serious risk of losing his job.

To be sure, theres little evidence that Boudins tenure in the district attorneys office has led to a significant increase in crime. But critics say that his lenient approach to the issue has empowered perpetrators and made many residents feel unsafe.

If the recall vote ultimately succeeds, San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D) will appoint a replacement until voters choose a new DA in November.

Does spending tip the scales in the LA mayors race?

Billionaire Rick Caruso has pumped tens of millions of dollars of his personal fortune into the race to become Los Angeless next mayor, dropping some $34 million on the race so far.

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Whether that staggering investment pays off is one of the most intriguing questions heading into Tuesday.

His main rival in the mayoral race is Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), who emerged as a potential running mate for President Biden during the 2020 election.

Bass and an affiliated super PAC have only spent about $2 million on TV advertising in the race, putting her far behind Caruso, a former Republican who changed his party affiliation to Democrat this year around the time he launched his campaign for mayor.

The mayors race is an all-party primary, and if no candidate on the ballot manages to surpass the 50 percent threshold, it will advance to a November general election where voters will choose between the top two vote-getters.

Still, Carusos hefty spending in the race is only the latest test of influence for wealthy individuals and super PACs as they look to elect Democratic candidates cut from a more moderate cloth, especially at a time when progressives are trying to flex their political muscles.

What does California turnout say about Democratic motivation?

Turnout in California is lagging, with just 1 in 10 registered voters having cast their ballots in the primaries so far.

The lackluster early turnout is a major change from last year, when California voters weighed in on the states gubernatorial recall election.

The outlook could change, but the uninspired voter turnout so far could offer some hints about just how motivated voters are this year in the nations largest  and one of its bluest  states.

Of course, there may be other reasons for the low turnout. Unlike in many other states, there are few, if any, major races at the top of the ticket in California this year.

Nevertheless, its easier than ever to cast a ballot in California. The state sends every registered voter a mail ballot and allows people other than the voter to collect and return those ballots.

Does a blue wave Democrat pull it off in Iowa?

Former Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa) was among the candidates who helped Democrats win back the House majority in 2018 in a wave election year for the party. But her time in the House was short; she was ousted in 2020 by Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa).

Now, Finkenauer is hoping to return to Washington, this time as a U.S. senator.

But shes facing an unexpectedly stiff primary challenge from retired Navy Adm. Mike Franken, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Senate nomination in Iowa two years ago and has shown signs of closing the gap with Finkenauer in recent months.

Franken has outpaced Finkenauer in the money race in each of the past two fundraising periods and has drastically outspent her on advertising.

Polling in the primary has been scarce, though an internal poll from Frankens campaign last month showed the two candidates statistically deadlocked, with 42 percent of likely Democratic primary voters backing Franken and 40 percent backing Finkenauer.

Whoever emerges from the primary will still have to face Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in November, and defeating the seven-term GOP senator is likely to be an uphill battle for any Democrat.

Do GOP incumbents fall to right-wing challengers?

A handful of GOP incumbents are facing challenges from their right on Tuesday, turning the primaries into tests of how far Republican voters have swung.

In South Dakota, Rep. Dusty Johnson is up against state Rep. Taffy Howard, who has the backing Drain the Swamp, a PAC that is pushing former President Trumps baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

In California, Rep. Young Kim is getting help from the Congressional Leadership Fund, a PAC aligned with House GOP leadership, as she looks to fend off a primary challenge from Mission Viejo City Councilman Greg Raths.

And in New Jersey, conservative commentator Mike Crispi is running to oust Rep. Chris Smith, who drew Trumps ire after he voted in favor of a bipartisan infrastructure bill last year.

Trump himself hasnt weighed in for any of the primary challengers, and Johnson, Kim and Smith all have wide financial advantages over their GOP opponents. Still, the primaries are the latest instance of right-wing challengers looking to reshape the House Republican Conference into an even more conservative image.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A man who fled Florida over allegations that he was involved in two murders died Sunday after he accidentally drowned in a Missouri river, authorities said.

Sherron David McCombs Jr., 22, was floating with a group of acquaintances in the Current River when he drowned, a spokesperson for the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Tuesday.

Troopers got a call around 3 p.m. about a person who went underneath the water and did not resurface. A rescue team pulled McCombs' body from the river shortly after it arrived.

Spokesperson Clark Parrott said troopers were initially unaware that McCombs was wanted in Florida.

"He had been using a fake name with them [his acquaintances], because none of the information they had checked out with us," Parrott said. "So one of our troopers has a portable fingerprint ID machine, and they were able to ID him, and as soon as they did, that's when it set off all kinds of alarms as to who this gentleman was."

Parrott said the highway patrol had no previous interactions with McCombs. He said he believes McCombs was working with some of the acquaintances at the river in Memphis, Tennessee, about three hours away. Parrott said the group most likely went down to the river to hang out.

McCombs had been on the run from Tampa police since May 6, according to a post by Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay. McCombs was wanted in two murders, which took place on Nov. 1 and Jan. 3.

The Tampa Police Department said warrants had been issued for McCombs for first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm and tampering with physical evidence.

In the November case, McCombs allegedly conspired with a co-defendant and other accomplices to kill the victim, police said. He and the co-defendant then "tampered, removed, and hid physical evidence of the offense to cover up their crimes," according to police.

In the second case, McCombs was allegedly driving a car connected to a shooting at an apartment complex. The victim was found lying outside the complex next to a car riddled with bullet holes, police said. The victim died at the scene.

A reward of up to $5,000 was offered for information that led to his location and arrest.
Health workers demonstrated in cities across France on Tuesday to demand higher pay and more staff for services stretched to breaking point, just days before the country votes in parliamentary elections.

Although recently re-elected President Emmanuel Macron has ordered a probe into which emergency units need immediate help with people in the sector warning there is no time to lose.

"Not a single department is spared, our public hospitals are in the process of dying for lack of resources," said Pierre Wach, head of the CGT union in eastern city Strasbourg.

Protests began at hospitals in the morning Tuesday and continued at the health ministry in Paris in the afternoon, where staff, some wearing white medical coats, brandished placards with messages such as "Hire more and pay us more, it's urgent!".

Casualty workers' group Samu-Urgences de France found in a May survey that at least 120 accident and emergency departments nationwide had already cut back on work or were preparing to do so after years of Covid-19 strain.

Macron told regional newspapers Friday that his review, led by the group's chief Francois Braun, would identify "where there is need, emergency department by emergency department, ambulance service by ambulance service, region by region".

But opposition politicians and unions have accused him of playing for time until after the legislative elections on June 12 and 19 -- as some polls show the president's absolute majority could be at risk.

"It's past time for inquiries," Laurent Berger, head of the powerful CFDT trade union confederation, wrote in left-wing daily Liberation, calling for "urgent talks on how staff are organised" as hospitals were "almost knocked out".

Braun said last week he would not craft "yet another report" but "write the prescription" for hospitals in need.

Among measures he has already suggested to newly-installed Health Minister Brigitte Bourguignon are better pay for night and weekend work or -- more controversially -- a system for filtering calls to the emergency services to identify the most severe.

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"We have to switch to crisis management mode to get through the summer," Thomas Mesnier, an MP loyal to Macron who is also an emergency doctor, wrote in the JDD weekly.

Some emergency workers have warned that a summer heatwave, which in past years has proved deadly for elderly people, or a new flare-up of Covid could push hospitals into chaos.

burs/tgb/bp
Reuters

A key executive who was leading Tesla's lobbying effort in India has resigned, weeks after the U.S. carmaker put on hold plans to sell electric cars in the South Asian nation, two sources aware of the matter told Reuters. Manuj Khurana, policy and business development executive at Tesla in India, was hired in March 2021 and played a key role in forming a domestic market-entry plan for the U.S. carmaker in the country. He lobbied the Indian government for more than a year to slash the import tax on electric cars to 40% from as high as 100%, a move Tesla said would allow it to test the market with imports from its production hubs like China before investing in a factory.
Jack Grealish celebrates Englands equaliser with Harry Kane (Markus Ulmer/AP/PA) (AP)

Gareth Southgate has challenged Jack Grealish to force his way into his starting line-up after an impressive cameo in Englands Nations League draw in Germany.

The Three Lions rescued a late point as Harry Kane scored his 50th senior international goal from the penalty spot to cancel out Jonas Hofmanns opener.

Germany looked good for victory before Kane won and scored the spot-kick which earned a 1-1 draw and prevented England from slipping to back-to-back defeats in Group A3.

Kane, who becomes just the second man to reach a half-century of England goals and moves just three behind Wayne Rooneys record of 53, will no doubt grab the headlines.

But Grealish helped change the momentum of the contest after he replaced the ineffectual Mason Mount with just 18 minutes remaining.

Half of Grealishs 22 England caps have come as a substitute and he has only finished 90 minutes three times for his country.

Asked if he sees the Manchester City man as an impact player or a starter, Southgate replied: I think he can be both.

If we didnt trust him we wouldnt put him on the pitch with 20 minutes to go in the belief he can make a difference.

The start of the game, the challenge to the wide players to attack, defend, try to score goals at a high tactical level and youve got to be spot on.

I think thats an area Jack can get better at and what he did do was carry the ball and at that moment of the game as it opens up theres a little more space, a little more opportunity, and also that freshness.

The impact that he and Jarrod Bowen had was really important in those attacking areas. There is a good challenge there, good competition for places and weve got to keep pushing them.

Hofmann struck five minutes into the second half having already seen an effort ruled out for offside  Thomas Muller also having a goal chalked off as the hosts often outclassed  and out passed  the beaten Euro 2020 finalists.

But Kane was adjudged to have been tripped by Nico Schlotterbeck, with the video assistant referee coming into play to award England the penalty.

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The finish is exceptional, isnt it? Southgate said of the resulting spot-kick. The pressure at that moment, he trusts his technique. We have huge faith in him. I havent really seen the re-run (of the decision) again.

It looked at the time as though there had been an obstruction on him, at the very least. Im assuming the referee has looked at it and decided that was the case.

Rightly, the fact that hes got 50 goals will be the centre part of the story. But his all-round game, the way he led the line, the way he competed, the way he pressed from the front for us today was exceptional.

Southgate was pleased with the way England responded to falling behind to a nation he described on the eve of the game as a benchmark of international football.

To respond in the way they did was fantastic, I thought in the balance of the overall game it was well deserved, he added.

Its an important sign for them as much as anything  of course for everybody else watching, but when youre in a team, this group, with still seven or eight who got us to a World Cup semi-final, thats why those players are so important to us because that core of the team put their bodies on the line for each other and on nights like that you have to do that to get a result.

With the quality we had on show, we thought we had to raise the bar. We could see the game was there for us when we got the ball the other side of their midfield, we were in business.

In the second half, we started a little bit slowly out of possession. We werent aggressive enough with our pressure and conceded.

Germany coach Hansi Flick revealed he spoke to the officials about the award of the late penalty, and said: I think Schlotterbeck didnt even see Kane coming.

He was watching in a completely different direction. I spoke to the referee after the game and had a lively discussion but it is something you just have to grin and bear it  it is a decision, full stop.
Tavon Silver

The New York Police Department arrested a suspect in connection to the stabbing of a 31-year-old man last week on a subway in the Bronx on the first day of Pride Month.

Runadieo Jordan, 52, has been charged with assault as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon, and aggravated harassment as a hate crime, according to local TV station WNYW.

Jordan allegedly attacked the Tavon Silver at 1 a.m. last Wednesday because Silver was playing his music too loud. The attack occurred on a Wakefield-bound No. 2 train as it approached the Third Avenue149th Street station.

Turn the music down, f****t! Jordan allegedly yelled before he produced a blade and stabbed Silver in the wrist.

I think I have the feeling back in my fingers, like, you know, but Im just happy to have my arms. I mean, Im happy to have my life, Silver told WNYW.

He said that he had been riding the train with his fiance when Jordan yelled at them a couple of times. When the train pulled into the station Jordan allegedly stabbed Silver in the arm.

Next thing I know, like, I had a hole in my arm. Like blood was gushing everywhere, Silver said. It was one straight cut, and he took a giant chunk of my wrist. He literally cut my wrist off. So, like, if you look straight through, you can see my bone.

Silver added, "He came walking by us as I was losing consciousness on the floor, bleeding out. And he just walked right by us, and he was like, Here you go, you stupid f****t.

He told the outlet that he wouldnt be scared away from the subway over the attack.

I'm not going to change my life just because of this, Silver said. I want to see more gay people on the 2 train for me.
GAYLORD  The Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement task force conducted surveillance on a home in Gaylord on May 25 after receiving a tip of drug activity at the house and saw a vehicle leaving.

An occupant in the vehicle was wanted by the task force (SANE) for selling methamphetamine. The vehicle was stopped by officers from the Gaylord Police Department. The department's canine hit on a container inside the vehicle. Officers found methamphetamine and other evidence in the vehicle.

The owner of the vehicle arrived on the scene and was found to be in possession of cocaine and LSD. Two suspects were arrested and lodged in the Otsego County Jail.

Tanya Lynn Washburn, 42, of Gaylord was arrested for two counts delivery of methamphetamine  punishable by up to 20 years and/or a fine of $25,000 and one count possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, punishable by up to 20 years and/or a fine $25,000.

Aubrey Lyn-Shaffer Brown, 28, of Gaylord was arrested for one count possession of cocaine punishable up to four years and/or a fine of $25,000 and one count possession of LSD  up to one year in prison and/or a fine of $2,000.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Gaylord residents face drug charges following arrest by SANE
During a meeting on June 6, the Genoa Township board voted to hire a third party to investigate township Clerk Polly Skolarus.

GENOA TWP. - The Township Board Monday voted without discussion to seek an independent legal investigation and report on Clerk Polly Skolarus' actions.

Skolarus abstained from the vote.

The law firm of Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes will investigate, and provide a report and recommendations on:

Whether Skolarus was undercompensated by the township in 2016

Whether the Township Board should reimburse Skolarus for attorney fees and costs she incurred in defending a criminal prosecution against her

Whether Skolarus has treated township employees improperly or unlawfully

Whether Skolarus violated the Open Meetings Act in conducting a recent election commission meeting

Other issues of impropriety or misconduct concerning Skolarus

This investigation will cost $10,000 to $20,000, along with an hourly pay of $315 to attorneys who assist with the investigation.

The proposal was introduced in May after Skolarus was acquitted in April of a misdemeanor charge in connection with the November 2020 election claiming she used unapproved containers.

"Obviously, there were members of the township board who disagreed with the jury, related to the court's decision where they found me not guilty, and they're looking to find me guilty of something," Skolarus previously said of the proposal for the board to seek an investigation.

After she was charged in March 2021, Skolarus was stripped of multiple duties in her role as township clerk, however, the Michigan Secretary of State rescinded those actions after she was acquitted.

Sophia Lada is a reporter for the Livingston Daily. Contact her at slada@gannett.com or 517.377.1065. Follow her on Twitter @sophia_lada.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Genoa Township Board voted to hire an independent investigator
BERLIN (AP)  Germany's finance minister on Tuesday rejected calls by some in the country's governing parties to tax what they call excessive profits earned by oil companies since Russia's war in Ukraine spiked energy prices.

Suggestions for such a tax by some politicians in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats and the Greens have laid bare ideological differences between those two center-left parties and Finance Minister Christian Lindner's pro-business Free Democrats.

A three-month cut in fuel taxes took effect last week as part of a wider package of measures aimed at blunting the financial fallout from the war. But there have been widespread complaints that prices at the pump have crept back up substantially after initially falling.

Lindner argued that a tax on energy company profits would only do harm and likely risk fueling inflation that is already running at a nearly half-century high of 7.9%.

My concern is that an arbitrary tax increase for an individual branch will ultimately lead to things getting more expensive in Germany and possibly lead to shortages, said Lindner, whose party has long vehemently opposed tax hikes. He said there is currently no confirmation that any excessive profits have been made in the oil industry.

The British government last month announced plans for a 25% temporary windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas companies, with the aim of raising billions of pounds (dollars) for cash payments to people struggling with sharply rising energy bills.

Spain and Italy already have approved similar taxes, while Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has urged major energy producer Norway to use the profits from the rising costs of its oil and natural gas to support the countries hardest hit by the war, mainly Ukraine.
Reuters

A North Carolina charter school's requirement that girls wear skirts based on the view that they are "fragile vessels" deserving of "gentle" treatment by boys is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 10-6 that Charter Day School violated three female students' equal protection rights by adopting the skirts policy based on gender stereotypes about the "proper place" for girls in society. The school implemented a dress code that its founder, businessman Baker Mitchell, in an email and testimony said would "preserve chivalry" and ensure girls are treated "courteously and more gently than boys."
Three on a String has released nine studio albums and been inducted into the Alabama Music, Alabama Bluegrass and Birmingham Record Collectors halls of fame.

The Joel W. Helms Lions Eye Clinic and long-tenured bluegrass band Three on a String are teaming up for a concert in Gadsden.

More: GSO to play with Three On A String

More: Three on a String returns to Gadsden for holiday concert

More: SEEN ON SCENE: Talk Derby to Me at Pitman Theatre

The event will be held June 17 at the Pitman Theatre at 629 Broad Str.. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Light concessions will be sold.

Three on a String, comprised of multi-instrumentalist Bobby Horton (who away from the group has provided music for the soundtracks to Ken Burns' PBS documentaries); guitarist Jerry Ryan and his son, Brad, who plays fiddle, bass and guitar; and a rotating cast of bassists over the years (the current one being Andy Meginniss) celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

The band first played together at Horse Pens 40 in Steele. The group called the Lowenbrau Haus in Homewood its regular home for two decades until the establishment shut down.

From there, Three on a String spent a year at the Cadillac Cafe in the Southside community in Birmingham before returning to Homewood. The group routinely acts as ambassadors for the city of Birmingham and has played for U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Over its career, Three on a String has released nine studio albums and been inducted into the Alabama Music, Alabama Bluegrass and Birmingham Record Collectors halls of fame.

Tickets currently are on sale and can be purchased at the Gadsden Lions Club's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GADSDENLIONSCLUB/. You can call 205-531-5992 or visit Downtown Gadsden Inc., Alfa Insurance in Glencoe, Dusty Things in Gadsden, Professional Opticians of Gadsden or VisionAmerica of Gadsden to buy tickets.

Proceeds from the show will benefit the Helms Lions Eye Clinic, a nonprofit organization that provides free eye exams and low-cost eyeglasses to medically indigent citizens of Etowah County. The clinic is located at 234 S. College St. in Gadsden.

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For more information on Three on a String, visit the band's website at https://www.threeonastring.com/ or its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/threeonastring.

J.J. Hicks is a news reporter at The Gadsden Times. He can be reached at jhicks1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Three on a String returns to Gadsden for June 17 concert
For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it completely lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.'

If, on the other hand, you like companies that have revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Franco-Nevada (TSE:FNV). Even if the shares are fully valued today, most capitalists would recognize its profits as the demonstration of steady value generation. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, but time is often a friend of the profitable company, especially if it is growing.

See our latest analysis for Franco-Nevada

How Fast Is Franco-Nevada Growing Its Earnings Per Share?

Over the last three years, Franco-Nevada has grown earnings per share (EPS) like young bamboo after rain; fast, and from a low base. So I don't think the percent growth rate is particularly meaningful. Thus, it makes sense to focus on more recent growth rates, instead. It's good to see that Franco-Nevada's EPS have grown from US$3.13 to US$3.89 over twelve months. That's a 24% gain; respectable growth in the broader scheme of things.

Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. The good news is that Franco-Nevada is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 4.5 percentage points to 66%, over the last year. That's great to see, on both counts.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings, and revenue, over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of Franco-Nevada's forecast profits?

Are Franco-Nevada Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a CA$35b company like Franco-Nevada. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. Indeed, they have a glittering mountain of wealth invested in it, currently valued at US$245m. This suggests to me that leadership will be very mindful of shareholders' interests when making decisions!

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It's good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? Well, based on the CEO pay, I'd say they are indeed. I discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Franco-Nevada, with market caps over US$8.0b, is about US$7.5m.

The CEO of Franco-Nevada only received US$3.8m in total compensation for the year ending . That's clearly well below average, so at a glance, that arrangement seems generous to shareholders, and points to a modest remuneration culture. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when its reasonable that does give me a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. I'd also argue reasonable pay levels attest to good decision making more generally.

Does Franco-Nevada Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One important encouraging feature of Franco-Nevada is that it is growing profits. Earnings growth might be the main game for Franco-Nevada, but the fun does not stop there. Boasting both modest CEO pay and considerable insider ownership, I'd argue this one is worthy of the watchlist, at least. It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Franco-Nevada (at least 1 which is a bit unpleasant) , and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

Of course, you can do well (sometimes) buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But as a growth investor I always like to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a free list of them here.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
LANSING  Zahraa Al-Yasari said she waited patiently for the legal system to deliver justice after her brother, Ammar Al-Yasari, was bludgeoned to death in his Holt home in February 2019.

She got the justice she was hoping for. But minutes before Ammar's wife, B'dour Al-Yasari, was sentenced in his killing, Zahraa still had one unanswered question.

Bdour Al-Yasari appears in Judge Joyce Draganchuks courtroom, Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at Veterans Memorial Courthouse in Lansing with one of her attorneys Dan Eckhart. She is standing trial for the murder of her husband, Ammar Al-Yasari.

"Why?" the woman said, speaking to her former sister-in-law in an Ingham County courtroom on Monday afternoon. "Why kill Ammar? ... Did you really think you'd get away with what you did?"

B'dour Al-Yasari, 31, received mandatory life without possibility of parole for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. A jury in April found her guilty on both counts following a trial spanning nearly three weeks.

Prosecutors said B'dour Al-Yasari conspired with her boyfriend, Jacob Ficher, to murder her husband. On Feb. 4, 2019, Ficher lay in wait for Ammar Al-Yasari inside the married couple's home, then struck him more than two dozen times with a hatchet-like weapon.

Ficher had been romantically involved with B'dour for years, and the couple planned to move to California and get married, according to testimony.

Ficher admitted killing Ammar Al-Yasari and is serving mandatory life in prison without parole.

B'dour Al-Yasari manipulated Ficher into killing her husband, fueling Ficher's hatred with claims that her husband was abusing her, Assistant Ingham County Prosecutor Nicole Matusko said during Monday's sentencing hearing. In fact, there was no credible evidence of domestic abuse, she said.

Months earlier, Ammar offered to give his wife a divorce, but like every other time that had happened during their struggling marriage, she begged him not to leave her, Matusko said.

"She chose to be a cold-hearted murderer," the prosecutor said.

Matusko described Ammar as "a man with a heart of gold." A friend of Ammar's, Mary Gebbia-Portice, gave a similar description in her victim statement.

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More: Man gets life in prison for killing woman's husband with ax in Holt

More: Holt woman convicted of conspiracy, pre-meditated murder in camp ax killing of husband

More: Trial begins for Holt woman charged with conspiracy, murder in 2019 ax killing of husband

"You took the ultimate advantage of him and his kindness," she said, directing her comments to B'dour Al-Yasari. "I learned that evil really does exist in this world, and that you are its manifestation."

The Al-Yasaris had two young children who are now living with a relative.

Ingham County Circuit Judge Joyce Draganchuk, who had no discretion in setting B'dour Al-Yasari's sentences, appeared to fight back tears while placing them on the record.

"Justice is finally being done for Ammar ... a man whose blood will forever be on your hands," she said.

B'dour Al-Yasari did not address Draganchuk on Monday.

Zahraa Al-Yasari said she sat through nearly three weeks of trial without hearing "any logical reason" for B'dour Al-Yasari to kill Ammar.

"You got what you deserve, B'dour.," she said. "Game's over. You're done."

Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: B'dour Al-Yasari of Holt gets life sentence in murder of her husband
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating complaints regarding engine failures connected to the auto-start and stop functions of some Honda vehicles.

In a document dated June 3, the NHTSA said it had received 221 complaints but no crashes, fires or injuries had been reported.

The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the Auto Start/Stop function engaged, the agency said. In some cases, a jump start was required for the car to restart.

The cars affected were specifically Honda Pilot models made in 2016 through 2020, the document from NHTSA added.

The Hill has reached out to Honda for comment.

At the end of last year, Honda and the NHTSA announced a recall of 724,000 Honda SUVs and pickup trucks because of a safety issue with the vehicles hoods.

Gaps in the front seal between the hood and grill allow for air entry, potentially resulting in hood vibration at highway speeds. Over time the hood vibration could form stress fractures along the hood latch striker and separate the hood latch striker from the hood, the American Honda Motor Co. said in a statement.

At the time of that recall, documents from the NHTSA indicated that as of November 19, Honda has received 116 warranty claims and no reports of crashes or injuries related to this issue.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  A middle-rank Indonesian army officer is being stripped of his military title after he was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison for murder, joint deprivation of the independence of others and removing the bodies with the intention of concealment in a case that drew public outcry.

Priyanto held the title colonel before his sentencing and dismissal from military service.

Two of Priyanto's subordinates were with him when their car crashed into two teenagers on a motorcycle in December. Handi Saputra, 17, was riding the motorcycle with his girlfriend Salsabila, 14, in West Java province.

During the trial in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, Priyanto admitted he had the idea of disposing of the two bodies because he thought the teens had died and werent moving or breathing.

However, a number of other witnesses  including a civilian who helped lift the two victims into Priyantos car at the crime scene  said Handi was still moving and groaning in pain.

Instead of taking him to the hospital, Priyanto ordered his men to put the two victims in the car. Despite the subordinates' rejection of his plans, Priyanto decided to throw the bodies into the nearest large river so that the two bodies could drift into the sea in the hope they would be lost or eaten by animals and not found.

The two bodies were found by local residents three days later in separate rivers in neighboring Central Java province.

The forensic expert serving as a witness said water was found in Handi's respiratory system, showing he was still alive when he was thrown in the river.

One of the presiding judges said the case is meant to teach soldiers a lesson in respecting human rights even though they are trained to kill.

This punishment is also to provide a deterrent effect for other soldiers, Brig. Gen. Faridah Faisal said Tuesday before reading out the verdict.

Both of his subordinates are also on trial regarding the case.

Relatives of the victims, in a broadcast by TV ONE, said they accepted the verdict on Priyanto and his punishment.

Many Indonesians welcomed the armys retreat from politics after Suhartos often brutal 32-year rule was ended by mass protests in 1998. The changes represented a major break with the past and set the stage for civilian-led reforms to enhance the elected governments control over military institutions and defense policy.

Despite a reputation for brutality, the image of Indonesias armed forces has improved since Suhartos departure.
STORY: Police said it was one of the largest such seizures in Europe and came at the end of an international investigation that resulted in arrest warrants being issued for 38 people in six countries: Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Colombia.

The investigation lasted more than a year and involved both the Colombian judiciary and U.S. Homeland Security. Besides the cocaine, police also confiscated 1.85 million euros in cash.

Colombian authorities said last November they were focused on breaking up the Clan del Golfo gang, whose network extends to 28 countries around the world, after the capture of the group's leader, Dairo Antonio Usuga, alias "Otoniel", in October.

"Another hard blow to the most important group among Colombian narcotics gangs," Italian investigators from the northeastern city of Trieste said of the seizure.
ROME  As armored vehicles grab the limelight amid the war in Ukraine, Italy is working on a three-for-one deal that could see a common platform used for tracked, wheeled and amphibious vehicles.

Backed by the European Union and the brainchild of the Italian Army, the program to build a common platform for an armored infantry fighting vehicle, amphibious assault vehicle and light-armored vehicle could be delivered by 2030.

The end of this decade is an ambitious yet achievable timeline, said Lt. Col. Roberto Forlani, an official at the Armys planning and policy division.

Launched in 2018, the program is part of the EUs Permanent Structured Cooperation defense and security initiative, which the bloc says offers members options on how to plan and bridge capability gaps in a collaborative manner.

Italian lawmakers tee up military shopping spree for destroyers, armored vehicles

Led by Italy, with support from Greece and Slovakia, the project envisages a family of armored infantry fighting vehicles weighing 35-50 tons, depending on the configuration, capable of carrying a crew of three plus a standard infantry team (about six to nine individuals), and featuring a gun ranging from 25mm to more than 30mm, Forlani said.

Thanks to modular design and open architecture, the Italians have drawn up an ambitious list of missions they hope to give the armored infantry fighting vehicle, including anti-tank; mortar carrier; reconnaissance; combat engineer; tactical command post; joint fire support; ammunition and logistics carrier; protected ambulance; recovery; electronic warfare; chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense; and short-range air defense.

But Forlani cautioned that developing a single chassis for tracks, wheels and amphibious use could prove too ambitious. We are looking at either a standard platform or different platforms that share the maximum subsystem commonality, payload and mission modules.

That means shared turrets, fire systems, sensors, engines, protection systems and communications, he said, which means less [research and development] costs, common logistics, greater availability of spare parts, and affordable maintenance.

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If commonalities between a family of vehicles helps save cash, he added, making the program multinational through the PESCO initiative was also essential to ensure spreading the investment, increasing production and ensuring common standards among allies to allow better cooperation on the battlefield.

Using modularity also means each army can customize their vehicle and ensures continuous growth, he explained, noting that the future of armored vehicles must be multinational to reduce market fragmentation through what he called interoperability by design.

The Boxer vehicle program, launched in Germany and ordered by Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Slovenia, was a good example, Forlani said. The Boxer expresses its modularity through a large family of vehicles and mission modules. It was a team effort between nations and a joint procurement. We can take this approach forward to develop armored capabilities.

A challenge facing the Italian-led program is the number of nations now rushing out to procure new off-the-shelf vehicles because of the Ukraine conflict.

Even before the war, Italy was working to renew its Armys vehicle fleet by upgrading its aging Ariete tanks, procuring new Freccia vehicles, new Centauro wheeled tanks and new amphibious vehicles, and working on a tracked vehicle to replace its Dardo vehicles.

Forlani foresees the chance of convergence with new Italian programs. We look at a harmonization of standards and an alignment of objectives between the PESCO project and the Italian Army requirement for renewing its national fleet. And we are ready to share our concepts with the other member nations and figure out if they can be a good solution for them too, he said.

If the program takes off, he added, it could also give a valuable impulse to the Franco-German program for a main battle tank, the Main Ground Combat System, which is currently stalled.

I think a joint effort to create this family of vehicles could help the teaming of nations to work on a future generation main battle tank, he said.
By Daniel Leussink and Tim Kelly

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan wants to drastically increase defence spending "within the next five years" it said on Tuesday in an annual economic policy document that for the first time mentioned both a time frame for the expenditure and concern about threats faced by Taiwan.

Neither the five-year period or the reference to the democratic, independent island that China considers as part of its territory, had figured in a draft of the document last week. Taiwan rejects Chinas sovereignty claims and says only the islands people can decide their future.

Japan and the United States "emphasized the importance and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and a peaceful resolution of any problems on both sides," the document said in a footnote that was a reference to a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo last month.

The policy roadmap, Kishida's first since taking office in October, serves as a blueprint for the next fiscal year's budget though any major increase in military outlays would stretch Japan's already-strained public finances.

The mention of Taiwan comes after Biden said Washington was willing to use force to defend Taiwan against any attack by China.

Last year's roadmap, in contrast said only that Japan would significantly increase defence spending as necessary, and did not mention Taiwan.

Alarm has grown in Tokyo about Taiwan, following an uptick in Chinese military activity in East Asia. Along with Japan's neighbouring island of Okinawa, Taiwan hems in Beijing's forces.

Breaching that line would directly threaten sea lanes that supply Japan's economy with most of its oil.

China says its recent drills near Taiwan, which have included regular incursions by its aircraft into the island's air defence zone, are aimed at deterring "collusion" between the United States and Taiwan, and to defend China's sovereignty.

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Tuesday's document, which ranged over issues from energy security to Kishida's 'new capitalism' economic policy, did not say how much a commitment to "drastically strengthen" defence spending would be.

But it referred to a 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) commitment made by members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Japan now spends just over 1% of GDP on its Self Defense Forces.

Even if Kishida's government finds money to double defence spending, it would still leave Japan far behind China, which already spends almost five times as much on its military.

The government kept open the door for increased bond issuance, saying it would not narrow "important" policy options in its budget formulation for the next fiscal year.

Kishida, who faces a national election in July, is under pressure to pass a second supplementary budget following one of 2.7 trillion yen ($20.34 billion) in May, to help blunt the impact of recent rises in commodity prices.

($1=132.7200 yen)

(Reporting by Daniel Leussink, Tim Kelly and Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Clarence Fernandez & Simon Cameron-Moore)
Jimmy Kimmel will host President Joe Biden this week for his first in-studio late night appearance since taking office and at least one Fox host is livid about it.

To communicate with the American people, Joe Biden is sitting down with Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday, Dagen McDowell said on Fox Business on Monday. Thats the land of insanity in which we all live.

Kimmel didnt hold back.

Oh I see, what I do is insane, he said. You guys telling us we should arm PE teachers to protect kids, that makes sense.

Then, Kimmel described how one of Fox News biggest stars had offered repeated praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Tucker Carlson giving Vladimir Putin a reach-around every other night, sane, he said. President on a late night talk show? Insane. Got it.

Kimmel also noted all of the times former President Donald Trump had met with celebs and how the voices on the various Fox networks didnt have a problem with it.

See more in his Monday night monologue:

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
Lawyer Thomas J. Henry announced Monday that he will be representing the families of four students injured in the shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde.

All four of the children suffered gunshot wounds and other injuries after a gunman gained access to their school on May 24, a news release from the firm stated. The four children's ages range from 9 to 10 years old.

The San Antonio attorney was previously based in Corpus Christi and has an office in the Coastal Bend city.

As part of the lawsuit, Henry and his team are investigating the facts surrounding the school shooting, including how the gunman purchased the guns and ammunition used, how he was able to enter the school and the response by law enforcement, the release stated.

The firm is also examining questions pertaining to the gunman's past, including potential red flags or threats of violence that may have been posted to social media or communicated directly to others but not properly reported to law enforcement, the release stated.

"This initial lawsuit will allow us to discover evidence and possibly add other parties to the lawsuit, if necessary," Henry said in the release. "The discovery process will focus on the school system, law enforcement, social media, and gun and ammunition manufacturers.

"The one thing that is vital in our country right now is ensuring our children go to school and come home safe. We want to obtain justice for the families that have been devastated by this shooting and ensure we have swift changes that protect our children while they are at school."

Kailey E. Hunt covers breaking news and public safety in South Texas. Help support more local coverage with a subscription at caller.com/subscribe.

MORE COVERAGE

More: 'Hug your loved ones': How Uvalde residents united by grief, faith after shooting

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Texas attorney Thomas J. Henry to represent Uvalde shooting victims
BEIRUT (AP)  The Lebanese military arrested 64 migrants as they were trying to set sail from northern Lebanon on Tuesday in an attempt to get to Europe, the army command said.

According to an army statement, the migrants  Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians  were all detained and were being questioned, except for one pregnant woman who was bleeding and was taken to hospital.

The migrants were apparently taken into custody before their boat was able to set sail. They were apprehended near the Sheikh Znad area, a few kilometers (miles) from the northern city of Tripoli. The attempt came weeks after a boat carrying more than 60 migrants capsized on April 23 off the coast of Tripoli, Lebanons second-largest and most impoverished city.

Seven bodies were recovered in that disaster, with 47 people rescued and some still missing. Survivors at the time blamed the Lebanese navy of causing the accident by ramming into the migrants' boat.

For years, Lebanon had been a country where refugees fled to, but since its economic meltdown began in late 2019, thousands of people have left the country by sea, seeking a better life in Europe.

Lebanon is a small nation of 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees who fled the war in their country which erupted in 2011. Lebanon is also home to tens of thousands of Palestinians, most of them descendants of people displaced after Israel was created in 1948.

Migrants usually pay thousands of dollars for smuggles who promise to take them on boats to European Union member states such as Cyprus, Greece and Italy.
LeBron James has demanded President Joe Biden bring Brittney Griner home from Russia. Getty Images, AP

LeBron James on Monday shared a letter urging Joe Biden to get Brittney Griner home from Russia.

The WNBA star Griner has been in Russian custody since an arrest on drug charges in February.

The letter asked the US to "immediately address this human rights issue" and get her home.

LeBron James has demanded that President Joe Biden bring Brittney Griner home from Russia, where the WNBA star has been detained for more than 100 days.

"We need to come together and help do whatever we possibly can to bring BG home quickly and safely!! Our voice as athletes is stronger together," he tweeted Sunday night to his 51.4 million followers.

In the same tweet, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar also shared a letter saying Griner faced "inhumane conditions in a Russian prison" and had been "denied communications with her family and loved ones."

"As a decorated Olympian and member of an elite global sport community, BG's detention must be resolved out of respect for the sanctity of all sport and for all Americans traveling internationally. It is imperative that the US Government immediately address this human rights issue and do whatever is necessary to return Brittney home," the letter continued.

"Join us in demanding that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris bring Brittney home swiftly and safely by taking action today," the letter concluded, alongside a link to a Change.org petition that has received more than 300,000 signatures calling for Griner's safe return.

The WNBA athlete has been detained in Russia since February 17, when customs agents at a Moscow airport said they found cannabis oil in her luggage. She was in Russia competing for the European powerhouse club UMMC Ekaterinburg, as she has for the past eight years.

Last month, the US State Department officially classified Griner as "wrongfully detained"  a move one expert has said sends a "strong signal that the US government does not believe that there is a legitimate case against her."

Read the original article on Insider
Lexington's Jillian Morr was named honorable mention All-Ohio for her 2022 season.

They were the most consistent softball players in all of Richland County during the 2022 season, and they were rewarded for it.

Lexington's Jillian Morr and Ontario's Autumn Taylor were selected to the Division II Honorable Mention All-Ohio softball team by the Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association.

Morr posted a .386 batting average with 34 hits, 17 RBIs and 33 runs scored with a .973 fielding percentage as a catcher and second baseman.

Taylor had a breakout season, batting .472 with 25 hits, five home runs, 22 RBIs and 20 runs scored. She struck out just one time all season. She had a .552 on-base percentage and slugged .887 for a nice on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.439.

Here is the complete list of Division II All-Ohio softball teams.

Division II All-Ohio Softball

First Team

Marlee Jacobs, Jonathan Alder; Renae Cunningham, Heath; Shelby Westler, River Valley; Hannah Bendle, John Glenn; Carley Jo Penner, Indian Creek; Carter Wachtel, Triway; Hailey Massaro, Triway; Haley Croyle, Hubbard; Nicolina Pezzone, Struthers; Reagan Schultz, Oak Harbor; Cameron Kaufman, Sandusky Perkins; Karsyn McGlothen, St. Mary's; Cora Hall, Sheridan; Cara Cooper, Circleville; Kayla Drake, Clinton Massie; Alyana Crouch, Ross; Camrynn Lenneman, Taylor

Ontario's Autumn Taylor was named honorable mention All-Ohio for her 2022 season.

Second Team

Lilly Irvine, Buckeye Valley; Brianna Sawyers, Licking Valley; Lexi Paulson, Bloom Carroll; Sydney Marshall, John Glenn; Mia Rose, Indian Valley; Sydney Mercer, West Branch; Nikki Goode, Cloverleaf; Hannah Gurich, Keystone; Sammy Gingras, Copley; Addison Arnold, Bryan; Eva Irons, Elida; Kaylee Grant, Lima Shawnee; Avery Miller, Unioto; Suzzy Wall, Waverly; Susie Blocher, Greenville; Dani Ross, Shawnee; Audrey Fyffe, Kenton Ridge

Honorable Mention

Danielle Robbins, Jonathan Alder; Katlyn Jardine, Heath; Olivia Alward, Lakewood; Julia King, Steubenville; Alivia Boothe, John Glenn; Emma Flinner, Triway; Katie McDonald, Poland Seminary; Larren Rounds, Firelands; Audrey Miller, Marlington; Jillian Morr, Lexington; Autumn Pelok, Wauseon; Autumn Taylor, Ontario; Carly King, Logan Elm; Kerrigan Ward, Vinton County; Ashley Lykins, New Richmond; Chameron Vanden Eynden, Goshen; Emily Skelly, Urbana

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jfurr@gannett.com

740-244-9934

Twitter: @JakeFurr11

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Morr and Taylor earn honorable mention All-Ohio honors
Rep. Liz Cheney listens during the House select committee hearing on the Jan. 6 attack on July 27, 2021. AP Photo/ Andrew Harnik)

Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming is in an intense political battle to hold on to her seat in Congress.

Her supporters say they are a silent majority in the state and are hopeful about her reelection.

"When it comes to Liz Cheney and the rest of the Republican Party, there's gonna be some pretty damning upsets," one GOP official said.

CASPER, Wyoming  A slew of campaign billboards along the highways of Casper reminds voters in the state's second-largest city of the bitter political war ahead: Rep. Liz Cheney's fight to keep her seat and thwart former President Donald Trump's target on her.

The August 16 Republican primary is still two months out, but Wyoming is already gearing up to become a battleground between far-right MAGA adherents and establishment Republicans.

"You've got those that want to take a very hard stance to the right, and those that are more moderate and want to be more inclusive, the Big Tent Republicans, and now you're seeing that competition rear its ugly head," Troy Thompson, a veterinarian, and Laramie County commissioner who's politically active, told Insider.

Despite Trump's full-fledged efforts to oust her from Congress, Cheney  a member of Wyoming political royalty  still commands lots of respect in the Cowboy State. Her supporters, decrying Trump's antics, say their voice exists and has so far gone unheard.

"The people who hate Liz Cheney will gladly stand at their pulpit and scream it to the ends of the world," Landon Brown, a state lawmaker who supports Cheney, told Insider.

"I'm not positive if that's the case, but I certainly feel that we have a silent majority that is not as loud and not as vocal as what you see with the Trump supporters," he continued. "And just because they're loud does not mean that they're the most prominent. And I do believe when it comes to Liz Cheney and the rest of the Republican Party, there's gonna be some pretty damning upsets."

Insider spoke with nearly a dozen GOP officials and voters in Wyoming who say they reject Trump's grip over the GOP and will vote for Cheney over his preferred challenger, Harriet Hageman, an attorney, and former Republican National Committee member. Cheney's supporters commend her record, admire her decision to defy Trump, and have defended her against a barrage of attacks in the red state.

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The election, like many GOP primaries across the country where Trump looms large, will test his influence and offer a glimpse at what the future of the Republican Party looks like. Both Cheney and Trump say this race is the most important of the year  perhaps the one thing they agree on today.

A billboard in Casper, Wyoming, paid for by Rep. Liz Cheney's campaign. Oma Seddiq/Insider

Cheney attempts to fend off a formidable challenger

In large, white block letters on one billboard, Cheney's campaign blasted Hageman's past opposition to Trump, before she transformed into his loyal follower.

"The weakest," "racist and xenophobic," reads the sign  words Hageman used to describe Trump when he ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

"Ouch. That hurts," the tagline says.

An anti-Trump poster in the western state seemed largely unimaginable a couple of years ago. In 2020, Trump won Wyoming with 70% of the vote  his largest margin of victory in the country. Cheney, at the time, similarly coasted to victory in Wyoming, a Republican stronghold.

But ever since Trump sought to overturn the 2020 election results, culminating in the deadly violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, divisions between Republicans in Wyoming have deepened. Trump's most ardent supporters turned against Cheney after she voted with all Democrats and nine Republicans to impeach him on a charge of "incitement of insurrection." Cheney's become one of Trump's loudest critics in Congress and sits on the House select committee investigating the attack. A revenge-seeking Trump is now determined to get her out of power.

One voter who's involved in GOP politics in Cheyenne, Wyoming's capital and largest city, said Cheney's decision to go after Trump has made her "pretty vulnerable."

"She was really unbeatable before," the voter, who asked not to be named to avoid backlash, told Insider. "I do feel like she'll win. But I don't know."

Trump aggressively campaigned for Hageman on May 28 in Wyoming, his first-ever political appearance in the state, to a crowd of thousands. His supporters cheered on his smears of Cheney and vowed to never vote for her.

Cheney, a 55-year-old staunch conservative who is the daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, is framing the race not as a referendum on Trump, but on the truth and the Constitution.

"If we set aside our founding principles for the politics of the moment, the miracle of our constitutional republic will slip away. We must not let that happen," she said in her first campaign video released on May 26, the day she filed for reelection.

Hageman, a former Cheney ally, is trying to distinguish herself as a better candidate with a platform centered around energy, the border, and stopping the Biden administration's policies.

Cheney has already raked in nearly $3 million in the first quarter of the year and has $6.8 million cash on hand, an unusually high amount for a House race. A strong fundraiser, she's received support from establishment Republicans, including former President George W. Bush and former House Speaker Paul Ryan. Hageman, in comparison, has around $1 million cash on hand, and a network of Trump allies in her corner.

The Cheney family has never lost an election in Wyoming. The lawmaker's father, who first ran for the at-large congressional district 44 years ago and was re-elected five times, is still widely revered in the state.

"There may be a perception nationally that we are more rigid in our politics than we really are, that we are more far, far uber-right than we really are," Rita Meyer, a former state auditor and longtime family friend to the Cheneys, told Insider. "The media's gonna pick up the old pickup truck with the guns in the back and the redneck driving in the front  that's not a reality for the whole of Wyoming."

President Donald Trump talks with Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) at the White House on November 25, 2019. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

'Liz Cheney delivered'

At the base of an 8,000-foot mountain lies the sprawling city of Casper, home to around 59,000 people in central Wyoming. Nicknamed the "Oil City," Casper became a hub for oil and gas more than a century ago, and the statewide industry remains a big economic driver in Wyoming, contributing more than $4.4 billion to the state in 2020.

Since she joined Congress five years ago, Cheney has been a relentless advocate for fossil fuels, voting against bills that would prevent their development and endorsing legislation to protect Wyoming producers.

"Liz Cheney delivered. Anytime that we needed her, her help, she was there," Pete Obermueller, president of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, told Insider. "There's just no doubt about it. We're grateful for that. And we haven't forgotten that." Obermueller did not disclose who he is voting for.

Besides her energy policy, Cheney is pro-Second Amendment, anti-abortion rights, and a fervent military and defense hawk, boasting one of the most conservative records in the House. She voted with Trump 93% of the time during his one term.

"Liz has voted the right way for all of us in Wyoming," Meyer said. "In the end, I think that she will continue to be our elected representative in Congress."

Cheney, however, has been ostracized by her party for her defiance of Trump. House Republicans, led by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, purged her from her leadership post last year. The Wyoming Republican Party also censured her, and later voted to no longer recognize her as a Republican.

Still, some Republicans back home are standing by her. Joe McGinley, a state committeeman for the Natrona County Republican Party and a Cheney supporter, voted "no" on both of the resolutions against her.

"I was censured three times here in Wyoming, so it doesn't really carry much weight," he told Insider, dismissing the Cheney votes as a "joke."

Republicans who have stuck their neck out for Cheney said the ramifications she's endured show how divided and intolerant the party has become, partly fueled by Trump's rhetoric.

"She is still a Republican. Nobody can take that away from her. And she's also still our representative and there's nothing that they can do to take that away from her," Brown, who represents parts of Cheyenne, told Insider. "It's based off of her [impeachment] vote and, what they see as heresy, her continued dialogue against Donald Trump. They all see him as the Messiah."

Those who support Cheney think they still have the numbers, even though the MAGA faction of the party may steal the spotlight.

"I believe there's a silent majority out there, a true silent majority that are humble, quiet conservatives," McGinley said. "They may or may not agree with the January 6th committee or the impeachment vote, but they believe in Representative Cheney's voting record."

Former President Donald Trump's "Save America" rally in Casper, Wyoming on Saturday, May 28, 2022. Oma Seddiq/Insider

Cheney vs. Trump

Amid the criticism, Cheney has doubled down in a bid to wrestle away control from Trump.

"She's grown up in the political sphere. She understands it's not for folks that aren't really tough," Meyer told Insider. "Liz is tough and she articulates well, she understands the Constitution, and she is a great upholder of the Constitution."

As vice-chair of the January 6 committee, Cheney has been at the forefront of unraveling what Trump did that day, and is expected to reveal the panel's findings in public hearings starting on Thursday. Cheney's supporters, while they may disagree with some of her approaches, have applauded her independent streak and called her courageous to confront Trump.

"I would've done it differently. But philosophically, I'm proud of her," Jack Speight, a longtime attorney in Cheyenne, told Insider. "She had some balls to stand up to a bully, i.e. Trump. She knows right from wrong."

Some Cheney fans, who consider her an important voice for democracy, fear that she may have committed political suicide with her anti-Trump position and that the MAGA base may prevail.

"She's gonna lose and it breaks my heart," said one Republican voter with deep ties in the state. "I think she's an American hero, but she's gonna lose."

That voter, who asked not to be named for fear of repercussions, said they could see a path to a Cheney victory if she focuses on the economy, tells voters what she's done for the state, "and then just bombarding Harriet with negatives because Harriet's not a good candidate."

Several Trump-backed candidates around the nation have recently lost their primary elections, reflecting what some say is his diminishing grasp over the party. It's still too early to predict how Cheney will perform, and there has not been significant polling on the race yet.

"If she wanted to skate in, she would do what most sycophants are doing: Republicans which are pandering to the Trump train simply for political gain, simply to remain in office," Susan Stubson, a precinct committeewoman for the Natrona County Republican Party, told Insider. "The fact that she's not doing that is, in my view, is this is a calculation that she's made that is much bigger than politics."

Win or lose, Cheney's supporters say they are unwilling to forfeit the party to Trump.

"We're not gonna let them hijack who we are," Stubson said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Senator Chris Murphy and Senator John Cornyn

Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty, Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Gett Chris Murphy (left), John Cornyn

In the wake of a number of recent mass shootings, a Connecticut Democrat and Texas Republican are coming together with the goal of finding common ground on gun reform.

Mass shootings are all-too-familiar for Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, both of whom have been in office while major events took place in their home states.

Murphy, 48, became a leading proponent of gun reform in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012, in which 20 children and 6 adults were killed. Cornyn, 70, was in office in Nov. 2017, when a shooter opened fire during a Sunday service and killed 26 parishioners at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs  and in May of this year, when 21 people were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, including 19 children.

Now, Cornyn and Murphy are leading talks about how to move forward on gun legislation proposals.

RELATED: The U.S. Lawmakers Who Have Received the Most Funding from the NRA

Bipartisan, federal measures have been attempted in the past  without much success.

Just four months after the Sandy Hook shooting in 2013, the Manchin-Toomey amendment  which would have required background checks on all commercial gun sales  failed, getting only 54 of the 60 votes it needed to overcome a filibuster.

This time, some lawmakers say, is different.

For more on this story, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

"I've never been part of negotiations as serious as these," Murphy said in an appearance on CNN's State of the Union Sunday. "There are more Republicans at the table talking about changing our gun laws and investing in mental health than at any time since Sandy Hook."

Murphy offered a caveat, however: "Now, I've also been part of many failed negotiations in the past, so I'm sober minded about our chances."

RELATED: Matthew McConaughey Urges Lawmakers to Treat Gun Safety as Nonpartisan

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Murphy his goal was to come to an agreement "this week," Politico reports.

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"My goal is to get agreement this week," he said. "But I don't feel any deadlines being put upon me in these negotiations. We're going to pay a price with the American public if we don't come up with a deal soon. The pressure I feel is from the people that I represent."

So far, there are scant details about what a bipartisan agreement might entail. Though the lawmakers participating in the discussions have offered some clues.

"We're talking about a meaningful change in our gun laws, a major investment in mental health, perhaps some money for school security, that would make a difference," Murphy said on State of the Union. "On the table is red flag laws, changes to our background check system to improve the existing system, a handful of other items that will make a difference."

RELATED: Sen. Chuck Grassley's Iowa Town Hall Heats Up over Inaction on Gun Violence: 'The Answer Is Not to Do Nothing'

In a video posted to his website, Cornyn offered similar details about the ongoing discussions saying, "I want to be clear, though: we are not talking about restricting the rights of current law-abiding gun owners or citizens."

According to Cornyn, the lawmakers discussing gun reforms now are not talking about "banning a category of weapons across the board, a ban for certain high-capacity magazines, or changing the background check system by adding additional disqualifying items."

"If we're actually serious about finding common ground and building consensus, those sorts of things will stand no chance of passing the Senate," he added, saying he is instead interested in measures aimed at "strengthening mental health, bolstering school security, keeping guns out of the hands of people who are already legally prohibited from having them."

To express your opinion on gun reform proposals to your own representatives in Congress, you can look them up and contact them here: congress.gov/members
WASHINGTON  Two of Americas most famously progressive cities may take right turns Tuesday, when California and six other states hold primary elections.

This years sixth round of primary elections will feature no major Senate or gubernatorial battles. But primaries will determine who may end up representing millions of Americans in California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota.

In Los Angeles, long-simmering frustrations with issues like homelessness and crime have made an ex-Republican billionaire the unlikely front-runner to be the next mayor of the heavily Democratic megacity.

Rick Caruso, a major real estate developer who only recently joined the Democratic Party and received a rare endorsement from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has spent more than $34 million on his campaign  nearly 10 times more than his main opponent, six-term Democratic Rep. Karen Bass.

Video: Breaking down primary elections in seven states

While the money helps, Caruso has tapped into growing resentment about the state of the city and the perception that its Democratic leaders have been unable to do much about it.

Homelessness continues to rise while housing has become even less affordable. Crime is up, traffic is worse, and high gas prices come with extra sting in a city infamous for its long commutes.

Los Angeles County, which has for decades been a magnet for Americans dreaming of a fresh start, saw more people leave during the first year of the pandemic than any other in the U.S., according to census data released in March.

Rep. Karen Bass (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

With TV ads promising to clean up LA and to be a doer ... not just a talker, Caruso has portrayed himself as a nonideological outsider with the ability and willingness to do what the city needs, even if it angers activists or unions. His plan to hire 1,500 new police officers, for instance, has earned rebukes from other candidates focused more on the LAPDs civil rights issues.

Bass and her allies, meanwhile, have compared Caruso to another party-switching billionaire real estate developer  former President Donald Trump  and highlighted Carusos past donations to GOP candidates like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and to anti-abortion causes.

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Hes a fraud, says the narrator of an ad from a pro-Bass super PAC, calling Caruso a lifelong Republican.

L.A.s recent mayoral elections have been relatively sleepy affairs where only around 1 in 5 registered voters bothered to turn out. But analysts say that could be different this year, as term-limited Mayor Eric Garcetti leaves office with low approval ratings and polls showing a growing number of voters concerned about the direction of the city.

The contest, however, will likely continue into the fall since none of the candidates are expected to clear the 50 percent threshold necessary to avoid a runoff, which is scheduled to coincide with the general election in November.

Its a similar story in San Francisco, another famously progressive city that has been suffering from familiar urban plights  it had an even bigger exodus recently than L.A. on a per-capita basis. But crime has become the central flashpoint here, as polls suggest voters are poised to fire their reformist district attorney in a recall election Tuesday.

Chesa Boudin (Jeff Chiu / AP file)

Chesa Boudin made national headlines when he was elected to be San Franciscos top prosecutor in 2019. Boudins parents were members of the violent left-wing Weather Underground and imprisoned for much of his childhood, but Boudin went to Yale and earned a Rhodes Scholarship before, years later, joining a wave of reformist DA candidates that embraced Black Lives Matter and called for a new approach to policing.

Three years later, however, many San Franciscans have grown exasperated by a perception of impunity for low-level crimes like shoplifting, while violent crime is also up; Mayor London Breed declared a crackdown in December on the reign of criminals who are destroying our city.

Under Boudin, the DAs office  which once was run by now-Vice President Kamala Harris  has seen an exodus of attorneys, with some even joining the recall effort against their former boss.

The rest of Tuesdays primaries have attracted less attention.

In Iowa, Democrats are expected to nominate former Rep. Abby Finkenauer to challenge longtime Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley in November, but while Finkenauer is seen as a strong candidate, the state has trended red and Democrats may be lucky just to hold onto their one congressional seat.

Montana, meanwhile, gained a second congressional seat in the latest round of redistricting. Ryan Zinke, who served as interior secretary under Trump, is expected to win the GOP nomination for the Republican-leaning district.

In New Jersey, Trump called on his supporters to oust Republican Rep. Chris Smith, the states longest-serving member of Congress, after he broke party ranks to vote for Bidens infrastructure plan, but Trump never really followed up or endorsed either of Smiths GOP rivals. Smith still has the backing of his partys congressional leaders and is seen as a favorite.

Several of the states congressional districts are expected to be competitive in the fall, with crowded Republican fields out to take back seats recently won by Democrats like Reps. Andy Kim and Mikie Sherrill.

In the only open congressional seat in the state, representing a deep blue area around Jersey City, the entire Democratic establishment has lined up behind Robert Rob Menendez Jr., the son of Sen. Robert Bob Menendez, though he is facing two other Democrats.

In New Mexico, Republicans will pick from a crowded field of candidates to face off against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is seen as vulnerable in November.

And in South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem, a national GOP rising star, is expected to cruise to re-nomination. Trump had called on her to challenge South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune because he did not support Trumps attempts to overturn the 2020 election, but she opted to run for re-election instead and Thune is also seen as a heavy favorite.
Two days before he drowned in Tempe Town Lake while begging three police officers for help, Sean Bickings sat down with Mayor Corey Woods to discuss ways to assist the citys homeless community.

Mr Bickings, known by his nickname Madrocks, had ideas about how to help unsheltered residents like himself, and would often advocate on their behalf, friends say.

Sean was a leader of his community, close friend Ben Jeffrey told AZFamily.com.

He was asking questions about how to get out of his homeless situation.

Recounting the meeting, Mayor Woods said in a Facebook post that Mr Bickings had graciously volunteered to work with city officials and nonprofits to try to improve life for residents without housing.

He said Mr Bickings arrived after the meeting had started, and that he gave up his seat at the head of the table as he wanted the discussion to be led by the community it affected.

I didnt feel that it was necessary or appropriate to have an elected official at the head of the table when I was there to listen to the voices of those that were invited to speak on their experiences.

Sean Bickings begged for help from three Tempe police officers as he was drowning (Facebook)

Mr Bickings also wanted advice on how to deal with an outstanding police arrest warrant, friends say.

Mayor Woods did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent, and its not clear whether an accommodation on his legal problems was discussed or reached.

Two days later on 28 May, police were called to reports of a disturbance between Mr Bickings and his wife Susan at the to the Elmore Pedestrian Bridge at 5am.

Edited bodycam footage released by the Tempe Police Department shows that when they arrived on the scene, the couple told officers that no physical altercation had taken place.

The officers then told them they would run their names through a police database to check for any arrest warrants.

At that point, Mr Bickings is seen in the bodycam footage telling police he is going for a swim.

Im gonna go for a swim. Im free to go right? Mr Bickings says.

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The 34-year-old then clambers over a metal fence and sits on the edge of the water.

Bodycam footage of the moments leading up to Sean Bickings death (12News)

The officers stand watching from the waters edge and tell him he cant go swimming in the lake.

Youre not allowed to swim in the lake, one of the officers tells him.

Mr Bickings then jumps into the water below the bridge and starts to swim away.

The officers make no movement to retrieve him from the water, simply watching as they discuss how far they think he will manage to swim, according to a transcript.

Mr Bickings can be heard telling the officers: Im drowning. An officer tells Mr Bickings to swim to a pylon, but he says he is unable to.

Okay, Im not jumping in after you, the officers responds.

Moments later, Mr Bickings says: I cant touch. Oh God. Please help me. Help me.

An unidentified witness then offers to jump in to try to save him.

Please stop being so aggressive, the witness says.

Oh my God, is he okay? Stop, why are you doing this?

Mr Bickings is not seen again. His body was recovered by the Tempe Fire Rescue Team around six hours later at 11.30am.

According to Arizona Republic, an initial police statement stated that said police had immediately started rescue efforts.

Police also described Mr Bickings as uncooperative with rescue efforts in their original statement.

The Tempe Police Department are investigating the death, with oversight from the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Attempting such a high-risk rescue could easily result in the death of the person in the water and the officer, who could be pulled down by a struggling adult, a police union said (City of Tempe)

The three police officers who attended the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave while the inter-agency inquiry is carried out. Police have said the bodycam footage cannot be released in its entirety due to its graphic, sensitive nature.

The apparent inaction by police officers provoked anger and disbelief among his friends, and Mr Bickings family is reportedly considering pursuing a civil lawsuit against the city.

To hear of someone standing there while his wife screams in the background to save my husband, I dont have anything without him, its despicable, a friend of several years, Orionya Jensen, told AZFamilycom.

Black Lives Matter Phoenix activist Jamaar Williams told Arizona Republic that the threat of police violence had contributed to Mr Bickings death.

The whole reason Madrocks was scared is because of the threat, it was police violence, Mr Williams told the news outlet.

Police dont actually have to be exercising that violence to cause that reaction which is fear, panic, and self-survival.

The Tempe Officers Association has defended the officers actions.

Attempting such a high-risk rescue could easily result in the death of the person in the water and the officer, who could be pulled down by a struggling adult, the police union said in a statement.

Officers are trained to call the Fire Department ... or get the Tempe Police boat. That is what officers did here.

The police union added that officers do not receive training in water rescue and do not have equipment to help people who are drowning.

However, the incidents grief mirrors our communitys grief, the union said, adding: No one wanted this incident to end as it did.

Mr Bickings devastated friends hope that his death will result in more safety measures being put in place around Tempe Town Lake.

They want to see buoys and lifejackets placed around the lake, which is part of the Salt River that runs from Tempe west through suburban Phoenix.
A familys refusal to get tacos led to a man attacking his sister, niece and juvenile nephew, Texas police say.

The incident happened just after midnight Sunday, June 5, at a home in Wichita Falls, according to a police report. A 38-year-old from Grandfield, Oklahoma, had been drinking all night at a party when he asked everyone if they wanted to go out for tacos, Wichita Falls police said.

Everyone at the party said no to the mans request, leading to him becoming aggressive, according to police. He pushed his sister, and when his 14-year-old nephew intervened, he tackled his nephew to the ground, punched him in the body and hit him in the face, police said in the affidavit.

The rest of the family pulled the man off his nephew and tackled him. They eventually let him back up, but police say he then punched his niece who was calling the police.

Police found the suspect a few blocks away from the home, and he was arrested.

The man, who McClatchy News is not naming, was charged with two counts of assault-family violence and one count of injury to a child-family violence.

Wichita Falls is about 115 miles northwest of Fort Worth.

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A Manchester man was arrested after reported threats of violence directed at Manchester Community College, according to the police.

The Manchester Police Department was notified on May 23 that Darius Burke, 27, made threats to harm himself and others over the phone, police said in a release.

The caller reported that Burke allegedly said he was going to shoot up Manchester Community College and then harm himself, according to police. It was also reported he allegedly said he would not be satisfied with his life until he goes through with his plan, police said.

According to police, officers immediately made efforts to speak with Burke and located him. When confronted about the statements, he admitted to having thoughts related to what was reported, police said.

In the following days, additional information was gathered by officers investigating the threats made by Burke, police said. Police said Burke was the subject of multiple incidents during which he allegedly made threats to harm himself and others.

Based on a pattern of behavior and the specific threats of violence, officers obtained an arrest warrant and a risk protection order for Burke, which were both approved, police said. The order prevents a person from having or getting firearms, deadly weapons or ammunition if they are at immediate risk of causing personal injury to themselves or another person.

On Monday, Burke was taken into custody , placed under arrest and charged with second-degree breach of peace and second-degree threatening, police said.

Burke initially was held in lieu of $100,000 bail and appeared in court on Tuesday, according to police. Burke was released after he posted bond, police said. Burke will be monitored by a GPS bracelet until his next appearance in court, and the risk protection order remains active, police said.

According to police, Manchester Community College and MCC police were made aware of the statements made by Burke and were notified of his release on Tuesday.
Priscilla Chan (R) embraces her husband Mark Zuckerberg while announcing the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to

Few places in America illustrate the inequalities of the US prison-industrial complex better than Californias San Quentin State Prison.

The fortress-like facility sits by the water, surrounded by the million-dollar homes of tech executives, across the bay from the glittering wealth of San Francisco. Inside, San Quentin houses some of the states highest-security prisoners, and, until recently, Californias death row . It was in this prison where the fight for ending mass incarceration got an unlikely ally from the other side of the bay: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

In 2015, he and Priscilla Chan, his wife, visited San Quentin to see a coding class for incarcerated people and learn more about the sprawling US prison system and its disproportionate impact on people of colour.

Making our criminal justice system fairer and more effective is a huge challenge for our country, Mr Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook at the time. Im going to keep learning about this topic, but some things are already clear. We cant jail our way to a just society, and our current system isnt working.

A few months later, the couples baby daughter Max was born, and the pair announced the $45bn Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), a philanthropic vessel through which the billionaires would donate 99 per cent of their Facebook shares. Over the years, the CZI has poured more than $160m into tackling criminal justice work. The billionaires are making it one of their signature issues, in the same way their contemporaries have in other areas, Marc Benioff and ending homelessness, or Bill Gates and public health.

Californias San Quentin State Prison (Getty Images)

In 2021, the initiative announced its biggest investment in justice work yet, a $450m commitment over the next five years split between FWD.us, an existing immigration and criminal justice reform group under the CZI, and a new outfit called The Just Trust.

Facebooks corporate profile may be growing more complicated in the wider cultureis it a site that brought people together worldwide, or accelerated the increasing polarization, radicalization, and misinformation of American life? But Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg are betting, and betting big, that criminal justice is the rare area where a variety of people can come together for something unequivocally good: keeping more Americans out of the prison system and giving them a chance for something better.

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The thesis of this investment, and in particular The Just Trust, is that Americans of all political stripes are unhappy with the present system of mass incarceration and open to changing things. The group, now one of the largest funders of criminal justice reform in the country, says it aims to support efforts that  work across the country and across political divides .

Thats why criminal justice reform is so unique. We can really bring a broad coalition of folks that might disagree on literally everything else, Ana Zamora, CEO of the Just Trust, told The Independent. They fully agree on the value of the reality of criminal justice in America. It is a huge system that takes a lot of taxpayer money and is not delivering on its promise of safety.

A test case of this approach can be found in Kentucky. The state, with Republican control of both houses of the legislature, is more conservative than most.

Kentucky has a high rate of drug overdose, driven in part by the opioid crisis. (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

But has also been ravaged by the opioid crisis, having the second-highest drug overdose mortality rate in the country, according to the CDC . This makes many leaders in Kentucky more amenable to a criminal justice approach focused on treatment and rehabilitation than punishment.

Beth Davisson, a senior vice president at the Just Trust-supported Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Foundation, said that the states extremely low workforce participation rate, combined with the opioid crisis and the pandemic, have made the normally more-conservative business community eager to get involved in criminal justice.

In Kentucky we have an exorbitant amount of individuals that are going into the system because of substance use disorders and nonviolent crimes, she said. In our state, we have a lot of compassionate legislators that really understand the disease of addiction, and the role that incarceration and recidivism plays in the disease of addiction. That comes from both slides.

The chamber has helped lobby for automatic clean slate record clearance after prison sentences, opening professional licensing requirements for people with past felony convictions, and raising the felony theft threshold to avoid over-incarcerating the poor.

It supported 2020s Kentucky Comeback programme, which has trained over 2,000 employers on fair-chance hiring, and opened up nearly 30,000 jobs to formerly incarcerated people.

Of course, framing mass incarceration as a drag on business isnt the only way to approach the problem.

The Just Trust has also supported the Kentucky branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, which runs a programme called Smart Justice Advocates that trains formerly incarcerated people to become criminal justice reform advocates.

Most legislators dont really get it until they have a loved one thats impacted by these issues, and the large part of the public as well, Marcus Jackson, the initiatives organising coordinator and a participant in the programme himself, told The Independent. Its like that light has to go off. They have to see that loved one, that person that they know, they see its a good person to end up in some of these situations, before they really understand this is not a bad person. These are just mistakes.

Hes seen how effective this approach can be first hand.

He remembers one state legislator who once claimed that incarcerated people should have their limbs cut off so they couldnt be used to commit crimes. The Smart Justice Advocates programme met with him, and he eventually became a sponsor on a bill that opened up the opportunity for people with past felony convictions to access the states KEES education funding programme.

The group has also thrown its narrative muscle behind a 2021 bill that stopped the automatic transfer of juveniles to adult court, and another about bettering conditions for pregnant people inside prison.

Their next priority is SB 379, a bill that would narrow the ability of courts to label people as persistent felony offenders, a practice that often ended up doubling prison sentences for those convicted of as few as one previous felony.

Its a law that wouldve drastically impacted Mr Jacksons own life.

He was sent to prison in 1992 for a shooting he didnt commit, setting off years of recidivism and pain for his family before someone else signed an affidavit in 2014 saying theyd committed the assault.

My daughter was five when I left and she was 15 when I came home, he said.

A beloved grandmother, an old Tennessee woman as he put it, who had always supported him and reminded him of the dignity in all people, passed away while he was still inside.

Her words just stuck with me, he said. They just lived inside of me. To never allow anyone to make me feel a certain way about myself.

This emphasis on the dignity and perspective of those in the justice system is behind another Just Trust-supported project, the Prison Journalism Project, which publishes professional-quality reporting from currently incarcerated journalists.

Those in the justice system may feel the full weight of the state, but most people rarely hear from them directly, according to founder and editor-in-chief Yukari Kane, a former Wall Street Journal reporter.

Theres always a filter there. People outside can never get into those communities unless theyve been there themselves. First of all, prisons and jails have actually physical walls around them meant to keep people out, she said. Most access, when you try and write a story about criminal justice, has to have the approval of the administration, which means that youre seeing a very filtered view of what s going on inside

The project is in 37 states and Washington DC, and has published almost 500 writers. Its also training many more individuals, who have circulated the projects training materials among incarcerated people. Their reporters have written on everything on from Covid outbreaks behind bars to personal essays on running.

How much is missed when people inside communities arent able to tell their own stories Ms Kane added.

This type of coalition, bringing together business leaders, directly impacted people, storytellers, and more, could be threatened by a cultural return to Tough on Crime-style ideas as places experience pandemic-era increases in crime.

As a result of that uptick in crime, we are seeing a media explosion of really scary high profile violence, and that is being pulled into the political space, Ms Zamora said. That is inevitable, these kinds of shifts are going to happen. What were trying to do is invest and build a movement of advocates, despite inevitable shifts. Thats how you make durable long-term change.

Ana Zamora of the Just Trust was a featured speaker at the American Workforce and Justice Summit 2022 , a two-day gathering of more than 150 business leaders, policy experts and campaign organizations focused on how corporations can meaningfully engage in justice issues and create change in the workplace and beyond. The Independent reported from AWJ 2022 as media partner.
Marylands Inspector General for Education is calling on the states Department of Education to authorize a performance audit of the Baltimore City school system after investigators found inconsistencies in grading practices.

Inspector General for Education Richard Henry released a 28-page report Tuesday detailing his offices examination of grading policies for the school system that enrolls an estimated 78,000 students. The report describes differing interpretations, applications and adherence to grade change procedures among high school staff.

The Baltimore City school system did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon. Officials have until June 29 to submit a response or rebuttal to the inspector generals findings.

The investigation centered largely on practices among teachers, assistant principals and principals of rounding up grades when a student was within one to three percentage points of passing. The minimum passing grade for a city school student is 60%. While Baltimore City school system policy states about 70% of a students grade is based on assignments and tests, the remaining 30% is discretionary  meaning schools have a lot of leeway to decide the criteria.

Investigators focused on Baltimore City high schools since grading policies at the elementary and middle school levels use incomplete to record failing grades. Officials identified more than 12,500 instances across the system where grades were changed from a fail to a pass between 2016 and the end of the 2019-20 school year. Data for the 2019-20 school year is incomplete, but changes recorded before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when school systems decided to advance students at the end of the school year were included in the investigation.

Grade changes can happen for a variety of reasons, Baltimore Citys Chief of Schools John Davis told investigators, according to the report. Davis oversees principals and daily classroom instruction.

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A student may work with their teacher to complete assignments or take extra steps to demonstrate they understand the material. Another reason could be missed grading deadlines or long-term reliance on substitute teachers, who dont have access to the grading system.

The key question, Davis said, is whether the student and teacher worked together to understand the material and whether the student earned the grade.

We have to trust our teachers and principals to be able to do that because there are just different situations, he told investigators.

Still, investigators found that some principals and assistant principals directed educators to automatically bump all 58% and 59% grades up to a passing, according to redacted emails included in the report.

The report does not delve into grade changes that occurred at levels higher than a failure, such as from 89% to 90%. And it was not immediately clear how the blanket policies of rounding up failing grades impacted matriculation or graduation rates.

The states education watchdog launched the investigation in September 2020 after fielding several complaints and allegations of systemic grade changes, including from the states now defunct Office of Education Accountability. The office fell under the purview of the governors Office for Children, which was closed in June 2020. The report also noted Fox45s coverage in 2019 of grading inconsistencies at one city school.

According to the inspector generals report, some employees were reluctant to speak with investigators, which delayed the investigation for an unspecified amount of time. Investigators interviewed top executives, former and current teachers, administrative staff and managers as well as reviewed student data, records and grade change forms.
Financing a Sustainable Future in Partnership with Bank of America

Kazi Awal/Insider

St. Louis mayor, Tishaura Jones Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Mastercard is expanding its investment in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, with a new program focused on helping small businesses.

It's an extension and refinement of the company's "In Solidarity" program, which committed $500 million to support Black communities across the country.

This article is part of the "Financing a Sustainable Future" series exploring how companies take steps to set and fund sustainable goals.

A $500 million program that was launched to fund improvements to Black communities across the US is extending its remit to help small businesses go digital, and grow.

Mastercard last month rolled out Digital Doors STL in St. Louis, Missouri, in partnership with the St. Louis Development Corporation. At the program's core is a dedicated, locally-focused online platform that provides tools and content to help small business owners transition to, or improve, their ecommerce offerings and digital profile.

Mastercard recognized the importance of helping small businesses bridge the digital gap as so many companies were devastated by the global pandemic, when they did not have the means to compete online. "When COVID hit, of the 30 million small businesses in the US, roughly 10 million of them did not have a digital or online presence," said Ginger Siegel, North America small business lead.

A higher percentage of Black-owned businesses faced this challenge, and subsequently went out of business when they could not compete with customer demands for online services and information.

St. Louis is one of seven cities Mastercard pledged to support back in September 2020 with a program called "In Solidarity." It was one of many big commitments made by corporations in the wake of George Floyd's murder, when the country began a process of reckoning over systemic inequities for Black Americans. The other cities included were Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Dayton, OH; Los Angeles, CA; New Orleans, LA; and New York City, NY.

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Along with the announcement, Mastercard, along with the Fearless Fund's Strivers Grant Contest, awarded a $10,000 grant to Jehasheba "Hoba" Smith, CEO and creative director of Floral Play, a St. Louis small business.

Evolution of a community program

This move to support small businesses in those seven cities represents an evolution of the original program, based on where the company believes it can have maximum impact on the communities it serves.

"It's the natural progression of our stance on inclusion," said Salah Goss, head of social impact, North America Center for Inclusive Growth at Mastercard. "We are focusing on small businesses because they are the engines of economies and wealth creation."

Goss said that its focus came through a process of looking at the assets that the company as a whole could bring to these communities. "We took a hard look at our assets and where it made sense to be involved. Small business was something that we had in place and we could build on."

The "In Solidarity" program continues to evolve. Goss said that it has rolled out financial literacy curriculum to HBCU students in each of the seven cities it serves, as well as programs that help individuals dealing with economic shocks such as unemployment or illness.

Goss also said they are looking to work closely with the mayors in each of the seven cities to help them with their economic agendas  and with their goals to combat ongoing inequities.

Tishuara Jones, mayor of St. Louis, recently unveiled her own ambitious plans to develop North St. Louis, which she cited in her statement about the Digital Doors STL program.

"Equitable development happens alongside the community, not to the community," Jones said. "Economic empowerment is key to my $150 million commitment to begin reversing decades of disinvestment in North St. Louis, and I appreciate SLDC and Mastercard coming together to get St. Louis small businesses the tools they need to grow and bring good jobs to our neighborhoods."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Matthew McConaughey, in an emotional speech at the White House on Tuesday, called for lawmakers to act on bipartisan gun reforms  two weeks after a mass shooting at a school in the actors Texas hometown left 19 students and two teachers dead.

We need to invest in mental health care, we need safer schools, we need to restrain sensationalized media coverage, we need to restore our family values, we need to restore our American values and we need responsible gun ownership, McConaughey said at the daily White House press briefing.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said McConaughey met with President Joe Biden just before the briefing on taking action and keeping our communities safe. The actor stressed the need for gun restrictions, such as background checks, red flag laws, raising the minimum age of purchase and a waiting period for guns such as AR-15 rifles.



His plea for tighter gun restrictions comes two weeks to the day after an 18-year-old gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where McConaughey grew up. The killings  along with a string of other mass shootings across the country in recent weeks  have ignited the gun reform debate in the U.S., as gun safety advocates press Congress to pass stricter laws.

Earlier Tuesday, McConaughey met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to discuss gun legislation.

McConaughey in his speech recounted stories of some of the victims of the Uvalde shooting whose parents he met when he and his wife, Camila Alves, visited the town last week. He appeared to choke up multiple times throughout the speech as he spoke about the young victims and their dreams.

At one point, McConaughey slammed the podium after he showed the green Converse sneakers one girl wore that were later used to identify her.



Where do we start? McConaughey asked. ... We start by making the loss of these lives matter.

The actor also took a hit at people in power who he said had failed to act. He called on lawmakers to toss partisan politics to the side and instead find middle ground on the issue and pass gun regulations.

Negotiations in Congress on a bipartisan gun reform deal are ongoing, but its unclear whether Democrats and Republicans will come to an agreement on a package that would limit gun rights.

Lets admit it: We cant truly be leaders if were only living for reelection, McConaughey said.
Matthew McConaughey shared graphic details of the victims who died in a mass shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, last month during a White House press briefing Tuesday.

The Hollywood actor and his wife, Camila Alves, showed press and viewers several artifacts, including drawings, pictures and clothing that they had received from parents of victims they met in Uvalde.

At one point, McConaughey pointed to green Converse sneakers worn by Maite Rodriguez that helped identify her body.

An emotional McConaughey shared that Rodriguez, who was 10 years old when she died, wore the green Converse sneakers with a heart on the right toe every day and loved the environment.

This is the same green Converse, on her feet, that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting, he said before slamming his hand on the White House podium.

He added that Rodriguez wanted to be a marine biologist when she grew up and wanted to live near the ocean to practice her profession.

The actor also shared stories of several other children who were killed in the shooting and how their families were coping following the incident that left 19 children and two adults dead.

McConaughey said that he and his wife on their visit to Uvalde after the shooting also met with a cosmetologist who was well versed in mortuary makeup.

He added that the victims needed much more than makeup to be presentable following their deaths, noting that they were mutilated beyond recognition after the massacre.

They needed extensive restoration. Why? Due to the exceptionally large exit wounds of an AR-15 rifle. Most of the bodies so mutilated that only DNA test and green Converse could identify [them], he said.

According to McConaughey, many children were left not only dead but hollow.

He added that counselors are going to be needed in Uvalde for some time to come.

McConaughey urged lawmakers to work together to pass several measures, including requiring background checks on all gun purchases, raising the legal age to buy assault rifles from 18 to 21 and instituting national waiting periods for them, in addition to implementing a national red flag system.

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He added that implementing gun control measures should not be a partisan issue.

Weve got chance right now to reach for a higher ground above our political affiliations, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A McDonalds employee remains on the run after hes accused of shooting and critically injuring a manager during an argument at the fast-food restaurant in Georgia last week, according to authorities.

The worker, identified as 21-year-old Christopher Jean-Pierre, is wanted on several charges stemming from the shooting Friday, June 3, at the McDonalds on Moreland Avenue in Atlanta, police said in a news release.

He faces counts of aggravated assault, aggravated battery and criminal attempt to commit murder, among other charges.

Officers arrived at the restaurant just before 4:15 p.m on Friday and found a woman who had been shot multiple times, authorities said. She was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.

Police havent released her identity, and her condition wasnt known as of Monday, June 7.

During their investigation, officers learned Jean-Pierre got into a spat with his manager and had been asked to leave, according to the release. He returned sometime later and confronted the woman outside before shooting her several times, police said.

Jean-Pierre fled the restaurant and hasnt been seen since, according to police.

The owner of the McDonalds addressed the incident in a statement.

Our top priority is always the safety and well-being of our employees and customers at our restaurants, Danesha Smith told McClatchy News. We are deeply disturbed by this incident and our thoughts are with our employee at this time. We are fully cooperating with local law enforcement in their investigation.

Anyone with information on Jean-Pierres whereabouts is asked to call 911.

Shooting at Taco Bell leaves teens with serious injuries, Georgia police say

Krispy Kreme customers attack workers over doughnut that wasnt in stock, SC cops say

Angry customer assaults McDonalds worker with french fry scooper, Nashville cops say
The 901: Memphis chamber plans to attract 50,000 new jobs to area. Heres how.

Two Memphis City Councilmen's push for the Memphis Police Department to decline to provide former President Donald Trump security during an event in Southaven next week fell short Tuesday.

It is not clear whether the resolution would have been anything more than a political statement by the City Council if it had passed. Public discussion among the council Tuesday showcased the body's widespread disapproval of the former president.

The heated discussion over Trump's security reflected less division over the former president but whether the resolution was the right thing to do.

The Memphis City Council voted 4-4-2 in committee, defeating a resolution sponsored by Councilmen JB Smiley, Jr, and Martavius Jones. The resolution will be up for a full council vote in two weeks, which comes after Trump's visit.

Jones and Smiley introduced the resolution last week. They cited the strained state of MPD personnel and the former president's history of unpaid bills for private security at his events.

"Elected leaders across the country should stand up and say 'no more lies and no more deceit,' Smiley said. Smiley is also running for the Tennessee Democratic gubernatorial nomination. His comments noted the lies the former president has made about the 2020 election.

Trump in Memphis: Two Memphis City Councilmen don't want Memphis police giving former President Trump security

Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas said the city should not be using taxpayer resources on someone who inspires divisiveness and racist acts. She said the council expected the police department to adhere to its resolution.

"The biggest threat to our democracy is the former president being elected again... We stand openly against hate... The majority of the people of Memphis stand with us. Your vote today will let the people of Memphis know where you stand," Smiley said.

"I don't believe we should be playing politics with security decisions," Councilman Worth Morgan said. Morgan is the Republican nominee for Shelby County mayor. "If there's a request to come forward to MPD, that's going to be for them to evaluate..."

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Other members of the council called the resolution a 'slippery slope,' and wondered if it should be passed at all.

"I worry... that there will be a law passed saying that we can't have this type of resolution," Councilman Jeff Warren said, noting the Tennessee General Assembly's proclivity for passing laws that supersede Memphis' authority.

"If we make it about the man, we destroy the office," said Councilman Chase Carlisle. He also issued a critique of the media for covering the resolution and its discussion during a public meeting and not covering the city's budget hearings a few hours earlier.

Councilman J. Ford Canale said he hoped the council would pass similar resolutions for other former presidents and called it a "slippery slope."

"I hate that man with a passion but he was the president of the United States," Councilman Edmund Ford, Sr. said, noting the prospect of violence. "We keep building this man up... I don't want them coming through that door because we are doing stuff like this... We are bringing hate out if we do this."

MPD confirmed again Tuesday that it has not been asked to provide security for the Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi, event on June 18. It said the same last week in response to questions about the resolution. Trump's scheduled visit is part of the "American Freedom Tour," a private event for which tickets are being sold about 15 miles south of Memphis.

Former presidents receive significant security through the Secret Service, which typically coordinates and requests help from local law enforcement as needed.

MPD Chief CJ Davis told the council the department had not received a request from the Secret Service for security. She said in a typical security situation the police department would escort a dignitary to the city's jurisdictional border and that's where the responsibility would end.

"We will assist in our jurisdiction," Davis said. "It's understood that the jurisdiction will support whether its the sitting president, the first lady, or the former president."

Assistant Chief Don Crowe said the requests for security come from a federal law enforcement agency, the Secret Service, and the department would be assisting a federal agency, not a particular person.

The "American Freedom Tour" responded to the resolution last week. Larry Ward, spokesman for the tour said, Would the Memphis City Council withhold security for Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, or Joe Biden? Of course, they would not, as it would be preposterous to do so."

Samuel Hardiman covers Memphis city government and politics for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by email at samuel.hardiman@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter at @samhardiman.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Donald Trump in Southaven: Memphis City Council on MPD security
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Tuesday accused the United States of double standards by refusing to invite Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua to the U.S.-hosted Summit of the Americas, while engaging with non-democratic governments in Southeast Asia.

"The so-called democratic clause is not applied equally in all cases, but only in some, when it is convenient," Ebrard wrote in a column published in Mexican newspaper Excelsior, pointing to Washington's relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and forming the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework in May.

Ebrard called the U.S. decision "inconsistent, if not contradictory." Among ASEAN's members are Myanmar, ruled by a military junta, and one-party Communist-ruled Vietnam.

Related video: Mexico's president snubs Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles

The United States chose not to invite the leftist leaders of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Communist-ruled Cuba to this week's Americas gathering in Los Angeles, citing concerns of a lack of democracy in their countries, a senior U.S. official said.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador withdrew because the United States said that not all countries in the Americas would be invited.

U.S. President Joe Biden aims to address regional migration and economic challenges at the summit. Lopez Obrador said he would meet Biden next month instead.

"Without that pressure, without that regrettable, embarrassing summit blackmail, (we) will talk in July," Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday at a regular news conference.

Other international groupings, such as the G20 and the United Nations, also have members not fully considered democracies by Western nations, foreign minister Ebrard said.

He will attend the summit in Lopez Obrador's place, and will push for the United States to end its embargo of Cuba, he told La Jornada newspaper.

(Reporting by Kylie Madry; additional reporting by Isabel Woodford; editing by Grant McCool)
Series header for Ride Along auto show recap

BI Graphics

Enthusiasts could see Ford vehicles old and new at the Carlisle show this past weekend, including this 1965 Shelby Cobra CSX. Barry Smith

Ford fans gathered at the carmaker's largest auto show in Carlisle, Pennsylvania this weekend.

Showgoers got to see everything from classic Ford models to the latest Ford electric vehicles.

Take a look at eight cars that caught attention at the show.

This article is part of the Ride Along series, a collection of stories recapping some of the biggest auto shows around the country.

Car enthusiasts from near and far got a glimpse of Ford's storied history and charged-up future at the Carlisle Ford Nationals show in Carlisle, Pennsylvania this past weekend.

The automaker may be dropping $50 billion to transition to electric vehicles, but Ford's hardly turning its back on its gas-powered legacy.

Ford has more than 100 years of history, stemming from the Model T to its most famous designs  such as the Mustang and the F-150  chock-full of impressive performance, speed, and design specs.

At the show, the largest Ford-only event in the world, attendees could see more than 3,100 Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles spanning the automaker's history.

From classic Fairlanes, Galaxies, and Thunderbolts to Torinos and Shelbys to all-new versions of the Bronco and Mustang, Ford-lovers could take a look at everything vintage and modern from the Detroit giant.

Here's a look at eight cars, old and new, that caught attention at the show.

2022 Ford Bronco Raptor

2022 Ford Bronco Raptor Ford

The higher-performance version of Ford's Bronco SUV has more than 400 horsepower and a towing capacity of 4,500 pounds.

Starting at $70,000, the Bronco Raptor is built for off-roading and significant rock-crawling in the desert. It rides on 37-inch all-terrain tires and is nearly 10 inches wider than the base model to allow for higher-speed cornering.

The automaker called the vehicle its "most powerful street-legal Bronco ever."

2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT

2022 Mustang Mach-E Ford

The all-electric luxury Mustang Mach-E GT SUV  which has a range of 250 miles per charge  starts at just under $61,995, up from the base model's $43,895 asking price.

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The performance package of the GT has 480 horsepower and uses its 634 pound-feet of torque to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds.

The vehicle is Ford's rival to other electric SUVs like the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Volkswagen ID.4.

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning

2022 F-150 Lightning XLT camping Ford

The electric version of Ford's iconic pickup truck starts at $39,947.

The 2022 iteration has a 320-mile range, a payload capacity of up to 2,000 pounds, and a 10,000-pound towing capacity. The automaker says it can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in around 4.5 seconds with 563 horsepower and 775 pound-feet of torque.

It has vehicle-to-grid technology, capable of powering a house for up to three days. It also has a 14.1-cubic-feet frunk.

2022 Ford Explorer ST

2022 Ford Explorer ST Ford

Starting at $48,245, the Explorer ST is the performance variant of the popular SUV, with 400 horsepower and a top speed of 143 miles per hour.

The vehicle seats seven and touts a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine and 415 pound-feet of torque.

1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Jacques Patenaude

Jacques Patenaude showed off his 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 at the show.

The GT350 was a collaboration between Ford and Carroll Shelby  an auto designer and the model's namesake  and built in San Jose, California, at Shelby's shop.

Ford eventually took over the engineering and rights to their work together, so production on the GT350 moved to Michigan at the end of the 1967-model run. Ford then rebranded the vehicle as the Shelby Cobra.

1972 Ford Maverick Olympic Sprint

1972 Ford Maverick Olympic Sprint Brandon Schaffner

Brandon Schaffner showed his classic coupe, a 1972 Ford Maverick Olympic Sprint with a 302-2V V-8 engine.

The limited-edition package is an ode to the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich and is credited to Edsel Ford II. Originally the car was a rear-wheel drive, two-door sedan; Ford later remade it as a four-door model on the same platform.

Ford has since resurrected the Maverick nameplate for its compact truck.

1963 Ford Fairlane

1963 Ford Fairlane Rich Sarginger

Carlisle crowds got a look at a 1963 Ford Fairlane, owned by Rich Sarginger of St. Marys, Pennsylvania.

A V-8 engine often went into the two-door hardtop coupe.

Upgraded styling in the Fairlane helped Ford rival the Chevrolet Chevelle the following year, according to classic-car-valuation site Hagerty.

1965 Shelby Cobra CSX

1965 Shelby Cobra CSX Barry Smith

Barry Smith of Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania brought his 1965 Shelby Cobra CSX to Carlisle.

With a 427 Shelby engine, the two-door roadster has 500 horsepower.

The Cobra CSX (which stands for Carroll Shelby Experimental) was largely what attracted Ford's attention to the designer.

According to Hagerty, the vehicle has been frequently replicated since the 1970s.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The big shareholder groups in Travis Perkins plc (LON:TPK) have power over the company. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time. Companies that have been privatized tend to have low insider ownership.

Travis Perkins is a pretty big company. It has a market capitalization of UK2.6b. Normally institutions would own a significant portion of a company this size. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutional investors have bought into the company. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about Travis Perkins.

See our latest analysis for Travis Perkins

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Travis Perkins?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

Travis Perkins already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Travis Perkins, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Travis Perkins is not owned by hedge funds. The company's largest shareholder is Pzena Investment Management, Inc, with ownership of 9.0%. With 5.0% and 4.7% of the shares outstanding respectively, Sprucegrove Investment Management Ltd and BlackRock, Inc. are the second and third largest shareholders.

After doing some more digging, we found that the top 13 have the combined ownership of 51% in the company, suggesting that no single shareholder has significant control over the company.

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Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Travis Perkins

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our information suggests that Travis Perkins plc insiders own under 1% of the company. It's a big company, so even a small proportional interest can create alignment between the board and shareholders. In this case insiders own UK4.3m worth of shares. Arguably, recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 11% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Travis Perkins .

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat of California, doesn't personally trade stocks  but her husband, Paul Pelosi, has made millions of dollars worth of trades this year alone. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Nancy Pelosi doesn't personally trade stocks  but husband Paul Pelosi does frequently.

Pelosi's at the center of a debate on whether to ban lawmakers and their spouses from trading stocks.

Congress has stalled over bipartisan legislation addressing lawmakers' stock ownership.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, purchased up to $2.1 million in Apple and Microsoft stock options in May, according to new personal financial disclosures filed with Congress.

Paul Pelosi purchased between $750,000 and $1.5 million worth of Apple stock options between May 13 and May 23, and between $300,000 and $600,000 worth of Microsoft stock options on May 24, the filings indicate.

Paul Pelosi's stock option trades come in the midst of a roiling debate on Capitol Hill over whether lawmakers and their spouses should be allowed to trade stocks at all.

Nancy Pelosi, 82, has found herself at the center of this legislative melee, having initially rejected the idea before relenting earlier this year and allowing a group of bipartisan lawmakers to craft bills and conduct a public hearing.

Insider's "Conflicted Congress" project and other news outlets have since last year identified 63 members of Congress who have violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012  a law designed to defend against conflicts of interest and curb insider trading. At least 182 senior congressional staffers have violated the STOCK Act's disclosure provisions, as well.

Insider also found numerous examples of conflicts of interest among federal lawmakers  both Democrats and Republicans. Polling shows most voters support a congressional stock trading ban.

Nancy Pelosi doesn't personally trade stocks. But Paul Pelosi, an investor and venture capitalist by trade, has made tens of millions of dollars worth of stock and stock option trades in recent months. Nancy Pelosi is rated the 14th richest member of Congress.

Nancy Pelosi's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her husband's latest purchases.

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Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill previously told Insider: "As you can see from the required disclosures, with which the speaker fully cooperates, these transactions are marked 'SP' for spouse. The speaker has no prior knowledge or subsequent involvement in any transactions."

A congressional filing disclosing stock option purchases by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi. US House of Representatives

Past financial disclosures from Nancy Pelosi showed that in January her husband invested up to $2.9 million worth of American Express, Apple, PayPal, and Walt Disney stocks. In March, he bought up to $2.2 million worth of Tesla stocks. (Lawmakers are only required to report the value of such trades in broad ranges.)

Together, these companies, along with Microsoft, spend tens of millions of dollars each year lobbying the federal government, including Congress, according to federal records compiled by nonpartisan research organization OpenSecrets.

Members of Congress have been required to disclose stock transactions since the STOCK Act passed. But Paul Pelosi's trades shot into the news in July 2021, when he made a $5.3 million by exercising call options that let him buy 4,000 shares of Google parent company Alphabet.

Paul Pelosi, 82, also made news last month, when police arrested him on May 28 in California for driving under the influence of alcohol after another car hit him. No one was injured. The speaker was on the East Coast, not with her husband, at the time of the crash, and her office said she wouldn't be commenting on the matter.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Wilma Mankillers daughters Alicia and Gina Olaya receive plaques from U.S. Mint Chief of Corporate Communications T.V. Johnson. (Photo/Native News)

TAHLEQUAH, Okla.  More than 500 people, including the current Cherokee Nation leader, a former U.S. poet laureate, and the centurys most prominent feminist, showed up at the Cherokee Casino in Tahlequah, Okla. on Monday morning for the release of the 2022 Wilma Mankiller Quarter.

Mondays release was the third in a series of quarters released honoring American women. The first two released earlier this year featured Maya Angelou and Dr. Sally Ride. Other women to be featured in the American Women Quarters Program are Nina Otero-Warren, and Anna May Wong.

Mankiller is cited for tripling the Cherokee Nations tribal enrollment, doubling employment and the development of new housing, health centers and childrens programs.

Wilma Mankiller Quarter design (Courtesy: U.S. Mint)

Wilma Mankiller Quarter (Courtesy: U.S. Mint)

The enthusiastic crowd cheered for the accolades given to their former leader, as speaker after speaker recalled the greatness of the Cherokee Nations first female principal chief. Mankiller is credited with transforming an impoverished tribe into the progressive nation it is today.

Speakers included current Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr.; Charlie Soap, Mankillers widower; former Cherokee Principal Chief Ross Swimmer; former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo; and author and feminist Gloria Steinem.

Even though its been more than 25 years since Mankiller last led one of the countrys largest tribes, speakers credited her for putting in place mechanisms and policies that have benefited the Cherokee Nation decades later.

Mankiller served as principal chief from 1985 to 1995.

Hoskin said every principal chief since Mankiller is measured against her greatness.

Once she took office, once she became chief, she just kept changing the world. Even years after her passing, Wilma Mankiller is still making an impact. She's not changing the world on this day simply because her likeness is being struck on the quarter. Her likeness is being struck on the quarter because she keeps changing the world for the better, Hoskin said.

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Former Cherokee Nation Chief Swimmer reflected on how he asked Mankiller in 1983 to serve as the deputy chief of the Cherokee Nation during his administration. She agreed to run for the position, but told him if he left office before their four-year term was up, she would be out the door with him.

(Photo: Native News Online)

Current Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Chuck Hoskin Jr. speaking at the event celebrating the release of the Wilma Mankiller quarter. (Photo: Native News Online)

Two years later, he was selected to as Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior and said he was afraid to accept the job if Mankiller was not willing to assume the office of principal chief. To his delight, she changed her mind and agreed to become principal chief.

She followed her roadmap of how to build the Cherokee. Nation, how we build for people, and how they work in community, health care, education, businesses, and these are the kinds of things that she was able to do after I left, which I just really believe that there was something the hand of God there, Swimmer said.

There was something there that said, I needed to go ask her to run as my deputy. There was something that said I was going to Washington turning the tribe over to her control. I could not have done that intentionally, recalled Swimmer.

Former Poet Laureate Hajo, who wrote an introduction to a new book of poetry by Mankiller that will be released later this year, read a poem from the forthcoming volume.

After Mankiller left office, she served on numerous philanthropic boards. In 1998, former President Bill Clinton presented Mankiller with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor for a U.S. citizen.

Seven years ago, Mankiller was under consideration to replace Andrew Jackson on the twenty-dollar bill.

It would be poetically just for her to replace Jackson, and I love the thought of her soft and majestic face on money. Not to mention the satisfying contrast of her ferocious name, Louise Erdrich, who won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, said about Mankiller in 2015.

The Wilma Mankiller quarter released on Monday features her wrapped in a traditional shawl with the Cherokee Nation seven-pointed star and the words "Cherokee Nation" written in Cherokee syllabary. George Washington's likeness is on the other side of the coin.

The Cherokee Nation, BancFirst, U.S. Mint and Wilma Mankiller Trust partnered to host the event on Monday.

About the Author: "Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."

Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
Bravo

Days after Katie Maloney-Schwartz penned an emotional goodbye to the home she shared with Tom Schwartz, the Vanderpump Rules cast member shared a peek at her new location. In a June 12 Instagram Story photo, Katie took a mirror selfie that showed off her outfit of the day  and the beautiful bedroom she was standing in. In addition to a white-framed mirror, the room was furnished with a wooden bed and colorful rug (which appear to be the same ones from her and Toms former bedroom). The photo
By David Brunnstrom and Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea could conduct a seventh nuclear test at "any time" and has shown no interest in returning to negotiations, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea said on Tuesday.

North Korea has test-launched an unprecedented number of ballistic missiles this year and its officials have also used rhetoric that could suggest plans for the use of tactical nuclear weapons, Sung Kim told reporters.

Kim reiterated U.S. assessments that North Korea was preparing to conduct a seventh nuclear test.

Asked when that might happen, he said: "I don't have anything more. They've obviously done the preparations..., and my understanding is they could test any time."

Kim noted that on June 5, North Korea carried out test launches of eight ballistic missiles from various parts of the country, the most ever launched in a single day.

Related video: S. Korean, U.S. jets demonstrate after North's missile test

"North Korea has now launched 31 ballistic missiles in 2022, the most ballistic missile it has ever launched in a single year, surpassing its previous record of 25 in 2019. And it's only June," Kim said.

He reiterated U.S. willingness to engage diplomatically with North Korea and to address issues of concern to Pyongyang.

"The DPRK has not responded, and continues to show no indication that is interested in engaging," Kim said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name.

He added that Pyongyang had also shown no interest in discussing assistance to deal with its recent COVD-19 outbreak.

Earlier on Tuesday, South Korea and the United States staged a joint air power demonstration during a visit by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who said there would be a "swift and forceful" response if North Korea were to conduct a nuclear test.

Kim, who spoke from Jakarta, where he is also ambassador to Indonesia, declined to say what specific measures the U.S. and its allies would take, although he expected there would be "a U.N. Security Council aspect to it."

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He said it was "very unfortunate" that China and Russia had vetoed a U.S.-led push for more sanctions on North Korea after its recent missile tests. He said he hoped China would be more forthcoming in future in helping to persuade North Korea to denuclearize.

"One of the concerns is ... that when the DPRK sees that the Council is unable to respond together it might, in fact encourage then to take further provocative actions," Kim said, while not replying when asked if he thought the Security Council would respond differently to a nuclear test.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom, Doina Chiacu and Simon Lewis; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
DESTIN  Three people were arrested May 17 after they were reportedly seen stuffing $3,066 worth of fragrances and hair irons from the Ulta Beauty store into a set of Luis Vuitton purses.

Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office investigators believe the incident may have been a part of organized retail theft. And the Ulta Beauty store in Destin is not the only business to be affected by retail crime rings in recent years, OCSO Deputy Shane Bininger says.

Catalytic converter thefts on the rise: Catalytic converter thefts rising in Walton, Okaloosa. Here's what to do if it happens to you.

Auto burglaries: 'Crimes of opportunity': FWB police see spike in auto burglaries; cars left unlocked in all 15 cases

Its not your typical shoplifter. These are groups. These are organizations, usually two or more, that impact various retailers to steal a product, Bininger said. They take that stolen product and upload it to online marketplaces to sell for profit.

Organized retail crime costs retailers an average of $700,000 per $1 billion in sales and has risen by 60% since 2015, according to the National Retail Federation. Nearly 70% of retailers in the U.S. reported an increase in activity over the past year.

Body camera footage shows fragrances and hair irons retrieved by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office after a May 17 theft at the Ulta Beauty store in Destin. The theft was believed to be related to organized retail crime.

Retail crime rings continue to impact Florida businesses despite the state having some of the toughest retail theft laws in the country. Bininger said criminal organizations have been targeting businesses across the Florida Panhandle.

Close to $50K in estimated losses

In just the last few years, over $47,893 worth of merchandise has been reported stolen in thefts believed to be related to organized retail crime in Okaloosa County. Reports with no arrests date back to December 2020.

Ive been with Okaloosa County for just over a year and I have seen an increase of organized retail crime incidents, Bininger said. It definitely does impact numerous retailers here, especially the Destin market. Old Navy has been impacted heavily. Ulta extremely heavily.

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In 2022, the Ulta Beauty store reported 10 incidents with a total estimated loss of about $20,000. One of the suspects in the May 17 incident had been involved in retail thefts as well as marketing and selling stolen property since at least 2014.

He later admitted he planned to sell the stolen merchandise on Facebook Marketplace, according to his arrest report.

Bininger said the criminal operations have existed across the country for decades. Certain factors such as economic hardships and the growth of online markets may be contributing to a recent rise.

I think the economy has definitely stimulated this type of activity. Before I got into law enforcement I worked in retail, he said. That was back in the very early '90s, and there was that organized retail crime activity even back then. So organized retail crime has been around forever. However, its definitely kind of grown out of control.

Bininger said it can be difficult for law enforcement to connect what appears to be single-incident thefts. Organization leaders recruit others to infiltrate stores within multiple jurisdictions and often hit numerous stores on the same day.

Online reporting: You can now go online to report vandalism, theft in Okaloosa County. Here's how it works.

Polk County worked a case not too long ago where multiple states were involved. They hit almost the entire East Coast, he said. So these organized retail crime groups, there is no jurisdictional boundaries for them. And thats what makes it so difficult.

Products from another Destin store were found in the possession of the group who reportedly attempted to steal from Ulta on May 17. Now that they have been arrested in Okaloosa County, one of the suspects faces charges in Alabama.

We have numerous other cases that we will potentially be able to close out from the same group over the past two years, Bininger said. Mobile (Alabama) has filed charges on one of the perpetrators, who the same day committed an offense in Mobile.

The groups aim to take high-end products such as name brand clothing like Nike or Adidas, or other items with a high resale value. Some will even steal items that are in high demand like baby formula or nonprescription drugs and resell them online.

You have some groups that may have a shopping list, Bininger said. Or you also have the groups like the one we had the other day that will take whatever they can to throw it back on Facebook Marketplace or the various marketplaces they use.

In an interview after the May 17 theft, one of the suspects reportedly told deputies he would sell the products for half of their original value to make a profit. A $100 bottle of fragrance, for example, would be sold online for $50.

Combating organized retail crime

Most thefts connected to criminal organizations average about $1,500 to $2,000 worth of merchandise. Retailers at Destin Commons shopping center reported multiple thefts late last year that law enforcement believe may be related to organized retail crime.

However, Destin Commons General Manager Daniel Poulin said tenants have not seen a large surge in cases in 2022. He pointed to the presence of the Sheriffs Office, a 24/7 security team and constant camera patrols as possible deterrents.

Hiring shortages: 42 employees short: Destin needs workers but many can't afford to live there

The East District Command Center of the Okaloosa Sheriffs Department is located here at Destin Commons, and they run details on the property regularly, which works to deter incidents, Poulin said in an email.

Bininger said he believes collaboration between law enforcement and retailers is the best way to tackle organized retail crime; not only to track down suspects, but to keep employees safe.

National trends have shown perpetrators becoming more violent, with 65% of retailers reporting an increase in violence in 2021. Bininger said there has been no hands on contact in local incidents, but suspects have made threats toward employees.

The State Attorneys Office announced the creation of a task force in December 2021 to help retailers and law enforcement in Florida prevent organized retail crime through an interactive database.

Its an intellectual sharing of information from retailers to law enforcement throughout the state of Florida, Bininger said. That has been a tool to help us fight organized retail crime.

Retailers can upload data about recent thefts through the Truth Florida Organized Retail Crime Exchange, known as TFORCE. Data entries include suspect descriptions, method of operation, stolen items and vehicle identification.

The data help investigators identify connections between seemingly single-incident thefts. However, Bininger said not all retailers report thefts to law enforcement.

They just do an in-house report and we dont know. If we dont know, we cant shut down these groups, he said. That will assist us in solving some of these crimes. These are very difficult crimes to work. Its like a jigsaw puzzle.

People who spots suspicious activity is encouraged to contact the OCSO or their local law enforcement. Bininger said even something like a suspicious item being sold online can be important information.

Anonymous reports can be made through the P3 tips mobile app.

The collaboration is of the upmost importance, he said. If you see something, notify law enforcement. If you know somebodys selling products, stealing products, dont be afraid to call.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Organized theft: Okaloosa County businesses, retailers are targeted
It's only natural that many investors, especially those who are new to the game, prefer to buy shares in 'sexy' stocks with a good story, even if those businesses lose money. And in their study titled Who Falls Prey to the Wolf of Wall Street?' Leuz et. al. found that it is 'quite common' for investors to lose money by buying into 'pump and dump' schemes.

If, on the other hand, you like companies that have revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Anglo American (LON:AAL). Now, I'm not saying that the stock is necessarily undervalued today; but I can't shake an appreciation for the profitability of the business itself. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath.

Check out our latest analysis for Anglo American

How Fast Is Anglo American Growing?

As one of my mentors once told me, share price follows earnings per share (EPS). That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. As a tree reaches steadily for the sky, Anglo American's EPS has grown 36% each year, compound, over three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we'd expect shareholders to come away winners.

Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. The good news is that Anglo American is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 15.4 percentage points to 41%, over the last year. That's great to see, on both counts.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings, and revenue, over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

While we live in the present moment at all times, there's no doubt in my mind that the future matters more than the past. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for Anglo American?

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Are Anglo American Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Since Anglo American has a market capitalization of UK48b, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. Indeed, they have a glittering mountain of wealth invested in it, currently valued at US$161m. This suggests to me that leadership will be very mindful of shareholders' interests when making decisions!

Is Anglo American Worth Keeping An Eye On?

For growth investors like me, Anglo American's raw rate of earnings growth is a beacon in the night. I think that EPS growth is something to boast of, and it doesn't surprise me that insiders are holding on to a considerable chunk of shares. Fast growth and confident insiders should be enough to warrant further research. So the answer is that I do think this is a good stock to follow along with. What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Anglo American (of which 1 can't be ignored!) you should know about.

Although Anglo American certainly looks good to me, I would like it more if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, too, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Nicolai Patrushev is one of Russian President Vladimir Putins closest advisers and wields considerable influence on government policy as the head of the powerful Security Council of Russia.

The council is where Russias security policy is formulated, and it is the center where intelligence from Russian sources and networks from abroad are received.

Patrushev is the one who interprets that intelligence.

Patrushev often gives interviews to state-owned media about his conspiratorial views of the West and what the Kremlin describes as Russias special military operation in Ukraine.

There is nothing to counter his disinformation, as all independent media in Russia has been silenced.

This should be worrisome for the U.S. and other Western allies.

As an academic who tracks Putin and his inner circle, it is apparent to me that Patrushevs close relationship with Putin, which began more than 50 years ago, has given him a good deal of influence over the president.

Both deplore the end of the Soviet Union, and both share a deep distrust of the West that is fueled by nonsensical conspiracy theories.

Patrushev has emerged as one of the leading voices in Putins inner circle who wants to wage a merciless war in Ukraine, with the ultimate objective of capturing Kyiv.

According to Mark Galeotti, a British expert on Russias security services, Patrushev is Putins most right-wing ideologue and is referred to as the Hawks Hawk, within Putins inner circle.

Patrushevs unproven conspiracy theories

It is those close to Putin, such as Patrushev, who continue to repeat the disinformation that Ukraine is full of Nazis and that Russia needs to protect itself from the nefarious designs of the West.

Patrushev is not shy about giving interviews. I have read many of his interviews and essays, and they never disappoint in revealing his conspiratorial way of thinking.

On April 26, 2022, Patrushev gave an interview to the state Russian newspaper Rossiskaya gazeta.

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He began with his favorite topic  the evil intentions of the West in general and the United States in particular.

Patrushev said that while other countries are intimidated by the U.S. and "cant even raise their heads, Russia has not only dared, but publicly declared that it would not play by the imposed rules of the U.S.

Indeed, the Russian government has been true to its word as evidenced by the brutal war it is waging against Ukraine and its people, which is in flagrant violation of all conventions of war.

During the interview, Patrushev talks about a made up criminal community who fled Ukraine and who are now engaged in the widespread business of the sale of orphans taken out of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the West, Patrushev asserts, has already revived the shadow market for the purchase of human organs from the socially vulnerable segments of the Ukrainian population for clandestine transplant operations for European patients.

The West, Patrushev continues, is giving support to Ukrainian neo-Nazis, by continuing to supply Ukraine with weapons.

Patrushev then quotes Putin, who called the West an empire of lies once sanctions had been imposed.

In Patrushevs world view, the West seeks to reduce the worlds population in various ways. One of which is the creation of an empire of lies, involving the humiliation and destruction of Russia and other objectionable states.

The friendship of Putin and Patrushev

Putin and Patrushev have known each other since 1970.

Both hail from Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, and worked together in Leningrads KGB in different departments. Putin has said that he feels a comradeship with Patrushev.

Both men served in Boris Yeltsins government. In 1998, Yeltsin appointed Putin to lead the FSB, the KGB successor, and Patrushev became Putins first deputy.

When Yeltsin appointed Putin acting prime minister on Aug. 9, 1999, Patrushev replaced Putin as director of the FSB.

On New Years Eve in 1999, Yeltsin made the surprise announcement that Putin would replace him as acting president. Putin won the presidential election on March 26, 2000.

Shortly before Putin won the election, the cozy relationship between Putin and Patrushev was displayed when the two decided on New Years Eve in 2000 to fly to Chechnya with their wives to bolster Russian troops.

This was during the second Chechen War that occurred between 1999-2009.

Despite another turn in hostilities and bloody attacks on civilians by Russian forces on the ground, Putin and Patrushev opened two bottles of champagne and the two couples drank straight out of the bottles as they flew in the helicopter above the combat zone.

After spending an hour with a unit of surprised soldiers, the group flew back to Moscow.

Putins power base

A week before Putins inauguration on May 7, 2000, the newspaper Kommersant noted that Putin was packing his new administration with former officials from the FSB, Russias principal security agency, along with the SVR, the Foreign Intelligence Service, which had also been part of the KGB during the Soviet period but was now a separate agency.

In a subsequent article, Kommersant wrote that the hires place the political life of Russia under full control of the Kremlin with the use of KGB methods.

In an interview in December 2000, Patrushev explained the preponderance of former FSB and SVR officials in the Kremlin, the presidential administration and in the outlying regions of the Russian Federation.

They were placed in the highest echelons of power, Patrushev said, because they came from leadership roles in institutions of national security.

He added that there was a vital need to revive the Russian administrative corps with fresh blood  not limp idealists, but tough pragmatists who understand international and domestic political developments, emerging contradictions and threats.

Appointed in 2008, Patrushev has become the longest-serving secretary of the Security Council. Since then, the council has changed a great deal from the 1990s when it was a sinecure for aging security forces veterans.

Patrushev has turned it into a dynamic institution for all matters relating to Russias security and has positioned himself as chief adviser.

Galeotti, the expert on Russian security services, believes Patrushev to be dangerous because of his paranoid conspiracy-driven mindset.

This is fundamental to understanding todays Russia because Patrushevs conspiratorial beliefs and view of the world is the lens through which his friend Putin sees it.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Susanne Sternthal, Texas State University.

Read more:



Susanne Sternthal is affiliated with the Democratic Party.
MULTAN, Pakistan (AP)  Intensive heat will test the fitness of players when Pakistan hosts the West Indies in the three-match limited-overs international series starting Wednesday.

The temperature is expected to top 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) this week in Multan, and organizers have pushed back the starting time for games to 4 p.m. local time to offer some respite.

Players will be given ice collars and vests during stoppages in play, and extra water breaks to keep them hydrated.

Well try to make the guys understand what they have to do personally to hydrate themselves properly both before, during and after the games, West Indies coach Phil Simmons said Tuesday.

The heat is going to be extreme, (but) Pakistan are playing in the heat, too, so its going to be an even contest when we start the day. How we deal with it before, during and after is going to help us a lot.

The Pakistan Cricket Board relocated the series to Multan from Rawalpindi last week because of the uncertain political situation in the country. The opposition, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, is planning rallies in the federal capital Islamabad, which is adjacent to Rawalpindi.

West Indies are coming off a 3-0 series win over Netherlands last week at Amstelveen, where their top order scored prolifically. Shamarh Brooks, Shai Hope and Kyle Mayers scored centuries while Brandon King made 91 not out in the second game.

The spinners  Akeal Hosein and Hayden Walsh Jr  took the bulk of the wickets, combining for 12.

West Indies will be strengthened by the return of Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd, who both missed the series against the Netherlands because of visa issues. Both players were to join the team in Multan late Tuesday.

That series was good in a way because it gave guys a chance to settle in as a team, Simmons said. Its a young team. Its a case where we needed to play properly. We needed to keep improving and we did that during the series, so it was a good preparation.

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The ODI series in Pakistan was postponed last year after a COVID-19 outbreak in the West Indies squad during the preceding Twenty20 series.

Pakistan has spent a week in Lahore, where the weather is similar to Multan. Captain Babar Azam hoped the players were well prepared.

Definitely, it is hot, but we are having a conditioning camp and acclimatising to the weather, Babar said. As a professional, you have to handle these situations. We do go out to other countries to play, and even during our time in the UAE, we used to face similar temperatures. I think it wont be a problem."

Pakistan has a strong top order with the likes of left-handers Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman opening the innings. Babar, in the middle order, is in the form of his life and has scored prolifically in all the three formats of the game.

Vice-captain Shadab Khan and allrounder Mohammad Nawaz are returning to the ODI team from injuries. Pakistan also has a formidable fast bowling attack with Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali all performing well in the English county championship.

We already have openers who are doing well and they are the priority, and you always make your best ones your priority, Babar said. These games are crucial for us, and to build a team you have to give players consistent chances.

___

Squads:

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Zahid Mahmood.

West Indies: Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shai Hope, Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Shermon Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Anderson Phillip, Rovman Powell, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr.

___

More AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority announced on Tuesday it would pay partial salaries to most of its employees after Israel transferred some revenues it collects on the Palestinians behalf, Palestinian officials said.

A week into June, the Palestinian Finance Ministry said employees will receive 80% of their salaries on Tuesday. It has been unable to pay full wages since November, blaming Israel's withholding of tax revenues and weaker international donations.

The salary cut coincided with public discontent over an acute hike in prices of essential food items that prompted people in the southern city of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to take to the streets in protest.

"The Finance Ministry is making enormous efforts to compel the occupation authorities to transfer our money so we can make salaries available," Amjad Ghanim, Secretary-General of the Palestinian cabinet, told Reuters by phone from Ramallah.

He said lower levels of international assistance had also reduced the funding available.

Palestinian Finance Minister Shukri Bishara estimated that Israel has been withholding $500 million of tax revenues. He recently said Israel was deducting 100 million shekels ($30 million) every month.

Under a 2018 law, Israel calculates each year how much it believes the Palestinian Authority has paid in stipends to militants and deducts that amount from the taxes it has collected on the Palestinians' behalf.

Israel calls stipends for militants and their families a "pay for slay" policy that encourages violence. Palestinians hail their jailed brethren as heroes in a struggle for an independent state and believe their families are deserving of support.

Palestinian tax revenues, which Israel collects on the Palestinians' behalf each month, stand at around 900 million shekels ($271 million).

The Palestinian Authority employs 150,000 people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. At the end of 2021, its budget stood at $330 million while spending was $300 million.

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On Monday, Human Rights advocates said police forces, deployed in large numbers a day ago, arrested 11 protesters for several hours before freeing them late last night.

The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, already exempted wheat from tax rises introduced in February. Protesters have demanded that tax exemptions be extended to other basic staples.

As the war in Ukraine has sent commodity prices surging, the cost of basic food items like flour, sugar and cooking oil has gone up by as much as 30% since March, according to merchants and protesters. Official figures put the increase at between 15 and 18%.

(Additional reporting Ali Sawafta,; Writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ed Osmond)
Police are searching for a man who was seen on video pushing a woman off a Bronx subway platform and onto the tracks below on Sunday. Surveillance video captured the moments when a man grabbed the 52-year-old woman and forcefully hurled her onto the elevated tracks.

The woman was rescued by other passengers and survived, but was taken to a local hospital with a broken collarbone and a cut to her head.

"It's really scary you know. It's not safe," one person said.

"It could be anybody. It could be anybody," said another.

The attack happened Sunday around 4:40 p.m. at the Westchester Avenue-Jackson Avenue subway station. Police say good Samaritans jumped into action, pulling the woman back onto the platform before the next train rolled into the station.

WANTED for ASSAULT: Do you know this guy? On 6/5/22 at approx. 4:40 PM, at the Westchester Ave/Jackson Ave subway station in the Bronx, the suspect pushed a 52-year-old female onto the southbound tracks. Any info? DM @NYPDTips, or anonymously call 800-577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/PodSc33vnG

 NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) June 7, 2022

After the assault, police say the suspect took off wearing a white shirt, blue hat and carrying a red backpack. The suspect is still at large, and police have offered a $3,500 reward.

"They pick on anybody, it don't matter what. You've got to be careful," one person said.

"You've got to stay away from the edge. They tell you stay away from the edge," said Bronx resident Luis Moscoso.

The attack comes as New York City subway riders have faced a disturbing series of attacks in recent months, including a mass shooting on a subway in Brooklyn, an apparently random shooting on a train in Manhattan, and multiple people who were killed or injured after being pushed onto subway tracks.

Two days after the Sunday attack, a CBS New York reporter found riders  especially parents and their children  staying as far back from the tracks and as close to safety as possible, anxiously watching those around them.

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"I get nervous. You see people get close, and I'll back up. I always remind her, stay back, stay close to wall, don't leave me. And things like that," said Melrose resident Cassie Perez.

Matthew McConaughey speaks out about Uvalde victims and gun laws at White House: "This should not be a partisan issue"

People with mobility disabilities in Minnesota can now explore state parks

Russian yacht setting sail from Fiji after U.S. seizure
Man who drowned while Arizona police ignored his pleas for help met with mayor two days before his death

A police union in Arizona has defended its officers decision to not save a drowning man in Tempe late last month, claiming that they did not have the resources to conduct the rescue.

Chilling bodycam footage and a transcript of the 28 May incident show an officer telling Sean Bickings Im not jumping in after you moments before he died in the water at Tempe Town Lake. Three police officers allegedly stood by as the man begged them for help before drowning.

Bickings remains were recovered from the lake six hours later.

Attempting such a high-risk rescue could easily result in the death of the person in the water and the officer, who could be pulled down by a struggling adult, representatives of the Tempe Officers Association said on Monday.

Officers are trained to call the Fire Department ... or get the Tempe Police boat. That is what officers did here.

The police union added that officers do not receive training in water rescue and do not have equipment to help people who are drowning.

However, the incidents grief mirrors our communitys grief, the union said, adding: No one wanted this incident to end as it did.

Authorities have placed the three officers present on the scene on paid administrative leave after launching an investigation.

Tempe Police is conducting its death investigation in the case of Sean Bickings first. This could take many weeks due to the need to wait for medical examiner and toxicology results. After the departments investigation into the death, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) will review the investigation as well, the city officials said in a statement.

It added: The City of Tempe and Tempe Police are examining water response protocols and equipment needs for officers as well as for placement of rescue equipment around bodies of water. More information will be released as soon as it is available.

The police officers were called to the Elmore Pedestrian Bridge in Tempe on the morning of 28 May over a reported disturbance between a couple.

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On reaching the spot, the police were told that no physical altercation had erupted. The officers then told the couple that they were running their names through a database to check for any outstanding warrants for their arrests.

At that point, Mr Bickings is seen in the bodycam footage telling police he is going for a swim.

Im gonna go for a swim. Im free to go right? Bickings is heard saying.

Youre not allowed to swim in the lake, one of the officers told him but Bickings jumped into the water below the bridge and started to swim away.

But the police officials made no movement to get Bickings out of the water and discussed how far he will manage to swim away.

The bodycam was only released in part by city officials with footage withheld of the specific moment that Bickings drowned. Officials said that the remaining footage was sensitive and so a partial written transcript of the bodycam was released instead.

In the transcript, police said the 34-year-old begged officers to help me and repeatedly said that he was going to drown.

One of the officers then asked him: So whats your plan right now?

Im going to drown, he shot back, but the same officer dismissed his concerns, saying no, youre not.

Another officer asked him to at least go to the pylon and hold on.

Im drowning, Bickings told the police but the officers again tell him to come back over to the pylon.

Bickings then said I cant. I cant and the officer refused to get in the water to help him. Okay, Im not jumping in after you, the officer said.

Both Bickings and his wife begged the police to help them. Please help me. Please, please, please, begged Mr Bickings. His wife told the officers hes drowning right in front of you and you wont help.

It is not clear how long it took before Bickings drowned.
WARSAW (Reuters) - A Polish court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from the country's Human Rights Ombudsman against oil company PKN Orlen's takeover of newspaper publisher Polska Press, the court said, confirming an earlier report by state-run news agency PAP.

PKN's purchase of Polska Press from a German media group has been criticised by opposition parties in Poland for being part of a drive by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government to increase control over the media and curb free speech.

PiS has said that foreign media companies have too much influence in Poland and distort public debate.

Poland's anti-monopoly office, UOKiK, approved the takeover of Polska Press in February 2021, but the Human Rights Ombudsman, in an appeal against the decision, said the regulator had failed to assess the influence of the deal on media freedom.

"In the opinion of PKN Orlen, the court judgment clearly confirms that the purchase of Polska Press was carried out in accordance with the law," PKN said in a statement.

PKN said the court ruling showed that it was up to consumers to decide whether to choose Polska Press's publications.

The Ombudsman's office said a decision on a possible appeal against the court's verdict will be made after analysis of the written justification of the judgment.

(Reporting by Anna Koper, Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Jane Merriman)
Jun. 6Rawhide Portable Corrals held its 20th anniversary open house in Abilene Saturday.

John McDonald, an Abilene native who moved back to his hometown to start a business here in 2002, had the idea to make a portable corral after seeing a need for the product on the rodeo circuit.

"I was in the rodeo business my entire life as a contestant and as a producer and promoter type person," John McDonald said. "I worked for the televised bull ridings when they were first started in the 1990s and I was the guy in charge of setting up the portable equipment in sport arenas around the United States. And one night when I was watching the bulls we had penned in the corral system that I had set up in this coliseum in Long Beach, California, two bulls got in a fight and we needed to let one of them out of the corral, but there was no gate close to where the animal was. And the guy that owned the animals was panicking. And I said, 'just a minute, I can unpin the panel and get it open and let that bull out.' Well, when I unpinned it and opened it, the panel opened up further than I thought it would."

The way the standard panels on everyday farm corrals are structured made it fold "like a gate, back out of the way," John McDonald said.

The incident gave him an idea as to how he could make his set ups at rodeos faster and easier, he said.

John McDonald wanted to make something that would make it easier to catch cattle without needing to carry panels around.

John McDonald tinkered with the idea.

He started working with now-Lumber House owner Matt Engle to create the invention he and his family have sold for 20 years now.

"He let me come down there and use his tools and his shop and do my first prototype," John McDonald said. "He helped me with that, so he was a part of it initially and helped me quite a bit."

His business has grown since 2002 as he advertised and attended trade shows with his product.

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"It worked the way I wanted it to," McDonald said. "It evolved into something that was real useful for everyone involved that bought corrals and for those particular situations  everybody does their cattle operations different  but folks find ways that it works best for them and they're happy."

John McDonald said he was proud of the testimonials he received in honor of the 20th anniversary celebration and of the thousands of corrals he had sold since the idea first appeared in his head.

"It wasn't about the money," he said.

But he now sells millions of dollars worth of corrals every year.

"I'm glad I did it in my hometown," John McDonald said.

He said he hoped Saturday would allow he and his employees to talk with past, present and potential future customers and show the community his business.

He had a commemorative belt buckle made to honor the 20th anniversary and presented one to everyone involved in making the 20th anniversary happen.

Mary McDonald said she hoped people would brave the weather to attend the open house.

"We've got past customers, we've got potential customers here," she said. "We know they're looking at corrals, so that's great."

Mary McDonald said she was "grateful" to be there.

"I'm very grateful that my husband designed such a great product that it's so helpful to everybody around the country and the world, really," she said. "We do have some foreign customers. So it's just amazing that he had an idea that helps everybody with their cattle and we're in a perfect location being in Abilene, Kansas. We're centrally located, we're on the interstate. Our customers come here, stay in the hotels, buy the gas, eat at the restaurants and then take their corrals home. So Abilene's a good fit for us, definitely."

Daughter Cassy Wilson works for the company and took part in the open house.

"In 2002, my parents uprooted our family  not that far away, only like 45 minutes away  but moved to Abilene, decided Abilene was a good place to start a business," she said. "My dad had the idea to start the business and decided to move back to his hometown. So we're just wanting to celebrate it, meet customers, see potential customers ... We're hoping lots of people show up."
Republican Senate Whip John Thune has become the target of mockery online after he suggested that assault rifles are needed to shoot prairie dogs.

Capitol Hill reporters probed several Republican senators in the halls of Congress this week about why assault rifles, specifically AR-15s, are still needed amid discussions of a ban following a string of mass shootings.

When Mr Thune was asked about the need for AR-15s, the South Dakota senator said: The challenge you have on that is theres 20 million of them in the country already. They are a sporting rifle. And its something that a lot of people for purposes of going out target shooting.

In my state, they use them to shoot prairie dogs and other types of varmints. And so I think that there are legitimate reasons why people would want to have them, he added. So I just think that the issues that they should be focused on is how do you keep those types of weapons out of the hands of these young, in this case, male, very deranged, young men.

Twitter users quickly seized on Mr Thunes comments.

So the GOP thinks of children as varmints now! Twitter user Eddie James wrote. No one needs [an] AR-15 to shoot varmints, you can accomplish it with a pistol or .22 rifle that holds a limited amount of ammunition. Anything more is to murder people in mass quantities. Guess why [the GOP] wants these guns available?

CNNs @mkraju: Why do people even need AR-15s?



Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD): In my state, they use them to shoot prairie dogs and other types of varmints. And so I think that there are legitimate reasons why people would want to have them.pic.twitter.com/wNsT6dJvr2  The Recount (@therecount) June 7, 2022

What did they do to deserve this? https://t.co/RNuQKNF2Lw pic.twitter.com/yuLPMYfAW4  Julian MacGurn (@JulianMacgurn) June 7, 2022

Do you really tell the parents of a murdered child that theres nothing you can do about access to AR-15s because you know people who want to shoot varmints? Greg Kesich added.

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WTF?! Do you think these guys are counting on most of us to not know what a prairie dog is? Like maybe well think its a wolf? Has Thune ever seen a prairie dog?? another account holder said.

Can someone confirm that people actually do this? Growing up we did basically everything possible to avoid having to clean up the mess this kind of varmint mitigation would make, one Twitter user chimed in.

Why cant we just admit that the main reason people *want* (not need) AR-15s is because they are fun? Its not necessary from a hunting perspective. They provide an adrenaline rush and people dont like to be told they cant have fun. Fun should not be prioritized over safety, Ben Thoma wrote.

Were sorry your kid is dead but nobody taught John Thunes constituents how to shoot so they need a machine gun to take out a rabbit. https://t.co/FnZc1Tnr3R  Sam Youngman (@samyoungman) June 7, 2022

Senator John Thune just said that AR-15s are used to shoot Prairie dogs in his state of South Dakota. If you need a weapon of war to shoot a two pound rodent, you are an idiot and an a**hole, another Twitter user said.

Citizens for ethics research director Robert Maguire tweeted: Apologies to everyone who has lost a child or a spouse or a parent or a friend to someone wielding an AR-15 style rifle. Your world being torn apart is just the price we pay for John Thunes constituents to be able to obliterate prairie dogs, instead of just using a .22.

It is utterly mindblowing that one party in this country is saying people have to die needlessly so that farmers can shoot small animals with military-grade weapons, and these people still get to call themselves the pro-life party, he added.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley also faced the question from CNNs Manu Raju, to which he replied: Thats used for sporting events, for sporting activities all the time, he answered.

People misuse them obviously, Mr Raju pushed back.

People misuse handguns all the time. I think this [Uvalde] kid had a handgun as well, Mr Hawley responded, referring to the gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School on 24 May.
Insider

New Mexico held primary elections on June 7. Polls closed at 7 p.m. local time.

The races and the stakes:

New Mexico held primary elections for gubernatorial and congressional races on Tuesday.

Republicans selected former television meteorologist Mark Ronchetti to challenge Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who was elected to the governorship in 2018 and is now running for a second term.

The leading contenders on election night for the GOP gubernatorial nomination included Ronchetti, state Rep. Rebecca Dow, and Jay Block, the Sandoval County Commissioner.

Lujan Grisham defeated her Republican opponent, former Rep. Steve Pearce, by more than 14 points in 2018, and is heavily favored to win another term in the Democratic-leaning state.

None of New Mexico's three incumbent House members, Democratic Reps. Melanie Stansbury and Teresa Leger Fernandez and Republican Rep. Yvette Herrell, faced any primary opposition.

After the 2020 Census, New Mexico Democrats redrew their three congressional districts to be significantly more favorable turf for Democrats, which could threaten Herrell.

The new maps kept Stansbury's and Leger Fernandez's districts safely Democratic but split the heavily blue city of Albuquerque down the middle to turn New Mexico's 2nd District, represented by Herrell, into a highly competitive district in the general election.

Herrell, elected in 2020, defeated former Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres-Small in the former 2nd District, which previously comprised most of the southern half of the state.

The 2nd District is now rated as a toss-up seat by election forecasters at the Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

The two Democrats who fought in the primary to take on Herrell in the general election were Gabe Vasquez, a former Las Cruces councilmember, and Darshan Patel, a physician.

New Mexico state legislative primaries:

Read the original article on Business Insider
Lauren Justice for The Washington Post via Getty Images; Drew Angerer/Getty Images; Insider

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is running for re-election for what would be his eighth term in office, and easily defeated his primary challenger on Tuesday. In November, he'll face off against Democrat Michael Franken.

The race and the stakes

Senate Republicans breathed a huge sigh of relief when Grassley, the oldest Republican in Congress who will be 89 by Election Day, announced last September that he'd be running for reelection.

Grassley's seat is considered safe for Republicans and is part of their broader strategy to retake the currently evenly-divided Senate in the November midterms.

On Tuesday, Grassley, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, defeated state Sen. Jim Carlin of Sioux City, his lone challenger during the primary.

Iowa is considered a red state that backed former President Donald Trump in 2016 and by an even higher margin in 2020, even though the Hawkeye State twice backed former President Barack Obama. Trump endorsed Grassley early in his reelection bid.

Still, Democrats want to try to turn the state back to purple or even blue.

Grassley will face off against Franken, who campaigned on protecting voting rights and expanding Medicare  the government program that covers seniors and others who qualify because of a disability. He unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic primary for US Senate in 2020.

Franken defeated two other challengers, former Rep. Abby Finkenauer; Michael Franken, a retired three-star US Navy Admiral; and Glenn Hurst, who chairs the Iowa Democratic Party's Rural Caucus.

One of the centrists is Finkenauer, 33, who was in the US House from 2018 to 2021, and has campaigned on imposing 12-year term limits in Congress.

Hurst is a doctor who specializes in family medicine. He's a progressive who has run on a promise to expand Medicare to everyone living in the US and on the Green New Deal  a sweeping plan to combat the climate crisis championed by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

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A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll from March found Grassley was viewed unfavorably by 40% of Iowans, the highest unfavorable rating he'd ever received. A total of 47% of Iowans viewed him favorably.

Democrats also say there's evidence their party can win statewide. The seats of state attorney general, auditor, and treasurer are all held by Democrats, though they're all up for reelection this year.

Iowa's 3rd congressional district was the only one facing a primary on Tuesday and the district is considered to be a toss-up in November. It gained nine counties that voted for Trump after redistricting.

Iowa's 3rd congressional district had three candidates in the running hoping to defeat incumbent Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne.

Tuesday's results show Republican state Sen. Zach Nunn of Polk County will face off against Axne after defeating Nicole Hasso, who worked as a financial services professional; and Gary Leffler, who calls himself Trump's biggest supporter in the race. Leffler was at the US Capitol riot on January 6 but said he didn't break into the building.

Republicans have been targeting Axne over her failure to properly report more than three-dozen stock trades, a violation first reported by NPR.

Read the original article on Business Insider
VILNIUS (Reuters) - Moscow will not be able to retain its military capabilities due to tough Western sanctions imposed as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday.

"We have far reaching sanctions now that will set back the Russian economy by decades, that means it will not be able to participate in global economic and technological progress," Scholz told reporters during a visit in Vilnius.

"We know from reports that this means that Russia will not even be able to retain its military capacities at the same level," he said, adding Moscow had in the past abused imports of civilian goods for military purposes.

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas, Sabine Siebold and Rachel More; Editing by Miranda Murray)
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There is nothing wrong with a classic brown smokey eye, a little black eyeliner or a simple nude lip. These looks are classics for a reason, right? But if youve wanted to branch out and add some vibrant hues into your makeup looks, youre going to want to get to know Luna Magic Beauty.

Founded in 2019 by Afro Latina & Dominican American sisters Mabel and Shaira Frias, the LA-based company is an indie beauty brand that offers high-quality cosmetics with major color payoffs. According to the brands page: By combining their passions for beauty and lifestyle, they created a vibrant brand that celebrates their mutual love for their multicultural heritage, Latin culture and music  in living color.

Luna Magic Beauty even caught the eyes of a few legendary business people when the Frias sisters pitched their brand on Shark Tank. After showing off a few of their cruelty-free eyeshadows, lipsticks and lashes, they received an offer from Barbara Corcoran.

Below, shop a few of Luna Magics best-selling beauty products and turn your makeup looks from subdued to vibrant.

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Luna Magics matte lipstick in the shade Gostosa (which means sexy woman in Brazilian Portuguese) is a best seller for a reason. This eye-catching shade dries matte and has a weightless feel on the lips. Goodbye, smudged lipstick!

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The post This Shark Tank-approved beauty brand helps add color back into your makeup routine appeared first on In The Know.
A fourth-grade teacher who was shot during the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, has recounted how children called out for police to help them before they died.

Arnulfo Reyes, who has been a teacher for 17 years, said he was shot twice during the second-most deadly school shooting in US history  19 children and two teachers were killed.

Speaking to ABCs Good Morning America, he recalled that he was watching a movie with 11 of his students when he heard the sound of gunshots.

It was going to be a good day, Mr Reyes told ABC News. There was nothing unusual that day, we were just walking back to the classroom  to watch the rest of the movie.

While recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Mr Reyes spoke of several interactions with gunman Salvador Ramos, 18, on 24 May during the shooting at Robb Elementary School.

Mr Reyes and his student were in classroom 111, which was connected to one of the rooms where Ramos began shooting.

The kids were yelling, Whats going on, Mr Reyes? he said.

Arnulfo Reyes, a teacher who was shot in the Uvalde school shooting, speaks to ABC News (ABC News)

I dont know whats going on, but lets go ahead and get under the table, the teacher responded. Get under the table and act like youre asleep.

Mr Reyes said he heard officers outside the classroom as a child in the other room asked for help, adding that he believes the officer had walked away without hearing the calls for aid.

One of the students from the next-door classroom was saying, Officer, were in here. Were in here, Mr Reyes said. But they had already left.

The students were going under the table, and I was trying to get them to do that as fast as I could.

When I turned around, I just saw him, he added.

EXCLUSIVE: Arnulfo Reyes, teacher wounded in Uvalde shooting, to @arobach: I will not let these children and my coworkers die in vain. I will not. I will go to the end of the world to not let my students die in vain. https://t.co/0pvPuyw2g1 pic.twitter.com/uj1yZRAsAK  Good Morning America (@GMA) June 7, 2022

The gunman began firing into the classroom. Mr Reyes said he was struck by two bullets  one went through his arm and lung and the other struck him in the back.

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He said the shooting, which lasted for over an hour and 15 minutes, destroyed him and permanently altered the school and the surrounding community.

I feel so bad for the parents because they lost a child, Mr Reyes told ABC. But they lost one child. I lost 11 that day, all at one time.

The teacher called the police cowards for not acting more quickly.

The only thing that I know is that I wont let these children and my co-workers die in vain, he said. I will go to the end of the world to make sure things get changed. If thats what I have to do for the rest of my life, I will do it.

Mr Reyes hit the floor after being shot as the gunman started firing into the room of students aged 10 and 11 years old. The classroom grew quiet.

I prayed that I wouldnt hear none of my students talk, he said. And I didnt hear talk for a while. But then, later on, he did shoot again. So, if he didnt get them the first time, he got them the second time.

Mr Reyes said he pretended to be unconscious, but then Ramos fired again.

And that was the second time he got me, the teacher said. Just to make sure that I was dead.

I had no concept of time, he added. When things go bad, it seems like [an] eternity. The only thing that I can say is I felt like my blood was like an hourglass.

Mr Reyes told ABC that he has had five surgeries in the two weeks since the shooting and has had his blood replaced twice.

After initially hearing gunshots at around 11.30am, a tactical unit breached the school and killed the shooter at 12.50pm.

After that, it was just bullets everywhere, Mr Reyes said. And then I just remember Border Patrol saying, Get up, get out, and I couldnt get up.

The teacher went on to strongly criticize the police for not taking faster action.

Theyre cowards, Mr Reyes said. They sit there and did nothing for our community. They took a long time to go in  I will never forgive them.

The teacher described procedural failures that he says likely led to more deaths.

There was no announcement. I did not receive any messages on my phone ... I didnt get anything, and I didnt hear anything, he said.

Mr Reyes said he had made complaints about his door, which was supposed to be closed and locked during class. He said he had told the school principal that his door wouldnt latch.

When that would happen, I would tell my principal, Hey, Im going to get in trouble again, theyre going to come and tell you that I left my door unlocked, which I didnt, he said. But the latch was stuck. So, it was just an easy fix.

But he added that no training would ever prepare anybody for this.

It all happened too fast. Training, no training, all kinds of training  nothing gets you ready for this, he told ABC. We trained our kids to sit under the table and thats what I thought of at the time. But we set them up to be like ducks.

Mr Reyes urged lawmakers to enact gun reform.

If you want to buy a gun, you want to own a gun, thats fine, he said. But the age limit has to change. And I think that they need to do more background checks on it. Things just have to change. It must change.
Manfred Low Cheng Jing foiled investigations into an alleged illegal gasoil transaction between his company's vessel and a North Korean vessel. (PHOTO: Japan's Ministry of Defense)

SINGAPORE  A director who foiled Singapores authorities attempts to investigate his oil trading and bunkering firm's suspected dealings with North Korea was jailed for 15 weeks on Tuesday (7 June).

Manfred Low Cheng Jing, 31, was also the shareholder of Singapore-incorporated company Yuk Tung Energy, which was reported to have transferred gasoil to the hermit kingdom in 2018, in breach of United Nations (UN) sanctions.

The Singaporean pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally obstructing the course of justice by disposing a computer containing details of Yuk Tung Energys transactions.

As a member state to the UN, Singapore is obliged to implement the United Nations Security Councils (UNSC) sanctions against North Korea in response to the latters nuclear program. To this effect, Singapore enacted the United Nations Act 2001 and the United Nations (Sanctions  Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea) Regulations 2010.

The UNSCs resolutions prohibit the facilitation or engagement of ship-to-ship transfers of all refined petroleum products to or from North Koreas vessels.

Also read: Singapore wholesaler allegedly exported over $341,000 of Pokka drinks to North Korea

Also read: Director of 3 firms which supplied luxury goods to North Korea jailed 3 weeks

Also read: Man jailed for illegal transactions with North Korea, cheating

Media reports in early 2018 highlighted the alleged transfer of gasoil around 20 January 2018 between Yuk Tung Energys vessel, named MT Yuk Tung, and a North Korean vessel, Rye Song Gang 1, in the East China Sea.

Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs also published a press release with photographs of the alleged incident on 24 January 2018.

Low learned about the news around the same time. Thinking that the police would investigate his firms activities, between January and February 2018, Low threw an Apple iMac computer that he used for its operations at an unknown dumpster in Singapore. He knew the computer contained information relevant to investigations.

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The accused admitted to intentionally disposing of the iMac computer at a dumpster as he was afraid that the police would find potentially incriminating evidence in the iMac computer because he knew that YTEs business operations were shady. He did not want the police to be able to retrieve incriminating evidence from the iMac computer, said prosecutors handling the case.

Singapores Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) received information about the alleged illicit supply of gasoil to North Korea and began investigating Yuk Tung Energy and its officers, including registered owner Eric Tang Kok Wah, and another director and shareholder Benito Aloria Yap, on 26 January 2018.

Yap is at large while Yuk Tung Energy and Tang have not been prosecuted.

Investigations by Singapore authorities thwarted

According to court documents, Yap dealt with transactions while Low acknowledged transactions, printed out and tallied the firms invoices. Low learned the ropes of the business from Yap, who was the key decision-maker of the firm.

After the company learned about the media reports, Tang, Yap, Low and other officers of the company met in Johor Bahru to discuss how to respond.

Yap went to the firms office to remove all physical documents related to the companys dealings. He told a staff member to move a computer related to the firms operations. He also asked an employee to assist Low in removing the iMac computer from the office. The iMac was eventually sent to Lows residence before he threw it away.

On 2 February 2018, CAD raided Yuk Tung Energys office but did not find the two computers.

On 13 February 2018, the Singapore government received a request from the UN Panel of Experts under the UNSC Committee for information on the transactions related to MT Yuk Tung.

The panel sought an explanation as to why there was a ship-to-ship transfer between MT Yuk Tung and Rye Song Gang 1. It also requested for the type and amount of petroleum allegedly transferred to the North Korean vessel, and copies of documents related to the transfer.

CAD managed to obtain information and documents pertaining to Yuk Tungs operations. However, Lows disposal of the iMac prevented CAD from fully investigating the alleged sanction violations.

Low also lied in his statement to CAD that his phone and laptop were destroyed in January 2018 after a car ran over a bag containing the devices.

Low later admitted to disposing his phone  the charge relating to this offence was taken into consideration for his sentencing.

On 30 March 2018, MT Yuk Tung and Yuk Tung Energy were added to the UN sanctions list.

Prosecution sought three to five months' jail

Deputy Public Prosecutors Regina Lim, Koh Mun Keong, and Samuel Chew sought three to five months jail for Low, citing how he had frustrated CADs ability to fully investigate the illegal supply of gasoil to North Korea.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Impact Statement makes clear that the accuseds obstruction of the course of justice have subjected Singapore to international scrutiny and criticism, and raised questions from Singapores international partners about her commitment to upholding her international obligations under the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. This negatively impacted Singapores economic reputation and competitiveness, and increased risk for Singapores financial and economic sectors, said the prosecution.

They noted that a breach of the UN sanctions carried a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of up to $500,000.

Diana Ngiam, Low's lawyer, argued for around three months' jail for her client, whom she said was not involved in carrying out Yap's instructions to the employees.

Low only knew the removal of his iMac computer when a member of staff transported the computer to Lows residence," she said.

In a moment of panic, Low "decided foolishly" to throw the computer away. Even though Low learned about the media reports, he had not yet known that CAD was investigating the matter, the lawyer said. Low also never intended for the firm to breach UN sanctions, she added.

For obstructing the course of justice, Low could have been jailed up to seven years, fined, or both.

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(Reuters) -Slovakia's supreme prosecutor's office has dropped charges against central bank governor Peter Kazimir in a case involving an alleged bribe several years ago and told prosecutors to review the case again, deputy prosecutor general said on Tuesday.

Last October, the euro zone country's Special Prosecutor's office charged Kazimir, a member of the European Central Bank's Governing Council, with a "corruption-related crime".

Kazimir has denied any wrongdoing.

First deputy of the Prosecutor General, Josef Kandera, told a televised news conference that charges against Kazimir were based on sole "crown witness." Since that person was charged with crimes and seeking benefits form cooperating with police, it needed special attention, he said.

Therefore the current charges were dropped but prosecutors will consider the case again, Kandera said.

"The ruling of a prosecutor at the Special Prosecutor's office was canceled and the prosecutor was ordered to consider the case again and rule," Kandera told the news conference.

A spokesperson for the prosecutor's office was not immediately available for further comment.

Kazimir's office referred Reuters to his lawyer, Ondrej Mularcik, for comment on the decision.

"Mr. governor accepted the decision with pleasure and humility. He did not and does not feel guilty of committing a crime," Mularcik told Reuters.

Kazimir was finance minister from 2012 until 2019, nominated by the leftist SMER party, before he assumed his six-year term at the helm of the central bank.

Slovak news website aktuality.sk reported at the time when the charges were made public that Kazimir was accused of being a "courier" who brought an around 50,000 euro ($57,845) bribe to the then-chief of the country's tax administration, who has been investigated for several crimes and has cooperated with police.

(Reporting by Robert Muller; Writing by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Catherine Evans and Tomasz Janowski)
The son of the eldest victim of the Buffalo grocery store massacre has demanded US senators take action against the cancer of white supremacy.

Garnell Whitfield Jr, whose 86-year-old mother Ruth Whitfield was killed in the 14 May attack, called on members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to yield your positions of authority if they were unwilling to find a solution to the growing domestic terror threat.

Mr Whitfield described his mother as the heart and rock of his family, and that their lives had been forever damaged by an act of profound hate and evil.

He added the 18-year-old charged with his mothers murder did not act alone.

He was radicalised by white supremacists. His anger and hatred were metastasised like a cancer by people with big microphones screaming that Black people were going to take away their jobs and opportunities.

Mr Whitfield implored the senators to imagine the faces of your mothers, as you look at mine and ask yourself, is there nothing that we can do?

He continued: Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy.

Because if there is nothing, then respectfully, senators, you should yield your positions of authority and influence to others that are willing to lead on this issue.

The urgency of the moment demands no less. My mothers life mattered. My mothers life mattered. Your actions here today would tell us how much it matters to you.

Mr Whitfield was speaking at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Examinining the 'Metastasising' Domestic Terrorism Threat After the Buffalo Attack on Tuesday morning.

The hearings were called after 10 Black people were shot and killed and three others wounded when an 18-year-old gunman armed with an assault rifle and dressed in body armour opened fire at the Tops grocery store on 14 May.

Federal authorities are investigating the massacre as a racist hate crime, and the gunman allegedly kept a diary detailing his white supremacist beliefs.

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After his powerful opening statement, Mr Whitfield took questions from the senators on racism and gun violence.

In a manifesto verified as belonging to the shooting suspect, the 18-year-old stated the purpose of the massacre was to counter a trend known as the white replacement theory.

The conspiracy in short spreads the false belief that Democrats are attempting to supplant white Americans with Hispanic immigrants and other people of colour in an attempt to radically change the US voting population.

Experts have linked the gunmans manifesto to theories promoted on Tucker Carlsons Fox News show.

According to The New York Times Mr Carlson has mentioned the issue of demographic replacement, in his own words, on hundreds of episodes totalling more than 50 hours of content.
Sonoma State University President Judy Sakaki has announced her resignation amid a sexual harassment and retaliation scandal.

Sakaki shared her intent to resign on Monday, almost a month after 173 faculty members voted for "no confidence" and 105 faculty members voted against no confidence in her leadership amid a scandal involving her and her husband, Patrick McCallum. Her resignation would take effect on July 31.

Serving as Sonoma State President has truly been an honor. After thoughtful reflection and discussions with my family, I made the decision to step away as president of this wonderful campus, Sakaki, the second woman to be elected as Sonoma States president and the first Japanese American woman to serve as a university president in the country, said in a statement.

I care deeply about Sonoma State and believe this choice will allow the campus community to move forward in a timely manner, she added. I am incredibly grateful to the entire SSU and the North Bay communities for the opportunity to serve during such a challenging and transformative time at Sonoma State.

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State senators Bill Dodd (D, Napa-3) and Mike McGuire (D, CA-2), who urged Sakaki to step down last month following the voting results, acknowledged her decision in a joint statement on Monday.

In the statement, they said her decision would allow the Sonoma State community to start the healing process and return its focus to the universitys core mission  its students.

There remain deep cultural challenges within the Cal State system and change is long overdue, they continued. There have been too many circumstances where women have been harassed, intimidated and retaliated against. We implore the incoming chancellor to make this glaring issue their top priority and advance change that we can all believe in and reestablish trust.

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More from NextShark: 'We're better than that': Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calls anti-Asian hate 'un-American'

Sakaki, who was named President of the Year by the California State Student Association in 2017, worked in various administrative positions in the California State University (CSU) and the University of California systems for 40 years before being appointed as president of Sonoma State University in 2016.

The scandal that rocked the university

Sakaki faced scrutiny after the Los Angeles Times published an investigative piece in April detailing how the university paid $600,000 to settle a claim with former Sonoma State Provost Lisa Vollendorf after allegations were reported to CSU system officials.

Vollendorf said three women, two of whom were university employees, claimed in December 2018 that they were sexually harassed by McCallum. Although he is not a CSU employee, he is a higher education lobbyist and an official university volunteer who was active in campus events with Sakaki.

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The women, who either worked for Vollendorf or knew her, reportedly told her about the alleged incidents and described McCallums behavior as creepy, disgusting and pervy.

McCallum was accused of talking about his personal sex life, running his fingers through one of the womens hair and making inappropriate personal comments about her looks during an event in his and Sakakis home.

The woman claimed that she initially told a Title IX officer from the chancellors office about the incident, but she realized that she could face retaliation if she ever pushed forward with a formal investigation.

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The woman, whose name was not revealed, eventually reported the incident to the CSU Title IX officer in 2019 after she was excluded from several faculty dinners hosted by Sakaki and her husband, which were events she would normally be invited to, according to the Times.

She said she saw this as retaliation, but she decided to step back after the CSU shut down its campuses amid the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Gordon McDougall, a former Sonoma State interim vice president who directed Sonoma States University Advancement Division, told the Times that there were complaints of inappropriate touching and comments that the female employees felt uncomfortable.

I noticed there was a lot of discomfort about working with him, McDougall said, noting that he became aware of the accusations against McCallum from female employees, who felt pretty universal about him.

I didnt get into very deep conversations about what happened, McDougall added. I was very uncomfortable.

Vollendorf claimed she faced retaliation from Sakaki, who was her boss, after she reported the incidents to top officials at the chancellors office, according to case records.

Sakaki denied the accusations made against her and her husband in previous statements to the Times. She also denied that she retaliated against Vollendorf, saying the accusations are utterly without basis.

In addition to the allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, another report from the Los Angeles Times noted that Sakaki chose not to discipline one of Sonoma States vice presidents for student affairs after an investigation that found he engaged in inappropriate touching and directed sexual comments at female employees at another CSU campus.

Featured Image via Stepheng3 (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Associated Press

New Yorks highest court on Tuesday rejected former President Donald Trumps last-ditch effort to avoid testifying in the state attorney genera ls civil investigation into his business practices, clearing the way for his deposition next month. The states Court of Appeals said there was no substantial constitutional question that would warrant its intervention in the matter following an intermediate appellate courts ruling last month enforcing a subpoena for Trumps testimony. Trump and his two eldest children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., agreed last week to answer questions under oath starting July 15 unless the Court of Appeals decided to step in.
Steve Clarke is adamant this Scotland squad can qualify for more major tournaments (PA Wire)

Steve Clarke has questioned the logic of anyone calling for big changes in the wake of Scotlands World Cup play-off disappointment.

The Scots have spent the past week licking their wounds after being defeated 3-1 by Ukraine last Wednesday.

There has been criticism in some quarters aimed at Clarke for his tactics and team selection, while several players have been the subject of flak from supporters and pundits.

Clarke insists he has paid little attention to the noise as he prepares his team to kick off their Nations League campaign at home to Armenia on Wednesday.

What criticism? he said, when asked about the reaction to the Ukraine game, before being informed that some pundits and supporters had been critical.

Theyre entitled to their opinion. I dont know what it (the criticism) was because I didnt read it, I didnt hear it, I didnt listen to it.

I deal with games and disappointments and move on. Weve all been hurting but you have to move on, so Armenia tomorrow, Im focused on that.

Clarke was keen to point out to his detractors that his team were unbeaten in eight games prior to the Ukraine tie.

We had a big disappointment to lose to Denmark last year and we bounced back with six wins, he said. Weve now lost one in nine and everybody wants to change what worked before  Im not sure where the logic is in that.

Clarke insists the post-mortem into the Ukraine game is now over and the focus should be fully on ensuring a positive Nations League campaign.

After hosting Armenia on Wednesday, Scotland face Ireland in Dublin on Saturday and Armenia in Yerevan on Tuesday.

Ukraine were better than us on the night, said Clarke. Analysis is what we do, thats part of the process. But you have to move on to the next game. Rather than harking back  I know you guys want to go back all the time  me and the players want to look forward.

You have to look at what went wrong but weve got another game coming up tomorrow so theres no point harking back to last week. Lets focus on tomorrow.

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Clarke intends to utilise his squad over the course of the next week.

With the way the calendar is structured now there are not so many friendly games so there are no real chances to experiment, although we had some friendlies in March which was unusual, he said.

Ive always said Ive got a really good squad, I enjoy the squad. I think there are people in the squad who deserve the chance to play over the next three games and hopefully youll see that.

Going into the first game (against Armenia), weve had seven days rest since the last game so its not so important in this one in terms of resting people. But over the course of the next six days weve got three games and a lot of travel, a long flight to Armenia, so Ill need to use the squad.
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Orhan Coskun

AMMAN/ANKARA (Reuters) - Russia and Syrian government forces have been bolstered in northern Syria where Turkey may soon launch an offensive against Kurdish fighters, Turkish and rebel Syrian officials said, as Ankara prepares for talks with Moscow.

President Tayyip Erdogan said two weeks ago Turkey would launch new military operations in Syria to extend 30-km (20-mile) deep "safe zones" along the border, aiming at the Tal Rifaat and Manbij regions and other areas further east.

Russia, which warned at the weekend against military escalation in northern Syria, is sending Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for talks in Ankara on Wednesday.

The two countries have close ties and Ankara has sought to mediate talks over Russia's war in Ukraine, but their support for opposing sides in Syria may test President Vladimir Putin's relations with the only NATO member not to impose sanctions on Moscow over the invasion.

The stakes are also high for Erdogan. Without at least tacit approval from Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's powerful ally in the Syria conflict, a Turkish offensive would carry additional risk of casualties. Russia and Turkey have checked each other's military ambitions at various points in Syria's war, at times bringing them close to direct confrontation.

There have not yet been signs of a significant Turkish military build-up in the border region, but reports of rocket and artillery exchanges have become more frequent in the past two weeks.

Any Turkish operation would attack the Kurdish YPG militia, a key part of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that controls large parts of north Syria and is regarded by Washington as an important ally against Islamic State. Ankara sees it as a terrorist group and extension of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

A spokesman for the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA)said Russia was reinforcing positions near Tal Rifaat, Manbij, the southern outskirts of Kobani, and Ain Issa - all towns within 40 km (25 miles) of the Turkish border.

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"Since the announcement of the operation, the Syrian regime and its Iranian militias have mobilised and (are) sending reinforcements to the YPG," Major Youssef Hammoud told Reuters.

Their intelligence had spotted Russian helicopters landing at an air base close to Tal Rifaat, he added.

Turkey's state-owned Anadolu news agency cited local sources on Saturday as saying Russia was making deployments in north Syria to "consolidate its control", flying reconnaissance flights over Tal Rifaat and setting up Pantsir-S1 air defence systems in Qamishli, a border town nearly 400 km further east.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi told Reuters on Sunday Damascus should use its air defence systems against Turkish planes and his forces were "open" to working with Syrian troops to fight off Turkey, but said there was no need to send more forces.

TALKS WITH LAVROV

Ankara says it must act because Washington and Moscow broke promises to push the YPG 30 km (18 miles) from the border after a 2019 Turkish offensive. With both powers seeking Turkey's support over Ukraine, the conflict may offer it a degree of leverage.

Washington, whose backing for the SDF has long been a source of strain in ties with Turkey, has voiced concern, saying any new operation would put at risk U.S. troops - which have a presence in Syria - and undermine regional stability.

Russia also said last week it hoped Turkey "refrains from actions which could lead to a dangerous deterioration of the already difficult situation in Syria".

A senior Turkish official said Lavrov would be asked about intelligence that he said pointed to Syrian government and Iran-backed forces either arriving at Tal Rifaat or heading there.

"Turkey will do this operation one way or another," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Asked whether Russia was strengthening positions in northern Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters it was the Syrian armed forces that "are reinforcing, to a greater or lesser extent, certain facilities on their territory."

The Syrian government does not comment on troop movements, but the pro-government newspaper al-Watan on Monday cited sources in northern Raqqa - near the Turkish border - as saying Syrian troops, tanks and heavy weaponry deployed over the weekend in response to Turkish moves.

The Turkish official and the SNA's Hammoud said attacks from SDF-controlled areas against those under Turkish and SNA control had increased. Hammoud said Turkish and SNA forces were responding.

(Additional reporting by Maya Gebeily; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Daren Butler; Editing by Dominic Evans and William Maclean)
WASHINGTON (AP)  A Taiwanese F-16 fighter jet made an emergency landing at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Hawaii on Monday afternoon, and the U.S. Air Force pilot who was flying the aircraft was taken to the hospital for treatment, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

According to officials, the aircraft appeared to have problems with its landing gear and the pilot declared an in-flight emergency and landed. A netting barrier was used to slow and stop the plane, and the nose gear collapsed after contact with the net, officials said.

The pilot was not identified and was not seriously injured, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details prior to the completion of the investigation.

The U.S. routinely sells F-16s to Taiwan. Officials said the pilot took off from an Air Force base in the continental U.S., and was scheduled to stop in Hawaii en route to Taiwan.

The U.S. has programs to retrofit and upgrade older models of the F-16 for Taiwan, as well as plans to deliver new models of the aircraft. It wasn't clear if the fighter jet was new or an older version.
Jun. 6Two pairs of legs poking out from underneath a car led to the discovery of more than $100,000 in stolen property and the arrest of multiple people in what Spokane Police described as a "structured stolen property trafficking ring."

The bust was a culmination of events that began with a man who was leaving his home in the Audubon Neighborhood for work at around 4:30 a.m. May 17, when he noticed the suspicious legs under a neighbor's car. He also heard sawing coming from underneath the car and reported to police that it appeared the two people were attempting to remove its catalytic converter. A running pickup truck was parked nearby.

In an attempt to thwart the theft, the man got into the running pickup truck and parked it in Audubon Park, taking the truck keys and leaving them with another neighbor so he could go to work. The man contacted police about the situation who arrived on scene and located the pickup truck.

Tyler G. Larsen, 26, approached police and said the truck belonged to his friend, Vitaliy A. Budimir, 35, who he then called. While waiting for Budimir to arrive, the officers noticed what appeared to be stolen goods in plain view, including tools, purses and an exhaust muffler. Budimir told the officers that his truck had been stolen earlier that morning, but that it was stolen from 1318 Garland Ave.

As police investigated the pickup truck, they discovered stolen catalytic converters, stolen tools, stolen ID cards, debit/credit cards and tools used to remove catalytic converters, according to court documents. Further investigation of the pickup truck found that more stolen property might be at the Garland address.

The officers determined that Budimir and another unknown suspect had attempted to cut and steal the catalytic converter from the vehicle, causing more than $1,000 in damage. They arrested Budimir and Larsen. The two men were both released by the next day, according to police.

Police searched the Garland address on May 25. After police identified themselves, Joshua E. Semenchuk, 22, jumped a fence in the backyard and tried to flee, but police caught him and arrested him on a stolen car warrant.

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Police found more stolen property including six catalytic converters, a U.S. Postal Service uniform and an electric bike they returned to its owner.

Catalytic converters are often stolen from vehicles because they can contain precious metals.

Further investigations led to stolen property inside two storage units in North Spokane. Both units contained power tools still in their original packaging, clothing with the tags still on, generators, firearms including an illegal sawed-off shotgun and electrical equipment, according to police. The storage units were rented by Ryan Smith, 30, and Wilma R. Haight, 29.

They were later arrested.

Police also found a set of firefighter gear and wildland firefighter gear linked to a vehicle prowling report from May 8.

A box of tools, a plumbing camera and a speaker linked to a different vehicle prowling report from May 5 were also found .

A search of a hotel room rented by Smith and Haight uncovered $1,000 in cash, $3,000 in money orders, 43 cash gift cards, and fentanyl pills. A search of their pickup truck also led to the seizure of stolen property.
BERLIN (Reuters) - German prosecutors are investigating three employees of state-owned railway Deutsche Bahn after a deadly train accident in southern Germany last week, police said.

Five people, including two women who had Ukrainian citizenship and a teenager, were killed and more than 40 injured when a regional train derailed in the mountainous region north of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria.

Public prosecutors in Munich are investigating the three employees on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, among other things, police said.

(Reporting by Miranda Murray; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
ATLANTA  Todd and Julie Chrisley, stars of the reality television show "Chrisley Knows Best," were found guilty Tuesday in Atlanta on federal charges including bank fraud and tax evasion.

The Chrisleys were initially indicted in August 2019 and a new indictment was filed in February of this year. Their trial began three weeks ago, and a jury on Tuesday found them guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan in Atlanta. They were also found guilty of conspiring to defraud the IRS and tax evasion, and Julie Chrisley was convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.

Bruce Morris, an attorney for Todd Chrisley, said he was disappointed with the verdict and expects to appeal.

Prosecutors alleged that the Chrisleys submitted fake documents to banks when applying for loans. They said Julie Chrisley also submitted a false credit report and fake bank statements when trying to rent a house in California.

They used a company they controlled to hide income to keep the IRS from collecting unpaid taxes owed by Todd Chrisley, prosecutors said.

The Chrisleys: What we know about the reality TV family's legal troubles

After they were found guilty, U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross allowed the Chrisleys to remain free on bond. But she placed them on location monitoring and home detention, meaning they can only leave the house for certain reasons, including work, medical appointments and court appearances. They also have to alert their probation officers to any spending over $1,000, according to the order entered Tuesday.

Todd and Julie Chrisley at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on April 2, 2017.

Peter Tarantino, an accountant hired by the couple, was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States and willfully filing false tax returns, the U.S. attorney's office in Atlanta said. He also remains free on bond.

Sentencing for all three is set for Oct. 6.

From 2019:'Chrisley Knows Best's Todd and Julie Chrisley reach settlement on state tax fraud charges

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Chrisley Knows Best follows the tight-knit, boisterous Chrisley family. The series was just renewed by USA for a 10th season, while spinoff Growing Up Chrisley, featuring Chrisley kids Chase and Savannah living in Los Angeles, was just renewed by E! for a fourth season.

The trial began in mid-May, just days after E! announced that it was moving forward with a new dating series, Love Limo, hosted by Todd Chrisley.

As todays outcome shows, when you lie, cheat and steal, justice is blind as to your fame, your fortune, and your position, Special Agent Keri Farley, head of the FBI Atlanta, said in a news release. In the end, when driven by greed, the verdict of guilty on all counts for these three defendants proves once again that financial crimes do not pay.

Todd and Julie Chrisley's oldest daughter Lindsie Chrisley spoke out Wednesday after her parents' verdict.

"I know most of you are expecting to hear from me on my podcasts this week as I took time to be with my family last week," Lindsie wrote on Instagram stories. "The verdict is not what I had hoped or prayed for, and I am deeply saddened for myself, my son and my family as a whole."

"Please pray for us during this difficult time and know that I will be back when the time is right," she concluded. "Thank you for your continued love and support."

Todd and Julie have three children: Chase, 26; Savannah, 24; and Grayson, 16. Lindsie, 32, and her brother Kyle, 30, are Todd's children from a previous marriage.

Before the Chrisleys became reality television stars, they and a former business partner submitted false documents to banks in the Atlanta area to obtain millions of dollars in fraudulent loans, prosecutors said. They spent lavishly on luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate and travel and used new fraudulent loans to pay old ones, they said. Todd Chrisley then filed for bankruptcy, walking away from more than $20 million in loans, prosecutors said.

The Chrisley family, Chase, left, Savannah, Todd and Julie Chrisley.

While her husband was in bankruptcy proceedings, Julie Chrisley created false financial documents to rent a home in Los Angeles, prosecutors said. Once they were in the house, they failed to pay rent and the property owner filed an eviction lawsuit.

It was around the time that Todd Chrisley filed for bankruptcy that the Chrisleys began to star in their reality show. It recorded in the Atlanta area at first and then in Nashville. They earned millions from the show and conspired with Tarantino to defraud the IRS, prosecutors said.

They operated a loan-out company that collected their income from the show and other ventures and kept the corporate bank accounts in Julie Chrisley's name to avoid collection of half a million dollars in back taxes that Todd Chrisley owed, prosecutors said. When the IRS asked for information on the bank accounts, they transferred ownership to Todd Chrisley's mother to try to further hide his income from the tax authorities, according to authorities.

Prosecutors said the couple failed to filed tax returns or pay taxes for several years, despite Todd Chrisley claiming on a radio program that he paid $750,000 to $1 million a year in federal income taxes.

Tarantino filed two false corporate tax returns for the loan-out company, falsely saying it earned no money and made no distributions in 2015 and 2016, prosecutors said.

Julie Chrisley submitted a false document in response to a grand jury subpoena to make it look like the Chrisleys hadn't lied to the bank when they transferred ownership of the loan-out company to her husband's mother, prosecutors said.

More: 'Chrisley Knows Best' star Todd Chrisley pleads not guilty, says ex-employee framed him

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Todd and Julie Chrisley found guilty of bank fraud, tax evasion
A man dealing drugs in the Tri-Cities has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after investigators said they found thousands of child pornography images on his cell phone.

Lorenzo Jimenez Alanis, 47, of Mabton, Wash., was arrested Dec. 3, 2020, in Kennewick after a two-month investigation into his role in distributing methamphetamine.

A confidential source told the Drug Enforcement Agency that a co-defendant in the case, Luis Garcia-Blancas, of Kennewick, had offered to sell him meth for $4,600 a pound.

The DEA had the informant set up drug buys in Pasco, including in the parking lot of a grocery store, which helped them identify Alanis as being present to hand over meth to Garcia-Blancas, who handled the sales.

When Alanis was arrested, officials found four packages of methamphetamine in the GMC Yukon he was driving and MoneyGram receipts for more than $6,000. They also seized his cell phone.

At his home they found about 1.5 pound of suspected meth in a Tupperware container, two digital scales, 50 pounds of processed marijuana, 350 pounds of marijuana plants, a Colt 45 pistol and a Kel-Tec 22 long rifle pistol, plus ammunition.

During an examination of his cell phone, the DEA found child pornography, and a new investigation was opened that was headed by a detective of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Richland.

Both Stephanie Van Marter, an assistant U.S. attorney, and George Trejo, the defense attorney, agreed that there was a minimum of more than 600 images and videos of child pornography that had been received or saved on Alaniss phone over about 30 days in the summer of 2020.

Some included violent sexual abuse of children.

The prosecution put the total images of child pornography on the phone at 38,000, but Trejo said that included adult pornography, emojis, memes and a photo of actor Jason Momoa.

Alanis, who was brought to the Lower Yakima Valley from Mexico by his parents when he was 17, expects to be deported when he completes his prison term, according to court documents.

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His attorney said there was no allegation that Alanis, a father of three, ever committed hands-on offenses.

U.S. Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr. sentenced Alanis to 10 years in prison for distributing 50 grams or more of meth and five years for possession of child pornography for a total of 15 years in prison.

It is difficult to comprehend or catalog the wide scope of Mr. Alanis criminal conduct, said Vanessa Waldref, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. As though his large-scale methamphetamine dealing was not enough, he also downloaded and collected thousands of crime scene photos of minors being sexually abused  presumably demonstrating his sexual interest in children.

Garcia-Blancas is scheduled to be sentenced July 21 after pleading guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of meth.

This case was investigated by agents and detectives with the DEA in Seattle and Tri-Cities, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Metro Drug Task Force in Tri-Cities, the Kennewick, Richland, West Richland, and Pasco police departments, Homeland Security and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force in Richland.
Blake Masters, a Republican candidate for the Senate in Arizona who was recently endorsed by former President Donald Trump, said on a podcast this year that "Black people, frankly" are to blame for America's gun violence problem.

"We do have a gun violence problem in this country, and it's gang violence," Masters said on "The Jeff Oravits Show" in April. "It's gangs. It's people in Chicago, St. Louis shooting each other. Very often, you know, Black people, frankly. And the Democrats don't want to do anything about that."

Masters also claimed Democrats "are weak on crime" and "don't like the Second Amendment" because "it frankly blocks a lot of their plans for us."

The comments were first reported by The Daily Beast.

During the same podcast, when asked what he thought about President Joe Biden's Supreme Court nominee Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman confirmed to the court, Masters said she was "a horrible pick" and that she was an "affirmative action candidate."

Masters did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.

Masters has promoted Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. He has also repeatedly echoed the "great replacement theory"  a white supremacist conspiracy theory that there is a plot to diminish the influence of white people in the U.S.  by baselessly claiming that Democrats want to grant amnesty to thousands of immigrants in order to "make them voters."

Last month, a white, 18-year-old gunman who is believed to have subscribed to the "great replacement theory" opened fire at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing 10 people and injuring three, almost all of them Black, authorities said. Authorities have described the incident as a racially motivated hate crime.

Less than two weeks later, a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers and injured more than a dozen others at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

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A number of Republicans have singled out large cities when questioned about whether stricter gun laws would prevent mass shootings.

During a news conference about the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott pointed to Chicago as an example of why tough gun laws fail to prevent gun violence.

Abbott blamed the shooting on a mental health crisis.

"We need to realize that people who think that, 'Well, maybe if we could just implement tougher gun laws, it's going to solve it,' Chicago and L.A. and New York disprove that thesis," Abbott said at a May 25 news conference.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot both condemned his remarks.

"Shame on you, @GovAbbott," Pritzker tweeted, linking to a report that a majority of guns used in Chicago crimes came from outside of Illinois. "Don't feed into the false narrative about Chicago and Illinois  it's an excuse that politicians like you hide behind to stop the federal legislation we need to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people."

"You are lying about Chicago and what actually perpetuates gun violence. The majority of guns used in Chicago shootings come from states with lax gun laws," Pritzker added. "Do better. You have 19 kids and two teachers who deserve our best."
Indivisible, a network of local progressive organizing groups that sprang up during the Trump administration, is spending $7 million in the 2022 midterms to help elect Democrats by emphasizing MAGA extremism.

Plans shared first with POLITICO outline how the group plans to mobilize its local chapters around strategic conflict, which focuses activism and voter contact around Republican candidates' comments and policy positions. The program  for which Indivisible has already raised money in the low seven-figures, with fundraising efforts continuing through the rest of the year  will focus on supporting local groups' programming and direct voter contact, including phone-banking, texting and canvassing.

Did a state rep in rural Arizona just propose a contraception ban? Did a Pennsylvania candidate just appear at a campaign event with a January 6th ringleader? the memo reads. We'll work with Indivisibles to identify or initiate these moments and package them for broader distribution.

The strategy memo described three messaging areas the group believes will highlight Republican extremism: (1) the MAGA attacks on schools and kids; (2) the MAGA attacks on Roe and our rights; and (3) the MAGA attacks on our democracy and election integrity.

Later this month, Indivisible will launch pilot programs for this strategy in Arizona and Pennsylvania. But the local groups are targeting a range of battleground Senate races and House districts, including boosting Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman in Pennsylvania and Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia.

Local Indivisible groups are in good positions to directly confront MAGA representatives, senators and candidates, who hold unpopular positions, but don't get called out on them, Ezra Levin, an Indivisible Project co-executive director, said in an interview.

We believe that we're the normal majority and they're the marginal MAGA radicals, and if the election is a referendum on that, Levin said, it puts us in a winning place.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  Turkey on Tuesday called on Greece to withdraw its armed forces from Aegean islands, warning that his country will challenge the status of the islands if it fails to demilitarize them.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a joint news conference with his North Macedonian counterpart, that Greece has been building a military presence on the Aegean islands in violation of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Paris Treaty. He said the islands were ceded to Greece on condition that they be kept demilitarized.

The agreements are there but Greece is violating them. Its arming them. If Greece does not stop this violation, the sovereignty of the islands will be brought up for discussion, he said. Its that clear. You will abide by the agreements.

Greece argues that Turkey has deliberately misinterpreted the treaties regarding armed forces on its eastern islands and says it has legal grounds to defend itself following hostile actions by Ankara including a long-standing threat of war if it extends its territorial waters.

The Turkish ministers comments come amid a new escalation in tensions between the NATO allies that have a history of disputes over a range of issues including mineral exploration in the eastern Mediterranean and rival claims in the Aegean Sea.

Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would stop talking to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, voicing displeasure at comments the Greek leader made during a recent U.S. trip, including suggestions that Congress should block Turkeys acquisition of F-16 fighter jets.

In Athens, Mitsotakis said restraint was needed on both sides of the Aegean due to the war in Ukraine.

I think we are still very far from that point, far from the tension we had in the summer of 2020," Mitsotakis said in reference to a time when tensions flared between Greece and Turkey over gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

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"Today, everyone needs to show restraint. Especially at a time when we are facing a very big challenge at NATO with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We must be united, he said.

Cavusoglu said Ankara had sent two letters to the United Nations on the issue of the militarized islands and he called on Greece to respond to the letters.

They are getting aggressive because they cannot respond to the letters, the minister claimed.
After backpacking around Morocco, a U.S. traveler was left stunned by a Moroccan hospital bill that he received on the last day. After spending an entire night in ER and receiving medication, the travelers bill came up to $31 USD.

Christian Grossi, 23, a travel blogger from the U.S., shared his account of his last day in Morocco. After experiencing extreme food poisoning, Grossi was in such a bad state that he had to go to the hospital.

Grossi details how after uploading his recent video about experiencing food poisoning in North Africa, he started to feel really dizzy. After deciding to head to a store close to his Airbnb, he ended up collapsing on the street.

Grossi then woke to 4 Moroccan men pouring water on him, speaking completely in Arabic except for the words hospital.

Considering the state he was in, Grossi allowed the men to admit him to a hospital. When he arrived, he was admitted to the ER immediately. He was hooked up to two machines, one for antibiotics and another for anti-nausea medication. Grossi details how he passed out again.

TikTok and U.S. Traveler stunned by Moroccan hospital bill

The viral video, currently with 2.3 million views, documents Grossis 24 hours in a Moroccan hospital as a traveler without health insurance.

Some time after waking up again, the nurse explained that he was well enough to return home. Knowing that he didnt have health insurance, Grossi was anticipating a high bill.

To his disbelief, a night in ER and 4 separate medications cost him $31 USD, cash.

The reaction to his TikTok video showed the stark difference between healthcare in U.S. and elsewhere. One commenter mentions Bro waiting in the lobby of a US hospital would cost you 20K (@Bogie).

Another comments Americans when they learn that healthcare aint that expensive and is free in some countries (@EllisButler).

Many others took to the comment section to speak on the fact that typically healthcare (and education) is free in Morocco. It seems Grossi attended a non-governmental/private hospital as opposed to a free one.

Related: 10 People Rushed To Hospital After Severe Turbulence On American Airlines Flight
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry building in Kyiv

The ministry stated that Ukraine strictly adheres to Internationally-accepted rules of engagement and treats POWs humanely. In accordance with international conventions, Russian prisoners are kept under guard in proper conditions; and their rights and dignity are fully respected, the Ministry said.

International organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, are regularly granted access to captive Russian combatants. A government agency has been set up to oversee Russian POWs and their exchanges.

Our state policy is based on the principle that POWs cannot be prosecuted for their participation in war, provided they didnt commit war crimes and other types of misconduct, as specified by international law, the ministrys message said.

Read also: Putin signals readiness to lift blockade of Ukrainian ports, exchange POWs, says Austrian chancellor

They are kept temporarily under guard in designated facilities not as a form of punishment, but to prevent them from further participation in hostilities. At the same time, Ukraine reserves the right to prosecute enemy combatants on our territory, for any war crimes and crimes against humanity they may have committed.

The ministry added that Ukraine demands the same treatment of captive Ukrainian military service members by Russia. The message mentions Russia withdrawing its signature from the 1977 amendment protocol to the Geneva Conventions, which covered the protection of victims of international conflicts.

Read also: Ukrainian blogger who interviews Russian POWs shares his experiences

Its clear now that (abandoning the protocol) was a step in Russias preparation for its full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the Ministry said.

Russian treatment of POWs is largely unknown, but reports have surfaced of torture and harsh interrogation methods used in so-called filtration camps, where Russian officials process Ukrainian nationals and residents for Russification. A number of POWs, particularly those captured during the fall of Mariupol, are believed to also have been processed through those filtration camps.
(Reuters) - Ukraine is launching a "Book of Executioners", a system to collate evidence of war crimes Kyiv says were committed during Russia's occupation, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday.

Ukrainian prosecutors say they have registered more than 12,000 alleged war crimes involving more than 600 suspects since the Kremlin started its offensive on Feb. 24.

"Next week, a special publication is to be launched - 'The Book of Executioners' - an information system to collect confirmation of data about war criminals, criminals from the Russian army," Zelenskiy said in a video address.

Zelenskiy said this would be a key element in his longstanding pledge to bring to account Russian servicemen who have committed what Ukrainian authorities have described as murders, rape and looting.

"These are concrete facts about concrete individuals guilty of concrete cruel crimes against Ukrainians," Zelenskiy said.

He cited the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, where investigators found what they say is evidence of mass executions.

Russia says it has gone out of its way to avoid targeting civilians in its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Russian officials have specifically dismissed pictures of events in Bucha as "fabrications" staged by Ukrainian authorities after Russian forces left the town at the end of March.

(Reporting by Ronald Popeski; Editing by David Ljunggren and Lincoln Feast.)
A United Nations (U.N.) official appeared before the Security Council on Monday to discuss the worsening and ongoing problem of sexual violence amid Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Pramila Patten, the special representative for sexual violence in armed conflict, spoke to the council about her recent trip to Ukraine, saying that the needs of women and girls in conflict settings are often side-lined and treated as an afterthought.

The U.N., citing reports from a national domestic violence hotline, said that there have been many reports of family members forced to watch their partners or children undergo sexual violence.

An active battle-ground is never conducive to accurate book-keeping  [but] if we wait for hard data and statistics, it will always be too late, Patten said, pushing for more immediate action.

It is crucial to ensure that the level of political focus, as well as the allocation of resources for a comprehensive response, is commensurate with the scale and complexity of the problem, she added.

Last month, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said victims of sex crimes committed by Russian troops feared speaking about their experiences, making investigations into the crimes all the more difficult.

They are under huge stress, Venediktova said. I just want [to] tell you their words. We are scared because maybe Russians come back and they kill all of us.

Even before that, the United Nations had warned of an increase in crimes against women and children in Ukraine in April, saying the reports were raising red flags.

The combination of mass displacement with the large pressure of conscripts and mercenaries and the brutality displayed against Ukrainian civilians has raised all red flags, said Sima Bahous, executive director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Workforce quit

All jokes about robot armies and Skynet aside, robotics are set to profoundly impact the future of how America works. And not in just a few industries, but across an ever-growing swath that includes agtech, automotive, construction, labor, logistics, healthcare and more.

Automation is inevitable, and yet advancements in technology often result in lower wages and employment  a phenomenon known as the displacement effect. As this MIT study  which measured the effect of robots at work  notes, the impact is significant.

Is the U.S. truly prepared for the coming impact? Its a key question and, thankfully, we have the right person to answer it. Were thrilled to announce that U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh will join us online at TC Sessions: Robotics 2022 on July 21.

Consider this: Amazon already has a fleet of more than 500,000 autonomous mobile robots. And, thanks to the pandemic-induced labor shortage, investors have been throwing money at robotics and automation startups. But what happens to those displaced workers once automation hits full stride?

Well ask Walsh that question and plenty more during the aptly named presentation, The Changing Face of Work. We look forward to hearing the eminently qualified labor secretary discuss what employers and regulators need to do to brace for these radical changes.

A lifelong champion of equity and fairness, and a proud product of the city of Boston, Secretary Walsh leads the U.S. Department of Labor with a strong connection to working people and a commitment to creating an economy that works for all.

Prior to his appointment, Walsh served as the mayor of Boston from 2014 to 2021, where he led the creation of close to 140,000 jobs and helped secure a statewide $15/hour minimum wage, paid sick leave and paid parental leave. He established universal, high-quality pre-kindergarten for all children and free community college for low-income students.

As head of the Building and Construction Trades Council from 2011 to 2013, Walsh worked with business and community leaders to promote high-quality development. He created a program called Building Pathways that has become a model for increasing diversity in the workplace and providing good career opportunities for women and people of color.

From 1997 to 2014, Walsh served as a state representative for one of the most diverse districts in Massachusetts. There, he focused on creating good jobs, protecting workers' rights, expanding mental health treatment and investing in public transit.

TC Sessions: Robotics 2022 is a free online event, happening July 21. You can catch all of the sessions and join the robotics community online for speed networking, chats and one-on-one meetings. Simply register here for free.
A political sign for Pete Arredondo, the Uvalde School District police chief, who is scheduled to be sworn in with the Uvalde City Council is seen in Uvalde, Texas, U.S. May 29, 2022 Veronica G. Cardenas/Reuters

The Uvalde school police chief skipped an emergency city council meeting about the school shooting.

Mayor Don McLaughlin said he could not comment on why Pete Arredondo was not at Tuesday's meeting.

Arredondo was sworn into Uvalde's city council on May 31.

The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police chief who delayed the tactical response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24 skipped an emergency city council meeting about the massacre on Tuesday.

Uvalde, Texas, Mayor Don McLaughlin said during Tuesday's meeting that he would not comment on why police chief Pete Arredondo, who was sworn in as a Uvalde city council member on May 31, was not in attendance.

He added that he hadn't spoken to Arredondo in over a week and said he did not reach out to Arredondo personally to see if he wanted to participate Tuesday's meeting.

"Pete Arredondo was elected by the people in his district," McLaughlin said. "It is up to his district and his people and Mr. Arredondo to what he wants to do."

Arredondo was elected onto the city council three weeks before the Robb Elementary shooting but wasn't sworn in until after the massacre. McLaughlin said there was no ceremony held for Arredondo out of respect for the families of the 19 children and two teachers killed in the shooting.

The mayor said that there have been "missteps" in law enforcement releasing information about the shooting to the public, pointing to the false narrative that a teacher propped a back door of the school open with a rock.

"We want facts and answers like everybody else," McLaughlin said. "We will be transparent when it comes out."

McLaughlin said he asked the district attorney's office for briefings on the investigation but that even he is not privy to the information since he is not law enforcement.

He added that he has not asked Arredondo about the investigation.

"I'm not going to speak to Pete Arredondo," McLaughlin said when asked if he is confident Arredondo will be a good council member. "He'll have to speak for himself."

Read the original article on Insider
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast

People often ask how I got into true crime. I envy my fellow true crime fans who can point to one crime that sparked their fascination with the genre. I wish I had such a story. But true crime has been in my consciousness for as long as I can remember.

I was born the year after the launch of the Missing Children Milk Carton Program, the extremely low-tech precursor to the AMBER Alert. I remember staring at the tiny dots that made up the grayscale photos of missing children and reading the stats: date and location last seen, DOB, height and weight, race and sex, eye and hair color. I wondered what happened to these children who looked like methe milk carton kids were almost invariably white, despite the fact that over the course of the programs nearly 15-year run, Black and Latino kids were disproportionately victims of nonfamily abductions (known colloquially to us 80s and 90s babies as stranger danger).

I grew up watching Unsolved Mysteries and Americas Most Wanted with my family, hoping to see that one word we all longed for at the end of a segment: UPDATE. The voice of Robert Stack, accompanied by that eerie, tinkly synth music, still freezes me in my tracks. Then, a perfect storm: Just as my reading comprehension scores began to soar in elementary school and my parents became preoccupied with my trouble-making older sibling, the 90s happened.

The sensationalized true crime media of the early to mid-90s is all a blur in my mind, but when I revisit the stories I remember most, the earliest is the Menendez family murders. On Aug. 20, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez shot and killed their parents, Kitty and Jose, as they snoozed in front of the TV in the den of their Beverly Hills mansion. Lyle and Erik were arrested the following spring. They were portrayed by the media throughout the trial as spoiled, greedy, and privileged.

Bill James 'Popular Crime' Wants Us to Learn to Love Crime Stories

All eyes were on Los Angeles in 1991 and 1992, after eight LAPD officers beat Rodney Kingpulled over for speedingin early March and, less than two weeks later, when 15-year-old Latasha Harlins was shot by convenience store owner Soon Ja Du, who thought Harlins was stealing an orange juice. Du was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in November of that year and sentenced to 10 years in prison, but that was later reduced to a suspended sentence and a fine. In April 1992, four officers put on trial for beating Rodney King were acquitted and the city erupted into six days of unrest, reported as rioting.

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Things hit closer to my New York metroarea home soon after, when 17-year-old Amy Fisher was arrested for shooting Mary Buttafuoco. Buttafuoco was the wife of Fishers 36-year-old boyfriend. The press dubbed Fisher the Long Island Lolita.

They kept coming: A cult leader and his followers went down in a blaze of fire and fury in Waco, Texas, in February 1993. In June, a woman in Virginia cut off her husbands penis and threw it out of a car window across the street from a 7-Eleven (I remember hearing this one on the radio while I was driving to work with my father, as I sometimes did during the summer, and thinking it was a joke based on how the shock jock reported it). That same month, the iconic Soul Asylum video for Runaway Train came out, depicting scenes of child abuse interspersed with photos and details of real missing and endangered children. That video haunts me to this day.

Its not like it was all true crime all the time when I was a kid, though. I had other hobbies. I was really into dance, gymnastics, and figure skating. It was a respite from all the sensationalized sound bites and headlines swirling around me. In 1994, I became fond of a figure skater who resembled my sisterNancy Kerrigan. Oh... well, never mind.

That was the same year the crime of the century occurredthe murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in June. Opening statements for the ensuing trial of the century were televised the following January, and it was the talk of 1995. One of my best friends in school that year was a transplant from California. Her name was Nicole Brown. It was a weird year for her. Over summer vacation, my family took a trip to Los Angeles that included a double-decker bus tour past Stanley Mosk Courthouse, cables overflowing from the window where the trial was held, all to accommodate the 19 TV stations covering the trial. O. J. Simpson was acquitted in October. Going off the running commentary from my middle-class white parents, I really couldnt understand why.

There were other crimes that year that rocked me. Scott Amedure was murdered in March after announcing on The Jenny Jones Show that he had a crush on a friend. Thats how I learned you could be killed for liking someone of the same gender, a lesson that followed me into early adulthood. In April, Timothy McVeigh detonated a truck bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people, including children in the buildings day care. I doubt many who have seen the picture of firefighter Chris Fields holding Baylee Almons lifeless body were able to ever forget it. She had turned 1 the day before the bombing. I turned 10 two days after.

These are just some of the crimes I remember from the first decade of my life. Ill stop there for nowbefore I get into JonBenet and the helplessness I still feel when I realize that well likely never know for sure how she ended up garroted in that basement on Christmas Day 1996.

If family TV time didnt clue you in, my parents didnt express much concern over their grade schoolage youngest child consuming stories about child abduction, rape, murder, and other violent crimes. Im not sure how common this was back thenmany of my friends remember watching the ten oclock news with their parents. One recalls watching Snapped with her mother. She also ended up a true crime fanatic.

Needless to say, this unsupervised, unfiltered media consumption had an effect on me. I was enthralled by true crime at a young age, and there was no turning back. My own mothers stories about her connections with the Son of Sam and Amityville murders in 1970s Long Island may have given me an extra push.

I sometimes question this fascination. I worry that its grotesque and that there may be something wrong with or broken in me. But after reading, watching, and listening about so many serial killers, murderers, and rapistsnot to mention manipulators, abusers, and scammersIm pretty sure I know a bit about what makes a person bad, and I dont think an interest in true crime is necessarily any part of that.

Since O. J.: Made in America and The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story came out in 2016, Ive seen a lot of retrospectives on the crimes I remember from my childhood. Back then, I had no idea what role the Rodney King beating, the murder of Latasha Harlins, and the subsequent uprising in Los Angeles played in the O. J. Simpson trial verdict. I was young when it happened, but I dont remember that connection being made in the media, and certainly the adults around me were not discussing the broader picture of racial injustice in the United States.

I also didnt know the Menendez brothers had been sexually abused by their parents. I wasnt able to put my 7-year-old finger on exactly what was fishy about a 36-year-old man convincing a 17-year-old girl that they were in an equal romantic partnership and the media reporting it as such. I do wish I knew then what I know now about that one. I didnt remember the role the ATF and FBI played in the Waco siege, nor did I understand that Lorena Bobbitt was brutally raped the night she cut off her husbands penisthe culmination of years of abuse. It was Tonya Hardings abusive ex-husband, and not the skater herself, who orchestrated the attack on Nancy Kerrigan, and it turns out stranger danger accounts for only 28 percent of abductions. Children are far more likely to go missing at the hands of a family member.

There are two things Ive learned from re-examining these crimes through a 21st-century lens. The first is that children under 10 should probably not engage with violent true crime content. I dont have kids, but... parents know that now, right? I mean, in the long run, it made me more empathetic, led me to fulfilling work that I believe has helped people and raised awareness for important issues, and helped me enormously to put my own problems into perspective. But just wait until puberty and ease them in is all Im saying.

The second is that exploiting trauma for capitalistic gain is a real risk when creating true crime content, and one that creators and consumers alike should be wary of. As the late great true crime writer Michelle McNamara put it, I love reading true crime, but Ive always been aware of the fact that, as a reader, I am actively choosing to be a consumer of someone elses tragedy. So like any responsible consumer, I try to be careful in the choices I make. I read only the best: writers who are dogged, insightful, and humane.

I strive to practice this principle myself, and urge other true crime fansof books, docuseries, movies, podcaststo do the same. These stories deserve nuance, the victims deserve respect and justice, the issues around these crimes call for awareness. And the phenomenon of bountiful and ubiquitous true crime media landscape available to us today lends itself to all of this, as long as we continue moving toward nuance and away from the sole purpose of ratings and ad sales.

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Arizona police defended the officers who failed to rescue drowning 34-year-old Sean Bickings (City of Tempe)

Back in 2013, the Chicago Police Department decided they would no longer immediately respond to calls where the victim was not in immediate danger. I dont mean to be flippant here, because Ive been the victim of a burglary at least three or four times, then-CPD superintendent Kevin McCarthy said at the time. Id rather have the officer on street, where he can prevent the shooting.

Except they havent prevented shootings. 2021 was the Windy Citys deadliest year in a quarter century, and the first five months of 2022 have already seen 971 shootings. And last week, in Uvalde, Texas, a gunman spent more than an hour in an elementary school gunning down 19 students and two teachers while police waited outside, failing to enter because they were afraid of being shot. Better to let the 10-year-olds take the bullets.

Whether the police are good value for money is something that has been debated extensively over the past two years. Following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, some on the left began demanding that we defund the police  with the right insisting this was a stupid idea because we need the police to protect us.

Who do they protect, though? Just this week, a video emerged of police in Tempe, Arizona who watched a man drown to death, refusing to put their own lives on the line to attempt a rescue. Sean Bickings, 34, begged police  as evidenced in a released transcript  to save him, saying, Im drowning, and, Please help me. Oh God, please help me, while officers stood on land, with one stating, Im not jumping in after you. Increasingly it is becoming clear that the police are not interested in protecting the lives and property of everyday citizens. This begs the question: What are the cops even for?

Its a question we should have asked following the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida. A group of students sued the police for failing to protect them during that rampage, in which 14 students and three staff members were killed, but the lawsuit was dismissed because, as a judge ruled, the police have no constitutional duty to protect people unless they are in custody.

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Read that again because it bears repeating: The police have no legal duty to protect you.

What is the point of the police if they will not rescue an obviously drowning man or even rush in to protect the children of our nation? The answer seems pretty obvious to me. The police are meant to keep working-class people in line and protect property. Its why you see a militarized police presence during uprisings, like those we saw after the murder of George Floyd, and it is also why police refused to risk their lives in Parkland, Uvalde, and more recently in Tempe.

Simply put, the police are not on the side of you and me. They are on the side of the elites. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that a 2018 University of Chicago study found that working class people are more likely to experience police use of force than wealthier individuals, and Black residents with incomes of less than $20,000 were significantly more likely to experience exposure to police shouting, cursing, threatening arrest, and handcuffing than Black residents with incomes of $20,000$49,000 and $50,000 or more, controlling for sex and age.

That does not mean white working-class folks do not experience police brutality or excessive use of force, though. That was the experience of Hunter Brittain, an unarmed seventeen-year-old white boy from Arkansas who last year was killed by a police officer as he tried to fix his truck. Having an income of less than $20,000 significantly increased the risk for exposure to police use of force during a street stop for white residents, the study discovered. Hunter discovered it, too. The officer who shot him was this year convicted for his killing.

There is obvious institutional rot at the heart of American policing. Is every officer bad? No, of course not. But every officer is human. These are people like you and me, complete with the foibles and flaws being human entails. They are not superheroes  though for some inexplicable reason we treat them as though they were. Indeed, as the murders of George Floyd and Hunter Brittain show, they are just as likely to be villains as they are heroes. Indeed, we know that white supremacists and far-right extremists have infiltrated police forces across the country.

It makes no sense, then, that we arm them as though they are Rambo. I remember watching the 2014 Ferguson protests in abject horror. Why, I wondered, did these cops need tanks? Writing for Mother Jones at the time, Shane Bauer found that the Department of Defense has given $5.1 billion worth of equipment to state and local police departments since 1997, with even rural counties acquiring things like grenade launchers and armored personnel carriers, and that the Department of Homeland Security has handed out grants worth eight times as much  $41 billion since 2002. That money, Bauer points out, was intended for counterterrorism in the wake of 9/11, but DHS specifies that once acquired, the equipment can be used for any other law-enforcement purpose, from shutting down protests to serving warrants and executing home searches.

What it isnt for, however, is protecting you and me. That should give everyone  left, right, and center  pause and immense cause for concern. Here we have a militarized force on the streets of our republic which is charged with protecting not the citizens, but who, exactly?

As a nation, its time for a national reckoning with policing and the role of police in our society. We need to reframe policing, rebuilding the institution from the ground-up as one that serves not the interests of the state and the wealthy, but of everyday folks like you and me. We need police to be on our side.

Im reminded as we close of my friends reaction to the news that CPD wouldnt show up. Her words still echo in my brain. If the police wont protect me, she asked, whats the point of them? After all these years, I still dont know the answer.
After three deadly shootings in five days, residents of Carrollton Ridge are once again demanding more help from city officials and Baltimore Police, saying the violence in their struggling neighborhood has reached crisis levels.

This is like a war zone, said Emmanuel Abrahante, who heard gunshots early Thursday that sounded close enough to pierce the brick walls of his rowhouse. Of course were scared.

Abrahante, 32, moved to the area after emigrating from Puerto Rico as a child. He said the environment has made him paranoid  always watching his back, afraid to let his son play outside. He wants to see more police patrolling the streets, especially in the immediate aftermath of violence.

The shooting around 2:30 a.m. Thursday left a man dead in the 300 block of South Pulaski Street. Baltimore Police identified him Monday morning as Kenneth Blackstone, 29, and said the investigation is ongoing.

Two days after his death, an unidentified male victim died from gunshot wounds just blocks away. That shooting was reported around 6:15 p.m. Saturday in the 1900 block of Wilhelm Street. Neighbors said police found the victim in an alley.

Then on Tuesday morning, a man was shot multiple times around 6:45 a.m. in the 1900 block of Ramsay Street. The three recent shootings occurred within a quarter-mile radius.

So far this year, police have recorded eight homicides in Carrollton Ridge, according to the latest available crime data.

The city has the power and the money to change it, but they do nothing, said Abrahante, gesturing in frustration toward several nearby vacant houses.

Residents said the blighted properties attract crime, providing shelter to people using drugs and creating opportunities for dealers to do business in the neighborhood.

Around the corner, on Ramsay Street, June Kemp was relatively nonchalant about the gun violence that has become a common occurrence on her block  the place shes called home since she got married in 1955 and moved to Carrollton Ridge with her husband.

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This is my neighborhood, she said simply. But its sad, you know.

She turned 90 this year and has no plans to move. Her well-maintained Formstone rowhouse sits between two vacant buildings.

Other residents said they want to move elsewhere, but low property values mean they cant easily afford to leave.

Decades ago, the area was safe and quiet, Kemp said. She remembers leaving her doors unlocked, walking to church with her children and socializing with neighbors well into the evening. Now, she stays inside after dark and keeps her front door double-locked.

But during the day, she remains a fixture on her front porch. She was out there Sunday afternoon enjoying the warm weather.

While Kemp chatted about how Carrollton Ridge has changed over the years, another scene unfolded a few doors down, where two people were sitting outside a vacant home, their belongings sprawled across the porch. A man lay motionless with his head propped against the wall while a woman spent several minutes applying eyeliner and eating a snack. She then picked up a syringe filled with brownish liquid, which she injected into her neck.

She used her makeup mirror to choose the injection site and slowly depressed the syringe. Seconds after removing the needle, she closed her eyes and nodded off, resting her head on the mans chest.

Kemp said some residents will call police on squatters, but the sheer number of vacant houses creates an intractable problem. She doesnt go to the nearby corner store anymore because she feels unsafe.

Kemp said she was sitting at her computer Saturday evening when shots rang out.

All these guns, she said, adding that its hard not to become desensitized to the violence.

On May 13, a dead body was found inside a vacant house on Wilhelm Street, just one block over from the site of Saturdays fatal shooting. The victim died from gunshot wounds, an autopsy later revealed. That was just days after emergency crews responded to a house fire in Carrollton Ridge and discovered a gunshot victim inside the burning building.

Both incidents prompted cries from neighborhood residents about the staggering concentration of blighted properties, drug activity and rampant gun violence.

Once the drugs start, then the bullets start, said another Carrollton Ridge resident, who asked to remain anonymous due to safety concerns.

He pointed to his neighbors cracked front window  a glaring reminder of the stray bullet that caused the damage.

We are like veterans with PTSD. Every time I hear shots, I jump out of my skin, the man said. But the city doesnt care about us. Their focus is on downtown and the middle-class neighborhoods. We need change.

He said the first step could be addressing vacant houses. Hopefully, that would discourage some of the open-air drug markets that seem to keep cropping up, residents said. They also called for increased investment in job training and youth programs, initiatives that could help young people find a productive path forward in their neighborhood.

Despite the obvious issues, they said Carrollton Ridge also gives them reason to remain hopeful about its future. They listed off its perks: a nearby hospital, two shopping centers and Carroll Park. Camden Yards is relatively close, as is Interstate 95.

Roy Mott, 62, said he never could have imagined how the neighborhood of his childhood would deteriorate.

Its unreal, he said of the Thursday shooting, which occurred around the corner from his now-vacant childhood home. Its been so sad to watch.
Jun. 7Dozens of Westbrook middle and high school students walked out of class Monday morning to protest the police department's detention of a student Saturday night, saying the treatment of their black classmate highlighted the discrimination they experience in school.

Westbrook Police Chief Sean Lally issued a statement in response to Monday's march through the streets of downtown Westbrook, which he described as peaceful, and the student's detention during the Westbrook Together Days festival at Riverbank Park.

"The detention of this juvenile had nothing to do with race," Lally said. "It had to do with behavior. Fighting is illegal. So is criminal trespass. There are consequences to unlawful behavior."

Student protesters, however, blamed racism for their fellow student's treatment. They told Newscenter Maine that the student, who was detained, but not charged, is Black.

"We watched our friend, a person that everyone in Westbrook knows, get detained for no reason," eighth-grader Hadil Zackaria, who organized Monday's protest, told Newscenter Maine.

"We wanted to come out here because we feel like it's necessary because of the things that that are happening  and the things that happened over the weekend at the park," said Emma Brown, a Westbrook High School student. Protesters on Monday marched from the school complex on Stroudwater Street, through downtown Westbrook to the Riverbank Park, and then to the police station.

Westbrook police said the student engaged in similar behavior  fighting and trespassing  at the festival on Friday. He was asked to leave again on Saturday as a large and "animated" crowd gathered. Officers decided to take him to the police station, a short walk from the park, and were followed to the public safety building by a crowd of students.

"A crowd of juveniles descended on the Westbrook Public Safety Building and banged on windows and looked for ways to get inside the building," Lally said. The crowd dispersed after 25 minutes and no one, including the detained student, was arrested. He was eventually released into the custody of his grandmother.

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"I personally witnessed a majority of the incident on June 4th," Westbrook Mayor Michael T. Foley posted in a statement on Facebook. "I was proud of the professionalism of our officers and handling of the situation given the circumstances. We are also grateful to support Westbrook Police Department in the recent deployment of body-worn cameras which captured the entire events and which can also confirm the handling of this difficult situation."

Lally pointed out officers working the detail at Together Days event cited numerous people of different races for trespassing at the park over the course of two days for fighting and unruly behavior.

About 60 students  mostly middle schoolers and some high school students  participated in Monday's protest, Westbrook Superintendent Peter Lancia said.

"While this was not a school sponsored event, school administrators and staff, as well as our school resource officers and Westbrook police, accompanied the students (during the march) to ensure their safety," Lancia said. "It was a peaceful, nonviolent protest. Students indicated that this was in response to the event in the community over the weekend."

Lancia said he views the protest as an opportunity for dialogue with students and the community about some of the underlying issues students feel the need to discuss.

A similar walkout and protest occurred last month in Portland when 200 students gathered outside Lyman Moore and Lincoln middle schools in Portland to protest what they said is a culture of tolerance toward racism, bullying and other forms of discrimination at their schools.
Vancouver, British Columbia --News Direct-- Western Magnesium Corporation

Western Magnesium Corporation

WASHINGTON, D.C.  TheNewswire  June 7, 2022 - Western Magnesium Corporation (TSXV: WMG.V; OTCQB: MLYF; Frankfurt-3WM) (Western Magnesium or the Company) is celebrating unprecedented success in the production of magnesium metal at its commercial pilot plant. Management is excited that its proprietary continuous reactor is operating as designed, maintaining target temperature and pressure while allowing for continuous feed, discharge, and magnesium production. Achieving silicothermic reduction in a continuous reactor is a milestone that has never been accomplished globally to date, and the Company looks forward to the next steps of demonstration that will take place.

As the holder of proprietary technology that allows for the environmentally safe production of magnesium metal, Western Magnesium has an extraordinary opportunity to fill the surging demand in the auto, aerospace, airline, eco-friendly industries, and the Department of Defense, essentially answering market demand that is surging in America. Magnesium is essential to the production of aluminum and titanium and a scarcity of the raw material could worsen an already tight supply territory.

Domestic magnesium production was offshored to China years ago in part because operational costs in North America became excessive and old production methods of extraction proved harmful to the environment. Western Magnesiums proprietary technology and production methods will allow the Company to produce 99.8 percent pure magnesium metal with near-zero environmental consequences. This will make North America far less reliant on China for this critical mineral that will lighten and improve a wide range of civilian and defense goods and be an additive in multiple other processes such as aluminum and titanium.

The success of our magnesium production that we are seeing at our commercial pilot plant ushers in a new era for Western Magnesium and the United States, said Western Magnesiums Executive Chairman Ed Lee. I am humbled by both the management and operations team, and their continued drive to challenge the status quo and develop this unparalleled technology. We are closer than ever to exhibiting how America can run metal production operations in an environmentally sound and sustainable way.

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Its a thrilling time to be at the forefront of this manufacturing revolution, said Western Magnesiums Executive President & CEO Sam Ataya. We have witnessed the birth of a new technology that puts us on the cutting edge of showcasing novel solutions and setting new standards for responsible green magnesium production and ending Americas reliance on China for a strategic mineral that we simply must have to ensure our national security. With this achievement, we are maintaining the path to providing long-term stable supply to both domestic and defense sectors within the United States.

These next few years will put America at the forefront of creating a stable supply of magnesium metal and will place Western Magnesium on a path to competing directly with China as domestic and global demand grows, said Western Magnesiums Global President and Chief Operating Officer Lisa Maxwell.

It is a true honor to be at the helm of this innovative technology that has been years in the making, said Western Magnesiums Chief Technology Officer Paul Sauve. We have worked tirelessly to ensure the efficacy of this unprecedented technology and strongly believe that it will ultimately meet production needs in an environmentally responsible and ecologically sound way.

Western Magnesiums technology which was developed in the commercial pilot plant is based on continuous silicothermic reduction and a proprietary collection system and is internally designed to refine the Companys production methods.

Once refined, this scalable technology will be installed in a new facility in Harrison County, Ohio. The Company intends to begin construction of this full-scale facility next year and will produce more than 100,000 metric tons annually. The mega plant will have the capacity to produce 10 percent of the worlds current supply and will employ 250 full-time and five hundred support personnel in Harrison County. The Company will be reviewing all steps of the process to ensure efficient and successful project execution and completion.

Figure 1  Magnesium metal poured at Western Magnesiums commercialized pilot plant

Click Image To View Full Size

Figure 2  Members of the Companys operations team

Click Image To View Full Size

About Western Magnesium

Western Magnesium's goal is to be a low-cost producer of green, primary magnesium metal, a strategic commodity prized for its strength and light weight. Unlike outdated, costly, and highly polluting production processes, Western Magnesium intends to use a continuous silicothermic process to produce magnesium, which significantly reduces labor and energy costs relative to current methods and processes, while being environmentally friendly.

Media Relations & Corporate Communications: Ashleigh Barry | abarry@westmagcorp.com | (202) 258-4453

Investor Relations: John Ulmer | julmer@westmagcorp.com | (604) 423-2709

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains statements that involve expectations, plans, or intentions (such as those relating to future business or financial results), and other factors discussed from time to time in the Companys Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These statements are forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties, so actual results may vary materially. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as may, should, expect, anticipate, believe, estimate, intend, plan and other similar expressions. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors not within the control of the Company. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described in this news release. Such securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or any state securities laws, and, accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of persons in the United States or U.S. Persons, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements.

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.

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View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/western-magnesium-celebrates-production-of-magnesium-metal-with-unprecedented-technology-830885167
Jan. 6 committee Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney and Chairman Bennie Thompson. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press; Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the nations Capitol will begin a series of six televised hearings on Thursday.

Much of the nine-member committee's work has been conducted behind closed doors, with lawmakers participating in the more than 1,000 depositions collected by staff and poring through thousands of pages of documents as they try to reconstruct what contributed to the riot that temporarily delayed certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

Each member is expected to lead a portion of a hearing, some of which will be held in prime time. Here are the members you'll see a lot of over the next three weeks.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.)

Thompson, the chairman of the committee, is known on Capitol Hill for his bipartisan relationships and patient but dogged demeanor. He has managed to keep the committee publicly united on the investigation and largely avoided any behind-the-scenes disagreements from becoming public, including discussions over whether to call Donald Trump to testify.

In May, Thompson said that it was unclear whether the former president would provide any new insight on the evidence already collected.

"We're not sure that the evidence that we receive can be any more validated with his presence," Thompson told Politico in mid-May. "I think the concern is whether or not he would add any more value with his testimony."

Thompson has focused on domestic terrorism and cybersecurity  particularly election security  in his 17 years as the highest-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee.

He worked for months with Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) on legislation to create an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate what led to the Jan. 6 attack, but that legislation received little Republican support in the House and died in the Senate with no support from Republicans.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.)

Cheney, the vice chairwoman of the committee, is one of two Republicans asked to serve on the panel by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) opted not to participate. Pelosi had rejected some of his initial recommendations.

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Cheney was forced out of her role leading the House Republican Conference because of her public criticism of Trump's role in provoking the Jan. 6 riot and her support for the committee. She was one of only two House Republicans to vote in favor of creating the select committee. In response, Trump and his allies have endorsed and campaigned for her opponent in Wyoming.

A steadily conservative vote in Congress, and someone who backed most of Trump's positions until the Jan. 6 attack, Cheney has reportedly pushed her colleagues on the committee not to let Trump or his allies off the hook.

Cheney told "CBS Sunday Morning" that she's concerned about how multipronged the effort to keep Trump in office was.

"It is extremely broad. Its extremely well organized. Its really chilling," she said.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

First elected to Congress in 1994, Lofgren is a stalwart liberal vote in Congress and is both an ally of Pelosi and well respected among rank-and-file Democrats. She was one of seven House managers in Trump's first impeachment trial, and is the only House Democrat who was present for the impeachment hearings of former Presidents Bill Clinton and Richard M. Nixon.

She is chairwoman of the House Administration Committee, which oversees the Capitol Police. That committee has held several hearings on how department leaders handled the riot and the security failures that allowed more than 1,000 people to storm the building without going through normal security procedures.

We have completed a substantial amount of work, Lofgren told the New York Times in April. Were going to accomplish  we hope  what we set out to do, which is to tell the entire story of what happened, the events of the 6th and the events that led up to the day.

(Associated Press)

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.)

Kinzinger, the other Republican to vote to create the committee, was also asked by Pelosi to serve on the panel. Kinzinger's reputation on Capitol Hill for most of his six terms has been as a reliable conservative vote, but the veteran of the wars in Iraq in Afghanistan has lost many of his allies at home and in Washington as he emphasized his belief that Republicans needed to reject the right-wing ideology and conspiracy theories of fraud that marked the Trump administration, if the party is to survive.

I have lost faith in some of the courage of my colleagues, he said on CBS Face the Nation" in February. I thought that every person, when they swore an oath, had some version of a red line they would never cross.

Kinzinger and Cheney were both censured by the Republican National Committee for participating in the committee.

Kinzinger is not running for reelection in 2022 after being drawn into the district of another Republican incumbent when state lawmakers reapportioned congressional districts after the census.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands)

Aguilar, the vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, is known on Capitol Hill for keeping a relatively low profile for a member of leadership. Still, as the only committee member with a scheduled weekly news conference  held Tuesday mornings after the Democratic Caucus meets  he's found himself giving periodic updates of the committee's work.

Aguilar told CNN on May 11 he believes Trump's inaction during the riot constitutes a dereliction of his duty as commander in chief.





"The president had every opportunity to walk into the press room, to tweet, to talk to the American public and to tell these insurrectionists to go home, to tell them we're going to have a peaceful transition of power," Aguilar said. "That's a hallmark of democracy. And each and every step of the way he chose not to do that."

He is also the highest-ranking Latino member of Congress. Prior to being elected in 2014, Aguilar was the mayor of Redlands.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank)

Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is best known nationally for his role as Trump's chief antagonist during the investigation led by former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and as the lead impeachment manager during Trump's first impeachment.

Schiff has been vocal that even his fellow representatives should not be immune from the Jan. 6 panel's scrutiny, especially the five Republicans subpoenaed by the committee. Schiff told CBS Face the Nation this week that Americans will be surprised by new information revealed on Thursday

Our goal is to present the narrative of what happened in this country, how close we came to losing our democracy, what led to the violence, Schiff said. Americans I think know a great deal already  they have seen a number of bombshells already [and] theres a great deal they havent seen. But perhaps the most important is the public has not seen it woven together, how one thing led to another.

(Chip Somodevilla / Associated Press)

Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.)

Murphy, a leader of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, has urged her colleagues on the committee to look deeper into the events on Jan. 6  beyond the role Trump played in contesting the election results.

We need to look at this issue from all angles  inclusive of the role the president played as well as the security of the Capitol on that day, Murphy told the Washington Post.

Murphy was a Defense Department analyst in the administration of former President George W. Bush before serving in Congress. Though she is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, and a potential challenger to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Murphy will not run for reelection in 2022.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)

Raskin gained a big national profile as the lead House impeachment manager during the second impeachment trial of Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

He's promised explosive new information in the hearings.

"The committee has found evidence of concerted planning and premeditated activity. The idea that all of this was just a rowdy demonstration that spontaneously got a little bit out of control is absurd. You don't almost knock over the U.S. government by accident," Raskin told the Washington Post on Monday.

Raskin was a professor of constitutional law at American University for more than 25 years before taking office in 2017.

(Steve Helber / Associated Press)

Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.)

At one of the committee's few public meetings, Luria alleged that the Justice Department slow-walked charges against former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows for being held in contempt of Congress after disobeying a committee subpoena.

Atty. Gen. [Merrick] Garland, do your job so that we can do ours, she said.

The department has since told the committee it will not charge Meadows.

Luria is vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee. The former naval commander spent the majority of her two decades in service as a surface warfare officer and nuclear engineer. She has won election twice in her majority-Republican Virginia district.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
As a Black woman born, raised and educated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I know firsthand the barriers that are too often presented due to a lack of representation in spaces of influence. The problem of representation becomes especially damaging in organizations that have the resources to shape the landscape of the city. I founded the Milky Way Tech Hub in 2017 as an effort to make Milwaukee a renowned tech hub that centers on Black people. I believe Milwaukees tech and innovation ecosystem can play a huge role in shaping the citys future where every resident has access to resources and opportunities that the field of technology can afford them.

Its no secret that success in the tech and innovation industry generally requires social and financial capital. Its important to recognize the wealth and funding gaps in this country are reflected in who is in charge and who directs capital. This systematically puts Black and brown people at a disadvantage. So whats the solution?

Invest in Black Tech Hubs

Black-owned tech and innovation hubs across the nation have been chronically underfunded, underestimated and underappreciated. Milwaukee is in a unique position to spearhead a different narrative and lead as an example for other cities. The city houses the headquarters of several budding Black-led innovation/tech-based organizations. Through corporate and community partnerships, a new model has begun to take shape.

Urban Futures Center is an initiative led by American Family Insurance that aims to honor these organizations through allyship, resources and funding. This model is rooted in the acknowledgment and amplification of the impact of Black-led organizations such as Sherman Phoenix, Young Enterprising Society, Journey House and Milky Way Tech Hub. These organizations are grounded in community and are dedicated to building power within the neighborhoods most impacted by the racial disparities.

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Collectively, the group has reached over 2,000 students and dozens of Black and brown startup founders through our STEM and entrepreneurship programs. These programs have now started to attract national talent to the city. Sherman Phoenix has been featured in NBC, Forbes and New York Times for housing 40 Black-owned businesses in its entrepreneurship hub, YES has awarded hundreds of thousands to startups and Milky Way Tech Hub has the fastest growing community of Black founders and tech professionals of any tech hub in Wisconsin with $100,000s invested in founders.

The time of Black-owned tech hubs having to do more with less is coming to an end. Initiatives like American Familys Urban Futures Center create space, opportunities and funding avenues for these community-based organizations.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Over the last two years, we have seen countless corporate players making commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The natural instinct of large companies is to create a department where DEI lives in order to show their commitment. The drawback with that model is it usually misses the grassroots community entities that already exist and are doing the work. This is not to say that partnership cannot be generative; it is to say that it should not duplicate or erase what exists.

American Family Insurance is showcasing a model for true corporate allyship. Their investment model has served as a bridge by resourcing Black leadership with direct ties to the community, especially in Milwaukee. This has helped to find, develop and retain talent. We can incubate new businesses, provide educational opportunities and build pride in the community that we love.

What is most exciting is that this corporate allyship is scalable locally and can be replicated nationally. Urban Futures Center has started to replicate the work in Milwaukee in different cities across the nation. Programs such as the STEAM & Dream Summit bring together local organizations to activate, amplify and invest in the citys Black and brown-led organizations.

STEAM & Dream programming went national last year through partnerships that featured architecture and hip-hop curricula in Atlanta and DC. Since its inception, STEAM & Dream has carried out a multitude of programming ranging from fundamentals of coding to Venture Capital Academy. Its national presence is now taking the form of city summits led by another Black-led organization, Connect Business Consulting, which aims to showcase Urban Futures Center in Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix.

Numerous reports have named Wisconsin the worst place to be Black in this country, with Milwaukee leading the way in incarceration, the wealth gap and the education gap. This is due to a strategic divestment that has happened over generations and it must be addressed through deep and purposeful investment from the public and private sectors.

This narrative is changing as new strategic partnerships begin to take shape. The Urban Futures model works so well because it is steeped in the belief that those entrenched in communities are closest to the solutions for those communities. Corporate-led efforts that move without being led by community often fall flat. The work of Urban Futures Center is a great example of what happens when investments are coupled with trust in the community, and Black and brown-led organizations are given the opportunity to lead. Community autonomy is the key to scalable and sustainable impact.

Increased investments in Black-led tech hubs with a critical equity lens sets us on a path in the right direction. The technology industry continues to rapidly and persistently change how we navigate society. We must move with the same level of urgency and commitment to using the technology industry as a vehicle to decrease racial disparities. This begins with putting Black and brown people in the drivers seat.

____

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Associated Press

South American soccers governing body has rebuked FIFAs chief of global development Arsene Wenger for suggesting Africas infrastructure is inadequate for talent development and that Europe is the only continent where rising stars can reach full potential. CONMEBOL on Tuesday said it sent a letter to soccer's global organizers to condemn the very unfortunate expressions of the high FIFA officer." Wenger, the high-profile Former Arsenal manager, said in an interview with ESPN FC earlier this month that if French striker Kylian Mbappe "had been born in Cameroon, he wouldnt have become the striker he is today.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signs a package of bills to strengthen gun laws on Monday. (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press)

New Yorkers under age 21 will be prohibited from buying semiautomatic rifles under a new law signed Monday by Gov. Kathy Hochul, making the state among the first to enact a major gun control initiative following a wave of deadly mass shootings.

Hochul, a Democrat, signed 10 safety-related bills, including one that will require microstamping in new firearms, which could help law enforcement solve gun-related crimes.

Another revised the state's red flag law, which allows courts to temporarily take away guns from people who might be a threat to themselves or others.

In New York, we are taking bold, strong action. Were tightening red-flag laws to keep guns away from dangerous people, Hochul said at a news conference in the Bronx.

New York's Legislature passed the bills last week, pushing the changes through after a pair of mass shootings involving 18-year-old gunmen using semiautomatic rifles. Ten Black people died in a racist attack on a Buffalo, N.Y., supermarket May 14. A Texas school shooting took the lives of 19 children and two teachers 10 days later.

The quick action in New York further illustrated the sharp divide between Republican and Democratic leaders on how to respond to gun violence.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said after the massacre of children in Uvalde that government should increase security in schools and resources for mental health, but the Republican says stricter gun laws are ineffective. Fellow Republican Gov. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee echoed similar sentiments Monday, a day after gunfire near a Chattanooga nightclub left three people dead and multiple people wounded.

In New York, most people under age 21 had already been banned from owning handguns. People age 18 and over will still be allowed to own other types of long guns, including shotguns and bolt-action rifles.

Part of New York's new law will also require all purchasers of semiautomatic rifles to get a license, something now required only for handguns.

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Proposed federal legislation that would require buyers of semiautomatic weapons to be 21 is advancing in the U.S. House, but is seen as facing long odds in the Senate.

A handful of states require people to be 21 to purchase any firearms, including Florida, which raised the age for legally purchasing a rifle after a 19-year-old gunman killed 17 people at a high school.

Hochul also signed a bill Monday that will restrict sales of bullet-resistant vests and armor only to people in certain professions.

The governor said New York will continue to invest in prevention of gun-related crimes by partnering with local communities and continuing to strengthen laws by putting pressure on Congress.

Today is the start, and its not the end, Hochul said. Thoughts and prayers wont fix this, but taking strong action will. We will do that in the name of the lives that have been lost, for the parents who will no longer see their children stepping off the school bus.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
RESCALDINA, Italy  Joel Benillouche is injecting a dose of new energy into the Vincenzo Zucchi group.

We expect to recreate a relationship with the customer, reorganizing and redefining the brands, leveraging a new digital platform, and we are reactivating our textile supply chain, said Benillouche, chairman and shareholder of the publicly listed group, during an interview at the Rescaldina headquarters, a 30-minute drive from Milan. Zucchi has been controlled since 2016 by investment fund Astrance Capital SA, which was founded by Benillouche.

More from WWD

Astrance also controls the Paris-based Descamps and Jalla, sharing synergies and several platforms with Zucchi.

The group offers bed and bath linens; baby collections; living, kitchen and home wares, and home decorations from the brands Jardin Secret, Zucchi and Zucchi Block, Granfoulard, Bassetti, and Santens, as well as the Tommy Hilfiger license for home textiles exclusively for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

The young entrepreneur has succeeded in turning around Zucchi, which before his arrival was on the brink of bankruptcy after a period of changes in management and shareholders. He wiped out its debt of 80 million euros and the company is now profitable, reporting sales of 100 million euros and expectations of growth of around 30 percent this year.

Zucchi needed an industrial investor, said Benillouche, who was previously an investment banker at Lazard and Morgan Stanley, among others.

With Astrance, he has been fine-tuning the brands and investing in new machinery.

Case in point: Shifting from a product-driven brand to a new lifestyle and customer-centric strategy is now key for Benillouche. He has launched Bassetti Home Innovation, which offers renovation services and interior design consultancy. A team of architects and interior designers selected by Bassetti Home Innovation propose solutions reflecting the wishes and needs of the clients, offering an onsite supervision and consultancy.

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A Bassetti Home Innovation store. - Credit: courtesy of Bassetti

courtesy of Bassetti

Benillouche has opened more than 30 dedicated Bassetti Home Innovation stores in main cities or in malls in Italy, which will be followed by units in France later in the year and in 2023, and then in Germany and Switzerland next year and in 2024. The group has acquired a chain of childrenswear stores and has been converting them with the goal to reach 40 units in 2022.

Benillouche highlighted the need to expand into new product categories and under the Bassetti Home Innovation umbrella, the company has set up partnerships to offer Chaarme beds by Pentaform; tables with Kronos; armchairs and chairs by Busetto, and plates by Bitossi Home. We want to provide a full environment, he said.

A Bitossi x Granfoulard Bassetti table set. - Credit: mac courtesy of Bassetti

mac courtesy of Bassetti

The group, which counts 900 employees, including its direct retail network and the branches in Germany, Switzerland and Spain, as well as its directional offices, has direct control of all the creative processes from design to production, of which 50 percent is made in Italy. The production center in Cuggiono is specialized in prints and padded linens such as Bassettis signature Piumone. Prints are not made digitally, but still employing an artisanal, technical process with engraved steel cylinders.

Zucchi has 219 units between direct stores, shops-in-shop and factory outlets, and 350 corners in department stores, as well as wholesale distribution globally with 3,000 points of sale. We are not afraid to cut our distribution and redefine our partnerships with an upgraded quality, said Benillouche. Through an in-depth brand analysis, we have redefined our brands, our customers, targets and values.

Zucchi Bassetti stands for Italian style, Descamps and Jalla for French flavor and the Tommy Hilfiger license for the American way of life, he said.

A Bassetti Granfoulard Oristano set. - Credit: mac- courtesy of Bassetti

mac- courtesy of Bassetti

The group relies on a history that spans 220 years, underscored Benillouche, as Descamps was founded in 1802, Bassetti in 1830, Jalla in 1881 and Zucchi in 1920.

In 1987, Bassetti launched the multiuse Granfoulard, which he claimed sold the most in the history of European textiles.

In 1997, Zucchi won the Guggenheim Business and Culture award with its museum of antique handblocks, the biggest existing collection with 56,000 pieces from 1785 to 1935. The blocks are in wood and metal, from English, French and Austrian artisans ranging from Art Nouveau to Art Deco, with patterns from the geometric to floral, batik and ornamental.

Weve had more time to rediscover our homes and there is a need to feel more comfortable and in a more creative environment, said Benillouche.

Joel Benillouche in front of a group of antique handblocks. - Credit: courtesy of Bassetti

courtesy of Bassetti

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People with used, worn flags can now properly retire them in Campbell County.

The National Association of Counties and the Virginia Association of Counties, along with Campbell County and Boy Scout Troop 48, have established a drop-off box for old flags at Campbell County's Citizen Services Building, 85 Carden Lane, Rustburg.

Campbell County spokesperson Sherry Harding said in a news release the county was pleased to help set up the box.

The centralized location offers a place for residents in the area to retire their worn-out or torn flags the correct way, with flags placed in the box being disposed of in accordance with section K of the U.S. Flag Code.

The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning," the code states.

Calvin Massie Jr., commissioner of the revenue, will work with Boy Scout Troop 48 to oversee the contents of the box and ensure the flags are taken care of.

Harding said this effort is a great representation of Campbell County.

"Helping residents properly dispose of worn U.S. flags is not only consistent with our commitment to public service and our community, but also aligns with our core values, which includes collaboration, respect and stewardship," Harding said in the release.

 Ellowyn Steele

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An Appomattox man was fatally struck early Tuesday by a tractor-trailer on U.S. 460, police said.

Curtis Junior Martin, 72, was walking west on 460 near Candle Lane shortly before 3:50 a.m. when he was hit by the truck, Virginia State Police said. He died at the scene.

Shortly before the incident, Bedford County 911 dispatchers received a call from a passerby saying a man was walking in the roadway, but Martin was hit before any authorities could respond, state police said.

Martin was wearing dark clothing, police said. No charges are pending.

 From staff reports
Japan is opening up to overseas tour groups from Friday, but under strict conditions: visitors must wear masks, buy insurance and be accompanied by a tour guide "from entry to departure."

Under guidelines issued by Japan's Tourism Agency on Tuesday, tourists will be allowed into the country for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, but only if they are part of a group sponsored by a Japanese travel agency or another receiving organization.

Travel agencies will need to make sure tourists consent to wearing masks and buying insurance that covers COVID-19 related medical expenses. Visitors also must agree to avoid the "three Cs" -- closed spaces, crowded places and close contact settings.

The 16 pages of guidelines also require agencies to have an attendant accompany tours "throughout the entire journey." The attendant must keep a record of the tourists' activities "to properly identify the scope of close contacts in the event of a positive case."

The guidelines are based on the results of trials involving around 50 people from the U.S., Australia, Thailand and Singapore since May. ...continue reading
The Council Bluffs Guild of the Omaha Symphony is warming up for a summer fundraiser.

Bassoons + BBQ will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9 at the Robert and Nancy Schulze residence at 12800 240th St., Council Bluffs.

The picnic will include drinks, barbecue and music performed by Omaha Symphony musicians. Live music will be provided by a bassoon trio, as well as Southwest Iowa Educational Foundation scholarship recipient Landon Williams, according to a press release from the guild.

In addition, Nancy Schulze will be honored for her longtime commitment to the Guild.

Tickets are $50 per person and are available at omahasymphony.org/cbguild.

Raffle tickets will be available prior to the event for a set of season tickets to the Omaha Symphony.

All proceeds will go toward the Omaha Symphonys expansive education and community engagement efforts that reach more than 4,000 southwest Iowa students and educators every year.

For more information, email cbguild@omahasymphony.org.

The Council Bluffs Guild was one of eight volunteer organizations chosen by the Volunteer Council of the League of American Orchestras to receive a Spotlight Award for its Bach + Beer virtual event. The project aimed to support local businesses and music education programs for Southwest Iowa students. The event featured Omaha Symphony performances, a message from Omaha Symphony President and CEO Jennifer Boomgaarden and a tour of Full Fledged Brewing Company.

The Volunteer Councils annual awards program recognizes outstanding projects done by volunteer associations from around the country to help ensure the success of their orchestras. Spotlight Awards are given for projects that have contributed to the success of an overall initiative or for a noteworthy tactic or activity, a press release stated. Winning projects are selected based upon originality, volunteer involvement, adaptability and the overall success of the project in meeting its goals.

The Council Bluffs Guild of the Omaha Symphony received its award last week at the Leagues National Conference in Los Angeles. During a session for fellow volunteers at the conference, the Council Bluffs Guild of the Omaha Symphony representative shared details of the project. The project will also be featured in an upcoming special issue of Volunteer Notes and on the Volunteer Councils Facebook page.

The Leagues Volunteer Council knows firsthand the rewards and challenges of planning and executing volunteer projects, said Julie Meredith, president of the Volunteer Council and a member of the Utah Symphony Guild. Our goal is to inspire and educate volunteers by acknowledging and sharing innovative volunteer-driven projects from across the country in categories including Audience Development/Community Engagement, Communication/Technology, Education, Leadership/Organizational Structure, Membership, Fundraising, Flexibility/Adaptability, and Service Projects.

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DES MOINES  Iowans votes will be counted today as they help winnow the list of candidates seeking to represent them in the nations Capitol, the state Capitol and local boards of supervisors.

Its primary Election Day in Iowa, where voters pick candidates in partisan races to advance to the Nov. 8 election. There are a number of noteworthy campaigns on the ballot, from federal races to the statehouse.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.  an hour earlier than previous Iowa elections after a change in state law.

County elections officials across the state also will be counting the early ballots that were completed in-person or submitted by mail. Also under the change in state law, those early ballots are required to arrive at elections offices by the time polls close.

A newly reduced window for early voting, passed as part of the change, is already impacting Iowa voters. The Iowa Capital Dispatch on Sunday reported 461 requests for early ballots arrived too late in four of Iowas largest counties  Polk, Linn, Scott and Black Hawk  after another new and earlier deadline established by Iowa Republicans.

Those 461 voters will not be able to vote early in this primary election. They can still vote in-person on Election Day, if they are able.

The primary campaign that has captured the most attention statewide is on the Democratic side, where the partys voters will chose which candidate to run this fall for the U.S. Senate, likely against longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

There are three Democrats vying for the partys U.S. Senate nomination: former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer from Cedar Rapids, U.S. Navy veteran Mike Franken from Sioux City and physician Glenn Hurst from Minden.

Grassley must first survive a Republican primary challenge of his own, although it is widely expected he will win comfortably. His challenger is Jim Carlin, a lawyer and legislator from Sioux City.

There is only one competitive primary among Iowas four congressional districts.

That is in Central Iowa, where three Republicans are seeking their partys nomination. Those GOP candidates are legislator and Iowa National Guard officer Zach Nunn from Bondurant, financial services professional Nicole Hasso from Johnston and construction consultant Gary Leffler from West Des Moines.

The winner of that primary will face Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne this fall.

Voters will weigh in on the other three congressional races in the November elections. In Eastern Iowa, those include Democratic legislator Liz Mathis taking on incumbent Republican U.S. Rep Ashley Hinson in the 2nd District, and Democratic legislator Christina Bohannan challenging Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the 1st District.

While there is no primary drama in the race to be the states next governor  Republican incumbent Kim Reynolds and Democratic challenger Deidre DeJear are their partys only candidate  there are a couple of competitive primaries for other statewide offices.

Two Democrats, Joel Miller of Robins and Eric Van Lancker of Clinton, are running for secretary of state. The winner will face Republican incumbent Paul Pate. And two Republicans, Mary Ann Hanusa and Todd Halbur, are running for auditor. The winner will face incumbent Democrat Rob Sand.

The general election is Nov. 8.
STANTON  As the Jan. 6 committee proceeding drags on, we are reminded that not one of the protesters was armed. They didnt cause the death of anyone amid the false claims that five police officers were killed by the protesters. The false claim that one of the officers was bludgeoned to dea
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A Nigerian governor has identified Libya as the training ground of the perpetrators of an armed attack on a Catholic church in the southwestern state of Ondo, Sunday. Al Wasat reports.

Oluwarotimi Akridolo who rules the state where the attack took place said that the perpetrators of the armed attack on the church i were foreigners from Mali who had trained in Libya, according to a statement relayed by local media.

He called on the security forces to find those involved in this blatant and demonic attack.

A group of armed men stormed a Catholic Church on Sunday and mowed down at least 50 people, including women and children, according to local reports.

According to police authorities, the assailants approached the church during a service and started shooting from outside the church, while four others shot directly into the church. They also detonated explosives.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack as dastardly act, according to a statement from his spokesman. No matter what, this country shall never give in to evil and wicked people, and darkness will never overcome light. Nigeria will eventually win, said Buhari.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but news in the street blame the most active terror organization in Nigeria, Boko Haram.

Parts of Nigeria are struggling with security issues but Ondo is widely known as one of Nigerias most peaceful states. The state, though, has been caught up in an increasingly violent conflict between farmers and nomadic herders.
The United Kingdom reopened its embassy in Tripoli on Sunday after eight years of closure owing to security concerns.

Ambassador Caroline Hurndall announced the decision on Twitter saying that although the embassy is based in Tripoli, the reopening remains a demonstration of British commitment to the whole of Libya on its way to achieving a permanent political settlement.

The British diplomat also indicated in her opening remarks at the ceremony of reopening the embassy that if Libya is to fulfill its political and economic potential, Libyas leaders must continue to implement the 23 October Ceasefire Agreement, work together, and pursue compromise, cooperation and concord.

Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, one of the Libyas rival Prime Ministers, who controls capital Tripoli, expressed his happiness at the reopening of Britains embassy in Tripoli, stressing the need for this step to be reflected in providing better services to Libyan citizens wishing to obtain UK visas, in addition to strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, Libya Observer reports.

UK closed it mission in Libya in 2014 amid clashes between Libyan factions vying for the control of the capital and the country.

Libya has descended into chaos since 2011 following a NATO-backed revolution that assassinated ex-leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Several other countries which pulled out their missions in 2014, have reopened their embassies. These include Italy and Turkey.

Russia has also announced plans to reopen its embassy shortly.
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has described his countrys relations with Morocco as reliable and fraternal and the North African Kingdom as a strategic and absolutely loyal partner.

Our relations with Morocco are extremely loyal, reliable and fraternal, said Grande-Marlaska in statements to the press this Tuesday.

Relations between the two countries have been preserved, are preserved and will be preserved, he insisted, noting that Morocco is a strategic and absolutely loyal partner.

The Spanish official stressed that his countrys relations with Morocco will continue to deepen in line with the approach adopted during the visit President of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, paid last April to Morocco at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.

Our desire is to deepen our important relations, based on mutual trust and oriented towards the 21st century, Grande-Marlaska said.

On Monday, the Spanish government expressed its satisfaction with the positive outcome of the new roadmap established between the two countries.

We can congratulate ourselves because this new stage is proving to be very positive, spokeswoman for the Spanish government, Isabel Rodriguez, told Spanish TV (TVE).

We have already seen in recent weeks the positive outcome of this new roadmap established by the two countries and which has allowed to advance on several bilateral issues of common interest, she said.
Morocco is hosting on June 8 the first ministerial meeting of African Atlantic States, which will bring together 21 countries of the Atlantic coast, including about fifteen represented at ministerial level, announced this Tuesday the Moroccan Foreign Ministry.

This event, held in Rabat, will provide opportunity to develop a common African vision on this vital space, to promote an African Atlantic identity and defend with one voice the strategic interests of the Continent, said the ministry in a statement.

The ministerial meetings debates will focus on three themes, namely, Political Dialogue, Security and Safety; Blue Economy and Connectivity; and Environment and Energy.

The meeting, held at the initiative of Morocco, confirms the Kingdoms commitment to optimizing the strategic value of the Atlantic, and its desire to see all the riparian countries gather on both sides of the Atlantic around common principles and converging interests.

Senior officials from the participating countries are gathered this Tuesday, June 7, to prepare the first ministerial meeting of African Atlantic States.
The already struggling Algerian airlines has been shaken by a new scandal after the UK police arrested a steward who is wanted for smuggling stolen goods, Algerian media reported.

Laroussi Rabah an Air Algerie steward, was arrested by British police at London airport following a European arrest warrant issued against him by French justice.

The British police immobilized the Air Algerie plane upon landing on the runway of the English capitals airport and then proceeded to the arrest of the steward actively sought in France for his involvement in a vast smuggling scandal of high-end smartphones and precious objects stolen in France and diverted to Algeria to be resold on the parallel market.

Laroussi Rabah was among five other Air Algerie stewards wanted by the French judiciary on trafficking charges.

This new arrest adds to a series of scandals involving Air Algerie stewards who have been arrested on drug trafficking charges. In 2021, French police opened a probe against the carriers staff after a steward was found acting as a cocaine trafficking mule.

In May 2022, Air Algerie has ordered 14 of its crew members to avoid European destinations for fear of being arrested on trafficking charges.

The state-controlled company is nowhere to be found in the ranking of the worlds best 100 airline companies published by Skytrax. It has been running huge deficits estimated annually at 300 million euros due to ill-management.
Togo announced that it will shortly open a Consulate General in the Moroccan southern city of Dakhla.

The announcement was made by Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Dussey, who is currently on a visit to Morocco to take part in the first ministerial meeting of Atlantic African States hosted by Rabat June 8.

Robert Dussey who was received this Tuesday, June 7 in Rabat by his Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita, reiterated his countrys support for Moroccos territorial integrity and affirmed his backing for the autonomy plan presented by the Kingdom.

This autonomy initiative constitutes the one and only credible and realistic solution to the (Sahara) dispute, he said as stated in a joint communique made public following his discussions with Nasser Bourita.

The Togolese top diplomat also hailed the efforts of the United Nations as exclusive framework for reaching a realistic, practical and lasting solution to the dispute over the Sahara.

Togos Consulate General will bring to 26 the number of consular representations opened in the cities of Dakhla and Laayoune.
A 42-year-old North Platte man was sentenced to 18 months in state prison Monday for each of three drug possession charges that stem from an October 2020 arrest.

Elliot A. Fair received the prison terms  which will run at the same time  in Lincoln County District Court. Fair was credited with 101 days served and received 12 months of post-release supervision.

Fair pleaded no contest to three charges April 11. Two other counts were dismissed under the plea agreement.

He was convicted of being in possession of methamphetamine, cocaine and Vicodin, according to court records.

Judge Patrick Heng told Fair before he was sentenced that a notable criminal history and a pre-sentence investigation that showed a high probability of his reoffending were both determining factors.

Heng also said Fairs lack of accountability in the case also was of concern.

In other cases Monday (defendants are from North Platte unless otherwise noted):

 Lee I. Julian, 39, pleaded guilty to amended charges of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person and driving under the influence.

He was sentenced to 365 days in jail and credited with 237 days served. He also received nine months of post-release supervision.

 Jonas M. Luea, 40, pleaded no contest to an amended charge of abuse of a vulnerable adult.

Luea was sentenced to 365 days in jail and credited with 261 days served. Luea also received nine months of post-release supervision.

 Austin Golter, 23, was sentenced to four years of probation as well as 90 days in jail for each of two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

The terms will run at the same time. Golter pleaded no contest to the charges March 28 and two other distribution charges in the case were dismissed in the plea agreement.

 William G. Dimas, 27, admitted to violation of conditions of his nine-month probation term. He was sentenced to 240 days in jail and credited with 26 days served.

A felony charge in a separate case was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

 Randall J. Skates, 43, pleaded no contest to a felony charge of violation of a protection order with a prior conviction.

A methamphetamine possession charge in a separate case was dismissed under the plea agreement.

Skates was sentenced to 240 days in jail and credited with 66 days served.

 Austin J. Simkins, 26, of Maywood, pleaded no contest to an amended count of driving under the influence of a drug, fourth offense, a charge that stems from an Oct. 15, 2021, incident.

A misdemeanor count of driving during license revocation was dismissed under the plea agreement.

Simkins was sentenced to 90 days in jail and credited with 53 days served. He also received 24 months of specialized substance abuse supervision, and his license was revoked for 15 years.

 Pernelle R. Houser, 32, pleaded guilty to an amended count of driving under the influence, fourth offense.

Houser was sentenced to 90 days in jail with credit for 53 days served, and also received three years of specialized substance abuse supervision.

Housers license was also revoked for 15 years.

 Marcus D. Dandridge, 46, pleaded no contest to a felony count of methamphetamine possession and received 18 months of SSAS.

An amphetamine possession charge in a separate case was dismissed under the plea agreement.

 Christina K. Sedlacek, 44, of Gothenburg, pleaded no contest to an amended charge of possession and attempted distribution of amphetamine and oxycodone that stems from a Dec. 16 arrest.

Sedlacek received two years of SSAS probation.

 Steven E. Perez, 37, pleaded guilty to an amended count of driving after license suspension that stems from a June 18, 2021, incident.

Perez is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 22.

 Tobin R. Schaneman, 44, of Milford, pleaded not guilty to felony counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a defaced firearm.

An Aug. 22 status hearing was scheduled.

 Reid C. Corbett, 56, of Mankato, Minnesota, pleaded no contest to an amended charge of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Corbett is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 8.

 Chelbi L. Karnik, 35, pleaded no contest to shoplifting with a value of $500 or less, third offense.

Karnik was sentenced to 60 days in jail and credited with 38 days served.

 Colbey A. Flaming, 29, pleaded not guilty to charges of issuing a bad check with a value of $5,000 or more, theft by deception with a value of $5,000 or more and conspiracy to commit theft. Flaming also pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of second-degree forgery with a value of $1,500 to $5,000 in a separate case.

A June 27 status hearing was scheduled for both cases.

 Mya Roubideaux, 20, pleaded not guilty to a felony count of shoplifting with a value of $500 or less, third offense, and a misdemeanor charge of minor in possession.

A June 27 status hearing was scheduled.

 Brett E. Avilla, 41, of Glendale, Colorado, pleaded not guilty to a felony count of possession of 10-27 grams of methamphetamine and a misdemeanor charge of theft by receiving stolen property, $500 or less.

A July 11 status hearing was scheduled.

 Valerie A. Soto, 27, pleaded not guilty to charges of methamphetamine possession and obstructing an officer.

Soto also pleaded not guilty of theft by receiving stolen property, $500 or less, in a separate case.

An Aug. 8 status hearing was scheduled for both cases.

 Shane A. Ross, 44, pleaded not guilty to felony counts of theft by receiving stolen property, $5,000 or more, and conspiracy to commit theft.

A July 11 status hearing was scheduled.

 San A. Suhr, 34, admitted to a violation of conditions that led to a termination from the problem-solving court program.

Suhr is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 8 for the initial felony charge of possession of methamphetamine.

 Emily R. Johnson, 19, pleaded no contest to violation of conditions that led to termination from the problem-solving court program.

Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 8 for the initial felony charge of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

 Helen J. Kramer, 54, pleaded no contest to violation of conditions that led to termination from the problem-solving court program.

Kramer is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 8 for felony charges of methamphetamine possession in two separate cases.

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Calls for action on gun control in Congress have played out the same way for years: A massacre is followed by talks of reform (mostly among Democrats), a failure to reach an agreement, and a return to the status quo until the horrible cycle resets. The reason is fairly straightforward. Unwilling to offend their base or lose the support of a radicalized gun lobby, Republicans have opposed measures they say would punish law-abiding gun owners while failing to stop criminals.

But following the murder of 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, theres hope among a bipartisan group of senators working on a gun-control proposal that they will get at least ten Republican votes and pass the first federal firearm reform in years. But even if they are delivered, the options on the table hardly represent a dream bill for Democrats. To get past an expected Republican filibuster, lawmakers are not considering President Joe Bidens wish list of banning assault weapons, limiting high-capacity magazines, or setting up a comprehensive expansion of background checks.

The developing legislation appears centered around four policies: funding state-level red flag laws, funding mental-health resources, expanding school security, and expanding background checks. To understand how these restrictions would affect the epidemic of gun violence in the United States  where mass shootings like the ones in Uvalde and Buffalo represent less than one percent of gun deaths  we spoke with experts from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy.

Red-flag laws.

Extreme Risk Protection Orders, more commonly known as red-flag laws, have proven successful at stopping people in crisis from using a gun, including in acts of suicide. In the 19 states where they currently exist, red-flag laws allow either law enforcement or loved ones to file a request with a judge when they fear a person who legally owns a gun is going to harm themselves or others. If the judge approves the ERPO, the weapon or weapons in question will be taken away by police officers for a set period of time. One study examining Connecticuts red-flag law found that the total number of suicides is reduced by one for every ten to 20 red-flag orders issued.

These laws were at the center of a state-level gun-control push following the Parkland shooting in Florida. From 2018 onward, red-flag laws were enacted in Florida, Vermont, Maryland, Rhode Island, Delaware, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. The presence of Florida on that list is particularly inspiring for reform: The states law, which has taken guns from 8,000 individuals in crisis, was drafted by a Republican-controlled legislature and signed into law by then-Governor Rick Scott, who is now among the senators working on a compromise. The federal bill is reportedly expected to include grants to allow more states to enact red-flag programs.

While the laws stop people who have threatened violence from having access to their firearms, many states do not require treatment to manage the violent behavior itself. And as Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy director Shannon Frattaroli says, they require that local officials buy into the system. In Florida, thousands of ERPOs have been issued since 2018, when the law went into effect, she says. But there are a lot of counties which have issued zero orders. And thats generally true across the states  we see high-utilization counties and lower-utilization counties. The impact is not so much in the details of the policy but in how its being implemented.

Mental-health funding in schools.

Although theyre not as directly effective as limiting access to firearms, mental-health programs can decrease gun violence. Johns Hopkins professor Daniel Webster, who studies policies to reduce gun violence, told ABC, Those public health approaches can go a long way in preventing these horrible tragedies.

But just as red-flag laws require cooperation at the local level, increased funding for mental health for students requires that the right care be provided with that money.

Take Floridas post-Parkland law, which enacted a three-day waiting period for purchasing guns, a provision raising the age to buy assault rifles to 21, an expansion of funding for school security, and $69 million in mental-health funding for school districts. As the Tampa Bay Times notes, the legislation does not mention suicide prevention programs at all, though it is the second-leading cause of death for Americans under 35. School districts spent millions on mental-health personnel, but only a few districts crafted specific suicide-prevention programs, while 17 counties did not mention suicide in any form.

To stop teenagers from mass-shooting sprees, experts suggest a long-term process for engaging with a young person who has shown threats of violence. Frank Straub, the director of the National Policing Institutes Center for Targeted Violence Prevention, told CNN that after a school conducts a threat assessment to determine if a student is dangerous, there needs to be a follow-up program. One of the things that we see as a shortfall is that assessment is a continuous process, Straub said. You dont do one threat assessment and say if an individual is at risk or not and then release him.

Expanded school security.

The preferred method of reform for Republicans in the wake of school shootings, increased funding for school security is one of the less effective measures to prevent violence, experts say  aside from the simple measure of keeping school and classroom doors locked.

I can point to no evidence that law enforcement on school campuses has led to a reduction in school shootings, says Johns Hopkins professor Odis Johnson, the author of a forthcoming paper that finds surveillance measures lower students academic performance and likelihood of going to college.

There are federal data that suggest the occurrence of students bringing weapons to school has declined over time, Johnson says. But the severity of the outcome when theres gun violence, with those metrics weve seen in the last seven years, the number of injuries and deaths related to gun shootings on campus has gone up. We cant really argue that these policy previsions or security features are effective in lowering those rates of injury and death.

The Uvalde school district is a tragic example of a failed security plan that included a police force, threat-assessment teams, perimeter fencing, and staff training. Over the past two years, budget records show that the school systems spending on security doubled. But breaking protocol can undermine expensive measures, from a friendly stranger getting past a security system to a school-district police chief reportedly failing to bring a radio to the scene of an active shooter.

Limited expansion of background checks.

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which passed Congress in 1993, is now woefully insufficient. Predating the widespread use of internet shopping by well over a decade, background checks are not required for online purchases on websites like Armslist. One investigation by Everytown for Gun Safety found that as many as one in nine people purchasing a gun on Armslist is not legally allowed to own firearms. Nor are private sellers required to conduct background checks at gun shows. According to the nonprofit Brady organization, one in five guns in the United States is purchased without a background check. In 2019, after failing a background check at a firearms dealer, the shooter in a West Texas rampage killed seven people with a gun he had purchased online without a background check.

Its unclear at this point what form of background checks the Senate is considering, though the presence of Republican Pat Toomey and Democrat Joe Manchin at the negotiating table suggests it could bear some resemblance to the 2013 effort from the two senators. That bill demanded background checks at gun shows and for online sales but did not require them when family and friends sold or gave one another firearms. The amendment gathered four Republican votes despite Mitch McConnell whipping against it, but it ultimately failed. Expanded background checks have been a goal of reform-minded legislators for many years, and though the new bill will presumably have the support of the Republican senators in the talks  Toomey, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, and John Cornyn  it needs six more votes from a party devoted to the status quo. As the most ambitious measure reportedly considered in the bill, it is also the first on the chopping block.

Even if the policy makes it to the Senate floor, expanded background checks at the state level dont necessarily equate to lower homicide rates, according to Webster. We do see filling that gap does significantly reduce gun trafficking, he says, noting that all background-check systems are not created equal. What we find is when you couple comprehensive background checks with a licensing system is where you tend to see beneficial effects. Or in some cases you see beneficial effects when adding a waiting period to the background-check process. The long story short is that just doing the background check by itself only takes you so far.

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Photo: Kara Swisher

Vox Media announced the expansion of its partnership with journalist Kara Swisher, who will launch a new interview show for the Vox Media Podcast Network. The show will be a sibling to Pivot, the award-winning podcast Swisher co-hosts for New York Magazine with NYU Stern Marketing professor Scott Galloway. Pivot is reaching its largest audience ever, and has expanded into live events, video, social and more. In this new show Kara Swisher will employ the trademark insight, humor and humanity that has made her the pre-eminent interviewer in journalism today.

Its been a personal joy and honor of mine to know and work with Kara for over two decades, says Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff. Shes a force of nature and the best interviewer in journalism. Vox Media couldnt be more excited to build off the unparalleled success of the Pivot franchise that weve built with her and Scott and to expand our partnership with her.

Swishers new show will help listeners make sense of the moment through spirited, agenda setting conversations with leaders in business and tech, as well as other industries. Swisher, who joined Vox Media in 2015 when the company acquired the technology publication she co-founded, Re/code, launched Pivot with Galloway in 2018. Since its launch, Pivot has grown consistently year-over-year, reaching millions of monthly listeners, and evolving into a franchise with brand extensions across platforms. After hosting a successful virtual conference in 2020, Pivot entered the conference business earlier this year with Pivot MIA, a live event focused on the innovators shaping the future of tech. It also began producing video content via a partnership with Salesforce+, which releases four exclusive clips from the show every week.

Vox Media has been a great creative partner over the course of the last seven years, says Swisher. So I am incredibly excited to expand my work with them on a new show that will be essential listening for the current moment, as well as continuing working (and sparring) with Scott on building out the Pivot universe across platforms. Be scared  be very scared.

Swishers new show will join the Vox Media Podcast Networks slate of acclaimed podcasts including Voxs award-winning daily news podcast (and radio show) Today, Explained, former Manhattan U.S. attorney Preet Bhararas weekly dissection of the news in power and policy, Stay Tuned, Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrers true crime and storytelling podcast, Criminal, and more.

In addition to hosting Pivot, Swisher hosts and produces the annual Code Conference, which is the countrys leading conference on technology and media, taking place this year from September 6-8th in Los Angeles. Founded in 2003, the conference is known for its hard-hitting interviews with the leading players shaping technology and society, hosting Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton, Steve Jobs, Stacey Abrams, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, Jeff Bezos, Susan Wojcicki, Sheryl Sandberg, and many others. Swisher also previously hosted the interview podcast, Recode Decode, which featured conversations about the week in tech with influential business leaders and outspoken personalities from media, politics, and more. Outside of Vox Media, Swisher was most recently a contributing writer for New York Times Opinion, and host of the Opinion Audio podcast, Sway.

About the Vox Media Podcast Network

Named by Adweek as 2021s Hottest in Podcasts, Vox Media Podcast Network has over 150 active shows featuring industry-leading editorial voices and storytellers from Vox Medias networks and beyond. From daily news and tech to culture and sports, and talk and interview shows to rich narrative storytelling, the Vox Media Podcast Network is one of the largest, fastest-growing, and most topically diverse collections of premium podcasts. Learn more about the Vox Media Podcast Network here.
An assistant professor at Auburn Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine was arrested by Auburn police on Thursday and charged with possession of child pornography.

Police arrested Amarjit Mishra, 42, from Auburn on felony warrants charging him with five counts of possession of child pornography, according to the police report from Auburn Police Department.

Auburn University officials released the following statement to the media: We are aware of the allegations against and arrest of Amarjit Mishra. He has been placed on administrative leave and is not on campus. Mishra will remain on leave while the University evaluates this matter.

According to the press release, Auburn police and members of the Alabama Internet Crimes Against Children task force began an investigation on March 24.

Mishra was developed as a suspect, arrested, charged and transported to the Lee County Jail, where he was held on a $50,000 bond, police said. Court records show that Mishra made a motion on Friday for a preliminary hearing.
The Opelika Police Department is seeking help in identifying two suspects connected with a third degree theft of property at the Walmart at 2900 Pepperell Parkway.

The incident occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. on May 4 and police began investigating the theft on May 6, police said.

Police said two white females attempted to purchase gift cards and bottled water at one of the self-checkout registers. The suspects left without paying for the items and the next customer used the register and paid, before realizing the total amount.

Surveillance video shows one suspect with medium length brown hair, wearing a gray top, dark shorts and appearing to have a tattoo on the inside of her left wrist, according to the police report.

The second suspect is shown on surveillance footage as having blonde highlights and appears to be wearing a light-colored hoodie and dark leggings, the police report said.

The two suspects were last seen leaving Walmart in a white SUV.

Anyone with information on this incident or the identity of the suspects is asked to contact the Opelika Police Department Detective Division at 334-705-5220 or the Secret Witness Hotline at 334-745-8665. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Opelika Police Mobile App.

Tips can also be forwarded through Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP(7867), toll-free at 1-833-AL1-STOP, or via their Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/215stop or their website: www.215STOP.com.
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The pursuit of adventure and desire to fulfill a higher purpose has led Auburn alumnus Marc Tunstall through an illustrious career in the military and government agencies, and now it is taking him across the globe to the frozen tundra of Antarctica.

The 1990 Auburn University graduate has enjoyed a varied and meaningful career since his days on the Plains, spending roughly two decades as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Marines and U.S. Coast Guard and another 10-plus years working as an aviation compliance supervisor for the U.S. Department of the Interiors Office of Aviation Services, or OAS. Tunstalls next journey will take him to Antarctica, where he will begin serving as station manager of the McMurdo Station for the National Science Foundation, or NSF, Office of Polar Programs Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics Section in September.

In that role, Tunstall will oversee the stations day-to-day operations, managing and supporting more than 1,000 scientists and contractors during the Antarctic summer that runs through February. His duties will include providing oversight for the stations wastewater treatment plant, fire department, dorms and dining hall, supporting and managing safety for the NSF scientists field research expeditions and serving as the stations emergency operations center director.

In short, Tunstall will be the chief officer for the station, which was built in 1955 on bare volcanic rock and is the continents largest station. Named for former British Royal Navy Vice-Admiral Archibald McMurdo, the encampment is the logistics hub of the U.S. Antarctic Program and features a harbor, landing strips on sea ice and shelf ice and a helicopter pad. The stations roughly 85 buildings range in size from a small radio shack to large, three-story structures and include repair facilities, dormitories, administrative buildings, power plant, wharf, stores, clubs, warehouses and the first-class Crary Lab.

He also will oversee logistical and operational decisions that impact the execution of programs at the South Pole and inland field locations. Tunstall currently is training with the U.S. Marshals Service to complete certification in advance of his role as the stations chief law enforcement officer.

Tunstall, who has never shied away from a challenge, thoroughly enjoyed a visit to the McMurdo Station in 2014. He is excited and ready to embark on this challenging journey later this summer.

I said if I ever had the opportunity to work down there on a permanent basis professionally and personally, I would jump at the opportunity, said Tunstall, who has been based in Anchorage, Alaska, 15 of the last 20 years. Sure enough, last November, one came up. Im very, very fortunate and definitely feel privileged.

Dedication to service, purpose

Tunstall has spent his career committed to the service of others, first as a military officer and helicopter pilot, and then for the U.S. Department of the Interiors OAS Alaska Regional Office. He has served as Contracting Officers Technical Representative for more than 100 commercial contractors, where he provided a multitude of services to federal agencies such as wildland firefighting suppression, volcano research, wildlife, surveys and environmental protection, according to the NSF.

His varied experience, Tunstall says, will prove crucial to his new leadership position at the station, which is one of three year-round U.S. Antarctic science facilities. He finds motivation in the chance to oversee projects that make a difference.

I take pride in being able to support a larger mission that is something for the greater good, said Tunstall, who has banked more than 5,000 hours of flight time. In the Marine Corps, my primary job as a helicopter pilot was to support the Marine infantry and get them safely from the ship to maybe a not-so-pleasant area and back. In the Coast Guard, it was to rescue people in need or to put the rescue swimmer who was in the back of the helicopter in position where they could save a life.

Then, with the Department of the Interior, I worked supporting the aviation needs of the National Science Foundation, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service. When this opportunity came up, I said, absolutely to the chance to support something like the NSF and all they do. With a background in emergency operations and some unique leadership opportunities, I felt like everything kind of fell into place and it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

The new position will suit his adventurous and purpose-driven nature, Tunstall says.

Ive always had a zest for wanting to see something new and different and something where Im serving a purpose and making a difference, but definitely with a flair for adventure and seeing some exciting and different things, said Tunstall, a certified flight instructor and commercial pilot.

Strong foundations set stage

Tunstall looks back fondly on his time at Auburn, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in flight management. In those days, the aviation program was part of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, and Tunstall split his time between studies and commitment to service through Auburns ROTC programs.

I thoroughly enjoyed the aviation management program and ROTC, he said. I guess one of the biggest takeaways was meeting new, unique and diverse people. I wanted to go somewhere out of state to experience something new and unique, and I definitely found it in a great way in Auburn. I met some great people, and Im still in touch with some of my roommates.

One of the lasting impacts was a sense of belonging and community that, in a way, led me to the [role of] station manager in Antarctica.

Originally from western New York, Tunstall attended Auburn on an ROTC scholarship, joining the Naval ROTCs Marines option as a midshipman. He went on to earn a master's degree in aeronautical science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and is currently enrolled in a certificate of management excellence program with the Harvard Business School.

Tunstalls father, John, served in the U.S. Army tank corps, and his mother, Sally, always encouraged his quest for adventure and service. He remembers an affinity for aviation that dates back to his childhood, watching Charlton Heston and Henry Fonda in the movie Midway and building model airplanes.

I wanted to be not just a pilot, but a military pilot, from the time I was 7 years old, he said. My father and mother helped foster and support that dream. Looking back on it, I feel very blessed to have been able to have the desire to do something from such a young age and actually accomplish it.

A father of two, Tunstall has passed on that same kind of encouragement to his daughters. His propensity to seek out unique challenges while contributing to the greater good is a duality he carries with him still today.

I truly believe Ive been blessed, and God has had a plan that has been mapped out for me, Tunstall said. I look back and think about how thankful I am. I try to share that with people, especially my daughters, and tell them to go for it and that no dream is unattainable. Do something you enjoy doing, and if you can make a difference along the way, thats even better.
I read somewhere a couple of weeks ago that they are engaged!

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that's nice

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aww that's nice :)



Some of Keanu's fans are really awful about her.

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not at all surprised because people are gross, but what's their problem? she seems cool and they seem really happy...?

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just your normal run of the mill misogyny

She's too old for him, she tricked him/forced him into a relationship, she's ugly, she's not good enough for him, she's rude, she's actually evil ect.



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I don't understand this. I had the longest crushes on Joshua Jackson (since I'm 14) and ASkars. I like that they're happily in relationships with beautiful and non-problematic women.



There is the other side of this and it's being also fans of the women that whom they're in a relationship. That's also weird to me. I feel like those fans are overcompensating their bitterness.

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She looks like a younger Helen Mirren.



Happy for both of them.

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If Maggie Gyllenhaal and Helen Mirren were to have a kid, this would be it.

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This is the perfect description.

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It shouldn't feel so refreshing to see an age appropriate celeb couple, but here we are

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Thats so sweet. Super happy for them. Bless them.

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Good for them. I hope they are happy (and them stans can continue to feel threatened by ha as if they had any chances)

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She's so pretty

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in a sea of horrible old men dating very young women, he is an oasis.

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they're so cute

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I know nothing about them, but they seem super sweet and lowkey. I'm sure his wild, over the top stans are handling this well.

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How do people tame their white hairs? (Please don't say a hair straightener.) Mine are so curly and wiry.

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oils, leave-in conditions?



My will be all wiry when my hair is dry but I moisturize, it'll be tamed.

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Shampoo less, condition more Don't use purple shampoo



My gran who is all white hair now uses this oldie product, been around since 1958, but it shines her right up and tames her

Vo5 Conditioning Hairdress Gray/White/Silver 1.5 Ounce Tube (44ml)

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Silk

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Check the porosity of both your regular & white hairs, then get a leave-in conditioner and/or oil based on the result. Carol's Daughter has a decent guide. Pomade or gel applied sparingly to trouble strands might also be worth a shot.

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They look great together. I know that sounds weird but I dont know how else to say it.



He is an example of how you can be a major movie star and live a pretty private existence.

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so glad to see him happy at last, she's very pretty!

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I feel like china's fan culture is so crazy, it's so strange to see how fanatical and deluded people can get when it's your only outlet in a country that limits your own expression and freedom of thought

And also like just how much celebrity culture permeates aspects of Chinese life, like when it was found out the actor Zhai Tianlin's doctorate degree was found to be heavily plagiarised and now every school no matter masters undergrad doctorate is crazy strict with thesis plagiarism and so students have started referring to the years afterward with a new year system like old Chinese emperor times "year one of zhai tianlin" etc.



Edited at 2022-06-07 08:13 am (UTC)

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all this bc they don't want to admit that there's bad blood between him and Gong Jun bc then what will happen to their rps  and they keep moving the goalposts like lmao at first it was "this isn't ZZH's thumb, if it was him he'd show his face" to "that's not his face, it's a deepfake video" and now the Instagram verification doesn't mean anything either

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Hard as it is to believe now, there was a time when fandom was not this unhinged. I trace this back to the day SPN fans asked the J2 about shipping, or socmed making it easier to blur lines IDK

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I remember when there were 2 types of shippers, the ones who'd make fanfic/vid/art etc and there were tinhatters who believe their ships are real, and the venn diagram between the two groups overlap, but not wholly so. LOTR was famous for shitting on their tinhatter contingent a lot.



I remember being in Fandom_Wank and hearing this new fandom at the time, the 1D fans, whose shippers are all tinhatters (as in their venn diagram was a circle) and I remember being so absolutely baffled by that fact with fellow Fandom_Wankers (but nobody could make posts from the wank_report cause the fandomers there were underage and that was against F_W rule)

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as a former f_w lurker i think this is pretty accurate

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I miss Fandom_Wank!

To be fair, a lot band fandoms shipped members waaaay before 1D. They maybe just were as tinhatty about it.

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Fandom has been unhinged way before SPN, actors have literally been attacked and killed because some stans can't separate fiction from reality.

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Lord of the Rings fans used to ship the Merry & Pippin actors and some believed they were kept apart by the studio and using the colors of their shirts to send secret signals to fans. This kind of thing has absolutely gotten worse with social media, but it's not new.

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I was reading Pet Shop Boys' book that documented their world tour in the 80s (the book came out in 1990) and there's a page where they talk about getting a lot of fanart of them kissing, lol. Fandom has always been unhinged in one way or another.

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Louisa May Alcott got angry letters over Laurie/Amy, fandom has always had people with no boundaries, it's just more in the open now.

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Word of Honor sucked, that's all I've got to add to this cause I don't follow the people involved otherwise.



it was recommended to me as being similar to The Untamed but like, it wishes. The plot was convoluted as hell, there were a bazillion weird side characters that appeared and dropped dead with little impact, nobody seemed to actually like anybody else on the show, there were sooo many over the top melodramatic death scenes of people neither the viewers nor the other characters really gave a crap about, it was all over the place.



The Untamed had its problems, but it was excellent at building relationships between almost all the characters (not just the mains) so when something happened to one, you could feel the impact this had on others. Plus the politics were a lot less needlessly convoluted.

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nothing new. Management reverse-deepfaked all of the affectionate photos Larry took with each other for years. Still makes me ill

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I don't think that Bluebird person is claiming they are a vet surgeon, just that a vet looked at the pics and made that claim. Granted it could all be BS and they actually did write it while not being a vet surgeon but whatev. 



I hope those around him who have been doxxed are ok.

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I think youre right and I removed the profile pic. Im looking more into the supposed vet post they screeenshot.

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The combination of social media being full of lies and fan culture being full of crazy is proving to be not great.

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What in the good god damn??

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Not Lufei getting a Gaga-level nose job analysis 



Humanity was not ready for the internet

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Uh dogs can do many amazing things, but like their faces cant defy gravity.

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#DogsDefyGravityhive

Just say you hate dogs and stop trying to deny their magic and powers.

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But where is ear?

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I follow someone on Twitter who ended up being one of these deepfake conspiracy theorists. I haven't unfollowed because it's wild to witness. I don't really know much about the actors but apparently Zhang Zhehan implied that Gong Jun masterminded his downfall and that's what I choose to believe is the truth because it sounds the most dramatic.

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Why are people pretending like deep fakes are good enough to fool anyone about anything with. Sw has an actual fortune and they can't get it right, and people go on about smoothly doing it on a home computer lol for less profit than the tech is worth.

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The ban by the European Union (E.U.) on Russian oil imports by sea, in the first instance, is likely to affect around 75 percent of Russias crude oil delivery to the bloc, with this figure rising to about 90 percent by the end of this year, according to comments last week from European Council President, Charles Michel. The true degree to which the ban will be implemented is questionable  as analysed in depth by OilPrice.com recently  but, nonetheless, the prospect of any significant reduction in crude oil export revenues as a result of the now agreed E.U. ban, to add to the existing U.S.-led one, has prompted Moscow to look for ways around the sanctions, as any enterprising rogue state would do. Happily for the Kremlin, as Iran has demonstrated during on and off sanctions over more than 40 years, there are several good smuggling options available to Russia.

So adept has Iran been at circumventing sanctions both from the E.U. - especially from 2011/12 up to the agreement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (nuclear deal) in 2015  and from the U.S. since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, that in December 2018 at the Doha Forum, Irans Foreign Minister, Mohammad Zarif, stated that: If there is an art that we have perfected in Iran, [that] we can teach to others for a price, it is the art of evading sanctions. Towards the end of 2020, Irans then-Petroleum Minister himself, Bijan Zangeneh, added a little detail to one such tried-and-trusted method: What we export is not under Irans name. The documents are changed over and over, as well as [the] specifications.

There are a plethora of methods by which Iran has successfully evaded the bulk of the sanctions ranged against it all these years, and these are analysed in depth in my new book on the global oil markets. Several of them, though, involve neighbouring Iraq, over which Iran still holds considerable power through a combination of political, economic, and ethnic factors reinforced through its military proxies in the region. The core strategy simply involves rebranding Iranian oil as oil from Iraq  which remains broadly unsanctioned as an oil exporting entity  and then moving it on freely to wherever Iraq wants. The bulk of this can be done through Iraqs existing crude oil export infrastructure, including very large crude carriers loaded in and around the southern export hub of Basra. It can also be done directly into southern Europe via the Turkish port of Ceyhan through the crude oil pipelines running through the semi-autonomous Iraq region of Kurdistan, although these have been subject to ongoing disruptions for years, and there are also plans for further pipelines from Iraq to Jordan and Syria.

These crude oil export methods from Iraq can be supplemented where necessary by various shipping-related methods, as also analysed in depth in my new book on the global oil markets. One of the basic ones is the disabling  literally just flicking a switch  on the automatic identification system on ships that carry Iranian oil, as is just lying about destinations in shipping documentation, as mentioned by Zanganeh himself. In Europe, this oil  all of which is discounted in price from the benchmark  has historically gone into some of the less rigorously policed ports of southern Europe that need oil and/or oil trading commissions, including those of Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia and Croatia. From there, the oil can easily be moved across borders to Europes bigger oil consumers, including through Turkey.

For Asian-bound shipments, the reliable methodology has allegedly involved Malaysia (and to a lesser degree Indonesia) in forwarding oil exports to China, with tankers bound ultimately for China engaging in at-sea or just-outside-port transfers of Iranian oil onto tankers flying other flags. Iran had also been able to re-flag its vessels under the flag of Panama until the U.S. began to vigorously enforce its shipping sanctions. In addition, as highlighted in the furor over the Adrian Darya 1 tanker, Iran continues to be a major supplier of oil to Syria. These direct methods to enable Iran to side-step sanctions for crude oil shipments have increased in intensity since the full launch of the Guriyeh-Jask pipeline that when operating at its peak will allow Iran to ship at least 1 million barrels per day (bpd) of its own crude oil anywhere in the world.

It is apposite to note at this point that there are a number of Russian crude oil grades that are also extremely close in specifications to the comparable grades in Iran, and therefore Iraq. Indeed, this similarity in specifications between oil from Russia, Iran, and Iraq, has for a long time been a key reason why all of Russias 10-year cooperation deals with Iran included the understanding on Tehrans part that it was not to seek to send significant amounts of its light oil (or gas, for that matter) into Europe, as this would challenge Russias crude oil (and gas) flows into Europe and the corollary geopolitical power that came from them.

Related: Citi: Oil Is Overvalued By $50 Per Barrel

OilPrice.com understands from sources close to Irans Petroleum Ministry spoken to exclusively last week that there was significant change to this previous longstanding agreement on the apparent demarcation of crude oil flows coming from Russia, Iran, and Iraq, during the very recent trip of Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Alexander Novak. The basis for a new arrangement regarding crude oil flows coming from Russia/Iran/Iraq had been laid out at the January meetings [in Moscow, when Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi  the first visit of an Iranian president to Russia in almost five years at that point], and these were discussed further in the last couple of weeks, the source told OilPrice.com.

The key point now for Russia in all of this is not Irans sanctions-evading networks to move crude oil to China  Moscow has this covered itself, as examined in depth by OilPrice.com  but rather Irans networks to move oil into Europe. According to E.U.s own estimates, its bans are expected to hit about 2.3 million bpd of Russian crude imports within six months and another 1.2 million bpd of refined products imports by the end of the year. For Russia, all of Irans existing methods to evade sanctions are open to it  including the nearly-always successful ones involving Iraq  and there are signs that Iraq may be able to open up even more direct routes for crude oil supposedly starting its journey from Iraq and ending up in Europe.

According to comments last week from Alaa al-Yasiri, the director general of Iraqs State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), to the Iraqi parliaments oil, gas and natural resources committee, the state firm has approached French trading entities about the possibility of supplying Europe with crude oil. Yasiri said that Iraq is targeting refineries globally to process its crude, which would provide OPECs second biggest producer with the opportunity to benefit from Europes search for alternative supplies from Russia. As highlighted by OilPrice.com several times, Iraq does not have any extra oil to send anywhere until it addresses its key crude oil infrastructure constraints, so it remains an interesting question as to where all of this new oil that it is pledging to French trading firms will come from.

Interestingly, at around the same time as Iraq was touting the possibility of sudden and abundant new supplies of oil to come from it, Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, stated that Russia is embarking on targeted, systemic action that will allow us the minimise the negative consequences [of any E.U. ban on Russian oil flowing into Europe]. This comment follows a series of similarly-themed comments from Russian Foreign Minister, Sergeyi Lavrov, in recent weeks that the country is finding new ways to continue trading with countries who want to continue to trade with it, without recourse to the Western financial architecture. He stated, when talking in India but applicable to all similar situations, that: I have no doubt that a way would be found to bypass the artificial impediments which illegal unilateral sanctions by the West create. This relates also to the area of military-technical cooperation.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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While Lebanon has yet to make a commercial find of gas in its waters, Israel is already producing from a couple of giant fields.

The focus of the most recent rift between Israel and Lebanon is an offshore field called Karish.

At a time when the world's gas supply is having to catch up with demand, two prospective gas majors in the eastern Mediterranean have locked horns over a disputed field that could delay the development of local resources. Israel and Lebanon have been at odds about their maritime border ever since gas was found. The issue seems to be of particular importance for troubled Lebanon: a big gas find could change the country's quite grim fortunes. It is also important for Israel, however, as it eyes the position of a regional gas major.

The focus of the rift is an offshore field called Karish. According to Israel, Karish lies in its territorial waters. According to Lebanon, it falls within a triangle of contested waters because the two cannot agree where exactly the border passes. As Reuters put it, "Israel claims the boundary runs further north than Lebanon accepts, while Lebanon claims it runs further south than Israel accepts, leaving a triangle of disputed waters."

This weekend, UK's Energean, which has been awarded the right to drill at Karish, arrived on the site with a rig, prompting an immediate reaction from Beirut. The Lebanese president and the caretaker prime minister of the country accused Israel of violating Lebanon's sovereignty.

The Lebanese side also says the Israeli armed forces accompanying the rig on its trip to Karish have sent battleships to the field even though the drilling rig has yet to be connected to the deposit, Israel's Haaretz reported this week.

One interesting twist, according to Israeli sources quoted by Haaretz, is that the rig in Karish actually sits south of the border proposed by the Lebanese side, that is, in Israeli waters. According to the Lebanese side, however, this doesn't seem to be the case.

"The Israeli enemy's attempts to create a new crisis, by encroaching on Lebanon's maritime wealth, and imposing a fait accompli in a disputed area in which Lebanon adheres to its rights, is extremely dangerous," the head of the Lebanese caretaker government, Najib Mikati said.

Related: Why Nuclear Energy Is More Relevant Than Ever

Israel, on the other hand, has warned early on that any damage to the drilling rig in Karishlike attacks on any gas drilling rigs in its waterswill be construed as an attack on the state, implying there will be an immediate reaction.

It looks like the flare-up could be put out with mediation after Lebanon said it would invite Amos Hochstein, the U.S. State Department's Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs and leads the Bureau of Energy Resources, to broker a resolution.

While Lebanon has yet to make a commercial find of gas in its waters, Israel is already producing from a couple of giant fields and has big plans for its gas wealth. The country recently held talks with the European Union to start exporting gas there after liquefying it in Egypt. Energy Minister Karine Elharrar said this would prompt a series of new drilling tenders, to take place in the third quarter of the year.

Over the next few years, Israel plans to double its natural gas production to 40 billion cubic meters, both through expanding existing projects such as the Leviathan field, and bringing new ones, such as Karish, online. And Europe is an obvious target market for all that gas.

"Israel must act as quickly as possible as the window to sign contracts and become a significant gas supplier to Europe will only be opened for a limited time," gas consultant Gina Cohen said recently in a report for the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the European Parliament.

In order to materialize its plans, Israel will need to secure its gas fields, which makes the resolution of the dispute advantageous for it, too, reducing the risk of potential attacks or further rifts with its neighbor to the north.



By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Back in January, the Biden administration outlined a range of clean energy initiatives, key among them plans to hold the largest-ever sale of offshore wind leases in U.S. history and accelerate the deployment of new power lines to transmit renewable electricity across the country.

At the center of the offshore push was the sale of six commercial leases in the New York Bight between Long Island and New Jersey in February, the most successful offshore wind lease auction in history. The 488,000 acres offshore wind lease auction fetched a record $4.37 billion from companies looking to develop the waters. The installed capacity is expected to be between 5.6 GW and 7 GW, enough to power 2 million homes. The Department of Energy also launched a Building a Better Grid initiative that will tap billions of dollars in funding from the $1T infrastructure law passed in November to finance new lines and grid upgrades.

Well, the Biden administration is planning to roll out a giant offshore wind project that will dwarf New York Bight.

According to Politico, the U.S. government is considering opening 30 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico near Texas and Louisiana to offshore wind energy projects, part of Bidens goal to build 30 gigawatts of wind power capacity by 2030, enough to power more than 10 million homes.

According to a report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released in March, the U.S. will need more than 2,100 wind turbines, at least 2,100 foundations, more than 11,000 kilometers of cables, and five wind turbine installation vessels to achieve its offshore wind energy target. Currently, the country has 71,328 existing wind turbines listed in the continental U.S.

Perfect Fit

Though the Gulfs waters havent sprouted any wind turbines yet, there are several reasons why the Gulf of Mexico is a perfect fit as an offshore wind hub.

First off, the Gulf Coast also has an abundance of companies and workers with decades of experience in producing energy offshore. According to the Energy Information Administration, Gulf of Mexico federal offshore oil production accounts for 15% of total U.S. crude oil production. Major fields include Eugene Island block 330 oil field, Atlantis Oil Field, and the Tiber oilfield (discovered 2009), while notable oil platforms include Baldpate, Bullwinkle, Mad Dog, Magnolia, Mars, Petronius, and Thunder Horse.

We have a really mature base for energy. Weve got the know-how, Lefton said. The people, the companies, the manufacturers that know how to do [Outer Continental Shelf] energy development are in the Gulf of Mexico, the Interior Departments Bureau of Ocean Energy Management director Amanda Lefton has told Politico.

According to Hayes Framme, government relations manager for North America at Danish wind giant rsted A/S (OTCPK:DNNGY), the Gulfs existing oil and gas infrastructure represents a historic expertise.

One of the things that makes the Gulf area attractive is the fact that youve got a workforce that is accustomed to working on rigs in the ocean. Its not like you have to build an industry. What you have to do here is basically help an existing industry evolve, Dennis Arriola, CEO of the renewable energy company Avangrid Inc. (NYSE:AGR), has said.

Related: Why Nuclear Energy Is More Relevant Than Ever

Michael Hecht, the president and CEO of Greater New Orleans, says jobs in the Gulfs traditional oil and gas industry have declined during the past decade, creating a sense of urgency to make a transition that allows people to retain their skills.

The Gulf could also become an important hydrogen hub, with wind power being used to generate green hydrogen to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industries such as long-haul trucking, fertilizer manufacturing, and aviation.

Offshore Spending Soars

According to the Maritime Professional, as of the end of January 2022, there were over 45 offshore wind projects in development in the United States, representing $136 billion in capital expenditure and $4.4 billion in annual OPEX opportunity. Maritime estimates that 46 offshore wind projects will install 43 GW of capacity in this and the next decade, with the projects forecast to be brought on stream within this and early in the next decade.

The publication says that 17.5 GW of project capacity has already secured offtake commitments, while 16.5 GW of new federal offshore leasing activity in the northeast, South Atlantic, and California is underway.

The U.S. Department of Energy has reported that the U.S. offshore wind pipeline grew 24% Y/Y in 2021, with 35,324 MW now in various stages of development thanks to falling offshore wind prices, federal action, and state-level commitments. Thats impressive, considering it happened at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Overall, the U.S. installed 17 GW of wind power in 2020, bringing the total installed capacity to 122GW.

China is the world leader in wind energy, with an installed capacity of 288 GW.



Source: DoE

Falling costs are a big reason for the rapid adoption of clean energy. BNEF has forecast that by 2030, the global average LCOE - levelized cost of energy - for offshore wind farms will drop 41%. Another big advantage: in contrast to onshore wind and solar, offshore facilities can be built on very large scales to directly offset closures of major coal and nuclear plants.

Leading non-US offshore wind companies rsted A/S, Canadas Northland Power (OTCPK: NPIFF), and, to a lesser extent, Denmarks leading offshore wind turbine manufacturer, Vestas Wind Systems (OCTPK: VWDRY), have clearly benefited from the offshore boom.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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The union representing Starbucks workers faced unusual losses in Chicago union elections Tuesday with baristas at two out of three stores voting against unionization.

All three elections, conducted by the National Labor Relations Board over Zoom, were tight. Baristas at the Starbucks at 155 N. Wabash Ave. in the Loop voted 7-6 against unionizing with Starbucks Workers United, the Service Employees International Union affiliate representing Starbucks employees, and baristas at 2543 N. California Ave. in Palmer Square voted 10-8 against unionizing.

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Workers at a Hyde Park store at 1174 E. 55th St. voted in favor of the union 5-3, bringing the number of unionized Starbucks stores in Chicago up to three. The Hyde Park store is the first on the South Side to unionize.

Tuesdays losses in Chicago were atypical, particularly in a city often referred to as a union town. As of last week, Starbucks baristas had won 100 out of 121 union elections that had been held nationwide. In Chicago, two stores in Edgewater voted to unionize about two weeks ago. The first Illinois stores to unionize, located in Cary and Peoria, voted to do so in April. Baristas at a store in La Grange voted against the union in May. The unions Chicago-area record now stands at four wins and three losses.

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Starbucks worker Logan Higgins holds an agreement, which workers for unionization wanted company executives to sign, outside a location in the 100 block of North Wabash Avenue on April 7, 2022, in Chicago. Baristas at that location voted 7-6 against joining a union Tuesday. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

The Starbucks campaign is one example of a recent upsurge in labor organizing. Union filings with the NLRB were up 57% in the first half of this fiscal year when compared to the same time period in fiscal year 2021.

Nationally, workers at more than 270 Starbucks in 34 states have filed for union elections, according to late-May data from the National Labor Relations Board. The company is facing numerous complaints from the agency alleging a range of illegal behavior, including surveillance and the firing of baristas seeking to organize.

Jasper Booth-Hodges, who works at the Hyde Park store that voted in favor of the union, said he felt relieved. Im really proud of my team for coming through, he said. I work my first shift at a union Starbucks tomorrow.

In a statement, Starbucks called the Palmer Square and Loop votes a resounding vote of confidence in moving forward and continuing to partner directly with Starbucks. The company said it will respect the process and will bargain in good faith with workers in Hyde Park.

We respect the right of the partners to decide for themselves, said Kathy Hanshew, international vice president of Workers United, in a statement. Organized labor was founded on the principle of empowering workers to have a say in their work lives and future and that is what these partners did.

Hanshew called into question the length of time between the stores filing and election dates.

The amount of time that it is taking the Board here to get these locations to a vote allowed a tremendous amount of time for management to hold captive audience meetings, coerce and intimidate the partners, she said.

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The three stores for which votes were counted Tuesday were the first in Chicago to file for union elections; all did so in January. The two Edgewater stores that voted to unionize two weeks ago filed for elections significantly later, in March and April.

Booth-Hodges said it was challenging to keep morale up while waiting for the election. It really put a lot of us in a really tough spot, he said. Booth-Hodges also pointed to interim CEO Howard Schultzs announcement in May of new pay raises and benefits that he said would not apply to unionized stores as a challenge for organizers.

Barista Brick Zurek, in front of the Starbucks at 155 N. Wabash Ave. in Chicago on May 11, organized with colleagues for union representation with Starbucks Workers United. The Wabash Avenue location was the first Starbucks location in Chicago to file for union representation with the NLRB, but lost in a 7-6 vote Tuesday. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Robert Bruno, director of the labor studies program at the University of Illinois, said the gap of time between filing for an election and the vote count can be a challenge for unions, which find themselves needing to create a kind of antidote to the anti-labor messages and practices that are going to come from the employer.

Bruno argued Schultzs benefits plan would likely be illegal.

Nonetheless, he made that claim, and it gives the employer an opportunity to begin to pick off workers, he said.

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In a statement, Starbucks reiterated earlier comments that new pay and benefits changes will apply to stores where Starbucks has the right to unilaterally make these changes, arguing that it lacked the right to do so in stores that have unions or that are organizing.

Bruno cautioned against attempting to extrapolate larger patterns from the two losses in Chicago Tuesday, saying the result of any individual union election comes down to what workers are experiencing on the ground and what tactics are employed by companies and unions attempting to win them over. Still, he said, it seemed as if Starbucks Workers United was entering another phase in its union push now that Starbucks has realized the national scope of its campaign and may be taking it more seriously.

Theyre a big wealthy company, and theyre going to use the tools  legal and maybe kind-of-sort-of legal  the tools they can use to try to stop this wildfire from spreading, he said. In response, Bruno said, organizers will likely ramp up their campaigning and worker education to keep winning elections.

You cant take it for granted, Bruno said. These folks are getting wins in right-to-work states with low union density. And yet, they lost two out of three in Chicago. So it really requires, I think, people to look carefully at each individual case.

In total, 10 Chicago-area stores have filed for union elections since January, most recently in Edgewater and West Rogers Park. Votes will be counted June 14 for an election at the Starbucks located at 2101 W. Armitage Ave. in Bucktown.

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Correction: This story has been updated to correct the Starbucks unions Chicago-area record in union elections. It is four wins and three losses, not two wins and three losses.

tasoglin@chicagotribune.com
Reader Update: Whether you are new to the oil and gas industry or an energy market veteran, you will regret not signing up for Global Energy Alert. Oilprice.com's premium newsletter provides everything from geopolitical analysis to trading analysis, all for less than a cup of coffee per week.

Chart of the Week

- Merely a couple of days after OPEC+ sped up the pace of production increases, Saudi Aramco hiked its July formula prices for Asian buyers to higher-than-expected levels, stoking concerns that supply might be lower than expected.

- The July 22 OSP for Saudi Arabias largest crude stream Arab Light was hiked by $2.1 per barrel from June, almost a dollar above the month-on-month changes in the Dubai cash-to-futures spread.

- With Chinese buying widely expected to come back after recording some of the countrys worst post-pandemic figures in April-May, Aramco can afford to hike its prices, especially with Russia expected to drop production.

- Also increasing prices into Europe, keeping only US pricing unchanged, Saudi Arabia might be indicating that it will not be able to produce as much crude as the OPEC+ deal stipulates, sending Brent prices above $120 per barrel again.

Market Movers

- Australias largest upcoming gas project, the $3.6 billion Barossa operated by Santos (ASX:STO), might be jeopardized as groups of indigenous Australians have filed a lawsuit, saying the project threatens their way of life.

- The US equity fund EIG is reportedly in discussions with Spanish oil major Repsol (BME:REP) to buy up to 25% of the firms upstream business in a deal worth $4-5 billion.

- Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET) signed a 25-year LNG supply deal with China Gas Holdings on a FOB basis for 0.7mtpa, coming from its upcoming Lake Charles LNG project and with first deliveries expected to start in 2026.

Tuesday, June 07, 2022

Less than a week after OPEC+ decided to speed up its production curtailments and bring 648,000 b/d into the markets in July-August, ICE Brent is back above $120 per barrel. There are several reasons why the initial downward pressure on oil prices did not last. First of all, doubts started creeping in about whether OPEC+ can produce more - in this sense, the steep OSP hikes certainly didn't help. Second, everything is set for a particularly robust period of summer demand and global crude inventories are likely to continue declining. With expectations of weaker macroeconomics still yet to hit demand, the upcoming weeks will see considerable bullish pressure.

Russia Confident It Can Bypass EU Insurance Ban. Russia claimed it is confident to get around the recently greenlighted EU ban on Russian crude insurance and financing that would kick in after a six-month wind-down period, primarily by using state guarantees to cover cargoes.

White House Allows Venezuela Debt Shipments. In a symbolic move to ease Venezuelas oil sanctions, the Biden Administration gave the nod to European oil firms Eni (NYSE:E) and Repsol (BME:REP) to begin shipping Venezuelan oil to Europe, resuming oil-for-debt swaps that were halted in 2020.

India Doubles Down on Russia Crude Supply. According to Bloomberg, Indias state-owned oil refiners are collectively working on finalizing and securing new six-month supply contracts with Russias main oil producer Rosneft, as Russian imports have already soared to 750,000 b/d in May.

Lebanon Warns Israel Against Encroaching on Disputed Zone. Tensions have suddenly flared up in the Eastern Mediterranean after Beirut warned Israeli authorities against any activity in the disputed area that remains to be delineated between the two nations, reacting to the arrival of an FPSO vessel there.

US NatGas Futures Jump on Rising Demand. US Henry Hub natural gas front-month futures rose to $9.37 per mmBtu yesterday as record power demand in Texas and higher cooling-driven generation overall combined with lower gas production maintained a steady upwards push on prices.

All the Big Players Are Leaving Alaska. Oil and gas companies are abandoning federal leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, with both BP (NYSE:BP) and Hilcorp Energy dropping options last week amidst fierce conservationist pressures even though state authorities still hope for a drilling revival.

Closely Coveted NWS Well Finds No Hydrocarbons. One of the most closely followed wildcats to be drilled in Australia this year, the Sasanof-1 exploration well off Western Australias North West Shelf turned out to be dry despite initial estimates putting it at 7.2 TCf of gas reserves, jeopardizing future LNG output in the country.

Kurdistan Defies Iraqi Authorities and Courts. Authorities of Iraqi Kurdistan rejected the Iraqi Federal Supreme courts decision that declared the KRGs separate marketing of crude illegal, with another round of negotiations between Baghdad and Erbil expected this week.

Russia's Legal Fight Over an Alumina Refinery. Russias aluminum conglomerate Rusal has launched legal action against Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO), seeking to restore its 20% in Australias Queensland Alumina refinery that the two held together in a JV before Rio cut Rusals access to production and took it over.

BP-Shell Tandem The Only Bidder in Trinidad Licensing. The government of Trinidad and Tobago received bids for four of 17 deepwater blocks that it auctioned to halt a decline in gas production, with a consortium comprising BP (NYSE:BP) and Shell (LON:SHEL) making all the bids.

Biden Administration Waives Solar Panel Tariffs. Despite earlier fears of Chinas tariff circumvention, the White House waived tariffs on solar panels from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam for two years amid a nationwide slowdown in US solar projects amid supply chain delays.

Elliott Sues LME for Cancelled Nickel Trading. US hedge fund Elliott Associates is suing the London Metal Exchange for $456 million for canceling nickel trades in the trading mayhem seen this March, arguing that the exchange should not have erased deals after prices more than doubled above $100,000/mt in a matter of hours.

US May Never Build Another Oil Refinery Again. Amidst never-seen refining margins boosting downstream profitability to unprecedented levels, Chevron (NYSE:CVX) CEO Mike Wirth stated that there may never be a new refinery built in the US, even though the last large-scale one was launched back in 1976.

By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com

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European natural gas prices have been on the slide for several days now as an early start of summer combines with ample LNG supplies to quench supply worries.

According to a Bloomberg report, natural gas prices in Europe have been on the decline for five days now as demand eases while supply remains strong thanks to LNG and continued deliveries by Gazprom via Ukraine and the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

Europe became the biggest buyer of U.S. liquefied natural gas a few months ago as it sought to reduce its dependence on Russian gas even before Russias invasion of Ukraine. This has led to a spike not only in gas prices but also in LNG carrier rates, which recently hit the highest in a decade.

Despite the lower demand, gas prices in Europe remain quite elevated as importers seek to refill their reserves ahead of the next heating season. Some of these might be worse off than others as Gazprom suspended deliveries to Poland, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and Denmark over their refusal to pay for the gas in rubles.

Still, most of the large gas buyers that supply European countries with natural gas from Gazprom have accepted the latters payment terms, ensuring the uninterrupted supply of gas. According to unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg today, Gazprom was unlikely to cut off supplies to any other European buyers for now.

The European Union, however, remains determined to reduce its imports of Russian gas. Reluctant to impose an outright embargo on the commodity, the European Commission recently started looking into putting a cap on imported Russian gas prices.

The idea aims to, on the one hand, reduce the EUs gas bill and, on the other, to cut Russias natural gas sales income as a form of punishment for Moscows invasion of the Ukraine.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, met at length last week in Riyadh after which they released statements highlighting: The level of cooperation in the OPEC+ format. The two ministers underlined the: Stabilising effect that tight coordination between Russia and Saudi Arabia in this strategically-important area has on the global hydrocarbon market.

Shortly afterward, the OPEC+ alliance, comprising all the OPEC member states plus most notably Russia, announced a theoretical increase in crude oil production - of 648,000 barrels per day (bpd) in July and August, instead of by 432,000 bpd as previously agreed. In practice, as it also includes Russian exports that are already banned by the U.S. and are being banned in the E.U., the increase is meaningless. Subsequent Saudi assurances that any deficit in Russias output caused by the ban will be met by other OPEC states is similarly meaningless in practical terms, given enduring question marks over genuine output capabilities.

Any residual notion that Saudi Arabia might be trying to alleviate the economic problems of many countries resulting from high oil prices was dispelled over the weekend, as the Kingdom raised its official selling price for its flagship Arab Light crude to Asia to a US$6.50 per barrel (pb) premium for July to the average of the Oman and Dubai benchmarks, up from a premium of US$4.40 pb in June. The net effect of OPEC+s production increase, therefore, will be zero, which Saudi Arabia, Russia, and all other OPEC members, know perfectly well. So, why is Saudi, for so long a staunch ally of the U.S. after the landmark relationship deal made in 1945, now so resolutely sticking with Washingtons long-time nemesis, Russia, even with the invasion of Ukraine still in full swing?

The core of the answer lies in the immediate aftermath of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War launched by Saudi Arabia with the specific intention of destroying  or at least disabling for as long a period as possible  the then-nascent U.S. shale oil sector. In 2014, the Saudis had correctly identified this sector as the biggest threat to its finances and political power  both of which were, and still are  founded exclusively on its oil resources. In addition, but incorrectly at that point, the Saudis believed that the U.S. intended to cease, or at least significantly scale back, its on-the-ground support for Saudi Arabia in the region as Washingtons principal bulwark there against the increasing influence of Iran, Russia, and China. These fears in Riyadh were being stoked at that time by the ongoing talks of a nuclear deal between the major powers, led by the U.S. itself, and Iran  Saudi Arabias longstanding nemesis. These talks did indeed result less than a year later in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal that effectively brought Iran back into the mainstream of global political interplay.

Due mainly to the remarkable, and unexpected, ability of much of the U.S.s shale oil companies to survive with oil prices that had been pushed extremely low through OPEC overproduction, the 2014-2016 Oil Price War resulted in devastation for the economy of Saudi Arabia and for its brother states in OPEC. An additional negative result for Saudi Arabia was that it had lost its credibility as the de facto leader of OPEC and that OPEC had lost its credibility as the indomitable force in global oil markets. This meant that OPECs pronouncements on future oil supply and demand levels  and therefore, on pricing  had lost much of their potency to move markets in and of themselves and that their joint production deals were diminished in effectiveness.

In the interim, many of the positive rationales on both sides of the core 1945 agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia had disappeared. The U.S. did not trust Saudi Arabia anymore not to go after its shale oil sector. It also did not trust Saudi Arabia to try to keep oil prices within the US$35-75 per barrel (pb) of Brent price band that was ideal for Washington: the first number being the floor at which many U.S. shale producers could at least breakeven, if not make a slight profit, and the second number being the cap after which extremely serious negative economic and political threats begin to emerge.

For the U.S. economy, historical precedent highlights that every US$10 pb change in the crude oil price results in a 25-30 cent change in the price of a gallon of gasoline, and for every one cent that the U.S.s average price of gasoline increases, more than US$1 billion per year in discretionary additional consumer spending is lost. Politically, as shown in my new book on the global oil markets, since World War I, the sitting U.S. president has won re-election only once out of seven times if the U.S. economy was in recession within two years of an upcoming election. President Biden  or whoever the Democratic candidate may be  will face another presidential election in 2024, but even before that, he faces critical mid-term elections in November 2022, when his Democrats could lose their narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

For these reasons, the U.S.s view had changed into the very one that Saudi Arabia had long feared. This was that Washington intended to cease, or at least significantly scale back, its on-the-ground support for Saudi Arabia in the region once it could ramp up its own oil production so that it did not need Saudi oil anymore, and once it had made other potentially Iran-countering alliances in the Middle East. This process in fact began with the relationship normalisation deals drive begun in 2020.

For Saudi Arabia in the immediate aftermath of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, there appeared little choice but to stand by and watch as the U.S. inexorably increased its own shale oil and shale gas supplies and made new alliances in the Middle East, whilst all the while gradually reducing all elements of its support for the Kingdom. It is little wonder, then, that Saudi Arabia at the end of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, grasped on to Russias offer of help. The Kremlin at that point was fully aware of the enormous economic and geopolitical possibilities that were available to it by becoming a core participant in the crude oil supply/demand/pricing nexus, so agreed to support the next OPEC production cut deal in what was to be called from then-on OPEC+.

This unholy alliance, as more than one source in Washington characterised it to OilPrice.com at the time, was of deep concern to the U.S., and served only to compound the growing feelings of distrust towards Saudi Arabia. These feelings were exacerbated when the Kingdom launched yet another oil price war in 2020 with the same intention as 2014-2016 of hurting the U.S.s shale oil and shale gas sectors, which Washington perceived as a hostile act. These negative feelings have subsequently worsened due to several factors, with a key one being Saudi Arabias unwillingness or inability to do anything meaningful to bring down still-high oil prices.

Riyadh for its part had ceased to regard the U.S. as a true friend in the world stage by 2016 and those in power now in Saudi Arabia, the al-Saud royal family, are also fully aware that the 1945 agreement  which crucially for them includes the U.S. supporting the family in its leadership position in the country  is no longer in play on Washingtons side. This can be inferred from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans refusal to even take a telephone call from President Joe Biden on the subject of enduring high oil prices.

It can be argued that the only reason why Saudi Arabia has not yet gone even further in terms of political alliance with Russia than continuing to stand with it in OPEC+, is that it does not yet feel supported enough from the China-Russia axis to want to incur the full wrath of the U.S. The resuscitation by Washington of the No Oil Producing or Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) bill is the surest sign yet that Washington has finally run out of patience with Riyadh. It has been  rightly - construed by Saudi Arabia as a warning shot to more profound further actions if it does move further directly and overtly into the China-Russia sphere of influence. However, Saudi Arabias plethora of deals with Russia since 2016, and with China too  plus its re-energising of the Gulf Cooperation Council within an apparently Pan Arabist context  seem to portend an even clearer and decisive shift of Saudi Arabia and its own allies, including OPEC and OPEC+, away from the U.S. and towards China-Russia going forward.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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U.S. refining capacity could take a hit from an earlier than planned closure of a major refinery in Houston, which could worsen the refining and fuel crunch in the country.

LyondellBasellwhich announced in April that it would cease operation of its Houston Refinery by the end of 2023could close the facility prematurely if a major equipment failure affects processing units, two sources with knowledge of the chemicals giants operations told Reuters on Tuesday.

LyondellBasells 268,000-bpd Houston refinery has the ability to transform very heavy high-sulfur crude oil into clean fuels, including reformulated gasoline and low-sulfur diesel. Other products include heating oil, jet fuel, olefins feedstocks, aromatics, lubricants, and petroleum coke.

The firm, however, said earlier this year that we have determined that exiting the refining business by the end of next year is the best strategic and financial path forward for the Company.

LyondellBasell did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

If the Houston refinery closes much earlier than the end of 2023, it could exacerbate the already strained refining capacity in the United States.

Some 1 million bpd of refinery capacity in America has been shut permanently since the start of the pandemic, as refiners have opted to either close money-losing facilities or convert some of them into biofuel production sites.

In the United States, operable refinery capacity was at just over 18 million bpd in 2021, the lowest since 2015, per EIA data.

U.S. refineries cannot catch up with demand, which has rebounded from the COVID lows and is still robust despite the record-high gasoline and diesel prices in America. Inventories of fuel are at multi-year lows as the Russian invasion of Ukraine upended oil trade flows and constrained supply.

Motor gasoline inventories in the U.S. are now about 9% below the five-year average for this time of year, the EIAs latest data from last Wednesday showed. Distillate fuel inventories, which include diesel, are about 24% below the five-year average for this time of year.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Saudi Arabia booked an almost 10-percent expansion of its GDP over the first quarter of the year thanks to the sustained rally in oil prices, according to official data.

At 9.9 percent, the Kingdoms economic growth during the quarter is the highest since the third quarter of 2011, Al Jazeera reported.

This growth is due to the high increase in oil activities by 20.3 percent, the Saudi statistics authority said.

Aramco reported a net profit of $39.5 billion for the first quarter, thanks to higher oil prices. This was an 82-percent annual improvement and a record quarterly profit for Aramco since it went public three years ago.

As a percentage of total GDP, oil and gas accounted for 32.4 percent and was the highest contributor to growth during the reporting period. Non-oil activities increased by an annual 3.7 percent in the first quarter.

The underlying data still points to a healthy pace of expansion in the non-oil sector, according to Monica Malik, chief economist of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, who spoke to Al Jazeera.

Saudi is in a very strong position, given the limited global oil capacity and the high oil prices, she added.

The strong performance of Saudi Arabias oil industry is set to continue as the world supply remains tight. The Kingdom recently raised its official selling prices for almost all buyers of its crude for July deliveries, with the increase most substantial for Asian buyers.

Meanwhile, however, Saudi Arabia also committed, alongside OPEC+, to boost monthly production by almost 650,000 bpd combined net month and in August, up from an originally agreed 432,000 bpd.

So far, this has failed to have any negative effect on oil prices because, besides Saudi Arabia and a couple of other Middle Eastern producers, OPEC members are finding it hard to pump as much as originally agreed.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Crude oil prices may soon hit $150 per barrel or more this year, Trafiguras CEO Jeremy Weir told the FT Global Boardroom conference on Tuesday.

The spike in crude oil prices would likely trigger demand destruction for the commodity, Weir added.

The forecast is just $10 per barrel over where Brent prices shot up to in March shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Bullish factors continue to be the Russia factorwith the EU recently agreeing to an embargo on imported Russian oil, although that will not go into full effect for many monthsas Chinas soon-to-be surge in crude oil demand, which is expected to rebound as the Asian nation rolls back its strict Covid lockdown measures.

Brent crude is currently trading above $119 per barrel.

The oil price predictions follow other analyst predictions this week, with Goldman raising its price target for Brent to $140 in the third quarter of this year. Citi also lifted its oil price forecast, to $113 per barrel for the second quarter, and $99 per barrel for the third quarter. Barclays sees oil prices averaging $111 this yearan $11 per barrel price increase from its last estimate.

The price predictions vary wildly  a $40 swingbut so do their reasons for making the upward adjustments. Citi cits a delayed Iran deal, Barclays cites the EU ban on Russian crude oil imports, while Goldmans price estimation was largely a factor of increased Chinese demand.

Other bullish factors include Saudi Arabias recently announced price hikes to its prized market, Asia, and OPEC+s move to increase production more than it was expected to, signaling to the market that the group sees a need for more oilnow.

Another bullish factor for oil is the question of OPEC+s ability to meet its new targets.

Trafigura added to its oil price prediction that the company was effectively finished with winding down its Russian business due to the Western sanctions on Russia.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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BARCELONA, Spain (AP)  A Spanish judge will travel to Israel to seek testimony from the head of tech company NSO, the maker of the controversial Pegasus spyware used in tapping politicians phones in Spain, the country's National Court said Tuesday.

The court said that Jose Luis Calama has decided to lead a judicial commission that will travel to Israel to take testimony from the CEO of the company that commercializes the Pegasus program.

Shalev Hulio is the CEO of the Tel Aviv-based NSO Group. The court gave no date for the judge's trip.

When asked for comment by The Associated Press, a NSO Groups spokesperson said: NSO operates under a strict legal framework, and is confident that this will be the result any government inquiry will reach.

The information was made public after the judge removed the seal of secrecy from the case concerning the hacking of the cellphones of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Spains ministers of defense and interior in May and June 2021.

The cyberattack coincided with a diplomatic rift between Spain and Morocco. But Spains government, which took the case to Spanish court on discovering the hacks last month, has only said that the hacks came from an external power. Moroccan officials have yet to speak on the matter.

NSO says that it only sells its Pegasus spyware to governments for security purposes. Pegasus has been linked to the hacking of other political leaders and activists in other countries. NSO has denied playing any part of this apparent misuse of its evasive technology that has come to light thanks to the work of digital-rights groups inspecting individual phones.

Judge Calama also cited Spains Minister of the Presidency, Felix Bolanos, to answer questions on July 5. Government spokesperson Isabel Rodriguez said that minister Bolanos had been called to testify because he was the minister who took the case to court on behalf of the government.

The court also said that the judge had already questioned the former chief of Spains intelligence agency, Paz Esteban, who was fired after the phone hacking was revealed. In what is apparently a separate use of Pegasus by Spain, Esteban acknowledged that her agency had used the technology to tap the phones of some Catalan separatist politicians.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Police on Saturday identified the man who allegedly stabbed a doctor and two nurses inside a Southern California hospital emergency ward and remained inside a room for hours before police arrested him.

Ashkan Amirsoleymani, 35, has been booked on three counts of attempted murder related to Friday's attack, the Los Angeles Police Department said on Twitter.

He is being held on $3 million bail. It was not immediately clear on Saturday whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf and the district attorney's office did not respond to an email asking whether charges have been filed.

Police have not yet disclosed Amirsoleymani's motive and Los Angeles Police Officer Rosario Cervantes said no other information was available Saturday.

Amirsoleymani walked into Encino Hospital Medical Center in the San Fernando Valley shortly before 4 p.m. Friday, police said.

He had parked his car in the middle of a street and went to the emergency room, where he asked for treatment for anxiety before stabbing the doctor and nurses, authorities said.

Fire officials said three victims were taken to a trauma center in critical condition. Police later said one was in critical condition and underwent surgery.

KNBC-TV reports that Dignity Health Northridge Hospital Medical Center said two of the victims have been treated and released. The third victim remains hospitalized in fair but stable condition, the TV station reported.

The hospital did not immediately respond to requests for comment Saturday.

The first floor of the Encino hospital and some nearby offices were evacuated during the attack, police said.

There was no evidence that the man  later identified as Amirsoleymani  knew the victims, LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said at a news conference Friday.

He remained inside a room in the hospital for about four hours as SWAT team members tried to unsuccessfully to negotiate with him before he was finally arrested, police said.

No one else in the hospital was injured and other patients were able to be treated, according to Elizabeth Nikels, a spokesperson for Prime Healthcare, which runs the Encino hospital.

Amirsoleymani was later taken to another hospital for treatment of self-inflicted injuries to his arms, authorities said.

Hamilton said he had a lengthy criminal record, including two arrests last year for battery of a police officer and resisting arrest.

Parham Saadat, a dental hygienist who works nearby, told the Los Angeles Times that he and his coworker ran across the street to help the victims.

There was blood all over the floor, blood in the rooms, blood on the gurney the doctor was laying on, Saadat told the newspaper. It was a bloodbath.

Saadat said he later closed a storage rooms door behind the suspect to keep him contained inside and only became afraid when they made eye contact.

He just very calmly turned his face and looked at me through the window, then turned his head back around. No reaction, he said. Thats where it kind of got me.

Benjamin Roman, an ultrasound technician, told KNBC-TV that before the stabbing, he saw the suspect, who had a dog with him and who might have been high on drugs because he looked anxious and was drenched in sweat.

After the hospital issued an internal triage code, Roman said he saw a doctor and a nurse who had been stabbed.

The doctor looked (like) she was in pain, he said. There was a lot of blood and it looked like ... he might have got her abdomen.

Nickels, in an email, said the hospital's staff faced the harrowing situation with "incredible courage, calmness, and dedication."

Their focus throughout remained on the safety of staff and patients, she wrote.

The attack came only two days after a gunman killed four people and then himself at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The assailant got inside a building on the Saint Francis Hospital campus with little trouble, just hours after buying an AR-style rifle, authorities said.

The man killed his surgeon and three other people at a medical office. He blamed the doctor for his continuing pain after a recent back operation.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  An investigation report from Portlands city auditor Tuesday said the Joint Office of Homeless Services is mostly to blame for allowing formerly homeless veterans languish for over a year in moldy, expensive housing units.

The auditors investigation started after a tip to the citys fraud hotline reporting the Joint Office wasted money by continuing to pay to house veterans in the 32-unit Sandy Studios, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

The Joint Office of Homeless Services oversees homeless services across Multnomah County in a partnership between the county and Portland city governments.

Auditors concluded although other agencies were involved, the Joint Office should have stepped in much sooner to fix poor conditions or move residents out. Instead, the agency spent over $850,000 to house the veterans before the city condemned the property last year after a ceiling collapsed, revealing black mold, the report said.

Veterans told OPB that problems from rats to mold to bugs were obvious for years, but maintenance requests were largely ignored.

Interim Joint Office Director Shannon Singleton indicated in response she felt the auditors concerns were overblown and that the report failed to take into account the pandemic and ignored that the agency had been trying to remove residents from the buildings since August 2020.

Singleton added that the agency has taken steps to prevent another similar situation, including hiring new more people to help upkeep of facilities.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (AP)  Joy and sadness in acute doses poured out Monday on the beaches of Normandy.

As several dozen D-Day veterans  now all in their 90s  set foot on the sands that claimed so many colleagues, they are thankful for the gratitude and friendliness of the French toward those who landed here on June 6, 1944. The sadness comes as they think of their fallen comrades and of another battle now being waged in Europe: the war in Ukraine.

As a bright sun rose Monday over the wide band of sand at Omaha Beach, U.S. D-Day veteran Charles Shay expressed thoughts for his comrades who died here 78 years ago.

I have never forgotten them and I know that their spirits are here, he told The Associated Press.

The 98-year-old Penobscot Native American from Indian Island, Maine, took part in a sage-burning ceremony near the beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer. Shay, who now lives in Normandy, was a 19-year-old U.S. Army medic when he landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.

He said he was especially sad to see war in Europe once again, so many years later.

Ukraine is a very sad situation. I feel sorry for the people there and I dont know why this war had to come, but I think the human beings like to, I think they like to fight. I dont know," he said. "In 1944, I landed on these beaches and we thought wed bring peace to the world. But its not possible.

This year, Shay handed over the remembrance task to another Native American, Julia Kelly, a Gulf War veteran from the Crow tribe, who performed the sage ritual. Never forget, never forget, she said. In this time, in any time, war is not good.

Shay's message to young generations would be to be ever vigilant.

Of course I have to say that they should protect their freedom that they have now, he said.

For the past two years, D-Day ceremonies were reduced to a minimum amid COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. But this year, crowds of French and international visitors  including veterans in their 90s  were back in Normandy to pay tribute to the nearly 160,000 troops from Britain, the U.S., Canada and elsewhere who landed there to bring freedom.

Several thousand people attended a ceremony at the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach in the French town of Colleville-sur-Mer. They applauded more than 20 WWII veterans who were present at the commemoration.

Amid them was Ray Wallace, 97, a former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division.

On D-Day, his plane was hit and caught fire, forcing him to jump earlier than expected. He landed 20 miles (32 kilometers) away from the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first French village to be liberated from Nazi occupation.

We all got a little scared then. And then whenever the guy dropped us out, we were away from where the rest of the group was. That was scary," Wallace told the AP.

Less than a month later, he was taken prisoner by the Germans. He was ultimately liberated after 10 months and returned to the U.S. Still, Wallace thinks he was lucky.

I remember the good friends that I lost there. So its a little emotional, he said, with sadness in his voice. I guess you can say Im proud of what I did but I didnt do that much."

He was asked about the secret to his longevity. Calvados! he joked, in reference to Normandys local alcohol.

On D-Day, Allied troops landed on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats. On that single day, 4,414 Allied soldiers lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded.

On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded.

Wallace, who is using a wheelchair, was among about 20 WWII veterans who opened Saturday's parade of military vehicles in Sainte-Mere-Eglise to great applause from thousands of people, in a joyful atmosphere. He did not hide his pleasure, happily waving to the crowd as parents explained the achievements of World War II heroes to their children.

Many history buffs, wearing military and civilian clothes from the period, also came to stage a reenactment of the events.

In Colleville-sur-Mer on Monday, U.S. Air Force aircraft flew over the American Cemetery during the commemoration ceremony, in the presence of Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The place is home to the gravesites of 9,386 people who died fighting on D-Day and in the operations that followed.

Milley had strong words about Ukraine at the American Cemetery ceremony, vowing that the U.S. and its allies would keep up their significant support to Ukraine.

Kiev may be 2,000 kilometers away from here, they too, right now, today, are experiencing the same horrors as the French citizens experienced in World War II at the hands of the Nazi invader, Milley said in a speech. Lets not those only here be the last witnesses to a time when our Allies come together to defeat tyranny.

For 82-year-old Dale Thompson, visiting the site over the weekend was a first.

Thompson, who traveled from Florida with his wife, served in the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. military in the early 1960s. He was stateside and saw no combat.

Walking amid the thousands of marble headstones, Thompson wondered how he would have reacted if he landed at D-Day.

I try to put myself in their place, he said. Could I be as heroic as these people?

AP Journalists Oleg Cetinic and Jeremias Gonzalez contributed to the story.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A state review board has approved the sale of Weiss Memorial and West Suburban hospitals, after years of angst between community members and the hospitals current owner.

The State Health Facilities and Services Review Board voted 6-0 on Tuesday, in several votes, to allow California-based Pipeline Health to sell Weiss in Uptown and West Suburban in Oak Park to Resilience Healthcare for $92 million.

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Resilience is a newly created, for-profit company led by Manoj Prasad, whose initial training was as a physician but who has spent much of his career helping to turn around health care facilities, he said.

Over the past 30 years Ive had the privilege of leading numerous health care organizations and have rescued a number of challenged facilities, Prasad told the board Tuesday. I have moved to live in this community with my family, and I plan to stay here with my ear to the ground to better understand the communities needs.

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He said the first order of business will be to stop the financial bleeding at the hospitals, and he hopes to eventually bring new services to the hospital and expand and improve others.

Prasad estimates the hospitals will be able to save millions of dollars a month by improving their revenue collection and electronic medical records systems, among other things. Patients on government programs such as Medicaid will continue to be welcome at the hospitals, he said.

New Jersey-based businessman Reddy Rathnakar Patlola is a financial partner in Resilience and will invest in the acquisition and operations. Patlolas company Ramco Healthcare Holdings will own the land on which the hospitals sit, with Resilience entering into long-term lease agreements with Patlola.

I firmly believe health care is a human right, said Patlola, who said his background is as an energy distributor on the East Coast. I do not view this as an opportunity to make money.

The sales approval follows a checkered history between the hospitals current owner, Pipeline, and community members.

More than three years ago, Pipeline angered community members and leaders, shortly after it bought the two hospitals and Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park. Pipeline initially said it would turn around the three facilities, but instead said it would close Westlake just weeks after taking ownership, sparking fears that it had similar plans for Weiss and West Suburban.

Those worries were stoked recently when Pipeline agreed to sell a Weiss parking lot to a developer hoping to build apartments on the site.

The closure of Westlake, and the animosity it created, has made it difficult for Pipeline to solidify relationships with local leaders in recent years, Pipeline CEO and co-President Nick Orzano told the board Tuesday. He said he hopes a new owner will have better luck being embraced by local politicians.

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Pipeline plans to credit $12 million from the Weiss parking lot sale to Resilience to reinvest in the hospitals. Orzano also noted that Pipeline has invested about $60 million in the hospitals since it took ownership, despite sustaining losses of tens of millions of dollars.

Its clear to me successful turnaround of these hospitals requires full-time, boots-on-the-ground local leadership, which Dr. Prasad can provide, Orzano said.

Ald. James Cappleman, 46th, and Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman also spoke in favor of the sale Tuesday.

This ownership transition serves as further proof that Weiss hospital is here to stay, Cappleman said.

The pending sale, however, had spurred mixed feelings among some community members, though no one spoke in opposition to it Tuesday.

While many community members are happy to see Pipeline exit, some have said they are wary about the sale. Some community members have questioned whether Prasad has the experience and commitment to turn around the hospitals and do whats best for the community. For example, Ruth Castillo, interim president of the Lakeside Area Neighbors Association, said Tuesday after the board meeting that she would have liked to see a list of the facilities Prasad has turned around over his career rather than just hearing about them generally.

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I still do have concerns, Castillo said. Im hopeful that it will all work out and that the state made the right decision, but I guess time will tell.

lschencker@chicagotribune.com
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia on Tuesday claimed to have taken control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraine's Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscows forces hold nearly all of Luhansk province. And it appears that Russia now occupies roughly half of Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts.

After abandoning its bungled attempt to storm Kyiv two months ago, Russia declared that taking the entire Donbas is its main objective. Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian government forces in the Donbas since 2014, and the region has borne the brunt of the Russian onslaught in recent weeks.

Early in the war, Russian troops also took control of the entire Kherson region and a large part of the Zaporizhzhia region, both in the south. Russian officials and their local appointees have talked about plans for those regions to either declare their independence or be folded into Russia.

But in what may be the latest instance of anti-Russian sabotage inside Ukraine, Russian state media said Tuesday that an explosion at a cafe in the city of Kherson wounded four people. Tass called the apparent bombing in the Russian-occupied city a terror act.

Before the Feb. 24 invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russia controlled some 7% of the country, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and areas held by the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces hold 20% of the country.

While Russia has superior firepower, the Ukrainian defenders are entrenched and have shown the ability to counterattack.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces made no significant advances in the eastern Donbas region over the past day.

The absolutely heroic defense of the Donbas continues, he said late Tuesday in his nightly video address.

Zelenskyy said the Russians clearly did not expect to meet so much resistance and are now trying to bring in additional troops and equipment. He said the same was true in the Kherson region.

Speaking earlier to a Financial Times conference, Zelenskyy insisted on Ukraines need to defeat Russia on the battlefield but also said he is still open to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But a former senior U.S. intelligence officer said the time isnt right.

Youre not going to get to the negotiating table until neither side feels they have an advantage that they could push, said Andrea Kendall-Taylor of the Washington-based Center for a New American Security.

The Russians think they will be able to take the whole of the Donbas and then might use that as the opportunity to call for negotiations, Kendall-Taylor said at an online seminar organized by Columbia and New York universities.

Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, said Moscow's forces have seized the residential quarters of Sievierodonetsk and are fighting to take control of an industrial zone on the city's outskirts and nearby towns.

Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. They are among a few cities and towns in the Luhansk region still holding out against the Russian invasion, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces.

Shoigu added that Russian troops were pressing their offensive toward the town of Popasna and have taken control of Lyman and Sviatohirsk and 15 other towns in the region.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak urged his people not to be downhearted about the battlefield reverses.

Dont let the news that weve ceded something scare you, he said in a video address. It is clear that tactical maneuvers are ongoing. We cede something, we take something back."

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai conceded that Russian forces control the industrial outskirts of Sievierodonetsk.

The toughest street battles continue, with varying degrees of success, Haidai said. The situation constantly changes, but the Ukrainians are repelling attacks.

Moscows forces also kept up their artillery barrage of Lysychansk. Haidai said Russian troops shelled a market, a school and a college building, destroying the latter. At least three people were wounded, he said.

A total destruction of the city is under way. Russian shelling has intensified significantly over the past 24 hours. Russians are using scorched-earth tactics, Haidai said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has begun training Ukrainian forces on the sophisticated multiple rocket launchers that the Biden administration agreed last week to provide. The Pentagon said the training is going on at a base in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets, which can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). Officials said it would take about three weeks of training before they could go to the battlefront.

In other developments, Zelenskyy said Ukraine planned to publish a special Book of Executioners next week with information about war crimes committed by the Russian army.

These are specific facts about specific people who are guilty of specific cruel crimes against Ukrainians, he said. Those named would include not only people who carried out the crimes but their commanders, he said.

The war also brought a standoff Tuesday between the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and Ukrainian authorities over the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe.

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, wants to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant to help maintain its safety after it was taken by Russian troops in March.

But Energoatom, the Ukrainian state company overseeing the countrys nuclear plants, said in a blunt statement that Grossi isnt welcome. It said his planned tour is yet another attempt to legitimize the occupiers presence there.

Amid fears of a global food crisis because of the war, the Kremlin said Ukraine needs to remove sea mines near its Black Sea port of Odesa to allow essential grain exports to resume from there. Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that removing the mines could enable Moscows forces to attack.

Associated Press journalists David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv; Andrew Katell in New York; and Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this story.

Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BEIRUT (AP)  The U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria said Tuesday that they will turn to the government in Damascus for support should Turkey go ahead with its threat to launch a new incursion into the war-torn country.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, said after a meeting of its command that its priority is to reduce tension near the border with Turkey but also prepare for a long fight if Ankara carries out its threat.

The announcement appears to be a message directed at the United States and meant to elicit pressure from Washington on Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to put aside his offensive plans.

Erdogan has repeatedly said over the past weeks that hes planning a major military operation to create a 30-kilometer (19 mile) deep buffer zone inside Syria along Turkey's border, through a cross-border incursion against U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish fighters  an attempt that failed in 2019.

Analysts have said Erdogan is taking advantage of the war in Ukraine to push his own goals in Syria  even using Turkeys ability as a NATO member to veto alliance membership by Finland and Sweden as potential leverage.

On the ground, the situation has been tense with near daily exchanges of fire and shelling between the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters on one side and Turkish forces and Turkey-backed Syrian opposition gunmen on the other.

The Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters have been preparing for weeks to take part in the expected operation against Syrian Kurdish-led forces, seeking to expand their area of influence inside Syria.

On the other hand, relations between the Kurdish-led fighters who control large parts of northern and eastern Syria  including the towns of Tel Rifaat and Manbij that Erdogan has named as possible targets  with the Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces have been mostly frosty over the past years.

But faced with Erdogan's threat, Syrian Kurdish fighters may want those ties to thaw.

The meeting confirmed the readiness of (SDF) forces to coordinate with forces of the Damascus government to confront any possible Turkish incursion and to protect Syrian territories against occupation, the statement said and added that a possible Turkish invasion will affect the stability and unity of Syrias territories.

The statement did not elaborate on what such a coordination entailed  and whether an alliance with Assad's government in Damascus would translate into joint forces on the ground. Syrian Kurdish officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched three major operations inside Syria, targeting Syrias main Kurdish militia  the Peoples Protection Units or YPG  which Turkey considers to be a terrorist organization and an extension of Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. The PKK has for decades waged an insurgency within Turkey against the government in Ankara.

The YPG, a backbone of the SDF, has led the fight against the militants of the extremist Islamic State group and has been a proven top U.S. ally in Syria.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
His victory Sunday came two days after his 36th birthday and made him the oldest title winner in the history of the clay-court tournament.
BLOOMINGTON  A Chicago man is in McLean County custody on robbery and firearm charges linked to an armed robbery last month at a Bloomington business.

Terrance T. Jones, 34, is charged with armed robbery (Class X felony), aggravated battery causing great bodily harm (Class 3 felony), and two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon (Class 2 and 3 felonies).

Bloomington police responded about 2:40 p.m. May 19 to McLean County Exchange, 2016 Ireland Grove Road, when the shops owner, Michael Moss, pressed a sound alarm after two men battered him and robbed the business of cash and numerous items.

A second suspect, who police described to be a Black or Hispanic male in his 20s, has not been arrested.

Jones is accused of pointing a firearm at the business owner, who then grabbed Jones gun and began to fight with him. Two gunshots were fired and struck a ceiling during the altercation, Moss previously told The Pantagraph.

A third gunshot was fired in a backroom at Moss, but the firearm jammed and a bullet trickled out of the barrel, Moss said.

Moss, 63, suffered a concussion and bruises, and he received stitches to his face during a four-day stay at a hospital.

A warrant for Jones arrest was issued June 3. He was arrested Sunday by the Posen Police Department, which is a village in Cook County.

Jones was jailed in lieu of posting $75,035. He was ordered to have no contact with Moss and McLean County Exchange.

An arraignment is scheduled for July 1.

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BLOOMINGTON  A former criminal investigator with the McLean County Public Defenders Office has received a $125,000 settlement in a lawsuit filed four years ago against the countys former assistant public defender.

The lawsuit, dismissed June 1 in federal court after the settlement was reached, alleged that former McLean County Assistant Public Defender Carla Barnes failed to report misconduct claims against former Public Defender Kim Campbell.

Laura McBride, a former criminal defense investigator for the public defender's office who testified at David Boswell's murder trial in 2011, accused Campbell of commenting about helping to write closing arguments for a prosecutor who helped secure a guilty verdict.

Barnes, Campbell and the prosecutor, former First Assistant State's Attorney Jane Foster, have all denied the allegations.

McBride received $87,500 in exchange for dismissing her lawsuit and agreeing to not file the same claim again in court. Her attorneys' law firm, Kravolec McClain LLC in Chicago, received $37,500 for attorneys fees.

The Pantagraph obtained the settlement agreement through a Freedom of Information Act request.

McBrides attorneys declined to comment on the agreement. Carrie Haas, an attorney representing Barnes, could not be reached for comment.

The settlement agreement, entered May 18, included a stipulation not to discuss the agreement or negotiations that led to it with anyone other than an attorney, tax consultant or a partys spouse.

The settlement, which also includes a non-disparaging agreement, does not represent guilt, admission or liability.

The parties are entering into this agreement merely to avoid the costs, delays and inconvenience associated with protracted litigation of this matter, the agreement said.

Boswell is serving a 45-year prison sentence after conviction of a November 2010 hit-and-run murder during a dispute over a grill following an annual fundraiser event at the then-U.S. Cellular Coliseum in downtown Bloomington.

Foster gave closing arguments in Boswell's trial. McBride's lawsuit alleged that the prosecutor got help from Campbell, who was the McLean County public defender at the time.

In an affidavit submitted during Boswell's appeal process, McBride said that she heard Campbell say, I taught that girl everything she knows, I helped her write it (the closing argument), referring to Foster.

McBride said she reported the comments to Barnes, who was an assistant public defender at the time and lead counsel in Boswells trial. Barnes since became the McLean County public defender and is now an 11th Judicial Circuit judge.

McBride said she also reported the comments to former McLean County administrator Bill Wasson.

In the lawsuit, McBride alleged that Barnes and Wasson took no action, and that Wasson fired her in retaliation for making the report.

McBride was terminated from her position in 2017. McLean County eliminated the full-time criminal defense investigator position, citing budgetary concerns, but later hired a contracted worker for the job.

Wasson and McLean County had been named as defendants in the lawsuit, but a judge in 2019 dismissed the case against them. He found that McBrides termination was not a one-for-one replacement and instead represented a structural reorganization based on budgetary issues resulting in cutbacks in the countys workforce.

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NORMAL  Marcfirst and education leaders are excited to be taking steps toward moving into a new space and expanding the nonprofits behavioral health clinic, they said Tuesday.

Weve still got some work to do, but this is a huge step in making our dream a reality, said Brian Wipperman, CEO of Marcfirst.

The Normal Town Council on Monday night committed half a million dollars to Marcfirst, which will allow the nonprofit to acquire a vacant property at 2000 Jacobssen Drive, adjacent to Shepard Park.

Marcfirsts space will grow from about 20,000 square feet at its current location, 1606 Hunt Drive in Normal, to about 35,000 square feet on Jacobssen.

With expanded space, well be able to grow how many people were supporting because we are just out of space at our current location, Wipperman said.

Within close proximity of the public park, the nonprofit organization will be able to offer outdoor recreational amenities, expand programming, develop further partnerships and provide classroom space for the Regional Office of Educations planned Central Illinois Bridge Academy.

Regional Superintendent Mark Jontry said Tuesday the ROE is excited for the opportunity for both Marcfirst and the academy, which will serve students who could soon require hospitalization or who are transitioning out of a hospital stay, generally for mental health concerns and need more support than area school districts can offer.

The building has a lot of the specifications the ROE was looking for, Jontry said. That includes being a newer building, being near greenspace and a major roadway and having natural light.

"There's a lot of windows, it's going to provide a lot of natural light," he said.

It will also be helpful to be in the same site as some of Marcfirst's services, which will make them more accessible to students at the Bridge Academy.

"It's really just a win-win-win all around," Jontry said.

About half of the staff for the Bridge Academy have been hired, with interviews continuing this week. The ROE expects to have four teachers and the equivalent of two full-time case workers.

Wipperman said he is hoping to hire more staff at Marcfirst as well to provide full support to those who use their programs.

The property previously had been occupied by Compeer Financial, a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative that serves agriculture and rural communities. It moved to a new building in Bloomington last fall.

Wipperman said their goal is to close on the building as quickly as possible so the ROE can begin working to bring the Bridge Academy into the building in time to open for the 2022-23 school year.

Theres a lot of synergy here between us, the ROE and the Bridge Academy, he said, noting Marcfirst is also partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington Normal to make the new building available as a satellite location for their programs.

In a unanimous vote, the council approved the use of $500,000 of the towns $10.8 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding for Marcfirst.

Trustee Karyn Smith, whose daughter participates in Marcfirsts behavioral health programs, said she wanted to express overwhelming support for the resolution, noting the organizations current space and staffing level are not set up to accommodate as many people as probably need those services.

To also partner with the Regional Office of Education to provide services to regular school children who are experiencing mental health issues, I think, is an incredible contribution to what we want to see happen for our community, she said.

Every trustee on the council spoke in support of the resolution Monday night, commending Marcfirst for its work as well as its initiative to collaborate with other nonprofit organizations in the community.

While Marcfirsts main facilities will move, the Gregg Chadwick Marcfirst Pediatric Therapy Center will continue to operate at Carle BroMenn Medical Center at 1302 Franklin Ave., Suite L500.

Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer.

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100 years ago

June 7, 1922: The largest class ever  35 students  will graduate from Eureka College. The commencement address will be given by Raphael H. Miller, pastor of the Independence Boulevard Christian church of Kansas City, Missouri. The graduating class is made up of 19 young men and 11 young women.

75 years ago

June 7, 1947: More than 200 executives and other Bloomington employees of State Farm were expected to leave for Chicago for an international convention. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the founding of the State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance company on June 7, 1922, more than 3,000 leading agents and their spouses from across the U.S. and Ontario, Canada, were expected to gather.

50 years ago

June 7, 1972: Bloomington Mayor Walter Bittner defended himself against allegations from a neighbor, who wrote in a Pantagraph letter to the editor that city garbage haulers would not pick up garbage in the alley behind her home but would do so for the mayor. Bittner said he took his garbage to the curb; the letter-writer later said she did not see the pickup herself.

25 years ago

June 7, 1997: Experts say warning signs point to a renewed rise in heroin use, nationwide and in Central Illinois. "There is almost a sense that, 'Hey, heroin is fashionable.' That's very dangerous," said Randall Webber, director of training and publications at Bloomington's Chestnut Health Systems Lighthouse Institute.

Compiled by Pantagraph staff
We in America are now in grave danger of losing our democracy, for there are those who want to end government of the people, by the people, and for the people, only to replace it with government of the wealthy, by the wealthy, and  exclusively  for the wealthy.

The legitimacy of our constitutional republic depends on the choices the American people make. In our land, voters choose their leaders. In dictatorships, the leaders make that choice.

That is the major difference between American democracy on the one hand, and the sort of autocractic, kleptocratic dictatorship that is now being favored by far too many on the political right.

Right-wing extremists have been moving in that direction now for years, and have been getting quite good at misleading many of our people into thinking they are for the middle class and the public good, when actually they are interested only in solidifying the lucrative financial support they can get by satisfying the self-serving political greed of the ultra wealthy.

Donald Trump was so determined to hold on to office and stay in power that he attempted to overthrow the legitimate choice of our nations voters, and in seeking to do that, he criminally tried to exalt himself above the law and the Constitution.

Attorney General Merrick Garland, although under intense pressure to act, has steadfastly resisted being stampeded into prosecuting Trump. In his commitment to thoroughness, Garland has been carefully gathering evidence  evidence he promises he will scrupulously follow wherever it may lead as he strictly applies it to the law without fear or favor.

Soon we will be seeing the results of Garlands investigations. We had better pay attention, for this could be our last chance to save American democracy.

James Boswell, Normal

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Mr Isaac Kwabena Amoako, a member of the E-Levy Technical Committee, says the collection of the E-levy will increase the countrys tax-to-Gross Domestic Product ratio from 12.5 per cent in 2021 to 20 per cent by 2024.



He said out of the countrys population of over 30 million, only 2 million people paid direct taxes of which 12 million were active workers.



The e-levy, he said, was among interventions to bring on board informal sectors and other organisations or institutions on the countrys tax net.



Mr Amoako said this at a sensitization programme for some identifiable groups on the implementation of the Electronic Transfer Levy Act,2022 (Act 1075), organized by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).



The Act imposes a levy on all applicable electronic transfers made other than electronic transfers that are excluded under the Act.



Government's decision to introduce the levy, he stated, was to enhance domestic tax mobilisation and expand the tax base and provide the opportunity for the citizenry to contribute to national development.



Mr Amoako, who is also the Head of Project Management Team of GRA, said the levy did not apply to persons who withdraw money from their mobile money wallet.



He explained that transfers that were not covered by e-levy include cumulative transfer of GHS 100 per day made by the same person using mobile money and transfer between accounts owned by the same person.



"For example, a transfer from Naas AirtelTigo wallet to her MTN wallet or from her Fidelity bank account to her Prudential bank account or from her CalBank savings account to her current or investment account will not attract the Levy because Naa has linked all accounts with her Ghana Card," he said.



Other transfers that do not attract e-levy charges are transfers for the payment of taxes, fees, and charges, electronic clearing of cheques, Specified Merchant Payments, and transfers among principal, agent, and master-agent accounts.



He explained that, in the Act, transfers that fall under the E-Levy were mobile money transfers done between wallets on the same electronic money issuer, sending money from one Vodafone Cash wallet to another persons AirtelTigo wallet, transfers from bank accounts to mobile money wallets, transfers from mobile money wallets to bank accounts and bank transfers on an instant pay digital platform or application which originates from a bank account belonging to an individual.



"For example, Kwame transferring money from his ADB account using the ADB App to Akua's National Investment Bank account," he said.



He said the levy was charged by mobile money providers like MTN Momo, Vodafone Cash, AirtelTigo Money, Zeepay, GCB G-Money, and Yup Ghana and payment Service Providers like e-Tranzact, JuniPay, Korba, Nsano, banks like Consolidated Bank Ghana, GCB Bank, ADB and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions such as Rural and Community Banks, Savings and Loans Companies, Finance Houses and other Financial Institutions prescribed by Regulations.



Responding to concerns from the participants on wrong deductions, Mr Amoako said any undue deductions should be reported to the appropriate sector for refund.



He said from July 1, 2022, taxpayers can only use Ghana Card for refund of any wrong deductions.





Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Universal Merchant Bank (UMB), a leading indigenous Ghanaian bank today out-doored an online platform that allows customers of the Bank link their Ghana Cards to their UMB accounts online, without having to go into their branch.



The service, dubbed EZ- UPDATE, allows customers to scan their Ghana Cards with their phones and load this information onto a secure portal. Customer are then able to sign into this portal and link their Ghana card to their account. The Bank of Ghana has set the 1st of July, 2022 as the deadline for all bank accounts in Ghana to be linked to Ghana Cards. This is in line with the Bank of Ghanas and the Government strategy to make the Ghana Card the primary ID in the country.



Speaking to this reporter, Nii Amankra Tetteh, Executive Director Business of the Bank noted; The search for a single source of truth and the consequent integration of databases is a critical ambition for Ghana, bringing financial data into this integration is important and the BoGs support for it is commendable. We know that a large percentage of customers are cut out of banking benefits because the bank simply cannot KYC said customers. EZ UPDATE is our own digital innovation to reflect the lifestyles of our customers today. Now our customers can conveniently update their accounts, even at 2am on a Sunday. This is the UMB advantage we are proud of and continue to deliver to Ghana, since 1972.



With the launch of EZ UPDATE UMB joins an elite club of Banks in Ghana offering the service. Over 80% of Banks in Ghana currently require their customers to do the linkage in person, at their branches. UMB and a few other banks have developed digital means that allow customer to achieve the linkage digitally.



Madam Belinda Boamah  Executive Director (Strategy) of the Bank in her remarks on the product said, At UMB we pride ourselves in innovating for customer convenience, since 1972. EZ UPDATE was developed internally in the Bank with our own Ghanaian resources and its performance is world -class. It is another step in our digital reimagination journey, as we commit to becoming digital -1st for the customer, in the next 50 years of our Bank. We are working hard to get to the point where our customers can interact with the Bank fully online, guaranteeing true convenience and access.



The service can be accessed at http://Ezupdate.myumbbank.com or by visiting the UMB website.



UMB is a leading indigenous bank reputed for bringing a uniquely Ghanaian perspective to banking, since 1972. Headquartered in Accra and licensed by the Bank of Ghana, the bank operates out of 35 branches across Ghana. Its strategic aspiration is to become a digital 1st, SME focused bank.



The bank has pioneered several innovations in this market, including SPEEDAPP, one of the best performing agnostic banking apps in the sub-region. UMB is a strategic member of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) network.







Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Featured Video
So, to get back to the rhetorical questions: Can we ever see enough sunsets as filmed by Malick? The answer is no. Is serious spiritual yearning even worth attempting to capture in a series of moving images? The answer is yes. Malick's images may run together, gliding in and out of windows, up quiet streets, in ways that induce a trancelike state (or, if you're not with it, sleepiness). But Malick is a true searcher, true to his preoccupations and definitions of soulful rhapsody. "To the Wonder" repeats its central motifs aplenty, yet you may find yourself thinking about life, and living, and love, while sorting through the movie. Even if it drives you nertz.
If you are an Absa Bank customer with a penchant for using the banks ATM, theres a new feature on the machine that will make your life simpler and more convenient than before.



For the first time in Ghana, customers can now withdraw money from any of Absas ATMs with the luxury of a digital QR code, using their mobile phones. The functionality, which is now operational across ATMs nationwide, reflects Absas digital leadership in the banking industry.



Banking has always been a lucrative component of economic transformation and development across nations. With the advancement of digital technology and the dynamic needs of customers, banks are finding new ways of engaging and making transactions easy and convenient for their customers.



The ATM QR Cash feature is embedded in Absas mobile banking app; and allows customers to scan a code on the ATM with their phone to follow instructions on withdrawing the cash without the use of the credit/debit card. The process is seamless and avoids any physical contact with the ATM keys or buttons. It is a clear synergy between mobile technology and the physical ATM machine, elevating the way customers engage with their banks.



Commenting on the new feature, Director of Retail at Absa Bank Ghana, Charles Addo said: It is a new way of banking that immediately transforms our commitment to our customers. We are at a certain stage in the global dynamic of banking where organisations need to constantly reinvent to remain relevant. Our customers are increasingly coming up with new needs and expectations and our responsibility is to meet them seamlessly. We are excited about this innovation, and we remain committed to devising new and better ways to make the banking experience worthwhile for our customers.



The ATM QR Cash feature adds to a rich collection of innovative and creative products from the stable of Absa Bank. The bank has been at the forefront of digital banking leadership in Ghana through a plethora of products including Absa Cash Send and Cash Accepting ATMs that allows 24/7 banking on the go.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Ghana, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE), the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS), is working to get more than 35,000 schools in the country connected to the internet.



In this regard, it is currently mapping the geo-locations of the schools, and assessing the extent to which they could be connected.



This is a critical step to assessing the landscape that will ultimately allow bringing internet connectivity to all students and communities to reach more with digital and distance learning opportunities, the UNICEF Representative in Ghana, Anne-Claire Dufay, announced this yesterday at the maiden National Digital and Distance Learning Conference 2022 for stakeholders in the education sector, held in Accra.



The three-day conference, which was organised by CENDLOS, with support from UNICEF Ghana and UNESCO, was on the theme: Reimagining Ghanas education by harnessing the power of digital distance learning.



Ms Dufay said connecting schools to the internet allowed children to develop digital skills and access online learning content, adding that schools could also become anchor points for surrounding communities.



If you can connect the school, you can also connect local businesses and services," she emphasised.



She pointed out that closing the digital divide required cooperation, leadership and innovation in finance and technology and it was to address this need that UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union had joined forces to create a global initiative called GIGA to connect every school to the Internet by 2030.



Learning passport

Ms Dufay also announced that UNICEF and CENDLOS were currently in the process of deploying the Learning Passport in the country for basic school students, explaining that the Learning Passport was a UNICEF-led digital education platform developed globally in collaboration with Cambridge University and Microsoft with full online and offline functionalities and capabilities that provided quality education content and technology to all children and youth wherever they were and whoever they were.



She said the MoE/GES Basic Education Rapid Risk Assessment undertaken at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic showed that 66 per cent of schoolchildren in the country had difficulties accessing distance and digital learning programmes as they did not have access to radio, television, mobile networks and other facilities.



She explained that the lack of connectivity meant that many children had fewer opportunities to learn and fulfil their potential.



As technology-based learning solutions are expanded in Ghana, those most vulnerable or marginalised should also enjoy access to them and those who are less-advantaged should not become further marginalised by our collective, well-intended efforts to revolutionalise the learning experience of children and youth in Ghana.



She pointed out that one of the key lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic was that access to technology and obtaining digital literacy skills were essential to the future-focused development of children and young people in todays interconnected work.



Digital divide

Speaking on behalf of the ministry, the Deputy Minister of Education, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, said if education must be extended to children in rural communities, the digital divide must be bridged.



We must be able to extend quality education to every child who is ready to learn, and technology and connectivity must not be constraints. We need to embrace the concept of digital learning as one that has come to stay, as one that will probably be a part of us and to appropriately combine it with the traditional mode of practice, he stressed.



Conference objectives

In his welcome address, the Executive Director of CENDLOS, Nana Gyamfi Adwabour, said the outbreak of COVID-19 disrupted education delivery and widened the pre-existing learning divide in many countries around the world, and Ghana was not an exception.



Nana Adwabour said distance education or technology-mediated learning existed in most schools in the country and evidence gathered suggested that most students preferred the technology-mediated means to the traditional system.



However, the lack of coordination had hampered its effectiveness, hence, the need for the conference.



He mentioned the objectives of the conference to include starting discussions to develop a national distance learning framework to govern all the sectors and stakeholders, as well as to develop a strategic communication plan for the distance learning space in order to reduce project duplication.









Source: graphiconline.com









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Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, MP, Assin Central, has described assets by former Forestry Commission CEO, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, as peanut.



According to him, when his last Will and Testament become public, Ghanaians will be shocked to see the properties he has been able to acquire for himself.



Agyapong, who was speaking to NPP delegates in the US said, the brouhaha surrounding Sir John's Will is needless.



He noted that the controversy surrounding Sir John's Will could be an agenda propagated by the opposition NDC; as he warned his party against making comments that would further denigrate the late Sir John.



Whatever NDC is setting as an agenda, it will come to haunt us. Sometimes there is no truth in it and so we have to be careful with Sir Johns issue of six plots. Me, when I declare my assets you would be shocked because when I was reading Sir Johns Will I said but this is peanut.



[If] I put myself in the persons shoes that if am dead today, is this what is going to happen even within my own party? So we have to be careful, Kennedy Agyapong stated.



Background



There was a news report suggesting that the Government had gazetted an Executive Instrument (E.I.) to approve the redesignation, sale or development of Achimota Forest.



A document from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, making reference to an E.I., stated that the Achimota Forest Reserve is to no longer be regarded as a forest reserve.



An Executive Instrument (E.I.) 144 gazetted on behalf of President Akufo-Addo by the Lands Minister Samuel Abdulai Jinapor indicates that effective May 1, 2022, the land on which the Forest is located shall cease to be a forest reserve.



The Presidents action was in accordance with Section 19 of the Forest Act, 1927 (CAP. 157) which gives him the authority to declare that particular land is no longer required as a forest reserve, portions of the purported E.I. read.



But, Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister, Lands and Natural Resources, dismissing these accusations at a press conference on Tuesday, said the Executive Instrument, E.I. 144, pertained to 361 acres of peripherals of the Achimota forest.



He explained further that the government is returning to its custodial owners, identified as the Owoo family because the land was not being used for its intended purpose, which included the extension of the Achimota School.

Source: Ghanaweb.com









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Sunday's attack on St Francis Catholic Church in the Nigerian town of Owo killed 22 people and injured 50, an official from the National Emergency Management Agency said on Tuesday - monitored by Peacefmonline.com



Victims of an attack on a Catholic church in Nigeria suffered lacerations, bullet wounds and blast injuries, a doctor at the local hospital said on Monday, suggesting a range of weapons were used by the unknown assailants.



Children were being treated elsewhere in the hospital but he had no information about them.



Owo is located in Ondo State in southwest Nigeria, a part of the country that does not usually experience violent conflict over religion. Authorities have not given any information about who carried out Sunday's atrocity and why.



The town was quiet on Monday, with many shops remaining closed. Security forces were visible on the streets, and helicopters passed overhead.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Following the brouhaha about some State lands being given to Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the criticisms against the government's action, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has sought to disabuse the minds of Ghanaians of the notion that the government engaged in an illegality.



The Minister, in an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that the over 400 acres of lands reportedly possessed by the Asante King were legitimately acquired by him.



Samuel Abu Jinapor explained the lands were first seized from the Asantes by the colonial government, Britain, with them paying no compensation but, after independence, the lands were supposed to be given back to the right owners.



He disclosed that Otumfuo has since taken legal action to reclaiming his lands.



"He fought all the way to the Supreme Court", he stated.



Clarifying the issues to the general public, the Minister stated emphatically that "when you go to Asanteman, for example, 90% of all lands in Asante are stool lands. 90 percent of all lands in Asante are vested in the golden stool".



"There is no concept like family lands in Ashanti and public lands are just 10 percent", he stressed, adding "today, we have corrected this wrong; I don't think that anybody can quarrel with us about it".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The father of one of the Rastafarian students who had admission issues at the Achimota School because of his dreadlocks, has alleged that his son has been very disobedient lately, and recently attacked and assaulted him to the extent of slashing his hand.



Accusing the son of attacking him in a video he posted on social media, the father, Tereo Marghuy, said his son, Tyron Marghuy, slashed his hand during the attack.



He showed the injured hand with the blood in the video he recorded and posted on social media.



In return, the father has threatened to kill the son if it happens again.



In the video, showing his injured hand, Tereo alleged he confronted Tyron for a misbehaviour and the boy, got angry and attacked him.



Tereo Marghuy said Tyron had an argument with his sister and as he tried to intervene, his young son assaulted him.



This is what Tyron has done to my hands, he spoilt his sisters tablet and they were supposed to take it to the repairer this morning, he said in the video.



The sister came to tell me they were taking the laptop to the repairer..., I went to see them in the room and she said Tyron is not ready. Long story short, they had argument and so I went back there to ask him why, and he just unplugged the laptop and started to walk over me and he's been doing this all these years, and which his mother tolerates, Tereo alleged.



"She [mother] even asked me one time why I don't want anybody to have peace in this house when my son does something wrong and I'm telling him."



He said even before the Achimota case, he [Tyron] was so arrogant, and so I wasn't even ready to follow him anywhere, I went to the court with him and defended him just for the sake of humanity, for the sake of rasta, if it had been only because of this boy, I wouldn't have gone," he added.



"This is the third time something like this is happening because he walked over me and I rushed at him, I wanted to slap him for doing that, he does it every time and he gripped my hand, so hard, I don't know if he had something or whatever with him, and this is what he has done," he said and showed the injured hand in the video.



He said the boy sees him returning from town with load and he doesn't care.



The father threatened that the next time it happens again, he was going to pay with his life and asked him to leave the house.



Watch Tereo's narrative in the attached video below



Achimota Rastafarian student slashes father's hand during fight https://t.co/ZJqZjQsmwi pic.twitter.com/fFOPsaUwJH  GraphicOnline (@Graphicgh) June 7, 2022





Flashback



The Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court last year ordered Achimota Senior High School to admit the Rastafarian students, Tyron Iras Marhguy and Oheneba Nkrabea, who were denied admission by the school because of their dreadlocks.



In a ruling, the Human Rights Court One, presided over by Justice Gifty Adjei Addo, held that failure to admit the two students because of their dreadlocks, which is a manifestation of their religious right is a violation of their human rights, right to education and dignity.



The court, in separate judgments ordered Achimota School to admit the students to continue their education.



Ahead of the judgement, the court clerk instructed journalists to leave the courtroom with the exception of only parties to the case.



The court premises, was fully packed with Rastafarians who are sympathisers to Marhguy.



Suit



Marhguy, filed the suit through his father at the Human Right Division of the Accra High Court on March 31 this year to seek the enforcement and declaration of his right to education.



The suit has the board of governors of the Achimota School and the Attorney-General as first and second respondents respectively.



The Attorney General had argued previously in court that the applicant had no cause of action because nothing within the scope of his right to education and religion had been infringed upon.



Counsel for the Board of Governors of the Achimota School, Mr Kwesi Fynn also argued that the curtailment of the right of the Rastafarian students through the schools rules was provided under Article 14 clause one of the constitution of Ghana.



However, counsel for Marhguy, Mr James Gawuga Nkrumah, insisted that the right of his client had been infringed.



Read also: Achimota School Board can't act unilaterally on Rastas ruling - Education Minister



Admission



The issue of refusal of admission to master Tyron Iras Marhguy by the headmistress of the school became the talk of the town months ago, with the Ghana Education Service, civil society organisations, NGOs and individuals offering divergent opinions about the matter.



The applicant, through the civil action was asking the court to declare that the failure and or refusal of the school to admit or enrol the applicant on the basis of his Rastafarian religious inclination, beliefs and culture characterised by his keeping of rasta is a violation of his fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution, particularly Articles 12(1); 23; 21(1)(b)(c); 26(1)); and 17(2) and (3).



Master Marhguy wanted the court to declare that the failure and or refusal of the school to admit or enrol him on the basis of his Rastafarian religious inclination, beliefs and culture characterised by his keeping of rasta is a violation of his right to education guaranteed under Articles 25(1)(b),m and 28(4) the 1992 Constitution;



He prayed the court for a declaration that the order directed at him by the representative of Achimota School to step aside during the registration process on the basis of his religious belief characterised by the keeping of rasta is a violation of his right to dignity guaranteed under Articles 15(1) and 35(4),(5) of the 1992 Constitution.



A declaration that there is no lawful basis for the school to interfere with the applicant's right to education based on his rasta through which he manifests or expresses his constitutionally guaranteed right to religion and to practice and manifest same.



He further urged the court for an order directed at the school to immediately admit or enrol the applicant to continue with his education unhindered.



Compensation



The applicant asked the court for an order directed at the respondents to jointly and severally compensate the applicant for the inconvenience, embarrassment, waste of time, and violation of his fundamental human rights and freedoms.

Source: graphiconline.com









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The 11-year-old girl whose father had allegedly attempted to use her for money rituals, had jokingly told her mother last Tuesday that, her father was going to use her for sacrifice.



This jovial incident happened between mother and daughter on Tuesday [May 31, 2022], three days before the girl was picked on Friday [June 3, 2022] for the said money rituals at Oyibi in Accra.



The girl's jovial statement came after her mother had told her that, she had just spoken to her father on telephone, and the father had repeatedly asked if she was called Yaa, a Thursday born.



Once she confirmed repeatedly, her father said he was going to come for her on Thursday and ended the telephone call.



The mother then asked her why she thought the father would repeatedly ask if she was called Yaa, and had decided to come pick her out on Thursday.



The 11-year-old girl then jokingly told her mother that it was possible her father was going to use her for money rituals considering the Thursday he had booked the appointment was a soul day for Yaa  the Akan female name for people born on Thursday.



They both laughed jovially about the narrative and retired to bed that night.



This is what the mother of the girl told GTV in a television interview monitored by Graphic Online from her home near Amasaman in Greater Accra.



Watch attached video below.



Court



The 47-year-old businessman and father, Evans Oppong, said to have allegedly attempted to use his daughter for money rituals was on Monday arraigned at the District Court in Accra (Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit) charged with preparation to commit crime to wit murder.



His plea was not taken and the court presided over by Ama Adomako Kwakye, remanded him in police custody.



The remand, is to enable the police to conduct further investigations into the matter.



The court also ordered the police to allow the suspects lawyer have access to him on Tuesdays and Thursdays.



What mother of girl told GTV



In the GTV interview, the mother said Oppong called last week Tuesday around 10pm that a friend of his was in town and he was about travelling back to abroad and so he wanted to take the measurements of the girl so that he can get her new cloths and buy shoes for her as well.



He therefore planned to pick her from school around 12pm on Thursday [June 2, 2022 and repeatedly asked for confirmation if she was called Yaa, according to the mother and she answered repeatedly that she was called Yaa.



After Oppong ended the phone call, she claimed she pondered a few minutes and then moved to the daughter who was then not asleep as she was even the one who handed over the mobile phone when the call came through.



When she informed her about what the father had said, and asked for her thoughts on why the father will be asking repeatedly if she was called Yaa, her reaction was that her father was probably going to use her for money rituals and they jokingly laughed over it, the mother said in the GTV interview monitored by Graphic Online.



Market women narrative



On Wednesday [June 1, 2022] in the market, the mother said she discussed the issue with her friends in the market but gave the narrative as that of a case of a friend of hers and did not initially tell them it was her own case.



She said their response was that, the girl should not be allowed to go to school that Thursday and that the father should also not be allowed to pick her up on that Thursday.



It was after that narrative that she confessed to them that it was her own story and that, that is what her daughter's father had planned, and wanted to take her out on Thursday.



Nothing happened on Thursday



She said the girl went to school on Thursday, and the father did not go pick her up.



He called around 3pm to know if she had returned from school and decided to postpone to Friday [June 3, 2022].



On Friday morning, he called around 6:30am when the girl was almost ready for school and the girl spoke to the father on telephone and said they normally get plenty homework from school on Fridays and so if they go, she may miss her homework.



But the father assured that they will return early for her to get back to school.



Her elder sister took her along for them to meet the father at Amasaman.



Before they left the house, the mother advised her not to accept any food or water from the father.



She also advised her to be on the look out, not to sleep in the car, not to take off her cloths and scream for help if she suspected anything unusual.



They therefore left and she did not receive any phone call from the father.



The next time there was a phone call was around 11:30am on the Friday [June 3] and it was the phone call from the police informing her of what had happened.

Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have arrived in Kinshasa at the beginning of a long-awaited week-long visit at the invitation of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi.



It will be King Philippes first visit to the Democratic Republic Congo since ascending to the throne in 2013.



The trip - postponed by the pandemic - has been hailed by the presidency as an opportunity for reconciliation.



Two years ago the king wrote to President Tshisekedi, expressing his deepest regret for "the wounds of the past".



Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who is also part of the delegation, has called it a historic moment and an opportunity to forge closer ties.



The king is also due to discuss the question of returning artworks looted during the colonial era.



That past remains painful.



Millions of Congolese suffered acts of cruelty, particularly during the reign of King Leopold II, who owned the Congo Free State as his personal property.

Source: BBC









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West Africa's regional bloc Ecowas has condemned the attack on worshippers at a church in south-western Nigeria.



In a statement, Ecowas said it was shocked at the incident and expressed sympathy with the government of Nigeria and the families of the victims who were killed at St Francis Catholic church in Owo on Sunday.



It also reaffirmed solidary with the Nigerian government and the resolve to rid the nation and the West African region of terrorist activities.



On Sunday, unidentified gunmen stormed the catholic church and killed 22 worshippers, and wounded 50 others, according to Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency.



Its still unclear who the attackers are and what their motive is as the authorities continue with their investigations.

Source: BBC









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Monday, June 6, 2022, travelled to Lagos, Nigeria at the invitation of Alhaji Femi Okunnu, SAN, President of Metropolitan Club,



Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, announced on Tuesday.



Delivering a message from the President on the floor of Parliament, Mr Asiamah said the President's visit was to enable him to attend a Special Guest of Honour luncheon of the Metropolitan Club.



"By Article 59 of the Constitution, I write to inform you that I will be travelling outside the country on the evening of Monday, June 6, 2022, to Lago Nigeria at the invitation of Alhaji Femi Okunnu, SAN, President of Metropolitan Club to attend to a Special Guest of Honour luncheon of the Metropolitan Club," he said.



Mr Asiamah said President Akufo-Addo would return to Ghana on the evening of Tuesday, June 7, 2022.



"In my absence, Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia shall in accordance with Article 68 of the Constitution act in my stead," the Second Deputy Speaker quoted the President as saying.





Source: GNA









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A series of portraits in the Paul Cezanne retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago on May 26, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

The most poignant detail of Cezanne, a co-exhibit between the Art Institute and Londons Tate Modern, is also one of its tiniest. If youve seen Paul Cezannes works on display before, youve probably seen him attributed as Paul Cezanne, with an accent on that first syllable.

But thats not how Cezanne signed his own name. He went sans accent, as his name would have been written in his native Aix-en-Provence. The accent was a Parisian imposition, a convention less consented to than forced upon Cezanne to fit dialectical norms.

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Cezanne drops that accent in this retrospective, the first in the U.S. in some 25 years and first at the Art Institute in more than 70. The corrective is subtle, but a whole world of baggage hangs off that tiny slip of the pen. During his lifetime, Cezanne zigzagged between Paris and Provence  never quite at home in either, but also never bothering to make himself at home.

The tug of war between the urban and provincial was one of many in Cezannes life. He was a 20th-century artist straining against the strictures of the 19th, embraced by neither the traditional Ecole des Beaux-Arts nor the then-radical Impressionists. But contemporaries like Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas and Paul Gauguin recognized his brilliance when few others did, avidly enshrining Cezannes reputation as an artists artist.

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So it has remained. Cezanne invites 10 living artists to discuss the French masters influence, each selecting a work to analyze from the 80 oil paintings, 40 watercolors and drawings, and two sketchbooks on display. Visitors can read Kerry James Marshall geek out about the use of perspective in Madame Cezanne in a Yellow Chair, or Phyllida Barlows wistful recollections of seeing Mont Sainte-Victoire as an art student in the 1960s. Chicago artist Julia Fish goes more personal still, penning an ode to Cezannes still life The Three Skulls.

The most important audience for Cezannes work during his lifetime, unquestionably, was fellow artists. Thats the spirit were carrying forward in the exhibit, says Caitlin Haskell, modern and contemporary art curator at the Art Institute.

Where some retrospectives feel like hagiography, Cezanne is as rough around the edges as its subject. The exhibit flows non-chronologically, instead grouping the Art Institute and Tates collection by themes, genre or locale. Viewers begin with Cezannes early landscapes, for which the artist was already bucking convention by painting dense, brambly woods with the same attention as photogenic vistas. It progresses through figure works, a tucked-away pocket on his brush stroke style and an expansive section on still lifes.

We really wanted to show Cezanne in the present tense. The spacing of the work, the wall color  its all very artwork-forward, presenting him in the same way that we would a 20th- or 21st-century painter, Haskell says. We want his paintings to work on you as a visitor and not really mediate them so much with design.

The final room is reserved for a collection of Cezannes famous paintings of bathers, coalescing in an installment from his epic Les Grandes Baigneuses (The Large Bathers) series. But its only the largest canvas in the exhibit by a tiny margin. A close second is a nearly life-size portrait of Cezannes father reading a newspaper, a nod to the long shadow Louis-Auguste Cezanne would cast over his sons life. A partner in a successful bank, Louis-Auguste was wealthy enough to provide financial cover for his son when he needed it, which was often.

The Large Bathers in the Cezanne retrospective show at the Art Institute of Chicago on May 26, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

Thats not to say he did so happily. Louis-Auguste wanted his son to be a lawyer, a disappointment from which he never fully recovered. In his 1866 portrait, Louis-Augustes expression is quintessentially opaque  for Cezanne, the body would forever hold more expressive potential than the face  but a scowl is clearly rendered. He is depicted with his back turned on one of his sons still lifes from the period, Sugar Bowl, Pears, and Blue Cup.

Im sure Cezanne could never please his father. The fact that he keeps his marriage and his own child a secret from his father shows that it was not a normal relationship. But as domestic as that portrait is, with his little nightcap and clogs and everything, he is enthroned, says Gloria Groom, the Art Institutes European painting and sculpture chair and co-curator of the exhibit.

Tension aside, Groom notes that Cezannes inherited wealth freed him to beaver away at the art that interested him, even if it meant painting for an audience of one. Cezanne scarcely signed and dated his pieces, signaling he wasnt much concerned about finding a paying public.

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That lack of documentation has been a headache for art historians, but its profoundly informed the Art Institute and Tates nonlinear presentation  and, of course, that accentless e. Cezanne presents these complications but doesnt pretend to plot a path through them. Like the thicket of woods welcoming visitors at the exhibits mouth, its up to you to wind your own way.

Its what Cezanne did, after all.

Cezanne is on display to Sept. 5 at Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave.; call 312-443-3600 or visit artic.edu/visit for hours, admission rates and more information.
Former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Ejisu Juaben Municipality, Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh, has taken a swipe at President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo.



According to him God does not need his Cathedral.



President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the construction of the national cathedral on March 6, 2017, as part of events that marked Ghanas 60th-anniversary celebration.



The government has also provided 14-acres of public land for the project, while the Christian community and individuals are to fund the construction.



Though reception towards the cathedral from Ghanaians has been mixed, it has been well received by various leaders in the Christian community.



Recently, Government granted the release of GH25 million to the National Cathedral Secretariat as additional seed money for the construction of the National Cathedral.



A letter, signed by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to the Controller and Accountants General, directed that the money be credited to Ribade Limited, for part payment of outstanding claims.



In a release signed by the Finance Minister Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta it stated that, "the Authority is hereby granted to you to release the sum [of] GH25, 000,000.00 as additional seed money to the National Cathedral Secretariat for the construction of the National Cathedral for part payment of outstanding claims from RIBADE Limited.



Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, Mr. Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh chastised the AkufoAddo government for using the tax payers money to finance a project that does not immediately benefit the people of Ghana.



According to him, the President has blatantly refused to assist the ordinary Ghanaian and focusing on things that does not matter now.



"Where did God tell you that he needs a Cathedral," he rhetorically asked.



"Why will God need a cathedral when his people are suffering. You are using monies that can be used to alleviate the hardships Ghanaians are going through to put up a project that is not immediately needed for anything except for the President's and political party's interest.



" . . God never said that . . . God will never say that, Kwame that is the gospel truth . . . God does not need that," he said, adding that, "you don't rob the people, you don't deceive the people, you don't betray the people and you don't maim the people, then after that you say you're using the proceeds to build a Cathedral for the people".



He said President Akufo-Addo is doing whatever he wants.



"I am tempted to believe that there is no man in Ghana now . . . Ghanaians are suffering . . . after Rawlings there is no man in Ghana again".



Watch video below





Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former deputy Roads Minister, Kwabena Owusu Aduomi says the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) cannot count on the Ashanti region to break the 8 in 2024 if roads in the region are not uplifted.



According to the defeated Ashanti regional Chairman-hopeful, the electorate in the region particularly NPP sympathizers are not impressed with the performance of the ruling government in addressing the developmental needs of the region.



Speaking to GHOne News, the former Member of Parliament for the Ejisu Constituency said, I toured all the 47 Constituencies in the region ahead of the NPP Ashanti delegates conference and the signals were clear, our people are disappointed. This means if elections are to be held today we may not meet our expectations," he said.



He said if the NPP fails to improve road networks in rural constituencies which contribute heavily to its electoral votes such as Manso Adubia, and Kwabere among others they may not even have the courage to campaign for their votes.



I think the reelected Chairman Wontumi and the regional minister Simon Osei Mensah must develop a strategy to address the road networks in the region which remains a critical need of the people. Although we cant fix every road in the region, we need to team up with our constituency executives to identify critical roads that need immediate attention. We should forget about breaking the 8," he warned.



He pledged his unflinching support to the current elected regional executives Chaired by Bernard Antwi Boasiako known as Wontumi to win the 2024 elections.



It was my wish to lead the party into election 2024 but the delegates thought otherwise. All the elected members are capable of delivering the success of the party, however, what they need is the support of the entire party members. Therefore Im committed to supporting them in any way I could," he assured.



Meanwhile, a reconciliation exercise has been initiated by the re-elected Chairman of the party to unite the party.



Speaking at a breakfast meeting in Kumasi Chairman Wontumi urged all the defeated candidates from the polling station level, Constituency to regional to forgive each other irrespective of the lies and offensive language that may have been used in the heat of the campaign.



After the election, I have taken the lead by visiting all the aspirants who contested me; this means I hold nothing against any person. Please forgive ourselves for the unity of purpose. Those who contested me, I know you have a plan for the region. My doors are open to every suggestion and strategy," he said.





Source: starrfm









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A sick and extreme social media craze of jumping in front of moving trucks is proving fatal for some teenagers in Indonesia. The dangerous pastime, known as the challenge malaikat maut (the Angel of death challenge) is catching on throughout the south-east Asian country, with participants videoing themselves on TikTok performing the deadly stunts that have had dire consequences for some of the people involved.



An 18-year-old was killed instantly in Tangerang, Banten, when he and two friends leaped in front of a heavy lorry in an apparent attempt to halt the juggernaut.



His pals managed to avoid the vehicle and thus injuring themselves, but he wasnt so lucky as he collided with the truck and rolled under the lorry and was crushed to death.



The driver was detained for questioning.Local police are now looking for the truck driver, who has gone AWOL presumably out of fear of criminal charges.



Police say locals have been trying to stop teenagers from stupidly risking their lives while engaging in the challenge, but their pleas have mostly fallen on deaf ears.



Read Full Story .... dailystar.co.uk >>> :

















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In this photo provided by the Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures during a meeting with government officials at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines on Monday May 23, 2022. (Valerie Escalera/Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division via AP)

Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte has called on Filipinos to support the incoming administration of President-elect and dictators son Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., and just accept the results of the May 9 elections.

In a parting message aired on Monday (June 6), Duterte advised Filipinos to rally behind Marcos Jr, who he earlier called a weak leader, and other newly-elected officials.

"'Yung payo ko sa lahat (My advice to everyone), and I hope everybody would come to terms with the reality that we have a new government, and I urge my, kayo (you), Filipino, to rally behind and support the new leaders," Duterte said in a taped public briefing, which he said could be his last.

Me, wala na ako (I am leaving), I will say nothing. Ang ayaw ko, baka may maiwan pa yung namumulitika pa rin or just plain criticize itong bagong administrasyon (What I dont want is, someone will still be politicking or just plain criticize the new administration). You do not do that, he added.

The outgoing president, who has also been called a dictator through his drug war which killed thousands of Filipinos, noted that he wants the administration of the dictators son to be successful.

"We want the next administration successful. We must all be united in confronting the issues ahead of us. We have no room for politicking or actions that are divisive to the country," Duterte said.

Duterte, throughout his term, has attacked critics of his administration, the media, and groups with legitimate concerns especially during the health crisis. He also said that he never listened to his critics, who are also his constituents as chief executive of the country, saying that they were never satisfied with his actions.

Duterte urged everyone to support Marcos Jr. and respect the choice of the majority.

Marcos Jr and Duterte's daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, will formally assume office on June 30, and will stay in power until 2028.

Acting Palace spokesperson Martin Andanar earlier said the Palace has yet to finalize the meeting date of Duterte and Marcos Jr. on transition-related matters.

Story continues

Pola Rubio is a news writer and photojournalist covering Philippine politics and events. She regularly follows worldwide and local happenings. She advocates for animal welfare and press freedom. Follow her twitter @polarubyo for regular news and cat postings.

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A tiny wasp attacks invasive spotted wing drosophila. Credit: Dr. Kent Daane, University of California, Berekley.

After 12 years of research, a parasitic wasp that controls a highly destructive fruit fly will be released by Oregon State University agricultural scientists in June.

Vaughn Walton, Extension entomologist and professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture has permitted release of the wasp (Ganaspis brasiliensis), a slow process that took more than 10 years from application to decision. Now that they have a permit, Walton's lab, which is part of the OSU Agricultural Experiment Station, is raising enough wasps to make a dent in the spotted wing drosophila (SWD) population in Oregon.

An invasive insect from Southeast Asia, the spotted wing drosophila arrived in Oregon in 2009 and soon became a major pest of soft fruit crops like cherries, peaches, figs, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and winegrapes. Damage from the invasive insect costs the country's agricultural industry approximately $500 million a year. Especially disquieting is its affinity for blueberries, which is Oregon's ninth-most valuable crop at $120 million in 2020. Management of spotted wing drosophila in the blueberry industry alone costs growers $100 million a year nationwide.

"This will have a huge impact, Walton said. "Spotted wing drosophila is very difficult to control. It's got a very, very high reproduction rate with many generations per year. Because of that, when using pesticides, they have to be applied constantly, sometimes two or three times a week. Growers are really interested and are excited about a biological control that will work along with cultural management tools to decrease SWD and not cost them any money. It's a natural resource available to them. We think this is going to change things."

A holistic integrated pest management (IPM) approach that uses cultural controls like good sanitation, proper pruning, drip irrigation and weed cloth can be somewhat effective. But IPM management programs still need the addition of pesticides to fight spotted wing drosophila, Walton said.

"The wasp helps, but you must do the other things as well," said Walton, who led the team that discovered the wasp in South Korea, one of its native habitats. "None can stand on its own. I had a call from a grower who was doing everything right and he wanted to know if he could spray less pesticides. Even removing one application is a significant cost savings$150 an acre. That's a lot of savings if you do all these things together."

Spotted wing drosophila, a tiny fruit fly that resembles those that hover over rotting fruit in summer, is well suited to the Willamette Valley climate. About 95% live in areas surrounding non-crop habitats that act as pest reservoirs for reinvasion of the crops. That's where the wasp will be released.

The adult female fly lays her eggsup to 600 per yearwithin ripening fruit, said Ryan Chave, a graduate student who works with Walton. When the larvae emerge, they burrow in and start eating the fruit from the inside out, causing damage that results in severe crop losses.

The parasitoid wasp kills SWD by laying eggs inside the insect and when the wasp hatches, its larva consumes its prey, Chave said. Spotted wing drosophila populations can be kept at a bay at a rate of up to 65% when the parasitoid wasp is there to check it, according to preliminary data.

"We'll never take down the entire fly population," Walton said. "But as SWD increases there's more food for the wasp. In the field if you have a bunch of SWD attack a crop and reproduce, as they increase there ffgets larger and larger."

Though not native to Oregon, a few of the parasitoid wasps were found in Oregon and allowed the researchers an opportunity to study them in the field. They're confident it will not become an invasive pest problem since Ganaspis brasiliensis is a specialistin other words it only feeds on SWD, said Walton, who worked closely with Jana Lee of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. He also collaborated with colleagues at University of California, Berkeley.Walton has studied another Asian wasp (Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae) that has promise but not as much as G. brasiliensis because it's a generalist and will kill other insects in addition to spotted wing drosophila.

Explore further Researchers identify successful biological control for destructive fruit fly
An illustration of a newly proposed framework categorizing traits of mycorrhizal fungi into three groups. Credit: Aidee Guzman

About 20 years ago, Bala Chaudhary worked in conservation and habitat restoration in California.

Her job was to design plans for creating new habitats for endangered species out of degraded or disturbed land. In her work, she kept coming up against one persistent challengereinstating soil microbes in the restored habitats. This was due, in large part, to a lack of understanding of how plants interact with the microbes in their environment.

"That was when I decided that I need to go to graduate school and get some answers for myself," says Chaudhary, now an assistant professor of environmental sciences at Dartmouth. As she would discover much later, the answer was blowing in the wind.

Plant-microbe relationships, which range from mutually beneficial to parasitic, were forged hundreds of millions of years ago when plants first moved to land. Chaudhary's research lab studies soil-plant-microbe interactions with a focus on fungi that form symbioses with plants called mycorrhizae, which comes from the Greek words for fungus and root.

Fungi are microbes that, unlike plants, cannot produce their own food. Mycorrhizal fungi mine nutrients from the soil, and trade them for sugars from plants.

Mycorrhizae are an important part of the plant's microbiome. Much like the microbes that live in us and on us, sometimes affecting our health and even our behavior, mycorrhizal fungi live in and on plant roots, affecting their health, and consequently the health of their ecosystems too.

"Every ecosystem on the planet contains plants that form mycorrhizal associations. Some would even say that these associations are the most widespread symbiosis on the planet," says Chaudhary. To get the most complete picture of how plants function, we must understand mycorrhizae, she says. Their associations are critical to agriculture, forestry, and conservation efforts, such as Chaudhary's work to restore endangered habitats.

The mycorrhizae that Chaudhary studies live underground their entire lifethey don't form mushrooms or other structures above the ground. And yet, Chaudhary and her collaborators discovered that they were showing up atop skyscrapers in Chicago that had green roofs. How they became airborne has been a bit of a conundrum, says Chaudhary.

The researchers collected dust from the rooftops using specialized collectors for a one-year period and used DNA barcoding techniques to identify the different spores brought in by the winds at different times of the year.

They found that spores from agricultural soils were more abundant during tilling seasonevidence that spores are released into the air by human soil disturbance. In other landscapes, according to Chaudhary, small mammals that root around in the soil may also cause the spores to take to the wind.

Chaudhary's lab is now repeating these experiments over much larger spatial scales. "Right now, we have an experiment that is distributed over 20 sites across the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico," says Chaudhary.

Researchers collect dust and track which fungi are dispersing in the air. Researchers can also determine which fungal spores are likely to take the aerial route at different locations by studying their traits, or characteristics.

"Traits are helpful because we can group species and communities that have similar traits and predict their behavior," explains Chaudhary. But defining traits for mycorrhizae is not straightforward. Mycorrhizal associations are a symbiosis between two very different organismsplants and fungi, says Chaudhary.

"How do you define traits for organisms where the individual itself is difficult to define?" she asks. It is not uncommon for literature on mycorrhizal traits to define them quite differently.

Chaudhary, and a big team of ecologists, tackled this formidable challenge by working together to formulate an inclusive framework for all types of mycorrhizae, which was recently published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution. They believe that getting everybody in the field on the same page with definitions and terminology will move the science forward. The team was a truly diverse group of scientistsmajority women, with many early career scientists and scientists from the global south. "We were very interested in engaging scientists that are historically not invited to these events," says Chaudhary.

Characteristics were categorized into three groups: plant mycorrhizal traits, or properties of the plants that affect the symbiotic relationship; fungal traits that arose from characteristics unique to the fungi; and emergent properties that arise when a plant and a fungus interacted.

When certain fungi and plants come together, they make unique physical structures on roots, which are illustrative of emergent properties. One example is a mantle, which forms when filaments branching out from the fungus wrap the roots in a protective sheath and presents in bright colors.

"That's something the fungus would never do on its own. And it's something that the plant wouldn't have otherwise," says Chaudhary.

There is a recognition that mycorrhizal fungi are really important, says Chaudhary, but scientists still grapple with explaining how mycorrhizal associations affect ecosystem functions and processes, because they are often idiosyncratic. The outcomes of the association depend on the plant, the fungi, the ecosystem, and a host of other variables. "We struggle to deal with all this variation," says Chaudhary, "but traits could be a way to understand those idiosyncrasies."

Explore further Underground fungal relationships key to thriving plants
Thomas Pesquet, 44, recently completed his second deployment to the International Space Station on the NASA-SpaceX Crew-2 mission, and has arguably the highest profile among the European Astronaut Corps.

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet on Tuesday urged Europe to seize the momentum created by its newfound diplomatic unity and "start moving now" to develop its own human spaceflight capacity.

The charismatic engineer and pilot, 44, recently completed his second deployment to the International Space Station on the NASA-SpaceX Crew-2 mission, and has arguably the highest profile among the European Astronaut Corps, in addition to being a celebrity in his native France.

Though he has long extolled international cooperation in space and remains in the mix to possibly go to the Moon as part of the NASA-led Artemis missions, Pesquet said it was vital for Europe's leaders to give the European Space Agency (ESA) the funding and mandate it needs to launch its own people, too.

"That topic is gaining momentum now," he told AFP at NASA headquarters in Washington.

"In the late eighties and early nineties, we had this goal of becoming more independent as far as space access for humans, and then it didn't pan out. Several things happened, Germany had to reunite, they had to redirect budgets etc."

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has now unified Europe's once fractious member states, and Pesquest said he hoped ESA member countries will capitalize on the continent's new clout.

"These topics like European diplomacy, European defense are coming back on the table, and part of that process is also that independent human access to space," he argued.

Currently, only the United States, Russia and China have independent launch capacity, while India is looking to acquire the same.

Thomas Pesquet pushed back against the idea the rise of the commercial space sector was making national space agencies obsolete.

One potential option for ESA is launching crew on a spaceship fixed to the Ariane 6 rocket, which is currently under development and is expected to make its debut launch from French Guiana by the end of this year.

"We have to start moving now, because the development cycles are long. You don't want this to happen in 15 to 20 years," he said.

Commercial space benefits and challenges

Pesquet was also keen to push back against the idea that the rise of the commercial space sector was making national space agencies obsolete.

"There's a general perception among the public that the private sector, or Elon Musk, or SpaceX, are calling the shots, which is not true at all."

In fact, said Pesquet, private industry had always been involvedfrom building the Space Shuttle to Ariane rockets. "What we've done now is give them more autonomy and say, 'Hey, we need the service. You provide the service at an efficient cost,' which they've been delivering."

Musk might grab headlines for his bombastic announcements about colonizing Mars, but "the small print says, when all the agencies put together the budget to go to Mars, then the private sector is going to deliver the hardware," said Pesquet.

While the private sector was bringing a new level of speed and innovation to the table, Pesquet said there were some challengesfor example in working with the private, ticket-paying citizens now visiting the ISS with increasing frequency.

"If you mix up professional astronauts... and the spaceflight participants, obviously, it kind of impacts the work that we're doing, because we have to take care of them, because they're less trained, they have less experience on the board," he said, something agencies will need to consider moving forward.

Explore further SpaceX's next crew arrives in Florida for Earth Day launch

 2022 AFP
Although the industry has made great strides in reducing salmonella in processing plants, new research shows a disconnect between the strains of the bacteria found in the plant and those found on the farm. Credit: Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA

Poultry is responsible for more than one out of every five cases of salmonella infection in the U.S. But traditional methods of testing the chicken you grab off the grocery shelf may not be enough to detect all strains of the bacteria, according to new research from the University of Georgia.

Published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the study analyzed national salmonella data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service from 2016 to 2020.

The researchers found that overall cases of salmonella contamination in chicken decreased from 9% in 2016 to 6.57% in 2020. But nationally, the cases of salmonella infection in people have remained stable during this same period.

"When I first started at the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center four years ago and met with several different poultry companies, one of the things they said to me was that the salmonella they find on the farms is not the same type of salmonella they find in the processing plant," said Nikki Shariat, corresponding author of the study and an assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

That disconnect makes it challenging for the poultry industry to know which types of salmonella to target with new vaccines and other interventions that can reduce the amount of high-risk types of salmonella in the birds.

The researchers partnered with the Georgia Poultry Lab Network in Gainesville, Georgia, to examine what strains of salmonella, known as serotypes, were present in breeder chickens versus the strains present in chicken products.

High-resolution technologies can inform effective salmonella control

The most abundant and easily detectable strain of the bacteria on the farm in Georgia is the Kentucky serotype, accounting for 80% of all salmonella found.

While no salmonella is "good," Kentucky isn't commonly associated with human illness. And poultry companies seem to be able to remove Kentucky more effectively during processing, which may be one reason the researchers didn't see the same amount of the strain in the processed chicken.

What they did see in the samples from processing plants were three other types of salmonella, some that are known to cause illness in people: Infantis, Enteritidis and Schwarzengrund.

"The question was, 'where are these non-Kentucky serotypes coming from?'" said Shariat. "We suspected they were present on the farm but that we were not able to detect them using traditional methodology."

Using technology Shariat developed in 2015, her team found multiple strains of salmonella in the live bird samples that traditional methods missed.

Known as CRISPR-SeroSeq, the technology identifies molecular signatures in salmonella's CRISPR regions, a specialized part of the bacteria's DNA, and helps researchers identify which strains of the bacteria are most abundant.

"Over recent years, the poultry industry has made great strides in reducing salmonella in their processing facilities," Shariat said. "There is no silver bullet that can eliminate salmonella in the processing plant or during pre-harvest in the birds."

Poultry veterinarians do vaccinate birds against the types of salmonella most often linked to human illness outbreaks. But in order to do that effectively, the veterinarians need to know which types of the bacteria are in the birds on the farm.

"The higher-resolution technology used in this research found that multiple salmonella serotypes were present but were typically outnumbered by serotype Kentucky," Shariat said. "Our study now provides a framework for how to identify those serotypes. This knowledge provides poultry producers with better data to be able to inform their salmonella control practices."

"Our main focus is to make sure that at the end of the day we're facilitating improvements in the poultry industry," said Amy Siceloff, first author of the study and a doctoral student in UGA's Department of Microbiology. "Now that we're aware of this gradual increase in serotypes and that they don't just pop up overnight, this kind of surveillance is going to be key in managing salmonella moving forward."

Explore further Salmonella vaccine for poultry contributed to rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

More information: Amy T. Siceloff et al, Regional Salmonella Differences in United States Broiler Production from 2016 to 2020 and the Contribution of Multiserovar Populations to Salmonella Surveillance, Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2022). Journal information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Amy T. Siceloff et al, Regional Salmonella Differences in United States Broiler Production from 2016 to 2020 and the Contribution of Multiserovar Populations to Salmonella Surveillance,(2022). DOI: 10.1128/aem.00204-22
The Geiseltal valley about 47 million years agoa gecko of the now extinct species Geiseleptes delfinoi hunting a male termite. Credit: Marton Szabo

Geckos lived in Europe as early as 47 million years ago, say paleontologists who have examined a nearly complete fossil gecko skull from central Germany. This previously unknown species was found in a former coalmining areaGeiseltaland was described by a research team led by Dr. Andrea Villa of the Catalan Institute of Paleontology Miquel Crusafont in Barcelona and biogeologist Dr. Marton Rabi of the University of Tubingen and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.

The team found that the extinct gecko species is closely related to the European leaf-toed gecko, which is still native to parts of the Mediterranean region. The new fossil species represents the oldest known representative in its lineage to date. The new study has been published in the latest edition of Papers in Palaeontology.

Geckos comprise a highly diverse and ancient lineage of lizard-like reptiles. "Fossils of geckos are very rare and rarely well preserved. We have not learned much about their evolutionary history so far, even from rich sites like Messel and Geiseltal," Andrea Villa says. The team is examining historical finds which were stored for many years in East Germany. The gecko skull that has now just been identified was found in 1933, according to Villa.

It is a unique find, he says, "one of the most complete and oldest gecko skulls from the past 66 million years, the period after the great mass extinction of the dinosaurs." This gecko species was previously unknown and is one of the earliest representatives of modern groups. The research team named it Geiseleptes delfinoiafter the site where it was found, Geiseltal; the closely-related present-day European leaf-toed gecko Euleptes europaea, and after the specialist in extinct reptiles, Dr. Massimo Delfino.

Fossil skull of Eocene gecko Geiseleptes delfinoi from the former brown coal mining area of Geiseltal in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Above: as found, below: outlines shown in a computed tomographic image. Credit: Oliver Wings, Andrea Villa.

Highly adaptable

"Originally, these geckos could have come from Africa. In any case, our study proves that they also lived in Europe at least since the Eocene47 million years ago," says Marton Rabi. The researchers' analysis shows that they are one of the few vertebrates that were already present during the Earth's last warm phase and have persisted ever since.

Rabi says they lived here when the area of present-day Germany was covered with subtropical forest and there were alligators in the Arctic, as well as today, under cooler and drier conditions. That shows very great adaptability, he points out. "However, the climate change back then occurred over tens of millions of years, in startling contrast to current global warming. According to the worst projections, if emissions continue to rise, the Earth could return to Eocene conditions as early as 2100," Rabi says.

The lifestyle of Geiseleptes delfinoi is uncertain. Based on its similarities with today's European gecko, researchers assume that, like today's geckos, it was active in the evening and at night. "The Geiseltal was probably not the preferred habitat of Geiseleptes in the Eocene. Otherwise, more fossils of this species would have been found," Villa speculates.

Explore further India's relic forests reveal a new species of leopard gecko

More information: Andrea Villa et al, A new gecko (Squamata, Gekkota) from the Eocene of Geiseltal (Germany) implies longterm persistence of European Sphaerodactylidae, Papers in Palaeontology (2022). Andrea Villa et al, A new gecko (Squamata, Gekkota) from the Eocene of Geiseltal (Germany) implies longterm persistence of European Sphaerodactylidae,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/spp2.1434
Generation and characterization of DCNV-rAd-Ag. a, Generation of DCNVs derived from adenovirus-infected mature dendritic cells. (1) The genes of tumor-specific antigen were genetically engineered into the adenovirus vector. (2) Recombinant adenovirus infected the immature DC2.4 cells to express the modified antigen on the cell surface and stimulate it. (3) Differentiation, maturation and antigen presentation. (4) Harvesting of the induced mature cell membrane and preparation of DCNV-rAd-Ag. b, Schematic illustration of the generation of DCNV-rAd-Ag. c,d, Cryo-electron microscopy (c) and dynamic light scattering analyses (d) showed uniform DCNV-rAd-Ag (approximately 108 nm average diameter, polydispersity index = 0.14) with a vesicle-like morphology. Scale bar, 50 nm. e, The western blot on membrane proteins from DCNV-rAd-GFP demonstrates a similar protein content on the surface compared to that of the parental cells. Panels ce show representative results of two independent experiments with similar results. f, Comparison of upregulated immune-response-related proteins in NVs and DCs. g, The relative abundance of antigen presentation and migration-related proteins on DCNV-rAd-GFP. r.p.m., revolutions per minute. CCR, CC chemokine receptor; CXCR, C-X-C chemokine receptor; EpCAM, epithelial cellular adhesion molecule; ICAM 1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1; pMHC-I, peptide-major histocompatibility complex class I. Credit: Nature Nanotechnology (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41565-022-01098-0

As people across the globe look forward to longer life expectancies, malignant cancers continue to pose threats to human health. The exploration and development of immunotherapy aims to seek new breakthroughs for the treatment of solid tumors.

The successful establishment of anti-tumor immunity requires the activation, expansion and differentiation of antigen-specific lymphocytes. This process largely depends on specific interactions between various T cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the body. However, existing tumor vaccines, such as neoantigen vaccines and various vector vaccines, all rely on random interactions with APCs in the body. Furthermore, inappropriate interactions may lead to the silencing of other immune responses.

Although immune checkpoint-based immunotherapy has been shown to have great potential, only a small proportion of patients fully respond to this therapy, and the relevant molecular mechanisms need to be further explored. This delivery method is however complex and inefficient.

In a breakthrough development, a team of scientists led by Narat Muzayyin Chair Professor Chen Xiaoyuan from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Professor Liu Gang from Xiamen University has formulated a novel vaccine which showed high efficacy in the treatment of solid tumors, achieving complete clearance of solid tumors and inducing long-lasting immune memory. This prevents the relapse of tumor growth that the patient originally presented with and provides immunity against similar tumor types. This was proven through the application of this vaccine on melanoma tumor models. Their results are published in Nature Nanotechnology.

The team was able to engineer a dendritic cell (a type of APC) membrane that was used to naturally stimulate the immune system and activate multi-dimensional anti-tumor immunity. This was done through an antigen self-presentation and immunosuppression reversal nanovesicle vaccine platform, which prompted the team to coin its moniker, ASPIRE.

The ASPIRE vaccine system can quickly elicit appropriate, antigen-specific immune responses in a way that traditional vaccine methods could not. This mode of antigen presentation greatly improves the efficiency of immune activation, which facilitates this novel vaccine's high efficacy relative to other vaccines currently available. In addition, the vaccine can also activate both previously unexposed T cells and exhausted T cells which facilitates ASPIRE's superior anti-tumor immune capabilities.

"We are excited at this platform technology's potential for further application in other diseases as well, such as chronic viral infection, in which T-cell exhaustion often occurs during infection and prevents the optimal viral control," said Prof Chen. "Next, the team hopes to establish a standard operating procedure for scaled synthesis of the vaccine, with proper quality control of the membrane vesicles, for clinical translation," he added.

Speaking independently on the study, Professor Chng Wee Joo, Senior Consultant of the Division of Haematology at the Department of Haematology-Oncology in the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore and myeloma specialist said: "The field of cancer immunotherapy is offering tremendous hope to cancer patients. However, there are some shortcomings with the current technologies. The present innovation from Prof Chen and his colleagues overcome some of these deficiencies and improved the effectiveness and

sustainability of the immune response to these treatments. This will provide a significant advance that will have important impact on patients."

Explore further Emerging vaccine nanotechnology

More information: Chao Liu et al, A nanovaccine for antigen self-presentation and immunosuppression reversal as a personalized cancer immunotherapy strategy, Nature Nanotechnology (2022). Journal information: Nature Nanotechnology Chao Liu et al, A nanovaccine for antigen self-presentation and immunosuppression reversal as a personalized cancer immunotherapy strategy,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41565-022-01098-0
Sea ice coverage for various model configurations and ocean salinities. Rows show the standard model with a fully coupled ocean-atmosphere, sea ice dynamics, and freezing point depression (Full Physics; top); a modified model configuration with ocean and sea ice dynamics but fixed freezing point for all salinities (Fixed Freezing Point; middle); and a slab ocean configuration lacking ocean and ice dynamics but including freezing point depression (No dynamics; bottom). Salinity differs between the columns, increasing from 20 (left) to 50 g/kg (right). Increasing salinity yields lower ice cover in all scenarios, but the effects are most pronounced in model scenarios that include both dynamical and thermodynamic effects.

Key research finding - The composition of the atmosphere, especially the abundance of greenhouse gases, influences Earth's climate. Researchers at Purdue University, led by Stephanie Olson, assistant professor of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, have recently found that the presence of salt in seawater can also have a major impact on the habitability of Earth and other planets.

The team used a climate model to investigate the climates of worlds with different amounts of salt dissolved in seawater to predict that saltier oceans tend to result in warmer climates and, therefore, can aid in a planet's ability to host life.

Purdue professor's expertise - Stephanie Olson, Purdue assistant professor of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, studies the co-evolution of life and Earth's environment to guide the search for life elsewhere in the universe.

Journal name- Geophysical Research Letters. The paper is available online.

Funding NASA Habitable Worlds

NASA Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research (ICAR)

This work further benefitted from participation in the NASA Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS) and Network for Ocean Worlds (NOW).

Brief summary of methods - This study focused specifically on how the amount of salt dissolved in seawater affects planetary climate. The team's findings were that saltier oceans tended to result in warmer climates. This salt may be the key ingredient for early Earth habitability in the distant past when the sun was less bright. This finding may apply to the habitability of other planets as well, potentially allowing life beyond our solar system to exist further from its host star than previously thought.

About Purdue University - Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today's 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: Cheryl Pierce

Media contact: Brittany Steff, bsteff@purdue.edu

Source: Stephanie Olson, stephanieolson@purdue.edu

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Federal prosecutors have asked for 2 years in prison for ex-Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson after his conviction on counts of tax evasion and lying to banking regulators, saying he was a savvy and sophisticated lawyer and public official who knew the consequences of his actions.

His crimes were not committed out of need, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo filed late Monday. Instead, he simply thought he could get away with paying less than what he owed, and was willing to lie to accomplish that goal.

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On Monday, Thompsons lawyers asked for a sentence of probation saying hes already suffered tremendous public humiliation and lost his law license and seat on the City Council.

Thompson, 52, the grandson and nephew of Chicagos two longest-serving mayors, was convicted by a federal jury in February of two counts of lying to federal regulators about loans he had with the now-shuttered Washington Federal Bank for Savings in his familys Bridgeport neighborhood.

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The jury also found Thompson guilty on five counts of filing false tax returns that illegally claimed mortgage interest deductions that he never paid.

U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama is scheduled to sentence Thompson on July 6.

Former Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson enters a vehicle after leaving the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse to attend his federal tax trial on Feb. 9, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

If the judge goes along with the recommendation of prosecutors, Thompson would be the first member of the Daley family to go to prison, a prospect that would have been unthinkable to many when the family was at its political zenith.

But in a series of court filings Monday, Thompsons attorneys said prison time is not warranted for the former alderman, who already has suffered tremendous public humiliation as a result of his conviction.

He has had to give up his law license and his position in public service, attorney Chris Gair wrote in one filing. He has lost his job and his career. He has lost most of his life-savings defending himself.

Gair also argued that Thompsons crimes were a relative drop in the bucket when compared with other tax cases brought in Chicagos federal court. In fact, Gair said, the indictment against Thompson alleged one of the smallest loss amounts to the Internal Revenue Service of any case brought in the past two decades.

Reiterating a theme the defense team raised at trial, Gair said the only justification offered by the government for treating Thompsons crime as a serious offense was his position as an elected official.

Mr. Thompsons position as an alderman has nothing at all to do with the severity of the offenses because they did not in any way, shape or form involve his public office, defense attorney Chris Gair wrote. (The) offenses of which he was convicted were wholly private.

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More than 130 people wrote letters to the court in support of Thompson, including at least three of his former colleagues on the City Council: 10th Ward Ald. Susan Garza, Ald. Nicholas Sposato of the 38th Ward and 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez.

I found Patrick to be a hardworking legislator devoted to his 11th Ward community, and interested in debating different viewpoints carefully to make informed decisions, Garza wrote, according to a copy of the letter filed with the court on Tuesday,

Also writing on Thompsons behalf was Arne Duncan, the former U.S. secretary of education, who said he was awed by Thompson when he recently came out to speak with young Black men in Duncans Chicago CRED program dedicated to reducing gun violence.

Patrick demonstrated he could understand the kinds of challenges and struggles they face everyday, Duncan wrote in his handwritten letter. He talked very honestly about his own challenges, and answered all the questions they had for him. At the end of the discussion, it was fascinating to see both him, and our participants, discover their common humanity.

Under state law, Thompson, who represented the 11th Ward since 2015, was forced to resign his seat on the City Council immediately after the conviction on felony charges. Mayor Lori Lightfoot has since appointed Nicole Lee to fill the post for the rest of Thompsons term.

The charges against Thompson were an offshoot of a larger investigation into the collapse of Washington Federal, which uncovered a massive embezzlement scheme leading to charges against more than a dozen former bank officers, employees and customers.

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At Thompsons trial, Gair had sought to pin the blame on the bank and its former president, John Gembara, saying Thompson had nothing to do with generating the erroneous tax forms that wound up on his returns. Gembara was found hanged in the home of a customer days before the bank was shuttered, and his death was ruled a suicide.

The defense team has also portrayed Thompson as an honest but frazzled man, constantly torn between his duties as alderman, commercial real estate lawyer and father, and admittedly lacking when it came to focusing on the minutiae of his taxes.

Gair also told jurors that the U.S. Attorneys Office was bent on finally nailing a Daley.

Prosecutors, however, said Thompson, an accomplished commercial real estate attorney, knew exactly what he was doing when he tried to hide the full $269,000 in principal and interest he owed from regulators in the wake of Washington Federals collapse.

After receivers for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. confronted Thompson with evidence that hed taken advances of $20,000 and $89,000 from Washington Federal in 2013 and 2014, the alderman feigned surprise, according to prosecutors.

In their sentencing filing on Monday, prosecutors wrote that Thompson had many chances to come clean but instead repeatedly chose to maintain this irregular and cozy arrangement with Washington Federal.

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The only reasonable inference is that (Thompson), being a sophisticated real estate attorney and public official, continued to engage with Washington Federal because it allowed him to have a highly unusual (at best) relationship with a bank, the filing argued.

The relationship, prosecutors said, allowed him to periodically obtain substantial amounts of money without any loan paperwork or other obligation to pay back the funds by a certain date.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
Asian short-clawed otters. Credit: Madison Bowden-Parry

Otters learn skills from each otherbut they also solve some mysteries alone, new research shows.

University of Exeter scientists gave Asian short-clawed otters "puzzle boxes" containing familiar food, and unfamiliar natural preythe meat inside of which was protected by hard outer shells.

The otters in the study, which live at Newquay Zoo and the Tamar Otter and Wildlife Center, decided whether food was safe and desirable to eat by learning from each other.

But they used their own witsnot the example of othersto figure out how to extract the food items from their protection.

"Much of research into the extractive foraging and learning capabilities of otters has focused on artificial food puzzles," said lead author Alex Saliveros, of the Center for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

"Here, we were interested in investigating such skills in the context of unfamiliar natural prey, as well as in relation to artificial food puzzles."

The team studied the otters' social groups before the food tests, meaning the scientists knew how often each otter associated with other individuals.

Social learning could then be measured by seeing whether close associates learned quickly from each other.

The otters were given five variations of the puzzle box, each with a meatball (a familiar food) visible inside. The method to extract the food varied in each versionwith solutions including pulling a tab and opening a flap.

The natural prey were rainbow trout (which acted as more of a control given their lack of a protective shell), shore crabs and blue mussels.

Of the 20 otters in the study, 11 managed to extract the meat from all three types of natural prey.

"Asian short-clawed otter populations are declining in the wild, and understanding their behavior can help in the development of conservation and reintroduction programs," said Saliveros.

"The captive otters in this study initially struggled with natural prey, but they showed they can learn how to extract the food.

"Our findings suggest that if you give one otter pre-release training, it can pass some of that information on to others."

The paper, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, is entitled: "Captive Asian short-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus) learn to exploit unfamiliar natural prey."

Explore further Puzzled otters learn from each other

More information: Captive Asian short-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus) learn to exploit unfamiliar natural prey, Royal Society Open Science (2022). royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.211819 Journal information: Royal Society Open Science Captive Asian short-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus) learn to exploit unfamiliar natural prey,(2022). DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211819
An atom in the sky. If new ultralight particles exist, black holes would be surrounded by a cloud of such particles that behaves surprisingly similar to the cloud of electrons in an atom. When another heavy object spirals in and eventually merges with the black hole, the gravitational atom gets ionized and emits particles just like electrons are emitted when light is shone onto a metal. Credit: UvA Institute of Physics

Clouds of ultralight particles can form around rotating black holes. A team of physicists from the University of Amsterdam and Harvard University now show that these clouds would leave a characteristic imprint on the gravitational waves emitted by binary black holes.

Black holes are generally thought to swallow all forms of matter and energy surrounding them. It has long been known, however, that they can also shed some of their mass through a process called superradiance. While this phenomenon is known to occur, it is only effective if new, so far unobserved particles with very low mass exist in nature, as predicted by several theories beyond the Standard Model of particle physics.

Ionizing gravitational atoms

When mass is extracted from a black hole via superradiance, it forms a large cloud around the black hole, creating a so-called gravitational atom. Despite the immensely larger size of a gravitational atom, the comparison with sub-microscopic atoms is accurate because of the similarity of the black hole plus its cloud with the familiar structure of ordinary atoms, where clouds of electrons surround a core of protons and neutrons.

In a publication that appeared in Physical Review Letters this week, a team consisting of UvA physicists Daniel Baumann, Gianfranco Bertone, and Giovanni Maria Tomaselli, and Harvard University physicist John Stout, suggest that the analogy between ordinary and gravitational atoms runs deeper than just the similarity in structure. They claim that the resemblance can in fact be exploited to discover new particles with upcoming gravitational wave interferometers.

In the new work, the researchers studied the gravitational equivalent of the so-called "photoelectric effect." In this well-known process, which for example is exploited in solar cells to produce an electric current, ordinary electrons absorb the energy of incident particles of light and are thereby ejected from a materialthe atoms "ionize." In the gravitational analog, when the gravitational atom is part of a binary system of two heavy objects, it gets perturbed by the presence of the massive companion, which could be a second black hole or a neutron star. Just as the electrons in the photoelectric effect absorb the energy of the incident light, the cloud of ultralight particles can absorb the orbital energy of the companion, so that some of the cloud gets ejected from the gravitational atom.

Finding new particles

The team demonstrated that this process may dramatically alter the evolution of such binary systems, significantly reducing the time required for the components to merge with each other. Moreover, the ionization of the gravitational atom is enhanced at very specific distances between the binary black holes, which leads to sharp features in the gravitational waves that we detect from such mergers. Future gravitational wave interferometersmachines similar to the LIGO and Virgo detectors that over the past few years have shown us the first gravitational waves from black holescould observe these effects. Finding the predicted features from gravitational atoms would provide distinctive evidence for the existence of new ultralight particles.

Explore further Discovering new particles using black holes

More information: Daniel Baumann et al, Sharp Signals of Boson Clouds in Black Hole Binary Inspirals, Physical Review Letters (2022). Journal information: Physical Review Letters Daniel Baumann et al, Sharp Signals of Boson Clouds in Black Hole Binary Inspirals,(2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.221102
Cell localization of NoPDAT (A, green and red fluorescence are NoPDAT-eGFP fusion protein and chloroplast signal, respectively), reduction of neutral lipids (B) and changes in total fatty acid and TAG content (C), caused by NoPDAT knockdown. Credit: IHB

Nannochloropsis is a group of unicellular eukaryotes that belong to the class Eustigmatophyceae. Currently, there are seven identified species in this genus that have high photosynthetic efficiency, biomass and oil content (triacylglycerol, or TAG), and are rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), making them high-quality raw materials for the industrial production of EPA.

Nannochloropsis oceanica has been recognized as an industrially important single-cell factory for lipid production because of its fast growth and high lipid content. Its genome contains up to 13 acyl CoA:diacylglycerol (DAG) acyltransferases (NoDGATs), which contribute to stress and non-stress associated TAG biosynthesis, and raises questions about whether the unique N. oceanica phospholipid:DAG acyltransferase (NoPDAT) is critical, and under what conditions and to what extent it contributes to TAG biosynthesis.

A research team led by Prof. Hu Hanhua from the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently addressed the function and physiological role of NoPDAT in N. oceanica. The study was published in Plant Physiology.

Prof. Hu's team has carried out a series of basic researches on the above-mentioned algal strains for more than ten years. They first established an efficient genetic transformation system based on polymerase chain reaction products and a gene knockdown system based on RNA interference in all the six marine species.

The researchers achieved the high-efficiency genetic transformation based on electroporation by chemical pretreatment in Nannochloropsis limnetica, the only freshwater alga in this genus.

Hypothesized working model illustrating the role of NoPDAT in lipid metabolism in N. oceanica. Credit: IHB

They found that NoPDAT resides at the outermost plastid membrane, the chloroplast endoplasmic reticulum. Based on genetic analysis, NoPDAT contributes at least 30% to TAG biosynthesis under nitrogen-limited conditions, and NoPDAT knockdown has not triggered any compensatory mechanism via DGATs.

Through the semi-quantitative thin layer chromatography analysis of polar lipids, the researchers also found that NoPDAT knockdown leads to a vast accumulation of a new class of phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) in cells, and this special PE containing 16:0, 16:1, and 18:1 fatty acids (referred to as "LU-PE") differs from the intracellular functional PEs containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (C20:4 and C20:5).

Moreover, the content of intracellular LU-PE was significantly positively correlated with the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration in culture.

Results of overexpressing and/or knockdown of genes involved in PE homeostasis indicated that LU-PE accumulation in N. oceanica is not linked to these genes and that NoPDAT is solely responsible for the observed profile change.

In summary, this study uncovers that the NoPDAT pathway is parallel to and independent of the NoDGAT pathway for oil production. LU-PE can serve as an alternative carbon sink for photosynthetically assimilated carbon in N. oceanica when PDAT-mediated TAG biosynthesis is compromised or under stress in the presence of high CO 2 levels.

More information: Juan Yang et al, PDAT regulates PE as transient carbon sink alternative to triacylglycerol in Nannochloropsis, Plant Physiology (2022). Juan Yang et al, PDAT regulates PE as transient carbon sink alternative to triacylglycerol in Nannochloropsis,(2022). DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac160
Bigelow Laboratory Senior Research Scientist William Balch examines ocean color in the Gulf of Maine. Using data collected over the last two decades, Balch recently published new findings on how the body of water has rapidly and substantially changed during that time. Credit: Bigelow Laboratory

A new synthesis of two decades of data has elucidated the startling transformation of the warming Gulf of Maine. Gathered and analyzed by researchers at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, the study shows many trends that all point to an overarching pattern. The Gulf of Maine is being increasingly influenced by warm water from the North Atlantic, and this is changing the very foundation of its food web.

"We've seen that the growth rate of phytoplankton is about a third of what it was 20 years ago; that's a really big deal," said Senior Research Scientist William Balch, lead author on the NASA-funded study. "These microscopic plants are the base of the food web on which all ocean life depends, and the change is connected to patterns and processes well beyond the Gulf of Maine."

Published by six authors from Bigelow Laboratory and two from Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, the team's findings tell a complex, interconnected story of transformative change.

The data show that the Gulf of Maine is rapidly warming overall. At the average depth of the Gulf, around 500 feet, mean temperatures have increased almost three degrees Fahrenheit over the last 20 years. Shallow waters have warmed slightly less during that time, and, surprisingly, have cooled in the spring months. Balch's new study is the first to show it.

"We all work with this mantra that the Gulf of Maine is one of the fastest warming bodies of water on the planet," Balch said. "Well, there's an asterisk next to that now, which is really important to understanding the complex changes we're seeing."

The cooling is only happening at depths above 160 feet and only during the spring season, which suggests an increasing amount of cold surface water is coming into the Gulf of Maine from cooler regions to the north, outside the Gulf.

Despite this limited and seasonal exception, the Gulf is still warming significantly overall, which is driving its transformation. Balch and his team used the long-term data from the Gulf of Maine North Atlantic Time Series to determine that warm, salty water from the North Atlantic has been intruding into deeper parts of the Gulf since 2008. This has raised both the temperature and salinitywith significant impacts.

"It's not like the Gulf of Maine is an isolated pond and all the warming happening here is only happening in place," Balch said. "Rising temperatures are in large part due to this large influx of North Atlantic water, which itself is getting warmer. These changes take time, and they are fundamentally altering the planet."

Balch and other scientists from Bigelow Laboratory started the Gulf of Maine North Atlantic Time series in 1998 to collect data at sea in order to validate NASA satellite information and observe any long-term environmental changes. The team takes the same measurements at the same geographic points about 10 times a year. This has provided a wealth of information on the physical, chemical, and biological conditions in the regionand the dramatic changes they have gone through.

"We're able to illuminate important interconnections because we have a big enough dataset," Balch said. "It allowed us to take a holistic look at this important region and determine what the warming means for Gulf of Maine processes and the life that depends on them."

Despite the alarming trends, Balch remains hopeful for the Gulf of Maine. Organisms are finding new habitats, filling niches, and adapting. Things may never be what they once were, but the planet could heal if our society gives it the chance.

"These changes are the results of our actions, the grand experiment that we humans have run on this planet since the industrial age when we started burning fossil fuels," Balch said. "The future of the Gulf of Maine relies on us keeping our carbon dioxide emissions down, and that choice is completely under our control."

The research was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences.

Explore further Water color and phytoplankton growth in the Gulf of Maine are changing

More information: William M. Balch et al, Changing Hydrographic, Biogeochemical, and Acidification Properties in the Gulf of Maine as Measured by the Gulf of Maine North Atlantic Time Series, GNATS, Between 1998 and 2018, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (2022). William M. Balch et al, Changing Hydrographic, Biogeochemical, and Acidification Properties in the Gulf of Maine as Measured by the Gulf of Maine North Atlantic Time Series, GNATS, Between 1998 and 2018,(2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022JG006790
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A new study led by Florida Tech recommends rewilding an island in the Galapagos with tortoises and rare plants to recreate an ecosystem irreparably damaged by whalers.

The study, "Human-induced ecological cascades: extinction, restoration, and rewilding in the Galapagos highlands," is published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Using microscopic fossils of pollen and spores found in the sediments of El Junco, a crater lake that lies at almost 2,000-feet elevation in the highlands of San Cristobal Island, researchers from Florida Tech, University of Arizona and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign tracked the disappearance of giant tortoises from the landscape.

The island is known to have had two species of giant tortoise, one a lowland specialist and one whose shell shape suggests that it may have ventured into the highlands. It went extinct before it could be documented by science.

Prior studies showed that a fungus, Sporormiella, lived in the gut of tortoises and cattle. When dung was defecated near the lake, the spores of Sporormiella would wash into the lake and preserve in the sediments accumulating at the bottom of the lake. The changing abundance of Sporormiella before settlers introduced livestock to the islands documents the population size of giant tortoises.

After raising cores of sediment from the center of the lake, the team found abundant Sporormiella in ancient sediments, evidence that tortoises had regularly visited the lake prior to AD 1800. "We were surprised to find that by 1800, within a decade of whalers first landing on the islands, tortoises stopped visiting our rather remote hilltop lake," said team leader Mark Bush, professor of biology at Florida Tech .

The Galapagos Islands were only visited by pirates and wayward sailors prior to the 1780s. But rising demand for whale oil and overexploitation of Atlantic whale stocks forced whalers to explore the Pacific Ocean, as well. Whalers began operating around the Galapagos in the 1790s and by the early 1800s they were regularly visiting the islands.

Ships' logs show that the whalers collected an estimated 200,000 tortoises from the islands to take aboard their ships over a 70-year period. The tortoises could live for six months onboard without food or water and were a prized source of fresh meat. "We think that as tortoises were captured near the coast, it reduced competition and the need to migrate far inland," study co-author Diane Thompson of the University of Arizona said.

With the loss of tortoises, the balance of plant species growing near the lake started to change. The species of tortoise that had been migrating up to the lake is thought to have gone extinct between 1830 and 1860.

The researchers also tracked the arrival of cattle and horses in the late 1800s and their impact on the system. Two genera of shrubs, Alternanthera and Acalypha, which had thrived around the lake when the tortoises were present, went into a major population decline and ultimately went locally extinct in the 1970s.

"We recommend reintroducing the close relatives of the extinct plants and tortoise, all of which can be found on other islands in the Galapagos," said Jessica Conroy of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, another study author.

Restoration of the El Junco area should emphasize exclusion of livestock, reintroduction of tortoises, and an expansion of the ongoing plantings of Miconia to also include Acalypha and Alternanthera, the authors suggest.

They advocate for this rewilding to promote habitat restoration and considering the socioeconomic value of these highland ecosystems in providing tourist experiences.

Explore further New giant tortoise species found in Galapagos after DNA study

More information: Mark B. Bush et al, Human-induced ecological cascades: Extinction, restoration, and rewilding in the Galapagos highlands, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Mark B. Bush et al, Human-induced ecological cascades: Extinction, restoration, and rewilding in the Galapagos highlands,(2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2203752119
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The Third Pole, which is centered on the Tibetan Plateau, stores most of the frozen water in the world after the Antarctic and Arctic. As a reliable water supply for almost 2 billion people, it has become known as the "Asian Water Tower." However, according to a new study published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, the situation is changing.

Even as demand for its water continues to grow, the Asian Water Tower's frozen assets are melting away, with more liquid water in the northern endorheic basins and less in the southern exorheic basins. "Such imbalance is expected to pose a great challenge to the supply-demand balancing of water resources in downstream regions," said Prof. Yao Tandong, lead author of the study and co-chair of Third Pole Environment.

The study, entitled "The imbalance of the Asian Water Tower," describes how it has gotten out of balance. Rapid warming has changed the "stock mix" balance of the Asian Water Tower between solid water in glaciers and liquid water in lakes and river runoff. Changes in atmospheric circulations that shapes the region's climate have also altered the way in which its "inventory" is distributed.

According to Dr. Tobias Bolch, one of the study's co-authors and a researcher at the University of St. Andrews, the northern Asian Water Tower loses less solid water but gains more liquid water. "We believe changing multitude westerlies and Indian monsoons have contributed to more precipitation in the north and less in the south," said Prof. Gao Jing from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The imbalance of the Asian Water Tower is likely to be manifested as an imbalance in water supply and demand in downstream communities, with the north having greater supply and the south greater demand.

Why the imbalance of the Asian Water Tower matters. Credit: TPE

According to Prof. Yoshihide Wada, one of the study's co-authors and a researcher at International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria, the total water supply for the Asian Water Tower is projected to increase, but "a particularly strong increase" is expected for the northern part.

In contrast, the highest demand for water is projected to be in the southern Indus basin. Prof. Walter Immerzeel, study co-author and a researcher at Utrecht University, linked this demand to irrigation, which accounts for more than 90% of water use across the region. He noted that the densely populated Indus and Ganges Brahmaputra River basins "boast the world's largest irrigated agricultural area."

As a result of these trends, seasonal water availability will shift in the Indus and Amu Darya River basins and increase in the Yellow and Yangtze River basins. This north (endorheic)-south (exorheic) disparity is also expected to be amplified by climate warming in the future. "Actionable policies for sustainable water resource management are greatly needed in this region," said Prof. Piao Shilong, co-author of the study and a researcher at Peking University and CAS.

Although these general trends are clear, scientists still need more information to help the public respond to the changes in the Asian Water Tower. "We need more accurate predictions of future water supply to assess mitigation and adaptation strategies for the region," said co-author Prof. Lonnie Thompson of the Ohio State University and co-chair of Third Pole Environment.

Such predictions require comprehensive monitoring stations in data-scarce regions as well as advanced coupled atmospherecryospherehydrology models, noted Prof. Chen Deliang, co-author of the study, co-chair of Third Pole Environment, and a researcher at the University of Gothenburg.

Explore further Asian water towers are world's most important and most threatened

More information: Tandong Yao et al, The imbalance of the Asian water tower, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment (2022). Tandong Yao et al, The imbalance of the Asian water tower,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s43017-022-00299-4
Republican state Assembly candidate David Catalfamo supports raising the minimum age to purchase a semi-automatic weapon in New York to 21, a measure incumbent Democrat Carrie Woerner voted against.

I believe wholeheartedly in the Second Amendment, but he is concerned about youth violence, Catalfamo said in a telephone interview on Monday.

Woerner, D-Round Lake, said she voted against the legislation because the language was too broad, and could be construed to prohibit those under 21 from owning deer-hunting rifles that automatically fire a second shot.

If the legislation is amended to specifically apply only to AR-15 rifles, she would vote in support of it, she said.

Catalfamo, however, said he would have voted in support of the legislation that Woerner voted against.

Woerner and area Assembly members Matt Simpson, R-Horicon, and Billie Jones, D-Chauteaugay Lake, all voted against the legislation, which passed the Assembly by a 102-47 vote.

Catalfamo said his support for the bill was based on addressing violence among young males that are influenced by violent video games.

I dont know why that discussion is not happening, he said.

Catalfamo, an economic development official and novelist from Wilton, is challenging Woerner, a four-term incumbent, in the 113th Assembly District, which includes portions of Washington and Saratoga counties and the city of Glens Falls in Warren County.

On May 31, Catalfamo released a five-point plan in response to recent mass shootings at a Buffalo supermarket and a Texas elementary school.

These boys are too often ignored, becoming criminals, abusers, homeless and mentally ill, and we need a comprehensive plan to intervene for all of our sake, Catalfamo stated.

The plan, which was signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday, calls for raising the age to purchase an AR-15 semi-automatic weapon, and providing state funding to cover 80% of the cost of placing a police resource officer in every school.

School resource officers are a deterrent, and on the worst day, they act as the first-last line of defense, Catalfamo said in a press release. But a properly trained and integrated resource officer can be much more. They should be known and trusted by the teachers and the students in the school and help to identify those students who are at risk and pose a risk long before an incident takes place.

Catalfamos plan also calls for providing funding for local police departments to hire social media crisis officers to identify at-risk teens and monitor social media messages, requiring high school teachers, administration and students to receive mental health first-aid training, and allowing judges more discretion on setting bail for individuals arrested for crimes that involve the use of a firearm.

Woerner said that she, too, has long been concerned about the impact of violent video games on youths.

I definitely believe we need to get at the root cause of gun violence, she said in a telephone interview on Monday.

Woerner said the Legislature passed legislation to require the operators of social media sites to more closely monitor and address violent messages containing hateful content that are posted and monitor the algorithms used to distribute them to other social media users.

The Legislature also passed legislation to increase funding for placing mental health counselors in schools, and made credential requirements more flexible for those who work in the field.

Additionally, the Legislature passed a law requiring school districts to consider installing panic button silent alarms, connected to 911 emergency dispatch centers, in every classroom.

The cost would be covered, for schools that want them, under state building aid, Woerner said.

Woerner said that she supports placement of school resource officers for school districts that want them.

Its really up to the school districts to decide if they need a resource officer in the schools or if they will have one that rotates between the buildings, she said.

Maury Thompson covered local government and politics for The Post-Star for 21 years before he retired in 2017. He continues to follow regional politics as a freelance writer.

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A German federal court has rejected a Jewish mans bid to have a 700-year-old antisemitic statue removed from a church where Martin Luther once preached. The Federal Court of Justice on Tuesday upheld rulings by lower courts on the sculpture on the Town Church in Wittenberg  one of more than 20 such relics from the Middle Ages that still adorn churches in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. As in those rulings, judges pointed to the addition in the 1980s of a memorial at the site that showed the church had distanced itself from the sculpture. The plaintiff had argued that the sculpture was a defamation of and insult to the Jewish people that has a terrible effect up to this day. He plans to appeal.
The move by JetBlue, which has been waging a hostile bid for Spirit in a now weeks-old battle against Frontier Airlines of Denver, is just days ahead of a scheduled June 10 vote by Spirit shareholders to decide whether to accept a bid from Frontier.

In a statement Monday, JetBlue said it would provide a $350 million reverse breakup fee to Spirit in the unlikely event the transaction is not consummated for antitrust reasons.

The airline noted the fee represents an increase of $150 million over the one it originally offered and exceeds the $250 million fee offered by Frontier by $100 million. JetBlue also added an incentive. Its an upfront payment of $164 million payable in cash following a positive vote approving its proposed buyout.

Spirit is the lone commercial carrier at Atlantic City International Airport.

Spirit almost immediately said its board would take a look.

Spirit still prefers bid from Frontier Airlines over JetBlue Spirit Airlines said Monday it still supports Frontier Airlines $2.9 billion takeover bid f

The Spirit board of directors will work with its financial and legal advisers to evaluate JetBlues proposal and pursue the course of action it determines to be in the best interests of Spirit and its stockholders, the airline said in a statement. The board will conduct this evaluation in accordance with the terms of the companys merger agreement with Frontier and respond in due course. Spirit shareholders do not need to take any action at this time.

A reverse breakup fee refers to the amount of money paid to a targeted company if the would-be acquirer backs out of a proposed deal or if other factors cause the deal to fall apart. In any event, the shareholders would be compensated.

In a letter to Spirit board members Monday, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes again sought to win them over, saying his carriers bid is now superior to Frontiers.

Combining JetBlue and Spirit would create a true national competitor to the dominant legacy carriers, delivering low fares and a great experience for more customers, more opportunities and good paying jobs for crew members, and more value for stockholders, he said. The key features of our improved proposal  the upfront cash payment and increased reverse breakup fee  reflect the seriousness of our commitment and underscore our confidence in completing this transaction.

JetBlue originally offered $33 a share, or $3.6 billion cash, for Spirit in April. The bid was well above a $2.9 billion cash-and-stock deal that Frontier made for Spirit.

On May 30, Frontier placed its own reverse breakup fee on the table for the first time. Totaling $250 million, it surpassed the original fee of $200 million offered by JetBlue.

JetBlue makes offer for Spirit Airlines, could spark bid war JetBlue Airways has offered to buy Spirit Airlines for about $3.6 billion and break up a pla

The Frontier deal, as it stands, would allow Spirit to continue as a brand, while the JetBlue deal would absorb Spirit assets and employees, essentially ending the brand.

When Frontier served up its original offer for Spirit in February, a reverse breakup fee was not part of it.

But the financial feature entered the picture after Spirit rejected JetBlues offer in favor of Frontiers and JetBlue launched its hostile offer for Spirit. Since then, the two sides have debated which of the proposed deals could survive the antitrust scrutiny of federal regulators.

The breakup-fee issue is in the spotlight because the Biden administration has shown itself to be sensitive to mergers that might be anticompetitive and therefore detrimental to consumers. Last year, it sued JetBlue and American Airlines over a marketing alliance the two maintain in the Northeast. A trial is set for this fall.
Two brothers were framed for a 1997 murder because a Chicago police detective who was secretly running an extensive narcotics ring thought one of them had stolen from one of his drug-world associates, attorneys for the brothers said in court Monday.

Juan and Rosendo Hernandez are hoping to win a new trial after 25 years in custody, alleging that drug-running police Officer Joseph Miedzianowski  once called the most corrupt officer ever prosecuted in northern Illinois  colluded with now-infamous former Detective Reynaldo Guevara to pin a Northwest Side murder on Juan Hernandez, with Rosendo getting caught up as collateral damage.

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The hearing before Cook County Judge Joanne Rosado is expected to last at least through Tuesday. Attorneys for the Hernandez brothers want her to grant them new trials, while Cook County prosecutors argue that the brothers convictions are valid and should remain intact.

Rosendo Hernandez, right, holds a sign with photos of the alleged victims of Chicago police Detective Reynaldo Guevara outside of the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on July 20, 2016. The Hernandez family claim that their two sons, Juan and Rosendo Hernandez were wrongfully convicted of murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with work conducted by Guevara. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

A key witness for the brothers, Frederick Rock, began testifying late Monday. Rock was charged federally as part of Miedzianowskis drug enterprise and cooperated with federal authorities against the Chicago Police Department officer.

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Testifying via videoconference from his native Dominica, to which he was deported after his federal conviction, Rock said he worked with Miedzianowski in the drug trade.

Miedzianowski had a vendetta against Juan Hernandez, nicknamed Poochie, because he believed Juan stole marijuana from a dealer he wanted to protect, Rock testified.

He wanted (the marijuana) back or hed make sure Poochie would get in trouble, Rock said.

Miedzianowski introduced Guevara to Rock as the officer who was going to help him get Poochie, Rock testified. He wanted to get Poochie no matter what the cost.

On cross-examination, however, prosecutors got Rock to acknowledge that he never heard Miedzianowski explicitly give Guevara instructions. And in opening statements before Rosado, Assistant States Attorney Carol Rogala hinted Rock was not to be trusted.

Youre not going to hear from Joe Miedzianowski that I wanted to get Juan Hernandez and his family,  Rogala said. Youre going to hear from a convicted felon who has been deported and is beyond the reach of the American justice system.

Former Chicago police Officer Joseph Miedzianowski (FBI)

Attorneys for the brothers also said Monday that Guevara lied in police reports to weaken the brothers alibis, and (put) his hands on the scale to get eyewitnesses to make identifications in absolutely impossible scenarios, attorney Joshua Tepfer, who represents Rosendo Hernandez, said in court Monday.

In addition, attorneys for the brothers said they have found a witness who, one night in 1997, had a friend jump into his car to say he thought he had killed a rival gang member. That person said that someone threw a bike at his windshield as he was driving away from the shooting, which corroborates one eyewitness account that someone threw a bike at the shooters car, the brothers attorneys wrote in a court filing.

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Cook County prosecutors, however, cautioned Judge Rosado not to lump this case in with other Guevara-related matters. The initial witness interviews were done by an entirely different set of detectives, and there are eyewitnesses who to this day will identify the brothers as the assailants, Rogala said.

Miedzianowski was convicted on federal charges including racketeering and drug conspiracy, accused of running a drug ring with national scope while wearing a CPD star. He is serving a life sentence in a federal prison downstate, according to Bureau of Prisons records.

Meanwhile, dozens of people have accused Guevara, now retired, of manipulating witnesses, fabricating evidence and framing suspects over the course of his career. He has repeatedly asserted his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent when questioned about the alleged wrongdoing. Multiple alleged wrongful convictions have been linked to Guevara and the city has faced lawsuits over the accusations against him.

Rosendo Hernandez holds a sign of Chicago Detective Reynaldo Guevara outside the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on July 20, 2016. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

The brothers first witness Monday was Daniel Violante, who testified he was in front of a Northwest Side gangway that night in 1997 next to his friend, Jorge Gonzalez. Two people came out of a nearby car, one of them pointed a gun at his stomach, and then he jumped over the fence and heard gunshots, Violante testified.

He came back and saw Gonzalez on the ground, bleeding.

On the witness stand Monday, Violante insisted that he never saw the faces of the people who killed his friend.

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Everything was black to me, he said. I didnt see that face.  It happened fast. Too fast.

At the brothers trials, however, Violante took the stand to identify them as the attackers. On Monday, he said he did so merely because the Gonzalez family had pointed them out, so he figured they must have done it.

A year after the shooting, Violante signed an affidavit saying he actually falsely accused the Hernandez brothers out of retaliation, and he wanted the charges to be dropped. Prosecutors have alleged that affidavit was the product of a brokered deal between two gangs, in which Violante would recant in exchange for another witness walking back his testimony in a separate case.

Violante denied that on the stand, and on cross-examination said someone merely showed up at his house with the affidavit already typewritten, and he signed it.

Some guy just came to your house and asked you to sign it? Rogala asked.

Right, thats exactly what happened, Violante said.

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mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
ATLANTIC CITY  The Planning Board on Tuesday gave site plan approval for Phase 1 of a maintenance and operations facility for rsted North America, to be built on the waterfront at the end of a residential street in the Bungalow Park neighborhood.

Approval is contingent on rsted installing solar-powered stop signs to make all intersections on New Jersey Avenue, from Route 30 to the site, into four-way stops. It also must consider other traffic calming measures in consultation with the city, said Planning Board attorney Joel Fleishman.

rsted is an offshore wind farm developer that has state approval to build two large wind farms off the Atlantic City coast, and promises to provide hundreds of jobs for local and state residents.

We all understand there is ongoing controversy, predominantly with transportation through the community, said Planning Board member Anthony Vraim after his yes vote. I think it is a great development for the neighborhood and city, if we can just resolve some of these (concerns) as to traffic and things like that.

Phase 1 includes building bulkheads to stabilize the 4.5-acre lot and docks to accommodate six vessels, rsted representatives said.

The boats will take engineers and technicians out to build two offshore wind farms, and then maintain and operate them.

Ocean City to BPU: Do not approve power line path for offshore wind OCEAN CITY  City Council last week took a unanimous stand against a proposal to run power l

About 50 to 70 workers will use New Jersey Avenue each day at about 6 a.m. as they arrive to start their 12-hour shift and catch a boat to the worksite.

The same number of workers will finish their shift about 6 p.m. and will exit by the same route, according to rsted.

Several residents of the area have expressed concern for weeks over the increased traffic the site will generate during its construction and operation, and about how it will affect property values.

But the project meets requirements of a 2020 redevelopment plan and does not require variances, board members said.

rsted was named the redeveloper of the site  a former oil depot for several gas companies  in 2020. The use of the site was predetermined in that redevelopment agreement, said Jack Plackter, the attorney representing rsted.

Plackter said the company understands neighborhood concerns and will continue to work with residents to alleviate them.

Bungalow Park residents skeptical of rsted wind farm maintenance hub ATLANTIC CITY  rsted North America representatives tried to reassure residents at a meetin

We consider this to be an $18 million to $20 million investment. We are asking for no PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) and no city investment. We will pay property taxes, said rsted executive Richard Grist. We are taking a blighted and contaminated site and redeveloping it and bringing it back into clean uses.

He said rsted has an agreement with former owner Exxon Mobil to enable the oil company to complete its cleanup of the site. It was contaminated with petroleum products decades ago.

The approval also is subject to rsted getting all needed state approvals for the project, and sending proof of the approvals to the city.

Phase 2 of the project, construction of a building and other improvements, will be before the board soon, said city Planning and Development Director Barbara Woolley Dillon.

REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com

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HAMILTON TOWNSHIP  Four people, two of whom are teenagers, were arrested after authorities recovered weapons and drugs from an apartment in the Sandpiper condominium complex Thursday, police said.

Callers reported threats being made in the area of 5303 Harding Highway. Officers seized a .40 caliber handgun, a .223 caliber rifle, narcotics and cash, police said Monday in a news release.

Eric Perez, 23, of Mays Landing; Jermaine Philo, 23, of Egg Harbor City; and two boys from Mays Landing, ages 15 and 16, were taken into custody.

Each was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon during drug activity, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines, possession of hollow-point ammunition and possession of armor-piercing ammunition.

Hamilton schools took action during chemical release HAMILTON TOWNSHIP  A chemical-release scare disrupted life in the township Wednesday, but q

Authorities also charged Perez and Philo with employing a minor to commit a criminal offense.

Both teenagers were taken to the Harborfields Atlantic Youth Center but have since been released, police said. Perez and Philo were taken to Atlantic County jail pending court.

The Atlantic County Prosecutors Office assisted police.

Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin

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A union representing housekeeping workers at Atlantic Citys casinos says four of the resorts are not complying with a COVID-related requirement that hotel rooms be cleaned daily. Local 54 of the Unite Here union said Wednesday that state officials need to enforce an order issued in 2020 by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy requiring hotel rooms to be cleaned and sanitized daily. It says Caesars, Harrahs, Tropicana and the Golden Nugget don't clean each occupied hotel room each day as required by the order. The Golden Nugget says staff shortages sometimes prevent daily room cleaning, but adds any guest who requests it will get it.
STONE HARBOR  Three swimmers were returned to shore safely after a rip current dragged them into deeper waters Monday, the boroughs Fire Department said.

Emergency personnel were called to 96th Street and the beach about 6 p.m. Once on the beach, two firefighters entered the water along with borough police officers, the Fire Department said.

The rescuers assessed the trapped swimmers in the water, after which a personal watercraft crew returned each swimmer to shore.

Once on shore, the swimmers were assessed further by the ambulance squad, the Fire Department said.

One swimmer was treated at the scene by Avalon emergency medical services, the Fire Department said.

The Fire Department did not say whether any of the rescued swimmers suffered serious injuries.

Mondays rescue was the second in two weeks at that location. Those swimmers were also rescued safely, the Fire Department said.

Bathers are urged to swim only at guarded beaches when lifeguards are present and to stay cautious of potentially dangerous rip currents.

Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Collaboration among Purdue University, Purdue Polytechnic Institute and Purdue University Global is leading the way to a unique partnership with the University of Puerto Rico.

A Purdue delegation of administrators, faculty and students visited Puerto Rico in March to meet with representatives and students from four University of Puerto Rico (UPR) campuses  Bayamon, Humacao, Mayaguez and Rio Piedras  as well as the Center for Marine Science at UPR-Mayaguez and the University of Puerto Rico Hospital.

The entire Purdue system is pleased to partner with the University of Puerto Rico to explore the creation and offering of new academic opportunities in an innovative fashion that serves both current and future workforce development needs, said Melissa Burdi, Purdue University Global vice president and dean of the School of Nursing, who was part of the delegation. UPR is a highly valued partner, and we look forward to a dynamic and meaningful collaboration.

In a joint statement, Miguel Velez-Rubio, chancellor for UPR-Bayamon, and Jorge F. Rovira-Alvarez, dean of academic affairs, said: The University of Puerto Rico at Bayamon is pursuing a strong collaboration partnership with Purdue University and its affiliates. We are confident that establishing agreements on diverse academic fields and services will allow both institutions to grow, and we foresee ample benefits for current students and future recruitment. It most definitively expands our academic offering and provides students with additional opportunities to develop both in professional areas and personal interests.

During the weeklong stay, Purdue students gave presentations on sustainability and climate change, biomedical innovation, emerging COVID technologies, mass migration at the U.S.-Mexico border and precision medicine and exchanged ideas with UPR students. They visited the Engine-4 coworking space, an incubator and the marine science laboratory in Mayaguez.

The focus was to forge relationships that will benefit students and professors in disciplines such as precision medicine and health care, sustainability and climate change, and engineering. Specifically, the Purdue team initially identified three key areas to serve as a springboard for the partnership. They are:

Nursing: The Purdue University Global School of Nursing will collaborate with UPR to develop innovative education offerings and will invite nursing faculty from UPR to the Purdue West Lafayette campus for a Summer Institute to explore immersive learning virtual reality options for nursing faculty and students in Puerto Rico. Building this unique partnership affords the Purdue system and UPR the ability to co-create learning opportunities aimed at solving current and future workforce challenges within the entire health care ecosystem, where education and hands-on preparation are key, including the use of precision medicine, Burdi said.

With precision medicine, the goal is to utilize robots to disinfect critical areas in Puerto Rico hospitals while also detecting different contaminants in the hospitals air. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Purdue students worked with Luciano Castillo, the Kenninger Professor of Renewable Energy and Power Systems in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue, and Richard Voyles, head of the Collaborative Robotics Lab at Purdue and director of the Robotics Accelerator, to design, build and deploy two autonomous cleaning robots to disinfect spaces.

Engineering: Purdue West Lafayette will develop a transfer program for UPR students to complete their degree in biomedical engineering and aerospace engineering. UPR-Bayamon is limited in the number of students accepted by UPR-Mayaguez into their existing programs. Additionally, this program will allow Purdue to grow its pool of diverse students in areas not offered at UPR-Bayamon, such as aerospace engineering, nuclear engineering, materials engineering and biomedical engineering. In collaboration with UPR faculty, Purdue faculty will develop a template for introductory courses. For Purdue to partner with the University of Puerto Rico to help them grow engineering programs, such as aerospace engineering and biomedical engineering, is a unique way to help grow the local workforce while increasing diversity here and promoting unique research partnerships such as Coastal Resiliency, said Mung Chiang, the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering and Purdues vice president for strategic initiatives.

Professional development for police: UPR-Bayamon is the primary institution designated by the government to offer training opportunities for police. Purdue has identified a unique opportunity to leverage existing funding to develop and offer high-quality professional development.

To jumpstart the partnership, UPR stakeholders have been invited to participate in the Summer Institute for Sustainability & Climate Change at Purdue West Lafayette from June 20 to Aug. 1.

Castillo is working with the Office of Naval Research (ONR) on a consortium for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-serving institutions to conduct this initiative with the goal of building and mentoring a diverse workforce that will solve future challenges pertaining to sustainability climate change, security and precision medicine. The target audience is K-12 students and faculty and college undergraduate and graduate students, and participants will receive a certificate of completion after taking part in the monthlong institute.

Addressing social inequality and engaging the untapped talent in our communities while solving climate change, health challenges, and security are major goals of our consortium, Castillo said. By increasing a diverse STEM workforce, we will accelerate new innovations, which will propel a strong economy in Puerto Rico, specifically in disadvantaged communities. For us to partner with the University of Puerto Rico to address problems related to coastal resiliency, renewable energy and train a strong STEM workforce will help us build a vibrant future for the island and in the mainland.

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.

About Purdue Polytechnic Institute

The Purdue Polytechnic Institute, one of the 10 academic colleges of Purdue University, provides a unique array of high-demand technology disciplines for bachelors, masters and Ph.D. degrees available on Purdues flagship campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, and at other locations throughout the state. The Polytechnics faculty and staff encourage innovation, collaboration and creativity among diverse interdisciplinary groups in the persistent pursuit of big ideas and novel approaches. Thanks to our generous alumni and engaged industry partners, Purdue Polytechnic continues the important steps of Purdues history, preparing our graduates for their successful futures.

About Purdue University Global

Purdue University Global delivers personalized online education tailored to the unique needs of adults who have work or life experience beyond the classroom, enabling them to develop essential academic and professional skills with the support and flexibility they need to achieve their career goals. It offers personalized paths for students to earn an associate, bachelors, masters or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations  no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue University Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue Universitys flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest Indiana, as well as serving science, engineering and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, visit purdueglobal.edu.

Media Contact: Tom Schott, tschott@purdue.edu

Sources: Mung Chiang

Maricel Lawrence

Melissa Burdi

Luciano Castillo
Similar to many other jobs in the last year, Scott County raised poll worker wages to attract more people to the job, an essential one to administering elections like Tuesday's primary.

Scott County Auditor Kerri Tompkins said the county had roughly 230 precinct election officials who administer the primary elections on Tuesday at 66 polling places in Scott County  instructing voters how to vote, checking voter eligibility, and setting up and closing the polling place, etc.

Scott County raised poll worker wages from $10 an hour to $12.50 an hour and raised precinct chairs to $15 an hour. With a grant during the pandemic in 2020, the county raised wages to $15 for election workers, but wasn't structured into future budgets at the time.

"This wage level is not adequate to attract and retain sufficient numbers of precinct officials, especially quality workers who can fulfill all of the increasing complex tasks expected of them," Tompkins wrote in a letter to county supervisors requesting the wage increases in March.

Sue Boedeker, of Park View, chaired a new precinct in Eldridge  a product of the decennial redistricting  for the first time on Tuesday. She figured it would be a less-busy election to get more familiar with the ropes ahead of the general election.

Primary turnout is typically lower than general elections. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the county had a 6.89% turnout. In 2018, the last primary midterm election, turnout reached 10%.

Karen Schmitt, of Eldridge, recruited Boedeker after deciding not to chair the new precinct herself, she said. She cited 2021 election laws that are in effect this year that makes it a felony for auditors or other election officials to willfully fail to carry out election laws.

Voters in Scott County cast ballots on Tuesday in competitive statewide, local legislative, and county supervisors races.

Lynne Bosten of Davenport, said she wanted to make sure she cast her vote for Iowa's long-time senator, Republican Chuck Grassley, who is facing a primary challenge from state Republican lawmaker Jim Carlin.

"I really wanted to vote for Chuck Grassley because we can't afford to lose the position he has in the Senate," she said. Grassley is the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.

For county office, primary voters are winnowing a field of five Democrats and four Republicans down to three each. Two incumbents are running for reelection to their seats. One supervisor seat is open  Democrat Ken Croken is running unopposed for an Iowa House seat representing Davenport.

Republican voters in Eldridge, Bettendorf, Riverdale, Panorama Park, and some in LeClaire and Davenport are picking between LeClaire City Council member Barry Long and Bettendorf Alderman Scott Webster to face Bettendorf doctor Mary Kathleen Figaro, a Democrat, in the November general election.

In a northwest Davenport statehouse seat, Davenport realtor Sean Hanley and author and speaker Luana Stoltenberg are competing to face former Genesis spokesperson Craig Cooper, a Democrat.

And four candidates are on the ballot for a seat representing northwest Scott County, all of Cedar County, and parts of Muscatine County  Democrats Nikole Tutton, of Mechanicsville, and Deb VanderGaast, of Tipton and Republicans Kerry Gruenhagen, of Walcott and Alan Weets, of Mechanicsville.

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All statistics lie. The biggest lie is that we know the truth when we know the stat. But what do the numbers include, exclude? Who took the data? How was it gathered, counted? Anyone doubting the 2020 election results must also doubt all other data. A certain storm affects 30 million people; 400 million guns in America; what do those really mean? Using "million" apparently proves that something is better or worse or bigger, more threatening. We must remember that the writer is using stats to lead us to a desired conclusion. The data itself isn't the truth; it's simply another adjective to persuade us. A June 5 letter argues against gun control, since "no specific law" would have prevented the Uvalde shooting. He states, "as many as 2.5 million times each year, Americans protect themselves with their guns." How about an array of new laws to reign in guns from dangerous people. How many of those 2.5M Americans were "dangerous people;" how many used AR-15 to protect themselves. This ain't 1776. We need new laws.
Illinois State Police officials are investigating a two-vehicle crash in Henry County that involved an unoccupied Henry County Sheriff's Deputy squad car.

According to a news release from the ISP office in East Moline, the crash occurred at approximately 6:13 p.m. on Sunday, June 5, 2022.

The ISP report said the Henry County deputy was on scene of a previous crash, assisting with traffic control near mile post 32.5 in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80.

"The deputys squad car was stationary, with emergency lights activated, and unoccupied," the news release said. "At this time, a green Toyota Highlander traveling eastbound on Interstate 80 failed to yield to the stationary emergency vehicle and struck the rear end of the deputys squad car."

No injuries were reported.

The ISP release said the driver of the green Toyota Highlander, Zaka Zeynalov, a 34-year-old male from San Jose, Calif., was charged with Scotts Law-improper passing of emergency vehicle, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Scotts Law is also known as the move over law. When approaching an emergency vehicle, or any vehicle with emergency or hazard lights activated, drivers are required to slow down and move over.

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WHAT WE KNOW: Orion village officials are considering providing some assistance to Jason West of West Concrete with flooding issues at his 109 10th Ave. property.

WHAT'S NEW: Two more homeowners attended Monday's village board meeting to say they, too, have flooding issues. Ann and Phil Randall of 1010 10th Ave. said they'd been flooded twice in the 12 years they'd lived at the property  once in 2015 and a month ago. Ron Belton of 102 12th Ave. said his garage needed to be lifted 3 feet to get it above flood stage, and the problem had worsened since the state worked on U.S. Highway 150 some years ago.

Village President Jim Cooper said the village needed to have an engineer look at the Randalls' property. The Belton property wasn't on the agenda and will be talked about at a future meeting. The village will approach the developer for a flooding issue at Prairie Knoll subdivision that has worsened since two new homes were built. Engineer J.D. Schulte of Hutchison Engineering said he agreed the West situation was a TIF-eligible expense and also eligible for motor fuel tax money since there was roadway drainage. No decisions were made.

WHAT'S NEXT: Schulte said his firm could help create a five-year infrastructure plan in part to capture the knowledge and experience of the three village superintendents  Neil Dahl, streets; Arnie Sandberg, water; and Chris Lundburg, sewer  who will retire in coming years. Cooper asked Schulte to come up with a cost and then report to a finance committee meeting. Any document could include recommendations for future water and sewer rates. Water chairman Mel Drucker said years worth of water improvements had been accomplished without raising rates, but those days might be at an end.

"How do we fund it? That's going to be the big thing," Drucker said. Not only don't congressmen have "little pots" of money any longer, but water-saving devices mean revenues are down in the water department while expenses are up.

"Guidance is what we're looking for," Cooper said.

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Chicago police officers work the scene where an officer was shot and wounded in the 6900 block of South Sangamon Street on June 5, 2022, in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

An Englewood man has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly wounding a police officer in a shootout over the weekend, authorities said.

Jerome Halsey, 27, also faces charges of aggravated battery and aggravated assault, records show. Halsey did not appear in bond court Tuesday because he was still hospitalized at Advocate Christ Memorial Hospital for gunshot wounds to his left chest and right thigh, a Chicago police officer told Judge Charles Beach II at the hearing.

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An assistant public defender represented Halsey, and Beach said he could not hold Halsey without bond because he was unable to appear at court. While he could make that order in the future, on Tuesday he set Halseys cash bond at $1 million.

Halsey had a prior gun case in May 2019, where he was charged with two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, Assistant States Attorney James Murphy said. He pleaded guilty to an amended charge of unlawful use of a weapon as a misdemeanor and was sentenced to one year of probation. He filed an expungement after that case, but Murphy said its unclear what the outcome was.

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At the time of the shooting, Halsey had a valid firearm owners identification card and a concealed carry license, Murphy said.

The shooting Sunday was the second time in less than a week that an officer was shot in the Englewood police district. A female officer was wounded during a traffic stop Wednesday in that neighborhood. The next day, a CPD canine officer and a deputy U.S. marshal were wounded during a gunbattle on the Northwest Side.

Prosecutors allege in court records that Halsey committed several traffic violations while driving in Englewood on Sunday, and officers in an unmarked car followed him trying to get a view of his license plate.

Murphy said that the shooting occurred about 2 p.m. Sunday in the 6900 block of South Sangamon Street. Officers allegedly noticed Halsey was driving erratically on 71st Street and that his brake lights were not working.

Halsey then turned into an alley then onto Sangamon and the officers followed him, Murphy said. In the middle of the block on Sangamon, Halsey then pulled into an alley, which is a dead end. He tried to back up but was blocked by the officers vehicle.

The three officers, who were in full police uniform, got out of the car with their guns unholstered and one approached the drivers side of Halseys car, the prosecutor said, seeing that Halsey was the only person in the vehicle.

Halsey then opened the door and fired a gun at the officer, Murphy said. The officer was shot and fired back at Halsey as he was running for cover.

One of the other officers then fired 10 shots from his gun, Murphy said.

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The officer who was shot was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for gunshot wounds to his left shoulder, left forearm and left armpit, Murphy said.

The shooting was captured on the officers body-worn cameras and surveillance videos, Murphy said.

Halseys gun, a 9 mm Glock, was found at the scene along with three shell casings by the drivers side of the vehicle, Murphy said. Two loaded extended magazines were also allegedly found in the vehicle.

The assistant public defender said she had not yet been able to speak with Halsey but noted that Murphy never mentioned if the officers activated their overhead lights and that they were in an unmarked car following Halsey.

It was also unclear what the officers said to Halsey and if he knew they were police officers, the public defender said.

Beach, when making his decision on bond, said Halsey had to have known they were police officers, given they were in full uniform and came within 2 feet of him.

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Halseys next court date is scheduled for June 13.

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com

pfry@chicagotribune.com
Two Quad-City properties  the old Forest Grove School in Bettendorf and a showy mansion in Davenports historic Gold Coast neighborhood  have won top awards for historic preservation from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

Both received Preservation Project of Merit Awards, which recognize projects that exemplify the best practices of historic preservation, meet federal standards, and make use of state tax credits for historic preservation, according to a news release from the department.

Forest Grove School, built in 1873 and not used since 1957, was falling apart when Sharon Andresen launched a campaign to save it one snowy day in 2012. In cooperation with the Blunk family, on whose property it stood, she and a nonprofit support group raised more than $250,000 over a seven-year period and donated or solicited untold hours of volunteer labor and in-kind contributions to restore the one-room school to how it looked in the 1920s.

Early work included jacking up the leaning structure so that a new foundation could be built, then setting the building back down. A new roof and rebuilt windows to button up the building from the elements also were crucial, as were new floor joists, new siding and new walls.

A crowning feature was construction of an elaborate bell tower that had been removed, and the reinstallation of the original bell that the Blunks had retained for safe-keeping.

Today the school at 24040 Forest Grove Drive is being operated as a museum-interpretive center, offering tours that educate the public on what one-room schools looked like, the type of education they offered and the role they played in the states history. At one time the state had 12,000 to 14,000 such schools, more than any state in the nation.

In addition, volunteers offer one- and full-day reenactments in which school children are invited to come to the school to experience what a typical day in the 1920s was like.

Gold Coast mansion

The towered mansion known as the Lambrite-Iles-Petersen House at 510 W. 6th St. was so dilapidated that the city of Davenport had declared it uninhabitable. In 2012, the citys Historic Preservation Commission asked the city council to declare it a local landmark as a way to provide some protections. The city boarded up the house and made temporary roof repairs.

A group of concerned neighbors and others interested in historic preservation formed a group called Friends of 510 to develop a plan to save it. They convinced the city to condemn the building and then seek proposals for its restoration.

The city bought the home in September 2014 for $34,000 through condemnation and in February 2015, the mansion was purchased for $38,000 by Dick and Linda Stone of Muscatine. Restoration turned into a multi-year year retirement project for them, with a total investment of nearly $500,000 that has come from state and federal historic preservation tax credits and their own capital.

They rebuilt the mansion from top to bottom, with all new mechanicals, 52 restored windows, a new roof, restoration of an early addition, removal of later additions, new drywall, paint and floors. One of the final projects, undertaken in 2021, was to hire a company specializing in historic paint restoration to restore a fresco painted on the central stairwell walls and ceiling.

Well probably be at this for as long as we own the house, Dick Stone said of restoration. Theres always something we want to do.

While Forest Grove School is open to the public on a regular basis, the mansion is a private residence. But it will be open for tours on Sept. 16-17 during the Gold Coast tour of homes.

Built in 1856, the mansion is one of the most architecturally and historically significant residential structures in Davenport for several reasons, beginning with its Italianate architectural style, with brackets under the eaves, a tower, tall windows and quoins, or blocks on the corners.

It also was the home of three significant individuals: Joseph Lambrite, the builder who was a partner in Davenports largest sawmill, a major industry in the citys early history; Thomas Iles, a prominent Davenport physician who cared for prisoners at the Civil War Confederate camp on Arsenal Island and John H.C. Petersen who established a mercantile business at 219 2nd St., now the Redstone Building, home to the River Music Experience. The business he founded has evolved into Von Maur.

Finally, the home is significant because it was designed by John C. Cochrane, whose other credits include the Renwick Mansion in Davenport and both the Illinois and Iowa state capitals.

Other awards

The awards were presented last week during the 2022 Preserve Iowa Summit held in Mason City. In total, 17 projects and individuals and 14 communities received honors.

An award for a large commercial project went to the WarriorDavidson/Warrior Hotel in Sioux City that is owned by Restoration St. Louis, a company owned by Amrit and Amy Gill who have done extensive work in the Quad-Cities.

Vacant for 40 years, the hotel was redeveloped in 2020 with a $72 million investment. Much like the Gills projects in Davenport, it has served as a catalyst for Sioux Citys downtown redevelopment.

Other awards went to projects and educational efforts in Council Bluffs, Mason City, Bloomfield, Centerville, Des Moines, Dubuque, Keosauqua, Mt. Pleasant, Newton and Red Oak and to Leah Rogers of Mount Vernon who had a 40-year career in historic preservation.

The awards acknowledge thousands of volunteer hours and more than $120 million of investment in Iowas economy, the news release said. Without the combination of private funding, historic tax credits, grant awards, and public dollars, projects like these would be impossible, Susan Kloewer, administrator of the State Historical Society of Iowa, said in the news release.

More information about the awards is available at iowaculture.gov and preservationiowa.org.

Preservation Iowa was created in 1991 to support, broaden and strengthen the statewide constituency for preservation in Iowa; to educate public and private policymakers who affect historic preservation issues at the national, state and local levels; to develop and implement strategies for ensuring the preservation of individual and collective sites and structure of cultural significance to Iowa; and to work in partnership with national, state and local agencies and organizations whose activities impact historic resources.

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In a rare second act after cancellation, the legal drama All Rise moves from CBS to OWN. David Letterman brings rising stand-up comics into the spotlight in a new comedy/interview series. Comedic actor/writer Stephen Merchant takes a dramatic turn as a serial killer of gay men in London in The Barking Murders. TMZ weighs in on the Johnny DeppAmber Heard trial in a prime-time special on Fox.

Season Premiere 8/7c

A little more than a year has passed since CBS prematurely canceled this legal drama about L.A. Judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick), but with the shows resurrection on a new network, only six months has elapsed between the second and third seasons. The action picks up on election night, as Judge Lola awaits the returns of what looks like a close race. In other courthouse news, legal eagle public defender Emily (Jessica Camacho) returns reinvigorated from Puerto Rico, while former bailiff Luke (J. Alex Brinson) struggles to adjust to his new job in the public defenders office.

Series Premiere

They may not be household names yet, but David Letterman is betting on a new crop of rising stand-up stars, the way he did years ago with Ray Romano and others on his legendary late-night show. In a six-episode series, Letterman introduces a comedian for a five-minute set, then sits for a chat (the equivalent of calling them over to sit beside his desk back in the day). The featured comics are Rosebud Baker, Phil Wang, Sam Morril, Brian Simpson, Robin Tran and Naomi Ekperigin.

Series Premiere

On comedies like Extras and Hello Ladies, Stephen Merchant can make you laugh while you cringe. In a three-part docudrama, hell have you cringing in horroras Grindr killer Stephen Port, who murdered four gay men in London in the summer of 2014. The series goes beyond the procedural to focus on the crime sprees impact on the victims loved ones and Londons gay community at large, while revealing how the police missed several opportunities to stop Port earlier.

Special 9/8c

As inevitable as stink rising from flatulence comes a prime-time special from the gossip vultures of TMZ, rehashing highlights of the Johnny DeppAmber Heard defamation trial that gripped the media for weeks. Maybe now we can all move on?

Inside Tuesday TV:

Superman & Lois (8/7c, The CW): The usually compatible title couple (Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch) clash as they try to figure out if Ally ( Rya Kihlstedt ) went to the Inverse World.

) went to the Inverse World. Manhattan (8/7c, Turner Classic Movies): A salute to famed cinematographer Gordon Willis , recipient of a 2010 honorary Oscar, includes Woody Allens troublesome-in-retrospect black-and-white masterpiece from 1979, the surreal 1981 musical Pennies from Heaven (10/9c) and, overnight, the gritty crime drama Klute (2 am/1c), featuring Jane Fondas Oscar-winning performance.

(8/7c, Turner Classic Movies): A salute to famed cinematographer , recipient of a 2010 honorary Oscar, includes Woody Allens troublesome-in-retrospect black-and-white masterpiece from 1979, the surreal 1981 musical (10/9c) and, overnight, the gritty crime drama (2 am/1c), featuring Jane Fondas Oscar-winning performance. Mayans M.C. (10/9c, FX): The club considers an alliance that could return them to their former glory.

Origins of Hip Hop (10/9c, A&E): The musical biography series moves to its regular time period with a look at the influences that helped Busta Rhymes launch his career.

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Editor's note: This is the second in a four-part series talking with former Rapid City Daily Journal employees and what they remember from their perspective covering the 1972 flood.

It may be one of the most tedious beats at a newspaper  the public safety beat  but having that personal connection of talking with the police every day may have saved reporter Jack Getz and his familys life the night of the 1972 flood.

That night, Getz remembers police and firefighters pounding on his front door telling everyone in the neighborhood they needed to evacuate as Rapid Creek was flooding and the Canyon Lake Dam about to go.

The then 29-year-old, living along Third Avenue near Jackson Boulevard, went downstairs to turn off the gas furnace first as instructed by the police.

I went downstairs to turn off the gas on the water heater and then the lights went out, but I did have a flashlight. I couldn't find the gas valve on top of the furnace. But I heard a noise in the next room like someone was there, which didn't make sense to me, Getz said. I shined my flashlight in there and brown water was cascading through a little vent in the foundation. At which time I forgot about the gas valve and raced back upstairs.

Getz jumped into his pickup where his wife and three-year-old son were now waiting for him.

It was what happened next that Getz says is how he barely escaped death.

As we started (to drive away), the policeman whom I knew because I was on the police beat, came back and asked me where I was going. My thought process was, Well, Canyon Lake Dam was on my right to the west of us.' And I had just been told that the Canyon Lake Dam was about to go. So, I'm gonna go in the opposite direction which would have been down Jackson Boulevard toward the bridge and into the height of the flood, Getz said.

I've always thought police officer Tom Whittecar saved our lives because he said don't go that way. He said go up Evergreen Drive. I said okay, I'll turn around and go up Evergreen, Getz said. He said, Don't turn around, otherwise you'll get sideways. Backup. So I backed up for about a block  out of the water and went up Evergreen Drive.

I was in a state of shock, I think, from that moment.

Moments after driving out of the water, Getz said the big wave from the Canyon Lake Dam rupture crossed over Jackson Boulevard.

The Masters family, just a couple blocks up the road, werent as fortunate. Three members of the family were killed in the same wave.

Making it out of the water, Getz and his family raced over to the Methodist Church atop the hill on Canyon Lake Drive to wait out the storm.

Getz doesnt remember exactly if he or one of about 10 other people at the church seeking shelter, broke a window to get in. Eventually over the course of the night, several hundred people took refuge in the church, Getz said.

Sometime during the course of the night, they brought in a woman who had been in the creek, she was soaking wet and wrapped in blankets and they sat her down in a chair about 40 feet from where I was, Getz said. I sat there and I said, 'I really should be over there interviewing that woman and I couldn't do it. I couldn't get up and do it.

I was a little bit shell shocked. I was also very reluctant to approach her because she was suffering and she was cold. She didn't need to be answering a lot of intrusive questions from somebody she'd never seen before in real life.

Getz, who started at the Journal in 1969, said hes always felt guilty that he didnt contribute enough to the coverage knowing there were some stories he just couldnt do.

Once the morning came, Getz and his family returned to their home to find a few inches of mud inside the basement along with water damage, but the house happened to be just on the opposite side of the street of the flood zone.

The Journal at the time typically only had one reporter to work the late shift on Saturday and that was Getz.

Knowing the flood happened but not totally realizing how severe the storm was, Getz decided to head to work early believing he was going to be left to himself to report on the devastation.

Before heading into work, Getz decided to check the damage to his neighborhood first.

I had walked up and down Jackson Boulevard, which at that time the water had receded 50 feet from my back door, there was a house sitting in the middle of the street," Getz said. "The 1950s-style house with attached garage setting right smack in the middle of Jackson Boulevard. That garage door was gone. You could look in and see lawn tools still hanging on the wall of the garage. Down the street four or five blocks there's another house sitting right in the middle of the street.

I got down as far as Canyon Lake Park and the dam was gone but water was still rushing over because the creek was still very wide and the park was just filled with debris, trees and vehicles. At the base of this pile of debris was a body of a woman lying in a nightgown. And Don Polovich, our photographer, had gotten back to town and walked past the same thing and took a picture of this body of a flood victim. The Journal had a policy against running pictures of dead bodies. But they did publish that picture in that Sunday edition. And I think that's the only body picture that was ever shown.

Once Getz got back to the Journal office, he was expecting to be working as the sole reporter with one page designer on desk. He came to find a bustling newsroom with editors and reporters busy, trying to track down as much information as they could.

Despite not being able to put out a Saturday paper due to the power outage on Friday night, the Journal was going to put out an edition on Sunday.

For Getz, having the police beat, tracking down information was a lot harder than usual given the police station had been washed away.

One of the difficulties was that we couldn't actually believe what we were dealing with, Getz said. We said with shock, disbelief, there could be a dozen people dead. Holy mackerel, there might be 20 people killed in this thing.

By the end of the day, the Journal reported the casualty list had reached at least 105 dead.

The Journal was also working on a missing persons list that only got longer.

Everybody on the staff was involved in flood coverage. I think the thing I did more than anything else was gather information from law enforcers as to what they were doing, and it frequently became part of somebody else's news story. A fact-gatherer, Getz said.

While news organizations from as far as London, Getz recalled, were in Rapid City to cover the devastation  the Journal still had a paper to put together with community happenings.

Despite how crazy the news cycle was, the Journal offered their hospitality to the visiting press.

That didnt mean flood coverage wasnt still a priority, it just meant there was even more to do.

I looked at my old notebook from the week of the flood, Getz said. Three days after the flood. I had a whole list of names of people who had been in municipal court. Because we were still putting out a paper.

Getz said while they probably were overworked, none of the Journal's staff felt like they were, but rather the news had to be covered.

Getz ventured off his police beat to help in coverage, including Car Salvage a Major Operation on how the city was handling the clean-up of the thousands of vehicles destroyed by the flood, along with Insurance information on how most of the damage caused from the flood wasnt covered for most people.

Talk about a boring headline, Getz joked.

Roughly a week following the flood, Getz said a group of law enforcement personnel from out of state came into town specifically to act as a body recovery team.

Getz managed to tag along with the group for a day. He described it as they were all wearing gas masks and he had to cover his face with his arm and sleeve.

Given the gruesome nature of the scene, Getz felt he couldnt write that story.

They pulled a few bodies out of places. I got back to the newsroom. And that was my feature story, he said. What the hell was I going to write? People would vomit if they read that. So I didn't write anything but I felt guilty for not.

It didnt take long for Getz and the rest of the staff to return to their traditional coverage roles, but the hard work of the Journal didnt go unnoticed.

In 1973, the Journal received a special acknowledgement from the Pulitzer Prize jury "for its coverage of a disastrous flood which swept through the section."

I thought it was an admirable exercise in American journalism that we gathered our forces and covered this story and continued to cover the community even while we were covering this earth shattering story, Getz said of the Journal staff and how they handled the news.

Getz would later go on to become the Capitol reporter for the Journal and eventually the assistant news editor until 1984 when he decided to go back to school.

In 1985, Getz earned his master's degree from the University of Arizona and landed a teaching job at his alma mater, South Dakota State University, where he retired in 2010.

Getz and his wife now spend the majority of their time in St. Paul (Minn.) to be closer to their grandchildren, but spend the summers at their home in the Black Hills.

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The newly incorporated town of Keystone was nearly destroyed by the June 1972 flooding that devastated Rapid City. Keystone will celebrate its 50th anniversary by remembering the flood and focusing on the strength and perseverance of its residents.

Keystone was founded as a mining settlement in 1883, but it officially became a municipality on June 8, 1972  and flooded the next day.

The towns official start and destruction is all linked together. People forget that because it was overshadowed by tragedy (in Rapid City), said Cassandra Ott, Keystone finance officer.

Keystone will observe and celebrate its dual 50th anniversaries with three days of special events and the release of a new book, Keystone Remembers. The book includes stories that were collected for the 40th anniversary, and it adds new stories and before-and-after photos of downtown Keystone.

Its a time of sorrow and of joy, Ott said. Were trying to focus on the resiliency of the community because they did rebuild. They didnt have much option. Keystone was flooded and (locals) needed to have a tourist season.

Keystones 50th anniversary observances begin at 4 p.m. Thursday with a remembrance ceremony at Keystone Community Center gym. Special guests will include a representative from the Small Business Administration, which Ott said was influential in rebuilding Keystone after the flood by offering affordable loans so business owners could rebuild. Ott said the town hopes individuals from the National Guard, Custer County Sheriffs Office and the Red Cross, who offered emergency support services during and after the flooding, also will attend.

Weve invited a lot of people who lived through the flood so we can remember the victims and their own trauma through that day, Ott said.

The mood turns celebratory on Friday, when a parade to mark the towns 50th anniversary will travel through Keystone at 11 a.m. The town of 240 year-round residents will gather after the parade for a community barbecue in Watson Park. An awards ceremony will honor businesses that have been in Keystone for the past 50 years, and some of the families that have been influential in Keystone will be recognized, Ott said.

Some lawmakers, including Gov. Kristi Noem, have been invited to attend. Additionally, a guest speaker will talk about the 1880 Trains role in Keystone through the years, and a master of the Lakota hoop dance, Dallas Chief Eagle, will give a presentation.

The Keystone Historical Museum, 410 Third Street, will host a ceremony at 3 p.m. Friday to recognize a special flood exhibit at the museum and the release of the book Keystone Remembers.

Keystone Remembers documents stories from more than 60 flood survivors, along with photos and logistical information about the flood, according to Casey Sullivan, Keystone Historical Museum director. The book can be purchased at Friday's ceremony and at the museum after that.

We have several artifacts at the museum directly linked to the flood, Sullivan said of the flood exhibit. We focus a lot on the recovery and rebuilding of the town and the organizations that helped do that. Well have an assortment of things that try to honor and represent everything.

Special events continue Saturday for kids and adults. The Black Hills Volkssport Association is sponsoring a Keystone Remembrance 50th Anniversary Flood Walk. Registration will be from 8 to 11 a.m. at the picnic shelter behind Keystone Community Center and Library on Highway 40 east of Keystone. The fee is $3 per walker.

Walkers must finish by 2 p.m. There will be 5K and 10K routes to follow, where walkers can see signs showing the destruction of the 1972 flood. For more information about the flood walk, call 605-574-3278 or go to bhva.org.

The town of Keystone will host a kids carnival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Watson Park. Kids can enjoy inflatable bouncy castles, food, face painting and more.

Watson Park itself is something of a memorial to the flood. The park is named for the family who donated the land to Keystone. In 1972, March Watson lived in a house on creekside property thats now the park. When Keystone flooded, rescuers in a boat got March out of her house. Water had risen so high that March was on her kitchen table when her rescuers arrived, Ott said.

A rare event

Keystone officials have since learned the flooding that swept through the town on June 9, 1972 is considered a 500-year flood, Ott said. Nearly 15 inches of rain fell in six hours.

The flood waters came down from Mount Rushmore on Grizzly Creek. It came through town and took out a campground, she said. There were cabins and  most of the people that passed away were staying in the campground.

The campground was located on Roy Street, where Dahls Chainsaw Art is now.

Pennington County was overwhelmed with the Rapid Creek flooding. Custer County, the National Guard and the Red Cross aided Keystone, Ott said. The disaster in Rapid City was so overwhelming that many people there didnt even know Keystone had flooded too until a day or two later.

We had the National Guard putting in bridges. We had the Red Cross giving people shots so they wouldnt get sick and giving people tents to stay in, Ott said. All of our bridges are the same age. They all got demolished at the same time and got rebuilt at the same time.

Chaos at the time in the flooded communities caused confusion about the numbers of people who died in the flood, but Ott said no Keystone residents are believed to have perished. The flood victims in Keystone were about a dozen tourists  including a mother and her children from Pennsylvania  who were staying at a local campground.

Although that campground is gone, much of Keystone looks similar to the way it was in the 1970s, Ott said, because townspeople rebuilt quickly.

Rapid City was one of the first towns in the country to say No, were not letting people rebuild in the floodway, Ott said. That didnt happen in Keystone and Keystone relies on tourism. It did then and it does now. People were anxious to rebuild as fast as possible in order to take advantage of whatever summer they could.

Keystone is in a canyon. There arent a lot of places to build that arent in the floodway, she said.

The newly incorporated town didnt yet have much authority to stop people from rebuilding, Ott said, so owners of many buildings dug the mud out and fixed them up and they kept going.

Over the past 50 years, the town has put some laws in place about building in the floodway. Engineering firm AE2S recently conducted a flood study for the town of Keystone. Although Keystone has experienced some other flooding since 1972, none have been as severe.

We do abide by FEMAs rules. Thats why we got the flood study done, so we can know where those boundaries are and where we should be regulating (building), Ott said.

The study had to be approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ott said. The study concluded the 1972 flood was a very rare event. The odds of another 1972-type flood occurring are one in 500, according to the flood study research.

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The Rapid City Area Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Monday to pull a policy off of the meeting agenda that would have outlined "Parents/Guardian/Students Rights in Education" because the policies and South Dakota laws already exist elsewhere.

The proposed policy outlined six rights that parents, guardians and students have in public education and each right was referenced by either an existing policy or South Dakota Codified Law.

Area 6 Board of Education member Amy Policky said since the policies already exist, it would be better for the board to work on a resolution to make those policies more visible in student handbooks and on the school district's website.

"It's my understanding that the purpose of this policy was to kind of pull parts of our existing policy into one policy so that parents and students would know how to navigate the policies a little easier, to understand what their rights are and how to find solutions to problems and answers to the questions," Policky said.

She said it would be better to do that via a resolution that would direct school district administrative staff to create a reference page in the students handbook and on the website that explains the different policies and how parents and students can go about answering questions about those policies.

"Rather than complicating policy by adding a couple of policies together, this reference page would help parents and students understand where the policies are that they're trying to find to answer their questions," Policky said. "I think it would also help staff to understand as they communicate with parents and students and to guide them to the correct policies."

Area 5 board member Clay Colombe said he was surprised to see the item on the agenda because he thought the board agreed in a previous meeting that it should be a resolution because the policies already exist.

"We discussed that this really wasn't a policy because it wasn't changing anything (other than) a reference to things that are already in policy," he said. "So, I was kind of surprised as well to see it on a policy first reading because it's not a policy."

Following the board's actions, several community members addressed the board saying a clearer policy was needed. Some community members voiced concern that "liberal ideology," "propaganda" and the "radical left" were seeping into education and were doing so because parental rights were not being clearly addressed by the school district.

Others, however, voiced concern over how the policy was drafted as it seemed to them portions of it was targeting teacher ability to help at-risk students and students who are LGBTQ.

The RCAS board will revisit the topic of parental and student rights in education as a resolution in a future meeting.

Board votes down science curriculum

In other business, the board voted 4-3 to deny the implementation of new science instructional materials for kindergarten through fifth grade. The school district's elementary school curriculum committee selected the new material to replace outdated items that have been used since 2009.

The proposed science materials were favorably reviewed by the district's Instructional Council. However, Board of Education President Kate Thomas said she had concerns about adding new materials on teachers and that she heard from parents about the material as well.

"I feel at this time, it is too much to be putting another new thing on teachers this next year," she said. "They have felt kind of burned out, weighted down and a lot was done late last year... It's just too much and I don't think that enough parents got the chance to take a look at this curriculum."

Two representatives of the district's curriculum specialist team said the teachers were supportive of the new curriculum and had opportunities to explore what the new material has to offer. The specialists also said there were two open houses for parents to examine the material and provide feedback. Parents also had the opportunity to look at the material online, with notifications sent out via school messaging and on the district's social media pages.

Area 2 board member Troy Carr said he was on the Instructional Council committee and understood this would be replacing old material, not adding new material. He said additional teacher training would be done during the mandatory professional development days, so it wasn't adding a new burden.

"I was at this meeting and was able to pick up on the excitement of teachers, the excitement of having material  modern material, current material  that was going to be good for the teachers and the students," Carr said.

At the end of the discussion, board members Deb Baker, Gabe Doney and Jim Hansen joined Thomas in voting against approving the science curriculum. Carr, Colombe and Policky voted in favor of the curriculum adoption.

Thomas said the new elementary science material may come back before the board after further study.

Contact Nathan Thompson at nathan.thompson@rapidcityjournal.com.

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Despite party affiliation, everyone registered to vote in the area will have items on their ballots during Tuesday's primary election.

Constitutional Amendment C is the sole statewide ballot measure during the June primary. If approved, the amendment would add a provision to the state constitution that could make it more difficult to pass ballot measures that raise taxes or expand government funds. It would place a 60% vote threshold on citizen-initiated ballot measures that raise taxes or spend more than $10 million within the first five fiscal years of enactment.

Nonpartisan races in Rapid City include one seat each in Areas 3 and 6 for the Rapid City Area Schools Board of Education. Area 3 candidates include incumbent board member Gabe Doney and Michael Birkeland.

Area 6 has an open seat left by Amy Policky, who decided not to run for another term. The candidates include Jamie Clapham and Janyce Hockenbary.

Rapid City Council has seats open in Wards 2 and 5. Incumbent Council member Bill Evans is on the ballot against challenger Lindsey Seachris in Ward 2.

Ward 5 residents will be able to choose between Patrick Roseland and J.J. Carrell to fill Council member Darla Drews seat. Drew is not running for re-election but rather for South Dakota House District 34.

Republicans during the primary will be able to vote in the United States senator, representative and South Dakota governor races.

For one of the senator seats, GOP voters can choose between incumbent U.S. Sen. John Thune, Bruce Whalen or Mark Mowry. For U.S. Representative, theres incumbent U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and South Dakota Rep. Taffy Howard. For governor, voters can choose between Steven Haugaard and incumbent Gov. Kristi Noem.

The following state candidates and races can be voted on depending on someones district.

In District 30 for the senate seat, theres incumbent Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller and Rep. Timothy R. Goodwin. For the representative seat, voters can choose two candidates including Patrick J. Baumann, Dennis Krull, Lisa Gennaro, Gerold F. Herrick and incumbent Trish Ladner.

In District 33, for the senate seat theres incumbent Sen. David Johnson or Janet Jensen. In the representative race, voters can vote for up to two people including incumbent Rep. Phil Jensen, Curt Massie, Janette McIntyre and Dean Aurand.

For state representative District 32, voters can choose up to two candidates including incumbent Rep. Becky Drury, Jamie Giedd and Steve Duffy.

Up to two candidates can be selected for District 34 House, including incumbent Reps. Mike Derby and Jess Olson, and Jodie Frye.

For District 35 state representative, two candidates can be selected including incumbent Reps. Tony Randolph and Tina Mulally, Elizabeth Regalado and Box Elder Mayor Larry Larson.

In the Pennington County Sheriff race, voters can choose between Chief Deputy Sheriff Brian Mueller or Ryan Mechaley.

For the Pennington County Board of Commissioners District 1 seat, voters can choose between incumbent Commissioner Ron Rossknecht or Mike Mueller.

Voting polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Residents can check the South Dakota Secretary of States voter portal to find their polling location.

 Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com 

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The Great Recession of 2008 could have been the end of Travis Hamiltons career in furniture manufacturing, but instead, it turned into an opportunity to craft a new beginning.

In 2003, Hamilton moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to Richmond to work for a national furniture manufacturer. However, when the housing bubble collapsed only a few years later, consumer spending on home-related items came to a complete standstill.

I knew our company and my job was in trouble, Hamilton recalls. And necessity is the mother of invention.

So Hamilton set out to craft a place for himself in the world of furniture by focusing on fabrics and home decor.

Now, with locations in Richmond and Charlottesville, his successful furniture and upholstery business u-fab interiors is the go-to shop for elevated home design as well as a lifeline for local suppliers and manufacturers who lost client-facing retail space in recent years.

North Carolina-based custom upholstery manufacturer Wesley Hall was one such partnership forged from the changing retail landscape.

One of the things my staff and I appreciate about Wesley Hall is that theyre not a huge manufacturer, says Hamilton. Theyre a privately held family company. Were also a privately held family company. Theyre good people, and that goes a good way.

Wesley Hall has been in business for over 50 years. With its focus on impeccable quality and tailoring, the Hickory, North Carolina, company has cemented its role as one of the industrys fabric leaders.

Whether its the frame or suspension, they dont skimp on anything, says Hamilton. They use the best materials, like we do, and you see that in the product. It stands apart.

Because of that quality, u-fab has been carrying Wesley Hall products in-store since 2019. But they also fit the u-fab standard with an eclectic mix of furniture from classics to midcentury.

We went with them because we like a lot of the styles they offered, and they used a lot of the same fabrics we carry, so from an aesthetic standpoint, they were a very good fit. Both of our companies can offer that well-traveled, collected look, says Hamilton. Plus, we were looking for made-in-the-U.S. manufacturers we could trust.

So what are a few ways you can incorporate Wesley Hall luxury into your living area?

Hamilton swears by the Wesley Hall Thayer chair.

It has perfect ergonomics, and its just really comfortable. The waterfall dressmaker drape skirt on it  it starts at the top and drapes the whole way down the piece. Its so difficult to do, but they are the best in the world at it, I would say.

Several Thayer chairs can currently be found on the floor at the u- fab showrooms.

If youre looking to splurge and do a whole room, Hamilton recommends beginning with picking out the right sofa. Starting with a sectional or other type of sofa grounds the room and gives you the ability to get a good feel for the space before you add additional pieces and other decorative items.

Plus, Hamilton adds, a sofa is just worth the investment.

Its what you sit on and watch television on or do work on most nights, so you want it to be comfy and last, says Hamilton. Big, deep comfy sectionals have been popular for a long time, and they dont seem to be losing any steam.

Choosing performance fabrics for your higher traffic pieces  like the sofa  is one way you can ensure youll love your furniture for longer.

Save the more decorative or larger patterns for accent chairs and other pieces, suggests Hamilton.

The best way to know youre maximizing your space  and your budget  is by working with a u-fab design consultant, says Hamilton. The trained in-store staff can help figure out fabrics, furniture, drapes, patterns, brands, wallpaper and more.

No matter what your style, making sure we get the design direction right is always most important.

u-fab has two locations: 7921 West Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, 804-888-8322, and 2171 Ivy Road, Suite 5, Charlottesville, Virginia, 434-245-8322. Appointments are recommended for personalized services.
Mary Catherine Garrison has made her career primarily in acting  but there is hardly an art form that does not interest the Lynchburg-based creative professional.

That was always what I did. That was always my creative outlet, was making stuff. I was drawing, painting, just making, Garrison said.

Artistic by nature  unusual in her family, since there was not a history of anyone making a career in the arts  she has been making art as long as she can remember, from pottery and ceramics, to painting, to jewelry, handbags, fiber and fabric.

A jack of all trades, master of very few is how Garrison described herself and her varied interests.

Most recently known for her role in HBOs Veep and portraying character Tricia Miller in the show Somebody Somewhere with the same network, Garrison fell into acting as a primary career.

Born in Mississippi in 1973, Garrison relocated with her family to the New Orleans area as a child and entered the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts during high school.

Originally wanting to go for painting, Garrison said she did not have an art portfolio to present, which the program required  but she could get into acting. So, she started on the performing arts track and found success and passion there.

Garrison furthered her education with a bachelor of fine arts in acting at University of Evansville, where she minored in oil painting. A masters in acting from University of California, San Diego, in 1999 came next.

Garrison moved to Los Angeles with some friends after school, where she began working as a reader for a casting professional. When a director asked her one day to read for a part in the play they were casting, Garrison agreed, and she landed a role in the production. She subsequently moved to New York City where she began her Broadway run.

Over the course of that career, Garrison was in seven or eight Broadway shows altogether, beginning with her first role in The Man Who Came to Dinner, and another production where she worked under the direction of legendary composer Stephen Sondheim.

Bridget Everett, a friend and fellow actress, spent about eight years in New York City, where she and Garrison were roommates.

She was always creating: painting, acting, cooking, crafting. Anything. She can do it and do it well, Everett said in an email. I loved watching her. She has so much range. When shes on stage, you cant take your eyes off of her. Shes very special.

After a while, however, Garrison started feeling burned out.

Its grueling. There is some glamor to it, but eight shows a week is a lot. Its physically really exhausting, Garrison said. It was extraordinary, but I feel like I just got real beat up by it at the end.

While in New York City, Garrison met the man who would become her husband: Lynchburg native Marshall Wood, who was in the city on business. A mutual friend introduced them, and the rest is history.

I was never going to get married, or have kids, or any of that, but I met my husband... and I was like, I guess marriage doesnt sound all that bad. Maybe one kid, or two kids, would be OK, Garrison said.

During high school at E.C. Glass, Wood was part of the schools theater program, although he ultimately did not pursue acting as a career after graduating. A mutual love of theater and performance is one of the things the couple shares.

Mary Catherine is really a true artist, a real artist, in the truest sense of the term, Wood said.

After their marriage, Garrison and Wood had a son. Desiring a break from show business pressures and seeking a better quality of life, Garrison and her husband moved into a remote area upstate in the Catskills for a short time, then to a farm in the Hudson Valley.

In 2017, the family made the move to Lynchburg.

Multiple factors fed the decision. Here, they were able to buy a house; are closer to Woods family, as he was raised in the area; there are good schools and the chance to be close to family for the couples son; and ultimately they found a place to maintain the quality of life they wanted while allowing Garrison access to the artistic community and the opportunity for a stronger social life, something she missed desperately while living in rural New York.

Garrison has continued acting, lately more with television than on the stage.

Somebody Somewhere reunited Garrison and Everett in a working capacity, according to Everett.

Ive learned so much from her as a friend and as a performer, Everett said.

Doing plays was wonderful, Garrison said, but on-screen acting has presented a breath of fresh air in its own way.

Its a subtle difference, acting on stage and acting on camera, she said. Ive really, really deeply enjoyed having a character that you can see all the way through a whole season. It was just really fun and energizing to track that emotional journey of the character, and then to have enough time to really relax into the role. Everything Ive done has been sort of a guest spot here, or two or three episodes of something, but I havent been able to what I did with this.

When she is not acting, Garrison spends time creating in her home art studio, at her shared downtown Lynchburg art studio, or at the Academy Center of the Arts making pottery. Crafting jewelry, handbags, weaving, macrame, painting, pottery  whatever strikes her, Garrison will try. The move to Lynchburg, known for its arts culture, allowed her to focus more on these other art forms.

Pottery is what Garrison said she sells the most out of all her products, which are available online. She took up the craft after moving to Lynchburg and works mostly at the Academy Center for the Arts pottery studio.

Wood attested to the retail success of Garrisons pottery, observing her artistic process as he had for years.

When we moved back to Lynchburg, she threw herself into the ceramic world. She started creating pottery, and within what seemed like weeks, or certainly months at the time, had captured a retail audience where she was distributing a lot of pottery, shipping and mailing a lot of pottery, to boutiques and stores, he said.

Only a few of the things shes tried have not caught on for Garrison. She tried knitting in the past, for instance, but it simply didnt take. However, she does enjoy making her own clothes by sewing.

Aside from formal instruction in oil painting and pottery, Garrison is primarily self-taught.

I just get obsessed, she said. For the weaving, for the fiber art stuff, I remember I bought a lot of books from the 70s on fiber arts and crafts and learned that way. I was just voracious about it.

The professional goal Garrison is pursuing most passionately at present is collaborating with interior designers to create custom decor pieces for clients: art that will help make a customers place truly their own, not just using a Target replica of a fixture or painting.

I really love interior design, she said. I wanted to work with interior designers and make one-of-a-kind items for clients homes, be it a painting or... I make lamps, a centerpiece bowl, anything like that.

Regardless of the art form she is exercising, Garrison is constantly in a creative state, a feeling she described as almost spiritual.

I feel like its that being in the zone feeling. I can have that on stage, or on set, or making pottery, or painting. It can come from anything, she said. Its like freedom. Like, youre not thinking about all the things that you think about all day, every day. I think thats what Ive been chasing the whole time. Just chasing that pure moment in the zone.
An immense weeklong effort to find two local women who were swept away on the James River after their paddleboards plunged over Boshers Dam appeared to have ended Monday with the recovery of a body that authorities said they presume to be that of Sarah E. Erway, 28, of Chesterfield County.

A citizen who spotted a body in the middle of the river about 200 yards downstream from the Huguenot Bridge was the break that Richmond fire crews needed to bring closure to the Memorial Day tragedy. They put a boat into the water 12 minutes after receiving the 7:48 a.m. call and found the body at 8:50 a.m.

While noting the state medical examiners office must confirm the identity of the remains, police said Mondays discovery concludes a week-long, multi-agency search for Erway and Henrico County resident Lauren E. Winstead, 23, who was also lost in the river. Winsteads remains were found in the water Wednesday just west of the Powhite Parkway bridge.

Henrico police added in a statement: Per the family and friends, they ask for privacy during this difficult time.

Erway and Winstead went missing about 3:15 p.m. on May 30 after plunging over Boshers Dam on paddleboards. They were among a group of 12 people on a float trip that started out about 1 p.m. at Watkins Landing in Powhatan County.

Their 10 companions, riding paddleboards or inflatable rafts, also plunged over the dam but were rescued or got to safety on their own.

The group apparently had planned to exit the river at Robious Landing in Chesterfield, but the current was too strong and they were swept downstream, authorities said.

On May 31, the first full day of the search, first responders had no luck finding the two women in an effort that was based at Huguenot Flatwater at 8600 Southampton Road, part of the James River Park System. Drones, helicopters, planes and a variety of boats were used during the 12-hour search.

The search resumed the next day led by the Richmond Fire Department. Seven boats launched from Tredegar and Browns Island with search-and-rescue personnel from half a dozen area localities. They focused their efforts downstream in the areas near Belle Isle and the Interstate 95 bridge.

After nothing was found, the search was moved back upstream to Boshers Dam. There, crews found Winsteads body west of the Powhite Parkway Bridge at about 1:30 p.m.

The water levels and strength of the current, which followed heavy rains, proved to be too much for the group of 12 after they started their float trip.

The National Weather Service on Memorial Day recorded the water levels on the James River at over 9 feet by 3 p.m. Thats 3 feet higher than is deemed safe for average paddlers to navigate.

Police said they dont believe the group initially had any plans to float downstream into Richmond.

According to James River Park rules within the city limits, only high-water permit holders can be on the James when the river is at 9 feet and above at Westham Gauge. Life jackets must be worn on the river when the water level reaches or is above 5 feet at Westham Gauge.

After breaching Boshers Dam, the float trip participants became ensnared in the strong turbulence and recirculating currents of churning water that can trap and push victims underwater and then pull them back to the face of the dam in a repeating cycle. Such low-head dams are sometimes referred to as drowning machines because they can be deceivingly dangerous.

A number of questions about the float trip remain unanswered, and authorities thus far have not addressed those, as they focused their efforts on finding the two women.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch submitted a list of more than a dozen questions on Friday in an effort to learn, for example, whether the participants were wearing life jackets and carrying cellphones they could use in an emergency. It remains unknown whether any of them had prior river experience and whether someone from the group had determined the rivers water level before proceeding.

On Monday, authorities said the enormous effort in locating the two women brought together search groups from surrounding jurisdictions as well as out-of-state agencies.

They included Henrico police and fire; Richmond police and fire; Virginia State Police; the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources; Chesterfield, Hanover, Goochland and Powhatan counties; Henricos Marine Unit; Metro Richmond Aviation; Metro Richmond Flying Squad; the James River Park System; the U.S. Coast Guard; Henrico Emergency Management; and Richmond Emergency Management.

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Ald. Jeanette Taylor, in front of Trumbull Park Homes on June 6, 2022, recently heard from the Chicago Housing Authority that she had reached the top of a waitlist and could apply for a Housing Choice Voucher after a 29-year wait. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

Jeanette Taylor joined the citys waitlists for affordable housing in 1993. Last month, her son  who wasnt even alive when his mother first sought affordable housing  handed her a letter from the Chicago Housing Authority. It said Taylors family could finally apply for a Housing Choice Voucher.

I sat on my bed for an hour. Im like, God, you got a sick sense of humor,  said Taylor, who now represents the 20th Ward on the City Council.

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She shared her story with a picture of the letter in a tweet that went viral last week. But Taylor says her experience isnt unique and affordable housing activists agree. Thousands of Chicagoans struggle with decadeslong lulls on waitlists that keep affordable housing out of reach, they say.

Taylor is now working with the Chicago Housing Initiative coalition to pass an ordinance that she believes can help address the long waits required to get into affordable housing. Taylor and affordable housing advocates discussed the proposal at a City Hall news conference Tuesday morning.

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In one of the richest cities in the world, we aint got a money issue. Theres no political will to make sure people are housed, Taylor said.

[ To combat gentrification in Pilsen and keep Latinos in the area, a co-op has regular people creating their own affordable housing ]

Chicago resident Renee Celestine, who attended the news conference, said she knows firsthand how long the waitlist can feel. She joined the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist in April 2014 when she needed the financial help after taking time off work to care for an elderly family member. She wasnt able to break back into the fast-changing computer science industry, she said.

Shes been waiting to get to the top of the waitlist ever since.

If they call me 15 years from now, I might not even be on the planet,  Celestine, 66, said.

At the end of 2021, there were 170,000 families on waitlists for public housing and project-based housing, Chicago Housing Authority spokesman Matthew Aguilar told the Tribune, noting that some people are on multiple waitlists at the same time.

Aguilar said that wait times can range from six months to 25 years. Most properties on a CHA website show expected wait times of 10 years or more.

We fully agree that more resources are needed to address the need for affordable housing in Chicago and around the nation, Aguilar said in a statement.

Currently, 32,000 families are waiting for Housing Choice vouchers, Aguilar said. The housing vouchers give people the choice of where they want to live, and Aguilar said that the CHA uses nearly all of the vouchers it receives.

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CHA currently has 47,000 Housing Choice Vouchers that it receives from the federal government. The number allotted has not increased in many years, he said. New families will receive vouchers when families currently in the program stop using them.

In 1993, when Taylor joined the CHAs waitlists  back when Starter jackets were in vogue and the Bulls closed out their first three-peat  affordable housing promised to give her space to raise a family. At the time she and her three kids shared a one-bedroom apartment with her mother, her sister and her sisters child, Taylor told the Tribune last week.

She said she got no response for 15 years. In the meantime, Taylor worked at a bar at night and went to school during the day. She said she had to choose between paying for after-school programs and shoes for her kids or paying for the gas bill in the winter. And if it wasnt for her mothers support, Taylor said, she and her children might have been homeless.

In 2008, the CHA sent her a letter offering housing, Taylor said. She had made it to the top of the waitlist for a property, but it was 60 blocks away, far from the school her kids attended and her mother worked, or the bus stop where Taylor waited to get to her job.

Most importantly, the city told her that her son couldnt be on the lease or live in the apartment since he had just graduated from high school and didnt yet have a job, she said.

She couldnt move so far away and kick her son out, she said, so she decided to stay on the waitlist.

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Part of me is ashamed, because Im made to feel ashamed for asking for assistance when I really needed it. But the city should feel ashamed, because it took them 29 years, said Taylor, who was elected to the council in 2019.

Since her tweet went viral, people from her ward and beyond have called her office to say they are stuck on CHA waitlists, she said.

Its a feature, not a bug, said Don Washington, executive director of the Chicago Housing Initiative, a coalition of organizations that work with and advocate for low-income Chicago renters. The system is set up as an obstacle course. Its not set up to facilitate them getting housing.

Chicago Housing Initiative members, from left, Richard Turner, Dordie Hester, Sue Gries and Tamara Clark rally during a press conference on CHA housing waitlists, outside City Hall on June 7, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

The people Washingtons organization works with often remain on the CHAs waitlists for Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing or project-based vouchers for at least 10 years, he said.

The system can create even more turmoil for people with disabilities who are in need of specific types of housing, according to Cathleen OBrien, a housing-focused community organizer for Access Living, an organization that supports people with disabilities and a member of the Chicago Housing Initiative.

OBrien said she worked with one wait-listed woman, who had a disability, who the CHA kept showing inaccessible housing to for 23 years. Each time the woman was shown an inaccessible unit and turned it down, she was sent to the bottom of the waitlist, OBrien said.

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She said she has never heard of a person with a disability waiting less than six years on a CHA waitlist. Most people wait 10 to 20 years, she added. For people with disabilities in need of housing, the years or decades on the waitlists make it more difficult to get work and medical care, OBrien said.

It just means total instability for the duration of that wait, she said.

Taylor said the ordinance, which she introduced in late April, would require many of the housing authorities that receive money and tax credits to list their housing stock in a collective registry.

Her proposal would also allow organizations that work directly with people seeking housing, such as city ward offices, community organizations and homeless shelters to place those people on a central waitlist and better keep track of the particular needs they might have, she added. The goal is to clarify what housing is actually available, to shift the burden of finding affordable housing from people in need to organizations with resources and to more quickly serve the citys most vulnerable, Washington said .

Taylor has no shortage of ideas about how to get more Chicagoans in need into public housing. She wants to use the 4,000 vacant lots in her ward and the unused units across the city to house people and to bring together the major housing authorities of the city to open a dialogue about the reality of affordable housing.

Whats affordable to you aint whats affordable to me, she said.

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Above all, though, she wants affordable housing authorities to listen to the community organizations that have studied what makes affordable housing difficult to secure and hear their ideas to address it.

Taylor will not be using that long-awaited Housing Choice Voucher. She said she has a home and wants it to go to a family that actually needs it.

Still, for whoever gets the next CHA letter telling them they are at the top of the waitlist, the wait for housing likely wont be over. It often takes people with vouchers over a year to get accepted and moved into an affordable unit, Washington said.

jsheridan@chicagotribune.com
Two students at John Rolfe Middle School were sent to juvenile detention on Monday, after school officials discovered they were in possession of a firearm on school property.

Police say a student arrived to school with a handgun and showed it to another student who took the weapon and walked away with it.

Henrico County Public Schools staff learned of this incident and notified the school resource officer. The two parties worked together to detain each student and secure the weapon, according to Lt. Matt Pecka of the county Division of Police.

Both juveniles face potential charges of possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm on school property. There was no known threat to the school at the time of this incident, Pecka said in a news release.

Police responded to similar incidents last Wednesday in which a student was arrested at Hermitage High School and at Varina High School, each for carrying a gun to school.

Henrico police encourage everyone to ensure firearms are accounted for and secure, and anyone with information related to weapons on school property should alert faculty.
Henrico County police have released the name of the victim in Saturdays shooting in the 300 block of Buffalo Road.

Officers responded to the call at about 8 p.m. and were flagged down by the victims friend, who led them to the person, said Lt. Matt Pecka. A man who had been struck by gunfire was found with wounds determined to be life-threatening.

JaShaun Jermaine ONeil, 29, of Henrico died later at a hospital, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (804) 501-5581. Community members also can call Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000 or go to p3Tips.com to submit tips. Both methods are anonymous.
The Richmond School Board voted Monday night to fast-track the procurement process for design at William Fox Elementary and to begin replacing portions of Clark Springs Elementarys roof.

Fox Elementary students moved into the formerly shuttered Clark Springs school last month. The move came roughly three months after a three-alarm fire engulfed Fox Elementary, closing the school indefinitely. Though the fire caused extensive damage to Fox, the School Board previously approved renovating the 111-year-old school instead of rebuilding it.

On Monday night, Richmond Superintendent Jason Kamras administration recommended to the School Board an emergency procurement process to secure design services for the Fox renovation. An emergency process is slated to take two months, while the option of pursuing a request for proposal process has an estimated timeline of six months, according to the recommendation.

My recommendation is to move forward with the emergency procurement method, given the desire of all of us to see the young people returned to Hanover Avenue as soon as possible, Kamras said Monday night.

The longer the fire-damaged structure continues to be exposed to the elements, the more likely it will ruin its chances of being renovated instead of being rebuilt. An emergency procurement would drastically cut Foxs exposure time, the recommendation says.

Fifth District School Board member Stephanie Rizzi asked if the board had to determine if Foxs situation is indeed an emergency. According to the School Board attorney, the administrations recommendation is before the board, which grants the decision.

Dana Fox, director of RPS construction, said Monday: To be clear for the emergency procurement justification, the justification that we are using would be the historic element of the property.

Fox acknowledged that Preservation Virginia recently named Fox as one of the states most endangered historic places.

School Board member Mariah White, who represents Fox Elementary, said she would be fine moving forward with an emergency procurement process as long as the school division could ensure that by doing so, it would not create risk for a bid protest  in which someone such as a rival bidder challenges an award or proposed award.

Kamras said he could not guarantee a bid protest would not occur, as they typically happen with traditional request for proposal processes.

Fourth District School Board member Jonathan Young first proposed to not follow the recommendation and instead direct the division to put out a request for proposals for architectural engineering by July 6 and then award a contract contingent on School Board approval by Sept. 6.

Young noted that a Virginia Municipal League guide provides an example of what constitutes an emergency.

Dare I say that hiring an architect is a bit of a stretch, Young said.

Youngs motion failed. A second motion to approve the emergency procurement process passed 8-1.

While Kamras recommended acting swiftly with Fox Elementary, he took a different approach in addressing Clark Springs Elementarys leaky roof. Replacing the entire roof has a price tag of roughly $1.5 million. Instead of spending it all at once, Kamras recommended spending $600,000 to replace specific sections of the schools roof over the summer.

On Monday evening, the School Board approved the recommendation. White asked if the division could ensure the roof replacements would be completed by the start of the upcoming academic year. While Kamras said he could not guarantee a completed job by the start of school, he said he will try his best.

The $600,000 is not coming from the school systems upcoming fiscal years $2.5 million capital improvement program. With the money already accounted for, the division will fund the roof project with the expected additional $4.5 million in capital improvement funds from the state.

Before moving Fox students into Clark Springs, the formerly closed school needed a laundry list of repairs, including to its roof. Minor repairs and patch jobs for the roof cost about $900 per trip.
MORA, N.M. (AP)  Nearly 3,000 firefighters in New Mexico kept the nation's largest active wildfire from growing on Monday as they took advantage of cooler weather before the return of more dangerous conditions later in the week.

Overall, a good day, fire operations chief Alex McBath said Monday night. Everything stayed within the fire lines.

Firefighters also expanded contingency firebreaks northeast of Santa Fe as forecasters warned that hotter, windier weather will return by Friday.

Just because weve had a few good days of weather ... it doesnt mean we are out of the woods yet, San Miguel County Sheriff Chris Lopez said Monday night.

The blaze that started nearly seven weeks ago in the Rocky Mountains foothills southeast of Santa Fe remained just 40% contained Monday. It started as two fires and burned into one large conflagration now larger than the city of Los Angeles.

Flames have consumed more than 484 square miles (1,253 square kilometers) of timber, grassland and brush and evacuations have been in place for weeks.

However, evacuation orders were relaxed in many areas and stretches of highway reopened south of Taos.

Along with cooler temperatures, fire crews were helped over the weekend by water-dropping helicopters and aircraft. Rising humidity was expected to help add moisture to the bone-dry fuels on forest floors for a few more days, forecasters said.

However, by Friday we're back to the same old critical fire weather that we have been experiencing for many, many days, said Stewart Turner, a fire behavior analyst for the U.S. Forest Service.

Also on Monday, the U.S. Forest Service released a survey of vegetation and soil damage across 118 square miles ( 465 square kilometer) of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains that burned in recent weeks, including public and private land.

About one-fifth of the area experienced high-severity burning that can lead to heavy and even dangerous erosion. Trees in those areas will take many years to recover without planting.

The fire is among five active large fires in the state and among 14 nationally, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

The New Mexico fire accounts for nearly 60% of the 536 square miles (1,388 square kilometers) consumed by wildfires in the U.S. so far this year.

Wildfires have broken out this spring in multiple states in the western U.S., where climate change and an enduring drought are fanning the frequency and intensity of forest and grassland fires. The number of square miles burned so far this year is far above the 10-year national average.

Fire crews continued to make progress toward cordoning off a wildfire on the outskirts of a U.S. national security research station at Los Alamos, New Mexico.

That fire in the wooded Jemez Mountains was 85% encircled by clearings and barriers that can stop a wildfire from spreading further, U.S. authorities said.

Bandelier National Monument announced plans to partially reopen its reserve for ancestral Native American settlements and culture to the public Friday after a weekslong closure. Campgrounds, backcountry areas and some trails will remain off-limits.

In southwestern New Mexico, a fire that is burning through portions of the Gila National Forest triggered new evacuations on Sunday in rural areas, as emergency crews labored to protect homes and outbuildings from advancing flames. That fire has burned across 230 square miles (595 square kilometers) of forest and scrubland and continues to grow.
NEW DELHI (AP)  India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim-majority countries after top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party made derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, drawing accusations of blasphemy across some Arab nations that have left New Delhi struggling to contain the damaging fallout.

At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party. Anger has poured out on social media, and calls for a boycott of Indian goods have surfaced in some Arab nations. At home, it has led to protests against Modi's party in some parts of the country.

The controversial remarks follow increasing violence targeting Indias Muslim minority carried out by Hindu nationalists who have been emboldened by Modi's regular silence about such attacks since he was first elected in 2014.

Over the years, Indian Muslims have often been targeted for everything from their food and clothing style to inter-religious marriages. Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that attacks could escalate. They have also accused Modis governing party of looking the other way and sometimes enabling hate speech against Muslims, who comprise 14% of Indias 1.4 billion people but are still numerous enough to be the second-largest Muslim population of any nation.

Modi's party denies the accusations, but India's Muslims say attacks against them and their faith have increased sharply.

The anger has been growing since last week after the two spokespeople, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, made speculative remarks that were seen as insulting Islams Prophet Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha.

Modis party took no action against them until Sunday, when a sudden chorus of diplomatic outrage began with Qatar and Kuwait summoning their Indian ambassadors to protest. The BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal and issued a rare statement saying it strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities," a move that was welcomed by Qatar and Kuwait.

Later, Saudi Arabia and Iran also lodged complaints with India, and the Jeddha-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation said the remarks came in a context of intensifying hatred and abuse toward Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims.

Indias Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected the comments by the OIC as unwarranted and narrow-minded. On Sunday, Indias embassies in Qatar and Kuwait released a statement saying the views expressed about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam were not those of the Indian government and were made by fringe elements. The statement said that strong action had already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks.

The criticism from Muslim countries, however, was severe, indicating that insulting Prophet Muhammad was a red line.

Qatars Foreign Ministry said it expected a public apology from the Indian government, and Kuwait warned that if the comments go unpunished, India would see an increase of extremism and hatred." The Grand Mufti of Oman described the obscene rudeness of Modis party toward Islam as a form of war. Riyadh said the comments were insulting and called for respect for beliefs and religions. And Egypts Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni worlds foremost institution of religious learning, described the remarks as real terrorism (that) can plunge the entire world into severe crises and deadly wars.

The remarks made by Sharma during a TV program in India and Jindal in a tweet risk damaging Indias ties with Arab nations.

India maintains strong relations with Gulf countries, which rely on millions of migrant workers from India and elsewhere in South Asia to serve their tiny local populations and drive the machinery of daily life. India also depends on oil-rich Gulf Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, to power its energy-thirsty economy.

The remarks also led to anger in India's archrival and neighbor, Pakistan, and in Afghanistan.

On Monday, Pakistans Foreign Ministry summoned an Indian diplomat and conveyed Islamabads strong condemnation," a day after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the comments were hurtful and India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. Indias Foreign Ministry responded by calling Pakistan a serial violator of minority rights and said it should not engage in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India.

India accords the highest respect to all religions," ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Criticism also came from Kabul. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said the Indian government should not allow such fanatics to insult ... Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims.

Modi's party also faced anger from some of its own supporters, but it was for a different reason. Many Hindu nationalists posted comments on social media saying the government was buckling under international pressure.

Anti-Muslim sentiments and attacks have risen across India under Modi. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said India was seeing rising attacks on people and places of worship, eliciting a response from New Delhi, which called the comments ill-informed.

More recently, religious tensions have escalated after some Hindu groups went to a local court in northern Varanasi city to seek permission to pray at a 17th century mosque, claiming that it was built by demolishing a temple. Critics say these tensions have been further exacerbated by Indian television anchors during raucous debates.

Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Munir Ahmad and Rahim Faiez in Islamabad, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

Follow more AP coverage of India at https://apnews.com/hub/india
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The Salem Police Department took a teenager into custody Friday night after photos depicting firearms and threats were posted on social media and brought to the attention of Salem High School administrators.

The schools parents and guardians received an email about the incident from Principal Scott Habeeb at about 8 p.m. Sunday.

In the email, Habeeb said students brought the concerning photo to school administrators attentions Friday afternoon.

While these photos were non-school related, we immediately shared them with our School Resource Officer, Habeeb wrote.

As a result, Salem police conducted an investigation and took a juvenile into custody, Habeeb said. The principal added that police dont believe there is or was a credible threat to the safety of students or staff.

Please do not read this message as a response to an actual or credible threat. We have no evidence that any SHS students or faculty members were ever in danger, Habeeb said in his email. Rather, this message is a response to the fact that we understand social media posts about this have caused considerable concern within the Spartan Family, and we wish to allay those concerns.

Mike Stevens, Salems communications director, said the city will not elaborate on the type of charges that have been served.

It involves a juvenile and the incident is still under investigation, Stevens said in an email Tuesday.

The police department and the high school have encouraged parents to monitor their childrens social media activities and accounts.

Thank you to all of the concerned parents who reported the disturbing content directly to school authorities and/or the Salem Police Department, Habeeb said in his email. I thank those of you who took the time to text me. We always prefer direct communication, as we are all on the same team working together to love and serve our young people.

Katie Ferguson, whose son attends the high school, shared the concerning photos in a post on Facebook on Friday.

Ferguson said her son made her aware of two images shared on Snapchat by a user.

One photo features two handguns and one rifle sitting on a table or bed. Between the handguns and the rifle sits drug paraphernalia. A caption reads, thought u could sneak diss and u wont get caught, til i catch u in traffic at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The second photo is a selfie of a white, male juvenile holding a handgun. The caption in this image covers the subjects eyes. It reads, and if i catch u lackin better pray to god my [expletive] jammed, put a whole in yo [expletive] face if i catch u talkin to the [expletive] jakes.

Ferguson said the juvenile pictured was a junior who has recorded and bragged about snorting coke and meth off the bathroom toilet paper dispenser. Her Facebook post includes a short video of the described activity.

Ferguson told The Roanoke Times in an interview Tuesday that she had raised concerns about the video of the student to school administrators about a month ago.

I went face to face with Principal Habeeb and reached out to the board of education and said, This is the plot and making of every school shooter right now as we speak. I dont understand how this kids able to still be in school, Ferguson said in a phone call. Here we are a month later, and its only gotten worse.

Ferguson said she shared the images her son saw on Snapchat on Friday with Salem High School and the citys police department. Then, she said, Habeeb contacted her on Sunday morning to address her concerns.

He reached out to me because of my Facebook post, the principal did, with like five different text messages, Ferguson said. He said, I really understand your concern, but its only insinuating fear. I said, Its a legitimate fear.

Ferguson said the school could have communicated with parents about Fridays investigation prior to Sunday.

Its not something that Salem needs to brush up underneath the carpet and pretend like Salems golden. We need to stop doing that, she said. We dont necessarily need to know the names. We dont need to know what actually was the end result. But we need reassuring that, Hey, your kids are still safe to come to school.

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The discovery of a missing woman's body in Montgomery County resulted in multiple criminal charges being lodged on Monday.

According to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Crystal Hannah, 44, of Elliston, was reported missing Sunday after friends and family were unable to contact her.

In response, an investigation and search resulted in the discovery of Hannah's body in a wooded area adjacent to the 2600 block of North Fork Road.

Subsequently, 38-year-old James Hunter Stallard was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and concealing a dead body.

He is being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.
Seven months after he was cleared of criminal charges in the death of a fleeing motorcyclist, Narrows police officer Chad Stilley is facing a $2.5 million wrongful death lawsuit.

The estate of Michael Acord, who crashed into Stilleys unmarked police car after the officer used it to block U.S. 460 in Giles County, filed the lawsuit Friday in Roanokes federal court.

Stilley unnecessarily used lethal force to stop [Acords] motorcycle by using an unauthorized roadblock, the lawsuit alleges.

Acord, a 28-year-old volunteer firefighter, was out riding his new Harley-Davidson motorcycle the night of July 24, 2020, when he sped past a Pearisburg police officer, who turned on his flashing lights and began a pursuit.

As a high-speed chase began, Acord headed west in the direction of Narrows, where Stilley happened to be in the parking lot of a gas station along the highway.

Stilley, who was not involved in the pursuit and had not been given an order to stop traffic, pulled his charcoal gray police vehicle into the road so that it blocked both lanes seconds before the catastrophic crash, according to the lawsuit.

Acord, who suffered a broken back, fractured legs and other injuries, died from the impact.

A year later, Stilley was charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving and failing to yield the right of way. The 44-year-old police officer maintained his innocence, saying he made a split-second decision to pull in front of the motorcycle  which was going about 100 mph in a 40 mph zone  to protect other motorists who might have been struck.

Midway through a trial in December, Giles County Circuit Judge Lee Harrell dismissed the charges, saying the prosecution had not shown gross negligence, an essential element in the accusations.

The burden of proof will be lower in the civil case, however.

Stilleys decision to initiate a roadblock was contrary to the Narrows Police Departments policy, which required permission from the chief of police, the lawsuit states.

A roadblock is a form of lethal force, which was not appropriate because Acord had not committed a violent crime and there was no indication that he was intoxicated, according to the filing, which accuses Stilley of unreasonable seizure and wrongful death.

The Pearisburg officer who initiated the chase intended to pull Acord over for speeding, and according to the lawsuit told Stilley that his help was not needed in the pursuit.

Stilley remains employed by the Narrows Police Department. The lawsuit was filed against him in his individual capacity, and does not name any other defendants.

Seth Carroll, a Richmond attorney who filed the lawsuit, declined to comment. So did Chris Tuck, who represented Stilley on the criminal charges and described him at the time of the trial as an innocent man who did nothing wrong that night, but put his own life on the line.

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John Edward Porter, a partner in the Washington law firm Hogan & Hartson and former U.S. congressman from the 10th District in Illinois, at his downtown Washington law office in 2006 in front of a photograph of his father, who was a Cook County Circuit Court judge for many years. (Stephanie Kuykendal/for the Chicago Tribune)

John Porter spent two decades in Congress, but his influence extended far beyond his North Shore district through his work on issues including enhanced medical research funding, the environment and international human rights, prompting him to frequently joke, Im famous in my district  and in Hong Kong.

Porter, 87, a Republican who served from 1980 to 2000, died Friday after a recent hospitalization, according to his family, which did not provide a cause of death.

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Porters history and the causes he embraced provide a reminder of how much the Republican Party has changed in the last two decades.

He was a staunch fiscal conservative who railed against the deficit spending encouraged by President Ronald Reagans administration. But his moderate social views as an early supporter of green environmental initiatives and his backing of abortion and other womens rights would find him an outlier in todays GOP.

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Porter was one of the powerful cardinals in Congress who chaired a key appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services and Education, and Related Agencies.

We are dealing with some of the most important programs and initiatives by government that affect the most at-risk people in our society, Porter told Illinois Issues magazine in August 1997. Im talking about student financial assistance, the federal governments role in primary and secondary education, job training programs, aid to the disabled, adult and vocational education, public broadcasting  lots of things that I think are very, very important to people in this country.

It was through Porter that funding for the National Institutes of Health doubled within five years, helping to lay the groundwork for the mapping of the human genome project as well as in increased research for cancer, HIV, Alzheimers disease and diabetes.

John Porters legacy is one of longer, healthier lives, not just for our nation but the world, said former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, a former Porter chief of staff, in a statement honoring Porters retirement from Congress.

In March 2014, the John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center on the campus of the National Institutes of Health was named in his honor. Also that year, he was awarded the National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal, the academys highest honor.

Porter founded and co-chaired the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, a voluntary association which at the time had more than 250 members of Congress working to identify, monitor and end human rights violations worldwide. He co-authored landmark legislation creating Radio Free Asia to broadcast into China and he was chairman of the Global Legislators Organized for a Balanced Environment, known as GLOBE USA.

Porter supported the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Wilderness Protection Act, the National Park Protection Act and the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He also voted for the Endangered Species Act and against the inhumane use of animals in product testing and the use of leghold traps. He sought to tie U.S. foreign lending to developing nations to their efforts to protect tropical rainforests and wetlands.

Locally, following the closure of the U.S. Armys Fort Sheridan on the North Shore, Porter worked with local communities and persuaded the federal government to transfer 290 acres of open space to the Lake County Forest Preserve District.

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He also led the Superfund cleanup of PCB-plagued Waukegan Harbor and secured federal funds to build three reservoirs along the North Branch of the Chicago River to ease flood problems.

Ive never felt my greatest human need was to get my name in newspapers, he told the Tribune during his 1994 reelection bid. I just came down here to do a job.

John Edward Porter was born in Evanston and graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1953. He attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology for two years before earning his undergraduate degree at Northwestern University in 1957. He got his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1961. Porter also served in the Army Reserves from 1958 to 1964.

He was an honor law graduate attorney with the U.S. Justice Department before entering private practice in Evanston in 1963. He was elected to the Illinois House and served there from 1973 to 1979.

While in Springfield, he was successful in passing legislation creating government inducements to car pooling; denying pension rights to public officials convicted of a felony; prohibiting flammable tents and outdoor-use fabrics; and requiring disclosure of secret beneficiaries of land trusts involved in business with state government.

In 1978, Porter made his first bid for Congress and lost by 450 votes to Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Abner Mikva. A few months later, Mikva was appointed a federal judge and Porter won a special election to the seat.

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After Congress, Porter became a partner in the international law firm of Hogan Lovells while serving on a variety of boards, including the Foundation for the NIH and the PBS Foundation. He also had been a trustee of the Brookings Institution and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Porter is survived by his wife, Amy, children and stepchildren John, David, Annie, Robyn, Donna, McKay and Michelle, and 14 grandchildren.

Services will be held later this month in Virginia and the family is planning services in Illinois later this summer, his family said.

rap30@aol.com

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COVID-19 cases in the Roanoke Valley dipped this week after a recent surge caused community transmission to reach a high level.

All localities in the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts have dropped beneath the Center for Disease Control and Preventions high level. Covington, Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke County are now at a medium transmission level. Alleghany, Botetourt and Craig counties are at a low level.

The CDC uses three indicators to determine COVID-19 community levels: the number of people admitted to the hospital with coronavirus in the last seven days, percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by someone with COVID-19 and the number of new cases in the last week.

At all levels, people are encouraged to stay up to date on vaccines, test if symptoms are present and follow recommendations for isolation and quarantine. At the medium level, community settings like schools and workplaces should enhance their cleaning and prevention procedures.

Health district director Cynthia Morrow said Tuesday she is cautiously optimistic that the recent surge peaked before everyone expected  meaning people could have built up immunity to avoid a larger surge this summer.

Case counts are still high  almost 600 cases in the district this week  but they are trending down. New hospitalizations are lower than the last two weeks and wastewater and syndromic surveillance are trending in the right direction, Morrow said.

But of course, COVID has continued to surprise us every step of the way, she said. We really have to have humility when it comes to this virus and know that it is just unpredictably unpredictable.

Gatherings for Memorial Day weekend may also increase case counts, but health district directors arent sure of the exact effect it might have given vaccination and immunity levels in the community.

A ruling from the Food and Drug Administration on vaccinations for children under 5 is expected to come next week. Local health districts must wait until the FDA, the CDC and the Virginia Department of Health recommend the vaccines before they can start administering them.

Morrow said the health department will be ready to give out those vaccines as soon as the recommendations are given. Parents can also work with pharmacies and doctors offices to vaccinate their children against COVID-19.

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The Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center dedicated its womens health center Monday to longtime patient and retired Master Sgt. Silverine Vinyard James.

The hospitals womens health clinic has existed for many years, but medical center director Rebecca Stackhouse said they wanted to take the time to formally honor James.

She has been truly a pioneer in terms of female veterans and kind of a local hero for us and for everything that shes accomplished, Stackhouse said. Being female, being African American, entering the service when she did, attaining the rank that she did is pretty much unheard of especially for women at that time.

James was born in 1929 in Vinton and attended a Blacks-only, four-room schoolhouse. She was later bused to Salem to attend the former George Washington Carver High School.

After secondary school, she decided to follow her brother into the military. At age 20, she convinced her mother to sign papers allowing her to enlist in the Army.

She headed to Camp Lee, now called Fort Lee, a military base near Petersburg named for the Confederate general, during the latter days of Jim Crow discrimination. White women had four companies while black women had only one, meaning they had to wait 13 weeks before they could go into the service.

In 1953, James started as an administrative specialist at the New York Point of Embarkation. Previously, President Harry Truman had ordered the integration of the military and James was told she was sent to New York to see what would happen if they put more Blacks in the company.

James said the other women left their dirty dishes over the weekends. When she arrived on Monday mornings, she thought they expected her to clean them even though that wasnt part of her job.

They didnt send me down there to be a maid, she said. I was tired of it. I put them in the trash.

James left New York after a year and headed to Japan with her husband, a military policeman. When she arrived, she was the only African American in the Judge Advocate General section of the Far East Command.

She started at an E-3 ranked pay grade and by the time she left 30 months later she had been promoted to an E-6. She went on to work in Germany, New Jersey and Maryland and eventually earned the rank of E-8. After more than 22 years, she retired.

The Army was going to send me for E-9 in Alabama, but the Lord told me not to go, she said. Alabama wasnt big enough for me and George Wallace.

James took a job at the Salem VA Medical Center for five years before she worked for the Federal Emergency Management Administration.

Shes been a patient at the VA hospital for more than 45 years.

Stackhouse said female veterans are the fastest growing demographic of veterans the hospital treats. Currently they serve more than 3,000 women.

Outside of the womens health clinic, now named in her honor, James military uniform hangs in a glass case.

Our female veterans arent immediately thought of because the military is still predominantly male, but their contributions to the armed services are special," said Stackhouse.

We wanted to name it after a distinguished female veteran. When women access our clinic, theyll be reminded that freedom is worth fighting for.

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ABINGDON  Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin attended a roundtable discussion focused on education at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon on Monday.

At the beginning of the roundtable, Youngkin highlighted his administrations commitment to improving Virginias education system and gave a brief update on the education budget that has been passed by the Virginia General Assembly, which  once he officially receives, reviews and signs the legislation  will become the largest public education budget in Virginia history.

You have an administration that is absolutely committed to making sure that we are pressing forward to give Virginias kids everything they need in order to live their dreams right here in Virginia, Youngkin said. What will get signed will be the largest education budget in the history of the commonwealth of Virginia, and that is wildly exciting.

During the roundtable, school administrators, staff and community leaders walked the governor through some of the programs and resources that they have built together in order to meet the needs of students across Southwest Virginia, from apprenticeship programs to online schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I think that the big picture for all of the things were talking about is that we collaborate out of necessity, not because its something thats nice to do, [or] it looks good on paper. We do it because its actually what gets things done around here, Katlin Kazmi, executive director of the Region VII Virtual Academy, said.

Connie Ratliff, a mother of two students at John Battle High School in Washington County, spoke about how the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped her daughters high school experience and how she and her fellow classmates lost touch and continue to struggle with anxiety. Ratliff also highlighted the need for more trained guidance counselors to assist students in navigating their mental health.

The stress is a factor, anxiety still is a factor, and I dont think theyve really regained the relationships that they should have had as high school students, Ratliff said. I do think there should be more available resources for them to go to.

Throughout the roundtable conversations, Youngkin emphasized the role that data will play in his administrations evaluation of education programs.

Keith Perrigan, the superintendent of Bristol Virginia Public Schools, hopes that use of data becomes a flashlight and not a hammer.

Were doing a lot of great things all over Southwest Virginia and public education. Were not perfect, and we want to improve in those areas, Perrigan said. Tell us what the bar is, give us the resources to make it happen, and then let us do our work because weve demonstrated over time that we can. We know how to serve our communities.
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" " The Loch Ness monster is a hoax that has endured for decades, despite having been proven false. Wikimedia/(CC BY-SA 2.0)

You've probably seen the photo. Grainy and gray, it shows the neck and head of some type of large sea monster rising from the freshwater of Scotland's Loch Ness. When the photo first appeared in 1934, many people believed it was real. After all, it was taken by Robert Wilson, a respected London doctor, and stories of a monster in the loch had been swirling around Scotland for more than 1,400 years.

But in the 1990s, the photo was exposed as a hoax. Ian Wetherell and his stepbrother, Christian Spurling, confessed they had created it by attaching a monster head to a toy submarine [source: Naish].

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Hoaxes like the Loch Ness monster have been around for centuries, created by people as jokes, or for profit or attention. And as crazy as some of them seem in hindsight, people are always willing to buy into them. Maybe believing in seemingly unbelievable things is part of the human psyche. Or maybe we just like to believe in whatever scientists and experts don't. Whatever the reason, don't think you'll never be fooled. Because sages and fools alike have been tricked by the following 13 hoaxes.
The United Nations marks June 8 as World Oceans Day, an opportunity to celebrate the ocean and how it supports life on Earth. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The United Nations marks June 8 as World Oceans Day, an opportunity to celebrate the ocean and how it supports life on Earth.

As director of Florida State University's Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS), Eric Chassignet leads investigations into the physical processes that govern the ocean and its interactions with the atmosphere. He spoke about his research and questions scientists are trying to answer about the ocean.

What are some of the factors that make the ocean so important?

The ocean covers about 70% of the Earth and plays a major role in transporting heat from the equator to the poles. Ninety-seven percent of the water on Earth is in the ocean, and most of the rain on Earth comes from evaporation over the ocean. The ocean can also store about 50 times more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere, helping control temperatures. But that may be changing. Since 1870, oceans have absorbed most of the carbon dioxide produced from burning oil and gas. However, research shows that the ocean's ability to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide might be declining, therefore leading to an increase in CO 2 concentration in the atmosphere and an amplification of the Earth's greenhouse effect.

Of course, there are other reasons why the ocean is important. It is a vast and diverse ecosystem and a major source of food. For many, the ocean is also a source of livelihood and a place for recreation and relaxation.

Tell me about your research.

My main research interest is on the role of the ocean in climate variability using computer models and observations. I am especially interested in the dynamics behind ocean currents and ocean eddies and their impact on the world ocean circulation. Ocean models are complex computer programs that simulate the physical state and dynamic properties of oceans. At COAPS, we use global and regional models to study processes such as the ocean's response to a hurricane or to improve both short- and long-term ocean forecasts. Just as meteorologists make weather forecasts, we do the same thing for the ocean.

While changes in currents do not affect the public as much as changes in the weather, it does matter. If you're a fisherman, for example, you would like to know where there is a change in sea surface temperature, which identifies the edge of a current where fish congregate. The Navy needs to know the temperature distribution at depths for operating their submarines. An in-depth knowledge of ocean currents saves fuel when routing cargo ships. And most importantly, ocean predictions are essential in determining where oil may go in case of a major spill such as the one that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

How has research changed during your career?

The biggest aspect is in computing. The computing power of a smartphone is as much as a supercomputer of the 1980s. What we can do now with supercomputers is just amazing. Technology, and the type of modelling we can do, has changed so much in the past 40 years. Now we integrate global computer models at extremely high resolution, as small as 1 kilometer.

What are the big unanswered questions in ocean-atmospheric forecasting?

Our biggest challenge is understanding the interaction between the ocean and the other Earth system components (atmosphere, the frozen parts of the ocean and land). We are reaching a point in the technology where one can perform Earth system predictions, not just weather or ocean current predictions alone. For example, how does the melting Arctic ice cover modify the ocean's properties? How does the atmosphere respond to changes in the ocean? What is the importance of the ocean in our changing climate?

What's something that would surprise people to learn about the ocean?

The amount of mismanaged plastic waste in the ocean. And where it ends up.

We know that 80% of litter in the ocean comes from land sources, and plastics are the most abundant type of litter. At COAPS, we developed a global marine litter model to show where litter in the ocean comes from and where it goes. In this model, you can see the trajectories of litter as it is moved around by the ocean currents.

For example, some of the plastic debris that originates from the east coast of the United States travels across the Atlantic Ocean to Western Europe. It might surprise people to know that a piece of trash dumped off the west coast of the United States can travel all the way across the Pacific and Indian oceans and end up washing ashore on the east coast of Africa.

It shows just how interconnected we all are, and that is all through the ocean.

Provided by Florida State University
HARTSVILLE  The South Carolina American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission will meet in Hartsville Friday to discuss plans for a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2026.

The meeting will be held in the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce Board Room in the Center Theater on Fifth Street, starting at 10 a.m. and continue into the afternoon. It is open to the public.

This group of historically-minded experts in the field of the American Revolution has been appointed by the governor of South Carolina to promote and educate the public concerning not only the events of the American Revolution, but the important part that South Carolina played in the colonies winning the American Revolution, resulting in our independence, said Bill Segars of Hartsville, a project manager for the group.

My task has been to find, photograph, and document the exact locations of nearly 500 markers and sites in South Carolina related to the American Revolution, Segars said.

This is being done so that South Carolina will be ready, and historic sites can be easily found when visitors to the state for the 250th anniversary celebration, he said.

Segars will be presenting an update on his project, finding American Revolutionary Historical Markers and sites in the state during the morning session.

The group will break for lunch from noon and resume at 1 p.m. with a presentation by Jack Parker, author of Parkers Guide to the Revolutionary War in South Carolina.

Brian Gandy, director of the Darlington County Historical Commission, will speak in the afternoon.

Bill Segars will give tours of Center Theater, Hartsville Museum, John L. Hart/ Maj. James Lide Coker house.

Segars said the group of Commissioners, and a host of volunteer project managers, have been meeting in Columbia during COVID and holding Zoom meetings. They are now getting out in the state, where events of the American Revolution took place to hold their meeting. The next meeting will be in Laurens.

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FLORENCE, S.C. -- The Society for Vascular Surgerys Vascular Quality Initiative has awarded McLeod Health three stars for its active participation in the Registry Participation Program.

Three stars is the highest level of recognition by the society.

The mission of the society is to improve patient safety and the quality of vascular care delivery by providing web-based collection, aggregation and analysis of clinical data submitted in registry format for all patients undergoing specific vascular treatments.

Participating centers can earn up to three stars based on actions that lead to better patient care, including:

The completeness of long-term, follow-up reporting, based on the percentage of patients for whom they have at least nine months of follow-up data

Physician attendance at semi-annual meetings of a regional quality group

Initiation of quality improvement activities based on VQI data

The number of vascular registries in which the center participates

The Vascular Quality Initiative operates 14 vascular registries. McLeod Vascular Associates participates in eight of these registries with demographic, clinical, procedural and outcomes data. Each record includes information from the patients initial hospitalization and one-year follow-up. The procedures performed by the McLeod Vascular Surgeons contribute to the data collected from the more than 936,000 vascular procedures performed in the U.S. and in Canada.

The participation from McLeod in a national quality registry allows us to better understand and benchmark our results compared to other centers within the Carolina region as well as nationally, said Dr. Eva Rzucidlo, McLeod vascular surgeon. We receive biannual dashboards and regular performance reports, so our data can be used to support quality improvement initiatives and enhance the delivery of vascular care.

McLeod Vascular Associates also had representation at biannual regional meetings, which allows physicians of different specialties, nurses, data managers, quality officers and others to share information and ideas, and learn from each other in a positive and supportive environment.

At McLeod, our goal is to provide extraordinary care for our patients, said Dr. Christopher Cunningham, McLeod vascular surgeon. This award is an example of how the McLeod vascular team always pushes our profession to the next level of growth. Im so very proud of our teams at McLeod Health Seacoast and McLeod Regional Medical Center and this accomplishment.

Hard-working, dedicated organizations such as McLeod Health are key to the success of the vascular registries, said Vascular Quality Initiative Medical Director Dr. Jens Eldrup-Jorgensen. The work we do to build and maintain the registries for researcher use is crucial to health and outcomes for vascular patients. Like the old saying says, if you cant measure it, you cant improve it.

The physicians of McLeod Vascular Associates care for patients in Florence, Hartsville, Little River, Myrtle Beach, Sumter, and Sunset Beach, N.C.
 Judicial misconduct complained against Fifth Circuit Judge Jones based on provocative death penalty speech dismissed | Main | SCOTUS order list gets week off to exciting start for criminal justice fans 

October 20, 2014

"Why Did the Supreme Court Sidestep Sentencing Dispute?"

The title of this post is not merely the question I had for a few Justices after the denial of cert last week in Jones v. US (lamented here and here), it is also the headline of this new National Law Journal article about this decision authored by Tony Mauro. Here are excerpts:

The U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to add a Washington drug case to its docket would not ordinarily get much notice. But when the court did just that on Oct. 14, it drew wide criticism for missing an opportunity to resolve a long-running dispute over judicial discretion in sentencing. The court denied certiorari in Jones v. United States, which asked the court to rule that in deciding on a sentence, federal judges should not be able to take into consideration conduct for which the defendant was acquitted. In the Jones case, the trial judge significantly increased the sentences of three defendants by factoring in drug conspiracy charges that the jury had rejected. "It is really hard to understand why the court ruled as it did," said University of Illinois College of Law professor Margareth Etienne, a sentencing expert. "It goes against everything the Supreme Court has said for the last 15 years." Cato Institute senior fellow Ilya Shapiro said, "It's not just high-profile culture-war issues like same-sex marriage and the right to bear arms that the Supreme Court is avoiding like the plague." Shapiro said the court's action was "another opportunity lost by the Court, another responsibility shirked. "The issue has been raised in numerous lower court decisions, and in a 2007 Supreme Court case, several justices said it should be taken up if the right case came along. As recently as Oct. 1, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit mentioned the Jones case in a ruling that criticized the "questionable practice" of basing sentences on uncharged or unproven offenses. An unusual lineup of three justices  Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Ruth Bader Ginsburg  took the rare step of dissenting from the denial of review. "This has gone on long enough," Scalia wrote. "The present petition presents the non-hypothetical case the court claimed to have been waiting for." In the case the court denied, a District of Columbia jury found Antwuan Ball, Desmond Thurston and Joseph Jones guilty in 2007 of selling between two and 11 grams of cocaine, relatively small amounts. They were acquitted on racketeering and other charges that they were part of an extensive narcotics conspiracy. Yet, when U.S. District Judge Richard Roberts sentenced the three, he said he "saw clear evidence of a drug conspiracy," and sentenced Ball, Thurston and Jones to 18, 16 and 15 years in prison, respectively  four times higher than the highest sentences given for others who sold similar amounts of cocaine, according to filings with the Supreme Court.... Stephen Leckar, of counsel to Kalbian Hagerty in Washington, who represented the defendants in the petition denied last week, said he was disappointed that the petition fell "one vote short" of being granted certiorari. The fact that conservatives Scalia and Thomas dissented  along with liberal Ginsburg  "ought to be a fire bell in the night" signaling that the issue should be resolved, Leckar said.... The University of Illinois' Etienne speculated that some justices may have felt the facts of the Jones case were "too good" to be a vehicle for making a broad pronouncement on the issue. She explained that Jones involved a judge ignoring an actual acquittal by a jury, whereas a more common scenario is a judge basing an enhanced sentence on conduct that may or may not have been charged or was not part of a plea agreement. Ruling on a case involving an actual acquittal might leave the broader issue unresolved. "It is going to take a while" for the court to revisit the issue, Etienne added. "Until it does, the old adage that one is 'innocent until proven guilty' will continue to have little meaning."

Previous related posts on the Jones case:

October 20, 2014 at 09:25 AM | Permalink

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Comments

Today's grants seem all to have criminal justice implications.

http://www.scotusblog.com/2014/10/todays-orders-in-brief-2/

Posted by: Joe | Oct 20, 2014 10:35:22 AM

Prof. B.,

Sorry but while I can see it looking odd on the surface once someone realizes that conviction and sentencing carry different burdens of proof this becomes a manufactured controversy. And this despite the fact that I believe that a hung jury should be an outright acquittal on the involved charges. Perhaps we need to add a third choice for jurors, and not just the Scottish option but an outright 'innocent'. And if a jury came back with that verdict then all other action based on those facts (including civil) would be barred. But as things stand I simply see no issues with saying that someone is not guilty of a particular crime beyond reasonable doubt but saying that the conduct is relevant at a preponderance level when punishing for some other crime for which there was proof beyond reasonable doubt.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Oct 20, 2014 11:48:25 AM

Soronel Haetir,

Then all the prosecution need strive for is a "maybe" in addition to a real conviction, as long as it can get a conviction for something with enough arbitrary and capricious leeway in it to provide more punishment for that maybe. Stack the charges, get a conviction on one and a sentence on all.

What about "innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt"? And what about the distinction between probable cause and proof beyond a reasonable doubt?

Under your system we could do away with the judicial branch and have the police decide if there is probable cause or not for a long sentence.

Posted by: George | Oct 20, 2014 12:42:49 PM

"carry different burdens of proof"

this is tempered by the Blakely/Booker line of cases

... anyway, I find it hard to have "no" issue with having a system where criminal charges have to meet beyond a reasonable doubt & until then the person is INNOCENT of those alleged acts but EVEN IF (I use the caps advisedly) they are found innocent, they will be in effect STILL guilty since it can increase their sentencing for some other crime. Stuff not tried by a jury such as how the person's work history or status in the community holds up can influence sentencing, surely, but "crimes" are found by juries or judges acting as triers of facts using beyond a reasonable doubt standards.

Along the margins, the lines are perhaps cloudy, but "no" issue goes a step too far even if we take the dissenters view in the two cases cited as having a strong argument.

Posted by: Joe | Oct 20, 2014 12:50:20 PM

I don't buy the argument that the facts were "too good." That just means the facts were clean. You can start with the clean case to announce the rule and allow the lower courts to hash out the messy cases where the facts aren't that good. I don't buy the argument that they avoided taking a case because it fit their needs too well.

Posted by: Erik M | Oct 20, 2014 2:54:37 PM

soronel your talking out your rear again. Sorry under our constitution non-charged and non-convicted conduct is a non-starter on anyone. for ANYTHING. What the hell you think that BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBTY standard is for?

absent a CONVICTION that standard is triggered automatically after all IF the state had MET that burden they would get gotten a GUILTY VERDICT.

Sorry in my book all this decision from the fucktards on the high court does is prove the fact they are GUILTY of being accessories BEFORE and AFTER the fact in this treason.

Posted by: rodsmith | Oct 20, 2014 4:45:44 PM

Judge might need to make sure his mouth doesn't leave him hanging somewhere his ass can't back it up!

"District Judge Richard Roberts sentenced the three, he said he "saw clear evidence of a drug conspiracy," and sentenced Ball, Thurston and Jones to 18, 16 and 15 years in prison, respectively  four times higher than the highest sentences given for others who sold similar amounts of cocaine, according to filings with the Supreme Court...."

gonna look awful sick if some a real American see's this statement and decide it show's CLEAR EVIDENCE he's a two-faced traitor to his oath of office and decide to erase him. Which is a legal punishment given to traitor's in wartime.

Posted by: rodsmith | Oct 20, 2014 4:49:13 PM

I think acquitted conduct and uncharged relevant conduct, need to trash canned.

Im not interested what rules or rubbish is in the guidelines that allow a judge to increase a sentence.

This is exactly the kibd of crap that has filled federal prisons and needs to go away.

Sentence them, yes. But the days of warehouseing people has to stop.

Posted by: 187Midwest Guy | Oct 20, 2014 10:58:55 PM

Well, it may not be very comforting to Mr. Jones and the other three petitioners here if/when the law eventually changes in their favor. I don't think that would qualify as a retroactive ruling that they could take advantage of.

I admit I am not as conversant with 2255 as 2254, though, so maybe there is some option for relief in federal cases where a subsequent SCOTUS decision makes the application of the guidelines clearly inappropriate?

Posted by: Anon | Oct 22, 2014 2:39:24 PM

or they could use the final check on the gov't when it's talking out it's ass. Self removal. just starting killing every gov't agent they can get too till they work their way out of prison.

Posted by: rodsmith | Oct 23, 2014 2:11:11 AM

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Surprise. Amazing. Fantastic. So exciting. All are words used by some of the 10 recipients of the Field Foundations Leaders for a New Chicago award, announced Tuesday by the foundation, in partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The awards  centered in areas of art, justice and media/storytelling  are part of Fields ongoing investment in individuals and organizations ongoing efforts to address racial justice and systemic bias in Chicagos marginalized and underserved communities. Launched in 2019, the MacArthur Foundation committed $4.2 million to recognize and support diverse leaders from communities affected by Chicagos history of structural racism, discrimination and disinvestment.

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The $50,000 award is divided in half  $25,000 for the recipients personal use and $25,000 for the affiliated organizations general operations.

The Field Foundation's 2022 Leaders for a New Chicago award winners. Top row from left: Tanya Watkins, executive director of Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation (Natalie Battles-Reed), Trina Reynolds-Tyler, director of data for Invisible Institute (Invisible Institute), Kevin Iega Jeff, co-founder of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater and creative/executive director of Deeply Rooted Productions (Ken Carl), Scheherazade Tillet, co-founder and executive director of A Long Walk Home (Anthony Alvarez), Emily Blum, executive director of Disability Lead (Elizabeth Granger). Bottom row from left: Irene Romulo, development and community engagement coordinator and co-founder of Cicero Independiente (Naomi Ishisaka), Dixon Romeo, leader of Not Me We (Davon Clark), Dorene Wiese, chief executive officer of the American Indian Association of Illinois (Katherine Wiese), avery young, teaching artist with Urban Gateways (Elyse Blennerhassett), and Antonio Gutierrez, strategic coordinator and co-founder of Organized Communities Against Deportations (Greater Good Studio). (A'Lexus Murphy)

Emily Blum, executive director of Disability Lead, a nonprofit that develops and connects leaders with disabilities to civic and professional opportunities, said the money will be earmarked to expand the organizations model to areas outside of Chicago and to advance conversations around diversity within venues such as Disability Leads Collab forum (a virtual space where practitioners of racial equity can connect with practitioners of disability justice, for relationship building and working together).

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Emily Blum, executive director of Disability Lead, with her dog Alfie in Chicago on June 6, 2022. Blum, is one of 10 recipients of the Field Foundations Leaders for a New Chicago award in partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. She plans on using her award money to expand the organizations model to areas outside of Chicago and advance conversations around diversity. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Born as a Chicago Community Trust program for the 25th anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act, Disability Lead was formed to create a bench of leaders with disabilities in the Chicago region, Blum said.

We were created to expand that network, she said. We have more than 200 positive disrupters, people with disabilities representing the diversity of disability, the diversity of Chicago, and we help them lead. I think our opportunity is really around culture change. How do we change peoples understandings, ideas around disability ... and change peoples attitudes and the stigma around it.

Blum, who said a big part of her leadership is showing up proudly as a person with disabilities, is one of 10 leaders chosen for the awards. Other recipients include:

Kevin Iega Jeff, co-founder of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater and creative/executive director of Deeply Rooted Productions;

Scheherazade Tillet, co-founder and executive director of A Long Walk Home, an art organization that empowers young people to end violence against Black girls and women;

avery young, award-winning artist, composer, and producer, a teaching artist with Urban Gateways, which helps youth overcome social and economic barriers to access Chicagos artistic and cultural vitality;

Antonio Gutierrez, strategic coordinator and co-founder of Organized Communities Against Deportations, an organization that defends its communities, challenges the institutions that target and dehumanize them, and builds collective power;

Dixon Romeo, de facto leader of Not Me We, a community organization focusing on housing, organization education, and mutual aid (which evolved from weekly mutual aid grocery distribution and tenant organizing in 2020);

Tanya Watkins, executive director of Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, a multi-issue, faith-based, social justice organization that assists residents in building power;

Dorene Wiese, chief executive officer of the American Indian Association of Illinois, an urban-based nonprofit dedicated to transforming American Indian education into an experience founded in Native culture, language, and history;

Trina Reynolds-Tyler, director of data for Invisible Institute, whose mission is to enhance the capacity of citizens to hold public institutions accountable;

Irene Romulo, development and community engagement coordinator and co-founder of Cicero Independiente, a hyperlocal, bilingual news outlet focused on government accountability and cultural presence in Cicero.

Wiese, an Ojibwe tribal member, plans on using her award money to start a scholarship fund for American Indian students in public colleges and universities. Since the Native American Educational Services College, an urban and reservation American Indian college, lost its accreditation in 2005, shes been trying to get it started again. In the interim, college programs for American Indian students in Chicago have been taught in collaboration with other universities. Wieses focus is building an educated community with a pipeline of students from elementary to college and getting the school its accreditation back.

I think that the Higher Learning Commission did not really get a sense of how important it was for American Indian people to develop their own institutions of higher education, Wiese said. Its really been difficult for our community since we lost our college. An urban college is important because most Native people live in urban areas today, over 70%, living off reservations.

Dorene Wiese, an Ojibwe tribal member, demonstrates traditional dances, June 6, 2022, at Ebezener Lutheran Church in Chicago. Wiese plans on using her award money to start a scholarship fund for American Indian students in public colleges and universities. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Tillet will be using her part of the award money to help her buy a home. The money for A Long Walk Home will go toward taking youth on a trip to a West African conference about gender-based violence this month. Photography and art workshops will be curated in Sierra Leone with girls from all over Africa.

Awards like this allows a bigger platform for your work to be seen, specifically the work I do with Black girls, Tillet said. As we give opportunity to girls not only nationally, I think as were doing this work, were connecting to the continent, and having this conversation of Black girlhood globally, which is very exciting. What does Black girlhood mean here in Chicago? What does it mean in a global sense, as well?

A committee comprised of 2021 awardees, facilitated by Field and MacArthur staff members, oversaw the process of reviewing nominations and recommending award recipients. Field Foundation Leadership Investment Program Officer analia rodriguez, a member of the inaugural 2019 Leaders cohort, said the selection committee was overwhelmed by the leadership of all the nominees.

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Im humbled to experience this process and commitment of the nominees to make Chicago a better place for all, rodriguez said.

drockett@chicagotribune.com
 Some headlines and discussions of crime research catching my eye | Main | San Francisco voters recall progressive prosecutor Chesa Boudin by a large margin 

June 7, 2022

Split Ohio Supreme Court rules defendant's profane outburst after getting 22 year sentence could not justify increase to 28 years

This local press report, headlined "Judge cant increase sentence for defendant who cussed him out, Ohio Supreme Court says," reports on a notable ruling today from the Ohio Supreme Court. Here are the highlights from the article:

A Lake County judge was wrong to tack six years onto the prison sentence he gave defendant after the man called the judge a racist a-s b----h in court, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Eugene Lucci initially sentenced Manson Bryant to 22 years in prison in March 2019 after a jury convicted him of aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery. But after Bryant, whose attorneys asked for a sentence similar to a co-defendants 12-year sentence, launched into a profanity-laden tirade against Lucci, the judge said that Bryant lacked remorse for his crimes and imposed the maximum sentence of 28 years. The Ohio Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision held that Byrants statements were not related to the crimes for which he was being sentenced and therefore could not legally factor into Luccis sentencing decision. The states high court overturned a unanimous 11th District Court of Appeals decision upholding the 28-year sentence and reinstated the original 22-year sentence. If a defendants outburst or other courtroom misbehavior causes a significant disruption that obstructs the administration of justice, that behavior may be punishable as contempt of court, Justice Melody Stewart wrote in the majority opinion.... Justices Patrick Fischer and Patrick DeWine signed onto Justice Sharon Kennedys dissenting opinion that said that a judges determination as to whether a defendant shows remorse is not an appealable issue.

The full opinion in State v. Bryant, No. 2020-0599, 2022-Ohio-1878 (Ohio June 7, 2022), is available at this link and is worth a full read. Here is how the opinion of the court gets started:

In this discretionary appeal from a judgment of the Eleventh District Court of Appeals, we consider whether the appellate court erred by affirming the trial courts judgment increasing appellant Manson Bryants prison sentence by six years in response to Bryants reaction to the length of a previously imposed prison sentence. We hold that the Eleventh District erred, and we reverse the judgment affirming the trial courts judgment increasing Bryants sentence. If a defendants outburst or other courtroom misbehavior causes a significant disruption that obstructs the administration of justice, that behavior may be punishable as contempt of court. See R.C. 2705.01. The behavior, however, may not result in an increased sentence for the underlying crime.

And here is how the dissent gets started:

This case is not about vindictive sentencing. While it may be about that issue in the minds of the majority, that is not the issue this court accepted. The only question this court accepted is whether a defendants in-court outburst is punishable as contempt of court, but does not provide a lawful basis for increasing the defendants sentence. Majority opinion,  16. The correct answer to that question is: it depends. It depends on the in-court outburst. When a defendant has an in-court outburst during a sentencing proceeding, and the defendants statements not only relate directly to a sentencing finding that the trial court made pursuant to R.C. 2929.12 but also negate support for that finding, the trial court is not limited to simply holding that defendant in contempt of court. The trial court is permitted to consider that in-court outburst in sentencing: here, the in-court outburst directly related to whether appellant, Manson Bryant, had displayed genuine remorse for committing various crimes or whether he was just pretending to have remorse with the hope of receiving a more lenient sentence. See R.C. 2929.12(D)(5). And under this courts holding in State v. Jones, 163 Ohio St.3d 242, 2020-Ohio-6729, 169 N.E.3d 649, neither this court nor the court of appeals has the authority to review Bryants increased sentence. Because the majority holds differently, I dissent.

June 7, 2022 at 04:19 PM | Permalink

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One of the fascinating things a bout this case is that after he lost by a unanimous vote at the intermediate appellate court, he appealed PRO SE to the Ohio Supreme Court, which granted his Petition and appointed the public defenders to represent him at the highest Ohio Court. Although it is not clear from this record, it appears that after the unanimous loss at the Court of Appeals, the public defenders may have declined to seek further review at the Ohio Supreme Court, leaving the defendant to file a pro se Petition for Review.

Posted by: Jim Gormley | Jun 8, 2022 11:50:02 AM

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SCDF firefighters provided water for a rescued dog from a kitchen fire at The Quartz condominium in Sengkang. (PHOTO: SCDF)

SINGAPORE  A dog was rescued from a fire at a condominium unit in Sengkang on Monday (6 June), while 10 people from the affected block were evacuated.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said in a Facebook post on Monday that it had responded to a fire alert at about 5.55pm on Monday at The Quartz, a condominium complex along Compassvale Bow in Sengkang.

Upon arrival, firefighters saw black smoke emitting from a 15th-floor unit at Block 53 of the complex.

"Firefighters from Sengkang Fire Station donned breathing apparatus sets and conducted forcible entry to gain access into the unit. No one was in the unit," SCDF said in the Facebook post.

"The fire, which involved the contents of kitchen, was extinguished using a water jet."

A dog was found in the living room of the unit, and it was rescued and handed back to the owner.

About 10 people from the affected block were evacuated, and there were no reported injuries.

SCDF said the fire was largely confined to the kitchen, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore
STORY: The Dominican Republics environment minister was shot dead in his office on Monday.

A spokesman for the president's office said a suspect identified as Miguel Cruz was arrested.

Cruz was a childhood friend of minister Orlando Jorge Mera, but no motive was given for the attack.

Employees at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources told journalists..

that they heard at least seven shots from within the building.

Police units arrived on the scene shortly after.

Mera, a 55-year-old lawyer, was the son of former President Salvador Jorge Blanco, who was in office from 2002 to 2006.
Twenty two years on, Y2K is back with a vengeance, or so our June digital cover claims. And what better way to mark it than with the era-defining cocktail, the Cosmopolitan.

While the distinctly pink drink was born in the 80s, it reached its peak at the turn of this century before slowly dying off. But we like to think of ourselves as tastemakers, however poorly that may be, which is why we turned to Singapore bartender, The Store cofounder, and former Titos Vodka brand ambassador Hirman Asnadi to recreate the modern classic and bring it up to date with a twist.

The Cosmopolitan can trace its rise back to 1980s San Francisco, when it was popularised at gay bars in the city. From there, it travelled across the country to Long Island Bar in New York, whose owner Tony Cecchini is widely credited for inventing the modern-day template of vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime.

Sarah Jessica Parkers character Carrie Bradshaw drinking a Cosmopolitan in Sex and the City. (Image credit: HBO / YouTube)

But the cocktail really took off in the second half of the 1990s when it was regularly featured in the TV series Sex and the City. In the US, everyone and their mom, tourists visiting, sorority girls, they wanted a Cosmopolitan, Cecchini told Punch. It was a similar situation in Singapore. I used to bartend at New Asia Bar (which opened in 2001), and it was mostly women who ordered the drink, said The Store cofounder Joanne Kok.

By the late 2000s, the Cosmopolitans run was virtually over. It became derided for being too sweet and a ladys drink: I know less than ten guys who like a Cosmo, Asnadi noted. Even the ever-reliable Sex and the City crowd began gravitating towards spirit-forward cocktails. The last time I made one was ten years ago.

When done well, the Cosmopolitan can be fascinating. It should be equally sweet and tart, said Asnadi, and using quality cranberry juice is key. Fresh lime juice is non-negotiable, and he adds either a touch of saline solution for viscosity or sugar syrup to enrich it, depending on who is ordering. You have to read your guest and explore modifiers accordingly, he said.

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The Cosmopolitan can also be remixed according to todays craft cocktail sentiments. For Asnadi, this means swapping vodka for mezcal, a pat of Ancho Reyes chilli liqueur for a bit of kick, and rounded out with sugar syrup to create the Mezcopolitan. There is some bar-side pizzazz  the drink is topped with a smoke bubble, then popped with an orange peel  but it adds savoury depths of smoke and spice to the drinks bright profile. More crucially, it allows the cocktail to reclaim its dignity. We want the Cosmopolitan to be for advanced drinkers, said Asnadi.

Cosmopolitan cocktail by Hirman Asnadi (Image credit: Lifestyle Asia)

The classic: Cosmopolitan

By Hirman Asnadi, The Store

Serves 1

45ml Titos Handmade Vodka

30ml Cointreau

30ml Cranberry juice

15ml Lime juice

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

Mezcopolitan by Hirman Asnadi (Image credit: Lifestyle Asia)

The twist: Mezcopolitan

By Hirman Asnadi, The Store

Serves 1

45ml Mezcal Machetazo

15ml Cointreau

15ml Ancho Reyes Verde

30ml Cranberry juice

15ml Lime juice

5ml Sugar syrup (1:1 ratio)

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

The Store is located at 11 Neil Rd, Singapore 088809. Book here.

The post How to update the classic Y2K Cosmopolitan cocktail appeared first on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia on Tuesday claimed to have taken control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraine's Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscows forces hold nearly all of Luhansk province. And it appears that Russia now occupies roughly half of Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts.

After abandoning its bungled attempt to storm Kyiv two months ago, Russia declared that taking the entire Donbas is its main objective. Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian government forces in the Donbas since 2014, and the region has borne the brunt of the Russian onslaught in recent weeks.

Early in the war, Russian troops also took control of the entire Kherson region and a large part of the Zaporizhzhia region, both in the south. Russian officials and their local appointees have talked about plans for those regions to either declare their independence or be folded into Russia.

But in what may be the latest instance of anti-Russian sabotage inside Ukraine, Russian state media said Tuesday that an explosion at a cafe in the city of Kherson wounded four people. Tass called the apparent bombing in the Russian-occupied city a terror act.

Before the Feb. 24 invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russia controlled some 7% of the country, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and areas held by the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces hold 20% of the country.

While Russia has superior firepower, the Ukrainian defenders are entrenched and have shown the ability to counterattack.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces made no significant advances in the eastern Donbas region over the past day.

The absolutely heroic defense of the Donbas continues, he said late Tuesday in his nightly video address.

Zelenskyy said the Russians clearly did not expect to meet so much resistance and are now trying to bring in additional troops and equipment. He said the same was true in the Kherson region.

Speaking earlier to a Financial Times conference, Zelenskyy insisted on Ukraines need to defeat Russia on the battlefield but also said he is still open to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But a former senior U.S. intelligence officer said the time isnt right.

Youre not going to get to the negotiating table until neither side feels they have an advantage that they could push, said Andrea Kendall-Taylor of the Washington-based Center for a New American Security.

The Russians think they will be able to take the whole of the Donbas and then might use that as the opportunity to call for negotiations, Kendall-Taylor said at an online seminar organized by Columbia and New York universities.

Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, said Moscow's forces have seized the residential quarters of Sievierodonetsk and are fighting to take control of an industrial zone on the city's outskirts and nearby towns.

Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. They are among a few cities and towns in the Luhansk region still holding out against the Russian invasion, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces.

Shoigu added that Russian troops were pressing their offensive toward the town of Popasna and have taken control of Lyman and Sviatohirsk and 15 other towns in the region.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak urged his people not to be downhearted about the battlefield reverses.

Dont let the news that weve ceded something scare you, he said in a video address. It is clear that tactical maneuvers are ongoing. We cede something, we take something back."

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai conceded that Russian forces control the industrial outskirts of Sievierodonetsk.

The toughest street battles continue, with varying degrees of success, Haidai said. The situation constantly changes, but the Ukrainians are repelling attacks.

Moscows forces also kept up their artillery barrage of Lysychansk. Haidai said Russian troops shelled a market, a school and a college building, destroying the latter. At least three people were wounded, he said.

A total destruction of the city is under way. Russian shelling has intensified significantly over the past 24 hours. Russians are using scorched-earth tactics, Haidai said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has begun training Ukrainian forces on the sophisticated multiple rocket launchers that the Biden administration agreed last week to provide. The Pentagon said the training is going on at a base in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets, which can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). Officials said it would take about three weeks of training before they could go to the battlefront.

In other developments, Zelenskyy said Ukraine planned to publish a special Book of Executioners next week with information about war crimes committed by the Russian army.

These are specific facts about specific people who are guilty of specific cruel crimes against Ukrainians, he said. Those named would include not only people who carried out the crimes but their commanders, he said.

The war also brought a standoff Tuesday between the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and Ukrainian authorities over the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe.

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, wants to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant to help maintain its safety after it was taken by Russian troops in March.

But Energoatom, the Ukrainian state company overseeing the countrys nuclear plants, said in a blunt statement that Grossi isnt welcome. It said his planned tour is yet another attempt to legitimize the occupiers presence there.

Amid fears of a global food crisis because of the war, the Kremlin said Ukraine needs to remove sea mines near its Black Sea port of Odesa to allow essential grain exports to resume from there. Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that removing the mines could enable Moscows forces to attack.

Associated Press journalists David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv; Andrew Katell in New York; and Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this story.

Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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GRANVILLE -- Tuesday night, Iowa's House District 5 GOP race was a strength test for the power of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' endorsements and the candidate she picked came through.

With all four counties in the district reporting, Zach Dieken, a Republican state trooper from Granville, had 55.80% of the vote to Cherokee incumbent Dennis Bush's 24.20%. Sibley paralegal Thomas Kuiper garnered 20%.

On May 25, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds threw her support behind the 31-year-old Dieken instead of Bush, a 71-year-old first-term state legislator and Cherokee farmer. A primary reason for the endorsement by the sitting governor was that Bush, a former Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn School Board member, was one of the GOP House members who have resisted Reynolds' proposal to provide K-12 students and their parents scholarships for private schools, the so-called "voucher bill," that critics say will shift taxpayer funding away from public schools.

The newly-drawn House District 5 takes in all of O'Brien and Osceola counties and parts of Buena Vista and Cherokee counties. Major cities in the district include Cherokee, Hartley, Primghar, Sheldon and Sibley.

With no Democratic challenger in the general election, Dieken is the presumptive winner in the fall.

Jared McNett is an online editor and reporter for the Sioux City Journal. You can reach him at 712-293-4234 and follow him on Twitter @TwoHeadedBoy98.

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ROME (AP)  Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings Monday about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring.

The glum assessment came in a report by two Rome-based food agencies: the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

WFP Executive Director David Beasley said besides hurting the poorest of the poor the global food crises threaten to overwhelm millions of families who are just getting by.

Conditions now are much worse than during the Arab Spring in 2011 and 2007-2008 food price crisis, when 48 countries were rocked by political unrest, riots and protests, Beasley said in a statement. He cited as just the tip of the iceberg food crises now in Indonesia, Pakistan, Peru and Sri Lanka.

The report calls for urgent humanitarian action to help hunger hotspots where acute hunger is expected to worsen over the next few months.

The U.N. agencies are also warning that war in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February, has exacerbated already steadily rising food and energy prices worldwide.

The effects are expected to be particularly acute where economic instability and spiraling prices combine with drops in food production due to climate shocks such as recurrent droughts or flooding, the joint statement from the U.N. agencies said.

Among critical areas cited is East Africa, where the United Nations said an unprecedented drought is afflicting Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. South Sudan, meanwhile, faces a fourth straight year of large-scale flooding.

The report cited other sobering climate impacts: above-average rain and a risk of localized flooding in the Sahel, a vast swath of Africa stretching south of the Sahara Desert.

It also cited a more intense hurricane season in the Caribbean and below-average rainfall in Afghanistan. That Asian country is already suffering through multiple seasons of drought, violence and political upheaval, including after the return of Taliban rule last summer.

The report tagged six nations as highest alert hot spots facing catastrophic conditions: Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Somalia. It said as many as 750,000 people are facing starvation and death in those countries. Of those, 400,000 are in Ethiopia's embattled Tigray region  the highest number on record in any one country since the 2011 famine in Somalia, the U.N. agencies said.

In April, according to a study by regional health officials that was seen by The Associated Press, at least 1,900 children under 5 died from malnutrition in the Tigray region. Western Tigray, which is under the control of forces from the neighboring Amhara region, was not included in that survey.

The U.N. food agencies report Monday said Congo, Haiti, the Sahel region, Sudan and Syria remain of very high concern" and noted that Kenya was a new entry to that list.

Joining the list of hot spot countries were Sri Lanka, Benin, Cape Verde, Guinea, Ukraine and Zimbabwe, while areas that faced continuing food scarcities included Angola, Lebanon, Madagascar and Mozambique.

Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate.

Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
According to court documents, Arce-Topete had sexual contact with the alleged victim, who was under age 12, from approximately September 2019 until March 12, 2020, in Hawarden. The child reported the abuse during an interview with authorities on March 18, 2020. An arrest warrant was issued from Arce-Topete in March 2020, and he was arrested last month.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A Sioux City man who posted online messages that he was ready for civil war to keep Joe Biden from being sworn in as president pleaded guilty Tuesday of illegally entering the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

Kenneth Rader, 54, appeared via a Zoom video conference and entered his guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building. He faces up to six months in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

Sentencing was scheduled for Sept. 9 in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. He will remain free on bond while awaiting sentencing.

As part of a plea agreement, Rader agreed to pay $500 restitution to the Architect of the Capitol to help offset the nearly $1.5 million in damage done to the building during the riot.

Rader entered the Capitol during the insurrection, in which hundreds of supporters of former president Donald Trump were protesting the results of the November 2020 election in which Biden had defeated Trump. The mob gathered outside the Capitol before hundreds of protesters broke into the building in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying the electoral college results declaring Biden the winner.

In a statement of offense filed Tuesday, Rader admitted traveling to Washington on Jan. 5. He attended the "Stop the Steal" rally the following day and joined others on the west lawn of the Capitol before climbing through scaffolding, walking up stairs to the northwest terrace and entering the building through a broken Senate wing door. Rader stood near the entrance, walked near a broken window, picked up some broken glass and plaster as souvenirs, spoke with some unidentified men and then exited after spending about three minutes inside.

Security footage contained in a previous court filing showed Rader, dressed in a blue "Trump 2020" hoodie, entering and leaving the Capitol.

In Tuesday's court filings, Rader admitted to posting numerous Facebook messages and comments about resisting Biden's election. In the earliest post, he said he had joined a militia. He commented on other Facebook users' posts in November and December 2020 that blood would be spilled if an attempt was made to inaugurate Biden. He commented on Dec. 21 that if Biden tried to walk into the White House, "I call dibs I'll behead him like ISIS," he said in reference to the Middle East terrorist network.

In a private Facebook message on Jan. 5, he said, "I'm on my way to the front line. We are 1 day away from Civil War."

Two days after the insurrection, a family member tipped the FBI to Rader's participation, telling agents that Rader had shared videos of himself on the Capitol grounds and inside the building.

The FBI arrested him on Jan. 20, 2021, in Sioux City. On Feb. 24, 2021, Rader sent a message to his Facebook friends saying, "I don't care if the feds come arrest me ... When the judge says you're going to prison, I'm going to say, no disrespect, your honor, but I made peace with God before I left, so let's do this."

Rader told FBI agents during a September interview that he had attended the Jan. 6 rally but never entered the Capitol. The FBI confirmed Rader's presence in Washington through cellphone records and video footage of him inside the Capitol. In an interview with FBI agents, two of Rader's relatives identified him as the person shown in screen shots of the video footage.

Rader also was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly conduct in a capitol building. Those charges will be dismissed at sentencing.

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SIOUX CITY -- Selection of the 12 jurors who will determine whether Tayvon Davis is guilty or not guilty of causing fatal injuries to a Sioux City toddler is scheduled to begin Tuesday.

Davis, 26, of Sioux City, has pleaded not guilty in Woodbury County District Court of first-degree murder, child endangerment resulting in the death of a child and multiple acts of child endangerment.

Jury selection is expected take as long as two days. Opening statements and witness testimony could begin Thursday morning. District Judge Tod Deck is presiding over the trial.

Davis is accused of injuring his girlfriend's 19-month-old daughter numerous times from July 1, 2018, until Aug. 22, 2018, when she was taken to a Sioux City hospital unresponsive and with injuries. She was transferred to Children's Hospital in Omaha, where she died three days later.

An autopsy revealed multiple head injuries, retinal hemorrhages in the girl's eyes, a kidney injury and other injuries. Her death was ruled a homicide caused by complications from multiple blunt-force injuries.

The girl was in Davis' care when the injuries occurred, according to court documents, which give no description of any actions that took place that day.

Davis later told investigators he dropped the girl while giving her a bath. According to court documents, physicians who examined the girl's injuries will testify they were not consistent with a fall in the bathtub and were intentionally inflicted.

Davis lived with the girl's mother, and the girl was often left in his care. During that time, the girl suffered an elbow injury, frequently vomited, stopped walking and her development regressed, court documents said. The autopsy revealed healing fractures to the girl's vertebrae and several ribs, injuries that had been suffered at least a month prior to her death. The child's brain and eyes also showed evidence of ongoing abuse.

After a 15-month investigation, police issued an arrest warrant for Davis in November 2019. Davis turned himself in two days after the warrant was issued.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Kristine Timmins and Assistant Iowa Attorney General Nicole Leonard.

Davis is represented by public defenders Jennifer Solberg and Laury Kleinschmidt.

If found guilty of first-degree murder, Davis would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot escalated her ongoing feud with the Cook County criminal courts system on Monday when she said judges shouldnt allow people charged with violent crimes out on bail because they are guilty if they have been charged.

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We shouldnt be locking up nonviolent individuals just because they cant afford to pay bail. But, given the exacting standards that the states attorney has for charging a case, which is proof beyond a reasonable doubt, when those charges are brought, these people are guilty, Lightfoot said. Of course theyre entitled to a presumption of innocence. Of course theyre entitled to their day in court. But residents in our community are also entitled to safety from dangerous people, so we need to keep pressing the criminal courts to lock up violent dangerous people and not put them out on bail or electronic monitoring back into the very same communities where brave souls are mustering the courage to come forward and say, this is the person who is responsible. 

[ Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will seek a second term; will announce re-election bid to supporters tonight ]

Letting people who have been charged with violent crimes out on bond undermines the legitimacy of the criminal courts, she said.

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If we hold violent dangerous people accountable, we will see a significant drop in the violence in our city, Lightfoot said. But when youve got somebody whos accused of murder, attempted murder, rape, kidnapping, carjacking, as is now, these people are walking the streets right now today in our communities because our criminal courts are not doing their job and taking into consideration the danger to the community.

At St. Sabina Church on Monday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announces new details of a security rebate program and also discussed her opposition to bail for violent offenders. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

Lightfoots comments are noteworthy because the criminal justice system operates under the presumption of innocence for suspects, and Chicago has a long history of police misconduct that has led to wrongful convictions. The mayor made the comments in response to a question about three law enforcement officers being shot in separate incidents over the past week. A lack of accountability in the courts system has made criminals brazen, Lightfoot said.

Lightfoot was speaking at a news conference at St. Sabina Church where she announced new details of a $5.3 million program to assist residents and business owners in purchasing private security devices for their properties.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois criticized Lightfoots comments, saying its sad to see a highly-trained lawyer and former prosecutor so badly mangle the meaning of our Constitution.

In her statement, Alexandra Block, senior supervising attorney, ACLU of Illinois, noted that the city has paid large settlements to people whove been wrongfully convicted because of Chicago police misconduct.

But what may be most troubling is the mayors ongoing attack on bail reform. Individuals who have not been convicted of a crime are constitutionally entitled to an individualized determination about whether they can safely be released to the community. Bail reform returns people to their homes and jobs, allowing individuals and families to remain afloat.

Seeking easy answers to political pressures about gun violence, the mayor has repeatedly attacked bail reform, often with phony data, Block continued. Mayor Lightfoot would be best served turning her energies to implementing real change in CPD and building relationships with community  essential steps for effective policing. Instead of searching for real solutions, she constantly searches for a scapegoat  whether it is the courts or youth across the city.

Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchells office noted that false confessions have also been used to keep people who are wrongly charged locked up.

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Chicago is the false confession capital of the nation. For decades the city has shamefully disregarded the presumption of innocence  which applies to everyone, regardless of the charge against them, a statement from Mitchells office said. As an attorney, the mayor knows that the criminal justice system is not designed to decide guilt early in a case. In fact, in the past year the Cook County public defenders office represented people in more than 11,000 cases that ended in dismissal or a finding of not guilty.

Since becoming mayor in 2019, Lightfoot has repeatedly criticized the Cook County courts for allowing violent offenders and people charged with certain gun crimes to bond out of jail. Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans has previously responded to criticism from the mayor by saying that its unconstitutional to hold someone pretrial without a finding that the defendant poses a real and present threat to the physical safety of any person.

Pretrial detention serves a legitimate purpose, preventing the serious risk of committing crimes while on pretrial release, Evans said in January. Its purpose is not, however, to punish preemptively, by depriving people of their liberty for crimes for which they have not yet been convicted.

Evans released a statement Tuesday calling Lightfoots comment wrong on both the law and the facts.

As I have previously stated, I respectfully disagree that the automatic detention in jail of defendants facing certain categories of charges is a constitutional practice under the United States and Illinois constitutions, Evans said. Pretrial detention serves a legitimate purpose, preventing the serious risk of committing crimes while on pretrial release. Its purpose is not, however, to punish by depriving people of their liberty for crimes for which they have not yet been convicted.

Contrary to the notion that all those charged with violent crimes are guilty, of violent felony cases disposed between October 2017 and April 2022, 11% were dropped upon further investigation by the States Attorney, and an additional 3.2% were found not guilty at trial. This shows that charging an individual does not equate with guilt.

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A judge has three basic options when determining where a defendant should await trial. They can hold the defendant in custody without bond, release them on their own recognizance; or order them released if they pay a certain amount of bail. In addition, the judge can order the defendant to wear an electronic ankle bracelet as a condition of their release on bond. Judges weigh a complicated set of factors in a short amount of time to determine whether the defendant is a flight risk or poses a threat to public safety.

Cook County has two electronic monitoring systems: one operated by the chief judges office, and the other run by the sheriff. The data underlying Lightfoots claims appear to focus solely on the sheriffs home-monitoring program. Defendants on that program are meant to be effectively under house arrest, sheriffs officials have said, wearing the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure compliance.

In 2020 and 2021, the city experienced major spikes in violent crime and the mayor has responded by criticizing the chief judge and sometimes States Attorney Kim Foxx for being too lenient with crime. Lightfoot has also blamed the increase in violent crime on the pandemic.

But the public defenders office asserted in its Monday statement that in the long run, putting increasing numbers of people in jail while awaiting trial causes more harm to our communities. ... Judges upholding the rule of law are not the reason there is gun violence. Truly supporting people with sufficient resources in their communities is the only way to achieve safety.

Illinois is set to eliminate cash bail on Jan. 1 as part of a sweeping criminal justice reform bill approved by the General Assembly last year.

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gpratt@chicagotribune.com
OMAHA  Nebraska has made significant progress hardening school buildings against attacks like the one in Uvalde, Texas.

And the states gotten better at identifying potentially dangerous kids ahead of time, officials say.

But as shock and sadness swept the nation over the loss of life at Robb Elementary School, Nebraskans are asking: What more can be done?

A state task force will try to answer that question.

Jolene Palmer, Nebraska school safety and security director, said last month that theres more work to be done, but schools are light years ahead of where they were even four or five years ago.

They are safer than they were, she said. And Ill tell you, they still are the safest place for kids to be. Theres not a doubt in my mind.

School officials in Nebraska have been working for at least a decade on hardening their buildings.

Many of those efforts were prompted by Omaha shootings in 2007 at Von Maur department store and 2011 at Millard South High School. The latter killed an assistant principal.

Many schools have installed buzz-in front doors with man-trap vestibules and security cameras both inside and out. Theyve improved exterior doors, adding key fob openers and alarm systems that trigger when a doors opened. Theyve done away with the 1970s-era open floor plans, remodeling them into stand-alone classrooms with doors that lock from the inside.

Some schools are still working to accomplish the changes.

Voters in Ralston Public Schools last fall approved a bond issue that will pay for vestibule-style secure entrances at the districts middle and elementary schools.

Grand Island Public Schools is spending more than $2.2 million of federal COVID-19 relief money to renovate and add secure entrances to several elementary and middle schools.

The entrances will be the vestibule type, which consists of a secure space with cameras and a locked door where a visitor has to request to enter the building through a video intercom system outside, said Mitchell Roush, spokesman for Grand Island.

Palmer said a large majority of the states schools have their perimeter doors locked all day, with a single school entrance. But she acknowledged that sometimes a teacher will prop open a door to run out to their car or a child will put a rock in it to hold it open for a friend.

In Texas, authorities initially said a teacher was seen on video propping open a rear exterior door to the school, which the teacher exited to retrieve food before lunch. Officials later confirmed that the teacher had closed the door as the 18-year-old shooter was approaching, but that the door didn't lock as expected.

Many parents across Nebraska took to social media immediately after the shooting to express gratitude that district buildings have locked and secure entrances. But some parents also expressed concern about their schools security.

The first time I picked up my son, I was never asked for an ID. They know me now, but what about that first time? said Jessica Marie Howe, an Omaha Public Schools parent. I dont know what we can do as a community, but I cant handle this anxiety I have about sending my son to school. And it gets worse and worse with every tragic event.

Side exits are a problem, said Brad Podany, a security guard at Omaha South High School.

Podany said the high school has about 30 exits in the entire building. Before the pandemic, there was a big push for teachers to guard each exit because students kept leaving voluntarily or opening doors for others to come into the school, he said. But the ongoing staff shortage has complicated that effort.

Its a constant fight, because you have students that will walk past the door, and someone will be outside knocking and they will just open the door to let anybody in, he said.

Palmer said the state has trained secretaries to manage school entrances, so they know what to look for before letting someone in.

Schools have been doing more drills, and changing up the scenarios, she said.

A majority of schools have adopted the I Love U Guys standard response protocol, which gives educators, students and first responders common procedures and language in an emergency.

Locking classroom doors from the inside remains one of the most effective ways to deter an intruder, Palmer said.

Up to this point, there has never been an intruder that breached a locked classroom door, she said.

The safest place for a student is behind a locked classroom door where no one can see them from the hallway, she said.

The idea is if we can get kids out of sight, theres good chances theyre going to survive, she said.

The No. 1 strategy, however, still remains having strong relationships between students and staff, she said. That way, the student has a caring adult in whom to confide.

About half the states school districts have a threat-assessment team, she said.

The pandemic slowed training of those teams, though, as districts dealt with other priorities, she said, but those are going to ramp up again now.

Nebraska is ahead of other states in developing teams and pairing them with the states Safe2Help hotline, Palmer said. The anonymous line lets people talk to Boys Town counselors who can either send immediate help in a life-threatening situation or report the information to the threat-assessment team for further evaluation.

Lincoln Public Schools has established its own Safe to Say reporting system.

Tips are crucial, because 81.9% of the time somebody knows something about whats about to happen, Palmer said.

Since Jan. 7, 2020, the state received about 1,300 Safe2Help reports, she said.

We know for a fact, or were pretty sure, that weve thwarted six shootings, Palmer said.

Nebraska is the only state in the nation that has a report line thats connected to school threat-assessment teams, according to Diana Schmidt, who manages the hotline at Boys Town. That connection ensures the information gets into the hands of those who need it.

So as quickly as a Safe2Help Nebraska crisis counselor gets the information, they can even still be engaging with the tipster and send the information to a district team, she said.

Palmer said authorities still would benefit from having more eyes scanning social media.

And thats not artificial intelligence, that needs to be by a human being, she said.

In almost every incident in the last decade, there were red flags, she said. Though admittedly, Palmer added, theres often little time for authorities to act on those postings.

Nebraska Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt will be creating a task force to review school safety in Nebraska schools. Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont, chair of the Legislatures Education Committee, asked him to form the group to review current school safety, security and preparedness practices.

The group, she said, should identify strategies and solutions to ensure Nebraska schools remain safe.

Gov. Pete Ricketts, a Republican, last month said the root cause of mass shootings is mental illness.

The state will, he said, continue to look for ways to strengthen our mental health services and foster effective communication between first responders, educators, medical professionals and law enforcement to better identify and treat mental health issues.

Critics on social media noted that Ricketts vetoed a bill in 2018 that would have used private funds to hire a social worker in each of the states 17 educational service units, with the goal of identifying children in need of behavioral health services so they could be connected to community resources. The $3.6 million program would have been funded for three years with private donations.

At the time, Ricketts said he opposed the bill because it would have obligated the state to run a privately funded grant program that would have duplicated efforts by the Department of Health and Human Services. He also noted that donations could still be given directly to the service units.

Blomstedt said the state definitely can be better in providing mental health services in rural areas.

A portion of the federal COVID-19 relief aid has already been targeted toward mental health concerns that arose from the pandemic.

There are several Nebraska counties that have no providers living in them, according to Blomstedt.

Theres just flatly areas that are just underserved, and shortages everywhere else, he said.

In plans adopted last year, about 20% of Nebraska districts indicated they want to use some of their federal COVID-19 money to address mental health issues for both students and staff.

Many are hiring more licensed mental health practitioners to allow more students to receive therapy, or giving existing staff more hours to help students.

Some state legislators, though, have publicly said the solution needs to involve changes to firearm laws.

Much like on the national level, such efforts in Nebraska have failed to gain approval in recent years. Among the failed efforts was a red-flag bill in 2020. The legislation would have allowed a family member, household member, school superintendent or law enforcement official to petition a judge to have firearms temporarily removed from a person deemed a significant risk. Ricketts opposed the measure. Several other gun-related bills that year brought hundreds of opponents to the state Capitol.

Sen. John Cavanaugh told the Omaha World-Herald a day after the shooting in Texas that all options needed to be on the table.

If our representatives in Congress will not protect children, we may need to act at the state level, he said.

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SIOUX CITY -- The architect for the new Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center told Sioux City councilmembers Monday that the majority of the deep foundations and foundation walls are in at the 38-acre site in the vicinity of 28th Street.

"They started putting in some of the shallow foundations. A lot of the underground utilities and mechanical, electrical, plumbing has been installed and continues to be installed," Kevin Rost, of Goldberg Group Architects, said during a project update, which was presented during the council's regular meeting.

Rost said precast concrete makes up the majority of the building's exterior, as well as the interior in the detention areas. He said there is a lot of structural steel onsite for the roof and the rest of the building's framing. Pre-engineered steel cells, a key component for housing inmates, are expected to arrive from Georgia in mid-August, according to Rost.

Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott asked, "How long before the streets hook back up ... for those of us who live around there and get to run around your detour that takes forever?"

Currently, one of the two lanes of Outer Drive near 28th Street is closed due to the addition of a turning lane and will continue to be closed for around three months, with a traffic control device.

Shane Albrecht, of the Baker Group, said single-lane traffic on 28th Street is scheduled to be done in August.

"There will be three days during that time the road will be completely shut down while they're pouring it for safety reasons," he said.

In June 2020, the Law Enforcement Authority, a join city-county board overseeing the project, approved a $58.4 million contract with general contractor Hausmann Construction. The projected cost to build the LEC stood at $68.7 million as of mid-May.

The Law Enforcement Authority has identified $69.68 million in funding, including $14.2 million from the county's share of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Kenny Schmitz, county building services director, thanked the entire council for their efforts, particularly Mayor Pro Tem Dan Moore, a member of the Law Enforcement Center Authority.

"I believe this is probably a historic project, where a county and city, at least in Iowa, have come together on a project of this size," he said. "It's much appreciated. I'd also like to thank Dan who puts in numerous hours assisting us."

During the council comments portion of the meeting, Moore noted that he appreciates the county's transparency about the project.

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In the past week, the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office has received at least five new complaints against a voter identification petition, this time alleging that petition circulators are being misleading about the petition's intent.

But unlike a previous complaint, which alleged a signature gatherer falsely claimed to be a state employee, the more recent claims have not been forwarded to the Nebraska Attorney General's Office for further investigation. That's because Secretary of State Bob Evnen said his office does not consider them to be criminal in nature.

Meanwhile, Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar, the initiative's sponsor, said the allegations are part of a "Democrat-led hit club" meant to undermine the initiative.

Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, a Democrat running for governor, submitted one of the more recent complaints, as well as the initial complaint. She said she hears from people daily about questionable encounters they've had with signature gatherers for the ballot initiative.

Last week, Blood shared a tweet that included a video of a signature gatherer who claimed the ballot initiative would give registered voters the option of using their ID before casting their vote, and later claimed the petition would allow there to be a debate about the issue. Blood said she's heard from at least one other person who said a petitioner claimed the ballot initiative "doesn't do anything, it just allows a debate."

According to the ballot petition's object statement, the initiative  if approved by Nebraska voters  would amend the state Constitution to require registered voters present a valid photo ID before casting a ballot.

Citizens for Voter ID is leading the effort to put the initiative on the November ballot. The group needs valid signatures from 10% of registered voters, or about 124,000 people, by July 7 to qualify.

State law requires petition circulators read the object statement of the ballot initiative before collecting an individual's signature.

Slama, a conservative lawmaker in the Legislature, said this is part of the training petitioners receive for the voter ID initiative. She said she has not seen any evidence that the petition circulators have been lying about the initiative's intent, and she dismissed the allegations as a purposeful effort by Blood and other Democrats to prevent the initiative from getting on the ballot.

Blood said she has nothing against giving voters a choice on the issue, but she wants the petition effort to be conducted the right way.

"They're basing this ballot initiative on unproven fraud by being actually fraudulent," Blood said.

The latest complaints follow allegations last month from Blood and others who said they had been approached by signature gatherers claiming to be state employees. State employees are not allowed to circulate petitions or otherwise engage in political activities while on the clock.

Evnen said his office sent the previous complaint  lodged by Blood  to the Attorney General's Office because they considered the allegations to be criminal in nature.

However, Evnen said he didn't consider the new complaints to be at the same level, so his office followed its normal process of forwarding complaints to the initiative's sponsor.

Slama said she has not been contacted by the Secretary of State's Office regarding the recent complaints.

Though he does not consider the new allegations to be criminal, Evnen said there have been court cases filed in the past regarding misrepresentation of ballot initiatives.

That occurred in 2008 when opponents filed a lawsuit seeking to keep a proposed constitutional amendment off the ballot. The opponents alleged, among other claims, that petition circulators failed to fully explain the initiative, which sought to put a ban on affirmative action into the Nebraska Constitution. The ban ultimately stayed on the ballot and voters overwhelmingly approved it. A judge later ruled in the ban's favor, upholding the legality of the petition drive that put it on the ballot.

Blood said she expects the voter ID petition will be challenged in court. She said the company hired by Citizens for Voter ID to manage the signature-gathering effort, Vanguard Field Strategies, raises "a red flag."

Vanguard, a GOP firm based in Austin, Texas, managed signature gathering for a leading candidate in Michigan who, according to reporting by the Detroit Free Press, likely will not appear on the Republican ballot for governor after the state's election bureau found that thousands of his petition signatures were fraudulent.

Joe Williams, president of Vanguard Field Strategies, did not respond to an email Friday seeking comment.

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SIOUX CITY -- A passenger was killed and two others were injured in a crash north of Sioux City Tuesday morning.

At around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, a 1998 Honda Civic driven by Uzael Abraham, 22, of Sioux City, was heading southbound on Highway 75 near the intersection with County Road C70 when a 2015 Nissan Sentra driven by 30-year-old David Diaz of Sioux City struck the Honda in the rear, according to a crash report from the Iowa State Patrol.

The Honda spun and came to rest in the median. Abraham was taken to MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center with injuries described as critical. A passenger in the Honda, 45-year-old Ermiohne Joswa of Sioux City, was pronounced dead on the scene and transported to Floyd Valley Hospital.

Diaz sustained minor injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.

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Iowa and South Dakota voters will select nominees for federal, state and local offices in Tuesday's primary election.

In Iowa, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In South Dakota, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To find your precinct, visit the Iowa Secretary of State website or the South Dakota Secretary of State website.

Below are locations for Woodbury County's 44 voting precincts. Note that some locations serve two or more precincts. And some precinct numbers and locations have changed since the last primary election.

Sioux City precincts

Precinct 1

Riverside Elementary, 2220 Nash St.

Precinct 2

West Middle School, 3301 W. 19th St.

Precinct 3, 7 & 10

Loess Hills Elementary. 1717 Casselman St.

Precincts 4, 6 & 9

Hunt Elementary, 2002 Nebraska St.

Precinct 5, 8 & 11

Liberty Elementary, 1623 Rebecca St.

Precinct 12

Perry Creek Elementary, 3501 Country Club Blvd.

Precinct 13

North Middle School, 2101 Outer Drive North

Precinct 14 & 15

Leeds Elementary, 3919 Jefferson St.

Precinct 16

Unity Elementary, 1901 Unity Ave.

Precinct 18 & 19

Bryant Elementary, 3040 Jones St.

Precinct 20 & 21

Irving Elementary, 901 Floyd Blvd.

Precinct 22

Spalding Elementary, 4101 Stone Ave.

Precinct 23, 24, 26 & 27

Morningside Library, 4005 Morningside Ave

Precinct 25

East Middle School, 5401 Lorraine Ave.

Precinct 28 & 29

East High School, 3200 S Cypress St.

Rural Woodbury County precincts

Precinct 17

Lawton Friendship Center, 300 Cedar St.

Precinct 30, 31 & 32

Sergeant Bluff Community Center, 903 Topaz Drive

Precinct 33

Salix City Hall, 319 Tipton St.

Precinct 34

Moville Community Center, 815 Main St.

Precinct 35

Pierson City Hall, 201 Main St.

Precinct 36

Correctionville Community Building, 312 Driftwood

Precinct 37

Bronson City Hall/Community Building, 100 East 1st St.

Precinct 38

Cushing Fire Station, 201 Main St.

Precinct 39

Hornick Fire Station, 400 Main St.

Precinct 40

Anthon Community Center, 110 N 5th Ave.

Precinct 41

Danbury Emergency Service Building, 201 Main St.

Precinct 42

Sloan Community Hall, 423 Evans St.

Precinct 43

Smithland Fire Station, 107 S Hickory St.

Precinct 44

Oto City Hall, 27 Washington St.

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Mississippi lawmaker with ethics woes forced into GOP runoff

LOS ANGELES (AP)  U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi has advanced to a Republican runoff after a congressional ethics watchdog raised questions about his campaign spending and he faced his largest-ever field of primary challengers. In heavily Democratic California, Republican House members are facing primary rivals in races that will help determine control of Congress. In Montana, former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is competing against several other Republicans for a chance to capture a new U.S. House district. And in Iowa, Republican state Sen. Zach Nunn has won the GOP spot to take on the states lone Democratic House member, Rep. Cindy Axne, in a newly drawn district with a stronger GOP tilt.

School police chief a no-show at Uvalde City Council meeting

UVALDE, Texas (AP)  The school district police chief criticized for waiting too long before ordering law enforcement to confront and kill the gunman during a mass shooting at a Texas elementary school did not appear at a Uvalde City Council meeting, despite being newly elected to the panel. Mayor Don McLaughlin says he's unable to explain why school district police Chief Pete Arredondo wasnt at the brief meeting Tuesday. Two weeks ago, 19 students and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Law enforcement and state officials have struggled to present an accurate timeline and details, and have stopped releasing information about the police response. McLaughlin claims he is frustrated with the lack of information.

Treasury Secretary Yellen expects inflation to 'remain high'

WASHINGTON (AP)  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has acknowledged that she and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell could have used a better word than transitory when describing the expected run of inflation in the U.S. economy. Yellen says she remains hopeful it will decline. But she told the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday that I do expect inflation to remain high although I very much hope that it will be coming down now." Yellen added that bringing inflation down should be the number one priority. Treasury and the Federal Reserve have been increasingly blamed by legislators and the public for allowing inflation to reach record highs.

FBI seizes retired general's data related to Qatar lobbying

The FBI has seized the electronic data of a retired four-star general who authorities say made false statements and withheld incriminating documents about his role in an illegal foreign lobbying campaign on behalf of Qatar. Court records obtained by The Associated Press outline a potential criminal case against retired Marine Gen. John R. Allen for violating foreign lobbying laws. Allen led U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan before being tapped in late 2017 to lead the influential Brookings Institution think tank. Allen denies working as a Qatari agent. A spokesperson told AP he voluntarily cooperated with the investigation.

Son of Buffalo victim pushes Congress: 'What are you doing?'

WASHINGTON (AP)  The son of an 86-year-old woman killed in the racist Buffalo mass shooting is calling on Congress to act against domestic terrorism. Garnell Whitfield Jr., whose mother was the oldest of the 10 Buffalo victims, challenged senators at a hearing Tuesday. He asked them: What are you doing? You were elected to protect us. The emotional testimony came against the backdrop of intensifying Senate negotiations on a gun safety bill. The proposals are gaining traction, but also raising concerns from Democrats and some advocacy groups who are pushing senators to do more, faster, to stem the tide of mass shootings across the nation.

Russia claims advances in Ukraine amid fierce fighting

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia claims to have taken control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraines Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says Moscows forces hold nearly all of Luhansk province. And it appears that Russia now occupies roughly half of Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts.

FDA advisers back Novavax COVID shots as 4th US option

A more traditional kind of COVID-19 vaccine is a step closer to becoming the fourth option for U.S. adults. Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted Tuesday to recommend authorization of shots made by Novavax. It's a protein vaccine, a more conventional technology than the dominant Pfizer and Moderna shots, and the lesser-used Johnson & Johnson option. It the FDA ultimately agrees, the Novavax shots could be an option for adults who haven't yet gotten vaccinated. The company eventually hopes to offer its shots as a booster, like they're used in some other countries.

Golfers put aside 'reprehensible' Saudi moves to join series

ST. ALBANS, England (AP)  The stars of the new Saudi-funded golf league have tried to fend off concerns about human rights abuses and signing up to accept hundreds of millions of dollars despite the risk of being banned from long-standing events. After announcing he quit the PGA Tour to join the LIV Golf series, Dustin Johnson evaded questioning about the source of the $25 million prize fund for each event flowing from Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund. Graeme McDowell says he accepts it is incredibly polarizing to join the tour. He even offered a reason why, citing the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Human rights groups describe Saudi Arabias efforts as sportswashing its image.

Some cancer patients can skip treatments, 2 studies show

Some cancer patients can safely skip radiation or chemotherapy after surgery. That's according to two new studies exploring shorter, gentler cancer care. Researchers are looking for ways to precisely predict which patients can avoid unneeded treatment to cut down on harmful side effects and unnecessary costs. One study used a blood test to determine which colon cancer patients could skip chemotherapy after surgery. The other study suggests some low-risk breast cancer patients can omit radiation after lumpectomy. The findings were discussed at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which is wrapping up Tuesday in Chicago.

Facing huge inventory, Target cuts vendor orders, prices

NEW YORK (AP)  Target is canceling orders from suppliers, particularly for home goods and clothing, and its slashing prices further to clear out amassed inventory ahead of the critical fall and holiday shopping seasons. The actions come after a pronounced spending shift by Americans, from investments in their homes to money spent on experience like travel, and nights out for dinner and other pre-pandemic routines. Shoppers are also focusing more on non-discretionary items like groceries as inflation makes them more selective. Thats a change that arrived much faster than major retailers had anticipated. The speed at which Americans pivoted away from pandemic spending was laid bare in the most recent quarterly financial filings from a number of major retailers.

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BOISE, Idaho (AP)  U.S. officials have initiated a licensing process for a water, wind and solar energy project in southwestern Idaho that could power nearly 300,000 homes.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday said its starting consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over Endangered Species Act concerns as well as taking public comments on Cat Creek Energys proposed Water Storage Renewable Power Station Project.

The company wants to use wind and solar energy to pump water from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Anderson Ranch Reservoir into the planned 1,900-acre (770-hectare) Cat Creek Reservoir that could then release the water back into Anderson Ranch Reservoir to generate timely-needed power.

The plan includes a solar array covering about 480 acres (195 hectares) and a wind farm with a maximum of 39 turbines up to 510 feet (155 meters) tall to be built on rolling terrain about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the planned Cat Creek Reservoir.

The company also wants to put floating solar panels on Cat Creek Reservoir, which would be located south of Anderson Ranch Reservoir.

The project, first proposed about six years ago, would mostly be built on private land in Elmore County.

Such systems are viewed as giant batteries because they can hold vast amounts of potential energy for use when needed for the power grid. The systems are seen as possible paths to transition from greenhouse-gas-producing fossil fuels that cause global warming to renewable energy sources that can produce power when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing.

Cat Creek Energy in a December preliminary application document said the project would create thousands of construction jobs and then long-term jobs. The company also said the project would generate more than a billion dollars in taxes and fees. It also said the project included conservation measures to reduce environmental impacts.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, however, earlier this year rejected Cat Creek Energy's argument that the project's impacts would be minor and not have a high level of controversy. As a result, the agency refused the company's request to use a simpler and less expensive licensing process and required it to instead use a process requiring more in-depth analysis.

There are several complex and likely controversial issues associated with the project including potential effects on water quantity and availability, water quality in the reservoir, land use and recreation around the project site, and potential effects to federally listed bull trout and other fish and wildlife, the commission wrote.

Entities requesting the commission use the more complex licensing requirement include the Idaho Conservation League, U.S. Forest Service, city of Boise, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Department of Water Resources, the Idaho Governor's Office of Species Conservation and S Bar Ranch, a privately held game reserve on the Camas Prairie with a goal of providing habitat for elk, deer and sage grouse.

The commission plans to hold two virtual public meetings on the energy project. The online meetings are scheduled for June 15 and June 16.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is photographed as she kicks off her reelection campaign at the Starlight Restaurant in the Ashburn neighborhood. The Starlight is part of Lightfoot's five-tour stop throughout Chicago on June 8, 2022. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will ask voters to send her back to City Hall for a second term as head of the nations third-largest city, she made official Tuesday.

In a video announcing her bid for reelection, Lightfoot sought to transform the criticism that shes too combative into a strength by vowing to keep fighting for Chicago residents as she seeks a second term. By embracing her image as a political pugilist, Lightfoot is betting that Chicago voters will see her as a righteous fighter rather than someone who throws unnecessary haymakers.

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When we fight for change, confront a global pandemic, work to keep kids in school, take on guns and gangs, systemic inequality and political corruption only to have powerful forces try and stop progress for Chicago  of course I take it personally, for our city, Lightfoot said. Change doesnt happen without a fight. Its hard. It takes time. And, Ill be the first to admit Im just not the most patient person. Im only human, and I guess sometimes it shows. But just because some may not always like my delivery doesnt mean were not delivering.

Lightfoots announcement she will seek reelection in the February 2023 mayoral race comes as no surprise. Despite wishful thinking by some Lightfoot critics that she would bow out of the race, the first-term mayor has long been setting up to defend her record and seek four more years in office.

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The success and future of this city is personal to me. And Ill never stop fighting to make Chicago fairer and more equitable for all. Thats why I am running for reelection. pic.twitter.com/ZUS5ut1ZpO  Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) June 7, 2022

The mayor currently faces five challengers, all of whom have raised questions about high crime and criticized her leadership as being unnecessarily divisive. So far, her opponents include South Side Ald. Roderick Sawyer, son of a former mayor; former Chicago Public School CEO Paul Vallas; Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner; Southwest Side Ald. Raymond Lopez; and businessman Willie Wilson.

[ Who's in, who's out and who's undecided in the Chicago mayor's race ]

During more than three years in office, Lightfoot has faced spikes in crime, has not run as transparent an administration as promised and engaged in constant fights with unions representing teachers and police  all while struggling to forge good relationships with politicians or leaders in the citys business community.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot talks about passage of the Bally's casino deal by the City Council on May 25, 2022. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Her polling has struggled in recent months, particularly with white and Latino voters, but the hard-charging mayor cant be dismissed.

Lightfoot has quietly built a strong relationship with several key labor leaders, who hail her progressive record on union issues such as the fair workweek ordinance and a $15 minimum wage. Incumbency in any form also has power. As mayor, Lightfoot has earmarked roughly $3 billion in federal funds for city projects and shes launched a series of programs aimed at reversing one of the biggest criticisms of Mayor Rahm Emanuels tenure  disinvestment in Chicagos neighborhoods, especially on its South and West sides.

Lightfoot also can argue she deserves more time to finish the job after having faced the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and some of the citys most significant civil unrest since the 1960s.

Whoever becomes Chicago mayor in 2023 will take responsibility for a city with deep financial challenges, endemic gun violence and a troubling history of segregation that continues to exist and contribute to crime and inequity.

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The next mayor will also navigate major changes in Chicago Public Schools, which will transition to an independent elected school board over the coming years. Lightfoot campaigned in favor of an elected school board but unsuccessfully tried to block a state law creating a 21-member body to oversee Chicago schools.

As a candidate in 2019, Lightfoot said she would be different than Emanuel and vowed not to lead with her middle finger. But as mayor, Lightfoot has taken an approach to governance that led Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza, a longtime ally who has said she wont support the mayors reelection, to summarize her time in office this way: I have never met anybody who has managed to piss off every single person they come in contact with  police, fire, teachers, aldermen, businesses, manufacturing.

Lightfoot has, at various points: accused Uber of paying off Black ministers to oppose ride-share taxes, without providing any evidence; told aldermen dont come to me for s- if they didnt support her budget; and confronted a teachers union activist by jabbing her finger in the womans face as her personal aide tried unsuccessfully to drag her away.

The popular consensus that Lightfoot alienates broad constituencies is a stark flip from the position she found herself in the April 2019 runoff election, when she carried all 50 wards in a landslide victory against Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who is also head of the Cook County Democratic Party.

But Lightfoots standing with voters is more complex and always has been.

In the first round of the mayoral campaign in 2019, Lightfoot emerged from a historic 14-candidate field with roughly 18% of the vote. While that was enough for her to take first place and move her to the final round versus Preckwinkle, it still shows that 4 out of 5 voters in that first round chose someone else. In that initial February 2019 election, Lightfoot rode broad support from lakefront voters on the North Side who are often liberal. This time, the mayor is expected to be strongest with African American voters  but that could be complicated by the field including strong Black alternatives.

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Wilson, in particular, could be a challenge to Lightfoots fortunes as he won most of the Black wards in 2019 and helped boost her campaign on the South and West sides with his endorsement during the runoff.

Buckner released a statement Tuesday calling Lightfoot utterly ill-equipped to lead Chicago and saying she lacks any strategic vision for making Chicagoans safer.

Carjackings and violence are at record highs, economic disinvestment is drying up our neighborhoods, our schools are under-resourced, our Police Department is overextended and understaffed. Instead of a public safety plan, shes raised bridges, put up barricades and demanded curfews, Buckner said.

Another challenger, Wilson, said Lightfoot has proven she not qualified and said his worst mistake was endorsing her in the 2019 runoff, also criticizing her record on crime, property taxes and social unrest following the police killing of George Floyd.

Lightfoots reelection announcement also faced criticism from the Chicago Teachers Union, which ripped her for balancing the citys budget in part by asking the school district to cover pension payments traditionally paid for by City Hall.

The mayor is launching her reelection bid by balancing the city budget on the backs of children who need more instead of less, the union, which is expected to endorse another candidate, said in a statement. The voters of Chicago need to understand that this budget is unacceptable and another example of failed leadership.

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A small number of mostly Black aldermen attended Lightfoots campaign fundraiser downtown, reflecting the political challenges Lightfoot faces with white voters and Latino voters.

She has the seat, West Side Ald. Emma Mitts said when asked why she was supporting Lightfoot. Ive always stuck with the incumbent.

Burnett said the mayor deserves a second term, even though she has experienced growing pains in her first few years.

I supported Mayor Daley. I supported Rahm Emanuel. Im going to support the sister and give her another opportunity to show what she can do, Burnett said.

gpratt@chicagotribune.com
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Passing legislation to require North Carolina hospitals to provide minimum levels of free or discounted care to low- and middle-income residents not covered by insurance and offer generous repayment options is the moral thing to do, State Treasurer Dale Folwell said Tuesday.

A bipartisan measure, which was discussed but not voted on by the House Banking Committee, is in part a response to a 2021 study for the state employee health plan that Folwells agency oversees on charity care.

This is a pro-consumer, anti-poverty piece of legislation, and its time that we meet and exceed on behalf of the invisible people, not the million-dollar (hospital) executives, Folwell, a Republican, told the panel. Chances for the bill to get approved during this year's session appear small given the dwindling number of weeks left in Raleigh and the complexity of the measure.

The 2021 report, assembled with Johns Hopkins University, found that a majority of the states largest nonprofit hospital systems are not providing charity care to the uninsured or underinsured that comes close to the federal, state and local tax breaks they receive.

The result is patients who cant afford the expensive services they have received, leading to cycles of medical debt that weaponize their credit scores and ability to succeed, said Folwell, a former House member and treasurer since 2017.

The measure would require hospitals, clinics and other certain health-care providers to adopt medical debt mitigation policies and screen patients before demanding payment to help them locate insurance options or assistance.

Free and discounted care for amounts not covered by insurance would be on a sliding scale of up to 600% of federal poverty levels. If debt is incurred, the hospital cant charge interest and must cap monthly payments. The legislation also requires disclosure of health care services charges and Medicare reimbursement rates.

The State Employees Association of North Carolina and North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault spoke for the bill, which also would allow the state attorney general and citizens to sue for damages if requirements are not followed.

The North Carolina Healthcare Association, which represents for-profit and nonprofit hospitals, has not taken a position on the bill, spokesperson Cynthia Charles said in an emailed statement.

Charles said federal law already addresses several bill requirements and 2013 General Assembly legislation addresses many billing and collection practice issues. She explained the numerous ways hospitals and health systems help consumers with their financial obligations.

To suggest that hospitals weaponize medical debt is nothing but political grandstanding, she wrote. Hospitals do more than any other part of the health care field to assist vulnerable patients. The association said last year that nonprofit health systems and hospitals also provide billions of dollars in community benefits annually that go beyond charity care.

The measures legislative sponsors appear to have a tough row to hoe before the legislation could advance this session, which is already expected to end around July 1.

Right now this bill, in my humble opinion, is not ready for prime time, said Rep. John Szoka, a Cumberland County Republican and committee member, adding that he had several concerns. Szoka said he was willing to work with sponsors and Folwells office to rework it.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Pennsylvania's Republican-controlled Senate approved a bill Monday that orders a number of changes to state laws over partisan election observers in polling places and election offices, a throwback to complaints in 2020 by former President Donald Trump that the Democratic bastion of Philadelphia needed to be watched closely for election fraud.

Pennsylvania, like other battleground states where Trump lost, is still roiled by Trump's baseless claims that 2020's presidential election was stolen from him. It has helped drive a wider partisan stalemate in election-related legislation in Pennsylvania's statehouse.

The bill passed, 30-19, with every Republican and one Democrat backing it.

The sponsor, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor who has spread baseless claims about election fraud, said the bill would restore trust and integrity in elections.

However, the office of Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said in a statement that the administration strongly opposes the bill and that it "does nothing to increase access to voting."

One provision in the bill would remove the county residency requirement in state law for certified poll watchers, freeing them to come from anywhere in the state.

Trump had pushed for such a change in 2020, failing in court. Wolf has threatened to veto such Republican legislation previously, with Democrats calling it a voter intimidation tactic.

The bill also would raise the number of partisan poll watchers allowed into each polling place during voting and give them access to any facility where votes are collected.

In 2020, Trump campaign aides complained that Philadelphia city officials had prevented campaign representatives from watching people registering to vote or filling out mail-in ballots in newly opened satellite election offices there.

The campaign sued and lost in court, with judges saying Pennsylvania law did not allow partisan representatives to observe in election offices.

Another provision in the bill would require partisans who are certified to watch election workers processing mail-in or absentee ballots to have a clear line of sight to view and hear the proceedings at a distance of six feet or less."

The Trump campaign had sued  and lost  in state and federal courts over its complaints that its observers were not allowed close enough to scrutinize mail-in ballots as they were being processed in heavily Democratic Philadelphia and Allegheny County, which is home to Pittsburgh.

Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at twitter.com/timelywriter.

Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at twitter.com/ap_politics.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A Wisconsin judge on Tuesday agreed to keep on hold his ruling from April that prevented state regulators from requiring businesses and others responsible for pollution by PFAS chemicals to investigate and clean up the contamination.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren said because of the importance and impact of his ruling, it made sense to keep it on hold while the state Department of Natural Resources appeals.

In April, Bohren ruled that state regulators must go through Wisconsin's rule-making process to establish guidelines for dealing with the PFAS toxins known as forever chemicals. The ruling was a win for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the states largest business and manufacturing lobbying group, and Oconomowoc-based dry cleaner Leather Rich, which brought the lawsuit last year.

Bohren said he expects the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the case directly, skipping the state appeals court, to expedite a resolution.

Assistant Wisconsin Attorney General Gabe Johnson-Karp, arguing for the DNR, said Tuesday that allowing the ruling to take effect immediately could prevent the agency from continuing to provide bottled water to 1,300 households affected by PFAS contamination.

Lucas Vebber, attorney for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, said the state has other options, including creating a rule to regulate PFAS chemicals.

Under the judge's earlier ruling, the Department of Natural Resources must wait for legislators to define the chemicals to be regulated and impose limits in state law or through an administrative rule. That process can take years.

The Republican-controlled Legislature has been working to weaken state agency authority under Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, making it all the more unlikely that meaningful regulations would be approved.

Attorneys for the DNR argue that existing law gives the agency broad discretion over how to handle contaminants, and theres no need to go through the rule-making process to regulate PFAS. The DNR's ability to protect public health and the environment will be neutered under the judge's ruling, environmentalists and residents in communities dealing with PFAS pollution have said.

According to the lawsuit, Leather Rich entered a DNR program designed to help businesses that voluntarily report pollution with clean up in 2019. The following year, DNR officials declared that businesses in the program need to test for emerging contaminants, including PFAS, without explaining which of the more than 4,000 PFAS compounds to look for or what levels would be considered too high.

The agency lacked any basis in state law to make such a move, which was done without legislative oversight or opportunity for public comment, the lawsuit alleged.

PFAS is an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances  human-made chemicals used in nonstick cookware and firefighting foam. Multiple studies have shown they can cause health problems in humans, including decreased fertility, developmental delays in children, increased risk of some cancers and a weakened immune system, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The DNR currently lists nearly 90 sites across Wisconsin with PFAS contamination, which has affected both private and public drinking water. A number of municipalities are dealing with PFAS-contaminated groundwater, including Madison, Marinette, Campbel, Peshtigo and Wausau.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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ABUJA. Nigeria (AP)  Gunmen with explosives killed at least 38 persons including five children in an attack on a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria, the Ondo State Catholic Diocese has told The Associated Press.

Some of the dead "were taken to private hospitals and we have not been able to ascertain the number of casualties for that," said a spokesperson speaking on behalf of Bishop Jude Arogundade of the Ondo Catholic Diocese, suggesting that the death toll could be higher.

Kadiri Olanrewaju, head of Nigerias National Emergency Management Services in Ondo, earlier said on Tuesday that 22 bodies were counted at the morgue while two state lawmakers told AP on Sunday that more than 50 were killed in the attack at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo town in Ondo state.

Some bodies were taken away by family members for private burials, residents said.

The Catholic church in Ondo verified the names of the 38 persons brought to the Catholic hospital and to the Federal Medical Center, the church's spokesperson in Ondo told AP.

Nigeria, Africas most populous country with 206 million people, has grappled for more than a decade with an insurgency in the northeast by the Islamic extremist rebels of Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province. The country now is confronted by growing insecurity problems as separatists and pirates are blamed for attacks in the countrys south while armed groups frequently launch deadly attacks in the northwest.

Before the church attack, Ondo had been considered one of Nigeria's most peaceful states. But now Owo, a small town of traders and government workers located 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the state capital of Akure, is reeling from the violence of the church attack.

Schools and public gathering spots remained closed on Tuesday and many residents stayed at home, residents said.

The Ondo Police Command has not made any arrests yet nor have they confirmed the identities of the attackers, said to be at least five in number, a spokeswoman said.

We can only confirm that explosives were used and we found three undetonated IEDs (improvised explosive devices) at the scene, police spokeswoman Odunlami Funmilayo told the AP.

The attackers sneaked into the church premises, said the police. Some of them were disguised as congregants while other armed men who had positioned themselves around the church premises from different directions, fired into the church, the police added.

There was no warning, no threat, this place has been peaceful, said Sunday Adewale, who works in the palace of the local chief. They just looked for peoples soft spot when people are relaxed.

Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu described the attackers as bloodthirsty terrorists who unleashed an unforgettable scar on all of us.

"The most unfortunate part is the lives of innocent children cut down in their prime and some severely injured by the mindless terrorists," Governor Akeredolu said in a broadcast.

Women in the town protested on Tuesday. They also demanded improved security in the area.

We are here as market women, we are here to commiserate with the people of Owo, we are to say that enough is enough, said Yemi Mahmud, one of the protesters.

In the community, the anger is palpable  just as the urge for reprisal is high," said Governor Akeredolu, who promised that we shall commit every available resource to hunt down these mindless assailants and make them pay dearly.



Lekan Oyekanmi in Owo, Nigeria, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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AMHERST, N.Y. (AP)  Police are investigating a fire at an anti-abortion center in a Buffalo suburb early Tuesday as a likely arson  one the centers operators suspect is the work of womens rights extremists.

The fire was reported at about 3 a.m. and left the building temporarily unusable, CompassCare Chief Executive Jim Harden said.

Essentially, they firebombed the operation, Harden said. They broke the two main windows in the reception area and the nurses office and lit the fires.

The Amherst police news release announcing the investigation did not include a suspected motive. The FBI declined to comment on whether it was involved in the arson investigation.

On its website, the center said it and others like it have faced online and in-person threats in recent weeks following the leak of a draft opinion that suggests the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide.

Last month, the office of a prominent Wisconson anti-abortion lobby group was damaged by fire after two Molotov cocktails were thrown at it. Police said an anti-abortion organization in Salem, Oregon, also recently was damaged by two Molotov cocktails during an unsuccessful break-in attempt.

Harden said CompassCare provides free health care to women and encourages them to seek alternatives to abortion. The Buffalo office serves about 20 patients each week, he said.

Services will resume Wednesday at an undisclosed location, he said. The Rochester-based organization has increased security at its Rochester and Albany locations and plans to install armored glass in the Buffalo office.

At a news conference, Harden said the vandals who set the fire wrote Jane was here on the building.

This is the face of abortion, he said. Theyre revealing it to us.

The fire took place in the same Buffalo suburb where Dr. Barnett Slepian was murdered by an anti-abortion extremist in 1998.

That killing followed a period in which Buffalo was ground zero in the nation's anti-abortion movement, with protesters converging on the city from around the U.S. in an attempt to close clinics down.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced last month the state would give abortion providers $35 million to expand services and boost security in anticipation of the Supreme Court decision. Besides Slepian, at least 10 other people have been slain across the U.S. by anti-abortion zealots since 1993 in attacks on clinics and health care providers.

Harden said the fire shows that groups opposed to abortion deserve security help, too.

We havent gotten a single dime for security, Harden said.

In an emailed statement, Hochul's office said the governor "condemns violence of any kind, and the State Police stand ready to assist local authorities with the investigation.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Large segments of the Republican Party have become a personality cult around former President Donald Trump, Rep. Liz Cheney told CBS News ahead of Thursdays public hearing on the Jan. 6 insurrection.

We have too many people now in the Republican Party who are not taking their responsibilities seriously, and who have pledged their allegiance and loyalty to Donald Trump, she said in an interview broadcast Sunday. I mean, it is fundamentally antithetical, it is contrary to everything conservatives believe to embrace a personality cult, and yet that is what so many in my party are doing today.

Is the Republican Party a personality cult? reporter Robert Costa, who conducted the interview, asked.

I think that large segments of it have certainly become that, she said.

Costa pressed: A cult?

Yeah. I mean I think there is absolutely a cult personality around Donald Trump, she said. I think that the majority of Republicans across the country dont want to see our system unravel. They understand how important it is to protect and defend the Constitution.

The interview came as the Jan. 6 Select House Committee gears up to hold a prime-time hearing on its findings. After nearly a year and over 1,000 interviews, the committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump protesters will share what its learned. Cheney is the committees vice chairwoman.

In the interview, Cheney called the attack an extremely broad conspiracy and an ongoing threat. She also called out Wyoming Republican Party Chairman Frank Eathorne, who was on restricted Capitol grounds during the riot.

You know, in my state, the state party chairman is a member of the Oath Keepers. He was here on Jan. 6th. He was here with a walkie-talkie in his hand on Jan. 6th, she said. That is a mortal threat and it is a moral test. We cant fail that moral test.

Eathorne says hes more of a passive member of the militant right-wing organization. He did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

A number of Oath Keepers have been charged with seditious conspiracy following the Jan. 6 riot and have remained at the center of the investigations.

Eathorne has been key in Trumps efforts to punish and unseat Cheney for her criticism of the former president. He is supporting the Trump-endorsed challenger in Wyomings House race, natural resources attorney Harriet Hageman.

During Sundays interview, Cheney once again placed blame for the Jan. 6 attack at Trumps feet.

Were not at a situation where former President Trump has expressed any sense of remorse about what happened. We are, in fact, in a situation where he continues to use even more extreme language, frankly, than the language that caused the attack, she said.

One of the big questions surrounding the attack on the Capitol is exactly how much planning went into it. Those answers could come during the hearings.

But do you believe it was a conspiracy? Costa asked Cheney during Sundays interview.

I do. It is extremely broad. Its extremely well-organized. Its really chilling, Cheney said.

Cheney said she often seeks counsel from her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, who grew up in Casper. The elder Cheney has not been as vocal concerning his thoughts on the current Republican Party, but his daughter did offer some insight when recounting the House commemoration of the Capitol attack.

You know, we sat down, and we were in the front row of the House Chamber. And he looked behind him  we were on the Republican side  and he turned back to me, and he said, You know, it is one thing to sort of watch the news and to read about whats happened to our party. He said, It is really another thing to be here and to look and see all of these empty seats and not see another Republican here, the congresswoman recounted.

The first hearing will start Thursday. There is not yet a formal schedule, but the hearings could extend into late fall.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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Riding a progressive wave in the early 20th century, Nebraska lawmakers approved a measure asking voters to amend the power of the initiative into the state constitution.

More than 92% of voters in the 1912 general election backed the proposal, adding Nebraska to the growing list of states where voters reclaimed the right to initiate legislation themselves or enact a referendum on laws they found objectionable.

The question about how much direct democracy elected leaders and voters intended more than a century ago is at the heart of a federal lawsuit challenging the requirements that a petition gather support from 5% of voters in 38 of Nebraskas 93 counties.

Crista Eggers, statewide campaign coordinator for Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, sued Secretary of State Bob Evnen last month, arguing the requirement was unconstitutional because it diluted the votes of residents who live in the states more populated urban areas.

The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction against the provision ahead of the July 7 deadline for submitting signatures.

Last week, the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office, which is representing Evnen, said the multicounty requirement could not be severed from the right to initiative granted in the state constitution because they have been linked since the 1912 origin.

The dueling briefs filed in U.S. District Court paint different interpretations of the legislative and constitutional history that led to the creation of the initiative power, which is the first reserved to the people under Nebraskas constitutional framework.

Relying on a plain reading of Article III, Section 2 of the Nebraska State Constitution, the attorney generals office argued the requirement that a petition be signed by 10% of legal voters, including 5% in two-fifths of the states 93 counties, was integral to the initiative right from its inception in 1912.

That requirement was inextricably intertwined with  embedded into the same sentence as  the overall signature requirement, wrote Solicitor General James Campbell in a brief filed with the court Tuesday.

Less than a decade after voters amended the constitution, during the 1919-20 state constitutional convention, the right to a petition was maintained, even if the total signature requirement was reduced somewhat, the attorney generals office said.

But, Campbell pointed out, the multicounty signature requirement remained a central aspect of the initiative right.

According to the proceedings of the convention, a committee recommended many changes in the wording and arrangement of the initiative proposal, but it has not intentionally recommended any alteration that would affect any essential feature of the proposal.

It was not changed during any of the three subsequent amendments to Article III, Section 2 approved by voters in the century since.

In 1988, voters approved an amendment changing electors  people eligible to vote  to registered voters; in 1998, the single-subject clause was added; and in 2004, an amendment was adopted that prevents the Legislature from changing or repealing any law enacted by the initiative unless by a two-thirds vote.

Both the text and the history, according to the attorney generals argument, demonstrate the people envisioned an initiative process that required petitioners to solicit support from across a broad swath of Nebraska, from urban centers to rural areas.

Given this history, conceiving of the initiative right in Nebraska without the multicounty signature requirement is like the play of Hamlet with Hamlet left out, Campbell wrote, citing language from a 1935 Nebraska Supreme Court case.

In other words, Campbell argued, if the court chooses to strike down the multicounty qualification requirement in Nebraskas petition process as unconstitutional, it would essentially eliminate the right altogether because that provision was inseparable.

Attorneys for Eggers and Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, in a response filed in federal court Friday, said nothing in the historical record indicates the multicounty requirement was linked with the right to petition from its origin, which allows for a court to rule that portion unconstitutional.

Mindy Rush-Chipman of ACLU of Nebraska, and Daniel Gutman, a contract attorney working on the case, pointed to a 1911 message from Democratic Gov. Ashton Shallenberger to state lawmakers on the third day of the session pushing for Nebraska to join the growing number of states that granted citizens the right to petition their government.

The initiative is designed to place in the hands of the people the power to make laws for themselves when legislatures through indifference or ulterior influences shall refuse to enact the legislation they desire, Shallenbergers message states, according to the Legislatures records.

While he was a champion of the cause, Shallenberger warned that a deluge of measures would be put before voters without certain checks being put in place  raising the required number of signatures needed, for example, or limiting how many initiatives could be considered in a given election cycle.

Never once, however, did Governor Shallenberger mention the multicounty distribution requirement as a possible solution to the perceived problems associated with the initiative process, Rush-Chipman and Gutman wrote in their brief.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana said the issue was not discussed in either branch of the Legislature at that time, either, at least according to the journal of both the House and Senate, and the proposal ultimately won bipartisan support.

The question put to voters, while creating the process that required support from two-fifths of the states counties, did not include that language on the ballot created by voters, attorneys for the petition campaign argued.

A sample ballot from the 1912 general election asks voters whether they are for or against a proposed amendment to the constitution reserving to the people the right of direct legislature through the initiative and referendum.

The text of the ballot itself, Rush-Chipman and Gutman wrote, where the right to referendum won by a vote of 189,200 to 15,315, is the best and most conclusive indicator of voter intent, and renders the multicounty requirement severable from the rest of the right.

The question of whether or not the requirement that petitions gather support from a coalition of counties across the state is one of several that are before U.S. District Court Judge John Gerrard and Magistrate Judge Michael Nelson.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, which is trying to qualify two petitions for the November general election ballot, said the multicounty requirement violated the equal protection and due process clauses of the 14th Amendment, as well as the First Amendment rights of voters.

The campaign is joined with ACLU of Nebraska in the lawsuit.

Their arguments rely upon a 1969 U.S. Supreme Court decision that found an Illinois requirement that requires petitions to obtain 200 signatures from at least 50 of the states 102 counties was discriminatory against residents of populated areas.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that any modernized Pride and Prejudice adaptation will riff in some way on the It is a truth universally acknowledged opening line of the novel, and Fire Island is no exception. Joel Kim Boosterwho both stars in the movie and wrote the screenplayopens it with a voiceover narration:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. You know who said that? Jane Austen, the queen. Pretty dope way to start a story, right? Well, no offense to my girl Jane, but that sounds like some hetero nonsense. Listen, I dont know much about a good fortune, but not every single man is looking for a wife.

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Directed by Andrew Ahn, Fire Island follows a group of gay men spending a week at the queer hotspot off the coast of Long Island, New York. While giving Pride and Prejudice a modern, gay update, the romantic comedy still manages to remain remarkably faithful to its source material. Weve broken down the major similarities, from the obvious to the more subtle, below.

The Bennet Family

While theyre not blood relatives, the characters in Fire Island have formed a found family of their own. Like the Bennet family of Austens novellanded gentry who are facing a dubious financial future but not in debttheyre all poor though not poor-poor. Independent Noah (Joel Kim Booster) is the obvious Elizabeth Bennet here, while sweet Howie (Bowen Yang), the best of us on almost every level, takes on the role of older sister Jane Bennet. (For those who might better remember the 2005 movie, that makes Joel Kim Booster the Keira Knightley and Bowen Yang the Rosamund Pike.)

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Uptight, sanctimonious Max (Torian Miller) is the found familys Mary Bennet, the kind of guy who reads Madeleine Albrights memoir while on vacation. Flamboyant ex-theater school students Keegan (Tomas Matos) and Luke (Yangs Las Culturistas co-host, Matt Rogers) are the frivolous Kitty and Lydia, respectively.

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Lesbian scam queen Erin (Margaret Cho) stands in for both of the Bennet parents, though to this writers knowledge neither Mr. Bennet nor Mrs. Bennet had an all-you-can-eat salad tattoo above their crotch. Erin won a settlement from an unnamed Italian restaurant chain after eating glass, allowing her to purchase the house that the men stay at. Her financial mismanagement means they will soon lose their house, just as the Bennets are in danger of losing their estate after their father dies because there is no son to inherit.

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Mr. Darcy

Elizabeths famous love interest, Fitzwilliam Darcy, becomes Will (Conrad Ricamora). Just like his literary counterpart, he at first comes across as stuck up and judgmental, especially to Noah, who overhears him telling his friend Charlie (as in Pride and Prejudices Charles Bingley) that Noah is not hot enough to be that annoying. This is a parallel to Darcy in the book saying that Elizabeth is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me.

Just like Elizabeth and Darcy, Noah and Will get to know each other better and realize their first impressions of each other were wrong. They even have a confrontation and near-kiss in the rain that could be straight out of the 2005 movie adaptation. By the movies end, they are in a romantic relationshipthough in a critical difference from the book, Noah and Will are neither married nor monogamous in the finale, and both remain skeptical of what they consider traditional, heteronormative relationships.

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Other Characters

Dex (Zane Phillips) stands in for George Wickham, who in the book falsely claims that Darcy denied him his rightful inheritance, winning Elizabeths sympathy. In reality, Wickham is a scoundrel who has accrued many debts and seduces young women in pursuit of their dowries. In the movie, Dex falsely claims that Will looks down on him because he has an OnlyFans, winning Noahs sympathybut it is later revealed that Will hates Dex because Dex exploits the men he has sex with, including a friend of Wills.

Cooper (Nick Adams) is possessive of Will and nasty to Noah, much like Caroline Bingley is of Darcy and to Elizabeth. Moses (Peter Smith) is likely meant to be a version of Mr. Collins, the cousin of the Bennets who wants to marry someone but treats the Bennet women as basically interchangeable. Moses is a white guy who is obsessed with Asian men, hitting on Noah, Will, and Howie at different times.

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The Plot

The overall plot is faithful to Pride and Prejudice, but with modern updates (and way more underwear parties). The main characters face social scrutiny on Fire Island not only for being lower class than others vacationing there, but also for their race, appearance, and mannerisms. Early on, one member of the group references the hookup app line no fats, no femmes, no Asians, adjectives that describe every member of their group in some way.

Just as Jane gets sick after walking in the rain, forcing her to stay at Netherfield to recover, Howie drinks too much at a party and Charlie spends the night taking care of him. Similarly, early on, Noah drops his phone in the pool, a convenient reason for Will to send him a fateful, handwritten letter, just like Darcy does to Elizabeth, instead of just sending a text.

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In Pride and Prejudice, the climax of the novel involves Lydia running away with Mr. Wickham, potentially ruining not only her own reputation but her entire familys as well. Mr. Darcy proves himself to Elizabeth by paying off Wickham to marry Lydia, saving the Bennet family in the process. In Fire Island, Dex videotapes himself having sex with Luke and posts it to his OnlyFans without Lukes permission. Will, a lawyer, saves the day by threatening Dex with legal consequences if he doesnt take the video down and make every effort to remove it elsewhere. Unlike in the novel, Lydia and Wickham do not end up together.

Gays in Space

While not an Austen reference, Bowen Yangs characters fixation on the 2005 Saturday Night Live sketch seems like a meta wink at his tenure as a writer and performer on the sketch show. However, Kim Booster has said that the refence dates back to the earliest version of the movies script, predating Yangs time on the show.
In June of 2020, the three hosts of a Catholic radio show were talking about the news of the day.

I think they should go on ride-alongs, a lot of these bishops, said Harold Burke-Sivers, a deacon and one of the hosts of Morning Glory. It was a month after the murder of George Floyd, and the U.S. bishops had released a statement condemning police brutality. I agree that there needs to be reforms. But they should go on ride-alongs and see what these officers do every single day.

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Amen, said Vincent De Rosa, another co-host and priest.

Jesus had 12 apostles, one was Judas, and we focus too much on Judas and not enough on Jesus, the deacon continued. Jesus did not reason we should reform the apostles because of what Judas did.

Gloria Purvis, a layperson and the main host of Morning Glory since it started in 2015, offered a different comparison. The better example, in my opinion, would be abortion, Purvis said. We call for reforms, right? But the deacon cut in. Abortion by nature is intrinsically evil, he said. Policing is not intrinsic evil.

Let me finish, Purvis said, raising her voice. Police brutality by nature is evil.

As a Black Catholic, Purvis had been deeply pained by the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. She was tired, she told me, of hearing about pro-life advocacy that didnt also stand up against the killing of Black people. Theyll talk about a culture of death, not realizing that racism is very much a part of it, she said.

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Morning Glory was a staple of the Eternal Word Television Network, the worlds largest Catholic media organization. After this exchange among the hosts, the networks largest radio affiliate pulled the show from air, citing the awkward and uncomfortable spirit of contention. In the weeks that followed, Purvis received messages from Catholics berating her for talking about racial violence. A lot of people would write in and say Im being a critical race theorist and a Marxist, she recalled. I had people who were clergy sounding like the most racist public commenters. But she noticed something consistent: The comments reliably were the talking points of a political party.

At the end of 2020, EWTN announced that it had canceled Purvis show. The move was a surprise only to those who hadnt watched the networks transformation over the years. You would be forgiven for never having heard of EWTN, but for millions, it is a towering institution. Founded in the 1980s by a Poor Clare nun cloistered in Alabama, the nonprofit has grown into a media empire, with 24-hour television broadcasting, a network of more than 500 radio affiliates spanning the globe, print and digital news publications, a religious catalog, and a publishing house. Its programming on basic cable and satellite airs in more than 150 countries and in multiple languages, and the network claims to reach nearly 400 million households. A lay-run organization, EWTN answers to no one in the churchnot the local bishop, not even the pope.

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To many Catholics, EWTN has become the voice of the Catholic Church in America. For most of its 40-year history, this position was largely apolitical. The networks most popular programs involved the daily Mass, meditations on Scripture, and the recitation of the rosary. Its key demographic was, and remains, devout retirees who tune in for devotional supplements. EWTN claims, in its mission statement, to promote the advancement of truth as defined by the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church.

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And you can still find the daily Mass live, if you tune in at 8 a.m. Franciscan friars from an order founded to aid in EWTNs operations lead the Mass from a chapel at the networks headquarters in Irondale, Alabama. After that, you can watch the friars pray the rosary, or an educational video on the revelations of Fatima, or a rerun of an old chat by the nun who founded the network. As a receptionist at the headquarters once told me, viewers today call in from all over the world to share the stories of when EWTNs spiritual guidance pulled them through hard times. Once, she said, a terminally ill woman called in from her room at the Mayo Clinic to say that after discovering EWTN and watching for a week, she had decided she was ready to face her death. During the pandemic, isolated Catholics had tuned in to watch Mass when they could no longer go in person. I have trouble falling asleep since my husband, Joseph, passed away two years ago, a 95-year-old woman wrote in a letter published by EWTNs National Catholic Register. In January 2021, I scrolled through the television at midnight. I came across your channel and daily Mass.  I am so thankful to have EWTN in my home. It is so hard being alone. You have become my family.

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But something has shifted in EWTNs programming in the past decade. Instead of seeing a mild-mannered priest in charmingly outdated glasses discussing Eucharistic adoration, viewers might find polished newscasters talking with a string of right-wing figures. On a typical day last month, the evening hours started with a discussion of gun control, Texas 28th Congressional District primary, and a sit-down interview with former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway. Two hours later, after another airing of the daily Mass, this was followed by a show discussing Nancy Pelosis right to receive Communion.

This programming, it could be argued, has merely followed the countrys most engaged Catholics as theyve swung increasingly to the political right over a generation. And its a political right that has come into new heights of institutional power along its core issues: abortion, guns, religion. At the same time that conservative secular politics in America have taken a reactionary turn, Pope Francis has steered the church toward a more conciliatory approach to hot-button topics such as divorce and gay rights.

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The situation has left viewers facing an uncomfortable truth: The rift between the global church and its American arm has never been wider. Today, as the Catholic world rumbles with talk of schism and dwindling numbers in the pews, EWTN is staging its own proxy war over what it means to be Catholic.

EWTN owes its outsize role in the lives of many American Catholics to the remarkable determination of one woman. Rita Rizzo grew up in Canton, Ohio, during the Great Depression. As a child, according to her official biography, a mysterious and terrifying stomach pain left her bedridden for two years. When she could find no help from medicine, she turned to a mystic in town who spoke to God directly. Rita recovered after nine days of prayer, and in exchange she made good on a deal to dedicate her life to Jesus. At 21, Rita became a cloistered nun, barred from any contact with the outside world.

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Mother Angelicathe name Rita eventually tookwas a masterful fundraiser. According to her biography, she received special dispensation from her bishop to leave her cloister in order to give speeches and ask for donations to maintain a monastery in Alabamaa monastery shed founded through a surprisingly successful business making and selling fishing lures. Reporters loved the scrappy nun, and her story was picked up by local and national news. In the 70s, energized by her success, she spread her faith to laypeople by writing books, taping speeches, and appearing on the radio. But her real calling from God did not become apparent to her until she visited a television station in 1978. With Pat Robertsons The 700 Club as inspiration, she started filming shows out of a CBS affiliate station, to be aired on the Christian Broadcasting Network. When CBS aired a miniseries based off the popular novel The Word, Angelica was furious over the blasphemy of the biblically themed drama and decided to start her own studio. That eventually led to her own network, with a name that referenced both the gospel and a program she sought to condemn. By the mid-80s, EWTN would become the fastest-growing cable network in the country.

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The dynamics of the Catholic Church of the 1980s were somewhat inverted from what they are today. John Paul II, a Cold Warera pope, campaigned against communism and for orthodoxy. American Catholics, meanwhile, were revolting against conservative church teachings on contraception and divorce. That rebelliousness was reflected in the church leadership, too. In 1986, for example, the U.S. bishops published a pastoral letter arguing forcefully against Reagan-style market economics. When a faction of bishops led by New York Cardinal John OConnor won the support of John Paul by standing firm against condom use during the AIDS epidemic, they were vocally opposed by a frustrated majority. The tensionbetween the bishops and the Republican Party, and between the bishops and Romewas hard to ignore.

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At the time, these politics mattered little to EWTN. The networks focus was daily Mass and other liturgical matters. That began to change in 1993. On World Youth Day, a massive church-sponsored event held every few years in a different city around the globe, EWTN had its cameras rolling on Denvers Mile High Stadium, waiting for a theatrical production of the Stations of the Cross. When a troupe of mimes emerged, dressed in long, white tunics, the figure playing Jesus was revealed to be a woman. On her show the next day, Angelica glared down the camera. I am so tired of you, liberal church in America, she said. Youre sick. She blasted the American church for disrespecting the pope. I resent you pushing your anti-Catholic, ungodly ways upon the masses of this country, she continued. Dont pour your poison, your venom, on all the church. EWTN had a new mission.

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I am so thankful to have EWTN in my home. It is so hard being alone. You have become my family.  95-year-old EWTN viewer

The network told the story of Catholicism from one theological perspective. EWTNs loyalty lay with Rome, not the relatively progressive American bishops, and there were hints that the pope appreciated her efforts; John Paul once told Mother Angelica that she was a strong woman, courageous woman. EWTNs presence continued to grow. As money poured in, Angelicas empire expanded. EWTN launched foreign-language channels, international affiliates, and a global shortwave radio network. It developed shows for teenagers and other audiences, eventually producing 24 hours a day of original programming. It first moved into news in 1996, with its flagship weekly show, The World Over With Raymond Arroyo.

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The shift in the networks relationship with Rome came in 2013the same year EWTN launched its nightly news showwhen Pope Francis, a reformer with a Latin American worldview, took charge of the Vatican. Since then, the single most common charge critics have leveled against EWTN has been that it is anti-Francis. They have pointed to the networks cozy relationship with the American Cardinal Raymond Burke, widely considered the leading voice of the Francis opposition. They cited the guests on Arroyos show who openly critiqued Francis leadership, as well as Arroyos own open frustration with Francis laid-back manner. In those first years of Francis papacy, as the Catholic Church underwent an ideological revolution, EWTN made it clear it was not planning to follow suit.

On Easter Sunday in 2016, Mother Angelica died at age 92 after a long illness. She hadnt been on air since a stroke in 2001, but some still wondered if the networks days were numbered without her.

Shortly before the 2016 election, Donald Trump sat down with EWTNs Raymond Arroyo at the Trump National Doral. The host introduced the segment on his show with barely contained delight. He began with a question about Trumps mother, then turned to the Access Hollywood video, offering the candidate an opportunity to address the criticism. Trump gave his usual answers about locker room talk, and from there, the conversation flowed as any Fox News interview might, touching on Obamacare, abortion, and the rigging of the electoral process.

Ten minutes into the 15-minute interview, Arroyo seized on Trumps mention of Hillary Clintons emails. These WikiLeak revelations have offended a lot of evangelicalsand Catholics, he said. They suggested that they need to plant seeds of rebellion in the Catholic Church to somehow change the teaching to accommodate their political agenda. They said it was a backward, Middle Age dictatorship. He wondered aloud if Clinton should apologize.

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Frankly, Trump answered, if any Catholic votes for Hillary ClintonI would say if I were a Catholic, I wouldnt be talking to them anymore.

EWTN is often described by critics as the Catholic Fox News. Its coverage of the 2020 election, the inauguration, and the pandemic could easily be mistaken for Fox News with lower-budget sets, unless you stick around long enough to watch a segment on a particular papal blessing. In addition to headlining his own EWTN show, Arroyo is a Fox News contributor, regularly appearing on (and occasionally guest-hosting) The Ingraham Angle, where he rants and jokes about President Joe Bidens senility or masks or CNNs obsequiousness. The cadence of his delivery is pulled from the Fox News playbook, but he still feels out of place. With his cheery, clean-cut presence, he has the inescapable air of a grown-up altar boy.

That presence does fit on The World Over, EWTNs long-running political analysis and interview show. Add in his close ties to Mother Angelica, whose biography he wrote, and its understandable that Arroyo has been the face of the network. But not everyone shares his political mission.

I believe the church is the divine mystical body of Christ, but also a large sociological institution, a former employee Ill call Dereck said. (I spoke with more than a dozen current and former employees, and all asked not to use their real names because of the networks influence in Catholic media. The network did not respond to my request for comment.) So theres always a delicate balance.  For all Catholic journalists, left or right, theres some figuring that outif youre trying to do it in good conscience. But if you watch five minutes of Raymond Arroyo, it does not seem to reflect any of that tension. Theres a lot of grappling to do, but not all of the EWTN news programming reflects that. (Arroyo addressed such criticism on his show in April, saying that I have never cleared topics or editorial for The World Over with anyone, including donors and that people are smart enough to see whats going on. We have what they do not: Its called an audience.)

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EWTN has two major bases of operations. Its main headquarters in Alabama, with its quiet leafy setting and squat brick buildings, took over the monastery Angelica founded and still shares a space with friars. In the lobby, a wall of screens shows EWTNs live programming around the world. The devotional programming is still largely filmed in Alabama, and the networks leadership oversees the empire from there.

The news operation, where Arroyo works, is based 700 miles away, in a nondescript office in D.C. It has sleeker studios and fewer friars. While the news operation reportedly had some growing pains in its early days as it tried to balance its religious mission with the desire for secular news standards, the political shows have found their rhythm in recent years. EWTN has a fleet of reporters in the Vatican, but it has also beefed up its presence in the U.S. Capitol and at the White House. Starting with the Biden administrations first White House briefing, an EWTN correspondent has consistently lobbed the press secretary questions about abortion. One former EWTN employee told me that the network was pouring an enormous amount of resources into its news programs.

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The guests are one indicator of the kind of news programming EWTN pursues. In recent years, Ben Shapiro has appeared on the networks pro-life show to give tips on leaving abortion rights advocates speechless. A sympathetic Capitol Hill correspondent interviewed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene about efforts in the House to punish her for inciting violence against Democratsefforts Greene described as spiritual warfare. Arroyo in particular pulls big right-wing names: Sebastian Gorka, Dinesh DSouza, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, among others. Former Vice President Mike Pence once sat down to discuss media elites and Hollywood liberals. Most of these guests are not Catholic, but they are all Republican.

The way issues are discussed, even by religious figures, is also reliably Republican. On one episode of EWTN Live, a priest in an armchair on a cozy chapel-like set decried transgender athletes, the negative history of the U.S. being taught in schools, and the concept of white privilege. After the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, Pope Francis made a direct appeal for gun control: It is time to say enough to the indiscriminate trafficking of arms, he said. The next day, Arroyo brought Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, onto his show to discuss the sociological reasons behind mass shootings. Its not a matter of guns, per se. Its not a matter of race, Donohue said. No gun control is going to stop these men whatsoever. None. He rejected the idea that the Buffalo shooting was motivated by racism. This has nothing to do with race, he said. (In his writings the shooter said he intended to target Black people.) Arroyo nodded his head in agreement.

As former employee Dereck put it: The universe has shifted, and EWTN has gone along with the far-rightward shift, politically and ecclesiastically. Another former EWTN journalist, Sophie, put it in personal terms. Morale was low because we all went in with the expectation that we were working for the church, that we were working for our Catholic faith, she said. Not that we were there to provide news with a spin on it.

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That spin can apply to Catholic matters, too. In 2020, the Catholic writer Austen Ivereigh published a book he co-authored with the pope, exploring Francis thoughts from the early phase of the pandemic. Ivereigh, who had received the full press tour with EWTN for one of his previous books, was surprised when the network didnt express any interest in covering its release. Its news, he said. And yet the biggest Catholic media empire in the world made an editorial decision that the pope should be simply ignored.

They were more exuberant about Trump than Pope Francis.  Former EWTN employee

Critics of Francis who appear on EWTN often couch their complaints in matters of doctrinal confusionmeaning a turn away from traditionalism and the more black-and-white moral teachings of his predecessors. In a segment in which he also complained about the Vaticans vaccination policy, Cardinal Burke said that those with a preference for traditional forms of worship were being treated as if theres no room at the inn. The network often lets guests make the more explicit critiques, as when a frequent guest on Arroyos show, author Robert Royal, said that Francis meeting with Biden sends a wrong message about abortion. In that same episode, Royal admonished Francis for his remarks on climate change during the COP26 summit, calling them hysterical.

EWTN has also waded into larger disputes in the church. The network broadcast numerous interviews with Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former papal ambassador who is known for accusing the pope of covering up abuse and calling for his resignation in a fiery 7,000-word letter published through EWTNs National Catholic Register. Journalists have found little evidence to support the charges, and progressive Catholics have accused Vigano of being a fringe conspiracy theorist trying to oust Francis for ideological reasons. But EWTNs coverage gave Viganos accusations legitimacy, and Vigano remains, in the eyes of many on the Catholic right, an anti-abuse crusader.

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Despite this papal coverage, its not completely propaganda, another former EWTN employee told me. Theyre not going to criticize him outright. But they were more exuberant about Trump than Pope Francis.

In 2014, a few years after acquiring the National Catholic Register, EWTN also acquired the Catholic News Agency, a service founded to provide Catholic news to media outlets for free. Current and former employees I spoke with said they chafed under the new managements editorial interference. We were being waved off stuff that would piss off donors and being accused of disloyalty to the team and mission by raising legitimate criticisms, one former CNA staffer said. There were clear limits to what was OK to cover critically.

EWTN has denied having an anti-Francis bias, and there are loyal EWTN employees who are genuinely stung by the accusation. But according to other former EWTN employees, Ivereigh wasnt paranoid to think there had been a directive to ignore his work. One reporter who was working at CNA when it was acquired by EWTN told me, There was a definite change in tone. Some of my stuff would be censored a little bit to imply that Pope Francis didnt have a Catholic stance on marriage or homosexuality. It just became increasingly controlling.

Most liberal Catholics agree there is value in viewing the papacy with a critical eye. But given the lack of any real competition for EWTN, critics say there is a danger of the oppositional right being the only voice with a large platform. On May 4, the U.S. bishops announced they would soon close the American offices of the Catholic News Service, the Catholic equivalent of the Associated Press and a competitor to EWTNs Catholic News Agency. Without it, EWTNs influence will only grow further.

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Its not a stretch to believe that the Vatican views EWTN as both a necessary tool for reaching the public and a liability, primed to export its reactionary brand of the faith to the rest of the world. According to Christopher Lamb, a reporter for the British Catholic publication the Tablet, several officials in Rome have voiced frustrations with Arroyos show The World Over, and someone close to Francis tried to pressure EWTN to fire its host. After years of rumors that the Vatican was unhappy with EWTNs turn, the pope himself addressed it last fall. During a visit with Jesuits in Slovakia in September, someone asked Francis how he dealt with his critics. There is, for example, a large Catholic television channel that has no hesitation in continually speaking ill of the pope, Francis responded. They are, Francis continued, the work of the devil. I have also said this to some of them.

For many regular Catholics, who dont know one religious news source from another, EWTN merely matches their understanding of the church as one that takes a firm stance on sexual sins and elevates abortion above all other issues. There are blog sites and there are networks like EWTN that only teach about abortion, that do not present an entire view of the sanctity of human life and have even been hostile towards the teachings of Pope Francis, Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky, said in an interview with the progressive National Catholic Reporter in January 2021. Thats not going to help with unity.

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The swerve into partisan politicsto Trump, to Marjorie Taylor Greene, to anti-vaccine nunsis not as predictable a move as it might seem. Unlike evangelicals, American Catholics did not turn out in large numbers for Trump. In 2016 and again in 2020, exit polls found that voters split almost evenly between the parties. Political analysts have argued that race, education, and other identities tend to determine political affiliation more reliably than religion when it comes to Catholics, and that there is no such thing as the Catholic vote.

So the onset of a clear conservative mission has been disorienting for many of those who have worked for the network. The experience was eye-opening for Purvis, the Morning Glory host who debated police reform with a priest and deacon. EWTN hadnt just failed to stand up for her when listeners revolted, she said; it had rejected her whole idea of what faith is supposed to bea driver of justice and compassion.

In interviews, Purvis, who now hosts a podcast for the progressive Jesuit magazine America, was diplomatic and reluctant to directly criticize her former employer. But she was clear about what she thought was missing in EWTNs partisan zeal. She worried that a spiritual message in the service of politics hardens and narrows into something that cannot encompass the rich diversity of the churchs global community and cannot challenge its faithful as it should.

What is the purpose of evangelizing, Purvis said, if youre not going to evangelize to the things people are blind about?
Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group.

Dear Care and Feeding,

I am a full-time mom to a 2-year-old. We had him right at the start of the pandemic and have been his only caretakers (his grandparents are in different countries). Since then it has been just my husband and I, taking him to parks, hospitals, stores and everything. We finally enrolled him in a lovely daycare close by three days a week, since I was starting full-time work after an extended break. Once he started going, I began to feel like I have no energy to do anything with him. I am not up for taking him to the park, I dont want to play outside with him or feed him. I dont mind putting him to bed, sitting next to him for hours at a stretch reading his favorite books, feeding him while he sits on my lap (not running around), or doing quiet activities but I have absolutely no energy to run behind him. I feel miserable and out of sorts wondering if there is something more serious than just tiredness. I cannot pull myself up from the sofa to play with him, but I am more than happy to hold him in my arms and sing songs with him. What is wrong with me? Is this normal?

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I love my dear baby with all my heart and want to be an engaged mom to him but these doubts are killing me every day. My husband has picked up on this and takes more than his fair share of parenting duties, but I can see him being stretched out thin too. He suggested I take him for quick walks around our home which I do when weather / time permits but it is not every day. Its more like I am looking for excuses to get out of engaging him physically than anything else. I cite anywhere from I need to run the dishwasher to I am having a headache., Its obvious there is something at play here, but I need an outside perspective so I can work on myself and find out what I am not seeing in this situation. He is a normal 2-year-oldenergy levels off the charts but an easygoing kid. He does not throw tantrums (at least not yet) and is easily calmed. I have always been a nerd and was always more comfortable with a book in my hand than being out in the sun. I am not sure if am destined to forever remain the boring, unengaged parent. Help me!

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Tired But Willing

Dear Tired,

I think most parents would agree that its normal to feel some level of exhaustion when it comes to raising a toddler, but Im worried that what youre describing is something completely different. I was a full-time stay at home dad when my daughters were young, and there were numerous days when I could barely motivate myself to get out of bed to make breakfast or engage with them in any physical activities. Not too long afterwards, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and realized that was the main reason for my malaise. Once it was treated, I became happier and more engaged, and the rest is now history.

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I dont know anything about your situation beyond what youve laid out here (and Im not a mental health professional), so of course I cant say for sure that youre depressed, but from an outsiders point of view it certainly seems that way. I think it would be wise to meet with a licensed therapist to discuss how youre feeling in order to get to the bottom of it. While youre at it, I would suggest getting a full physical with your primary care physician to rule out any possible illnesses.

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Its also possible that youre completely burned out from the nonstop sprint of raising a child alone for two years. The desire to sit down, take a break, and say, I really dont want to do this right now, is completely normal and quite frankly, expected.

Also, you shouldnt feel guilty for letting your son play by himself while you watch in the background. Its a healthy practice to have him discover the world on his own terms without you engaging with him at all times.

One thing I really want to tell you is to be kind to yourself. Every parent on the planet has dealt with mental health challenges of some sort. Not to mention, your son isnt the only human in this equation who has been sheltered for a long period of time. Ill go out on a limb by guessing that child-free interactions with grownups arent as plentiful as you would like, and that would be hard to handle for most parents. Youre not broken, weird, or a bad mom  youre just going through a rough patch that requires you to seek help to overcome. Ive been there and I made it to the other side, and if you follow through with getting professional help, you will too.

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Dear Care and Feeding,

We recently moved into a new house a few months ago and our neighbor across the street is an elderly Chinese American woman. She lives alone, though her kids occasionally visit her, and she has a small dog that my kids (boys aged 5 and 8) adore. Recently I was talking to her while my sons played with her dog and she said some very disparaging things about our Black neighbors, and Black people in general. Since she is a woman of color, I dont feel its my place to lecture her on her comments. As such I politely dismissed myself from the conversation and took my children home. My kids keep asking me when we can go see her and her dog again. I am worried she might say some of these things around my kids. Either I potentially expose my kids to language I find offensive, or I forbid them from being around this neighbor, which doesnt feel right either. What should I do?

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Unsure

Dear Unsure,

I need to challenge you on this. Im not sure where you got the idea that white people cant call out people of color for making bigoted comments. Im an anti-racism facilitator, and I think it would be pretty silly of me to say, We need to stop racial prejudice and biasbut only when white people do it. While white people have the majority of power here in America, which means a lot of the work in fighting racism falls on them, that doesnt mean people of color should get a free pass when they make insulting comments about people of other races.

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This is not nearly as difficult of a decision as youre making it out to be. Dont make excuses about her being a woman of color, or an older person whos set in her ways. Tell her that youre not OK with her making those comments about Black people in front of you and your kids. If she gets offended, then who cares? Why would you want your kids to be exposed to someone who held those beliefs? It doesnt make you out to be some holier-than-thou white person for speaking out  it makes you a person who understands the difference between right and wrong.

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All of this hatred in America wont go away if we continue to turn a blind eye to it. We must be willing to have difficult and uncomfortable discussions with family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors  and even choose to love them from a distance if they continue with their hateful ways. Trust me, you can find another person in the neighborhood who has a cute dog and isnt a bigot.

Catch Up on Care and Feeding

 If you missed Mondays column, read it here.

 Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group!

Dear Care and Feeding,

I am a mother of a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old. My question/debate is whether to enroll my 5-year-old in kindergarten part-time this fall or home school. The concern is over COVID. Our 5-year-old is vaccinated and our 2-year-old will be as soon as the vaccine is authorized. My 72-year-old mom is living with us, and she is up-to-date with her COVID vaccines and boosters (parents are up-to-date on the vaccinations as well). However, even with vaccination, breakthrough infections are common and nobody knows anything definitive about the rate of long COVID in kids (and not enough in adults for that matter), and long COVID is frightening and keeps me up at night.

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These past 2 years we have tried to be careful about COVID exposure. We have tried avoiding large crowds whenever possible, always wear our masks in public regardless of whether we are outdoors or indoors (including the youngest of our family), dont travel anywhere, dont go to restaurants, do our haircuts at home, dont socialize or have playdates where masks have to be off, etc. We do go to playgrounds and outdoor attractions like zoos but we are always masked. So far our kids have been disciplined about mask wearing whenever we are in the company of anyone who does not live in our household.

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I feel like my 5-year-old wants to be among his cohorts. They pretty much have said so. Their pediatrician has also said so. I think they are hungry to explore the world. But then there is COVID and the prediction of another surge in the fall/winter, and the knowledge that the current vaccines, while good, are targeting an older strain of the virus and may be nearly useless at preventing infections. My sister keeps suggesting that if I am that concerned about COVID I should homeschool the 5-year-old. I am torn between the knowledge that our 5-year-olds mental health (and ours) would benefit from attending kindergarten part-time and the threat of COVID and long COVID (where homeschooling would be the safer option). Please help me decide!

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COVID Concerned

Dear COVID Concerned,

Im happy to offer my opinions on your dilemma, but at the end of the day, the decision youre going to make about your child is a deeply personal one that you should make with your family and pediatrician.

Weve dealt with Covid for over two years now. We certainly dont have all of the answers, but we do have a vaccine, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has outlined the benefits of in-person school. Yes, I think its wise to be careful. But my personal belief is that there becomes a time whenas long as you and the eligible members of your family continue to stay up to date on boosters and vaccinationswe have to trust the science and experts in order to live our best lives. Again, this decision should be made under the guidance of your pediatrician and family members, but as far as Im concerned, Im 100 percent in favor of sending kids back to school  especially if everyone is taking the proper precautions.

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Submit your questions about parenting and family life here. Its anonymous! (Questions may be edited for publication.)

Dear Care and Feeding,

Its a bit early in the year, but we have a racial sensitivity/cultural appropriation Halloween costume question. Our (white) 3-year-old daughter loves The Princess and the Frog, in particular anything in the movie having to do with voodoo and Dr. Facilier (aka the Shadow Man). Can she dress up as him? Obviously, we would not use blackface. I do think that dressing as Tiana would be OK, but Shadow Man seems like it could be more complicated. Shadow Man seems to be based on Baron Samedi, a figure in some African descended religions (sometimes called voodoo), and we (a military family) are now stationed in Louisiana, where there is more affinity for this religious tradition than in most parts of the country. We dont want to be offensive. Would this be? As Im writing this out, the best option seems to be just steer to something else, but wed appreciate your thoughts!

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Shadow Man is Cool!

Dear Shadow Man,

People usually fall into one of two categories when it comes to this. Some people believe that we live in a soft, politically correct society where everyone gets upset too easily. Theyre usually the type of people who will show up to an Atlanta Braves game wearing face paint and Native American headdresses while tomahawk chopping without a care in the world about who theyre offending. If that happens to be how you feel (and I have a feeling that you dont feel that way, or else you wouldnt have written this letter), then you should have your daughter wear whatever costume she wants and let the chips fall where they may.

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The other category would be the empathetic people who dont want to make a mockery of anyones culture, race, ethnicity, religion, etc. just for the sake of a costume on Halloween. Since Im assuming that happens to be you, I would highly recommend that your daughter just find something else. Heck, we have a lot of time before the holiday gets here, so Im sure that wont be a problem. Im not the spokesperson for Black America, but I agree with you that dressing up as Tiana seems OK because shes a mainstream Disney princess that kids of all races and ethnicities dress up as. A Shadow Man costume is concerning due to the reasons you laid out in your letter.

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You should also use the time between now and Halloween to discuss the ills of cultural appropriation and why the Shadow Man costume could be problematic for many people. Quite frankly, not enough parents are having these conversations, so I give you credit for recognizing the issue in the first place.

Doyin

More Advice From Slate

I feel like I am in crisis. I have three wonderful, adorable young children. For years, I have been unsatisfied in my marriage for very typical reasons. My husband and I have no physical and little emotional intimacy, though we do have a low-conflict household. I carry the bulk of the labor in our household concerning all domestic and child care responsibilities, despite the fact that I work full time at a stressful career. My husband is impatient with the kids and does not seem to like being around them. I cant help but feel Id be happier divorced. What should I do?
The plan for the renovation of Elder Lane and Centennial beaches and parks includes three breakwaters, a boardwalk and steel slated walls along the north and south edges of the public space. - Original Credit: Handout (Village of Winnetka / HANDOUT)

Winnetka Village President Chris Rintz is calling out opponents of plans for a proposed steel wall along the lakefront after dozens of residents spoke out about renovation plans they say would block views of Lake Michigan and interrupt walks on the beach

It is unfortunate that a single property owner has chosen to promote a change in the plan beyond what was agreed upon. As originally crafted, the property swap is an outstanding opportunity to help realize a vision promoted for decades, he said in a news release issued Friday. I know the Park District Board did not seek this out, but now the issue is firmly in their purview to resolve. They are volunteers, neighbors, and friends, just like you, and are trying to do the right thing.

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Rintz did not return calls seeking comment. His news release did not name the property owner referenced and encouraged residents to trust the approval process.

Opponents of the Elder Lane and Centennial Park renovation plan spoke out during a recent park board meeting, noting the blocked views of Lake Michigan and possibility of additional homeowners petitioning to include walls on their property. They said the obstruction would prevent beachgoers from walking along the shore while in the water. Others lamented that the design could have used more natural materials such as stones.

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Renderings provided in the project presentation for Elder Lane and Centennial beaches and parks show the proposed steel slated walls. - Original Credit: Handout (Village of Winnetka / HANDOUT)

I think the park district should be setting a good example for stewardship of our gorgeous shoreline, said Laurie Petersen. Not doing something that I honestly think could become a national example for what not to do on a natural shoreline.

Katie Stevens, who said she lives two doors north of the proposed wall, said she sees potential personal benefits from construction of the wall but is strongly opposed to it.

I feel you need to set the example. I am begging you all please dont build a wall into the lake, said Stevens. Each of you know in your hearts what is right.

A petition with 512 signatures expressing opposition to the barrier was presented to the board as well.

The renovation plan calls for making a contiguous waterfront for Elder Lane and Centennial parks and beaches, which is currently split by a section of private property. The private property, which includes two homes and 2.05 acres of land, was purchased in Oct. 2020 for $14.4 million with a land swap approved by the Winnetka Park District.

In the agreement, the park district would receive the land in exchange for a 0.67 acre property at the south end of Centennial Park which was then to be combined with a 1.38 acre property just south of park limits.

The wall, according to the project presentation, would be composed of steel plates ranging from 1.25 to 6.5 feet tall with the plates extending onto the breakwaters proposed on each end of the beach. Those steel plates would in some areas then be placed upon planter boxes adding to their height. The breakwaters are designed to help dissipate waves to protect the shoreline from erosion. Along with the two side breakwaters, another will be centered on the beach extending into the water and forming a T shape with a boardwalk for access.

Park board member Colleen Root made a motion to withdraw the application, but did not get enough support to call for a vote.

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I will disagree with council on this part, Root said during the meeting. There are ways to address safety that do not require the extent and the expense of this current plan.

When contacted for comment, Root described the plan as dystopian and elitist.

We are a park district. Our duty is to provide access to all the public. To welcome all members of the public whether they are rich or poor, no matter their gender or race, said Root. We have a duty to make sure that we also provide access to all members of the public , no matter where they live, to the public beach lands so they have the right to walk the Illinois public beach.

She does remain hopeful that it is not too late to change the current plan especially given the public reaction and has plans to bring the motion forward again at a later park board meeting.

Winnetka Park District Board of Commissioners President Warren James said the steel barrier has been included in the plans for a year and residents have had ample opportunity to bring concerns to the board. He said the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has extended the comment period until June 2 but that emotional appeals wont hold as much weight with them as factual concerns.

This plan is the culmination of a great deal of thought. Have there been compromises along the way? Yeah, there have been but all along the focus has been on serving the greater good of the community, said James. This is part of the process.
Cleta Mitchell, a Republican lawyer connected to Donald Trump, has made it her mission to tell Stop the Steal supporters to lay down their signs and apply to be poll workers and poll watchers. According to New York Times reporter Alexandra Berzon, its part of a concerted effort of GOP-aligned groups to harness the energy around the big lie that the 2020 election was stolen and redirect it toward future elections. On Tuesdays episode of What Next, I spoke to Berzon about who Cleta Mitchell is and how her work could affect the 2022 midterms and beyond. This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Alexandra Berzon: Cleta Mitchell actually started as a Democratic representative in Oklahoma and then had become a very conservative Republican attorney and has been involved with a number of conservative causes over the years, including a lot around elections. She was particularly involved in Georgia. She was on the call with Brad Raffensperger where Trump was saying, can you just find these votes?

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Since then, shes continued taking a very prominent position in elections. And shes gone on to work for the Conservative Partnership Institute, which is a think tank that also involves as senior partner Mark Meadows, who was Trumps chief of staff. And that is the group that is now kind of housing this effort, what shes building now with these elections activists. Its called the Election Integrity Network.

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Mary C. Curtis: When you say election integrity, who could be against that? We all want our elections to have integrity. But I want you to talk about who are these people being recruited and if they have an agenda involved.

Right. What we found is that in a number of the cases, the people involved in these trainings and in the coalitions that are coming out of them are groups that already have decided that the 2020 election was stolen or there was something very seriously wrong with it, which of course has been discredited numerous times. And theyre coming from that perspective.

For example, there was a RNC effort to recruit poll workers. That group was recruiting people from a coalition of activist groups listed on a website that included the LaRouche PAC, which seems to be associated with Lyndon LaRouche, who is deceased but is a known conspiracy theorist. So theres a lot of examples where the people who are part of this are coming from a kind of conspiratorial or just misinformation kind of perspective, especially about the 2020 election and about elections in general.

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What are Republican-affiliated groups recruiting people to do, exactly?

They talk about getting involved in your election apparatus, so that would mean being a poll watcher and being a poll worker. And they talk about how being a poll worker is even better than being a poll watcher because youre more directly involved. They also talk about being much more engaged in your local elections office, so researching the backgrounds of the people who are working there, showing up there, asking lots of questions, going to board meetings. They talk about doing voter roll work, where you collect information about whos actually on the voter rolls and try to find people where theyre not accurate. In order to do that, they talk about collecting affidavits from residents and mailing letters to try to identify potential bad addresses. They talk about groups having tech-savvy volunteers who could become an expert on specific software and equipment, and they can find out what vulnerabilities there are with the software and equipment. They also talk about the mail ballot process, and they want you to be as involved in that as youre able to legally do that. In terms of the post office, meet with your local post office. They say be ever present inside election offices.

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They want you to be involved in every detail.

Yeah. They want to form these local groups, these local task forces, and people would have different roles. These are all volunteers, and then they would just get people much more activated. And I think what theyre sensing is that theres a real energy out there. There are people who want to be involved in this.

Did they give you a hint of what exactly the endgame is, what they want from all of this?

Well, they talk about fixing elections. Its really coming from the idea that theres something very broken about our election system and that theres a real us-and-them kind of attitude. Cleta Mitchell talks about the idea that the other side is going to cheat. She sees the elections as being completely controlled by Democrats who are cheating to win and that this is the way to sort of take back those elections, and having this army of activists is going to fix what shes seeing as corrupt or cheating or extreme bias in elections offices.

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Wheres the funding coming from?

The Conservative Partnership Institute, its a nonprofit, but they have gotten money from Trumps PAC, as well as from a number of his donors.

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What has Cleta Mitchell said in response to your reporting on this effort?

Cleta was not willing to be interviewed for our story. But in a statement she sent us, she said, The American election system envisions citizen engagement and we are training people to assume the roles outlined in the statutes. Basically, she was also making the argument that as long as the election officials are doing everything right, they should not mind about having more transparency.

This idea of transparency is definitely a big part of what shes pushing people to doyou know, filing FOIA requests, being a big presence at the elections offices, telling activists to really take a much more active role. So her argument is that as long as theyre doing everything right, basically that shouldnt be a problem.

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Its true that some of this is typical. You do have election monitoring. You do have political parties, conservative and liberal groups, involved in recruiting people to be election monitors and election workers. Some of the things that are different here is what some people described to me as kind of a surveillance attitude.

You can see this approach in a manual that the Election Integrity Network gives out online and at trainings. The manual includes some tactics that election experts say are atypical.

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One of the things that the manual says is you should research election officials and you should find out, in the case of people that work in attorney generals offices, are they, quote, friend or foe? And theres this kind of us-and-them attitude about it that people who are elections experts said could be really damaging if people are approaching it that way and not having trust in the election system in the country.

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What power do all these poll watchers have to affect election outcomes?

I think it has to do with creating the idea that theres something really wrong. So poll watchers are generally seen as having transparency, having people there to say, OK, I see this, I can report if theres a little issue here, we can fix this, we can make changes. All of that is a part of the elections process and theres nothing wrong with it at all. So having poll watchersthe idea is you give people faith in the process. Thats very important. Where it could go wrong is if that is then used to suggest something that isnt true about the elections.

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Well, we have seen it in action. There were activists who really were involved in putting out false and misleading data about the election in Pennsylvania. And they even canvass neighborhoods, apparently.

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Right. Theres a group called Audit the Vote PA. They had been doing, since last year, canvassing where they knock on doors and they collect information. And then they put out these reports saying that there was all these anomalies and all these problems with the 2020 election. And the data that theyre using, there was a newspaper that actually examined that data and found that there were a lot of errors with it, and the methodology of doing that is also really not a valid way to understand this.

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Theres many reasons why you might knock on someones door and they might say, That person isnt here. I mean, maybe they moved. Theres many situations around that that make this not a particularly helpful way to understand the results from a past election. That group is now really following along the manual that the Election Integrity Network and Cleta Mitchell had come up with.

Another place I want to go to is Fairfax County, Virginia.

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This effort that happened in 2021 was the governors race in Virginia, and has really been held up as the model for the nation for this organizing effort from the Election Integrity Network. There was an incredible amount of increased activity from a coalition associated with the local Republican Party. They began coming to election meetings. They began especially showing up at the election office, and they were just there pretty much every day for a period. And they were doing constant public records requests and just many things that were unusual, that went beyond your typical kind of election monitoring. There was also a lawsuit that came out of that, there was a dispute over whether to count these certain absentee ballots. And this was ahead of the governors election. And so you can kind of see how these pieces become part of a narrative to undermine the validity of an election.

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And then there was also a group called Virginians for America First that was going around also doing canvassing similar to what I was describing with Audit the Vote PA. And they came out with some reports that were claiming that there was going to be something wrong with the election. And all of these groups were part of this coalition that is now being held up as the model. Now, the registrar in Fairfax County ended up resigning and he credits this group as a large factor in that. He says that they were making his job so difficult he had never seen anything like it in his 30-year career. He said if theres an absence of goodwill, theres nothing you can say thats going to reassure someone or win them over or change their mind.

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And you do wonder what might have happened had Glenn Youngkin, the Republican, been defeated by Terry McAuliffe, the Democratwould they have felt that went smoothly?

Right. I did get some reports from some of the polling places in Fairfax County, and there were a number of polling places where the poll workers were noticing issues. This group had recruited many, many more poll watchers to be part of the election than the Republicans had ever provided before. And some of the poll workers were filing reports afterwards saying that there was problems. One of the things a number of them pointed out actually was that they were sort of trying very hard to find problems and they seemed to be kind of acting like spies.  Sleuth was the way one person put it.

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Some of these poll workers felt like it seemed like they were trying to gather evidence so that if Youngkin had lost, they would have some kind of ammunition. Now, of course, that never came to be, so we didnt see what happened. And I will say that their head of elections at the time, hes also left, but in Virginia did tell me that he felt that the election ran smoothly and that it could have been helpful to have skeptical people closely engaged. But I do think its unclear how this would have played out.

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When these charges of intimidation come, complaints about the Republican-aligned efforts, they dont come out of nowhere. They were operating under a consent decree for decades because of charges that there were uniformed police armed and monitoring polling places in majority minority districts and signs that were said to intimidate. But that was lifted.

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Yeah, it was in 1982, I believe, they signed this agreement, which had to do with charges that the Democrats were bringing against Republicans, saying that they were intimidating voters and especially Black and Latino voters. And the Republican Party, the RNC specifically, was really limited in terms of its poll watcher, poll worker recruitment effort. For many, many years, it was really handled more from the state party or campaigns. And in 2018, that consent decree was lifted.

The party then, and especially this current cycle, is now really gearing up to be much more directly involved. And thats where theyve hired, I think, 18 workers in states specifically to oversee their, quote, election integrity efforts. And they also have attorneys in all of these states as well. So theyre building out something much bigger. And they are clear that this is not formally part of the Election Integrity Network and what Cleta Mitchell is doing. But they are showing up and they are even helping organize these events. So the parties do have a role kind of formally in the election process in many places. And the explanation from the RNC is that thats why they end up working with these outside groups.

Looking ahead, what do you think this means for the 2022 midterm elections and even 2024?

Theres often this idea that theres going to be this army of poll watchers that are going to be disruptive and that are going to really cause a lot of problems. And thats been a fear for a number of past elections that hasnt completely borne out, I would say. But in this case, theres reasons why people are really concerned about some of the differences here. As one person put it to me, it really depends on whether theyre actually interested in knowing the truth about elections or are they propagating propaganda. And so you basically see what the track record has been, and that is creating concern.

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Last Wednesdays verdict in the Amber Heard/Johnny Depp defamation case has been criticized for multiple reasons, particularly for the chilling effect the decision is likely to have on the #MeToo movement, jeopardizing survivors ability to speak openly about their abuse. The jury declared Depp had been defamed by Heard after she wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post stating she was a public figure representing domestic violence; it awarded the actor $15 million in damages. (The jury awarded Heard $2 million, finding Depps lawyer had defamed the actress in statements he made about her abuse claims.)

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Heards lawyers have already promised to appeal the verdict based on Judge Penney Azcarates evidentiary decisions.

Judges pay a lot of attention to what evidence is admitted and the exact wording of the instructions that are given to the jury. Both of those procedural measures are intended to ensure that the jury does not become biased against one of the parties because they heard evidence that makes that party look bad but isnt legally relevant. Jury instructions are designed to ensure that jury members know how to take the facts they have heard and apply them to the law of the case.

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In the Heard/Depp trial, Azcarate, the chief judge of the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia, seemed to be trying to strike the right balance. Some of her major rulings seemed to favor neither side. For example, she denied Heards motion to dismiss as well as Depps motion to dismiss Heards countersuit. The jury instructions seemed to favor Heard at least in some respects.

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Although a media stormboth traditional and socialraged outside the courthouse, on the face of it the trial itself looks to have been run without any major bias, as if it were an oasis of order in the surrounding chaos.

But Azcarate made two rulings that paved a wide path for outside opinion to come in and improperly influence the jury. The first mistake came weeks before the trial began, when Azcarate allowed the proceedings to be televised. That decision was quickly criticized due to the sensitive nature of the domestic violence testimony that was to come. Heards attorneys noted how easy it would be to take footage of their clients testimony and manipulate it to malign her.

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They were right.

Even so, it is unlikely that anyone could have anticipated the scope of how this footage would be used. There were tweets and Facebook posts with video clips, but there were also memes shared on Facebook with unflattering photos of Heard inserted into images from Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as people uploading videos to TikTok mockingly lip-syncing Heards tearful testimony. The daily footage over the course of the seven-week trial provided a constant source of images, audio, and video that could be used, manipulated, and shared with the world. Some images and videos were viewed billions of times with a clear preference for anti-Heard content.

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Disturbingly, much of this content seems to have been created by alt-right bots and mens rights activists. Because Depp, as plaintiff, presented his evidence first, members of the public may have already made up their minds before Heard presented her side of the story, though there is plenty of evidence that public opinion was in his favor before the trial even began.

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The seemingly inescapable social media trial surrounding the actual Heard/Depp trial highlights Azcarates second mistake: refusing to sequester the jury.

Jury sequestration is used to ensure that a jury is not unduly influenced, by keeping them separated from the outside world and restricting media consumption and internet access. Sequestration was most famously used in the 1995 O.J. Simpson case to shield jurors from the conjecture surrounding the high-profile murder trial. And it was also used more recently in the 2011 Casey Anthony case, in which Anthony stood accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter. The fact that both of these cases were criminal murder trials, however, may have been a crucial differentiator for Azcarate.

Without sequestration, the jury in the Heard/Depp case was left to police itself. Azcarate did tell the jury members not to read about or do research on the case as well as to turn off their cellphone notifications so they would not accidentally see a news alert. In addition, Azcarate repeatedly encouraged jurors to avoid discussing the case with others, either in person or online. Her admonishments track with a 2012 Fairfax County Circuit Court order that states that juries are prohibited from using portable electronic devices to research a case or talk about the case they are deciding.

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But it is impossible to know whether the jury followed these orders. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that, generally speaking, members of juries do seek out information or talk to their friends about their cases even when a judge tells them not to. And that is for normal, run-of-the-mill cases, not the social media trial of the century.

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More importantly, even if they did their best to avoid the news or talking about the trial, how could the jury avoid catching a glimpse of the deluge of social media coverage of the case? Even passive use of any social media platform would have presented images, memes, gifs, tweets, or TikTok videos about the case, likely in Depps favor. Social media algorithms would have placed this content front and center on their Facebook news feeds or Instagram homepages, either because the content was generally popular or because at least some of their contacts were sharing it.

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Ultimately, the mistake Azcarate made was treating this case like it was just like any other case. Cameras are often allowed in courtrooms, particularly for high-profile cases, so why not allow live coverage here? Jury sequestering isnt typical for civil cases, so why do it in this case? What Azcarate failed to anticipate is how these two decisions would feed the media and social media frenzy outside of the courtroom and how easily that frenzy could reach the jury.

Even if the evidentiary decisions were correct, Heards lawyers may still have a good claim of jury bias, though all that will get them is a new trial and, potentially, a new round of abuse for Heard. The precedent set, however, may be groundbreaking enough to risk it.
Tuesday night will be a good one: By the end of it, well be seven states closer to the end of primary season and the ability to move on with our lives.

These seven states are California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota.

Theres not any marquee, nationally obsessed-about race in these seven states the way there has been in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio or Alabama. But heres an abbreviated list of what well be keeping an eye on.

California

Politics goes Hollywood Tuesday as the largest state in the nation holds a seemingly endless number of local, state, and federal primaries. California uses a top-two primary system, where every candidate, regardless of party, runs in the same primary, and the two leading vote-getters face off in November.

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The most closely observed California races have been a couple of local ones. In San Francisco, the district attorney Chesa Boudin is facing recall, and in Los Angeles, the billionaire businessman Rick Carusoan ex-Republican who joined the Democratic Party this yearhas risen in the mayoral race with tens of millions of dollars in television advertisements. Both races have garnered national attention as proof of a law-and-order backlash against progressives in their very own backyards, much as Eric Adams elections as New York City mayor did last year. Polling suggests that Caruso is likely headed to a mayoral runoff with Rep. Karen Bass.

Among the most interesting house races is the new 40th district anchored in Orange County. Young Kim, a Republican who flipped the district in 2020, got a slightly safer seat in redistricting this year. But safer seats often come with the unfortunate side effect of primary challengers from the right. Such is the case with Greg Raths, a Republican whowell, take a look at this tweet and photo, and it will give you the gist of Greg Raths more than any words can. The challenge has drawn a late surge of money on Kims behalf to shore up her campaign. Democrats, lined up behind candidate Asif Mahmood, have been doing that Democratic-Party thing where they run ads criticizing Raths as a way of boosting his support among Republican primary voters, figuring hell be easier to beat. Democrats are playing the same trick in Californias 22nd district, where theyre boosting a conservative challenger to moderate Rep. David Valadao.

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Sometimes these cutesy tactics work. Sometimes Donald Trump literally gets elected president.

Iowa

Sen. Chuck Grassley, who was first elected to political office during the Eisenhower administration, will be renominated for an eighth term in the Senateset to expire when he is 95 years old. It is what it is.

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But who will challenge him on the Democratic side? Ex-Rep. Abby Finkenauer was expected to face Grassley when she announced her candidacy. But she soon faced primary competition from retired admiral Michael Franken, with a recent poll showing the two deadlocked. Grassley is likely to beat either of them.

New Jersey

Remember last year when New Jersey Democrats were supposed to waltz to victory, and then Gov. Phil Murphy only survived by the skin of his teeth? When state Senate president Stephen Sweeney, and George Norcross vaunted South Jersey political machine, got beaten by a truck driver named DURR who spent 153 bucks on his campaign? Yeah, incumbent Democrats will be watching their backs more closely this election year.

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The most endangered House Democrat in the state is North Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski, whose party threw him under the bus in redistricting. The only saving grace for Malinowski would be if his expected opponent, former Republican state Senate leader Tom Kean Jr., is somehow upset by one of his many more conservative primary challengers. (Another single tweet that aptly covers the gist of a top challenger.)

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Also, Sen. Bob Menendez is giving his son Robert a vacant congressional seat, as a present.

New Mexico

Republicans hope to retake control of the state this fall as Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham runs for reelection. Polling suggests that the candidate theyre choosing to go with is Mark Ronchetti, a weatherman from Albuquerque who lost the 2020 Senate race in a surprisingly close squeaker. Ronchetti has sharp glasses, a healthy set of white chompers, and, as best we can tell, an adequate record of forecasting the weather. Here is a clip of Ronchetti giving a weather report on May 21, 2021, in which he said that a dry Thursday would give way to a chance of showers over the weekend. Did the showers materialize? Please let us know.

South Dakota

There was a time last year where it seemed like South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who harbors presidential ambitions, was in a spot of trouble. There was the allegation that she retaliated against a state employee who wouldnt give Noems daughter a real estate appraisers license. Then there were tensions with MAGA world, who felt she wasnt mean enough to trans women participating in womens sports. And rumors of a very personal nature went public. It was enough of a moment of weakness that Noem drew a primary challenger, former House Speaker Steve Haugaard. But that was a while ago, and Noem is now expected to win comfortably.

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In the states lone House district, Republican Dusty Johnson is facing a primary for the usual heresies. He didnt vote to overturn the 2020 presidential electionor, in the words of one PAC ad against him, SWAMPER DUSTY JOHNSON Denies that the communists stole The election from President Trumpand then he did vote to set up a bipartisan, independent commission on Jan. 6. These two sins against God created an opening for a primary challenger, state Rep. Taffy Howard. But how much of an opening? Johnson is still expected to win.

Montana

The state earned a second seat in Congress in this round of redistricting. Among the candidates running in the new, western district is former congressman and scandal-plagued Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who has earned the endorsement of Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association. Do he and his family, say, live in Montana, or is it sunny Santa Barbara, California? Why not both? His main competitor is state Sen. Al Olszewski.

Mississippi

Not a whole lot going on in Mississippi. The only thing close to an interesting primary is that of Rep. Steve Palazzo, who has drawn primary challengers over a long-running ethics investigation into misuse of campaign funds. Seven Republicans are on the ballot, and Palazzo may have to take things to a runoff.
In the wake of mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, the GOP has doubled down on its often-repeated gun mantras: guns arent the problem, people are and gun control isnt the answer to gun violence. Theyre right, albeit not in the way they mean. To effectively address violence in the most dangerous nation among industrialized countries, we must confront the fact that guns are a symptom of a deeper, underlying disease in the American public.

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What is this disease? Public distrust.

One of the reasons that so many Americans cling to guns, police, and prisons as the centerpieces of public safety policy is that they do not trust the state or their neighbors. This is in part because the GOP has spent decades deliberately promoting institutional distrust and racial paranoia as cardinal virtues. Republicans have crafted their identity by telling us that individual citizens must take responsibility for their own safety and welfare. Not only is the government not responsible for protecting the welfare and safety of its citizens, the story goes, but the government is a direct threat to our ability to protect ourselvesboth from the state and from one another. Small government, then, and doomsday individualism in which citizens are armed to the teeth are the perversely desired ideal.

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Consider, as Dahlia Lithwick observed on the anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection, that 2021 was a banner year for vigilante violence. From Kyle Rittenhouse, who killed two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to the men and women driving election workers from their posts, the menace of those who believe that the time has come to take the law into their own hands has become part of the daily political calculation of what it means to be part of a democracy, Lithwick wrote. The right has also introduced a bumper crop of state laws that encourage residents to rat out, turn in, and sue their neighbors and kids teachers for doing anything from terminating a pregnancy to talking about their sexual orientation.

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While this agenda isnt shared by the Democratic Party, it has been convenient for the partys own priorities. Since the Clinton administrations attempts to privatize the U.S. welfare system in the 1990s, the Democratic Party has also been eager to divest of public responsibility for care in order to maximize private profits and voluntary displays of corporate social responsibility. Consider, for example, intense opposition by Democratic leadership to Medicare for All and its insistence that health care in America, regardless of how inefficient and harmful it is, should be determined by private markets rather than public systems (like it is in all other industrialized nations). Similar political strategies focused on privatization, deregulation, and low taxes for wealthy individuals continue to also shape other essential social services, including housing, child care, workplace protections, addiction treatment, and education.

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The problem with this bipartisan faith in markets as substitutes for the public provision of services is that they dont give us good reasons to trust anyone. Our free market system, one that maximizes profit and efficiency at the expense of higher-order considerations like the public good, depends on competition. Exploitation and harm, whether of workers or of the environment, are typically addressed only after the fact, if at all, with piecemeal regulations. Our relationships in this competition-obsessed and market-based society are organized around winning and losing such that one persons gain necessarily depends on anothers loss.

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This system of social organization provides no basis for mutual trust. And over time, it progressively erodes the interpersonal connections, cultural fabric, and welfare infrastructures required to support public trust. Consider that in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened and cooperation with government guidelines became arguably more important than ever for protecting the public, Americans confidence in key institutionssuch as public schools and the health care systemdeclined, according to a 2021 Gallup poll. The widespread resistance to vaccines and public health guidelines that weve seen for the last two years reflects a troubling national truth: We are literally plagued by distrust.

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If we are to have any chance of building collective safety in America, we need much more than gun regulation. Guns and our over-reliance on failed policing systems are part of a broader pattern of infrastructural and cultural decay. Yes, we need rational gun laws. No one should have automatic rifles. But to make even the most basic regulations plausible in a nation that is already home to more guns than people, we cant simply criminalize gun possession and deepen our reliance on policing and incarcerationinstitutions that undercut public health and safety in myriad ways.

Calls for gun control have to confront the fact that Americans have become decidedly less supportive of restrictive gun laws over the last three decades, even as the frequency of mass shootings has dramatically increased. For example, in 1959, 60 percent of U.S. residents approved of banning private ownership of handguns. Now, less than 20 percent of the U.S. public is in favor of such a law. Voters have signaled again and again that they are reluctant to restrict gun access, even as they bemoan gun violence.

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To change peoples minds about guns, we must give them reason to trust. This means investing in public systems that give people cause to believe that they will be appropriately protected so that they might loosen their defensive grip on guns and embrace gun laws that protect us all.

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What constitutes such trust-building investments? If we understand trust to be the foundation of effective public safety and gun control, then universal health care is gun control. Public policies that guarantee rights to housing, addiction treatment, and basic income are gun control. Reducing funding to harmful and racist systems of policing and punishment while reallocating funding to supportive social services is gun control. So too is the task of building infrastructures to care for those who require assistance in everyday life, including individuals whose safety (and that of those around them) requires supervised living arrangements premised on supportive care rather than punishment in prisons.

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Investments in people add up to more than the sum of their parts. They dont just improve health, safety, productivity, and quality of life; they also give people a reason to believe that we live in a community that collectively values each one of its members lives and unique potential. Public systems for tangible services yield an intangible common good: a sense of ethical connection and responsibility to one another. This is the basis of true community and of the mutual trust it enables. For this reason, leaving debates about public services versus market-based private ventures to economic reasoning alone is a dangerously shortsighted decisionthe consequences of which we are now reaping in bullets and body counts.

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As demoralizing as it is to wake up each morning to news of yet more violence in America, theres reason to believe we can change course. Even as a growing share of Americans acknowledge declining levels of trust in the government and in one another, according to Pew Research Center, an overwhelming majority also believes that this decline in trust can be turned around.

The bottom line is this: We cannot police, punish, or control one another into a world of public safety. But we can build another world, one in which we are able to live together rather than be buried alone beneath the weight of our fears. It is out of our recurring violent nightmares like the scenes in Buffalo and Uvaldeand other near-daily mass shootings that never make it into national newsthat we must generate the courage to do so.
This story was produced in partnership with the Garrison Project, an independent, nonpartisan organization addressing the crisis of mass incarceration and policing.

Each day following the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 children and two teachers dead, new details emerge about the police response. New reporting has made clear that the police held back for over an hour while the gunman fired his AR-15-style rifle nearly 200 times. When asked why the police delayed entering the schoolwhile children called 911 repeatedly, begging for helpa lieutenant for the Texas Department of Public Safety said, If they proceeded any further not knowing where the suspect was at, they couldve been shot, they couldve been killed.

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Uvalde, a small town in Texas of less than 20,000 people, spends 40 percent of its budget on police; its department has its own part-time SWAT team. While police delayed engaging with the shooter, distraught parents attempting to find their kids were handcuffed and tased. Law enforcement officials initial accounts of the mass shooting have changed repeatedly: At first, officials said police encountered the gunman as he entered the school, and later said that he walked in behind a teacher who left a door propped open. Both of those statements have been proven false, and Texas Department of Public Safety has said the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police have stopped cooperating with their probe. The U.S. Department of Justice announced a Critical Incident Review into the police response.

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The excruciating 78-minute timeline in Uvalde echoes the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in which 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz has been charged with shooting and killing 17 people and injuring 17 others. Scot Peterson, a Broward County Sheriffs Office deputy and school resource officer, never entered or attempted to enter the building and remained in his position outside the school for approximately 48 minutes, according to a 2019 report from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission. Peterson faces 11 criminal charges including felony child neglect. I didnt do anything wrong that day at all, Peterson says in his defense.

The police response to both shootings has garnered widespread scrutiny and outrage, as parents questioned why law enforcement failed to immediately engage the shooters, as they have been trained to do since the deadly school shooting in Columbine, Colorado. Officials in both cases have responded to the backlash with conflicting messages about their approach. Their actions before, during, and after both shootings raise critical questions about the role of police in school shootings, and if the purpose of police in schools is to protect studentsor solely to punish them.

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These questions follow a national reckoning over policing, during which several cities including Minneapolis and Oakland disbanded their school police departments. But many state and federal elected officials responded to broader calls to defund the police and divert money into violence prevention by beefing up police budgets and expanding the police ranks. But the tragedies in Uvalde and Parkland show that increased spending and more officers in schools doesnt prevent violence or save lives. Thats because we have a fundamental misconception about the role of police: While most people think that police have a duty to attempt to protect people from harm, the law has been clearcops have no such duty.

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A little-scrutinized 2018 lawsuit filed in federal court by more than a dozen Parkland-shooting survivors against the cops and other officials they say failed to protect them paints a picture of police officers more concerned with punishing students for minor infractions than in protecting them from harm. Possibly because the students lawsuit was dismissed not long after they filed it, some of Petersons actions that day have gone unreported, including the fact that the morning of the Parkland massacre, he was not engaged in important public safety functions. Instead, according to the lawsuit, he was conducting a fruitless and unlawful search of students backpacks, looking for drugs.

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T.M., a sophomore, arrived at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at approximately 7:43 a.m. on Feb. 14, 2018, a few minutes late for the first bell. The student, who was identified only by his initials in the lawsuit because he was a minor, was escorted to the front office almost immediately. There, he joined about 10 to 15 other students who were waiting to be questioned by school administrators. The 15-year-old, who had never been in trouble at school, was not told why he was there. When administrators searched T.M.s backpack, they found $200, and referred the boy to Peterson, who took the money from him and accused him of selling drugs. T.M. insisted the money was for taking his girlfriend out that night for a Valentines Day dinner.

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Defendant Peterson told T.M. that he could search everyone in T.M.s weight training class and that he only needed one student to say they got it from T.M. in order to pin it on him, the lawsuit notes. At 9:30 a.m., Peterson called T.M.s mom, who again told the deputy that the money was for the dinner. Defendant Peterson asserted that T.M. is not manly enough to own up to what he did and that he doesnt like students like T.M. because they look good on paper but are actually really bad kids, the lawsuit noted.

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When Peterson found a Beats headphones case in T.M.s backpack, he was like oh, this is where you hide your drugs and this is where like, you keep your stash so we cant find it, T.M. said in a sworn deposition in the case, and I was like not really. Its just for my headphones. In the end, Peterson found no drugs or paraphernalia, only unsigned late passes in the boys bag. After detaining T.M. for about two hours, during which he told T.M.s mother that her son was going to be watched like a hawk at the school, Peterson gave the money back, and sent the boy to in-school suspension for the day.

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Peterson partly saw his role as enforcing the prevention of juvenile delinquency, according to court documents. He had been with the Broward County Sheriffs Office for 32 years and was known in certain law enforcement circles as Rod which is an acronym for retired on duty due to the lackadaisical nature with which he approached the task.

At 2:19 p.m, just hours after Peterson conducted the mornings search of students that had yielded little more than unsigned late passes, Cruz allegedly entered the high school armed with an AR-15-style rifle in a duffel bag. After the alleged killing spree, Cruz shed his rifle and vest and walked out of the school, making several stops at fast food restaurants before being stopped on a residential street more than an hour after the shooting started.

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T.M. was one of 15 plaintiffs who sued Peterson, Broward County, and other school and police officials including thenBroward Sheriff Scott Israel in 2018 for arbitrary and conscience-shocking actions and inactions that directly and predictably caused children to die, get injured, and get traumatized.

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But late that year, a district judge ruled that, contrary to a widely held understanding that police have a duty to protect people, the police have no constitutional duty to do so. In December 2020, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision, adding that police have no duty to protect people unless they are in their custody, and saying that in situations where split-second judgments are required, an officials conduct will shock the conscience only when it stems from a purpose to cause harm. 

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After all, the judges wrote, quoting a decision they used as a precedent,  not every injury is an injury of constitutional magnitude.  That case involved someone in police custody: A 67-year-old man with dementia attempted to enter a nearby trailer that wasnt his, and when the trailers occupants called police, they arrested the man and took him to jail, where he was severely beaten by his cellmate. When his family sued the guards, the court dismissed the suit, ruling that their actions didnt rise above mere negligence.

Research has shown that schools with police officers have higher arrest rates and suspension rates than those without, and that Black children are arrested at disproportionately high rate. After Parkland, the Florida Legislature allocated $97.5 million for more school resource officerswhich failed to prevent or intervene in the Parkland shootingand allowed school staff to volunteer as armed guardians. A 2020 University of Florida report linked the rise in police presence at schools to increased arrests of students and reporting of children to law enforcement, particularly for less severe infractions and among middle schoolers.

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In the immediate aftermath of the Parkland shooting, it seemed like there could be accountability for the officials involved in decision-making that day. In 2019, Israel was suspended by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and then later removed from his post. But just weeks before the Uvalde shooting, Israel was named police chief of Opa-locka, Florida, a city of 15,000 in Miami-Dade County.

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Police in Uvalde are likely to face similar lawsuits, criminal complaints, and disciplinary actions as the Parkland officials came up against in the aftermath of the Marjory Douglas shooting. But the outcome of the Parkland student survivors 2018 lawsuit makes clear that the legal standard for police for protecting people in a crisis is a far cry from what most Americans expect.

It is clear that the current approach to public safety for students and staffwhich revolves around policingis not an adequate approach to preventing or responding to these devastating tragedies, said Philip McHarris, a researcher at Princeton who studies policing. We need to address the root causes of why these tragedies continue to occur and develop alternative approaches to safety that put students and staff first.
Armed police couldnt stop the shooters in Buffalo and in Uvalde. But perhaps a very small drone equipped with a Taser could. Specifically, Axon CEO Rick Smith said in a Thursday announcement, non-lethal drones capable of incapacitating an active shooter in less than 60 seconds (or so the press release goes), which would be stationed inside of schools. At the push of a panic button, a trained human pilot at a control center elsewhere in the country would launch a drone. With the help of a network of security cameras, they would try to target the drones onboard Taser probes into the shooters flesh, in the hope of keeping them down until police could arrive on the scene.

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Smiths curious proposal met near-instantaneous backlash. Axons A.I. ethics board voiced public opposition to the move, claiming in a statement tweeted out by Axons official account that the company had decided to announce the Taser-drones-in-schools proposal without consulting the board in advance. (A few weeks before, it had voted that Axon not go forward with a different, considerably more narrow Taser-drone use case for police.) In an interview Thursday afternoon, Smith told me he wanted to spark public discussion about the idea. Perhaps he got more of it than he bargained for. By Sunday, Smith had announced that the company was pausing work on the project and would be refocusing to further engage with key constituencies. By Monday, nine members of Axons A.I. ethics board had resigned, writing in a statement that the school Taser-drone announcement had led them to conclude that after several years of work, the company has fundamentally failed to embrace the values that we have tried to instill.

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A future where we stick Taser drones in every classroom feels much more attainable than one where the U.S. passes effective gun control laws.

So for now, Smiths vision of a near-future of Taser drones nonlethally zapping school shooters has faded. But what might prompt a police tech CEO to float the idea of flying Tasers in the classroom in the first place?

Smith and Axon have a long and storied history in the world of police technology. Smith sold the first Taser to Florida police in 1998; its now a ubiquitous tool in police departments around the world. By 2009, his publicly traded company had also moved into the police body camera market and swiftly became the biggest supplier of the devices in the country. In 2017, that shift prompted the company to change its name from Taser International to the more ambiguous-sounding Axon. In 2018, Axon announced a collaboration with Chinese drone-making giant DJI, through which Axon would sell DJIs drones to U.S. police departments, configured in such a way that theyd work well with Axons data services. The company inked a similar deal with U.S.-based drone-maker Skydio in 2021.

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Perhaps it was only fitting that Smith would want to combine three of his core products into one Taser-drone package: a single object that would both make money and represent his dreams of a world where nobody ever gets killed. And while the school-shooting Taser drone announcement was new, Smith claims he had the general idea for it years ago, not long after the horrifying elementary school shootings at Sandy Hook. (Axon isnt even the first company to throw around the idea of putting a Taser on a drone, as illustrated by a 2018 video from the startup Brinc in which a drone with a Taser-like device attacks a Latino man at the Mexico border.)

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Smith is a loud proponent of using nonlethal technological solutions to counter threats to police, to schools, to governments. He outlines these views in detail in his 2019 self-published graphic novel, The End of Killing, which combines his philosophical take on the matter with two hypothetical scenarios in which Taser drones feature. According to the graphic novel, killing is a technology problem, and Axon-made devices like Tasers and Tasers that fit on drones are the solution.

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In one graphic novel scenario, an improbably buff workplace shooter is (literally) shocked into submission by a miniature Taser drone that emerges from a smoke detectorlike nest on the ceiling. In a second and even more fanciful scenario, set in Syria in 2045, an ISIS-like masked man with a scimitar is prevented from executing an innocent man by a fleet of small Taser-equipped drones, which U.S. intelligence services had tasked with watching the area. After a human approves the action, the drone tases the swordsman into submission. Then a human transport drone equipped with a large grabbing arm scoops him up and flies away with him. At the detention facility where hes deposited, hes fitted with a mind-scanning helmet that literally reads his memories, looking for incriminating information. Thousands of people will be processed in the same manner, Smith confidently asserts. Some of them will be determined to have done nothing wrong; they will be released and given $10,000 along with a sincere apology.

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To me, Taser drones, mind-reading helmets, and robotic grabber arms that yoink criminals into the sky are solutions to violence that sound just about as horrifying and subject to massive abuse as the solutions we have today. From Smiths point of view, Taser drones, robotic grabber-arms, and Clockwork Orangeesque mind-reading helmets beat the alternatives of waterboarding and shooting people. Ive been covering techno-utopian solutions to complex and thorny human problems for a while now, so this gap in perspective both depresses me and feels awfully familiar. Smiths sensibilities help explain why he feels that the risk of rolling out Taser drones in schools outweighs the potential ethical and practical risks. Of which there are many.

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While Axon has pitched the Taser drone as a solution for stopping school shootings, it seems apparent that such a system wouldnt only be used for cases with a suspected mass shooter. If an expensive and high-tech security tool exists, its likely that itll get used even for situations that dont rise to the level of a suspect school shooter prowling the hallways. Once people invest in these things, they only double and triple down, says technology ethics expert Chris Gilliard. They never say, Hey, this wasnt a good idea. 

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And we know massive inequities exist when it comes to who gets punished for what in American schools. Per recent ACLU data, in schools with police, Black students are arrested anywhere from three to eight times the rate that white students do, while disabled students are arrested from between 2.9 to 10 times more often than their nondisabled counterparts. Schools that are poorer and less white are also considerably more likely to have a police presence (and, one might suspect, Taser drones) in the first place.

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Tasers also are already being used against children. Consider a 2017 case where a 7-year-old with special needs was tased and handcuffed by Dallas Independent School District Police for banging his head against a wall in class. If the Taser drones do get developed, it seems well-nigh inevitable that theyll be deployed more often against poor kids, nonwhite kids, and kids with disabilities. But they wont stop there. Once built, one can imagine these drones will not be limited to special use cases of mass shootings but will be deployed in a whole range of situations (including perhaps protests against police brutality), law and police technology expert Andrew Ferguson told me in an email.

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When I asked Smith about these equity issues, he reiterated that the drones would be flown by professional pilots in 24-hour command centers (which sound quite similar to the ground control centers used by U.S. military drones) who would only spring into action when alerted by an app controlled by people in a school. Smith believes this would create 100 percent accountability with clear records of who did what and why. Since the drone pilots wouldnt physically be in danger, or even be in the room, theyd be able to make calmer decisions about the use of force than would armed police on the scene.

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Perhaps. But in emotional and chaotic situations, from in-classroom brawls to mass-shooter alerts, its hard to imagine that there will be much time for calm debate in the seconds between when a pilot gets an alert and when theyre thrown into the process of trying to zap an alleged miscreant with Taser probes from a tiny flying helicopter. Nor do we know whether better documentation would actually reduce the risk of Taser drones being used in racist or unfair ways. The impact of body cameras on police accountability and racial bias remains decidedly mixed.

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Other, technical, practicalities of how the hypothetical Taser drone would work remain mostly unsettled. A classroom Taser drone connected to a network of school cameras would be an immensely attractive target for hackers. While Smith says the system would use focused centralized gating functions to protect itself, he claims that these results would be less deadly than if respondents used guns, amounting more to mischief than to tragedy. (It is worth noting here that people do die after being hit with Tasersincluding at least 49 deaths in 2018 aloneand a disproportionate number of the dead were Black.)

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Furthermore, while the shooters in the graphic novel all happen to have conveniently exposed patches of skin for the Taser probes to hook into, Smith admits that in the real world, clothing penetration is historically our biggest nemesis, only working about 70 to 80 percent of the time. The remote human pilot of the hypothetical Taser drone might use an A.I. tool to better target the probes, although Smith hastens to note that it wouldnt require anything as sophisticated as facial recognitionand he said that in tests of the device, the Taser probes, when fired off a drone, had very little recoil.

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Since drones cant go through walls, and since it would be terrifically expensive to install a Taser drone in every lockable room, Smith imagines school buildings that might include small portals, effectively a slot in the wall or on top of the door. That made me picture a few tiny drones regularly patrolling the classrooms on a controlled circuit, passing through holes in the walls, buzzing over the heads of little kids learning what the color blue is. I also imagined the potential psychological impact of being reminded on a regular basis that your classroom contains, at all times, a flying robotic Taser that can shock you into submission.

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So its basically like that Hunter-seeker from Dune, I told Smith when I spoke to him on the phone on Thursday, recalling the miniscule yet terrifying mosquito-robot (controlled manually by a hidden pilot) that almost assassinated Paul Atreides in his bedroom in both the novel and the film. Smith laughed for a second, a bit awkwardly. Our minds are running endlessly on dystopian sci-fi, but theres nothing more dystopian than the real world, he said. I have 12-year-old twins, and watching whats happening in Uvalde.  I cant fathom what parents went through, he said.

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Uvalde. Thats why Smith announced the school-shooting Taser drone with so much haste. While his A.I. ethics board had previously voted down the idea of putting a Taser on a police drone just weeks before, in the immediate aftermath of Uvalde, Smith says he called the board and told it that the world had changed. I held my wife in my arms, and we cried about What if that was our kids? And we did some soul-searching, and I decided that Im going to go public that Im working on this, he said. (In a Reddit Ask Me Anything on Friday, he brought up his children again, recalling when his then7-year-old came home crying after an active shooter training in her classroom, where she was instructed to go hide in the back of the room among the backpacks.) Smith was feeling the same raw fear and frustration that so many Americans feel. And as is so often the case with people who work in and build tech, he wanted to apply the tools he happened to have at his fingertips to the situation.

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Since there is one regulatory tool out there, an obvious one, that America just wont use.

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But the Taser drone is completely independent of gun control, Smith told me. I dont think legislators should say Axon will fix this.  I dont want us to be an excuse for inaction. Smith was picking up on the crux of the problem with technical solutions to mass shooting in America. Theyre Band-Aids over massive social problems, attempts to throw more technical gadgets (all of which happen to cost a lot of money, so theyre profitable for the people who make them) and more personnel at a problem that feels politically intractable. This is a distraction from the issue, NYU law professor and former Axon A.I ethics board member Barry Friedman said of the Taser drone project. It plays into the narrative that we can fix every social problem with the police, and thats a harmful narrative that keeps us from addressing the social problems that we have.

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I wouldnt be proposing this in the U.K., or Japan, or pretty much any other country, said Smith, acknowledging the uniqueness of Americas mass shooting problem. But something has gotta change comes into consideration. Nor does Smith feel confident that American lawmakers will solve the problem, he told me, citing how gun fatalities have only continued to rise since the Gun Control Act of 1968. (While this is technically true, that figure doesnt take into account the massive growth in the U.S. population since then. The per capita rate of gun deaths in 2020 was still well below the peak we hit in 1974.)

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While Smith was trying not to express his personal opinion on gun control to me directly, his perspective seemed to be: Gun control laws are unlikely to happen, and even if they do, they probably wont help much. Which leads to a devastating conclusion. In 2022, a future where we stick Taser drones in every classroom feels much more attainable than one where the U.S. passes effective gun control laws.

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Smiths particular Taser drone scheme may be dead (for now), but it will not be the last such absurd-sounding technological proposal that U.S. businesses offer up for protecting schools from shooters. Parents scrabble together cash to buy their kids bulletproof backpacks and hoodies. Big school-safety-tech vendors offer up a $400,000 hallway smoke gun (to confuse the shooter), while A.I. tech peddlers promote cameras equipped with automated gun detection systems and recognition systems for tracking student movements. Like Smiths drone boondoggle, all are likely motivated by some combination of genuine sentiment and interest in making a profit. Theyre efforts that, if implemented, will turn American schoolsespecially the schools that poorer kids tend to attendinto ever more grim and frightening places, where they will be subject to constant surveillance and the risk of arrest as they try to get an education.

Not one of these technical marvels will stop an angry person from legally purchasing a gun.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Though the church in Prietrz is no longer standing, visitors can see its well-preserved fortification walls.

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The fortification of a church ruin in Prietrz, western Slovakia, demonstrates how turbulent life in Hungary was in the second half of the 17th century.

In a locality known as Vrsok among locals, people initially built a chapel. Historians believe it stood there already before 1565. A few decades later, Lutherans transformed the sacred construction into a three-nave church with a tower facing west and a sanctuary facing east.

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During the long counter-reformation period, Catholics took the church away from Lutherans, at first temporarily. In 1733, the Catholic Church became its permanent owner.

A quake in 1906 then damaged the already dilapidating church, said Matus Sladok of the Monuments Boards Trnava office. He added the church was taken down six years after the earthquake.

Slovakias Monuments Board declared the ruined church and its surroundings in Prietrz, Trnava Region, a national cultural monument last year.

61 embrasures in the walls

The churchs fortification, dubbed Husitske Hradby [Hussite Walls], was built in the last third of the 17the century, long after the end of the 1419-1434 Hussite Wars.

The walls in the shape of a trapezoid were built from stone. Bricks were rarely used. The fortification is well-preserved. It is damaged only in two places through which you can enter the area, said Sladok. The original entrance led through a gate that was later bricked-up.

As the expert went on to say, four inwardly open round bastions in the corners of the defensive fortification are the most striking element of the old complex. Each of them has four embrasures, small openings in the walls. Sixty-one embrasures have been preserved.

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The complexs architecture is an example of the military then, and how even a small fortification helped people defend against small military units and bandits, Sladok explained.

Jewish tombstones

In the area, a cemetery dating back to the period when the church was owned by Lutherans, and later used by Catholics, can still be found. Eleven tombstones have been preserved, the oldest ones of which come from the second half of the 19th century.

Outside the fortification, there is another old cemetery  a Jewish one  with only two preserved tombstones, the expert concluded.

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A path starting in the village leads to the cultural monument.

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Authorities declare war on 'tasteless ads'

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The Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava (MIB) has drawn up new rules for ads in the capital. Bratislava authorities have previously taken measures to cut excessive outdoor advertising in the streets.

According to MIB, since 2019 more than 1,000 illegal ads have been taken down.

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MIB calls its new manual on advertising regulations "a step towards Bratislava being a city in which residents are not disturbed by tasteless advertisements in public spaces".

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A unified approach

The manual is named Principles and Standards of Outdoor Advertising and provides a clear set of rules on the placement of advertising on buildings, as well as citylights, billboards, small structures intended for displaying posters, among others. For each type of ad, the recommended size, placement, composition, material, colour, and shape are specifically listed.

"The placement of advertising in public spaces must have its own clear rules so that it does not degrade the quality of the space, cause disruption, or create obstacles for pedestrians," says Matus Vallo, mayor of Bratislava.

"I am pleased that we have the first conceptual material in our hands, a guide to placing ads which is available to mayors, business and building owners."

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Architecture before ads

According to the MIB, the proposed rules can improve places, such as Obchodna street, which are infamous for high levels of so-called 'visual smog'. Using the manual, business owners can check where to put the name of their establishment, what its design should look like, and what rules govern window posters and placement of menus for cafes and restaurants.

A business should have only one display with its name and its placement should match the design of the building as a whole. At public transport stations, a citylight should not obscure a traveller's view of an incoming vehicle or tram. The minimal distance between citylights should be 100 metres.

The manual also states that architecture has priority over advertisements. National cultural monuments are also specially protected, and no advertising can be placed on them.

"The main goal is placing ads in a reasonable density, of size, quality and visually acceptable design. Every ad should respect the environment in which it is placed and be adapted to it in its shape, character, material, colour, and content," says Roman Zitnansky, director of the Public Spaces Section at the MIB.

"High-quality visual communication has the potential to increase the quality of public spaces and thus contribute to a positive atmosphere in the city."

The manual is available in Slovak here.
Max Do is given a bath by his parents, Kim and Dan Do, at home on June 4, 2022. Max, who turned 1 on Saturday, spent the first 11 months of his life in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit undergoing multiple surgeries and medical trials because of a rare disorder of sodium absorption that affects his intestines, called congenital sodium diarrhea. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

It was a day Dan Do thought he might never get the chance to see. On Monday, Dos son Max donned a spiffy white and navy blue outfit, with a bow tie and graduation cap.

Max was ready to walk out of the hospital doors and into a new chapter of his life.

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Dozens of doctors and nurses lined up in the hallway of Advocate Childrens Hospital in Park Ridge blowing bubbles and performing a song for Max, who was celebrating several firsts. He began taking his first steps, and days before his first birthday would be seeing the outside world for the first time, after spending his entire 11-month life in the neonatal intensive care unit due to a rare condition that prevents him from absorbing the proper amount of nutrients from food.

Do, whose father describes his son as a people person, was known as the mayor of the NICU. The hospital staff at Advocate Childrens Hospital wanted to see Maxs infectious smile just one more time before he left what had become his home away from home.

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Ive never seen anybody walk out of the NICU before, said Dr. Michael Cappello, the Advocate Childrens Hospital vice chairman. I was so excited for him because everything is going to be an adventure for this little guy, and now he is going to get a brand new world for him.

Max Do is prepared for a bath by his mother, Kim Do, at home on June 4, 2022. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Max was born at 31 weeks, small enough to fit in the hands of his parents. His stomach was significantly bloated.

During his first days of life, Max underwent surgery in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure in his abdominal area.

We thought that was it, Do said. But two days later his stomach started to blow up again.  We just celebrated too early, and that all came crashing down.

The next couple of months were spent trying to figure out what was wrong.

In his case, too much water continues to go into the intestine such that everything moves its way out, Cappello said. So the challenge with this is it doesnt give enough time for absorption of any nutrients.

After a series of tests, Max was diagnosed with congenital sodium diarrhea, a condition with as few as 50 cases ever reported. Max was the only case of his specific mutation.

There was a time we thought we were going to lose him, Do said. At one point we were mentally preparing for that.

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Dan Do plays with his son, Max, at home on June 4, 2022. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

But once a diagnosis was given, a plan to stabilize the bubbly infant became easier.

His ability to get to that point and have so much normality otherwise is because of the nurses, Cappello said. Mom and Dad were outstanding every day and I want to give credit to Max because Max has had a ton of curveballs thrown him and he swung hard and managed to knock each one of them out of the park.

Max is fed intravenously so he can absorb and maintain the proper amount of nutrients.

The short-term goal is to reduce the amount of IV nutrition he gets such that hell be able to start taking in traditional food, Cappello said. The long term is for him not to need IV nutrition anymore and eat like anybody else would, but it will remain to be seen how that will all happen.

Though Max was able to celebrate milestones such as learning how to clap, crawl and walk, his parents were still able to appreciate the smaller moments with their son.

Kim Nguyen , referred to as supermom by the hospital staff, was emotional when looking back on one of the times she bonded with Max during his stay in the NICU.

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He tried to pull (me) like to say Pick me up, Nguyen said. The first time he did it made me feel like, Oh my, Im a mom.

Do said he bonds with his daughter and Max during story time.

He looks at me and in his eyes I see that he recognizes me like, This is Dad, I feel safe here, Im calm, Im in my zone.

The Do family, including Dan and Kim, with their children, Ivy, 2, left, and Max, 1, step outside of their home, June 4, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Now with Max home, Do said his son was all smiles when he woke up in his crib.

His sister went through a whole range of emotions. There was confusion, some jealously and then acceptance, Do said. Shes a great big sister.

At home, Max also has two nurses working with him to help with his IV nutrition, which was necessary for him to have been discharged.

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And though elated to have their son finally home, both parents are in survival mode as they continue adjust and continue learning about Maxs condition.

We dont know if hes going to have a normal life, but were going to try our best and take him out with all of the food and machinery that he has, Do said. Its cliche to take it day by day, but that is the mantra you have to live by.

tatturner@chicagotribune.com
Vietnam's new project investment abroad doubles in five months

Vietnamese enterprises pumped nearly 340 million USD of total investment into new and supplemental capital ventures abroad in the first five months, down 38 percent year-on-year, the latest report by the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) revealed.















Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the opening ceremony of FPT Software's new office in New York City in May. (Photo: VNA)

Despite a decline in total investment, their investments into new projects topped over 293 million USD, double that in the same period last year, thanks to five new projects of Vines Energy Solutions JSC in the US, Canada, France, Germany and the Netherlands, with registered capital of 34.7 million USD each.



During the five months, the firms also poured an additional 45 million USD into operating projects, equivalent to 11 percent of the figure seen in the same period last year, the FIA said.



The plunge in additional investment in five months of 2022 was attributable to the fact that many large-scale projects in the same period last year raised their investments, such as a Vingroup project in the US which increased capital by 300 million USD; an Indochina Rubber Investment and Development Co project in Cambodia which added 76 million USD into its operations in the market and the 32 million USD adjustment of the VinFast project in Germany.



From January to May, Vietnamese enterprises made outbound investments in 12 sectors. The manufacturing and processing industry lured the most capital with eight newly-licensed projects worth some 204.4 million USD, making up 60 percent of the country's total outbound investment.



Banking, finance and insurance came next with four capital-added projects valued at nearly 35.34 million USD or 10.4 percent of the total, followed by mining, information and communication and wholesale and retail.



According to the FIA, 19 countries and territories received Vietnamese investment during the period. Of them, Laos took the lead with four new capital expansion projects worth a combined 64 million USD, equal to 19 percent.



Singapore came second, luring in 39 million USD, or 11.5 percent. The US, Germany and the Netherlands were the runners-up.



As of May 20, Vietnam had 1,555 operational projects abroad, with a total investment of 21.6 billion USD, with 139 invested by State-owned enterprises, making up 53.8 percent or nearly 11.6 billion USD of the total investment.



The majority of its overseas investments came towards to mining sector, 32.3 percent, and the agro-forestry-fishery sector, 15.8 percent. Countries with the largest investment from Vietnam were Laos (24.8 percent), Cambodia (13.6 percent) and Venezuela (8.5 percent).



Baodautu.vn cited the FIA as saying that amid the conflict in Ukraine, the department requested investors to report the situation of their investment and operation activities in the country and the number of Vietnamese workers working in Russia and Ukraine, as well as the difficulties and obstacles faced by businesses and their suggestions and recommendations.



Earlier, the Ministry of Planning and Investment also recommended businesses downsize or delay, temporarily suspending operations in Ukraine. Currently, Vietnam's investment in Ukraine was modest in terms of the number of projects and capital levels, the newspaper reported./
Police tape marked the scene of a shooting that occurred Sunday night in a parking lot on the east side of the U.S. Steel Yard following the graduation ceremony for Gary's West Side Leadership Academy. (Michelle L. Quinn / Post-Tribune)

Two juveniles arrested in connection with a shooting at U.S. Steel Yard after West Side Leadership Academys Sunday evening graduation could be charged as adults.

Lake County Prosecutors Office spokeswoman Myrna Maldonado said in an email Monday that the two boys  ages 16 and 17  are both in the Lake County Juvenile Center with pending criminal recklessness and dangerous possession of a firearm charges. Prosecutors are in the process of reviewing the evidence to determine if one or both of the juveniles will be charged as adults, she said.

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Charges against the third suspect  a 20-year-old Hammond man  have yet to be filed as Gary police continue to interview witnesses and review video footage, Gary Police spokesman Commander Jack Hamady said Monday in an email. The departments forensics team is also comparing handgun cartridges to the ones recovered from the southeast side of the Steel Yard, Hamady said.

Meanwhile, the condition of the 19-year-old man who got shot in the chest during the shooting was unclear Monday. Linda Hadley, director of marketing and communication for Methodist Hospitals, said via text Monday there were no shooting victims at the hospital at this time and that there were no inpatient admissions related to the shooting.

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A second person  a woman, 19  was shot in the ankle during the shooting that happened just outside U.S. Steel Yard several yards away from the stadiums entrance on the southeast side, Gary Police spokesman Cmdr. Jack Hamady said Sunday night. A third person sustained injuries in the incident and was treated at the scene by medics, according to Gary Police spokesperson Lt. Dawn Westerfield.

Patrick A. Salvi, owner and CEO of the Gary SouthShore RailCats, in a statement Monday called the events at the conclusion of the Westside graduation reprehensible.

It is extremely unfortunate, and we hope for a quick recovery for everyone involved, Salvi said. In the teams 20-year history in Gary, there have been no shooting incidents during the RailCats games, which are mostly played in the evening.

RailCats fans should continue to feel safe and secure attending our games, as we continue to prioritize our fans, employees and stakeholders safety. We pride ourselves on providing (a) safe game day experience just as we have for the past 20 years and will continue to update our safety plan with our security team.

Nearly 200 students were scheduled to graduate during the ceremony, which started at 4 p.m. Graduates and guests were exiting the stadium when shots erupted outside of the stadium.

Hamady said Sunday he received a call from Gary Community School Corporations head of security, Cliff Caldwell, asking for assistance because a fight had broken out as people were leaving the graduation ceremonies around 5:32 p.m., though eyewitness accounts indicated a fight broke out in the stands during the earlier festivities.

One attendee, who asked that her name not be used, told the Post-Tribune Monday that a fight broke out in the lower level three rows down behind the protection netting during the diploma presentation. The fight, which was in an area near the stadium entrance, started as a small commotion but escalated quickly into a full-blown brawl, she said.

People in the surrounding area stood up yelling at the group to stop, and people sitting behind them left their seats, she said. The crowd yelled for security. Stadium Security walked over, then ran down to the brawl and broke it up with a few Gary and (Lake County) Sheriff officers.

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The witness said the officers divided the brawlers, and they didnt return to the section. No one, however, appeared to have been kicked out of the ceremony, which went on despite the commotion, she said.

It is not yet clear whether the two fights were connected.

Caldwell had a security team as well as Lake County Police officers working the event, Hamady said.

As Gary officers arrived, they found the male victim in the middle of Fifth Avenue with a gunshot to the chest, Hamady said. The 19-year-old man was taken to Methodist Hospitals Northlake campus, Hamady said. At 6:14 p.m., police took one person with a handgun into custody.

Hamady said four detectives were on scene; preliminary reports indicate there were no weapons in the stadium during the ceremony and that the suspects parked their cars  and their guns  across the street in the Calumet Township Assessors parking lot. They then left the stadium and came back with the weapons, he said.

Hamady said police were talking with the shooting victims as well as four other witnesses Sunday night. A motive has yet to be established, he said.

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Gary Community School Corporation Manager Paige McNulty in a statement expressed dismay over the shooting Sunday night.

A day that was meant for celebration has now been marked by tragedy through senseless acts of gun violence, McNulty said. During the entire graduation, our students conducted themselves in an excellent manner. Meanwhile, the disruptive actions of a few overshadowed their special moment.

Thankfully, the offenders have been apprehended, but it doesnt change the hurt and disappointment our students, families and school community are now feeling. Our prayers are with those injured, and we continue to extend our congratulations to WSLA graduates. They deserve it.

GCSC on Monday referred all questions about the shooting and its security protocols to the Gary Police Department.

Gary Mayor Jerome Prince is committed to holding to account those responsible for the shooting.

Its infuriating to me to hear of violence and injuries on a special night for our young people and their families. I pray for a full and speedy recovery for anyone who was injured, Prince said. At this point, this is an ongoing investigation, but I assure everyone our Gary Police Department and law enforcement partners will use all available resources to get to the bottom of this incident.

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We will not cede our community to people who jeopardize our residents through their senseless, violent means.

Freelance reporter Carrie Napoleon contributed to this report.
Trot Insider has learned that Hall of Fame driver Paul MacDonell has made the decision to step down as the driver of sophomore pacing colt Beach Glass heading into Saturday's 2022 Pepsi North America Cup eliminations.

MacDonell, who will be inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame this August, told Trot Insider of the decision on Tuesday (June 7) morning before the horse was entered in the Cup elims. He stressed that the decision was mutual with the connections, and one he was comfortable with given that he wasn't planning to drive Beach Glass in any of his U.S. stakes events this year.

A son of Somebeachsomewhere - Im With Her, Beach Glass finished a solid second in his seasonal racing debut on Saturday (June 4) in a division of the Somebeachsomewhere, pacing his own mile in 1:50.3 and charted as a half-length off of winner Magical Arthur. He was making just his sixth career start for owners Schooner II Stable of Nova Scotia.

MacDonell stated that the decision is that much easier because he feels it's one made in the best interest of the horse.

"At the end of the day, it's the right decision. I mean, you know, I'm 59 years old, and turning 60 next year, and competing against people that are half my age. And the body just doesn't work the same as it used to," said the classy reinsman. "It comes back to what's the right thing to do for the horse. And that's what we're doing."

The driver to take MacDonell's spot behind Beach Glass will be another individual set to be formally enshrined into a Hall of Fame this year: U.S. Hall of Famer Yannick Gingras.

"Yannick's the man and I think he'll be a great fit for this horse, I really do."

Entries for the 2022 Pepsi North America Cup eliminations are due on Tuesday (June 7) at 10:30 a.m.
When Americas first national park Yellowstone was established in 1872, 2 million acres were set aside for the benefit and enjoyment of the people, as stated in the act signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant.

This year, as Yellowstone marks its 150th anniversary, the numerous national parks, national forests and state parks dotting the Midwest continue that important legacy and provide plenty of unique adventures on and off the beaten trail.

The Midwest offers both natural and cultural resource stories, says Rachel Daniels, spokeswoman for the National Park Service Midwest Region. We are not the flyover region. We have something for everybody here. Set your sights on these seven spots that show off the natural splendor of the Midwest.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located just 30 minutes from Cleveland. (LarryKnupp / iStock via Getty Images)

Located along the banks of Ohios Cuyahoga River, this national park is under a half-hour drive from Cleveland and Akron, but feels far removed from city life. Brandywine Falls, one of the most idyllic features of the park, is said to have the appearance of a bridal veil as the water rushes over stone. Locals once utilized the falls and Brandywine Creek to power mills. A historic Greek Revival farmhouse, now the bucolic Inn at Brandywine Falls (innatbrandywinefalls.com), is a reminder of those early communities.

When the Ohio and Erie Canal was completed in 1832, connecting local manufacturers with the wider market, the economy boomed. The remains of this crucial waterway are a backbone of the park and can be traced by the Towpath trail.

For a truly unique park experience, climb aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (cvsr.org). This is the only nonprofit heritage railroad in the country operating within a national park. With the Explorer program, you can even flag down a train after a day of exploring, load up your bike or kayak, and get a ride. nps.gov/cuva

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Superior National Forest

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, located in the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota, has more than 2,000 campsites, 12 hiking trails and more than 1,200 miles of canoe routes. Permits are required for day use as well as overnight trips. (GeorgePeters / Getty Images)

The 3-million-acre Superior National Forest takes up much of northern Minnesotas Arrowhead Region, named for its jagged, pointy shape. For the drive-by approach, the Superior National Forest Scenic Byway runs between the towns of Silver Bay and Aurora, with plenty of roadside picnic areas, trails and campgrounds to enjoy.

Within the forest is the rugged and breathtaking Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which offers more than 1,500 miles of canoe routes. The area is also the worlds largest dark sky sanctuary. Stay overnight for views of the Milky Way  a rare opportunity for urbanites. You may even get a glimpse of the aurora borealis as it lights up the sky. fs.usda.gov/superior

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Mounds State Park

American gold finch are among the birds spotted along the Indiana Birding Trail. (Amy Sancetta / Associated Press)

Indianas second-smallest state park is named for the 10 unique earthworks that exist there, created by the prehistoric Adena-Hopewell people. The earthworks are part art and part feats of engineering, made by shaping forms in the land. The largest of the 10, called the Great Mound, dates from around 160 B.C. Historians believe these spaces were intended for gatherings and religious ceremonies.

The park is also a stop on the Indiana Birding Trail (indianabirdingtrail.com), maintained by the Indiana Audubon Society. Indianas skies are a major thoroughfare during migration seasons. Depending on the time of year, visitors may get a glimpse of bald eagles, ruby-throated hummingbirds, yellow-bellied sapsucker woodpeckers and more. in.gov/dnr

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Hiawatha National Forest

An Airstream is available for guests to rent on the Milkweed Inn property, owned by the chef Iliana Regan and her wife, Anna Regan, in the Hiawatha National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as seen on Oct. 22, 2019. (SARA STATHAS/The New York Times)

In the 1930s, Michigans Upper Peninsula would have looked vastly different than it does now. Logging had devastated much of the natural landscape, before the Great Depression stalled work efforts. Many companies chose to sell land back to the government, which in turn created new national forests. The newly established Civilian Conservation Corps got right to work replanting those trees.

These days, the natural beauty of Michigans Hiawatha National Forest can be enjoyed year-round. Summer visitors can hike through biologically diverse forests and rolling sand dunes, or take advantage of the numerous campsites available, including Grand Island, or the quaint and intimate Milkweed Inn (milkweedinn.com), operated by Chicago chef Iliana Regan and sommelier Anna Regan. In late September, the woods erupt with the reds, oranges and golds of changing leaves and are not to be missed. Winter brings groomed trails for snowshoeing, snowmobiling and more.

Hiawathas extensive shoreline  which touches Great Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan  is also dotted with six historic lighthouses, including Port Iroquois Light Station, now a local maritime history museum. fs.usda.gov/hiawatha

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Maquoketa Caves State Park

Park visitors explore the caves at Iowa's Maquoketa Caves State Park on May, 2, 2010. (Jeremy Portje / ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Grab your headlamps! Northeastern Iowas Maquoketa Caves system has been a popular destination for adventurers since the 1860s. Dancehall Cave, a nod to the areas historic reputation as a party spot, is the most popular option for exploration because of added walkways and lighting, while some of the 13 caves in the park are only for experienced spelunkers. Wye Cave, which is not for the faint of heart, can only be accessed by climbing down a 15-foot hole.

The park is part of the Driftless Area, which remained glacier-free during the last ice age. The landscape is unlike the greater Midwest region, including the karst topography known for caves. Long ago, water flowing underground eroded the bedrock, forming the cave system. Visitors will surely notice that water can still be found underground. The erosion continues, but at a much slower pace than it once occurred. iowadnr.gov

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Badlands National Park

This August 2009 photo shows rock formations at Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Visitors can spend days exploring this enormous and beautiful place  381 square miles  but as with many national parks, you can also get a wonderful sense of the landscape and some of the highlights in a few hours, stopping at scenic overlooks, hiking some of the shorter trails and looking for wildlife. (Beth Harpaz / Associated Press)

This South Dakota national parks name comes from the Lakota phrase mako sica, meaning bad lands and likely alluding to the difficult terrain, but a visit doesnt have to feel like a treacherous expedition. Gazing out from either Pinnacles Overlook or Conata Basin Overlook, the areas buttes and spires are especially striking at sunset. Youll be able to see the geological layers from the Pierre Shale  which formed around the same time dinosaurs roamed the earth and the Great Plains were a shallow sea  to the youngest layer, the 30- to 28-million-years-old Sharps Formation.

Bison might be the most recognizable local inhabitant, but youre in luck if you spot a black-footed ferret. North Americas rarest mammal, black-footed ferrets were thought to have gone extinct, but thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, numbers are on the rise. There are about 120 of them living within the park at present.

If you cant resist roadside kitsch, be sure to check out Wall Drug (walldrug.com). What started in 1931 as a humble oasis for weary travelers in the nearby town of Wall, has become a sprawling must-visit destination. Grab a souvenir and dont forget to take your photo with the miniature version of South Dakotas most recognizable landmark: Mount Rushmore. nps.gov/badl

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Devils Lake State Park

Devil's Lake State Park is Wisconsin's largest and most visited state park. (Josh Noel / Chicago Tribune)

Situated on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Devils Lake State Park in Wisconsin is known for the towering quartzite bluffs left by receding glaciers. At the turn of the 20th century, the park boasted several upscale hotels, plus its own post office and jail. The Ringling Brothers Circus summered in nearby Baraboo, and elephants were rumored to have been seen drinking from the lake itself.

While youre not likely to come across any elephants these days, theres still plenty to see. Explore more than 29 miles of trails, including the Balanced Rock Trail, which features its precarious namesake Balanced Rock formation and sweeping views of the lake from the eastern bluffs. The park is also home to many earthwork mounds made by early ancestors of the nearby Ho-Chunk community and other culturally associated tribes. If you look closely, youll see the mounds were sculpted into the shapes of bears, birds and other sacred creatures. dnr.wisconsin.gov

Jaclyn Jermyn is a freelance writer.
Lifelong harness racing industry participant Ken Hardy passed away suddenly at his home in Lucan, Ont. on Monday, June 6 at the age of 74.

Hardy followed his father Norm into the business, earning his driver's license at the age of 18 and cutting his teeth at Western Fair Raceway in London, Ont. Over the years he was associated with horses the likes of dual Hall of Famer Cathedra, Armbro Oliver and Debbielynnekillean. He captured more than 2,700 races accrued in excess of $11 million in purses in his on-track driving career.

After retiring from on-track competition, Hardy served as the President of the Ontario Harness Horse Association from 2011-2019 while also serving on the executive.

More details will be posted when they become available.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Ken Hardy.
Local economic developers sought external advice during a meeting on Friday as they seek to create a sense of engagement among downtown business owners.

Elizabeth Chase, the Nebraska Main Street Networks executive director, presented a few ideas to drum up more cohesion within the Downtown Scottsbluff Association (DSA). Members of the DSA were invited to attend the meeting.

Starr Lehl, Scottsbluffs economic development director and Sharaya Toof, the citys small business outreach and public relations coordinator, helped organize the meeting. Also in attendance were the citys Rural Fellows, interns Lauren Campbell and Esther Ingabiribyishaka.

The downtowns arent going to function if they dont have businesses that are functional, Chase told the group. Theres got to be a component of business development and business assistance, things like facade grants, getting them help with biz opportunities. A lot of what Main Street does is coordinate all the different players ... to bring it all together for the benefit of that downtown district.

Lehl said the current Downtown Scottsbluff Association is somewhat disjointed. Not many business owners who are technically part of it participate in meetings.

Whats nice about Main Street is its very much grassroots, bottom-up ... and its not just downtown business owners, Chase said. You have to get the community involved in this.

There is a core group who regularly attends DSA meetings, Lehl said. She and Toof agreed that the groups leadership should transition to being run more by the owners themselves instead of the city. The problem they said they face is figuring out how to turn it over to the owners.

Chase said Main Street could help get them together for visioning workshops. Currently, there are 17 Nebraskan cities participating in the nation-wide Main Street network. Chase said there are some 2,000 participating municipalities nationally.

The different communities can share resources and ideas with each other. Just having that resource on a peer level ... has been beneficial, but it takes somebody to network them together, she said.

Scottsbluff had been a Main Street city years ago, but many business owners back then were against the idea. Most of those owners no longer own businesses downtown anymore.

Still, theres been difficulty in bringing businesses together. Lehl said many of the store owners from Avenue A, or on the side streets near Broadway, have said they dont feel like theyre part of the downtown. Those are all considered, to me, downtown, she added.

Lehl said theyve tried to use block captains who would deliver information to the stores in their areas, but many of the volunteers to be captains would be working in the same areas.

Chase suggested Lehl and Toof incorporate a strategy which has worked in other cities: community gatherings. Building owners, customers, business managers and employees could all be briefed on a regular basis as to what events are being planned for downtown.

The most difficult part of ensuring the cohesion of the DSA, Chase said, would be that people have to keep working at it to ensure that everyone can be heard.

She said Scottsbluff has always had a vibrant downtown; its just a matter of getting people to work together to improve it.

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The Scotts Bluff County Board of Commissioners approved a recommendation from the countys personnel board to resolve a year-long dispute over how many paid holidays the county should observe.

Since President Joe Biden issued an executive order declaring June 19, Juneteenth, as a holiday, the county commissioners have questioned the need for a thirteenth county holiday. When is enough, enough? Commissioner Mark Reichert asked at Mondays meeting.

He said his constituents would not want their tax money to pay for employees to take another day off. Personnel board member Tony Schuler said constituents usually come to the commissioners with other concerns, and that another holiday would be a morale booster for employees.

The holidays the county currently observes are New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Arbor Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after it, and Christmas Day.

The compromise involved recognizing Juneteenth alongside 11 other holidays. Arbor Day, in turn, would be converted into a floating holiday. Employees could, with the permission of their supervisor, use as an extra PTO day to take off any day they want.

This would free up more county employees to work during Arbor Day and help constituents with anything they need assistance with. April is a big collection month for property taxes, county management accountant Lisa Rien said. Constituents will have extra time to pay them if the county offices are open on Arbor Day.

The personnel board also presented a recommendation in line with that requested by commissioners at previous meetings  removing language which would require the county to use by state statute when it came to recognizing holidays. Commissioners had sought the change after the addition of Juneteeth as a state and federal holiday, wanting more control over which holidays the county would observe.

Schuler said employees were fearful that the commissioners could take away holidays. Commissioner Mark Harris said they, and he in particular, had always wanted 12.

Schuler responded by saying employees were concerned about the commissioners ignoring personnel board recommendations.

Commissioner Ken Meyer said the ultimate decision for any board plan should be made by the commissioners regardless of how the personnel board votes.

I dont care what the volunteer board is, we ought to have the final say in whats going on, he told Schuler.

However, he said the revised plan could improve morale in the county. The holiday debate and an ongoing look at wage scales for county employees could lead to some of them leaving, Schuler pointed out.

This is the worst morale Ive ever seen in this county, Meyer added.

Meyer is the commissioner representative on the personnel board and said there had been a lot of compromise at the meeting to devise the plan.

Commissioner Charlie Knapper said he appreciated the compromise but was still hesitant to go to 13 holidays. Employees, he said, already get 10-15 personal days off and 12 sick days. However, one employee in the audience pointed out that employees rarely use all their available sick days.

As the village board chairman in Morrill, Schuler said the village's employees work harder when they have a holiday coming up.

Ultimately, Meyer, Knapper and Commissioner Reisig voted in favor of the recommendation. Reichert and Harris voted against it, citing they still desired only 12 holidays. Ive been a 12 kind of guy ... my opinion hasnt changed. I think thats fair, Harris said.

Meyer said the commissioners could still make adjustments to the plan in the future if needed.

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Three and half months after the Scottsbluff council terminated former city manager Dustin Rief, the council discussed and considered action to generate interest and solicit applicants for the vacancy.

The Scottsbluff city council terminated Rief at its Feb. 22 meeting, citing a deficiency in his administrative qualifications.

The City of Scottsbluff has seen turnover in its city manager position since the departure of longtime manager Rick Kuckkahn, who retired in 2016. Assistant City Manager Nathan Johnson was promoted to the top spot, but left after accepting a similar position in Colorado in late 2019. Kuckkahn returned on an interim basis for the city, serving for about a year, and stayed on for a month after Riefs hiring to ease the transition.

In the interim after Riefs firing, Finance Director Liz Hilyard and Scottsbluff Police Chief Kevin Spencer are performing the city manager duties until a permanent replacement is named.

Mondays council meeting concluded with a discussion about the city manager position.

I requested that this be placed on the agenda, McKerrigan said. Basically what were thinking  I discussed it with Kevin (Spencer) about having Cami (Kite, human resources director) put out a job request or a request for a city manager and place that out for 45 days.

The council would not use a recruiting firm as they have done previously. The time frame would allow the council time to review applicants, without potentially losing quality candidates to other cities.

If you put it out there too long, people can move on to a different position and we may lose that interest, McKerrigan said.

Council member Angela Scanlan asked where the position will be advertised. McKerrigan said the city will use all social media platforms and plan to use the League of Municipalities.

Scanlan voiced approval of the plan, before motioning to move forward. The council approved the plan unanimously.

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There's more work to be done, but Nebraska schools are "light years ahead" of where they were even four or five years ago, according to the state's school safety and security director.
By Syune Arakelyan

Lebanese haute couture designer of Armenian origin, Krikor Jabotian is known for his bridal and evening elegant gowns and beautiful embroidery pieces that demonstrate his unique aesthetics and reflect his Armenian heritage. Krikor says he has developed his love of embroidery during the period he had been working with world-known designer Elie Saab. Shortly after Jabotian established his own fashion house showing the world his individuality and talent.

The Lebanese-Armenian designer has dressed such divas as Hollywood actress Regina King, the queen of Jordan Rania Al-Abdullah, actress Lesley-Ann Brandt and many more. His recent collaboration is with the stunning Sharon Stone for the April issue of Vanity Fair Italy. It, by the way, is Jabotians second collaboration with the Hollywood actress.

In his interview for NEWS.am STYLEs Armens, Krikor Jabotian speaks about his family, his connection and support towards Armenia, and his most memorable collaborations.

Krikor, you were born in Lebanon and raised there, but never forget your Armenian roots. How did you manage to be so close to Armenia while living so far away?

The Armenian diaspora, my family included, is known to be a tight-knit community. My sister and I went to Armenian school and were brought up in a household where pride in our culture and history was seeded in us from childhood. The younger generations are taught to love a homeland theyve never visited to keep Armenian nationalism strong. However, I wasnt simply indoctrinated to love my roots. I relate to the struggle of my people: their ambitions, their music, their cinema, their know-how, and much more. I have an active sense of belonging and connection to my hayrenik.



Who are your parents? Are both of them Armenians?

My parents are both Lebanese nationals of Armenian origin. My fathers ethnicity is Armenian, while my mother is half Armenian and half Lebanese. Im 3rd generation Armenian.

Armenians living abroad have their own story of how their family left Armenia. Can you tell the story of your grandparents?

During the Armenian Genocide of 1915, my great grandfather fled Sis and settled in Karantina, Beirut, where he met my grandmother. He was a self-made man, establishing himself from scratch like most other Armenian immigrants. The correct spelling of my surname is Tchapoutian, but Lebanese officials documented it as Jabotian. Tchapoutian in Turkish translates to fabric leftovers, funnily cementing my vocation as a fashion designer.



Do you speak, read in Armenian, or keep any traditions now?

I went to an Armenian school where I was taught to speak, read and write Armenian. I make it a point to practice as much as possible with my father and other Armenians, as you tend to become less fluent with a lack of practice. Music is an important aspect of Armenian tradition for me. I love the music of Comitas Vartabed and Armenian Apostolic Church hymns as they bring about a sense of comfort and memories of childhood.

In your interviews, you have always mentioned that your love for the fashion world started in your childhood. Could you remember how it all began? Was it a movie character, a fashion show, or a designer that inspired you?

It was my mother. The matriarch of the family is always the most inspiring for me.



After graduating from ESMOD you joined Elie Saabs atelier. Could you remember your first meeting with the famous designer and what you learned from him?

Elie Saab was the head of a jury during the final year presentation at my school. I was awarded a prize and a job opportunity at his fashion house due to my work. It was an eye-opening experience, namely for the world of embroidery I was exposed to. It was there that I first delved into embellishments, to later adapt them in different ways I saw fit.

People usually compare your styles, saying they have something in common. Do you think so?

Our style is quite different. I dont see much in common.



Krikor, when you decided to start your fashion house you were very young, and maybe some young designers would find it a very risky step, especially when you had already succeeded in being in Elie Saabs team. How risky that was for you and how did you decide to take it?

When youre young you tend to be less risk averse. My goal was to be an independent designer and I went for it without really weighing the advantages and disadvantages of having ones own business. Its important to pursue what you believe in without too much overthinking, as the latter can sometimes be counterproductive.

Your first Hollywood collaboration was with the actress Regina King. How does it begin, and do you remember your feelings when you saw your dress on a famous actress walking on the stage of the Emmy Awards in 2015?

Regina King was nominated for her first Emmy that year and it was my first time dressing a Hollywood actor. She went on to win! No African American had won the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in around 11 years, so it was noteworthy. It was her stylist who did all the work. She flew to Beirut and conducted several meetings leading up to the completion of the dress.





You always talk with the greatest pleasure about your collaborations with Queen Rania of Jordan; What kind of responsibility did you feel when you first were offered to make a dress for her?

Its a great honor to have been able to dress Queen Rania, on more than one occasion, and Im grateful for the opportunity. That being said, an immense sense of responsibility comes with any woman who entrusts me with the task of creating a perfect gown.

One of your latest collaborations is with the stunning Sharon Stone for Vanity Fair Italy. What dress she was wearing, and how long did it take to make that piece for her?

The red stole and jumpsuit Sharon Stone wore on the April 2022 cover of Vanity Fair Italia is from our 2021 bridal and evening collection. It was her second appearance in one of our pieces, the first being another red voluminous gown, worn in the October 2020 issue of Vogue Greece. It was a proud moment, as Sharon Stone is not only a fashion icon but a timeless actor who continues to exude confidence and strength throughout her career.

Krikor, every year you raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide, you have also supported Armenia and Artsakh during the war in 2020What kind of impact that tragic event has had on you as an Armenian and as a creative person?

Many Armenians, similar to other subjugated people, want to show the world that they will continue to exist and thrive despite attempted extermination and genocidal denial. My strength stems from my Armenian ancestors, who have existed since time immemorial, and Armenians today fighting for their right to self-determination and peaceful and free life.



If Im not mistaken, you havent been to Armenia, yet. Do you plan to come here soon?

Although I have yet to travel to Armenia, its a priority for me. I hope to be able to invest there one day and have a serene plot of land for my retirement.





You are an inspiration for a lot of young designers; What is your advice for them?

Passion is as important as talent. Carve out a place for yourself in the industry even if that place doesnt exist. Never be complacent. Always strive to produce better work and be a better human being.

Photos from Krikor Jabotians Instagram, Fashionbizzle.com

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Studies show expelling students leads to academic failure, so the Kelso School District is looking for discipline options that wont exclude students from classrooms.

According to data released in May, most expulsions or suspensions in the 2021-22 school year occurred within marginalized communities, like homeless students and students of color.

The report states the district should prioritize preventing expulsion or finding alternatives to punitive discipline because pulling kids from school leads to less success in classrooms. The district also made it a goal to update discipline policies by clarifying use-of-force procedures, according to the documents.

Disparities

Exclusionary discipline is a term the district uses that can refer to long-term suspension, emergency expulsion, classroom-based exclusion and short-term suspension.

Homeless students, those in the foster care system and non-white students are more likely to face these outcomes, though expulsion rates among Alaskan Native and Asian students were both 0%.

About 5% of the general student population have been expelled, compared to 12% of Black students, 6% for Hispanic students and 8% of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students.

The report shows students are mostly expelled for behavior problems, like disruptive conduct and fighting without major injury.

Expulsion rates were higher in eighth grade and among male students, though the district data did not say which schools saw the most expulsions.

The Kelso School District follows a race and ethnicity data task force when it comes to tracking disproportionate discipline for students based on gender, income and cultural background.

To mitigate persistent disparities, our discipline reform and school improvement efforts must work to benefit those students who have long been most negatively affected by punitive approaches to discipline, according to a district belief statement in the school board meeting documents.

Expulsion rising

The report shows the district is expelling more students than they were in the last two years, though the rate is still lower than it was four years ago.

Though the rate has increased from last year, the data shows that no students were expelled in 2020-21, likely due to the lack of in-person learning. In 2019-20, 4.8% of students faced exclusionary discipline, a drop from the year before that when the rate was 7%.

Except for 2020-21, the Kelso district has reported a higher rate of expulsion than the state average, which was about 2% in 2019-2020.

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A group of foreign students and teachers visited the Chongqing Sichuan Opera Art Center on Friday to learn about the dramatic form.

Sichuan Opera, or Chuan Ju, originated in Sichuan province around the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911). Now it is popular among Han Chinese in Sichuan province and Chongqing, as well as in parts of Guizhou and Yunnan provinces.

As part of a cultural exchange program between Chongqing and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the group of visitors from KL International School of Chongqing Bashu visited the Chongqing Sichuan Opera Museum.

Last year, the Chongqing-ASEAN Youth Theatre Exchange Initiative was launched for 50 schools in Chongqing and 50 in 10 ASEAN countries  Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

"The group showed strong interest in Sichuan Opera costumes and makeup," said Tan Jun of the art center, adding that they also learned about its history, development and current status.

Later, the opera troupe at the center interacted with the group and presented a two-hour-play, The Legend of the White Snake, a popular Chinese folk tale.

Tan said the play, with its plot echoing the Dragon Boat Festival, is presented annually.

"This is a very good opportunity for me and my students to enjoy Sichuan Opera up close and see the beauty of traditional Chinese culture," the principal, Dino Gisiano, told local media.
Following an increase in cases, COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen statewide  not as dramatically as in the past but enough for hospital officials to urge people to take precautions to prevent straining the healthcare system.

Cowlitz County has seen ups and downs in its hospitalization rate over the past month, according to Department of Health data.

Quote "People who are ill enough to be hospitalized are still at risk of dying from COVID-19."  Dr. Steve Krager, county deputy health officer.

The county recorded 10.9 per 100,000 from May 22 to 28, the most recent available data. That's up from 6.3 per 100,000 the previous week, but down slightly from 11.8 per 100,000 from May 9 to May 15, the highest rate since February.

PeaceHealth St. John had five COVID-19 patients as of Monday. In June, the number has decreased from higher rates in May, but the virus is "absolutely still in our communities," said Debra Carnes, PeaceHealth spokesperson.

Right now most Cowlitz County residents hospitalized for COVID-19 are over 65 because of higher age-related risk, more medical issues and waning immunity, said Dr. Steve Krager, county deputy health officer. That's why health officials recommended a second booster vaccine for those 50 and older, he said.

The county will likely see a bump in COVID-19 deaths reported over the next few weeks following this increase in hospitalizations, Krager said.

"People who are ill enough to be hospitalized are still at risk of dying from COVID-19," he said.

Two Cowlitz County residents died of COVID-19 in March, three died in April and four died so far in May, according to Cowlitz County health department.

State hospitalizations

Statewide, hospitalizations may be starting to flatten. Washington recorded 6.8 new admissions per 100,000 people from May 22 to 28, about the same rate as the last couple weeks.

Hospitals had about 600 COVID-19 patients at the end of last week, a 10% increase from the previous week, and more than double April's average, said Cassie Sauer, Washington State Hospital Association CEO, during a press briefing.

Most people are not getting as sick as during previous COVID-19 waves, Sauer said. More residents have some immunity vaccination or a past infection and doctors have a better understanding of the disease and more effective treatments, she said.

"We don't want people to think, 'It's not a big deal, I don't care if I get COVID, I don't need to be careful about it,'" Sauer said. "It's still something you don't want to get, and we want to urge you to do everything you can to protect yourself. And we also want to protect the healthcare system so it's available for people who need it."

Sauer said beyond the risk of illness, COVID-19 infection could lead to long COVID, a "massive life interruption" because of isolation and quarantine requirements, or spreading the virus to someone more vulnerable.

Although hospitals aren't seeing as many COVID-19 patients as before, they remain full for a variety of reasons, including few hospital beds per capita, patients needing more care after delays, and long-term patients with barriers to being discharged, Sauer said.

"That's part of why we're asking people to protect themselves from COVID to help us make sure we are not swamped and that there's room in the hospital for people who need care for other conditions," she said.

Hospital officials stressed there is room for people who need care, and encouraged people to come in if they need to.

Case counts

After rising slowly since March, COVID-19 cases statewide and in Cowlitz County have potentially flattened. Cases may decrease in the next few weeks, but it's hard to know for sure, Krager said.

The state recorded 263 cases per 100,000 from May 22 to May 28, and Cowlitz County recorded about 155 cases per 100,000.

Krager said COVID-19 activity is higher than reported because more people are relying on home tests. Cowlitz County's true case rate is likely closer to the delta wave, which peaked at a seven-day rate of 630 cases per 100,000 in mid-August, he said. The case rate during the omicron wave this winter peaked at a seven-day rate of nearly 1,600 cases in early mid-January.

"We haven't approached the first omicron wave, but there's a lot of COVID-19 happening right now," Krager said.

Cowlitz County COVID-19 hospitalizations tick up following rise in cases Cowlitz Countys COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen over the past month, following an increase in cases this spring.

Protection from vaccinations and prior infection has reduced hospitalizations, but illness is still causing more disruption in people's everyday lives, Krager said. The county has seen more cases in schools and workplace outbreaks, he said.

The infectiousness of the new omicron subvariants are contributing to the higher case rates because some people who got COVID-19 earlier this year are getting reinfected, Krager said.

Vaccination is the most important thing people can do to protect themselves, followed by masking in crowded settings, testing when symptoms appear, and seeking treatment early on, Krager said. The antiviral Paxlovid is widely available at local pharmacies and greatly reduces risk of hospitalization for eligible patients, he said.

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Soaring temperatures across the world has people asking, 'how to cool the Earth'. With climate change activists pointing fingers at human activities, here is some food for thought.

The idea of the planet's air to cool Earth's ever-warming climate seems to be getting serious. Two different high-powered groups - one of scientists and one of former world leaders have come up with ethics and governing guidelines to deal with Earths ever-warming climate. The newly formed Climate Overshoot Commission includes the former presidents of Mexico, Niger and Kiribati, a former Canadian prime minister, the ex-chief of World Trade Organization and other national minister level officials. The commission will hold its first meeting in Italy on June 8.

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How to cool the Earth: What is on the agenda?

The first point is to come up with a governance strategy on reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in air. The second important thing on the table is on finding out how to lower temperatures by reflecting sunlight back into space with artificial methods.

The American Geophysical Union, the largest society of scientists that work on climate issues, announced an ethics framework for climate intervention is being prepared for debate during the major international climate negotiations to be held later in November in Egypt.

Though both groups denied from advocating geoengineering, the two said that the ideas need to be discussed with global warming shooting past the international goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since preindustrial times. As per the reports, the world has already warmed 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the mid-1800s and is likely to pass the 1.5-degree mark in the 2030s.

Geoengineering is used to insert particles in the air to reflect sunlight or whiten clouds, or the less-disputed carbon dioxide removal. The technology sucks carbon out of the air but we also need more nature-based solutions such as more trees and getting oceans to sponge up more carbon.

Climate Overshoot Commission Executive Secretary Jesse Reynolds said in a Monday interview with PTI, The climate change problem is at a point where even extreme options need to be thought about seriously, He added, Now, to be clear, thinking about them includes the possibility of rejecting them. But not thinking about them does not seem to be a responsible path forward.

However, the idea needs to follow ethical guidelines before anything is done to get the public trust, much like the scientific community did with the possibility of human cloning, said AGU Executive Director Randy Fiser.
Today, Samsung Malaysia unveiled a new lineup of the 2022 Neo QLED 8K TV series. Under the theme "Screen Everywhere, Screen for All", there are a few Neo QLED 8K TV models but with a starting price of RM12,499.

We can't say that we are surprised with this starting price tag but there's a good reason. The 2022 Neo QLED 8K TV has an updated and upgraded Neural Quantum Processor 8K with 20 groups of Neural AI networks to help optimize 8K image quality and colour based on picture content. The colours are more vivid and black spots are darker thanks to the Quantum Mini LED, making it the world's first Pantone colour certified TV.

Besides from reproducing more than 2000 colours including 110 Skin tones with The New Pantone indicator, the 2022 Neo QLED 8K TV series also has Dolby Atmos sound system. The flagship QN900B is equipped with a 90W 6.2.4 speaker configuration, plus Dolby Atmos with Object tracking Sound Pro. In addition, the Samsung 2022 Neo QLED TV is also equipped with the world's first wireless connection to Dolby Atmos, connecting to its latest 2022 Ultra Slim Soundbar.

There are also notable features that are present in the 2022 Neo QLED 8K TV series. But perhaps the one that stands out is the Smart Hub under Tizen OS. It allows the user to set TV settings by changing the screen content according to the home environment and helping users with corresponding functions in games and work.

Here are the big Malaysian prices for the Samsung 2022 Neo QLED:

85-inch Neo QLED 8K QN900B  RM49,999

75-inch Neo QLED 8K QN900B  RM34,999

65-inch Neo QLED 8K QN900B  RM23,999

85-inch Neo QLED 8K QN800B  RM33,999

75-inch Neo QLED 8K QN800B  RM24,999

65-inch Neo QLED 8K QN800B  RM18,999

55-inch Neo QLED 8K QN700B  RM12,499

So what do you think? Let us know in the comments below and do stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.
Safwan Harb made an electric wheelchair-bike from spare parts in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. Credit: North Carolina State University

People and communities are constantly finding new uses for existing technologiesthings the technology's designers never intended, and possibly never even considered. To better understand this creative process, I'm part of a team of researchers that is collecting examples of how people are using mobile, networked technologies to accomplish unexpected thingsfrom improving local transportation in low-income communities to sharing information about public health.

To identify examples of these innovative efforts, we are enlisting the public's help. We've created a website called the Mobile Networked Creativity Repository to crowdsource examples from around the world.

Here's why we're doing this.

Creativity is a hot topic. An increasing number of trade publications aim at teaching people "how to be more creative." Some companies are setting aside "innovation time," encouraging employees to explore new ideas that could ultimately benefit their employers. However, these efforts all focus on creativity in the context of contributing to a corporate bottom line.

"Creativity" becomes, then, a way of enticing people to work harder, beat the competition and be successful in the workplace. This perspective presents creativity as something achieved by intense individual concentration and contemplationan activity reserved for those with the time, money and resources to be creative.

However, we should not forget that creativity also happens in situations of hardship, where there is a lack of time, money and resources. For example, when slum dwellers in favelas or forced migrants in makeshift dwellings repurpose technology to improve their living conditions, they are not only appropriating technology: they are both collectively recreating their relationship with technology and re-inventing themselvesgranting themselves autonomy, creating community, or acquiring access to services that they would otherwise not have. This process not only changes how people and communities use technology, it also changes how they view themselves and interact with the world.

We understand creativity as a process that relies on networked resources and mobility within an environment that connects people and technologies. For example, in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, where walking paths are unpaved and access to wheelchairs are limited, Safwan Harb looked to his surroundings to create an electric bike made from spare parts. In doing so, he was not just inventing a wheelchair-bikehe was re-creating himself as someone with mobility. Understanding creativity from a survival perspective means removing the focus from the individual as innovator (as well as the profit-oriented goal), and instead highlighting the ongoing networked relationships among people, technologies and spaces. This creative process is not only concerned with the creation of new things. Rather, it is about the mobility and networking of resources that can improve lives and facilitate survival strategies.

Working with collaborators Mai Nou Xiong-Gum of Furman University and Kelsey Dufresne, a grad student at NC State, we've created the Mobile Networked Creativity Repository to capture these instances of creation, and the myriad elements that drive them. Our goal is to reframe traditional ideas of creativity by building a crowdsourced repository of creative practices that emerge from a process of survival.

Once content is published on the Mobile Networked Creativity Repository, it can be viewed, read and shared by anyone with access to the Internet via a computer or a mobile device. Moreover, because the repository is built on PubPub's collaborative web platform, it offers support for sharing, integrating and embedding all sorts of digital contentparticularly multimodal media.

We developed the repository's format to accomplish four main goals:

(1) explain Mobile Networked Creativity for a broad audience;

(2) share existing research and materials about this topic;

(3) ask the audience to contribute to the collection; and

(4) display the crowdsourced examples we get from the public.

In building the repository, we were especially interested in collecting publicly identified instances of Mobile Networked Creativity to support the development and accessibility of a broad collection of examples from around the world. Currently, the contribution format encourages potential participants and contributors to describe and share their instances of Mobile Networked Creativity through a Google Form linked from the website.

On the form, individuals are asked to describe their example of Mobile Networked Creativity and explain its relevance. We are particularly concerned about accessibility and giving everyone the opportunity to contribute. Therefore, participants have the option to upload an audio file instead of writing a text. In addition, participants have the option to upload media files, such as photos and videos, to better describe their contribution. Finally, participants can add the geographic location of their contribution and the time frame of the event or example, if pertinent.

After reviewing submitted entries, out team uploads the most representative ones to the repository. We plan on rotating the various submissions on the main page of the repository, while also giving the public access to the submissions we receive through the repository's Examples page. Maintaining and displaying publicly documented and accessible materials is consistent with UNESCO's recommendations for open science to support more equitable and collaborative knowledge sharing.

Keeping in mind that most Mobile Networked Creativity processes occur outside of the Global North and English-speaking contexts, we are in the process of translating the repository into different languages. We already have a Portuguese version online, and plan to make more languages available as soon as possible. In doing so, we hope to be able to not only collect examples from all around the world, but also to reach an audience outside of traditional Global North contexts. The ultimate goal of the project is to include a diversity of communities in conceptualizing creativity outside traditional capitalist contexts, as well as making them aware that non-traditional ways of using and appropriating technology are also creative, and should be valued as such.

Explore further A neurobiological model to better understand creative processes

More information: Mobile Networked Creativity Repository: Mobile Networked Creativity Repository: mobilenetworkedcreativity.pubpub.org/ This is a guest post from Adriana de Souza e Silva, a professor of communication at NC State.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., speaks during a Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee hearing, April 5, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Credit: AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File

Wide-ranging bipartisan legislation unveiled Tuesday would regulate cryptocurrencies and other digital assets following a series of high-profile busts and failures.

It's unclear, though, whether the bill proposed by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., can clear Congress, especially at a time of heightened partisanship ahead of midterm elections. The bill also comes as advocates for cryptocurrency have become biggerand more free-spendingplayers in Washington.

The bill, called the Responsible Financial Innovation Act, proposes legal definitions of digital assets and virtual currencies; would require the IRS to adopt guidance on merchant acceptance of digital assets and charitable contributions; and would make a distinction between digital assets that are commodities or securities, which has not been done.

The bill "creates regulatory clarity for agencies charged with supervising digital asset markets, provides a strong, tailored regulatory framework for stablecoins, and integrates digital assets into our existing tax and banking laws," Lummis said in an emailed statement. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency pegged to a specific value, usually the U.S. dollar, another currency or gold.

Lummis has been a vocal advocate for cryptocurrency development and has invested between $150,002 and $350,000 in bitcoin, according to her financial disclosure.

The legislation imposes disclosure requirements on digital asset firms to ensure that consumers can make informed decisions, delineates agency responsibilities over various digital assetssuch as Commodity Futures Trading Commission jurisdiction over bitcoinand requires a study on digital asset energy consumption, among many other proposals.

The bill comes at a tumultuous time for cryptocurrencies, including the May meltdown of the terraUSD stablecoin and luna, the coin meant to buy and sell assets, which traded at a value of less than one ten-thousandth of 1 cent.

Gillibrand said the bill establishes "a regulatory framework that spurs innovation, develops clear standards, defines appropriate jurisdictional boundaries and protects consumers."

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference May 5, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File

These developments have prompted lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support legislation that more closely scrutinizes digital assets.

And crypto lobbying has followed suit. This year, for the first time, industry executives have flooded money into congressional races, spending $20 million, according to records and interviews.

Cryptocurrencies have their supporters in Congress. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said at the DC Blockchain Summit in Washington last month that he is drawn to "the exciting potential democratizing effect that can come from creating wider pathways of opportunity for marginalized communities."

Despite the risks, roughly 16% of adult Americans, or 40 million people, have invested in cryptocurrencies, according to a September 2021 Pew Research Center poll. And 43% of men age 18-29 have put money into cryptocurrency.

African Americans are also more likely to invest in cryptocurrencies than white consumers.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order in March, urging the Federal Reserve to explore whether the central bank should create its own digital currency and directed federal agencies, including the Treasury Department, to study the impact of cryptocurrency on financial stability and national security.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in an April speech at American University that more government regulation is needed to police the proliferation of cryptocurrency and ward off fraudulent or illicit transactions.

"We have a strong interest in ensuring that innovation does not lead to a fragmentation in international payment architectures," she said, adding that the Treasury Department will work with the White House and other agencies to develop reports and recommendations on digital currencies.

Explore further US Treasury secretary calls for improved cryptocurrency rules

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
ANEXT Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the global technology provider Ant Group, was launched on Monday in Singapore as the city-state's newest digital wholesale bank.

The soft launch follows ANEXT Bank's receipt of approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on June 2 to commence business, according to a press release from the Singapore-based digital bank.

ANEXT Bank said that it will focus on providing digital financial services to local and regional micro, small and medium enterprises, especially those engaging in cross-border operations for growth and global expansion.

ANEXT Bank CEO Toh Su Mei said it is time to offer the next generation of financial services that are accessible and effortless for growing businesses. Amid rapid acceleration in the digital economy, business models are changing and pivoting to become digital-first, if not adopting a hybrid model. Financial services have to evolve and be where small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are doing their businesses digitally.

"We are well positioned to live up to this vision, leveraging Ant Group's deep bench of technologies and know-how, along with our customer-obsessed local team dedicated to serving the SME community," she said. "Adopting an open and collaborative approach, we believe in joining hands with industry partners and the public sector to provide SMEs with financial services that are simpler, safer and more rewarding."

MAS's Chief Fintech Officer Sopnendu Mohanty said at the event that this marks yet another milestone in Singapore's digital bank development journey, a strategic effort to ensure the banking sector remains progressive, globally competitive and vibrant.

He said that continuous innovation and new capabilities that digital banks are slated to bring will no doubt add more engines of growth to Singapore's financial sector.

"MAS expects the digital banks to thrive and synergize with our dynamic financial institutions and raise the bar in delivering quality financial services, and to uplift Singapore's financial sector to better support the growth of SMEs in Singapore, the region and in emerging markets," Mohanty added.

ANEXT Bank signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Proxtera, which is an entity supported by MAS, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and private sector entities, to transform and enable holistic cross-border trade among SMEs and businesses through making marketplaces efficient and discoverable globally, with embedded financing, fulfillment services and SME empowerment.

The MoU will see both organizations jointly create and establish an open framework for all participating financial institutions as they provide financing and risk mitigation support for SMEs and platforms in global trades.

ANEXT Bank will also be Proxtera's first participating digital wholesale bank in Singapore to lead the way in providing financing solutions to the buyers and sellers on Proxtera's network.

As part of its soft launch, ANEXT Bank provided a preview of the ANEXT Business Account, a dual-currency deposit account with proprietary security measures including three-factor authentication verification as well as features such as remote onboarding and daily interest. The digital bank said the ANEXT Business Account will be made available to the general SME community from the third quarter of 2022.
Multiple Bryan campuses will see new leadership in the coming school year, but they are not all new faces to the school district.

The Bryan school board approved Kim Guess as the new principal of Bowen Elementary School and Linda Taplette as Fannins new leader in the 2022-2023 school year. The board also approved Alfred Scott as the principal of Sadberry Intermediate School when it opens for the 2023-2024 school year.

Desiree Capertons move to become principal of Long Intermediate School from Fannin Elementary School did not have to be approved by the school board, but was announced to staff members in March, district spokesperson Matt Kennedy said.

Guess was named Bowens new principal in April and will be taking over the schools top administrative position from Bridget Cooper. Cooper was recently named the new assistant director of human resources for the College Station school district.

Most recently, Guess served as an assistant principal at Rayburn Intermediate School.

Shes had a multitude of experiences in her career in Bryan ISD, Bryan Superintendent Ginger Carrabine said after the boards approval during the April 18 board meeting. She actually grew up in this community and graduated from Bryan High School, so she is a Bryan ISD product as a student, as well as an administrator and now a principal staring the next school year.

Taplette was approved as the new principal of Fannin Elementary after having served as an assistant principal at the school. She will take over for Caperton as she moves to Long Intermediate School.

Fannin is my home, Taplette said in a press release Monday. Coming here was providence. Everyone here has a special place in my heart, and I cant wait to take an even bigger role here.

Carrabine said she is excited for Taplette to take on her new role, saying several staff members called Taplette the common denominator of the schools success. Three women were at the meeting to support Taplette and called her to congratulate her on the new position.

Caperton will move to Long Intermediate School from Fannin, where she took over as principal in 2019. With more than two decades of experience in education, she will take over the leadership role at Long from Cody Satterfield.

Satterfield will be moving from Long to a district-level administrative position as administrator of student affairs. She served as principal at Long since 2016 and oversaw its transition from a middle school to an intermediate school, according to a press release at the time.

In May, the school board approved Alfred Scott as the first principal of Sadberry Intermediate School, which is currently under construction in the northern part of the district. It is set to open for the 2023-2024 school year.

Scott, a native of Bryan, has served as an assistant principal at Bryan High School since 2016.

I cant wait for people to get to know him in this new role, Carrabine said during the May 16 board meeting when the announcement was made.

Rudder music leadership

The school district announced new band and orchestra directors this spring also.

Joseph Daigle, who has served as the orchestra director at Davila Middle School for five years, will lead the Rudder High School ensemble next school year.

Im thrilled to have Mr. Daigle take over the Rudder Orchestra program, Patrick Corbett, director of fine arts for the district, said in a press release. During his tenure at Davila, the orchestra program has experienced unprecedented success and I cant wait to hear the Rudder orchestra in the years to come.

He will take over the group from Traci Hambric, who is retiring.

Along with Daigle, Stephen Howard was announced as Rudder High Schools new band director. Howard will be moving to Bryan from Austin where he directed an all-female ensemble at Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders.

A press release on his hire states Howards music groups have represented Texas in the annual Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

I am very excited to have Mr. Stephen Howard come to Rudder as the new head band director, Corbett said in the press release. Im looking forward to seeing the Rudder Band achieve new heights under his direction.

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Unhappy with the way it has been treated by a three-judge panel of an appellate court, Mountain Valley Pipeline is asking for a new slate of judges to hear the next round of its long-running legal battle with environmentalists.

In an unusual move, the company building a natural gas pipeline through Southwest Virginia filed a motion last month requesting the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to assign a new panel at random.

Mountain Valley is hoping for better luck than it had with a panel that presided over 12 earlier challenges of government approvals for it and the now-defunct Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Those three judges, it says, vacated or stayed all but two of the permits, effectively killing Atlantic Coast and threatening to do the same for Mountain Valley.

The perception created by this Courts deliberate formation of a special pipeline panel  actually a Mountain Valley panel  threatens public confidence in the Courts legitimacy, the motion reads.

The Richmond-based Fourth Circuit, which consists of 15 active judges and three senior judges to hear appeals from five states, has a computer program that randomly assigns three-member panels for incoming cases.

However, the courts rules allow for the same judges initially appointed at random to remain with a case when it comes up again, under certain circumstances.

When the Fourth Circuit was first asked to decide a case involving Mountain Valley  an appeal of a Roanoke judges 2017 decision on the companys powers of eminent domain  the courts program indiscriminately selected three judges.

The luck of the draw went to Chief Judge Roger Gregory and Judges Stephanie Thacker and James Wynn. That led to their assignment to most, but not all, of the future cases in which federal and state permits issued to Mountain Valley were contested repeatedly by environmental groups and local opponents.

But the Fourth Circuit did not follow its internal operating procedures, which only allow such assignments in limited cases, Mountain Valley asserts.

The rule states, in part: Every effort is made to assign cases for oral argument to judges who have had previous involvement with the case to preside over a motion made before oral arguments or a prior appeal in the matter.

Mountain Valley contends that the current cases  which involve petitions from environmental groups seeking the reversal of approvals for the 303-mile pipeline to cross streams and wetlands in Virginia and West Virginia  involve neither a pre-argument motion nor a prior appeal.

The company therefore respectfully asks the Court to correct this departure from its own procedures, George Sibley, a Richmond attorney who represents Mountain Valley, wrote in court papers.

Not only does the Fourth Circuits repeated reliance on the same three judges run counter to its rules, Mountain Valley argues, it also has created a public perception of a deck stacked against large infrastructure projects in general and one private party specifically.

The motion cites reports in The Roanoke Times about how the courts overall record has evoked a saying by pipeline opponents: May the Fourth be with you.

Also included is an editorial from The Wall Street Journal, which opined that oddly, repeated challenges keep landing before the same three-judge panel of Roger Gregory, James Wynn and Stephanie Thacker even though cases are supposed to by assigned to judges at random.

Steve Emmert, a Virginia Beach lawyer and an authority on state and federal appeals who publishes the online Virginia Appellate News & Analysis, said he has never seen a motion like the one filed by Mountain Valley.

To me, its very, very unusual, Emmert said.

The most recent actions by Judges Gregory, Thacker and Wynn came earlier this year, when they cited environmental concerns in rejecting two permits  for the second time  that had been issued to Mountain Valley.

One of the authorizations allowed the pipeline to cross through a 3 1/2 mile segment of the Jefferson National Forest in Giles and Montgomery counties; the other was a biological opinion by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that found endangered species would not be jeopardized by construction of the buried pipeline.

Mountain Valley then asked the full Fourth Circuit to reconsider the panels decisions, which it declined to do.

That tells me it is unlikely that the court will grant them the relief that they are now seeking, Emmert said.

The Sierra Club and other environmental groups, which are contesting the latest permits for water crossings, urged the court not to grant Mountain Valleys request.

The crux of MVPs motion is that MVP has grown dissatisfied with that initial assignment because it has lost more often than it thinks it should have, wrote attorneys Derek Teaney and Spencer Gall, who represent the coalition.

They say Mountain Valley voiced no objections to the Gregory-Thacker-Wynn trio when it was first appointed at random. In that case, the panel upheld a decision from U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Dillon that favored the pipeline. Dillon ruled that she lacked jurisdiction to hear opponents challenges of the companys use of eminent domain to take property for the controversial project.

Most of the approximately half-dozen cases that involved eminent domain were omitted from Mountain Valleys calculations that it won only two of the 12 cases decided by the panel.

In so doing, MVP distorts [the panels] actual track record, the Sierra Clubs motion states.

There is no reason to disqualify the three judges for making rulings that were clearly supported by the facts, the motion continues. Those facts show systemic flaws in the permitting of MVPs pipeline, rather than a deck stacked against it,  Teaney and Gall wrote.

Many of the cases decided by the panel involved what it found to be inadequate oversight by government agencies to control muddy runoff from the massive construction project. Mountain Valley has been cited nearly 400 times by Virginia regulators for violating erosion and sedimentation control regulations since work began in 2018.

In support of the Fourth Circuits process of assigning three-judge panels, the Sierra Club cited an article from the Texas Law Review. Two law professors noted that having the same judges hear similar cases arises out of notions of judicial efficiency, allowing those already familiar with a case to remain involved.

Legal battles have delayed completion of the pipeline by nearly four years and doubled its cost, now estimated at $6.6 billion.

Mountain Valley spokeswoman Natalie Cox said the company respects the judicial system, and accordingly is requesting a new panel selection. She declined to comment further. Teaney, an attorney with Appalachian Mountain Advocates, declined to comment.

The future of the project could rest on what the Fourth Circuit does next.

Challenges of a Virginia State Water Control Board approval for stream crossings, and a similar authorization by West Virginia, are now before the court.

Mountain Valley is also seeking, for the third time, a permit struck down earlier by the court for the pipeline to pass through the national forest and an opinion from the Fish and Wildlife Service that construction would not jeopardize endangered species. Should those approvals be re-issued later this year, additional lawsuits would likely follow.

The last brief due in Mountain Valleys request for the random selection of a new panel was filed last week. A decision is expected in the coming weeks or months.
Enforcing the "double-extortion" technique aka pay-now-or-get-breached emerged as a head-turner last year.

May 6th, 2022 is a recent example.

The State Department said the Conti strain of ransomware was the most costly in terms of payments made by victims as of January.

Conti, a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) program, is one of the most notorious ransomware groups and has been responsible for infecting hundreds of servers with malware to gain corporate data or digital damage systems, essentially spreading misery to individuals and hospitals, businesses, government agencies and more all over the world.

So, how different is a ransomware attack like Conti from the infamous "WannaCry" or "NotPetya"?

While other Ransomware variants can spread fast and encrypt files within short time frames, Conti ransomware has demonstrated unmatched speed by which it can access victims' systems.

Given the recent spate of data breaches, it is extremely challenging for organizations to be able to protect every organization from every hack.

Whether running a port scan or cracking default passwords, application vulnerability, phishing emails, or ransomware campaigns, every hacker has different reasons for infiltrating our systems. It is evident why certain individuals and companies are targeted because of their software or hardware weaknesses, while others affected do not have this common Achilles' heel due to planning and barriers put in place.

We can bring in support of security experts like Indusface to defend ourselves and pursue an attack-reduction strategy to reduce both the likelihood and impact of becoming the victim of a cyberattack.

But what characteristics do companies possess that tend to attract cyberattacks, and why do hackers target them?

And if you knew your company was a likely target, would it make sense for you to be wary of the many ways your information could be compromised?

What Motivates a Hacker?

When hackers hack, they do so for several reasons. We've listed the 4 most common motivations behind the hacking.

1  It's About Money:

One of the most common motivations for breaking into a system is monetary gain. Many hackers may try to steal your passwords or bank accounts to make money by taking off with your hard-earned cash. Your customer information wouldn't be safe if hackers made off with it as they could use this data in several ways, perhaps by blackmailing you or even selling it on the black market or deep web.

The average cost of a data breach was $3.86 million in 2004, according to IBM, and that number has since risen to $4.24 million as of 2021. It's even expected to rise even more in forthcoming years.

2  Hack + Activism aka Hacktivism

Some people look at hacking to start political and social revolutions, although the majority are interested in expressing their opinions and human rights or creating awareness over certain issues. However, they can target anyone they like - including terrorist organizations, white supremacist groups, or local government representatives.

Hacktivists, also known as 'Anonymous,' normally target terror groups like ISIS or white supremacist organizations, but they have also targeted local government groups. In January 2016, an attack on the Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Michigan, led to the leak of thousands of documents and records. The organization claimed responsibility with a video promising "justice" for the city's ongoing water crisis that resulted in 12 deaths over time.

Whether it's a single hacker or a simple online gang, the primary weapons of hacktivists include Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) tools and vulnerability scanners- proven to cause financial losses for well-known corporations. Remember when donations to WikiLeaks were halted, and Anonymous rode high on a series of DDoS attacks?

3  Insider Threats

Insider threats can come from anywhere, but they are viewed as one of the organizations' greatest cyber security threats. Many threats can come from your employees, vendors, contractors, or a partner, making you feel like you're walking on eggshells.

Someone within your organization is helping a threat become a reality. Now that we think about it, almost all of your employees, vendors, contractors, and partners are technically internal to the organization. One major weakness enterprises have their core systems of protection; the firewalls and anti-virus programs are easily bypassed by whoever has access to these programs at any one time.

So when the next wave of cyberattacks comes, who better than someone you've always trusted with key security access, damage control measures need to be implemented to prevent a repeat of a situation as catastrophic as Sony's hack in 2014 (possibly perpetuated by its own employee).

4  Revenge Game

If you have an unruly employee looking for a way to get revenge on your company, they will more than likely take the time to think of a good attack, leaving you thinking twice about dismissing them.

If they have access to your system, you can be sure that they will try to find any way possible to use their privileged status to get back at you even after leaving the company. One way of doing this is by accessing databases and accounts that require logins and passwords. In other cases, disgruntled workers might even sell vital information in exchange for money and more favorable job opportunities only to mess with your organization's infrastructure.

Attack Vectors

Cybercriminals are utilizing a wide range of attack vectors so that they can infiltrate your system or take custody of it by using ransomware attacks like IP address spoofing, phishing, email attachments, and hard drive encryption.

a) Phishing

The most common way to spread ransomware is through phishing emails. Hackers send carefully crafted phoney emails to trick a victim into opening an attachment or clicking on a link containing malicious software.

There are lots of different file formats malware can come in. For example, it could be in a

PDF, BMP, MOV, or DOC.

Once hackers take control over your company's network, ransomware malware has a good chance of getting into your system, encrypting information, and taking hostage all the data stored on your devices.

b) Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

Running over port 3389, RDP is short for Remote Desktop Protocol, allowing IT administrators to remotely access machines and configure them or merely use their resources for various reasons - such as running maintenance.

The hacker begins by running a port scan on machines over the internet that have port 3389 open. 3389 is for SMB, or Server Message Block, which allows for basic file sharing between Windows computers and is often turned on in the early days of internet usage.

Once a hacker has gained access to open machines on port 3389, they often brute-force the password so they can log into them as an administrator. And then, it is a matter of time. Hackers can get into your machine and initiate the encryption operation to lock down your data by purposefully slowing or stopping critical processes.

c) Attacks on Unpatched Software

A weakness in the software is one of the most promising methods of attack deployment in today's environment. In some cases, when software is not fully up to date or patched, attackers can enter networks without having to harvest credentials.

The Closure

Cyber hackers can now do just as much analyzing and evaluating as security teams for their products. They have the same or even more tools to scan any given system, so it's practical to be able to foresee their motivation and profiles.

With hackers becoming more sophisticated, it is on top priority to have proactive cybersecurity mechanisms to maintain the health of your business.
To celebrate the successes of the 2022 Legislative session, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts will visit Grand Island Friday for a post-session town hall meeting.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent on Monday, Ricketts described this years session as historic.

I think the 2022 session will go down in history as one of the Nebraska unicamerals finest, he said. If you look at all the things they did in a short, 60-day session, its truly remarkable.

These four achievements would, on their own, each be considered historic, said Ricketts.

Ricketts touted the signing of LB873, the largest tax relief bill in the states history.

Its 12 times larger than any previous tax relief bill in any administration, he said. It will deliver $12.6 billion in tax relief.

This includes property tax relief by continuing 2020s LB1107, accelerating social security tax relief approved in 2021 and bringing down income tax rates to 5.84% for both individuals and businesses, said Ricketts.

Significant investments in public safety and law enforcement were also approved.

This includes $47.7 million to the Grand Island Law Enforcement Training Center and $16.9 million to update and expand the Nebraska State Patrol crime lab.

Also, incentives such as full tuition reimbursement for officers, tax relief on health care benefits and retainment bonuses.

Nebraska is demonstrating we support law enforcement 100% and are investing in law enforcement, Ricketts said.

Investments in Nebraskas water resources were also approved.

With LB1015, the Perkins County Canal will start moving forward.

This will build a canal from the South Platte River in Colorado to a Nebraska reservoir system to enforce a 1923 compact as new development surges in east Colorado.

This isnt new water, emphasized Ricketts. This is making sure were going to hold on to the water thats already coming to us.

Also, STARWARS, which will create a marina at Lake McConaughy, expand the marina at Lewis & Clark Lake, a new convention center at Niobrara State Park and several new flood control routes.

The Nebraska Legislature also had to handle more than $1 billion in federal American Rescue Act Plan funds, which was basically a second budget for the state, said Ricketts.

Investments include pandemic recovery; $60 million to community colleges to add capacity; $128 million to address affordable housing needs; $40 million to health care facilities, particularly mental health; funds for drainage improvements at Fonner Park, the site of the Nebraska State Fair; and much more.

There were also some upsets in 2022, said Ricketts.

More work needs to be done to protect what he called pre-born babies.

The bill that we had to do that did not pass, he said, referring to the Human Life Protection Act, so thats an example of some work we have to do.

The Nebraska State Penitentiary also needs to be replaced, but the Legislature did not approve moving forward on the project, said Ricketts.

The town hall meeting will be held at Grand Island Public Library at 10:30 a.m. on June 10.

It gives people an opportunity to ask questions about what happened in the Legislative session and also just talk about some the things they may or may not have heard about, said Ricketts.

While this will be his final such post-session tour as governor, Ricketts said there is still much work to be done in the state.

Were just going to keep running through the tape here, he said, and work hard until Jan. 5.

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People on the Move

Kolloru, Adams, Gallman, Metcalf, Serafin, Deveaux Named to Executive Positions

Editors Note: THE Journal welcomes submissions about new hires and promotions among ed tech industry executives and K12 public school administrators in the United States. Contributed news items will be published regularly on THEJournal.com; the archives can be accessed at any time at THEJournal.com/articles/list/people-on-the-move.

To submit news about new leadership and management changes at K12 ed tech companies and at nonprofits in the K12 ed tech space, complete the form at bit.ly/EdTechPeopleNews. To submit news about new hires and promotions among K12 public schools administration, complete the form at bit.ly/K12AdminNews. News releases should be emailed to [email protected].

Pearson Names Kolloru as Chief Strategy Officer

Global digital learning company Pearson has appointed Sulaekha "Sue" Kolloru as its new Chief Strategy Officer. With more than 15 years of global strategy experience, Kolloru most recently served as Vice President of International-Portfolio Strategy and Transformation at Delta Air Lines, where is credited with identifying opportunities and leading the execution of short-and long-term operational changes leading to greater efficiencies through Delta and its partners' collective scale, Pearson said in a news release. Kolloru also served as Deltas Vice President of Corporate Strategy, leading many of the companys strategic and cross-functional programs.

Reporting directly to Pearson CEO Andy Bird, Kolloru will drive strategic planning across the company, advise on critical global and business priorities, help refine Pearsons direct-to-consumer strategy, as well as chart the course for future growth, the commpany said. Also under Kollorus charge are the teams responsible for data, mergers and acquisitions, and other investments and partnerships that support Pearson's strategy. Kolloru began her new role at Pearson on May 16.

Prior to working at Delta, Kolloru was partner and managing director at The Boston Consulting Group, where she worked with many technology and telecommunication companies and their leaders on improving business and operational strategy and organizational effectiveness.

Kolloru earned an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from the University of Ottawa in Canada. She has served on several boards and non-profit councils focused on diversity and STEM, including the advisory councils for The Jimmy Carter Center, Women in Technology, and The University of Ottawa Engineering Department. Kolloru is based in Atlanta.

Learn more at Pearsonplc.com.

Otus Adds Adams, Gallman to Executive Team

Otus, a student performance platform that gathers and visualizes real-time student-growth data for educators, has added two K12 ed tech professionals to its executive team: Heather Adams and Kevin Gallman.

Adams, Otus new Vice President of People and Operations, will focus on three strategic areas in her new role, Otus said in a news release: people development, employee engagement, and talent acquisition and management. Adams previously served as the HR director at Reading Plus, which was recently acquired by DreamBox Learning.

Gallman, Otus new Vice President of Sales, will lead the companys national sales team. Gallman worked as a high school teacher and assistant principal for 13 years before transitioning to the ed tech sector, Otus said in a news release; he previously led the sales teams at Reading Plus and Edmentum Inc.

Gallman, based in Indianapolis, is dedicated to serving the education community to provide the power and potential to deliver greater outcomes through better access and visualization of data with the Otus platform, the company said in its announcement.

The Otus platform is used by more than 2,500 schools in conjunction with 20-plus ed tech partners. Learn more at Otus.com.

Waterloo Schools Facility Director Metcalf Joins Architecture Engineering Firm ISG

ISG has named former Waterloo Community School District Facility Director Marty Metcalf as Project Manager in ISGs Education Business Unit.

Metcalf has over 40 years of facility management experience, including oversight and maintenance of 21 school facilities with over 10,000 students, ISG said in a news release. In his new role, Metcalf will collaborate with school districts in Iowa and across the Midwest to develop strategic and implementable long-range plans, ISG said. Having led numerous new construction and renovation projects, he understands the goals and priorities of districts, how to work within a set budget, and the benefits of consulting with project teams to pinpoint the immediate needs and solutions that will benefit staff, students, and the community.

Learn more about the companys education services at ISGinc.com.

Serafin Joins Building Hope as Vice President of Southwest Operations

Building Hope, a non-profit helping public charter schools fund, finance, and operate their school facilities, has named Allison Serafin as Vice President of Southwest Operations, where she will work with charter-school leaders throughout Texas to create real estate strategies to develop and fund new school facilities and expanding public-school options, according to a news release.

Serafins new role makes her a senior member of the organizations real estate team; she will report directly to Building Hope Real Estate President Dru Damico, the organization said.

A native of Houston, Serafin brings more than two decades in experience to Building Hope from her career in education. She began her education career at Teach For America-Houston, where she was a corps member teaching at Attucks Middle School. Serafin went on to serve as the executive director of Teach For America-Las Vegas, supporting the Clark County School District Superintendent as a special consultant, launching Opportunity 180, and serving as an elected member and vice president of the Nevada State Board of Education. She also served as vice president of development for IDEA Public Schools throughout Texas, where she fundraised, managed the regions real estate strategy and site acquisition process, and secured the first five campus sites for the regions growth plan.
China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and take effective measures to jointly maintain regional peace and stability, China's top legislator Li Zhanshu said Monday.

Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the remarks in a speech delivered via video link at the Parliamentary Assembly of the CSTO, at the invitation of Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly and the Russian State Duma.

He said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Collective Security Treaty and the 20th anniversary of the CSTO. Since its establishment, the CSTO has played an important role in safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and security of its member states, promoting regional peace and stability, and preventing and responding to new threats and challenges to regional security.

The Global Security Initiative, proposed by China, aims to respond to the urgent needs of the international community to maintain world peace and prevent conflicts and wars, and provide a new direction for eliminating the root causes of international conflicts, addressing international security challenges, and achieving world peace and development, Li said, adding that the CSTO's participation in the initiative would be welcome.

Noting that China shares broad common interests with CSTO member states in maintaining regional peace and stability, Li said China stands ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the CSTO and take effective measures to jointly maintain regional peace and stability.

He said the NPC is willing to work with the legislatures of CSTO member states to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, give full play to the unique role of the legislature, and fully release the potential of the CSTO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to make the region and the world more peaceful, secure and prosperous.
President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia's economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The United States generally imports about 100,000 barrels a day from Russia, only about 5% of Russia's crude oil exports, according to Rystad Energy. Last year, roughly 8% of U.S. imports of oil and petroleum products came from Russia. Gas prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector. The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline soared 45 cents a gallon in the past week and topped $4.06 on Monday, according to auto club AAA. Should the US ban Russian oil imports over Ukraine war?

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MARION  Bleachers are being added to accommodate an overflow crowd at Rent One Park in Marion when Professional Bull Riders (PBR) take the field on Saturday, June 18.

"We sold out pretty quick and then made the decision to bring in more bleachers to the concourse area so that we can fit another thousand into the event," said Shad Zimbro, co-owner of Black Diamond Harley-Davidson. "That's about 5,000 in all that will be attending. We're pretty excited. The concert that we hosted here last month went over very well and now this PBR event is, too."

Zimbro said the attraction is professionals.

"This is the first time there has been a PBR event here in Southern Illinois," he said. "Before you had to go to St. Louis or Evansville to see pros ride bulls. This is top-of-the-line riders and bulls. That's why everyone is excited and why we may sell all our tickets."

Jeremy Pinkston, marketing director for Black Diamond Harley-Davidson, said that a portion of the proceeds raised from the new bleacher sales will go toward the Chance Karnes Memorial Scholarship Fund.

The 20-year-old Herrin native was killed in a car accident last month. He was deeply involved in rodeos and had a great passion for horses. The Marion PBR event will be dedicated in his honor.

Karnes' mother, Brandi, said it was "mind-blowing" when the president of Rally Point Events and producer of Evansville and Marion PBR, contacted her through social media.

"His name is Lance Yearby," Brandi Karnes said. "He told us about donating some of the proceeds to the scholarship fund and invited our family to attend the event and be their guests in the Diamond Suite at Rent One Park. He told us that the night was dedicated to Chance. He also invited Chance's girlfriend, Destiny Gillihan, of Batesville, Arkansas, to ride a horse while carrying the flag as part of the opening ceremony. And Destiny is taking some of Chance's horses down to Fort Worth, Texas to compete in the World Finals. It seems like people are bending over backwards to honor Chance. We couldn't be more proud."

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Businesses that are interested in expanding their market opportunities by selling to local, state and federal governments will want to check out the Industry Day event coming to Southern Illinois University Carbondales Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center next week.

The universitys Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center is hosting the free government and corporate contracting workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 9 at 1740 Innovation Drive in Carbondale, and everyone is welcome to attend. The focus is on connecting small business owners with purchasing agents and helping them learn what products and services agencies are buying and what steps they need to get started as a vendor.

This workshop will provide local companies with incredibly helpful information and connections to help them grow their customer bases, said Ken Stoner, director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center at SIU. This will benefit the regions businesses and also bring more revenue to Southern Illinois, creating a win-win for the area, and in the long run, lead to more jobs as well.

Participating Agencies

A large, diverse group of agencies at the federal, state and local levels is participating in this years Industry Day, including:

Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Representatives from the cities of Carbondale, Marion and other municipalities.

Southern Illinois Healthcare.

John A. Logan College.

Illinois Department of Transportation.

Sign up

Although there is no cost to attend, pre-registration is required. Sign up online, by calling 618-536-2424 or emailing ptac@siu.edu. All participants will enjoy a free boxed lunch.

The Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center at SIU is made possible through a cooperative agreement with the Defense Logistics Agency Program, with support provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

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A team of Southern Illinois University Carbondale students shined in a national competition testing their ability to design a campus energy system, winning second in its division as part of the national Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition, a program of the U.S. Department of Energy.

In the competition held at the Ohio State University, multi-discipline teams of students were challenged to design a system for the OSU medical campus which would maximize energy offsets and financial savings. The SIU team, which also included a recent graduate as well as students from two other universities, submitted a proposal for an energy-generating roof systems to the completion in the fall and was selected for inclusion in the finals. It was SIUs first year in the competition.

The Solar Cup team was a subgroup of the universitys Green Roof Team, which took its name from an innovative sustainability project started atop the Agriculture Building in 2010. It features space for native plants, growing vegetables and flowers, and conducting research while demonstrating the benefits of sustainable roofs.

Team member Nelson Fernandes said the competition focused on skills engineers and professionals need in the field, from initial feasibility and conceptual design to the development plan and final design. Fernandes, who graduated in mechanical engineering in May, served as the project manager for the team.

Since graduation, Fernandes and other green roof alumni have developed a business from their experiences at SIU.

Our business mission is focused on developing educational kits and courses based on the campus projects we have been working on over the past three years, he said. All for the vision of a cleaner and more sustainable world through providing educational opportunities.

Fernandes said the competition focused on skills engineers and professionals need in the field, from initial feasibility and conceptual design to the development plan and final design.

SIU placed behind Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and ahead of institutions including North Carolina State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Tim Crosby of SIU Media Services contributed to this story.

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SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker indicated Monday he would be willing to deploy the National Guard to help deal with a violent crime spree in Chicago, but only if hes asked to do so.

Well, I think you know that I have called up the National Guard whenever local mayors that I've spoken to have wanted that done, have needed that done in their local communities, Pritzker said at a Monday morning news conference. And I'll continue to make the National Guard available whenever it is necessary.

His comments came when reporters asked him to respond to a statement from Republican gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan, who called on the Democratic incumbent to issue a disaster declaration in Chicago and deploy the National Guard to help quell the citys violence.

Somehow, 28 months in (to the pandemic), J.B. Pritzker is still signing monthly COVID disaster proclamations, but he is unwilling or unable to act on an even more pressing crisis  the senseless violence ravaging the streets of Chicago, Sullivan, a venture capitalist from Petersburg, said in a statement. If Pritzker says that COVID is still an emergency but police shootings arent, he needs to open his eyes.

Sullivans statement came after two Chicago police officers and a deputy U.S. marshal were shot and wounded in the city in less than a week.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the most recent shooting of an officer happened Sunday afternoon in the Englewood neighborhood on the citys south side where an officer was shot and wounded during a brief exchange of gunfire following a traffic stop.

On Wednesday, June 1, a female officer was shot and wounded in that same neighborhood while attempting to make a traffic stop. And on Thursday, a U.S. marshals officer and a police dog were shot and wounded while trying to make an arrest on the citys northwest side.

According to statistics from the Chicago Police Department, as of Monday there had been 232 murders in the city so far this year and 952 shooting incidents. And while those numbers are down from the same period last year, the overall rate of major crimes in the city is up 35 percent.

In a statement, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the recent shootings highlight the need for stronger federal action on gun control.

Let me say again, every single day, on every watch, our brave men and women of the Chicago Police Department risk their lives for our safety, she said. But I must ask again, when is enough, enough? Are we not fed up with the catastrophic consequences of having too many illegal guns readily available to criminals, the mentally ill, and juveniles? How many times must I, and my fellow mayors across the country, plead with the Senate to take action and end the easy access to illegal guns?

The crime rate in Illinois, and Chicago in particular, has become a major issue in this years race for governor where Pritzker is campaigning for reelection against a field of Republicans who have been critical of his record on public safety. Republicans will choose their candidate in the June 28 primary.

Most notably, GOP candidates have criticized him for signing the 2021 criminal justice reform bill known as the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today, or SAFE-T Act, which, among other things, ends the use of cash bail starting Jan. 1, 2023, expands the rights of people held in jail or detained by law enforcement, establishes new certification and decertification standards for officers, imposes new use-of-force standards and expands the use of police body cameras.

Even though many provisions of that law have not yet taken effect, Republicans have nevertheless tried to blame it for the rising crime rate and for a large number of resignations and early retirements of law enforcement officers throughout the state.

But speaking at another media event Monday in Chicago, Pritzker defended his record in supporting law enforcement.

I want to remind you that we've made major investments in support of police, in particular in building back our Illinois State Police, which provides so many officers to back up Chicago Police Department, as well as police departments all over our state, he said.

Pritzker went on to say that he also has called out National Guard forces whenever he was asked to do so by local officials, including the city of Aurora after being asked to do so by its mayor, Richard Irvin, who is also a Republican candidate for governor.

And I will tell you that I have never hesitated when asked by local law enforcement by local mayors to provide help from the National Guard, he said. I've never, ever hesitated to do that. I've done that several times.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government that is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

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Claflin University and London Metropolitan University signed a Memorandum of Understanding on May 26 to launch a historic academic partnership that will provide international study, teaching and research opportunities for students, faculty,and staff at both institutions.

Claflin President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack and London Metropolitan University Vice Chancellor Lynn Dobbs signed the agreement in Claflin's Ministers' Hall.

"This partnership is special. It's very different because it represents a significant financial investment by London Metropolitan University," Warmack said.

"They are investing in our students by bringing them to London and providing housing and scholarship opportunities."

London Metropolitan University is a public research university in London, England, with more than 12,000 students. It is commonly known as London Met. The University of North London (formerly the Polytechnic of North London) and London Guildhall University (formerly the City of London Polytechnic) merged in 2002 to create the university; however, the university's roots go back to 1848. The university has campuses in the City of London and the London Borough of Islington.

Students, faculty and staff from both universities will share their expertise, knowledge and skills through the agreement. Students from both universities will also have opportunities for customized study abroad programs, international summer school, internships and service-learning placement scholarships.

Another critical mission of the agreement is to promote substantive social change in the United States, the United Kingdom and other parts of the world.

"This MOU offers a much broader engagement than many of our other partnerships," Warmack said. "This partnership is intentional and inclusive.

"It is a one-of-a-kind partnership that includes students, faculty and staff. It's not often that staff members receive research opportunities through study-abroad programs."

Dobbs began her tenure as vice chancellor and chief executive at London Met in October 2018. Previously, she served six years as deputy vice chancellor and provost at Roehampton University, a public university in the United Kingdom.

"This partnership is very important to us," she said. "We have partnerships with many other universities, but most are commercial partnerships. Our agreement with Claflin benefits both institutions. We spent several months researching Claflin, and we had help from other universities and students in developing our proposal.

"We created three tiers for the universities. Claflin was selected as a Tier 1 partner, which means the university is an excellent investment. When we approached Dr. Warmack, he agreed that Claflin was the best fit for this MOU. We want to learn from Claflin, but we also want to share our knowledge during this partnership.

"We also want to learn more about serving minority students and the communities where they live."

The MOU aligns with Claflin's Value Proposition by fostering global perspectives through strategic interactions with diverse student and faculty populations and consistent involvement with inclusive learning experiences.

"London Metropolitan University has invited a delegation from Claflin to London," Warmack said. "I look forward to visiting their campus and hosting their team when they visit Claflin."

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China's sci-tech progress has promoted healthy and high-quality living for people in various areas, including food and energy security, over the past decade, an official said Monday.



The country has about 1.05 billion mu (70 million hectares) of arid and semi-arid land and about 1.55 billion mu of saline-alkali land, one third or one quarter of which can be turned into arable land through sci-tech transformation, said Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang at a press conference.

He explained that China has independently developed new varieties of wheat, corn and vegetables over the past decade, and the seeds and land across the country have adapted to each other, which has further ensured food security.

China has long used coal as its main energy source, Wang said, adding that some sci-tech achievements, such as ultra-supercritical power generation, turning carbon dioxide into starch for industrial use and turning coal into olefin, have contributed to reducing carbon emissions over the past decade.

The achievements have made domestic energy use more secure, more efficient and more environmentally friendly, he added.

Wang said that sci-tech progress helped curb the COVID-19 epidemic both rapidly and accurately.

China used science-based methods to successfully isolate strains and develop testing reagents and vaccines against COVID-19, and to formulate tailored diagnosis and treatment plans, which built a solid wall of sci-tech defense to protect people's lives and health.

Wang added that the country's sci-tech progress has contributed to boosting poverty alleviation and rural vitalization. To solve the imbalance and inadequacy between urban-rural and regional development, some developed cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, used sci-tech methods to help undeveloped areas in China.
A former Orangeburg County School District employee is facing tax evasion charges.

David Cortez Marshall Jr., 31, of Orangeburg, has already pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud scheme. He defrauded the district of nearly $600,000.

Marshall will be sentenced on his federal charge on Tuesday. A preliminary federal forfeiture order claims Marshall must pay back $595,532.34.

Hes now facing three new, state charges of tax evasion. He turned himself in to the Orangeburg County Detention Center on Monday morning.

According to the S.C. Department of Revenue, Marshall allegedly failed to report sales for Level 8 Communications, a technology company he operated.

From 2019 through 2021, Marshall failed to report sales for his company, which totaled $1.1 million, according to an SCDOR press release.

Marshall collected $74,416 in sales tax over that period through misrepresentation and use of shell companies. Warrants claim he didnt pay those taxes to the SCDOR.

Warrants also claim he used several bank accounts to conceal his activities.

Marshall was previously employed as a media communications specialist in the Orangeburg County School District.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the school district received federal funds to purchase cameras to fill the need for online learning.

Through the use of shell companies, fabricated documents, forged signatures and a false identity, Marshall steered the districts purchasing contracts to companies he created and controlled, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Marshall then purchased the cameras and sold them to the school district at a substantial markup.

All the while, the camera company and school district thought they were communicating with each other, but they were talking with Mr. Marshall, U.S. Attorney Brook Andrews said during Marshalls plea hearing held in late January.

As part of the scheme, Marshall marked up the cost of the cameras by $130,000, Andrews said.

Andrews also stated the camera company sold the devices to Marshall tax-free, but Marshall then sent a tax bill to the district for $60,000.

Marshall also received funds for cameras from the school district that he never paid to the seller.

His scheme was eventually discovered by other school district employees, who confronted Marshall and reported the matter to the FBI for further investigation.

Marshall resigned from the school district in March 2021.

He has remained free on a $25,000 unsecured bond on the federal charge since January.

Marshall faces up to 25 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for wire fraud, plus restitution.

If convicted on his state charges of tax evasion, Marshall faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine per charge.

Orangeburg County Magistrate James W. Rickenbacker set Marshalls bond at $30,000 on the state charges on Monday. Rickenbacker released Marshall on his personal recognizance.

Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD

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An Orangeburg man is accused of breaking into a home and murdering a resident.

Kendrick Keeshawn Stephenson, 22, of Summers Avenue, is charged with first-degree burglary, murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

Stephenson is accused of shooting and killing Jamel Lamar Walker, 24, of Treadwell Street. Walker died at the Medical University of South Carolina on May 13, nearly a month after the burglary.

The burglary occurred on the morning of April 20, after Walker and a woman finished their shift at the Food Lion distribution center in Elloree, according to an Orangeburg Department of Public Safety incident report.

Walker and the woman heated some food in the microwave, laid down and watched TV. They heard an intruder coming down the hallway and leaving through the front door, the report states.

Walker went out the front door after the intruder, but never returned.

The woman heard the sound of three gunshots, so she hid in the bathroom.

Stephenson appeared before Orangeburg Municipal Judge Chasity Avinger on Monday afternoon. A circuit judge may consider setting Stephensons bond at a later date.

If Stephenson is convicted of murder or first-degree burglary, he faces up to life in prison.

Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD

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Family Health Centers, Inc. will host a Community Health Fair on Saturday, June 11, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The event will be held at the Denmark Family Health Center, located at 5616 Carolina Highway in Denmark.

The health fair will feature booths from FHC and several community organizations, highlighting services and information on health and wellness topics.

At the event, FHC will be offering free COVID-19 testing, free COVID-19 vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer), as well as booster shots to eligible individuals.

In addition, free HIV testing, free blood pressure checks and free glucose checks will also be provided.

Individuals receiving their first COVID vaccine shot at the event, or their first or second booster shot, will be asked to complete a simple and anonymous three-minute survey. Participants will be eligible for an incentive.

Individuals who received their first vaccine or first or second booster shot on or after Feb. 14 are also eligible for an incentive.

In addition, there will be free prizes, complimentary giveaways and a live radio remote by the Big DM 101.3 FM.

The health fair is free and open to the public. For more information about FHC Community Health Fair, call 803-531-6900, ext. 6850.

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COLUMBIA -- South Carolina ETV and Public Radio is partnering with The Post and Courier to host a debate for candidates in the 2022 Democratic gubernatorial primary election.

The debate will be held on June 10 at SCETV in Columbia and will be aired live on SCETVs statewide network from 5-6 p.m. The debate will also re-air on June 13 at 8 p.m.

In addition, coverage will be streamed live on the SCETV website, as well as on SCETVs social media platforms.

Gavin Jackson, host of SCETVs This Week in South Carolina, will moderate the debate and be joined on the panel by SC Public Radio reporter Thelisha Eaddy and The Post and Courier reporter Nick Reynolds.

All candidates have been invited to participate in the debate and must adhere to SCETV Guidelines for Participation and Format. Candidates include:

 Carlton Boyd

 Joe Cunningham

 Mia McLeod

 Calvin McMillan

 William Williams

More information for press is available on the SCETV website. This debate is not open to the general public for in-person attendance.

How to watch

 Watch live on SCETVs statewide network on June 10 from 5-6 p.m. or on June 13 at 8 p.m.

 Watch the livestream on the SCETV website

 Watch live on SCETVs Facebook page and YouTube channel

For more on SCETV, visit www.scetv.org.

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District 90 Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg, is facing a familiar challenger in the June 14 Democratic primary.

District 6 Bamberg County Councilman Evert Comer Jr. is running against Bamberg in the upcoming primary.

The winner will face Republican Sharon Carter in November.

Comer first ran against Bamberg in the June 2020 Democratic primary, when Bamberg defeated him with more than 80 percent of the vote.

National Inflation exposes widening wealth gap

Bamberg

Bamberg said he stands firmly on his accomplishments as a state representative for the past eight years.

Through hard work, I was able to help bring 24-hour emergency care back to my House district. That is something that we had lost previously. It was a void that had to be filled, and I filled it, Bamberg said.

For 40 years, Denmark had a need for new school facilities. That was a void that needed to be filled, and I filled it. Were still working towards it, but weve seen road improvements. For example, if you ride down Highway 78 in Bamberg County, that highways new and safer. There was a void that had to be filled, and I filled it, he said.

Bamberg said he wants to continue to be an advocate for citizens.

My record speaks for itself and other peoples record, or lack thereof, speaks for them. I think that the future is bright at this point. I came in at 26 years old. Im 35 now. In a short amount of time, I have risen to a position of leadership in the House to include the House Ethics Committee, as well as being one of the ranking Democrats and ranking members of the House Judiciary Committee, which hears over 60 percent of all of the legislation that gets filed. There is a massive benefit to the citizens of House District 90 by building on that  not starting over from scratch, he said.

Bamberg said selfless service is also what his candidacy is about.

Citizens have expressed concerns about taxes, particularly in Bamberg County. A lot of people have talked about the fact they need to go down, but the question is, how many elected officials or leaders are doing the work to try and make it happen?

I am one of them who is actively trying to make it happen, including the recent apportionment of what I was able to get into the state budget to have $5 million sent down here so that our new consolidated school district could pay off $5 million worth of bond debt at one time in an effort to get the taxes lowered. There was a void that needed to be filled, and Im filling it, the legislator said.

Bamberg said he also secured a $250,000 state budget appropriation to provide Bamberg County law enforcement officers and emergency responders with 800 megahertz radios.

The county will now be able to communicate over the radio with adjoining counties, which is safer for law enforcement, and it improves public safety. ... They could be on that new system before years end, he said.

Bamberg said his goals include developing the U.S. Highway 301 corridor connecting Bamberg and Orangeburg counties.

Theres going to be continued economic development along the interstate. As the state grows, obviously theres going to be growth along interstate corridors. ... That is something that Im going to work with the stakeholders on to try to make sure that this part of Orangeburg County and Bamberg County and the people living there dont get left out, he said.

Bamberg said he is also eyeing the improvement of education in the area.

There were problems with the consolidation in Orangeburg County that impacts the citizens, the teachers and the students. I think I bring a lot to the table in that regard, and I want to try to help get Orangeburg County schools moving forward in full swing. I think that is something that I am capable of doing through not just work, but through connections in Columbia, he said.

Bamberg said redistricting has changed the landscape of House District 90, but hes committed to serving all.

As it stands now, its all of Bamberg County, its the 301 corridor, and then its approximately 10,000 or 13,000 or so votes in the City of Orangeburg. So its kind of like a continuous line. ... The City of Orangeburg is ripe to be a booming metro city in this part of the state. ... What weve just got to do is continue building on the work that has been done so far in terms of beautifying. Theres a lot of development going on, he said.

Bamberg stressed that he wants to strike a healthy balance between advancing growth and protecting the areas small businesses and hometown feel.

Youve got to find a balance to protect who we are as small town, rural residents, he said.

He also said, I want to get emergency health care fixed. I want to fix the schools. I want the roads to improve. I want teachers to get more money. Thats what I campaigned on at 26 years old, and I stand on the fact that all these years later, I literally fought tooth and nail to make that happen, and it did happen.

Actions speak louder than any words.

Bamberg is a Bamberg resident and 2005 graduate of Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School. He received a bachelors degree in sociology with a minor in criminal justice from the University in South Carolina in 2009. He earned his juris doctorate degree from the USC School of Law two years later.

Bamberg operates Bamberg Legal LLC, with offices in both Bamberg and Orangeburg.

Comer

The Denmark resident said he is running because he has a desire to serve people.

Ive always had a desire to be of service to people. It started in the public school system, and it has followed me along the way. The Lord has blessed me with some skills and degrees and things that I want to use not just for myself, but others as well, Comer said.

The 72-year-old, who is in his 12th year as a Bamberg County councilman, touted his record of public service, which began with his 14 years of service on the Denmark-Olar school board and was followed by six years of service on Denmark City Council.

Comer, an attorney who has practiced law for 38 years, is also an ordained minister who serves on the boards of the OCAB Community Action Agency Inc., the Bamberg County Chamber of Commerce and SouthernCarolina Alliance.

He is a past board member for agencies including the Orangeburg Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation and the Bamberg County Disabilities and Special Needs Board.

The U.S. Army veterans affiliations also include his membership with the Denmark Lions Club, the Bamberg County Ministerial Alliance and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

He is also a former adjunct professor at then-Voorhees College and Denmark Technical College.

I have a desire to expand my reach to be of service to a larger segment in the state of South Carolina. I want to provide a high degree of constituent service. Coming through being a school board member, city councilman and now county councilman, I know of a lot of things that would be beneficial to people and enhance their quality of life, Comer said.

Infrastructure development is key, he said.

In Denmark, we need a whole new water and sewer distribution system. All over the state we need broadband. Weve got students who do not have internet services in their homes. A lot of partners are working on that right now. ...

Government is there to help citizens, to help ease burdens that they may have. ... I think education should be high on the list of where we put our resources, Comer said.

He continued, I hope to accomplish being someone in the Statehouse who has a partnership with all of the municipalities, local governments, county governments, school boards and other entities that have a mandate to be of service to people in specific areas. I want to be the link to them to accomplish that.

Comer said his candidacy is different from his challenger.

I want to provide a high degree of constituent service, putting service above self. I want to be real close to the people as I have been through the past positions that Ive held in public office and have what theyre entitled to first and foremost in my mind. I am not seeking the position to promote me or use it to propel to a higher position somewhere, he said.

Comer is a graduate of the former Voorhees High School.

He obtained a bachelors degree in English from Morehouse College before earning a masters degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

He also received his juris doctorate degree from the University of South Carolinas School of Law and a bachelors degree in ministry from Carolina Theological Bible Institute.

He is now a ministry doctoral candidate at the Partners to the Promise School of Christian Education in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He and his wife, Ruth, are the parents of four children and eight grandchildren.

Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD

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COLUMBIA  The South Carolina Democratic Party announced that Vice President Kamala Harris will be the 2022 Blue Palmetto Dinner special guest and speaker.

The vice president will be joined by her husband Doug Emhoff at the event on Friday, June 10.

This years Blue Palmetto Dinner is back in person for the first time since 2019. The traditionally annual dinner will honor former Gov. and U.S. Secretary of Education Dick Riley.

South Carolina Democrats cant wait to welcome Vice President Harris and Mr. Emhoff back to South Carolina. We are excited that we can thank Vice President Harris for her hard work on behalf of the people of South Carolina, SCDP Chair Trav Robertson Jr. said. Vice Chair Lessie Price and I are honored the vice president accepted our invitation to be with South Carolina Democrats.

All 2022 Dem Weekend and Blue Palmetto ticket information is available at scdp.org.

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Around 100,000 grade 11 and 12 students from over 250 high schools in Shanghai returned to school on Monday after about three months away from campus because of the COVID-19 epidemic.



The returning Grade 12 students will prepare for the national college entrance exam, which has been postponed to early July.

Due to epidemic prevention and control requirements, students are not allowed to take public transportation to school. As such, schools have been providing private bus services. Students can also choose the weekday boarding option offered by their schools.

"I'm both excited and nervous," said Jiang Xinyi, a Grade 12 student at Shanghai No 3 Girls' Middle School. "The college entrance examination is imminent. But I will have one more month to prepare for it."

Gao Ruoyun, a Grade 11 student at Shanghai Xiangming High School, said, "We are going to have the proficiency test in mid-June, an important milestone in my high school journey."

Yuan Zheng'an, a member of the city's epidemic prevention and control leading group, said on Sunday that parents and students should cooperate with the epidemic prevention measures and regulations and carry out daily self-health monitoring.

Besides washing hands regularly, Yuan suggested students wear masks, maintain social distance and exercise regularly to stay healthy.

All schools are required to set up nucleic acid testing stations on campus and prepare a supply of epidemic prevention materials that can last at least a month, Yang Zhenfeng, deputy director of Shanghai's education commission, said in an earlier news briefing.

Authorities have required students to take an antigen test before going to school as well as a nucleic acid test before leaving school on a daily basis. Students will also need to have their body temperature measured twice a day at school.

Grid management has been implemented on campuses, which means dividing different grades, classes and school function areas into grids to minimize the risk of infection, according to Yang.

Grade 9 students can also return to school on June 13 to prepare for their senior high school entrance exam that has been postponed to July 11 and 12.

In-person classes are optional, and students can continue preparing for the exams at home.

Students in other grades at middle and primary schools will continue with online classes until the end of this semester, according to Yang.

Shanghai Gezhi High School carried out a nucleic acid testing rehearsal on Saturday, establishing six more testing points in the playground to ensure ventilation. An epidemic prevention gift kit was presented to students returning to school by Shanghai Luwan Senior High School with prevention supplies such as masks, alcohol spray, hand sanitizer and customized surprise gift boxes.

Shanghai has reported 16 new infections outside quarantine and controlled areas since June 1 when the city started to fully bring production and daily life back to normal. The city currently has 13 medium-risk zones in six districts, the Shanghai health commission said on Monday.
The Luxembourg Open Air festival has released the line-up for its 2022 edition, which will be held on 9-10 September.

Headliners include Felix Jaehn, Hugel, Pretty Pink and other well-known international DJs.

LOA was first held in 2019 and has become one of the Grand Duchy's biggest electronic music festivals.

The festival site is in Kirchberg on Place de l'Europe around the Philharmonie.

Alongside top DJs, there will be a range of amenities including bars, a Chill Out/Food area and different animations.

Second-release tickets are available for 37 (day pass) or 59 (weekend pass) here.
On a blue and yellow background, the graffiti artist retouches a spray-painted image of the half-man, half-shark statue of King Behanzin, one of the stolen treasures returned to Benin by France late last year.

The image is just one by 26 local and international graffiti artists who have created a mural depicting Benin's history and culture stretching more than one kilometre along a wall in Benin's main city of Cotonou.

Their objective is to eventually create the largest mural fresco in the world as part of a festival under the theme of "New Benin".

The mural depicts Benin's history and culture /  AFP

"To create the Benin of the future, we must keep the Benin of the past in our sight," said Laurenson Djihouessi, known by his artist name Mr Stone, who is the festival promoter.

Many of the graffiti artists have chosen to represent the restored treasures, which were stolen by French colonial forces and returned to Cotonou this year after negotiations with Paris.

The artefacts have been on display for the first time in Benin since February in a historical exhibition at the presidential palace, located a few hundred metres from the mural.

"There, the audience comes to the art, but here the art comes to the audience," said Stone, whose images pay homage to the Amazons, the elite, all-female soldiers of the Kingdom of Dahomey, one of Benin's kingdoms before French colonisation.

Laurenson Djihouessi, known by his artist name Mr Stone, is the festival promoter /  AFP

The artist said he wanted to place the Beninese woman "at the heart of action and development", for them to be the "Amazon of modern times".

But it is not only the royal history of Benin's past that is painted on the fresco that attracts dozens of passers-by.

Supported by the Claudine Talon Foundation, run by the First Lady of Benin, and the Ministry of Culture, the wall also highlights recent achievements in the West African country.

There are cranes symbolising the reform of Cotonou's port and agricultural machinery, a reference to the modernisation of the agricultural sector.

Images of roads are meant to show part of the infrastructure projects touted by President Patrice Talon as one of his successes.

Beninese artist Lionel Attere, also known as Lionel Davinci, is another of those involved /  AFP

Since his first election in 2015, Talon has launched dozens of projects in what he calls a campaign to set his nation on the path to development.

While the economy may have been modernised, Benin's opposition says the country's democracy has also suffered under Talon's rule.

On her part of the wall, female artist Drusille Fagnibo also painted the building of Economic Crimes and Terrorism Court, known as Criet.

Critics say the special court, set up in 2016 in a bid to end to impunity in the political class, is used as a political weapon by the government to target opponents.

In December, the court sentenced opposition leader Reckya Madougou to 20 years in prison for terrorism, a term which her lawyers described as a political attack.

The government denies any claims the court is manipulated for political purposes.

More than 700 metres of wall have been decorated since April 11, and the organisers want to expand it to 1,300 metres during early 2023. They hope to beat the record for the longest graffiti fresco in the world.
US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday announced a fresh $1.9 billion in private sector funding to boost jobs in hopes of reducing migration from Central America, at a Latin America summit in Los Angeles snubbed by the leaders of Mexico and other affected countries.

Harris has been given the unenviable task of tackling the root causes of rising migration into the United States, an issue seized upon by the rival Republican Party that has turned into a top priority for President Joe Biden at a week-long Summit of the Americas.

A day before Biden's arrival, Harris unveiled $1.9 billion in commitments by businesses -- in addition to $1.2 billion announced last year -- for the impoverished and violence-ravaged so-called Northern Triangle of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

Harris, who met business leaders, female entrepreneurs and civil society as part of the summit in her home state, said the efforts come from "our shared belief that most people don't want to leave home" but also that "government cannot do it alone."

"We know the American people will benefit from stable and prosperous neighbors. And when we provide economic opportunity for people in Central America, we address an important driver of migration," she said.

A cross marks a makeshift memorial under a stop sign at an intersection on the border between the US and Mexico near farmland in Yuma, Arizona on June 1, 2022 /  AFP/File

Harris also announced the creation of the "Central American Service Corps" funded through US aid to mentor young people.

But none of the Northern Triangle leaders are attending the summit, nor is President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico, the crucial US partner on migration policy due to the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) shared border.

Lopez Obrador, a leftist populist, had insisted that Biden invite all governments including Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela -- which the United States is excluding on the grounds that the summit is only for democracies.

- Seeking 'unity' -

Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard addresses reporters in Mexico City before heading to the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles /  AFP

Argentina's center-left president, Alberto Fernandez, who confirmed his attendance after a phone call and invitation to Washington from Biden, said he would try to "give a voice" to the absent countries.

"We enormously regret the non-presence of the countries that weren't invited," he told reporters before heading to Los Angeles.

"Unity is not spoken, it is exercised, and the best way to exercise it is by not segregating anyone," he said.

Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, attending instead of Lopez Obrador, said his president would visit Washington next month and insisted that ties were not at risk.

The relationship between the neighbors "is positive and will remain so and we don't expect any change in that," he said.

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks during his daily morning press conference in Mexico City on June 6, 2022 /  AFP

But Lopez Obrador's absence set a sour tone after the Mexican leader's surprisingly close partnership with Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, who had threatened Mexico with sanctions unless it cracked down on Central American migrants.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought until the last minute to woo Lopez Obrador, including by seeking lower-level participation by Cuba and easing some restrictions including on US flights to the communist island.

But US officials said they saw no reciprocation from Cuban authorities, who recently went ahead with the trial of two dissident artists.

- No Venezuela -

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, accompanied by First Lady Cilia Flores, arrives in Ankara in a picture distributed by the Miraflores press office /  AFP

On Venezuela, the United States does not recognize President Nicolas Maduro, whose 2018 re-election was clouded by widespread reports of irregularities. Maduro instead traveled to Turkey, which maintains relations with him.

But Biden also did not invite opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom the United States still considers interim president despite what some Latin American officials privately see as his dwindling chances.

Biden will instead speak to Guaido by telephone, Brian Nichols, the top US diplomat for Latin America, told VPI television.

Biden is separately expected to meet President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, Latin America's most populous nation, despite rising fears that the Trump ally will not accept the legitimacy of upcoming elections.

Ebrard hoped that the summit would address the needs for "massive investment" in Latin America and the Caribbean in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Military helicopters fly over the LA Convention Center during the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles /  AFP

The new funding announced by Harris included a commitment by credit card giant Visa to invest more than $270 million over five years with an aim of bringing another 6.5 million people into a formal financial system in a region rife with corruption.

The North America branch of Yazaki, the Japanese auto parts maker, will invest $110 million, hiring more than 14,000 new employees in Guatemala and El Salvador, the White House said.

Other companies making commitments include clothing maker Gap and Millicom, a telecommunications company that plans to invest $700 million to expand mobile and broadband networks across the three countries.
In the new academic year, the Ministry of Education will launch a pilot project in four of the country's primary schools, which will allow some children to learn to read and write in French rather than German.

Minister of Education Claude Meisch provided this information in his response to a parliamentary enquiry filed by MP Martine Hansen from the Christian Social People's Party (CSV).

Primary schools in Dudelange, Schifflange, Oberkorn, and Larochette will participate in the pilot project. Although every pupil should at some point be able to benefit from the offer, officials will first prioritise those who speak French at home or who spent time in French-speaking daycares.

In his response, Minister Meisch also stressed that Luxembourg's trilingual nature will not be put into question by the project. Pupils who first learn French will have German added at the end of second grade, as is the case with French in the regular system. Parents will be able to decide with their children's kindergarten teachers which path is more suitable.

Minister Meisch concluded that the roles of both languages will simply be reversed in the pilot project and thereby allow pupils to still apply for the same secondary schools at the end of sixth grade ('Cycle 4').
Christophe Mendes and Antonio Marques took their car and drove to Ukraine with supplies. An experience that has marked them.

Christophe, a photographer, and Antonio, working in aviation, decided to help when they saw the situation in Ukraine. For Christophe, it was his second trip to Medyca, Antonio accompanied him for the first time. A new experience, and not one without risk. After all, they were going into a war zone. But Antonio was sure they would make it back.

Their car was filled to the brink with life-saving supplies - everything that is needed for humans and animals in a country under attack.

We meet them again upon their return and it seems something has changed. Antonio is deeply impressed by what he has seen. The harsh reality faced by the people of Ukraine will take a while to process. One thing they have realised is how lucky they are to live in Luxembourg, and how privileged we are as a country.

But they also know they've done their best to help those who are currently most in need of help on the European continent.

Video report in Luxembourgish:
Luxembourg's Council of Government is set to review a draft bill on cannabis legalisation next month.

The draft bill would allow residents to grow a limited number of cannabis plants at home. The proposed legislation is "nearly complete," Minister of Justice Sam Tanson announced in the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday.

In addition, possession of less than three grammes of cannabis will no longer result in a criminal record, and fines will be decreased.

Luxembourg's international negotiations are expected to benefit from Germany's position, which is likewise moving toward recreational cannabis legalisation.

However, the German Ministry of Health's draft bill has not yet been made available to Luxembourg's Minister of Health.

If the bill is passed, Luxembourg would become the first EU country to legalise the domestic production and consumption of cannabis.
According to the Ministry of Health, Luxembourg has not yet recorded any monkeypox infections.

Monkeypox has been recorded in at least 12 countries, according to the World Health Organisation, including France, Belgium and Germany.

In a press release published on Saturday, the Ministry of Health confirmed that for the moment there are no suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox in Luxembourg.

The ministry emphasises that the situation is being monitored very closely with European partners. For the time being, it is a matter of raising awareness of the potential spread of the monkeypox virus, the ministry says.

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that can be transmitted to humans by animals. Human-to-human transmission is rare, but possible, especially in close contact.

Some cases of monkeypox have been identified at sexual health clinics, specifically in cases where men have had sex with men. However, experts emphasise that there is no particular link to any one group and that it is important to avoid stigmatising. Monkeypox can occur in any group where there is close contact with infected people.

Monkeypox viruses are widespread in West and Central Africa in rodents.

According to the ministry, monkeypox is transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person or through close contact with bodily fluids, including saliva.

The infected person will show symptoms such as a rash, fever, headache, muscle pain, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and fatigue.

All suspected cases and persons with symptoms indicative of monkeypox should contact the National Infectious Diseases Department of the HLC and refrain from sexual or other close contact activities until monkeypox has been ruled out or the infection has resolved.
On Tuesday morning, Luxembourg City Mayor Lydie Polfer joined our colleagues on RTL Radio to discuss her political future and police in the Grand Duchy's capital.

Mayor Polfer expressed both surprise and satisfaction over her results in the recent 'Politmonitor' survey, which placed her as the country's fourth-most popular politician. Nevertheless, she was unwilling to discuss her political future in the context of the upcoming election year, noting that she has no intention of starting her campaign before 2023: "I still have enough work on my plate."

Mayor Polfer was even unwilling to indicate whether or not she will run in the municipal elections. She explained that it is important for the Democratic Party (DP) to present a strong team and therefore welcomes the addition of the current Minister for Family Affairs and Integration Corinne Cahen, who has expressed interest in running in the capital.

Asked about safety in Luxembourg City, Mayor Polfer noted that although the number of police officers patrolling the Gare district has been increased, more needs to be done. She elaborated that drug crime has simply relocated from Gare to the upper side of town, now affecting Hamilius and the City Park.

The DP politician showed no tolerance for kids being exposed to the remnants of drug users at playgrounds, which is why the City has once again launched a call for a security contractor to cover additional patrols.

Last week, the Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CCDH) published an unfavourable opinion on the draft law that would allow authorities to expel people from public areas, noting that it infringes on the freedom of movement of people with social problems in particular.

Mayor Polfer disagrees with this position: "What does that imply for the freedom of movement of residents who can no longer access their front doors?" She acknowledged that social measures must simultaneously be introduced, which the municipality of Luxembourg City has already done.

City officials are also currently holding town meetings in several parts of the capital to allow residents to voice their concerns. Aside from crime and traffic, which are universal problems, the issues vary from one district to another, explained Mayor Polfer.

For instance, Belair residents are currently faced with a crow problem, which is starting to have sanitary consequences, explained the DP politician. Last week, City officials thus met with Joelle Welfring, the new Minister for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development, to discuss potential measures.

Interview in Luxembourgish
On 2 June, a motorcyclist was fatally injured after crashing for unknown reasons.

The motorcyclist lost control over his vehicle between Wecker and Schorenshof at around 6pm. As a result of the crash, he fell and was hurled against the tyre of a tractor, which was parked on the side of the road.

The 56-year-old motorcyclist from Luxembourg succumbed to his injuries the following day.

The police are now looking for witnesses to determine the circumstances that led to the accident. In particular, the police are looking for the two motorists that were driving behind the motorcyclist just before the accident occurred. Any potential witnesses are asked to contact the Museldall Police Station, either by calling (+352) 244 70 1000 or by writing an e-mail to police.museldall@police.etat.lu
You are here: China

China's National Meteorological Center on Tuesday renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms in various parts of the country.

From 2 p.m. Tuesday to 2 p.m. Wednesday, heavy downpours are expected to lash parts of Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Hainan and Taiwan. Some areas may experience up to 180 millimeters of rainfall.

Some of the above regions are likely to encounter over 80 millimeters of hourly precipitation, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales.

The center has advised local governments to make appropriate preparations, implement traffic control measures in road sections hit by heavy rainfall and guide traffic in water-logged sections.

It has also suggested cutting off dangerous outdoor power supplies in low-lying areas, transferring people to safe areas and checking the drainage systems of cities, farmland and fishponds.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Nearly 24,500 personal tax return files dating back to the 2019 tax year had not yet been processed by 30 April 2022, a rate of 8%.

For the years 2017 and 2018, 9,500 files remain to be processed.

These files consist of declarations that have not yet been filed and declarations that have been submitted very late. Some files are also under investigation.

In 35,000 cases per year, a tax liability of more than 50,000 is incurred.

It is possible to submit a reasoned request for a new payment deadline. Between 2017 and 2021, 17,000 requests were approved.

These figures on tax debts to the Tax Administration were provided by Minister of Finance Yuriko Backes in response to a parliamentary question by MP Sven Clement from the Pirate Party.
A British journalist and a Brazilian indigenous expert have gone missing in a remote region of the Amazon rainforest after receiving threats, The Guardian newspaper and indigenous-rights groups said Monday, raising fears for their safety.

Veteran foreign correspondent Dom Phillips went missing while researching a book in the Brazilian Amazon's Javari Valley with respected indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, said The Guardian, where Phillips has been a longtime freelance contributor.

The pair had traveled by boat to Jaburu lake in the northern state of Amazonas, and were expected to return to the city of Atalaia do Norte by around 9:00 am Sunday, said two rights groups.

The Union of Indigenous Organizations of the Javari Valley (UNIVAJA) and the Observatory for the Human Rights of Isolated and Recently Contacted Indigenous Peoples (OPI) said in a statement the men had "received threats in the field the week they disappeared."

The groups did not give further details, but Pereira, an expert at Brazil's indigenous affairs agency FUNAI with deep knowledge of the region, has regularly received threats from loggers and miners trying to invade isolated indigenous groups' land.

FUNAI told AFP it was collaborating with local authorities on the search effort. It added that Pereira was on leave from the agency "to pursue personal interests."

Phillips and Pereira had traveled to interview indigenous inhabitants around a FUNAI monitoring base, and reached Jaburu lake Friday evening, UNIVAJA and OPI said.

They started the return trip early Sunday, stopping in the community of Sao Gabriel, where Pereira had scheduled a meeting with a local leader to discuss indigenous patrols to fight the "intense invasions" that have been taking place on their lands, the groups said.

That was the last time they were seen. When the community leader did not arrive, the men decided to continue to Atalaia do Norte, about a two-hour trip, they said.

The pair were traveling in a new boat with 70 liters of gasoline -- "sufficient for the trip" -- and were using satellite communications equipment, the groups said.

The Guardian said in a statement it was "very concerned" about Phillips, whose work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and other leading media.

"We condemn all attacks and violence against journalists and media workers. We are hopeful that Dom and those he was traveling with are safe and will be found soon," it said.
Colombia's army has shared unprecedented images of the legendary San Jose galleon shipwreck, hidden underwater for three centuries and believed to have been carrying riches worth billions of dollars in today's money.

Four observation missions using a remotely operated vehicle were sent to the wreck at a depth of almost 950 meters (3,100 feet) off Colombia's Caribbean coast, the army said in a statement late Monday.

These missions, carried out by the navy under the supervision of the culture ministry, found the galleon untouched by "human intervention."

Cannons partially covered by mud are visible alongside porcelain crockery, pottery, glass bottles and also gold pieces.

A part of the bow can be clearly seen covered in algae and shellfish, as well as the remains of the frame of the hull.

Pieces of gold can be seen at the site of the shipwreck off Colombia /  Colombian Presidency/AFP

Authorities said they had also discovered two more shipwrecks during their observation mission -- a colonial-era galleon and a schooner from the post-colonial period.

"Thanks to the technological equipment and the Colombian navy's work, we managed to capture images with a level of precision that's never been seen before," said President Ivan Duque.

He said the wreck was "kept intact and protected with a view towards a future retrieval."

When that happens, though, Colombia will face a challenge from Spain and an indigenous group in Bolivia to determine who keeps the bounty.

- Lost for 300 years -

Crockery is also clearly visible at the site of the wrecked San Jose galleon /  Colombian Presidency/AFP

The San Jose galleon was owned by the Spanish crown when it was sunk by the British navy near Cartagena in 1708.

Only a handful of its 600-strong crew survived.

It was heading back from the New World to the court of King Philip V of Spain.

At the time, it was laden with treasures estimated to be worth billions of dollars at current rates.

Before its discovery in 2015, it was long sought after by treasure hunters.

Experts believe it contains at least 200 tons of gold, silver and emeralds.

Colombia considers wrecks found in its territorial waters to be part of its cultural heritage, meaning the contents cannot be sold.

Spain insists that the bounty is theirs since it was aboard a Spanish ship, while Bolivia's Qhara Qhara nation says it should get the treasures as the Spanish forced the community's people to mine the precious metals.

When the wreck was discovered, then Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos lauded it as "the most precious treasure ever found in the history of the world."

In the wreckage of the San Jose, cannons are also visible /  Colombian Presidency/AFP

He had proposed to finance the recovery mission with the proceeds from selling part of the find, but Duque put a stop to that to ensure the entirety of the wreck would remain in Colombia.

Colombian authorities have announced their intention to create a museum of shipwrecks that would be "a source of pride for Colombia, the Caribbean and the world."

Recovering the wreck presents a technological and scientific challenge due to its depth.

Authorities have identified another 13 sites off the coast of Cartagena that they want to explore in search of other shipwrecks.
The mother of a 10-year-old girl and the father of an 11-year-old girl have made contact with their daughters who last year were brought from Germany to Paraguay without their consent, the parents' lawyer said Monday.

"On behalf of our clients Anne Reiniger, mother of Clara (Egler), and Filip Blank, father of Lara (Blank), we announce that as part of the search for their daughters from their respective first marriages, fruitful conversations have taken place place," Stephan Schultheiss said in a statement to the press.

Clara, 10, entered Paraguay on November 27 with her father, Andreas Rainer Egler, 46, and his new wife Anna Maria Egler, nee Scharpf, 35.

Anna Maria Egler's daughter from her first marriage, 11-year-old Lara Valentina Blank, was also with them.

The case has caused a stir in Germany. Last week, Clara's mother and Lara's father authorized the police to start a search for the missing girls, and Interpol has issued arrest warrants for Andreas and Anna Egler.

The pair of fugitive parents recently sent a video message and contact was established between the parties, the lawyer said.

"We are looking together for a solution that does justice to the rights of all parties involved, but above all to the best interests of the children," said Schultheiss.

Anne Reiniger and Filip Blank have promised to drop charges if the fugitive couple agree to return the children and work out a custody agreement.
Land use revenue earmarked for Wyomings schools dropped for the fifth year in a row, the Legislative Service Office reported Monday. Its the least the state has earned from activities on school trust lands in at least 15 years.

The majority of Wyoming state lands are managed to support K-12 education. Money earned from leasing those lands for grazing or mineral extraction goes toward public schools, along with up to one-third of the state mineral royalties generated there.

Wyoming has accrued about $2.9 billion from activities on its school trust lands since 2007, Matt Willmarth, a senior school funds analyst for the LSO, told the Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Committee on Monday.

Of that total, $2.3 billion came from nonrenewable activities, including state mineral royalties, Willmarth said. Renewables contributed another $466 million in leases in bonuses, with the remaining $164 million from other activities like land sales, right-of-way easements and surface damage payments.

Royalties, the largest source of that income, declined over the last couple of years. So did the smaller share from leases and bonuses  primarily, Willmarth said, because of the loss of bonuses.

In fiscal year 2017, 18 and 19, there were significant bonus payments, Willmarth said. In 2020 and 2021, those payments largely disappeared.

Total annual revenue from bonuses  up-front, one-time payments to mineral owners  trended down in the years before the pandemic, dropping from $31 million in 2017 to $29.5 million in 2018 and $22.2 million in 2019. But it plummeted after the pandemic hit, falling to $4.8 million in 2020 and then to $2.7 million in 2021.

Asked by Rep. Aaron Clausen, R-Douglas, why bonuses have dropped, Willmarth said, I think it relates more to the market conditions of the commodities for the oil, gas and coal market. Those bonuses are generally paid on those mineral-related sections of land.

The LSO expects that revenue from non-mineral sources  including investment income  will exceed revenue from mineral sources for the first time during 2021 and 2022.

State coal lease bonuses, formerly a major source of school construction funding, have dried up as the coal industry contracted; Wyoming received its last payment in 2017, and its not expected to see any more.

No coal mine is expanding right now, said Shannon Anderson, staff attorney for the Powder River Basin Resource Council, a landowners group.

More recently, uncertainty about how COVID-19 would continue to affect oil and gas demand has suppressed companies interest in leasing new lands, which has diminished the industrys contribution to public schools. And the LSO projects that total federal mineral royalties from coal, oil and gas  another key contributor to the states public schools  will also decrease over the next several years.

In the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, however, the highest sustained oil price in a decade has incentivized companies to resume investing in new production.

Wyomings first state oil and gas lease sale of 2022, which took place in March, brought in more than any sale since before the pandemic, though it was still dwarfed by the states pre-pandemic numbers. The next sale will be held in July, two weeks after the Biden administrations first federal oil and gas lease sale in Wyoming in more than a year.

Ryan McConnaughey, director of communications for the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, said the success of the states March sale is a promising sign for the recovering industry.

I think were still seeing a strong desire to produce on those lands, he said.

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Prosecutors in Natrona County have determined a fatal police shooting at an Evansville standoff was justified, Casper police announced Tuesday.

Police shot and killed Blaine Clutter, 29, after he fired upon them, Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen noted in a letter on his findings tied to the March 19 standoff and shooting.

It was painfully obvious that Clutter wanted to kill police officers, Itzen concluded. When officers were put in this position, they are left with little choice but to protect the citizens of Natrona County, including themselves. All alternatives to end this situation peacefully were tried. It was Clutters actions, and his actions alone, that led to this result.

Four Casper police officers  Sgt. Joshua Albrecht and officers Donald Bauer, Andrea Husted and Justin Price  fired during the shooting. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the Natrona County Sheriffs Office also had officers on scene, and Itzens letter indicates at least two also used their firearms during the standoff.

All four Casper officers have been returned to duty following the DAs decision. In line with department policy, they were placed on administrative leave after the shooting.

Clutter died from a shot to the chest from police in the early morning daylight hours of March 19, according to CPD.

Natrona County Coroner James Whipps previously told the Star-Tribune that an autopsy found just one gunshot wound on Clutters body and no other contributing factors to his death.

He had been barricaded inside an Evansville home for around 18 hours in March, after officers attempted to serve him an arrest warrant related to narcotics and narcotics distribution ordered by DCI. According to Itzens letter, officers also had a search warrant for the home.

Those warrants came from a several-month investigation into meth distribution in Natrona County, and Itzens letter indicates other warrants related to the investigation had also been served that day.

Casper police were providing support during the standoff, Tuesdays announcement stated.

Itzen noted that Clutter shot first in each instance, and that one officer reported having bullet holes in their boots. A DCI vehicle also had bullet holes in its front. When officers first tried to go inside, the letter states, Clutter appeared in an upstairs window with a rifle and was actively engaging law enforcement.

It was Clutters actions, and his actions alone, that led to this result, Itzen wrote in his letter.

There is no body camera footage from the shooting, police said.

The cameras officers were wearing at the time ran out of batteries, according to police, meaning video of the standoff ends around 3 a.m. on May 19, several hours prior to the last shots being fired. The scene was cleared around noon. Typically, CPD said, they are committed to releasing body camera footage of all officer-involved shootings.

If there is an extensive situation happening, most times officers are able to trade out body cameras if they have an extra available. Thats not always the case, police spokesperson Rebekah Ladd said in an email Tuesday. In this situation, officers were being actively fired upon. It wasnt safe for them, or the community, to have the officers leave their positions.

Ladd said CPD is looking into how to avoid, as much as possible, this scenario in the future.

The department said it is still reviewing the officers conduct in the standoff to determine whether policy was followed and how to better prepare our equipment, tools, technology, and our officers to deal with similar critical incidents of this nature.

A toxicology test found methamphetamine in Clutters system. Whipps, the coroner, declined to release the exact amount, but said there was not enough (meth) to kill him.

According to Itzen, officers had heard from Clutters cousin that Clutter would plan to shoot it out with police. He had also reportedly told his uncle that he would die first rather than go back to prison.

The letter says Clutter was working on a car outside when officers arrived, and ran into the house alerting others that DCI was there. Other residents of the house left, as well as a pitbull. The dog, according to Itzen, bit two DCI agents, one of whom then shot the dog.

After hearing at least 1 and as many as 3 shots from inside, Itzens letter says officers returned fire and set up a perimeter around the house.

Negotiators made 720 attempts to reach Clutter by phone or text over a 16-hour period, Itzen said, and made more than 700 commands over a loud speaker. At one point, the letter says, Clutter talked to officers about surrendering for around an hour, and also texted back in an apparent attempt to bait officers inside the house.

Officers used pepper spray and other forms of gases, and attempted to put a camera on a pole inside the home in an effort to get Clutter outside, according to Itzen. They then used a water hose, which led to Clutter shooting at least four rounds at the officers with the hose, according to the letter.

Nine rounds of rifle and five rounds of pistol ammunition were found in Clutters pocket after his body was recovered, the letter says.

Star-Tribune editor Joshua Wolfson contributed to this report.

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The Wyoming Department of Education will host discussions in June and July with district superintendents, staff and school board members across the state to talk about school safety following the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, last month, according to a statement from the department.

As we continue to reflect on the tragedy that has befallen the families and citizens of Uvalde, the grief we all feel for them propels us to be prudent in making sure our own schools here in Wyoming are as safe and secure as they can possibly be, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder said in the statement.

The goal of the talks is to look at school security, pinpoint where the education department can help schools improve security and understand how the Wyoming Department of Education can support security across the state, the statement said.

Deputy Superintendent Chad Auer, at Schroeders direction, will host the talks. They will not be open to the public, according to state Department of Education spokesperson Linda Finnerty.

Finnerty said in an email to the Star-Tribune that the number of talks will be determined by need, but that all school districts will be involved in at least one talk. Auer will make a report for Schroeder at the end of the discussions.

School safety is at the top of everyones mind now, and it has been for many years, Auer said. The modern reality is we, as educators and communities, must prepare for the possibility that evil might show up at our local school on any given day.

Lawmakers narrowly kill bill to standardize school safety across Wyoming The bill represented one of the few attempts by lawmakers to adopt new school safety laws in response to mass shootings.

The superintendents post is up for election this year. The lone Democrat state superintendent candidate Sergio Maldonado also called for an immediate review of Wyoming school district safety practices in a statement last week following the Texas shooting.

I am calling for the Wyoming Department of Education to use this summer to inspect every school to assure that the building is hardened to prevent entry from potential attackers and appropriate procedures are in place for a coordinated response from law enforcement and school officials, Maldonado said in the statement.

The discussions will not include inspections of schools, according to Finnerty.

Wyoming has already made some changes in response to past school shootings.

Former Gov. Matt Mead created a task force to look at school safety in Wyoming after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut.

The 2013 report that came out of the task force propelled changes in school emergency response, the statement says. The Wyoming Department of Education now requires districts to have a school safety plan as part of schools accreditation process.

There have been other attempts to beef up safety in Wyoming schools since then.

Former Gov. Matt Mead signed into law in 2017 a bill allowing school districts to permit employees to carry firearms on school property. The Wyoming Education Association opposed the measure, the Star-Tribune previously reported.

In 2019, Sen. Affie Ellis, R-Cheyenne, championed two similar measures to standardize school safety protocols across Wyoming. The state Department of Education would have developed the model for these processes. Neither bill made it into law.

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Large segments of the Republican Party have become a personality cult around former President Donald Trump, Rep. Liz Cheney told CBS News ahead of Thursdays public hearing on the Jan. 6 insurrection.

We have too many people now in the Republican Party who are not taking their responsibilities seriously, and who have pledged their allegiance and loyalty to Donald Trump, she said in an interview broadcast Sunday. I mean, it is fundamentally antithetical, it is contrary to everything conservatives believe to embrace a personality cult, and yet that is what so many in my party are doing today.

Is the Republican Party a personality cult? reporter Robert Costa, who conducted the interview, asked.

I think that large segments of it have certainly become that, she said.

Costa pressed: A cult?

Yeah. I mean I think there is absolutely a cult personality around Donald Trump, she said. I think that the majority of Republicans across the country dont want to see our system unravel. They understand how important it is to protect and defend the Constitution.

The interview came as the Jan. 6 Select House Committee gears up to hold a prime-time hearing on its findings. After nearly a year and over 1,000 interviews, the committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump protesters will share what its learned. Cheney is the committees vice chairwoman.

In the interview, Cheney called the attack an extremely broad conspiracy and an ongoing threat. She also called out Wyoming Republican Party Chairman Frank Eathorne, who was on restricted Capitol grounds during the riot.

You know, in my state, the state party chairman is a member of the Oath Keepers. He was here on Jan. 6th. He was here with a walkie-talkie in his hand on Jan. 6th, she said. That is a mortal threat and it is a moral test. We cant fail that moral test.

Eathorne says hes more of a passive member of the militant right-wing organization. He did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

A number of Oath Keepers have been charged with seditious conspiracy following the Jan. 6 riot and have remained at the center of the investigations.

Eathorne has been key in Trumps efforts to punish and unseat Cheney for her criticism of the former president. He is supporting the Trump-endorsed challenger in Wyomings House race, natural resources attorney Harriet Hageman.

During Sundays interview, Cheney once again placed blame for the Jan. 6 attack at Trumps feet.

Were not at a situation where former President Trump has expressed any sense of remorse about what happened. We are, in fact, in a situation where he continues to use even more extreme language, frankly, than the language that caused the attack, she said.

One of the big questions surrounding the attack on the Capitol is exactly how much planning went into it. Those answers could come during the hearings.

But do you believe it was a conspiracy? Costa asked Cheney during Sundays interview.

I do. It is extremely broad. Its extremely well-organized. Its really chilling, Cheney said.

Cheney said she often seeks counsel from her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, who grew up in Casper. The elder Cheney has not been as vocal concerning his thoughts on the current Republican Party, but his daughter did offer some insight when recounting the House commemoration of the Capitol attack.

You know, we sat down, and we were in the front row of the House Chamber. And he looked behind him  we were on the Republican side  and he turned back to me, and he said, You know, it is one thing to sort of watch the news and to read about whats happened to our party. He said, It is really another thing to be here and to look and see all of these empty seats and not see another Republican here, the congresswoman recounted.

The first hearing will start Thursday at 6 p.m. Mountain Time. There is not yet a formal schedule, but the hearings could extend into late fall.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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Trinidad and Tobagos Central Bank yesterday warned that the windfall of energy revenues the country is currently receiving is temporary and should be used to fund the adjustment to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The comments came in the Central Banks May 2022 Monetary Policy Report, which was published yesterday, as public sector trade unions gear up to continue negotiations with the Government over new salary packages.
 Flash

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday won a no-confidence vote among Conservative lawmakers, saving his precarious premiership.



Johnson won the support of 211 out of 359 lawmakers, dozens more than the threshold of 180 votes, according to the result announced by Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Party's parliamentary group, the 1922 Committee.

"I can announce that the parliamentary party does have confidence in the prime minister," Brady said.

The confidence vote on Johnson's leadership was triggered after the number of lawmakers who submitted letters of no-confidence in him to Brady reached 54, or 15 percent of Conservative lawmakers.

With Monday's win, Johnson won't face another no-confidence vote for a year under the current Conservative Party rules.

The prime minister has been dogged for months by "partygate" scandals involving him and his staff at Downing Street during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. He received a fine by the British police in April for attending one of the alcohol-fueled parties, making him the first sitting prime minister in British history to be penalized for breaking the law.

"I think it's an extremely good, positive, conclusive, decisive result which enables us to move on, to unite and to focus on delivery and that is exactly what we are going to do," said Johnson shortly after the result was out.

"What this means tonight is that we can focus on what we're doing to help people on the cost of living, with what we are doing to keep streets and communities safer," he said.

"It gives us the chance to unite, strengthen and level up our economy. What we are going to do now is to take the opportunity to unite and deliver," he added.

Despite Johnson's survival in the vote, his political rivals took a shot at the turmoil within the Conservative Party as the 148 votes against him meant more than 40 percent of the Conservative lawmakers wanted him to go.

"The choice is clearer than ever before. Divided Tories propping up Boris Johnson with no plan to tackle the issues you are facing. Or a united Labour Party with a plan to fix the cost of living crisis and restore trust in politics. Labour will get Britain back on track," tweeted Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: "Whilst Boris Johnson has clung on today - make no mistake, his reputation is in tatters and his authority is now totally shot."

"Every Conservative MP who cares about integrity and decency must do the right thing, resign the whip and sit as an independent. For the sake of our country, this failing prime minister cannot be propped up any longer," he said.
A WORRYING trend has emerged over the past two years  an increase in persons impersonating physical therapists.

This is of serious concern to the Physiotherapy Association of Trinidad and Tobago (PATT), as persons who are being treated by unqualified individuals passing themselves off as physiotherapists, are at a major disadvantage, warned president of the PATT, Dr Wynelli Pierre.
Acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert said yesterday that he did not know whether US law enforcement authorities had launched an investigation into Attorney General Reginald Armour.

During an animated Prime Ministers Question Time in Parliament, Imbert also said he could not say whether the Attorney General had disclosed his conflict of interest to the Cabinet or the Prime Minister.
The recent and disturbing incident involving the substantial gashing of one schoolchilds face by another can make every parents stomach churn.

Theres no point in our saying Thank God it was just a knife, because thats a slippery slope down the path to saying Thank God it was just an ordinary handgun and not a submachine gun.
 Flash

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday denounced the "unprecedented decisions" by countries surrounding Serbia to close their national airspace for his flight to Belgrade.



"A country's freedom of choosing partners, a principle upheld by the West, has been trampled on by the West itself. Serbia, from the point of view of the West, should not have such freedom," Lavrov said at an online press conference.

Lavrov said the incident was an attempt to undermine Serbia's relations with Russia and restrict its foreign policy.

During his daily briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov slammed the "hostile actions" toward high-level Russian representatives and stressed that interactions between Russia and friendly countries like Serbia would continue.

Lavrov was planning to visit Belgrade from Monday to Tuesday. His plane was denied entry into the airspace of the countries surrounding Serbia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Sunday night.
Mike and Lorena Arias are creating life-changing moments for numerous high school graduates who want to attend college  all to honor their daughter, Victoria, who was unable to live out her college dream.

One evening, Victoria came in the living room yelling, I got it! I got it! She had received the email notifying her that she had earned a full-ride scholarship to attend St. Marys University in Winona, Minnesota. I like to say that moment was life-changing for Lorena and myself and our whole family, said Mike, president of the Victoria Teresa Arias Memorial Foundation.

The nonprofit was founded by him and Lorena shortly after Victoria, an honors student who was determined to become a first-generation college graduate, drowned while swimming laps in the family pool in July 2017 before starting college.

Since then, the foundation has gifted 13 high school seniors $88,000 in scholarship funds, including one $40,000 Nueva Estrella scholarship this year. The scholarships are offered to students from Desert View, Sunnyside, San Miguel, Cholla, Tucson and Pueblo high schools and students involved with Youth On Their Own.

Being able to go to the schools and surprise the students by announcing they have won a scholarship is the same feeling Lorena and I had when Victoria found out that she had received hers. This is a labor of love and a lot of work, but we are giving these students and their families that life-changing feeling, and it is just so powerful, said Mike.

The 2022 scholarship winners  Jasmine Romo from Sunnyside, Ciela Valenzuela Paz from San Miguel, Adriana Grijalva from Pueblo and Arianna Tabanico from Desert View  can attest to that.

I think it hit me finally a few weeks ago, but at first I was overwhelmed. When I found out I had received the big scholarship, I stood there in shock and tried to hold it together. I was feeling really emotional because it proved that all of my hard work was worth it, said Tabanico, recipient of the Nueva Estrella scholarship.

The 18-year-old plans to attend the University of Arizona to pursue a degree in speech, language and hearing sciences and eventually become a speech pathologist.

It will be a huge triumph for the Tucson native. Raised by a single mother, Tabanico credits her mother with instilling values such as kindness, compassion and empathy while emphasizing the importance of helping others, setting goals, being self-aware and reflective, and living life in the most positive way. Tabanico said this advice has helped her to overcome significant obstacles.

When I was little, I was diagnosed with selective mutism, a severe anxiety disorder which has transitioned more to social anxiety. I had trouble talking to other people and would never go to adults and speak up if I needed help or support. I think pursuing this degree will help bring my story back full circle. I want to work with kids and help them to use their voices so they can give back as well, said Tabanico.

Known as the child whisperer to family and friends, Tabanico has always felt a connection to children.

My mom also calls me tienes la sangre liviana, which means good-natured and likable so I will be able to help kids talk and open up. She says kids can sense my caring heart, said Tabanico.

Ultimately, the Nueva Estrella scholarship will lessen the financial stress of college and allow Tabanico to focus on her educational goals so that she can ensure that each unheard and underprivileged child she works with will have a fair shot in life.

In her scholarship application, Tabanico wrote that if she had to choose a hashtag for herself, it would be #UseYourVoice.

Speaking your truth and staying true to yourself is important. Sharing your knowledge, thoughts and experiences with others allows for growth and understanding. Using your voice to advocate for yourself and others is so very important. We are all important; our voices matter, wrote Tabanico.

The idea that each of us are vital to the overall health of the community embodies the philosophy of the Victoria Teresa Arias Memorial Foundation, according to Mike Arias.

We want everyone in our community  all of the family, friends, volunteers and anyone who purchases a ticket to attend the events or supports us in any way  to take ownership in these scholarships and be proud. They are the reason the scholarships are happening. We want everyone involved to say, Yes, we are helping the youth of our community, said Mike.

Contact freelance writer Loni Nannini at ninch2@comcast.net

If You Go: What: Fourth annual A Night to Remember Victoria Teresa Arias Gala When: 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 17 Where: Casino Del Sol Grand Ballroom, 5655 West Valencia Road Cost: $80 per person; $800 for a table of 10 Notes: Festivities include a cocktail party and music and performances by Las Azaleas, Ballet Folklorico Tapatio, and Mariachi Pueblo Viejo followed by a three-course dinner and a silent auction featuring hotel packages, a Las Vegas vacation, original art by local artists, and many other gift baskets and prizes. Entertainment will include an awards ceremony for scholarship winners and live music by Los Gallegos. Title sponsor of the event is Casino Del Sol, and other sponsors include Constellation Brands, Crest Insurance, Ornelas Chiropractic, Karnas Law Firm, Catholic University of America, Sandoval Creative, Little Mexico Restaurant, American Eat Co. and VIP Printing and Promotions. More info: For tickets, more information or to make an online donation or a contribution to the silent auction, visit victoriateresaariasmemorialfoundation.org or call 520-360-5298. Table sponsorships are also available.

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A man is facing charges that he assaulted two Border Patrol agents last week near the Mexico border southwest of Tucson, authorities said.

Miguel Angel Acatzihua-Temoxtle, 25, a Mexican national, was arrested and is facing one count each of assault of a federal officer and assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon.

Authorities said Border Patrol agents working near Newfield received information that a group of undocumented immigrants were moving through the Baboquivari Mountains near Ocheros Wash on the Tohono Oodham Nation. Agents went to the area and found several individuals, including Acatzihua-Temoxtle, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Arizona.

Acatzihua-Temoxtle ran from the agents up the side of a wash and kicked several large boulders down to slow the pursuit of one of the agents, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Acatzihua-Temoxtle then physically assaulted two of the agents, including trying to choke one with a lanyard that held the agents night vision goggles, authorities said. The lanyard broke during the struggle, according to a complaint filed in federal court

As the two were struggling on the ground, another agent arrived to assist and the suspect assaulted that agent. The two agents managed to eventually place Acatzihua-Temoxtle in custody, according to a complaint.

Acatzihua-Temoxtle had his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Leslie A. Bowman on Thursday.

Convictions for assault on a federal officer carry a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine. Assault on a federal officer with the use of a deadly or dangerous weapon carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine.

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Reiter, Steven R.

It is with great sadness to announce the passing of Steven Robert Reiter on May 26, 2022.

Steven was born on May 16, 1963 in Glendale, California to Gretchen & Francis Reiter. He was their 4th child and was his mom's "bundle of joy".

He grew up in Placentia, Ca., and went to Valencia High School. Steve participated in water polo & threw discus and shot put for the Track & Field team. He was also a proud Eagle Scout.

Steve graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo majoring in industrial engineering. While there, he met his bride, Marilyn Kind. They married in 1994 and just celebrated 28 years together. They have a beautiful daughter, Taylor, who was the apple of her daddy's eye.

Steve worked at Raytheon and was Executive Director - Naval Power. He began and ended his 35 years with the same company.

Steve loved traveling with his family. He especially enjoyed traveling to watch Taylor play volleyball for Northeastern University. Traveling to Lake Tahoe was also a favorite place for him from childhood. He went there every summer where he enjoyed boating, hiking, and BBQ-ing with his family and friends.

His hobbies included scuba diving and perfecting his pulled pork recipe in his smoker.

Steve passed away unexpectedly while on business in Boston on May 26, 2022. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, daughter Taylor, his parents, Gretchen & Fran Reiter, his siblings, Francis, Karl and Lisa along with many nieces and nephews, and extended family.

He was a wonderful man who enjoyed life to the fullest. He was the first person to help his family or friends in whatever they needed without being asked. Contributions to his memory may be made to the American Heart Association.

His service is at Tanque Verde Lutheran Church, June 11 at 2:30 p.m. Arrangements by Adair Dodge Chapel.
In a major policy switch, the Biden administration has reversed a past federal decision that stripped the governments oversight over development along normally dry washes on the proposed Rosemont Mine site.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers March 2021 decision that Rosemont-area washes dont merit Clean Water Act regulation of development along them is not valid, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor wrote to a tribal attorney, Stu Gillespie, on Friday.

The Corps had found, in two separate rulings, that the Rosemont washes dont qualify as Waters of the U.S. Thats a legal term for washes considered hydrologically and biologically important enough to merit federal oversight. That decision was based on a Trump administration rule, since abandoned, that by definition excluded virtually all washes on the Rosemont site from federal control. The excluded streams are ephemeral, carrying water only after big storms.

Connor said that decision cant stand because it was made without formal consultation with three tribes who have fought the Rosemont Mine, which Gillespie represents. They are the Tohono Oodham, the Pascua Yaqui and the Hopi, all of which had asked for the Corps to consult with them before the March 2021 decision. That decision freeing Rosemont washes from federal oversight was, in legal terms, an approved jurisdictional determination, typically the Corps final conclusion on issues involving its authority over washes on a development site.

Given the specific circumstances  it is my policy decision that the Corps should have honored these government-to-government consultation requests, Connor wrote.

Connor issued simultaneous decisions regarding this issue Friday for Rosemont and for a titanium mine proposed for swamplands in the Savannah, Georgia, area, in a memo to the Army Corps commanding general.

100 acres worth of washes

At issue with Rosemont are about 100 acres worth of washes over which the Army Corps had relinquished jurisdiction in its 2021 decision.

The Rosemont Mine would provide up to 600 jobs and extract copper from as deep as a half-mile underground in an open pit more than a mile in diameter in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson, says Hudbay Minerals Inc, the company proposing to build the mine. If built, it would be the third largest copper mine in the U.S.

In the Twin Pines case in Georgia, the Corps had previously excluded 556 acres of wetlands near the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge from its jurisdiction. Both these companies can now submit new requests for determination of their Clean Water Act status but the Army will request tribal consultation, Connor wrote.

Hudbay issued a statement Tuesday taking issue with Connors action but not saying what steps it would or might take to fight his decision or to otherwise advance the stalled Rosemont project. The company said it hadn't received a copy of Connor's letter.

By their terms, and consistent with longstanding Army Corps policy, the AJDs (approved jurisdictional determinations) are valid for five years unless new information warrants revision, said Hudbay.

We do not believe that the lack of consultation with the tribes is new information that justifies a revision. There is no legal requirement for the Corps to consult with tribes on AJDs and their policy at the time our AJDs were issued was not to consult. This is a reasonable position considering that an AJD is a purely legal decision where input from the tribes cannot affect the outcome, Hudbay said.

The company said the 2021 Corps jurisdictional determinations are formal agency decisions that can only be reversed by another formal agency decision, which would be subject to judicial review.

Project already stalled

The precise impact of Connors decision on the Rosemont Mines future is unclear. Thats partly because the nearly $2 billion mine construction project has been stalled since July 2019 by unfavorable federal court rulings on other grounds.

In addition, Hudbay told the Army Corps in late April its relinquishing the federal permit the Corps had issued the company in 2019 to allow it to build the mine. The Corps told the Star last week it has no legal process to surrender permits but is treating Hudbays action as a request to revoke the permit. But a federal judge last month upheld the companys right to relinquish the permit.

The Army Corps of Engineers has never determined that there are jurisdictional Waters of the U.S. in the area and Hudbay has independently concluded through its own scientific analysis that there are none, Hudbay said in its statement. The permitting effort for Rosemont was based on Rosemont voluntarily consenting to the Corps jurisdiction without an actual determination. Hudbay has now surrendered the permit, which the U.S. District Court ruled we are within our rights to do.

Connors decision came as he considers a request from U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Tucson Democrat, to similarly consult with tribes on and to possibly stop Hudbays ongoing clearing and grading on private land the company owns on the Santa Ritas west slope for its Copper World project. That work has proceeded since April 12 as an early step toward Hudbays plan to build up to five open pits to mine copper on the west slope area.

In his memo, Connor wrote the effects of his latest action are limited to the jurisdictional findings the Corps made for the Rosemont and Twin Pines, Georgia, projects. His memo is not intended to establish or rescind any separate national policy guidance, Connor wrote.

But if the Corps were now to decide on its authority over Copper World washes, it would have to rely on the definition of Waters of the U.S. that existed before 2015  a definition that allows for development along ephemeral streams to be regulated in some circumstances.

Connors decision is a victory for tribes that have opposed the mine, because it means Rosemont Copper, Hudbays Arizona subsidiary, wont be able to avoid having washes on its property regulated under the Clean Water Act because of the Corps 2021 decision. In general, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps have halted implementation iof the Trump-era rules nationwide and are interpreting Waters of the U.S. consistent with the pre-2015 rules and guidelines, until further notice, an Army spokesman said.

Its a step in the direction of insuring compliance with the Clean Water Act. It means Hudbay cant rely on a negative determination, tribal attorney Gillespie said. Hudbay can no longer say the Corps has freed them from jurisdiction. Theyll either have to get a Clean Water Act permit or demonstrate theres no jurisdiction in another way, he said.

In 2020, the Trump administration had issued a regulation excluding all ephemeral streams from being classified Waters of the U.S. In August 2021, a federal judge in Tucson overturned that rule.

But the Corps had continued to say its earlier Rosemont determination would remain for five years, under longstanding agency policies.

In his letter to Gillespie last week, Connor cited what he called the federal governments trust responsibility to tribal nations, which was highlighted in a January 2021 memo from President Joe Biden.

President Biden reaffirmed the federal governments enduring commitment to consultation as a means of strengthening the sovereign relationship between the United States and our tribal nations, Connor wrote. The memorandum directs all agencies to engage in regular, meaningful and robust consultation with tribal nations on federal actions that have tribal implications.

The three tribes have long opposed Rosemont out of concern it would degrade land they considered culturally significant.

Connor also wrote Gillespie that if Hudbay proceeds with discharges into jurisdictional waters of the United States without appropriate authorization they may be in violation of the Clean Water Act.

Contact Tony Davis at 520-349-0350 or tdavis@tucson.com. Follow Davis on Twitter@tonydavis987.

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OZARK, Ala. (AP)  Two aviators were injured Monday when a military helicopter crashed near an Army base in southern Alabama, officials said.

The AH-64 Apache helicopter was involved in an aviation incident near Ozark, Alabama, according to a news release from the Fort Rucker Public Affairs Office. The two-person aircrew was transported for medical treatment, but no fatalities were reported.

The helicopter was damaged and officials said the incident is under investigation.

Fort Rucker, located in southeast Alabama, is the headquarters for U.S. Army Aviation and is the primary flight training installation for the Army.

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Mississippi lawmaker with ethics woes forced into GOP runoff

LOS ANGELES (AP)  U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi has advanced to a Republican runoff after a congressional ethics watchdog raised questions about his campaign spending and he faced his largest-ever field of primary challengers. In heavily Democratic California, Republican House members are facing primary rivals in races that will help determine control of Congress. In Montana, former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is competing against several other Republicans for a chance to capture a new U.S. House district. And in Iowa, Republican state Sen. Zach Nunn has won the GOP spot to take on the states lone Democratic House member, Rep. Cindy Axne, in a newly drawn district with a stronger GOP tilt.

School police chief a no-show at Uvalde City Council meeting

UVALDE, Texas (AP)  The school district police chief criticized for waiting too long before ordering law enforcement to confront and kill the gunman during a mass shooting at a Texas elementary school did not appear at a Uvalde City Council meeting, despite being newly elected to the panel. Mayor Don McLaughlin says he's unable to explain why school district police Chief Pete Arredondo wasnt at the brief meeting Tuesday. Two weeks ago, 19 students and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Law enforcement and state officials have struggled to present an accurate timeline and details, and have stopped releasing information about the police response. McLaughlin claims he is frustrated with the lack of information.

Treasury Secretary Yellen expects inflation to 'remain high'

WASHINGTON (AP)  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has acknowledged that she and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell could have used a better word than transitory when describing the expected run of inflation in the U.S. economy. Yellen says she remains hopeful it will decline. But she told the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday that I do expect inflation to remain high although I very much hope that it will be coming down now." Yellen added that bringing inflation down should be the number one priority. Treasury and the Federal Reserve have been increasingly blamed by legislators and the public for allowing inflation to reach record highs.

FBI seizes retired general's data related to Qatar lobbying

The FBI has seized the electronic data of a retired four-star general who authorities say made false statements and withheld incriminating documents about his role in an illegal foreign lobbying campaign on behalf of Qatar. Court records obtained by The Associated Press outline a potential criminal case against retired Marine Gen. John R. Allen for violating foreign lobbying laws. Allen led U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan before being tapped in late 2017 to lead the influential Brookings Institution think tank. Allen denies working as a Qatari agent. A spokesperson told AP he voluntarily cooperated with the investigation.

Son of Buffalo victim pushes Congress: 'What are you doing?'

WASHINGTON (AP)  The son of an 86-year-old woman killed in the racist Buffalo mass shooting is calling on Congress to act against domestic terrorism. Garnell Whitfield Jr., whose mother was the oldest of the 10 Buffalo victims, challenged senators at a hearing Tuesday. He asked them: What are you doing? You were elected to protect us. The emotional testimony came against the backdrop of intensifying Senate negotiations on a gun safety bill. The proposals are gaining traction, but also raising concerns from Democrats and some advocacy groups who are pushing senators to do more, faster, to stem the tide of mass shootings across the nation.

Russia claims advances in Ukraine amid fierce fighting

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia claims to have taken control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraines Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says Moscows forces hold nearly all of Luhansk province. And it appears that Russia now occupies roughly half of Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts.

FDA advisers back Novavax COVID shots as 4th US option

A more traditional kind of COVID-19 vaccine is a step closer to becoming the fourth option for U.S. adults. Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted Tuesday to recommend authorization of shots made by Novavax. It's a protein vaccine, a more conventional technology than the dominant Pfizer and Moderna shots, and the lesser-used Johnson & Johnson option. It the FDA ultimately agrees, the Novavax shots could be an option for adults who haven't yet gotten vaccinated. The company eventually hopes to offer its shots as a booster, like they're used in some other countries.

Golfers put aside 'reprehensible' Saudi moves to join series

ST. ALBANS, England (AP)  The stars of the new Saudi-funded golf league have tried to fend off concerns about human rights abuses and signing up to accept hundreds of millions of dollars despite the risk of being banned from long-standing events. After announcing he quit the PGA Tour to join the LIV Golf series, Dustin Johnson evaded questioning about the source of the $25 million prize fund for each event flowing from Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund. Graeme McDowell says he accepts it is incredibly polarizing to join the tour. He even offered a reason why, citing the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Human rights groups describe Saudi Arabias efforts as sportswashing its image.

Some cancer patients can skip treatments, 2 studies show

Some cancer patients can safely skip radiation or chemotherapy after surgery. That's according to two new studies exploring shorter, gentler cancer care. Researchers are looking for ways to precisely predict which patients can avoid unneeded treatment to cut down on harmful side effects and unnecessary costs. One study used a blood test to determine which colon cancer patients could skip chemotherapy after surgery. The other study suggests some low-risk breast cancer patients can omit radiation after lumpectomy. The findings were discussed at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which is wrapping up Tuesday in Chicago.

Facing huge inventory, Target cuts vendor orders, prices

NEW YORK (AP)  Target is canceling orders from suppliers, particularly for home goods and clothing, and its slashing prices further to clear out amassed inventory ahead of the critical fall and holiday shopping seasons. The actions come after a pronounced spending shift by Americans, from investments in their homes to money spent on experience like travel, and nights out for dinner and other pre-pandemic routines. Shoppers are also focusing more on non-discretionary items like groceries as inflation makes them more selective. Thats a change that arrived much faster than major retailers had anticipated. The speed at which Americans pivoted away from pandemic spending was laid bare in the most recent quarterly financial filings from a number of major retailers.

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The girl, naked and screaming, ran directly toward Nick Uts camera -- and into history.

Her name is Kim Phuc, and the instant the Associated Press photographer captured her image 50 years ago -- on June 8, 1972 -- she became more than a victim of a South Vietnamese napalm strike on her hamlet. She was and is an international symbol of that unpopular war, and of the torment inflicted on innocents in all wars.

For nearly a century, the AP has covered war with images. Some won Pulitzer Prizes, like Uts napalm girl, like Eddie Adams breathtaking photo of the execution of a Viet Cong prisoner, like Joe Rosenthals tableau of Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jimas Mount Suribachi.

They and others are engraved in global memory, often resonating in ways that words and video do not.

Some show wars action -- a Palestinian with stone in hand confronts an Israeli tank; Korean refugees crawl over a shattered bridge, like ants; a statue of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein crashes to the ground.

But others focus on the pain, and the losses. A Marine, bleeding profusely around his neck, is evacuated by helicopter after a bombing in Afghanistan. A man displays scars left by machete-wielding gangs in the Rwandan genocide. A Palestinian woman, her face a mask of fury and grief, brandishes helmets left behind by those responsible for a massacre at the Sabra refugee camp in Lebanon.

All too often, the war photos depict young victims.

Thirty-eight years apart, in Vietnam and Syria, fathers clutch the bodies of their dead children. In between, in 1994, a 7-year-old boy lies mortally wounded in a pool of blood in Serajevo.

And then, this year, Evgeniy Maloletka captured the aftermath of the Russian bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine. Five men carried a pregnant woman on a stretcher. Her pelvis had been crushed; she would not survive.

Nor would her unborn child.

This story has been corrected to show that South Vietnamese planes dropped the napalm, not American planes.

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PHOENIX (AP)  An Arizona prisoner made a last-minute request to the U.S. Supreme Court to delay his execution scheduled Wednesday for his murder conviction in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl.

Frank Atwood made the request Tuesday after a lower court rejected his arguments that the execution should be called off because his degenerative spinal condition would make it excruciatingly painful for him to be strapped on his back to the gurney he will lie on during the lethal injection.

Atwoods attorneys also told the Supreme Court in court filings that the aggravating factor that made his crime eligible for the death penalty was invalidly applied. He was convicted in 1975 in California for lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under 14 and convicted of killing Vicki Hoskinson in 1987.

Atwood is scheduled to be lethally injected with pentobarbital Wednesday at the state prison in Florence, Arizona, for his conviction in the girl's killing.

The execution would be Arizonas second in less than a month, following an eight-year hiatus attributed to both on the difficulty of obtaining needed lethal injection drugs and criticism that a 2014 execution was botched.

Death penalty opponents worry that Arizona will now start executing a steady stream of prisoners who have languished on death row, but state officials didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on their future execution schedule and no more are currently scheduled. Arizona has 112 prisoners on death row, including Atwood.

Earlier on Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a request to delay Atwood's execution.

In addition to arguing that Atwood would suffer while strapped to the gurney, his lawyers questioned whether the state had met a requirement that the lethal injection drugs expiration date falls after the execution date.

And even though he didnt pick lethal gas as his execution method, his lawyers still challenged the states procedures protocol for gas chamber executions.

The appeals court in its ruling said it was deferring to a lower-court judge who concluded that accommodations made by the state  allowing a pillow and tilting feature on the gurney to be used to prop up Atwood to alleviate his pain  prevented a ruling that the lethal injection protocol creates a risk of severe pain.

The appeals court also concluded Atwood lacks legal standing to challenge the lethal gas protocol because he will be executed by lethal injection.

Prosecutors have said Atwood is trying to indefinitely postpone his execution through legal maneuvers.

Atwood's lawyers said would suffer for an extended amount of time even before the lethal drug is injected.

In a statement, Atwood attorney Joseph Perkovich said the lethal injection procedure will intentionally inflict extreme pain for what will likely be an hour before, in the best-case scenario, he succumbs to the execution chemicals.

Authorities have said Atwood kidnapped Hoskinson, whose remains were discovered in the desert northwest of Tucson nearly seven months after her disappearance. Experts could not determine the cause of death from the remains, according to court records.

Atwood maintains that he is innocent.

Last month, Atwood declined to choose between lethal injection or the gas chamber, leaving him to be put to death by lethal injection, the states default execution method.

Even though he didnt pick the gas chamber, Atwood challenged Arizona's lethal gas procedures.

His lawyers said Atwood has a right to choose between methods of execution that are constitutional and suggested that the state switch its lethal gas from hydrogen cyanide gas to nitrogen gas because nitrogen would produce painless deaths. Arizona prosecutors say nitrogen executions are untried and untested.

Atwood's attorneys said the state's lethal gas protocol calling for the use of hydrogen cyanide gas  which was used in some past U.S. executions and by Nazis to kill 865,000 Jews at the Auschwitz concentration camp alone  is unconstitutional and would produce agonizing levels of pain in executions.

Arizona, California, Missouri and Wyoming are the only states with decades-old lethal-gas execution laws still on the books. Arizona, which carried out the last gas chamber execution in the United States more than two decades ago, is the only state with a working gas chamber.

In recent years, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Alabama have passed laws allowing executions with nitrogen gas, at least in some circumstances, though experts say its never been done and no state has established a protocol that would allow it.

On May 11, Arizona executed Clarence Dixon for his murder conviction in the 1978 killing of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old Arizona State University student.

It was the first execution carried out in the state since the July 2014 execution of Joseph Wood, who was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over nearly two hours.

Wood snorted repeatedly and gasped before he died. His attorney said the execution had been botched.

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NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Louisiana's Democratic governor said Monday he will call the Republican-dominated Legislature into special session soon to draw up new congressional district boundaries, now that a federal judge has blocked use of maps that have only one majority-Black district.

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced his plan at a news conference at the Capitol in Baton Rouge. He spoke to reporters minutes after the 2022 regular legislative session ended, and a few hours after U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick, also in Baton Rouge, blocked the use of the new maps. Her ruling included an order that the Legislature draw up with a remedial plan by June 20.

Edwards, whose veto of the maps was overridden by lawmakers earlier this year, said there should have been a second majority-Black district among the six districts that were approved, noting that the states population is almost one-third Black.

Edwards said redrawing the district lines is required by the court order, the Voting Rights Act and by basic fairness and basic math.

But, lawyers for Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, the state's top elected official, swiftly filed a notice of appeal of Dick's order.

Dick's June 20 deadline for drawing new district lines is one month before the signup period for the Nov. 8 congressional election.

If the Legislature is unable to pass a remedial plan by that date, the Court will issue additional orders to enact a remedial plan compliant with the laws and Constitution of the United States, the judge wrote.

The district map was drawn up in a special session earlier this year during a legislative special session called to redraw government district lines to account for population shifts show in the 2020 census. Edwards vetoed the maps but his veto was overridden. That led to a lawsuit by voting rights advocates.

Ardoin filed a notice of appeal with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Ultimately, the case could wind up before the Supreme Court, which earlier this year put on hold a lower court ruling that Alabama must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power.

Ardoin's office declined comment on the litigation.

In blocking the use of the map pending further elections, Dick said those filing the lawsuit were likely to prevail with their argument that the new districts violate the federal Voting Rights Act. She blocked Ardoin from conducting any elections using the new map.

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) 

A 2-year old boy fatally shot his father in an accident after finding a gun, and the boy's mother is now facing criminal charges, authorities in Florida said Monday.

Reggie Mabry, 26, was fatally shot late last month while he was playing a video game. The gun was fired by his 2-year-old son in the home Mabry, his wife Marie Ayala, and their three young children shared in metro Orlando, according to an Orange County Sheriff's Office report.

The gun was not properly stored," Orange County Sheriff John Mina said at a news conference. In fact, it was easily accessible, even to a 2-year-old, and the result is a tragedy that no one in this community can really comprehend."

Ayala, 28, was charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and violation of probation, Mina said.

Both Ayala and Mabry had been on probation for child neglect and narcotics possession.

Ayala remained in jail on no bond Monday, according to an online jail record. Online court records showed she was being represented by the public defender's office but no further details were provided.

Ayala told detectives that her 5-year-old son told her that his 2-year-old brother had fired the gun, but the older brother couldn't explain how his younger brother had gotten hold of the weapon, the arrest report said.

The children weren't harmed and have been placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families.

The tragedy could have been prevented if the gun had been properly stored, the sheriff said.

Now these young children have effectively lost both of their parents, Mina said. And a young child has to live his life knowing he shot his father."

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Vietnam attends regular meeting of IAEA Board of Governors

Ambassador Nguyen Trung Kien, Governor - Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is attending the regular meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors held from June 6-10 in Vienna, Austria.









Ambassador Nguyen Trung Kien, Governor - Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA)



Speaking at the event, Kien highlighted Vietnams major policies and efforts to ensure nuclear security and safety and its atomic energy application for peaceful purposes and sustainable development, contributing to realising the countrys international commitments.



He shared common interests in the potential of new technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs), transportable nuclear power plant (TNPP), and floating nuclear power plant (FNPP).



The ambassador affirmed that the research, development, licensing, operation and deployment of the new nuclear technologies should be approached carefully and gradually.



It is necessary to soon form a legal framework that complies with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), protects the environment, respects sovereign independence and territorial integrity, ensures transparency, and follows common procedures and practices, he stated.



The Vietnamese representative also suggested the IAEA continue to support member countries, especially developing ones, in improving their capacity in nuclear research and application, and response to radiation and nuclear incidents, and in building and perfecting the domestic legal framework on nuclear law.



Each year, the IAEA Board of Governors convene meetings in March, June, September and November. The June meeting this year sees the participation of representatives from 35 Board members, IAEA member countries and international organisations.



Vietnam was elected as a member of the IAEA Board of Governors in September 2021 for the 2021-2023 term./
 Flash

China on Monday reiterated concerns over the nuclear weapon material transfer involved in AUKUS, saying the issue should be addressed under the international non-proliferation regime.



Wang Qun, Chinese envoy to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna, made the remarks after a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors.

The meeting decided by consensus to set up a formal agenda item on "Transfer of nuclear materials in the context of AUKUS and its safeguards in all aspects under the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons)" at China's proposal, Wang said.

The Chinese envoy noted it is the third time that the IAEA board meeting has incorporated the AUKUS issue into its agenda, reflecting the international community's serious concerns over the trilateral deal.

In September 2021, the United States, Britain and Australia announced the establishment of AUKUS, under which the United States and Britain will assist Australia in its acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.

Wang called on the three countries to heed the call of the international community, fulfill their legal obligations on non-proliferation, and immediately and comprehensively report to the IAEA all relevant information about the nuclear weapon material transfer under AUKUS.

Wang expressed hope that the IAEA board meeting would continue to focus on core issues of AUKUS and seek solutions to safeguard the NPT and the international non-proliferation regime.
A teacher who was wounded in last month's massacre at a Texas elementary school told ABC his students were watching a movie when they heard gunshots -- and asked him what was going on.

All of Arnulfo Reyes' 11 students would be among the 19 children and two teachers killed by a gunman who stormed two adjoining classrooms at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24.

"The kids started asking out loud, 'Mr. Reyes, what is going on?'" Reyes told ABC's Amy Robach in an interview aired Monday on "World News Tonight with David Muir."

"And I said, 'I don't know what's going on, but let's go ahead and get under the table. Get under the table and act like you're asleep.'

"As they were doing that, and I was gathering them under the table and told them to act like they're going to sleep, is about the time when I turned around and saw him standing there."

The gunman opened fire, striking Reyes; one bullet went through his arm and lung, and another hit his back, ABC reported.

Reyes couldn't move after being shot, he said, and the shooter then turned his gun on the students.

Officers could be heard outside the classroom, and a child in another classroom pleaded for police to help, Reyes said. But Reyes thinks by that time, officers had retreated down a hallway, he told ABC.

"One of the students from the next-door classroom was saying, 'Officer, we're in here. We're in here,'" he said. "But they had already left."

The 18-year-old gunman, Salvador Ramos, shot students and teachers in Reyes' classroom -- room 111 -- and an adjoining one, authorities said. He was in the classrooms for more than an hour before he was shot and killed by a Border Patrol tactical response team, a timeline provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety shows.

Officers had responded within minutes of the suspect entering the classroom yet were repelled by the gunman's fire and then stationed in a hallway awaiting reinforcements, even as children inside called 911 and begged for police help, the timeline indicates.

Reyes played dead for 77 minutes until the Border Patrol team took Ramos down, he told ABC.

Photos: Scenes of mourning in Uvalde

CNN's Travis Caldwell contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire  &  2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

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Residents of homeowners associations in Arizona will soon be free to fly flags supporting law enforcement, regardless of any rules to the contrary.

Ditto banners honoring firefighters, other first responders, and families who lost loved ones in the military.

Gov. Doug Ducey signed House Bill 2010 on Monday, which expands, a bit, the list of flags HOAs cannot restrict in their communities.

State Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, has successfully pushed various bills over the years to trim HOA powers to govern flags and banners under external appearance rules.

As a result, HOA rules cant restrict the flying of the American flag, flags honoring branches of the military, the POW/MIA flag, the state flag, the flag of any Arizona tribe and the Gadsden flag. The last has the familiar coiled rattlesnake with the caption Dont tread on me.

This year, Kavanagh said, he got a complaint from someone whose HOA would not let her fly a flag promoting first responders.

The result was HB 2010.

As the measure moved through the Legislature, Kavanagh got new complaints from those who wanted to display Gold Star family banners for loved ones lost in combat. Others sought to note they are Blue Star families having someone in the service.

They were added on.

Dennis Legere of the Arizona Homeowners Coalition told legislators thats all well and good but theres no reason for HOAs to decide what banners are and are not acceptable.

Kavanagh responded, I would certainly support a bill that said you can fly whatever flag you want as long as it wasnt obscene or promoting illegal activity.

But the veteran lawmaker said thats just not politically in the cards. I dont believe the votes are there, he said, noting he would need the backing of more than half the 60 representatives and 30 senators.

So he instead pushed through what he could this year rather than load HB 2010 down with issues that would doom the entire measure.

That doesnt mean this new law is the last word. As people report abuses to me, I try and correct them, Kavanagh said.

The selectivity of the legislation has been at the center of debate for years, however.

Why is a supporting law enforcement flag OK, but, for example, a pride flag is not OK? unless specifically approved by an HOA, asked Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Glendale, when Kavanagh tried to expand the list of acceptable flags last year.

Why is a supporting law enforcement flag OK but supporting a Black Lives Matter flag is not OK? Quezada asked.

Howard Fischer is a veteran journalist who has been reporting since 1970 and covering state politics and the Legislature since 1982. Follow him on Twitter at @azcapmedia or email azcapmedia@gmail.com .

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PHOENIX  An attorney for an Arizona death-row prisoner has urged an appeals court to call off the execution scheduled for Wednesday of his client who was convicted in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl, arguing the condemned mans spinal condition would make it excruciatingly painful for him to be strapped on his back to a gurney before he is lethally injected.

At a hearing Monday before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, a lawyer for Frank Atwood also questioned whether the state has met a requirement that the lethal injection drugs expiration date falls after the execution date.

And even though he did not choose lethal gas as his execution method, Atwood also is challenging Arizonas protocol for gas chamber executions. His lawyers say Atwood has a right to choose between methods of execution that are constitutional and said the state should switch its lethal gas from hydrogen cyanide gas to nitrogen gas because nitrogen would produce painless deaths.

Prosecutors say Atwood is trying to indefinitely postpone his execution through legal maneuvers.

They say Atwoods challenge to the states cyanide gas execution procedures is moot, because the execution will be carried out by lethal injection.

Last month, Atwood declined to choose between lethal injection or the gas chamber, leaving him to be put to death by lethal injection, the states default execution method.

Atwood, who is scheduled to be executed at the state prison in Florence for his murder conviction in the killing of 8-year-old Vicki Lynne Hoskinson, lost on all those arguments in a lower-court ruling issued over the weekend and appealed those decisions to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Authorities have said Atwood kidnapped Hoskinson, whose remains were discovered in the desert northwest of Tucson nearly seven months after her disappearance. Experts could not determine the cause of death from the remains, according to court records.

Atwood maintains that he is innocent.

Atwoods lawyers have argued the states death penalty procedures would subject their client, who has a degenerative spinal condition that has left him in a wheelchair, to excruciating suffering if he were strapped to a gurney while lying on his back during his lethal injection.

Prosecutors say Atwood can alleviate pain caused by lying on his back by propping himself up with a pillow and using the tilt function on the execution table. Atwoods legal team rejected a proposal from the state to also let one of the condemned mans legs remain free during the execution as another way of easing his pain.

The state here is not trying to subject Mr. Atwood to any to unnecessary pain, said Jeffrey Sparks, an attorney representing the state. Its trying to accommodate the claims he is raising, while also still carrying out a lawful execution.

Atwoods attorneys have questioned whether the compounded pentobarbital to be used in the execution meets pharmaceutical standards. The testing (of the compounded drug) cannot be relied on, said Joseph Perkovich, one of Atwoods attorneys.

Even though he did not choose the gas chamber, Atwood challenged the states lethal gas protocol that calls for the use of hydrogen cyanide gas, which was used in some past U.S. executions and by Nazis to kill 865,000 Jews at the Auschwitz concentration camp alone. His lawyers say hydrogen cyanide gas is unconstitutional and produces agonizing levels of pain in executions.

His lawyers argue he has a right to choose between methods of execution that are constitutional and said the state should switch its lethal gas from hydrogen cyanide gas to nitrogen gas because nitrogen would produce painless deaths. Arizona prosecutors say nitrogen executions are untried and untested.

Arizona, California, Missouri and Wyoming are the only states with decades-old lethal-gas execution laws still on the books. Arizona, which carried out the last gas chamber execution in the United States more than two decades ago, is the only state with a working gas chamber.

In recent years, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Alabama have passed laws allowing executions with nitrogen gas, at least in some circumstances, though experts say its never been done and no state has established a protocol that would allow it.

Until last month, Arizona went almost eight years without carrying out an execution.

The hiatus has been attributed to the difficulty of securing lethal injection drugs as manufacturers refuse to supply them and to problems encountered during the July 2014 execution of Joseph Wood, who was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over nearly two hours. Wood snorted repeatedly and gasped before he died. His attorney said the execution had been botched.

The hiatus ended on May 11 when the state executed prisoner Clarence Dixon for his murder conviction in the 1978 killing of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old Arizona State University student.

Of the 112 inmates on Arizonas death row, only two have been there longer than Atwood.

Photos: The search for Vicki Lynne Hoskinson in 1984-85 Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson

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TAHLEQUAH  A new international partnership with the Guangzhou College of Technology and Business in China is expected to provide Chinese students the opportunity to earn a Northeastern State University degree.

The collaboration is also expected to open up new study abroad opportunities in China for NSU students.

The Ministry of Education in China has approved the creation of the GCTB-NSU Joint Institute of Technology at Guangzhou College of Technology and Business.

This will allow GCTB students the opportunity to earn one of two bachelors degrees at NSU: Bachelor of Technology or Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security.

Xuan Li, instructional coordinator for Asian programs at NSU, said the Ministry of Education in China has approved just 20 joint institutes globally for 2022 and NSU is one of only two programs in the U.S. for 2022.

He added this approval reflects NSUs high quality of education, investment in international education and support from the administration and various NSU departments that assisted in getting this program up and running.

The Joint Institute represents a great honor for NSU and puts us with an elite group of US institutions that have been approved, said Roger Collier, acting director of the Office of International Programs and NSU professor of finance. This promises to improve the success of our recruitment efforts in China.

Collier said the Joint Institute can recruit up to 100 students per year for each major and students must meet all of NSUs admission requirements, including English proficiency. Accepted students will have the opportunity to complete NSU courses online or come to the U.S. to study.

GCTB students can also apply for NSU scholarships to help cover tuition costs but will have to pay travel costs on their own if they want to come to the United States to finish their degree.

The program will have its first cohort of students starting this fall.

The majors approved this year are all in high demand both in China and worldwide, Li said. By working with the university in China, NSU will be able to bring the knowledge and the current trends in the field to the students in China, and the faculty members in China will be able to share the current trends in China to our faculty and students.

Collier said the Office of International Programs is also working to add both short-term and longer-term study abroad programs for domestic students to study specifically at GCTB to its current offerings at multiple international institutions.

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The makers of Prairie Artisan Ales have been announced as the states largest beer producer by the Oklahoma Craft Brewers Association.

Krebs Brewing Co. produced more than 20,000 barrels of beer last year at its McAlester and Oklahoma City locations, with shipments going around the globe.

According to official annual production data recently released by the brewers association, Krebs Brewing produced just over 20,000 barrels of beer in 2021  an increase of more than 5,000 barrels from 2020. (Each barrel holds 330 12-ounce servings.) Since 2019, its output has grown by over 125%.

Krebs Brewing moved into a 52,000-square-foot production and storage facility west of McAlester in 2017.

Our roots go back almost 100 years, said Zach Prichard, president of Krebs Brewing. My great-grandfather, Pete Prichard, began illegally brewing and selling beer from his basement during Prohibition. His brewing business turned into a restaurant called Petes Place that is thriving to this day. For an idea that literally began in a small Krebs basement, we are so proud to have brewed more than 20,000 barrels of beer last year and be recognized as the largest in the state. Our success is a testament to our team our the quality of our organization.

The company began brewing and selling Prairie Artisan Ales in 2013 and represents the bulk of production and gross sales. Prairie Artisan Ales is known for its big barrel-aged specialty stouts and sours. Rainbow Sherbet is now the best-selling beer in volume and dollars, while Bomb! likely remains the best-known beer, spiced with ancho chili, vanilla, coffee and cacao. Its popularity kept it in the brewing rotation year-round since the first batch of Bomb! was released in 2013.

Tulsan Chase Healey, the current owner of American Solera, started Prairie Artisan Ales at a facility near Chandler Park and did some brewing at Krebs Brewing Co. before selling it to them. His brother, Colin Healey, is the graphic artist for Prairie Artisan Ales.

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 Flash

The successful launch of the crewed spaceship Shenzhou-14 was reported by several international media outlets as worldwide observers called it a new step in China's efforts to complete its own space station and explore space.

On Sunday, three Chinese astronauts onboard the Shenzhou-14 spaceship were sent to space and entered the country's space station core module Tianhe. This is the 23rd flight mission since the approval and launch of the country's manned space program and the third crewed mission for China's space station project.

The flight of the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft to the Tiangong space station marked the beginning of a decade during which Chinese astronauts will constantly live and work in low-orbit Earth, Russia's Regnum news agency reported.

The Moscow Komsomolets newspaper detailed China's plans to build the Tiangong space station.

Noting that China has successfully sent another team of astronauts into space to complete its space station, Germany's DPA reported the space station underpins China's aspirations to catch up with the world's major manned spaceflight nations. China's space program has already achieved some successes, it added.

Croatian astronomer Ante Radonic said in an interview with Xinhua that the successful launch shows that China's manned spaceflight technology is mature and everything is going according to schedule.

The construction of China's space station would be completed soon, the astronomer said.

Noting that China is the third country in the world capable of independently carrying out manned spaceflight activities, Radonic said that China's manned spaceflight program already holds a leading position globally, and the space station program further demonstrates the rapid development of China's manned spaceflight technology.

South Korea's mainstream media, including Yonhap news agency and KBS, also reported on the launch.

China's space station has drawn wide attention, Yonhap news agency said, adding that if the International Space Station is decommissioned, China's Tiangong space station would be the world's only space station.
The Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) under the Ministry of Health issued a nationwide recall of two hand sanitizer products, Aerius-19 and Happicare+, on Monday for failure to meet methanol limit requirements.

Suspension of their circulation accompanied the recall.

The Aerius-19 hand sanitizer products subject to the recall were manufactured on February 10, 2022, with an expiry date of February 10, 2025, and labeled 'SCB: 000175/16-CBMP-HCM' by HMP Tien Thinh Phat Co. Ltd., which is located at 182/46 Huynh Tan Phat Street in Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City.

The Happicare+ product batch to be pulled off shelves was numbered H5-01.1511, produced on November 15, 2021, with an expiry date of November 15, 2024, and labeled 'SCB: 001722/20/CBMP-HCM.'

It was marketed by Happicare Medical Equipment Manufacturing and Trading Co. Ltd., which is situated at 36/30/4 Bui Tu Toan Street in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City.

The DAV decided to suspend circulation and recall these products nationwide after their test samples did not meet requirements on methanol limits in cosmetic products in accordance with the provisions of the ASEAN Cosmetic Association and a circular dated January 25, 2011 of the Ministry of Health.

The agency required the health departments of centrally-run provinces and cities to ask business establishments trading the said products to immediately stop their circulation and conduct a recall to return them to the suppliers.

It also requested the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health to inspect HMP Tien Thinh Phat Co. Ltd. and Happicare Medical Equipment Manufacturing and Trading Co. Ltd. for their observance of the law on cosmetics production and business.

The municipal health department was also charged with monitoring the recall, handling any violations in accordance with current regulations, and submitting a report to the DAV before July 15.

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Ho Chi Minh City is planning to offer courses in artificial intelligence (AI) at all secondary and high schools, starting from the 2022-23 academic year.

Nguyen Bao Quoc, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh Department of Education and Training, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that to implement the citys 'Smart Education and Lifelong Learning in Ho Chi Minh City' project in the 2021-30 period, the education authorities are building and perfecting a system to manage education, teach knowledge and skills, and check smart evaluation.

Teaching AI at high schools is part of the important project, he added.

Over the past three years, several city schools have been teaching AI to students, but the scale remains small and limited.

In the 2022-23 academic year, Ho Chi Minh City will pilot putting an AI teaching program on the syllabus at secondary and high schools.

Accordingly, the city will pick five high schools to apply the AI teaching pilot program, while each district will select a secondary school for it.

Students will study AI through informatics and a series of clubs, extracurricular activities and contests for science, legos and robotics.

Apart from the selected schools for the pilot project, other schools can teach AI via voluntary on-demand programs.

The municipal department has told Saigon University to make a study on building an AI teaching program for students.

Based on the result of the program, the department will extend the pilot program and gradually reach students at all secondary and high schools in the city.

To ensure the AI teaching project can run well, the education sector is stepping up preparation for personnel and facilities.

Particularly, the Department of Education and Training has been running AI training courses for IT teachers at high schools, while most city schools are equipped with computer rooms.

In the coming months, the department will also add some functional rooms such as labs to these schools, while such schools should proactively build smart rooms and multi-functional classrooms; buy essential equipment, robots, and automated devices; launch study programs; and offer AI playgrounds to make the teaching go smoothly, said a representative of the department.

Cao Duc Khoa, principal of Huynh Khuong Ninh Secondary School in District 1, said that the students were really interested in studying AI.

Our school has taught AI through the Robotic and Automation club over the past three years," Khoa said.

The AI teaching program not only gives students opportunities to experience and foster creation and passion, but also trains them in multiple useful skills, including teamwork, cooperation and sharing.

"As such, the students are excited about the program."

Huynh Khuong Ninhs AI club attracts students in grades 6-9 thanks to the advanced two-lesson-per-week AI program with modern equipment.

One of the difficulties facing schools teaching AI is a dearth of IT teachers and teaching equipment which is extremely costly, Khoa said.

To teach AI, teachers of IT and physics must be trained professionally.

Due to its modern and integrated operating model, the Huynh Khuong Ninh school has an advantage over other schools in access to AI teachers and equipment, said Khoa.

Also, AI teaching programs at city schools have received support from parents, according to Nguyen Thai Vinh Nguyen, head of the Thu Duc City Bureau of Education and Training.

The education agencies in Thu Duc City will team up with the AI Center-Software Technology Park in Vietnam National University-Ho chi Minh City to start teaching AI to elementary and secondary students in the 2022-23 school year.

The division has offered leaders of schools some survey trips to the AI center to learn more about the teaching program. Besides, some schools have taken their students to the center to explore robot programming.

The municipal Department of Education and Training issued a dispatch allowing Thu Duc City to roll out an AI teaching program based on clubs or syllabuses. To do so, schools must be encouraged and supported by parents, Nguyen stated.

Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted has taught AI to students in specialized classes since the first semester of the 2019-20 school year, said principal Pham Thi Be Hien.

The program equips students with such skills as mathematical modeling, high-level programming and creation, and provides them with mathematics for AI.

All 10th graders are focusing on a basic AI program, while students in grades 11 and 12 are pursuing a professional AI program associated with math for AI, AI programming, and AI application to science studies.

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CHICAGO -- A Philadelphia school teacher, an Arizona teenager and a Chicago police officer were among hundreds of people struck down by bullets over the weekend, part of a relentless wave of shootings that has pushed gun violence to the forefront of U.S. politics.

More than 124 people were killed and 325 wounded in 300-plus shootings documented in the United States since Friday, according to GunViolenceArchive.org, a Washington D.C. non-profit that tracks shootings.

The rash of violence over the weekend came on the heels of a series of deadly mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, Buffalo, New York, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, that re-ignited a national debate over tighter restrictions on gun ownership, which gun rights advocates fiercely oppose.

After the weekend shootings, a number of big-city mayors voiced frustration over the impact of the violence on their communities.

"I'm tired of standing in front of you talking about guns and bodies," Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly told a news conference on Sunday, hours after two people were killed and 14 wounded in a shooting at a nightclub in his city.

"The surge in gun violence that we've seen across the nation and here in Philadelphia makes me not just heartbroken, but angry," Mayor Jim Kenney said on Sunday, the day after three people were killed and 12 injured when gunshots were fired into a crowded bar in the city's South Street district.

The Philadelphia shooting late Saturday night grew out of a confrontation between two men who exchanged words as they passed each other on the street, sparking a brawl that escalated quickly into gunfire involving at least four weapons, authorities said on Monday.

People walk past police markings at a crime scene after a deadly mass shooting on South Street, at the intersection of Bainbridge St and S 4th St, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 5, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Two suspects, one of them shot in the hand when he opened fire into the melee, were taken into custody on Monday, according to Joanne Pescatore, an assistant city district attorney.

Kris Minners, a second-grade resident advisor at Philadelphia's Girard College, a private boarding school, was among the victims who lost their life in the shooting, according to a Pennsylvania teachers union.

"We see lives senselessly lost and those injured in yet another horrendous, brazen and despicable act of gun violence," Kenney added.

On Monday, in response to the gun violence, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed 10 gun control bills into law.

Lawmakers in Washington D.C. are also looking at several gun control measures, but any new federal gun legislation faces steep hurdles from Republicans, particularly in the Senate.

"Change must happen now," Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in a Tweet after a 14-year-old girl was killed and eight others wounded in a shooting at a strip mall on Saturday.

The weekend also saw police officers shot in Baltimore and Chicago. On Sunday afternoon, on Chicago's South Side, a policeman was wounded during a traffic stop, becoming the second officer injured by gunfire in the area in the last four days.

"How many officers and residents must be victims of gun violence before we act?," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement after the shooting.
The USAID Biodiversity Conservation Activity has introduced a $1.4 million Species Conservation Fund (SCF) in Vietnam, with an aim to support locally led conservation efforts initiated by Vietnamese non-government organizations (NGOs) and other independent organizations.

The launch was announced on Sunday, which coincided with the World Environment Day highlighting the significance of conservation of biodiversity, including species, around the world, the World Wildlife Fund - Vietnam said in a statement on its website the same day.

The SCF, which aims to support the conservation of myriad species of wildlife that are only found in Vietnam, is a part of the $38 million USAID Biodiversity Conservation Activity.

The fund is meant to enhance biodiversity conservation in the nation by promoting coordination of local conservation organizations.

Accordingly, the SCF will support local NGOs and research organizations to develop projects for conserving priority species of wildlife by offering awards from $20,000 to $50,000 for projects up to 1.5 years in duration.

USAID Vietnam Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock emphasized that environmental sustainability is key to sustainable economic growth, and Vietnam is an important partner of the U.S. government on global biodiversity conservation.

The SCF is a wonderful initiative that will support action at the grassroots level to conserve wildlife, forests, and biodiversity for the future, Yastishock said.

Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest biodiversity in the world, but decades of illegal logging, hunting, wildlife trade, and conversion of forests to agricultural lands and infrastructure development has led to staggering losses of natural forest and wildlife, with many species on the edge of extinction, according to the statement.

The country is home to many species that are endemic and some are iconic such as Saola, Annamites striped rabbit, and several species of turtle.

The SCF will place a particular focus on supporting conservation and research efforts to ensure endemic and endangered species of wildlife are protected.

Among the largest joint efforts on biodiversity conservation between the governments of the U.S. and Vietnam, the USAID Biodiversity Conservation Activity is a project implemented by WWF in coordination with Vietnams Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the 2021-26 period.

The project aims to maintain and increase forest quality and protect and stabilize wildlife populations, while supporting local livelihoods in high conservation value provinces.

Vu Van Hung, deputy director of the Management Board of Forest Projects under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the USAID Biodiversity Conservation project sites include 21 special use and protection forests.

We expect that the proposals for SCF will be connected with project activities to increase effectiveness, and will strengthen participation of local organizations in conservation," Hung said.

The SCF will start accepting applications from June 2022, according to the statement.

The fund is expected to strengthen the engagement and coordination among local organizations in species conservation efforts.

Such endeavors are vital to mobilize indigenous knowledge and information on conservation for better evaluation and conservation of wildlife species as well as strengthening the capacity of local conservation organizations in Vietnam.

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Here are todays leading news stories:

Politics

-- Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President of the Republic of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi discussed the two nations ties during their online talks on Monday, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

COVID-19 Updates

-- The Ministry of Health documented 806 COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the national tally to 10,726,045, with 9,513,981 recoveries and 43,081 deaths.

Society

-- Thousands of motorbikes, cars, and trucks were burned down after a fire broke out at the impound lot managed by the traffic police division under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security on Monday.

-- The construction of metro line No. 2 in Ho Chi Minh City may be postponed to 2025 after the consultants ended their contract with the project developer, the municipal Peoples Committee stated in a report.

-- A fishing boat hailing from central Quang Ngai Province sank as it collided with an unidentified boat early on Monday morning, causing three fishermen to drown. Five others were brought to safety later the same day.

-- Police in Hanoi confirmed on Monday they had arrested a 42-year-old taxi driver for stealing money and a credit card from a South Korean passenger on May 29.

-- A 50-seater passenger bus caught fire while traveling on Khanh Le Pass in south-central Khanh Hoa Province on Monday evening. No passengers were harmed but the bus and a large volume of goods were burned down.

-- The Party Central Committee on Monday decided to expel Chu Ngoc Anh, chairman of the Hanoi Peoples Committee, and Nguyen Thanh Long, Minister of Health, from the Party for their serious mistakes related to the striking COVID-19 test kit scandal.

-- An automobile carrying the vice-chairwoman of the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long fatally hit a motorcyclist after encroaching on the opposite lane in Long Ho District, Vinh Long on Monday evening.

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A taxi driver in Hanoi has been arrested for reportedly stealing money and a credit card from a South Korean passenger while the victim was asleep due to the influence of alcohol.

Police in Hoan Kiem District confirmed on Monday they had apprehended Vu Van Quan, 42, who hails from northern Nam Dinh Province, on theft charges.

At around 4:00 am on May 29, Kim Kyung Hyun, a 44-year-old South Korean man, got in the cab driven by Quan after drinking alcohol on Luong Ngoc Quyen Street in Hoan Kiem District, preliminary information showed.

Kim was drunk and fell asleep during the journey.

After arriving at an apartment building in Cau Giay District, the South Korean passenger woke up and found that he had lost about VND4 million (US$172) in his wallet.

As he had no cash left with him, the foreigner asked Quan to come with him to his apartment, where he paid the fare to the driver and went to bed.

When Kim got up at 11:00 am the same day, he discovered that his credit card was missing and that someone had spent about VND40 million ($1,700) on the card at local convenience stores and filling stations.

After receiving the report from the victim, police launched an investigation and found that Quan and his friend  43-year-old Nguyen Van Doc  had used Kims credit card.

At the police station, Quan admitted to stealing the cash and credit card from the South Korean passenger before using the card to buy various products, together with Doc.

Doc, who was arrested on charges of using stolen property, said that he used the credit card despite knowing that Quan had stolen it.

Police investigation revealed that Quan spent over VND16 million ($690) on the credit card, while Doc had used it to buy products worth more than VND25 million ($1,070).

Quan was previously convicted of robbery, while Doc was convicted of gambling, officers added.

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A woman in Ho Chi Minh City stabbed a man to death during a scuffle taking place after he urinated near her house in an alley in Tan Binh District on the weekend.

The district police confirmed on Monday they had collected the statements of P.N.L., 56, to facilitate the investigation into the death of a 30-year-old man named S..

Preliminary information showed that L. and her family organized the death anniversary of a relative at their home in an alley on Bui The My Street in Ward 10, Tan Binh District on Sunday afternoon.

At around 4:00 pm the same day, S. walked into the alley and started urinating near L.s house.

The alley where the incident took place on Bui The My Street in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Picture taken on June 6, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

L. and her family members confronted S. about his urination, before an argument broke out between both sides.

S. left the alley but later returned with another person and continued the row with L.s family.

The situation escalated into a fight, during which L. stabbed S. with a paring knife.

S. was taken to the hospital but succumbed to his serious wound.

Further investigation is ongoing.

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A car belonging to the Office of the Peoples Committee of Vinh Long Province in Vietnams Mekong Delta region, which was carrying the provincial vice-chairwoman on a business trip, crashed into a motorbike, killing a man on the spot on Monday afternoon.

Vinh Long chairman Lu Quang Ngoi said later on Monday night that the provincial Peoples Committee sent officials to the victims house to provide support.

The victim died immediately on a road leading to National Highway 1 in the provinces Long Ho District after the car, numbered 64A-002.12, encroached on the opposite lane and collided with his motorbike at around 4:00 pm that day.

The provincial vice-chairwoman Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh was riding in the back seat of the car, whose drivers identity was undisclosed, on her way to Can Tho City for work.

Functional forces arrived at the scene to investigate the deadly accident shortly after.

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 Flash

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed Monday that he would not attend the Summit of the Americas this week due to the exclusion of some countries by the U.S. government.

"It's time to change the dominant political practice," the president told journalists during his daily press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City.

"There cannot be a Summit of the Americas if all the countries of the American continents do not participate," Lopez Obrador insisted.

The president called for a change in the U.S. position, given its "lack of respect" for certain nations such as Cuba, which it has economically blockaded for decades.

Mexico will instead be represented by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard at the summit, which will be held in the U.S. city of Los Angeles on June 6-10.

Lopez Obrador announced weeks ago that he would not attend the meeting if the U.S. government did not invite all regional countries, including Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, which ultimately were excluded.
Vietnam on Tuesday dismissed its health minister Nguyen Thanh Long, after he was accused of violating the Communist Party's rules and allegedly causing losses to the state budget, state media reported.

The sacking of the minister comes amid an intensifying anti-corruption drive in the Southeast Asian country that was launched in 2016.

Dozens of senior health officials have been arrested in recent weeks, accused of wrongdoings in medical equipment procurement, including COVID-19 test kits.

Senior finance and diplomatic officials have also been targeted, and many have faced trials and been jailed.

The National Assembly, the country's lawmaking body, voted on Tuesday to remove Long, 55, from the position of health minister, which he assumed in 2020, Voice of Vietnam Radio reported.

The Communist Party of Vietnam on Monday also decided to expel Long, according to a government news release.

The government said Long has "degraded in political ideology, violated the party's regulations and caused losses to the state budget".

The Ministry of Health has assigned its deputy minister Do Xuan Tuyen as the acting minister, the official Vietnam News Agency cited the ministry as saying.
The Peoples Committee in Binh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam launched on Sunday a tree planting program in response to the prime ministers project on planting one billion trees in the 2021-25 period. The program is accompanied by NovaGroup.

Binh Thuan is one of the provinces that are heavily affected by extreme weather events such as severe heatwaves, water scarcity, and desertification.

The locality has about 150,000 hectares of sandy soil and arid rocky mountains, including 25,757 hectares of degraded land.

Districts in the north of Binh Thuan, namely Tuy Phong and Bac Binh, have recorded an alarming level of desertification and land degradation which have affected the lives and agricultural cultivation of local residents.

In order to overcome these challenges, Binh Thuan has determined that afforestation is the most sustainable way to protect the environment, improve water absorption and storage, boost wind resistance, and slow down the process of desertification, Nguyen Van Phong, vice-chairman of the provincial People's Committee, said at the launching ceremony.

This is a significant task that needs to be performed regularly and constantly for a long time, Phong stressed, adding that the protection of the ecological environment is very important in the process of accelerating industrialization, modernization, and urbanization.

To call on agencies, units, civil servants, public employees, and residents to participate in tree planting, Binh Thuan will turn the activity into an emulation movement at all levels and in all residential quarters, urban areas, schools, industrial parks, and offices.

NovaGroup presents VND10 billion (US$431,200) worth of support for the tree planting program in Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam, June 5, 2022. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre

With this event, Binh Thuan Province calls for resources from all economic sectors, units, and organizations to soon achieve the goal of protecting the ecological environment, improving the landscape and responding to climate change.

This will contribute to socio-economic development and improve the quality of life for the people.

Business companion

At the ceremony, Hoang Thu Chau  CEO of NovaGroup  said that the group is willing to accompany the tree planting program not only in Binh Thuan, but also in other localities in Vietnam.

During the campaign in Binh Thuan Province, NovaGroup and its member corporations will plant trees on the key roads of Phan Thiet City, the provincial capital, and many other districts and communes in the province, with the budget totaling VND10 billion ($431,200).

The selected trees, which suit the soil and climate in Binh Thuan, will be taken from the high-tech plant nursery of Nova Evergreen  a member of the NovaGroup ecosystem  and will be taken care of with modern and eco-friendly methods.

Through this program, Chau hoped that the local business community will join hands to plant more trees and spread the message of environmental protection, contributing to the promotion of the local tourism.

People clean up the beach in Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam, June 5, 2022. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre

In order to develop tourism, the local environment must be green, clean, and beautiful, Chau said, hoping that the message will spread to all residents in Binh Thuan so that each of them will pay more attention to protecting the environment in their neighborhood.

Planting trees in Binh Thuan is one of the activities of the Green Up Vietnam - Millions of Trees for a Brighter Life initiative of NovaGroup.

NovaGroup wishes to work with the provinces and cities where it is developing its projects to jointly deploy this initiative.

The company always focuses on ensuring the harmonious development between three key areas, namely economic development, social development, and environmental protection.

On the same morning, NovaGroup and local authorities organized a beach cleaning program themed Action for a Brighter Life in response to the World Environment Day.

Vice-chairman of the Binh Thuan People's Committee Nguyen Van Phong highly appreciated the initiative of businesses, especially NovaGroup, in the plan to grow more trees in the province.

He hoped that many businesses, organizations, and individuals will take part in the plan by providing financial resources for the tree planting efforts in the locality, which will help boost the quality and area of local forests, protect the ecological environment, improve the landscape, and respond to climate change.

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Three teen boys in the northern Vietnamese city of Hai Phong were honored on Monday for successfully rescuing a 70-year-old woman on the verge of drowning.

The Hai Phong Chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union held a ceremony on the day to pay tribute to Pham Van Tu, a tenth grader of Ly Thai To High School in Le Chan District, and Do Dinh Phuc and Do Van Son, two other tenth-grade students of Edison High School in Kien An District.

Tu, Phuc, and Son heard a cry for help while working part-time during their summer break at an eatery near the An Duong Bridge crossing over the Tam Bac River in Le Chan District on the afternoon of June 4.

Pham Van Tu (L, 2nd), Do Dinh Phuc (L), and Do Van Son (R) receive certificates of honor after saving a senior woman from drowning in Hai Phong City, Vietnam, in this photo taken on June 6, 2022. Photo: Minh Huong / Tuoi Tre

Upon discovering a 70-year-old woman struggling in the river, the three teen boys jumped into the water, swam toward the woman, and brought her to shore safely.

The trio left the scene shortly after without leaving their identities while a video recording their heroic rescue went viral on Facebook.

The municipal youth union chapter was then able to verify that Tu, Phuc, and Son were the brave rescuers in the footage and decided to formally praise them for their fearless action.

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Virginia Trioli hosts Q+A live from Sydney this week for a discussion around the Arts sector.

This episode includes a live performance by the Australian Vocal Ensemble featuring Katie Noonan.

As the arts sector roars back to life, Q+A is bringing together some of Australias leading artists and thinkers, to explore the future of the industry. Music and live performances are once again being celebrated across the country, including Vivid Sydney which is celebrating its 12th year this month, Rising which finally launched in Melbourne after several disruptions and Hobart once again under the spell of Dark Mofo. How has the return of live music and theatre impacted you? Have you regained work in the sector or have you been forced to find another career path?

Arts and events workers reported over 374,000 cancelled gigs and income losses totalling $417.2 million as a result of the pandemic. The recently installed Arts Minister Tony Burke is promising to get the sector back on track quickly. What will a new minister mean for the sector? Do we value the creativity of artists more after going so long without live events?

Insecure work remains a huge issue for artists and creatives, with research showing almost half of all employees in arts and recreation services are in casual roles, and one study finding just 19 per cent of professional artists in Australia work in secure, salaried employment. Labor has promised to address insecure work and low wages by changing employment laws and supporting a pay rise for minimum-wage workers. Tony Burke is also Employment and Workplace Relations Minister  how will he tackle the insecure work crisis that seems to hit the arts sector particularly hard?

Well also explore the connection between creative expression and mental health, looking at how artists, writers and performers use their own experiences to inspire their work and well hear how the creative process has helped them through their toughest challenges.

Darren Hayes, Iconic Australian performer and award-winning songwriter

Katie Noonan, Artistic director, musician and producer

Adam Liaw, Cook, Writer and TV Presenter

Tony Burke, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for the Arts

Paul Fletcher, Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts

8:30pm Thursday on ABC.
Korean zombie series, All of Us Are Dead, has been renewed for Season 2 at Netflix.

The series is one of the streamers top ten non-English-language shows of all time and its second most successful Korean-produced show, after last years Squid Game.

Based on the Korean webtoon Now at Our School by Joo Dong-geun, All of Us Are Dead follows several ordinary high schoolers who end up at ground zero of a zombie apocalypse after a science experiment gone awry. Cut off from the outside world by the government, which seeks to contain the outbreak, the group is forced to protect themselves, all while dealing with heavy interpersonal tension.

Netflix reports that, after its premiere, the series shot straight into the Top 10 most-watched non-English TV series in 91 countries and stayed there for two consecutive weeks.

It also drew 361 million viewing hours in its first 10 days.

Source: Variety
Ten Victorians have been awarded mentorships to help kickstart their careers in Victorias screen industry.

Selected as part of the Make It Conference, all ten recipients are set to train in below the line jobs, taking on crew positions involved in the day-to-day filmmaking process.

The mentors  Andrew Jerram (cameras), Drew Rhodes (locations), Jannine Barnes (production accounting) and Richie Young (unit) from Melbourne Screen Hub, will support ten early and mid-career people.

Twenty-six Make It participants applied for the initiative and twelve finalists faced an interview in front of an audience at the conference. The mentors were so impressed, they agreed to take ten participants, more than doubling the agreed amount.

Denise Eriksen, Media Mentors said, The screen industry is actively searching for people to work in the below-the-line areas of production and yet its been hard to find them. Thats partly because the potential workforce doesnt know about the opportunities and because they dont know what the jobs involve. This program is the start of an initiative we are brokering to ensure barriers are broken down and jobs are filled with the right people. We worked hard to find and alert these participants to new opportunities and will fully support them during their mentorships and the early stages of their careers. Were optimistic that this program will lead to fulfilling screen careers.

Wendy Gray, Head of Industry and Alumni Engagement, AFTRS said, It has been a great experience working with VicScreen and Media Mentors on the past three very successful Make It conferences in Melbourne. AFTRS is committed to developing partnerships around the country to deliver future-facing learning experiences that support our industry. The most recent Make It event was the biggest and most exciting yet  with over 100 industry experts sharing their knowledge and experience. The connections made at these events have proven employment outcomes, and many creative partnerships have been formed and have flourished.

Caroline Pitcher, CEO of VicScreen added, The number and scale of film and television projects being created and made in Victoria has grown exponentially in recent years, and we are committed to supporting future generations of filmmakers to have fulfilling screen careers in our local industry. Events like the Make It conference and the accompanying mentorships are invaluable. They grow the local talent pool, support emerging practitioners, and highlight the many roles and pathways available in the industry.

Ian Anderson, General Manager of Melbourne Screen Hub said, Melbourne Screen Hub are thrilled to be working in partnership with VicScreen and Media Mentors to help introduce new talent through the mentorship programme, the first program connected us with 10 talented individuals who hopefully will become successful crew members in the near future. This partnership brings together highly experienced film practitioners from the Hub and the Media Mentors team who help uncover new talent and together with VicScreen introduce a new group of people with desire to work in the film industry.

The Make It Conference was held in Melbourne with the support of and presented by AFTRS, VicScreen and Media Mentors Australia.

The successful applicants are:

Caitlin Harvey (camera)

Sebastian White (camera)

Izzi Harris (camera)

Bret Salinger (locations)

Suna Celik (locations)

Jackie Zdanowicz (production accounting)

Seni Pritie. (production accounting)

Haakon Barry (production accounting)

Joyce Wong (unit)

Pearlie Papik (unit)

All recipients will receive a series of support sessions throughout 2022 in a program delivered by Media Mentors Australia. They will also make designated field visits to experience first-hand what these roles entail.
Screen Queensland recently appointed Roslyn Atkinson AO as its new Chair.

Ms Atkinson, who joined the Screen Queensland board in February, replaces Linda Lavarch who has served on the Board and as Chair since 2018.

Roslyn Atkinson was a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland for 20 years from 1998, Chair of the Queensland Indigenous Justice committee and lead author of the Equal Treatment Bench book. She was Chair of the Queensland Law Reform Commission for 12 years and board director at Expressions Dance Company (now Australasian Dance Collective) from 1999 to 2001.

Prior to her judicial career, she was a teacher, actor, theatre administrator and a lecturer in Literature, Drama, Film and Australian Studies at the Queensland Institute of Technology (now QUT). She became a barrister in 1987 and was subsequently the inaugural President of the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Tribunal, as well as a Hearing Commissioner of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission.

Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich said, Ms Atkinsons years of demonstrated leadership, interest in the states creative sector and commitment to diversity action makes her exceptionally qualified to helm the Board of Screen Queensland.

This year, we will be creating our new three-year strategic plan, as well as an environmental sustainability roadmap.

In addition, our Equity and Diversity Taskforce is working with us to produce an inclusion plan for the agency and the screen industry.

I congratulate Ms Atkinson on her new role and, on behalf of the board and staff, I deeply thank Linda Lavarch for her enthusiasm, generosity and prowess throughout the past four exciting and challenging years she has served on our Board.

Ms Atkinson said, I have been a long-time admirer of the exceptional number, quality and reach of Queensland-made films, series and games, so it is a joy and great responsibility to be part of funding local, interstate and international projects and actively steering our industry towards a more inclusive future.

It is an honour to have been asked to chair this dynamic board, comprising of experts in the diverse fields of film and series production, game development, post-production, studios, education, finance and law.
Sorry thespians one and all

It looks like next Mondays Tony Awards will not be screened in Australia.

No network on Free to Air or Subscription appears to have the event scheduled next week.

For many years the awards would screen live on Foxtel through Foxtel Arts, Arena, or Bio.

Last year the awards made a rare Free to Air live broadcast on 10 Peach, but a spokesperson confirmed it does not have the rights this year. Nor are they locked in for a Streaming platform, which is frustrating given they will screen on Paramount+ / CBS in the USA.

The ceremony will be held at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, hosted by Ariana DeBose. hopefully some highlights will emerge on YouTube?
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The Environment Minister of the Dominican Republic, Orlando Jorge Mera, was shot dead Monday morning in his office by an assailant described as a "personal friend" of his, the office of the presidency confirmed.

Miguel Cruz, "a personal friend of the deceased minister," is already "in the custody" of the National Police and the Public Ministry, the presidency said in a statement.

The Dominican government expressed its condolences to the minister's family, adding the incident "is already under investigation" and its findings will be released to the public in a timely manner.

Environment Ministry sources cited by local daily "Acento" said the assailant entered Mera's office alone, and then between six and seven gunshots were heard.

The incident led to the evacuation of the ministry, and ambulances and police patrols arrived at the scene.

Mera, 55, was the son of former Dominican President Salvador Jorge Blanco, who ruled the Caribbean country between 1982 and 1986.

He became minister at the start of President Luis Abinader's term in August 2020, pledging to pursue the "responsible use of natural resources, the protection and conservation of ecosystems, the reduction of pollution, and the effective management of solid waste."
Waco Police on Monday released more information on the arrest of an inmate who died in the McLennan County Jail late Friday in what authorities have described as a suicide.

Jesse James Evans, 25, of Waco, died late Friday in a Waco area hospital after he harmed himself while in custody at McLennan County Jail, officials said. Evans attempted to hang himself using a strip of blanket, Chief Deputy David Kilcrease said Monday.

Attempting suicide can be a cry for help or a cry for attention, Kilcrease said. Unfortunately, we will never know because he was successful. Any loss of life by ones own hand, or by accident, is tragic.

Police arrested Evans around 6 p.m. Friday during a domestic disturbance call in the 1300 block of North 65th Street, a police spokesperson said. When officers arrived at the house, they found Evans and took him into custody. Officers also found a woman with visible injuries.

Police took Evans to McLennan County Jail and booked him around 7 p.m. on an assault/family violence charge, the police spokesperson said.

After booking, corrections officers placed Evans in a room across from the booking desk where they monitored him and also talked to him several times, authorities said.

The state requires that an inmate on suicide watch must be monitored at least every 30 minutes, Kilcrease said. Our corrections officers monitored Evans every fifteen minutes.

Corrections officers found that Evans had attempted self-harm around 7:50 p.m., authorities said. He was taken alive to an area hospital where he died around midnight.

Courthouse records show that Evans had only one prior conviction in McLennan County, a misdemeanor drug charge, for which he offered a negotiated plea and received a sentence to 120 days in the county jail. As a part of of the sentence, the judge gave Evans additional credit for 52 days in jail.

Jail records show Evans entered the jail August 17, 2018 and left the following day, being credited with eight days back time and 60 days good time.

The McLennan County Sheriffs Office turned this in-custody death case over to the Texas Rangers according to protocol.

A Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson confirmed an active Texas Rangers investigation into this death at the request of McLennan County Sheriffs Office but did not offer any further comment on the ongoing investigation.

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China has demanded the United States give a reasonable explanation about US diplomats reportedly acknowledging that Washington has hyped up issues related to the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in an attempt to contain China.



Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a daily news briefing on Monday that any attempt to damage Xinjiang's harmony and stability and contain China's development will never succeed.

It was reported, according to a Phoenix TV reporter, that Sheila Carey and Andrew Chira, officials in the Economic and Political Department of the US Consulate General in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, told guests privately at a reception in 2021 that "nothing is wrong" in Xinjiang.

Global Times reported that Carey and Chira had said that nothing is wrong about Xinjiang, but to attack their human rights policies is an effective means to make Xinjiang break away from the international industrial chain and to make Uygurs unhappy and restive and then fight against the Chinese government.

Zhao said, "I am not surprised at all if the information is authentic," adding, "This is not the first time US officials spoke their true mind".

Zhao cited a speech by retired US Army officer Lawrence Wilkerson in 2018, who said that if the US Central Intelligence Agency wanted to destabilize China, the best way to do so would be to foment unrest by using members of the Uygur ethnic group in Xinjiang.

In addition, Zhao referred to comments made in 2015 by Sibel Deniz Edmonds, a former contract translator for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who said that the US did not care about people in Xinjiang at all. Edmonds had said that allegations were made about Xinjiang in order to disrupt the region.

Zhao also pointed to remarks made by former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who had said that "the glory of America's continuous exploration and progress" was based on the fact that "we lie, we cheat, we steal".

Zhao said, "The so-called genocide in Xinjiang is the lie of the century concocted by US politicians and the classic masterpiece of the US diplomacy of lies."

Xinjiang's ethnic unity, social stability and economic prosperity serve as the best and most forceful challenge to the lies fabricated by the US, he added.

Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying said on social media on Sunday that she was waiting for an explanation about the US diplomats' remarks, calling them "a rare truth from US officials who've been lying through their teeth".

Zhao said that the US has been obsessed with making Xinjiang an issue to encircle and contain China. The Biden administration will begin enforcing the so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" on June 21, which will bar products made with "forced labor" in Xinjiang from being exported to the US.

The US State Department released on Thursday the "2021 International Religious Freedom Report", hyping up lies, Zhao said.

The US has no justification to point fingers at China, he said. "Every time it releases such a report, the US will further expose its hypocrisy and double standards."
New engines that firefighters pushed into Waco fire stations Monday are designed to improve crew safety and pump a greater volume of water on blazes, fire officials said.

Three fire stations received the first three of seven vehicles the Waco Fire Department has acquired at a cost of $5 million from the manufacturer, Spartan Emergency Response. Three more engines will be delivered soon, in addition to a ladder truck that will arrive in July, Executive Deputy Fire Chief Robby Bergerson said in an email.

Waco Fire Chief Gregory Summers said new state-of-the-art trucks were needed to replace older vehicles. The city is buying them through a 10-year lease-purchase agreement.

We had a very serious issue with apparatus condition and replacement, Summers said. We needed to look at a mechanism that we can come in and replace it and not be a financial impact on the city. So we looked to the lease-to-purchase approach.

Bergerson said the six new engines cost the city about $638,000 each, and the ladder truck cost about $1.2 million.

Summers said the new trucks will replace older ones that will be traded in to vendors, netting an expected $40,000 to $50,000 total, which could be used to buy new fire hoses and nozzles.

Summers said the new trucks will spend about 15 years being used on a front-line basis, and five years on reserve status before being replaced.

Waco Fire engineer Scotty Watts said the new trucks are cut-and-dry better machines than the old trucks due to the different type of motor used, citing mechanical issues in the old motors.

Watts said the new trucks have a water tank that is 250 gallons larger and have a hose with a higher volume output of 1,500 gallons per minute instead of 1,250. Summers said when first arriving, firefighters may begin fighting the fire using the water stored in the truck, as it is quicker than hooking up to a hydrant.

Seconds count when youre doing a rescue, Watts said. So that extra water does come in handy.

Watts said the new trucks have more interior room, giving more space for equipment and making it easier for firefighters to prepare while on the way to a fire. He said the trucks have lower hose beds, which Watts said allow for easier access to the hoses and thus a quicker response to a fire.

Watts said the new engines also have many advanced interior safety features, such as more airbags and a sensor that can slow down specific wheels on the engine to avoid a rollover if a turn is taken too fast.

Watts said the new trucks have a better turn radius compared to the old trucks and can turn into much tighter areas. They have brighter LED emergency lights that dont need to be replaced as often. Watts also said the trucks are equipped with a rumbler siren system that can vibrate the ground so cars can be more aware of incoming fire engines.

Summers also said the new engines were given an all-red paint job in order to create a brand of all-red trucks within Waco Fire Department.

Firetrucks were delivered Monday to Station No. 1, 100 Peach St.; Station No. 2, 2625 Park Lake Drive; and Station No. 11, 7600 Imperial Drive.

At each station, Waco community members including young children helped firefighters in pushing the trucks backwards into the station in a push-in ceremony, a fire department tradition that dates back to the days of horse-drawn carriages.

A Waco Fire Department press release said after returning to the station, horses could not back the carriage up into the station, so firefighters would have to physically push the carriage into the station themselves.

Even though the fire department no longer relies on horses, Summers said the push-in ceremony has stuck through the years as a way to commemorate new equipment.

Fire service is rich in tradition, Summers said. This is our way of showing we got a new piece of apparatus. Instead of driving it in, were going to push it in.

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BEIJING (AP)  China on Sunday launched a new three-person mission to complete assembly work on its permanent orbiting space station.

The Shenzhou 14 crew will spend six months on the Tiangong station, during which they will oversee the addition of two laboratory modules to join the main Tianhe living space that was launched in April 2021.

Their spaceship blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert at 10:44 a.m. (0244 GMT) atop the crewed space flight programs workhorse Long March 2F rocket. Fifteen minutes later, it reached low Earth orbit and opened its solar panels, drawing applause from ground controllers in Jiuquan and Beijing.

The launch was broadcast live on state television, indicating a rising level of confidence in the capabilities of the space program, which has been promoted as a sign of China's technological progress and global influence.

Commander Chen Dong and fellow astronauts Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe will assemble the three-module structure joining the existing Tianhe with Wentian and Mengtian, due to arrive in July and October. Another cargo craft, the Tianzhou-3, remains docked with the station.

The arrival of the new modules will provide more stability, more powerful functions, more complete equipment, said Chen, 43, who was a member of the Shenzhou 11 mission in 2016, at a press conference Saturday.

Liu, 43, is also a space veteran and was Chinas first female astronaut to reach space aboard the Shenzhou 9 mission in 2012. Cai, 46, is making his first space trip.

Chinas space program launched its first astronaut into orbit in 2003, making it only the third country to do so on its own after the former Soviet Union and the U.S.

It has landed robot rovers on the moon and placed one on Mars last year. China has also returned lunar samples and officials have discussed a possible crewed mission to the moon.

Chinas space program is run by the ruling Communist Partys military wing, the Peoples Liberation Army, prompting the U.S. to exclude it from the International Space Station.

Chen, Liu and Cai will be joined at the end of their mission for three to five days by the crew of the upcoming Shenzhou 15, marking the first time the station will have had six people aboard.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
This past weekend the film Into Flight Once More premiered at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The film, narrated by Gary Sinise, brings the history of June 6, 1944, to the present through the lens of the D-Day Squadron and their epic recreation journey across the North Atlantic to Normandy for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. Along the trip, you meet some of the last remaining D-Day veterans and younger generations of men and women who have re-charted their path to honor their sacrifice and thank them for their service. At each stop on the journey from the United States to France, the veterans reconnect with the planes that flew, provisioned, rescued, supported, and meant so much to them during wartime. These honorable WWII men and women veterans reveal never before heard information as seeing these planes sparks memories held deep inside.

The journey will take you across the United States, and on to Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, England, and finally to France. You will learn the history and significance of these locations during wartime and the challenges that the crews faced in their mission to complete the journey. Directed by Adrienne Hall, and presented in partnership with D-Day Squadron and the DC-3 Society. For more information on the film visit intoflightoncemore.com.

The documentary is available for streaming on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Hulu, and Apple Tv.
CEDAR FALLS  Police Capt. Jeff Sitzmann is reminding residents, specifically parents with young kids, to always use a well-marked crosswalk when getting across the street, and err on the side of caution.

You should never assume a car is planning to stop, instead infer a car is traveling faster than it appears. A good rule of thumb, he said, is if you feel you need to run to make it across the street, in you should be waiting.

Ive seen a lot of accidents that have one thing in common: Theyre avoidable, said Sitzmann. By raising awareness, we can help prevent some of those tragedies.

Always look both ways when you cross, and a key to safety is making eye contact with drivers before entering the roadway to make sure they are hitting the brakes, Sitzmann pointed out.

Cedar Falls is home to first Journeys Iowa store outside of a traditional mall The new location at 406 Viking Plaza Drive is 1,229 square feet in size, between Plato's Closet and Buckle.

The same is true for a drivers. They should assume pedestrians are planning to sprint across the street and, should always be cautious and slow down when they see someone on the side of the road.

When possible, wear bright, bold and reflective clothing. If riding a bike, make sure to get off of it and walk it across the street.

Crosswalks are in many spots across Cedar Falls, from the front of heavily traveled destinations like The Falls to areas with crossing guards. Among those are Center, Main, and Fourth streets as well as Rainbow Drive, where crossing guards have relayed stories of near misses.

He also raised the caution flag for drivers when going by big events, most prominently the Sturgis Falls Celebration.

14 honored, one sworn in during Cedar Falls Public Safety Services Recognition Event Attendees learned Thursday morning all about the accomplishments and personal attributes that made each recipient deserving of their respective awards. Here are their stories:

Sitzmann noted that this years high gas prices likely will lead to more walkers and bikers out and about, and that the citys signage and messaging has improved. The crosswalks, he contended, are better painted than in years past.

Communications specialist Amanda Huisman also said drivers need to be careful when turning right on red because pedestrians have the right of way.

Rectangular rapid flashing beacons are a relatively new innovation on both sides of a crosswalk and are accompanied by warning signs for crossing.

They are in areas without traffic lights. Pedestrians should hit the button to activate the flashing lights meant to resemble those of an emergency vehicle.

Number one, a car should stop immediately when they see the lights and should remain stopped until the person is completely across the street, he said. But a walker should still always look.

If one car is stopping when it sees the lights, all cars behind it should halt, as well, and not pass it, he said.

Columbus Class of 1966 graduates encourage others to stand up to gun violence Some of their ideas: Get rid of bump stocks. Increase the legal age to at least 21 years old. Implement Red Flag laws. Bring about background checks.

Sitzmann anticipates more popping up in the future because there are grants available.

The Federal Highway Adminitration notes the flashing beacons can reduce crashes up to 47% for pedestrian crashes and can increase motorist yielding rates up to 98%. However, that varies based on factors like the roads speed limit, number of lanes and crossing distance.

If no crosswalk is available, he said a person should find a well-lit and highly visible area to make that move across the street.

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We hope we dont have to go down this path, but we think that its better for us to be prepared and to make our customers aware of the situation.
Court records allege Matlock was involved in a verbal argument with a woman who is seven months pregnant at a Russell Road home on Monday morning. He then kicked her in the stomach and put his hands around her neck, records state. Before he left, he pulled out a pistol, pointed it at her and told her to get out of the way or she would be dead, records state.
WATERLOO  Family members remembered Grant Saul as a young man with promise on Monday as the man who took his life was sentenced to life in prison.

We miss Grants smile, his laughter, his kindness, his love, his mother, Rachel Jones, said recounting how Saul had been an apprentice to a tattoo artist who wrote two songs that went on to be used in a movie. We find it extremely challenging to enjoy life when part of us is missing.  This empty and sad feeling will never go away.

Smith told Keyon Christian Roby that she was appalled by his lack of remorse  how he had told friends shooting Saul, 24, during a robbery felt good and how he was joyriding with others who shot off the same gun two days following the slaying.

Roby, 20, was sentenced to life in prison without parole  the mandatory punishment for first-degree murder  and a concurrent 25 years for first-degree robbery. He was also ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to Sauls estate.

You were given the gift of one life  yours  and this is what you chose to do with it, Judge Andrea Dryer said in handing down the sentence.

Prosecutors said Roby had sold cocaine at an apartment over a Mexican restaurant on Main Street in Cedar Falls where Saul was staying in December 2019. Immediately upon leaving, Roby hatched a plan to come back to rob the apartment of marijuana and cash, according to authorities.

He enlisted the help of others, had an acquaintance acquire a handgun and returned with the weapon on hand.

During the robbery, Roby allegedly clubbed a person with the pistol and Saul reached for his own gun, according to witnesses. Roby opened fire on Saul, killing him before he could get off his couch.

During the trial, the defense didnt dispute the facts but argued the shooting didnt amount to murder because Roby merely reacted and didnt have time to think about what he was doing.

Before handing down the sentence, Judge Andrea Dryer noted there was sufficient evidence to back the jurys guilty verdict on the murder charge.

A loaded firearm has one purpose and one purpose only  its an instrument thats designed to kill.  Mr. Roby made the decision to up, to raise, the gun. He made the decision to point it directly at another human being. He made the next decision to pull the trigger and fire it, Dryer said.

Two other accomplices in the crime pleaded to robbery and conspiracy charges.

James Duane Wright-Buls, 23, was sentenced to up to 25 years with 15 years before parole eligibility. Marquas Gafeney, 23, was sentenced to up to 25 years in prison and must serve least 13 years before he is eligible for parole.

A fourth person, 22-year-old McKayla Ryan, is awaiting trial for robbery charges. She is accused of driving the three to the apartment.

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CEDAR FALLS  The door to allowing consumer fireworks within city limits has been opened.

On Monday, the City Council voted 4-2 on the third and final reading to approve an ordinance allowing for fireworks to be shot off on private property between noon and 11 p.m. July 4 and between noon and 10 p.m. July 3 and 5.

Councilors Daryl Kruse and Susan deBuhr dissented. Councilor Gil Schultz was absent.

Starting tomorrow, maybe even tonight, well start an informational campaign, said City Administrator Ron Gaines. Well be putting out yard signs, posters and flyers  all of those types of things together  letting the public know when you can actually legally shoot fireworks.

Ive also been working with public safety (officials) about enforcement and how that enforcement is going to go. They have a really good plan  of attack to move forward with a zero tolerance policy.

14 honored, one sworn in during Cedar Falls Public Safety Services Recognition Event Attendees learned Thursday morning all about the accomplishments and personal attributes that made each recipient deserving of their respective awards. Here are their stories:

Fines will be hiked from a minimum of $250 to $375, and second and third offenses will cost $500 and $1,000.

In addition, the new law states any retailer or community group selling consumer fireworks must prominently display signs informing customers when their use is prohibited.

Resident Rick Sharp, a former firefighter, wasnt against the proposal but had concerns about enforcing it. He contended that the department did not have a good track record for responding to nuisance calls when there was a ban in place.

What would change with a zero tolerance policy? he asked.

He had questions about the use of public safety officers and wondered whether increased staffing or overtime would be needed. Would the city use reserve officers to enforce the fireworks ordinance or public safety officers assigned to fires?

During my time, we did bar checks, commercial and rental inspections, training, public education activities, and we still managed to respond to fire calls just fine, he said. Are these PSOs incapable of doing that?

Jesup Boy Scouts celebrate one-of-a-kind monument to Eagle projects, scouting icons Hayden Miller, 18, and Jacob Leach, 16, were the 57th and 58th Eagle Scouts to have a plaque on Jesup's 'Wall of Eagle.'

Resident Tim Houts made a third appeal that councilors reject the change and reminded councilors of the potential consequences.

PTSD does not go away. It is a wound of the spirit in an individual that stays hidden most of the time, at least until there is a trigger for re-experiencing that traumatic event. For combat vets, it can be fireworks, he said.

DeBuhr passed along an idea she received from a constituent: Instead of buying fireworks, people should donate to a community organization like the Humane Society or the Historical Society.

My intention with my vote is not to make things worse. It is to make things better, said Councilor Kelly Dunn.

She added that the city could revert back to a ban if no improvement is seen in limiting past issues.

I dont know a person up here who doesnt respect the service of our veterans and appreciate their service, Dunn said.

We are in this situation because of the state Legislature, she said. It has gotten easier to sell those fireworks in our city over this past legislative session, and we are trying to make it better by narrowing the window and making enforcement more stringent.

Mayor Rob Green, lead sponsor of the ordinance, noted he is a veteran and understands the difficulty of PTSD.

I would love for the Legislature to allow cities to mandate for ourselves whether fireworks can be sold or not, he said.

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Briefing by Russian Defence Ministry

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation in Ukraine.

High-precision air-based missiles have hit 2 command posts, 3 firing positions of artillery batteries, as well as 18 areas of Ukrainian manpower and military equipment concentration. 2 ammunition depots have been destroyed in the areas of Vrubovka and Yakovlevka in Lugansk Peoples Republic.

Operational-tactical aviation have hit 65 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration.

The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 170 nationalists, 9 tanks, 2 Grad multiple rocket launchers, 1 battery of field artillery and 8 various purpose vehicles.

Russian air defence means have shot down 12 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Liptsy, Streleche, Dementevka, Borodoyarskoe, Marino, Petrovskoe, Grakovo, Malye Prokhody in Kharkov Region, as well as Vasilievka in Nikolaev Region, overnight.

Missile troops and artillery have hit 39 command posts, 49 firing positions of AFU artillery, as well as 426 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration.

The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 400 nationalists, 10 armoured vehicles, 3 Grad multiple rocket launchers, 10 special vehicles, and 3 launchers of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems near Kramatorsk.

In addition, shelling resulted in the destruction of one 155mm self-propelled howitzer (M109A3) donated by Norway, 2 US 155mm howitzers (M777), and 7 field artillery and mortars, including 1 203mm Pion self-propelled artillery mount.

In total, 190 Ukrainian aircraft and 129 helicopters, 1,139 unmanned aerial vehicles, 333 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,443 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 478 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,807 field artillery and mortars, as well as 3,464 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation.

Testimonies of local residents and monks in liberated Svyatogorsk, Donetsk Peoples Republic, confirm that Ukrainian nationalists deliberately set fire to the wooden skete of All Saints of the Russian Land on June 5.

According to eyewitnesses, as early as June 2, the Ukrainian military arrived at the territory of the Svyatogorsk Historical and Architectural Reserve, located south of the city across the river.

The aim was to survey the area for the placement of artillery positions by the AFU on the high bank where the architectural reserve is located. The equipment of these positions would have allowed direct fire on Russian troops on the other side of the river.

Here, they also planned to defend the bridge over the Seversky Donets River, which had already been blown up by the nationalists on June 6.

Knowing well that Russian servicemen do not shell places of worship and cultural monuments, the Ukrainian nationalists hoped to shield themselves behind the Orthodox shrines of Lavra as their shield.

The insolence of the Ukrainian nationalists has angered local residents. They demanded that the military withdraw from Lavra to prevent its destruction.

By June 4, during the fighting in Svyatogorsk, the Ukrainian army had already lost control of most of the city.

So the retreating nationalists organised a monstrous provocation.

According to local residents, a large-calibre machine gun mounted on an armoured vehicle set fire to the newly built wooden wooden skete of All Saints of the Russian Land in 2009 with a burst of incendiary ammunition.

It was not only the monks who tried unsuccessfully to put out the burning skete, but also the members of the local territorial defence who came to help them. The nationalists prevented this by firing intimidating shots.

Despite the hostilities in Svyatogorsk, there has been no damage to historical and Orthodox monuments on the territory of the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra by Russian servicemen.

Footage of the current state of the cultural, historical, architectural and orthodox monument of Svyatogorsk Lavra is brought to everyones attention.

Thus, Zelensky with his statements about Russias allegedly conscious destruction of Ukraines cultural heritage and his demands to expel Russia from UNESCO and the UN for this once again lied not only to the Ukrainian people but also to the entire international community.

The Russian Armed Forces continue the special operation to liberate Donbass, preventing shelling or possible damage to historical and cultural heritage sites.

The values of the Ukrainian Nazis in Kiev are the opposite of the historical values of the Orthodox people of Ukraine.

There is and can be no future for the current Kiev regimes criminal anti-Christian policy in Ukraine.

 National Centre for State Defence Control in Moscow hosts another teleconference of Defence Ministry with the leadership of the Armed Forces, chaired by General of the Army, Sergei Shoigu

Key points

 As for today, 97% of the territory of the Lugansk Peoples Republic has been liberated.

 Residential areas of Severodonetsk have been fully liberated. The takeover of its industrial zone and neighbouring settlements continues. The offensive in the Popasnaya direction is developing.

51 units of foreign military equipment have been destroyed during the last 10 days of the special military operation.

 In five days, 126 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine surrendered, their total number is 6,489 people.

 In Mariupol, water and electricity supply to residential areas is being restored in stages, streets are being cleared and the first social facilities have started to function.

 The Azovstal plant, including its underground facilities, has been completely cleared of mines.

 Berdyansk sea port has started to operate. On behalf of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief they are ready to load grain at these ports.

 The largest nuclear power plant in Europe, Zaporozhye, which can generate up to half of all nuclear power generation capacity of Ukraine, is operating normally.

33 coal mines, 2 oil fields and 14 gas fields taken over by Lugansk and Donetsk peoples republics during the special military operation continue to operate normally. The liberated territories are home to 57% of Ukraines steelmaking capacity.

 While retreating, Ukrainian nationalists seek to cause maximum damage to these industries. In turn, the Russian military, while liberating the Donbass, is taking industry facilities under its protection, thus preserving the potential for the development of the regions economy.

 Joint efforts of the Russian Ministry of Defence and Russian Railways have created conditions for the resumption of full-fledged traffic between Russia, Donbass, Ukraine and Crimea on six railway sections.

 The restoration of transport infrastructure and water supply creates favourable conditions for the development of agricultural sector in the liberated territories.

 More than 27,000 tons of goods have been handed over to civilians.

 During the summer training period, we will pay special attention to new ways of conducting combat operations based on the experience of the special military operation and other armed conflicts, army tactical shooting and first aid on the battlefield.

 47 warships, boats and submarines will take part in the Main Naval Parade to be held in St Petersburg on July 31. Also for the first time, the female crew of the patrol boat Raptor will take part in the parade.

At the initiative of the Turkish side, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu held telephone conversation with the Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Turkey Hulusi Akar.

The main focus was an exchange of views and assessments of the situation in Ukraine and Syria.

The Defence Ministers discussed in detail the security of navigation in the Black Sea in connection with solving the problem of grain export from the territory of Ukraine.

The importance of continuing close interaction in Syria aimed at maintaining long-term stability in the region was noted.

Russian-Turkish contacts on these issues will continue.

#MoD #Russia #Ukraine #Briefing

@mod_russia_en

WtR
US bans Africa from buying Russian grain, citing it allegedly stolen from Ukraine

According to The New York Times, US diplomats sent warnings to 14 countries (mostly African) that Russian ships allegedly bound for them were loaded with stolen grain taken out of Ukraine. The US has asked these countries to refrain from buying grain, as this could be seen as benefiting from potential war crimes. Apparently, the sale of grain exported through Moldova is something else and is acceptable by the USA. Except, the grain out of Moldova is stolen grain from Ukraine

At the same time, the New York Times notes that this pressure had rather a negative effect.

This is not a dilemma. Africans dont care where they get their food from, and if someone is going to moralize about this, then he makes a mistake, comments Hannenie, director of the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies.

According to him, US threats without an offer to supply vital grain only push African countries towards Russia.

WtR
 Flash

China firmly opposes close reconnaissance and provocative actions by Canada's warplanes, which threaten China's national security, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said on Monday.



"Canadian military aircraft recently stepped up reconnaissance and provocative actions against China under the pretext of implementing United Nations Security Council resolutions," said ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian in a statement. "That jeopardized China's national security and the safety of front-line staff of both sides.

"The Chinese military responded immediately in a reasonable, strong, safe and professional way, and lodged solemn representations to the Canadian side via diplomatic channels."

The spokesman urged the Canadian side to face the seriousness of the matter, strictly constrain its military and not to take any risky and provocative actions. "Otherwise, the Canadian side should be responsible for all severe consequences."

Earlier this month, Canada's military accused Chinese pilots of acting "unprofessionally" during recent encounters with its patrol aircraft that were conducting surveillance operations in what it said was "international airspace".

China's Foreign Ministry also expressed firm opposition to Canada's actions. "We urge the Canadian side to recognize the objective facts and promote the normal development of China-Canada relations by practical action," Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the ministry, said at a news conference on Monday.

Separately, late on Sunday, Australia accused the Chinese military of putting an Australian Defense Force flight crew at risk when their P-8 surveillance craft was intercepted on May 26 over the South China Sea.

Zhao refuted the accusation. "The Chinese military has consistently taken actions in accordance with safety norms and professional requirements based on international law and conventions," he said.

"China would never allow any country to undermine its sovereignty and security, and harm the peace and stability in the South China Sea under the pretext of 'freedom of navigation'," the spokesman said, urging the Australian side to speak and act cautiously to avoid miscalculation and serious consequences.

Yuan Zheng, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it's quite questionable for both Canada and Australia to take these recent actions in areas near China.

"Why did the two Five Eyes alliance countries, which both sit far from China, send their surveillance craft to China's neighboring airspace in East Asia?" he said, adding that the actions weren't transparent.
The Ukrainian military set fire to tons of grain during the retreat from Mariupol  it was not possible to save the crop.

During the retreat from Mariupol, the Armed Forces of Ukraine spoiled the stocks of corn and wheat grain. According to the adviser to the head of the government of the DPR, Jan Gagin, the Ukrainians took such measures so that the inhabitants of the republics would not get the grain.

The enemy, retreating from the port, set fire to the granaries so that this grain would not go to the Donetsk Peoples Republic, so that it would be impossible to use it in any way. They extinguished it for several days, but to no avail, Gagin said.

WtR
Updated for article above:

Ukrainian nationalists set fire to wooden hermitage of All Saints of the Russian Land, firing incendiary ammunition at it.

This is confirmed by the words of local residents and monks living in the liberated Svyatogorsk of the DPR, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reports.

During the battles for the city on June 2-4, the Ukrainian military covered themselves with the Orthodox shrines of the Lavra as a shield, knowing that the Russian army would not shell churches and cultural monuments.

During the retreat, the nationalists went on a provocation  they opened fire with a machine gun on the hermitage of All Saints of the Russian Land and set it on fire.

Not only monks, but also members of the local theroborona tried unsuccessfully to extinguish the burning hermitage. The nationalists prevented this by opening fire to intimidate, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported.

WtR
 Brewers from Estonia are asking consumers to hand over bottles as soon as possible.

Such a request is associated with one of the consequences of antiRussian sanctions  a shortage of glass containers. Previously, Estonian brewers bought bottles in Russia and Belarus.

However, now we have to look for suppliers of glass containers in the whole of EU. We do not make our own! However again, there is an even more serious issue, increase in glass bottle prices. No one supplies bottles as cheap as Russia does and the supply is next door

Beer producers have already asked customers to return the containers as soon as possible.

Please dont throw the bottle away.

WtR
Weather Alert

...Warm and Windy Week with a Cool Weekend... Temperatures: Plan on a couple of hot days this week on Wednesday and Thursday. Heat Risk levels near Moderate levels with an increased risk of heat health impacts for those without effective cooling or hydration options. Western Nevada valleys will be in the mid 90s, and near 100 for central Nevada locations by Thursday afternoon. Winds: Strong, gusty winds will develop later this week as another system approaches the West. Widespread wind gusts 35 to 50 mph will be possible Thursday into Saturday. Spots along Highway 395 through Mono County and along Highway 95 near Walker Lake may see gusts 60+ mph. Plan on plenty of travel and recreation impacts from Thursday into Saturday, including but not limited to aviation turbulence, high profile vehicle restrictions, choppy lake conditions and areas of blowing dust. The windy and dry conditions may also produce localized critical fire weather conditions, particularly in the eastern Sierra. Be fire safe and smart and avoid activities that may spark a fire. We always want to avoid sparking a fire, but especially so on these during these windy days. Precipitation Chances: Saturday will be quite breezy, but cooler than midweek. The system pushing into the region brings the winds, the cooler temperatures, and chances for precipitation. If you have outdoor recreation plans, be sure to account for the possibility of some showers and possibly a thunderstorm or two. For now, the best chances for showers will be from the Tahoe basin northward into northeastern California and for areas along the Nevada-Oregon border. For areas south of Highway 50, the precipitation potential is looking scarce for now.
 Flash

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akara announced that "a lot of progress" has been made on a plan for resuming grain exports from Ukrainian ports, semi-official Anadolu Agency reported Tuesday.

Turkey coordinates the work among Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations on issues regarding clearing off sea mines floating off the port of Odesa and elsewhere along Ukraine's coast, according to Akara.

"We are making efforts to conclude this as soon as possible," the Turkish minister was quoted by Anadolu as saying.

"Everyone wants to be sure of something mutually. We are working to ensure that trust," he added.

Given the current challenges in the global food market, Russia would be able to export the necessary volumes of fertilizers and agricultural products if Western sanctions were lifted, the Kremlin said earlier.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to visit Turkey's capital Ankara on Wednesday for talks on creating a sea corridor for exporting Ukraine's goods as its ongoing conflict with Russia has led to the blocking of its ports.

Ankara has said it is ready to take on a role within an "observation mechanism" if a deal on Ukraine's grain exports is reached.

Local media reported that Turkey's navy can escort tankers leaving Ukraine which will then pass through the Turkish straits to reach world markets.
Inspired by people like him, AARP is ramping up the pressure on Congress to pass national prescription drug reform. As part of our Fair Drug Prices Now campaign, AARP members and activists have delivered more than 4 million petitions, sent 1.2 million emails and made more than 100,000 calls to Congress. We launched a national advertising campaign to keep up the pressure. And its working. Last November, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to allow Medicare to negotiate some drug prices, potentially saving hundreds of billions of dollars over a decade.

Now the legislation is in the Senate, where hearings have been held. A vote on the package could happen this summer. If it passes, it will then go to President Joe Biden, who has publicly endorsed the bill, to be signed into law.

Letting Medicare negotiate lower drug prices has broad support with voters from all parties and saves money for seniors and taxpayers, says my colleague Nancy LeaMond, AARP chief advocacy and engagement officer. There is no reason Congress cant get this done. The fight goes on. Americans are tired of paying nearly three times what people in other countries pay for drugs. AARP wont stop until every American has access to affordable prescription drugs. 

Bill Sweeney, senior vice president for government affairs, leads AARPs advocacy efforts.
Cultura RM Exclusive/Dan Dunkley/Getty Images

4. Take the Tube.

While everyone should experience a ride in a shiny black London cab, famous for its drivers who study for years to pass a test on their knowledge of every nook and cranny of the city, its far cheaper to use passes to take the bus or ride on the extensive and efficient London Underground, known as the Tube. You can pay for your ride in cash (the typical one-way fare in Central London is a whopping $8), but savvy travelers use a plastic, rechargeable Visitor Oyster card that shaves off some of the fare for both bus and Tube. You can order it online in advance or buy one at Tube stations. If youll be making multiple trips a day, consider buying a weekly Travelcard (about $50) in advance or at a Tube station. Easier yet is swiping a credit or debit card before boarding an Underground train or bus (rides are free after a daily limit is reached). The downside for Americans is that youll be charged in pounds and may be subject to currency exchange charges.

5. Take advantage of free attractions.

It costs nothing to visit the British Museum, with its Rosetta Stone and mummies. The permanent exhibitions at the National Gallery (Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci) and Tate Modern (David Hockney, Henri Matisse) are free as well. It took me a few visits to London before I discovered the eclectic and impressive  and free  Victoria and Albert Museum, whose well-curated exhibits run the gamut from mens fashions, to wallpaper through the ages, to Chinese ceramics. But, especially during the busy summer season, youll want to book timed tickets to these popular spots in advance.

Theres no charge to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, but arrive early to secure a viewing spot for the 11 a.m. pageantry.

One of my favorite free pastimes is to listen to the rants of orators standing on boxes every Sunday at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park near Marble Arch. Anyone can vent on any subject. Also fun: watching street entertainers at bustling Covent Garden market.


140 g/t Intercept, Exhibition Reef, Morning Star Gold Mine

Ballarat, June 7, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - White Rock Minerals Ltd ( ASX:WRM ) ( OTCMKTS:WRMCF ) is pleased to provide an update on surface drilling assay results from the Dickenson South target area at the Morning Star underground Gold Mine in northeast Victoria. This target area, between surface and 6 Level, is within 100 metres of the existing shaft and accessible from multiple levels.White Rock's primary objective at the Morning Star Gold Mine is a low capital cost restart of gold production from multiple reef locations. The Company seeks to achieve this by identifying and drilling areas of the dyke with potential to host multiple high-grade gold quartz reefs proximal to existing underground development infrastructure.The Dickenson South target area is one such primary target with multiple high-grade, gold-bearing reefs.The surface drill rig has now completed a program of drill holes that assisted in the assessment of near term development and production potential for further working areas close to the Main Shaft; the Age of Progress Reef and Stacpoole Reef, accessed via 2 Level and the Dickenson Reef and the Exhibition Reef that can be accessed via 4 Level (Figure 1*).Of note, the latest phase of infill drilling from surface has highlighted the potential of the Exhibition Reef to provide an additional working area for the upcoming recommencement of mining activities. Figure 2* highlights the area where a significant "high-grade" zone could extend for more than 100m strike and up to 40m down-dip. The Exhibition Reef "high-grade" target area includes the following intersections:- 0.2 metres @ 140g/t gold in 22SDS0012A (true width);- 0.2 metres @ 13.1g/t gold in 22SDS013 (true width);- 0.4 metres @ 35.9g/t gold in 22SDS015 (true width);- 0.4 metres @ 12.7g/t gold in 21SDS005 (true width); and- 0.4 metres @ 21.2g/t gold in L4001 (true width).White Rock commenced surface diamond drilling at the Dickenson South underground target in late 2021, with results from the first 17 holes reported in January and March 2022. Drilling comprised 29 diamond drill holes for 4,055m, testing mineralised reefs including the Age of Progress, Stacpoole, Exhibition, Shamrock, Dickenson and Whitelaw Reefs, between surface and 6 level at the Morning Star Gold Mine.Complimenting the results previously reported for the first 17 holes in the program, complete assay results have now been received for a further eight surface diamond drill holes (22SDS012 to 22SDS018, including 22SDS012A). Significant drill intersections from the latest holes are summarised in Table 1* below. All drill assays >1g/t gold from the current program at the Dickenson South target are provided in Table 3*. Assay results are pending for holes 22SDS019 to 22SDS022.Drilling results have been extremely encouraging, with multiple high-grade intersections across various reefs. These results support the interpretation that there may be an extension of the mineralisation from historic stoping with existing development access near the shaft, through to the southern dyke margin. A three-dimensional interpretation of the reefs is continually being updated and used to inform decisions regarding the assessment of potential working areas and scheduling of development and the anticipated future underground production from multiple quartz reefs.White Rock is assessing the potential for five gold production working areas, providing a pathway to recommence mining at:1. Dickenson Reef where development is currently underway ahead of planned mining scheduled to commence in the short term;2. Exhibition Reef where an exploration rise will proceed off the Dickenson South development drive and is in progress;3. McNally Reef extensions where development is in place to commence mining immediately;4. Stacpoole / Age of Progress Reefs where development is in place and minor infrastructure requirements will allow mining to commence in the short term; and5. Whitelaw Reef where minor development is required and more substantial infrastructure is needed to enable mining to commence in the mid term.Exploration will continue to progress from underground, where the drill rig is currently completing a broad first pass assessment of the Gap Zone's potential to host significant mineralised quartz reefs. The Gap Zone represents an area with 200 metres of vertical extent between areas of historic mining that occurred above 10-level (>500,000 ounces) and below 14-level (>300,000 ounces), with historic production4 of 883,000oz gold at 26.5g/t.Drilling to date has provided significant encouragement that a number of mineralised quartz reefs are distributed throughout the Gap Zone. Drill hole 22GZL9013 returned 0.4 metres at 621g/t gold (20 ounces per tonne of gold) from a quartz reef interval with abundant visible gold previously reported from the Gap Zone. This result confirmed White Rock's priority of targeting high-grade gold for drill testing in the Gap Zone. This result was from the first significant hole drilled by White Rock into the host dyke body.Earlier drilling, at the very northern margin of the host dyke, revealed at least 10 quartz reef structures. This first-pass drill program will provide sufficient data to assess and identify those quartz reefs with the greatest potential for more detailed follow-up drilling.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About White Rock Minerals Ltd

White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM) (OTCMKTS:WRMCF) is a diversified explorer and near-stage producer, headquartered in Ballarat, Victoria. The Company's flagship exploration project is Red Mountain in central Alaska. At Red Mountain, there are already two high grade zinc - silver - gold - lead VMS deposits, with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 9.1 million tonnes @ 609g/t AgEq / 13% ZnEq. The Company is also exploring its recently discovered large intrusion related gold anomaly at Last Chance, also located in the Tintina gold belt of Alaska, home to multi-million gold ounce deposits like Pogo, Fort Knox and the Donlin Project. The Company also has the Mt Carrington project, located near Drake, in Northern NSW, which is a near-production precious metals asset with a resource of 341,000 ounces of gold and 23.2 million ounces of silver on an approved mining lease, and with a Gold First PFS and JORC Reserve.


New Product Release - Verigrow Foliar Spray

Sydney, June 7, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Manufacturing company Veratin Limited ( NSX:VTN ) is pleased to announce it has today released a second product in its Verigrow(R) range. The Verigrow(R) spray is a ready-to-use foliar formulation that is suitable for all plants. The product requires no mixing and will appeal to customers that are looking for a product to use straight off the shelf. The foliar spray will be particularly convenient for indoor plants due to an absence of foul smell.Founder and Executive Chairman, Dr Ramiz Boulos says, "We are excited to release a new product, adding to the Verigrow(R) family range. Our target market for this product are busy customers without a lot of time on their hands. By releasing this product, we aim to expand our customer base allowing the benefits of Verigrow(R) to reach a wider audience."About Veratin Limited

Veratin Limited (NSX:VTN) is involved in the research and development of products derived from waste wool, including the development and sales of its initial product, Verigrow(R), a wool-based liquid fertiliser for domestic and commercial use. The Company is also involved in the development of additional products and opportunities derived from its registered intellectual property.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

A Las Cruces woman was sentenced Monday to five years in prison and ordered to pay $84,094 in restitution for using a nursing home residents funds to pay for trips, online dating and other personal expenses.

Guadalupe Kingston, 60, pleaded guilty in March to five felony counts, including exploitation of a residents property and falsification of Medicaid documents, court records show.

Kingston, who held power of attorney over the residents funds, represented to the state Human Services Department that the funds were being held in a Medicaid trust that, in fact, did not exist, Attorney General Hector Balderas office said in a news release.

Instead, Kingston used the funds to pay for trips, a car payment, spa visits, online dating, pet grooming and other personal expenses, it said.

Our most vulnerable need protection, and the defendant brazenly abused that trust by exploiting an innocent victim for her own personal gratification, Balderas said in the statement.

The case was investigated and prosecuted by the attorney generals Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Kingston also pleaded guilty to identity theft and two counts of forgery, all committed between August 2013 and September 2018, according to the March 1 plea agreement.

Twelfth Judicial District Court Judge Steven Blankinship also prohibited Kingston from working with vulnerable adults and minors after her release from prison.
ALAMOGORDO, N.M.  A New Mexico man convicted in a 2009 double homicide case has been sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms.

Prosecutors said 49-year-old Robert Chavezs sentences will run consecutive with previous sentences, including a 26-year prison term for drug trafficking and life in prison plus 21 years for another murder.

Chavez was convicted last month of the 2009 double homicide of Max Griego Jr. and Mary Hudson Gutierrez and sentenced last Thursday.

Prosecutors said Chavez was the leader of the AZ Boys organization allegedly connected to drug trafficking.

Court records show Griego and Hudson Gutierrez were found fatally shot at her Alamogordo home in July 2009 and two men plus a driver were seen fleeing the scene.

The case went cold for almost a decade until Chavez and two other suspects were indicted in January 2019.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

The White House announced Monday morning that no new tariffs will be imposed on solar imports for at least two years, bringing immediate relief to solar developers in New Mexico and elsewhere.

Domestic industry was thrown into crisis in April, after the U.S. Commerce Department began investigating solar manufacturing operations in some Asian countries to determine if companies there are circumventing import tariffs by incorporating Chinese equipment and components in their products that would otherwise face U.S. trade restrictions imposed on China.

The inquiry  inspired by a complaint from a small solar manufacturing company in California  wont conclude until early 2023, and it could culminate in new tariffs of up to 250% on imports from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, which together supply more than 80% of the solar modules used in U.S. installations. In addition, at the start of the investigation, the Commerce Department said that if new tariffs are imposed, they could be made retroactive to November 2021.

As a result, solar developers have postponed or canceled hundreds of large-scale projects across the country since April, virtually paralyzing the industry because investors could no longer calculate development costs going forward. Industry leaders warned that some 70,000 U.S. jobs could be lost, including many in New Mexico.

Affordable Solar, New Mexicos largest installation company, laid off many employees in May after losing all of its utility-scale contracts almost overnight. And Array Technologies, a local solar-tracker manufacturer that employs about 350 people, projected it could lose up to $250 million in revenue this year from the industry slowdown.

Now, however, the new White House announcement could rapidly revive the industry, said Gregory Wetstone, president and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy.

Under President Joe Bidens executive order, the Commerce Department will continue its investigation. But now, if Commerce does decide new tariffs are warranted, they cant be implemented until at least mid-2024, and retroactive application is off the table.

The industry was facing the threat of retroactive tariffs of up to 250%, which created paralyzing uncertainty that no sector of the American economy could withstand, Wetstone told the Journal. The presidents action changes that dynamic. It eliminates the threat of retroactive tariffs while also pushing off any new potential tariffs by two years to allow companies to prepare.

The president also authorized use of the Defense Production Act to help build more domestic manufacturing capacity for clean energy technologies, including photovoltaic modules and components for solar panels. And, under the executive order, federal agencies will significantly increase procurement of U.S.-made solar systems through use of master supply agreements and super preferences that apply domestic content standards for government purchases.

Those measures, combined with the 24-month suspension of new tariffs, aim to create a two-year bridge for U.S. manufacturing to scale up to reinforce the domestic supply chain and better compete with foreign imports, according to the White House fact sheet on the presidents order.

The solar industry was booming before the Commerce Department initiated its investigation, Wetstone said. Hopefully, these measures will not only help it recover, but also accelerate the development of domestic manufacturing.

The 24-month tariff reprieve, in particular, removes a cloud of uncertainty that impeded solar developers from pursuing utility-scale projects, said Affordable Solar CEO Ryan Centerwall.

If new tariffs are imposed, this allows us time to price-in those new costs over two years, Centerwall told the Journal. This gives us the certainty we need to continue developing projects now, before new tariffs take effect, and to be prepared when and if that does happen.

In fact, the previous uncertainty was far more paralyzing than the actual prospect of new tariffs, Centerwall added.

I think solar demand is so strong today that new tariffs would not impact the industrys long-term viability, Centerwall said. I think demand would remain just as strong as its been.

Still, given the contract cancellations and postponements caused by the Commerce investigation, it will take time to renegotiate new projects and start rehiring laid off employees.

Unfortunately, the tariff announcement itself in April delayed projects for at least a year or so, Centerwall said. Well begin rehiring for some key positions immediately, but significant rehiring wont come until later this year, or early next year.

The federal investigation generated industrywide pressure on the Biden administration to intervene, including bipartisan lobbying in the U.S. Congress against any new tariffs.

Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, played a leading role in those congressional efforts. The White House action on Monday, however, drew significant praise.

I applaud the president for giving a two-year reprieve from this solar tariff petition that was creating major uncertainty, Heinrich said in a statement Monday afternoon. Todays actions will save thousands of American jobs, keep game-changing utility-scale solar projects on track for construction, and build a bridge for our domestic solar component manufacturers to scale up their operations and become more competitive on the global market.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Almost 12% of the voters eligible to participate in Tuesdays primary election have cast their ballots already  with Republicans slightly more likely to turn out than Democrats.

But voters still have 12 hours to boost those numbers.

Polling locations across New Mexico will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, and same-day registration is available for new voters or independents who want to register with a party to participate in the primary.

The turnout pace so far roughly matches the turnout from 2018 at a similar point in the election cycle. About 28% of voters participated in the primary that year.

Early and absentee voting began last month.

I really thought wed have higher turnout because there are so many contested races, Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover said Monday. Its certainly an important election.

At stake are the Republican nomination for governor; the Democratic campaigns for attorney general, treasurer and auditor; and a host of contested legislative, sheriffs and local races.

Tuesdays election is the first since New Mexico adopted new congressional and legislative districts to reflect new census data.

In Bernalillo County, election workers will operate 72 polling locations Tuesday, and voters may choose any site to cast their ballot. Absentee ballots can also be turned in at any of the countys polling locations.

For people who want to avoid a crowd, Stover said, the polls tend to be slowest at mid-morning and mid-afternoon.

In Santa Fe County, election workers will staff 31 polling sites  the busiest of which is often the Santa Fe County Fair Building on Rodeo Road.

Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark said the countys website will have a map with wait times at each location. She encourages people to vote early rather than get caught in the rush as polls close.

Dont wait until the last minute, she said.

This years primary election is the first in New Mexico that allows independent and minor-party voters to change their affiliation at the polls and cast a primary ballot for Democratic, Republican or Libertarian candidates.

About 3,730 voters have already taken advantage of the option  a figure that includes people registering for the first time, in addition to those changing parties.

I think the word is out, Clark said. People are using same-day registration.

New Mexico has closed primaries, meaning only voters registered with one of the major parties can participate.

The top of the primary ballot features a contested race for governor among five Republicans seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham this fall.

Former KRQE meteorologist Mark Ronchetti and state Rep. Rebecca Dow are the best-funded candidates in the Republican field. Also running are Sandoval County Commissioner

Jay Block, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel; Greg Zanetti, an Albuquerque financial adviser and retired general in the Army National Guard; and former Cuba Mayor Ethel Maharg, an anti-abortion activist.

For Democrats, the race for attorney general  a competition between State Auditor Brian Colon and 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez  tops the ballot.

There are also contested Democratic races for state treasurer and state auditor.

All 70 seats in the state House are on the ballot, 13 of which are contested Democratic races.

Through Monday, about 12.5% of the states Republican voters had cast early or absentee ballots, according to a Journal analysis of figures released Monday. Turnout for Democrats was at 11.6%, and 3.4% of Libertarian had cast ballots.

The total number of absentee and early votes cast so far is 122,125, according to numbers released Monday by the Secretary of States Office.


Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Public Education Secretary Kurt Steinhaus is giving up some of his day-to-day job duties as he handles a personal health issue, state officials say.

Steinhaus, whos 68, said he expects to pull back from travel around the state as he transitions to a less-intensive role leading the department.

In an interview Monday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Steinhaus said they had talked earlier that day about a personal health matter involving the secretary.

In response, the governor said, her administration will make changes to the leadership structure of the department to ensure Steinhaus and his family are accommodated.

These jobs take an incredible toll, Lujan Grisham said.

The changes might involve hiring a chief deputy secretary to focus on day-to-day operations and allowing Steinhaus to work less than full time. But the governor said they hadnt settled on a specific structure yet.

Were going to figure it out, Lujan Grisham said. I dont know quite what it looks like yet.

The changes come after two of PEDs top three deputies, Gwen Perea Warniment and Katarina Sandoval, took jobs at other agencies in the last month.

Perea Warniment is now director of the Legislative Education Study Committee, and Sandoval joined Albuquerque Mayor Tim Kellers administration as chief operations officer.

Steinhaus has deep roots in New Mexico. He was appointed to lead the Public Education Department last summer after having retired as superintendent of Los Alamos Public Schools.

He is also a former deputy public education secretary under then-Gov. Bill Richardson and was a teacher in Alamogordo.

Steinhaus said the changes at PED mean he wont be as visible in communities across New Mexico but will continue working as a Cabinet secretary.

He is the third public education secretary hired by Lujan Grisham since she took office in 2019.

She fired her first education chief, Karen Trujillo, six months into the job, and her second pick, Ryan Stewart, served about two years before stepping down to care for a sick family member.

The Public Education Department is one of New Mexicos most high-profile agencies.

It has led efforts to craft a strategy to improve academic outcomes amid legal pressure.

In 2018, a state district judge ruled the state was violating the rights of some students by failing to provide an adequate public education. The decision focused on English language learners, Native American students and children from low-income households.

As litigation continued, the department just last month released a draft plan intended to address the judges findings.
People with high blood pressure have been able to shave off an average of 14 points from their systolic blood pressure and 5.3 points from their diastolic blood pressure readings after participating in the YMCAs Blood Pressure Self Monitoring program.

The YMCA is offering the four-month program, in which people can participate in-person or virtually.

More than a quarter of New Mexicans have high blood pressure, according to the state Department of Health. If left untreated the condition can lead to heart problems, stroke and other serious health issues.

Participants will work with Healthy Heart Ambassadors to make positive changes for their health, develop healthier eating habits and take other steps to reduce blood pressure.

Our goal is not only to educate our participants on the risks and ways they can help to improve their blood pressure, but also to empower them to monitor their blood pressure and their daily habits to improve overall health, said Sara Ukeiley, program director.

The YMCA is also offering free monthly nutrition seminars and mindfulness and stress management classes to encourage overall mind and body health. The blood pressure monitoring program is open to anyone over the age of 18 and who has a hypertension diagnosis. Participants who have had a cardiac event in the last 12 months and are still under the care and monitoring of their doctors are not eligible.

The fee is $45 per person, and blood pressure monitors are available for purchase from the YMCA for those who do not already have one.

For more information or to register go to ymcacnm.org/bpsm, or email bloodpressureymca@gmail.com.
SANTA FE  A lawsuit claiming that New Mexico county commissioner and Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin engaged in viewpoint discrimination could be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court in a test-case for free speech rights on social media platforms.

Chaplain and local Democratic Party leader Jeff Swanson lost a federal appeals court ruling in February in a lawsuit claiming he was blocked by Griffin from social media discussions about public county business on Griffins Facebook page.

Swanson, a Marine veteran, says he was blocked in a discriminatory fashion after criticizing Griffin about the upkeep of a courthouse and urging Griffin to not mix politics and religion. Swansons attorney on Monday confirmed the petition to the Supreme Court, which has not said if it will take the case.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver in February sided with Griffin in the dispute over his social media account and whether it functioned as a public forum concerning county affairs, with implied guarantees to public access and free speech.

The appeals court in the dispute found no clearly established right to First Amendment free speech protections for public discussions on social media platforms.

Advocacy groups including the ACLU assert that First Amendment rights should apply to social media accounts when public officials use accounts as an extension of their office.

Griffin has said that he used his Facebook page to express personal opinions as just one member of a three-member county commission.

The dispute emerged in 2019  long before Griffin, an elected commissioner in southern New Mexicos Otero County  was suspended indefinitely from social media accounts, including Facebook, following his arrest in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.

Griffin was convicted of illegally entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds, where he appeared on an outdoor terrace and tried to lead the crowd in prayer without entering the building.

He was acquitted of engaging in disorderly conduct during the riot that disrupted Congress from certifying Joe Bidens presidential election victory.

Griffin is not running for reelection in November.
KYIV, Ukraine  Russia on Tuesday claimed to have taken control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraines Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscows forces hold nearly all of Luhansk province. And it appears that Russia now occupies roughly half of Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts.

After abandoning its bungled attempt to storm Kyiv two months ago, Russia declared that taking the entire Donbas is its main objective. Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian government forces in the Donbas since 2014, and the region has borne the brunt of the Russian onslaught in recent weeks.

Early in the war, Russian troops also took control of the entire Kherson region and a large part of the Zaporizhzhia region, both in the south. Russian officials and their local appointees have talked about plans for those regions to either declare their independence or be folded into Russia.

But in what may be the latest instance of anti-Russian sabotage inside Ukraine, Russian state media said Tuesday that an explosion at a cafe in the city of Kherson wounded four people. Tass called the apparent bombing in the Russian-occupied city a terror act.

Before the Feb. 24 invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russia controlled some 7% of the country, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and areas held by the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces hold 20% of the country.

While Russia has superior firepower, the Ukrainian defenders are entrenched and have shown the ability to counterattack.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces made no significant advances in the eastern Donbas region over the past day.

The absolutely heroic defense of the Donbas continues, he said late Tuesday in his nightly video address.

Zelenskyy said the Russians clearly did not expect to meet so much resistance and are now trying to bring in additional troops and equipment. He said the same was true in the Kherson region.

Speaking earlier to a Financial Times conference, Zelenskyy insisted on Ukraines need to defeat Russia on the battlefield but also said he is still open to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But a former senior U.S. intelligence officer said the time isnt right.

Youre not going to get to the negotiating table until neither side feels they have an advantage that they could push, said Andrea Kendall-Taylor of the Washington-based Center for a New American Security.

The Russians think they will be able to take the whole of the Donbas and then might use that as the opportunity to call for negotiations, Kendall-Taylor said at an online seminar organized by Columbia and New York universities.

Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, said Moscows forces have seized the residential quarters of Sievierodonetsk and are fighting to take control of an industrial zone on the citys outskirts and nearby towns.

Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. They are among a few cities and towns in the Luhansk region still holding out against the Russian invasion, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces.

Shoigu added that Russian troops were pressing their offensive toward the town of Popasna and have taken control of Lyman and Sviatohirsk and 15 other towns in the region.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak urged his people not to be downhearted about the battlefield reverses.

Dont let the news that weve ceded something scare you, he said in a video address. It is clear that tactical maneuvers are ongoing. We cede something, we take something back.

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai conceded that Russian forces control the industrial outskirts of Sievierodonetsk.

The toughest street battles continue, with varying degrees of success, Haidai said. The situation constantly changes, but the Ukrainians are repelling attacks.

Moscows forces also kept up their artillery barrage of Lysychansk. Haidai said Russian troops shelled a market, a school and a college building, destroying the latter. At least three people were wounded, he said.

A total destruction of the city is under way. Russian shelling has intensified significantly over the past 24 hours. Russians are using scorched-earth tactics, Haidai said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has begun training Ukrainian forces on the sophisticated multiple rocket launchers that the Biden administration agreed last week to provide. The Pentagon said the training is going on at a base in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets, which can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). Officials said it would take about three weeks of training before they could go to the battlefront.

In other developments, Zelenskyy said Ukraine planned to publish a special Book of Executioners next week with information about war crimes committed by the Russian army.

These are specific facts about specific people who are guilty of specific cruel crimes against Ukrainians, he said. Those named would include not only people who carried out the crimes but their commanders, he said.

The war also brought a standoff Tuesday between the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and Ukrainian authorities over the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe.

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, wants to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant to help maintain its safety after it was taken by Russian troops in March.

But Energoatom, the Ukrainian state company overseeing the countrys nuclear plants, said in a blunt statement that Grossi isnt welcome. It said his planned tour is yet another attempt to legitimize the occupiers presence there.

Amid fears of a global food crisis because of the war, the Kremlin said Ukraine needs to remove sea mines near its Black Sea port of Odesa to allow essential grain exports to resume from there. Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that removing the mines could enable Moscows forces to attack.

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Associated Press journalists David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv; Andrew Katell in New York; and Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this story.

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Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
VATICAN CITY  The Vatican has long defended its World War II-era pope, Pius XII, against criticism that he remained silent as the Holocaust unfolded, insisting that he worked quietly behind the scenes to save lives. A new book, citing recently opened Vatican archives, suggests the lives the Vatican worked hardest to save were Jews who had converted to Catholicism or were children of Catholic-Jewish mixed marriages.

Documents attesting to frantic searches for baptismal certificates, lists of names of converts handed over by the Vatican to the German ambassador and heartfelt pleas from Catholics for the pope to find relatives of Jewish descent are contained in David Kertzers The Pope at War, being published Tuesday in the United States.

The book follows on the heels of Kertzers Pulitzer Prize-winning The Pope and Mussolini, about Pius predecessor, Pius XI. It uses the millions of recently released documents from the Vatican archives as well as the state archives of Italy, France, Germany, the U.S., and Britain to craft a history of World War II through the prism of the Pius XII papacy and its extensive diplomatic network with both Axis and Allied nations.

The amount of material in these archives about searching for baptismal records for Jews that could save them is really pretty stunning, Kertzer said in a telephone interview ahead of the release.

The 484-page book, and its nearly 100 pages of endnotes, portrays a timid pontiff who wasnt driven by antisemitism, but rather a conviction that Vatican neutrality was the best and only way to protect the interests of the Catholic Church as the war raged on.

Kertzer, a professor of anthropology and Italian studies at Brown University, suggests Pius primary motivation was fear: fear for the church and Catholics in German-occupied territories if, as he believed until the very end, the Axis won; and fear of atheist Communism spreading across Christian Europe if the Axis lost.

To assuage that fear, Kertzer writes, Pius charted a paralyzingly cautious course to avoid conflict at all costs with the Nazis. Direct orders went to the Vatican newspaper LOsservatore Romano not to write about German atrocities  and to ensure seamless cooperation with the Fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini in the Vaticans backyard.

That meant never saying a word in public to explicitly denounce SS massacres, even when Jews were being rounded up right outside the Vatican walls, as they were on Oct. 16, 1943, and put on trains bound for Auschwitz.

Kertzer concludes that Pius was no Hitlers Pope  the provocative title of the last Pius-era blockbuster by John Cornwell. But neither was he the champion of Jews that Pius supporters contend.

Marla Stone, professor of humanities at the American Academy of Rome, said the book takes a position between the previous poles of historical interpretation.

Previously, the choices were either Pius XII was Hitlers Pope, deeply sympathetic to the Nazis, eager for a Nazi-Fascist victory, obsessed with the defeat of the Soviets at all costs, and a dedicated antisemite, she told a panel at the academy last month. The other historiographic position held that Pius XII did everything within his power to help those suffering under Nazi and Fascist oppression and that he was merely constrained by circumstances.

The Pope at War is one of several books starting to roll out two years after Pope Francis opened the Pius XII archives ahead of schedule. That gave scholars access to the full set of documentation to resolve the outstanding questions about Pius and what he did or didnt do as the Holocaust unfolded.

One of the first out of the gate was written in-house, by the archivist of the Vaticans secretariat of state, Johan Ickx. Perhaps understandably, it praised Pius and the humanitarian efforts of the Vatican to care for Jews and people fleeing the war, recounting the hundreds of files of Jews who turned to him, begging for help.

For the Jews it was obvious and clear that Pius XII was on their side and both he and his staff would have done everything in their possibility to save them, Ickx told Vatican News.

The Rev. Peter Gumpel, the German investigator who promoted Pius now-stalled cause for sainthood, has argued that Pius couldnt speak out more publicly because he knew it would enrage Adolf Hitler and result in more Jews being killed. He cites the case of a Catholic bishops in the Netherlands who spoke out against the deportation of Jews and the Gestapos response: deporting Jews who had converted to Catholicism.

The Vatican had already taken the extraordinary step, between 1965 and 1981, of publishing an 11-volume set of documentation, curated by a team of Jesuits, to try to rebut criticism of Pius silence that erupted following the 1963 play The Deputy, which alleged he turned a blind eye to Nazi atrocities.

But even the Vaticans own prefect of the archives, Monsignor Sergio Pagano, said recently that the initiative, while worthy at the time, now needs to be revised.

During a panel discussion hosted by a Spanish research institute in Rome, Pagano acknowledged that the Jesuits sometimes looked at half of one document, and the other half no, and that he had learned of some strange omissions that are now becoming evident. But he insisted there was no attempt at the time to hide inconvenient truths, just a lack of full access to all the files and the chaos of working quickly with a disorganized archive.

Kertzer identifies two major omissions in his book: The first was the transcripts of a series of secret meetings between Pius and a personal envoy of Hitler, Prince Philipp von Hessen, that began shortly after Pius was elected and continued for two years. The secret channel gave Pius a direct line to Hitler that was previously unknown, even to high-ranking Vatican officials at the time.

The second was the full contents of the note from Pius top diplomatic adviser on Jewish issues, Monsignor Angelo DellAcqua, responding to pleas for Pius to finally say something about the roundup of Italys Jews that accelerated in the autumn and winter of 1943. While DellAcquas opinion  that Pius should not say anything  was previously known, Kertzer says the antisemitic slurs he used to describe Jews had been excised from the Jesuits 11-volume text.

LOsservatore Romano has already come out swinging against Kertzers scholarship, blasting a 2020 essay he published in The Atlantic on some preliminary findings from the archives as strong affirmations, but unproven.

A key example of the Vaticans priorities, Kertzer says, came during the Oct. 16, 1943, roundup of Romes Jews. That cold morning, 1,259 Jews were arrested and brought to a military barracks near the Vatican, bound for deportation to Auschwitz.

The day after their capture, the Vaticans secretariat of state received permission from German authorities to send an envoy to the barracks, who ascertained that those inside included people who had already been baptized, confirmed and celebrated a church wedding, according to the envoys notes.

Over the following days, the secretariat of state drew up lists of people the church deemed Catholic and gave the names to the German ambassador asking for his intervention. In all, of the 1,259 people originally arrested, some 250 were spared deportation.

For me, what this means, and I think this is also a novelty in the book, is that the Vatican participates in the selection of Jews, Kertzer said in the interview. Who is going to live and who is going to die.
LOS ANGELES  U.S. House battles took shape in heavily Democratic California that could tip the balance of power in Congress, while former Trump administration Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was in a tight match to claim the Republican nomination for a new House seat in Montana.

In Mississippi, two Republican congressmen were forced into runoffs to keep their seats. Rep. Steven Palazzo had been dogged by ethics questions over his campaign spending, while Rep. Michael Guest faced a challenger who criticized his vote on a proposal to create an outside commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

Primary elections across seven states Tuesday set up November contests in dozens of races, as Democrats look to protect the partys fragile majority in the House.

In a diverse district anchored in Californias Orange County, Republican U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel, a South Korean immigrant, will face Democrat Jay Chen. The district, which includes the nations largest Vietnamese American community, is widely considered a toss-up.

In other districts in the nations most populous state, two Republican House members were trying to surmount challenges tied to former President Donald Trump: One voted to support Trumps impeachment after the U.S. Capitol insurrection, while the other fought against it.

A look at results in key U.S. House races Tuesday:

BATTLEGROUND CALIFORNIA: TRUMP HISTORY LOOMS IN KEY DISTRICTS

In 2020, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia won a narrow victory in a Democratic-leaning district north of Los Angeles. The former Navy fighter pilot was endorsed by Trump that year, then joined House Republicans who rejected electoral votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania and opposed Trumps impeachment after the Capitol insurrection. That record will be a focus for Democrat Christy Smith, who earned a chance for a rematch with Garcia, after losing two years ago.

In a Democratic-tilting district in the states Central Valley farm belt, Republican Rep. David Valadao is highlighting an independent streak while contending with GOP fallout for his vote to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6 insurrection. Early returns showed him holding an edge over Republican Chris Mathys, who made Valadaos vote a centerpiece in his campaign to oust him. The winner will face Democrat Rudy Salas, a state legislator.

California uses a top-two election format in which only the two leading vote-getters advance to the November general election, regardless of party.

In the Central Valley, Republican Connie Conway won a special election to complete the term of former Rep. Devin Nunes, who resigned to head Trumps media company.

TWO MISSISSIPPI CONGRESSMEN FORCED INTO RUNOFFS

A pair of GOP congressmen in Mississippi are headed to June 28 runoffs.

U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, first elected in 2010, will face Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell after failing to win the GOP nomination outright on Tuesday, earning less than 50% of the vote.

A 2021 report by the Office of Congressional Ethics found substantial reason to believe Palazzo, a military veteran who serves on the Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, abused his office by misspending campaign funds, doing favors for his brother and enlisting staff for political and personal errands. His then-spokesperson, Colleen Kennedy, said the probe was based on politically motivated false allegations.

In another Mississippi district, U.S. Rep. Michael Guest will face former Navy pilot Michael Cassidy in a district that cuts through parts of central Mississippi.

Cassidy criticized Guest for being in the minority of Republicans who voted to create an outside commission to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol  a group that would have been separate from the congressional committee now conducting the investigation. Cassidy also says on his website that President Joe Biden should be impeached.

FORMER TRUMP CABINET MEMBER SEEKS RETURN TRIP TO WASHINGTON

Montana gained a second congressional district this year thanks to its growing population, and Zinke, an Interior Department secretary under Trump, is one of five Republicans on the primary ballot for the open seat.

Zinkes rivals have been drawing attention to his troubled tenure at the agency, which was marked by multiple ethics investigations. One investigation determined Zinke lied to an agency ethics official about his continued involvement in a commercial real estate deal in his hometown. Hes faced a smear campaign over his military service from the extreme right wing of his party and questions about his residency following revelations that his wife declared a house in California as her primary residence.

Zinke, a former Navy SEAL and former Montana congressman, was in a tight race Wednesday against former state Sen. Al Doc Olszewski, an orthopedic surgeon and hard-line conservative who has tried to paint Zinke as a liberal insider. The results of the race were being delayed because of ballot printing errors that forced officials in one county to count votes by hand.

The winner will face Olympic rower and attorney Monica Tranel, a Democrat, in the general election.

IOWAS SOLE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE MEMBER FACES A TOUGH FIGHT

A Republican state senator has captured the slot to take on Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne this fall in a newly drawn district that appears more favorable for the GOP.

Axne is the only Democrat in Iowas House delegation.

State Sen. Zach Nunn easily outdistanced rivals Nicole Hasso, a financial services worker, and Gary Leffler, who works in the construction industry, to claim the GOP spot. Nunn, an Air Force pilot who has served in the Legislature since 2014 and has worked to cut taxes, was the best known among the GOP contenders.

In previous elections, Axne was elevated by her strong support in the Des Moines area, even as she struggled in rural counties that typically lean Republican. The new district includes several counties in southern Iowa known to turn out strongly for Republicans, increasing the pressure on Axne to drive up her numbers in Democrat-friendly Des Moines and its suburbs.

REMATCH COMING IN NEW JERSEY HOUSE BATTLEGROUND

In what could be New Jerseys most closely watched contest in the fall, Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski and Republican Tom Kean Jr. won their primaries, setting up a rematch of their closely contested 2020 race.

Malinowski, a State Department official in the Obama administration, is seeking a third term as his party faces headwinds heading into the general election. His district added more Republican-leaning towns during redistricting, making his reelection bid potentially more difficult.

Another complicating factor is an ethics investigation hes facing over stock transactions in medical and tech companies that had a stake in the pandemic response. A report from the Office of Congressional Ethics said the board found substantial reason to believe he failed to properly disclose or report his stock transactions.

Malinowski said his failure to initially disclose the transactions was a mistake that I own 100%. He said he didnt direct or even ask questions about trades made by his brokerage firm.

Kean, a former state Senate minority leader and the son of the former two-term Republican governor, said in a tweet that he was humbled by his victory and looks forward to seizing the seat in November.

SOUTH DAKOTA REPUBLICAN BEATS BACK CHALLENGE FROM POLITICAL RIGHT

U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota won his states GOP primary contest as he runs for a third term.

Johnson defeated state lawmaker Taffy Howard, who tried to run to his right. He is set for reelection in November because no other candidate has entered the race.

Howard repeated Trumps lies that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election and attacked Johnson for certifying the electoral college vote. While Johnson touted his conservative voting record during the primary contest, the congressman has also worked with a bipartisan group of lawmakers called the Problem Solvers Caucus.

Johnson drew attacks from a pro-Trump political action committee called Drain the DC Swamp, which spent $500,000 trying to knock him from the House.

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Associated Press writers Scott McFetridge in Des Moines, Iowa; Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Miss.; Matthew Brown in Billings, Mont.; Mike Catalini in Trenton, N.J.; and Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, S.D., contributed to this report.

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Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics
LONDON  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson scrambled to patch up his tattered authority on Tuesday after surviving a no-confidence vote that exposed his shrinking support in a fractured Conservative Party and raised serious doubts about how long he can stay in office.

The fact that the vote was held at all highlighted concerns that the famously people-pleasing Johnson has become a liability with voters. The scale of the rebellion  41% of Conservative lawmakers voted against him  would have led most prime ministers to consider resigning.

This is not over, said Philip Dunne, a Conservative legislator who voted against Johnson in Mondays no-confidence ballot. But with Johnson defiantly vowing to get on with the job, the endgame may not be quick.

Johnson vowed Tuesday to focus on what matters to the British people, defined by him as the economy, health care and crime.

We are able now to draw a line under the issues that our opponents want to talk about and take the country forward, he told Cabinet colleagues at their weekly meeting.

But Johnson faces serious questions about his ability to govern a country at a time of increasing economic and social strain.

The rebellion was also a sign of deep Conservative divisions, less than three years after Johnson led the party to its biggest election victory in decades  the peak of a rollercoaster political career.

Many Conservatives have concerns about the probity, and increasingly the popularity, of a prime minister who has previously shown a remarkable ability to shrug off scandal.

The no-confidence vote was triggered because at least 54 Tory legislators, 15% of the partys parliamentary caucus, called for a challenge to Johnson, following public outrage over government parties that broke COVID-19 lockdowns.

Lawmakers voted by 211 to 148 to support him as leader, beyond the 180 he needed to stay in power. Johnson described the win as convincing but the rebellion was larger than some of his supporters had predicted. It was also a narrower margin than his predecessor, Theresa May, secured in a 2018 no-confidence vote. She was forced to resign six months later.

It will come as a big blow, said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. The reality is that these contests have a habit of exposing quite how weak the authority of a prime minister is.

Most British newspapers were in little doubt that it was bad news for Johnson. The Conservative-supporting Daily Telegraph announced: Hollow victory tears Tories apart. The Times called Johnson a wounded victor, while the left-leaning Daily Mirror said bluntly: Partys over, Boris.

Former Conservative leader William Hague called on Johnson to step down, saying the damage done to his premiership is severe.

Words have been said that cannot be retracted, reports published that cannot be erased, and votes have been cast that show a greater level of rejection than any Tory leader has ever endured and survived, Hague wrote in a Times of London article whose words were splashed across the British media.

Senior government ministers backed Johnsons call to move on. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the party should draw a line in the sand after this vote.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the vote had produced a clear result.

Now is the time to get behind the prime minister, she said.

Despite Trusss promise that she is 100% behind Johnson, she is a favorite to replace him if he is forced out.

The vote followed months of brewing discontent over the prime ministers ethics and judgment that centered on revelations of alcohol-fueled bashes held by staff in the prime ministers office in 2020 and 2021, when pandemic restrictions prevented U.K. residents from socializing or even visiting dying relatives.

In a report last month on the scandal known as partygate, civil service investigator Sue Gray said Johnson and senior officials must bear responsibility for failures of leadership and judgment that created a culture of rule-breaking in government.

Johnson also was fined 50 pounds ($63) by police for attending one party, making him the first prime minister sanctioned for breaking the law while in office.

The prime minister said he was humbled and took full responsibility  but went on to defend his attendance at parties as necessary for staff morale and call some of the criticism unfair.

Johnson still faces a parliamentary ethics probe that could conclude he deliberately misled Parliament over partygate  traditionally a resigning offense. His government is also under intense pressure to ease the pain of skyrocketing energy and food bills, while managing the fallout from Britains exit from the European Union.

Polls give a lead nationally to the left-of-center opposition Labour Party headed by lawmaker Keir Starmer, a stolid, dutiful foil to the blustering Johnson. The prime minister will face more pressure if the Conservatives lose special elections later this month for two parliamentary districts, called when incumbent Tory lawmakers were forced out by sex scandals.

While party rules bar another no-confidence vote for 12 months, those rules can be changed by a handful of lawmakers who run a key Conservative committee.

In the meantime, both allies and opponents of Johnson doubt he will step down willingly.

Bale said Johnson would likely fight back with tax cuts and other policies designed to appeal to his partys right-leaning lawmakers and supporters.

The problem with that is that its proposing, if you like, policy solutions to a personality problem, he said. It looks from opinion polls that the public have turned against Boris Johnson in particular, and thats in part whats dragging the Conservative Party down.
LOS ANGELES  Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday that the Biden administrations work to attract investment to Central America, part of the U.S. effort to reduce migration, has generated $3.2 billion in private-sector commitments.

We know the American people will benefit from stable and prosperous neighbors, she said during remarks on the second day of the Summit of the Americas, which brings together countries from across the hemisphere. And when we provide economic opportunity for people in Central America, we address an important driver of migration.

President Joe Biden, who arrives at the summit on Wednesday, tasked Harris last year with addressing the root causes of migration, which routinely strains U.S. resources at the border with Mexico. Progress has been slow, a reflection of the regions intractable problems and what some critics describe as U.S. neglect.

Harris said she would focus on empowering women who face poverty and violence in their home countries. The effort is known as In Her Hands, and it aims to connect more women to the banking system, help them participate in agriculture and provide them with training in coding and cybersecurity.

When you lift up the economic status of women, you lift up the economic status of families, of her community and of our entire hemisphere, Harris said.

Her speech followed a roundtable with women leaders, including entrepreneurs, from Central America.

This weeks summit, which is being hosted by the U.S. for the first time since the inaugural event in 1994, is an opportunity for Harris to connect with leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean as she welcomes them to her home state.

With her focus on the region, Harris is following in the footsteps of Biden himself, who worked on migration issues when he served as vice president to President Barack Obama. However, Harris has taken just two trips to the region since taking office.

In recent days, she and the president have been working the phones to shore up attendance among leftist leaders who have been critical of the U.S. decision to exclude the authoritarian governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela from the Los Angeles summit.

But the effort yielded few results. Among those staying home are the presidents of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras  the only three leaders Harris has met in her two quick trips to the region.

Brian Winter, vice president of the Council of the Americas, said Harris got off on the wrong foot as Bidens point person assigned to address the root social and economic causes driving migrants to the U.S. In a May 2021 policy speech delivered to Winters international business group from Washington, Harris, a former California prosecutor, mentioned corruption no fewer than 10 times, stirring resentment in a region where leaders are sensitive to taking lectures from U.S. policymakers.

Corruption is a huge problem, but clearly there are more delicate ways to handle this, said Winter. A lot of doors closed even before she got on the ground.

Harris reiterated her anti-corruption goals  we must promote the rule of law  in her remarks Tuesday. The announcement that private-sector commitments have reached $3.2 billion includes $1.2 billion that was announced in December and another $1.9 billion being detailed this week.

New initiatives being announced include a $700 million expansion of cellular networks in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador by Miami-based Millicom; a $270 million commitment by Visa to promote digital payments; and a $150 million nearshoring investment by the Gap Inc. that could see as many as 5,000 jobs created closer to the U.S.

But the Biden administrations biggest policy proposal in the region  a $4 billion aid package for Central America  has stalled in Congress with little apparent effort to revive it. Meanwhile, the number of migrants at the U.S. border with Mexico has surged to its highest levels in decades, even as the Biden administration has little to show for the Democratic presidents promise as a candidate to introduce a humane asylum system that would break with Trump-era restrictions.

One challenge is finding partners in a region where institutions are weak, gang violence is prolific and corruption is rampant.

None of the countries Harris is to work with will be represented at the summit by its president, according to the list of delegations the White House released Tuesday. All three nations are sending their foreign ministers instead. And in recent months, the U.S. has taken a strident tone against El Salvadors President Nayib Bukele, whom it accuses of using his popularity to amass power and ride roughshod over democratic checks and balances.

Meanwhile, Guatemala President Alejandro Giammettei said last month that he would not attend after the U.S. criticized his decision to reappoint an attorney general it alleged was involved in corruption.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Honduras President Xiomara Castro, who has won praise from U.S. officials for her decision to extradite her predecessor, Juan Orlando Hernandez, to the U.S. to face federal drug charges. Harris, who attended Castros inauguration in January, spoke in recent days with Honduras first female president in a last-ditch effort to persuade her to travel to Los Angeles.

But in the end Castro sided with fellow leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico in boycotting the summit. Surely weighing on her decision was the United States quick recognition of a new government after Honduras military removed her husband, President Manuel Zelaya, from office in 2009.

Its a far tougher set of actors that the U.S. has to deal with even compared to what the Obama administration faced, said Rebecca Bill Chavez, president of the Inter-American Dialogue.

Chavez, who advised Harris on foreign policy during her brief presidential run, welcomed the vice presidents focus on gender-based violence and female migrants, something that was missing from past administrations. Shes also hopeful that Harris familial ties to Jamaica  her immigrant fathers birthplace  could help her connect to leaders in the Caribbean who are overlooked even in Latin America policy circles.

But Bidens record is tough to top. As vice president he made 16 trips to Latin America and his presence in the region has loomed large since his days as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, when he helped craft Plan Colombia, by far the biggest U.S. military and economic aid package in the region.

Chavez said that on issues of climate change, migration and inclusive economic growth, the Biden administration has the opportunity to lay out a vision with appeal to all countries no matter their ideological bent or bilateral agenda with the U.S.

To succeed she and the Biden administration really needs to broaden their scope, said Chavez. Los Angeles is the perfect opportunity for them to show they are so. But it cant be a one and done event. It requires follow-through to become reality.

___

Goodman reported from Miami, and Megerian reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Christopher Sherman in Mexico City and Elliot Spagat in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Voter turnout in New Mexicos primary election was a mixed bag at Bernalillo Countys 72 polling sites, with some reporting lines of people forming even before the doors opened at 7 a.m., and others reporting little action and rows of voting booths sitting idle for prolonged periods.

As of 5:30 p.m., 78,645 people in Bernalillo County had voted, including early and absentee voters. Of that total, 27,325 cast a ballot on Tuesday, said Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover. The total represents about 23% of all eligible voters in the county, she said.

Its more than it was in 2018, but until we get up in the range of 30% and 40%, to me its low voter turnout, Stover said. A lot of people say Im not going to vote in the primary and will just wait until November, but by that time, theyve lost their chance to pick somebody.

Statewide, about 225,600 votes were cast as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, including early, absentee and election day ballots, according to the office of the Secretary of State. That total represents about 22% of all eligible voters.

For the first time, same day registration was available for those who may have moved and needed to change their address.

More than 1,600 Bernalillo County voters did just that on Tuesday, in addition to about 1,500 who changed their address during early voting, Stover said.

While there were no technical or equipment glitches reported in Bernalillo County, an alert sent out at 6:30 p.m. from Sandoval County Clerk Anne Brady-Romero, said that due to a last-minute rush long lines at polling places throughout the county were being reported. She reminded voters that if they were in line by the time the polls closed at 7 p.m., they would be allowed to vote.

Polling places surveyed in Bernalillo County early in the day said voter turnout was light, although some, like Petroglyph Plaza on the West Side, and Daskalos Shopping Center on Menaul east of San Mateo, had people lined up well before voting began at 7 a.m.

Other polling sites, like the one at Highland High School, reported processing just 20 people two hours after the polls had opened.

Voters voiced common themes of needing change, more law enforcement on the streets, addressing the homeless issue, stricter control at our southern border, better school security, and regulation of firearms  some in favor of stricter laws and others seeing such measures as an affront to their rights.

We live in Ventana Ranch and I got shot at in my own backyard, said Karen Amador. I called 911, twice, and they never came.

She and her husband, Phillip, said they were only supporting Republican candidates, and were particularly interested in candidates with a background in law enforcement or military, and who have Christian values.

Tammie Zierden, an accountant for a construction company, was at the other end of the political spectrum.

I wont be supporting Republicans, and I dont have a problem saying that, she said.

Zierden was interested in candidates who value clean energy, womens health and reproductive rights and other progressive issues.

Mindy J., a vice president of sales and marketing for a hotel company in Santa Fe, said issues related to the economy were very important to her. I think that were giving away far too much, that there are a lot of incentives for not working, she said.

I also dont think that were securing our border the way that we should and I feel for our police officers. There arent enough of them and Im disappointed in their response times.

She also pointed to the increase in criminal activity and the criminal justice systems inability to keep violent criminals in jail.

Voter Joy Dinaro, who works in the housing department of Catholic Charities, praised Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

I most appreciated that she took care of the state when it came to the pandemic, and I think New Mexico would have been a lot worse off. Taking care of people and making sure they have an affordable place to live and enough food to eat is also of primary importance to me, she said.

Tom Mendes and his wife, Jacqueline Mendes, have been married 46 years, he is a Republican, she calls herself a moderate Democrat and adds, we get along just fine.

A semi-reitred insurance broker, Tom Mendes said the primary is about crime, the economy, security  everything is just terrible.

He noted that the grounds around the White House are fenced and locked as protection to control access and so people dont get hurt. But how about our schools? How come they dont have the damn doors locked with a wall around it? Those little babies are defenseless.

Jacqueline Mendes, a semi-retired hair stylist, said there needs to be more awareness about guns and that she and her husband are both in favor of more sensible gun safety laws.

We need more background checks. People should have to register their guns and it should be documented and tied to the drivers license, she said. They already ask for a drivers license for everything, anyway  your credit cards, banking and anything you purchase. That should be in there, too. It should be in the system.
PHOENIX  An Arizona prisoner made a last-minute request to the U.S. Supreme Court to delay his execution scheduled Wednesday for his murder conviction in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl.

Frank Atwood made the request Tuesday after a lower court rejected his arguments that the execution should be called off because his degenerative spinal condition would make it excruciatingly painful for him to be strapped on his back to the gurney he will lie on during the lethal injection.

Atwoods attorneys also told the Supreme Court in court filings that the aggravating factor that made his crime eligible for the death penalty was invalidly applied. He was convicted in 1975 in California for lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under 14 and convicted of killing Vicki Hoskinson in 1987.

Atwood is scheduled to be lethally injected with pentobarbital Wednesday at the state prison in Florence, Arizona, for his conviction in the girls killing.

The execution would be Arizonas second in less than a month, following an eight-year hiatus attributed to both on the difficulty of obtaining needed lethal injection drugs and criticism that a 2014 execution was botched.

Death penalty opponents worry that Arizona will now start executing a steady stream of prisoners who have languished on death row, but state officials didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on their future execution schedule and no more are currently scheduled. Arizona has 112 prisoners on death row, including Atwood.

Earlier on Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a request to delay Atwoods execution.

In addition to arguing that Atwood would suffer while strapped to the gurney, his lawyers questioned whether the state had met a requirement that the lethal injection drugs expiration date falls after the execution date.

And even though he didnt pick lethal gas as his execution method, his lawyers still challenged the states procedures protocol for gas chamber executions.

The appeals court in its ruling said it was deferring to a lower-court judge who concluded that accommodations made by the state  allowing a pillow and tilting feature on the gurney to be used to prop up Atwood to alleviate his pain  prevented a ruling that the lethal injection protocol creates a risk of severe pain.

The appeals court also concluded Atwood lacks legal standing to challenge the lethal gas protocol because he will be executed by lethal injection.

Prosecutors have said Atwood is trying to indefinitely postpone his execution through legal maneuvers.

Atwoods lawyers said would suffer for an extended amount of time even before the lethal drug is injected.

In a statement, Atwood attorney Joseph Perkovich said the lethal injection procedure will intentionally inflict extreme pain for what will likely be an hour before, in the best-case scenario, he succumbs to the execution chemicals.

Authorities have said Atwood kidnapped Hoskinson, whose remains were discovered in the desert northwest of Tucson nearly seven months after her disappearance. Experts could not determine the cause of death from the remains, according to court records.

Atwood maintains that he is innocent.

Last month, Atwood declined to choose between lethal injection or the gas chamber, leaving him to be put to death by lethal injection, the states default execution method.

Even though he didnt pick the gas chamber, Atwood challenged Arizonas lethal gas procedures.

His lawyers said Atwood has a right to choose between methods of execution that are constitutional and suggested that the state switch its lethal gas from hydrogen cyanide gas to nitrogen gas because nitrogen would produce painless deaths. Arizona prosecutors say nitrogen executions are untried and untested.

Atwoods attorneys said the states lethal gas protocol calling for the use of hydrogen cyanide gas  which was used in some past U.S. executions and by Nazis to kill 865,000 Jews at the Auschwitz concentration camp alone  is unconstitutional and would produce agonizing levels of pain in executions.

Arizona, California, Missouri and Wyoming are the only states with decades-old lethal-gas execution laws still on the books. Arizona, which carried out the last gas chamber execution in the United States more than two decades ago, is the only state with a working gas chamber.

In recent years, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Alabama have passed laws allowing executions with nitrogen gas, at least in some circumstances, though experts say its never been done and no state has established a protocol that would allow it.

On May 11, Arizona executed Clarence Dixon for his murder conviction in the 1978 killing of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old Arizona State University student.

It was the first execution carried out in the state since the July 2014 execution of Joseph Wood, who was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over nearly two hours.

Wood snorted repeatedly and gasped before he died. His attorney said the execution had been botched.
WASHINGTON  The son of Ruth Whitfield, an 86-year-old woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a racist attack on Black shoppers in Buffalo, New York, challenged Congress Tuesday to act against the cancer of white supremacy and the nations epidemic of gun violence.

Garnell Whitfield Jr.s emotional testimony comes as lawmakers are working furiously to strike a bipartisan agreement on gun safety measures in the aftermath of back-to-back mass shootings. Ten days after the shooting death of his mother and nine others in New York, another 18-year-old gunman with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 school children and two teachers.

What are you doing? You were elected to protect us, Whitfield Jr. told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires? he asked. If there is nothing then, respectfully, senators  you should yield your positions of authority and influence to others that are willing to lead on this issue.

The hearing is the first of two this week as families of the victims and survivors of the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde appear at public hearings and events on Capitol Hill to show the human toll of Americas gun violence and urge Congress to act.

Pressing for a deal, President Joe Biden met Tuesday with Sen. Chris Murphy, a key Democratic negotiator, who has worked most of his career trying to curb the nations mass-shooting scourge after the heartbreaking slaughter of 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary in his home state of Connecticut a decade ago.

Murphy told reporters after the meeting that he was grateful to have an opportunity to update the president on the talks. Obviously weve still got work to do in the Senate, he said.

Murphy said his goal is to try to get an agreement this week, but he added that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been clear that we need some extra time to dot the is and cross the ts that will get it.

Also Tuesday, actor Matthew McConaughey, who is from Uvalde, made the rounds of Senate offices before heading to the White House to open the daily briefing. McConaughey, who earlier this year considered a run for governor of Texas, gave a speech on the importance of taking legislative action to make the loss of these lives matter.

We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that wont make it so easy for the bad guys to get the damn guns, he said. The 52-year-old actor and his wife drove to Uvalde on the day after the shooting and spent time with some of the victims families.

On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee is expected to hear from more victims families and from fourth-grader Miah Cerrillo, who captured Americans attention after she described covering herself in her dead classmates blood and playing dead to survive the shooting rampage in Uvalde.

The Senate hearing Tuesday focused directly on the white supremacist ideology that authorities say led an 18-year-old gunman dressed in military gear to drive hours to a predominately Black neighborhood in Buffalo and live stream his violent rampage. The shooting left 10 people dead and several others wounded.

My mothers life mattered, Whitfield said. Your actions here will tell us if and how much it mattered to you.

Shortly after the Buffalo massacre, a bill that would have bolstered federal resources to prevent domestic terrorism failed in the Senate at the hands of Republican opposition. Even at Tuesdays hearing, Republican senators took the time to focus on the racial injustice protests that took place in the summer of 2020, citing those incidents as acts of domestic extremism.

Since the failed vote, senators have regrouped and began to meet privately in a small bipartisan group headed by Murphy and Republican Sen. John Cornyn, trying to hash out a compromise that could actually become law.

But lawmakers have been here before  unable to pass any substantial gun safety laws in decades in the face of steep objections from Republicans in Congress, some conservative Democrats, and the fierce lobbying of gun owners and the National Rifle Association. No major legislation has made it into law since the 1994 assault weapons ban, which has since expired.

The issue for Democrats is that a number of the topics with bipartisan support would likely not have stopped either the shooting in Buffalo or Uvalde. And the ones that gun safety advocates argue would have been met with a deep reluctance from Republicans. One such proposal would raise the age requirement for gun purchases from 18 to 21. Another popular measure among Democrats would have banned assault-style rifles altogether.

Instead, the senators are focusing on incremental policy changes through a system that would send funds and other incentives to the states to bolster security at school campuses, provide more mental health services to young people and possibly encourage states to pursue red-flag laws to keep firearms out of the hands of people who would do harm.

But one thing that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seem to agree on is that inaction is not an option.

We know we wont get it all done at once, Schumer said Tuesday afternoon. But the American people want us to get something done and they want to see Republicans do something.

His counterpart across the aisle seemed to echo the sentiment. Almost everybody would like to get an outcome, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told reporters. I hope well have one sooner rather than later.

___

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Alan Fram and Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
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In a message after the four-day celebrations, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also express their gratitude to the Brits for a 'fantastic weekend of celebrations' marking Queen Elizabeth's 70 years of leadership.

Jun 7, 2022

AceShowbiz - Prince William and his wife Catherine Middleton have applauded Brits for a "fantastic weekend of celebrations" marking Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee. Along with it, the royal pair joked about their son Prince Louis' cheeky reaction.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, attended a number of events over the four-day bank holiday weekend, bringing along their children, 8-year-old Princes George, 7-year-old Princess Charlotte and 4-year-old Louis.

They have since offered up their thanks to everyone who got involved and for the outpouring of love for the monarch. They wrote in a post on Instagram, "What a fantastic weekend of celebrations. Seeing people across the nation coming together with family, friends and loved ones has been extremely special."

"Thank you to everyone who turned out to show their gratitude to The Queen and her inspiring 70 years of leadership," they went on saying. "From the crowds on the Mall to communities hosting street parties up and down the country, we hope you had a weekend to remember."

The pair concluded their post with a jovial reference to their youngest son Louis, who was pictured pulling a number of hilarious faces during his time in the spotlight over the Jubilee weekend. They wrote, "We all had an incredible time, especially Louis ... " adding a side-eye emoji.

One particular image of Louis showed the youngster with his hands clamped over his ears and his mouth open wide as he stood next to the Queen on the Buckingham Palace balcony during a fly-past on Thursday, June 2.

The Duke and Duchess attended events including Trooping the Colour, the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, and the Platinum Party at the Palace, which featured performances from acts including Queen and Adam Lambert, Rod Stewart and George Ezra.

Along side their Instagram message, the couple also shared pictures from behind-the-scenes over the weekend, including images of the couple with their children and snaps from a Kensington street party.
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The 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' star believes that his ex is trying to harm the reputation of his wine company that he 'carefully built' by selling her stake to a Russian oligarch with 'poisonous intentions.'

Jun 7, 2022

AceShowbiz - Brad Pitt has accused Angelina Jolie of trying to damage him by secretly selling her stake in his French vineyard to a "Russian oligarch" with "poisonous intentions." In a new court filing, the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" actor also alleged that there is a plan to seize total control of his multi-million dollar wine passion project.

Jolie sold half of the booming Chateau Miraval winery to a company run by Yuri Shefler, who owns the firm that produces flagship Russian vodka Stolichnaya, rebranded Stoli. Pitt's lawsuit over the sale started in February. Legal documents, which was obtained by DailyMail.com and filed on June 3, cited Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and claim "the Stoli brand is now a massive international liability."

The lawsuit added that after Shefler's "desperate attempts to disassociate himself from the Putin regime" Stolichnaya "has been the object of boycotts throughout the world." Papers filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court said, "The US Treasury Department designated Shefler as an 'oligarch in the Russian Federation' in an unclassified report to Congress made pursuant to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017."

Pitt and Jolie, who were dubbed Brangelina before their split, bought the winery in Correns, southeastern France, in 2008. When they divorced, the estate was said to be worth $164 million. The South of France chateau, where the couple married in 2014, became Pitt's "passion." Under his guidance, it has become one of the world's most highly-regarded producers of rose wine, the court papers said.

Yet in October 2021, the documents said Jolie "purported to sell her interest to Tenute del Mondo, a hostile third-party competitor bent on taking control of Miraval." They also alleged the "Maleficent" actress' motivation for the deal was to "inflict harm on Pitt." The papers accused Shefler of jeopardizing the "reputation of the brand Pitt so carefully built."

They went on, "All of this is the direct result of Jolie's unlawful and tortious conduct. In violation of the parties' agreement, Jolie has sought to force Pitt into partnership with a stranger, and worse yet, a stranger with poisonous associations and intentions." The case was further complicated by a labyrinthine dispute over the size of Jolie's stake.

Pitt and Jolie bought the chateau as a home to share with their six children as well as a vineyard to run as a family business, the papers said. The first wine by the joint venture, Miraval Rose 2012, sold out its first 6,000 bottles online within five hours of release.

Pitt and Jolie, whose six children are 20-year-old Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt, 18-year-old Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, 17-year-old Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt, 16-year-old Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and 13-year-old twins Knox Leon Jolie-Pitt and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, were embroiled in a hugely bitter custody battle over their brood.

Despite his 50/50 custody victory just before Jolie decided to sell her stake in Marival, Pitt was later stripped of having joint parental control. In October 2021, a judge denied his petition to review the ruling.

Shefler publicly criticized Putin regime following the invasion of Ukraine and said he was exiled from his homeland. The tycoon announced he was changing the name of his Stolichnaya vodka to Stoli due to Putin's war on Ukraine, which has left at least 14,000 people dead.

Pitt is demanding a jury trial and is accusing Jolie, Shefler, Oliynik, SPI Group and Tenute del Mundo in the lawsuit of two counts of breach of contract, breaching good faith, and tortious interference with contractual relations.
Warner Bros. Pictures Movie

Words are Warner Bros. holds a meeting where it's discussed the possibility to remove all scenes featuring Heard's character Mera following the Johnny Depp trial.

Jun 7, 2022

AceShowbiz - Amber Heard may not be able to save her "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" gig after all. The actress is reported to be likely completely dropped from the upcoming sequel following the verdict of the Johnny Depp vs. Heard defamation case.

According to reports, a meeting between higher-ups at Warner Bros. was recently held to discuss the possibility to remove all scenes featuring Heard's character Mera in "Aquaman 2". While this should be taken with a grain of salt, it's noted that the info comes from a pretty reliable scooper via Twitter who claims to have been in contact with an inside source.

"There was a meeting and all of Amber's scenes will be deleted from Aquaman 2," read a message from the anonymous source which was then shared via KC Walsh a.k.a. @TheComixKid's Twitter account.

During her testimony at the trial, Heard claimed that she "fought really hard" to save her role in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom". Despite her best effort, she said that her part was reduced significantly in the movie. There has been report that she only has less than 10 minutes screen time.

However, Walter Hamada, President of DC Films at Warner Bros., disputed her claims. Giving his own testimony in the trial, he insisted that whatever was going on in the outside world between Heard and Depp these past few years had no bearing on Warner's decision to downplay her role as Mera. The DC chief also insisted that it didn't affect how much they paid her.

Though Hamada confirmed that Heard was almost booted from the sequel, he stated that Depp's abuse allegations were not the reason. Hamada told the judge that the studio's concern was about the lack of chemistry between Heard and Jason Momoa, who stars as Aquaman.

"They didn't have a lot of chemistry together," Hamada explained. "The chemistry wasn't there.  This one was more difficult because of lack of chemistry between the two."

On June 1, the jury found Heard guilty of defaming her ex-husband Depp. The actor was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages from Heard.
WENN/Reflector Celebrity

In response to the sock designer's request to the judge to make her stick to the deal, the beauty salon owner says Rob 'has violated California law by revealing alleged details of ongoing settlement discussions.'

Jun 7, 2022

AceShowbiz - Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian's legal battle is now entering round 2. After the model lost her $100 million defamation lawsuit against the Kardashians, they are now going back and forth over her revenge porn case.

Blac has clapped back at Rob after he revealed that she's allegedly trying to back out of a deal they made to settle the case. On Monday, June 6, the former "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star filed documents, saying that his ex has agreed to drop her lawsuit against him for revenge porn if he helped get her dropped from a separate lawsuit, but she now wants to back out of the deal.

Rob and Blac are being sued by her other ex Pilot Jones, who has accused the former couple of outing him as gay and thereby exposing him to public threats. "With trial fast approaching, Chyna and her counsel looked to co-defendant Rob to resolve the Jones Case without her having to pay any money to secure a dismissal with prejudice," the docs read.

Rob says Blac accepted the deal in May, but now she has since "changed her mind." In the docs, the father of Dream Kardashian says the music video vixen is threatening to push forward with a trial in the revenge porn case. He is now asking a judge to force Blac to stick to the deal.

After news of their alleged settlement discussions was made public, Blac has responded by accusing her ex of acting "in bad faith" by asking a judge for their help in "enforcing the settlement agreement." Her lawyer Lynne Ciani says in a statement, "Under California law, settlement discussions are confidential. Rob Kardashian has violated California law by revealing alleged details of ongoing settlement discussions."

The attorney continues, "Chyna is permitted under California law to disclose that settlement discussions regarding her revenge porn case against her ex-fiance are ongoing. When and if a confidential settlement is reached on this case, Chyna will alert the court first and then the media."

She goes on noting about Rob's claims that Blac had abused him, "Regarding the earlier trial in April 2022, a Los Angeles jury soundly rejected Rob's testimony that Chyna had physically abused him. The jury found that Chyna, in fact, had not physically abused Rob."

The judge has yet to rule on Rob's request, but plans an emergency hearing to address the matter. Should the revenge porn case go forward, Rob and Blac will face each other in court again starting June 13.
INSTAR IMAGES/Instagram/JENNIFER GRAYLOCK Celebrity

A few days after the 'Donda' artist was caught watching 'Top Gun: Maverick' with the blonde beauty, his girlfriend Chaney Jones was spotted enjoying her dinner alone.

Jun 7, 2022

AceShowbiz - The identity of Kanye West's mystery movie date may have been revealed. Fans speculated that the blonde beauty who sat next to the "Gold Digger" hitmaker during the screening of "Top Gun: Maverick" was Monica Corgan.

Over the weekend, Ye was caught watching the Tom Cruise-starring action film with Monica sitting next to him. In a black-and-white photo initially uploaded on Instagram by a photographer named Motta Fied, the 44-year-old hip-hop star could be seen enjoying the movie with his female companion. "Forgot to mentionwent to see @topgunmovie the other night and sat next to @kanyewest," Motta captioned the snapshot.

Many social media users quickly pointed out that Ye's new date appeared to be Monica, who is an Instagram model known for being an ambassador for the swimwear brand BoutineLA. Fans were also convinced that Monica was the one who sat next to Kim Kardashian's ex-husband as she posted a snap of her legs in her Balenciaga boots while sitting inside of a movie theater on the day Motta's snap was taken.

In the comment section of Monica's post, many Instagram users left similar messages, asking whether she and Ye watched "Top Gun: Maverick" together. "U saw top gun wit Ye?" one person wrote with another wondering, "Are u ye's new girl?"

Others, in the meantime, believed that there's trouble in paradise in Ye's relationship with his current girlfriend Chaney Jones. Adding fuel to the speculations, Chaney was spotted having a solo dinner on Saturday night, June 4.

For the solo outing, Chaney wore a pair of black square-heeled Balenciaga sandals and held a pale pink Hermes Birkin bag. The First State Behavioral Health COO also flaunted the "Ye" tattoo on her left wrist, which she first unveiled in May.

Additionally, Chaney hasn't been pictured with Ye since their trip to Tokyo last month. They visited Japan after just six weeks of dating. The trip also came after the "Donda" artist reportedly introduced her to his family.

In an Instagram clip posted by Ye's cousin in April, Ye and Chaney could be seen waiting in line as they took turns with other family members to greet his cousin's grandmother, who was celebrating her birthday at the time. Later in the video, Chaney shared a warm embrace with the elderly lady. "My family including my cousin Kanye surprised my grandma for her 85 th bday.. Been to [sic] long since I been was a great day..," read the caption of the post.
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The Leonard Bernstein depicter, who also directs the biopic, is pictured sharing a smooch with the 'American Horror Story' star while filming the movie based on the life of the legendary Broadway composer.

Jun 7, 2022

AceShowbiz - Bradley Cooper and Matthew Bomer have conspicuously got affectionate on the set of "Maestro". The two actors have been caught on camera locking lips during the filming of the Leonard Bernstein biopic.

The Oscar-nominated actor and the Golden Globe-winning star were reenacting a romantic scene for the upcoming movie on the streets of New York City on Monday, June 6. They were pictured sharing a tender smooch in front of camera.

Cooper, who portrays the legendary Broadway composer, donned a beige trench coat over a white dress shirt and black trousers with a green polka dot bowtie. Bomer, meanwhile, sported a dark red-and-blue tie and black slacks under a gray wool jacket. Both of them had their hair slicked back with gel to match the 1950s style.

Bradley Cooper and Matt Bomer were spotted filming kissing scene for 'Maestro' in NYC.

"Maestro", which is also directed by the "A Star Is Born" helmer, appears to capture Bernstein's life at different stages, including in old age. The 47-year-old actor was previously featured sporting white hair to portray old Bernstein in first-look photos shared in late May.

The biopic is said to focus on his marriage to actress Felicia Montealegre. Though he married the Chilean-American stage and TV performer, he then acknowledged his homosexuality. Throughout the course of their marriage, he had brief extramarital liaisons with young men, which several family friends have said his wife knew about. "White Collar" alum Bomer is said to portray a clarinet player with whom Bernstein had a brief romance.

After his wife was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1977, Bernstein cared for her until she died in 1978. He retired from conducting on October 9, 1990 and died five days later of a heart attack brought on by mesothelioma.

The movie also stars Carey Mulligan as Bernstein's wife, Jeremy Strong as art critic John Gruen, Maya Hawke as Bernstein's writer and filmmaker daughter Jamie Bernstein, and Sarah Silverman as Bernstein's sister Shirley.

No exact release date is set just yet for the movie.
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The 'Dallas Buyers Club' actor believes the 'est way' to protect those rights is to stop 'dangerous people' from being able to obtain firearms in the first place.

Jun 7, 2022

AceShowbiz - Matthew McConaughey has called for better "gun responsibility" in the wake of the school shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas. While he insisted that he supportts the Second Amendment right for U.S. citizens to bear arms, the "Dallas Buyers Club" actor believes the "best way" to protect those rights is to stop "dangerous people" from being able to obtain firearms in the first place, and thinks a number of changes to legislation need to be made.

in an op-ed for the Austin American-Statesman, the actor wrote, "The debate about gun control has delivered nothing but status quo. It's time we talk about gun responsibility. There is a difference between control and responsibility. The first is a mandate that can infringe on our right; the second is a duty that will preserve it. There is no constitutional barrier to gun responsibility. Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people is not only the responsible thing to do, it is the best way to protect the Second Amendment. We can do both."

Matthew, who visited Uvalde last month, days after 19 children and their two teachers were tragically killed, acknowledged various "societal factors" such as better mental health care, school safety, "sensationalised" media coverage and "the decaying state of American values" also need to be tackled. However, he thinks taking steps to control gun ownership need to come first.

He noted, "We need to focus on corrections and countermeasures that can also and immediately reduce the gun violence tragedies that have become too common in our country. We need to make the lost lives matter. Our leaders must make bipartisan compromises on a few reasonable measures to restore responsible gun ownership in our country."

The 52-year-old star, who has Levi, Vida and Livingston with wife Camila Alves, detailed four changes he believes need to be taken, including background checks for everyone wanting to buy a gun and an age limit of at least 21 to buy an assault rifle "unless in the military." He also suggested Red Flag Laws should be "the law of the land".

He explained,, "These measures, which are already in effect in 19 states and Washington, D.C., empower loved ones or law enforcement to petition courts to temporarily prevent individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or accessing firearms."

The "Lincoln Lawyer" star's final suggestion was a "national waiting period for assault rifles," to reduce the chances of impulsive gestures. He explained: "Studies show that mandatory waiting periods reduced homicides by 17 percent. Gun suicides account for the majority of U.S. gun deaths. A waiting period to purchase an assault rifle is an acceptable sacrifice for responsible gun owners when it can prevent a mass shooting crime of passion or suicide."

In addition, Matthew called for people to join the government in helping with "integrating gun safety training, safe storage proposals, and bolstering school safety". But the actor stressed his suggestions won't "solve all our problems", though he thinks it strikes a balance between stopping "some of these tragedies" without "destroying" the Second Amendment.

"This is not a choice between guns or no guns. It's the responsible choice. Its the reasonable choice. It's a quintessentially American choice: Where I have the right to be me, you have the freedom to be you, and we have the responsibility to be US. To find common ground on this issue, both sides are going to have to answer the call and reach for the higher ground of our collective responsibility," so he wrote.

"Business as usual isnt working. 'Thats just how it is' cannot be an excuse. The heinous bloodshed of innocent people cannot become bearable. If we continue to just stand by, we're living a lie. With every right there comes a duty," he continued.

He concluded, "For ourselves, our children, and our fellow Americanswe have a duty to be responsible gun owners. Please do yours and protect the Second Amendment through gun responsibility. It's time for real leaders to step up and do whats right, so we can each and all just keep livin'."
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited one of the leading company in petroleum sector in India has been supporting a CSR intervention Integrated Cancer Care and Cure in partnership with Indian Cancer Society which encompasses Preventive as well as Curative dimensions of Cancer Care. The project comprises of Cancer Screening camps for Oral, Cervical and Breast Cancer in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra along with financial support for treatment of cancer in through 10 government/non for profit hospitals PAN India as well survivorship & rehabilitation programs for cancer survivors.

BPCL has supported the entire cancer spectrum through its CSR activities. Ugam- a voluntary cancer survivors support group is an integral part of the overall program which has been formed by Childhood Cancer Survivors who have completed treatment. UGAM means To Rise, underscoring the determination of childhood cancer survivors, to rise above all obstacles in life and be VICTORS. UGAM has been set up with an aim to empower the survivors & become the ambassador of the message Childhood Cancer is Curable in society. Throughout the year Ugam volunteers are involved in many activities to create awareness of curability of cancer and foster bonding amongst cancer survivors fraternity.

700 Cancer screening camps are also supported by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited towards the screening of Oral, Cervical and Breast Cancer at Pune, Kolhapur, Varanasi and Kolkata. These camps would be secerning more than 70,000 beneficiaries over a period of two years.

Under this program, Indian cancer society which is one of the national organization for awareness, detection, cure and survivorship of those affected by cancer, has developed a holistic rehabilitation interventions for optimizing quality of life of underprivileged childhood cancer survivor and bringing them into mainstream society. It also includes establishing survivorship clinics, educational support, vocational skill program and UGAM  support group network of childhood survivorship.
Returning with yet another riveting show, Dice Media, the long-form premium content studio by Pocket Aces, launches Indias first army anthology series, Bravehearts - The Untold Stories Of Heroes. Created in partnership with Indias largest learning platform* Unacademy, Bravehearts is a show about the families behind the heroes in our armed forces and how these heroes came to be a part of the national defence. Commemorating Indias 75th Independence, the series trailer had a prestigious unveiling before a global audience at the Cannes Film Festival 2022. The first episode of the series aired on 4th June exclusively on Dice Media.

Featuring experienced actors like Shakti Kapoor, Anup Soni, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, KK. Raina along with talented actors like Aadhya Anand, Varun Tewari, Anushka Kaushik, Naman Jain, each story captures a unique aspect of the courageous journeys of our heroes and their families. Be it a ragpicker whose dream is to serve the nation, a soldiers young widow who is grappling with the sudden death of her husband, or a retired Colonel dealing with his past demons and his distant son, Bravehearts is sure to strike ones emotional chords.

Unacademy onboards as the title partner, making dreams come true for these Bravehearts by enabling them to overcome the first hurdle in achieving their goal. Each story showcases these heroes cracking various defense entrance exams like National Defense Academy (NDA), and Services Selection Board (SSB), with the proficient training and mentorship that Unacademy provides through its Educators on board. In order to join these forces, the protagonists are seen training for the tests using features like preferred language selection, one-on-one mentorship, live quizzes, and pre-recorded as well as live sessions, enabling the protagonists to crack their exam leading them to their destination.

Commenting on the partnership, Karan Shroff, Partner & CMO, Unacademy, said At Unacademy, our vision is to democratise high quality education for everyone which helps the Learners crack their goals. We are especially proud of all the several rankers who achieved their dream with Unacademys help. The Learners from our defence category similarly hold a special place in our heart. Familiar with Dice Medias style of storytelling, we felt it would be the best-suited way to showcase the magic that grows out of perseverance. At Unacademy, we strive to break the norm and with Bravehearts, we not only want to inspire but also work on building a connection with the learners in India who appear for various entrance examinations.

Commenting on the launch of the series, Aditi Shrivastava, Co-founder & CEO of Pocket Aces and Showrunner of Bravehearts said, Releasing Indias first-ever army anthology series is a proud moment for us; which became even larger than life when we unveiled its trailer at the Cannes Film Festival 2022. While most army content is about the war at the borders, we wanted to showcase the courage of the army families as they support aspirants to get into the army as well as learn to sacrifice day-to-day normal lives for the nation. Unacademy has been a strong partner for us for a number of years, and with Bravehearts, we are proving yet again that there can be content with high quality, high production value, and big cast on AVOD as well.

Dice Media, a channel that prides itself on its accuracy of audience insights and understanding, found that many such untold stories exist that should see the light of day; bringing to life this anthology series that captures the touching emotions of our armed forces, with utmost sincerity. To add, Bravehearts coming from the channel that is home to much-loved, diverse shows like Little Things, What The Folks, Adulting, Clutch, Operation MBSS, and Crushed makes for an even more exciting watch to look forward to.
Leading digital payments company PhonePe, in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), has unveiled a report titled Digital payments in India: A $10 trillion opportunity. The report leverages BCGs industry expertise in payments and the fintech domain, along with PhonePes deep insights and expertise as the market leader in Indian digital payments and its extensive Pulse database to look at top digital payments trends in India.

Indias digital payments landscape has witnessed a phenomenal growth over the past five years. As per the report, Indias digital payments market is at an inflection point and is expected to increase more than three-fold from the current $3 trillion to $10 trillion by 2026. As a result of this unprecedented growth, digital payments (non-cash) will constitute 2 out of 3 payment transactions by 2026.

The report also talks about how the digital payments ecosystem has been positively disrupted by the entry of multiple new players with diverse offerings driving digital payments adoption at scale. Leading global and Indian fintech players have been key drivers of UPI adoption in India among end users, aided by build out of a large QR-code based merchant acceptance network, and further supported by user-friendly interfaces, innovative offerings and an open API ecosystem.

The report goes on to list the levers for further growth of digital payments in India, which include simplified customer onboarding, continued push for consumer awareness, expanding merchant acceptance, merchants getting greater access to credit, infrastructure upgrades and the setting up of a financial services marketplace driving growth in underpenetrated regions. It also talks about how IoT, 5G and CBDC will provide further impetus to growth.

Commenting on the launch, Karthik Raghupathy, Head of Strategy and Investor Relations, PhonePe, said, We are excited to partner with BCG to release Digital payments in India: A $10 trillion opportunity. The report is an in-depth commentary on the growth of digital payments in India and looks at factors and enablers that will help unlock the massive growth potential going forward. This report is part of the PhonePe Pulse initiative, which was launched last year, in our effort to give back to the Fintech ecosystem. PhonePe Pulse has been very well received by all the key stakeholders in the ecosystem and has emerged as Indias go-to destination for insights and trends on digital payment in the country.

Raghupathy further added, As Indias largest fintech platform, we have seen the growth of UPI over the last few years. UPI has supercharged Indias transition to non-cash payments when it comes to both person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions. Not surprisingly, UPI saw about 9x transaction volume increase in the past 3 years, increasing from 5 billion transactions in FY19 to about 46 billion transactions in FY22: accounting for more than 60% non-cash transaction volumes in FY22. This indicates that digital payment has truly gained ubiquitous acceptance across the country. While Tier 1-2 cities have witnessed high acceptance of digital payments, penetration in Tier 3-6 cities shows headroom for growth. The next wave of growth will now come from Tier 3-6 locations, as evidenced in the past two years wherein Tier 3-6 cities have contributed to nearly 60-70% of new customers for PhonePe.

Prateek Roongta, Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group, remarked, India is set to become a digital payment economy as source of payments invert with 65% transactions being done digitally by 2026, as opposed to 40% transactions today. Merchant payments will emerge as the most powerful driver of this growth, especially in the offline segment due to growing QR code deployments. We expect that merchant payments will soon outpace person-to-person fund transfers.

Roongta further said, We will increasingly observe digital payments get embedded in all forms of commerce, we will also witness the progression from embedded payments to embedded finance. As more and more merchants begin to accept digital payments, it will unlock a significant change in access to credit for small merchants due to the creation of a digital transaction trail.
U.S. service members, military families, honorably discharged veterans, and other authorized Army & Air Force Exchange Service shoppers are now eligible to receive an exclusive offer of 25% off their Disney+ annual subscription plans when they sign up at ShopMyExchange.com. The offer officially launched on Memorial Day, May 30.

Available to new and returning subscribers, this exclusive offer will provide discounted year-over-year pricing for Disney+, the flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from The Walt Disney Company. The discount will be accessible to anyone authorized to shop online with the Department of Defenses largest retailer both domestically and abroad in over 80 countries and territories.

We are very proud to team up with The Exchange to deliver Disneys storytelling to our brave service men and women worldwide, said Michael Paull, President of Disney Streaming. It is our privilege to thank our military members, veterans, and their families for their service with this exclusive offer.

This effort is a part of Disneys long-standing tradition of supporting the U.S. military, their families, and veterans. Through the Heroes Work Here initiative, Disney has hired more than 11,000 veterans since 2012, and Disneys Veterans Institute has helped hundreds of companies across the country establish veteran-hiring programs of their own. For more information, visit https://impact.disney.com/.

Disney+ requires a high-speed Internet connection for best viewing quality. Prospective subscribers must have a ShopMyExchange.com account and be 18 or older. This military-exclusive offer is limited to one discount per ShopMyExchange.com account holder. After the initial 12 months, subscribers will retain the 25% discount off the then-current renewal price for each 12-month renewal of Disney+.
To observe World Environment Day, HDFC Bank today announced the launch of four unique films that highlight the banks social and environmental initiatives under its flagship programme Parivartan. These films are part of a nationwide ESG campaign and have been conceptualised by ad agency Leo Burnett. The films use dramatic and powerful visuals to portray a bleak future that is imminent, unless we act today. They go on to highlight some of the restorative measures being implemented through HDFC Banks CSR initiatives, inviting the viewer to be a part of the change.

Each film focuses on a different cause with which HDFC Bank is associated and shows how the future can be better if we change things today. The campaign, which can be watched on television, reinforces the Banks position as socially responsible corporate citizen.

As part of the campaign, the bank has also planned a high-decibel activation in over 40 locations across the country. At over 125 busy traffic signals the bank will put up a short street play to encourage people waiting to turn off their engines to reduce air pollution.

HDFC Bank has always been committed to leading responsibly. We believe that as Indias largest private-sector bank, we must use our brand to create a positive social impact and make a difference in the lives of communities, said Mr. Ravi Santhanam, CMO, HDFC Bank. With this campaign, we want to raise awareness on the simple steps we can take to prevent a catastrophic future. We need to come together and act now so we can create a better tomorrow, he added.

At Leo Burnett we pride ourselves on working with HumanKind brands. HDFC Bank has always empowered people by putting purpose at the heart of all their endeavours. With the latest campaign, we want to highlight the importance sustainable progress and our films reflect the brands commitment to sustainability. World Environment Day was the perfect time to launch our campaign, said Mr. Rajdeepak Das, CEO & Chief Creative Officer  South Asia, Leo Burnett.

HDFC Bank is the amongst the largest corporate CSR spenders in the country. The banks key focus areas include care for climate, rural development, education, skill development, healthcare & hygiene, and financial literacy under Parivartan.
Australian Ambassador visits projects in Lao Cai Province

A delegation from the Australian Embassy visited Lao Cai Province from 5 to 6 June 2022 to meet local government leaders, businesses and communities benefiting from Australias investment in the Province.



Ambassador Mudie meets women of Ta Phin Community-based tourism service cooperative

Leading the delegation, Australias Ambassador to Vietnam, H.E Ms. Robyn Mudie, met community-based businesses, including those run by ethnic minority women, to understand how Australias support is helping to strengthen tourism and agriculture opportunities for the communities.





According to the Australian Embassy, Australias Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) program totaling A$33.7 million, is supporting community-based businesses, particularly women-led businesses, as women tend to face more barriers to market participation and economic opportunities than men.

GREAT works with businesses, NGOs and government partners to build more inclusive business and market systems within the agriculture and tourism sectors in Son La and Lao Cai provinces. It seeks to ensure that local women and ethnic minorities actively participate in and benefit from economic activities and growth.

The Embassy delegation visited a herbal bath project in Ta Phin Commune, Sapa Town, where they met the Red Dao Community Cooperative. The delegation heard how GREAT has worked with the Cooperative to train more farmers, including women, to supply better quality herbs, provided marketing and leadership training and equipment to support the expansion of the business. The Cooperative now involves 229 households and sells its product online all over Vietnam.

Homestay experiences are a cornerstone of community-based tourism in Lao Cai Province, and the delegation met homestay owners and tourism cooperative members over dinner in Ta Phin.



The new business strategy is working, with 800 domestic tourists enjoying homestays as of March 2022. The tourism cooperative recorded VND 457,000,000 million in income for members  generated from homestays and experiences such the Red Dao Culture House and herbal baths.

Ambassador Mudie and the delegation also visited Lao Cai College. The GREAT Program connected Lao Cai College to the Australian-based Chisholm Institute to support the development of a demand-based hospitality training program.

Five Lao Cai College lecturers have qualified as trainers in the hospitality courses, which are delivered to Australian standards. Of the 367 students that have graduated, 82% are women, and the majority are ethnic minority women. The training has also translated into jobs, with 324 graduates (88%) finding employment in local hotels and restaurants.



Ambassador Mudie said Despite the challenges of COVID-19, particularly in the tourism industry, it is encouraging to see the progress being made in the tourism and agriculture sectors in Lao Cai. Australias enduring partnership with Vietnam and shared commitment to the socio-economic development of the northwest of the country is creating a pathway to sustainable, inclusive growth that is opening up economic opportunities, particularly for ethnic minority women.
Metro Brands Limited (MBL), among Indias leading footwear specialty retailers, is infusing a fresh new, youthful energy to its sub-brand Metro Shoes with the launch of a new tagline #GoodVibesOnly. With the new look and feel, the brand infuses a breath of fresh air across all Metro Shoes store in India as well as its online presence, striking a chord with the millennials that represent all things positive. The brands previous tagline Metro Shoes #LetThereBeBright saw great success as it was launched at a time when the world was just emerging from a trying time with the pandemic.

The brand has also announced its latest Spring-Summer collection that includes Weave, Colour Block, Sneakers and Tie-Dye footwear, all representing this shift in culture. The #GoodVibesOnly tagline will follow a 360-degree focus on digital and social platforms. To reach out to its target group across the nation, Metro Shoes has a new campaign lined up where it has roped in social influencers across verticals to generate the right buzz with a dance hook step.

#GoodVibesOnly felt like a natural next step to our #LetThereBeBright campaign, as the world looks forward to a post-pandemic era filled with hope and colour. We wanted the customer to feel the vibes as soon as they see our new collection. Additionally, the groovy song and steps was our version of having fun with a great pair of shoes. We hope this positive energy resonates with every individual looking to spread Good Vibes. This is the spirit we celebrate! said Alisha Malik, President  Ecommerce & Marketing, Metro Brands Ltd.

Metro Shoes has created the song, lyrics and hook step to the background score for them film from scratch. The models and dancers in the video are all hand-picked by the brand team.

The Spring-Summer 2022 fashion footwear collection includes:

Tie-Dye Range

Metro Shoes in collaboration with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India launch its first-ever vegan-friendly shoe collection- Tie-Dye Collection, made with modern, comfortable animal-free materials that are kinder to the planet. The brand has added a hue twist to its footwear collection with this new, vibrant colour spread.

Price: Rs. 1490 onwards

Link: https://www.metroshoes.net/tie-dye-collection.html

Weave Range

The Weave collection brings to life Metro Shoes traditional Indian partners giving each pair of shoes under this range a unique look. The shoes accentuate the feet, adding a dash of the contemporary.

Price: Rs. 1990 onwards

Link: https://www.metroshoes.net/good-vibes-only.html

Sneakers

Metro Shoes brings a pop of bold colours to its range of sneakers, making white sneakers a thing of the past. Be it home, office, school/college, loungewear and activewear; a pair of these sneakers is a must-have in your wardrobe.

Price: Rs. 2490 onwards

Link: https://www.metroshoes.net/good-vibes-only.html
PayU today announced the appointment of three senior leaders - Narendra Babu as the Chief Technology Officer for the India Payments business; Mohit Bedi, as the Senior Vice President (SVP), to lead strategic initiatives and the Bill Payments business, and Vineet Sethi, as SVP to lead PayUs Diversified Financial Services portfolio. PayUs existing senior executive, Mohit Gopal will take on a new position as the Chief Operating Officer, while Sudhir Sehgal has been elevated as the Chief Business Officer. This fortified India payments business leadership team will steer PayUs growth to achieve its vision of developing a full-stack digital financial services platform to serve the tapped and untapped financial needs of merchants, banks, and consumers through technology.

Commenting on the new appointments, Anirban Mukherjee, CEO, PayU India, said, We are delighted to have top industry talent join us at this opportune time with the company heralding a new growth journey. The added firepower to our leadership team will help us further the companys trajectory of success and help us diversify into broader digital financial services. Each one of these new executives brings a plethora of experience with them that resonates with our vision of supporting Indias ongoing systemic change of better financial inclusion by meeting the needs of merchants, banks, and consumers through our platform. I look forward to partnering with them as we transform our business for the future.

As we continue to invest in talent and support our proven leaders, we are focused on identifying our most effective executives and putting them in roles where they can have the greatest
PokerBaazi.com, India's biggest poker platform, has extended its exclusive India partnership with the Asian Poker Tour  Asias premier poker events brand for another two years continuing the successful association. In the last two years of the partnership, PokerBaazi has hosted three successful APT India Online events.

The extension of the partnership comes along with the next APT India online edition slated to begin on July 1, 2022, the details of which will be released by the brand tomorrow and promises to be bigger than the previous edition held in January 2022. The partnership will allow Indian poker players to participate in the online events hosted on PokerBaazi.com and fight for the coveted APT trophy.

Commenting on this association, Mr. Navkiran Singh, Founder & CEO of Baazi Games said, PokerBaazi has been thoroughly dedicated to bringing world-class Poker action at the fingertips of Indias poker players. With PokerBaazi.com completing a Billion Hands in April, we are continuously looking to up the ante with larger tournaments, IPs, and more opportunities for Indian players. The extension of our exclusive India partnership with the Asian Poker Tour only furthers our commitment in this direction. We are looking forward to the partnership and strongly believe that this is another important step in our vision of creating a seamless Poker ecosystem in India.

Asian Poker Tour is one of Asias leading tournaments which announced the first-ever exclusive online series for Indian players, in 2020, in partnership with Pokerbaazi.com. The third edition of the APT India Online series was hosted in 2022 between Jan 30, 2022  February 6, 2022 and saw a massive turnout of over 56000 entries from across the country with a total prize pool of INR 7 Crore.

With physical poker tournaments steadily returning to action post the pandemic, APT plans to host its events in destinations like Vietnam and Philippines. With more Indians being attendees at global Poker events, this exclusive partnership will also unlock opportunities for Indian players to compete online on PokerBaazi.com and win packages to the global APT tournaments.
The Moms Co., India's leading toxin-free & natural personal care D2C brand, has roped in actor Sonam .A. Kapoor as brand ambassador for its skincare & babycare range. A soon-to-be mother and a firm believer of using skincare products that come with proof of performance and meet the highest safety standards, Sonam gracefully represents The Moms Co.s value of Love, Without Compromise. The brand value is further showcased in the brands first-ever national TVC starring brand ambassador Sonam.A.Kapoor who talks about how the products are completely natural, dermatologically tested and 100% of the women who tried them saw clearer skin.

Sonam resonates with The Moms Co.s promise of natural, toxin-free and extremely effective products without compromising either on efficacy or safety. With this association, the company will also launch its first-ever TV campaign to promote its skincare products that are natural and come with proof of performance.

Actor and soon-to-be-mom Sonam .A. Kapoor was a natural choice for the brand as she is a true believer in making effective and clinically proven skincare choices. Speaking about her association with The Moms Co., Sonam A Kapoor says, The Moms Co. is a brand that was born out of a mothers need to find the best products for her baby and is built on the philosophy of creating products that are natural, effective, clinically tested and one that meets global safety standards. I have been using The Moms Co.s products as part of my daily skincare regime and they have proven extremely effective for me and I look forward to using them for my baby as well.

Commenting on the association with Sonam, Malika Sadani, Founder & CEO, The Moms Co. said, Over the past 5 years, The Moms Co. has become Indias go-to brand for safe and effective products and is trusted by over 2 million consumers. In this journey, we have found the perfect partner in Sonam A Kapoor. She is known for her conscious and discerning choices in all aspects of life. The synergy between our brand values and what she represents is remarkable. We are delighted to partner with her to make The Moms Co. reach many more homes."

Commenting on this launch Sukhleen Aneja, CEO, Beauty & FMCG Brands at The Good Glamm Group commented The Moms Co. is the first brand The Good Glamm Group acquired, and to see the brand grow and make such bold moves is really exciting. The Moms Co. is one of our most awarded clinically certified brands within our portfolio. It creates clinically proven products encouraging women to love their skin without compromising. With its new campaign, we would like The Moms co to become the first brand of choice for Mom and Baby backed by products that are gentle yet highly effective.

In October 2021, The Moms Co. was acquired by South Asias largest Beauty and Personal Care conglomerate and beauty unicorn The Good Glamm Group with the aim to grow The Moms Co. to an Rs. 500 crore revenue run rate in the next two years. The acquisition was one of the largest DTC transactions to have taken place in India. The partnership between The Good Glamm Group and The Moms Co. developed between the founders on a shared vision of leveraging Content-to-Commerce as a growth engine.
Questioning the largely genetic foundations of autism has ruined medical, scientific and media careers, and this may partly be because, as with the elusive schizophrenia genes, so many reputations and articles of scientific faith hinge on the theory. For instance, if a group of researchers needs to prove that pigs fly to serve an industrial sponsor or as part of an exercise in "weaponized anthropology targeting a strategic or ideological foe, all they need do is link proofs of the imaginary flight of pigs to autism to create an automatic credibility shield.

But the population with autism may be only one of many targets of this particular campaign. Autism research provides an endless supply of unsubstantiated genetic corollaries which have the distinction of being protected by the state in order to obfuscate the role of government public health agencies in contributing to an epidemic. And, of course, these unsubstantiated genetic corollaries have endless applications for political and industrial exploits.

Autism, the fastest growing developmental disorder in the US, represents more than 7% of a $40 billion dollar psychopharmaceutical market for a demographic of roughly 1 to 2% of individuals under age 25, where roughly 85% of autism diagnoses are found. Marking a condition as a public safety hazard and those with the traits as near devils is the time honored manner of manufacturing public consent for exploitative and coercive treatment and dehumanization. In other words, a wide belief that those with autism are likely to kill could effectively snuff protest against drugging mandates which Torry, Satel, Koplewicz, NAMI, the American Psychiatric Association, the National Institute of Mental Health, a steady procession of presidential administrations and the pharmaceutical industry have pushed for all along.

One example of the use of an autism shield arose from research defining the Maori in New Zealand as genetically violent due to the so-called Warrior Gene." Viewed through the lens of Weaponizing Anthropology author David H. Price, social scientists conducting portions of the ongoing Dunedin Multidisciplinary Studywhich turned 30 in 2012 might appear to have been "unleashed" for a particular mission. In the case of Dunedin, the campaign to understand the Maori synchronized suspiciously with a corporate war to gain access to oil and gas reserves on Maori tribal lands. And so when the MacArthur Foundation funded the Law and Neuroscience project promoting Minority Report style programs to identify and cull the genetically violence prone before they endanger entire regions and the planet, it was quite natural to try to link the Warrior Gene" or monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene to other target groups for various agendas: Associating the Warrior Gene to African Americans might justify a consistently biased for-profit carceral system and continuing economic disparity; associating the Warrior Gene to Africans and Asians might justify Western competition against China to exploit African oil, etc.

Not surprisingly, the credibility-shielding sealant was added to the MAOA theory when in his book, The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Human Cruelty, UK autism researcher Simon Baron-Cohen attempts to cast violent psychopathologyby way of Warrior Gene researchas a genetic cousin to autism via another hypothesis, the zero empathy theory. The difference between the two, he soothingly asserts, is that individuals with autism dont intend the harm they do whereas the nondisabled zero-empathy gene carriers, though they really cant help it either, do intend harm. What possible difference this would make in terms of public safety response to these marked populations if the ideas were presumed true and manifested as policy is an issue which Baron-Cohen washes his hands of with a few bids for clemency for these genetic burdens on our race.

In Eugenics and Other Evils originally published in 1922, journalist, social critic and philosopher G.K. Chesterton described individuals who separate themselves from the policy consequences of their conceptual campaignsthe Eugenicist as Autocrat:

If you let loose a law, it will behave as a dog does. It will obey its own nature, not yours. Such sense as you have put into the law (or the dog) will be fulfilled. But you will not be able to fulfill a fragment of anything you have forgotten to put into it.

Baron-Cohen repeatedly assures readers of his noble intent in pushing forward his theories. If his campaign feeds questionable policy and it all ends badly, he may argue that he didnt intend for it to. Seeing hypotheses misbehave in application is an ironic risk embedded in the theory of genetic empathy or genetic-lack-thereof which also led premier psychopathology expert Robert Hare to lament judicial misuse of his Psychopathology Checklist in an NPR interview . Still, Hare makes no effort to disclaim the genetic theories which, as he admits himself, make his diagnostic instrument especially dangerous:

Mr. HARE: Im very concerned about the inappropriate use of this instrument for purposes that have serious implications for the individual and for society.

SPIEGEL: Still, use of the test continues to spread. Its now even mandated in several states. And the test has helped cause a shift in our ideas about where crime comes from, as well.

The idea that criminal behavior is primarily a product of poor environments has much less power today, in part because Hares work seemed to teach us that crime resides inside the person, that inborn personality traits like empathy can influence whether people participate in crime. Bob Hare.

Mr. HARE: Empathy is highly genetic in origin, modified and shaped by the environment, of course. But if youve got an adult who has virtually no empathy in the normal sense of the term, youre not going to send him to school to learn empathy, Empathy 101. Its just not going to work.

SPIEGEL: And when you think about criminals in this way, as people who are almost genetically predisposed to crime, you are much less likely to invest in their rehabilitation than if you saw their acts as a product of unfortunate environmental circumstances.

This is why its so important to figure out if bias and bad training are affecting Hares test to the point that it is potentially mislabeling people. After all, once someone is labeled as a psychopath, what can you do with him? Nothing but lock him away.

Mainstream media has attempted to popularize the Warrior Gene theory as science writer Josh Horgan noted in Scientific American:

Just when you think the blame-it-on-our-genes craze cant get worse, the warrior gene goes viral. The latest media outlet to flog it is the Dr. Phil show, which on April 4 broadcast Born to Rage?. From the promo: Scientists believe they may know why some people are quicker to anger than others. A new study suggests that inside a rageaholics DNA, a warrior gene may be pulling the strings. Could todays guests be genetically predisposed to fits of fury?

This cheesy talk show is hardly alone in hyping the warrior gene. In fact, Dr. Phil borrowed his headline from a recent National Geographic broadcast, Born to Rage?, which also explores the disturbing possibility that some people are born to rage. The show follows Henry Rollins, a self-described former punk rocker with a nasty temper, as he interviews outlaw bikers, mixedmartial arts fighters and other tough guys

Race, inevitably, reared its head. In 2007 Rod Lea and Geoffrey Chambers, researchers at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, reported that MAOA-L [alleles with low expression of MAOA are linked to higher rates of violence and Antisocial Personality Disorder] occurs in 56 percent of Maori men. It is well recognized, the researchers commented in The New Zealand Medical Journal, that historically Maori were fearless warriors. The researchers racial profiling was based on a study of 46 men, who needed to have only one Maori parent to be defined as Maori. Lea and Chambers reported that MAOA-L was less common among Caucasians (34 percent) and Hispanics (29 percent) but even more common among Africans (59 percent) and Chinese (77 percent).

Baron-Cohen laments the same risk of misapplications as Hare, though neither complains when their genetic empathy theories are liberally applied to generalizations of modern non-ideological, inexplicable massacresspeaking of things which end badly. This brings up the question of whether these scientists are even conscious of what theyre potentially unleashing.

In The Science of Evil Baron-Cohen offers only a surface review of the theoretical underpinnings of the zero empathy conception, including the MAOA criminal Warrior Gene theory, and tries to downplay evidence that the gist of the overall body of work supporting the MAOA theory is unambiguously racialist. The fact that the Maori are the sole ethnic group Baron-Cohen mentions in association with the gene merely amplifies his squeamish awareness of the implications. For example, Reti et al. attempted to argue that the most dangerous form of the MAOA genea 2-repeat allelecorrelates to violence without association with childhood abuse. Like Baron-Cohens book, the study is rich in egalitarian qualifiers but the real story being sold is tucked within the stats. The authors claim that 2-repeat or low expression alleles are nearly ten times more frequent among African American males4.7% of whom, according to the authors, carry the most dangerous or low expression 2-repeat allele than white males 0.5% of whom, according to authors, carry the 2-repeat allele.

MAOA gene mutations are also being associated with gang membershipthe gang-gene.

As a researcher who deeply influences public and institutional policy regarding autism and is actively setting up a theory franchise on criminality, if Baron-Cohen does not wish readers to assume he supports a racialist conception of violence or the enactment of policies based upon these conceptions, he might not have forgotten to cite arguments which run counter to his support sources, such as Zammit et al.s critique of the MAOA hypothesis, Misconceptions about geneenvironment interactions in psychiatry:

MAOA x maltreatment on antisocial or violent behaviour

An interaction between variation in the monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) and childhood maltreatment on antisocial and violent behaviour in males was reported,17 such that the effect of maltreatment was greater with the low-activity variants of MAOA compared to those with high activity. Again, this relationship was greater than multiplicative.

Of 11 studies that have since examined this in males (see online supplement), only 4 have examined whether this relationship was indeed greater than multiplicative. Of these, 3 found no evidence for such a relationship, while 1 found support present only when reporting a 1-tailed p value. Of 10 studies that examined additive models, 5 reported evidence of a greater than additive effect (2 of these in subgroup analyses only), 4 found no evidence and 1 found evidence of an interaction but in the opposite direction to that originally reported. In samples that also included females, 1 study examined a multiplicative relationship and found an interaction in the opposite direction. Of 6 studies that examined additive models, 2 found evidence of a greater than additive effect, 3 failed to do so and 1 found an effect in the opposite direction. Studies finding, or failing to find evidence of interaction were equable in size.

In the closing passage of his 1998 book, Murderous Science: Elimination by Scientific Selection of Jews, Gypsies, and Others in Germany, 1933-1945, Cologne geneticist Benno Muller-Hill leaves readers with a final warning that MAOA gene research would likely be where the new eugenics reared its head. For unknown reasons, when Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press republished Muller-Hills book in English, the original title Todliche Wissenschaft. Die Aussonderung von Juden, Zigeunern und Geisteskranken 1933-1945 was changed in a way that dulled the impact ofthe authors essential premise: rather than Others, the final category in theoriginal German title, Geisteskranken, literally translates as the insane, aka, the mentally disabled. The omission is a bit stunning since Muller-Hills book is widely considered the first comprehensive chronicle of the mass extermination of the disabled under Nazi eugenic policies. But the editorial blunting of Muller-Hills intent to include mental disability in a litany of targets of eugenic racialism isnt surprising considering that the current direction of commercial genetics grossly contradicts the deep-seated need of modern commercial science to characterize its campaigns as humanistic, enlightened and unbiased: continuing weaponized research against specifically racial groups often cut its teeth on weaponized research targeting the disabled and vice-versa.

Baron-Cohen is deeply alarmed when critics infer hes a eugenicist policy shill. Given the implications of Baron-Cohens choice of supporting sources and disavowal of responsibility for any unfortunate outcomes arising from his theories, its fascinating that he feels the need to step clear of the intended targets by assuring his readers in the books dedication that, quite unlike the Maori (and, implicitly, other less favored ethnicities), violent psychopaths and individuals with autism, he is genetically bequeathed with empathy which he equates to a pot of gold inherited from his grandmother.

Its become very fashionable for autism and mental health pundits to brandish a badge of empathy as if this affirmed elite genetic fitness for the role of institutional policy maker. In an interview for Gelf Magazine in 2009, vaccine defender, front group blogger, overnight autism expert and Panic Virus author Seth Mnookin, who relies on Baron-Cohens work in his support sources, waves his own empathy badge at the proverbial genetic ivory tower security scanner: I find myself being incredibly empathetic; its very easy for me to see the world from someones perspective. I find myself bending over backwards in my head to see their side

Its also fascinating how small this world of euphemistic autocrats becomes once the focus is narrowed to the supposed bridge between autism and violence genes: one of the lead authors of a phase of Dunedin Maori research cited by science writer Josh Horgan was Sir Michael Rutter another impaired empathy/autism expert. This is the same Sir Michael Rutter who acted as star witness against Dr. Andrew Wakefield at the General Medical Council proceeding, as well as the same who balked at discussing the ethics of the use of spinal tap on autistic subjects since Rutter himself had performed precisely this type of research years earlier. Rutter was co-author of the book, Sex Differences in Antisocial Behavior: Conduct Disorder, Deliquency and Violence in the Dunedin Longitudinal Study along with husband-wife researchers Avshalom Caspi and Terrie Moffit, whose work the MAOA Warrior Gene theory is pinioned on.

Its curious, given the focus on empathy, that extreme poverty and rampant, enduring racial discrimination in New Zealand were not featured as identifiable contributors to what Dunedin study authors categorize as mood disorder or depressive disease, i.e., sadness, among the Maori of Dunedinjust as Baron-Cohen and institutional and commercial scientists refuse to correlate pharmaceuticals to modern epidemics.

The autism epidemic is useful as a fear pitch for a range of ideological and product campaigns because the condition itself and the shock value of visible prevalence blind the public with terror but only as long as the terrifying numbers are not actually identified as epidemic. Instead the public are being told theyre simply seeing more cases because these individuals are no longer hidden in institutions in our perhaps excessively (its implied, given the supposed danger) empathic and magnanimous age. But if the public believes that autism can happen in any familywhich a genuine rise implies those whose families are not yet impacted are less likely to support coercive management of affected or dubiously genetically related populations on the chance they could be condemning members of their own family one day. In short, coercive approaches and demonization might be frustrated by a prevailing there but for the Grace of God go I perception.

As an officially sanctioned and protected sealant for weaponized genetics one that cannot be peeled off, inspected or questionedaligning any condition to autism can be used to designate certain groups of people as inherently dangerous, lacking in empathy, less worthy and therefore exploitable and disposable. Black and white, angels and devils, us and themthe all-purpose absolutes which have served every form of social coercion, political turf battle, preemptive war and expansionism from time immemorial. If history is any guide, the more the autism sealant is applied for these purposes, the more good research money will go after bad and the more violently the doctrine will be defended until it becomes a sacrosanct core of institutional ideology. Anyone who believes in separation of church and state should be seriously concerned.

Theres no way around it: in terms of industry and institutional science, autism is becoming the mark of the devil along with the classic frothing finger-pointers differentiating their own worthy credentials.

As an estimated three or more individuals with special needs are killed every week in US schools and institutions due to abusive practices; as the news reports more and more children with autism arrested in schools, brutalized by police, denied organ transplants, found face down in ponds and subjected to a lottery for services; and as disability services around the country are trimmed to the bone; as the US drops to #49 on the world infant mortality index; as 1 in 8 children of Somali immigrants in Minnesota are diagnosed with autism and the national rate soars beyond the official 1 in 88; and as toddlers are drugged with increasing frequency, the act of binding together every frightening human impulse and condition with the autism sealant also protects societal conscience: we can cut our losses because the bulk of human evil can be found rolled up in a few tidy gene sequences which science has become suddenly divinely adept at identifying. Baron-Cohen argues, rather than there being some runaway escalation of autism, we have year by year simply become better at detection.

Since theres no such thing as a genetic epidemic, attempts to explain away the catastrophic rise in autism and a nearly parallel rise in violent insanity as due to increased recognition or diagnostic substitution seem like a genomic version of the End of Days, complete with genetically determined zero-empathy massacrists as a sort of collective Anti-Christ and the scientific Second Coming separating the genetically worthy wheat from the genetically unworthy chaff in a ramped up selection. The Enlightened Rapture has come at last.

Even the genetically founded self-esteem campaign promoted by some high functioning adult self-advocates with autism or neurodiverse falls into the same schema. By denying the existence of an epidemic or that the majority of those affected are not high functioning and often suffer early mortality, and by drafting dead celebrities like Einstein and Mozart to autism in order to portray the condition as a type of technologically proficient genetic master race that has always existed and is responsible for nearly all human innovation, neurodiverse are basically characterizing themselves as something akin to the Wise Virgins: the chosen who lead the Ascension to a progressive, techno-centric paradise, leaving behind the less fit among their own ranks. Oddly enough, in the Book of Revelations, the unfit are those deemed too foolish to power up their gadgets.







In real life, a self advocate member of the neurodiversity movement and panel member of the federal Inter-agency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) voted against a medical code for deadly wandering among children with more severe or debilitating forms of autism on the grounds that such a code might impinge on "self determination" and issued objections to autism being framed as a medical condition.

Currently theres an ICD-9 code and "Silver Alert" only for adults with dementia, for whom wandering is considered a potential feature of the medical condition, though no medical code for parents to provide to schools, state programs or insurers to access services and resources for affected children who, though many may be on the severe end of the spectrum, frequently display Houdini-ish skills in breaching locked windows, doors and gated yards or may bolt so quickly from caretakers that they're able to wander into danger. Children with autism who wander currently don't qualify for Amber Alerts, though weekly reports of deaths by drowning and exposure have become seasonal norms in the US.

Although 90% of autism parents polled reported their affected children have wandered into harms way, the neurodiverse disdain the claim that the majority of individuals with autism are so impaired that they lack the self determination to prevent them from bolting onto a highway at night or into an icy lake. Furthermore, requisite data collection for an ICD-9 code would prove that the rate of wandering and wandering deaths among affected individuals is a very new phenomenon. But this statistical reality of autism clashes with the neurodiverse view of autism as simply a genetic "difference" that has always existed and is even, in adaptive genetic terms, superior in some ways. And so the "Wise Virgins" deny resources to the "foolish" and don't speak up when God/government denies their existence. But the neurodiverse view fails to grasp that the creation of genetic castes is the underpinning of any tribalist social order by which the disabled have always been marginalized and disposed of cast into the lake, so to speak, where children with autism are too often found face-down and dead.

Its more than a little ironic that the neurodiverse frequently pin their genetic defenses and denial of environmental cause on the work of commercial scientists like Baron-Cohen, Sir Michael Rutter and Michael Fitzgerald who, out of the other sides of their mouths, promote various versions of the zero empathy association. But if ignoring the suffering of the least fortunate were simply chalked up to more proof that individuals with autism lack empathy, it doesnt seem to be much of a distinguishing feature since the same is typical in the field of autism research itself: it was just more casting into the lake of fire when commercial researchers fell on the vasopressin gene theory of ruthlessness and criminality and linked the concept to autism.

Environmental pituitary damage may very well be a feature of the array of physiological injuries involved in autism since a rash of research has linked autism to reduced oxytocin no surprise since both oxytocin and vasopressin are released into the blood via the pituitary from the same neurons as a key mechanism of the central autonomic network. Whatever the cause, some individuals with autism may have abnormal vasopressin. Impaired vasopressin may be a biomarker for Alzheimers as well.

Being tested could potentially save lives among those with or without cognitive disability because impaired vasopressinotherwise known as the antidiuretic hormone or ADH which is critical in preventing the body from squandering water from the kidneys when theres a risk of dehydration or electrolyte imbalancecan lead to increased risk of serious illness, more extreme complications in autism-associated diseases like mastocytosis or death from hypernatremia, catabolic and hypovolemic stress. Detection and treatment of abnormal vasopressin would hardly be a cure-all for conditions with complex medical profiles like autism, but some believe it could partly explain incontinence in certain neurological syndromes, lowered seizure threshold, cardiac insufficiency and heat intolerance among other things. Theres an old, relatively safe drug to treat it. But because potential medical risks of low ADH were not included in the media fanfare over vasopressin criminal gene research, many might be afraid to test for the marker.

During the Second World War, on one side of the Russian Front lay absurd Nazi eugenic nature theories condemning the mentally and physically disabled as dangers to society and to the purity of the race; on the other side lurked Stalinist promotion of Lamarckian geneticsthe idea that acquired personality traits (e.g., bourgeois corruption) can be passed on to offspring, adulterating the purity of society. As Pulitzer-winning journalist, political activist and former Harvard seminarian Chris Hedges stresses in When Atheism Becomes Religion: Americas New Fundamentalism, both bad seed views, like two sides of the same coin, were used to rationalize torture, grotesque human experimentation and the wiping out of entire families and ethnicities on the concept that all evil lay within recognizably tainted evolutionary strains of human beings.

The terms totalitarian, fascist, etc., are overused and worn thin as moral hostage takers in the current political climate, though as philosopher Tzvetan Todorov suggests, the era crystalized a still persisting danger of parareligious scientism. What appears to set 20th century totalitarianism apart from other historical instances of mass injustice is that the externalization of evil from us to them was justified in scientific-sounding language. Considering the choices left to those with autism and families of environmentally injured children in calling for support for challenges and health issues, and considering the estimated six-fold increase in early mortality among affected individuals by a number of causes, many of them preventable, the autism community as a whole are a bit like refugees trapped on a battle front caught between deadly scientific-sounding ideology to the east and more deadly scientific-sounding ideology to the westor left and right as the case may be. In viewing autism, the demonizing pseudosciencethe fronts can be swapped and switched or sometimes combined according to convenience. And so a bastardized hybrid of Lamarckian and Mendelian genetics has come together in the recent theory that autism mothers are, as Bettelheim claimed, emotionally cold (refrigerated), but due to a defective vasopressin gene linked to sociopathic greed and violent psychopathology.

Disclosure of actual medical ramifications and causes of impaired vasopressin could get in the way of marketing behavior control drugs for designated conditions, many of which reduce the expression of vasopressin/ADH, effectively increasing risk of the above complications. Also mercury is known to impair vasopressin secretion from the pituitarya fact which, if disclosed, could lead to another profit inhibitor: prevention. But more importantly, admitting to physiological injuries and medical complications in autism detracts from the purely genetic-psychiatric paradigm which is so crucial to marginalizing and targeting groups of people through the concept of genetically programmed devils. Its only a matter of time before industry-sponsored teams of geneticists and social scientists attempt to link the vasopressin gene to other strategic foes or targets in order to justify exploiting their labor, taking their land or bombing them to Kingdom Come for oil or other resources.

The theories and choice of targets give away a great deal. Even the Manchurian candidate theory for mass shootings has an element of externalization in that it attributes evil conscious intent to all of its engineers. That doesnt mean the Hoover era drug and brainwashing experiments didnt happen or that they arent continuing in some form or even that current happy pills arent potentially the mass marketed end result of those now declassified social control experiments. But what if the conscious intent of so many secondary agents pushing certain risky pharmaceuticals in our culturefrom school nurses to family doctors to public health officialsis to help?

In Why Progressives Dont Get Autism, Age of Autism author and Editor Dan Olmsted wrote,

Progressivism, the idea that government can and should intervene to improve the lives of its citizens, arose early in the last century in response to the Darwinian excesses of Industrial Revolution, laissez-faire capitalism  child labor, abject poverty in the elderly, untaxed corporate profits that went right back into the pockets of the richest. It peaked during the New Deal, then plummeted during Reagan  Government is not the solution to the problem, government IS the problem, he famously said.

While this political philosophy waxes and wanes, as it should, I would argue that the word has a wider meaning now  that our country, great as it is and has been, faces challenges and problems that can be addressed by doing something, by making progress, sometimes but not necessarily led or funded by government. So its not so much a left-right issue as one of the static status quo versus the impulse to improve on it.

The conspiracy for good also doesnt mean more aggressive unconscious motives cant underlie benevolent intentions or that good intentions exonerate action, but if we endow the majority of capitulators with anything other than a devious conscious intent to control for the purposes of exploitation and destruction as part of some vast conspiracy, that would make them too much like us. There are criminals in every institution and conspiracies exist, but these are always sold to the bulk of those carrying them out as necessary means to some beneficial end.

The point is that belief in the bad seed theory of genetic disorder or criminality articulates a universal human impulse to externalize and quarantine evil in order to feel assured of our complete separateness from it. The plea of many humanist philosophers is that only through recognizing the universality of the impulse and the rationalizations it hides under can it be impeded. If something can happen to anyone given various environmental conditions (such as upbringing or trauma or toxic assault), its no longer possible to displace the capacity for defect, sin and crime or to divert self-scrutiny. Frau Koma is really nothing other than a lurid parable for the externalization of evil.

Externalization of evil is one of the earmarks of fundamentalist fanaticism as much as more serious theology and scientific inquiry, if they have anything in common, are defined by self-scrutiny and humility in facing, as Hedges puts it, that there are forces in the universe which will always lie beyond the capacity of the human mind. He argues that while more deeply considered theology and evolutionary theory share a view of collective human nature as fixed, the ultimate mark of fundamentalism and the root of every utopian scheme that ever existed is the idea that the human race is perfectible. What would better sum up the pharmaceutical sales pitch other than the fanatical idea that we can drug or plan away everything that makes us human? And the first step on the way to the shining future has always been the identification of those castes which hold back human progress and upon whom all human weakness and evil are externalized.

This also isnt to say that factors which trigger violent impulses and cause suffering cant be addressed in what 20th Century philosopher Karl Raimund Popper regarded as piecemeal social engineering as opposed to Utopian engineering, which Popper equates to Platos conception for the perfectibility of the race, the precursor of eugenics. In The Open Society and Its Enemies: The Spell of Plato, Part 1, Popper warns about the greater good doctrine:

Before proceeding to criticize Utopian engineering in detail, I wish to outline another approach, namely that of piecemeal engineering. It is an approach which I think to be methologically sound. The politician who adopts this method may or may not have a blueprint of society before his mind. He may or may not hope that humanity will reach an ideal state, and achieve happiness and perfection on earth. But he will be aware that perfection, if at all attainable, is far distant, and that every generation of men, and also the living, have a claim; perhaps not so much to be made happy, for there are no institutional means of making man happy, but a claim not to be made unhappy, where it can be avoided. They have a claim to be given all possible help if they suffer. The piecemeal engineer will, accordingly, adopt the message of searching for, and fighting against, the greatest and most urgent evils of society, rather than searching for, and fighting for, its greatest ultimate good.

But dont certain drugs and biotechnologies alleviate suffering? For some, not all. And, for some, certain treatments may cause irreversible damage, increased suffering, disability or death. The upshot of Poppers discussion is that sacrificing the few for the greatest ultimate good is not justified in civil society, therefore whatever form of suffering-reduction is being proposed cant be forced even if its offered as an option.

The controversy of parsing lesser evils in war will continue as long as there are wars, but social engineering is assumed to be a matter of domestic bettermentwhich probably explains how the prefix war on has been pasted to any forced domestic palliative campaign (war on drugs, war on disease, war on mental illness, etc.), not to mention questionable forms of foreign humanitarian aid in which the greater good rationale and the modified values of war are needed to pardon collateral human costs.

Informed choice is a different matter. People who take psychoactive drugs often like the effects. There are some conditionslife threatening seizures or intractable self-injurywhich are so far presented with few other options and, unless the current model is changed, are unlikely to be provided with safer or more effective options. Thinking all human evil and all violent psychosis would disappear if these drugs were forever banned is a bit like saying the world would be perfect if only we could get rid of this damned utopianism. Drug induced violence would certainly be reduced if marketing were strictly limited, if firewalls were erected between regulatory agencies and industry and if consumers were stringently informed of risks and given wide access to non-psychopharmaceutical alternatives. But human beings have always had and always will have an attraction to mind altering substances and to try to legislate against it is to legislate morality, something which Todorov describes as one of the three central linchpins of totalitarianism. And it doesnt work.

Prescribing doctors cant make long term predictions over which individuals will go mad on drugs and they also cant predict who wont, though its become abundantly clear that the standard practice of seeing medicated patients twice or four times a year for fifteen minutes to renew prescriptions is a recipe for disaster. Money plays an obvious role in the practice. But as anthropologist Hugh Gusterson indicates in his study of atomic scientists, ascribing only the basest motives to a professiongreed, dominance, the drive to express potency isnt actually the worst that can be said about it because the view ignores the ideology and rationalizations underlying the euphemization of risks, romanticization of technology and exaggerated self-assurance that this technology can be controlled even in the face of repeat error and loss of life the assumptions of utopian engineers.

Among the identifying factors which Popper uses to illustrate the difference between piecemeal and utopian social engineering are force, fraud and what Popper describes as the key element of fraud, the division of castes or racialism. All are in operation in the pharmaceutical paradigm where authorities are somehow endowed with the power to ensure that collateral is written off as well as denied.

According to Popper, racialism is intrinsic to a social form of historicism the idea that history is essentially controlled by set laws of history and evolutionwhose discovery would enable us to prophesy the destiny of man. Historicismthe pursuit of the secret scientific formula which would supposedly endow the few with the tools to direct the fate of all is based on a genealogical caste system separating the inherently inferior from the inherently superior, with the latter supposedly (divinely or through superior evolution) chosen to decide which is which and to lead humanity to perfection and transcendence.

Popper proposes that racialisma key part of the organic theory of the state is at the root of what Plato rationalized as the noble lie imbuing the propaganda and fraud necessary to sell utopian schemes in service of power:

Concerning the use of lies and deceit, Plato urges that these are useful only as medicine, but the ruler of the state, Plato insists, must not behave like those ordinary doctors who have not the courage to administer strong medicine. The philosopher kingmust be determined to administer a great many lies and deceptionsfor the benefit of the ruled, Plato hastens to add. Which means, as we already know, and as we may learn here again from Platos reference to medicine, for the benefit of the state. What kind of lies has Plato in mind when he exhorts his rulers to use strong medicine? Crossman rightly emphasizes that Plato means Propaganda, the technique of controllingthe bulk of the ruled majorityby means of both persuasion and force.

Like beauty pageant contestants, everyone hopes for world peace and a shining future for humanity. But when, as always happens with utopian schemes, the promise of fantastic transformation, for which the public were persuaded to trade rights and freedoms, begins to crumble under abuse of power and the sheer emptiness of claims, force kicks in. As Orwell elaborated, All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed, they must rely exclusively on force.

In marketing certain pharmaceutical drugs and technologies, persuasion often is fraud. In 2005, a research team directed by Dr. John Ioannidis of the Ioannina School of Medicine, Greece, demonstrated that theres less than a 50% chance that the results of any randomly chosen scientific paper will be true. A Cochrane Collaboration analysis discovered that industry funded studies are reviewed more favorably by medical journals even when the studies were of poor quality (cited by Mercola). Jon Jureidini, head of the Department of Psychological Medicine at Womens and Childrens Hospital in Adelaide, Australia, found corruption and fraud running through every stage of bringing forth blockbuster drugs, from the peer review process to marketing. As for the genetic underpinnings of disease and psychiatric disorders, a large number of findings turn out to be false. But rather than being subject to retractions, findings are often recycled or researchers tweak data until they achieve their desired results. In a special report for The Guardian entitled, Genetic Breakthroughs in Medicine Are Often Nothing of the Sort , psychologist Marcus Munafo and geneticist Jonathan Flint write:

In the years following media coverage of discoveries of a gene for depression, for intelligence, and so on, journals less prestigious than Science or Nature often publish reports that contradict the original claim, some even saying that the findings are quite compatible with chance.

so many high-profile findings can be explained by chance alone that one genetic epidemiologist, John Ioannidis, has taken on the task of explaining, "Why most published research findings are false"4. Some of the reasons are due to the misuse of statistics and poor study design, but what Ioannidis and others now looking at this problem also point to are the social and political factors. These contribute to his claim that:

"The greater the financial and other interests and prejudices in a scientific field, the less likely the research findings are to be true. The hotter a scientific field (with more scientific teams involved), the less likely the research findings are to be true."

Even as the American Psychiatric Association protests that they cannot be held responsible for a patients actions because they cannot predict those actions, organized psychiatry advises state and federal legislature in forming laws regarding use of force in mental health policy. Organized psychiatry also guides jurisprudence on public safety and death penalty cases, often on the basis of deeply flawed genetic research or, as The Guardian flatly stated, perjury. They are policy makers endowed with the awesome power to pull the strings of life and death. To quote Popper again,

What a monument of human smallness is this idea of the philosopher king. What a contrast between it and the simplicity of humaneness of Socrates, who warned the statesmen against the danger of being dazzled by his own power, excellence, and wisdom, and who tried to teach him what matters most  that we are all frail human beings. What a decline from this world of irony and reason and truthfulness down to Platos kingdom of the sage whose magical powers raise him high above ordinary men; although not quite high enough to forgo the use of lies, or to neglect the sorry trade of every shaman  the selling of spells, of breeding spells, in exchange for power over his fellow-men.

Fundamentalism expresses this shamanism through the promise of paradise; and scientism sells the idea through a vulgarization of Darwins theory in service to a Platonic style of racialism: the laughable concept that select human beings are destined to teleologically evolvei.e., evolve for the better. Whats more, scientism demands the customary recognition of a wise caste among scientists who can accelerate this evolution through the wonders of modern chemistry and social engineering in order to make our species smarter, more rational, happier, healthier, less violentand, as those positioning themselves as the evolutionary vanguard claim of themselves, incredibly empathetic. Never mind the predictable body count of this particular social model.

Empathy has become the trendy tagline for supposed degree of evolution from ape aggression or transcendence from original sin depending on whether the rationalization is framed as scientific or religious. But in Efficiency, Sustainability, and Justice to Future Generations (p. 68), Klaus Mathis and Fabian Diriwachter write:

The ability to put oneself in other peoples position is generally evaluated as a positive quality. This circumstance must not blind us to the fact that empathy can be utilized for very different purposes. An evolutionary benefit of empathy is thought to be that of understanding competitors in order to eliminate them more efficiently. Someone with empathy can understand their counterpart more easily and therefore engage more effectively with their desires and interests. But it is also empathy that helps the sadist to find out how to torture his victim with particular cruelty.

One could argue that enjoyment of pornography requires a type of empathy: after all, the viewer is not actually participating in the depicted scene yet somehow identifies with the excitement they imagine the participants experiencewhich would include those who are titillated by depictions of cruelty and sadism. In The Office and Philosophy: Scenes from the Unexamined Life, Jeremy Wisnewski argues,

In everyday language, people tend not to discriminate between the kinds of empathy. But philosophy is about being careful with words so that we do not confuse our concepts and get misled about our conclusions. For example, one would normally say that a psychopath does not have empathy. This is somewhat misleading, since a psychopath who lacked cognitive empathy would be very frustrated. After all, if his goal were to harm or torture people, then he would not know whether or not he was doing it right! It would seem then, that if he lacked anything it would be affective empathyhe doesnt truly feel the pain he is causing.

Simon Baron-Cohen, in his review of We Need to Talk About Kevin, concedes that "cognitive empathy" or the ability to guess what someone is thinking or feeling, differs from affective empathy" the ability to feel what someone else is feeling. The capacity for cognitive empathy in the absence of affective empathy would not rule out sadism and psychopathology in other words. But even affective empathy, like any human faculty, is morally ambiguous, merely a color in a paint box: what defines it is what picture is painted with it as law professor Lynne Henderson suggests in Legality and Empathy:

The reality of empathy is that we are more likely to empathize with people similar to ourselves, and that such empathic understanding may be so automatic that it goes unnoticed: elites will empathize with the experience of elites, men empathize with men, women empathize with women, whites with whites. I would call this unreflective empathy.

And as empathy becomes a mark of the chosen and lack of it a diagnostic criterion of the damned, what picture does it paint? An unreflective division of castes, a replacement for fundamentalist interpretations of sin and sinlessness and a manner of casting off all sins onto designated societal scapegoats.

The cult of science does this by projecting all primitive destructiveness stemming from various genetic deficitsoriginal sins to a less- or defectively-evolved grade of human. This in itself is not a sin of course because investigators have bent over backwards to understand the targets.

In the same way that tribal cultures engage in totem meal rites of projecting all the sins of tribe members onto a sacrificial animal, when commercial science pundits claim to be incredibly empathetic while participating in crusades against consumer freedom, what they really mean is something closer to a tribal ritual of identification where the chosen dance around in the scapegoats skin a bit after cutting its throat.

In this sense, empathy has become the semantic stand-in for purity because sin, like the idea of swinging from a prehensile tail, has disappeared from the repertoire of the self-designated rationalist class.

Hedges defines sin as a stark acknowledgment that we can never be omnipotent, that we are bound and limited by human flaws and self-interest. The concept of sin is a check on the utopian dream of a perfect world. In Kurt Vonneguts Cats Cradle, a character sums up the fatal flaw of his fictional father, Felix Hoenikker, the novels Oppenheimer-like Father of the Atom Bomb and one of the smartest scientists on Earth:

There are lots of good anecdotes about the bomb and Father  For instance, do you know the story about Father on the day they first tested a bomb out at Alamagordo? After the things went off, after it was a sure thing that America could wipe out a city with just one bomb, a scientist turned to Father and said, Science has now known sin. And do you know what Father said? He said, What is sin?

Utopian cults baptize an immaculate earthly elite who justify force as the means to achieve a progressive paradise and the sacrifice or weeding out of the inferior for the good of the race. The elite, according to the cult of science, are the more purely rational, supposedly freer of superstition, irrationality and magical thinking and somehow less bound by human flaws, self-interest and selfishness, therefore more effectively empathic. The irony of the current scientific cult, like many religious cults, is that it ultimately rationalizes a preemptive withdrawal of mercy, empathy and basic civil rights from those classes of people who are diagnostically undeserving of self-determination because theyre deemed to intrinsically lack empathy or, in a wider societal sense, collectively lacking in rational cognitive processinganother deadly sin on the list of diagnostic vices and therefore selfishly obstructive of the march to progress and the achievement of the greatest ultimate good for mankind.

In the past few years, there have been an increasing number of industry-supported weaponized sociology studies and subsequent media reports arguing that growing consumer dissidence against certain technological innovations like genetically modified crops, vaccines and psychiatric drugs stems from an irrational health belief model and that, furthermore, this tendency to cult-like, short-sighted superstitious irrationality may be genetic.

Both Skeptic icon Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene, and Richard Brodie, former technical assistant to Bill Gates and author of Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme, have advocated engineering evolution by manipulating social consciousnessaka, memetic engineering and thus guiding natural selection and evolution itself to eradicate irrationality and false belief from the species. Malcolm Gladwell has been accused of lifting the "meme" conception for his "epidemic" theory of contagious ideas and beliefs. But Gladwell, possibly more of an opportunist than ideologue, shies slightly away from Dawkins' proposal that thought and belief not only impact the evolution of ideas but may actually impact evolution itself. As outrageous as it sounds, commercial science and the media are increasingly filled with true believers in the creed.

Imagine the horror of the Anti-Defamation League when on January 9th, 2009, journalist Bill Moyers presented an argument about violence in Gaza entitled, Bill Moyers Reflects on Middle East Violence (scroll to 2:50).

What we are seeing in Gaza is the latest battle in the oldest family quarrel on record. Open your Bible: the sons of the patriarch Abraham become Arab and Jew. Go to the Book of Deuteronomy. When the ancient Israelites entered Canaan their leaders urged violence against its inhabitants. The very Moses who had brought down the commandment Thou shalt not kill now proclaimed, You must destroy completely all the places where the nations have served their gods. You must tear down their altars, smash their pillars, cut down their sacred poles, set fire to the carved images of their gods, and wipe out their name from that placeSo God-soaked violence became genetically coded.

Wherever one stands on the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflictand there are many Israelis and Palestinians who hope for an end to violenceMoyers' summary remark was ethically craven, aside from having no basis in science, history or anthropology. Tzvetan Todorov makes the simple point that more human beings were killed in the name of science and twisted concepts of genetics in the twentieth century than died in human conflict or anthropogenic disasters in previous recorded history. Our ape ancestors, according to primatologist Richard Wrangham, committed routine lethal raids, cannibalism, rape, battering and infanticide. Apes are not generally believed to be religious. The fact that so many human lives have been squandered in religious conflicts throughout history simply makes the question of religion moot to the discussion. The faculty of beliefbelief in anything is just another color in the paint box. It can paint pictures of courage and tolerance or arrogance and extremism.

Moyers conducted a reverent interview with Richard Dawkins in 2004 in which Dawkins does his usual fish-in-a-barrel routine by highlighting the more extreme and destructive fanatical religious and paranormal views in order to comparatively prop up his own brand of rationalism, though Moyers avoids questioning Dawkins over the no less absurd idea of memetic engineering, a concept which Moyers later invokes with the God-soaked remark.

The picture that emerges from the utopian palette never seems to change. For all its enlightened claims, the concept of memetic engineering doesnt differ much from ancient alchemy. Along with their faith that they would eventually be capable of transmuting lead into gold, alchemists sought to uncover an Elixir of Lifea magic bullet to end all suffering, disease and deathand divined that the human species could be permanently delivered from its imperfect state through thought and belief. Inherent to the magical side of ancient alchemy, like in its modern practice in India, is the caste system.

Dawkins and other supporters of memetic evolution have watched as their theories evolve into literal application: the idea that thought and belief alter DNALamarckian genetics reincarnated. This has been taken to such fanatical heights that Dawkins Skeptic comrade Sam Harris has called for the total annihilation of Islamic culture on the idea that believers are inherently tainted with violent ideology. Like Baron-Cohens cries of kinder-gentler intent in response to protests that his push for prenatal autism screening could bring about mass abortions, many members of the Skeptic front movement recently reacted to public criticism by momentarily distancing themselves from Harriss more concrete interpretation of memetic evolution (while still defending its core assumptions). From Chestertons Eugenicist as Euphemist:

Most Eugenicists are Euphemists. I mean merely that short words startle them, while long words sooth them. And they are utterly incapable of translating the one into the other, however obviously they mean the same thing. Say to them The persuasive and even coercive powers of the citizen should enable him to make sure that the burden of longevity in the previous generation does not become disproportionate and intolerable, especially to the females; say this to them and they will sway slightly to and fro like babies sent to sleep in cradles. Say to them Murder your mother, and they sit up quite suddenly. Yet the two sentences, in cold logic, are exactly the same.

Dawkins pulls slightly short of blunt about his ideological aims: We, alone on earth, can rebel against the tyranny of the selfish replicators. But Harris doesnt euphemize at all: Some propositions are so dangerous that it may even be ethical to kill people for believing in them. He states that honest people should destroy bad ideas (and apparently their bad human vectors) where they find them.

Dawkins and his Skeptic/radical atheist followers demonstrate that theres no better cover for a secular form of fundamentalist historicism than externalizing and generalizing the same fanatical paradigm solely to groups which self-identify as non-secularextremist members of which have frequently also been guilty of externalizing all evil to nonbelievers. Both extremes fail to account for historical acts of valor and selflessness committed by the ideological opposition, or when mass atrocities and heinous deeds were performed under their own banner. It doesnt take a PhD to recognize that the degree to which any religious or secular ideology purports more than symbolic infallibility in select (honest) human beingsat least sufficient sinlessness to condemn others without rigorous due process is also the degree to which its cult-like.

The tribal caste conceit is hard to escapeit exists to some extent in every human institution and is reflected in commonplace impulses like celebrity worship. In Escape from Evil, anthropologist Ernest Becker chides humanity for the way our hearts palpitate at the sight of an admired idol. How do we know were each endowed with dark as well as light? Aside from the simple fact of being human, Becker indicates that our primitive humanity can be measured by those worshipful palpitations. Viewing some human beings as virtually transcendent gives hope and can fuel aspirations. And its entertaining. But the dark side of the same impulse is the usual division of castes and dangerous reverence for authority. As Hedges argues, Christs My kingdom is not of this world can be taken as an allegorical warning that perfection cannot be found in any human institution. When the idea is projected into a hereafter or, for secular purposes, to a far off goal of social engineering as Popper describes, it fulfills a common human need for hope in addressing social ills and human suffering. But all cults promise previewstranscendence in the here and now and naturally an elite which will decide who is or is not in the book of life.

For its part, commercial science has anointed a higher order endowed with special wisdom in gauging by DNA who is Round-Up Ready enough to join the worthy on the march to a shining future and who shall be cursed to the fire of disability, disease, dangerous insanity and extinction.

Secular or not, scientific fanaticism is still a form of faith, but one which, like any cult, creates angels and devils in earthly form. Why continue the pretense that this isnt an alternative religion with its own shamans, gods, devils and divine messengers? Hence the ultimate cheap gimmickthe Frau Koma avataron which to project all the pseudo-rationalist absolutes.

The argument isnt new. As mid-twentieth century philosopher and originator of the Serenity Prayer Reinhold Niebuhr warns in The Irony of American History and in The Children of Darkness and the Children of Light, the creation of absolutes and the externalization of evil are the means by which we inadvertently take on the evil attributes we project onto ideological foes. He warns that this will happen when the state and science attempt to combine the human need for transcendence by offering a paradise on earth, which invariably leads to the use of power without scruples under an illusion that a particular conception of an unambiguously ideal end justifies such abuse: As politics deals with the proximate ends of life, and religion deals with ultimate ones, it is always a source of illusion when the one is invested with the otherThis unification is spurious and dangerous; but this in fact adds to, rather than detracts from, its striking power. Religion and science are combined in such a way that the modern cult of science is brought completely into the service of an existential faith.

In his book on technological and progressive fanaticism, When Atheism Becomes Religion, Hedges reiterates Niebuhrs warning for modern application: Those who, in the name of science, claim that we can overcome our imperfect human nature create a belief system that functions like religion. It gives meaning. It gives purpose and hope. But it is a myth. It is not true. And there is nothing, when you cut through their scientific jargon, to support their absurd propositions.

Vonnegut asks, See the cat? See the cradle?

Todorov, also cited by Hedges, defines scientismthe religion of science as the campaign to create a paradise on earth by curing humanity of its criminal instincts and warns further that scientism is an intrinsic element of totalitarian doctrine: At a particular point in history, however, a conjunction occurred bringing together several preexisting strands: revolutionary ardor, implying the use of force; the millenarian dream of building an earthly paradise here and now; and the pseudoscientific doctrine asserting that complete knowledge of the human species was about to become available. The moment of this meeting marks the birth of totalitarian ideology.

Members of the new rationalist front who issue organized defenses of commercial genetics and pharmaceutical policies are fond of quoting Karl Poppers scientific theories, though they tend to steer clear of his social hypotheses because Popper is unequivocal on the irrelevance of whether certain utopian theories are framed as mystical or scientific: in either case, any attempts to apply these types of theories to society are, as Popper warns, veiled forms of propaganda to return to tribalism.

When rationalized as a scientific crusade for the betterment of humanity, mystical, caste-dependent tribalismwith its scapegoating rites and totem meals to displace evil and achieve the purity of the tribe is simply a veiled bid for totalitarianism. In this sense, theres nothing more politically ominous than the hunt to identify the born killer.

Much more substantial than the imagined genetic overlap between conditions like autism and mass murdering psychosis is the similarity between modern drug-fueled massacrists and their creators: whats shared by those in the throes of violent side effects and those whose pseudoscientific doctrine led to the forceful marketing of harmful pharmaceutical products is a sort of avenging angel or avatar delusion leading some to expedite a virtual day of reckoning. Elements of this are reflected in the totalitarian or fundamentalist symbol-fragments that so many of the chemically-driven mass killers may suddenly identify with. Both creator and creation are convinced they are fixing the world by taking power over the unworthy, no matter what scale is used to judge other human beings and find them wanting. Both imagine themselves to possess a supernatural ability to identify the inherently bad strains who can no longer be reached by human means. Both ultimately move towards the use of force one through fraud and mandated treatment, the other with bullets.

Erich Fromm wrote in The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness, As long as one believes that the evil man wears horns, one will not discover an evil man. One will also fail to see any potential for evil in the mirror. The similar mentality between purveyors of modern pharmaceutical progress and those driven mad by it might not be simply poetic accident to the extent that those creating, profiting by, prescribing and forcing certain treatments in the guise of helping would naturally be blind to side effects representing something in themselves they wished to deny.

Holocaust survivor and novelist Primo Levi warns of what he called the Manichean view that human beings can be divided into absolutes of pure good or pure evil. Levi protested any blurring of the line between perpetrators and victims as a precious service rendered (intentionally or not) to the negators of truth. I do not know, he wrote, and it does not much interest me to know, whether in my depths there lurks a murderer, but I do know that I was a guiltless victim and I was not a murderer. But Levi also stresses that Nobody can know for how long and under what trials his soul can resist before yielding or breaking, and every one of us can potentially turn into monsters.

Levis point is potentiality, not actuality. Not everyone will yield to destructive impulses but denial of universal monster-potential seems to be central to genetic fundamentalism: those pushing for forced treatment instead prefer to quarantine the roots of violence to a genetically defective caste rather than recognizing that their technology had merely unmasked and unleashed something which exists as a capacity in themselves along with everyone else, though it might otherwise not be expressed. So just as many modern pharmaceuticals may, in the extreme, strip the mind of more sophisticated social inhibitions, destroy the faculty of love and amplify a capacity for violence which is at the root of our species the parallels of original sin according to western theology and ape aggression according to Darwinismmedication madness may be the ultimate expression of the mentality of its inventors: the externalization of evil and the conceit of God-like status in justifying the performance of the ultimate triage or Last Judgment.

If modern drug-fueled killers expose the messianic, millenarian core of scientific overreach, its not surprising: the primitive parts of our brains seem geared to a simplistic view of good and evil, worthy or unworthy, so that any ideology or science based in this tendency cant claim to be enlightened or humane. Like any human drive run amok, its simply naked tribalism dressed in rationality. But this is precisely why it sells and why Frau Koma will be resurrected again and again whenever we deny by any means that every one of us, regardless of status, carries the gene for this potential and there is no cure.

Adriana Gamondes is a contributing editor to Age of Autism and a Facebook page administrator. She and her husband commute between Massachusetts and Florida and are the proud parents of recovering twins.

Disclaimer: Withdrawal from psychotropic drugs can often be more dangerous than continuing on a medication. It is important to withdraw extremely slowly from these drugs under the supervision of a qualified specialist. Withdrawal symptoms are sometimes more severe than the original symptoms or problems.
June 21, 2017

On May 29, Iranian law enforcement officers along with staff from the presidency confiscated a building in east Tehran used by Mahmoud Ahmadinejads bodyguards. In response, the former presidents office issued a statement putting the responsibility for any potential harm to Ahmadinejad on the administration of President Hassan Rouhani, the judiciary and the Ansar-ul-Mahdi Corps, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) unit tasked with protecting top officials including presidents, judiciary chiefs, parliament speakers and lawmakers. Ansar-ul-Mahdi

On the same night, Ahmadinejads office also launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay for a new office for his bodyguards. It said that in response to increasing calls from across the country, it was introducing a joint bank account under the names of Ahmadinejad and his former vice president, Hamid Baghaei, for public donations. Of note, Baghaei and Ahmadinejad both registered to run in the May 19 presidential elections  and both failed to gain the Guardian Councils approval.

Amid the ongoing controversy, the Reformist Etemaad Daily on June 1 cited the presidential administration office as saying that the building in question was state property and seized after three years of illegal use by Ahmadinejads security team.

As another war of words was in the making, some pro-government media outlets began publishing articles and cartoons mocking the ex-president and accusing him of engaging in fundraising for his own political purposes.

Ali Akbar Javanfekr, the spokesman for Ahmadinejads office, told Al-Monitor, They introduced the bank account after supporters from across the country contacted [us] and expressed concerns about the security of the ex-president. He rejected the announced reasons for the confiscation of the building, saying, Based on a piece of legislation ratified under ex-President Mohammad Khatami [1997-2005], all incumbent governments are bound to provide an annual budget and support the civil and administrative activities of ex-presidents.

Critics say Ahmadinejad did to his Reformist predecessor precisely what he is now objecting to  pointing to how his government ordered Khatami and his team to evacuate their state-provided offices. They also argue that Ahmadinejad should provide for his own security team, asking why public coffers should be used for such a purpose.

Javanfekr, however, dismissed these arguments, telling Al-Monitor, President Khatami used a four-story building during seven years of Ahmadinejads term [2005-13] and evacuated it of his own will in the last year [of Ahmadinejads second term] when another office was suggested to him in the Jamaran district [in the north of Tehran] by Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Javanfekr added, Though the current government has put some hurdles before Ahmadinejad, it still provides Khatami with full security measures. That is in addition to the annual budget [which the government allocates to former presidents], and even in one case, paying the entire cost of renovation works at Khatamis Baran Foundation.

It appears that since his failed bid to run for a third term, implicit restrictions on Ahmadinejad have increased, such as apparent limitations on his public appearances. The confiscation of his bodyguards office and the fact that they are members of the IRGC also points to political maneuvering being at play.

It was not until June 10 that the Ansar-ul-Mahdi Corps said in a statement that it is the responsibility of the presidency to support protective measures in regard to former presidents. Although the statement confirms that based on the Iranian military code, the Ansar-ul-Mahdi Corps is tasked with protecting officials, it warned both sides to keep the force out of their political feud.

In other signs of pressure on the former president, former Ahmadinejad adviser Abdolreza Davari was detained and transferred to Evin Prison to begin serving a two-year sentence only two days after the building confiscation. Davari was in August 2015 found guilty of insulting the supreme leader after allegedly posting comments against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on his Facebook page. He insists that his Facebook account was hacked. Following Davaris detention, Javanfekr in a June 1 post on his Telegram channel accused the judiciary of being biased against pro-Ahmadinejad journalists and media activists.

Meanwhile, the conservative website Raja News has in past weeks posted several videos on its Telegram channel showing people protesting against Ahmadinejad at some of his public appearances. The last video, posted June 9, was apparently from the funeral of the victims of the June 7 terrorist attacks in Tehran, showing some among the crowds chanting slogans against Ahmadinejad and in support of Khamenei. It is not clear why Raja News later deleted that specific video. Photos released after the public funeral also show Ahmadinejad sitting among ordinary mourners rather than the area allocated to senior officials.

Al-Monitor put the question of whether Ahmadinejad has been put under implicit restrictions to Javanfekr, who responded, Theres a feeling that such a policy is in place, though it is never told publicly or officially stated.

On May 31  two days into the crowdfunding campaign  the semi-official ISNA news agency reported that at least 1 billion rials ($30,807) had been raised. Dolat-e Bahar, Ahmadinejads unofficial website, has published numerous photos of receipts with notes of support from his backers. The website on June 5 said that enough money has been raised to cover the expenses for a new office for Ahmadinejads bodyguards and that additional funds  which it said were still pouring in  would be allocated to charity. Javanfekr declined Al-Monitors request that he elaborate on the specific amount of money that has been received so far.
Imagine a land where the government has the power to lock you up because the unelected bureaucrats in the Health Department think that you might, possibly have a communicable disease. They dont have to prove you are sick. They dont have to prove you are a health threat to others. They just need to think that, maybe, you were possibly exposed to a disease. And when I say lock people up, I mean lock you in your home or force you from your home into a facility, detention center, camp (pick your noun) that they get to choose and you must stay there for however long they want. No time limit; so it could be for days, weeks, months, or years....

Now imagine that there is no age restriction, so the government can do this to you personally, or to your child, or to your grandchild, or to your elderly parent, or to your ailing grandparent. The nightmare continues because you have no recourse. No chance to prove that you arent actually infected with the disease. No chance to confront your jailers, see their supposed evidence against you or challenge their quarantine order in a court of law before getting locked up. And they can use law enforcement to help them carry out their forced quarantine or isolation orders, so the knock on your door could very well be the sheriff or police coming to remove you from your home or to check in on you to ensure you are locked down in your home, isolated, in accordance with the Health Departments order against you.

This dystopian horror sounds unbelievable to an American. That the government has the ability to control ones every move is unnatural to us. Politicians and bureaucrats being able to have unbridled power to tell you where you can and cannot go, what you can and cannot do, and who you can and cannot see is the very antithesis of what our country stands for. It flies in the face of liberty and justice for all. After all, we are supposed to be a nation of governance of the people, by the people, and for the people.

And yet, the governor of New York and her Department of Health have promulgated a dystopian regulation that does all of that and more. The regulation is called Isolation and Quarantine Procedures and can be found at 10 NYCRR 2.13. It is a clear violation of the Separation of Powers because the governor is not supposed to make law, nor can an agency. Only the legislature can make law and agencies can only issue regulations that the legislature empowers them to issue. Simply put, an agency cannot just make up rules on its own whim. It must have a directive from the legislature to do so.

Remember from grade-school History class: We have three branches of government (Judicial, Executive and Legislative), all are co-equal with one another, and each has its own separate powers and duties. The governor and her agencies are in the Executive Branch of government. The Executive Branch enforces the laws that the Legislative Branch passes.

Image: In China, which has the power New Yorks executive branch granted itself, the government has seized children. Twitter screen grab.

But in this instance, the Executive Branch has usurped the power of the Legislative Branch by making this regulation, which is actually an impermissible lawdespite the State calling it a regulation. The important fact is that there is no legislative enabling statute authorizing the Department of Health to make this regulationnot to mention the fact that the Executive Branchs regulation violates numerous constitutional rights as well as New York State laws.

So, on behalf of a group of New York State Legislators together with Uniting NYS, a citizens group, I am suing the Governor of New York and her Department of Health to stop their quarantine camp regulation! The NYS Legislators standing with Uniting NYS in this lawsuit are true leaders: Senator George Borrello, Assemblyman Chris Tague, and Assemblyman Mike Lawler. Theyre willing to stand up for We the People, and to help preserve the constitutional rights upon which our founding fathers based our great Nation. Additionally, Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, Assemblyman Joseph Giglio, and Assemblyman William Barclay are also publicly supporting our lawsuit by writing an Amicus Brief supporting our case.

Our lawsuit is the first and only lawsuit of its kind in the country, and its importance cannot be understated. If this regulation is allowed to stand, then it will signal to all agencies that they can make regulations that conflict with the Constitution and with state laws.

If that happens, then the Legislative Branch of government will no longer be a co-equal branch. Instead, it will become subservient to the Executive Branch because the agencies in the Executive Branch could simply make a rule that conflicts with our laws (or the Constitution) whenever they wanted. It would render our laws useless. It would lead to tyranny and it is We The People who suffer under a tyrannical regime.

Think about it: if we dont win this lawsuit and quarantine camps become a new standard of government control over the people in New York, then it will spread like wildfire across America. Other states will see what New York is doing and they will follow suit. The floodgates will open and, once open, those gates may never close. So, we must win this fight, not just for New Yorkers, but for all Americans!

To find out more about our monumental lawsuit, to sign up for weekly updates, to see how you can help, or to support the lawsuit, go to Uniting NYSs information page about the lawsuit. We are proud to be on the front lines of this fight against tyranny but we cannot do it alone, so we hope you will get involved and be a part of the movement to return the power to We The People.

Bobbie Anne Flower Cox is an attorney at law in the state of New York.
Last week we ordinary Americans took a couple of punches in the gut. First, lawyer Michael Sussmann was acquitted by a jury of lying to the FBI about who was employing him to dish dirt on Candidate Trumps 2016 presidential campaign. Said the jury forewoman:

I dont think it should have been prosecuted, she said of the case. There are bigger things that affect the nation than a possible lie to the FBI.

You think? Bigger things than an accusation of using the FBI to prompt the media to accuse a presidential candidate -- a presidential candidate! -- of colluding with Russians?

And then the Biden administration did the thug thing on 72-year-old Trump White House official Peter Navarro and had the FBI arrest him while he was boarding a plane and put him in handcuffs and leg irons, just so they could make quite sure to have him in court the next day.

Now, I have to say I am not outraged by this. No, my reaction is far deeper and philosophical. The whole point of the legal system is to invite everyone, Inner Party, Outer Party, and Proles, to bring their disputes to judges and juries  presided over by the blindfolded maiden and her scales -- rather than resort to revenge and armed gangs. But if an Inner Party chappie gets a free ride, and the Outer Party chappie gets leg irons, what is the fate of the Proles in Bidens America? Hey, ruling class: you may not think about where this injustice leads, but I can.

Heres some partisan red meat from Andrew Sullivans Substack. He quotes a long diatribe from a commenter:

Trump is a symptom of a political party that (with very, very few honorable exceptions) wants to grab onto power and hold onto it, ethics be damned.

What? You mean that the GOP doesnt have power, and is therefore reduced to an unethical grab onto power?

Sullivan replies to his commenter:

I would vote for any Democrat rather than Trump, who remains a profound threat to whats left of liberal democracy. And even if you think Trump represents the real GOP, I dont think you can argue that his personal vileness, demagogic genius, and insatiable narcissism didnt also make a difference.

Earth to Sullivan: Is there any headline politician in America in the other party that does not display personal vileness, demagogic genius, and insatiable narcissism?

Lets apply the Sullivan standard to Joe Biden. Personal vileness? How about Biden, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the Bork nomination? Or handsy Biden and the eight women he is accused of touching inappropriately or worse? Demagogic genius? What else do you call a man that has kept himself in headline politics since 1973 riding the rails between Washington and Delaware? Insatiable narcissism? I rest my case.

And whatabout whats left of liberal democracy? If only! You liberal chaps have the following agenda items going full bore in 2022:

Government Pensions: 7% GDP

Government Healthcare: 9% GDP

Government Education: 5% GDP

Government Welfare (other than healthcare): 3% GDP

Id say that spending 24 percent of GDP this year and every year on your pet programs is not whats left. Id call that we own you. Because if I had my druthers Id privatize government pensions; Id reduce government healthcare to vouchers, and replace government education with vouchers, K thru grad school. And that would just be the start.

Oh yeah, I forgot. President Trump started to build a wall on the border. End of liberal democracy!

Heres another thing to worry about. The climatistas in the Biden administration are fit to be tied about the administrations failure to put the pedal to the metal on climate change:

The office headed by domestic climate policy chief Gina McCarthy has held up progress on multiple fronts, nine Democrats inside and outside the administration told POLITICO -- accusing it of too often placing political considerations and relations with Congress ahead of weaning the nation off fossil fuels.

Hey, climatistas! When your guy has just a nine-seat majority in the House of Representatives and a tied Senate, you dont get to ram your agenda down the throat of America. Even if you know, absolutely know, because science and experts and climate activists, that your program is the only thing standing between humanity and the end of life as we know it.

Heres a sobering thought. How in the world are we going to persuade the average Democrat partisan to stay home and cool her mostly peaceful jets when President DeSantis (or Trump) takes office in 2025 with a solid Republican Congress? She knows that there are no bigger things that affect the nation than a racist-sexist-homophobic political party that, experts agree, represents a profound threat to whats left of liberal democracy.

Christopher Chantrill @chrischantrill runs the go-to site on US government finances, usgovernmentspending.com. Also get his American Manifesto and his Road to the Middle Class.

Image: National Archives
Democrats own Washington, D.C. and should be in hog heaven. But as Shakespeare wrote, "uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." Certainly, the Democrats know that, as the country and the world lurch from bad to worse under their aegis, their hold on the country is weakening. What especially worries them is conservative media's popularity. Now, Dan Pfeiffer, a former "senior adviser" to Obama, has said it out loud: alternative viewpoints are a "problem for democracy." Expect the Democrats to act to counter that "problem."

Here are three representative news stories showing the Democrats' collapsing control over the political narrative:

First, Biden is frantically angry that his popularity has dropped below Trump's  which is impressive when you think back to the Russia hoax coup against Trump and the media's unrelenting hostility to him and compare that with the media's slavish loyalty to Biden. You must be an exceptionally disastrous president to have your ratings collapse despite the propaganda.

Second, when it comes to cable news, Fox rules. Tucker Carlson is the most popular cable host, by a huge margin, followed by Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, Greg Gutfeld, and a host of other Fox News shows. CNN first shows up as number 19 on the list (Wolf Blitzer), and MSNBC appears at 24 (Joy Reid).



Image: Dan Pfeiffer (edited). Twitter screen grab.

That's nice, but what's really newsworthy is who is watching Tucker Carlson and the other Fox folks. Tucker is the top cable news show for adults in the 2554 range. That's bad for Democrats. What's worse is that Tucker's dominance doesn't stop there. He and Fox News are drawing in the largest number of Democrat viewers within that coveted age group:

Of those demo-aged viewers surveyed who identified as Democrats, 39% chose Fox News, 31% chose MSNBC and 30% chose CNN for programming from 8 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET. In total-day viewership, Fox News grabbed 42% of Democrats aged 25-54, CNN nabbed 33% and MSNBC got 25%.

And third, Democrats cannot console themselves by saying television is a dinosaur in the new media age and that the real place to check out audience favorites is on the internet. It turns out that conservative media is also dominating on the internet, something that caught even NPR's attention:

In 2021, Ben Shapiro rules Facebook. The conservative podcast host and author's personal Facebook page has more followers than The Washington Post, and he drives an engagement machine unparalleled by anything else on the world's biggest social networking site. An NPR analysis of social media data found that over the past year, stories published by the site Shapiro founded, The Daily Wire, received more likes, shares and comments on Facebook than any other news publisher by a wide margin. Even legacy news organizations that have broken major stories or produced groundbreaking investigative work don't come anywhere close.

(Speaking of Daily Wire, although I hate to direct potential subscription money away from American Thinker, I highly recommend Matt Walsh's What Is A Woman?, which requires a Daily Wire subscription to view. That same subscription, though, helps support Daily Wire as it seeks to build a conservative media empire that's an alternative to Hollywood.)

Because Democrats are all about the narrative (it's how they attack their opponents, get into office, and retain power when all their policies fail), the public's declining interest in their media outlets is a disaster. I'm not guessing. Just listen to the frantic sound of Dan Pfeiffer, the old Obama hand, bemoaning the growth of conservative media and especially Daily Wire's engagement factor:

Pfeiffer: "If you go to Facebook on a daily basis, the posts with the most engagement are from @benshapiro, @dbongino, @RealCandaceO  it should scare us the most that Ben Shapiros @realDailyWire has more followers than the NYT or CNN. That is a problem for democracy." pic.twitter.com/wuYLluaWLm  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 6, 2022

In true totalitarian fashion, having identified the enemy, Pfeiffer has a plan: make laws to destroy it. That's because, for a Democrat, a "democracy" is not a system in which the people are the master and the government their servant. Instead, it's a system that  like an aristocracy, theocracy, or any other despotic system  makes sure that the only voice the people hear is the government's. When that voice is being overridden by the sound of freedom, "democracy" has failed, and the government gets to jackboot its way in to "correct" the situation.

The Democrats still have, at minimum, another six months of total control over federal politics. While Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are still bravely holding the line, Democrats may figure out either the carrots or sticks that will finally get them to go along with the Democrats' plan to end the filibuster, giving them the opportunity to pass a host of extremist laws like packing the Supreme Court, ending the Second Amendment, and blocking free speech on television and the internet. Be vigilant, and do not, under any circumstances, miss voting in your state's primaries or in the November election.
In the wake of Michael Sussmann's "not guilty" verdict, the validity of the entire Durham investigation has been alternately criticized and defended. And while much focus has been placed upon the Court's potential ethical conflicts, not enough attention has been given to the skills of Sussmann's lawyers in directing the Court to tenable rulings.

The crime for which Sussmann was charged was telling the FBI that he was not representing a client when he submitted to the Bureau a "White Paper" detailing Donald Trump's supposed ties to Russia by means of a Trump Tower server connecting to Russia's Alfa Bank server. In fact, Durham alleged, Sussmann was representing the Clinton campaign and tech executive Rodney Joffe, the main forces behind the White Paper, and had billed both clients for the FBI meeting. If he represented either, he should have been found guilty.

So how did Sussmann's team introduce doubt as to his representation? His former partner, Marc Elias, the chief lawyer for the Clinton campaign, testified that telling the FBI of the Alfa Bank matter was not part of his firm's work. To be sure, the campaign wanted the Alfa Bank allegations disseminated, but, golly, Mrs. Cleaver, not to the FBI.

What about Joffe, who did not testify? The Sussmann team argued that, while Sussmann and Joffe thought this a national security matter about which the FBI should learn, his work for Joffe was advising on disseminating the information to the press, not to the FBI. So Sussmann, the story went, was in fact going to the FBI purely out of "good citizen" motives. If all this was true, or not demonstrably untrue, Sussmann should have been acquitted.

So how could Durham combat this narrative? First, it was clear from the email traffic that Joffe and his researchers at various universities knew that the data were inaccurate and discussed how to shield their presentation from being immediately labeled false.

From this, one may infer, Joffe (and Sussmann) wanted to disseminate the paper to the FBI, but not because they sincerely cared about national security, which would not be served by false information. Thus, the jury could infer, the only real purpose would be political: anti-Trump information helping Clinton. So this admitted inaccuracy would help convict Sussmann, correct? No.

Since there was no proof that Sussmann saw the emails between his client Joffe and the researchers, and since Sussmann was not vouching for the accuracy of the data, according to his lawyers, the court should not admit them, nor any evidence of inaccuracy. Of course, Sussmann had lengthy conferences  and written communications  with Joffe, but these were protected by the attorney-client privilege.

Twice after meetings among Joffe, Sussmann, and Elias, Joffe emailed his researchers. But Sussmann was not copied on the emails, even though one may infer that the emails resulted from the prior meetings with Sussmann and Elias. After one meeting, Joffe emailed his research team that the "VIPs would be happy" if they could link Trump and Russia. Clinton adviser Jake Sullivan later tweeted that he had assumed that federal investigators would be examining the researchers' allegations, retweeted by Hillary Clinton herself.

Because of other Fusion GPS emails, the court in its opinion noted that this Joffe email tended to show a conspiracy among Joffe, the Clinton campaign, and Fusion GPS. Since Sussmann represented both the Clinton Campaign and Joffe, and hired and directed Fusion GPS, wouldn't this email be game, set, and match convicting Sussmann as representing a client when bringing these allegations to the FBI? After all, it looks as though Joffe wished to give the press and the FBI a story harming Trump and helping Clinton.

After the election, Joffe emailed an associate, claiming he had been offered a top cyber-security job in the Clinton administration had Hillary Clinton won. Wouldn't this cement Joffe's connection to Clinton and Sussmann, who also represented the Clinton campaign? Clearly, it would appear, this was Joffe's motive  that is, helping Clinton win through a false story, not promoting national security through a true one.

At trial, as they had to, given the evidence, all concerned admitted that they wished the Alfa Bank allegations to go to the press, which included the Clinton campaign (director Robby Mook so admitted), Joffe, and Fusion GPS, while Sussmann was admittedly hired at least by Joffe to "disseminate" the allegations to the press. This common purpose suggests that whether legal or illegal, the whole group was in a joint venture or conspiracy to disseminate this information, at least to the press. If so, then all of the Joffe emails could be admitted, including emails showing he knew that the information was highly suspect. This is so because statements of a co-conspirator or a legal join venturer are not considered inadmissible hearsay, but are instead admissible.

But Sussmann's lawyers persuaded the court that it had the discretion to refrain from going through the exercise to determine if there was a joint venture or conspiracy. So the court exercised its discretion not to do so, while casting doubt in his opinion that there was a such a venture.

Accordingly, all of the evidence that the data were clearly inaccurate, and the statements of Joffe showing his motive to help Clinton, never made it to the jury, nor did the Clinton campaign tweets.

The burden of this article is not to criticize the exercise of the court's wide discretion, but only to show that the case would not have been weak if discretion were exercised in a different manner, in part or in whole. Accordingly, we give kudos to Sussmann's legal team but blow raspberries at the realities of what Sussmann was doing when he went to the FBI.

Part of the function of a public trial in a democracy is to tell the public a story. While Sussmann was properly acquitted by the jury based on the evidence it received, and the Court was within its discretion in controlling the evidence, the public has been able through Durham's work to learn what appalling dishonesty the Clinton campaign was intentionally disseminating, far eclipsing any skullduggery of Richard Nixon's White House in Watergate.

John D. O'Connor is a former federal prosecutor and the San Francisco attorney who represented W. Mark Felt during his revelation as Deep Throat in 2005. O'Connor is the author of the book Postgate: How the Washington Post Betrayed Deep Throat, Covered Up Watergate, and Began Today's Partisan Advocacy Journalism and the host of the podcast series The Mysteries of Watergate.

Image via Flickr, public domain.
So much for Title 42, the court-reinforced order to keep illegal border-crossers out of the U.S. to protect the public here during the pandemic.

Actually, they're letting them in...and letting them in. There's no limit.

Here's the news from just one border city, McAllen, Texas, reported by Fox News:

The Texas border city of McAllen says more than 7,000 COVID-positive migrants have been released into the city since February, and more than 1,500 in the past week  the latest example of growing concern about the potential impact of the border crisis on efforts to control COVID-19 in the U.S. In a statement announcing the building of new temporary shelters to deal with a "rapidly escalating" surge of immigrants being released into the border city, McAllen warned of the release of thousands of migrants with COVID-19. "Since mid-February of 2021 there have been over 7,000 confirmed COVID-19 positive immigrants released into the city of McAllen by [Customs and Border Protection], including over 1,500 new cases in the past seven days," the statement said. Immigrants released by CBP are dropped off with Catholic Charities and tested for COVID by a third party. If they test positive, they are asked to quarantine and offered a room at a quarantine site.

According to City-Data, McAllen, Texas has a population of 143,000 and is Texas's 22nd-largest city. Adding 1,400 people with COVID into a population of that size in one week is a hell of a lot of COVID to get spreading.

Ostensibly, these migrants are a "humanitarian exception" to the Title 42 sendbacks  single moms with small children, and unaccompanied minors, most of whom are single MS-13-aged young men.

The problem here is that they spread COVID as much as the single adults and families with older children who are being sent back. There's no exception with COVID, whether it comes from a single mom with four kids in tow or a single adult male without kids.

Leftists are claiming that the illegal migrants with COVID being admitted are asked  asked  to move to quarantine units  which are reportedly full at this point  presumably to get well first before being free to walk around the country.

No word on what happens if they say "no." No word on what happens if there's no room at the tent.

Having just gotten over this latest strain of COVID myself, and talked to others who have had it recently, all I can think is that it will take weeks  at least three  for the sick migrants to get well and test negative. That's a lot of time and beds taken in an isolation unit, which would likely include whole families should one member test positive.

Are they going to stay the full three weeks? Don't bet on it. With thousands of border-crossers coming into the country by the day in a ramped up surge that is already seeing the bridge underpasses filling up, according to the Fox report video, that's a lot of COVID that's likely to be released into the interior of the U.S. and to the U.S. public.

Outside the tent cities being put up for the COVID-infected illegal migrants, many are being placed in hotels at taxpayer expense. What happens at the hotels? Is there an armed guard to keep the migrants from stepping out from their rooms and mingling with the public? There sure as heck wasn't in this case last year, sure enough, in La Joya, Texas, where COVID-infected illegals stationed in a hotel to isolate entered a Texas restaurant and coughed all over the patrons, not so much as covering their mouths. No guards at that one  and why should the U.S. public be forced to pay for guards anyway simply because unvetted migrants cannot be trusted to respect the health of the public? Based on recent news reports, the illegal migrants have already shown zero respect for U.S. immigration (and public littering) laws. Why would they care if they spread COVID to the American public?

The weasel word "asked" to isolate is quite a qualifier. We know what happens when the NGOs put them in hotels to isolate. What happens if they don't like the tents?

What we have here is an amazing federal defiance of a judicial order on Title 42, which pretty much negates the entire order. Migrants have complained that they are COVID-negative when they have been turned away under that Title 42 order in past news stories, but now that the U.S. is importing 7,000 COVID-infected migrants at one illegal point of entry alone (and there are many), the Biden administration is effectively importing COVID into the States, and placing a tremendous burden onto the border towns, which bear the brunt of the infected migrants' effect.

This one sounds like grounds for a lawsuit by the states.

It is outrageous how the Biden administration, under court order to keep Title 42 in place, is thumbing its nose at the law and bringing in thousands of COVID-infected illegals to superspread among the citizens and incur high taxpayer costs for their care should they take it. What is the point of even trying if that many "exceptions" get in? The Bidenites don't actually care. They are importing COVID.

Image: Screen shot from ABC News video, via YouTube.
Joe Biden is coming to Israel, likely in July.

Prior to this visit  to Jerusalem and other places  it is important to set the stage about what has happened in the region when fresh people, capable of thinking out of the Establishment box, came to the Middle East; turned perceived logic on its head; and made a miraculous difference by introducing the Abraham Accords, a new peace concept in the area.

Prior to that, the established notion was that peace was impossible until Israel bowed to international pressure by surrendering vital territory, legitimately its own, to a violent Jew-hating Palestinian entity.

Thanks to people like President Trump and Jared Kushner, they were proven wrong.

Moderate Muslim countries see greater value in normalizing and extending ties with Israel. This has brought peace, progress, and greater prosperity to the participating countries.

One reason the world did not collapse with the Abraham Accords is that most Arab countries look on the Palestinians as an expensive nuisance and have stepped back from using them as a battering ram to bring down the Jewish State.

But it seems the developing peace camp in a new Middle East has not reached the ears and eyes of the Biden White House or the State Department, both of whom persist in slapping Israel with a wet rag to get us to move into granting even more concessions to a clearly avowed anti-Semitic and violent enemy that persists in an obsession of achieving a Jewless world in a Palestine that stretches from the River to the Sea, even to the extent that they want to divide Jerusalem, our sovereign capital.

They believe that giving Jerusalem to the Palestinians, likely to be led by Hamas, will bring peace even closer.

They cannot see the foolishness of this notion. Or maybe they do!

This is the current atmosphere in an Israel that Biden will visit, whenever he chooses to arrive.

He will tell us he loves us, and that he has our back, but we don't trust him, nor do we believe him, based on our experiences with him.

He has stabbed us in the back too many times in the past.

As vice president, he canvassed countries, including Ukraine, to vote against Israel in the U.N. Security Council in a disgraceful resolution that called Jews living in Judea an "illegal Israeli occupation."

Biden has threatened to cut off U.S. aid to Israel several times.

When he became president, he reintroduced illegal payments that run counter to two important United States laws, which give millions of dollars to unrepentant Palestinian killers of Jews.

They call it "welfare payments." We call it the Palestinian "Pay to Slay" reward system. The more Jews you kill, the more money you get, courtesy of U.S. and European taxpayers.

More recently, his administration is pushing to divide Jerusalem, Israel's sovereign capital, as a sop to intransigent Palestinians.

Whenever he decides to come, our leaders will treat him with the respect due to a sitting American president, but we will demand of our leaders not to make negative concessions to this impotent (at home and abroad) leader who has gathered around him more anti-Israel activists than have ever occupied the White House and State Department in American history.

Biden's visit is a return to the old, failed policies of a past Establishment that achieved nothing in the way of peace, but instead made the world, especially the Middle East, a more tenuous and dangerous place.

Barry Shaw is international public diplomacy director for the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies.

Image: U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv (cropped) via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Google "Islam is a peaceful religion," and a number of sources will come up, declaring that Islam is indeed a religion that teaches peace and tolerance. Still, there have been hundreds of terrorist attacks in the name of Islam for decades. The Taliban are now enforcing the burqa in Afghanistan, even for female journalists. Ilhan Omar, the anti-Semitic representative from Minnesota, still enjoys strong support from the Muslim community despite her characterization of 9/11 as "some people did something." I don't pretend to be an expert on Islam, but all this seems less than peaceful.

The latest outpouring of "peace" from the Islamic world has been directed at Nupur Sharma, an Indian woman who represented the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Apparently, she said something that angered the Muslim community in India. Sharma was forced to issue an apology, after which she was suspended from the BJP. Not content with ruining Sharma's career, Kuwait, Qatar, Iran, and Saudi Arabia condemned her remarks. Qatar wants an apology from the country of India. But what exactly did Sharma say?



Image: Nupur Sharma (edited). YouTube screen grab.

I searched in vain on this point. Every news source loftily declared that it would not print what Sharma said because it was so offensive. I finally came across a YouTube video in which the presenter claimed that all Sharma said was that Muhammad married his wife Aisha when she was six years old and that he consummated the marriage when she was nine years old. Traditional sources quote Aisha on these points.

As I said, I am not an expert on Islam. Nor have I read the Koran. However, I would go so far as to say that it should not be considered Islamophobic to mention something from a sacred text that has been accepted for centuries. Nor do I think a woman's reputation and career should be destroyed by emissaries of "peace" who are not happy with what their sacred book alleges.

Pandra Selivanov is the author of Future Slave, a story about a 21st-century black teenager who goes back in time and becomes a slave in the Old South.
Democrats desperately want to see the last of Dianne Feinstein, who's becoming a risk and an embarrassment, and nothing makes that clearer than the photography New York magazine used for an essay about her.

As a native San Franciscan, Dianne Feinstein was a fixture in my life. My mom griped about her because, in the early 1960s, when they were both parents in the same cooperative nursery school, Feinstein didn't pull her weight. Then Feinstein got into politics, and I'd see her around the city at this or that event. (I'm one of the high school band members hidden in the back of this photo.) In 1978, she gained national prominence when she officially announced that Supervisor Harvey Milk and George Moscone had been assassinated.

Feinstein was a steely, composed, hard-driving Democrat politician. When I was still a Democrat, aside from the awful bouffant she always sported, I thought she was great. When I became a conservative, I turned against her politics but reluctantly admired her political longevity, which gave her great power in Congress.

Because I was now conservative, I finally learned about Feinstein's self-serving hypocrisy. Although she'd written the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and was trying to renew it in 2012, it turned out Feinstein had a concealed carry license. Back in 1995, after getting the original "assault weapon" ban passed, Feinstein explained that she needed a concealed carry license because her life was at risk:

Less than 20 years ago, I was the target of a terrorist group. It was the New World Liberation Front. They blew up power stations and put a bomb at my home when my husband was dying of cancer and the bomb was set to detonate around 2 o'clock in the morning, but it was a construction explosive that doesn't detonate when it drops below freezing. It doesn't usually freeze in San Francisco, but on this night it dropped below freezing and the bomb didn't detonate. I was very lucky, but I thought of what might have happened. Later the same group shot out all the windows of my home and I know the sense of helplessness that people feel. I know the urge to arm yourself, because that's what I did. I was trained in firearms. When I walked to the hospital when my husband was sick, I carried a concealed weapon. I made the determination that if somebody was going to try to take me out I was going to take them with me. Now having said all of that, that was period of time ago and I've watched through these 20 years as terrorism has increased both on the far extremist left and the far extremist right in this country.

The message was clear: Feinstein's life matters; ordinary American lives don't.

Feinstein, who, despite her Jewish name, was raised as a Catholic, also distinguished herself during the Amy Coney Barrett hearing by trying to use a backdoor route to impose a religious test on the devoutly Catholic judge. It was weird to see a sitting American senator state, "The dogma lives loudly within you." Even Queen Elizabeth I, back in 16th-century England, had the decency to say, "I have no desire to make windows into men's souls."

Democrats were uncomfortable seeing their religious bigotry so blatantly on display and, after that, started making noises about Feinstein's cognitive abilities:

Feinstein, who turns 89 in June, is older than any other sitting member of Congress. Her declining cognitive health has been the subject of recent reporting in both her hometown San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times. It seems clear that Feinstein is mentally compromised, even if she's not all gone. "It's definitely happening," said one person who works in California politics. "And it's definitely not happening all the time." Reached by phone two days after 19 children were murdered in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, in late May, Feinstein spoke in halting tones, sometimes trailing off mid-sentence or offering a non sequitur before suddenly alighting upon the right string of words. She would forget a recently posed question, or the date of a certain piece of legislation, but recall with perfect lucidity events from San Francisco in the 1960s. Nothing she said suggested a deterioration beyond what would be normal for a person her age, but neither did it demonstrate any urgent engagement with the various crises facing the nation.

Those two paragraphs make clear that, even as the essay praises DiFi's past in politics, the Democrat party wants her gone. It's bad enough to have Joe Biden's dementia and Nancy Pelosi's bizarre affect, complete with escalating eyebrows and manic hand gestures. DiFi is one decrepit Democrat too many. And if you doubt me on that point, just get a load of the picture New York magazine used to illustrate its article. With that headshot, DiFi could get the part of the Wicked Witch of the West in a remake of The Wizard of Oz.

Over the course of 52 years in elected office, Dianne Feinstein believed she could use the system for good. Despite everything, she still does. @rtraister reports https://t.co/nMEYCvRZeM pic.twitter.com/vfcUV643wb  New York Magazine (@NYMag) June 6, 2022

That picture alone is a vicious hit piece, especially when placed next to a picture of her as a 36-year-old beauty. The message is clear: Retire or expect more humiliation.

Image: New York magazine tweet.
Mark Levin of Fox News recently called into question the reputation of the New York Times as a paper "of record." He pointed to pro-Nazi reporting by Times reporters in Germany during the 1930s, ignoring and downplaying reports of the Holocaust, covering up Stalin's crimes, and a pro-Castro disinformation campaign that helped bring Castro to power.

Daniel Ellsberg purloined the secret study that came to be known as the Pentagon Papers and gave it to the Times. The paper then published a book titled The Pentagon Papers: The Secret History of the Vietnam War in 1971. It was already late in the, war and in the effort to shift blame, a myth grew that the military caused a gradual buildup with a series of incremental troop requests until finally secretary of defense Robert McNamara became disillusioned. This book was part of the effort to create the myth.

The book did not contain the study. It contained some of the papers and was divided into sections, with four journalists writing extensive interpretations to explain what happened for those of us too lazy or dumb to check it themselves.

To set the stage, McNamara developed a three-phase plan to win the war by early 1968. Phase I was to raise U.S. troop levels in Vietnam to 175,000 by the end of 1965 with a goal of "stop losing." Phase II was to add an additional 100,000 in the first half of 1966 with a goal of "start winning." Once there was a more detailed analysis, the exact number for Phase II was 112,430.

The numbers were based on rates of infiltration from North Vietnam. "Winning" would start when the "crossover point" was reached. The crossover point was defined as the point at which American forces killed the enemy faster than he could be replaced. There would be additional forces for Phase III over the next 18 months, or until early 1968, when victory would be achieved.

The Phase I deployments went as planned, and the level of killing surpassed McNamara's expectations. In early November 1965, President Lyndon Johnson approved the 112,430 Phase II deployments scheduled for the first part of 1966. In late November, McNamara was at a NATO meeting where he received a disturbing intelligence report. Despite the pleasing (for him) level of killing, enemy strength had significantly increased. The infiltration rates upon which the troop numbers were based had been wrong. It is McNamara's reaction to this news that the Times manipulated to help build the disillusioned myth.



McNamara decided to go from Europe to Vietnam. He cabled U.S. commander General William Westmoreland that he was coming to receive Westmoreland's recommendation for what needed to be added to Phase II deployments. He provided an insight to his views by asking, "Will it not be necessary to add one or two divisions to the 28 battalions proposed in order to provide more forces in the Delta?" In response, Westmoreland requested an addition of 41,500 troops to Phase II.

The book explained the above this way. "Suddenly," meaning, apparently, out of the blue, Westmoreland asked for "a vast increase ... of 154,000 more men." This allegedly shocked McNamara.

But the request was for 41,500. Did the Times make it up? The answer is, pretty much so. The 112,430 Phase II troops had been approved but were not yet deployed. If we add 41,500 to 112,430, we get 153,930, or approximately 154,000, which is what the editors of the Times did. So the total yet to deploy from that point would be 154,000, but the bulk of that number had already been approved.

Is there anything about the Times version that is fair? What is "sudden" about responding to "will it not be necessary to add one or two divisions?" One hundred fifty-four thousand might be considered "vast" when compared to the Phase I 175,000, but is 41,500 "vast" when compared to the 287,430 already approved?

Since this only put a Band-Aid in the immediate problem, McNamara scrambled to calculate new numbers to reach the crossover point. Throughout the first seven months of 1966, he consistently pressured the military to deploy more troops faster. He was not disillusioned. It was his plan. The Times manipulated the information in support of a false narrative. But it did it cleverly. To find it out requires a lot of detailed research, so that the risks of going with a false narrative were small. But, for what it is worth, they have been found out, and this story can be added to Mark Levin's list.

Image: N.Y. Times.
In the old days (say, before 2008), anybody with a brain could tell that media outlets were biased, but they at least tried to look professional. Stories were written in a straight style, without too many obvious opinions; the outlets quickly, if discreetly, made corrections to blatant errors; and the reporters were not supposed to be the story, unless they were heroic in the Watergate mode or heroic in reporting from war zones. Those values are gone. Today's media outlets have abandoned professionalism for advocacy, barely bother with corrections, and often make themselves the story. That's what happened in the case of a bad joke at the Washington Post, which turned the WaPo itself into a bad joke.

Dave Weigel has been a political gadfly but always hewed libertarian-left. He registered as a Republican to vote for Ron Paul in the 2008 primaries but then voted for Obama in November. By 2012, he was voting for Jon Huntsman and Gary Johnson. Despite that kind of conservative-ish record, he worked for both Slate and Bloomberg Politics before moving to the Washington Post in 2015.

In other words, Weigel is the kind of person whom leftists despise and conservatives distrust. Still, he did a good job of leaping from one turtle's back to another as he stayed upright in the turbulent political waters of D.C. But then Weigel took a fatal misstep and plunged into those waters. The jury is still out about whether he drowned or will be found somewhere along the banks, battered but able to get back into the fray.



Image David Weigel. YouTube screen grab.

The occasion for Weigel's misstep was his having retweeted this joke:

Every girl is bi. You just have to figure out if its polar or sexual.  Cam Harless (@hamcarless) June 2, 2022

Felicia Sonmez, a political reporter (last seen with another journalist's scalp in a 2018 #MeToo case), instantly confirmed the accuracy of the joke (leftist women are crazy) by attacking Weigel via the Slack channel: "Fantastic to work at a news outlet where retweets like this are allowed!" Weigel immediately issued the ritual public apology:

I just removed a retweet of an offensive joke. I apologize and did not mean to cause any harm.  David Weigel (@daveweigel) June 3, 2022

Poor deluded man. You'd think he'd been around leftists long enough to know that leftism is a religion that demands remorse and repentance but allows no redemption. Instead, the unstable women in the newsroom (one "bi" or another) couldnt let the matter go:

Summer school is off and running! pic.twitter.com/HYOgpiQcXC  Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) June 6, 2022

If the Washington Post is committed to an inclusive and respectful environment free of harassment, discrimination or bias of any sort, then can someone please help me understand Micah Gelman and David Weigels tweets/rts? These tweets/rts not only hurt women in our newsroom but make it extremely difficult to do our best work. Ultimately, it creates a toxic work environment. Thank you Felicia Sonmez for speaking out against harassment, discrimination and sexism.

Breanna Muir, the video technician who wrote the message, wasn't just complaining about Weigel's joke. She was still angry that, in March, one of her colleagues confused her name with Breonna Taylor (the gal who died in the Louisville, Kentucky shootout). Somehow, it's always the White leftists who confuse Black people's identities.

With the spat entertaining the conservative blogosphere, Sally Buzbee, the executive editor, finally sent a memo around the office telling reporters to "treat each other with respect and kindness." Respect and kindness, though, weren't the things the enraged women wanted. Instead, on Monday, they got their scalp: the WaPo suspended Weigel without pay.

>> @oliverdarcy's scoop: "The Washington Post has suspended reporter @daveweigel without pay for retweeting a sexist joke." https://t.co/TAkq8O6SjE  Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 6, 2022

Jeffrey Toobin managed to get back to work after masturbating during a Zoom call, but I wonder about Weigel. Offending feminists is pretty much a death sentence.

Meanwhile, as this drama played out, Taylor Lorenz, who doxxed Libs of TikTok, wrote a piece attacking internet creators who got more hits commenting on the Johnny DeppAmber Heard trial than the WaPo did. It was not a complimentary article but was, instead, intended to get them off YouTube. However, Taylor Lorenz included such serious misstatements in the article that the WaPo was required to issue three revisions. Glenn Greenwald points to the neurotic high school drama and how it damages American political discourse:

As I was saying last night....https://t.co/wfc8tsLOYn  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 6, 2022

With the ongoing soap opera at the WPost, does anyone there care that the 3rd version of the Editor's Note appended to Lorenz's article is false, given neither was contacted *before* publication?



The posture of WP editors seems to be: eh, we changed it 3 times; that's enough. pic.twitter.com/jz86I21Fif  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 6, 2022

Jose Del Real is the only Mexican-American on the Post's national desk and an openly gay man to boot. Obviously, in a sane world, none of that should matter, but this would be the key fact if they wanted to defend rather than destroy him. They suspend their own rules at will.  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 6, 2022

So predictable: @FeliciaSonmez carried on a public 4-day crusade to get her colleague Dave Weigel suspended without pay. Of course her bloodlust isn't satisfied. Now she's publicly demanding Post editors discipline reporter @jdelreal for having politely objected to her outbursts. pic.twitter.com/5QtacwaEDy  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 7, 2022

Considering that the WaPo's founder, a Democrat, was a race-obsessed Confederate, there's a delicious irony to the fact that radical, race-obsessed Democrats are now doing their best to destroy his paper.
We just learned that a new migrant caravan is coming north.

This is the story from The Guardian:

This is not the first migrant caravan to leave Tapachula, but it may be the largest ever recorded in Mexico: its numbers are expected to swell in the coming days, and may reach 15,000 people[.]

According to the article, it is a multinational caravan:

The largest number of migrants in the caravan come from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua  three countries whose authoritarian rulers Joe Biden has conspicuously refused to invite to the summit. But there are also Haitians, Salvadorans, Hondurans, Guatemalans and even citizens of India, Bangladesh, and several African countries.

Up here, the impotent Biden administration is going to play word games (asylum-seekers), dump this on the overwhelmed Border Patrol, and put the illegal border-crossers on a midnight plane to somewhere.

To say the least, it was very different when our family came to the U.S. seeking political freedom.

Cuba and the U.S. did not have diplomatic relations back then, so we had to go to Mexico, travel to Jamaica, and wait two months for "el permiso," or the permit, as my parents called it. Again, it was more orderly and correctly so.

So what do we do now?

First of all, we need to confront the governments of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua and tell them to stop it. Cuba is desperate for cash, and we could cancel all U.S.-Havana flights immediately. I'm convinced that the Castro regime is desperately trying to get rid of people.

Second, what about Mexico? The article points out that Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador is trying to play the role of the humanitarian. Why doesn't he offer residence to the "caravan-istas"? Invite them to stay in Mexico.

Once again, we see what happens when a weak president surrounded by immigration activists opens the border without consequences.

I came here with my parents many years ago. I understand why people want to leave Cuba or Venezuela. But we have embassies and consulates in those countries, and we should process these requests over there. Have them apply, and give them an orderly entry when the request is approved.

Caravans will only create more caravans!

PS: Click for my videos and podcasts at Canto Talk.

Image: Screen shot from The Guardian video via YouTube.
The irony is rich. Old Joe Biden, floundering in the polls and needing a distraction, seized on the recent mass shootings to launch a gun control push. Many conservatives are panicked by his talk of an "assault weapons" ban, whatever that means, and outlawing all 9mm ammunition.

Yet, without any compromise on badly needed school safety provisions, it is hard to see even modest federal gun restrictions going forward. In fact, the Republican proposal is starting to look like no more than what McConnell, and even Trump, was offering the Dems in 2019. Meanwhile, the constitutional conservatives on the Supreme Court are going to hand down another important decision on self-defense and the Second Amendment.

The looming SCOTUS decision everyone knows about is the expected overturning of Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs case. But also coming this June is the Bruen case, which should strike down the granddaddy of all American gun control laws: New York's 1911 Sullivan Act. Sullivan was a corrupt Tammany Hall politician, and there are many scholars who think Sullivan's motives in essentially disarming law-abiding citizens of their pistols was to make life easier for his many criminal compatriots.

The Sullivan Act is a discretionary permit law, allowing the police arbitrary power to decide to whom they issue a pistol permit. In New York City, for example, it's often been easy to get one if you are wealthy or famous, like Robert De Niro. Yet ordinary people who live and work in dangerous neighborhoods are routinely denied gun permits, like the plaintiffs in Bruen.

When this case is decided, there will of course be the usual gnashing of teeth by the gun-grabbers, who will shriek about how the Second Amendment is not a personal right, and it's just for members of a state militia.

This argument was annihilated several years ago by Prof. Volokh in his 1996 article "The Commonplace Second Amendment," where he shows that the Second Amendment enshrines a right of the people individually: "Early Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Vermont Bills of Rights speak of 'the right of the people to bear arms.' Since these provisions secure rights against the state governments, they must recognize a right belonging to someone other than the state or entities whose membership is defined by the state  this likewise suggests that 'the right of the people to bear arms' refers to a right of individuals."

The Kentucky state constitutional language, written just a year after the U.S. Bill of Rights, by men who were friends and colleagues of Madison and the other Virginia framers, is particularly on point: "[t]he rights of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned."

Furthermore, the "militia clauses" of the original U.S. Constitution give the Congress extensive powers over the organization and training of the state militias. If the Second Amendment was somehow intended by such oblique phrases to then modify this power of Congress, it is all but impossible to see how.

The real meaning of a "well regulated" militia, as used by 18th-century Americans, means much more than just a well trained and equipped military force. It is a political concept that assumes an armed populace as an integral part of society and good government. Both American and English patriots were deep admirers of the Swiss model of militia. Diplomat Abraham Stanyan even wrote in 1714 that the "Swiss have a ... well regulated Militia ... that may overturn a Government at Pleasure."

After Bruen, I don't expect the people of New York and other high-crime blue states to literally overturn their governments. But they could work a quiet revolution of sorts. Law-abiding citizens would finally be able to readily defend themselves from the predators who lurk about their streets. Ordinary people in big cities could take charge of their own safety and that of their neighborhoods by carrying licensed firearms. A real sense of civic pride and responsibility could form, where today there is none.

That seems like a much more effective way to protect society from its worst elements than BLM folks and their solution for violent crime: call 911 to summon a squad car full of social workers.

Frank Friday is an attorney in Louisville, Ky.
Performing elephants were very common in circuses during the 19th and 20th centuries. Circus owners would often treat these animals with cruelty and subject them to great physical and mental stress. Under the strain of captivity and regular performance, elephants turned increasingly violent and turned upon their trainers, and at times, upon the spectators. If the elephant, because of its temperament, was deemed unsuitable to continue performing in the shows, it was put to death, sometimes in spectacular fashion.

Poster of the Forepaugh & Sells Brothers circus. Photo: trialsanderrors/Wikimedia

Topsy was a female Asian elephant who was captured in the jungles in Southeast Asia in 1875 and sold to Adam Forepaugh, owner of the Forepaugh Circus. Forepaugh secretly smuggled the elephant into the United States and began to claim that it was the only baby elephant ever born on American soil. But the elephant trader who sold Topsy to Forepaugh spilled the beans to P. T. Barnum and Barnum exposed the hoax publicly.

Topsy grew up into a tall elephant10 feet high and 20 feet long, and weighed between 3.6 to 5.4 metric tons. She was known for her foul mood. In 1902, a drunk spectator named James Fielding Blount wandered into the menagerie tent of the Forepaugh & Sells Brothers' Circus in Brooklyn and began teasing Topsy, throwing sand at her face and then burning the tip of her trunk with a lit cigar. Topsy grabbed Blount by her trunk and threw him to the ground and then crushed him with her head and foot.

The killing of Blount created a sensation in Brooklyn and newspapers tried to malign Topsys reputation as a man-killer, claiming that she had killed up to 12 men. Some accounts suggested that she killed two circus workers, previously. In June 1902, another spectator tried to tickle Topsy behind the ear with a stick. Topsy seized the man around the waist with her trunk, hoisted him high in the air and threw him back down. After this incident, to prevent further harm to their reputation, the circus decided to sell Topsy.

An illustration of Topsy as published by the St. Paul Globe, June 16, 1902. Photo: Wikimedia

Topsy was acquired by Coney Island's Sea Lion Park, later renamed Luna Park. They also hired Topsys handler, William Alt, from Forepaugh, because only William could control Topsys temper. But William had a loathsome habit of getting himself excessively drunk. Once while intoxicated, William stabbed Topsy with a pitchfork and let her loose on the streets. On another occasion, a drunk Alt rode Topsy down the town streets of Coney Island and into the local police station terrifying the officers. As a result William was fired. But now with William gone, there was no one to handle Topsy. The owners of Luna Park tried to give her away but there were no takers. So it was decided that Topsy would be put to death by electrocution.

On January 4, 1903, a crowd of 1,500 spectators gathered at Luna Park to see the execution of an elephant. Topsy was led out from her stable and across the park grounds and to a bridge that led to a large scaffold in the middle of a lake. But once on the bridge, as if sensing her fate, Topsy refused to budge. They tried to coax her with carrots and apples, but in vain. They even tried to get William Alt to lead Topsy across the bridge, but even he refused. Finally they gave up and decided to execute Tospy where she stood. As the crowd waited, the execution site was dismantled and reconstructed in the main park grounds. The electricians attached copper-lined sandals connected to AC lines to Topsy's right fore foot and left hind foot so the charge would flow through the elephant's body.

Topsy refuses to cross the bridge over the lagoon to the execution platform. Photo: Wikimedia

Because nobody had ever electrocuted an elephant before, they decided to make sure the act would be completed with a combination of poisoning, strangulation and electrocution. Topsy was fed carrots laced with potassium cyanide, and a noose was placed around her neck attached to a pully connected to a nearby steam engine. Then from a small house a 100 feet away, an electrician from the Edison Company hit the switch and 6,600 volts of electricity coursed through Topsys body. Topsy collapsed without a trumpet and groan, and within ten seconds she was dead. The event was filmed by a crew from the Edison film company, and released soon after under the title Electrocuting an Elephant.

Topsy at the moment of electrocution. Photo: Wikimedia

The execution of Topsy was extraordinary but hardly exceptional. From the late 19th to early 20th centuries, she was just one of a number of remarkable executions that were carried out on rogue elephants. Some of these unfortunate creatures were hanged from railroad cranes or strangled with nooses, while others were shot by firing squads or local hunters, and in several cases, as with Topsy, they were electrocuted. What is most unusual about these executions is that they were often done in public and were attended in huge numbers.

Mary was another such unfortunate victim. She was a five-ton Asian elephant who performed in the Sparks World Famous Shows circus. On September 11, 1916, the circus hired a drifter named Red Eldridge as an elephant keeper. Eldridge had no prior experience of handling elephants, and as he began prodding Mary behind her ear while she was eating, it threw Mary into a rage. She snatched Eldridge with her trunk, threw him against a drink stand and stepped on his head, crushing it.

The crowd was horrified. Some of them began chanting Kill the elephant! Let's kill it, and a local blacksmith fired at Mary injuring her. Meanwhile, the leaders of several nearby towns threatened not to allow the circus to visit if Mary was included. The circus owner, Charlie Sparks, reluctantly decided that the only way to quickly resolve the potentially ruinous situation was to kill the wounded elephant in public. The following day, Mary was taken to the railway yard and in presence of over 2,500 people, including most of the town's children, she was hanged by the neck from a railcar-mounted industrial derrick. At the first attempt, the chain snapped, causing Mary to fall and break her hip. She died during the second attempt and was buried beside the tracks. An examination of Mary revealed that she had a severely infected tooth in the precise spot where Red Eldridge had prodded her.

Mary's execution.

Some elephant execution played out like big-game hunts with armed citizens chasing the beast through the streets. When Floto the elephant escaped the circus and began rampaging through the streets of Orange, in southeast Texas, the whole city took up arms. A local hardware store even threw open its doors for all to procure rifles and ammunition. The elephant was eventually murdered on the streets; its body riddled with bullets. Likewise, in the town of Valdosta, Georgia, in 1902, local men chased an escaped circus elephant named Gypsy, who had killed her trainer, throughout the night, finally bagging her in the early daylight hours.

These executions were conducted as much as for thrill as for retribution. In holding elephants morally culpable for the people they killed, these executions were, in some sense, rejecting common medical and legal understandings of criminality, wrote Amy Louise Wood in The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. Reports recognize that the elephants held humanlike moral traits, such as sympathy, grief, and love, yet they were driven by animal instincts and impulses that led them to act out in horrifically violent ways. At the same time, there existed a strong public desire to make elephants pay for these killings as if they were crimes. A retributive sense of justice demanded it despite any sympathy and affection the public might hold for the beasts.

But not all executions went as planned. In 1901, a circus elephant named Jumbo II was condemned to death by electrocution for attacking and injuring two keepers and a bystanders. But the 4,000 volts that surged through his body had little effect. Jumbo wagged his tail... looked please and trumpeted a bit, wrote the New York Herald. When it appeared that Jumbo had thwarted the attempt on his life, the very crowd who was baying for blood began to cheer him and mocked the executioners.

The crowds reaction speak to the ways in which spectators were aware that executions were a performancean extension to the circus where men indulged their desires to watch men conquering dangerous beasts. These events also underscores the ways in which elephant executions served not only as spectacular displays of human mastery over beats, but of modern technologys role in that mastery.

Elephant execution became largely obsolete by the 1920s. The majority of these executions took place in cities between the 1890s and the early 1900s. Later executions in the 1910s and 1920s tended to happen in smaller towns in the South and Midwest United States.
The face grouping feature on Google Photos is under scrutiny from the State of Illinois over the alleged violation of the Biometric Information Privacy Act. Google has now launched a support page detailing its data retention policy for face grouping.

Face grouping has been a part of Google Photos for several years

Gizmodo reported last week that Google has already reached a settlement valued at $100 million over this legal dispute. It is strange, however, that the lawsuit has only come now, considering that face grouping on Google Photos has been around for a long time.

If you delete an individual photo or video, you delete any face models derived specifically from that photo or video. If your Google Photos account is inactive for more than 2 years, all of your face grouping content will be deleted from Google Photos, the company says on the support page (via 9to5Google)

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Face grouping on the Google Photos app automatically scans a face within your existing photo collection. It also allows you to add names to each face. This makes it easier to look for photos of your friends and family by simply typing their names.

The plaintiffs claimed that Google violated Illinois law by not having a public policy on storing face-scanning data. Google didnt notify users that it was collecting biometric data, thereby violating the law.

Google is actively collecting, storing, and usingwithout providing notice, obtaining informed written consent or publishing data retention policiesthe biometrics of millions of unwitting individuals whose faces appear in photographs uploaded to Google Photos in Illinois, the plaintiffs alleged.

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Specifically, Google has created, collected and stored, in conjunction with its cloud-based Google Photos service, millions of face templates (or face models)highly detailed geometric maps of the facefrom millions of Google Photos users.

Users can turn off face grouping on Google Photos via Settings

Users can opt to turn off face grouping by heading over to Google Photos settings. Turning it off also removes all face grouping data from your Google account, according to the company.

The $100 million settlement will be distributed among impacted users in Illinois. Any Illinois resident who uploaded their photos to Google Photos between May 1, 2015, and April 25, 2022, is eligible.

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Residents can send in their claim form via mail before September 24, 2022. However, theres no precise estimate of the amount each impacted user will get.
The official launch of the Odyssey Neo G8 monitor from Samsung is here. So if youre in need of a new gaming monitor and have an extra $1,500 to spend this might fit your needs. Samsung says this is the worlds first 240kHz 4K gaming monitor. Hence the price. Though, if frames per second are the most important to you, you might want to wait for ASUSs upcoming gaming monitor with a 500Hz refresh rate. Cause theres a chance itll be around the same cost.

Samsung officially announced the Odyssey Neo G8 last month. But at the time it wasnt available to purchase and could only be reserved. Samsung now has the monitor up for sale on its official store website for anyone whos willing to spend the cash. Samsung is also launching its Odyssey Neo G7 monitor today. Which uses the same 32-inch size panel with 4K resolution. It dumps the frame rate down to 165Hz though so you can save a couple hundred bucks.

Samsung will launch the Odyssey Neo G8 globally this month

With its latest gaming monitors now available in the US, Samsung is turning its attention to the global market. According to the company, both the Odyssey Neo G8 and Odyssey Neo G7 are gearing up for a global launch sometime this month. Samsung doesnt appear to mention anything about exact launch dates for other regions though.

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Additionally, Samsung is launching a third Odyssey Neo gaming monitor this month. The Odyssey Neo G4. This monitor keeps the 240Hz refresh rate. But scales the resolution down to 1080p and comes in 27-inch and 25-inch sizes. This is also a flat monitor where the other two come with the 1000R curvature that debuted with the original Samsung Odyssey G9 monitor a few years ago.

Theres no word yet on the pricing of Samsungs third monitor, or when exactly its launching in the US. But being the smallest of the three with the lowest resolution could mean the price will stay right around or under $1,000.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G8

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Samsung Odyssey Neo G7
According to AndroidPolice (via Der Spiegel), Telegram had received requests from the German police to expose some users data related to criminal cases.

Telegram has always claimed that it respects the privacy of its users and does not share their data with third-party centers. But it seems that the pressure of the German government has caused Telegram to hand over some users data.

As per the report, these users were related to terrorism and child abuse cases. Also, the Germanys Federal Criminal Police Office has asked for their information.

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Surrendering the users data related to child abuse and terrorist activities is common among messaging apps. In Telegrams website FAQ section, the company pledges not to transfer even 0 bytes of user data to any third party. However, in section 8.3 of the privacy policy, Telegram clearly states that it surrenders the IP address and phone numbers of users who are linked to terrorism-related charges. This section was updated in 2018.

Telegram also promised to publish a report on disclosure activities every six months. But no report has been released so far. The Dubai-based messaging app is now preparing to release its premium tier.

Telegram collaborated with German police over criminal cases

The German government has been in contact with Telegram and asked for its assistance in investigating right-wing extremist groups. These groups are using Telegram to spread their hate speech and coordinate activities. Telegram has also tried to limit the activities of these groups by intensifying content monitoring and enforcement actions.

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This is not the first time the governments ask Telegram to help them with criminal investigations. Of course, governments such as Russia and Iran have sometimes pressured Telegram to expose their opponents data.

In 2018, Telegram was kicked out of Russia over its opposition to disclosing encryption keys. However, in 2020, both parties could reach an agreement that allows the app to return to Russia.
(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 7 - Italian police on Tuesday made 14 arrests in an anti-terror raid on a Pakistani cell operating in Italy and other European countries, judicial sources said.

The cell was allegedly linked to a wider network called the Gabar Group, itself linked to Zaheer Hassan Mahmoud, the 27-year-old Pakistani man who attacked the former offices of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris in September 2020, wounding two people with a cleaver.

Those arrested in Italy and abroad have been charged with conspiracy to commit international terrorism.

Mahmoud went to Charlie Hebdo's former offices to punish them for re-publishing cartoons of the prophet Mohamed for which 12 people were killed there in January 2015.

He did not know that the magazine had moved in the meantime.

He wounded two staffers of a press agency that had taken over the offices, who had gone down into the street to smoke a cigarette. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 7 - A 33-year-old pregnant Ukrainian woman drove 20 hours to flee the conflict in her home country and give birth in Italy.

Six-month-pregnant Uliana Pavelik, 33, drove the 1,700 kilometres that separate her home Ivano-Frankivs'k and her Umbrian destination Foligno shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

She took with her her 10-year-old daughter Sofia.

Pavelik told her story to ANSA after giving birth to a son, Maxim, on May 14.

The woman, a hospital gastroenterologist, said "thinking about it today putting myself behind the wheel with my daughter beside me and Maxim in my belly was an almost heroic, crazy act, but I had the duty to see my son born in a safe place.

"And to think that I just learned to drive last year".

Now Pavelik has only one desire, to get back to Ukraine, "because Maxim must meet his father Igor," who is fighting the Russians.

"As soon as I get all the documentation sorted we'll set off back for Ivano-Frankivs'k - but I think we'll take the train this time". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 7 - The Ukraine war is "causing strong repercussions in the eastern partnership," President Sergio Mattarella said after meeting Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili in Rome Tuesday.

Mattarella added that Italy backs Georgia's bid to join the European Union.

"With its thousand-year history Georgia has contributed to the family of European civilization and it is wholly natural that is should aspire to join the EU," he said.

"Italy supports its European path.

"We await the necessary steps from the European Commission".

(ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 6 - Foreign Minister Secretary-General Ambassador Ettore Francesco Sequi, acting ion the instructions of Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, and in agreement with the premier's office, on Monday morning summoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Razov and firmly rejected allegations of amorality on the part of Italian institutions and media levelled in recent statements by the Russian foreign ministry, ministry sources said.

The secretary-general also rejected insinuations regarding the alleged involvement of Italy's media in an anti-Russian campaign, the sources said. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 7 - Calls for Italy to introduce a minimum age grew louder on Tuesday after the European Commission said that a political agreement had been reached between the European Parliament and the EU Member States on its proposed directive on this issue.

The directive establishes a framework for the adequacy of statutory minimum wages in member states that have them and promotes collective bargaining on wage setting.

However, it does not oblige States to introduce a minimum wage.

"The new rules on minimum wages will protect the dignity of work and make sure that work pays," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"All of this will be done in full respect of national traditions and social partners' autonomy." Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit stressed at a press conference that "we will not impose a minimum wage on Italy".

A number of bills have been presented to the Italian parliament to introduce a minimum wage, including two for a minimum wage of at least nine euros an hour for people whose jobs are not covered by collective-bargaining contracts.

"I am highly confident that the Italian government and the social partners will reach a good agreement to strengthen collective bargaining, especially for the less well protected, and, in the end, they will come to the conclusion that it could be important to introduce a minimum-wage system in Italy.

"But it is down to the Italian government and the social partners to do it".

Agriculture Minister Stefano Patuanelli, a leading member of the 5-Star Movement, said a law for a minimum wage in Italy should be approved before the end the current parliamentary term next year.

Peppe Provenzano of the Democratic Party (PD) said via Twitter that, according to the Constitution, Italy is a republic "founded on labour" and, therefore, "cannot lag" on this issue.

Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said the EU had reached an "historic deal" and his 5-Star Movement (M5S), which he formerly led, would work to achieve a deal in the Italian parliament so that a "dignified law for those workers who keep the country moving can be framed".

He said "now the minimum wage must become a reality in Italy where there are still millions of Italians getting wages under nine euros an hour". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 7 - The Sovereign Order of Malta (the Knights of Malta) on Tuesday announced the death of the Lieutenant of the Grand Master, Fra' Marco Luzzago, at the age of 72.

The Grand Magistry announced, with deep sorrow, the return to the Father's house of His Excellency the Lieutenant of the Grand Master, Fra' Marco Luzzago, who passed away today at Villa Ciccolini (Sforzacosta, Macerata province), following a sudden illness.

According to Article 17 of the Constitution of the Sovereign Order of Malta, the Grand Commander, Fra' Ruy Goncalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas-Boas has assumed the functions of Lieutenant ad interim and will remain head of the Sovereign Order until the election of the new head of the Order.

Fra' Marco Luzzago was elected head of the Sovereign Order of Malta on 8 November 2020.

Born in 1950 in Brescia, Fra' Marco Luzzago, after completing his studies at the institute of the Franciscans in Brescia, studied medicine at the Universities of Padua and Parma. He was then asked to manage his family's property interests.

He joined the Sovereign Order of Malta in 1975 in the Grand Priory of Lombardy and Venice and took his Solemn religious Vows in 2003. He began attending the Order of Malta's international pilgrimages to Lourdes and the national pilgrimages to Assisi and Loreto. From 2010 he dedicated his life completely to the Order of Malta, moving to the Marche region to care for one of the Order's Commanderies. From 2011 he was Commander of Justice in the Grand Priory of Rome, where he held the position of Delegate of the Northern Marche region and head of the library.

Between 2017 and 2020, he was Councillor of the Order of Malta's Italian Association.

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) runs a large charity-hospital organization around the world, and has recently provided humanitarian aid for countless refugees and migrants.

It has diplomatic relations with over 100 states and the European Union, and permanent observer status at the United Nations.

The Knights of Malta, as they are more widely known, were founded on the Mediterranean island in the 11th century as a military religious order like the Templars.

They were removed from Malta by Napoleon.

Headquartered in Palazzo Malta in Rome, their mission is summed up in their motto: "Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum"; protecting the Catholic Church and serving those in need.

(ANSA).


BELGRADE - In just over three months since the start of the Ukrainian crisis, Russians have opened more than 1,000 businesses in Serbia, and the latest figures show that over 10 companies were registered daily, mostly dealing with new technologies, the website Serbian Monitor reported on Tuesday.



According to the Serbian Business Register Agency (APR), it noted, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, from February 24 to May 31, Russians have opened a total of 1,017 companies in Serbia.



The data, the website said, "show that software development ranks first, wholesale trade ranks second, followed by business and IT-related consulting activities (which rank 3rd and 4th). The 5th place in this category is shared by advertising agencies, restaurants, and mobile dining facilities.



"New business, but also political circumstances and increasing pressure on Serbia regarding relations with Russia, have lately caused Russians to rethink settling in Serbia. While Serbia was a very attractive destination for Russians in March and April, whose arrival caused apartment rental prices to soar, there have been some changes lately."

"It seems that Serbia is now becoming a stopover for them on their way to Dubai," it added. "Almost all real estate agents say that Dubai gives Russians more security and is a good destination for business. Many are now afraid of the growing political pressure on Serbia."

"There are fewer Russians today who want to rent an apartment in Belgrade for six months. Most of them are looking to rent one month or two. Earlier, we had dozen Russian clients a week looking for an apartment, now we have two at most," one real estate agent told the website.
TUNIS - Alarm Phone reported Tuesday on Twitter that 29 people were "in danger in the area between #Zarzis & #Djerba. According to a relative, when they last called this afternoon, the boat had caught on fire, endangering the people that reportedly include 3 babies." "We hope that MRCC Tunis will find them soon!," the tweet added.



Alarm Phone also made another request for help for other migrants at sea they had been in contact with, noting that: "We could finally reach the 25 people again. They're still out at sea, braving the wind and weather. We alerted authorities 6 hours ago, but don't know of any rescue operation under way.



Though we're not surprised, we strongly condemn the deadly non-assistance at Europe's borders."




RABAT - The Rabat town council has discovered that, out of 3,400 officials employed for public services and in the administration's offices, only 1,000 actually go to work.



All get salaries but some 2,400 have never even been inside the town council offices, the mayor told the Arabic daily Al Adath Al Maghribia.



Asmaa Rhalou, the mayor recently elected as part of the National Union of Independents (RNI) party, which leads the government, has pledged to get to the bottom of the matter and has announced an investigation to go through all the names.



She has promised an investigation "without fear of possible retaliation".



The issue of ghost employees is a well-known problem in Morocco.



Positions in the public administration are widely reported to be the preserve of local politicians.
TUNIS - The legal expert Sadok Belaid, tasked with drawing up the proposal for a new constitution in Tunisia, has said that he will present a draft to the head of state with all references to Islam removed to counter Islamist parties like Ennahdha.



The first article of the current constitution, adopted after lively debate and a great deal of clamour in 2014, three years after the fall of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, establishes that - like the 1959 constitution - Tunisia is a "free, independent and sovereign state, Islam is its religion, Arabic its language, and Republic its regime".



It is likely that Belaid's statements will raise debate in a country with a strong secular tradition but in which several Islamist parties have played a top-level role since the 2011 uprising that brought down the Ben Ali regime.



Appointed on May 20 the head of the "National Consultative Committee for a New Republic", in charge of drafting the new constitution, Belaid has said that he will present his draft to President Kais Saied on June 15 at the latest.



It will then be put to a referendum on July 25.



Some 80% of Tunisians are against extremism and the use of religion for political ends and this is why the reference will be dropped, he told AFP in an interview.



He added that Article 1 might be cancelled in its current version and that "we can do without reference to any religion" and that this would aim to counter Islamist parties and especially Ennahdha, the largest party in the parliament dissolved by Saied.



""If you use religion to engage in political extremism, we will not allow that," he told AFP.



"We have political parties with dirty hands. Whether you like it or not, French or European democrats, we won't accept these dirty people in our democracy," he added.



He accused the Islamist party Ennahdha and other formations of being "backed by foreign powers, states or mini-states with lots of money to spend and who use it to interfere in this country's business. That's treason." The timetable meant to put an end to a crisis includes the July 25 referendum on the constitution and parliamentary elections on December 17.



The commission under Belaid is working to develop a new constitution through "national dialogue" that was started on Saturday but from which the main political parties have been excluded.



Invited to this dialogue was instead the powerful Tunisian trade union UGTT, which also wields considerable political weight, but which refused to take part.



Saied has asked for a "more presidential" system instead of the hybrid one brought in after 2014 and source of recurring conflict between the executive and legislative branches of the government.
PARIS - A controversial shooting on Saturday in the French capital in which a police patrol opened fire on a vehicle that did not stop after being ordered to do so, resulting in the death of a female passenger and the injuring of the driver, has given rise to polemics within the election campaign.



A tweet from the leader of the leftwing New Popular Union, Jean-Luc Melenchon, stating that "the police kill" sparked violent reactions.



Some five days before the first round of the elections for the Assemblee Nationale, the first "tests" - with French nationals abroad voting on Sunday - showed Macron's majority Ensemble! in the lead but the leftwing Nupes on the rise.



The president's office has begun to be concerned about the possible loss of an absolute majority - which it had enjoyed for the past five years - with the possibility of an unmanageable parliament.



Melenchon's tweet - which went on to say that there seems to be the "death penalty for the refusal to obey. Does the prefect approve? Is the minister happy? And when will there be shame?" - led to strong reactions.



"The police do a brave and difficult job and they risk their lives at every moment. Insulting them brings dishonor upon those who want to govern. Let's allow the investigation to move forward without using it as a hostage for the election campaign," said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.



On the far-right, Marine Le Pen - defeated in the presidential elections but determined to increase the number of seats held by her party in parliament - lashed out at "gravity" of Melenchon's words.



"He made a dishonorable choice, breaking once and for all with the values of the French Republic," she said.



Meanwhile, the three policemen - two men and a woman - from the patrol that opened fire on the car in the middle of the day in Paris have been arrested and interrogated multiple times.



The passenger of the vehicle who died after a bullet hit her in the head was 20 years old.



The lawyer of the three policemen has said that there is a video showing clearly that the car had hit one of the policemen on purpose.



Other sources from the investigation have been quoted by French media as saying that there is no proof of the officers' statements that the car had suddenly took off and ran into the patrol.
FILE - Actor Kevin Spacey leaves court after testifying in a civil lawsuit, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in New York. A sex-assault civil lawsuit against Spacey can proceed in federal court in New York City, a federal judge ruled Monday, June 6. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

NEW YORK (AP)  A sex-assault civil lawsuit against actor Kevin Spacey can proceed in federal court in New York City, a federal judge ruled Monday.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said in a written ruling that the allegations that actor Anthony Rapp brought against Spacey established an issue of material fact as to whether Rapp sufficiently alleges that Spacey acted to gratify sexual desire during an encounter at a Manhattan party in 1986 when Rapp was 14.

The judge noted that Rapp has alleged that Spacey placed a clothed Rapp on a bed and briefly put his own clothed body partially beside and partially across Rapp's before Rapp wriggled out, got up, and left the premises.

In his lawsuit, Rapp seeks compensatory and punitive damages for what he alleges was assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Rapp testified at a deposition that there was no kissing, no undressing, no reaching under clothes and no sexualized statements or innuendo during an encounter that lasted no more than two minutes, the judge said.

Spacey denies the allegations.

Kaplan did dismiss a common law assault allegation, saying the claim was not included in those revived by a Child Victims Act in New York state that in 2019 temporarily allowed individuals to make claims in instances in which the statute of limitations would normally have barred them.

The ruling comes two weeks after British prosecutors said they had authorized police to charge Spacey with four counts of sexual assault against three men. The alleged incidents occurred in London between 2005 and 2013.

Peter Saghir, a lawyer for Rapp, declined comment. A lawyer for Spacey did not return a message seeking comment.
Matthew McConaughey is in Washington, D.C. discussing gun reform in the wake of the school shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas.

The Dallas Buyers Club actor, 52, who called for "real leaders to step up and do what's right" in an op-ed this week, was on Capitol Hill on Tuesday pressing lawmakers to take action to enact better gun laws after 19 students and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School last week. Shortly after, the Oscar winner, a gun owner himself, delivered remarks at the White House press briefing.

"This time, it seems that something is different," McConaughey, who considered running for governor of Texas last year, began his emotional remarks at Tuesday's White House press briefing. "There is a sense that perhaps there is a viable path forward. Responsible parties in this debate seem to at least be committed to sitting down and having a real conversation about a new and improved path forward. A path that can bring us closer together and make us safer as a country. A path that can actually get something done this time."

McConaughey said he and his wife, Camila Alves, were in Washington meeting with lawmakers "on both sides of the aisle" to share stories about his hometown and what they learned last week meeting with the families of the victims.

"We came here to speak to them, to speak with them and to urge them to speak with each other," he said of the politicians. "To remind and inspire them that the American people will continue to drive forward the mission of keeping our children safe. Because it's more than our right to do so. It's our responsibility to do so."

The actor, who said he feels like "real change can happen," after the tragedy shared memories of growing up in Uvalde  his mom, Kay, taught kindergarten less than a mile from Robb and he learned to "master" a BB gun in his hometown. He said after two years of training on his BB gun, he graduated to a 410 shotgun.

"Uvalde is where I was taught to revere the power and the capability of the tool that we call a gun," he said. Uvalde is where I learned responsible gun ownership."

He said after learning of the shooting and going home to hug his three children, he and his family then went to Uvalde, where they spent the week on the ground. He said he arrived to a community in "shock" and in "pain" as well as "anger."

They spent time learning about the victims by sharing "stories, tears and memories" with their families. In turn, he shared art, belongings and stories about the victims at the podium to "help keep their dreams alive."

Perhaps the most gut-wrenching was the green Converse sneakers  which Alves held on her lap  belonging to 10-year-old shooting victim Maite Yuleana Rodriguez.

Camila Alves McConaughey, a model, designer and the wife of actor Matthew McConaughey, holds a pair of sneakers used to identify one of the student victims as her husband speaks to reporters about the recent mass shooting at an elementary school in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 7, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

"[She] wore these every day," he said of the child's sneakers that she adorned with a heart. "These are the same green Converse on her feet that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting," getting emotional delivering those words. He hit his hand on the podium. "How about that."

He also spoke of meeting a cosmetologist specializing in mortuary makeup.

"These bodies were very different," he said he learned. "They needed much more than makeup to be presentable. They needed extensive restoration. Why? Due to the exceptionally large exit wounds of an AR-15 rifle. Most of the bodies so mutilated that only DNA test ... could identify [them]. Many children were left not only dead but hollow."

He said we need to invest in better mental health care, have safer schools, restore family values, have less sensational media coverage and "responsible gun ownership," ticking off a list including background checks, raising the minimum age to buy an AR-15 rifle to 21, waiting periods and red flag laws.

"Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals," he said. "These regulations are not a step back. They are a step forward for a civil society and the Second Amendment."

He said these things are not a cure-all (adding a "hell no"), but in our divided country gun responsibility is an issue people agree on more than they don't.

"This should be a non-partisan issue," he said. "There is not a Democratic or Republican value in one single act of these shooters, but people in power have failed to act."

"Can both sides see beyond the political problem at hand and admit that we have a life-preservation problem on our hands?" he asked.

He added, "We can't truly be leaders if we're only living for re-election.

Earlier in the day, McConaughey and Alves met with Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

Grassley tweeted that they spoke about "gun responsibility," the topic of McConaughey's op-ed, and "school safety."

Mtg w Matthew McConaughey & Camila Alves about gun responsibility + school safety incl my bipartisan EAGLES Act pic.twitter.com/ViVpmzphtU  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) June 7, 2022

The day before, McConaughey and Alves met with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, who is also and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He said they discussed "the horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary as well as the larger problem of gun violence in America. We, like so many others, agree that gun safety reform is needed..."

Mtg w Matthew McConaughey & Camila Alves about gun responsibility + school safety incl my bipartisan EAGLES Act pic.twitter.com/ViVpmzphtU  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) June 7, 2022

In his op-ed Monday Austin-American Statesmen, McConaughey wrote, "I believe that responsible, law-abiding Americans have a Second Amendment right, enshrined by our founders, to bear arms. I also believe we have a cultural obligation to take steps toward slowing down the senseless killing of our children. The debate about gun control has delivered nothing but status quo. It's time we talk about gun responsibility."

Making it clear that "saving the unnecessary loss of lives is not a partisan issue," he called for "real leaders to step up and do what's right," outlining four things that can "immediately reduce the gun violence tragedies that have become too common in our country." The measures include: mandatory background checks for gun purchases, raising the age to buy assault rifles to 21, implementing a national waiting period to buy assault rifles and establishing Red Flag Laws.

McConaughey spent his young childhood in Uvalde. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, he called for Americans to "do better." The Austin resident visited Uvalde in the wake of the shooting with Republican Rep. Tony Gonzalez. He then brought his family  including son Levi, 13; daughter Vida, 12; and son Livingston, 9  to the school to pay their respects to the victims.

McConaughey's Just Keep Livin' Foundation has a Uvalde fund and 100 percent of donations are being used for grief counseling, burial costs and other immediate and long-term needs of the community.

Last year, McConaughey toyed with a run for Texas governor, against incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican. While early polls showed that Texans liked the idea, despite his political beliefs being largely vague, McConaughey announced in November that he decided against it, saying he feels he's of more service supporting "entrepreneurs, businesses and foundations that I believe are leaders."
An actor best known for his work on Disney's "Andi Mack" was sentenced to two years in prison following an arrest on a child sex charge in 2018, officials said Monday.

Stoney Westmoreland, 52, pleaded guilty to use of interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor and must surrender to prison no later than July 18, according to court records.

Westmoreland had been indicted on one count of alleged coercion and enticement to engage in sexual activity with a minor.

He had faced a minimum 10 years in prison on the more serious offense before he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, defense lawyer Wendy Lewis said.

Westmoreland communicated with an undercover law enforcement agent pretending to be a teenager on the dating app Grindr in 2018, Lewis and prosecutors said.

He later said the online connection, which turned into a real-life meeting, was role-playing that went too far. When Westmoreland showed up to meet the agent, whom he believed to be a 13-year-old, he asked the ride-share "driver to wait for him because he might not be staying," Lewis said.

"Had it been a minor, he was planning on leaving," Lewis said. "The risk of 10 years or more, though, particularly with a Utah jury and homosexuality, led to the decision of taking the plea."

After he serves his sentence, Westmoreland will be under conditions of supervised release for 10 more years and will have to register as a sex offender for 25 years, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Choate said.

He will be limited to "possessing only one personal computer and/or internet-capable device," and all "devices are subject to random inspection" once he's out of prison, according to court records.

Westmoreland was fired from the cast of "Andi Mack," which films in Utah, shortly after his arrest. He had played the role of Henry Ham Mack, grandfather to the show's protagonist.
Enterprise-level hardware and software maker Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (HPE) reported earnings last week that missed Wall Street estimates, and HPE CFO Tarek Robbiati detailed how the global supply chain is still the biggest hurdle for the company.

"The supply chain globally across our industry is still not stable," Robbiati said on Yahoo Finance Live (video above). "It will take us a little bit of time to get to that point."

HPE  which was spun off from HP in 2015 to focus on servers, storage, networking, software and support  reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.44 during the second quarter, which missed analyst expectations by $0.01 and were down from $0.46 per share a year prior.

"We have to look back at how much dependence there was on a supply chain that was based in Asia and in China, in particular, and the fact that the supply chain is decoupling from Asia and from China," Robbiati said. "That obviously takes time."

COVID-related lockdowns have hampered supply chains around the world for more than two years. China, whose manufacturing sector accounted for nearly 30% of the world's total economic output in 2019, has a zero-COVID policy, meaning that its major cities can shut down at any point if officials are concerned about a rise in the number of new cases.

This was the case in Shanghai until recently, which served as a reminder that the pandemic issue is not resolved yet  especially since global coronavirus cases are ticking up again.

"We have been coming from decades where 40% of the global manufacturing capacity was in China," Robbiati said. "And that will have to find a new equilibrium and be a lot more distributed across various countries in the globe, in Europe, and also in Asia."

A tanker is unloaded at a 300,000-ton crude oil terminal in Yantai Port, East China's Shandong province, May 23, 2022. (CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

'You cannot expect decades to be reversed in a quarter or two'

HPE has already started making moves in that direction by opening a new factory in the Czech Republic.

The plant was built in order to make HPE's supply chain "geared for the future" by being both speedy and cost-efficient, Robbiati said. Still, the company doesn't expect to achieve stability in its supply chain until 2023, he added.

"Obviously you cannot expect decades to be reversed in a quarter or two," Robbiati said. "It will take us, I would say, a few quarters to navigate this and we're in the process of doing so, and so is the entire industry."

China wasn't the only macro factor weighing on HPE's supply chains. In its quarterly results, the company attributed lower unadjusted earnings to $126 million in charges related to the business's exit from Russia and Belarus.

Spain's Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, Carme Artigas, speaks in the inauguration of the Global Center of Excellence and Artificial Intelligence and Data of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, on April 5, 2022, in Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Gustavo Valiente/Europa Press via Getty Images)

Nearly 1,000 companies have ceased operations in Russia and Belarus in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. For many of these companies, that has meant taking on financial losses as a result.

Ukraine supplies about 50% of the world's neon gas, which is a key aspect of producing semiconductor chips, so the disruption is dealing another blow to an industry that HPE relies on.

Citi Research recently explained that "trade routes between China and the United States were seen as the center of the storm. But the epicenter of the stresses now seems to have now moved equally to Europe and the trade ties between Russia-Ukraine and the European Union. These linkages are significant given the natural complementarities between the two economies  Europe as a leading global manufacturer, and Russia and Ukraine as commodities and materials exporters."

Dani Romero is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter: @daniromerotv

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Two senators released their long-awaited legislation regulating cryptocurrencies just as calls for new rules to protect investors reached a fever pitch following the run on stablecoin TerraUSD and its sister token Luna that sent shockwaves through crypto markets.

Introduced by Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the proposed bill  dubbed the Responsible Financial Innovation Act  aims to create clarity for regulators and the crypto industry to safeguard investors and consumers.

Under the proposal released Tuesday, crypto exchanges and product offerings will have to disclose risks of losses, how assets are treated in the event of bankruptcy, while consumers are guaranteed the right to keep and control digital assets they own.

The legislation creates a common set of definitions for digital assets, virtual currency, payment stablecoins, and smart contracts that everyone can abide by. The bill also attempts to settle the score between the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to define which agency has jurisdiction over what.

[The bill] creates regulatory clarity for agencies charged with supervising digital asset markets, provides a strong, tailored regulatory framework for stablecoins, and integrates digital assets into our existing tax and banking laws, Sen. Lummis said.

NFT Non Fungible Token Crypto Currency Regulation Lawyer Technology, Law

What are digital assets?

The bill makes a clear distinction between digital assets that are securities and those that are commodities by looking at how the asset is used.

Under the legislation, most cryptocurrencies are deemed commodities and gives the CFTC clear authority over digital asset spot markets, noting that digital assets that meet the definition of a commodity, including bitcoin and ether, will be regulated by the CFTC.

Smaller tokens like Cardano and Solana would be considered ancillary assets and presumed to be a commodity unless the uses of those tokens met exclusions that would kick them over to the SECs purview as securities.

The legislation offers exclusions for when tokens could constitute securities, including an interest or dividend payment or profit or revenue share with a company that comes from entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others.

The bill also codifies existing precedents under the Howey test, a case law test that helps determine what's a security, which would fall under the SEC. The senators staff felt the SEC was advancing what they did not believe to be the intent of the Howey test and wanted to set it in stone. The SEC pushed back on the initial bill proposal, causing the senators offices to refine the definition of an ancillary asset.

The bill also directs the CFTC and the SEC to study and develop a proposal for a self-regulatory organization that would work with regulators to help and increase efficiency and supervision.

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2022/06/01: U. S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand speaks during Memorial Day naturalization ceremony at USCIS New York District Office. 102 people originated from 38 countries became new U. S. citizens. They tookn the Oath and pledged Allegiance. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Regulating stablecoins

Unlike the Biden administrations recommendation, the Lummis-Gillibrand bill doesnt require that all stablecoin issuers become banks to be overseen by banking regulations.

Instead, the bill requires a 100% reserve, asset type, and detailed disclosure requirements for all issuers to guarantee that stablecoin holders can redeem the stablecoin in exchange for the equivalent dollar value at any time.

The rules also intend to make stablecoins maintain their value while protecting consumers. The bill also puts forth an optional framework for banks and credit unions to issue stablecoins and authorizes a special depository institution charter under both state and federal law with tailored capital requirements.

The rule proposal comes after a run on algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD and sister token Luna have renewed calls for regulation to protect investors.

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) walks through the Senate subway during a vote at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., December 6, 2021. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

Crypto tax breaks for up to $200

Under the bill, capital gains of up to $200 from cryptocurrencies will be exempted from taxes  a change from the $600 threshold the senators initially considered.

Decentralized autonomous organizations, or DAOs as theyre commonly known, will be recognized as business entities under the tax code. A DAO would have to be properly incorporated or organized under the laws of a jurisdiction as a decentralized autonomous organization, which may include an LLC, corporation, partnership, foundation, cooperative or similar organization.

The legislation also narrows the definition of what constitutes a crypto broker for tax reporting requirements, after the infrastructure bill defined it so broadly last year, causing an uproar in the industry. It also delays its implementation to January 2025. The bill clarifies the tax treatments of different players and actions in the crypto industry, including that miners and other validators are not brokers for tax purposes and that their rewards wont be considered income until redeemed for cash.

Elsewhere, the bill directs different studies, including commissioning the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to analyze and report on cryptos energy consumption given research on the copious amounts of energy that proof-of-work crypto mining uses to validate and release new tokens.

Another study the senators are commissioning: one by the Office of Management and Budget, along with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Defense Department to look at Chinas central bank digital currency.

While the senators are rolling out the legislation as one large bill, it likely will get broken up and introduced as standalone bills, offering a better chance of getting sections through committees for passage.

Sens. Lummis and Gillibrand and their staffs have spoken with other senators  including members of the Senate Banking, Finance and Agriculture Committees  and have included important issues from multiple senators to garner collaborative support.

Jennifer Schonberger covers cryptocurrencies and policy for Yahoo Finance. Follow her at @Jenniferisms.

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A founder of banned fascist group National Action (NA) has been jailed for more than eight years.

Last month Alex Davies, described as the biggest Nazi of the lot, was found guilty of being a member of the organisation after it was proscribed on December 16 2016.

The 27-year-old, from Swansea, South Wales, had set up the continuity group NS131 with the aim of getting around the ban, which was brought in after NA posted congratulatory tweets following the murder of MP Jo Cox.

On Tuesday, Davies was jailed at the Old Bailey for eight-and-a-half years by Judge Mark Dennis QC.

The judge also ordered him to spend a further year on extended licence.

Judge Dennis said: Im satisfied the defendant played an active and prominent role in concert with his trusted associates in trying to disguise the continued existence of the organisation in defiance of the ban.

Addressing the defendant in the dock, he added: You are an intelligent and educated young man but you have held, over a period of many years, warped and shocking prejudices.

Still from a video of National Action members giving a Nazi salute in December 2016 (West Midlands Police/PA)

Judge Dennis said that by relaunching NA with the acronym NS131 in the South West, Davies had tried to hide it in plain sight.

He said: This was a well-orchestrated and determined effort to flout the ban on the activities of National Action and continue to promote and strive to achieve the long-held objectives of the organisation.

Those objectives involved the promotion of a violently white supremacist agenda with hatred and venom against vast numbers of people, the judge said.

Its activities were only stopped after some nine months when police moved in to arrest members.

For some of that time, Davies had been on bail over an incident allegedly involving racially offensive conduct on a train  although the case was discontinued.

As part of his bail conditions, Davies was barred from contact with fellow NA co-founder Ben Raymond but they continued to associate, the court had heard.

In mitigation, Ben Newton argued that Davies involvement as leader of the South West splinter group of NA was more moderate.

Davies had been diagnosed with diabetes, anxiety and depression and his work and financial prospects had suffered as a result of press coverage, Mr Newton said.

During the trial at Winchester Crown Court, prosecutor Barnaby Jameson QC described how NA had terrorised towns across the country with its call for an all-out race war.

The group was a throwback to Hitlers Germany and based its logo and image on the Sturmabteilung  the paramilitary wing of the Nazi party, he said.

Davies, who formed NA while at Warwick University in 2013, told an undercover reporter at the time that he did not want to say what he would do to Jews, because it was so extreme.

In 2016, he travelled to Germany where he posed holding an NA flag and giving the Nazi salute in the execution chamber of the Buchenwald concentration camp, causing indignation in the country where Nazi idolisation is illegal.

Following the ban, NA split into regional factions and Davies set up NS131  which stood for National Socialist Anti-Capitalist Action  to cover the southern part of the country and which itself was later banned by the Government.

Comparing the two groups, Mr Jameson said: The same name  National Socialist Anti-Capitalist Action (NS131)  take out the three middle words and you are left with a big clue: National Action.

Same colours  black and white, colours of Sturmabteilung. Same look of designer Benjamin Raymond, a convicted NA member.

The same ideology  a throwback to Nazi Germany.

The same leader  this defendant, who makes it all happen. Same regional structure  adapted and redrawn following proscription, and so many familiar faces from the old guard.

He added: Who was at the centre of all this? The founder, the galvaniser, the recruiter, one Alex Davies of Swansea. He was probably the biggest Nazi of the lot.

Alex Davies, founder of neo-Nazi group National Action, was found guilty at Winchester Crown Court (Andrew Matthews/PA)

In his defence, Davies claimed that NS131 was not set up as a continuation of NA and had different aims and processes, and he was only exercising his democratic rights.

Davies was the 19th person to be convicted of membership of NA, the first right-wing organisation to be banned since the Second World War.

Fellow founder Ben Raymond, 33, of Swindon, had previously been found guilty at a separate trial of membership of a banned terrorist group.

In December last year, Raymond was jailed for eight years with a further two years on extended licence.

Together, Davies and Raymond had worked since the groups creation in spreading an ideology of hatred, described as incredibly dangerous by counter-terrorism police.

The Government had acted after members of the organisation celebrated the actions of murderer and neo-Nazi Thomas Mair, who killed MP Jo Cox in June 2016.

Among those convicted of membership since December 2016 have been British soldier and Afghanistan veteran, Finnish-born Mikko Vehvilainen, and former Metropolitan Police probationary officer Ben Hannam.

One of the groups associates was convicted of making a working pipe bomb, while another, Jack Renshaw, of Skelmersdale, Lancashire, later admitted plotting to kill MP Rosie Cooper with a machete.

He was jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years.

Renshaws plot was only foiled after a National Action member blew the whistle on his former friends, reporting the plan to counter-extremist group Hope Not Hate, which passed the information to police.

NA was social media savvy, boasting self-taught propogandists among its ranks, though its membership never exceeded 100.

They created slick computer-generated imagery  including logos, and slogans for stickers, leaflets and posters  and targeted young people in particular for recruitment.

Some of their literature called for White Jihad, but they had also created a policy document to make way for National Socialism to enter British Politics.

Other material had designs glorifying the antisemitic messaging of Hitlers Germany or praising the work of SS death squads.
FILE - Rev. Al Sharpton speaks during the funeral for Andrew Brown Jr. on May 3, 2021, at Fountain of Life Church in Elizabeth City, N.C. On Monday, June 6, 2022, a North Carolina sheriffs office announced a $3 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by the family of Brown Jr., who was shot and killed while unarmed by sheriffs deputies more than a year earlier. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

A North Carolina sheriff's office announced a $3 million settlement on Monday in a lawsuit filed by the family of an unarmed Black man who was shot and killed in his car by sheriffs deputies more than a year ago.

The family of Andrew Brown Jr. had filed a $30 million civil rights lawsuit in 2021, saying the man died because officers showed intentional and reckless disregard of his life.

Brown was killed on April 21 of last year by Pasquotank County sheriffs deputies while they were serving drug-related warrants at his Elizabeth City home. Several deputies surrounded Brown in his BMW before his car backed up and moved forward. They fired several shots at and into his vehicle. He was killed by a bullet to the back of his head.

District Attorney Andrew Womble had said at a news conference last year that Brown used his car as a deadly weapon, causing deputies to believe it was necessary to use deadly force. But lawyers for the Brown family said the shooting was unjustified because Brown was trying to drive away  not toward the deputies and that he posed no threat. After viewing body camera footage of the shooting, they said Brown was sitting in his stationary car with his hands on the wheel when the first of numerous shots was fired.

The settlement was approved by the Pasquotank County Board of Commissioners. It includes a special $1 million appropriation to go along with $2 million from the county's insurance policy, which was supplied by the North Carolina Counties Liabilities Pool, according to a statement from the sheriffs office provided to The Associated Press. That amount is at the limit of the policy.

The settlement was reached over several weeks last month in the case overseen by a federal magistrate in U.S. District Court in Raleigh, the news release said.

The county's payment resolves potential liability against the defendants and any individual officers who were either named or could be named as defendants in the lawsuit, the news release said. The family also entered into a stipulation in which it dismisses all claims against the defendants, namely Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II and three sheriff's deputies, as well as other potential claims arising from Brown's death, the news release said.

Brown's children will share in the proceeds of the settlement as heirs of his estate, the sheriff's office said.

Andrew Brown Jr. was a devoted father who wanted his children to have the things he didn't, said a statement from the five attorneys representing his family. While no settlement could ever fill the hole his death left in their hearts, this agreement is about providing for those children's futures, securing their education and ensuring their dreams didn't die with their father.

At the time, the lawsuit filed by the Brown family was the latest in a string of federal civil rights lawsuits following high-profile police shootings of Black and brown people. Many ended in settlements that often included money but specified no admission of guilt. Some of the lawsuits end up in court where a jury can award massive settlements that are reduced on appeal.

An independent autopsy commissioned by the family said Brown was shot five times, including once in the back of the head. Family members who were privately shown a portion of the body camera video afterward said Brown was trying to drive away when he was shot. The shooting sparked days of protests in the city in rural northeastern North Carolina.
California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye, shown in 2015, has mild symptoms. (Associated Press)

The chief justice of California's Supreme Court has tested positive for COVID-19, authorities confirmed.

Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye, who is fully vaccinated and has received two booster shots, has mild symptoms, according to a statement Monday by the Judicial Branch of California.

"The chief justice will be working in isolation in accordance with state and local health guidelines, but will not participate in remote oral argument on Tuesday," the statement read.

An order has been drawn up to allow Cantil-Sakauye to review video recordings of oral arguments, if agreed to by attorneys, according to the statement.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
FILE - President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman addresses the media in Vienna, Austria, June 10, 2021. Czech President Milos Zeman says he is ready to veto legislation that would give same-sex couples the right to marry. The lower house of the Czech Parliament is set to begin debating such a bill drafted by lawmakers across the political spectrum. It is strictly opposed by the Christian Democrats, a member of the current five-party coalition government, and by the opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy, an anti-migrant and anti-Muslim populist party. (AP Photo/Lisa Leutner, File)

PRAGUE (AP)  Czech President Milos Zeman said Tuesday that he is ready to veto, if it's approved by parliament, proposed legislation that would give same-sex couples in the country the right to hold civil weddings.

The bill drafted by lawmakers from across the political spectrum was submitted to the Czech Parliament's lower house Tuesday, but no date has been set for the beginning of its debate.

It is strongly opposed by the Christian Democrats, a member of the governing five-party coalition, and by the opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy, an anti-migrant and anti-Muslim populist party.

I'd like to announce that if I really receive such a law to sign I will veto it, Zeman said Tuesday after meeting his Hungarian counterpart Katalin Novak.

Zeman noted that the Czech state already enables civil unions for same-sex couples, But a family is a union between a man and a woman. Full stop.

The Czech president is known for derogatory comments about the LGBTQ community.

A majority of all lawmakers in the lower house can override the presidential veto. The Czech presidency is a largely ceremonial post.

Parliament already started to debate similar legislation in 2018 but didn't take a vote on it before last year's general election and it had to be submitted again.

Same-sex marriage is now legal in some 30 countries worldwide, including most of Western Europe.

In the Czech Republic, Parliament approved in 2006 a law allowing same-sex partners to live in an officially registered partnership and have rights to inheritance and health care similar to those enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.

Such arrangements offer some of the protections of marriage, but many LGBTQ activists consider them a demeaning second-tier status.
Sacks of wheat flour are piled high in the Hamar-Weyne market in Mogadishu, Somalia on May 26. The country gets more than 90% of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine. Families across Africa are paying about 45% more for wheat flour. (Farah Abdi Warsameh / Associated Press)

European Council President Charles Michel accused Russia on Monday of using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries and blamed the Kremlin for a looming global food crisis, prompting Moscows U.N. ambassador to walk out of a Security Council meeting.

Michel addressed Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia directly at the council meeting, saying he saw millions of tons of grain and wheat stuck in containers and ships at the Ukrainian port of Odessa a few weeks ago.

That was because of Russian warships in the Black Sea," and Moscows attacks on transport infrastructure and grain storage facilities, and its tanks, bombs and mines that are preventing Ukraine from planting and harvesting, he said.

This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty, and destabilizing entire regions, Michel said. Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.

Michel also accused Russian forces of stealing grain from areas it has occupied while shifting the blame of others, calling this cowardly and propaganda, pure and simple.

Nebenzia walked out during Michel's briefing, giving Russias seat to another diplomat.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said later on Telegrams Russian channel that Michels comments were so rude that the Russian ambassador left the Security Council chamber.

The Security Council meeting was supposed to focus on sexual violence during the war in Ukraine, but Russias invasion and the consequences, especially on global food shortages and rising prices, were also raised.

Michel gave strong backing to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres efforts to get a package agreement that would allow grain exports from Ukraine and ensure that Russian food and fertilizer have unrestricted access to global markets.

Ukraine and Russia together produce almost a third of the worlds wheat and barley and half of its sunflower oil, while Russia and its ally Belarus are the worlds number two and three producers of potash, a key ingredient of fertilizer.

Guterres warned last month that global hunger levels are at a new high, with the number of people facing severe food insecurity doubling in just two years from 135 million before the COVID-19 pandemic to 276 million today. He said more than 500,000 people are living in famine conditions  an increase of more than 500% since 2016.

Ukraines U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the Security Council on Monday that the country remains committed to finding solutions to prevent the global food crisis and is ready to create the necessary conditions to resume exports from the key southern port of Odesa.

The question is how to make sure that Russia does not abuse the trade route to attack the city itself, he said.

Kyslytsya said the question has become more relevant since four Russian missiles hit a plant in the capital Kyiv on Sunday where freight cars that carry grain to Ukrainian ports were being repaired.

It means all Putins fairy tales about his readiness to facilitate Ukrainian wheat export that he so eloquently tells his rare interlocutors remain too far removed from reality, the Ukrainian ambassador said.

Nonetheless, we continue our work with the U.N. and partners to ensure the functioning of the maritime rules for the export for Ukrainian agricultural products, Kyslytsya said.

As a first step," he said, Russia must withdraw its naval forces in the maritime waters around Ukraine and provide security guarantees against attacks in ports and against commercial ships.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, at a virtual roundtable discussion with private sector groups on food security issues arising from the conflict, accused Russian forces of planting explosives in captured farmland and hoarding Ukraine's food exports.

Blinken said Russian President Vladimir Putin is doing this and aggressively using his propaganda machine to deflect or distort responsibility because he hopes it will get the world to give in to him and then the sanctions. In other words, quite simply put: Its blackmail.

The Kremlin needs to realize that it is exporting starvation and suffering well beyond Ukraine borders," with African experiencing an outsize share of the pain," he said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
WASHINGTON  The top Democratic negotiator of a package of gun bills prompted by the recent mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, said Monday he hopes to reach a deal with his Republican counterparts this week.

My hope is that we are able to come to an agreement by the end of the week, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said in an interview Monday. The discussions have been really positive. I still am hopeful well be able to get a product."

"My goal is to have an agreement by the end of this week. And I dont think thats an unrealistic goal, he said, adding that it may be more of an outline than detailed legislative text.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., conducts a rally outside the Capitol to demand the Senate take action on gun safety on May 26, 2022, in the wake of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Texas. (Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images file)

Murphy spoke hours before he was set to sit down in a face-to-face meeting in the Capitol with a handful of key negotiators: Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the leading Republican negotiator, and Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

Were meeting  working over dinner tonight. And I think were making progress, Cornyn said in an interview Monday. Weve been talking and exchanging text messages.

Cornyn also said an agreement could be reached this week, adding that negotiators talked about a framework earlier, and I think were trying to figure out how to fill in the details.

During the week after Memorial Day, while Congress was on recess, various groups of senators negotiated the different pieces of the gun package by phone and in virtual Zoom meetings.

Murphy characterized the current bipartisan talks as more advanced than a week ago and said the discussions still center on four pillars that have been discussed in the past: background checks, red flag laws, mental health and school security.

Normally on this issue, two weeks into negotiations, theyre falling apart or they're non-existent, Murphy added. I think every day there is more seriousness about getting a product that we can present to our caucuses.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has blessed the negotiations and backed the goal of an agreement this week.

Were trying to get a bipartisan outcome here that makes a difference, he told reporters Monday. And hopefully, sometime this week, well come together.

The recent spate of gun violence  from Buffalo, New York, to Uvalde to a weekend shooting in Philadelphia  appears to be moving some lawmakers toward stricter rules.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a key centrist from a rural pro-gun state, now supports raising the minimum age to buy a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21, his spokesperson said Monday.

"There's no red lines. We've got to do something. We've got to start bringing what we call 'gun sense' into America," Manchin told reporters.

But the provision is unlikely to be in a Senate package, as it faces Republican opposition and most likely lacks the necessary 60 votes to defeat a filibuster.

Republicans, wary of offending pro-gun voters who make up part of their base, have emphasized that the problems they are trying to address are mental health and school safety.

To that end, Murphy sought to extend a rhetorical olive branch to Republican lawmakers, categorizing some policies in the negotiations to keep guns away from dangerous people under the umbrella of mental health.

When you are talking about red flag laws and background checks, you are talking about mental health," Murphy said in the interview. "Were talking about keeping guns out of the hands of people with criminal records but also people with significant histories of mental health.

After a meeting in McConnells office, Cornyn told reporters: Were hovering above the target. Thats as best as I can describe it. No decisions.

Separately, the actor Matthew McConaughey, a Uvalde native, visited Capitol Hill on Monday to discuss the Robb Elementary School shooting and press lawmakers to pass gun violence measures.

Earlier in the day, McConaughey, who had flirted with running for governor of Texas, published an op-ed in the Austin American-Statesman calling for background checks on all gun purchases, increasing the age to buy assault rifles to 21, establishing a national waiting period for gun purchases and implementing a federal red flag law.

Sources said McConaughey will have dinner Monday with a bipartisan group of lawmakers from the House and the Senate to discuss gun violence prevention efforts. Participants include Manchin and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

After he hosted McConaughey and his wife in his office, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., tweeted: "We, like so many others, agree that gun safety reform is needed  Ill keep working to make that happen."
Voters in seven states head to the polls on Tuesday to pick party nominees for some of the nation's most competitive House seats -- and their choices will be shaped by key forces, like redistricting, that will help decide who controls Congress next year.

California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, New Jersey and South Dakota are next to vote in the ongoing primaries.

MORE: Down-ballot primaries speak to future of both parties: The Note

One of the marquee developments will be the outcome in brand new congressional districts, which were based on the last census and each state's rules about who drew the new maps. In most cases, the state legislatures were responsible, with observers tracking how the new lines across the country favor one party over another -- and with some new maps enduring rounds of controversy and judicial review.

The candidates for some of these new seats highlight fluctuating intraparty dynamics for both Democrats and Republicans. The latest batch of primaries also features some of the most endangered incumbents from either party.

PHOTO: Rep. Cindy Axne speaks at the POET Bioprocessing facility in Menlo, Iowa, April 12, 2022. (Rachel Mummey/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE)

California Republican Reps. Mike Garcia -- who voted not to certify the 2020 election results -- and David Valadao -- one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump in the wake of Jan. 6 -- are attempting to keep their seats in districts that absorbed a near 12-point edge in Democratic voter registration after the state's latest decennial redraw.

Meanwhile, in Iowa, Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne is grasping at her swing district as her state has moved further and further right.

Fellow Democratic incumbent Tom Malinowski, of New Jersey, is in a long-shot fight to keep hold of his newly GOP-favorable 7th Congressional District, which was redrawn in order for the state's Democrats to bolster a number of their other vulnerable lawmakers.

MORE: Elections in limbo as redistricting litigation drags on

The contest for New Mexico's second congressional seat highlights a newly formed district that shifted in 2020 from Trump to Joe Biden by 17 points. It'll be a toss-up race between incumbent Republican Rep. Yvette Herrell and front-runner Gabe Vasquez, a Mexican-born former Las Cruces councilman and former aide to Sen. Martin Heinrich. In California, Democratic Rep. Mike Levin's 49th District was recently made slightly more Republican.

Redistricting drew incumbent Republican Rep. Michelle Steel into the same district as Democratic fundraising powerhouse Rep. Katie Porter in Orange County, California, forcing the former to move over to the 45th District.

PHOTO: San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin poses at his campaign headquarters in San Francisco, May 26, 2022. (Eric Risberg/AP)

Concerns about crime and policing will also play out in some primaries. San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin faces a recall, with his opponents arguing he has not done enough to combat criminals in the city while his supporters say he's trying to fix and reimagine law enforcement. San Franciscois one of the most liberal cities in America and if voters do kick out Boudin, it could be a telling sign of how far progressive prosecutors can go in metro areas.

South of San Francisco, crime is also having an impact in the Los Angeles mayoral race. where billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso has seen his profile rise. Caruso, a former Republican and self-described "centrist," has promised to invest more in L.A.'s police department and focus on public safety. The other leading contender in the race is Democratic Rep. Karen Bass, who has served six terms in Congress and was also on the long list to be Biden's vice presidential running mate. Bass has touted her own extensive plans for crime in the city, reflecting how it remains top of mind for local voters.

PHOTO: Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer speaks during a meet and greet campaign event, May 17, 2022, at The Airliner in Iowa City, Iowa. (Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen via USA Today)

California's primary will shift light onto another race: GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is up for reelection in the 20th Congressional District. On Sunday, McCarthy received an endorsement from former President Trump, who called him a "tireless advocate" for his area and a chief opponent of Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

But even though he endorsed McCarthy, Trump did not mention supporting McCarthy in his run for speaker should Republicans gain control of the House. McCarthy is widely expected to seek the speakership, should the GOP retake the majority, and Trump's support would be critical.

MORE: MAGA still rolling despite Trumps Georgia rebuke: The Note

Last, in Iowa, state Democrats' push to unseat 88-year-old Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is shaping up to be a major primary battle on Tuesday -- and one that could illustrate disorganization in the party ahead of more fierce fighting for the historically purple state. Former Rep. Abby Finkenauer is in an ever-tightening race against retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Mike Franken. While that primary had been intended as an easy win for the well-connected Finkenauer, ballot accessibility hurdles involving the Iowa Supreme Court and some campaign management challenges instead put her into a much more competitive race with Franken. Both will also be up against rural physician Glenn Hurst.

What to know and who to watch in the next 7 state primaries originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Actor Matthew McConaughey delivered an impassioned speech in the White House briefing room Tuesday, calling for stricter gun laws in the wake of the deadly school shooting last month in his hometown in Texas.

After meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and President Biden in the Oval Office, McConaughey stepped to the podium and lent some star power to the push to tighten the nation's gun laws, conveying a range of emotions: anger, sadness and hope that elected officials might finally act.

"How can we make the loss of those lives matter?" he asked at the outset of his remarks, suggesting that change might be possible in the aftermath of the massacre in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 fourth-graders and two teachers dead.

"We are in a window of opportunity right now that we have not been in before," he said. "A window where it seems like real change, real change can happen."

McConaughey spoke about how he and his wife, Camila, drove to Uvalde in the days following the shooting, describing his interactions with the loved ones of several victims.

Choking up, he held up a laminated drawing by Alithia Ramirez, whose parents told him she had wanted to be an artist. Flashing anger, McConaughey slammed the podium after holding up the green Converse shoes of another victim, Maite Rodriguez, and explaining that the shoes were what allowed her family to identify her body.

"Every parent separately expressed in their own way that they want their children's dreams to live on," the actor said. "They want their children to continue to accomplish something after they are gone. They want to make their loss of life matter."

Clarifying what that meant, he continued: "We want gun laws that won't make it so easy for the bad guys to get the damn guns."

McConaughey, who recalled learning about firearm safety as a child in Uvalde with an air-pellet rifle, called for "responsible gun ownership," suggesting that there is a broad, bipartisan majority supportive of expanding background checks, raising the minimum age for purchasing assault rifles to 21 and enacting red flag laws.

"These are reasonable, practical regulations," he said. "Responsible gun owners are fed up with the 2nd Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individual."

Without explicitly calling out Republicans, who for years have blocked Democratic efforts to enact gun restrictions, McConaughey said the issue should not be a partisan one and implored lawmakers in both parties to act.

"We can't truly be leaders," he said, "if we're only living for reelection."

After McConaughey left the briefing room without taking questions, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House is "encouraged" with how the talks are progressing, even though it's unlikely any agreement would go as far as Biden  and now McConaughey  called for.

Biden, who delivered a prime time address urging action on gun laws last week, met Tuesday with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), one of the four-person bipartisan group working to hammer out a compromise on gun safety, Jean-Pierre said.

"Were going to see how those negotiations go," she said, stating that Biden "believes any step is a step forward."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Salvadoran activist Marta Peinado holds an El Salvador flag while protesting at the Summit of the Americas at the L.A. Convention Center on Monday. (Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times)

As many of Latin America's leaders gathered Monday in Los Angeles for the start of the Summit of the Americas, a handful of immigrants and their supporters took to the streets, waving flags and posters to vent their political differences with their countries of origin.

The prevailing message? No more strongmen. No more mano dura (firm hand).

"We don't need countries where dictatorships exist," shouted a group of Nicaraguans gathered at Figueroa Street and Pico Boulevard in front of the Los Angeles Convention Center, the summit's main venue. No more dictatorships in Latin America!" they yelled in Spanish.

A few yards away, Salvadoran protesters echoed the refrain: "We do not want dictatorships!"

Nearly all of Monday's protests outside the Convention Center targeted either El Salvador's Nayib Bukele or Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega. Los Angeles is home to an estimated 425,000 Salvadoran Americans, the largest concentration in the United States, and an estimated 39,000 Nicaraguan Americans, according to census figures.

The political realities of Nicaragua and El Salvador differ in certain ways. Nicaragua is ruled by a former Marxist guerrilla leader; El Salvador is governed by a populist former mayor and businessman.

But some Central American immigrants who now make their homes in Southern California believe that, for all their dissimilarities, Ortega and Bukele are mirror images. And the tactics used by their stateside critics likewise resemble each other's.

In 2018, Grettel Campbell created the organization Nicaragua Libre L.A. following waves of protests over changes in the social security system that were violently repressed by the Ortega government, leaving more than 300 dead and thousands injured and exacerbating international concerns over human rights violations.

"The objective is to denounce," said the native of Managua, the capital, and now an L.A. resident. "The main objective is to get Ortega out."

Twenty years ago, Damaris Rostran left Nicaragua for New York. Today she is one of the leaders of the New York and New Jersey Work Table organization, part of a network of 23 U.S. entities raising awareness of events in Nicaragua.

"The United States needs to turn its gaze towards Latin America," said the activist while standing at Figueroa and Pico.

Pointing to a group of Salvadoran demonstrators a few feet away, Rostran said the type of political repression that has long gripped Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela is also pressing in on El Salvador.

"What Ortega has done in 10 years, Nayib Bukele has achieved in two," said Rostran, a Managua native.

The Summit of the Americas, created in 1994, is intended to assemble the continent's heads of state, civil society organizations and civic leaders around shared regional goals, including the promotion of democracy and human rights  at least in theory.

But this year's summit has been shrouded in controversy and acrimony after the United States did not invite Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, and the presidents of Mexico and Honduras subsequently chose not to attend in protest against their counterparts' exclusion.

President Bukele remains highly popular, both at home and among Salvadoran Americans, and his followers support the heavy-handed measures implemented by his government. In a recent survey conducted by Central American University, 66.2% of respondents said the Bukele government's mass roundups had improved security. But 24.8% regarded such measures as an attempt by the government to burnish its popular image.

How long will the arbitrary arrests be? asked Salvadoran Ana Flores, carrying a sign written in English and Spanish.

"Bukele has my brother in prison," read another poster, carried by Alex Henriquez, who said his sibling had been detained under the current state of emergency implemented at the end of March, which human rights advocates and media reports contend has led to the arrest without a court order of thousands of alleged gang members as well as many innocent people.

Amnesty International recently denounced the emergency order, under which it said more than 36,000 people have been captured, "massive violations of human rights" have been committed, including cases of torture, and at least 23 people have died while in captivity.

The Salvadoran group Democratic Diaspora in Resistance has placed those allegations at the center of its messaging campaign.

How long will Bukele continue to violate the fundamental rights of Salvadorans? read one billboard on a small moving van-like vehicle on Figueroa Street. For eight hours that message was seen as the vehicle cruised along the Salvadoran corridor to the consulate of El Salvador on Wilshire Boulevard, as well as passing by the Convention Center.

Lorena Aguilar, a resident of San Jose and a Democratic Diaspora in Resistance member, traveled with a group of activists who are worried about the direction of their native country. Since the collective was created in June 2021, people living in Canada, Mexico and U.S. cities including Washington, Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles have joined.

Some businessmen in Washington, D.C., donated the money to pay for the billboard. That has helped us carry the message in a more effective way, she said.

The group also has had an impact in El Salvador by collaborating with teachers and lawyers to coordinate efforts to assist those who've been arbitrarily detained by the government.

We are uniting across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe. We have representatives who are grouping Salvadorans who do not agree with the regime, Aguilar said.

Edith Anaya reached out to the group on Twitter, where for many years she had posted her political views. Upon learning about the planned protest at the summit, she decided to join.

"It is necessary to move from Twitter to action and unite to express our concern," she said. It is very important that the international community knows that the government is lying when it says that there is a democracy and that it respects human rights."

Taking advantage of the opening of the summit, other members of the Latino and Latin American communities came forward to promote the issue of immigration reform. One young Salvadoran, Obbi Fenix, said he felt uncomfortable being surrounded by opponents of Bukele and Ortega.

"I don't agree with them," he said, referring to his countrymen and indicating his sympathy for Bukele.

"What I ask Nicaragua is to extradite Mauricio Funes and Salvador Sanchez Ceren," Fenix said, referring to the two former leftist presidents who governed El Salvador between 2009 and 2019 and to whom the Ortega government has granted Nicaraguan citizenship.

As the anti-Bukele protests began to wind down, a small pro-Bukele faction briefly made an appearance on Figueroa Street.

"Long live Bukele!" they shouted before briskly crossing the street.

A woman with the anti-Bukele group immediately replied in a firm voice.

"Long live," she shot back, "but outside of El Salvador."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Democratic congressional candidate Jessica Cisneros speaks to the media before a rally in San Antonio in February. (Eric Gay / Associated Press)

Progressive Jessica Cisneros is requesting a recount in her tight runoff election against nine-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar that remained too close to call nearly two weeks later.

Cuellar was leading Cisneros by 187 votes, or 0.4 percentage points, out of 45,429 ballots counted as of Monday night, according to an Associated Press count. The AP will not declare a winner until the recount is completed.

Our movement was never just about one politician  it was about taking on an unjust system that rewards corruption and corporate profits at the expense of the needs of working people, Cisneros said in a statement to the Texas Tribune that she retweeted to her followers. Our community isn't done fighting, we are filing for a recount."

She added, I owe it to our community to see this through to the end.

Cisneros, a 29-year-old immigration attorney, forced the runoff in March after she came within 1,000 votes of Cuellar. She also ran against him in 2020, losing by 4 percentage points. She is a former intern in his Washington office.

Cuellar, one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in Congress, was endorsed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and others. Cisneros had the backing of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The winner of Texas race will face Cassy Garcia, who won the Republican runoff for the seat.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Fire burns in a school heavily damaged by Russian bombing in Lysychansk, Ukraine. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Russia claimed near-victory Tuesday in its fight for part of an eastern Ukrainian industrial region whose capture is one of Moscow's main stated war aims, as Ukraine acknowledged that it was waging a tough battle to keep one of its last cities there from falling.

In the fourth month of the Russian invasion, Ukraine redoubled its pleas for more heavy weaponry to parry slow and grinding advances by Moscows troops, which are backed by relentless artillery fire, in the contested region known as the Donbas, made up of two eastern provinces, Luhansk and Donetsk.

Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, in remarks by videolink on Tuesday to an event sponsored by Britains Financial Times newspaper, said the country needs more powerful weapons from the West, as well as political support and stringent sanctions, in order to deny Russia additional battlefield gains.

In response to a question, the Ukrainian leader also offered a sharp retort to French President Emmanuel Macrons concerns, voiced in recent days, that it was important not to humiliate Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine took that as implicit pressure to offer Moscow territorial concessions to end the war.

"We are not going to humiliate anyone, Zelensky said. We are going to respond in kind."

Moscows triumphal claim came from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who said in televised remarks that 97% of Luhansk province had been liberated by Russian forces.

Separately Tuesday, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said some Western-supplied military equipment deployed in the countrys east, including two U.S.-provided artillery systems, had been knocked out by Russian artillery, a claim that could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian militia members train with shotguns on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, on Tuesday. (Natacha Pisarenko / Associated Press)

Crucial to Moscow's eastern campaign is control of the industrial city of Severodonetsk, one of only two major population centers in the region that Russia has not yet been able to capture.

Ukraine said its forces were holding on in Severodonetsk  but with difficulty.

Our armed forces are doing their utmost to defend the city, Mayor Oleksandr Striuk told Ukrainian television Tuesday.

Zelensky, in his overnight address to the nation, said "fierce street fighting" was underway to keep Severodonetsk in Ukrainian hands.

Ukrainian officials say Russia is throwing more and more military resources into the fight, and Western military officials said Tuesday that Russian forces are apparently trying to isolate the city by cutting off both northern and southern approaches.

Russia will almost certainly need to achieve a breakthrough in the area in order to consolidate tactical gains into operational level success in the wider region, British military intelligence said in its latest assessment.

Northeast of Severodonetsk, in the Kharkiv region, the regional governor reported that two people had been killed and six injured in a Russian airstrike. The governor, Oleh Sinegubov, said Tuesday on the Telegram messaging app that Russia was targeting civilian homes as well as critical infrastructure.

Zelensky told his compatriots that Russia also has set its sights now on Zaporizhzhia, a major southeastern city of nearly three-quarters of a million people that is a gateway to central Ukraine. It is the capital of a province of the same name, and has served as an important way station for Ukrainians fleeing from heavily battered or Russian-occupied areas, such as the fallen city of Mariupol.

We will do everything for the defense of Zaporizhzhia and its environs, Zelensky said.

Along the eastern front lines, civilian suffering has intensified as bombardment rains down on cities, towns and villages in the path of Russias military push.

Over the last 24 hours, Russian forces have fired on more than 20 populated areas in the Donbas provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk, the Ukrainian military said. In an operational report Tuesday, the Ukrainian military's general staff said that, in addition to aiming shellfire at towns and villages, Russia was launching airstrikes on Donetsk.

The Kremlin says it does not deliberately target civilians  which is considered a war crime  but on the ground, mainly elderly residents who have stayed behind face punishing daily barrages that force them to cower in makeshift underground shelters and endure primitive conditions reminiscent of life in pre-industrial times.

A woman rests from clearing the rubble of a temple destroyed during attacks in Gorenka, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. (Natacha Pisarenko / Associated Press)

We could never imagine a time where we would have to make fires for cooking, said Liubov Vedeneeva, a 69-year-old who was chopping wood outside her apartment building in Lysychansk, a city not far from Severodonetsk.

Both lie on the banks of the strategic Seversky Donets River. Zelensky described them as dead cities after endless waves of Russian bombardment. But in a bid to boost troop morale, he paid an unannounced weekend visit to Ukrainian front lines in Lysychansk.

Control of the Donbas region is now Moscows principal declared war aim, after it failed in the wars early days to seize the capital, Kyiv, and its forces were pushed away from Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city.

On the road toward the eastern front lines, every mile brings signs of the grinding conflict: agricultural fields disfigured by trenches, tow trucks loaded with tanks and rocket launchers, towns with streets emptied of residents save a few pensioners braving the ubiquitous air-raid sirens.

To aid Ukraine in its fight for the region, Britain has said it will supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems. Ukraine says that is key to knocking out Russian artillery batteries that have been savaging eastern cities and towns.

Russia has warned that it will take unspecified retaliatory measures for delivery of longer-range Western weapons to Ukraine.

More than 100 days in, the wars impact is felt differently in different parts of the country. In Odesa, the crown jewel of Ukraines coastal cities, a normal summer season would see its population swell with tourists. Instead, restaurants were mostly empty, and only a few beachgoers defied warnings of mines.

Other cities, though, are bursting to capacity with those escaping the eastern battle zone. In Dnipro in central Ukraine, a main waypoint for those fleeing the fighting, new arrivals are in constant need of comfort and shelter.

Were seeing double the numbers of people we usually have in the city, said Petro Voytovych, who works at a restaurant that is part of World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that serves meals to crisis-stricken communities.

A major Ukrainian aim is to end a Russian blockade of Ukraines ports on the Black Sea  a struggle that has worldwide implications because grain exports have been choked off amid the fighting. Zelensky said in his address that he has spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about mediating efforts to ease the blockade.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has cited what he called credible reports of Russian forces pilfering grain stockpiles for attempted sale. The United Nations food agency has repeatedly warned that the Russian invasion could trigger widespread hunger around the world in coming months.

We need a safety corridor for ships to enable grain exports, Zelensky said in advance of expected talks this week in Ankara, the Turkish capital, to which Moscow, but not Kyiv, will be a party. Turkey is now finding a format on how to provide us with guarantees.

A boy holds the boot of a slain Russian soldier at a public display in Kyiv, Ukraine, about the ongoing war. (Efrem Lukatsky / Associated Press)

Russia sought Tuesday, as it has previously, to put the onus of halted grain supplies on Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine needed to de-mine the waters off Odesa, the countrys main Black Sea port, and said Russia was prepared to escort commercial vessels to international waters.

Meanwhile, Ukraines first lady, Olena Zelenska, appealed to the international community not to turn its eyes away from the countrys lengthening struggle against the Russian invasion. In an interview to air Thursday on ABC, she said the whole world, and Americans as well, must refrain from getting used to this war.

Yes, it is far from you, it lasts long and you can get tired of it, but please do not get used to it, she said in remarks to ABC released Tuesday by her husband's office. Because if everyone gets used to it, this war will never end.

She added that Ukraine could not cede land for peace, because the aggressor will not stop at part of our territory  they will not stop until they destroy us.

Bulos reported from Druzhkivka and King from Washington. Marcus Yam in Lysychansk contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
CAIRO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China's recently proposed Global Security Initiative would strengthen world peace and stability, an expert has said.

"Through this security initiative, China seeks to find balanced relations that preserve world peace before countries plunge into wars and conflicts," Diaa Helmy, secretary-general of the Egyptian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and expert on Chinese affairs, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Helmy said the initiative would serve a new world order based on respect for all and security for all.

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the expert said, "the United States used Ukraine as a test balloon in order to weaken the Russian army, sacrificing the Ukrainian people, their interests and wealth."

While "weeping over the homeless and demanding human rights for refugees and victims," Helmy said the United States is to blame for Ukraine's refugee crisis.

Helmy said NATO pledged not to expand in Eastern Europe but has failed to live up to its word, expanding eastward several times and creating a security crisis in Europe.

He said the newly-proposed security initiative could play a significant role in global peacemaking.

"China's initiatives will be very important and effective in a cohesive world based on cooperation; a world based on peaceful negotiations and dialogue, not based on illogical unilateral sanctions," Helmy said.

Helmy lauded the Belt and Road Initiative as a force for peace, with its focus "on the development of countries and the construction of infrastructure, ports and roads that serve and maintain global trade." 
A truck with a digital sign passes protesters Monday at the Summit of the Americas at the Los Angeles Convention Center. (Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times)

As the high-profile Summit of the Americas got underway Monday in Los Angeles, with presidents and prime ministers from throughout the Western Hemisphere expected to attend, confusion continued to surround the agenda, what President Biden hopes to achieve and whether U.S.-Latin American relations will be better or worse as a result.

Even veteran Latin American specialists who have attended several of the regional conferences over the past three decades were exasperated, noting that the Biden administration only belatedly turned to the summit and potential agenda, along with its opportunity for progress and brighter relations in the hemisphere.

Some suggested the summit was so behind the ball in planning that it would have been better to cancel than to conduct the conference in a half-baked way.

"The problems with the summit can also be attributed to the sorry state of U.S. politics and the region," said Michael Shifter, past president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington.

Like other experts, Shifter believes Biden has not acted on his stated intention to deepen ties with Latin America.

"A highly fragmented and deeply troubled Latin America has not made [Biden's] task easier," Shifter said.

The summit's opening day was overshadowed by some major no-shows.

After weeks of coy, maybe-maybe-not flirtation with attending the conference, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, arguably the most important Latin American leader on the guest list, finally announced Monday morning that he was staying home.

Lopez Obrador was protesting the Biden administration's decision to exclude Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, and others followed suit: Honduras, the administration's closest ally in Central America, sent a lower-level delegation, Uruguay's president said he had contracted COVID-19, and Bolivia also declined to attend.

After a steady stream of lobbying from Biden envoys, including former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Lopez Obrador said he would send his foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard.

"There cannot be a Summit of the Americas if all countries of the Americas cannot attend," Lopez Obrador said at his daily press conference in Mexico City. "This is to continue the old interventionist policies, of lack of respect for nations and their people."

Deflecting a major blow to its ability to convene the region's leaders, Biden administration officials sought to downplay the absence of Lopez Obrador. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted that "dictators" should not be invited to the summit, defending the exclusion of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, while saying that the Mexican delegation, even without its president, would make "significant contributions" to the summit and its goals.

"We had a disagreement with this particular problem," said a senior administration official, referring to the Mexican president's absence while briefing reporters Monday after a significant delay before the summit's start.

"We feel very confident with the approach we are taking [to the summit]," the official added.

Despite Lopez Obrador's snub, Jean-Pierre said Biden would host his Mexican counterpart at the White House in July for a bilateral visit, giving them an "opportunity to carry the work forward for the summit."

Brett Bruen, who served in the Obama White House as director of global engagement and is a frequent Biden critic, called the summit "an unmitigated disaster for American diplomacy in our own hemisphere."

"The fact that we could not figure out the most basic things like who is coming, what are the major deliverables to be announced, is a national embarrassment," he said, noting that the U.S. gets to host the event only every couple of decades.

Bruen said the scramble over planning reinforces a long-held impression that the region is not a priority, with China and Russia taking note of how we manage neighborly relations.

Still, the White House continued to fend off questions about how the U.S. planned to make progress on immigration discussions given Mexico's absence from the summit along with two of the three "northern triangle" Central America countries.

The senior administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said Mexico has been a "full participant" in the migration declaration, which is expected to be announced at the summit later this week.

"We expect most, if not all of the countries that are significantly impacted by the migration crisis to be engaged on that topic with the summit, whether they're represented by a head of state or not," the official said.

The first Summit of the Americas was held in Miami in 1994, and this year's event in Los Angeles marks its first return to the United States.

After weeks of requests, U.S. officials on Monday released a roster of the attendees of the conference. There will be 68 delegations at the event but only 23 heads of state, or about two-thirds of the region's leaders, administration officials said.

Several summit events started Monday, including exhibitions with dissident Cuban artists and interviews with mayors from the region. Biden won't open the formal session with the other world leaders until Thursday.

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a gala dinner for the visiting heads of state Thursday night at the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, and meetings continue the following day. Issues to be addressed include immigration, trade and climate.

Though Lopez Obrador's absence underscored the question of whether any meaningful progress could be made on regional issues, some experts cautioned it shouldn't obscure the summit's potential.

"The U.S. should not see the summit as U.S.-centric in terms of the agenda, but neither should Latin American nations come expecting that the U.S. will or should set the tone of it," said Diego Abente Brun, director of Latin American and Hemispheric Studies at the George Washington University.

He said Biden still has time to reset U.S.-Latin American relations and Latin American countries still have an opportunity to have their voices heard.

"Agreements and disagreements should be brought to the table, and hopefully a common agenda and, above all, commitment emerge from it."

Times staff writer Eli Stokols contributed from Washington.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A medical laboratory technician in Madrid prepares to test suspected monkeypox samples. (Pablo Blazquez Dominguez / Getty Images)

The number of confirmed and suspected monkeypox cases in California climbed to six on Monday as officials in L.A. County and San Francisco said they were prepared to see more cases.

Officials said it was crucial that people become aware of the symptoms and healthcare providers be on alert for new cases, as the telltale rash  which has been seen in some recent cases first in the genital area  can sometimes appear similar to more common sexually transmitted infections. Health officials say they're hoping to contain the monkeypox outbreak but say it's possible there is already community spread of the virus.

While most cases resolve on their own, monkeypox can be serious in rare cases and we want to prevent further spread in the community," said Dr. Susan Philip, the health officer in San Francisco, which reported its first suspected monkeypox case Friday.

"We need to be prepared for seeing more cases," Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said, although she added there's no indication at this time that there's going to be a massive outbreak of monkeypox locally.

L.A. County reported its first suspected monkeypox case on Thursday, and Sacramento County has reported one confirmed and two suspected cases. It was not immediately clear Monday evening what county was reporting the sixth confirmed or suspected case of monkeypox.

As of Monday afternoon, there were 31 confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox nationally, with the most number of cases in New York (seven), California (six), Florida (four), Colorado (three) and Illinois and Utah (two each).

The specific monkeypox variant that has been found in the majority of cases in the U.S. has been linked to the variant that has appeared in Europe, Capt. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, said at a news briefing Friday.

Nationally, most of the monkeypox cases known to the CDC involve people who have recently traveled or have had close contact with someone who was infected. But at least one of the recent cases in the U.S. involves someone who doesn't know how he or she was exposed to the virus, McQuiston said.

"This could be happening in other parts of the United States  there could be community-level transmission that is happening. And that's why we want to really increase our surveillance efforts," McQuiston said. "We want to really encourage physicians that, if they see a rash, and they're concerned it might be monkeypox, to go ahead and test for that."

Health officials have noted that early data so far show that a high number of the current monkeypox cases are among men who have sex with men; however, anyone can be infected with the virus, including healthcare workers and family taking care of those who are ill. One recent case has occurred in a woman, according to McQuiston.

Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 in colonies of monkeys kept for scientific research. Most human cases of monkeypox have historically been identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the first human case of infection was identified in 1970. The monkeypox virus is naturally found in certain wildlife in that country; the CDC says rodents and nonhuman primates, like monkeys, may harbor the virus and infect people.

For global travelers, the CDC has issued a Level 2 monkeypox travel alert, warning about monkeypox cases related to the current outbreak on every continent except for Antarctica.

In the current outbreak, more than 1,000 confirmed and suspected monkeypox cases have been reported from 29 countries, with the most cases being reported in Europe and North America. Of them, Britain has reported about 300; Spain, about 200; Portugal, more than 150; and Canada, 80.

The CDC urged world travelers to avoid close contact with sick people, including those with skin and genital lesions; avoid contact with dead or live wild animals such as small mammals and nonhuman primates, like monkeys and apes; avoid eating meat that comes from wild game or using products that come from wild animals from Africa, such as creams, powders and lotions; avoid contact with contaminated material used by sick people such as clothing; and wear a mask, which can provide further protection against many diseases, including monkeypox.

Health officials emphasized that the threat to the general population was low, given that monkeypox is nowhere nearly as contagious as other infectious diseases like COVID-19. Between humans, monkeypox can be transmitted through close, sustained, skin-to-skin contact with someone who has an active rash and monkeypox skin sores. The virus can be spread during sexual and intimate contact and through shared bedding and clothing. Its also possible it can be spread through kissing and breathing at very close range.

Monkeypox can also be spread from animals to humans through a bite or scratch from an infected animal, handling wild game or using products made from infected animals.

Spreading through the air is not thought to be a major avenue for monkeypox transmission, given that past disease investigations have shown that monkeypox-infected people who are likely contagious on an airplane flight have not spread the virus to other passengers.

Health officials and experts have sought to strike a balance in their warnings, noting that people generally recover from the disease while also underscoring the urgency to contain the outbreak, identify cases, and warning that the skin lesions can be quite painful in some cases.

It can be really painful and some patients have reported needing prescription pain medicine to manage that pain. The sores can also cause long-term scarring on the skin, McQuiston said.

Traditionally, monkeypox is believed to begin with a fever and feeling of being unwell, followed by a rash. But in some of the recent cases, the rash has appeared first. Other symptoms can include headache, muscle aches, backache, chills, exhaustion and swollen lymph nodes. Rare complications include lesions that appear in the eye, which can endanger vision.

The monkeypox rash results in well-rounded skin lesions, and as they progress, they turn into papules, which are higher raised areas of the skin that can appear like a pencil eraser, McQuiston said. They can then fill with a clear fluid, which turns into pus.

The rash can appear similar to syphilis and herpes, which are far more common than monkeypox. McQuiston said it can be confusing to initially distinguish monkeypox from other illnesses, and thats why healthcare providers should be on the alert for potential cases and request a test if they think it could be monkeypox. In some recent cases in Europe, people have been simultaneously infected with both monkeypox and a sexually transmitted infection.

They should test for monkeypox, even if they think they might have a positive test for another, more common sexually transmitted infection, McQuiston said.

No deaths have been reported in the current monkeypox outbreak worldwide, McQuiston said. Patients whose cases have been reviewed by the CDC as of Friday are either recovering or have already recovered, and those who still have a rash are being advised to stay home and stay away from other people until theyre fully recovered.

Full recovery happens when all of the sores have scabbed over, the scabs fall off, and new healthy skin has emerged, McQuiston said. A person is no longer contagious once all the scabs have fallen off.

Recent monkeypox cases in the U.S. known to CDC officials have been among adults, McQuiston said, and most reported international travel in the 21 days before their symptoms began. It generally takes seven to 14 days for a person to develop symptoms after being exposed to monkeypox, but it can take up to 21 days.

McQuiston said authorities are working hard to contain the outbreak.

Our containment strategy is focused on identifying cases, identifying their contacts and making sure they get vaccine offered to them and that cases are being isolated to prevent onward spread, McQuiston said.

The recent outbreak is concerning because monkeypox cases are not usually found in the U.S., officials have said.

The only previous U.S. outbreak of monkeypox occurred in 2003, leading to 71 confirmed or suspected cases  mostly in Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. Those who were infected had come in contact with pet prairie dogs obtained from an animal distributor in suburban Chicago that had been housed near Gambian giant rats and dormice that came from Ghana.

Though monkeypox can be fatal in countries where healthcare resources are poor, the 2003 U.S. outbreak did not lead to any deaths.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
There is evidence of Russian vessels departing "from near Ukraine with their cargo holds full of grain," a U.S. Department of State spokesperson told ABC News on Monday night.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has reported that Russia seized at least 400,000 to 500,000 tons of grain worth over $100 million, according to the State Department spokesperson.

"Ukraine's MFA also has numerous testimonies from Ukrainian farmers and documentary evidence showing Russia's theft of Ukrainian grain," the spokesperson said.

The news of Ukrainian grain aboard Russian ships partly confirms a recent report by The New York Times that Moscow is seeking to profit off of grain plundered from Ukraine by selling the product while subverting sanctions. Ukraine has already accused Russia of shipping the stolen grain to buyers in Syria and Turkey.

PHOTO: Seeds are seen in a destroyed grain silo, after it was shelled repeatedly amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, on May 31, 2022. (Serhii Nuzhnenko/Reuters)

Since Russian forces invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, the cost of grain has skyrocketed worldwide. Russia and Ukraine -- often referred to collectively as Europe's breadbasket -- produce a third of the global supply of wheat and barley, but Kyiv has been unable to ship exports due to Moscow's offensive. Earlier this month, the Ukrainian Grain Association warned that Ukraine's wheat harvest is expected to plummet by 40%.

In recent weeks, there has been an all-out push from the United States and the United Nations to facilitate exports from war-torn Ukraine, desperate to offset what they foretell is a looming global food crisis with the potential to devastate the developing world. A Russian blockade in the Black Sea, along with Ukrainian naval mines, have made exporting siloed grain virtually impossible and, as a result, millions of people around the world -- particularly in Africa and the Middle East -- are now on the brink of famine.

MORE: Russia-Ukraine live updates

As part of ongoing efforts to assist food exports, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to meet with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara this week. But State Department spokesperson Ned Price has set low expectations for the meeting.

"I don't know if we should expect breakthroughs," Price told reporters during a press briefing on Monday afternoon. "Of course, we'll be watching closely. We'll be talking with our Turkish allies in the aftermath of that visit."

PHOTO: Russian-flagged bulk carrier Matros Koshka sails in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 27, 2022. (Yoruk Isik/Reuters)

Price underscored the pain the world is feeling because of Russias crunch on its food supply.

This is a war that not only has brutalized -- and, in many ways, terrorized -- the people of Ukraine, but it has put at risk food security around the world," he said.

MORE: Millions of lives at risk as famine stalks Horn of Africa

Currently, there are approximately 84 merchant ships and 450 seafarers trapped at Ukrainian ports, according to Price.

"Not only is there grain aboard these vessels, but there are about 22 million tons of grain sitting in silos near the ports that also needs to move out to make room for the newly harvested grain," he said. "In addition, Russia has actually taken aim at ships at sea. They have taken aim at grain silos. They are continuing to effectively implement what amounts to a blockade of Ukraines ports."

Ukrainian grain may be leaving ports -- but on Russian ships, US official says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva  declared a "cesspool of political bias against Israel and the US" by the Trump administration  on Tuesday bashed the Jewish state in a new report.

Navanethem "Navi" Pillay, the chairwoman of the International Commission of Inquiry(COI) on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, seemingly admitted to the bias of the report.

"The findings and recommendations relevant to the underlying root causes were overwhelmingly directed toward Israel," she said.

The report was slanted against the Jewish state because of the "asymmetrical nature of the conflict of the reality of the State occupying the other," Pillay added.

The State Department released a statement on the report, Tuesday afternoon, calling it "a one-sided, biased approach that does nothing to advance the prospects for peace. The report of the Commission, released today, does nothing to alleviate our concerns."

INTERNATIONAL GROUPS CONDEMN UN PROBE ON ISRAEL, PALESTINIAN FIGHTING, CITE 'BIAS'

The commission was charged to investigate "all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up to and since 13 April 2021, and all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity."

In a series of seven tweets, Israel's Foreign Ministry slammed the report on Tuesday, terming the COI "nothing more than a waste of money and effort of the United Nations systems" and "part and parcel of the witch-hunt being carried out by the Human Rights Council against Israel."

Anne Bayefsky, the director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital that the commission of inquiry was "rigged from the founding mandate."

Bayefsky said, "The chair of the Inquiry, Navi Pillay, spent her time in office [2008-2014] as [UN] high commissioner [for human rights] fixated on slandering Israel with wild, unsustainable accusations from apartheid to blood libels. UN rules demand members of inquiries be objective and impartial. But Pillay and her cohorts were selected by the Human Rights Council precisely because they were not. The council set out to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish state, and they got exactly what they asked for  best described as UN-driven antisemitism."

A spokesman for the U.N. Human Rights Council directed Fox News Digital to a statement issued by the commission, but would not offer comment on the mounting criticism against the report. He said questions would be answered at a scheduled press conference with the report's authors next week.

IRAN FOREIGN MINISTER VOWS TO ELIMINATE ZIONISM AT UN ANTI-RACISM CONFERENCE

Bayefsky noted that "the inquisition called for submissions and insisted on a focus on victims. We made an historic response: More than five million unique submissions and individual names of Jewish victims of Arab incitement and violence were sent to the UN. The victims of antisemitism spread by Nazi collaborator and Palestinian role model the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Amin al-Husseini; the Jewish refugees who were victims of Arab persecution in Middle East and North African nations; the victims of Palestinian terrorism over the last seven decades, and so on. We never heard back regarding those submissions."

Bayefsky said that instead, the inquiry has now released its report that says: "the Commission has received several thousand written submissions and features a tiny subset of select Israel-bashing stakeholders. Millions of submissions challenging the UN routine of Israel-bashing and anti-Israel bias didnt make the cut in a report that claims to present an overview of the wide range of violations and abuses at the heart of the conflict because the fix was in."

HALEY CALLS FOR UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF TO BE FIRED AFTER CHINA VISIT

The Trump administration withdrew from the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2018 because of its discriminatory conduct toward the U.S. and Israel. The Biden administration rejoined the organization in 2021.

Israel rejects the contention that it occupies Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem. Jerusalem declined to participate in the commission of inquiry.

Then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Human Rights Councils establishment of the commission in May 2021 a "shameful decision." He accused the council of a "blatant anti-Israel obsession," noting the "automatic majority at the council whitewashes a genocidal terrorist organization [Hamas] that deliberately targets Israeli civilians while turning Gazas civilians into human shields."

Watchdog organizations made clear their continued frustration at the U.N.'s bias against the Jewish state.

Maurice Hirsch, director of legal strategies for Palestinian Media Watch, told Fox News Digital, "The report failed to recognize and note that the Palestinian Authority pays financial rewards to terrorists, as recognized, inter alia by the [US] Taylor Force Act; The report failed to recognize that the Palestinian Authority incites violence and terror; the report failed to note that Hamas is an internationally designated terrorist organization. In fact the report failed to note the Palestinian responsibility for anything."

Anne Herzberg, NGO Monitors legal adviser and U.N. representative, said, "As anticipated, the COIs [commission of inquirys] first report reflects the U.N. Human Rights Councils ongoing obsession with attacking the Jewish state. The COI erases key historical context, assigning almost total blame on Israel for the conflict. Notably, it grossly minimizes and de-contextualizes Palestinian terrorism in order to paint a picture of Israeli venality."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The South Korean and U.S. militaries flew 20 fighter jets over waters off South Korea's western coast Tuesday in a continued show of force as a senior U.S. official warned of a forceful response if North Korea goes ahead with its first nuclear test explosion in nearly five years.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said the air demonstration involved 16 South Korean planes  including F-35A stealth fighters  and four U.S. F-16 fighter jets and was aimed at demonstrating their ability to swiftly respond to North Korean provocations.

The flight came a day after the allies fired eight surface-to-surface missiles into South Koreas eastern waters to match a weekend missile display by North Korea, which fired the same number of weapons from multiple locations Sunday in what was likely its biggest single-day testing event.

North Korea may soon up the ante as U.S. and South Korean officials say the country is all but ready to conduct another detonation at its nuclear testing ground in the northeastern town of Punggye-ri. Its last such test and sixth overall was in September 2017, when it claimed to have detonated a thermonuclear bomb designed for its intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Traveling to Seoul to discuss the standoff with South Korean and Japanese allies, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman warned of a swift and forceful response if the North carries out another nuclear test.

While the Biden administration has vowed to push for additional international sanctions if North Korea goes on with the nuclear test, the prospects for meaningful new punitive measures are unclear with the U.N. Security Council divided.

U.S. and South Korea Air Force fighter jets fly in formation during a joint drill on Tuesday, June, 7, 2022. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)

Any nuclear test would be in complete violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. There would be a swift and forceful response to such a test, Sherman said, following a meeting with South Korea Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong.

We continue to urge Pyongyang to cease its destabilizing and provocative activities and choose the path of diplomacy, she said.

Sherman and Cho are planning a trilateral meeting with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Mori Takeo on Wednesday over the North Korean nuclear issue.

North Koreas launches on Sunday extended a provocative streak in weapons tests this year that also included the countrys first demonstrations of ICBMs since 2017.

Since taking power in 2011, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accelerated his weapons development despite limited resources. Experts say with its next test, North Korea could claim an ability to build small bombs that could be clustered on a multiwarhead ICBM or fit on short-range missiles that could reach South Korea and Japan.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Monday there are indications that one of the passages at the Punggye-ri testing ground has been reopened, possibly in preparations for a nuclear test.

Hours before Shermans meeting in Seoul, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters in Washington that the United States remains concerned that North Korea could seek its seventh test in the coming days.

The Biden administrations punitive actions over North Koreas weapons tests in recent months have been limited to largely symbolic unilateral sanctions. Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution in the Security Council that would have imposed additional sanctions on North Korea over its previous ballistic tests on May 25.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman speaks to media after a meeting with South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (Jung Yeon-je /Pool Photo via AP)

We have called on members of the international community, certainly members of the UN Security Councils permanent five, to be responsible stakeholders in the U.N. Security Council as a preeminent forum for addressing threats to international peace and security, Price said.

Unilateral actions are never going to be the most attractive or even the most effective response, and that is especially the case because we are gratified that we have close allies in the form of Japan and the ROK, he said, referring to South Koreas formal name, the Republic of Korea.

North Korea's state media have yet to comment on Sundays launches. They came after the U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan concluded a three-day naval drill with South Korea in the Philippine Sea on Saturday, apparently their first joint drill involving a carrier since November 2017, as the countries move to upgrade their defense exercises in the face of North Korean threats.

North Korea has long condemned the allies combined military exercises as invasion rehearsals and often countered with its own missile drills, including launches in 2016 and 2017 that simulated nuclear attacks on South Korean ports and U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Following the latest North Korean launches, the United States conducted separate joint missile drills with Japan and South Korea, which they said were aimed at displaying their response capability.

N. Korea has rejected offers for open-ended talks with the U.S.

Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since 2019 over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions for the Norths disarmament steps. Kim has since ramped up his testing activity despite mounting economic problems and has shown no willingness to fully surrender an arsenal he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.

His government has so far rejected the Biden administrations offers for open-ended talks and is clearly intent on converting the dormant denuclearization negotiations into a mutual arms-reduction process, experts say.

Kims pressure campaign hasnt been slowed by a COVID-19 outbreak spreading across his largely unvaccinated populace of 26 million amid a lack of public health tools. The North has so far rejected U.S. and South Korean offers for help, but there are indications that it received at least some supplies of vaccines from ally China.

South Korean activist Park Sang-hak, a North Korean defector who for years have launched anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets by balloon across the border, said his group on Tuesday flew 20 balloons carrying medicine, masks and vitamin pills to help North Korean civilians.
Jan. 6 committee Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney and Chairman Bennie Thompson. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press; Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the nations Capitol will begin a series of six televised hearings on Thursday.

Much of the nine-member committee's work has been conducted behind closed doors, with lawmakers participating in the more than 1,000 depositions collected by staff and poring through thousands of pages of documents as they try to reconstruct what contributed to the riot that temporarily delayed certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

Each member is expected to lead a portion of a hearing, some of which will be held in prime time. Here are the members you'll see a lot of over the next three weeks.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.)

Thompson, the chairman of the committee, is known on Capitol Hill for his bipartisan relationships and patient but dogged demeanor. He has managed to keep the committee publicly united on the investigation and largely avoided any behind-the-scenes disagreements from becoming public, including discussions over whether to call Donald Trump to testify.

In May, Thompson said that it was unclear whether the former president would provide any new insight on the evidence already collected.

"We're not sure that the evidence that we receive can be any more validated with his presence," Thompson told Politico in mid-May. "I think the concern is whether or not he would add any more value with his testimony."

Thompson has focused on domestic terrorism and cybersecurity  particularly election security  in his 17 years as the highest-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee.

He worked for months with Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) on legislation to create an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate what led to the Jan. 6 attack, but that legislation received little Republican support in the House and died in the Senate with no support from Republicans.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.)

Cheney, the vice chairwoman of the committee, is one of two Republicans asked to serve on the panel by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) opted not to participate. Pelosi had rejected some of his initial recommendations.

Cheney was forced out of her role leading the House Republican Conference because of her public criticism of Trump's role in provoking the Jan. 6 riot and her support for the committee. She was one of only two House Republicans to vote in favor of creating the select committee. In response, Trump and his allies have endorsed and campaigned for her opponent in Wyoming.

A steadily conservative vote in Congress, and someone who backed most of Trump's positions until the Jan. 6 attack, Cheney has reportedly pushed her colleagues on the committee not to let Trump or his allies off the hook.

Cheney told "CBS Sunday Morning" that she's concerned about how multipronged the effort to keep Trump in office was.

"It is extremely broad. Its extremely well organized. Its really chilling," she said.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

First elected to Congress in 1994, Lofgren is a stalwart liberal vote in Congress and is both an ally of Pelosi and well respected among rank-and-file Democrats. She was one of seven House managers in Trump's first impeachment trial, and is the only House Democrat who was present for the impeachment hearings of former Presidents Bill Clinton and Richard M. Nixon.

She is chairwoman of the House Administration Committee, which oversees the Capitol Police. That committee has held several hearings on how department leaders handled the riot and the security failures that allowed more than 1,000 people to storm the building without going through normal security procedures.

We have completed a substantial amount of work, Lofgren told the New York Times in April. Were going to accomplish  we hope  what we set out to do, which is to tell the entire story of what happened, the events of the 6th and the events that led up to the day.

(Associated Press)

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.)

Kinzinger, the other Republican to vote to create the committee, was also asked by Pelosi to serve on the panel. Kinzinger's reputation on Capitol Hill for most of his six terms has been as a reliable conservative vote, but the veteran of the wars in Iraq in Afghanistan has lost many of his allies at home and in Washington as he emphasized his belief that Republicans needed to reject the right-wing ideology and conspiracy theories of fraud that marked the Trump administration, if the party is to survive.

I have lost faith in some of the courage of my colleagues, he said on CBS Face the Nation" in February. I thought that every person, when they swore an oath, had some version of a red line they would never cross.

Kinzinger and Cheney were both censured by the Republican National Committee for participating in the committee.

Kinzinger is not running for reelection in 2022 after being drawn into the district of another Republican incumbent when state lawmakers reapportioned congressional districts after the census.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands)

Aguilar, the vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, is known on Capitol Hill for keeping a relatively low profile for a member of leadership. Still, as the only committee member with a scheduled weekly news conference  held Tuesday mornings after the Democratic Caucus meets  he's found himself giving periodic updates of the committee's work.

Aguilar told CNN on May 11 he believes Trump's inaction during the riot constitutes a dereliction of his duty as commander in chief.





"The president had every opportunity to walk into the press room, to tweet, to talk to the American public and to tell these insurrectionists to go home, to tell them we're going to have a peaceful transition of power," Aguilar said. "That's a hallmark of democracy. And each and every step of the way he chose not to do that."

He is also the highest-ranking Latino member of Congress. Prior to being elected in 2014, Aguilar was the mayor of Redlands.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank)

Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is best known nationally for his role as Trump's chief antagonist during the investigation led by former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and as the lead impeachment manager during Trump's first impeachment.

Schiff has been vocal that even his fellow representatives should not be immune from the Jan. 6 panel's scrutiny, especially the five Republicans subpoenaed by the committee. Schiff told CBS Face the Nation this week that Americans will be surprised by new information revealed on Thursday

Our goal is to present the narrative of what happened in this country, how close we came to losing our democracy, what led to the violence, Schiff said. Americans I think know a great deal already  they have seen a number of bombshells already [and] theres a great deal they havent seen. But perhaps the most important is the public has not seen it woven together, how one thing led to another.

(Chip Somodevilla / Associated Press)

Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.)

Murphy, a leader of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, has urged her colleagues on the committee to look deeper into the events on Jan. 6  beyond the role Trump played in contesting the election results.

We need to look at this issue from all angles  inclusive of the role the president played as well as the security of the Capitol on that day, Murphy told the Washington Post.

Murphy was a Defense Department analyst in the administration of former President George W. Bush before serving in Congress. Though she is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, and a potential challenger to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Murphy will not run for reelection in 2022.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)

Raskin gained a big national profile as the lead House impeachment manager during the second impeachment trial of Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

He's promised explosive new information in the hearings.

"The committee has found evidence of concerted planning and premeditated activity. The idea that all of this was just a rowdy demonstration that spontaneously got a little bit out of control is absurd. You don't almost knock over the U.S. government by accident," Raskin told the Washington Post on Monday.

Raskin was a professor of constitutional law at American University for more than 25 years before taking office in 2017.

(Steve Helber / Associated Press)

Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.)

At one of the committee's few public meetings, Luria alleged that the Justice Department slow-walked charges against former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows for being held in contempt of Congress after disobeying a committee subpoena.

Atty. Gen. [Merrick] Garland, do your job so that we can do ours, she said.

The department has since told the committee it will not charge Meadows.

Luria is vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee. The former naval commander spent the majority of her two decades in service as a surface warfare officer and nuclear engineer. She has won election twice in her majority-Republican Virginia district.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The sister of a British journalist missing in the Amazon has pleaded with Brazilian authorities to do all they can to find him.

Dom Phillips, 57, and Bruno Araujo Pereira, a Brazilian adviser at the Univaja association of people in the Vale do Javari Indigenous territory, were last seen early on Sunday in the Sao Rafael community, according to the association.

Mr Phillips has been reporting on Brazil for 15 years for several media outlets, including The Guardian, and has been working on a book on the environment with the help of the Alicia Patterson Foundation.

The pair were due to head to Atalaia do Norte, the most western municipality in the Amazonas region, from the Vale do Javari, Brazils second-largest Indigenous territory, but never made it.

Speaking to The Guardian, Sian Phillips said: My brother Dom has been living in Brazil with his Brazilian wife. He loves the country and cares deeply about the Amazon and the people there.

We knew it was a dangerous place, but Dom really believed its possible to safeguard the nature and livelihood of the indigenous people.

He is a talented journalist and was researching a book when he disappeared yesterday. Were really worried about him and urge the authorities in Brazil to do all they can.

Ms Phillips urged authorities to search the routes he was following and added: If anyone can help scale up resources available for the search, that would be great, because time is crucial.

Here in the UK, my other brother and I are desperately worried. We love him and want him and his Brazilian guide Bruno Pereira found. Every minute counts.

Dom Phillips, a superb journalist, regular contributor to @guardian, and great friend, is missing in Javari Valley of Amazon after death threats to his indigenista companion, Bruno Pereira, who is also missing. Calling on Brazilian authorities to urgently launch search operation.  jonathanwatts (@jonathanwatts) June 6, 2022

Univaja said the two had been threatened during their reporting trip, and Mr Pereira regularly carried a gun due to receiving threats from illegal fishermen and poachers, according to the Associated Press.

The pair disappeared while returning from a two-day trip to the Jaburu Lake region, where Mr Phillips interviewed local Indigenous people, Univaja said.

Brazils federal public prosecutors said in a statement on Monday they had opened an investigation and that the Federal Police, Amazonas states civil police, the national guard and navy had been mobilised.

The navy, which prosecutors described as co-ordinating the search, said it sent a search-and-rescue team of seven and would deploy a helicopter on Tuesday.

The Vale do Javari region has experienced repeated shootouts between hunters, fishermen and official security agents, who have a permanent base in the area.
The UK Governments proposed Bill to deal with Northern Irelands troubled past is perpetrator-friendly and perpetrator-focused, the head of a victims group has said.

Sandra Peake, of the Wave Trauma Centre, said victims and survivors are fearful of the ramifications of the proposed immunity for information deal which has been mooted.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill envisages offering immunity from prosecution to people who are deemed to have co-operated with the information retrieval body.

Criminal prosecutions could still take place for those who do not.

It seeks to establish an Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to review deaths and other incidents.

However, the tweaked Bill has been opposed by the majority of victims groups and political parties.

It passed its second reading last month with the support of Conservative MPs, but was not backed by any of the Northern Ireland MPs.

More than 3,500 people were killed during the Troubles, including some 1,000 members of the security forces.

Conservative MPs hope the measures will stop vexatious action against British military personnel who served in Northern Ireland.

Giving evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Ms Peake said there has been a huge disrespect to those who paid the ultimate price.

She described victims as fearful for what is going to come.

Theyre fearful that people will get immunity and approach them, she told MPs.

Theres an intimacy of violence in Northern Ireland that is seldom understood, that sometimes the people who are the perpetrators are living in the next street or they see you at church or at the shops and they wink at you, they jeer at you, they let you know they are still there  and that is before any immunity comes.

There is a fundamental issue here that is deeply unfair to victims and survivors, and that concept of fear is very real for people today and then that plays into how government treat them, because if there is lack of information, speculation, and this is drip-fed, this becomes very difficult and wholly unacceptable for victims and survivors.

What people read from this Bill is the power lies with the perpetrator, it doesnt lie with the victim or the survivor, the power lies with the perpetrator.

This is perpetrator-friendly, it is perpetrator-focused and ultimately the perpetrator will win from this  it wont be the family.

Ms Peake said victims are also scared that, once granted immunity, perpetrators will embark on lecture tours and write books about their pasts.

We need to protect our victims and survivors, and we need to ensure that theyre looked after, but giving an immunity is not looking after them  giving an immunity is putting the perpetrator in charge of them and in charge of the version of truth, their truth, that they will share, she added.

Peter Murtagh, advocacy support manager at victims group South East Fermanagh Foundation, said there are also fears of perpetrators seeking to continually justify their acts of violence and glorification.

He referred to the case of a victim who lost a leg in an under-car bomb who was ridiculed daily by the person responsible.

Victims Commissioner Ian Jeffers said many in the sector felt their engagement with the Northern Ireland Office on the Bill was a transfer of information rather than a consultation.

In an earlier session, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioner Alyson Kilpatrick said the main aim of the Bill is to channel all investigations, prosecutions, civil claims, inquests and police complaints into one body, and expressed concern that the investigations are being turned into reviews.

She described a very substantial interference with the rule of law, and also voiced concern at the lack of distinction between crimes for which a person can be granted immunity, including murder, kidnap, rape and torture.

What it also means is police will be prevented from investigating, the courts will be prevented from ruling, prosecutions will be prevented  that is a very substantial interference with the rule of law and with everything the UK has signed up to, she told MPs.

On its face, it clearly isnt (human rights-compliant), its clearly in breach of the Human Rights Act.

We have gone through this Bill in real detail, piece by piece and also as a whole, to see whether there is anything redeeming in it that could be made compatible or could save this Bill from being found to be incompatible.

We cannot see a way in which the Bill can be made compatible when taken as a whole.
A major new report by a human rights watchdog in Northern Ireland has revealed the complex nature of cross-border healthcare in the wake of Brexit.

The 44-page study, by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, points to the need for greater clarity over the provision of healthcare on the island of Ireland and the rights of cross-border workers to access treatment.

The post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland, designed to avoid a hard border on the island, remain controversial with the UK Government planning to introduce legislation to override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Opposition to the protocol has led to the DUP blocking the restoration of power-sharing in the region.

While for the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland the right to access healthcare remains intact, the report notes that significant uncertainties and complexities remain since the UKs exit from the EU.

The Covid-19 pandemic, the report indicates, revealed some of the issues facing workers who live in the Republic while working in Northern Ireland.

While these workers can in theory access healthcare on either side of the border, the report notes that this often did not happen during the Covid-19 vaccination programmes.

What actually happened was that they were not called up for vaccination, because there was a perception that vaccination entitlement was residence-based.

Subsequently, those who did access vaccination successfully (because they were entitled to it) were not able to register for the UKs Covid vaccination passport, because again the digital infrastructure around the passport was all residence-based, the report says.

It may be that the relevant infrastructure in health and social care in Northern Ireland and Ireland is insufficiently adapted to manage the position of frontier workers under the Withdrawal Agreement, the report notes.

To address these issues, the report calls for NHS infrastructure to be adjusted so that healthcare for cross-border workers is underpinned by consistent administrative practice.

The commission also calls on authorities to provide accurate information in plain language so that the public are aware of their rights.
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BAGHDAD, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Five militants of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group were killed in a clash in a rural area near the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the Iraqi official news agency reported on Tuesday.

A paramilitary Hashd Shaabi force clashed with the IS militants after spotting them late on Monday in the Tarmiyah area, some 30 km north of Baghdad, the Iraqi News Agency said, adding that all five of them were killed.

Over the past months, Iraqi security forces have conducted operations against the extremist militants to crack down on their intensified activities.

The security situation in Iraq has been improving since 2017. However, the IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against the security forces and civilians. 
YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. 11 Armenian servicemen (1 officer, 10 conscripts) were hospitalized after a car crash in Vayots Dzor province on June 7, the defense ministry of Armenia said in a statement.

One of the servicemen suffered a broken rib, the others suffered minor injuries and are in satisfactory condition, the ministry said, adding that their lives are not in danger.

Today, at around 10:40, a vehicle of the defense ministry of Armenia overturned on the Yerevan-Meghri highway. The circumstances of the incident are still unknown.
YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian airline FLYONE Armenia is expanding the geography of its flights, Chairman of the Board of FLYONE Armenia Aram Ananyan told a press conference in Armenpress, adding that they consider several important destinations of the Middle East.

We plan to include Tehran and Beirut this year, and if possible, we will expand the geography in other directions. Our goal is to increase the passenger flow to and outside Armenia. The demand for aviation services is increasing globally. Research shows that the current demand for aviation services passes the pre-pandemic figures. As an airline, we should do everything to meet this demand by responding to the international trends, Aram Ananyan said.

The airline has recently enlarged its aviation park with a new aircraft. The third aircraft  Airbus A319 with 144 seats, has already arrived in Armenia. It allows to expand the geography of flights, add new directions, increase the frequency of flights and provide aviation services in better quality.

You know that problems emerged with the possibility of transit through Turkeys airspace. I would like to note that the problems were resolved also with the active support of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia, Aram Ananyan said.

Starting June 17, the airline is resuming the regular direct flights from Yerevan to Lyon and Paris. The Chairman of the Board said that the possibility of operating charter flights in summer to popular vacation sites for Armenians is also being considered.
Vietnam prioritises co-operation with US in dealing with war aftermath

Deputy Defence Minister Hoang Xuan Chien has affirmed that the nation continues to place great importance on co-operation with the United States to overcome the consequences of war.









Deputy Defence Minister Hoang Xuan Chien hosts USAID Vietnam Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock (Photo:VNA)





The Vietnamese defence official made the statement during a reception held on June 7 in Hanoi for Ann Marie Yastishock, mission director in Vietnam of USAID, and Colonel Thomas Stevenson, US Defence Attache to Vietnam, who came to mark the end of their working term in the country.



Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien congratulated Yastishock and Col. Stevenson on their successful tenure, while simultaneously recognizing their efforts to maintaining and developing positive relations between the two countries and the two defence ministries, as well as the joint comprehensive partnership.



In recent times, both sides have achieved an array of outstanding results, thereby making positive contributions to healing war wounds and consolidating trust between the two countries.



Most notable, both sides have finalized the dioxin detoxification project at Da Nang airport and continued to carry out several projects on dioxin detoxification at Bien Hoa airport, thereby improving the quality of life for Vietnamese people with disabilities in localities which were heavily sprayed with Agent Orange. This is along with dealing with the consequences of bombs, mines, and toxic chemicals after the war.



The two sides also implemented a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on overcoming the consequences of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), as well as boosting co-operation in searching and gathering the remains of Vietnamese martyrs.



Defence co-operation between the two countries has also yielded positive results in terms of dialogue, delegation exchanges, training, search and rescue missions, humanitarian assistance, and UN peacekeeping operations.



The Deputy Minister therefore expressed his hope that Yastishock and Col. Stevenson in their new positions will continue to pay attention to and support the nation in propelling the comprehensive partnership forward in the future.



Yastishock and Col. Stevenson stated their honour at having the chance to work in Vietnam, while recalling their positive feelings for the country and local people, as well as the results of co-operation between the two countries over recent times, especially the concerted efforts to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.



The two US guests thanked the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense for creating favourable conditions and directing the Ministrys relevant agencies to co-ordinate in implementing co-operation fields over recent years. They also pledged to make further positive contributions by providing continued support for Vietnam-US relations in any capacity.
BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- "Only One Earth," the theme of this year's World Environment Day, underlines the significance of preserving biodiversity and protecting ecosystems so as to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature.

"In the universe are billions of galaxies. In our galaxy are billions of planets. But there is #OnlyOneEarth. Let's take care of it," the United Nations said on its website, highlighting ways to reverse the destruction of nature.

One day ahead of World Environment Day, which falls on June 5 annually, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday urged businesses worldwide to put sustainability at the heart of their decision-making for the sake of humanity and their own bottom line.

"We are asking too much of our planet to maintain ways of life that are unsustainable," and this hurts not only Earth but also its inhabitants, the UN chief said.

"This planet is our only home," the top UN official said, warning the planet "cannot keep up with our demands." It is of utmost importance to safeguard the "health of the planet, including its atmosphere, ecosystems and finite resources," Guterres emphasized.

Themed "work together to build a clean and beautiful world," China's national event marking the 2022 World Environment Day was held on Sunday in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

China has achieved inspiring and remarkable outcomes in fighting climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, said on Sunday, commending China's measures on mainstreaming biodiversity, including establishing national parks and drawing up ecological redlines.

At the Thomas van der Hammen Forest Reserve in Bogota, Colombian musicians worked side by side with locals on the World Environment Day, accompanied by nature sounds compiled over three years under the "Bosque Sonoro" initiative.

Combined with a reforestation project led by the citizen collective Sembradores van der Hammen, the initiative has resumed its activities suspended during the pandemic by planting native aliso and hayuelo plant species in the reserve.

"Natural spaces in cities are very important because they give us oxygen, they give us quality of life. They can even protect us from future pandemics, if we have healthy biodiversity in green spaces with oxygen and that we can visit," musician and environmental activist Hector Buitrago told Xinhua.

Pakistan, one of top 10 most climate-vulnerable countries, highly values the global efforts to combat climate change, halt and reverse biodiversity loss, reduce pollution, and restore ecosystems, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The South Asian country is already in the midst of one of the world's most ambitious efforts to expand and restore its forests, according to the foreign ministry.

"We reaffirm our resolve in taking action on combating climate change, protecting biological diversity, and reversing ecosystem degradation," said the foreign ministry.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that India's efforts to protect the environment have been multifaceted.

"India is working on a long-term vision in collaboration with the international community on protecting the environment and established organizations like Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, International Solar Alliance," he said in a speech marking the World Environment Day.

Ethiopia has recently embarked on an ambitious tree-planting initiative, planting over 350 million trees in a single day.

"As a nation, we are committed to environmental protection. In Ethiopia, we brought environmental protection to the level of the constitution," said Getahun Garedew, director-general of the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority (EEPA).

This year's edition of the annual World Environment Day celebrations is a four-day affair in Ethiopia, hosted by the EEPA and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), featuring activities ranging from awareness-raising panel discussions, exhibitions to promotion of environment-friendly initiatives.

UNEP representative to Ethiopia Margaret Oduk said the global community should rethink the current business-as-usual modality as the world is faced with "a nature emergency mode."

"We only have one planet; we only have one earth that we have to live on. So we must protect it as it is our only home," Oduk said. 
The ruling Congress has fielded three candidates from the state for the Rajya Sabha

Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs board a bus and head to Jamdoli ahead of the Rajya Sabha Elections, in Jaipur, Monday, June 6, 2022. (PTI Photo)

Jaipur: The BJP on Monday was shifting its MLAs to a resort here for a training camp ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on June 10, days after a similar move by Rajasthans ruling Congress.

By the afternoon, the Opposition party MLAs had reached the BJP office from where they were to taken to the resort in two buses later.

A BJP spokesperson said the party is going to hold a training camp at the resort.

This is a training camp in which the MLAs will be given training on the Rajya Sabha elections, the leader said.

The Congress has already shifted many of the party and independent MLAs to a hotel in Udaipur, saying it fears horse-trading by the BJP.

The ruling Congress has fielded three candidates from the state for the Rajya Sabha.

The BJP has nominated one candidate and is backing a media baron Subhash Chandra as an independent candidate. The Congress with its 108 MLAs in the state Assembly is set to win two seats. After winning two seats, the Congress will have 26 surplus votes, 15 short of the required 41 to win a third seat.

The BJP has 71 MLAs in the state Assembly and is set to win one seat, after which it will be left with 30 surplus votes.

Congress leaders claim the support of 126 MLAs, including 108 of from the party itself. It needs 123 MLAs to win three seats.
The costs were imposed because the then government had issued the GO to provide 100 per cent reservations

The Supreme Court while quashing GO Ms No. 3 of 2000 imposed a cost of Rs 5 lakh which was divided equally between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. (Representational Image/ ANI)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the Telangana state government two weeks to pay the Rs 2.5 lakh costs imposed on April 22, 2020, after a five-judge Constitution bench had quashed a year 2000 government order issued by the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh government providing for 100 per cent reservation of teachers posts for Scheduled Tribes in schools located in predominantly tribal areas.

The costs were imposed because the then government had issued the GO to provide 100 per cent reservations though the Supreme Court had earlier struck it down.

The top court while quashing GO Ms No. 3 of 2000 imposed a cost of Rs 5 lakh which was divided equally between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Andhra Pradesh has deposited the cost with the top court registry.

A vacation bench comprising Justice M.R. Shah and Justice Aniruddha Bose said that failure of the Telangana government to depost the cost would be viewed very seriously, and indicated that it may haul up the Chief Secretary for not complying with its order passed more than two years ago.

Advocate Akansha Mehra appearing for the Telangana government said that they had filed a review petition. The bench asked how that would stall compliance of an order passed by the court.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra (since retired) and comprising Justice Indira Banerjee, Justice Vineet Saran (since retired), Justice M.R. Shah and Justice Aniruddha Bose had said that 100 per cent reservation for Scheduled Tribes in teachers posts in the schools located predominantly tribal areas was not permissible. No reservation could exceed the limit of 50 per cent as fixed by the top court in the Indra Sawhney case on November 16, 1992.

The top court imposed a cost of Rs 5 lakh saying that it could not ignore the fact that a similar government order was issued in 1986, which was quashed by the State Administrative Tribunal, against which an appeal was preferred in the top court, which was dismissed as withdrawn in the year 1998.

After withdrawal of the appeal from the top court, the judgment said, It was expected of the erstwhile State of Andhra Pradesh not to resort to such illegality of providing 100% reservation once again. But instead, it issued GO Ms No. 3 of 2000, which was equally impermissible...
by Nirmala Carvalho

After the controversy in Tamil Nadu over the failure to appoint a prelate from the 'outcastes', the new archbishop went to administer confirmations in Konankuppam, where almost all Catholics are dalits and there is a great devotion to Our Lady, which Jesuit Fr Beschi wanted dressed in the clothes of local women. A dispensary that will provide access to basic health services to the inhabitants of 10 villages also inaugurated.

Pondicherry (AsiaNews) - The Archbishop of Pondicherry and Cuddalore, Mgr Francis Kalist, has paid a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Periyanayagi (St Mary Major) in the village of Konankuppam, a place very dear to the devotion of Dalits. This was Archbishop Kalist's first visit and takes on special significance in the light of the harsh controversy that accompanied his appointment, which was contested by organised groups of the faithful who demanded an archbishop in Tamil Nadu from the ranks of the 'outcastes', who represent the vast majority of the Catholic population.

Konankuppam is a remote village in the archdiocese where 350 Catholic families live scattered in four villages where there are chapels and seven others without. Ninety-five per cent are dalit, while 35 families are dhobi (another caste considered disadvantaged). The devotion to Our Lady is linked to the work of an Italian missionary, Jesuit Fr. Costanzo Beschi (1680-1747), who in Tamil language was called Viramamunivar (the 'courageous monk') and was a pioneer of inculturation: he wanted a statue of Our Lady here dressed in the sari, earrings and bracelets worn by local women, and for this reason the shrine is visited by believers of all religions.

During his visit to Konankuppam on 31 May, Archbishop Kalist administered Confirmation to 35 boys. "Before the Mass," recounts the parish priest, Fr Devasagaya Raj M Zackarias, former secretary of the office for Dalits of the Indian Bishops' Conference, "he also inaugurated and blessed a newly built dispensary, promoted by the US organisation 'Dalit Solidarity'. Since people here have to travel at least 10 kilometres to reach the hospital, this dispensary will help 10 villages to receive basic health care. We are also looking for a religious congregation of nuns ready to serve in this area".

Fr Zackarias comments, "it was a great experience of faith for the people, to welcome the archbishop for confirmation after three years. Candidates from the most distant villages made a special effort to reach the parish'. Among the initiatives carried out is also the promotion of education: "The current generation," explains the parish priest, "is the first here to attend university. However, especially among girls, there are still many school drop-outs. In the parish, there are many young widows who struggle to give their children an education. The Jesuit province of Chennai is financially supporting two deserving young Dalits to go to university and this year, the diocese also offered scholarships to eight students from this parish.
by Shafique Khokhar

Stephen Masih was arrested more than three years ago after an argument with a neighbour. This forced family to move to a safe place. I hope bail will allow us to provide him with care and assistance, his brother said.

Lahore (AsiaNews)  Reaction was positive to the decision last Saturday by a Lahore court to grant bail to Stephen Masih, a Christian man arrested more than three years ago on alleged blasphemy charges.

The police had raided Stephen's home in March 2019 after he had an altercation with a neighbour who had snuck into the Christian's terrace to retrieve pigeons and after a heated argument accused him of blasphemy.

In fact, as Joseph Jansen, president of Voice of Justice, a non-profit organisation, points out, "this is a clear example of how blasphemy allegations originate from personal disputes rather than real cases.

Shortly after the affair, a mob of fanatics set fire to Masih's house, forcing the family to move to a safer place.

It is unfortunate that the neighbour made the accusations to punish Stephen for the language used during the altercation, said Francis, brother of the accused. I hope bail will allow us to provide him with care and assistance as Stephen has been of unsound mind since birth.

Human rights activist Ashiknaz Khokhar said that the Punjab Institute of Medicine certified that Stephen suffers from bipolar affective disorder and cannot stand trial.

Yet, people accused of blasphemy in Pakistan often spend years in prison before they are granted bail.

For Farooq Bashir, a lawyer representing the Masih family, it was lamentable that none of the neighbours had the courage to make a statement before the court about his [ Stephen's] mental condition due to threats associated with the blasphemy charge.

This shows once again how fake evidence and witnesses are produced in court to settle personal scores, misusing the laws relating to the desecration of religion.

Still, defence attorney Abdul Hameed Rana noted that obtaining bail in this case is a great achievement:

"Stephen has been facing imprisonment for over three years for an alleged offence he has never committed. The case against him has holes, the lawyer said. For our part, we will continue to fight in court to have him acquitted because he is innocent.
by Guido Alberto Casanova

Faced with claims for damages from residents of the village of Miyakoji, a court in Koriyama only ruled against TEPCO, the company that ran the plant, not the Japanese government. In Shimane Prefecture, local authorities decided to restart a local nuclear plant. By 2030 the Japanese government wants 20 per cent of the countrys electricity needs to be met by nuclear plants.

Tokyo (AsiaNews)  The Koriyama branch of the Fukushima District Court issued a ruling last week in connection with the many legal cases associated with the tragic accident at the Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima, on 11 March 2011.

The less than satisfactory verdict, which came last Thursday, involved residents of Miyakoji, a village located just 20 km from the plant.

In the weeks following the nuclear disaster, residents were evacuated from their homes. Eventually, 525 residents decided to take legal action against the government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) that operated the Fukushima plant.

Each plaintiff demanded 11 million yen (US$ 83,000) in compensation for psychological harm. The total amount came just under six billion yen (US$ 45.3 million).

The court ruling left them disappointed. In his verdict, the presiding judge recognised the right of residents to receive compensation for the emotional suffering caused by prolonged evacuation and radiation exposure anxiety, setting the figure for individual compensation at 2 million yen (US% 15,000) for a total of about 1.2 billion yen (US$ 9 million).

The court also limited the blame to TEPCO, not the government. The magnitude of the natural disaster was too great to be predicted.

Even if the government had exercised its regulatory authority and had TEPCO take countermeasures, it could not have been possible to prevent the tsunami from triggering the accident, the judge said,

Moreover, considering that evacuees received from TEPCO a monthly sum of 100,000 yen each until August 2012, the ruling set the total payment for the utility company at 73.5 million yen (US$ 555,000) for all 525 plaintiffs.

During the press conference that followed the ruling, Miyakoji residents said that they are considering an appeal. But theirs is bout one of multiple legal battles currently underway in Japan seeking justice for what happened at Fukushima 11 years ago.

Some 30 legal cases have been brought by evacuees of other areas around Fukushima and a few months ago the Supreme Court ruled in support of their right to compensation.

Meanwhile, nuclear power remains a very sensitive issue in Japan, arousing strong emotions and reactions in the population.

Perception of nuclear power drastically worsened after the Fukushima disaster, but some surveys conducted this year suggest greater acceptance of it.

The complexity of the issue has become clear in the past week. While a district court blocked the reopening of a nuclear power plant in Hokkaido at the request of residents, concerned about their safety, in Shimane prefecture, the governor decided to restart a local plant even though it is located less than 10 km from the capital, home to almost half a million people.

Despite the antagonistic feelings nuclear power generates in the population, the Japanese government has no doubts about it. By 2030, it expects 20 per cent of the country s electricity to be of nuclear origin.
The service was provided by the St Luke's Family of Physicians, a charity founded in 2006 and operated by volunteer physicians and nurses. Several malnourished children from poor families were also treated.

Hanoi (AsiaNews)  Last week hundreds of people in the parish of Son La, Diocese of Hung Hoa, received medical care from the St Luke's Family of Physicians, a non-profit organisation that includes volunteer doctors, nurses and pharmacists.

Doctors examined us with care and attention and gave us free medicines. They explained how to use them and then advised us what to eat to remain healthy, some patients said.

On 29 May, the volunteer medical staff saw some 500 patients, mostly ethnic Kinh, Thai, Hmong, and Khomu, some of them Catholic, from all the districts around the parish of Son La: Thuan Chau, Quynh Nhai, Mai Son and even Moc Chau.

Residents in this mountainous region suffer from several diseases; stomach pain, joint pain, and goiter are the most common, but many children from poor families are also malnourished.

St Luke's Family of Physicians was founded in 2006 by a group of volunteer doctors and immediately received the support of the Bishops Office of the Archdiocese of Hanoi.

In the past 16 years the society has treated more than 30,000 people from different provinces of Vietnam.

Thanks to donations, the charity is also able to provide blankets, mosquito nets and other necessities to the poor.

Although the doctors are not necessarily Christian, they are generous and sacrifice themselves for the poorest patients, said some residents in ong Chiem parish, speaking to AsiaNews.

"This has ignited the heart of every believer, and provided an opportunity for everyone to be aware of the Spirit of charity, working together and proclaiming the good news of God's love.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

77.1% of voters in favour. Numerous objections from independent observers. As many as 33 changes were proposed to democratise the country and overcome the current super-presidentialism. President Tokaev is trying to get rid of the shadow of Nazarbaev, the former "father of the fatherland".

Moscow (AsiaNews) - 77.1% of voters in Kazakhstan voted in favour of the constitutional amendments proposed by President Kasym-Zomart Tokaev, with 18.6% voting against, according to figures officially announced yesterday by the chairman of the Referendum Commission, Nurlan Abdirov. The majority in favour rallied more than 6 million people, and was affirmed in all 17 regions of the country, making the approval, which required an absolute majority of votes in at least two-thirds of the regions, republican cities and the capital Nur-Sultan, effective. The victory of the reform was also confirmed in the 65 seats abroad.

The 1.58% null votes brought together many protesters of the vote in general, who wrote phrases critical of the president and the ruling caste in the bulletin. Despite all of Tokaev's efforts to get rid of the ruling class linked to his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbaev, there are still very hostile feelings among the population, especially in Almaty and the southern part of the country. In reality, void ballots would be 2.58% (over 200,000 people), but many ballots were not counted 'due to the impossibility of determining the will of the voter', as Abdirov explained.

There was no shortage of protests from independent observers, whom the authorities often did not even let into the polling stations or were very restricted in their movements, and who were prevented from documenting the situation with photos and videos. There were several breaches of secrecy in the voting, many ballot papers were handed in without identity documents being checked, there were votes on behalf of relatives and double voting in different polling stations. Many voters photographed the completed ballot paper 'for reporting to work', often with the phone provided by 'inspectors', and several people entered the polling station asking 'who should I vote for?', without knowing anything about the referendum questions.

The police controlled events everywhere with extraordinary security measures, especially in places where spontaneous demonstrations were feared, starting with Almaty, where the opposition had announced protest actions. Observers denounced the arbitrariness of the police officers in many cases, as well as stalking and provocations against them.

The 33 changes to the Constitution will therefore have to prove that they are adequate for the purpose announced by Tokaev, that of the democratisation of the country, overcoming super-presidentialism and strengthening the role of parliament and society. The symbolic value of the referendum remains the overcoming of the 'sacralisation of power' that had formed during the 30-year rule of Nazarbayev, who lost his official title of 'elbasy' (father of the fatherland). The 'eternal' former president went to the polling stations, greeting those present, but without making any statements.

Only in the evening did Nazarbaev grant a brief telephone interview to his 'trusted' political scientist Daniar Asimbaev, in which he mentioned the criminal charges against his many relatives involved in the corruption cases reported in recent months. He shifted all responsibility to the former head of the Knb Security Services, Karim Masimov, who allegedly meddled in the management of the 'Nazarbaev Foundation', one of the organisations that, according to investigators, served to run the president's family's multibillion-dollar business empire.

The future of Kazakhstan is now in the hands of Tokaev, who, if he really succeeds in overcoming the era of 'corrupt satrapies', could become an example for all former Soviet countries, especially those in Central Asia.
Today's headlines: Southeast Asian countries will not reach target decarbonisation levels by 2030; Clash in India over insults to Mohammed by BJP members; Health sector crisis in Lebanon; Former President Ghani allegedly fled Afghanistan with millions of dollars Independent; Independent Russian TV channel reopens in Latvia; Turkmen government commandeers grain production.

TAIWAN

On a visit to the USA, the leader of the nationalist Kuomintang (Kmt) declared that his party is not pro-Beijing. Eric Chu emphasised that the formation he leads has always been pro-US and in defence of Taiwan, adding, however, that he wants to dialogue with China. In opposition, the Kmt is struggling to catch up with President Tsai Ing-wen's pro-independence party.

SOUTH-EAST ASIA

As things stand, no country in the region will be able to reduce polluting emissions by 2030 to a level compatible with a global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius, the limit set by international agreements to contain the effects of global warming. This was revealed in a study by Bain & Company, Temasek and Microsoft.

INDIA

The Modi government is attempting to appease its Muslim population and several Islamic countries after two members of the ruling BJP (Hindu nationalist) party circulated offensive comments about the Prophet Muhammad. The words of the two triggered protests in several parts of India, with an initial toll of 38 arrests.

LEBANON

A dangerous crisis in the health sector is looming in the Land of the Cedars. As pointed out by the Lebanese authorities, hospitals have their bank accounts blocked and are therefore unable to buy medicines and equipment. Due to non-payment, many doctors and nurses have already left the country in search of employment abroad.

AFGHANISTAN

US authorities say it is unlikely that former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled last August with 169 million dollars of state funds. With the Taliban about to enter Kabul, Ghani fled the capital by helicopter and then took refuge in a Gulf country.

RUSSIA-LATVIA

The Latvian Telecommunications Council decided to grant a broadcasting licence to the Russian channel Dozhd, whose editorial staff will move entirely to the Baltic country. In Russia, the channel had been suspended on 3 March because of the 'fake news law', which puts all journalists who disagree with Moscow's official versions of the war in Ukraine in danger of arrest.

TURKMENISTAN

Ashgabat has set very strict rules for the grain harvest as a consequence of growing global concerns about the grain market. Farmers are forced to sign a contract with state bodies, whereby they undertake to hand over the entire harvest to the state, without being allowed to keep even a small part of it for themselves.
JERUSALEM, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday called the past year the "quietest" for the country's southern communities in 17 years, with the lowest number of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.

"The first year of my government was the quietest" since the 2005 Disengagement Plan, according to which Israel unilaterally evacuated settlers and its armed forces from inside the Gaza Strip, Bennett said in his televised remarks at a parliamentary security committee meeting.

"The numbers are clear: in 2019, 1,291 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel. In 2020, 176. In 2021, 3,520 rockets, and in 2022 -- only six rockets, with no casualties and no injuries," he noted.

Israel and Hamas, ruling faction of Gaza, fought their heaviest round of fighting since 2014 in May 2021, before Bennett was sworn in as prime minister in June.

"This is the result of a determined and clear policy" of aggressive counter-attacks for every rocket or incendiary balloon launched from Gaza, the prime minister said.

Militants in the Gaza Strip traditionally fire rockets and balloons attached with incendiary materials toward Israel as part of their struggle against the blockade Israel has imposed on the Palestinian enclave since 2007. 
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BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Air purifiers which once had been a must for many urban citizens in China have gradually fallen out of favor in recent years. This change has been brought about thanks to improved air quality from effective environmental protection measures.

A Beijing citizen, surnamed Cao, encountered a dilemma after moving house, as he did not know what to do with the two air purifiers he had purchased several years ago. They currently sit vacant in the corner of his home.

Air purifiers gained popularity in the Chinese market several years ago. They even became necessities for many homes.

"The popularity of purifiers is closely related to frequent smog and poor air quality," said Cheng Baoping, a sales manager with Yadu Technology Group Co., Ltd., one of China's air purifier manufacturers.

Cheng recalled that about 20 years ago air purifiers were not popular at all. To promote sales, the company even allowed customers to try the machines for free, however this marketing strategy was to little avail.

In the 2010s, the sales of air purifiers started to increase along with people's concerns over air quality as air pollution had worsened in some places.

China's air purifier industry began to surge from 2013, and peaked in 2017 with 7.25 million machines sold and annual sales totalling 16.2 billion yuan (about 2.4 billion U.S. dollars), according to an industry report released by the Shenzhen-based Zhongshang industry research institute.

The industry then continued to decline and the sales scale in 2021 shrank to 6.5 billion yuan, while the annual shipment was only about half of that in 2017, said the report.

In 2018, China launched a campaign against pollution and made specific targets for 2020. By the end of 2020, China had finished those targets ahead of time.

The environment continued to improve last year. The percentage of days with good air quality was 87.5 percent in cities at and above the prefectural level in 2021, up 0.5 percentage points year on year, according to an official report.

The average concentration of hazardous airborne particles PM 2.5 was 30 micrograms per cubic meter, down 9.1 percent year on year, according to the report.

By 2025, carbon dioxide emissions per unit of the country's GDP will be reduced by 18 percent from the level in 2020, according to a circular jointly released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council in 2021.

In cities at or above the prefectural level, the intensity of PM 2.5 will be decreased by 10 percent, the proportion of days with good air quality will reach 87.5 percent during the period, according to the circular.

The improved air quality has also forced these air purifier manufacturers to enhance the functions of their machines. "The purifier industry should meet consumers' demand of health and green in the future," Cheng said. 
Ford dealerships are starting to receive units of the all-electric F-150 Lightning and they are applying massive market adjustments, despite corporates stern orders not to do so.

At Gary Smith Ford in Fort Walton Beach, FL, a Ford F-150 Lightning Pro trim, which is retailed at $69,554, had its market price doubled thanks to a markup applied by the dealership. The cost of the truck after accessories and the market adjustment eclipses $140,600.

The picture comes courtesy of RDeFran, a member of the F-150 Lightning Forum, who was sent the photograph by a friend on vacation.

Just after Ford announced production of the F-150 Lightning had begun in late April, the company sent a message to dealers warning them of repercussions that could come with applying dealership markups.

The sale of any F-150 Lightning FCTP (Ford Courtesy Transportation Program) Mannequin unit to a final customer prior to meeting all in-service requirements will result in a penalty of $25,000 unless the FCTP Mannequin unit can be replaced with another F-150 Lightning within 90 days, Ford said in its communication to dealers. It will also result in the unit being ineligible for any retail bonus cash incentives and chargeback of any FCTP 30/60/90/120 Day incentives and will result in dealer ineligibility for future FCTP Mannequin programs.

This did not necessarily stop some dealers from applying the markups, as DCH Ford of Thousand Oaks in Westlake Village, CA, also had several hefty markups on its F-150 Lightning units. Another Ford dealer in Napa, CA, had a 2022 F-150 Lightning Platinum listed for almost $134,000, a roughly $40,000 increase in price from its MSRP.

Ford has lofty plans for the F-150 Lightning and plans to build at least 160,000 units annually. The vehicle is a part of the automakers massive switch to electrification, which it recently committed to with a $3.7 billion investment into new EV and ICE products, which will establish 6,200 additional UAW jobs.

We thank Teslarati for reprint permission.
CVT

Accessible here , it starts with an important decision, as you will have to choose between having it with the, from $30,800, or the six-speed manual transmission, from $35,800. This is the most expensive option, and after choosing the stick shift (you werent considering on going with the CVT, were you?), you will have to decide what color suits it best.We went for Platinum White Pearl, adding another $500 to the final cost of the car . For the Ebony, Red, or Orchid interior shade, with Dark Metal Trim, you wont have to pay more, but you will for the actual options, which vary from the Carbon Fiber Styling Package, to valve stem caps, wheel lug nuts, illuminated or glossy black emblems, several carbon fiber add-ons, protection film, door visors, and so on.A mid-size roof box will set you back an extra $555, and it requires the roof rack, otherwise a $399 standalone option. The splash guard set, door edge guard, wheel locks, car cover, and others will further bump the price of the 2023 Integra. Backlit entry sills, different floor mats, heated steering wheel, pet rear cabin liner, seat back protector, trunk tray, cargo net, cargo organizer, and engine block heater are other extras available.Once we ticked every box, our 2023 Acura Integra build ended up costing $46,603, $10,803 over the MSRP. So, how much does yours cost, and what does it look like? Before having your way with the tool, we will remind you that the car is powered by a 200 hp and 192 lb-ft (260 Nm) of torque 1.5-liter turbo-four, and that the first copies will arrive at dealers nationwide this month.
AWD

FWD

Now, that move might seem odd, but it was devised to give the New Worlds HR-V a better fighting chance against the popular CR-V. Thus, with a Civic-based philosophy and a subtle design, plus a more responsive powertrain, higher-specked cabin, and loads of tech features, let us welcome the all-new HR-V into the Americana lifestyle.Honda kicks everything off by claiming the new HR-V has aspirational qualities beyond its segment, so it naturally arrives with the Civics 2.0-liter four-pot that is 17 hp more powerful than its predecessors 1.8-liter with 158 hp. And it is also a bit thirstier, according to the EPA mileage ratings . More importantly, there is an availablesystem for when the tough get going outside of the beaten, tarmac-laden path.The new generations highlights include the restrained, upscale exterior and interior design, Hondas new global architecture, shared with the 11th-gen Civic, standard 7-inch digital instrument cluster plus a seven or optional nine-inch HD touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility on the top trim, among many others.Speaking of grades, Honda has also announced the pricing details for each version. The 2023 HR-V kicks off in the United States at an MSRP of $23,650 ($24,895 with the $1,245 destination charge) in LX form, with front-wheel drive. The AWD LX is $25,150, then Sport variants go for $25,650 () and $27,150 (AWD), followed by the flagship EX-L at $27,450 (FWD) and $28,950 (AWD), respectively.Last, but not least, safety is paramount for the Japanese automaker, so there is a standard Honda Sensing bundle with lots of tech features, plus front occupant knee and rear passenger side-impact airbags are offered from the get-go.
Theyre not elephants, of course, but one could easily associate the transport airplanes used by some of the air forces of the world with the heaviest land mammal, and wonder how on Earth they can stay in the air.Case in point, this image here, showing two C-17 Globemaster IIIs as they come in toward the camera-wielding airman positioned just right to catch them on digital film forever. The first Globemaster, the one closest to the camera, belongs to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), while the one further out is with the U.S. Air Force (USAF).They are seen here, seemingly stacked, as they were performing an aerial maneuver training mission around the Hawaiian Islands as part of Exercise Global Dexterity 2022, held in early May at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.The Globemaster is not exactly the biggest military transport airplanes out there (that title goes to the C-5 Super Galaxy ), but its not to be messed with either.From the outside, the plane impresses with a wingspan of over 169 feet (almost 52 meters). Four Pratt & Whitney engines capable of developing 40,440 pounds each dangle from under the wings, and allow the Globemaster to take off weighing as much as 585,000 pounds (265,352 kg).Inside, the beast can fit in a 88 feet/27 meters long cargo compartment a complement of 102 troops and their gear, or 170,900 pounds (77,519 kg) of cargo distributed on 18 pallet positions.The U.S. has a herd of over 200 of them currently in operation.
We'd all love to get a piece of the raging V8s from the 30s . Considering their history, they must cost a hefty penny. Richard Rawlings from Gas Monkey Garage was fortunate enough to stumble upon such a car. It's not the famous Bonnie and Clyde death car, but much better, a V12 Lincoln Sedan.I am no mastermind, but to pull off a successful bank heist today would require a stash of cash, a change of identity, multiple passports, and tons of tech to manipulate the system. Back in the 30s, all you needed was some adrenaline, firepower, and a powerful getaway car.It explains why Bonnie and Clyde fancied the 1934 Ford Model 40 B Fordor Deluxe Sedan . It's even rumored that Clyde was so into these Ford Sedans that he wrote a letter to Henry Ford thanking him for designing such a great car.Rawlings' new classic might not be the famous getaway car, but it's more aggressive. It's a V12 1936 Lincoln K-Series sedan. It's one of a few cars he got from a 40-plus classic car nest abandoned in a factory in Alabama.Phipps, Gas Monkey Garage's technician, checks the car and runs it before going for a test drive with Rawlings. It's a successful test run, even though they barely made it back after coolant started gushing off an untightened cap (Phipps' mistake).Rawlings, unlike Jay Leno, collects cars for profit. He doesn't plan on doing the restoration, and the new V12 1936 Lincoln K-Series sedan will likely get a new owner. We hope they give it a new lease on life, considering it's a running car with repairable cosmetic wear.
When Tesla started hiring for the Giga Berlin , roughly one in every five engineering graduates told Universum that they would like to work at Tesla. The result was shocking as the local car manufacturers have always been among the top workplaces in the country for freshly graduated engineers. A different picture was recorded this year, with Tesla falling to number four in graduates preferences.To be sure, Tesla is not so much to blame for this downgrade, as the American employer only lost 3.3 percentage points in graduates preferences. On the other hand, local carmakers increased their grip on the job market. Porsche leads the pack, with almost 26% of engineering graduates wishing to work for the company. The sportscar maker is followed by Mercedes-Benz, with 19.2%. BMW and Volkswagen also got more popular with the graduates, up 0.4% and 1.0% respectively.According to Universum manager Tina Smetana, the uncertainties at Tesla hurt the carmakers attractiveness. Not knowing what to expect from Teslas work environment and Elon Musks erratic tweets drove people away, prompting them to think twice about a potential career at Tesla.Now that not much more is known about the specific working climate at Tesla, many students are apparently changing their minds, Smetana said for WirtschaftsWoche Musk recently threatened to terminate contracts for employees working remotely and also said it aims to trim Teslas workforce in light of an imminent economic crisis. Musk later backtracked, saying Tesla would actually hire more workers, but the damage was already done.
Falcon Aviation isn't the only company that has expressed interest in Eve's projects. There's a growing list of operators from all parts of the world that want to integrate air taxis into their fleet, including Helisul Aviation in Brazil, Nautilus Aviation in Australia, and Republic Airways in the U.S.Eve is also collaborating with some of the biggest players in the industry, such as Rolls-Royce and Thales. Recently, it has joined forces with Porsche to accelerate the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem.Now, the Embraer-backed startup is betting on Dubai, which is one of the biggest international aviation hubs. In April, Eve teamed up with Falcon, a UAE-based business aviation services operator in the MENA Region, to put its Evtols on Dubai's skies.Eve and Falcon will collaborate with "local stakeholders and authorities" to help the UAE expand its UAM ecosystem. From 2026, Dubai is expected to welcome 35 flying taxis. The two companies plan to launch the world's first eVTOL tourist flights from Atlantis, The Palm."We are thrilled about partnering with Falcon and having the immense opportunity to enable the future urban mobility in the United Arab Emirates and launch eVTOL flights in Dubai. This is a massive challenge for both companies, which will help to position Dubai as a leader in the urban air mobility market," said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve.As for Eve's eVTOL , the details are still kept under wraps. We know that it will be all-electric, and its design will focus on offering the ultimate comfort to the passengers. The aircraft promises to deliver sustainable trips with low noise levels. To date, the air taxi has reached several milestones, including the first flight of the engineering simulator, which took place in July 2020.
The automaker is accused of conspiracy to defraud regulators and customers by making false and misleading representations about more than 100,000 vehicles equipped with the six-cylinder turbo diesel. The SUVs and trucks in question were manufactured for the 2014, 2015, and 2016 model years.In other words, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles cheated emissions and compliance with federal standards before Volkswagens Dieselgate scandal came to light. According to the companys admissions, FCA US LLC developed a 3.0-liter turbo diesel for use in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 as early as 2010. The automaker designed a specific marketing campaign for this engine around the clean EcoDiesel catchline, which is as insulting as it gets following the verdict described earlier in the intro.Beyond the fraudulent software installed in these vehicles, Fiat Chrysler has avoided regulatory scrutiny while maintaining the clean EcoDiesel catchline to attract customers. The software in question calibrates the powerplants emissions control systems to produce fewer nitrous oxides during the federal test procedure, which is the mirror image of Volkswagens so-called defeat device. Under normal driving conditions, the V6 engine produces way more nitrous oxides than the regulations allow.Three FCA employees await trial, indicted for conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA). They face six counts of violating the Clean Air Act, signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson.At the moment of writing, Jeep and Ram continue selling the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 in the Wrangler and 1500 pickup truck, exclusively connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission marketed under the TorqueFlite moniker. The fuel-sipping V6 turbo diesel officially cranks out 260 horsepower and 442 or 480 pound-feet (600 or 650 Nm) of torque.
Celebrating its 60th anniversary, Salone del Mobile.Milano or the Milan Furniture Fair is an event that supports and celebrates innovation in the field of interior design and more. This year the emphasis has been more than ever on sustainability, providing space for more than 2,000 international exhibitors to express their ideas on their way to change the world.At its 17th participation in the Milan design week event, Lexus unveiled its "Sparks for Tomorrow" project, a futuristic interweaving of prototypes, lights and art, meant to shape the image of the future in people's minds.The centerpiece of the Lexus exhibition is represented by a wireframe sculpture of the RZ , the first battery-electric Lexus model. Designed by the American Award winner Architect, Germane Barnes, the ON/ installation embodies Lexus' vision of an electrified, carbon-neutral and human-centred future. Suspended just above the ground for a more dramatic effect, the steel wire sculpture of the RZ is illuminated by Aqua Creations' Code 130 silk collection of colorful pendant lights, creating an environment that is infused with heightened sense of materiality. A lounge area featuring the new ToTeM lighting collection by Aqua Creations provides a moment of reflection.Also during the event, the six finalists of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 contest are presenting their innovative ideas materialized around the principles that define the Lexus brand: 'Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate'. Under the careful and precious guidance of leading mentors, promising talents shared their original proposals and created prototypes for the next generation of Lexus luxury vehicles in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.Visitors can also admire new luxury transport concepts, shaped by postgraduate students at the Intelligent Mobility Design Centre (IMDC) within the "2040: The Soul of Future Premium" project powered by Lexus. Created for the Royal College of Art in London, UK, the six-months programme has encouraged ideas that will incorporate Lexus into urban life as a communion between man, technology and nature."We are excited to return to Milan Design Week with an incredible array of projects that highlight next generation design and our commitment at Lexus to forging a path towards a carbon-neutral future through technology, craftsmanship, and innovation," commented Brian Bolain, Lexus' global head of marketing.
Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, learns about the urban renewal of Shenyang at a cultural square in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 5, 2022. Han made a research tour to Liaoning Province on Sunday and Monday. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

SHENYANG, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng has called for deepening reform and innovation to promote high-quality development, amid efforts to revitalize northeast China's old industrial base in an all-round way.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a research tour to northeast China's Liaoning Province on Sunday and Monday.

The key to the revitalization and development of northeast China is to create a sound legal environment, said Han, stressing efforts to stimulate market vitality through reform and innovation, and to rejuvenate state capital, with foreign and private capital developing together.

It is important to gather talent, build various platforms for young people to find jobs or start their own businesses, and provide strong talent support for economic development, noted Han.

Calling for urban renewal in light of local conditions, Han also underscored efficient coordination between epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development, as well as positive contributions to stabilizing the macroeconomic market.

Equipment manufacturing is of paramount importance for the country, said Han as he inspected industrial transformation and upgrades at local enterprises in the cities of Shenyang and Dalian, calling for full play to be given to Liaoning's traditional advantages and the strengthening of equipment manufacturing.

The vice premier also stressed the need to further implement the innovation-driven development strategy, strengthen the leading role of enterprise innovation, and continue to promote breakthroughs in core technologies within key fields. 

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, learns about the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, technology research and development, and industrialization at Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 6, 2022. Han made a research tour to Liaoning Province on Sunday and Monday. (Xinhua/Li Tao)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

NHTSA

Founded in 1898, the American multinational that bears the name of the gentleman who invented vulcanized rubber is also trying to make amends for the G159 saga. It all started in December 2018, as the result of a court order authorizing the release of some tell-tale records to the. The federal watchdog obtained many complaints and claims alleging G159 tires used on Class A motorhomes have failed unexpectedly, causing serious injuries and even death.The increasing number of reports obviously suggested a safety-related issue, a tread separation issue that has been covered up by Goodyear for more than two decades. The company knew as early as 1996 that G159s are not capable of handling the weight and punishment of large recreational vehicles, and Goodyear has also under-reported failures to theOn April 4th of 2018, Superior Court of Arizona Maricopa County Judge John Hannah unveiled 458 failures compared to 58 failures reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Judge John Hannah further uncovered seven injuries rather than 74 deaths and injury claims.The latest development of the G159 saga concerns 173,237 tires with date codes 046 through 0403. The rubber boots in question measure 275/70 by 22.5 inches, and as ever, the tread may separate from the tire without prior warning. The remedy tires are listed as Goodyears G670. Any person that presents a motorhome with the subject G159s will receive a similarly-sized G670 at no extra cost, not even for dismounting, disposing, mounting, and balancing. Additionally, the peeps at Goodyear will provide a voucher to cover the cost of having the Class A motorhome professionally weighed.Suspect G159s were produced between 1996 and 2003, as per the attached report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Well, if they wind up building anything close to what John O'Malley's custom 1999 Dakota R/T swapped with a Hellcat engine, chances are pretty good Americans would buy them. Let's take a look at some of the highlights. Firstly, it has to be noted what a clean and handsome-looking 1999 Dakota this example happens to be. After years of seeing Dakotas of this vintage rust into oblivion, it's a lovely change of pace.But of course, this truck is all about what's going on under the hood. It's a supercharged 6.2-liter Mopar Hellcat engine famous under the hood of the Charger, Challenger, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, among others. All this considerable power is fed through an 8HP90 eight-speed automatic transmission to an awaiting factory 9.25-inch rear end with a Detroit Truetrac differential.O'Malley estimates that less than 200 Dodge Dakotas were sold in this stunning blue paint color back in 1999, which might anger a handful of purists out there. But rest assured, when you see how bursting at the seams this truck is with modern technology, including in the interior, it's enough to turn the most jaded skeptic into a believer. The fact the considerable amount of wiring underneath the modern Mopar dash isn't sticking out from under the dashboard is a grand accomplishment within itself.Based out of Canada, John O' Malley chronicles this build as well as all the other awesome custom builds under his belt on his own YouTube channel . His next project is to do the very same thing he did to this Dakota, but instead to a late 2000s Ram 1500. Now that's a build we can't wait to see.
The goal was to forge even closer ties with Ferrari, which in the end clearly had a positive effect seen as how Haas have already amassed 15 points this season, after combining for just three points across both the 2020 and 2021 campaigns.During a recent interview, Magnussen was quoted by Motorsport as saying that changes within the American outfit have been noticeable, resulting in a clear improvement of the cars development rate.Yeah, thats been a nice change in the team, he said while referring to the Haas hub in Maranello. The year Ive been away, theyve moved. Its a bigger group now in Maranello, I think that helps communication between the different departments, just being able to go and talk to each other.Our team for all those years have been spread out over the world: in the US; and then two places in Italy and one in England, so very spread out. And I think in terms of communication, it makes it easier when you can just go to mates desk and have a chat.So, its better, and its also grown, and we have more people, and it feels better. And, of course, the car shows that too. So, its in a good place Haas are pointing."Despite looking a lot stronger this year and obtaining points in three of the first four races, neither Magnussen nor his teammate Mick Schumacher have finished inside the top 10, with both drivers failing to finish the race altogether in Monaco, last time around.Still, with 15 points already under their belt, Haas sit just 3 points behind AlphaTauri for P7 in the Constructors Standings.
Attending the #MemphisPride Fest this weekend? Be on the lookout for the Ford Pride Bronco!



Memphis is the perfect place to debut this one-of-a-kind Bronco and highlight that @Ford and @BlueOvalCity are inclusive and welcoming to everyone! pic.twitter.com/YNs62yfOZu  Mike Levine (@mrlevine) June 3, 2022

Officially dubbed the Ford Pride Bronco, it was showcased last weekend, at the Memphis Pride Fest, and will be attending various other events throughout the summer, including the Motor City Parade in Detroit, on June 11-12, and the Block Party at the Ann Arbor YMCA on June 25.What sets it apart from the rest of the Broncos? Well, that would be the very lively looks, with the rainbow bedecking almost the entire front end, and flowing toward the sides, and at the rear. The rest of the vehicle has a glittery gold finish, and colorful Ford logos on the rear side windows.Bronco is bold, proud, and tough, and its built for everyone. With Blue Oval City just an hour away, Memphis is the perfect place to debut this Bronco, and show folks in Tennessee that Ford is an inclusive company that strives to make sure everyone feels welcome, commented the companys Pride Chair and Integration Product chief, Bill Peters.As interesting as it may be, the Pride Bronco wouldve been more appealing should it have been based on the Raptor. That model packs a 3.0-liter V6, mated to a ten-speed auto, and four-wheel-drive, and it has 418 hp and 440 lb-ft (597 Nm) of torque to play with. Pricing starts at $68,500, before destination.Last year, the Dearborn automaker celebrated Pride by introducing a special Ranger Raptor that had similar looks to the Pride Bronco. That truck was created in response to a homophobic comment on the marques social media, as someone said the Raptors blue color is very gay. As a result, Ford named the special vehicle the  Very Gay Raptor .
SUV

WLTP

Polestar has announced plans to launch one new model per year for the next three years. The star of 2022 is the Polestar 3, which opens up a new chapter for the Swedish brand. This would be the firstwearing the Polestar badge and the first model built on the new dedicated SPA2 architecture. For the Americans, it is important to know that it is also the first Polestar made in the U.S. Not coincidentally, a Polestar 3 prototype was presented in New York last December.The first clear picture of the Polestar 3, released today, shows a blend between a coupe and a crossover, with design cues taken from the Precept study. Make no mistake, this is a luxury mid-size SUV that should give Tesla Model X a run for its money. Priced at around $85,000 (80,000 euros), it should also be more affordable while at the same time offering a more upscale ambiance.To compete with the Model X, the Polestar 3 will feature semi-autonomous driving powered by the best-in-class LiDAR sensor from Luminar and centralized NVIDIA computing power . The launch model will feature a dual-motor drivetrain powered by an extended battery. This should give the Polestar 3 enough stamina to travel over 600 km (372 miles) according to the Europeanstandard.The Polestar 3 will be manufactured at Volvos assembly plant in South Carolina alongside the future Volvo XC90. The production is scheduled for early 2023 when the next Volvo XC90 is also expected. Both models share the same architecture and possibly more, but will definitely be distinct in their character. While the Volvo will offer supreme ride comfort and luxury, the Polestar 3 will be tuned with a sportier chassis as a performance-oriented SUV.
A problem that seems to become more and more widespread is just the living proof in this regard.Users have discovered that after a recent Android Auto update , making phone calls when the app is running on the screen in their cars is no longer possible with Google Assistant.Everything works properly when Android Auto isnt running, but otherwise, whenever the assistant is requested to make a phone call, it stops dialing for absolutely no reason.All reports indicate a similar behavior, with Google Assistant apparently correctly recognizing the contact and then starting dialing. However, before the call connects, the assistant returns to the last screen all of a sudden.Manually making a phone call seems to be the only workaround, but of course, this is a big no-no when the vehicle is in motion.Users claim theyve tried everything to fix Google Assistant, including clearing the cache and even reinstalling Bluetooth devices. However, nothing seems to be doing the trick right now, as this behavior persists no matter what.Google is yet to acknowledge the bug, but worth knowing is the issue may not be directly related to Android Auto but rather caused by a recent Google app update. Of course, this is just a guess on our side, as nobody knows for sure who the culprit for this problem really is, but given Google Assistant is the one malfunctioning, this scenario is worth investigating as well.In the meantime, it looks like Android Auto 7.8 , which is currently available as part of the beta program, doesnt bring any improvement on this front, so most likely, users will have to wait a little bit longer for a fix.
The sheer amount of elbow grease thats gone into restoring this 1970 Moto Guzzi Ambassador 750 is quite simply dazzling. For starters, its bodywork was refinished in a fresh layer of white paint, which is accompanied by red and black accents all-round. On the other hand, the frame was first media-blasted then powder-coated, while the brightwork components have all been re-chromed to keep things looking shiny.Additionally, theres an LED bulb fitted inside the bikes taillight assembly, and youll spot separate rider and pillion saddles replacing the standard two-up seat. Before receiving a pair of Dunlop D404 tires, Mandello del Larios antique jewel saw its 18-inch Borrani hoops rebuilt with new spokes and bearings. This startling Ambassador also features adjustable Progressive Suspension shocks and reconditioned drum brakes.During the extensive overhaul performed by the current owner, the Guzzis engine got treated to a higher-spec camshaft, aftermarket pistons and modern valves, as well as youthful bearings, seals and gaskets. Exhaust gases flow through fresh headers and slash-cut MAC mufflers, while electricity gets transmitted where it's needed via a replacement wiring harness.As for its general specifications, the 70 MY Ambassador 750 is brought to life by a longitudinally-mounted 748cc V-twin mill thats paired with a four-speed constant-mesh gearbox. Sporting two valves per cylinder and DellOrto carburetion technology, the air-cooled powerhouse is capable of unleashing up to 60 ponies at the crankshaft. Right, time has come for us to tell you whats the deal with this Italian relic.The reconditioned stunner is currently up for grabs on the BaT (Bring a Trailer) platform, and you may place your bids at no reserve until Friday, June 10. With three days to go before the bidding deadline, one would have to be in possession of approximately ten grand in order to secure this purchase , as the top bid is registered at $8,000 for the time being.
At this point, one things for sure: Rivian picked a very good place for its Illinois factory. Normal is exactly what you want from an auto manufacturing business. Besides the inspiring name, the place is also perfectly positioned to support business expansion. Seeing how things are currently going on at Rivian, one can only assume the company is eager to establish new production and distribution centers.The host of the tour is none other than the CEO RJ Scaringe himself. He can be seen touching base with a worker before addressing you  the viewer and a potential customer. It might look a tiny bit scripted, but its encouraging to see that an executive has such a close relationship with the employees who make the Rivian dream a reality.The footage shows multiple assembly lines and different sectors of the plant. Everything is put together to look as dynamic as possible since Rivian wants everyone to believe theyre doing the best they can given the current circumstances and market conditions. But as you watch more of the edited recording, you find out the company is moving forward and becoming better with each experience.The robots are putting in the hard work to transporting the heavy parts through the factory, and the motorized arms are also organized in a parallel line that offers Rivian the opportunity to increase productivity for the R1T, R1S, and the EDV.The metal for the all-electric trucks and vans is stamped in the plant, and the mixture of steel and aluminum is present to provide structural integrity and top-notch crash resistance.RJ Scaringe says the young American automaker is working with over 400 suppliers to make sure everything is getting on the factory floor on time, even though they had some issues with the seats for the EDVs ordered by Amazon.Theres also a paint shop that has been designed to be efficient and as environmentally friendly as possible.Rivian also assembles the motors and builds the battery submodules, modules, and packs. But you have to see for yourself the entire thing, especially when you get to hear the CEO saying an inflection point has been reached. The entire video is a clear step up from what we've seen just two months ago on a third-party plant tour . Theres some good news in the video down below for investors, but also customers and potential future Rivian buyers.
DCT

Roddy Ricch, whose real name is Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr., rose to fame in 2018 with his single Die Young. He was just 20 at the time.Now, at 23-year-old old, he has quite a big fanbase and 6.7 million followers on his Instagram account. There, the rapper gets to truly be himself. If you take a casual look at his page, youll see that the rapper loves flaunting his cars, and has quite a few of them, including a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, a Bentley Bentayga, a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, a Lamborghini Urus, and a Chevrolet Suburban.But the latest he flaunted is his Ferrari F8 Tributo. This isnt the first time he showed it off, though. At the beginning of the year, the 23-year-old flaunted his supercar at a gas station and tried its limits on the highway. His supercar is the result of hard work from Platinum Motorsports automotive repair shop. It comes with a dark matte finish and has been fitted with aftermarket wheels from Forgiato.The Italian brand introduced the line in 2019. It's put in motion by a powerful 4.0-liter V8 engine that sends out 700 horsepower (710 ps) at 7,000 rpm, and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) of torque at 3,250 rpm to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatictransmission.With these figures, you can expect it to be fast, and, similar to other models from the Maranello brand, it is. The F8 Tributo can accelerate from zero to 62 mph (0-100 kph) in just 2.9 seconds and has a top speed of 211 mph (340 kph).Given its performance and exotic exterior, one can see why Roddy Ricch has such a liking for this supercar, despite the other fast cars in his collection.
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AMG

Tyson The Gypsy King Fury loves his cars and has quite an impressive collection of expensive models. His latest video posted on his Instagram proves just that. With a particular liking for Rolls-Royce, the professional boxer gave us a tour of his Rolls-Royce Cullinan.The behemoth comes with a British racing green exterior to which he added a light beige interior, making it as luxurious as it gets. He gave us the tour with Rick Ross song Hustlin in the background and he turns the camera to himself as he sits in the, singing along with the song. And it's definitely a hustler's ride.Introduced in 2018, the Cullinan serves as the first and only SUV in the British carmakers current lineup. Rolls-Royce fitted it with its powerful 6.75-liter V12 twin-turbocharged engine, which, mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission, sends 563 horsepower (570 ps) at 5,000 revs and a torque of 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) to both axles.The SUV is able to hit 62 mph (100 kph) from a standstill in 5.2 seconds and has a top speed limited to 155 mph (250 kph).Usually meant to be enjoyed from the backseat, the professional boxer loves getting in the drivers seat, too. In fact, he took out his Cullinan a couple of months ago , to celebrate a fight. But he didnt go to a Michelin-starred restaurant, but to McDonalds, followed by his wife, Paris, driving in a separate car, a Mercedes-G-Wagen.In the past, Fury made headlines for flipping Rolls-Royces for smaller cars. He sold a couple of Rolls-Royce Phantoms to get a 2006 Volkswagen Passat and a 15-year-old Mercedes-Benz S-Class. But we just dont see him sell his Rolls-Royce Cullinan for any econobox.
TEHRAN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's defense chief told the visiting Iraqi interior minister on Tuesday that Iraq's security can be strengthened with the assistance of Iran's military equipment and police gear, Tasnim news agency reported.

During a meeting with Othman al-Ghanmi, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said Iran has valuable experience in fighting terrorism, noting the two counties had security cooperation in battling the Islamic State (IS) militants during their violence in Iraq.

Ashtiani said the West has used anti-terrorism to justify their presence in the region and "create division among nations," urging Iran and Iraq to be more vigilant and strengthen cooperation accordingly.

"We believe that the countries in the region and West Asia should manage regional security, as achieving stability and peace will be impossible as long as extra-regional forces are present in this region," Ashtiani was quoted by Tasnim as saying.

For his part, al-Ghanmi appreciated Iran's support for his country to fight terrorism, noting bilateral cooperation and exchanges should be strengthened in all aspects to improve security and promote development. 
SUV

Right now, the 2023 Nissan Z rides a wave of goodwill so great it feels like a tsunami that has engulfed all previous apparitions as well, including the Nissan S30 series that was also called the Datsun 240/260/280Z. Frankly, if I were them, I would have just allowed the late division to live on as a rebranded seventh-generation ZAlas, the Datsun ship has already sailed toward the eternal plains of car Valhalla, and there might be nothing one could do to sway it back. That is so utterly sad, especially since old Datsun Zs have started to receive a lot more attention, both across the real worlds used car market and over in the virtual realm . The latest digital creation to spark our interest has arrived in a freshly updated lighting studio courtesy of Basel Masri, the Jordanian automotive CGI artist better known as baselvisions on social media.The pixel master has cooked up a perfectly dark and moody photoshoot setting for this menacing beast , which is said to be whatevers left of a Datsun 280Z by the author himself. We get the allusions even though we are not graced with all the POVs we were hoping for. Still, that is enough to understand this virtual project has been taken beyond a normal restomod setup with help from an exposed carbon fiber body, as well as a digitally-crazy slammed widebody attitude.Plus, this all-black Z car would make even the latest murdered-out Rolls-Royce Cullinan custom ultra-luxurysmile approvingly at the sight of this Darth Vader-like creation. After all, it only has a couple of blue exhaust hints toward the sky-like interior, as well as dark-bronze deep-dish aftermarket wheels and dark-yellow brake calipers while everything else absorbs light exactly like a black hole  including the Datsun 280Z badges!
Such is the case for Gucci Mane , whose real name is Radric Delantic Davis, and his wife, Keyshia Kaoir. Together, the two have an estimated net worth of over $30 million and live a very comfortable lifestyle.Keyshias latest Instagram video proves just that. The two went out for a date and decided to do it in style. The couple, who met in 2010 during the filming of his music video, 911 Emergency, has been married since 2017, and share a two-year-old son, Ice Davis. So, once in a while, its always nice to have a grown-up outing and enjoy.But their date isnt like any other couples, because, for that, they had almost the entire Rolls-Royce lineup following them, all in red.Keyshia arrived at the venue in a red Rolls-Royce Wraith, but they also had their red Rolls-Royce Phantom, Cullinan, and Dawn with them. She captioned the video of pure luxury and wealth: Only Red Rolls Royces when the Wopsters pull up???? #RealHeavy, a hint at their nickname. The only car missing to complete the current Rolls-Royce lineup is the Ghost.Besides the red vehicles, the couple has more cars in their garage, if you can believe it. Theres also another Rolls-Royce Cullinan, full-on orange , and a few yellow ones , a limited edition LaFerrari and an 812 GTS, and a Ferrari F8 Tributo. The family is all about colorful rides and Keyshia also owns a purple Lamborghini Urus and a custom Lamborghini Aventador SV in yellow paint.But there's nothing that screams wealth and fame than pulling up with almost the entire Rolls-Royce fleet for date night.
An Armenian opposition statement on the meeting said they discussed security challenges facing Armenia and Karabakh and agreed to strive to expand the opposition campaign in Yerevan.

We agreed to jointly fight for an Armenian future for Artsakh and Armenia, Davit Galstian, who leads one of the three opposition parties represented in the Karabakh parliament, said on Tuesday.

This was the kind of a meeting which the Armenian authorities refuse to hold, Galstian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. That is to say that there is no cooperation between the two parliaments and other state bodies.

He said that Karabakhs opposition forces are not staging large-scale protests in Stepanakert because the authorities there continue to reject any settlement that would restore Azerbaijani control over the territory. By contrast, he said, the Armenian government is reluctant to make clear that Artsakh was, is and will remain Armenian.

Pashinian declared on April 13 that the international community is pressing Armenia to lower the bar on the question of Nagorno-Karabakhs status and recognize Azerbaijans territorial integrity. He signaled Yerevans intention to make such concessions to Baku.

Armenian opposition leaders portrayed the statement as further proof that Pashinian has agreed to Azerbaijani control over Karabakh. The authorities in Stepanakert also deplored it. In a resolution, the Karabakh parliament demanded that the Armenian authorities abandon their current disastrous position.

Pashinian insisted afterwards that he will not cut any peace deals with Azerbaijan without consulting with the Karabakh leadership.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has signed a proclamation making Juneteenth an official city holiday to celebrate the end of slavery in the U.S. Garcetti said during a signing ceremony Monday that the commemoration was overdue and a small step toward undoing systemic racism in the nation
by Xinhua writer Luo Jingjing

BRASIL NOVO, Brazil, June 6 (Xinhua) -- For students and teachers at the Padre Leo Schneider School in Brazil, going to school will be much easier in a couple of months after the road outside their school is paved with asphalt and built with drainage system and concrete sidewalks.

"The asphalt (pavement) project has been desired for a long time. Our community is very old. In winter it was very muddy and in summer there was a lot of dust. We have red clay and it muddied the classroom, and when there came a motorcycle, it even fell," Marliette Rodrigues, principal of the school located in the city of Brasil Novo in Para state of Brazil, told Xinhua in a recent interview right in front of the school gate.

Transportation difficulties have not only caused inconvenience for students and teachers, but also affected work of the school.

"We have quality professionals but they wouldn't come here because of the mud and steep slopes. With the asphalt road the community will be bigger and we'll definitely have greater student attendance," Rodrigues said.

What she called as the "asphalt project" is part of "The Para Sustainable Municipalities Project", which includes developing urban mobility, sanitation and communication programs in a number of cities alongside the Trans-Amazonian highway in Para. Brasil Novo is one of the cities benefiting from the 50-million-U.S. dollar loan project granted by the New Development Bank (NDB), also known as the BRICS bank, in March 2018.

When she was informed that the project was funded by the NDB, the principal said that "we are living in a century of a globalized culture" and the partnership among BRICS countries is "very important" for Brazil to advance its economy and to contribute to the Amazon region.

"We are grateful for this partnership and we look forward to more projects like this that would help us," she said.

About 200 meters away from the school is Aline Feitosa's small bar. For the 30-year-old mother of four, the soon-to-be-constructed facilities would mean more customers to her bar and greater convenience for her kids' schooling.

"(Pavement of the road) is going to improve my life a lot, as people didn't come to my bar because of the mud in the rainy season and the dust in the drought season. It will be good for my children to walk to school, too. We suffered from the lack of a paved road to go to the center of the city for shopping, it was very difficult," Feitosa explained behind the counter of her bar.

Now living opposite to the school, Joao Bernardino and his family members have been enjoying their lives in the city for decades.

"Living here is wonderful, I have nothing to complain about. With the asphalt road it will be better because we had difficulties going to the city center as we had to climb the slopes and there were many holes in the street. We will have more opportunities if Brasil Novo develops," he said with full optimism.

The West Perimeter Avenue on the other side of Brasil Novo has been already paved. Newly built road and well-designed drainage system not only renewed the community but also improved health condition of the residents as dust in summer used to flow into every single household and left many to suffer from serious respiratory diseases.

Running a convenience store at the entrance of the avenue, 38-year-old business owner Giziany Fernandes Pereira was born and grew up in Brasil Novo and has witnessed the city's evolution.

"It's much comfortable now as you don't get your feet dirty as soon as you leave the house. Sales increased at my store because of the easier accessibility. It is a wonderful program," she said.

According to Weder Makes Carneiro, mayor of Brasil Novo, the sustainable urban program is planned to pave some 17-km road in the city and will be completed by August.

He voiced confidence that the project will "improve practically 100 percent of the quality of life" of local citizens.

"We look forward to these important works taking place every day. The investment by BRICS bank brought a different look to the entire state as well as Brazilian cities. One of the best decisions that the country has made is to establish this partnership because it has brought good result to our city," said the mayor.

In a recent interview with Xinhua in Belem, capital city of Para state, Governor Helder Barbalho said the partnership with the NDB is "very positive", calling it "an important asset" that allows the state to carry out works in the productive Amazon region.

According to Ruy Cabral, secretary of urban development and public construction of Para, the loan from the NDB and the initiation of the project have played a significant role in poverty reduction in the nine cities where the project has been carried out.

According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, Para is the country's second largest state in terms of territory and the ninth largest in terms of population. However, it is ranked as the fifth poorest Brazilian state in terms of GDP per capita on the NDB's website.

Noting that Para is one of the least indebted states among the 27 units of the Brazilian Federation, Governor Barbalho said, "the fiscal spending must be rewarded by works, services and benefits (to the people)."

Two of the 16 approved projects in Brazil by the NDB are in Para. The board of NDB approved "PARA II -- Transport Infrastructure for Regional Development" project in March 2021 with a loan of 153 million dollars, which includes subprojects in five regions comprising 475 km road pavements, several bridges and weight stations to "improve connectivity of the state and to promote regional development."

Headquartered in Shanghai, the NDB was established by BRICS nations, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The bank formally opened in July 2015. 
Planetary Conjunction A Nice Touch of Strange New Worlds for Washington - Oregon Coast

Published 06/06/22 at 8:45 PM PST

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Astoria, Oregon)  Something truly different and remarkable is headed for the skies above the Oregon coast and Washington coast. In fact, it's here now but just in its early stages. A special planetary alignment takes place throughout June in this coastal region. Five planets will be making a stellar show, with Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn all in conjunction just before dawn. (Photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection: the planetary conjunction above Manzanita)

It's the first time such an alignment took place above us since 2004. It's not uncommon to have two or three planets aligning, NASA said, but this is a rare number.

The trick for the coastal regions of Oregon and Washington is that you'll have to look to the east / southeast, which will create some issues because of the coast range or Willapa Hills. Finding an elevated spot along the Washington coast or Oregon coast is best. Especially if you can find one that runs to the southeast a bit, such as the beach angles of the Cape Blanco area on the southern Oregon coast.

The other tricky angle is that Mercury will be the lowest of the bunch, sometimes not visible until an hour before dawn. For awhile, you'll only be seeing the four planets: Venus, with Jupiter and Mars looking quite close to each other, and then Saturn a distance away.

See Oregon Coast Weather - Washington Coast Weather



A planetary conjunction seen from the beaches of Seaside

This five-planet alignment will continue through the month of June, all of happening in the late, late hours of the overnight.

NASA says the five worlds will be lining up in their proper orbit, according to their position to the sun.

All five will be in a row in this manner because they orbit along the plane of the solar system, known as the ecliptic. To human eyes they'll look close, especially Jupiter and Mars, which will appear extremely near each other. However, NASA said to remember each is millions of miles apart from the other.

At one point, a half moon will join the extraordinary lineup in the night skies.

As June goes on, Mercury should start to appear sooner. The best date will likely be on June 24 when Mercury rises an hour before sunup.

The one lucky aspect of the Oregon coast and Washington coastline is that the sunrise is about seven to four minutes later than the inland cities along I-5.

NASA said conjunctions of two or three worlds are fairly common, but five planets lined up like this is a rarity.

Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours





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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees nearly 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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Police are seeking help locating a wanted fugitive following the death of a Port Arthur child.

Jaylin Jevon Lewis, 24, has two outstanding felony warrants for injury to a child, according to news release from the Port Arthur Police Department..

"Lewis is a suspect in the death of (3-year-old) King Dewey," the release said.

Police found "Baby King" dead at a residence in the 300 Block of Richmond Avenue on May 31. Officers previously arrested the child's mother, 43-year-old Tina Louise Louis, and sister, 21-year-old Kristen Alexia Nicole Louis.

"Investigators found the childs body to be in an extremely emaciated condition," police said previously.

As of Friday, Jefferson County jail records showed each woman was being held on two counts of injury to a child charge with a $750,000 bond amount on each charge. Tina Louis has an additional charge for failure to identify on a $2,500 bond amount.

"This incident is currently under investigation by the Criminal Investigations Division of the Port Arthur Police Department," police said.

Police ask anyone who knows the whereabouts of Lewis to contact the Port Arthur Police Department at 409-983-8600.

meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com

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NUR-SULTAN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China and Kazakhstan have agreed to jointly build bilateral relations in the next golden 30 years, visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday.

At a joint press conference with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi, Wang said that the two sides held pragmatic, efficient and comprehensive talks, and agreed that the two countries have a friendship over a thousand years and that bilateral cooperation has yielded fruitful results in the past more than 30 years.

Standing at a new historical starting point, the two sides will continue to deepen pragmatic cooperation, develop their friendship, and jointly build China-Kazakhstan relations in the next golden 30 years based on the principles of good-neighborliness, mutual respect, equality and mutual trust, and mutual benefit and win-win results, Wang said, emphasizing that the two sides should act unswervingly in the following four aspects.

The first is to unswervingly enhance strategic mutual trust. China and Kazakhstan will give full play to the leading role of head-of-state diplomacy and deepen exchanges and cooperation at all levels and departments.

The two countries should support each other in taking a development path that suits their own national conditions, expand mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests, and care for, manage and develop the bilateral relationship. They should make good use of the mechanisms including the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee, the dialogue on production capacity and investment cooperation and local cooperation forums, and promote bilateral cooperation to be more diversified, in-depth and high-level.

The second is to unswervingly carry out mutually beneficial cooperation. The two countries are willing to further strengthen the docking of their development strategies and expand new areas and space for cooperation.

The two sides should make every effort to ensure the capacity of the China-Europe Railway Express, tap the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, and promote the diversification of railway express channels. The two countries should focus on exploring new growth points including 5G, big data, artificial intelligence, digital finance, cross-border e-commerce, green energy, and create a number of new exemplary cooperation projects.

The two sides announced that all the border ports between China and Kazakhstan have resumed operations, and the two countries have reached a consensus on the resumption of flights. Two-way non-stop flights will soon be operated twice a week.

The third is to unswervingly carry forward China-Kazakhstan friendship from generation to generation. The two sides have reached an agreement on setting up consulate generals in China's Xi'an and Aktobe in Kazakhstan respectively, and reached a consensus on the establishment of cultural centers. Institutions covering traditional Chinese medicine and Luban Workshop will be established in Kazakhstan as soon as possible.

China is willing to continuously deepen international cooperation with Kazakhstan in the fight against epidemic, continue to provide vaccine assistance to Kazakhstan, support the cooperation in drug research and development and production, and join hands to build a community of common health for mankind.

The fourth is to unswervingly safeguard international fairness and justice. The two countries should spare no effort to safeguard the international system with the United Nations at the core, and oppose unilateralism and bullying.

The two sides should vigorously promote the "Shanghai Spirit" and promote the healthy and stable development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, actively study the specific ways and steps for upgrading the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) with all parties, and promote the continuous development of the CICA process.

Kazakhstan actively supports the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. China supports Kazakhstan in playing a more constructive role in international and regional affairs, and welcomes Kazakhstan to participate in the "BRICS+" cooperation. 
MORROW, Ga. (AP)  State arson investigators are helping in the probe of a suspicious fire that destroyed three historic homes over the weekend, a state official announced Monday.

Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King said that investigators examined the remains of the three historic Morrow homes. At this point, the fires are considered suspicious and are being investigated as such, King said in a statement.
by wildestanimal/Getty Images

An online platform called the Ocearch Shark Tracker locates tagged sharks around the globe to track their whereabouts, according to the nonprofit's website. As part of the research effort, Ocearch partners with scientists across the U.S. and abroad to collect oceanic data on shark movements and patterns.

The tagged sharks are followed with satellite tracking technology with the data cataloged in an online data application, according to the company. The Shark Tracker follows a shark's path and displays information about the animal's name, sex, length and weight. For example, a shortfin mako male shark named "Fastball" measuring 8.2 feet long and weighing 215 pounds was tracked nearing Matagorda Bay on June 4.
Update: A likely monkeypox case was detected in California, tied to travel in Europe.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Health authorities in the United Arab Emirates detected on Tuesday the countrys first case of the monkeypox virus in a young woman who traveled from West Africa.

The government said little about the patient, but stressed that authorities were investigating her contacts and taking all necessary measures" to limit the spread of monkeypox.

The statement did not say where the case had been discovered in the federation of seven sheikhdoms, which includes the capital of Abu Dhabi and tourist hub of Dubai.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, authorities in the autocratic country similarly had declined to offer a geographic breakdown for COVID-19 cases.

The diagnosis in the UAE marks the first reported case on the Arabian Peninsula. Israel recorded the first reported case in the Middle East earlier this week. The World Health Organization has identified over 100 cases globally.

Cases of the smallpox-related disease have previously been seen only among people with links to central and West Africa. But Britain, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the U.S., Sweden and Canada all reported infections, mostly in young men who hadnt previously traveled to Africa. France, Germany, Belgium and Australia have also identified cases.

The virus originates in primates and other wild animals and causes fever, body aches, chills and fatigue in most patients. People with severe cases can develop a rash and lesions on the face, hands and other parts of the body.
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The United States and its Asian allies flew dozens of fighter jets over waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday in a show of force as their diplomats discussed a coordinated response to a possibly imminent North Korean nuclear test.

The flights came as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman traveled to Seoul for discussions with South Korea and Japanese officials over the gathering North Korean threat and warned of a swift and forceful counterresponse if the North proceeds with a nuclear test explosion, which would be its first in nearly five years.

If staged, the test could be another leap forward in North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns goal of building an arsenal that can viably threaten regional U.S. allies and the American homeland. That would escalate a pressure campaign aimed at forcing the United States to accept North Korea as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

While the Biden administration has vowed to push for additional international sanctions if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, prospects for robust punitive measures are unclear because of divisions between permanent United Nations Security Council members.

Any nuclear test would be in complete violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. There would be a swift and forceful response to such a test, Sherman said after meeting with South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong. We continue to urge Pyongyang to cease its destabilizing and provocative activities and choose the path of diplomacy.

Sherman and Cho are planning a three-way meeting with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Mori Takeo on Wednesday over the North Korean nuclear issue.

Extending the countries' joint displays of military might, four U.S. F-16 fighter jets flew in formation with 16 South Korean planes  including F-35A stealth fighters  over waters off South Koreas eastern coast, an exercise aimed at demonstrating an ability to quickly respond to North Korean provocations, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The United States and Japan conducted a separate drill involving six aircraft  four Japanese F-15 fighters and two American F-16s  above waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, Japans Defense Ministry said.

The flights came a day after U.S. and South Korean forces fired eight surface-to-surface missiles into South Koreas eastern waters to match a weekend missile display by North Korea, which fired the same number of weapons from multiple locations Sunday in what was likely its biggest single-day testing event.

North Korea has conducted 18 rounds of missile launches in 2022 alone  including its first demonstrations of intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017  exploiting a favorable environment to push forward weapons development, with the Security Council effectively paralyzed over Russias war on Ukraine.

North Korea may soon up the ante as U.S. and South Korean officials say it is all but ready to conduct another detonation at its nuclear testing ground in the northeastern town of Punggye-ri. Its last such test and sixth overall was in September 2017, when it claimed to have detonated a thermonuclear bomb designed for its ICBMs.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, U.S. special envoy for North Korea Sung Kim said Washington and its allies were increasingly concerned by not only the unprecedented number of ballistic missile launches but also because senior North Korean officials have used rhetoric that could suggest the use of tactical nuclear weapons. He did not elaborate.

Since taking power in 2011, Kim has accelerated nuclear weapons development despite limited resources and has shown no willingness to fully surrender an arsenal he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.

Experts say with its next nuclear test, North Korea could claim an ability to build small bombs that could be placed on a multiwarhead ICBM or fit on short-range missiles that could reach South Korea and Japan.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Monday there are indications that one of the passages at the Punggye-ri testing ground has been reopened, possibly in preparation for a nuclear test.

Hours before Shermans meeting in Seoul, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters in Washington that the United States believes North Korea could seek its seventh test in the coming days.

The Biden administrations punitive actions over North Koreas recent weapons tests have been limited to largely symbolic unilateral sanctions. Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution in the Security Council that would have imposed additional sanctions on North Korea over its previous ballistic tests on May 25.

We have called on members of the international community, certainly members of the U.N. Security Councils permanent five, to be responsible stakeholders in the U.N. Security Council as a preeminent forum for addressing threats to international peace and security, Price said.

Unilateral actions are never going to be the most attractive or even the most effective response, and that is especially the case because we are gratified that we have close allies in the form of Japan and the ROK, he said, referring to South Koreas formal name, the Republic of Korea.

North Korea's state media have yet to comment on Sundays launches. They came after the U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan concluded a three-day naval drill with South Korea in the Philippine Sea on Saturday, apparently their first joint drill involving a carrier since November 2017, as the countries move to upgrade their defense exercises in the face of growing North Korean threats.

North Korea has long condemned the allies combined military exercises as invasion rehearsals and has often countered with its own missile drills, including launches in 2016 and 2017 that simulated nuclear attacks on South Korean ports and U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Nuclear talks between the U.S. and North Korea have stalled since 2019 because of disagreements over an easing of crippling U.S.-led sanctions in exchange for North Korean disarmament steps.

Kim's government has so far rejected the Biden administrations offers of open-ended talks, and is clearly intent on converting the dormant denuclearization negotiations into a mutual arms-reduction process, experts say.

Kims pressure campaign hasnt been slowed by a COVID-19 outbreak spreading across his largely unvaccinated populace of 26 million amid a lack of public health tools. North Korea has so far rejected U.S. and South Korean offers of help, but there are indications that it received at least some vaccines from ally China.

We seek dialogue with Pyongyang without preconditions, U.S. envoy Sung Kim told reporters on a conference call. He said North Korea has not responded. Instead, we have seen a marked increase in the scope and scale of their ballistic missile tests.

South Korean activist Park Sang-hak, a North Korean defector who for years has launched anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets by balloon across the border, said his group on Tuesday flew 20 balloons carrying medicine, masks and vitamin pills to help North Korean civilians.

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Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

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Follow APs coverage of the Asia-Pacific region at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
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The summer months are right around the corner and that means wedding season is in full swing. For people looking for a twist on the traditional wedding, a new Miller High Life promotion allows those so inclined to tie the knot with an Officiant of High Life.

"Dearly beerloved: you are here because you love High Life and plan to officiate a wedding in your future," reads a portion of the "Hitched by High Life" online ordination submission form.
The Bangladesh governments intention in shutting down a leading human rights advocacy group, Odhikar, was to create a climate of fear for non-governmental organizations who raise concerns about the rights situation in the country, activists said on Tuesday.

The governments NGO Affairs Bureau, which falls under the Prime Ministers Office, this week refused to renew Odhikars license to operate, stating that it has tarnished the image of the state to the world and published misleading information on alleged extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

Odhikar is among local organizations that have been at the forefront of documenting alleged human rights abuses by the Rapid Action Battalion, an elite police unit which became the target of sanctions imposed by the United States in December.

The government has been furious with Odhikar and other NGOs since Washington sanctioned RAB, according to Nur Khan, a former executive director of Ain-O-Salish Kendra (ASK), another leading Bangladeshi human rights group.

The NGO affairs bureaus denial of renewing the registration of Odhikar was a message to human rights bodies and journalists not to report on human rights abuses. They want to create an atmosphere of fear among them, Khan told BenarNews.

Here, the main message is: If anyone criticizes the human rights situation, they would meet similar consequences.

On Tuesday, Odhikars executive director was not immediately available for comment.

Saad Hammadi, a South Asia campaigner for Amnesty International, said via Twitter: Deregistration of Odhikar in Bangladesh clearly demonstrates the governments anger about the credibility the human rights organization enjoys internationally.

Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, the Bangladeshs home minister, told BenarNews that his ministry had nothing to do with Odhikars license cancellation.

This is completely the business of the NGO Affairs Bureau under the Prime Ministers Office, he told BenarNews.

The June 5 order by the NGO Affairs Bureau that annulled the renewal of Odhikars license did not specifically mention RAB. Nevertheless, the U.S. Treasury Department, in announcing sanctions on the force, accused it of carrying out more than 600 enforced disappearances and a similar number of extrajudicial killings in the past 12 years.

[M]isleading information about various extrajudicial killings, including alleged disappearances and murders, has been published on the organization's own website www.odhikar.org, creating various issues against Bangladesh by the organization named Odhikar; which has seriously tarnished the image of the state to the world, the order states.

RAB, founded in 2004, is tasked with internal security, intelligence gathering related to criminal activities, and government-directed investigations. On Dec. 10, U.S. officials issued sanctions against RAB and seven serving and former officials over allegations of violations of human rights, a move that angered Bangladeshi government officials.

Odhikar has been a registered NGO since March 1995. It works on a range of human rights issues, including press freedom, workers rights and voters rights.

NGOs lawyer: Totally unethical

The governments decision to shut Odhikar came days before a High Court Bench was to hold another hearing on a writ petition by the rights group that challenged the inaction of the NGO Affairs Bureau on its renewal application, said Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan, Odhikars lawyer.

Odhikar had in October 2014 applied to the NGO Affairs Bureau to extend its registration that was scheduled to expire on March 15, 2015, Bhuiyan said. The NGO office had, for more than seven years, neither rejected nor renewed the registration  until this week.

The NGO affairs bureau did not take any decision on renewal of Odhikars registration. We filed a writ petition. The renewal issue has been under trial. But they suddenly issued a letter turning down the renewal application a few days before the High Court was scheduled to hear our writ petition, Bhuiyan told BenarNews.

This is totally unethical. The NGO affairs bureau has not given us the chance to defend our position before giving such a decision, he said.

Bhuiyan said Odhikar had submitted all the necessary documentation to the NGO Affairs Bureau for renewal of the registration.

Odhikar is one of the handful organizations that work with United Nations agencies. They are a reputed organization. They should get registration, he said.

According to Mizanur Rahman, a former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, the government erred in shutting down Odhikar.

The NGO Affairs Bureau says Odhikar has tarnished the image of the state. But they do not understand that depriving Odhikar of getting registration will tarnish the image of the state and the government more. This will bring a bad image of the country overseas, Rahman told BenarNews.

The government should understand that the duty of human rights bodies is to defend human rights, and they must be allowed to do their job, he said.

Now, Odhikar will struggle to continue its operation. They will not be eligible to get foreign funding as registration with the NGO Affairs Bureau is needed to get foreign funding, he said.

If they can manage local funding, they can continue preparing human rights reports. But practically, without foreign funding, I think, it is very difficult for Odhikar to continue working as a human rights organization.
Col. Priyanto (center) walks into a courtroom before his trial at the local military court in Jakarta, June 7, 2022.

An Indonesian military tribunal convicted and sentenced an army colonel to life in prison Tuesday for the murder of two teenagers who he decided to throw into a river after his car accidentally hit them last year.

An autopsy found that one of the victims was alive when the two were dumped into the Serayu River in Central Java, in a case that grabbed national headlines.

A panel of three judges at the Jakarta Military Court ruled that Priyantos action had tarnished the militarys image in the publics eyes, and ordered that he be dismissed from the service.

The defendant was proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of premeditated murder by eliminating their bodies to hide their deaths, said Brig. Gen. Faridah Faisal, the judge heading the panel.

As a trained soldier, the defendant used [his skills] to kill people in a cruel way and in violation of human rights.

Two of Priyantos subordinates, who were in the car with him, had suggested the victims be taken to a hospital, but he scolded them, saying, Were soldiers. Dont be a cry-baby! the court heard.

Verdicts for the two subordinates  Second Corporal Andreas Dwi Armoko and First Corporal Ahmad Soleh  were still pending.

Priyanto decided to throw the victims  Handi Saputra, 17, and his girlfriend, 14-year-old Salsabila  into the Serayu River in Central Java after the car driven by Corp. Andreas smashed into the teenagers while travelling in West Java on Dec. 8, the court heard.

After hauling the victims into the back of his car, Priyanto took the wheel and said: I once bombed a house and didnt get caught.

The defendant was intent on taking the victims lives and this qualifies as premeditated murder, judge Faridah said.

At one point after the incident Priyanto asked his subordinates: Is it on social media yet? the tribunal heard.

Indonesian Armed Forces chief Gen. Andika Perkasa had called for a life sentence for Priyanto, even though the crime of premeditated murder is punishable by death according to military and civil law.

Human rights groups have called on military members to be tried in civilian courts for civil crimes.

In his defense plea, Priyantos attorney said he should be acquitted because he had served in the military for 28 years and been awarded for putting his life on the line in an anti-insurgency operation in East Timor when it was occupied by Indonesias military.

During the trial, Priyanto said he was remorseful, local media reported.

I truly regret what I did, he was quoted as saying. What I did was extremely stupid and evil.

Priyanto, who stood passively during the verdict hearing, said he was considering an appeal.

Im thinking about it, said Priyanto, when asked by the judge whether he was appealing.

After the sentencing, a spokesman for the Jakarta military tribunal, Col. Hanifan Hidayatullah, said Priyanto would serve his sentence in civilian prison.
Philippine troops display an Islamic State flag recovered from a militant position in the southern city of Marawi, June 19, 2017.

Filipino government forces killed a man identified as the spokesman for the East Asia branch of the Islamic State extremist group during a raid in the southern Philippines, military officials said Tuesday.

Troops and intelligence units carried out the special operation on Monday near Datu Saudi Ampatuan, a town in Maguindanao province, that led to the death of Abdulfatah Omar Alimuden, a.k.a. Abu Huzaifah, the military said in a statement.

Aside from being the spokesperson of the ISIS-EA, Abu Huzaifah was also in charge of the financial transactions of the Daulah Islamiyah-Philippines to the ISIS Central, the military said, using an acronym for the East Asia branch of Islamic State and also referring to the Filipino branch of IS.

Troops with the Armys 601st Brigade, 40th Infantry Battalion and military intelligence units took part in the operation. They launched it based on witness information that the suspect was in a vehicle transporting materials to construct a madrassa, according to authorities.

The militarys Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), based in Zamboanga city, declined to give more information.

We are limiting the information about it because of an ongoing operation which we cannot divulge to the media. ... I dont want to pre-empt our follow-up operation. There are key personalities that we are going after, Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr., the WestMinCom chief, told reporters.

Thats all we can say for now, that we conducted a military operation and we neutralized Abdulfatah Omar Alimuden, alias Abu Huzaifah, he said.

Rosario could not immediately say how many IS militants remained in the country.

Im not sure as to their number but definitely they are small. Compared to one or two years ago, theyre smaller. ... Our effort is continuing to end this terrorist group, Rosario said of IS in the Philippines.

Alimuden, a native of Maguindanao, had a second role with IS while serving as the East Asia groups spokesman, according to Maj. Andrew Linao, the militarys regional spokesman.

He was also the finance officer. The suspect appeared to occupy a high position because he was the conduit in the transfer of financial support to the IS and at the same time considered as a high value target, Linao said.

The neutralization is a big blow to IS especially in this part of the region and the operation prevented the group from wreaking havoc.

In May 2017, hundreds of local pro-IS fighters, backed by cohorts from elsewhere in Asia and from the Middle East, laid siege to the southern Philippine city of Marawi, transforming it into a battle zone. They intended to turn the lakeside town into the IS caliphate in the Southeast Asian region.

The United States and Australia assisted the Filipino army with intelligence information that helped Philippine government forces bomb IS strongholds around the city, finally dislodging the group on Oct. 23, 2017, after a five-month battle.

The bombings destroyed much of the city. Nearly five years later, many parts remain off limits because the military has not recovered unexploded ordnance.

Jeoffrey Maitem and Mark Navales in Cotabato, Philippines, contributed to this report.
JERUSALEM, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Israel and the Philippines on Tuesday signed two agreements in Jerusalem to encourage and protect investments, as well as strengthen economic cooperation, said the Israeli ministries of finance and economy.

The investment agreement was signed by Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.

It includes regulatory issues, prevention of asset expropriation, free capital flow and advanced protection for the rights of foreign investors in the host country, according to the Israeli Finance Ministry's statement.

The agreement creates a comfortable investment environment, which encourages economic activity by providing a basket of commitments to investors from both countries, it noted.

The investment agreement is expected to provide certainty and stability to foreign investors and encourage capital movements between the two countries, it added.

The economic cooperation agreement was signed by Israel's Economy Minister Orna Barbivay and Lopez.

Under this agreement, a mixed economic committee will convene once a year, aimed at promoting economic issues and resolving trade barriers, according to the Israeli Economy Ministry. 
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Fairview is listed among the top 20 highest-ranked critical access hospitals in the country by the Chartis Center for Rural Health.
SANAA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The Yemeni government delegation on Tuesday accepted a revised proposal presented by the UN envoy over lifting the Houthi siege on the city of Taiz, state-run Yemen TV reported.

The delegation had spent the past days negotiating this issue with the Houthi representatives in Jordan's capital Amman under the auspices of UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg, the report said.

The government delegation called on Grundberg and the international community to press the Houthis to re-open the roads to Taiz, it noted.

The Houthis, which control large swaths of northern Yemen, have yet to comment on the issue.

In a written statement posted on Monday, the UN envoy said he presented the revised proposal based on the discussions with both sides, without elaborating the details.

Grundberg's proposal came after various talks on lifting the siege of Taiz produced little result, jeopardizing the fragile truce reached by the country's warring sides in April.

The government-controlled Taiz has been under siege since the civil war erupted in Yemen in late 2014. Lifting the blockade would facilitate the movement of citizens and their access to humanitarian aid.

It is also the last major term to be fulfilled pursuant to the agreement reached by the warring parties before entering the ceasefire.

The warring parties also agreed to resume commercial flights to and from the Houthi-held Sanaa airport and allow the entry of fuel ships into the Houthi-held port of Hodeidah, which both have seen breakthroughs in the past two months.

Yemen fell into a civil war in late 2014 when the Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation. 
Pittsfield Superintendent Joseph Curtis promised, with School Committee backing, to launch a school safety task force that will attempt to find a way forward on a divisive issue.
PITTSFIELD  Verizon Wireless has dropped the federal lawsuit it had filed against the Pittsfield Board of Health in the dispute over the companys cell tower at 877 South St.

The telecommunications company said in a motion to dismiss filed Thursday that the case was moot since the board voted a day earlier to rescind a cease-and-desist order over the 4G tower

Judge Mark G. Mastroianni accepted Verizons motion on Friday, dismissing the request of several neighbors to be added as intervenors to the case in the process.

The Board of Health voted 4-0  with new board member Dr. Jeffrey Leppo abstaining  to withdraw the order. Members said they no longer felt that the order, which they said was intended to bring Verizon to a discussion, would serve the best interests of the residents they were trying to protect.

When we issued the cease-and-desist order, we did that as a strategy to have a conversation with Verizon, Chair Bobbie Orsi said. I felt in my heart that we really wanted them to come talk to us about this.

We wanted something that was going to be helpful for the residents in that neighborhood, she added. I guess my feeling now is that litigation is perhaps not the process, thats going to get us to  thats not going to help resolve the issues right now.

The board voted unanimously to issue an emergency order against the company and tower in April after more than a year of investigating reports from residents living in the area around the tower that theyd been experiencing health problems such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, insomnia, skin rashes, palpitations and tinnitus since the tower began operating in August 2020.

At the time, Orsi and other members said they felt it was their duty to respond to these health issues and ask Verizon to meet and discuss moving or shutting off the tower. Board members said theyd taken a polite approach at first, hoping to appeal to the companys desires to be a good neighbor to no avail.

The Pittsfield Board of Health issued a cease-and-desist order to Verizon. Now it's looking for an attorney to back it up Members decided last week that the order would include the ability to withdraw everything without prejudice if they were "unable to obtain legal counsel prior to any administrative or judicial proceeding."

In April, the board changed tactics, issuing an emergency order that gave Verizon seven days to meet or receive a cease-and-desist order as part of the boards statutory and historical police power to protect its citizens from injury and harm.

In the order, the board found that the cell tower is a public nuisance and a cause of sickness that directly causes harm to certain individuals, and renders dwellings unfit for human habitation.

Verizon responded in May by filing a lawsuit in U.S. District Court and asked the court to decide whether the order violated the Telecommunications Act of 1996  a law that established how telecommunication companies could be regulated and compete with one another in a post-internet era.

The company cited the laws preemption clause, which basically says no state or municipality can regulate the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities on the basis of the purported environmental effects of radio frequency emissions as long as the facility is operating within the Federal Communications Commissions regulations.

Verizon continues to maintain that the tower is operating within the FCCs standards for radio frequency emissions.

The company filed its lawsuit on the same day that the board was set to come before the City Council and request funding to hire two attorneys to defend the cease-and-desist order in court. News of the lawsuit halted all funding discussions and for the last two council meetings, councilors have declined to take any action one way or another on the boards request.

With no way to hire attorneys and a deadline looming for the board to issue a response to Verizons complaints, board members decided to remove the cease-and-desist order.

I dont think that litigation, at this time, is the most effective vehicle to provide a remedy for the folks in that neighborhood  as much as we want to help them, Board of Health member Brad Gordon said during the meeting last week. He said the better approach would be to come up with the right solution for the residents.

Board members said theyd continue to work with the City Council and state representatives on collaborative discussion around changing state law around the process and standards for placing and citing cell towers.

Orsi said an update on that work would likely come at the next board meeting in July.
If any of my family or friends could see me now, I would die of shame, I thought 15 years ago as I stepped into that Paris church as a French atheist starting an investigation of the Christian faith.

I had left the Catholic church years before that, when I was old enough to tell my parents I didnt believe. And in the years that followed, Id grown rather scornful toward religious believers. Theyre not thinking. Theyre superstitious. Theyre irrational. What a waste of time, I thought. Ill stay as far away from religion as I can.

Well, that didnt exactly work out.

The most unlikely circumstances conspired against me: A random meeting with a stranger while hitchhiking on the other side of the world led to a long-distance relationship with an American model and actress who claimed to be a Christianand believed in abstinence before marriage. The only way to be with her was to disprove her faith, to leave her antiquated beliefs behind and be happy together. This led me to read the Bible in an effort to understand it, and it brought me to that church to see what Christians do when they gather. But even as a professing atheist with no intention of converting, I felt some shame even being in the building, as if I had done something intellectually subpar alreadybeing among the religious. Dreadful.

This outlook on religion was partly based on my own prejudice, of course, but also partly fueled by the French culture around me, where being religious is socially acceptable when superficial, but deeply ridiculed when taken seriously. This sentiment dates back at least to the Enlightenment, when French thinkers like Baron dHolbach said, To be a good Christian, it is essential not to have a brain, or at least to have one thats well and truly shrunk and All good Christians must be in a state of sweet simplicity, predisposing them to believe things that are not in the least bit credible without a second thought, on command of their spiritual guides. Today, we find these same presuppositions in the writings of extremely popular French atheist philosopher Michel Onfray, who says, I do not despise believers. I find them neither ridiculous nor pathetic but goes on to call them naive and foolish and accuses them of being filled with neuroses, psychoses, and . . . aberrations, suffering a personal mental pathology . . . ushering in a wholesale pandemic.

With such generalized insults floating in the air I breathed, I eventually found a chair and sat down in that church, trying to listen and observe. I remember the worship well enough: The excellent music of the modern worship band sounded nothing like the pipe organs of my childhood. But as for the sermon, I must have been too absorbed in thinking I shouldnt be there because I do not remember a single word. All I remember is that as soon as he finished speaking, I thought, I have seen enough; let me escape the building before anyone comes to speak with me. And I walked down the aisle toward the back door.

But right as I was stepping out, I was overcome with a wave of chills from my stomach to my chest to my throat. I stopped in my tracks, halfway out the door, my body covered with goosebumps. This is ridiculous, I thought. I need to figure this out. I turned around, closed the door, and walked straight back to the pastor.

Hi, my name is Guillaume, I said abruptly.

Robert Baxter. Nice to meet you, he replied.

So you believe in God, huh?

Yes, he said with a bemused smile.

Well, how does that work?

He told me hed be happy to talk to me about it if I would be interested in setting up a meeting.

I was. And thus began a series of meetings, in his office, discussing God, Jesus, and the Christian life as I tried to confirm the Christian faith was intellectual suicide.

The first problem was that Robert wasnt stupid. He was well educated, he expressed himself calmly, and he explained his ideas clearly. And yet he believed that God exists, that Jesus is the Son of God, and that Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead. I greatly enjoyed discussing with him, asking all my questions, and listening to him articulate his Christian worldview.

The first time we met, he gave me a little booklet hed written with questions on the basics of Christianity and Bible references for readers to find answers themselves. I did that. And every answer I found led to more questions. I would write these on a sheet of paper, which turned into a pile of sheets to unpack at my next discussion with Robert.

After speaking with Robert and reflecting on our talks for several months, I changed my mind on a number of points. One of them was the Christian view of marriage and sex, which Robert presented in a more attractive light. While I was still no fan of abstinence, I accepted that the Christian view was neither repressive nor intolerant. Most importantly, my focus wasnt so much on whether or not Christianity is good but on whether or not it is true. And on that front, too, I had to let go of a few misconceptions.

First, I suspected that belief in God was incompatible with scienceor that it should be supported by science if it were at all true. Confronted with an actual believer and facing the task of thinking about any scientific reason I may have to disbelieve, I realized that none of my scientific knowledge (acquired in scientific prep school and during my engineering degree courses) conflicted with the existence of God. As a matter of fact, little, if any of it, was even relevant to the question. Upon further reflection, I also realized there were many things I knew that werent derived from science, so the existence of God couldnt be dismissed just because its not established by science. I later did discover there are good arguments for Gods existence with premises based on science (such as the so-called Cosmological argument, arguing from the beginning of the universe to a first cause and creator, and the Fine-tuning of the universe supporting the existence of an intelligent designer), but for the time being, I simply concluded that scientific proof wasnt necessary to believe in God.

Another important intellectual shift concerned my expectation for certainty. If God exists, I'd thought, we should be able to be sure. I will have none of this blind faith nonsense. We should know it and be certain about it. And while I certainly did not come to accept faith as being blind, I did come to realize that this expectation of absolute certainty was entirely absurd. This standard is unreasonable, and it wasnt hard to see: I realized there were many things I knew, and I was fully rational in my claim to know them while falling short of this utopian absolute certainty. I knew my name, my date of birth, and who my parents were. I even knew about things that happened before I was born: I knew that my older brother, Nicolas, was born through a C-section because the umbilical cord had been wrapped around his neck, and he came out blue as a Smurf. I knew that the Mont-Blanc is 4,807 meters high. I knew that the Bastille was stormed on a July 14though I always forgot the year. And I knew there is a great wall in Chinathough I had never seen it. I knew all these things without proof and without absolute certainty. How? Because, in each case, someone who knows told me it was true. Yes, I came to see that personal testimonies are a perfectly valid source of knowledgea source of knowing, not just believing.

And once I applied this to Christianity, I realized this was exactly what Christian truth claims enjoyed: historical testimony. I saw the four Gospels for what they were: testimonies of what people witnessed Jesus say and do. And if I could trust a friend to tell me what happened last night when I wasnt there or my parents to tell me what happened before my birth or a history book to tell me what happened a few centuries ago, perhaps one could trust the four Gospel writers to tell us what happened to Jesus of Nazareth.

Now, of course, its not strictly that simple. There is such a thing as unreliable testimony. And we dont want to be gullible, accepting just anything because someone says it. To form true knowledge, the testimony (historical or not) needs to be reliable. And clearly enough, the reliability of the Gospels is regularly criticized. That is, in part, why the discipline of Christian apologetics (the defense of the Christian faith) exists: to respond to these criticisms. It is a field I engage in today, and I can defend the reliability of the manuscripts: their dating and authorship, the historical and geographical descriptions they contain, etc. But I didnt at the time, and thats another interesting point I came to appreciate: You dont need to know the case for the reliability of a source in order to know something on the basis of that sources testimony.

Let me explain with an example. I know the Holocaust happened. I know it based on the reliable testimony of historical sources (mostly history teachers back in France), and I have known the Holocaust happened from the moment I was told it did.

Now, are there critics who say this testimony is unreliable? Yes, there are: Holocaust deniers. And do they offer arguments of their own? Im sure they do, although I havent read any of them for myself so far. But since I havent read them, I dont even know what their arguments are. Therefore, Im not able to refute their arguments. And yet we would never say that I dont know the Holocaust happened just because I am not familiar with the defense of the reliability of the historical testimony regarding the Holocaust. That is because the authority lies in the trustworthy sources themselves, whether or not I know the sources are trustworthy. Similarly, I maintain that I could know the truth about what Jesus said and did based on the reliable historical witness preserved at least in the Gospels.

And so I did. I came to trust their testimony and believe that Jesus was who he claimed to be: the divine Son of God who came in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and was raised to life again three days later, as testified by those who saw him then.

In short, this was my intellectual shift regarding evidence we need to know Christianity is true. I discovered that we need a lot less than Id expected and that we have a lot more than Id presumed. I believed, and it was no intellectual suicide.

Now, I should add that this intellectual shift wasnt everything. A genuine Christian conversion involves a change of heart as well as a change of mind, and beyond my intellectual acceptance of Gods existence and Jesuss resurrection, I also needed to embrace the Christian Gospelrepent of my sin and trust in the risen Jesus for eternal life! But satisfying the demands of the intellect was a necessary condition for me, and one that thankfully was met. This satisfaction has grown more and more during the 15 years Ive thought about these questions.

I discuss them and tell the full story of my conversiondetailing my change of mind and heartin my book Confessions of a French Atheist: How God Hijacked My Quest To Disprove the Christian Faith (Tyndale Momentum, June 2022).

Photo credit: Getty Images/georgemuresan

Dr. Guillaume Bignon was born and raised in France, where he studied math, physics, and engineering science. He currently works as a software engineering manager. After a wholly improbable conversion from atheism to Christianity, Guillaume earned a master's in biblical literature with an emphasis on the New Testament and a PhD in philosophical theology. His areas of interest include the metaphysics of free will, natural theology, and soteriology. Guillaume is an executive committee member of Association Axiome, a society of French-speaking Christian scholars. He and his wife, Katherine, have five young (and adorable) children.
UNITED NATIONS, June 7 (Xinhua) -- UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Adam Abdelmoula on Tuesday called for urgent international help as drought-driven hunger threatens hundreds of thousands of lives in Somalia.

"Somalia is on the brink of a devastating and widespread hunger and mass starvation that could claim hundreds of thousands of lives. Since the beginning of the year, the drought emergency in Somalia has worsened dramatically and today we are looking at a looming disaster," he told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York via a video link.

The situation is grim. Four consecutive rainy seasons have failed, creating the worst drought in Somalia in at least four decades. At the same time, food prices have soared, and humanitarian assistance remains out of reach for millions of Somalis as resources to meet their needs remain limited, he said.

The United Nations believes that the drought has so far affected 7 million people, displacing over 805,000 from their homes.

Recently, some areas received moderate, scattered rains. But these were not enough to alleviate the severe drought conditions. There is now a concrete risk that the next rainy season could also be below average, which would mark an unprecedented fifth consecutive failed rainy season, he warned.

"Should these forecasts materialize, the situation will worsen further until mid-2023, at the earliest. Already, eight areas in Somalia are at increased risk of famine, particularly in the south of the country - in regions where insecurity and conflict make humanitarian access extremely challenging," said Abdelmoula.

Some 7.1 million Somalis, close to 50 percent of the population, are facing crisis-level food insecurity or worse through at least September. Of these, 213,000 people will face catastrophic hunger and starvation, representing a 160 percent increase since April, he said.

Women, children and the elderly have been particularly hard hit, constituting 82 percent of all people displaced by drought since January. An estimated 1.5 million children under the age of 5 face acute malnutrition, including 386,400 who are likely to be severely malnourished, he said.

"Somalia is certainly heading toward a famine, if action is not taken now," said Abdelmoula.

Somali families are increasingly unable to cope with the high food prices as local food has become scarce. Moreover, imported food prices have also reached record levels, in part because of supply chain impacts due to the crisis in Ukraine. In some parts of the country, food prices have risen by 140 to 160 percent.

Before the Ukraine conflict, Somalia imported 85 percent of wheat from Ukraine and Russia, he said.

As the humanitarians focus on saving lives and averting famine, the international community must also invest in sustainable livelihoods, resilience, infrastructure development, climate adaptation and durable solutions to ensure those affected by crises can survive in the future, said Abdelmoula.

The humanitarian interventions have so far prevented the worst outcomes but cannot cope with the rising levels of needs. The available resources are woefully low. The UN humanitarian response plan for Somalia for 2022 is just 18 percent funded, he said. "I am calling on the international community to act fast while we still have some hope of preventing widespread famine and deaths. With additional resources, we can reach many more people. Without additional resources, more people will die." 
Towards the end of his life, the American statesman Benjamin Franklin wrote the now famous and proverbial words, nothing is certain except death and taxes.

Needless to say, there are very few people in any society who have ever enjoyed handing over a portion of their income to their local tax collector.

In fact, for Jews living in Jerusalem and the surrounding regions during the first century, paying taxes to the Roman Empire was understandably a source of great consternation and displeasure. Those responsible for collecting those funds on behalf of Rome were just as loathed, perhaps even more than any contemporary tax agent or auditor.

But why were the tax collectors of the first century  who we read about in the Gospels and who are often linked with sinners and lowest, most vile of society  so hated and scorned?

Who Were the Tax Collectors and Why Were They So Despised?

As their title suggests, first century tax collectors (or publicans) were responsible for collecting general taxes on property and income, as well as duty on imports and exports and most things that traveled by road throughout the region.

However, unlike contemporary IRS agents, the publicans described in the gospels had been enlisted by the Romans to collect taxes on behalf of the Roman Empire. The tax collectors of Jesus day, therein, were Jews collecting money from fellow Jews for an occupying foreign enemy.

It comes as no surprise then that most Jews had little to no love for the Roman occupation, and the thought of funding their own oppression through taxation and excessive regulation was equally as distasteful. Perhaps worse was the fact that fellow Jews, like the tax collectors, aided the Romans by collecting (or stealing) fees from their own countrymen.

For this reason, the tax collectors were seen as traitors to their nation and treated as such.

Though some of their duties were legitimate, the tax collectors were known for cheating their own people by collecting more than required, padding their own pockets in the process.

According to John MacArthur, they (tax collectors) often strong-armed money out of people with the use of thugs. Most were despicable, vile, unprincipled scoundrels (152).

The tax collector Zacchaeus (Luke 19:2-10) even confessed to Jesus, upon his conversion, that he would give back to everyone he had defrauded, seemingly confirming the habit of extortion tax collectors like him were known for.

As a Jew, being a tax collector, though personally profitable, often made the individual an outcast and social pariah. Furthermore, because of their reputation, tax collectors would have been forbidden from entering the synagogues, being essentially cut off from the Jewish community and places of worship.

Social and religious outcasts, the tax collectors were the most despised individuals in Israel  men deemed lower than the Herodians and even Roman soldiers, and ones regarded on the same level as harlots and prostitutes.

According to John MacArthur, tax collectors had to keep their distance from any group, because they were so hated. The Jewish Talmud taught that it was righteous to lie and deceive a tax collector, because that was what a professional extortioner deserved (154).

The fact that Jesus would interact and even dine with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners of similar ilk would have been considered socially unacceptable and even shameful, and on more than one occasion, the Pharisees voiced their displeasure with Jesus for gathering with such scoundrels.

Why Did the Zealots Target Tax Collectors?

Of the various Jewish groups present during the time of Jesus, the Zealots were the most outspoken in their hatred for Rome. According to John Drane, their overriding conviction was that they could have no master but God, and for them that implied that driving out the Romans must be a top priority (39).

In fact, their founder, Judas (not Iscariot), was a Galilean who had led a revolt against Rome in AD 6 in response to the passage of a Roman census tax. John MacArthur writes that, the Zealots were convinced that paying tribute to a pagan king was an act of treason against God (MacArthur, 176).

Though their early rebellion was swiftly crushed by the might of the Roman army, at the time of Jesus ministry, the Zealots were no less influential, seeking to covertly advance their cause by targeting Roman soldiers, politicians, and even Jews friendly to Rome for assassination. Top on their list were the Jewish tax collectors, whom they saw as traitors to the nation, a view held by many in Israel.

Unfortunately, as the Jewish tax collectors were disdained, hostility and attacks against them from the Zealots were largely of no concern to the Jewish population, who were happy to see them get what they deserved.

Why Would Jesus Call a Tax Collector to Be One of His Disciples?

Despite societys disdain for the tax collectors, it comes as no surprise that Jesus association with their lot would have shocked the Jewish community. In fact, in response to the Pharisees asking why He would go out of His way to meet and dine with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus responded, it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners (Luke 5:31-32).

Unfortunately, at no time did the Pharisees and religious leaders of Jesus day even consider that they too might be sinful and in need of saving, healing, and forgiveness. They were too smug and self-righteous for that. For this reason, they, like many, looked down upon tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners whom Christ had come to redeem and restore.

In fact, one of Jesus own disciples, Matthew, also known as Levi (his Jewish name), was a tax collector by trade at the time of his calling.

In his own Gospel, Matthew writes that, as Jesus traveled through Capernaum, He saw him sitting in the tax collectors booth; and He said to him, follow Me! Matthew then writes that he got up and followed Him (Matthew 9:9).

Needless to say, for Christ to associate with, let alone call, a tax collector to be one of His disciples, would have drawn the ire of many in Israel.

Ironically, Jesus had also called Simon, a known Zealot, to be one of His disciples, therein putting a tax collector and a violent extremist who once targeted tax collectors for assassination in the same company.

John MacArthur writes, however, that at one point in his life Simon would probably have gladly killed Matthew. In the end, they became spiritual brethren, working side by side for the same cause  the spread of the gospel  and worshipping the same Lord (77).

For Matthew, specifically, a social outcast and arguably the most notorious and hated sinner among the Twelve, the invitation to follow Jesus would have been seen as an invitation to start fresh and begin a new life apart from his cursed profession.

Scripture also tells us that Matthew, without much thought or hesitation, quickly got up and followed Jesus, leaving his job as a tax collector for good. At this point, there was no going back, and that likely suited Matthew just fine. This was a desperate man in need of spiritual revival. In Christ, He found what his soul had been searching for but been denied by his own people.

We then read that Matthew proceeded to invite other tax collectors and sinners to dine with Jesus and His disciples (Matthew 9:10). Why? It is likely these were the only friends Matthew had and the only people he knew or associated with. No one else in society would have had anything to do with him.

And yet, these were the very social outcasts and villains Jesus sat with, dined with, loved, and looked upon with compassion. They were the also the ones, unlike the Pharisees, who acknowledged their sin and recognized their need for a Savior.

Therefore, in calling the lowest of society to be one of His disciples, Jesus fulfilled what was written by the prophets:

For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust. The foot will trample it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the helpless (Isaiah 26:5-6).

But I will leave among you a humble and lowly people, and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord (Zephaniah 3:12).

Exalt that which is low, and humble that which is high (Ezekiel 21:26).

Not much is known about Matthew outside of the Gospels, which also include very little information about him outside of his calling and prior profession.

However, the tax collector and former social outcast would go on to become a bold leader in the early church, writing about all that Christ had done to redeem His life and how He wanted to transform theirs. This is what we encounter in Matthews Gospel, which he ironically targeted to the very people who once hated, vilified, and rejected him.

As John MacArthur summarizes, the Lord often chooses the most despicable people of this world, redeems them, gives them new hearts, and uses them in remarkable ways (156).

Certainly, this was the case with Matthew and Simon, but also all outcasts, sick, broken, and sinners in the world who recognize their need for a savior, and whom Christ transformed and is still transforming by the power of His grace and forgiveness.

Related articles

Why Would Jesus Call a Zealot to Be His Disciple?

How Much Do We Know about Matthew the Disciple?

Is Money Really the Root of All Evil?



Photo credit: Getty Images/vladans

Joel Ryan is a childrens book author, writing professor, and contributing writer for Crosswalk, Christianity.com, Stand Firm Mens Magazine, and others. He is passionate about telling great stories, defending biblical truth, and helping writers of all ages develop their craft. Joel discusses, analyzes, and appreciates the great writings of the past and present on his website, Perspectives off the Page.
BOISE - Staff with the Idaho Fish & Game and Wildlife Services have confirmed that the "pile-up" that killed 143 sheep in the Boise Foothills in mid-May to have been caused by Wolves.

According to reports from the sheep herder, two wolves caused the herd of sheep to flee in panic into a steep gully and then crush or suffocate each other in an effort to escape the wolves.

After receiving the report, the Idaho Fish & Game and Wildlife Services responded to the area to investigate the incident. According to the IDFG, during the investigation Wildlife Services staff found two sets of wolf tracks in the location of the incident and confirmed that the pile-up was caused by wolves.

This sadly exemplifies why wolf management in Idaho can be so challenging, Fish and Game Director Ed Schriever said. People cherish the Foothills for its diversity of wildlife, along with the opportunities for grazing, recreation and other activities. In this instance, a pair of wolves caused a significant loss of sheep for a rancher, and despite our efforts as a department to reduce or prevent this, it can still occur, and we regret that rancher Frank Shirts and his herders had to deal with this loss.

Following the investigation, Fish and Game issued a request to Wildlife Services to remove the wolves in the area if they could be located. Those efforts were unsuccessful. The sheep have since been moved away from the area where the incident occurred.

Wildlife Services typically removes five to 14 wolves annually from the Foothills in response to livestock depredation.

Fish and Game estimates that there's about 1,600 wolves in Idaho after pups are born in the spring, then the population typically dips below 900 during late winter due to hunting, trapping seasons and other causes of wolf mortality.

Since January 1, Idaho hunters have taken 49 wolves statewide, trappers 81 and Wildlife Services and others have taken another 31 wolves involved in wildlife livestock depredations, according to the IDFG.

In 2021, Idaho hunters and trappers harvested 437 wolves, and an additional 43 wolves were killed in response to wolf depredations on livestock. Under Fish and Game authorization in the last 5 years (2017-2021) 324 wolves have been removed statewide in response to confirmed depredation on livestock.
MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (AP)  A Detroit-area county and a health care provider have agreed to a $2.45 million settlement with the family of a man who died while in jail for a minor driving offense.

David Stojcevski, 32, suffered serious withdrawals from drug use while serving a 30-day sentence for careless driving at the Macomb County jail in 2014.

Stojcevski failed to get proper care, despite evidence that he was hallucinating in his cell and shaking with seizures, his lawyer said.

The county agreed to pay $1.15 million, with some covered by insurance, and Correct Care Solutions, now known as Wellpath, paid $1.3 million, the Macomb Daily reported Tuesday.

County attorney John Schapka said an insurance company took over defense of the lawsuit in 2018. He said a 2021 court ruling involving a Tennessee jail set a precedent in Michigan's federal courts.

It made it far more difficult to defend these types of cases, Schapka said.

He said jails can be held liable if they should have known that someone was showing objective signs of medical distress.

The FBI investigated Stojcevski's death but no charges were filed.

The video made it clear as day that people were not paying attention to his care, said Harold Perakis, a lawyer for the family.




First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
HANOI, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam spent over 1.4 billion U.S. dollars importing evidence-based medicines in the first five months of this year, up 20.7 percent from the same period last year, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade on Tuesday.

Its main suppliers included the United States, Germany, France, South Korea and India, according to the ministry.

Vietnam's medicine import turnovers were more than 3.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, up 18.9 percent year on year, according to the country's General Statistics Office.

It is estimated that the Vietnamese pharmaceutical industry has a size of around 7.4 billion U.S. dollars, as its pharmaceutical spending has increased by 14 percent annually over the past decade.

The annual spending on pharmaceutical products per capita in Vietnam would reach 163 U.S. dollars by 2025, local rating company Vietnam Report predicted. 
Signs deal with the UAE-based Royal Hospital

Healthtech startup Avisa Smart Hospitals has signed a deal with the UAE-based Royal Hospital to bring the first smart hospital to Sharjah. AVISA has inked a nine-year contract with the Royal Hospital, owned by the Sultan of Sharjah, Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, to take over its operations and management and transform it into a smart healthcare establishment named Royal Smart Hospital.

The super speciality Royal Hospital in Sharjah has state-of-the-art infrastructure and the interiors are akin to that of a palace. Following the collaboration with Avisa Smart Hospitals, the Royal hospital is being equipped with cutting-edge healthcare technologies and expertise which includes almost every speciality of a hospital with reputed Doctors and high-end equipment.

Avisa has also opened its first smart pharmacy in Sharjah. The one-of-its-kind smart pharmacy is unprecedented as it adapts a complete smart supply chain system with patient service as well as home delivery. The Avisa Smart Pharmacy automates the supply chain and delivery system of pharmacies to hospitals to avoid leakages in the supply chain while simultaneously helping in precision medicines.
Additional Skill Acquisition Programme will offer subsidised education loans to the students through banks

Noida-based Cliniminds has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP) Kerala, Section 8 Company Under Department of Higher Education, Education Department, Government of Kerala.

Under the agreement, Cliniminds would offer job oriented skill training programmes in pharmaceutical business analytics, health economics and outcomes research, healthcare decision analytics, clinical research, pharmacovigilance and data management, prepare students for the job roles and provide placement opportunities to the students. ASAP would also be offering subsidised education loans to the students through banks.

Programmes will be offered for life sciences, biotechnology, pharmacy, medical, dental, ayurvedic, homoeopathic, nursing, IT and computer sciences, mathematics and statistics graduates and post graduates from Kerala.

Both ASAP and Cliniminds would work closely to make the agreement successful, which would help students from Kerala.
Hook, Line & Sinker wins retail development client, FPG Property Fund

FPG Property Fund has hired Hook, Line & Sinker (HLS) to launch three newly renovated malls in the Western Cape.



FPG Property Fund is a privately held property investment and development company that specialises in South Africa's retail convenience sector. In addition to video scripting and trade media relations, HLS will assist FPG in developing website content and creating brochures and websites.
Dr Adele James

Prior to joining Verve, James spent four years at Breaking Blue, was strategy director and behavioural science lead at Hall & Partners, and was most recently at the Irrational Agency. At Verve she will lead a behavioural science specialism, working with client teams across the business to bring a deeper understanding of consumers behaviour into the insight mix.James comments: Im thrilled to be joining Verve and have already been seriously impressed by the research team, their incredible capabilities and bold approach. I cant wait to start working closely with them to help their clients understand whats truly underpinning behaviour.James is joined by digital anthropologist Lily Echanis who will specialise in social intelligence. She brings with her more than four years of experience as senior cultural analyst at Karmarama. Also moving into the expanding team is Jodie Holland , a long-time digital qual expert at Verve, who assumes a lead UX role.Verves growing capabilities are focused around uncovering why consumers behave the way they do, and what brands need to do about it to deliver sustainable behaviour change. With new work already underway, live client projects include fuelling future-proofed innovation for a global outdoor cooking manufacturer and exploring how to create impactful messaging around water conservation for a utilities provider.Kelly McKnight, executive director, comments: Im energised by the broad range of talent we have in the business. Our ever-growing in-house capabilities in behavioural science, UX and social intelligence build on the best-in-class research were already famous for at Verve. They demonstrate our commitment to offering the smartest solutions to clients complex business challenges to get to the best answers imaginable. We are truly creating the research agency of the future.
The African Rail Industry Association (Aria) has welcomed the launch of the National Rail Policy (NRP) by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, describing it as a game-changer for South Africa's freight rail industry.

At the launch, Minister Mbalula said the ambitious nature of the policy choices made within the NRP was done to bring about a "rail renaissance"."The White Paper creates policy certainty that introduces radical structural reforms, which enable broader participation and open new avenues for investment and competitiveness. A key element of this is the opening up of space for private sector investment and effective economic regulation that ensures fair and regulated access to both primary and secondary networks."This means that the rail market will be open for other operators to compete and improve operational efficiency needed to improve service quality and competitive pricing in freight rail," Mbalula said at the launch in Kempton Park.Aria CEO, Mesela Nhlapo said her organisation has been instrumental in lobbying the government to develop policies and regulations to enable this important evolution in rail policy. Its adoption after 14 years of extensive consultations is a key milestone with the support of Operation Vulindlela.While welcoming the launch of the NRP, Nhlapo said serious concerns have been raised repeatedly because of the restrictive terms and conditions Transnet has imposed on private third-party freight operators.Earlier this year, Transnet pre-empted the launch of the NRP by releasing its conditions for private third-party access to the countrys freight rail network.Nhlapo said Transnets approach to slot sales will see absolutely no private investments made because inter alia, two-year contracts have been offered; slots have been offered on a voetstoots basis; Transnet has reserved special Grandfather rights for itself; and only a portion of the network is being offered with no transparency in fees calculation among other issues."This approach offers no long-term prospects for potential investors," she said. "We know from our research that private third-party rail access - as it is currently being touted by Transnet - has no hope of success as there are no existing trainsets ready to roll onto the tracks. A 50-wagon trainset costs about R200m to produce and each slot will require three to four trainsets."The private industry has, of course, not invested hundreds of millions of rands in trainsets in advance of structural reform becoming a reality, so there are no trainsets ready to be deployed today."She said locomotives and wagons last for 20 years and more, and in order to provide commercially viable freight rates, long term funding has to be raised. In addition, it takes about 18 to 24 months just to procure a trainset. Despite this, Transnets offering is only for two-year slots."The complete lack of existing trainsets on one hand, and the un-investable nature of the approach together render the current proposal by Transnet fundamentally meaningless."Preventing willing and able private companies from investing is counter to what Policy and Government are promoting. As Aria represents the four largest private operators in South Africa, we can confirm that there is no existing capacity," she said.She said this lack of existing capacity is not due to an absence of investment appetite or customer demand, but simply because no private operator will make the material investments into train capacity before the implementation of third-party access structural reform when rates, terms and conditions remain undefined.In stark contrast to the Transnet approach, the terms of third-party access in the new National Rail Policy (NRP) are balanced, well-considered, and fundamentally investable."We urge government, as Transnets shareholder, to encourage Transnet to reconcile its current third-party access process with the cabinet-approved policy and commit to enabling the structural reforms outlined by Operation Vulindlela," Nhlapo said.The Interim Rail Economic Regulatory Capacity (IRERC) as set out in the NRP should be made responsible for overseeing negotiations between Transnet and the private operators, for setting the process and procedure for the acceptance of private operators and implementing access agreements. This would include making the slots available for a period that is aligned to the lifespan of the assets being invested in, appropriate service level commitments and setting a level playing field.The National Rail Policy stipulates that third-party access should happen in a way that promotes investments and creates an equal level playing field for all players in the industry.Just recently both President Ramaphosa and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana stated that true third-party access will boost the economy, create massive employment opportunities, and allow South Africa to regain its foothold as an investment opportunity.Minister Godongwana said the successful implementation of third-party access to the freight rail network can "spur additional investment of R58bn".President Ramaphosa said: "We understand very clearly the need to significantly improve the functioning of our railways and ports. These tasks are at the forefront of our economic reconstruction and recovery efforts. The publication of the White Paper on National Rail Policy outlines our plans to revitalise rail infrastructure and to enable third-party access to the freight rail network. We have heard the calls from the industry for private operators to be allowed to operate the countrys dedicated coal, iron ore, and manganese lines.""The lack of rail capacity is causing significant and unnecessary damage to the South African economy. Rail reform represents an opportunity for investment, competitiveness, growth, and significant jobs. As things stand, however, it will achieve none of these ambitions," Nhlapo said.
Airbnb is announcing the expansion of the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy in the Waterberg region in support of the Presidents District Development Model (DDM)  a pilot project designed to bring together government and private partners to tackle poverty, inequality and unemployment at the District Municipality level.Local partnerships have also been signed with the Waterberg District Municipality, the Biosphere Reserve, and the Lapalala Wilderness School. The programme will promote the region to help build the local tourism economy, develop skills for local families to open their homes and benefit from tourism growth and the biodiversity economy, and help to grow tourism in a sustainable way and while protecting the environment.The Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy is a skills development programme for women and youth in township and rural communities who are interested in tourism. The academy gives attendees the skills, practical tools and support they need to use technology to access and succeed on the Airbnb platform as tourism entrepreneurs. The academy will be primarily focussed on women and youth in rural and township areas within the district.The expansion of the academy comes as a new survey of 1,800 South African hosts and guests on Airbnb highlights - for the first time - how the cost of living crisis is driving people to become hosts on Airbnb. Half of hosts across South Africa say they host to afford the rising cost of living, and over a third say the additional income helps them make ends meet. Last year, hosts in South Africa collectively earned over R2 billion.By working together with government and partners, Airbnb will help to build a foundation in the Waterberg - a relatively under-touristed part of South Africa - that can drive inclusive economic recovery, and shine a spotlight on the region as a destination for local travellers seeking unique stays and experiences.The Waterberg region is an area designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO and is known for its nature and conservation as well as having sites which evidence humanity dating back three million years. Tourism has been earmarked as a key driver of economic growth for the region.This innovative public-private partnership builds on Airbnbs three-year Inclusive Tourism Commitment to empower a new generation of tourism entrepreneurs in South Africa.The first Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy Bootcamp was held in Modimolle in the Waterberg region from 31 May to 1 June, attended by 25 tourism entrepreneurs from across the district.said,said,said,This month Airbnb launched its biggest upgrade in a decade, including a new way to search that will help guests discover millions of homes and destinations they never knew existed, all while making travel less concentrated and spreading guests and benefits to more families and communities across the globe.To learn more about the Africa Entrepreneurship Academy or to become a partner organisation, visit the programme website
Learners whose lives were uprooted in the devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal received some relief this month in the form of new school shoes, donated by Toughees, part of local footwear giant, Bata South Africa.

Toughees partnered with NPO Kasi Angels to ensure that the donated school shoes reached learners in flood affected areas of eThekwini including Mayville, Clermont, Springfield, Lamontville, Wiggins, Marianhill, KwaNdengezi, Inanda, Phoenix, Verulam, Umbumbulu, Umkomaas and Umlazi, as well as KwaDukuza and Pietermaritzburg.The heavy flooding in the province killed some 450 people, left more than 40,000 homeless and damaged schools and infrastructure, affecting over 270,000 learners in the province.With Bata South Africas head office and main distribution centre based in KwaZulu-Natal, Managing Director, Michael Wyatt, said the company had been saddened to see the devastating impact of the flooding on lives and livelihoods.Bata Toughees regularly donates school shoes to alleviate the burden on disadvantaged school children as part of the Bata Childrens Programme (BCP). Through our partnership with Kasi Angels we are pleased to have been able to spring into action to assist destitute learners following the catastrophic floods, he said.Bata also recently donated gumboots to NPO The Litterboom Project (TLP), for volunteers and staff involved in beach clean-ups in KZN following the flooding disaster.Kasi Angels was founded by Gerald Nomlala, whose first-hand experience of going to school barefoot as a youngster has led to his mission to find shoes for thousands of pupils from disadvantaged families across the country.At Ziphembeleni Secondary School in Inanda township, where learners received Bata Toughees, school Principal, Bongi Mthembu said: Many learners homes were washed away and they are still living in community halls. Most of their uniforms were also washed away. Even before the floods we had a problem with learners with unemployed parents attending school without school uniforms and the floods made the situation a lot worse. We are so grateful that Bata has donated school shoes to our learners.Head girl, Anele Mphuthi, added, Getting school shoes means a lot to our school. Some learners were not coming to school because they did not have uniforms and school shoes. Others came in casual clothes, which does not go with the school code of conduct. We are so happy to get school shoes because now every learner will feel they can come to school.The global BCP focuses on four key areas of childrens development where Bata believes it can make a difference: education, health and safety, living in a sustainable world and mentoring and skills.From building new schools and classrooms to donating shoes and running support initiatives throughout the year, the BCP strives to positively impact the lives of South African children and those around them.Visit https://www.bata.co.za/about-us/bata-childrens-programme/ to learn more about the Bata BCP and how the footwear company is tackling childrens global concerns locally, to create a brighter future, today.
SUVA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa is now in Fiji for her first official visit to the island nation.

According to a Fijian government statement, Fiame on Tuesday met with her Fijian counterpart Voreqe Bainimarama and both sides discussed potential collaboration in mutual priorities, especially in areas of climate change, oceans, economic recovery, trade and investment, and people to people links, among others.

They also shared views on the current global challenges and ways in which the two nations can collaborate to further enhance socioeconomic development in both nations, and promote greater levels of regional cooperation.

The two prime ministers also attended the official opening ceremony of the new Samoa High Commission in the Fijian capital city of Suva on Tuesday evening.

Fiame said that the decision to join the majority of the Pacific community to set up office in Fiji is a testament of their support for regional unity and cohesion and to be part of the collective dialogues for a deepened regionalism.

She has also endorsed the finalisation of a development cooperation memorandum of understanding between Fiji and Samoa, saying that the opportunity to develop and enhance cooperation cannot be missed.

Good relations will allow them to pursue many win-win opportunities together and should there be issues, they will handle them in the same constructive spirit and the Pacific way, she added.

For his part, Bainimarama said that a more connected Pacific is a more secure Pacific and as a major producer of food and manufactured goods, Fiji is ready to play a much larger role in supporting regional nutrition security, shipping trade and human capital.

Fiji and Samoa established diplomatic ties in 1974. 
HANOI, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam spent over 4.1 billion U.S. dollars importing chemicals and nearly 3.7 billion U.S. dollars importing chemical products in the first five months of this year, up 30.2 percent and 25.1 percent year on year respectively.

In the period, the Southeast Asian country exported roughly 1.4 billion dollars worth of chemicals and 980 million dollars worth of chemical products, surging 65 percent and 29.9 percent, respectively, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs on Monday.

In 2021, Vietnam spent more than 7.6 billion U.S. dollars importing chemicals, and nearly 7.7 billion U.S. dollars importing chemical products, mainly from China, said the department. 
COLOMBO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government has decided to award a special 40-year tax concession to those who invest in the Colombo Port City, a cabinet spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The spokesperson told reporters that the decision was taken with the aim of attracting investments.

He also announced that the cabinet of ministers has unanimously agreed to serve without salaries for a period of one year.

Sri Lanka, which is in the mid of a foreign exchange crisis, is attempting to attract foreign direct investments to overcome the crisis.

Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said last month that Sri Lanka needs to attract at least 2 billion U.S. dollars as foreign direct investments in the coming months. 
Rescuers search for missing persons at the site of a container depot fire in Chattogram, Bangladesh, June 7, 2022. Two more bodies were recovered on Tuesday afternoon from the site of a container depot fire on the outskirts of Bangladesh's seaport city Chattogram, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka, taking the death toll to 43. (Xinhua)

DHAKA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Two more bodies were recovered on Tuesday afternoon from the site of a container depot fire on the outskirts of Bangladesh's seaport city Chattogram, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka, taking the death toll to 43.

Firefighters have brought the fire under control on Tuesday, almost three days after its breakout. The fire also injured hundreds of others.

Lieutenant Colonel Ariful Islam, the commanding officer of the 18-Bir contingent of Bangladesh Army, told the press that they had managed to bring the fire under control.

"There is no risk of further explosion as firefighters have brought the blaze at the depot under control," he said, adding the firefighters had marked the hazardous area and were working to prevent further damage and contain further contamination.

The fire broke out from one of the containers loaded with chemicals at the private BM Container Depot, a Netherlands-Bangladesh joint venture on Saturday night, leading to multiple explosions in the container yard.

"Rescuers retrieved body remains of two people including a firefighter and a security guard on Tuesday," Brigadier General Shamim Ahsan, director of Chattogram Medical College Hospital, told Xinhua.

"These two bodies were recovered on Tuesday afternoon, taking the number of total deaths to 43 from 41," he added.

At least 10 firefighters were among the dead, he said.

According to Brigadier General Shamim Ahsan, at least 250 people suffered from burn injuries in the devastating fire and were treated in the hospital.

To bolster the rescue and fire controlling efforts, the Bangladesh Army also joined the fire service on Sunday, with about 250 soldiers working there. 

Aerial photo taken on June 7, 2022 shows firefighters spraying water to extinguish a fire at the site of a container depot fire in Chattogram, Bangladesh. Two more bodies were recovered on Tuesday afternoon from the site of a container depot fire on the outskirts of Bangladesh's seaport city Chattogram, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka, taking the death toll to 43. (Xinhua)

Aerial photo taken on June 7, 2022 shows the site of a container depot fire in Chattogram, Bangladesh. Two more bodies were recovered on Tuesday afternoon from the site of a container depot fire on the outskirts of Bangladesh's seaport city Chattogram, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka, taking the death toll to 43. (Xinhua)

Aerial photo taken on June 7, 2022 shows the site of a container depot fire in Chattogram, Bangladesh. Two more bodies were recovered on Tuesday afternoon from the site of a container depot fire on the outskirts of Bangladesh's seaport city Chattogram, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka, taking the death toll to 43. (Xinhua)

Aerial photo taken on June 7, 2022 shows smoke billowing from the site of a container depot fire in Chattogram, Bangladesh. Two more bodies were recovered on Tuesday afternoon from the site of a container depot fire on the outskirts of Bangladesh's seaport city Chattogram, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka, taking the death toll to 43. (Xinhua)

A firefighter searches for missing persons at the site of a container depot fire in Chattogram, Bangladesh, June 7, 2022. Two more bodies were recovered on Tuesday afternoon from the site of a container depot fire on the outskirts of Bangladesh's seaport city Chattogram, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka, taking the death toll to 43. (Xinhua)

Aerial photo taken on June 7, 2022 shows firefighters spraying water to extinguish a fire at the site of a container depot fire in Chattogram, Bangladesh. Two more bodies were recovered on Tuesday afternoon from the site of a container depot fire on the outskirts of Bangladesh's seaport city Chattogram, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka, taking the death toll to 43. (Xinhua)
An FBI affidavit against an American fighting in Ukraine, Craig Lang, states he was previously armed by Colombian police to attack the Venezuelan government.

Another American fighting in Ukraine, white nationalist Paul Gray, was also involved in a plot to topple Venezuelas government, according to a former associate of coup leader Juan Guaido.

Lang is wanted by the US for murdering a couple in Florida and robbing them to pay for his trip to the Venezuelan border. He is also accused by the FBI of torture and murder in Ukraine.

Gray has been associated with four neo-Nazi organizations in the US, and now serves with the Georgian Foreign Legion in Ukraine.

Craig Lang, a US Army veteran accused by US authorities of carrying out murders on American soil as well as torture and other war crimes in Ukraine, allegedly joined a band of insurgents armed by the Colombian police to overthrow the Venezuelan government.

An FBI affidavit against Lang states that he was in Colombia with an Army pal when the countrys national police provided him with weapons to attack Venezuela.

Langs history tracks closely with that of Paul Gray, a fellow US military veteran and white nationalist also fighting in Ukraine. According to new revelations by a former compatriot of US-backed Venezuelan coup leader Juan Guaido, Gray was also involved in a scheme to attack Venezuela from Colombian territory.

The startling disclosure by Guaidos former associate was prompted by a May 31, 2022 report by The Grayzone which exposed Lang and Grays exploits in Ukraine, and identified Lang as having participated in a failed mission to destabilize Venezuelas government from Colombian territory.

But before Lang arrived on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, at the site of a regime change operation managed by top-level US and Colombian officials, he helped execute a heinous robbery and murder in Florida to finance his trip.

Lang is now back on the battlefield and appears to have joined back up with Right Sector. He's also fully kitted out and wearing a Ukrainian military uniformhttps://t.co/3zkGHAznhN pic.twitter.com/mXEPrb3H2r  Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) May 31, 2022

Source: wanted murderer able to obtain firearms from law enforcement in Bogota for Venezuela regime change plot

Back in 2016, Lang met a fellow army veteran named Alex Zweiefelhofer who shared his hunger for combat and international adventurism. They were in Ukraine at the time, fighting in the ultra-nationalist Right Sector battalion, which was integrated into the Ukrainian military to do battle with pro-Russian separatists.

As the low intensity war dragged on, Lang and Zweiefelhofer grew restless. In a search for action, they tried and failed to insert themselves into the US-backed Somalian armys fight against Al-Shabaab insurgents, but were deported upon arrival. It was then that they decided to head south in hopes of killing communists in Venezuela.

On April 9, 2018, according to the FBI affidavit, Zweiefelhofer said Lang murdered a couple in Florida and robbed them of $3000 to finance their trip to the Colombian border with Venezuela.

But Zweiefelhofer was arrested before he could leave the US and indicted for murder, for which he pled not guilty. A year later, another associate of Lang  a former army buddy identified only as M.S.M. in the FBI criminal complaint  came forward to law enforcement with details of their exploits together on the Colombian-Venezuelan border.

According to the FBI affidavit, Lang told M.S.M. that Lang was going to join combat forces opposed to the Venezuelan government. M.S.M. advised that Lang was going to join a Venezuelan resistance group.

In his interview with the FBI, M.S.M. claimed he hesitated on the mission because he did not want to kill people. He said Lang left alone to the border town of Cucuta, where he linked up with right-wing insurgents.

According to the FBIs timeline, which was informed by Homeland Security Investigations, Lang arrived in Bogota on September, 25, 2018 and thereafter departed from Colombia on November 23, 2018.

The affidavit pegged the Colombian government as a key supplier of the regime change mission against Venezuela:

M.S.M. told detectives the resistance group Lang joined was able to obtain firearms from law enforcement in Bogota. M.S.M. advised that the resistance group had a safe house in the mountains of Cucuta, Colombia. The group planned to cross into Venezuela and fight the Venezuelan government.

Langs alleged arming by Colombian authorities adds a new layer to Bogotas well-documented role in US-directed destabilization operations against the Venezuelan government. In fact, the foreign fighters brief adventure in Colombia began one month after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro survived an assassination attempt in which commercial drones were strapped with explosives and hovered over his head during a military parade.

Following the failed attack on Maduro, the Venezuelan president immediately blamed Colombian authorities, while US media regurgitated Colombias denials. Then-National Security Advisor John Bolton suggested the whole televised incident was a false flag orchestrated by Maduro.

Several participants in the assassination plot were soon arrested, and some were later exchanged for prisoners held by Colombia. One of the ringleaders, Juan Requesens, a leader of the US-funded, Venezuelan Primero Justicia party, confessed to collaborating with a Colombian immigration official to kill Maduro.

In a CNN interview with a perpetrator of the attack somewhere in Colombia, one of the attackers admitted to three meetings with American officials following the failed assassination plot. (CNN did not disclose the location where the interview was conducted or where the explosives were made).

In a stroke of absurdity, the FBI affidavit against Lang flatly states: The United States is at peace with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Guaido defector claims Paul Gray was involved in Operation Gideon plot against Venezuela

One day after The Grayzones report on the exploits of wanted murderer Craig Lang and white nationalist Paul Gray in Ukraine, an unnamed former associate of Venezuelan coup leader Juan Guaido came forward with a major revelation.

In an interview with the Venezuelan public TV network TeleSUR, the former Guaido associate stated that he recognized Paul Gray from planning meetings held for Operation Gideon, a disastrously failed invasion of Venezuela conducted by 60 anti-government insurgents led by US mercenaries.

New info on two Americans in Ukraine I profiled: a former associate of Juan Guaido tells @madeleintlSUR that Paul Gray was at planning meetings for Operation Gideon. Plus, Craig Lang was armed by Colombia cops to attack Venezuela according to police sourcehttps://t.co/D7I5JtdJ4h https://t.co/DfLUwszp1z pic.twitter.com/npB8CueeFm  Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) June 6, 2022

The source told TeleSUR correspondent Madelein Garcia that like Craig Lang, Gray was in Cucuta as a member of a group of around 10 or 12 American mercenaries planning Operation Gideon in February 2019.

That same month, the United States Agency for International Development staged an invasion of Venezuelan territory under cover of a caravan of trucks filled with supposed aid. Complimented by a Live Aid concert organized by British billionaire Richard Branson in Cucuta, the stunt ended in ignominy, as hooligans associated with the US-backed Venezuelan opposition torched USAIDs aid deliveries and attempted to blame their destruction on Maduro. USAID later admitted the entire operation was little more than a regime change ploy.

Like the drone attack and the supposed aid caravan, Operation Gideon was a disaster for everyone involved. According to one key member of the insurgent team, Yacsy Alvarez, the operation was backed by the US with a major assist from Colombian intelligence.

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Some 60 Venezuelan insurgents and private mercenaries with the now-disgraced Silvercorp USA company attempted to enter Venezuela by boat, overtake an airport, and eventually capture President Maduro. But government officials had embedded within the group and easily wrapped up what has since been dubbed The Bay of Piglets.

The former Guaido insider told Telesur that he first encountered Paul Gray, the US white nationalist, at a farm belonging to Don Pedro Barrigas, a Colombian businessman, accused paramilitary leader, and ally of Alvaro Uribe Velez. Barrigas brother also happens to be a senator.

According to the source, Gray went by the name Snake during the Gideon planning meetings.

Paul Gray was sitting there, three seats from me, the Guaido defector asserted.

The involvement of an infamous activist who has belonged to four US-based neo-Nazi groups, served in the Georgian National Legion in Ukraine, which is led by a US asset welcomed by members of Congress, and the new revelations of his alleged involvement in Operation Gideon raise serious questions about whether he and Lang are just ideologically-motivated war tourists or whether they are, in fact, imperial shock troops traversing a US intelligence ratline from one operation to the next.
Elites from the world of politics, media, Big Tech, business, and more, are in Washington DC for the 68th annual Bilderberg Group meeting.

The Bilderberg Group first meeting was in 1954, the agenda being building back Europe following the Second World War. It was organized by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, and was held at the Bilderberg Hotel located in Oosterbeek.

The list of attendees is often secret, but the organizers have confirmed a few people attending this years meeting, like former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, CIA Director William Burns, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, former CIA head David Petraeus, and Sen. Krysten Sinema (D-AZ). The Prime Minister for the Netherlands Mark Rutte is also in attendance, as well as Canadas Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland who this year ordered banks to freeze the accounts of civil liberties protesters.

According to the Bilderberg website, the discussion in this years meeting will include:

Geopolitical Realignment

NATO Challenges

China

Indo-Pacific Realignment

Sino-US Tech Competition

Russia

Continuity of Government and the Economy

Disruption of the Global Financial System

Disinformation

Energy Security and Sustainability

Post Pandemic Health

Fragmentation of Democratic Societies

Trade and Deglobalization

Ukraine

As can be seen from the list, the group plans to discuss, behind closed doors, a way to combat Disinformation.

The idea of censoring disinformation or misinformation has rapidly escalated in recent years, particularly through the pandemic when it was discovered that labeling something as such as a fast way to get it censored.

The term misinformation may seem like it has been a mainstay in mainstream media news coverage for years because of the frequency with which it is used.

But statistics from GDELTs Online News Summary tool, a service that summarizes global news media coverage of a particular topic and contains more than a quarter of a billion records, shows that most of the growth in the use of this term by the mainstream media occurred around the same time that the coronavirus outbreak was becoming a major story.

According to GDELTs data, use of the term misinformation in news articles fluctuated between a low of 0.06% and a peak of 0.16% for more than three years between January 1, 2017 and February 2, 2020.

Then from February 3, 2020, use of the term misinformation in mainstream media news coverage almost doubled to a peak of 0.3% on April 11 and it has remained above 0.22% ever since.

According to the Bilderberg Group, its activities are: The Bilderberg Meeting is a forum for informal discussions about major issues. The meetings are held under the Chatham House Rule, which states that participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s) nor any other participant may be revealed.

Thanks to the private nature of the Meeting, the participants take part as individuals rather than in any official capacity, and hence are not bound by the conventions of their office or by pre-agreed positions. As such, they can take time to listen, reflect and gather insights. There is no detailed agenda, no resolutions are proposed, no votes are taken and no policy statements are issued.

The details about the meeting, which started Thursday are scarce since no journalists are allowed to report, although some are invited as participants.
Another Clinton advisor is dead.

Mark Middleton, Bill Clintons special advisor from Little Rock, Arkansas who connected the former president to deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein died at the age of 59 in early May.

At first, no details of Middletons death were disclosed, however, the case was blown wide open after a FOIA request by Radar Online revealed the former advisor was found hanging from a tree with a shotgun blast to his chest.

Mr. Middleton was found hanging from a tree with a shotgun blast to his chest and an extension cord wrapped around his neck 30 miles from his Arkansas ranch.

The investigation into the so-called suicide was reopened after Middleton was found dead on an 1,100 acre Perryville farm linked to Bill Clinton.

Middletons family is now fighting to block the release of files detailing the grisly death scene.

The Middleton family is reportedly angry about the  unsubstantiated conspiracy theories spreading online about the death of their loved one.

The Daily Mail exclusively reported:
SINGAPORE, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Five priority levers will offer concrete investible opportunities and drive 60 percent of Southeast Asia's carbon abatement potential, according to a new report released at Ecosperity Week, an annual sustainability event held by government-owned Temasek Holdings, on Tuesday.

The Southeast Asia's Green Economy 2022 Report, which is jointly produced by a collaboration between Bain & Company, Microsoft and Temasek, said that these five levers are forest conservation, renewables (solar and wind), electric mobility, sustainable farming and built environment.

The report said that forest conservation is a growing investible space in Southeast Asia, and particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia. It is the largest carbon abatement lever in the region and will represent a 20-billion-U.S. dollar opportunity by 2030.

Renewables (solar and wind) represent a 30-billion-dollar opportunity by 2030, of which solar represents 20 billion dollars. Corporate investment in renewable energy solutions is accelerating in the region and accounted for at least 6.6 billion dollars in corporate green investment since 2020.

E-mobility looks poised to take off in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, especially for two-wheeler EV manufacturing and sales due to strong automotive manufacturing expertise in these markets.

As to sustainable farming, precision agriculture and farmer service platforms present a large potential opportunity to drive yield improvements and reduce emissions. Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are most attractive due to infrastructure readiness and strong regulatory support.

In respect of built environment, there are significant opportunities in energy-saving cooling technology and green building products in construction. The most attractive opportunity can be found in efficient cooling solutions, with large potential for green building materials and products.

According to the report, Southeast Asia needs to address emissions gap and concrete roadmaps to achieve 2030 goals, and prioritize the most investable and addressable decarbonization pathways for the decade.

"With its vibrant and dynamic digital-fuelled economy, Southeast Asia has tremendous potential to make long term, meaningful impact in the global green transition," said Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer of Temasek.

"The opportunities are immense, but it will take collective will, unprecedented collaboration and meaningful financing to unlock the full potential of decarbonization levers across all green investment asset classes."

Dale Hardcastle, partner and director of the Global Sustainability Innovation Center at Bain & Company, said that Southeast Asia needs to move from promises to action, and bridging the gap between opportunities and results will be a key milestone.

"We remain bullish on the 1 trillion U.S. dollars economic opportunities in Southeast Asia, but we need to step up as a region to strengthen the investable market and increase green capital flows," he said. 
Afghan security force members stand guard at a destroyed weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Parwan province, Afghanistan, June 8, 2022. Security forces have found and destroyed a weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan's eastern Parwan province, provincial police spokesman Mohammad Kamran Habibi said on Tuesday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

KABUL, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Security forces have found and destroyed a weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan's eastern Parwan province, provincial police spokesman Mohammad Kamran Habibi said on Tuesday.

Quoting the official, the local Tolo television channel reported that the weapon cache was discovered in a house in the provincial capital Charikar city on Monday and police have taken into custody three persons, including a woman, in this connection.

Police have discovered a huge quantity of arms and ammunition, including two suicide vests, from the weapon cache and dynamited the house, which damaged several houses nearby, the media outlet reported.

The hardliner IS, which has claimed responsibility for a series of blasts over the past few months in Afghanistan, is not posing a serious threat and the security forces would continue to diminish the armed group, according to officials with the Taliban-run administration. 

An Afghan security force member stands guard at a destroyed weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Parwan province, Afghanistan, June 8, 2022. Security forces have found and destroyed a weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan's eastern Parwan province, provincial police spokesman Mohammad Kamran Habibi said on Tuesday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

An Afghan security force member stands guard at a destroyed weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Parwan province, Afghanistan, June 8, 2022. Security forces have found and destroyed a weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan's eastern Parwan province, provincial police spokesman Mohammad Kamran Habibi said on Tuesday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

An Afghan security force member stands guard at a destroyed weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Parwan province, Afghanistan, June 8, 2022. Security forces have found and destroyed a weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan's eastern Parwan province, provincial police spokesman Mohammad Kamran Habibi said on Tuesday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

An Afghan security force member stands guard at a destroyed weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Parwan province, Afghanistan, June 8, 2022. Security forces have found and destroyed a weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan's eastern Parwan province, provincial police spokesman Mohammad Kamran Habibi said on Tuesday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

Afghan security force members stand guard at a destroyed weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Parwan province, Afghanistan, June 8, 2022. Security forces have found and destroyed a weapon cache of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan's eastern Parwan province, provincial police spokesman Mohammad Kamran Habibi said on Tuesday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
HELSINKI, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The Finnish Ministry of Defence on Tuesday announced the signing of a Memorandum of Host Nation Support between Finland and Sweden.

The Host Nation Support (HNS) covers "separately agreed measures to be taken by a host nation to support the capabilities of forces of another state," the ministry said in a press release.

The document was signed by Finnish Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen and Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist in connection with a Northern Group ministerial meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland.

"From Finland's perspective, the key objective is to ensure that military assistance can be received effectively," the release noted.

The concept of "military hosting" became part of the Finnish political language in 2014 when Finland signed a Memorandum on Hosting with NATO.

The memorandum was discussed as "an agreement" by Finnish media, which created political arguments in the country that the agreements should have been submitted to parliament, as international agreements in Finland are. In that case, parliament had only been informed.

Jarmo Lindberg, the then commander of defense forces, said the hosting agreements "standardize administrative arrangements" and reduce the need for separate protocols and technical agreements. 
What ancient Greece teaches us about memorializing the dead

Antigone leads Oedipus out of Thebes painting by Charles Francois Jalabert. Collection Musee des Beaux-Arts de Marseille via Wikimedia Commons

Professor Joel Christensen is the chair in the department of Classical Studies at Brandeis University. This article originally appeared on The Conversation.

The official count of Americans lost to COVID-19 has surpassed 1 million. It is the latest grim milestone that has marked the progression of deaths and infections since the virus took hold in the U.S. in March 2020.

Such numbers make it hard to memorialize individuals  a problem that has existed throughout the ages.

As a scholar who studies Greek myth and has written a book about psychology and Homers epic poem, the Odyssey, I keep trying to understand what we have experienced in the U.S. during the COVID-19 era through my research.

Greek texts cannot name all their countless fallen heroes, but they show how to honor the lives of those lost to war or plague, and the significance of doing so.

Moral tales and the countless dead

Some of the earliest texts about deaths in plagues and war from ancient Greece emphasize the difference between the individuals who lead their citizens into disasters and the masses of people who suffer and die because of them.

Homers other epic, the Iliad, set in the conflict between the Greeks and the city of Troy, starts out by lamenting the myriad Greeks sent to their doom not by the war itself but the superhuman rage of Achilles, son of the goddess Thetis, and the most powerful of the Greek warriors. Achilles rage during the war against his commanding officer, Agamemnon, leads to the deaths of his own people.

Nameless victims also haunt Sophocles Athenian tragedy, Oedipus Tyrannus, or Oedipus the King, when a plague afflicts the city of Thebes. An oracle says the plague will not end until the killer of Oedipus father Laius is brought to justice. Oedipus struggles to realize that he is the killer and cause of the plague, as the one who murdered his father and married his mother, not knowing who they are.

Probably the most famous account of a plague from ancient Greece comes from Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War, a generation-long war between the city-states of Athens and Sparta from 432 to 404 B.C. Thucydides describes how a plague overtook Athens in 430 B.C.

Thucydides first-person account describes fevers and boils and frustrated doctors, but little sense of the individuals who suffered from it. Instead, he focuses on the breakdown of social order, how people abandoned their neighbors and loved ones, and how, shockingly, traditional burial rites were abandoned.

Modern estimates put the Athenian losses in this plague at 25% of the population, perhaps over 75,000 people.

Can we even conceive of the numbers?

Homer and Sophocles do not give names to individuals among the dead masses. As the narrator in the Iliad announces, someone would need ten mouths and an inexhaustible voice to name all those who fought at Troy. The contrast between the large numbers of undifferentiated dead and the heroes or leaders responsible for them helps the readers think about culpability. But this might also be a reflection of the limits of human cognition.

Our brains are not well suited to comprehending large numbers: We are good at comparing sums, but the larger a number gets, the harder it is for us to attach concrete meaning to it. This is in part why the milestone COVID-19 death tolls of 100,000 and 1,000,000 may mean as much to us as the myriad deaths of Greeks at the beginning of the Iliad.

Burial and rhetoric

Our ability to identify with and feel compassion for victims of violence decreases as the number lost increases, leaving us numb . We are also psychologically better suited at mourning our near and dear ones, or a handful of people, than a group . This is, lamentably, why mass killings and genocides are so difficult for many people to process emotionally.

Our inability to comprehend large numbers of the dead render them faceless and nameless. This can create a tension with practices for honoring those we have lost. Greek myth centers burial rites as the honor due to the dead. Their practices included caring for the body through cremation or burial, but also through lamentation and the creation of memory.

Achilles lamenting the death of his friend Patroclus. Painting by artist Gavin Hamilton (1723 - 1798).Scottish National Gallery, CC BY-NC

Indeed, the final two books of Homers Iliad are lessons in how to memorialize the dead. First, Achilles holds a funeral and games in honor of his friend Patroclus, and then the Trojans retrieve and mourn their fallen defender, Hektor.

The eulogies of modern funerals function in part to help create a shared memory of a lost loved one. COVID-19, however, has not only exhausted peoples capacity to grieve through sheer numbers, it has also disrupted memorial practices.

In ancient Athens, there was a practice of providing an annual funeral speech for those who had died in service to the city. The speech was a sacred occasion that provided honor to the dead as a group. These speeches connected their sacrifice to civic survival and the glory of the state, situating their deaths in a story that connected their survivors past with future endeavors.

One of the most famous examples of ancient rhetoric comes from this practice. Thucydides places the funeral speech of Pericles, the leader of Athens and architect of its war with Sparta, at the end of the first year of the conflict, right before the onset of the plague. Pericles rallies his people not to mourn their losses but to praise their sacrifice.

The politics of counting

Nations can choose to memorialize the dead through a monument or a holiday. Such memorialization arises from a public and political will. But the number of lives lost are subject to selection.

U.S. COVID-19 deaths, for example, may be undercounted by a third because of local and national decisions on record keeping and classification. The impact of these losses is impossible to estimate. Worldwide, COVID-19 has become a long-term disabling event for millions. In the United States alone, a quarter of a million children have lost a caregiver to the pandemic.

It is important to count the numbers and to tell their stories, because what countries officially count in part communicates who they think matters. Consider, for instance, that the the number of Iraqis and Afghans killed during Americas wars in those regions is not known. By contrast, the number of American servicemen killed is well known.

The contrast between what is countable and what is felt brings tension to the stories of the Iliad, Oedipus and Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War. Poorly read, these narratives glorify their failed leaders, but careful consideration can help readers see how many were lost to preserve a handful of names.

Who our nations count today will go a long way in telling future generations the story of the COVID-19 era. And it will also help define those who lived through it.
Most Brandon property owners should see a decrease in property taxes after the 2023 reassessment, a representative from Manitoba provincial assessment told Brandon City Council on Monday.

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Most Brandon property owners should see a decrease in property taxes after the 2023 reassessment, a representative from Manitoba provincial assessment told Brandon City Council on Monday.

According to Farrah Anderson, the overall value of both residential and commercial land will increase around four per cent over the city as a whole.

This will bring Brandons overall taxable assessment approximately $166 million higher to a total of $3.045 billion.

However, because of the continued phasing out of education property taxes and a residential tax credit for renters on the way, 69 per cent of the 16,423 properties in Brandon will see a reduction in the amount of taxes owed when both municipal and education property taxes are combined.

The remaining 5,118 properties are likely to see a tax increase. Three per cent of properties are likely to see a tax increase of greater than $100 and $28 per cent are likely to see an increase of $100 or fewer.

These figures are based on averages and estimates pre-assessment.

Overall, properties with an assessment increase of less than four per cent will likely see a decrease in property taxes, while properties with an assessment increase of greater than four per cent will likely see an increase.

After Andersons presentation, Mayor Rick Chrest asked her what the impact of COVID-19 has been on assessments.

She said that COVID didnt affect properties as much as originally feared, meaning that Brandons municipal levy  the annual amount of taxes it collects  will remain stable.

Though under the current mill rate, residential taxes collected would decrease by 0.2 per cent, a correspondent increase in residential taxes is expected to keep the levy the same.

To mitigate the changes reassessment can make to taxes and tax revenues, the province tells municipalities that it can phase in increases and decreases over a period of time, vary the tax percentages levied on certain classes of property and establish a tax credit program.

Also at council, the Canadian Association of Municipal Administration formally gave the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples Council and the City of Brandon its 2022 Willis award for innovation for its creation of Truth and Reconciliation Week programming last year.

The city won in the category for municipalities between 20,001 and 100,000 residents.

 cslark@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
Now theyre in a situation where Odessa is being bombed every week or so. The troops are moving towards them. They just have one more city before Odessa, so once that city falls, Odessa is going to be under attack. The Ukrainian port city of Odessa, where the family lives, is dangerously close to being seized by Russian forces. Credit:(AP Photo/Max Pshybyshevsky) Last week the familys visa applications were rejected on the grounds that they did not comply with migration requirements and had not sufficiently demonstrated they intend only to visit Australia temporarily, or that their circumstances are an incentive to return to their home country. The Australian government was estimated to have rejected hundreds of Ukrainian refugees, and immigration lawyers were working to help several families at a time.

Oleh Kovalova with children Veronica, 11, and Vlad, 15. When the war started, the Australian government set up this process where you could apply for a visitor visa, and once you arrive in Australia, you can apply for the special refugee visa, Baptista said. Now you can only apply for the special refugee visa, [but] you can only apply for the special refugee visa if you are in Australia. What has happened in the last three to four weeks is that theyve decided that Ukrainians, because theyre intending to stay longer, they no longer comply with the visitor visa rules, which state that you need to go back, youre just visiting, youre not staying in Australia. This is not the first time the family has endured war. They initially lived in eastern Ukraine in Donetsk, but when Russia invaded the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, they moved to Odessa.

I know the beginning was rough. They had to live in a one-bedroom apartment with many relatives. But then they found jobs and started to rebuild their lives, Baptista said. The situation now is exacerbated by a lack of jobs, Baptista said. Kovalova lost her job in the HR department of a factory because it closed when the war began. Her partner worked in a baby products company, and now with all the kids, babies and mothers leaving, theyre actually cutting down his hours, she said. Theyve decided to leave the father behind because hes not allowed to leave [because of conscription in Ukraine]. A Home Affairs spokesperson said the department would not comment on individual cases but was prioritising visa applications from Ukrainian nationals, particularly those with a strong, personal connection to Australia.

The department said applications were assessed on merit and considered against the requirements for a visitor visa set out in legislation. Since February 23, the department said it had granted more than 8000, mostly temporary, visas to Ukrainians, and over 3200 of the visa holders had arrived in Australia. Tatiana Tanya Kovalova hopes to come to Australia to rebuild her life yet again with her two children, Veronica, who loves to paint, and Vlad, who likes swimming. Kateryna Argyrou, co-chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, said while there were no official statistics on the number of Ukrainians being rejected, judging by the number of people who had reached out to the group, it would be in the hundreds. The biggest challenge with the visa application process currently is the massive financial burden of medical check fees, Argyrou said.

She said the majority of people who did arrive from Ukraine were women and children, and there were challenges once they landed in Australia. Some of them arrive with nothing more than a small suitcase to their name, they dont have the necessary level of English yet in order to immediately enter the workforce, and they still have to find a way to take care of their children, Argyrou said. The process to transition to a 786 visa, which is only available to Ukrainian refugees already in Australia, is also problematic, she said. If they cant afford to pay for the medical check fees  usually $330 to 430 per person, or more than $1000 for a mother with two children  they will not be able to transition from the 449 visa to the 786 visa, which provides access to Medicare, she said. So our fear right now is that mothers, babies, and the elderly will be stuck in limbo and will not be able to get basic health care or access to GPs, which is very worrying.
The family of a pregnant couple run down by a teenager at an intersection in Brisbanes bayside have walked out of court before sickening footage of the fatal crash was played.

And the driver, now 18, seated in the Brisbane Supreme Court dock in baggy trousers and sneakers, put his head in his hands and did not watch the horrifying dashcam footage either.

The crumpled Toyota Landcruiser after the crash in Alexandra Hills on Australia Day. Credit:Nine News

The sentencing of the teenager, who is being dealt with as a childrens matter because the tragedy happened when he was 17, began in Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The hearing was delayed by hours because the offender was not brought into court from prison, and Judge Martin Burns ordered the offenders mother come to court, against the teenagers wishes.
ATHENS, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The future of Sino-Greek cooperation in the shipping sector is bright, against the backdrop of various uncertainties including the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the organizer of a renowned shipping event.

"China has been a big investor in Greece in the last few years," said Theodore Vokos, managing director of Posidonia Exhibitions S.A. which runs the Posidonia International Shipping Exhibition.

Greece and China have enjoyed a good friendship and longstanding relationship, and cooperation between the two countries can only grow further, he told Xinhua on Tuesday in Athens.

"Greeks will continue investing in new ships and building them in China. The Chinese shipyards are bettering and furthering their technology, so I think the future looks bright," he said.

The biennial week-long Posidonia exhibition was inaugurated Monday evening by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, after a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is the largest event in the expo's 54-year-long history, with a total of 1,948 exhibitors from 88 countries and regions exhibiting their products and services this year, according to the organizers.

"Despite the odds, we are very happy to also welcome back Chinese participation. Almost all of them are on board stronger than ever, showcasing their technology and their products to the world and renewing their friendship with the Greek ship owning community," Vokos said.

About 130 companies from China participated in the event, ranging from small manufacturers to leading shipyards and Chinas' COSCO Shipping.

COSCO acquired a majority stake in Piraeus Port Authority S.A. (PPA) in 2016, while the group's subsidiary, Piraeus Container Terminal S.A. (PCT), manages the port's container terminal since 2009. 
Makassar: Anthony Albanese has embraced big business on his first trip to Indonesia, bringing the chief executives of some of Australias largest companies to Jakarta to send a clear message about the need for closer economic and political ties.

A week after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said big business had shifted away from the Coalition and he would target small business owners, the prime minister was explicit about his desire to improve trade and investment between Australia and Indonesia, who are currently each others 13th largest trade partners.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a business dinner in Jakarta, Indonesia. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The truth is that our economic relationship has struggled to keep pace with the reality of Indonesias extraordinary economic rise, Albanese said in Jakarta on Monday night.

The new Australian government that I lead is determined to turn that around. Were putting trade and investment at the heart of our regional and international agenda. We see Indonesia as central to our trade diversification plan.
The Victorian Coalition will end the shooting of wild horses to control their populations if it wins the November state election, despite environmental groups arguing the introduced animals severely damage the natural landscape.

The opposition has vowed to focus on rehoming brumbies rather than eradicating them by hunting from the ground or air.

Brumbies, seen here in Kosciuszko National Park, were brought to Australia more than 200 years ago. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Last month, Parks Victoria released a tender calling for contractors to deliver the safe, humane and effective shooting of feral animals in the Alpine and Barmah national parks. Wild horses are listed as the primary target in the tender document, but deer, foxes, cats, pigs and goats are also included.

Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh described brumbies as iconic and said a Coalition government would provide a humane and sustainable approach to managing their populations.
Singapore: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed concern at fresh claims that China is building a naval facility in Cambodia for the use of its military forces, calling on Beijing to be transparent about its intent for the base.

The Washington Post on Tuesday quoted a Chinese official saying its military would have access to an area of the Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand, where Beijing is funding construction work.

Cambodian navy crew members stand on a navy patrol boat at the Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, south-west of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Credit:AP

The development comes as China said on Tuesday that it was acting in self-defence when it sprayed an Australian air force plane on a surveillance mission in the South China Sea with flares and metal in May.

Chinas involvement in upgrading the Cambodian base has been viewed with suspicion for several years by the US and Western allies.
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have released a rare photo showing their daughter Lilibet, who celebrated her first birthday in a backyard picnic in the UK over the weekend.

Wearing a light blue frock and white bow on her head, the red-haired toddler sat on the grass in a candid snapshot taken by close family friend Misan Harriman on Saturday, a spokesperson said.

A highlight of the intimate gathering at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor was a cake by American baker Claire Ptak, who created the wedding cake for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018. Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, whose family nickname is Lilibet.

Harry and Meghan, who live in the United States, were in Britain for the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations. It is understood they took Lilibet, who was born in California, to meet her great-grandmother, the Queen, for the first time last week.
On Wednesday, Ukraine said its forces were successfully holding out against the Russian assault in Sievierodonetsk, while Russian troops were bringing in new resources towards Donbas in an intense battle for control of the eastern region. The days-long battle for the industrial city has emerged as pivotal, with Russia focusing its offensive might in the hope of achieving one of its stated aims - to fully capture surrounding Luhansk province on behalf of Russian-speaking separatists. The absolutely heroic defence of Donbas is ongoing, Zelensky said. A police officer looks over a crater left by a missile strike in Druzhkivka, Ukraine. Credit:Getty Putins forces have come closer to the goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories, claiming to have taken control of 97 per cent of one of the two provinces that make up the region.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscows forces held nearly all of Luhansk province. And it appears that Russia now occupies roughly half of Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts. After abandoning its bungled attempt to storm Kyiv two months ago, Russia declared that taking the entire Donbas was its main objective. Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian government forces in the Donbas since 2014, and the region has borne the brunt of the Russian onslaught in recent weeks. Loading Early in the war, Russian troops also took control of the entire Kherson region and a large part of the Zaporizhzhia region, both in the south. Russian officials and their local appointees have talked about plans for those regions to either declare their independence or be folded into Russia. But in what may be the latest instance of anti-Russian sabotage inside Ukraine, Russian state media said on Tuesday that an explosion at a cafe in the city of Kherson wounded four people. Tass called the apparent bombing in the Russian-occupied city a terror act.

Before the February 24 invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russia controlled some 7 per cent of the country, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and areas held by the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. Last week, Zelensky said Russian forces hold 20 per cent of the country. While Russia has superior firepower, the Ukrainian defenders are entrenched and have shown the ability to counterattack. While insisting on Ukraines need to defeat Russia on the battlefield, Zelensky said at a Financial Times conference on Tuesday that he was still open to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But a former senior US intelligence officer said the time wasnt right. Youre not going to get to the negotiating table until neither side feels they have an advantage that they could push, said Andrea Kendall-Taylor of the Washington-based Centre for a New American Security.

Ukraines Donbas region, which includes Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, has seen intense fighting in recent weeks as Russia has concentrated its war effort there. Credit:Getty The Russians think they will be able to take the whole of the Donbas and then might use that as the opportunity to call for negotiations, Kendall-Taylor said at an online seminar organised by Columbia and New York universities. Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, said Moscows forces had seized the residential quarters of Sievierodonetsk and were fighting to take control of an industrial zone on the citys outskirts and nearby towns. A civilian militia man holds a shotgun and a rifle during training at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine. Credit:AP Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. They are among a few cities and towns in the Luhansk region still holding out against the Russian invasion, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces.

Shoigu added that Russian troops were pressing their offensive toward the town of Popasna and have taken control of Lyman and Sviatohirsk and 15 other towns in the region. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak urged his people not to be downhearted about the battlefield reverses. Loading Dont let the news that weve ceded something scare you, he said in a video address. It is clear that tactical manoeuvres are ongoing. We cede something, we take something back. Luhansk Governor Serhiy Haidai conceded that Russian forces control the industrial outskirts of Sievierodonetsk.

The toughest street battles continue, with varying degrees of success, Haidai said. The situation constantly changes, but the Ukrainians are repelling attacks. Moscows forces also kept up their artillery barrage of Lysychansk. Haidai said Russian troops shelled a market, a school and a college building, destroying the latter. At least three people were wounded, he said. A total destruction of the city is under way. Russian shelling has intensified significantly over the past 24 hours. Russians are using scorched-earth tactics, Haidai said. Meanwhile, the US military has begun training Ukrainian forces on the sophisticated multiple rocket launchers that the Biden administration agreed last week to provide. The Pentagon said the training is going on at a base in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets, which can travel about 70 kilometres. Officials said it would take about three weeks of training before they could go to the battlefront. The war also brought a standoff Tuesday between the head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency and Ukrainian authorities over the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe. The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, wants to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant to help maintain its safety after it was taken by Russian troops in March. But Energoatom, the Ukrainian state company overseeing the countrys nuclear plants, said in a blunt statement that Grossi isnt welcome. It said his planned tour is yet another attempt to legitimise the occupiers presence there. Amid fears of a global food crisis because of the war, the Kremlin said Ukraine needs to remove sea mines near its Black Sea port of Odesa to allow essential grain exports to resume from there. Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that removing the mines could enable Moscows forces to attack.
Washington: Academy Awardwinning actor Matthew McConaughey, who grew up in Uvalde, Texas, took centre stage at the White House briefing to call on Congress to reach a higher ground and pass gun control legislation in honour of the children and teachers killed in last months mass shooting at an elementary school in his home town.

In a highly personal 22-minute speech, McConaughey offered a full-throated exhortation for a gridlocked Congress to pass gun reforms that can save lives without infringing on Second Amendment rights.

Actor Matthew McConaughey holds a picture of Alithia Ramirez, 10, who was killed in the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, as he speaks during a press briefing at the White House. Credit:AP

McConaughey used his star power to argue for legislation in a way that the Biden administration has not been able to, offering a clear connection to the small Texas town and vivid detail on the sheer loss of the 19 children and two teachers in the second-worst mass school shooting in US history.

We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that wont make it so easy for the bad guys to get the damn guns, McConaughey said.
Dr Paul Skrzypczyk is one of 18 early-career researchers which have been named CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars for 2022-2024. The announcement of this years cohort takes place during a milestone year, as CIFAR celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Dr Skrzypczyk of the School of Physics studies Quantum Information Science. His research focuses on the full spectrum of fundamentally new and extraordinary ways in which quantum entanglement allows us to process information and what this, in turn, teaches us about the very fabric of nature.

He said: I'm absolutely thrilled to have been selected as a Global Scholar. This is a very exciting opportunity for me, and I'm really looking forward to building new bridges with the Canadian Quantum Information Science community over the coming years through this award.

The CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars program is part of a range of next-generation initiatives at CIFAR that aims to boost the potential of early-career researchers pursuing high-risk, high-reward ideas.

"The program provides an unparalleled opportunity to explore truly interdisciplinary topics alongside some of the leading researchers in the world in search of answers to some of the toughest questions, says Rachel Parker, Senior Director, Research.

Selected from more than 200 eligible applications from 32 countries, the 18 selected scholars reside at institutions in six countries: Canada, Chile, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars is a unique program that provides $100,000 in unrestricted research support, in addition to mentorship, global networking, and professional skills development.

For two years, scholars join one of CIFARs 12 research programs where they have the opportunity to collaborate with CIFAR fellows. This years cohort will be contributing to the Bio-inspired Solar Energy, Child & Brain Development, Gravity & the Extreme Universe, Learning in Machines & Brains, Quantum Information Science, and Quantum Materials programs. Once their term ends, many scholars continue to contribute to the CIFAR community, joining as fellows, Canada CIFAR AI Chairs, or workshop participants.

I would like to congratulate and welcome our seventh cohort of CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars. They are amongst some of the most promising young researchers in the world, says Dr. Alan Bernstein, O.C., President and CEO of CIFAR.

Humanity faces many complex and pressing challenges, from income inequality to climate change. We need creative and talented scholars and scientists, especially the next generation of investigators, to contribute to the global effort to address these challenges and exciting science questions. It is of utmost importance to provide opportunity for this next generation of innovative thinkers, adds Dr. Bernstein. That is why programs like the CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars program are so important for both advancing science and enabling positive change in the world.
From July 1, five more lenders will join a panel of 25 non-major and two major bank lenders offering the Australian Governments Home Guarantee Scheme that helps more eligible Australians buy a home, including first home buyers and single parents.

The scheme, currently known as the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, will be bolstered by Credit Union SA, Illawarra Credit Union, IMB (trading as IMB Bank), Newcastle Permanent Building Society, and Unity Bank.

The lenders have been appointed to the schemes non-major bank lender panel, after a competitive procurement process run by the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC), to complement and strengthen the existing panel, improve the reach and accessibility of the scheme, and support more eligible homebuyers to achieve their homeownership goals.

Launched in 2020, the scheme is an Australian government initiative to support eligible homebuyers to become homeowners sooner. It is administered by NHFIC on behalf of the government.

Since its launch, it has so far helped more than 61,000 Australians buy or build a home, with a significant proportion being women and key workers (figures as of May 31, 2022). In the year ahead, NHFIC anticipates making 50,000 new places available through the scheme to eligible homebuyers.
Billionaire Gautam Adani and India's biggest hospital operators, Enterprise Ltd are assessing bids to take a majority stake in Ltd, a media report said.

Adani and Apollo's deal with Metropolis could be at least worth $1 billion or Rs 7,765 crore, given the market captalisation of the diagnostic chain and its operations, Mint reported quoting two people familiar with the matter.

This comes after the Adani Group, one of Indias largest business conglomerate, last month announced its foray into the healthcare sector and reports suggested that it is planning to acquire large hospitals and diagnostic assets. Adani Enterprises in May said it has incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, Adani Health Ventures (AHVL), for this purpose.

To gain a foothold in the sector, has reportedly earnmarked $4 billion for the business.

The Adani Group, which has more than $20 billion in annual revenue, is also interested in entering the pharmacy space, through both online and offline routes, reports suggested.

In the last 8 years, the has acquired 30 different entities in different sectors, including in power, green energy, infrastructure, airports and food processing.

Ltd started in 1980s as just one lab. The diagnostic chain currently operates in 19 states across the country.

The pathology chain got its first external funding from ICICI Venture in 2005 of Rs 35 crore. Later, PE firm Warburg Pincus invested $85 million in the company, marking an exit for the ICICI Venture.

The founding Shah family, backed by KKR India, in 2015 bought back 27% stake of Warburg Pincus for 550 crore. The company brought marquee investor Carlyle later that year after the PE firm bought out its co-promoter GSK Velus stake in a board battle.
US e-commerce giant has warned and its promoters against going ahead with approval to the sale of Ltd (FRL) assets to as part of a $3.4-billion deal. In a letter written to founder Kishore Biyani, his daughter Ashni Kishore Biyani and other promoters, said it was at liberty to take all action available in law to enforce valid, binding and subsisting injunctions, and it reserved all rights in this regard. The firm alleged that had been orchestrated and committed by and its promoters.

alleged that such fraudulent and malicious conduct on the part of Future Group and its promoters had deprived Amazon of the very substratum of its bona fide investment. It said this amounted to fraud, malfeasance and misfeasance with the intent to deceive and gain undue advantage to itself and the "MDA (Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani) Group".

ALSO READ - Reliance Retail drops Future Group deal after secured lenders reject it



All the aforesaid acts on behalf of the Promoters and the entities involved (including FRL) have been spearheaded and orchestrated by the addressees herein, particularly Mr Kishore Biyani and Mr Rakesh Biyani, said Amazon in a letter sent on June 6, 2022, which has been reviewed by Business Standard. The acts mentioned above are culpable, constitute fraudulent conduct, and also involve penalties under the penal laws and also amount to contempt.



Amazon called upon Future Group and its promoters not to proceed with the proposed transaction, directly or indirectly, and to abide by the injunctions granted by the EA (Emergency Arbitrator) in the EA Order, as affirmed by the Tribunal Order.

Take note that any attempt to fraudulently or maliciously defeat and circumvent the binding injunctions contained in the EA order would render all parties, whether acting directly in directly, liable to actions or consequences in accordance with the law, said Amazon.

Amazon said the transfer of the supply chain and logistics businesses was a part of the Scheme of Arrangement, which was approved by FRLs board of directors on August 29, 2020, in violation of Amazons rights under the agreements (impugned transaction). It was subsequently injuncted via EA order, which was also reaffirmed by the tribunal order.

The Scheme of Arrangement contemplated the amalgamation of various of the Future group into Future Enterprises Limited (FEL), and a simultaneous demerger of Logistics & Warehousing Undertaking and Retail & Wholesale Undertaking from FEL as a going concern on a slump-sale basis to certain entities of the MDA Group ( Ventures Limited and and Fashion Lifestyle Limited).

Since the Scheme of Arrangement was rejected by the creditors of FRL, Amazon alleged FRL had through a fraudulent and convoluted stratagem already handed over as many as 835 retail stores (retail stores) to MDA Group. The firm alleged that FRL now intended to transfer the entire supply chain, warehousing and logistics business by way of the Proposed Transaction to MDA Group.

The newfound conducive discussion belies the statements made by FRL in the March 16 disclosure, whereby FRL had claimed that MDA Group had forcefully taken over the retail stores and its board of directors had taken a strong objection to such actions by MDA Group.



On the contrary, Amazon alleged that the Future group was now intending to enter into a fresh commercial transaction for sale of its supply chain and logistics businesses. These are ancillary and supplementary to the operations of the retail stores to the same entity (MDA Group), which has purportedly forcefully taken over the retail stores, which contributed 55 per cent to 65 per cent of the retail revenue operations of FRL.

Amazon alleged that it is shocking to note that despite MDA Group having caused such huge loss of revenue to FRLs retail business, and effectively getting FRLs retail stores purportedly against rental dues of a mere Rs 1,100 crore (the small-store format itself was valued by the lenders at Rs 3,000 crore) the Future group is negotiating the proposed transaction and intends to continue having a business relationship with MDA Group.

Amazon said it had constantly expressed its willingness to extend financial assistance to FRL to enable it to service its debt. Amazon had facilitated a potential investment through an institutional investor (Samara Capital), which would entail an infusion of Rs 7,000 crore into FRL.

While having rejected such offers of extending financial assistance by Amazon, FRL entered into a framework agreement dated April 26, 2021, which contemplated monetisation of the small-format stores for an amount of Rs 3,000 crore. However, in reality there were no outstanding lease rental dues as is evident from multiple documents. FRL on a spurious basis allowed termination of its leases which resulted in MDA Group taking over as many as 835 retail stores, said Amazon.

Amazon alleged that the aforesaid facts and circumstances clearly demonstrated that the Future group continued to act in collusion with MDA Group in order to completely transfer its retail business.
The has decided to replace all its vehicles with EVs in the next four months for its airside operations under the Green Transportation Program to reduce its annually, its operator Limited (DIAL) said on Monday.

The plan to induct induct 62 at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport's airside, which include runway, taxiway, and apron involved in the arrival and departure of flights, will help reduce nearly 1,000 tonnes of yearly.

DIAL's announcement of the Green Transportation Program comes on the sidelines of the .

The airport operator also announced that it will install high voltage and fast-charging stations at strategic locations to meet the requirements of these vehicles and other airport stakeholders.

DIAL has worked with original equipment manufacturers for this programme to make the required changes in the EVs to install airport-specific equipment. It is working closely with the IGI stakeholders for smoother adoption of EVs at the airport.

DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, talking about the development, said, "DIAL has set a target to make a Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by 2030, and is continuously working to achieve this goal. We are planning to eliminate all the light vehicles of petrol and diesel in a phased manner from and use instead."

The adoption of for managing airport operations is a step forward. It is a first-of-its-kind initiative by any Indian airport to ensure a clean transportation environment," Jaipuriar said.

DIAL currently has facilitated electric buses for transportation of passengers from Terminal 3 to the Passenger Transport Centre (PTC) building.

DIAL, in a bid to become a "Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport" (NZCEA) by 2030, is also planning to source its electricity completely from renewable sources to ensure that charging of these vehicles is also emission-free, Jaipuriar said.
The has issued notice to the department on a tax dispute with India Ltd which relates to interpretation of India's agreement with countries.

In the meantime, the court allowed to pay dividend to its French shareholder--Societe De Participations Financiers ET Industrielles (SPAFI)--for 2022-23 after paying higher withholding tax "under protest". The higher tax amount will be subject to the order by the court, it ruled.

The dispute, which relates to double taxation avoidance agreements (DTAAs) that India entered with countries, has a potential to trigger similar rows in tax matters with multinational (MNCs), experts warned.

While the tax department felt that Saint Gobain, which is engaged in glass, ceramics and concrete manufacturing, should withhold ten per cent tax on dividend payment to its French shareholder, the company was of the view that it should withhold only five per cent.

The dispute arises due to a Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) clause in that India has entered with countries which include France. The clause says that if India enters into with any other OECD country which reduces its taxes in areas such as dividend, that reduced rate will apply to those countries which have MFN clauses.

India later entered into with Slovenia where withholding tax on dividend is five per cent and not ten per cent. However, Slovenia became a member of OECD after signing DTAA with India. Now France says that the lower tax rate should apply to its too due to the MFN clause.

However, CBDT in a clarificatory circular said that the MFN clause comes into force if Slovenia was a member of OECD at the time of DTAA with that country as well at a time when MFN clause was entered into some OECD countries including France.

has challenged that circular as well as the department's notice directing the company to pay ten per cent withholding tax.

Sandeep Sehgal, partner tax at AKM Global, said the granting of benefit of the MFN clause is a vexed topic and the issue of this circular is expected to add to the complexities due to the different interpretations taken by the countries.

"The MNCs would certainly like to go with the interpretation of their home jurisdiction especially when it is faourable to them. Hence, this would give rise to several such writ petitions against the circular and would add to the litigations," he said.
Corporation on Tuesday said it will invest about Rs 220 crore (3.1 billion yen) in its Indian subsidiary to set up a new factory in .

The new factory will be set up near Pune in . Its subsidiary India will manufacture inverters and other factory automation (FA) control system products, said a statement from the Japanese manufacturer of electrical and electronic products.

The factory is expected to start operations in December 2023 and would expand the company's capabilities to meet the growing demand in India, it added.

"The rapidly growing Indian market is expanding at an annual rate of about 8 per cent mainly in industries such as automobiles, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, data centres, and textiles, with further market expansion expected in the future," it said.

The new two-floor, 15,400 square-metre factory will be built on 40,000 square metres of land near Pune.

"....(it) will help expand Mitsubishi Electric's production capabilities to meet local demand for products, and also contribute to the Make in India initiative promoted by the Indian government," the statement said.

In addition, the facility will incorporate various features aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by reducing carbon dioxide emissions by using highly efficient air conditioning systems and LED lighting equipment.

It will also meet sustainable development goals (SDGs) by reusing wastewater through underground filtration treatment and greening.

India is in the business of "development, manufacture, sales and after-sales service of FA control system products, sales and after-sales services for air conditioners, semiconductors; manufacture, sales and after-sales service of electrical products for railway vehicles.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is a world leader in electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation and building equipment.

The company had recorded a revenue of 4,476.7 billion yen (USD 36.7 billion) in the fiscal ended March 2022.

(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.)
SoftBank Group-backed Ola Electric is in talks with multiple global suppliers to build a battery cell manufacturing plant in India with a capacity of up to 50-gigawatt hours, sources said.

As part of its broader electrification push, the firm plans to invest in with advanced cell and battery technology, alongside the 50 Gwh battery plant.

Ola Electric needs 40 Gwh of battery capacity to power 10 million electric scooters annually. The remainder will be for its electric cars, which the company plans to manufacture in the future.

Sources said the cell battery plant may cost around USD 1 billion (over Rs 7,700 crore) and may be built with an initial capacity of 1 Gwh, which will be expanded in the future.

Over 40 global suppliers are already in Bengaluru to meet with Ola founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal at the company's headquarters and are also visiting the Ola Futurefactory in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu this week, sources aware of the matter said.

Ola Electric, they said, has initiated talks with global suppliers from Germany, Korea, Japan and other hubs to fuel its battery manufacturing ambitions.

It currently imports its battery cells from South Korea.

like Drr and Siemens also seem to be on the list of suppliers.

The battery cell manufacturing sector is dominated by the likes of CATL, LG, Energy Solutions, and Panasonic, which supply to automakers such as Tesla and Volkswagen.

Industry experts believe that one of the world's youngest EV is keen to begin cell manufacturing by next year.

Aggarwal has already stated that India can soon replace China and emerge as the global hub for (EVs).

Towards this end, Ola plans to develop the entire ecosystem -- cell and battery tech, global supply chains, interconnected as well as autonomous vehicle technologies.

Ola Electric is the only Indian auto and EV company that has been selected by the government under its ambitious Rs 80,000 crore cell PLI scheme to set up an advanced cell manufacturing factory in 2 years.

Its cell Production Linked Incentive (PLI) bid was for the maximum allowed bid capacity of 20 GWh.

According to sources, Ola is also looking to set up an even larger 50 GWh gigafactory and a battery innovation centre to support its two-wheeler and four-wheeler roadmap for India and the world.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former chairman and managing director of Limited (REL) has been in connection with a 2020 case related to fraud worth Rs 800 crore, police said on Tuesday.

Godhwani, who was already in judicial custody in a case registered by the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police for allegedly misappropriating funds of Religare Finvest Ltd (RFL), was taken on a production remand and then arrested, they said.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Economic Offences Wing) Chhaya Sharma said, "He was already under judicial custody in another case. Meanwhile, there was a case going on which was registered in 2020 and he was in that fraud case worth Rs 800 crore. He was taken on production warrant and in the present case."



In the RFL case in 2019, police registered an FIR against Godhwani, Malvinder Mohan Singh, Shivinder Mohan Singh and others on a complaint from the firm's authorised representative for allegedly diverting the company's money and investing in other . REL was earlier promoted by the Singh brothers.

(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 today announced SMBSaathi Utsav - an initiative that aims to support small businesses by helping them adopt digital mediums such as the Business App to run their business.

SMBSaathi Utsav has kicked off with a pilot in Jaipurs Johri Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar where over 500 small businesses are being trained on various aspects of running their business online. Launched in collaboration with Josh Talks the intent of this initiative is to educate and help small businesses unlock the potential of their business through .

India is home to approximately 6.3 Cr MSMEs accounting for 30% of the countrys GDP and employing over 110 million people at present. During the pandemic, these businesses were severely affected witnessing a 20-50% decline in their overall earnings. One of the major reasons behind this fall was the lack of market access, said a press statement from WhatsApp.

To help these businesses revive from this downturn, WhatsApp launched the SMBSaathi initiative earlier this year, which showcased inspiring stories of business owners across India who pivoted to digital ways of doing business during the pandemic. For many of these businesses WhatsApp was their first digital gateway and an easier and more effective alternative to building and maintaining a website. The SMBSaathi Utsav is the second phase of the SMBSaathi campaign.

Abhijit Bose, Head of WhatsApp India said, We are excited to launch the SMBSaathi and SMBSaathi Utsav programmes dedicated to Indias small business community. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and technology has the potential to further boost their business. During the pandemic, we saw several small business owners thriving by using simple platforms such as WhatsApp Business App to stay connected with their customers. We are committed to finding new ways of increasing awareness about simple digital tools for businesses to support and celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in India.

As part of the SMBSaathi Utsav, trained volunteers are providing one-on-one digital training to businesses in Johri Bazar and Bapu Bazaar in Jaipur. These trainings involve educating the business owners about building a digital presence on the WhatsApp Business App to help them better manage incoming leads and queries, build a product/services showcase and market to key audiences using online tools.

Businesses across sectors such as traditional arts and handicrafts, jewelry, fashion and apparel, food and beverage outlets and several others are being trained on using the various features of the WhatsApp Business App and are being guided on how they can market their product to the right audiences.
It was a small trial, just 18 rectal patients, every one of whom took the same drug.

But the results were astonishing. The vanished in every single patient, undetectable by physical exam, endoscopy, PET scans or M.R.I. scans.

Dr. Luis A. Diaz Jr. of Memorial Sloan Kettering Center, an author of a paper published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine describing the results, which were sponsored by the drug company GlaxoSmithKline, said he knew of no other study in which a treatment completely obliterated a cancer in every patient.

I believe this is the first time this has happened in the history of cancer, Dr. Diaz said.

Dr. Alan P. Venook, a colorectal cancer specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved with the study, said he also thought this was a first.

A complete remission in every single patient is unheard-of, he said.

These rectal cancer patients had faced grueling treatments  chemotherapy, radiation and, most likely, life-altering surgery that could result in bowel, urinary and sexual dysfunction. Some would need colostomy bags.

They entered the study thinking that, when it was over, they would have to undergo those procedures because no one really expected their tumors to disappear.

But they got a surprise: No further treatment was necessary.

There were a lot of happy tears, said Dr. Andrea Cercek, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a co-author of the paper, which was presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Another surprise, Dr. Venook added, was that none of the patients had clinically significant complications.

On average, one in five patients have some sort of adverse reaction to drugs like the one the patients took, dostarlimab, known as checkpoint inhibitors. The medication was given every three weeks for six months and cost about $11,000 per dose. It unmasks cancer cells, allowing the immune system to identify and destroy them.

While most adverse reactions are easily managed, as many as 3 percent to 5 percent of patients who take checkpoint inhibitors have more severe complications that, in some cases, result in muscle weakness and difficulty swallowing and chewing.

The absence of significant side effects, Dr. Venook said, means either they did not treat enough patients or, somehow, these cancers are just plain different.

In an editorial accompanying the paper, Dr. Hanna K. Sanoff of the University of North Carolinas Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, who was not involved in the study, called it small but compelling. She added, though, that it is not clear if the patients are cured.

Very little is known about the duration of time needed to find out whether a clinical complete response to dostarlimab equates to cure, Dr. Sanoff said in the editorial.

Dr. Kimmie Ng, a colorectal cancer expert at Harvard Medical School, said that while the results were remarkable and unprecedented, they would need to be replicated.

The inspiration for the rectal cancer study came from a clinical trial Dr. Diaz led in 2017 that Merck, the drugmaker, funded. It involved 86 people with metastatic cancer that originated in various parts of their bodies. But the cancers all shared a gene mutation that prevented cells from repairing damage to DNA. These mutations occur in 4 percent of all cancer patients.

Patients in that trial took a Merck checkpoint inhibitor, pembrolizumab, for up to two years. Tumors shrank or stabilized in about one-third to one-half of the patients, and they lived longer. Tumors vanished in 10 percent of the trials participants.

That led Dr. Cercek and Dr. Diaz to ask: What would happen if the drug were used much earlier in the course of disease, before the cancer had a chance to spread?

They settled on a study of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer  tumors that had spread in the rectum and sometimes to the lymph nodes but not to other organs. Dr. Cercek had noticed that chemotherapy was not helping a portion of patients who had the same mutations that affected the patients in the 2017 trial. Instead of shrinking during treatment, their rectal tumors grew.

Perhaps, Dr. Cercek and Dr. Diaz reasoned, immunotherapy with a checkpoint inhibitor would allow such patients to avoid chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

Dr. Diaz began asking companies that made checkpoint inhibitors if they would sponsor a small trial. They turned him down, saying the trial was too risky. He and Dr. Cercek wanted to give the drug to patients who could be cured with standard treatments. What the researchers were proposing might end up allowing the cancers to grow beyond the point where they could be cured.

It is very hard to alter the standard of care, Dr. Diaz said. The whole standard-of-care machinery wants to do the surgery.

Finally, a small biotechnology firm, Tesaro, agreed to sponsor the study. Tesaro was bought by GlaxoSmithKline, and Dr. Diaz said he had to remind the larger company that they were doing the study  company executives had all but forgotten about the small trial.

Their first patient was Sascha Roth, then 38. She first noticed some rectal bleeding in 2019 but otherwise felt fine  she is a runner and helps manage a family furniture store in Bethesda, Md.

During a sigmoidoscopy, she recalled, her gastroenterologist said, Oh no. I was not expecting this!

The next day, the doctor called Ms. Roth. He had had the tumor biopsied. Its definitely cancer, he told her.

I completely melted down, she said.

Soon, she was scheduled to start chemotherapy at Georgetown University, but a friend had insisted she first see Dr. Philip Paty at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Dr. Paty told her he was almost certain her cancer included the mutation that made it unlikely to respond well to chemotherapy. It turned out, though, that Ms. Roth was eligible to enter the clinical trial. If she had started chemotherapy, she would not have been.

Not expecting a complete response to dostarlimab, Ms. Roth had planned to move to New York for radiation, chemotherapy and possibly surgery after the trial ended. To preserve her fertility after the expected radiation treatment, she had her ovaries removed and put back under her ribs.

After the trial, Dr. Cercek gave her the news.

We looked at your scans, she said. There is absolutely no cancer. She did not need any further treatment.

I told my family, Ms. Roth said. They didnt believe me.

But two years later, she still does not have a trace of cancer.
An Air Arabia heading from Chittagong in Bangladesh to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was diverted to on Monday as one of the aircraft engines failed mid-air, senior officials of Indian aviation regulator said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a probe in the matter, the officials said on Tuesday.

The landed at the airport at approximately 9.25 pm on Monday after one of the engines "stalled" mid-air and the engine failure warning came on, they added.

Due to the warning sign, the crew had to made a "mayday" call and the aircraft was allowed to conduct an emergency landing at the airport, the officials noted.

None of the passengers or crew members was injured and the aircraft landed safely, they said.

A team from its Mumbai regional office, in consultation with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), has been sent to to conduct the probe, the officials 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.)
BRICS countries vow to deepen financial cooperation

Xinhua) 08:42, June 07, 2022

BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of BRICS countries issued a joint statement at a virtual meeting on Monday, reaching consensus on deepening financial cooperation and strengthening coordination on macroeconomic policy.

The meeting, co-chaired by China's central bank governor Yi Gang and finance minister Liu Kun, discussed topics such as improving the Contingent Reserve Arrangement and the cooperation of transition finance and other areas.

At the meeting, Yi spoke highly of the concerted efforts made by all BRICS countries in achieving positive progress in financial cooperation.

The meeting called upon the international community to foster partnerships, noting that it is imperative to strengthen macro-policy coordination in driving the world economy out of the crisis and shaping a strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive post-pandemic economic recovery.

It also reiterated BRICS countries' commitment to maintaining a strong and effective Global Financial Safety Net with a quota-based and adequately resourced IMF at its center, calling for the timely and successful completion of the 16th General Review of Quotas.

The meeting also recognized the crucial role of sustainable finance in the global economic recovery as well as the importance of transition finance in facilitating orderly green and low-carbon transition.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
Ahead of the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls, the ruling in Maharashtra has decided to shift its MLAs from a resort in suburban Malad to a five-star hotel in south Mumbai as part of a strategy to ward off poaching, a senior party leader said on Tuesday.

All legislators of the Sena have been summoned to Mumbai and they will stay together till the polls on June 10, he said.

"We were in 'The Retreat' (at Madh island in northwest Mumbai) and all our ministers too were present there. That was part of our strategy. We will be moving to hotel 'The Trident' (in south Mumbai) today," Sena MLA and party spokesperson Sunil Prabhu said.

The Trident is at a stone's throw from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly where voting will take place for the six Rajya Sabha seats.

The Sena has 55 MLAs (one MLA had died due to a heart attack last month) in the 288-member House.

Chief Minister and president Uddhav Thackeray on Monday met the MLAs of his party as well as others supporting it.

After more than two decades, the state will witness a contest in the Rajya Sabha polls as there are seven candidates in the fray for six seats.

The Sena has fielded two candidates -- Sanjay Raut and Sanjay Pawar -- while the BJP has nominated Union minister Piyush Goyal, Anil Bonde and Dhananjay Mahadik. The NCP (Praful Patel) and Congress (Imran Pratapgarhi) have fielded one candidate each.

The contest lies for the sixth seat between Pawar and Mahadik.

Given its strength in the Assembly, the BJP has enough votes to win two seats, while the Sena, NCP and Congress can win one seat each.

The Sena (55), NCP (52) and Congress (44) -- all constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi-- have enough votes together to ensure the victory for the second candidate of the Sena.

While two NCP MLAs- Anil Deshmukh and minister Nawab Malik- are currently in jail, one seat is lying vacant in the 288-member House.

Apart from the four main parties, the Assembly has 25 MLAs from smaller parties and Independents.

The Sena decided to corral its MLAs after accusing the opposition BJP of "horse-trading" and using Central agencies to pressure independent MLAs.

(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 assets owned by Sukanya Mandal, the daughter of Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mandal, has now come under the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and (ED), who are conducting parallel probes in the cattle and coal smuggling cases in West Bengal.

Highly placed sources said that recently their officers sought the details of books of accounts, income tax returns, property and assets details held by Anubrata Mandal and his family members. Mandal, the Trinamool Congress Birbhum district president, submitted the same through his counsels.

A scrutiny of the assets and property details of Sukanya Mandal revealed that since 2014 there were high- value property and assets purchased by her.

The two central probe agencies, especially those from the ED are currently trying to track the money trail behind these high value transactions.

At the same time, the sleuths of the two central agencies are also examining the asset details held by Mandal's close associates, including his personal bodyguard and driver. The books of accounts of a Birbhum-based non- government organisation (NGO) are also under the scanner.

It is learnt that the red beacon- fitted personal vehicle that Mandal used before was registered in the name of this particular Birbhum-based NGO. However, following a thrashing from the Calcutta High Court and also objections from his own party high- command Mandal removed that red beacon.

The conversation between Mandal and some current and erstwhile district police officials in Birbhum are also being examined by the sleuths.

Currently, Mandal is being examined by the central agency sleuths in two different cases. On one hand, the officials based out of the agency's Nizam Palace office in central Kolkata, along with their counterparts in the ED, are probing him in the cattle and coal smuggling cases. On the other hand, the CBI based out of the agency's office at central government office (CGO) Complex at Salt Lake in the northern outskirts of Kolkata have questioned Mandal in connection with the post-poll violence case in the state.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In wake of the mass by five members of a family, including two minors, in Bihar's Samastipur, Deputy Chief Minister Tar Kishore Prasad on Monday denied that starvation was a reason for the tragic incident.

"The incident was extremely unfortunate and the agencies are investigating... The victims had taken extreme steps due to starvation is hard to believe. The state government is providing free food grains to the people who need it. Such a policy was started in the first wave of Corona and it will remain till September this year. The mass may not be done due to scarcity of food grain," he said while interacting with media persons in home town Katihar.

"The district police is investigating from all angles to find out actual reasons of mass suicide," Prasad added.

Earlier, Chief Nitish Kumar, expressing deep condolences to the family members of the victims, said that the investigation is underway to find out the reason.

Leader of Opposition in Assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Monday said that it is an extremely unfortunate, disheartening and painful experience for him that five persons of a family died due to poverty, starvation, stringency, and unemployment.

"Such an unfortunate incident attributed to bigotry of the double engine government is a black spot on Nitish Kumar government," he said.

Manoj Jha, 45, his wife Sundarmani Devi, 38, mother Sita Devi, 65, and the couple's children So Satyam, 10, and Shivam, 7 were found hanging in the house located in ward 11 of Samastipur.

Samastipur SP Hriday Kant said: "Preliminary investigation reveals that the victim Manoj Jha, 45, has taken a loan of Rs 3 lakh from various lenders and was unable to repay it." Sources have said that the entire family was in deep depression as the lenders were humiliating them for not paying the installments.

--IANS

ajk/vd

(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 several districts in reporting high Covid-19 positivity rate and over 1,000 cases a day for the past seven days, these two states are now on high alert in terms of preparedness.

Six districts in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and Pune, are posting high positivity rates. The state health minister has asked these districts to ramp up testing rapidly. While Thane reported a positivity rate of 20 per cent on Monday, Mumbai saw a positivity rate of 8.8 per cent.

On Tuesday, recorded 1,881 new Covid cases, 81 per cent more than the previous day and highest since February 18, and also reported one case of B.A.5 variant, the state health department said. Mumbai alone accounted for 1,242 new cases, almost double the Monday's count.

The capital city, which witnesses the highest demand for hospital beds, has started to activate the field hospitals and keep its private health infrastructure ready for any rise in hospitalisation.

At the moment, only senior citizens and those with co-morbid conditions are seeking admission. Less than 1 per cent of the total 24,601 beds in Mumbais public sector Covid-19 infrastructure are occupied. However, staff recruitment has begun at the jumbo centres in the city, and several of them that are now lying vacant are being activated.

Most prefer private hospitals and, thus, the city civic body has already held meetings with the private hospitals.

Joy Chakraborty, chief operating officer of PD Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai, said a meeting happened last week and there was a marginal increase in the patient admissions. He said wards could be activated as demand rises and the infrastructure is ready. The BMC has requested us to keep our charges nominal and not to refuse any Covid-19 patient admissions, he said.

Sanjith Saseedharan, consultant and head critical care at SL Raheja Hospital, Mahim-A Fortis Associate, said: Mumbai has witnessed almost a threefold rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the past couple of weeks. If the surge continues, then there are chances that the elderly population, people with co-morbidities or low immunity, will get infected. This might then lead to an increase in hospitalisation.

The southern state of Kerala, too, is now actively working to brace any serious rise in hospitalisation needs.

With reporting over 1,000 cases a day for almost a week till Monday, the state is on high alert with all the district authorities being asked to keep equipment and facilities ready, in case of an unnatural spike in the number of cases.

According to an official source, special instructions are given to districts that have reported a higher number of cases like Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kottayam.

Covid-19 cases in the state increased to 2,271 cases on Tuesday, from around 1,494 on Monday. This is after a gap of three months that the state is seeing over 2,000 cases a day. For the past seven days, the state has seen an average of around 1,500 cases, ringing alarm bells for the authorities.

The rise is very slow and today, the numbers have come down. The government has asked all the main centres to be on high alert and standby. One good thing is that admissions have not increased and, hence, there is no pressure on the existing health facilities, said a state health official.

The state had also seen a test positivity rate of over 10 per cent for three consecutive days till Monday.

Adding to the woes of the authorities, the state had reported two cases of Norovirus at Vizhinjam and several people in the area were under observation. State health authorities said there was nothing to be worried about the situation.

 is reporting a higher number of cases because of a better health system here. However, the government should not try to manipulate any numbers like they were trying to, said SS Lal, a former official with the World Health Organization.
An executive working with a travel company was apprehended by the with foreign currency worth Rs 2.7 crore at a station on Tuesday, a senior officer said.

The man and the currency have been handed over to the (ED) for further investigation, he said.

The 48-year-old man carrying the currency in his bag was intercepted around 1:20 PM by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) deployed for security duties at the Punjabi Bagh West station.

The seized currency, kept in the man's bag, is an assortment of US dollars, Euro, Canadian dollars, Singaporean dollars and British pound among others, the officer said.

The man said he was working as an assistant manager with a travel company located in the GK-II area of the capital.

He was handed over to ED authorities as he could not clearly explain why was he carrying the huge amount of foreign currency which is equivalent to about Rs 2.7 crore.

(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 (CBDT) has asked to fix the search-related glitches reported on Tuesday on the tax-filing portal a year after its launch.

This comes after the Income-Tax (I-T) Department got complaints about search functionality on the portal and also that it had been hacked and might pose risks to security.

It was reported that someone tried to get into the portal. We immediately asked the service provider (Infosys) to look into the concerns raised and fix them on priority, CBDT Chairperson Sangeeta Singh said on Tuesday on the sidelines of a departmental function.

The CBDT chief said the initial report from showed there was no breach of user data.

Tuesday was the first launch anniversary of e-filing portal 2.0. It went live on June 7, 2021, and has had a bumpy start since the beginning with taxpayers reporting technical hiccups.

was given the contract to develop the tax portal.

Earlier in the day the I-T Department acknowledged the issue and posted a tweet stating the issue relating to the search functionality of the e-filing website has come to our notice. The Income-tax department is seized of the matter.

Infosys has been directed to look into it and Infosys has confirmed that they are resolving the issue on priority.

In the past year, the new portal faced difficulties on several occasions, which prompted the government to extend the date of filing tax returns and related forms for taxpayers.

The new portal had replaced the earlier version, with additional features to reduce the time required to process income-tax returns and issue refunds.

Since its launch, the finance ministry and tax department have been reviewing the system and its functioning with Infosys regularly.

Infosys was awarded the contract in 2019 through a bidding process, with an outlay of Rs 4,241.97 crore. With this project, the I-T filing system was supposed to be managed completely by Infosys. The project was to be completed in 18 months and launched after three months of testing.

While reviewing the progress of the portal, Infosys was recently asked to increase the scope for pre-filled data in income-tax return forms.

A majority of the issues have been fixed. Only a few matters still remain, and they will be addressed soon, a senior government official said.

The government is learnt to be keen on expediting the new payments system of the portal and roll it out in the current fiscal year. This would allow tax payment through many options, including credit cards and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
India aims to double marine product exports to Rs 1 lakh crore in the next five years from the present around Rs 50,000 crore, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles has said.

He was speaking at an event in Kochi on Monday.

"This target will be achieved through sustainable fishing, ensuring quality and variety, promotion of coastal shipping and aquaculture, and by supporting the entire fisheries ecosystem," said Goyal, addressing the mediapersons at the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Kochi.

At the event, K.N. Raghavan, Chairman of MPEDA, presented a road map to achieve the export turnover of Rs 1 lakh crore.

Goyal further said that the Free Trade Agreements have been finalised with the UAE and Australia, while negotiations are in progress for such an agreement with the UK and Canada.

The minister said negotiations to reach an FTA with the EU will begin in Brussels on the 17th of this month.

The Minister had an interaction with Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) at MPEDA office and had an extensive discussion on various issues, challenges and solutions facing the sector and also met with fishermen from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karnataka.

He assured interventions to minimise the hurdles on the import of raw materials for value addition so that India can be transformed to a seafood processing hub in the near future.

--IANS

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India on Monday successfully carried out a night launch of the nuclear-capable Agni-4 ballistic missile from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha, marking a significant boost to the country's military capabilities.

In a brief statement, the defence ministry said the "training launch" of the missile was carried out at around 7:30 pm.

It is learnt that the missile has a range of around 4,000 kilometres, and it is largely seen as part of India's deterrence against China.

The defence ministry said the successful test of Agni-4 reaffirms India's policy of having a 'credible minimum deterrence capability'.

"A successful training launch of an Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile, Agni-4, was carried out at approximately 1930 hours on June 6 from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha," the ministry said.

"The successful test was part of routine user training launches carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command," it said.

The ministry said the launch validated all operational parameters as also the reliability of the system.

"The successful test reaffirms India's policy of having a 'credible minimum deterrence capability'," it said.

The test launch of the missile came amid India's lingering border row with China in eastern Ladakh.

India has been steadily enhancing its overall military might over the last couple of years.

It has carried out successful tests of a number of missiles during the period.

Last month, India successfully test-fired an extended range version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi fighter jet.

It was the first launch of the extended range version of the BrahMos missile from a Su-30MKI aircraft.

An anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired jointly by the Indian Navy and the Andaman and Nicobar Command on April 27.

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Live news updates: British Prime Minister survived a confidence vote on Monday but a rebellion by 148 of his 359 Conservative Party lawmakers dealt a serious blow to his authority. A majority of the Conservatives' lawmakers - at least 180 - would have had to vote against Johnson for him to be removed. The result means Johnson secured the backing of 59% of his lawmakers, lower than the support given to his predecessor in a confidence vote she faced in 2018.

Finance minister will on Tuesday launch a Single Nodal Agency (SNA) dashboard which will provide a platform for ministries/departments to monitor transfer of funds to states and their utilisation. In a statement the finance ministry said in order to give the stakeholders of SNA model the necessary feedback and monitoring tools in the operation of the schemes, Public Financial Management System (PFMS) has developed the SNA dashboard.

India on Monday faced more diplomatic heat with the strong reaction of Islamic countries to the controversial comments by two BJP functionaries against Prophet Mohammad even as it slammed the 57-nation OIC for its "motivated" and "mischievous" comments on the matter. A day after Kuwait, Qatar and Iran summoned Indian ambassadors over the remarks by Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, several Islamic countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Indonesia, Bahrain, Maldives and Oman also denounced the comments while some of them welcomed BJP's punitive action against the duo.
in will reopen on June 15 with all possible precautions, state Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said on Monday.

Gaikwad said students in grades 1 and 2 have never been to due to the pandemic for the last two years.

will open with all necessary precautions on June 15 which has been the date for reopening of schools (after summer vacation), the minister said.

School-going students have been impacted due to the COVID-19 curbs in the last two years.

Notably, has been witnessing a surge in daily COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. Monday was the fifth consecutive day when the state witnessed 1,000 plus infections.

In view of the rising graph of infections, Health Minister Rajesh Tope has appealed to people to wear masks, though using them is not mandatory.

"The government has not taken any decision on making the use of masks mandatory but we are urging people to wear masks. Instead of falling ill, citizens should observe hygiene, wear the mask and follow social distancing," Tope had tweeted.

(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.)
Its still early days, but the southwest monsoon has been nearly 37 per cent below normal in the first seven days (June 1-7) of this month.

According to the data furnished by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), between June 1 and June 7, India received 14.5 millimetres (mm) of rainfall, against a normal 23.1 mm.

Among places where rains have arrived, monsoon in Kerala in the first seven days has been 48 per cent below normal, while in Puducherry, it has been 56 per cent above normal. In Tamil Nadu, rains were 21 per cent above normal between June 1 and June 7.

In the Northeast, monsoon has been 97 per cent above normal in Meghalaya, 32 per cent above normal in Nagaland, 16 per cent above normal in Sikkim, and near normal in Assam between June 1 and June 7.

In Mizoram, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh, rains have been less than normal thus far. In the days to come, the southwest monsoon should hopefully get active over the rest of the country as it marches towards Central and Western India.

The Met in its latest weather update on Tuesday said that the southwest monsoon has further advanced over some more parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, and Southwest and West-Central Bay of Bengal in the past 24 hours.



It also said that the intense spell of is likely to continue over Northeast India and

Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the next five days.

While releasing its second-stage forecast for 2022 monsoon season on May 22, the IMD had said that in June  the first month of the four-month season  it is expected to be normal between 92 per cent and 108 per cent of the long period average.

In June, India gets around 16.54 centimetres (cm) of the estimated 87 cm rainfall, or

19 per cent.

The Met had said that Northeast, East, and South Peninsular India might get below normal rains in June.

Earlier last week, private weather forecasting agency Skymet had said there might not be any significant uptick in monsoon activity over South India in parts where it has already reached during the week starting June 6, while rains will be vigorous over Northeast India.

We dont expect heavy downpour over Southern Peninsular India over the next one week, at least until June 10, but yes, monsoon activity will remain active over Northeast India, Mahesh Palawat, vice-president, meteorology and climate change at Skymet Weather, had told Business Standard.

Earlier, the IMD had said that the southwest monsoon had set in over Kerala on May 29  three days ahead of its normal onset date of June 1.
South American nation has initiated cancellation of the orders for one million doses of Bharat Biotechs Covid19 vaccine  Covaxin, sources in the know said.

refused to comment on the matter. However, sources close to the development said that the company had stopped production and exports of Covaxin from April, and thus if there are any pending orders, they stand cancelled. This is an old development, because stopped exports of Covaxin long back, and is now upgrading its manufacturing sites. Any orders therefore stand cancelled, the person said.

Media reports, however, have claimed that has cancelled the orders because of quality control issues.

On April 1, announced a temporary slowing down of production of Covaxin across its manufacturing facilities, having completed its supply obligations to procurement agencies and foreseeing the decrease in demand. For the coming period, the company will focus on pending facility maintenance, process and facility optimisation activities, it had said.

A day after Hyderabad based vaccine maker Bharat Biotech said it was halting production of Covaxin to upgrade its facilities and in response to low demand, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that it was suspending Covaxin supplies through United Nations procurement agencies. The Indian vaccine maker, however, maintained that there were no issues with the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, and that the certification remains valid. WHO also added that Bharat Biotech is developing a corrective and preventive action plan for submission to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and WHO.

In the interim and as a precautionary measure, Bharat has indicated its commitment to suspend its production of Covaxin for export, the global agency said, adding that there will be interruption of supply of Covaxin due to suspension of production for export. Countries who have received Covaxin to take actions as appropriate, WHO had said.

Earlier, Bharat Biotechs deal with Brazil to supply 20 mn doses of Covaxin was cancelled in mid-2021 after charges of irregularities against the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaros government surfaced. Brazils health regulator Anvisa had refused to grant GMP certification to Covaxin prior to that citing non-compliance and 12 major non-conformities.
Prime Minister will be in on June 10 and 18 to inaugurate a multi-speciality hospital and address two mass gatherings in Navsari and Vadodara districts, an official said on Tuesday.

The prime minister will address a gathering of tribals at Khudvel village in Navsari district on June 10, he said.

As per the local administration, nearly 3 lakh tribals from south Gujarat, including Navsari, Tapi, Dang and Valsad districts, are expected to attend the event at Khudvel in Chikhli taluka. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will also attend the event.

Modi will inaugurate a multi-speciality hospital and AM Naik Healthcare Campus, situated on the Highway 48 in Navsari, on the same day, said a statement by Nirali Memorial Medical Trust.

On June 18, the prime minister is scheduled to address nearly 4 lakh people at a gathering on the outskirts of Vadodara city, after taking out a roadshow from the airport to the venue near Sardar Estate, municipal commissioner Shalini Agrawal said.

Modi will arrive at Vadodara in the morning after offering prayers at the Mahakali temple atop Pavagadh Hills in the neighbouring Panchmahal district, said Hitendra Patel, chairman of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation's standing committee.

"After the 4 km-long roadshow, the prime minister will address nearly 4 lakh people, including beneficiaries of various government schemes, such as rural housing, at Leprosy Hospital ground near Sardar Estate," said Patel, who along with Agrawal and local MP Ranjan Bhatt visited the ground to take stock of the preparations.

These visits come ahead of the Assembly elections, which are due in December this year.

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Prime Minister will meet as many as 47 BJP corporators of the Greater Municipal Corporation (GHMC), along with office bearers of the unit and other senior leaders today in New Delhi.

This is the first time that during his tenure as a Prime Minister, he has called for such an informal interaction.

In a conversation with ANI on Monday, Prakash Reddy, BJP leader and a spokesperson said, "Our corporators and office bearers have been asked to meet the Prime Minister on Tuesday. He invited us all during his recent visit to ISB, . Due to heavy rains here, we were unable to him back then. PM has invited us once again to meet him."

"We all will reach Delhi at 10 am tomorrow. PM Modi will hoist a tea meeting. It is only a courtesy visit. PM Modi will motivate us to work for the party. Keeping that spirit, we will meet the Prime Minister," he said.

GHMC corporator of Musheerabad, Supriya Goud, said to ANI, "I am glad that Prime Minister has invited corporators of GHMC, along with office bearers of the Hyderabad unit and other senior leaders, to meet him in Delhi. Recently, we received a call to meet him. We will highlight the problems faced in our corporation."

This development comes just months before the Telangana Assembly elections which are slated to be held next year.

In the Hyderabad Municipal Elections held in 2020, the BJP won 48 seats while AIMIM won 44. The TRS had won 56.

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A suspected terrorist has been arrested here in a joint operation by the and Jammu & Kashmir police.

The accused, Talib Hussain was arrested on June 5, police sources said on Tuesday. Earlier, it was claimed that Hussain was arrested by the armed forces in Kishtwar district of . Hussain had allegedly taken shelter at a mosque in Srirampura here and used to deliver sermons during Friday prayers. According to police sources, Hussain had fled with his wife and children as the hunt for him was intensified by the armed forces, and was hiding in . Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai confirmed Hussain's arrest from the city today. Asked if the terrorist was arrested, Bommai told reporters, "Yes." "Generally police keep an eye on people like them. We will provide whatever assistance is required to the police. In the past too, such arrests had taken place in Sirsi and Bhatkal." "The Jammu and Kashmir police have taken this very seriously, Bommai explained.

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Depending on nationality, every person wishing to enter the Schengen countries or the US for whatever purpose is subject to a visa regime. But delays in processing the same have increased, with a massive backlog of applications and appointments.

According to the Economic Times report on Tuesday, the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) said it will write to the embassies concerned on the matter.

We have spoken to VFS, the embassies, and the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and it is becoming a huge challenge. We will officially write to all European countries on the matter, said Jyoti Mayal, president of TAAI.

We are hearing countries such as Greece have not returned traveller passports for over two months. There is a huge pending demand for the US as well. The situation is getting worse, and this is the peak summer tourist season.

In May, Jay Bhatia, TAAI, vice-president, said visas for are getting extended by up to one month as some Schengen embassies are not operating at full capacity.

VFS Global, which manages visa and passport issuance-related administrative and non-discretionary tasks, said it is experiencing high volumes of applications and stretched visa processing timelines from India.

The company is receiving about 20,000 applications in a day from India and is adequately staffed to process, the ET report said quoting the company spokesperson.

The spokesperson said information on visa decision processing timelines is provided by the client governments on their websites, the report added.

According to website, the earliest one can file a visa application is six months, and the latest being fifteen working days.

On May 30, the said it will resume routine in-person tourist visa appointments from September onwards.

"Applicants whose placeholder appointments were cancelled may now reenter the scheduling system to book regular appointments. Appointments have been opened through 2023," the tweeted.

Earlier, travel platforms said the issue has been flagged with concerned European embassies and consulates, but the discussions did not yield any concrete results, the report said. Companies are advising travellers to plan their holidays in advance to avoid last-minute visa disappointments.

"Travellers to the UK, US, Canada and other European countries are the worst affected. Regular tourist visas for countries like the UK take over 45 days. Wherever we see some scope of getting an early visa for some country, we are prioritising applying to that country first and are changing itineraries accordingly. Embassies are not openly admitting but staff shortage is the main issue here, Rajiv Mehra, president of Indian Association of Tour Operators, told the ET.
At a time when trade with countries in the Gulf region is picking up after a brief lull, controversial remarks made by the now-suspended Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on Prophet Muhammad have stirred a debate on whether they can affect Indias ongoing trade negotiations with some of these nations

Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Libya, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Indonesia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Iran, Yemen, Oman, among other islamic nations, criticised the comments made by spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal last week during a television debate. The Organisation of the Islamic Co-operation (OIC), collective voice of the Muslim world, condemned the remarks.

On its part, not only distanced itself from the comments made by Sharma and Jindal, but also suspended them on Sunday.

India shares close ties with most of the countries in West Asia, especially the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Some of these nations are even Indias biggest export markets.

GCC is a regional, inter-governmental political economic union comprising 6 countriesBahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia. Region wise, it is India's fourth largest trading partner after North America, EU and North-East Asia.

Most importantly, India is dependent on these countries for meeting its energy needs. Of the total imports from West Asia, nearly two-thirds consist of petroleum products. As far as Indias overall import basket is concerned, petroleum products have a share hovering around 30 per cent. For instance, a fifth of the total crude oil imports is met by Iraq, followed by Saudi Arabia and UAE at 18 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.

UAE was also Indias second largest export and import market in FY22. Similarly, Saudi Arabia was Indias fourth largest trading and import partner during the last fiscal.

In February, India and UAE even signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The trade pact was implemented last month.

India and Oman have also agreed to undertake a joint feasibility study, before going ahead with a preferential trade deal on limited goods. Similarly, India is set to begin deeper engagement with the GCC countries to finalise a free trade agreement (FTA) with the group of nations.

Indias exports to the 6 GCC nations stood at $43.93 billion during FY22, up 58.3 per cent year-on-year, while imports stood at $110.72 billion, up nearly 86 per cent year-on-year.

The share of exports was 10.4 per cent as compared to the total exports, while that of imports stood at 18 per cent in FY21.

Petroleum products, precious and semi precious stones, plastics are the top imported items from GCC. Cereals, electrical equipment, apparels, machinery are the top exported items in the region.
The government is "open" to big tech platforms suggesting an effective self-regulatory appellate mechanism that can offer a "better solution" to resolve grievances raised by users, IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Tuesday, asserting new amendments to rules will be finalised before July end after extensive consultations.

The comment assumes significance as the Centre is proposing to set up a grievance appellate committee to look into appeals filed by individuals against decisions of grievance officers of platforms.

Besides, the panel has to dispose of the appeals within 30 days of receiving them and its decision will be binding on the intermediaries or the large social media companies concerned, according to the amendments being proposed in the IT rules.

"If the industry suggests...their own way of addressing grievance appellate, we are open....this is a consultation... If someone has a better, more efficient solution, we are open to a better idea," Chandrasekhar told reporters.

The minister said that the proposed amendment is aimed at offering "additional avenues" for grievance redressal to social media users.

"It is our thinking that if the industry, and these platforms come up with own self-regulatory, self redressal appellate mechanism, we are open to it," the minister said, noting that the users currently don't have any such mechanism to turn to.

If industry forms its own framework of addressing grievance of consumers and making sure there is accountability, the government will be open to such suggestions.

Grievances are not effectively being resolved in the current framework, he observed.

The appellate jurisdiction issue arises in the cases where big tech platforms do not adhere to the spirit of the grievance officer mechanism and the grievance redressal model, which has been put into place in the rules.

"The idea of a grievance officer was that he/she would address the grievance raised by the consumer... that is the whole idea of accountability. But, many a times we have seen reports that consumers send letters/ complaints to the grievance officers and they just get acknowledgment, but nothing happens," he said.

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Union Finance Secretary T V Somanathan on Tuesday said the Centre had saved Rs 10,000 crore in FY22 on interest payments after adopting new accounting mechanisms for central government agencies and (CSS) for state governments.

Speaking at an event, Somanathan said due to these, there was an unspent balance of Rs 1.2 trillion with state agencies from CSS as on March 31, 2022.

This means this amount will be reduced from the Centres borrowing for now and it can be considered a short-term saving for the exchequer.

The new accounting mechanisms in the Public Finance Management System are the Treasury Single Account (TSA) for central government agencies and autonomous bodies, and the Single Nodal Agency (SNA) for distributing CSS funds to states.

We saved Rs 10,000 crore on interest payments in FY22 due to the TSA and SNA. On the SNA we have an unspent balance of Rs 1.2 lakh crore. So that is a quantum we wont have to release or borrow till it is spent, Somanathan said.

The finance secretary was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the SNA dashboard by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

He said such measures would help the Centres fiscal deficit in a year as tough as FY23.

Indias fertiliser subsidy bill for FY23 could rise to around Rs 2.5 trillion against the Budget estimate of Rs 1.05 trillion.

The impact of the latest round of excise duty cuts on petrol and diesel will be around Rs 85,000 crore for the year, while the recent import duty cuts on other items will lead to a revenue loss of Rs 10,000-15,000 crore.

Additionally, the decision to provide a subsidy of Rs 200 per gas cylinder (up to 12 cylinders) to over 90 million beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will lead to Rs 6,100 crore a year forgone.

Apart from the Rs 1.10-trillion increase in fertiliser subsidies already announced, the Modi governments decision to extend the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) till September will increase the food subsidy outlay for FY23 to Rs 2.87 trillion from the Budget Estimate of Rs 2.07 trillion.

Speaking at the event, Sitharaman said the SNA dashboard, which ensures tracking fund transfers to states and their utilisation, would make governance more transparent and realise better value for every rupee sent by the Centre.

The dashboard will provide a platform for ministries/departments to monitor their transfers to states and utilisation by the implementing agencies, and assist in cash management by the government.

About Rs 4.42 trillion goes through the CSS and this is not a small amount. Today you are in a position to track that money. It is a huge success in making governance transparent. That quantum of money is also equally sent just in time. What better value realisation for every rupee sent! Sitharaman said.

Speaking at the event, Somanathan said this system would help cut interest expenditure because money would be released at the stage where it was needed.

If the money is stuck somewhere, we would like to minimise what is stuck and hold it where it is more efficiently held. The Centre would like to pay as interest as little as possible of public money and that is not a trivial cost. That helps us a lot, particularly in a difficult year like the current financial year. These are extremely helpful in containing the fiscal deficit within what is possible, Somanathan said.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry on Monday asked the spice exporters to strive to maintain the comparative advantage to sustain the growth in the spice sector.

The Minister was interacting with representatives of spice farmers and exporters at the headquarters of the Spices Board, at Kochi.

"The world is moving towards food safety and quality compliant products, therefore the farmer community must explore the potential of natural farming methods," he said.

The Union Minister urged stakeholders to rely on quality and value for sustainable growth.

The minister encouraged the spice community to continue maintaining the highest standards in production, processing and value addition, so as to make India's brand of spices shine globally. He also assured to extend all help to the spice growers across India in better price realization.

Various issues pertaining to spices and their exports were discussed. AG Thankappan, Chairman, Spices Board and D Sathyan, Secretary, Spices Board were present on the occasion.

"Spices exports have risen substantially since 2014. In meeting with Spices Board & industry stakeholders, discussed ways to double exports. GI tagged varieties have commercial potential that can be realized with newer markets opening for farmers through FTAs," Goyal tweeted.

Goyal elaborated on India's aims regarding the marine product exports and said that India aims to double the marine product exports to Rs. One lakh crore from the present above Rs. 50,000 crore within the next five years.

"This target will be achieved through sustainable fishing, ensuring quality and variety, promotion of coastal shipping and aquaculture, and by supporting the entire fisheries ecosystem," he said.

The Minister also had a discussion with stakeholders of the Rubber Sector at MPEDA. He assured the government's support for the further development of the sector and exhorted all stakeholders to work towards making India self-sufficient in rubber.

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While more reserves are now held in the renminbi, it is still less than one-fourth of the total shift away from the dollar, that too mostly by ...
European Council President Charles Michel accused Russia on Monday of using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries and blamed the for the looming global food crisis, prompting Moscow's U.N. ambassador to walk out of a Security Council meeting.

Michel addressed Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia directly at the council meeting , saying he saw millions of tonnes of grain and wheat stuck in containers and ships at the Ukrainian port of Odessa a few weeks ago.

That was because of Russian warships in the Black Sea," and Moscow's attacks on transport infrastructure and grain storage facilities, and its tanks, bombs and mines that are preventing Ukraine from planting and harvesting, he said.

This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty, and destabilising entire regions, Michel said. Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.

Michel also accused Russian forces of stealing grain from areas it has occupied while shifting the blame of others, calling this cowardly and propaganda, pure and simple.

Nebenzia walked out during Michel's briefing, giving Russia's seat to another diplomat.

Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky tweeted later on Telegram's Russian channel that Michel's comments were so rude that the Russian ambassador left the Security Council chamber.

The Security Council meeting was supposed to focus on sexual violence during the war in Ukraine but Russia's invasion and the consequences, especially on global food shortages and rising prices, were also raised.

Michel gave strong backing to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' efforts to get a package agreement that would allow grain exports from Ukraine and ensure that Russian food and fertilizer have unrestricted access to global markets.

Ukraine and Russia together produce almost a third of the world's wheat and barley and half of its sunflower oil, while Russia and its ally Belarus are the world's number two and three producers of potash, a key ingredient of fertilizer.

Guterres warned last month that global hunger levels are at a new high, with the number of people facing severe food insecurity doubling in just two years from 135 million before the COVID-19 pandemic to 276 million today.

He said more than 500,000 people are living in famine conditions -- an increase of more than 500% since 2016.

Ukraine's U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the Security Council on Monday that the country remains committed to finding solutions to prevent the global food crisis and is ready to create the necessary conditions to resume exports from the key southern port of Odesa.

The question is how to make sure that Russia does not abuse the trade route to attack the city itself, he said.

Kyslytsya said the question has become more relevant since four Russian missiles hit a plant in the capital Kyiv on Sunday where freight cars that carry grain to Ukrainian ports were being repaired.

It means all Putin's fairy tales about his readiness to facilitate Ukrainian wheat export that he so eloquently tells his rare interlocutors remain too far removed from reality, the Ukrainian ambassador said.

Nonetheless, we continue our work with the U.N. and partners to ensure the functioning of the maritime rules for the expert for Ukrainian agricultural products, Kyslytsya said.

As a first step," he said, Russia must withdraw its naval forces in the maritime waters around Ukraine and provide security guarantees against attacks in ports and against commercial ships.

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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday cut short her three-nation foreign trip after testing positive for COVID-19 while in .

Baerbock, who arrived earlier Tuesday on a two-day maiden visit to Pakistan, tested positive for shortly after meeting with her counterpart Zardari in Islamabad.

At lunch, Baerbock noticed that she had lost her sense of taste, her ministry said, adding that a rapid antigen test she took in the morning had been negative.

Baerbock was due to travel to Greece and Turkey.

Her all further engagements have been cancelled, the ministry added.

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Indian-origin fugitive businessmen Rajesh and Atul Gupta, who were among South Africas most wanted suspects in a corruption case that led to the removal of president from office, have been arrested by the Police, according to an official statement on Tuesday.

The Interpol had issued red notices against Rajesh (51) and Atul Gupta (53)  two of the three Indian-origin Gupta brothers  who fled with their families amid investigations into their alleged looting of billions of rands from state-owned enterprises during the presidency of Zuma (80).

In a statement, the Police said that Rajesh and Atul have been arrested in connection with money laundering and criminal charges in .

 Police made the arrest after receiving a red notice for the Gupta brothers by Interpol. The force has also coordinated with the authorities in regarding the extradition file to complete the legal procedures, the statement said. The Interpol is currently headed by the .

It was not immediately known if the third brother, Ajay Gupta, 56, was arrested.

The arrests came as an investigation was concluded into the massive plundering of state institutions during former president Zuma's era. Zuma was South African President from 2009 until 2018 when he was forced to resign.

The Gupta brothers are accused in South Africa of using their relationship with former president Zuma to profit financially and influence senior appointments, charges that they have vehemently denied.

In 2018, the Gupta family went into self-exile in Dubai after looting billions of rands from parastatal institutions in South Africa, authorities in Johannesburg said.

The ministry of justice and correctional services confirms that it has received information from law enforcement authorities in the that fugitives of justice, namely Rajesh and Atul Gupta have been arrested, the South African Department of Justice and Correctional Services said in a statement on Monday.

Discussions between various law enforcement agencies in the and South Africa on the way forward are ongoing. The South African government will continue to cooperate with the UAE, it added.
star spent over $62,000 or Rs 48.22 lakh for a special celebratory curry dinner with his friends on Sunday evening in Birmingham, England.

Depp indulged in a feast of "authentic Indian cuisine," cocktails and rose champagne at the Varanasi restaurant, which serves "heavenly recipes and soothing ambience," according to its website, reports nypost.com.

According to 'nypost.com', the actor scored a big victory Wednesday when he was awarded a $10.35 million judgment in his brutal defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, 36.

Depp was hanging out with his musician friend and collaborator Jeff Beck, 77, and 20 other people in their party at what's billed as "Birmingham's largest Indian restaurant."

Depp has been staying in the United Kingdom to join Beck on his tour. He even appeared onstage at several of the guitarist's shows, including one at London's Royal Albert Hall late last month.

The father of two travelled to Birmingham to perform with Beck onstage for his show in the city's Symphony Hall. Depp and his entourage had arrived to the trendy eatery by 7 p.m. and posed for photos with fans, the Daily Mail reported.

The 20,000-square-foot restaurant was closed so Depp and his friends could eat in private, and they left around midnight.

Mohammed Hussain, operations director of Varanasi, told the outlet: "We had a call out of the blue on Sunday afternoon saying that wanted to come to eat with a group of people."

"I was shocked, and at first, I thought it might have been a wind up (joke). But then his security team arrived (and) checked out the restaurant, and we let them have the whole place because we were concerned that he might be bothered by other diners," he continued.

Hussain described how the chefs prepared a feast for the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star that included delicacies such as shish kebabs, chicken tikka, paneer tikka masala, lamb karahi and tandoori king prawns.

The executive also shed some light on the evening, noting that Depp was a "very lovely, down-to-earth bloke."

"(He) spent a lot of time speaking with the staff, our friends and family and was happy to pose for pictures with them. You would never have thought that he was such a big star. He had a lot of time for us all," Hussain gushed, reports 'nypost.com'.

Hussain also stated that he promised he wouldn't reveal the full bill total, but said that "money was no issue, and it was easily in five figures."

He added, "We made more money from Depp's visit than we did from our busiest night of the week, which is a Saturday when we have around 400 diners." The feast ended with simple cheesecake and panna cotta for dessert.

Hussain then recalled the most surprising moment of the night, when Depp "wanted a little break from everybody" for about 20 minutes and sat with him in his office.

Hussain said the A-lister wanted to people-watch on CCTV in his office and was interested in how the cameras worked.

He explained that he didn't ask the Kentucky native about the court case. "It was just a nice conversation with a very humble man. I'm still pinching myself, because I never dreamt that would be in my office having a chat about how the CCTV in the restaurant works," Hussain said.

"It was a real honour to have him here."

--IANS

dc/kr

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could conduct a seventh test at "any time" and has shown no interest in returning to negotiations, the U.S. Special Representative for said on Tuesday.

has test-launched an unprecedented number of ballistic missiles this year and its officials have also used rhetoric that could suggest plans for the use of tactical weapons, Sung Kim told reporters.

Kim reiterated U.S. assessments that North Korea was preparing to conduct a seventh test.

Asked when that might happen, he said: "I don't have anything more. They've obviously done the preparations..., and my understanding is they could test any time." Kim noted that on June 5, North Korea carried out test launches of eight ballistic missiles from various parts of the country, the most ever launched in a single day.

"North Korea has now launched 31 ballistic missiles in 2022, the most ballistic missile it has ever launched in a single year, surpassing its previous record of 25 in 2019. And it's only June," Kim said.

He reiterated U.S. willingness to engage diplomatically with North Korea and to address issues of concern to Pyongyang.

"The DPRK has not responded, and continues to show no indication that is interested in engaging," Kim said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name.

He added that Pyongyang had also shown no interest in discussing assistance to deal with its recent COVD-19 outbreak.

Earlier on Tuesday, South Korea and the United States staged a joint air power demonstration during a visit by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who said there would be a "swift and forceful" response if North Korea were to conduct a nuclear test.

Kim, who spoke from Jakarta, where he is also ambassador to Indonesia, declined to say what specific measures the U.S. and its allies would take, although he expected there would be "a U.N. Security Council aspect to it."

He said it was "very unfortunate" that China and Russia had vetoed a U.S.-led push for more sanctions on North Korea after its recent missile tests. He said he hoped China would be more forthcoming in future in helping to persuade North Korea to denuclearize.

"One of the concerns is ... that when the DPRK sees that the Council is unable to respond together it might, in fact encourage then to take further provocative actions," Kim said, while not replying when asked if he thought the Security Council would respond differently to a nuclear test.

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Ukraine's president says Russian troops intend to capture Zaporizhzhia, a large city in the country's southeast, which would allow the Russian military to advance closer to the centre of the country.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a news conference on Monday that peace talks with Russia stood at level zero, and in the meantime the most threatening situation has developed in the Zaporizhzhia region, parts of which have already been taken by Russia.

The enemy wants to ... occupy the city of Zaporizhzhia," Zelenskyy said.

In the south of Ukraine, Russia has already seized the large Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Mariupol. The Zaporizhzhia region, with the population of 1.6 million, is one of the biggest industrial hubs of Ukraine's southeast. The city itself has 722,000 people.

Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian troops are still fighting in the eastern part of the country known as the Donbas. In the Luhansk region, which is part of the Donbas, the Ukrainian resistance continues in Sievierodonetsk, one of the two key cities in the region still not in Russia's hands, he said.

There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on this direction, Zelenskyy said.

In the northern Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian army step by step de-occupies our lands from Russian invaders, Zelenskyy said.

In the meantime, Kyiv is hoping to create secure corridors that would allow its ships to export grain that has been blocked inside the countries by the fighting. Zelenskyy said is in talks with countries like Turkey and the U.K. about security guaranties for Ukrainian ships carrying much needed grain for export. Russia's invasion of has disrupted food supplies for many nations in the world, causing prices to soar.

It is important for us that there is a security corridor ... that the fleet of this or that country ensures the shipping of the grain, Zelenskyy said. If now we have 22-25 million tons blocked there, in the fall we might have 75 (million tons).

"What are we going to do? he asked. That's why we can't do without the ports.

His government has previously accused Russia of stealing tons of grain from territory it has occupied in .

The issue of blocked grain will be on the agenda Wednesday during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to Turkey. Ankara is involved in efforts by the United Nations to reach an agreement for shipping Ukrainian grain out amid an escalating global food crisis.

Zelensky said Kyiv has not been invited to the talks, possibly because Turkey wants to get security guarantees for its ships from Russia first.

He explained that Ukraine can't export large shipments of grain via railways because of long delivery times, even though Kyiv has been in talks with Poland and the Baltic nations. Exporting grain through the neighboring territory of Russia's ally Belarus is also not an option, he said.

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The next three weeks are going to be "tough" for over fuel supplies, Prime Minister warned on Tuesday, indicating that the cash-strapped country, which needs some USD 3,300 million for in the next six months, may opt for its rationing.

Addressing Parliament, Wickremesinghe said that India, China and Japan are leading the list of countries that provided with loans and assistance during the worst financial crisis faced by the island nation.

Relations with these countries, which have always been strong, are now broken. Those relationships need to be rebuilt," he said.

"The country spends USD 500 million per month on fuel. It should be kept in mind that the current global crisis risks raising oil prices. Some estimate that global oil prices will rise by as much as 40 per cent by the end of this year. "



"In this context, the idea of introducing a coupon system for fuel cannot be ruled out. Somehow we have to find USD 3,300 million for fuel for the next six months," he said.

The next three weeks will be a tough time for us related to fuel. It is time we all must use fuel and gas as carefully as possible. Unessential travel should be limited as much as possible. After these difficult three weeks, we are trying to ensure the shortage of fuel and gas will have ended. Let's face these difficult three weeks united and patiently, the prime minister said.

Wickremesinghe said although the primary focus was on achieving economic stability, the effort must be to revive the economy.

This is not something that can be done in two or three days. This challenge cannot be faced by miracles, slogans, magic or emotions. Implementing intelligently thought-out projects requires hard work and dedication," he said.

On cooking gas queues, Wickremesinghe said it costs USD 40 million a month to import gas.

We are currently using multilateral assistance, local currency and Indian loans to import gas. We will require USD 250 million over the next six months for gas," he said.

Wickremesinghe said the country's annual rice requirement is 2.5 million metric tonnes.

But we have only 1.6 million metric tonnes of rice in stock, we need USD 5 billion to ensure our daily lives are not disrupted for the next six months," he said.

"We need to strengthen the rupee in line with the daily requirements of the citizens. Another USD 1 billion is needed to strengthen the rupee. That means we need to find USD 6 billion to keep the country afloat for the next six months," he said.

Wickremesinghe said the United Nations has arranged for a worldwide public appeal on June 9 to provide humanitarian assistance to . They are seeking support to provide humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka. Through this project, they plan to provide USD 48 million over a four-month period to the food, agriculture and health sectors," he said.

Sri Lanka has been grappling with unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948. The has also created political unrest in the country.

Sri Lanka in mid-April declared that it was unable to meet its foreign debt payments and the Monetary Fund (IMF) classified Sri Lanka's debt as unsustainable. Therefore debt restructuring was key for an IMF programme.

Wickremesinghe was appointed prime minister last month after days of violent protests forced his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa, the brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to step down.

(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 defiant is on Tuesday holding his first Cabinet meeting after a tense day of political intrigue, which ended in him securing a victory in a no-confidence ballot of his party members with a narrow margin as a major chunk of his MPs voted against him as the leader.

Johnson is rallying his Cabinet ministers, who largely backed him quite publicly and even called upon the angry backbench members of Parliament leading the rebellion to line up behind his leadership for the greater good of the country.

The message from Downing Street was that Johnson will call on his ministers to drive forward progress on the government's priorities of easing financial pressures on families, making access to the National Health Service (NHS) care quicker and easier and making the streets safer.

This is a government that delivers on what the people of this country care about most, Johnson, 57, said in a statement from Downing Street on Tuesday.

We have pledged 37 billion pounds to support households with their finances, made our communities safer through hiring 13,500 more police officers, and tackled the COVID backlogs in the NHS by opening nearly 100 Community Diagnostic Centres so people can access care closer to home," Johnson said.

"Today, I pledge to continue delivering on these priorities. We are on the side of hard-working British people, and we are going to get on with the job, he said.

However, the partygate scandal of COVID law-breaking parties at Downing Street under Johnson's watch as the catalyst behind Monday's vote is not expected to go away that easily.

There is a widespread sense that although he won the confidence of 59 per cent of his MPs, the scale of the rebellion by 148 MPs has left Johnson politically wounded.

For Johnson, continuing to lead the party after such a revolt will prove to be unsustainable, writes William Hague, a former Conservative Party leader, in The Times'.

Any leader who wins a vote on their leadership has that moment of relief that they have technically survived and the instant conviction that they have lived to fight another day. A win is a win, a small margin in a hard fight is surely enough," he said.

"That is true of being elected an MP, or becoming party leader for the first time, with all the opportunities ahead to unite disappointed voters or defeated candidates around you. But it does not hold for an incumbent leader, he said.

In another brewing development, the powerful 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs in charge of electing the party leader is believed to be contemplating a rule change so Johnson isn't safe for a year from another leadership challenge under current norms.

Tobias Ellwood, an MP who voted against the Prime Minister in Monday's vote, said he understands the heads of the committee are now looking at altering the rules.

"The system can be adjusted to mean the current rule of allowing a Prime Minister an entire year would be changed," Ellwood indicated.

"It's up to Number 10 [Downing Street] and the Prime Minister to act on his word that he's going to change things around and show that we have a chance of winning the general election," he said.

The scale of Monday's rebellion has undoubtedly shaken up Johnson, who delivered a thumping majority for the Conservative Party in the December 2019 general election.

But over two years later, his credibility has been hit to the extent that an internal 758-word memo entitled Party Leadership' had the Tory WhatsApp groups buzzing ahead of the confidence vote.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that the memo appeared to sum up the feelings of party backbenchers who fear their vote winner is fast turning into a vote loser.

is no longer an electoral asset and, if left in the post, will lead the party to a substantial defeat in 2024, it read.

It is believed the scathing report card on Johnson's failures, including partygate and the denials of it in the House of Commons, helped sway many of the rebels who had been on the fence to vote against Johnson.

(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 will fight to recover all its territory occupied by Russian forces, President said on Tuesday, as his troops battled street-to-street in Sievierodonetsk in one of the bloodiest land battles of the war.

"We have already lost too many people to simply cede our territory," Zelensky said by video link at an event hosted by Britain's Financial Times newspaper.

Stalemate was "not an option", he said. "We have to achieve a full deoccupation of our entire territory." Zelensky's remarks responded forcefully to suggestions that Ukraine must cede territory to Russia to end the war, now in its fourth month.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a recent interview it was important not to "humiliate" Moscow, comments interpreted in Ukraine as implying it must accept some Russian demands.

Asked about Macron's comments, Zelensky said: "We are not going to humiliate anyone, we are going to respond in kind." As he spoke, Ukrainian troops in the ruins of Sievierodonetsk were trying to cling to gains Kyiv said its forces had made in a surprise counter-offensive that shifted momentum there last week.

The fight for the small eastern industrial city has emerged as a pivotal battle, with Russia focusing its offensive might in the hope of achieving one of its stated aims - to fully capture surrounding Luhansk province on behalf of separatist proxies.

'Holding the line'

Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk told Ukrainian television on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces were doing all they could to hold their ground: "Our armed forces have strengthened their positions and are holding the line." Another local official, Roman Vlasenko, said Ukrainian forces were in control of the city's industrial zone and the Azot chemical plant.

Moscow said its troops have been advancing.

Reuters could not independently verify the situation on the ground.

Ukrainian officials had said their forces staged a surprise counter-attack last week, driving the Russians from a swathe of the city centre.

Before that, Russia had seemed on the verge of encircling Ukraine's garrison in Luhansk, attempting to cut off the main road to Sievierodonetsk and its twin city Lysychansk across the Siverskiy Donets river. On Sunday, Zelensky made a surprise visit to Lysychansk, personally demonstrating that Kyiv still had an open route to its troops' redoubt.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 saying it aimed to "disarm" and "denazify" the country. Ukraine and its Western backers say Russia launched an unprovoked war to grab territory.

Russia's troops were defeated on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv in March and it has since regrouped and ramped up an assault on the east, demanding Kyiv recognise its territorial claim to the Crimea peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014, and the claims of its separatist proxies in Luhansk and Donetsk, the southeastern provinces together known as the Donbas.

Russia has been pressing from three main directions - east, north and south - to try to encircle the Ukrainians in the Donbas.

In Druzhkivka, in the Ukrainian-held pocket of Donetsk province, residents were sifting through the wreckage of houses obliterated by the latest shelling.

Nadezhda picked up a pink children's photo album and kindergarten exercise book from the ruins of her house, and put them on a shelf somehow still standing in the rubble.

"I do not even know where to start. I am standing here looking but I have no idea what to do. I start crying, I calm down, then I cry again."

'Time to leave'

The Donetsk regional governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, told Ukrainian television there was constant shelling along the front line, with Russia attempting to push towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the two biggest Ukrainian-held cities in Donetsk.

Efforts were underway to evacuate remaining residents, he said: "People are now understanding, though it is late, that it is time to leave."

Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv, was also hit by shelling early on Tuesday, and the local mayor said one person was killed. The northeastern city came under intense bombardment in the first two months of the war, but had been quieter in recent weeks after Russian forces retreated in the region.

Viacheslav Shulga, an employee at a pizzeria in the north of Kharkiv that was hit, said there had been hopes the restaurant could reopen soon after shutting at the start of the war.

"Everything is destroyed. We are removing equipment, there will be no business here for now," he said. "It is sad as so much effort was invested in it. But someone else has decided our destiny."

Commodities Terminal Warehouse Targeted

Ukraine is one of the world's biggest exporters of grain, and Western countries accuse Russia of creating the risk of global famine by shutting Ukraine's Black Sea ports.

The governor of the region that included the port of Mykolaiv said weekend shelling had destroyed warehouses in one of the country's largest agricultural commodities terminals.

Moscow denies responsibility for the food crisis, blaming Western sanctions.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the Russian-occupied Ukrainian ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol were ready to resume grain exports. Ukraine says any such shipments from territory seized by Moscow would amount to illegal looting.

Zelensky said Kyiv was gradually receiving "specific anti-ship systems", the best way to break a Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports.

The Kremlin said that for exports to resume from Ukrainian-held ports, Kyiv must first clear them of mines.

Russia could then inspect and escort ships to waters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov 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.)
Vice President will have an opportunity to connect with leaders from and the Caribbean as she welcomes them to Los Angeles this week for the Summit of the Americas. But whether she can demonstrate her clout at the hemisphere's premier gathering being held on U.S. soil for the first time since 1994 remains an open question.

Since Joe Biden's days crisscrossing as vice president, the region's leaders have come to expect direct access to powerful interlocutors inside the White House. However, other than Harris taking on the thankless task of addressing the root causes of migration, for which progress has been slow, the region has seen little of her a symptom, experts say, of larger U.S. neglect of the region.

In recent days, she and the president have been working the phones to shore up attendance among leftist leaders who have been critical of the U.S. decision to exclude the authoritarian governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela from the summit.

But the effort has yielded few results. Among those staying home are the presidents of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras the only three leaders Harris has met in her two quick trips to the region.

Brian Winter, vice president of the Council of the Americas, said Harris got off on the wrong foot as Biden's point person assigned to address the root social and economic causes driving migrants to the U.S. In a May 2021 policy speech delivered to Winter's business group from Washington, Harris, a former California prosecutor, mentioned corruption no fewer than 10 times, stirring resentment in a region where leaders are sensitive to taking lectures from U.S. policymakers.

Corruption is a huge problem, but clearly there are more delicate ways to handle this, said Winter. A lot of doors closed even before she got on the ground.

Harris' biggest achievement in the region to date is having helped secure commitments from U.S. companies to invest $1.2 billion in Central America, from where every year hundreds of thousands of mostly young adults flee gang violence and crushing poverty.

At the summit, she's expected to announce another $1.9 billion in commitments, according to a senior Biden administration official who declined to be identified before the announcements. The commitments reflect Harris' belief in the private sector's ability to create jobs that foster economic growth and discourage young adults from abandoning their homes.

New initiatives being announced include a $700 million expansion of cellular networks in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador by Miami-based Millicom; a $270 million commitment by Visa to promote digital payments; and a $150 million nearshoring investment by the Gap. Inc. that could see as many as 5,000 jobs created closer to the U.S.

But the Biden administration's biggest policy proposal in the region a $4 billion aid package for Central America has stalled in Congress with little apparent effort to revive it. Meanwhile, the number of migrants at the U.S. border with Mexico has surged to its highest levels in decades, even as the Biden administration has little to show for the Democratic president's promise as a candidate to introduce a humane asylum system that would break with Trump-era restrictions.

One challenge is finding partners in a region where institutions are weak, gang violence is prolific and corruption is rampant.

It's possible that none of the countries that Harris is tasked with working with will be represented at the summit by its president. In recent months, the U.S. has taken a strident tone against El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, whom it accuses of using his popularity to amass power and ride roughshod over democratic checks and balances.

Meanwhile, Guatemala President Alejandro Giammettei said last month that he would not attend after the U.S. criticized his decision to reappoint an attorney general it alleged was involved in corruption.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Honduras' President Xiomara Castro, who has won praise from U.S. officials for her decision to extradite her predecessor, Juan Orlando Hernndez, to the U.S. to face federal drug charges. Harris, who attended Castro's inauguration in January, in recent days spoke with Honduras' first female president in a last ditch effort to persuade her to travel to Los Angeles.

But in the end Castro sided with fellow leftist Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador of Mexico in boycotting the summit. Surely weighing on her decision was the U.S.' quick recognition of a new government after Honduras' military removed her husband, President Manuel Zelaya, from office in 2009.

It's a far tougher set of actors that the U.S. has to deal with even compared to what the Obama administration faced, said Rebecca Bill Chavez, president of the Inter-American Dialogue.

Chavez, who advised Harris on foreign policy during her brief presidential run, welcomed the vice president's focus on gender-based violence and female migrants, something that was missing from past administrations. She's also hopeful that Harris' familial ties to Jamaica her immigrant father's birthplace could help her connect to leaders in the Caribbean who are overlooked even in policy circles.

But Biden's record is tough to top. As vice president he made 16 trips to Latin America and his presence in the region has loomed large since his days as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, when he helped craft Plan Colombia, by far the U.S.' biggest military and economic aid package in the region.

Chavez said that on issues of climate change, migration and inclusive economic growth, the Biden administration has the opportunity to lay out a vision with appeal to all countries no matter their ideological bent or bilateral agenda with the U.S.

To succeed she and the Biden administration really needs to broaden their scope, said Chavez. Los Angeles is the perfect opportunity for them to show they are so. But it can't be a one and done event. It requires follow through to become reality.

(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 (AI) systems that helped casinos to keep away tricky gamblers may soon come to help Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) in its crackdown on insider trading, a media report said on Tuesday.

According to the Economic Times report, is in talks with a top US-based AI provider to purchase such a system.

"The company has given a live demonstration to a few weeks ago as to how the software will work and about the customisations possible on the platform," the ET quoted a person in the know. If the deal goes through, the firm will customise the software as per requirements.

The AIs come with superior risk management systems compared to the traditional data analytics that regulators use, because the margin of error for these AIs is very thin, the ET report said, adding the failure to detect even one rogue gambler could cost a in seven figures.

Not just India, but several global financial regulators are considering such AI programmes to nail securities law violators.

In the past few years, Sebi has been investing in a major way to upgrade its technology to boost its capability for market surveillance, investigations, and policymaking.

Until recently, the market regulator mostly relied on tips and information to investigate white-collar crimes, but they have been found wanting to build water-tight cases against insider-trading violations.

In its annual report for 2020-21, Sebi said it will be implementing major information technology projects, which are critical to its day-to-day operations and its mandate.

High-risk traders could come under Sebis scrutiny if the AI platform is implemented. In the case of casinos, high-risk clients are the ones who are over leveraged, or have a trend of placing erratic bets.
The (RIL) stock shed early morning gains in trade on Tuesday amid a weak market. While the tanked over 600 points, the was trading flat at Rs 2,765.25 apiece at 12 noon. Nearly 80,000 shares exchanged hands on the BSE, as investors remained cautiously optimistic about the stock.

RIL, says a report by Citi Research, is the biggest beneficiary of rising crude oil imports from Russia. Among refiners, RIL's high product export ratio, and relatively minor domestic retail operations, with added benefits from sourcing discounted crude would aid its gross refining margins, Citi said in its report dated June 5.

Morgan Stanley, on the other hand, said that RIL's margins would be 50 per cent above their last peak season in mid-2008.

"Globally, we expect a shortage of one refinery annually for the next few years. If we were to include arbitrage crude advantages, which RIL highlighted earlier, margins would be even higher," Morgan Stanley Research said in its report dated June 6.

Crude oil imports from Russia, according to Citi, have risen to over 15 per cent of Indias total imports in the last two months (April and May) compared to historical levels of 1-2 per cent. Based on back-of-the envelope calculations, Citi has assumed that a $15-a-barrel discount on roughly 20 per cent of the crude mix could boost RILs gross refining margins by almost $3 a barrel.

Every $1-a-barrel increase in Reliance's GRM increases its consolidated FY23 earnings per share (EPS) by around 4 per cent," the brokerage house said.

For Indias three oil marketing companiesBharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum, and Indian Oil Corporationevery $1-a-barrel increase in GRM raises their FY23 EPS by around 16 per cent, 14 per cent and 16 per cent each, Citi said.

But every Re 1-a-litre decline in marketing margins adversely impacts their respective earnings by 35 per cent, 40 per cent, and 26 per cent, respectively.

To completely offset a Re 1-a-litre decline in marketing margins, these companies would need $1.6-2.8-a-barrel boost in GRM, it added.
Today: The BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty are likely to start trade on a negative note as global cues remain tepid and investors anxious ahead of the RBI policy meet outcome tomorrow. As of 07:25 AM, the SGX Nifty futures quoted at 16,470 as against the spot Nifty close of 16,570 on Monday.

Meanwhile, these are the stocks that are likely to see some action in trades on Tuesday.

Banks: The yield on the 10-year bonds hit a three-year high at 7.5 per cent on Monday, ahead of the RBIs monetary policy meet outcome on Wednesday. The market is expecting a 50 bps hike in the repo rate to 4.9 per cent, while a section of the market is also seeing further liquidity tightening measures with a hike in banks cash reserve ratio (CRR) requirement. READ MORE

NBFCs: With a strong demand in real estate coupled with a clean-up underway in the sector and tight underwriting standards, non-banking finance companies  the likes of JM Finance, Piramal, LIC Housing, and Indiabulls Housing Finance are looking to step- up funding for projects and developers. READ MORE

Tata Motors: On the occasion of the World Environment Day, signed an agreement with BluSmart Mobility - the countrys largest fully-electric ride-hailing service firm  for delivering 10,000 Xpres-T electric vehicles (EVs), making it the biggest-ever EV fleet order in India. READ MORE

Bharti Airtel: The telecom major has informed BSE, that Nxtra Data Limited, a subsidiary of the company had entered into an agreement for acquisition of 11.7 per cent stake in Avaada MHAmravati Private Limited, a special purpose vehicle, formed for the purpose owing and creating captive power plant

IDBI Bank: The government sees banks and large non-banking financial companies as the most suitable contenders to participate in the sale of IDBI Bank. READ MORE

Adani Group: The Gautam Adani-led group plans to develop South Asias largest integrated ammunition manufacturing facility in Uttar Pradesh. The company is investing Rs 1,500 crore project spread over 250 acres as part of the UP Defence Industrial Corridor for this purpose. READ MORE

Adani Enterprises: The West Bengal government has given its nod to the company for setting up a hyper-scale data centre at Bengal Silicon Valley in the New Town area on the outskirts of the city.

SBI Cards and Payment Services (SBI Card): The companys board approved a proposal to raise Rs 2,500 crore by issuing non-convertible debentures (NCDs) to fund business growth.

Maruti Suzuki: The company has set up a 20 MW solar power plant at its Manesar-based manufacturing facility. The initiative will contribute 28,000 MW per annum, which is equivalent to the energy required for the production of over 67,000 cars annually.

Time Technoplast: The company has informed the BSE, that the process for sale of land in Mumbai at Saki Vihar Road has commenced with identified buyer. Further, due diligence is ongoing by a leading AMC and the transaction is likely to be processed shortly. The sale proceeds will be utilized to repay debt to lenders of the promoter company and release the entire pledged shares.

Goodluck India: The companys board has approved issue of 12.90 lakh convertible warrants at an exercise price of Rs 303 per equity share to the promoters of the company. The stock last traded at Rs 290 on the BSE.


Ashoka Buildcon had submitted its bid to the Government of the co-operative Republic of Guyana and the Company has received a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from the Authority for the Project viz. 'Request for Proposal for Procurement of Phase 1: East Bank-East Coast Road Linkage Project (Ogle to Haags Bosch, Eccles)'.

The accepted Bid Project Cost for the Project is USD 106,383,954.52

The Construction period is 730 days from the Commencement date.

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Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) on Tuesday announced that the Government of India has called off the present Expression of Interest (EoI) process for strategic disinvestment of the company.

BPCL stated that all the activities in connection with the disinvestment including the data room were being discontinued.

BPCL is the second largest Indian oil marketing company, engaged in refining of crude oil and marketing of petroleum products, with a significant presence in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry. The Government of India holds 52.98% stake in BPCL as of 31 March 2022.

The PSU company reported a 82.2% fall in standalone net profit to Rs 2,130.53 crore on 41.5% surge in net sales to Rs 108,773.57 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21.

Shares of BPCL rose 0.28% to Rs 320.30 on the BSE.

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Time Technoplast rallied 7.97% to Rs 111.75 after the company's promoter firm informed that the process of sale of land parcel located on Saki Vikar road in Mumbai, has commenced with identified buyer.

Further, due diligence process is ongoing by a leading asset management company. The transaction is likely to be completed including receipt of sales proceeds shortly. The sale consideration will be utilized for repayment of debt to lenders of the promoter company, resulting in release of entire present pledged equity shares, the company said in a statement on Monday.

Time Technoplast is a leading technology based innovative polymer product manufacturer. Its product line caters to diverse segments like industrial packaging, infrastructure, lifestyle, healthcare, composites and auto components related products. The company has presence in India, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia & Egypt.

The company's consolidated net profit rose 6.3% to Rs 55.50 crore on 9.2% increase in net sales to Rs 1,038.96 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21.

Shares of Time Technoplast hit a 52 week high of Rs 111.70 today, rising over 11% in three straight trading sessions.

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launched its new mid-range smartphone, the Moto G82 5G, in India on Tuesday.

The smartphone comes with a higher refresh rate, 50MP camera system with optical image stabilisation (OIS) along with multiple storage options.

The 8MP secondary camera acts as an ultrawide as well as a depth sensor, while the dedicated macro vision lens allows consumers to get 4X closer to their subjects.

Launched at a starting price of Rs 21,499, the Moto G82 5G comes in two colour variants -- meteorite gray and white lily. It will go on sale from June 14 on Flipkart, Reliance Digital, and leading retail stores.

The device is available in two variants with 6GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 128GB storage.

"The moto g82 5G comes with a revolutionary, flagship grade 10-bit display which supports an incredible billion colours, 64 times more than standard 8-bit displays," the company said in a statement.

It also features a 120Hz pOLED display which is thinner, lighter, more durable and allows for slimmer bezels as compared to traditional AMOLED displays. The best-in-class display also supports DC Dimming, DCI-P3 colour gamut and comes with SGS Blue Eye certification for the most incredible viewing experience in the segment.

Moto G82 5G comes with stereo speakers, tuned with Dolby Atmos for an enhanced multidimensional sound experience and is packed with a massive 5000mAh battery with a 33W TurboPower charger.

The Moto G82 also delivers the best connectivity features in segment with support for 13 5G Bands, 3 Carrier Aggregation, 4X4 MIMO, and more.

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G, the handset enables best-in-class gaming, content creation and multitasking.

The Moto G82 is also one of the few phones to offer an IP52 rated dust and water repellant design while being the slimmest and lightest in its segment.
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 7 (ANI/BusinessWire India): For the first time in the world, an Indian has been recognised by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) as a Global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Pioneer for Water Stewardship from India.

The United Nations Global Compact had announced 10 new SDG Pioneers -- business leaders who are doing an exceptional job to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the implementation of the UN Global Compact Ten Principles on human rights, environment, labor and anti-corruption.

The global search focused on professionals working at any level in a company participating in the UN Global Compact with the winners selected coming from every continent. Their work spans various areas from climate mitigation and adaptation to circular economy and digital transformation.

Ramkrishna Mukkavilli, the Founder and Managing Director of Maithri Aquatech, a Make-In-India company, was previously selected as India's SDG Pioneer by the UN Global Compact Network India (GCNI) earlier this year, for his work in building water security with nature-based water solutions across India and 27 countries spanning South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Following this, he was recognized as one of the 10 new SDG Pioneers for 2022.

The company's unique solution - MEGHDOOT, is based on an alternative water concept known as Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) that taps into a vast, renewable water resource - AIR, which contains six times as much freshwater as all the rivers on the planet combined. With global freshwater scarcity becoming a heated subjected, there is a need for alternative and disruptive solutions such as MEGHDOOT to rapidly secure water access to consumers. The proven technology already meets the requirements of domestic consumers in water-scarce locations, top Fortune 500 companies, large Public-sector companies, hospitals, schools, under served communities and many others. To date, Maithri Aquatech has generated over 100 million litres of fresh water from air and saved an estimated 200 million litres of crucial groundwater resources from exploitation.

"I am extremely humbled to have been recognised by the United Nations Global Compact. Recognitions such as these surely show the importance sustainable water solutions such as MEGHDOOT have in the current global climate and the intensity of the global water problem. This recognition will empower my efforts in mitigating the water crisis across the planet, and I urge others to do the same," said Ramkrishna Mukkavilli, Founder and Managing Director of Maithri Aquatech.

"Business has a critical role to play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and improving the world. Global challenges - ranging from food crises, climate and water, to poverty, conflict and inequality - are in need of solutions that the private sector can help deliver. These exceptional professionals, this year's SDG Pioneers, show exactly what can be done by business to make a difference that not only serves shareholders but also society at large," said Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the UN Global Compact.

With this award, it is hoped the SDG Pioneers will continue to champion the Sustainable Development Goals in their local communities, inspiring others to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and leading the way to a more sustainable future.

The 2022 SDG Pioneers were announced during the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2022.

This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)

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In 2020, Indian-born Canadian billionaire was honoured with Indias fourth highest civilian award  the Padma Shri, recognising his distinguished service in the field of trade and industry.

The 71-year-old is the founder, chairman and CEO of Toronto-based .

Fairfaxs are worth $7 billion, he said in a recent interview.

Now, the investor is doubling down on India, with plans to invest $7 billion more in the next 5 years.

Watsa is reportedly keen on taking a majority stake in IDBI Bank, which the government intends to privatise soon.

Fairfax India has reportedly concluded initial talks with representatives of the Finance Ministry to acquire the governments 45.48% stake in IDBI. It may acquire a part of LICs holding too. LIC currently holds a 49.24% stake in the bank.

If Watsa succeeds, it would be the second instance of Fairfax taking control of an Indian bank. In 2019, Fairfax India completed its purchase of a 51% stake in CSB Bank, formerly known as Catholic Syrian Bank.

made history in 2019 when his company took 51% stake in CSB Bank  It was the first time the RBI allowed a foreign investor to hold a majority stake in an Indian lender



The 102-year old bank changed its name and went public in November 2019. Post IPO, Fairfaxs holding stands at 49.7%.

Prem Watsa, the third of four children, was born in Hyderabad in 1950. He earned a bachelors degree in chemical engineering from IIT Madras in 1971. But, he was more interested in pursuing a career in business than engineering. So, the following year, he moved to Ontario with reportedly just $8 and settled in with his brother. He found a job selling appliances door to door, which funded his MBA programme.

After almost a decade-long career in the asset management industry, he set out on his own in 1984 and Fairfax was born in 1985. He built a reputation as an astute value investor whose approach is sometimes compared with Warren Buffetts.

He is known as the Warren Buffett of Canada of his contrarian approach to investment. He made billions for the company by correctly calling the 2008 US mortgage crisis. He formed an India-focussed investment holding company following his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2014.

He was, however, not new to investing in India. He first acquired a 26% stake in ICICI Lombard General Insurance in 2001. This went up to 35% in 2015 and by 2019, Fairfax exited the insurer completely.

He made his second investment after almost a decade in 2011 when he bought a 9% stake in brokerage firm IIFL in 2011. A year later in 2012, he acquired Thomas Cook India.

Fairfax has investments in close to 20 in India across sectors like banking, chemicals, logistics, finance, travel and engineering.

Its gathered pace from 2015. Fairfax built majority holdings in Bangalore International Airport, Fairchem Organics, National Commodities Management Services and Saurashtra Freight.

It holds a 30% stake in Quess Corp, one of Indias largest private sector employers. Other major investments include a 1% stake in the National Stock Exchange of India, 43% in Sanmar Chemicals Group, 26.1% in brokerage firm 5Paisa and 48.5% in Seven Islands Shipping

Sanmar Group subsidiary Chemplast Sanmar went public last year.

Earlier this year, Fairfax acquired electrical equipment manufacturer Jaynix Engineering.

Digit Insurance in Fairfaxs only startup investment in India. It owns 49% of its parent company Go Digit Infoworks.

The startup is reportedly considering raising about $500 million in an IPO at a valuation of $4.5 bn to $5 bn.

Indias vibrant democracy makes it an attractive investment destination, believes Prem Watsa, which had attracted global like Samsung, Facebook and Amazon to make a significant presence in the country

Watsa recently said that PM Modi has made India business-friendly. He hailed the governments privatisation push, saying it will attract more foreign companies, investment and talent to India.

The expectation that the share of state-owned enterprises in the overall market cap will decline in India also bodes well for the country, he said. Listed public sector enterprises make up 10% of the combined market cap of the top 50 in India, compared to 45% in China.

Finally, according to him, manageable public debt levels, comfortable foreign reserves and the possibility of a large section of the population moving into the middle class with development make India the number one investment spot.
Continuous downpours across the region have killed 30 people and forced many more to relocate since late May. On Tuesday, the rain triggered a landslide in Jiangxi and caused the collapse of a building in Fujian, killing at least three. Neighborhoods were submerged as rivers, including the Pearl River, broke their banks. More rain is expected in the southern and eastern parts of China until late next week

Jun 15, 2022 03:32 PM
If Hyundai wants to make a big splash here in the Philippines, they should consider this: the first-ever Creta N Line. Confirmed to be a glo...
Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President of the Republic of Chile Gabriel Boric participate in a joint news conference in Ottawa, on Monday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn't saying whether he supports President Joe Biden's decision to exclude Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba from this week's Summit of the Americas.

Trudeau acknowledges that some of the countries in the Western Hemisphere are "less like-minded" than others.

But he says they all share a number of urgent issues, such as migration pressures, climate change and recovering fully from the COVID-19 pandemic.

All three are expected to be on the agenda at the weeklong summit as the prime minister departs for Los Angeles later today.

On the way, he and Defence Minister Anita Anand are stopping in Colorado Springs, Colo., for meetings with commanders and officials from Norad, the joint-command continental defence system slated for upgrade.

Also accompanying Trudeau are Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, who is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard.

"It's extremely important that we have an opportunity to engage with our fellow hemispheric partners  some like-minded, some less like-minded," Trudeau told a news conference Monday in Ottawa with his Chilean counterpart Gabriel Boric at his side.

"Talking about the important issues that our people have in common, whether it's migration pressures, whether it's climate change, whether it's coming through this pandemic, this is an important moment for us to gather."

Canada continues to champion the importance of human rights and democratic values in all three of the excluded countries, "even as we recognize that Canada has a long-standing approach to Cuba that is different from the United States."

Boric was much more forceful in condemning the White House "error."

"We have to express in the United States and elsewhere that exclusion is not the right path," Boric said.

"When the United States claims to exclude certain countries from the summit, they're actually then reinforcing the position that these other countries take in their own countries."

Bidens decision to exclude the three countries prompted Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to confirm Monday he would be staying away.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre rejected the idea Monday that the decision of Lopez Obrador to steer clear of the summit is a sign of waning U.S. influence across the hemisphere.

"The U.S. remains the most powerful force in driving hemispheric actions to address core challenges facing the people of the Americas  inequality, health, climate and food security," Jean-Pierre said.

"The president has to stick by his principles. He believes that he needs to stick by his principles and not invite dictators, but we can still have a fulsome conversation  there is a full agenda where he's going to be very busy."

Other summit priorities will include helping countries bring COVID-19 under control, forging new ties on climate and energy initiatives, confronting food insecurity and leveraging existing trade agreements to better ensure more people are able to reap the benefits.
Photo: The Canadian Press Broward Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit Sgt. Kami Floyd.

Advanced DNA technology helped detectives link the cases of six women to a man accused of being the pillowcase rapist for a string of rapes back in the 1980s.

Robert Koehler is currently jailed in neighboring Miami-Dade County, where he faces charges for assaulting a woman in the early '80s as well, Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said in a Tuesday morning news conference.

Authorities believe Koehler, 62, may have committed 40 to 45 rapes, terrifying victims by breaking into their homes at night, the sheriff said. The assailant used a pillowcase or other fabric to cover his face  or the face of his victims  before assaulting them, tying them up and stealing items from their homes.

The assaults by the pillowcase rapists attracted extensive media attention in South Florida and the creation of a task force to investigate the sex crimes, sheriff's officials said.

But the trail eventually turned cold and the cases ended up in the cold case unit. However, sheriff's officials said the meticulous record-keeping on the original cases provided detectives the ability to test the evidence decades later.

They dug through 500 boxes of evidence and thousands of sexual assault cases to link the cases to Koehler, said Sgt. Kami Floyd.

Floyd began looking through the files in 2019 and found the case of a woman who was assaulted in her Pompano Beach apartment in June 1984. That led her to several other similar crimes in Broward County.

It was a hunch, Floyd said linking the first case she found to Koehler. It was a hunch based specifically on this case, that he used a pillowcase to cover his face, and at no point was she able to identify who he was because she didnt know what he looked like.

Around the same time, in 2020, prosecutors in Miami-Dade County announced Koehler's arrest and said he was thought to be the pillowcase rapist" whose knifepoint attacks put women across South Florida on edge beginning in 1981.

Floyd got a search warrant for Koehler's DNA and testing done by the sheriff's office crime lab found it matched the evidence in the cases she was investigating, she said.

Detectives worked with prosecutors to bring six sexual assault charges against Koehler.

When I found my first case, it actually saddened me to have to reach out to that victim and have her relive what had happened so many years ago," Floyd said.

It was heartbreaking in many cases, she added, because some women had not even told their families what had happened to them. She said some of the victims told her they would need to talk it over with their families before discussing it with her.

But when they did decide to come back and were brave enough to discuss it with me, I was very proud of them," she said.

Their stories were all similar. They lived alone. They were assaulted at night, and the attacker apparently knew their habits, including in some cases the layout of their apartments.

Now, those victims are very relieved to know the man who attacked them may be brought to justice, she said.

Several of them have commented that they hope more women will come forward," Floyd said.

Floyd explained there are so many sexual assault cases in the cold case files, many from a time before records were computerized, making it difficult to match them.

For those who haven't come forward yet, this will bring you some closure," she said.
Photo: The Canadian Press Maxwell Johnson, a Heiltsuk First Nation member who was arrested alongside his granddaughter as they were trying to open an account at the Bank of Montreal, sings and drums outside the bank's main branch before a news conference in Vancouver, on May 5, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

A review by British Columbia's police complaint commissioner has determined a public hearing is not required into the arrest and handcuffing of an Indigenous man and his granddaughter at a bank in downtown Vancouver.

A statement from the commissioner's office says Clayton Pecknold's review of an earlier disciplinary decision upholds its finding that two Vancouver police officers committed misconduct in arresting Maxwell Johnson and his young granddaughter.

Pecknold has also determined a public hearing or review on the record would not be in the public interest.

The disciplinary decision said the officers acted "recklessly" and used unnecessary force while it imposed a three-day suspension for one officer, a two-day suspension on the other, and ordered both to take remedial training and send written apologies to the victims.

Pecknold confirms the apologies have been sent.

Johnson and his granddaughter were arrested in December 2019 as they used what staff at the main Vancouver branch of the Bank of Montreal alleged was a fake status card to open an account.

Pecknold's review says the disciplinary decision imposed by a retired judge "correctly characterized" that because of the actions of the officers, "two vulnerable persons of Indigenous heritage were exposed to unnecessary trauma and fear, and left with a serious perception of unfairness in their treatment at the hands of police."

The complaint commissioner's review says the Vancouver Police Board is still considering a separate but related complaint concerning Vancouver Police Department policies related to handcuffing.

Depending on that outcome, Pecknold says he may make further recommendations to the department or Solicitor General's Ministry about training or policies.
Photo: Capt. Joseph Jacques

A Canadian Forces Cormorant helicopter airlifted a patient from a cruise ship off Vancouver Island over the weekend.

Maritime Forces Pacific shared images of the rescue on its Facebook page.

The rescue happened Sunday as the cruise ship Norwegian Bliss was about 20 nautical miles offshore from Northern Vancouver Island.

The CH-149 Cormorant from 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron, based out of CFB Comox, conducted a medevac lift of the patient from the ship as it hovered overhead.

The patient was then successfully transported to Comox to receive medical care.
Canadian Horizon Developments has returned again with a revised proposal to build a development on the 1050 Spiller Road property that will accommodate more than 100 urban-style housing units overlooking the Naramata Bench.

It is anticipated this could be the first phase of numerous additional developments that could extend the project as far north as the Three Blind Mice trail system and include more than 800 houses.

The proposed development is situated within an area considered to be one of the most beautiful wine and fruit growing regions in the world.There is no other place like it.

Based on information obtained from the B.C. Wine Institute, it is estimated the Naramata Bench region contributes more than $150 million to the local and provincial economy. That number may be conservative as it does not include money spent at hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and other food establishments.

If this very valuable resource is destroyed or threatened, it could detrimentally and severely affect the city and the province as many visitors will not want to spend their valuable dollars in sight of a high density housing development.

Clearly, urban subdivisions with access roads blasted out of rocky outcrops do not belong here.

The group called Preserve the Naramata Bench has created a website that includes a summary of the project and all of the reasons why it should not proceed. It can be accessed here.

Please visit this website and voice your concerns at all of the various upcoming public engagement events being held over the next month.

Bill Carpenter, Penticton
Al-Ahlia Cement launches tender for lime factory modernisation

07 June 2022

Libyas state Al-Ahlia Cement company (National Cement Co Group) is offering a tender to restart its lime factory in the Souq Al-Khamis complex. The company explained that the planned restart of its lime factory will be on a joint venture (JV) basis in accordance with the Libyan Investment Law number 10 of 2010 and its executive regulations.

The tender is for the renovation, operation and marketing of the lime factory output for a renewable 10-year period. Al-Ahlia has invited interested parties to arrange for a site visit and collect the specifications sheet. The deadline for receiving tenders is 14 July 2022, reports the Libya Herald.

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Growing up in Chattanooga in the 1950s, I ate at many local restaurants because my mom didnt like to cook. One of my first experiences began with the S&W Cafeteria. It was part of a chain of family style cafeterias based in Charlotte, NC.



Opening in 1932, our local S&W had one serving line and an entry on Market Street. By the early 1950s they had two serving lines and upstairs seating opening through to Broad. A silver Toledo lollipop scale for customers to check their weight stood next to the Market Street entry until they went out of business. Today that might be bad for business. Both entries had revolving doors which had great appeal to seven-year-olds.



Along the walls where you stood in line were these little metal snap-lock coat hooks with a key. When you picked up your tray to start down the serving line, your set of flatware was tightly wrapped in a white cloth napkin. First was meats with many choices including a large side of roast beef continually sliced. Next were soups and vegetables, then breads and my first taste of toasted French bread with garlic butter, ooh la la. Then salads, deserts and drinks. A friendly server was there to assist you with each.



As you looked for seating, there were both tables and booths with mirrors behind them giving the impression of a larger space. The wall mirrors in Galatoires in New Orleans French Quarter give a similar effect.



The S&W served breakfast, lunch and dinner beginning at 7 am Monday through Saturday and they closed on Sunday. Scrambled and poached eggs were my favorites along with their hot buttered whole wheat toast. I also remember the three hot cereals-oatmeal, cream of wheat and whole wheat Raulston. Servers were happy to mix two of them in your bowl if you asked.



Lunch and dinner offerings were usually the same. Sometimes a group would go there for lunch when I was in college. My two favorites were fried shrimp and beef stew. The stew gave the whole restaurant a warm, down home fragrance I havent quite experienced since they closed in 1982.



I got to know many of the employees, Hettie Hester was a long time server when you first started down the line, Boots Rogers was one of the cashiers, Ezell Tibbs and Roy Glover would help you with your tray and they knew your name. Former East Ridge City Councilman Larry Sewells dad was one of the managers. I only knew him as Mr Sewell. He was one of the busiest men I ever knew as he kept the serving lines operating at peak efficiency.



Prices were right, food was fresh and hot and especially in the evening you always saw someone you knew. It was not uncommon to see folks standing and chatting before or after their meal-another similarity to Galatoires. I miss those times and the good food.

Perhaps some of you remember similar stories about the S&W.

Let us know at news@chattanoogan.com



The Quasi Gourmand

* * *

Quasi,

My dad always said it stood for Stand and Wait. I have fond memories and it was a treat to go there as a kid.



Jeff Nation
Two Cleveland State students had the opportunity to explore American history and government in Valley Forge. Estee Gray and Rebecca Ratcliff are sisters from Bradley county. Two years ago, Ms. Gray won the Freedoms Foundations National Award, The George Washington Honor Medal for her essay on American history. Unfortunately, the pandemic took away the chance for Ms. Gray to receive her trip to Valley Forge in Pennsylvania as a reward for winning. Nevertheless, an opportunity arose for Ms. Gray and her sister, Ms.Ratcliff, to take an all expenses paid trip together this year.Ms. Ratcliff is a dual-enrolled student at Cleveland State through the Tennessee Valley Early College Program. Ms. Ratcliff and Ms. Gray both have a love for history and American government and through dialogue, Ms. Ratcliff found the opportunity for her older sister to chaperone the trip so both can enjoy Valley Forge together.Students from across the nation gathered at Valley Forge along with Ms. Gray and Ms. Ratcliff to indulge in the many activities planned to learn about the nations history. The sisters got to tour several parts of Valley Forge, like the Encampment, George Washingtons Headquarters and the many memorials and statues throughout the area.Throughout the trip, my sister and I would be in awe at what we saw and learned, stated Ms. Gray. Even though we both share a love for American history, we both learned so much and found each part so fascinating. I loved how at the end of the day we came together and spoke of each detail that we liked and got even more excited for the next day.Each day was focused on a different aspect of leadership or government. Students had the chance to listen and talk with historians on the Cold War and current foreign events and even visited Historic Philadelphia, where they saw the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and Congress Hall.Ms. Ratcliff said that her favorite part of the trip was the mock Congress session. She loved how interesting conversations with other students taught them about the subcultures and norms from other states around the country.Both Ms. Gray and Ms. Ratcliff enjoyed their trip to Valley Forge, especially since they got to experience it together. The sisters said they appreciate the support from Cleveland State and look forward to learning and growing with the college.I think what I like most about Cleveland State is the community and closeness, stated Ms. Ratcliff. Many professors I have had thus far have been closely involved with each of their students and I very much appreciate the tendency towards smaller classes.Ms. Gray and Ms. Ratcliff both plan to graduate from Cleveland State. Ms. Gray plans to go directly into the workforce, while Ms. Ratcliff hopes to be a traveling musician for an orchestra, or even be a professor in history.
The family of late Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Dan Peace Winn has established a second scholarship at Georgia Northwestern Technical College.

The familys newly-established Dan Winn Adult Education Scholarship will support Adult Education students on the Polk County Campus for years to come. Manuel De Jesus Alonso, the scholarships first recipient, is enrolled this semester in GNTCs Gas Metal Arc Welder Technical Certificate of Credit program while he pursues his General Educational Development diploma; his scholarship will cover educational expenses, such as tuition, fees, books and tools.

Education was important to our father, said Darice Winn Lewis, who retired from GNTC and continues to serve as an adjunct faculty member. We know he would be proud to provide this type of opportunity to the Polk County community he loved so much.

Ms. Lewis and siblings Frank, Nick and Nila Winn established an endowed scholarship through the GNTC Foundation in December 2020.

The endowed scholarship established in Judge Winns name will earn interest and over time will fund future scholarships for Polk County GNTC students or GNTC students with a strong Polk County connection, said Lauretta Hannon, executive director of Institutional Advancement at GNTC.

The Winn Family is continuing their fathers legacy in such a beautiful manner. This scholarship is yet another way they have chosen to help Polk County residents, said GNTC President Dr. Heidi Popham. Georgia Northwestern Technical College is grateful for this support.

The Winn 3 Charitable Fund was established at the bequest of Judge Winn, who passed away in 2016 at age 94; through the fund, the siblings provide scholarships for Cedartown High School and Rockmart High School students in his honor.

Judge Winn entered the military service as a Naval Aviation cadet in November 1942 and graduated as second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Air Corps. He served during World War II in the Marianas Islands and flew night fighter missions out of Guam. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medals.

Judge Winn graduated from Emory University Law School in 1948 and moved to Cedartown a year later where he began practicing law. He served in several elected roles including City Court solicitor, as well as solicitor general for the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit. In 1966, he began serving as a Superior Court judge and was assigned to the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit, which includes Polk County. Winn retired in 1988 and became a senior judge for the State of Georgia until his death in 2016.
The Bond Arts and Culture Series, in collaboration with the Recruiting Department, has announced its Juneteenth celebration activities for Saturday, June 18, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the main campus of Chattanooga State Community College, 4501 Amnicola Hwy.

The Bond Juneteenth event will host a variety of activities that includes Soul Aerobic Line Dancing, Black Culture Trivia, African Drumming by Kofi Mawuko, and an Ancestry Walk that pays homage to those before us. Participants will be able to create poster boards and are encouraged to wear T-shirts that honor their loved ones.

The Juneteenth Edition sponsored by the Recruiting Department features Applications and Appetizers for individuals who apply or enroll for classes this fall. This event will feature free appetizers from local food truck vendors. Recruiting and enrollment staff will be on hand to assist with application and enrollment processes and the event will provide an opportunity for attendees to meet some of Chattanooga States faculty and staff.

Juneteenth, which is short for June Nineteenth, is the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure that all enslaved people be freed. It is considered the longest running African American holiday.

Chattanooga States Juneteenth event is a continuing part of the Bond Arts and Culture Series originally secured through a grant from the Lyndhurst Foundation in the fall of 2020 to honor the late Dr. Claude C. Bond, a longtime educator and activist known in the community for his work toward improving race relations. For more information, contact Stracee Jones at 697-2409 or email stracee.jones@chattanoogastate.edu.
Democratic District Attorney candidate John Allen Brooks said it is "not professional or acceptable to use terms like 'gang' or 'gang activities' when referencing a specific crime unless youre sure that gangs were the root cause of that crime." He referred to statements by Republican candidate Coty Wamp on the incident early Sunday morning on McCallie Avenue in which three were killed.

Ms. Wamp said, "We wont hide from the word 'gang'. This violence is gang related. Period. We cannot fix the problem until we are honest about the problem."

Attorney Brooks said, "The fact is, most victims of this recent maelstrom of violence were simply out with their friends or attending a graduate students birthday party. Using those terms is a racist dog whistle, implying that any young black victim of gun crime is involved in a gang. Gun violence has no place anywhere, especially not here in Hamilton County.

"As the Democratic nominee for the office of Hamilton County District Attorney, I believe its important to be professional, efficient and fair when addressing situations like the shootings that have recently plagued our community. Were not alone here in Hamilton County, as communities such as Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, have seen the impact of mass shootings too.

"This isnt a partisan issue; its a public health issue. Gun violence is the leading cause of premature deaths in the United States. That includes 18,000 people this year alone. Through my platform, Ill explain how a knowledgeable, experienced district attorney can use that office to reduce violent crimes.



"When crimes like these occur, we must first look to the victims/witnesses to ensure their safety and provide care. Next we must work with law enforcement, giving them the resources they need to determine the cause of the crime. Last, we must prosecute in a way that guarantees justice for the victims and their families.



"Building personal relationships is critical to the work of a district attorney. True, the DA must work closely with the individuals trying to solve the case, but the DA also must know and earn the trust of the community affected by crime. That means being willing to hear from people who may not agree with you politically or who feel the system is working against them. When all parties have bought in - from law enforcement to government officials to the impacted citizens - you can solve cases efficiently and work to prevent crime.



"Currently our DAs office has several problems stemming from a lack of these personal relationships: witnesses scared to come forward, extremely backlogged cases, and a strong distrust from the community we serve. We must do better in all these areas to be efficient.



"The Hamilton County Courthouse displays the scales of justice to represent impartiality and the obligation of the law to weigh the evidence presented. How can a candidate for district attorney claim theyll be fair to the community if they also say theyll be on the side of those that enforce the law? Fair is hearing both sides of a story and letting the evidence - not a badge - be the determining factor of guilt. Fair is focusing on prosecuting and preventing violent crimes in our community.



"If elected district attorney, I will work with Police Chief Celeste Murphy and Mayor Tim Kelly in any way I can. That means opening my office doors to the victims of senseless gun crimes, allowing the fine officers of the CPD to investigate those crimes - and not making any assumptions or public statements about the nature of those crimes before those things have happened."


#1 Tennessee baseball next hosts Notre Dame in a Super Regional beginning on Friday.

The second game will be Saturday, and if a third is necessary it will be Sunday.

Notre Dame is 38-14 after beating Texas Tech twice and Georgia Southern over the weekend.

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A man on Kings Point Road told police he was at a picnic and his blue apple iPhone 13 Pro max was stolen from his back pocket. He had no suspect information.

* * *

Police observed a Kia Spectra (TN tag) parked on the side of the road on Elmo Avenue, with parking lights on, occupied by two men. Due to the high property crime in the area after dark, police made contact with the men. The first man told police that the second man lived at the residence and that they were just hanging out. The first man helped the second man inside the residence, as the second man was heavily intoxicated.

* * *



A disorder was reported at the Mapco Gas Station at 200 Browns Ferry Road involving a black couple inside a black Chrysler 200 in the front parking lot area. The vehicle had left prior to police arrival. A cashier that works for the store said the man driver was observed pulling on the female, who had pink color hair, as she attempted to exit out of the vehicle. The female was not able to get out, and then the male drove away and was last seen heading west on I-24 towards Nashville. The vehicle license plate was a temp tag, and there was no other information to follow up on.



* * *

A man told police he found billfold at 500 Broad St. He told police he found the billfold on the sidewalk and wanted to turn it in to be returned to the owner. Several minutes later another call came in from the owner of the billfold. The man lived in Biloxi, Ms. and said he had left town two hours before. Police sent the billfold by mail to him at his home in Biloxi.



* * *

A man who wished to remain anonymous told police he found a yellow wallet belonging to a woman laying on the ground around 1000 Stuart St. The wallet contained several gift cards, credit/debit cards, $48 in cash, with change, and a TN drivers license. The wallet and its contents were turned into Property Division.

* * *

A man told police he left the Baymont at 7017 Shallowford Road this morning and left his laptop there. He said he called the hotel and they said it was not there. The man said he was able to track the laptop to a residence on St Stephen Place. He did not want to press charges, he only wants his laptop back.

* * *

Police observed a white Nissan Maxima with expired temp tags on Central Avenue and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. Police identified the driver, a known violent member of a street gang, and a woman. Both were run for warrants and none were located. They were given a verbal warning for the traffic offenses. This report is to document the man's associations with the vehicle and the woman.

* * *

A man told police that while traveling on I-75 northbound, a tire came off a U-Haul trailer and struck the front of his vehicle. He said that he saw the trailer swaying and then sparks, and then the tire struck his vehicle.

* * *

A woman told police she found on Cromwell Road. The wallet contained an ID and credit cards belonging to a man who resided on Cromwell Road. Police turned in wallet to Chattanooga Property Division.

* * *

Police spoke with a supervisor at Chattanooga Nailed It Construction Co., 4100 Kirkland Ave. She said sometime over the weekend someone stole a new Kempstar heat and air unit valued at $3,500. She said the duct work and electrical were cut and the unit lifted. She said there is nothing there as far as a crime scene to process. She gave police the contact information for the owner, a man in Atlanta. The man said he would wait until the last minute possible to install a new unit at the location, which will be a rental property once finished.

* * *

A man told police he was in his parked car in the passenger seat on Rossville Boulevard when another vehicle parked next to the car. He told police that someone in the other vehicle opened the

door and it made contact with his door. He and his wife showed officers the contact made, and police observed a small scratch that was almost imperceptible. Police spoke with the owner of the other vehicle, who said that he did not make contact with the other vehicle and the man was lying about the event. Both men wrote statements to their respective stories. Because of the conflicting statements and the negligible amount of damage, there is no further police action required.

* * *

A man at a residence on Isbill Road told police that two weed eaters had been stolen from his carport area. The man showed officers surveillance of a dark colored Kia Soul pull into the next driveway and the passenger exited. The vehicle left and the suspect was observed running across the yard and street. There is no further information regarding leads, witnesses or suspects. Both weed eaters are valued at approximately $700 and serial numbers were given to police.

* * *



A vehicle was reported on fire at the Clarion Inn, 3641 Cummings Hwy. Police discovered the vehicle was stolen out of Chattanooga. The owner of the vehicle was contacted. The vehicle was removed from NCIC and towed from the roadway by United Wrecker service. The vehicle sustained heavy fire damage to the undercarriage.

* * *

A man on Longview Drive told police he had received a camera ticket for a vehicle he no longer owns. He said that he sold a dark blue Chevy Cheyenne pickup earlier. He said that he did forget to remove the license plate. He just wanted to make a record of the fact that he sold the vehicle.

* * *

An employee at Kankus Express, 3604 Brainerd Road, told police that a woman was backing up her U-haul and sideswiped gas pump 18. There was no gas leak, only damage to the hose. This happened on private property. No one was injured. The employee was unsure of the damage cost.
As knowledgeable people scramble for solutions after two mass shootings in Chattanooga in an eight-day period, a curfew for unaccompanied minors is a must. Right now, there is a 10 p.m. curfew for those 16 and younger, and an 11 p.m. for those 18 and under, but the curfews are worthless unless they are enforced. By enforced, I mean a parent or guardian has to come pick up a child from police custody.

That sounds mean, cruel and racist but the sounds of six black children being shot sounds worse. Thats what happened Saturday before last. This weekend there were three killed and 14 wounded and  yes  there were minors involved in the 2:40 a.m.

gunfire. So, this is hardly the time to bemoan the fact the parents of these miscreants should not be held responsible for their whereabouts.

Catch the same child numerous times and a judge should seek out a bench warrant for wanton child neglect. For curfews to be effective, they must have the teeth to deter repeat offenders. And if officers come across a gaggle of 15-year-olds, these children should be searched for guns and then punished accordingly. No child should handle a pistol. Ever.

We have a terrible situation, Mayor Tim Kelly said on Monday when he was being interviewed by various national news outlets, Weve had three killed and something like 23 injured in the last 10 days, he told CNN. We hope to have some suspects in custody soon, adding some federal agencies are assisting Chattanoogas new police chief Celeste Murphy. We are treating this like the crisis that it is.

"It is a law enforcement problem, it's also a problem with access to guns," Kelly told CNN. "This is not a place for partisanship. This is something where we need to come together and look at all the ways we can help solve the problem."

"It's been said that there are really three parties in the United States: Republicans, Democrats and mayors," he said. "So, we will do as mayors what we have to do to keep our people safe. But we could sure use some help at the federal level."

Kelly is amicable towards banning high-capacity magazines, and demanding mandatory background checks, but emphasizes he isnt after anyones Second Amendment rights. I am a gun owner, a hunter and a marksman. But I think we can agree there are a lot of common-sense approaches for Congress to consider.

Through Monday there have been 246 mass shootings in the United States in 2022, which is more than there have been days in this year. According to Fox News Digital, it has reviewed data from the Gun Violence Archive detailing there were 13 mass shootings last weekend from Friday evening through Sunday. The Gun Violence Archive (GVA) defines mass shootings as ones where "4 or more (people are) shot or killed, not including the shooter."

The database shows at least 69 people were injured and 17 killed last weekend. The GVA data show there have been 246 mass shootings so far this year, which matches the same amount of mass shootings for the same time frame last year.

Data previously reviewed by Fox News Digital shows violent crimes spiked in 2020, compared to previous years. Mass shootings for the entirety of 2020 increased by more than 46 percent compared to 2019, according to the GVA data, with 417 mass shooting events in 2019 to 611 in 2020.

While FBI data on murders in 2020 show a nearly 30 percent spike in murders compared to 2019. Among Black Americans, the number of murders spiked disproportionally at a 32 percent increase in 2020 compared to 2019. There was a 43 percent increase in Black murders in 2020 compared to the 10-year prior average, data show.

* * *

DEADLIEST WEEKEND FOR MASS SHOOTINGS THIS YEAR

(From USA TODAY): At least 17 people were killed Friday to Sunday, the deadliest weekend of mass shooting gun violence this year, according to a new USA TODAY analysis.

In Philadelphia; Chattanooga, Saginaw, Michigan; Omaha, Nebraska; and other towns and cities, there were at least a dozen shootings that killed or injured four or more people, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive and analyzed by USA TODAY. At least 82 people were wounded or killed.

"Americas gun violence crisis was on full display this weekend, an emergency crying out for a solution that we know exists," said Kris Brown, president of Brady, a gun violence prevention group.

The next worst weekend for mass shooting deaths this year was May 13 to 15  when 14 people were killed in mass shootings, including 10 at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store, according to the analysis of Gun Violence Archive data. Fourteen people were also killed in mass shootings during the weekend of Dec. 31, 2021, to Jan. 2.

* * *

MAYOR TIM KELLY ON SUNDAY

There are families whose lives have been shattered forever because once again, we have people deciding to resolve their issues with firearms, the Mayor said. Im tired of standing in front of you talking about guns and bodies. Chattanooga will not tolerate this in our community.

royexum@aol.com
Wreaths Across Chattanooga has been recognized by Wreaths across America as the number one wreath fundraising group in the nation. Wreaths Across Chattanooga placed slightly over 29,000 wreaths on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.

Nationally, there were just under 10,000 participating groups seeking donations to place wreaths on graves of veterans. These groups placed wreaths in over 3,100 locations, which included all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Almost 2,500,000 wreaths were placed.

Wreaths Across Chattanooga Chairman and Retired U. S. Navy Captain Mickey McCamish noted that this national recognition by Wreaths Across America further demonstrates why Chattanooga is the most patriotic city in America. To achieve this level of financial support, so much is credited to families and businesses in the community along with organization volunteers, board and media partners, said Captain McCamish.

However, we still have work to do, since the mission of Wreaths Across Chattanooga remains to place a wreath on each of the almost 50,000 graves at Chattanooga National Cemetery. We shall remember all Chattanooga veterans who served our country; honor the lives of those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice; and teach the value of freedom and learn about those who preserved our freedom. This is an opportunity to connect 'The Greatest Generations' with the 'Generation of Hope' and an opportunity to honor our Chattanooga Heroes.

The planning for 2022 is underway. Presently, wreaths may be purchased for $10 each by mailing a check to Wreaths Across Chattanooga, P.O. Box 4154, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37405. To learn more, visit www.ChattanoogaWAA.com.
Joel Alexander White was born on November 10, 1984, in Memphis, Tn., and passed away in a motorcycle accident on January 15, 2022, in Alameda, Ca.

Joels early years were spent among a large extended family in Senatobia, Ms., before moving to Lookout Mountain, Tn., in 1991. Joel graduated from McCallie School in 2003, attended Belmont University in Nashville, TN, and graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2008. While attending UTC, Joel worked at a local book store, hosted a late night radio program on WUTC and played music with his band Forest Magic and other friends at various venues around Chattanooga.

Joel moved to Oakland, Ca., in 2010, quickly found employment at Mamas Royal Cafe and began exploring the opportunities in the local film industry, an interest he had developed at an early age. In his pursuit, Joel wrote a letter to an older unknown McCallie alumnus working as an independent film editor in Oakland, who forwarded his letter to the owner of a video production company in San Francisco, Ca. On the strength of that letter and the following interview, Joel obtained an internship at Remedy Editorial and over a period of years worked his way up to senior editor. Joels pre and post production work at Remedy provided him the opportunity to travel to many places around the world including Singapore, Bali, Hong Kong, Hawaii, and Austria.

Although he had little spare time away from work, Joel rented a band space and encouraged friends to gather and play music. Joel did not own an automobile, choosing to ride his bicycle and later, his two motorcycles, around the East Bay area, San Francisco, and along the Pacific coast, often with his friends. Joel loved the diversity of California: the ocean, mountains, forests, food, customs, language, and especially its people.

Joel was a kind, creative, funny, intelligent, thoughtful, and sensitive young man, a good man, and he loved nice people. After several years of working at Remedy, Joel had the occasion to stop back by Mamas Royal Cafe for breakfast, where several of the waitresses gave him a hug and two of the older men cooking in the kitchen came out from behind the counter, wiping their hands on their aprons, to shake his hand. As the founder and owner of Remedy Editorial shared, To say that Joel touched the lives of many people in our community is an understatement. He is beloved by hundreds of colleagues and friends. For our Remedy family, Joel was our center, our moral compass. Friends described Joel as a creative, cook, cinephile, collaborator, and conversationalist. Joel cut out the bad and focused on bringing good things together, adding flavor and spice to all of our lives.

Joel is survived by his parents, Johnny and Ruth White of Lookout Mountain; his sister, Rachel White, her husband Jay Miller, and their son Campbell of Birmingham; his grandmother, Joyce Roseborough White of Memphis; his aunts Maryelinor Mays of Lookout Mountain; Grace Thompson of Princeton, N.J.; Joyce Bobo and Emily (Charlie) Lowrance of Memphis; his uncle William Gordon of Shreveport, La., and many close cousins from coast to coast and in between.

Joel was preceded in death by his grandmothers Mary Elinor Gordon and Dean S. Gordon, and grandfathers John Gordon and Johnny White, Sr., all of Memphis.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 18, at 2 p.m. at the Church of the Good Shepherd at 211 Franklin Road, Lookout Mountain, Tn. 37350. There will be a reception following the service at the adjoining Parish Hall.
City Planning Director Dan Reuter on Tuesday told a City Council committee studying Short Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) that some business conglomerates are investing in STVRs "at the Goldman Sachs level."

He said, "This is a fairly new thing. We have no illusion that is not happening in Chattanooga as well."

Mr. Reuter said he was pointed to numerous websites on the issue, with one touting, "One of the best places to buy a STVR is Chattanooga, Tn. You are going to make a lot of money."

He said the rentals seem to be booming in tourism areas such as Chattanooga, Nashville, Charleston and Savannah.

Mr. Reuter said that is just one of the issues uncovered during four recent sessions with STVR stakeholders.

The City Council currently has a moratorium on new non-owner occupied STVRs and is studying whether ordinance changes should be made.

Mr. Reuter said there were many calls for better enforcement, including cracking down on the large number of unlicensed STVR operations in Chattanooga.

Caleb Fisher of city zoning enforcement said current enforcement is totally complaint driven. He said officials may know there is an unlicensed STVR in a certain neighborhood, but he said the exact address is usually not given.

Officials said a new online program should go into effect in about two weeks that would give fast identification of those operations.

Councilwoman Jenny Hill brought up the issue of higher fees for non-owner occupied units, who are reportedly making high dollar amounts. She said higher charges could insure that enforcement costs are covered.

She suggested annual fees perhaps based on the number of bedrooms in the residence.

Mr. Reuter said the some 600 legal STVR owners in Chattanooga could be recruited to help in reporting those flouting the licensing process. He said all those may be invited to a meeting on that and other topics.

The city is to ask UTC researchers to help in researching STVR topics, including finding out how other large cities in Tennessee are dealing with the issue.
Four Hamilton County students who placed first or second in their categories at this years Tennessee History Day contest will represent Tennessee at National History Day competition beginning June 12.



After competing in regional contests across the state, 241 students advanced to this years Tennessee History Day competition, held the first two weeks of April. At Tennessee History Day, 102 students representing 26 schools in 12 counties earned recognition. Ninety-three students earned first, second and third place medals, 23 students were awarded special prizes and two educators were recognized as Educators of the Year.



The Hamilton County students advancing to the National History Day competition are:



1st Place Senior Individual Performance

Project: Songs of Diplomacy: The Jazz Ambassadors

Student: Ricardo Wang-Polendo

School: McCallie School

Educator: Duke Richey



1st Place Senior Individual Paper

Project: Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo: Diplomatically Dismantling State Terrorism

Student: Sullivan Smith

School: Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences Upper School

Educator: Kelly Davis



2nd Place Senior Individual Performance & Best Project in African American History - Sponsored by the Planning Committee for the Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture - Senior Division Winner

Project: Watch What You Call Me

Student: Kameron Hayes

School: McCallie School

Educator: Duke Richey



2nd Place Senior Individual Paper

Project: Give me your tired, your poor? The Debate Regarding Jewish Holocaust Refugees to the United States

Student: Cotton Snoddy

School: McCallie School

Educator: Duke Richey

These Hamilton County students also earned awards at the Tennessee History Day competition:



3rd Place Senior Individual Exhibit

Project: The Death that Divided the Nation

Student: Jonathan Manta

School: McCallie School

Educator: Duke Richey



3rd Place Senior Group Exhibit

Project: The Grey Wolf; The Reintroduction of an Apex Predator and the Ecology of Yellowstone

Students: David Moseley and Gordon Moseley

School: McCallie School

Educator: Duke Richey



3rd Place Senior Individual Website

Project: Ping-Pong Diplomacy: How a Sport Softened United Sates-China Relations

Student: Colin Carter

School: McCallie School

Educator: Duke Richey



Best Project in Tennessee History - Sponsored by Humanities Tennessee - Senior Division Winner - Senior Group Documentary

Project: The Trial of the Century

Students: Anay Patel and Noah Wyatt

School: Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences Upper School

Educator: Kelly Davis



Mitchell Mielnik Memorial Prize for the Best Project in Sports, Recreation or the Environment - Sponsored by the Family and Friends of Mitchell Mielnik - Senior Division Winner - Senior Individual Website

Project: The Battle for Blue Lake: The Taos Pueblos Unparalleled Victory and a Unique Case in Federal Indian Policy

Student: Sam Baker

School: McCallie School

Educator: Duke Richey



Congratulations to every student who participated in this years Tennessee History Day competition and to the 61 students who are advancing to compete at National History Day, Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. I wish you the best of luck at National History Day. I know you will represent our great state well on the national stage."



History Day is a year-long competition in which students in grades six-12 compete by submitting group or individual projects about people and events of historical significance. Each project is in one of five categories: documentaries, exhibits, performances, websites or papers, and relates to this years theme, Debate & Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences.



I am so proud of all of our Tennessee History Day students, said Tennessee History Day Coordinator Nikki Ward. We have seen them challenge themselves in the topics they have chosen this year. Their continued dedication to research, analysis and creativity is impressive.



The National History Day competition hosted virtually by the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., will take place June 12-18. The Tennessee students advancing to the National History Day will compete with students from across the country for prestigious awards and scholarships.



Tennessee History Day is coordinated by the Tennessee Historical Society and sponsored by the Secretary of State, Humanities Tennessee, the Memorial Foundation and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. For more information about Tennessee History Day, visit tennesseehistory.org/tennessee-history-day/.



For the complete list of 2022 Tennessee History Day winners, visit sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/2022_Tennessee_History_Day_Winners.pdf.
The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commissions have set the states hunting and trapping seasons for 2022-23. The Commission established the regulations at its June 2-3 meeting held at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agencys Region II Ray Bell Building.

Complete hunting seasons dates and regulations will be available on the website (www.twra.org), TWRA App, and in the printed 2022-23 Tennessee Hunting Guide, which will be mailed to Lifetime and Sportsmans license holders and available for free at TWRA license vendor locations in mid-July.

After hearing growing reports of decreasing turkey populations, the Commission voted to delay the statewide turkey season to improve reproduction and nesting success. The bag limit will also be decreased from three birds to two birds, and only one bird can be a juvenile or jake.

Statewide, 2022 spring turkey harvest came in at 29,940 birds, down roughly 10 percent from the 5-year average. However, the number of successful hunters was 21,209 which continues to be in line with the 5-year average of 21,259. To reduce predator pressure on turkey nests and poults, the Commission voted to extend racoon and opossum hunting season to March 15 and double the bag limit. The TFWC approved bobcat hunting during the statewide deer archery, muzzleloader, and gun seasons. The controversial practice of fanning or reaping turkey was also banned on wildlife management areas (WMAs) to ensure public safety. It is still allowed on private land.

To simplify regulations, hunters will no longer need the Type 94 licenses to hunt antlerless deer on private land, but it will still be required on WMAs. Changes to deer season dates will be calendar year changes only. To make progress reducing the number of chronic wasting disease (CWD) positive deer, the Commission voted to extend the rifle season in the CWD zone by two weeks, to increase the buck limit to three, and to adjust the Earn-A-Buck program to be one doe, instead of two that earns one buck tag. Since the beginning of the program, hunters have harvested nearly 8,700 antlerless deer, with just more than 2,000 does entered in the Earn-A-Buck program. TWRA has also been developing a new strategic plan over the last year, which includes more targeted deer management zones to ensure the best science is used to address CWD rates.

TWRA staff did not recommend any changes to elk regulations. There are currently elk in five counties, with elk hunting allowed in public zones. Each winter, TWRA completes a ground survey of elk populations and has seen an increasing trend in elk populations. Currently, 15 elk tags are issued annually.

Based on feedback from bear hunters and biologists, bear hunt zones will be slightly adjusted, and the Kettlefoot and Laurel Fork bear reserve season expanded. Moving forward, bear tooth submission will be mandatory by hunters to allow for better population management and data collection on wildlife health.

Finally, the Commission voted to add a total of four Tier One duck blinds at the Big Sandy, West Sandy, and Camden Unit 1 WMAs for the upcoming duck season. An additional proposal will be considered at a later Commission meeting to create a 900-acre waterfowl refuge at the WMA to support the duck population. The area under consideration is difficult for hunters to access and the Commission believes it would be better served for conservation efforts. TWRA will seek public comments on the proposal before the vote.

Additional updates were made for TWRAs 110 WMAs encompassing more than 1.5 million acres of natural resources. Notably, a quota hunt for turkeys was established on Chickasaw and Natchez state parks, slight adjustments were made to the deer hunts on Cheatham WMA, and generally opening more hunt units on various WMAs across the state. A list of WMA regulations is available on the TWRA website.

TWRA completes a nine-month season setting process, which includes wildlife population surveys, data collection from partner organizations and research institutions, a public comment period on recommendations, and finally discussion and approval by the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Our goal for the 2023 hunting season setting process was to find the right balance between healthy wildlife populations and hunter satisfaction, said Wildlife and Forestry Division Chief Joe Benedict. We feel confident we have met this goal with the help of the incredible volume of public input we received this year.

This year, TWRA received more than 1,600 public comments on hunting dates and regulations. Sportsmen can continue to submit comments on hunting seasons regulations to TWRA.huntingcomments@tn.gov.
90 Day Fiance: The Other Way stars Corey Rathgeber and his wife, Evelin Villegas give a life update on 90 Day Diaries Season 4. As fans know, this 90 Day Fiance couple has had many ups and downs in their relationship. So are they still together? Heres what we know.

Corey Rathgeber and Evelin Villegas, 90 Day Diaries Season 4 | TLC

Corey and Evelins 90 Day Fiance journey

TLC audiences were first introduced to Corey and Evelin when their story was shown on 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way Season 1. Evelin was heading home to Engabao, Ecuador after spending some time in Washington with Corey and his family. She told Corey that if he wanted to be with her, he would have to move to her home country. Corey then sold his car and moved to Ecuador to be with Evelin. The pair got engaged, despite Evelins uncertainty.

On The Other Way Season 3, Corey and Evelin returned, They revealed that they broke up before getting stuck together in Ecuador during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Evelin found out about Coreys fling in Peru with a Peruvian woman named Jenny. Corey claimed they were on a break, while Evelin claimed that they werent.

However, despite Coreys fling with Jenny, Evelin decides to forgive Corey and they end up married. However, fans find out that they were actually married on paper nearly a year ahead of their marriage ceremony. During the tell-all, Evelin finds out that Corey had met with Jenny behind her back during the filming of season 3.

Are Corey and Evelin still together in 2022?

On the June 6 episode of 90 Day Diaries, Corey and Evelin give fans an update on their relationship status. Corey and Evelin reveal that theyre still together, despite all of the hurdles theyve had to face. Evelin tells the cameras, After two months of traveling and a lot of couples therapy, we were able to reconnect and be on the same page about saving our marriage.

Life in Ecuador is wonderful for this couple. Corey and Evelin, who own a beachside bar, are currently opening a restaurant that Evelins sisters and family will run. However, Corey was unable to renew his residency visa and will have to leave the country soon.

Evelin decides she will go to America with Corey

Corey is currently on a tourist visa in Ecuador. In five months, he will have to return to the United States. The 90 Day Fiance star explained that he will have to stay in the US for six months before he can come back to Ecuador. Check out the Instagram clip below:

Corey asked Evelin to come with him to Washington so that the distance wont cause more strain on their already fragile relationship. He tells the cameras, I truely believe that if we have to be separated for six months, it will result in divorce.

However, if Evelin decides to go to the US on a spousal visa, she will have to spend three years in the country before shes able to fly back home to Ecuador. While Evelin was unsure if she would be able to handle life on Coreys family compound in Washington, she decides that she will do it for the sake of their marriage.

The last time Evelin was on the compound with Corey, she had a very difficult time. It will be interesting to see if they will be able to make it through the three years in the US or not.

New episodes of 90 Day Diaries air Mondays at 9/8c on TLC and discovery+.

RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Coreys Brother Confirms That Evelin Kept Corey From His Family
Sister Wives fans appear divided over how much they believe Meri Browns behavior is manipulated for TLCs cameras. While they believe editing has a lot to do with the way storylines appear, some agree Meris behavior has a lot to do with the way fans respond to her actions. How much of the reality stars behavior is edited to look a certain way on Sister Wives?

Robyn, Janelle, Meri, and Christine Brown | Gabe Ginsberg/FilmMagic/Getty Images

TLC pulled the curtain back on the Brown familys troubles in season 16

Over the past several seasons of Sister Wives, the Meri and Browns began to pull back the curtain on the inner workings of their polygamist clan. Meri, in particular, has been most isolated as she is an empty nester and her relationship with Kody is more of a friendship than a functioning marriage.

Kody Brown and his wives, Christine, Meri, Janelle, and Robyn Brown, appeared to get along ahead of the familys move to Flagstaff, Arizona. While Christine addressed some jealousy issues toward Robyn, the show also dove into Janelle and Meris complicated personal history.

However, the familys move to Flagstaff, Arizona, spotlighted some natural fissures in the Brown familys foundation.

The move to another state left a more significant divide between the clan, which began when they all moved to separate homes in Las Vegas. Although each family lived in a cul de sac, they still had separate houses, allowing for a distance between the wives and children.

Moving to Arizona further distances the family members from one another, as some lived miles away in different homes. The children didnt see each other regularly, and many of the adult children lived far away in other states.

How much of Meri Browns Sister Wives storyline is manipulated for TLCs cameras?

Meri Brown and Sister Wives Robyn, Christine, and Janelle have had difficulties communicating on the TLC series.

Sister Wives viewers debated just how much of Meris storyline is manipulated for TLCs cameras in a Reddit post.

Her behavior to me feels like a result (symptom?) of someone who has been through a lot of trauma. We see what Kody has put her through, but possibly more that stems from childhood. For example, there are numerous times when shes paralyzed by decision-making. It can look like manipulation, but some experience has made her terrified of decisions and having to live with the outcome. I think editing has a lot to do with how shes portrayed, deduced one follower.

I am NOT a Meri fan at all. However, I would never want to be a friend of hers either, but I feel TLC set her up and manipulated her, claimed a second viewer.

I can see how fans think Meri is manipulating. Meris personality can be a bit off-putting at times. However, she was 20% of the TLC how, just like all the others, wrote a third Reddit user.

She earned outside of the show, unlike others. She has a right to be selfish and stand up for herself. No one else would.

My daughter just walked in and saw her talking in an episode. She said, is that woman OK? Ummmm no. She is not. Those are hard episodes. Meri is the most uncomfortable person to watch for me ever. Everything is a manipulation and a struggle, penned the fourth fan.

Will Sister Wives return for season 17?

Struggling is crap. But I also feel the fight is worth it and there's value to our family. I am committed, but I can only look in the mirror and work on myself. And that's what I'll continue to do. #sisterwives  Meri Brown (@MeriBrown1) April 19, 2021

According to Christines 23-year-old son, Paedon Brown, the family is currently filming season 17.

A fan asked Paedon, Will your mom return if theres another season of Sister Wives?

Paedon replied, They are filming currently. Reddit shared this information.

However, while the family may be filming, there has not yet been a release date announced for the shows next season.

Sister Wives is currently on hiatus.

RELATED: Sister Wives Fans Beg for Dr. Phil to Pick Kody Brown Apart as Talk Show Guest
Sustainable chemical applications need to be able to employ renewable energy sources, renewable raw materials, and earth-abundant elements. However, to date many techniques have only been possible with the use of expensive precious metals or rare earth metals, the extraction of which can have serious environmental impacts. A team of researchers including Professor Katja Heinze and Professor Christoph Kerzig of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) as well as Dr. Ute Resch-Genger of the German Bundesanstalt fur Materialforschung und -prufung (BAM) has now achieved a breakthrough in the use of chromium, an abundant base metal which Heinze's group has been investigating for some time. The new findings show that chromium compounds, also called molecular rubies, can substitute expensive precious metals in photon upconversion. Photon upconversion (UC) is a process in which the sequential absorption of two photons of lower energy leads to the emission of one photon of higher energy. This higher energy photon can in principle be employed to expand the use of low-energy sunlight in solar cells or photochemical reactions which otherwise require UV light for activation. The use of molecular rubies can thus help to reduce the impact of environmentally damaging processes such as mining of precious metals or rare earth elements and to expand photochemistry to more sustainable processes.

Chromium compounds as a promising alternative

Most photochemical and photophysical applications such as phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes, dye-sensitized solar cells, or light-driven chemical reactions use precious metals such as gold, platinum, ruthenium, iridium, or rare earth metals. However, precious metals are expensive because they are scarce while rare earth elements are only mined in a few countries, in China in particular. Furthermore, their extraction often involves considerable consumption of water, energy, and chemicals. In some cases, such as gold mining, highly toxic substances such as cyanide or mercury are employed.

On the other hand, resources of the metal chromium, which gets its name from the ancient Greek word for color, are 10,000 times more plentiful in the Earth's crust than those of platinum and 100,000 times greater than those of iridium, meaning that it is available in sufficient quantities. "Unfortunately, the photophysical properties of abundant metals like chromium or iron are just not good enough to be useful in technological applications, especially when it comes to the lifetimes and energies of their electronically excited states," explained Professor Katja Heinze of JGU's Department of Chemistry. A significant progress in this regard has been made only in the last few years, with Heinze's team being one of the main contributors. They were also involved in the development of so-called molecular rubies. These are soluble molecular compounds which possess exceptionally good excited state characteristics. Molecular rubies have already been used as molecular optical thermometers and pressure sensors.

Direct observation of the energy transfer processes thanks to new large-scale laser device

The team of scientists from Mainz and Berlin has now achieved yet another breakthrough. "In the process, we observed a novel mechanism and understood the high efficiency of the new chromium compounds in detail," said Professor Christoph Kerzig. The scientists managed to directly observe the unusual energy transfer pathway using a laser setup recently installed in the Kerzig group. This so-called laser flash photolysis technique allowed them to detect all intermediates that are important for the upconversion mechanisms. Furthermore, quantitative laser experiments established the absence of inherent energy loss channels and side reactions, which lays the grounds for efficient applications of this underexplored way to transfer and convert solar energy with chromium compounds.

Consequently, scientists may be able to develop new light-driven reactions using the common metal chromium in the future instead of using the rare, more costly ruthenium and iridium compounds, which today are still the most frequently used. "Together with our partners at BAM in Berlin and other universities we will continue to push on with our efforts to develop a more sustainable photochemistry," emphasized Professor Katja Heinze.
Thomas Jefferson continues to inspire and divide Americans. Even though he still ranks in the top 10 in C-SPANs Presidential Historians Survey, recent years have witnessed Jeffersons name and image removed from schools, libraries, and the halls of government. Jeffersons statue at his own University of Virginia served as a rallying point for white supremacists during the summer of 2017. All the while, Daveed Diggss flamboyant portrayal of him in the musical Hamilton was winning acclaim on Broadway.

Much of this controversy stems from Jeffersons dual identity as the author of the Declaration of Independence and his status as one of the nations most prominent slaveholders. Add to this the unsettling reality that Jefferson fathered at least six children with an enslaved woman, Sally Hemings, and its little wonder that many Americans find themselves wondering how such a man could have penned the words All men are created equal. With the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution looming, it is difficult to predict if and how Jeffersons name will be invoked.

For many, Jeffersons life is nothing but a testimony to his own hypocrisy, while others see Jefferson as a visionary bound to the conditions of his time. The latest book from historian Thomas Kidd, Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh, attempts to shed light on Jeffersons puzzling philosophy and problematic past.

Dilemmas and dramas

Kidds goal is not to write a new life story of Jefferson, but rather to illuminate and grapple with his ethical and moral universe. Because of this, Kidds biography is amazingly (and mercifully) succinct, at least compared to the mammoth accounts produced by other historians. Whereas political battles frame most Jefferson biographies, moral tensions and intellectual conflicts dominate Kidds telling.

Using a loose chronology of Jeffersons life and times, Kidd situates readers to the dilemmas and dramas defining his thought at any given time, from Christian orthodoxy to romantic pursuits to slavery. Mapping out the main influencers on Jeffersons thoughtsuch as John Locke and Algernon Sidney on the Declaration of Independence, Montesquieu on colonization and racial separation, and the trappings of the Souths honor cultureKidd helps readers understand the makeup of Jeffersons brain on any given subject.

In short, A Biography of Spirit and Flesh is devoted to following Jeffersons intellectual and religious development, both in terms of its sources as well as its evolution in different spaces and situations.

Given Kidds status as one of todays most popular and preeminent Christian historians, his take on Jeffersons religious profile also serves as a vital corrective to the pseudohistory produced by figures like David Barton, who promote an uncomplicated synthesis between Christianity and the American founding. Granted, Kidds Jefferson is no secularist champion, and this book rejects the easy pigeonholing of Jefferson as a mere deist. Though he was surely heterodox in rejecting doctrines like the Trinity, he truly saw himself as a follower of Jesus and was devoted to a naturalistic vision of Christianity.

Likewise, Kidd pushes back against the idea that the Declaration was intended as a purely secular document and that its references to God were added later by the Continental Congress. As he highlights, Natures God was already in Jeffersons draft of the document, a reference to his belief in a creator god. Kidd is at his best when probing Jeffersons soul searching, illustrating his doubts, and mapping his beliefs.

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If one word has haunted (and been hurled at) Jefferson more than any other, it would be hypocrite, a word Kidd is not afraid to employ when appropriate. Naturally, Jeffersons status as an enslaver with antislavery sentiments is the most perplexing paradox, but as Kidd demonstrates, Jefferson was capable of a multitude of ambiguities and contradictions. For example, despite his antipathy towards many conventional forms of religious devotion, Jefferson maintained that traditional religion had its benefits for society. And notwithstanding his disregard for the Bibles miracle accounts, Jefferson was deeply conversant with its stories and even attempted to produce his own version of the Gospels, known today as the Jefferson Bible.

Another area of hypocrisy was the financial realm, where Jefferson was truly duplicitous. He indulged in lavish wines, a steady supply of new books, and ambitious architecture, all while advocating the virtue of frugality to family and friends. Though he neared financial ruin on several occasions, Jefferson seemed incapable of heeding his own wisdom. Acknowledging this shortcoming, Jefferson confessed to James Monroe that I had rather be ruined in my fortune than in their esteem.

But it is precisely this financial recklessness that further entrenched Jefferson into slavery. Although he called slavery a moral depravity, his mounting debts and his genteel pride made escaping it improbable. Kidd compares Jeffersons attitudes on slavery to a high-wire act, rightly pointing out that even by the standards of his own time and in the eyes of many of his contemporaries, his views on slavery were often strained and frequently contradictory. George Washington, who bore financial burdens of his own, took at least modest acts against slavery within his own estate. Measured against them, Jeffersons inaction appears all the more indefensible.

Yet, as Kidd chronicles, Jeffersons language in the Declaration was used almost instantly to denounce Black bondage by figures like James Otis and Lemuel Haynes, and by various antislavery societies. There is even evidence that Jeffersons message of liberty may have inspired Gabriels Rebellion, a slave uprising planned for Richmond, Virginia, in 1800. Nevertheless, while he could sympathize with enslaved people who sought their freedom by any means necessary, Jefferson viewed the Haitian Revolution with horror, not as a continuation of his own revolution.

Willing spirit, weak flesh

No doubt accusations of hypocrisy will continue to hound Jefferson, and rightly so. After reading Kidds biography, another epithet that comes to mind is cowardly. In another display of contradictions and tensions, the revolutionary Jefferson was mindful of his peers and cautious of unknowable outcomes. His spirit may have been willing, but his flesh was abominably weak.

Kidds Jefferson isnt a moral monster, but hes certainly no saint either. He emerges from this biography not as a confident but flawed statesman, but rather a conflicted, uncertain, and sometimes craven worldling. Many of the issues that tormented Jeffersons mind were left unresolved, often in part through his own inaction or aversion to conflict. Abraham Lincoln may have declared all honor to Jefferson, but in the case of slavery, it would take a civil war, fought by men braver than Jefferson, to settle the matter once and for all.

Compared to the ocean of Jefferson biographies written by figures ranging from Christopher Hitchens to Jon Meacham, Kidds volume shies away from treating his subject as an exemplary leader. He admits that his take on Jefferson is more ambivalent than most, a position that will likely upset readers eager for iconoclasm or hagiography. After all, as Kidd warns, The Founders, including Jefferson, were hardly pristine saints. But maybe were not either. Or, as Jefferson remarked to his daughter Martha, referencing Romans 3, For none of us, no not one, is perfect.

Daniel N. Gullotta is the Archer Fellow in Residence at the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, and a PhD candidate at Stanford University specializing in American religious history. He is the host of The Age of Jackson Podcast.
Most Americans are open to a variety of denominations of Christian churches, including many people of other faiths or no faith at all.

Americans have a wide range of opinions and impressions about Christian denominations, but most wont rule out a church based on its denomination, according to a new study from Lifeway Research. From a list of nine denominational terms Assemblies of God, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Southern Baptist, and nondenominationalmore Americans rule out Pentecostal than any other denomination. Just over half of Americans (51%) say a church with Pentecostal in the name is not for them.

But for each of the other denominations in the study, most Americans say a specific religious label in the name of a church is not an automatic deterrent for them. Americans are most open to nondenominational and Baptist churches.

One in three (33%) say a church described as nondenominational is not for them, while 43 percent say the same about a church with Baptist in the name. A 2014 phone survey from Lifeway Research also found Baptist and nondenominational churches among those Americans were most open to and Pentecostal the denominational group they were least open to.

Church names vary greatly, said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. Names including St. Peter, Trinity, Crossroads, and Presbyterian reflect biblical people, theology, modern imagery, or references to the branch of Christianity the church is tied to. Most people have preexisting impressions of denominational groups when they see them in a church name or description.

Americans have more favorable than unfavorable impressions of most denominations, whether they would personally attend a church of that denomination or not. More Americans have favorable impressions of Baptist churches (61%) than any other Christian denomination.

But Baptist churches are not alone in giving generally favorable impressions. Most Americans think favorably of every denomination in this study except for Pentecostal (47%) and Assemblies of God (43%) churches. Still, more people have favorable than unfavorable impressions of Pentecostal and Assemblies of God churches.

Understanding different denominations

For each denominational group studied, 11 percent to 32 percent of Americans say they are not familiar enough with that denomination to form an opinion. This response is often more common than unfavorable responses and may indicate many dont understand denominational differences.

Fewer people have favorable impressions of Assemblies of God churches than any other denomination, but more Americans are unfamiliar with this denomination than any other. Whereas 1 in 10 (11%) Americans say theyre not familiar with Catholic churches, nearly 1 in 3 (32%) are not familiar with Assemblies of God churches, the smallest denomination directly asked about in the study.

The reputation of denominational groups may be tied to what someone knows about that groups doctrine, but it also can be the sum of peoples impressions of local churches in those groups.  @smcconn

The reputation of denominational groups may be tied to what someone knows about that groups doctrine, but it also can be the sum of peoples impressions of local churches in those groups, McConnell said. Personal experiences with local churches, word-of-mouth, and whether they see them serving in their communities can lead people to have positive or negative impressions of those groups.

Protestants tend toward Baptist and nondenominational churches

Most Protestants are open to attending a nondenominational church. Protestants are least likely to assume a church is not for them if the description nondenominational is used for the church (21%). And Protestants are most likely to have favorable impressions of Baptist (76%) and nondenominational (69%) churches.

Infrequent churchgoers are also generally open to nondenominational churches, as well as Presbyterian and Lutheran churches. Christians who attend a worship service less than once a month are least likely to say they assume a church is not for them when they see Presbyterian (36%), Lutheran (37%), or nondenominational (22%) in the name of a church.

Similarly, Christians who attend church infrequently are less familiar with the Protestant religious groups. Almost 4 in 10 Christians who attend less than once a month are not familiar with Assemblies of God (38%), more than a quarter are not sure about Lutheran and nondenominational churches (27%) and a quarter are unfamiliar with Pentecostal (25%), Presbyterian (25%), and Southern Baptist (25%). Christians who attend worship services less than once a month are least likely to say they have unfavorable impressions of Lutheran (15%) and nondenominational (10%) churches.

Just because someone is a Christian doesnt mean theyre familiar with the many types of Christian churches, McConnell said. If a person who identifies as a Christian is not interested enough to practice the faith by attending church, they likely arent interested enough to learn about historical or doctrinal differences between Christian groups.

Whats in a name?

Denomination identifiers in the names of churches spark different responses among Americans. For non-Christians, three denomination names stand above the rest as deterrents for attending that church: Baptist, Lutheran, and Southern Baptist. People of other religions are most likely to say they assume a church is not for them when the name Baptist (63%), Lutheran (65%), or Southern Baptist (66%) is in the name of a church.

The majority of Catholics indicate most of the Protestant groups are not for them. Only Baptist (49%) and nondenominational churches (44%) are ruled out by less than half of Catholics. Similarly, 58 percent of Protestants assume a Catholic church is not for them.

Those who are religiously unaffiliated are most likely to have unfavorable impressions of Catholic (47%), Pentecostal (41%), and Southern Baptist (40%) churches. Although the religiously unaffiliated think most favorably about Baptist (36%) and nondenominational (36%) churches, the majority dont think favorably of any denomination.

The one group of Americans that consistently has more people with unfavorable than favorable views of different religious groups are those who are religiously unaffiliated, McConnell said. More of them have negative impressions of every group except for nondenominational churches.

But faith isnt the only factor in peoples impressions of churches. In some cases, ethnic, educational, and geographical factors play a role as well. People who live in the South are among those most open to Southern Baptist churches, as they are least likely to say they assume a church is not for them if the name Southern Baptist is in the name of the church (40%). Those in the South are also most likely to have favorable views of Baptist churches (70%).

Young people also often have strong impressions of denominations, most of them negative. Young people (age 18-34) are most likely to have unfavorable impressions of Catholic (39%), Methodist (33%), Presbyterian (33%), and Lutheran (35%) churches. They are also least likely to say they have favorable impressions of Southern Baptist churches (39%).

Hispanics are most likely to have unfavorable impressions of Methodist (38%), Southern Baptist (44%), Lutheran (37%), and Assemblies of God (35%) churches, while African Americans are most likely to have favorable views of Baptist churches (82%).
South Africa: Upgraded Saldanha Habour to spur economic activity

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille will today visit the recently upgraded Saldanha Habour.

The upgrades to the harbour form part of a major refurbishment programme by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) to 13 proclaimed fishing harbours in the Western Cape. The upgrades were completed in March this year to the value of R501 million.

The Small Harbours Repairs and Maintenance Programme is aimed at bringing the harbours to a greater level of efficiency to revitalise the local economy and to serve the local fishermen, tenants and surrounding communities.

The programme has been completed at all 13 proclaimed fishing harbours where the scope of work included the removal of sunken vessels, dredging of the harbour basins, repairs to slipways, shore crane replacements, security, civil and electrical infrastructure upgrades.

To date, the project has created a total of 925 jobs and empowered local SMMEs to the value of over R116 million.

The bulk of the SMMEs are Level 1/2 BBBEE companies and were vastly spread, ranging from Lamberts Bay in the upper West Coast all the way to the East Coast at Stillbaai Harbour covering all 13 harbours.

The project aims to boost investor confidence within the harbours and many existing tenants are looking to expand their operations coupled with a high appetite from new investors within the harbours which will assist the department in its drive towards attracting private sector investment and revenue generation for the state.

Ultimately the economic spin-offs of the repair and maintenance programme will allow for further job creation and local economic development surrounding the 13 proclaimed fishing harbours along the Western Cape coastline.

The works completed at Saldanha and Pepper Bay Harbours included work on the slipway infrastructure at Saldanha harbour, civil infrastructure as well as electrical infrastructure work both harbours. Around R98.6 million has been spent for the infrastructure upgrades work at the two.

The Saldanha Bay Harbour main contractors appointed SMMEs from the local community. The value of work contracted to SMMEs amounted to approximately R27 million.

A total of 145 local residents also benefitted from work opportunities for the project at Saldanha Bay.

This project is a prime example of the importance of infrastructure development to spur on economic activity and much needed job creation for citizens, the department said.

Minister de Lille and Deputy Minister Noxolo Kiviet will visit the recently completed project and highlight the various works that have been done.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-06-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China's top legislator calls for cooperation with CSTO on peace, stability

Xinhua) 08:45, June 07, 2022

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, delivers a speech via video link at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), at the invitation of Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly and the Russian State Duma, June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and take effective measures to jointly maintain regional peace and stability, China's top legislator Li Zhanshu said Monday.

Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the remarks in a speech delivered via video link at the Parliamentary Assembly of the CSTO, at the invitation of Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly and the Russian State Duma.

He said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Collective Security Treaty and the 20th anniversary of the CSTO. Since its establishment, the CSTO has played an important role in safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and security of its member states, promoting regional peace and stability, and preventing and responding to new threats and challenges to regional security.

The Global Security Initiative, proposed by China, aims to respond to the urgent needs of the international community to maintain world peace and prevent conflicts and wars, and provide a new direction for eliminating the root causes of international conflicts, addressing international security challenges, and achieving world peace and development, Li said, adding that the CSTO's participation in the initiative would be welcome.

Noting that China shares broad common interests with CSTO member states in maintaining regional peace and stability, Li said China stands ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the CSTO and take effective measures to jointly maintain regional peace and stability.

He said the NPC is willing to work with the legislatures of CSTO member states to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, give full play to the unique role of the legislature, and fully release the potential of the CSTO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to make the region and the world more peaceful, secure and prosperous.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
Kamala Harris holds abortion roundtable with religious leaders: 'We need faith'

Vice President Kamala Harris held a roundtable with faith leaders about abortion and other "reproductive health" issues Monday. Her opening remarks did not include any overt mention of God.

The roundtable was held in Los Angeles, California, and centered on what the White House described as protecting reproductive rights and addressing the epidemic of hate that is gripping our nation.

The event comes over a month after Politico published a leaked draft opinion in the U.S. Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health, indicating a majority of justices could likely vote to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Faith leaders participating in the roundtable included Pastor Demetries Edwards of the 23rd Avenue Church of God in Oakland; Rabbi Dara Frimmer, head of the Temple Isaiah of Los Angeles; Sikh civil rights advocate and lawyer Nitasha Kaur Sawhney; Claire Lipschultz, vice president of the National Council of Jewish Women of Sacramento's board of directors.; the Rev. Young Lee Hertig, executive director of the Innovative Space for Asian American Christianity; and others.

Elected Democratic officials from California, including U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, also attended the roundtable.

During her opening remarks, Harris said that we need faith."

"We need faith in each other, in our nation and in our future," she said.

She added that the faith leaders who are gathered here today are representative of many different faiths, many different communities, but share a common purpose, which is to bring healing and hope and a sense of community to all people.

I would like to talk with these faith leaders about the impending decision from the United States Supreme Court that we believe will undo the very principles and premise of the importance of the privacy right that Roe v. Wade stands for, said the vice president.

On the issue of Roe, it, of course  basically, the premise of Roe and the power of Roe is it is about saying that people should have the right to make decisions about their own bodies  that women should have that right and have unfettered access to reproductive healthcare.

Harris insisted that supporting Roe v. Wade does not mean giving up core beliefs, claiming that it is simply about agreeing that a woman should be able to make that decision with her faith leader, with her family, with her physician  and that the government should not be making that decision for her.

Pro-life groups and opponents of the Biden administration were quick to criticize Harris remarks and the event.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a leading grassroots pro-life advocacy organization formerly known as Susan B. Anthony List, took to Twitter to state that Harris somehow managed to avoid saying either 'God' or abortion even once during her opening remarks.

During her "roundtable with faith leaders on reproductive health care" today, Kamala Harris somehow managed to avoid saying either "God" or "abortion" even once. https://t.co/QZk7RQtUB4#ModernizeOurLaw  SBA Pro-Life America #ModernizeOurLaw (@sbaprolife) June 6, 2022

The Republican National Committees Director of Faith Communications Andrew Brennan issued a statement denouncing the roundtable event.

Families cant afford gas or groceries because of Joe Biden, and yet all this White House wants to talk about is their radical late-term abortion agenda  they couldnt be more out of touch if they tried," Brennan stated.

[Eighty] percent of Americans believe that third trimester abortions should be prohibited in most or all cases and that only 16% of independent voters believe abortion should be allowed at any time and for any reason.

The U.S. is only one of less than 10 nations that allows elective abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. According to the RNC, that puts the country in the "same ranks as China and North Korea."

If Roe is overturned, abortion will not automatically become illegal in the U.S. since the legality of abortion will be decided on a state-by-state basis.

Twenty-one states will either outlaw abortion completely or restrict the procedure more severely than they do currently. Meanwhile, 16 states will continue to allow abortions throughout most or all of pregnancy as the right to abortion has been codified into state law, 10 states will likely continue enforcing existing abortion restrictions and three states could soon hold referendums to determine abortion law moving forward.
Michael Todd warns against 'spirit of condemnation': 'In Christ, Im not a cheater'

Oklahoma megachurch Pastor Michael Todd said the phrase once a cheater, always a cheater doesnt apply to repentant Christians because "in Christ, Im not a cheater.

The pastor of Tulsas Transformation Church recently preached a sermon titled Cuffed to Condemnation that focused on Romans 8:1 which reads, there is no condemnation for those who put their faith and life in Jesus Christ.

Todd said that this "no condemnation" for those who are in Christ includes those who have asked God for forgiveness for being unfaithful in their romantic relationships.

What the enemy tries to do is cave you into isolation through this spirit of condemnation and many of you have been cuffed to it," Todd preached.

"The spirit of condemnation has come to rob you of your life in Christ.  I'm not playing with this spirit, because it's robbed so many of you of the freedom that is now yours as a believer of Jesus Christ."

Condemnation is an eternal sentence to punishment, Todd said, adding that he believes many Christians fail to realize that God is not a punisher. He doesn't punish, He disciplines."

God is coming to free you from condemnation today," he declared. "God's Word is going to uncuff you from condemnation. I've realized that too many of God's children have a life in Christ, but they're living condemned."

"Yes, it happened. That's not who I am. Yes, I did it. That's not who I am. Yes, I've repeatedly done it. But that is not who I am.

Todd talked about how he met his wife, Natalie, when he was 15, and she was 14. Three years later, when he was about to graduate from high school, Todd said he engaged in exploring other romantic relationships while he was still dating Natalie.

I started listening to culture," Todd said. [I] started exploring stuff, broke her heart, sent her into another relationship that was not good for her, went down a spiral, opened up things. We both lost our virginity. We [went] through all of these cycles, he added.

Todd said that although he and Natalie eventually got back together, for a long time they struggled to trust each other.

After getting back together with Natalie, Todd said he began to allow a spirit of condemnation from the devil to discourage him from staying in his relationship.

In that season," Todd called, "I could not see myself out from under the cloud of condemnation because I knew everything I was suffering at that moment was because of decisions I made."

"I was cuffed to condemnation, but your boy is free now. And today, I want to offer you the same level of freedom because the enemy will try to convince you thats who you are, he added, citing John 3:17, which reads "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

Todd stressed that "in Christ" he knew that I failed, but I'm not a failure. I messed up, but I'm not a mistake. I lost, but I'm not a loser," and "I cheated, but I'm not a cheater."

Uh-oh, I'm coming against culture. Once a cheater, [always a cheater]. According to who? Because in Christ ... You may not be able to give me another chance. You may not be able to forgive me. You may not be able to look beyond my faults and see my need and see that [my cheating] actually came from a trauma that was trying to be covered and saddled to something I didn't have the tools to do. But yeah, I cheated. But I'm not a cheater.

Todd frequently noted that Christians who blame God for their feelings of condemnation fail to realize that you're the kid who put yourself in timeout, but added that sinning is a symptom of humanity, not our identity.

There's a difference between actively sinning and trying to do it all the time and just whiling out or making a mistake. Or how the Bible defines sin: missing the mark. I missed the mark. I missed the mark, Todd reiterated.

Christians are going to miss the mark and struggle with sin every day, Todd maintained, calling it "a symptom of humanity, not your identity."

Todd further emphasized that he is not giving anyone "a license to sin," but that he is trying to address how the enemy keeps Christians in a "condemnation cycle" that leads them "back to sin."
ELCA trans bishop resigns following allegations of racism, disciplinary process

The first trans-identified bishop in the history of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has resigned amid allegations of racism and other issues.

Bishop Megan Rohrer, who is a female but uses they/them pronouns, posted a statement on Facebook Monday explaining that she was stepping down as bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod.

Rohrer noted that the official resignation occurred on Saturday, after spending time with family and having a conversation with the Synod Council.

The final details of that agreement are still being negotiated, but I believe in light of today's news, this information should be made public, stated Rohrer.

Rohrers announcement came about the same time that ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, head of the mainline Protestant denomination, announced that a disciplinary process would be initiated against Rohrer.

Eaton, who had initially opposed taking disciplinary measures against Rohrer, announced that the process would be taken during a Sunday evening meeting of the ELCA Conference of Bishops that Rohrer did not attend.

I shared that I am initiating the discipline process immediately, including suspension of Bishop Rohrer, based on additional information that has come to light, Eaton explained.

The COB strongly affirmed this decision. This process will take time, and I will provide updates as appropriate. I ask for your continued prayers for this church.

Rohrer has taken issue with the disciplinary process, claiming in a Facebook post that the process was happening even after I resigned, without providing any specifics about what I allegedly did, and that appears to be in conflict with their own procedures.

Last September, Rohrer became the first trans-identified individual to be made a bishop in the ELCA, having previously served as community chaplain coordinator for the San Francisco Police Department and as pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in San Francisco.

Shortly after being installed as bishop, allegations surfaced that Rohrer had engaged in unethical behaviors, including the purportedly racist firing of Pastor Nelson Rabell-Gonzalez of Mision Latina Luterana and litigation surrounding Rohrer's actions as pastor of Grace Lutheran Evangelical Church of San Francisco, among other matters.

This led many in the synod to call for Rohrer's resignation, with the presiding bishop agreeing to have a listening team go to the regional body and hear their concerns.

Last month, Eaton issued a statement calling for Rohrer to resign as bishop, believing that Rohrer had lost the trust and confidence of many constituents, both within and without the Sierra Pacific Synod.

We strive to address the ways that all forms of injustice limit participation and harm people, communities, and the whole body of Christ. That work will never be done, but together, we must continue to do and be better, Eaton said at the time.

Some, among them the Latino Ministries Association of the ELCA, took issue with Eatons response, specifically the presiding bishops initial refusal to launch a disciplinary process.

In this weak and compassionless statement, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton framed racist actions as unwise decisions and unfortunate events, completely ignoring the suffering of an entire community of color of the church-body she is called to serve, stated the LMA.

Communities of color in this church should be concerned about the inability of the presiding bishop to support and protect them against systemic racism.
Judge allows parents' lawsuit against school district over policy allowing kids to identify as opposite sex

A judge overseeing a case involving two sets of Wisconsin parents who filed a lawsuit challenging their school district's policy that allows children to adopt new gender identities without their parents' knowledge or consent denied the district's motion for dismissal, ruling that the parents had a right to bring the suit.

Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge Michael P. Maxwell denied the Kettle Moraine School District's motion to dismiss the lawsuit on June 1, stating that the parents' complaint "demonstrates a potential violation of their rights as parents to direct the upbringing of their child and is sufficient to survive a motion to dismiss."

The parents filed the lawsuit last November with the help of the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. The set of parents known as T.F. and B.F. claim that they learned in December 2020 that their 12-year-old daughter was struggling with her gender identity. After going through counseling, the daughter informed her parents and the school that she wanted to be addressed by a male name with male pronouns.

Parents T.F. and B.F. said they requested that the school's staff not comply with their daughter's request but they refused, citing a district policy that says teachers don't need parental consent to refer to students by a different name or pronoun. Within a few weeks of removing their daughter from school, her attitude changed, and she told her parents that the "affirmative care" she had received that encouraged her to identify as the opposite sex "really messed her up."

The school district claimed in its motion that the parents, T.F. and B.F., could not sue them because they had removed their daughter from school and had placed her in another district. However, the judge ruled that the parents removing their daughter is not relevant to the alleged harm that resulted from the school's policy.

"Wisconsin courts recognize that parents have a right to make 'decisions regarding the education and upbringing of their children,' 'free from government intervention,'" the judge's order reads.

"T.F. and B.F. allege that Kettle Moraine violated their right to make decisions regarding the upbringing of their daughter when they were told by Kettle Moraine that the school would not honor the parents' request to not refer to their daughter by a male name or pronouns."

"This allegation, viewed in the light most favorable to T.F. and B.F., demonstrates a potential violation of their rights as parents to direct the upbringing of their child and is sufficient to survive a motion to dismiss on the issue of standing," he continued.

Another set of parents, P.W. and S.W., who have two children in the Kettle Moraine School District, joined the lawsuit, fearing that the district's policy could impact their children. The district claimed in its motion that the policy doesn't apply to P.W. and S.W.'s children, who are not struggling with their gender identities, but Maxwell disagreed.

According to the judge, P.W. and S.W. are only seeking a "declaratory judgment" that the school district violated their parental rights.

"P.W. and S.W. need not wait for potential harm from Kettle Moraine's policy to occur for their children before they are entitled to seek declaratory relief on whether the policy violates their parental rights," he wrote.

"P.W. and S.W.['s] allegation of an infringement on their fundamental right to parent their children is a risk of substantial injury to their interests and is sufficient to survive a motion to dismiss."

The case will proceed to trial unless a settlement is reached before then.

"Parents' rights to direct the upbringing, education and mental health treatment of their children is one of the most basic constitutional rights every parent holds dear, yet we are seeing more and more school districts across the country not only ignoring parents' concerns but actively working against them," Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Roger Brooks wrote in a June 1 press release.

"For that reason, we are pleased that the court rejected the school district's request to throw out this case and instead recognized that the argument of our clients' demonstrates a potential violation of their rights as parents to direct the upbringing of their child."

"Kettle Moraine should take this opportunity to change its policy, which violates the constitutionally protected rights of parents and isn't in the best interest of children. As the court wrote, 'Wisconsin courts recognize that parents have a right to make 'decisions regarding the education and upbringing of their children,' 'free from government intervention,'" he continued.

This case isn't the first time parents have sued a school district for allegedly encouraging children to adopt new gender identities without their parents' knowledge or consent.

In April, a pair of parents in the Ludlow Public School District in Massachusetts filed a lawsuit against school officials at Baird Middle School in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts Springfield Division.

One set of parents claims they requested that the school refrain from discussing the issue of gender identity with their children and allow them to "direct the mental health care of their children."

The parents, Stephen Foote and Marissa Silvestri had learned from a teacher that their 11-year-old daughter was claiming she was "genderqueer" and her new pronouns were "he/him." They assert that they made it clear to the school they would provide their daughter with the help she needed from a "mental health professional," but they believe the school disregarded their instructions.

Foote and Silvestri said their daughter changed her preferred name twice since December 2020 without their knowledge and that the school continued to address her by "whatever iteration of her name she has indicated she prefers" despite their request not to do so.

The lawsuit also accused the school of having a "protocol and practice of concealing from parents information related to their children's gender identity."
Mennonite Church USA passes resolution allowing pastors to perform gay weddings

The Mennonite Church USA has voted to retire denomination-wide Membership Guidelines that prohibited pastors from performing same-sex weddings but will allow local church bodies to maintain the ban.

The Membership Guidelines had prohibited pastors from performing same-sex weddings, defined marriage as being between one man and one woman, and labeled homosexual, extramarital and premarital sexual activity as sinful acts.

At a special session of the Mennonite Church USAs Delegate Assembly, held May 27-30 in Kansas City, Missouri, the official Membership Guidelines were retired by a vote of 404 in favor, 84 against, and three abstentions.

Delegates at the special session also passed a resolution calling for the church to repent of the harm and violence it has done against the LGBT community, which passed by a vote of 267 in favor, 212 against, and nine abstentions.

The resolution, titled A Resolution for Repentance and Transformation, defined violence against the LGBT community as when the actions of individuals, institutions, or structures of power intentionally or unintentionally hurt, damage, or destroy the value of an individual or a group.

The resolution calling for repentance was non-binding, which was meant more for conferences and churches within the Mennonite Church USA to give opportunities for education and discernment, as well as advocacy.

Days before the special session approved the retirement of the Membership Guidelines, Mennonite Church USA Executive Director Glen Guyton wrote a piece saying that doing so would not force member churches to perform same-sex marriages or have openly gay clergy.

Congregations have the final authority to hire and fire their pastors as they see fit, wrote Guyton. Conferences have broad latitude in determining membership and credentialing.

Pastors in MC USA are always free to not perform any wedding.  Inclusion and the membership status of LGTBQ individuals varies widely by conference and congregations.

The Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective, a document adopted in 1995 that is considered prominent in the Mennonite Church USA, still defines marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman for life.

Initially approved in 2001, the Membership Guidelines were a source of debate within the Mennonite Church USA for several years. In 2007, the Constituency Leaders Council attempted to review the document but did not move forward with any action.

In 2013, the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board submitted a revised version to delegates as an administrative update, but no vote was taken on the proposal.

At its 2015 Delegate Assembly, the Mennonite Church USA adopted a resolution supporting the guidelines, declaring that it shall continue to serve Mennonite Church USA as the guiding document for questions regarding church membership and same-sex relationships/marriages, alongside the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective.

The Mennonite Church USAs increased acceptance of homosexuality in more recent years has been a source of division within the Anabaptist denomination, with some leaving in protest.

In 2018, for example, the Lancaster Mennonite Conference, which was the largest conference in the denomination with around 180 congregations and 70,000 members, split from the denomination.

The South Central Mennonite Conference, which has approximately 30 congregations and around 2,800 members, also gave serious consideration to leaving the Mennonite Church USA. However, a vote taken in 2021 failed to reach the necessary two-thirds majority to pass.
Most Americans think abortion is 'morally acceptable' for the first time, Gallup poll finds

A new poll from the nonpartisan polling firm Gallup finds that most Americans believe that legal abortion is "morally acceptable" for the first time, even though an overwhelming majority oppose abortions in the third trimester of pregnancy and most oppose abortion in the second trimester.

Gallup released a new survey about Americans' views on abortion last week. While the polling company has inquired about Americans' opinions on abortion annually for more than a quarter-century, this year's polling results come as the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

The survey was conducted between May 2 and May 22, which mostly overlaps with the days following the publication of a leaked draft opinion in the U.S. Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health that suggests the court could soon overturn Roe. The poll is based on responses from 1,007 U.S. adults and holds an error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

When asked if they viewed abortion as "morally acceptable," most respondents (52%) answered in the affirmative for the first time in the poll's history.

A record low share of Americans (38%) characterized abortion as "morally wrong," making this year's poll the first conducted by Gallup to show more Americans viewing abortion as "morally acceptable" than "morally wrong."

In an interview with The Christian Post, Michael New, a pro-life scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute and a professor at the Catholic University of America, attributed the finding to an increase in "moral acceptability of a range of issues that pertain to sexuality" and "sexual conduct."

He cited "an increase in people who think that premarital sex is morally acceptable" and an increase in the number of people who believe "same-sex marriage is morally acceptable" as examples of this phenomenon.

This year's poll revealed that 55% of Americans identify as "pro-choice," while 39% see themselves as "pro-life" on abortion.

The share of Americans identifying as pro-choice nearly matches the record high set in 1995 (56%) and marks a 6 percentage point jump from the 49% who described themselves as pro-choice last year. The percentage of Americans who reported a "pro-life" view on abortion dropped 8 percentage points from 47% between 2021 and 2022.

The share of pro-life Americans remains substantially higher than the 33% who claimed that identification in 1995 and the 36% who classified themselves as pro-life the following year. The percentage of Americans identifying as pro-life had not dropped below 40% since then until now.

"Fluctuations in public opinion about abortion are often driven by current events," New added.

Noting that "a bulk of this poll was taken after Justice [Samuel] Alito's draft opinion on Dobbs was leaked," the professor contends that "most of the media coverage was frankly not favorable to pro-lifers" in the aftermath of that leak.

New blamed the polling result on "misinformation," lamenting that "some people still think that a reversal of Roe v. Wade would ban abortion everywhere."

A reversal of Roe would allow states to decide the legality of abortion.

State laws on abortion vary, with 21 states poised to either completely ban or restrict abortion more severely than they do now if Roe is gutted, 16 states primed to continue allowing abortion because it has been codified into law, 10 states likely to continue enforcing abortion restrictions and three states potentially changing abortion laws via ballot referendums.

Gallup asked those surveyed if they supported any restrictions on abortion whatsoever.

Thirty-two percent of respondents said they want abortion "legal in any circumstance," while 19% expressed a desire to see abortion banned completely. The rest of the sample took a more nuanced position on abortion.

While support for abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy is relatively high (67%), the share of Americans who think abortion should be legal during the third trimester is much lower.

About 20% of those surveyed thought women should have the ability to terminate a pregnancy during the third trimester, while 71% don't agree. Thirty-six percent of those surveyed support abortions during the second trimester of pregnancy, in contrast to 55% who do not.

The Mississippi law at the center of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health case bans abortions after 15 weeks gestation, a time interval that marks the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy. Although the Gallup poll did not ask Americans for their opinion on the law, the majority opposition to second-trimester abortions suggests that most respondents would support such a measure.

Approximately one-third of Americans (35%) want abortion legal in all circumstances and 13% would like to see abortion illegal in all cases. The remainder of Americans thinks abortion should be legal under most circumstances (18%) or legal in just a few circumstances (32%).

According to the Gallup poll, all demographic subgroups saw an increase in pro-choice identification over the past year, although the percentage of pro-choice Republicans barely budged from 22% to 23%. Democrats saw a pronounced rise in pro-choice identification over the past year, from 70% to 88%. Fifty-four percent of independents described themselves as pro-life in 2022, a slight uptick from 2021.

New said that "most of the gain in support for legal abortion took place amongst people who identify as Democrats," suggesting the poll results "may not matter much politically." He told CP that "self-identified Democrats are likely to be voting Democrat anyway, and the fact that they're more sympathetic to legal abortion doesn't really result in more political support for candidates that support abortion."

As Gallup documented, respondents between 18 and 34 years old saw the most significant jump in pro-choice identification, climbing from 55% last year to 67% now. Smaller increases in the percentage of those who identify as pro-choice were recorded among those between 35 and 54 (49% to 58%) and Americans 55 years old or older (46% to 49%). The share of women calling themselves pro-choice rose from 51% to 59% over the past year, while the percentage of men saying the same jumped from 40% to 45%.

A Wall Street Journal poll conducted from May 9 to May 17 yielded similar results, finding that 57% of Americans think a woman should be able to obtain an abortion for any reason. Fifty-four percent said the same in a 2021 poll asking the same question.

Unlike the Gallup poll, The Wall Street Journal poll specifically asked respondents if they supported a 15-week abortion ban. A plurality (43%) opposed banning abortions after 15 weeks gestation, followed by 34% who supported such a ban and 19% who had no view.

New suggested that "what you're seeing from both The Wall Street Journal poll and the Gallup poll" was "driven by current events." He believes "if they had taken that poll a few weeks later, I don't think you would have seen the sizable gain in support for legal abortion."

The scholar listed some previous examples of how current events have "shifted public opinion on abortion," recounting an uptick in support for the pro-life movement as Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Acts were debated at the state and federal level in the late 1990s and during the trial of abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell in 2013. On the other hand, he asserted, support for legal abortion rose as the Supreme Court took up cases that could have had the effect of overturning Roe, specifically Planned Parenthood v. Casey, in 1992.
New York church invites drag queens for Pentecost service: 'Worship is a Drag' Pastor says white Evangelicals 'convinced we are grooming their kids'

A church in upstate New York marked LGBT pride month by hosting a pair of drag queens at a worship service.

The Park Church in Elmira hosted a Worship is a Drag event Sunday, the first Sunday of the month recognized by LGBT activists as pride month. The church, affiliated with the United Church of Christ, described the event as a special communion worship service with guest presenters in drag.

Led by the churchs pastor, Rev. J. Gary Brinn, the service was held to celebrate Pentecost, kick-off LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and come to Christs Table of Love.

The church published a flyer promoting the event on Facebook last month, which featured a man wearing womens clothing and makeup.

The Park Church did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Christian Post.

In a message shared on his personal website Monday, Brinn swrote: Just as there have always been queers, [there] has always been diversity in gender expression and affectional orientation, so there has always been diversity within Christianity.

Brinn dismissed the idea of God as a white male, contending that in a church where older white men had absolute power, God acted like ... an older white man with absolute power and a shocking fragility, for despite Gods supposed omnipotence, he was constantly offended that humans were not properly stroking his ego or following the rules he had implemented to micro-manage our lives. According to Brinn, The culmination of his rage was the ultimate act of domestic violence, conspiracy to murder his only child.

Now if that version works for you, that god that small men created in their own image, great. Though if that version does work for you, Im probably not the right pastor for you, for I find that God, angry and violent, disgusting and unworthy of my adoration and praise. That God is a monster, one that I abandoned long ago, he added.

The pastor also offered on behalf of the church an extravagant welcome to the LGBTQ+ community, not tolerance but celebration and spoke about fighting racism. He asserted that our sin is not just in what we have done but also in what we have failed to do, and we are determined to sin no more.

Brinn  whose church bio describes him as a "committed anti-racist," feminist and a gay man  also stated that white Evangelicals preached a suicidal anti-science message during the worst of the pandemic, preached insurrection from their pulpits, and are completely and absolutely obsessed with the LGBTQ+ community, convinced we are grooming their kids.

Jenny Monroe, who serves as president of the churchs council, told local ABC affiliate WENY that Park Church seeks to be affirming toward those inside and outside the church.

The affirming piece is the important part. ... That means that we affirm your choices of gender identity, or sexual preference, or who you love, or what you talk about, how you dress ... all those things, she explained. We affirm who you want to be at church.

On its website, Park Church describes its vision as working for social justice with a progressive pulpit and a caring congregation in a landmark structure." The church characterizes itself as an active and hopeful partner in Elmiras renaissance.

On two occasions earlier this year, Park Church hosted a Charity Drag Brunch featuring several local performers.

Meanwhile, the trend of churches embracing drag queens has become more prevalent across the U.S.

A gay man, who is also a drag queen, was confirmed last year by a Methodist church in Illinois as a candidate for ordained ministry. He wore wigs and full makeup while participating in his churchs Drag Sunday event.

On May 12, Trinity Lutheran Church in Greenville, South Carolina church hosted an event called "Drag me to Church." The event featured a drag performer known as "The Lady Douche"

Another United Methodist Church pastor was recently dismissed after participating as a drag queen in the HBO reality series Were Here. The Rev. Craig Duke, formerly the lead pastor of Newburgh United Methodist Church in Newburgh, Indiana, was relieved of his duties late last year after appearing in a Nov. 8 episode of the docu-series.
Second mistrial declared for man charged with killing pastors wife Amanda Blackburn

A trial set for a 25-year-old man accused of the 2015 murder of Amanda Blackburn, the pregnant wife of Pastor Davey Blackburn, who led the now-defunct Resonate Church in Indianapolis, has ended in a mistrial for the second time after jurors learned details about the case.

When the first mistrial was declared in the case of murder suspect Larry Jo Taylor Jr. last December, Marion County Judge Grant Hawkins said some jurors learned Ms. Blackburn was pregnant at the time of her death. This was a fact the defense had successfully moved to keep jurors from knowing.

In declaring a mistrial in the case for a second time on Monday, Hawkins said one of the jurors told the others about the case's history in the court system, The Indianapolis Star reported.

A new trial has now been rescheduled for August.

Taylor is facing four counts of murder, three counts of burglary, three counts of theft and a count of robbery in connection with Blackburns murder. One of three men charged in the killing, Taylor was also charged with criminal confinement, auto theft and carrying a handgun without a license.

Amanda Blackburn was killed about three years after moving with her husband from South Carolina in 2012 to start Resonate Church in Indianapolis.

On the morning of Nov. 10, 2015, while Davey was at the gym, police said his wife was shot three times, including once in the head, during a home invasion. She succumbed to her injuries the following day along with their unborn daughter, Everette Evie Grace Blackburn.

Police announced the arrests of Taylor, then 18, and his accomplice, Jalen Watson, then 21, and charged them with murder and a litany of other crimes in late November 2015. Diano Gordon, who was 24 at the time, was arrested and charged in December 2015.

In early 2021, Watson, now 27, was sentenced to 29 years in prison for robbery leading to serious bodily injury and 10 years each for two counts of burglary.

Watson also had charges, including murder, dismissed against him in a plea deal in October 2017. The agreement would see him joining Gordon in testifying against Taylor.

Davey Blackburn, who has since remarried and runs Nothing Is Wasted Ministries, revealed in 2020 how God helped him forgive when he learned about suspects involved in his first wifes death.

When I first saw on the news the guys that now stand trial for having killed my wife, like up to that moment, I was dealing with a lot of sadness. Just a lot of intense, deep, deep grief. But when I saw their faces, immediately I experienced something Ive never experienced before in my life. I experienced a deep, dark, scary, frightening rage. I never experienced that before and honestly, it freaked me out, Blackburn said in a Facebook Live broadcast at the Mercy Road Church in Indiana.

I mean, to be honest with you, it would have been so much easier for me to dismiss things if I hadnt seen that, he said.

Blackburn explained that once he confronted his emotions, he noticed they had welled up inside him like cancer. He wanted to respond in vengeance.

Man, I cant tell you how many times I imagined in my head, what if the investigators, the prosecutors, what if they  just let me in a room with them. What would I do? And I began to imagine it. But that began to bring into this really deep dark place that I didnt like, and it was destroying me, he said. And then, Jesus subtly reminded me, Davey, I was murdered for your sin. You, Davey, murdered me and I chose to forgive you.
Texas lawmaker wants to ban drag shows for kids after 'family-friendly' pride event at gay bar Video from event showed young children tipping performers

A Texas state lawmaker is calling for a ban on drag shows and other sexually inappropriate displays for children following reports of minors attending an event featuring drag queens at a Dallas gay bar.

Billed as a family-friendly pride experience on Eventbrite, the bar Mr. Misster hosted a Drag The Kids To Pride show on June 4 as a spin-off of the bars Champagne Drag Brunch.

The event  which offered limited spots for young performers to take the stage solo, or with a queen of their choosing  offered mimosas for adults and special mocktails for guests under 21, according to the description on Eventbrite.

After receiving word about the event, Republican Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton released a statement calling it horrifying. He vowed to introduce legislation to stop what he calls a disturbing trend in which perverted adults are obsessed with sexualizing young children once the next state legislative session gets underway.

Drag shows are no place for a child.



I would never take my children to a drag show and I know Speaker Dade Phelan and my Republican colleagues wouldnt either.



I will be filing legislation to address this issue in the new #txlege . pic.twitter.com/R7NkX7ADBR  Bryan Slaton (@BryanforHD2) June 6, 2022

As a father of two young children, I would never take my children to a drag show and I know [Texas House] Speaker Dade Phelan and the rest of my Republican colleagues wouldnt either, Slaton said. Protecting our own children isnt enough, and our responsibility as lawmakers extends to the sexualization that is happening across Texas.

Videos and images shared on social media from the event showed men in drag performing for adults and children inside the bar in the Oak Lawn neighborhood of Dallas.

One video showed a performer in red leather drag taking tips from young children while suggestively dancing under a sign that reads Its Not Gonna Lick Itself as parents and other adults looked on.

This didnt happen in California.



It didnt happen in Portland, Oregon.



It happened right here in the state of Texas.



The question: What are our states Republican leaders going to do about it?

pic.twitter.com/aZdT0tYT1B  APP Texas (@AppTexas) June 6, 2022

As the event took place, protesters and counter-protesters gathered outside the bar. Protect Texas Kids, which describes itself as a nonprofit organization here to take a stand in protecting kids from the toxic, indoctrinating agenda of the left by exposing the truth behind the ongoing assault that has been ruthlessly waged against our childrens identities, core development, and traditional values, organized the protest after they discovered the event listing online.

Kelly Neidert, executive director of Protect Texas Kids, told The Christian Post, "This venue  is not for children to be inside."

"Its a bar. In the bar, they had signs on the wall that said, Its not gonna lick itself,'" she said. Its a huge sign, just lit up in the middle of the bar. They were serving alcohol to parents. Thats highly inappropriate in and of itself.

According to Neidert, counter-protesters, including members of Antifa, were guarding the bars entrance during the event. Several protesters attempted to enter the bar but were denied, including journalist Alex Stein. Video posted to social media shows counter-protesters trying to take Stein's phone as he recorded.

Dallas, Texas: Masked far-left militants tried to rob & attack @alexstein99 at a drag show for children in Mr. Mister, a gay bar & club. Video by @TaylerUSA: pic.twitter.com/liRii42YNl  Andy Ngo ?????????? (@MrAndyNgo) June 4, 2022

In a statement to The Christian Post, Dallas Police Department Spokesman Cpl. Brian Martinez recalled that police arrived at the bar just before noon after receiving a call about unpeaceful protesters.

Neidert stated that her group told Dallas police there were children inside the bar, and police informed her that they sent a couple of officers inside.

Officers made their way into the bar to ensure that all the kids were out and shielded them from the protestors as they made their exits on their own accounts, Martinez added.

The scene was cleared just after 2 p.m., police said.

According to Martinez, a misdemeanor assault citation was issued after a man spat on a woman as he drove by the scene. No other citations were issued.

Following the event, a spokesperson for Mr. Misster told The Christian Post that the bar received hundreds of threatening emails, messages and phone calls after protesters were yelling in kids faces, calling them a variety of homophobic slurs, throwing trash at them and trying to get in fights with parents.

We are sad to see that an event that was [supposed] to be a moment of pride for these LGBTQ+ families and their children is being interpreted as anything other than what it was, a family-friendly event.  We are thankful that DPD stepped in to control the unruly protestors and we are saddened by the unjust actions that these protestors displayed.

Neidert welcomes legislative efforts such as Slatons and hopes more can be done to shield kids from sexually explicit events.

Pride just isnt meant for children to celebrate and be part of, especially these really young children like we were seeing in these videos that came out of the event, she added. They have no idea what theyre involved in. They dont know what any of this means.

In my opinion, a lot of these pride events, especially the drag queen stuff, is inherently sexual, and kids just shouldnt be exposed to that.
70 Georgia Churches Leave UMC, Pakistan Police Refuse To Rescue Christian Girl, How Government Caused The Baby Formula Shortage

link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 07:29 07:29

Seventy congregations in Georgia have decided to leave The United Methodist Church due in part

to the mainline Protestant denominations ongoing debate over homosexuality.

A Michigan church is stirring up strong reactions from the community after renting out a popular

movie theater sign and quoting Bible verses on it ahead of a nearby LGBT pride event.



Why do only four companies control 90% of the supply? The answer lies in the desire of the

majority of voters to have the federal government regulate industry.
Church rents movie theater marquee in response to LGBT pride event: 'Then cometh shame' LGBT group calls sign 'damaging and toxic,' cites 'religious trauma'

A Michigan church is stirring up strong reactions from the community after renting out a popular movie theater sign and quoting Bible verses on it ahead of a nearby LGBT pride event.

The Old Theater in Lowell, which has a population of about 3,800 and is located approximately 15 miles east of Grand Rapids, posted the messaging on its marquee, which it regularly rents out for advertising and other uses.

Pastor Josh Langdon of Lowell's Bible Believers Church told The Christian Post that the church rented out the space to stand up to what he calls an extreme LGBT agenda that we believe is unbiblical and damaging to our culture.

Its an intense battle that we believe as a church that Christians need to stand against, he said.

Langdon said the church decided to rent the sign when they heard the event was returning to Lowell after 2021, which was the first time the city held an LGBT pride event.

Last June, Langdon says the church went to the event with Scripture signs and Gospel tracts to stand against the movement.

With this year's Lowell pride event being held this past Saturday, the congregation rented the Old Theater marquee and put the words of Acts 16:31 on one half and Proverbs 11:2 on the other in the King James Version. Proverbs 11:2 reads: When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom."

The signage drew heavy criticism from supporters of the pride event. Many of them took to The Old Theaters Facebook and Google pages to voice their disapproval, including writing what Langdon said were intentionally smearing reviews on Google.

Langdon said it wasn't the church's intention to cause controversy for the theater.

I guess I knew that there would be people in the pride movement that would be upset by it, anticipated that they wouldnt be happy about the verses, but I feel bad that this business is being intentionally [smeared], he said. Its sad to see in our culture this quickness to cancel people that you dont see eye to eye with, and its what it looks like is going on in this case.

Nicole Lintemuth, board president of Lowell Pride, told CP in an email interview that the groups mission is to celebrate the diversity of LGBTQIA+ culture and create a community that is safe and inclusive.

But after hearing about the theater signage, Lintemuth said she was disappointed but not surprised.

West Michigan is a pretty conservative area. For a lot of us, we grew up hearing hate the sin, not the sinner was the least cruel statement from people of faith, she said. For many of us, we heard over and over that we're evil, an abomination, something that needs to be destroyed."

That language is damaging and toxic, and religious trauma is real for many in our community," she added.

Lintemuth claims members of Langdons church were harassing our guests at last years event.

[Supporters] stood in front of them with flags and signs of love, stepping in for each other when one person's arms got tired, covering hate with love, she added. It gives me goosebumps still thinking about it.

The 2022 event featured over 70 vendors, a kids activity area and a lineup of events that included a Q&A panel where experts and community members answer questions submitted by the public.

It's a great opportunity for all of us [to] learn together and grow, Lintemuth said.

She claims Proverbs 11:2  the verse referenced on the marquee  has been misinterpreted to bash the LGBTQIA community.

The pride referenced is the pride in thinking we as humans could know more than God, or speak for Him," Lintemuth said. That they left off the second half of the verse, about how humility brings wisdom, is telling to me."

Pride for the LGBTQIA community is about breaking free from shame, hate and fear. It is not a lack of humility, or trying to change anyone, she added.

Lintemuth believes that while the Old Theater owners can do business as they see fit, shes calling on the theater to remove the phrase LGBTQ Welcoming from their Google page.

You can not be an ally and also be ignorant to the hate and discrimination we face on a daily basis, she said.

But for Langdon, he believes the church is facing cultural headwinds in America that can no longer be ignored.

While our culture wants to keep Christianity quiet, I believe its our duty to stand, even when its uncomfortable, and in this case it is, he said. Itd be much easier to not put up the sign in our small community.  People see it as stirring the pot and causing distress to others. That is not our goal."

We love homosexuals. We want to see them come to Christ for salvation, but how will they know without a preacher?'" he asked. "If Christians arent willing to oppose the error of their ways in truth and love, then they wont hear it.
Naason Joaquin Garcia pleads guilty to sexually abusing 3 children

Days ahead of trial and after his lawyers claimed he is 100% innocent, Naason Joaquin Garcia, the leader of a Mexico-based megachurch, has pleaded guilty to multiple felony counts of sexual assault involving three separate minors, according to California state prosecutors.

The 53-year-old leader of the Guadalajara-based church La Luz del Mundo (Light of the World) filed the guilty plea three days before the trial was to begin, Reuters reported, citing a statement from the California attorney generals office.

The former preacher pleaded guilty to two counts of forcible oral copulation involving minors and one count of a lewd act upon a child, the newswire said, adding that a co-defendant, Susana Medina Oaxaca, also pleaded guilty to a charge of assault likely to cause great bodily harm.

Attorney General Robert Andres Bonta called the conviction a clear message that sexual exploitation is never acceptable in California.

We will hold you accountable if you break the law, he was quoted as saying by Fox 11.

As the leader of La Luz del Mundo, Naason Joaquin Garcia used his power to take advantage of children. He relied on those around him to groom congregants for the purposes of sexual assault. Todays conviction can never undo the harm, but it will help protect future generations.

Another co-defendant, Alondra Ocampo, pleaded guilty two years ago to three felony counts of contact with a minor for purposes of committing a sexual offense and one count of forcible sexual penetration.

The three had faced 36 felony offenses, including charges of rape, human trafficking and child pornography but most of those counts were dropped in exchange for the guilty pleas.

Garcia, who faces up to 16 years and eight months in prison, is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday morning.

The former megachurch leader was arrested in the summer of 2019 at the Los Angeles International Airport. He and several co-defendants were charged with human trafficking, production of child pornography, forcible rape of a minor and other felonies committed between 2015 and 2019.

A group of girls was allegedly told that if they went against Garcias desires, they were going against God, according to the criminal complaint.

On March 15, Garcias defense attorney Alan Jackson and his team had argued in a 211-page motion that the case brought against Garcia was based on fabricated evidence.

In their motion, Garcias defense team said they reviewed more than 70,000 texts messages and that some of Garcias accusers were sexually active, angst-filled teenagers who lied, shoplifted, used drugs, drank alcohol, struggled with mental health and spoke of having sex with the church leader for money.

In a statement posted on his churchs Facebook page at the time, the megachurch pastors followers professed his innocence, stating: We have full confidence that the time will come when the innocence and honorability of the Apostle of Jesus Christ, Naason Joaquin, will be demonstrated, because the lie prevails only until the truth comes to light.
Parents, teachers sue to stop Virginia school district's trans pronoun policy

A group of parents and teachers have sued a Virginia school district over a policy requiring teachers to use the preferred pronouns of trans-identified students.

The plaintiffs, whose names have been redacted, filed a lawsuit last week in the Circuit Court of Rockingham County against the leadership of Harrisonburg City Public Schools.

At issue is the school boards decision to add gender identity to the school districts nondiscrimination policy. The policy forces teachers to use students' preferred pronouns and withhold information about students' gender identity from their parents if the student requests they do so.

The lawsuit claims the policy compels teachers to violate their religious convictions about gender and honesty and violates parents rights by interfering with their ability to direct the upbringing and education of their children.

Plaintiffs  are HCPS teachers and parents who object to HCPSs policy on free-speech, religious-freedom, and parental-rights grounds, the complaint reads.

"Plaintiffs deeply care about their students and children. They see the growing number of children struggling with gender dysphoria and want those children to experience love and support. But like many, Plaintiffs recognize that a policy of immediate social transition and unquestioning affirmation without parental involvement for every case of gender dysphoria in minors is harmful, not to mention contrary to science."

The plaintiffs are represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal nonprofit that has filed similar litigation against other school districts.

"Public schools should never hide information from or lie to parents about a

child's mental health," the complaint reads. "And schools should never compel teachers to perpetrate such a deception."

ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Bangert said in a statement that he believes parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing, care, and education of their children.

Teachers and staff cannot willfully hide kids mental health information from their parents, especially as some of the decisions children are making at school have potentially life-altering ramifications, Bangert stated.

As the clients we represent believe, a teachers role is to support, not supplant, the role of the parent.

HCPS posted a statement on its website stating that the school board maintains a strong commitment to its inclusivity statement.

In specific student situations, the focus is always to foster a team approach that includes and supports the unique needs of the student and family on a case-by-case basis, stated HCPS.

We are dismayed that this complaint is coming to us in the form of a lawsuit in lieu of the collaborative approach we invite and take to address specific needs or concerns, an approach that we believe best serves the interests of our students, staff, and families.

HCPS adopted the policy after the Virginia Department of Education mandated school divisions adopt similar policies to a model policy that it supported during the 2021-2022 school year. Other school districts adopted similar policies.

In addition to the HCPS lawsuit, ADF oversees litigation against Loudon County Public Schools in Virginia over a similar measure known as Policy 8040.

According to the Loudon County policy enacted last year, school faculty and staff must use the chosen name and pronouns of a student who identifies as gender-expansive or transgender.

School staff shall, at the request of a student or parent/legal guardian, when using a name or pronoun to address the student, use the name and pronoun that correspond to their consistently asserted gender identity, read the policy.

The use of gender-neutral pronouns is appropriate. Inadvertent slips in the use of names or pronouns may occur; however, staff or students who intentionally and persistently refuse to respect a students gender identity by using the wrong name and gender pronoun are in violation of this policy.

Last year, the Loudoun County Schools suspended teacher Tanner Cross after he voiced objection to what at the time was a proposed Policy 8040 during a school board hearing. He said the policy would "damage children" and "defile the holy image of God." He argued that affirming students' preferred pronouns is "lying to a child."

After a judge ordered the school district to reinstate Cross, the school district argued that it had received complaints from students and parents who "expressed fear, hurt and disappointment about coming to school" in light of Cross' comments. Loudoun County Schools said addressing those concerns was "paramount to the school divisions goal to provide a safe, welcoming and affirming learning environment for all students."

The Virginia Supreme Court rejected the school district's appeal of the court's order to reinstate Cross.
3 ways the Protestant Reformation reshaped Christianity

Sirs, what must I do to be saved? That was the desperate question cried out by the Philippian jailer in Acts 16 after Paul, Silas, and the other prisoners had been miraculously freed by a divine earthquake. Approximately 1,500 years later, it was the exact same question that drove Martin Luther  a Roman Catholic German monk tortured by the weight of his sins before a righteous God  to Romans 1:17. There, finally, he found the glorious doctrine of justification by faith alone.

Luthers self-wrought chains of perpetual guilt finally fell away. He exclaimed: I began to understand that the justice of God meant justice by which the man lives through Gods gift, namely by faith  Here I felt that I was altogether born again and entered paradise itself through open gates (Timothy George, Theology of the Reformers, 63).

Yet this soothing balm for Luthers troubled soul  the biblical teaching that forgiveness and salvation are the free gifts of God, not earned by human merit  would not be constrained to the life and times of one man. No, it would prove to be the spark of the Reformation, lighting what Richard Sibbes called that fire which all the world shall never be able to quench (Michael Reeves, The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation, 191).

By questioning the method of securing Gods grace unto salvation in the life of a Christian, Luther  and subsequent Reformers  struck at the core of the entire Catholic religious and political system. If sinners were made right by God on the basis of His free gift of grace, what need was there to participate in the costly and convoluted system of confession, penance, prayers, pilgrimages, and the purchase of indulgences?

Now, over 500 years after the start of the Reformation, the big picture results are obvious. Part of better appreciating our heritage is understanding how it continues to play out in our lives today. So, lets take a moment to zoom in and explore how the Reformation specifically reshaped our understanding of:

The Church The role of the pastor The administration of the sacraments (baptism and the Lords Supper)

How the reformation reshaped the Church

The Reformation reshaped our understanding of the Church in at least two substantial ways. First, it reordered the hierarchy of authority between Gods Word and the Church. Roman Catholic practice and tradition held that the Church, and ultimately the pope, was the highest authority in the life of a Christian, even over Scripture.

But Reformers, like Luther, came to understand that the truth was actually the other way around: The church, far from having priority over the Scripture, is really the creation of Scripture, born in the womb of Scripture (George, 82). It was from this doctrine of sola scriptura that Luther and others were able to slowly recover the New Testament vision of the Church as a body of believers, who join together in submission to Gods Word.

A second way the Reformation reshaped our understanding of the Church was by exploring this fundamental question: Who gets to be a part of the local, visible church? Prior to the Reformation, national identity and church membership went hand in hand. Though Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli broke with Rome, they did not dispense with infant baptism as being an acceptable entryway into the life of the Church. And while we have records that Calvin did seek to exclude notable profligates from the Lords Supper  I will die sooner than this hand shall stretch forth the sacred things of the Lord to those who have been judged despisers.

The belief and practice of believers baptism was, in large measure, initially brought into the Reformation mix through figures like Felix Manz, who was drowned for his support of believers baptism, and notable Anabaptist leaders like Menno Simons. By preaching and practicing regenerate church membership, along with the belief that faith does not follow from baptism but baptism from faith, the Anabaptists placed themselves in the crosshairs of both the mainstream Reformers and the Catholics, suffering severe persecution because of it.

How the Reformation reshaped the role of the pastor

The principle of sola fide (faith alone) dispensed with the need of priestly practices for the absolution of sins. This led to jettisoning the observation of the Catholic Mass as the main purpose for gathering. Thus, the Reformers came to understand that preaching Gods Word rightly to the people in a language they could understand was the primary responsibility of the pastor.

Few Reformers embodied this better than John Calvin. After laboring in Geneva for less than two years, Calvin was, for a time, expelled. Yet just three years later, Geneva asked for him to return. Calvin reluctantly agreed, and in 1541, resumed his role as pastor and walked back into his pulpit. Reeves writes that the congregation braced themselves for the torrent of anathemas that must surely come from an embittered deportee now given a public voice. Instead, Calvin simply took up the exposition of the next verse which followed his previous passage, from three-and-a-half years before. Calvin returned with no personal agenda but had come as a preacher of Gods Word. In fact, Calvin preached more than 200 times per year and lectured through nearly the entire Bible (Jon Balserak, Calvinism: A Very Short Introduction, 4).

Calvin was no exception amongst the early Reformers, as Zwingli equally prioritized preaching as the primary function of a pastor, claiming, Lo, here you have the Scripture as master and teacher and guide, not the Fathers, not the misunderstood Church of certain people (George, 131).

This understanding of the primary role of a pastor continued on through the Puritans, in the likes of Richard Sibbes in the 17th century, to Jonathan Edwards in the 18th century, Charles Spurgeon in the 19th, Martin Lloyd Jones in the 20th, and now to us today, with men like John MacArthur.

How the Reformation reshaped the sacraments

The Roman Catholic Church taught that were seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, the Mass, penance, marriage, ordination, and last rites, which functioned as taps of grace administered by the priests into the life of the Christian (Reeves, 18).

But, with almost universal agreement, the Reformers rejected all but baptism and the Lords Supper as authentic sacraments. In their retention of these two, they advocated for a fundamentally different understanding of the nature and purpose of both. Baptism and the Lords Supper were no longer a means of receiving faith but rather the expression of a faith already confessed. Luther argued that You can believe even though you are not baptized, for baptism is nothing more than an eternal sign which reminds us of the divine promise (George, 93).

Regarding the Lords Supper, the Reformers made a radical change in advocating for the masses to receive both the bread and the wine, and on a regular basis. Previously, the practice of the Catholic Church was to perform the sacrament in front of the people, only allowing participation once a year, and even then, just to receive the bread. More significantly, the Reformers rejected the Catholic teaching of transubstantiation, the idea that the bread and wine were transformed in their essence into the literal body and blood of Christ.

Conclusion

The Reformation didnt just reshape our understandings of the Church, the pastor, and the sacraments, but rather it gave birth to a new ecclesiological and theological tradition. This tradition is one that prioritizes the authority of Scripture over human tradition, Gods divine initiative in salvation over human effort, and the sufficiency of Christs saving work over any human works to merit saving grace. I say new, but, in fact, it is as old as Christianity itself.

We teach that the Church is under submission to the authority of Gods Word. We prioritize the role of a pastor as an expositor of Gods Word. And we properly administer the ordinances of baptism and the Lords Supper, not as means of saving grace but as tall guideposts along lifes highway (George, 94). These Reformation recoveries, this reshaping of our lives and teaching as Christians, have served as guideposts for over 500 years so far. And should the Lord tarry, we trust that they will continue to guide the way for 500 more years yet to come.

Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center.
America  weak and woke. We need more prophets, not puppets.

In a recent documentary, I discussed the rapid decline of America and the desperate need for serious prayer and fasting. To say that we are at a crossroads is an understatement  we are in the crosshairs.

This is an urgent call to the pulpits of America. Americas lukewarm temperature is caused by a lack of fire in the pulpit and apathy in the pew.Leonard Ravenhill once lamented, We need more prophets in our pulpits and less puppets. That same cry goes out today. We simply cannot remain silent.

Is saving America the mission of the Church?

CNN recently released an article quoting pastor Andy Stanley who said saving America is not the mission of the church.

I dont know Pastor Stanley, nor do I know his heart, but he highlights a real dilemma in our nation  prophetic voices who lack humility. In short, many bold preachers dont weep before they whip (cf. John 2:13-16). But balancing love with anger over the condition of our nation, families, and churches is a hard balance to find.

People who say things such as, Saving America is not the mission of the Church, often use this phrase to justify their silence on important issues. Biblically speaking, its impossible to be non-confrontational to a culture hell-bent on rejecting God. We cant be unhitched from Gods Word.

But Shane, can you answer the question?

Back to the question, is saving America the mission of the Church? Of course not, but shouldnt we desire godly leaders and laws that align with Gods Word and not be shamed for it? Shouldnt we want to protect our borders and our children without being chastised? Shouldnt we be a voice to those who have no voice and stop the slaughtering of the innocent?

The dilemma Pastor Stanley and others face is that they cant have their cake and eat it, too.They cant avoid controversial topics in the hopes of not offending. Watering down difficult topics is exactly why America is drowning in a cesspool of moral relativism.

CNN quotes Stanley because, in their eyes, he supports their narrative. You won't find secular news outlets quoting and supporting bold preachers. Why? Because bold, Christ-centered, truth elevating preaching exposes and dismantles their agenda. If secular news outlets are on your side, are you sure that youre on the right side?

Weak and woke wont awaken

My goal isnt to divide the Body of Christ, but to convict it. I dont have a beef against Pastor Stanley (Im sure hes a great guy), but if a Christian leader says controversial things, cant we lovingly challenge their words? This isnt dividing the Body, rather its sharpeningour iron (Proverbs 27:17).

Many of us are becoming weary of the silent pulpit that seems more comfortable slamming bold saints than confronting blatant sinners. Weak sermons from woke pastors wont convict the sinners who need redemption.

A person who is considered woke prides themselves on being extra sensitive and aware of racial and social discrimination and injustice. This isnt necessarily a bad thing. It all depends on the motive of the person using the phrase.

If we repent of our skin color, dislike policemen, disdain America, and support sexual perversion by our silence (all under the banner of wokeness), we are in deep trouble. If we wont preach the truth because some in our audience are on the other side of the political spectrum, we arent pastors, we are appeasers.

Love of country over love of people

Love of country shouldnt take precedence over love of people, but doesnt loving people also mean loving the country in which they live?

What many are really saying is:If you vote for a mean-tweeting president, care about God-given freedoms, and talk about hot-button issues, you dont love people. With all due respect, that simply is not true!

Is it even possible for Christians to embrace a political party without hurting the feelings of the other party? No, its not. This is the dilemma of Pastor Stanley and other leaders. Instead of asking, How can we not offend others? they should be asking, Are we offending God?

There must appear a new type of preacher

A.W. Tozer hit the nail on the head decades ago: If Christianity is to receive a rejuvenation, it must be by other means than any now being used  there must appear a new type of preacher.

Tozer continues, The proper, ruler-of-the-synagogue type will never do. Neither will the priestly type of man who carries out his duties, takes his pay and asks no questions, nor the smooth-talking pastoral type who knows how to make the Christian religion acceptable to everyone. All these have been tried and found wanting.

He concludes, Such a man is likely to be lean, rugged, blunt-spoken and a little bit angry with the world. He will love Christ and the souls of men to the point of willingness to die for the glory of the One and the salvation of the other. But he will fear nothing that breathes with mortal breath. God, give us more prophets and less puppets!

Appeasement  an exercise in futility

Those who have been called to preach will confront compromise, condemn moral digression, and powerfully denounce sin in the hope of reconciling man to God. The world despises them because they challenge the sin the world enjoys. Trying to please a Christ-rejecting world is an exercise in futility.

Although ruffling feathers is not our goal, we will step on toes from time to time when we speak the truth. This cant always be avoided, nor should it be.

Weak and woke wont turn America around, but neither will pride and arrogance. Speaking the heart of God flows from a reservoir of brokenness and time spent with Him. How are you doing in this area?

Whether youre on the Right or the Left, you must be on the right side of Gods Word.

We need more men like the Old Testament prophet Micaiah, who said, As surely as the Lord lives, I will speak whatever the Lord tells me (1 Kings 22:14).
Over 50 killed in 'vile and satanic' attack at Nigerian church on Pentecost Sunday

Gunmen suspected to be Islamic Fulani herdsmen barged into a Catholic Church in southwestern Nigeria, opened fire and detonated explosives while the congregation was celebrating Mass on Pentecost Sunday, killing at least 50 worshipers, including women and children. It's feared that some Christians were also abducted after the attack.

After the gunmen stopped shooting and the aftermath of the explosions was visible at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, it was a gory sight as dead bodies, both old and young, mostly women and children littered the church, the Nigerian daily The Guardian reported. Some bodies were dismembered with internal organs splashed on the temple ground.

The Rev. Andrew Abayomi, who led the Mass, was quoted as saying, We asked the people to seek refuge inside the church and we locked the doors. Some people still tried to escape; the attack was on for about 20 minutes.

A doctor told reporters that at least 50 bodies had been moved to the main government hospital in Owo and to St. Louis Catholic Hospital.

I was moved to tears when I saw a little boy that I used to hold his hands to school every morning lying down dead, among many others," one witness recalled. "What have we done wrong? Is it a crime to go to church to serve our God?

The witness said the gunmen, who are believed to be radical Fulani herders, got into the church from different angles, shot indiscriminately at the congregants and detonated what appeared to be dynamite.

Another witness was quoted as saying that some church members were abducted and their whereabouts is unknown.

Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu wrote on Twitter: This vile and satanic attack is a calculated assault on the peace-loving people of Owo Kingdom who have enjoyed relative peace over the years.  I appeal to our people to maintain calm and let the security agencies take charge  the perpetrators will never escape. We are after them. And I can assure you we will get them.

Pope Francis offered his condolences to the victims and their family members.

The pope has learned of the attack on the church in Ondo, Nigeria, and the deaths of dozens of worshipers, many children, during the celebration of Pentecost, the pope said in a statement. While the details are being clarified, Pope Francis prays for the victims and the country, painfully affected at a time of celebration, and entrusts them both to the Lord so that he may send his Spirit to console them.

In southwestern Nigeria, such attacks are not common. Violence related to Islamic insurgency is frequent in the northeast, and bandits often attack and abduct people for ransom in the northwest.

Open Doors USA, which monitors persecution in over 60 countries, reported that at least 4,650 Christians were killed between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021. That is an increase from 3,530 the previous year. Additionally, more than 2,500 Christians were kidnapped, up from 990 a year earlier.
Police in Pakistan refuse to rescue Christian girl from Muslim kidnapper

The parents of a 15-year-old Roman Catholic girl in Pakistans Punjab province say their daughter was abducted two months ago by a Muslim man who has now forced her to marry him and convert to Islam, but police remain uncooperative despite the accused being identified.

Nadeem Masih, a sanitation worker at a textile factory, said her daughter, Saba Masih, was abducted on May 20 from the Madina Town area of Faisalabad city when she was going to work with her older sister, according to Morning Star News.

Masih said their 45-year-old Muslim neighbor, identified as Muhammad Yasir, forcibly took Saba away in a rickshaw. Yasir has already been married thrice but does not have children from either of his wives, he added.

The Christian girls family promptly called police but there has been no progress in the case.

The police are not cooperating with us, he was quoted as saying. The investigating officer keeps telling us that Saba has converted to Islam and contracted marriage with Yasir, but he has not shown us any document as yet. We are pleading with police to at least recover the girl and arrange our meeting with her so that we can ascertain the facts ourselves, but he doesnt listen to us.

The accused claims he had an affair with the girl. Yasirs family has tarnished our reputation in the area with claims that Saba had an affair with their son, and that shes the one who coaxed him into eloping from their homes. We have no one to turn to in this difficult time.

Masih said that his wife, a domestic worker, recently suffered a knee injury and that is why their two oldest daughters were working in her place.

I was forced to take my children, four daughters and two sons, out of school due to poverty, and my wife and elder daughters are working as household helps to supplement our family income, he said. We are already suffering from poverty, and now our daughter has also gone missing.

A local group called Human Rights Focus Pakistan helped Masih to file a complaint with the city District and Session Court, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern said, adding that two hearings have been held and despite all the evidence available, the police have made no progress, failing to rescue the girl or arrest her captor.

The kidnapper has been clearly identified, two eyewitnesses have made statements in court, and the owner of the factory has admitted the kidnapping by the co-worker: Why hasnt the police taken action yet? the president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan was quoted as saying.

Saba is one of the at least three Christian girls who remain missing in Faisalabad city.

A 2014 report by The Movement for Solidarity and Peace Pakistan estimated that hundreds of women and girls from Pakistan's Hindu and Christian communities are abducted, forcibly married and converted to Islam every year.

Religion is often injected into cases of sexual assault to place religious minority victims at a disadvantage, ICC previously reported, adding that perpetrators play upon religious biases to cover up and justify their crimes by introducing an element of religion.
Historic 16th century Ukrainian monastery burns to ground after shelling by Russian forces

A 16th century Orthodox monastery has been burned to the ground after shelling by Russian artillery in eastern Ukraine, says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but Russian media and supporters claim Ukrainian nationalists set it ablaze, as Moscows ongoing invasion carries on for more than 100 days.,

The wooden structure of All Saints Monastery of the Svyatogorsk Lavra, which is located in Gorlovka city in Donetsk region and belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, was set ablaze Saturday after a series of targeted shelling by Russian forces, Fox News reported.

On his official Telegram channel, Zelenskyy posted a video of the burning monastery, saying, Russian artillery struck  and destroyed All Saints Monastery, the Qatari government-run news agency Al Jazeera said.

The Ukrainian president also said Russia should be expelled from the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO. Every church burned by Russia in Ukraine, every school blown up, every destroyed memorial proves that Russia has no place in UNESCO.

The monastery lies near Russian positions in eastern Donetsk, which the Kremlin is focused on capturing.

There were about 300 refugees, about 60 children. Racists continue to prove inability to be part of the civilized world, wrote Tkachenko Oleksandr, the minister of culture and information policy of Ukraine, on Twitter, adding that 133 religious buildings in Ukraine had suffered from Russia.

Oleksandr told media that when the Russians destroy Ukrainian heritage, they dont care whether these are their [spiritual sites] or not, they just destroy them.

Ukraine World, an English-language media outlet, wrote, Earlier this week several monks & nuns were killed in the Russian shelling of the monastery. Is this friendly fire, a part of denazification?

Agatha Gorski, the Ukrainian journalist who was the first to report on the fire, wrote on Twitter, The Lavra dates back to the 1500s. Second time Russia shells it. This is yet another act of Russian barbarism. For them, nothing is sacred.

However, the Russian government-run network RT blamed the burning down of the monastery on civil conflict in eastern Ukraine, saying that the Donetsk region is the site of ongoing bloody confrontations between Kievs military and self-defense troops.

Several other churches have sustained damage since the beginning of the bloody conflict in east Ukraine. Five clerics have been killed, the channel said, adding that Russias Orthodox Church has called on Kiev authorities to provide safety for clerics and shrines, urging them not to allow the civil conflict to develop a religious dimension.

Russias defense ministry has also claimed that Ukrainian troops set fire to the monastery, according to Al Jazeera.

The setting ablaze of the monastery is likely to deepen the rift in the ecumenical relations between Ukraine and Russia.

Since Russia began its invasion on Feb. 24, at least 4,183 civilians have been killed and 5,014 injured as of a Friday update from the U.N. Among those killed are 268 children.

Russia's President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine was condemned by nearly 300 Russian Orthodox leaders in an open letter issued in March.

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.

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.

Moscow Patriarch Kirill, an ally of Putins, has been accused of lending religious justification for the invasion, although countless religious leaders have called for him to condemn the violence.

Over 400 ministers of Evangelical churches in Russia have also called for reconciliation and an immediate end to Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The Orthodox Public Affairs Committee, which advocates on behalf of the global Orthodox Christian Church, said in an earlier statement that Kirills words enable Putin by giving religious cover to this unconscionable and unjustified conflict.

Kirills statements ring hollow and have the stench of direct government interference, the OPAC statement shared with The Christian Post reads. Is this because he owes his position and the lucrative benefits he receives to Vladimir Putin? Why does he not speak out for his Ukrainian Flock? Why does he endorse the Russian military, even presenting them with a holy icon?
It can take a lifetime to sort through all the truly horrible advice youll be told as you create your startup. Often these opinions are stated as facts, until someone proves them to be myths. For example, before 2014, the idea was that you simply couldnt build a successful startup outside of Silicon Valley. The head of a very well-known venture firm once told me that they loved the work I was doing with the social enterprise I founded to increase the number of high-growth companies founded by Black women, but they wouldnt fund us unless we moved from New York (Black population: 24.3 percent) to Silicon Valley (Black population: 2.3 percent). Fast-forward five years: extremely successful companies like the e-commerce platform Etsy (New York) and the fintech platform Kabbage (Atlanta), and funds like Steve Cases Rise of the Rest, which focus solely on investing in startups located outside Silicon Valley, have shown that tech can thrive in the rest of the United States. Companies like Spotify (Sweden), Gojek (Indonesia), and WeTransfer (the Netherlands) show that startups thrive globally.

Related: This Serial Entrepreneur Shares the Surprising Confidence Strategy That Helped Her Build a Billion-Dollar Business

As a Builder, you will need to develop the ability to separate fact from opinion. Entitleds have a habit of sharing information that they literally pulled out of thin air as if its fact. They get away with doing this because so few of us have run this race that theres no one fact-checking them. Its important to do your own fact-checking. Heres some of the truly horrendous, stupid, idiotic adviceaka liesI was given while building my business.

Lie 1: You MUST know how to code to build a startup

Dont know how to code? Well, neither do 99.9 percent of the tech venture capitalists and a surprising number of startup founders. When I first started The Budget Fashionista, I didnt know how to code either, but I still managed to turn a little blog into a viable company and a successful exit.

No, you dont need to know how to edit an SQL database in order to create a successful startup. However, if youre building a tech-enabled company, it will be helpful to know a bit of code. Its very hard to operate in a community if you cant speak the language. You dont need to rush out and take a coding class, but until low-code and no-code software become completely ubiquitous, its in your best interest to know enough to be able to communicate with your developer. Think of it this way: when you go on vacay to a non-English-speaking country, you try to learn a little of the language in order to get around. Think of learning at least a basic amount of code as a way to help you communicate within the startup community.

Now, before you panic and abandon your startup idea because coding scares you, its important to note that coding isnt that hard! Tech bros have built up this idea that coding takes genius-level knowledge and skill, but it really doesnt. Big tech likes to act like coding is a skill unattainable to the average Builder, when in reality the tech bros have just made it seem that way in order to make themselves look (and feel) special. Coding is a skill like any other that you can learn through study and practice. Remember how we talked about using Entitleds technological advances to level the playing field for Builders? Coding is a perfect example: thanks to the tech bros, theres an endless supply of online coding courses, many of them free!

Of course, there are advantages to knowing how to code. My husband, Tobias, is a software engineer for a major tech company, which means he knows how to build websites and applications. On any given week, he has four to five people pitching him ideas. Tobias and his developer friends dont need you, but you need them. Its much like how a contractor can build a house without an architect, but an architect cant build a house without a contractor. The rock stars in tech are those who can create something out of your ideas, which is why having a basic understanding of the computing language being used to build your business is so important.

The truth: Coding isn't that important, and it's also easy to learn

Sure, knowing how to code will be helpful if your startup heavily depends on software. But if you already know youre going to have a different role in your business, or perhaps are founding a business with very few advanced tech requirements, dont waste your time and energy panicking over coding. There are developers out there looking to partner with early-stage startups and, if you have the capital, you can hire them to take on your heavy coding work or convince them to join your team as co-founders.

Lie 2: You MUST graduate from an elite university

Startup people love to say that the best founders come from elite institutions like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. What purveyors of this myth neglect to tell you is that a large number of funded startups come from these institutions because these also happen to be top schools attended by investors. They are taking the outcome of their limited networks and creating a pattern that reinforces the biases that exist in their networks. I only recruit founders from Stanford . . . My best investments come from Stanford. Weve talked about this pattern-matching bias before. Pattern matching is a convenient and rational-seeming way to exclude groups of people from receiving venture capital support.

Yes, white men have generally been able to sell their startups more often than other groups in the past. But is this because white men are better at building startups or because investors have small networks and fewer women and minorities have the opportunity? (Hint: It's the latter.)

The truth: Most successful startup CEOs did NOT go to elite schools

Some of the worlds most successful companies were founded by people without a degree from an elite institution, including a number of the rich white guy founders (cognitive dissonance is real). Jack Dorsey, co-founder of both Twitter and Square, went to Missouri University of Science and Technology. Steve Case, founder of AOL, went to Williams College, a small school in northern Massachusetts. And a number of famous founders didnt even complete college at all! Steve Jobs, god of tech bros, went to Reed College, a small liberal arts school in Oregon, then De Anza community college in Silicon Valley, but never graduated. Billionaire Richard Branson didnt go to any university. At all.

While it may seem like all startups are run by a bunch of geeky twenty-five-year-old Entitleds in Stanford hoodies, the truth is anyone can build a startup. In fact, the average age of a successful startup founder is forty-five. Tina Sharkey was fifty-three years old when she founded the consumer goods company Brandless in 2017. Though it raised over $300 million in venture investment, it closed in February 2020then got a second chance in 2021 after raising a fresh $118 million. Beatriz Acevedo, founder of the Latinx media startup mitu, graduated from the University of California, San Diego. Many founders dont even have access to venture capital. Liberian-born Richelieu Dennis sold Sundial, a beauty company including brands like SheaMoisture targeted to Black customers that he co-founded with his mom on the streets of Harlem, to Unilever for $1.6 billion.

Related: Are College-Dropout Billionaire Entrepreneurs Really That Common?

Lie 3: You MUST follow the "rules"

I once got a DM from a leader of a diversity in coding group stating that we (meaning Builders) need to learn how to work the system and follow the rules in order to be successful in the startup space. It was an interesting conversation because theres no indication that following the rules has been the path to success for Builders. If that was true, wouldnt the people who run the world look a lot more representative of the world itself? Following the rules has, at times, kept us safe, but it hasnt kept us wealthy.

The truth: Successful entrepreneurs give no damns about "rules"

Builders create their own rules. Often, diverse founders are told they should go work for someone in the space before they start their company. Theyre told to pay their dues and that they just need a bit more experience. Yet research indicates that previous work experience isnt actually much of a marker for success. Working for someone else might widen your network, but it doesnt mean you will build a successful company.

And the truth is, the Entitled white boys of tech dont ever follow that rule themselves. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google, didnt say, Oh, lets go work at Microsoft before we build the most powerful company on the planet! Mark Zuckerberg didnt think, Once I graduate from Harvard, Im going to go work for IBM and then start Facebook.

Just take Maria Contreras-Sweet, the former head of the Small Business Administration under President Obama, who broke the rules of how banks get funded. The daughter of meat packers, she founded ProAmerica Bank by getting her friends and family, many working-class folks, to invest funds from their 401(k) accounts, building the bank into one of the most successful commercial banks in the Latinx community.

Big ideas are what lead to BIG companies. Small ideas dont change the world. Knowing the system and following the rules is greatif you want to work for someone else.

Lie 4: You MUST build a certain type of startup

When I was using technology to build the beauty brand for Black women, I was told by Voldemort the Venture Capitalist and his Death Eaters (fellow VCs) that (Black) beauty wasnt a startup. In his mind, only Google could be a startup. Now internet-based beauty brands like Glossier, IPSY, and BROWN GIRL Jane are all well-known and successful beauty startups.

The truth: Anything can be a startup

Literally anything can be a startup. Khaki pants for men? Yep, thats a startup (Bonobos). Eyeglasses? Warby Parker. Generic household products? Brandless. Top K-pop teen singing group factory? Bighit Music.

Dont believe every idea can be a startup? Heres a brief list of all the very non-techy ideas that are now well-funded startups.

Cotton swabs  LastSwab

Khaki pants for dudes  Bonobos

Tampons and maxi pads  LOLA

Eyeglasses  Warby Parker

Hair weaves  Mayvenn

Venture capital  Genius Guild

Generic household products  Brandless

Preschool  Wonderschool

House paint  Clare

Virtual "big box" retail  Amazon

Luggage  Away

Insurance  Lemonade

Human resources  Gusto

Grocery shopping  Instacart

Dental floss  Cocofloss

Basic kids clothing  Primary

Makeup  Glossier

Khaki pants. Cotton swabs. Hair weaves. Dental foss. Yeah, everything is and can be a startup.

Related: Warby Parker Co-Founder On the Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurship

Lie 5: You MUST protect your idea from thieves!

Every time I give a speechEVERY TIMEat least one person will ask, How do I protect my idea from getting stolen? Our staff actually places bets on how long it will take before someone asks this question.

Scared someone is going to steal your idea? Heres a foolproof way to protect your idea from thieves:

First, write your idea on a piece of paper. Do not share the idea or piece of paper with anyone, including your pet dog, your friends, or anyone who could help fund you or help you build the idea. Then, place the piece of paper with the idea in a safe that only you know the combination to.

Voila, your idea is 1,000 percent protected! Yes, you wont be able to build it, get funding, or acquire customers, but at least its safe and no one can steal it from you! Youre a winner!

The truth: Protect your idea by building your idea

The only way to protect your idea is to build it. Its useless just sitting in a vault or lying dormant in your mind. Building a business involves inherent risk, but you must be brave enough to build it. You owe it to yourself and that genius idea of yours. If you realize a version of your idea has already been built by someone else? Build it better.

Many people will tell you to get a trademark or a patent on your idea. Look, unless you have a cure for cancer or some amazingly inventive technology that you can build yourself, getting a patent or trademark at the start of your building journey is a total waste of money. A patent or trademark only protects you if you sue, and a lawsuit is costly. In America, patents cost between $1.6 and $3 million to litigate, according to the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Also, filing a patent lawsuit reduces the likelihood of potential investors wanting to work with you because of fear of being sued.

As an investor, I hear hundreds of pitches every year. The reality is I often dont understand how one companys Orange Thingy is different from everyone elses Orange Thingy. If a founder asks me to sign an NDA for something that is clearly not a high-tech idea, it raises red fags for me. Instead of hiring lawyers to draft all of these unnecessary documents they should be spending that money building the company.

You've got your mind right, and now it's time to build

Youve embraced your fears. You are now ready to build your personal toolbox, which will provide the foundation and tools to help you celebrate the peaks and valleys that will come with building a company. You GOT this.

From BUILD THE DAMN THING: How to Start a Successful Business If You're Not a Rich White Guy by Kathryn Finney with permission from Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright  2022 by Kathryn Finney

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Judy Bellinger, the court stenographer during the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial, said in an interview with Law & Crime Network that she witnessed several jury members dozing off to sleep during the course of the trial, which started April 11 and ended June 1. Law & Crime Network earned millions of views online from live-streaming the trial. Bellinger said she saw jury members in both the front and back rows falling asleep.

It was tough, Bellinger said. There was a lot of video deposition and theyd just sit there and all of a sudden Id see their heads drop.

While Bellinger said the majority of the jury was very intent and listening intently during the trial, she added, Unfortunately, when the jury was chosen we knew there were going to be some that wouldnt see it all the way through.

According to Bellinger, the single best jury member was an alternate who didnt get to stay with the trial through the end. The one alternate was probably the one that listened the most, she said. I watched her facial expressions. She was very deeply into every word that was being said. I thought she wouldve made a great juror but she did not get to see it to the endShe was the best juror. She was paying close attention. There were a few juror dozing off. She never dozed off.

The jury in the trial ruled that Heard defamed Depp when she wrote a 2018 Washington Post op-ed alluding to her past claims of domestic violence. Heard is now ordered to pay $10.35 million in damages to Depp ($10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages). The jury awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages for her counterclaim.

Elaine Bredehoft, Amber Heards attorney, criticized the jury after the trial, claiming they were absolutely swayed in Depps favor due to the overwhelming vitriol against Heard on social media platforms. Social media was largely on Depps side, as evidenced by the viral TikTok trend in which users widely mocked Heards testimonies.

Jurors [werent supposed to be looking at social media], but how can you not [be aware]? Bredehoft said. They went home every night. They have families. Their families are on social media. We had a 10-day break in the middle because of the judicial conference. There is no way they couldnt have been influenced by it. It was was horrible. It was really, really lopsided. I was against cameras in the courtroom and I went on record with that and argued against it because of the sensitive nature of this. It made it a zoo.

Watch Bellingers interview in the video below.

#JudyBellinger, the #Depp v. #Heard freelance court reporter, said in an EXCLUSIVE interview that some jurors were dozing off during the defamation trial. pic.twitter.com/4w87MArswy  Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) June 6, 2022

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Nuevo Laredos young cooking prodigy left a major mark on this seasons showing of MasterChef Junior Mexico as he advanced to the 2022 finale.

Carlos Gutierrez Flores saw his attempts to win the national competition come up short as he placed fifth. The 8-year-old was eliminated in the first challenge of the Sunday finale.

The dish that finally ended Carlos' impressive run was a poached egg, or huevo escalfado. Nevertheless, the talented boy from Nuevo Laredo states that he is very proud of reaching the shows finale and that he accomplished many goals in effort to put Nuevo Laredo and its cooking on the map.

I feel very happy and very excited about all of this, as throughout the whole season of the show, I had immense support from the local people, Carlos said. Even though I knew the ultimate result, I was very happy at being in the final and felt very satisfied with everything that I did throughout the shows 2022 season.

Now that his run is over, Carlos states that he wants to continue cooking and trying out new things. He is also looking forward to returning back to normal life, including going back to school to finish his studies and playing with friends.

I really like school and like to learn almost about any subject, Carlos said. All of my friends from school as I returned have told me that they are very proud of what I did on the show.

Carlos mother, Irene Flores, said she was extremely proud with what he did in the competition. and that he even did excellent during his last competition as he was just defeated by a better dish.

I feel really satisfied with his participation, as I believe that at the end of the day, his talents glow more than any result he might have gotten, she said. I think that his participation overall is something to really feel proud of, as I do think that overall he did well in the participation, and I also believe that throughout the whole show as well he never really committed any errors. Even his last dish was something very excellent, although not on par as what the judges wanted.

One thing that young Carlitos feels excited about is the fact that he got support not just from his native Nuevo Laredo but also from many people from its sister city. The family said the support from Laredo was visible online and elsewhere, as people from Texas stated that they rooted for the young boy.

In reality, we feel very content with all of the support that Carlitos has gotten from Nuevo Laredo and Laredo, Irene Flores said. In a reunion with all of the other children in Mexico City, we actually noticed that not all of the children got the same level of support in their cities  much less than two cities on both sides of the border like Carlos.

Coming home saw some hurdles in itself as the family missed its early flight. They instead took a bus and were greeted at the station upon returning to Nuevo Laredo by family and friends.

And in another suprise, members of his elementary school, Colegio Mexico Marista Nuevo Laredo, were there in attendance showing their support for Carlos with a banner.

Irene Flores states that the shows finale was not the last time cooking for her son, as he continues to be invited to many places in order to showcase his talents. Recently, he was invited by some renowned international chefs to help them cook at a resort in Xcaret in Playa de Carmen, Mexico.

In Xcaret, Carlos tried his hands at a very Central Mexican dish, the famous Pipian, which is a plate that can consist of various meats and chicken in a sauce from Mexican cuisine made with pureed greens and thickened with ground pumpkin seeds. For Carlos, a northern Mexico boy more accustomed to cooking barbecues and steaks, this was a major challenge, but it went well overall.

His visit there went super well, and all of the chefs there applauded his efforts and the way he cooks, Irene Flores said.

Carlos' mother said that she was amazed at how much support and good advice he was provided by many prominent and famous people, as well on Azteca TV. This was especially true as they visited Mexican shows Venga La Alegria and Al Extremo this past week as the children provided insights into how they felt about competing and also shared some of their personal stories.

Overall, this experience was all very beautiful and surprising, Irene Flores said. To be with Carlos at several national shows and see that all of the hosts from these shows knew who he was right away  they would see him and be like Carlitos come here and they would hug him. They all spoke well about his participation in MasterChef, and they all said that they had a really good impression of him.

Irene Flores said that she intends to help her son grow in every facet of his life to achieve his dream. And that is to one day work for a famous restaurant or even open one of his own.

What we are going to do first than anything is to see what are the things we can do to see how he can continue growing, with the first main thing to allow him to focus on his studies and then in second place to allow him also to focus on cooking as well, Irene said.

The fact is that even before MasterChef, he was already a good cook. We would do his homework and other activities and always make time to cook, whether it was something he already knew or a new recipe he had in mind, and also something new and sweet, as he loves making dessert. He will certainly be a great chef, and I hope he continues to balance studies and cooking to achieve his dreams.

Carlos said that he does have his sights on his main goal, which is to become a chef whenever he grows.

I do want to become an internationally-known chef in the world, Carlos said. The plate I would like to cook all my life or become my specialty would be pipian, or any cut of meat.
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  Californias Democratic attorney general advanced to the November general election Tuesday and was on pace to face the Republican Partys endorsed candidate in a state that overwhelmingly favors Democrats.

Attorney General Rob Bonta, the only Democrat in the five-way primary field, advanced after winning 57% of the vote.

The GOP's endorsed candidate, Nathan Hochman, trailed with 17.5% of the votes counted. Hochman is a former federal prosecutor and former assistant U.S. attorney general.

Conservative Republican Eric Early was third, with 15%, while Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, running without party affiliation, had 8% of the vote. Green Party candidate Dan Kapelovitz had 3%.

The top two vote-getters advance to the November election under California law, no matter their party affiliation.

No Department of Justice in the country is doing more to stand up to rightwing attacks against our constitutional and legal rights  from defending abortion protections and the right to privacy to strengthening our gun safety laws, Bonta said in a statement.

He said it was too soon to say which Republican he will face in November, but said both have dodged basic questions about how they would handle these constitutional and legal issues if they are elected Attorney General.

Neither Republican immediately responded to requests for comment.

Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, predicted that Bonta will win in November despite his challengers' attempts to tap into Californians' growing unease on crime.

Because this is not just about prosecuting crime, which mostly happens on the county level," she said. "This is about what is going to be our legal policy with respect to reproductive rights, whats going to be our legal policy with respect to Second Amendment rights, whats going to be our policy with respect to immigration? And for all of those bigger policy questions, I think the November electorate will strongly prefer Bonta.

California Republicans havent won a statewide election since 2006, and the last GOP attorney general left office in 1999.

Levinson was shocked that Schubert didn't do better, and said Schubert likely would have presented a greater challenge to Bonta. The outcome, she said, shows that even California's growing percentage of no-party-preference voters still prefer a candidate who is affiliated with one of the major parties.

Schubert said in a concession statement that she hopes the next attorney general will fight "to change our laws so that violent felons are not released early from prison without rehabilitation and that serial criminals will once again be held accountable.

Schubert gave up her Republican affiliation four years ago to run as an independent.

Independent organizations supporting Bonta spent more than $1 million on targeted messaging advising Republican voters that Early is a Trump supporter, recall leader and defender of Second Amendment rights. Early was legal counsel for the unsuccessful effort to recall Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom last year.

Early had finished last in a four-way primary election for attorney general in 2018 and this year was far behind other candidates in campaign fundraising.

This is Bonta's first statewide race after Newsom appointed him attorney general last year to fill a vacancy.

The office of California attorney general has long provided both a national stage and a stepping stone to higher office, including recently for Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Gov. Jerry Brown.

Becerra used the office to fight then-President Donald Trump at every turn, while Bonta has championed reproductive and LTGBQ rights and the states gun control efforts at the national level.
IRWINDALE, Calif. (AP)  A 300-pound (135-kilogram) bear was struck and killed Monday morning on a Southern California highway, authorities said.

The animal was hit by a Toyota SUV around 4:15 a.m. on a westbound connector road to Interstate 210 in Irwindale, east of Los Angeles, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The collision shattered the SUV's windshield, Fox 11 TV reported.

The bear was eventually removed from the freeway on a flat-bed truck, highway patrol Officer Ramon Kendricks told the Los Angeles Times.

Kendricks said he didnt know whether anyone in the vehicle was injured in the crash.
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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  Mark Ronchetti has won the Republican primary for governor to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

The former television meteorologist on Tuesday defeated four other candidates including state Rep. Rebecca Dow.

Ronchettis campaign emphasized concerns about crime, illegal immigration, high rates of unemployment and underperforming schools.

In a primary-night victory speech, the Republican nominee took swipes at political elites and big government and blasted the governor's leadership on public education and criminal justice issues.

Sadly in this state it's easier to be a criminal than a cop  that will change, said Ronchetti, pledging to restore police immunity from prosecution. We have a governor that has decided that she will look out for the best interests of the elites in Santa Fe instead of you.

Separately, the Democratic nomination for attorney general went to Raul Torrez, a second-term district attorney for Albuquerque and its outskirts.

Torrez defeated State Auditor Brian Colon to vie in an open race against Republican attorney and U.S. Marine veteran Jeremy Michael Gay of Gallup.

New Mexico has alternated between Democratic and Republican governors since the early 1980s. An incumbent governor last lost reelection in 1994.

The November election for New Mexico governor will be a test of Democratic resolve in the most Hispanic state in the nation  an oil-producing region with enduring currents of Catholicism and a strong culture of gun ownership.

The GOP in 2020 flipped a congressional district along the U.S. border with Mexico with the election of Republican U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, a firm defender of former President Donald Trump.

Ronchetti has pledged to deploy 150 state law enforcement personnel to the remote international border with Mexico to combat illegal migration and drug and human trafficking. The proposal echoes National Guard deployments by Republican governors in Arizona and Texas.

In a nod to his days as a TV personality, Ronchetti cracked some jokes. He ridiculed the governor for lavish public spending at the governors mansion on premium beef and liquor, contrasting that with his own offer of chips, salsa and a cash bar for supporters on election night. Ronchetti also vowed to unleash New Mexico energy in a reference to oil production in southeastern New Mexico.

An incumbent governor hasnt lost election since 1994. And Republicans have faltered in a string of statewide elections, ceding control of every statewide elected office to Democrats, including the five-seat state Supreme Court.

Since taking office in 2019, Lujan Grisham and the Democratic-led Legislature have enacted reforms to ensure access to abortion, expand government oversight of guns and expand police accountability by lifting immunity from prosecution for misconduct.

The Republican primary was marked by unfettered support for an oil industry anchored in the Permian Basin of southeastern New Mexico.

The incumbent governor has walked a fine line on the environment with climate change initiatives that rein in methane pollution from oilfield infrastructure, phase out coal-fired power plants and mandate new renewable energy investments without restricting oil production. New Mexico last year surpassed North Dakota in 2021 to become the nations No. 2 oil producer behind Texas.

Lujan Grisham has harnessed a surge in state government income to underwrite teacher raises, offer free college education to in-state students, expand preschool and bolster Medicaid coverage across a state with high rates of poverty.

In response to inflation, the state is sending out staggered payments of up to $1,500 per household between June and August.

New Mexicos most recent Republican governor was Susana Martinez, an El Paso native with family ties in Mexico who served as a district attorney before winning an open race to succeed termed-out Gov. Bill Richardson.

First-term congresswomen were seeking reelection to New Mexicos three congressional districts, without primary challengers.

In the 2nd District of southern New Mexico, Las Cruces City Councilor Gabe Vasquez won the Democratic nomination to challenge Herrell. He defeated rural physician Darshan Patel.

In the 1st District that includes most of Albuquerque and rural communities to the south, the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury was won by former police Detective Michelle Garcia Holmes.

Holmes ran for the same congressional seat in 2020 and was defeated by Democrat Deb Haaland, now serving as U.S. Interior secretary.

In other statewide races, former Sandoval County Treasurer Laura Montoya won the Democratic nomination for state treasurer, defeating former Magistrate Judge and Treasury official Heather Benavidez. Montoya will compete against former Santa Fe County Commissioner Harry Montoya in an open race to replace termed out State Treasurer Tim Eichenberg.

The Democratic nomination for state auditor went to utilities regulator Joseph Maestas, an elected member of the Public Regulation Commission. He'll confront Libertarian write-in candidate Robert Vaillancourt in a general election without a Republican contender.

In Tuesdays vote, new same-day registration provisions allowed unaffiliated voters to participate if they registered with a major party  even briefly.

New Mexico still follows a closed primary system that restricts participation to voters registered with a major party, who cannot switch parties once early voting begins.
The 'Vietnam Prisoners of War 49th Freedom Reunion' kicked off on June 1, wrapping up on June 5.

Every year, surviving Vietnam POWs meet in different cities across the country to share stories, reconnect and renew their bonds of friendship. This year the reunion was held in Greenville, South Carolina.

During the reunion, sister station WYFF interviewed former POW Mike Brazelton.

After the story aired, WYFF received a call from Greenville resident Sandy Brown.

During the Vietnam War, bracelets could be purchased to show support for POWs at the time. The 'concern bracelets' had the name of the POW, their rank, as well as other critical information. Those in possession of the bracelets were instructed to wear them in support that one day they would be free.

We knew they were shot down in airplanes and injured," Brown said. "Imprisoned and tortured, so they were on everyones hearts.

During the war, Brown ordered a bracelet, which just so happened to have the name Mike Brazelton. Flyers with detailed information were also provided with the bracelets. Brown was still in possession of the bracelet and the original flyer.

"He was being interviewed and his name was on the screen, and I just couldnt believe it," Brown said. "I said, 'I think that was the name on my bracelet' and it happened to be for a Michael Lee Brazelton. I have kept up with it for nearly 50 years.

Brown, along with her husband, were able to meet Brazelton in person on Friday night. Brown had the opportunity to give Brazelton the bracelet in person.

"It's not her daughter going through her mothers stuff or her granddaughter going through her grandmothers stuff, this is actually Sandras bracelet she had originally 47 years ago," Brazelton said.

Brazelton said he usually receives one or two in the mail each year.

Its the only jewelry I wear besides a wedding ring, Brazelton said. "The bracelet from Sandra Brown is as special as any of the others, and more special that I get to actually meet her. I dont receive it in the mail with just a letter.

Brown said she couldn't believe she was able to finally meet Brazelton, as he just so happened to be in Greenville for the reunion. Brazelton currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia.

"Somebody who has given so much for this country, its just such an honor and a privilege to meet him in person, Brown said.


GAMERIMURA, India (AP)  People in India's northeastern state of Assam began celebrations Saturday for a spring festival, meant to bring in an auspicious harvest season filled with abundant crops and good health.

Locals in Gamerimura village gathered to mark the usually colorful celebrations, an ancient tradition known as Baikho festival that is predominantly observed by the Rabha tribes every year in June, although people from other communities have joined in the celebrations in recent years. The festival is celebrated across the state annually.
PHOENIX (AP)  An attorney for an Arizona death-row prisoner has urged an appeals court to call off the execution scheduled for Wednesday of his client who was convicted in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl, arguing the condemned mans spinal condition would make it excruciatingly painful for him to be strapped on his back to a gurney before he is lethally injected.

At a hearing Monday before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, a lawyer for Frank Atwood also questioned whether the state has met a requirement that the lethal injection drugs expiration date falls after the execution date.

And even though he didnt pick lethal gas as his execution method, Atwood also is challenging Arizonas protocol for gas chamber executions. His lawyers say Atwood has a right to choose between methods of execution that are constitutional and said the state should switch its lethal gas from hydrogen cyanide gas to nitrogen gas because nitrogen would produce painless deaths.

Prosecutors say Atwood is trying to indefinitely postpone his execution through legal maneuvers. They say Atwoods challenge to the states cyanide gas execution procedures is moot, because the execution will be carried out by lethal injection.

Last month, Atwood declined to choose between lethal injection or the gas chamber, leaving him to be put to death by lethal injection, the states default execution method.

Atwood, who is scheduled to be executed at the state prison in Florence for his murder conviction in the killing of 8-year-old Vicki Hoskinson, lost on all those arguments in a lower-court ruling issued over the weekend and appealed those decisions to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Authorities have said Atwood kidnapped Hoskinson, whose remains were discovered in the desert northwest of Tucson nearly seven months after her disappearance. Experts could not determine the cause of death from the remains, according to court records.

Atwood maintains that he is innocent.

Atwoods lawyers have argued the states death penalty procedures would subject their client, who has a degenerative spinal condition that has left him in a wheelchair, to excruciating suffering if he were strapped to a gurney while lying on his back during his lethal injection.

Prosecutors say Atwood can alleviate pain caused by lying on his back by propping himself up with a pillow and using the tilt function on the execution table. Atwoods legal team rejected a proposal from the state to also let one of the condemned mans legs remain free during the execution as another way of easing his pain.

The state here is not trying to subject Mr. Atwood to any to unnecessary pain, said Jeffrey Sparks, an attorney representing the state. Its trying to accommodate the claims he is raising, while also still carrying out a lawful execution.

Atwoods attorneys have questioned whether the compounded pentobarbital to be used in the execution meets pharmaceutical standards. The testing (of the compounded drug) cannot be relied on, said Joseph Perkovich, one of Atwoods attorneys.

Even though he didnt pick the gas chamber, Atwood challenged the states lethal gas protocol that calls for the use of hydrogen cyanide gas, which was used in some past U.S. executions and by Nazis to kill 865,000 Jews at the Auschwitz concentration camp alone. His lawyers say hydrogen cyanide gas is unconstitutional and produces agonizing levels of pain in executions.

His lawyers argue he has a right to choose between methods of execution that are constitutional and said the state should switch its lethal gas from hydrogen cyanide gas to nitrogen gas because nitrogen would produce painless deaths. Arizona prosecutors say nitrogen executions are untried and untested.

Arizona, California, Missouri and Wyoming are the only states with decades-old lethal-gas execution laws still on the books. Arizona, which carried out the last gas chamber execution in the United States more than two decades ago, is the only state with a working gas chamber.

In recent years, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Alabama have passed laws allowing executions with nitrogen gas, at least in some circumstances, though experts say its never been done and no state has established a protocol that would allow it.
A man is facing multiple charges in connection to the vandalism of the "Bewitched" statue in Salem, Massachusetts, as the landmark was doused with red paint on Monday.

Salem police told sister station WCVB that 32-year-old Kylynn Chambers, a man experiencing homelessness and living in Salem, was arrested on charges of defacing property, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

The "Bewitched" statue, a 6-foot-tall bronze sculpture at the corner of Essex and Washington streets, pays tribute to the well-known 1960s television sitcom "Bewitched" and the filming of its seventh season in Salem.

The statue depicts Elizabeth Montgomery, the actress who played the lead character Samantha Stephens, riding a broomstick next to a crescent moon.

Witnesses said they saw the "Bewitched" statue being defaced at about 5 p.m. Monday.

"We smelled, actually, the paint in the air," one witness said. "He was just standing here very nonchalantly with red paint just painting the statue."

Photos shared by one witness, Tim Keough, show part of the statue depicting Montgomery's face and torso covered in red paint.

"There was nothing written on it. There was no sign. He could have spray-painted something on the ground. None of that," said Salem resident Jeffrey Lilley. "It was just from her waist up and her arms and her face."

"She's kind of become, you know, a signature statue in this town. So it's sad. It's random, but it's got people talking about it," said an employee of the Peabody Essex Museum. "So she's going to get some more publicity."

Beth Crowley of Witch City Walking Tours said "this isn't the first time that people were really upset about the statue."

"People believed that the 'Samantha' statue was actually making a joke of the Salem witch trials, which was a very somber time," she said.

Crews power washed the "Bewitched" statue Monday night and were able to clean all the paint off of it, allowing tourists to take photos with it.

There is no serious damage to the statue, but some of the patina  the finish over the statue's surface that developed over time due to weather, stress and/or age  was washed off during the cleaning process.

"Bewitched" aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 1964 to March 1972. The show is about a witch who marries an ordinary man and tries to lead a normal life.

Montgomery earned five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations for her work on "Bewitched." She died of cancer in 1995 at the age of 62.

The "Bewitched" statue in Salem was unveiled in 2005.
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  Democrats in deep blue California have a virtual lock on overwhelming majorities in the state Legislature for the foreseeable future.

But there still was election drama Tuesday as voters chose among candidates for 100 legislative seats in a primary election. All 80 seats were up for grabs in the state Assembly, as were half of the seats in the 40-member state Senate.

It's all the more complicated this year because legislative district boundaries were redrawn to reflect population shifts after the 2020 census, forcing some incumbents to move or introduce themselves to unfamiliar voters.

Some of the most interesting contests pitted members of the same political party against each other.

And the electioneering needn't stop after Tuesday: California's primary system advances the two top vote-getters in each seat to November's general election no matter their political affiliation, so it may take months to resolve some battles.

Here's a look at three of the more interesting races. Incumbents were on pace to advance to November in two of the three, while the third is an open seat contested by three Democrats.

SILICON VALLEY SHOWDOWN

Kansen Chu gave up the state Assembly seat he had held for six years to run for the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 2020 and be close to his now-deceased mother.

He lost, and now wants his old seat back.

But it's now held by Alex Lee, who at age 25 became the youngest California state lawmaker in more than eight decades.

Lee was leading with 41%.

Chu was trailing Republican Bob Brunton for a second-place finish that would set a November runoff with Lee. Chu had 18% of the early count to Brunton's 21%.

Chu, 69, said he wants to use his life, work and government experience to make California a better state than I found it 40-some years ago" when he immigrated from Taiwan.

Lee is too progressive for many of the voters here, Chu said.

Lee's experience came from working for five different lawmakers, either as a college intern or a paid aide. His first legislative internship was with Chu himself, in 2015.

I feel like Ive been able to accomplish more in my less than two years in office than however long hes been in office  probably basically as long as I've been alive," said Lee, jibing that Chu's keystone accomplishment was a ballot measure aimed at making daylight saving time year-round in California.

A coalition backed by real estate agents and landlords is spending more than $1.2 million to oppose Lee, who has promoted guaranteed housing and tenant protections among other issues. One opposition mailer noted that Lee lives with his mom.

Also running are two other Democrats, Fremont City Councilmember Teresa Keng and former San Jose City Councilman Lan Diep. Keng had 11% and Diep 9% of the early vote returns.

Brunton previously was trounced by both Chu and Lee in the safe Democratic district that includes parts of Alameda and Santa Clara counties.

It's one of two Assembly districts in California where a majority of the residents are of Asian descent, according to the California Target Book that tracks legislative contests.

CENTRAL VALLEY MUSICAL CHAIRS

Legislative remapping drew Sen. Melissa Hurtado into the same district as Sen. Anna Caballero. Rather than duke it out with a fellow Democratic incumbent, Hurtado agreed to relocate into the new 16th Senate District that includes Kings County and parts of Fresno, Kern and Tulare counties.

But that has her butting heads with former Assemblywoman Nicole Parra and Delano Mayor Bryan Osorio, fellow Democrats who initially planned to run for Congress before bidding for the state Senate.

Things immediately turned testy, with Hurtado creating a website aimed at Parra's background and Parra firing back on Twitter.

Also bidding for a top-two chance to advance out of the primary election are Republicans David Shepard and Gregory Tatum.

Shepard had the early lead, with 41% of the ballots tallied soon after polls closed Tuesday, followed by Hurtado with 32%. Parra had 15%, Tatum 8% and Osorio 4.5%.

Democrats hold a 13 percentage point edge in voter registration but the Target Book puts that within Republicans reach in the Central Valley, where voters tend to be more conservative.

Jane Fonda's Climate PAC is backing Osorio, along with candidates in other contests, with a video decrying Big Oil's influence among unnamed Democratic state lawmakers. The winner will help represent the heart of California's petroleum production region.

BUSINESS-LABOR BATTLE

Republicans have become a virtual non-factor in California's Capitol, often leaving business and labor to spar over which candidate is most palatable among rival Democrats.

That's happening in legislative races up and down the state, and nowhere more than in the Sacramento County district where three candidates  all Democrats  are fighting for the chance to succeed Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan, who terms out of office this year.

There's no Republican in the race so that's going to be a Dem vs. Dem runoff, said Rob Pyers, California Target Book research director. But in spite of that, both sides are pounding each other relentlessly in the primary.

Business, housing and law enforcement organizations generally are favoring Sacramento City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, while labor is the mainstay for former Assemblyman Dave Jones. He was the state's insurance commissioner from 2011 to 2019 and is endorsed by the state Democratic Party and Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party.

Jones had a slight edge in early vote tallies Tuesday, at 46% to Ashby's 42%.

Also running was union representative Rafa Garcia, who trailed with 12%.

More than $1.6 million in independent spending has helped fuel the contest, which has split the party's moderate and progressive wings.

A political action committee that supports moderate Democrats, joined by housing, law enforcement, pharmaceutical and other lobbying organizations, paid for a billboard and other ads depicting Jones as a bobblehead doll. The ads urged voters not to give Jones the nod for senator.

Jones says he is running to fight for people, not big corporations and says Big Oil is backing Ashby through its contributions to the Democratic PAC.
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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)  Cambodia denied again Tuesday that it will allow any Chinese military presence at a port where it and China are beginning an expansion this week that has prompted concern in the United States and elsewhere that it will be used by Beijing as a naval outpost on the Gulf of Thailand.

Chief government spokesman Phay Siphan described the expansion of the Ream Naval Base as cooperation between China and Cambodia and said the Chinese ambassador to Cambodia will preside over the groundbreaking on Wednesday along with Cambodia's defense minister and other senior military officials.

He denied, however, a report in the Washington Post newspaper citing an anonymous Chinese official that the facility on the northern side of the Cambodian base would be used in part by the Chinese military.

Siphan said it would be a violation of Cambodia's Constitution to host a foreign military power, and that there had been no change in the terms of his country's agreement with China on constructing the facility.

I think that's a strong accusation, he said in a telephone interview.

He would not comment on the extent of the Chinese involvement and said the project involved constructing a facility for repairing ships.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday said the work would be a renovation of the base which aims to strengthen the Cambodian navy's capability to maintain maritime territorial integrity and combat maritime crime.

Ream faces the Gulf of Thailand, adjacent to the South China Sea, where China has aggressively asserted its claim to virtually the entire strategic waterway. The U.S. has refused to recognize Chinas sweeping claim and routinely conducts military maneuvers there to reinforce that they are international waters.

A Chinese base in Cambodia could become a chokepoint in the Gulf of Thailand close to the strategically important Malacca Strait.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said Monday that allegations China intends to establish a military presence at the Ream base are consistent with credible reporting we've seen from the PRC (People's Republic of China) that the PRC is engaged in a significant ongoing construction project at Ream Naval Base.

As we've said, an exclusive PRC military presence at Ream could threaten Cambodia's autonomy and undermine regional security as well, he said.

China recently signed a security deal with the Solomon Islands that the U.S. and others worry could lead to a military presence there, and Price noted that Beijing has also reached out to a number of other South Pacific islands.

We have seen the PRC attempt to put forward a series of shadowy, opaque deals that they would like to see signed in the dead of night with no input or transparency, he said. This has been a pattern on the part of the PRC.

The U.S. itself has more foreign military bases than any other country, including multiple facilities in the Asia-Pacific region.

At a regular Foreign Ministry briefing, Zhao accused the U.S. of bullying Cambodia and ignoring its denials that Ream would be used for Chinese military purposes, while noting Washington's own network of bases around the world.

China and Cambodia are comprehensive strategic partners, and our cooperation in various fields is open, transparent, reasonable and legitimate, which benefits the two countries," he said.

China so far operates just one acknowledged foreign military base, in the impoverished but strategically important Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti. Many believe that Chinas Peoples Liberation Army is busy establishing an overseas military network, even if they dont use the term base.

Cambodia's authoritarian leader, Hun Sen, has long cultivated relations with China, and reportedly signed a secret agreement in 2019 allowing the Chinese to establish a base at Ream.

Though Hun Sen has strongly denied that Cambodia would allow China to set up a military outpost at Ream, China has already been dredging the harbor to allow larger ships to dock, and is building new infrastructure to replace a U.S.-built naval tactical headquarters.

Hun Sen suggested last month that the water would still be too shallow for any warships to dock, and reiterated that it would be a violation of Cambodia's Constitution to host a Chinese military facility.

Why would we need foreign forces, for what? he said. What Cambodia really needs at the moment is foreign investment, not foreign forces.

The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, established by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, posted satellite images in January of two clamshell dredgers at work in the harbor, and said while the extent of the dredging is unknown, it could mark a significant upgrade to the base.

The shallow waters around Ream mean it is currently only able to host small patrol vessels, it said. A deep-water port would make it far more useful to both the Cambodian and Chinese navies.

Newer images from April analyzed by The Associated Press show the dredgers still on site and at work.

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Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Matthew Lee in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
ALTON  Long-time Madison County Board member Michael Doc Holliday is being challenged by Abe Barham in the June 28 primary in the new 8th District.

Because of the census, board boundaries have been redrawn, and three county board seats are being eliminated.

Holliday has served on the County Board for 24 years. He is retired from the Olin Corporation and wants to continue to serve the citizens and my district with honesty, dignity and respect.

There are issues with people that have mental issues, our veterans, our elderly population, the working poor and the homeless that need to be brought forward and give them help to improve their quality of life, he said.

Holliday cited a number of issues he has worked on over the years, including fighting to keep the Madison County Nursing Home open; traveling to Washington, D.C. to address the issue of Community Development Block Grants; and helping victims of Hurricane Katrina who came to Alton.

While chairman of the Madison County Health Committee there were vaccination clinics set up in response to the H1N1 pandemic, he said. A Health Department webpage was established for the public to access information. There were yearly exercises in which this Health Department worked with multiple other health departments on both sides of the river to practice responding regionally.

He also cited the establishment of a body art permit, and his attempts to promote the Step Up program, a nationwide initiative through the National Association of County Officials to deal with reducing the number of people with mental issues in jail.

It is a privilege and an honor to serve as a County Board member, he added. People see my passion to serve and help those that may not seem to have hope. I will continue to speak for righteousness and for the issues that are in the best interest of the citizens of Madison County District 8, and Madison County as a whole.

In addition to his county board membership, Holliday is president of the Illinois Association of County Board Members and Commissioners; a spokesperson for the Illinois Association of Local Boards of Health; first vice president of the Alton Chapter of the NAACP; vice president of Behavioral Health of Wood River; adjutant of the American Legion Post 354; and chairman of the deacon board at Union Baptist Church.

Barham is a self-described community activist.

He is an anneal washer at Olin Corporation, and has an associates degree in marketing and business.

He is second vice president of the Madison County Democrats; chairman of the Miles Davis Festival and co-chair for the Alton Juneteenth Committee.

Im running for office to give a voice to the people, he said. To help our less fortunate population, including but not limited to our brave veterans, the homeless, and those suffering from mental illness. While there has been an increase in the area of mental illness and homelessness, resources have not, and these people are not receiving the help they need.

If elected, he plans to hold quarterly meetings with city officials and others to bring a more positive attitude to Alton.

Additionally, I plan to strengthen our industrial base while working towards the revitalization of our forgotten neighborhoods, he said, adding he wanted to ensure stewardship on how tax money is used.

After 24 years, I feel my opponent has had enough time to make a difference, Barham said. Its time to turn the page and start a new chapter.

The only other contested Democratic race in the primary is between incumbent board member Gussie Glasper and challenger Shawndell K. Williams.

Early voting at the Madison County Clerks Office began last week, and mail-in ballots also went out Thursday. Early voting at satellite locations is set to begin June 13, with the primary on June 28.

For more information visit madisoncountyvotes, or https://www.co.madison.il.us/departments/county_clerk/elections/index.php.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Dubai police said Tuesday they arrested two brothers from the Gupta family, wanted over allegedly looting state money with former South African President Jacob Zuma.

The arrest of Atul and Rajesh Gupta, who had lived for years in the sheikhdom, was the latest major extradition arrest by authorities in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai in particular has long welcomed the wealthy with little question into its luxury neighborhoods.

With the UAE now heading the international policing body Interpol, the country has faced renewed questioning over its lax checks on money laundering and reluctance to extradite suspects. That has only increased as Russian money flows into the Arabian Peninsula nation amid Moscow's war on Ukraine.

Police issued a statement saying they arrested the brothers in connection with money laundering and criminal charges in South Africa. The Emirates in a later statement said police arrested the two Guptas on June 2.

The two, as well as their brother Ajay, had been suspected of hiding out in Dubai since fleeing South Africa around the same time Zuma resigned in 2018 amid allegations he had overseen massive levels of corruption at state-owned companies.

The family has denied the allegations previously. It wasn't immediately clear if the two had a local lawyer.

South Africas City Press newspaper reported in 2016 that the Gupta family had purchased a $30 million residence in Dubais Emirates Hills neighborhood, which had 10 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, nine reception rooms, a double grand staircase, a hand-painted dome, space for 11 cars, and chandeliers in virtually every room.

Dubai police said they made the arrest after receiving an Interpol red notice warrant for the two.

The arrest reflects the continuous efforts of the UAE in combating money laundering crimes through local cooperation among the competent authorities, police said.

Dubai police did not immediately acknowledge Ajay Gupta's whereabouts. The Gupta family is originally from India.

Authorities in South Africa late Monday said the two brothers had been arrested after discussions between them and Dubai officials. However, Emirati authorities did not confirm the arrests until Tuesday.

South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority said Tuesday it had assigned an experienced team of internal and external experts who were working to extradite the two men to South Africa.

The arrests come nearly one year after the UAE ratified the extradition treaty with South Africa. It came into effect in June 2021, just as Interpol issued the red notice against the two Gupta brothers and their accomplices.

The Guptas are accused of using their association with Zuma to cash in on huge government contracts and kickbacks, and were believed to be so influential they had a say in Zumas appointment of Cabinet ministers. Their names burst into public view in 2016, when an official said the Guptas allegedly offered him a $44 million bribe to become the finance minister in exchange for favors.

The U.S. Treasury Department placed the three Gupta brothers on a sanctions list in 2019, accusing them of being members of a significant corruption network. That forbids U.S entities from conducting business with them or handling their assets.

Until they are in front of a South African court, we need to be cautious but what has happened to date should be applauded, said Karam Singh, the executive director of the activist group Corruption Watch.

Zuma, 80, was president from 2009 until he was forced to step down by his African National Congress Party in 2018 amid the graft scandal. He faces corruption charges over a state arms purchase and went to prison in July 2021 for refusing a court order to testify before a judicial inquiry.

Zuma's incarceration sparked weekslong riots in parts of South Africa that killed over 300 people and saw 25,000 soldiers deployed in the worst violence since the end of the apartheid era. Zuma has been out of prison on a medical parole that was later revoked, a decision now being challenged in the courts.

Dubai's boom-and-bust real estate market, open to foreigners, has attracted investors and those fleeing conflicts from years. Just as long, war profiteers, terror financiers and drug traffickers sanctioned by the U.S. have used Dubais real-estate market as a haven for their assets.

Scrutiny also has increased after the Financial Action Task Force, a global anti-money-laundering body, placed the UAE on its grey list earlier this year, escalating its monitoring of the countrys efforts to crack down on illicit financial flows.

Over the last year, Dubai police have announced several major extradition-related arrests, typically involving suspected drug dealers and gangsters. The extraditions now appear to have stepped up into other crimes. Last week, Dubai police similarly arrested a British man wanted in Denmark over an alleged $1.7 billion tax fraud case. Sanjay Shah, who maintains his innocence, similarly had been living in Dubai for years amid court cases targeting him over allegedly masterminding the scam.

However, there's a renewed focus on Russian money flowing in as Moscow faces Western sanctions over the Ukraine war. In the northern emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, a sanctioned Russian oligarch's megayacht now hides from possible Western seizure. That vessel, the Motor Yacht A, is owned by Andrey Melnichenko, a European Union-sanctioned oligarch worth some $23.5 billion, according to Forbes. Melnichenko has rejected the sanctions and denied being close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Andrew Meldrum and Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
HONOLULU (AP)  An Air Force F-16 fighter plane made a hard landing at Honolulu's airport after its front landing gear failed.

The pilot used the jet's tail hook to slow down during the afternoon landing at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Monday.

The jet did not appear to suffer serious damage and there have been no reports of injuries.

The runway wasn't damaged but it remains closed until the military removes the plane, state Department of Transportation spokesman Jai Cunningham said.

A Hawaii National Guard spokesman said the F-16 was an active-duty aircraft assigned to the Air Forces 15th Wing. Cunningham said that the only details his department had on the F-16 was that it was a visiting aircraft from a unit outside of Hawaii.
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LOS ANGELES (AP)  U.S. House battles took shape in heavily Democratic California that could tip the balance of power in Congress, while former Trump administration Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was in a tight match to claim the Republican nomination for a new House seat in Montana.

In Mississippi, two Republican congressmen were forced into runoffs to keep their seats. Rep. Steven Palazzo had been dogged by ethics questions over his campaign spending, while Rep. Michael Guest faced a challenger who criticized his vote on a proposal to create an outside commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

Primary elections across seven states Tuesday set up November contests in dozens of races, as Democrats look to protect the party's fragile majority in the House.

In a diverse district anchored in California's Orange County, Republican U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel, a South Korean immigrant, will face Democrat Jay Chen. The district, which includes the nations largest Vietnamese American community, is widely considered a toss-up.

In other districts in the nation's most populous state, two Republican House members were trying to surmount challenges tied to former President Donald Trump: One voted to support Trump's impeachment after the U.S. Capitol insurrection, while the other fought against it.

A look at results in key U.S. House races Tuesday:

BATTLEGROUND CALIFORNIA: TRUMP HISTORY LOOMS IN KEY DISTRICTS

In 2020, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia won a narrow victory in a Democratic-leaning district north of Los Angeles. The former Navy fighter pilot was endorsed by Trump that year, then joined House Republicans who rejected electoral votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania and opposed Trumps impeachment after the Capitol insurrection. That record will be a focus for Democrat Christy Smith, who earned a chance for a rematch with Garcia, after losing two years ago.

In a Democratic-tilting district in the states Central Valley farm belt, Republican Rep. David Valadao is highlighting an independent streak while contending with GOP fallout for his vote to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6 insurrection. Early returns showed him holding an edge over Republican Chris Mathys, who made Valadaos vote a centerpiece in his campaign to oust him. The winner will face Democrat Rudy Salas, a state legislator.

California uses a top-two election format in which only the two leading vote-getters advance to the November general election, regardless of party.

In the Central Valley, Republican Connie Conway won a special election to complete the term of former Rep. Devin Nunes, who resigned to head Trumps media company.

TWO MISSISSIPPI CONGRESSMEN FORCED INTO RUNOFFS

A pair of GOP congressmen in Mississippi are headed to June 28 runoffs.

U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, first elected in 2010, will face Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell after failing to win the GOP nomination outright on Tuesday, earning less than 50% of the vote.

A 2021 report by the Office of Congressional Ethics found substantial reason to believe Palazzo, a military veteran who serves on the Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, abused his office by misspending campaign funds, doing favors for his brother and enlisting staff for political and personal errands. His then-spokesperson, Colleen Kennedy, said the probe was based on politically motivated false allegations.

In another Mississippi district, U.S. Rep. Michael Guest will face former Navy pilot Michael Cassidy in a district that cuts through parts of central Mississippi.

Cassidy criticized Guest for being in the minority of Republicans who voted to create an outside commission to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol  a group that would have been separate from the congressional committee now conducting the investigation. Cassidy also says on his website that President Joe Biden should be impeached.

FORMER TRUMP CABINET MEMBER SEEKS RETURN TRIP TO WASHINGTON

Montana gained a second congressional district this year thanks to its growing population, and Zinke, an Interior Department secretary under Trump, is one of five Republicans on the primary ballot for the open seat.

Zinke's rivals have been drawing attention to his troubled tenure at the agency, which was marked by multiple ethics investigations. One investigation determined Zinke lied to an agency ethics official about his continued involvement in a commercial real estate deal in his hometown. Hes faced a smear campaign over his military service from the extreme right wing of his party and questions about his residency following revelations that his wife declared a house in California as her primary residence.

Zinke, a former Navy SEAL and former Montana congressman, was in a tight race Wednesday against former state Sen. Al Doc Olszewski, an orthopedic surgeon and hard-line conservative who has tried to paint Zinke as a liberal insider. The results of the race were being delayed because of ballot printing errors that forced officials in one county to count votes by hand.

The winner will face Olympic rower and attorney Monica Tranel, a Democrat, in the general election.

IOWA'S SOLE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE MEMBER FACES A TOUGH FIGHT

A Republican state senator has captured the slot to take on Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne this fall in a newly drawn district that appears more favorable for the GOP.

Axne is the only Democrat in Iowa's House delegation.

State Sen. Zach Nunn easily outdistanced rivals Nicole Hasso, a financial services worker, and Gary Leffler, who works in the construction industry, to claim the GOP spot. Nunn, an Air Force pilot who has served in the Legislature since 2014 and has worked to cut taxes, was the best known among the GOP contenders.

In previous elections, Axne was elevated by her strong support in the Des Moines area, even as she struggled in rural counties that typically lean Republican. The new district includes several counties in southern Iowa known to turn out strongly for Republicans, increasing the pressure on Axne to drive up her numbers in Democrat-friendly Des Moines and its suburbs.

REMATCH COMING IN NEW JERSEY HOUSE BATTLEGROUND

In what could be New Jerseys most closely watched contest in the fall, Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski and Republican Tom Kean Jr. won their primaries, setting up a rematch of their closely contested 2020 race.

Malinowski, a State Department official in the Obama administration, is seeking a third term as his party faces headwinds heading into the general election. His district added more Republican-leaning towns during redistricting, making his reelection bid potentially more difficult.

Another complicating factor is an ethics investigation hes facing over stock transactions in medical and tech companies that had a stake in the pandemic response. A report from the Office of Congressional Ethics said the board found substantial reason to believe he failed to properly disclose or report his stock transactions.

Malinowski said his failure to initially disclose the transactions was a mistake that I own 100%. He said he didnt direct or even ask questions about trades made by his brokerage firm.

Kean, a former state Senate minority leader and the son of the former two-term Republican governor, said in a tweet that he was humbled by his victory and looks forward to seizing the seat in November.

SOUTH DAKOTA REPUBLICAN BEATS BACK CHALLENGE FROM POLITICAL RIGHT

U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota won his states GOP primary contest as he runs for a third term.

Johnson defeated state lawmaker Taffy Howard, who tried to run to his right. He is set for reelection in November because no other candidate has entered the race.

Howard repeated Trumps lies that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election and attacked Johnson for certifying the electoral college vote. While Johnson touted his conservative voting record during the primary contest, the congressman has also worked with a bipartisan group of lawmakers called the Problem Solvers Caucus.

Johnson drew attacks from a pro-Trump political action committee called Drain the DC Swamp, which spent $500,000 trying to knock him from the House.

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Associated Press writers Scott McFetridge in Des Moines, Iowa; Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Miss.; Matthew Brown in Billings, Mont.; Mike Catalini in Trenton, N.J.; and Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, S.D., contributed to this report.

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Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics
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WASHINGTON - A D.C. police officer pulled over the driver of a Pontiac Bonneville because it had license plates registered to a different type of car, then spotted an open container of alcohol and ordered its occupants to step outside.

A search turned up two silver handguns - one, which was legally registered, in the driver's pants; the other, which was not, in a green and white bag in the trunk.

Police arrested all four young men who had been in the vehicle, charging each with multiple gun offenses.

But prosecutors soon dropped the cases. According to police, they wanted more evidence to link the illegal gun in the trunk to a specific person in the Bonneville. Eight months after they were taken into custody last fall, those in the group remain uncharged.

Officials across the country have been under immense pressure to curb gun crimes - even before a gunman attacked and killed 19 children and two teachers last week in Texas, and another gunman shot and killed 10 people in a Buffalo supermarket less than two weeks before that. Gun crimes have soared across the country in recent years, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reporting that the firearm homicide rate in 2020 reached its highest level in a quarter-century. Police and prosecutors have focused on reducing the number of illegal firearms on the streets, as other officials debate tightening who can purchase guns legally.

The experience in the District of Columbia highlights how aggressive tactics to seize guns can exacerbate tensions with communities and collide with the realities of successful prosecutions. To substantiate a case in court, police must show they had legitimate reason to conduct a search and tie a gun to a specific person, which can be a difficult task.

And defense attorneys and criminal justice advocates say officers are often stopping young Black men on flimsy pretexts and bringing weak cases in a so-far-unsuccessful effort to quell shootings.

Police said they seized more than 2,400 illegal firearms in 2021, a slight increase from the previous year. The pace is accelerating this year, with 54% more illegal firearms confiscated than at this time in 2021. At the same time, homicides are rising for the fifth year in a row.

About half the people charged with murder typically have a prior gun arrest, according to police, though not necessarily a conviction. In the week the men in the Bonneville were stopped, D.C. police arrested 23 people for gun offenses; prosecutors did not pursue charges against 13 of them. Of the 10 people charged, six were convicted, with sentences ranging from participation in a diversion program to 18 months behind bars, court records show. Four are awaiting trial.

At a news conference to announce a crime-fighting initiative last fall, D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee told reporters and residents that prosecutors' declining to bring cases was "very frustrating," and he worried people released from custody pending further investigation could be "picking up another gun." He said he wanted investigators to build solid cases but added: "I also want to see people going to jail and being held accountable when they violate our community and go out there and use illegal firearms in our city."

The aggressive tactics police use to seize guns have long drawn scrutiny. The Police Reform Commission, a panel formed by the D.C. Council after the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, argued in an April 2021 report that officers on special squads such as the Gun Recovery Unit "use aggressive stop and search tactics" and recommended sweeping changes, such as barring officers from citing "high crime areas" as a partial justification for stopping people. Social and racial justice advocates have called for D.C. police to disband the unit altogether.

In 2019, an effort by the U.S. attorney's office in D.C. to prosecute felons caught with illegal firearms in federal court, rather than Superior Court, generated controversy after it was learned the initiative targeted three predominantly Black wards. Officials had claimed it would be enforced citywide. Sentences in federal court are generally harsher, which officials hoped would be a deterrent.

Police have signaled openness to change. Two months after Contee became chief in January 2021, a Gun Recovery Unit commander circulated a memo urging others to rethink some of the aggressive tactics.

"No idea is too small or too radical," the commander wrote, causing a stir in the office for saying the policing style of the past two decades was "no longer what we should be doing."

Contee said at the time that he wanted police to shift away from seizing as many guns as possible to finding the people "that pull the trigger."

But with a steady drumbeat of police-blotter items flowing across Twitter - spitting out shards of frightening crime alerts that include shootings, gun offenses and carjackings across the District - making significant changes is easier said than done. The increase in gun violence has led to a clamor from some residents to crack down on offenders, even as members of the D.C. Council work to restrict police tactics as part of efforts ushered in by social justice protests in the summer of 2020.

- - -

'A very high standard'

Each week, D.C. police post listings of gun seizures and people arrested, along with photos of confiscated firearms. The weapons range from small pistols to semiautomatic rifles, many built from home kits.

Police in the District seized 52 illegal firearms in the first week of May, near Union Station, the White House, Capital One Arena and elsewhere. Police seized another 58 illegal guns the following week.

To the frustration of police, the path from arrest to prosecution to prison is a difficult one.

During the first half of 2021, the U.S. attorney's office said prosecutors in D.C. Superior Court pursued 112 of the 186 felon-in-possession cases brought by police. Forty-five of the cases were considered still under investigation, and 29 were dropped altogether.

The U.S. attorney's office said it was unable to provide more recent data or data for federal court in the District. Officials also said they did not have data on other types of gun crime prosecutions.

Prosecutors argue they are limited by case law in D.C. To survive legal scrutiny, they have to assess why an officer stopped a person in the first place, what cause they had to search a person or their vehicle and what evidence they have tying a particular person to a particular weapon.

The U.S. attorney's office has experienced losses in the appeals court, which officials said have shaped their strategies.

In 2014, for example, D.C. police stopped the driver of a vehicle with a broken brake light in Southeast Washington and found suspected marijuana in the center console. The vehicle was registered to the driver's girlfriend, and police got a warrant to search her home, finding a bag containing a Glock 9mm handgun, mail in the driver's name and drawings by the couple's child under a bed.

Prosecutors ultimately won a conviction against the man on gun charges. But the D.C. Court of Appeals threw it out, saying the evidence connecting the man to the gun was "quite thin" and ruling authorities had failed to "establish the link between the gun and a criminal enterprise."

Similarly, in January, the D.C. Court of Appeals overturned the conviction of a man who was arrested by members of the Gun Recovery Unit in 2016 in Northeast Washington. The appeals court decided officers did not have sufficient evidence to detain the man, rejecting prosecutors' argument that police were in their rights to approach him because he was in a "high crime area" and had made "slight adjustments with his front waistband."

"We must meet a very high standard of connecting a given person to a given gun," said Chrisellen Kolb, the chief of the appellate division for the U.S. attorney's office in the District.

A person does not need to be caught holding a gun by authorities. But if a gun is found in the trunk of a car with five people inside, who can get charged?

"The answer is, probably nobody, until we can get DNA off of the gun," Kolb said.

Police and prosecutors say they confer daily over gun arrests, reviewing body-camera video to help build cases or learn of unforeseen pitfalls. Prosecutors said they try to talk with the arresting officer before deciding to drop a case.

"If we can prosecute a gun case, we're going to do it," said Alyse Constantinide, who departed as chief of the U.S. attorney's office's early-case-assessment section shortly after an interview for this story. "But we are bound by the law . . . and that's why we try to get more evidence and bring cases back later, rather then just sending them away forever."

Police Cmdr. Ramey J. Kyle, who heads the Narcotics and Special Investigations Division, which includes the gun squad, said the department has adjusted its tactics to try to build stronger cases. Where the department might once have stopped and questioned all 30 people in an area experiencing violence, now officers are "taking a couple of steps back - who's out there, what's their background, maybe we set up on them and watch. Instead of stopping all 30, we're getting in that crowd the person who actually has that gun."

"The boxes we have to check for each arrest keeps growing and growing and growing," Kyle said. "But at the end of the day, it makes for better officers and better cases."

- - -

Pushing legal boundaries

Defense lawyers say police sometimes trample constitutional rights to justify stopping someone to prove a hunch that they are armed. Requiring concrete evidence that a person possesses a firearm should not be considered a hurdle, they say, but the starting point for an arrest.

"Imagine, having to prove that a person actually had a gun on him to prove he had a gun," Anne-Marie Moore, a defense lawyer in the District, said sarcastically.

Moore represents one young man in a group of eight people whom police charged in January with gun offenses. Authorities said they found seven firearms in two vehicles linked to the group, whom they accused of breaking into cars in downtown Washington.

One juvenile in the group had a gun on him, police said. But the other unregistered firearms were found under seats or on the floorboards of the two vehicles.

Prosecutors dropped the firearms counts against the four adults. Only one of them, Moore's client, was charged by prosecutors in adult court, and only with misdemeanor property destruction and breaking into a vehicle. He was freed pending trial.

Prosecutors said further investigation is needed before filing more serious firearms charges against any of those involved.

Moore declined to specifically discuss her client's case, but she said police are often too quick to arrest, noting "there is a disconnect between the police and the prosecutors."

Sweta Patel, a defense attorney, said prosecutors are forced to drop gun cases "because of the lack of training that is taught to the officers who are in charge of making these arrests."

"I think MPD has worked on the premise of, 'Let's get the gun off the street and worry about the constitutional issues later,'" she said.

Patel represents clients suing members of the D.C. police Gun Recovery Unit, alleging a pattern of illegal tactics and indiscriminate stops of young Black men in high-crime neighborhoods.

One of the plaintiffs alleges he was stopped in 2020 while walking down a street carrying a backpack strapped to his chest. Seeing officers in a car behind him, the then-24-year-old slung the backpack he had been holding with one hand to over his shoulders, a move police deemed suspicious.

Police said the bag appeared unusually heavy; the man claimed only a bag of marijuana was inside. The suit alleges that one officer felt the bag and heard a sound when the man shook it. Police searched it and found a loaded .380 handgun. Prosecutors did not pursue criminal charges.

The D.C. Office of the Attorney General, which is defending the officers, called the arrest an example of solid police work, writing in court papers that the man's behaviors, "when examined in totality," justified the stop.

In the lawsuit, Patel disputed the officers' account, asserting that the case is an example of what she described as the District's "war on guns and young African American men who might carry them."

The case remains unresolved.

- - -

The Washington Post's Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.
MILAN (AP)  Authorities in the northwestern Italian port city of Genoa on Tuesday were executing arrest warrants on 14 Pakistani citizens linked to the man who stabbed two people in September 2020 outside the former offices in Paris of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine.

The suspects are accused of criminal association with an international terror group, and are suspected of belonging to a terror cell called Gabar Group with direct links to the attacker, Pakistani-born Zaher Hassan Mahmood, anti-terrorism investigators said in a statement.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  The Ohio Supreme Court declined on Tuesday to take up a fired college bookstore employee's battle for his job, likely ending the Ohioan's yearslong saga.

Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor signed the single-sentence entry declining Andre Brady's appeal without elaboration. He has 10 days to seek reconsideration.
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LOS ANGELES (AP)  Democratic U.S. Rep. Karen Bass and billionaire developer Rick Caruso breezed past a large field of rivals looking to be the next mayor of Los Angeles and advanced Tuesday to a runoff election in November.

An early tally of mail-in ballots showed Caruso with 41% and Bass with 38%. A candidate needed to top 50% to avoid a runoff.

A dozen names were on the ballot, though several candidates dropped out.

Bass, a favorite of the partys progressive wing, and the Republican-turned-Democrat Caruso easily distanced themselves from the rest of the field. City Councilman Kevin de Leon, a former state Senate leader, was a distant third with 7%.

Bass, who was on then President-elect Joe Bidens short list for vice president, would be the first woman mayor of Los Angeles and the second Black person to hold the office.

The race largely focused on homelessness and crime. More than 40,000 people live in trash-strewn homeless encampments and rusty RVs, and widely publicized smash-and-grab robberies and home invasions have unsettled residents.

Each candidate used their victory speeches to promise a better tomorrow while also taking shots at their opponent.

Together we will make a city where you want to live because you feel safe, because the air you breathe is clean, and because people are no longer dying on our streets, Bass said. "Not with empty promises from the past, but through a bold path forward.

Caruso quoted Bass as saying that under her leadership homelessness would not be solved in her first term and that the most residents could count on would be light at the end of the tunnel after four years.

Whoa. Whoa," Caruso said. "Let me respond by saying this: The light at the end of the tunnel is shining bright tonight.

Caruso, 63, who sits on the board of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and was endorsed by the police union, has positioned himself as a centrist outsider running against City Halls progressive establishment. He blames Bass, 68, and other longtime incumbents for sprawling homeless encampments that have spread into virtually every neighborhood and concerns about unsafe streets.

This is a great night because so many people have gone to the voting booth, and theyve sent a message: We are not helpless in the face of our problems," Caruso said. "We will not allow this city to decline. We will no longer accept excuses.

His strong performance is an unwelcome sign for Democrats defending their fragile majorities in Congress and in other races around the country.

The last time City Hall veered to the political right was in 1993, when voters turned to Republican businessman Richard Riordan to lead the city in the aftermath of the deadly 1992 riots that erupted after four white police officers were acquitted of assault in the beating of Black motorist Rodney King.

Los Angeles, however, is much changed since Riordans days. Its more Latino, less white and more solidly Democratic. Only 13% of registered voters are Republicans.

Carusos estimated $4.3 billion fortune allowed him to run a seemingly nonstop display of TV and online ads. His campaigns spending  over $40 million as of early this week, most of it his money  topped all other candidates combined.

"Its hard to defeat a people-powered campaign ... no matter how much money is spent, and its hard to defeat folks who are committed to a cause, not just a candidate, Bass said. All of us stood strong against an onslaught, a $45 million onslaught to be exact, spent by a billionaire.

By comparison, Bass spending hit about $3.3 million, though both campaigns were also supported by ads from outside groups.

There was competition over celebrity endorsements, as is typical in Los Angeles. Earvin Magic Johnson backed Bass, while Caruso had Snoop Dogg and Gwyneth Paltrow behind him.

The race took a nasty turn recently.

Ads run by Bass and her allies depict Caruso as a West coast version of former President Donald Trump, who is dodging taxes, blowing a right wing dog whistle and lying about Bass record.

In advertising from Caruso and his supporters, Bass emerges as an ethically compromised charlatan who missed key votes in Congress and counts an indicted city councilman in her circle of friends.

___

Associated Press writer Robert Jablon contributed to this report.
Actor Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, Texas, urged lawmakers to act on gun control Tuesday in impassioned remarks delivered in a surprise appearance on the White House briefing room's podium, adding another twist in the tumultuous debate over firearms that has roiled Washington in the wake of several mass shootings.

McConaughey emotionally told the stories of the 19 children and two teachers killed by a shooter at an elementary school in the small South Texas city on May 24. He said he and his wife, Camila Alves, spent most of past week with the victims' families in his hometown.

"You know what every one of these parents wanted, what they asked us for? What every parent separately expressed in their own way to Camila and me? That they want their children's dreams to live on," McConaughey said. "They want to make their loss of life matter."

The actor then called on lawmakers in Washington to take action on gun control as they try to forge a bipartisan congressional response to recent mass shootings. Expectations for a quick deal were fading Tuesday, even as those involved in the talks remained hopeful about the chances for an eventual agreement.

"Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals," McConaughey said. "These regulations are not a step back. They're a step forward for civil society and the Second Amendment."

McConaughey and Alves spent Tuesday morning on Capitol Hill, meeting with Republican and Democratic lawmakers to discuss gun control. McConaughey also met with President Joe Biden before stepping into the White House briefing room with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who said the actor wanted to use his platform to deliver a message about common-sense gun measures.

The actor's appearance reflected how the killing at the Texas elementary school, with its shocking number of young victims, has seized the country's attention.

Washington Post photo by Demetrius Freeman.

McConaughey, a household name from such movies as "Dazed and Confused" and "Dallas Buyers Club," is not a political figure, but he flirted last year with running for governor of Texas, finally announcing in November that he had decided against it. "As a simple kid born in the little town of Uvalde, Texas, it never occurred to me that I would one day be considered for political leadership," McConaughey said in a video at the time, adding that he would seek other ways to make a difference.

McConaughey gave few indications of his political leanings as he considered a campaign, saying at one point that he was more of a "folksy and philosopher poet statesman" than a politician. He did say that he would not mandate vaccinating young children against the coronavirus and that his own two youngest hadn't been immunized.

On Tuesday, he presented himself as a small-town Texan and gun owner who was introduced early to firearms but who supports responsible gun ownership and takes issue with those who misuse the Second Amendment.

Lawmakers, he said, have a window of opportunity now to pass meaningful gun-control measures. The actor called for the creation of a waiting period for purchasing AR-15 rifles, as well as for raising the minimum age for purchasing that type of weapon to 21. He also called for universal background checks and "red flag" laws.

Gun responsibility, he said, is something most Americans "agree on more than we don't."

"This should be a nonpartisan issue," McConaughey said. "That should not be a partisan issue. There is not a Democratic or Republican value in one single act of these shooters."

The actor told reporters that his mother taught kindergarten less than a mile from Robb Elementary School, the scene of the shooting. Uvalde, he said, is the town where he "learned responsible gun ownership."

Going back to his hometown in the wake of the shooting, he said, was shocking.

"You could feel the pain, the denial, the disillusion, anger, blame, sadness, loss of lives, dreams halted," he said.

McConaughey also showed artifacts from the slain children, including a drawing made by one of the victims, Alithia Ramirez, 10, who had visions of going to art school in Paris, showing herself along with a friend looking down on her from heaven. Another of the little girls killed, Maite Rodriguez, who was also 10, wanted to be a marine biologist, McConaughey recalled.

"Maite cared for the environment so strongly that, when the city asked her mother if they could release some balloons into the sky in her memory, her mother said 'Oh no, Maite wouldn't want to litter,'" he said.

Maite, McConaughey said, wore green high-top Converse shoes "with a heart she had hand-drawn on the right toe, because they represented her love of nature." Alves, sitting nearby McConaughey in the briefing room, showed a pair of the shoes.

"These are the same green Converse on her feet that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting," McConaughey said.
MECOSTA COUNTY  The Mecosta County board of commissioners approved a per diem for Commission on Aging volunteer transportation drivers during its meeting this week.

Mecosta County COA director Cynthia Mallory told the board in a letter of request that the COA has had difficulty finding and maintaining volunteer drivers due to the increase in fuel costs.

These drivers go to clients homes, pick them up and take them to and from their doctor appointments each day, Mallory said in the letter. With the COA Advisory board being in agreement, I would like to ask for permission to provide a per diem for drivers of $5 in county and $10 out of county.

Mallory provided information stating that the average number of trips per year out of county is 465. With a payment of $10 per trip, that would total around $4,650 annually.

We will be receiving ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding from MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation) this year in the amount of $4,086 to be used toward this cost, Mallory said in the letter.

The average number of trips in county is 869 per year, she added, and a payment of $5 per trip would total $4,345 annually.

The Senior Center board of directors responded positively to the news of needing support for our drivers, Mallory said. They will support this idea financially, if needed.

In addition, she said, the Area Agency on Aging transportation program funding for FY 2023-24, which is used to cover in county volunteer mileage could cover the in county per diem going forward.

In a nutshell, the funds are here to do this and anything that is not covered, the Area Agency on Aging will help and so will the Senior Center board, commission chairperson Bill Routley said. They have a healthy fund, and we all realize this is a need.

Mecosta County finance officer Mindy Taylor added that the COA saw a drop in the number of people willing to drive with the jump in gas prices, and the COA needs the per diem to keep offering those services.

I believe she said they were down to about six drivers, Routley said. Before COVID, they had around 16, so that is a huge drop.

The motion to approve the per diem rates was passed unanimously.

For more information about volunteer opportunities with the COA, or for services, visit mecostacounty.org/government/coa.php or call 231-972-2884.
GODFREY  Mia, a 2-3-year-old Shepherd mix, who is friendly and cute, sadly was brought to 5As because her former owners had no room for her.

Mia is friendly and playful, but can also be rambunctious. She has been around adults and children up to the age of 10. Mia would love an active, happy family to live with forever.
KABUL, Afghanistan - Tens of millions of dollars disappeared from Afghan government bank accounts during the Taliban takeover in August, according to a U.S. government watchdog report released Monday, the latest in a series detailing the collapse of the Afghan government and its military.

The assessment by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, examined allegations that Afghan government officials took tens of millions of dollars with them as they fled the country. Former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani was accused of loading millions of dollars onto the helicopters that he and his close aides used to flee Kabul as Taliban fighters entered the city.

After the Taliban's sudden military takeover of Afghanistan, media reports emerged alleging Ghani stole over $150 million in government funds when he fled, feeding public anger with the former leader for leaving Afghanistan. Ghani's departure is seen by many as the decisive event that allowed Taliban forces to walk into Kabul and take complete control of the country.

SIGAR found the theft of millions by Ghani "unlikely" but said the former president did leave with some cash, adding that "evidence indicates that this number did not exceed $1 million and may have been closer in value to $500,000."

The report quotes one former senior official who fled with Ghani on the helicopters stating, "everyone had $5,000 to $10,000 in their pockets. . . . No one had millions." The official was not named in the public version of the assessment. Ghani has also repeatedly denied the allegations of theft.

Among the reasons SIGAR found it unlikely Ghani stole millions as he fled the country are details of his final hours in the palace. SIGAR determined Ghani's departure was sudden, not leaving the leader or his aides time to collect the cash.

The report also assessed that over $150 million in hundred-dollar bills "would have been difficult to conceal" and if "stacked end to end . . . would be somewhat larger than a standard American three-seater couch."

Ghani and many of those who fled with him live in the United Arab Emirates, which welcomed him and his family on humanitarian grounds.

But tens of millions remain unaccounted for. SIGAR found evidence of "$5 million taken from the presidential palace and tens of millions taken from the vault at the National Directorate of Security," the former Afghan government's main intelligence agency. The investigation has not determined whether the money was removed from the country by government officials.

"With Afghan government records and surveillance videos from those final days likely in Taliban hands, SIGAR is currently unable to determine how much money was ultimately stolen, and by whom," the report said.

One of the largest budgets SIGAR is investigating is the estimated $70 million in cash in the hands of Afghanistan's main intelligence agency for discretionary use like the funding of "anti-Taliban militias and to maintain the support of local power brokers and communities." When the Taliban reached the vault on Aug. 15, only a few bills of Afghan currency remained, a former senior official told SIGAR. The official was also not named in the public version of the report.

The report stated that its investigation into stolen Afghan assets is ongoing.
Jacksonville Police

ACCIDENTS

 Clista J. Hoots, 47, of Chapin was cited on charges of operating an uninsured vehicle, improper use of an electronic communication device, operation of a vehicle with suspended registration, and having no valid driver's license after the car she was driving struck a utility pole about 11:29 p.m. Sunday in the 700 block of West Lafayette Avenue.

 Sarah A. Sutheard, 56, of Jacksonville was cited on a charge of following too closely after the car she was driving and one being driven by Brittany K. Hester, 32, of Jacksonville collided at 1:58 p.m. Sunday in the 1100 block of West Lafayette Avenue.

THEFTS, BURGLARIES

 A hatchet was stolen from Goodwill, 1205 W. Morton Ave., according to a report filed at 3:09 p.m. Monday.

 The rear registration plate was stolen between May 29 and Sunday from a vehicle in the 500 block of East Morton Avenue, according to a report filed at 7:27 p.m. Sunday.

OTHER REPORTS

 Police were called at 5:46 p.m. Sunday to the 1300 block of South Diamond Street because a man was refusing to pull up his pants. The man told police he would take care of the matter.

Pike County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Robert York, 38, of Fox Lake was booked into Pike County Jail at 2:29 a.m. Friday on a violation of the Sex Offender Registration Act.

 Sean T, Mitchell, 27, of Las Vegas was booked into Pike County Jail at 11:29 p.m. Wednesday on a petition to revoke.

 Joshua L. Kelly, 32, of Pleasant Hill was booked into Pike County Jail at 5:50 p.m. Saturday on a theft charge.

 Munson S. Lyons, 56, of Willowbrook was booked into Pike County Jail at 11:49 a.m. May 31 on a charge of driving under the influence.

Pittsfield Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Raymond L. Andrus, 18, of Pittsfield was booked into Pike County Jail at 6:15 p.m. Thursday on an aggravated assault charge.

State police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Brent A. Marcel, 46, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was booked into Pike County Jail at 10:45 a.m. Thursday on a charge of driving under the influence.
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AMHERST, N.Y. (AP)  Police are investigating a fire at an anti-abortion center in a Buffalo suburb early Tuesday as a likely arson  one the centers operators suspect is the work of womens rights extremists.

The fire was reported at about 3 a.m. and left the building temporarily unusable, CompassCare Chief Executive Jim Harden said.

Essentially, they firebombed the operation, Harden said. They broke the two main windows in the reception area and the nurses office and lit the fires.

The Amherst police news release announcing the investigation did not include a suspected motive. The FBI declined to comment on whether it was involved in the arson investigation.

On its website, the center said it and others like it have faced online and in-person threats in recent weeks following the leak of a draft opinion that suggests the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide.

Last month, the office of a prominent Wisconson anti-abortion lobby group was damaged by fire after two Molotov cocktails were thrown at it. Police said an anti-abortion organization in Salem, Oregon, also recently was damaged by two Molotov cocktails during an unsuccessful break-in attempt.

Harden said CompassCare provides free health care to women and encourages them to seek alternatives to abortion. The Buffalo office serves about 20 patients each week, he said.

Services will resume Wednesday at an undisclosed location, he said. The Rochester-based organization has increased security at its Rochester and Albany locations and plans to install armored glass in the Buffalo office.

At a news conference, Harden said the vandals who set the fire wrote Jane was here on the building.

This is the face of abortion, he said. Theyre revealing it to us.

The fire took place in the same Buffalo suburb where Dr. Barnett Slepian was murdered by an anti-abortion extremist in 1998.

That killing followed a period in which Buffalo was ground zero in the nation's anti-abortion movement, with protesters converging on the city from around the U.S. in an attempt to close clinics down.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced last month the state would give abortion providers $35 million to expand services and boost security in anticipation of the Supreme Court decision. Besides Slepian, at least 10 other people have been slain across the U.S. by anti-abortion zealots since 1993 in attacks on clinics and health care providers.

Harden said the fire shows that groups opposed to abortion deserve security help, too.

We havent gotten a single dime for security, Harden said.

In an emailed statement, Hochul's office said the governor "condemns violence of any kind, and the State Police stand ready to assist local authorities with the investigation.
VATICAN CITY (AP)  Pope Francis announced the first appointments Tuesday under his newly reformed Vatican bureaucracy, tapping a trusted cardinal and outside financial experts to serve on a new investment committee.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who leads the Vaticans laity office and is also the camerlengo who runs the Vatican in between pontificates, will head the committee assisted by four experts from Britain, Germany, Norway and the U.S., the Vatican said in a note.

Among other things, Francis new reform calls for the creation of an investment committee to guarantee the ethical nature of the Holy Sees securities investments according to the churchs social doctrine and at the same time their profitability, adequacy and risks.

Its creation marks the pope's latest response to a financial scandal that has rocked the Vatican for several years over its 350-million-euro investment in a London real estate venture. Vatican prosecutors have charged 10 people, including a cardinal, of defrauding the Holy See of tens of millions of euros.

During a new hearing in the trial on Tuesday, prosecutors questioned defendant Raffaele Mincione, a London-based fund manager, for a second day about his management of a fund that owned the London property. He denies wrongdoing.

Francis was elected on a mandate to reform the Vatican bureaucracy, and both the trial and his new blueprint reorganizing the Curia, which went into effect Sunday, are some of the tangible effects of that reform.

The pope is expected to make more appointments in the coming days and weeks to fill out some of the newly merged offices.

Separately Tuesday, the Vatican bank issued its annual report, recording an 18.1-million-euro net profit, down from the 36.4-million profit in 2020. The Institute for Religious Works, as the bank is known, said the profit was in line with expectations based on a new business model and conservative risk portfolio.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Aerospace and defense company Raytheon Technologies will establish a global headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, the company announced Tuesday.

The location just outside Washington increases agility in supporting U.S. government and commercial aerospace customers and serves to reinforce partnerships that will progress innovative technologies to advance the industry, the company said in a news release.

Each of the company's four business units  Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense  currently have operations in Virginia. The new office will be located Arlingtons Rosslyn neighborhood alongside the existing Intelligence and Space business.

The company currently employs about 130 corporate staffers at its Arlington location and does not expect that number to increase significantly, spokesman Chris Johnson said. Raytheon will maintain its presence in Massachusetts, including at its current headquarters in Waltham, he wrote in an email.

The company did not accept or seek any financial incentives from the state or any municipality in connection with the new office, according to the news release.

Raytheon's announcement comes about a month after Boeing Co. disclosed plans to move its headquarters from Chicago to Arlington.

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin welcomed the announcement, saying it showed the state is the best destination for the aerospace and defense community.
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who has elevated her national prominence through a hands-off approach to pandemic restrictions, won the Republican primary on Tuesday against a former legislative leader who accused her of using the office to mount a 2024 White House bid.

All three Republican incumbents running for reelection to a statewide office  Noem, U.S. Sen. John Thune and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson  held off primary challengers running to their right. Primary voters also soundly rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have made it more difficult to pass citizen-initiated ballot measures that raise taxes or spend significant public funds.

The first-term governors primary win against former South Dakota House Speaker Steve Haugaard gives her a commanding advantage as she seeks another term in November against Democratic state Rep. Jamie Smith, who did not face a primary challenger.

In her speech at an election night party, Noem didn't even mention her Democratic gubernatorial challenger's name. Instead, she told the crowd, we're going to have the chance to go into a November election and make sure we're pushing back on Joe Biden's America.

She then led them in booing and jeering the president's policies as she drove a comparison between Biden and former President Donald Trump, whose attention she has courted.

Today, I'm on defense, she said. Every time I turn around I'm fighting off Joe Biden and the damage he's doing to the state of South Dakota.

Noem has used this election fundraising cycle to collect a record amount of money for a South Dakota gubernatorial candidate  bringing in more than $15 million from a series of fundraisers all over the country.

She was one of the only governors who stood firm in not using the pandemic to increase government intrusions in our lives, said Kerry Larson, a Republican voter from Sioux Falls. It says a lot about her and how she will govern under pressure.

But Noem has also struggled to manage Statehouse politics at times, publicly clashing with Republican legislators with whom she disagrees.

Haugaard had attempted to turn the tables on Noem's 2018 campaign promise to increase government transparency. He has pointed to ethics complaints she faces for using state-owned airplanes to attend political events and taking a hands-on role in a state agency while it was evaluating her daughter's application for a real estate appraiser license.

Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the chamber, also won his primary against two challengers who joined the race after Thune drew Trump's ire. Trump speculated the senator's career was over after he made public statements dismissing the former president's lies about widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Neither of the challengers was well-funded or well-known in the state, and in a sign that Thune was positioned for victory, Trump steered clear of South Dakota.

Thune is a longtime fixture as the state GOPs elder statesman, and if he wins reelection to a fourth term, he is a likely pick to succeed Mitch McConnell as Senate Republican leader. He will face Democrat Brian Bengs, an Air Force veteran and college professor, in November's general election.

The senator alluded to his prominence in Washington in a statement celebrating the primary win, saying he would continue putting South Dakota's interests on the national agenda" and labeling Biden's agenda as a radical, left-wing crusade.

Thune's status in Washington factored into Republican Sandra Pay's vote, saying it would be crazy to vote out someone with Thune's Senate leadership post.

He's got power, she said.

Republican Johnson defeated state lawmaker Taffy Howard in the Republican primary for the states lone House spot. The $300,000 Howard's campaign raised was dwarfed by Johnsons $1.8 million, but a number of national political action committees spent money in the race as it began to look competitive.

It will not be deception and New Jersey attacks that carry the day, Johnson said, referring to a political action committee called Drain The Swamp that spent $500,000 opposing Johnson. It will be truth and South Dakota hard work.

The congressman has taken a measured approach on most issues and has touted his work with a bipartisan group of lawmakers called the Problem Solvers Caucus. Howard has tried to challenge him from the right, creating a primary race that showed some momentum behind the more extreme wing of the Republican Party in South Dakota.

That intraparty conflict has been fought across a slate of legislative primary races where Republicans have launched attack ads against each other. Establishment Republicans are trying to weed out a group of contrarian lawmakers who have pushed the Legislature further right.

However, Republican voter Kim McKoy said Tuesday one thing was on her mind as she cast her vote: Economy, economy, economy.

She mostly voted against incumbents.

I listen to these people talk and I'm like, Do you care that people are struggling? I just don't think they do," she said. "I think they care about their causes and they've lost their minds.

Primary voters defeated an amendment to the state constitution, proposed by Republican lawmakers, that would have placed a 60% vote threshold on ballot measures to raise taxes or spend more than $10 million within five years of enactment.

Democrat Joshua Matzner said he voted against the proposal because it would erode the power of citizens to change laws through the ballot.

We prefer to be able to actually make a decision in our government, he said.
MADRID (AP)  Bars and restaurants in Spain will be obliged to offer doggybags free of charge to clients to take home the food they have not eaten under a new law aimed at reducing food waste.

Under the new bill passed by the Spanish government Tuesday, businesses in the food chain will have to draw up plans to try to reduce the amount of food wasted or else face possible fines.
ISLAMABAD (AP)  Germany's top diplomat expressed concerns Tuesday during a visit to Pakistan that neighboring Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers are leading that country into a complete downfall and bringing about incredible suffering and hunger.

Annalena Baerbock spoke at a press conference with her Pakistani counterpart, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, after discussing a range of issues with officials in Islamabad, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Since seizin power in mid-August last year, the Taliban have imposed harsh edicts in Afghanistan, harking back to their repressive rule during the late 1990s. They have restricted freedoms and rights of women, who are now barred from going to school beyond the sixth grade, and minorities. The country has plunged into an unprecedented crisis, hurtling toward an economic meltdown as famine and hunger loom.

In Islamabad, Baerbock urged that any economic aid to Afghanistan's Taliban should be coupled with improvements in the human rights situation.

The Taliban, she said, are leading the country into a downfall" and Afghan parents do not know how to feed their children. Girls are deprived of their right to education. Women are almost excluded from participation in public life. Dissenting voices are brutally suppressed. The economy is grinding to a halt."

The Taliban are "heading in the wrong direction," Baerbock said. As long as they go down this path, there is no room for normalization and even less for recognition of the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of the country."

Last week, the U.N. Security Council called on Afghanistans Taliban rulers to swiftly reverse their policies and practices restricting the human rights of women and girls.

Baerbock said Germany would continue helping those Afghans who wish to leave their country and praised Pakistan for facilitating their travel to Germany.

We will continue to provide humanitarian aid and support the people who need it the most, especially women and girls who suffer more than anyone else under the Talibans rule," she said.

So far, more than 14,000 Afghans who were at risk from the Taliban had traveled to Germany through Pakistan, seeking to start a new life in safety and without fear.

Later on Tuesday, Germanys foreign ministry said Baerbock was cutting short her trip after testing positive for COVID-19 in Pakistan. She took a test after noticing she had lost her sense of taste at lunch, the ministry said on Twitter.

It said that all further engagements on her trip were canceled, but didnt immediately give details on the timing of her return to Germany. Bhutto Zardari and those Pakistani officials who met with the German foreign minister were protectively isolating themselves at home, according to officials.

Bhutto Zardari, standing next to his German counterpart, asked the Taliban rulers to honor the commitments they had made to the international community before and after seizing power. It is our hope that the Afghan authorities would be responsive to the international communitys expectations regarding inclusivity, respect for human rights for all Afghans, including women, and take effective actions against terrorism," he said.

Bhutto Zardari said the international community must be actively engaged with Afghanistan's rulers to prevent a humanitarian crisis. We also believe that the release of Afghanistans financial assets would be crucial in stabilizing the economy and giving it sustainability," he said.

Since the Taliban seized power in August, Pakistan has been urging the United States and other countries to release upward of $10 billion in frozen Afghan assets. However, the U.S. has previously said some of that money is tied up in litigation involving the survivors and the families of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaida while the group was being harbored in Afghanistan by the Taliban during their previous rule.

___

Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.
Toyota is adding to the Corolla Cross family with a new hybrid variant for the 2023 model year. The hybrid version is equipped with Toyota's fifth-generation hybrid system that Toyota says delivers more performance, delivering 194 horsepower with an 8.0 second 0-60 time. The hybrid system also has a new electronic all-wheel drive system that's new to the entire Corolla nameplate for 2023. Toyota says the powertrain delivers a manufacturer-estimated 37 combined miles per gallon.

VIDEO: 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross Our thanks to Carvey Parker, Content Development & Education Manager for Gulf States Toyota, for showing us some of the highlights of the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross at the 2022 Texas Auto Roundup.

Grades

The Corolla Cross Hybrid comes in three new grades: S, SE and XSE, as well as the familiar LE and XLE grades. S and SE grades come standard with:

17-inch Alloy wheels

8-inch touchscreen

a sport-tuned suspension

LED head and tail lamps and smart key access.

The SE grade adds:

privacy glass

roof rails

paddle shifters

standard Blind-Spot Monitor (BSM) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA).

2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE Acidic Blast. Credit: Toyota.

The XSE is the sportiest grade. It builds on the SE features and adds:

standard 18-inch Alloy wheels

premium LED head lamps

taillamps and fog lamps

SofTex-trimmed seats

heated front seats w/ power driver's seat.

Colors

SE and XSE trims will be available in four two-tone combinations: Sonic Silver/ Black Roof, Barcelona Red/ Black Roof, Blue Crush Metallic/ Black Roof and Acidic Blast/ Black Roof (all-new color).

Other available colors are:

Wind Chill Pearl ($425 extra-color cost)

Sonic Silver Metallic

Jet Black Mica

Barcelona Red Metallic

Cypress

Blue Crush Metallic

Interior

The interior of the Corolla Cross offers many of the same features you find in its sedan and hatchback siblings. In higher grades, it can be outfitted with a power moonroof, as well as either single- or dual-zone automatic climate control, with all grades featuring standard heating and air conditioning vents for rear seat passengers.

Credit: Toyota.

Interior color options include:

LE: Fabric-trimmed seats in Light Gray and Black

XLE: SofTex-trimmed seats in Macadamia/Mocha or Black

S: Fabric-trimmed seats in Black/Gray

SE: Fabric-trimmed seats in Black/Gray or Black/Blue

XSE: SofTex-trimmed seats in Black or Black/Blue

Newest Toyota Multimedia System

The Corolla Cross lineup comes with Toyota's new Multimedia System, with intuitive touch and voice activation controls. It offers Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and added USB-C charge ports. Enhanced connectivity and convenience features include being Over-the-Air (OTA) updates. An available Connected Service Drive Connect trial or subscription, gives drivers and passengers access to Intelligent Assistant, Cloud Navigation and Destination Assist.

Credit: Toyota.

Intelligent Assistant allows drivers to use simple phrases like "Hey Toyota" for voice activated commands to search for directions, find Points of Interest (POI), adjust audio controls, change the cabin temperatures and more. Cloud Navigation, the available onboard navigation solution, utilizes the cloud to download the latest available map, traffic and routing information. To ensure users have the most up-to-date search capabilities, POI search is provided by Google Points-of-Interest data. Destination Assist also gives access to 24/7 live agent assistance to locate the next destination.

The system allows for dual Bluetooth phone connectivity. Other audio features include HD Radio, USB data and a SiriusXM Platinum Plan 3-month trial subscription. An available Wi-Fi Connect subscription offers AT&T 4G connectivity for up to five devices. Plus a Wi-Fi Connect trial or subscription also enables the new Integrated Streaming feature, providing customers the ability to link their separate Apple Music and Amazon Music subscriptions to the vehicle for onboard control.

Standard Toyota Safety Sense 3.0

All 2023 Corolla Cross models come standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, Toyota's suite of active safety systems, which Toyota says has system sensors with improved detection capability. The Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection is also capable of detecting motorcyclists in certain conditions. When making a turn or approaching an intersection, the system is designed to detect forward or laterally approaching oncoming vehicles and provides audio/visual alerts and automatic braking in certain conditions. Improved lane recognition delivers refined performance of Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist and Lane Tracing Assist.

Corolla Cross will be equipped with Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC). Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist is designed to notify the driver via audible and visual alerts and slight steering force if it senses the vehicle is leaving the lane without engaging a turn signal. When DRCC is set and engaged, Lane Tracing Assist uses visible lane markers or a preceding vehicle to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane.

Automatic High Beams are designed to detect preceding or oncoming vehicles and automatically switch between high beam and low beam headlights. Road Sign Assist is designed to recognize certain road sign information using a forward-facing camera and display them on the multi-information display (MID).

Toyota's Rear Seat Reminder comes standard on all grades. The feature can note whether a rear door was opened within 10 minutes of the vehicle being turned on, or at any time after the vehicle has been turned on, with a reminder message in the instrument cluster after the engine is turned off, accompanied by multitone chimes.

In addition to the TSS 3.0 system, other standard safety features include Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA). Hill Start Assist Control (HAC) also comes standard.

Photo Credit: Toyota.

This article originally appeared on CarProUSA
BRISTOL, Va. - For the first time in about a half-century, this rural community on the Tennessee border has scrounged up what it needs to build a new elementary school to replace three moldy, leaking campuses that are well past their expiration dates.

That achievement alone might have lured any governor some 324 miles from the capital to plunge a shiny gold shovel into southwestern Virginia dirt. But it's how local officials financed the project - with a public-private partnership - that made Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R, especially eager to celebrate the groundbreaking Monday morning, when he hinted that he'll tinker with the state budget to push for "lab schools" and cut the gas tax.

"When we bring together the private sector and the public sector, great things happen," the former private equity executive told a gathering of local dignitaries, state legislators and schoolchildren, who took home keepsake vials of soil. "If we look to government to come up with every solution, friends, we're not going to get where we want to go. And when we bring the private sector and the public sector together to innovate and create, amazing things can happen."

Youngkin used that appearance and a second stop in the region Monday afternoon to highlight his interest in public-private partnerships in K-12 education, specifically through the establishment of lab schools, which would pair colleges and possibly private businesses with public K-12 schools.

He hinted that he could advance that goal by amending the state budget bill making its way to his desk - which includes $100 million for lab schools, even though related lab-school legislation seems destined to die in a conference committee.

As an aside in Bristol, Youngkin also indicated that he plans to find a way to cut the gas tax despite the General Assembly's unwillingness to go along with that effort in the budget.

"We have a chance to get out of neutral," Youngkin said, referring to efforts to improve education. "I'm telling you, the commonwealth of Virginia has shifted into high gear and this car can drive. Unfortunately, we've got to pay $4.75 for gas. We're doing everything we can about that, too. Let me tell you, I'm not done on the gas tax, folks. I'm not done."

Youngkin had urged the General Assembly to halt a scheduled increase in the state's gas tax and to grant a five-month gas-tax holiday, suspending it fully for three months and partially for an additional two. Neither plan was included in the budget bill passed last week by the General Assembly.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Barry Knight, R, has urged the governor not to tinker with the budget, which emerged after months of negotiations with his counterpart in the Democratic-controlled state Senate, Janet Howell, D, chairwoman of her chamber's Finance and Appropriations Committee.

Knight declined to comment.

A political newcomer, Youngkin ran for governor last year by leaning into K-12 culture wars over how schools approach racial history and racial sensitivity. He also promised to promote "choice" in education, through charter schools or lab schools, which he touts as sources of innovation.

Democrats call both a potential threat to public schools and have been especially wary of any plan to allow the private sector into public classrooms.

Lab schools are allowed under existing state law passed so long ago that some current legislators are graduates of them. But they can be operated only by public, four-year colleges or universities with teacher training programs. Perhaps because of those restrictions, the state currently has none.

Legislation introduced in the General Assembly this year sought to loosen some of those requirements, allowing private or public colleges to participate, regardless of whether they have teacher-training programs.

Youngkin is making his renewed push as prospects for lab schools in the state seem oddly mixed. The two lab-school bills appear destined to die in a conference committee, with negotiators unable since March to overcome their differences. Yet the two-year budget bill the General Assembly passed last week included $100 million to establish the schools - a provision that a handful of budget negotiators slipped into the plan to the chagrin of some Democrats.

Youngkin hinted Monday that with some tweaks to the budget language, he could make it easier for lab schools to sprout across the commonwealth.

"To have the funds in the House Bill 30 really matters, and that means we can go to work," he said. "And so I'm very excited about that. I do think that there are a few things that we need to fix with regards to the scope of what we can do."

That was good news to Keith Perrigan, Bristol Public Schools superintendent. "We didn't wake up and say, 'Let's go build a lab school,' but if there's a $100 million, I think we're in," he told the governor during his afternoon visit with area K-12 and higher-education leaders at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, a conference center and remote-learning site for a number of colleges in Abingdon.

Sen. Todd Pillion, R, who sponsored the Senate bill and attended the groundbreaking in Bristol, told the crowd that the $100 million for the schools presents "an exciting opportunity for new approaches."

Del. Glenn Davis Jr., R, who did not attend but sponsored the House bill, said the budget language might be enough to kick off the effort. "Arguably we don't need the legislation," Davis said. But he allowed that relying on budget language is not the most durable approach, since the language will expire at the end of the two-year budget cycle.

State Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D, one of the negotiators on the lab-school bills, said the $100 million set aside for them would be better spent for school staff, such as social workers, nurses and custodians.

"My priority would have been supporting the schools that already exist rather than creating new ones," she said.
Two events this weekend at Jacksonvilles Lovejoy Hall will showcase ongoing support for Ukraine in its battle against a Russian invasion that began in February.

Ukraine natives Yuri and Tetiana Safronov, who now live in Ballwin, Missouri, will speak at 3 p.m. Saturday about their homeland and their efforts to provide humanitarian aid and equipment to the largely civilian army there. The Safronovs also will perform Ukrainian folk music, said Scotty DeWolf, who is hosting the events.

Obviously, its a very dangerous enterprise they are doing, DeWolf said. But these people are totally dedicated to their mission of getting supplies and things needed from here to take over there. It is very risky for them, but they do it because they love their country and are all in on preserving their democracy.

The program is open to all, though the Safronovs are hoping it will draw a young audience, DeWolf said.

They want to speak to students, he said. Yuris been getting tremendous reaction from young people. A lot of kids realize theyre seeing major world history unfolding in real time.

The Safronovs program also will draw connections between Ukraine and west-central Illinois, DeWolf said.

Yuri realizes that Jacksonville is very much a family farm community, he said. Ukraine is known as the breadbasket of Europe. They grow a lot of soybean and corn and wheat across Ukraine.

Its a connection DeWolf already has made.

Yuri said the Russians are destroying crops and farmhouses to try to starve people out, he said. They think (Jacksonville residents) will relate to that. Talking to these people gives me a visceral sense of what theyre going through in Ukraine.

A concert at 3 p.m. Sunday also will benefit Ukraine, DeWolf said.

The lineup for Sundays concert includes Rod Nicholson, who performs Christian and Southern gospel music; Christian rap artist Herbie North and North Star; the Jacksonville Drumline; and, possibly, DeWolf on organ.

Admission to both events is free, though free-will donations will be accepted.

In a related event, an idea DeWolf had to grow sunflowers around the city as a show of support for Ukraine is about to bear fruit. Or, well, flowers.

A 50-pound bag of some 25,000 sunflower seeds has been broken down into 1,000 25-seed packets for distribution to the community.

DeWolf intends to hand out some of them at this weekends programs and deliver some of the remaining seeds door-to-door. Anyone wanting seeds to plant in their yards can contact DeWolf at the Ayers Mansion on State Street.

We mainly want to have solidarity with the Ukrainian people, he said, noting that the weekends events mainly are a communication of our concern and prayers for them.

Lovejoy Hall is at 520 W. College Ave.
UPDATE: June 8, 1:25 p.m. CT

An American Airlines representative on Wednesday offered an updated statement regarding Michael Lowes' lawsuit against the carrier.

"As required by law, American cooperates with and responds to court orders for information related to possible criminal activity, and thats what we did in this instance when we were presented with a search warrant," the representative stated in an email.

--- End of Update ---

Arizona resident Michael Lowe filed a lawsuit against American Airlines on Monday stating his life and wellbeing have been irrevocably damaged by the carrier following a series of events that saw him wrongfully incarcerated for 17 days in a New Mexico jail.

First reported by the Fort Worth Telegram's Kaley Johnson, Lowe's suit outlines a case of mistaken identity perpetrated by American Airlines that began in 2020 during a layover at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The filing claims a man unknown to Lowe was caught by surveillance cameras shoplifting merchandise from a store inside DFW Airport before boarding a flight Lowe was taking to Reno, Nevada.

The legal filing states that American Airlines reported the shoplifting incident to DFW Airport police, who requested a manifest of all passengers aboard the suspect's flight. At this point, the lawsuit alleges, the air carrier "departed from its established procedures" by prodiving officers with the identity of a single passenger, Lowe, instead of a full manifest of all passengers.

Lowe's suit includes screenshots of surveillance footage from the day showing the alleged shoplifter was a man with a short "military-style" buzzcut who was not wearing a mask inside the airport. On the day in question, Lowe had two-inch-long gray hair and wore a mask during his layover at DFW Airport.

American Airlines' identification of Lowe prompted law enforcement to issue two warrants for his arrest in Tarrant Countywarrants he remained unaware of for more than a year until an encounter with police while vacationing in Tucumcari, New Mexico. The suit alleges Lowe was at a Fourth of July party and provided his information to officers responding to a disturbance call unrelated to himself, at which point he was arrested for the outstanding warrants and transported to Quay County Jail. There, Lowe's suit claims he was held for 17 days in squalid conditions without explanation of the crimes he was accused him of committing.

During his time in jail, Lowe was subjected to a cavity search and placed in a "general population quarantine pod" housing people accused of violent crimes. There he witnessed bloody beatings, slept on concrete floors and lived in a "constant state of fear of confrontation, physical abuse or sexual victimization." On his 17th day in jail officers released Lowe, offering no explanation as to why he was imprisoned, according to legal documents. He eventually made it home to Flagstaff, Arizona after a fraught, two-day bus ride punctuated by mechanical breakdowns.

After returning to Arizona, Lowe retained an attorney and all charges against him were ultimately dropped following a review of surveillance footage by DFW Airport police. Attorney Scott Palmer says his client is seeking redress for emotional and financial damages incurred as a result of a "negligent investigation" by American Airlines that led to his incarceration.

"I blame American [Airlines], Palmer told Johnson. "Without American doing what they did, [law enforcement] never would have issued a warrant. It all starts with the disclosure of his name and his name only."

On Tuesday an American Airlines representative said the company is reviewing the lawsuit.
A right-wing grassroots political organization is expanding its reach in Harris County, starting with a Jeopardy night in a Northwest Houston suburb this week.

True Texas Project is hosting a Jeopardy night and potluck dinner on Thursday, June 9 at the VFW Post in Cypress, Texas, about 25 miles northwest of downtown Houston. The event is one of only a few that TTP, which in 2021 was labeled an anti-government group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, has held in the Houston area, according to its event schedule; most of the groups activity has focused on North and Central Texas so far, and similar trivia events will be held in Irving and Lubbock that same night.

True Texas Project did not initially respond to request for comment, and later clarified the group would have no speakers at the event. VFW Post 8905 Commander Joshua Wilcox stated the building is hosting TTP in accordance with usual business practices and does not endorse any of its clients' views or leanings.

"True Texas Project is just a paying customer," Wilcox said. "We're not supporting them, we're not defending them, we're just a neutral location that they can hold their meeting at. They're just one of many customers we have rent our space."

True Texas Project backed a slew of hardline conservatives in Texas 2022 primaries, including Mark Middleton, a Dallas-area candidate charged with assaulting police during the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Others, including former gubernatorial candidate Don Huffines, boast open associations with white supremacist, anti-LGBT and anti-government movements.

Houston-based anti-LGBT activist Tracy Shannon, who made waves with her crusade to quash Drag Queen Story Hour events across Texas in 2019, including the Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library in Houston, spoke at a February TTP event in Denton, Texas.

Jacob Colglazier, a staffer for then-Texas gubernatorial candidate Don Huffines and admitted member of the white nationalist groyper movement, headlined the same event. Huffines refused to fire Colglazier when news of his ties to white nationalists surfaced in January.

TTP also backs Bryan Slaton, an East Texas representative who made news this week when he called for banning drag performances around minors.

The group pushed the slogan anybody but Abbott in the run-up to this years Republican primaries, casting the incumbent governor as too moderate for Texas conservatives. Wayne Christian, who secured the Republican nomination for Texas Railroad Commissioner in a runoff last month against surprise challenger oil and gas lawyer Sarah Stogner, was the only statewide office candidate backed by the TTP board to win their primary.

TTPs next event in the greater Houston area event will take place on July 14, also at the VFW in Cypress.
Mere weeks after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Rep. Bryan Slaton issued a warning of another supposedly dire threat to kids safety: drag shows.

The East Texas congressman intends to file legislation protecting kids from drag shows and other inappropriate displays as soon as the next legislative session begins, according to a press release issued by Slaton Monday morning.

Slatons move is in response to several news stories and videos over the weekend in which underage Texas children were subjected to inappropriate sexual content by adults, Slaton explained. Slaton called the videos of drag shows captured during the first weekend of Pride part of a disturbing trend in which perverted adults are obsessed with sexualizing young children."

In an email discussing the details of his proposed new laws, Slaton wrote that our office is currently researching our options but we believe there are several ways to ban this type of garbage.

However, advocates say Slatons statements are part of a larger, time-honored ploy by Republicans to shift focus away from potentially damaging avenues of inquiry. When conservatives face tough election battles or scrutiny over policy decisions, LGBTQ people often end up vilified, they allege.

This is a diversion tactic, like its always been, said Emmett Schelling, executive director of the Transgender Education Network of Texas. [LGBTQ people] are characterized as a threat to children, but we just saw what the real threat to children is, in horrific detail, Schelling said. These bodies havent all been put in the ground.



After the Uvalde shooting, Texas conservatives were quick to dismiss gun control measures as a legislative response; in his public comments following the shooting, Gov. Greg Abbott focused instead on lapses in mental healthcare and school security. Sen. Ted Cruz parroted former president Donald Trumps outright rejections of gun control at the NRA Convention in Houston the weekend after the shooting and mocked other Republicans that backed out of the conference.

At once, anti-transgender politics have been a mainstay for hardline Texas conservatives all year. In February, a few weeks before midterm primary elections, Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the states child protective agency, to investigate families of transgender children receiving gender-affirming medical treatment as potential cases of child abuse.

Rep. Slaton made his alignment with Abbott's directive targeting families of transgender kids clear on Monday, stating that he has already announced that he will continue his fight to make sex change therapies on minors child abuse.

Harris County Civil Attorney Christian Menefee, who stated in March he will not follow the governor's transgender investigation directives, emphasized that these maneuvers cause real harm, even if they dont translate into concrete legislative changes.

"A main goal, I believe, is to make these families fearful of making decisions they believe to be in the best interest of their kids. And that helps achieve some of the outcome of what they're trying to do," Menefee said Monday. And when folks continue to amplify those positions, it just continues to put those families in fear.
This story was originally published on the AWS Partner Network (APN) Blog.

Pandemic is defined by the dictionary as (of a disease) prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area.

Much of 2020 saw one of the worst global pandemics we have faced. The medical situation this raises with respect to testing, validating, and tracking patient health has placed a heavy load on medical practitioners and patients.

In a global pandemic such as this, it can be hard for medical practitioners and patients to get connected and treated. Continually being on top of patients progress is also a challenge, along with scarcity of doctors who themselves are affected by the pandemic.

In this post, we will share an architectural reference from Capgemini for an Amazon Web Services (AWS) native solution that can help solve these problems for patients and doctors.

The solution architecture uses AWS machine learning (ML) services to enable doctors and patients to interact with the least amount of physical contact, while also improving efficiency in treatment management, tracking, and auditing.

Furthermore, the solution provides the base capabilities required in predicting the susceptibility on an infection in a particular region when integrated with other systems in a region/state.

Patients can book an appointment via the Patients Voice Bot, and doctors can view the patients information and appointment details via the Doctors Voice Bot. Doctors can prescribe medicine via voice, and they can also view patient history, diagnoses provided, and appointments (past and future).

Capgemini is an AWS Premier Consulting Partner and Managed Service Provider (MSP). With a multicultural team of 220,000 people in 40+ countries, Capgemini has more than 6,000 people trained on AWS and 1,500 AWS Certified professionals.

Architecture

Capgeminis solution provides an interface for the patient and another separate interface for the doctors, enabling better security control over who gets access to what data set.

The solution encompasses the following:

Voice input/feedback-based provision (via smartphones) for patients.

Central patient and diagnosis management system on AWS.

Voice input/feedback-based provision for doctors and health practitioners.

Figure 1  High-level solution diagram. Capgemini

The solution uses a voice-based recording and monitoring platform as the core. This provides capabilities for a chat-based interface/bot at the patient and doctor end. The interface asks and listens to questions, enters and maintains responses to the backend, and pushes notifications to medical practitioners that appear on a desktop, laptop, or phone.

The following diagram represents an expanded view of the voice platform. This exposes its services to the two frontends (doctor and patient access apps) via API gateways. The gateway hosts authentication and data retrieval services, and integration to voice, service, and data layers as shown below.

Figure 2  Solution blueprint. Capgemini

The next diagram is a view of different services used to materialize the solution blueprint. Further integration is also possible with patient monitoring solutions that can be integrated into the service layer.

The diagram shows one such possibility where a Raspberry Pi-based patient monitoring systems can integrate to the service layer to enrich patient information for doctors to review.

Figure 3  High-level technical design. Click to view larger image. Capgemini

Building the solution

Capgemini developed the solution using Hybrid Mobile Application (Ionic Angular Framework) on AWS. This framework allows developers to write code for a mobile app once and still accommodate to multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Web, and PWA).

The end user (doctors and patients, in this case) will use a mobile application interface as part of the solution. Amazon Cognito services are used as part of authentication with OAuth 2.0-enabled user pools, created separately for doctors and patients.

A user pool is a user directory in Amazon Cognito where users can sign in to your web or mobile app. They can also sign in through social identity providers like Google, Facebook, Amazon, or Apple, and through SAML identity providers. Whether users sign in directly or through a third party, all members of the user pool have a directory profile you can access through a Software Development Kit (SDK).

User pools provide:

Sign-up and sign-in services.

A built-in, customizable web user interface (UI) to sign in users.

Social sign-in with Facebook, Google, Amazon, or Apple, as well as sign-in with SAML identity providers from your user pool.

User directory management and user profiles.

Security features such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), checks for compromised credentials, account takeover protection, and phone and email verification.

Customized workflows and user migration through AWS Lambda triggers.

The mobile device integrates with authentication and services hosted on Amazon API Gateway, enabled with Amazon Cognito authorizer-enabled for gateway APIs to authenticate incoming requests, along with isolation of doctor and patient APIs.

The services hosted integrate with Amazon Lex services that host the voice conversational interface layer. This enables the bot required to interact and responds to the queries from doctor and patients utilizing Amazon Lexs Intent capabilities, which represents an action the user wants to perform.

Examples of this are: a MakeAppointment Intents is created in Amazon Lex with respective slots fulfillment via Lambda bookAppoinment added.

Please refer to the code snippet below showing how a delegate function defines the appointment data, sends to Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), saves to Amazon DynamoDB, and confirms it via Amazon Pinpoint:

def delegate(session_attributes,intent_request):

# call db to save appointment details.

AppointmentType = intent_request['currentIntent']['slots']['AppointmentType']

Time = intent_request['currentIntent']['slots']['Time']

Date = intent_request['currentIntent']['slots']['Date']

mobileNumber=session_attributes['Mobile']

# ddb_encrypt_data can be called to encrypt data before updating DB

mobileNumber= ddb_encrypt_data(mobileNumber)

patientData = {'id': mobileNumber,'AppointmentType':AppointmentType,'Time':Time, 'Date':Date}

ddb_insert_data("scheduled_appointment", patientData)

message_txt = 'Your appointment is booked on ' + Date + ' at' + Time

#send message to SQS queue to send sms and update dynamodb table

send_data_to_db_SQSQueue("scheduled_appointment",patientData)

send_sms_to_SQSQueue(mobileNumber, message_txt )

# Send SMS directly via Pinpoint

messages_txt = [message_txt]

pp_send_sms(mobileNumber, messages_txt)

session_attributes = intent_request['sessionAttributes']

return {

'sessionAttributes': session_attributes,

'dialogAction': {

'type': 'Close',

'fulfillmentState':'Fulfilled',

'message':{

'contentType': 'PlainText',

'content': 'Your Appointment is Booked.'

}

}

}

Once the patient has confirmed with date and time slot for booking the appointment, SQS queues the request to define a decoupled architecture, and the message is picked up by provisioning function hosted on Lambda.

The Lambda function enables storing appointment information securely with encryption keys hosted on AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS) and into Amazon DynamoDB.

Once an entry is made into DynamoDB, an SMS and push notification is sent to the appropriate end user receivers. The implementation is done with DynamoDB Streams enabled and a Lambda custom trigger that integrates with Amazon Pinpoint. This provides features to send push notifications, emails, text messages, and voice messages to users.

Once the entries are available in the database and notifications received, doctors can review appointments and patient details using the doctor service layer voice bot. Similar to patient voice bot, Amazon Lex provides the required Intents.

An example of this is a GetAppointments Intent to fetch the appointments.

A GetPatientDetails Intent is then created to fetch a particular patients details and with respective slots. Fulfilment is achieved via the GetAppointments service/function hosted on Lambda.

Similar intents can be created for broader use cases based on end user requirements.

Please refer to the code snippet below showing how a delegate_patient_details function fetches the patients details and appointment data via Amazon Lex:

def delegate_patient_details(session_attributes,intent_request):

# call db to get patient details.

name = intent_request['currentIntent']['slots']['name']

patientID = intent_request['currentIntent']['slots']['patientID']

patientInfo=ddb_get_patient_data("patient_list",name,patientID)

patientInformation=json.dumps(patientInfo)

session_attributes = intent_request['sessionAttributes']

return {

'sessionAttributes': session_attributes,

'dialogAction': {

'type': 'Close',

'fulfillmentState':'Fulfilled',

'message':{

'contentType': 'PlainText',

'content': patientInformation

}

}

}

def delegate_appointment_list(session_attributes,intent_request):

# call db to get appointment details.

date = intent_request['currentIntent']['slots']['date']

appointment_list=ddb_get_data("scheduled_appointment", date)

appointmentInformation=json.dumps(appointment_list)

session_attributes = intent_request['sessionAttributes']

return {

'sessionAttributes': session_attributes,

'dialogAction': {

'type': 'Close',

'fulfillmentState':'Fulfilled',

'message':{

'contentType': 'PlainText',

'content': appointmentInformation

}

}

}

After a doctor fetches the patients details, they can do the initial triage and prescribe remedies via voice, based on the symptoms and other information provided by the patient during the initial integration with the system.

The doctors voice recording is stored in Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), and then converted to unstructured text via Amazon Transcribe Medical. This is a is a HIPAA-compliant service providing an automatic speech recognition (ASR) service that enabled us to add medical speech-to-text capabilities to the service.

Once the unstructured text is created, the text is used by Amazon Comprehend Medical, a natural language processing (NLP) service that uses machine learning to extract relevant medical information from unstructured text.

Using Amazon Comprehend Medical enables us to quickly and accurately gather information, such as medical condition, medication, dosage, strength, and frequency from a variety of sources like doctors notes, clinical trial reports, and patient health records.

Amazon Comprehend Medical can also link the detected information to medical ontologies such as ICD-10-CM or RxNorm, so it can be used by downstream healthcare applications.

Figure 4  Structural entity output of Amazon Comprehend Medical. Capgemini

Figure 5  Output of Amazon Comprehend Medical displays in the mobile app. Capgemini

The model can segregate entities like symptoms, diagnosis, dosage, frequency, and duration, which can be sent via API to the mobile application display so doctors can validate and prescribe medication to their patient. The model can be further trained as required.

Below are the key highlights of the architecture design:

100 percent serverless solution.

OAuth 2.0 secured REST API calls for secure voice capture device and API integration.

Microservices implementation that scales and provisions to load, ensuring cost is directly associated with usage trends.

Quick time-to-market and easy provision.

Standard message queues configured to channelize SMS and push notifications and database updates asynchronously.

Protecting data using encryption in transit and at rest.

Capgeminis solution provides benefits to both patients and doctors. Via voice prompts, the modular nature of the solution enables doctors to:

Generate prescriptions and view bookings (past, new, upcoming).

Generate prescriptions.

Act as an assistant that can generate structured medical prescription and document from a voice dictation.

Be used as a smart assistant, without human assistance.

Medical practitioners are freed with gloves and masks to diagnosis patient reports.

From a patients perspective, the solution enables via voice prompts:

Quick and easy voice-based appointment booking system.

Medical prescriptions, monitoring information, history of appointments, and other diagnoses documents delivered to the mobile app.

SMS and push notifications for appointment booking.

Ensuring security

Implementing security features for these APIs is critical, as the details held in the solution are personal identifier implementation.

The concept solution implements the following feature out of the box:

OAuth 2.0 secured REST API calls for secure voice capture device and API integration.

Personal identifiable information (PII) and medical history secured with GDPR and HIPAA-compliant architecture.

Access limited by username and password authentication with Amazon Cognito.

Protect data by encryption at rest and in transit with AWS KMS.

Encrypted message notification.

Designed on HIPAA-compliant AWS services with emphasis on cost effectiveness.

Hosted within secure Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).

Designing for reliability

Designing applications for reliability helps withstand component failures for critical components. As such, the following are some of the main design aspects used to design system components for fault tolerance and auto recoverability:

AWS-native and managed services implementation.

True microservices implementation that scales and provisions to load as per usage.

Serverless computing hides server usage from the developers and runs code on-demand automatically scaled.

Amazon DynamoDB supports great reliability and scalability while executing ACID transactions.

SQS stores all the messages in a highly available AWS region with multiple redundant AWS Availability Zones, so that no single computer, network, or failure can make messages inaccessible.

System or component issues can be easily integrated through SIAM.

Lessons learned

The implementation came with its own lessons and challenges due to the innovative nature of the solution.

To protect patient and doctor PII:

Use AWS KMS and access policies for data at rest encryption, and for data saved in Amazon DynamoDB and Amazon S3. Consider using customer-owned keys. Use Amazon Cognito and Amazon API Gateway for handhelp devices security and compliance while connecting to AWS services.

To manage millions of operations at a time, we selected to go with AWS managed services for scalability and performance optimizations. This also ensured the overall cost and runtime of the environments required can be minimized. Operational efficiencies in terms of patch management and upgrades were also addressed due to the managed services.

Finally, decoupling provided the best architecture for isolating and triaging issues during development. This, in turn, increased the build-test turn around and increased the number of updates possible.

Conclusion

Pandemics can bring forward a lot of technology and productivity challenges; even more so for doctors, practitioners, and patients, who require a working environment that is risk-free and achieves maximum productivity.

In this post, we have shown how Capgemini can hep simplify pandemic management for doctors with AWS machine learning services.

Capgemini recognizes that provisioning, designing, and implementing a solution on the cloud is different to how its done on-premises. As such, Capgemini works with AWS service features that enable customers to do prototypes as part of design phase. This helps customers solve productivity, business, and operational challenges with solutions that comply to international security standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI.

Visit us to learn more about AWS and Capgemini, and get in touch with one of our experts.
More companies in every industry are adopting artificial intelligence to transform business processes. But the success of their AI initiatives depends on more than just data and technology  its also about having the right people on board.

An effective enterprise AI team is a diverse group that encompasses far more than a handful of data scientists and engineers. Successful AI teams also include a range of people who understand the business and the problems its trying to solve, says Bradley Shimmin, chief analyst for AI platforms, analytics, and data management at consulting firm Omdia.

The technologies and the tooling that we have available is skewing more and more toward enabling and empowering domain professionals, the business users, or the analytics professionals to take direct ownership of AI within companies, he says.

Carlos Anchia, co-founder and CEO of AI startup Plainsight, agrees that AI success rests largely on establishing a well-rounded team with a diverse range of advanced skills, but doing so is challenging.

Identifying what makes a highly efficient AI team may seem like an easy thing to do, but when you examine the detailed responsibilities of individuals on successful AI teams, you quickly come to the conclusion that building these groups is extremely hard, he says.

To help you assemble your ideal AI team, here is a look at 10 key roles found in well-run enterprise AI teams today.

Data scientist

Data scientists are the core of any AI team. They process and analyze data, build machine learning (ML) models, and draw conclusions to improve ML models already in production.

A data scientist is a mix of a product analyst and a business analyst with a pinch of machine learning knowledge, says Mark Eltsefon, data scientist at TikTok.

The main objective is to understand key metrics that have a major impact on business, gather data to analyze the possible bottlenecks, visualize different cohorts of users and metrics, and propose various solutions on how to increase these metrics, including making a prototype of the solution, says Eltsefon, who adds that, when working on a new feature for TikTok users, its impossible to understand whether the feature benefits or alienates users without data science.

You dont understand how long you should test your feature and what exactly you should measure, he says. For all of this, you have to apply AI methods.

ML engineer

Data scientists may build the ML models, but its ML engineers who implement them.

This person is tasked with packing the ML model into a container and deploying to production  usually as a microservice, says Dattaraj Rao, innovation and R&D architect at technology services company Persistent Systems.

The role requires expert back-end programming and server configuration skills, as well as knowledge of containers and continuous integration and delivery deployment, Rao says. An ML engineer is also involved with validation of models, A/B testing, and monitoring in production.

And in a mature ML environment, ML engineers also need to experiment with serving tools that can help find the best performing model in production with minimal trials, he says.

Data engineer

Data engineers build and maintain the systems that make up an organizations data infrastructure. They are crucial to AI initiatives because data needs to be both collected and made suitable for consumption before anything trustworthy can be done with it, says Erik Gfesser, director and chief architect at Deloitte.

Data engineers build data pipelines to collect and assemble data for downstream usage, and in a DevOps setting, they build pipelines to implement the infrastructure on which these data pipelines run, he says.

The data engineer is foundational for both ML and non-ML initiatives, he says. For example, when implementing data pipelines in one of the public clouds, a data engineer needs first to write the scripts to spin up the necessary cloud services which provide the compute necessary to process ingested data.

If youre building a team for the first time, you should understand that data science is an iterative process that requires a lot of data, says Matt Mead, CTO at information technology services company SPR. Assuming you have enough data, about 80% of the effort will be related to data engineering tasks and approximately 20% will be the actual data science-related work, he says.

Because of this, only a small percentage of your AI team will work on data science efforts, he says. The rest of the team will identify the problem being solved, help explain the data, help organize the data, integrate the output into another production system, or present the data in a presentation-ready manner.

Data steward

A data steward oversees the management of a companys data and makes certain it is accessible and of high quality. This important role makes sure data is used consistently across an organization and that a company complies with changing data laws.

Data stewards ensure data scientists get the right data and that everything is repeatable and clearly marked in a data catalog, says Ken Seier, national practice lead for data and AI at technology company Insight.

A person in this role needs a combination of data science and communications skills to collaborate across various teams and work with data scientists and engineers to ensure stakeholders and business users can get access to data.

A data steward also enforces an organizations policies around data usage and security. The data steward is making sure that only people who are supposed to get access to secure data get that access, says Seier.

Domain expert

The domain expert has in-depth knowledge of a particular industry or subject area. This person is an authority in their domain, can judge the quality of available data, and can communicate with the intended business users of an AI project to make sure it has real-world value.

These subject matter experts are essential because the technical experts who develop AI systems rarely have expertise in the actual domain the system is being built to benefit, says Max Babych, CEO of software development company SpdLoad. Domain experts can provide critical insights that will make an AI system perform its best.

When Babychs company developed a computer-vision system to identify moving objects for autopilots as an alternative to LIDAR, they started the project without a domain expert. Although research proved the system worked, what his company didnt know was that car brands prefer LIDAR over computer vision because of its proven reliability, and there was no chance they would buy a computer visionbased product.

The key advice Id like to share is to think about the business model, then attract a domain expert to find out if it is a feasible way to make money in your industry  and only after that try to discuss more technical things, he says.

Moreover, domain experts can be vital liaisons between customers and the AI team, says Ashish Tulsankar, head of AI for edtech platform iSchoolConnect.

This person can communicate with the customer, understand their needs, and provide the next set of continuous directions to the AI team, he says. And the domain expert can also keep track of whether the AI is implemented ethically.

AI designer

An AI designer works with developers to ensure they understand the needs of human users. This role envisions how users will interact with AI and creates prototypes to demonstrate use-cases for new AI capabilities.

An AI designer also ensures that trust is built between human users and an AI system, and that AI learns and improves from user feedback.

One of the difficulties organizations have in scaling AI is that users dont understand the solution, disagree with it, or cannot interact with it, says Shervin Khodabandeh, co-lead for consulting firm BCGs AI business in North America. Organizations that are getting value from AI  their secret is actually just that they get the human-AI interaction right.

BCG thinks about it in terms of a 10-20-70 rule, which is that 10% of the value will be algorithms, 20% is the tech and data platforms, and 70% of the value will come from business integration or tying it to the strategy of the company inside the business processes, he says.

That human-AI interaction is absolutely key and is a huge part of that 70% challenge, he says, adding that AI designers will help you get there.

Product manager

The product manager identifies customer needs and leads the development and marketing of a product while making sure the AI team is making beneficial strategic decisions.

In an AI team, the product manager is responsible for understanding how AI can be used to solve customer problems and then translating that into a product strategy, says Dorota Owczarek, product manager at AI development company Nexocode.

Owczarek was recently involved in a project to develop an AI-based product for the pharmaceutical industry that would support the manual reviewing of research papers and documents with natural language processing.

The project required close collaboration with data scientists, machine learning engineers, and data engineers to develop the models and algorithms needed to power the product, she says.

As the product manager, Owczarek was responsible for implementing the product roadmap, estimating and controlling budgets, and handling cooperation between the tech, user experience, and business sides of the product.

In this particular case, as the project was initiated by business stakeholders, it was especially important to have a product manager who could ensure that their needs were met while also keeping an eye on the overall goal of the project, she says, adding that AI product managers should have both technical skills and business acumen.

They should be able to work closely with different teams and stakeholders, she says. In most cases, the success of an AI project will depend on the collaboration between the business, data science, ML engineering, and design teams.

AI product managers also need to understand the ethical implications of working with AI, Owczarek adds. Theyre responsible for developing internal processes and guidelines that ensure the companys products adhere to industry best practices.

AI strategist

The AI strategist needs to understand how a company works at the corporate level and coordinates with the executive team and external stakeholders to ensure the company has the right infrastructure and talent in place to produce a successful outcome for its AI initiatives.

To succeed, an AI strategist must have a deep understanding of their business domain and the basics of machine learning; they must also know how AI can be used to solve business problems, says Dan Diasio, global AI leader at EY Consulting.

Technology was the hard part years ago, but its now reimagining how we wire our business to take the best advantage of that AI capability or AI asset that we create, he says, adding that an AI strategist can help a company think transformationally about how it uses AI.

To change the way [a company makes] decisions requires somebody with a significant amount of influence and vision to be able to drive that forward, Diasio says.

AI strategists can also help organizations obtain the data they need to fuel AI effectively.

The data that companies have inside their systems today or inside their data warehouses really only represents a fraction of what they will need to differentiate themselves when it comes to building AI capabilities, he says. A part of the strategists role is to look out into the horizon and see how more data can be captured and utilized without overstepping privacy considerations.

Chief AI officer

The chief AI officer is the lead decision-maker for all AI initiatives and is responsible for communicating AIs potential business value to stakeholders and clients.

The decision-maker is someone who understands the business, business opportunities, and risks, says iSchoolConnects Tulsankar.

The chief AI officer should know the use cases AI can solve, where theres the most significant financial benefit, and they should be able to articulate those opportunities to stakeholders, he says.

They should also chalk out how these opportunities need to be achieved iteratively, he says. If there are multiple clients or multiple products across which the AI needs to be applied, the chief AI officer can break down client-agnostic and client-specific parts of the implementation.

The executive sponsor is a C-suite manager who takes an active role in ensuring AI projects come to fruition and is responsible for obtaining funding for a companys AI initiatives.

Executive leadership has a significant role in helping drive the success of AI programs, says EY Consultings Diasio. The biggest opportunities for companies often are areas where they break across particular functions, he says.

A consumer products manufacturer, for example, has a team thats responsible for R&D, a team responsible for the supply chain, a sales team, and a marketing team, he says. The biggest and best opportunities to apply AI to help transform business cut across all four of these functions, he says. And it takes strong leadership from the CEO or C-suite of a company to go after those changes.

Unfortunately, senior management in many companies arent adequately versed in the potential of AI, says BCGs Shervin Khodabandeh.

Their understanding of it is quite limited, and they often think of it as a black box, he says. They throw it to the data scientist, but they dont really understand the new ways of working with AI that are required.

Adopting AI is a big cultural change for many companies who dont understand how a high-functioning AI team works, how the roles work, and how they can be empowered, he says. For 99% of the traditional companies adopting AI, its a hard thing.
From delivering heavy cargo through drones to automating repetitive processes, Shantanu Roy, CIO for the Indian subcontinent at global logistics firm DB Schenker, is balancing innovation with business continuity. In a free-wheeling discussion with CIO India, he throws light on the efficient use of digital technologies in the company and the emerging trends in the logistics industry.

CIO India: Integrated logistics is extremely demanding. As a 150-year-old company, what is DB Schenker doing to align technology for meeting the ever-changing needs of customers?

Roy: We realize that technology can create a strong differentiation. Keeping this is mind, about a month back, we kickstarted an enterprise-wide digital transformation initiative at the global level. The aim is to relook at the entire business and technology landscape to make the company future-ready. As part of this, all the warehouses will be upgraded, customer processes and issues would be addressed, and the entire technology stack will be updated.

DB Schenker has a vast footprint  a presence at 1,850 locations across the world, which includes 725 warehouses, hundreds of offices, sites at airports, and customs handling points. I am not sure when the project will be over but when it does the company will have radically different processes to meet the present and future market needs.

Shantanu Roy, CIO, cluster India & Indian subcontinent, DB Schenker istock

CIO India: Talking about digital initiatives at a country level, 70% to 80% of DB Schenkers processes in India run on bots. How is robotic process automation redefining business processes for the company?

Roy: To maximize RPA, we have had a complete rethink on the entire IT architecture. We decided to leverage a third-party RPA platform to internally build customized bots. It has resulted in several processes getting automated.

For instance, one of the operational processes involves comparing shipping instruction with the bill of loading. As a logistics company, we must ensure the shipping instruction provided to the carrier is mirrored. Matching this information manually took us about four hours. We automated the process, and now it gets completed in seconds.

Bots help us in handling the huge volume of invoices we receive from CFAs [clearing and forwarding agents] and customs. From customs handling alone, we process 7,000 to 8,000 invoices each month. The RPA bot reads and posts all the invoices into our ERP solution. RPA also aids us in the reconciliation process by checking whether the invoices have been deposited in the bank account or not.

Overall, automation has reduced manual effort by about 30% to 35%.

CIO India: But the current bots are very process-centric and transactional. What are your plans to make automation strategic?

Roy: While we are currently leveraging bots for automating process, the next two to three years will see a rapid adoption of AI and machine learning to influence business decisions. The data gathered by bots will be merged with multiple data sets to create a point of view for the organisation. Taking informed decisions will help us enhance customer experience and overall growth.

CIO India: You are right; customer experience is critical for sustained growth. But customer expectations have skyrocketed in the last couple of years. How are you helping customers to save time and money?

Roy: We have developed an innovative strategy called click-ship-done that hinges on technology. At the core of this strategy lies a digital platformConnect 4.0which helps customers in booking and tracking shipments in real-time. This is critical today given the increasing demand of supplies in the market.

Earlier, customers used to call us or send emails for booking shipments. This process was tiresome and time-consuming. It used to take about two hours before a customers mail was converted into shipment.

With the new platform, the shipments now flow through Connect 4.0. As a result, the response is immediate, and customers no longer have to wait. The click-ship-done approach provides customers complete visibility. They can now save time and book their shipments online, compare prices and timings in real time, and gain access to tracking of their land, air, or ocean freight.

CIO India: Which technology has gone into building this platform? Did you develop it in-house?

Roy: We already had the base components for the platform. The data lake, which we leveraged for BI, the pricing engine, and certain APIs were all integrated together to build this platform in-house.

CIO India: Drones and electric vehicles are two trends that are poised to disrupt the logistics industry. How is DB Schenker gearing up to meet them?

Roy: The trend of delivering through drones to meet last-mile deliveries for customers is picking up across the world. Currently, most drones are delivering cargo weighing 50g to 2kg. At Schenker, we are piloting a concept of delivering 250kg through drones. If successful, transporting such a heavy cargo will be a different ballgame altogether.

As for electric vehicles, we have a specific EV strategy as we now have EVs not just for land but also for air and ocean.
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The question of how to invest responsibly in the transition away from fossil fuels has got more complicated since Russia invaded Ukraine. The invasion has driven concerns about energy security right to the top of the policy agenda. At the same time, growing international sanctions against Russian fossil fuels have pushed up energy costs for billions of consumers. This, in turn, has triggered some calls to increase oil and gas production elsewhere.

What does this all mean for the energy majors, investors and consumers amid the battle against climate change?

A perfect storm?

Old hands in the energy industry talk of the energy trilemma: the competing and sometimes hard to reconcile aspects of security of supply, affordability and dealing with climate change. Last years Glasgow COP summit, along with urgent reports that preceded it, focused attention on the fight to limit climate change. Yet the affordability question was creeping back into view long before Russian tanks rolled over the Ukrainian border. The energy industry seems caught in the middle of a perfect storm.

Fossil fuel companies were already being called on to accelerate investment and production to head off a damaging leap in oil and gas prices before Russias invasion and threats to its energy exports made matters much worse. For most companies, increasing demand in itself would not be a bad thing, but fossil fuel producers face the thorniest problem: future demand for their products is in serious question if the world is to abide by its emission reduction goals. In this context, it might make business sense to make up the energy shortfall by shifting the risk to other industries or by investing as little in the remedy as possible. Unfortunately, the easier methods  coal and fracking  have high environmental costs.

Cut your principles, or cut demand?

What does this all mean for the companies in the middle of the trilemma, with two pressing short-term crises enveloped in a long-term existential threat?

In the wake of the invasion, the energy majors faced immediate concerns about the ethics of doing business with Russia. Most responded quickly: BP is selling its stake in Rosneft, while Shell is withdrawing from Russian oil and gas activities. At the same time, the industry is buoyed by the highest oil and gas prices for many years. How and where they choose to invest the unexpected surplus is crucial.

And what of consumers? Sky high energy bills and a looming cost of living crisis are at their door. In one sense, as the old adage goes, the solution to high energy prices is high energy prices. People take very careful stock of their usage and tend to reduce demand naturally. But that might not be enough to soften the landing from the crisis in the energy markets, especially among the vulnerable.

Governments across Europe have scrambled to protect consumers via a range of support initiatives, some funded by windfall taxes imposed on the companies profiting from the price surge. In the UK, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is to raise 5 billion with what he terms a temporary, targeted energy profits levy to help pay for a 15 bn package intended to soften the impact of price hikes. This may ease some shorter-term pressures on consumers (and, indeed, on the government they elect). But the Chancellor has been criticised for proffering generous investment allowances to the oil and gas industry to offset the impact of the levy: energy companies will be allowed to offset up to 91% of this tax on their excess profits against new investment.

While it may be expedient to address short-term supply constraints by giving the green light to renewed investment in coal and gas power, a cleaner and more productive way to reduce energy costs would be to curb energy demand by insulating Britains notoriously creaky homes. Households are the largest UK users of natural gas, and make up about 17% of the nations greenhouse gas emissions.

An energy efficiency lobby group calculates that improving the nations 15 million worst insulated homes would save households 500 a year, which equates to somewhere in the region of 7.5 billion of recurring savings. That saved money could then be spent or invested by families, which would in turn benefit businesses and also the government, in terms of increased tax revenues. Perhaps Insulating Britain will be a far less divisive issue in 2022.

Thinking about the future

To ignore the long-term climate crisis while minds are understandably focused on dealing with the immediate turmoil of the war in Ukraine and soaring energy prices would be a mistake. Despite the energy sectors rising profits (and the recent outperformance of its shares), the world needs more renewable energy, not more oil and gas.

The energy transition was never going to be straightforward, and its still possible to make short-term decisions within a long-term framework which protects our shared future. Governments have a vital role to play in ensuring their long-term energy strategies get the balance right.

Protecting our climate and ensuring security of energy supply need not be irreconcilable. In fact, solving one may solve the other. As German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said, 'Renewable energy is freedom energy.

Matt Crossman is stewardship director at Rathbones
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (AP)  Authorities in Bangladesh struggled Monday to determine the cause of a devastating fire that killed at least 41 people, including nine firefighters, and injured more than 100 others at a shipping container storage depot, as experts raised concerns over the countrys industrial safety standards.

Efforts to fully extinguish the fire at the BM Inland Container Depot, a Dutch-Bangladesh joint venture near the countrys main Chittagong Seaport, continued Monday after it broke out around midnight Saturday following explosions in a container full of chemicals. The explosions were felt as far as 4 kilometers (2 1/2 miles) away, officials and local media said.

Authorities said there were more than 4,000 containers at the depot, of which about 1,000 were filled with materials including chemicals.

Nearly 40 hours after the initial explosion, smoke was still coming out of some containers. Explosives experts from the military were called in to assist the firefighters.

Officials said the number of casualties rose dramatically over the weekend because many workers and firefighters were unaware of the chemicals stored at the depot and went too close to the containers. A total of 21 firefighters were either killed or injured.

On Monday, authorities began collecting DNA samples from relatives of victims because severe burns made many of the bodies unrecognizable.

Elias Chowdhury, the areas civil surgeon, said the death toll was revised down from 49 on Monday, citing errors in earlier counting.

Mominur Rahman, a senior official in Chittagong, about 210 kilometers (130 miles) southeast of Dhaka, the capital, said some bodies were taken to a hospital where they were counted, and were later taken to a second hospital where they were counted again, resulting in the error.

The fire raised concern over whether such storage facilities in Bangladesh observe proper safety standards.

Khairul Alam Sujan, vice president of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association, said Sunday that containers with hazardous chemicals are often kept near those with garment products ready for export.

Firefighters said more than a dozen containers stored hydrogen peroxide, which helped spread the fire, but it was still unclear what caused the initial powerful blast.

The head of the countrys fire service department regretted that firefighters did not have information from the depots management about materials stored there while they were fighting the fire.

Bangladeshi media blamed the high death toll on poor industrial safety standards.

The fire . is the latest in an ever-growing list of tragedies that put Bangladeshs appalling industrial safety record once again under the spotlight, the Daily Star newspaper said in an editorial Monday.

The poor infrastructure and institutional preparedness for industrial safety . makes such fire incidents almost inevitable, it said.

The International Labor Organization said in a 2020 report that Bangladesh needs a credible and accountable industrial safety governance structure.

Bangladesh has a history of industrial disasters, including factories catching fire with workers trapped inside. Monitoring groups have blamed corruption and lax enforcement.

In the countrys garment industry, which employs about 4 million people, safety conditions have improved significantly after massive reforms, but experts say other sectors need to make similar changes.

In 2012, about 117 workers died when they were trapped behind locked exits in a garment factory in Dhaka.

The countrys worst industrial disaster occurred the following year, when the Rana Plaza garment factory outside Dhaka collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.

In 2019, a blaze ripped through a 400-year-old area cramped with apartments, shops and warehouses in the oldest part of Dhaka and killed at least 67 people. Another fire in Old Dhaka in a house illegally storing chemicals killed at least 123 people in 2010.

In 2021, a fire at a food and beverage factory outside Dhaka killed at least 52 people, many of whom were trapped inside by an illegally locked door.

Alam reported from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

About the photo: Containers of hydrogen peroxide, lie scattered after explosion at the BM Inland Container Depot, where a fire broke out around midnight Saturday in Chittagong, about 210 kilometers (130 miles) southeast of, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, June 6, 2022. Dozens of people were killed and more than 100 others were injured after the inferno broke out following explosions in a container full of chemicals. (AP Photo)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The US Supreme Court decided Monday that it will not hear an appeal of a decision that denied coverage for losses caused by COVID-19 shutdown orders, effectively closing the last door for such claims in the federal court system.

The court declined a petition by Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma to review a decision by a panel of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals that found there was no direct physical loss or damage to Goodwills property. All 11 of the regional Circuit Courts of Appeal have issued similar opinions, as have state high courts in Iowa, Massachusetts and Wisconsin.

Goodwills lawsuit against Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co. was one of 94 cases that the Supreme Court decided not to consider on Monday.

Goodwill argued that the term direct physical loss of or damage to must mean something more than physical damage; otherwise the terms loss of and damages would be redundant. The US District Court for Western Oklahoma disagreed and granted Philadelphias motion to dismiss Goodwills lawsuit.

The 10th Circuit panel affirmed that ruling, finding that a covered loss requires a tangible dispossession of property. The appellate court said that interpretation is reinforced by the period of restoration clause in the insurance policy.

Every regional circuit court has issued decisions that reach basically the same conclusion. The 1st Circuit Court of Appeal on Friday became the latest federal appeals court to chime on the issue, issuing three decisions that affirmed the dismissal of lawsuits filed by SAS International Ltd., American Food Systems and Legal Seafoods against their insurers.

The 1st Circuit quoted a Massachusetts Supreme Court decision that found the alleged damage amounted to merely the [e]vanescent presence of a harmful airborne substance that will quickly dissipate on its own' and surface-level contamination that can be removed by simple cleaning.

A long winning streak for insurers in COVID-related business interruption claims continued on Friday and Monday. In addition to the 1st Circuit rulings, the 8th Circuit affirmed dismissal of claims filed by Planet Sub Holdings against State Auto Property & Casualty Insurance Co., finding there was no physical damage to the sandwich shops under either Missouri, Kansas or Oklahoma law.

Also, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed dismissal of business-interruption lawsuits in two cases, one filed by Dukes Clothing against Cincinnati Insurance Co. interpreting Alabama law and the other filed by Restaurant Group Management against Zurich American Insurance Co. interpreting Georgia law.
MORROW, Ga. (AP) _ Arson has destroyed three adjacent historic homes owned by a city near Atlanta, officials said.

Mayor John Lampl wept as he looked over the wreckage in Morrow on Saturday evening, WXIA-TV reported.

What leads the investigators right now to believe that these fires were intentionally set is the intensity and speed with which the fire burned, Interim Police Chief David Snively told the station.

The city of Morrow is offering up to $10,000 to anyone with information that leads to an arrest, news outlets reported.

The loss of these beautiful, historic homes at the heart of our city is a cruel blow to the residents and community members who utilize this area, Lampl said.

The buildings included one on the National Register of Historic Places, City Manager Jeff Baker told WXIA. That ones the Greek Revival building called the Napier-Small house, which was built in 1846.

This is a devastating setback just as weve begun to turn the corner and fill the long-vacant spaces at The District; and it is an especially tragic loss of history, Baker said.

People were in one of the houses around 8:45 p.m. Friday night, and the fire was visible by midnight, officials said.

Police are asking for calls from anyone who saw people around then in The District, a city-owned community space in Morrow, WSB-TV reported.

The city plans to rebuild the houses, Lampl told WXIA.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
China reiterates concern over AUKUS-related nuclear material transfer

Xinhua) 09:29, June 07, 2022

Wang Qun, Chinese envoy to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna, attends a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors in Vienna, Austria, June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Guo Chen)

VIENNA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday reiterated concerns over the nuclear weapon material transfer involved in AUKUS, saying the issue should be addressed under the international non-proliferation regime.

Wang Qun, Chinese envoy to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna, made the remarks after a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors.

The meeting decided by consensus to set up a formal agenda item on "Transfer of nuclear materials in the context of AUKUS and its safeguards in all aspects under the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons)" at China's proposal, Wang said.

The Chinese envoy noted it is the third time that the IAEA board meeting has incorporated the AUKUS issue into its agenda, reflecting the international community's serious concerns over the trilateral deal.

In September 2021, the United States, Britain and Australia announced the establishment of AUKUS, under which the United States and Britain will assist Australia in its acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.

Wang called on the three countries to heed the call of the international community, fulfill their legal obligations on non-proliferation, and immediately and comprehensively report to the IAEA all relevant information about the nuclear weapon material transfer under AUKUS.

Wang expressed hope that the IAEA board meeting would continue to focus on core issues of AUKUS and seek solutions to safeguard the NPT and the international non-proliferation regime.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
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.
A May 17 drought map generated by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows all of Wasco County experiencing some level of drought, from abnormally dry, shown in yellow, to exceptional drought, pictured in purple.
En fait, nous ne savons pas reellement si le Japon feodal, sous l'epoque, sera l'univers du prochain opus de, mais certains le voudraient probablement et a tel point quenous propose carrement sa vision dea cette epoque et sousEh bien moi je vote pour.La video ici, maintenant, tout de suite :
As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues and the amount of destruction to lives and property grows exponentially, a question that has come up is whether Russian assets overseas should be confiscated and made available to those who the Russian invasion has harmed (e.g., here). The list of those is growing larger minute by minute: refugees, families of those who have died, people whose homes and livelihoods have been blown apart and on and on and on.

The amount of harm that Mr. Putin's craziness has caused is already far greater than the value of the frozen assets -- in the many trillions whereas the frozen assets (even if one adds in the oligarch properties) is in the hundreds of billions. But should we wait until Mr. Putin has taken whatever portion of Ukraine he wants (e.g., 20-30%), installed some puppet government, and is finally willing to negotiate for peace? At that point, as part of the negotiation, he is going to want to ask for his frozen assets back. And the leaders of the countries where the frozen assets are located, who will be desperate for peace, might be tempted to give the assets back. Let us not kid ourselves. The political flesh is weak. If those politicians see themselves garnering advantage at the ballot box by negotiating a quick peace (to the detriment of the claims or refugees and others), they will do that. So, maybe there is an argument to confiscating the assets now while there is political will to do so.

On the other hand, there is the small matter of the law. Due process before taking people's property and all that. Does it allow for the confiscation of the property of a sovereign engaging in an egregious violation of international law by invading a neighbor? There is the proverbial slippery slope of countries confiscating the property of other sovereigns whose behavior has displeased them without first ensuring that they are legally entitled to.

To my mind, these are fascinating questions to which there are not clear answers.

Two giants of the legal academy, Larry Tribe and Paul Stephan have been debating this in the context of what Mr. Biden is allowed to do. The assets can be frozen. But can they be confiscated?

Here is the abstract of Paul's superb new paper that describes the issues:

This article addresses the legal issues that the United States would confront were it to move from freezing to seizing. It looks first at the executive branchs existing legal authority to confiscate foreign property. It considers legislative proposals to extend that authority. Both existing law and possible future legislation face constraints under constitutional law. These constraints are unique to the United States but reflect principles of legality and due process that western states generally embrace. Finally, it provides a snapshot of the international legal issues that seizure of Russian state assets might present.



First and foremost, existing law does not permit the executive branch to dispose of Russian state assets in advance of a settlement with that state. A civil process exists to forfeit assets to the state, including those of state-owned entities, but that entails resort to the courts and requires some evidence of criminality. Legislation currently under consideration in the United States would enhance that process but not abandon it. It would not apply to the largest portion of assets, the deposits of the Russian Central Bank in US financial institutions, absent some proof that those deposits can be traced to criminal activity. US constitutional guarantees against expropriation in the absence of compensation and of civil forfeiture in the absence of due process almost certainly apply.



Finally, the seizure of assets belonging to the Russian state outside of normal criminal and regulatory processes would violate international law. What international law probably would permit, however, is the use of these assets to satisfy legal judgments rendered against the Russian Federation by duly constituted international investment tribunals established under treaties to which Russia is a party. The United States and other countries in the West might explore ways of encouraging the beneficiaries of these awards, both present and future, to devote their recoveries to Ukrainian reconstruction.
Software firm Atlassian released emergency patches for its popular Confluence Server and Data Center products after reports came to light late last week that attackers were exploiting an unpatched vulnerability in the wild. According to data from Cloudflare's web application firewall (WAF) service, the attacks started almost two weeks ago.

The vulnerability, now tracked as CVE-2022-26134, is rated critical and allows unauthenticated attackers to gain remote code execution (RCE) on servers hosting the affected Confluence versions. The company urges customers to upgrade to the newly released versions 7.4.17, 7.13.7, 7.14.3, 7.15.2, 7.16.4, 7.17.4 and 7.18.1, depending on which release they use.

Confluence OGNL injection vulnerability

The vulnerability is described as an Object-Graph Navigation Language (OGNL) injection, OGNL being an open-source expression language for getting and setting properties of Java objects. It offers a simpler way of achieving what can be done in Java itself and it is supported in many products.

In fact, OGNL injection is a class of vulnerabilities that has impacted other popular projects in the past. For example, the large 2017 Equifax data breach was caused by an unpatched OGNL injection vulnerability -- CVE-2017-5638 -- in the popular Apache Struts web application framework. By exploiting such flaws, attackers can trick applications into executing arbitrary code and commands, which was also the case now with this Confluence vulnerability.

Confluence attacks found in the wild

The first report about the vulnerability came on June 2 from security firm Volexity, which discovered it while investigating a security incident at a customer that involved a compromised Confluence Server accessible from the internet. "An initial review of one of the Confluence Server systems quickly identified that a JSP file had been written into a publicly accessible web directory," the Volexity researchers wrote in a blog post. "The file was a well-known copy of the JSP variant of the China Chopper webshell. However, a review of the web logs showed that the file had barely been accessed. The webshell appears to have been written as a means of secondary access."

When analyzing a memory dump from the server, the researchers found evidence of the Confluence web application launching bash shells. These are command-line shells in Linux. First the Confluence process spawned a bash process, which then spawned a Python process which in turn spawned a bash shell. This was followed by deploying a publicly available memory-only implant called BEHINDER that has been used in the past on attacks against web servers. The downside of this implant is that it's not persistent and will disappear if the server is restarted, which is why the attackers opted to write the China Chopper webshell to disk to have a secondary way of accessing and reinfecting the system.

Mitigation and response for the Confluence vulnerability

Atlassian reacted quickly to the report and issued an advisory with a WAF rule and temporary workarounds. Customers who cannot perform full version upgrades immediately can upgrade only a few of the impacted files depending on which version they are using.

In a report on June 6, Cloudflare noted that once it added its own WAF rules for this exploit and looked back at historical log data, it saw the first attempts to exploit the vulnerability with valid payloads start on May 26. Other attempts matched the WAF detection rule, but did not have a payload and were more likely scans to test attack vectors. "Exact knowledge of how to exploit the vulnerability may have been consolidated amongst select attackers and may not have been widespread," the company concluded.

Both the Volexity and the Cloudflare reports contain indicators of compromise. Since the attacks have been going on for two weeks, organizations should analyze their Confluence Servers for signs of intrusion through this vulnerability.
In 1973, Nixon loyalist G. Gordon Liddy was convicted on charges of conspiracy, burglary and illegal wiretapping for his role in the break-ins the previous year at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. On Dec. 30, 1973, Liddy began serving his 20-year sentence at the minimum-security Federal Correction Institute in Danbury, Connecticut. (In April 1977 President Jimmy Carter commuted Liddy's sentence to 8 years, making him eligible for earlier parole. He was released on Sep. 7, 1977, and went on to a long and high-profile media career as a conservative political pundit, talk-radio host, actor and author.)

Liddy wrote this short opinion article, which was published in the February 1977 issue of Connecticut Magazine, during his time at Danbury. Titled simply "Inside Danbury Prison," it explains how his experience of being incarcerated had reinforced some of his law-and-order beliefs, such as his staunch opposition to gun control. On the other hand, he developed a much more critical view of the prison model, as well as the court system's ability to protect the rights of the people it tries. "Before going to prison I believed that criticism of the criminal justice system for its treatment of the poor was so much liberal bleating and bunk," he writes at the beginning. "I was wrong."

This article is being posted to the web in February 2021 as part of Connecticut Magazine's 50th anniversary celebration.

The editors of Connecticut have asked me to state succinctly how, if at all, my views of law and order have been modified by my experiences as a convict. At the risk of oversimplification, here are some brief observations.

Before going to prison I believed that criticism of the criminal justice system for its treatment of the poor was so much liberal bleating and bunk. I was wrong.

For forty-one months, fellow prisoners, the majority of them poor, have been coming to me for legal advice. To accommodate them intelligently it was necessary that I study what, if anything, had been done for them by their street lawyersmembers of the bar.

Although there have been some outstanding exceptions, such as the work of young associates of topflight law firms serving by court appointment, an occasional excellent public defender system or postconviction program such as Yales Danbury project, I have found the quality of the legal services accorded to the poor to be disgraceful. When one adds to poverty blackness or first generation Hispanic origin, both carrying with them language difficulty and the perception of self as one abroad in an alien culture, there is created a situation appreciated best by Kafka.

On the other hand, my prison experience has reenforced my preconfinement belief that arguments for gun control are so much liberal bleating and bunk. My preprison view (that laws requiring the registration of firearms or prohibiting their private ownership are a fraud upon the public from the points of view of crime prevention, detection, or prosecution) was the result of my experience as a law enforcement officer, executive, and prosecutor.

In prison, I have had numerous conversations with murderers, armed robbers, hijackers, and burglars. Those professional criminals who make use of firearms and do not view gun control as a joke, endorse it strongly. To quote one of the latter, who raised his right hand in the manner of one taking an oath as he spoke: On my mother, when I go on a piece of work I dont look to hurt nobody. But God forbid something goes wrong and I gotta do what I gotta do and the suckers got a piece [gun]. I mean it aint all that cut and dried you knowhe could end up whackin me out. I hope they take away all them guns from all them legitimate schmucks. Me? Forget about it. Ill always have a pistol when I need one.

When I speak of professional criminals I mean the majority of those persons with whom I have come in contact in prison. Before I became a prisoner I believed, to some degree, in the concepts of rehabilitation, correction, and parole. I was of the opinion that many abuses existed, but that if those abuses were corrected and the system reformed, it could be sufficiently effective as to make the system worthwhile in terms of the reorientation of convicts toward a law-abiding life. I was wrong again.

Prisons do not rehabilitate. They educate in the techniques and mechanics of criminal activity and indoctrinate in the mores of the criminal subculture. Prisons serve as a proving ground for the young convict and as a talent pool for recruiting by the mature.

Prison never corrected anyone. Occasionally a prisoner determines on his own initiative to discontinue his life of crime; but not often. Most are planning the next big score. Those few who gave up crime do so for a variety of reasons, but most often because they have been so unsuccessful at it that they are completely discouraged. Such prisoners are derided by the majority as so stupid hell hafta go straight.

The problems of our nations prisons are too manifold to address adequately here. I should mention, however, that I have found that among the root causes of prison unrest, sometimes breaking into violence, is the continuing futile attempt to operate the postconviction criminal justice system according to the archaic notions I shared with the public before my own incarceration: correction, rehabilitation, and parole.

All that efforts to correct and rehabilitate prisoners accomplish is to generate tension and stir up trouble in our prisons. Convicts, I have found, just want to be left alone to do their time in peace. They resent treatment teams composed of ex-guards with third-rate educationswho carry on with the female help, drink to excess, and steal food from the mess hallwriting progress reports condemning convicts who are visited by more than one woman, drink home brew, and steal food from the mess hall as unrehabilitated.

To the trouble stirred up in prisons by the corrections nonsense must be added the turmoil generated by the concept of parole. I have appeared before a parole board as a representative and handled many a parole appeal. Prior to my own imprisonment I had no idea of the bankruptcy of the concept or the trouble the board causes in trying to be a source of police intelligence by interrogating candidates who resent board pressure on them to rat to prove they are corrected and to maintain the pretense of being able to predict when a prisoner may be released to rejoin society as rehabilitated.

Both the prisoner and the board know that all involved are perpetrating a hoax. The only one being fooled here is the American public, and I suspect that it is becoming increasingly aware of how thoroughly it has been gulled.

Before I went to prison in 1973, I shared the orientation of law enforcement executives, much of the Congress, and most of the public as to the financial priorities to be maintained in the criminal justice system. Not without good reason, the frontline forces, the police departments upon which we rely for crime prevention and detection, have for years received the lions share of available financial resources. I believe an adjustment is in order.

The criminal justice system is breaking down because we, as a nation, have for too long neglected to nourish its heart the court systems of our country. Those systems include not only the judges and courthouses, but the supporting staffs of the courts, the prosecutors, and the public defenders.

This is a subject worthy of serious exposition for which I have not the space here. But look at it this way: The criminal justice system may be likened to an airline. The judges are the pilots. We keep pouring accused passengers into the terminals and demanding that the too few pilots fly too many hours in too few planes for which we provide too few instruments and insufficient ground crews. We seem oblivious to the fact that when such a plane crashes it is not just the accused passengers who perish. That plane comes right down in the midst of society on the ground below.

And you might give thought to this: Fate, right now, could be buying you, or someone close to you, a ticket on the next flight.

G. Gordon Liddy, J.D., former general counsel of the Committee to Reelect the President and the Finance Committee to Reelect the President, is currently serving time in federal prison for his role in the Watergate affair.
NEW MILFORD  The New Milford school district plans to review safety procedures across all buildings following the elementary school shooting in Texas that has put a greater spotlight on school security.

We are working with the chief of police, our emergency management coordinator and the emergency response regional group to conduct a safety audit of all of our buildings, said New Milford Schools Superintendent Alisha DiCorpo, in regard to the audit, which is scheduled to begin June 22.

DiCorpo also said the district will continue to review its safety drills, safety procedures, and security plans and continuously receive feedback on day-to-day operations that may help us to improve.

Announcement of the audit and school security measures comes about two weeks after the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas that left 21 people dead, including 19 students and two teachers.

Additionally, in April, a loaded 9mm ghost gun was found in a students vehicle after a fight in a school bathroom prompted a search, according to police.

This also comes as New Milford searches for three additional armed security guards to work at an elementary school, the middle school and the high school. The district has discussed adding these positions since September, the superintendent has said. An armed security guard is already at one of the elementary schools.

Over the summer, the district will take part in active shooter drills conducted with the New Milford Police Department.

This is ongoing work and planning as we continuously evaluate the needs for personnel and equipment at each location, DiCorpo said.

The Board of Education, teachers, and superintendent's office all participate in the active shooter drills, which have been taking place for several years.

We participate in a scenario-based incident that normally would involve an active shooting incident at one of our schools, New Milford Police Lt. Earl Wheeler said.

We try to use the the actual schools so the officers that are responding have familiarity with the types of obstacles specific to that location that they're presented with, he added.

The drills are based on actual incidents that may have occurred in the past at other locations or in scenerios police think could occur that would be specific to the school district.

They involve live actors playing parts as both victims, as both the assailant and as teachers. So we'll have cadets there that would participate as the students, he said.

At the drills, police can test their response time.

It also tests the response of school facilities and staff during these types of events, he said.

A drill usually occurs one time at one of the schools, every year.

It is something that takes a lot of planning and preparation because it involves multiple organizations, he said. You look at things that happened in the past, where events like this have the potential of becoming a mass casualty incident. So, you have other first responders, fire department personnel, EMS personnel, and then we also try to anticipate different types of things.

The active shooter drills are day-long events, he said.

We'll have a separate team that sets up the scenario and gets all the evaluators and the participants in it. So the officers that are responding to it are aware that they're going to scenario-driven drill, but they have no knowledge of what is going to occur, Wheeler said. Its the first time for them. They are trained in how to respond and what type of tactics we use, but they don't know what the given drill is going to be  on purpose.

Security guard positions

The towns search for three armed security guards for New Milfords schools has been very active, Wheeler said Monday.

We have we actually had a lot more applicants than we have in the past. But again, with that specific position, there's specific requirements with it. So there's a lot of people that we have interest from that just don't qualify for the position because they're missing some of the components that the state requires, Wheeler said.

Requirements for the position include being a retired or former police officer who left in good standing, or being a certified police officer or corrections officer on a federal, state or municipal level and retired or left service in good standing  and that's just basic qualifications, Wheeler said. Then, there are mandated courses that you have to go through with the state of Connecticut as well as yearly mandated training.

The New Milford school district employs both school security officers  SSOs  and school resource officers  SROs.

While SSOs are armed school security officers, SROs are school resource officers who are full-time members of the police department.

They actually work in the schools on a daily basis, Wheeler said.

He said school resource officers serve a very important function within the schools  more so than the SSOs.

Their responsibilities are a lot more, they're more into being there as mentors and advisers. They'll also teach classes, Wheeler said. So, they're there for other reasons as well.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  A three-judge panel dismissed a federal lawsuit Monday that sought to force all 100 members of Virginias Republican-controlled House of Delegates to face an unscheduled election this year.

U.S. District Judge David Novak, joined by two other judges, ruled that Paul Goldman, an attorney and longtime Democratic Party activist, lacked standing to pursue the lawsuit he filed last June. Goldman had argued that House members elected for two-year terms in November 2021 must run again in 2022 under newly redrawn maps that properly align legislative districts with population shifts.

The 2021 elections should have been the first held under constitutionally required redistricting based on the 2020 census. But because census results were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the state held elections under the old legislative boundaries; new maps werent finalized until December. Goldman argued that deprived Virginians of their constitutional voting rights, violating the one man, one vote principle outlined by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The judges ruled Goldman did not have standing as a voter or a potential candidate and granted Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares' motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Goldman did not prove that he suffered an individualized disadvantage" from residing in an underrepresented House of Delegates district, the 31-page opinion and order said. Instead, it said Goldman, a Richmond resident, had benefited from over-representation.

In fact, had the new maps been in place in time for the election, they would have weakened Plaintiffs vote, the court wrote.

Miyares praised the ruling, saying the 2021 elections were legal and constitutional.

"Record numbers of Virginians went to the polls to vote and had their voices heard. Im glad that the court agreed with my office, that there is no more uncertainty for voters and legislators, and that we were able to protect the sanctity of our 2021 elections, he said in a statement.

Goldman said that the ruling effectively slashes the right to equal representation in the state legislature and leaves important constitutional issues" unresolved. He said he was considering whether to appeal.

Even though I think I can win the appeal, can you get a ruling in time to have an election in 2022? he said.

Monday's ruling on standing comes after months of delays and voluminous briefings in the long-running case. Goldman, a former state Democratic party chair and former adviser to ex-Gov. Doug Wilder, brought the suit alone and has represented himself. Miyares' predecessor, Democrat Mark Herring, also sought to have it dismissed.

House members on both sides of the aisle had mostly been silent on Goldmans legal fight, though a growing number of Democratic and voting and civil rights groups announced their support in recent months.

If Goldman had prevailed in persuading the court that new elections were needed, it would have thrown many lawmakers back into campaign mode and forced some of them to consider moving. Lawmakers must reside in the district they represent, and the new maps approved by the state Supreme Court were drawn without concern to where incumbents live.

Currently, Republicans narrowly control the chamber they flipped in November.

The court did say that voters who live in districts with populations larger than the ideal district likely have standing, because they are underrepresented when compared to the ideal.

It wasnt immediately clear if a new legal challenge would be filed.

The Loudoun County NAACP said earlier this year that it was reviewing whether to file its own lawsuit. In a letter, the group said the use of outdated maps in the 2021 elections suppressed the vote, diluted the voices and diminished the representation of the groups 637 members and thousands of county residents of color.

The group did not immediately respond to a voicemail left at its office or an email sent Monday.

Herring  who for months last year ignored a request for an official opinion on the matter  attempted to have the lawsuit thrown out on sovereign immunity grounds. Novak dismissed claims against former Gov. Ralph Northam and several other defendants but declined to dismiss claims against state elections officials.

Since then, much of the argument in the case has focused on Goldman's standing. In March, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sent the issue of standing back to the U.S. District Court to decide.

In October, before the matter had reached the 4th Circuit, a federal judge appointed a three-judge panel to handle the case. Monday's opinion said that the three-judge panel collectively deciding the issue constitutes the most efficient process for handling the case.

The judges said the case had languished for far too long, blaming both the defendants' efforts to engage in piecemeal litigation and Goldman's unorthodox (and occasionally improper) filings.

Novak wrote the opinion and was joined by U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanie Thacker and Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond Jackson. Novak was nominated by former President Donald Trump and Thacker and Jackson by Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, respectively.
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NEW YORK (AP)  A sex-assault civil lawsuit against actor Kevin Spacey can proceed in federal court in New York City, a federal judge ruled Monday.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said in a written ruling that the allegations that actor Anthony Rapp brought against Spacey established an issue of material fact as to whether Rapp sufficiently alleges that Spacey acted to gratify sexual desire during an encounter at a Manhattan party in 1986 when Rapp was 14.

The judge noted that Rapp has alleged that Spacey placed a clothed Rapp on a bed and briefly put his own clothed body partially beside and partially across Rapp's before Rapp wriggled out, got up, and left the premises.

In his lawsuit, Rapp seeks compensatory and punitive damages for what he alleges was assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Rapp testified at a deposition that there was no kissing, no undressing, no reaching under clothes and no sexualized statements or innuendo during an encounter that lasted no more than two minutes, the judge said.

Spacey denies the allegations.

Kaplan did dismiss a common law assault allegation, saying the claim was not included in those revived by a Child Victims Act in New York state that in 2019 temporarily allowed individuals to make claims in instances in which the statute of limitations would normally have barred them.

The ruling comes two weeks after British prosecutors said they had authorized police to charge Spacey with four counts of sexual assault against three men. The alleged incidents occurred in London between 2005 and 2013.

Peter Saghir, a lawyer for Rapp, declined comment. A lawyer for Spacey did not return a message seeking comment.
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LOS ANGELES (AP)  Prosecutors on Tuesday charged a man with attempted murder after they say he stabbed a doctor and two nurses inside a Southern California hospital emergency ward last week.

Ashkan Amirsoleymani, 35, remained inside a storage room at the Encino Hospital Medical Center in the San Fernando Valley for hours on Friday before police arrested him, authorities said. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.

He is being held on $3 million bail on three counts of attempted murder with allegations of causing great bodily injury. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

The criminal complaint against Amirsoleymani lists five previous convictions, including assault with a deadly weapon in 2008 and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury in 2018.

Police previously said Amirsoleymani had parked his car in the middle of a street and went to the emergency room, where he asked for treatment for anxiety. Prosecutors say he first stabbed the doctor and then the two nurses.

A witness described the chaotic scene as a bloodbath to the Los Angeles Times.

There was no evidence that he knew the victims, Los Angeles police Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said at a news conference Friday. He remained inside a room in the hospital for about four hours as SWAT team members tried to to negotiate with him before he was finally arrested.

Friday's attack came only two days after a gunman killed four people and then himself at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The assailant got inside a building on the Saint Francis Hospital campus with little trouble, just hours after buying an AR-style rifle, authorities said.

The man killed his surgeon and three other people at a medical office. He blamed the doctor for his continuing pain after a recent back operation.
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UVALDE, Texas (AP)  The school district police chief criticized for waiting too long before law enforcement confronted and killed the gunman during a mass shooting at a Texas elementary school did not appear at a City Council meeting in Uvalde on Tuesday, despite being newly elected to the panel.

Mayor Don McLaughlin said he was unable to explain why the district police Chief Pete Arredondo wasn't at the brief meeting. Two weeks ago, 19 students and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Law enforcement and state officials have struggled to present an accurate timeline and details, and have stopped releasing information about the police response.

McLaughlin told reporters at the meeting that he was frustrated with the lack of information.

We want facts and answers, just like everybody else, the mayor said.

Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, has said Arredondo, who was in charge of the multi-agency response on May 24, made the wrong decision to not order officers to breach the classroom more quickly to confront the gunman.

As the mayor spoke in Uvalde on Tuesday, lawmakers in Washington heard testimony from the son of a woman who was killed in a recent mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, as lawmakers work toward a bipartisan agreement on gun safety measures. And at a White House press briefing, actor Matthew McConaughey, a Uvalde native, spoke with passion about his conversations with the families of the children who were killed and the need for more stringent gun control.

The gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, spent roughly 80 minutes inside Robb Elementary, and more than an hour passed from when the first officers followed him into the building and when he was killed, according to an official timeline. In the meantime, parents outside begged police to rush in and panicked children called 911 from inside.

Arredondo has not responded to repeated interview requests and questions from The Associated Press.

After the City Council meeting, Alfred Garza III, whose 10-year-old daughter, Amerie Jo, was among the Uvalde students killed, told reporters that he attended the meeting to see what else he could learn about what happened that day.

I have so many questions and not every one can be answered. Theyre still collecting data, theyre still collecting information on what happened, Garza said.

He said he had been curious as to whether Arredondo would attend the meeting, and said he had mixed feelings about the district police chief's absence.

He obviously didnt show up for a reason, Garza said, adding that he assumed Arredondo thought if he did appear he would get a lot of questions.

Garza said he doesnt have a lot of ill will toward Arredondo, nor does he blame just one person for what happened, but he does think more could have been done that day.

They did take a long time to get in there, Garza said.

Since the shooting, there have been tensions between state and local authorities over how police handled the shooting and communicated what happened to the public.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has begun referring questions about the investigation to the Uvalde-area district attorney, Christina Mitchell Busbee. She hasn't responded to repeated interview requests and questions from AP.

McLaughlin said he has asked officials for a briefing but we're not getting it.

He said the city's police chief was on vacation at the time of the shooting and that the acting city police commander was on the scene.

___

More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting

___

Stengle reported from Dallas.

___

This story was first published on June 7, 2022. It was updated on June 8, 2022, to remove reference in the 1st paragraph to the school district police chief ordering officers to confront and kill the gunman. It is not yet clear if he made that order.
Drivers in Connecticut are paying an average of $4.89 for a gallon of regular gasoline, according to the latest data from AAA, which tracks gas prices nationwide.

As of Monday, the price reflects a 21-cent increase from a week ago, when the average price for a gallon of regular was $4.68, and is the highest average price on record, according to AAA.

The price increase follows the traditional start of the summer road trip season after Memorial Day weekend.

Despite the price going up, people are still traveling, said Fran Mayko, a spokesperson for AAA Northeast. Drivers are tired of hunkering down, theyre tired of reducing their drive, Mayko said.

Mayko said prices will likely continue to increase through the July 4 holiday.

It just remains to be seen if people are going to alter their summer travel plans if gas reaches $5 a gallon in Connecticut, she said.

Nationally, the price of gas has broken records for 26 consecutive days.

The Connecticut average gas price stands just above the national mark of $4.86 for a gallon of regular. The price has slowly increased after Connecticut lawmakers suspended the state gas tax. The temporary freeze is scheduled to expire at the end of this month.

The only saving grace in CT is that they did away with the gas tax, Mayko said.

State Attorney General William Tongs office has said it would investigate gas retailers accused of price gouging during the gas tax suspension. As of June 2, the office had received 227 complaints of price gouging, a spokesperson for the attorney generals office said. The office has sent 103 letters to retailers seeking more information, while 50 matters have been closed.

The average price for a gallon of gas a month ago was $4.23, according to AAAs data. A year ago, the average price was $3.08.

By region, drivers in Fairfield and Windham counties are paying the most for gas at $4.95 and $4.92, respectively. Windham Countys neighbors in Tolland are fairing slightly better, with an average of $4.88 a gallon  the lowest in the state.

Nationally, Connecticut ranks 20th among the states with the most expensive gas on average. As of Monday, drivers in California were paying the most, at an average of $6.34 per gallon. Thats followed by Nevada at $5.49 and Hawaii at $5.47.

Drivers in Georgia and Arkansas are paying the least, at around $4.29 and $4.40 a gallon, respectively.

The cost of diesel also hit a new record in Connecticut on May 18 when it reached $6.44 a gallon.

Joe Sculley, president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut, said truckers are being slammed between the cost of diesel, with a diesel tax thats set to increase, and a highway use tax that takes effect at the start of next year.

Sculley said transport businesses, which are small fleet operators are trying to adjust. That may mean increasing prices or holding off on raises for employees.

Theyre making tough decisions all over the place, Sculley said. And ultimately, those decisions do trickle down to the consumer.
A majority of shareholders of Sturm Ruger voted for the company to hire an outside consultant to study the human rights impact of the guns it sells  but with the manufacturer giving no immediate indication whether it will comply with the vote nonbinding.

Ruger shares did not move significantly following the Wednesday vote, trading Friday at just below $70. Ruger stock hit an all-time high of $87.55 in August 2020, as gun sales surged that summer amid protests nationally after the death of George Floyd while being arrested in Minneapolis.

Activists have rallied in the past few weeks for more effective gun control measures, after last months school massacre in Uvalde, Texas. The assailant had bought military-style rifles from a Georgia-based manufacturer called Daniel Defense, which has pledged to cooperate with investigators.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., have been vocal proponents for gun control, with Blumenthal signaling plans to attend a demonstration in Newtown Friday evening to mark National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

Ruger has its headquarters in Fairfield as one of the two largest gun makers selling to the mass retail market, along with Smith & Wesson. Ruger has factories in New Hampshire, North Carolina and Arizona, with a workforce totaling about 1,900 people.

In a filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, Rugers board of directors had countered that it viewed the measure as an affront to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing the right to bear arms, and that it could threaten the financial viability of Ruger.

Asked by an unnamed shareholder during the annual meeting of steps Ruger is taking to help the nation reduce the proliferation of guns, CEO Chris Killoy referred to a 2019 corporate document that he said offers wide-ranging ideas. He said the company will consider additional steps, without making any commitment to a human-rights impact assessment or other possibilities.

We monitor the acquisition and ownership and seek to ensure that not only the products we make are safe, but that we do everything we possibly can to ensure that our owners take their responsibility as firearms owners seriously, Killoy said Wednesday. We have a series of warnings throughout the instruction manual and on our website.

The board of directors had advised shareholders to reject the measure. Chairman Ron Whitaker is a onetime CEO of Hartford-based Colt Industries, and based today in Savannah, Ga. as a corporate turnaround specialist. Other Ruger directors include Killoy and his predecessor Mike Fifer; Sandra Froman, the former president of the National Rifle Association; and retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Becky Halstead.

Halstead has a footnote in history as the first woman graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to make the rank of general, going on to lead the Army Ordnance Center which oversees the procurement of weapons and ammunition.

The Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility and member CommonSpirit Health had pressed for the shareholder vote. Ruger had previously responded to shareholder pressure with the 2019 human-rights policy statement that articulates goals for safer ownership of guns, but does not include data and related outcomes of its current policies.

This assessment will provide vital information that ultimately will safeguard long-term shareholder value, said Laura Krausa, director of advocacy programs for CommonSpirit Health, speaking briefly Wednesday at the annual meeting during a window the company allotted for comments and questions. Ruger first needs to understand where its greatest human rights risks lie.

ICCR and activists nationally point to the ongoing epidemic of mass shootings as justifying far-more stringent curbs on gun sales and ownership. Possible solutions include barring sales to people under age 21, which would likely spark court challenges; expanding background checks and funding for mental health; and exposing people to criminal liability for crimes committed by others with the guns they own, if they do not keep them locked in safes.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
Saugatuck Congregational Church is steeped in history. In the early 1830s, residents of Norwalk, Wilton, Weston and Fairfield gathered in its pews to discuss forming a new town. After much discussion, in 1835 Westport was born.

The handsome church was originally located on what is now a bank and gas station on the Post Road near Compo Road South. It was moved diagonally across the street 115 years later, in 1950 (on logs!). The event was featured in Life magazine.

Today, the church looks like its been there  at the downtown corner near Myrtle Avenue  forever. Its still a place where townspeople gather, and not only for religious services. Saugatuck opens its pews for concerts and lectures, and its meeting rooms to dozens of 12-step programs each week.

The white building, with its broad lawn, appears to be a traditional New England church. But Saugatuck Congregational has long been at the forefront of many humanitarian and social justice movements. Parishioners support the Gillespie Center mens shelter, and sponsor the community-wide Thanksgiving feast every November. For months, a large Black Lives Matter sign hung over its front door.

Now, long after its 18th-century founding, Saugatuck Congregational Church is addressing one of the planets most existential threats of the 21st century: climate change.

A church renewal team applied for a Lilly Endowment grant when Rev. Alison Patton, the popular pastor, began planning a sabbatical. The grant was founded in 1937 to support religious, educational or charitable purposes, and administered by the Christian Theological Seminary, some of those funds provide rest and renewal for members of the clergy.

Many pastors use their time away from their congregation to study or read. But Patton wanted to follow her passion for oceans, marine life and sustainability. She planned a three-prong approach to her sabbatical: researching sea turtles in the Maldives; working on a sustainable farm in Costa Rica, and spending time with her family on the coast of Maine.

As the churchs renewal team refined their grant proposal, they realized that Pattons interest in the effects of climate change on sustainability is shared by many congregants. So they crafted their funding application to apply not only to the minister, but to the church as a whole.

The grant came through. Patton left on June 1 for three months away. Her place is being taken this month by Rev. Jim Antel. The Massachusetts United Church of Christ minister travels the country, urging in a cheerful, inspiring yet relentlessly loving way that civic and faith communities engage in the difficult, crucial work of climate change.

Hell do just that at 7:30 p.m. on June 9. Antal will present Lets Make Our Coastal Community a Climate Leader. Its a true town-wide event; co-sponsored by Wakeman Town Farm and Sustainable Westport.

After the lecture, Sustainable chair Peter Boyd will moderate a conversation on how Westport can achieve that leadership position in climate progress.

In addition to that educational evening, Antal is serving three sermons in a series, called Responding Faithfully to the Climate Crisis. Drawing from his activism and his book Climate Church, Climate World: How People of Faith Must Work for Change, he will challenge attendees to see their place in the work of climate justice.

The first sermon, delivered this past Sunday, was titled Welcoming the Fullest Truth. This coming Sunday (June 12) he will speak on Attending to the Source. The June 19 sermon is Living into a New Story. The public is invited to attend both 10 a.m. services.

During his time in Westport, Antal will also meet community members, record podcasts, and travel throughout town to see exactly what residents are doing to meet the challenges of climate change.

It may seem strange that a three-century-old church of a mainstream denomination in a suburban community cares so much about climate change. But to longtime Saugatuck Church parishioner Priscilla Long - who served on the sabbatical renewal team - it is simply one more example of what she appreciates about the congregation, and its leaders.

This is all about engaging people of faith, which is tied in with the creation of the world. We are trying to make a difference in it, she says.

But this is not just about those of us at Saugatuck Church. We really hope the entire community gets involved.

Dan Woog is a Westport writer. His new column Calendar Close-up appears each Friday and dives into one of the upcoming community events in Westport. He can be reached at dwoog@optonline.net. His personal blog is danwoog06880.com.
WESTPORT  There will be a heightened police presence at the schools for the rest of the academic year, the Board of Education announced.

Board of Education Chairwoman Lee Goldstein didnt go into the specifics about the additional measures during the meeting Monday for security reasons.

We all take our responsibility very seriously and theres no higher priority for any of us than our student and community safety, she said at the meeting. We approach this work intentionally, carefully and I hope intelligently.

Westport usually has a school resource officer at the high school and another police officer whose beat it is to patrol the schools, she said.

Goldstein said there have been previous community discussions about school resource officers, as well as police inside and around the schools. The district will revisit the topic with public discussions in the fall.

The announcement comes in the wake of an elementary school shooting in Texas where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.

Westport added officers throughout the district the day after the shooting though officials stressed there was no threat to the district and it was more for peace of mind.

Westport Schools and Westport Police have a very robust and mutually respectful partnership, Goldstein said Monday, adding Superintendent Thomas Scarice and Police Chief Foti Koskinas talk regularly and the police help the schools with their safety plan.

She said school and police had recently met in executive session to go over school safety even before the shooting happened in Texas.

We will meet again early this summer to ensure we are optimizing our security and taking whatever measures necessary, Goldstein said.

Both Scarice and Koskinas emphasized their partnership last week where Koskinas also touched on some of the polices trainings for shootings.
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STAMFORD  When Charter Communications moved its headquarters to Stamford in 2012, it brought about 75 employees to work on a couple of floors in a downtown building at 400 Atlantic St.

Today, its offices tower over the city center in a new complex, which covers more than 900,000 square feet and serves as the base for approximately 1,700 employees.

The new, glass-sheathed hub at 400 Washington Blvd., next to the downtown Metro-North Railroad station, was built because the Fortune 500 company outgrew its previous headquarters at 400 Atlantic. On Monday, about 300 Charter employees gathered with elected officials including Gov. Ned Lamont for an event to celebrate the opening of the new headquarters, whose construction has been supported by an approximately $100 million company investment.

When we started this construction project, we didnt really know that we were going to get what we got. But we got it, Charter CEO and Chairman Tom Rutledge said at the event. It reflects the success weve had, but (also) the opportunity that we still have. I look forward to working with everyone in this room, going forward in this facility, to build a greater company.

Local and state officials have enthusiastically supported Charters growth. Through the First Five Plus corporate-incentives program launched by the administration of former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, the company received loans of $10 million and $6.5 million, up to $10 million in tax credits and a $2 million grant.

For the $6.5 million loan, the entire principal balance was forgiven in 2015. For the $10 million loan, $7 million of the principal balance was forgiven last year  and the remaining $3 million could be forgiven if the company meets certain job goals. So far, it has earned $2 million of the tax credits.

In addition, Charter could receive up to $8 million in non-First Five Plus tax credits.

If I learned anything over these last couple of years that I shouldnt have had to learn, its that cable, telecommunications, broadband and IT is not a nice to have, its a got to have, said Lamont, who founded a cable company focused on the college market, before he was elected governor in 2018. When we were stuck with COVID, people were not going to be able to continue to educate their kids, if it wasnt for broadband. We werent going to be able to continue a lot of health care without telehealth Im so proud that Connecticut is one of the most connected states in the country  and how vital that was over the last two years and what that means going forward.

Building a new headquarters

Charter, which ranks No. 69 on this years Fortune 500 list of the largest corporations in the U.S., has been growing rapidly for years.

In October 2017  about five years after relocating the headquarters from St. Louis, Mo., to Stamford  the company announced plans to move the main offices from 400 Atlantic to 400 Washington. At that point, the latter property consisted of only a parking garage. Charter partnered on the propertys development with Stamford-based Building and Land Technology, which is also the developer of the mixed-use Harbor Point complex that has transformed the citys South End in the past decade.

The announcement reflected a massive expansion in Charters reach resulting from its acquisition in 2016 of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks. Boosted by the pandemic-sparked spike in demand for home internet service, it has continued to grow robustly in recent years. At the end of the first quarter of 2022, it counted about 32.2 million customer relationships, compared with 31.4 million at the same point in 2021. In its home state, Charter has about 127,000 customers.

A workforce of more than 93,000 delivers Spectrum internet, cable and phone services across 41 states including Connecticut.

Today, the headquarters is nearly complete. Building 1, which opened in March 2021, covers about 532,000 square feet across 14 floors. Building 2, which opened last March, encompasses about 288,000 square feet across nine floors. Building 2 includes offices and amenities such as a fitness center.

There is also an approximately 94,000-square-foot, three-floor connector structure between Buildings 1 and 2, where Mondays event was held.

The key remaining pieces of the construction, an auditorium in Building 2 and an outside amphitheater, are scheduled to be completed by the end of this summer.

No longer needing office space at 400 Atlantic, Charter sold the approximately 500,000-square-foot building for $72 million earlier this year.

Charter officials expect to do much more hiring in the next few years, with the headquarters large enough to house about 3,000 employees.

I just want to say, as mayor, how grateful and thrilled we are to have Charter Communications in our city, said Simmons, whose father, Steve Simmons, is a cable entrepreneur. These (headquarters) buildings are truly beautiful. They are iconic buildings and really make heads turn. I hear it every morning from my son, as we pass these buildings on the way to drop him off at preschool. Hes always saying, Mom, look at those beautiful buildings!

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott
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FAIRFIELD  Two local women have departed on a more than 4,000-mile journey from Fairfield, Conn. to Fairfield, Calif. to prove the effectiveness of electric vehicles.

Daphne Dixon and Alyssa Murphy, of Norwalk-based Live Green Connecticut, got into a Mustang Mach E electric vehicle Monday with the goal of driving to 27 cities over the next month as a way to reduce range anxiety.

Dixon said range anxiety, or the fear that electric vehicles cannot go the same distance as gas-powered vehicles, has proven to be a leading barrier preventing people from making the switch.

We are going to 16 different states and traversing the country  hoping to reduce range anxiety one state at at time, said Dixon, executive director of the Live Green Connecticut nonprofit.

At the starting line in Fairfield, which included people waiving racing flags, local partners involved in the electric vehicle space spoke about the importance of Dixon and Murphys mission.

Jim Motavalli, a freelance automobile writer and author with two books about electric vehicles, said there have been amazing leaps and bounds in battery technology which have raised the standard range of EVs to 300 miles. At the same time, he said, prices have come down dramatically.

Especially considering federal tax credits, you can get down around $30,000 and get a really nice car, he said. I always said the EVs would triumph when they are better in every way than the gas cars they are going to replace, and that is actually whats happening now.

The road trip will be an important way to raise awareness to people who have big questions about electric vehicles, Motavalli said, whether they be about range or access public charging networks.

The road trip proves you can drive all the way across the country, he said. Thats the whole point. They are not restricted to local travel. They go anywhere.

Dixon said people, especially women, want to feel safe they wont be left stranded and in need of a charge. She said her trip is one way to demonstrate that security.

Theres more and more charging infrastructure every day, she said. This road trip is helping to show what people arent really seeing yet... and that there is a way to get from point A to point B. there is a way to get from Fairfield, Connecticut to Fairfield, California in an EV.

This is Dixons first cross-country road trip, and she does not own her own electric vehicle, she said.

I am curious what its like to do a long trip like this and see how it goes, she said. We have a 2021 Mustang Mach E on loan from today until June 28.

Along the way, Dixon said they will be meeting with area partners working in environmental issues to speak with people about electric vehicles.

Marriott Dowden, the program manager of electric vehicle products and services at Avangrid, which owns United Illuminating, said the trip serves as education to the public about electric vehicles. He said Connecticut just launched an aggressive incentive program encouraging people and businesses to install infrastructure for EVs.

As we all know, range anxiety is a significant barrier to purchasing an EV, as well as a lack of understanding and a lack of education, he said. These programs provide incentives to businesses, homeowners and pretty much anyone who is interested in installing chargers wherever they might. Theres a lot of money available.

Dowden said EVs are an exciting technology both because of the way they reduce the use of fossil fuels but also because of their performance.

Build it and they will come. Drive it and they will never go back, he said. Thats what we need to do. We need to get folks behind wheels to experiene the performance of these cars.

Dixon said Live Green Connecticut was founded in 2010 and does environmental work around the state, as well as running the Connecticut Southwestern Area Clean Cities Coalition, a program run by the U.S. Department of Energys Vehicle Technologies Office.

When were not driving across the country, were doing technical assistance with fleets, helping school districts implement electric school bus programs, (helping facilitate) electric police vehicles in municipalities and (working on) zoning regulations for them, she said. We have a wide range of programs that we do.

Dixon said she became interested in environmental issues when she was a child growing up in Sacramento, Calif. When her family would drive out of the city to a place to ride horses, she said, she would see smog clouding the city on the way back.

I thought, Well surely people much smarter than me, adults, are taking care of this, because this is a problem and if somebody doesnt do something its going to get worse, she said. Ive had this feeling of wanting to try and be a part of something to clean up our air for decades. Its a deep seed.

Sometimes people can chose to do things that might be outside of their comfort zone for the greater good, Dixon said.

Getting an EV might feel a little uncomfortable, but once you get behind the wheel and you start driving it, I really think people will be very pleased with their choice, she said. Just start considering it. Test drive an EV. You dont have to jump in and buy one right now. Dip your toe in the water.

joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Louisiana's Democratic governor said Monday he will call the Republican-dominated Legislature into special session soon to draw up new congressional district boundaries, now that a federal judge has blocked use of maps that have only one majority-Black district.

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced his plan at a news conference at the Capitol in Baton Rouge. He spoke to reporters minutes after the 2022 regular legislative session ended, and a few hours after U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick, also in Baton Rouge, blocked the use of the new maps. Her ruling included an order that the Legislature draw up with a remedial plan by June 20.

Edwards, whose veto of the maps was overridden by lawmakers earlier this year, said there should have been a second majority-Black district among the six districts that were approved, noting that the states population is almost one-third Black.

Edwards said redrawing the district lines is required by the court order, the Voting Rights Act and by basic fairness and basic math.

But, lawyers for Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, the state's top elected official, swiftly filed a notice of appeal of Dick's order.

Dick's June 20 deadline for drawing new district lines is one month before the signup period for the Nov. 8 congressional election.

If the Legislature is unable to pass a remedial plan by that date, the Court will issue additional orders to enact a remedial plan compliant with the laws and Constitution of the United States, the judge wrote.

The district map was drawn up in a special session earlier this year during a legislative special session called to redraw government district lines to account for population shifts show in the 2020 census. Edwards vetoed the maps but his veto was overridden. That led to a lawsuit by voting rights advocates.

Ardoin filed a notice of appeal with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Ultimately, the case could wind up before the Supreme Court, which earlier this year put on hold a lower court ruling that Alabama must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power.

Ardoin's office declined comment on the litigation.

In blocking the use of the map pending further elections, Dick said those filing the lawsuit were likely to prevail with their argument that the new districts violate the federal Voting Rights Act. She blocked Ardoin from conducting any elections using the new map.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A man accused of fatally shooting a retired Wisconsin judge and who had a list that included prominent national political figures died in a hospital, a state official said Tuesday.

Douglas Uhde, 56, shot former Juneau County Circuit Judge John Roemer in Roemers home in New Lisbon on Friday before shooting himself, authorities said. He was taken to a hospital where he had been on life support.
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DERBY  A Waterbury man is due in court next month after police say he drunkenly drove a pickup truck the wrong way up Route 8 last year for at least six miles before hitting a car driven by a Bridgeport woman whose leg was later amputated.

Moyan Henry, 34, faces charges of second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, operating under the influence, second-degree reckless endangerment, and driving the wrong way on a divided highway in connection to the crash, which occurred about 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 29, 2021.

His lawyer could not be reached for comment Monday.

Minutes prior to the crash, police received reports that Henrys Dodge Ram truck was driving north on Route 8 south in the area of Exit 20 in Seymour, according to an arrest warrant written by Trooper Jordan Gomes.

Henry allegedly drove the pickup to the area of Exit 24 in Beacon Falls before colliding with a Chevrolet Malibu being driven by Jailisa Reyes, a 28-year-old Bridgeport resident.

Photos from the Beacon Hose Co. No. 1s Facebook page show both vehicles with heavy front-end damage. Rescue crews took about 10 minutes to free Reyes and a passenger from the wreckage, then rushed her to Waterbury Hospital.

According to a video posted by the volunteer fire department, rescue and EMS service, Reyes injuries were so grave that surgeons at the hospital had to crack her chest open and manually massage her heart for more than an hour before her condition stabilized.

The warrant said Henry was found standing at the rear of his vehicle, his eyes bloodshot and glassy, and a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath.

Henry allegedly told police that he was headed home to Waterbury from Bridgeport when the crash occurred.

Henry stated that he thought that he was in the northbound lane of travel, the warrant said. When asked if he had anything to drink tonight Henry stated that he had a couple of drinks earlier in the night.

After he was taken to St. Marys Hospital, the trooper obtained a search warrant for Henrys blood, which testing revealed had a blood alcohol content of .197, more than double the legal limit of .08, according to the warrant.

Reyes lawyer, Mark Arons, said Reyes had her leg amputated below the knee as a result of the crash. Her passenger had only minor injuries, he said.

The lawyer said shes trying to recover after having to take extensive time off for rehab.

Its a devastating thing for a young woman but shes resilient and shes trying to move forward as best she can, Arons said.

No lawsuit has been filed in connection with the case yet. Arons said he filed a claim with Henrys auto insurance company, which offered his $25,000 policy limit.

My client wants (Henry) to be punished appropriately and were attempting to determine whether he has any assets to enable him to compensate Ms. Reyes, Arons said. He was intoxicated and he went for some distance on the highway before the collision.

Henry was arrested by state police last December, but has not yet entered pleas in the case, according to court records. He has posted a $20,000 bond and is due back in court July 13.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks is asking former President Donald Trump to back him once again in Alabama's Senate race, a request that comes two months after a feud caused Trump to revoke his endorsement of the congressman.

Brooks on Sunday released a statement on Twitter asking MAGA Nation to help plead his case for Trumps endorsement, calling himself the Trump candidate in the race. Brooks faces Katie Britt in the June 21 runoff that will decide the GOP nomination for the seat being vacating by retiring Sen. Richard Shelby.

Join me in asking President Trump to #ReEndorseMo so that we can send a message to Mitch McConnell by sending a real America First conservative to the Senate on June 21, the tweet read.

Trump had initially endorsed Brooks last year, rewarding the conservative firebrand who whipped up a crowd of Trump supporters at the Jan. 6, 2021, rally that preceded the U.S. Capitol insurrection. But Trump in March rescinded his endorsement of Brooks, citing his lagging performance and accusing him of going "woke" for suggesting it was time to move on from Trumps false 2020 election fraud claims.

Very sad but, since he decided to go in another direction, so have I, and I am hereby withdrawing my Endorsement of Mo Brooks for the Senate, Trump said in March.

Brooks, at the time stinging from Trump's rebuke, laughed at Trump's characterization that he was woke" and said he and Trump fell out because he rebuffed the former presidents entreaties to help overturn the 2020 election. He wanted the election rescinded and a do-over, Brooks told reporters in March. But theres no legal way to do it.

Making a case that he should return to Trump's favor, Brooks wrote on Sunday that Trump gave our campaign the kick in the pants we needed. Despite losing Trumps backing, Brooks made his way to a second place finish in the May primary, edging out Black Hawk Down pilot Mike Durant.

Brooks had continued to campaign as MAGA Mo after losing Trump's endorsement.

Brooks' plea to Trump comes after he trailed the deep-pocketed Britt in the initial round of voting. Trump so far has not made another endorsement in the race.

Sean Ross, a spokesman for Britt, said it appears that Congressman Brooks poor performance in the polls has led him to this new level of desperation, but its especially interesting given his frequent flip-flopping.
Connecticut State Police /Contributed

CROMWELL  State police are investigating after a car went off the roadway between Interstate-91 and Route 9 southbound Tuesday afternoon.

State police said the crash resulted in serious injuries with first responders extricating those inside the car. It was not immediately clear how many occupants were in the vehicle.
Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media

BRIDGEPORT  Police have identified a city man who died Sunday after a stabbing at a Madison Avenue club, while a second man remains hospitalized in critical condition from the incident.

Police said 25-year-old Albert Josue Hernandez-Martinez died after he was stabbed around 2 a.m. Sunday outside Club Azul. Police said he died late Sunday at the hospital.
Opinion: I went through 10 years of Daily Emerald archives; our paper looks markedly different after the 1971 shift.

----------

When I started working at the Emerald, I was presented with one task: keep it relevant to Eugene or better yet, to the university community. I began writing at the peak of the 2020 George Floyd; so, it did not make sense to me  why must a story I had to share be locally relevant.

The premise was that the Emerald was not designed to compete with national media outlets. Any take that a student in Eugene had, the thinking was, the New York Times or the Washington Post had already done, and better. I could write about how that in itself is wrong, but that is a separate point. For over two years, I have had to twist my every thought to fit this schema. Writing about race, climate change and pervasive social inequality had to be tied to Eugene. Do not get me wrong, I have failed to do so many times, but I disagree with the notion that the Emerald must be a local outlet at all.

Currently, we function like a local feel-good paper. Of course, this may be an unpopular opinion  Eugenes residents may enjoy these stories. I do not disagree that the universitys primary paper should cover the newest cute shop to open in Eugene or the music and Saturday market scene. But our world is infinitely more complex. Our society is in a state of disarray. To prove the point, Googling the latest news on chaos yields 10 different sources on 10 different crises we face today.

Everyone experiences these crises, regardless of whether we are in Eugene or a student at the university. To write as if our contributions values are inherently tied to our spatial existence or our presence within a specific institution demeans the human experience and necessarily produces a hierarchy on written thought.

When the Emerald became an independent paper, we were not like this. I looked through a decade of the papers coverage, specifically 1968 to 1978. I went in looking to examine UO students coverage of the Vietnam War, but I found a trove of writing on so much more.

This time period is special for our paper. In 1971, the Emerald gained its independence from the universitys administration, a popular move for student papers at the time and one endorsed by UOs then-president, Robert Clark.

Our coverage of world events, before and after independence, was markedly different. The Vietnam War was documented by the Emerald, but not in the same way following 1971. Afterwards, a slew of different takes emerged. The universitys Socialist Club at the time published an opinion piece on an anti-war movement taking place in Chicago. Writers voiced disappointment with the nations administration over a decade after the war. The paper published an exponentially greater number of articles about the protests over nuclear weapons proliferation and waste, and political cartoons were hypercritical of governments from the local to federal level. For (better or) worse, students began exchanging opposing sentiments on the Palestine-Israel conflict.

Our independence gave birth to the expansion of student voices  honest ones. These pieces were not tied back to Eugene. A response could be that print journalism placed local papers on a similar level of prestige as national outlets; unlike today where readers have access to all sources without many barriers. While that is true, I think that the Emeralds current emphasis on locality indicates a broader point: student writers voices are not considered as important as those in the national media.

Our last 60 news articles (I got tired of scrolling) did not offer any commentary without qualifying it within the sphere of Eugene. The closest piece related to national issues was on UO students concerns about the Supreme Court leak about Roe v. Wade. In the 10 years of archives I examined, every issue, printed daily, shared information on global news. Whether that be the Carter administrations statements on Saudi Arabia and Iran or news on the Cold War, students covered every single global event. Their voices were powerful, as they communicated a youthful voice on issues broader than our tiny county.

Our voices matter just as much as national outlets. I would far rather read a students pessimistic and existentially complicated piece on the state of geopolitics than the New York Times Paul Friedmans hollow and bourgeois take on his lunch with President Biden  which was entirely off of the record. Student news can and should occupy the space of honest, grassroots journalism, superseding what profit-seeking news seeks to fulfill.

But lets say writers today do not want to cover national news. Our coverage of local news is abysmal as well.

Following the papers independence, not a single week went by without coverage of ASUO or the administrations actions for several years. It seemed as though the paper published every word President Clark uttered. Every budget change, and every ASUO members living breath appeared in the paper. In the last six months, the Emerald has written only six news pieces on ASUO and zero news pieces on the administration.

This is bad journalism. We cannot criticize the university administration or our student government if our media fails to track down stories. Our three most recent opinion pieces on ASUO came AFTER the election, lamenting the controversy and lack of student voting. The independent Emerald of the past dedicated entire daily publications to candidates in upcoming elections and their platforms. We are failing to seek the local news that matters as we should.

To the Emerald, I issue a challenge. Over the last two years, I have met incredible writers with brilliant minds that are capable of tackling not only the local happenings but the national crises we face today at the same level of importance as the big boys in journalism today. We should encourage this, rather than pigeonhole writers into covering information on our universitys dorms.

To the writers, I issue another challenge. If national media is not your area, cover the local news that is missed. Our local government, our administration and our student government should not be able to breathe without the Emerald documenting the rhythm of their aspirations. Ive come to learn that accountability in journalism begins with proximity and quantity. With budgets that we fund that contribute to our livelihoods; every decision and comment must be accessible to the public. That is the writers duty. Every day that those in power act without public knowledge, journalism has failed.
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US Dollar Outlook:

The US Dollar (via the DXY Index) has stabilized after dropping swiftly from its yearly highs.

Higher US Treasury yields have helped USD/JPY rates ward off a potential topping pattern, with the pair extending to fresh multi-decade highs.

The IG Client Sentiment Index suggests that USD JPY has a bullish bias in the near-term.

Fed Hikes Odds Rise with US Treasury Yields

The US Dollar (via the DXY Index) has stabilized over the past week-plus following a swift drop from its yearly highs established in mid-May. The combination of rising Fed rate hike odds  147-bps are now priced-in through the end of 2022  and elevated US Treasury yields have proved to be strong enough tailwinds to help stem the greenbacks bleeding.

These developments have been positive news for USD/JPY rates, which as of a few weeks ago appear to be carving out a potential near-term top. Alas, unlike other currencies whose central banks are closing the rate expectations gap relative to the Federal Reserve, the Japanese Yen remains encumbered by a Bank of Japan that is committed to its QQE with yield curve control policy.

The broader DXY Index may stay range bound over the next few days even if Fed rate hike odds and US Treasury yields rise further, simply because of the loaded economic calendar at the end of the week may spook traders from taking too significant of a directional bias. Even so, that may be good news for USD/JPY rates, which have recently broken out to a fresh multi-decade high. USD/JPY rates are the canary in the coal mine for the DXY Index; if the pair turns lower, it likely spells trouble ahead for the greenback gauge.

DXY PRICE INDEX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DailyTimeframe (June 2021 to June 2022) (CHART 1)

The DXY Index has been trading sideways for the better part of two weeks, between 101.30 and 102.65. Bearish momentum has stalled, with the gauge holding right at its daily 5-, 8-, 13-, and 21-EMA envelope, which is in neither bearish nor bullish sequential order. Daily MACD has warded off a drop below its signal line, while daily Slow Stochastics continue to rise towards their median line. A bullish bias would be more appropriate above 102.65, a bearish bias below 101.30, and neutral  rangebound  in between the two levels in the near-term.

USD/JPY RATE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DAILY TIMEFRAME (June 2021 to June 2022) (CHART 2)

USD/JPY rates were not carving out a head and shoulders pattern but instead a bullish falling wedge throughout the second half of May. Fresh multi-decade highs have emerged, and barring a turn lower by US Treasury yields (and thus Fed rate hike odds), theres little reason to think that further advances will be stopped. The pair is above its daily EMA envelope, which is in bullish sequential order. Daily MACD is rising while above its signal line, and daily Slow Stochastics are nestled in overbought territory. A buy the dip mentality is appropriate in the near-term.

IG Client Sentiment Index: USD/JPY RATE Forecast (June 7, 2022) (Chart 3)

USD/JPY: Retail trader data shows 27.06% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 2.69 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 0.71% higher than yesterday and 8.70% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 2.28% higher than yesterday and 23.82% higher from last week.

We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests USD/JPY prices may continue to rise.

Traders are further net-short than yesterday and last week, and the combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a stronger USD/JPY-bullish contrarian trading bias.

{{NEWSLETTER }}

--- Written by Christopher Vecchio, CFA, Senior Strategist
Sky Newss hysterical Partygate coverage saw Skys political editor, Beth Rigby, repeatedly ask Boris whether he would resign. She is understandably less keen to talk about her own transgressions

On any number of issues, from his taxation policy to his apparent obsession with reaching net zero, I am profoundly at odds with Boris Johnson. But this week, I found that for once I wholeheartedly agreed with him.

At the end of his speech to Tory MPs before the confidence vote on Monday, the Prime Minister asked them to ignore the siren voices of their TV screens and smartphones when it came to deciding how to cast their ballot.

Let us, implored Boris, refuse to dance to the tune of the media.

What he meant was Dont be swayed by the broadcast news medias relentless obsession with Partygate, by the unending succession of anti-Boris commentators who have filled the airwaves for as long as we can remember, or by the constant carping over Brexit  something they consider the work of the Devil.

And he was right to say so. For no self-respecting politician should dance to the medias tune. In a democracy, MPs are accountable to us, the electorate, not to a handful of elitist political editors on TV and radio, or self-appointed influencers on social media.

In the event, Boriss words failed to have their desired effect and the huge number of Tory MPs who voted against him have damaged him beyond measure.

But I cant help feeling that, in the febrile atmosphere of the Westminster hothouse, a number of the 41 per cent of Tory MPs who plunged the knife into the Prime Minister will indeed have danced to the tune of the Boris-hating media, even though many of them actually owe their position to the fact that he delivered Brexit and won the election with an 80-seat majority.

In effect, they tried to remove a premier with the greatest popular mandate since 1987 at the behest of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and Twitter.

Whichever side youre on, it is bad news for democracy.

There are plenty of things that this Conservative government should be criticised for.

In the real world outside Westminster, from the Red Wall to the traditionally Blue shires, people are justifiably angry and disappointed with Johnsons administration.

ITV political editor Robert Peston has been firing off a constant stream of tweets so infused with bitter anti-Boris bias that it is hard to decide whether he sees himself as a cheerleader for the Tory backbench rebellion or the actual convenor of it

Not only over its hypocrisy in relation to its lockdown rules, but over far bigger issues from the cost-of-living crisis to the broken promises about levelling up and problems with his incomplete Brexit deal. That public anger is expected to be reflected both north and south in two by-elections later this month.

But whatever anybody thinks of Johnson and his government, the relentless, overblown campaign being waged against him over Partygate is a serious cause for concern.

This is not the objective journalism on which our broadcasters once prided themselves. It is a partisan propaganda war that looks about as confected as the cake at Boriss infamous nine-minute birthday party.

It was way back in last year that ITV News did itself proud with a genuine scoop, by breaking the story of Downing Street parties being held in defiance of lockdown regulations in 2020. It had a huge impact and people made their minds up about it pretty quickly.

Yet more than six months later, broadcasters are still constantly trying to whip up outrage and consternation about Partygate.

It is as if the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4 and Twitter have all been infected by a virulent strain of what Elon Musk calls the woke mind virus. And they are determined to spread it through the viewing public, starting in Westminster.

To my mind, news broadcasts from the Remainstream media have come to resemble something like the telescreens pumping out one-note propaganda messages in George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four.

The BBC, of course, has been keen to maintain its prime position as the Boris-Bashing Corporation throughout this long-running affair.

Mishal Husain, host of Radio 4s flagship Today programme, was supposed to be interviewing Tory minister Simon Hart about the Governments plan to tackle illegal immigration

Back in April Mishal Husain, host of Radio 4s flagship Today programme, was supposed to be interviewing Tory minister Simon Hart about the Governments plan to tackle illegal immigration.

But even on that subject she couldnt resist shoehorning in Partygate. Why should people stick to legal migration routes, Husain demanded, when the Prime Minister himself has acted outside the law?

When the hapless Hart tried to dispute the implication that Partygate meant Boris might be the moral equivalent of cross-Channel people-smugglers, she laughed at him.

Over on BBC TV, Panorama broadcast a special edition to greet the publication of Sue Grays damning report into Partygate. In this bizarre piece of political melodrama, former Downing Street staffers were interviewed with their faces and voices disguised, as if they were hiding out, at risk of retaliatory attacks.

Meanwhile, BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg reacted to their tales of drinking in Downing Street with the hushed tones and horrified expressions normally reserved for wartime atrocity stories.

BBC Europe editor Katya Adler, a critic of Boris and an opponent of Brexit from the off, has been wheeled out to warn us how damaging Partygate will prove for relations with the European Union.

This is the same Ms Adler who, in January 2021, at the height of the Covid pandemic, effectively sided with EU bureaucrats in the row over vaccines, accusing Johnson of unjustifiably berating the EU for its idiotic political rejection of the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine.

The BBC could not even bear to give Boris credit for his Governments extraordinary achievement in rolling out vaccines across the UK while the EU dithered and postured.

After Boris won the vote of confidence this week, BBC reporter Geeta Guru-Murthy was outside Parliament demanding to know how any Tory MP could still have dared to support a man whos lied to the Queen, lied to the House of Commons, lied to the public.

Johnson loyalist Lee Anderson MP was one of the few prepared to call out this Partygate obsession on air. The BBC, he declared, has had it in for Boris from day one. Its been a massive witch hunt by you, and the Labour Party, and the mainstream media. Even now, youre not going to let this drop are you? Youre going to go on and on and on. Its quite sad.

Indeed it is. And the big commercial news broadcasters have been no better.

In between broadcasts, ITV political editor Robert Peston has been firing off a constant stream of tweets so infused with bitter anti-Boris bias that it is hard to decide whether he sees himself as a cheerleader for the Tory backbench rebellion or the actual convenor of it, praising MPs for attacking their leader on Twitter in the most clinical and damning terms.

Peston has even tweeted wistfully about the days or [sic] yore when Tory prime ministers told to resign by the partys men in grey suits did the decent thing and retired to their offices with the bottle of whisky and the revolver.

But then, for Peston, the fact that Boris is still in power post-Partygate proves he is not only an indecent PM, he is also head of an elected dictatorship. The President Putin of Britain, perhaps?

Meanwhile, Sky Newss hysterical Partygate coverage saw Skys political editor, Beth Rigby, repeatedly ask Boris whether he would resign.

She is understandably less keen to talk about her own transgressions, when she was suspended from our TV screens along with top Sky News presenter Kay Burley, for attending the latters birthday knees-up during lockdown. But why let that get in the way of delivering a sanctimonious sermon?

BBC Europe editor Katya Adler, a critic of Boris and an opponent of Brexit from the off, has been wheeled out to warn us how damaging Partygate will prove for relations with the European Union.

Her deputy at Sky, Sam Coates, has been busy making a spectacle of himself in Downing Street, shouting mad rhetorical questions  Are you proud of this Government?; Is it see no evil, hear no evil?  at Cabinet ministers as they enter and leave No 10. It is as if Alan Partridge has been brought to life as an anti-Boris nutcase.

For its part, Channel 4 News has a long track record of Boris-baiting and Brexit-bashing.

It replaced Johnson with a block of ice during an election debate on climate change (after refusing to allow former environment secretary Michael Gove to join). On election night in 2019, when the exit poll predicted Johnsons sweeping triumph, Channel 4s balanced studio audience could immediately be heard gasping and booing in disbelief.

Channel 4 News veteran Jon Snow stepped down as anchor after publicly joining in a chant of F*** the Tories! at Glastonbury Festival. But his successors have carried on in that same spirit of impartiality while engaged in relentless trench warfare over Partygate.

It is on Twitter, however, that Leftist, Boris-despising media types have really run riot.

It is typical of Westminsters isolation that many Tory MPs should mistake this playground of the commentariat for the real world, and allow themselves to be swayed by it.

The reality gap between the Twitterati and the rest of us was starkly revealed this week, after Conservative minister Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News that Ukraines President Zelensky would be punching the air to celebrate his ally Johnsons win in the vote of confidence.

Cue outrage from Left-liberal sorts on Twitter, condemning Zahawi and the Government as utterly contemptible, loathsome, disgusting, desperate and delusional for daring to make such a suggestion about their hero.

Sam Coates has been busy making a spectacle of himself in Downing Street, shouting mad rhetorical questions  Are you proud of this Government?; Is it see no evil, hear no evil?  at Cabinet ministers as they enter and leave No 10.

They were still screeching right up to the moment Zelensky made clear that he is very happy [Boris won the confidence vote]. He is a true friend of Ukraine, adding Im glad weve not lost an important ally.

From the Today programme to Twitter, the addiction to Partygate has led to an outpouring of political prejudice dressed up as reporting. These media outlets have all been busy making mountains out of woke molehills, and hoping to bury Boris under a rockslide.

Why else would they have shown such unstinting fascination with the Downing Street parties, yet next to no interest in Labour leader Keir Starmers Beergate bash in Durham?

Some of us have long believed that the Governments worst offence was not breaking its own lockdown rules, but imposing those draconian and often irrational measures on the rest of us in the first place.

The broadcast media cannot even address that question, however, because back then the very commentators now berating Boris over Partygate were the loudest and most zealous voices demanding that he lock us down faster, harder and for even longer. They all bear a heavy responsibility for the mess that we are in.

This endless concocted scandal is no less than an attempted coup, instigated by the Remainer media elites who loathe Boris as the symbol of Brexit.

They became obsessed with Partygate because they see it as a stick with which to beat Boris, and one that could help persuade Tory MPs to get rid of him  without leaving it to the unreliable electorate to decide who is our Prime Minister.
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A year on from his divorce, the Queen's grandson Peter Phillips has entered a bright new chapter of his life with his new love firmly by his side.

The Queen's eldest grandson, 44, who lives at Princess Anne's Gatcombe Estate next door to his sister Zara Tindall, split from his Canadian wife Autumn, mother of his daughters Savannah, 12, and Isla, 11, in February 2020 after 14 years together. Their divorce was finalised 16 months later, in June last year.

By then rumours had already started circulating that Peter had found love again with Lindsay Wallace, an old school pal from his days at 40,000-a-year Gordonstoun.

He made headlines when he made a visit to Ms Wallace's Scottish home in March 2021, sparking speculation he might have broken lockdown rules. The pair were photographed together for the first time eight months later when Lindsay joined Peter at the double royal christening of August Brooksbank and Lucas Tindall.

In the months since, Peter has introduced Lindsay, the daughter of an oil tycoon, to his grandmother the Queen. Her Majesty is said to have very much enjoyed meeting Ms Wallace.

The seriousness of their relationship was made clear this weekend when Ms Wallace joined her royal beau at three separate Platinum Jubilee events: the Epsom Derby, the Platinum Party and the Platinum Pageant. At the former, the couple were joined by Zara and Mike Tindall and Princess Anne, but the second was even more significant because Ms Wallace attended alongside Peter's two children.

It is not out of the realms of possibility that Peter might one day might want to pop the question, if things keep going as well as they are. Yet there is one major roadblock in their way: while Ms Wallace has separated from her husband Andrew, the pair are not divorced.

SATURDAY: A year on from his divorce, the Queen's grandson Peter Phillips has entered a bright new chapter of his life with his new love firmly by his side. Above, Peter and Lindsay Wallace made their public debut at Royal Epsom on Saturday

SATURDAY NIGHT: The seriousness of their relationship was made clear when Ms Wallace accompanied Peter to the Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace on Saturday night, along with his daughters (one pictured right) and mother Princess Anne

SUNDAY: It was another family affair when Lindsay joined Peter and his daughters at the Platinum Pageant on Sunday night. Pictured, the couple speaking to Sadiq Khan and his wife ahead of the start of the spectacle

EX-WIFE: The Queen's eldest grandson split from his Canadian wife Autumn in February 2020. The couple finalised their divorce in June 2021. Pictured, the couple on the Buckingham Palace balcony with their daughters in 2019

The stay-at-home mother parted from businessman Andrew, her husband of 11 years, at around the same time last year that Phillips announced he and his wife Autumn were divorcing after 12 years of marriage.

Peter and Autumn Kelly, a Montreal-born management consultant, met at the 2003 Canadian Grand Prix. At the time, he was working for the Williams Formula 1 team. She is said not to have known he was the Queens grandson until six weeks later, when she saw him on television.

She then moved to Britain and married Phillips in 2008 in a ceremony at St Georges Chapel, Windsor, that caused controversy because the couple sold the photographic rights to Hello! magazine for a reported 500,000.

The couple welcomed daughters Autumn, 12, and Isla, 11, who have been raised on Princess Anne's country estate of Gatcombe Park, in Gloucestershire.

Peter's sister Zara and her family also live on the estate, and the cousins enjoy an extremely close relationship.

Peter and Autumn shocked the world when the announced in February 2020 that they were separating after 12 years of marriage.

The breakdown of Autumn and Peter's marriage was considered as particularly painful for the Queen, who enjoys a close relationship with her grandson's wife.

FAMILY TIES: Mother-of-two Ms Wallace, left, is a close friend of Zara (right together) from their days at 40,000-a-year Gordonstoun and was invited to the royal's wedding. She is separated from her husband but not divorced

WEDDING GUEST: Lindsay was pictured laughing and cheering (at the back wearing a cream-coloured top and a pink hat) at Zara's wedding to rugby star Mike Tindall in 2011

ROYAL EVENT: Eight months later after Mr Phillips was spotted at Ms Wallace's house, he brought her as his date to his nephew Lucas's christening (pictured). The couple were photographed in a car together ahead of the Royal Family gathering

While it was thought Autumn might return to her native Canada, she continues to live on Princess Anne's Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire  albeit in separate accommodation  so she can co-parent Savannah and Isla with Peter.

In March 2021, the royal made headlines when Phillips's swanky black Range Rover parked on the driveway of Mrs Wallace's 475,000 home in the village of St Cyrus near Montrose.

Peter was three years above Lindsay at Gordonstoun, the school also attended by Prince Philip and Prince Charles, but the pair are believed to have reconnected at a reunion.

Lindsay, who was born and raised in Scotland and whose parents are said to be 'pillars of the community', has remained a friend of his sister Zara. She was a guest at her 2011 Edinburgh wedding to rugby player Mike Tindall, where she was spotted in a pink hat and cream silk coat.

At the time of the March visit, Peter denied being in a relationship. But a source later said he was 'besotted' with his new girlfriend and they had bonded following the breakdown of their respective marriages.

However they have gone from strength to strength in the months since. The father-of-two reportedly introduced his new partner Lindsay to Her Majesty following a shooting party which was held at Windsor at the start of the year.

HANDS-ON DAD: In recent months, he has been stepping out solo at high profile royal events with his two young daughters, with whom he appears to enjoy a close relationship (pictured, at Prince Philips' memorial service)

FAMILY OUTINGS: Less than a month later, the father-of-two stepped out again with his two young daughters as he joined other members of the royal family including Eugenie to attend the Easter service

A source told The Sun: 'It was a very warm meeting and the Queen was clearly delighted to meet someone who makes Peter so happy.'

They added: 'It may still be early days but Peter wanted his grandmother to see he was happy. It is a clear sign that Lindsay has now been firmly welcomed into The Firm and a major first step if they were to ever choose to get married.'

Eight months later, he brought Ms Wallace as his date to his nephew Lucas's christening. The couple were photographed in a car together ahead of the Royal Family gathering.

Elegant in a cream coat and black hat, Ms Wallace was in the front seat by his side as he drove his 4x4 into the grounds at Windsor and looked down at her lap as cameras snapped photos of the royal arrivals.

A spokesman for Mr Phillips confirmed at the time that Ms Wallace had accompanied him to the joint christening of Zara and Mike Tindall's son, Lucas, and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's son, August, in Windsor.

SOLO OUTING: Peter Phillips was spotted chatting to his sister Zara and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at St Paul's Cathedral. He attended the Service of Thanksgiving without Ms Wallace

Now Peter is adjusting to life in the spotlight without his wife Autumn by his side. In March, he attended Prince Philip's memorial service solo, walking hand-in-hand with his young daughters on each side.

At the event, he was seen giggling and smiling with his daughters, with whom he appears to enjoy a particularly close relationship.

Meanwhile at Easter, he joined Princess Eugenie alongside his girls to walk to the Maundy Service with other members of the royal family. Ever the cool dad, he was chatting with his pre-teens as he entered the church alongside his cousin Eugenie.

Now it appears he has found a new companion who will perhaps accompany him to future royal events in the future.

While Ms Wallace did not attend the Queen's Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Thursday, Peter joined royals including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the event.

PDA: Peter placed a protective arm on a grinning Lindsay's shoulder as they spoke during the Epsom Derby on Saturday

EASY-GOING: The two appeared relaxed, walking side by side as they took in the racecourse in Surrey on Saturday afternoon

MUM'S SEAL OF APPROVAL: Lindsay dazzled in a long-sleeved coral dress, which she paired with white shoes and a white clutch, while Peter looked dapper in morning dress. They joined Princess Anne at the event on Saturday

But over the weekend, Peter made his public debut with Lindsay at the Epsom Derby.

Lindsay dazzled in a long-sleeved coral Victoria Beckham dress, which she paired with white shoes and a white clutch, while Peter looked dapper in morning dress.

They were seen smiling and chatting animatedly as they watched the action with Princess Anne and Zara and Mike Tindall. At one point, Peter also placed a protective arm on a grinning Lindsay's shoulder.

Next Lindsay accompanied Peter to the Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace, followed by an outing to the Platinum Pageant on Sunday.

Peter and Lindsay sat in the royal box alongside his daughters and senior members of the firm including Prince William, The Duchess of Cambridge and the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

At one point the couple chatted to Princess Anne, who turned around in her seat to chat.

TIME FOR A CHAT: Lindsay then joined Peter alongside his children and other members of the royal family including Princess Anne (pictured) for the Platinum Jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday night
A woman who was imprisoned, tortured, and abused by the 'night-vision' serial killer for seven weeks as a child - after he brutally murdered her whole family - has detailed the harrowing moment that he forced her choose how she wanted to die, giving her the option between being strangled or shot.

Shasta Groene, now 25, was eight years old when Joseph Duncan III, who was 42 at the time, broke into her home and killed her mother, Brenda Groene, 40, her stepfather, Mark McKenzie, 37, and her brother, Slade Groene, who was just 13.

He kidnapped Shasta and her then-nine-year-old brother, Dylan, and held them captive for nearly two months while he sexually and physically assaulted them, before he ultimately fatally shot Dylan in front of Shasta.

He then asked Shasta how she wanted to be killed, telling her that she had to pick between him choking her to death with a rope or him shooting her like he did to her brother, however, she was thankfully able to talk him out of it.

Shasta was eventually rescued after Duncan took her to a restaurant and was spotted by customers and employees, who called the police and stopped him from leaving.

Now, she is opening up about the traumatic experience and how her survivor's guilt, spiraled into drug use, self harm, and an eating disorder in a new episode of People Magazine Investigates, which airs on Investigation Discovery and Discovery+.

A woman who was imprisoned by a series killer as a child detailed the harrowing moment that her kidnapper forced her choose how she wanted to die. She is pictured as a kid with her father

Shasta Groene, now 25, was eight years old when Joseph Duncan III (pictured in 2008), who was 42 at the time, broke into her home and killed her mother, stepfather, and brother

He kidnapped Shasta and her then-nine-year-old brother, Dylan (pictured), and held them captive for nearly two months while he sexually and physically assaulted them

He then asked Shasta (pictured as a kid) how she wanted to be killed, telling her that she had to pick between him choking her to death with a rope or him shooting her

Now, Shasta is opening up about the traumatic experience in a new episode of People Magazine Investigates, which airs on Investigation Discovery and Discovery+

'One day, he asked me, "How do you want to die? You have two choices, I can shoot you or you can be strangled to death,"' she recalled in the show.

'I felt like there was always something guiding me, like a voice in my head telling me what I needed to do and how it needed to go.

'So I told him, "I want you to strangle me, I guess." I couldn't picture what happened to my brother happening to me, it scared me.'

Shasta said she knew if he strangled her she would have more time to 'talk him out of it,' but if he were to shoot her, he could 'just pull the trigger and it would all be over.'

Duncan later tragically killed Dylan (pictured) by shooting him in the head at point-blank range with a 12-gauge shotgun in front of Shasta

She continued, 'So that's what I chose. He had me lay down on the ground and he put a rope around my neck.'

However, when the then-eight-year-old called Duncan by his nickname, Jett, it ultimately saved her life.

'He squeezed it, everything started turning white and I said, "Please don't Jett." When I said that he loosened his grip on the rope and he started crying,' she said.

'He was like, "I don't know why, when you call me that, I can tell you really care about me."

'At that point, I knew that I had gained a lot of trust with him. I was pretty much going to do whatever it took to survive.'

On May 15, 2005, Shasta said she thought she saw someone hiding in her bedroom closet while she was trying to fall asleep in her Wolf Lodge, Idaho, home.

After being comforted by her brother, she fell asleep, assuming she had imagined it. However, hours later, she was woken by her mother - who was in tears. She told her, 'Someone's in the house.'

She remembered in the show, 'My mother was crying. She's like, "[Shasta], you need to wake up. Someone's in the house."'

She then said she found her stepfather and her brother laying face down on the floor of the family living room with zip ties around their wrists and ankles, as well as duct tape covering their mouths.

A man, who wore all black and night-vision goggles, stood in the room holding a shotgun.

Shasta said she was woken by her mom (left) in May 2005, to find her stepfather (right) and her brother laying face down with zip ties around their wrists and ankles

Shasta (pictured as a kid) said she thought she saw someone hiding in her bedroom closet before she fell asleep, but was comforted by her brother and assumed she had imagined it

However, hours later, she was woken in the middle of the night by her mother, Brenda (pictured) - who was in tears and told her, 'Someone's in the house'

Shasta (pictured as a kid) then discovered a man who wore all black and night-vision goggles in the house with a shotgun

After tying up Shasta and Dylan and carrying them outside to his car, he beat her mother, stepfather, and other brother to death with a hammer.

'I heard thumping and a grunt in pain. I didn't know what was going on,' she said in the show.

He then took the two kids to a campsite in Lolo National Forest near St. Regis, Montana, where they stayed for weeks.

He eventually killed Dylan by shooting him in the head at point-blank range with a 12-gauge shotgun.

'I honestly have no idea what gave me strength or hope,' she told Fox News Digital recently.

'But there was something inside of me that was pushing me to say or do certain things to be on [Duncan's] good side and earn his trust.

'I believe that was my moms spirit guiding me. She wanted me to get out safe and alive.

'I felt like I was getting help from her spiritually. But there were times when I really thought, "How long am I going to be alive?"'

Shasta was eventually rescued on July 2, 2005, after people inside a Coeur d'Alene Denny's diner noticed her, alerted the authorities, and positioned themselves in front of Duncan so he couldn't leave.

Shasta said that Duncan took her to the restaurant after she earned his trust by 'manipulating him' and making him feel like she 'didn't want to leave his side.'

'I would tell him that I wanted to show him all the places I grew up in, where I went to school because I loved school, where I used to hang out, basically show him my life because I had no family,' she told Fox.

'That made him feel good because he felt that I trusted him. He felt that he was learning about my life and getting to know a vulnerable part of me. I was just trying to manipulate him.

'[When we got to the Denny's] I looked up and saw this guy. He looked at me, and I nodded my head. He nodded back.

'I can tell from his eyes that he knew who I was. I was trying to tell him through my eyes, that it was me.'

He beat her mom, stepfather, and older brother (pictured) to death with a hammer, and kidnapped her and Dylan

She recalled hearing 'thumping and a grunt in pain,' but said she 'didn't know what was going on.' Her late stepfather, Mark McKenzie, is pictured before his death

He took the two kids to a campsite in Lolo National Forest near St. Regis, Montana (pictured), where they stayed for weeks, before he fatally shot Dylan

After Dylan's (pictured) death, Shasta said Duncan was going to kill her too. However, when the then-eight-year-old called him by his nickname, Jett, it ultimately saved her life

The man alerted a waitress who called the police. Shasta continued, 'The officer walked up behind her toward our table. He asked me who I was. I told him that my name was Katie.

'[Duncan] told me, "Its OK, you can tell him." Thats when I said, "My name is Shasta." The cop then grabbed [Duncan] and handcuffed him right away.'

'I remember feeling safe, but at the same time, I was sad about my family, and so focused on, "Where is my oldest brother, where's my dad?" Stuff like that,' she previously recalled of being rescued in a 2015 interview with KTVB.

'I was happy to be in a safe place, but there was still that part of me that was like, "What if that happens again?"'

Afterwards, Shasta went to live with her biological father. She took a year off of school, and tried her best to get back to normal while a slew of reporters and cameras followed her every move.

She went to therapy, but said she suffered from an eating disorder and self harmed as she struggled to come to terms with what had happened to her.

Before the tragic incident, Shasta said she was really close with her brothers, and that she 'always wanted to be with them' - which made it even harder for her to adjust to her new life without them.

After that, Duncan took Shasta back to Idaho, where she was eventually rescued on July 2, 2005. She is seen on a store surveillance camera with Duncan

'I had my brothers with me all the time,' she said to Fox. 'And thats exactly how I wanted it to be. I always wanted to be with them. I was the youngest and the only girl.

'I was the little sister my brothers protected. And my mom made sure that the family was always together.

'It felt weird being in a house with my dad and his girlfriend with none of my brothers.

'I was just so alone. He was a truck driver, so it was very seldom that we saw him. But thats how he paid the bills.

'I also became really sensitive about my weight and the things that I ate. I think it was a way to punish myself. I developed an eating disorder at a very young age.

'If I ate, I made myself throw up. I then started self-harming. I was hiding a lot from my dad.

'And then he got throat cancer. He almost died from it. So much has happened that I never fully got to heal.'

She also said she suffered from severe 'guilt' since she survived and her brother Dylan didn't, especially because she had promised him that they would both 'get out alive.'

'I had promised my brother [Dylan] that I would make sure that we got out alive. I carried so much guilt because he didnt live, and I did,' she said.

'I felt like it should have been the other way around. I handled all of that in very unhealthy ways.

'I started drinking at age 13, smoking marijuana and hanging out with older people. I was trying to numb everything. And there was a possibility that my dad might die. I didnt know what to do.'

Duncan was convicted and sentenced to death in 2008 and, after his arrest, DNA evidence linked him to the April 1997 killing of ten-year-old Anthony Martinez from Beaumont, California - which he later admitted to.

He was also linked to the killings of two young girls in Seattle in the 1990s, and was also accused of molesting a young boy on a playground in Minnesota in 2005.

Shasta (pictured as an adult) was rescued after he took her to a restaurant and was spotted by customers and employees, who called the police and stopped him from leaving

'I was happy to be in a safe place, but there was still that part of me that was like, "What if that happens again?"' Shasta (pictured as an adult) previously recalled of being rescued

Duncan (pictured in 2011) was convicted and sentenced to death in 2008. He died of brain cancer in March 2021

Duncan, a registered sex offender, later told a therapist that he estimated he had raped 13 younger boys by the time he was 16.

According to the investigation, he had spotted the Groene family while driving across the Idaho Panhandle on Interstate 90.

After his arrest, DNA evidence linked him to the April 1997 killing of ten-year-old Anthony Martinez (pictured) from Beaumont, California - which he later admitted to

He said he noticed Shasta and Dylan playing in their swimsuits in the yard of their home, which was next to the freeway, and began doing surveillance on them.

In March 2021, Duncan passed away from terminal brain cancer at a hospital in Terra Haute, Idaho, near the federal prison where he was serving his sentence on federal death row - and Shasta said her soul was 'finally free' following his death.

'One thing is for sure, he does not exist anymore. Now, we can live our lives knowing that,' she said in a statement at the time.

'For so long I have been struggling with hate towards that man. Today, I woke up feeling like my soul was finally free.

'I hope other people affected by Joseph Duncan were able to wake up feeling the same way.'

The Kootenai County Sheriffs Office in Idaho, which conducted the investigation, also released a statement.

'In May of 2005, the Groene Family of Kootenai County, living in the Wolf Lodge Bay area, was brutally victimized by a serial killer passing through our community. The family was stalked, attacked and tortured,' they wrote. 'It was one of the worst tragedies Idaho has ever seen.'

Shasta now lives with her husband, Michael, and their four sons. She is currently expecting their fifth child - another boy - who is due in August. She is pictured with one of her kids in 2016

After Duncan's death she said in a statement, 'My soul is lighter. The world is a more beautiful place without the evil that is Joseph Duncan.' He is pictured in 2011

Diana Martinez, Anthony's mother, said after his death: 'The sun is a little brighter today.'

'My soul is lighter. The world is a more beautiful place without the evil that is Joseph Duncan.

'God chose to make his end a long suffering and I believe that is fitting. The horror of his thoughts consumed him.'

'While I would've liked to witness his execution, knowing he is now standing before God being held accountable for what he has done, what he did to my son, and the horrible crimes he committed to others, that is the real justice,' Anthony Martinez's father, Ernesto, added.

Now, Shasta lives in Boise, Idaho, with her husband, Michael, and their four sons, all of whom are under the age of six. She is currently expecting their fifth child - another boy - who is due in August.

She works as the supervising housekeeper at a nearby hotel. She is sharing her story now in the hopes of helping other victims who might be struggling.

'You're not your past,' she said in the series. 'Every day is a new chapter.'

For a long time, Shasta told Fox that she didn't feel 'confident enough' to speak out, but now, she is in a 'really good head space.'

'For a long time, I wasnt in a place where I felt confident enough to speak out. I wasnt ready,' she admitted.

'But by the time we began filming, I was in a really good head space. [Duncan] had passed away, and it almost felt like a new start for me. I felt like I suddenly woke up and said, "I want to help others with my story."

'There were so many times in my life where I gave up on certain things. Looking back on them today, I wish I never did.

'Id probably be a lot further in my life than I am now, even though I am far But I didnt know how to heal.

'I didnt know how to grieve. I do think its important to start the grieving and healing process.

'Otherwise, youll just keep living your life, not realizing that there are parts of you that are falling behind. Its OK to struggle in your life, but its the resiliency that matters.'

People Magazine Investigates: Groene Family Massacre is streaming now on discovery+
Elizabeth Smart has reflected on the 20 years since she was abducted from her family home in Salt Lake City, Utah, saying her 'desire to live' and 'do good in the world' has outweighed her trauma.

The 34-year-old was taken from her bed at knifepoint on June 5, 2002, when she was 14 years old, and held captive by Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, before she was rescued on March 12, 2003.

'It took me a while to recognize that I will never be who I was before all this happened. That will never happen. That person is gone,' she told Fox 13 News. 'I needed to learn to be OK with my new life, and that took time. It didn't just happen overnight.'

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Elizabeth Smart has reflected on the 20 years since she was abducted from her family home in Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 5, 2002

Smart was abducted from her bed at knifepoint when she was 14 years old and held captive by Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee

Mitchell, a self-proclaimed prophet, kidnapped Smart with Barzee's help and took her into the woods, where he performed a mock-wedding ceremony before raping her for the first time.

To keep her from escaping, she was tied up with steel cables in a dugout filled with mice and spiders.

Smart was forced to take drugs and drink alcohol, she testified in 2009, and was raped daily  as often as four times a day.

Mitchell and Barzee later moved her to Lakeside, California, where they plotted to kidnap other girls. After their last failed kidnapping attempt, she convinced them to return to Utah.

Smart was rescued at age 15 after she and her abductors were recognized by witnesses in Sandy, a city in Salt Lake County.

She spent nine months, from June 2002 to March 2003, in captivity, with Mitchell performing a 'marriage' ceremony with her and raping her repeatedly

Smart was eventually found on March 12, 2003, at age 15 after witnesses in Sandy, Utah, called police. She is pictured with her parents in April 2003, a month after she was rescued

She has since gone on to become a public speaker, an author, and an advocate, but that hadn't always been her plan. When she first got home, she just wanted her old life back.

'I swore up and down that I was never going to write a book. I'd never do a movie or a documentary. I didn't want to do any media. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't want to see anyone,' she recalled.

Smart explained that she struggled with 'a lot of shame' and 'a lot of guilt' about what had happened to her, even though she knew logically she didn't do anything wrong.

Mitchell and Barzee's trials were also dragged out for years due to delays and mental evaluations. It took nearly eight years for Mitchell's case to finally come to court.

'There were times when it was hard, when I was frustrated,' Smart told Fox 13 News. 'The trial, the court case, the proceedings, I mean, they were very frustrating. It made me very angry thinking, "Why is this not done yet?"'

'It took me a while to recognize that I will never be who I was before all this happened. That will never happen. That person is gone,' she told Fox 13 News

Mitchell (left) was sentenced to life in prison for his crimes, but Barzee (right) was given just 15 years. She was given credit for the seven years she'd already served and was released in 2018

Mitchell (pictured being escorted to court in 2005) subjected Smart to horrific abuse and was convicted in 2010

Mitchell was sentenced to life in prison for his crimes, but Barzee was given just 15 years. In a plea deal, she was given credit for the seven years she had already served.

Barzee was released from prison in September 2018 and now lives in the same town as Smart, despite Smart's pleas to the parole board not to set her free.

Smart credited her mother, Lois Smart, for pushing her to always keep going because that has been a lesson she has carried with her.

'Whenever I had a bad day, she'd be like, "Elizabeth, what do you do when a horse bucks you off?" And I hated that so much. Oh, I hated it. I was like, "Just let me feel sorry for myself for five minutes,"' she said.

'She always wanted me to get back up. She always wanted me to keep going. That's the way my whole life was,' she added. 'Now, as an adult, I am so appreciative of that because no matter how low I sunk, I still got back up and kept going because that's what I had been raised to do, and that's how I'm here.'

Smart credited her mother, Lois Smart, for pushing her to always keep going. 'Whenever I had a bad day, she'd be like, "Elizabeth, what do you do when a horse bucks you off?"' she recalled

Smart, who shares three children with her husband, Matthew Gilmour, said it was her hopes for the future that helped her to get to where she is today

Smart has spoken openly about her ordeal as a public speaker, an author, and an advocate

Smart, who shares three children with her husband, Matthew Gilmour, said it was her hopes for the future that helped her to get to where she is today.

'It was hell, pure hell, but it had an ending,' she said of her abduction. 'It ended, and I think that my desire to live and my want to have happiness and to do good in the world outweighed my trauma, my nightmares, my fears.'

Smart founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation in 2011 and has spent over a decade combatting the victimization and exploitation of sexual assault.

Earlier this year, her organization merged with the Malouf Foundation, which offers services to survivors of child sexual exploitation.

Smart told Fox 13 News the merger has made her feel 'like the future is unlimited."

'When you actually see someone in front of you telling you their story and really living it for you, and you have that, I mean, just face-to-face almost emotional connection with this person as they're telling you what they experienced, and how these actions have influenced the rest of their lives, it makes a difference. It makes a huge difference,' she said.

Smart marked the 20th anniversary of her abduction on Instagram while sharing photos from the Malouf Foundation's second annual anti-sexual exploitation summit in April, which Gayle King (left) attended

Earlier this year, the Elizabeth Smart Foundation merged with the Malouf Foundation, which offers services to survivors of child sexual exploitation

Smart said the merger was 'the best choice' she has ever made with her foundation

Smart marked the 20th anniversary of her abduction on Instagram on Sunday while sharing an update about her foundation.

'Wow 20 years! I typically dont acknowledge the anniversary of the day I was taken too much, I tend to focus more on the day I was rescued but 20 years feels like a big deal to me,' she wrote. 'I remember a time I didnt think Id even be able to say 20 years ago but yet here I am.

'And I can think of no better way of acknowledging this day than recognizing how far Ive come and not just me but all those who have helped me and dove head first into the cause against sexual exploitation in all of its forms.'

Smart went on to share that 'the best choice' she has ever made with the Elizabeth Smart Foundation was to join forces with the Malouff Foundation.

'Together we planned their second annual anti sexual exploitation summit in April which was amazing,' she said. '[Gayle King] was so gracious and came to Utah to kick it off! We had such an amazing line up of survivors, professionals, law makers, and advocates. Cant wait for next years summit!'

Smart concluded the post by thanking her followers for their 'support, kindness, and love' over the years.

'You will never know how much it has meant to me and has helped me move forward, reclaim my life, and find happiness,' she wrote. 'Because I am truly happy today. God bless you all.'
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Jennifer Garner, 50, enjoyed a cup of coffee and a morning chat as she walked home from school drop off in Los Angeles this week.

The Yes Day actress looked low key in a black crew neck sweater, dark sunglasses, button-front distressed jeans and green suede sneakers.

Her sneakers are from Brunello Cucinelli and they're made from suede with mesh paneling, and illuminated with hand-applied monili beads framing the lace-up closure.

California cool: The Yes Day actress looked low key in a black crew neck sweater, dark sunglasses, button-front jeans and sneakers for her the morning stroll

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Founded in the quaint Italian town of Perugia, Brunello Cucinelli is greatly renown for their fine cashmere collections. Spotted on numerous celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Blake Lively and Emily Ratajkowski. The brands style is all about understated luxury.

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The Duchess of Cambridge had her hands full with her youngest son Prince Louis at the Platinum Pageant, but this sweet video shows she wasn't too busy to comfort another restless little one.

Kate, 40, spent time comforting Zara Mike and Zara Tindall's eight-year-old daughter Mia after she climbed over to her seat looking for a cuddle.

In a clip shared by royal watchers on Twitter, Kate is seen stroking Mia's arm and straightening her hair as the royal whispers something in her ear.

Kate Middleton (pictured, left) attended the Platinum pageant on Sunday, where she was seated with her children Prince Louis, 4, (centre) and Princess Charlotte, 7 (right). Mike Tindall, Princess Anne's son-in-law, and father of Mia Tindall was seated nearby (upper left)

During the event, Mia Tindall appeared upset at one point, crawling onto Kate's lap for comfort. The older royal stroked the youngster's hair and chatted with her

Sunday's pageant, which marked the finale of the four-day Platinum Jubilee celebrations, was attended by a host of royals including the Cambridge family.

Also in attendance were Zara Tindall, 41, and her husband Mike, 43, a former England rugby player, as well as their oldest two children, Mia, and Lena, three. Their one-year-old son Lucas was also briefly spotted, delighting some royal watchers.

The families, who were seated next to each other, were seen chatting and having fun throughout the parade.

However, as footage shows, at one point Mia Tindall appeared upset, and crawled onto Kate's lap for attention, resting her head on her shoulder.

Princess Charlotte, seven, also noticed that Mia was upset, and tenderly rubbed her back in a pacifying gesture.

The sweet moment was not the only endearing interaction captured between the adults and children during the pageant.

Pictures from the event also show Mike Tindall having a funny interaction with four-year-old Prince Louis, who appeared restless at one point.

Louis, the youngest of the Cambridge children, has become a firm favourite among royal watchers thanks to his funny antics throughout the Jubilee.

Video footage from Sunday's Platinum Jubilee pageant shows a sweet moment between Kate Middleton and Mia Tindall, with the older royal comforting the youngster

Princess Charlotte, 7, (pictured, right) was also seen stroking Mia Tindall's back, in a sweet gesture that seemed design to comfort the youngster

During Sunday's Platinum Pageant, Mike Tindall sat behind four-year-old Prince Louis in the Royal Box, and entertained the boy with funny faces to keep him amused.

Footage from the weekend shows the young prince pulling a range of funny faces, and barging past people on Buckingham Palace balcony in a bid to get close to his great grandmother the Queen.

At times during the pageant on Sunday, Louis was seen clenching his fists, sticking out his tongue, waving his arms in the air, putting his hands over his mother's mouth and standing in his seat for a better view of the spectacle.

When it appeared the four-year-old was getting a little fractious, Mike Tindall was on hand to entertain him, with hilarious images showing the former England rugby player engaging with the youngster, pointing at his own eyes, in an 'I'm watching you' gesture.

The hilarious snap was just one of the funny photos that emerged of Mike Tindall during the four-day celebration.

Royal enthusiasts have shared their delight after noticing one-year-old Lucas Tindall in the crowd alongside his parents Mike and Zara during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant last night

Wearing a 740 Zimmermann cream floral-print Broderie Anglaise cotton midi dress, Zara sat alongside her daughter Lena

As well as his antics entertaining Louis during Sunday's pageant, the former England rugby player showed he is the royal family's secret weapon sharing amusing pictures on Instagram, in which he wore his wife Zara's hats.

These included the father-of-three wearing fuchsia headgear after he and Zara attended Trooping the Colour on Thursday, as well as donning her bright red floral head after Friday's thanksgiving service at St Paul's.

Then, on Saturday, the former athlete traded his top hat with Zara's blue one as the pair attended Epsom Race Course ahead of that evening's concert.

Ahead of the four-day festivities, Mike had revealed that although he had no official role to play, he was looking forward to the events.

Speaking about her Majesty on Good Morning Britain last month, the father-of-three said: 'I think the Queen is an unbelievable lady...I think people think she's invincible sometimes, but you have to remember she's a 96-year-old at the end of the day.

'She's incredible at what she's done over her lifetime and I can't wait to celebrate that.'

Good sport: while at the Platinum pageant, Mike Tindall was snapped being manhandled by his daughter Mia, who wrapped her arms around his head in a bear hug

The former athlete, who has spoken extremely highly of the Queen, appeared to enjoy himself as he attended a string of events marking her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee

Last year, speaking on Channel 5's, Zara and Mike: No Nonsense Royals royal expert Brenda Emmanus said that the sportsman was an 'asset to the Firm' as he was a 'connection to normal people'.

Mike Tindall has been an asset to the royal family in that he's a connection to normal people,' Brenda said.

'He has a great sense of humour and he's made them a very modern family

'They live their own lives and make their own decisions, the public doesn't pay for them. They're practical and accessible, the most normal and delightful couple.

'They're keen to do their own thing and pay their own way. Sponsorship is carefully crafted to enhance brand Tindall, and they're making the most to be seen as the embodiment of country life,' she added.
Dame Deborah James has called for supermarket brands to include symptoms of bowel cancer on toilet paper wrapping - after M&S announced plans to add information on signs of the disease to its packaging.

The former deputy head teacher turned cancer campaigner, 40, from London, is currently receiving hospice care at her parents home after revealing last month that she's no longer receiving active treatment for bowel cancer.

Mother-of-two James was first diagnosed with the disease in December 2016, and was told early on that it was likely she would not survive beyond five years - a milestone that passed in the autumn of 2021.

Deborah appeared on Lorraine today in a pre-recorded video message to congratulate her friend Cara Hoofe, who successfully campaigned for her employer, M&S, to include bowel cancer symptoms on its toilet paper packaging.

In her clip, Deborah - dressed in a vibrant animal print jumper - encouraged other supermarket brands to follow suit, saying she was tired of seeing cute puppies on toilet paper.

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Appearing in a pre-recorded interview on Lorraine this morning, Dame Deborah James called for big brands to include bowel cancer symptoms on toilet paper wrapping - after M&S announced plans to add it to its packaging

The former deputy head teacher turned cancer campaigner (pictured), 40, from London, is currently receiving end-of-life care at her parents home after doctors stopped active treatment for her bowel cancer

Mother-of-two Deborah, known as 'Bowel Babe', is still campaigning to raise awareness of the disease - and has so far raised more than 6.5million pounds to fund research since she announced that she's now receiving hospice treatment

She told her friend: 'Congratulations Cara. I'm so pleased that you are talking about the hard work that you have put in, and what you have achieved.'

'I know we've both gone through bowel cancer and we've spoken so many times about getting signs and symptoms on loo roll but you finally did it and I am really really proud of you for doing that.

'It's the start of things to come, I think we should now do a big shout out to other companies now, saying come on where's your signs and symptoms.

'Forget about the puppies, I'm bored of the puppies. We need actual information signposted on those loo rolls so I'm hoping lots of other big brands will now go "yeah, hang on, this makes massive sense. This is what we need to be doing".

'I can't wait to see that happen, and a massive, massive well done to you,' concluded Deborah to her friend Cara, who could be seen becoming emotional.

Last month, M&S, in partnership with Bowel Cancer UK, announced their plan to include signs and symptoms for bowel cancer on the labelling of the everyday product.

Deborah revealed some happy news for her family amid her battle with terminal cancer - as she shared her brother has got engaged to his girlfriend of 11 years last week

James, who has two children with her husband Sebastian, has been honest on Instagram throughout her journey with cancer, posting recent photos from her parents' home, where she's receiving hospice care. (Pictured during a 'girls night in' sleepover with her mother, sister and daughter Eloise)

At the end of May, the former schoolteacher was made a Dame for her fundraising efforts, she revealed on social media how Prince William had visited her parents home to make the Damehood official

M&S employee Cara originally came up with the idea, having herself been diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in 2016 at the age of 32.

She submitted it to M&S' newly launched 'Straight to Stuart' colleague suggestion scheme.

Deborah hits back at critics after saying she 'wouldn't die over the Jubilee' because she 'didn't want Meghan to steal her thunder' On Saturday, Dame Deborah wrote in The Sun that she was 'determined not to die over the Jubilee weekend', adding: 'I don't want Meghan stealing my thunder.' However on Sunday she was forced to hit back at critics over the comment, posting on Twitter : 'Meghan comment is a joke, apparently you can still find a send off fun in your day!' She also added: 'The rest is not. Is dying the last taboo of them all? 'I thought poo talk was hard, but navigating end-of-life care makes checking your poo easy by comparison of DNR chat and respect documents!' Advertisement

Introduced by new CEO Stuart Machin, the scheme encourages colleagues to share ideas and views with him directly via Microsoft Teams, with a quick response guaranteed.

Im over the moon, I dont really have words to describe how I feel about M&S, my company doing this to raise awareness around bowel cancer, especially because weve got such a huge customer base as well, said Cara.

Cara explained how Deborah has been a huge inspiration to her - with signage also going up in both customer and staff toilets at M&S.

I met Deborah in the earlier days of her diagnosis through Bowel Cancer UK, I think one of the first times we met in person was at a carol concert for the charity where she was speaking, Cara said.

Weve kept in contact through messaging throughout our treatment and shes been a support to me and I really hope Ive been a support to her as well.

She added: 'This whole idea for the loo roll came off the back of how Deborah carries herself in everyday life.

Im probably a little more reserved than Deborah and follow processes, and when I submitted the idea, I sat there and thought, Shed just tell me, Its not good enough. What can we do? I then swiftly got in touch with our chairman and CEOs and tried to create a noise around it and it worked.

M&S will also be making a 50,000 donation to Bowel Cancer UK.

The changes will come into place nationwide from September, and there will also be signage about bowel cancer symptoms in-store and across support centre toilets.

Shoppers will also be able to scan a QR code to find out more about the disease on Bowel Cancer UK's website.

Dame Deborah is now receiving end of life care at her parents' home in Woking and has raised over 6.5million in the weeks since she announced the news after launching her Bowelbabe Fund.

At the start of the year, the mother-of-two, who shares her children Hugo, 14, and Eloise, 12, with her husband Sebastien, announced she had 'nearly died' in hospital, calling it the 'hardest' part of her 5-year cancer battle - before breaking the heartbreaking news that there was no more treatment she could have.

Deborah shared an Instagram post earlier this spring revealing, saying: 'The message I never wanted to write. We have tried everything, but my body simply isn't playing ball.

'My active care has stopped and I am now moved to hospice at home care, with my incredible family all around me and the focus is on making sure I'm not in pain and spending time with them.'

Deborah is now receiving end of life care bowel cancer at her parents' home in Woking and has raised over 6 million in the weeks since she announced the news

Struggles: Deborah James (pictured with husband Sebastien) has shared her anger amid her incurable bowel cancer battle and admitted she finds the pressure to 'make memories' hard

She is receiving the hospice care at her parents' home in Woking, to spare her children the difficult memories of her spending her final days at the family home in London.

The news comes after she told The Sun that she was 'scared to fall asleep' because she does not know how long she has got left.

Symptoms of bowel cancer - Change in bowel habits with diarrhoea, constipation or the feeling of incomplete emptying - Thin or loose bowel movements - Blood or mucous in stools - Abdominal pain, bloating and cramping - Anal or rectal pain - Lump in the anus or rectum - Unexplained weight loss - Fatigue - Unexplained anaemia

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She added she had felt a 'deep love' from her family, saying: 'I think my family are knackered, they have all been incredible - going above and beyond to look after me and nurse me.'

And speaking of her end of life care recently she said: 'I feel very strongly that I don't want my kids to see me agitated and distressed. I want to make sure they see me when I'm having a good days.'

Saying the 'pressure' on her young children was 'huge', she continued: 'I want them to have nice memories.

'I don't want them to take on the burden of having to care for me, massage my legs because I can't walk. That would break my heart.'

In recent weeks, she has won praise from Prince William who called her 'brilliant, brave and inspirational' as he met some of the staff who treated her.

Speaking at the Royal Marsden to patient Lorraine Kimber, 59, from Essex, who is currently undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer and knows Mrs James well, the prince described his meeting with her.

'She was incredible, incredible. She was surrounded by her family, we had a lovely afternoon,' he said.

'You know she's had over 100 tumours. Which is unbelievable. I couldn't believe that. The resilience you have to have to keep going back again, it's got to be very draining on you.'

William said: 'She was jokingbecause they are a very tight family, very close, you could see that.she was joking that at last she could now drink.

'She said it was brilliant. She was 'triple parked' and kept on joking about how many drinks she could get lined up in front of her.

'She's realising that being at home is just where she wants to be right now, surrounded by all her loved ones.' He added: ' I love Deborah, she's fantastic. Her legacy is massive.'

Illness: She is receiving hospice care at her parents' home in Woking, to spare her children the difficult memories of her spending her final days at the family home in London
The family of a six-year-old who felt the skin on her face 'melt away' after blazing embers from a nearby grass fire hit her - causing 32 per cent burns - have revealed how they thought she might die.

Rawkee Hunt, now six, from Kanab, Utah, suffered horrific burns after the wind blew burning debris onto her skin when she was helping her father on the family's farm in 2020.

The youngster, just four at the time, was rushed to hospital by her dad, Shay, and her terrified mother Megan, and went into shock following the trauma of the accident.

She was left with burns to 32 per cent of her body, including her face, tops of her hands, back of her left elbow, rib cage, her back and both of her legs.

Rawkee was placed into a coma and intubated as her left lung collapsed from the smoke, she was then flown to Las Vegas for more treatment.

However, the youngster has shocked everyone with her remarkable recovery, with her parents saying her siblings' support has helped her to thrive once more.

Rawkee Hunt from Kanab, Utah, pictured in hospital with her mother Megan, 30, after she suffered horrific burns - aged just four - when winds blew blazing embers from a grass fire onto her skin while she was helping her father on the family's farm

The now six-year-old, pictured with younger sister Kodi, 'miraculously' pulled through and was in a coma for another four days, before spending nine days in ICU in Las Vegas

Rawkee, pictured with a swollen face during recovery, went into shock when she first arrived at the hospital with her mother and father, suffering burns to 32 per cent of her body - including her face, tops of her hands, back of her left elbow, rib cage, her back and both of her legs

Rawkee, pictured with her mother Megan after her face swelled, was then placed into a coma and intubated as her left lung collapsed from the smoke. She was then flown to Las Vegas for more treatment and her mother was worried she would not survive the flight

Explaining the days after the accident, her mother Megan said: 'She miraculously pulled through. She was in a coma for another four days and spent nine days in ICU in Las Vegas.

'She was then transferred back to Salt Lake City, where she underwent seven more surgeries within the first 60 days of the accident and spent 56 days in the burns trauma centre.'

Rawkee has since had six more procedures to reconstruct her body after the fire accident but is surpassing expectations in her recovery and is almost unrecogniseable since she first became injured.

She faces up to four more surgeries each year for the next decade but with the support of her siblings, Kwinn, eight, Martina, three, and Kodi, one, she has come on leaps and bounds.

Rawkee, pictured after surgery, has had 13 procedures since her accident but is surpassing expectations in her recovery and is almost unrecogniseable since she first became injured

The six-year-old faces up to four surgeries each year for the next ten years as her recovery continues

Rawkee, pictured in hospital, suffered a major reaction to some of her treatments. Her body went into overload and started to swell because she was no longer producing cortisol. She had to have a ten-month pause on her treatment and gained 15lbs in swelling weight

The trio of siblings have even given up their outdoor play to sit and hold her hand during treatment and read to her when she struggles to join in games with them.

Her mother explained that even though Rawkee is now recovering well, her body previously had a major reaction to some of her treatments.

'She went into overload and her body started to swell because she was no longer producing cortisol.

'So she had to have a ten-month pause as they couldn't operate on her to due to the unbalance in her body.

'She almost tripled in size and gained 15lbs in swelling weight,' she said.

By March 2021, Rawkee, pictured in hospital, began treatment again as her body recovered and she started to work with a new team at Salt Lake City Hospital

Her mother said that the six-year-old, pictured during recovery, has made 'amazing' progress since the accident and let nothing stand in her way

But by March 2021, Rawkee's body recovered and she began her treatments again, joining a new team at Salt Lake City hospital.

She underwent her first facial reconstruction in November last year and has also been having tissue expansion surgery where medical water balloons are placed underneath healthy sections of her skin.

The healthy skin is then used to cover any scars on her body and Rawkee is currently having this procedure on her legs.

Her mother said that the six-year-old has made 'amazing' progress since the accident and let nothing stand in her way, adding that she cannot believe what modern medicine can do.

Megan added that her children, pictured left with Rawkee, have been incredibly supportive of their sister which has greatly helped her recovery

The 30-year-old, pictured with her daughter after her surgeries, said that Rawkee has a special bond with her siblings

She added: 'It's been a crazy journey since the accident, there have been many ups and downs.

'But I am so humbled by what modern medicine can do. The progress that has been made since the accident is a miracle.

'She is a fierce warrior and she has never let the accident or her injuries get her down.

'You'd never know she has been through anything.'

Megan said that her children are the glue that hold everyone together through the 'crazy journey' Rawkee has been on. Pictured are Rawkee's burnt legs

The 30-year-old said that her children's love for each other is 'inspiring' and she loves how much they are there for their sister, pictured during her recovery

The 30-year-old added that her children have been incredibly supportive of their sister which has greatly helped her recovery.

She said: 'Her siblings are her biggest supporters. Often when Rawkee is unable to play and do normal kid activities, it always amazes me how my other children give up normal kid fun to be with her.

'Even if it is just laying on the floor and colouring or reading stories. Their love for each other is absolutely inspiring.

'Martina holds her hands when she gets shots and is so sensitive to her needs. Kwinn is her best friend and is always there to read her stories when she isn't able to play.

'Kodi and Rawkee have such a special bond. Rawkee loves playing mummy with her. My children are the glue that has held us all together through this.'

The 30-year-old said that her young daughter, pictured with Kwinn and Kodi, is a fighter and has bad moments but never bad days

Megan, pictured with Rawkee, said that 'the gift' of her daughter going through trauma at a young age means that she does not know any different

The six-year-old, pictured with her siblings on the beach, 'lives life to the fullest' according to her mother

The 30-year-old said that her young daughter is a fighter and has bad moments but never bad days.

She added: 'The gift of going through trauma at a young age means that she doesn't know any different.

'She has occasionally asked if she will ever have eyebrows like me but she doesn't worry or dwell on it.

'I can't imagine the guilt my husband has to live with but I have never held him responsible.

'He's been afraid that she would blame him but her perspective is that her daddy saved her life.

'She is amazing. I can't believe how far she has come in this short period of time. She's defined all of the odds. Rawkee lives life to the fullest in every regard.'
As many as 369 women from 14 mandals were affected. Of them, 215 were discharged from hospital. (Photo by arrangement)

Visakhapatnam: The mystery gas that caused sickness to 369 woman workers on the shop floor of the Seeds Intimate India Ltd remains unsolved. The 9-member joint committee that has been tasked with identifying the gas and its source could not come to clear conclusions even three days after the incident.

Speaking about the preliminary findings of the panel to reporters at Atchutapuram SEZ office in Anakapalle district on Monday, Industries and IT minister Gudivada Amarnath said the gas leaked into the air-conditioned shop floor through its ducts. The residue of the gas found in the ducts was sent to the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology and its report was awaited.

The experts are veering round to the view that the leak was of complex gas that the seeds company might have stored in its premises. For refrigeration, they use ozone-friendly Freon gas. If so, it might not do much harm to the affected women, some of whom were still in hospitals.

An expert on refrigeration is checking the AC systems. The NDRF team also found traces of chlorine in the air surrounding the Seeds unit during the inspection and this was being verified.

A conspiracy cannot be ruled out. The report from IICT would throw a lot of light into the incident. We will not spare anyone found responsible for the leak, the minister said.

As many as 369 women from 14 mandals were affected. Of them, 215 were discharged from hospital.

A group of people, mostly relatives of the women workers, raised slogans seeking financial help to the families of the victims.

The minister said discussions were on with the management of Brandix India Apparel City in this respect.

Chairman of AP pollution control board AK Parida said sophisticated air quality testing equipment was being installed in Atchutapuram SEZ in the next fortnight. The French-aided equipment will report the gases present in the air and post it to the monitors of the inspection agencies in seconds, he said.

There were 132 red category industries within the Atchutapuram SEZ and 45 them are pharmaceutical industries.
A widow who was conned out of 500,000 by two fraudsters has admitted she 'agrees' with critics who call her 'stupid' but insisted she was consumed with grief after 'losing the love of her life'.

Anne Larkin, 55, from East Yorkshire, was scammed by two men online after her beloved husband of 34 years, Graham, died unexpectedly from liver and kidney failure in November 2019.

Speaking on This Morning today, Anne, a former police constable, revealed one of men who scammed her posed as the Hollywood actor Gerard Butler, and asked her for charity donations to fund a compound for homeless families.

Reflecting on the situation, Anne, who managed to get 335,000 back through her bank, said she 'agrees' that what she did was 'stupid,' but blamed her mistake on grief and feeling vulnerable after Graham's death.

However, viewers felt that no amount of grief would drive them to send money to strangers, especially someone pretending to be a famous actor.

Anne explained she came into money following the death of her husband, due to his company insurance that left her with 1.27million.

Anne Larkin, 55, from East Yorkshire, was conned by two men online after her beloved husband of 34 years, Graham, died unexpectedly from liver and kidney failure in November 2019

Anne revealed that one of the conmen who scammed her posed as Hollywood actor Gerard Butler, pictured in 2019

Soon after Graham's death, and in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the widow turned to social media to find comfort during her isolation.

She began to speak to one man going by 'Clinton,' who pretended to be a US soldier based in New Jersey and began to ask her for money so he could 'visit his son', who was at military school.

Then, a man named only as 'G,' came in contact with Anne.

Speaking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on the show today, the former police constable revealed the scammer posed as the actor Gerard Butler on Facebook.

He contacted her via Messenger after she commented on a picture of the real Butler on his Facebook page.

Anne claimed the conman wrote: 'I'm the actor Gerard Butler, why did you say this about my picture.'

After that they began to exchange conversation online, the conman, still posing as the Hollywood star, asked Anne for charity donations so he could build 'a compound for homeless families.'

In total, the two men, believed to be part of an organised crime group, stole 500,000 from Anne.

Anne said she 'agrees' that what she did was 'stupid,' but blamed her mistake on grief and feeling vulnerable after Graham's death (pictured together)

Viewers watching Anne on This Morning said no amount of grief could justify sending strangers large sums of money

The former police officer, who admitted she got her news from social media and never watched the news on TV, said she saw 'no alarm bells' while she spoke to Clinton and 'G.'

'When you're in that type of grief, after losing someone you expected to spend the rest of your life with, whether it's a good marriage or a bad marriage, you still expect the rest of your life with them.

'You grieve; you can't function right, because you have all these emotions bombarding you altogether,' Anne told presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

Speaking of the people who said Anne losing her money was her own fault, the former PC said she 'completely agrees'.

'There is nothing that anybody out there that can say, any nasty, bad words about me that I haven't said myself,' she admitted.

A picture of Anne and Graham together. The former police constable said she saw no alarm bells when she was speaking to the two conmen

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby stressed that Anne was particularly vulnerable when the fraudsters got to her

'I've always said it. They'd even messaged me and [I'd reply] saying "you're entitled to your opinion, and I completely agree with it",' Anne added.

'I was stupid, there were all these bad words, but you need to think about how you would cope if you were going through what I was going through?' she added.

While some members of Anne's family had suspicions she was being scammed, the widow revealed she only realised it when it was too late.

'The person that's being scammed like myself; I never realised I was being scammed,' she said.

'If you're going through grief it's like a mental trauma so you don't understand even if you're somebody that you're looking for love, you're going through a form of grief because you don't want to be alone,' she added.

Phil and Holly stressed the fact the death of Graham left Anne feeling particularly 'vulnerable' and that scammers were preying on grief-stricken women like her.

Anne claimed that her bank got her 335,000 out of the 500,000 back.

Anne started chatting to the first fraudster - who would eventually ask her to sell her home and car, on an amateur photography website - before being scammed by another man on social media shortly afterwards. Pictured, a fake image used by the first fraudster

One fraudster told her his name was Clinton. He claimed to be a U.S. Army medic from New Jersey serving in the Arab state, Yemen and often pressured her into sending money

'Because they didn't notify the police themselves initially and didn't protect me, they have a duty of care,' she told the two presenters.

In their right of reply, Anne's bank, Natwest, said: 'As a bank, we take our responsibilities to our costumers really seriously, and we'll try to prevent them from experiencing this sort of financial loss and emotional manipulation.

'Despite our efforts, we were unable to convince our customer that she was being scammed.'

But Anne claimed on the show that her bank never reached out to her. 'I never received even a phone call, even when I went into the bank, nobody ever questioned it.

'I found out after the first interview that went on the news that my sister-in-law had an idea that this was going on, my daughters had an idea that this was going on, but never stepped in,' she added.

Anne and Graham pictured together. Viewers felt Anne had been too gullible and that no amount of grief could justify sending large amounts of money to strangers

Viewers felt Anne had been too gullible and that no amount of grief could justify sending large amounts of money to strangers.

'I get them too. Delete straight away. I'm grieving, but no way would fall for these accounts,' one said.

'I can not for one second understand why a person, even a grieving person, gives money to a person they have never met or even to a go fund me page. There are plenty of registered charities who genuinely need money,' another said.

However, some people were sympathetic, with one saying: 'Tbh, weve all done stupid things but grief is a weird thing and you do do crazy stuff and look for comfort wherever you can.'

The first conman Anne started chatting to was on an amateur photography website, he told her his name was Clinton and claimed to be a U.S. Army medic from New Jersey serving in the Arab state, Yemen.

Anne admitted she wasn't suspicious of the stranger: 'It was because they were talking about my photography, other photographers who use this site talk about each other's images'.

The fraudster said he had lost his wife and daughter in a terrible car accident five years previously and was missing his adult son back in the States.

However around five-weeks into the relationship, the scammer started asking Anne for money, eventually asking the former police officer to sell her house.

'It was when I was asked to sell my house and car around Christmas time last year that my brain was functioning correctly', said Anne, 'It said something is not quite right here and I didn't answer the message.'

Shortly afterwards Anne met a man calling himself 'G', claiming to be Gerard Butler involved in charitable work in America.

Sharing her story in a previous TV appearance, Anne admitted that her terrible grief meant she did not suspect the second scammer despite her experiences with the first.

'When they contacted me, I would have been talking with my husband Graham which was the evenings or the weekends', said Anne.

'During the day you have to behave as normal when there are people who know you and ask how you're doing, you put a brave face on and say nothing is wrong.

She added: 'It makes me feel angry, at myself for being able to be duped by these people.'
She regularly tops the list of best dressed royals, and Letizia of Spain also takes the crown when it comes to daring frocks.

The mother-of-two, 49, has become a fashion reference since marrying into the Spanish royal family in 2004 and becoming Queen when her husband King Felipe VI ascended the throne in 2014.

And after 18 years in the royal spotlight, the former broadcaster has mastered the art of donning revealing dresses tops and frocks while remaining tasteful.

She is known to be partial to a sleeveless top and midi-dresses that hug her every curve, and the Spanish queen has also showcased her toned physique thanks to slit skirts.

She has not shied away from flirting with even more revealing garments, and recently left her fans speechless by wearing a fuchsia gown will waist cut-outs flashing her midriff.

Here, after she stepped out in a semi-sheer dress in Murcia today, FEMAIL takes a look at the subtle way in which the Spanish Queen has ascertained herself as the most daring European royal of them all.

After she's worn a semi-sheer dress to an official event today, FEMAIL takes a look at how Queen Letizia of Spain, 49, has ascertained herself as one of the most fashion-forward and daring royals of Europe

A true frill-seeker! Letizia has not shied away from flashing some skin over the years, and is known to be partial to a sleeveless top, like this ostrich garment she wore in March 2021 when she visited Andorra

The royal left fans speechless on May 10 when she debuted a fuchsia dress with cut-outs at the waist

Since becoming Queen in 2014, the Spanish royal has sported an array of revealing outfits, from sleeveless tops to cold-shoulder dresses and revealing slits (pictured in Madrid last September)

Letizia has perfected the art of showing some skin without revealing too much thanks to her slits (pictured in early May)

Sheer to that! Letizia has mastered the art of sporting sheer sleeves and nude illusions to show skin without risking to reveal too much

The Spanish Queen showed off her sculptural silhouette during a reception in honour of the Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter Laura Mattarella in November 2021

The Spanish Queen flashed a lot of leg in a slit dresses during the Atlantida Mallorca Film Festival in 2021

While attending a concert in 2018, Letizia debuted a navy blue dress with a daring lacy nude illusion on the best

The royal sent pulses racing when she donned a white mini dress at an award ceremony in 2017

In 2015, left, the royal donned a lacy bustier dress, and in 2021, she donned a daring dress with fishnet detail
A new documentary is set to expose the horrific sexual and physical abuse that took place inside an extremist Mormon cult run by a pedophile who had 78 wives and raped multiple underage girls.

Warren Jeffs, now 66 - who has served as the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) since 2002 - had more than 70 wives, 24 of whom were underage children, when he was arrested in 2008.

Now, a new Netflix documentary, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, will lift a lid on the heinous crimes that Jeffs - who is reportedly still running the cult from behind bars - committed while serving as the self-appointed leader of the fundamentalist arm of the church.

FLDS was created in the early 20th century by a group of Mormons who got ostracized from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because they refused to give up polygamy - the act of marrying multiple women.

Polygamy was renounced from the Mormon religion in 1904, when the then-president of the church said it would no longer be allowed in a declaration known as the Second Manifesto.

A Netflix documentary is set to expose the horrific abuse that occurred in an extremist Mormon cult run by a pedophile (pictured in 2011) who married and raped numerous children

Warren Jeffs (pictured with some of his victims), now 66, has served as the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) since 2002

A new Netflix documentary, entitled Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, is going to lift a lid on the heinous crimes that Jeffs - who had 78 wives, 24 of which were children - committed

FLDS was created by a group of Mormons got ostracized from the community because they refused to give up polygamy. Kids of the cult members are pictured in the Netflix doc

They started FLDS in 1930, and Jeffs took over as the prophet of the church in 2002, following the death of his father, Rulon Jeffs, who had 20 wives and 60 children when he passed

However, some members of the community didn't want to stop the practice since they believed that 'the more wives and children you have, the higher in Heaven you'll be,' according to the documentary, which premieres on the streaming site on Wednesday.

A trailer for the doc sheds some light on the heinous abuse that Jeffs' victims suffered, with one survivor recalling in the clip how she was forced to marry an adult man when she was just 14 years old.

Another ex-member revealed they were told the abuse they were subjected to was all being done 'for their salvation', recalling: 'We did whatever it took, even if it was wrong.'

'Young girls were like a commodity owned by the church,' another person added.

Throughout the years that he ran FLDS, Jeffs (pictured in 2010) brainwashed, imprisoned, and abused multiple women and children, earning him a spot on the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted List

FLDS was first founded in 1930, and Jeffs took over as the prophet of the church in 2002, following the death of his father, Rulon Jeffs, who had 20 wives and approximately 60 children when he passed.

Throughout the years that he ran FLDS - which has bases in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, collectively known as Short Creek, as well as one in Eldorado, Texas, which is called the Yearning for Zion Ranch - Jeffs brainwashed, imprisoned, and abused multiple women and children, earning him a spot on the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted List.

In 2005, he was charged with sexual assault of a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual misconduct with a minor after he allegedly forced a then-14-year-old girl to marry her 19-year-old cousin.

During the trial, the young girl claimed that her husband raped and impregnated her numerous times, however, the charges were eventually dismissed.

According to CNN, the case was dropped in 2010 by the prosecutor, after Jeffs was arrested for 'much more serious charges.'

In 2006, he was also charged with felony accomplice to the rape of a teenage girl. He was found guilty, however, the conviction was later overturned by the Utah Supreme Court, who claimed there was a mistake in jury instructions.

Police stormed the Zion Ranch in 2008 and arrested Jeffs for a third time, after they found over 400 children and evidence of 'sexual, physical, and psychological abuse,' Rolling Stone reported.

In 2005, he was charged with sexual assault of a minor after he allegedly forced a then-14-year-old girl to marry her 19-year-old cousin. He is seen in 2006

In 2006, he was also charged with felony accomplice to the rape of a teenage girl. He was found guilty, but the conviction was later overturned. He is pictured with one of his victims

FLDS has bases in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, collectively known as Short Creek (pictured), as well as one in Eldorado, Texas, which is called the Yearning for Zion Ranch

Police arrested Jeffs for a third time in 2008, after they found over 400 children and evidence of abuse on the ranch. Members of the cult are seen leaving the compound after the raid

In 2011, he was sent away for life after he was convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault for having sex with two girls aged 12 and 14.

He is currently serving a life sentence plus 20 years for the charges, however, it's been reported that Jeffs has continued to preach to FLDS' remaining members from his prison cell.

As of 2018, the Guardian reported that there were still around 10,000 active members of the church.

In 2011, Jeffs (pictured in 2006) was convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault for having sex with two girls aged 12 and 14

Many of Jeffs' former victims - most of whom have since left the cult but still live in Short Creek - have now spoken out and shared their stories for the upcoming four-part docuseries, which was directed by Rachel Dretzin.

'The first time I traveled to Short Creek, Utah, I had the same first impression as most,' Dretzin said in a statement to Rolling Stone.

'With their pleated hair, prairie dresses, and diffident, skittish manner, it was easy to see the young girls and women of the FLDS as odd, even alien creatures.

'It was almost impossible to believe that a society so repressive, isolated, and extreme could exist in plain sight in 21st century America.

'And then I began interviewing survivors. The stories they told - of the process of systematic coercion and mind control exercised by the man they thought of as a religious prophet, Warren Jeffs - were far from alienating.

'After many months spent reporting this story, it was clear to me that these women could have been my daughter, my mother, or me.

'And it was also abundantly clear that they showed incredible courage and strength in leaving this religion-turned-criminal cult.'

Dretzin described the women as 'bada**' and 'fierce,' adding that she was 'proud' to tell their story.

Jeffs (pictured before his arrest) is currently serving a life sentence for the charges, however, it's been reported that he has continued to preach to FLDS' remaining members from prison

Many of Jeffs' former victims - most of which left the cult - have now spoken out and shared their stories for the upcoming four-part docuseries, which was directed by Rachel Dretzin

Dretzin described the women as 'bada**' and 'fierce,' adding that she was 'proud' to tell their story. One of his former victims is pictured in the docuseries

'The women in our film managed to leave the FLDS with no real education or skills, no money, no support whatsoever,' she explained.

'For their whole lives they had been valued solely as plural wives and as breeders of children.

'To leave meant saying goodbye to everything and everyone they loved to start over in a society they didnt understand. Bada** doesnt begin to describe how fierce they are.'

According to the Daily Beast, Dretzin tells Jeffs' story 'with virtually no dramatic recreations, instead relying on a haunting collection of archival photos, home videos, courtroom footage, and recorded evidence to convey the unnerving strangeness of FLDS life.'

The outlet added, 'That material culminates with clandestine photographs and audio tapes made by Jeffs of his sexual encounters with his victims, which are so predictably disgusting that its no surprise they landed him behind bars, where he continues to create revelations that are disseminated to his followers.'

One woman, whose identity is unknown, could be heard saying in the trailer, 'In our minds, the police, even the president of the United States had no authority over us.

'Warren Jeffs was our president. He was the Prophet. And how could you place a human over God?'

Another person stated, 'To stand up against a multi-million-dollar church, you're going up against a lifetime of conditioning and fear. Warren Jeffs took over this religion and turned it into money and power and sex.'
A woman has revealed her turmoil after waking up from a coma to discover her fiance had blocked her on social media and left her for another woman.

Restaurant supervisor Brie Duval, 25, who is originally from Perth, Australia, was living in the mountain town of Jasper in Alberta, Canada when she fell from a rooftop bar in a freak accident and landed head first on a pavement below in August 2020.

She was airlifted to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton and placed on life support where doctors told her parents, Shay and Clarissa, who were in Australia, that she'd suffered several broken bones - including a spine injury, two brain bleeds, fractured ribs and broken teeth.

Doctors gave her just a 10 per cent chance of survival, and she was placed in an induced coma in intensive care to try and save her life.

Deciding to speak out now about her ordeal, she says the emotional trauma of being ghosted by her partner of four years was a huge shock, saying there's been 'zero contact' from him - and the only message she did get was from his new girlfriend.

Two years on, her former fiance's total erasing of her from his life is still traumatic to deal with, she says.

Brie told FEMAIL that she's still 'incredibly hurt by his actions', saying she thought he was 'her soul mate' and struggling to believe that he could be 'so awful' at the worst time in her life.

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Brie Duval, 25, who is originally from Australia was living in Jasper, Canada when she fell from a rooftop bar in a freak accident in August 2020

Doctors put her in an induced coma after scans revealed she had suffered several broken bones - including a spine injury, two brain bleeds, fractured ribs and broken teeth

Do you know the man involved? Please email stephanie.linning@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

During the fall, Brie had suffered two brain bleeds, a Thoracic Spine Fracture, fractured ribs and broken teeth and was left with a weakened left side of her body.

A crowd funding campaign set up three days after she was admitted to hospital saw more than 26,000 raised to bring Brie back to her native Australia.

Her parents had asked the Australian Government for special permission to see their daughter, thinking they were going to have to say goodbye to her - but they were refused permission to visit during the first lockdown.

Brie's mum Clarissa told doctors to leave her daughter's life support on until they could be near her and she slowly began to recover.

Three months later, she woke from the coma - but suffered from amnesia and didn't remember her previous life - including that she had a fiance who she'd been with for four years for another two months.

Five months after the accident, she started to remember her life before the coma and tried to call her fiance, who she had been with for four years, only to discover he'd ghosted her and moved on.



Brie told FEMAIL that when she was finally given her phone she immediately thought to call him - only to discover he'd not visited her once in hospital.

She explained: 'There has been zero contact. I have been blocked on every single platform including his phone.

Five months after the accident, she started to remember her life before the coma and tried to call her fiance, only to discover he'd ghosted her - and moved on with another woman

Brie says she's still 'so incredibly hurt' by the actions of her former partner, who she was with for four years before her accident

The restaurant supervisor hopes to go back to her job in Jasper, Canada next year, saying her company has told her there'll always be a job for her

'The only contact I did get was from his new girlfriend. She sent me a message saying she was insecure and made him block me on everything. Go figure. I was still in hospital'.

Looking back on his behaviour now, she says it's still hard to deal with.

'I am still so incredibly hurt by his actions. I have no reason or closure as to why he did what he did. I just feel so hurt, I cannot explain the depth of the pain he has caused me.

'After four years, I was incredibly surprised. We were best friends, for years. I never thought in a million years this would happen. Especially at such an awful time in my life. I thought he was my soul mate, but I thought wrong.

She says it's made her mistrustful of finding love - and people in general.

'It has definitely impacted my trust. Not just in romantic relationships but with relationships in general.

'It has led me to have such a distrust in people, especially people I am close with. I am trying very hard to not let his distrustful actions impact my relationships and life.'

The 25-year-old has said she now finds it hard to trust people - not just potential partners - because of her ex fiance's behaviour

Five months after the accident, she started to remember her life before the coma and tried to call her fiance, who she had been with for four years, only to discover he'd ghosted her and had a new girlfriend

Brie was airlifted to the University of Alberta Hospital and placed on life support. The 25-year-old is still recovering from the impact of the horrific fall two years on

She says seeing her parents in the aftermath of the accident would have helped her recover from the near death experience 'massively'.

'The doctors in Canada asked my parents to come over straight away as things were not looking good. I was given a 10% chance of survival and they would have to make some decisions.

The only contact I did get was from his new girlfriend. She sent me a message saying she was insecure and made him block me on everything... Brie Duval on being ghosted by her ex following her life threatening injuries

'This was in the middle of Australia locking down [because of the pandemic] and after seeking approval via the Government to leave and say goodbye to their dying daughter, they were denied the opportunity to do so.

'Luckily I had the best support team in Canada and they would FaceTime my parents at every meeting and appointment to keep them involved. I will never be able to thank the people in my life enough.'

The 25-year-old has now moved back to Perth to be near her friends and family. Her recovery is slow but positive, she says.

'Its going good as far as recovery goes. I can now eat on my own and can now walk unassisted without a walking frame or wheelchair as I broke my back in the accident.

'I still have numbness from the waist down but have adapted my walking style so I can walk again. I am taking time off of work to be in Australia to recover with my loved ones. Recovery will take some time but I am hoping to return to work next year.'

Her story has gone viral on TikTok, where she's called herself 'HotComaGirl113' the same username as Rebel Wilson's character in recent Netflix film Senior Year.

Brie's parents went to the government to ask for special permission thinking they were going to have to say goodbye to their daughter. She is pictured in a tiktok video

In the movie, Rebel plays a teenage girl who ends up in a coma for 20 years after a cheerleading accident aged 17. Rebel's character Stephanie is also an Australian immigrant - but living in the US rather than Canada.

She says speaking out on TikTok has been hugely important to her emotional recovery: 'I decided to speak out as a way to express my bottled up feelings. I never thought by making a simple 30 second video that it would have as much impact as it would.

'Im glad that I can now spread awareness of traumatic brain injuries and the aftermath that follows. It is not just a temporary injury but a lifelong one that will impact my mentality and physicality for the rest of my life.'

Despite her ongoing injuries and the loss of her long-term relationship, Brie tells FEMAIL that she's tried to appreciate what she still has.

She explains: 'The emotional toll of being so close to death has impacted me in a positive way. I am now so grateful for the little things in life that I took for granted and have so much more appreciation for life.

'My experience has taught me that life is so frail and short. I now want to make the absolute most of my life and jam pack it with as many memories as I can.

My only goal in life has nothing to do with monetary value but genuine happiness.'
The Countess of Wessex put her travel woes behind her and looked stylish is a simple white dress whilst visiting Gibraltar on behalf of the Queen today.

Mother-of-two Sophie, 57, was today is visiting the Rock to see the Royal Gibraltar Regiment display its new colours during the Queen's Birthday Parade.

Sophie looked elegantly stylish in an off white short sleeved structured dress with full pleated skirt.

She wore her blonde hair neatly, yet casually pinned back, and opted for subtle accessorising with small pearl earrings, gold pendant and two delicate bracelets.

It comes as the plane carrying Sophie and her husband Prince Edward was forced to make an unscheduled landing due to what was described as a 'technical issue.'

The Countess of Wessex looked relaxed and stylish today as she arrived in Gibraltar with her husband, Prince Edward during the Queen's Birthday Parade

She wore her blonde hair neatly, yet casually pinned back, and opted for subtle accessorising with small pearl earrings, gold pendant and two delicate bracelets. She is pictured here being presented with a bouquet of flowers

The couple were on their way to visit Gibraltar to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee when their flight was disrupted at the last minute.

Alternative arrangements were being made for their arrival on the Rock, which took place safely later on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace said.

A spokesperson for British Airways said its plane 'landed normally' back at Heathrow following a decision by pilots to return after taking off as a precaution.

This afternoon Sophie completed her sophisticated look with off white suede stilettos and matching bag.

Following their arrival, the Royal Couple crossed the runway to RAF Gibraltar where they were greeted by gun salute from Devil's Tower Camp

The Count and Countess of Wessex are visiting Gibraltar to see the Royal Gibraltar Regiment display its new colours during the Queen's Birthday Parade

The Royals visited the Nautilus Project, to see how researchers are working to protect Gibraltar's marine life

Sophie completed her sophisticated look with off white suede stilettos, large sunglasses and matching bag

Plane carrying Edward and Sophie forced to make emergency landing due to 'technical issue' A plane carrying the Earl and Countess of Wessex was forced to make an unscheduled landing due to what was described as a 'technical issue.' The couple were on their way to visit Gibraltar to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee when their flight was disrupted at the last minute. Alternative arrangements were being made for their arrival on the Rock, which took place safely later on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace said. A spokesperson for British Airways said its plane 'landed normally' back at Heathrow following a decision by pilots to return after taking off as a precaution. Edward and Sophie were later met at Gibraltar International Airport by Governor Sir David Steel and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. They were due to move on to Gibraltar's RAF base to be welcomed with a Guard of Honour formed of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment. The trip is also set to feature a special Queen's Birthday Parade near the 19th century British-built barracks in Casemates Square on Thursday. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'The Earl and Countess of Wessex's arrival in Gibraltar has been delayed slightly, after their flight was diverted safely back to the UK due to a technical issue.' A BA spokesman said: 'Our pilots decided to return to Heathrow as a precaution due to a minor technical issue, and the aircraft landed normally.' Advertisement

Edward and Sophie are visiting Gibraltar to see the Royal Gibraltar Regiment display its new colours during the Queen's Birthday Parade, which were approved by Her Majesty.

Prince Edward had presented the colours at a ceremony at Windsor Castle in March.

It has been 25 years since the regiment had new colours. The regiment's flag now bears the Royal prefix, which it gained in 2009.

The visit is part of the Royal Family's ongoing tour of the Commonwealth.

Following their arrival, the Royal Couple crossed the runway to RAF Gibraltar where they were greeted by gun salute from Devil's Tower Camp.

The Earl of Wessex then took the Royal Salute and reviewed the Royal Gibraltar Regiment's soldiers.

The Commander British Forces Steve Dainton & the Regiment's Commanding Officer Lt Col Simon Dyson were present.

]Edward and Sophie met members of the Regiment as well as RAF Station Commander Nell Doherty.

The visit of the was been delayed after their British Airways flight was turned back to London Heathrow this morning.

The BA Press Office confirmed to GBC that pilots on flight 490 decided to return to Heathrow as a precaution due to a minor technical issue, and the aircraft landed normally. It was making arrangements for passengers to be flown to Gibraltar on an alternative aircraft.

The Royals did visit the Nautilus Project, to see how researchers are working to protect Gibraltar's marine life.

They also met with local people on a walk down Main Street.

The couple recently visited Belfast before heading to Bangor in County Down as part of Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee.

In Belfast, the Earl and Countess met groups of performers, including the Belfast Busking Band.

On the beachfront of Bangor, which has newly been awarded city status, the pair joined members of the public at a vintage, seaside funfair.

Sophie is seen here meeting the local people of Gibraltar on main street, as part of the Platinum Jubilee
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden continued to reign high in the style stakes tonight as she opted for a stunning emerald gown for a gala dinner to celebrate Swedish - Dutch business relations in Amsterdam.

The heir apparent to the Swedish throne, 44, looked glamourous in a full length gown with a cinched in waist and crocheted detail on the shoulder.

Proving her natural prowess for style, she added a matching green hair piece and dazzling drop earring while opting for a glamorous make-up look.

Victoria, who is mother to Princess Estelle, 10, and Prince Oscar, six, paired a black eyeliner with lashings of blusher and a natural pink lip while slicking her hair back into a smart bun.

Swedish Crown Princess Victoria arrives at hotel Okura ahead of a gala dinner in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Swedish-Dutch business platform Chamber of Commerce in Amsterdam

The heir apparent to the Swedish throne, 44, looked glamourous in a full length gown with a cinched in waist and crocheted detail on the shoulder

Her appearance in the Netherlands comes just a day after she was joined by her children in traditional dress as they lead celebrations for National Day in Stockholm.

Dressed in a yellow and blue folk costume an adorable Princess Estelle walked hand-in-hand with her father Prince Daniel in Stockholm as the royal family marked the start of the celebrations.

Swedes celebrate their National Day on 6 June in honour of two historical events: on 6 June 1523, Gustav Vasa was elected king and, on the same date in 1809, the country adopted a new constitution. It became a public holiday in 2005.

Mother and daughter were matching in the blues and yellows of the 'Sverigedrakten' folk dress costume, consisting of a white shirt or blouse, blue skirt or dress and a yellow overskirt, in the colours of the Swedish flag.

Meanwhile, her husband and son were also wearing similar outfits, opting for blue suits and ties.

The Swedish King, who is the second-longest reigning monarch in Swedish history, took to the throne in 1973 and survived the country's landmark constitution the following year, and has an active role in public duties, albeit mainly ceremonial.

The King and his wife Silvia, nee Sommerlath, a German-Brazilian former flight attendant, have been handing over increasing numbers of engagements to their eldest daughter Victoria in recent years, fuelling speculation that the monarch may abdicate, allowing the Crown Princess to take the throne.

The presenter of the Nobel Peace Prize and a keen environmental campaigner has been embroiled in a string of controversies over the years including accusations of secret affairs and wild parties.

Crown Princess Victoria, 44, was elegant wearing a traditional Swedish outfit as she gave a speech on National Day

The royal was joined by her husband Prince Daniel and their children Princess Estelle, 10, and Prince Oscar

The young family held hands and smiled as they attended the special ceremony opening the palace to the public on Sweden's National Day

The grandfather-of-six is said to own a fleet of Porsche 911s and was involved in a high-profile car crash in 2005 which made international headlines.

His daughter Crown Princess Victoria studied diplomacy and Swedish foreign policy before becoming a full-time working member of the royal family.

The glamorous Yale graduate, who speaks four languages, was not expected to take to the throne when she was born in 1977 but a change in the law of succession three years later changed that, allowing her to overtake her brother Carl Philip.

In 2010, she married her former personal trainer Daniel Westling in front of 1,200 guests at Stockholm Cathedral.

They have since settled comfortably into public life with their two children, Princess Estelle, five, and Prince Oscar, who turns two in March.

Meanwhile Victoria's brother, Sweden's real-life Prince Charming, broke the hearts of royal-watchers across the globe when he announced his engagement to former glamour model Sofia Hellqvist in 2014, four years after news of their relationship first hit headlines.

Carl Philip, who is dyslexic, dismissed reports that his fiancee was 'not welcome' in the House of Bernadotte and condemned the public 'bullying' of Sofia.

Regardless of the controversy, thousands lined the streets of Stockholm for their wedding later that year.

The couple welcomed their first son, Prince Alexander, in April 2016 and another little boy, Prince Gabriel, arrived in August the following year.
Andy Cohen has revealed that he has 'a few' embryos left that he is willing to pass down to his children when they want to start families of their own.

The Watch What Happens Live host, 54, opened up about his remaining embryos while chatting about his children  three-year-old Ben and five-week-old Lucy  on Monday's episode of Sirius XM's Jeff Lewis Live.

'I have a few. I can't remember. I think I have three left?' he said. 'You know what I'm thinking? This is crazy, but if either of them cannot have kids, maybe in 20 years they'll defrost their sibling and raise them. Is that a weird thought?'

Andy Cohen, 54, opened up about his remaining embryos and how he is willing to give them to his children on Monday's episode of Sirius XM's Jeff Lewis Live

The father of two has a three-year-old son, Ben, and a five-week-old daughter, Lucy, both of whom were welcomed via surrogate

Embryos are frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen at 320 degrees Fahrenheit during a process that is called cryopreservation.

Dr. Barry Behr, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University Medical Center, told Live Science that embryos can remain frozen 'indefinitely.'

The longest an embryo has been frozen before a successful transfer is 27 years, meaning the Bravo star could pass on his embryos to his kids if he wanted to.

Cohen told Lewis (pictured in 2013) that he has 'a few' embryos left that his children can have in the future, saying they can 'defrost their sibling and raise them' in 20 years

Cohen surprised fans when he announced Lucy's arrival on Instagram on April 29, sharing a photo of himself cuddling his baby girl in the hospital

Cohen welcomed his son, Ben, in February 2019, followed by his daughter, Lucy, three years later in April 2022.

He noted on the show that his children are 'biological siblings,' but he did not use the same surrogate for the births.

Cohen also touched upon how Ben is adjusting to his younger sibling, saying he 'loves her but is trying to kill her' because he's jealous of all the attention she's getting.

The Watch What Happens Live host noted on the show that his children are 'biological siblings,' but he did not use the same surrogate for the births

Cohen also touched upon how Ben is adjusting to his younger sibling, saying he 'loves her but is trying to kill her' because of all the attention she's getting

Last year, Cohen and Real Housewives of Orange County star Heather Dubrow shot down rumors that she donated one of her eggs or embryos to him when he appeared on her podcast

'The crazy thing is, by design, I am spending so much time with him,' he explained. 'Because, by the way, she doesn't know what's happening. I sit with her for a few hours a day and I'm like, "Just smell me. Hear my voice. This is me. I'm your dad."

How long can embryos stay frozen? Embryos can be frozen any time between one and six days after retrieval. During the cryopreservation process, they are frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen at 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Experts believe frozen embryos remain viable indefinitely. The longest an embryo has been frozen before a successful transfer is 27 years. Source: Live Science Advertisement

'But [with Ben], I'm really in there with him, and I don't know if it's really registering how much time I'm spending with him.'

Cohen surprised fans when he announced Lucy's arrival on Instagram on April 29, sharing a photo of himself cuddling his baby girl in the hospital.

'HERES LUCY!!!!! Meet my daughter, Lucy Eve Cohen! Shes 8 pounds 13 oz and was born at 5:13 pm in New York City!!!' he wrote. 'Her big brother cant wait to meet her!

'Thank you to my rock star surrogate (ALL surrogates are rockstars, by the way) and everyone who helped make this miracle happen,' he added. 'Im so happy.'

A few days later, he posted an adorable picture of his son sweetly kissing his baby sister on the forehead with the caption: 'When Ben met Lucy.'

Last year, Cohen and Real Housewives of Orange County star Heather Dubrow shot down rumors that she donated one of her eggs or embryos to him.

When he appeared on her podcast, Heather Dubrow's World, she explained that 'everyone wants to know' if she donated her eggs to him.

'Im going to let you dispel the rumors, ready?' she asked.

'No, you did not, but its very funny because as we said before, that would really be an HR issue,' Cohen responded, adding that she would have been 'a good candidate otherwise.'
Last month, a story broke in the national Press. It told of a sixth-form student being hounded out of her private girls' school for alleged 'transphobia'.

And it received even wider attention when J. K. Rowling  herself the victim of bullies from the fringe element of the pro-trans movement  expressed her disgust at the girl's treatment.

Yet what drew me to the case  and to this brave, if unlucky, teenager's plight  was when the trans rights activist and Guardian columnist Owen Jones tweeted on May 17: 'This 'story'  claiming 60 girls drove a girl out of a school for 'questioning trans ideology'  doesn't include their side of the story or even name the school. I want to speak anonymously to these girls for their story, so please RT!'

I thought Jones's tweet expressed a desire to pursue a young female victim of bullying and discredit her, which I considered nothing short of disgraceful. And I said so publicly.

At this, I was contacted out of the blue by the girl, whose name I have changed to 'Kate'. We meet in a London cafe days after her story broke.

As she sips her cappuccino, Kate seems wise beyond her 19 years: warm, with a sharp sense of humour. She has an intimidating intellect, and seemingly reads Dostoevsky and Socrates for fun.

Last month, a story broke in the national Press. It told of a sixth-form student being hounded out of her private girls' school for alleged 'transphobia'. And it received even wider attention when J. K. Rowling expressed her disgust. Pictured: Julie Bindel

She remains angry and is disappointed in Jones, calling him vindictive for announcing in his tweet his plans to  as she sees it  trash her online and give a voice to her bullies.

But she also wants to make it clear that she is less interested in her own story than in the far wider question of freedom of speech, and how this is increasingly threatened in the censorious climate whipped up by the pro-trans lobby.

'I'm not speaking in pursuit of a petty vendetta but to a much larger issue that affects teachers and students alike,' she says.

'But Owen Jones, based on what he tweeted, appeared convinced it was just a case of high-school bullying that was contrived by a bigot to turn herself into a victim.'

Pausing regularly to compose herself as she tells a very difficult story, Kate reveals exactly what unfolded.

It all started in late 2021, when a baroness who sits in the House of Lords visited Kate's school, which she attended as a day pupil rather than as a boarder.

The talk was on the baroness's work campaigning for LGBT rights, and sixth-formers were told their attendance was compulsory.

The peer, says Kate, was dogmatic from the start. 'She was saying that her colleagues were 'transphobic' and implying that the Lords was a phalanx of bigotry.'

The pupil 'remains angry and is disappointed in Jones, calling him vindictive for announcing in his tweet his plans to  as she sees it  trash her online and give a voice to her bullies'

Kate says she found this view to be 'disconcerting' and suggestive of 'a distaste for negotiation'. So, after careful consideration, Kate decided to raise her hand and ask a question that troubles many on the Left: How do you define a woman?

Critical theory  the discipline that has come to dominate discussion in the workplace as well as in schools and academia, and for at least one member of the House of Lords  holds that 'gender identity' is a social construct. Biological reality, that is, having ovaries, a penis or a particular set of chromosomes, is irrelevant, according to the theory.

Kate asked about how to bridge this gap, but she wasn't given a straight answer to her apparently simple question.

The baroness had also claimed that trans people are denied human rights. Kate asked about how to achieve consensus between competing rights; for example, on whether male-bodied trans women should be allowed to visit female-only spaces, such as changing rooms and rape refuges.

At this, the speaker accused Kate of reducing the issue to 'semantics'.

'I said, 'I respectfully disagree' and thought that was the best place to leave it,' says Kate today.

What she did not know was that one of her fellow pupils had run out of the room crying when she engaged in this moderate and reasonable discussion with the peer.

Shortly afterwards, Kate visited the school's 'wellbeing' centre, only to be refused entry. Students began claiming that she'd been 'transphobic' at the talk and alleging that she had caused them 'harm'.

As is the way in schools, the rumours swelled, and before long it was being claimed that Kate's contribution during the baroness's visit had caused the school's trans students to consider suicide.

The sixth-former 'is less interested in her own story than in the far wider question of freedom of speech, and how this is increasingly threatened in the censorious climate whipped up by the pro-trans lobby'

Later that day, Kate went to collect her bag from her locker, where she encountered another girl. 'She looked at me with cold, steely eyes,' Kate recalls. 'I looked for any empathy or understanding from her but there was nothing.'

What happened next sounds terrifying. Soon, a number of people gathered and before she knew it, Kate had been circled by a mob of furious students.

'They began shouting at me, words such as 'Nazi', 'bigot', 'fascist', 'transphobe', 'homophobe' and 'racist',' she says. 'There were up to 60 of them.'

Some called her a 'c***'.

'They were so close and enunciating so emphatically, all I felt was their spit on my face.'

Shaking, Kate managed to break out of the circle and run away from them. Then she slumped to the floor.

'I wasn't crying but I could hear an animal sound coming from my throat,' she tells me.

One of the girls, distressed at what she had witnessed, ran after Kate, asking if she was OK. And then the head of sixth form asked the students that had surrounded her: 'How could you do this?'

J.K. Rowling (pictured) 'is herself the victim of bullies from the fringe element of the pro-trans movement'

It looked as if sanity might prevail, despite everything.

But when Kate arrived at school the next morning, she found that her desk had been covered in print-outs of the pink, blue and white trans flag, each of them scrawled with the slogan, 'Trans rights are human rights'.

The day after that, the school's sixth-formers staged a spontaneous 'Trans Day of Visibility'  without warning Kate or inviting her to attend. They all came to school wearing the colours of the trans flag.

An investigation was opened and the deputy head teacher interviewed several of the students, including Kate. Perhaps four days after the incident, Kate came into school and overheard her favourite teacher addressing the sixth form and describing Kate's 'terrible, hateful behaviour'.

'Later, a second, retroactive investigation was launched pertaining to my character to justify the reaction of the girls, allegedly legitimated by a 'provocative' history going back five years,' says Kate.

As the mounting stress of this ongoing public shaming continued, she eventually self-harmed on school premises. After that, the school refused to allow her back for several weeks.

'I was seen as a danger to myself and to other students,' she says. Eventually she did return to school. However, she was made to sit in the library, away from her fellow students, 'just surrounded by books and my own thoughts'.

The unnamed schoolgirl remains angry and is disappointed in Owen Jones, calling him vindictive for announcing in his tweet his plans to  as she sees it  trash her online and give a voice to her bullies (file image)

This isolation inevitably had a terrible impact on her mental health. Having struggled with anorexia during her GCSE years, Kate began to dislike the idea of eating food once again.

When she begged to be allowed to go back into school properly and attend lessons like everyone else, she was informed that she had 'distressed' the other students for too many years.

Eventually, Kate had simply had enough. As she puts it: 'It was a Wednesday, and a teacher who had stuck by me said I could achieve all my ambitions without school. So I listened. I walked out and never turned back.'

Today, she is continuing her A-level studies online and is on course to start university by the time she is 21.

'I'll feel like a mature student!' she says with a laugh.

At 13, Kate spent a year in hospital being treated for her anorexia. During those traumatic months spent with similarly afflicted girls from different backgrounds, Kate tells me she 'fundamentally changed'.

Yet her school, too, had changed during her year in hospital. It was, by then, affiliated with the pro-trans group Stonewall (described by some as 'extremist', although it denies this), and several girls had started identifying as non-binary or trans. Kate's former school has always had a liberal ethos, and she was fond of many of her teachers.

It was these positive experiences that led her to regularly wonder out loud whether she was a 'bad person' for questioning trans ideology. She asked herself: 'Why else would they turn on me so viciously?'

However, her experience of anorexia has given her special insight, which she discusses with typical eloquence.

'I couldn't help but hear the anorexic mentality reverberate in conversations about gender dysphoria,' she says.

'Both anorexia and gender dysphoria [make people] aspire to reach an idealised form of the self, liberated from the grotesque realities of material existence. Both are driven by a desire to control one's reality  to unveil a potential 'truth'.

'I'm not denying the validity of medical transition as a means to stifle that incessant anguish; the frenzied grief and piercing wails that drive one to the brink of madness.

'A common refrain was that I would kill myself if I gained weight. I tried [to commit suicide] and, thankfully, failed. But I would have done so either way, treatment or affirmation.'

It is a fascinating insight  and one that warrants closer study.

So, what next for Kate? She is still unsure about what to do with her life, although she is currently thinking about working as a museum curator.

She tells me she 'can't wait' to get to university, although she is also deeply worried about entering another place of education in today's censorious climate.

'There is no forgiveness for those branded with the damning suffix of '-phobic'  a term so elastic it encompasses all scepticism,' she concludes.

And with that, she's off to visit some art galleries.

A version of this piece first appeared on UnHerd.com
An Aussie entrepreneur has shared a heartbreaking post about her struggle with 'long Covid' symptoms months after she was diagnosed with the virus, and how it's affecting her $63million empire.

Natasha Oakley, who grew up in Sydney, Australia, but now calls Los Angeles home, took to Instagram on Monday to confess her lifestyle of glamorous yacht parties, Pilates workouts and photoshoots is only 'a representation of one side of my life right now'.

Behind the scenes the 32-year-old CEO of Monday Swimwear, The Pilates Class and Emma Pills has been battling a serious case of long Covid, which was made all the worse when she received her booster shot two weeks ago.

'I have been going through something quite personal that I haven't wanted to share until now. Earlier in the year I got quite a bad case of Covid, I was physically down for weeks, hardly able to work or even get up at times,' she told her 2.8million fans.

Natasha Oakley, who grew up in Sydney, Australia, but now calls Los Angeles home, took to Instagram on Monday to confess her lifestyle of glamorous yacht parties, Pilates workouts and photoshoots is only 'a representation of one side of my life right now'

Natasha's mild improvements were dashed two weeks ago when she received her booster shot, for reasons she cannot explain

'After two weeks I was able to start to walk around or do activities for a few hours but was so fatigued I would need to immediately come home and rest.

'The symptoms lasted for months, they included extreme tension headaches all day and night from when I woke up to when I went to bed, fatigue, extreme dizziness, joint and muscle pain and mild brain fog.

'It really has been debilitating at times and I had a lot of anxiety and depression. I took it easy, ate healthily, did gentle Pilates, walking and stretching and slowly after four months started to see improvements.'

Long Covid, as it has been dubbed, is when individuals previously infected with the virus suffer ongoing symptoms longer than 12 weeks.

Some studies have shown as many as a third of all those infected with Covid suffer long-term symptoms, including brain fog, anxiety, fatigue and abnormal breathing.

'Two weeks ago I got my booster shot and the next day I was taken back four months in terms of my symptoms which are now much worse again and have been for two weeks,' she said

In March St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney opened a clinic specifically to help patients suffering from long Covid, with many other clinics opening up around the world for the same reason.

Natasha's mild improvements were dashed two weeks ago when she received her booster shot, for reasons she cannot explain.

'Two weeks ago I got my booster shot and the next day I was taken back four months in terms of my symptoms which are now much worse again and have been for two weeks,' she said.

'This has been really difficult for me given that I am an active and driven person and I have been struggling with anxiety about my health because these symptoms are relentless and doctors have hardly any answers or very different ones if they do.

'On my most recent flight to LA I actually had to be taken off the plane by medics because my heartbeat was jumping and my muscle pain was so bad.'

Natasha stressed in her post that she wasn't an anti-vaxxer and firmly believed in the importance of vaccination but she was just 'unfortunate' to have had ill effects as a result.

Natasha stressed in her post that she wasn't an anti-vaxxer and firmly believed in the importance of vaccination but she was just 'unfortunate' to have had ill effects as a result

'I wanted to share my current health journey firstly to make sure everyone takes Covid seriously. I always did and was very open to vaccination but unfortunately still fell very ill and now have ongoing long Covid that I am really, really struggling with,' she said.

'Unfortunately Covid is something we just don't have the answers to, doctors still have no idea what long Covid is and can only speculate as to why we have it. I am so hopeful that with good health, rest and a positive mindset I will feel better at some point but for now it's a struggle and that's okay because life is tough sometimes.'

Natasha started an online blog called 'A Bikini A Day' with her best friend Devin Brugman in 2012 as an outlet to share her favourite swimwear, but it quickly took off and saw the pair able to launch their own swimwear company, Monday Swimwear. when A Bikini A Day took off.

Since then Natasha has invested in other burgeoning brands like The Pilates Class and Emma Pills, giving her an estimated empire worth $63million.

'Growing up in a beach town was a dream and definitely translated into my love and passion for the ocean, and later swimwear,' she told FEMAIL previously of her career success.

When Natasha Oakley started an online blog called 'A Bikini A Day' with her best friend Devin Brugman in 2012 she could never have known her endeavour would see her debut on the Young Rich List two decades later

'We were one of the first Instagram pioneers. At the time we had no idea how big Instagram would be or what our future would look like but we were enjoying the photography, travel, and getting the opportunity to share it with a community,' she said

'I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit being the daughter of two entrepreneurs. Since I was young I knew I wanted to get into business and I feel so fortunate to have found my footing.'

Looking back Natasha believes their Instagram followers on A Bikini A Day enjoyed the light-hearted nature of the content and the 'fun spirit' she and Devin possess.

They were also indirectly helping women with larger busts to try different styles and brands they may never have heard of before.

'We were one of the first Instagram pioneers. At the time we had no idea how big Instagram would be or what our future would look like but we were enjoying the photography, travel, and getting the opportunity to share it with a community,' she said.

'After wearing thousands of bikinis through our trials for A Bikini A Day I became ever more interested in the design and production of swimwear.

In 2014 Monday Swimwear was born, with a huge emphasis on fit and texture

'Devin and I knew exactly what worked and what didn't and were passionate to design a swim line with every female body in mind.

'Something we often ran into, as two larger-cup sized women, during our work at Bikini A Day was finding swim that fit comfortably but was also fashionable.'

In 2014 Monday Swimwear was born, with a huge emphasis on fit and texture.

The ladies have a detailed design process where each style is fit on multiple body types and not just scaled from one size.

'In our process we like to include the customer as much as possible. We are really vocal with our community and encourage them to be vocal with us,' Natasha said.

'We like to survey our customers often and consider all fit comments when designing.'

The ladies have a detailed design process where each style is fit on multiple body types and not just scaled from one size

The brand caters from A to G cup sizes and can be shipped worldwide, making it accessible to all.

Outside of Monday Swimwear Natasha also splits her time between The Pilates Class, an online Pilates fitness training program, and Emma Pills, a jewellery company.

'TPC was born during the pandemic. The beginning of the pandemic was a time of uncertainty for a lot of people around the world,' she said.

'Jacqui [Kingswell, the co-founder] and I wanted to start a community to bring people together to share their love for Pilates. Doing Pilates was my saving grace during that time and we received such positive feedback from our community.'

Meanwhile Natasha had been a family friend of the Pillemers before a 21-year-old Emma approached her with the product.

'When I first met them I was so inspired by their contagious and supportive energy and loved the way they ran their brand,' she said.

'I knew there was synergy. I approached them about coming on to the brand and helping them go global and we've now expanded into the US market, are featured on a major fashion retailer, Revolve, and are loved by many A-Listers in the US.'

Meanwhile Natasha had been a family friend of the Pillemers before a 21-year-old Emma approached her with the product

Natasha, who is quite often still seen in a bikini as she splits her time between Sydney and Los Angeles, usually keeps fit by following Jacqui's Pilates classes.

'There are so many different classes from HIIT to strength that I adjust the time and the intensity level depending on what my body needs that day,' she said.

'Week to week my schedule is changing depending on whether I'm on location shooting a campaign, on a brand trip, or at my home in LA.

'On a regular day, I typically like to wake up and connect with my team. After a quick touch base, I like to work out and have a light bite or smoothie.

'I typically like to do a bit of admin work before lunch and save any longer calls for the afternoon. Around 6pm I'm usually winding down and like to take a break from my phone and cook dinner with my partner.'

She makes time to read a book and relax when she's not jetting abroad, like she was recently in the Bahamas celebrating Monday Swimwear's eighth anniversary.

'It was one of the most amazing trips and being able to celebrate my brand in this way felt like a dream. Also, being on location for any campaign shoot feels like a pinch me moment,' she said.

'I work so hard with our team to design the collection that seeing it come to life feels surreal.'
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James M, 35, has become the first British monkeypox patient to go public

The first British monkeypox patient to go public is an HR manager from London who caught the virus after being deported from Dubai for testing positive for HIV, MailOnline can reveal.

James M, 35, has spoken out after claiming that health chiefs still haven't contacted him despite being diagnosed with monkeypox nearly a fortnight ago.

He slammed the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for 'a real lack of any basic process or care to stop the spread' of the tropical virus, which has so far infected more than 300 Britons, mostly gay and bisexual men.

James  who wished to keep his surname anonymous  admitted he is not following self-isolation rules because 'I was told to stay home until UKHSA contacted me... and they never did.'

He accused the UK of having a lackadaisical approach to contact tracing, saying it was 'no wonder' Britain had more cases than any other country outside of Africa. There is also a lack of awareness about monkeypox's lesser-known symptoms, he claimed.

James was readjusting to life in west London when he began suffering from 'really weird aches' in his lower back, exhaustion, extreme thirst and pain when he used the toilet.

He became convinced he had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) after sleeping with around 10 new partners in the weeks before his symptoms started.

'Im a gay man, and having just come back to the UK, I was having a good time,' he told MailOnline.

But medics wrongly assumed it wasn't monkeypox because he didn't have the virus' tell-tale rash.

James had just returned from Dubai, where being gay is illegal, after four years following a 'shock' HIV diagnosis in February. It saw him lose his job and home.

After contacting his local STI clinic in west London, James was sent for tests at a specialist centre in Soho on May 25 and was told to avoid public transport or close contact with others.

'When I got to the clinic I was told to go and wait outside the main door and call them, they said they were going to put on PPE and they told me not to touch door handles,' he said.

'The whole experience kind of heightens your sense of, "oh this must be really serious". I remember going to Covid centres and it wasn't as daunting or overwhelming as this.'

At the time, several dozen people had already been diagnosed with the mystery monkeypox virus and it was clear the virus was spreading in London among gay and bisexual men.

The UKHSA claims it has tried on multiple attempts to get in touch with James.

He admitted he is not following self-isolation rules because 'I was told to stay home until UKHSA contacted me... and they never did'

But James claims he was assured by medics that his symptoms could not be the rare disease because he did not have its hallmark lesions, scabs or spots.

On May 28, three days later, a PCR test confirmed that he was in fact infected with monkeypox.

A letter sent by Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, seen by MailOnline, instructed him to 'stay in isolation at home until further review from the team' at UKHSA.

James has still not been contacted, despite eight days passing since the letter was issued. He claims he has phoned his local STI clinic every day since the diagnosis.

He told MailOnline: 'Its no wonder now were getting so many more infections if no contact tracing or awareness about you not needing the spots to have the virus being told to people.

'No-ones asked me who Ive been in contact with. I was told that within 24 hours of my diagnosis someone from UKHSA would call me.

'I've called the clinic every day, asking why arent they calling me, Im not allowed outside and not allowed to go work. The UKHSA is not calling me, someone needs to document this.'

James still does not know who he caught the virus from, but he says he has 'a hunch'  someone who 'had a spot on their chest'. He added: 'I asked them about it and they said theyd always had it.'

He accused the UK of having a lackadaisical approach to contact tracing, saying it was 'no wonder' Britain had more cases than any other country outside of Africa. There is also a lack of awareness about' monkeypox's lesser-known symptoms, he claimed

The UK has logged 302 infections, the most out of any other country, followed by Spain (190), Portugal (143), Canada (80) and Germany (66)

Medics must now alert health authorities to monkeypox cases by law Monkeypox has become a notifiable disease in England, meaning all medics are legally obliged to alert local health authorities to suspected cases. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said laboratories must also tell it if the virus is identified in a sample. To date, 302 infections have been confirmed in the UK. Wendi Shepherd, monkeypox incident director at UKHSA, said: 'Rapid diagnosis and reporting is the key to interrupting transmission and containing any further spread of monkeypox. 'This new legislation will support us and our health partners to swiftly identify, treat and control the disease. 'It also supports us with the swift collection and analysis of data which enables us to detect possible outbreaks of the disease and trace close contacts rapidly, whilst offering vaccinations where appropriate to limit onward transmission.' David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said: 'Making monkeypox a notifiable disease suggests a desire to be sure to have reporting from all sectors (public and private) and all parts of the NHS. 'It suggests that the Government wants to focus surveillance on the entire population  not only on the risk groups identified so far. 'This will permit clear identification of all risk groups and help better understand the epidemiology and extent of spread.' A large proportion of cases so far have been identified in the gay, bisexual and men who have sex with other men community. Monkeypox is not normally a sexually-transmitted infection, but it can be passed on by direct contact during sex. It can also be spread through touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone with the monkeypox rash. According to the UKHSA, monkeypox does not usually spread easily between people and the overall risk to the UK population remains low. Anyone with unusual rashes or lesions on any part of their body, especially their genitalia, should contact NHS 111 or call a sexual health service if they have concerns, it said. Advertisement

He fears the lack of contact tracing means this person could still be spreading the virus to others, unknowingly.

Since the first UK case in the new outbreak was detected on May 6, 287 people have been diagnosed with the tropical virus in England, ten in Scotland, three in Wales and two in Northern Ireland.

Anyone who tests positive for monkeypox is being advised to self-isolate at home for 21 days  roughly how long it takes for the virus to cause symptoms.

Infected patients are also being told to avoid sex until symptoms clear and wear condoms during sex for eight weeks post-infection.

Both confirmed cases and close contacts in the UK are being offered the Imvanex vaccine to form a buffer of immune people around a confirmed case to limit the spread of the disease.

The strategy, known as ring vaccination, has been used in previous monkeypox outbreaks and is also being carried out in some EU countries. Imvanex is thought to reduce a person's chance of catching monkeypox by up to 85 per cent.

UK health officials have linked the outbreak back to 'gay bars, saunas and the use of dating apps in the UK and abroad'. MailOnline revealed last month that gay dating app Grindr had alerted to users of monkeypox symptoms.

James said he is done with sex for a while after a traumatic six months.

'I'm a pretty sex-positive person, have fun, live your life, kind of guy,' he said, but added that 'the past six months has been pretty much the... worst that could happen'.

'For now Im really focused on laying roots, making sure this doesnt destabilise my career, building new networks and connections.

'Having been in a country where being gay was illegal, Im definitely going to enjoy that too. But more dates and something of substance, rather than the hedonistic gay parties.'

James' condition deteriorated in the days after his diagnosis, but when he tried to book a hospital appointment he claims he was turned away because there were no specialist staff on weekends.

'I received no call or support from any healthcare provider for almost a week after diagnosis. I felt very ill at one point,' he added.

'I called the hospital and told them I was weak with fever, severe back pain and had been diagnosed with monkeypox and they told me Do not come into A&E, our monkeypox specialists don't work at the weekend", which I was very shocked about and made a formal complaint to the trust.'

Specialists from Chelsea and Westminster trust began doing daily phone check-ins about a week later, but by then James felt as though he was already 'through the eye of the storm'.

'But I did ask who is responsible for contact tracing to try and contain the spread [of monkeypox] and she admitted that theyd messed up and didnt know why no one had contacted me.'

James said he hoped that he would receive much more sensitive care when he returned to the UK after the 'life-changing, stressful, scary' experience in Dubai.

But he added: 'Coming back to the UK where its supposed to be safe and have world-leading health care, it kind of felt like a kick in the teeth to have experienced this treatment.

'Even though there were only 80ish people with it in UK when I was diagnosed, there was just a real lack of any basic process or care to try and stop the spread.

'Its frustrating coming out of Covid and seeing how lax they were with what is clearly a very spreadable disease, especially with men in London.'

Strict immigration laws in the United Arab Emirates means anyone who is HIV-positive can be refused entry or deported back to their home country.

But James said he knew the risks when he moved to the UAE. 'The law is the law, and having been there for four years I knew what was what.

'Having said that, what I did hate is that they dont actually tell you what's happening.'

He revealed that after testing positive for HIV, he was 'forced to report to the middle of the desert for re-testing, and they confiscated my passport.

'When I was being deported it was actually my work who had to tell me. As its your company that pays for it, all the results go to them rather than you being told.

Officials are urging gay and bisexual men to be aware of new lesions, rashes or scabs and get in contact with a sexual health clinic. They have released these images of cases to alert people to the virus' symptoms

The infection often starts with small bumps that scab over and are contagious

'So no doctor sits with you, or tells you how ill you are-they wouldnt even give me a document or results paper, so you just get kicked out.

'I was told I could go and pack a bag and wait for the police to come and get me at any time. It was all pretty life-changing, stressful, scary  like all control or feeling of having a choice was taken away overnight.'

Dr J. Yimmy Chow, consultant in communicable disease control at the UKHSA, told MailOnline: 'Weve made multiple attempts to reach this individual by phone and email and would urge them to contact the London Health Protection Team as soon as possible.

'Anyone who suspects they might have Monkeypox, particularly if they have recently had a new sexual partner, to limit their contact with other people and contact NHS 111 or their local sexual health service as soon as they can.'

Analysis by the UKHSA last week revealed that more than 60 per cent of domestic infections have been among gay and bisexual men.

Almost nine in 10 were based in the epicentre London and at the time only two cases had been women. Most of the UK's infections  87 per cent  were among people aged 20 to 49.

And the majority of UK patients caught the virus in the UK rather than abroad, which is significant because cases outside of Africa were previously confined to people who had direct travel links to the continent.

Monkeypox, which was first discovered in lab monkeys in the late 1950s, is usually mild but can cause severe illness in some cases.

It can kill up to 10 per cent of people it infects. But the milder strain causing the current outbreak kills one in 100  similar to when Covid first hit.

No monkeypox deaths linked with the ongoing outbreak have been reported yet.

The virus has an incubation period of anywhere up to 21 days, meaning it can take three weeks for symptoms to appear.

Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.

A rash can develop, often beginning on the face, which then spreads to other parts of the body  including the genitals. The rash can look like chickenpox or syphilis, and scabs can form which then fall off.

More than 900 cases have been reported worldwide, which is significant because cases outside of Africa were previously confined to people who had direct travel links to the continent.
General Sir Nick Carter, who retired as head of Britains Armed Forces last year, seems an unlikely fan of the rave-scene drug ecstasy.

But the 63-year-old career soldier is backing plans to administer ecstasy (scientific name MDMA) to treat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

While it may be controversial, I think MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is a real possibility for helping traumatised veterans, Sir Nick said in February.

MDMA was first synthesised in 1912 by the pharmaceutical giant Merck to use in the production of other drugs. But it was expensive, and drug-company interest fizzled out in the 1950s.

Then, in the 1960s, hippies discovered it would get them high. It became illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act in 1977 and is a Class A substance: being caught in possession of it can lead to up to seven years in prison.

But MDMA may soon become respectable. Psychiatrists at Kings College London are set to begin trialling it this year on former servicemen suffering with post-traumatic stress.

MDMA was first synthesised in 1912 by the pharmaceutical giant Merck to use in the production of other drugs. But it was expensive, and drug-company interest fizzled out in the 1950s. Then, in the 1960s, hippies discovered it would get them high

It has been suggested that the 1.5 million research project  its finanical backers include NHS England  could secure approval for clinical use from UK regulators as early as 2024.

British therapists are investigating the use of other hallucinogenic drugs, too, including magic mushrooms and ketamine (a horse tranquilliser) for depression.

So should we change our view about mind-altering psychedelic substances? Or ought we instead to be alarmed at the prospect of psychiatrists adding more brain-changing substances to their armoury, with the danger of these, too, becoming overused (and misused) in a similar way to pills such as antidepressants and benzodiazepine sedatives?

Experts predict MDMA will be the first of these psychedelic substances to soon win approval from UK regulators. It is already being trialled for severe PTSD in the U.S., Canada, Israel and Switzerland.

Study participants take the drug in the company of a therapist in three eight-hour sessions, spaced one month apart. The patient also has regular 90-minute sessions of psychotherapy.

The international studies are being co-ordinated by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, a California-based non-profit research organisation that develops medical, legal and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana.

Rick Doblin, a public policy expert and the organisations founder and executive director, says MDMA is a catalyst for making psychotherapy work.

Its not the drug doing the therapeutic work, its the psychotherapy, he explains. The drug just makes therapy more effective, reducing patients fear-based responses to traumatic memories. It gives them a sense of safety.

He says that evidence from trials following patients a year after therapy shows that people keep getting better  they have learnt that they can process the overwhelming emotions on their own without the drug.

Yet the drug advice charity Frank warns that MDMA has also been linked to liver, kidney and heart problems, with evidence that long-term users may suffer from memory problems and  ironically  may develop depression and anxiety.

Rick Doblin stresses: Every time you take MDMA you should be concerned about the risks. Every drug has risks, and the therapeutic context is the best way to manage the risks and get the therapeutic benefits.

Experts predict MDMA will be the first of these psychedelic substances to soon win approval from UK regulators. It is already being trialled for severe PTSD in the U.S., Canada, Israel and Switzerland

The first NHS trials using the drug for PTSD will be early-stage safety tests, scheduled for the end of this year at Kings College London  with advanced clinical trials of its effectiveness expected in 2023.

Scientific interest in psychedelic drugs therapeutic potential has spiralled in recent years. In 2004, only eight studies with the keywords psychedelic and mental health were published in reputable scientific journals; last year that annual figure had leapt to 168, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

At Harvard Medical School in the U.S. they are establishing a Centre for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics. Its stated mission: To understand how psychedelics enhance the brains capacity for change and to optimise current treatments and create new treatments for mental illness.

This comes half a century after Harvard sacked the psychologist Timothy Leary  famed for his phrase turn on, tune in, drop out  for promoting mind-altering drugs such as LSD.

Why all the new interest? David Nutt, a professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, says there is a dearth of potential new medications for mental illness. (Professor Nutt himself has a controversial history in this area  as chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, he was the governments top drugs adviser but was sacked in 2009 after saying ecstasy and LSD were less dangerous than alcohol.)

Big Pharma has stopped developing new antidepressants, he says. [Existing drugs] arent bad at treating many people and cost only 10p a day per patient. It would be impossible to persuade health services to purchase a much more expensive drug that wasnt that much better.

Professor Nutt says that a wave of commercial interest in psychedelic drugs has been sparked by a study he co-authored, published in The Lancet Psychiatry in 2016, where 12 patients with treatment-resistant depression were given psychotherapy in combination with psilocybin  a psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of fungi, including magic mushrooms. These patients had previously failed to respond to antidepressants combined with psychotherapy, he says. But psilocybin halved their depression scores overnight.

Our brain-imaging scans showed that psilocybin affects brain areas associated with depression, in particular a system called the default mode network. This gives you your sense of self.

In depression this network is overactive  it makes depressed people ruminate and get stuck in cycles of negative thoughts.

Professor Nutt believes that psychedelic drugs disrupt this network. They change the way people think and can help them to get insights into why they are depressed, he says. Patients can reflect on things positively. Psychedelics help people to feel more in tune with the world and with other people. They feel more connected, whereas depressed people feel isolated and disconnected.

There are, however, concerns that the kind of brain scans used for these studies  functional MRI  especially with very small numbers of patients, produce results that are unreliable.

Furthermore, mushrooms, like other psychedelics, can have traumatic effects. The charity Frank warns they can make people have a bad trip and subsequently experience sudden scary flashbacks to previous trips.

Professor Nutt believes, however, that psychedelics can be eminently safe, saying: We have studied 200 patients dosed with psilocybin and we have not found any enduring problems. In a medical setting, adverse effects are rare.

Sensing the lucrative potential for such therapies, some 50 commercial companies worldwide are developing psychedelic treatments. Professor Nutt is employed as the chief research officer of one  Awakn Life Sciences, which has clinics in Bristol and London. It is developing therapies using ketamine to treat addictions, eating disorders and anxiety disorders. Ketamine is used clinically as an anaesthetic, sedative and painkiller. It is also taken as an illegal psychedelic drug.

Ketamine induces a psychedelic state that allows people to escape themselves and gain new insights into their thoughts and behaviours, says Professor Nutt.

Yet in January an Exeter University trial of ketamine doses coupled with mindfulness-based therapy for alcoholism failed to prevent patients relapsing any better than patients given only a placebo alongside the psychotherapy.

Among even some leading scientific enthusiasts, there remain doubts. Stephen Ross, a professor of psychiatry at New York University, who has pioneered using psilocybin for patients with depression, warned the American Psychiatric Associations annual conference last year that a study by Imperial College London has shown psilocybin to be no better at treating depression than the standard antidepressant escitalopram.

Professor Ross says the results threw a dose of cold water on the exuberance in our field. We are in an exciting time but its important to remember the history [of psychedelics being misused] and proceed cautiously.

In Australia, the medicines regulator recently rejected applications

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to legalise psilocybin and MDMA. It said that while MDMA might be safe under the stringent conditions of drug trials, were access to it to be increased, there would be an increased risk of misuse.

The regulator also warned psilocybin poses a high danger for both acute and long-term effects and that while findings from clinical trials . . . are promising, evidence is still emerging and the therapeutic value of psilocybin has not been established.

John Read, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of East London, told Good Health: Psychiatry has a habit of seeing every latest new drug as the magic answer to patients problems, even though all the previous latest new drugs havent fulfilled that promise.

This sort of development frankly leaves me wondering what drug psychiatry will rule in as the next magic bullet. Heroin perhaps?

Gilly Norton, chief executive of Supporting Wounded Veterans, understands the fears around using MDMA for PTSD. But I have read the clinical data, which shows it can effectively treat people whove previously done ten years of therapy with very few visible gains.

Professor Nutt, meanwhile, would like to change one crucial thing about psychedelic therapy  its name.

Psychedelic is a term that has a lot of unfortunate connotations, he says. I prefer to just call these drugs circuit disruptors.

Given the current controversies over scientific evidence and clinical practice, rehabilitating these psychoactive substances may require more than just a change of name.
GPs are threatening to strike over a new contract that would force them to offer appointments on weekday evenings and on Saturdays.

Family doctors, who earn an average of 100,000 per year and generally work the equivalent of three days a week, will discuss the prospect of industrial action at the British Medical Association (BMAs) annual meeting later this month.

It comes in response to a new NHS England order that says by October GP practices need to offer routine face-to-face appointments from 9am to 5pm on Saturdays, as well as 9am to 8pm on weekdays.

The union's members already voted in favour of industrial action last November amid the row.

But they held off on striking because of a low turnout that saw just 35 per cent of GP practices vote.

Newly elected union bosses have now called for a 'fresh start' and have tabled a new motion for the BMA's three-day annual meeting on June 27.

The motion calls on the union to 'act upon the GP ballot of 2021 and to organise opposition to the imposition of the new contract including industrial action if necessary'.

Doctors union the BMA will meet later this month to discuss a motion calling for it to organise opposition to the new contract 'including industrial action if necessary' (stock image)

HALF of GPs plan on retiring by the age of 60 Nearly half of GPs plan to retire by the age of 60, a shock poll suggests. Unions said the number was 'concerning but not altogether unsurprising' due to their 'intense' daily workload. A survey of more than 800 GPs in the UK for doctors' magazine Pulse found 47 per cent intend to leave the profession by the age of 60. One in 10 family doctors, who earn an average of 100,000 per year, plan on retiring in their fifties and two per cent expect to quit before their 50th birthday. Only 14 per cent of GPs said they planned to continue practicing into their late sixties, past the state pension age. The most commonly cited reason for wanting to leave was burnout and workload, although issues about pensions also came up. One GP said the sooner they leave general practice 'the better' and that they 'wouldn't recommend' the career path to anyone. It comes amid a huge fallout over the lack of access to family doctors, with some areas of the country having just one GP for every 2,500 patients. Advertisement

The new NHS England contract means each local hub of GP surgeries, known as Primary Care Networks, must offer a full service to patients during the extended hours, with access to nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists.

The hope is that the increased appointments will boost the number of people able to see their family doctor face-to-face.

Just 63 per cent of consultations were done in person in England in April, up just 1 percentage point in a month  despite the worst of Covid being over and GPs told to get back to 'normal'.

Prior to the pandemic over 80 per cent of GP appointments were held face-to-face.

Some GPs are angry with the plans, with many claiming they are already overstretched given the number of patients they need to see.

Patients in some areas of the country have just one GP for every 2,500 patients.

The motion for potential industrial action was submitted by the BMA's London Regional Council, who will present their argument on day two of the union meeting in Brighton.

The fresh calls for industrial action come after a shock poll published yesterday suggested nearly half of GPs plan to retire by the age of 60.

Unions said the figure was 'concerning but not altogether unsurprising' due to their 'intense' daily workload.

The survey of more than 800 UK GPs for doctors' magazine Pulse found 47 per cent intend to leave the profession by the age of 60.

One in 10 family doctors plan on retiring in their fifties and two per cent expect to quit before their 50th birthday.

Only 14 per cent of GPs said they planned to continue practicing into their late sixties, past the state pension age.

Official figures show just 63 per cent of consultations were carried out in-person in England in April. At the current rate, it would take until September 2023 to reach the more than 80 per cent of appointments being made in person seen before the pandemic

England's GP postcode lottery was laid bare today as official data showed some areas have half as many doctors per patient as others. Nuffield Trust analysis shows there are 39.5 GPs caring for every 100,000 people in Portsmouth. People in Thurrock have 40.3 family doctors for every 100,000 people in the area and in Hull there are 41.9 per 100,000

The GP Worklife survey found more than half of family doctors worked for six sessions a week or less every week in 2021, with each session being four hours and 10 minutes. Nearly a fifth of the workforce saw patients for four sessions or less, while 12.4 per cent worked for five sessions and 27.9 per cent worked for six

The most commonly cited reason for wanting to leave was burnout and workload, although issues about pensions also came up.

One GP said the sooner they leave general practice 'the better' and that they 'wouldn't recommend' the career path to anyone.

Commentating on yesterday's retirement poll Professor Martin Marshall, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, called for Government to honour a manifesto pledge it made in 2019 to provide an additional 6,000 GPs by 2024.

'The Government has promised 6,000 more GPs by 2024 but are not on track to deliver this, but they cannot give up on it,' he said.

NHS England has lost the equivalent of 2,000 full-time GPs since 2015 and there are now an average of 2,200 patients per family doctor.

The Government backed GP Worklife survey, released in April, found nearly six in 10 GPs work three-day weeks.

In other GP news, a study from Imperial College London found a 41 per cent drop in the contacts children and young people had with GPs during the first Covid lockdown from March to June 2020, compared with previous years.

The study published in the British Journal of General Practice, also found a was an 88 per cent drop in face-to-face consultations but more than a two-fold increase in phone and video contacts for those aged up to 24.
Sir Patrick Vallance was officially made an Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in a ceremony today by the Duke of Cambridge Prince William

Sir Patrick Vallance today slammed the lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street as 'very disappointing' as he stuck the knife in to Boris Johnson after picking up a top honour at Buckingham Palace.

Speaking outside the royal residence after picking up the Order of the Bath medal, Sir Patrick said it was 'really important at all stages that everyone stuck to the rules'.

But he said Partygate showed this 'was not the case'.

The Government's chief scientific adviser, who guided the country through the Covid pandemic, stood alongside Mr Johnson on countless occasions to explain why the public must follow social restrictions and lockdowns, alongside Professor Sir Chris Whitty.

Sir Patrick, 62, was today elevated to become a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath for his role in the Covid response.

He accepted the award from Prince William.

The Order of the Bath recognises the work of senior military officials and civil servants.

Sir Patrick was originally knighted back in 2019 but his new honour upgrades him to a higher rank.

Sir Patrick was named in the Government's New Year Honours List 2022 for helping lead the response to Covid. Here is pictured with his wife Sophie Dexter after receiving his award

He was propelled to household fame by the Covid pandemic and was a regular feature of the daily televised Covid briefings during the pandemic

From wanting to be a palaeontologist to steering the nation through Covid: The rise of Sir Patrick Vallance Born in Essex in the 1960s, Sir Patrick Vallance dreamed as a child of being a 'dinosaur hunter'. But ambitions of becoming a highly-renowned palaeontologist were soon abandoned in favour of a career in medicine. He was educated at Truro school in Cornwall, which costs nearly 30,000 to board now. Before becoming a household name for steering the nation through Covid, he spent time teaching at St George's, University of London, where the now 62-year-old graduated in the 1980s. He later became a specialist in the area of both diseases of blood vessels and endothelial biology. Sir Patrick, who describes his 'guiltiest pleasure' as driving fast cars, also spent a decade teaching at University College London. He joined British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline in 2006 and worked there until 2017. After six years at GSK his base salary as Executive Director was said to be 780,000 a year. When he left to become No10's chief scientific advisor in 2018, he cashed in 5million worth of shares he got from them from his time working there until March 2018. During the pandemic, it transpired that Sir Patrick Vallance still had 600,000 of shares. It sparked controversy because GSK was one of many firms racing to develop a Covid vaccine. Married to former GP Sophie Dexter, the couple live in a semi-detached Victorian house worth 1.8m, which they bought in 2018 with cash. The street they live on is lined with expensive cars, with an R-class Mercedes once spotted parked on their own drive. They had to complete extensive renovations after it had been left completely gutted by a fire before they were involved in the property. The pair have three children together  who all think their father, knighted originally in 2019, is 'geeky'. Advertisement

He was among the key scientists who spoke to the public about the virus during the now famous televised briefings from Government on the pandemic, often standing alongside the PM and ministers.

He received the upgrade as part of the Government's New Year Honours List 2022 for having 'led scientists tirelessly throughout the Covid response' and for setting 'clear expectations and parameters around the activities of SAGE'.

Fellow Covid scientists chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, 55, and his former deputy, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, 57, also received honours.

Like Sir Patrick, Professor Whitty was also made a knight commander of the Order of the Bath.

Meanwhile, JVT, as he is affectionately known, became a knight bachelor, the standard level of knighthood. He was forced to miss out on his investiture ceremony last month due to catching Covid.

Sir Patrick's response to the Covid pandemic has not been without controversy, however.

In March 2020 he was forced to defend the Government's 'herd immunity' approach to not shutting down schools in the initial wave of Covid restrictions.

At the time he said the aim was to try and broaden the peak of the virus and build-up immunity within the population.

He was also criticised for presenting a now infamous chart in one of the televised briefings in October that year suggesting there could be a shocking 4,000 deaths per day by December 20 if pandemic restrictions were not imposed.

But the figures came from an outdated model based on a projection that there would be 1,000 deaths per day by the start of November.

In reality, the daily average was lower than 200, meaning the prediction was five times too high.

Sir Patrick has also defended SAGE modelling which forecasted thousands of daily deaths during the Omicron wave.

Some anti-lockdown Tory MPs labelled these projections as 'scare mongering'.

But Sir Patrick, who still advises No10 on other pressing topics, like climate change, said it was his not his job to spread optimism but to give ministers the data that they needed to make decisions.

The scientist has also been praised for saying Covid management must become similar to flu, where vulnerable segments of the population receive an annual vaccine for the virus rather than jabbing the population every few months.

MailOnline revealed last month that Sir Johnathan was forced to miss his knighthood ceremony after testing positive for Covid and needing to self-isolate.

Sir Patrick is pictured next to Mr Johnson during a Covid media briefing in November 2021

It comes as a defiant Boris Johnson ordered the Cabinet to 'get on with the job' and prove they deserve the backing of voters after buying himself time by fending off Tory rebels.

The PM gathered his senior ministers urging them to push the government's 'massive agenda' of Levelling Up and reforming public services in the wake of the brutal confidence vote that saw more than 40 per cent of his MPs try to oust him.

Around the famous table in Downing Street, he thanked them for their 'hard work' in saving him from outright defeat yesterday.

But he demanded they come up with way of 'cutting costs' in government and getting better value for the taxpayer.

'We are able now to draw a line under the issues that our opponents want to talk about,' Mr Johnson said.

An extension of the Thatcherite right-to-buy, a joint cost-of-living speech with Rishi Sunak, the first migrant Rwanda flights, a series of high-profile foreign jaunts and a reshuffle of his team are all on the cards in the coming weeks as Mr Johnson tries to get back on track.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the session that the NHS is like 'Blockbuster in the age of Netflix', and must be reformed.

There were also fresh hints at tax cuts, although still not detail or firm commitments.

Mr Johnson is now theoretically immune from challenge for a year, but mutinous Tories have warned that they could mount another attack in a few months.

The party is on track for disaster in two by elections on June 23 with polls suggesting Labour could reclaim the Red Wall seat of Wakefield by a 20-point margin, while the Lib Dems are bullish about their prospects in the blue heartlands of Tiverton.
America may already have as many as 300 cases of monkeypox  more than nine times the official tally of 31  but has missed hundreds due to a lack of testing, an expert warned Monday.

Dr Boghuma Titanji, an infectious diseases expert at Emory University in Georgia, claimed the U.S. likely already has the same number of infections as the UK  which is currently the world's monkeypox hotspot.

But she said the arduous process of checking swabs  which must be sent to one of 74 local labs and then the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for confirmation  was leading to too few being done and many being missed.

Other experts say infections may not be detected because cases can be mild and clear up on their own, leading to patients not coming forward, or get misdiagnosed as a sexually transmitted disease like syphilis.

America's monkeypox cases are mostly among gay and bisexual men and linked to international travel  particularly to Europe, which has spotted about 900 of the 1,000 global cases in 21 countries.

But at least one patient in the U.S. had not recently traveled or being a contact of another known case, suggesting the virus is spreading undetected stateside. Officials at the CDC have not revealed where the patient is based, although it is likely to be either Florida or Pennsylvania.

This week a World Health Organization chief warned the virus  native to West Africa  may have been spreading around the world for years before it was detected after cases multiplied due to unsafe sex at two raves in Europe.

America has now confirmed 31 cases of monkeypox across 12 states and Washington D.C.

Warning there may be hundreds of cases of the tropical disease in the country, Titanji told STAT News: 'The U.S. probably has as many cases as Canada or the UK.

Dr Boghuma Titanji, from Emory University, said U.S. may have as many cases as the UK

'We're just not testing enough to be able to reliably say that there are only 25 cases. I think we need to be testing way more than we're doing.'

Titanji spoke to the publication before the tally was updated to 31 cases across 12 states and Washington D.C.

The UK has detected 302 cases  the most in the world  while Canada has 95  the fourth highest tally globally, also behind Spain (230) and Portugal (153).

Many monkeypox infections in the current outbreak are beginning with a rash in the genital area, the CDC revealed at a briefing last week.

Monkeypox was spreading globally undetected for 'years', WHO expert claims Monkeypox may have been spreading around the world undetected for 'a couple of years', a World Health Organization expert has claimed. Dr Rosamund Lewis, the agency's technical lead for the tropical disease, told a briefing work was ongoing to pinpoint how long it had been transmitting in people. But she suggested the tropical disease could have been in the population for several years after jumping from animals to humans. Monkeypox has likely been spreading silently in social and sexual networks for some time, experts say, before super-spreader events at two raves in Europe sparked the current outbreak. It is not clear how long the virus has been circulating undetected in America, but top advisers suggest it was 'possibly' in the country before the first case was detected in Massachusetts last month  although not to 'any great degree'. Advertisement

This differs from how the infection typically progressed in the past, with patients suffering a fever within the first 21 days of infection followed by a rash on the face that then spread to the rest of the body.

Dr Joseph Osmundson, a molecular microbiologist at New York University, has raised fears this could lead to cases being misdiagnosed as a common illness.

He also warned that as many infections tend to be mild and clear up on their own, it could lead to patients not coming forward for medical care  and hence being missed.

Last week the CDC revealed it was monitoring more than 400 'contacts' of patients who tested positive for monkeypox. Of these, about 55 are considered 'high risk'  meaning there is a reasonable likelihood they have caught the disease.

But despite the high numbers it has so far only carried out around 120 PCR swabs for orthopox virus  the family of viruses that include monkeypox and smallpox.

CDC bosses say they have the capacity to do more than 74,000 tests a day for the virus  and are calling on state health departments to send swabs.

But many experts say the testing process is too complicated, and are instead calling for monkeypox tests to be dispatched directly to states.

The current process sees a swab from a suspected patient sent to one of 74 labs to be checked for an orthopox virus.

If it the test comes back positive, it is then transferred to the CDC which can confirm whether the case is monkeypox.

There is an overwhelming likelihood that any orthopox virus case will test positive for monkeypox. The other major virus in this family, smallpox, has been eradicated for decades.

America currently has one of the smaller monkeypox outbreaks worldwide despite its large population  having detected 31 cases.

The UK is currently the global hotspot for this outbreak with 302 cases, followed by Spain, Portugal and Canada.

A total of 12 states have reported the virus so far. These are: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and Washington. A case has also been detected in Washington D.C.

WHO experts have suggested the virus may have been spreading in the UK for up to four years but remained unnoticed.
Elderly people caught up in a multi-million pound investment scandal are now being targeted by unscrupulous solicitors promising to recover their money.

Thousands of customers were convinced to sign over their homes and savings to the Philips Trust Corporation (PTC).

Many had been referred by their local building society to salesmen, who claimed that by taking out complicated and costly financial products called trusts they would shield their wealth from care home fees and inheritance tax. But the disgraced firm has now gone bust.

Duped: Thousands of customers were convinced to sign over their homes and savings to the Philips Trust Corporation (pictured posed by models)

And as Money Mail revealed last month, it has also admitted mistreating customers money and making inappropriate investment decisions without their knowledge.

The firm manages some 2,345 trusts and is the legal owner of 447 properties, worth 94 million. It also has control of 44.4 million of cash and investments.

Since the scandal began, close to 500 victims have joined a Facebook group for support.

Many are making inquiries on behalf of elderly relatives, some of whom have dementia.

But suspicious individuals recently infiltrated the group claiming they had used an overseas firm to get their money back.

In messages sent to members they said they had recovered 60 per cent of their money using no-win, no-fee solicitors Financial Intelligence and Fraud Investigation Bureau (FIFIB).

On its file case page it requests victims enter their name, address, telephone number, type of scam and a summary of what happened.

The website was set up in June last year and is almost identical to that of Californian law firm Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP (BKLW).

But BKLW laywer John L. Littrell told Money Mail he had never heard of FIFIB and confirmed it had stolen content from his firms website.

The company is also not listed on the New York States Corporation and Business Entity Database and no one answers the phone.

When Money Mail contacted the firm via its online form it responded swiftly, asking for further information including a mobile number so it could send a WhatsApp message.

It also claimed to have received a dozen reports from victims of Philips Trust who are citizens of the U.S. and was working with Interpol to trace funds moved to the Cayman Islands.

Interpol said it was not aware of the firm, and Kroll Advisory Ltd, the administrators of PTC, said there were unlikely to be affected customers in America.

A further email was sent to us, then a link to book a 90-minute consultation. Money Mail also messaged Roger Stivers, who had contacted members of the PTC action group.

Philips Trust Corporation manages some 2,345 trusts and is the legal owner of 447 properties, worth 94 m. It also has control of 44.4m of cash and investments

Stivers, who appears to be based in America and has a gargoyle as his profile picture, said he received 60 per cent of his money back through a soliciting firm that helped his colleague.

A few days later, he sent a message to say he had just returned from a family weekend trip to his country home in Glencoe, Scotland, where he had taken his son Jay hunting. He sent a photograph of a dead deer he claimed to have killed and asked how the consultation went.

When Money Mail pointed out the hunting season at Glencoe didnt start until August, he said you could hunt privately if you know the area.

And when we said we had found the deer photo in news articles from 2019, he responded: I was just trying to impress you youre pretty so I thought, why not try my luck?

One Facebook group member, Karen Cawood, said she was contacted two weeks ago by two people claiming they had managed to get 60 per cent of their investments back. In identical messages they said they had filed reports with the solicitors and expected to receive all their money back over time.

Karen, 51, a solicitor who lives in Rotherham, joined the Facebook action group after discovering her parents, both in their 80s, had transferred their life savings and home into a trust managed by the PTC.

They had been referred to a company called Family Trust Corporation by Leeds Building Society. The couple then paid a further 4,000 to transfer the trust to PTC in 2018 when it took over the business.

Karen says: Its terrible there are people online trying to scam the elderly who are already worried about losing their money.

Jade Gani, from Solicitors For The Elderly, says: It is appalling to think that someone could take further advantage of decent, grieving families when they are already experiencing so much pain and uncertainty.

Money Mail reported the website to U.S. authorities the Federal Trade Commission and the Internet Crime Complaint Centre. And after alerting the City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, it issued a warning to customers.

The administrators, Kroll, now need to try and piece together what investments belong to each Trust and where they are held.

It is unclear at this stage whether all the assets can be recovered.

Those affected should call PTCs administrators, Kroll, on 0808 273 9201 or email PTC@kroll.com.

moneymail@dailymail.co.uk
In December last year, my son hit a nasty pothole when driving home down a rural, unlit country lane near our home in Wales. This damaged one of his cars wheels.

As he needed the car the next morning to get to work at the refuse centre, he arranged for a repair firm to come to our home and fix it that evening. It cost about 300.

Since my son has learning difficulties, I filled in an online form on his behalf to make a claim against Wrexham Borough Council for the repair bill.

Unacceptable: Wrexham Borough Council has left a young man waiting over five months for his pothole claim payout

We submitted various supporting evidence but heard nothing. We contacted the council, which said the claim had been transferred to Zurich Insurance.

We have tried on several occasions by phone and email to get someone from either of these bodies to help with reimbursement, but each passes the buck.

This is frustrating for a young man on minimum wage who works extremely hard. I feel the service he has received has been sadly lacking.

Our council tax paid to Wrexham is an eye-watering amount and yet the pothole situation around here is dreadful.

Why cant the council repair them so it doesnt have claims made against it or pay up promptly to people like my son who has faced months of stress.

T. P., Wrexham.

Sally Hamilton replies: The nation is plagued by potholes and there are fears they will only get worse as councils rein in spending on roads.

But drivers such as your son have the right to claim for damage, if neglected road repairs cause damage to their vehicles, although there is no guarantee a claim will be successful. Recent research by website What Car? found that, over the past four years, three out of four claims failed.

However, you did your research and knew that because the incident occurred on a minor road near where you live in Wales, Wrexham Borough Council was the right place to direct the claim. Had the incident happened on a motorway or A-road, you would have had to apply to Highways Wales.

Scam Watch Beware fraudsters targeting borrowers who are struggling to make ends meet. Reports of so-called advance fee scams have risen by 90 pc this year, according to Lloyds Bank. This is where crooks charge victims a fee to access credit. They often pose as legitimate firms with seemingly professional websites. But after you hand over the money, they disappear without a trace. And the average victim loses 231. Remember that no genuine lender will ask a borrower for cash upfront before releasing funds.

You also provided all the right materials to support your claim, including several photos and measurements of the offending pothole, a mechanics report and the repair bill.

Despite this, your repeated requests for an update fell on ground as stony as the road that caused the damage to the car.

Incidentally, drivers can claim on their own motor insurance policy for such damage but this has its drawbacks as there will be an excess to pay and the risk of losing any no-claims bonus.

I stepped in to contact Wrexham Borough Council on your behalf. I had to do this by email (there is no press office phone number) requesting it accelerate your claim. I got no response until I chased twice more, when finally an anonymous spokesman stated your claim is being dealt with by its insurers and that the council has requested this is prioritised.

A few more days passed and still neither you, nor I, heard anything about the payment, so I went direct to Zurich Insurance.

Im delighted to say this revved the claims team into action and, within days, the 300 was paid. Zurich also sent your son a car cleaning kit worth 50 as an apology for the five-month delay.

A spokesman says: We are sorry for the time it has taken to settle this claim. This was caused by an administrative error which led to a delay in documentation reaching us. We strive to deliver the very best service for our customers.

When this falls short, we review our internal processes to try to ensure this doesnt happen again.

Straight to the point After checking my statements, I noticed Amazon has been taking 3.99 out of my account each month. But I dont remember signing up to any subscriptions. L.M., Clacton, Essex. You loaned your credit card to your granddaughter and she signed up to Amazons music streaming service without your knowledge. She has now promised to contact Amazon direct to cancel the subscription. *** When I returned home from hospital following a stroke, I saw my energy company E.ON had slapped a 10 late payment fine on my latest bill. I contacted the firm to explain the situation but it still has not removed it. T.O., Waltham Cross, Herts. An E.ON spokesman apologises for the confusion and says the late payment fee was wrongly added to your account. This charge has now been removed. *** I invested 20,000 in a Vanguard account and cashed in after making a 1,300 loss. But the investment firm is making it very difficult to reclaim the remaining 18,700. B. V., Cheshire. A Vanguard spokesman says you had not uploaded the relevant bank statements needed for its verification process. Until this is completed, it is not possible to make withdrawals. You have since uploaded the correct statements and are free to withdraw the funds. *** My husband died in December 2021 and while sorting out his estate I came across an unopened envelope from HMRC containing a tax rebate worth 295.08. It was dated 2002. Ive been trying to contact HMRC but have had no response. A.L., Sutton Coldfield, Warks. Following our intervention, HMRC has agreed to refund you the 295.08. We are working with HMRC to facilitate this.

I lost my 5,676 pension payout with a slip of a finger

I had a notification from NOW: Pensions in early March that I would receive, as expected, a 5,676 lump sum from my pension and that it would be paid into my account shortly.

Unfortunately, I realised a few days later Id typed an incorrect digit for my Nationwide account, where the sum was being sent.

I phoned the company to explain and apologise on March 18. I eventually raised a complaint with NOW: Pensions, having had conversations on March 23, 28 and 30 about tracing my money, but to no avail.

I received a message on April 13 stating it hadnt received the funds from Nationwide, so could not resend the money but would keep me informed. It is weeks later and Ive heard nothing.

I need the money to pay for a medical procedure, which I have had to postpone. Please help.

A. T., by email.

Sally Hamilton replies: Fat-finger slips are all too common. I make them daily when sending rushed messages from my phones tiny keyboard.

Fortunately, my errors have not caused me financial loss (so far), just certain confusion for friends receiving my texts.

However, I have encountered cases where readers have mistyped details, which at the very least had caused delays and anxiety  but in extreme circumstances mean the money has been lost for ever.

You did the right thing to act as soon as you realised your mistake. Many banks and building societies have signed up to a code on misdirected payments and promise to act quickly  normally within two days  to attempt recovery of money sent to the wrong place.

Transfers to accounts that dont exist should automatically bounce back. But sometimes the accounts do exist and this adds a layer of complexity when trying to retrieve the cash. The procedure in more complicated cases can take 20 working days to resolve.

In your case, the attempts to retrieve the money took longer, to your frustration, which is why you complained to NOW: Pensions.

I asked the company if it could step up its efforts on your behalf, as you had been worrying about the whereabouts of your money for nearly two months. It agreed to investigate and soon got back to say its payroll department was still trying to trace the money.

About ten days later, it finally gave us the news you had been anxiously waiting for  that your 5,676 was safe and would be in your account imminently.

When I caught up with you this week, you told me the money had arrived and you could now go ahead with your procedure.

I know I sound like a nagging aunt but when giving bank details, please check, and then check again, that the sort code and account number are correct. This can avoid weeks of pain.
Accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers and one of its London partners have been slapped with fines totalling 5million for their audits of two construction firms.

The fines relate to the audit of Kier Groups financial results for the year ending June 2017 and Galliford Trys results ending June 2019.

The Financial Reporting Council on Tuedat ordered PwC to pay 3million over its failures relating to Galliford's relevant accounts, and 2million for its audit of Kier's accounts.

Fines: PwC and one of its London partners have been slapped with fines totalling 5m

Jonathan Hook, the PwC partner who led the audits in question for both companies, has also been handed two fines totalling over 135,000. Hook retired from PwC a year ago.

Initially, the FRC imposed fines of 5.5million over its audit of Galliford, and 3.35million over its failings relating to the auditing of Kier's accounts. But, the fines were reduced in recognition of PwC's co-operation.

The FRC has also ordered PwC to report on its most modern audits that considered long-term contracts.

The breaches 'concern failures to properly audit revenue recognised under specific complex long-term contracts,' Claudia Mortimore, the FRCs deputy executive counsel, said.

PwC said: 'We are sorry that aspects of our work were not of the required standard.'

The accounting giant added it had 'invested heavily' in a scheme aimed at strengthening the quality of its audits, including for clients on long-term contracts. It said it had 'seen the positive impact of the actions we've taken'.

In the FRC's statement regarding PwC's work for Kier over the relevant period, Mortimore said: 'Rigorous auditing of long-term contract accounting is particularly important in the audit of construction companies, where many contracts are spread over a number of years.

'Auditors must not only ensure that they obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to support the accounting of the contracts, but also apply sufficient professional scepticism. This is vital so that investors can have confidence in the financial statements.

'The Respondents have accepted that there were deficiencies in the work performed on long-term contracts in this Audit.

'In the intervening years, PwC has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at improving the quality of audit work in this area. In addition to the financial sanctions, the non-financial sanctions require PwC to review long-term contract audit work in subsequent audit engagements and to report to the FRC as to the efficacy of the initiatives it has introduced.'

The FRC said it did not believe that the breaches were intentional, dishonest or reckless.

But the fines are the latest of several in recent years.

In May 2018 PwC received a sanction of 10million, reduced to 6.5million on settlement, for misconduct in relation to its audit of Taveta, BHS, for the 2014 financial year.

In May 2019 PwC was slapped with a sanction of 6.5million, reduced to 4.55million on settlement.

A severe reprimand was agreed for breaches of relevant requirements in relation to its audit of Redcentric for the financial years of 2015 and 2016.
A retired pub worker who was wrongly refused a state pension when she turned 66 has urged other women to challenge similar Government blunders.

Estelle Henley, pictured below with her husband Rob, was shocked to be told she would receive nothing whatsoever when she claimed in April.

After Mrs Henley, who lives in Hythe near Southampton, fought the decision by the Department for Work and Pensions it backed down and admitted she was owed around 4,400 a year.

Rob and Estelle Henley: She was shocked to receive no state pension, but was sure this was wrong and battled the DWP until it backed down

Other women who have reached state pension age since 2016 and are divorced or widowed could have lost out on much bigger sums.

Mrs Henley enlisted support from former Pensions Minister Steve Webb, and he is now sounding the alarm after helping her and three other women also wrongly informed they had zero or a very low entitlement to a state pension when they turned 66.

Webb and This is Money previously discovered tens of thousands of elderly women were underpaid 1billion in a scandal affecting those who reached state pension before 2016.

However, Webb is now flagging a separate error involving women who have qualified for their pension since 2016.

Those who paid 'married women's stamp' for at least one year during the 35 years before they reached state pension age should receive around 4,400 a year if they are married, or around 7,400 a year if they are divorced or widowed.

An estimated 10,000 women are eligible, but it is not known how many have missed out, as Mrs Henley might have done had she not battled to receive the correct amount.

A DWP spokesperson said: 'This year we will spend over 110billion on the state pension and our priority is ensuring every pensioner receives all the financial support to which they are entitled.

'Where errors do occur, we are committed to identifying and rectifying them.'

Webb has written to current Pensions Minister Guy Opperman to raise concerns about recent state pension mistakes, and the spokesperson added: 'We will respond to the letter in due course.'

Refused a state pension at 66: 'I knew that something was wrong'

Estelle Henley worked full-time in her daughter's pub for 15 years before she retired.

And her husband Rob, 72, has kept on working part-time jobs, including as security officer for the cruise ships at Southampton Docks, in order to support them.

She says: 'I knew that something was wrong when I was told I wasnt entitled to a pension, but there may be other women who might not realise they have been given the wrong information.

'I would encourage anyone who has been turned down for a pension to make sure that an error has not been made.'

Steve Webb, who is now a partner at LCP and This is Money's pensions columnist, says: 'I have no doubt there are still women out there who have been wrongly told they have no entitlement and did not challenge what they were told.'

Were you refused a state pension? A little-known rule means women who paid the 'married women's stamp' towards the state pension can still benefit from it now. Women retiring from April 2016 onwards get state pension payments based on their own National Insurance record not their husband's. But there is a special concession for those who paid the stamp for at least one year during the 35 years before they reached state pension age. You can claim 85.00 a week if still married or 141.85 if you are widowed or divorced, based on this year's rates. If this applies to you, and you were refused a state pension or are receiving less than that, email us at pensionquestions@thisismoney.co.uk and put DWP CLAIMS in the subject line. Women who reached state pension age before April 2016 who are on a zero pension or think they are underpaid can find out what to do here.

He discovered the Department for Work and Pensions were making mistakes in such cases in a response to a Freedom of Information request in 2019.

'When DWP admitted to me that they had been making errors for this group of women I assumed that they would have put in place procedures to sort out the problem,' he explains.

'Yet I continue to hear from women who have been wrongly told that they are not entitled to a pension.

'What concerns me most is how many other women there may be who simply trusted what DWP have told them and are now struggling to get by without the pension which is rightfully theirs.

'DWP should be checking all their records for such cases and putting things right, as well as making sure that these mistakes cannot happen again.'

In an open letter to current Pensions Minister Guy Opperman, Webb says: 'I remain concerned that even the chastening experience of discovering a 1billion underpayment in state pensions does not seem to have prompted a fundamental change in the Departments approach to checking state pension awards.'

Webb has highlighted Mrs Henley's case and three others to the DWP, describing the sums involved as 'potentially life-changing for the women concerned'.

- A divorced woman reached state pension age this year and was wrongly notified that her state pension would be 68.93 instead of 141.85 a week.

She knew from previous correspondence with the DWP about the higher rate for women who had paid the married women's stamp, and Webb says that after several letters and eventually his own involvement, the Government accepted its error.

- A married woman who was 66 last summer was surprised not to be notified about her state pension.

Webb says: 'She contacted the Department and eventually had a letter to say she had zero entitlement as she only had nine qualifying years.

'In the end she got her local MP involved and DWP accepted that she was due a pension of just over 86 per week.'

- Another married woman who reached pension age in autumn 2020 was also told she had no entitlement to a state pension.

Webb says: 'She did battle with the Department over the course of a year, eventually contacting me and threatening to contact her local MP, and DWP eventually accepted she should have been awarded the concessionary rate (now 85 per week) and backdated it for a year.'

Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb, pictured left, and current incumbent Guy Opperman, pictured right.

Webb has called on Opperman to reveal how many women were affected and how much was paid out to them in lump sums when similar errors were detected in 2019, and also to review all zero and other low state pension awards to check for further mistakes.

He raised concerns that the new state pension was introduced in 2016 but it took until 2019 for someone to spot that errors were being made for this group of women, and that such blunders continue to be made as recently as April this year.

He also asked why DWP quality control on state pension assessments has not picked this up, saying this raises much wider concerns about whether the major ongoing correction exercise on women's pensions is 'purely a historic "tidying up" of past errors'.

Webb says that if the Department has still not sufficiently improved its quality control, systematic errors could still arise.

In a damning report last year on the previous state pension scandal, the National Audit Office said the DWP staff made mistakes and managers missed opportunities to pick them up.

The DWP said at the time that it had introduced new quality control processes and improved training to help ensure the historical errors do not happen again.

Meanwhile, since last autumn This is Money has covered many cases of readers struggling to get by or even forced into hardship due to state pension delays, although the DWP promised to get on top of problems by last November.

These initially involved people turning 66, but lately complaints from readers have focused on errors over top-up payments, and delays to claims from people living overseas or trying to end deferrals.
A teenager who was fatally stabbed at a party knew the boy accused of attacking him before falling out over a girl.

The 16-year-old died from a single stab wound to the chest in the early hours of Saturday morning after telling his alleged attacker 'your girlfriend is trying to hit on me'.

The girl at the centre of the altercation reportedly invited her boyfriend and some mates to the home in Ropes Crossing in Sydney's west for an intimate party.

Detectives believe a combination of alcohol, hormones and bravado saw the situation rapidly deteriorate when the accused felt he needed to 'defend his girlfriend'.

Less than a dozen teenagers were present when the alleged altercation took place.

Emergency services rushed to the home in Ropes Crossing near Blacktown on Saturday, but he was unable to be revived

It's understood the victim - a 'good kid' who was just days away from starting an air conditioning apprenticeship - told the acquaintance during the party that his girlfriend was making a pass at him.

As tensions rose, the alleged assailant suggested they 'sort it outside' and led the way from the backyard where the party was taking place to the front of the house.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Tickner said: 'Somebody thought they had to defend the rights of their girlfriend... Young boys probably with some hormones running through their system'.

The alleged attacker was reportedly joined by two other males out the front of the house.

'It got messy,' a source told Daily Mail Australia. 'Family rushed out of the house because they thought they heard a fight and there's a teenager dying on the floor.'

Police allege the offender was angry about comments the victim made about his girlfriend

The victim and the girl's boyfriend walked onto the road, where the alleged offender was joined by two other male friends

Three teenage boys fled the scene. Investigations are ongoing and charges have not been laid.

Western Sydney has seen a spike in knife-related violence and friends of the victim are calling on youths to 'put down their weapons'.

'He [the victim] didn't have a knife on him... He would've thought he was going out for a tussle and then next thing someone's got a knife. It's weak,' one friend said.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics and police who arrived on the scene, the 16-year-old victim could not be revived.

The boy's father said his son was 'a good kid with a lot of potential'.

'He was going to start an apprenticeship, air conditioning, in a few days. He is going to be missed.'

Mt Druitt Police are speaking with party guests who witnessed the fatal stabbing. At this stage, authorities don't believe the stabbing was gang-related.
The public defenders representing Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz tried to withdraw from his death penalty trial Monday arguing that the Uvalde massacre reawakened emotions and has made it impossible for him to get a fair trial.

The request also came after the judge ordered them to move forward with jury selection even though one member of their five-member team is sick with COVID-19.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer rejected the withdrawal motion by Cruz's lead attorney, Melisa McNeill. The defense then filed a motion asking Scherer to remove herself from the case, accusing her of being biased against Cruz. Scherer dismissed the request.

The defense filed a motion to delay Cruz's trial indefinitely, saying the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 dead has reawakened emotions in Broward County over Cruz's murder of 17 at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High on Feb. 14, 2018.

They said that shooting makes it impossible for him to get a fair trial currently. Scherer did not rule on that motion.

Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder.

The court for two months has been trying to pick 12 jurors and eight alternates for a four-month trial that will decide whether he is sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.

Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill argues for a continuance due to an ill member of the legal team during jury selection in the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer rejected the withdrawal motion by Cruz's team. The team then filed a motion asking Scherer to remove herself from the case, accusing her of being biased against Cruz. Scherer dismissed the request

Judge Scherer and McNeill heatedly argued Monday over the judge's insistence that jury selection move forward without the presence of Casey Secor, a South Carolina death penalty defense specialist who is assisting McNeill.

Scherer said Secor could watch the proceedings on a video link and communicate with McNeill by phone or text message.

Scherer accused McNeill of trying to intentionally provide ineffectual counsel to Cruz by saying her team would not participate without Secor.

At one point, Scherer recessed the hearing, telling McNeill to consult the Florida Bar over what sanctions she might face if she and her team refused to participate. She said four attorneys present for Cruz in the courtroom was enough.

'We are moving forward,' Scherer said.

But McNeill told the judge she was the one creating grounds for a successful appeal of ineffectual defense counsel by insisting that jury selection move forward without Secor, who McNeill said has special expertise in that area.

McNeill said that more than half of successful death penalty appeals are over issues that arise during jury selection. If Cruz is sentenced to death, a successful appeal would result in a retrial several years from now.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz glances at Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill during jury selection on Monday

Cruz and Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill on Monday. The court has been trying to pick 12 jurors and eight alternates for a trial that will decide his fate

Cruz speaks with Assistant Public Defender Tamara Curtis as the court takes a recess during jury selection at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Monday

'These (victims') families do not need to be coming back to this courtroom,' McNeill said. She also said Scherer's threat to sanction her created a conflict between her obligation to provide Cruz with the best defense possible and her obligation to her career and family not to endanger her law license.

Prosecutors found themselves in the middle. They originally agreed with the defense to delay the jury selection until Secor returned, but then told the judge she would be on solid legal ground if she decided to move forward without Secor. Scherer then adjourned court until later Monday afternoon.

With the legal wrangling taking up most of the day, the defense got what it and the prosecution agreed to at the beginning of the day - two groups totaling 36 potential jurors were only asked if any new hardships such as job or family commitments had arisen since they were last in court two months ago.

The 20 who said they could still serve will be brought back Tuesday and Wednesday for further questioning.

Cruz (L) stands with assistant public defender Melisa McNeill (R) as he makes a video appearance in court on February 15, 2018 a day after the Parkland school shooting

Cruz pled guilty to 17 counts of murder in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting

A normal school day turned to horror as Cruz massacred 14 students and three staff members on February 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida

Jury selection, which originally had been scheduled to be concluded by mid-May, has slogged along, including a two-week delay when McNeill was sick with COVID-19.

An original pool of about 1,800 potential jurors has been whittled down to about 300 with the process in Phase 2 of 3. After being simply asked during Phase 1 whether their jobs and lives would allow them to serve for four months, the potential jurors are now being asked in Phase 2 their opinions on the death penalty and whether they can be fair to Cruz.

Phase 3, whenever that begins, would involve individualized questioning. Scherer is hoping to have 150 potential jurors for that phase, but right now only 35 have advanced out of Phase 2 while about 95 have been rejected.
A Northern California based food and drinks company named Urban Remedy is recalling its Revitalizing Tea Tonic Strawberry Hibiscus Rose drink due to potential contamination with Hepatitis A.

This comes amid a multi-state outbreak of Hepatitis A linked to organic strawberries that is being investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

No illnesses have been reported from the Urban Remedy drink, the FDA said.

The California-based company announced the voluntary recall of its 'Organic Revitalizing Tea Tonic Strawberry Hibiscus Rose' on Friday and the FDA published it on Sunday.

No illnesses have been reported from the Urban Remedy drink, the FDA said

The FDA is investigating whether or not contaminated FreshKampo strawberries were used in the making of the drink

'The product may contain fresh organic strawberries linked to the FDA outbreak investigation of FreshKampo organic strawberries,' the FDA said in its statement. FreshKampo is also based in California.

The tea is co-produced by another company named Youngstown Grape Distributors Inc.

According to the FDA's statement on the recall, Urban Remedy contracts Youngstown Grape Distributors to help in the manufacture of the drink.

The product was sold in a 12-ounce plastic bottles in California, New Mexico, Virginia, Colorado, Oregon, New York, Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, Maryland, Wisconsin, Texas, Wyoming, Missouri, Maine, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Nebraska and Utah between May 17 and May 29, 2022.

The bottles in question have an expiry date of July 17. The advice from the FDA if you bought the drinks that expire on that date, do not consume them.

If you have consumed the tea in question, the FDA advises seeking the help of a medical professional.

Consumers can also return the product to wherever they purchased them in exchange for a full refund.

Urban Remedy's CEO Paul Coletta said in a statement: 'At Urban Remedy, food safety is our companys top priority.'

He went on to say that the company is 'committed to keeping their consumers informed and is asking those who purchased product with the affected lot number to dispose of the item or return it to place of purchase for full credit.'

Food safety regulators in the United States and Canada are investigating a Hepatitis A outbreak linked to tainted organic strawberries that has sickened nearly 30 people

As recently as May 28, Urban Remedy was advertising the drink on their official Instagram page

On their website, Urban Remedy advertises itself as 'Food that's healing to people and the planet.' The company was founded in 2009.

As recently as May 28, the company was pushing the Revitalizing Tea Tonic Strawberry Hibiscus Rose on their official Instagram page.

The caption described the drink as: 'With only 2 GRAMS SUGAR per bottle this refreshing and delicious tea tonic combine the power of herbal tea with cold pressed strawberry juice to revitalize you from the inside out.'

The blurb continued: 'Calm your spirit with the beautiful benefits of rose tea, used in Traditional Chinese medicine to move blocked energy and qi through the body. And hibiscus used for hangovers and detoxifying benefits. '

It concluded: 'Perfect for the weekend!'

According to the company's website, the drink is not available for sale at the time of writing.

The strawberries, which were distributed across the United States, was sold under the brand name FreshKampo or HEB between March 5 and April 25, the FDA said in a May 29 statement

Food safety regulators in the United States and Canada are investigating a Hepatitis A outbreak linked to tainted organic strawberries that has sickened 17 people in the United States and 10 in Canada.

Fifteen illnesses were reported in California, and one each in Minnesota and North Dakota, with 12 requiring hospitalization, the FDA said.

Symptoms of the disease include loss of appetite, vomiting, yellow skin, diarrhea, dark urine or light stool and stomach pain, according to the CDC.

Hepatitis A can in rare cases cause liver disease and liver failure which can be fatal, although most who contract it recover in a few weeks.

The federal agency also said that the possibly infected strawberries were sold at popular grocery store chains Aldi, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Weis Markets and WinCo Foods

The strawberries, which were distributed across the United States, were sold under the brand name FreshKampo or HEB between March 5 and April 25, the FDA said in a May 29 statement.

The impacted strawberries were imported from Baja California in Mexico.

The FDA warned in May that consumers of strawberries that were sold at major US grocery stores, including Trader Joe's and Walmart, may be linked to the outbreak.

The federal agency released a statement saying that along with the CDC, it will investigate a 'multistate outbreak' of infections in the US. It will also partner with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for cases reported there.

Consumers who bought the berries with labels from the two brands were urged to get rid of their batches immediately, especially if they were frozen to be consumed later, the FDA said.

The strawberries were also shipped and placed for sale at other popular grocery stores across the country, including Aldi, Kroger, Safeway, Wei Markets, Sprouts Farmers Market, Weis Markets and WinCo Foods, the FDA added.

The outbreak is considered not to be linked to the ongoing spread of hepatitis that has infected 216 people across 37 states, according to the WHO. The mysterious outbreak's cause remains unknown.
Australia's lettuce crisis has taken a worrying turn as skyrocketing costs for the popular salad item forces KFC to change its menu.

The fast food chain posted a notice to its website that warned customers a cabbage 'blend' would be used in any items that contained lettuce.

'Due to the recent floods in NSW and Queensland we're currently experiencing a lettuce shortage,' the notice said.

'So, we're using a lettuce and cabbage blend on all products containing lettuce until further notice.'

Australia's lettuce crisis has hit fast food giant KFC as skyrocketing costs for the popular salad item forced the restaurant to change its menu (pictured, a KFC restaurant in Fairfield, NSW)

The fast food chain posted a notice to its website that warned customers a cabbage 'blend' would be used in any items that contained lettuce

The restaurant urged customers who didn't want the cabbage in their food to remove lettuce completely from their order.

A few weeks ago, a head of lettuce was costing shoppers just $2.80, however due to an ongoing supply crisis the price has skyrocketed to as much as $12.

A supermarket in suburban Brisbane was pictured selling a single head of iceberg lettuce for as much as $12.99 last month.

The price increase follows a wet start to the year with unprecedented rain and flooding spoiling crops in NSW and Queensland.

Some lettuce farmers in Queensland have lost their third crop in a row and risk the collapse of their businesses following the unseasonable rain.

The peak horticulture group warned growers in the state's southeast will need millions to recover from the string of natural disasters.

A supermarket in suburban Brisbane was pictured selling a single head of iceberg lettuce for as much as $12.99 (pictured)

The restaurant urged customers who didn't want the cabbage in their food to remove lettuce completely from their order (stock image of a KFC meal)

Growcom acting chief executive Richard Shannon called on the state and federal governments to provide such a lifeline for struggling farmers.

'[Lettuce growers] haven't been able to get in to harvest and, where they have, they've only found a small portion of the crop being market-ready, not affected by diseases,' Mr Shannon told ABC Radio Brisbane.

'It's been a devastating time out in the Lockyer Valley for lettuce growers and other growers around the state [and] northern NSW.'

The chief executive said the size of the relief package would need to be on par with the one extended to beef producers in Queensland's northwest back in 2019.

Those floods racked up a $2billion damage bill and wiped out thousands of cows.

His warning came after a TikTok video of two women appearing to fill their trolley with 'free' lettuce leaves caused outrage on social media.

While one woman pulled the outside leaves off the heads of iceberg lettuce and put them in the trolley, the other then put the leaves into plastic bags (pictured)

TikTok user James Longstaff posted the video, captioning the now-viral footage 'literally pulling off the green pieces of every iceberg lettuce...'

The video showed the women at a lettuce stand in what appeared to be a Coles branch in Western Australia.

While one woman pulled the outside leaves off the heads of iceberg lettuce and put them in the trolley, the other then put the leaves into plastic bags.

She was then seen pulling another bag off to use while a passerby stared at her, wondering what was going on.

The price increase follows a wet start to the year with unprecedented rain and flooding spoiling crops in NSW and Queensland (pictured, a shopper in Coles)

The exorbitant price of lettuce lately struck a chord with some commenters, who blasted the women for having 'no regard for anyone'.

A second pointed out that it's not the shop that's losing out, but everyone who wanted an iceberg lettuce.

'Lettuce is sold by "each" not weight, so they're actually stealing from everyone who buys a lettuce after them.'

But some commenters jumped to their defence, saying the outer, often wilted leaves on lettuce are free to take.

People that own rabbit and guinea pigs often take the outside leaves to feed their animals, with grocery stores allowing shoppers to take the unusable pieces for free.

The National Farmers Federation said the price of lettuce was an outlier but there were wider pressures forcing up the cost of produce (pictured, a Woolworths in Newcastle)

The National Farmers Federation said the price of lettuce was an outlier but there were wider pressures forcing up the cost of produce.

'We need to remember the price of one single item is not indicative of a general trend,' NFF CEO Tony Mahar told Daily Mail Australia.

'While an iceberg lettuce might be $12 at a particular store, I can buy a kilo of avocados for $6 from Coles.

'In April CPI data showed vegetable prices went up 6.6 per cent and fruit 4.9 per cent with further increases expected, and we are seeing this with some items.

'Farmers too are facing huge increases in input costs like fuel and fertiliser but the farmgate price is only a small percentage of the final price people pay at checkout.'
NSW Police has been forced to apologise after being slammed for a 'tone deaf' TikTok video that shows them stomping on a camera.

The police force were attempting to participate in a Vivid Sydney campaign, putting on their hats while standing in the station before dropping a phone to the ground and stomping on it to create a transition.

The officers then reappear in front of the Sydney Opera House, but the light-hearted video missed the mark and instead drew hundreds of critical comments before it was eventually deleted.

'Art imitates life. NSW Police think it is funny to copy a TikTok transition  someone getting stomped on by a cop in boots. What the hell is next,' Queensland Greens Senate candidate Ben Pennings said.

NSW Police has been forced to apologise after being slammed for a TikTok video that showed them stomping on a camera

The video started with a male officer looking into the camera and putting on his cap, before dropping the phone to the floor and forcing his boot on the lens.

The point-of-view angle of the video gave the impression of the officer stomping on someone - which sparked the backlash.

Officers then reappear after the stomp transition in front of the Vivid display on Sydney Harbour - with the clip titled: 'Night shift hits different when Vivid is on.'

'Love It!' Vivid Sydney replied to the video on TikTok.

But large sections of NSW Police's 63,000 followers weren't happy with the post.

Some people commented the clip was 'tone deaf' while others said it was 'sick'.

The point-of-view angle of the video gives the impression of the officer stomping on someone - which sparked the backlash

The video was shared by other TikTok personalities prior to police deleting it, including Crikey journalist Cam Wilson who compared the footage to a controversial video of a violent arrest in Surry Hills in 2020.

The video, which made national headlines, appeared to show a police officer kick a 16-year-old Indigenous boy to the ground before he was pinned down by two female officers.

'Not the best look NSW Police,' Wilson said, attaching an ABC article about the incident which was investigated by the force.

'Wow, talking about missing the mark!' another replied.

Officers then reappear through the stomp transition in front of Vivid at Sydney Harbour - with the clip titled: 'Night shift hits different when Vivid is on'



NSW Police initially posted an apology under the video, before eventually deleting it after it racked up more than 560,000 views.

'We'd like to acknowledge concerns raised by members of the community and apologise to anyone who may have been offended by the transition we used,' NSW Police said.
An illegal Mexican immigrant who was acquitted of murdering a woman on a California pier was sentenced to time served in his federal gun case and warned never to return to the U.S.

Jose Inez Garcia Zarate, 51, was sentenced to the seven years he's already spent in jail on Monday after having previously plead guilty to weapons charges in the death of Kathryn 'Kate' Steinle.

Steinle, 32, was walking along a crowded San Francisco pier with her father and a family friend in July 2015 when she was shot in the back and killed.

Garcia Zarate admitted to holding the gun that killed Steinle but claimed it accidentally fired when he picked it up from under a bench. Officials said the bullet ricocheted off the ground and hit Steinle.

The shooting shocked a country already divided over immigration and fueled Donald Trump's successful campaign for president. Trump called for a crackdown on unlawful immigration and the sanctuary cities and states - including San Francisco and California - that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Garcia Zarate will now be transported to Texas where he faces federal charges for failing to report his location to immigration officials after he was released from a San Francisco jail shortly before the shooting. He had been deported five time and was on track to be removed from the country again when Steinle was shot.

He was acquitted in 2017 of various charges including murder, but federal prosecutors charged him with illegally possessing a firearm.

Jose Inez Garcia Zarate (pictured) was in the U.S. illegally when Kate Steinle, 32, was fatally shot along a crowded Pier 14 where she was walking with her father and a family friend

Garcia Zarate admitted firing the gun on July 4, 2015, but said he found it under a bench and didn't know what it was when he picked it up because it was wrapped in a T-shirt. The gun fired accidentally after he picked it up, he said. Officials said the bullet ricocheted off the ground and hit Steinle (pictured)

The shooting (scene pictured) shocked a country already divided over immigration and fueled Donald Trump's successful campaign for president

The federal weapons charges against Garcia Zarate had been pending for five years amid concerns about his ability to stand trial after two doctors had diagnosed him with schizophrenia.

However, Chhabria claimed the Bureau of Prisons 'restored the defendant to competency' last June.

During his sentencing Monday, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria told Garcia Zarate never to return to the U.S.

'If you return to this country again and you are back in front of me, I will not spare you. Let this be your last warning: do not return to this country,' Chhabria said before sentencing him to the time he has already served.

Garcia Zarate's attorney told the courtroom that his client 'feels horrible about what happened, and that he's very sorry and apologizes.'

The judge said he does not believe that prosecutors proved that Garcia Zarate had acted with criminal recklessness in the shooting and that he likely did not understand what was happening that day when he killed Steinle, because of his mental health illness.

Chhabria also delivered a harsh rebuke of the mental health treatment received by Garcia Zarate for his schizophrenia while in custody, which the judge said was virtually nonexistent alleging he spent most of his seven years in county jail without medication or meaningful treatment.

'That must have been hell,' Chhabria said.

But the judge also said that consequences matter and that Garcia Zarate admitted being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Steinle's relatives were not present in court for the sentencing and prosecutors said her family did not want to participate in the proceedings.

Their attorneys told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that the family was 'not interested' in commenting on the sentencing.

Garcia Zarate (pictured in 2015) had been deported five times and was on track to be removed from the U.S. again when he shot Steinle

Garcia Zarate had pleaded guilty in March 2022 to being in possession of the gun that killed Steinle.

The immigrant said he unwittingly picked up the gun wrapped in a T-shirt, and it fired accidentally, striking Steinle in her back and killing her on July 4, 2015. Her father later recounted her last words were: 'Help me, Dad.'

He also pleaded guilty to being a person illegally in the country in possession of a firearm. The handgun belonged to a U.S. Bureau of Land Management ranger who reported it stolen from his parked car a week before Steinle was killed.

The maximum sentence on the firearms charges was 10 years. Prosecutors agreed to the sentence of time served plus three years of probation.

Garcia Zarate's lawyers wanted a shorter sentence so he could apply any time left over in case the judge in Texas imposes additional prison time.

Garcia-Zarate (not pictured) admitted to picking up the gun that fired the shot that killed Steinle (left), but said it was accidental

Garcia Zarate (right) is led into the courtroom by San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi (left) and Assistant District Attorney Diana Garciaor (center) for his arraignment in July 2015

At the time of the killing, Garcia-Zarate was homeless. He had already been deported from the U.S. five times to Mexico.

He had just completed a nearly four-year federal prison sentence for illegal re-entry to the U.S. when he was transferred to San Francisco to face a 20-year-old marijuana charge.

Prosecutors declined the case, but he was released from jail under San Francisco's so-called sanctuary city policy despite a federal immigration request to detain him for at least two more days for deportation.

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.

Flowers and a portrait of Kate Steinle are seen at a memorial site on Pier 14 in San Francisco in this 2015 photo

The federal gun charges had been pending since 2017 after 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.

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.

Steinle's parents James Steinle (left) and Liz Sullivan (right) have declined to comment on Garcia Zarate's sentencing. They are pictured holding a photo of Steinle in 2015

Flowers and a candle are left at a makeshift memorial for Kate Steinle on Pier 14 in San Francisco in July 2015

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.

'A disgraceful verdict on the Kate Steinle case! No wonder the people of our Country are so angry with Illegal Immigration.'

Then-President Donald Trump shared a series of November 2017 tweets after Garcia-Zarate's verdict was announced, calling it 'a complete travesty of justice'

'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'

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.
A Florida mother is facing manslaughter charges after her two-year-old son allegedly shot and killed his father after finding a gun in the house.

Reggie Mabry, 26, was struck in the back on May 26 while he was playing video games.

The Glock 19 was fired by his two-year-old son, who was not identified, inside the Orlando home the couple and their three children shared, according to an Orange County Sheriff's Office report.

The children are five, two, and five-months-old.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina said the gun was not 'properly stored.'

'In fact, it was easily accessible, even to a two-year-old, and the result is a tragedy that no one in this community can really comprehend,' Mina said at a press conference.

Ayala eventually told authorities the gun had been stored in a bag and said that 'any child in the room could have figured out how to get the gun out of the bag.'

Police reported that her 'answers changed frequently' during her interview about the gun's location. She reportedly told police it was kept in various locations, such as a purple bag, the closet, and a compartment before telling authorities where it was actually stored, The New York Times reported.

'She could not explain how the gun fell out of the bag, with a high capacity magazine inserted in it, all while being clipped and zipped,' the report, viewed by the Times, read.

Marie Ayala, 28, (left) was arrested and charged with manslaughter after the couple's son fatally shot his father Reggie Mabry, 26, (right)

The couple's two-year-old son (right) reportedly shot his father in the back on May 26

Ayala (pictured in jail) was charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and violation of probation

Ayala told police that she heard a 'loud pop' and when she went to discover what had happened, she found her husband laying on the floor in a pool of blood, The New York Times reported.

Ayala also reportedly began lifesaving measures on Mabry after disarming the weapon, the Times reported.

The couple's five-year-old also confirmed that his two-year-old brother was the shooter, as investigators originally thought the shooting could have been a suicide.

It is unclear where the couple's infant was located during the time of the shooting.

Ayala reported heard a 'loud pop' and discovered her husband (pictured) on the ground in a pool of blood

Both (pictured together) were convicted felons on probation for narcotics and child neglect

The couple, who were not allowed to own a weapon, had reportedly store the gun in a back in the room they rented. Authorities said Ayala had frequently changed her answers about the gun's location before finally admitting that 'any child in the room could have figured out how to get the gun out of the bag'

Ayala was charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and violation of probation, Mina said.

Both Ayala and Mabry have previously been in trouble with the law and had been on probation for child neglect and narcotics possession at the time of the shooting.

Ayala remained in the Orange County Jail on no bond Monday, according to WESH 2.

Online court records showed she was being represented by the public defender's office but no further details were provided.

The children weren't harmed and have been placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families.

A Glock 19, similar to this one, was used in the shooting. Police said the incident was preventable and reminded residents to safely store weapons where children cannot access it

The couple rented a room inside an Orlando home *pictured), which they shared with their three children

The tragedy could have been prevented if the gun had been properly stored, the sheriff said.

'Now these young children have effectively lost both of their parents,' Mina said. 'And a young child has to live his life knowing he shot his father.

'I can't emphasize strongly enough that our guns need to be secured and kept out of the hands and away from children at all times.'

If Ayala is convicted, she faces up to 15 years in prison.

DailyMail.com has attempted to contact Ayala's family.
Kevin McCarthy tore into the January 6 select committee for hiring former ABC News Executive James Goldston to run their primetime hearings starting this week after he spiked a story at his former outlet the leader claims enabled sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

'The Democrats have turned to the former ABC News exec, under whose leadership ABC spiked a story on Jeffrey Epstein, to choreograph their Jan 6 political theatre,' McCarthy tweeted on Monday.

He also reupped an old post of his from November 2019 claiming that the then-President of ABC News was operating the network in a way that helped 'bury the truth' about sex offender Epstein, who died in jail in August of that year.

'I am deeply concerned that ABC News chose to bury the truth about Jeffrey Epstein's role in human trafficking,' McCarthy wrote in his tweet at the time.

The GOP leader attached an image of his letter, along with then-Georgia Representative Doug Collins and Michael McCaul of Texas, 'requesting more information about [ABC's] enabling of Mr. Epstein.'

The Democrat-led committee hired Goldston ahead of its first primetime hearing on Thursday, a report revealed on Monday.

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy tore into the January 6 select committee on Monday for hiring former ABC News executive James Goldston to produce their primetime hearings trying to peg the Capitol attack last year on Donald Trump

Goldston, McCarthy claims, during his time as ABC News' president helped cover up a story that 'enabled' child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein (pictured with former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell who was found guilty in 2021 of child sex trafficking)

Goldston is a former president of ABC News, but before that he ran the mammoth-sized operations at Good Morning America and Nightline as executive producer.

He's now an adviser to the group of nine lawmakers who are set to present their case that former President Donald Trump's efforts to undermine democracy culminated in the deadly events of January 6.

The first of six hearings will be held on Thursday at 8:00 p.m., and will reportedly focus mainly on the day-to-day events of the riot and contextualize it in Trump and his allies' wider efforts to overturn the election.

The second will happen next Monday, starting at 10:00 a.m.

Goldston, a documentary filmmaker who now runs his own production company Aquitania Films, is shaping the explosive event to be 'a blockbuster investigative special,' Monday's report states.

James Goldston is a documentary filmmaker who formerly ran the operations at Good Morning America and Nightline. He's now reportedly helping the Democrat-led Capitol riot committee shape its evidence in the upcoming hearings

He's aiming for a 'raw' presentation of evidence in an effort to give it a longer life in the news cycle and 'so that skeptical journalists will find the material fresh.'

The former executive is also reportedly hoping to attract viewers outside of those who had already been following the committee's investigation.

Among the tranche of evidence Goldston is working with are apparently never-before-seen White House photographs from the day of the riot as well as videotaped depositions with key witnesses.

That includes footage from Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's hours-long testimonies in front of the committee which insiders told the Washington Post will make for 'gripping television.'

Footage from inside the Capitol that day, reportedly only a fraction of which has been made public so far, will also be shown.

The panel, made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans, is beginning the first in a series of six hearings at 8pm on Thursday

McCarthy, citing video emergence, claimed back in 2019 that Goldston 'quashed' a report from 2016 that included a firsthand account from one of Epstein's accusers.

The reporter who had the story, according to McCarthy's two-year-old letter, said that when the story was killed, she was told it was a 'stupid story' because 'no one knows who [Epstein] is.'

Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on federal charges for sex trafficking of a minor and was found dead in his cell two months later.

Goldston announced via internal memo in late January 2021 that he was stepping down from his top post at ABC News by the end of March, just six months after former Senior Vice President for Talent and Business at ABC Barbara Fedida was ousted following accusations of 'racial discrimination.'

The former news executive is now helping orchestrate the congressional hearings for the high-profile January 6 investigation.

A communications director for the panel did not respond to a DailyMail.com request on whether Goldston is on government payroll.

Multiple reports signal that Republicans are mounting a heavy counteroffensive to the primetime presentation.

It's not clear if Trump will weigh in yet but both CNN and Axios have signaled that House GOP leadership including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik will play large roles in coordinating the response.

Meanwhile Rep. Jim Banks, chair of the Republican Study Committee, has been leading a separate investigation into the Capitol riot to address security failings that led to the violence that day.

Inside the committee room, however, reporting suggests that lawmakers are divided on what their own next steps should be.

After focusing for months on gathering and shaping evidence for the primetime hearings, the bipartisan panel is reportedly having trouble agreeing on what to do to ensure January 6 cannot happen again.

Among the ideas floated are expanding voter access via same-day registration and tightening the Insurrection Act.

Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin has reportedly been an enthusiastic supporter of abolishing the Electoral College.

Part of the evidence includes never-before-seen footage from inside the Capitol on January 6 as well as new images from the White House on that day

On the other end is committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney, one of its two Republicans, and who was described to Axios as being 'conservative' about the reforms she would want in place.

The committee has sought to present a unified public front, though these issues are likely to surface as they get closer to releasing a final report complete with recommendations for change.

Rep. Adam Schiff, another Democrat on the panel, said Sunday that there is 'a great deal' the American public has not seen that will come out in the hearings.

'Our goal is to present the narrative of what happened in this country, how close we came to losing our democracy, what led to that violent attack on the 6th? The American people, I think, know a great deal already,' Schiff said on CBS News' Face The Nation.

'They've seen a number of bombshells already. There's a great deal they haven't seen.'

He added, 'But perhaps most important is the public hasn't seen it woven together, how one thing led to another, how one line of effort to overturn the election led to another and ultimately led to terrible violence, the first non peaceful transfer of power in our history.'
A North Carolina sheriff's office has settled a $3million civil rights lawsuit with the family of an unarmed Black man shot and killed by in his car by authorities last year.

In 2021 the family of Andrew Brown Jr. filed a $30 million suit against the Pasquotank County sheriff's department saying the 42-year-old died because officers showed 'intentional and reckless disregard of his life.'

On April 21 of last year Brown was killed by Pasquotank County sheriffs deputies as they were serving drug-related warrants at his Elizabeth City home.

Several deputies surrounded Brown in his BMW before his car backed up and moved forward. They fired several shots at and into his vehicle.

According to an independent autopsy commissioned by the family, Brown was shot five times, including once in the back of the head.

In 2021 the family of Andrew Brown Jr. (pictured at his funeral) filed a $30 million suit against the Pasquotank County sheriff's department

According to an independent autopsy commissioned by the family, Brown was shot five times, including once in the back of the head.

'Andrew Brown Jr. was a devoted father who wanted his children to have the things he didn't,' a statement from one of the attorneys representing Brown's family said

The settlement, approved by the Pasquotank County Board of Commissioners, includes a special $1 million appropriation to go along with $2 million from the county's insurance policy supplied by the North Carolina Counties Liabilities Pool, the sheriff's office said.

The county's payment resolves potential liability against the defendants and any individual officers who were either named or could be named as defendants in the lawsuit.

Brown's children will share in the proceeds of the settlement as heirs of his estate, the sheriff's office said.

District Attorney Andrew Womble had said at a news conference last year that Brown used his car as a 'deadly weapon,' causing deputies to believe it was necessary to use deadly force.

But lawyers for the Brown family said the shooting was unjustified because Brown was trying to drive away - not toward the deputies and that he posed no threat.

After viewing body camera footage of the shooting, they said Brown was sitting stationary with his hands on the wheel when the first of numerous shots was fired.

'Andrew Brown Jr. was a devoted father who wanted his children to have the things he didn't,' a statement from one of the attorneys representing Brown's family said.

'While no settlement could ever fill the hole his death left in their hearts, this agreement is about providing for those children's futures, securing their education and ensuring their dreams didn't die with their father.'

The 42-year-old father-of-seven, was shot and killed in his car on April 21, 2021 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, while police were executing arrest warrants for drug offenses

Andrew Brown Jr, 42, had racked up a more than 100 charges for offenses committed over the course of 30 years that ranged from misdemeanors to six felony drug convictions. He is pictured above in booking photos in 2007, 2016, and 2020

Brown was killed on April 21, 2021 by Pasquotank County sheriffs deputies as they were serving drug-related warrants at his Elizabeth City home

Several deputies surrounded Brown in his BMW before his car backed up and moved forward. They fired several shots at and into his vehicle

Brown had a decades-long history of violent confrontations with police, including a 2016 incident during which he fought officers and was Tasered.

Court documents seen by DailyMail.com reveal he faced more than 100 charges over three decades, ranging from misdemeanors for breaking and entering, making threats and assault with a deadly weapon, to six felony drug convictions.

Furthermore, Brown was charged with resisting a public officer - otherwise known as resisting arrest or obstructing a police officer - on at least six separate occasions from 1997 to 2016.

In two of those instances he was accused of using his car to flee, foreshadowing the deadly encounter that took his life last year.
A U.S. service member has been identified as a possible suspect in an April explosion that injured several U.S. troops at a base in eastern Syria.

Patrick Barnes, a spokesman for the Army Criminal Investigation Division, said in a statement that the potential suspect is back in the United States.

He said the investigation by Army CID and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations is ongoing.

Barnes did not release the suspect's name.

The U.S. military initially reported that the injuries from the April 7 attack on the Green Village base, in Deir ez Zor province, were caused by artillery or another form of indirect fire.

Pictured: US soldiers patrol the town of al-Qahtaniyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province near the Turkish border in March. Around 900 US troops remain in Syria, and in April their base in the east came under attack, from what is now believed to be an insider

Officials suspected a mortar attack or rocket fire.

But a week later, it said the attack was carried out by the 'deliberate placement of explosive charges' by one or more individuals at an ammunition holding area and shower facility on the base.

Two officials told CNN the explosives used were 'not insignificant'.

The explosives had greater impact than a hand grenade, and one official said they were 'military grade.'

Security footage shows two figures in the middle of the night roaming the base, CNN said. It was unclear whether the two incidents were different sightings of the same person, or whether more than one person was involved.

Officials are also investigating whether lookouts were on duty.

The blasts hit two support buildings and four service members were evaluated for minor injuries and possible traumatic brain injuries.

The U.S. has several hundred troops in eastern Syria as part of its effort to counter the Islamic State group.

No charges have been filed, and no motive disclosed.
Karen from Brighton:

Australia's original Karen, a resident of Melbourne's affluent suburb of Brighton, made headlines around the world for her lockdown rant directed at Premier Daniel Andrews during the city's record-breaking stint at home.

Jodi Grollo, the daughter of pokies baron Bruce Mathieson, complained she was sick of walking in the same streets after Melburnians were urged to exercise locally.

'Well, you get sick of walking the same streets. You know, I've done all of Brighton,' she told Nine News.

The woman dubbed 'Karen of Brighton' (pictured) earlier said she was sick of walking in the same streets after Melburnians were urged to exercise locally amid the lockdown

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews hit back with a thinly-veiled message to 'some of those featured on social media' unhappy with the lockdown.

'Whether you are in Broadmeadows or Brighton, stay at home means stay at home,' he said on Saturday.

'And if walking your local streets is boring, well, being bored is much better than being in intensive care. That's my clear message.'

Ms Grollo said she was not bothered by Mr Andrews' rebuke, or the hundreds of angry comments online, and hadn't seen them anyway.

'I'm not on social media so I didn't see any [of the backlash]. To be honest, I found it funny  it made my weekend,' she told the Herald Sun.

'I'm providing people with some light entertainment to get them through the Dan-demic.'

Ms Grollo's father is one of the state's richest people, having an estimated $870 million fortune in 2019.

Her husband Gianni Grollo is also well-heeled, being related to construction and developer giants Bruno and Rino Grollo.

Ms Grollo did get some backup from her local MP James Newbury, who called Mr Andrews a 'creep' and used the furore to score political points.

'He has taken a nasty swing at Brighton  another example of the Premier attacking Victorians,' he wrote on Twitter.

Since then she has using her newfound fame to take potshots at the embattled head of the state from her Instagram page 'The Real Karen From Briiighton.'

Late in 2020, she decided to leave Brighton behind, undergoing two weeks of quarantine in the NT's Howard Springs facility before moving to Queensland.

It didn't take her long before having a shot at her new state's premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk.

'Anastasia isn't that much better than Dan, but the weather is great and life is pretty much normal up there,' she wrote.

'Such a shame because I really love Melbourne.'

Jodi Grollo is the daughter of pokies baron Bruce Mathieson, one of the state's richest people having an estimated $870 million fortune in 2019

Karen in Byron Bay:

A young couple were scolded for sitting at an empty table at a popular cafe in Byron Bay last year by an older English pair demanding they give them their favourite spot back.

The video, which was posted to TikTok, shows an older man and woman from Britain demanding they give up the table at the Cape Byron Lighthouse Cafe because they had 'reserved' it.

The British pair refuse to leave and repeatedly ask the young couple to get up before claiming Covid-19 is 'rubbish' and 'false media'.

'Have you heard of the term Karen? Because you're acting like a Karen,' the young man filming the confrontation asks the older woman.

'Well, that's my name actually,' she replies.

'Your name's Karen? Well, that's very ironic that you don't believe in Covid and your name's Karen, you tick all the boxes,' he says.

The video was taken prior to the 2021 Covid outbreak in regional NSW, which has threw the beachside town into lockdown.

The clip begins with the British couple approaching the Aussie pair at their table on the edge of the lookout.

'We've reserved the spot, so we'd like to ask you very nicely if you can move,' the woman says as she stands over the young couple with her partner.

'We have reserved the table. It's not apparently, we have,' the British woman says.

'Apparently reserved the table to this good spot in Byron Bay. Apparently this is their table but we were here first,' the man continues.

'There was no reservation sign on the table whatsoever.'

The British man then says the young Aussie couple took the reserved sign off, even though he and his wife arrived at the cafe after them.

'We've asked the people in the canteen and they said we could sit here. [We reserved it] a minute ago, before you got here,' Karen says.

'There's plenty of other seats, there's people not bothering us over there,' the young woman says.

'No, we want to sit here. It's called social distancing,' the man replies, before the woman tells him to stand back as he's within 1.5metres from her and 'could have Covid'.

'Don't be silly, there's no such thing as Covid,' Karen replies.

'Did you say there's no such thing as Covid?' The young man asks, before Karen doubles down.

'There's no such thing as Covid, that's a load of rubbish, it's all rubbish, it's all fixed,' she says.

A young couple have filmed a British Covid-denying man and woman fighting with them over a table at a Byron Bay cafe

Land Rover Karen:

A Melbourne resident screamed at a young couple unloading their belongings from a moving van next door - earning her the nickname 'boomer Karen' because she claimed blocked her driveway with their truck.

The couple shared the dispute to TikTok after the older woman took exception to them parking their truck near her garage - seemingly making it too difficult to back the $60,000 white SUV out into the Melbourne laneway.

In a vicious spray of insults, the young couple - who filmed the exchange - are branded 'f***ing millennials' while the woman is called a 'boomer' and mocked for 'not using moisturiser'.

'Listen - move your truck forward. Can you ask him to move the truck please?' she asked the couple at the start of the footage, who were moving home at the time.

The younger bearded man then hit back, accusing the woman of spitting saliva in his face during her fiery rant during Melbourne's Covid lockdown.

'You were f***ing yelling at me - projectile f***ing particles. I don't need your saliva,' he told her.

The couple claimed they had already backed the truck up as far as they could, leaving enough room for the woman to move the Land Rover Discovery.

The younger woman said the Land Rover driver could have backed out with the room she had, but wanted to do her normal reverse turn to exit.

There was a wall behind the truck and moving the vehicle forward would have meant the couple were blocking other residents' driveways, the younger woman claimed.

'I cannot negotiate the distance of the wall and the pavement lady,' the bearded man said.

'If you want I can back up your s***ty Discovery and run it out that way.'

The driver refused to allow the man to back the car out for her, telling him 'you're not touching my car'.

'You're being very antagonistic. It's unnecessary,' the woman behind the camera then said.

'Millenials' vs 'Boomers': A woman driving a Land Rover and a young couple have gone head to head after she claimed their truck was preventing her from backing out of her driveway easily

Gold Coast Karen:

A small business owner who broke down in tears after getting a nasty email from a vegan customer complaining about getting free lollies in her order has vowed to keep handing out sugary sweets.

TLC Body founder Carissa Collins, who lives on the Gold Coast, took to TikTok earlier this week to share her disheartening experience after she included the thoughtful gift in a female customer's beauty product order.

The rude email she received in return stated the 'Karen' customer was unhappy with the 'sugary junk' and they would no longer buy anything from Ms Collins because she couldn't be trusted.

Carissa Collins (pictured) who lives on the Gold Coast thanked her supporters for their kind comments over the last two days

But in a series of follow-up videos, the young business owner revealed she was refusing to let the customer get her down and would keep including free treats.

'All I can say right now is wow these last two days have been crazy. I am so blown away by your supportive comments,' Ms Collins said.

'I wasn't expecting so many people to see me Kimmy K crying on the internet but I really want you guys to know I appreciate you so much. Thank you for your support and kind words.'

Packing new orders on Friday and Saturday, Ms Collins threw in not just one packet of Haribo Gummi Bears - the offending candy - but handfuls of them.

She grabbed them from a large cardboard box stocked with Chupa Chups, Mentos and other lollies that looked to be enough to last for weeks worth of orders.

The video received more than 300 comments which were overwhelmingly supportive.

'Yes girlfriend, you may have lost that Karen's business but you gained mine,' one person said.

'This is the comeback we wanted to see. In my town we have two sushi shops and we only go to the one that has lollies,' another said.
Australians have woken up to yet another freezing morning as the country's southeast battles through chilly temperatures.

Records are also expected to tumble as a number of Australia's capital cities shiver through their coldest start to winter in decades, with a massive polar surge forcing temperatures to plunge several degrees below the June average.

Melbourne will suffer through its coldest day of the week on Tuesday with temperatures reaching a high of 11C.

Sydney will reach a top of 15C after the harbour city was battered by strong wind gusts on Monday, while up north, Brisbane will see a maximum of 19C.

The miserable conditions are a result of a cold front moving upwards from South Australia, with parts of the country's southeast already seeing fresh dumps of snow.

Parts of typically mild Queensland will also be hit hard.

In Toowoomba, an hour-and-a-half west of Brisbane, the apparent temperature is set to plummet to as low as -5.4C on Thursday morning according to Weatherzone, with southern parts of Queensland to also suffer through the chilly weather.

Australians have woken up to yet another freezing morning as the country's southeast battles through an icy blast

Multiple capital cities are set to shiver through their coldest week in decades for this early on in the winter season, as temperatures plunge several degrees below the June average

In Tasmania those living in Launceston woke to an unbearable -1.6C this morning.

This week, Sydneysiders will see the coldest run of days this early on in winter since 1989, according to Weatherzone.

In Melbourne, the city will see its coldest week for this time in June since 1982, while Brisbane hasn't seen a week this cold this early on in winter since 1904.

Weatherzone forecaster Chris Matthews said Sydneysiders were in for a cold week with the highest temperature forecast at 17C.

'This week will feel much colder because of the wind chill factor,' he earlier told Daily Mail Australia.

Parts of Australia's southeast have already copped fresh dumps of snow

One Blayney resident in central west NSW is seen holding a pile of snow this week

The Bureau of Meteorology said the cold front was moving north into NSW on Tuesday and into central and inland Queensland by Wednesday.

The icy blast is set to reach the Top End by Thursday.

On top of the freezing air, parts of NSW, Victoria, the ACT and SA will also be hammered with rainfall over the next few days.

Adelaide has a high chance of showers over the next few days but is expected to dry up by Sunday.

Storms are also on the forecast for Melbourne, while Sydney will have a dry week.

In parts of the south western slopes and Riverina in NSW, thunderstorms are likely.

Hobart will reach a top of just 8C on Tuesday with heavy rainfall forecast.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the cold front will move north into NSW on Tuesday and into central and inland Queensland by Wednesday (pictured in Blayney, NSW)

Canberrans will also shiver through the week with a minimum of -1C on Thursday morning.

Perth will see a warm and sunny day on Tuesday but will then be battered by rain into the weekend.

Darwin will escape both the cold and the bad weather with tops of 34C on Tuesday and a dry and sunny day.
The CDC is advising travelers to wear masks as it confirms there are now 31 cases of monkeypox in 13 states in the United States.

Monkeypox is now found in 27 countries worldwide, and the threat level on Monday rose to two out of three - 'practice enhanced precautions'.

Level one is 'practice usual precautions'; level three is classed as 'avoid non-essential travel'.

The CDC says travelers should avoid close contact with sick people, including those with skin lesions or genital lesions, and steer clear of dead or live wild animals including rats, squirrels and monkeys.

'Avoid eating or preparing meat from wild game (bushmeat) or using products derived from wild animals from Africa (creams, lotions, powders),' the CDC says, recommending travelers also avoid contaminated material such as clothing or bedding.

'Wear a mask,' they state.

'Wearing a mask can help protect you from many diseases, including monkeypox.'

The CDC now recommends that travelers wear masks to combat the spread of monkeypox

New York has seven cases, and California has six.

Florida has four, and Colorado three. Two cases have been reported in Illinois and Utah, while one case is confirmed in DC, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.

On Sunday, the first positive case was reported in a DC resident who recently traveled to Europe, according to health officials in the nation's capital.

In the statement, officials said that the infected person is isolating and that close contacts are being notified. Officials said that there is no threat to the public from this person.

Symptoms of the disease include muscle aches, fever and headache that are followed by a rash or lesions. The World Health Organization says that between three and six percent of reported cases have led to death, in countries where the virus is endemic.

On June 4, the WHO stated, in their most recent update: 'As of 2 June 2022, there have been no deaths associated within the current monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries, however, cases and deaths continue to be reported from endemic countries.'

Anybody who is experiencing symptoms is asked to contact their healthcare provider and to seek medical attention.

Potential cases of the virus have also been confirmed in Atlanta and San Francisco among people who have recently traveled to areas where the virus is prevalent.

The first positive case in the US came on May 18 when it was detected in a person who recently returned from Canada.

Two different strains have been found in the U.S., with a vast majority of cases matching the same strain that has been found across Europe in recent weeks.

Both strains are of the less-severe Western African variant. Two different strains implies that there were multiple animal-to-human transfers of the virus that eventually led to U.S. cases, though.

There are now 31 cases of monkeypox in 13 states in the United States

Raj Panjabi, senior director for the White House's global health security and biodefense division, said on June 4 that 1,200 vaccines and 100 treatment courses had been delivered to US states, where they were offered to close contacts of those infected.

There are currently two authorized vaccines: ACAM2000 and JYNNEOS, which were originally developed against smallpox.

Though smallpox has been eliminated, the United States retains the vaccines in a strategic national reserve in case it is deployed as a biological weapon.

JYNNEOS is the more modern of the two vaccines, with fewer side effects.

The World Health Organization has reported 780 worldwide cases of monkeypox as of June 5, reports the BBC.

That's close to triple the 257 cases the agency reported a week ago.

That number does not include Central and West Africa, where the disease is commonly found.

The majority of the new cases are in North America and Europe with the UK leading the way with 207 cases following by Spain with 156

The World Health Organization has reported 780 worldwide cases of monkeypox as of June 5

WHO said in its report: 'It is highly likely that other countries will identify cases and there will be further spread of the virus.'

The majority of the new cases are in North America and Europe with the UK leading the way with 207 cases following by Spain with 156.

Earlier this week, a WHO official said in a press conference that it's possible that monkeypox has been circulating outside of Central and West Africa unreported for years.

The organization's technical lead for monkeypox, Rosamund Lewis, said: 'There may have been undetected transmission for a while. What we dont know is how long that may have been. We dont know if its weeks, months or possibly a couple of years.'

Marc Van Ranst, a University of Leuven in Belgium, virology professor, told NBC News: 'How long have these viruses been circulation, under the radar? I think nobody believes this jumped out of Africa a couple of weeks ago.'

The closest monkeypox has come to DC previously is Northern Virginia where a woman tested positive for the disease on May 26.

That woman had recently traveled to 'an African country where the disease is known to occur,' the Virginia Department of Health said in a statement.

Monkeypox is generally transmitted through person to person contact with a body fluid or through liaisons created by the disease.

In rare instances, the virus is transmitted through respiratory droplets and face-to-face contact and also from contaminated materials such as bedding or clothes.
A Republican lawmaker from Texas is determined to file legislation to ban drag shows in the presence of minors just days after video surfaced online showing children attending a show in Dallas over the weekend.

Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Mineola, tweeted on Monday that he plans to introduce legislation aimed at 'protecting kids from drag shows and other inappropriate displays.'

The announcement came after videos surfaced online showing children attending a drag show at a pride month event in Dallas over the past weekend.

The event in Dallas, titled 'Drag The Kids To Pride,' invited parents to bring their kids along for a drag show, and featured children dancing alongside men dressed in drag beneath a pink neon sign reading 'It's not gonna lick itself.'

Outraged protesters arrived to picket the event, while the shows promoters and participants defended the day as nothing more than an opportunity for people to share joy about who they are.

Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Mineola, tweeted Monday he wants to file legislation to ban drag shows in the presence of minors after video showed children attending such shows in Dallas

In a tweet on Monday, Slaton wrote that 'drag shows are no place for a child'

The announcement was tweeted just days after videos surfaced online showing children attending a drag show in Dallas over past weekend

The controversial pride event in Dallas over the weekend comes as debate rages across the country about how gender identity and children should interact.

Photos and footage from the event on Saturday showed adults sitting on stools surrounding a long narrow runway stage in the middle of the room.

As parents sipped on drinks with kids seated at their side, drag queens in dresses and glitter leotards danced along the stage, at times inviting the children to walk down the runway with them.

The drag queens snatched dollar bills from children's outstretched hands, all beneath the glow of a pink neon sign reading 'It's not gonna lick itself.'

On Monday, Rep. Slaton tweeted that he will be filing legislation to ban drag shows in the presence of children.

'I promised my voters that I would stand up for their values and fight to protect Texas kids,' Slaton said in a statement Monday.

'I was re-elected on that promise and I intend to keep it by authoring legislation to defend kids from being subjected to drag shows and other inappropriate events. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.'

Lawmakers would not be able to consider the proposal until the next legislative session, which is scheduled for January 10, 2023. It's not clear what enforcement this potential legislation would include.

A drag queen performing at the 'Drag Your Kids to Pride' event at a Dallas gay night club on Saturday, June 4. Children can be seen sitting on stools lining the runway

A drag queen can be seen accepting dollar bills from audience members. Children can be seen handing over cash to the performers too

An online brochure for the event read 'Mr. Misster's Drag The Kids To Pride Drag Show provides the ultimate family friendly pride experience.'

It continued: 'Do you want to hit the stage with the queens? We have FIVE limited spots for young performers to take the stage solo, or with a queen of their choosing! Come hangout with the Queens and enjoy this unique pride experience, fit for guests of all ages!'

The event was met with vitriol by some, who came out in protest and called after parents in line with their children, accusing them of 'grooming' and endangering their kids.

Protesters outside of Mr. Misster on Saturday. The demonstrators accused the parents in line of enabling democrats to endorse pedophilia

The banner for the event's online brochure. Organizers characterized it as an opportunity for people to share joy about who they are

Three children on stage at the gay nightclub Mr. Misster in Dallas, Texas, during their 'Drag the Kids to Pride' event on Saturday

One interaction quickly devolved into the protestor accusing the parents in line of enabling Democrats to endorse pedophilia, and a woman screaming 'You're scaring children, shut the f**k up! Shut the f**k up! Shame on you! Shame on you!' as children in line cower and hold hands over their ears.

One woman protesting says she saw a poster for the event and was emboldened to come out and protest.

'I live in this community,' the woman told ABC 8, 'I have for several years. I don't believe that I should be seeing signs advertising for children to be dancing on stage with men in thongs and in inappropriate clothing and makeup. I do not in any way condone the behavior that these people are engaging in, but what drags me out here is it's kids now.'

A representative for the bar however said that the event provided a safe and family friendly space to celebrate people being who they are.

A protester confronts people waiting outside of the Mr. Misster gay bar on Saturday after the 'Drag Your Kids to Pride' event at the nightclub. Police arrived to maintain order

A drag queen performing at Mr. Misster on Saturday as children in the audience look on. Kids could be seen handing dollar bills to the performers

A kid handing over dollar bills to drag performers at the Mr. Misster gay nightclub at a family drag show on Saturday, June 4

'We are more than happy to open our doors to celebrate Pride in a family friendly, safe environment, separate from our normal operations of 2 p.m. - 2 a.m. on Saturdays because we believe that everyone should have a space to be able to celebrate who they are. Mr. Misster is a place where everyone is welcome to feel accepted, safe and included.

'We had a group of protestors outside yelling homophobic threats, transphobic remarks and vile accusations at these children and parents. It is so sad to see that in 2022, there are people that still want to protest others celebrating who they are, but our staff and wonderful officers helped keep us safe and kept the protestors at bay.'

The representative for the bar also noted that the raised money for a youth LGBTQ+ organization in the community.

Controversy around the event comes as Pride Month kicks of in the US, and as debates swirl across the country about the role of gender-identity exposure and education to children.

In March, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into a parental rights bill that bans teachers from giving classroom instruction on 'sexual orientation' or 'gender identity' in kindergarten through third grade.

In April, a Tennessee lawmaker said he would 'burn' banned books if he could, as books about gender identity top the lists of banned titles at schools across the country.

In May, a Florida mother sued her daughter's school after teachers created a 'transgender support plan' for her daughter without asking for parental consent.

This month, even Pizza Hut was pulled into the debate after it promoted a children's book that featured a little boy who dresses in drag.

And just this week, DeSantis moved to ban transition therapies for children and revoke Medicaid support for trans adults' treatments in Florida.

That includes suspending access to 'puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries'.

'Florida must do more to protect children from politics-based medicine,' wrote state surgeon general Joseph Lapado, who DeSantis appointed to his post in February.

'Otherwise, children and adolescents in our state will continue to face a substantial risk of long-term harm.'
Serial rebels who continue to agitate against Boris Johnson could be kicked out of the party as he prepares to launch a fightback to shore up his damaged leadership.

The Prime Minister is expected to embark on a policy blitz in the coming days, including measures to extend the right to buy to housing association tenants.

And in his barnstorming speech to MPs two hours before yesterday's vote, he hinted that he would lay out plans for tax cuts within weeks.

Meanwhile, allies of the Prime Minister last night said he is also considering measures to stamp his authority on Tory MPs after the latest round of bloodletting.

These include bringing forward a planned Cabinet reshuffle to put in place the team to take the Tories into the next election.

The Prime Minister has hinted that he will lay out plans for tax cuts within weeks and other measures such as extending the right to buy to housing association tenants. This policy blitz could also see a planned Cabinet reshuffle be brought forward

Serial rebels who refuse to accept the PM's leadership may also face the withdrawal of the Tory whip, effectively ejecting them from the party and leaving them ineligible to stand for the Conservatives at the next election.

It comes after 41 per cent of Mr Johnson's MPs declared they had no confidence in his leadership in yesterday's confidence vote.

In a make-or-break meeting with MPs in the Commons ahead of the vote, Mr Johnson had insisted he could take them to victory at the next election as he promised: 'The best is yet to come.'

He warned that Labour would win next time if the party descended into the 'pointless fratricidal debate'.

And he said that if Conservatives got rid of him, they would lose the Brexit they had achieved, put the Union under threat  and even betray Ukraine's hopes of seeing off Putin's aggression.

Mr Johnson laid out a slew of new policies, including reforms to childcare, help to cut the cost of transport and energy, and moves to embrace 'Brexit freedoms'.

But allies of the Prime Minister said he was also considering radical moves to shore up his position, including removing the whip from leading rebels and carrying out a Cabinet reshuffle.

One close ally of the PM told the Daily Mail: 'The PM's weakness is he's too nice to people.

We need to start getting tough with some of these people and send a message that we're not going to put up with it any more.'

The Prime Minister survived a no-confidence vote and it is believed that serial rebels who refuse to accept his leadership may also face the withdrawal of the Tory whip, leaving them ineligible to stand for the Conservatives at the next election

No names were mentioned, but senior figures in Downing Street have struggled to contain their anger at persistent rebels such as former ministers Tobias Ellwood and Mark Harper.

How does Boris's result compare to previous Tory confidence votes? Boris Johnson - June 2022 211 votes in favour (59 per cent) 148 votes against (41 per cent) Majority: 63 Theresa May - December 2018 200 votes in favour (63 per cent) 117 votes against (37 per cent) Majority: 83 Iain Duncan Smith - October 2003 90 votes against (45.5 per cent) 75 votes for (55.5 per cent) Majority: 15 John Major - July 1995 218 votes for (66 per cent) 89 votes for challenger John Redwood (27 per cent) 22 abstentions (seven per cent) Majority: 129 Margaret Thatcher - November 1990 204 votes for (55 per cent) 152 votes for challenger Michael Heseltine (41 per cent) 16 abstentions (four per cent) Majority: 52 Margaret Thatcher - December 1989 314 votes for (90.5 per cent) 33 votes for challenger Sir Anthony Meyer (9.5 per cent) Majority: 281 Advertisement

Mr Harper, the pro-Brexit former Tory chief whip and anti-lockdown campaigner, was said to be one of the main MPs who spent the past few weeks whipping up older MPs to vote against Mr Johnson.

Mr Ellwood is still an ardent Remainer and last week floated the idea of rejoining the EU single market if Mr Johnson is ousted.

The PM is this week expected to concentrate on policies to boost the NHS and to make housing more affordable for young people.

Tomorrow the Government will publish a major review into the future of NHS management, written by former marine Sir Gordon Messenger. His report will look at ways of replicating good leadership across the NHS.

Along with Housing Secretary Michael Gove, Mr Johnson will outline plans to expand the right to buy, Margaret Thatcher's flagship policy.

Yesterday afternoon Mr Johnson told MPs: 'If I'm here later this week  and I very much hope that I will be  Michael Gove and I will be setting out plans to kindle that dream of home ownership into the hearts of millions who currently believe it is beyond their means.'

He added: 'There is one chunk of household income that is the biggest of all and that is tax. The way out now is to drive supply side reform on Conservative principles and to cut taxes and to drive investment in the UK, taking advantage of Brexit freedoms.'

'We need to cut the costs of government, we need to cut the costs of business and we need to cut the costs of families up and down the country.' Mr Johnson also warned that without his leadership, Ukraine may be put under pressure from countries such as France to accept a bad peace deal.

He said he had spoken to President Zelensky and that 'it was absolutely clear that a strong UK position is needed more than ever because of course the pressures are growing on Ukraine to accept a bad peace deal'.

Former Brexit minister Lord Frost last night called on the PM to deliver tax cuts to turn around his fortunes.

He said: 'If the PM is to save his premiership and his government he should now take a different course  bring taxes down straight away to tackle the cost of living crisis, take on public service reform, and establish an affordable and reliable energy policy for the long term.'
All Queensland state high school students will get free period products such as tampons and sanitary pads from next year.

The state government has been trialling vending machines dispensing period packs, containing six tampons and two sanitary pads, in 53 state schools, five Catholic schools and four independent schools.

Machines that distribute period products will be installed in all 276 Queensland state high schools

The Queensland government will fund free period product dispensers for students in all state high schools in this year's budget

The machines, provided by charity Sharing the Dignity were set to be installed in another 58 schools in the second half of this year.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the machines will be installed in all 276 state high schools in Queensland as part of this year's budget.

'Access to free period products can make a real difference to children, especially students whose families are doing it tough, have unstable accommodation or are fleeing domestic and family violence,' she tweeted on Tuesday.

'Access to period products should never be a barrier to learning.'

The government will also continue funding a menstruation education program for all students in Years Five to Eight.

The pre-budget announcement comes a day after Treasurer Cameron Dick revealed taxes on bets taken by gambling companies will be lifted to 20 per cent.

The point of consumption tax on wagering companies will rise from 15 per cent to 20 per cent and be broadened to include free and bonus bets.

The proportion of government wagering tax takings going to regulator Racing Queensland will also be lifted from 35 to 80 per cent.

Mr Dick says the new levy will ensure multinational betting firms financially support Queensland's racing industry.

Treasury forecasts Racing Queensland will receive about $80 million in annual funding, which will be used for infrastructure, clubs, breeding schemes and prize money, compared to $32.5 million in 2020/21.

Mr Dick last week foreshadowed a deficit of less than $1.7 billion in 2022/23 due to increased stamp duty, taxes and fossil fuel royalty revenue.

That's down from the $2.4 billion deficit forecast in the treasurer's budget update in December.

The treasurer denied that the levy was a 'tax on punters', however, some firms may lower odds in response to the changes.

Mr Dick last week promised a $175 rebate for each household to cope with rising electricity bills, which will cost about $385 million in the budget.

He's said there will be funding to construct a $72 million regional aeromedical hub at Brisbane Airport along with $334 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service over the next 10 years.

Indigenous reef monitoring programs and support for Indigenous tourism start-up companies will also be funding in the budget.

The 2022/23 state budget will be handed down on June 21.
The Australian government has left the door open for high-level dialogue with China as the deputy prime minister prepares to head to Singapore for a defence summit.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles says while a request for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri La Dialogue at the end of the week hasn't been received, Australia remains open to discussions.

It comes after Mr Marles on Monday said he would not be seeking a meeting with his Chinese counterpart at the summit, leading to some confusion about whether Australia would reject any olive branches offered by Beijing.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and Defence Minister Richard Marles (right) both criticised an incident between a Chinese fighter jet and an Australian surveillance plane

'Deputy Prime Minister Marles said he has not received a formal invitation to meet with his counterpart at the Shangri La Dialogue,' a spokesperson from his office said.

'The Australian government has said that it welcomes the opportunity to resume ministerial dialogue with China.'

China's foreign minister told state media outlet Xinhua that Beijing will continue an 'open attitude and carry out more trilateral or quadrilateral cooperation with Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific' as it tries to push a regional security deal with Pacific island nations.

Wang Yi previously said any defrosting in China and Australia's relationship would need to be sparked by 'concrete actions'.

The Australian government has left the door open for high-level dialogue with China as the deputy prime minister prepares to head to Singapore for a defence summit. Pictured: Chinese President Xi Jinping

Mr Marles says he is hoping to organise discussions with United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Mr Austin is addressing the conference about US Indo-Pacific defence policy, while China's Minister of National Defence Wei Fenghe will speak about Beijing's vision for the Asia-Pacific.

The summit will come a week after tensions between Canberra and Beijing heightened over an aerial incident in the South China Sea region.

Mr Marles revealed on Sunday a Chinese J-16 aircraft flew dangerously close to a RAAF P-8A Poseidon conducting routine surveillance in international airspace.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the May 26 incident 'an act of aggression and a dangerous act against the Australian airforce'.

China fires back at 'little bully' Australia after it's exposed for aggressive fighter jet fly-by that damaged RAAF plane

By Aidan Wondracz and Padraig Collins For Daily Mail Australia

Beijing has hit back at Australia after the country slammed a Chinese fighter jet for intercepting one of its spy planes in a 'very dangerous' mid-air incident with a graphic depiction showing just how close the two planes came.

It was announced on Sunday that an RAAF P-8A Poseidon aircraft was carrying out maritime surveillance in the South China Sea when it was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft on May 26.

Defence Minister Richard Marles blasted it as a 'dangerous manoeuvre' while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raised his concerns directly with China.

A depiction of the incident showed the J-16 narrowly cutting in front of the P-8A and releasing aluminium strips that went into the plane's engine.

The Global Times, which is the Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece, published an opinion piece accusing Australia of acting like a 'little bully'.

The rising tensions between the two countries prompted Mr Albanese to make a trip to Jakarta to meet with Indonesian president Joko Widodo on Monday with the pair set to discuss pressing issues such as trade, climate change and regional security.

It was announced on Sunday that an RAAF P-8A Poseidon aircraft was carrying out maritime surveillance in the South China Sea when it was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft on May 26 (pictured, stock image of a P-8 Poseidon)

Defence Minister Richard Marles blasted it as a 'dangerous manoeuvre' by the J-16 fighter jet while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raised his concerns directly with the Chinese government (pictured, stock image of a J-16 fighter jet)

The Global Times claimed the Australian government had failed to address several questions about the operation in the South China Sea.

'For example, where exactly in the South China Sea is the area in which the incident occurred?' it read.

'How far is it from the Chinese islands and reefs in the region? What is their purpose here? Furthermore, what did the Australian military aircraft do before the intercept?'

The media outlet said it was the latest claim made by Australia in its campaign of 'groundless' accusations against China.

On February 17, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) said a Chinese navy vessel directed a laser at a P-8A Poseidon as it flew over Australia's northern approaches.

The incident was slammed and the ADF warned it could have endangered the safety and lives of their personnel.

The Global Times claimed there was evidence proving the P-8A was flying too close to the Chinese vessel and said the Australian military had become a 'professional for blackmail'.

The Global Times said it was the latest claim made by Australia in its campaign of 'groundless' accusations against China

'This time, Marles also pretended to be 'the weak' and said in front of a reporter's microphone that Australia will not be deterred by China's intimidation,' the article read.

'This is obviously a tone favored by American and Western journalists, and Australian politicians are well versed in it and pick what they want to hear.'

AUSTRALIA VERSUS CHINA TRADE WAR In October 2020, China imposed informal bans on Australian cotton and coal. A month later, Australian sugar, barley, lobsters, wine, copper and timber were added to the list. Six meat processors were banned from exporting beef to China. In December 2020, Australia lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization over China's 80.5 per cent tariffs on its barley exports. In the filing, Australia claimed China deviated from WTO rules 26 times. In March 2021, China imposed duties of between 116.2 per cent and 218.4 per cent on Australian wine, making it too expensive for Chinese consumers. This effectively killed the market. Advertisement

The opinion piece said 'Canberra's approach' was 'inappropriate and unwise' as China had 'never posed a threat to Australia'

'Judging from the two recent incidents involving the ship and the aircraft, we need to remind Canberra that Sinophobia does Australia more harm than good,' it read.

'It has been proven time and again that the more "conscientiously" Canberra acts in front of Washington, the more easily the former will become a stepping stone.'

Mr Marles said conducting surveillance over the South China Sea is 'completely within our rights under international law'.

'This is a body of water, which is deeply connected to Australia because of our trade, which goes through there,' he said.

'We have made representations to the Chinese government, but we will not be deterred from engaging in the activities which we are entitled to at international law in the future.'

Mr Marles said the crew was unharmed, they responded professionally to the incident and returned the plane to the base.

'What occurred was that the J-16 aircraft flew very close to the side of the P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft,' he said.

'In flying close to the side, it released flares, the J-16 then accelerated and cut across the nose of the P-8, settling in front of the P-8 at very close distance.

'At that moment, it then released a bundle of chaff which contained small pieces of aluminium, some of which were ingested into the engine of the P-8 aircraft.'

Australian-Chinese relations have struggled since April 2020, when then-prime minister Scott Morrison called for World Health Organisation investigators in Wuhan to have the same powers as UN-backed weapons inspectors.

The WHO was investigating the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic, a virus that effectively forced the world to lock down for two years.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and Defence Minister Richard Marles (right) both criticised an incident between a Chinese fighter jet and an Australian surveillance plane

In November 2020 it emerged that the Chinese embassy in Canberra had drawn up what became known as the 'list of grievances' - 14 black marks that were China's reasons for the bad blood with Australia.

The list included: 'The incessant wanton interference in China's... affairs'; 'outrageous condemnation of the governing party of China'; and 'an unfriendly or antagonistic report on China by media'.

In January, three months before he became prime minister, Mr Albanese said Australia's relationship with China would remain difficult.

'Whoever's in government, it will be a difficult relationship,' he said.

'It will be difficult because the posture of China has changed.'
A public art gallery director is under fire for spending thousands on fancy meals, alcohol and other expenses he billed to taxpayers during the Covid pandemic.

Art Gallery of NSW director Michael Brand put meals costing over $1,000 along with hundreds of dollars of separate wine purchases and other expenses on his government credit card.

Radio host Ben Fordham called Dr Brand a 'fat cat' who was 'having a laugh at our expense' on 2GB on Tuesday morning.

Art Gallery of NSW director Michael Brand regularly dropped over $1,000 of taxpayer's money to eat at some of Sydney top restaurants even as Covid slashed the gallery's visitor numbers

'I think people in NSW will be saying, "this bloke's kidding himself",' Fordham said, pointing out Dr Brand's salary of $450K per year is higher than that of NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.

Fordham called the list of restaurants Dr Brand visited at tax payer expense 'like something out of the Good Food Guide'.

The receipts uncovered by a Daily Telegraph freedom of information request show that Dr Brand paid $1,180 to eat at Otto, $1,043 at the now defunct Lucio's, $1,033 at Firedoor and $779 at Franca Brasserie - all top end restaurants in inner Sydney.

Dr Brand spent $779 at Franca Brasserie in Potts Point (pictured) in January but this is modest compared to the $1,000 meals he enjoyed at other top end Sydney eateries such as Otto and Firedoor

However, his taxpayer-funded largesse did not end there because in August 2021 he dropped $708 at Canberra's Raku Dining before racking up $532 at inner Sydney restaurant Foreign Return a couple of days later.

Dr Brand also did not hold back on using his government Citibank credit card for alcohol purchases.

A favourite bottle-o was was Sydney's Elizabeth Bay Cellars where he made tax-funded purchases worth $718 in August of 2020, followed by $212 the next month and $550 in December 2021.

In that same month he also spent $254 with a US company, Vintage Liquors.

The Art Gallery of NSW has defended Dr Brand's taxpayer-funded largesse as hospitality, arguing that he has helped raise $109 million for its expansion and other projects

Other expenses picked by the taxpayer include a $420 taxi ride this year, $447.50 at Sit Back and Relax furniture store and $59 at outdoors clothing store Kathmandu.

Fordham noted much of the spending happened during a time of widespread hardship.

'This was during (Covid) lockdowns when a million people lost their jobs and hundreds of businesses went under,' he said.

'It was a time of financial crisis but not for art gallery boss Michael Brand.'

During the Covid period visitors to the gallery plunged by almost two thirds, from 1,587,386 to 666,572.

An Art Gallery of NSW spokeswoman defended Dr Brand's expenses as hospitality to raise money from partners and donors.

Radio host Ben Fordham argues that Dr Brand's expenses, which included big alcohol purchases, furniture and a $450 taxi ride, do not pass the 'pub test' in a time of Covid hardship

'This engagement has made possible the Art Gallery raising $109million dollars through its philanthropic capital campaign for its major expansion, the Sydney Modern Project, opening in December,' the spokeswoman said.

'Credit card expenses incurred by the director are authorised by delegated officers and the president of the Board of Trustees. These expenses are within approved limits and directly align with the role and responsibilities.'

Fordham said at a time the NSW government is under pressure to find more money for nurses, paramedics and teachers, this defence would not pass 'the pub test'.

'When you are working for the taxpayer your spending must align with community expectations,' Fordham said.

He did not suggest Dr Brand had broken the rules, as determined by the gallery's board, but rather that the rules had to change.
The Cabinet last night declared it is 'time to get on with the job' as they rallied around Boris Johnson.

Within minutes of the result emerging, ministers took to the airwaves to shore up support for the Prime Minister.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said Mr Johnson had 'won handsomely' in the vote of Tory MPs and urged the party to get battle-ready for the next election.

'We draw a line and we move on because we've got two years to demonstrate to the nation that we can deliver on the economy,' he told Sky News.

'What do you think [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky will be thinking? He will be punching the air because he knows his great ally Boris Johnson will be Prime Minister [in the] morning.'

The Prime Minister survived a no-confidence vote at the Houses of Parliament and has since hinted that tax cuts are imminent. The Cabinet has now rallied around him as it's 'time to get on with the job'

Chancellor Rishi Sunak expressed his loyalty to Mr Johnson in a tweet: 'The PM has won the confidence and now it's time to move forward'

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who are seen as likely candidates if there is a Conservative leadership contest, declared their loyalty to Mr Johnson.

Mr Sunak tweeted: 'The PM has won the confidence vote and now it's time to move forward. Tomorrow we get back to work growing the economy and delivering better public services.'

Miss Truss said: 'Pleased that colleagues have backed the Prime Minister. I support him 100 per cent. Now's the time to get on with the job.'

Environment Secretary George Eustice acknowledged it is disappointing a 'significant minority of our own MPs' do not have confidence in the PM.

But he told LBC radio: 'What we really have to do is work on bringing those MPs back on board.'

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart admitted Mr Johnson 'has lots to prove' but said the result of last night's vote was 'pretty decisive'.

He told BBC News: 'Actually it's quite a good thing that we can't take anything for granted and have to work with every single voter... Let's get on with the job we've been elected to do.'

Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove said: 'Now we must carry out what we were elected to deliver  levelling up, cutting crime, securing the benefits of Brexit and improving public services.

Within minutes of the result emerging, ministers took to the airwaves to shore up support for the Prime Minister. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said Mr Johnson had 'won handsomely

'Let's get on with delivery and focus on the people's priorities.'

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said it is 'time to get back to the job of governing'. She tweeted: 'The person [Sir Keir] Starmer doesn't want to face at an election is Boris Johnson who secured the biggest Conservative majority since 1987... with 14million votes. Time to get back to the job of governing.'

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said Mr Johnson has secured 'a fresh mandate' from the Conservative Party.

And former Brexit minister Lord Frost called on the PM to 'bring down taxes straight away' to save his premiership.
The Queen reportedly banned Harry and Meghan from having a photographer snap the Monarch meeting her great-granddaughter Lilibet for the first time.

The 96-year-old is said to have met Harry and Meghan's daughter on Thursday.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wanted a private photographer to capture the moment their daughter met her namesake, The Sun reported.

However, they were allegedly told 'no chance' because it was a 'private family meeting'.

Palace insiders may have worried any photos taken by Harry and Meghan would be shared with TV networks in the US.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex pictured at the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday, was one of the few Jubilee events that they attended

The Queen reportedly banned Harry and Meghan from having a photographer snap the Monarch meeting her great-granddaughter Lilibet for the first time

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released a new picture of Lilibet on her first birthday at Frogmore Cottage during the Platinum Jubilee

Harry and Meghan celebrated their daughter Lilibet's first birthday in Windsor yesterday with a 'relaxed' birthday party with royal second cousins invited to the festivities. Pictured, the couple with children Archie and Lilibet

Prince Harry looking glum as him and Meghan Markle returned to California. Here he can be seen wiping his eye after their private jet trip

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince George of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge on the balcony during the Platinum Pageant

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex insisted their interview with Oprah Winfrey would be the 'last word' on them quitting as senior royals. They made a number of allegations that were later proved to be false

The Sussexes' relationship with the Queen was said to have been damaged when the couple reportedly 'told not asked' the Monarch that their daughter would be called Lilibet, which was Her Majesty's nickname as a child.

It comes as Harry and Meghan were reported to have left the UK and flown back to America an hour before the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebration ended.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were seen for the last time in public on Friday at the Thanksgiving service in St Paul's Cathedral before they flew back home when the Jubilee Pageant started on Sunday.

The couple, who have been largely absent from the fanfare, spent a lot of time at Frogmore Cottage during their stay and hosted a 'relaxed' party for Lilibet's first birthday at the Windsor residence.

They did not attend the Platinum Party and stayed in Windsor alongside the Queen to reportedly watch the concert with Her Majesty.

MailOnline has contacted Buckingham Palace and the Sussexes for comment.
A Chicago police officer was shot on Chicago's South Side five days after another cop was gunned down in the same neighborhood as surging crime rates continue to plague the Windy City.

Chicago Police Department spokesman Tom Ahern tweeted on Sunday afternoon that an officer from the department's 7th District had been shot and was being transported to the University of Chicago Hospital.

Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said he believed the officer's wounds were not life-threatening, according to The Chicago Tribune. The shooting broke out in the area of 69th and Sangamon streets when the cop along two other uniformed officers 'conducted a traffic stop' at around 2 p.m. in an alley.

During the stop, officers were fired upon by the unidentified male suspect and 'returned fire,' according to a statement from police. The injured officer sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and to his left arm. The two other officers were unscathed.

A handgun was found at the scene, police spokesman Tom Ahern tweeted. At least 18 shell casing markers around a silver Toyota sedan were found after investigators searched the shooting scene, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown later said in a press conference that no other suspects were involved in the gunfire exchange. He added that the injured cop and 'his team members are all shook,' from the incident.

A unidentified Chicago Police officer was shot in the left arm and chest after exchanging gun fire with a suspect following a traffic stop in an alley near 69th and Sangamon streets in the Windy City's Edgewood neighborhood on South Side. Two other officers were also involved in the shooting

The cop was brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he is recovering from non-life threatening life injuries. The suspect was also rushed to urgent care, where is he in critical condition

A handgun was recovered from the shooting scene on June 5, just five days after another cop was shot in the same neighborhood

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown (center) said that the three officers involved in Sunday's were all 'shook' by what happened

The incident marks the third time in a week that a law enforcement officer has been shot in Chicago.

Fernanda Ballesteros - another Chicago police officer - was shot on June 1 after she also conducted a traffic stop in the same neighborhood where Sunday's shooting occurred, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Ballesteros, along with another cop, were in a marked squad car attempting a traffic stop in the West Englewood neighborhood, according to police Supt. David Brown.

The car the officers were trying to pull over first sped up, and then slowed down to pull even with the squad car, Brown said.

At that point, someone in the car started firing a gun at the officers.

Ballesteros, who was driving, was shot and wounded in her shoulder, Brown said. The officer who had been in the passenger seat drove her to the hospital.

Ballesteros was initially in critical but stable condition, Brown said. She was released on Monday from the University of Chicago Medical Center, where several other cops waited and applauded her outside the building.

'This week has shown me and my family the true brotherhood of the Chicago Police Department, and that the brotherhood extends beyond me to caring and protecting my family as well,' Ballesteros told the Sun-Times.

'I am choosing to see the light in this dark time. And I will grow stronger, both physically and mentally, from this tragedy.'

Fernanda Ballesteros was shot on June 1 in the same neighborhood as the injured cop in Sunday's shooting - Edgewood. She was released from hospital on Monday

Ballesteros was also overseeing a traffic stop before a 28-year-old suspect opened fire on her. No arrests have been made

The suspect's vehicle crashed nearby after the June 1 shooting. He fled from it, police said, and remains at large although police have said he is 28 years old.

Ballesteros also provided a few words for the injured officer shot on Sunday.

'To my fellow brother in blue who was recently injured in the line of duty: Don't ever feel alone because you have a whole line of support from the blue family that wishes you a speedy recovery,' she said.

An officer with the U.S. Marshals Service's fugitive apprehension team and his police dog were also shot Thursday on the city's Northwest Side while serving a warrant.

The officer was shot in the hand but declined to be taken to a hospital. The dog was in intensive care at an emergency veterinary hospital.

The alleged shooter, 19-year-old Tarrion Johnson, has been charged with attempted murder, attempted robbery with a firearm, aggravated cruelty to animals and injury to a police animal.

A federal police dog was saluted in a police lineup after leaving a veterinary hospital on Sunday afternoon. The dog was shot in Chicago's Northwest Side while serving a warrant

Tarrion Johnson, 19, faces charges of attempted murder, attempted robbery with a firearm, aggravated cruelty to animals and injury to a police animal

Overall crime in Chicago has surged since last year by 35 percent despite shooting incidents lowering by 16 percent. There were 952 shootings reported in the same period this year, compared to 1,135 in 2021.

Reports of robberies, criminal sexual assault and theft related crimes have all gone up, while murders reported have decreased.

On Sunday afternoon, Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a response to both incidents in a statement, saying 'Let me say again, every single day, on every watch, our brave men and women of the Chicago Police Department risk their lives for our safety. But I must ask again, when is enough, enough?'

'How many times must I, and my fellow mayors across the country, plead with the Senate to take action and end the easy access to illegal guns?' the statement further read. 'How many officers and residents must be victims of gun violence before we act?'

Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot pleads the Senate 'to take action and end the easy access to illegal guns,' in response to both shootings

Lightfoot has also imposed a curfew for minors in certain areas of the city from Thursday until Sunday after the death of a 16-year-old boy in May

In Chicago, 21 officers have been shot since the start of the new year, according to NBC Chicago.

Lightfoot has also banned unaccompanied minors from Millennium Park in downtown Chicago after 6 p.m. starting on Thursdays through Sundays, following a shooting there that left a 16-year-old boy dead in May.
The candidate backed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the south Texas primary against incumbent Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar formally requested a recount after the runoff election results showed her trailing by just 187 votes.

Jessica Cisneros, a progressive, requested on Monday a recount in her right runoff election against the nine-term incumbent after it remained too close to call nearly two weeks after the race.

The Associated Press will not declare a winner in the race until the recount is completed.

The 28th district includes a large portion of Texas' southern border with Mexico along the Del Rio River and spans up to the outskirts of San Antonio.

Of the 45,429 votes split between the two Democratic candidates as of Tuesday morning, Cuellar earned 22,808 and Cisneros 22,621  splitting the two left-leaning candidates by less than 200 votes and just 0.4 percent.

Cuellar is diametrically different from Cisneors as he is corporate-backed, pro-life and a pro-Second Amendment lawmaker for the district.

Jessica Cisneros (left), who is backed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (right), is requesting a recount of the primary runoff election with incumbent Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar, which is deparated by less than 200 points

Cuellar is a pro-life and pro-gun Democrat in his ninth term in the House for the 28th Texas congressional district. He was endorsed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn

'Our movement was never just about one politician - it was about taking on an unjust system that rewards corruption and corporate profits at the expense of the needs of working people,' Cisneros said in a statement to the Texas Tribune that she retweeted to her followers.

'Our community isn't done fighting, we are filing for a recount.'

She added: 'I owe it to our community to see this through to the end.'

Cisneros, a 29-year-old immigration attorney, forced the runoff after the March primary elections when she came within 1,000 votes of Cuellar. She also ran against Cuellar in 2020, losing by 4 percentage points. She is a former intern in his Washington office.

Cuellar, one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in Congress, was endorsed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and others.

Cisneros, on the other hand, had the backing of progressives with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Ocasio-Cortez rallied with Cisneros in San Antonio, Texas in mid February ahead of the March 1 primary, which ultimately led to the runoff on May 24, 2022.

The winner of Texas' race will face Cassy Garcia, who won the Republican runoff for the seat by 14 percent in late May against Sandra Whitten.
Sir Roger Gale has said that he would 'be surprised if Boris Johnson is still in Downing Street by the end of autumn' in wake of the confidence vote.

The Prime Minister survived a confidence vote, which saw 211 lawmakers cast ballots in favour of Johnson against 148, on Monday.

However, a large rebellion in his Conservative Party over the so-called 'partygate' scandal dealt a blow to his authority and leaves him with a struggle to win back broad support.

The MP for North Thanet, 78, who is an outspoken critic of the Prime Minister and voted 'no confidence', said he still thinks Boris Johnson should not take the party into the next election.

Speaking to Sky News about whether this means the issue is settled, Sir Roger said: 'Unfortunately, the issue can't be settled like that.

'Over a third of the Parliamentary party has expressed no confidence in the Prime Minister.'

Sir Roger Gale (pictured) has said that he would 'be surprised if Boris Johnson is still in Downing Street by the end of autumn' in wake of the confidence vote

He added that MPs have 'a job to do' and that he is 'not one of those who believes in a vote strike'.

Asked if he thinks Boris Johnson should continue as Prime Minister, he said: 'No, I've expressed my view very clearly.

'I don't believe that he should take the party into the next general election and I think there are other elephant traps down the road - two by-elections coming up, the Privileges Committee report in the autumn - there are a lot of hurdles ahead and I think a Prime Minister of honour would look at the figures, accept the fact that he has lost the support of a significant proportion of his party and consider his position, but I don't think he'll do that.'

Sir Roger said he had questioned the Prime Minister's judgment ever since the Barnard Castle incident.

The Prime Minister (above) survived a confidence vote, which saw 211 lawmakers cast ballots in favour of Johnson against 148, on Monday

'I think all the events in between have just strengthened my view that we need another prime minister,' he said.

Sir Roger also argued the party was 'spoilt for choice' for an alternative leader, suggesting that Dominic Raab, Liz Truss, Ben Wallace, Penny Mordaunt and Tom Tugendhat might put their hat in the ring.

He went on say: 'This is something that the Prime Minister has brought on himself.

'Brexit divided the party - that is absolutely true. It's curious the party is now divided, not over policy, but over the character of the Prime Minister. That's quite extraordinary.'
A Conservative MP hit out of the BBC for 'making Boris Johnson look like Hannibal Lecter' in a bizarre interview - as allies of the PM defended him after a bruising confidence vote showed 41 per cent of his own MPs do not support his leadership.

After 148 MPs voted to remove him from office, supporters of Mr Johnson were quick to do media interviews trying to downplay the significance of the poor result.

One striking interview on BBC's Newsnight had Tory MP Adam Holloway claiming that the corporation's flagship news programme has made Mr Johnson look like fictional cannibal Hannibal Lecter and saying that voters knew that Mr Johnson was not a 'Jesuit priest' when he was elected.

In the now-viral interview, Mr Holloway said: 'This programme that I am on now showed pictures of [Boris Johnson] looking like Hannibal Lecter'

In the now-viral interview, Mr Holloway said: 'This programme that I am on now showed pictures of [Boris Johnson] looking like Hannibal Lecter.'

When challenged by the programme's host, the MP for Gravesham doubled-down, showing a picture of the graphic on his tablet to the camera.

He then strangely asked: 'Does that guy look like somebody who's been given a birthday cake or someone who has just been locked up for something at the Old Bailey.

'The British people knew when they voted for him and gave him an 80-seat majority that they weren't voting for a Jesuit priest.'

He accused the 'drip, drip, drip' of Partygate stories of not amounting to anything despite the over 100 fixed penalty notices given out to staff over the scandal.

It was not the only notable appearance by a Conservative supporter of Mr Johnson during the day with Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi also peculiarly declaring that Johnson's damaging night would have seen Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 'punching the air'.

Keir Starmer (pictured leaving Parliament this evening) said Mr Johnson was 'utterly unfit for the great office he holds' and accused Tory MPs of ignoring the British public after the vote

In an interview with Sam Coates of Sky News, the former vaccines minister called the tentative victory for Johnson in the confidence vote this evening 'handsome'.

This analysis came despite it being lower than the margin of victory for Theresa May in 2018 which saw her premiership suffer and her resignation shortly after.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said it is 'time to get back to the job of governing' after Boris Johnson won a confidence vote on Monday.

The Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire tweeted: 'The person Starmer doesn't want to face at an election is Boris Johnson who secured the biggest Conservative majority since 1987 and the highest share of the vote (43.6 per cent) of any party since 1979, with 14 million votes.

'Time to get back to the job of governing.'

This was despite Starmer having consistent poll leads over Johnson in both voting intention for their parties and likeability of the pair as individuals.

Despite attempts to move on, Mr Johnson's political opponents rounded on him to capitalise on the vote.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Johnson was 'utterly unfit for the great office he holds' and accused Tory MPs of ignoring the British public after the vote.

He said: 'The Conservative Government now believes that breaking the law is no impediment to making the law.'

The result is likely to embolden Starmer's push to retake Wakefield for Labour on the June 23 by-election

How does Boris's result compare to previous Tory confidence votes? Boris Johnson - June 2022 211 votes in favour (59 per cent) 148 votes against (41 per cent) Majority: 63 Theresa May - December 2018 200 votes in favour (63 per cent) 117 votes against (37 per cent) Majority: 83 Iain Duncan Smith - October 2003 90 votes against (45.5 per cent) 75 votes for (55.5 per cent) Majority: 15 John Major - July 1995 218 votes for (66 per cent) 89 votes for challenger John Redwood (27 per cent) 22 abstentions (seven per cent) Majority: 129 Margaret Thatcher - November 1990 204 votes for (55 per cent) 152 votes for challenger Michael Heseltine (41 per cent) 16 abstentions (four per cent) Majority: 52 Margaret Thatcher - December 1989 314 votes for (90.5 per cent) 33 votes for challenger Sir Anthony Meyer (9.5 per cent) Majority: 281 Advertisement

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey says result means Tory MPs now 'fully responsible for the Prime Minister's behaviour'

Sir Ed said: '[Conservative MPs] have narrowly voted to keep a lawbreaker and liar in Number 10.

'Whilst Boris Johnson has clung on today - make no mistake, his reputation is in tatters and his authority is now totally shot.

'It's clear that the Prime Minister and the Conservative Party are laughing at the British public.

'Every Conservative MP who cares about integrity and decency must do the right thing, resign the whip and sit as an independent. For the sake of our country, this failing Prime Minister cannot be propped up any longer.

'Johnson is teetering on the brink. He is too cowardly to resign - the people of Tiverton and Honiton will speak for Britain in giving their verdict on Boris Johnson in two weeks time.'

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: 'That result is surely the worst of all worlds for the Tories.

'But much more importantly: at a time of huge challenge, it saddles the UK with an utterly lame duck PM.

'And for Scotland, it just underlines the democratic deficit - only 2 of (Scotland's) 59 MPs have confidence in the PM.'

Despite both reportedly harbouring leadership ambitions, Liz Truss and Michael Gove tweeted their support for Boris Johnson after his narrow victory.

The Foreign Secretary tweeted: 'Pleased that colleagues have backed the Prime Minister.

'I support him 100%. Now's the time to get on with the job.'

The Housing Secretary said it is time to 'focus on the people's priorities' now that the Prime Minister has 'secured' the trust of his MPs.

Gove wrote: 'The PM has secured the support of Conservative MPs - now we must carry out what we were elected to deliver - levelling up, cutting crime, securing the benefits of Brexit and improving public services.'

'Let's get on with delivery and focus on the people's priorities.'
Police allege Mr Shah, 60, trafficked the young man from Pakistan to Australia

Aeisha Shah, 49, allegedly kept her nephew as a slave

Wealthy cheesecake moguls are accused of trafficking their Pakistani nephew and enslaving him for two-and-a-half years.

Abid and Aeisha Shah, 60 and 49, were arrested at their palatial $4million home in Denham Court, in Sydney's west, on November 11 and charged with human trafficking and slavery.

Police allege the couple, who own five Cake Merchant stores around the city's western suburbs, promised the man - believed to be in his 20s - a better life in Australia, but denied him access to a bank account.

They allegedly took his passport and threatened him with deportation if he didn't work hard enough.

Mr and Mrs Shah were due to face three collective charges in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, but the matter was adjourned until July 19.

They are yet to enter a plea.

According to court documents seen by Daily Mail Australia, police will allege Mr Shah brought the man to Australia for the purpose of exploitation between February 2014 and September 2015.

He was charged with conducting business involving servitude between September 2015 and February 2018.

The Shahs were due to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on June 7. Pictured: Aeisha Shah before her arrest on November 11

Pictured: Abid Shah being escorted out of his resort-style home on November 11 last year

Mrs Shah was charged with conducting business involving servitude between August 2015 and October 2017.

The couple were granted bail on the day of their arrest and forced to surrender their passports.

They are not allowed to contact anyone outside Australia, are not allowed to go within 100 metres of any international point of departure, and have been banned from having a phone with internet access, unless it's only used for work purposes.

The arrested came after police received a report from the Fair Work Ombudsman in March 2018 that alleged a worker had been mistreated at one of their cake shops.

Police allege the family monitored their nephew's phone calls, kept him isolated from the community, made him work excessive hours and didn't pay him properly.

Abid Shah (pictured centre) was escorted out the gates of his mansion on November 11

Pictured: The $4million mansion where Abid Shah, 59, and Aeisha Shah, 48, live in Sydney's west

A spokeswoman from the Australian Federal Police previously confirmed the alleged slave lived with the family at the Denham Court estate.

Detectives raided The Cake Merchant stores in Liverpool, Campbelltown and Bonnyrigg, before they seized three mobile phones and financial documents during a search of the Shahs' home.

The Shahs, who operated their business under the name Sweet Incentive Pty Ltd, were granted bail and returned home ahead of a trial.

Mr Shah, who was born in Pakistan, has been charged with conducting a business involving the servitude of another person and deceive person re-entry and confiscation (aggravated).

He faces 12 years in jail if convicted.

Mrs Shah is charged with conducting a business involving the servitude of another person, and could spend the next 15 years behind bars.
Dozens of elite Parachute Regiment troops 'were recorded having an orgy with a woman who was smuggled inside their barracks'.

Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment of 16 Air Assault Brigade took part in what appeared to be a consensual orgy with a red-headed woman that was filmed, The Sun reported.

The woman had been smuggled into Merville Barracks in Colchester, Essex, and one soldier was even seen saluting as his friend had sex with the woman, it is believed.

Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment of 16 Air Assault Brigade reportedly took part in what according to reports appeared to be a consensual orgy with a red-headed woman that was filmed. The woman had been smuggled into Merville Barracks (pictured) in Colchester, Essex

Footage of the orgy has shocked army chiefs and forced the Royal Military Police to launch an investigation.

The main strands of investigation are how the woman was brought onto the base and whether any military orders were broken.

An Army spokesperson said: 'The Army expects the highest standards of behaviour from all personnel.

The Army describe 16 Air Assault Brigade as a 'specially trained' force that are 'equipped to deploy by parachute, helicopter and air-landing'. Pictured: Merville Barracks

'Anyone not maintaining these standards will be investigated.'

The Army describe 16 Air Assault Brigade as a 'specially trained' force that are 'equipped to deploy by parachute, helicopter and air-landing'.

Their man role is to help the Air Assault Task Force, a group of soldiers always at the ready for 'a full spectrum of missions, from non-combatant evacuation ops to war fighting'.
A political reporter at the Washington Post has been suspended after he retweeted a 'sexist' joke that said 'Every girl is bi. You just have to figure out if it's polar or sexual.'

David Weigel was suspended for one month without pay after he retweeted YouTuber Cam Harless, CNN reported.

The suspension is the latest in the ongoing drama at The Post which forced executive editor Sally Buzbee to send a memo on Sunday that reminded staffers 'to treat each other with respect and kindness both in the newsroom and online.'

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo jumped at the chance to criticize the newspaper this weekend, slamming it for a report it did on him last year. At the end of the Twitter thread, he wrote: 'Democracy dies when the media lies.'

Musk replied to the tweet with: 'There are still some great journalists at WaPo, but the trend is super bad.'

This week, the Washington Post suspended political reporter David Weigel for one month without pay after he retweeted a 'sexist' joke

Weigel retweeted a 'sexist' joke by Cam Harless that read, 'Every girl is bi. You just have to figure out if it's polar or sexual.' He has since been suspended

Elon Musk wrote that the Washington Post still has great journalists but the 'trend is super bad' in a tweet Monday responding to Christopher Rufo, who spouted criticism of the newspaper

Musk replied with: 'There are still some great journalists at WaPo, but the trend is super bad'

Weigel's retweet was spotlighted by his colleague Felicia Sonmez who tweeted that it is 'fantastic to work at a news outlet where retweets like this are allowed.'

Sonmez then confronted Weigel on the company's Slack channel, according to CNN, tagged him and wrote 'I'm sorry but what is this?'

Several people joined the discussion on Slack which prompted national editor Matea Gold to step in with, 'I just want to assure all of you that The Post is committed to maintaining a respectful workplace for everyone. We do not tolerate demeaning language or actions.'

Kris Coratti, chief spokesperson for The Post, issued a statement that read, 'Editors have made clear to the staff that the tweet was reprehensible and demeaning language or actions like that will not be tolerated.'

Weigel has apologized for the retweet, saying he 'did not mean to cause any harm.'

But the tension remains at the Washington Post, which is evident in back and forth Twitter feuds between employees.

Washington Post reporter Jose A. Del Real responded to Sonmez's initial tweet, stating that Weigel's tweet was 'terrible and unacceptable, but rallying the internet to attack him for a mistake he made doesn't actually solve anything. We all mess up in some way or another. There is such a thing as challenging with compassion.'

Sonmez responded: 'calling out sexism isn't "cruelty", but something that is 'absolutely necessary.'

The two continued their feud until Del Real temporarily deactivated his account. He reactivated it on Sunday after Sally Buzbee, executive editor of The Post, sent a memo to staffers 'to treat each other with respect and kindness both in the newsroom and online.'

'The Washington Post is committed to an inclusive and respectful environment free of harassment, discrimination or bias of any sort,' Buzbee wrote. 'When issues arise, please raise them with leadership or human resources and we will address them promptly and firmly.'

Following the statement, Del Real then tweeted that he had faced 'an unrelenting series of attacks intended to tarnish my professional and personal reputation.'

Sonmez accused him of making 'false accusations and mischaracterizations' in his statement.

Breanna Muir, video technician for the Post, then responded to Buzbee's email with a tweet that showed that Micah Gelman, the head of the video team, had once misidentified her as 'Breanna Taylor.'

'If the Washington Post is committed to an inclusive and respectful environment free of harassment, discrimination or bias of any sort, then can someone please help me understand Micah Gelman and David Weigel's tweets/rts?' Muir tweeted.

'These tweets/rts not only hurt women in our newsroom but make it extremely difficult to do our best work,' Muir wrote. 'Ultimately, it creates a toxic work environment.'

Gelman had previously apologized to Muir for misidentifying her, CNN reported. A statement was also released by the company stating that Gelman 'apologized both publicly and privately for his mistake.'

Rufo had slammed the newspaper for a report it did on him last year and brought up the latest drama surrounding tech columnist Taylor Lorenz

Rufo's Twitter thread grabbed the attention of Musk who appeared to agree with him

Amid the ongoing drama at The Post, Rufo slammed the newspaper on Sunday for a report it did on him last year and brought up the latest drama surrounding tech columnist Taylor Lorenz.

'Taylor Lorenz is the rule, not the exception, at the Washington Post,' Rufo wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

'Last year, the paper ran a hit piece against me and had to retract or add six full paragraphs, admit to fabricating a timeline, and reverse a key accusation, which I proved was false.'

'The editors then tried to hide their errors through stealth edits and a completely misleading 'clarification.' Washington Post writers are grim and talentless mercenaries for the regime and have polluted a once-respected newspaper with smears, propaganda, and lies.'

'Democracy dies when the media lies,' he added.

Musk appeared to agree with Rufo with his response that 'the trend is super bad.'

Musk replied to Rufo's tweet on Monday, saying that the 'trend is super bad'

Lorenz, an 'internet culture' columnist for the Washington Post, was forced to walk back a claim that she was being 'relentlessly harassed' by an editor at Drudge Report - just hours after making the accusation in May.

She tweeted that an editor for Drudge Report had been 'calling and texting me relentlessly for the past couple of weeks.'

She also wrote that the editor then 'called my personal cellphone number, yelled at me when I asked him to leave me alone and said he would "blast my name all over Drudge Report until it ruins my career,"' in now-deleted tweets, according to FOX News.

But when Oliver Darcy, a senior media editor for CNN, contacted founder Matt Drudge, he said that he 'never contacted her, nor has anyone associated with Drudge Report.'

He added that he sent Lorenz an email asking for correction - and when she received the request she deleted her tweets about the alleged harassment and posted a clarification.

'For anyone who saw my post abt this man claiming to be from Drudge calling me nonstop, good news: I heard from Matt Drudge and this man has zero power over Drudge.

'He's claiming to be an editor all over the Internet, but he's not,' she tweeted, adding: 'Sorry to disappoint everyone saying Drudge is based.'

Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz, left, had accused an editor at the Drudge Report of harassing her online, but after founder Matt Drudge, right, asked for a correction she deleted her tweets

In a statement from the Washington Post, a spokesman clarified: 'Taylor was repeatedly contacted by someone who claimed to be a Drudge editor.

'As soon as she learned the person had no connection to the Drudge Report, she deleted the original tweet, and wrote a tweet apologizing for her comment.

The newspaper was forced to issue more corrections last week when Lorenz's story about the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial wrongly claimed she had reached out to two YouTubers for comment, Fox News reported.
A defiant family refuses to give up hope that they can provide a better life for their four-year-old girl who is allergic to almost everything around her.

Clara Clark suffers severe reactions to solid food, cold weather, mosquito bites and even the air and can only safely special eat infant baby formula with ice cubes being her 'treat food'.

Her mother Elisa Clark, 33, told Daily Mail Australia from her home in Townsville in North Queensland that her daughter was very brave.

Five different conditions have left four-year-old Clara Clark suffering constant severe allergic reactions to food, chemicals, cold and even mosquito bites, which leaves her stuck at home

'She has stopped complaining about constant reflux, and belly pain and body aches and only complains if its severe,' she said.

As a baby Clara was diagnosed with Mass Cell Activation Syndrome, which can cause anaphylactic shock in sufferers.

She was also diagnosed with four other conditions that affect her allergic responses.

Clara's condition deteriorated a year ago, when she began reacting even to her 15 'safe foods', and the only solid food she is trying are crumbs to test her tolerance.

Clara's mother Elisa Clark (left) said her daughter's condition deteriorated a year ago to the extent that she could no longer eat so-called 'safe' foods and now is sustained by infant baby formula

They all caused Clara severe stomach pains, severe acid reflux, and other symptoms associated with glucose intolerance.

Clara's allergies prevent her from attending kindergarten and threaten to stop her going to school.

Ms Clark said it could be hard to keep Clara's spirits up when she compared herself to other children.

'She is sad and asks me sometimes why no other kids have a sick tummy,' she said.

'She imagines what she could eat when her tummy is healed.

Ms Clark says Clara's allergies keep her inside most of the time and prevent her from going to kindergarten, however, the devoted mother is not giving up hope a cure can be found and is appealing for help to try new therapies

Elisa (left), Simon, Clara and Toby Clark pose for a photo as they struggle to meet the costs of Clara's medicines and treatments, especially as Elisa had to largely abandon her business

Clara also suffers reactions to chemicals in the air, the cold and mosquito bites and needs to be pre-medicated for any trip outside the home and especially into closed environments.

'She is bored as we are mostly home, or the playground if its quiet, no mozzies and if she is feeling well,' Ms Clark said.

'We stay home if she has a bad day. If she has a good day we can go on a playground for a little bit but not too long.'

Clara must sit up to sleep and takes volumes of medication, some of which have also started to cause reactions.

Elisa and her army husband Simon, 36, said they tried many remedies to alleviate Clara's suffering including treating their house for possible hidden mould, red light therapy, and many compounded medications and specialist visits.

Ms Clark refuses to give up hope that she can find a successful treatment for Clara.

'I cant accept it,' she said.

'Someone must know and I have a few ideas from her specialist but have no money left to do any of them. So I had to ask for help for her health.'

Clara poses with younger brother Toby, who has also been diagnosed with the same allergy-triggering conditions as Clara has but so far his reactions have not been as uncontrollable

Last year Ms Clark began clothes and accessory shopping website Ivory Orbs but had to largely abandon it.

'I started my business so I can work from home because of her (Clara's) condition, but last year she got so unwell and just kept getting worse so I can't continue now,' she said.

The Clark family launched a Go Fund Me account to help cover the $100 a week cost of her medication, specialist appointments, alternative treatments, and air purifiers as they desperately attempt to give Clara a better life.

'All we want is for Clara to be happy and stable so she can hopefully eat one day or go to school and just to be part of a normal life,' the fundraiser reads.

Elisa and Simon also have a one-year-old son Toby who has been diagnosed with the same conditions as Clara but the family has been able to keep him stable.
An Australian soldier has travelled 13,000km from home to fight in the war in Ukraine, saying he hopes to 'inspire' more people from around the world to join the battle against Russia's invasion.

Footage taken on the front line in Ukraine's Sievierodonetsk showed a group of troops known as the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, a military unit of foreigners helping the resistance against Russia, armed with weapons.

A path of destruction was seen as they drove through the war-torn streets, and what appeared to be Australian bushmasters lying on their sides, destroyed.

As the unit stop to regroup on a patch of grass, explosions are heard in the distance.

The unidentified Australian soldier said it was amazing to see so many foreigners like himself joining the fight in Ukraine.

An Australian soldier fighting in Ukraine hopes he will 'inspire' more people from around the world to join the battle against Russia's invasion, 13,000km away

Another international soldier, a 22-year-old man from Georgia said he wanted to be on the 'right side' of history

Footage taken on the front line in Ukraine's Sievierodonetsk shows one man with blood splashed across his face

'I think since coming here it's been amazing how many people from all around the world have come together to help out a country in need,' he said in a Radio Svoboda television report.

'I feel like it's really, really inspirational to have a lot of these guys with previous experience to actually lend their hand and step up and volunteer.

'I'm from Australia, it's quite far away, quite hard to get here, even I stepped up so hopefully I inspire more people to come here and do the same thing.'

A group of troops known as the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, a military unit of foreigners, are helping the resistance against Russia

Foreign volunteers are seen in Sievierodonetsk last week as they help Ukraine

Australians have repeatedly been warned by the government not to travel to Ukraine.

Defence Minister Richard Marles told reporters on Sunday he wasn't aware of the interview with the Australian soldier.

'Our message is that Australians should not be participating in foreign conflicts,' Mr Marles said.

Footage also showed one soldier with blood splashed across his face while driving in a military vehicle.

Foreign soldiers are seen armed in Sievierodonetsk

One soldier is seen in the back of a military vehicle as it travels through the streets on Sievierodonetsk

Also seen in the video was a 22-year-old 'kid' from Georgia, who said he felt like he doing the 'right thing'.

'We're going to push Russians back, it's going to take a day, a month or year it doesn't f**king matter,' he said.

'We are on the right side of history, we're going to make sure all of us are going to get back home with our families and make sure occupants are not going to do the same.'

Australians have repeatedly been warned by the government not to travel to Ukraine
Melbourne workers are refusing to return to the office after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted despite staff incentives created to lure workers back to the office.

A study of 88 central Melbourne businesses found 70 per cent of companies do not expect their workers to return to the office full time with only two out of five employees at their desks two days a week.

The survey conducted by The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry found employees were deterred by their commute and Covid fears.

The survey conducted by The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry found employees were not returning to the office deterred by their commute, Covid fears and their want for a work-life balance (pictured, cafe on Lygon Street Melbourne)

VECCI chief executive Paul Guerra said the findings showed a gradual return to the office with a large number of businesses adopting 'hybrid working arrangements'.

'What's encouraging is that people are coming back to the office and embracing the social connection and enhanced collaboration and learning that in-person working offers,' he told the Herald Sun.

'It's also good for our CBD businesses that benefit from greater trade.'

Mr Guerra said companies were offering staff incentives including free coffee, fitness sessions, and transport subsidies to lure their workers back into the office.

Melbourne's world record lockdown contributed to a major transition in the city's working culture with the CBD still relatively empty.

The Victorian capital spent 262 days under stay-at-home orders through the course of the pandemic, with the city's work from home mandate only lifting in February 25.

One in seven employees has not returned to the office since restrictions were lifted, despite government advice stating workers should be heading in three days a week.

'We know it's not limited to just Melbourne, as every CBD across the globe is dealing with the challenges of attracting office workers back,' Mr Guerra said.

Employees in Melbourne's city wanted a more flexible work schedule and were striving for a work-life balance after Covid caused a two-year workplace hiatus.

Companies were offering staff free coffee and transport subsidies to lure them back into the office after the state's world record Covid-19 lockdown caused a tow-year workplace hiatus

One in four employees worked three to four days a week with just 19 per cent clocking on for a full five days.

The survey found 39 per cent of businesses refrained from introducing a minimum number of days staff must work, while another 22 per cent required employees to return for at least three days.

Data released to a parliamentary committee last week revealed almost half of the state's 50,000 public service workers were refusing to go back to work regularly.

The data prompted calls for the government to mandate a return to work for all staff to help the CBD recovery

Almost half of Victoria's 50,000 public service workers were refusing to go back to work regularly.
A senior law lecturer and legal scholar at Georgetown University Law School has resigned rather than be fired following an investigation into a tweet about President Joe Biden's Supreme Court pick.

Since February, Ilya Shapiro, 43, has been on leave from Georgetown following a tweet he sent out that said Biden's pick for the court would be a 'lesser black woman.'

On February 25, Biden announced Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was his nominee to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court. Jackson was confirmed in April.

Shapiro's full tweet from January read: 'Objectively best pick for Biden is Sri Srinivasan, who is solid prog & v smart. Even has identity politics benefit of being first Asian (Indian) American. But alas doesnt fit into latest intersectionality hierarchy so well get lesser black woman. Thank heaven for small favors?'

Srinivasan is the chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Shapiro wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Monday that the dean of Georgetown, William Treanor, had previously cleared him of any wrongdoing because he sent the tweet six days before he took up his role at the school.

Treanor said in January that Shapiro's comments were 'appalling.'

Since February, Ilya Shapiro, 43, has been on leave from Georgetown following a tweet he sent out that said Biden's pick for the court would be a 'lesser black woman

This is the infamous tweet that Shapiro sent out in January 2022

Georgetown Law Dean William Treanor called Shapiro's comments 'appalling' but later cleared the lecturer of any wrongdoing

On June 2, Treanor announced in a statement that Shapiro had been cleared. Shapiro tweeted that he would be at work in Georgetown on June 3. However on June 6, Shapiro announced his resignation.

Shapiro wrote that despite being cleared: 'The [Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action] implicitly repealed Georgetowns Speech and Expression Policy and set me up for discipline the next time I transgress progressive orthodoxy.'

He added: 'Instead of participating in that slow-motion firing, I'm resigning.'

Following his clearance of any wrongdoing, Shapiro was due to take up a role as the senior lecturer and executive director at Georgetown University's Center for the Constitution.

President Joe Biden and newly confirmed Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson gather for a commemoration on the South Lawn of the White House in April 2022

Shapiro issued an apology for his remarks on January 28 after deleting the original tweet

Shapiro wrote in a separate resignation letter that due to his conservative opinions on abortion and affirmative action, that it would only be a matter of time before he fell foul of the school's progressive policies.

He added that he felt that Georgetown's policies are applied based on a person's political views.

The lecturer deleted the original offending tweet and then said: 'I apologize. I meant no offense, but it was an inartful tweet. I have taken it down.'

He added: 'A persons dignity and worth simply do not, and should not, depend on race, gender, or any other immutable characteristic. While its important that a wide variety of perspectives and backgrounds be respected in the judiciary, so blatantly using identity politics in choosing Supreme Court justices is discrediting to a vital institution.'

Shapiro wrote other tweets about President Joe Biden's promise to nominate Black woman to the Supreme Court

Another tweet stated: 'Because Biden said he's only consider[ing] black women for SCOTUS, his nominee will always have an asterisk attached. Fitting that the Court takes up affirmative action next term'

Shapiro had earlier tweeted: 'Because Biden said he'll only consider black women for SCTOUS, his nominee will always have asterisk attached. Fitting that the Court takes up affrimative action next term.'

He later conducted a poll on his page that asked his followers: 'Is Joe Biden racist and sexist for saying his Supreme Court nominee will be a black woman?' The choices were: 'Racist, Sexist, Both, Neither.'

Shapiro was subjected to an investigation into whether or not he violated Georgetown's policies of 'non-discrimination and on anti harassment.'

The conclusion of that investigation cleared Shapiro as he had not started in his role yet.

Shapiro was cleared of wrongdoing because he technically hadn't started in his role with the school yet

In his resignation letter, Shapiro made reference to this tweet from fellow Georgetown employee Professor Christine Fair

In his resignation later, Shapiro made reference to Georgetown professor Carol Christine Fair's tweet about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Fair tweeted during Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing: 'Look at this chorus of entitled white men justifying a serial rapists arrogated entitlement. All of them deserve miserable deaths while feminists laugh as they take their last gasps. Bonus: we castrate their corpses and feed them to swine? Yes.'

Fair was not subjected to any investigation over her words. She is associate professor in the Security Studies Program within the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown.

Shapiro wrote in his resignation letter: 'When Prof. Fair advocated murder and castration based on race and gender, Georgetown did not initiate an investigation, but instead invoked Georgetowns free expression policy.'

He wrote in the letter that he 'could not again subject my family to the public attacks on my character and livelihood' due to Georgetown's 'hostile work environment.'

Shapiro continued: 'I won't live this way. I have no choice but to resign.'

In 2009, Shapiro wrote an op-ed for CNN when President Barack Obama nominated Justice Sonya Sotomayor as his nominee the the Supreme Court.

Shapiro wrote: 'While Judge Sotomayor exemplifies the American Dream, she would not have even been on the short list if she were not Hispanic.'

The day before announcing his resignation, Shapiro said that he and wife were expecting twins

The day before Shapiro announced his resignation from Georgetown, he revealed that he and his wife, fellow lawyer Kristin Shapiro, were expecting twins.

His wife was formerly an advisor in the Department of Justice between November 2019 and May 2022.

Previously, Kristin Shapiro had been an assistant general counsel in the US House of Representatives, offering legal advice to members on their duties and representing the House in legal matters.

At the time of writing, Shapiro's profile is still active on Georgetown's website.

Prior to working at Georgetown, as a vice president for the Cato Institute and as a director at the Robert A. Levy Center of Constitutional Studies.

Shapiro is the author of books such as: 'Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America's Highest Court' and 'Religious Liberties for Corporations? Hobby Lobby, the Affordable Carea Act, and the Constitution.'

He received his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. Shapiro said in a 2018 Politico interview that he grew up in Canada after emigrating from the Soviet Union.

In the interview Shapiro said that he 'always preferred life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness to peace, order, and good government.
The Tamil family will return home to Biloela just in time for their daughter's fifth birthday - the first year she will celebrate it outside of detention.

Priya and Nadesalingam Murugappan, and their two daughters Kopika, six, and Tharnicaa, four, will start their journey home to the central Queensland town on Wednesday.

Tharnicaa will turn five on Sunday, with the family now able to return to the life they once had after spending three years in detention on Christmas Island.

Her previous four birthdays had all been spent in detention, either on Christmas Island or in Melbourne when she was one.

The Tamil family will return home to Biloela just in time for their daughter's fifth birthday - the first year she will celebrate it outside of detention

Priya and Nadesalingam Murugappan will be able to throw their daughter a real birthday party for her fifth birthday

The family had been fighting to stay in Biloela since they were removed from their home in 2018 after Priya's bridging visa expired and Nades' refugee status claim was rejected.

They were taken to a detention centre in Melbourne before going to Christmas Island in August, 2019.

The Labor government had promised they would be able to go home if they were elected into government.

The family, of which the three eldest members have been granted bridging visas, had been living in Perth awaiting their fate since Tharnicca had to be medically evacuated from the island with a blood infection in June.

The Tamil family had been in a high-profile battle to remain in Australia after spending years in detention

Kopika (left) and Tharnicaa (right) were pulled out of school in Queensland and sent to a detention centre

Nadesalingam and Priya Murugappan had fled Sri Lanka after the country's civil war, arriving separately on people-smuggling vessels in 2012 and 2013.

The couple met in Australia, married in 2014 and were both granted temporary visas settling in Biloela, where they had two daughters, Kopika, six and Tharunicaa, four.

The decision to keep the family in detention sparked widespread outrage across Australia as their community and supporters across Australia rallied to have the family brought home.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the cost to the family's health and the economic cost of their detention provided a clear reason to resolve the case.

'You can have strong borders without being weak on humanity,' he said last month.

Labor's interim Home Affairs Minister Jim Chalmers granted the family bridging visas while they work to receive permanent residencies.
31 May 2022  The World Health Organization (WHO) is partnering with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to sustain the COVID-19 response and essential services at targeted health care facilities, combined with community-based interventions.

These focused and extensive health interventions will be carried out by WHO in Yemen over the next 10 months, with US$ 10.86 million in total project funding from KSrelief. Interventions are being guided by vulnerability assessessments of exacerbating factors such as morbidity, environmental hazards and social determinants of health. The interventions will follow 2 reinforcing tracks of action:

Providing equipment, medicines and materials worth US$ 6.23 million to limit transmission of the COVID-19 response in Yemen and help health authorities to reduce the number of cases referred to health facilities; and

Providing equipment and medicines worth US$ 2.17 million to sustain and improve the quality of essential services of health facilities and laboratories in priority districts of Yemen.

Project interventions focus on sustaining the COVID-19 response in Yemen to limit transmission of the virus and help health authorities reduce cases referred to health facilities. This grant will build on existing actions and services currently being undertaken to improve the COVID-19 response and expand programme delivery. These interventions should directly or indirectly benefit some 4.5 million of 7.3 million people who are targeted by Yemen's Humanitarian Response Plan.

Project interventions to sustain essential health services will focus partially on strengthening epidemiological and laboratory surveillance to reduce the prevalence of outbreaks. The needed equipment, supplies and medicines will also be procured for essential health services spanning treatment of noncommunicable diseases, general care, child health, reproductive and maternal health, dialysis, and other services. These interventions should directly or indirectly benefit some 2.5 million people. Interventions will aim to improve prevention, response and referral capacities of primary and secondary health care facilities that are overwhelmed with patients requiring critical care. Community-based interventions will also be expanded to reduce these pressures on health care facilities across Yemen.

All project activities will be implemented in close coordination with the Ministry of Public Health in Sanaa and Aden. WHO will ensure their sustainability through coordination mechanisms and capacity-building with national public and civil society organizations. WHO Yemen will work closely with all stakeholders and partners to design specific interventions and monitor pre-determined indicators.

Senior staff and management at the WHO country office and the regional and headquarters level will also work with senior officials of the Ministry to ensure that resources are utilized appropriately and that lessons learned are shared with stakeholders and partners.

The provision of essential services at health care facilities across Yemen remains very challenging, as the majority of Yemens 30.7 million people are in need of of these services, said Dr Adham Dr Adham Rashad Ismail Abdel-Moneim, WHO Representative to Yemen. These interventions to be carried out by WHO, in partnership with KSrelief, over the next 10 months will be of critical benefit to millions of people across Yemen, even as only about half the countrys health facilities are fully functioning at present.
China has warned Australia after an RAAF spy plane was intercepted by one of the superpower's fighter jets over the South China Sea.

The Chinese J-16 aircraft flew dangerously close to a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon, which was conducting routine surveillance in international airspace.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the May 26 incident 'an act of aggression and a dangerous act against the Australian airforce' during a trip to Indonesia.

Defence Minister Richard Marles blasted it as a 'dangerous manoeuvre' by the J-16 fighter jet while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raised his concerns directly with the Chinese government (pictured, stock image of a J-16 fighter jet)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry insisted the communist dictatorship 'would not allow' violations of it's 'sovereignty and security' which 'endanger peace and stability' in the region.

'China will never allow any country to violate China's sovereignty and security in the name of freedom of navigation, and endanger peace and stability in the South China Sea,' it said.

'China once again urges the Australian side to earnestly respect China's national security interests and major concerns, and to be cautious in words and deeds, so as to avoid misjudgment and serious consequences.'

A P-8 Poseidon is seen with two Pilatus PC9 planes over Adelaide, Thursday, September 26, 2019

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and Defence Minister Richard Marles (right) have both criticised an incident between a Chinese fighter jet and an Australian surveillance plane

The J-16 narrowly cut in front of the P-8A and released aluminum strips, known as 'chaff', that went into the Australian plane's engine.

The Global Times, the Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece, published an opinion piece accusing Australia of acting like a 'little bully'.

China is involved in several territorial disputes in the South China Sea with neighbouring nations including the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei.

The Global Times claimed the Australian Government failed to address several questions about the operation in the South China Sea.

'For example, where exactly in the South China Sea is the area in which the incident occurred?' it read.

'How far is it from the Chinese islands and reefs in the region? What is their purpose here? Furthermore, what did the Australian military aircraft do before the intercept?'

China has warned Australia after an incident in which an RAAF spy plane was intercepted by one of the superpower's fighter jets over the South China Sea

A Chinese J-16 aircraft flew dangerously close to a RAAF P-8A Poseidon, which was conducting routine surveillance in international airspace

The propaganda outlet said it was the latest claim made by Australia in its campaign of 'groundless' accusations against China.

On February 17, the Australian Defence Force said a Chinese navy vessel directed a laser at a P-8A Poseidon as it flew over Australia's northern approaches.

The ADF warned it could have endangered the safety and lives of military personnel.

The Global Times claimed there was evidence proving the P-8A was flying too close to the Chinese vessel and said the Australian military had become a 'professional for blackmail'.
An Australian judge has ordered social media giant Twitter hand over the personal details of an anonymous user before a planned defamation case.

Far right activist Avi Yemini asked the Federal Court to force Twitter to expose the real identity of the Twitter user known as PRGuy.

Mr Yemini wants to sue the user, but can't without knowing their real identity.

Twitter was given 14 days to hand over to Mr Yemini basic subscriber details, under orders handed down by Justice Debbie Mortimer on Tuesday.

Twitter was ordered to hand over the details of @PRGuy17, with the federal court giving the social media giant 14 days

Avi Yemini will likely be able to sue PR Guy for defamation

Those include the name used on the account at the time the information is to be produced, as well as the email address used at the time of registration and production.

IP address details including at the time of registration, from December 31 last year to February 11 this year, and from March 12 to May 20 this year are also to be given to Mr Yemini.

Twitter last month challenged Mr Yemini's application and had intended to take the issue to a hearing.

The parties were told that could not happen before September at the earliest.

The order also requires Mr Yemini file a notice to discontinue his action against Twitter.
Jacinda Ardern is travelling to Australia this week, and will become the first head of government to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Australian soil.

The New Zealand and Australian leaders will meet informally in Sydney on Thursday night and hold bilateral talks on Friday.

'The relationship between New Zealand and Australia is like family,' Ms Ardern said.

Jacinda Ardern (pictured) is travelling to Australia this week, and will become the first head of government to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Australian soil

The New Zealand and Australian leaders will meet informally in Sydney on Thursday night and hold bilateral talks on Friday (pictured, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese)

'I am very much looking forward to meeting Prime Minister Albanese in person following our recent phone conversations.

'I know it will be the first of many as New Zealand and Australia continue to co-operate closely in a world of increasing challenges.'

The meeting brings the leaders together with centre-left governments in power on both sides of the Tasman Sea for just the second year in the past 32.

The pair have met previously, informally through Labor-Labour networks and formally in offshoot meetings alongside Ms Ardern's engagements with former prime minister Scott Morrison.

Showing the warmth of the relationship, Mr Albanese called Ms Ardern from his car on the way to give his election-night victory speech.

Showing the warmth of the relationship, Mr Albanese (right) called Ms Ardern (left) from his car on the way to give his election-night victory speech

There is much to discuss.

The relationship was on the brink of souring in 2020 when Ms Ardern, on her last visit to Sydney, confronted Mr Morrison over Australia's policy of deporting Kiwis who do not have family or community ties in NZ.

'Do not deport your people and your problems,' Ms Ardern memorably told Mr Morrison, in an arresting moment of forcefulness from a New Zealand leader.

That issue remains a major bugbear in New Zealand, where authorities believe untethered deportees contribute to gang-related crime.

New Zealand is hopeful of a breakthrough, or at least a softening.

'Obviously that issue is one that we are looking forward to conversations on,' Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson told AAP.

'We don't think the policy is fair or just and we are going to be seeking for the new government to make changes.

'We don't think the policy is fair or just and we are going to be seeking for the new government to make changes' (pictured, New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson)

'There have been comments on the public record by Anthony Albanese that indicate he is prepared to at least look at it again.'

The Pacific is also firmly on the agenda given China's emboldened diplomacy in the region over the past few months.

Like Mr Morrison's government, Ms Ardern's administration stands accused of lapsed engagement in the region, and the two nations could seek a united position ahead of crunch Pacific Islands Forum meetings next month.

Beyond that, the depth of the trans-Tasman relationship means the potential agenda is vast.

Like Mr Morrison's government, Ms Ardern's (pictured) administration stands accused of lapsed engagement in the region, and the two nations could seek a united position ahead of crunch Pacific Islands Forum meetings next month

'I expect on the agenda will be developments in our region like climate change, the Indo Pacific Economic Framework, AUKUS, and the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum,' Ms Ardern said.

The meeting will also give Mr Albanese a chance to rub shoulders with the woman who regularly tops polls of Australians' favourite world leader.

Ms Ardern is well-liked in Australia, and her brand of consensus-seeking 'kindness' politics appears a neat fit with Australia's rejection of business-as-usual dealings at the federal election.

Mr Robertson said that did not mean the time was right for New Zealand to seek leverage over its bigger sibling.

'I don't think it quite works like that. The relationship between New Zealand and Australia is the important thing here,' he said.

'You've got to deal with the issues and manage and develop the relationships regardless of who might be in office or who might be popular in a given poll.'

Mr Robertson - who will also travel to Sydney this week for separate talks with Treasurer Jim Chalmers (pictured) - predicted Mr Albanese 'will make a very good prime minister'

Mr Robertson - who will also travel to Sydney this week for separate talks with Treasurer Jim Chalmers - predicted Mr Albanese 'will make a very good prime minister'.

'He's a very experienced politician,' he said.

'He's somebody who's got a deep set of values ... and he's clearly motivated to make some changes in Australia.'
A Sydney woman wanted by police has captured the hearts of Australians after her glamorous mugshot was circulated on social media.

The Northern Beaches Area Command posted a photo of Jocelyn Laird, 44, and said she was wanted on an outstanding warrant.

Police said they were appealing for public assistance in locating the 44-year-old and that she was known to frequent the Manly area.

The post was quickly inundated with comments from social media users with some taking the opportunity to praise her physical appearance.

The Northern Beaches Area Command posted a photo of Jocelyn Laird, 44, and said she was wanted on an outstanding warrant on Tuesday

One commenter asked what the warrant was for, to which another replied: 'taking my breath away' (pictured)

'Wanted for stealing my heart,' another wrote

One commenter asked what the warrant was for, to which another replied: 'taking my breath away'.

'Wanted for stealing my heart,' another wrote.

The bizarre comments forced police to limit the comments on the Facebook post.

Local publication Manly Observer also deleted and then disabled comments on a similar post and explained why in the comments.

'Thank you all for your feedback - comments have been deleted and disabled. We would like to remind those have criticised that this is absolutely an appropriate post for this page,' the publications said.

'Police have sent the photo and information to us as a matter of public safety news and we have shared similar broadcasts on countless occasions as all and any news sites do.'

One woman defended the wanted woman and asked users not to be so judgmental.

'Would be nice if people could stop being so visually judgmental and verbally victimising on community calls for help,' she wrote.

Anyone who sees or knows of the whereabouts of Jocelyn Laird has been asked to contact Dee Why Police or Crime Stoppers.
Police are on the hunt for a two-metre tall man and a woman after a taxi driver was hospitalised in a brutal attack.

The 58-year-old taxi driver picked up the couple on Hunter Street, in Sydney's CBD, about 11pm on Monday.

Detectives said the taxi travelled a short distance and stopped on Macquarie Street where an argument started and the driver was allegedly attacked.

The man and woman fled the scene after passersby intervened in the alleged attack

The man and woman fled the scene after passersby intervened in the alleged attack.

Paramedics treated the driver for head and facial injuries and drove him to St Vincent's Hospital where he is in a stable condition.

The man and woman were last seen on Castlereagh Street and police released CCTV footage of the couple who they believe could help with their inquiries.

The man is described as being of Indian appearance, about 200cm tall with a slim build, short black hair and clean shaven.

He was seen wearing a white long-sleeve jumper, black pants, and white shoes.

The woman is described as being Caucasian, about 155cm tall, with long blond hair.

She was last seen seen wearing a dark brown coloured winter coat, black pants and pink heels.
Katie Price has dodged jail for a third time after being given an 11th hour postponement of her bankruptcy court hearing.

The former model had been due to attend the Royal Court of Justice to explain to a judge why she has failed to repay millions owed to creditors.

But the hearing was adjourned at the last minute with her solicitors giving no reason for the 43-year old's no show before the court.

A spokesman for her solicitors JMW Solicitors said they had no comment while a spokesman for the Royal Court of Justice said the case had been 'vacated' with a new date for a hearing to be arranged.

It is the third time the mum of five  who is already facing a jail sentence over breaching a restraining order  has successfully put off appearing before a bankruptcy judge.

A November 2021 hearing was put off until February and that hearing was postponed with creditors told Price had agreed paid off a 'substantial sum' of money owed.

Katie Price (pictured in May alongside fiance Carl Woods) is currently facing a probe into how she funds her 'luxury lifestyle' despite being ordered to pay millions of pounds of debts accrued by her company Jordan Trading Ltd.

Earlier this year a source claimed Price (seen in May), who was declared bankrupt in 2019 and ordered to cough up 12,000 a month to settle her debts, had 'not been engaging fully in paying creditors'

Today's hearing was adjourned at the last minute with her solicitors giving no reason for the 43-year old's no show before the court (Katie pictured last month in court)

The bankruptcy judge has the power to jail Price if he is shown evidence she has failed to meet her agreed obligations to pay off creditors.

Price was declared bankrupt in 2019 with debts of 3.2m from her failed company Jordan Trading Ltd, that was set up to oversee her perfume and cosmetics line.

She has been due to explain to a judge details of her income from her TV work, including a Channel 4 show following renovations of her 2m country home.

Despite being bankrupt Price has seemingly led a lavish life, including exotic holidays with boyfriend Carl Woods to Las Vegas and Thailand.

While Price was a no show at the bankruptcy hearing she is due back in court later this month to be sentenced for breaching a restraining order against her ex's new partner.

Price was arrested on January 21 on suspicion of breaking the order against Michelle Penticost with a foul-mouthed text to her former partner.

The message read: 'Tell your c****ng w**** piece of s*** girlfriend not to start on me.

The reality star, who is currently facing a probe into how she funds her lifestyle, will appear at the High Court (pictured) on a date to be fixed

The probe comes as she is reportedly earning hundreds of thousands of pounds in brand deals and a reported 45,000 for her Mucky Mansion show on Channel 4

The mother-of-five was arrested on January 21 on suspicion of breaking her restraining order against Michelle Penticost (pictured right) with a foul-mouthed text to her ex Kieran (pictured left)

'She has a restraining order so shouldn't try to antagonise me as she is in breach and I'm sure she doesn't want people knowing that she was having an affair with you behind my back. That gutter s***.'

Price pleaded guilty and warned she faces an immediate prison sentence on June 24.

Last year the former glamour model was also handed a 16-week suspended sentence and two-year driving ban for flipping her uninsured BMW X5 into a hedge while disqualified and under the influence on a country lane near her home in West Sussex on September 28.

Price was handed a suspended prison sentence because she complied with a requirement to attend the 6,800-a-week rehab centre.
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Thousands of British holidaymakers again faced chaos again at UK airports today as easyJet cancelled nearly 50 more flights, while other families stranded in Europe were scrambling to get home after being told there were no seats available on flights for several days.

Travellers crossed borders instead of waiting as they raced to return to work and school after half-term, with some saying they were unable to get through to customer service teams of airlines on the phone to try to rebook.

Some whose flights were cancelled on Saturday were told it would take until Friday for the next available seats, so were forced to spend hundreds of pounds for new flights or other modes of transport such as Eurostar trains.

Among them were teachers needing to get back to the classroom and A-level pupils who risk missing exams after easyJet cancelled more than 300 flights across Europe in the past three days, with more than 2,000 delayed.

Families impacted including the O'Hara family from Sussex whose easyJet flight home from Fuerteventura on Saturday was cancelled - with the next available tickets on Friday. A couple from Lincolnshire also had an easyJet flight home from Montenegro cancelled on Saturday, and were told Thursday was the earliest they could get back.

It comes as travel agents are being inundated with phone calls from customers fearing their summer holidays will be disrupted, with about a third of calls at present being from those worried about bookings for July and August.

EasyJet axed 46 flights today, including 20 at Gatwick and seven at Luton. The Gatwick departures were flights to Amsterdam, Luqa, Rijeka, Copenhagen, Bastia, Nantes, Milan and Bordeaux - and the arrivals were from Gran Canaria, Pafos, Lanzarote, Kos, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Rijeka, Luqa, Bastia, Nantes, Bordeaux and Milan.

Wizz Air also cancelled two arrivals at Gatwick from Tel Aviv and Faro. At Luton, there were three easyJet arrivals cancelled from Amsterdam, Lisbon and Palermo; and four departures to Bristol, Amsterdam, Lisbon and Palermo.

Bristol Airport, which has been one of the worst-hit airports, was badly affected again today with a total of 16 easyJet cancellations - including seven departures to Split, Pula, Edinburgh, Inverness, Olbia, Bilbao and Geneva; and nine arrivals from Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Luton, Edinburgh, Pula, Split, Bucharest, Inverness and Bilbao.

In Scotland, easyJet also cancelled four flights at Edinburgh and four flights at Glasgow today - all of which were arrivals or departures to Bristol or Amsterdam. At Inverness, one departure and arrival from Bristol were axed.

While the total number of cancelled easyJet flights at airports today is 53, the actual total is 46 because seven are duplicates - ie Edinburgh to Bristol is listed twice, once as an Edinburgh departure and once as a Bristol arrival.

Some 124 British Airways flights at London Heathrow Airport were cancelled today, although the airline stressed that affected passengers were given plenty of advance notice with these services all axed a few months ago.

UK airline passengers have been hit by disruption for several months due to a lack of staff after the companies let thousands of people go during the pandemic. Airlines, airports and ground handling firms are now struggling to recruit new staff and have their security checks processed amid a surge in demand since restrictions were lifted.

Among those caught up in the chaos this morning was Diego Garcia Rodriguez, 32, a Spanish national who lives in Brighton. He told how passengers were left in tears at Gatwick due to the last-minute cancellations, adding: 'I'm flying from Gatwick to Barcelona and I was at the airport three hours before but almost didn't make it to board.

'The flight hasn't been delayed so far but I have seen lots of people whose flights have been cancelled, some crying and stressing out and they only got the news after having gone through the security control so they didn't know how to get out. There was no information and it was all very chaotic.'

Meanwhile, hundreds of check-in and ground staff employed by British Airways at Heathrow began voting today on a summer of strike action. Members of the Unite and GMB unions are being balloted in a dispute over pay.

And the Spanish government said today that the country's police will hire 200 extra officials to handle the flow of tourists at Madrid Barajas Airport this summer, taking the total to 600 after a surge in passengers in recent weeks.

Also today, Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, which represents independent travel agents, said that its members are receiving 'a significant number of calls' from concerned customers.

BRISTOL AIRPORT: Huge queues once again this morning at Bristol Airport which has been badly hit by the airport chaos

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Large queues at Manchester Airport this morning as the airport chaos continues to affect tourists

LONDON HEATHROW AIRPORT: Huge queues at the UK Border at London Heathrow this morning as disruption continues

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT: Passengers endure large queues for check-in at Wizz Air desks at London Gatwick this morning

EDINBURGH AIRPORT: A picture of huge numbers of suitcases in a cordoned-off area at Edinburgh Airport was tweeted today

BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT: Huge queues for security at Birmingham Airport at 5am this morning as the airport chaos continues

She said: 'About 30 per cent of all calls that they're receiving now are from customers that are reading the headlines, have bookings for July and August in the school holidays, and they are worried.'

Ms Bue-Said acknowledged that the situation is 'hideous and disappointing' for passengers whose flights are being cancelled.

Family are 'left to fend for themselves'... with a 1,000 bill to get home Jenny O'Hara and her partner should have been back at work yesterday and their three sons at primary school. Instead, they faced being stuck in the Canary Islands for another week after easyJet suddenly cancelled their return flight and left them struggling to find somewhere to stay on the busy resort. Jenny O'Hara and her partner Tom with sons Harrison, Rupert and Elyott who are now stuck in the Canary Islands Miss O'Hara, a project manager from Crowborough, East Sussex, flew to Fuerteventura last Monday for a five-day Tui holiday along with sons Elyott, 11, and Rupert, eight, plus partner Tom Nowell, 37, a marketing manager, and his son Harrison, nine. But when they arrived at the airport on Saturday for their flight home, they were shocked to see it displayed as cancelled. Airline staff arranged for one night's accommodation and told them the next available tickets would be on Friday  meaning they would miss a whole week of work and school. She said: 'It's been a nightmare end to the holiday. We feel like easyJet have abandoned us. I can't believe how we've been left to fend for ourselves like this.' Determined to get home sooner, they booked a new flight from Lanzarote scheduled for tomorrow  leaving them out of pocket by more than 1,000 as they also had to pay for another three nights' accommodation plus the ferry transfer. Tui said it had not been made aware of the cancellation by easyJet and the airline apologised for the incident. Advertisement

But she said travel agents are attempting to reassure customers that 'in the vast majority of cases flights are departing and arriving'. Ms Bue-Said added: 'We're trying to give a bit of perspective.'

She also revealed that the number of people who jetted off during last week's half-term school holiday was 21 per cent higher than 2019 levels, while summer holiday bookings are at around 80 per cent of normal.

This represents a 'huge surge in demand' compared with the previous two years when the industry was 'shut down' due to coronavirus restrictions. She said: 'The significant surge has created a bottleneck in the system.

'The industry is now working really hard to make sure that over the next few weeks we are building resilience and scaling up as much as we can from a workforce point of view to meet customer demand and, frankly, give them a much better experience in some cases than they're experiencing now.'

She added: 'I'm confident that the industry will get to a point where these bottlenecks will be sorted.'

EasyJet said last night that it will continue to axe at least 30 flights a day with passengers set to typically receive just three days' notice.

Dozens of the cancellations were made at the last minute and affected customers said they were not being offered alternative flights home for several days.

This is despite them having the right to be booked on an alternative flight as close to their original departure time as possible  even if it is with a rival airline. They are also entitled to food and hotel expenses.

But easyJet customers said it was near impossible to contact customer services in search of answers.

Budget airline Wizz Air also made dozens of cancellations over the weekend.

British Airways axed more than 100 short-haul flights at Heathrow yesterday, although it stressed that affected passengers were informed several weeks in advance.

Holiday firm Tui is cancelling six daily flights at Manchester until the end of the month.

There were 40 flights cancelled to the UK yesterday, with about 6,535 seats, according to data from Cirium.

Its data claimed that easyJet cancelled 28 and Wizz Air cancelled six. Most flights cancelled were from Spain or the Canary Islands, and then the Netherlands.

The aviation industry is struggling to cope with the post-pandemic rise in demand for foreign travel at a time of severe staff shortages.

Some operators were accused of letting passengers make bookings that could not be fulfilled.

Father-of-four Joe Murray, from Milton Keynes, booked return flights to Tenerife which were due to land back in the UK tomorrow in time for Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT: Huge queues for check-in on Ryanair flights at London Gatwick Airport this morning

GLASGOW AIRPORT: Huge queues at Glasgow Airport at 5am this morning as UK passengers continue to face disruption

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT: A passenger who tweeted this photograph from Gatwick today faced a long wait for security

But his family missed the four-day weekend after Wizz Air cancelled their return flight twice.

EasyJet has cancelled nearly 50 flights today GATWICK  20 8 departures: Amsterdam, Luqa, Rijeka, Copenhagen, Bastia, Nantes, Milan and Bordeaux

12 arrivals: Gran Canaria, Pafos, Lanzarote, Kos, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Rijeka, Luqa, Bastia, Nantes, Bordeaux and Milan LUTON  7 4 departures: Bristol, Amsterdam, Lisbon and Palermo

3 arrivals: Amsterdam, Lisbon and Palermo BRISTOL  16 7 departures: Split, Pula, Edinburgh, Inverness, Olbia, Bilbao and Geneva

9 arrivals: Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Luton, Pula Edinburgh, Split, Bucharest, Inverness and Bilbao EDINBURGH  4 2 departures: Bristol and Amsterdam

2 arrivals: Bristol and Amsterdam GLASGOW - 4 2 departures: Bristol and Amsterdam

2 arrivals: Bristol and Amsterdam INVERNESS  2 1 departure: Bristol

1 arrival: Bristol The total number of cancelled easyJet flights at airports today is 53, but the actual total is 46 because seven are duplicates - ie Edinburgh to Bristol is listed twice, once as an Edinburgh departure and once as a Bristol arrival Advertisement

Mr Murray, who has four young daughters, said: 'The curriculum is packed and losing three days from school post-Covid isn't good. There isn't time to really catch up.

'Wizz Air have had since last Wednesday to get us home, have cancelled once while we had checked in and were waiting at the gate, and the other four hours before the flight. It's not good enough.'

Kelly, a teacher from Lincolnshire, and her husband, who is also a teacher, had their flight home from Montenegro with easyJet cancelled at the last minute on Saturday. They were told Thursday was the earliest they could get back to the UK.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'They told us we could have a flight on Thursday.

'But obviously we're teachers so we're very keen to get back to school so there's less disruption for the children, which is why we're travelling to a different country [to try to get home sooner].

'We will have had three bus journeys of about 12 hours in total. Fingers crossed tomorrow easyJet won't cancel our flight for a second time and we'll manage to get home.

'But we're having to fly into Bristol rather than Gatwick, we've then got to get to Gatwick [to collect our car] and then back home to Lincoln.'

A blame game broke out between ministers and the industry over the fiasco last week.

Aviation chiefs sought to point the finger at the Government for not giving enough notice when lifting all Covid travel restrictions in March.

But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps accused carriers of 'poor planning and overbooking flights that they cannot service'.

There are fears of even worse chaos when the peak summer season begins in around six weeks' time.

Ministers are considering plans to force airlines to give automatic refunds for travel disruption.

Affected travellers, who must apply for compensation manually, have reported waiting several weeks to receive money back.

Some operators have claimed cancellations or delays are not their fault, meaning they are not liable.

Travel consultancy The PC Agency estimated that at least 15,000 passengers were affected by 'last-minute changes' to flights on Sunday.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Huge queues at Manchester Airport Terminal One this morning as the airport chaos continues

BRISTOL AIRPORT: People wait to check-in at Bristol Airport this morning amid huge queues once again today

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Large queues at Manchester Airport this morning as the airport chaos continues to affect tourists

Chief executive Paul Charles said this caused 'major knock-on effects' and 'it will take three days to clear the backlog'.

Couple whose easyJet flight from Berlin to Luton was cancelled drove through the night after borrowing relative's car Clare and Christian Engelke, pictured on holiday in Berlin After Clare and Christian Engelke's flight home from Berlin to London Luton was cancelled, the couple resorted to borrowing a car and driving through the night to get to work by lunchtime. When easyJet informed them in a text message on Sunday lunchtime that their 10.55pm flight had been cancelled, there were no alternative flights available until tomorrow. Needing to get back to work and pick up their 15-year-old daughter  who had been staying with relatives  from school on their return to Codsall near Wolverhampton yesterday, they embarked on an 850-mile overnight dash. They had to spend 180 on fuel and 178 on the Eurotunnel, and also then had to pick up their car in Luton after paying 10 to extend the parking. In addition, the couple  who only flew out on Friday to visit friends  still have the car borrowed from company director Mr Engelke's German parents. Mrs Engelke, a freelance marketing consultant, said the volume of cancellations had been 'crazy'. 'We are lucky we have mobile phones and used our initiative to call on lovely friends who we met in Berlin  seeing them for the first time in three years due to the pandemic  and family in Germany who have lent us a car to get us home,' she said. 'We now have a German car in England that we have to take back eventually.' Advertisement

He said: 'We're now seeing the impact of the weekend's cancellations with knock-on effects for tens of thousands of travellers.

'So many flights were never rescheduled after the pandemic, so there often isn't the frequency of flights to get passengers back quickly if they are affected.

'We're going to see a large number of compensation claims from those stuck abroad.

'Sadly it can take three days to get flights back to normal and get people back.'

Downing Street said ministers and officials had been meeting with aviation industry leaders and Border Force to increase 'resilience for the sector throughout the summer' to avert further travel chaos.

But the Prime Minister's official spokesman said it was ultimately down to the aviation industry to address staff shortages.

He added: 'We fully understand that the aviation industry  like many others  has faced significant challenges during the pandemic.

'But ultimately they are responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand and we have been clear they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.'

Meanwhile, passengers at Gatwick were left frustrated yesterday when dozens of flights were cancelled.

Departures to Tel Aviv in Israel, Krakow in Poland, Malaga in Spain, and Sicily in Italy were among those affected as the aviation sector continues to be hit by staff shortages.

The late cancellation of the Wizz Air flight to Sicily sparked anger, with security staff stepping in after one man became agitated and started shouting at staff.

Rosie, 28, who did not give her surname, was booked on the flight with her husband and their two children, aged two and 18 months, to visit her husband's relatives on the Italian island.

The family, from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, were at the departure gate when they were informed the flight had been cancelled.

Rosie said: 'His family haven't met our two children yet - because of Covid we haven't been able to get out there, and I've been pregnant so haven't been able to go. We wanted them to go and meet his family.

'The whole time we were told our flight was running on time, we then got told our flight was delayed by an hour. We then came to the gate, we all got ushered into the gate group to be told the flight was cancelled.'

She went on: 'There has been no communication, we're only getting told now by Wizz Air that our flight's been cancelled, and it was already meant to be up in the air.'

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT: Passengers endure large queues in the departures area of London Gatwick this morning

LONDON STANSTED AIRPORT: This picture of queues for fast track security at Stansted Airport was tweeted this morning

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Huge queues at Manchester Airport Terminal One this morning as the airport chaos continues

The couple previously booked trips to Sicily with other airlines, including easyJet, but those flights were also cancelled.

Hopeful travellers still queue for passports Desperate holidaymakers branded the UK passport system a 'shambles' yesterday as they queued in the rain for travel documents. Around 100 people were waiting outside the passport office in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, before doors opened at 8am. Some became involved in heated exchanges with officials who went along the queue asking questions and explaining that only those travelling within the next 48 hours would be seen. People queue at the Peterborough passport office in May (file) Among those left disappointed  and likely to miss out on her 2,000 holiday to Greece  was Sophie Gregory, 20. The NHS radiologist, who is supposed to be travelling on Sunday, was denied an appointment despite driving for four hours from Wigan, Greater Manchester. 'The system doesn't work. We pay for this and nothing is working because people can't get passports,' she said. 'You can't get an appointment online and there's no one to speak to. We might have to risk it at the airport.' David Kolodynski, from Nottingham, was hoping to get a passport for his ten-year-old son before their 3,000 holiday to Egypt tomorrow. However, he was told that his application wouldn't be considered as it was made less than six weeks ago. The housing officer said: 'This is a shambles. The system is broken. They need to get more staff and more money in.' A Home Office spokesman said 90 per cent of passport applications have been completed within six weeks. Advertisement

Kevin Wood, 51, from Hampshire, was due to travel on the Wizz Air flight with his wife, Emma. Mr Wood said there had been 'no help at all' from the airline.

'We were hoping, since the holiday weekend was finished, that things perhaps have calmed down a bit, but clearly not,' he said.

The couple were given a number to call for further support, which they said 'didn't seem to work'.

Wizz Air said in a statement: 'We are so sorry that too many of our passengers are being subjected to current delays and, in some cases, cancellations.

'Across the travel industry Wizz Air and every airline is doing as much as we all can to help as many passengers as possible reach their destinations in time and with minimal delay.

'However, amongst other issues causing operational instability throughout the travel industry, there is a widespread shortage in staff, in particular within air traffic control, ground operations and baggage handling, security and across airports.

'Wizz Air has increased direct communications with all our customers through text, email and phone calls to ensure - as much as possible - that they are best informed of any changes in our services.'

The airline said affected passengers are being offered 'a range of options' including alternative flights with Wizz Air, a full refund or 120 per cent in credit to use on a future Wizz Air booking.

Under UK consumer law, if an airline cancels a flight it must offer to rebook passengers on a route that will get them to their final destination as close to their planned arrival time as possible, even if that is with a different carrier.

Elsewhere, Matt Wheeler, 37, a train driver from Nottingham, said he and his partner had to make emergency childcare arrangements after finding out their easyJet flight home from Amsterdam had been cancelled yesterday morning.

'It's a farce... didn't know about the cancellation until we arrived at the airport at 3.30am, no easyJet staff or any staff that could help us,' Mr Wheeler said.

'We now have to try and arrange family members to pick our kids up from school/childminders this afternoon and then have them overnight and take them to school tomorrow.

'They'll have to take time off work (and) we will now miss a day's work tomorrow as we won't be home.'

Mr Wheeler said they have been put in a hotel and booked onto a Tuesday morning flight, but added 'it's the lack of communication and no one at the airport to speak to that's annoying - and the fact this could happen again tomorrow.'

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT: Passengers endure large queues at London Gatwick Airport yet again this morning

BRISTOL AIRPORT: People sleep on benches in a cafe at Bristol Airport this morning amid further huge queues

GLASGOW AIRPORT: Passengers at Glagsow Airport wait for check-in desks to open after arriving there early this morning

Also yesterday, a traveller at London's Stansted Airport has said he had to queue for two hours in the afternoon to get through passport control.

Tube chaos continues today as commuters face ANOTHER gruelling journey to work as militant union shuts down London Underground for start of rush hour Commuters endured another gruelling journey to work across London this morning as some 4,000 Tube workers continued their strike until 8am - with services likely to be affected for much of the day as they try to recover. Fed-up Londoners will have to take much longer routes by bus or splash out on taxis and Ubers, likely adding to the capital's traffic and pollution levels. People at bus stop in London yesterday during the Tube strike The strike action has been ordered by the militant Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) due to an ongoing dispute over jobs and pensions. They believe up to 600 jobs and their pension scheme are under threat from a cash-strapped Transport for London (TfL), which a union leader yesterday claimed is 'bankrupt' and in need of 500m by March next year. The RMT is also expected to reveal its dates for national railway walkouts today, which threaten to see Network Rail forced to operate on a skeleton timetable this summer to reserve tracks for the movement of goods - with passengers only having access to key services. Advertisement

Charles Levenson, a 25-year-old teacher from north London, was travelling home from Berlin, Germany, when he was caught in the disruption.

'When I got there the queue was chaotic and (a complete) standstill,' he said. 'Nowhere near enough queue barriers had been set up so everyone was starting to squish together and it was very hot.

'Tannoy announced they're sorry for inconvenience and the crowd actually erupted in sarcastic laughter.'

Georgie Calle, 29, from St Albans in Hertfordshire, had her plans to see her unwell grandfather yesterday thrown into disarray after running into difficulties with an easyJet flight from Dalaman Airport in Turkey.

Having paid around 900 for their flights, Ms Calle said she and her partner were told their Sunday journey - a 10.40pm trip to London Luton - had been overbooked, at which point they were made to wait in the airport to see if a seat became available.

The flight was eventually rescheduled for Monday, something Ms Calle was unaware of overnight - the pair slept at the airport instead.

'We were made to feel like we weren't as valued as the people who had somehow magically got onto the flight,' she said yesterday. 'I've had 20 minutes' sleep in the last 24 hours, my partner's had 10 minutes' sleep.

'Never had a problem with easyJet before and actually you feel that they really let you down. They took us out here, they knew we were out here.

'The whole thing has just been horrendous and really stressful, and something that you quite honestly don't need when you've got your mum who's devastated that her dad's about to die.'

After cancelling dozens of flights over the weekend, easyJet scrapped a further 37 yesterday, with Gatwick the worst affected.

These included flights from destinations such as Bilbao, Madrid and Seville in Spain, Milan and Palermo in Italy, Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland, and Malta.

An easyJet spokesman said yesterday: 'EasyJet is operating over 1,700 flights today carrying almost 300,000 customers.

'Unfortunately, due to the ongoing challenging operating environment around 37 flights have been cancelled today ahead of customers arriving at the airport.

'We are very sorry and fully understand the disruption this will have caused for our customers.'

Some 225 departures from UK airports were cancelled between Monday and Friday last week, according to aviation data firm Cirium. That compares with 24 during the corresponding half-term week last year.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he's concerned about the implications of a Chinese naval base being built in Cambodia.

The Washington Post reported the facility would be on the northern portion of Cambodia's Ream naval base on the Gulf of Thailand.

The newspaper quoted US officials as saying the establishment of such a base was part of Beijing's strategy to build a network of military facilities around the world in support of its aspirations to become a true global power.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) says he's concerned about the implications of a Chinese naval base being built in Cambodia

The Washington Post reported the facility would be on the northern portion of Cambodia's Ream naval base (pictured) on the Gulf of Thailand

'This is concerning,' Mr Albanese told reporters in Makassar on Tuesday, during a trip to Indonesia.

'We are in regular contact with the Cambodian Government and we have been consistently assured that no foreign military will be granted exclusive access at Ream.

'We've been aware of Beijing's activity at Ream for some time and we encourage Beijing to be transparent about its intent and to ensure its activities support regional security and stability.'

Meanwhile, the Australian government has left the door open for high-level dialogue with China as the deputy prime minister prepares to head to Singapore for a defence summit.

Defence Minister Richard Marles says while a request for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri La Dialogue at the end of the week hasn't been received, Australia remains open to discussions.

It comes after Mr Marles on Monday said he would not be seeking a meeting with his Chinese counterpart at the summit, leading to some confusion about whether Australia would reject any olive branches offered by Beijing.

Defence Minister Richard Marles (pictured) says while a request for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri La Dialogue at the end of the week hasn't been received, Australia remains open to discussions

'Deputy Prime Minister Marles said he has not received a formal invitation to meet with his counterpart at the Shangri La Dialogue,' a spokesperson from his office said.

'The Australian government has said that it welcomes the opportunity to resume ministerial dialogue with China.'

China's foreign minister told state media outlet Xinhua that Beijing would continue an 'open attitude and carry out more trilateral or quadrilateral co-operation with Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific' as it tried to push a regional security deal with Pacific island nations.

Wang Yi previously said any defrosting in China and Australia's relationship would need to be sparked by 'concrete actions'.

The summit will come a week after tensions between Canberra and Beijing heightened over an aerial incident in the South China Sea region.

Mr Marles revealed on Sunday a Chinese J-16 aircraft flew dangerously close to a RAAF P-8A Poseidon conducting routine surveillance in international airspace.

Mr Albanese called the May 26 incident 'an act of aggression and a dangerous act against the Australian air force'.
A boy who allegedly attempted to help the teenager who was fatally stabbed in a massive brawl at Sydney's Easter Show has pleaded guilty to two serious charges.

Uati 'Pele' Faletolu, 17, was working on the Break Dance ride at Sydney Showground on Monday night when he was fatally knifed in the chest during a vicious brawl, with police still hunting for the killer.

Officers arrested the 15-year-old at the scene in April after he was found in possession of a 10cm folding knife, with the boy shouting 'six, seven, motherf***er' while being handcuffed - believed to be a reference to postcode gangs.

He was charged him with carrying a knife in a public place, affray and being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence.

On Tuesday, the boy's case was heard briefly at Parramatta Children's Court, where he pleaded guilty to the first two charges but denied the third, according to reporting from the ABC.

A 15-year-old relative who allegedly attempted to help the teenager who was fatally stabbed in a massive brawl at Sydney's Easter Show has pleaded guilty to two serious charges

The 15-year-old was excused from appearing at the court, but was released on bail under strict conditions.

It's alleged the boy was coming to the aid of Uati, who was being attacked outside the ride where he worked.

In a previous hearing, the court heard the teenager had allegedly pulled a 10cm knife and chased three unknown men after learning Uati had been stabbed.

NSW Police do not believe he was responsible for the fatal stabbing and are still looking for those responsible. It also remains unclear if the victim was involved in the reported gang activity or if he was simply caught up in the melee.

Uati (pictured) has been remembered by his heartbroken mother as a happy young man with a big heart

In a video of the arrest, the teenager yelled 'six, seven, motherf**ker' as police officers secured his handcuffs.

The words have fuelled suspicions the stabbing was part of a postcode rivalry between two groups, 67 from Doonside and 27 from Mount Druitt.

The groups are named after their respective postcodes 2767, and 2770.

The case has been adjourned until June 21.

Meanwhile, detectives are still looking for the killer of the 17-year-old despite trawling through hours of CCTV footage from the day of Uati's death.

Uati 'Pele' Faletolu and his girlfriend Taylor Piliae (pictured together) were excited parents-to-be before the tragedy

Uati's shattered family and pregnant girlfriend Taylor Piliae remained tight-lipped about the tragedy in the days following his death, but the teenager's mother Janice Faletolu finally broke her silence on Sunday.

'Uati was a happy, outgoing young man with a loving heart. He was a loyal friend, a caring brother, and a selfless son and partner,' a family friend told the Daily Telegraph on Ms Faletolu's behalf.

'Even with the tragic circumstances surrounding Uati's passing, we as a family do not want Uati remembered as a victim but to use this time to honour and celebrate the beautiful person that he was.'

She thanked friends and the community for sending heartfelt messages, flowers, food, and offering financial support.

'We are truly grateful for the generosity and kindness shown. The support has been a true blessing and has lightened the burden for us as we grieve our beloved Uati,' she said.

'Uati, we miss you so much and your loss is deeply felt. We are so proud of the young man you became and we will cherish every memory we have with you always. We LOVE you Uati.'

Uati 'Pele' Faletolu (pictured with his girlfriend Taylor) was working on the Break Dance ride at Sydney Showground when he was fatally knifed in the chest

Members of the two groups reportedly had an altercation near the adult section of the show about 8pm before it descended into an all-out brawl.

Mr Faletolu was from Doonside, with his friends reportedly telling police that those responsible for this death were from Mt Druitt.

Members of a Druitt group named OneFour have been pictured making a '27' hand gesture to represent their postcode.

Uati 'Pele' Faletolu, 17, (pictured) died on the way to hospital after he was stabbed in the chest after a violent brawl erupted at the Sydney Showground

Members of two Western Sydney groups reportedly had an altercation near the adult section of the Easter Show (pictured, mourners at a memorial)

Superintendent Danielle Emerton, from the Auburn Police Area Command, could not rule out the possibility the fight had been fuelled by postcode wars.

Instead, she suggested it could have been a 'planned confrontation' between the groups.

'We're trying to piece it together. It's a tragic, senseless act. This is a family event and the fact that someone has bought a knife into the show is upsetting,' she said.

'There were two groups involved in the affray incident where there was a knife involved. So we are looking at additional people that were involved in last night's attack.

'Someone knows who has done this.'

Investigators believe the two groups of men were known to each other, assuring the public it was not a 'random attack'.

Police (pictured on the scene on Tuesday) are still on the hunt for the 17-year-old's killer and have established a strike force to identify any other people involved in the brawl

Mourners have gathered to pay their respects to 17-year-old Uati 'Pele' Faletolu

Daily Mail Australia revealed that Mr Faletolu was an employee of the carnival and had been for at least two years.

He was on his break midway through his shift when he reportedly went to meet some friends, including his younger brother, who were attending the show.

Just a day before his death, the victim shared a video at work pouting at the camera with the caption: 'When you wish ur gf worked at the Easter Show again with u'.

Footage continues to circulate on social media that shows two men brawling in the middle of the family-friendly carnival.

The taller of the pair tried to send his knee into the other's head as he was driven backwards before landing a series of punches in his abdomen.

The smaller man retaliated by driving him backwards into a set of garbage bins before the taller man was joined by another who also began to swing his fists.

The older sister of the the 17-year-old's partner Taylor Piliae revealed Mr Faletolus was due to become a father in just a few months time (pictured, mourners gather earlier this week)

Doonside Rugby League club have set up a fundraiser in honour of Mr Faletolu with a goal to raise $20,000 to help lay the 17-year-old to rest.

'We all know how hard it is to say goodbye to a love one, and saying goodbye to a young child must be unimaginably hard,' the description read.

The fundraiser has already received $18,000 in donations with many sending their condolences to Ms Faletolu's family and loved ones.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed the 17-year-old was due to become a father in just a few months time with his girlfriend Taylor Piliae expecting a baby.

Her sister Bree took to Instagram to confirm the rumours a baby was on the way and said she couldn't wait to meet her sister's 'mini Pele'.
A Russian mercenary who gained notoriety for butchering prisoners of war and civilians in the Donbas has been killed fighting in Ukraine.

Vladimir Andonov, 44, a sabotage and reconnaissance specialist in the ranks of the shadowy Wagner Group, was shot by a sniper near Kharkiv during a night-time mission on June 5, Russian media says.

Andonov was known to Russians as 'Vakha' or 'the volunteer from Buryatia' after the region he was from, but to Ukrainians he was 'the executioner' due to massacres he helped carry out during Russia's first invasion of the country in 2014.

He was part of a unit that 'liberated', the Donbas town of Logvinovo in early 2015, where three Ukrainian prisoners were later found executed in a shallow grave including one who had been shot through the eye.

Andonov had bragged about the mission to Russian media, including how his unit had been instructed to 'destroy all the forces of the enemy,' and that 'there were no survivors' of the attack.

Vladimir Andonov, a soldier with the notorious Wagner Group, was shot dead by a sniper during a reconnaissance mission near the city of Kharkiv on June 5

Andonov (left and right) was known to Ukrainians as 'the executioner' for carrying out massacres of prisoners of war and civilians during Russia's first invasion in 2014

Andonov had bragged to Russian media about helping to liberate a village in eastern Ukraine where three captured soldiers were found executed in a shallow grave (pictured, the POWs)

Putin loses his 50th colonel in Ukraine Russia has lost its 50th colonel of the war in Ukraine in the latest hammer blow to the Kremlin, with the death toll now soaring past 31,000. Artillery commander Lt Col Vladimir Nigmatullin, a 46-year-old father-of-three from Yekaterinburg, was killed on May 31, it has now been revealed. Nigmatullin's death has been confirmed to his family, adding to the huge list of casualties of Russia's military leaders, with one colonel killed every two days. It comes after Vladimir Putin lost two of his most senior commanders in a single day in a devastating bridge ambush in eastern Ukraine, a group of independent journalists claimed. Nigmatullin's sister-in-law Marina Konyukhova said: 'Eternal memory, darling, dear, much-loved man, you passed away. 'We still cannot believe you are gone. You are a father of three children, and an amazing husband to my sister. 'I am always proud of you, and I will always be proud. You set an example to the Motherland, so that everyone does like you did. 'You were ordered with the Order of Bravery, posthumously. You went through a lot of conflict areas.' Advertisement

His death was confirmed by Zhambal-Zhamso Zhanaev, head of the region where Andonov lived, who spoke to Russian newspaper Moskovskij Komsomolets.

Zhanaev told the paper that Andonov's body is now being sent back from the front to his home region for burial, along with that of another soldier killed alongside him.

Andonov is thought to leave behind a wife and at least two daughters, according to previous interviews he did with Russian media.

The soldier - born in 1978 in the Trans-Baikal Territory in Russia's far east - had served in the regular Russian military from 1997 until 2005, when he moved to the city of Ulan-Ude and began studying at a teaching college.

Buthe dropped out of school before completing his studies and got a job in trade, before answering a call for volunteers to go to Ukraine and join the fighting in 2014.

Andonov was drafted into the Olkhon special forces company fighting in the Donbas, and took part in the Battle of Debaltseve in early 2015 - one of the last major battles of the initial war.

At the time, he appeared in a video filmed in the region which became one of the first pieces of evidence that volunteers from the Buryatia were in Ukraine.

According to the Peacemaker website, which tracks Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, Andonov gave an interview in 2015 in which he talked about a mission he was sent on with a ten-man squad to 'liberate' the town of Logvinovo, near Debaltseve in Donbas, during one of the last battles of the 2014 war.

In the interview, he recalls launching a surprise night-time attack and capturing the village before 'we received an order to destroy all the manpower of the enemy.'

'There were no survivors among the dills,' he added, using a pejorative term for Ukrainians who support the West.

Shortly after the battle, Amnesty International published a report which detailed the deaths of Oleksandr Berdes, Vasiliy Demchuk, and Pavlo Plotsinskiy - three Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russia who were later found dead in a shallow grave near the village.

The report mentions photos and video complied by Ukrainian website Censor, which shows the three men alive and captured by Russian forces before their bodies were found.

One image shows the trio in the back of a truck, with one of them showing obvious facial injuries that may have been the result of torture.

Andonov remained in Ukraine on the frontlines even after full-scale war ceased with the signing of the 2015 Minsk Agreements, before returning to his home region some time in 2017.

Att the end of that year he vanished, having deleted all trace of himself online, and for the next several years was thought to be fighting as part of Wagner units deployed to Syria and Libya.

In August last year, the survivor of a gun massacre in the Libyan town of Espia told the BBC that Andonov had been among the soldiers that shot his family dead after occupying their home.

Wagner mercenaries have gained a bloodthirsty reputation for fighting the battles that Russia's regular military cannot - participating in massacres, torture and indiscriminate killings along the way.

Thousands of mercenaries - often drawn from the ranks of the regular army - are thought to be deployed to warzones in South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

When fighting restarted in Ukraine in February this year with Putin's order to invade, Andonov was deployed again to the frontlines.

It is unclear where exactly he had been fighting before he met his death near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Sunday.

Andonov was killed as Ukraine launched a fresh counter-attack in the region, pushing Russian forces further back towards their own border.

Andonov said his unit (pictured with Ukrainian captives) had been given an order to 'destroy all the manpower of the enemy' and that there were 'no survivors'

The 44-year-old death was confirmed to Russian media by the leader of Buryatia region, where he lived, who said his body is now being returned home

Kharkiv is located around 120 miles north of the current Donbas frontline, and Russia had intended to capture the city to use as a logistical hub to supply troops there.

But, after more than three months of fighting, the city remains in Ukrainian hands with Putin's men having all-but abandoned efforts to take it.

Meanwhile heavy fighting is ongoing in Donbas, concentrated on the city of Severodonetsk which is under heavy bombardment from both sides.

Control of the city continues to shift, with Ukraine launching a large-scale counter-attack that retook large parts of the city at the weekend before a Russian push on Monday forced Kyiv's men back again.

Capturing the city will give Russia control over almost the whole of Luhansk province and tee up an assault on Lysychansk, which sits just across the Donets River on the other side of a large industrial zone.

Failing to take Severodonetsk would see Russia's eastern offensive - now the focus of its war since the failure to take Kyiv - grind to a halt, and perhaps even reverse if the fighting leaves Putin's forces too weak to hold the territory they have captured.

Such attacks are already underway in the south, with territory to the west of the occupied city of Kherson being contested.

A limited Ukrainian counter-attack has seen troops cross the Inhulets River and capture a smattering of towns on the eastern shore, but fail to make significant in-roads into occupied territory.

Andonov had served in the regular Russian army for several years before rejoining the military as a mercenary after failing to complete teacher training

Andonov was drafted into the Olkhon special forces company fighting in the Donbas in 2014, before going back to fight in Ukraine in February this year

Rapes, murders and war crimes dominate the shadowy history of the Wagner Group which is fighting for the Kremlin in Ukraine

The notorious Wagner Group, a private military company known as 'Putin's private army', has been linked to a string of rapes, robberies, murders, and war crimes across the globe.

Widely considered to be at the beck and call of the Russian leader, the shadowy group claims no official allegiance - allowing it to operate in regions Russia's regular military cannot, using methods that even Moscow's soldiers are forbidden from.

Wagner is said to have been tasked with assassinating Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian figures, including the Klitschko brothers, early in the Ukraine war. It is also thought to be deployed in South America, Africa and the Middle East.

In December, the EU accused Wagner of 'serious human rights abuses in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan and Mozambique'.

The force has already been heavily involved in supplying weapons, special operations personnel, and military training to pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine.

The army-for-hire is allegedly run by oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin - a close ally of the Kremlin who is often dubbed 'Putin's chef'.

The Wagner Group (pictured in Syria) has conducted covert operations across Africa and the Middle East, including in Syria, and they have most recently been on the ground in Ukraine to guide Russian tanks to the capital

Wagner's exact origins are a mystery, though it first caught international attention fighting in Donbas during Russia's first invasion of Ukraine in 2014.

Initially, it was made up of only a few hundred Russian army veterans. They were tasked with assassinating Donbas leaders who were broadly supportive of Russia, but had refused to follow instructions from the Kremlin.

These assassinations were then blamed on Ukrainian forces, according to security experts, to whip up hatred of Kyiv.

Wagner's founder and leader is Dmitry Utkin, a shaven-headed former lieutenant colonel in Spetsnaz who named the unit after his special forces code name.

Utkin is seen as a neo-Nazi and was described by one Russian newspaper as having 'an appreciation of the aesthetic of the Third Reich'.

Mercenaries are illegal in Russia but Putin used Wagner to crush Syrian rebels and even awarded Utkin a medal.

In 2020, investigative news site Bellingcat uncovered records revealing Wagner's reputed boss Prigozhin had made 99 calls to Vladimir Putin's chief of staff in eight months

Eventually, however, the Wagner Group became so dangerous that even the Russian government refused to pay them.

This led to Putin appointing oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin to control the group.

For Western observers, Wagner Group's links with the Kremlin are in little doubt. Putin himself has been pictured at a Kremlin function with Wagner troops including lieutenant colonel Utkin.

In 2020, investigative news site Bellingcat uncovered records revealing Wagner's reputed boss Prigozhin had made 99 calls to Vladimir Putin's chief of staff in eight months and frequently spoke to top officials at the Kremlin.

The Kremlin once again denied it has any influence over Wagner and suggested that Prigozhin only provides catering services to the Russian government.

Wagner Group has been involved in fighting across Africa, including in Syria, Libya, Mozambique and the Central African Republic - with observers noting the close correlation between their actions and the Kremlin's own policy aims.

In 2017, Wagner employees tortured a deserter from the Syrian army. Sickening footage showed how they broke his legs with a sledgehammer and then crushed his chest, before cutting off his hands, his head and finally setting his corpse alight.

In 2019, a man who filmed the torture and beheading was identified as Stanislav D, a soldier who was known to have been employed by Wagner in the country to help prop up its Kremlin-backed dictator, Bashar Assad.

In Libya, the BBC obtained a Samsung tablet owned by a Wagner fighter which revealed the group had been leaving unmarked mines in civilian areas  a war crime.

The investigation also uncovered a 'shopping list' of weapons and military equipment, including four tanks, hundreds of Kalashnikov rifles, and a state-of-the-art radar system.

A military analyst said some of the equipment could only have come from the Kremlin.

Shocking revelations also emerged about the conduct of Wagner fighters, with one former member openly admitting to killing prisoners because 'no-one wants an extra mouth to feed'.

Meanwhile, one Libyan villager described how he played dead as his relatives were killed around him.

Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin (pictured left) is nicknamed 'Putin's chef' because of his catering business which supplies services to the Kremlin

Wagner's appearance in Mali was one of the reasons given by French president Emmanuel Macron for his decision to pull out 2,400 troops from the country, where they had been fighting jihadists.

Mr Macron suspected the mercenaries had struck a deal with Mali's ruling junta.

He said Wagner was 'arriving in Mali with predatory intentions, but why?'

'Because the junta which is in power after two coups d'etats considers them to be the best partners they can find to protect their power, not to fight against terrorism.'

Wagner fighters were welcomed into the Central African Republic (CAR) by President Faustin-Archange Touadera to assist in his fight against rebels.

Over the course of the campaign, both the UN and France said they had been responsible for raping and robbing unarmed civilians in the country's rural areas.

In total, the UN documented more than 500 incidents in the country during the year from July 2020, including sexual violence, extrajudicial killings and torture.

Although inspectors accepted some of the violence had been carried out by rebels, CAR's Justice Minister Arnaud Abazene acknowledged for the first time that some abuses had been carried out by 'Russian instructors'.

One military source told AFP that more than 50 people died, some in 'summary executions'.

In 2018, three Russian journalists reporting on Wagner's activities in CAR were ambushed and shot dead. Another Russian journalist investigating the group 'fell' to his death from his fifth floor flat.

The global crimes of the notorious Wagner Group used by Putin for 'dirty' missions The notorious Wagner Group, a private military company, has committed war crimes across the globe. They have now been tasked with assassinating Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian politicians. In December, the EU accused Wagner of 'serious human rights abuses in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan and Mozambique'. So what are some of the crimes the group has committed? Donbas, Ukraine: The Wagner group first appeared in 2014, to help Russia destabilise the Donbas region. Hundreds of members assassinated Donbas separist leaders who were not following Kremlin orders, with the killings blamed on Ukraine. Syria: Wagner was operating in Syria in 2015, where the Russians wanted to bolster the regime of dictator Bashar al-Assad. In 2017, Wagner employees tortured a deserter from the Syrian army. Sickening footage showed how they broke his legs with a sledgehammer and then crushed his chest, before cutting off his hands, his head and finally setting his corpse alight. The conduct of Wagner in Syria eventually became so bad that the Russian government refused to pay them, viewing them as dangerous cowboys. Wagner's founder and leader is Dmitry Utkin, a shaven-headed former lieutenant colonel in Spetsnaz  Russia's special forces. He is described as a neo-Nazi with 'an appreciation of the aesthetic of the Third Reich'. Utkin was sanctioned by the EU for ordering Bouta's killing. Central African Republic: Wagner mercenaries arrived in CAR to support President Faustin-Archange Touadera against rebels in 2017. Wagner employees were accused by the UN and France of carrying out human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings of suspected rebels. There were also accusations of rape, robbery and torture against unarmed civilians. The United Nations is probing an alleged massacre during a joint operation by government forces and Wagner fighters. One military source told AFP that more than 50 people died, some in 'summary executions' In 2018, three Russian journalists reporting on Wagner's activities in CAR were ambushed and shot dead. Another Russian journalist investigating the group 'fell' to his death from his fifth floor flat. Sudan: Wagner mercenaries are believed to have trained government forces. The group also 'spreads disinformation on social media and engages in illicit activities connected to gold mining'. Mozambique: Wagner has supported the army in its fight against the Islamist militant insurgency in the north. They have been accused of burning down villages, terrorising civilians and killing women and children. However, the group retreated in the face of jihadists after around a dozen men were killed in gruesome attacks by ISIS terrorists. They were believed to have been killed in ambushes and botched operations. Mali: The Mali government employed 1,000 Wagner operatives in December. Russian operatives are believed to have helped train coup plotters who took over last year. Advertisement

Wagner has also been involved in operations against ISIS in Syria and Mozambique.

In Mozambique, seven mercenaries were killed by ISIS-linked militants - including four who were shot and then beheaded.

Both attacks were ambushes in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado state, according to sources in the country's military.

The Times reported that between 2,000 and 4,000 Wagner Group mercenaries arrived in Ukraine back in January, but with different missions.

General Sir Richard Barrons, a former commander of Joint Forces Command, said: 'They are very effective because they are hard to pin down.

'They can appear from the shadows, do very violent things and then disappear again, without it being obvious who was responsible. They are not directly linked to the Russian government and therefore they are plausibly deniable.'

Sources said the militia were briefed about Putin's plans against Ukraine back in December, long before the Russian army was told.

Boris Johnson today urged NATO to act 'harder' against Russia to end the war 'faster' as he unveiled a wave of new sanctions - which include the Wagner Group.

The Wagner Group are among the targets in the latest set of measures, announced as the PM arrived in Brussels for talks with the military alliance.

There are claims the notorious mercenaries have been tasked with assassinating Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian politicians.

The new sanctions cover individuals including billionaire oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler, founder of Tinkoff bank Oleg Tinkov, Herman Gref, and Polina Kovaleva, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's alleged stepdaughter.

Galina Danilchenko, installed by Russia as the 'mayor' of Melitopol has also become the first person sanctioned for 'collaboration with Russian forces' in Ukraine.

Six more banks have also been sanctioned, according to the Foreign Office.

As he arrived in Brussels, Mr Johnson said: 'We've got to step up. We've got to increase our support.

'We've got to tighten the economic vice around Putin, sanctioning more people today, as we are, sanctioning the Wagner Group, looking at what we can do to stop Putin using his gold reserves, and also doing more to help the Ukrainians defend themselves.

'We're moving, really, from a programme of supporting resistance to supporting the Ukrainian defence of their own country.'

Mr Johnson is calling on countries such as Germany and France to ramp up their response, warning that the military alliance must not be 'diverted' by mounting nuclear threats from Moscow.

He suggested that Russia should be prevented from using gold reserves to prop up its economy - and also dismissed a bid to host the 2028 Euro football tournament as 'beyond satire'.

Ahead of the NATO meeting - being attended by Joe Biden - the premier announced the UK is giving Ukraine 6,000 more missiles and 25million to support its desperate struggle against the Russian invasion.

Reports have long claimed the force is Putin's personal assassination squad, but are far enough removed to afford the Russian president plausible deniability.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak have been listed as among other alleged assassination targets.

Mercenaries were reportedly given a 24-person 'kill list' including the entire Ukrainian cabinet, mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir - both boxing champions who have become iconic figures on the front lines of the capital.

The attack was sabotaged after the plans reached the upper echelons of the Ukrainian government on March 5, prompting Kyiv to declare a 36-hour 'hard' curfew, ordering everyone indoors so that soldiers could sweep the streets for Russian saboteurs.

More than a dozen attempts are said to have been made to kill Mr Zelensky since Russian troops launched a savage invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Mr Johnson said this morning: 'Vladimir Putin is plainly determined to double down on his path of violence and aggression, absolutely brutal the way he's treating the Ukrainian people.

'We've got to step up, we've got to increase our support, we've got to tighten the economic vice around Putin, sanctioning more people today as we are.

'Looking at what we can do to stop Putin using his gold reserves and also doing more to help the Ukrainians defend themselves.'

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss - who is also attending the NATO summit - said in a statement: 'These oligarchs, businesses and hired thugs are complicit in the murder of innocent civilians and it is right that they pay the price.

'Putin should be under no illusions  we are united with our allies and will keep tightening the screw on the Russian economy to help ensure he fails in Ukraine. There will be no let-up'.

All those sanctioned will have UK assets frozen and be subject to travel bans.

The Foreign Office said the total global asset value of the sanctioned banks to 500billion while oligarchs and family members hit are worth more than 150billion.
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.
An Australian airport has launched legal action to fight 'appalling' mask rules still in place inside their facilities despite them being scrapped elsewhere.

Canberra Airport CEO Stephen Byron said on Tuesday the mask rule was 'discrimination' and has no public health basis in fighting Covid.

'We're not (seeking) damages, it's just to make it clear that this is illegal and it is beyond the Human Rights Act,' Mr Byron told ABC Canberra.

'It is a discrimination with no legal basis, there's no health basis, there's no data or evidence that requires this, everyone knows and agree (with) that.'

Canberra Airport has launched legal action to scrap masks inside airport buildings (file image)

Masks are no longer required in hospitality or retail settings across Australia (pictured: Melbourne)

Mr Byron previously gave the ACT's chief health officer Kerryn Coleman a deadline of 5pm Monday to revoke the mandate or explain why the strict rules must stay.

The mask rules is no longer in place in cafes, bars, pubs, gyms, cinemas or retail settings but it is still enforced Australia-wide on all aircraft and inside all airports.

On Monday morning, Mr Byron said he was still waiting for answers from the ACT government after the airport's lawyers issued a letter last week threatening legal action.

'There is no evidence the airport terminal is any more infectious than going to any nightclub or shopping centre in Canberra,' Mr Byron told Daily Mail Australia.

'The mandate is appalling, unnecessary, completely discriminatory and not based on any scientific evidence.'

According to a 2021 study by Stanford and Yale Universities, masks did reduce the spread of Covid-19 in community settings.

However, there is no evidence to support airport terminal buildings are an increased risk - a person walking through an airport can then immediately go to shop or pub where no mask is required.

Canberra Airport chief executive Stephen Byron (pictured) described mask mandates inside the airport terminal as appalling and completely discriminatory

Mr Byron stressed he was not asking for masks to be scrapped on aircraft, just within airport buildings.

'After all of the damage that was done to the aviation industry with border shut downs through COVID-19, the last thing we want to be doing is telling people air travel and tourism is more dangerous than going to the shops, footy or the pub,' he said.

He has also reached out to Australia's chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly to get his support.

Anyone caught not wearing a mask when required in the ACT faces an on the spot fine of $1000 or up to $8000 for more serious incidents.

The ACT began enforcing mask-wearing at Canberra Airport in January 2021, before Covid vaccinations were available for Australians.

The ACT has relaxed mask rules in most settings, including nightclubs, shopping centres and strip clubs. Pictured, people in Canberra

Poll Should the mask mandate be scrapped at Australian airports? Yes No Undecided Should the mask mandate be scrapped at Australian airports? Yes 365 votes

No 43 votes

Undecided 4 votes Now share your opinion





'Canberra's vaccination rate over the age five is now 97.2 per cent,' Mr Byron said.

'Our industry was hardest hit by the pandemic when the borders closed.

'We should have been one of the first when restrictions eased.'

The airport has argued the mask mandate in the terminal is a breach of human rights.

Solicitor Andrew Corkhill, of Quinn Emanuel lawyers, is acting for Canberra Airport.

'The mandate creates a tangible stigma around attending Canberra Airport, sending the false message to would-be travellers that visiting the airport carries a greater risk than visiting other ACT premises that are not subject to mask mandates including pubs, nightclubs, strip clubs and brothels,' Mr Corkhill wrote in the letter to the health department.

'If you refuse to revoke the face mask mandate or otherwise provide a sufficient explanation for it, adversely affected airport workers and travellers may be compelled to commence legal proceedings against you in the ACT Supreme Court under the Human Rights Act.'

Mr Byron said an ACT government solicitor had promised a response would be provided 'shortly' but said the 5pm Monday deadline remains.

The government says the mask mandate in place for Canberra Airport and on domestic flights into and out of the ACT, is in line with a nationally consistent approach agreed to by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and the Australian aviation industry.

'While it is up to each jurisdictional government to implement the legislation to enforce these rules, they are currently consistent for passengers on all flights and in all airports across the country,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

'ACT Health will continue to assess the need for mandates in different settings in line with the most up-to-date information and advice.

The government confirmed Dr Coleman received correspondence from Capital Airport Group.

'This has been handled by the ACT Government Solicitors Office. As this is a legal matter, we have no further comment at this time,' the spokesperson added.

Canberra Airport has demanded ACT chief health officer Kerryn Coleman (pictured) revoke the mask mandate or explain why the dreaded rule must stay

Mask mandates remain in place in the nation's capital on public transport and in high-risk settings such as hospitals, aged care homes and jails.

Mr Byron acknowledged ACT would become the first state or territory to overhaul mask wearing rules at airports if his demand was met.

'I don't think any airport terminals in Australia should have mask mandates,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

The Australian Airport Association is also fighting for mask rules to be eased, saying it was not only confusing for passengers but an impediment for airport tenants trying to rebuild post-Covid.
The devastated wife of a British journalist who has gone missing in a remote part of the Amazon rainforest has desperately pleaded for 'urgent actions', adding 'every second counts.'

Dom Phillips, a contributor for The Guardian, disappeared Sunday morning in the Brazilian Javari region while researching a book in an area notorious for illegal mining and drug trafficking, along with Indigenous expert Bruno Araujo Pereira.

Locals had said the pair had faced 'threats' before their disappearance and last night, two fishermen were arrested in connection with the case and later released without explanation.

Veteran foreign correspondent Dom Phillips is missing in the remote Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Pictured in 2019 in Roraima State

The journalist disappeared Sunday morning in the Brazilian Javari region while researching a book

The Javari region is an area notorious for illegal mining and drug trafficking, and the pair had reportedly faced threats before their disappearance

Dom's wife Alessandra Sampaio, who lives with him in the north-eastern Brazilian city of Salvador, said in a statement, according to The Guardian: 'Brazilian authorities, our families are in despair. Please answer the urgency of the moment with urgent actions.

'As I make this appeal they have been missing for more than 30 hours in the forest every second counts, every second could be the difference between life and death.

'All I can do is pray that Dom and Bruno are well, somewhere, and unable to continue with their journey because of some mechanical problem, and that all this will end up being just another story in these full lives of theirs.'

Dom, who has been reporting on Brazil for 15 years for several media outlets, was last seen with Bruno in the early hours of Sunday when they were expected to make a two-hour boat trip to Atalaia do Norte, but they never arrived.

The Itaquai River runs through the Vale do Javari region in Amazonas state, near the border with Peru

Dom and Bruno were last seen in the early hours of Sunday when they were expected to make a two-hour boat trip to Atalaia do Norte

Bruno has spent years working to protect the dozens of local tribes who live in the remote rainforest and he regularly carries a gun with him.

Yesterday, security forces and members of Funai, an Indigenous agency, scoured a stretch of river near Atalaia do Norte.

A naval search team is expected to join the search for the pair who entered the reserve last week.

The Union of Indigenous Organizations of the Javari Valley (UNIVAJA) and the Observatory for the Human Rights of Isolated and Recently Contacted Indigenous Peoples (OPI) said in a statement the men had 'received threats in the field the week they disappeared'.

Their boat was new and had 70 litres of gasoline, more than enough for the trip, and they were using satellite communication

Bruno has regularly received threats from loggers and miners trying to invade isolated indigenous groups' land

Before their disappearance, they had stopped in the community of Sao Rafael where Bruno had arranged a meeting with a local tribe leader to discuss patrols to fight the 'intense invasions' on their lands.

But the leader did not arrive and the men decided to continue on their journey towards Atalaia do Norte.

Bruno has regularly received threats from loggers and miners trying to invade isolated indigenous groups' land.

Their boat was new and had 70 litres of gasoline, more than enough for the trip, and they were using satellite communication.

Dom's sister Sian Phillips said last night: 'We knew it was a dangerous place but Dom really believed it's possible to safeguard the nature and the livelihood of the Indigenous people.

The Javari is thought to be home to the biggest concentration of uncontacted people in the world

'We are really worried about him and urge the authorities in Brazil to do all they can to search the routes he was following. If anyone can help scale up resources for the search that would be great because time is crucial.

'We love our brother and want him and his Brazilian guide found ... every minute counts.'

The Javari is thought to be home to the biggest concentration of uncontacted people in the world, and Dom travelled there with Bruno in 2018.

The region has experienced repeated shootouts between hunters, fishermen and official security agents, who have a permanent base in the area.

The Guardian said in a statement it was 'very concerned' about Phillips, whose work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and other leading media.

'We condemn all attacks and violence against journalists and media workers. We are hopeful that Dom and those he was traveling with are safe and will be found soon,' it said.
A British tourist has claimed she was raped by her taxi driver in the municipality of Heraklion on the Greek island of Crete.

The 43-year-old woman told authorities in the resort town of Hersonissos that she was abused by the driver after he picked her up from a bar in the early hours of May 31.

The woman claimed that instead of taking her to her hotel, the driver found an isolated spot and proceeded to rape her in the vehicle.

Hersonissos police last week arrested a 28-year-old man based on the information given by the victim but did not release further details.

The 43-year-old was taken to a local hospital to undergo a medical examination, while her alleged attacker was interviewed by prosecutors.

The man, who steadfastly denied the accusations of rape and claimed the sex was consensual according to Greek news outlet Protothema, was released on Friday pending further investigation.

MailOnline has approached the British Embassy in Greece for comment.

It comes just weeks after another British holidaymaker was allegedly raped in Corfu by a hotel worker.



A British tourist has claimed she was raped by her taxi driver in the municipality of Heraklion on the Greek island of Crete

The woman claimed that instead of taking her to her hotel, the driver found an isolated spot and proceeded to rape her in the vehicle (Hersonissus old town pictured)

A British mother told police in Corfu last month she woke up after a night out to find a hotel worker on top of her, according to a police source.

A 40-year-old man arrested by police denied the accusations and claimed the sex had been consensual.

The woman, who officers said was in 'bad condition' when she arrived, went to a police station in the north of the Greek island to report the crime and later identified the hotel worker brought in by police officers as her alleged attacker.

A police source told The Sun Online that the woman had been on holiday with her boyfriend in northern Corfu.

After a night out, the couple came back to the hotel but the woman woke to find the man on top of her, the source said.

The accused remains in custody while a case is brought against him.

A spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: 'We are in contact with Greek authorities following an incident in Corfu, and stand ready to provide support if requested.'

A man has been arrested on suspicion of raping a British tourist on the Greek island of Corfu, it emerged today

Figures from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) show at least 74 British nationals reported being raped or sexually assaulted between 2016 and 2018 in Greece alone.

Matthew Lodge - a former Royal Marine now working as the UK's ambassador to Greece - in April signed off on new funding to allow Greek officials to get training from British police in how to deal with and prevent serious sexual assault cases.

The FCDO is funding the workshops with the aim of improving the support offered to British nationals reporting gender-based violence in Greece.

Athens-based Matthew told the Liverpool Echo in April: 'The willingness of authorities across Greece to work with the British Embassy on this topic makes us optimistic for the future. All of this work should help make British holidaymakers, and ex-pats living in Greece, feel safer and better supported.'

Matthew, a 53-year-old dad-of-two, added: 'We are determined to do anything we can to help survivors of rape and sexual assaults by showcasing the survivor-focused approach used in the UK.

'A Greek delegation including a deputy prosecutor, four police officers and two psychologists recently visited Scotland to get an insight into how gender-based violence is handled. People can be proud that the Greek authorities are using the UK's expertise, to shape the way they deal with these sorts of cases in future.'
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The victim has been named locally as Italian-born mother-of-one Dr Antonella Castelvedere

Police are continuing to quiz a murder suspect after a university academic was allegedly stabbed to death in her Essex home.

The victim has been named locally as Italian-born mother-of-one Dr Antonella Castelvedere, 52, who lectured in English and Critical Writing at the University of Suffolk in Ipswich.

Police were called to 'concerns for the welfare of a woman' shortly after 11.45am last Wednesday at Dr Castelvedere's end-terraced 260,000 Victorian home in Wickham Road, Colchester. Officers found her seriously injured and she died at the scene.

Essex Police said an injured man, 50, also discovered at the house was arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to hospital.

The force has refused to confirm the name of the victim or how she died, but reports in Italian media have identified her as Dr Castelvedere and say she was stabbed to death. Essex Police is set to provide an update after 8pm tonight.

Dr Castelvedere was from the town of Bagnolo Mella in the province of Brescia Lombardy in northern Italy.

She had lived in the UK for around 25 years and shared her two-bedroom home in Colchester with her daughter and husband Dr Erstan Ersoy, 48, an economics lecturer at the University of Suffolk.

Biographical websites describe him as a Visiting Fellow to the university's Suffolk Business School. Dr Ersoy has a degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the Political Science Faculty of Ankara University in Turkey, according to his online profiles. He also has an MA and a PhD degree in Economics from Marmara University in Turkey.

Neighbours who held a Platinum Jubilee street party in their road over the weekend have placed flowers in her memory outside her house.

Residents in the road decided to go ahead with the party to celebrate the Queen's 70-year reign after taking the advice of police. They described her as 'quiet' and 'well liked'.

Dr Castelvedere's father Spartaco, a former director of an agricultural consortium, her mother Mina and brother Ferruccio still live in Bagnolo Mella. They have made no comment about her death so far.

Left, Italian-born mother-of-one Dr Antonella Castelvedere. Right, her husband Dr Erstan Ersoy

A police cordon set up outside a home on Wickham Road in Colchester on June 7, 2022

The University of Suffolk said in a statement: 'The University of Suffolk community is deeply saddened by the untimely death of Dr Antonella Castelvedere.

'Antonella was a widely respected and well-liked member of staff at the university where she was an outstanding academic in English and Critical Writing. Our thoughts are with her family at this very difficult time.'

The university's website described her as 'Senior Lecturer in English Literature and Course Leader of the MA Creative and Critical Writing'.

It added: 'With an international outlook, she has a long experience in enhancing student experience through academic leadership, innovative curriculum design and professional partnerships.'

Well-wishers have left floral tributes outside Dr Castelvedere's bricked home, where cops were standing guard today.

One note left by locals on a neighbouring street read: 'Our thoughts are with all those affected by this very sad event. From the residents on Errington Road.'

Paying tribute, a heartbroken former student, now a teacher herself, today said: 'You can't believe that anyone would ever want to harm her.'

The 28-year-old, who asked not to be named, added: 'She was always a positive and bubbly person. She was a force of nature. She had this aura of positivity and happiness. She really cared about education and she was one of the most intelligent women I've ever had the honour of meeting.'

The woman was found dead at a property on Wickham Road in Colchester, Essex on June 1

Emergency services on the scene in Wickham Road, Colchester on June 7, 2022

Another former student said on Facebook: 'What a tragic loss Antonella had a smile and laugh that was truly infectious.

'She supported and mentored me through my dissertation and was the most inspiring teacher. I always looked forward to her lectures and feel honoured to have been taught by her and known her warmth and kindness. Very sad news.'

Detective Chief Inspector Antony Alcock, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: 'A dedicated team of detectives are continuing to piece together the circumstances which led up to this incident in Colchester.

'As part of that, officers are continuing to gather accounts from people who have come forward to speak to us.

'I would like to thank them for doing so and would again appeal to anyone who may have information on this incident to get in contact, no matter how insignificant you believe your information is.

'I would also reiterate that our inquiries so far suggest this was an isolated incident and there is no threat posed to the wider public in Colchester.'

Anyone who saw anything, has any CCTV, dash cam or doorbell footage which could help the police investigation should submit a report online at https://www.essex.police.uk.

Please quote incident 409 of 1 June.

Anyone with information can also call Essex Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The Press Council considered whether its Standards of Practice were breached by an article published by Daily Mail Australia online on 25 November 2020 headed 'Student artist sparks fury by saying war crimes report "shows Australia's character" and arguing mental health helplines shouldn't be displayed for struggling veterans'.

The article reported that 'a non-binary queer youth worker whose parents are Afghan refugees, wrote a scathing article for university-funded literary magazine Meanjin. [The student's] comments referred to the Brereton report into alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan that was made public last week.' The article also included several photographs of the student attributed to the student's Instagram account.

In response to a complaint, the Press Council asked the publication to comment on whether the article complied with the Council's Standards of Practice, which require publications to take reasonable steps to ensure that factual material is presented with reasonable fairness and balance (General Principle 3); and to avoid causing or contributing to substantial risk to health or safety, unless doing so is sufficiently in the public interest (General Principle 6). The complainant, who was not the subject of the article, raised concerns that the repeated, prominent references to the student's sexual orientation and gender identity were not relevant to the article written for the university literary magazine and were therefore not in the public interest to report. The complaint also said these references, together with the photographs included in the article, were salacious and contribute to substantial prejudice against persons of diverse gender or sexuality.

In response, the publication said the article does not say or imply that the student has no right to comment or have an opinion on the alleged war crimes in Afghanistan because they are non-binary and queer. The publication said that the article as a whole is focused on the student's comments made about the alleged war crimes. The publication also said that it 'reached out' to the student for comment after it became aware the student had shared the article on social media. It said that although the student did not accept an offer for comment, it noted that the messages exchange were friendly and no concerns were expressed by the student with the article's content. The publication noted that the student had the opportunity to raise any concerns about the reference to their gender or sexuality in the article and they chose not to comment. In this context, the publication questioned if the student was offended by the article's content. Nonetheless, the publication said that in order to remedy the complaint, it amended the online article by removing the words 'non-binary queer' and two photographs of the student.

Conclusion

The Council notes that General Principle 3 requires publications to take reasonable steps to ensure factual material is presented with reasonable fairness and balance. The Council accepts that the student identifies as non-binary and queer and acknowledges the publication's comments that the student raised no concerns with the article in this respect. The Council considers, although prominently identifying the student as non- binary and queer could lead some readers to conclude that the views of the student should be criticised on the basis of irrelevant personal characteristics, on balance the publication took reasonable steps to ensure the presentation of factual material in the article was reasonably fair and balanced. Accordingly, the Council concludes the publication complied with General Principle 3.

The Council notes that given the student's gender identity and sexuality were not reported as being a relevant factor for their views expressed in the article, prominently identifying the student as non-binary and queer, could lead some readers to conclude that the views of the student should be criticised on the basis of irrelevant, personal characteristics and could contribute to substantial prejudice to others who also identify as either non-binary and/or queer. The Council considers that in prominently referring to the student's sexual orientation and gender identity, the publication failed to take reasonable steps to avoid contributing to substantial prejudice and that there was not sufficient public interest justifying doing so. Accordingly, the Council concludes that the article breached General Principle 6.

The Council welcomes the publication's subsequent amendments to the article, which included the removal of two photographs of the student, and the deletion of all references to the student's gender identity and sexuality from the article. However, it emphasises that publications are obliged to take reasonable steps comply with its Standards of Practice at the time of publication. In this context, the Council has consistently stated that publications should exercise great care not to place unwarranted emphasis on characteristics of individuals such as race, religion, nationality, country of origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, illness or age.
Boris Johnson is headed for a by-election catastrophe with a heavy loss in one of the Red Wall seats the Tories won just three years ago.

A new poll of voters in Wakefield suggests Labour has a lead of more than 20 points with just weeks to go before the vote on June 23.

The West Yorkshire seat was a prize scalp when taken by Imran Ahmad Khan in 2019 with majority of 3,358. It was the first time since 1931 that the Tories had won there.

But Mr Ahmed Khan is now in prison, having been jailed for a sex attack on a teenage boy.

And the poll by Survation for the 38 Degrees website suggests that Boris Johnson's national woes, coupled with the local disgrace, have seen the Conservatives' new-found support hemorrhage away.

They put Labour on 56 per cent, with the Tories on 33 per cent, leading a trail of other parties with token vote shares.

It came as Lib Dem leader Ed Davey urged voters in a second vote on June 23 to 'speak for Britain' and overturn a huge Tory majority.

His party has high hopes of taking Tiverton and Honiton, the seat vacated by 'tractor porn' MP Neil Parish.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey urged voters in a second vote on June 23 to 'speak for Britain' and overturn a huge Tory majority in Tiverton and Honiton

The by-elections will decide replacements for convicted sex attacker Imran Ahmad Khan (left), and Neil Parish, who quit after admitting watching pornography on his phone in the Commons

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said potential losses for the Conservative Party at the by-elections would have little effect on a general election result the following year.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said potential losses for the Conservative Party at the by-elections would have little effect on a general election result the following year.

Speaking on LBC, he said: 'By-elections are often an opportunity for a protest vote in a way that a general election isn't.

'Governments of the day often lose by-elections to go on to win them at a general election.

'But we'll do everything we can do win both of those seats and support both of those great candidates up there.'

Defiant Boris Johnson vowed a policy blitz and threatened to reshuffle his Cabinet today after his battering at the hands of Tory rebels.

The PM is gathering his senior ministers urging them to focus on policy in the wake of a confidence vote that saw more than 40 per cent of his MPs try to oust him.

Around the famous table in Downing Street, he will tell them that they must 'get on with the job' and be 'on the side of hard-working British people' to get back on track.

An extension of the Thatcherite right-to-buy, a joint cost-of-living speech with Rishi Sunak, the first migrant Rwanda flights, a series of high-profile foreign jaunts and an overhaul of his team are all on the cards.

But even though Mr Johnson is now theoretically immune from challenge for a year, mutinous Tories have put him on notice that he is not out of the woods yet. The party is on track for disaster in two by elections on June 23 with polls suggesting Labour could reclaim the Red Wall seat of Wakefield by a 20-point margin, while the Lib Dems are bullish about their prospects in the blue heartlands of Tiverton.

Mr Johnson was up early walking his dog Dilyn this morning, sending ministers out to argue his case in broadcast studios.
Female soldiers in Queen's bodyguard have asked the Army to stop calling them men.

Privates in the Foot Guards are all known as Guardsmen whether they are male or female.

The Foot Guards has five regiments, the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, The Scots Guards, the Irish Guards and the Welsh Guards. All the regiments wear the ceremonial red tunic and bearskin hats when on guard duty outside Royal Palaces.

The five foot guards regiments of the British Army are easily recognised by their bearskin hats and red tunics. Female privates in the five regiments are still known as Guardsmen

The Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge met this female Irish Guard during the annual St Patrick's Day parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot. The army is considering dropping the term Guardsman because of the growing number of women in the regiments

Now the Army is considering changing the name Guardsmen following complaints by female soldiers.

A spokesman said: 'We remain open to different views on the naming of ranks.'

According to The Sun, one female private said she was 'so tired of being called a man every day'.

In a post on the Army Servicewoman's Network, she asked: 'Does anybody know if the rank of Guardsman is going to change soon?'

Some have suggested using the term Guard, with the Army suggesting they were open to change with their commitment to 'equality, diversity and inclusivity'.

Last week's Trooping of the Colour ceremony featured the first female director of music, Major Lauren Petritz-Watts.

Since 2018 women have been allowed into combat roles with the British Army.

The Army said that half of all members of the Kings Troop Royal Artillery are female. The Kings Troop provide cover for the Household Cavalry when they go for summer training in Norfolk.
A Jerusalem rabbi has been charged with raping seven of his followers after telling them it would 'purify' them and cleanse them of their sins, police have said.

Rabbi Moshe Yazdi, 59, told the women he had special powers and could help them by 'descending to their impurity', convincing them he was acting within Jewish law, it has been claimed.

He was indicted yesterday for the alleged attacks spanning a decade in Givat Ze'ev, following his arrest on April 27.

Rabbi Moshe Yazdi (pictured) has been charged with raping seven of his followers after telling them he would be able to 'purify' them

The religious leader also convinced the women to give him thousands of shekels based on his fraudulent claims, the indictment says.

He has been indicted of rape through fraud, sodomy through fraud, indecent acts through fraud, causing rape and indecent acts through fraud, fraudulently receiving items, and money laundering, the Times of Israel reported.

Police said he even attacked some of the women on the day of their weddings.

Yazdi told the women that sins had left 'sparks of impurity' inside them that could only be purified through sex acts with him, prosecutors said.

He then told each of the alleged victims they had special souls and must not tell anyone of his acts.

The money they gave him was deposited in a number of bank accounts under different names to hide the transactions, it is claimed.

Yazdi served as a rabbi in the Amudei Hashalom (Pillars of Peace) community in Bukharim since the 1990s and also led their nonprofit organisation.

In his daily lessons, he taught the concept of 'cancelling the mind', meaning giving up intellectual or personal thought and instead subscribing only to the values and principles from the Torah.

He was indicted yesterday for the alleged attacks spanning a decade in Givat Ze'ev (pictured: file image), following his arrest on April 27

The rabbi said he was one of only 36 righteous people who ensured the continued existence of the world according to some Jewish decisions.

These claims helped convince his followers to obey each of his vile demands, police said.

Yazdi said he could communicate with dead rabbis and the Divine Presence when talking to his followers, the indictment claims.

The first complaints against him were made in 2004 when a rabbinic court banned him from teaching, meeting or advising women.

In 2007, an alleged victim reported him to police and in 2016, he was convicted under a plea bargain after he tried to flee the country despite a bailiff order.

It is the latest in a series of allegations involving high-profile figures in Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.

Dudi Shwamenfeld, a radio host on a station that serves the community, was accused of sexual assault by six omen.

Days earlier, Chaim Walder, a popular Haredi author, killed himself after he was accused of multiple assaults and rape including against children.
The family of the 'skateboard hero' of the 2017 London Bridge terror attacks have launched a campaign for him to be canonized as a saint, with backing from the Roman Catholic Church.

Ignacio Echeverria, 39, was passing through Borough Market, near London Bridge, on June 3, 2017, when he saw a man attacking a police officer and then a woman.

The former banker used his skateboard to fend off the attacker and distracted him as other people fled to safety, before taking on another terrorist who was assaulting a police officer.

Spanish-born Mr Echeverria was then stabbed twice in the back by a third terrorist and sadly later died of his wounds.

Now, his family are seeking formal recognition of him as a saint, following an outpouring of tributes to his bravery in Spain and Britain, The Times reports.

His relatives were first approached by Juan Antonio Martinez Camino, the auxiliary bishop of Madrid, to seek canonization following an open letter from Pope Francis after the attack.

The Pope wrote: 'The heroic offering of life, suggested and sustained by charity, expresses a true, complete and exemplary imitation of Christ and, therefore, deserves the admiration that the community of the faithful usually reserves for those who have voluntarily accepted martyrdom of blood or have heroically exercised Christian virtues.'

He went on to say that those who 'offer their lives voluntarily and freely for others' are worthy of distinction.

Ignacio Echeverria, 39, was posthumously awarded The George Medal for 'confronting armed terrorists in order to protect others at London Bridge'. The medal was bestowed on his parents by The Queen

Pictures and videos of Mr Echeverria skateboarding featured in the Spanish media after his death and two skateboard parks were named after him in Madrid and Alicante

Khuram Butt walked over to the still-running tap, ran his knife under it to clean off the blood, and wiped it, first on one side of his face, then the other. He was shot dead by police

Mr Echeverria has already received several posthumous honours, including the Spanish Order of Civil Merit and Britain's George Medal, which was bestowed on his parents by the Queen.

Mr Echeverria studied law at the Complutense University in Madrid, followed by the Sorbonne in Paris and later worked investigating money laundering at HSBC in London.

His Catholic faith is said to have strongly influenced his life and he volunteered for the Catholic Action group.

People ran for their lives after a white van ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge on June 3, 2017, before the attackers got out brandishing knives - killing eight people in all

An association dedicated to promoting his path to sainthood was set up last November, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

A fan of skateboarding since he was a child, pictures and videos of Mr Echeverria featured in many Spanish media outlets after his death and two skateboard parks have also been named after him in Madrid and Alicante.

Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, were also shot dead by police

Eight were killed in the London Bridge terrorist attack of June 3, 2017. They were: (Top row, left to right) Christine Archibald, James McMullan, Alexandre Pigeard, Sebastien Belanger and (bottom row, left to right) Kirsty Boden, Sara Zelenak, Xavier Thomas and Ignacio Echeverria

On June 3, 2017, Terrorists Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge and then attacked random members of the public with pink 12in ceramic knives.

In what was later described as a 'chilling gesture', Butt walked over to a running tap during the attack, ran his knife under it to clean off the blood and wiped it, first on one side of his face and then the other.

Zaghba and Butt discarded their jackets to reveal fake suicide vests before they confronted unarmed police officers shouting 'Allahu Akbar'.

The onslaught came to an end after less than 10 minutes when the attackers were shot dead by City of London Police marksmen.

Mr Echeverria was the last of eight fatalities in the attack which also left 48 people seriously injured.

Christine Archibald, 30, and Xavier Thomas, 45, died after being struck by the van on the bridge.

Alexandre Pigeard, 26, Sara Zelenak, 21, Kirsty Boden, 28, Sebastien Belanger, 36, and James McMullan, 32, were stabbed near the Boro Bistro on the South Bank.

The attack bore 'striking similarities' to two later incidents involving known extremists.

On November 29, 2019, five people were stabbed, two fatally, at Fishmongers' Hall by convicted terrorist Usman Khan, who had been released from prison on licence.

On February 2, 2020, two people were injured in Streatham by knifeman Sudesh Amman, who had previously been jailed for having and sharing terrorist documents in 2018.
Tory leadership hopefuls were today taking stock after Boris Johnson survived a no confidence vote among Conservative MPs.

Those touted as possible successors to the Prime Minister from within Cabinet - such as Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Ben Wallace - put on a show of unity with Mr Johnson this morning as they gathered in Number 10.

Hotly-tipped Penny Mordaunt, who set tongues wagging in Westminster yesterday with her less than fulsome support for Mr Johnson, also focussed on her day job as a trade minister as she held talks with US officials.

But, outside of Government, an ally of leading rebel Jeremy Hunt warned the PM his leadership strife was 'not over' as they warned of 'very choppy waters ahead'

They also suggested the question of who will lead the Conservatives into the next general election is still not settled.

Boris Johnson, sat next to Rishi Sunak, today ordered his senior ministers to 'get on with the job' following yesterday's high-drama at Westminster

Ben Wallace (bottom right) sat next to Liz Truss - with the pair also considered as possible successors to the PM

At a Cabinet meeting this morning, the PM ordered his senior ministers to 'get on with the job' following yesterday's high-drama at Westminster.

Ms Truss, Mr Sunak and Mr Wallace were in dutiful attendance at the meeting as they were thanked for their efforts in supporting Mr Johnson.

Had the PM been toppled last night, the Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Defence Secretary would all have been heavily backed as possible successors.

Despite Mr Johnson expressing hopes of being able to 'draw a line' under the intense speculation about his future, there was little sign of his opponents backing down.

The PM is now facing a renewed battle with Mr Hunt, who he defeated to win the Tory leadership in 2019, after the former health secretary came out against the Mr Johnson yesterday.

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne, who managed Mr Hunt's leadership campaign in 2019, this morning revealed he had joined the ex-Cabinet minister in voting against Mr Johnson last night.

He told BBC Shropshire that Mr Johnson had 'just' won the confidence vote - by 211-148 votes - as he put the PM on notice that his position in Downing Street was still not secure.

The PM is now facing a renewed battle with long-time rival and former health secretary Jeremy Hunt

The PM this morning vowed to 'get on with the job' as he looks to fend off rebels who want him ousted from Number 10. But there was little sign of his opponents backing down

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne, an ally of Mr Hunt, warned of 'very choppy waters ahead' and suggested the question of who will lead the Conservatives into the next general election is still not settled

Explaining his reasons for voting against Mr Johnson, he said: 'I took the view that it would be better to try to provide the opportunity for integrity, for a new vision for the party, for a new degree of competence at the heart of Government.

'I felt that's what we should have had an opportunity to create.

'It's not going to happen for now but we'll have to see what happens in the coming weeks and months; I think this is not over.'

Mr Dunne listed upcoming by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton, a new Partygate investigation by the House of Commons' Privileges Committee, the cost-of-living crisis and a Brexit row over Northern Ireland as upcoming challenges for the PM.

'There's some very choppy waters ahead,' he added.

'We do need to come together and we need to find a way to do that - whether that's under the Prime Minister or somebody else.'

Trade minister Ms Mordaunt, the former defence secretary, was said to have been put on 'resignation watch' by Downing Street ahead of last night's vote.

Although fears that she could quit Government in order to publicly oppose Mr Johnson proved unfounded, Ms Mordaunt prompted further questions about her political ambitions through the course of yesterday.

Firstly, she told a local newspaper in her Portsmouth constituency that she 'didnt choose this Prime Minister, I didnt support him in the leadership contest'.

But Ms Mordaunt added that Mr Johnson 'has always had my loyalty because I think thats what you do when you have a democratic process  you select a leader and then you owe that person your loyalty'.

Ms Mordaunt then penned a Daily Express newspaper article to mark the 78th anniversary of D-Day, which many took to include veiled references to Mr Johnson's position.

Referring to Allied Commander General Dwight Eisenhower, she wrote that 'confidence and competence are easily confused, but they are not the same', adding: 'Confidence without competence is a dangerous combination, but Eisenhower also knew how to build a team.'

She continued: 'Today is the day when we remember such leadership. It focused less on the leader and more on the ship.'

Mr Hunt's public declaration that Tory MPs should vote for 'change' from Mr Johnson last night sparked furious blue-on-blue attacks.

The most vociferous came from the PM's uber-loyalist Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries, who delivered a withering verdict on Mr Hunt's time in Government and claimed he had been 'wrong about almost everything' from Brexit to Covid.

Hotly-tipped Penny Mordaunt, who set tongues wagging in Westminster yesterday with her less than fulsome support for Mr Johnson, also focussed on her day job as a trade minister as she held talks with US officials

Mr Hunt's public declaration against Mr Johnson sparked a furious riposte from the PM's uber-loyalist Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries

Ex-minister Jesse Norman this morning hit back at criticism of his ministerial record from Jacob Rees-Mogg

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab this morning issued a plea for unity among warring Tory MPs, telling Sky News: 'I like and respect both Nadine and Jeremy Hunt  hes one of my Surrey neighbours  and we will need all of the energies of all of our MPs if were going to deliver for the people.

'So I think its time to come together.'

But there was little sign of the tensions between Conservative MPs easing.

Former energy minister Jesse Norman, who penned an excoriating letter to the PM yesterday, hit back at criticism of his ministerial record by Johnson loyalist Jacob Rees-Mogg.

After Mr Norman's move against the PM, Mr Rees-Mogg suggested he had a 'bone to pick' with Mr Johnson, adding: 'Jesse points out that he was energy minister  unfortunately, no proper energy plan was developed so Mr Norman must take responsibility for that. He doesnt do so in his letter.'

But, in response to the Cabinet minister's comments, Mr Norman posted on Twitter today: 'Just for the record, the direct opposite is true. While I was at BEIS the Government massively expanded offshore wind and renewables, commissioned Hinkley Point C and put in place the UK Industrial Strategy.'
Twim Sweeney Makes It Clear That Fortnite Crypto Will Never Be A Thing

Fortnite cryptocurrency will never be a thing, since Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney made it absolutely clear that he's not a big fan of cryptocurrencies in general - even if Epic did take a stand on Steam's NFT games ban.

Sweeney spoke out on the numerous instances of Twitter accounts promoting something called Fortnite Tokens. As reported by Eurogamer, Epic's head honcho confirmed that there's no cryptocurrency within their free-to-play battle royale title, also saying that any Twitter accounts promoting the aforementioned tokens as "a scam."

He also said that the company's lawyers "are on it," which could mean that Epic will be actually coming after these scam Twitter accounts legally. Furthermore, Sweeney added, "shame on the cryptocurrency marketplaces that enable this kind of thing.

In response to the Epic CEO's comments, however, the owners of the aforementioned Twitter accounts mentioned that the Fortnite Tokens initiative is a "fair-launch, community-driven" project." To which Sweeney responded that they're basically infringing on Epic's Fortnite copyright, saying that nobody is allowed to use the battle royale game's name and images without permission.

Either way, the owners of these accounts are going to have the legal battle of their lives in their hands. You have to assume that as a multi-billion-dollar company, Epic Games has all the resources to go after anyone infringing on its copyright - especially when there's potential for real money to be involved.

Sweeney's heavy-handed response to Fortnite crypto projects is more or less in-line with his statements from the past year, writes PCGamer. Back in October 2021, he mentioned that Epic, while deciding to allow blockchain games on its platform (in contrast to Steam), will not incorporate cryptocurrency into its own games.

Here's what he had to say:

[Epic] will welcome games that make use of blockchain tech provided they follow the relevant laws, disclose their terms, and are ae-rated by an appropriate group.

Read Also: Epic Games' New App Allows Gamers To Turn Objects Into 3D Models; Here's What You Need and How To Use It

What Are Fortnite Tokens?

First appearing last year, the aforementioned Fortnite Tokens were first started with the idea of them being convertible into V-Bucks. For the uninitiated, V-Bucks are Fortnite's in-game currency, which players have to use when buying in-game items and other content.

As per a report by Sportskeeda, the Fortnite crypto project (alongside others that were being promoted during the same time period, which is around late 2021) is designed to allow players to earn money as they play. Players can apparently purchase the Coins/Tokens with real money and canm be swapped for V-Bucks with a 1-2 ratio. This means that you get 2 V-Bucks for every Fortnite Coin.

It is these things that Epic CEO Tim Sweeney responded to last year, further reiterating that he doesn't want cryptocurrencies to be included in the popular battle royale title. For now, Fortnite players will have to go elsewhere if they want play-to-earn mechanics.

Related: Fortnite Cheater Loses To Epic Games In Court, With The Settlement To Be Donated To Charity

Story posted on GameNGuide

Written by RJ Pierce
Kim Jong Un has been warned of a 'swift and forceful response' if he carries out a fresh nuclear test that the US and South Korea believe he is preparing for.

Wendy Sherman, US Deputy Secretary of state, said the test would be a 'complete violation of UN Security Council resolutions' and would not go unanswered.

As she spoke, 20 American and South Korea fighters - including latest-generation F-35 stealth jets - took part in drills over the Yellow Sea which Seoul said was designed to test its 'overwhelming response' to any threats.

It comes a day after the allies test-fired eight missiles into the East Sea, mirroring a North Korean test of eight of its own missiles on Sunday.

16 South Korean fighters including next-generation F-35s and four American F-16s took part in joint training exercises over the Yellow Sea today

America and South Korea put on the joint show of force amid warnings that North Korea is preparing to carry out another nuclear test

Seoul said the joint drill is designed to show the country is ready to issue an 'overwhelming response' to any threats, as North Korea ramps up its weapon tests

South Korea said 16 of its fighters, including next-generation F-35 jets, F-15s and KF-16s took part in the drill alongside four American F-16s.

North Korea's latest missile test marked the 18th launch this year alone, as Kim tries to ramp up pressure on the US and South Korea to engage in diplomacy.

Launches have been slowly ramping up, and Seoul and Washington say preparations are now almost complete for a nuclear test at North Korea's underground testing site at Punggye-ri.

The site has not been used for a nuclear detonation since 2017, when Kim tested a warhead so powerful it caused the mountain above the site to partially collapse.

Kim is believed to be pushing South Korea and US to restart talks over his nuclear stockpile - looking for sanctions relief and security guarantees for his regime in exchange for giving up the weapons.

Ms Sherman spoke as she travelled to Seoul to discuss the issue with South Korean and Japanese allies.

While the Biden administration has vowed to push for additional international sanctions if North Korea goes on with the nuclear test, the prospects for meaningful new punitive measures are unclear with the U.N. Security Council divided.

'Any nuclear test would be in complete violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. There would be a swift and forceful response to such a test,' Sherman said, following a meeting with South Korea Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong.

'We continue to urge Pyongyang to cease its destabilizing and provocative activities and choose the path of diplomacy,' she said.

Sherman and Cho are planning a trilateral meeting with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Mori Takeo on Wednesday over the North Korean nuclear issue.

North Korea's launches on Sunday extended a provocative streak in weapons tests this year that also included the country's first demonstrations of ICBMs since 2017.

An M270 rocket launcher fires and Army Tactical Missile from a base in the northeast of South Korea into the East Sea in a test on Sunday

The US-Korean volley (pictured) was designed as a show of strength to Kim Jong Un, who had tested eight of his own rockets just hours earlier

Since taking power in 2011, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accelerated his weapons development despite limited resources. Experts say with its next test, North Korea could claim an ability to build small bombs that could be clustered on a multiwarhead ICBM or fit on short-range missiles that could reach South Korea and Japan.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Monday there are indications that one of the passages at the Punggye-ri testing ground has been reopened, possibly in preparations for a nuclear test.

Hours before Sherman's meeting in Seoul, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters in Washington that the United States remains concerned that North Korea could seek its seventh test 'in the coming days.'

The Biden administration's punitive actions over North Korea's weapons tests in recent months have been limited to largely symbolic unilateral sanctions. Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution in the Security Council that would have imposed additional sanctions on North Korea over its previous ballistic tests on May 25.

'We have called on members of the international community, certainly members of the UN Security Council's permanent five, to be responsible stakeholders in the U.N. Security Council as a preeminent forum for addressing threats to international peace and security,' Price said.

'Unilateral actions are never going to be the most attractive or even the most effective response, and that is especially the case because we are gratified that we have close allies in the form of Japan and the ROK,' he said, referring to South Korea's formal name, the Republic of Korea.

Kim Jong Un (pictured in April this year) has been ramping up missile tests in an effort to pressure South Korea and the US into negotiations over its nuclear stockpile

North Korea's state media have yet to comment on Sunday's launches. They came after the U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan concluded a three-day naval drill with South Korea in the Philippine Sea on Saturday, apparently their first joint drill involving a carrier since November 2017, as the countries move to upgrade their defense exercises in the face of North Korean threats.

North Korea has long condemned the allies' combined military exercises as invasion rehearsals and often countered with its own missile drills, including launches in 2016 and 2017 that simulated nuclear attacks on South Korean ports and U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Following the latest North Korean launches, the United States conducted separate joint missile drills with Japan and South Korea, which they said were aimed at displaying their response capability.

Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since 2019 over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions for the North's disarmament steps. Kim has since ramped up his testing activity despite mounting economic problems and has shown no willingness to fully surrender an arsenal he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.

His government has so far rejected the Biden administration's offers for open-ended talks and is clearly intent on converting the dormant denuclearization negotiations into a mutual arms-reduction process, experts say.

Kim's pressure campaign hasn't been slowed by a COVID-19 outbreak spreading across his largely unvaccinated populace of 26 million amid a lack of public health tools. The North has so far rejected U.S. and South Korean offers for help, but there are indications that it received at least some supplies of vaccines from ally China.

South Korean activist Park Sang-hak, a North Korean defector who for years have launched anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets by balloon across the border, said his group on Tuesday flew 20 balloons carrying medicine, masks and vitamin pills to help North Korean civilians.
The daughter of a retired British geologist condemned to 15 years in an Iraqi jail after he was convicted of trying to smuggle shards of antique pottery broke down on national television this morning as she spoke of her father's fate.

Jim Fitton, 66, was yesterday found guilty of intending to take the 200-year-old artefacts he picked up at an archaeology site in Eridu, southern Iraq, out of Baghdad in March.

The British father of two insisted he was told by individuals at the ancient site he was allowed to take the shards and that they were of no value.

But Judge Jabir Abd Jabir found that, by picking up the items and intending to transport them out of the country, Fitton had criminal intent to smuggle them.

Fitton's daughter Leila this morning appeared on Good Morning Britain to give an interview regarding her father's detention, but only managed to utter two sentences before breaking down in tears.

'We feel helpless... we're so so broken,' she sobbed, before her husband Sam Tasker told hosts Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid: 'We only just found out yesterday, it's a very emotional time. This whole thing has been unbelievable.'

A 15-year jail sentence would see Fitton languish behind bars into his eighties.

Leila later said she had only had brief contact with her father yesterday - the only time they had spoken since he was accused of the bogus crime - but again was forced to hand over to her husband as she began sobbing uncontrollably.

'He was not emotional when he spoke to me... he was just trying to keep strong for us,' she said through tears.

Fitton's son-in-law Tasker said Fitton was 'just as shocked as we were' by the brutal verdict and claimed the retiree had been made an example of by the Iraqi judge who was appealing to an anti-Western crowd.

Madeley meanwhile described the pieces of pottery picked up by Fitton as 'completely worthless, like stuff you'd pick up on the beach'.

The presenter offered Leila and Tasker his 'heartfelt sympathies', before adding: 'It is an absolute nightmare... it's a travesty, an absolute travesty.'

Leila Fitton (left), the daughter of a retired British geologist condemned to 15 years in an Iraqi jail after he was convicted of trying to smuggle antique pottery, broke down on national television this morning

'We feel helpless... we're so so broken,' Leila sobbed, before her husband Sam Tasker told hosts Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid (pictured): 'We only just found out yesterday, it's a very emotional time. This whole thing has been unbelievable'

Jim Fitton (left) was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in jail for trying to smuggle antique pottery out of Iraq

Mr Fitton (centre) and Volker Waldman (right) appear in court outside Baghdad last month

Fitton (right) pictured with daughter Leila (left) and wife Sarijah (centre) on holiday in Asia

Upon learning that Fitton had been sentenced to 15 years in jail yesterday, son-in-law Tasker said: 'We are absolutely shattered by this news.

'For a man of Jim's age, 15 years in an Iraqi prison is tantamount to a death sentence.

'Particularly for such a trivial and dubious crime, a crime that Jim was not even aware of when he perpetrated it.

'We are completely heartbroken that our own best efforts, a strong legal defence and constant campaigning have led to this outcome. We are disappointed, indeed stunned, at our own government's total lack of action in this case to date.

'We are raising an appeal and will continue to fight for Jim's freedom, and urge the government to support us in every way possible and to open lines of communication with us at a senior level.'

Fitton's stunned lawyer expected the sentence handed out yesterday to be a maximum of one year behind bars - and a suspended sentence.

Thair Soud, visibly shocked moments after the sentencing, told AP: 'I thought the worst case scenario would be one year, with suspension,' and confirmed he intends to appeal the sentence immediately.

The judge did not consider Soud's arguments that laid out Fitton's ignorance of Iraqi laws and the value of the items he picked up.

Mr Fitton (left) and Mr Waldman (right) are pictured from behind as they entered court yesterday

Mr Fitton is pictured in a holiday selfie

Fitton's case garnered attention when, frustrated by perceived inaction on the part of the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to intervene, his family started a petition that has garnered more than 100,000 signatures.

Brits have since been warned against all travel to Iraq, and the British Ambassador is also reported to have raised the case with Iraqi authorities.

But the British diplomatic mission in Baghdad has not commented on its involvement in the case.

An FCDO spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We are providing consular assistance to a British national in Iraq, and continue to support his family. We are in contact with the local authorities.'

However, the UK government is said to be wary of interfering in Iraq's legal system.

Fitton lives in Malaysia with his wife Sarijah but is originally from Bath, where Leila and her husband now reside.

Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath, said of the sentencing: 'This is clearly a devastating outcome for Jim and his family. There is now no other option but for the Foreign Secretary to intervene at a Ministerial level.

'The Foreign Secretary must make representations to the Iraqi Government.

'This is yet another example of the British Government presiding over a case of a British national in trouble abroad and they have failed to take action.'Fitton and a German national, Volker Waldman, were arrested in Baghdad airport after security staff discovered the items in their luggage.

They had been part of a tourism expedition across the country's ancient sites.

Waldman's defence team has said the German tourist had been carrying the pieces for Fitton but that he did not pick them up from the site. Waldman was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing.

Under a 2002 antiquity law, Fitton faced a maximum sentence of the death penalty.

But officials said that was only a remote possibility.

Last month Fitton's son-in-law said the family were all 'struggling immensely' after the trial faced a series of postponements.

Tasker, 27, said: 'Obviously we're just trying to get Jim home safe and sound as quickly as possible.

Fitton is pictured sitting in the backseat alongside family members in this undated photo

Fitton is pictured with Waldman and a court clerk outside the Baghdad courthouse last month

This morning the pair appeared in court, where Fitton was sentenced and Waldman cleared

'Every setback we get cuts us all deeply, and another two-week delay to the verdict just leaves us all in limbo for longer.

'The family are all struggling immensely with the uncertainty and our constant fear for Jim's life.

'And two more weeks in a holding cell for Jim, bringing him to ten weeks in detention in total, is worrying given his age.'

Ms Hobhouse said in May: 'I am thinking of Jim again today and his family who have been through so much. Another two weeks in a holding cell is a cruel ordeal that should have been avoided.'

Ms Hobhouse added: 'Jim and his family have shown incredible resolve and strength over this whole ordeal, and I hope that they receive the support they need over the next two weeks.

'This situation could have been avoided if the Foreign Office acted earlier. We've all accepted that the Foreign Office will be offering no further help to Jim and his family.'

The Foreign Office had said it cannot interfere with the judicial process of another country and made clear its opposition to the death penalty.
A British man who fled the country after being found guilty of possessing child porn has been caught living in Thailand.

William Dempster, 46, from Lanarkshire in Scotland, was convicted in May 2014 but posted bail and disappeared before he could be sentenced.

But he has since been tracked to Thailand's notorious 'Sin City' of Pattaya where he was found living on May 30 and re-arrested.

William Dempster, 46, from Lanarkshire in Scotland, has been arrested in Thailand after eight years on the run following a conviction on child porn charges

Video showed a sweating and visibly-nervous Dempster being interrogated by Thai officers outside his house in the city's Bang Lamung district last week.

Police Colonel Boonlue Phadungthin said the arrest came following a joint investigation between Scotland Yard and Thai police.

The officer said: 'The suspect was previously arrested by Scotland Yard police in England on charges of producing, having in possession and disseminating child pornographic material between 2008 and 2013.

'He was released on bail during the legal process but fled to Thailand where he had been staying for more than eight years.'

The Scotland Police, Royal Thai Police, immigration officers, and National Crime Agency worked together to trace where Dempster was living.

Dempster (centre) was found to be overstaying his Thai visa as well as absconding on a warrant, and will now be deported back to the UK where he faces jail

Dempster was found to be overstaying his Thai visa as well as absconding on a warrant, police said.

He will now be deported from Thailand back to Scotland where he faces jail.

Police Colonel Boonlue Phadungthin added: 'This arrest is a success for the co-operation between Thai police and British police.

'It shows that foreign criminals cannot use Thailand as a safe destination.'

Pattaya is a notorious city on the east coast of Thailand that has been dubbed a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah following the explosion in adult nightlife venues since the 1970s.

It has also become a haven for foreign criminals, corruption and boiler room gangs.
A jilted British Army Lieutenant is accused of pushing his ex over a sofa at a formal regimental dinner so hard it knocked her unconscious.

A court martial heard Lieutenant Patrick McGregor shoved Second Lieutenant Hannah Bird - the first woman ever to qualify as a Guards Officer - as she tried to leave the room following a 'confrontation' between the pair.

The hearing was told he attacked her as they argued after he 'embarrassed' her earlier in the evening.

But lawyers for Lt McGregor claim she simply tumbled over the settee because she was 'drunk and wearing high heels'.

The two reservists, both of The London Guards, began their romance in the year before 2Lt Bird graduated from The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as the first ever female officer in the prestigious Guards Division.

Though both agree 2Lt Bird was the one to call an end to their relationship, Lt McGregor says his former partner - who also works as a city banker - did so after falling for another soldier at Sandhurst, the court heard.

Lt McGregor denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm and an alternative charge of battery.

Bulford Military Court, Wilts, heard the pair began a relationship after 2Lt Bird transferred to the London Guards - the Army Reserves battalion of the Guards Division - in December 2019, and was placed under the command of Lt McGregor.

Lieutenant Patrick McGregor denies shoving Second Lieutenant Hannah Bird at an event

But lawyers for Lt McGregor said 2ndLt Bird fell because she was 'drunk and in high heels'

The Guards Division provides two battalions for public duties in the London district, which also operate as infantry battalions.

The couple lived together for some time during their relationship, and Lt McGregor even helped his partner prepare for her eight-week officer training course at Sandhurst.

2Lt Bird, who also works as Security Trader at the Goldman Sachs investment banking company, made history when she became the first woman to graduate as an officer in the Guards Division.

The court heard 2Lt Bird, from Pinner in North London, ended her relationship with Lt McGregor whilst at Sandhurst at the beginning of 2021.

The pair met again at a regimental associates dinner at the Cavalry and Guards Club in central London months later in July.

After exchanging formal pleasantries early in the evening, 2Lt Bird told the court she became 'embarrassed' when her former lover kept interrupting her conversations with other friends.

The 27 year old said: 'Lt McGregor approached me a few times and asked for a private conversation.

'I felt he was being disrespectful towards the people I was with. I asked him to remember his manners and I think it ended there.

Cavalry and Guards Club, Piccadilly, London, England, where the alleged incident happened

'I eventually agreed to go in another room with him and Lieutenant Smith.

'That was the room where we had the conversation - or confrontation.'

2Lt Bird said she had told Lt McGregor not to embarrass her again and he then pushed her as she tried to leave the ante room, causing her to fall over a sofa and bang her head.

'I was instructing him,' she said. 'I told him to stop embarrassing me... 'This needs to finish now' - that sort of thing.

'I tried to leave and walk past him, but Lt McGregor stopped me from leaving with his hands.

'Then he used both hands to push me backwards. It was a forceful push and I next remember waking up on the other side of the sofa.

'I didn't know what had hit me... I was disoriented and confused. The first thing I said when I woke up was, 'Get him away from me'.

'I heard Lt Smith tell [another officer] that Patrick had pushed me over the sofa and I had been unconscious for about ten seconds.

'Patrick was outside the room, and I remember hearing him shouting that I had 'done it to myself'.'

However, Lt McGregor's lawyer, Matthew Bolt, told the court 2Lt Bird had simply fallen over as she was 'drunk and wearing high heels'.

Cross examining 2Lt Bird, Mr Bolt said: 'Your relationship came to an end by the time you left Sandhurst - the day before he was due to watch your passing out parade and collect you.

'The relationship ended because you met someone else at Sandhurst.

'You quite simply collided with him in your anger and fell over. You were unbalanced.

'You lost balance because you were too close to Lt McGregor, you were wearing high heels and you were drunk.'

Lt McGregor denies assaulting his former partner.

The trial continues.
A Muslim school worker who attempted to sue for religious discrimination after complaining her boss called her a 'guinea pig' has had her lawsuit rejected by an employment tribunal.

Jasia Haroon claimed assistant head teacher Emma Bell used the term as an insult against her faith, the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, heard.

She said that being called a 'pig of any kind' was offensive to her and that she had been a victim of discrimination as a result.

But the panel concluded Mrs Bell was simply using a new checklist while starting Ms Haroon off in the primary school job and that 'guinea pig' was an innocent reference to the fact she was the first member of staff to be inducted using it.

The tribunal was told Ms Haroon started work as a learning support assistant at Manorcroft Primary School in Egham, Surrey, on a temporary contract to provide maternity cover from March 2020.

Jasia Haroon attempted to sue Manorcroft Primary School in Egham, Surrey, claiming she was called a 'guinea pig' during her induction

Mrs Bell was her line manager and responsible for her induction, which involved the use of an 'induction checklist' for the first time.

Ms Haroon told the tribunal that during the process she was referred to as a 'guinea pig' by Mrs Bell.

But Mrs Bell said although she does not remember doing so, it may well have been the case that she used that phrase in reference to using the induction checklist for the first time.

However, Ms Haroon said she took exception to this use of the phrase, as she believes it was 'religiously motivated and was used as an insult'.

During the tribunal Ms Haroon was asked if she understood what the phrase guinea pig meant.

She replied: '[Mrs Bell] was calling me guinea pig. I find the word pig offensive. For me, calling me pig of any kind is against my religion. The word pig is offensive to me.

'I was their test subject that is why they use phrase guinea pig.. I went through the induction process and was told it was a new process, that I was a guinea pig.'

Employment Judge Andrew Gumbiti-Zimuto said: 'The Tribunal accept the evidence of Mrs Bell that the use of the phrase guinea pig was intended merely to signify that the school had not used the induction checklist before, and [Ms Haroon] was the first person with whom it was used.

'The comment was not intended in any offensive sense, nor could it fairly and rationally be understood as such.'

The tribunal heard Ms Haroon was still undergoing her induction when the school closed in March 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

She did not return to the school, even for meetings with the rest of the staff, because she was anxious about transferring the virus to her husband, who was 'clinically vulnerable'.

She remained on unpaid leave until the end of June 2020 and her contract was not renewed for the following school year.

Ms Haroon was dismissed in July 2020, at the end of term, after the school decided it needed to reduce staffing ahead of the following school year for financial reasons.

She took the school to the tribunal claiming religious and race discrimination as well as claiming she was unfairly sacked for raising health and safety issues after she refused to work during the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the tribunal ruled she was dismissed for purely financial reasons.

The judge noted: 'The reason for [Ms Haroon's] dismissal was explained by the headteacher as arising from the need to make savings in the school budget. The reasons for dismissal were financial. [Ms Haroon] was not unfairly dismissed.'
San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin faces a highly anticipated recall election Tuesday, with citizens irate over the city's crime ridden state now poised to push out the progressive politician.

Boudin, a former public defender elected in January 2020, was made the target of a multi-million-dollar recall campaign earlier this year, by residents who say the city has become an increasingly unsafe place to live due to his soft-on-crime policies.

Boudin - a 41-year-old former public defender whose parents were members of the radical 80s activist group Weather Underground - was elected on a platform of criminal justice reform.

Boudin's notoriously progressive laws have been largely blamed for rising crime and homelessness in the Bay Area since the start of the pandemic, where brazen looters have systematically ransacked stores and broken into cars without prosecution.

So far this year, statistics show that the crime wave has somehow worsened, with the city's murder rate rising a marked 11 percent, and rapes by nearly 10 percent.

Boudin's time in office has also seen a marked rise in vagrancy, a stand-out issue in the Bay Area, where homelessness and drug use has run rampant under Boudin's watch.

Polls show that there is strong support for the recall.

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin faces a highly anticipated recall election Tuesday, with citizens irate over the city's crime ridden state now poised to push out the progressive politician

Many of its backers are Democrats in a city where Republicans are a distinct minority. But the election has ramifications beyond San Francisco, with national polls showing Americans increasingly worried about violent crime.

Republicans hope to seize upon that anxiety in their bid to assume control of the U.S. Congress in the November midterm elections.

Republican-backed ads are already running in states such as North Carolina and Wisconsin addressing fears of rising crime.

The concerns in San Francisco resemble those in other large cities in the United States, where gun violence spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boudin was elected in 2019 promising to institute criminal justice reforms designed to keep low-level offenders from jail and spare juveniles from facing long prison terms.

The official has refused to seek the death penalty or try juveniles as adults, and his policies have sought to push people accused of non-violent crimes into programs to address drug addiction and homelessness instead of giving them jail time.

His critics blame those policies for an uptick in murders, shootings and property crimes, as well as an increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans.

His defenders say the spike was a function of the pandemic and note that crime is reverting to norms that existed beforehand. They contend the city's swelling homeless population has distorted some residents' perceptions of security.

Boudin's office has only been charging people of theft in less than half of all cases since taking office. In comparison, his predecessor George Gascon made such charges in 62 percent of all cases in 2018 and 2019, according to city data.

Boudin has an even lower rate in petty crime.

Boudin has also convicted far less people of both crimes than Gascon, and has charged people with crimes in less than half percent of all reported cases, while Gascon has a charging rate of 54 percent.

The recall effort is San Francisco's second this year. In February, voters ousted three members of the city's school board.

Downstate in Los Angeles, public safety is the leading issue in the city's mayoral contest on Tuesday.

Rick Caruso, a former Republican, and Democrat Karen Bass, a top progressive in Congress, are expected to win the bulk of the votes in the primary.

If neither receives a majority of the vote, they would face off in a run-off election in November.

Residents who support the recall say that Boudin's policies have made the liberal California enclave - which has seen vagrancy and crime rates soar in recent months - an increasingly unsafe place to live

San Francisco Police reported 20 murders so far this year, an 11 percent increase from the 18 reported in the same time last year.

Larceny theft, meanwhile, has skyrocketed under Boudin, with 13,424 cases reported this year, a 20.4 percent rise from the 11,151 reported last year.

Assaults also saw a spike of 11 percent with 1,035 cases reported so far this year, and rapes have gone up by nearly 10 percent, with police reporting 97 cases in 2022 - compared to the 89 seen this time last year.

As larceny continues to see the largest increase in crime, the Bay area has contended with a series of smash-and-grab robberies in the past year, with brazen thieves raiding stores in the middle of day.

Video from a Walgreens in San Francisco last month shows one such instance of the now abundant robberies, in which three shoplifters empty the store's shelves and pack everything they can into bags, before running out the pharmacy.

And because of policies implemented by Boudin, the clerks are left only able to watch.

Recall backers claim Boudins policies have made San Francisco less safe. They have aired ads highlighting shocking videos of smash-and-grab robberies and looting from stores in the city. Under Boudin's lax crime laws, the perpetrators regularly avoid prosecution

As larceny continues to see the largest increase in crime, the Bay area has contended with a series of smash-and-grab robberies in the past year, with brazen thieves raiding stores in the middle of day

Because of policies implemented by Boudin, whose criminal justice reform policies often allow the offenders off scot-free, the clerks are left only able to watch

Drug store chains like Walgreens and CVS have become attractive and easy targets for shoplifters, leading to numerous store closures in the Bay Area.

In the area's largest city, San Francisco, low-level offenses, such as retail thefts, have been effectively de-criminalized under the leadership of progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin.

Boudin, who in a recent interview with the New York Times argued that tough-on-crime policies do not work and blamed the police for the San Francisco's soaring crime rates, is facing a recall vote on June 7.

Walgreens said last year that retail theft in San Francisco was five times the chain average and security costs were 46 times the chain average, the Chronicle reported.

According to the latest available crime data, grand larceny rates in California's liberal bastion were up 26 per cent in mid-April, compared with the same period last year.

California Gov Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has vowed to crack down on gangs of retail thieves, despite a controversial 2014 law - Proposition 47 - that barred prosecutors from charging suspected shoplifters accused of stealing less than $950 worth of merchandise with felonies.
The family of a pregnant couple who died after being mowed down by a teenager high on drugs and alcohol have spoken of their pain.

Matthew Field, 37, and Kate Leadbetter, 31, who was six months' pregnant, were walking their dogs in Alexandra Hills, southeast of Brisbane on Australia Day in 2021 when they were struck.

The now 18-year-old driver, who cannot be named because he was a minor, had stolen a white Landcruiser four-wheel-drive and ran a red light before he hit a tow truck, rolled and ploughed into the couple.

He subsequently tried to flee the scene but was tackled by a bystander and detained until police arrived.

The family of a young pregnant couple (pictured) have spoken of their pain after they were killed by a drug driver

Kate Leadbetter, 31, (right) and Matt Field, 37, (left) were walking their dogs in Alexandra Hills, southeast of Brisbane

Police had originally levelled two counts of murder at the teenager and were considering a third for the couple's unborn son Miles.

Queensland's Supreme Court on Tuesday was told, however, that the driver had pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter earlier this year.

Ms Leadbetter and Mr Field's families were in court and read heartbreaking victim impact statements detailing how the tragedy has affected every part of their lives.

Jeannie Thorne, Ms Leadbetter's mother, said she felt lost without her daughter.

'I should be in my other life, the one that's been ripped away, the life of a mother and a grandmother, I should be holding her baby boy,' Ms Thorne said, reports the ABC.

John Leadbetter said he would never properly move on and would swap places with his daughter in a heartbeat.

The stolen car the teenager was driving while high on drugs after he hit a tow truck and ploughed into the couple (pictured)

Mr Field's father Russel said he felt 'the happy times are gone forever' as he struggled to even enjoy memories of his son.

He also told the teenager, who was in court as the statements were read, that he showed a 'disregard for life' and that fleeing the scene was the 'lowest of low' acts.

Ann Field said her son and Ms Leadbetter were extremely happy and that she now felt paralysed.

'They had a beautiful life together and they were bringing a beautiful life into this world,' Mrs Field said.

Ms Leadbetter and Mr Field were six months pregnant with their first child Miles (pictured)

In addition to the two manslaughter charges, the teen also pleaded guilty to a raft of other charges including unlawful use of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving while under the influence and driving unlicensed.

The stolen car was seen swerving close to and even bumping other cars, crossing the median strip and travelling at more than 100km/h in a 50km/h zone.

The driver will be sentenced on Wednesday.
Russia has lost its 50th colonel of the war in Ukraine in the latest hammer blow to the Kremlin, with the death toll now thought to have climbed past 31,000.

Artillery commander Lt Col Vladimir Nigmatullin, a 46-year-old father-of-three from Yekaterinburg, was killed on May 31, it has now been revealed.

Nigmatullin's death has been confirmed to his family, adding to the huge list of casualties of Russia's military leaders, with one colonel killed every two days.

It comes after Vladimir Putin lost two of his most senior commanders in a single day in a devastating bridge ambush in eastern Ukraine, a group of independent journalists claimed.

Nigmatullin's sister-in-law Marina Konyukhova said: 'Eternal memory, darling, dear, much-loved man, you passed away.

Artillery commander Lt Col Vladimir Nigmatullin has been killed in Ukraine, Russia's 50th colonel casualty of the war

Russia confirmed the death of Major-General Roman Kutuzov (pictured) on Sunday

Nigmatullin's sister-in-law Marina Konyukhova (pictured) said in a tribute he 'set an example to the Motherland'

'We still cannot believe you are gone. You are a father of three children, and an amazing husband to my sister.

'I am always proud of you, and I will always be proud. You set an example to the Motherland, so that everyone does like you did.

'You were ordered with the Order of Bravery, posthumously. You went through a lot of conflict areas.'

On Sunday, Russia confirmed the death of Major-General Roman Kutuzov.

Then yesterday it was claimed Lieutenant-General Roman Berdnikov was also killed on the same day in an attack carried out by Kyiv's forces, taking the death toll of generals to 12.

Kutuzov was the chief of staff of the 29th Combined Arms Army and was awarded a posthumous promotion to Lieutenant-General.

He died in an ambush in Donbas.

Reports said that Lieutenant-General Roman Berdnikov (pictured) was killed in Ukraine, the second Russian general to have been reported killed on the same day

Berdnikov, a former Russian commander in Syria, was 'killed in Donbas' on June 5, according to Volya Telegram channel. Pictured: Roman Berdnikov at the Victory Day military parade at Khmeimim Air Base on May 9, 2022

'He calmly walked up the career ladder, successfully commanded the troops, and died as a soldier, fighting on the front lines,' said a report by Readovka.

One mourner said: 'I knew him personally, Roman lived a hero and died a hero.

'My condolences to his loved ones, strength and patience to his subordinates and fellow officers.'

It has been suggested that the unusual speed with which Kutuzov's death was confirmed by Moscow was an attempt to cover up the loss of Berdnikov, 47.

Less than a month ago, Berdnikov was commander of the Russian armed forces task force in Syria, and he was moved to take charge of Putin's forces and those of the Donetsk People's Republic [DPR] in Donbas.

It would mean the two of the most senior Russian commanders in Donetsk were wiped out in one strike in a stunning and embarrassing setback to Putin.

A man walks among the rubble of a house following a late night military strike in Kharkiv yesterday

The claims that both Berdnikov and Kutuzov died came from the Volya Telegram channel which has independent war journalists working on both sides of the conflict.

'On the morning of June 5, Lt-Gen Roman Berdnikov, who led the Russian troops and units of the DPR from Donetsk, left with the headquarters on a working trip,' said the post. 'On the way, presumably on a bridge, the vehicles of the headquarters were attacked by a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group.'

Part of the convoy was 'destroyed or immobilised' but some vehicles, 'having received serious damage and firing back, were able to escape from the ambush and leave,' the post said.

'After that, our sources reported that Roman Berdnikov died in this battle,' the report continued. 'A little later, two more sources confirmed this, specifying that other senior officers could have died during the battle.'

A mercenary who gained notoriety for butchering prisoners of war and civilians in the Donbas has also been killed, it was revealed today.

Vladimir Andonov, 44, a fighter for the shadowy Wagner Group, was shot by a sniper near Kharkiv during a reconnaissance missions on June 5, Russian media says.

Vladimir a soldier with the notorious Wagner Group, was shot dead by a sniper during a reconnaissance mission near the city of Kharkiv on June 5

Andonov (left and right) was known to Ukrainians as 'the executioner' for carrying out massacres of prisoners of war and civilians during Russia's first invasion in 2014

Andonov was known to Russians as 'Vakha' or 'the volunteer from Buryatia' after the region he was from, but to Ukrainians as 'the executioner' for massacres he helped carry out during Russia's first invasion of the country in 2014.

His death was confirmed by Zhambal-Zhamso Zhanaev, head of the region where Andonov was from, who spoke to Russian newspaper Moskovskij Komsomolets.

Andonov has served in the regular Russian military from 1997 until 2005 when he moved to the city of Ulan-Ude where he studied in a teaching college.

He dropped out of school before completing his studies and got a job in trade, before answering a call for volunteers to go to Ukraine and join the fighting in 2014.

Andonov was drafted into the Olkhon special forces company fighting in the Donbas, and took part in the Battle of Debaltseve in early 2015 - one of the last major battles of the initial war.

At the time, he appeared in a video filmed in the region which became one of the first pieces of evidence that volunteers from the Buryatia were in Ukraine.

Ukraine accuses him of personally participating in the massacre of prisoners of war in the town of Logvinovo in the aftermath of the battle, and of killing civilians elsewhere in Donbas.

Meanwhile, Russia is acting to gag the media from revealing any details about troops killed in Ukraine.

Residential buildings show damage caused by the shelling unleashed by Russian troops in Irpin

A court has declared that lists of slain soldiers are a 'state secret' and those already published must be withdrawn.

The cover-up move betrays Kremlin concern that the rising death toll is starting the have an impact on public support for Putin's war.

There are already draconian laws in place but the independent Russian media are now forbidden from even collating open source details of funerals to indicate the scale of the losses which overall have been put at 31,000.

Graveyards in Russia are increasingly seeing burials linked to the war.

Some have entire 'alleys of the dead' of Russian servicemen killed in Putin's war.

Videos show a high-ranked double military funeral in Balashikha, in Moscow region, and an 'alley' of war burials in Ryazan, home to some of the country's finest paratroopers.

Kutuzov was the chief of staff of the 29th Combined Arms Army and was awarded a posthumous promotion to Lieutenant-General. Pictured: mourners at his funeral

The court decision potentially prevents details of dead conscripts on the sunk Moskva cruiser from ever being identified.

It comes amid a campaign led by a father of lost sailor Yegor Shkrebets, 20, for Putin to come clean about the fate of Black Sea Fleet flagship and those killed on board after it was hit by Ukrainian missiles.

There is suspicion that Russia has covered up the fate of dozens - and perhaps more - crew members, mostly conscripts.

But in another crackdown, the brave father Dmitry Shkrebets, 43, has revealed he is under investigation by the Russian secret services on terrorism charges - allegedly sending a bomb threat.

He insists the accusations are bogus and intended to silence his intention to reveal the full horror of what happened to the warship.

The Svetlogorsk court of Kaliningrad region declared a list of soldiers, killed in Ukraine, gathered in open sources by Pskov website 60.ru as 'prohibited information'.

Aerial photos have revealed patches of land dedicated for military graves in Ryazan, home to some of the country's finest paratroopers

This has led to the removal by the Network of City Websites of regional lists of the names of those killed.

The court ruled that the names of the dead 'discloses losses of personnel in war time, and in peacetime during the period of special military operations'.

The court also ruled that the data is a 'state secret' subject to criminal responsibility.

One news outlet in Siberia named chita.ru carried a message as it withdrew a list honouring the war dead, and told locals: 'We apologise to mothers and fathers, wives and children, family members and friends of servicemen who died during the special operation.'

In removing the names of those who died it said: 'We made this decision because of the position of the court.'

They described it as a 'forced measure' and cited 'fears for the safety of journalists'.

It stated: 'Dear readers, we are forced to close comments on materials related to the topic of the special operation in Ukraine and its consequences. We hope this is temporary. Thanks for your understanding.'

A disproportionate number of those known to have been killed are from impoverished provinces often thousands of miles from Moscow.

Among news outlets hit by the latest cover-up of the death toll are those in Novosibirsk, TransBaikal, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk and Omsk.

The suit triggering the crackdown was filed by the 73rd military prosecutor's office of the Baltic Fleet's garrison.

In one region - Buryatia - some 172 dead have been identified, though the real toll is almost certainly higher.

But now, the media face sanctions by naming those lost in action.

Separately, there are claims from Telegram channel Mozhem obyasnit that regional governments in Russia are procuring thousands of graves for families who cannot afford to bury their dead.

The numbers are said to be on a far higher scale than in previous years.

In Khabarovsk region alone, an order was made for 700 graves to be dug.

In Krasnoyarsk region, the figure is 100.

Hundreds of bodies of the dead Russian soldiers are still waiting held on trains in Ukraine waiting to be repatriated.

Kyiv says that Moscow is in no hurry to receive its war victims.

They are stored in refrigerated trains on railway tracks.

Such trains have been dubbed 'trains of the dead'.
The arrest of former Trump advisor Peter Navarro has been slammed by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who on Monday accused the Democrats of using the judicial system for political revenge.

Navarro was indicted by a federal grand jury on Friday for contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee and said he was put in handcuffs and leg irons as he was arrested ahead of his first court date.

Navarro has been charged with two counts of contempt, one for failing to appear for a deposition before the committee and one for failing to produce documents.

The former White House trade adviser was arrested by FBI agents while trying to board a flight from Washington D.C. to Nashville for a TV appearance ahead of his court appearance in D.C. on Friday afternoon for the charges.

Carlson said Navarro's arrest was disproportionate, and claimed that it was done in such a public manner in order to send a message.

This, Carlson argued, was 'a huge step toward the politics of the Third World.'

The arrest of former Trump advisor Peter Navarro has been slammed by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who on Monday accused the Democrats of using the judicial system for political revenge. Pictured: Tucker appears on his Monday night show, criticising Navarro's arrest

'This is not the way civilized countries operate,' Carlson said. 'Just because you control the White House and both houses of Congress, does not mean you get to throw your political opponents behind bars. That's not what we do in America.'

He told his viewers of 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' that the FBI arrested Navarro in a way that would be fitting for a 'fugitive terror mastermind, so everyone could see it and learn the lesson they were sending.'

Carlson also defended Navarro's decision to resist the subpoena, saying he did so because 'he had nothing to do with January 6, nothing whatsoever. That's not disputed. Peter Navarro did not break into the Capitol.

'He didn't encourage anyone else to break into the Capitol. He wasn't even there that day. He had no idea it was going to happen. Again, that's beyond dispute and Nancy Pelosi and Liz Cheney know that.'

Carlson claimed that the true reason for arresting Navarro was to prevent 'Donald Trump from running for president again,' he told his viewers.

'In the service of that goal, Pelosi and Liz Cheney demanded that Peter Navarro surrender records of his private conversations with his former boss, President Donald Trump, and when he refused to do that, Congress voted to hold him in contempt in a partisan vote,' Carlson claimed.

'Then,' he continued, 'Merrick Garland's Justice Department filed criminal charges against Peter Navarro.'

The Fox News host also criticised other news outlets for praising his arrest, playing clips of presenters on MSNCB and CNN saying that Navarro's arrest was justified.

He also claimed that Navarro's arrest was due to him being a critic of the January 6 committee. At the end of the segment, he said: 'By arresting Peter Navarro, they're hoping to shut up one of the most vocal critics before it begins.'

Speaking on Friday, Novarro reacted furiously to his arrest.

'I actually live right next to the FBI. It's like a 100-yard walk to my door. What did they do instead of that? They let me get all the way to the airport, try to board the plane, come at me, put me in handcuffs, not let me use my phone, take me down, and put me in a jail cell,' he told reporters outside the courthouse.

'Who are these people? This is not America,' Navarro, pictured outside court on Friday, said. 'I was a distinguished public servant for four years!'

'Who are these people? This is not America,' Navarro said. 'I was a distinguished public servant for four years!'

Navarro told reporters he'd been locked up in Ronald Reagan shooter John Hinckley's cell. 'They seemed to think that was like an important historical note.' He said he'd been shackled in handcuffs and leg irons.

Navarro called the manor of his arrest 'terrorism' and akin to 'Stalinist Russia.'

He then went after the House Minority Leader: 'Shame on Kevin McCarthy.' Navarro claimed McCarthy had not done enough to push back on the select subcommittee.

During the hearing he insisted the Jan. 6 committee was a 'sham committee' and prosecutors were 'playing hardball' and 'despicable.'

Navarro was assigned a court-appointed defense attorney but said he would represent himself in a large capacity.

'I don't want to spend my retirement savings on lawyers,' he said.

Navarro is expected back in court later this month for an arraignment from Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama appointee. He was released from custody and told to limit travel.

Late last month Navarro launched legal action against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the committee, claiming that they have no legal right to hold him in contempt of Congress for refusing to give evidence.

The Justice Department noted that each charge has a minimum of 30 days and maximum of one year jail time, as well as a fine of up to $100,000.

Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro was indicted by a federal grand jury Friday for contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee and is reportedly in custody pending a court appearance

January 6 committee hired former ABC News executive to produce Thursday's 8pm Jan. 6 hearing A former news executive has been recruited by the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol to produce the Democrat-led panel's upcoming primetime hearing, a Monday report claims. James Goldston is a former president of ABC News. Before that he ran the mammoth-sized operations at Good Morning America and Nightline as executive producer. And he's now an adviser to the group of lawmakers who are set to present their case that Donald Trump's efforts to undermine democracy culminated in the deadly events of January 6, according to Axios. The first of six hearings will be held on Thursday at 8pm ET, and will reportedly focus mainly on the day-to-day events of the riot and contextualize it in Trump and his allies' wider efforts to overturn the election. Goldston, a documentary filmmaker who now runs his own production company Aquitania Films, is shaping the explosive event to be 'a blockbuster investigative special,' Monday's report states. He's aiming for a 'raw' presentation of evidence in an effort to give it a longer life in the news cycle and 'so that skeptical journalists will find the material fresh.' The former executive is also reportedly hoping to attract viewers outside of those who had already been following the committee's investigation. Advertisement

Navarro is the second Trump trade adviser to be indicted after Steve Bannon.

The House last month voted to forward the case to the Department of Justice.

But in an 88-page legal filing shared with DailyMail.com, Navarro argues that President Joe Biden had no authority to waive former President Donald Trump's executive privilege or his former adviser's 'testimonial immunity.'

The committee countered that many of the topics it wanted to discuss with him he had already written about in great length in his book.

And he said the courts must intervene to protect the separation of powers, and ensure that lawmakers were not getting into matters of justice.

'Repeated abuses by partisans and political score settlers like those on the Committee have institutionalized a partisan weaponization of Congress' investigatory powers that now threatens the delicate balance and separation of powers between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of our government,' he says in a filing to be lodged at the District of Columbia district court.

Navarro is among those of Trump's closest allies who have refused to give testimony or hand over documents to the January 6 committee, which is investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol building last year.

It issued a 34-page report detailing how he and Dan Scavino, another key aide, were involved in efforts to keep Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election.

Navarro also wrote and circulated a report claiming the election had been stolen.

'There was a couple of times I walked over to the Oval  both times after I finished a report  and personally handed him one and briefed him on it,' he told Rolling Stone, adding that Trump then made arrangements to share it more widely.

While other officials have complied with the requests for information from the committee, a handful has refused, insisting that investigators cannot ask them to provide information about confidential conversations with a president.

Former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro is launching legal action against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the January 6 committee over its investigation

Navarro is seeking a jury trial as he hits back at a contempt of court ruling after he refused to submit to subpoena seeking evidence about the events of January 6, 2021

The 88-page suit also takes aim at members of the House January 6 committee

The House last month voted 220-203 to hold Trump insiders Navarro and Dan Scavino in contempt of Congress, a referral that will now be sent to the DOJ for possible criminal charges

Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani (r) met with the House Jan. 6th Committee on May 20

Steve Bannon: First Trump adviser to be indicted by a grand jury Nov. 12, 2021- Bannon indicted for contempt of Congress Two charges of contempt of Congress were filed against Bannon, a former White House staffer, over his refusal to appear before Congress and give up documents in the probe A judge issued an arrest warrant and he is expected to surrender in Washington D.C. on Monday to appear in court, 26 days after the House voted to send his criminal referral to the Justice Department Bannon is the first person in Trump world to be indicted for Jan. 6. He was handcuffed and taken into court. 'This is going to be the misdemeanour from hell for Merrick Garland, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden,' he said after his first court appearance. Advertisement

Last month, the House voted 220 to 203 - mostly along party lines - calling for prosecutions of Navarro, a trade adviser to Trump, and Scavino, former deputy chief of staff.

'We have two people who are flagrantly, brazenly defying the authority of the House of Representatives of the United States,' Rep. Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland and a member of the committee, said at the time.

Now Navarro is asking for a jury trial to overturn the subpoena, the report and the contempt of Congress vote on the grounds that lawmakers are acting as a branch of the judiciary.

'The committee's members along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over a more than five year period have been engaged in a 'repeatable strategic game' of 'gotcha' and punishment that threatens to reduce the institutions of executive privilege and testimonial immunity to ping pong balls of partisan politics,' he says.

'In this strategic ping pong game, whichever party controls both the House of Representatives and White House will effectively weaponize Congress's investigatory powers in ways designed to: (1) punish political rivals and (2) deny individuals the opportunity to effectively run for political office or serve in government.'

Meanwhile, the committee has been closing in on big names around Trump as it prepares for a series of public hearings.

Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani was grilled by the Jan. 6th Committee for nine hours recently

The panel had long wanted to bring in Giuliani, who spoke at the Jan. 6th 'Stop the Steal' rally in a speech where he called for 'trial by combat.' He said at the time he would stake his reputation on being able to find 'criminality' in the election.

However, the session had been delayed as the two sides worked out ground rules.

And last month Trump's daughter spoke to the committee days after her husband Jared Kushner appeared before lawmakers for six hours.
Russia's ambassador to the UN has stormed out of a security council meeting after the EU's council chief accused Putin of using food supplies as a 'stealth missile' against poor countries over his war in Ukraine.

Vassily Nebenzia got up and walked out of the summit in New York on Monday night after EU Council President Charles Michel accused 'Russia alone' of being responsible for a looming global food crisis.

Deputy ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said afterwards that Mr Michel's comments were 'so rude' that his boss had no choice but to leave

EU Council President Charles Michel (left) told ambassador Vassily Nebenzia (right) that 'Russia alone' is responsible for a looming global food crisis over war in Ukraine

The row comes amid dire UN warnings of famine and global instability if millions of tons of grain currently trapped in Ukraine because of Russia's blockade of its southern coast is unable to leave.

'This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty, and destabilising entire regions,' Mr Michel said. 'Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.'

He also accused Russia of stealing grain from areas its troops occupy 'while shifting the blame of others', calling this 'cowardly' and 'propaganda, pure and simple'.

Mr Nebenzia walked out during the briefing, giving Russia's seat to another diplomat.

The Security Council meeting was supposed to focus on sexual violence during the war in Ukraine but Russia's invasion and the consequences, especially on global food shortages and rising prices, were also raised.

Mr Michel gave strong backing to efforts by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to get a package agreement that would allow grain exports from Ukraine and ensure that Russian food and fertiliser have unrestricted access to global markets.

Ukraine and Russia together produce almost a third of the world's wheat and barley and half of its sunflower oil, while Russia and its ally Belarus are the world's number two and three producers of potash, a key ingredient of fertiliser.

Michel was speaking during a UN security council summit on Ukraine, prompting Mr Nebenzia to storm out and accuse him of being 'rude'

The UN has warned the world is facing famine and instability if millions of tons of grain currently trapped in Ukraine are not allowed out of the country (file)

Mr Guterres warned last month that global hunger levels 'are at a new high', with the number of people facing severe food insecurity doubling in just two years from 135 million before the Covid-19 pandemic to 276 million today.

He said more than 500,000 people are living in famine conditions - an increase of more than 500% since 2016.

Ukraine's UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the Security Council on Monday his country remains committed to finding solutions to prevent the global food crisis and is ready to create 'the necessary conditions' to resume exports from the key southern port of Odesa.

'The question is how to make sure that Russia does not abuse the trade route to attack the city itself,' he said.

Mr Kyslytsya said the question has become more relevant since four Russian missiles hit a plant in the capital Kyiv on Sunday where freight cars that carry grain to Ukrainian ports were being repaired.

'It means all Putin's fairy tales about his readiness to facilitate Ukrainian wheat export that he so eloquently tells his rare interlocutors remain too far removed from reality,' the Ukrainian ambassador said.

Nonetheless, 'we continue our work with the UN and partners to ensure the functioning of the maritime rules for the expert for Ukrainian agricultural products', Mr Kyslytsya added.

'As a first step,' he said, 'Russia must withdraw its naval forces in the maritime waters around Ukraine and provide security guarantees against attacks in ports' and against commercial ships.'
Nokia wins ten-year network expansion deal with Orange Polska

June 2022 by Patrick LEBRETON

Nokia announce that it has won a ten-year extension to its contract with Orange Polska (Orange). The improved deal, which will cover 50 percent of Oranges network in northern Poland and run until 2036, will see the modernization of the operators existing radio network infrastructure as well as enhance its 5G capabilities. The move will support Oranges strategy of delivering best-in-class services to its customers.

Under the contract, Nokia will upgrade all existing networks including equipment supporting phasing out Oranges 3G network and infrastructural solutions enabling reallocating the frequencies to enhance its 4G coverage and capacity. This network refresh is scheduled to continue until 2025. Nokia will also supply equipment from its latest energy-efficient AirScale portfolio including Single RAN, AirScale base stations, and 5G Massive MIMO antennas for the operators 5G solution that covers all deployment scenarios from dense-urban capacity to wide-area coverage.

Nokia will also deliver equipment supporting C-Band spectrum when it is made available in Poland. C-Band spectrum, between 3.4 GHz and 3.8 GHz, is a crucial resource for operators to offer the best mix of 5G network capacity and coverage to subscribers. These solutions will support Oranges network leadership while delivering superior connectivity and capacity to its customers. Nokia will also provide services, including digital deployment, technical support for operations and maintenance, as well as professional services.

Nokia has a long-standing partnership with Orange which has included the supply of all radio technologies. Nokia also has global R&D facilities with thousands of engineers in Wroclaw and Krakow.
An elderly council member has erupted at the female deputy mayor during a council meeting, goading her to 'come across and eject' him.

A video stream from the meeting in Tasmania saw councillor David Grace, from Kingborough Council, announce that he was changing his vote on an issue.

Deputy Mayor Jo Westwood proceeded to ask Mr Grace if he had a question on the matter before telling him not to interject, prompting him to blow up at her.

Council member David Grace (pictured) has erupted at the female deputy mayor at a Tasmanian council meeting, goading her to 'come across and eject' him

'I'm warning you right now if you keep interjecting I will eject you from this part of the meeting,' Ms Westwood said.

'You eject me?' Mr Grace responded. 'You come and take me out. You're most welcome, come across.'

'Do you know what? You come across and eject me from the meeting, girl,' he added.

The audio from the clip briefly cuts out before the elderly councillor tells the deputy mayor that he's 'entitled to debate things on behalf of the council'.

Ms Westwood stated he was entitled to a 'set number of minutes' like the other council members, but said he was starting to 'push' things.

'Don't you threaten me,' Mr Grace shouted back, interjecting her again.

'I've had enough of you lot threatening me. I'll be going off my head here one night, and I will tear this place apart.'

The Deputy Mayor then demands Mr Grace leave the premise, pointing towards the door.

He tells her to 'go and get the cops' in response, which results in Ms Westwood picking up her phone.

Deputy Mayor Jo Westwood (left) demanded Mr Grace leave the premise, pointing towards the door

'Is that what I need to do to eject you from the meeting?' she asks. 'Are you leaving or I am I calling the police?'

Ms Westwood and Mr Grace continue to argue before another councillor suggests a recess.

Upon their return to the meeting, the pair reportedly apologised to one another.

Mayor Paula Wriedt revealed in a statement to 9News that 'unwelcome comments' were made during the meeting.

'There are set rules that councillors must follow and allocated time for comments allowed from everyone,' she said.

Ms Wriedt claimed Ms Westwood was 'chairing the meeting at the time' and 'following procedures' so that each council member had the appropriate amount of time to speak about each agenda item.

'Cr Grace challenged her ruling and things got heated,' she stated.

'The meeting was briefly adjourned and upon returning, I am glad say both Councillors apologised for their heated exchanges. The Council was then able to continue to work professionally through the remaining agenda items.'
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Theresa May wore a glittering floor-length blue ballgown and sequinned heels to cast her ballot in the Boris Johnson vote of confidence last night, three years after surviving a vote for herself with a bigger margin.

The Conservative former prime minister would not say which way she voted in Westminster yesterday as Tory MPs backed Mr Johnson by 211 to 148 following questions over his leadership amid the Partygate scandal.

Mrs May, 65, said she was not 'answering any questions' as she left Committee Room 10 at Parliament, but said she was off to speak at a dinner marking the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and was seen leaving in a car.

A photograph taken later last night showed Mrs May sitting in the back of a vehicle with her husband Philip after leaving the Athenaeum Club on Pall Mall where she is believed to have given her speech.

And Mrs May would have no doubt later noticed that Mr Johnson's 59 per cent share was less than the 63 per cent she achieved in her confidence vote of December 2018, before she was replaced around half a year later.

While Mr Johnson is not thought to have ever confirmed he voted against Mrs May, he had resigned from government and was opposing her Brexit plan at the time - so it is assumed that he did.

Now, it has been suggested that Mrs May could return to the Cabinet in a senior role such as Chancellor of the Exchequer if Mr Johnson does eventually lose his leadership of the Conservative Party.

10.30pm: Theresa May in the back of a car with her husband Philip after leaving the Athenaeum Club in London last night

8.27pm: Former prime minister Theresa May is seen leaving the Houses of Parliament in Westminster last night after the vote

5.56pm: Theresa May is seen arriving at Westminster yesterday to cast her ballot in the vote of confidence for Boris Johnson

2.19pm: Theresa May is seen outside Westminster yesterday ahead of the vote of confidence for Boris Johnson

2018: While there are no pictures circulating of Theresa May in her full-length ballgown last night, observers said that it was similar to this dress which she wore at the Lord Mayor's Banquet at the Guildhall in London on November 12, 2018

Mrs May faced a vote of confidence in her leadership on December 12, 2018. News that the contest would take place was announced early that morning by Sir Graham Brady - then, as now, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee of MPs - with the ballot taking place the same day between 6pm and 8pm.

A total of 317 Conservative MPs were able to vote, meaning Mrs May needed at least 159 to win a majority.

How Boris Johnson's share of vote compares with his election as leader A total of 59% of Conservative MPs voted in favour of Prime Minister Boris Johnson in yesterday's confidence ballot, while 41% voted against. Speaking after the result, Mr Johnson said: 'I got a far bigger mandate from my own parliamentary colleagues, for instance, that I had in 2019.' He was referring to the result of the final round of voting by MPs in the 2019 Conservative leadership contest, which saw him win 160 votes (51% of the total), while Jeremy Hunt won 77 (25%) and Michael Gove won 75 (24%). There were three names on the ballot paper in that contest, but only two choices were available to MPs in Monday's vote: confidence or no confidence. After the final round of voting by MPs in the 2019 leadership contest, the two candidates with the most votes - Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt - went head to head in a ballot of all members of the Conservative Party. In that contest, Mr Johnson finished with 66% of the votes and Mr Hunt ended with 34%. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, speaking to Sky News this morning about yesterday's confidence vote, said: 'The Prime Minister won it with 59% - that's actually more than he got in terms of support when he was elected leader of the Conservative Party.' Mr Raab was not strictly correct, as the result of the contest that saw Mr Johnson formally elected leader of the Conservative Party - the poll of party members - saw him win 66% of the votes. Mr Raab was actually referring to the final round of voting by MPs, in which Mr Johnson won 51% of the votes in a three-way contest. Advertisement

The result was announced at 9pm that night, with 200 MPs (63 per cent) saying they had confidence in Mrs May and 117 (37 per cent) saying they had no confidence: a majority of 83.

This was enough for Mrs May to continue in the short term as both party leader and prime minister.

But just five months later she announced her resignation, following repeated failures to get her Brexit deal through the House of Commons and a disastrous performance by the Conservatives in the European elections.

Today, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the vote of confidence in Mr Johnson will be less damaging to his position than it was for Mrs May because he has a larger majority in Parliament.

Mr Raab told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'We won the biggest majority since 1987 in 2019, and that's very different from, for example, the situation Theresa May found herself in because there was a hung parliament.

'But there's no doubt there are challenges, and no doubt we need to listen to some of the critics and the dissenting voices, I accept all of that.'

Meanwhile Tory MPs have expressed anger at a suggestion by Sir Graham that party rules could be changed to enable Mr Johnson to face another leadership vote.

At present, a Tory leader who wins a no-confidence vote cannot face another for 12 months. But Sir Graham said: 'Technically it's possible for rules to be changed but the rule at present is there would be a period of grace.'

In the wake of Mrs May's victory in her vote of confidence in 2018, some Tory backbenchers campaigned for the length of time to be cut to just six months. But the rule change was never brought in, largely because Mrs May resigned within months.

Also yesterday, Jacob Rees-Mogg said he was 'mistaken' to suggest that Mrs May had lost the confidence of too many Tories in 2019. When asked what victory would look like for Mr Johnson, Cabinet Office minister Mr Rees-Mogg said: 'One is enough.'

Asked about remarks he made about Mrs May's confidence vote in 2019, he added: 'When I said that, everybody said to me I was wrong. I was wrong on two grounds. One is that democracy requires that one is enough, and the other is that it was ungenerous.

'Somebody has won and I accepted that, that I think that I was mistaken in saying that there were secret, hidden rules. I don't think there are, but of course then Theresa May then lost parliamentary votes and that was what led to her going rather than the vote of confidence.'

Last Friday: Theresa May and her husband Philip May leave after attending the service for the Queen at St Paul's Cathedral

December 12, 2018: Prime Minister Theresa May gives a speech at Downing Street after surviving a vote of confidence

Following his victory, Mr Johnson today promised to cut taxes and drive down the cost of government after a wounding revolt by Tory MPs put his long-term future in doubt.

The Prime Minister thanked Cabinet colleagues for their efforts to support him during the confidence vote process.

In an attempt to address criticism of his economic policies, Mr Johnson said the 'fundamental Conservative instinct' was to allow people to decide how to spend their money, urging Cabinet ministers to cut costs.

He said 'delivering tax cuts' would help deliver 'considerable growth in employment and economic progress'.

Last Friday, Mr Johnson and his wife Carrie attended the Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen held at St Paul's Cathedral in London, with Mrs May and her husband Philip also in the congregation.
She and a friend were also involved in the accident but managed to escape

Their bodies were found this morning after Gabrielyan's wife raised the alarm

But the current flipped the vehicle, smashed it on rocks and swept it away

The pair tried to cross a river in a remote part of northern Russia in an ATV

He was killed along with VK's purchasing director Sergey Merzlyakov, 44

A pair of top executives from a social media platform dubbed 'Russia's Facebook' were killed yesterday after their off-road amphibious all-terrain vehicle (ATV) flipped over in a raging Arctic river.

Deputy CEO of VK Vladimir Gabrielyan, 39, and the social media company's purchasing director Sergey Merzlyakov, 44, died after a failed attempt to cross the Bolshoy Bugryanets river in the Nenets Autonomous District of Arkangelsk, northern Russia.

The current of the river flipped their vehicle over and smashed it against rocks as it was swept away.

The duo managed to free themselves from their vehicle but succumbed to 'hypothermia' due to their sodden clothes and temperatures hovering around zero degrees celsius, according to reports.

Rescuers this morning found their bodies on the bank of the river.

Gabrielyan's wife Elena and their friend Sergey Olsevich, who were following the pair in a second ATV which was also turned over by the river's current, miraculously survived after walking some 16 miles to reach the hut of a reindeer herder and raise the alarm.

Gabrielyan's damaged ATV is pictured lying on the bank of the Bolshoy Bugryanets river in northern Russia after it flipped trying to cross the water

Vladimir Gabrielyan, 39 (L), and Sergey Merzlyakov, 44, top executives of Russian social media giant VK, tragically died during the Arctic trip in Nenets Autonomous region on June 6

Gabrielyan's wife Elena miraculously survived after walking some 16 miles to reach the hut of a reindeer herder and raise the alarm

Rescuers this morning found their bodies on the bank of the river

Multi-millionaire Gabrielyan and his posse were exploring northern Russia's remote Kanin peninsula in the Nenets region in a pair of Sherp ATVs.

The fatal incident took place around 5pm local time yesterday when Gabrielyan decided the vehicles would be able to cross the river despite its strong current.

Radioing back to the second ATV, the social media exec insisted the ATV would be able to manage the conditions and told his wife Elena and Olsevich to follow him, before plunging into the water.

'I was waiting on the shore, and after 10 minutes they [radioed] me that I was to follow them,' Olsevich told Russian media outlet Baza this morning.

'I drove to the river and floated behind them down the river.

'A few minutes later, Vladimir told me that the river was very dangerous, and that I must be cautious.'

Both ATVs were subsequently flipped over by the river's unrelenting current, destroying Olsevich's satellite phone and making it impossible to call for help.

'Me and Elena got out and the satellite phone drowned,' Olsevich continued.

'The radio set was still working, but no-one was in touch.'

Gabrielyan was known to take regular trips to the wilderness with friends and family (Gabrielyan family picture from a similar trip in May 2022)

Gabrielyan family are pictured with a Sherp ATV vehicle in May 2022. This vehicle was likely one of the two involved in the fatal accident yesterday

Gabrielyan had been on the board of VK since March, and deputy CEO since 2019

'This morning it became known that Vladimir Gabrielyan and Sergey Merzlyakov (pictured) died as a result of a tragic accident,' social media company VK said in a statement today

Baza reported that Olsevich and Elena tried to reach Gabrielyan and Merzlyakov via radio several more times, but conditions were such that they could not mount a search for their vehicle.

Stranded in the remote peninsula, the pair reportedly hiked around 16 miles along the shoreline until they came across the hut of a reindeer herder, who sheltered them overnight until the Ministry of Emergency Situations dispatched a rescue party early this morning.

Baza reported that the nearest rescue helicopter was in located in the region's administrative centre Naryan-Mar some 250 miles away from the scene of the accident, forcing the Ministry to delay the rescue operation.

VK - Russia's largest social media platform which operates a model similar to Facebook - said in a statement today: 'This morning it became known that Vladimir Gabrielyan and Sergey Merzlyakov died as a result of a tragic accident.

'We mourn with their family, friends and loved ones. Vladimir and Sergey will forever remain part of our team.'

Gabrielyan had been on the board of VK since March, and deputy CEO since 2019.
Labour will twist the knife in the Tory wound caused by Boris Johnson' leadership today after accusing Conservative loyalists of acting selfishly to prop him up.

Sir Keir Starmer's Party will use an opposition day debate to focus on 'standards in public life' in the Commons the day after Mr Johnson was hit with a sizeable rebellion from his own MPs.

Last night 148 MPs, more than two-fifths of the parliamentary party, called on him to quit, with 211 politicians backing him.

Mr Johnson is attempting to move attention away from the internecine warfare with focus on his economic policies today.

But Labour has control of the parliamentary order paper today, on one of the official days that it is ceded by the Government to one of the opposition parties.

It comes after Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner accused the MPs who supported Mr Johnson last night of keeping a 'mortally wounded' leader in place to secure their own positions.

'At the end of the day the British public can see that some of those Conservative MPs voted against not lying to the British public, they voted against their interests and to save the skin of Boris Johnson, to save their own skin because they know that they're tanking in the polls at the moment,' she said.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner accused the MPs who supported Mr Johnson last night of keeping a 'mortally wounded' leader in place to secure their own positions.

Mr Johnson is attempting to move attention away from the internecine warfare with focus on his economic policies today.

'The public have the power to remove Boris Johnson. He may think that he's bought himself a bit of time, but people never forget that they didn't get to say goodbye to their loved ones. The British public do not like liars, cheats and people that break the law.

'And I think that he is going to get absolutely hammered if he tries to have another general election on that basis.'

Labour will call a vote on a motion asking MPs to 'recognises the importance of the Ministerial Code for maintaining high standards in public life', after the PM was accused of trying to alter it to avoid needing to resign.

The vote is non-binding on the government and is unlikely to attract much Tory support even from rebels. But it is a symbolic move as opposition parties try to keep the pressure on the Government.

The PM gathered his senior ministers urging them to push the 'massive agenda' of Levelling Up investment in the wake of the brutal confidence vote that saw more than 40 per cent of his MPs try to oust him.

Around the famous table in Downing Street, he thanked them for their 'hard work' in trying to save him from outright defeat yesterday. But he demanded they come up with way of 'cutting costs' in government and getting better value out of services.

'We are able now to draw a line under the issues that our opponents want to talk about,' Mr Johnson said.

An extension of the Thatcherite right-to-buy, a joint cost-of-living speech with Rishi Sunak, the first migrant Rwanda flights, a series of high-profile foreign jaunts and an overhaul of his team are all on the cards in the coming weeks as Mr Johnson tries to get back on track.

But even though Mr Johnson is now theoretically immune from challenge for a year, mutinous Tories have put him on notice that he is not out of the woods yet. The party is on track for disaster in two by elections on June 23 with polls suggesting Labour could reclaim the Red Wall seat of Wakefield by a 20-point margin, while the Lib Dems are bullish about their prospects in the blue heartlands of Tiverton.

A close ally of Jeremy Hunt - who broke cover to call for Mr Johnson to quit yesterday - warned this morning that the insurrection is 'not not over'.

Meanwhile, even loyalist MPs have admitted that senior ministers will have secretly voted against the premier. And the grassroots ConservativeHome website has suggested that the Cabinet should be stepping in to urge him to quit.
Volodymyr Zelensky today hailed Boris Johnson's narrow escape from the Tory coup bid.

The Ukrainian president said he was 'very happy' that the PM had survived, describing him as an 'important ally'.

The two leaders have struck up a 'bromance' during the war with Russia, speaking regularly on the phone.

Mr Johnson was among the first leaders to visit Kyiv after the conflict started, and the UK has been a major donor of weapons and funding.

The PM was opposed by 148 Conservative MPs - 40 per cent of the total - in the confidence vote last night.

But he defiantly told Cabinet this morning that he wants to 'move' on. 'We are able now to draw a line under the issues that our opponents want to talk about,' Mr Johnson said.

Volodymyr Zelensky today hailed Boris Johnson's narrow escape from the Tory coup bid (pictured together in Kyiv in April)

Mr Johnson defiantly told Cabinet this morning that he wants to 'move' on from the Tory confidence vote

Speaking in an online FT event, Mr Zelensky said: 'I'm glad we haven't lost a very important ally, this is great news.'

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian MP has said her country is 'truly grateful' for the UK's donation of long-range missiles but said more air support is needed to compete with Russia.

Britain is sending its first long-range missiles after Vladimir Putin struck the outskirts of Kyiv for the first time since April.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said an unspecified number of M270 launchers are being supplied, which can fire precision-guided rockets up to 50 miles  a longer range than any missile technology currently in use in the war.

'That will actually make a difference on the battlefield,' Inna Sovsun, the deputy leader of the Holos Party, said.

'If it did come earlier we would have saved so much life and so much less damage would have been done.

'It's a good start and we truly appreciate it, everybody in Ukraine knows about that and we are truly grateful for that actually happening.

'You have to realise that right now what is happening there is a battle of artillery, the one who has more artillery will win, and Ukraine unfortunately doesn't have as much artillery to fight against the Russian artillery.

'Everybody speaks the same phrase to the bravery of the Ukrainian army, and we agree with that very much, but bravery doesn't save you from the Russian missiles and artillery.

'Now, this is starting to make a difference, again we hope it comes in bigger numbers and we hope it comes as soon as possible.'

Ukrainian troops will be trained in the UK to use the equipment, Mr Wallace said.

Mr Johnson said the systems will help Ukraine 'effectively repel the continuing Russian onslaught'.

Ms Sovsun said Ukraine is still in need of fighter jets, adding 'we don't have the air support that we need'.

The Ministry of Defence said the decision to provide the launchers was closely co-ordinated with the US government, which said it will supply high mobility artillery rocket systems to Ukraine.

The wreckage of residential buildings in Irpin, near Kyiv, after the Russian offensive

When the US announced it will be sending the missiles, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to hit new targets.

'If they are delivered, we will draw appropriate conclusions from this and use our weapons, which we have enough of, to strike at those objects that we have not yet hit,' he said in an interview with state TV channel Russia-1, which was filmed on Friday.

Ms Sovsun however said that Mr Putin's threats did not change the situation for Ukraine.

She said: 'He is saying 'I will attack you if you get the weapons from the West', but he will attack us anyway.'
A sex-assault civil lawsuit against actor Kevin Spacey can proceed in federal court in New York City, a federal judge ruled Monday.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan rejected Spacey's bid to dismiss the lawsuit in which fellow actor Anthony Rapp accused the Oscar winner of making an unwanted sexual advance during a party at Spacey's Manhattan home in 1986, when Rapp was 14.

The U.S. District Judge in Manhattan said there was a genuine factual dispute about whether the now 62-year-old Spacey forcibly touched Rapp's 'intimate parts' to gratify his own sexual desire.

Judge Kaplan noted that Rapp has alleged that Spacey placed a clothed Rapp on a bed and briefly put his own clothed body partially beside and partially across Rapp's before Rapp 'wriggled out,' got up, and left the premises.

In his lawsuit, Rapp seeks compensatory and punitive damages for what he alleges was assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Rapp testified at a deposition that there was no kissing, no undressing, no reaching under clothes and no sexualized statements or innuendo during an encounter that lasted no more than two minutes, the judge said.

Spacey denies the allegations.

Kaplan did dismiss a common law assault allegation, saying the claim was not included in those revived by a Child Victims Act in New York state that in 2019 temporarily allowed individuals to make claims in instances in which the statute of limitations would normally have barred them.

The ruling comes two weeks after British prosecutors said they had authorized police to charge Spacey with four counts of sexual assault against three men. The alleged incidents occurred in London between 2005 and 2013.

DailyMail.com has contacted Peter Saghir, a lawyer for Rapp, and a lawyer representing Spacey. When contacted by Associated Press, Saghir declined comment and a lawyer for Spacey did not return a message seeking comment.

A sex-assault civil lawsuit against actor Kevin Spacey can proceed in federal court in New York City, a federal judge ruled Monday. Pictured: Spacey is seen leaving court after testifying in a civil lawsuit, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in New York

In April, Spacey asked a judge to throw out Rapp's lawsuit, saying through his lawyers that allegations that he abused the then-teenager are false.

The lawyers wrote in papers filed in Manhattan federal court that the alleged events Rapp described never occurred.

Spacey's lawyers argued at the time the alleged encounter cannot qualify as sexual abuse under New York's laws because the only alleged contact with an 'intimate' part of the body by Spacey was when his hand grazed the 14-year-old Rapp's buttocks when the older actor picked him up.

The lawyers said in April that Rapp 'wriggled out' with no resistance during an encounter of less than 30 seconds.

There was no other evidence that would suggest any fleeting contact between Spacey's hand and Rapp's buttocks was for the purpose of sexual gratification or to degrade or abuse Rapp, the lawyers wrote.

The lack of evidence means Rapp's claims for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress must fail, the lawyers said.

Once among Hollywood's biggest stars, Spacey fell from grace after Rapp accused him of misconduct in October 2017, and more accusers came forward.

The actor's awards have included Oscars in 2000 for best actor in 'American Beauty' and in 1996 for best supporting actor in 'The Usual Suspects.' He also won a Tony in 1991 for best featured actor in a play in Neil Simon's 'Lost in Yonkers.'

Netflix dropped Spacey from his starring role in 'House of Cards' after accusations began surfacing, and the series finished without him.

Rapp has appeared in 'Rent' on Broadway and in 'Star Trek: Discovery' on television.

Once among Hollywood's biggest stars, Spacey fell from grace after Rapp accused him of misconduct in October 2017, and more accusers came forward

In recent filings, Rapp's lawyers asked to transfer the case to state court, saying Spacey cannot prove he has been living in Maryland and qualifies for the diversity of citizenship necessary to remain in federal court.

In fact, they argue, he has been mostly living in London since 2003.

They said he only lived in Maryland when he was acting in his Emmy-winning role in 'House of Cards' from 2014 through 2017.

He was fired from the show days after Rapp went public and former show workers claimed that Spacey made the production a 'toxic' workplace and one ex-employee alleged the actor sexually assaulted him.

In November, an arbitrator said Spacey and his production companies must pay the studio behind the Netflix political thriller $31 million because of losses they incurred after his firing.

Spacey appealed the decision to a panel of three more private arbitrators, who found for the plaintiffs, making the decision final, and public.

A criminal case brought against him, an indecent assault and battery charge stemming from the alleged groping of an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket resort, was dismissed by Massachusetts prosecutors in 2019.

Actor Kevin Spacey appears to talk in his phone as he leaves court after testifying in a civil lawsuit, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in New York

News that the lawsuit against Spacey can proceed in federal court came after the former actor said he would 'voluntarily appear' before a British court to 'confidently' deny claims he sexually assaulted three men in the UK between 2005 and 2013.

His announcement came after Britain's Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charges a few days earlier.

In an exclusive statement shared with Good Morning America, the Oscar-winning star said: 'I very much appreciate the Crown Prosecution Service's statement in which they carefully reminded the media and the public that I am entitled to a fair trial, and innocent until proven otherwise.

'While I am disappointed with their decision to move forward, I will voluntarily appear in the U.K. as soon as can be arranged and defend myself against these charges, which I am confident will prove my innocence.'

Spacey didn't say exactly when he will make his court appearance - although he will formally be arrested when he arrives in the UK as part of the legal process.

The claims made against Spacey center on four incidents, two of which are said to have taken place in March 2005 in London against one man.

A third sex attack is alleged to have taken place in August 2008 against a second victim, according to prosecutors.

And a fourth sexual assault against a third man happened in April 2013 in Gloucestershire, it is claimed.
Nick Quested is a filmmaker who had been documenting the Proud Boys on and before January 6

A British documentary filmmaker who shot footage of the Proud Boys on and around January 6 last year will be a witness in Thursday night's hearing by the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot, it was reported on Monday night.

Nick Quested was embedded with the far-right group and would have video evidence of its members' confrontations with law enforcement outside of the Capitol as well as other key findings about its activity.

The Democrat-led panel is also expected to hear from Capitol police officer Caroline Edwards on the other side of the conflict. Edwards was injured in a dust-up linked to Proud Boys members while defending the complex that day.

Both of their appearances were reported by the New York Times.

Their expected testimonies are a sign that lawmakers' first in a series of six hearings will focus heavily on the Proud Boys, who have been accused of playing a central role in instigating the violence that day and coordinating Trump supporters toward the Capitol.

Meanwhile Democrats who won't be in the committee room are pulling out all the stops to get more eyeballs on the screen - including setting up more than 90 watch events across the country, according to the Times.

One such viewing party in Washington, DC will feature a big screen for easy watching as well as free ice cream.

Lisa Gilbert, a leader within the progressive group Public Citizen, was quoted describing the plans as 'everything from a family-gathering-in-the-living-room-type event to hosting it in a union hall to hosting it on a big field with a Jumbotron.'

The Capitol riot committee has for weeks been silent about who it expects to call and what the hearings will entail, but more recent reporting suggests they will feature a mix of live interviews and videotaped depositions - including recorded testimony from Trump family members.

The panel is seeking to contextualize last year's deadly insurrection within Donald Trump and his allies' wider reported efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and undermine American democracy.

The panel is also expected to hear from the other side of the conflict with testimony from Capitol cop Caroline Edwards (pictured on CBS Evening News), who is thought to be the first officer injured while defending the complex on January 6

And the federal government's actions so far suggest that it too believes the Proud Boys had a marquee role in Trump's plans.

The Justice Department stepped-up its case against ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four of his deputies on Monday, charging them with seditious conspiracy over the riot.

Tarrio is accused of coordinating his group's movements on January 6 from outside of Washington, DC in nearby Baltimore.

The DOJ believes they 'directed, mobilized and led members of the crowd onto the Capitol grounds and into the Capitol, leading to dismantling of metal barricades, destruction of property, breaching of the Capitol building, and assaults on law enforcement.'

One of his lieutenants is accused of being the first rioter to shatter a window at the Capitol, the Washington Post reported. He's thought to have used a stolen police shield.

Quested, who will speak out at the 8pm ET Thursday hearing, was reportedly in the room for a meeting between Tarrio and Stewart Rhodes, the leader of another far-right group called the Oath Keepers.

Members of the far-right group Proud Boys make 'OK' hand gestures indicating 'white power' as supporters of Donald Trump gather in front of the U.S. Capitol on January 6. The federal government accused its members of organizing and leading the violence on that day

Their role in the riot is expected to be a central theme in Thursday night's 8pm ET hearing

The Oath Keepers had provided security to Trump ally Roger Stone in the hours before the riot. They're also accused of playing a central role - Rhodes and 10 others linked to him were charged with seditious conspiracy earlier this year.

The committee is also set to hear from Edwards, who the Times reported was the first police officer injured in the attack.

She reportedly suffered a concussion, and attributes fainting spells that persist to this day to the riot.

To ensure the hearings are as impactful as possible, the committee has reportedly recruited help from former ABC News president James Goldston, who also executive produced Good Morning America and Nightline.

Goldston, a documentary filmmaker who now runs his own production company Aquitania Films, is shaping the explosive event to be 'a blockbuster investigative special,' Axios reported.

He's aiming for a 'raw' presentation of evidence in an effort to give it a longer life in the news cycle and 'so that skeptical journalists will find the material fresh.'

The former executive is also reportedly hoping to attract viewers outside of those who had already been following the committee's investigation.
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Kamala Harris unveiled Tuesday morning an additional $1.9 billion investment from the private sector to tackle economic issues in Central America that drive its citizens to migrate to the U.S.

The vice president will tout these investments during a meeting and remarks at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday evening as she attempts to prove she is doing something to address 'root causes' of migration in her role as 'border czar.'

The new $1.9 billion investments, including from Visa and Gap Inc., build on the $1.2 billion promised by private sector companies in December and will allow Harris to tout a massive $3.2 billion investment aimed at stemming Central American migration.

President Joe Biden put Harris in charge of addressing 'root causes' of migration specifically from the region known as the Northern Triangle, which includes Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

While Harris jets off to Los Angeles for the summit, several thousands migrants  many from Venezuela  set off from southern Mexico on Monday to try and reach the U.S. At least 6,000 people left the Mexican city of Tapachula near the border with Guatemala this week for a trek north to the U.S.

All of the Northern Triangle leaders are not attending the summit this week, and even Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is snubbing the events despite its shared 2,000-mile border with the U.S.

The presidents of Guatemala and Honduras have signaled they will not attend summit meetings this week and will instead send other officials.

A caravan of thousands of migrants head from southern Mexico to the U.S. border on Tuesday, June 7, 2022 as Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to announce new initiatives aimed at addressing 'root causes' of migration at the Summit of the Americas

Harris will tout new $1.9 billion private sector investments at the summit in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday. Pictured: Harris leads a roundtable at the summit in LA on Monday, June 6, 2022

Migrants part of a northward heading caravan carry a cross as they make the trek to the U.S. border to claim asylum

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials made 234,088 stops on the Mexican border in April, a new high for the Biden administration and an overall 22-year high and a 5.8% increase from the 221,303 encounters in March

Latin American migrants in the caravan heading north to the U.S. border sleep on steps in the streets of Huehuetan, Chiapas, Mexico on Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Despite this initiative from Harris, migration has now slowed  quite the opposite has happened as the Biden administration has seen a record number of illegal crossings during the last year-and-a-half and especially in recent months.

In April alone, Customs and Border Protection encountered 234,088 migrants at the southern border, the most of any time in Biden's presidency so far and a two-decade high. Figures for May have not yet been released.

Figures from April are an uptick from a previous new high in March of 222,144 encounters, which was the highest since July of last year when CBP apprehended 213,953 migrants.

The latest round of corporate investments, according to White House fact sheets released Monday morning, will include job creation, giving individuals the ability to join banking systems and expanding access to internet.

Visa has pledged $270 million in the latest round of corporate investment in the region in an effort to bring 6.5 million into the formal banking system. Apparel company Gap pledged an additional $150 million to increase the materials sourced from the region for the products they produce and sell.

Announcement of billions more investment in jobs and economic growth in the region comes as thousands of migrants  many from Venezuela  set off from southern Mexico toward the U.S. border on Monday, June 6, 2022

Approximately 6,000 migrants walk in a caravan that departed from Tapachula, Mexico on Monday and continues through Huehuetan, Chiapas, Mexico on Tuesday, June 7, 2022 as regional leaders gather in Los Angeles for the Summit of the Americas

A Venezuelan migrant uses crutches on Tuesday to encourage other Latin American migrants part of the caravan traveling to the U.S. southern border

Eight more companies are investing a combined nearly 1.5 billion from the agriculture, auto, telecommunications and digital services industries.

During the events at the Summit of the Americas on Tuesday, Harris is also scheduled to promote a private sector woman-focused initiative to connect 1.4 women to the financial system.

It also aims to train more than half-a-million women and girls in job skills to be able to more easily enter the workforce and support themselves and their families.

Also on Tuesday, Harris' office announced that she will launch a $50 million initiative through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) called the Central American Service Corps, which will give young people in Northern Triangle nations opportunities for paid community service in areas like education and violence prevention.

A White House statement says that the investments aim 'to provide hope for people in the region to build safe and prosperous lives at home.'
The item proved to be non-suspicious and the road has since been reopened

City of Westminster Police set up a safety cordon in Whitehall and the surrounding area before carrying out a controlled explosion on a package.

A police cordon was place around the scene in Westminster, close to the Cenotaph, Downing Street, the MoD and Northern Estate of Parliament.

Whitehall was restricted at both ends by officers, while witnesses say a controlled explosion took place inside a phone box.

Following this, police say the item proved to be non-suspicious and the road has since been reopened.

Minister for Scotland Alister Jack is prevented from entering the cordon as the police close off the Whitehall area of Westminster

Government offices were evacuated following reports of a suspect item close to the Treasury building

A police cordon is in place around the scene in Westminster after reports of a suspicious package

A large police presence has gathered in Whitehall after they were alerted to the item

Parliamentary staff are also said to be currently being evacuated.

City of Westminster Police has asked the public to 'please bear with us' as they deal with the incident.

A Met spokesman: 'Road closures and cordons are being lifted after a suspicious package was dealt with at Parliament Street, Westminster.

'The item was found to be non suspicious. We thank the public for their co-operation while we dealt with the item.'

It is understood officers have brought a bomb disposal robot to the scene, with firefighters also present.

Witnesses have also reported hearing the controlled explosion.

Police cordons were established at Parliament Street following reports of a suspicious package
A former schoolteacher who saved the lives of 300 Jewish children during the Holocaust has died at the age of 100.

Belgian woman Andree Geulen-Herscovici was involved with resistance group the Committee for the Defence of Jews during the Nazis' occupation of her country in the Second World War.

Ms Geulen-Herscovici was a teacher in a school in Brussels in 1943 when German troops began rounding up children and their families so they could be deported to death camps.

Belgian Jews were among six million who were murdered in the Holocaust.

As a member of the CDJ, Ms Geulen-Herscovici was tasked with contacting Jewish families and suggesting that they be placed into the care of the underground organisation.

Many were then given false identities with Catholic families, schools and religious institutions.

A former schoolteacher who helped to save the lives of nearly 1,000 Jewish children during the Holocaust has died at the age of 100. Belgian woman Andree Geulen-Herscovici was involved with resistance group the Committee for the Defence of Jews during the Nazis' occupation of her country in the Second World War. Above: The teacher in 1944 with two of the children that she saved

Ms Geulen-Herscovici (pictured in 2007) was a teacher in a school in Brussels in 1943 when German troops began rounding up children and their families so they could be deported to death camps

The teacher had a narrow escape in May 1943 when the boarding school she taught at, the Athenee royal Isabelle Gatti de Gamond, was raided.

The institution's headmistress, Odile Ovart, had agreed to host 12 'hidden children'.

The children were arrested and Ms Geulen-Herscovici was interrogated, along with the other teachers.

When she was asked by a German soldier if she was not ashamed to teach Jews, she bravely replied: 'Aren't you ashamed to make war on Jewish children?'

Ms Geulen-Herscovici was able to evade arrest but Ms Ovart and her husband were deported to concentration camps in Germany, where both died.

Despite the risks, Ms Geulen-Herscovici quickly told other Jewish students not to return to the school so they would avoid the same fate.

The heroic teacher then rented an apartment under a false name and lived there with social worker Ida Sterno, who was also involved with the CDJ.

For more than two years, she collected children from their parents and moved them to Christian families and monasteries, where they would be safe from the Nazis.

Ms Geulen-Herscovici (left) worked in the CDJ with social worker Ida Sterno (right). Ms Sterno was imprisoned in 1944

Ms Geulen-Herscovici's secret notebook, in which she listed the names of all the Belgian Jewish children she hid and saved during the Second World War

The teacher had to avoid telling the parents where their children were being taken, because otherwise they would visit them and compromise their security.

Ms Geulen-Herscovici also kept visiting the families to make sure the children's needs were looked after.

She later said: 'Ida and I went to pick up the children from the parents who turned to us for help.

'We told the parents to prepare a suitcase, and that we would return in a day or two

'I still weep when I think of the times when I had to take children from their parents, especially children aged 2-3, without being able to tell the parents where I was taking their children.'

Ms Geulen-Herscovici kept a secret notebook in which she recorded the original names and assumed identities of the children that were in hiding.

Many of the youngsters never saw their parents again.

In May 1944, Ms Sterno was arrested and sent to Mechelen transit camp in occupied Belgium.

In 2007, she was granted honorary Israeli citizenship in a ceremony in Jerusalem. Above: The former teacher in the Hall of Names at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial

Ms Geulen-Herscovici went into hiding but still bravely visited Ms Sterno using an assumed name.

After the end of the war, in which Nazi Germany were defeated, Ms Geulen-Herscovici worked to reunite children with their relatives.

As the years progressed, she kept in touch with children she had rescued, surprising them with her clear memories of their childhoods and time in hiding.

In 1989, the heroine was named Righteous Among the Nations by Israel.

The honour is given to non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to rescue Jews from extermination.

In 2007, she was granted honorary Israeli citizenship in a ceremony in Jerusalem.

Accepting the honour, she said: 'What I did was merely my duty. Disobeying the laws of the time was just the normal thing to do.'

Israel's Ambassador to Belgium Emmanuel Nahshon said: 'She was a true hero of humanity, and we will carry her memory forever.

'She was an amazing and wonderful woman who saved many Jews during World War ll.'

Ms Geulen-Herscovici died on June 1 in Ixelles, Belgium. She had two children with her husband Charles Herscovici, who was a Jewish concentration camp survivor.
India develops the Astra Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile (BVR AAM), capable of taking stand-off distances for controlling airspace with a modern missile system. This Air to Air missile can fire anywhere and get a hit with close to hypersonic speeds and is equipped with other new capabilities.

India Develops Lethal Offensive Weapon

Equipping the Astra is an advanced Electronic Counter Measures (ECCM) that tracks a target better via lessening electronic jamming of its sensors to damper electronic noise to hit targets, reported EurAsian Times.

It is equipped with an indigenous RF seeker-based active radar terminal guidance system for any targeting situation in combat for better efficacy.

Choose between Lock-on Before Launch (LOBL) or Lock-on After Launch (LOAL), allowing the pilot to shoot and disengage to a safer distance to avoid getting fired at, cited Financial Express.

Doing evasive actions in a modern combat plane will be 9gs of positive and vertical force, but Astra can be shot in 30gs + in extreme maneuvers versus the 4th ++ to 5th gen combat aircraft going supersonic.

An India-made BVR missile is capable of all-weather attack, day or night, and high kill shot in most conditions. This weapon system's length is 3.8m, its diameter is 178mm, and the overall launch weight is 160kg, with a low total weight that allows for a long launch range.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that developed the Mach 4+ missile dubbed the Astra MK-I (Astra BVR AAM) will feature the related systems for launch, ground handling, and finally, testing with the Indian Air Force (IAF).

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Testing was done by the IAF and mounted on a Su 30 MK-I fighter that will be in use with other IAF fighters in service, including the LCA Tejas. Another plan is for the Indian Navy to use it on its MiG-29s, noted Airforce Technology.

The Astra was developed under the auspices of DRDO, which did all the steps to design and everything related to making the weapon system functional and operational.

The new air-to-air missile MK-I variant was first tested in May 2003 from the Interim Test Range (ITR) located in Chandipur, Odisha led to a series of developmental ground tests, captive flight trials, and tested in varying weather conditions.

Following that, numerous trials involving Su-30 MKI combat aircraft were utilized in different locations. In 2019, the final flight tests with the Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft were conducted at the same Chandipur facility.

India's Innovative Technology on Air to Air Missiles

The trials covered all potential threat scenarios, proving the warhead's end game abilities in combat layout. At a maximum distance, the missile also directly hit the target. A range of 80 to 110 km during a head-on chase with a maxed-out speed of Mach 4.5 near hypersonic is lethal.

Radar is a local Ku-band active radar seeker with a 15 kg warhead, a second variant is the Mk-II with an increased range of 160 km, using a dual-pulse solid-fuel rocket motor.

A future variant of the Astra Mk-III with Russia equipped with an advanced ramjet can hit as far as 350 km away. The technology for the Astra Mk-I has been transferred, and production is in progress.

Astra BVR AAM is a major achievement for India, and the subsequent variants will be a plus for sure kill situations at stand-off distances.

Related Article: USAF Shelves 1st Flight Schedule of the B-21 Raider Due To Problems

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Three abortion activists stormed Joel Osteen's Texas mega church on Sunday, stripping down to their underwear in protest over Roe v Wade.

The three women from the group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights sat throughout Osteen's service at the Lakewood Church in Houston then rose to their feet once he had finished and began screaming: 'My body, my f*****g choice!' and 'Overturn Roe, hell no!'

They wore pink underwear with green handprints on their breasts, and they had appeared to smear fake blood in between their legs.

Activists from a pro-abortion group stormed Joel Osteen's church in Houston on Sunday

The women chanted 'my body, my f*****g choice!' and 'overturn Roe, hell no!'

Osteen, shown on one of the church's large TV screens, barely looked up

The three women were escorted out of the service by security shortly after staging the protest.

The congregation cheered as they were led out of their seats.

Osteen carried on throughout, barely seeming to take notice.

Once outside, the women continued with their protest.

'We're here today to break the silence and stand up because Christians are not afraid to bother us at healthcare clinics, at doctor's offices, why the f*** wouldn't we bother you in your own home where the laws are coming from?' said one of the women.

The church in Houston attracts thousands of worshipers every weekend and collects millions of dollars in donations.

The televangelist has come under fire in recent years.

The women were led out of the church by security guards while the congregation cheered

The women continued their protest outside after being removed from the church by security

In 2017, he was slammed for not immediately opening the stadium-like church to victims of Hurricane Harvey.

He ended up opening the church's doors after widespread criticism.

The live stream of Sunday's service is no longer available online and the church has not commented on the stunt.

The protests have been widespread since a draft decision overturning Roe vs Wade was leaked from the Supreme Court.

SCOTUS has not yet made a final decision on the matter but the leak sparked a wave of protests around the country and even further afield.

On one side of the debate, critics say the right to abortion should be protected by a federal mandate in every state in America.

Others believe states should be able to decide from themselves.

In Texas, abortions were limited before the draft leak with the passing of the state's Heartbeat Bill which bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected - something that normally can be found at around six weeks.
The father of one of the Uvalde school-massacre victims has hired the lawyers who helped families from the Sandy Hook shooting sue a gun-maker for $73million.

It is believed to be the first time a parent of a victim from last month's mass shooting has taken steps towards legal action.

The firm he has chosen comes with the track record of what is believed to be the largest payout by a gun manufacturer in a mass shooting case.

On the day of the shooting, paramedic Alfred Garza arrived at the scene of the Robb Elementary School slaughter to try to help victims, but upon his arrival he learned that his daughter, Amerie Jo Garza, had been killed.

Alfred Garza, the father of Uvalde school shooting victim Amerie Jo Garza, has hired the lawyers who won Sandy Hook victim families 73million in a lawsuit against gun manufacturer Remington

Amerie Jo Garza's funeral took place just a week after she was killed at the Robb Elementary School shooting

Salvador Ramos, 18, was responsible for the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which killed nineteen students and two teachers

In his attack he used a rifle manufactured by Daniel Defense, the DDM4 Rifle (pictured)

He has now hired lawyers from Connecticut-based firm Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder.

They successfully sued Remington, the company that made the rifle used in the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012.

The nine families of the victims received a settlement of $73million.

How parents of Sandy Hook victims made Remington payout Remington Arms manufacturer the AR-15, which was used to kill 20 kids and six adults in the 2012 massacre. In the landmark case they agreed to pay the families of victims $73million. There are many federal laws protecting gun companies from litigation. However the lawsuit circumvented these by arguing that the gun-maker promoted sales of the weapon that appealed to troubled men like the killer. They said Remington's marketing of the weapon had violated Connecticut consumer law. Gun industry representatives said the settlement would not set a pattern. Advertisement

'We have to honour her and make sure we do good. From this day forward, I want to live my life for my daughter,' Garza told David Muir in a recent 'World News Tonight' interview.

'My purpose for being now is to honor Amerie Jo's memory,' Garza also said in the statement. 'She would want to me to do everything I can so this will never happen again to any other child. I have to fight her fight.'

'Daniel Defense has said that they are praying for the Uvalde families. They should back up those prayers with meaningful action,' said Josh Koskoff of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder.

'If they really are sincere in their desire to support these families, they will provide the information that Mr. Garza has requested without delay or excuse. Either way, we will do a complete and thorough investigation, leaving no stone unturned.'

The 18-year-old Uvalde shooter Salvador Ramos used a rifle manufactured by Daniel Defense, a DDM4 Rifle.

On Friday, lawyers at Koskoff filed a petition seeking any communications between Daniel Defense and Ramos before his rampage.

They have also requested marketing materials from the Georgia-based gun-maker, particularly those that target teens and children.

The petition letter is a precursor to a lawsuit that could seek to hold the gun-maker liable despite federal laws protecting gun-makers.

Daniel Defense wrote in a post on its website, 'We are deeply saddened by the recent tragic events in Texas.

'Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and community devastated by this evil act. We will cooperate with all federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities in their investigations.'

Emilia Marin, a teacher who survived the shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, also has filed a petition seeking information from Daniel Defense, CNN said.
A woke university faces ridicule after slapping a trigger warning on one of its archaeology courses - alerting students they may see images of human remains.

The bizarre flag came from the University of York on its Communicating Archaeology module which starts in September.

Department heads risked being accused of patronising its budding Indiana Joneses over the warning of content surely expected on a course of its nature.

The module  led by Dr Colleen Morgan  is described as providing skills needed to communicate archaeological research to a variety of audiences.

But it warned prospective learners: Content Warning: This module occasionally shows images and videos of human remains.

MP Andrew Bridgen - who has previously hit out against little-needed trigger warnings and censorship - said it was absurd.

The archaeological site of Kemune in the dried-up area of the Mosul reservoir where archaeologists are toiling to dig up the urban center of the once-lost Mittani Empire

The University of York's trigger warning about the possibility of pictures of remains being seen

He told MailOnline: 'If the archeology students are worried about seeing human remains perhaps they should have considered another course.'

The module description for the upcoming academic year lays out the course and what it will contain.

It states: 'The Communicating Archaeology module will take students through the history of visual interpretation and dissemination in archaeology, examining illustration, photography, map making, and more up-to-date methods in digital archaeology.

'Students will critically examine representations of archaeology and create their own visual media.

The university did not respond to a request for a comment from MailOnline on the warning

'We will look at best practices for multiple audiences and consider challenges in ethics, accessibility, and technology.

'Students will be encouraged to rethink and improve the messages that archaeologists are transmitting, to academic and general audiences.'

This is the just the latest in a series of trigger warnings from universities that have attracted ridicule.

The University of Chester gave a content warning to students reading JK Rowling's first Harry Potter book over 'difficult conversations about gender, race, sexuality, class, and identity'.

Its English Department sounded the klaxon to freshers on its Approaches to Literature module, led by Dr Richard Leahy.

It even told them they could raise concerns with him if they had 'any issues' with the topics discussed.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is one of the course's three set literary texts alongside Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games and Philip Pullman's Northern Lights.

The trigger warning seen by MailOnline tells students: 'Although we are studying a selection of Young Adult texts on this Module, the nature of the theories we apply to them can lead to some difficult conversations about gender, race, sexuality, class, and identity.

'These topics will be treated objectively, critically, and most crucially, with respect. If anyone has any issues with the content, please get in touch with the Module Leader to make them aware.'

It comes after JK Rowling's views on transgender rights has seen her criticised from some quarters.

A number of schools have distanced themselves from her, even removing her as a house name in some cases.

The University of York did not reply to a MailOnline request for comment on the archaeology trigger warning.
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Cineworld has pulled a film about the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad after outcry from protesters who picketed movie theatres and branded it 'blasphemous'.

Hundreds of demonstrators have turned out in Bradford, Bolton, Birmingham and Sheffield to protest venues showing screenings of The Lady of Heaven.

The movie was released in the UK over the Jubilee weekend but has been pulled by Cineworld from all its branches after it was faced with protesters demanding it was canned. Vue, meanwhile, is still listed as showing the film in a number of its London branches tonight.

A video from the weekend appears to show a manager at one cinema addressing a crowd confirming the film has been pulled, prompting cries of 'Allahu Akbar'.

The movie's executive producer, Malik Shlibak, called the decision to pull the move 'unacceptable' and accused the chain of 'bowing down to radical extremists'.

Made in Britain for 12million, the film opens with the invasion of Iraq by ISIS and features a graphic jihadist murder, before telling the story of Lady Fatima, one of the daughters of the founder of Islam.

Islamic tradition forbids the direct portrayal of religious figures, with previous depictions of prophets leading to protests and even murders amid accusations of blasphemy.

Director Eli King depicts Fatima as a faceless character, shrouded by a black veil to avoid doing this.

But protestors have accused the filmmakers of inaccurately depicting religious history and negatively portraying three of Islam's most important figures.

Cinemas have seen days of protests from Muslims claiming the new film The Lady of Heaven is 'blasphemous'. Pictured are protesters outside the Cineworld in Birmingham on Sunday, June 5

Some cinemas have made the decision to pull the film from theatres following the backlash. Pictured are protesters outside the Cineworld in Birmingham on Sunday, June 5

Protesters gathered outside cinemas to voice their opposition to the film, which was officially released in the UK on June 3. Pictured are protesters outside the Cineworld in Birmingham on Sunday, June 5

Cineworld has said it has cancelled all showings of the film nationwide 'to ensure the safety of our staff and customers'. Pictured are protesters outside the Cineworld in Birmingham on Sunday, June 5

The people behind The Lady of Heaven Eli King The director of the film, Eli King has no previous movie credits to his name. He has not done any interviews prior to the film's release, and keeps an under the radar profile. Producer Malik Shlibak said they landed on King after meeting with a lot of directors. He told Deadline: 'The majority of the British ones I would say, many of them were very interested, but felt the subject may have been too complex, but we were very lucky at the end.' Malik Shlibak Executive producer Malik Shlibak Based in London, the executive producer has hit back at criticism and accused cinemas of caving to 'extremists' by pulling the film. On Twitter he wrote: 'While I vehemently disagree with what these protestors stand for (death of free speech), I wholeheartedly thank them for the free publicity, were already seeing an absolute flood of new audience who had never heard of our film.' Speaking last year he said the film had gone to great lengths not to offend Muslims, adding that he was aware the movie was including characters that are 'very holy for close to two billion people'. Hussein Ashmere Producer Hussein Ashmere One of the producers on the film, Ashmere previously said he hoped the film would educate audiences. Speaking to Deadline last year, he said while it was 'an emotional film' it would also be informative for people unfamiliar with the story of Lady Fatima. 'Its all factually correct, so this is one thing I want to reiterate,' he said. 'We spent meticulous time on this particular subject. We wanted to make sure we wrapped this up very well.' Sheikh al-Habib Sheikh Yasser al-Habib The film's writer, Sheikh Yasser al-Habib is a Kuwaiti Shia scholar based in London. He was imprisoned in the Middle Eastern country before being granted asylum in the UK. He has previously angered Sunni Muslims by calling Aisha, the third wife of the Prophet Muhammad, 'an enemy of God'. The film's producer Malik Shlibak described him as 'a brilliant mind, an intellectual, an academic, a scholar, a historian'. Advertisement

The film features former Coronation Street actor Ray Fearon and was shown at the Cannes Film Festival last year, but was only released in the UK for the first time on June 3, this year.

John Stephenson, who directed the 1999 film Animal Farm and 2004 movie Five Children and It, acted as a creative consultant.

And other critics have expressed anger that the negative characters were portrayed by black actors, rather than white, which they say 'stems from the racial bias against darker skinned people'.

Those who came out to protest screenings on Monday said they were 'offended' by the film and the way it illustrated the life of revered religious figures.

One protester in Bradford, West Yorkshire, said: 'We are very offended. We have a right not to be insulted.

'You talk about freedom of speech but where does your freedom of speech go when it goes to criticising your policies, when it goes to making critical analysis of your version of history.

'You have no right to tell us our history. We will not let this film go on further.'

Others carried signs saying: 'It's not ok to offend 1.8 billion #handsoffoursuperheroes' and 'Stop the screening', while using megaphones to get across their message.

In Bolton, the local chairman of the Council of Mosques, Asif Patel, wrote a letter to his local branch of Cineworld, where he called the film 'blasphemous'.

He said: 'You many well be aware of the recently released film 'Lady of Heaven' which has caused much distress to Muslims across the globe.

'It is underpinned with a sectarian ideology and is blasphemous in nature to the Muslim community.

'It grossly disrespects the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in many ways and is deeply disturbing to every Muslim.

'It also misrepresents orthodox historical narratives and disrespects the most esteemed individuals of Islamic history.

'The storyline begs the question to what extent the producers had considered the huge impact of this film upon the Muslim community and notions of sacredness dearly held by them.'

'In Bolton, we are a very diverse community and are very respectful of each other's culture and honour on community cohesion.'

A spokesperson from the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) called for 'respectful dialogue' between protesters and the film supporters.

They said: 'The MCB, which proudly represents affiliates from across the different schools of thought in our faith, supports those scholars and leaders who are advocating for greater unity and for the common good, as commanded by our Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

'The MCB has always advocated for respectful dialogue of intra-faith relations.

'There are some - including many of this film's supporters or those engaging in sectarianism in their response - whose primary goal is to fuel hatred.

'We must not let them succeed.'

But executive producer of the film Mr Shlibak called the decision to pull the film by the cinema chain 'unacceptable'.

He said: 'We think that the protests have brought a lot of new found attention to the film that did not exist before from people who hadn't heard about the film, and we are okay with the fact that people protest.

'But I believe it's actually unacceptable in this country what they are calling for - that is the removal from this film from the cinemas due to them being offended.

'That is something quite silly, because everyone has the ability to share their thoughts and enact their freedom of speech.

'I genuinely believe from all sides, from the cinema perhaps from the Muslim Council of Britain, that there is this succumbing and bowing down to these radical extremists and their demands.

'I think this is more than The Lady of Heaven as an individual film, this is about our British values and how much these mean to us.

'These groups have now been given the power to dictate what the British public can and cannot watch at their local cinemas.'

And Claire Fox, who sits in the House of Lords as Baroness Fox of Buckley, tweeted that the decision to cancel the screening showed the 'creep of extra-parliamentary blasphemy law' was now censoring film.

She wrote: 'Same "I Find that Offensive" cancel culture arguments now being used far beyond campus activism. Disastrous for the arts, dangerous for free speech, a lesson to those who argue identity politics are no threat to democracy.'

Meanwhile, a petition to get the film removed from all UK cinemas has been signed by almost 120,000 people.

In a statement Cineworld confirmed it was pulling the film from all venues to 'ensure the safety' of staff.

A spokesperson from Cineworld said: 'Due to recent incidents related to screenings of 'The Lady of Heaven', we have made the decision to cancel upcoming screenings of the film nationwide to ensure the safety of our staff and customers.'

(Pictured left to right) Producer Hussein Ashmere, Mehpe Al Hussaini, executive producer Jawad Salah and executive producer Malik Shlibak from Enlightened Kingdom, the company that produced the film, attend the premier of The Lady of Heaven at the Cannes Film Festival last year

Video on social media appears to show the manager of one cinema addressing a crowd of protesters who had gathered outside to picket the film

A poster for The Lady of Heaven, which has been pulled from cinemas in the UK after days of protests. One of the film's producers has hit out at the decision

Executive producer Malik Shlibak, pictured here at the Cannes Film Festival last year, blasted the decision to drop the film

Vue, which still has screenings for the movie listed on its website, refused to confirm whether the film had been pulled from any of its cinemas.

A spokesperson for Vue said: 'Vue takes seriously the responsibilities that come with providing a platform for a wide variety of content and believes in showcasing films of interest to diverse communities across the UK.

'Vue will only show a film once the BBFC (the independent British Board of Film Classification) has assessed and rated a film. The Lady of Heaven has been BBFC accredited and is on show in a number of our cinemas.

'Decisions about how long a film remains on show are taken on a site-by-site basis and based on a variety of commercial and operational factors.'
Kyle Rittenhouse has insisted he will attended Texas A&M next year after the university said he was not enrolled as a student.

Last Friday Rittenhouse, who was acquitted on murder charges last year after fatally shooting two men during the 2020 Kenosha riots, announced on the Charlie Kirk Show he would be attending Texas A&M.

The 19-year-old put on a maroon A&M cap, as Kirk said 'Wow, Kyle Rittenhouse is announcing he's an Aggie' - the nickname for students there.

'I'm going to be going there, and it's going to be awesome,' Rittenhouse told Kirk. 'Beautiful campus, amazing people, amazing food.'

But a Texas A&M spokesperson told the Texas Tribune Sunday he had not actually been accepted to the school and would not confirm if he had even applied.

Then on Monday Rittenhouse clarified he would be going to Blinn College and using it as a 'feeder school' for the university.

Last Friday Rittenhouse (left) announced on the Charlie Kirk Show that he would be attending Texas A&M

The 19 year-old put on a maroon A&M cap, as Kirk said 'Wow, Kyle Rittenhouse is announcing that he's an Aggie,' the nickname for former and current students of the university

On Monday Rittenhouse clarified that he would actually be attending Blinn College, a community college that has a location near A&M and has a high transfer rate to the university

Rittenhouse said his arrest for murder charges 'robbed' him of his high school career, so he would be going to the feeder school before attending A&M in 2023.

'Unfortunately, the end of my high school career was robbed from me. I didn't have the time other students get to properly prepare for the future.

'I look forward to attending Blinn College District this year, a feeder school for Texas A&M. I'm excited to join Texas A&M in 2023,' Rittenhouse tweeted.

In subsequent tweets Rittenhouse added he would be moving to Texas by the end of the month and said goodbye to Arizona State University, posting a picture of his ID.

Rittenhouse said he is studying nursing at ASU but a spokesperson clarified he was not enrolled and did not go through the admissions process, the Tribune reported.

Rittenhouse has shown interest in the Texas university for months- back in April he posted several pictures of himself on campus with the caption: 'I'm thinking about staying'

Following his announcement a Texas A&M spokesperson said that Rittenhouse had not actually been accepted to the school at all and would not confirm if he had even applied

Rittenhouse was acquitted on murder charges last year after fatally shooting two men during the 2020 Kenosha riot

Rittenhouse has shown interest in the Texas university for months - back in April he posted several pictures of himself on campus with the captions 'I'm thinking about staying' and 'Ready or not..' insinuating to his followers he would soon be a student.

The 19-year-old recently made headlines for saying that Johnny Depp's win in the defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard is 'fueling' him to file lawsuits against Mark Zuckerberg and up to 15 others for allegedly defaming him.

'Johnny Depp trial is just fueling me, you can fight back against the lies in the media, and you should,' Rittenhouse wrote, saying the news would be announced on Fox News and on his fundraising website The Media Accountability Project.

Attorney Todd McMurtry, who is representing Rittenhouse, told Fox News last week that there will be about 10 to 15 lawsuits filed against 'large defendants,' including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Last year, a Wisconsin jury acquitted Rittenhouse of all charges. The charges ranged from murder to reckless endangerment.

'My trial exposed a deep corruption in our media that cannot go unanswered. Their blatant lies, defamation, and propaganda were malicious attempts to tear our nation apart and destroy my life  and I am committed to holding them accountable,' he said following the verdict.

'Me and my team have decided to launch The Media Accountability Project as a tool to help fundraise and hold the media accountable for the lies they said and deal with them in court,' he explained.

'I don't want to see anybody else have to deal with what I went through. So I want to hold them accountable for what they did to me, because I don't want to see anybody have to go through what I went through.'
Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, Texas, who has advocated for gun reform, will speak at Tuesday's White House press briefing.

McConaughey, who has spent the past two days lobbying senators on Capitol Hill, will join press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at the podium to make remarks.

'Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, father, and gun owner, will join Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at todays press briefing to deliver remarks,' the White House said in a statement.

The White House didn't say if the actor would also meet with President Joe Biden.

McConaughey had dinner with Senator Joe Manchin on Monday night after spending the day lobbying lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

The actor was spotted walking the halls of the Capitol building on Monday and on Tuesday, where he had separate meetings with Republican Senators John Cornyn and Chuck Grassley on gun legislation.

In the aftermath of the shooting at the elementary school in Ulvade, where 21 people died, McConaughey called for 'gun responsibility' but not 'control.' He visited his home town to meet with the families of the victims.

And he spoke about gun reform to Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who tweeted photos and details from his sit-down with the actor.

'Had the chance to meet Uvalde native @McConaughey in DC today to discuss the horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary as well as the larger problem of gun violence in America. We, like so many others, agree that gun safety reform is neededI'll keep working to make that happen,' the senator from Illinois wrote.

McConaughey and his wife Camila were also spotted having dinner wth Manchin and his fellow Senators Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, and Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, at the fancy Italian restaurant Fiola Mare.

Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, Texas, who has advocated for gun reform, was on Capitol Hill Monday to lobby lawmakers

Matthew McConaughey met with Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of lllinois (above, center left) to talk about gun reform legislation

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa tweeted a photo of his meeting with actor Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey also had dinner with Democratic Senator Joe Manchin on Monday night

Reporters spotted McConaughey in the halls of the Capitol but the actor declined to discuss his visit

The actor's visit to the Capitol came as lawmakers are working on a bill that could garner the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to advance through the legislative process.

Sens. John Cornyn, Republican of Texas; Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut; and Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona, met for about two hours Monday night to discuss a path forward.

Cornyn is leading efforts for Republicans and Murphy for the Democrats.

'My hope is that we are able to come to an agreement by the end of the week,' Murphy said. 'The discussions have been really positive. I still am hopeful we'll be able to get a product.'

Any legislation would need buy-in from Manchin and Sinema, the more moderate Democrats, plus at least 10 Republicans in order to make its way through the legislative process.

'What I'm interested in is keeping guns out of the hands of those who, by current law, are not supposed to have them: people with mental health problems, people who have criminal records,' Cornyn said of the talks.

The lawmakers are looking at legislation that would reform background checks, encourage state red flag laws, enhance school safety and provide new mental health programs, Politico reported.

Meanwhile, McConaughey called for changes in the way people can buy weapons across the United States following the massacre in Uvalde last month.

He said the nation has a 'cultural obligation' to work towards 'slowing down the senseless killing of our children'.

He suggested a national red flag system, background checks, raising the age someone can buy an assault rifle to 21 and a waiting time before buying them.

But the 52-year-old, who weighed up running for Texas governor last year, warned any changes cannot threaten the 2nd Amendment rights of citizens.

It comes after 19 children and two teachers were gunned down by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos at Robb Elementary School in McConaughey's hometown.

It sparked renewed debate over whether gun laws should be tightened to stop youngsters getting their hands on certain weapons.

But since then there has been a spate of vicious shootings, including in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Pennsylvania over the weekend.

McConaughey speaking at a March For Our Lives rally in Dallas in 2018 after the mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida

Students escape through a window of Robb Elementary School after the mass shooting on May 24

McConaughey published this op-ed in the Austin American Statesman on Monday, arguing that 'gun responsibility' was the best way to protect the 2nd Amendment

'I am a father, the son of a kindergarten teacher, and an American. I was also born in Uvalde, Texas,' McConaughey begins in the piece published in Austin American Statesman on Monday, 'That's why I'm writing this.'

'I believe that responsible, law-abiding Americans have a Second Amendment right, enshrined by our founders, to bear arms.'

'I also believe we have a cultural obligation to take steps toward slowing down the senseless killing of our children.'

McConaughey states that debates about 'gun control' have led nowhere but 'the status-quo,' and argues that the debate should be shifted towards 'gun responsibility.'

'There is a difference between control and responsibility,' he wrote, 'The first is a mandate that can infringe on our right; the second is a duty that will preserve it. There is no constitutional barrier to gun responsibility.

McConaughey as a boy in Texas. He was born in Uvalde, Texas, where the mass shooting took place

McConaughey visiting the Robb Elementary School on May 27 in the days after the mass shooting

McConaughey visiting Uvalde, Texas, on May 27, days after the mass shooting. He has set up a relief fund to help victims of the shooting

'Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people is not only the responsible thing to do, it is the best way to protect the Second Amendment. We can do both.'

McConaughey argued that background checks should be required for all gun sales, that the buying age should be increased to 21 years-old, and that there should be a national red flag system that would allow loved-ones and law enforcement to petition courts to bar individuals from buying guns for a certain period.

He also wrote that there should be a waiting period for purchasing assault rifles, arguing that those who commit atrocities with such weapons often buy them in 'fits of rage.'

'Individuals often purchase weapons in a fit of rage, harming themselves or others. Studies show that mandatory waiting periods reduced homicides by 17 percent, he wrote, 'A waiting period to purchase an assault rifle is an acceptable sacrifice for responsible gun owners when it can prevent a mass shooting crime of passion or suicide.'

McConaughey (second from right) holding hands with mourners during a visit to Robb Elementary School on June3

An officer outside the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. A memorial is spread across the sign to the school

Mourners paying respects and reflecting at memorial outside the Robb Elementary School on June 1

McConaughey, who was born in Uvalde, visited the school where the 18-year-old gunman, Salvador Ramos, murdered 19 children and two teachers with an assault rifle days after the May 24 shooting.

At the beginning of June, McConaughey and his wife, Camila, launched a Uvalde Relief fund as a part of their Just Keep Livin Foundation.

The op-ed about gun rights isn't the actor's first foray into politics, as last year he considered making a run for Texas governor before ultimately deciding against it.

'As a simple kid born in the little town of Uvalde, Texas, it never occurred to me that I would one day be considered for political leadership,' McConaughey said last fall, 'It's a humbling and inspiring path to ponder. It is also a path that I am choosing not to take at this moment.'
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George Clooney's Lake Como town has been struck by heavy flooding for the second time in a year, causing huge landslides in the picturesque Italian region.

Nearly four inches of rain fell in a few hours in Laglio last night, with water and mud blocking homes and sweeping away cars.

Firefighters have been deployed to free residents stuck in their houses and help remove the heavy stones and mud moved by the landslides.

George Clooney's Lake Como village has been struck by heavy flooding for the second time in a year, causing huge landslides in the picturesque Italian region

Nearly four inches of rain fell in a few hours in Laglio last night, with water and mud blocking homes and sweeping away cars

Firefighters have been deployed to free residents stuck in their houses and help remove the heavy stones and mud moved by the landslides

A person tries to clean up mud after flooding and landslides caused damage in Lake Como in Laglio, a year after similar weather

As of yet, there are no reports of injured people but there is serious damage to a number of homes in the town at the foot of the Alps.

The town of Nesso has also been affected and the Regina Vecchia state highway has been blocked.

It is not yet known if Clooney's luxury villa has been hit by the flooding.

Many were forced to evacuate their homes as volunteers rushed to help, with another weather alert issued today.

Hailstorms, heavy showers and strong gusts of wind are expected to follow the huge downpour in a region which is no stranger to biblical showers.

As of yet, there are no reports of injured people but there is serious damage to a number of homes in the village at the foot of the Alps

Many were forced to evacuate their homes as volunteers rushed to help, with another weather alert issued today

Hailstorms, heavy showers and strong gusts of wind are expected to follow the huge downpour in a region which is no stranger to biblical showers

The amount that fell in the space of a few hours last night was more than the entire rainfall recorded between January and early May in Laglio

The town of Nesso has also been affected and the Regina Vecchia state highway has been blocked although the state of Clooney's villa is not known

George Clooney is pictured with Mayor of Laglio Roberto Pozzi in the midst of the rubble caused by flooding last year

The amount that fell in the space of a few hours last night was more than the entire rainfall recorded between January and early May in Laglio.

In July last year, Clooney's villa was hit by similar flooding and the Hollywood A-lister helped locals clear the debris.

The actor was staying at Villa Oleandra with wife Amal and their twins Ella and Alexander when flooding caused by three days of torrential downpours hit.

A large expanse of mud, wood, and debris washed up against the villa and reached a first-flood balcony with the front door also blocked, Italian media reported.

The village has been struck by heavy flooding for the second time in a year, causing huge landslides in the picturesque Italian region

A police sign on the shores of the stunning lake announces the closure of the street due to the heavy rainfall and flooding

A man tries to sweep away the mud and debris from inside a garage in Laglio after the huge downpour late last night

Clooney and Amal own Villa Oleandra which sits on the shores of Lake Como in the town of Laglio

The star was seen helping locals clean up the damage in Laglio and met with mayor Roberto Pozzi at some of the worst-hit spots.

He also shook hands with local business owners, showing support for their plight.

'It's much worse than I thought', he told TV station TG1 in English, apologising for his lack of Italian.

'In Cernobbio the situation is serious. I spoke with the mayor, there will be a lot of work, it will take millions of dollars, but this city is strong.

'It will react and return better than before. This is a very resilient city.'
A plane carrying Prince Edward and his wife Sophie to Gibraltar has been forced to make an emergency landing after a mechanical fault.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex were heading to the British overseas territory on a visit when their British Airways Flight had to return to London following the technical issues.

The plane had been set to touch down later this afternoon, before Edward and his wife Sophie were due to walk down Gibraltar's Main Street.

A plane carrying Prince Edward and his wife Sophie to Gibraltar was reportedly been forced to make an emergency landing

The news was revealed in a tweet by GBC News, Gibraltar's main broadcaster.

It said: 'BA Press Office tells GBC pilots on flight 490 decided to return to Heathrow as a precaution due to a minor technical issue, and the aircraft landed normally.

'It's arranging for a replacement aircraft to operate the flight and thanks customers for their patience.'

The Earl and Countess of Wessex's visit to Gibraltar - part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations - was confirmed in March.

Spain, which has long laid claim to Gibraltar, is said to have protested the visit.

They believe the visit is 'not appropriate' due to ongoing negotiations over their post-Brexit relations with Gibraltar.

A BA spokesman said: 'Our pilots decided to return to Heathrow as a precaution due to a minor technical issue, and the aircraft landed normally.

'The issue has now been fixed and the aircraft is due to depart again shortly.

'We'd like to thank customers for their patience and understanding.'

The Earl and Countess of Wessex were heading to the British overseas territory on a visit when their British Airways Flight had to return to London following technical issues. Above: Tracking website Flight Radar showed how the plane got as far as the French coast before turning back

Prince Edward and Sophie will get a later flight to the territory.

The royal couple recently returned from a visit to Northern Ireland for a celebration in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

The couple first visited Belfast before heading to Bangor in County Down.

In Belfast, the Earl and Countess met groups of performers, including the Belfast Busking Band.

On the beachfront of Bangor, which has newly been awarded city status, the pair joined members of the public at a vintage, seaside funfair.

Edward and Sophie are visiting Gibraltar to see the Royal Gibraltar Regiment parade its new colours, which were approved by the Queen. Above: Prince Edward presenting the colours at at ceremony at Windsor in March

Edward and Sophie are visiting Gibraltar to see the Royal Gibraltar Regiment display its new colours during the Queen's Birthday Parade.

The colours were approved by Her Majesty.

Prince Edward had presented the colours at a ceremony at Windsor Castle in March.

It has been 25 years since the regiment had new colours. The regiment's flag now bears the Royal prefix, which it gained in 2009.

The visit is part of the Royal Family's ongoing tour of the Commonwealth.

Sophie and Edward visited the Caribbean in April, after Prince William and Kate visited other nations in the region in March.

Both sets of visits were hit by republican and anti-colonial protests.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex were set to be in Gibraltar until June 9.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex's visit to Gibraltar was confirmed in March. Spain, which has long laid claim to Gibraltar, is said to have protested the visit

Addressing the Royal Gibraltar Regiment in March, Edward said: 'This is your Sovereign's personal recognition of your professionalism, skill, courage and unique contribution to our nation's defence.'

He added: 'On behalf of Her Majesty, I hand over these colours in the confidence that you will guard them well. That they will be symbols of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment's enduring spirit and devotion to duty.

'That it will inspire you in the face of uncertainties. That as an emblem of your achievements it will be an embodiment of your Regiment's traditions, heritage and ethos.

'But most importantly, I give it into your care as a token of Her Majesty's admiration and trust in each and every one of you and in the regiment in which you serve.'
This undated photo provided by the Alexandria, Virginia, Sheriff's Office in January 2022 shows Allison Fluke-Ekren, 42, who is accused of joining ISIS and leading an all-female battalion

The Kansas mom who led an all-female Islamic State battalion in Syria and trained members to use assault rifles, grenades and suicide explosives has plead guilty to federal terrorism charges.

'ISIS mom' Allison Fluke-Ekren, 42, of Topeka, admitted in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia on Tuesday that she worked for the terrorist group and had provided military training to over 100 women and young girls.

She will be sentenced on October 25 and faces up to 20 years in prison.

Fluke-Ekren joined the terrorist organization in 2014 while living overseas and started leading the battalion in 2016.

Prosecutors claim she wanted to recruit ISIS operatives to attack a college campus in the U.S. and had discussed a terrorist attack on a shopping mall.

She also provided ISIS and its members with services, which included lodging, translating speeches made by ISIS leaders, teaching extremist ISIS doctrine and training children on the use of AK-47 assault rifles and suicide belts.

During her hearing Tuesday, Fluke-Ekren denied the allegations that she deliberately taught children how to use military-grade weapons.

'We didn't intentionally train any young girls,' she told the courtroom, according to The Washington Post. 'They may have been in attendance.'

She has also been accused by her ex-husband of trying ransom their children back to him after she fled with them to the Middle East.

Fluke-Ekren, who once lived in Kansas, moved with her second husband, Volkan Ekren, and four children to Egypt in 2008

Fluke-Ekren is pictured with her family riding camels and horses at the foot of the pyramids in Egypt. She later relocated to Syria, allegedly to join Islamic extremists

Prosecutors say Fluke-Ekren (pictured with her second husband and family) wanted to recruit operatives to attack a college campus in the U.S. and discussed a terrorist attack on a shopping mall

The affidavit also alleges Fluke-Ekren, who went by the names 'Umm Mohammed al-Amriki,' 'Umm Mohammed,' and 'Umm Jabril,' became a leader of an Islamic State unit called 'Khatiba Nusaybah' in the Syrian city of Raqqa in late 2016.

The all-female unit comprised of the wives of male ISIS fighters was trained in the use of AK-47 rifles, grenades and suicide belts.

The members of Khatiba Nusaybah were allegedly instructed on physical training, medical training, Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device driving courses, religious classes and how to pack and prepare a 'go bag' with military supplies. According to eyewitness accounts, some of these classes were allegedly taught by Fluke-Ekren.

She also is accused of providing ISIS and ISIS members with services, which included lodging, translating speeches made by ISIS leaders, teaching extremist ISIS doctrine and training children on the use of AK-47 assault rifles and suicide belts.

At least one witness saw one of her children - approximately 6 or 7 years old - holding a machine gun in the family's home in Syria, the affidavit states.

She had vocalized her support for planning a mass-casualty attack on U.S. soil, alleging she wanted to recruit operatives to attack a college campus in the U.S.

She also discussed the idea of attacking a shopping mall by remotely detonating a car full of explosives in the parking garage.

She told one witness that 'she considered any attack that did not kill a large number of individuals to be a waste of resources,' according to an FBI affidavit.

The same witness said that when Fluke-Ekren would hear about terrorist attacks in countries outside the U.S., she would comment that she wished the attack occurred on American soil instead.

In all, the affidavit cites observations from six different witnesses, including some who have been charged with terrorism offenses and some who were held at prison camps for former Islamic state members.

The criminal complaint against Fluke-Ekren was filed under seal in 2019 but not made public until she was brought back to the U.S. to face charges.

Fluke-Ekren is pictured with a group of friends during a visit to Wichita, Kansas in April 2010

A young Fluke-Ekren poses with a flower tucked behind her ear in a field near Topeka, in a photo taken during a outdoor photography class in the mid-1990s

Fluke-Ekren moved to Egypt with her second husband, Volkan Ekren, and four children in 2008.

She had traveled frequently between Egypt and the U.S. over the next three years.

Prosecutors believe she moved to Syria around 2012. In early 2016, Volkan was killed in the Syrian city of Tell Abyad while trying to carry out a terrorist attack.

Later that year, prosecutors say she married a Bangladeshi ISIS member who specialized in drones, but he died in late 2016 or early 2017.

Four months after that man's death, she again remarried a prominent Islamic state leader who was responsible for the Islamic State group's defense of Raqqa, which became the capital of ISIS's self-proclaimed caliphate.

She is believed to have had at least three more children, according to her family blog 4KansasKids, where she had been documenting the family's life overseas until 2010.

A 2004 article about homeschooling in the Lawrence Journal-World featured Fluke-Ekren and her children. She told the paper she pulled her kids from public school because she was dissatisfied with how her children were performing in public and private schools. Homeschooling allowed her to teach Arabic to her kids.

Fluke-Ekren was brought to the U.S. in January to face a criminal charge of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Until that point, she had not been in the U.S. since 2011.

In February 2009, Fluke-Ekren made a blog post about being a teacher. The above photo was taken on a field trip to a farm. She is believed to be pictured with two of her own children

Fluke-Ekren is pictured with a group of kids she referred to as 'my class' and 'one big happy family' in October 2009

Fluke-Ekren also allegedly attempted to faker her own death and tried to ransom her own children back to their father, her first husband James Fluke.

According to the affidavit, the mother told one witness in 2018 that she instructed a person in Syria to tell Fluke-Ekren's family she was dead so the U.S. government would not try to find her.

'Fluke-Ekren informed this same witness and others that it was important to kill the kuffar (disbelievers) and die as martyrs on behalf of ISIS in Syria,' the detention memo filed by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh states.

'The witness also heard Fluke-Ekren state that she never wanted to return to the United States and that she wanted to die in Syria as a martyr.'

Her former sister-in-law, Amy Fluke, 49, also confirmed the alleged ransom plot to DailyMail.com in February, shortly after Fluke-Ekren had made her first appearances in U.S. court.

Amy said the ISIS mom began sending James emails and notes demanding more than $6,000 for the return of their two kids, shortly after moving abroad.

'The first month they were away in Turkey we could still call and talk to Gabe and Alaina, but after that we lost all contact. And that broke my brother,' Amy told DailyMail.com. 'That's when the really weird stuff started happening. It started with ransom notes.

'We would get them by mail or emails. They were telling him he could have the kids back for a certain amount of money. Sometimes it was $5,000 or $6,000, and it started being more and more. I don't remember the highest amount.

'But we wanted to get the children back legally, so he didn't pay any ransom. We were trying to fight for the opportunity to get them back to the United States to have a custody hearing, and that's when we lost all contact with the children for about five or six years,' she added.

It was not clear whether any ransom money would have been diverted to ISIS.

Fluke-Ekren met second husband Volkan Ekren (left) - a member of a powerful family in Turkey - at university, when she was still married to James Fluke. The two went on to marry and have at least three more children, according to her family blog. They are pictured above with their son Zaid

According to family members, Fluke-Ekren's eldest son, Gabriel (left) now 25, managed to escape to the US when he was 17 and has made a quiet new life for himself, but his sister Alaina, now 24, (right) remains missing and could still be in Syria

Volkan pictured with Gabriel, Alaina, and two of his children with Fluke-Ekren, Leyla and Nael (in the back) in 2008

Her ex-husband, James, also spoked to DailyMail.com at the time, alleging he hoped she would spend the rest of her life in prison.

'I hope they lock her up and throw away the key,' he told us in February. 'She kidnapped my kids for ten years. She's manipulative. She always has been. She's always wanted the spotlight. There is no way to adequately describe how manipulative she is.'

Speaking at his modest home in a quiet corner of Topeka, Kansas, he continued: 'Imagine your wife stabbing you with a sharp object and then for some odd reason she discusses this with you to the point where you are apologizing for it.

Asked about his reaction to the terrorist accusations against her, James added: 'I can't even wrap my head around it. I hope she gets what she deserves. I hope it's done right.'

Back in January, during one of her initial court hearings, Parekh told the judge that he had been in contact with Ekren's parents and her adult children, and all had said they wanted no contact with her.

James and Fluke-Ekren's eldest son, Gabriel, now 25, managed to escape to the US when he was 17 and has made a quiet new life for himself, but his sister Alaina, 24, remains missing and could still be in Syria, the family said.

Volkan and Fluke-Ekren had a second daughter named Leyla, who is also now living safely in the United States. He escaped the Islamic radicalism with Gabriel.

DailyMail.com was not immediately able to confirm the whereabouts of her other children.
The sixth-form pupil who dared to question trans ideology has warned 'there is no forgiveness for those branded transphobic' as she reveals that she self-harmed and relapsed into anorexia when teachers sided with the bullies to hound her out of the school.

Britain's 'cancel culture' crisis was pulled into sharp focus last month after it was claimed that the 18-year-old A-level student was branded a 'heretic' for questioning pro-trans remarks made by the member of the House of Lords when she visited the school.

The sixth-former was reportedly subjected to a verbal 'pile-on' by up to 60 students after debating her views with the peer during a questions-and-answers session at the private school in the Home Counties.

In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, the Baroness at the heart of the dispute defended Kate's right to freedom of expression - joining free speech advocates including Tory minister Nadhim Zahawi and JK Rowling, who have both been excoriated by trans activists.

Speaking out for the first time, the pupil has described how the experience of being condemned by teachers and pupils alike was so harrowing that she self-harmed on school premises, was made to sit on her own in the library, and ultimately forced her to drop out.

Giving the name 'Kate' to Unherd's Julie Bindel, the 18-year-old told the feminist journalist that the school fell under the influence of LGBT charity Stonewall, which runs a controversial diversity scheme for hundreds of British organisations and has lobbied for gender-neutral language in legislation.

She described how she had challenged the visiting Baroness over what she considered to be her 'righteous denunciation of her peers as irredeemably transphobic'.

A sixth-form pupil was hounded out of her own school for daring to question trans ideology during a visit by a member of the House of Lords. File image used

The student gave the name 'Kate' to Unherd's Julie Bindel as she spoke out for the first time

Kate said she told the politician: 'I respectfully disagree' - causing one of her peers to run out of the room crying.

Afterwards, the sixth-former heard several students talking about 'transphobia' and was directly accused of causing trans students to consider suicide.

When she went to collect her bag from the locker room, a number of students circled her, called her names including 'Nazi', 'fascist', 'transphobe', 'homophobe', 'racist' and 'c**t' - and allegedly spat on her face.

The next day, Kate's desk was covered in printouts of trans flags covered in text which read: 'Trans rights are human rights.' The day after that, the other sixth-formers staged a 'Trans Day of Visibility' and left her out - apparently to embarrass her or teach her a lesson.

Two investigations were then launched into Kate's alleged bullying, including her 'provocative history'.

Meanwhile, teachers would apologise to the students for Kate's alleged 'terrible, hateful behaviour'.

Kate told Miss Bindel that she became so distressed that she self-harmed on school premises, and was asked to stay home for several weeks 'because I was seen as a danger to myself and to other students'.

She had battled anorexia through her teenage years and spent a year in hospital aged 13 being treated for her eating disorder.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling condemned the 'shameful treatment' of the sixth former

Kate has been supported by advocates including Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, who was himself recently heckled off a university campus by trans activists

When she did eventually return to school, she was then made to sit in the library, separate from other students.

She decided to leave the school, and Kate is now continuing her studies online and is set to begin university by the time she's 21. Her anorexia had forced her to retake her GCSE exams.

'Why would they turn on me so viciously?' Kate told Unherd.

She added that these days 'there is no forgiveness for those branded with the damning suffix of '-phobic''.

The Baroness told the MoS: 'I spoke about a wide range of human rights issues. One young woman challenged some of my views and was treated with the same courtesy as everyone else who took part.'

She added: 'I was not aware of any consequences from our interactions and thought that we had parted on amicable terms.'

The Baroness's comments may bring some comfort to the 18-year-old, whose experience was highlighted by one of her teachers on the Transgender Trends website.

Kate previously told The Times: 'It made me think I was mad. Otherwise how could people turn on me so bitterly?'

It is understood that the school disputes the version of events outlined in the media.
Shanghai adds 3 local COVID-19 cases

Xinhua) 09:52, June 07, 2022

SHANGHAI, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai reported three locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases during the 17 hours to 5 p.m. on Monday, the municipal health commission said at a press conference Monday.

The three new cases were detected in community screening and have been sent to designated hospitals for medical treatment, said the health commission.

Epidemiological investigations were carried out immediately. As of 4 p.m. Monday, 12 close contacts of the three cases had been placed in quarantine for medical observation.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
Kyle Rittenhouse, the infamous teenager who was acquitted after fatally shooting two men for allegedly defending himself, claims that he is going to attend Blinn college a few days after he said he was going to Texas A&M University in a conservative podcast.

His announcement also follows a Texas A&M spokesperson publicly saying on Sunday that Rittenhouse had not, in fact, been accepted at the Tier One research university for this summer or fall, despite his claims that he was going to attend.

Kyle Rittenhouse's Education Plans

In a Twitter post on Monday afternoon, Rittenhouse said that his experiences had robbed him of the end of his high school career. He expressed his excitement about attending Blinn College District, which he said was a feeder school for Texas A&M.

Kyle Rittenhouse announces hes going to Texas A&M live on the @charliekirk11 show. pic.twitter.com/0vXZ7kw8zI  The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 4, 2022

However, a Blinn College spokesperson said that while the teenager has indeed applied for the school, he has not enrolled for a current or upcoming term. The university is an open enrollment college, which means that all students are welcome to enroll, as per WFAA.

In the following tweet, Rittenhouse said that he was already planning to move to Texas by the end of June. The teenager made headlines when he was 17 years old when he drove from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to Kenosha, Wisconsin, and tried to help contain violent protests against a Black man's shooting by a White officer.

Read Also: WATCH: Michigan Boy, 12, Robs Gas Station with His Grandfather's Gun, Hours After Making Threats at School

Rittenhouse said he was trying to aid law enforcement and protect property amid the widespread civil unrest. He was accused of fatally shooting two men and injuring another with his rifle. However, the teenager was acquitted of multiple felony charges during his high-profile trial, in which he argued that he acted in self-defense.

According to Insider, Rittenhouse took online classes at Arizona State University last year but said he dropped them during his homicide trial and was planning to resume them afterward. In response to him being acquitted, students from the school demanded that he be expelled from the university.

Denying the Claims

The school previously said that the teenager was no longer attending the university, following its students' demands. The victims of the fatal shooting by Rittenhouse were Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber, and Gaige Grosskreutz.

The teenager also said recently that he was planning to file lawsuits against media outlets and United States President Joe Biden over defamation allegations after being inspired by the defamation trial between actors Amber Heard and Johnny Depp.

Rittenhouse's claims come as Blinn College, which is a community college based in Brenham with a location near Texas A&M in Bryan, has a strong transfer partnership with the latter without being part of the Texas A&M system. The college said in 2020 that 53% of its transfer students continued their studies at Texas A&M.

Despite this, transferring from Blinn College to Texas A&M was not guaranteed as a student is first required to have at least a 2.5-grade point average and 24 hours of coursework that is transferable to be considered for the process, the Texas Tribune reported.

Related Article: Queens Resident Faces Charges After Sexually Abusing Teen Girl He Met Through Snapchat

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Escaped Alabama prisoner Casey White's attorneys say he was in the 'care and custody' of his prison guard lover Vicky when she sprang him from jail in April in a possible clue as to how he now plans to defend himself.

Casey and Vicky ran from the Lauderdale County Jail in Alabama on April 29 in a patrol car. They then switched vehicles and were on the lam for weeks before police finally caught up with them.

Vicky, who had never been in trouble with the law before and was esteemed by her colleagues, shot herself as cops closed in on the couple in the final moments of their Bonnie-and-Clyde-style spree.

Now, Casey is back in custody and facing additional charges to the murder he was already accused of when he and Vicky escaped.

Casey and Vicky ran from the Lauderdale County Jail in Alabama on April 29 in a patrol car. They then switched vehicles and were on the lam for weeks before police finally caught up with them

Vicky White is shown opening the door for Casey White at the Lauderdale County Jail on April 29

In a series of defense motions filed in court last week, his attorneys gave a glimpse of how they might try to defend him.

They wrote that he was in the 'care and custody' of Vicky when he escaped - a suggestion that he intends to blame the entire crime spree on his dead lover.

The lawyers also wrote that Casey has no shot of a fair trial because of the intense media attention around the case.

'Some of the largest news networks in the world covered the story on the whereabouts of Vicky White and the Defendant along with why the Defendant was in the Lauderdale County Detention Center and facts this Honorable Court or any juror is yet to hear regarding the Defendants capital murder case.

'CNN, Fox News, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News and others focused reports on Florence, Alabama and the surrounding area.

The couple's car is shown after a crash on May 9 after police finally caught up with them. Vicky killed herself

'It was one of the most viewed stories in the country, trailing only the war in Ukraine for several days.

Casey White remains in custody. His attorneys say he can't get a fair trial

'This information has severely prejudiced the Defendant.

'Nearly all of [the potential jury pool] own a television, phone, computer, tablet or combination of the four.

'It would take a resident living in a dwelling without access to electricity or communication from the outside world for the last month not to know a significant amount of information about the Defendant, his capital murder case and his other legal matters,' attorney Mark McDaniel wrote in the filing.

White was due in court on June 13 but his trial date has been pushed back thanks to his new legal team.

They say they intend to rebuild his case from the ground up.
CNN's new boss is cracking down on biased news reporting and has threatened to oust some of the network's top-paid talent, if they continue to push a liberal agenda.

Network CEO Chris Licht, as part of his efforts to revamp the outlet, has been evaluating news personalities and programs that became polarizing during Donald Trump's presidency.

Those who fail to get on board with the network's new priority to become 'less partisan' could be terminated, CNN insiders told Axios.

Licht isn't reportedly looking to get rid of primetime personality programming, but he does want CNN's news staff to present information in a way that upholds the network's apparent values of unbiased reporting.

Analysts allege this could prove problematic for network correspondents Jim Acosta and Brian Stelter, among others, who have 'become the face of the network's liberal shift.'

The potential firings are just the latest of Licht's moves to clean up the network.

Earlier this month he issued orders to tone down the use of 'Breaking News' graphics and announced he plans to craft a new organizational structure at CNN.

CNN's new boss Chris Licht has been evaluating news personalities and programs that became polarizing during Donald Trump's presidency

Licht wants to give the controversial personalities a chance to 'prove they're willing to uphold the network's values' before casting anyone out, the insiders said.

Specifically, he wants on-air talent, producers and bookers to make programming decisions that are focused on 'nuance' and don't tarnish the CNN brand, which was once regarded as 'the most trusted name in news.'

He does not plan to change the tone of the network's primetime shows, but does want to ensure partisan voices don't 'dominate' programming in a harmful way.

This would be a shift from the way former CNN president Jeff Zucker ran the network, which many argue allowed for the furthering of an anti-Trump agenda.

Those who fail to get on board with the network's new priority to becomes 'less partisan' could be terminated, CNN insiders allege

Chief Domestic Correspondent Jim Acosta may be among those under the scrutiny of Licht.

During Trump's time in office, Acosta often pushed back on the president's press secretaries and issued critiques of the administration during his coverage.

For example, while reporting on Trump's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Acosta said: 'This is a nation without a president.'

After Trump's failed bid for re-election Acosta predicted the then-president, who was known for his Twitter commentary, would just 'go back to being another crackpot on the internet.'

Then, when Trump moved to challenge the election results, Acosta said he was 'scrambling to scam his way into a second term.'

The correspondent even had his White House press credentials temporarily stripped during Trump's reign, forcing Acosta to go to court to have them restored.

Those critical of Acosta allege his remarks were met with disapproval by news traditionalists, The Washington Post reported last year. Many believed, that as a correspondent, he should present facts, not personality-driven commentary.

Analysts speculate that correspondents Jim Acosta (left) and Brian Stelter (right) could be among those under Licht's scrutiny

Brian Stelter, the network's chief media correspondent, could also be among those Licht is evaluating.

Stelter published the book 'Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth in August 2020.'

In April 2021, when confronted by a Project Veritas staffer about CNN's alleged liberal bias, Stelter stated that CNN boss Jeff Zucker did not dictate the content of his reporting.

'I report whatever I want. You need to leave,' he said, according to Fox News, before ordering the staffer to leave the premises.

It is unclear if Licht has yet addressed any of the alleged partisan personalities or if Acosta or Stelter are even among those under his scrutiny.

The CEO of the new parent company, David Zaslav, has previously said that he wants to see CNN move away from sensationalism and partisan commentary

Licht, who officially took over at CNN on May 2, assumed the former role of Zucker following the formation of the network's new parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, through a $43 billion merger.

The CEO of the new parent company, David Zaslav, has previously said that he wants to see CNN move away from sensationalism and partisan commentary, and back toward hard news.

Board member John Malone has shared similar sentiments, saying last year: 'I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with.'

In a recent memo, Licht announced his first steps to rebranding the network, which included 'toning down' the use of breaking news graphics, which he warned have lost their impact from overuse.

He said he agreed with criticism from 'people both inside and outside the organization' that the banners are overused on TV, Axios reported.

The potential firings are just the latest of Licht's moves to clean up the network. Licht (not pictured), who officially took over at CNN on May 2, issued orders earlier this month to tone down the use of 'Breaking News' graphics (as shown above)

Licht alleged the breaking news banners (as seen above) have 'become such a fixture on every channel and network that its impact has become lost on the audience'

'It has become such a fixture on every channel and network that its impact has become lost on the audience,' he wrote. 'We are truth-tellers, focused on informing, not alarming our viewers.'

Licht said that CNN bureau chief Sam Feist had led a review to determine best practices for use of the Breaking News label, and added new rules to the network's stylebook, or internal editorial guidelines.

'It certainly will need tweaks, so we are open to feedback, but this is a great starting point to try to make 'Breaking News' mean something BIG is happening,' said Licht of the new rules.

In that same memo, he announced the network would be creating a new unit called 'Guns in America,' to cover gun violence, according to CNBC.

Licht also said that he plans to craft a new organizational structure at CNN but will 'make decisions slower than some would like' given management changes.

'I know this organization has been through tremendous change,' said Licht.

'I am approaching this process slowly and thoughtfully as we look at all parts of the operation. We will realign where it makes sense to best serve our people and the business.'

Zucker departed the network abruptly in February after revealing that he had failed to disclose a consensual romance with his top lieutenant Allison Gollust. They are pictured together in October 2019

Zucker and Gollust were seen in public at the Billy Joel concert at Madison Square Garden on November 5, 2021 with Don Lemon (right) and Fareed Zakaria (bottom left). Picture courtesy of fee.org. CNN anchor Jake Tapper previously alleged the surfacing of the photo forced Zucker to 'come forward' about the affair and resign 'not willingly' from the network

Zucker departed the network abruptly in February after revealing that he had failed to disclose a consensual romance with his top lieutenant Allison Gollust.

Following the WarnerMedia merger with Discover, CNN's paid streaming service CNN+ was abruptly axed weeks after launch as part of a cost-cutting strategy focused on promoting HBO Max.

And last month, Meredith Artley, senior vice president and editor-in-chief of CNN Digital Worldwide, announced that she would be departing the network in a memo to staffers.

Artley left just a month after CNN digital lead Andrew Morse, who headed the failed streaming service CNN+, also left the network.

CNN+ had promised to be a new frontier in the news business, offering original programming separate from what the company airs on its news channel.

One top producer even went as far to call the streaming service CNN's Apollo Mission - comparing it to the successful moon landing, the Wall Street Journal reports, and network recruiters told potential hires it was prepared to spend $1 billion over four years on the endeavor.

But after Zaslav found out that it was only being streamed by 5,000 to 10,000 people at any given moment - he decided to pull the plug.

By April 21, Licht told staff that CNN+ was ending.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a 'heightened threat advisory' on Tuesday, warning of an increased risk of 'mass casualty violence' nationwide fueled by extremist ideologies and personal beliefs.

Incidents could be motivated by the looming Supreme Court decision that could wipe out federal abortion protections granted by Roe v. Wade.

A draft opinion leaked by Politico last month indicated the Justices were poised to overturn the ruling, sparking fierce demonstrations across the country from both pro-life and pro-choice groups.

Tensions are expected to boil over the high court releases its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, where Mississippi officials have asked Justices to repeal the landmark case Roe v. Wade.

The bulletin cites 'individuals who advocate both for and against abortion' who publicly 'encouraged violence, including against government, religious, and reproductive healthcare personnel and facilities, as well as those with opposing ideologies.'

The high court scheduled an additional day of releasing opinions on Wednesday, with 33 decisions left in the current term until summer break.

DHS also warned that 'domestic violent extremists' could use changes in the US-Mexico border enforcement system as a reason to carry out attacks against 'minorities and law enforcement officials' - just weeks after a judge blocked the Biden administration from lifting a pandemic-era expulsion policy known as Title 42.

The upcoming Supreme Court decision on abortion rights, due this month, is expected to come with a rise in politically motivated violence

Further political violence could come as the November midterm elections near, which will decide which party controls Congress for the remainder of President Joe Biden's term, the bulletin suggests.

It's set to expire at the end of that month.

And as the country still reels from the horrific shooting of 19 elementary school students and their two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, officials warn that 'copycat attacks' are being encouraged in extremist online forums.

'In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets,' the bulletin reads.

Schools, faith-based institutions, the media, racial and religious minorities, government figures and critical US infrastructure are among the wide-ranging list of areas under threat.

These attacks are expected to be carried out by 'lone offenders and small groups,' such as the spate of mass shootings in recent weeks.

They are also expected to get the support of hostile foreign actors and religious extremists.

For example, DHS said it was investigating 'a number of pro-al-Qaida and ISIS users' online celebrating an attack on a New York City subway station in which the assailant released two gas canisters on a rush hour train and opened fire.

It also highlights recent misinformation spread by Moscow that the US is responsible for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and is funding bioweapons labs for Kyiv.

The government is also expecting a rise in violent attacks against minorities and law enforcement at the border over 'changes in border security-related policies and/or enforcement mechanisms' just weeks after a judge blocked the Biden administration from lifting the pandemic-era expulsion policy Title 42 (pictured: Thousands of migrants walk in a caravan towards the northern border, in the city of Tapachula, in the state of Chiapas, Mexico on June 6)

'Some of these actors have used these conspiracy theories to justify calls for violence against U.S. officials and institutions,' the bulletin states.

It also warns of a pro-al-Qaida magazine that encouraged readers to travel to Ukraine to secure weapons and training to use against the West in its April issue.

'Malign foreign actors' could also seek to meddle in the upcoming midterms 'in keeping with practices during previous election cycles.'

But DHS is also warning of a domestic threat due to the heightened political tension.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' department is warning these threats could escalate 'in the coming months'

'As the United States enters mid-term election season this year, we assess that calls for violence by domestic violent extremists directed at democratic institutions, political candidates, party offices, election events, and election workers will likely increase,' the department states.

The memo classified the warning as a threat fueled by 'false or misleading narratives regarding current events,' along with an alert that people angered by the migrant crisis on the southwestern border could also be motivated to attack.

The Biden administration is monitoring individuals who have 'expressed grievances related to their perception that the U.S. government is unwilling or unable to secure the U.S.-Mexico border' and 'have called for violence to stem the flow of undocumented migrants to the United States,' it states.

DHS also highlights the shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo, New York as instances of online conspiracy theories fueling more violence in the real world.

'Individuals in online forums that routinely promulgate domestic violent extremist and conspiracy theory-related content have praised the May 2022 mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas and encouraged copycat attacks,' it states.

'Others have seized on the event to attempt to spread disinformation and incite grievances, including claims it was a government-staged event meant to advance gun control measures.'

In the case of Buffalo, the bulletin points of the shooter's self-stated ideologies of 'great replacement' and 'white genocide.'

'These theories claim that minorities, multiculturalists, and a ruling elite are deliberately threatening the existence of the white race,' it reads.
Danish authorities on Tuesday charged a 30-year-old British seaman with negligent manslaughter over a fatal cargo ship collision last year that killed two people.

The two crew members of the 180ft Danish-flagged Karin Hoj perished on December 13 after the freighter collided with the British Scot Carrier in the Baltic Sea off southern Sweden and capsized, without sinking.

Officials said the 'particularly aggravating' factor in the crash was that the suspect was allegedly drunk on his watch.

Danish authorities on Tuesday charged a 30-year-old British seaman with negligent manslaughter over a fatal cargo ship collision last year that killed two people. Pictured: Divers work on the capsized Danish cargo ship Karin Hoej which collided with the British cargo ship Scot Carrier on December 13, 2021

The British seaman, who has not been named, was the duty mate on the much larger 295 ft Scot Carrier, according to Danish authorities.

In addition to negligent manslaughter, he was also charged with maritime drunkenness, negligence in maritime traffic and failing to provide help or assistance to the crew of the Karin Hoj.

He was arrested just after the collision by Swedish police and extradited to Denmark in February after he had his appeal in both Sweden's Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court rejected. He has since been held in pre-trial custody.

The court case is due to begin in the Copenhagen City Court on June 16 with a ruling expected on June 23, the police said. An investigation into the incident has been underway since December.

The cargo ships collided south of Ystad in Sweden, close to the Danish island of Bornholm, leaving the two seamen missing.

A search operation by air and sea eventually located one body. The second remains missing, according to Danish reports.

The British cargo ship Scot Carrier (pictured) is seen with damages to the bow in December. Officials said the 'particularly aggravating' factor in the crash was that the British suspect - who have not been named - was allegedly drunk on his watch

The British seaman, who has not been named, was the duty mate on the much larger 295 ft Scot Carrier, according to Danish authorities

Two crew members of the 180ft Danish-flagged Karin Hoj (pictured capsized) were killed after the freighter collided on December 13 with the British Scot Carrier in the Baltic Sea off southern Sweden and capsized, without sinking

Rescue workers work aboard the Danish cargo ship Karin Hoej which collided with the British cargo ship Scot Carrier between Ystad and Bornholm, on the Baltic Sea December 13, 2021

Rescuers said in December that the Scot's crew admitted they 'may have hit something' before trying to sail away from the scene and had to be stopped from leaving, Swedish news outlet Expressen reported at the time.

Ship tracking data showed the Scot did sail away from the crash site, before turning back along a meandering course and coming to a stop. The Karin was carrying no cargo at the time of the accident.

The Scot Carrier, registered in Inverness and built in 2018, was en-route from Salacgriva in northern Latvia to Montrose in Scotland when it crashed.

Karin Hoej, built in 1977, was on its way from Sodertalje, just south of the Swedish capital Stockholm, to Nykobing Falster in southern Denmark.

Both vessels were sailing in the same direction - east to west - through the 25-mile gap between Sweden's southern tip and Bornholm island when the crash happened.

The Scot caused a large hole in the side of the Karin, and caused it to take on water.

The Danish cargo ship Karin Hoej is pictured (right) after it collided in the British cargo ship Scot Carrier in the Baltic sea between the Swedish city of Ystad and the Danish island Bornholm early morning 13 December 2021. A rescue plane is seen in the skies above

Both vessels were sailing in the same direction - east to west - through the 25-mile gap between Sweden's southern tip and Bornholm island when they crashed on Monday, Dec. 13

Karin Hoej, built in 1977, was on its way from Sodertalje, just south of the Swedish capital Stockholm, to Nykobing Falster in southern Denmark

The smaller vessel capsized 'almost immediately', the head of Sweden's maritime rescue agency said at the time, with rescuers reporting 'screams' in the water around the Karin at roughly 4.45am.

A huge rescue operation was launched, involving 10 boats from Sweden's Sea Rescue and the Coast Guard, as well as planes and helicopters.

Pictures at the time showed emergency responders standing on the copper-coloured up-turned hull of the Karin as they carried out a search operation.

On the day of the crash, the search was called off after seven hours when no sign of the men was found, before divers discovered the body of one man in the ship's hull.

The other is still missing, but on May 5, Copenhagen Police officially announced that both were now considered dead.

'We are supporting the family of a British man detained in Denmark,' said an FCDO Spokesperson.
A teenage civilian who used his drone to help Ukraine's armed forces locate and destroy a huge Russian convoy bearing down on Kyiv in the early days of the war has been hailed as a 'real hero of Ukraine'.

Andrii Pokrasa, a 15-year-old boy who lives on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, was approached directly by the military to help them find the convoy, which was trundling along the E40 highway between Kyiv and Zhytomyr.

Authorities approached Pokrasa as they knew he had purchased a consumer mini-drone last year and became a highly proficient pilot, Global News reported.

Pokrasa duly took his drone into a nearby field under cover of darkness and successfully obtained photos and GPS co-ordinates of the oncoming convoy, which his father forwarded onto Ukrainian military via social media.

Minutes later, Ukrainian artillery rained down on the highway near Berezivka and obliterated the convoy roughly 23 miles away from Kyiv city centre.

The approach was so successful that the military handed the teenager the controls of a high-grade drone with a longer range and went on to destroy several Russian tank units and armoured vehicles as a result.

'[Pokrasa] was the only one who was experienced with drones in that region,' Yurii Kasjanov, the commander of a territorial defence unit that liased with the teenage drone pilot, said.

'He's a real hero. A hero of Ukraine.'

Andrii Pokrasa, a 15-year-old boy who lives on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, was approached directly by the military to help them find the convoy using a drone

Authorities approached Pokrasa as they knew he had purchased a consumer mini-drone last year and became a highly proficient pilot

Wreckage of an obliterated Russian convoy is pictured lying along the E40 highway between Kyiv and Zhytomyr. Andrii Pokrasa's drone piloting skills helped the Ukrainian army to pinpoint and destroy several Russian tanks and armoured vehicles headed for Kyiv

Pokrasa took his drone into a nearby field under cover of darkness and successfully obtained photos and GPS co-ordinates of oncoming convoys

This is one of the many images taken of various different Russian armoured vehicles from Pokrasa's drone

Pokrasa described the experience as being 'very, very scary', but said he wanted to prevent the Russian forces from attacking his home town.

'[The territorial defence force] provided us information on where approximately the Russian column could be.

'Our goal was to find the exact coordinates and provide the coordinates to the soldiers... I gave them the coordinates and photos, and after that they targeted the location,' the teenage pilot said.

Ukraine's deployment of drones has been an integral part of their success in repelling Putin's forces from around its capital, and continues to be a highly-effective approach to fighting the invaders in the eastern Donbas region.

Military-grade drones, such as the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB-2, have helped Ukraine's armed forces to inflict major losses on Russia's motorised units since the war began.

But even simple consumer drones have proven invaluable in tracking Russian troop movements to inform military strategy calls and direct artillery fire.

Commander Kasjanov said his territorial defence unit offered as much protection to Pokrasa and his family as they could while the teenager carried out his vital work.

Pokrasa told Global News he was aware of the risks involved and was afraid, but said he knew 'I can't do it any other way'.

The hotshot drone operator is one of many teenagers in Ukraine who are too young to join the military, but have contributed to the war effort by passing information to territorial defence units and working as lookouts.

'They feel themselves free people in a free land so that's why they want to be part of it,' Kasjanov said.

Pokrasa is pictured practicing with his drone

This screen grab taken from a drone video shows the remains of a Russian convoy on the E40 highway near Berezivka, where Pokrasa was operating his drone

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians volunteered in their local territorial defence units in the days leading up to the Russian invasion, and many more were later enlisted when martial law and conscription were introduced.

But Ukrainian civilians not involved directly in fighting Russian troops are able to contribute via crowdfunding.

Hundreds of crowdfunding initiatives - both government-backed and independent - were set up in Ukraine following the invasion, and have since been bolstered by an outpouring of international support.

A Ukrainian colonel recently told German media organisation DW that crowdfunding campaigns are 'of critical importance' to Ukraine's war effort, and said the funds are typically used to purchase and maintain high-end equipment like armoured vehicles, drones and surveillance systems.
The family of a teenage girl who died after suffering an allergic reaction on a plane today demanded airlines clamp down on passengers eating peanuts - after another girl passed out at 30,000ft over her nut allergy.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, died in 2016 after suffering an anaphylactic shock to sesame seeds in a Pret a Manger baguette she had bought at Heathrow before catching a flight to Nice.

Yesterday MailOnline revealed how terrified mum Joanna Jones, 39, thought her daughter Poppy, 14, would die after she suffered a life-threatening reaction after a passenger carried on eating nuts despite being asked not to.

Poppy Jones, pictured, suffered a near-fatal reaction on board a flight from Antigua to Gatwick when a fellow passenger began eating a peanut, ignoring warnings that a fellow passenger had a major allergy

Poppy, left, pictured with her mother Joanna, right, needed two shots from an Epipen as well as oxygen from an onboard first aid kit.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, pictured with her father Nadim, right, died six years ago aged 15 when she suffered a fatal reaction after eating a meal from Pret which contained sesame seeds

They were on an eight-hour British Airways flight from Antigua to Gatwick and Poppy needed two shots from an Epipen to bring her round as well as oxygen from an onboard first aid kit.

Natashas parents urged British Airways and other airlines to clamp down on nuts on planes to avoid other potential tragedies involving passengers with allergies.

Tanya and Nadim  who last October launched Natashas Law which ensures allergy advice is given on all foods  said: We are shocked to hear yet another story of someone living with life threatening food allergies whose condition is ignored and not taken seriously.

Joanna and her 14 year old daughter Poppy were on a recent BA flight and passengers were asked not to eat peanuts due to the severity of Poppys food allergies. Yet one selfish passenger decided to ignore the crews request and ate a bag of peanuts putting Poppys life in danger.

She became unconscious, required oxygen and two EpiPen shots. Luckily she was helped by an on-board nurse and after being rushed to hospital when the plane landed, Poppy survived. Planes can be coffins for people with severe allergies - as we know all too well. And there are far too many stories where passengers lives are being put in very real danger on flights.

Simply put, if British Airways and other airlines cannot enforce a ban on people eating nuts on planes, then the law needs to change.

Following their daughters death, Tanya and Nadim set up the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation with an aim to make allergy history.

On their website they add their vision is to prevent and eradicate allergic disease. Starting with food allergy, creating a world that is safe for all individuals.

They go onto say: We will do everything in our power to give a voice to the rising tide of younger and older people living with allergic disease; for everyone living with allergy to be understood and taken seriously by all of society and to campaign for change where change is needed.

To do so now is more vital than ever before.

Natasha's family have been promoting 'Natasha's law' since her death to improve the amount of labelling on food to prevent similar incidents in future

This image was taken on July 17, 2016, hours before Natasha became ill on the flight and collapsed

Today Joanna, from Tooting, south London said: Im grateful for their support and if we can avoid anything similar happening to someones child then all the better. I just think the airlines should do more.

I know the cabin crew tried their best but I still think more could have been done  they didnt even take the nuts off the passenger until just before we landed.

I have been in contact with British Airways and they say they will look into what happened but what we really need is a change in the law to make sure if people eat nuts on a flight when they shouldnt they are punished.

Poppy was only saved thanks to Joannas quick reactions and with the help of a nurse who was onboard who helped stabilise Poppy after she suffered her attack over the Atlantic at 30,000ft.

The man was sat ten rows in front and the nut particles which triggered her attack are thought to have been spread by the planes air conditioning.

According to a study by the Allergy and Immunology Section of the Louisiana State University Health Science Centre in Shreveport, anaphylactic shock can be triggered by inhalation of nut particles.

The report said: Though not widely recognised, food hypersensitivity by inhalation can cause major morbidity in individuals. The exposure can be trivial, as in mere smelling or being in the vicinity of the food.

Natasha's family welcomed the new law which was brought out in her name

The clinical manifestations can vary from a benign respiratory or cutaneous reaction to a systematic one that can be life-threatening.

Tellingly it added:  Food allergy, by the non-ingestion route is probably under recognised and under reported.

Carer Joanna told MailOnline:It was a nightmare for all of us and I really thought she might die. It was really, really frightening and it was all down to a passenger who carried on eating nuts despite at least two announcements not to.

British Airways said: The safety and welfare of our customers is always our priority, and we take the issue of allergens very seriously. Our crew cared for a customer who appeared to suffer an allergic reaction on board, and they arranged for paramedics to meet the aircraft.
A group of Pennsylvania fishermen had a shocking encounter with a great white shark off the Jersey Shore coast.

Jim Piazza, 34, of Media, Pennsylvania, along with his son Jayden and father Joseph were fishing when they spotted a nearly 12-foot long shark near Townsends Inlet, New Jersey.

'It was just nonchalantly there. I've never seen anything like that,' Piazza told Fox News. 'The videos don't do it justice.'

The Pennsylvanian and his family have been renting a house in Sea Isle, New Jersey, for the summer when the shark appeared just a mile off the coast on June 4, measuring nearly half the size of his 23-foot boat.

'To see it in our oceans today, the great giant of the world, it was just impressive,' Piazza's father Joseph told the Today Show.

The great white languidly floated near the boat, not seeming very interested in the Piazzas as Jim leaned over the side of the boat to film the mysterious beauty.

Jim Piazza, 34, of Media, Pennsylvania, along with his son Jayden and father Joseph were fishing when they spotted a nearly 12-foot long shark near Townsends Inlet, New Jersey

Another passenger on the boat can be heard exclaiming: 'Look at that f**king white, oh my god.'

'Holy s**t, I'm glad I spotted that,' Piazza agreed.

Not long after the spotting, the US Coast Guard boarded his boat to perform a safety check, Fox News reported. The agency also posted the video of the shark to their social media feeds.

DailyMail.com has contacted Piazza for comment.

As the US heads into the summer season, the warming waters could be an explanation as to why sharks are coming closer to shore.

Coastal states, such as Massachusetts and New York, are seeing an increase in shark sightings.

Massachusetts alone has spotted 10 sharks since Memorial Day weekend, the Today Show reported.

New York is increasing drone usage to spot sharks before the animals get to close to shorelines and beachgoers.

'[Drones] are our early warning systems,' Long Island State Parks Regional Director George Gorman told the Today Show. '[Drones] can see before our lifeguard could spot a shark coming in.'

The usage of technology has become vital to the safety of beachgoers as the US holds the highest record for unprovoked shark attacks.

In 2021 alone, there were 47 unprovoked attacks, the Today Show reported.

Piazza's father Joseph (left) was shocked to see such a giant creature languidly floating near the boat. He called the sighting 'impressive'. Piazza (right) said the shark was 'nonchalant' and had 'never seen anything like that'

A New England scientist John Chisholm said the 'important' message is that 'the sharks are here.'

'They're hunting, they're doing their natural activities, and we're sharing that area with them,' Chisholm told the Today Show.

Sharks are not a rarity in New Jersey, but it is unusually for great whites to come near shorelines and swimmers. There has only been 15 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in New Jersey in 1837, the International Shark Attack File said.

Just two months ago, a shark named Ironbound was seen off the Jersey Shore. And for four years, a shark named Mary Lee - a 16-foot, 3,456-pound beast - swam up and down the East Coast. Mary Lee was last seen off the coast of New Jersey.

Experts advise swimmers stay near lifeguards and avoid swimming where seals and other bait are hanging out.
An alleged child predator who was on the run from Dutch authorities has been arrested in Mexico City.

Nelson Maatman, 27, was apprehended without incident Sunday after cops approached him near a train station.

He was in possession of a handgun, cocaine and electronic devices that contained child pornography, the Mexico City Attorney General's Office said.

Authorities executed a search warrant of a residence in the Gustavo A. Madero neighborhood where Maatman was living and seized cellphones, USB memory sticks, laptops and hard drives that had child pornography content.

Several passports from the Netherlands belonging to Maatman were also confiscated as part of the investigation.

Nelson Maatman, an alleged child predator from the Netherlands, was arrested in Mexico City on Sunday. Authorities approached him and made the apprehension without incident at a train station. A search of the residence where he was staying at led investigators to computers, laptops, cellphones and USB memory sticks that contained child pornography content

Mexico City Attorney General Ernestina Godoy told reporters that Nelson Maatman had been identified as the leader of an international pedophile and child pornography network. Authorities raided his home and confiscated several devices that contained pornographic content of minors

Nelson Maatman is led into a police cruiser following his arrest in Mexico City on Sunday

Mexico City Attorney General Ernestina Godoy told reporters that Maatman had been identified as the leader of an international pedophile and child pornography network.

He founded the Party for Neighborly Love, Freedom and Diversity (PNVD) - a Dutch political party that was not represented in Congress - which sought to promote laws to support adult sex with children, starting at the age of 12.

From April 2014 to March 2021, Maatman allegedly ran a blog which pushed the legalization of sex with minors, arguing that children were capable of deciding on their own if they wanted to partake in sexual acts.

Dutch 'child predator' Nelson Maatman is escorted by Mexico City police on Sunday

A computer was among several devices that were confiscated by Mexico City authorities who carried out a search warrant of the home where Dutch fugitive Nelson Maatman was living after fleeing the Netherlands in February

He was arrested in the Netherlands in February 2020 and was busted for possessing more than 10,000 pornographic images of children.

He appeared before a judge in June of that year and was allowed to fight the case without being in police custody as long as he remained in the country.

Maatman was declared a fugitive after he skipped a February 2022 court date, fleeing for Mexico.

Mexico City police obtained a search warrant for a home in the Gustavo A. Madero neighborhood were Dutch fugitive Nelson Maatman had been staying since arriving in Mexico in February

Dutch 'child predator' Nelson Maatman was in possession of a gun when he was arrested by Mexico City police officers near a train station Sunday

Nelson Maatman is read his rights following his arrest on child pornography charges in Mexico on Sunday

USB memory sticks that were confiscated by Mexico City investigators during a search of the home where Dutch fugitive Nelson Maatman was staying

The Netherlands-based Free a Girl foundation, which combats the sexual exploitation of children, warned the Mexican government that Maatman was in the country and urged the rejection of his petition seeking political asylum.

He was described as a 'serious danger' to minors because he claimed that having sex with children who were over the age of 12 was acceptable under Mexican law.

'We are impressed with the skill and dedication of the police in Mexico City to protect children from these types of predators,' Free a Girl spokesperson Evelien Holsken told De Telegraaf newspaper. 'We are very relieved that (Maatman) was arrested for posing a serious danger to children in Mexico.'
Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's is calling on its customers to lobby US lawmakers for tighter gun control laws, and the firm says it will sever ties with any 'enablers' of the firearms industry.

The iconic Vermont-based ice cream brand, which is a subsidiary of Unilever, made the appeal in a recent statement citing the deadly mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas.

'It's time for companies and their trade associations to stop political contributions to elected officials who do the gun lobby's bidding, blocking common sense gun laws that nearly all Americans support,' the statement said.

Founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in a renovated gas station, Ben & Jerry's has long positioned itself as socially conscious, and retained independence to pursue political activism even after being acquired by Unilever in 2000.

Ben & Jerry's founders Ben Cohen (left) and Jerry Greenfield are seen at a 2019 climate rally. The company, long outspoken on social issues, is calling for tighter gun control laws

In a direct appeal to its customers, Ben & Jerry's called on them to lobby their representatives in Congress to 'immediately pass a ban on assault style military weapons and high capacity magazines.'

The company also called on its fans to attend upcoming rallies in support of new con control laws, and to vote out any elected official who 'takes money from the gun lobby and blocks common sense gun reform.'

Christopher Miller, the head of global activism at Ben & Jerry's, told CNBC that when 'legislation comes to the floor, we will certainly encourage our fans to contact their policymakers to support [gun safety] legislation.'

Asked about one of Ben & Jerry's outside law firms that also represents gun makers, Miller also said the ice cream maker plans to cut ties with vendors who have worked with the firearms industry.

'We'll make sure moving forward we're not working with enablers of the industry,' Miller said.

'I think we certainly will be more thoughtful on the kind of service providers that we work with going forward.'

In a direct appeal to its customers, Ben & Jerry's called on them to lobby their representatives in Congress to 'immediately pass a ban on assault style military weapons' (file photo)

An impromptu memorial is seen in Uvalde last week, remembering the victims of the deadliest U.S. school mass shooting in nearly a decade

The US House is set to vote this week on a bill that would raise the national age limit for purchasing semiautomatic rifles to 21, from 18.

This week New York joined a number of other states in imposing an age limit of 21 at the state level. The age limit for handguns nationally already stands at 21.

Although Ben & Jerry's did not name names in its statement, it took lawmakers to task for their perceived failures in addressing gun violence.

'We are told that the unthinkable damage caused by weapons of war in the aisles of American grocery stores and the classrooms of our schools is the price we must pay for freedom. Instead it's the cost of political cowardice,' the company said.

'Congressional leaders who refuse to pass common sense gun reform are choosing their own power at the cost of American lives every single day,' the statement added.

Ben & Jerry's has a long history of social activism, and this is not the first time the company has spoken out about gun control.

Following the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, the ice cream maker issued demands for new federal gun control laws and helped pay to shuttle demonstrators to rallies.

Last year, Ben & Jerry's released a new ice cream flavor (above) in support of a $10 billion bill by Rep. Cori Bush that would replace police officers with social workers in some situations

Last year, Ben & Jerry's released a new ice cream flavor in support of a $10 billion bill by Rep. Cori Bush that would replace police officers with social workers in incidents of mental health and substance abuse.

But the firm's activism has not always come without costs for parent company Unilever.

Ben & Jerry's move last year to halt ice cream sales in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories sparked a backlash, including divestments by pension funds and accusations of anti-Semitism by some Jewish groups.

New Jersey and Arizona moved to dump their holdings of Unilever stock and bonds from state pension funds in response to the move.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also took steps to halt any state contracts with Unilever over the issue.

Other social activism that Ben &Jerry's has pursued recently includes strongly supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ+ rights and electoral campaign finance reform.
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The future of the Royal Family 'might just, dare I say it, look a little dull' without the Queen and the 'Gen Z-favoured Sussexes', Meghan Markle's friend Omid Scobie insisted today following the Platinum Jubilee.

The royal commentator, who is known as a cheerleader for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, also said there was 'no interaction' between the Sussexes and Prince William and Kate during the four-day weekend of celebrations.

And Mr Scobie claimed 'one couldn't help but feel a little underwhelmed when looking at the royal landscape without the Queen' and that the 'institution's next chapter is yet to feel like it aligns with modern day society'.

His comments in a column for Yahoo came as the Queen's official Twitter account @RoyalFamily posted a new header image today of a photo of the Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis on the Buckingham Palace balcony on Sunday at the finale of the Jubilee pageant.

Royal expert Roya Nikkah said this had some 'clear messaging - here is the future of the British monarchy'. The account's main profile image is now a picture of the Queen at the Palace during Trooping the Colour last Thursday.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen at St Paul's Cathedral in London last Friday

Prince William and Kate along with Prince Charles and Camilla attend the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's last Friday

The Queen's official Twitter account @RoyalFamily posted a new header image of a photo of the Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis on the Buckingham Palace balcony on Sunday

In Mr Scobie's column - entitled 'Other royals can't match the success and popularity of the adored Queen. The jubilee proved it' - he wrote: 'Prince Harry and Meghan's presence at two engagements quietly came and went (to cheers).

'Their private moments with the Queen, who met great-granddaughter Lilibet on more than one occasion, were kept exactly that.

Harry and Meghan reveal new photo of Lilibet, one Lilibet in Windsor on Saturday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last night gave the world a first glimpse of their daughter Lilibet  taken as she celebrated her first birthday in the grounds of Frogmore Cottage. The snap, taken by family friend Misan Harriman, shows the toddler grinning at the camera in a powder-blue dress with a distinctive shock of red hair on display. Harriman, who made his name documenting Black Lives Matter protests across London, took the portraits used by the Sussexes used to announce Meghan's pregnancy with Lillibet in February 2021. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex invited close friends and family to an 'intimate backyard picnic' last Saturday to celebrate Lilibet's first birthday. East London baker Claire Ptak  who made the couple's wedding cake in 2018  baked a special order for the low-key bash. A spokesman for the couple did not name family members who attended the party, but Zara and Mike Tindall are believed to have made an appearance. Advertisement

'Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall were also able to spend some time with the couple before they returned to California on Sunday. (For those wondering, I'm told there was no interaction between the Sussexes and the Cambridges - but that story is for another time).'

He also wrote: 'Speeches from Prince William and Prince Charles during the Platinum Party at the Palace allowed the two heirs to give a taste of what's to come when they take on new roles in the not-too-distant future, but one couldn't help but feel a little underwhelmed when looking at the royal landscape without the Queen (and the additional loss of the the Gen Z-favoured Sussexes).

'And this is where one of many problems lie ahead for the future of The Firm. While we celebrate the Queen's golden reign, we are also reminded that the future without her might just, dare I say it, look a little dull.

'Though her successors are no doubt capable in their royal roles, the institution's next chapter is yet to feel like it aligns with modern-day society, and our expectations within it.'

His column was posted after Harry and Meghan last night gave the world a rare glimpse of their daughter Lilibet.

They released a picture taken as the toddler  named in tribute to the Queen, whose childhood nickname was Lilibet  celebrated her first birthday in the grounds of Frogmore Cottage at Windsor on Saturday.

The snap, taken by family friend Misan Harriman, shows her smiling towards the camera as she sits on the lawn in a powder-blue dress with a distinctive shock of red hair on display, just like her father.

The Sussexes invited close friends and family to an 'intimate backyard picnic' while in Britain for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Mr Harriman took the portraits used by the Sussexes to announce Meghan's pregnancy with Lilibet in February 2021. His wife and their two daughters appear in another image issued last night.

Meghan and Harry arrived back in the US at 6pm California local time on Sunday, leaving Britain even before the the Platinum Jubilee celebrations had concluded.

Prince Harry was seated at the opposite side to his brother William and the two did not speak at St Paul's Cathedral last Friday

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's 2021 family Christmas card showing the couple with Archie and Lilibet last December

After the Sussexes arrived in California on Sunday following the trip to Britain for the Jubilee, the family quickly transferred to a waiting Range Rover. Harry, 37, was seen in the passenger seat looking thoughtful as they were driven away

Harry and Meghan, along with their children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, flew out of the UK on a private jet, departing an hour before the spectacular Platinum Jubilee Pageant finale on Sunday began.

Royal commentator Omid Scobie is pictured in London last Friday before the service at St Paul's Cathedral

Their plane, which departed from Farnborough Airport at 1.30pm, was in the air travelling across the Atlantic by the time the Queen, Charles, Camilla, William, Kate and their children, were cheered as they waved to the crowds from the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

After the family arrived in California, a high chair was seen being unloaded by staff as the Sussexes quickly transferred to a waiting Range Rover. Harry, 37, was seen in the passenger seat looking thoughtful as they were driven away.

As the Mail revealed last week, the couple were always intended by mutual agreement to have limited involvement in the celebrations, in spite of the Queen's olive branch of an invitation to join the rest of the royal family.

In order to minimise family drama overshadowing the historic celebrations, the Sussexes kept a low profile at Trooping The Colour on Thursday, staying largely hidden inside the Major General's Office at the parade ground - although Meghan was seen to wind down the window of her car and smile at well-wishers as they left.

They did attend Friday's Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral but were kept well away from William and Kate on the other side of the aisle, alongside Princess Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands.

They did not join family members for an official reception afterwards and simply returned by car on their own to Windsor.

Neither were they invited to a private lunch held by the Queen at Buckingham Palace after Trooping The Colour - those invitations went to the 17 other working royals and some of their children who joined her on the balcony.

Harry and Meghan released a new picture of Lilibet at Frogmore Cottage where she celebrated her first birthday on Saturday

In this second picture, Lilibet is seen in her mother Meghan's arms inside Frogmore, beside photographer Misan Harriman's wife Camilla Holmstroem and their two daughters

However the Queen did see Archie and her namesake Lilibet at Windsor privately shortly after arriving. Charles and Camilla also met with the couple too.

Meghan and Harry are accused of 'hypocrisy' over private jet travel The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been accused of 'hypocrisy' after flying from the US to the UK and back again on a private jet over the Queen's jubilee celebrations. Meghan, 40, and Harry, 37, left the jubilee celebrations early with their children, Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, and flew back to California on one of the most polluting private jets on Sunday. The Sussex family took the Bombardier Global 6000 from Farnborough to Santa Barbara, The Times reported. This journey would have generated 60 tonnes of carbon emissions, more than ten times more than if the family had taken a commercial flight, according to Paramount Business Jets. It is understood the Sussex family also flew into the UK from the US for the weekend of celebrations on a private jet. The travel arrangements have led some to accuse the couple of 'hypocrisy' as the duke has described climate change as one of 'the most pressing issues we are facing.' This is not the first occasion when the Sussexes' lavish private jet use has opened them up to criticism. Harry flew from Aspen, Colorado to California last year after taking part in a charity polo match. Advertisement

William is not believed to have seen his estranged brother, however. In fact the warring siblings didn't even glance in each other's direction in public.

Instead Harry and Meghan celebrated their daughter Lilibet's first birthday in Windsor on Saturday with a small party to which they invited several UK-based friends and cousins, while William and Kate went with their own children to Cardiff on behalf of the Queen.

One royal source insisted, however, that the family appeared 'grateful' for the lack of drama.

'The Sussexes said they planned to stick to the script and make it a low-key visit, and they did just that,' they said. 'It was no bad thing.'

Harry and Meghan's noticeable demotion in the family pecking order - despite the prince still being sixth in line to the throne - demonstrated just how bad relations have generally become since he and Meghan acrimoniously quit the royal family two years ago, hammering their relatives with a string of accusations and bitter recriminations as they went.

Matters are unlikely to get better with the publication of Harry's memoirs later this year, which senior aides fear he will use to settle even more perceived scores.

But the weekend demonstrated the admiration and affection with which the vast majority of the country still have for the Queen, 96, who overcame debilitating mobility problems to make four major public appearances over the Platinum Jubilee weekend.

In turn, she used the occasion to emphasise the continuity of the monarchy, making her last balcony appearance flanked by her three heirs - Prince Charles, Prince William, and her great-grandson, Prince George.

Both Charles and William also gave speeches in her honour at Saturday's Party at the Palace.

There are no plans for the Sussexes to return to the UK in the near future. They continue to retain Frogmore Cottage at Windsor, their former UK home.

Meanwhile the couple have now been accused of 'hypocrisy' for using one of the most polluting private jets for their visit over the Jubilee celebrations.

According to The Times, the family took the Bombardier Global 6000 from Farnborough, in Hampshire, to Santa Barbara which generated 60 tons of carbon emissions  more than ten times more than if they had taken a commercial flight.
Foreign fighters claim they do not have enough equipment, according to sources, and Kyiv still wants them to fight on the front lines.

Many of them refused to fight because the Ukrainians were allegedly using them as cannon fodder for the Russians to draw attention. But despite this strategy, it does not stop the routing of Ukraine troops leaving and surrendering in Mariupol.

Fighters Lacks Weapons To Fight

Canadian media says that ill-trained Ukraine volunteers are suffering an intentional lack of arms, reported RT.

Despite the influx of western arms given to the Ukrainian military, they don't prioritize foreign soldiers on the front line who need them, mentioned the Toronto Star.

Charges that Ukrainian officials' time constraints, corruption, and incompetence are damning less than sufficiently equipped volunteers, brought in by Kyiv's propaganda.

A compilation of interviews from foreign militants and a Canadian group fundraising that still needs to buy what the soldiers need instead of Zelensky's government providing it.

The source called the reality of Kyiv's duplicity as fooling volunteers thinking the Ukrainians are winning on the frontlines, cited Fars News.

A Canadian veteran of the French Foreign Legion, several experienced foreign fighters who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are choosing not to fight due to a lack of appropriate weapons and supplies not given by Kyiv.

According to an anonymous Canadian, Ukrainian officials treat all foreign mercenaries as gun-happy vacationers. The unidentified Canadian foreign fighter says the other group wants to kill Russians, so it's out to the front lines. They need three AK-47 magazines with no armor or helmet, telling the Star. It is the others who have the standard.

Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency?

Limited Training of Volunteers

Sending the foreign mercenaries to be in the sights of the Russian forces without training or preparation to the frontline is standard, chances of getting shot or becoming a POW are of no consequence to Ukrainians.

Kurtis Pasqualle, a US combat medic who instructs volunteers on the skills needed, said he only has two to three weeks to finish the course, which usually is four months.

He added that it is unclear how much good the medics can do if getting powerful painkillers is impossible where they're going.

Corruption in the Kyiv Government

The shortages stand in stark contrast to the uptick of military aid that Ukraine is getting from Western countries, including Canada.

According to the Star, this is partly due to logistical problems, citing a Ukrainian official and a Canadian donor group. Kyiv officials are either incompetent or corrupt, they added.

A week ago, one of the military administration heads in western Ukraine was arrested on charges of getting a profit from an ambulance service utilizing donated ambulances.

Such official corruption in April involved a mayor bribing to allow a minibus to be used by a certain party. A southern Ukrainian employee sold military equipment on the black market. The outlet revealed that Ukraine has the biggest black market for arms in Europe, noted the Global Organized Crime Index.

It said the Canadian Defense Department depends on its Ukrainian counterpart to ensure that weapons sent by Ottawa are not subject to Kyiv's corruption.

Foreign fighters who fight for Kyiv are affected by the alleged corruption of Zelensky's regime, which leads to arms not being supplied to them and unwilling to fight, and they become cannon fodder and expendable.

Related Article: American Mercenaries Claims Unfavorable Conditions in Ukraine Causes Many Volunteers To Go Home

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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The UK will face 'unseasonably' strong winds later this week, with forecasters warning of 45mph gusts of high winds.

Forecasters have warned that large areas of the UK are set for 'unsettled' rainy downpours and gales, with chances of even poorer conditions later in the week.

Britons will face the remnants of Storm Alex when it tracks to the northwest of the UK from the Atlantic, bringing 'unseasonably strong winds for the time of year'.

Storm Alex caused disruption across Florida, producing heavy rainfall over the weekend in several regions, including Miami, which reportedly experienced more than five inches of rain.

From Thursday, weaker rain will move from west to east, with ex-tropical storm Alex bringing low pressure.

Tropical Storm Alex heads toward Bermuda with high winds. Map probable path of the storm center.

Storm Alex caused disruption across Florida, producing heavy rainfall over the weekend in several regions, including Miami, which reportedly experienced more than five inches of rain

Britons will face the remnants of Storm Alex when it tracks to the northwest of the UK from the Atlantic, bringing 'unseasonably strong winds for the time of year'

Forecasters have warned that large areas of the UK are set for 'unsettled' rainy downpours and gales, with chances of even poorer conditions later in the week

The UK will face 'unseasonably' strong winds later this week, with forecasters warning of 45mph gusts of high winds

On Friday, high winds will begin to strengthen across the UK and rshowers are to move into the western parts of Britain, particularly the north-west - including Northern Ireland, western Scotland and parts of northern England.

Oli Claydon, a Met Office spokesperson, said: 'The wind is the main part of the story - unseasonably strong winds for the time of year.

'We could see gusts of up to 45mph through Friday. Those sorts of wind speeds will be fairly confined to the far north-west of the UK, but as the low pressure goes over the north of the UK through Saturday, a wider area of the north of the UK could see those sorts of wind speeds.

'It will be windy everywhere across the UK, but the further south you go, the less influence the low pressure will have.'

Mr Claydon added that the ex-storm will largely lose its strength as it progresses into the weekend and that 'it doesn't have its regular tropical properties in terms of strength'.

Today, dry weather took centre stage, with highs of 22C (72F) in the capital, while Belfast in Northern Ireland experienced highs of 18C (64F), Morvern on the west coast of Scotland reached 19C and Cardiff in Wales hit 20C (68F), according to the Met Office.

Pictured: Ambassador Cruise Line's flagship Ambience, returns to London International Cruise Terminal Tilbury this morning

Pictured: People out punting and enjoying the good weather on the river Cam in Cambridge earlier today

Pictured: People out punting and enjoying the good weather on the river Cam in Cambridge this morning

Pictured: The village of Portwrinkle in south east Cornwall this morning, showing the turquoise waters

However tonight, a band of rain is set to move in from the south-west of the UK, which will bring rain to most areas of Britain on Wednesday and then give way to winds when Storm Alex takes over on Thursday.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Adam Thornhill said: 'The low-pressure on Wednesday will bring showers to most areas of the UK, but the heaviest, slow-moving downpours are expected in northern areas, including Northern Ireland, with a chance of associated thunder and lightning.

'Although rainfall amounts are still open to some uncertainty, there's a chance some areas in the north could see in excess of 20mm of rain within a 3-hour period. This will largely break up later in the day on Wednesday, leaving behind just a few showers by the late evening.'

Although much will depend on the positioning of Ex-Tropical Storm Alex late on Friday, the weather through the weekend looks likely to be a mix of sunshine and showers  which could be heaviest in the northwest  with some breezy conditions likely to persist in the far north.

Adam continued: 'By the time Ex-Tropical Storm Alex gets near UK shores, it will have transitioned into a mature Atlantic low. Although it will have lost much of its strength, it will bring some unseasonably strong winds across the UK  especially to the northwest on Thursday and Friday.

'The track of the former storm currently looks to be grazing the far northwest of the UK on Thursday and Friday and, although the details are still being worked out, winds could be around 45mph for most in the north of the UK, with a chance of some gusts in excess of 55mph in some exposed northwestern island and coastal areas.'
A British tourist plunged to his death in the early hours of this morning after losing his balance while scaling a cannon at a historic Spanish site.

The 23-year-old holidaymaker, not named by police, had climbed on the huge cannon pointing out to sea after a night out in the town of Sitges near Barcelona.

But the young man apparently lost his balance and fell to his death on coastal rocks below while he was being watched by his horrified friends.

The police, who were informed of the tragedy at around 3am on Tuesday, confirmed the victim was British, and was with two other people at the time of the accident.

The emergency services arrived on the scene and attempted to resuscitate the tourist, and a helicopter was sent to the scene.

However, he died of his severe injuries before he could be taken to hospital.

A British tourist plunged to his death in the early hours of this morning after losing his balance while scaling a cannon (pictured) at a historic Spanish site

The 23-year-old holidaymaker, not named by police in Sitges near Barcelona, had climbed on the huge cannon (pictured bottom-right) pointing out to sea after a night out in the town

The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police), who are investigating the incident, said: 'Everything seems to indicate this was an accidental death.' Local authorities are said to have put the accident down to 'reckless imprudence,' La Vanguardia reported.

A spokesman for the police force said: 'A 23-year-old British holidaymaker died in the early hours of Tuesday morning in an incident that is being treated at this stage as an accident.

'He appears to have fallen from a replica cannon in front of a church by the sea overlooking rocks which are there to protect the sea wall and landed on the rocks as he fell,' adding he was pulled from the water by a passer-by and a friend.

'He was pronounced dead at the scene. A routine investigation is underway but there is nothing pointing to the death being the result of a crime and it is being treated as a tragic accident at this stage.'

A police source added: 'It will be up to the autopsy to determine if the dead man had been drinking or had consumed drugs before this occurred. 'This is not something police would comment on at the moment.'

Further details have not yet been released.

The young man apparently lost his balance and fell to his death on coastal rocks below while he was being watched by his horrified friends

The emergency services arrived on the scene and attempted to resuscitate the tourist, and a helicopter was sent to the scene. However, he died of his severe injuries before he could be taken to hospital

According to Spain in English - an English-language Spanish news website - the 23-year-old is the third reported person to have died falling from the same cannon.

The website said an Italian man died falling from the cannon ten years ago, and before that, another British man died under the same circumstances.

Pictures of the cannon show it jetting out over the edge of a historic defensive wall, with a steep drop onto a cliff face, which meets the ocean below.

The cannon the man was said to be climbing on is an authentic replica of the original 18th-century gun, one of six that once protected the town.

The original stood next to the San Bartolome y Santa Tecla Church for 200 years before it was removed for restoration works.

The site serves as a gateway to the old town.

On 27th April 1797, the cannons were used in a battle with two English frigates trying to capture merchant ships anchored off the coast of Sitges.

After four hours of cannon fire, the English ships withdrew defeated.

The cannon the man was said to be climbing on is an authentic replica of the original 18th-century gun, one of six that once protected the town (pictured in an aerial photo)

The tragedy is the latest in a series which have resulted in the death of British holidaymakers and expats since the resumption of international travel following the easing of the Covid crisis.

On Sunday six-year-old Corey Aughey from north Belfast died in hospital after falling into the swimming pool of the hotel where he was staying with his family in the Majorcan resort of Sa Coma near the Love Island villa.

And last month a British toddler drowned in a swimming pool accident on the Costa Blanca. Freddie Joseph Briggs died in the pool at his parents' home in the village of Aigues near Benidorm on May 25. Local council to declared three days of mourning.

Tributes were paid to the 19-month-old boy at his funeral service at a church in Belfast where he was christened before he was buried at a nearby cemetery.

The child's father Marc Briggs, known to friends as Briggsy and thought to be from Mansfield, Notts, and Belfast-born mum Jane Mohan had moved to the Costa Blanca shortly before the tragedy.

Expat Ingrid Dale, 67, originally from Dereham in Norfolk, died after being stung by a wasp in a Costa Blanca restaurant on May 9.

She is said to have gone into anaphylactic shock in front of pals at the bar in the coastal town of Moraira half an hour north of Benidorm.

She died in an ambulance outside the Hill Top Sports Bar & Grill after going into cardiac arrest before she could be taken to hospital.

Later the same day a British man drowned in a nearby river which had claimed the lives of three other people in the past month as he tried to save his dog.

Former Royal Navy sailor Paul Lebihan, originally from Gateshead, died after getting into difficulties in the river at a beauty spot a short drive from the Costa Blanca resort of Benidorm.
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British holidaymakers are having to wait as long as three hours at Gatwick Airport's baggage reclaim in the latest evidence of major disruption at UK airports.

Passenger Emma Bromfield said she was subjected to the huge wait after landing today and described scenes of 'absolute chaos'.

Her carrier, Canadian airline WestJet, said the issue had been caused by 'ramp staffing' at Gatwick, and apologised to customers.

It comes as easyJet today cancelled nearly 50 more flights, while other families stranded in Europe were scrambling to get home after being told there were no seats available on flights for several days.

Travellers crossed borders instead of waiting as they raced to return to work and school after half-term, with some saying they were unable to get through to customer service teams of airlines on the phone to try to rebook.

Some whose flights were cancelled on Saturday were told it would take until Friday for the next available seats, so were forced to spend hundreds of pounds for new flights or other modes of transport such as Eurostar trains.

Among them were teachers needing to get back to the classroom and A-level pupils who risk missing exams after easyJet cancelled more than 300 flights across Europe in the past three days, with more than 2,000 delayed.

Families impacted including the O'Hara family from Sussex whose easyJet flight home from Fuerteventura on Saturday was cancelled - with the next available tickets on Friday. A couple from Lincolnshire also had an easyJet flight home from Montenegro cancelled on Saturday, and were told Thursday was the earliest they could get back.

It comes as travel agents are being inundated with phone calls from customers fearing their summer holidays will be disrupted, with about a third of calls at present being from those worried about bookings for July and August.

EasyJet axed 46 flights today, including 20 at Gatwick and seven at Luton. The Gatwick departures were flights to Amsterdam, Luqa, Rijeka, Copenhagen, Bastia, Nantes, Milan and Bordeaux - and the arrivals were from Gran Canaria, Pafos, Lanzarote, Kos, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Rijeka, Luqa, Bastia, Nantes, Bordeaux and Milan.

Wizz Air also cancelled two arrivals at Gatwick from Tel Aviv and Faro. At Luton, there were three easyJet arrivals cancelled from Amsterdam, Lisbon and Palermo; and four departures to Bristol, Amsterdam, Lisbon and Palermo.

Bristol Airport, which has been one of the worst-hit airports, was badly affected again today with a total of 16 easyJet cancellations - including seven departures to Split, Pula, Edinburgh, Inverness, Olbia, Bilbao and Geneva; and nine arrivals from Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Luton, Edinburgh, Pula, Split, Bucharest, Inverness and Bilbao.

In Scotland, easyJet also cancelled four flights at Edinburgh and four flights at Glasgow today - all of which were arrivals or departures to Bristol or Amsterdam. At Inverness, one departure and arrival from Bristol were axed.

While the total number of cancelled easyJet flights at airports today is 53, the actual total is 46 because seven are duplicates - ie Edinburgh to Bristol is listed twice, once as an Edinburgh departure and once as a Bristol arrival.

Some 124 British Airways flights at London Heathrow Airport were cancelled today, although the airline stressed that affected passengers were given plenty of advance notice with these services all axed a few months ago.

UK airline passengers have been hit by disruption for several months due to a lack of staff after the companies let thousands of people go during the pandemic. Airlines, airports and ground handling firms are now struggling to recruit new staff and have their security checks processed amid a surge in demand since restrictions were lifted.

Among those caught up in the chaos this morning was Diego Garcia Rodriguez, 32, a Spanish national who lives in Brighton. He told how passengers were left in tears at Gatwick due to the last-minute cancellations, adding: 'I'm flying from Gatwick to Barcelona and I was at the airport three hours before but almost didn't make it to board.

'The flight hasn't been delayed so far but I have seen lots of people whose flights have been cancelled, some crying and stressing out and they only got the news after having gone through the security control so they didn't know how to get out. There was no information and it was all very chaotic.'

Meanwhile, hundreds of check-in and ground staff employed by British Airways at Heathrow began voting today on a summer of strike action. Members of the Unite and GMB unions are being balloted in a dispute over pay.

And the Spanish government said today that the country's police will hire 200 extra officials to handle the flow of tourists at Madrid Barajas Airport this summer, taking the total to 600 after a surge in passengers in recent weeks.

Also today, Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, which represents independent travel agents, said that its members are receiving 'a significant number of calls' from concerned customers.

Passengers at Gatwick Airport complained of having to wait as long as three hours today before being able to pick up their baggage

Passenger Emma Bromfield said she was subjected to the huge wait after landing today and described scenes of 'absolute chaos'

Her carrier, Canadian airline WestJet, said the issue had been caused by 'ramp staffing' at Gatwick, and apologised to customers. Others also took to Twitter to complain of long waits

Passenger Diego Garcia Rodriguez took this picture of queues to enter security at Gatwick Airport today

BRISTOL AIRPORT: Huge queues once again this morning at Bristol Airport which has been badly hit by the airport chaos

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Large queues at Manchester Airport this morning as the airport chaos continues to affect tourists

LONDON HEATHROW AIRPORT: Huge queues at the UK Border at London Heathrow this morning as disruption continues

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT: Passengers endure large queues for check-in at Wizz Air desks at London Gatwick this morning

EDINBURGH AIRPORT: A picture of huge numbers of suitcases in a cordoned-off area at Edinburgh Airport was tweeted today

BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT: Huge queues for security at Birmingham Airport at 5am this morning as the airport chaos continues

She said: 'About 30 per cent of all calls that they're receiving now are from customers that are reading the headlines, have bookings for July and August in the school holidays, and they are worried.'

Ms Bue-Said acknowledged that the situation is 'hideous and disappointing' for passengers whose flights are being cancelled.

Family are 'left to fend for themselves'... with a 1,000 bill to get home Jenny O'Hara and her partner should have been back at work yesterday and their three sons at primary school. Instead, they faced being stuck in the Canary Islands for another week after easyJet suddenly cancelled their return flight and left them struggling to find somewhere to stay on the busy resort. Jenny O'Hara and her partner Tom with sons Harrison, Rupert and Elyott who are now stuck in the Canary Islands Miss O'Hara, a project manager from Crowborough, East Sussex, flew to Fuerteventura last Monday for a five-day Tui holiday along with sons Elyott, 11, and Rupert, eight, plus partner Tom Nowell, 37, a marketing manager, and his son Harrison, nine. But when they arrived at the airport on Saturday for their flight home, they were shocked to see it displayed as cancelled. Airline staff arranged for one night's accommodation and told them the next available tickets would be on Friday  meaning they would miss a whole week of work and school. She said: 'It's been a nightmare end to the holiday. We feel like easyJet have abandoned us. I can't believe how we've been left to fend for ourselves like this.' Determined to get home sooner, they booked a new flight from Lanzarote scheduled for tomorrow  leaving them out of pocket by more than 1,000 as they also had to pay for another three nights' accommodation plus the ferry transfer. Tui said it had not been made aware of the cancellation by easyJet and the airline apologised for the incident. Advertisement

But she said travel agents are attempting to reassure customers that 'in the vast majority of cases flights are departing and arriving'. Ms Bue-Said added: 'We're trying to give a bit of perspective.'

She also revealed that the number of people who jetted off during last week's half-term school holiday was 21 per cent higher than 2019 levels, while summer holiday bookings are at around 80 per cent of normal.

This represents a 'huge surge in demand' compared with the previous two years when the industry was 'shut down' due to coronavirus restrictions. She said: 'The significant surge has created a bottleneck in the system.

'The industry is now working really hard to make sure that over the next few weeks we are building resilience and scaling up as much as we can from a workforce point of view to meet customer demand and, frankly, give them a much better experience in some cases than they're experiencing now.'

She added: 'I'm confident that the industry will get to a point where these bottlenecks will be sorted.'

EasyJet said last night that it will continue to axe at least 30 flights a day with passengers set to typically receive just three days' notice.

Dozens of the cancellations were made at the last minute and affected customers said they were not being offered alternative flights home for several days.

This is despite them having the right to be booked on an alternative flight as close to their original departure time as possible  even if it is with a rival airline. They are also entitled to food and hotel expenses.

But easyJet customers said it was near impossible to contact customer services in search of answers.

Budget airline Wizz Air also made dozens of cancellations over the weekend.

British Airways axed more than 100 short-haul flights at Heathrow yesterday, although it stressed that affected passengers were informed several weeks in advance.

Holiday firm Tui is cancelling six daily flights at Manchester until the end of the month.

There were 40 flights cancelled to the UK yesterday, with about 6,535 seats, according to data from Cirium.

Its data claimed that easyJet cancelled 28 and Wizz Air cancelled six. Most flights cancelled were from Spain or the Canary Islands, and then the Netherlands.

The aviation industry is struggling to cope with the post-pandemic rise in demand for foreign travel at a time of severe staff shortages.

Some operators were accused of letting passengers make bookings that could not be fulfilled.

Father-of-four Joe Murray, from Milton Keynes, booked return flights to Tenerife which were due to land back in the UK tomorrow in time for Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT: Huge queues for check-in on Ryanair flights at London Gatwick Airport this morning

GLASGOW AIRPORT: Huge queues at Glasgow Airport at 5am this morning as UK passengers continue to face disruption

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT: A passenger who tweeted this photograph from Gatwick today faced a long wait for security

But his family missed the four-day weekend after Wizz Air cancelled their return flight twice.

EasyJet has cancelled nearly 50 flights today GATWICK  20 8 departures: Amsterdam, Luqa, Rijeka, Copenhagen, Bastia, Nantes, Milan and Bordeaux

12 arrivals: Gran Canaria, Pafos, Lanzarote, Kos, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Rijeka, Luqa, Bastia, Nantes, Bordeaux and Milan LUTON  7 4 departures: Bristol, Amsterdam, Lisbon and Palermo

3 arrivals: Amsterdam, Lisbon and Palermo BRISTOL  16 7 departures: Split, Pula, Edinburgh, Inverness, Olbia, Bilbao and Geneva

9 arrivals: Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Luton, Pula Edinburgh, Split, Bucharest, Inverness and Bilbao EDINBURGH  4 2 departures: Bristol and Amsterdam

2 arrivals: Bristol and Amsterdam GLASGOW - 4 2 departures: Bristol and Amsterdam

2 arrivals: Bristol and Amsterdam INVERNESS  2 1 departure: Bristol

1 arrival: Bristol The total number of cancelled easyJet flights at airports today is 53, but the actual total is 46 because seven are duplicates - ie Edinburgh to Bristol is listed twice, once as an Edinburgh departure and once as a Bristol arrival Advertisement

Mr Murray, who has four young daughters, said: 'The curriculum is packed and losing three days from school post-Covid isn't good. There isn't time to really catch up.

'Wizz Air have had since last Wednesday to get us home, have cancelled once while we had checked in and were waiting at the gate, and the other four hours before the flight. It's not good enough.'

Kelly, a teacher from Lincolnshire, and her husband, who is also a teacher, had their flight home from Montenegro with easyJet cancelled at the last minute on Saturday. They were told Thursday was the earliest they could get back to the UK.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'They told us we could have a flight on Thursday.

'But obviously we're teachers so we're very keen to get back to school so there's less disruption for the children, which is why we're travelling to a different country [to try to get home sooner].

'We will have had three bus journeys of about 12 hours in total. Fingers crossed tomorrow easyJet won't cancel our flight for a second time and we'll manage to get home.

'But we're having to fly into Bristol rather than Gatwick, we've then got to get to Gatwick [to collect our car] and then back home to Lincoln.'

A blame game broke out between ministers and the industry over the fiasco last week.

Aviation chiefs sought to point the finger at the Government for not giving enough notice when lifting all Covid travel restrictions in March.

But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps accused carriers of 'poor planning and overbooking flights that they cannot service'.

There are fears of even worse chaos when the peak summer season begins in around six weeks' time.

Ministers are considering plans to force airlines to give automatic refunds for travel disruption.

Affected travellers, who must apply for compensation manually, have reported waiting several weeks to receive money back.

Some operators have claimed cancellations or delays are not their fault, meaning they are not liable.

Travel consultancy The PC Agency estimated that at least 15,000 passengers were affected by 'last-minute changes' to flights on Sunday.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Huge queues at Manchester Airport Terminal One this morning as the airport chaos continues

BRISTOL AIRPORT: People wait to check-in at Bristol Airport this morning amid huge queues once again today

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Large queues at Manchester Airport this morning as the airport chaos continues to affect tourists

Chief executive Paul Charles said this caused 'major knock-on effects' and 'it will take three days to clear the backlog'.

Couple whose easyJet flight from Berlin to Luton was cancelled drove through the night after borrowing relative's car Clare and Christian Engelke, pictured on holiday in Berlin After Clare and Christian Engelke's flight home from Berlin to London Luton was cancelled, the couple resorted to borrowing a car and driving through the night to get to work by lunchtime. When easyJet informed them in a text message on Sunday lunchtime that their 10.55pm flight had been cancelled, there were no alternative flights available until tomorrow. Needing to get back to work and pick up their 15-year-old daughter  who had been staying with relatives  from school on their return to Codsall near Wolverhampton yesterday, they embarked on an 850-mile overnight dash. They had to spend 180 on fuel and 178 on the Eurotunnel, and also then had to pick up their car in Luton after paying 10 to extend the parking. In addition, the couple  who only flew out on Friday to visit friends  still have the car borrowed from company director Mr Engelke's German parents. Mrs Engelke, a freelance marketing consultant, said the volume of cancellations had been 'crazy'. 'We are lucky we have mobile phones and used our initiative to call on lovely friends who we met in Berlin  seeing them for the first time in three years due to the pandemic  and family in Germany who have lent us a car to get us home,' she said. 'We now have a German car in England that we have to take back eventually.' Advertisement

He said: 'We're now seeing the impact of the weekend's cancellations with knock-on effects for tens of thousands of travellers.

'So many flights were never rescheduled after the pandemic, so there often isn't the frequency of flights to get passengers back quickly if they are affected.

'We're going to see a large number of compensation claims from those stuck abroad.

'Sadly it can take three days to get flights back to normal and get people back.'

Downing Street said ministers and officials had been meeting with aviation industry leaders and Border Force to increase 'resilience for the sector throughout the summer' to avert further travel chaos.

But the Prime Minister's official spokesman said it was ultimately down to the aviation industry to address staff shortages.

He added: 'We fully understand that the aviation industry  like many others  has faced significant challenges during the pandemic.

'But ultimately they are responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand and we have been clear they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.'

Meanwhile, passengers at Gatwick were left frustrated yesterday when dozens of flights were cancelled.

Departures to Tel Aviv in Israel, Krakow in Poland, Malaga in Spain, and Sicily in Italy were among those affected as the aviation sector continues to be hit by staff shortages.

The late cancellation of the Wizz Air flight to Sicily sparked anger, with security staff stepping in after one man became agitated and started shouting at staff.

Rosie, 28, who did not give her surname, was booked on the flight with her husband and their two children, aged two and 18 months, to visit her husband's relatives on the Italian island.

The family, from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, were at the departure gate when they were informed the flight had been cancelled.

Rosie said: 'His family haven't met our two children yet - because of Covid we haven't been able to get out there, and I've been pregnant so haven't been able to go. We wanted them to go and meet his family.

'The whole time we were told our flight was running on time, we then got told our flight was delayed by an hour. We then came to the gate, we all got ushered into the gate group to be told the flight was cancelled.'

She went on: 'There has been no communication, we're only getting told now by Wizz Air that our flight's been cancelled, and it was already meant to be up in the air.'

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT: Passengers endure large queues in the departures area of London Gatwick this morning

LONDON STANSTED AIRPORT: This picture of queues for fast track security at Stansted Airport was tweeted this morning

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Huge queues at Manchester Airport Terminal One this morning as the airport chaos continues

The couple previously booked trips to Sicily with other airlines, including easyJet, but those flights were also cancelled.

Hopeful travellers still queue for passports Desperate holidaymakers branded the UK passport system a 'shambles' yesterday as they queued in the rain for travel documents. Around 100 people were waiting outside the passport office in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, before doors opened at 8am. Some became involved in heated exchanges with officials who went along the queue asking questions and explaining that only those travelling within the next 48 hours would be seen. People queue at the Peterborough passport office in May (file) Among those left disappointed  and likely to miss out on her 2,000 holiday to Greece  was Sophie Gregory, 20. The NHS radiologist, who is supposed to be travelling on Sunday, was denied an appointment despite driving for four hours from Wigan, Greater Manchester. 'The system doesn't work. We pay for this and nothing is working because people can't get passports,' she said. 'You can't get an appointment online and there's no one to speak to. We might have to risk it at the airport.' David Kolodynski, from Nottingham, was hoping to get a passport for his ten-year-old son before their 3,000 holiday to Egypt tomorrow. However, he was told that his application wouldn't be considered as it was made less than six weeks ago. The housing officer said: 'This is a shambles. The system is broken. They need to get more staff and more money in.' A Home Office spokesman said 90 per cent of passport applications have been completed within six weeks. Advertisement

Kevin Wood, 51, from Hampshire, was due to travel on the Wizz Air flight with his wife, Emma. Mr Wood said there had been 'no help at all' from the airline.

'We were hoping, since the holiday weekend was finished, that things perhaps have calmed down a bit, but clearly not,' he said.

The couple were given a number to call for further support, which they said 'didn't seem to work'.

Wizz Air said in a statement: 'We are so sorry that too many of our passengers are being subjected to current delays and, in some cases, cancellations.

'Across the travel industry Wizz Air and every airline is doing as much as we all can to help as many passengers as possible reach their destinations in time and with minimal delay.

'However, amongst other issues causing operational instability throughout the travel industry, there is a widespread shortage in staff, in particular within air traffic control, ground operations and baggage handling, security and across airports.

'Wizz Air has increased direct communications with all our customers through text, email and phone calls to ensure - as much as possible - that they are best informed of any changes in our services.'

The airline said affected passengers are being offered 'a range of options' including alternative flights with Wizz Air, a full refund or 120 per cent in credit to use on a future Wizz Air booking.

Under UK consumer law, if an airline cancels a flight it must offer to rebook passengers on a route that will get them to their final destination as close to their planned arrival time as possible, even if that is with a different carrier.

Elsewhere, Matt Wheeler, 37, a train driver from Nottingham, said he and his partner had to make emergency childcare arrangements after finding out their easyJet flight home from Amsterdam had been cancelled yesterday morning.

'It's a farce... didn't know about the cancellation until we arrived at the airport at 3.30am, no easyJet staff or any staff that could help us,' Mr Wheeler said.

'We now have to try and arrange family members to pick our kids up from school/childminders this afternoon and then have them overnight and take them to school tomorrow.

'They'll have to take time off work (and) we will now miss a day's work tomorrow as we won't be home.'

Mr Wheeler said they have been put in a hotel and booked onto a Tuesday morning flight, but added 'it's the lack of communication and no one at the airport to speak to that's annoying - and the fact this could happen again tomorrow.'

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT: Passengers endure large queues at London Gatwick Airport yet again this morning

BRISTOL AIRPORT: People sleep on benches in a cafe at Bristol Airport this morning amid further huge queues

GLASGOW AIRPORT: Passengers at Glagsow Airport wait for check-in desks to open after arriving there early this morning

Also yesterday, a traveller at London's Stansted Airport has said he had to queue for two hours in the afternoon to get through passport control.

Tube chaos continues today as commuters face ANOTHER gruelling journey to work as militant union shuts down London Underground for start of rush hour Commuters endured another gruelling journey to work across London this morning as some 4,000 Tube workers continued their strike until 8am - with services likely to be affected for much of the day as they try to recover. Fed-up Londoners will have to take much longer routes by bus or splash out on taxis and Ubers, likely adding to the capital's traffic and pollution levels. People at bus stop in London yesterday during the Tube strike The strike action has been ordered by the militant Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) due to an ongoing dispute over jobs and pensions. They believe up to 600 jobs and their pension scheme are under threat from a cash-strapped Transport for London (TfL), which a union leader yesterday claimed is 'bankrupt' and in need of 500m by March next year. The RMT is also expected to reveal its dates for national railway walkouts today, which threaten to see Network Rail forced to operate on a skeleton timetable this summer to reserve tracks for the movement of goods - with passengers only having access to key services. Advertisement

Charles Levenson, a 25-year-old teacher from north London, was travelling home from Berlin, Germany, when he was caught in the disruption.

'When I got there the queue was chaotic and (a complete) standstill,' he said. 'Nowhere near enough queue barriers had been set up so everyone was starting to squish together and it was very hot.

'Tannoy announced they're sorry for inconvenience and the crowd actually erupted in sarcastic laughter.'

Georgie Calle, 29, from St Albans in Hertfordshire, had her plans to see her unwell grandfather yesterday thrown into disarray after running into difficulties with an easyJet flight from Dalaman Airport in Turkey.

Having paid around 900 for their flights, Ms Calle said she and her partner were told their Sunday journey - a 10.40pm trip to London Luton - had been overbooked, at which point they were made to wait in the airport to see if a seat became available.

The flight was eventually rescheduled for Monday, something Ms Calle was unaware of overnight - the pair slept at the airport instead.

'We were made to feel like we weren't as valued as the people who had somehow magically got onto the flight,' she said yesterday. 'I've had 20 minutes' sleep in the last 24 hours, my partner's had 10 minutes' sleep.

'Never had a problem with easyJet before and actually you feel that they really let you down. They took us out here, they knew we were out here.

'The whole thing has just been horrendous and really stressful, and something that you quite honestly don't need when you've got your mum who's devastated that her dad's about to die.'

After cancelling dozens of flights over the weekend, easyJet scrapped a further 37 yesterday, with Gatwick the worst affected.

These included flights from destinations such as Bilbao, Madrid and Seville in Spain, Milan and Palermo in Italy, Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland, and Malta.

An easyJet spokesman said yesterday: 'EasyJet is operating over 1,700 flights today carrying almost 300,000 customers.

'Unfortunately, due to the ongoing challenging operating environment around 37 flights have been cancelled today ahead of customers arriving at the airport.

'We are very sorry and fully understand the disruption this will have caused for our customers.'

Some 225 departures from UK airports were cancelled between Monday and Friday last week, according to aviation data firm Cirium. That compares with 24 during the corresponding half-term week last year.
Paprika was used by people-smugglers to confuse sniffer dogs at Border security so they could bring Iraqi stowaways into the UK.

Akan Brayan and Dylan Shwani recruited drivers to bring 31 illegal migrants including children as young as one and a pregnant woman into the UK.

The two 'evil' men kept the Iraqi stowaways in 'tiny, air-tight space' as they transported them in a van alongside stacks of tyres, second-hand furniture and household goods.

Covering up the mostly male migrants was boxes of goods while paprika was found on the floor of one of the vans to confuse sniffer dogs from detecting the migrants' scents.

The people smugglers, both 37, were found guilty of assisting unlawful immigration into the UK by a non-UK national.

Photos show in one of the vans a woman cradling a small child, with other children sat around her in the tightly enclosed space

This image shows paprika which was spread in one of the vans to confuse the sniffer dogs

Dylan Shwani, 37, of Lincoln, was convicted of assisting unlawful immigration into the UK by a non-UK national (contrary to Section 25 (1) of the Immigration Act)

Between 2016 and 2018, Brayan of Nottingham and Shwani of Lincoln,, paid six drivers from the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire areas to bring 31 Iraqi migrants, including seven children, on six separate occasions, into the country.

They were then sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court following a five-year investigation by the Home Office's Criminal and Financial Investigations (CFI) unit.

Their vans were intercepted by Border Force and French law enforcement officers in Coquelles, France and Dover.

Photos show in one of the vans a woman cradling a small child, with other children sat around her in the tightly enclosed space.

Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, Tom Pursglove MP said: 'These brazen attempts to smuggle illegal migrants, including very young children, into the UK in tiny, air-tight spaces with room to barely move, is despicable.

'Our expertly trained officers continue to work round the clock to prevent this illegal activity, which puts lives in extreme danger.

CFI teams found boxes of goods deliberately placed to hide people as well as paprika on the floor of one of the vans in an attempt to confuse sniffer dogs from detecting the migrants' scents

Akan Brayan, 37, of Nottingham, was convicted of assisting unlawful immigration into the UK by a non-UK national (contrary to Section 25 (1) of the Immigration Act)

Goods are also shown in this van

Ben Thomas, Deputy Director for Immigration Enforcement's Criminal and Financial Investigations, said:

'My team work tirelessly to bring to justice anyone attempting to smuggle people unlawfully into the country.

'These two evil men endangered the lives of people, including children, to line their pockets without a care in the world for their safety. I hope these sentencings sends a powerful message that breaking the law and putting individuals' lives at risk will not go unpunished.'

Five van drivers have already been convicted for their roles in the smuggling operation.
Parents have revealed their disbelief after teachers were awarded another day off - to compensate for missing the Jubilee bank holiday because they were already on half-term.

The unusual ruling to shorten the school year by one to 194 days take place after the Queen's historic celebrations.

Staff at schools have been told they will close for the 2022 academic term on Thursday, July 21, instead of the usual Friday spot.

It means the areas 500 plus education hubs will be able to shut down a full 24 hours early.

A memo seen by MailOnline relating to a school in Hampshire reads: 'School will close on Thursday July 21 ( and nor Friday, July 22).

'This is because Hampshire have agreed that the school calendar year will be reducing to 194 days to enable school staff to benefit from the additional bank holiday as part of the Queen's Jubilee.'

It comes despite a government study in April finding that the 'effects of the pandemic on pupils, staff and leaders were evident'.

The research found pupils' learning and personal development continued to be hindered by school closures during lockdowns and continued to have an impact on attendance levels.

Parents have revealed their disbelief after a council awarded teachers another day off - to compensate for missing the Jubilee bank holiday because they were already on half-term

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge watch Paddington Bear and The Queen

Crowds gather in The Mall ahead of Platinum Party at the Palace, the live concert which took place outside Buckingham Palace

And headteachers consulted in the study cited 'the negative impact of the pandemic on pupils' wellbeing and behaviour.

The news has also been greeted with utter bemusement by parents who now face having to take extra time off work themselves.

One told MailOnline: 'Hampshire County Council have agreed to give teachers the last day of term off to allow them to 'benefit' from last week's jubilee Bank holiday.

'Despite the fact they have missed so much school and you can't take your kids out of School for any reason'

'I wanted to raise this as it beggars belief that School Staff need a day off to compensate them for the Bank holiday falling in half term. Let's hope they don't set a precedent for all Bank Holidays, that fall in school holidays, going forward.'

Councillor Roz Chadd, Hampshire County Council's Executive Lead Member for Children's Services, said: 'The decision to reduce the number of school days for maintained schools in 2021/22 was taken nationally by the Department for Education, in response to Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

'This is in line with the DfE's previous response to other similar occasions, such as the 2012 Diamond Jubilee. Had schools not been on their half term break at the time of this year's additional Bank Holiday, they would have been able to close on the nationally designated days. The change to the original school year, that had schools closing for Summer on 22 July, was only allowed when the necessary change to legislation had occurred so that schools could legally close on the additional day.

'As the extended Bank Holiday fell within half term for Hampshire schools, staff and students can instead have their additional day off on another day in the school year. This guidance applied nationally to all bodies responsible for setting school term dates, including Local Authorities. Hampshire County Council designated Friday 22 July as the additional day, following consultation with schools about their preferred date.'

Hampshire County Council has let school staff take another day off in lieu of the jubilee

The news appears likely to anger many other sectors who also did not get any time off - but don't have benevolent management to give them an alternative.

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant finale was watched by a staggering 8.7million people on Sunday, TV figures have revealed.

While much of the country were nursing their Jubilee hangovers, huge swathes of royal fans still managed to tune in for the 'very British' and 'wonderfully eccentric' spectacle.

Pomp and pageantry kicked off the finale of the four-day celebration of the Queen's astonishing 70-year reign as a hologram of the young monarch waving at royal fans and a ceremonial military procession launched the 2-hour pageant.

Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, their children George, Charlotte and Louis, Princess Anne, and Zara and Mike Tindall are all seated in the royal box alongside Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie, Keir Starmer and Sadiq Khan to watch the two-mile procession through central London.

It came after a star-studded Party At The Palace concert on Saturday night, which saw huge performances from Diana Ross, Sir Rod Stewart and Eurovision winner Sam Ryder.

Scores of social media users congratulated the BBC for 'putting on a good show'.

'I loved it all,' one wrote, 'I wasn't planning on spending the whole afternoon watching the pageant yesterday, but was hooked... well done to all involved.'

Another said the pageant was 'exceptional' while one fan declared: 'No one does pageantry like the British... thank you for a job well done.'

Others branded it 'very British' and 'wonderfully eccentric.'

The concert on Saturday, meanwhile, was the most-watched programme of the year so far, drawing in a staggering 13.4 million viewers.

The star-studded extravaganza boasted an A-list line up, including Elton John.

However it was the Queen who really brought the house down, when she was joined for a cream tea by Paddington Bear, in which she hilariously revealed she shares the Peruvian native's love of marmalade sandwiches.

Crowds during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in front of Buckingham Palace, London, on day four of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations

The Queen delighted millions of viewers by appearing in a surprise comic sketch with Paddington Bear to kick-start the Jubilee concert. Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear having cream tea and a marmalade at Buckingham Palace

However in terms of all time royal events, the Platinum Jubilee received much lower figures compared to other historic moments.

The Queen's skit with James Bond - played by Daniel Craig - at the London 2012 opening ceremony, for example, was watched by 26.9million people, while Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018 attracted 18million.

Prince William's wedding in 2011 had 26million viewers, although the advancement of streaming and catch up TV has meant lower TV ratings in general in recent years.

Figures from across the weekend show the concert on Saturday night was the most watched Jubilee event, while the lighting of the beacons ceremony on Thursday night was the least, only managing a peak of five million viewers.

Trooping the Colour performed marginally better, pulling in 7.5million.

While the Queen was unable to attend Saturday's concert in person due to her ongoing mobility issues, Prince William, 39, and Kate Middleton, 40, brought along their two eldest children as the rest of the Royal Family turned out in force.

The glitzy affair, which also saw Queen and Adam Lambert perform, beat England's clash with Hungary, which saw the national team lose 0-1 - with 4.5million viewers tuning it at its peak, and an average audience of just 2.7million.
Disgraced Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein is suing Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for $5 million plus interest over a 2019 crash in which he flipped a Jeep Wrangler while trying to avoid a deer.

Lawyers for the now-incarcerated mogul filed the suit in New York Supreme Court on Tuesday, claiming the car company provided him with an 'unreasonably dangerous' car in exchange for product placement in one of his films.

Then when he was driving in suburban Bedford, New York on August 17, 2019, his 2017 his 2017 Jeep Wrangler 'failed to decelerate despite Weinstein's application of the vehicle's braking system' as he approached a deer.

He then reportedly swerved to avoid the deer, the lawsuit claims, causing the vehicle to flip over - leaving him 'catastrophically injured and rendered paralyzed' and with 'significant and continuing conscious pain and suffering.'

Weinstein, 70, underwent back surgery that December, and was seen hunched over a walker as he stood trial in New York for sexual assault.

He now claims in the court documents that Chrysler executives were negligent in the crash, writing that they failed to inspect, maintain and repair the Jeep before the crash - about 40 miles north of Manhattan.

Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence for sexual assault and rape as he also awaits trial in Los Angeles on other alleged sex crimes from 2004 to 2013.

He has pleaded not guilty to those charges, and has denied any non-consensual sexual encounters.

Disgraced Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein was seen hunched over a walker as he stood trial in New York for sexual assault in February 2020, just months after he crashed his 2017 Jeep Wrangler in Bedford, New York while trying to avoid a deer

Weinstein, 70, claims in court documents that Chrysler provided him with the Wrangler (like the one seen here) in exchange for product placement in one of his films but knowingly gave him a defective vehicle

Weinstein is seeking $5 million plus interest from Fiat Chrysler in a lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court on Tuesday

Weinstein got into the crash in upstate New York as he was set to face trial for his sexual advances on aspiring female actresses and colleagues.

He was driving through Bedford at around 8.55am that morning, when he reportedly swerved to avoid the deer and smashed his car into a tree along Bedford Center Road.

Witnesses said at the time that the car wound up on its side, and Weinstein had to kick his way out, according to Page Six.

His lawyers now say Chrysler failed to properly install tires and inspect, maintain and repair the Jeep.

'The actions of Chrysler as set forth above constitute willful and wanton misconduct in disregard for the rights and safety of Weinstein,' the lawsuit states, arguing that the company 'breached implied and express warranties.'

It notes that Weinstein was wearing his seatbelt at the time, and has 'suffered severe, permanent, painful and debilitating injuries, and has been caused to endure hospital and medical care and has been incapacitated from performing his usual activities and duties for a long time.'

According to attorney Gary Kaulich, who is representing the disgraced producer in the lawsuit, those injuries include 'severe spine and back injuries.'

He told the New York Post on Tuesday that Weinstein has previously tried to settle with Chrysler outside of court, saying: 'Negotiations went on for months and months, but Chrysler apparently never had any intention of resolving the case in good faith.'

Stellantis, which now owns Fiat-Chrysler, told DailyMail.com it does not comment on pending litigation, but noted: 'We intend to vigorously defend our product against these claims.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Stellantis, which now owns Fiat-Chrysler, for comment

The lawsuit comes just days after a New York State appeals court upheld his conviction for sexual assault and rape.

On Thursday, a five-judge panel in the state's intermediate appeals court rejected his claims that the judge in his landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced him by allowing women to testify about allegations that werent part of the criminal case.

Allegations against Weinstein first exploded in 2017, with a total of nearly 90 women - including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Salma Hayek accusing him of harassment or assault.

He has maintained that all his sexual encounters were consensual.

But in a 45-page ruling on Thursday, the appellate court said trial Judge James Burke properly exercised his discretion in allowing prosecutors to bolster their case with testimony from three women who accused Weinstein of violated them but whose claims did not lead to charges in the New York case.

The judges said that although the volume of material, pertaining to 28 alleged acts over 30 years, was 'unquestionably large, and, at first blush, perhaps appears to be troublingly so,' Burke properly exercised his discretion in weighing its relevance to the case.

They also rejected Weinsteins argument that Burke was wrong in other ways: by allowing a woman who had written a novel involving predatory older men to remain on the jury, and by letting prosecutors have an expert on victim behavior and rape myths testify. Burke did not allow testimony on similar subjects from defense experts.

Weinsteins spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, said his legal team 'was disappointed, but not surprised' by the decision.

'We are reviewing all of our options and we will seek to petition the court appeals and beyond,' Engelmayer said in a statement, CNN reported.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in a statement expressed gratitude for a decision upholding 'a monumental conviction that changed the way prosecutors and courts approach complex prosecutions of sexual predators,' the news outlet reported.
A loyalist minister tells MailOnline any rival would face more opposition than PM

The PM's supporters note a lack of 'any real contenders' among Tory MPs

Allies of Boris Johnson insist there is 'no alternative' PM waiting in the wings

Allies of Boris Johnson are insisting there is 'no alternative' Prime Minister waiting in the wings due to a lack of 'any real contenders' among Tory MPs.

After the PM survived a no confidence vote in his leadership last night, supporters of Mr Johnson have been rallying round to shore up his position in Number 10.

As well as pointing to his record in office - on Brexit, Covid and Ukraine - the PM's allies have been sharing a message that any rival candidate would face even more opposition among fellow Tory MPs than Mr Johnson.

Cabinet ministers Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Ben Wallace have all been touted as potential successors to the PM.

And, outside of Cabinet, ex-health secretary Jeremy Hunt, and Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the House of Commons' foreign affairs committee, have not been shy about their leadership ambitions.

But those who backed the PM in last night's vote questioned whether any of those being tipped as future Tory leaders would prove as electorally successful as Mr Johnson.

Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant told MailOnline: 'Who would replace Boris? There may be contenders, but who is such a proven winner?'

A loyalist Cabinet minister highlighted how there were not 'any real contenders' to replace Mr Johnson.

The PM saw 148 Tory MPs vote against him last night.

But the minister told MailOnline: 'The reality is that there are more than 148 against any other candidate, especially those who seem to be touting themselves around.'

Another senior supporter of the PM said: 'Theres no alternative to Boris.

'Hes got an election winning agenda to level up and boost Brexit Britain. Labour are completely beatable. Its time to come together for the country and get cracking.'

Some noted how Chancellor Rishi Sunak - who has seen his leadership fortunes diminish following a fierce row over his family's tax affairs - looked subdued as he sat next to Boris Johnson at this morning's Cabinet meeting

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss sat next to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace (bottom right). The pair have both been touted as possible future Tory leaders

Critics have previously referred to Ms Truss as a 'pound shop Margaret Thatcher' after she posed in a tank like the former PM

Jeremy Hunt - who publicly declared his opposition to Mr Johnson ahead of last night's vote - has been stung by a backlash from PM loyalists

Possible successors to the PM were today taking stock after Mr Johnson survived the Conservative rebels' attempt to topple him.

Ms Truss, Mr Sunak and Mr Wallace put on a show of unity with the PM this morning as they gathered in Downing Street for a Cabinet meeting.

The Foreign Secretary, who critics have previously disparagingly referred to as a 'pound shop Margaret Thatcher', sat next to the Defence Secretary in Number 10.

Ms Truss later met the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, as she continued UK efforts to resist Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Wallace has seen his popularity among Tory members soar during the Ukraine war.

But the Defence Secretary suffered a blow in the early weeks of the conflict when he was tricked into holding a video call with an imposter posing as Ukraine's PM Volodymyr Zelensky.

Some noted today how the Chancellor - who has seen his leadership fortunes diminish following a fierce row over his family's tax affairs - looked subdued as he sat next to Mr Johnson at this morning's Cabinet meeting.

It followed what was viewed as a low-key performance by Mr Sunak in front of the Commons' Treasury Committee yesterday, as he defended his recent 21billion package of support for households in the face of the cost-of-living crisis.

The Chancellor also faced a grilling by MPs over the timing of the package, which was announced the day after Sue Gray's damning report on the Partygate scandal was published.

Mr Sunk denied he had been dragged into 'Operation Save Big Dog' efforts to keep Mr Johnson in No10 by rushing through the energy bills support.

When the controversy over Mr Sunak's family finances first broke, the Chancellor was claimed to have considered quitting the Government front bench.

Meanwhile, Mr Hunt - who publicly declared his opposition to Mr Johnson ahead of last night's vote - has been stung by a backlash from PM loyalists.

The attacks have led to renewed scrutiny of Mr Hunt's time as Health Secretary, and whether his five-and-a-half year spell in charge of the Department of Health left Britain unprepared for the Covid pandemic.

Mr Hunt will have hoped yesterday would end with Mr Johnson toppled from power, leaving open the opportunity for him to launch a second Tory leadership bid.

But, after the PM survived the rebel efforts to remove him from No10, most headlines about Mr Hunt focussed on how a Sky News presenter stumbled over the ex-Cabinet minister's surname and offered a rude alternative.

Trade minister Penny Mordaunt, the former defence secretary, is another rumoured to be harbouring leadership ambitions and was said to have been put on 'resignation watch' by Downing Street ahead of last night's vote.

Although fears that she could quit Government in order to publicly oppose Mr Johnson proved unfounded, Ms Mordaunt prompted further questions about her political ambitions through the course of yesterday.

Firstly, she told a local newspaper in her Portsmouth constituency that she 'didnt choose this Prime Minister, I didnt support him in the leadership contest'.

But Ms Mordaunt added that Mr Johnson 'has always had my loyalty because I think thats what you do when you have a democratic process  you select a leader and then you owe that person your loyalty'.

Ms Mordaunt then penned a Daily Express newspaper article to mark the 78th anniversary of D-Day, which many took to include veiled references to Mr Johnson's position.

Referring to Allied Commander General Dwight Eisenhower, she wrote that 'confidence and competence are easily confused, but they are not the same', adding: 'Confidence without competence is a dangerous combination, but Eisenhower also knew how to build a team.'

She continued: 'Today is the day when we remember such leadership. It focused less on the leader and more on the ship.'
President Joe Biden met with Democratic Senator Chris Murphy on Tuesday to discuss Senate negotiations on gun reform, the White House announced.

The two men met on the patio outside the Oval Office to discuss the issue, according to photos released of their meeting. Their sit down comes after some lawmakers, including Murphy, urged the president to stay out of the talks.

Murphy said he and Biden spoke for about 30 minutes.

'We had a good conversation, obviously weve still got work to do in the Senate and Im grateful that the White House is giving us the space necessary to get a deal done,' he said.

And he added: 'Nobody knows the Senate better than President Biden, he knows that weve gotta work out our compromise on our own. Its important to keep him posted on our discussions because ultimately we need the president to support it and sign the legislation.'

Senators are meeting behind-closed-doors this week to hash out the details of a bill that could garner the necessary 60 votes to advance through the legislative process.

Murphy, who is leading talks for the Democrats, said his goal was to have a bipartisan deal by the end of the week. He's also said Biden's presence would not be helpful in negotiations.

'I think the Senate needs to do this ourselves,' the Democratic senator from Connecticut told CNN on Sunday.

'I have talked to the White House every single day since these negotiations began. But, right now, the Senate needs to handle these negotiations. I think, this week, we need to have concepts to present to our colleagues,' he said.

The sitdown also comes after Biden's prime time speech on Thursday night where he called for expanded background checks, an assault weapons ban or raising the purchase age to 21, red flag laws, mental health programs, and removing the liability shield for gun manufactureres.

There is some concern that if Biden becomes involve, the issue could get lost in the politics of the upcoming midterm election, harming the chances for legislation to get passed.

President Joe Biden met with Democratic Senator Chris Murphy on Tuesday to discuss Senate negotiations on gun reform

Some lawmakers, including Senator Chris Murphy (right), had said President Biden should stay out of Senate negotiations

And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday warned Democrats that the final legislation may not contain their full wishlist of items.

'There is virtual unanimity amongst Senate Democrats that getting something passed through this chamber is worth pursuing if it will make a tangible difference in preventing gun violence,' Schumer said on the Senate floor.

'We know that we're not going to get everything we want, we know that the push for even more meaningful gun safety will continue after this debate, but making real progress is very important,' he added.

'Senator Murphy has asked for some space to have the bipartisan talks continue and I have given him that space.'

Murphy, Sens. John Cornyn, Republican of Texas; and Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona, met for about two hours Monday night to discuss a path forward.

Cornyn is leading efforts for Republicans as Murphy does the same for the Democrats.

'My hope is that we are able to come to an agreement by the end of the week,' Murphy said. 'The discussions have been really positive. I still am hopeful we'll be able to get a product.'

Any legislation would need buy-in from Senator Joe Manchin and Sinema, the more moderate Democrats, plus at least 10 Republicans in order to make its way through the legislative process.

'What I'm interested in is keeping guns out of the hands of those who, by current law, are not supposed to have them: people with mental health problems, people who have criminal records,' Cornyn said of the talks.

The lawmakers are looking at legislation that would reform background checks, encourage state red flag laws, enhance school safety and provide new mental health programs, Politico reported.

Republicans had been pushing for more time to negotiate and were worried Schumer would make good on his pledge to begin voting on Democratic gun legislation if the talks appear to be fruitless.

But Schumer's remarks on Tuesday will give negotiators more time to talk specifics.

Senator John Cornyn of Texas is leading gun legislation talks for Republicans

The bipartisan group of senators hope to reach an agreement on gun legislation by the end of the week, after a wave of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York; Uvalde, Texas; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The negotiations have the approval of Schumer and his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell.

'Good consensus legislation takes time,' Cornyn said. 'The only way we can get a bill that can pass both chambers and earn the president's signature is by taking the time and reaching that consensus.'
Unrepentant Metropolitan Police officers justified their heavy-handed crackdown at a Clapham Common vigil held for Sarah Everard by claiming that the gathering was morphing into an 'anti-police protest', it has emerged.

Scotland Yard is prosecuting six people they claim broke Covid lockdown rules at the vigil on March 13 last year, when hundreds assembled at the bandstand in the South London park following Miss Everard's kidnapping, rape and murder by 'evil' Met cop Wayne Couzens.

The event had originally been organised by Reclaim These Streets, who cancelled it after the Met said it should not go ahead, and no definitive answer on the matter was provided by the High Court.

But people turned up throughout the day, and officers did not intervene for the first six hours while many came to lay flowers, with the Duchess of Cambridge also paying her respects.

It has now emerged that police have defended their widely condemned actions, saying that they faced resistance when they tried to break up the gathering using draconian Covid powers.

Witness statements given in Westminster Magistrates' Court reveal that the Met officers feared being attacked by the attendees and were apparently branded 'murderers' by some in the crowd.

According to PC Alexander Davis: 'The mood of the crowd had also shifted from showing respect to Sarah Everard to anti-police protest. Over the course of the early evening the crowd size of the vigil increased to the 1000 strong members and it quickly became an anti-police demonstration.'

A woman being arrested at a vigil for Sarah Everard in Clapham Common, March 13, 2021

Left, Sarah Everard. Right, former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick

The Standard reports that he said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist gave the order at around 7pm for the crackdown to begin, including arrests of women who were standing by the bandstand.

PC Darryl Mayne said in a witness statement that attendees shouted 'go away', 'murderers' and 'arrest your own' as the scene turned sour.

And in his statement to the court, Inspector Dave Laurie said: 'I remember feeling sad that what started out as a vigil with people adhering to the coronavirus regulations had changed significantly and that I wasn't convinced people were there to solely pay their respects in remembrance of Sarah Everard, and that they did not intend to leave the area any time soon.'

Wayne Couzens was given a whole life sentence at the Old Bailey in September after admitting Sarah Everard's murder

MailOnline has contacted Scotland Yard for comment.

Campaigners have voiced their fury after it was revealed that four of the six cases will be heard in secret under the Single Justice Procedure, a paper-based process not held in open court.

Dania Al-Obeid, 27, from Stratford, east London, Vivien Hohmann, 20, from Clapham, Ben Wheeler, 21, from Kennington, south London, and Kevin Godin-Prior, 68, from Manchester, were all named on the court papers.

The Met said Jade Spence, 33, of Lambeth, and Jenny Edmunds, 32, of Lewisham, are due to be dealt with on June 15.

All six cases have been brought to court because the fines issued for alleged breaches of Covid rules were not paid, the force said.

A total of nine fixed penalty notices were issued. Two were paid, and the other was dropped with no further action.

The event had originally been organised by Reclaim These Streets, who cancelled it after the Met said it should not go ahead.

But people turned up throughout the day, and officers did not intervene for the first six hours while many came to lay flowers, with Kate Middleton also paying her respects.

However, when crowds refused to leave when asked by police, it led to clashes that saw protesters bundled to the ground and arrested.

The Met faced a barrage of criticism, including calls for Commissioner Cressida Dick to resign.

The decision to prosecute i nsecret was denounced by campaigners on social media, including Reclaim These Streets co-founder, Jamie Klingler.

Police stand in line at a Clapham Common vigil for Sarah Everard on March 13, 2021

She wrote: 'Why does the Met Police have a vendetta against women protesting a woman killed by a serving officer? Is this payback that we helped get Cressida Dick removed from office? How is wasting more public money prosecuting women that attended the vigil going to rebuild trust?'.

Ruth Davison, CEO of the women's charity Refuge, was also critical, saying: 'We strongly disagree with this decision by the Met.

'After their application to appeal the judgment against them brought by Reclaim These Streets was refused for the second time, they should have sensed the public temperature and ceased any further action.

'With trust in police incredibly low, it is absurd that the force is attempting to prosecute individuals who attended a peaceful gathering for a young woman who was kidnapped and murdered by a serving officer.

'The fact these attendees are facing prosecution for breaking the same Covid rules that Couzens used to kidnap and kill Sarah is something I cannot comprehend. It is a move that will do nothing to rebuild women's trust in the police.

Well-wishers light candles around a tree on Clapham Common, March 13, 2021

'The Met would be better advised to focus on improving the charging and prosecution rates for perpetrators of abuse and violence against women and girls and getting their own house in order.'

Earlier this year, the High Court ruled the Met had breached the rights of organisers at the vigil, but the unrepentant force refused to apologise over its much criticised handling, instead insisting it could appeal.

An utterly damning judgement said the constabulary 'failed to perform its legal duty' and did not think if the organisers 'might have a reasonable excuse for holding the gathering'.

The ruling added the Met did not even 'conduct the fact-specific proportionality assessment required in order to perform that duty'.

Scotland Yard was refused permission to appeal against the ruling for a second time.

Dismissing the appeal bid, Lord Justice Holroyde said in a court order that, while he recognised the application of principles guiding the right to protest 'may be difficult for the police, and that the difficulty may be increased when considering a prospective event' they were 'clear' and no separate guidance is needed.

The judge said he could see 'no arguable basis on which it can be said that the (High) Court's decision was wrong'.

Miss Everard was kidnapped, raped and murdered by Couzens. He was given a whole life sentence, from which he will never be released, at the Old Bailey in September after admitting murdering her.
An 11-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet as she played with family members at her grandmother's house in Detroit on Saturday.

Police have two people in custody - an adult and a minor - in connection to the incident, but have not commented on their identities to avoid compromising the investigation, they said.

Saniyah Pugh was lying on the ground with four other kids when a bullet ripped through the house from outside and struck her in the back.

She died before emergency services responded.

Members of the community joined the girl's grandmother, Lawanda Melton, in calling for an end to gun violence in Detroit.

The president of the Community Relations Council of Detroit's 9th Precinct, Sandra Turner Handy, expressed outrage over the death.

'It's time for us to stop crying all the time with the chief about our babies being shot,' she said, '11 years old. And she was doing nothing but having fun being a kid.'

11-year-old Saniyah Pugh (left) was killed on Saturday when a stray bullet ripped through her grandmother's (left) house and struck her in the back

'A home used to be somewhere safe. School used to be somewhere safe,' Melton said, 'Nowadays, you're not safe anywhere. No one's safe.'

'It's unbearable. I have a daughter who's without her child now, who's empty, looking in her eyes. It just looks like a empty soul. She had nothing left in her. She lost her best friend. She lost her daughter,' she said.

Detroit Police chief James White said that a number of leads and warrants lead to the arrest of the two suspects, but declined to give details to reporters.

'We have to be careful we are working an angle on this case that we're pretty confident that is what happened, but we don't want to compromise this investigation,' White said.

Pugh was staying at her grandmother's home (above) with four other young family members when she was killed

Police outside of Melton's home in Detroit after her granddaughter was struck and killed by a stray bullet

Cops confirmed that there was gun activity in the vicinity of Melton's home at the time that Pugh was shot, though that have not confirmed whether they were connected.

They also say they recovered weapons from the area, but cannot associate them with the killing yet.

White declined to comment on whether it was suspected that the house was targeted.

Chief White decried 'irresponsible gun ownership' and the 'irresponsible use of a weapon,' as the cause of the death.

'It is of epidemic proportions right now in our country and in our city,' he said.

'My children and grandchildren are scarred,' Melton said, 'They are totally scarred from this because all of them had to see this and experience this. Something that I wouldn't want my worst enemy to even experience.'

Pugh, a middle school student in Detroit, was a member of the gymnastics and cheerleading teams. She would have turned 12 this month

President of the Community Relations Council of Detroit's 9th Precinct, Sandra Turner Handy, saying it was time to stop crying about 'our babies being shot'

Pugh attended the Washington Carver Academy middle school, and was a member of the gymnastics and cheerleading teams. She would have turned 12 this month.

'Saniyah was a very beautiful, intelligent,' her grandmother said, 'She was a very talented little girl.'

Authorities in Detroit are aiming to crack down on gun violence, pledging on Monday to bring criminals accused of gun crimes to federal court, where sentences are often heftier than those handed down in state court.

'As temperatures rise, so does violence,' said US Attorney Dawn Ison, saying that the prosecutors would work closely with Detroit police, and focus on the city's 8th and 9th precincts.

'There is more urban violence still than mass shootings,' she said.

Mayor Mike Duggan said that shooting victims were down 25% compared to the same time last year, 'but it doesn't feel like a celebration.'
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson narrowly survived a no-confidence vote on Monday that was triggered by lawmakers in his party amid a slew of controversies, maintaining his position.

The official needed a simple majority of the 359 Conservative members of Parliament to vote in his favor to remain prime minister. Surprisingly, Johnson won the vote, with 211 supporting him and 148 voting against him.

Boris Johnson's Narrow Win

A vote of no confidence in the Conservative Party is triggered if the party's leader receives letters of request from at least 15% of sitting Conservative members of Parliament. On Monday morning, Conservative Party official Graham Brady said the threshold had been passed.

Johnson was not directly elected to serve in his role as prime minister of the United Kingdom but was appointed by the political party that wins the majority seats in Parliament. In the event that he lost the vote on Monday, the Conservative Party, which holds the majority, would have chosen a new leader to automatically take over the role, as per CBS News.

Earlier this month, the prime minister was fined by the police for breaking the law after an investigation found that he and his colleagues had held and attended parties during the height of Britain's coronavirus lockdown in 2020.

Read Also: Elon Musk Mocks DOJ, Media With Controversial Jeffrey Epstein Tweet

The incident, which is known as the "partygate" scandal, was the revelation that government officials were having wine and cheese in Johnson's official residence at Number 10 Downing Street. The controversy was filled with photographs of the event and came as members of the public were prevented from visiting dying relatives under COVID-19 restrictions.

According to CNBC, the no-confidence vote came at a time of deep dissatisfaction with Johnson's leadership and behavior while in office less than three years after he secured a parliamentary majority.

Conservative Party

With Johnson's narrow margin in winning the vote, there is now a real possibility that he could face another confidence vote in the near future to try to replace him as prime minister. Often, if a British leader wins a confidence vote, they are protected from another vote for the following 12 months.

However, there have been reports that these rules could soon change, and the close nature of Monday's result would make this event more likely. Brady, who is the chairman of the 1922 Committee that oversees leadership challengers within the Conservative Party, said it was "technically" possible for the rules to change.

There is also the possibility of Johnson resigning of his accord, but despite previous rumblings of discontent among Tory MPs over the prime minister's colorful and often controversial leadership, he had shown no signs of intending to step down from his position.

In an interview, Johnson called his narrow no-confidence vote win a "decisive result" despite the fact that 40% of members of his party voted against him. The prime minister said, "I think it's an extremely good, positive, conclusive, decisive result which enables us to move on, to unite and to focus on delivery (of services)," Fox News reported.

Related Article: Prince Louis Steals the Platinum Jubilee Spotlight Again After Shushing, Covering Kate Middleton's Mouth

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A campaign staffer for former President Donald Trump asked Republicans for 'complete discretion' in communications about a scheme to name fake electors amid a legal battle over the election.

'I must ask for your complete discretion in this process,' aide Robert Sinners, wrote the group of Georgia Republicans, according to an email obtained by the Washington Post and published in a week where the House January 6 Committee rolls out an explosive prime time hearing designed for maximum impact.

He told the group of 16 Republicans who were to take part in the event at the state capitol: 'Your duties are imperative to ensure the end result  a win in Georgia for President Trump  but will be hampered unless we have complete secrecy and discretion.'

Robert Sinners told Georgia Republicans meeting in the state capitol to provide 'complete discretion' as they prepared to meet as 'fake electors'

Sinners also wanted them to keep a lid on their activities generally and keep it out of the press. 'Please, at no point should you mention anything to do with Presidential Electors or speak to the media,' he wrote in the Dec. 13, 2020 email, which came as Trump allies were desperately trying to find ways to combat President Joe Biden's 306-232 win in the Electoral College.

Sinners was serving as Trump's election day operations lead.

When the Republicans met and declared themselves 'duly elected,' it provided an opportunity for Trump allies to claim there were rival slates  a matter that could ultimately be decided in the Congress in an election where Trump was claiming fraud.

The Jan. 6 panel has focused on the issue of fake electors, and is likely to get into the subject at Thursday night's hearing.

The campaign official said he was working at the direction of chairman of the Georgia Republican Party David Shafer, whose lawyer said he didn't seek confidentiality

'We have now counted legally cast ballots three times, and the results remain unchanged,' Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Dec. 7, 2020

Sinners provided a statement to the paper that he was working at the direction of state GOP chair David Shafer. 'I was advised by attorneys that this was necessary in order to preserve the pending legal challenge,' he said.

But he also indicated his own views have flipped. 'Following the Former President's refusal to accept the results of the election and allow a peaceful transition of power, my views on this matter have changed significantly from where they were on December 13th,' lawyer Robert Driscoll said.

A Shafer lawyer told the Post that his client had handed over communications to the House select committee. 'None of these communications, nor his testimony, suggest that Mr. Shafer requested or wished for confidentiality surrounding the provisional electors.

Georgia had already certified Biden's victory in the state three times by the time of the email.

'We have now counted legally cast ballots three times, and the results remain unchanged,' Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Dec. 7, 2020.

The The Fulton County, Georgia district attorney is investigating Trump's election overturn effort in Georgia. Georgia state law requires electors to meet at the capitol for official proceedings.

Sinners now works in Raffensperger's office.
A female patient 'bombarded a cancer doctor with unwanted gifts and emails in year-long stalking campaign after he operated on her', a court has heard.

Lisa Addison is alleged to have stalked oncologist Myles Smith following a procedure at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, west London.

Westminster Magistrates' Court also heard that she contacted other staff at the hospital between April 1, 2020 and March 24, 2021 - including his wife Kara Heelan, another oncologist she was referred to after surgery.

Criminal proceedings against Ms Addison were dismissed earlier this year after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped its case against her, a judge heard.

But a civil case is now taking place after the Metropolitan Police applied for a stalking protection order to bar Ms Addison from contacting Mr Smith, his wife or others at the hospital.

District Judge Louisa Cieciora today imposed an interim stalking protection order on Ms Addison, of Richmond, south west London, ahead of a hearing on September 13.

Oncologist Myles Smith 'feels he cant move on and still feels harassed' by Ms Addison, a court has heard

The order prohibits Ms Addison, who is maintaining her innocence, from contacting Mr Smith, Ms Heelan or any staff at the hospital, and from attending the hospital unless it is a 'medical emergency'.

Mark OBrien OReilly, for the Met, earlier called for the interim order, claiming Mr Smith had been subjected to a 'barrage of communication that has taken place over the last two years and four months'.

He added that it was both 'necessary and appropriate', telling the hearing: 'What is going to happen in the interim period? What about Mr Smith and his family who have been under a great amount of upset and distress and worry?'

Mr OBrien OReilly also said Mr Smith 'feels he cant move on and still feels harassed by the respondent', claiming her behaviour has had a 'severe and detrimental impact' on him and his family.

The alleged stalking campaign began following a procedure carried out by Mr Smith at the Royal Marsden Hospital in west London (pictured)

He continued: 'The continued sending of gifts and the personal nature of the cards contained within those gifts cause upset and distress to Mr Smith and his wife.'

The barrister also alleged that Ms Addison made a 'vexatious' claim that her medical care was 'somehow negligent' after her overtures were not reciprocated.

Sean Minihan, representing Ms Addison, told the court: 'There are legal proceedings in relation to the treatment undergone and solicitors are involved.'

In relation to the interim order, he told the judge 'your honour has to balance because you havent heard all the evidence yet'.

He earlier said: 'We want a full hearing if there is to be one, but also it is worthy to consider we are considering an abuse of process application.'

The hearing is scheduled to take place at City of London Magistrates Court on September 13.
Monkeypox has become a notifiable disease in England, meaning all medics must alert local health authorities to suspected cases.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said laboratories must also tell it if the virus is identified in a sample.

To date, 302 infections have been confirmed in the UK.

Wendi Shepherd, monkeypox incident director at UKHSA, said: 'Rapid diagnosis and reporting is the key to interrupting transmission and containing any further spread of monkeypox.

The UK has logged 302 infections, the most out of any other country, followed by Spain (190), Portugal (143), Canada (80) and Germany (66)

'This new legislation will support us and our health partners to swiftly identify, treat and control the disease.

'It also supports us with the swift collection and analysis of data which enables us to detect possible outbreaks of the disease and trace close contacts rapidly, whilst offering vaccinations where appropriate to limit onward transmission.'

David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said: 'Making monkeypox a notifiable disease suggests a desire to be sure to have reporting from all sectors (public and private) and all parts of the NHS.

'It suggests the Government wants to focus surveillance on the entire population  not only on the risk groups identified so far.

'This will permit clear identification of all risk groups and help better understand the epidemiology and extent of spread.'

Officials are urging gay and bisexual men to be aware of new lesions, rashes or scabs and get in contact with a sexual health clinic

The infection often starts with small bumps that scab over and are contagious

Making monkeypox a notifiable disease will also help businesses who could suffer financial losses from the outbreak.

The same move was made for Covid before the first lockdown.

Officials said at the time it would 'help companies seek compensation through their insurance policies in the event of any cancellations that they may have to make as a result of the spread of the virus'.

There are now 34 diseases that are currently notifiable, including rabies, whooping cough and measles, as well as leprosy and plague.

A large proportion of cases so far have been identified in the gay, bisexual and men who have sex with other men community.

Monkeypox is not normally a sexually-transmitted infection, but it can be passed on by direct contact during sex.

It can also be spread through touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone with the monkeypox rash.

According to the UKHSA, monkeypox does not usually spread easily between people and the overall risk to the UK population remains low.

Anyone with unusual rashes or lesions on any part of their body, especially their genitalia, should contact NHS 111 or call a sexual health service if they have concerns, it said.

The disease is usually mild but can cause severe illness in some cases.

Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.

A rash can develop, often beginning on the face, which then spreads to other parts of the body including the genitals.

Pictured: First monkeypox patient to go public is a gay HR manager from London who was deported from Dubai just weeks ago for testing positive for HIV  and he claims he STILL hasn't been contact traced

James M, 35, has become the first British monkeypox patient to go public

The first British monkeypox patient to go public is an HR manager from London who caught the virus after being deported from Dubai for testing positive for HIV, MailOnline can reveal.

James M, 35, has spoken out after claiming that health chiefs still haven't contacted him despite being diagnosed with monkeypox nearly a fortnight ago.

He slammed the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for 'a real lack of any basic process or care to stop the spread' of the tropical virus, which has so far infected more than 300 Britons, mostly gay and bisexual men.

James  who wished to keep his surname anonymous  admitted he is not following self-isolation rules because he claims he 'was told to stay home until UKHSA contacted me... and they never did.'

He accused the UK of having a lackadaisical approach to contact tracing, saying it was 'no wonder' Britain had more cases than any other country outside of Africa. There is also a lack of awareness about' monkeypox's lesser-known symptoms, he claimed.

James was readjusting to life in west London when he began suffering from 'really weird aches' in his lower back, exhaustion, extreme thirst and pain when he used the toilet.

He became convinced he had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) after sleeping with around 10 new partners in the weeks before his symptoms started.

'Im a gay man, and having just come back to the UK, I was having a good time,' he told MailOnline.

But medics wrongly assumed it wasn't monkeypox because he didn't have the virus' tell-tale rash.

James had just returned from Dubai, where being gay is illegal, after four years following a 'shock' HIV diagnosis in February. It saw him lose his job and home.

After contacting his local STI clinic in west London, James was sent for tests at a specialist centre in Soho on May 25 and was told to avoid public transport or close contact with others.

'When I got to the clinic I was told to go and wait outside the main door and call them, they said they were going to put on PPE and they told me not to touch door handles,' he said.

'The whole experience kind of heightens your sense of, "oh this must be really serious". I remember going to Covid centres and it wasn't as daunting or overwhelming as this.'

At the time, several dozen people had already been diagnosed with the mystery monkeypox virus and it was clear the virus was spreading in London among gay and bisexual men.

The UKHSA claims it has tried on multiple attempts to get in touch with James.
U.S. retail giant Walmart has stopped selling Chaokoh coconut milk after allegations that the Thai company of uses forced monkey labor to harvest fruit for their products.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been investigating Thailand coconut plantations since 2019, according to its website.

PETA allegedly uncovered 'cruelty to monkeys on every farm' and 'at every monkey-training facility' that it investigated in relation to the Chaokoh brand.

In statement, PETA said, 'The coconut trade uses social monkeys as chained-up coconut-picking machines, depriving them of any opportunity to eat, play, or spend time with their families... With one PETA expose after another confirming cruelty on coconut farms, retailers are dropping Chaokoh left and right. Kudos to Walmart for its kind decision.'

Walmart joins a growing list of US retailers that have stopped the sale of the product, alongside Costco, Target, and Kroger.

British brands, such as Sainsbury, Boots, and Tesco have also announced bans.

In total, around 45,000 stores worldwide have stopped selling Chaokoh coconut milk, according to PETA.

PETA Asia investigated eight plantations in Thailand and found 'every farm' abused monkeys, keeping the animals chained up and forced to harvest coconuts

Walmart becomes the latest retailer to stop selling Chaokoh products after PETA sent the company more than 86,000 emails following an investigation in monkey abuse on coconut farms

In 2019, PETA Asia visited eight coconut farms, including the plantation where Chaokoh sources the fruit.

Videos posted to PETA's website show roped monkeys claiming trees to harvest coconuts.

The animal rights organization also claims to have obtained videos designed to train the animals to kick the fruit until it spins off the branches.

PETA reopened their investigation in 2020 after it claimed government officials and Chaokoh were negligent in addressing their findings.

'The coconut industry and Thai government are doing nothing but covering up and may, even, been quietly supporting monkey labor,' PETA alleged.

Video footage from PETA Asia's investigations shows monkeys being trained to twist the fruit until it snaps of the branch (pictured)

The animal agency also claimed the monkeys were 'abducted' as babies and 'fitted with rigid metal collars and kept chained or tethered for extended periods.'

Additionally, monkeys had their 'teeth pulled out' and to stop the animals from retaliating against their handlers.

'If they're fangless, we can use them until they die,' a farmer told PETA Asia.

More than 45,000 retailers have pulled Chaokoh's products from its shelves

'Denied the freedom to move around, socialize with others, or do anything else that is important to them, these intelligent animals slowly lose their minds,' the organization wrote on its website.

'Driven to desperation, they pace and circle endlessly on the barren, trash-strewn patches of dirt where they're chained.'

PETA Asia investigators reportedly found that plantations are also hiding monkey usage from auditors.

In a video posted to their website, an investigator can be heard asking: 'How many percent (sic) of the farmers in this area do you think use the monkeys?'

An industry insider, who works on a coconut farm, can be heard laughing and replying: 'I think nearly all.'

When asked if plantations were covering up the usage of monkeys, the insider replied that monkeys were used because there was 'no choice' because of the wind.

'How do people climb really high [in the wind]?' he can be heard saying on the video.

The insider also told PETA investigators that when the monkeys are transported off the plantation in order to hide them, they are not brought back in the 'same car' to avoid government officials from finding out.

'Every month, the government official...they come and they check,' the insider said.

Thailand also uses humane methods, such as sticks to knock the fruit off the trees, but the insider said the animals are needed for high trees.

'If the coconut tree is too tall, they will use a monkey because the sticks simply don't reach,' an unidentified plantation worker told PETA Asia. When asked if Chaokoh uses monkeys, the worker replied 'most use monkeys for the tall trees.'

The animal organization also claimed farmers transported monkeys in 'cramped cages' and took them off the farms when government officials came monthly for audits. Workers also told PETA Asia that the animals were not brought back to the farms in the 'same truck' to avoid suspicion

The monkeys are reportedly kept on leashes and aren't allowed to socialize. Farmers also extract the monkeys' fangs to make them defenseless and so that they 'can use them until they die'

'The hooks don't reach,' he told PETA Asia. '[Monkeys] can be taught how to pick coconuts.'

Chaokoh did, however, perform an investigation of its own through the Bureau Veritas Certification (Thailand) Ltd for a Monkey-Free Coconut Due Diligence Assessment.

One plantation owner told PETA Asia that three Chaokoh workers came through their 'zone,' but said they never were told to stop using monkeys.

'Last time that there were three guys coming, they worked for Chaokoh,' the plantation owner told PETA Asia. 'The coconut milk got banned. We should not use the monkeys, but no order to stop using them.'

Chaokoh's report says it did not find monkey usage at the 64 out of 817 farms it randomly picked for the investigation.

Walmart became the latest retailer to pull it after Target and Kroger stopped selling the product in 2021. Costco and Wegmans also pulled it shelves in 2020.

Walgreens, Food Lion, Giant Food, and Stop & Shop were among the first American businesses to pull the product, according to Axios.

DailyMail.com has contacted Walmart and Chaokoh for comment.
Scottish traffic police looked stunned when they found an alpaca peering out a car window during a routine check.

The black estate car was travelling on the A84, Craigforth, Stirling, on Monday when it was stopped for an inspection.

Police were looking for vehicle defects, but instead encountered a friendly alpaca and posed for a picture with the furry animal.

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: 'Officers engaged with the driver and as no defects were found he went on his way.'

Scottish traffic police looked stunned when they found an alpaca peering out a car window during a routine check. The black estate car was travelling on the A84, Craigforth, Stirling, on Monday when it was stopped for an inspection

Various vehicles defects were discovered along with some 'unusual passengers', said Fourth Valley Police in a Twitter post.

'Some of those engaged were more appreciative of our Road Safety advice than others!,' said the post.

The roadside check happened on the morning of June 6, officers said.

'Sorry officer...alpaca in the boot next time...', joked one Twitter used under the post.

'Don't be allama'd,' said another.
Russia claimed today it has 'liberated' 97 per cent of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraine's Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow's forces hold nearly all of Luhansk province.

However, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday Ukraine will fight to recover all its territory occupied by Russian forces.

'We have already lost too many people to simply cede our territory,' the Ukrainian President said by video link at an event hosted by the Financial Times.

He said stalemate was 'not an option' and 'we have to achieve a full deoccupation of our entire territory'.

It came as a Russian strike on Ukraine's second city Kharkiv killed one person and wounded three more on Tuesday, local mayor Ihor Terekhov said on television.

Terekhov said Russia 'does not leave Kharkiv alone and constantly keeps people in fear'.

Smoke and dirt rise from shelling in the city of Severodonetsk during fight between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7, 2022 (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukrainian troops fire with a surface-to-surface rockets Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) towards Russian positions in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7, 2022 (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia claimed today it has 'liberated' 97 per cent of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraine's Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories

However, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday Ukraine will fight to recover all its territory occupied by Russian forces. Pictured: Zelensky at the frontline in eastern Ukraine

Kharkiv, in Ukraine's east, experienced intense shelling in the first two months of the war as battles raged near its outskirts, but the situation in the city has calmed somewhat over the past weeks as Russian forces retreated in the region.

According to Ukrainian officials and military analysts Russia now occupies roughly half of the Donetsk province.

After abandoning its bungled attempt to storm Kyiv two months ago, Russia declared taking the entire Donbas is its main objective.

Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian government forces in the Donbas since 2014, and the region has borne the brunt of the Russian onslaught in recent weeks.

Ivan Sosnin, 19, walks next to his destroyed house in the city of Lysychansk at the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7, 2022 (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Intense fighting in the eastern region of Ukraine has left many homes destroyed. Pictured: A destroyed house in the city of Lysychansk at the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7

A man stands at his destroyed house as a rocket is nailed on a bed in the city of Lysychansk at the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7, 2022 (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Early in the war, Russian troops also took control of the entire Kherson region and a large part of the Zaporizhzhia region, both in the south. Russian officials and their local appointees have talked about plans for those regions to either declare their independence or be folded into Russia.

But in what may be the latest instance of anti-Russian sabotage inside Ukraine, Russian state media said Tuesday that an explosion at a cafe in the city of Kherson wounded four people. Tass called the apparent bombing in the Russian-occupied city a 'terror act.'

Before the February invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russia controlled some 7 per cent of the country, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and areas held by the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces now hold 20 per cent of the country.

While the Kremlin's forces have superior firepower, the Ukrainian defenders are entrenched and have shown the ability to counterattack.

Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, said Moscow's forces have seized the residential quarters of Sievierodonetsk and are fighting to take control of an industrial zone on the city's outskirts and nearby towns.

Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. They are among a few cities and towns in the Luhansk region still holding out against the Russian invasion, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces.

Ukrainian troops fire with a surface-to-surface MLRS towards Russian positions in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7 (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

While the Kremlin's forces have superior firepower, the Ukrainian defenders are entrenched and have shown the ability to counterattack

Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. They are among a few cities and towns in the Luhansk region still holding out against the Russian invasion, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces

While insisting on Ukraine's need to defeat Russia on the battlefield, Zelensky said at a Financial Times conference Tuesday that he is still open to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin

He also lamented that Western sanctions 'have not really influenced the Russian position,' the FT reported

Shoigu added that Russian troops were pressing their offensive toward the town of Popasna and have taken control of Lyman and Sviatohirsk and 15 other towns in the region.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak urged his people not to be downhearted about the battlefield reverses.

'Don't let the news that weve ceded something scare you,' he said in a video address. 'It is clear that tactical maneuvers are ongoing. We cede something, we take something back.'

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai conceded that Russian forces control the industrial outskirts of Sievierodonetsk.

'The toughest street battles continue, with varying degrees of success,' Haidai said. 'The situation constantly changes, but the Ukrainians are repelling attacks.'

Moscow's forces also kept up their artillery barrage of Lysychansk. Haidai said Russian troops shelled a market, a school and a college building, destroying the latter. At least three people were wounded, he said.

'A total destruction of the city is under way. Russian shelling has intensified significantly over the past 24 hours. Russians are using scorched-earth tactics,' Haidai said.

While insisting on Ukraine's need to defeat Russia on the battlefield, Zelensky said at a Financial Times conference Tuesday that he is still open to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He also lamented that Western sanctions 'have not really influenced the Russian position,' the FT reported.

Meanwhile, the US military has begun training Ukrainian forces on the sophisticated multiple rocket launchers that the Biden administration agreed last week to provide.

The Pentagon said the training is going on at a base in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets, which can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). Officials said it would take about three weeks of training before they could go to the battlefront.

The war also brought a standoff Tuesday between the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and Ukrainian authorities over the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe.

A civilian militia man holds a shotgun and a rifle during training at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Civilian militia men hold shotguns during training at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, wants to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine to help maintain its safety after it was taken by Russian troops in March.

But Energoatom, the Ukrainian state company overseeing the countrys nuclear plants, said in a blunt statement that Grossi isnt welcome. It said his planned tour is 'yet another attempt to legitimize the occupiers presence there.'

Amid fears of a global food crisis because of the war, the Kremlin said Ukraine needs to remove sea mines near its Black Sea port of Odesa to allow essential grain exports to resume from there.

But Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that removing the mines could enable Moscows forces to attack.

Zelensky's remarks on taking back the whole of Ukraine responded forcefully to suggestions that Ukraine must cede territory to Russia to end the war, now in its fourth month.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a recent interview it was important not to 'humiliate' Moscow, comments interpreted in Ukraine as implying it must accept some Russian demands.

Asked about Macron's comments, Zelensky said: 'We are not going to humiliate anyone, we are going to respond in kind.'

As he spoke, Ukrainian troops in the ruins of Sievierodonetsk were trying to cling to gains Kyiv said its forces had made in a surprise counter-offensive that shifted momentum there last week.

The fight for the small eastern industrial city has emerged as a pivotal battle, with Russia focusing its offensive might in the hope of achieving one of its stated aims - to fully capture surrounding Luhansk province on behalf of separatist proxies.

Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk told Ukrainian television on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces were doing all they could to hold their ground: 'Our armed forces have strengthened their positions and are holding the line.'

A rifle is seen on the grass as civilian militia men train at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Civilian militia men hold shotguns during training at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Another local official, Roman Vlasenko, said Ukrainian forces were in control of the city's industrial zone and the Azot chemical plant.

Moscow said its troops have been advancing.

Reuters could not independently verify the situation on the ground.

Ukrainian officials had said their forces staged a surprise counter-attack last week, driving the Russians from a swathe of the city centre.

Before that, Russia had seemed on the verge of encircling Ukraine's garrison in Luhansk, attempting to cut off the main road to Sievierodonetsk and its twin city Lysychansk across the Siverskiy Donets river. On Sunday, Zelenskiy made a surprise visit to Lysychansk, personally demonstrating that Kyiv still had an open route to its troops' redoubt.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 saying it aimed to 'disarm' and 'denazify' the country. Ukraine and its Western backers say Russia launched an unprovoked war to grab territory.

A civilian militia man holds a shotgun and a rifle during training at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 7 (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A civilian militia man holds a rifle during training at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 7 (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Russia's troops were defeated on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv in March and it has since regrouped and ramped up an assault on the east, demanding Kyiv recognise its territorial claim to the Crimea peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014, and the claims of its separatist proxies in Luhansk and Donetsk, the southeastern provinces together known as the Donbas.

Russia has been pressing from three main directions - east, north and south - to try to encircle the Ukrainians in the Donbas.

In Druzhkivka, in the Ukrainian-held pocket of Donetsk province, residents were sifting through the wreckage of houses obliterated by the latest shelling.

Nadezhda picked up a pink children's photo album and kindergarten exercise book from the ruins of her house, and put them on a shelf somehow still standing in the rubble.

'I do not even know where to start. I am standing here looking but I have no idea what to do. I start crying, I calm down, then I cry again.'

The Donetsk regional governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, told Ukrainian television there was constant shelling along the front line, with Russia attempting to push towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the two biggest Ukrainian-held cities in Donetsk.

Efforts were underway to evacuate remaining residents, he said: 'People are now understanding, though it is late, that it is time to leave.'
Steve Bannon has subpoenaed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the nine members of the select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol as he prepares to go on criminal trial next month for defying a congressional subpoena.

Bannon, who was Trump's chief strategist, faces two charges of contempt of Congress for refusing to testify or produce documents.

He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is due to start on July 18.

Now he is trying to turn the tables on his accusers.

Last week, his lawyers subpoenaed all the members of the House committee investigating the events of January 6, along with three staffers and Douglas Letter, general counsel for the House, according to copies obtained by DailyMail.com.

They also targeted House Democratic leadership including Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Rep. Jim Clyburn.

Lawyers for Steve Bannon have subpoenaed members of the January 9 House committee and House Democratic leadership ahead of his criminal contempt trial next month

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is among the 16 people summoned to appear in court on July 18

The subpoenas were served last week, but some experts said lawmakers would be shielded by the Constitution's Speech and Debate Clause which protects their legislative activities

David Schoen, Bannon's lawyer, said members of the committee had conflicts of interest that made them ineligible.

But ultimately he said the criminal case against his client was politically motivated.

'It's a party political abuse of the criminal system, in my opinion,' he said.

'It never should have been done and it proves to me that they're not interested in his testimony they were interested in making a spectacle and intimidating people.'

A string of Trump allies has challenged the legitimacy of the panel.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy refused to testify.

And last week Peter Navarro, a trade adviser in the Trump White House, was charged with two counts of contempt of Congress after refusing to testify on the basis of executive privilege.

Bannon's subpoenas require the targets to produce documents about the way the committee was set up, about the the decision to refer him for criminal contempt as well as communications with one of Bannon's lawyers.

The subpoenas were sent to all nine members of the House select committee investigating the events of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 9 last year

Some legal experts said it would be difficult to compel lawmakers to comply. The Constitution's Speech and Debate Clause protects their legislative conduct.

'In this particular case I'm extremely confident that the staff members and members of the House would be shielded by the Speech and Debate Clause,' Thomas Spulak, general counsel to the House of Representatives in the 1990s, told CNN.

Schoen said there was a 'sad irony' in that position.

'Here you have Bannon, referred by this committee for criminal prosecution for not complying with a subpoena when executive privilege was invoked by the former president and his hands are tied, but then you would have the committee members saying they refuse to testify,' he said.

'Their testimony and their documents belong to the American people and it shouldn't be their role to refuse to testify.

'They want all the facts to come out then come out and testify about them and produce the documents.'

'Who are these people? This is not America,' Peter Navarro, pictured outside court last Friday, said. 'I was a distinguished public servant for four years!'

Schoen also said that they were looking for evidence of conflicts of interest, such as committee members who were writing books on the January 6 investigation.

Rep. Adam Schiff, for example, is the author of 'Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could' which was published in October last year, detailing the forces that led to the January 6 attack.

His subpoena requires him to produce related documents.

'All documents in your possession which tend to show a conflict of interest involving any Select Committee member or staff (including but not limited to documents that pertain to payments for a book that was written by and/or promoted by any Select Committee member or staff from January 6, 2021, up until the present date),' it says.

The committee did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A furious mother has released photographs of her eight-year-old daughter forced to sleep on the floor at Faro Airport after EasyJet cancelled their flight home at the last minute.

Amy Holder, 34, says her family was left stranded at the airport in Portugal without warning at 11.20pm on Saturday as they were about to board the plane to fly back to Liverpool.

Tired and unable to find accommodation at such short notice, her daughter Olivia Rigby bedded down on the floor using her mothers coat for comfort.

The family has managed to book three new flights home on Wednesday at their own expense - but Olivia will have missed three days of school.

In total, the cancellation has cost Amy and her partner Dan Rigby, 36, a painter and decorator, 1,200 - 625 for new flight tickets, 100 on transport, 175 on food and 300 to stay at the Monica Isabel Beach Club in Albufeira since Sunday.

Olivia, 8, will miss three days of school after being forced to sleep on the floor at Faro Airport after EasyJet cancelled her family's flight home while they were on the steps waiting to board

Amy Holder, 34, pictured left, says her family was left stranded at the airport in Portugal without warning as they were about to fly back to Liverpool on Saturday

Speaking to MailOnline as she waits to go home, Amy, who works for Marks & Spencer Bank, said the cancellation and subsequent delay has ruined their hitherto brilliant half-term break.

We were on the steps ready to board our flight to Liverpool on Saturday night. We were then sent back to the gate to be told that one of the stewards had fallen ill. Then they said the whole flight was cancelled.

EasyJet customer service has been disgusting. No one from EasyJet was at the airport to help. Everything in the airport was shut. There was nothing to eat to drink. I couldnt get hold of anyone from the airline.

We were stuck at the airport with my eight-year-old daughter sleeping on a cold hard floor with no food or drink offered and zero assistance until the call centre opened at 7am on Sunday.

She went on: Olivia was already tired because it was so late. But she became inconsolable in the airport, she was sobbing. She was worried that we would never get home.

I tried to reassure her that everything would be alright, and that we were safe. But she was worried about missing school. Everything in the airport was shut. There was nothing to eat to drink. I couldnt get hold of anyone from EasyJet because they had turned off their App.

Amy had to sleep on my jacket. It was cold and drafty because it was the middle of the night. My partner Dan and I didnt get any sleep at all. We had had a really nice holiday but this has ruined it.

Amy and Dan flew to Faro from Liverpool with EasyJet on May 25th for a ten-day break.

The family, from Chester, had enjoyed playing in the pool of Patio Suite hotel near Albufeira.

After the cancellation, Amy explained: I only managed to get hold of EasyJet at about 9am the following morning  after I had been on hold for two hours.

They said they would be in touch within 90 minutes with details of a hotel where we could stay.

Amy got an email telling her to use the app to request a refund but said it wasn't working when she tried to send the request

No one from EasyJet was at the airport to help, with no shops and stalls open at the time their flight was cancelled, said Amy, who called Easy Jet's customer service 'disgusting'

I was still waiting at 12pm at which point I had to book my own hotel and pay for myself.

It also became clear that Id have to book my own flights home. I had to book these as there were only five seats left and needed to get back to the UK.

We still have not heard anything from EasyJet.

I got an email telling me that I had to log on to the app to request a refund but the app isnt working.

I have now had to spend a further three days in Portugal and so far, I am over 1,200 out of pocket.

Luckily we had a card that we were able to cover this cost on

Even now, we still havent heard anything from EasyJet. We are supposed to be getting a flight tomorrow afternoon. But who knows what will happen.

My partner Dan is self-employed and has already lost three days work. Its been an horrific experience.

EasyJet tonight apologised to Olivia and her parents.

The budget airline said the flight was cancellation because a crew member fell ill.

They said customers were told of their options to rebook flights and provided with hotel accommodation and meals.

Amy and Dan, pictured with their daughter Olivia, had flown to Faro from Liverpool with EasyJet on May 25th for a ten-day break

Amy said they had enjoyed a lovely half-term break, until the flight home. Thousands of holidaymakers have found themselves struck overseas after the cancellation of flights

A spokeswoman added: Nonetheless we fully understand the disruption this will have caused to their plans and we are very sorry for this. Our team will be reaching out to Ms Holder to apologise for their experience and ensure their wellbeing. We will also be reimbursing them for expenses incurred as a result of the cancellation.

Thousands of holidaymakers have found themselves struck overseas after the cancellation of flights to the UK.

Passengers who booked with EasyJet, British Airways, TUI Airways and Wizz Air were among the worst affected on the return journey from their half-term and bank holiday breaks.

The airlines have blamed the rapid surge in demand for travel following the end of Covid-19 restrictions and severe airport staffing shortages for the disruption.

EasyJet has cancelled more than 300 flights across Europe in the past three days with more than 2,000 others delayed. This included 37 flights axed on Monday and a further 46 today, Tuesday.

Londons Gatwick Airport has been the worst affected.

LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT: Passengers endure large queues at London Gatwick Airport yet again this morning

LONDON HEATHROW AIRPORT: Huge queues at the UK Border at London Heathrow this morning as disruption continues

LONDON STANSTED AIRPORT: This picture of queues for fast track security at Stansted Airport was tweeted this morning

BRISTOL AIRPORT: People sleep on benches in a cafe at Bristol Airport this morning amid further huge queues

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Huge queues at Manchester Airport Terminal One this morning as the airport chaos continues

British Airways has axed more than 100 short-haul flights at Londons Heathrow Airport on Monday, although the airline stressed that passengers had been given advanced notice.

TUI Airways has cancelled six daily flights at Manchester Airport.

And Wizz Air also made dozens of cancellations over the weekend.

When British holidaymakers finally do arrive back in the UK, they are having to wait as long as three hours at Gatwick Airport's baggage reclaim in the latest evidence of major disruption at UK airports.

Passenger Emma Bromfield said she was subjected to the huge wait after landing today and described scenes of 'absolute chaos'.

Her carrier, Canadian airline WestJet, said the issue had been caused by 'ramp staffing' at Gatwick, and apologised to customers.

EasyJet has cancelled nearly 50 flights today GATWICK  20 8 departures: Amsterdam, Luqa, Rijeka, Copenhagen, Bastia, Nantes, Milan and Bordeaux

12 arrivals: Gran Canaria, Pafos, Lanzarote, Kos, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Rijeka, Luqa, Bastia, Nantes, Bordeaux and Milan LUTON  7 4 departures: Bristol, Amsterdam, Lisbon and Palermo

3 arrivals: Amsterdam, Lisbon and Palermo BRISTOL  16 7 departures: Split, Pula, Edinburgh, Inverness, Olbia, Bilbao and Geneva

9 arrivals: Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Luton, Pula Edinburgh, Split, Bucharest, Inverness and Bilbao EDINBURGH  4 2 departures: Bristol and Amsterdam

2 arrivals: Bristol and Amsterdam GLASGOW - 4 2 departures: Bristol and Amsterdam

2 arrivals: Bristol and Amsterdam INVERNESS  2 1 departure: Bristol

1 arrival: Bristol The total number of cancelled easyJet flights at airports today is 53, but the actual total is 46 because seven are duplicates - ie Edinburgh to Bristol is listed twice, once as an Edinburgh departure and once as a Bristol arrival Advertisement

It comes as easyJet today cancelled nearly 50 more flights, while other families stranded in Europe were scrambling to get home after being told there were no seats available on flights for several days.

Travellers crossed borders instead of waiting as they raced to return to work and school after half-term, with some saying they were unable to get through to customer service teams of airlines on the phone to try to rebook.

Some whose flights were cancelled on Saturday were told it would take until Friday for the next available seats, so were forced to spend hundreds of pounds for new flights or other modes of transport such as Eurostar trains.

Among them were teachers needing to get back to the classroom and A-level pupils who risk missing exams after easyJet cancelled flights across Europe.

Families impacted including the O'Hara family from Sussex whose easyJet flight home from Fuerteventura on Saturday was cancelled - with the next available tickets on Friday. A couple from Lincolnshire also had an easyJet flight home from Montenegro cancelled on Saturday, and were told Thursday was the earliest they could get back.

It comes as travel agents are being inundated with phone calls from customers fearing their summer holidays will be disrupted, with about a third of calls at present being from those worried about bookings for July and August.

Wizz Air also cancelled two arrivals at Gatwick from Tel Aviv and Faro. At Luton, there were three easyJet arrivals cancelled from Amsterdam, Lisbon and Palermo; and four departures to Bristol, Amsterdam, Lisbon and Palermo.

Bristol Airport, which has been one of the worst-hit airports, was badly affected again today with a total of 16 easyJet cancellations - including seven departures to Split, Pula, Edinburgh, Inverness, Olbia, Bilbao and Geneva; and nine arrivals from Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Luton, Edinburgh, Pula, Split, Bucharest, Inverness and Bilbao.

In Scotland, easyJet also cancelled four flights at Edinburgh and four flights at Glasgow today - all of which were arrivals or departures to Bristol or Amsterdam. At Inverness, one departure and arrival from Bristol were axed.

While the total number of cancelled easyJet flights at airports today is 53, the actual total is 46 because seven are duplicates - ie Edinburgh to Bristol is listed twice, once as an Edinburgh departure and once as a Bristol arrival.

Some 124 British Airways flights at London Heathrow Airport were cancelled today, although the airline stressed that affected passengers were given plenty of advance notice with these services all axed a few months ago.

UK airline passengers have been hit by disruption for several months due to a lack of staff after the companies let thousands of people go during the pandemic. Airlines, airports and ground handling firms are now struggling to recruit new staff and have their security checks processed amid a surge in demand since restrictions were lifted.

GLASGOW AIRPORT: Passengers at Glagsow Airport wait for check-in desks to open after arriving there early this morning

BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT: Huge queues for security at Birmingham Airport at 5am this morning as the airport chaos continues
It was beautiful to watch.

After seven months of frustration, in the past day the growing rage within the Conservative party about the blatant bias of the Boris Bashing Corporation bubbled over live on air.

At 10.07am during an interview outside parliament, the BBC News presenter Geeta Guru-Murthy was reeling off the broadcaster's usual list of ad hominem attacks on Boris Johnson.

This apparently impartial presenter paid for by our licence fee stated as fact: 'He's a man who's lied to the Queen, who's lied to the House of Commons, lied to the public.'

But the outspoken Red Wall MP Lee Anderson had enough.

Dropping a truth bomb you'd usually never hear uttered on the Beeb, he raged: 'I'll tell you what people see: A witch hunt. Led by the BBC, led by the Labour party, and the mainstream media.'

After seven months of frustration, in the past day the growing rage within the Conservative party about the blatant bias of the Boris Bashing Corporation bubbled over live on air

As he was shouted down by Guru-Murthy assuring him 'there is no witch hunt', Lee wasn't having any of it.

'Listen to me,' he demanded. 'There is a witch hunt. My inbox is full of people complaining about the BBC all the time  saying it should be defunded. There is a massive witch hunt. You're not going to let this drop, are you? You're going to go on and on and on.'

It came just hours after fellow Tory MP Adam Holloway accused BBC2's far-left Newsnight of making Boris Johnson look like Hannibal Lecter in a graphic, claiming such stunts 'should do great damage to organisations like the BBC.'

He said angrily: 'This programme that I'm on now was showing pictures of him looking like Hannibal Lecter at the beginning.'

'Oh come on,' the presenter Mark Urban challenged.

At 10.07am during an interview outside parliament, the BBC News presenter Geeta Guru-Murthy (pictured) was reeling off the broadcaster's usual list of ad hominem attacks on Boris Johnson. This apparently impartial presenter paid for by our licence fee stated as fact: 'He's a man who's lied to the Queen, who's lied to the House of Commons, lied to the public'

But Adam had brought the receipts, producing the graphic the programme had run a few minutes earlier on his iPad showing Boris looking deranged in a pose that should be reserved for posters promoting horror movies.

'Look at that,' the MP demanded. 'You've got razor blades! Does that guy look like somebody who's been given a birthday cake or someone who's just been locked up for something at the Old Bailey. This thing has been totally blown out of proportion.'

I've been saying for months the Beeb's total lack of perspective over Partygate is partisan.

I was just as angry as anyone about the breaches of the ludicrous lockdown laws at Downing Street and believe it proves the rules inflicted on all of us were inhumane and nonsensical, but there has been no perspective surrounding the scandal  and it stinks.

BBC News, supported by its leftie cronies at Channel 4 News, ITV News and Sly News, have been determined to ensure the downfall of Boris becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So they've talked about it incessantly. Every day. Turning the most minor development into an apparent scandal.

I'm sick of it and angry about it because it's a ridiculous Westminster psychodrama damning the country to paralysis.

Is Boris perfect? Absolutely not  we knew that when we voted for him.

He was elected in a landslide in 2019 and then delivered Brexit in a way Theresa May never could.

Pictured: Dan Wootton

And, while I was vigorously opposed to his two years of damaging lockdowns, he abolished all Covid restrictions faster than any equivalent democracy in the western world.

What's unfortunate is that this non-stop media campaign has derailed his agenda, resulting in a rudderless government lacking conservative values in a bid to appeal to the media and political class.

But it will never work  the hatred of Boris is so deep rooted because he is the man who destroyed their beloved European Union project.

Take the increasingly irrational Alastair Campbell, who yesterday was given the platform by Kay Burley on Sly News to tell the Conservative party they should 'stop taking whatever drugs they're taking and wake up'.

When she warned him they could face legal action for such a comment, he decided to move his smear campaign to the cesspit that is Twitter.

Tony Blair's dishonest former spin doctor tweeted: 'If there's a No 10 briefing today and the briefer is not asked directly whether Johnson had taken any narcotics ahead of his interview with Sky News last night it'll be further evidence of a soft media in the face of a hack PM. Given his demeanour it is a legitimate question.

'A reminder that cocaine is a class A drug and maximum sentence for possession is seven years (incidentally maximum sentence for misconduct in public office is life!) I can state categorically that on no occasion in TB's ten years did I see any evidence whatever of drug taking in Number 10. Soft or hard.

'I wonder wherever everyone who has worked there since 2019 can hand on heart - or even better hand on Bible - say the same.'

What the actual?

I always find it odd when the mastermind behind the dodgy Iraq War dossier asks us to believe a word he says, especially when it comes to yet another wild theory backed up by zero evidence.

The increasingly irrational Alastair Campbell (pictured) was yesterday was given the platform by Kay Burley on Sly News to tell the Conservative party they should 'stop taking whatever drugs they're taking and wake up'.

The fact he is given an almost open invitation by the country's biggest broadcasters to spout such nonsense is proof of how corrupt TV news in this country has become.

That sort of hysteria isn't isolated, by the way.

The Observer columnist Nick Cohen tweeted on Friday after Boris received a smattering of boos while arriving at St Paul's Cathedral for the Queen's Thanksgiving Service that it was 'Johnson's Ceausescu moment'.

That's right, the same Ceausescu who oversaw vicious human rights abuses and censorship as the general secretary of the Romanian communist party, before being executed by his own army for committing genocide in 1989.

What's Boris's crime? Being presented a cake and scoffing on a few miserable looking M&S sandwiches on his birthday in 2020 between meetings.

A totally sane comparison, then

I feel once trusted British news broadcasters  including the publicly funded BBC  have now become activist players, part of a highly personalised campaign to overthrow democracy and depose a Prime Minister.

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised.

These were the same broadcasters, after all, who worked with the establishment, the blob and every opposition party to do all they could to overthrow Brexit, the biggest democratic mandate in British history.

I had the Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen  a major Boris backer who believes the Red Wall will be lost if he goes  on my GB News show last night after the vote and he said the PM was still mobbed on a recent visit to his area.

'Boris still has that draw as a politician that no other politician has,' Houchen explained.

Pictured: Sir Graham Brady, Chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, announces that Boris Johnson has survived an attempt by Tory MPs to oust him as party leader at 9pm last night

And that's why, despite the unrelenting pressure from the media, the Tory party must think hard before entering into a brutal civil war to get rid of Boris that I'm convinced will almost certainly result in a dreaded Labour/Lib Dem/SNP/Green coalition government from hell.

Houchen added: 'The Conservative party often becomes its own opposition and that's what sadly we're seeing today. I think we're unfortunately going to see more of that as various people who have their own agenda within the party want to try and pull it apart.'

The Tories should ignore what the BBC wants it to do and spend the next year backing Boris and focussing on turning around the devastating cost of living crisis.

The UK must not become some sort of banana republic where the media and the establishment determine who is Prime Minister over the will of the people.

You can already tell the globalist with an authoritarian streak Jeremy Hunt  who wanted Brits dragged from their homes and locked in government run facilities if they tested positive for Covid  is their favourite to replace Boris. Well to hell with that.

Boris has much to do if he wants another term.

He must return to being truly conservative by reversing his damaging tax cuts for one, axe the green levies, and slow the damaging march to Net Zero.

But he deserves to be given the chance, which will only happen if the Tories block out the noise from the BBC and have a single-minded focus on delivery.
Dramatic new footage captures the moment a roaming cow was wrangled by two cowboys following an intense chase down a busy Oklahoma highway.

On Monday morning emergency crews were forced to chase down a cow who got loose on Interstate 40 in Oklahoma City, holding up traffic for commuters.

A KOCO Sky 5 chopper happened to be on the scene and caught the chase from above, filming the moment two trucks corner the cow away from the road and towards grass on the side of the highway.

Scroll Down For Video:

On Monday morning emergency crews were forced to chase down a cow who got loose on Interstate 40 in Oklahoma City, holding up traffic for commuters

A cowboy raced towards the cow on horse back, lassoing its neck

After the cow was lassoed it continued to run on the side of the highway with the rope around its neck, heading straight towards a nearby intersection

From there a cowboy raced towards the cow on horse back, lassoing its neck as a KOCO reporter cheers him on, yelling: 'Get it, get it, get it, get it, stay on him, stay on him  Yes!'

After the cow was lassoed it continued to run on the side of the highway with the rope around its neck, heading straight towards a nearby intersection and stopping in its tracks.

'Bring it on in, you got it, you got it, woohoo!' one of the reporters says, elated.

'That is awesome.'

The cow then begins to struggle as another cowboy rides up and surrounds the animal and the reporter starts offering instructions from the air.

'Now  get the hinds. Get the hinds,' he says as the cowboy effortlessly lassoes its hindleg. 'Get off the horse, get off the horse ' he adds as seconds before the cowboy hops off his horse in order to secure the cow.

The cow then begins to struggle as another cowboy rides up and surrounds the animal

The second cowboy helps out, effortlessly lassoing the cow's hindleg

The two cowboys were able to wrangle the cow, one by lassoing its neck and the other by the hindleg

Following the capture, KOCO spoke to one of the cowboys, Blake Igert, a contractor for Oklahoma National Stockyards pinback crew.

He said he got a call about some loose cows on the I-40 and saddled up and rode down the highway on horseback.

He said he was used to wrangling cows but this was a unique situation.

'It was a little more intense this time. We were right in the middle of traffic. The cows were heading right into the interstate,' Igert told KOCO.

He explained that it was all about timing.

'You got to be patient and wait for a good opportunity,' he said, adding it was a novel experience.

'It's not completely new, but you also don't see it every day,' Igert said.

Police have still not confirmed how the cows broke free.

This is not the first time cowboys have had to save the day on a major highway.

In January two horseback riders rode up to capture two cows on I-84 interstate in Idaho.

The cows escaped from their pen and then evaded police for hours, as troopers tried to use their patrol cars to wrangle the cows into their owner's trailer but this did not work.

The two horseback riders had much better luck and managed to marshal the rogue cows back towards their trailer after getting them off the road.

It took more than two hours to wrangle the runaways back into their pen, but none of the cows or rescuers were injured in the operation.
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, believes that Earth can support a far larger population than it does now without hurting the planet's environment. Musk, a known supporter of the thesis of inevitable population collapse, addressed the matter again in a recent tweet, arguing that the Earth does not have "too many people."

The billionaire made this comment in response to a tweet by White House Economic Policy correspondent Emel Akan, who restated Musk's conviction in an inevitable population decline within the next 20 years.

Elon Musk Outlined the Declining Birth Rates

It is worth noting that this is not the first time Musk has used the microblogging platform to call attention to the world's declining population. He provided statistics earlier this month and cautioned that the fertility rate in the United States has stayed below sustainable levels for the previous five decades.

Earth could sustain many times its current human population and the ecosystem would be fine. We definitely dont have too many people.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 6, 2022

While many assume that having numerous children would strain the Earth's finite resources, Musk addressed the popular misconception that the wealthy have fewer children. "I am a unique exception; most people I know have zero or one child," the father of eight explained, according to Republic World.

Elon Musk recently sent two tweets explaining his concerns about falling birth rates in the United States, generating debate on what he called the biggest threat to civilization-population collapse. In one of Musk's tweets, he posted a line graph from The Wall Street Journal depicting the total fertility rate in the United States from the 1940s to now, with the total fertility rate below the sustainable levels for the last fifty years.

USA birth rate has been below min sustainable levels for ~50 years pic.twitter.com/v5PSLbvEAE  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 24, 2022

That rate has to be about 2.1 for a generation to replace itself. The graph indicates a big jump to roughly 3.7 in the postwar baby boom era of the 1950s before falling precipitously below 2. The rate gradually recovered until around 2008.

This drop has been described as a mystery by economists. The 2008 decrease coincided with the global financial crisis, which resulted in one of the worst recessions in US history.

Even as the economy rebounded, however, the rate did not climb in the years that followed. According to an Econofact report published earlier this year by three college and university economists, the US birth rate between the ages of 15 and 44 in 2020 was 55.8 births per 1,000 women, a decline of more than 20% from the rate of 69.3 in 2007.

Many demographics are seeing a decrease. According to the economists, birth rates have declined among women with and without college degrees, married and unmarried women, and white, black, and Hispanic women, according to Newsweek via MSN.

Read Also: Pope Francis Still Willing To Visit Ukraine Despite Health Condition as Russia Destroys 113 Churches

China's Population Shrinks

Meanwhile, after four decades of population growth, China's population is set to fall this year for the first time since the Great Famine of 1959-1961.

According to the most recent National Bureau of Statistics estimates, China's population increased from 1.41212 billion in 2011 to 1.41260 billion in 2021 - a record low rise of 480,000, a minuscule fraction of the yearly growth of eight million or more that was usually a decade before.

While aversion to having children in the face of rigorous anti-COVID-19 policies may have contributed to the birth slowdown, it has been coming for years. In the late 1980s, China's total fertility rate (births per woman) was 2.6, significantly above the 2.1 required to replace deaths. Since 1994, it has been between 1.6 and 1.7, before falling to 1.3 in 2020 and 1.15 in 2021.

In comparison, the overall fertility rate in Australia and the United States is 1.6 births per woman. It is 1.3 in Japan, which is becoming older. Despite China abolishing its one-child policy in 2016 and implementing a three-child program backed by tax and other incentives last year, this has occurred.

Theories disagree on why Chinese women are still hesitant to have children despite official incentives. One factor is that people have grown accustomed to having small families; another is the rising expense of living; and yet another is the increasing marital age, which delays births and dampens the desire to have children.

Furthermore, China has fewer women of childbearing age than one might think. Since 1980, when couples were only allowed to have one child, many chose a boy, raising the sex at a birth ratio from 106 boys for every 100 girls (the ratio in most of the rest of the globe) to 120, and in certain regions to 130, Business Standard reported.

Related Article: Elon Musk Mocks DOJ, Media With Controversial Jeffrey Epstein Tweet

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A Waitrose worker with 17 years of service has won a 47,000 payout after he was wrongfully sacked for scaring his boss by texting him that he had 'found a knife'.

Mohammed Zahangir Kabir was let go from his role as a sales assistant at the supermarket after his 'joke' texts were read as a genuine threat.

His boss, assistant team manager Matthew Ford, told senior staff at the store that he was scared Mr Kabir would turn up to work with a knife after he received a text that read 'when will i see you next'.

Mr Ford also thought a series of emojis depicting a smiley face with heart-shaped eyes Mr Kabir had sent him to be 'psychotic', an employment tribunal heard.

Police were called and Mr Kabir was searched when he arrived for his shift.

Despite police taking no further action, he was sacked for misconduct after it was found he had caused Mr Ford 'distress'.

But a tribunal has now found this was unfair as his bosses did not take into account his apology and genuine upset at having unintentionally scared his boss in what was meant to be a joke.

The hearing, in east London, was told Mr Kabir worked at the Waitrose store in South Woodford.

Matthew Ford told senior staff he was scared Mr Kabir would turn up to work with a knife after he received a text that read 'when will i see you next'

Originally from Bangladesh, Mr Kabir moved to the UK in 2002 and is married with two children. When he was sacked in June 2020, his children were aged five and 11.

Shortly after 4pm on July 20, 2020, Mr Kabir sent a text message to Mr Ford saying 'Hi Matt how are you'.

But when his boss asked him what he wanted, he wrote back 'I found a knife.' and 'I don't know what to do'.

When Mr Ford asked him what he meant, he sent him four emojis of smiley faces with hearts for eyes and said 'are you scared'.

Mr Kabir then went on to ask 'what time you finish today' and 'when will I see you next'.

The tribunal heard: 'Mr Ford considered the emoji of the smiley face with the heart eyes to be 'psychotic'. It was not clear why he thought that.'

The following day, Mr Ford told his bosses he was 'scared and unsure what to do' and told them he was worried about Mr Kabir arriving for work with a knife.

When Mr Kabir turned up to work to start his shift at 7pm, he found a police officer at work waiting for him and was subsequently searched.

The tribunal heard he was 'extremely nervous' but had no knife on him.

The officer explained it was an offence to threaten someone over the telephone, to which he replied that it was a joke.

Mr Kabir worked at the Waitrose store in South Woodford, east London, and had been in the company for 17 years

The tribunal heard: 'The police accepted that [Mr Kabir] meant no malice towards Mr Ford and he was not cautioned. The police took no further action in this matter.

'He was also now aware that Mr Ford had taken the messages seriously. [He] decided to apologise to Mr Ford to assure him that he had not meant him any harm and because he had not intended to alarm him.'

Mr Kabir texted Mr Ford to apologise, to which his boss replied 'no problem kabir I was a little worried when you text, was a little out of context. Very serious and a worrying conversation need to be little careful' with a thumbs up emoji.

Despite no formal complaint being made, an investigation into potential misconduct was opened by Waitrose.

At an investigation meeting Mr Kabir said his intention was to tell Mr Ford that he found a knife to start cooking a meal for his children and the messages were meant as a joke.

The tribunal heard Mr Kabir was visibly upset during the meeting by the thought that he had caused a colleague to feel scared, so much so that he left the room to be sick.

He said he had joked with Mr Ford 'because he thought that he was a very nice man and that they joked with each other'.

Hr Kabir added that he felt awful for his boss and tried to call him as soon as he thought that the messages could be taken the wrong way, but Mr Ford did not accept the call.

Despite hearing how the two men were friends who called each other 'mate', Waitrose decided there was a case for serious misconduct because Mr Ford took the messages as a threat.

At the disciplinary hearing, it was ruled that the phrases 'I have a knife' and 'are you scared' were intimidating, 'especially when combined with the question to Mr Ford about what time he finished his shift'.

As a result, Mr Kabir was sacked for serious misconduct.

But the employment tribunal has decided the supermarket 'placed too much weight' on Mr Ford's reaction and sacking Mr Kabir for 'bizarre, unexplained and arguably stupid text messages' was unnecessary.

Employment judge Julia Jones concluded: 'There was no actual threat in the messages. They did not make sense but that did not mean that they were threatening.

'In this Tribunal's judgment, [Mr Kabir] had displayed thoughtless conduct. He had sent some stupid, random text messages to his manager without thinking of how they could be received.

'In this case, apart from Mr Ford's reaction, [the company] did not have evidence that the messages were threatening or intimidating.

'Mr Kabir was not a threat to anyone. [His] text messages to Mr Ford did not make sense but it was not reasonable to conclude, in the absence of any other evidence apart from Mr Ford's reaction; that they were threatening.'

Mr Kabir has been awarded 47,192.90 in compensation for unfair and wrongful dismissal from Waitrose parent company John Lewis.

A Waitrose spokesperson said: 'We strive to be a fair employer and the safety of our Partners is always paramount.

'We recognise that the disciplinary process would have been difficult for Mr Kabir and ensured he was offered support.

'We believed these text messages breached our clear code of conduct, and that we had acted fairly in the circumstances.'
To make the loss of these lives matter.

My wife and I -- my wife and I -- Camila -- we spent most of last week on the ground with the families in Uvalde, Texas, and we shared stories, tears, and memories.

The common thread, independent of the anger and the confusion and sadness, it was the same: How can these families continue to honor these deaths by keeping the dreams of these children and teachers alive? Again, how can the loss of these lives matter?

So while we honor and acknowledge the victims, we need to recognize that this time it seems that something is different. There is a sense that perhaps there is a viable path forward. Responsible parties in this debate seem to at least be committed to sitting down and having a real conversation about a new and improved path forward -- a path that can bring us closer together and make us safer as a country, a path that can actually get something done this time.

Camila and I came here to share my stories from my hometown of Uvalde. I came here to take meetings with elected officials on both sides of the aisle. We came here to speak to them, to speak with them, and to urge them to speak with each other -- to remind and inspire them that the American people will continue to drive forward the mission of keeping our children safe, because it's more than our right to do so, it's our responsibility to do so.

I'm here today in the hopes of applying what energy, reason, and passion that I have into trying to turn this moment into a reality. Because as I said, this moment is different. We are in a window of opportunity right now that we have not been in before, a window where it seems like real change -- real change can happen.

Uvalde, Texas, is where I was born. Its where my mom taught kindergarten less than a mile from Robb Elementary. Uvalde is where I learned to master a Daisy BB gun. I took that -- that took two years before I graduated to a 410 shotgun. Uvalde is where I was taught to revere the power and the capability of the tool that we call a gun. Uvalde is where I learned responsible gun ownership.

And Uvalde called me on May 24th, when I learned the news of this devastating tragedy. I had been out of cellular range working in the studio all day when I emerged and messages about a mass shooting in the town I was born in began flooding my inbox.

In a bit of shock, I drove home, hugged my children a bit tighter and longer than the night before, and then the reality of what had happened that day in the town I was born in set in.

So the next morning, Camila, myself, and the kids, we loaded up the truck and drove to Uvalde. And when we arrived a few hours later, I got to tell you, even from the inside of our vehicle, you could feel the shock in the town. You could feel the pain, the denial, the disillusion, anger, blame, sadness, loss of lives, dreams halted.

We saw ministries. We saw first responders, counselors, cooks, families trying to grieve without it being on the frontpage news.

We met with the local funeral director and countless morticians who -- who hadnt slept since the massacre the day before because theyd been working 24/7 trying to handle so many bodies at once -- so many little, innocent bodies who had their entire lives still yet to live.

And that is there that we met two of the grieving parents, Ryan and Jessica Ramirez. Their 10-year-old daughter, Alithia -- she was one of the 19 children that were killed the day before.

Now, Alithia -- her dream was to go to art school in Paris and one day share her art with the world. Ryan and Jessica were eager to share Alithias art with us, and said if we could share it, then somehow maybe that would make Alithia smile in heaven. They told us that showing someone else Alithias art would in some way keep her alive.

Now, this particular drawing is a -- is a self-portrait of Alithia drawing, with her friend in heaven looking down on her drawing the very same picture. Her mother said, of this drawing -- she said, You know, we never really talked to her about heaven before, but somehow she knew.

Alithia was 10 years old. Her father, Ryan -- this man was steady. He was uncommonly together and calm. When a frazzled friend of his came up and said, How are you so calm? I'd be going crazy, Ryan told him -- he said, No, you wouldn't. No, you wouldn't. Youd be strong for your wife and kids, because if they see you go crazy, that will not help them.

Just a week prior, Ryan got a full-time line job stringing powerlines from pole to pole. And every day since landing that well-paying, full-time job, he reminded his daughter, Alithia -- he said, Girl, Daddy going to spoil you now. Told her every single night. He said, Daddy is going to take you to SeaWorld one day." But he didnt get to -- he didn't get to spoil his daughter, Alithia. She did not get to go to SeaWorld.

We also met Ana and Dani- -- Danilo, the mom and the stepdad of nine-year-old Maite Rodriguez. And Maite wanted to be a marine biologist. She was already in contact with Corpus Christi University of A&M for her future college enrollment. Nine years old.

Maite cared for the environment so strongly that when the city asked her mother if they could release some balloons into the sky in her memory, her mom said, Oh no, Maite wouldn't want to litter.

Maite wore green high-top Converse with a heart she had hand-drawn on the right toe because they represented her love of nature. Camila has got these shoes. Can you show these shoes, please? Wore these every day. Green Converse with a heart on the right toe. These are the same green Converse on her feet that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting. How about that?

Maite wrote a letter. Her mom said if Maites letter could help someone accomplish her dream, that then her death would have an impact, and it would mean her dying had a point and wasnt pointless -- that it would make the loss of her life matter.

The letter reads: Marine biologist. I want to pass school to get to my dream college. My dream college is in Corpus Christi, by the ocean. I need to live next to the ocean because I want to be a marine biologist. Marine biologists study animals and the water. Most of the time, I will be in a lab. Sometimes, I will be on TV.

Then there was Ellie Garcia, a 10-year-old, and her parents, Steven and Jennifer. Ellie loved to dance, and she loved church. She even knew how to drive tractors and was already working with her dad and her uncle mowing yards.

Ellie was always giving of her gifts, her time, even half-eaten food on her plate, they said. They said, Around the house, wed call her the great re-gifter.

Smiling through tears, her family told us how Ellie loved to embrace. Said she was the biggest hugger in the family.

Now, Ellie was born Catholic, but had been going to Baptist church with her uncle for the last couple of years. Her mom and dad were proud of her because, they said, She was learning to love God, no matter where.

The week prior to her passing, she had been preparing to read a verse from the Bible for the next Wednesday night's church service. The verse was from Deuteronomy 6:5. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might. That's who Ellie was becoming. But she never got to read it. Service is on a Wednesday night.

Then there was the fairytale love story of a teacher named Irma and her husband, Joe. What a great family this was. This was an amazing family. Camila and I, we -- we sat with about 20 of their family members in the living room, along with their four kids. They were -- the kids were 23, 19, 15, and 13. They -- they shared all these stories about Irma and Joe -- served the community and would host all these parties, and how Irma and Joe were planning on getting a food truck together when they soon retired.

They were humble, hardworking people. Irma was a teacher, who, her family said, went above and beyond, and just couldn't say no to any kind of teaching. Joe had been commuting to and from work 70 miles away in Del Rio for years.

Together, they were the glue of the family. Both worked overtime to support their four kids. Irma even worked every summer when school was out. The money she had made two summers ago paid to -- paid to paint the front of the house. The money she made last summer paid to paint the sides of the house. This summers work was going to pay to paint the back of the house.

Because Irma was one of the teachers who was gunned down in the classroom, Joe, her husband, literally died of heartache the very next day when he had a heart attack. They never got to paint the back of the house, they never got to retire, and they never got to get that food truck together.

We also met a cosmetologist. All right? She was well versed in mortuary makeup. That's the task of making the victims appear as peaceful and natural as possible for their open-casket viewings. These bodies were very different. They needed much more than makeup to be presentable. They needed extensive restoration. Why? Due to the exceptionally large exit wounds of an AR-15 rifle.

Most of the bodies so mutilated that only DNA tests or green Converse could identify them. Many children were left not only dead, but hollow.

So yes, counselors are going to be needed in Uvalde for a long time. Counselors are needed in all these places where these mass shooters have been for a long time.

I was told by many that it takes a good year before people even understand what to do next. And even then, when they become se- -- secure enough to take the first step forward, a lifetime is not going to heal those wounds.

Again, you know what every one of these parents wanted, what they asked us for? What every parent separately expressed in their own way to Camila and me? That they want their children's dreams to live on. That they want their children's dreams to continue to accomplish something after they are gone. They want to make their loss of life matter.

Look, we heard from -- we heard from so many people, all right? Families of the deceased -- mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers. Texas Rangers, hunters, Border Patrol, and responsible gun owners who won't give up their Second Amendment right to bear arms. And you know what they all said? We want secure and safe schools, and we want gun laws that won't make it so easy for the bad guys to get these damn guns.

So, we know what's on the table. We need to invest in mental healthcare. We need safer schools. We need to restrain sensationalized media coverage. We need to restore our family values. We need to restore our American values. And we need responsible gun ownership -- responsible gun ownership.

We need background checks. We need to raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15 rifle to 21. We need a waiting period for those rifles. We need red-flag laws and consequences for those who abuse them.

These are reasonable, practical, tactical regulations to our nation, states, communities, schools, and homes. Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals.

These regulations are not a step back; theyre a step forward for a civil society and -- and the Second Amendment. Look, is this a cure-all? Hell no. But people are hurting -- families are, parents are. And look, as -- as divided as our country is, this gun responsibility issue is one that we agree on more than we don't. It really is.

But this should be a nonpartisan issue. This should not be a partisan issue. There is not a Democratic or Republican value in one single act of these shooters. It's not. But people in power have failed to act.

So we're asking you and I'm asking you, will you please ask yourselves: Can both sides rise above? Can both sides see beyond the political problem at hand and admit that we have a life preservation problem on our hands? Because we got a chance right now to reach for and to grasp a higher ground above our political affiliations, a chance to make a choice that does more than protect your party, a chance to make a choice that protects our country now and for the next generation.

We got to take a sober, humble, and honest look in the mirror and re- -- rebrand ourselves based on what we truly value. What we truly value. We got to get some real courage and honor our immortal obligations instead of our party affiliations.

Enough with the counterpunching. Enough of the invalidation of the other side. Let's come to the common table that represents the American people. Find a middle ground, the place where most of us Americans live anyway, especially on this issue.

Because I promise you, America -- you and me, who -- we are not as divided as we're being told we are. No. How about we get inspired? Give ourselves just cause to revere our future again. Maybe set an example for our children, give us reason to tell them, Hey, listen and watch these men and women. These are great American leaders right here. Hope you grow up to be like them.

And let's admit it: We can't truly be leaders if we're only living for reelection. Lets be knowledgeable and wise, and act on what we truly believe. Again, we got to look in the mirror, lead with humility, and acknowledge the values that are inherent to but also above politics.

Weve got to make choices, make stands, embrace new ideas, and preserve the traditions that can create true -- true progress for the next generation.

With real leadership, let's start giving us -- all of us, with real leadership -- let's start giving all of us good reason to believe that the American Dream is not an illusion.

So where do we start? We start by making the right choices on the issue that is in front of us today. We start by making laws that save innocent lives and don't infringe on our Second Amendment rights. We start right now by voting to pass policies that can keep us from having as many Columbines, Sandy Hooks, Parklands, Las Vegases, Buffaloes, and Uvaldes from here on.

e start by giving Alithia the chance to be spoiled by her dad. We start by giving Maite a chance to become a marine biologist. We start by giving Ellie a chance to read her Bible verse at the Wednesday night service. We start by giving Irma and Joe a chance to finish painting their house, maybe retire and get that food truck.

We start by giving Makenna, Layla, Maranda, Nevaeh, Jose, Xavier, Tess, Rojelio, Eliahna, Annabell, Jackie, Uziyah, Jayce, Jailah, Eva, Amerie, and Lexi -- we start by giving all of them our promise that their dreams are not going to be forgotten.

We start by making the loss of these lives matter. Thank you. Thank you.
New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik's proposal is co-led by her fellow GOP Reps. Richard Hudson and Carol Miller. It's a counter-proposal to House Democrats' sweeping gun control proposals

Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York on Tuesday unveiled a Republican counter-proposal to Democrats' efforts to pass federal gun control legislation in the wake of multiple back-to-back mass shootings.

Rather than placing limits on the sale of weapons, the Firearm Proficiency and Training Act seeks to incentivize gun buyers to handle them safely.

Gun owners would be eligible for a tax refund of up to $250 for taking a firearm safety course that 'is taught by a firearms instructor 20 certified by the State to teach such course,' according to the bill text.

Certifications like conceal carry courses and classes to obtain a hunting license are also permissible.

They'd also be able to get the tax benefit for purchasing a safe storage device for the firearm.

Stefanik's bill is co-led by GOP Reps. Richard Hudson of North Carolina and Carol Miller of West Virginia.

'As Democrats rush to push their radical gun control agenda, I am proud to lead the charge in introducing legislation to promote gun training and safety,' Stefanik said in a press release announcing the measure.

'This bill will empower gun owners by incentivizing them to purchase gun safety and storage equipment as well as training and safety courses.'

She called on her fellow lawmakers to 'enable all Americans to safely exercise their Second Amendment rights, rather than infringe upon the Constitutional rights of law-abiding American citizens.'

In another jab at Democrats' own proposals, Hudson said: 'Instead of mandated gun control that threatens the rights of responsible gun owners and law-abiding citizens, we have solutions that prevent school shootings, improve mental health, and save lives.'

The bill, dubbed the 'Firearm Training and Proficiency Act,' is designed to incentivize gun owners to take safety courses or buy storage equipment for their firearms. Courses however can include normal certification classes like those for conceal carrying a weapon and a hunting license

Congress has been under increased pressure to take long-awaited action on gun violence after dozens of people were killed in mass shootings just over the last several weeks.

That includes an 18-year-old white gunman with an AR-15 assault rifle opening fire at a supermarket in a predominantly black neighborhood of Buffalo, New York and slaying 10 people.

Less than two weeks later, 19 elementary school students and their two teachers were killed by another 18-year-old armed with an assault rifle in Uvalde, Texas.

More than a dozen more were killed and at least 70 people injured in 13 mass shootings over the last weekend alone.

It's not clear what effect the new Republican proposal led by Stefanik - the House GOP Conference chair and a staunch ally of Donald Trump's - would have. The bill has little to no chance of passing the Democrat-led House and 50-50 divided Senate.

On the other side of the aisle Tuesday, the Democrat-led Protect Our Kids Act is being debated by the House Rules Committee and is expected to come to the floor for a vote this week.

Its host of gun control measures include raising the legal age to buy a semiautomatic rifle from 18 to 21, establish safe storage requirements in residential zones, and would outlaw large-capacity magazines.

Congress has been under increased pressure to act on gun violence after a spate of mass shootings claimed dozens of victims and injured many more in recent weeks

GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of the witnesses at Tuesday's hearing, claimed the Democrat bill 'would deprive citizens of their firearms without due process of law.'

'You can't take six bills that aren't going to work and put them together and make a big bill that will work. None of them on their own will work ... each of them on their own is dangerous to the rights of law abiding citizens,' he said.

As he picked apart the proposals, Republican Rep. Guy Reschenthaler could be seen at times nodding in apparent approval.

The Democrats' plan also has little chance of passing the Senate - at least 10 Republican votes are needed to meet the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster, but nearly all Republicans have expressed opposition to several of the bill's proposals including raising the age limit for assault rifles.

Meanwhile, a bipartisan working group is ironing out its own proposal in the Senate.

That effort is being led by Democrat Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas.

Murphy was at the White House on Tuesday to deliver an update on the negotiations to President Joe Biden.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was 'encouraged' by the talks during her daily press briefing that same day.
An Ohio man serving a life sentence for the shooting 11 family members dead, including eight children, on Easter in 1975, has died in prison of natural causes.

James Ruppert, 88, died on Saturday at the Franklin Medical Center in Columbus.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction announced his death Monday, saying that Ruppert apparently died of natural causes, but that the official cause of death is pending.

At the time of the shooting, Ruppert lived with his mother Charity at her Minor Avenue home in Hamilton, Ohio. He reportedly struggled with alcohol and was unemployed.

Ruppert told a psychiatrist that he had gone to a shooting range before the Easter celebrations and had slept most of the day beforehand, according to Cincinnati.com.

Upon returning home, his brother Leonard Jr., sister-in-law Alma, and their eight children - Leonard III, 17; Michael, 16; Thomas, 15; Carol, 13; Ann, 12; David, 11; Teresa, nine; and John, 4 - were visiting for the holiday.

Leonard asked Ruppert: 'How's the Volkswagen?'

The criminal took the remark as an insult because he thought his brother - a successful GE engineer - was judging him.

Authorities said Ruppert used three pistols and a rifle to fire 44 shots, with 40 hitting his victims. The bodies were found in the kitchen and living room.

James Ruppert, 88, died on Saturday. He murdered 11 family members on Easter Sunday 1975

Authorities said the only sign of struggle within the home was an overturned trashcan.

A psychiatrist would later testify at his trial that Ruppert laid on a couch for two hours after the shooting and contemplated suicide. He decided against it as suicide is a mortal sin and Ruppert didn't want that to be his last act, so he instead called police, telling them there were 'bodies in the house.'

After several trials, Ruppert was convicted in 1982 of two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his mother and brother but was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the other killings.

He was serving two consecutive life sentences and had been denied parole several times.

Ruppert's case circulated the courts for seven years. The murderer originally pleaded guilty to killing his family, but argued insanity.

His defense also claimed the he had been beaten and taunted by his brother after their father died when Ruppert was only 12, Cincinnati.com reported.

Ruppert (middle, at his 1980 retrial) started shooting after his brother Leonard asked him: 'How's the Volkswagens?' Leonard was a successful GE engineer and Ruppert told the question as an insult

The murderer (middle, in 1975) had gone to a shooting range before the Easter celebrations and fired 44 shots, with 40 hitting his victims, with three pistols and a rifle, killing them all

Prosecutors, however, claimed he killed his family for money. The brother and mother's estates were worth around $300,000.

Two psychiatrists testified that Ruppert suffered from paranoia and delusion and was unable to control his actions during the shooting.

'In fact, if there had been more people in the house they might have been killed also,' a psychiatrist testified at the time.

He later opted for a three-judge panel, rather than a jury, and two ruled Ruppert was sane and convicted him of 11 counts of aggravated murder. One just found him insane.

The Ohioan was originally sentenced to 11 life sentences, however in 1977 and 1978, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled the judges' wrongly told him that their votes had to unanimous.

Ruppert was then granted a new trial in 1980, which wouldn't take place until 1982.

He opted for a trial by jury the second time around, where he was convicted of two life sentences for his mother and brother and was ruled insane on the other nine counts.

At the time of his death, Ruppert was only a few years off his fourth parole hearing, set for 2025.

He had been denied parole in 1995, 2005, and 2015 beforehand.

The shooting happened inside the home he shared with his mother (pictured). He was living with her as he was reportedly struggled with alcohol and was unemployed

In 2015, he was denied parole because he was 'not suitable for release' as he had 'not completed any recommended programming and does not appear to be willing to do so.'

The parole board also cited that there was a 'strong community objection' to his released and that it 'would not be in the best interest of justice.'

wrongly told him that their votes had to be unanimous. Ruppert was then granted a new trial in 1980, which wouldn't take place until 1982.

He opted for a trial by jury the second time around, where he was convicted of two life sentences for his mother and brother and was ruled insane on the other nine counts.

He died at Franklin Medical Center in Columbus (pictured)

At the time of his death, Ruppert was only a few years off his fourth parole hearing, set for 2025.

He had been denied parole in 1995, 2005, and 2015 beforehand.

In 2015, he was denied parole because he was 'not suitable for release' as he had 'not completed any recommended programming and does not appear to be willing to do so.'

The parole board also cited that there was a 'strong community objection' to his released and that it 'would not be in the best interest of justice.'
Britain's 'Most Wanted' woman will be flown back to Britain in the next few days after losing her fight against extradition.

University graduate Sarah Panitzke had asked Spanish judges to reject a UK extradition application - which would have led to her being made to serve an eight-year prison sentence over a multi-million pound VAT fraud - handed down in her absence by a London court in 2013.

She had demanded the right to be able to serve her sentence in Spain given her strong links to her 'adopted homeland.'

But the judges ruled against her in an appeal and the 48-year-old fraudster, arrested in February in a Catalan village after nine years on the run, is now seeing out her last days in a prison near Madrid before being flown back to Britain to start her jail term.

Sarah Panitzke, 47, from Fulford has been on the run for nearly nine years

She was sentenced in her absence to eight years in jail in August 2013 after absconding during her trial at Kingston Crown Court and has been on the run ever since.

A court found she laundered 1 billion as part of a VAT fraud has been arrested while walking her dogs in Spain

The two months she has spent behind bars since her arrest - made by an elite Spanish anti-fugitive unit as she walked her dogs near her hideaway, seven years after she escaped a first police attempt to nab her with a wig and emergency rucksack - will be taken off the time she has to serve.

Panitzke's high-profile February 27 arrest made headlines in Spain and the UK as she was the only woman on the National Crime Agency's Most Wanted List.

Privately-educated university graduate Sarah Panitzke (pictured) was held on Sunday by officers from an elite-Madrid based police unit as she walked her dog near her home

The Yorkshire-born property developer's daughter told Civil Guard officers who held her she had felt 'hurt' to be likened the men linked to some of the UK's most horrific violent crimes after her detention.

Today it emerged she had been living for seven years before her arrest with fake Italian ID in the name of Antonietta Argiulo, although the name Maria Antonietta is believed to have been scrawled on a postbox outside the flat where she holed up.

Her hideaway was a three-bed maisonette on the outskirts of the small town of Santa Barbara in the province of Tarragona south of Barcelona.

Defence lawyers fought her extradition to the UK on the basis she had strong links to Spain having lived in the country since the mid-nineties and marrying a local man 17 years ago.

They said her husband had a life expectancy of just 10 years because of a liver transplant and would be unable to visit her in the UK if she was extradited.

The lawyers also alleged the crimes Panitzke was accused - and later convicted - of would have been spent under Spanish law in legal arguments rejected by a Madrid court on appeal.

Sarah Panitzke was held in Catalonia on Sunday and is claimed by Spanish authorities to be the only member of a crime gang that remained free, with 16 people already jailed

The date for her return, expected to involve British police flying to Spain to take her into custody on a plane at Madrid's Barajas Airport, has not yet been set.

A well placed court source said this afternoon: 'Sarah's extradition has not happened yet but it will take place within days.'

Panitzke was sentenced in her absence to eight years in jail in August 2013 for laundering 1 billion in a massive mobile phone VAT fraud after vanishing during her trial at Kingston Crown Court.

The Spanish and Catalan-speaking brunette, who went to the prestigious fee-paying St Peter's School in York before studying Spanish at university, vanished into thin air while on trial for money laundering in May 2013.

She is said to be languishing in a prison near Madrid ahead of her expected extradition

She was convicted in her absence of laundering money through companies in Spain, Andorra and Dubai for a crime group that bought mobile phones abroad without VAT and resold them in the UK.

Panitzke was recruited into notorious tax criminal Geoffrey Johnson's web of fraudsters located throughout the UK after meeting an acquaintance.

She remained the only member of the 18-strong gang on the run because ringleader Johnson was arrested in Dubai in 2017 and subsequently sentenced to 24 years in prison.

The head of the elite Civil Guard team tasked with leading the operation to catch Panitzke, called the Civil Guard Central Operative Unit's Fugitive Task Force, said after the arrest: 'Sarah told us in the car on the way to Barcelona after her arrest it had hurt her a lot that her mugshot had been included alongside all the men linked to violent and despicable crimes on the National Crime Agency's Wanted List.

'She also claimed she had wanted to hand herself in but had never found the right opportunity.

'She said she felt she had already done her time because she had been living in almost total isolation for several years cut off from family and friends.

'Her father died while she was on the run and she didn't go to his funeral.

'We asked Sarah why she had never been to visit him and she told us that while he was alive he made it clear he preferred not to see her than see her in jail.

She was arrested by Spanish Civil guard police officers whilst she was walking her dog near her hideout in Spain

'She also complained she was only able to buy a cheap gin for her gin and tonics as her money started to run out and not the more expensive gin she had always enjoyed.

'It was a case of: 'I used to have a great life and now the life I lead is pitiful.'

Neighbours in Santa Barbara said she would go swimming in the apartment block's community pool during the quiet lunchtime hours but lived a very discreet life and rarely invited anyone into her home.

One of the officers involved in her arrest was an undercover cop who seven years earlier had inadvertently aroused her suspicions as he walked past her previous hideaway to get a closer look at her and try to confirm her ID.

She ended up fleeing with a wig and emergency rucksack and staying on the run for another seven years.

Spanish police said after her detention she appeared to be continuing to protest her innocence despite her arrest, telling officers who accompanied her in the car-ride to Barcelona to be fingerprinted where she opened up after years of silence: 'She said the ringleader was the one who was guilty of everything and she hadn't done anything wrong and was not to blame.

'She called him the 'fat b*****d' who had got her caught up in all of this.

'It's a story we're used to hearing when we arrest people who are on the run.

'There was a moment when she got a bit emotional but there wasn't a flood of tears. I think it was more a question of her feeling relieved after going so long without speaking to anyone and suddenly seeing a lot of people focusing on her.'

A source said at the time: 'Physically she looks British or someone who wasn't a local at least.

'But her command of both Catalan and Castilian Spanish meant she didn't fit the stereotype of the average British fugitive at all.'

The fraudster's mother, 77-year-old widow Pauline Panitzke, reacted to news of her daughter's arrest at her home in the sleepy village of Market Weighton, east Yorks, by saying: 'At least, I know she is safe and well.'
A Minnesota man who spent months impersonating a federal agent on TikTok in a ploy to pick up women will be jailed for six years.

Reyel Devon Simmons, 53, regularly posted videos to the platform, under the alias Rey Reeves, detailing his fictitious life as a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agent and retired Navy SEAL.

He used the social media site to show off his fake DHS badge, uniforms and weapons to his nearly 10,000 followers, all while explicitly referring to himself as a federal agent, despite having never been employed by any governmental agency.

His scheme came crashing down last August when his girlfriend of eight months reported him to the FBI.

A TikTok user claiming to be his former co-worker had alerted her to his scheme, revealing his true identity and how Simmons had been arrested twice in Colorado over a similar rouse.

Officers later raided his home and found a secret bunker used to store falsified documents, body armor featuring law enforcement emblems and several weapons, including assault rifles and snipers, court documents revealed.

Simmons was arrested and charged with impersonating a federal officer and possession of firearms as a felon. He pleaded guilty in January and was sentenced last week to six years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Reyel Simmons, 53, was sentenced to six years in prison last Thursday after he spent months impersonating a Department of Homeland Security agent on TikTok. He also claimed to be a retired Navy SEAL

His then-girlfriend, a Georgia woman, became suspicious of Simmons' life as a federal agent after seeing an odd comment on one of his videos.

'Stolen valor  impersonating a police officer again, oh and can proof be provided!' the comment said, according to the complaint obtained by DailyMail.com

The woman reached out to the poster, identified in the criminal complaint as J.S., who explained that Simmons, a former colleague, had been charged with two counts of impersonating an officer in Colorado in 2004.

He was also convicted of felony menacing and misdemeanor assault in the state in 2007 and soliciting prostitution in 2015.

He used TikTok to show off his fake DHS badge, uniforms and weapons to his nearly 10,000 followers, all while explicitly referring to himself as a federal agent

His scheme came crashing down last August when his girlfriend of eight months reported him to the FBI. He is pictured in a fake military uniform

Investigators raided his home in September 2021 and found a secret bunker used to store falsified documents, body armor featuring law enforcement emblems and several weapons, including assault rifles and snipers

The girlfriend reported him to the feds on August 17, 2021, detailing his daily activities as a supposed agent.

She told the officers how Simmons claimed to be an undercover DHS agent and would carry around a backpack he referred to as his 'go bag.'

It bore the DHS emblem and contained a Glock handgun, fake identification and other items related to his supposed service in law enforcement and the military.

He regularly had a gun holster on his hip and drove around in a F-150 truck equipped with a police radio and light bar package on the front bumper. She alleged he would chat on the radio with other alleged federal agents.

The woman also noted how whenever she would visit, the pair would stay in a hotel in Minneapolis that Simmons claimed DHS had put him up in while he worked on his undercover mission.

Simmons claimed to be an undercover DHS agent and would carry around a backpack he referred to as his 'go bag' (pictured). It bore the DHS emblem and contained a Glock handgun, fake identification and other items related to his alleged law enforcement and military service

fficers seized eight guns, including assault rifles and sniper rifles, a Navy uniform and other clothing branded with the names and logos of various law enforcement agencies from his hidden bunker

During their investigation, the FBI learned Simmons had even falsely reported his DHS employment when applying for his then-current job. Simmons is pictured carrying his 'go bag'

During their investigation, the FBI learned Simmons had even falsely reported his DHS employment when applying for his then-current job.

He claimed he worked for the agency from 1997 to 2000, noting that details of his assignments 'cannot be discussed under: Classified #CFR 6AUS06 and #USCS 987USf1310.' The classification codes were non-existent, the complaint states.

According to his attorney, Simmons was 'merely playing dress-up to impress people around him and to woo women'. He is pictured in his booking photo

Investigators also noted that DHS was created in 2002, two years after Simmons had claimed to work there.

Simmons was arrested on September 20 after the FBI launched a search of his home, truck and workplace.

At his home, officers seized eight guns, including assault rifles and sniper rifles, a Navy uniform and other clothing branded with the names and logos of various law enforcement agencies from his hidden bunker.

The convicted criminal also had unregistered silencers, a detonating cord, a blasting cap, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Investigators also found a rifle case, stun gun and 'law enforcement-type baton' in his truck.

His neighbor confirmed that Simmons had built a firearms range in his backyard and that gunshots often rung out from the property.

Simmons' notorious 'go bag' was seized from his workplace where he was arrested and taken into custody. Inside, agents found a handgun, fake badges and a Navy certificate for his participation in 'operations against hostile enemy forces.'

Simmons drove around in a F-150 truck equipped with a police radio and light bar package on the front bumper. Investigators found a rifle case, stun gun and 'law enforcement-type baton' hidden in his truck

His girlfriend alleged he would chat on the truck radio with other supposed federal agents

The convicted criminal also had unregistered silencers, a detonating cord, a blasting cap, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Weapons seized from Simmons are pictured above

Simmons would detail his alleged life as a federal agent on his TikTok account. Two of his posts are pictured above

Simmons was indicted on October 12 and entered a guilty plea on January 21, 2022.

In a sentencing memorandum submitted on May 20, his attorney argued that although Simmons had 'long and complicated history of pretending to be someone he is not,' his actions weren't 'prompted by a larger criminal purpose.'

'Simmons' behavior, although concerning, seems more accurately to be a psychological projection to bolster deficiencies in his ego development, a projection that garnered him a measure of respect by people in his orbit, a measure of appeal in his romantic activities, and a measure of identity  however contrived  that located his place in the world,' the document reads.

His attorney further argued that Simmons was 'merely playing dress-up to impress people around him and to woo women.'

Simmons was arrested on September 20 at his workplace. The above picture shows a sign hanging in the entryway of his office

Simmons was indicted on October 12 and entered a guilty plea on January 21, 2022. His 'go bag' is pictured above

Simmons was sentenced last week to six years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He is pictured in an undated mirror selfie

The document, which ultimately aimed to secure a two-year prison term for Simmons, alleged the admitted criminal 'understands the error of his ways' and 'regards this case as a welcome intervention' to address his mental health issues.

'It is a legitimate opportunity to address longstanding issues, to rid himself of the baggage of living a lie, and to begin anew with a clean slate,' the lawyer wrote. 'He is completely committed to engaging in the work of mental health treatment to address once and for all the issues percolating in his psyche that prompt such behavior.'

'Simmons' impersonation is less about being a means to other, more concerning nefarious purposes and more about how Mr. Simmons conceives of himself and his place in the world. Divorcing himself from this fantasy has been a meaningful and significant step to ensuring that this will not happen again,' the attorney concluded.

Despite the request, Simmons was hit with a six-year prison sentence last Thursday.
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow asked fans to vote for billionaire Rick Caruso, a Republican-turned-Democrat, for mayor of Los Angeles.

The celebrity entrepreneur, sporting disheveled hair, took to Instagram on Tuesday to reveal she place her ballot for the mall magnate, writing: 'My crazy hair and I voted for @rickcarusola for Los Angeles mayor today!'

'We need Rick desperately to get our streets cleaned up and functioning. Rick is a dear friend, a good man and a great business man who has always been dedicated to LA and can get things done,' Paltrow added.

It's the latest endorsement from Paltrow, who was joined by Kim Kardashian, Elon Musk and Snoop Dogg, in supporting Caruso as he vows to crackdown on vagrancy and crime in LA, which continues to see a spree of violent crime and robberies.

Gwyneth Paltrow (above) revealed she voted for billionaire Republican-turned-Democrat Rick Caruso for mayor of LA given his tough-on-crime stance

Mall magnate Rick Caruso (left) fueled his campaign for mayor with $30 million of his own money to challenged U.S. Democratic U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (right). The two are expected to face off in a run-off election in November

Fellow billionaire Kim Kardashian (pictured) also expressed support for Caruso last week

REPUBLICAN MALL MAGNATE RICK CARUSO TURNS DEMOCRAT TO RUN FOR LA MAYOR Rick Caruso, 63, had been a long-time Republican who made his wealth through retail, best known for the Grove mall in Los Angeles and Americana mall in Glendale, California. He previously served as a former city police commissioner and as a former board member for the University of Southern California, and has made donations to both Democrat and Republican campaigns over the decades, CNN reported. Caruso entered the 2022 mayoral race to replace outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti, vowing to crackdown on crime and vagrancy. He has said he would hire 1,500 new cops within his first term and build 30,000 shelter beds in his first 300 days. He also has plans to hire 500 trained mental health and addiction treatment professionals to assist the city's vagrant population, and hopes to hire 500 new sanitation workers to clean the streets and clear out homeless encampments. Caruso has invested $30 million of his own wealth into his campaign as early Tuesday polls show him neck-and-neck with U.S. Democratic U.S. Rep. Karen Bass. The two candidates are expected to head to a run-off election in November. Advertisement

Caruso, 63, who has juiced his campaigned with $30 million of his own cash, has put crime at the heart of his campaign against Democratic Rep. Karen Bass.

The two candidates, who are neck-and-neck in the polls, are expected to head to a run-off election in November.

Caruso's plan to fix up the ailing city, where homicides are running at a 15-year high, includes hiring 1,500 more police officers by the end of his first term and building 30,000 shelter beds in his first 300 days, CNN reported.

If he wins in the expected November run-off, Caruso also plans on hiring 500 people trained in mental health and addiction treatment to assist the city's vagrant population, along with hiring 500 new sanitation workers to clean the streets and clear out homeless encampments.

Caruso, a former city police commissioner and former University of Southern California board member, has garnered support from many celebrities over his ambitious plan.

Fellow billionaire Kim Kardashian voiced her support for Caruso on Instagram last week, telling her followers: 'I think that with him he can offer a better path to a better life for people that are homeless in California and in Los Angeles.

'I really believe in what he stands for. I was really inspired by him.'

Earlier this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk weighed in on the race to show his support for Caruso.

'Los Angeles is fortunate to have someone like Rick Caruso running for mayor,' the world's richest man tweeted. 'He's awesome.

'It is rare for me to endorse political candidates,' Musk added. 'My political leanings are moderate, so neither fully Republican nor Democrat, which I am confident is the case for most Americans.

'Executive competence is super underrated in politics  we should care about that a lot more!'

Last month, rapper Snoop Dogg also came out to back Caruso in the mayor race, telling the candidate in a Zoom call, 'You got my support,' the LA Times reported.

'We're a part of whatever you're a part of, as far as bringing love to the community and keeping people there that were a part of the community,' the musician added.

Elon Musk said he does not normally endorse political candidates but believes Los Angeles would thrive under Caruso

Rapper Snoop Dogg (pictured) had also endorsed the Democrat last month

Both Caruso and Bass have tried to push for a tough-on-crime stance following the backlash faced by outgoing LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, who oversaw a spike in crime amid California's zero-dollar bail policy.

The policy, initiated by the Bail Project during the pandemic to reduce jail crowding, means that suspects are quickly released from custody after they are arrested and booked for misdemeanors and low-level felonies in California.

Although much of the criticism has been aimed at LA District Attorney George Gascon, Garcetti had received part of the blame as the city has seen a more than 7 percent rise in violent crime over the last year.

As of May 28, the LAPD reported 146 homicides, a 4.3 percent increase from the 140 reported by the same time last year.

While the amount of shooting victims and rapes have gone down but 0.7 percent and 13.7 present, respectively, robberies have seen a dramatic uptick as daring thefts continue to plague the city.

The LAPD reported 3,796 robberies so far this year, a 21 percent increase from the 3,137 reported by the same time last year.

On Monday, surveillance footage captured the moment a man threw his watch over a fence in a LA suburb after gang members leaped out of a car to mug him.

The robbery, which was recorded on security footage, shows a man wearing a black T-shirt and shorts walking down a street and noticing a grey car pull up after.

The victim, who observed the car until it came to a stop, then panics when he sees two men suddenly jump out of the vehicle.

The victim, wearing a duffle bag over a black Givenchy t-shirt and dark sunglasses, takes off his lavish watch while running away from the two robbers in flip flops - before deciding to throw it over the fence of a home from the sidewalk.

Video from a home's security camera captured the moment a man was being chased by two men wearing hoodies and throwing his expensive watch over a fence

The two suspects, one wearing a black hoodie while the other was wearing a blue one, fled from the scene in a grey sedan

The two unidentified suspects stop chasing the man after realizing he no longer has the watch on him. One of them then puts his hands on the gate, seemingly wanting to climb it to collect the expensive accessory, before running back to the car along with the other robber.

Security footage then shows the victim approaching the getaway car and exchanging words with the perpetrators and gesturing at them.

The exact location of the robbery and the victim's identity are unknown.

The incident came days after Gascon backtracked on claims that the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department 'agreed with the felony charges' a teenager received after he was convicted of driving a car into a mother and her eight-month-old son.

An earlier statement put out by Gascon suggested the Sheriff's Department had agreed with the charges, together with the DA's office.

But on Saturday, Gascon reversed course saying that the Department had in fact not been consulted over the charges nor the punishment received by a 17-year-old driver who deliberately plowed into a mother who was pushing her baby in a stroller.

The 17-year-old, who is only known as KB, has pleaded guilty to two felony counts of assault by means of force likely to produce bodily injury and a single felony count of hit-and-run, according to Fox News.

The teen, only identified as KB, tested positive for drugs during the August accident and the victim, whose only been named as Rachel, said he accelerated at her before running her and her son Charlie over (pictured: post-hit)

He tried to flee the scene after brutally running her over (pictured), but another driver hit him and caused the teen to crash into a pole

The baby was unharmed but the mom suffered from extensive injuries, with some of her skin ripped almost to the bone and glass coming out of her skin for two months.

The teen tested positive for drugs at the time and was driving down the one-way street in the wrong direction. Surveillance video shows the driver veering toward the side of the road, hitting the victim Rachel, who last name is unknown, and her son Charlie

Rachel testified her victim impact statement that the teen accelerated as he approached her.

The young criminal was seen trying to flee the scene before a pickup truck crashed into it and forced the teen to hit a pole.

Rachel accused Gascon, of 'prioritizing the livelihood of rotten monsters' with his lenient sentencing, and added: 'George Gascon doesn't value my life or the life of my child, or any other victim out there.'

She said she tried to get out of the way in the narrow alley, but the car veered towards her and smashed into her and the stroller, throwing her over the top of the car and crashing into the baby.

'I thought those were the last moments of our lives; we were dead,' she wrote. 'That feeling, along with the memory of a car accelerating directly into us, will haunt me forever.'
Legendary bond investor Bill Gross and his wife Amy have won a protracted legal battle to keep a $1 million backyard sculpture that sparked a years-long feud with their Laguna Beach neighbor.

The billionaire founder of investment management company PIMCO said on Tuesday that the city had issued final approval for the permanent installation of the intricate blown glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly.

The sculpture had been a focal point in Gross' bitter and convoluted feud with his tech-entrepreneur neighbor Mark Towfiq, who sought the artwork's removal and claimed Gross retaliated by blaring the theme song from Gilligan's Island on a loop.

'Amy and I are relieved we can finally enjoy our art in peace and in full compliance with the city of Laguna Beach,' Gross said in a statement to DailyMail.com.

'While we are pleased at the final outcome, it is disappointing that it took so long, cost too much, and diverted valuable city, state and court resources for what was essentially a dispute among neighbors,' he added.

Billionaire Bill Gross and his wife Amy have won a protracted legal battle to keep a $1 million backyard sculpture (above) that sparked a years-long feud with their neighbor

Gross (left) won approval for the sculpture over the objections of neighbor Mark Towfiq (right), who claimed that the artwork violated 'neighborhood compatibility' and 'view equity'

Gross says that the net was vital to protect the sculpture from hazards such as falling palm fronds

Apparently, Towfiq did not have an issue with the glass sculpture until Gross began to install elaborate netting (above) to protect it from 'vandalism' and environmental damage

Gross slammed Towfiq for failing to take him up on a prior offer to drop their competing lawsuits and instead donate their estimated legal expenses to charity, a move that Towfiq's lawyers previously panned as a 'stunt'.

The billionaire accused Towfiq and his wife Carol Nakahara of pursuing 'a continuing attempt to sully my reputation' and said the final approval of the sculpture 'exposes their true intent in this rather ludicrous situation.'

A lawyer for Towfiq did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com on Tuesday afternoon.

Towfiq's attorney had filed a 12-page objection letter with the Laguna Beach Design Review Board arguing the artwork violated 'neighborhood compatibility' and 'view equity', among other complaints.

Final approval for the sculpture was granted after the California Coastal Commission issued a staff report rejecting Towfiq's arguments against the sculpture, and Towfiq withdrew his appeal.

The sculpture had been a focal point in Bill Gross' bitter and convoluted feud with his tech-entrepreneur neighbor Mark Towfiq

Bill and Amy Gross (above) accused Towfiq of disturbing 'peeping Tom' behavior, including voyeuristic filming of them on their property

Towfiq and his wife Carol Nakahara (together above) accused Gross of retaliating against his complaints by blaring loud music, including the theme song to Gilligan's Island

The sculpture was approved for permanent installation on the condition it be slightly moved to comply with setbacks, that a protective cover be removed, and that light fixtures be operated manually and restricted to 30 minutes after sunset to 10pm.

A source close to Gross said: 'He lost a few battles, but finally won the war against the neighbor, at least the part about being able to keep his artwork.'

The strange and twisted saga dragged out over nearly two years, comprising competing allegations, lawsuits and restraining orders between the two neighbors.

Towfiq and his wife said they built their 'dream home' on the property in 2009, and hoped it would serve as a place they could host their extended family.

Gross and his now-wife Amy moved in next door in 2019, and court filings assert the bad blood began that May, when a huge production crew arrived with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson to film for Ballers at Towfiq's home.

Gross said he and Amy purchased the ocean view Laguna Beach mansion to serve as a retreat to spend summer weekends when they weren't at their main residence in Newport Beach.

Laguna Beach police officers are seen posing with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson outside of Towfiq's home in May 2019 during a shoot for the HBO series Ballers that Gross says caused chaos on the street and blocked their driveway

Gross said he and Amy purchased the ocean view Laguna Beach mansion (above) to serve as a retreat to spend summer weekends when they weren't at their main residence

Gross' attorneys previously claimed that Towfiq, 'to attract the attention that he craves from celebrities,' rented out the home to the HBO series for filming, and crews blocked Gross' driveway for days as he and Amy were trying to prepare the home to move in.

'The Ballers incident was the first unpleasant experience they had with the neighbor even before moving in,' a source close to the Gross camp told DailyMail.com.

Towfiq later testified that there were no signs of hard feelings at the time, however, noting that Gross and Amy invited him to a Kenny Loggins concert in their backyard in September 2019, for Amy's 50th birthday.

Towfiq testified that he was thrilled with the concert, even though, he claims, the musician's crew trampled his lawn and ran cables over his property.

The legal beef between the two men started in earnest when Gross installed a 22-foot-long glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly in the backyard of his Laguna Beach mansion and installed a large net over it after it was damaged.

Gross put up the net to protect the glass sculpture - which is valued at $1million - after it was reportedly 'vandalized' and suffered $50,000 in damage.

Towfiq filed a complaint with the City of Laguna Beach after he set up the net, calling it 'unsightly'. The quarrel only escalated from there.

Towfiq claims that Gross then blared music in retaliation and allegedly blasted rap, pop, and the TV theme songs for Green Acres and Mash at all hours of the day in a bid to get him to drop the complaint.

Officers responded to Gross' address on separate occasions in August and October 2020 in response to complaints about loud music.

In the legal dispute Towfiq also submitted cellphone videos showing a man who appears to be Gross dancing on his balcony as the theme to Gilligan's Island plays loudly in the background.

A Gross confidante told DailyMail.com that the Gilligan's Island theme has a special meaning to Gross and his wife, because the credits of the show were filmed across the water from another home they own in Newport Beach.

The source said the couple enjoys listening to the song, and did not intend to use it harass their neighbor.

In the legal battle, Gross claimed Towfiq is a 'peeping Tom' who spies on him and his girlfriend and takes video and photos of them.

'We called him 'Peeping Mark',' Gross told the court during the legal battle, before describing Towfiq as 'strange' and 'dangerous to approach'.

Towfiq disputed Gross' claim that he's creepy and obsessive and exhibits 'Peeping Tom behaviors,' saying he doesn't have any special interest Gross or his girlfriend.

Bill and Amy Gross are seen in court on October 1. A judge found the couple guilty of flouting a court order not to annoy their neighbor by playing the theme song from Gilligan's Island

Gross's neighbor Towfiq (pictured) accused Gross of trying to get revenge for his complaints about the netting by playing music at extreme volumes, specifically the Gilligan's Island theme

Thanks to the court dispute, when the couple got married in April 2020 (pictured) they had to do it at their other property in Indian Wells

'No, I never thought of [Bill and Amy] as celebrities,' Towfiq said in court.

In a statement, Amy said the dispute over the backyard artwork was 'very upsetting' to her because the sculpture was bought for her by Gross when her mother was ill.

'Since I have no children of my own, they are like my babies. My mother, who has Alzheimer's, and I pray to them and she enjoys looking at them because it's her favorite color and makes her smile,' she said in the statement.

Amy said that she and Gross are the 'best neighbors' because they are only at home for five days a month, five months out of the year.

The two neighbors each sought restraining orders against the other. Towfiq got a restraining order barring his neighbors from playing music louder than city rules prohibit, and Gross sought one barring Towfiq from filming him and his wife on their property.

Last October, Orange County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Knill found Bill and Amy Gross guilty of contempt for violating the restraining order against loud music, and tossed out their countersuit against Towfiq.

Bill Gross and his wife Amy are seen beaming after completing their mandatory community service at a California soup kitchen

Krill's sentence of five days in jail was suspended, and the couple were allowed to instead perform two days of community service as penance.

Gross revealed in an investment note that the couple had done their time volunteering at a Santa Ana soup kitchen, where they helped serve a 'gorgeous enchilada lunch' to the less fortunate.

Writing in his typical tongue-in-cheek style, Gross marveled at the high-class menu options served up by the soup kitchen, and wryly noted that many of the 'customers' appeared more well-to-do than the bedraggled staff.

'No downtrodden homeless people at this soup kitchen!' wrote Gross, adding that vehicles lined up for the drive-thru meal pickup included many 'nice SUVs and pickup trucks'.

'Indeed, as Amy and I cut chicken for the soup and fruit for the fruit cups, we were then assigned to pass out what was actually a gorgeous enchilada lunch replete with cheesecake and chips,' recalled Gross.

Gross slammed the judge in the case as 'a 57-year-old lady with pierced nose stud and visible tattoos' who 'only does 'restraining order' cases in Orange County.'

He said that the community service sentence had been handed down 'for playing 15 minutes of music at 9 pm in our backyard pool.'

'The music was below city decibel limits but was somehow disturbing the peace of our noise-sensitive neighbor,' wrote Gross.

'NO police citation was issued but what the heck, a crime must have been committed if the neighbor simply called police and complained he couldn't sleep at such a late hour,' he added.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he may visit the Falklands for the first time now 'things are a bit quieter in Westminster' as he paid tribute to veterans of the conflict.

The Prime Minister was speaking at an event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War earlier this evening and praised the veterans who liberated the islands from the Argentinian invaders.

The PM said he was 'ashamed' to say he thought he was the only one of the speakers never to have been to the British overseas territory 'so far'.

But he said: 'Now things are a bit quieter in Westminster, perhaps I may be able to go before too long. Things seem relatively peaceful.'

Mr Johnson was addressing an audience at a reception in Speaker's House.

His comments came less than 24 hours after rebel Tory MPs attempted to kick him out of No10 in a row centred on Partygate which resulted in a bruising confidence vote.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he may visit the Falklands for the first time now 'things are a bit quieter in Westminster' as he paid tribute to veterans of the conflict this evening

Boris Johnson meets Falklands veterans after they attended a special ceremony this evening

On a day of high drama at Westminster yesterday, including two resignations from government and Jeremy Hunt openly calling for Mr Johnson to go, Tory MPs voted by 211 to 148 that they still had confidence in Mr Johnson.

During his speech, the Prime Minister said Britain's armed forces achieved what 'many thought was impossible' during the conflict.

He added: 'I remember - I was still at school - I remember the horror of learning of the fate of HMS Sheffield, of the Atlantic Conveyor, and the real thought that things could go the other way, and our country might really face a disaster in the South Atlantic.

'Yet our armed forces achieved what many thought was impossible and liberated the people of the Falkland Islands from occupation by military junta.'

Mr Johnson said the Falklands War was about fighting for the 'essential principle' that people everywhere have a 'sovereign right to decide their own destiny'.

He said: 'We were fighting for the essential principle that the Falkland Islanders, like people everywhere, have a sovereign right to decide their own destiny and choose their own loyalty.

Pictured: Princess Anne (far left), Prime Minister Boris Johnson (centre) attend a reception of Falklands veterans hosted by Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle (far left)

The Princess Royal attends a special Beating Retreat ceremony by the Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, today

'As we look at the world today, we can see all too obviously how that principle is still in peril and still needs defending.

'There is always some dictator testing whether this country and our friends are really willing to stand up for that principle, which is the essential basis of a peaceful world.

'Forty years ago in the Falklands, our armed forces showed that we would stand up for what was right.'

Other speakers included Princess Anne, who last visited the Falklands in 2016 and had earlier today witnessed a performance of the Beating Retreat ceremony by Her Majesty's Royal Marines in Speaker's Court.

Anne said that from her experience, a visit to the islands was always 'well worth the effort'.

'That constant feeling of gratitude from the islanders and understanding of what was achieved is still very much felt. It's always a pleasure to go there,' she said.

She also paid tribute to the veterans of the conflict, saying: 'Your courage and skill in battle was thoroughly tested and found to be exemplary. And this nation owes you all a huge debt of gratitude.'
National supermarket Co-op is teaming up with Microsoft to help eradicate food waste from their stores.

The major new platform will enable supermarkets, cafes and restaurants to connect with community groups and volunteers to redistribute surplus food.

The new technology platform, called Caboodle, is expected to save hundreds of thousands of tonnes of edible food from being needlessly thrown away.

The decision is another major boost to The Mail on Sunday's War On Food Waste campaign, which was launched last June with the aim of cutting by 30 per cent the amount of food being dumped in bins by households each week.

Caboodle, which will launch next month across 2,500 Co-op stores, will create a single place where food retailers and businesses across the hospitality sector can connect with volunteers and community groups in every city, town and village in the UK, helping to share food when and where it is needed.

Co-op and Microsoft and teamed up to help reduce food wastage, launching a new technology platform called Caboodle, is set to save hundreds of thousands of tonnes of edible food from being needlessly thrown away

The platform will also highlight volunteering opportunities through its online noticeboard.

People who want to volunteer to help redistribute food will be able to enter their postcode to find a local group they'd like to work with.

Shirine Khoury-Haq, Interim CEO of the Co-op said: 'The amount of good quality surplus food that's not currently being redistributed is astounding.

'We're currently trialing caboodle in over 100 food stores and the results we're seeing so far are incredible.

'We'll be rolling it out across our entire estate next month and hope that all other retailers and businesses within hospitality will see the benefit too.

'The more organisations that use Caboodle the simpler and more effective it will be for volunteers and community groups to gain access to good food.'

In the UK today, around 4 billion of food equating to 1.1 million tonnes goes to waste across supermarkets, manufacturers, restaurants, cafes and similar every year.

Last year dozens of Britain's biggest supermarkets, restaurants and food manufacturers pledged to slash their food waste by 30 per cent as part of a landmark environmental agreement.

In a major boost for this newspaper's War On Food Waste campaign, 47 of the country's leading food companies vowed to ramp up their own efforts.

Around 4billion of food equating to 1.1million tonnes goes to waste every year in the UK

They signed an agreement to help remove 580,000 tons of food waste from the retail, manufacturing and hospitality industries over the next nine years.

According to a Wrap progress report, UK food waste fell seven per cent between 2015 and 2018. But the 2030 commitment asks firms to cut another 31 per cent off the total edible food they waste.

Estelle Herszenhorn, food lead at WRAP, said: 'Surplus food redistribution has been a success story over recent years. 320,000 tonnes of food was saved from going to waste between 2015 and 2020 worth 1 billion, and providing the equivalent of 220 million meals. But much more good food is still going to waste that could feed people.

'Innovations like Caboodle that can help to overcome common barriers and ease redistribution of surplus food are really exciting and have the potential to make serious inroads into the 200,000 tonnes that WRAP estimates could still be redistributed.'
Over the weekend, a pride-month event at a Dallas LGBT club that invited children to perform alongside drag queens was welcomed with both indignation and encouragement.

On Saturday morning, the 'Drag The Kids To Pride' event was hosted at the Mr. Misster LGBT nightclub in North Dallas. Parents were urged to bring their children to the event, which included youngsters dancing with guys dressed in drag beneath a pink neon sign that said, "It's not going to lick itself."

'Drag The Kids to Pride' Sparks Outrage

Protesters were outraged when they arrived to picket the event, while the event's organizers and attendees justified the day as nothing more than a chance for individuals to celebrate who they are.

Parents are having children hand drag queens money pic.twitter.com/0Y43VMy9vF  Tayler Hansen  (@TaylerUSA) June 4, 2022

The contentious event occurs when arguments boil across the country about how gender identity and children should interact. Adults sat on stools around a long, narrow runway stage in the center of the room, according to photos and video from the event.

Drag queens in gowns and glittery leotards danced around the stage while parents sipped beverages with their children sat by their sides, at times urging the youngsters to stroll down the runway with them, according to Daily Mail. Protesters screamed, "Christ Is King" outside the location of the concert "Drag Your Kids To Pride," with others holding banners that said, "Stop grooming the youngsters" and "Stop exploiting kids," among other versions.

Parents are having children hand drag queens money pic.twitter.com/0Y43VMy9vF  Tayler Hansen  (@TaylerUSA) June 4, 2022

Protesters reportedly gathered in front of Mr. Misster at the intersection of Cedar Springs Road and Reagan Street before being forced by Dallas police officers to move across Reagan to the sidewalk in front of the fire station, holding posters and upset that children were involved with the drag show.

One of the protesters initially noticed the flyer advertising the event near her home. She was in the bar after the event, holding a placard that read, "Stop grooming the kids." Many individuals responded angrily to the entire situation.

Protect Texas Kids attempted to claim in a statement that Dallas Police personnel had taken the youngsters from the drag show. The goal was to increase awareness that an event like this, a drag performance for kids, was taking place right in Dallas. We also hoped that by raising awareness, the event would be canceled or changed so that children would be unable to attend, as per Meaww.

Read Also: Small-Scale Study Finds That Rectal Cancer Disappears After Experimental Use of Immunotherapy

Texas Urges To Ban Minors From Drag Shows

A Texas state representative revealed Monday his plan to pursue legislation prohibiting children from attending drag performances in the state. State Rep. Bryan Slaton, a Republican who represents a House seat just east of Dallas, stated in a news release that his proposed law comes after a video of youngsters watching a drag act at Mister Misster, a homosexual nightclub in North Dallas, went viral over the weekend.

A representative for Slaton's office told Fox News Digital that the state senator has had fruitful discussions about the idea with a number of his Republican colleagues and that he expects it to succeed when the Texas Legislature reconvenes.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE "DRAG THE KIDS TO PRIDE" EVENT IN DALLAS? LET US KNOW IN OUR POLL HERE!

Slaton has also spoken out against gender transition for youngsters, encouraging the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to designate mastectomies, chemical operations, and psychological therapy that supports non-biological sex as child abuse in August 2021.

Related Article: 'Vile and Satanic Attack' in Nigerian Catholic Church Results in at Least 50 Dead

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A woman is facing an attempted murder charge after she deliberately plowed her vehicle into her boyfriend and sent him flying through a bar in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

The startling incident unfolded when Lais Alves visited a watering hole in the Belo Horizonte neighborhood of Floramar on Friday night, according to news outlet G1.

The 33-year-old woman became inebriated after she downed four beers and six whiskey shots.

Lais Alves accelerates her car before plowing into her boyfriend and sending him flying into a bar in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Friday

Lais Alves is escorted by her boyfriend Andre after they argued at the bar because she did not want to leave after drinking four beers and six shots of whiskey

At one point, Alves declined to leave the bar and got into an argument with her 32-year-old boyfriend Andre, smashing a bottle over his arm and cutting him and also biting him on the chest.

Surveillance video showed Alves sitting with Andre at a sidewalk table as he was trying to push her off while she is holding the bottle.

After a brief struggle, Andre manages to get up and escorts Alves down the street.

Moments later, a group of customers steps out from the bar to separate them. Alves is spotted on the camera trying to go after Andre again and subsequently grabs a woman by the hair and slams her to the ground as the crowd restrains her.

Several minutes would pass when Alves is seen on camera shouting at Andre, who is sitting on a bar stool, and at another woman.

Andre is confronted by a group of bar customers in Brazil on Friday after he argued with his girlfriend Lais Alves , who had stuck him with a beer bottle and cut him on the arm moments before she deliberately drove her car into him while he was sitting in front of the watering hole

Surveillance camera captures the bizarre moment Lais Alves deliberately slams her vehicle into her 32-year-old boyfriend and sends him crashing into a bar in Brazil

Subsequently, Alves puts her car in reverse as if she is about to drive away, but she instead accelerates and slams into Andre, sending him crashing into the bar.

Shockingly enough, she drives further into the bar to crush Andre and then threatened him with a fake gun.

The Military Police responded to the incident and took the couple and a witness to the station house, where Alves was booked on charges of attempted murder and driving under the influence.

Alves remained in jail as of Monday night.
The mayor of Uvalde, Texas, held an emergency city council meeting on Tuesday afternoon to reissue the city's declaration of a local state of disaster in the wake of the Robb Elementary School shooting.

Conspicuously absent from the meeting were any law enforcement officers or detectives, including Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police chief Peter Arredondo, who has come under fire for his allegedly botched handling of the police response.

While answering questions from reporters, Mayor Don McLaughlin expressed frustration over being frozen out of investigations into the shooting that killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers on May 24, but said he has 'full confidence' in local police.

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin extended the city's declaration of a local state of disaster at an emergency city council meeting on Tuesday afternoon

McLaughlin took questions from reporters after the meeting, who grilled him on the police response to the shooting, and authorities' transparency in the aftermath

After a prayer and a recitation of the pledge of allegiance, the council voted unanimously to reissue the local state of disaster declaration, extending the city's access to state recovery services.

'It enables us to still have these state services here to get counselors here for these families, whatever they need,' McLaughlin said. 'Whatever assets these families need, or whatever assets are needed in the community, that we will have that ability to ask the state for it and it will be here.'

Alfred Garza III, the father of one of the victims of the mass shooting, attended the city council meeting

The Uvalde city council held a prayer and recited the pledge of allegiance at the start of the meeting

McLaughlin then began taking questions from reporters, who grilled him on authorities' transparency in the wake of the shooting.

'You have parents here in the room, they obviously aren't getting any answers either, is there anything the city can do?' a reporter asked.

'I'm asking every day, I promise you, I'm asking every day.'

Embattled police chief Peter Arredondo, who has been fingered as the man who told officers not to enter the room where the Salvador Ramos, 18, was holed up with students on May 24

When asked about Arredondo, McLaughlin admitted that he hadn't seen or spoken to the police chief in at least a week, and declined to answer a direct question about whether he had confidence in him.

'I'm not going to speak for Pete Arredondo,' he said, 'He'll have to speak for himself. I'm not going to go there.'

Reporters noted that Arredondo was not present at the meeting, but McLaughlin said that he did not make an effort to invite him.

McLaughlin assured reporters that everybody would be held accountable for any 'missteps' that happened during the shooting response.

'I don't know the missteps that went on. Whatever mistakes were made, whether it's our agency or any agency involved, everybody's going to be accountable and they're going to have to own whatever mistakes were made. We'll be transparent with that,' the mayor said.

A distraught couple on the day of the mass shooting at the Robb Elementary School that claimed the lives of 19 students and 2 teachers

Law enforcement at the perimeter of the Robb Elementary School after the mass shooting on May 24

Asked whether he thought it was acceptable that there hadn't been an official statement about the investigation from authorities in a week, McLaughlin said that he didn't.

'No, it's not,' McLaughlin said, explaining that though has been asking for briefings, he was not being involved in the investigation, 'I've asked everybody involved for a briefing at one point or another.'

'It's frustrating, but again I've been told I'm not law enforcement. But it makes me feel real frustrated. I am the mayor of this community, but I'm not a law enforcement officer and the last thing I want to do is jeopardize their investigation.'

The mayor insisted that despite his gripes, he stands by law enforcement.

'Let me be clear, I have the utmost confidence in Texas rangers.'
An Arizona man is suing American Airlines after being thrown in jail for two weeks for a crime he didn't commit because the airline wrongly named him as an airport shoplifter and gave his details to police.

Michael Lowe, who describes himself as a 'professional outdoorsman and guide' was flying from Dallas, Texas, to Reno, Nevada, on May 12, 2020, when a duty free store in the Dallas airport was burglarized by someone else who also had a ticket to his flight.

Surveillance footage from the airport showed the shoplifter boarding Flight #2248 after stealing from the store. As a result, police asked American Airlines to hand over a manifest of all of the passengers on the flight.

Instead of giving everyone's names, the airline only gave police Lowe's name, according to a lawsuit obtained by DailyMail.com.

An arrest warrant was issued but Lowe was unaware until the following July when, while at a friend's party in New Mexico, someone called the cops on the group.

When officers arrived and took everyone's names, the year-old arrest warrant out of Dallas pinged on the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database and he was arrested.

Michael Lowe, who describes himself as a 'professional outdoorsman and guide' was flying from Dallas, Texas, to Reno, Nevada, on May 12, 2020 (above) when a duty free store in the Dallas airport was burglarized by someone else who also had a ticket to his flight

The shoplifter is shown walking out of the duty free store on May 12 before boarding the flight

Lowe was then taken to the county jail in Tucumcari, New Mexico, and was held in a cell for 17 days before being released. Now, he is suing American Airlines for his ordeal.

In his lawsuit, his attorney Scott Palmer details how he was forced to strip naked, bend over and cough while being booked into custody.

He was then 'placed in a quarantine pod, the facilities contempt for the health, safety and well-being of its inmates was immediately obvious, as not a single staff member nor inmate wore a face covering,' the lawsuit says.

'During his 17 days of incarceration in the quarantine pod, Mr. Lowe was housed with gang members, habitual offenders and inmates who were in for violent offenses.

'To not attract attention to himself, Mr. Lowe avoided as much interaction with the other inmates as possible; as it was clear to him that he was at the bottom of the pecking order in the pod, Mr. Lowe only spoke when spoken to,' the lawsuit reads.

The shoplifter then boarded the same flight as Lowe (shown). When cops asked American Airlines for a passenger manifest to track him down, the airline gave them Lowe's name instead

The jail was so overcrowded that he was forced to sleep on the cold, concrete floor for many of the nights.

When he did get a bunk, he says his thin mattress had so many holes in it that it didn't retain air.

Lowe's attorneys say he had bruises on his hips until well after his release.

'The constant noise created by the other inmates also prevented Mr. Lowe from sleeping. Some inmates would bang on the walls and yell for hours on end.

'Another inmate, who was denied the medication needed to manage his psychiatric conditions, would scream random and incoherent church hymns throughout the night,' the lawsuit says.

Lowe claims in his lawsuit that he was completely unaware of why he was being charged for the duration of his incarceration.

He says he went before magistrate eight days after being thrown in jail but that it wasn't explained to him why he was there.

Finally on the 17th day, he says he was told unceremoniously that he could leave.

He then walked to a McDonald's where he boarded a Greyhound bus back to Flagstaff, Arizona - journey that took two days. He then hired an attorney.

Before the case went back to court, a Dallas Fort Worth Police Department detective named as Detective Torres compared Lowe's booking photo from the jail and compared it with the surveillance footage of the real shoplifter from the airport.

He then notified the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office that the charges were being dismissed.

Lowe is now seeking unspecified damages from American Airlines. He says he has been left scarred by the experience and struggles now to enjoy basic parts of life that he didn't before.

American has not yet responded to the lawsuit.

Lowe's attorney tells DailyMail.com he is seeking a 'significant' seven-figure settlement from the airline.

The true shoplifter was not named in the lawsuit and it's unclear if has been arrested but the lawsuit states the man in the surveillance footage was identified as the culprit by police.
The Democrats Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, may not be able to return to the campaign trail until July, according to his wife Gisele Fetterman, after he suffered a stroke days before his primary win.

'I think he deserves a month break to come back as strong as ever,' Gisele Fetterman said in an interview with CNN published Tuesday. 'This is going to be a tough race and a really important race. I want him to be fully ready for it.'

When asked if her husband would return to the campaign trail in July, she responded, 'I think so.'

The candidate admitted Friday that he 'almost died' after suffering a stroke just days before the commonwealths primary.

'The stroke I suffered on May 13 didn't come out of nowhere,' Fetterman said in a statement. 'Like so many others, and so many men in particular, I avoided going to the doctor, even though I knew I didn't feel well. As a result, I almost died.'

Gisele Fetterman (left) told CNN Tuesday that her husband Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (right) may not be able to return to the campaign trail until July after suffering a stroke days before he won the Democrats' Senate primary last month

Fetterman said the stroke was a result of a heart condition first diagnosed in 2017.

'Back in 2017, I had swollen feet and went to the hospital to get checked out. That's when I learned I had a heart condition. Then, I didn't follow up. I thought losing weight and exercising would be enough. Of course it wasn't,' he said.

Fetterman said he was prescribed blood thinner but 'didn't do what the doctor told me.'

He said his May 13 stroke would have been 'completely preventable' had he just stayed on the medication. Instead he was fitted with a pacemaker on election day.

'My cardiologist said that if I had continued taking the blood thinners, I never would have had a stroke,' Fetterman said.

'But I won't make that mistake again,' the current lieutenant governor pledged.

Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman, in a recent picture with his kids, admitted Friday that he 'almost died' after suffering a stroke just days before the commonwealth's primary

His campaign also released a letter for Dr. Ramesh Chandra, who was the one who diagnosed the Democrat in 2017 with atrial fibrillation

Fetterman's campaign also sent along a doctor's note from Dr. Ramesh Chandra, who was the one who diagnosed the Democrat in 2017 with atrial fibrillation.

'John did not go to any doctor for five years and did not continue taking his medications,' Chandra confirmed.

The doctor said Fetterman also has a condition called cardiomyopathy, which is why his medical team in Lancaster inserted the pacemaker.

'The prognosis I can give for John's heart is this: if he takes his medications, eats healthy, and exercises, he'll be fine,' Chandra continued. 'If he does what I've told him, and I do believe he is taking his recovery and his health very seriously at this time, he should be able to campaign and serve in the U.S. Senate without a problem.'

Fetterman and his doctor's statements came after reports out of the state suggested Democrats were getting jittery about his chances to win one of the year's most important Senate races, as he's still not indicated when he'll return to the campaign trail.

He's running to fill the seat occupied by retiring Republican Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey - one that Democrats think they can flip in an otherwise tough year.

He also joked in a tweet Friday that he couldn't be the wanted 'Pierogi burglar.' Pierogies are a Polish delicacy, popular in Western Pennsylvania

NBC News quoted an elected Pennsylvania Democrat for a story Thursday who said, 'A lot of Democratic Party types are very nervous about it.'

That official said that Fetterman needed to be transparent about what was going on with his health.

Recent tweets showed Fetterman and his wife Gisele stopping in Somerset, Pennsylvania on May 22 en route home to Braddock from the Lancaster-area hospital he'd been since his May 13 stroke.

He also joked in a tweet Friday that he couldn't be the wanted 'Pierogi burglar.' Pierogies are a Polish delicacy, popular in Western Pennsylvania.

'Don't look at me, my alibi is rock solid. I've been resting + recovering at home in Braddock,' he wrote.

But for state Democrats, the situation had gotten so worrisome that some were refreshing their knowledge of state ballot-replacement law, NBC reported.

That deadline is in August.

'Doctors have told me I need to continue to rest, eat healthy, exercise, and focus on my recovery, and that's exactly what I'm doing,' Fetterman said Friday. 'It will take some more time to get back on the campaign trail like I was in the lead-up to the primary.'

'It's frustrating  all the more so because this is my own fault  but bear with me, I need a little more time. I'm not quite back to 100 per cent yet, but I'm getting closer every day' he continued.

'This race is so important for Pennsylvania and for the country. Im going to be ready for it, and I cant wait to get back on the trail,' Fetterman added.

Fetterman will be on the general election ballot against either Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is backed by former President Donald Trump and officially won his primary on Friday, after rival Dave McCormic conceded in the nail-biter GOP race.
More than half the migrants scheduled for the first Rwanda charter flight have lodged legal challenges, the Daily Mail can reveal today.

The Home Office has selected 130 individuals for next Tuesdays operation under a 120million asylum deal with the east African nation.

But lawyers for around 80 of them have already submitted legal challenges asking to stay in the UK.

And Home Office officials expect the remaining 50 will do so this week.

Most of the claims rely on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights  the right to private and family life  or involve allegations of modern slavery. Under laws introduced by Theresa May when she was home secretary, foreign nationals who claim work exploitation can halt immigration procedures against them for 45 days pending an investigation.

Journeys end? Migrants are brought into Dover by Border Guard staff yesterday

A Home Office insider said: As predicted, specialist immigration lawyers are pulling every trick in the book and exploiting every possible loophole to get their clients off the flight. Every single person due to be relocated could and should have claimed asylum in a country they passed through, instead of coming to the UK illegally.

PEOPLE SMUGGLERS USE PAPRIKA RUSE People traffickers used paprika to throw Home Office sniffer dogs off the scent of stowaway migrants. Akan Brayan, of Nottingham, and Dylan Shwani, of Lincoln, were found guilty of recruiting drivers to hide migrants in hired vans before smuggling them into the UK. The spice was found on a van floor to confuse search dogs, a Home Office spokesman said. The pair, both 37, smuggled 31 migrants including seven children and a pregnant woman between 2016 and 2018. The men were sentenced to seven years in prison at Nottingham Crown court. Advertisement

Priti wont back down though, and government lawyers will be working around the clock to try and defeat as many of these barriers as possible, while changes through the Nationality and Borders Act will help drive down the merry-go-round of claims.

All those being selected for the removals flight are apparently being held in detention centres to stop them absconding.

The news came as the number of Channel migrants to have arrived from northern France so far this year surged beyond 10,000.

An estimated 80  including four small children pictured holding their teddy bears  were escorted into Dover by Border Force officials yesterday.

Revised figures from the Ministry of Defence show that 9,941 migrants have reached the UK in small boats since January 1, not including yesterdays arrivals.

A record 28,526 made the crossing in 2021, compared with 8,466 the previous year, 1,843 in 2019 and 299 in 2018, according to official figures. This years running total is more than double that reached at this point last year.

The Rwanda scheme will see irregular migrants  those who arrived by small boats or in the back of lorries  handed a one-way ticket to the Rwandan capital Kigali. They will claim asylum there instead of in Britain, with a support package from the UK.

The Home Office had been prioritising irregular migrants who arrived since May 1 for the inaugural flight, which was due to take off on Tuesday from a secret location.

No more migrants can now be selected because they must have five working days of notice.
Police have arrested a man who was seen on surveillance video tossing a 52-year-old woman onto the subway tracks in the Bronx in a random attack on Sunday.

The suspect has been identified as Theodore Ellis, 30, of the Bronx, who faces charges of assault and reckless endangerment, an NYPD spokesperson told DailyMail.com.

Ellis told police that was drunk and he 'didn't realize his strength' when he threw woman onto subway tracks, ABC7 News reported.

The victim, whose name was not released, suffered a broken collarbone, and many cuts and bruises.

She was rushed to Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, and was said to be in stable condition. It is unclear if the victim is still at the hospital.

The incident happened around 4.40pm on Sunday.

In surveillance video, Ellis approached the woman from behind, grabbed her with both hands and forcefully threw her towards the tracks.

The victim hit the platform before falling onto the train lines.

Police said Ellis doesn't remember what the woman said to him prior to the attack.

Theodore Ellis, 30, allegedly pushed a woman onto the subway tracks in The Bronx on June 7. He was arrested Tuesday after an eagle-eyed MTA worker recognized him from a wanted poster and flagged down cops

He is suspected of randomly shoving a woman onto subway tracks in The Bronx

Ellis has a lengthy rap sheet going back to 2009 that includes eight prior arrests

At the time of the incident, there was no train approaching the station, and other commuters were able to help the woman get back onto the platform.

An NYPD spokesperson told DailyMail.com that Ellis' rap sheet dates back to 2009 with charges that include criminal possession of marijuana, assault, torture and injury of not feeding animal, aggravated harassment, obstruction of governmental administration (OJA), forgery, and possession of a forged instrument.

The attack is the latest of many to have occurred in the New York subway system recently, despite Mayor Eric Adams promising to crack down on crime.

Transit crime in New York has sky rocketed in 2022 compared to 2021, with a 57.5 per cent increase.

Last Wednesday a man had his wrist slashed and arteries severed in the Bronx subway following an argument over loud music, according to a criminal complaint.

And just over a week ago a violent thug pulled out a knife on a man in the subway at Atlantic Avenue, after a 'dispute' and then stabbed him multiple times in the head and torso.

The suspect is seen approaching the victim from behind on the platform at Jackson Avenue station, moments before he throws her onto the tracks

Unprovoked, he grabs and then throws the 52-year-old woman directly onto the subway tracks

The woman falls heavily onto the tracks, breaking her collar bone

The suspect then calmly walks away while other bystanders rush to help the woman

The 43-year-old victim was taken to the hospital in a stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery, while the attacker, who was wearing a Supreme beanie, is still on the run.

Last month, a Goldman Sachs worker Daniel Enriquez was killed after being randomly shot in the head on his way to Sunday brunch.

The attacker, Andrew Abdullah, had no motive and shot him in full view of other passengers before walking off the train at the next station.

He remained on the run for days before he turned himself in with the help of a Brooklyn minister.

And in April, subway shooter Frank James was on the run for two days despite being the most wanted man in the city.

The man pictured stabbed another man multiple times in the head and torso on the New York subway. The attacker is shown walking out of the subway after the attack on Sunday May 29

Daniel Enriquez (pictured) was shot and killed in a random attack on the subway in New York last month. He had originally planned to take an Uber, but decided to take the subway instead due to the ride-sharing platform's surge pricing

Frank James (pictured) was charged with a federal terrorism offense over claims he opened fire on a packed subway train in Brooklyn in April, shooting 10 and injuring 23

Overall crimes have risen nearly 40 percent since last year, though murders and shooting incidents remain down

Mayor Eric Adams (pictured) has been heavily criticized, especially by families of victims, for failing to crack down on crime in New York

New York Mayor Eric Adams, who was an ex-cop elected on a promise to stop crime in the city, has been slammed along with the NYPD for their failure to do so.

According to NYPD data, while murders and shooting are down 9.9 and 7.9 per cent, respectively, from last year, overall crime is up nearly 40 per cent so far in 2022.

That includes a whopping 40 per cent rise in robberies, a 19 per cent increase in felony assaults and a 14.8 per cent increase in rapes.

Transit crimes are up the highest, though, at 57.5 per cent - with 907 reported through May 22, 2022, compared to 576 reported at the same time last year.

Yesterday Mayor Adams fumed at prosecutors and judges for cutting loose suspected shooters, allowing them to unleash more gunfire in New York saying the 'bad guys no longer take them seriously.'

During a news conference with NYPD officials in Brooklyn, Adams praised cops for being 'laser-focused on the shooters' and making arrests but demanded that 'the other team must do their part.'

'The courts have to prosecute. Judges have to make sure they stay in,' he said.

'Everyone has to do their part. If not, they go out and come back.
An Arizona teenager has been arrested after police said he made online threats to commit a mass shooting and expressed admiration for the deadly school massacre in Uvalde, Texas.

Joshua Adam Bowen, 19, was arrested on Sunday in Casa Grande on charges of making a terrorist threat. He is being held in the Pinal County jail in lieu of a $150,000 bond.

The Casa Grande Police Department said in a statement the FBI first alerted local cops to online comments made by Bowen.

Police say that Bowen made various threats to harm people by committing mass shootings at a local high school, police station, and movie theater.

Joshua Adam Bowen, 19, was arrested on Sunday in Casa Grande on charges of making a terrorist threat after allegedly boasting online of plans to shoot up a school

He also allegedly threatened family and friends and praised the recent school shooting in Uvalde, where 19 kids and two teachers were killed in the deadliest US school shooting in nearly a decade.

Cops say they placed Bowen under surveillance after getting the FBI tip and took him into custody without incident.

Investigators admitted that they did not find Bowen in possession of any weapons at the time of his arrest, but claim to have information that leads them to believe he may have access to firearms.

'There is no doubt in my mind this individual was intent on hurting people and, ultimately would have found a way to do it,' said Casa Grande Chief of Police Mark McCrory.

'Fortunately, we have great support at the local, state, and national level to identify these threats and in this instance these relationships functioned exactly as they should, and we were able to work together to stop a serious threat to our community,' he added.

The police chief noted that the investigation into Bowen was first launched based on a tip from a concerned citizen.

It follows a wave of sick copycat threats after the deadly May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde. A memorial is seen outside the school above

'We are not immune to the issues we see across our country, but our department will be diligent in investigating all threats and will continue to encourage citizens to report this type of behavior to law enforcement.'

The case has been forwarded to the Pinal County Attorney's Office for a charging decision.

It follows a wave of sick copycat threats after the deadly May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde.

In an updated advisory on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security warned of potential copycat attacks.

'Individuals in online forums that routinely promulgate domestic violent extremist and conspiracy theory-related content have praised the May 2022 mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas and encouraged copycat attacks,' the DHS advisory said.

'Others have seized on the event to attempt to spread disinformation and incite grievances, including claims it was a government-staged event meant to advance gun control measures.'
Oksana Krasnova smiles when I ask if she enjoys her job as we sit talking in a simple white farmhouse surrounded by vivid yellow rape fields and dense woodland. 'Yes, of course,' she says.

The 27-year-old, with her neatly plaited hair and ready grin, compares her work to meditation: 'You are lying down, you are resting, you are breathing, you are looking around, you are listening.'

It sounds blissful. But then there is another loud artillery bang. And Oksana explains the lethal objectives of her task in the battlefields of eastern Ukraine: 'If there is a chance and a need for it, I kill.'

For she is a sniper. Oksana is one of the elite Ukrainian fighters who must ignore the ferocity of Russia's bombardment while hiding in bushes, trenches and woodland to set her sights on enemy soldiers who might be hundreds of metres away.

Sitting beside us quietly is her husband Stanislas, who is also a sniper and part of the same Ukrainian army unit which is fighting in the savage struggle for control of the Donbas region that has been described as 'hell' by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Oksana and Stanislav Krasnov Both Oksana and Stanislav are pictured with their assault weapons

Oksana is one of the elite Ukrainian fighters who must ignore the ferocity of Russia's bombardment while hiding in bushes, trenches and woodland to set her sights on enemy soldiers who might be hundreds of metres away. Sitting beside us quietly is her husband Stanislas, who is also a sniper and part of the same Ukrainian army unit which is fighting in the savage struggle for control of the Donbas region that has been described as 'hell' by President Volodymyr Zelensky

Ivan Sosnin, 19, walks next to his destroyed house in the city of Lysychansk at the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7, 2022 (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

These specialist soldiers, trained to carry out secretive missions deep into enemy terrain, are few in number, highly skilled and can spread fear with sudden strikes.

They play a key role in destroying Russian morale, gathering information and disrupting operations.

In Soviet military mythology, snipers were idolised as icons of courage in the fight against the Nazis. Vasily Zaitsev, hailed for 225 kills during the 1942 Battle of Stalingrad, was portrayed by Jude Law in the film Enemy At The Gates.

Oksana and Stanislas, perched on the makeshift beds of their military unit here in the farmhouse, play down any movie-style heroism.

Smoke and dirt rise from shelling in the city of Severodonetsk during fight between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7, 2022 (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukrainian troops fire with a surface-to-surface rockets Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) towards Russian positions in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7, 2022 (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia claimed today it has 'liberated' 97 per cent of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraine's Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories

However, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday Ukraine will fight to recover all its territory occupied by Russian forces. Pictured: Zelensky at the frontline in eastern Ukraine

But just outside there is a big hole in the ground, left by a massive Russian bomb that was dropped in a bid to destroy their close-knit team.

Neither will say how many people they have slain or missions they have carried out in this hideous war.

'There are people that like to brag about killing huge numbers but in many cases it is just not true. So I won't discuss this,' says Oksana.

'When looking at a target I think about my breathing, my calculations. You do not need to think about your target as a person. You just do your job, and you need to do your job well. You need to be chilled, focused.'

Intense fighting in the eastern region of Ukraine has left many homes destroyed. Pictured: A destroyed house in the city of Lysychansk at the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7

A man stands at his destroyed house as a rocket is nailed on a bed in the city of Lysychansk at the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7, 2022 (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

The couple met through mutual friends at a book launch shortly before joining the pro-democracy protests that flared up across Ukraine nine years ago. Both were injured in the subsequent crackdown by Russia-linked security forces.

As Stanislas, now 35, lay recovering in a Kyiv hospital from gunshot wounds to his legs, he had to watch from a distance as his home region of Crimea was seized by Vladimir Putin.

A childhood friend of Stanislas's then became the first fatality in this conflict.

'That was when I knew that this is a real war with real blood being spilled  and that the Russians are really here to kill,' he says. 'I hate the Russian government.'

When the war erupted soon afterwards in Donbas, the former police officer  having recovered from his injuries  joined the Ukrainian volunteer forces fighting Putin-backed separatists. He took part in one of the most brutal battles in Donetsk towards the end of 2014.

Ukrainian troops fire with a surface-to-surface MLRS towards Russian positions in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7 (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

While the Kremlin's forces have superior firepower, the Ukrainian defenders are entrenched and have shown the ability to counterattack

Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. They are among a few cities and towns in the Luhansk region still holding out against the Russian invasion, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces

While insisting on Ukraine's need to defeat Russia on the battlefield, Zelensky said at a Financial Times conference Tuesday that he is still open to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin

He also lamented that Western sanctions 'have not really influenced the Russian position,' the FT reported

Now Stanislas has re-joined the armed forces after he and his wife both suspended their doctorate studies in criminal law  as well as their human rights work  to take up arms against Putin's latest all-out attack.

Stanislas, a crack shot after training for several years as a teenager at a specialist school for potential Olympic athletes in Crimea, helped Oksana learn the skills of marksmanship. 'His sniping is brilliant and he trained me well,' she says.

Stanislas explains that shooting at competition level was his hobby for many years.

'It just happened that these skills came in handy during the war. Sport shooting is not exactly like being a sniper but it definitely helps a lot. I take sniping as a kind of sport. I need to hit the target as close to the centre as possible. That's it.

'If there is opportunity, and you see the infantry of the enemy, you need to kill them. Sniping is a very effective profession.'

Stanislas admits to making one successful shot at more than 700 metres (765 yards) in April, although adds modestly: 'Firing at a distance of more than 600 metres is something of a lottery. The main problem is the wind.'

A civilian militia man holds a shotgun and a rifle during training at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Civilian militia men hold shotguns during training at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A rifle is seen on the grass as civilian militia men train at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

He shows me how they use mobile phone apps in the field to help calculate the trajectory of shots, feeding in details such as distance, humidity, temperature and wind speed  all of which can hugely affect the flight of a bullet over long range.

The couple do not go on missions together since Stanislas has other roles, including as a field commander and firing rocket-propelled grenades.

As it is, snipers are trained to operate alone  to individually, covertly infiltrate areas, send back observations of enemy positions and mount precision attacks on infantry.

Ruslan Shpakovych, the leading Ukrainian army sniping instructor, claims the country's top snipers are proving more effective in battle than their Russian rivals, who are hampered by their lower- quality equipment.

The Ukrainian snipers' 'main goal is not just to shoot and hit, but watching and gathering information. The good sniper is not just the soldier that kills one person but the one that passes information about the enemy position to their unit,' says Shpakovych.

Civilian militia men hold shotguns during training at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A civilian militia man holds a shotgun and a rifle during training at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 7 (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A civilian militia man holds a rifle during training at a shooting range in outskirts Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 7 (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Stanislas has just returned from a mission taking him within 400 yards of enemy lines. He says they often end up closer to the Russians now than in previous stages of the war in Kyiv and Kharkiv  although he could not see them in their trenches on his last rotation to the nearby forward front line.

He does show me photographs, however, of their position along a line of trees beside fields riddled with holes from the intense Russian bombardment that is leading to heavy Ukrainian casualties.

'It looks like the enemy does not care about their loss of men so they just keep sending in more and more people.

'There are hundreds of dead bodies lying in the fields. No one picks them up so it stinks of rotting flesh,' he says.

Later, as we walked along the trenches, Oksana explains to me how snipers clamber over the top and dig holes in which to lie and await their prey, sometimes for many hours.

Although about one in five members of Ukraine's armed forces is a woman, Oksana is not bothered about being the sole female in this military unit.

'It does not matter if you are a man or woman  it is normal for Ukrainians to defend their country,' she says.

But when the war is over, Oksana says she and Stanislas plan to put down their guns and resume more typical lives. 'We have five cats now but after the victory we will have five kids.'
President Joe Biden looked into a crowd at the White House Tuesday and could only see Joe Manchin, the man who helped tank his Build Back Better agenda but could still help him salvage major legislation.

'I need glasses,' Biden joked at the start of a bill signing in the East Room.

'When I look out, the only thing I see is Joe Manchin  hey Joe, how are ya? God, I wish I had Joe's hair,' Biden said, buttering up the West Virginia Democrat over his abundant mane.

Last year, Manchin was a fixture inside the White House  as Biden and his aides tried again and again to bring him on board for a $1.8 trillion program filled with key Democratic priorities, from climate legislation to take hikes on the wealthy and corporations.

He was one of two votes, along with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's (D-Ariz.), that Biden needed and courted in the failed effort to move a package under special budget reconciliation rules.

'Hey Joe, how are ya?' President Joe Biden complimented West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin during an event at the White House Tuesday

The effort isn't entirely dead, with Manchin now negotiating with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) over salvaging a package with a focus on climate, health care, and deficit reduction.

One item under discussion would wring budget savings by allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies for lower prices.

On Sunday, the Washington Post ran a feature titled 'How the White House lost Joe Manchin and its plan to transform America.

But Manchin isn't only lobbing criticism at the White House, even after finding myriad ways to say no to proposals during negotiations.

Days ago he spoke in favor of an assault weapons ban and said it 'makes sense' to raise the age for buying an assault rifle from 18 to 21.

President Joe Biden, right, gives a pen to Matthew Thomas, lower left, son of the late Marine Corps veteran Kate Hendricks Thomas, after he used it to sign a bill into law named after her during an event in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, June 7.

Manchin was a regular visitor to the White House during fraught negotiations over Build Back Better

Biden complimented Manchin on his hair

US Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), US Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), US Representative Blake Moore (R-UT), US Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) joined Biden at the ceremony

Senior Airman Frances Gavalis, 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron equipment manager, tosses unserviceable uniform items into a burn pit. Military uniform items turned in must be burned to ensure they cannot be used by opposing forces. Biden signed a new law that provides additional medical screening for veterans

The issue that brought Manchin and other lawmakers to the White House. Biden signed nine pieces of legislation into law, including one that provided better access to screening like mammograms for veterans who were exposed to noxious burn bits during the second Gulf War.

Biden has said exposure to burn pits may have contributed to his son Beau's death from brain cancer.

Biden pointed to another bill where he had a personal connection, one that named a VA clinic being build in Oahu after the late Hawaii Senator Daniel Akaka. Biden served for years with Akaka, who served in World War II and was the first native Hawaiian to serve in the Senate.

Another bill he signed provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II.
Dozens of trains on Londons new Elizabeth Line have faults which whistleblowers claim could injure or even kill people.

The Daily Mail can reveal that around 70 trains are fitted with metal boxes near the passenger doors, which are at risk of exploding from a build-up of gas. Insiders say the boxes metal doors  weighing 15lbs (7kg)  can be blown off at any moment.

They fear that such an event could cause serious injury if it were to hit someone while a train was travelling at speed past them. A door is said to have blown off one train during testing on the line last month.

The trains builders, Alstom, last night admitted there was a potential fault but denied they posed a risk. It said detailed risk assessments supported keeping the trains in service.

But an internal memo to Alstom staff reveals engineers have been warned not to go near the boxes, which contain electrical converters to power the trains, while working on carriages in depots.

The Daily Mail can reveal that around 70 trains are fitted with metal boxes near the passenger doors, which are at risk of exploding from a build-up of gas. Pictured: Moment metal box near doors explodes on an affected London Overground train

The trains builders, Alstom, last night admitted there was a potential fault but denied they posed a risk. It said detailed risk assessments supported keeping the trains in service

It says engineers walking past the devices while trains are switched on is permissible if no other option is available. It adds: However, make sure you are as far away from the converter as possible, do not loiter by the converter, walk as quickly past as possible, take no longer than four seconds to pass.

It continues: If there is a choice of routes, a route not passing a converter should always be used.

A whistleblower told the Mail: Its odd that its enough of a risk to employees for them to implement safety precautions, but not to customers.

If the trains are passing through stations at 100mph or crossings where there are people and one of the doors comes off, its a 7kg lump of metal that could cause chaos and wipe quite a few people out.

It is the latest controversy to hit the 18.9billion line, which opened last month nearly four years late and 4billion over budget.

It was due to be completed in December 2018 and was set a budget of 14.8billion in 2010. The line, which began running last month, will still not fully open until next year. It is also not currently operating on Sundays.

The line, which had been known as Crossrail during construction, was renamed in honour of the Queen, who visited Paddington station in west London to celebrate the completion of the project alongside Boris Johnson and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

The Elizabeth Line stretches from Reading and Heathrow to Abbey Wood in south-east London and Shenfield in Essex, via tunnels under central London.

It is believed explosions could be caused by gas building up inside the faulty boxes.

One theory is that the gas is ignited by heat from within, causing an explosion.

A whistleblower told the Mail: Its odd that its enough of a risk to employees for them to implement safety precautions, but not to customers'

The boxes are fitted diagonally below the passenger doors, meaning they are below platform level when pulling into stations, so are unlikely to pose a danger while trains are stopping in stations. At least 350 of the boxes are fitted on the 70 affected trains.

It is understood that a further 70 trains used by operator Greater Anglia on services in and out of London from East Anglia are also affected, along with 54 London Overground trains.

A recent fire caught on CCTV of an Overground train is feared to be linked to the boxes.

A spokesman for Alstom said the boxes posed no risk to passengers using our Aventra trains, or on station platforms.

They added: Mitigating even the smallest risk for our depot maintenance staff is our absolute priority, which is why we have proactively introduced a temporary maintenance procedure pending the rollout of a modified component in the next few weeks.

A spokesman for Transport for London, which runs the Elizabeth Line, said Alstom assure us that [the potential fault] poses no risk to our customers. They added: This assessment has been supported by industry experts.
Zelensky has criticized Berlin in shrill rants over Germany's refusal to give in to his demands, but lack of trust is the issue.

Another is that Germany does not want a repeat of the invasion of Russia in World War Two with their tanks involved, said Der Speigel.

German Pressured To Send Arms to Ukraine

According to unnamed officials, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government is worried that if Ukraine manages to win more than one stunning victory, that will become overly confident and initiates an intrusion into Russian territory, reported RT.

A similar development would imply that German tanks will again be within Russia, Der Spiegel stated on Friday, referring to Nazi Germany's 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union.

There is no way that Germany will even think that Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will keep his word; he will likely be tempted to test Vladimir Putin's red line. This is why their defense industry will deliver tanks that will worsen tensions, despite Kyiv's tantrums.

Countries that have given tanks to Ukraine are Poland and the Czech Republic, but the US, UK, and France have begged off.

Even though a tank embargo never was addressed at the NATO level, an informal deal was reached between Washington, London, and Paris, according to sources, that Berlin would not deliver the arms shipments to Ukraine for historical reasons, noted Alahed News.

Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency?

Chancellor Scholz is the target of pro-Zelensky politicians and analysts who are pressuring him to help a Ukraine government that cannot be trusted.

Also, these sold on Kyiv say that the Chancellor has been forced into military aid for a regime that has allegedly made-up propaganda they are winning; that only reinforces that these arms are not fully utilized.

Despite what critics say of Germany, Kyiv was given lighter arms and lessened shipment over a period since late February. Welt am Sonntag stated that two shipments were between March 30 and May 26, noted Politico.

Germany Delays Arms Delivery

Germany declared the shipment of heavy weapons, such as 30 Gepard anti-aircraft vehicles, seven Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzers, and four MARS II multiple-launch rocket systems, although they have yet to turn up.

Scholz said that his government will be sending one unit of ultra-modern IRIS-T air defense systems but does not have it ready for delivery due to a problem with the manufacturer. A report said Kyiv might have it by November while Russia is gaining more territory.

The outlet said that German intelligence thinks the Ukrainian forces will be routed and defeated in the Donbas as they are losing now and that Putin will control that area by August.

President Zelensky is getting desperate as Russia advances, and the military losses will impact him and the cabal supporting him.

If Ukraine implemented the Minsk agreement, that should have given the DPR and LPR special status, as negotiated by France and Germany. Vladimir Putin will not have ordered the special mission, and no energy or food insecurity will happen.

Keeping neutrality as the Kremlin demanded would avoid the turmoil of western aggression against Moscow. But worse is that Ukraine says it would not have attacked the Donetsk and Lugansk when the Russians alleged evidence.

Berlin denies Zelensky these arms shipments of heavy weapons that might be used to pull Germany into a repeat of the invasion of Russia in the 1940s; Scholz doubts the Ukrainian leader.

Related Article: Moscow Reports Ukraine Neo-Nazis Uses Civilians as Human Shields in Donetsk and Lugansk Republics After the Battle of Mariupol

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Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley have been found guilty of running yearslong fraud conspiracy and hiding their money from IRS.

A federal jury in Atlanta, Georgia convicted the 'Chrisley Knows Best' reality TV couple on Tuesday. They face up to 30 years in prison and will be sentenced at a later date.

Todd Chrisley was found guilty of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and tax fraud.

The TV star has been married for 26 years to Julie, with whom he shares five children: Lindsie, 32; Kyle, 30; Chase, 25; Savannah, 24; and Grayson, 16.

Julie Chrisley was found guilty of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, tax fraud, wire fraud.

Their former attorney Peter Tarantino was also convicted Tuesday. He was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States and willfully filing false tax returns.

Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley have been found guilty of running yearslong fraud conspiracy and hiding their money from IRS

Todd and his wife Julie are pictured at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas in 2017

The Chrisleys were initially indicted in August 2019 and a new indictment was filed in February of this year. Their trial began about three weeks ago, and a jury found the pair guilty of all charges Tuesday, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Atlanta. They will be sentenced at a later date.

Bruce Morris, an attorney for Todd Chrisley, said he was disappointed with the verdict and expects to appeal.

Prosecutors alleged that the Chrisleys submitted fake documents to banks when applying for loans.

They said Julie Chrisley also submitted a false credit report and fake bank statements when trying to rent a house in California, and then the couple refused to pay rent a few months after they started using the home.

They used a film production company they controlled to hide income to keep the IRS from collecting unpaid taxes owed by Todd Chrisley, prosecutors said.

The family is best known for their reality show Chrisley Knows Best, which started in 2014 and is currently still on. Pictured: Todd, daughter Savannah, wife Julie, sons Chase and Kyle, his mother Faye and granddaughter Chloe

After they were found guilty, U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross allowed the Chrisleys to remain free on bond.

But she placed them on location monitoring and home detention, meaning they can only leave the house for certain reasons, including work, medical appointments and court appearances.

Their accountant, Peter Tarantino, meanwhile, is charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the US

They also have to alert their probation officers to any spending over $1,000, according to the order entered Tuesday.

Peter Tarantino, an accountant hired by the couple, was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and willfully filing false tax returns.

He was found guilty on all counts, the U.S. attorney's office in Atlanta said. He also remains free on bond.

'Chrisley Knows Best' follows the tight-knit, boisterous Chrisley family. The series was just renewed by USA for a 10th season, while spinoff 'Growing Up Chrisley,' featuring Chrisley kids Chase and Savannah living in Los Angeles, was just renewed by E! for a fourth season.

The trial began in mid-May, just days after E! announced that it was moving forward with a new dating series, 'Love Limo,' hosted by Todd Chrisley.

During the trial, it was revealed that Todd Chrisley had a gay affair with his business partner who helped him commit fraud before tipping off cops after their romance went sour.

Chrisley shacked up with Mark Braddock in the early 2000s before breaking it off, a judge in Atlanta was told.

Braddock testified that after the affair ended the pair stayed friends and formed a 'brotherhood.'

Braddock, who had to tell his own wife about the affair before testifying, turned the Chrisleys into the FBI for tax fraud and told the jury he did not want to be talking about his affair. Braddock has also been granted immunity.

After the affair ended, while Chrisley's former flame worked at Chrisley Asset Management, he claims an anonymous source sent text messages threatening to expose the relationship and his boss' fraud.

The alleged texts said: 'Pay cash and we'll shut up.'

Todd Chrisley and Braddock ended up paying their blackmailer $38,000, which Braddock withdrew from the bank in four $9,500 payments, before meeting Todd Chrisley in a parking garage.

He handed over the large amounts of cash 'in a little bag' for Todd Chrisley to pay the blackmailer, he testified on Tuesday.

After the Chrisleys were accused by the FBI of tax evasion, Braddock told jurors his feelings for Todd Chrisley convinced him to help them commit fraud, he testified.

The former employee created fake tax documents for the reality star and submitted them to banks and impersonated Todd Chrisley in emails and phone calls, Insider reported.

After the two had a falling out, Braddock reportedly wanted to get back at his former lover and created fake email accounts to report the Chrisleys' criminal behavior to government and news agencies.

Both Chrisleys were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and tax fraud

In his opening statements, Chrisley's lawyer Bruce Morris accused Braddock of thinking he was Todd Chrisley and had an 'obsession' with him.

Braddock has denied these claims. He also said the only time he'd been with a man was with Todd Chrisley.

Chrisley had publicly addressed rumors about his sexuality in 2017, telling the Domenick Nati Show that the rumors didn't 'bother' him.

He didn't deny claims he is gay.

'In order for it to disappoint me, it would mean that I don't agree with someone being gay.

'I don't believe that's a choice that you make. I believe that you are the way that God has made you,' he said on the show at the time.

'I'm flattered that people think I can get laid on both ends. So, that doesn't bother me.

'And my wife certainly is flattered that as many men want her husband as there are women.

'With that being said, I'm never going to have a drought. You on the other hand might. But Todd will never have a drought.'
Two Britons captured by Russian troops fighting in Ukraine have appeared in a rebel court in territory occupied by pro-Putin rebels.

Ex-care worker Aiden Aslin, 28, and Royal Anglian Regiment veteran Shaun Pinner, 48, were captured in mid-April while fighting in the besieged port city of Mariupol.

The pair are charged with being mercenaries amid fears that the court, which is not internationally recognised, could pass the death penalty if they are convicted.

Footage has emerged showing the two men appearing in the court alongside a third defendant - Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim.

The video shows Mr Aslin and Mr Pinner, who were both able to stand unaided, speaking only to confirm they are aware of the charges against them and are happy for the case to proceed in the absence of witness evidence, the BBC reports.

Russia's state-owned RIA news agency said on Sunday that an investigation had found Mr Aslin had taken part in 'the armed aggression of Ukraine to forcibly seize power in the republic for a reward.'

Shaun Pinner (left) and Aiden Aslin (right), who had been serving in the Ukrainian marines, were captured by Putin's troops in the city of Mariupol in April

Brit fighter Mr Pinner was paraded on Russian television looking clean-shaven with no visible wounds following his capture

Mr Aslin was also shown in a video on Russian state television after being captured fighting in Mariupol

The announcement from the DPR Prosecutor General's Office, which was posted to Telegram, said Mr Aslin had been charged with four separate offences: Committing a crime as part of a criminal group; forcible seizure of power or forcible retention of power; being a mercenary; and the promotion of training in terrorist activities.

And separatist president Denis Pushilin on Monday claimed 'the crimes they committed were monstrous', according to separatist news agency DAN.

It comes after a prosecutor for the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic last month smirked as he informed a TV crew that the British hostages could be executed.

Mr Aslin and Mr Pinner were members of regular Ukrainian military units in Mariupol.

The family of Mr Aslin today said they are working with the Foreign Office and Ukrainian government to get him home.

In a statement released through the Foreign Office, they described him as a 'much-loved man and very much missed'.

They continued: 'We, the family of Aiden Aslin, wish to ask for privacy at this time from the media.

'This is a very sensitive and emotional time for our family, and we would like to say thank you to all that have supported us.

'We are currently working with the Ukrainian government and the Foreign Office to try and bring Aiden home. Aiden is a much-loved man and very much missed, and we hope that he will be released very soon.

Mr Aslin (pictured left) moved to Ukraine after falling for his now-wife Diane (pictured right), who is originally from the city of Mykolaiv - found about 260 miles west of Mariupol, along the coast

Shaun Pinner, 48, was serving as a Marine in Ukraine, defending the key strategic port of Mariupol

Dominic Raab has said the Foreign Office will 'make all the representations' on Mr Aslins behalf.

Speaking on Monday, he told LBC: 'In relation to that case, I dont know all the details, but of course we would expect the laws of armed conflict to be respected, and we will make sure that we will make all the representations.

'I know the Foreign Office will be looking at making sure all those representations are made.'

A former care worker, Mr Aslin moved to Ukraine after falling for his now-wife Diane, who is originally from the city of Mykolaiv - found about 260 miles west of Mariupol, along the coast.

He had previously travelled to Syria in 2015 to fight for the Kurds in a western-backed alliance against ISIS, and he made headlines on his return to the UK in 2016 when he was arrested and charged with terrorism offences. All charges were later dropped.

Aslin then returned to Syria in 2017 to help in the fight to re-take the city of Raqqa, which had been the de-facto capital of ISIS's terror-state.

After being arrested in the UK a second time trying to return from Syria via Greece, Aslin moved to Ukraine after falling for Diane.

Having heard about the fight against Russia in Donbas from Ukrainian volunteers in Syria, he was persuaded to join the military and in 2018 signed up as a marine.

The family of Mr Pinner, meanwhile, have previously said he was a 'well-respected soldier within the British Army serving in the Royal Anglian Regiment for many years'.

This included tours to Northern Ireland and with the UN in Bosnia.

He decided to relocate to Ukraine in 2018 to use his previous experience and training within the Ukraine Military. During this time he met his Ukrainian wife.

Andrew Hill, 35, was also captured and is being held by the authorities in the so-called DPR.
Ministers were facing growing calls last night to bring in tougher penalties for airlines which overbook flights, as the boss of Heathrow warned of 18 months of air disruption.

MPs called for regulator the Civil Aviation Authority to be handed greater powers to crack down on cowboy carriers.

The CAA has so far taken no action against airlines despite weeks of cancellations and thousands of passengers being left stranded abroad in recent days. And John Holland-Kaye, CEO of Heathrow Airport, claimed it will take 12 to 18 months for the aviation sector to fully recover capacity.

He told the Financial Times: What we saw in some airports over the past few weeks is that supply and demand were out of balance... we need to make sure we are planning much better.

Pictured: Travellers wait in a long queue to pass through the security check at Heathrow on June 1

John Holland-Kaye, CEO of Heathrow Airport, (pictured) claimed it will take 12 to 18 months for the aviation sector to fully recover capacity

MPs called for regulator the Civil Aviation Authority to be handed greater powers to crack down on cowboy carriers. Pictured: Heathrow Airport

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps suggested last night that beefing up the CAAs powers was an option. He said: Its galling to see passengers stranded abroad due to operators selling flights they cannot deliver.

Ive met with the sector to express my concerns... and have made clear this cannot be tolerated. We have also run a consultation on consumer rights issues, including additional powers for the CAA, and will publish a response on this in due course.

BA travellers face more chaos as the GMB union is balloting members on a strike over pay. Heathrow check-in staff and ground handlers took ten per cent pay cuts in the pandemic and are demanding they be reversed. The ballot closes on June 23, and they could walk out from July.

EasyJet cancelled another 80 flights yesterday. BA axed a further 118, but it stressed these were removed from its schedules weeks ago with people re-booked on to other planes. Tui is axing six flights a day from Manchester until the end of the month.

EasyJet cancelled another 80 flights yesterday. BA axed a further 118, but it stressed these were removed from its schedules weeks ago with people re-booked on to other planes. pictured: Bristol Airport

MPs said ministers should look at giving the CAA the ability to impose multi-million-pound fines. Tory Karl McCartney said firmer action is needed, adding: Given the high pay of executives and profit levels, on-the-spot large fines could work.

Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrats transport spokesman, added: We need urgent action to address this cowboy behaviour from airlines.

Tim Alderslade, CEO of trade body Airlines UK, said the vast majority of flights are operating normally, adding: We continue to work around the clock to resolve the issues.

At present, the CAA cant impose fines for breaches of consumer rights, and beefing up its powers would likely require primary legislation being brought before Parliament.

The industry has called for aviation workers to be added to the shortage occupation list to alleviate the staff shortage, making it easier to recruit cheap foreign labour from Europe.
A killer husband made a bizarre 'to do' list on his phone before shooting his wife's ex-lover on his front porch.

The list detailed his worries about only having one bullet for the planned execution and his desire 'to have as much sex as possible' after carrying out the murder.

On Monday, a Supreme Court of Victoria jury was shown a note Glen Cassidy made before he shot dead Michael Caposiena, allegedly on the orders his wife Biannca Edmunds, 35.

It is alleged Edmunds convinced Cassidy to carry out the hit through a mix of kinky sex and manipulation after Caposiena - the estranged father of her toddler son - expressed a desire to have greater access with the child.

Biannca Edmunds has been accused of directing her husband Glen Cassidy (both pictured) to kill Michael Caposiena

Glen Cassidy made a 'To-Do' list, which included 'obstacles' to the murder plot and his desire to have 'much more sex'

Biannca Edmunds leaves the Supreme Court of Victoria on Wednesday

Cassidy, 56, bled to death after shooting Mr Caposiena dead in the botched assassination in March 2016.

On Monday, the jury was shown a note Cassidy made before his deadly home invasion.

Listed under 'opsticols' - the near illiterate Cassidy's reference to obstacles - he noted only having access to one bullet.

Cassidy would use that solitary bullet to murder Mr Caposiena before firing his empty sawn-off rifle at his victim's girlfriend, Silvana Silva, who lived to tell the tale.

The former fitness instructor had tried to bash Ms Silva to death on the front porch of her West Meadows home, north of Melbourne, before he bled out from knife wounds inflicted upon him by Mr Caposiena before he shot him dead.

Cassidy's note had suggested he had hoped to get Mr Caposiena alone before dumping his body.

He had also hoped to set Edmunds and her kids up financially and get her pregnant - Edmunds would get pregnant again to another man within months of Cassidy's death.

However, Cassidy did achieve his goal of marrying Edmunds and appeared to succeed in his mission to 'have as much sex as possible'.

The jury has heard a series of sordid claims outlining the couple's kinky sex sessions leading up to the bungled hit.

Edmunds, who has pleaded not guilty to murder, is accused of manipulating Cassidy to do her alleged evil bidding by using a deadly mix of scathing abuse and kinky sex.

'If you were a real man and you had any f**king balls, you'd go and deal with this bloke,' Edmunds allegedly told Cassidy.

'You're a spineless coward. You're not a real man at all.'

The sawn-off rifle Glen Cassidy used to murder Michael Caposiena. Biannca Edmunds' DNA was allegedly found on the gun

Cassidy was found with a bloody map outlining where CCTV cameras would be and barking dogs. Police claim the map had been created by Biannca Edmunds

The jury heard Edmunds also had plans to profit from her ex-partner's demise by making a cruel legal challenge on his estate on behalf of their child.

A court later ticked-off on half of the value of Mr Capasiena's $600,000 estate despite Ms Silva still being alive.

On Monday, CCTV footage played to the jury showed Cassidy staking out Mr Caposiena's home before he knocked on the door and shot him dead.

A text message sent by him to Edmunds earlier that day had all but cleared her of any involvement in his murderous plans.

The well worded message told Edmunds: 'This is my choice my decision you know nothing about it.'

Apart from a total lack of punctuation, the message raised alarm bells with homicide squad detectives, who believed Cassidy could hardly string two words together.

In two record of interview videos played to the jury on Monday, Edmunds repeatedly denied she had written the text message herself.

She further denied a bloody map found on Cassidy, which included a map of Mr Caposiena's home and likely trouble points, had been created by her.

The jury heard Edmunds' fingerprint had been on the map and her DNA found on the gun.

'I did not plan to kill anyone,' Edmunds told detectives.

'I did not write that (message). I didn't. I did not write that message ... and I have not seen that map before you showed me it.'

Michael Caposiena died after he was shot in the head in March 2016

Glen Cassidy had left a schnitzel dinner neatly wrapped in the car he took to carry out the murder

A hat stating 'Fear The Reaper' was found near where Cassidy's bloody body was located

Mr Caposiena had managed to stab Cassidy in the moments before he was shot through the head

Leading up to his murder, Mr Caposiena had enjoyed six supervised visits with his son and was due to front court to apply for unsupervised access.

The jury heard Edmunds was determined not to allow that to happen.

Edmunds allegedly told multiple people, including her own family members, that she had wanted Mr Caposiena killed.

'I want Michael out of the way, I want him gone, I wish he'd just leave us alone and not try for (their son),' she allegedly said.

Last week Todd Bookham - who did almost eight years jail time for cutting his former wife's throat and stabbing her step sister in front of her six-year old son - told the jury Edmunds allegedly confessed to him that she had planned the execution of her ex-lover.

Bookham had hooked-up with Edmunds just weeks after Cassidy's death and told the jury he believed Edmunds third child was his.

'She was going on about how Glen wasn't meant to die and it's all her fault ... she was telling me that they had drawn a map so that if he was to go there and, and kill um, sorry, what's his name?' Bookham said.

Edmunds dismissed Bookham's claims during her record of interview.

The trial continues.
A mysterious technology firm that calls itself 'Nothing' could unveil the first British smartphone for more than five years on Wednesday.

London-based Nothing has been tweeting cryptic teasers for the upcoming device, called 'phone (1)', for months.

The smartphone will have a 'minimalist design', a frame made from recycled aluminium and transparent glass on the back, the company has already confirmed.

Price, release date, photos and further details about phone (1) are set to be revealed on Wednesday, although there are some artistic renders of what it could look like.

Nothing will be hoping its device fares better than the last British smartphone, which was made by another London-based firm, called Wileyfox.

Wileyfox released three generations of phones between 2015 and 2016, but the company never turned a profit and went into administration in 2018.

A mysterious technology firm that calls itself 'Nothing' is teasing the first British smartphone for more than half a decade. Rather than Android, the device will run on a new in-house operating system called 'Nothing OS'. Pictured are fan photos of what the phone may look like

The Nothing phone is set to be officially revealed this week and is 'coming Summer 2022', the firm says on its website

NOTHING PHONE: KNOWN SPECS - Recycled aluminum frame - Transparent back glass - Wireless charging - Qualcomm Snapdragon processor - No 'chin' - Runs 'Nothing OS' Advertisement

Nothing said the phone will be 'defined by iconic design' with an operating system that will 'deliver a fast, smooth and personal experience'.

Last year, Nothing released a pair of wireless headphones, called 'ear (1)', but phone (1), as the name suggests, will be its first smartphone.

'A coherent interface, the hardware seamlessly integrates with software through bespoke fonts, colours, graphical elements and sounds,' Nothing says on its website.

Phone (1) will also have no 'chin'  the little strip of black at the bottom of a phone's display that can infuriate some users.

Chins can be considered a nuisance because they take up space that could otherwise be part of the screen's display.

Rather than Android, the device will run on a new in-house operating system called 'Nothing OS', powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

Nothing OS will not force customers to have several preloaded apps on the devices, unlike rivals such as Android and Apple's iOS.

Phone (1) is technically only British in design; it will be made and assembled in China, just like its rivals.

The smartphone will have a 'minimalist design', a frame made from recycled aluminium and transparent glass on the back, the company has already confirmed

Phone (1) will also not force customers to have several preloaded apps on the devices, unlike rivals such as Apple and Samsung. Pictured are images of the Beta software

Nothing said the phone will be 'defined by iconic design' with an operating system that will 'deliver a fast, smooth and personal experience'. Pictured are more fan-made renders

O2 will be the network partner for phone (1) in the UK. Nothing has also signed with Germany's Deutsche Telekom and Indian online retailer Flipkart to market the phone.

The price of phone (1) is still under wraps but Carl Pei, the firm's co-founder and chief executive, has said it will be 'competitive'.

Pei is a Beijing-born Swedish entrepreneur who co-founded Chinese consumer electronics firm OnePlus back in 2013.

He claims the Nothing phone will be 'the most compelling alternative to Apples ecosystem'.

'For too long, the smartphone market has been dominated by the same players and that's led to unimaginative, bland design across the board,' said Pei.

Nothing boss Carl Pei (pictured) claims the Nothing phone will be 'the most compelling alternative to Apples ecosystem'

Nothing has already released a pair of wireless headphones (called 'ear (1)', pictured), which has transparent parts 'to highlight and celebrate the craftsmanship underneath'

'These players have created closed-off ecosystems that lock people in, limiting their choice about the products they can access and use. This is what I want to change with Nothing.'

According to Pei, the UK has a strong track record of creating software companies, but not hardware.

Nothing has a 15-strong team to bring the phone to the market, although it's expecting to have 35 employees by the end of the year.

Among them is Adam Bates, formerly head of design and product experience at Dyson, the vacuum business best known for its sleek designs.

Nothing recently announced it raised $70 million (53 million) in a fundraising round, bringing total investments to $144 million (109 million).

Nothing is privately owned and has backing from investors including GV (formerly Google Ventures), Kevin Lin (co-founder of live streaming service Twitch) and Steve Huffman (co-founder and CEO of Reddit).
Towns and villages along the British coastline may have to be deserted because of rising seas, the official in charge of Britains flood protection will warn today.

Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, is due to give a speech saying the growing threat of rising seas and rivers means we will not be able to defend homes with walls of concrete.

Instead we should give up and let them be swallowed by the encroaching waters.

Some coastal communities will have to be moved away from danger caused by the inevitable impacts of a rising sea level, Sir James will tell the Flood and Coast Conference in Telford, Shropshire.

The chief executive of the Environment Agency is due to give a speech saying towns and villages on the coastline cannot be protected and must eventually be abandoned. Erosion of the Norfolk cliffs near Happisburgh has caused many buildings and farmland to be lost to sea

Places under threat include Fairbourne in Wales and Happisburgh in Norfolk (pictured)

He will say on the topic of adapting to rising sea levels: In the long term, climate change means that some of our communities  both in this country and around the world  cannot stay where they are... While we can come back safely and build back better after most river flooding, there is no coming back for land that coastal erosion has taken away.

Sir James will not name particular communities consigned to a watery end. Yet sea levels around the UK have risen by 15.4cm since 1900, and the Met Office predicts modern levels could increase a further 1.12m by 2100, threatening communities on sea cliffs and coastal floodplains around much of the east and south coast of England. The west of Wales and north-west England could also be hit.

The Environment Agency will set out its risk management strategy to help get the nation ready for flooding and coastal change.

Actions will include producing a national assessment of flood risk, an updated coastal erosion risk map and long-term investment scenarios to better inform future decisions as part of a 5.2billion investment by 2027.

Places under threat from rising tides include Fairbourne in Wales and Happisburgh in Norfolk.

Gwynedd council has told Fairbourne, which has around 410 homes, that it will only keep sea defences going until 2050, and will start to decommission the village before then, moving villagers out.

In Happisburgh, home to around 900 people, houses that were once 20ft from the sea are now on a cliff edge. The village has lost 35 homes to erosion over the past two decades.
An artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can transform famous paintings into different art styles, or create brand new artworks from a text prompt, may work by using a 'secret language', experts claim.

Text-to-image app DALL-E 2 was released by artificial intelligence lab OpenAI last month, and is able to create multiple realistic images and artwork from a single text prompt.

It is also able to add objects into existing images, or even provide different points of view on an existing image.

Now researchers believe they may have figured out how the technology works, after discovering that gibberish words produce specific pictures.

Computer scientists used DALL-E 2 to generate images that contained text inside them, by asking for 'captions' or 'subtitles'. The resulting images contained what appeared to be random sequences of letters. When the gibberish was inputted into the programme, it produced images of a single subject. Left: Image generated with the prompt: 'Two whales talking about food, with subtitles', Right: Images generated with the prompt: 'Wa ch zod ahaakes rea'

DALLE 2 can transform famous paintings into different art styles, or create brand new artworks from a text prompt. The algorithm may work by using a 'secret language'

The DALL-E 2 AI has been restricted to avoid directly copying faces, even those in artwork such as the Girl in the Pearl Earring by Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer. Seen on the right is the AI version of the same painting, changed to not directly mimic the face

Computer science PhD student Giannis Daras initially used the programme to generate images that contained text inside them, by asking for 'captions' or 'subtitles'.

The resulting images then contained what appeared to be random sequences of letters.

But when he fed those letters back into the app, he found the app produced images of the same subject or scene, implying that they weren't random at all.

For example, if you type in 'Vicootes' you will get a series of AI-generated pictures of vegetables, and 'Apoploe vesrreaitars' will produce birds.

This suggests that DALL-E 2 could work by translating the inputted text into its own language, which it then uses to create the pictures we see.

Research fellow at the Queensland University of Technology, Aaron Snoswell, describes the gibberish as more like a 'vocabulary' rather than a language, in an article for The Conversation.

This is because, while some of the prompts appear to have a consistent output of an English word, this human categorisation could still be different to how the machine interprets them.

HOW DID EXPERTS DISCOVER DALL-E 2'S 'SECRET LANGUAGE'? Computer science PhD student Giannis Daras initially used the programme to generate images that contained text inside them, by asking for 'captions' or 'subtitles' The resulting images then contained what appeared to be random sequences of letters But when he fed those letters back into the app, he found the app produced images of the same subject or scene, implying that they weren't random at all. For example, if you type in 'Vicootes' you will get a series of AI-generated pictures of vegetables, and 'Apoploe vesrreaitars' will produce birds This suggests that DALL-E 2 could work by translating the inputted text into its own vocabulary, which it then uses to create the pictures we see Advertisement

How does DALL-E work?

OpenAI spent two years building DALL-E 2 and its predecessor DALL-E, that relies on artificial neural networks (ANNs).

These try to simulate the way the brain works in order to learn, and are also used in smart assistants like Siri and Cortana.

ANNs can be trained to recognise patterns in information  including speech, text data, or visual images  and are the basis for a large number of the developments in AI over recent years.

The OpenAI developers gathered data on millions of photos to allow the DALL-E algorithm to 'learn' what different objects are supposed to look like and eventually put them together.

When a user inputs some text for DALL-E to generate an image from, it notes a series of key features that could be present.

A second neural network, known as the diffusion model, then creates the image and generates the pixels needed to visualise and replicate it.

What is the 'secret language'?

Some of the words that the programme produces itself seem to be derived from Latin.

For example 'Apoploe', which generates images of birds, is similar to 'Apodidae', a Latin word relating to a family of bird species.

This suggests the language could have been created to help train the AI on non-English words that it would have scraped from the internet during development.

Many AI languages work by breaking up input text into 'tokens' that they apply meaning to, supporting this theory.

Giannis Daras and Alex Dimakis, professor at the University of Texas at Austin , published their results in a paper on arXiv.

If you type in 'Vicootes' into DALL-E 2 you will get a series of AI-generated pictures of vegetables, implying the nonsense word has meaning to the imaging tool

DALL-E 2 could work by translating the inputted text into its own vocabulary, which it then uses to create the pictures we see. This was discovered after researchers asked the app to create an image with 'subtitles' or 'captions', and the resulting text was then inputted to create images

Why may the theory of a 'secret language' be untrue?

Twitter user Merzmensch Kosmopol found that removing certain letters in the DALL-E prompts results in specific glitches or certain parts of the image being masked out.

If the programme worked simply by translating words into its language and then producing images from those words, this result would not happen.

Additionally, Raphael Milliere, a neuroscience researcher at Columbia University, found that individual gibberish words dont always combine to produce a coherent compound image, like it would if the programme worked using a 'secret language'.

He found that 'bonabiss' gave images of different stodgy meals, and 'bobor' returned a variety of seafood, poultry, monkeys, fruits, bugs and birds.

Yet when he typed in 'bonabiss is bobor' it only produced images of bugs on plants.

Twitter user Merzmensch Kosmopol found that removing certain letters in the DALL-E prompts results in specific glitches or certain parts of the image being masked out

Why are people concerned about a 'secret language'?

OpenAI imposed restrictions on the scope of DALL-E 2 to ensure it could not produce hateful, racist or violent images, or be used to spread misinformation.

If the AI did work using a 'secret language', it would raise concerns as to whether users could utilise it to get past these filters.

The fact it could interpret gibberish would also take away from how an AI tool should work and make decisions like a human.

While a language used by the AI may raise some security concerns, however, it does not suggest it has the intelligence required to invent its own in order to evade a human controller, (this is not Skynet).

In 2017, Facebook was forced to shut down a pair of AI chatbots after they began using their own language to communicate with one another without any human input.

Snoswell said it is impossible for researchers to verify how DALL-E 2 really works, as only a select few have access to its code and are able to modify it.

Artificial intelligence research group OpenAI won't be releasing the DALLE-2 system to the public, but hope to offer it as a plugin for existing image editing apps in the future

DALLE-2 can produce a full image, including of an astronaut riding a horse, from a simple plain English sentence. In this case astronaut riding a horse in photorealistic style

What does DALL-E 2 do?

Its original version DALL-E, named after Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali, and Pixar robot WALL-E, was released in January 2021 as a limited test of ways AI could be used to represent concepts  from boring descriptions to flights of fancy.

Some of the early artwork created by the AI included a mannequin in a flannel shirt, an illustration of a radish walking a dog, and a baby penguin emoji.

With the second version DALL-E 2, text prompts can be altered to replace parts of a pre-existing image, add in new features or change the point of view or art style.

It is even able to automatically fill in details, such as shadows, when an object is added, or even tweak the background to match, if an object is moved or removed.

DALL-E 2 is built on a computer vision system called CLIP, developed by OpenAI and announced last year.

CLIP looks at an image and summaries the contents in the same way a human would, and they flipped this around - unCLIP - for DALL-E 2.

OpenAI trained the model using images, and they weeded out some objectionable material, limiting its ability to produce offensive content.

Each image also includes a watermark, to show clearly that it was produced by AI, rather than a person, or that it is an actual photo - reducing misinformation risk.

It also can't generation recognisable faces based on a name, even those only recognisable from artworks such as the Mona Lisa - creating distinctive variations.
Britons' trust in science is at an all-time high after the Covid pandemic, a new report reveals  but misinformation on social media continues to present a 'threat to scientific credibility'.

The 3M State of Science Index, published on Tuesday, reveals that 90 per cent of UK residents trust science in 2022, compared with 85 per cent in 2019.

This stat also compares with 88 per cent of Europeans and 89 per cent of people globally who trust science in 2022.

In the UK, 57 per cent of Brits say they are now more appreciative of science after the pandemic, likely due to the efforts of scientists in creating Covid vaccines.

However, misinformation 'is widespread' on social media and threatens the future of the public's understanding of science, the report says.

If the public can't trust news about science, consequences could include more public health crises, greater division within society, and more severe effects of climate change.

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British trust in science is strong but misinformation on social media platforms threatens 'scientific credibility', the new report says (file photo)

According to the results, 90 per cent of Britons say they trust science, and 87 per cent trust scientists

KEY FINDINGS - 90 per cent of Britons say they trust science, and 87 per cent trust scientists. - This is up from 85 per cent trusting science and 83 per cent trusting scientists in 2019, prior to the pandemic. - 57 per cent are more appreciative of the scientific community post-pandemic. - 71 per cent of Britons trust science-based facts in traditional news. This trust drops to 27 per cent for science-based facts on social media. - 47 per cent of Britons think its too hard to know which media sources are credible. - 78 per cent of Britons want to hear more from scientists about their work. Advertisement

When it comes to scientific facts, people are more likely to trust traditional media, such as newspapers and magazines, than social media, 3M said.

Results suggest that scientists can help scientific credibility online by increasing their social media presence, according to the firm.

'There is an excellent opportunity for us to come together as a scientific community and be the guardians of good science by directly engaging the public to help combat the spread of misinformation,' said Sarah Chapman, technical manager at 3M for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

'This data shows us the door is open to use scientific knowledge to educate the public on the most important issues of the day, from climate change to vaccine development to artificial intelligence.'

The research was conducted for 3M by global research firm Ipsos through a combination of online and offline surveys.

Surveys were conducted last autumn with 1,000 adults in 17 countries including Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the UK and the US.

In Britain, 90 per cent of respondents said they trust science, and 87 per cent said they trust scientists.

Globally, the results were only slightly different  89 per cent said they trust science, and 86 per cent said they trust scientists.

READ THE FULL RESULTS - Head to the interactive 3M State of Science Index page - Click on the Explore the data tab - For each topic, filter the results by region by clicking 'Countries' - You can also filter results by age, gender, income and more Advertisement

However, where exactly people read or hear about science really matters when it comes to trusting what they read, the results showed.

People are more likely to trust traditional media (e.g. newspapers) than social media for science, but their trust in traditional media is not absolute.

Only 71 per cent of UK residents trust science-based facts in traditional media. This trust dropped to only 27 per cent for science-based facts on social media.

The primary reason UK respondents gave for this mistrust is that it is it too hard to know which media sources are credible (47 per cent).

On a positive note, 78 per cent of people in the UK said they want to hear more from scientists about their work.

In Europe this was slightly higher (79 per cent) and a fair bit higher globally (83 per cent).

These stats show scientists that they have opportunity for 'more direct communication on traditional and social platforms', 3M said.

In Europe overall, people recognise there is widespread misinformation on social media (91 per cent) and traditional media (72 per cent).

71 per cent of Britons trust science-based facts in traditional news. This trust drops to 27 per cent for science-based facts on social media

What's more, 83 per cent of Britons and 81 per cent of Europeans believe there are negative consequences for society if people do not value science.

Globally, the pandemic has made many people reassess their view of and relationship with science, likely as it has played a more prominent part of our lives.

For example, living through the changes brought on by the pandemic has encouraged understanding of viruses and how they make us ill.

Results also showed 43 per cent of Britons consider science to be very important to their everyday lives and only 25 per cent of Brits are sceptical of science.

For Europeans overall, 45 per cent say they are more appreciative of science now than they were before the pandemic. In the UK, that figure is higher  57 per cent.

'The deep level of trust people have in science and the increasing role it plays in their lives is a very promising sign for the future,' said Chapman.

'We and the global scientific community must continue to encourage and highlight trusted and diverse voices in science to help solve the world's toughest challenges.'


Some of Britain's seaside towns and villages may have to be abandoned because of rising seas and coastal erosion, according to the official in charge of Britain's flood protection today, who acknowledged that relocating people from coastal areas 'would be controversial'.

Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said a conversation had to be started on the issue, 'not least because we owe it to the threatened communities themselves to help them decide what they want their long-term future to be.'

But he stressed that it was 'far too early to say which communities will have to move' and that 'no one should be forced from their homes against their will'.

Places that are already known to be under threat from rising tides include Happisburgh in Norfolk, Kessingland in Suffolk and Hornsea in Yorkshire.

Warning: Some of Britain's seaside towns and villages may have to be abandoned because of rising seas and coastal erosion, the Environment Agency (EA) chief executive has said. Data from the EA's National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping project and Climate Central suggest the places under threat include Fairbourne in Wales and Happisburgh in Norfolk, among others

In Happisburgh, Norfolk (pictured) houses that were once 20ft from the sea are now on a cliff edge

Places under threat from rising tides include Fairbourne in Wales (pictured centre). Gwynedd council has told Fairbourne, which has around 410 homes, that it will only keep sea defences going until 2050, and will start to 'decommission' the village before then, moving villagers out

In Happisburgh, Norfolk, home to around 900 people, houses that were once 20ft from the sea are now on a cliff edge. The village has lost 35 homes to erosion over the past two decades

WHICH PARTS OF THE ENGLISH COASTLINE WILL BE THE WORST HIT BY EROSION? Figures published in 2019 by confused.com, based on data collected by the Environmental Agency's National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping project, suggest the following areas of England's coastline will be the worst hit by erosion: COASTAL EROSION: THE AREAS MOST AT RISK BY 2040 COASTAL AREA: LAND ERODED AFTER 20 YEARS: 1. Happisburgh, Norfolk 318 feet (97m) 2. Kessingland, Suffolk 230 feet (70m) 3. Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire 223 feet (68m) 4. Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire 200 feet (61m) 5. Sunderland, Tyne & Wear 131 feet (40m) 6. Filey, North Yorkshire 131 feet (40m) 7. Camber, East Sussex 131 feet (40m) Advertisement

Gwynedd council has told Fairbourne, which has around 410 homes, that it will only keep sea defences going until 2050, and will start to 'decommission' the village before then, moving villagers out.

In Happisburgh, home to around 900 people, houses that were once 20ft from the sea are now on a cliff edge. The village has lost 35 homes to erosion over the past two decades.

Figures published in 2019 by confused.com, based on data collected by the Environmental Agency's National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping project, also show that Kessingland in Suffolk, Hornsea and Withernsea in Yorkshire and Camber in East Sussex are likely to suffer the most coastal erosion over the next 20 years.

Sunderland, Filey in North Yorkshire, Pevensey Bay in East Sussex and Shoreham-By-Sea and Bognor Regis in West Sussex also made the top 10 list.

Many of the areas, including Filey and Scarborough, are among the most sought-after for second homes snapped up by wealthy Londoners.

This desire only heightened with the Covid pandemic, with residents of the most popular towns complaining about how soaring house values are pricing young people out of the housing market.

Experts found that the east coast is being hardest hit by erosion, with the rate the fastest in Yorkshire and the Humber, where 56 per cent of the coastline is at risk.

Sea levels around the UK have risen by 15.4cm since 1900, and the Met Office predicts modern levels could increase a further 1.12m by 2100, threatening communities on sea cliffs and coastal floodplains around much of the east and south coast of England.

The west of Wales and north-west England could also be hit.

It means some coastal communities will have to be moved away from danger caused by the 'inevitable impacts of a rising sea level', Sir James told the Flood and Coast Conference in Telford, Shropshire.

He added that the growing threat of rising seas and rivers means we will not be able to defend homes with walls of concrete.

Instead we should give up and let them be swallowed by the encroaching waters.

The chief executive of the Environment Agency gave a speech saying towns and villages on the coastline cannot be protected and must eventually be abandoned. Erosion of the Norfolk cliffs near Happisburgh has caused many buildings and farmland to be lost to sea

Fairbourne, in North Wales, is pictured. Fairbourne has around 410 homes, which will be defended until 2050, after which the council will start to 'decommission' the village

Projections for 2050: According to Climate Central, some people in parts of Liverpool, Hull, Blackpool and along the Norfolk coast could lose their homes

'In the long term, climate change means that some of our communities  both in this country and around the world  cannot stay where they are,' Sir James said.

'While we can come back safely and build back better after most river flooding, there is no coming back for land that coastal erosion has taken away. Or which a rising sea level has put permanently or frequently under water.'

Although he would not say which communities were at risk of being relocated, an interactive map shows the British seaside spots that could potentially be wiped out by 2050 if sea levels continue to rise because of global warming.

The map, created by US climate news website Climate Central, suggests that some people in parts of Liverpool, Hull, Blackpool and along the Norfolk coast could lose their homes by 2050.

Almost all of central London either side of the Thames could also be underwater, according to the model.

Other areas that may end up permanently underwater include parts of South Wales, Gloucester, Weston-super-Mare, Portsmouth and huge swathes of East Anglia.

The Environment Agency has set out its risk management strategy to help get the nation ready for flooding and coastal change.

Actions include producing a national assessment of flood risk, an updated coastal erosion risk map and long-term investment scenarios to better inform future decisions as part of a 5.2billion investment by 2027.

Sea levels are already rising now due to human activities that emit greenhouse gases. Here, an aerial drone photo of the town of Allerton Bywater near Castleford in Leeds, West Yorkshire shows the flooded fields from the River Aire

Many of the under threat areas, including Filey and Scarborough in Yorkshire, are among the most sought-after for second homes snapped up by wealthy city dwellers. This map shows the seaside towns where there is the most demand for second homes

Professor Andrew Shepherd, director of the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling at the University of Leeds, said: 'With every centimetre of sea level rise, 2 to 3 million more people worldwide experience coastal flooding each year.

'In the UK alone, a million citizens will be exposed to annual flooding by the end of this century, and so its right to start a planned retreat from the most vulnerable parts of our shoreline.'

Professor Jim Hall, of the University of Oxford, said: 'The Environment Agency is recognising that the coast is inevitably going to be impacted by sea level rise.

'Even if the Environment Agency could afford to build coast protection everywhere  which they cannot  the things that many people cherish about the coast, like beaches and sand dunes, will eventually become submerged, unless we start to plan now for how the coastline can adjust to rising sea levels.

'There need to be honest conversations within coastal communities about what the future holds, and a strategic approach to deciding how to manage the coast sustainably in the future.'
Under the sea, it really is survival of the fittest.

While colourful tropical species like the clownfish, made famous by the Disney film 'Finding Nemo', may garner more attention from conservationists, a new study has found that the reef fish humans find 'ugly' are more likely to be endangered.

Researchers from the University of Montpellier, France, used machine-learning to rank thousands of different fish species on their attractiveness to humans.

They then compared that ranking to the species' placement on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, which evaluates their conservation status.

It was discovered that fish species listed as 'Threatened' tended to be seen as less beautiful than those categorised as 'Least Concern'.

The plainer fish were also more likely to be fished, and thus had greater commercial importance.

The scientists concluded that conservation of the less attractive species should be made a higher priority.

The Holacanthus ciliaris, also known as the queen angelfish, was ranked highly in attractiveness due to its bright colours and rounder silhouette

The Diplodus annularis, or annular sea bream, was rated as one of the least beautiful reef fish. It is a very important catch for artisanal fishermen and can often be found in local fish markets

Graphs showing the negative correlation between the aesthetic value and (left) the age of the species, and (right) the functional distinctiveness of species. The plain line represents results that did not account for phylogenetic relatedness, and the dashed line did

HOW MACHINE LEARNING WORKS Researchers asked 13,000 members of the public to rate the aesthetic beauty of 481 photographs of ray-finned reef fishes in an online survey They removed the background of each photo and made sure all fish were facing the same direction, and the camera had a similar viewpoint The data collected from the survey was then used to train a 'convolutional neural network' - an artificial intelligence tool that can process images The neural network was able to predict the human attraction to an additional 4,400 photographs featuring 2,417 of the most encountered reef fish species After combining the public's ratings with the neural networks predictions, the researchers discovered that bright, colourful fish species with rounder bodies tended to be rated as the most beautiful Advertisement

Senior research scientist Nicolas Mouquet said: 'Our study provides, for the first time, the aesthetic value of 2,417 reef fish species.

'We found that less beautiful fishes are the most ecologically and evolutionary distinct species and those recognised as threatened.

'Our study highlights likely important mismatches between potential public support for conservation and the species most in need of this support.'

The team asked 13,000 members of the public to rate the aesthetic beauty of 481 photographs they found online of ray-finned reef fishes in a survey in 2019.

They removed the background of each photo and made sure all fish were facing the same direction, and the camera had a similar viewpoint.

The data collected from the survey was then used to train a 'convolutional neural network'  an artificial intelligence tool that can process images.

The neural network was able to predict human bias of an additional 4,400 photographs featuring 2,417 of the most encountered reef fish species.

After combining the public's ratings with the neural networks predictions, the researchers discovered that bright, colourful fish species with rounder bodies tended to be rated as the most beautiful.

The scientists found that species listed as 'Threatened' by the IUCN, or whose conservation status has not yet been evaluated had lower aesthetic value on average than species categorised as 'Least Concern'.

Examples of fishes representative of the range of predicted aesthetic values, decreasing in aesthetic value from left to right and top to bottom: Holacanthus ciliaris, Aracana aurita, Amphiprion ephippium, Ctenochaetus marginatus, Scarus spinus, Amphiprion bicinctus, Epinephelides armatus, Fusigobius signipinnis, Diplodus annularis, Odontoscion dentex, Nemadactylus bergi, Mendosoma lineatum

The striped cowfish (left) and mandarinfish (right) are among the reef fish species with the highest aesthetic values, according to a survey and machine-learning algorithm

Furthermore, the species that were ranked as less attractive were found to be more distinctive in terms of their ecological traits, like habitat type and body size.

They were also more phylogenetically isolated, so they had a more distinctive evolutionary history.

This means that they contribute more to the biodiversity of a coral reef and play a greater role in its functioning.

The loss of their contribution to the gene pool could have larger consequences on the ecosystem than that of a more aesthetically pleasing fish.

The researchers also compared species' aesthetic value with their importance to fisheries.

Unattractive species also tended to be of greater commercial interest, as aesthetic value did not correlate to those of most value to small-scale, traditional fisheries.

The preferences humans have for shape and colours are likely a consequence of the way the brain processes them, the authors concluded.

However the mismatches between aesthetic value, ecological function, and extinction vulnerability may mean that the species most in need of public support are the least likely to receive it.

The results of the study were published today in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.
Anonymous, the infamous hacker group, has claimed responsibility for a series of outages among Russia's government websites, saying that it is in a "cyber war" against Moscow and is currently taking over Ukraine.

The cyberattacks and waging of cyber war come as Russia's invasion of Ukraine passed its 100th-day mark and with Moscow renewing its strikes on the nation's capital, Kyiv. The hacker group allegedly targeted the Russian Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Utilities website. Various reports said that any attempt to open the website through an internet search would lead to a "Glory to Ukraine" sign in the Ukrainian language.

Anonymous' "Cyber War" Against Russia

There have been many massive cyberattacks from Russian-sponsored threat actors that occurred on the day that Ukraine was invaded. The situation at the time forced Kyiv to assemble an "IT army." It was also endorsed by Ukrainian officials as it sought help from technology leaders to fight cyber attacks.

At the time, Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, posted a tweet announcing the creation of the IT army. The official noted that the nation was in desperate need of digital talents to fight its aggressors as they continue to fight on the cyber front, as per the Indian Express.

The retaliation against the cyberattacks began as early as the day of the invasion on Feb. 24 with Anonymous on the front lines against the Kremlin. Within a day, the hacker group claimed to have brought down several government websites, including the state news agency RT News.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Threatens New Missile Targets If US Continues Helping Ukraine with Military Weapons

In the wake of the announcement, the group also said it was behind leaking the database of the Russian Ministry of Defense, intercepting Russian military communications, and hacking Russian TV channels to broadcast the "reality of what is happening in Ukraine."

According to the Republic World, one of the latest Anonymous attacks has taken down the website of Russia's Internal Affairs Ministry in Belarus. Other targets include the websites of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of Justice, the National

Legal Information Center, the State Customs Committee, and the State Committee.

Targeting Government Websites

In a Twitter post, Anonymous took responsibility for the attack on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and said that they would let it reopen when Russia learns how to treat its citizens properly. An Anonymous-affiliated collective group, Spid3r, said that it has never supported any government official and noted that it has always stood by the people.

The situation also comes as Anonymous claims it successfully acquired 5,030 emails, addresses, and phone numbers from the compromised database of Moscow-headquartered Sberbank, which is a majority state-owned banking and financial services company. It has a presence in several European nations, mostly in the post-Soviet space.

Western sanctions imposed over Russia's war on Ukraine have affected its operations and at the end of February, Sberbank Europe said it was leaving the European market. Anonymous also said before that it had published 28 gigabytes of documents belonging to the Central Bank of Russia, including some of the monetary authority's "secret agreements," Bitcoin News reported.



Related Article: Russia Strikes Kyiv With Missiles, Warns of Wider Assault if US Sends Weapons to Ukraine

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With summer just around the corner, many keen festivalgoers will be looking forward to attending music events such as Glastonbury, Wireless and Parklife.

And Vodafone's latest innovation could make festivals more inclusive for people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing.

The tech giant has developed a haptic suit that vibrates in time to the beat and brings deaf and hard-of-hearing people closer to a live music festival performance.

Kyle Springate, a festivalgoer from Hackney who is profoundly deaf, tested the haptic suit at Mighty Hoopla festival in London last weekend, and described 'feeling like Superman'.

Vodafone has developed a haptic suit that vibrates in time to the beat and brings deaf and hard-of-hearing people closer to a live music festival performance

The suit features 24 actuators across the wrists, ankles, and torsos, which vibrate in time to the beat, as well as flashing LED lights

How does it work? When developing the suit, Vodafone developed an algorithm that breaks down the different crowd noises into 'states', with each state felt in different locations on the suit. For example, during the Cheer state (music playing and crowd energy is high), the wrist and shoulder actuators vibrate, encouraging the wearer to clap their hands. Meanwhile, the Crazy state (no music playing and crowd energy is high), causes vibrations to rise from the feet, through the spine and up into the wrists, creating an uplifting feeling. Advertisement

Deaf and hard-of-hearing people often rely on lip reading and vibrations from stage speakers when they attend festivals.

But this can be difficult if they aren't able to get close enough to the stage.

To overcome this issue, Vodafone partnered with Music Not Impossible to develop a haptic suit that features 24 actuators across the wrists, ankles, and torsos, which vibrate in time to the beat, as well as flashing LED lights.

'These actuators are able to emulate the feeling of music through vibrations felt on the body (skin or over clothing),' Vodafone explained.

'The composition of the vibrations is customised through bespoke software, which matches the music and instruments, and can be fully customisable.'

Aside from the music itself, the suit can also convey the atmosphere of the crowd, via four 5G receptors that feed crowd noise back to the suit in real-time.

When developing the suit, Vodafone created an algorithm that breaks down the different crowd noises into 'states', with each state felt in different locations on the suit.

Kyle Springate, a festivalgoer from Hackney who is profoundly deaf, tested the haptic suit at Mighty Hoopla festival in London last weekend, and described 'feeling like Superman'

Aside from the music itself, the suit can also convey the atmosphere of the crowd, via four 5G receptors that feed crowd noise back to the suit in real-time

Tinder launches FESTIVAL MODE If you're single and planning to attend a festival this summer, then Tinder's latest feature could be just the thing. Tinder has launched Festival Mode, which helps users find and match with fellow festivalgoers before the event. 'Music is a universal language and the number-one interest among Tinder members worldwide. So many of our members are excited to jump back into in-person events,' explained Kyle Miller, VP of Product Innovation at Tinder. 'We wanted to build on that excitement and offer them a head start at meeting someone new ahead of one of the biggest festival seasons in years.' Advertisement

For example, during the Cheer state (music playing and crowd energy is high), the wrist and shoulder actuators vibrate, encouraging the wearer to clap their hands.

Meanwhile, the Crazy state (no music playing and crowd energy is high), causes vibrations to rise from the feet, through the spine and up into the wrists, creating an uplifting feeling.

Mr Springate tested the suit out during Jessie Ware's headline set at Mighty Hoopla festival in London last weekend.

'Normally with a crowd that big and loud, the sound gets drowned out, and if the artist covers their mouth with the microphone, you can't lip read it can get really difficult,' he said.

'But wearing the suit meant I could keep up with the songs much more easily, and when the crowd was going wild, I could feel it all the way up my spine. I felt like Superman!'

Alysha Allen, who is profoundly deaf, also tested the suit at the festival.

'It was just amazing,' she said.

'Getting to wear the suits with all my friends  it was sensory overload, it was incredible.

'We could feel the crowd all around us, which is a totally different experience to only being able to focus on the stage.

Mr Springate tested the suit out during Jessie Ware's headline set at Mighty Hoopla festival in London last weekend

'Normally with a crowd that big and loud, the sound gets drowned out, and if the artist covers their mouth with the microphone, you can't lip read it can get really difficult,' Mr Springate said. 'But wearing the suit meant I could keep up with the songs much more easily, and when the crowd was going wild, I could feel it all the way up my spine. I felt like Superman!'

'It let us really feel that connection with the crowd and the festival atmosphere around us.'

Vodafone hopes the haptic suit will help to make music experiences more accessible to as many people as possible.

Max Taylor, Vodafone Consumer Director, said: 'At Vodafone we are driven by our purpose to use technology and connectivity to improve lives, and this innovative new development allows us to do this for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

'Festivals are such a huge part of the British summer, so we're delighted that we're able to use the power our 5G network to make sure these experiences are as accessible by as many people as possible, so everyone can enjoy them to their fullest.'
Loggerhead turtles appear to be getting smaller - but this could be a sign that numbers are increasing.

A study has found that the average length of the endangered sea turtles has reduced by about 0.94 inches (2.4cm) over the last 11 years.

Scientists from Deakin University in Australia and Cape Verde believe this could be due to an increase in first-time mothers, who tend to be smaller than turtles returning for their second and subsequent nesting seasons.

They are hopeful this is a result of conservation efforts in Cape Verde, where the study took place.

Scientists from Australia and Cape Verde believe loggerhead turtles are getting smaller because of an increase in first-time mothers, who tend to be smaller than experienced nesters

Graphs show (b) the annual number of nests deposited on Sal increased markedly between 2008 and 2020 and (c) the general decrease in mean annual curved carapace (shell) length between 2009 and 2020

The location of Cape Verde (triangle) and regional management units around the world where the number of nests of different types of turtles are found to be increasing

LOGGERHEAD TURTLES - THE FACTS Common name: Loggerhead sea turtle Scientific name: Caretta caretta Location : Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea Average weight: 160kg Average length: 3 feet (0.9 m) Skin colour: Yellow or brown Shell colour: Reddish brown Conservation status: Endangered Number of eggs laid per season: 100-120 Life expectancy: up to 80 years Advertisement

Reductions in the size of other species, like fish and rams, is thought to be the result of over-harvesting or trophy hunting for their valuable horns or tusks.

However, these researchers believe that their result is a positive indication of the vulnerable loggerhead turtles bouncing back.

Data was collected from the island of Sal in the northeast of the Cape Verde archipelago, one of the world's largest sea turtle rookeries.

They measured the curved carapace, or shell, length and width of female turtles over the five-month nesting period in nightly beach surveys from 2009 to 2020.

The estimate growth rates of females was calculated, and they used statistical modelling to discern long term trends.

The mean curved carapace width was found to shrink over the years, with the average size of the smallest 10 per cent of turtles decreasing by 0.66 inches (1.7cm).

However, it was found that the annual number of nests on Sal has increased rapidly from 506 nests in 2008 to 35,507 nests in 2020 - a 70-fold increase.

This proves the size decrease was not the result of the removal of larger size classes of turtles by human intervention.

The increase in number of nests and first-time nesters is hoped to be a result of the onset of protection of loggerhead turtles on nesting beaches in Cape Verde

Graphs that show number of nests each year for turtles in three size classes. (a) less than 76 cm) curved carapace length (b) 7690 cm curved carapace lengthand (c) greater than 90 cm curved carapace length. There was a marked increase in numbers in all size categories

Graph that shows the decrease in the size distribution of the smallest 10 per cent of turtles between the first and last five-year period of the study. Scientists believe this is the result of a boom in first time nesters that tend to be smaller than those returning for a subsequent season

The researchers believe that the increase is a the result of a boom in first-time nesters, that are often smaller than experienced nesters.

While the new mums are driving the average size of the sea turtles down, their presence could be signifying a growing population.

This could be thanks to the onset of protection of loggerhead turtles on nesting beaches in Cape Verde.

The protection of adults will not only increase the annual survival rate of adults but will also increase the number of eggs being laid each year, helping to increase their population.

The researchers also found that the size of first-time nester turtles have become smaller over time, which could relate to a decrease in food availability as a result of climate change.
A bizarre-looking dinosaur with tiny arms and a squashy face like a bulldog has been unearthed in Egypt, scientists reveal.

Bone of the dinosaur species, which is yet to be formally named, was found by experts at the Bahariya Oasis of Egypt's Western Desert.

The researchers say the creature was bipedal, meaning it walked on two legs, and had small teeth and very stumpy arms.

The meat-eating beast, roughly 20 feet (six metres) in length when it lived, roamed the Sahara Desert 98 million years ago.

The meat-eating species had small teeth, tiny arms and a squashed face like a bulldog (artist's impression)

The abelisaurid neck vertebra bone, approximately 98 million years old, as it was found in the field in the Bahariya Oasis

This vertebra bone was found in the Bahariya Formation, which is exposed in the Bahariya Oasis of the Western Desert of Egypt

The species belongs to the lizard-like abelisaurid dinosaur family, which thrived during the Cretaceous period (145 to 66 million years ago), the final time period of the age of dinosaurs. abelisaurid

THE ABELISAURIDS Abelisauridae were a striking family of theropod dinosaurs averaging 16 to 30 feet long that prowled mainly in Patagonia and other areas of the ancient southern supercontinent Gondwana. Gondwana is recognised today as Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Peninsula. While abelisaurids resembled T-Rex in general appearance with tiny stubby arms, they had unusually short, deep skulls which often bore crests, bumps, and horns. When Tyrannosaurus and its relatives roamed North America and Asia, the abelisaurids occupied a similar niche in Patagonia and other areas of South America. Abelisaurids had huge jaws. Just like T-Rex, they relied on them to crush and kill prey. But abelisaurids had even tinier arms than the tyrannosaurs. Advertisement

Abelisaurid fossils had previously been found in Europe and in many of today's Southern Hemisphere continents, but never before from the Bahariya Formation.

The new study was led by Belal Salem at the Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center (MUVP) in Mansoura, Egypt, who is also a graduate student at Ohio University and a faculty member at Benha University.

'During the mid-Cretaceous, the Bahariya Oasis would've been one of the most terrifying places on the planet,' said Salem.

'How all these huge predators managed to coexist remains a mystery, though it's probably related to their having eaten different things, their having adapted to hunt different prey.'

The discovery is based solely on a well-preserved vertebra from the base of the neck, found during a 2016 expedition to the Bahariya Oasis funded by the National Geographic Society.

It is the oldest known fossil of abelisauridae from northeastern Africa, and shows that, during the mid-Cretaceous, these carnivorous dinosaurs ranged across much of the northern part of the continent, east to west from present day Egypt to Morocco, to as far south as Niger and potentially beyond.

Abelisaurids were theropods  a clade of dinosaurs characterised by hollow bones and three-toed limbs that walked on two legs.

Researchers could tell the vertebra was from an abelisaurid because it is virtually identical to the same bone in other, better-known abelisaurids such as carnotaurus and viavenator from Argentina and majungasaurus from Madagascar.

Additionally, Salem and colleagues conducted a computer-based evolutionary study, known as a cladistic analysis, that confirmed the placement of the species represented by the new vertebra within the family.

'I've examined abelisaurid skeletons from Patagonia to Madagascar,' said study co-author Patrick O'Connor at Ohio University.

Belal Salem of the Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center holds the roughly 98-million-year-old abelisaurid theropod neck vertebra discovered from the Bahariya Oasis

Researchers are pictured at the Bahariya Oasis, a naturally rich oasis in the Western Desert of Egypt

'My first glimpse of this specimen from field photos left no doubt about its identity. Abelisaurid neck bones are just so distinctive.'

This vertebra bone was found in the Bahariya Formation, which is exposed in the Bahariya Oasis of the Western Desert of Egypt.

In the early 20th century, the formation yielded the original specimens of a host of dinosaurs including the colossal sail-backed fish-eater spinosaurus.

Unfortunately, all Bahariya dinosaur fossils collected prior to World War II were destroyed during an Allied bombing of Munich in 1944.

Reconstruction of the Bahariya Oasis in the Sahara Desert of Egypt approximately 98 million years ago, showing the diversity of large theropods. The newly discovered, as-yet unnamed abelisaurid (right) confronts spinosaurus (left center, with lungfish in jaws) and Carcharodontosaurus (right center), while two individuals of the crocodilian Stomatosuchus (left) look on. In the background left, a herd of long-necked Paralititan

The abelisaurid neck vertebra from the Bahariya Oasis, Egypt that constitutes the first record of this dinosaur group from that classic fossil locality. The bone is shown in anterior view

'The Bahariya Oasis has taken on near-legendary status among paleontologists for having produced the first-known fossils of some of the world's most amazing dinosaurs,' said co-author Matt Lamanna at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

'But for more than three quarters of a century, those fossils have existed only as pictures in old books.'

Abelisaurids were among the most diverse and geographically widespread large predatory dinosaurs in the southern landmasses during the Cretaceous period.

Along with spinosaurus and two other giant theropods (carcharodontosaurus and bahariasaurus), the new species adds another find to the group of large predatory dinosaurs that roamed what is now the Egyptian Sahara roughly 98 million years ago.

The new vertebra holds implications for the biodiversity of Cretaceous dinosaurs in Egypt and the entire northern region of Africa, researchers say.

The research team describes the discovery in a paper published today in Royal Society Open Science.


China has announced plans to bring forward its launch of a solar power plant that would beam energy back down to Earth from space.

The first step of the ambitious project is now slated to take place in 2028, two years ahead of the original schedule, when a trial satellite will be launched to test the technology.

It would involve the use of wireless power transmission from space to the ground from an altitude of 248 miles (400km).

Beijing would be stealing a march on NASA, which first proposed a similar energy project more than two decades ago but never took it on.

The UK government has also commissioned independent research to support putting a 16billion British version into orbit by 2035.

Reports suggest that once fully operational by 2050, the space-based solar array will send a similar amount of electricity into the grid as a nuclear power station

SPACE-BASED SOLAR POWER (SBSP) The idea of Space-Based Solar Power stations has been around since 1941. Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov first wrote about them in the short story Reason. In the story he wrote about a space station that transmits energy collected from the sun to various planets using microwave beams. There were a number of concept designs from the 1970s but non were deemed economically viable. The basic concept involves a space station with a solar array to convert solar energy into electrical energy. Then it would use a microwave transmitter or laser emitter to transmit the energy to a collector on the Earth. The UK has joined Japan, China, Russia and the US in pursuing the idea of space based power generation. As of 2008, Japan made the idea of space solar power a national goal. Advertisement

China's updated plan was detailed in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Chinese Space Science and Technology.

Researchers said the satellite would 'convert solar energy to microwaves or lasers and direct the energy beams to various targets, including fixed locations on Earth and moving satellites', according to the South China Morning Post.

It is thought that by using microwaves the team will be able to reduce the amount of energy lost as it passes through the atmosphere.

The basic concept involves a space station with a solar array to convert solar energy into electrical energy.

Then it would use a microwave transmitter or laser emitter to transmit the energy to a collector on Earth.

Advantages of the technology include the fact it is always solar noon in space with a full sun and collecting surfaces could receive more intense sunlight than on Earth.

Reports from Beijing have previously suggested that once fully operational by 2050, the space-based solar array would send a similar amount of electricity into the grid as a nuclear power station.

It is not clear how much the full space power station will cost to launch or operate.

The idea for a space power station was first suggested by science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov in 1941 and has been explored by several countries including the UK and US.

According to the British-funded research on space based solar power, satellites in geosynchronous orbit receive sunlight for more than 99 per cent of the time.

This sunlight is also at a much greater intensity than solar panels on Earth.

A UK-funded paper said the idea would involve 'collecting this abundant solar power in orbit, and beaming it securely to a fixed point' on Earth.

Above our planet there are no clouds and no day or night that could obstruct the sun's ray  making a space solar station a constant zero carbon power source.

But the Chinese paper's author Professor Dong Shiwei said there were significant engineering challenges that have not yet been worked out.

To direct such high-powered microwaves over significant distances it would require a huge antenna, while gravity and solar winds could interfere with the transfer of energy.

The UK Space Agency is also investigating the plausibility of space-based solar power stations as it would provide a constant zero carbon power source

Nevertheless, China's plan is to build a large orbiting solar power space station in four stages.

In 2030, two years after the first test launch, Beijing would then launch a more powerful plant to a geosynchronous orbit of 22,000 miles (36,000km).

Although a test station would only have a power output of 10 kilowatts, the bigger power plant would be able to transfer 10 megawatts to 'certain military and civilian users' by 2035.

By 2050, China hopes that the station will be big enough to allow the output of about two gigawatts, which is equivalent to the output of most of Britain's power plants on Earth.

This would then make them commercially viable.

Other countries are also said to be exploring the idea of space-based solar energy, including the US military, which believes it could be used to power drones and remote military outposts.
Real Madrid are hopeful of concluding an agreement for France midfielder and Liverpool target Aurelien Tchouameni for around 68m.

The 22-year-old has been a constant in Ligue 1, playing 71 of a possible 76 league games for Monaco across the past two seasons.

Despite rumours he was close to agreeing moves with both Real Madrid and Liverpool, Tchouameni said he is yet to confirm where he will moving.

Aurelien Tchouameni's future is still undecided as Liverpool and Real Madrid show interest

When asked about joining one side over the other last month, the Frenchman provided a diplomatic answer.

'I like both: I can watch Spanish games and English games,' he told CNN.

'It's different to play in Spain and it's different to play in England, but at the end, for me, it's just a matter of adaptation.'

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti will be looking to future-proof his side's ageing midfield

Questions over Alex Oxlade-Chaimberlain's future mean Liverpool are keen to add a midfielder of Tchouameni's quality, although there may be more important signings to be made if Sadio Mane leaves.

Madrid, meanwhile will be looking to add depth and future-proof their ageing midfield as they aim for a 15th Champions League title.

They have also expressed interest in Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus who is a target for Arsenal and Tottenham.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly will speak with Thomas Tuchel on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week to verify Romelu Lukaku's temporary departure from Stamford Bridge, according to reports.

Lukaku has been strongly linked with a return to Inter Milan after struggling to cement a regular place in the Chelsea XI following his club-record 97.5million transfer last summer.

The 29-year-old striker has four years left on his contract at Stamford Bridge but he has made it clear he would be interested in returning to Serie A to play for his former side.

Todd Boehly will speak with Thomas Tuchel to verify Romelu Lukaku 's temporary departure

Inter cannot afford to buy Lukaku back from the Premier League giants on a permanent basis. Therefore, they are looking to negotiate a loan deal with the London-based club.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tuchel will sit down with Boehly on either Wednesday or Thursday to discuss a potential loan deal for Lukaku.

The Italian news outlet claims Boehly will approve the Belgium striker's departure as long as it's financially viable.

The Chelsea owner will approve the Belgium striker's departure as long as it's financially viable

Lukaku is said to have a private jet on standby to take him to Italy as soon as Boehly approves his loan spell.

Should Boehly decline the move, Lukaku will reportedly ask to meet with the American owner to discuss his future at the club.

Meanwhile, Inter are looking to reach an agreement with Chelsea before the end of June to take advantage of the Growth Decree rule.

The scheme lets teams in Italy buy players from abroad with significant tax breaks, as long as they stay in the country for at least 24 months.

Lukaku has been linked with a return to Italy after falling out of favour under Thomas Tuchel

Lukaku, who is reportedly willing to take a 50 per cent pay cut to facilitate a switch back to Italy, was asked about his future while away on international duty.

Ahead of Belgium's 4-1 defeat by Holland on Friday, reporters asked the 29-year-old whether he would be returning to Italy this summer.

The striker - who limped off injured during the Nations League fixture - remained tight-lipped, telling the press he 'can't talk about the future'.

However, Lukaku previously expressed his desire to return to Inter Milan in a bombshell Sky Italia interview at the end of December 2021.

Lukaku sparked controversy by implying he would leave the Blues to rejoin his former club. He said: 'I don't think any of it [his departure] should have happened the way it did.

Lukaku began his second spell at Chelsea by scoring against rivals Arsenal back in August

He then picked up an ankle injury during Chelseas 4-0 Champions League win over Malmo

'The way I left Inter and the way I communicated with the Inter fans. I'm annoyed about that because it's not the right time now but it wasn't the right time when I left either.

'I always said that I love Inter and I'll play for them again. I really hope so. I fell in love with Italy. Now is the right time to talk about it and tell people what really happened, without saying anything bad about anyone, because I'm not like that.

'I want to really apologise to the Inter fans because I don't think I should have left Inter the way I did. I should have spoken to you guys first, especially after everything you did for me, for my family, my mum, my son. I'll never forget that.

'I hope from the bottom of my heart to go back to Inter and not at the end of my career but when I'm still at a good enough level to win more trophies.'

Lukaku fell down the pecking order while injured and struggled to get back into the team

Lukaku said while away on international duty that he could not discuss his future at Chelsea

Lukaku initially hit the ground running when he returned to Chelsea last summer. He scored four goals in his first four appearances before falling out of favour.

The 29-year-old picked up an ankle injury during the first half of Chelseas 4-0 Champions League win over Malmo.

He spent a month on the sidelines before returning to the squad at the end of November. However, his transition back into the starting XI was far from smooth.

Tuchel began to favour a false-nine attacking system that included Kai Havertz. As a result, Lukaku found himself warming the bench more often than not.

Since then, Lukaku has been in and out the starting XI under Tuchel and is said to be desperate for regular minutes.
Robert Lewandowski has doubled down on his determination to force a move from Bayern Munich, claiming his relationship is broken with the club where he is a goalscoring legend.

'I just want to leave Bayern,' said Lewandowski, 33, who has one year remaining on his contract. 'Loyalty and respect are more important than the work. The best thing to do is find a solution together.'

The Poland striker hoped Bayern would let him move to Barcelona but told Polish website Sport Onet: 'They didn't want to listen to me until the end. Something died inside me - and it's impossible to get over that.

Wantaway Robert Lewandowski has underlined his desire to leave Bayern Munich once again

'Even if you want to be professional, you can't make up for it. No other offers were even considered by me other than that of Barcelona. I want to leave Bayern, that's clear.

'During so many years at the club I was always ready, available, despite injuries and the pain, I gave my best. I think the best thing to do is to find a good solution for both sides. And not to look for a one-sided decision.

'I'm not looking for a unilateral solution, that makes no sense, not after so much time, after such a successful era and with my will and support.'

Lewandowski will play for Poland against Belgium on Wednesday night in the Nations League.

Lewandowski said 'something died inside me' at Bayern as he looks to push a Barcelona move

Romelu Lukaku, who is trying to escape Chelsea and return to Inter Milan, has been ruled out of the game with an ankle injury, and is a doubt to face Wales on Saturday.

Lewandowski has been publicly vocal about his desires to quit Bayern this summer, to the ire of their board.

Last month the 33-year-old submitted a transfer request and when providing an update on his future recently the Barcelona target didn't hold back - accusing his current side of a lack of 'loyalty and respect' after eight trophy-laden years of service.

Lewandowski's frustrations continued as he warned Bayern that no potential stars will want to join the club in future if they don't allow him to end his eight-year stay at the Allianz Stadium.

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has been heavily linked as his potential replacement this summer.

The 33-year-old handed in a transfer request last month and has one year left on his contract

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has been heavily linked with a move to Bayern this summer

'What kind of player will want to go to Bayern knowing that something like this could happen to them? Where are the loyalty and respect then?

'I was always been ready, I spent eight nice years here, I met wonderful people and I would like it to stay that way in my mind.'

Lewandowski's contract with Bayern runs until 2023, but he has made it clear that he has no plans to pen an extension and wants to walk away.

He has enjoyed a sensational eight-year stint in Bavaria, having scored 344 goals in 375 appearances. This season, he 50 goals in 46 matches.

Since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2014, Bayern's No 9 has won 14 major honours at the club - including eight Bundesliga titles and the 2019-20 Champions League.
New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has reportedly shifted the club's policy with regards to transfers by handing boss Thomas Tuchel the reins on matters in the window.

Policy before their new owner's arrival had seen the club work with Tuchel and his predecessors to identify and chase players that suited both the manager and those above him.

Moreover, it was the club who had the loudest voice when it came to outgoings. However, The Telegraph report German boss Tuchel will now have the greater influence on arrivals and departures in his squad, starting from this summer.

Thomas Tuchel will reportedly be handed the reins to direct Chelsea's transfer business

Todd Boehly has shifted the club's policy by handing Tuchel the loudest voice on business

The report adds Tuchel will continue to work in tandem with sporting director Marina Granovskaia and technical and performance advisor Petr Cech, only now they will instead be focused on delivering on the players the manager recommends.

The system introduced by Boehly - who is set to hand Tuchel a 200million transfer budget to strengthen his squad after completing a 4.25bn takeover - aligns itself with those of the two teams who finished ahead of the Blues in the Premier League last season in Manchester City and Liverpool.

Both Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have had the most say on decisions in transfer windows at their respective clubs for a long time.

The former was instrumental in Man City parting ways with respected club servants Joe Hart and Yaya Toure, while Tuchel's compatriot Klopp sold striker Christian Benteke just 12 months after his 32.5m arrival at Anfield.

It mirrors the power Jurgen Klopp (L) and Pep Guardiola (R) have at Liverpool and Man City

Tuchel will continue to work with both Marina Granovskaia (centre left), and Petr Cech (centre right)

And there could be similarly huge decisions for Tuchel to make this summer, with reports claiming Boehly will speak with Tuchel on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week to verify Romelu Lukaku's temporary departure from Stamford Bridge.

Sportsmail understands Lukaku is open to taking a pay cut of 3m a year to help seal a return on loan to last season's runners-up in Serie A, following a dismal first season back in the Premier League after his 97.5m move from Inter.

The 29-year-old striker has four years left on his contract at Stamford Bridge but he has made it clear he would be interested in returning to Serie A to play for his former side.

Tuchel will therefore likely get his way with regards to incomings too, and as a result Ousmane Dembele's injury issues and inconsistent form at Barcelona could be put to the side if the German wants to reunite with the player he managed at Borussia Dortmund.

It could prove to be good news for Romelu Lukaku, who wants a return to Inter Milan

Tuchel could also move for Ousmane Dembele (L) and Matthijs de Ligt (R) this summer

The French winger is out of contract this summer, meaning the Blues could sign him on a free if he fails to agree a new deal with the Catalan giants, especially with Paris Saint-Germain now reportedly out of the race.

However, The Telegraph claim Chelsea are not close to signing the 25-year-old France international and are still scouring the market, with City and England forward Raheem Sterling and RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku also on their list.

Sportsmail revealed last month Chelsea will seek to fix their leaky defence during this window and the report claims Boehly is ready to fund a move for Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt if Tuchel prefers him to Josko Gvardiol.

The Blues have also been linked with Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, with the club in need of centre-backs following Antonio Rudiger's departure for Real Madrid and Andreas Christensen expected to follow to Barcelona.

Meanwhile, the same outlet claims in midfield West Ham star Declan Rice's return to Stamford Bridge cannot be ruled out despite his 150m price tag.
Brooklyn Beckham's ex Hana Cross flaunted her toned midriff as she attended a PrettyLittleThing event in London on Monday.

The model, 24, was the embodiment of radiance in a green mesh crop top which tied together at the front.

She teamed the summery blouse with white flared trousers and a matching micro-handbag.

Summer glow: Brooklyn Beckham's ex Hana Cross, 24, flaunted her toned midriff as she attended a PrettyLittleThing event in London on Monday

Hana showed off her dewy, youthful glow with a simple sweep of blush and a dusky pink lipstick.

Her long caramel locks were worn down, adding the perfect complement to the star's tanned complexion.

She accessorised with a pendant necklace, a diamond bangle and ring.

Stunning: The model was the embodiment of radiance in a green mesh crop top which tied together at the front

Natural beauty: Hana showed off her dewy, youthful glow with a simple sweep of blush and a dusky pink lipstick

Hana rocked a pale pink manicure, and teamed her ensemble with white slippers.

The star also shared snaps of herself in the UK on Friday, captured in a park surrounded by Union Jack bunting for the Platinum Jubilee.

She showed off her edgy style in a periwinkle camisole topped with an oversized baby pink and blue button-up.

The chilled ensemble was teamed with some navy joggers, a beaded necklace, and dark pair of sunglasses.

Pastel tones: Hana rocked a pale pink manicure, and teamed her dreamy ensemble with white slippers

Tanned and toned: Her long caramel locks were worn down, adding the perfect complement to the star's tanned complexion

The star had her hair collected in a sleek updo, showing off some simple golden hoops as she posed up a storm for the camera.

It comes as last month she seized the opportunity to strip down to her bikini for a day beside the pool with Eyal Booker as they hung out at the five star Destino Pacha Hotel in Mykonos, Greece.

The model showed off her her taut abs in the floral PrettyLittleThing two-piece, as she flashed a hint of underboob in the skimpy swimwear.

Back in the UK: The star also shared snaps of herself in the UK on Friday, captured in a park surrounded by Union Jack bunting for the Platinum Jubilee

Easy glam: She showed off her edgy style in a periwinkle camisole topped with an oversized baby pink and blue button-up

Hana - who had been putting on a cosy display with Eyal during a Superdry shoot earlier - looked sensational in the bikini, which featured pretty halter neck detailing.

The duo appeared to greet each other at the pool as Hana could be seen wrapping Eyal into a hug in one friendly snap.

Meanwhile, Eyal showed looked relaxed in a pair of joggers while showing off his hunky physique in a tank top.

The pair jetted off to Mykonos to model for Superdry's summer campaign, but seemed to have found some time to relax too.

Back in March, Eyal and Hana were spotted leaving Chiltern Firehouse in London together, after what seemed to be a cosy dinner.

The dinner followed on from Eyal's split from ex-girlfriend Delilah Belle Hamlin at the beginning of the year.

The pair, who are both single, seemed to be comfortable in each other's company - despite Hana previously being linked with Eyal's pal Scott Disick, 38.

Chic: The star had her hair collected in a sleek updo, showing off some simple golden hoops as she posed up a storm for the camera

In April Hana's ex Brooklyn married actress Nicola in a lavish wedding at her familys $123 million, 44,000-square-foot oceanfront mansion, Montsorrel, in Palm Beach.

Brooklyn and Hana dated for nine months in 2019 before eventually called it off.

The model was broken up with by Brooklyn, then 21, after a series of public rows, including at Glastonbury, where he partied with his parents Victoria and David.
A braless Chloe Sims turned heads on Monday as she took to the pink carpet at the PrettyLittleThing fashion event in London.

The TOWIE star, 40, looked gorgeous in a semi sheer black body suit which clung to her incredible figure.

Chloe was joined at the swanky party by sisters Demi, 25, and Frankie, 27, who both donned equally stylish ensembles for the event.

Turning heads: A braless Chloe Sims showed off her incredible figure in a sheer body suit as she joined sisters Demi and Frankie at PrettyLittleThing event in London on Monday

Trio: Chloe was joined at the swanky party by sisters Demi, 25, (right) and Frankie, 27 (left) who both donned equally stylish ensembles for the event

Gorgeous Chloe looked sensational in the skin tight outfit which extenuated her hourglass figure.

Embellished with cut out detail the star wore nipple covers over her pert breasts which were visible under the flash of the cameras.

Carrying the outfit's colour story into her accessories the reality star slipped her feet into black peep toed heels and carried a matching Fendi bag in hand.

Cheeky: Embellished with cut out detail the star wore nipple covers over her pert breasts which were visible under the flash of the cameras

As her Ombre locks fell past her shoulders Chloe donned a glamorous palette of make-up for the evening, with a contoured complexion and a style matte lip.

Adding a pop of colour with cherry red manicure and pedicure the television personality shielded her eyes behind stylish shades.

Younger sister Frankie followed suite in an all black outfit as she flashed her toned legs for the cameras.

The brunette beauty looked gorgeous in a black leather mini dress with a Bardot neckline and oversized sleeves.

Spotted: Also at the event was Brooklyn Beckham's ex-girlfriend Hana Cross, 24, who looked summer ready in a cropped chiffon blouse

Slipping her feet into baggy black boots the star posed with a small matching baguette bag.

As her luscious locks fell in a straight style Frankie beamed behind a face of gorgeous make-up, complete with rose pink lip.

Youngest sister Demi opted for a stylish more casual look as she wore a black busier with a matching opera glove on one hand.

Strike a pose: Tied below her chest the model flashed her toned abs as she completed the look with wide legged white trousers

She also wore slate viscose trousers with tie and pocket detail that gathered above boots with a neon green platform.

With her blonde hair styled in gorgeous loose curls Demi added a little extra to the look with a cross body Dior bag.

Also at the event was Brooklyn Beckham's ex-girlfriend Hana Cross, 24, who looked summer ready in a cropped chiffon blouse.

Stunner: Choosing a simple make-up look the brunette beauty accessorised the stylish ensemble with a splash of gold jewellery. The statuesque stunner added a little extra height with a pair of heeled sandals as she posed up a storm at the rooftop party

Tied below her chest the model flashed her toned abs as she completed the look with a wide legged white trouser.

Choosing a simple make-up look the brunette beauty accessorised the stylish ensemble with a splash of gold jewellery.

The statuesque stunner added a little extra height with a pair of heeled sandals as she posed up a storm at the rooftop party.
The Biden administration is unlikely to announce student loan forgiveness until later this summer. More than 40 million Americans have been waiting for news since President Joe Biden stated in May that he'd share his intentions in the coming weeks.

As per CNBC, the White House is expected to make a statement on forgiveness in July or August. The most likely reason for the delay is significant consideration - and disagreement - among officials about the political and financial implications of erasing billions of dollars in student debt. There is no precedent for such an action.

The country's outstanding student loan total of $1.7 trillion exceeds credit card or vehicle debt, and a fifth of borrowers were already behind on payments before the pandemic public health disaster. Biden stated on the campaign trail that he supported removing $10,000 from debtors' accounts. This would cost around $321 billion and would cancel the loans of almost one-third of student loan debtors.

However, there is a danger that such an announcement may result in more irritation and disappointment than anything else. After all, the typical college loan burden is three times that, at roughly $30,000. You are not alone if your student debts have not been canceled. President Joe Biden has not established any broad-scale student loan forgiveness policies since taking office. According to Forbes, the following are possible causes for the delay in student loan forgiveness:

Student Loan Forgiveness: Key Takeaways

1. Biden might have canceled student debts, but he has postponed the decision. For example, there was talk last week that Biden would have announced widespread student loan forgiveness when delivering the graduation address at the University of Delaware. However, the tragedy in Uvalde occurred earlier that week, which might have caused any statement to be postponed. During his speech at the University of Delaware, the president made no mention of student debt or loan forgiveness.

2. Biden has yet to determine whether or not to cancel student debts. While there is widespread anticipation that Biden may cancel student loan debt for millions of debtors, there is no certainty. The White House refuted a story that Biden had determined whether or not to proceed with the $10,000 debt forgiveness. It's been nearly six weeks since Biden stated he'd make a decision within weeks, but he's made no additional pronouncements.

3. The Biden administration may have determined that the president lacks the unilateral legal authority to implement broad-scale student debt cancellation without further congressional authorization.

4. Some radical Democrats in Congress want Biden to forgive up to $50,000 in student loan debt. Biden previously stated that he is not considering student loan forgiveness of $50,000. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have been pleading with the president to reconsider his mind.

5. Biden may have opted against canceling student debt and would instead focus on alternative methods to give student loan relief. Biden, for example, might maintain targeted student loan forgiveness through current government programs.

Read Also: US Baby Formula Shortage Expected To Ease in the Coming Days as Abbott's Michigan Plant Resumes Production

Who Is Qualified?

According to the Federal Reserve's analysis, forgiving $10,000 per borrower would result in about 11.8 million borrowers - slightly more than 31% - having their entire sum waived. If the Biden administration follows through on this promise, it is predicted that $321 billion in federal student debts will be canceled.

According to The Washington Post, assistance may be restricted to people earning less than $125,000 or $150,000 per individual tax filer, or $250,000 or $300,000 for married couples filing jointly. Forgiveness might also be limited to debts used for undergraduate education, eliminating degrees such as medicine and law that need extra study.

Related Article: Child Tax Credit Update: Survey Reveals Major Pain of Stopping CTC Payments

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Molly-Mae Hague ensured all eyes on were her as she flashed her toned midriff on the mauve carpet at the PrettyLittleThing fashion event in London on Monday.

The former Love Island star, 23, who works as the creative director of the fashion brand, wore the chocolate quilted strappy crop top from her edit, with the item leaving her stomach on show.

She teamed her top with a quilted crop blazer in the same style and a matching pair of shorts.

In style: Molly-Mae Hague, 23, ensured all eyes on were her as she flashed her toned midriff on the mauve carpet at the PrettyLittleThing fashion event in London on Monday

The television personality opted for a pair of dark brown knee-high boots and carried a small purse with her.

She wore lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty facial features and styles her blonde hair into a mane of curls.

Molly-Mae was joined at the event by fellow former Love Island star Amber Davies, 25, who was spotted looking stylish as she arrived.

Eye-catching: The former Love Island star who works as the creative director of the fashion brand, wore the chocolate quilted strappy crop top from her edit

Fashion focus: She teamed her top with a quilted crop blazer in the same style and a matching pair of shorts

Looking good: The television personality opted for a pair of dark brown knee-high boots and carried a small purse with her

Stunning: As ever Molly-Mae wowed in her eye-catching brown ensemble as she attended the fashion launch bash

Glammed up: Inside the launch, Molly-Mae posed alongside the guest of honour herself, Nella Rose, who wowed in a bright pink mini dress

Gang! Nella Rose (L) and Molly Mae (R) pose with PLT boss Umar Kamani

The West End star wore a latte hued floor-length dress with splits at the front and back from the PLT x Pretty Little Thing range.

The plunging neckline left her cleavage on show and was joined at the front by a silver ring.

Her garment featured cut out detail to each side to give a glimpse at her midriff.

Stepping out: Molly-Mae was joined at the event by fellow former Love Island star Amber Davies, 25, who was spotted looking stylish as she arrived

Strike a pose: The West End star wore a latte hued floor-length dress with splits at the front and back from the PLT x Pretty Little Thing range

Style queen: The plunging neckline left her cleavage on show and was joined at the front with a silver clasp

She wore a pair of knee-high high-heeled boots in a similar colour and carried a black handbag with her.

Amber went for a glamorous look with her make-up and sported a healthy glow.

Meanwhile, Molly Smith, 25, looked stylish in a black bodice crop top with a plunging neckline.

Glitterati: Meanwhile, Molly Smith, 25, looked stylish in a black bodice crop top with a plunging neckline

Fame game: She wore a pair of black satin trousers and some open-toed heels to add a few inches to her stature

Out on the town: Molly wore lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty facial features and flashed a sultry look as she posed on the mauve carpet

The garment featured lace pattern detailing and rose at the sides to give a glimpse of skin.

She wore a pair of black satin trousers and some open-toed heels to add a few inches to her stature.

Molly wore lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty facial features and flashed a sultry look as she posed on the mauve carpet.

Turning heads: A braless Chloe Sims showed off her incredible figure in a sheer body suit as she joined sisters Demi and Frankie at PrettyLittleThing event

A braless Chloe Sims turned heads as she arrived at the event to join her fellow reality stars.

The TOWIE cast member, 40, looked gorgeous in a semi sheer black body suit which clung to her incredible figure.

Chloe was joined at the swanky party by sisters Demi, 25, and Frankie, 27, who both donned equally stylish ensembles for the event.

Trio: Chloe was joined at the swanky party by sisters Demi, 25, (right) and Frankie, 27 (left) who both donned equally stylish ensembles for the event

Gorgeous Chloe looked sensational in the skin tight outfit which extenuated her hourglass figure.

Embellished with cut out detail the star wore nipple covers over her pert breasts which were visible under the flash of the cameras.

Carrying the outfit's colour story into her accessories the reality star slipped her feet into black peep toed heels and carried a matching Fendi bag in hand.

Cheeky: Embellished with cut out detail the star wore nipple covers over her pert breasts which were visible under the flash of the cameras

All smiles: Chloe flashed a broad smile as she arrived at the event, carrying her black handbag in her hand

Peachy: The star showed off her pert behind as she walked down the street, with her skin visible through sheer panels

Here they are! The Sims sisters (L-R Frankie, Demi and Chloe) certainly made for a picture-perfect trio as they arrived at the launch

Pose up a storm: Upon arriving at the event, Chloe, Frankie and Demi were seen posing alongside PrettyLittleThing's CEO Umar Kamani

As her Ombre locks fell past her shoulders Chloe donned a glamorous palette of make-up for the evening, with a contoured complexion and a style matte lip.

Adding a pop of colour with cherry red manicure and pedicure the television personality shielded her eyes behind stylish shades.

Younger sister Frankie followed suite in an all black outfit as she flashed her toned legs for the cameras.

The brunette beauty looked gorgeous in a black leather mini dress with a Bardot neckline and oversized sleeves.

Spotted: Also at the event was Brooklyn Beckham's ex-girlfriend Hana Cross, 24, who looked summer ready in a cropped chiffon blouse

Strike a pose: Tied below her chest the model flashed her toned abs as she completed the look with wide legged white trousers

Stunner: Choosing a simple make-up look the brunette beauty accessorised the stylish ensemble with a splash of gold jewellery. The statuesque stunner added a little extra height with a pair of heeled sandals as she posed up a storm at the rooftop party

Model credentials: Hanan rubbed shoulders with other stars at the swanky event in central London

Slipping her feet into baggy black boots the star posed with a small matching baguette bag.

As her luscious locks fell in a straight style Frankie beamed behind a face of gorgeous make-up, complete with rose pink lip.

Youngest sister Demi opted for a stylish more casual look as she wore a black busier with a matching opera glove on one hand.

She also wore slate viscose trousers with tie and pocket detail that gathered above boots with a neon green platform.

Superstar! During the fashion launch, Ms Banks took to the stage for a surprise performance

With her blonde hair styled in gorgeous loose curls Demi added a little extra to the look with a cross body Dior bag.

Also at the event was Brooklyn Beckham's ex-girlfriend Hana Cross, 24, who looked summer ready in a cropped chiffon blouse.

Tied below her chest the model flashed her toned abs as she completed the look with a wide legged white trouser.

Choosing a simple make-up look the brunette beauty accessorised the stylish ensemble with a splash of gold jewellery.

The statuesque stunner added a little extra height with a pair of heeled sandals as she posed up a storm at the rooftop party.
Irina Shayk was pictured while taking a solo stroll through New York City on Monday afternoon.

The 36-year-old supermodel turned heads as she showed off her lower body while rocking an eye-catching and nearly monotone outfit during her time in public.

The influencer's outing occurred just a day after she shared a sultry set of snaps from a promotional campaign in which she was heavily featured.

Out and about: Irina Shayk was pictured while taking a solo stroll through New York City on Monday afternoon

Shayk wore a jet-black trench coat on top of a matching shirt and set of shorts, which prominently displayed her chiseled legs, during her outing.

The fashion industry personality also rocked a set of white socks that were contrasted with a pair of leather shoes.

The runway regular carried a stylish leather bag with her while stepping along the Big Apple's walkways, and she accessorized with a wide-framed pair of sunglasses.

Her gorgeous brunette locks were tied back into a tight bun for the length of her outing.

Fashionable: Shayk wore a jet-black trench coat on top of a matching shirt and set of shorts, which prominently displayed her chiseled legs, during her outing

Completing her look: The runway regular carried a stylish leather bag with her while stepping along the Big Apple's walkways, and she accessorized with a wide-framed pair of sunglasses

Shayk's outing occurred just a day after she shared a smoking set of promotional snaps to her Instagram account.

In the shots, the supermodel showed off much of her sculpted form while rocking an outfit from Jean Paul Gaultier.

The fashion industry figure rocked a form-hugging black leotard underneath a pair of blue jeans that she pulled down to give the camera a better look at her curvy hips.

She also donned several accessories and had her brunette locks tied into a lengthy ponytail during the photoshoot.

Shayk previously discussed her modeling career during an interview with Harper's Bazaar, where she offered a bit of advice regarding confidence.

She stated: 'You have to learn how to love you and be comfortable in your own skin. If you really love you for who you are, I think you can do anything.'

The supermodel also told the media publication that she did not envision herself working in the fashion industry.

Pro tips: Shayk previously discussed her modeling career during an interview with Harper's Bazaar, where she offered a bit of advice regarding confidence

She pointed out: 'I never was this kind of person who was like, "I want to look pretty."'

Shayk went on to note that, although much of the public perceived her as solely a model, she was just as normal as anyone else.

'I'm not perfect. I have bad skin days and bad hair days. Sometimes I don't look like a model. I'm just a real human being,' she stated.
Amber Davies looked effortlessly chic on Monday evening as she joined stars at the PrettyLittleThing's launch of their new x Nella Rose collection in Central London.

The ex Love Islander, 25, looked gorgeous in a figure hugging stripped dress with a thigh-high split that flashed a glimpse of her toned legs.

The stylish number contained a keyhole detail at the bust which flaunted the stars ample assets.

Chic: Amber Davies flashed a glimpse of her toned legs in a chic cream ensemble as she joined stars at the PrettyLittleThing launch in London on Monday

Amber layered the stylish look with an oversized tawny blazer as she carried the colour story into her footwear - slipping into thigh high cream boots.

Opting for a glamorous palette of make-up for the evening the star looked ravishing with a smoky eye and metallic lip.

Amber let her raven locks fall in a gentle wave as she opted for a black manicure to match her leather clutch.

Stylish: Opting for a glamorous palette of make-up for the evening the star looked ravishing with a smoky eye and metallic lip

Once inside The Nest Rooftop Bar Amber slipped off her blazer to give her social media followers a closer look at her saucy outfit.

The busty beauty posed in front of the bar before snapping a mirror selfie in the venue's swanky entrance way.

Amber also shared a clip as she arrived to a crowd of photographer desperate to grab her picture.

Glamourpuss: Opting for a glamorous palette of make-up for the evening the star looked ravishing with a smoky eye and s metallic lip. Amber let her raven locks fall in a gentle wave as she opted for a black manicure to match her leather clutch

Busty: Once inside The Nest Rooftop Bar Amber slipped off her blazer to give her social media followers a closer look at her saucy outfit

Later Amber shot a commercial for the fast fashion brand as she gave fans a behind the scenes glimpse.

With a glittered background the beauty posed for the camera as the director gave their enthusiastic thumbs up.

Also at the star-studded event was TOWIE's Chloe Sims, 40, who went braless in a semi sheer black body suit which clung to her incredible figure.

She was joined at the swanky bash by sisters Demi, 25, and Frankie, 27, who both donned equally stylish ensembles for the event.

Stunner: The busty beauty posed in front of the bar before snapping a mirror selfie in the venue's swanky entrance way

Camera ready: Later Amber shot a commercial for the fast fashion brand as she gave fans a behind the scenes glimpse. With a glittered background the beauty posed for the camera as the director gave their enthusiastic thumbs up

Gorgeous Chloe looked sensational in the skin tight outfit which extenuated her hourglass figure.

Embellished with cut out detail the star wore nipple covers over her pert breasts which were visible under the flash of the cameras.

Carrying the outfit's colour story into her accessories the reality star slipped her feet into black peep toed heels and carried a matching Fendi bag in hand.

As her Ombre locks fell past her shoulders Chloe donned a glamorous palette of make-up for the evening, with a contoured complexion and a style matte lip.

Adding a pop of colour with cherry red manicure and pedicure the television personality shielded her eyes behind stylish shades.

Turning heads: A braless Chloe Sims showed off her incredible figure in a sheer body suit at the swanky bash

Younger sister Frankie followed suite in an all black outfit as she flashed her toned legs for the cameras.

The brunette beauty looked gorgeous in a black leather mini dress with a Bardot neckline and oversized sleeves.

Slipping her feet into baggy black boots the star posed with a small matching baguette bag.

As her luscious locks fell in a straight style Frankie beamed behind a face of gorgeous make-up, complete with rose pink lip.

Trio: Chloe was joined by sisters Demi, 25, (right) and Frankie, 27 (left) who both donned equally stylish ensembles for the event

Youngest sister Demi opted for a stylish more casual look as she wore a black busier with a matching opera glove on one hand.

She also wore slate viscose trousers with tie and pocket detail that gathered above boots with a neon green platform.

With her blonde hair styled in gorgeous loose curls Demi added a little extra to the look with a cross body Dior bag.
Christina Hall has moved into her swanky new Newport Beach home with her husband Joshua Hall.

The 38-year-old real estate mogul took to Instagram on Monday to share the news with followers.

Along with a photo of her and Josh smooching in their new kitchen, she wrote: 'Home Sweet Home. No furniture, no decor, just love.'

Humble abode! Christina Hall has moved into her swanky new Newport Beach home with her husband Joshua Hall

Christina straddled her love in a denim jacket with matching cutoff shorts as her blonde hair fell down her back.

She wore a pair of white designer sneakers and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck.

The real estate agent returned the affection as he held his wife in a white t-shirt and light wash jeans.

His heavily tattooed arm was exposed in the photo as he lifted his head to plant a kiss on his bride.

Announcement: The 38-year-old real estate mogul took to Instagram on Monday to share the news with followers

Mrs. Hall continued in the caption, 'Cant wait to show you guys a video of this place, but mostly excited to get in here and make it our own.'

The mother-of-three talked about her plans for the space as she noted, 'Coming soon. Turning this modern house into a modern / coastal / boho / organic home.'

Over 50,000 of her 1.8 million fans liked the post and left comments gushing about their excitement.

Celebrating with a kiss: Along with a photo of her and Josh smooching in their new kitchen, she wrote: 'Home Sweet Home. No furniture, no decor, just love'

Satisfied buyer: Christina posed with her real estate agent Keven Stirdivant and husband Josh

The move comes after Hall sold her previous Spanish-style house in Dana Point for an impressive $11.5million.

Haack owned it for less than a year but she still added her design touches here and there.

Her new abode is just under 7,000 square feet and features a large swimming pool and a movie theatre.

Specs: Her new abode is just under 7,000 square feet and features a large swimming pool and a movie theatre

A lot of sharp angles: The home has a boxy, angular feel as it is ultra modern with big windows

Christina is returning to Newport Beach after selling the home she used to share with ex-husband Ant Anstead, TMZ reported in May.

The former couple is currently in a heated custody battle over their two-year-old son Hudson.

She and the 43-year-old Englishman have shared joint legal and physical custody of their child since they ended their 21-month marriage in September 2020.

The Anaheim-born star's two older children - daughter Taylor, 11; and son Brayden, 6 - are from her seven-year marriage to former Flip or Flop co-host Tarek El Moussa, which ended in 2018.

Haack wed realtor Josh Hall in California sometime between October 2021 and April 2022 after just a few months of dating in Tennessee.

New beginnings: The move comes after Hall sold her previous Spanish-style house in Dana Point for an impressive $11.5million
Kanye West's mystery movie date from last week appears to be none other than online influencer Monica Corgan.

Last week the Donda rapper, 44, was spotted catching a screening of Top Gun: Maverick in the presence of a blonde companion, in a social media snap shared by Below Deck camera operator Everette Motta.

Internet sleuths quickly pointed out that Kim Kardashian ex-husband's new date looked to be Corgan, who is an Instagram model known for being an ambassador for the swimwear brand Boutine LA.

Ye's new girl? Kanye West's mystery movie date from last week appears to be Instagram model Monica Corgan

'Forgot to mentionwent to see @topgunmovie the other night and sat next to @kanyewest,' Motta wrote in the caption of the photo, which sees Ye and his companion intently taking in the action on the screen.

Monica boasts 34.6K followers on her Instagram profile, and posted a snap of her legs in Balenciaga boots as she sat inside of a movie theater on the day the snap was taken.

'Cool girl,' she captioned the carousel of photos, which also saw her wearing Kim's favorite brand as she posed in a bathroom mirror.

Movie date: Last week the Donda rapper, 44, was spotted catching a screening of Top Gun: Maverick in the presence of a blonde companion

In Kim's favorite brand: Monica boasts 34.6K followers on her Instagram profile, and posted a snap of herself wearing Balenciaga at the movie theater on the day the snap was taken

In the sultry snaps, the influencer is seen sporting black leather boots, and a skin tight black bodysuit and tights.

She also accessorized the look with black wraparound glasses, a hoodie, and a black Balenciaga purse.

Her short blonde tresses were slicked back for the occasion.

In another snap from her social media, she showed off her washboard abs and cleavage in a grey swimsuit, while in the next she was seen posing in black tights and high-heel boots.

Model looks: Corgan is an Instagram model who is known for being an ambassador for the swimwear and bikini brand Boutine LA

Stunner: The blonde beauty was seen modeling a bikini on her Instagram

Influencer: In another snap she was seen posing in black tights and high-heel boots

Like Kanye, Corgan has a playful sense of fashion, and was seen sporting a yellow set with a cute animal print, paired with green boots and a white Balenciaga purse in another post.

She also showed off her ample assets in a video that saw her riding on a skateboard from behind while wearing a black bikini.

In her most recent Instagram post featuring a fresh-faced selfie she wrote a poignant caption: 'If u knew what was rare u wouldn't waste it'

Fans in her comments have been excitedly inquiring whether she was indeed the woman see with the 24-time Grammy winner, with one asking 'Is this Kanye's new it thing?'

Another one wrote, 'Wake up babe, new Ye gf dropped.'

A message? In her most recent Instagram post featuring a fresh-faced selfie she wrote a poignant caption: 'If u knew what was rare u wouldn't waste it'

Fun look: In yet another snap she wore a yellow set with a cute animal print, paired with green boots and a white Balenciaga purse

Ample assets: In a video on her social media she was showing off her ample assets in a black bikini while skateboarding

Speculating: Fans in her comments have been excitedly inquiring whether she was indeed the woman see with Kanye, with one asking 'Is this Kanye's new it thing?'

Interestingly enough, the two seem to have known each other for a while, as Kanye has previously mentioned Corgan's name on a song.

Last year, when West and fellow rapper, Drake, were feuding, the Canadian star leaked a song by Ye and Andre 3000, titled 'Life of the Party.'

In the song, Kanye is heard rapping: 'So don't text me like I'm Juanita JCV/ Or more important, Monica Corgan, who was there for me/ Somebody really there for me, was rare for me.'

Fans have also pointed out that Corgan was spotted wearing Kanye's merch, and has been seen on his tour bus several times.

Last squeeze: Kanye has most recently been linked to model Chaney Jones, following his divorce from Kim, though it's unclear what their current relationship status is

Day at the beach: Jones took to her Instagram Stories on Monday with a couple of sultry beach snaps

Picnic? The model looked incredible in a hot pink bra and grey leggings as she enjoys what appeared to be a romantic beach picnic with white roses surrounding her

Seductive gaze: She also gave fans a close-up look of her stunning natural makeup for the day, in a short clip that saw her seductively glancing at her camera

Kanye has most recently been linked to model Chaney Jones, following his divorce from Kim, 41 - for which she filed in February 2021, after seven years of marriage - though it's unclear what their current relationship status is.

The two have not been spotted together in a while, however they do still follow each other on social media.

Jones - who got a 'Ye' tattooed on her wrist last month - took to her Instagram Stories on Monday with a couple of sultry beach snaps.

The model looked incredible in a hot pink bra and grey leggings as she enjoys what appeared to be a romantic beach picnic with white roses surrounding her.

She also gave fans a close-up look of her stunning natural makeup for the day, in a short clip that saw her seductively glancing at her camera.
Is Baz Luhrmann ready to pack up the director's chair?

During an appearance at his event The Business of Baz, as part of Sydney's VIVID festival, the acclaimed director contemplated retirement following the release of his Elvis biopic.

'I am at the point in my journey where I am like, would I even bother making another film?' he said, according to Variety Australia.

That's a wrap? Baz Luhrmann may retire from directing movies following the release of Elvis

Baz, who is also known for his blockbuster films The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet, added that he takes time off for his 'soul' after any major project.

But after Elvis hits theatres on June 23, the filmmaker said he may do something drastically different.

'I can certainly help create environments and get behind them and help their journey to flourish as much as possible,' he said, hinting a career in film producing.

Baz, 59, explained that he would love to mentor the future generation of storytellers, as well as draw attention to the importance of Australia's role in the film industry.

'We are at that crossroads. We are at an extremely important time to take on our full adult position in the world and make sure people, like where I am in my journey, it's our responsibility to pay back,' he added.

'We can't just wait in line, but make sure we're there.'

Baz continued: 'This nexus that we sit in, and I believe we are blessed with sitting in this crossroads of a world where this emerging new, youthful, creative energy is so alive  it's so alive on so many levels.

New direction: Baz, 59, said he would love to mentor the future generation of storytellers. (Pictured: actor Austin Butler as Elvis Presley in the movie Elvis)

'So that's where I think I could spend the rest of my days being useful doing. I am committed to that.'

Baz walked the State Theatre red carpet at Sydney's Elvis premiere over the weekend alongside lead actors Tom Hanks, Austin Butler and Olivia DeJonge.

'You know, when I was like 20, I would save up my money and go to the film festival at the State Theatre,' he told Vogue Australia.

Stars of the show: Baz (left) lit up the red carpet alongside Elvis actors Olivia DeJonge, Austin Butler and Tom Hanks at the State Theatre in Sydney over the weekend

'I used to like rug up, I'd have my thermos and see 300 movies.'

The biopic was filmed and produced entirely on the Gold Coast. Baz even relocated his entire production company headquarters to the coastal suburb of Miami.

Elvis is set for theatrical release in Australia on June 23, following its world premiere at the Cannes Film festival last month.
Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna are again feuding over legal matters after he claimed that she backpedaled on a promise to drop a lawsuit against him for revenge porn, TMZ reported on Monday.

The 35-year-old former Keeping Up With The Kardashians star claimed in documents filed in court the same day that Chyna, 34, had agreed to drop the suit in exchange for his help getting her dropped as a defendant in another lawsuit.

But the model's lawyer claimed later in the day that Kardashian had violated California state law by 'revealing alleged details of ongoing settlement discussions.'

Reneging: Rob Kardashian, 35, claimed in court filings Monday that his ex Blac Chyna, 34, is backing out of an agreement to drop her revenge porn lawsuit against him, according to TMZ; seen in 2016 in Hollywood

In his filing, Kardashian claims that Chyna had agreed to drop her suit in exchange for him getting her dropped as a defendant in a lawsuit filed against both of them by her former friend Pilot Jones.

Jones alleged in his suit that they had publicly outed him as gay, which put his safety at risk.

Kardashian says in the filing that he agreed to get Chyna removed from the suit at not cost to her, as long as she agreed to drop her revenge porn lawsuit against him.

He says he agreed in May to the deal, suggesting that it was floated by Chyna.

This for that: Kardashian says his ex agreed to drop the suit in exchange for him getting her removed as a defendant from a lawsuit at no charge

Pointing fingers: The two had been sued by her ex friend Pilot Jones for allegedly outing him as gay, which he says threatened his safety; seen in 2017 in Glendale, Calif.

Despite the agreement, the ex reality star claims that Chyna is threatening to push for a trial in her suit.

Kardashian is asking a judge to enforce the deal struck between himself and his ex by forcing her to drop her lawsuit against him.

But in a statement to TMZ, Chyna's attorney Lynne Ciani claimed that Rob had broken the law by discussing his discussions with her client.

'Under California law, settlement discussions are confidential. Rob Kardashian has violated California law by revealing alleged details of ongoing settlement discussions,' she alleged.

'Chyna is permitted under California law to disclose that settlement discussions regarding her revenge porn case against her ex-fiance are ongoing. When and if a confidential settlement is reached on this case, Chyna will alert the court first and then the media.'

Fighting back: But Chyna's attorney Lynne Ciani told TMZ that Rob allegedly violated California law by publicly discussing settlement discussions; see in 2016 in Atlanta

The lawyer also referenced Chyna's failed attempt to sue the KardashianJenner family in a $108 million defamation lawsuit, which she lost.

Kim Kardashian, her mother Kris Jenner and sisters Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner all testified in response to Chyna's claims that they had falsely accused her of attack Rob in order to get their reality series Rob & Chyna canceled.

The jury determined that the KardashianJenners were wrong to claim she had abused her then-partner, but they also determined that those claims didn't affect the fate of the show.

Revenge porn: Chyna originally received a restraining order against Kardashian  whom she shares five-year-old Dream with  after he allegedly posted nude photos of her on social media in 2017

'Regarding the earlier trial in April 2022, a Los Angeles jury soundly rejected Robs testimony that Chyna had physically abused him,' Ciani added. 'The jury found that Chyna, in fact, had not physically abused Rob.'

Kardashian and Chyna, who first sparked dating rumors in early 2016, share their five-year-old daughter Dream Kardashian.

Chyna received a restraining order against her ex in 2017 after he allegedly posted nude images of her online.

At the time, Ciani had accused him of violating California's revenge porn law.
Mark Wahlberg celebrated his 51st birthday yesterday and uploaded a video on his Instagram showing himself toasting to the big day with a shot of tequila.

The actor was seen sitting comfortably in a plane as he picked up a bottle of Flecha Azul Tequila and stated to the camera, 'The big 51.'

While Wahlberg celebrated his birthday high in the sky, his friends on the ground also sent him a number of birthday wishes.

Celebration: Mark Wahlberg turned 51 yesterday and shared a video on his Instagram of him pouring a shot of tequila in celebration of his birthday

The Uncharted actor was wearing a light blue Municipal brand t-shirt and tan colored plants. Wahlberg is co-founder of the Municipal brand, alongside Stephen Levinson and Harry Arnett.

He opted to wear a pair of sunglasses as he prepared a delicious birthday shot for himself.

A voice off camera could be heard asking, 'Bro, what are you doing for your birthday?'

Wahlberg's response was simple. 'The big 51. I'm going to have some Flecha.'

Birthday boy: The actor smiles to himself as he prepares to pour himself a shot of tequila in honor the 'big 51'

Close friends of the star shared birthday wishes, which Wahlberg reposted on his Instagram stories.

Mario Lopez stated, 'Happy Birthday to my guy,' and Lawrence Duran, an actor and chef said, 'Happy Birthday Bro.'

Many others sent their celebration wishes since the 'big 51' only comes around once.

Great friends: Many friends of Wahlberg, like Lawrence Duran and Mario Lopez posted their own bday wishes for the actor

The Fighter actor is sometimes seen tagging Flecha Azul Tequila because he is an investor for the brand.

In an interview with Forbes, the actor discussed how he became involved in the tequila industry.

Wahlberg told the founders of the brand, Aron Marquez and Abraham Ancer, 'I'd love to get involved and invest in and support you guys and utilize all my resources and put the firepower into building the brand. And they were thrilled to have me.'

Unforgettable birthday: The 51-year-old received a lot of love from close friends on his big day

Mark has been working on his newest film Our Man From Jersey alongside Halle Berry.

The movie's genre is an action thriller and the two main leads have been spotted shooting many action scenes abroad in London.

Details of the upcoming Netflix film have been kept quiet, but the two actors have been hard at work making their characters come to life.
Monday's Love Island episode saw the latest contestants go through a myriad of emotions.

But audiences were equally high-strung over the dating show's comeback and took to Twitter to voice their frustration over the frequency of its ad breaks.

Social media users complained about the interruptions to their viewing amid the drama, with the first break coming just ten minutes into the first episode.

It's back! Monday's Love Island episode saw the latest contestants go through a myriad of emotions

Cliff-hangers: It would appear audiences were equally high-strung over the dating show's comeback, taking to Twitter to voice their frustration with the advert breaks

One wrote: 'It's already over? The advert breaks seemed longer than the whole episode.'

Another voiced: 'I already feel cheated. I forgot about these cliffhanger advert breaks.'

A third comment said: 'Advert already? Give us a break please (pun intended).'

'It's already over?': Social media users complained about the frequent interruptions to their viewing amid the drama

Elsewhere, at one point, someone complained: 'That advert break was so unnecessary.'

Another also mid-episode tweeted: 'Hopefully this is the last advert break.'

One social media user also claimed that every year there is an advert break before the first couple is revealed.

'Unnecessary': One social media user also claimed that every year there is an advert break before the first couple is revealed

'I deffo didn't miss all these advert breaks,' another quipped.

Others took to the platform to say that the ad breaks provide viewers with time to catch-up on Twitter's takes of the reality show.

'Me using this advert break to read you lots tweets,' one said.

Getting the goss: Others took to the platform to say that the ad breaks provide viewers with time to catch-up on Twitter's takes of the reality show

They're here! In the opening scenes of the much-anticipated new series, the girls were seen sat round the infamous fire pit when host Laura Whitmore welcomed them to the ITV dating show

At odds: The series kicked off with a dramatic twist as viewers were given the chance to vote for this year's first couples for the first time, but romances have already been put to the test with the arrival of Davide

Another wrote 'advert break *everyone to twitter*' with a series of running people emojis.

Meanwhile the series kicked off with a dramatic twist as viewers were given the chance to vote for this year's first couples for the first time, but romances have already been put to the test with the arrival of hunky bombshell Davide Sanclimenti.

While the couples were mere hours into getting to know one another, the Islanders learned that one boy would be left vulnerable as Davide chose which one he'd like to be paired up with, and Gemma didn't waste any time stealing a cheeky smooch from the hunk.

In the opening scenes of the much-anticipated new series, the girls - Gemma Owen, Indiyah Polack, Paige Thorne, Tasha Ghouri and Amber Beckford- were seen sat round the infamous fire pit when host Laura Whitmore welcomed them to the ITV dating show.

Exciting: The girls were sat round the infamous fire pit when host Laura Whitmore welcomed them to the ITV dating show revealing this year's couples had been chosen by a public vote
Feminist author Clementine Ford is the latest celebrity to come forward with an ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) diagnosis.

In an emotional Instagram post this week, the 40-year-old said she'd been diagnosed with both ADHD and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) by a specialist psychiatrist.

'I feel all the typical things people report feeling when a huge puzzle piece finally falls into place,' she explained to her 214,000 followers.

Open: Feminist author Clementine Ford (pictured) is the latest celebrity to come forward with an ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) diagnosis

'Relief at finally understanding how and why my brain works the way it does; sadness for all the times I berated myself for being incapable, "stupid" and unreliable; and optimistic about a future that may not include quite so much confusion and anxiety,' she continued.

The best-selling author went on to say she was proud of herself for her many achievements in life while being neurodivergent.

'I also feel a strong sense of pride. I'm proud that I've managed to achieve the things I have despite the whirlwind that lives perpetually in my head. I've no doubt many of the things I've done have been BECAUSE of that whirlwind,' she wrote.

'I'm proud of the little girl who persisted when she was called overly sensitive, dramatic and capable of great things if she just "applied herself".'

'Im proud of the little girl who persisted': The best-selling author went on to say she was proud of herself for her many achievements in life while being neurodivergent

Clementine also explained the diagnosis made her understand more about her own behaviour throughout her life.

'I have an explanation now for why I get super fixated on things (and conversely, why I never open bills), why I can be dogmatic in my approach to certain issues (working on that) and why I sometimes make impulsive choices that prove unwise after the fact,' she said.

'Many of the best people I know have ADHD! Artists, writers, musicians, activists, single mums - we contribute an amazing vibrancy to the world. We are cool b****es with beautiful brains, never forget it.'

Clementine's diagnosis follows a string of other stars who have bravely come forward to share their own experiences with neurodivergency in recent months.

'I sometimes make impulsive choices that prove unwise': Clementine explained the diagnosis made her understand more about her own behaviour throughout her life

Last month, former Married At First Sight star Clare Verrall said her life finally 'makes sense' after discovering she has the common neurodevelopmental disorder.

'I legitimately thought ADHD was for troublesome primary school boys. But nope, it's me to a tee,' she said.

Clare's diagnosis came after media personality Em Rusciano and Bachelor star Abbie Chatfield were both diagnosed with ADHD.

Abbie confirmed her diagnosis on her Hit Network radio show last month, saying she'd been looking for an explanation for her symptoms for 18 months.

Battles: Last month, former Married At First Sight star Clare Verrall (pictured) said her life finally 'makes sense' after discovering she has the common neurodevelopmental disorder

The Bachelor in Paradise alum also said she was disappointed the process was so 'inaccessible' to many, after going to great lengths to get an appointment with a psychiatrist, which eventually cost her 'around $700'.

'I'm very happy to say, she got a diagnosis,' Abbie told her co-host Rohan Edwards.

'Now I am going to go on medication, the psychiatrist said that I can listen to podcasts, and there's lots of different coping mechanisms that I can research.'

Me too! Abbie Chatfield (pictured) confirmed her ADHD diagnosis on her radio show last month, saying she'd been looking for an explanation for her symptoms for 18 months

ADHD is a mental health condition with symptoms that include trouble focusing, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour.

The adult condition is treated similarly to that of childhood ADHD, with medication and counselling, according to the Mayo Clinic.

'My whole anxiety is feeling that I'm always behind on something - you know, like on holiday, and you think you've forgotten something very important? That's my feeling at all times,' Abbie said.

In an Instagram video explaining her symptoms, Abbie said she was 'unable to sleep a lot' because of her constant flow of thoughts, and often forgets where things are. She also goes through periods of 'hyperactivity'.

Brave: Fellow podcaster Em Rusciano (pictured) shared her ADHD diagnosis recently. She is also on the autism spectrum

Speaking about the process of getting an appointment, Abbie revealed she'd paid her personal assistant to spend an entire day finding her one.

Fellow podcaster Em Rusciano shared her ADHD diagnosis recently. She is also on the autism spectrum.

Her three-year-old son Elio has been diagnosed with autism, too.

Family: Em's son Elio (pictured) also has autism, and her daughter Odette has ADHD

'I'm really focused on making sure that he gets to be all that he is, I understand what it's like to move through life with our brain, and I don't want it to be anything like it has been for me, for him,' she said on Instagram.

Last year, Em revealed her 14-year-old daughter Odette had been diagnosed with ADHD as well.

Outside of Australia, a growing number of celebrities have also come out about their battles with autism and ADHD.

Advocate: In February, American Bachelor star Demi Burnett (pictured) announced she had been diagnosed with autism

In February, American Bachelor star Demi Burnett announced she had been diagnosed with autism.

She now has her own podcast where she discusses her journey as an autistic adult and speaks to other neurodivergent celebrities.

In the UK, model and TV personality Christine McGuinness shared her autism diagnosis last year after her three children were diagnosed.
Following complaints about stinky and foul smell, police discovered 30 dead dogs and cats inside the home of an animal sanctuary's CEO.

Caroline Dawn Pennington, 47, was detained on Friday after 28 dog corpses and two rotting cats in cages were discovered. Pennington, the CEO and Director of GROWL, an animal rescue non-profit headquartered in South Carolina, has been charged with 30 charges of animal cruelty.

Thirty Dead Dogs, Cats Found in South Carolina Home

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott described the horrifying sight as one of the worst cases of animal cruelty he has ever seen. The animals died of hunger and dehydration.

They were discovered lying in their waste, and investigators believe they had been neglected in their cages for up to nine months based on the level of decomposition. Pennington was a well-known personality in South Carolina's animal rescue sector, according to authorities.

She worked for the Kershaw County Humane Society in addition to operating GROWL. That is no longer true. Pennington is also being investigated for probable fraud, even though GROWL is a recognized non-profit organization. Anyone who has donated to GROWL in the last year is encouraged to contact the Richland County Sheriff's Department, Daily Star reported.

Pennington was detained at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center after turning herself in on Friday. She has been charged with 30 charges of Animal Abuse. She appeared in front of a judge and was granted a $75,000 bail on the condition that she wear an ankle monitor.

According to investigators, Pennington also worked for the Kershaw County Humane Society. "At this point, to the best of our knowledge, her accusations do not involve any Kershaw County Humane Society animals, but KCHS will continue to study and collaborate with law enforcement on this matter," Jamie Woodington told WAFB.

She stated that the humane society was unaware of Pennington's allegations until Friday. Woodington had resigned as KCHS's president the day before for personal reasons. It is unclear whether Pennington has retained legal counsel to issue a statement on her behalf, as per People.

Read Also: New Study Reveals Convergent Evolution Misleading, Says Evolutionary Tree Needs Revising

Another Case of Animal Cruelty in US

Meanwhile, a Sutter County couple has been charged with animal abuse and neglect after deputies from the Sutter County Sheriff's Office retrieved 63 animals from their house in May. Sutter County Sheriff's investigators executed a search and seizure warrant in Pleasant Grove on May 24, 2022, based on alleged animal abuse and neglect.

Sutter Animal Services Authority, Sutter County Sheriff's Office, and Sutter County Code Enforcement removed 63 animals from the Pleasant Grove house, including 39 dogs, 13 horses, 7 cats, and four exotic birds.

Under the care of Lynette Kim Countryman-Dunivan, 50, and Chad Damon Dunivan, 51, the animals reportedly lacked sufficient shelter, sustenance, and veterinary treatment. Following the raid, the couple was detained on suspicion of a variety of felonies, including animal cruelty.

As reported- by deputies, on June 1, 2022, the Sutter County District Attorney's Office filed 19 criminal charges against the Sutter County couple. Deputies said the investigation is still ongoing as they gather additional evidence. The Sutter County Sheriff's Office said anybody with information on this inquiry can contact Deputy Arbaugh at marbaugh@co.sutter.ca.us, according to ABC10.

Related Article: WATCH: Michigan Boy, 12, Robs Gas Station with His Grandfather's Gun, Hours After Making Threats at School

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Filming is well and truly under way on John Ibrahim's much-anticipated TV drama Last King of the Cross.

And on Monday, the 53-year-old nightclub owner was seen visiting the set of the new series for the first time.

John kept warm in a navy puffer jacket as he watched Lincoln Younes - the actor who will play him in the series - filming scenes in Sydney.

Seeing double! John Ibrahim (right) visited the set of Last King of the Cross for the first time on Monday. Lincoln Younes (left) plays the Sydney nightclub identity in the new TV series

Watching on: John kept warm in a navy puffer jacket as he watched Lincoln Younes - the actor who will play the nightclub identity in the series - filming scenes in Sydney

He was also seen talking to producers before spending time with Lincoln as he took a break from filming.

The 10-part series will tell the story of brothers John and Sam Ibrahim, who were prominent figures in the Kings Cross nightclub district.

The series may also explore key events in John's life, including surviving a near fatal stabbing and other attempts on his life.

Supervision: The 53-year-old was seen talking to producers before spending time with Lincoln as he took a break from filming

Story: The 10-part series will tell the story of brothers John and Sam Ibrahim, who were prominent figures in the Kings Cross nightclub district

British actor Tim Roth, who scored an Oscar nomination for the film Rob Roy in 1995, plays fictional crime boss Ezra Shipman on the show.

He replaced Deadwood star Ian McShane, who was originally cast in the role but had to leave the production due to health reasons.

The cast also includes Damian Walshe-Howling (Underbelly), Tess Haubrich (Alien: Covenant) and Matt Nable (Arrow).

Award-winning writer-director Kieran Darcy-Smith will helm the crime-drama.

Series: The series may also explore key events in John's life, including surviving a near fatal stabbing and other attempts on his life

Roles: Tim Roth, who scored an Oscar nomination for Rob Roy, in 1995, plays a fictional crime boss Ezra Shipman on the show

Cast: The cast also includes Damian Walshe-Howling (Underbelly), Tess Haubrich (Alien: Covenant) and Matt Nable (Arrow)

Sources close to the production say that John - who was 'very particular' about the actor playing him - was impressed with Lincoln's acting ability and his similarly dark complexion and light eyes.

The Lebanese-born entrepreneur migrated from Tripoli to Australia with his family as a young child before securing his first nightclub at age 19.

He has been dating model Sarah Budge, whom he met after buying the Potts Point building where she operated a restaurant, since 2015.

Impressed: Sources close to the production say that John - who was 'very particular' about the actor playing him - was impressed with Lincoln's acting ability and his similarly dark complexion and light eyes

History: The Lebanese-born entrepreneur migrated from Tripoli to Australia with his family as a young child before securing his first nightclub at age 19
They finally returned home from the hospital with their newborn baby Harper last week after she was born a month premature and had to be taken to the ICU.

And Snezana and Sam Wood looked ecstatic as they headed out to breakfast for the first time with their baby girl on Friday.

Proud Sam, 41, was every inch the doting dad as he carried a bundled up Harper in a baby capsule to their Porsche SUV.

Happy to be home! Thrilled Snezana and Sam Wood took their newborn daughter Harper out to breakfast in Melbourne on Friday after finally coming home from hospital

The happy parents both dressed for the chilly conditions, with Snezana, also 41, clad in activewear.

The brunette beauty opted for a pair of comfortable clingy leggings, a black long sleeve top and a matching puffer jacket.

Fitness entrepreneur Sam meanwhile looked dapper in black skinny legs jeans, a knitted jumper and a grey overcoat.

Proud as punch! Proud Sam, 41, was every inch the doting dad as he carried a bundled up Harper in a baby capsule to their Porsche SUV

He wore his salt and pepper quiff gelled back and sported some stubble.

The outing comes after Snezana shared sweet photos to commemorate exactly four weeks since she gave birth to her third child with Sam, and fourth overall.

She wrote in the caption: 'I honestly can't believe it.

'Four weeks ago today since I gave birth to my precious little Harper. Feels only like yesterday.'

Keeping warm: The happy parents both dressed for the chilly conditions, with Snezana clad in activewear

Gorgeous: The brunette beauty opted for a pair of comfortable clingy leggings, a black long sleeve top and a matching puffer jacket

Snezana added: 'Weeks have passed but I'm not sure where and how.

'It's all been such a blue but my goodness I'm so happy and grateful that I was chosen to be my itty bitty little Harper's mama'.

Harper was born a month premature and had to be taken to the ICU after picking up an infection, while Snezana was taken to another hospital to battle sepsis.

Sepsis is a life-threatening infection, with symptoms including fever, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure and a fast heart rate.

During the challenging time, Snezana kept her fans up to date with photos of her husband Sam cradling daughter Harper, and thanking him for all the support.

The couple have been together since meeting on The Bachelor Australia in 2015. They tied the knot in Byron Bay, NSW, in 2018.
Tziporah Malkah, the former 'It girl' known for her ill-fated engagement to billionaire James Packer, has joined OnlyFans.

The 48-year-old, previously known as Kate Fischer, announced her new adult career in a rather bizarre Instagram post on Monday.

In the same post, she also paid tribute to her father on his 79th birthday.

Cashing in! Tziporah Malkah, the former 'It girl' known for her ill-fated engagement to billionaire James Packer, has joined OnlyFans

'Happy birthday to my wonderful father! Seventy-nine years young today,' she wrote.

'Because of your atheism, I won't bang on about God and all the ways I wish that he'd bless you, not in public anyway,' she added.

'I'm just saying it secretly now to myself in my head Love you so much. Your daughter Tziporah.'

'Please stay tuned for the launch of my OnlyFans page,' she then teased, adding a link to her profile on the subscription website.

Surprise! The 48-year-old, previously known as Kate Fischer, announced her new career in an Instagram post on Monday, in which she also paid tribute to her father on his 79th birthday

'Show and tell': For $22 (US$16.30), fans can access exclusive content too risque for Instagram

For $22 (US$16.30), fans can access exclusive content too risque for Instagram.

The description of the first video on Tziporah's OnlyFans account, which is behind a paywall, makes reference to her father.

'I found it to be auspicious and a way for me to honour him by launching my account publicly on his birthday,' it reads.

'There's a LOT more to come, please stayed tuned!'

'I found it to be auspicious and a way for me to honour him': The description of the first video on Tziporah's OnlyFans account, which is behind a paywall, makes reference to her father

Back in June 2021, the former model stripped naked for a photo shoot for New Idea.

In the accompanying interview, Tziporah shared intimate details about what she is like in the bedroom.

'I am receptive and optimistic, but I am not this big raunch girl at home. I think that's where I've possibly come into trouble with dating and relationships,' she said.

'I date men who are fans and they keep bludgeoning me with, "What's wrong, what's wrong?" because they want the bells and whistles that I'm perhaps more known for.'

Tziporah previously lost 50kg thanks to healthy eating, surgery and hypnotherapy.

She revealed her weight-loss transformation on Nine's A Current Affair in 2020.

Transformation: Tziporah previously lost 50kg thanks to healthy eating, surgery and hypnotherapy. She revealed her weight-loss transformation on Nine's A Current Affair in 2020

She also underwent a 'mini lipo tuck' and a Brazilian butt lift, and worked with Mark Stephens, a hypnotherapist specialising in weight loss.

'I'm proud but I'm also incredibly vain! I love myself right now,' she said through tears.

Tziporah's weight had ballooned after she relocated to the U.S. in the early 2000s.

She decided to slim down after tipping the scales at 120kg during her appearance on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2017.
Hey Hey It's Saturday star John Blackman faces another life-threatening cancer battle following a previous rare diagnosis.

The 74-year-old, who voiced puppet Dickie Knee on the hit variety show, was diagnosed with bone cancer a month ago.

He previously battled an aggressive form of skin cancer four years ago, which led to surgeons replacing his chin with a leg bone.

Life-threatening: Hey Hey It's Saturday star John Blackman (pictured) faces another health battle four years after he was diagnosed with skin cancer

'Four weeks ago, I was diagnosed with a very unexpected bone cancer on the top of my noggin and the possibility of brain cancer beneath (yes, I actually do have a brain),' the TV personality wrote on Facebook.

'This was the same aggressive cancer that took my jaw four years ago,' he added.

'Happily, the cancer (if there is a happy side to cancer) was spreading up and down and not in multiple directions. This could have made surgery improbable.

'Following PET and CAT Scans and a radioactive MRI, my plastic surgeon, Frank, consulted with my neurosurgeon, Patrick, and together they devised a plan of attack. Both are eminent in their fields and professionally precise who have worked on several similar surgeries together. They were very confident of success.'

Blackman revealed he underwent surgery less than a fortnight ago at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

'The cancer-infected bone has gone and been replaced with a titanium mesh cover; a skin graft has replaced all of the skin on top of my head; and brain biopsies taken during surgery are clear,' he continued.

'A great result with enormous gratitude to the dedicated doctors and nurses at The Alfred  true heroes each and every one of them.'

'A great result': Blackman thanked the doctors and nurses who treated him at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne

Blackman has six weeks of radiotherapy ahead of him, which begins next week.

He returned home from hospital on Saturday and wore a 'Fight MND' beanie in support of footy legend Neale Daniher, who was diagnosed with the incurable disease in 2013. He also encouraged fans to support Daniher and his family by donating to the Fight MND organisation.

In 2018, Blackman revealed he'd been diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer known as basal-cell carcinoma.

Long road: Blackman has six weeks of radiotherapy ahead of him, which will begin next week

The cancer had formed on his chin from what he thought was 'just a little pimple' that had stuck around for two years, and doctors feared it would spread to his brain if left untreated.

Blackman had his jaw removed following a 10-hour operation and replaced with part of his leg bone.

He told Nine's A Current Affair the procedure could potentially end his career.

'[My surgeon] said, "Well, just get prepared to not be able to do all the things you've been able to do for the past 50 years," which is a bit of a kick in the guts,' Blackman said.

'To perform, you have to look good, you have to sound good, you have to sound confident and be confident. I just won't be able to do that anymore. Life without doing that is just so alien to me. I mean, I don't know what I'm going to do.'
Billy Eichner said that there is a dearth of support for the LGBTQ community in show business - despite how it professes to be.

The 43-year-old actor-comedian, speaking on Sunday with Page Six at the MTV Movie and TV Awards, spoke about why he feels there are not many romantic comedies geared for the LGBTQ community.

'Hollywood has often been very accepting on the surface but very homophobic underneath the surface and very hypocritical,' the New York City native said. 'And a lot of decisions have been made based on fear - fears that I think are often irrational - and yet, people were scared.'

The latest: Billy Eichner, 43, said that there is a dearth of support for the LGBTQ community in show business, despite how it professes to be. The actor-comic was snapped Sunday at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California

Eichner said many of the fears are 'based around what they think the mainstream audience would or would not accept,' and 'thats pretty infuriating when you think about it.'

Eichner stars in and co-wrote the upcoming film Bros, which he said is geared on portraying a realistic depiction of dating life in the LGBTQ community.

'Im happy that were here, and its a movie thats really a long time coming,' the American Horror Story star said, adding that he has gotten 'insanely positive' feedback from the film's trailer.

'I think why so many people are watching the trailer and why so many people are talking about is because theres a real hunger for stories like this,' Eichner told the outlet. 'Even on social media, which can be a little mean and snarky sometimes, people were generally really positive and excited about it and sharing it with their friends.'

The New York City native said that 'Hollywood has often been very accepting on the surface but very homophobic underneath the surface and very hypocritical'

Eichner stars in and co-wrote the upcoming film Bros, which he said is geared on portraying a realistic depiction of dating life in the LGBTQ community

Eichner said that it meant 'a lot to' him that a number of his high-profile friends, including Seth Rogen and Seth Meyers shared the trailer.

'Were going to need everyone to rally behind it so that they make more movies like this,' Eichner said, stressing that the film is a comedy.

He said, 'Its a really funny movie, and I think people really want to laugh right now. The world is bleak, and people I think have forgotten how much fun it is to go into a movie theater and laugh with their friends.'

The motion picture, from Universal Pictures will be the first studio movie to feature a principal cast made up of LGBTQ entertainers.

Eichner is seen in the trailer for his upcoming movie Bros, which hits theaters this fall

Eichner and Luke Macfarlane are among the principal cast of the film, which is made up of LGBTQ entertainers

Eichner opened up about the milestone in a letter he released with the trailer, NBC News reported last month.

'While its insane to me that it took this long to get this movie made, its still incredibly exciting to me - and a real sign of progress - that the same studio making movies like Jurassic World and The Fast and the Furious is also releasing this R rated gay rom with an all LGBTQ+ cast, and with as much passion and enthusiasm as they release those other films,' Eichner said. 'Its taken way too long. I wish we had a movie like BROS when I was a kid - but Im so excited and proud that this day has finally come!'

Bros, which also features Luke Macfarlane, Bowen Yang and Monica Raymund, is slated to hit theaters September 30.
Martha Kalifatidis is no stranger to a skimpy bikini.

And the former Married At First Sight star, 34, rocked yet another flesh-baring two-piece on Monday while holidaying in Italy with her boyfriend Michael Brunelli.

Posing in an outdoor swimming pool, Martha sizzled in a busty bikini top with tie-side bottoms that were pulled high onto her hips.

Racy: Married At First Sight star Martha Kalifatidis rocked yet another flesh-baring bikini on Monday while holidaying in Italy with her boyfriend Michael Brunelli

The influencer smiled for the camera in black-and-white photos shared to Instagram, while another snap showed her kissing Michael in the pool.

'I'm in love with the most annoying guy!' she captioned the gallery of pictures.

She also shared a colour photo of herself in the stylish bikini, and revealed it was the only set she brought with her on holiday.

Daring display: Posing in an outdoor swimming pool, Martha sizzled in a busty bikini top with tie-side bottoms that were pulled high onto her hips

'Yes, this is the only bikini I brought with me and I f**kin love it,' she wrote.

The couple are spending a few months travelling around Europe after moving out of their Bondi home due to mould issues.

It comes after Martha revealed she feels 'ashamed' to admit she is an influencer in Australia, where she claims the profession is not respected.

Romantic: The influencer smiled for the camera in black-and-white photos shared to Instagram, while another snap showed her kissing Michael in the pool

However, she feels the career is more respected in Europe.

'In Australia it's constantly s**t on. Being an influencer is dirty,' she wrote in an Instagram Stories post on Friday.

'Every time I travel and people ask me what I do I'm so embarrassed to even say it, because I've been conditioned to be ashamed,' she went on.

Skimpy: She also shared a colour photo of herself in the stylish bikini, and revealed it was the only set she brought with her on holiday

Respect: It comes after Martha revealed she feels 'ashamed' to admit she is an influencer in Australia, where she claims the profession is not respected

'In Europe and the States it's so well received. They see it as entrepreneurial.'

Martha continued: 'I studied to be a nurse, I know what hard work is. I know how good I have it.

'I have the luxury to work from anywhere and any time (well not really any time). And sure we get good s**t, but we live under a microscope with thousands of people waiting for us to f**k up so they can all share it and write about it and laugh.'

Cultural cringe? 'In Australia it's constantly s**t on. Being an influencer is dirty,' she said on Friday. 'Every time I travel and people ask me what I do I'm so embarrassed to even say it, because I've been conditioned to be ashamed'

The pint-sized star has amassed over 642,000 Instagram followers since finding fame on Married At First Sight three years ago.

She has scored endorsement deals with Australia's biggest brands in the process.

From beauty and wellness products to activewear, liquor, shopping apps and even ice cream, she is making serious money on social media.

Although Martha did not reveal the exact figure she charges for branded content, it's estimated she makes up to $3,000 for a single sponsored post.
Valerie Bertinelli's estranged husband Tom Vitale has requested spousal support, after the actress filed for divorce last month following an 11-year marriage.

Vitale, 58, asked for spousal support from Bertinelli, 62, in court docs filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, People reported, citing court docs it reviewed in the case.

Vitale, who works in finance, asked the court to stop Bertinelli from asking for spousal support and to review the prenuptial agreement they agreed to in December 2010, prior to their 2011 wedding.

The latest: Valerie Bertinelli's estranged husband Tom Vitale has requested spousal support, a month after the actress filed for divorce last month following an 11-year marriage. Bertinelli, 62, was pictured in April at the Grammy Awards

According to the court docs, the prenup remains 'in full force and effect and fully binding on the parties,' USA TODAY reported.

The Hot in Cleveland actress last November filed for separation from Vitale, stating 'irreconcilable differences,' prior to filing for divorce last month.

The Touched by an Angel actress and Vitale married on New Year's Day 2011 at their Malibu, California residence after dating for years. The One Day at a Time star told People in January of 2011 that she felt 'happier than ever' after exchanging vows with Vitale.

'I could have spent the rest of my life with Tom and not be married, but I wanted to call him "my husband,"' Bertinelli told the outlet. I really wanted to share how I feel about Tom with the people I love.'

Vitale, 58, asked for spousal support from Bertinelli in court docs filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court. The former couple was snapped in 2012 in NYC

The Touched by an Angel actress and Vitale married on New Year's Day 2011 at their Malibu, California residence after dating for years. They were snapped in LA kissing in 2012

Bertinelli had previously been wed to late rock legend Eddie Van Halen between 1981-2007, and they are parents to musician son Wolfgang Van Halen, 31.

The legendary guitar player died at 65 in October 2020 following a stroke and longtime cancer battle.

In the book she released earlier this year, Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today, Bertinelli opened up about her final moments with the late rock star and her son.

She wrote: '"I love you" are the last words Ed says to Wolfie and me, and they are the last words we say to him before he stops breathing.'

Bertinelli told the outlet in January that her parting from Vitale was not linked to her love for the late rock musician, as they 'grew apart.'

Bertinelli had previously been wed to the late Eddie Van Halen, and they are parents to musician son Wolfgang Van Halen, 31. The mother and son were seen at the Grammys

She added: 'The decision has nothing to do with my love for Ed. I wish Tom the best and I know he feels the same way about me.'

In her book, Bertinelli described her parting from Vitale as slow and painful.

'We have drifted from the interests that made us a couple and found that those differences cant be fixed,' she said. 'He is a good man who is going through many of the same issues that I have faced: What can he do to add meaning and purpose to his life?

'Where can he find joy? What is he passionate about? What has he learned? And what does he do differently going forward? The paths we thought we were on changed.'
Bindi Irwin has shared another loving tribute to her daughter Grace Warrior.

The 23-year-old posted a sweet photo of herself cradling the tiny tot while on the beach near their home in Queensland.

Bindi gazed at her little girl adoringly in the two images as they rugged up against the chilly weather.

Tribute: Bindi Irwin has shared another loving tribute to her daughter Grace Warrior. The 23-year-old posted a sweet photo of herself cradling the tiny tot while on the beach near their home in Queensland

'My love, There are countless adventures waiting for you on the horizon, a whole world for you to create positive change within,' Bindi wrote.

She went on to say she would be a guiding light for Grace, one, and encouraged her to follow her dreams.

'My love, There are countless adventures waiting for you on the horizon, a whole world for you to create positive change within,' Bindi wrote in the caption

'Until then, I will carry you and be there to encourage every one of your dreams,' she finished.

Grace Warrior is already starting to speak and said 'dada' in a cute home video that Bindi posted to Instagram last month.

'Where's dada?' asked Chandler as the trio gathered around the camera.

Milestone: Baby Grace is already starting to speak and said 'dada' in a cute home video Bindi posted to Instagram last month. Here with Bindi and Chandler

'Dada, dada, dada,' Grace replied, as her parents beamed with pride.

Bindi and Chandler married on March 25, 2020, and welcomed their daughter exactly a year later.

It seems they are still very much in the honeymoon phase more than two years after tying the knot.

'The most extraordinary man in the world': Bindi recently shared a beautiful message to her husband and 'best friend' Chandler last month

Bindi, the daughter of late conservationist Steve 'The Crocodile Hunter' Irwin, paid tribute to her American husband in a gushing Instagram recently.

She posted a photo of the couple posing with a cockatoo and a koala, and wrote in the caption: 'Most extraordinary man in the world just happens to be my best friendand my husband. Forever loving you @chandlerpowell.'

Chandler, a former professional wakeboarder from Florida, responded in the comments section: 'I love you and this post made my day.'
Karl Stefanovic has recalled the horrific moment a fan tried to take a 'd**k pic' of him while he was using a public bathroom on the Gold Coast.

Speaking on the Not an Overnight Success podcast this week, the Today host said he doesn't like to complain about being a celebrity, but admitted there are definitely downsides to fame - including members of the public who don't respect boundaries.

Karl, 47, explained to presenter Gus Worland how he was recently using the bathroom on a night out when a fan recognised him and tried to secretly snap a picture of him with his pants down.

The dark side of fame: Karl Stefanovic has recalled a disturbing incident involving a creepy fan who approached him in a public bathroom and tried to take a photo of his private parts

For weeks afterwards he was worried that a 'd**k pic' would surface on social media.

'My ability to have a grandiose time out and about is limited,' he said.

'I have been very disappointed with some of the stuff the public has done, like in the men's toilets, [someone] taking shots of my willy and I'm completely oblivious to it.'

Karl managed to laugh off the intrusive incident, saying he 'wasn't at his best' when the surreptitious photo was taken.

'D**k pic': Karl, 47, explained he was recently using the bathroom on a night out when a fan recognised him and tried to secretly snap a picture of him with his pants down

Another patron alerted Karl to the man taking a photo of his penis, and he immediately asked a police officer outside the venue to try to find the culprit.

The Channel Nine star tried to describe the bathroom fiend to the cop, but had no luck because most of the people in the venue looked the same.

'I went, "Mr Police Officer, this guy got a shot of my d**k,"' Karl said with a chuckle.

Paranoid: For weeks afterwards he was worried that a 'd**k pic' would surface on social media

'I had this paranoia for weeks that Karl's little d**k pic would come out... but I guess he never got the shot,' he added.

Speaking generally about his life in the spotlight, Karl said he once used to feel 'tremendous anxiety' about the tabloids and paparazzi, but now realises how lucky he is to have such a high-profile career.

'No one is going to feel sorry for you... you have a camera in your face at the airport? Boo hoo!' he said.

'It can be intrusive to have a camera on you... although they aren't there very much anymore but it produces anxiety, tremendous anxiety but you can't let that on with the public.

Not all bad: Speaking generally about his life in the spotlight, Karl (left, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese) said he once used to feel 'tremendous anxiety' about the tabloids and paparazzi, but now realises how lucky he is to have such a high-profile career

'It's like, dude, first-world problems. The benefits outweigh the negatives and I'm the luckiest guy in the world. And if you go outside and believe it, you won't have a problem with the cameras.'

Karl, who began his career as a cadet reporter for WIN Television in Cairns and Rockhampton, is one of Australia's most popular TV presenters.

He began working for Channel Nine in 2000 as a news presenter, and was promoted to host of the Today show in 2005.

He now co-anchors the breakfast show with Allison Langdon.
Heidi Klum set temperatures soaring on Monday when she attended the premiere of Jurassic World: Dominion in a plunging silver dress.

The 49-year-old supermodel was joined at the event at Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theatre by her 18-year-old daughter Leni Klum, who is following in her footsteps as a rising model.

While Heidi opted for a maximalist dress covered in an eye-catching faux-spike pattern, Leni took a more minimalist route with an all-black ensemble.

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Family: Heidi Klum, 49, showed off her cleavage in a silver dress as she and her model daughter Leni, 18, arrived at the Jurassic World: Dominion premiere in Hollywood on Monday

In Jurassic World: Dominion, the third and supposedly final in the second Jurassic Park trilogy, dinosaurs have now spread across the globe, where they now terrorize humans.

Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) return to try to save their species, while Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum all reprise their role from the original Jurassic Park (1993).

Fittingly, premiere attendees were terrorized by a large dinosaur head breaking through metal bars, which Heidi and Leni seemed to have a blast posing by.

That's not good: In Jurassic World: Dominion, the third and supposedly final in the second Jurassic Park trilogy, dinosaurs have now spread across the globe, where they now terrorize humans

Pricy: The Project Runway star highlighted her cleavage in her Spike Bustier Dress from The Blonds, which sells for a whopping $4,500 on the brand's website

Cool girl: Leni looked cool in a set of high-waisted black pants that laced up over her midriff and featured a string of circular cutouts running down the legs

The Project Runway star highlighted her cleavage in her Spike Bustier Dress from The Blonds, which sells for a whopping $4,500 on the brand's website.

The striking look featured a plunging neckline that nearly reached down to her naval, while the dress' home touched her ankles.

The sleeveless item was decorated with a hypnotizing photorealistic pattern of hundreds of sharp-looking silver spikes.

Magnetic gaze: The young beauty gave the camera a magnetic gaze with her piercing blue eyes

All black: She also had on a slim black tank top, and she elevated her stature with black boots

Not scared? The budding model didn't seem phased by the giant T-Rex head with sharp teeth right behind her

Model looks: She showed off he svelte physique while strutting down the red carpet

The German beauty contrasted it with black open-toe heels, and she wore her long blond locks styled straight with a middle part.

Leni looked cool in a set of high-waisted black pants that laced up over her midriff and featured a string of circular cutouts running down the legs.

She also had on a slim black tank top, and she elevated her stature with black boots.

Leni's biological father is Italian multi-millionaire Flavio Briatore but she was raised by her stepfather Seal whom Heidi divorced in 2014.

Edgy: The sleeveless item was decorated with a hypnotizing photorealistic pattern of hundreds of sharp-looking silver spikes

Stunning: The striking look featured a plunging neckline that nearly reached down to her naval, while the dress' home touched her ankles

Having fun: The mother and daughter duo appeared to have a blast on the red carpet

Leni styled her brunette hair nearly identical to her mother, though she opted for a bit more of a wave.

She accessorized with a boxy black handbag clutched under her arm.

Later on Instagram, Heidi posed in front of the Jurassic World logo, which appeared to be encased in an amber globe.

She tagged her dress maker and her style team while posting a photo of Leni from behind as she raised her arms at the entrance of the Chinese Theatre as if in awe.

Showing off: Later on Instagram, Heidi posed in front of the Jurassic World logo, which appeared to be encased in an amber globe

Credit due: She tagged her dress maker and her style team
Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia on Monday of exporting poverty by mining farmland in Ukraine, blocking Ukrainian food exports, and stealing grain to sell across the world as part of a scheme to blackmail the West into relaxing sanctions.

It comes after repeated warnings that the crisis in Ukraine was pushing up global food costs and threatening to destabilize Africa.

US: Russia Holds 20 Million Tons of Wheat

During a meeting with assistance agencies and private-sector groups, Blinken stated that 20 million tons of wheat were held in silos near the Ukrainian port of Odesa, with additional detained aboard ships that we were unable to sail due to Russian warships.

According to the UN, Russia and Ukraine contribute around 40% of the wheat consumed in Africa. Prices have already climbed by almost 23%. Drought has already caused 17 million people in the Horn of Africa to go hungry.

African nations have been cautioned by American authorities not to acquire Russian wheat that may have been stolen from Ukraine. It was added to Blinken's list of Russian atrocities. Ukraine has already accused Russia of transporting Ukrainian grain to Turkey and Syria.

The impact of Russian aggression on the global food supply has emerged as one of the most important issues in the conflict. It was mentioned during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday, according to Daily Mail.

Russian officials have attempted to concentrate attention on their own stifled food and fertilizer exports as a result of sweeping Western sanctions imposed on the country's economy following its invasion of Ukraine. Officials in the United States and Ukraine accuse Moscow of using the embargo as a kind of blackmail to obtain sanctions relief.

Read Also: South Korea Launches 7 Missiles, USA Sends 1 After North Korea's Scary Provocation: Full Details

Africa's Food Crisis Deepend Amid Russia Blockade

Officials in the United States have also reported apparent proof of Russian ships ferrying stolen Ukrainian grain from ports under its control, notably the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014. According to a US official, it is difficult to regard Russian promises in good faith given that they are actively and willfully destroying agricultural goods in Ukraine and worsening the global food crisis.

However, governments in other countries are more sympathetic to Russia's perspective. Senegalese President Macky Sall, who is also the African Union head, met with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Friday. Sall criticized how African nations, although being distant from the theater, are economic victims of the crisis.

Africa imported 44 percent of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine between 2018 and 2020. Wheat prices have surged by 45 percent since the recent interruptions, according to the African Development Bank. At the United Nations General Assembly, a majority of African countries voted to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, in an era of escalating economic turmoil, it matters less to countries remote from the war how their food is delivered and who is sending it, The Washington Post via MSN reported.

Russia is presently enforcing an embargo on Ukraine's port of Odesa, causing a grain backlog. The talks come as Putin appears to have ordered an escalation in the conflict in Ukraine, with missiles hitting Kyiv for the first time in more than a month on Sunday.

Putin vowed to attack new sites after the United States handed powerful rocket systems to Ukraine in its latest round of military supplies last week. Last Monday, President Joe Biden authorized an extra $700 million in military aid to Ukraine.

The package comprised everything from rocket systems to vehicle and equipment replacement components. The most significant weaponry was the Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, which Putin described as a US escalation. The plan merely contributed to the $4.6 billion in security aid previously provided to Ukraine by the US under President Biden's administration, as per Fox News.

Related Article: US Democracy Institute Founder Claims Joe Biden's Strategy Failing Against Russia, Support for Ukraine Insufficient

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She excitedly announced she was expecting her first child in an Instagram post over the weekend.

And former Married At First Sight star KC Osborne has admitted her pregnancy with her jockey Blake Spriggs boyfriend was unplanned.

During a candid Instagram Q&A with her followers on Tuesday, the 34-year-old said the news was a total surprise to the couple.

Surprise! Married At First Sight bride KC Osborne, 34 has revealed that her pregnancy with her jockey Blake Spriggs boyfriend was unplanned. Pictured together

'The pregnancy wasn't planned, but it's such a blessing from God,' she said.

'I'm very happy in a relationship. I know I'm going to be a great mum.

'I know Blake's going to be a great father and it was just one of those things, those beautiful things that happened.'

KC said she found out really early in her pregnancy after she had a sip of wine and immediately vomited.

No idea: KC said she found out really early in her pregnancy after she had a sip of wine and immediately vomited

'I knew that wasn't normal because I love wine. So that was my last sip I've had,' she said, explaining she did a pregnancy test the following day.

The former Pussycat Doll-turned-reality star surprised her followers when she shared the exciting new on Instagram on Sunday, alongside a picture of the proud couple.

'We are very excited to announce we will be welcoming a baby boy in December,' KC began.

She continued: 'I can't wait for the next chapter of my life and I am so glad I have a supportive partner by my side.'

'We are very excited to announce we will be welcoming a baby boy in December,' The former Pussycat Doll-turned-reality star surprised her followers when she shared the exciting new on Instagram on Sunday, alongside a picture of the proud couple

Romance: Former KC first debuted her new relationship with Sydney jockey in April

In 2010, KC moved to LA and signed a record deal with top 40 hitmaker The Dream, and spent almost a decade there as an aspiring pop star and professional dancer.

She used to work as a Pussycat Doll in the musical act's burlesque show, and even rubbed shoulders with Harry Styles and David Beckham during her stint in Hollywood.

She returned home to Sydney in 2019 in hopes of settling down and finding love.

Don't cha? KC used to work as a Pussycat Doll in the musical act's burlesque show, and even rubbed shoulders with Harry Styles and David Beckham during her stint in Hollywood

KC starred on season eight of Married At First Sight, Channel Nine's hit dating experiment.

She was paired with TV 'husband' Drew Brauer, but she unfortunately didn't find a lasting relationship.

After leaving the show she dated co-star Michael Goonan.
An fish dish gone wrong sent home fan favourite Harry Tomlinson from MasterChef Monday night.

The coffee roaster from Melbourne was eliminated during a challenge where the chefs were asked to use a selection of two ingredients from Marco Pierre White's pantry favourites.

Harry, who was an early favourite to win Channel 10's cooking show, served up a whole baked flounder with a herb and butter sauce.

Floundering on a classical dish: A fish dish gone wrong sent home fan favourite Harry Tomlinson from MasterChef Monday night Pictured: Harry Tomlinson

The judges liked the sauce but were surprised Harry had not picked a fish with a stronger flavour.

Parts of the fish were under done, which sealed Harry's fate.

The ingredients from Marco's pantry favourites included tabasco sauce, red currant jelly, anchovies, chardonnay vinegar, red wine vinegar, brandy, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, cornichons, ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce and capers.

Harry says her major error was selecting a flounder as the main dish, and going for a classical method of preparation away from her more typically adventurous style.

Hero in the kitchen: The coffee roaster from Melbourne was eliminated during a challenge where the chefs had to use a selection of two ingredients from Marco Pierre White's pantry favourites Picture: Marco and Harry on MasterChef

'I think thats the only thing I regret about that cook, choosing to do something that was maybe not authentically my own,' she told 10 play.

She also admitted to being nervous as she faced Marco, one of her cooking heroes in the kitchen.

'I just wanted to not stuff up in front of him basically.'

'I think I just tried to be - to be blatantly honest - too big for my boots,' Harry said, explaining that classical cooking requires more knowledge than doing something 'crazy and full-on.'

Meanwhile, it was Tommy Pham who seemed to impress Marco.

His soy sauce fish was a hit the celebrity judge judge who called of the most delicious and beautifully balanced dishes he had ever tasted of the hit reality show.
Johnny Depp has opened up a TikTok account following his recent legal victory over ex-wife Amber Heard in their highly-publicized defamation trial.

The actor, 58, had garnered more than 1.6 million followers as of Monday evening on the account, on which he wrote 'Occasional Thespian' on his bio. Depp had not followed anyone else or liked any posts on the account.

Depp opened the account days after a Virginia jury awarded him more than $10 million in his libel suit against Heard, 36, on Wednesday, over a 2018 opinion piece she penned for The Washington Post.

The latest: Johnny Depp, 58, has opened up a TikTok account following his recent legal victory over ex-wife Amber Heard, 36, in their highly-publicized defamation trial. Depp was snapped in England on Monday

In the piece, the actress called herself a 'public figure representing domestic abuse,' but didn't mention the actor's name; Depp's legal team said that Heard had 'concocted the story in hopes of generating positive publicity and to advance her career.'

Depp on Wednesday posted a statement on his verified accounts on Facebook and Instagram that read: 'Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed.'

It continued: 'And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled. From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome.

'Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.'

Depp had garnered more than 1.6 million followers as of Monday evening on the account, on which he wrote 'Occasional Thespian' on his bio. Depp had not followed anyone else or liked any posts on the account

Depp is aiming for an eventual return to his film career, and is hopeful he will be able to resume it in the future, a source told The New York Post Monday

Depp had been awarded $15 million in damages, which was reduced by the judge to $10.4 million in accordance with state law limitations in regards to punitive damages.

Heard was awarded $2 million by the jury for damages stemming from remarks made by a Depp lawyer that Heard had concocted a story and trashed an apartment she shared with Depp to make it look bad when she summoned authorities to the scene.

Heard said in a statement on social media following the trial that she was 'even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women.

'Its a setback,' she said. 'It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.'

Much of the televised trial was centered around Heard's claims Depp physically and sexually abused her, as she said he had attacked her on more than a dozen occasions.

Depp denied that he ever hit Heard, saying that she had been abusive to him.

Depp's joining of TikTok comes after he received strong support from users on the platform during the trial

Heard and Depp were seen during the trial in in Fairfax, Virginia on May 16

Depp sued Heard over defamation claims linked to a 2018 article she penned for The Washington Post in which the Aquaman actress called herself a 'public figure representing domestic abuse.' They were pictured on May 5

A source told the New York Post Monday that Depp, who is currently on a musical tour with Jeff Beck, is currently focusing on music and relaxing in the wake of the stress brought upon by the trial.

Depp is aiming for an eventual return to his film career, and is hopeful he will be able to resume it in the future.

Depp's joining of TikTok comes after he received strong support from users on the platform during the trial. According to the outlet as of Monday, the hashtag #JohnnyDepp had more than 33.5 billion views and #JusticeforJohnnyDepp had 20.2 billion views. On Heard's end, a sarcastic hashtag #AmberTurd amassed 4.3 billion views, while the phrase #JusticeforAmberHeard had 85.9 million views.
Could SAS Australia be returning to the small screen?

Despite its underwhelming ratings earlier this year, the gruelling military-style reality show looks set for another season on Channel Seven, after chief instructor Ant Middleton was spotted at Sydney Airport on Monday.

The British former solider, 41, had just flown in from Perth when he spotted a familiar paparazzo and offered a knowing glance.

Making a comeback: SAS Australia looks set for another season on Channel Seven, after chief instructor Ant Middleton was spotted at Sydney Airport on Monday

Ant sported a casual look as he walked through Sydney's domestic terminal.

At one stage, he locked eyes with the photographer and wagged his finger.

The sighting came just hours after Ant posted a cryptic tweet hinting at a possible return to Aussie television.

Spotted: The British former solider, 41, had just flown in from Perth when he spotted a familiar paparazzo and offered a knowing glance

I'm watching you: At one stage, he locked eyes with the photographer and wagged his finger

'Thank you Perth Sydney here I come babyyyy!' he wrote, adding the hashtag #guesswhosback.

Season three of SAS Australia had a rough start in early 2022, especially when compared to previous years.

The opening episode recorded a dismal 467,000 metro viewers. By contrast, the launch of the 2021 season had 647,000 viewers.

'Guess who's back': The sighting came just hours after Ant posted a cryptic tweet hinting at a possible return to Aussie television

Season one's premiere recorded almost double that of season three, reaching a whopping 834,000 viewers in the five major cities.

But despite the falling ratings, SAS Australia is up for a Logie Award for Most Popular Reality Program this year.

It is going up against The Block (Nine), Celebrity Apprentice (Nine), I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! (Channel 10), MAFS (Nine), and MasterChef (Channel 10).

The winners of this year's season of SAS Australia were NRL star Darius Boyd, NRLW player Millie Boyle and motorsports presenter Riana Crehan.
Mary Magdalene made headlines last week after being thrown off an American Airlines flight, allegedly for 'appearing intoxicated' and sitting in the wrong seat.

And now outrageous photos have emerged of the social media star going topless at a gay Pride party on Miami Beach back in April.

In the images, the Canadian model leaves little to the imagination as she flashes her bare chest in front of a crowd while trying on a bikini top.

Beach balls! Outrageous photos have emerged of social media star Mary Magdalene going topless at a gay Pride party on Miami Beach back in April (pictured)

At over 5000cc each and weighing more than 10kg combined, Mary's implants are certainly hard to miss.

She later gave onlookers an eyeful of her surgically-enhanced bottom, which is the result of butt implants, three BBLs, and illegal 'under the table' silicone injections.

The voluptuous star was joined by her friend and fellow plastic surgery enthusiast Angel Bimbo, who is an OnlyFans model.

She dared to bare in a tan mini-dress that could barely contain her curves, and paired it with a trucker cap that said 'I heart Jesus' on the front.

Cheeky! She later gave onlookers an eyeful of her surgically-enhanced derriere, which is the result of butt implants, three BBLs, and illegal 'under the table' silicone injections

Mary is currently in West Hollywood where she's been partying at various clubs and inside of her Airbnb while celebrating her birthday.

She arrived in Los Angeles after being kicked off an American Airlines flight when staff members claimed that she 'appeared to be intoxicated' and had sat in the wrong seat.

However, Mary hit back at the allegations, and expressed that she felt she had been 'discriminated' against due to her provocative appearance and plastic surgery.

The attention from the scandal has gained the star 20,000 new followers on Instagram and significantly increased her popularity online.

Busting out! At over 5000cc each and weighing more than 10kg combined, Mary's implants were certainly hard to miss as she leaned forward to flaunt her cleavage

Mary, who is believed to be in her late 20s, shot to fame after undergoing an operation to get the world's 'fattest vagina'.

Over the years, her surgeries have included a brow lift, fat transfers, multiple nose and boob jobs, veneers, liposuction, butt implants, porcelain veneers and more.

Mary's already undergone three separate Brazilian butt lift procedures in addition to butt implants, and as a result was turned down by doctors for further work on her behind, causing her to get 'under the table' silicone injections last month.

Holy moly! Mary showcased her spiritual side in a trucker cap that said 'I heart Jesus'

She almost died on the operating table during an operation to 'inflate' her vagina back in 2018.

'I had to get two blood transfusions,' she told The Sun. 'The doctor said I was losing so much blood, and turning very pale. He thought I was going to die.'

This week, she denied suffering from body dysmorphia disorder, claiming that her extreme surgeries are nothing more than a hobby.

Scandal: Last week, Mary claimed that she was thrown off an American Airlines flight due to her plastic surgery, but the airline claims that she 'appeared to be intoxicated'

Mary has said that thanks to her popularity on OnlyFans and various social media platforms, she is now 'paid to exist' and no longer needs to strip or escort to make a living.

'Girl, bye. I don't escort now sweetie,' she wrote on Instagram to a fan.

'There is nothing wrong with that, but that is just not my job anymore. I am a professional bimbo and I make my money through my website,' she continued.

'My fans pay me to exist. I love them. They are too sexy and supportive.'

Innocent: Mary, who grew up in a strict Christian family, is pictured here as a fresh-faced teenager with blonde hair and braces before her surgery transformation

Mary grew up in a strict religious family, and as a child was forbidden from even watching kids' shows like Disney's That's So Raven.

She rebelled at age 12 when she became sexually active and started doing drugs, before becoming a stripper at 17.

In a recent post, an emotional Mary detailed how her plastic surgery makeover had changed her life.

'The old me was always sad and lost, thought I wasn't good at anything and did not have much hope for the future,' she said.

'When I'm crying now it's because I feel happy and proud of myself and I feel like this surgery was really just fully saying goodbye to the old me now because now I no longer see any of her at all.'
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Tracee Ellis Ross and Vivica A. Fox both wore eye-popping colors at the Black-ish screening event in Los Angeles.

The two powerhouse actresses, 49 and 57, displayed their individual sense of style at El Capitan Theatre on Monday night.

Tracee went with a sunny yellow ruched dress while Vivica wowed in a wide-legged sequined green pantsuit.

Bold: Tracee Ellis Ross and Vivica A. Fox turned heads as they both wore eye-popping colors at the Black-ish premiere in Los Angeles

The two veteran entertainers looked fierce as they posed on the step-and-repeat, with Tracee pulling her thick, curly hair back.

She styled it in a low ponytail, putting her famously expressive face front and center as she exuded confidence.

The Girlfriends alum's outfit had drawstring-like accoutrements on the shoulders and the dress fell past her ankles.

She teamed the summer-ready ensemble with a pair of transparent gold stilettos. Ross had a glowy face of warm makeup that lightly bronzed her cheeks and brought out her eyes. Topping the palette was a peachy pink matte lipstick that she showed off with her bright smile.

Center of attention: Tracee looked fierce as she pulled her thick, curly hair back and showed of bold gold hoop earrings

The look: The Girlfriends alum's outfit had drawstring-like accoutrements on the shoulders and the dress fell past her ankles

For her part, Ms. Fox brought her fashion A-game in the sparkly co-ord, which nicely complemented her warm complexion.

She styled a lavender camisole underneath her expertly-tailored blazer and added a statement necklace that had a stone pendant. And the actress sported a straight bob with her standout presentation.

Sparkling hoops hung from her ears and the actress' face was flawlessly made up from her arched brows to her plum-colored pout.

Edgy: The powerhouse actress. 57, displayed her fashion sense at El Capitan Theatre on Monday night

On point: or her part, Ms. Fox brought her fashion A-game in the sparkly co-ord, which nicely complemented her warm complexion

Anthony Anderson went for a casual and cool look as he arrived in a black and white sweatsuit with crisp white sneakers.

The 51-year-old funny man looked handsome as he rocked a long beard and flashed a big smile for photos.

He layered a crewneck white shirt underneath his zip-up jacket and accessorized with a sparkling wristwatch.

Looking good: Anthony Anderson went for a casual and cool look as he arrived in a black and white sweatsuit with crisp white sneakers

Anderson was joined by his TV sons, Miles Brown and Marcus Scribner, who both looked all grown up at the star-studded function.

Miles - who was nine-years-old when he started on Blackish - looked right at home on the red carpet, where he rocked a blue bomber jacket.

It was layered over an orange graphic t-shirt and rounded out the getup with a pair of fresh white sneakers.

Cast member: Anderson was joined by his TV sons, Miles Brown and Marcus Scribner, who both looked all grown up at the star-studded function

Style savvy: Marcus donned a pair of black leather pants, a camel-colored jacket and leopard print boots

Castmates: Vivica, Miles, Anthony, Tracee, and Marcus looked like a happy family as they posed for a snapshot

Marcus donned a pair of black leather pants, a camel-colored jacket and leopard print boots.

The 22-year-old actor looked great as he walked alongside his TV family, who he's costarred with since 2014.

Since its initial debut the Kenya Barris-helmed series spawned spinoffs Grown-ish and Mixed-ish.

Successful run: Blackish debuted on ABC in 2014 and ran for eight seasons

Farewell season: The final episode of the much-loved series aired on April 18

Conversation: While inside, the actors all sat together for a panel discussion about the influential sitcom, which openly discussed race, pop culture, and societal norms

Candid: Back in April Tracee spoke to Ellen DeGeneres about how she felt as her role as the character Rainbow came to a close

While inside, the actors all sat together for a panel discussion about the influential sitcom, which openly discussed race, pop culture, and societal norms.

Back in April Tracee spoke to Ellen DeGeneres about how she felt as her role as the character Rainbow came to a close.

The six-time Emmy Award-nominee confessed to getting 'very emotional' during the closing chapter of the show.

'The whole season I knew was the end so I was very present and very aware endings, you know,' she said at the time.

TV Couple: Anthony and Tracee played husband and wife duo Andre and Rainbow

Opening up: Back in April Tracee spoke to Ellen DeGeneres about how she felt as her role in the show came to a close, calling it 'emotional'In
More drama has rocked The Block Tree Change after influencer Elle Ferguson quit the show back in April.

The construction company behind the build, Nine in Six Builders, posted a call out on Sunday desperately seeking tradesmen to help them out on set to finish the homes.

The new season of The Block is being filmed in Gisborne in country Victoria, a 40-minute drive from Melbourne, and is said to be one of the biggest builds yet.

Crisis on The Block as the show desperately seeks tradies to complete the homes - after Elle Ferguson quit the Tree Change series: 'We desperately need help'

'We desperately need help completing the current series of The Block, Tree Change,' the Instagram post read.

'Carpenters, cladding crews, skilled labourers, trade assistants. Wages, casual, subbies, we won't discriminate. Immediate start, five weeks to go... send us a message if you're keen,' it continued.

Call out: The construction company behind the build, Nine in Six Builders, posted a call out on on Sunday desperately seeking tradesmen to help them out on set to finish the homes

After years of city renovations, the producers have opted for a 'tree change' by having the teams transform homes in rural Victoria.

Now the teams will each be building a home on 10 acres of land.

Influencer Ferguson and her footy star fiance Joel Patfull quit The Block back in April, due to a family emergency.

Upcoming: The new season of The Block is being filmed in the Macedon Ranges, a 40-minute drive from Melbourne

Shock exit: Influencer Elle Ferguson and her footy star fiance Joel Patfull quit The Block back in April, due to a family emergency

The couple initially tried to stay on the show, but left after they 'couldn't get a definitive answer' from producers as to whether Joel, 37, could 'come and go' from the building site in country Victoria to visit his ailing mother Trish in Adelaide.

Without assurances that he could regularly leave to visit his mum, who had broken her neck in a fall, the pair pulled the pin on the Channel Nine show.

In addition to her broken neck, Trish fractured her wrist and has also potentially broken her coccyx.

At the time of their exit, Elle wrote on Instagram: 'Wherever you are in the world, whatever you are doing, family always comes first.'

She also shared a black-and-white image of Joel sitting with their luggage as they prepared to catch a flight to Adelaide.

A Nine spokesperson confirmed the pair's departure to Daily Mail Australia.
Just days after his second daughter Eloise with Katherine Schwarzenegger was born, Chris Pratt is opening up about his daughter and his beloved wife.

The 42-year-old actor and his 32-year-old wife welcomed Eloise in late May, their second child following Lyla Maria, 21 months.

The actor was all smiles on the red carpet for his premiere of Jurassic World: Dominion in Los Angeles, where he opened up about his newborn daughter and wife to E! in a new interview.

Opening up: Just days after his second daughter Eloise with Katherine Schwarzenegger was born, Chris Pratt is opening up about his daughter and his beloved wife

Second child: The 42-year-old actor and his 32-year-old wife welcomed Eloise in late May, their second child following Lyla Maria, 21 months

The actor was asked how the newborn's 'baby droppings' compared to the 'dino droppings' in the film, which Pratt answered with a laugh.

'Luckily they smell worse than dino droppings, but they're much smaller. They are much more manageable,' Pratt joked.

When asked if training a raptor will be easier than potty training his kids, Pratt gave credit to his wife.

Dino: The actor was asked how the newborn's 'baby droppings' compared to the 'dino droppings' in the film, which Pratt answered with a laugh

'Katherine just has the most amazing maternal instincts. She'll be able to handle most of that, I think. She just really knows what to do. Ill follow her lead."

Pratt is well-known for his love of snacks, creating a 'What's My Snack' Instagram series on set, as he opened up about how his kids are influencing his snacks.

'Lately I've been eating a lot of pizza and tater tots everything off my kids' plates,' he joked.

Amazing: 'Katherine just has the most amazing maternal instincts. She'll be able to handle most of that, I think. She just really knows what to do. Ill follow her lead'

'I cook them lunch and they only eat half and I think "Well, calories don't count if it was on their plate." It's a lot of chicken nuggets and fries and tater tots,' he added.

The snacking has taken a bit of a toll on his waistline, though, adding he wasn't even sure if his suit would fit.

'I stopped being on camera when I wrapped Guardians [of the Galaxy] 3 a few weeks ago," he said.

Snack: The snacking has taken a bit of a toll on his waistline, though, adding he wasn't even sure if his suit would fit

'I tried my suit on today and I was like I don't know if this thing's going to fit anymore,' he joked.

Pratt has played Owen Grady in 2015's Jurassic World, 2018's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and the highly-anticipated Jurassic World: Dominion.

When asked if we might see Owen Grady again, Pratt said, 'It seems like this is it. It feels like this is the end of the Jurassic World franchise and it's also the end of the Jurassic Park franchise, kind of culminating in this massive finale.'
Brynne Edelsten welcomed her first child, daughter Starr Amari Gordon, on April 21.

And proud mum Brynne, 39, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a precious photo of the newborn dressed in a custom-made onesie with her due date on the front.

Little Starr looked cute as a button in the personalised outfit, which also included pink sweatpants and a matching bow headband.

Influencer in the making! Brynne Edelsten's baby daughter Starr looked adorable in a custom-made onesie as her proud mum posted this precious photo to Instagram on Tuesday

Very much in influencer mode, Brynne tagged the brand and captioned the post: 'Starr loves her super soft onesies made specially for her.'

She added several hashtags including 'angel', 'fashion' and 'pretty'.

The post comes after Brynne's mother Mariel Gordon met her granddaughter Starr for the very first time last month.

Grateful: Very much in influencer mode, Brynne (pictured), 39, tagged the brand and captioned the post: 'Starr loves her super soft onesies made specially for her'

So sweet: The post comes after Brynne's mother Mariel Gordon (pictured) shared sweet photos to Instagram last month of her granddaughter Starr, as she travelled from Arizona in the U.S. to meet the newborn for the first time

Mariel arrived in Melbourne from Arizona where she lives, and shared sweet photos of herself and Brynne bonding with the baby girl to her Instagram page.

'And this is what makes over 30 hours of travel worth it!' Mariel captioned the post, alongside the hashtags 'Starr' and 'family'.

In one precious photo, Mariel stood in what appeared to be Brynne's kitchen as she cradled little Starr.

Another photo saw a casually dressed Brynne nursing Starr on her lap in a bedroom, while a further shot saw Brynne and her relatives posing for a snap with a Twinkie in hand. Twinkies are a popular American cake snack.

Doting mum: One photo saw a casually dressed Brynne nursing Starr on her lap in a bedroom

Family: A further shot saw Brynne and her relatives posing for a snap with a Twinkie in hand. Twinkies are a popular American cake snack

American-born socialite Brynne welcomed her 'miracle baby' on April 21.

She recently told New Idea that she'd chosen to give her baby girl the surname Gordon - her maiden name - so she would 'feel connected' to her family in the U.S.

Brynne adopted the last name Edelsten when she married late Australian businessman Geoffrey Edelsten in 2009, and while she kept the name after their divorce, she did not think it was appropriate to pass it on to her daughter.

Precious: 'And this is what makes over 30 hours of travel worth it!' Mariel captioned the post, alongside the hashtags 'Starr' and 'family'

Family matters: American-born socialite Brynne welcomed her 'miracle baby' on April 21. Pictured in 2017

The identity of Starr's father has not been made public; however, Brynne confirmed to the publication the man had met his daughter twice.

'I haven't had a good night's sleep since Starr arrived,' Brynne said of motherhood.

'But I wouldn't trade being a mum for anything  I'm the happiest I've ever been.'

The pregnancy was delightful news for Brynne, who discovered during her high-profile marriage to Geoffrey it was unlikely she could ever conceive naturally.

Connection: Brynne recently told New Idea that she'd chosen to give her baby girl the surname Gordon - her maiden name - so she would 'feel connected' to her family in the U.S.

'I didn't think I had any maternal instinct,' she told New Idea.

'Even while pregnant, I couldn't quite believe it was happening, but as soon as she arrived, we bonded and it all felt very natural.'

Brynne announced she was pregnant in December.

Sharing a photo of her ultrasound on Instagram, she wrote: 'Miracles do happen AND each is another day closer to meeting the love of my life.'

Brynne previously revealed she planned to raise her baby alone.

Decision: Brynne adopted the surname Edelsten when she married late businessman Geoffrey Edelsten in 2009, and while she kept the name after their divorce, she did not think it was appropriate to pass it on to her daughter. The identity of Starr's dad has not been made public

'There's no man in the picture,' she said.

'I told the father, though. I would never keep the father of my child apart  I don't think that's ever going to be something that happens.'

Brynne was famously married to medical entrepreneur Geoffrey Edelsten from 2009 to 2014. Edelsten died aged 78 last June.
Snoop Dogg has offered his congratulations to Kyle Sandilands as the radio host awaits the birth of his first child.

The rapper, 50, learned the news at the MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles on Monday while speaking to KIIS FM employee Intern Pete.

'Hey, congratulations on being a great father,' he said to Kyle, also 50.

High praise: Snoop Dogg (pictured) has offered his congratulations to Kyle Sandilands as the radio host awaits the birth of his first child

'That thing down there is still working I see,' joked the Drop It Like It's Hot hitmaker, before adding, 'Keep it moving, baby'.

He also congratulated the shock jock on recently becoming a godfather.

On Monday, Kyle revealed his longtime co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson finally asked him to be her daughter Kitty's godfather, 11 years after she was born.

He admitted he was surprised when Jackie, 47, asked him to be Kitty's godfather over the weekend.

New role: It comes after Sandilands became the godfather of Jackie O Henderson's daughter Kitty 11 years after she was born over the weekend. Both pictured

'I was made the godfather of Kitty over the weekend,' he said on KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O show.

'It happened while I was talking to Kitty about godchildren and I told her I had been trying to be her godfather her whole life. She asked me, "Well you are my godfather aren't you?" and I was lost for words,' Kyle explained.

Jackie then asked her daughter if she wanted Kyle to be her godfather and she said yes.

'So I asked Kyle if he would be Kitty's godfather,' she revealed.

Role model: The 50-year-old revealed he was surprised when Jackie, 47, asked him to be Kitty's godfather over the weekend

It comes after it was announced Jackie will be the godmother of her longtime co-host's first child with fiancee Tegan Kynaston.

Jackie looked thrilled as she was surprised with the news after wrapping up her KIIS FM breakfast show last month.

A jubilant Jackie fist-pumped the air as she held a bouquet of flowers that had been given to her by Kyle and Tegan, who joined them in the studio.

Kyle smiled widely as he held a novelty mug that read: 'The one where I become a godmother. Est. 2022.'

'She said yes!' It comes after it was announced Jackie will be the godmother of her longtime co-host's first child with fiancee Tegan Kynaston

Joy: Jackie was thrilled as she was surprised with the news after wrapping up a show last month

The radio show announced the news on Instagram, writing: 'Today, Kyle and Tegan asked Jackie to be baby Otto's godmother... and she said yes!'

Communications executive Tegan, 36, announced she was expecting a child with the radio king back in February.

Their baby is due in August.

The Sydney-based couple, who started dating in late 2019, have already chosen a name for their unborn son: Otto.
Demonizing China becomes boring, prone to ridicule: Asia Times

Xinhua) 09:58, June 07, 2022

HONG KONG, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Demonizing China has become boring and prone to ridicule, the Asia Times has reported.

"Many countries, including Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands and others, are telling the U.S. to mind its own business when dealing with China," said the article published on Tuesday.

The fact of the matter is that many so-called American "allies" are not on the same page of the U.S. government on China, it said.

China has never committed a fraction of the misdeeds that the United States has accused it of, and it has made inroads in winning the hearts and minds of many developing nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, said the article.

"Tough talk and deeds will not deter China's rise," as the article concluded, suggesting that dialogue is a sensible option to address the differences between the United States and China.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
The feud between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie has taken a nasty turn. Brad Pitt, 58, has accused the Maleficent actress of attempting to harm him by surreptitiously selling her part in his French vineyard to a Russian billionaire with nefarious motives, including a plot to gain entire control of the multi-million dollar enterprise.

Angelina Jolie, 47, sold half of the successful Chateau Miraval winery to a business headed by Yuri Shefler, the owner of the company that produces the trademark Russian vodka Stolichnaya, which has been renamed Stoli.

Lawsuit: Angelina Jolie Tried To 'Harm' Brad Pitt

The Stoli brand has become a big international liability as a result of "desperate attempts to dissociate himself from the Putin administration," according to the publications, citing Putin's invasion of Ukraine. According to court documents, the South of France castle where the couple married in 2014 became Pitt's passion and has become one of the world's most highly acclaimed producers of rose wine under his direction.

As per the papers filed by Pitt's solicitors, Jolie pretended to sell her investment to Tenute del Mondo, a hostile third-party rival focused on gaining control of Miraval in October 2021. According to the documents, Jolie's purpose for the transaction was to "inflict harm on Pitt."

The date of the transaction was tied to a judge's decision to grant a provisional judgment handing Pitt 50/50 custody over the couple's five minor children at the time, Daily Mail reported. The former couple agreed to sell their $164 million French houses in September, paving the door for the Girl, Interrupted star to sell her part of the Chateau Miraval.

Read Also: Klay Thompson Net Worth 2022: How Wealthy Is This 'Splash Brother' In His Successful Comeback Season?

Timing of Sale Linked to Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie's Custody Battle

Despite the arrangement, the 58-year-old launched a lawsuit against Angelina Jolie, alleging she was attempting to sell her interests in the property without giving Brad Pitt the right of first refusal and profit. Maddox, 20, Pax, 18, Zahara, 17, Shiloh, 16, and Vivienne and Knox, 13, are the children of the feuding parents. Lawyers for the mother of six previously accused the Seven star of abusing his celebrity position to modify their parenting agreement.

In May 2021, Brad Pitt was granted joint custody of their children. While Brad hasn't said much about their breakup, Angelina Jolie has stated that the events have left her shattered, as per The Sun. As per the court documents, the pair married in the castle in the South of France in 2014, and it became Brad Pitt's love as well as one of the world's well-known producers of rose wine.

However, things became complicated in October 2021 when Angelina Jolie purported to sell her interest to Tenute del Mondo, a hostile third-party competitor bent on taking control of Miraval, according to documents filed by Brad Pitt's attorneys, who claim the Maleficent actress' motivation was well malevolent.

After more than a decade together, Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt in 2016, alleging irreconcilable differences. Angelina revealed the breakup in an interview with Vogue India in June, explaining that the choice was made for the well-being of her children, according to Hollywood Life.

Related Article: Johnny Depp Verdict: Amber Heard Has 4 Options If She Cannot Pay $8.35 Million

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Kate Moss appeared to be in her element as she partied with Paddington Bear during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in London on Sunday.

The supermodel, 48, put on a very patriotic display in a Union Flag blazer which she layered above a black minidress and matching tights, in snaps shared to Instagram by her hairdresser Sam McKnight.

She framed her face with a pair of rose-tinted sunglasses while accessorising with a collection of silver necklaces and carrying a leather handbag.

New pal? Kate Moss put on a very patriotic display in a Union Flag blazer as she partied with Paddington Bear during The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations on Sunday in London

Sporting a glamourous palette of make-up, Kate wore her hair in a natural wave as she added a coloured clip to hold her locks from her beautiful face.

She soon joined her pal Naomi Campbell, 52, on an open-top bus for the 1990s Times of Our Lives celebration, which rode down The Mall and through Westminster.

Only the day before, The Queen delighted millions of viewers by appearing in a surprise comic sketch with Paddington to kick-start the Party In The Palace concert on Saturday.

Elizabeth II and the digitally animated character met for a chaotic cream tea at Buckingham Palace.

Out of this world: The supermodel, 48, framed her face with a pair of rose-tinted sunglasses in snaps shared to Instagram by her hairdresser Sam McKnight

The monarch and the famous bear - both much loved British institutions - tapped out the beat of the We Will Rock You anthem together on china teacups using silver spoons as a unique way of getting the celebrations under way.

The secretly-pre-recorded humorous sequence played at the start of the televised BBC's Platinum Party at the Palace, the unlikely duo set the rhythm for opening act Queen + Adam Lambert - who joined in on the main stage.

The duo were pictured sat opposite each other at a table, laid for afternoon tea, covered with a white linen cloth in an opulent room.

Paddington began by telling the Queen that he hoped she was 'having a lovely Jubilee' before Her Majesty offered some tea.

Beaming: The Queen delighted millions of viewers by appearing in a surprise comic sketch with Paddington to kick-start the Party In The Palace concert on Saturday

The bear was quick to forget his manners as he sat in the lavish dining room drinking from the spout of the teapot.

Accident-prone Paddington was shown causing mayhem by accidentally depriving the understanding sovereign of another cup of tea and spraying cream from a chocolate eclair over a Palace Footman.

During an adorable moment, the Queen revealed she shares Paddington's love of marmalade sandwiches and keeps an emergency stash in her trademark handbag.

The duffle-coat wearing bear showed the Queen how he ensured he always had his favourite treat on him just in case, lifting up his red hat to reveal his snack.

New friends: The bear congratulated the Queen on her reign of 70 years, saying: 'Happy Jubilee Ma'am. And thank you. For everything'

The Queen responded by admitting: 'So do I' before opening her bag and declaring 'I keep mine in here' to show her very own ready-made supply of the bread and orange preserve staple.

The sketch wasn't all light-hearted jokes as Britain's favourite bear congratulated his new friend on her outstanding 70 years of service.

Commenting on her record-breaking reign Paddington said: 'Happy Jubilee Ma'am. And thank you. For everything' to which she replied, 'That's very kind.'

It brought back memories of the Queen's James Bond skit for the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, when the monarch met 007, played by Daniel Craig, and then appeared to parachute into the stadium, with the help of a body double.
She entered the Love Island villa on Monday evening, hoping for a summer of love.

But Gemma Owen has received backlash from fans already - who poked fun about her not being recognised as former England striker Michael Owen's daughter - despite her making a couple of subtle hints.

Fans joked that the 19-year-old beauty was hoping for some attention from her fellow islanders for her famous family, but they failed to recognise the Owen correlation.

Backlash: Love Island fans have slammed Gemma Owen, 19, after contestants don't recognise her

During a discussion about names, Gemma mentioned her surname multiple times but none of her fellow Islanders noticed the connection.

Viewers were convinced Gemma was desperate to reveal her father's identity with her name drop, while earlier in the episode she also dropped hints about her links to football.

During her first chat with Liam after they were matched by the public vote, international dressage rider Gemma discussed recent graduate Liam's career aspirations, with the hunk saying he wanted to go into sport performance, before expressing his interest in working with football teams.

After a curious Gemma, who again remained tight-lipped about her famous father, asked if he played at a 'decent level, Liam them questioned: 'I feel like youve been with an ex-footballer or something.'

Memes: Fans joked that the 19-year-old beauty was hoping for some attention from her fellow islanders for her famous family, but they failed to recognise the Owen correlation

Hints: Earlier in the episode she also dropped hints about her links to football to new beau Liam

The beauty denied having an interest in football, merely stated that she was 'interested' in hearing about his aspirations.

She also didn't waste any time in mentioning her famous father in her video intro. Although she didn't use his name she said competitiveness 'is in my blood' before telling the camera her father 'has an opinion' on the men she dates.

The dressage champion said she's hoping to score in the villa, that would be the goal' cheekily adding of her puns: 'see what I did there'.

Posting a slew of memes to Twitter, viewers implied that Gemma was hoping for some more attention as she revealed her last name to the islanders, and was met with silence.

Entitled? She was branded 'stuck up' as viewers took to Twitter, jesting about her former England striker dad Michael Owen

Posting a picture of a confused Maura Higgins, one tweeted: 'Gemma after the boys didn't recognise her last name'.

And they even predicted her dad Michael's reaction, joking that he can't take the pain any longer'.

While others thought her famous roots didn't serve her well, branding her 'stuck up' and 'rude'.

One wrote: 'Gemma Owen is either way too young to be on Love Island or is just extremely stuck up. She needs to leave.'

Last year's contestant Chloe Burrows even joined in on the action, writing: 'Gemma ur attitude STINKS mate'

Social media: Posting a slew of memes to Twitter, viewers implied that Gemma was hoping for some more attention as she revealed her last name to the islanders, and received no reaction

Unhappy: While others thought her famous roots didn't serve her well, branding her 'stuck up' and 'rude'

Gemma's dad Michael retired from the pitch in 2013 after a 17-year career which saw him play for England as well as at club level for the likes of Liverpool, Real Madid and Manchester United.

Despite his illustrious career, many of the Love Islanders may not be too familiar with the ex footballer as most are in the early twenties and would have been children when he was at the height of his career in the early noughties.

Gemma previously insisted she wouldn't be 'bragging' about her dad's famous career to potential suitors, even if they're die-hard football fans.

Keeping mum: Gemma previously insisted she wouldn't be 'bragging' about her dad's famous career to potential suitors, even if they're die-hard football fans

Proud dad: Michael previously described Gemma as a 'sensible girl', explaining: 'I've got no doubts that she'll make us all proud'

First kiss: Gemma coupled up with Liam Llewelyn in the show's first episode, but planted a kiss on hunky bombshell Davide Sanclimenti during a saucy game of dares

She said: 'I don't think I'm going to go in there and say 'my dad was a footballer' because I am not really that type of person but if they ask me what my parents do then I won't keep it a secret, I'll be honest but I won't go in there bragging about it. I'll only address it if people ask me.'

Gemma seemingly got off to a frosty start on Monday night, as she coupled up with Liam Llewelyn in the show's first episode, but struggled to hit it off after being paired up the public vote.

And her head was seemingly turned already, planting a kiss on hunky bombshell Davide Sanclimenti during a saucy game of dares.

As the island girls settled down for a post-dares debrief, Gemma admitted she did feel there was 'something missing' in Liam, and she was most 'physically attracted' to Davide.

As the two got to know each other after fans voted for them to be coupled up together, things became slightly tense as Gemma branded the Masters student a 'd**k' following his condescending comment about strength and conditioning.
Michelle Dockery looked worlds apart from her Downton Abbey character Lady Mary Crawley as she performed on-stage with Michael Fox after they formed a folk duo.

The TV star, 40, and the actor, 33, put on an incredible performance at their debut live show at Omeara London on Monday after forming music duo Michael and Michelle.

Michelle cut a stylish figure in dark trousers and a black top, which she wore beneath an unbuttoned white blazer as she showed off her flawless vocals.

Singing: Michelle Dockery performed on-stage with her Downton Abbey co-star Michael Fox after they formed a folk duo

Different look: Michelle (left) looked worlds apart from her Downton Abbey character Lady Mary Crawley (right) during the show

But she later opted to take off her blazer and showed off her physique in her black vest top, while she accessorised her look with an array of gold necklaces.

She showed off her natural good looks with a light dusting of make-up and styled her brunette tresses in a loose up-do, with her side fringe framing her face.

Michelle performed alongside her Downton Abbey co-star Michael, who cut a casual figure in a pair of black jeans and a grey shirt, which he wore over a white T-shirt.

Act: The TV star, 40, and the actor, 33, put on an incredible performance at their debut live show at Omeara London on Monday after forming music duo Michael and Michelle

Character: Michael plays the illiterate footman (right) on Downton Abbey, and is classes apart from Lady Mary on the drama

Looking good: Michelle cut a stylish figure in dark trousers and a black top, which she wore beneath an unbuttoned white shirt as she showed off her flawless vocals

Pals: Michelle and Michael are close pals after starring together on the period drama and hugged on stage

Michael, who plays the footman in the period drama, styled his dark locks in a tussled style and sported a well-groomed beard for the performance.

The pair both appeared to be worlds apart from their Downton Abbey characters as they sang and played guitar alongside a backing band.

It marked their first ever live show since forming their folk music duo and releasing their four-song EP The Watching Silence on Decca Records last month.

Their EP also featured Mumford and Sons' Chris Mass on percussion and Willy Mason's Tommy Heap on piano and drums.

Style: Michelle performed alongside her Downton Abbey co-star Michael, who cut a casual figure in a pair of black jeans and a grey shirt, which he wore over a white T-shirt

Smart: Michelle showed off her natural good looks with a light dusting of make-up and styled her brunette tresses in a loose up-do, with her side fringe framing her face

Smart: Michael, who plays the footman in the period drama, styled his dark locks in a tussled style and sported a well-groomed beard for the performance

Looking good: Michelle later opted to take off her blazer and showed off her physique in her black vest top, while she accessorised her look with an array of gold necklaces

Speaking about their new venture, Michelle said earlier this year: 'There was something about that time after the series [Downton] had ended  About looking at something with fresh eyes and feeling nervous about what's ahead.

'Then suddenly we were just writing music.'

She added: 'It's a whole different set of skills and vulnerability; Acting tends to start with what's already written on the page. Music can begin anywhere. It's different and very freeing.'

Michelle has previously sung at the London Jazz Festival and at Ronnie Scott's while Michael has already written and released indie folk and electronica records.

Debut: The pair both appeared to be worlds apart from their Downton Abbey characters as they sang and played guitar alongside a backing band

New venture: It marked their first ever live show since forming their folk music duo and releasing their four-song EP The Watching Silence on Decca Records last month

Live shows: Michelle has previously sung at the London Jazz Festival and at Ronnie Scott's while Michael has already written and released indie folk and electronica record

Music: Their EP also features Mumford and Sons' Chris Mass on percussion and Willy Mason's Tommy Heap on piano and drums

Folk music: Speaking about their new venture, Michelle said earlier this year: 'Acting tends to start with what's already written on the page. Music can begin anywhere. It's different'

They both recently returned to screen for the latest Downton Abbey movie, A New Era, which was released in cinemas at the end of April.

Michael is in a relationship with another Downton star, Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Mary's sister, the Marchioness of Hexham.

It was recently revealed that the couple, who keep their romance under wraps, welcomed their first child, baby Luca in March last year.

Incredible: They put on an incredible show as they performed to a packed-out venue for their debut show

Good spirits: They appeared to have an excellent time on stage as Michelle flashed a grin while singing

Edgy: They were supported by a back-up band, while Michelle and Michael both sang and played guitar, showing off their talents

Stars: They both recently returned to screen for the latest Downton Abbey movie, A New Era, which was released in cinemas at the end of April

In April, a source told The Sun: 'Laura and Michael absolutely love being parents and were grateful to have some time away from the limelight to enjoy the moment.

'Laura's taken motherhood in her stride and it's added another string to her bow.'

The couple, who met while filming the fifth series of Downton Abbey, have been together since 2016 and moved in together two years ago.

Laura played the unlucky-in-love Lady Edith Grantham on the ITV period drama while Michael played illiterate footman Andrew Parker.
Married At First Sight star Olivia Frazer has responded to fan reaction after she came out as pansexual during a candid Instagram Q&A on June 2.

During an Instagram Live on Tuesday, the 28-year-old revealed that she 'didn't even realise' she was 'coming out' and considers it 'not a big deal'.

While she said that she doesn't 'need to explain' herself, the OnlyFans star did say that she always goes for 'connection' rather than 'gender' or 'look'.

'I don't need to explain myself': Married At First Sight star Olivia Frazer (pictured), 28, described coming out as pansexual as 'no big deal' during an Instagram Live on Tuesday. Olivia revealed she identifies as pansexual during an Instagram Q&A on June 2

'I thought it was like, not a big deal, which it shouldn't be,' Olivia told her 183,000 fanbase. 'I don't like all the labels and crap, you should just be free to chill however you want.'

The former teaching student described pansexuality as 'a gift' because it's 'the ability to love anyone', before sharing details about her dating history.

'So I haven't dated women before. I've had crushes and things like that, and there have been girls and non-binary people that I've been like, "Oh!"' she said.

Her view: 'I thought it was like, not a big deal, which it shouldn't be,' Olivia told her 183,000 fanbase. 'I don't like all the labels and crap, you should just be free to chill however you want'

No labels: The OnlyFans star said that she always goes for 'connection' rather than 'gender' or 'look': I have the ability to love anybody, but it just so happens that most of my connections - and I've not had that many relationships - have been with men'

'I go for the connection, not the gender, not the look. I have the ability to love anybody, but it just so happens that most of my connections - and I've not had that many relationships - have been with men.'

Olivia concluded: 'But that doesn't mean that I haven't had strong feelings for women and things like that. I don't need to explain myself.'

During her Q&A Instagram session on June 2, Olivia revealed she identifies as pansexual and said she is attracted to people based on their personality.

Announcement: On June 2, the former teaching student revealed during a candid Q&A Instagram session that she identifies as 'pansexual'

'That might be a bit of a shock to people because I don't really talk about it,' she added.

Olivia told Daily Mail Australia that while she has never been in a relationship with a female, she's always identified as 'not one hundred per cent straight'.

It came after Olivia's MAFS 'husband' Jackson Lonie kissed another woman during a boozy night out in Melbourne.

Explanation: 'It's not about looks, gender,' Olivia continued

The couple are still together after the breach of trust, and Jackson, 30, has blamed his poor behaviour on being 'blackout drunk'.

The cheating happened last month when Olivia and Jackson were on holiday in Melbourne and decided to hit the town.

After spending the earlier portion of the night together, Olivia went home and Jackson continued partying with friends - and eventually ended up in the arms of 20-year-old traffic controller Hannah Hughes at the Lava Lounge bar.

Kiss: Olivia's announcement came one week after her boyfriend Jackson Lonie, 30, kissed another woman during a boozy night out in Melbourne (pictured)

Footage of the kiss spread across the internet like wildfire, and a devastated Olivia later told Daily Mail Australia she was 'speechless'.

Their once-rock-solid relationship was said to be hanging by a thread after Jackson's indiscretion, with a source saying Olivia was 'broken and torn about the whole thing'.

The couple had 'a serious discussion about their future' when Jackson sobered up the day after, before Olivia offered him an ultimatum: ditch the partying or we're over.

Poor Liv! Their once-rock-solid relationship was said to be hanging by a thread after Jackson's indiscretion, with a source saying Olivia was 'broken and torn about the whole thing'

Fans breathed a sigh of relief last week when the pair put out a joint video on Instagram confirming they were still together and working through their issues.

Jackson admitted he 'f**ked up' and was 'seeking help' for his drinking, which he said was his way of coping with the backlash he and Olivia had faced since MAFS.

He added that he'd been getting 'blackout drunk' to block out the negativity, and this resulted in him recklessly kissing another woman.

Forgiven: Fans breathed a sigh of relief last week when the pair put out a joint video on Instagram confirming they were still together and working through their issues

'It's not the person I want to be. It's not who I am,' he said. 'It has been s**t, but I'm lucky to have Liv by my side and she has been nothing but an angel through it all.'

Olivia said the couple was 'hanging in there' and had no intention of breaking up.

'We're staying together. We've got a lot of healing to do, but ultimately we love each other and it's not worth throwing it away,' she added.
Love Island fans flooded Twitter with hilarious memes after Paige Thorne told Italian latecomer Davide Sanclimenti that she's 'obsessed' with books about the Mafia during Monday's opening episode.

The paramedic, 24, complained to the business owner, 27, that men 'don't act like they do in the books' before a text from producers provided him an escape from the 'cringe-worthy' chat-up.

Viewers couldn't contain their amusement as they took to the social media platform with rib-tickling snaps of awkward reactions, including old photos of Gordon Ramsay and Liam Payne.

'No she did not say that!' Love Island fans shared hilarious memes as Paige told Italian latecomer Davide she's 'obsessed' with books about the Mafia during Monday's episode

One wrote: 'NO SHE DID NOT SAY MAFIA BOOKS TO DAVIDE #LoveIsland,' with another adding, 'im obsessed with like mafia books davide : ok #loveisland.'

Alongside the memes, others added: '"I'm obsessed with Mafia books" LOOOOOL how is this girl chatting up Davide  an Italian man  like this??? #LoveIsland.'

'Davide hearing Paige romanticising the mafia #LoveIsland.'

'Not paige trying to relate to davide by discussing the MAFIA girl. #LoveIsland.'

Eek! The paramedic, 24, complained to the business owner, 27, that men 'don't act like they do in the books' before a text from producers provided him an escape from the chat-up

Oh dear: Sitting on a beanbag each, Paige had said to Davide: 'I'm obsessed with, like, romantic books and, like, mafia books and, like, all that kind of thing'

What? She continued: 'In real life, obviously, guys don't act like they do in the books and then I'm just, like, disappointed, I'm like sometimes I find that you know some people have chat, like, you can have a conversation'

'Davide when paige starts talking about mafia ok #loveisland.'

'Paige telling davide she reads mafia books #loveisland.'

'Paige mentioning how she reads mafia books in front of davide is hilarious #loveisland.'

'Was it just me that found it cringe that Paige was talking about the mafia to davide #loveisland.'

Sitting on a beanbag each, Paige had said to Davide: 'I'm obsessed with, like, romantic books and, like, mafia books and, like, all that kind of thing.

Comedians: Viewers couldn't contain their amusement as they took to the social media platform with rib-tickling snaps of awkward reactions

'So, like, it's really set my expectation for a relationship to be somewhere up here.

'In real life, obviously, guys don't act like they do in the books and then I'm just, like, disappointed, I'm like sometimes I find that you know some people have chat, like, you can have a conversation.'

When a notification sounded from his mobile phone, she surprisedly remarked, 'Did you just get a text?'

Love Island made its much-anticipated return to screens on Monday night, with ten hopeful singletons heading to a brand new Mallorcan villa in search of 'fun, flirting and fifty grand.'

The series kicked off with a dramatic twist as viewers were given the chance to vote for this year's first couples for the first time, but romances have already been put to the test with the arrival of hunky bombshell Davide Sanclimenti.

While the couples were mere hours into getting to know one another, the Islanders learned that one boy would be left vulnerable as Davide chose which one he'd like to be paired up with, and Gemma didn't waste any time stealing a cheeky smooch from the hunk.

Love Island continues at 9pm on Tuesday on ITV2. Catch up on ITV Hub.
Gus Worland has given fans an update on his health battle from his hospital bed.

The Triple M host, 52, shared an image of himself giving the camera a double thumbs up on Tuesday as he recuperated following emergency surgery.

He captioned the post, 'Thanks so much for your kindness and support everyone! Brilliant nurses and Dr's here in @visit_orange out of surgery and on the mend!'

Upbeat: Gus Worland shared an image of himself giving the camera a double thumbs up on Tuesday as he recuperated following emergency surgery

Worland was rushed to hospital in Orange, New South Wales on Saturday night, after attending a fundraiser for his charity Gotcha4life.

The radio star fell ill with a hernia and had emergency surgery on Monday.

Gus will remain in Orange Hospital for a few days.

Health scare: The Triple M host, 52, was rushed to hospital in Orange, New South Wales on Saturday night, after attending a fundraiser for his charity Gotcha4life

Gus shared a selfie from his hospital bed to Instagram on Monday, updating his fans.

'What started with a fundraiser for my foundation @gotcha4life in @visit_orange at the mighty @orangeemusrugby on Saturday night turns into an emergency hernia operation-brilliant staff. Here for a few days,' he wrote online.

Gus founded mental health foundation Gotcha4life in 2017.

On the mend: The radio star shared a selfie from his hospital bed on Monday and revealed he had emergency surgery for a hernia. He will remain in hospital for a few days

The foundation's goal is to achieve 'zero suicides by delivering mental fitness programs that engage, educate and empower local communities'.

Gus has made it his mission to raise community awareness of the dangers of neglecting mental health.

Back in August, Gus made a controversial appearance on the Today show where he claimed more Australians were taking their own lives than dying of Covid-19.

Gus said the battle to control Covid-19 was resulting in more suicides than the virus was taking lives, and demanded leaders get harder on enforcement.

Worthy cause: Gus founded mental health foundation Gotcha4life in 2017. The foundation's goal is to achieve 'zero suicides by delivering mental fitness programs that engage, educate and empower local communities'

Making headlines: Back in August, Gus made a controversial appearance on the Today show where he claimed more Australians were taking their own lives than dying of Covid-19

'Do you have any idea... how many people are taking their own lives? How many people who are depressed and anxious?' he said.

'Their numbers are bigger than the numbers that are dying through COVID.

'At what stage are we going to turn that narrative around and really find out what the real numbers are, which is Australians dying in a lot of other ways because of the lockdowns?'

In need of support? Contact Gotcha4Life, Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Kid's Helpline on 1800 55 1800.
Sam Faiers has revealed a frightening pain in her right breast sent her body 'into shutdown'.

The former TOWIE star, 31, who gave birth to her third child in May, said she was 'shivering and cold' and experienced flu-like symptoms due to a blocked milk duct.

Sam took to Instagram on Monday and shared a snap of herself cradling her newborn son.

Scary: Sam Faiers has revealed a frightening pain in her right breast sent her body 'into shutdown'

She wrote: 'OK so last night I started to feel a really tender pain in my right breast.

'Then my whole body went into shutdown. I was shivering and cold. My bones were aching. It was flu like symptoms.'

Sam sought medical advice and was told she had a blocked milk duct.

She said: 'So basically I had a blocked milk duct I've never experienced that before. It was so painful. Today I've rested in bed all day.

Health: The former TOWIE star, 31, who gave birth to her third child in May, said she was 'shivering and cold' and experienced flu-like symptoms

'I let the baby feed on the affected breast all day to help clear the blockage.

'Anyway I feel a million times better this evening after a full day of rest but wow that was so painful.

'I feel the duct is released just going to keep a close eye on it. Has anyone else experienced this?'

If a blocked milk duct is left untreated, it can lead to mastitis, a condition when someone's breasts become swollen, hot and painful.

Sam wrote: 'My whole body went into shutdown. I was shivering and cold. My bones were aching. It was flu like symptoms'

It is most commonly seen in women who are breastfeeding, but women who aren't breastfeeding and men can also get it.

It usually only affects one breast with symptons including swelling and a burning pain.

Last month, Sam and her partner Paul Knightley announced they'd welcomed their third child.

The beauty announced the news with a heartwarming video of her family with the newborn which included a glimpse at her home water birth.

She captioned her post: 'My whole world. No words can describe how in love we are with you baby boy.

Family: Sam and her partner Paul Knightley, along with their children, Paul and Rosie are a family of five as of this weekend

'I honestly cant explain my feelings right now. Mummy loves you more than you could ever imagine.

'Currently in our baby bubble, be back soon.'

Sam and her partner, 33, have been together since 2014 and share children, Paul, six, and Rosie, four.

Back in January, Sam revealed to fans that she would be having another home birth with her third child after welcoming daughter Rosie in the same way back in 2017.

During an Instagram Q&A with fans, one person asked: 'Will you have a home birth again? xx.'

To which Sam replied: 'Yes! I'm so excited to be having another home birth.

Baby news! Sam shared the news that she would be welcoming a 'spring baby' in November and gushed that she felt 'happy and so blessed' to be expecting again

'My experience with Rosie was the best (not pain-free may I add lol) but the whole home vibe was so peaceful and relaxed.

'Literally half an hour after having Rosie I was in my bed with her watching X-Factor with tea and toast.'

The star went on to add: 'I know it's not for everyone, but if you're low risk and have thought about it. Definitely ask your midwife all the questions you have.'

Sam then went on to give fans an update of the pregnancy when one follower asked how it was going.

The beauty replied: 'Very well thank you. I'm very grateful that all my pregnancies have been really straightforward. I love being pregnant.

Motherhood: 'I'm very grateful that all my pregnancies have been really straightforward. I love being pregnant'

'I know it's not the same for everyone but I enjoy the whole process.'

She added: 'Thankfully I've never had sickness or any mad cravings (maybe that's why). I'm well over halfway now so I'm feeling the baby move around all the time.

'It still fascinates me we grow a little human.'

Sam took a step back from the media spotlight last year after sensationally quitting her long running ITV reality show The Mummy Diaries.

The reality star has had a meteoric rise to fame after first appearing in The Only Way Is Essex over ten years ago and is said to have a net worth in excess of 10 million.
As a four-time winner, she is the most awarded Australian in Oscar history.

And Catherine Martin dazzled during her appearance at the Elvis premiere in Melbourne on Tuesday night, leading the numerous stars on the event's red carpet.

The 57-year-old producer, production designer and costume designer was unmissable in a sparkling rainbow jacket for the all-star outing.

Filmmaker: Catherine Martin dazzled during her appearance at the Elvis premiere in Melbourne on Tuesday night, leading the numerous stars on the event's red carpet

The wife of director Baz Luhrmann relied heavily on black for the rest of her tasteful outfit.

She wore a black blouse with dark trousers and open-toe heels for her red carpet strut.

Martin capped off the look with a pair of heavy framed black glasses, and wore her blonde tresses in a pixie cut.

Triple-threat: The 57-year-old producer, production designer and costume designer was unmissable in a sparkling rainbow jacket for the all-star outing

Back to black: The wife of director Baz Luhrmann relied heavily on black for the rest of her tasteful outfit

Also at the event was MasterChef judge Andy Allen and his fiancee Alex Davey.

The winner of the cooking show's 2012 season wore a skivvy beneath a dark, pinstripe jacket for the premiere of the Elvis Presley biopic.

Davey meanwhile wore white lace beneath a dark jacket of her own.

Couple goals: Also at the event was MasterChef judge Andy Allen and his fiancee Alex Davey

One of the film's stars, Xavier Samuel, turned heads in a black tuxedo, worn sans tie.

Comedian Anthony 'Lehmo' Lehmann brought a splash of colour to the red carpet in a tiger adorned jacket, with wife Kelly Kearney by his side.

Australia's reality TV alums also made an appearance, with Georgia Love stepping out in a snake print dress.

Hunk: One of the film's stars, Xavier Samuel, turned heads in a black tuxedo, worn sans-tie

Hear him roar: Comedian Anthony 'Lehmo' Lehmann brought a splash of colour to the red carpet in a tiger adorned jacket, with wife Kelly Kearney by his side

The Bachelorette star was joined by husband Lee Elliot at the event.

They were followed by Real Housewives of Melbourne stars Kyla Kirkpatrick and Cherry Dipietrantonio, who smouldered as they struck their respective poses.

Dipietrantonio stunned in a leather outfit worn with snakeskin boots, while Kirkpatrick was ravishing in an off-the-shoulder number in red.

Snap back to reality: Australia's reality TV alums also made an appearance, with Georgia Love stepping out in a snake print dress

Two of us: The Bachelorette star was joined by husband Lee Elliot at the event

Funny man Jimeoin meanwhile wowed in a plaid suit worn with black leather boots.

Beneath the statement suit he wore a white dress shirt, sans tie.

Rounding out the red carpet arrivals was influencer Elle Ray, who dared to bare in a crop top.

Glamazons: They were followed by Real Housewives of Melbourne stars Kyla Kirkpatrick (left) and Cherry Dipietrantonio (right), who smouldered as they struck their respective poses

Austin Butler plays Elvis in the big-budget film, while Australian actress Olivia DeJonge plays Priscilla Presley.

The film also stars Tom Hanks as Elvis' manager Colonel Tom Parker, who was infamous for cheating the music icon out of a fair share of royalties for his songs.

But the actor believes that his alter ego should be recognised for his part in making Elvis a megastar.

Hanks said: 'I've heard from many people that he was a delightful guy, lit up every room. Was he a cheap crook who played fast and loose with the money? Yeah, (but) he brought joy to everything he did. With just a little bit of larceny.

Unmissable: Funny man Jimeoin meanwhile wowed in a plaid suit worn with black leather boots

The look: Beneath the statement suit he wore a white dress shirt, sans tie

'Baz said there was no Elvis without Colonel Tom Parker, it was a completely symbiotic relationship.

'You have to give him credit and see the reality that the amount of ways Colonel Parker cheated people out of nickles and dimes was extraordinary.'

Luhrmann's movie follows Elvis from his childhood poverty through his emergence as a global superstar before his untimely death at the age of just 42 in 1977 and the director wants audiences to have an immersive experience when watching the film.

The Moulin Rouge! director said: 'I want the audience who don't care about Elvis to feel what it was like to be there (when he first performed). He was the original punk rocker.'
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark was the epitome of chic as she gave the welcome address at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark on Tuesday.

The Australian-born Royal, 50, accentuated her trim figure in a white blouse tucked into a pleated floral skirt with blue and red accents, as she took to the stage at the Royal Opera House.

Princess Mary added pastel blue heels and a tan Prada handbag, as well as touches of bling in the form of pearl stud earrings and her sparkling wedding rings.

Royal sighting: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (right), 50, was the epitome of chic in a white blouse and floral pleated skirt as she attended the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark on Tuesday

She styled her brunette tresses out and opted for elegant makeup that accentuated her striking facial features.

On their website, the Global Fashion Summit is described as the 'leading international forum for sustainability in fashion'.

Launched in 2009, the event is 'renowned for discussions on the most critical, environmental, ethical and social issues'.

Picture-perfect: The Australian-born Royal accentuated her trim figure in the chic ensemble, which she teamed with pastel blue heels, a tan Prada handbag and delicate jewellery

Lending her profile: Princess Mary took to the stage at the Royal Opera House to give the welcome address. On their website, the Global Fashion Summit is described as the 'leading international forum for sustainability in fashion'

Just a day prior, Princess Mary swapped her heels for trainers as she took part in the Royal Run in Kolding, Denmark.

She looked incredibly fit in slim-fitting activewear as she ran one mile [1.6 kilometres] and mingled with the crowd.

On the event's official website, it states that you don't have to be a 'Crown Princess or a beginner' to take part in the community event, with all fitness levels welcome.

Princess Mary famously met her husband, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, by chance at Sydney pub the Slip Inn during the 2000 Olympics.

Important issues: Launched in 2009, the event is 'renowned for discussions on the most critical, environmental, ethical and social issues'

Active: Just a day prior, Princess Mary (centre, right) swapped her heels for trainers as she took part in the Royal Run in Kolding, Denmark. She looked incredibly fit in slim-fitting activewear as she ran one mile [1.6 kilometres] and mingled with the crowd

After their encounter, Frederik - who was in Australia to support Denmark's Olympic sailing team - asked Mary for her phone number and a romance blossomed.

'The first time we met we shook hands. I didn't know he was the Prince of Denmark. Half an hour later someone came up to me and said, "Do you know who these people are?"' Mary revealed in an interview about meeting the heir to the Danish throne.

They maintained a long-distance relationship for a year, with Frederik making secret trips Down Under before Mary moved to Denmark to study Danish language at Copenhagen's Studieskolen in 2001.

Celebrations: Princess Mary and her husband, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, are pictured attending a ballet gala honouring the Queen's 50th jubilee

In early 2003, Frederik's mother Queen Margrethe publicly acknowledged the relationship and the couple announced their engagement at Amalienborg Castle later that year on October 8.

Frederik and Mary married on May 14, 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral, with the newly minted Crown Princess opting for a beautiful gown by Danish designer Uffer Frank and a veil first used by Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden in 1905.

Their first child, Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John, was born October 15, 2005; Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe followed on April 21, 2007.

Almost four years later Mary and Frederik welcomed twins, Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda and Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen on January 8, 2011.
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Cara Delevingne was the star of a chic Dior shoot in the stunning setting of Portofino, Italy on Monday.

The British model was spotted modelling a series of summery looks in the shoreline shoot for the top fashion house.

The star, who has been the face of Dior's jewellery line for three years, at one point flashed a cheeky hint of her derriere as she posed up a storm on the sand.

La Dolce Vita: Cara Delevingne was the star of a chic Dior shoot in the stunning setting of Portofino, Italy on Monday

Cara looked gorgeous in a retro style orange print shirt and a matching quirky summer hat, which featured a cap-style front and head scarf at the back.

The shirt was layered over a bikini, with the garment blowing up in the wind during one set of poses to reveal Cara's derriere and a tattoo on her hip.

The blonde accessorised the beach look with statement shades and dainty gold jewellery.

Later in the day Cara was seen on board a boat dressed in another Dior look.

Beach babe: The star, who has been the face of Dior's jewellery line for three years, at one point flashed a cheeky hint of her derriere as she posed up a storm on the sand

Looking good: Cara also sported another Dior ensemble, made up of a matching animal print orange and white jacket and shorts, which she teamed with a white shirt

Relaxed: She completed her ensemble with a Dior straw hat and a cream handbag, while she shielded her eyes from the bright sunshine with a pair of gold frames

She modelled a orange and white denim jacket with matching shorts teamed with a Dior hat and pink-strap cross-body bag.

Next up for Cara is a starring role as Selena Gomez's love interest in the second season of Hulu's hit whodunit Only Murders in the Building, which premieres on June 28.

The London-born 29-year-old plays Alice, a sophisticated art gallery owner who 'puts Mabel Mora (Gomez) in touch with a side of herself she's been somewhat neglecting' - according to Vanity Fair.

Shoot: Cara was also spotted riding a Vespa around the streets of the picturesque fishing village

It takes an army: A huge team of makeup artists, stylists and photographer's assistants made sure they got the perfect shots

Cooling off: At one point Cara tucked into a refreshing lolly after checking her makeup in a compact in the sizzling temperatures

Kicking back: Cara also got stuck into a novel as she relaxed between takes on the shoreline spot

Summer vibes: Cara looked gorgeous in a retro style orange print shirt and a matching quirky summer hat, which featured a cap-style front and head scarf at the back

'It's definitely most like me than any other character I have ever played, but with some more daring looks, for sure,' Cara told Elle via email in February.

'Selena is a very special friend, and it's been so fun to get to work with her for the first time. Well, actually, second time. She actually hired me when I had just become a model, and she had designed a clothing line.

'We have known each other a long time. And, of course, working with Steve Martin and Martin Short is like a master class in comedy. I feel so lucky to get the opportunity.'

Catching some rays: She also found some time to work on her tan in the stunning Italian location

Getting all the shots: Cara was photographed lounging on the deck in her orange bikini and shirt combo

Fun: She was also seen being snapped as she dashed in and out of the waves on the small beach

Always chic: The blonde accessorised the beach look with statement shades and dainty gold jewellery

All the prints: Cara was pictured against a stunning print wallpaper backdrop to clash with her print shirt

Co-star: A dapper looking male model was seen getting prepped for the shot behind Cara

Model life: Cara sipped on a drink as she enjoyed her book on the patterned sun lounger

Busy year: Next up for Cara is a starring role as Selena Gomez's love interest in the second season of Hulu's hit whodunit Only Murders in the Building, which premieres on June 28

TV role: The London-born 29-year-old plays Alice, a sophisticated art gallery owner who 'puts Mabel Mora (Gomez) in touch with a side of herself she's been somewhat neglecting' - according to Vanity Fair

Exciting project: 'It's definitely most like me than any other character I have ever played, but with some more daring looks, for sure,' Cara told Elle via email in February

Cara has set her sights on another major TV role, with Love Island host Laura Whitmore recently revealing that the model is a huge fan of the iconic British dating show.

The show's host, 37, told New Magazine: 'Cara is a huge fan and she's messaged me a lot about it.

'She was on a film set one day and messaged me a picture of where she was, saying, "I'm so jealous of what you're doing." I was like, "I'm so jealous of what you're doing!"

'She said, "No, no, no, what you're doing is a million times cooler!"'

Chatting: She looked sensational in her colourful co-ord set, while she added another pop of colour with her Dior handbag, which featured a vibrant pink strap

Summery: Cara showed off her summer wardrobe in the ensemble from Dior, while she was also seen clutching a shopping bag from the fashion house

Chilling: Cara was seen sitting back and relaxing on a deckchair as she appeared to be chatting to someone on her phone

Another winning look: Later in the day Cara was seen on board a boat dressed in another Dior look

Chic vibes: She modelled a orange and white denim jacket with matching shorts teamed with a Dior hat and pink-strap cross-body bag

Kicking back: In between takes during the photoshoot, Cara took a second to sit back and relax on a comfortable deck chair

Figure: She flaunted her toned pegs in the summery ensemble and gave a flash of a tattoo on the bottom of her foot

Diverse skills: Cara has set her sights on another major TV role, with Love Island host Laura Whitmore recently revealing that the model is a huge fan of the iconic British dating show

Love Island fan: The show's host, 37, told New Magazine: 'Cara is a huge fan and she's messaged me a lot about it'

A-list life: Laura said: 'She was on a film set one day and messaged me a picture of where she was, saying, "I'm so jealous of what you're doing." I was like, "I'm so jealous of what you're doing!"

Sitting pretty: Cara looked in great spirts as she perched in the front of the boat and was snapped
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry departed the UK to return to the United States, missing the penultimate day of Her Majesty the Queen's Platinum Jubilee festivities.

Many people have been left wondering why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry missed the Jubilee concert after a full weekend of events that had the entire globe watching.

Duke, Duchess of Sussex Miss the Last Day of Platinum Jubilee

The married couple traveled to the United Kingdom with their children Archie and Lillibet. While they were seen during the Thanksgiving Service, they were scarcely seen thereafter. Many people have been left wondering why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry missed the Jubilee concert after a full weekend of events that had the entire globe watching.

Instead, they departed the UK before the last day of celebrations and traveled back to America with their children. The Sussexes were allegedly taken to Farnborough Airport from Frogmore Cottage near Windsor Castle.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are said to have flown back to the United States aboard a private plane. Before the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, royal analyst Chris Ship predicted that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will keep things simple throughout the four-day weekend so as not to overshadow the Queen's Jubilee, according to OK.

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Attend Preliminary Event

The royal couple was booed as they departed St. Paul's Cathedral in London holding hands even though they had attended fewer official events since their dramatic 2020 escape from the royal family.

Earlier in the ceremony, Megan Markle and Prince Harry sat in a way that suggested ongoing tensions with senior members of the royal family. The twosome sat with Harry's cousins, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, and their spouses, Jack Brooksbank and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, for the National Thanksgiving service.

On the other side, Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, were seated opposite them. Many anticipated the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to share a bench with the previous pair.

Moreover, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not appear to make eye contact with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during the occasion. While this may not have contributed to the boos outside, it is apparent that the ex-actress and her royal spouse continue to be unpopular within the royal family and certain members of the public.

Meghan appeared to detect the mixed reaction, but she kept things lighthearted as she jogged down the stairway with her husband, laughing and smiling. She was dressed in a stunning white gown with a matching cap while Harry was dressed in a black suit top and striped pants, as per The Blast.

Lilibet Meets Queen Elizabeth

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry finished off their celebration of their daughter Lilibet's first birthday on June 6 by posting a rare snapshot of the smiling one-year-old. Misan Harriman, a family friend, took the shot while attending Lilibet's one-year-old birthday picnic at Frogmore Cottage on June 4.

Due to schedule issues relating to Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, some of Lilibet's royal family members, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, we're unable to attend.

The birthday celebration took place in Frogmore Cottage, where the Duke and Duchess moved in 2019 before permanently relocating to the United States in July 2020. According to reports, the party was laid-back.

On Thursday afternoon, the Sussexes presented their daughter Lilibet to her great-grandmother for the first time. Lilibet was controversially named after Her Majesty's childhood nickname, generating uproar amid reports that Her Majesty was "told not asked" about the selection.

Read Also: Heavier Stars Are Present in Remote Galaxy Clusters Based on Previously 140,000 Examples Catalogued in the Known Universe

Meghan Markle's Message to Prince Harry

Prince Harry was discreetly consoled by his wife Meghan Markle at one point during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee festivities. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex kept a quiet profile throughout the four-day event but were sighted entering St. Paul's Cathedral with other members of the Royal Family on Friday.

According to the Daily Express, Prince Harry and Meghan, who traveled to the UK from their home in Montecito, California, were forced to sit in the second row, 25 feet behind Prince William and Prince Charles.

Meghan Markle comforted her husband during the Thanksgiving ceremony. At one point during the 50-minute ceremony, Meghan Markle allegedly turned to Prince Harry and remarked, "Yeah, will be fine." Royal analyst Ingrid Seward confirmed that the seating arrangements at St. Paul's were designed to keep Prince Harry and Prince William from meeting face to face, Bustle reported.

Related Article: Prince Louis Steals the Platinum Jubilee Spotlight Again After Shushing, Covering Kate Middleton's Mouth

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This Morning viewers complained they they felt 'old' as 90s teen pop group Hanson appeared on Tuesday's This Morning, 25 years after releasing their hit MMMBop.

Consisting of bandmembers Isaac, 41, Taylor, 39, and Zac Hanson, 36, the youngest of the clan was just 12-years-old when they enjoyed success with their debut single.

Joining Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield for a chat on the sofa, they performed their original hit in-studio before promoting their new album, Red Green Blue.



Wow! This Morning viewers complained they they felt 'old' as 90s pop group Hanson appeared on Tuesday's This Morning, 25 years after releasing their hit MMMBop (L-R: Taylor, Isaac, Zac)

Zac said: 'It's called Red Green Blue. It's three different parts, we all did five songs each, produced with a great production team.

'It's really interesting to see how the influences, even though we've grown up and written with each other, we do get three very different sounds.

'Hopefully when the fans listen to the music, it brings something cool to listen to our catalogue of songs.'

Throwback: Consisting of bandmembers Isaac, 41, Taylor, 39, and Zac Hanson, 36, the youngest of the clan was just 12-years-old when they enjoyed success with their debut single (pictured in 1997)

Fans rushed to Twitter to claim they're 'going to cry' after being reminded of their own age, with some joking that the three-piece are not the 'real' Hanson.

They wrote: 'Hanson have just performed Mmmbop on this morning and I swear I am going to CRY because childhood.'

'Watching Hanson on this morning.... I feel so OLD.'

Hilarious: Fans rushed to Twitter to claim they're 'going to cry' after being reminded of their own age, with some joking that the three-piece are not the 'real' Hanson

'Mmmbop doesn't really sound right when grown up men are singing it #Hanson #ThisMorning.'

'When you see @hansonmusic on @thismorning and you realise MMMbop was 25 years ago. Ok, now I'm old. #thismorning.'

'This isnt Hanson - what have you done with the real Hanson boys ? #ThisMorning.'

Exciting: Zac (right) said of their new album: 'It's called Red Green Blue. It's three different parts, we all did five songs each, produced with a great production team'

Coming soon: Zac added: 'It's really interesting to see how the influences, even though we've grown up and written with each other, we do get three very different sounds'

'How is mmmbop 25 years old... makes me feel old! @thismorning #Hanson.'

13 albums after the MMMBop LP, the brothers have 15 children between them and a reported $20 million (16 million) each.

Taylor and his wife Natalie Anne Bryant share Jordan Ezra, 19, Penelope Anne, 16, River Samuel, 15, Viggo Moriah, 13, Wilhelmina Jane, nine, Claude Indiana Emmanuel, three, and Maybellene Alma Joy, one.

Zac, who married Kate Tucker in 2006, have five children, Quincy Joseph Thoreau, seven months, Mary Lucille Diana, four, George Abraham Walker, seven, Junia Rosa Ruth, 10, and John Ira Shepherd, 12.

Talented: Joining Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield for a chat, they performed their original hit in-studio before promoting their new album, Red Green Blue (Taylor is pictured)

Isaac and his wife Nikki Dufresne also married in 2006, after he saw her in the crowd at one of their concerts and they have three children together, James Monroe, Clark Everett and Nina Odette.

Hanson's mammoth the Red Green Blue World Tour begins on June 8 in Helskini, Finland, a first time for the band, who will then go on to play the US and Canada from July-September, Latin America in September and Australia & New Zealand in November.

They will be coming to the UK in June and July and will be performing in London, Leeds, Bristol, Nottingham, Glasgow and Manchester.
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark was every inch a doting mum on Monday as she supported her family at the Royal Run in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Australian-born Royal, 50, sweetly embraced her son, Prince Vincent, 11, after he completed the run with his father, Crown Prince Frederik, 54, and his brother, Prince Christian, 16.

Prince Vincent's sisters, Princess Isabella, 15, and Princess Josephine, 11, were also there to support the family.

Doting mum: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 50, shared a sweet moment with her son, Prince Vincent, 11, (both pictured) as her family completed the Royal Run in Copenhagen, Denmark on Monday

Princess Mary donned slim-fitting blue activewear and looked primped to perfection with her brunette tresses styled out, as she cheered on her family from the sidelines.

She also opted for elegant makeup that accentuated her striking facial features.

Crown Prince Frederik appeared in great spirits as he happily posed for photos with his family after being awarded a medal for his participation.

Demeanour: Crown Prince Frederik (right), 54, appeared in great spirits as he happily posed for photos with his family after being awarded a medal for his participation

Royal family: Pictured from left to right is Princess Josephine, 11, Princess Isabella, 15, Crown Princess Mary, Prince Vincent, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Christian, 16

Hands-on mum: Princess Mary donned slim-fitting blue activewear as she doted on her son

As stated on the Royal Run's official website, the yearly event encourages the Royal family and the community to interact in an informal setting.

Participants have the option of completing either 1.6, five or 10 kilometres.

Princess Mary was also spotted taking part in the Royal Run in Kolding on Monday, running one mile (1.6 kilometres) and mingling with the crowd.

Gorgeous: Princess Mary looked primped to perfection with her brunette tresses styled out, as she cheered on her family from the sidelines

Active: Princess Mary was also spotted taking part in the Royal Run in Kolding on Monday, running one mile (1.6 kilometres) and mingling with the crowd

Yearly tradition: As stated on the Royal Run's official website, the yearly event encourages the Royal family and the community to interact in an informal setting

She famously met her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, by chance at Sydney pub the Slip Inn during the 2000 Olympics.

After their encounter, Frederik - who was in Australia to support Denmark's Olympic sailing team - asked Mary for her phone number and a romance blossomed.

'The first time we met we shook hands. I didn't know he was the Prince of Denmark. Half an hour later someone came up to me and said, "Do you know who these people are?"' Mary revealed in an interview about meeting the heir to the Danish throne.

They maintained a long-distance relationship for a year, with Frederik making secret trips Down Under before Mary moved to Denmark to study Danish language at Copenhagen's Studieskolen in 2001.

Fitness for all: Participants have the option of completing either 1.6, five or 10 kilometres

Encounter: Princess Mary famously met her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, by chance at Sydney pub the Slip Inn during the 2000 Olympics

Their love story: After their encounter, Frederik - who was in Australia to support Denmark's Olympic sailing team - asked Mary for her phone number and a romance blossomed

Comments: 'The first time we met we shook hands. I didn't know he was the Prince of Denmark. Half an hour later someone came up to me and said, "Do you know who these people are?"' Mary revealed in an interview about meeting the heir to the Danish throne

In early 2003, Frederik's mother Queen Margrethe publicly acknowledged the relationship and the couple announced their engagement at Amalienborg Castle later that year on October 8.

Frederik and Mary married on May 14, 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral, with the newly minted Crown Princess opting for a beautiful gown by Danish designer Uffer Frank and a veil first used by Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden in 1905.

Their first child, Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John, was born October 15, 2005; Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe followed on April 21, 2007.

Almost four years later Mary and Frederik welcomed twins, Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda and Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander, at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen on January 8, 2011.

Making it work: They maintained a long-distance relationship for a year, with Frederik making secret trips Down Under before Mary moved to Denmark to study Danish language at Copenhagen's Studieskolen in 2001
Lorraine Kelly, Mel C and Chris Hughes have teamed up for a new ITV drag show.

In a one-off special, a cast of celebrities will channel their inner drag queens for Queens For The Night, set to launch on ITV and ITV Hub later this year.

Queens For The Night is set to be hosted by drag superfan Lorraine Kelly, while Spice Girl Mel C, comedian Rob Beckett, Drag artist Courtney Act and star of West End hit Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Layton Williams will form the judging panel.

New role: Lorraine Kelly, Mel C and Chris Hughes have teamed up for a new ITV drag show that will see celebrities will channel their inner drag queens for Queens For The Night

This TV special will see Coronation Street favourite Simon Gregson, fitness icon Mr Motivator MBE, Love Island's Chris Hughes, Union J star George Shelley, soap star legend Adam Woodyatt and England rugby star Joe Marler, unleashing their drag alter-egos as they attempt to go head to head to be crowned the winning Queen.

The primetime celebrity drag contest pairs each wannabe queen with their very own drag mentor, as they attempt to master the craft and perfect wearing heels while also honing a special drag talent such as singing, dancing, lip syncing or comedy.

The contestants will then perform live in front of a panel of expert judges and a live studio audience before one celebrity is crowned the ultimate winner.

One to watch: This TV special will see Love Island's Chris Hughes go head to head with other stars and unleash their drag alter-ego to be crowned the winning Queen

Wow: Queens For The Night is set to be hosted by drag superfan Lorraine Kelly, while Spice Girl Mel C (pictured) comedian Rob Beckett, Drag artist Courtney Act and star of West End hit Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Layton Williams will form the judging panel.

The show will see some of the most successful Drag Queens in the business become mentors to each of the celebrities.

RuPaul's Drag Race UK stars Blu Hydrangea, Kitty Scott-Claus and Asttina Mandella will join up with La Voix, Myra DuBois, Margo Marshall to guide and teach the stars as they prepare their drag personas.

Lorraine Kelly said of the upcoming special: 'I'm so excited to be hosting this show. I am a huge fan of Drag and can not wait to see a host of well known stars embrace this uniquely wonderful and uplifting skill.

'It's a show that will have humour, warmth and above all lots and lots of glamour, I can't wait to get started.'

Iconic: The show will see some of the most successful Drag Queens in the business become mentors to each of the celebrities (pictured: Queen Myra DuBois with Simon Gregson)

While Mel C added: 'I've always been a huge fan of drag and in 2019, I was lucky enough to do a World Tour or Prides with some of the most wonderful and creative queens out there!

'On that tour I really learnt what's needed to cut the mustard on this fabulous world and I can't wait to see how our celebrities measure up with their incredible mentors guiding them every step of the way.'

Queens For The Night will air on ITV later this year.
Iain Lee has accused Rebekah Vardy of being 'a bully, a liar and a manipulator.'

The broadcaster claimed in a Twitter rant on Tuesday that he had been contacted to take part in an interview about 'how Rebekah Vardy is so brave for promoting mental health.'

Revealing his reasons for turning down the request, Iain reminded his followers of their time together during the 2017 series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here, which saw Becky, 40, accused of bullying Iain, 48.

Not a fan: Iain Lee has accused Rebekah Vardy of being 'a bully, a liar and a manipulator'

'Just had an interview request to talk about how Rebekah Vardy is so brave for promoting mental health...she contributed to me being f**king miserable and isolated in the jungle...so, that's a pass from me,' Iain tweeted.

He later shared his response to the outlet who requested the interview, which read: 'I feel I have to explain my refusal.'

'I don't know if you saw any of I'm A Celebrity when I was in there. Vardy was a bully, a liar and a manipulator. She was part of a team that targeted me and made much of my time in there miserable.'

Old foe: The broadcaster claimed in a Twitter rant on Tuesday that he had been contacted to take part in an interview about 'how Rebekah Vardy is so brave for promoting mental health'

'Her first comment to me was 'I think you're a bit of a t**t'. She encouraged people not to talk to and left me isolated (apart from two camp mates who were not taken in by her).'

'When she came out of the camp she told lies about me. She bullied my sister who was staying in Australia and told her 'in my world, men don't cry'.'

'Part of me hopes your email is a ruse to get an interview from me which I think is about her bravery and they you skewer to make it about her bullying and belittleing.'

No thanks: Revealing his reasons for turning down the request, Iain reminded his followers of the 2017 series of I'm A Celeb which saw Becky, 40, accused of bullying Iain, 48

Strong words: He later shared his response to the outlet who requested the interview, which read: 'I feel I have to explain my refusal'

'I hope the latter is correct because if you are trying to show her as a mental health ambassador, I'm afraid you couldn't be further from the truth.'

A representative for Rebekah has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

During the 2017 series of I'm A Celebrity, Vardy vehemently denied bullying claims and sobbed as she insisted she hadn't targeted the broadcaster as part of a gang.

The WAG declared that she wasn't a 'ringleader' - but was slammed by fans who caught her sharing a covert handshake with Amir Khan and Dennis Wise after Iain was voted out.

During footage for the Coming Out show Rebekah emerged after the third vote off and the topic of Iain Lee was the first on the agenda. Her father Carlos told her after her exit: 'You're right about lain, I know what you mean.'

Tense times: During the 2017 series of I'm A Celebrity, Vardy vehemently denied bullying claims and sobbed as she insisted she hadn't targeted the broadcaster as part of a gang

Rebekah replied: 'He can cut the mood in camp in seconds. It's a shame that he feels he has to be like that, but who knows what he's going through, it's hard to speculate.

When a phone call to her management team revealed she'd been accused of ganging up against him, she was brought to tears in the arms of her father.

Surprised, she said: 'You know what, I was the one that was being the most supportive of him. A bully? I've never been a bully in my whole entire life.'

Gang: The WAG declared that she wasn't a 'ringleader' - but was slammed by fans who caught her sharing a covert handshake with Amir Khan and Dennis Wise after Iain was voted out

Days after the show ended Iain denied he was 'bullied' but said he was 'ostracised and intimidated' by his co-stars.

The comedian, who openly struggled with his mental health issues during the show, also blamed 'hunger' and 'heightened emotions' for the rising tensions in camp.

Speaking on his talkRADIO show in 2019 about his famously strained relationship with Jamie Vardys wife, the broadcaster admitted he found the WAG to be unpleasant.

I didnt get on with Rebekah [in the jungle]. I found her very dark I got a very dark energy from her, he explained. The first thing she said to me was I thought you were an f**king t**t.

Tears: When a phone call to her management team revealed she'd been accused of ganging up against him, she was brought to tears in the arms of her father

He continued: I found her thoroughly unpleasant. Its no secret her and Jamie Lomas were my least favourite.

He also claimed Rebekah was mean to his sister and summoned her to her room after she was booted out of the jungle.

Rebekah recently faced off against her fellow WAG, Coleen Rooney in a court case with the verdict from Mrs Justice Steyn, who has presided over the proceedings, expected at a later date.

The two WAGs have been fighting it out in the High Court after Rebekah claimed Coleen had libeled her when claiming she was leaking personal stories about her to the press, an accusation made in a bombshell social media post by Mrs Rooney on 19 October 2019.
Johnny Depp appeared in good spirits as he arrived at The Barbican Theatre in York ahead of his show with Jeff Beck on Tuesday.

The Pirates Of The Caribbean actor, 58, grinned and waved to fans who were waiting for him outside the venue.

The film star cut a laid back figure for the outing as he sported a navy and white striped T-shirt which he wore under a teal polka dot shirt.

In demand: Johnny Depp appeared in good spirits as he arrived at The Barbican Theatre in York ahead of his show with Jeff Beck on Tuesday

Johnny also opted for a dark brown waistcoat along with a pair of navy trousers and black shoes.

Also wearing a grey cap, the actor added to his look with a pair of sunglasses and several scarves.

It comes after Johnny celebrated his dramatic defamation case victory over ex-wife Amber Heard by enjoying a curry in Birmingham with friends - and running up a whopping 50,000 bill.

The actor was joined by Beck, 77, and around 20 others in their entourage as they took over the chic Varanasi restaurant on Sunday night.

Casual: The film star cut a laid back figure for the outing as he sported a navy and white striped T-shirt which he wore under a teal polka dot shirt

The group enjoyed a banquet of Indian food that had been specially prepared for them along with cocktails and Rose Champagne.

Johnny has been in the UK to join Beck on his tour and previously made appearances during his friend's gigs at the Sage Gateshead in the north of England, Glasgow and London's Royal Albert Hall.

The Hollywood legend was in Birmingham to accompany Beck on stage for his performance in the city's Symphony Hall

He has been revelling in the public spotlight after successfully suing ex-wife Heard, 36, for $50million over a 2018 piece she had written that alleged she was a victim of domestic abuse.

He won the trial by jury in Virginia, meaning he is set to receive millions in compensation from Heard.

Lavish: Johnny recently celebrated his dramatic defamation case victory over ex-wife Amber Heard by enjoying a curry in Birmingham with friends - and running up a whopping 50,000 bill

Celebrating: The actor was joined by his musician friend Beck, 77, (pictured left) and around 20 others in their entourage as they took over the chic Varanasi restaurant on Sunday night

Pals: Depp and his party arrived at the up-market Varanasi at around 7pm, where the actor posed for pictures with staff and their friends and family who had been sworn to secrecy about his visit

Outing: The group enjoyed a banquet of Indian food that had been specially prepared for them along with cocktails and Rose Champagne

Johnny and his party arrived at the up-market Varanasi at around 7pm, where the actor posed for pictures with staff and their friends and family who had been sworn to secrecy about his visit.

The restaurant was closed to all other customers while Johnny and his group were given the full run of the place, leaving at around midnight.

So how did Johnny run up a 50k bill? Venue Hire: 25-30k

Rose Champagne: 7,500 per bottle

Wine list: 1,200 per bottle

Cocktails: ranging from 100-500 each

Lamb Karahi: 35

King Prawn bunha: 24

Shish kebab starter: 14

Chicken tikka masala: 22 Advertisement

Mohammed Hussain, Operations Director of Varanasi, which is considered one of the UK's leading Indian restaurants told MailOnline: 'We had a call out of the blue on Sunday afternoon saying that Johnny Depp wanted to come to eat with a group of people.

'I was shocked and at first, I thought it might have been a wind up. But then his security team arrived, checked out the restaurant and we let them have the whole place because we were concerned that he might be bothered by other diners.'

Mr Hussain added: 'He was a very lovely, down to earth bloke who spent a lot of time speaking with the staff, our friends and family and was happy to pose for pictures with them. You would never have thought that he was such a big star. He had a lot of time for us all.'

Mr Hussain revealed that cooks at the restaurant prepared a special banquet for Depp and his group that included starters of shish kebabs, chicken tikka and tandoori king prawns.

The main course comprised butter chicken, paneer tikka masala, lamb karahi and king prawn bhuna. All the food was accompanied by nans, rice and salad.

Opting not to go for traditional Indian desserts, Depp finished off his meal with panna cotta and cheesecake.

MailOnline understands that the bill for the whole evening came to around 50,000 which was paid for by Johnny.

Tour: Depp has been in the UK to join Beck on his tour and previously made appearances during his friend's gigs at the Sage Gateshead in the north of England, Glasgow and Londons Royal Albert Hall

Mr Hussain: 'We had to promise that we would not reveal the final bill but let's just put it this way; money was no issue, and it was easily in five figures. We made more money from Johnny's visit than we did from our busiest night of the week, which is a Saturday when we have around 400 diners.

'In addition to the food, there was champagne, wine and all kinds of drinks being downed. Johnny and his group had a great time. They loved the food, the ambience of the restaurant and the service that we provided. It was a real honour to have him here.'

Mr Hussain revealed that Joohnny was so impressed with the fare that he ordered a takeaway, which comprised a selection of the banquet.

Happier times: Johnny won the defamation trial after he sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for $50million over a 2018 piece she had written that alleged she was a victim of domestic abuse (pictured in 2015)

He added: 'He clearly knows something about Indian food and enjoys it. We made sure not to make it too spicy so that Johnny Depp could enjoy the variety of flavours.'

Mr Hussain recalled the most surreal moment of the night was when Depp broke away from his party and sat with him for around 20 minutes in his office.

Mr Hussain said: 'He said he wanted a little break from everybody and sat in my office, where he watched the people in his group on CCTV and asked me a lot of questions about it.

'I didn't ask him about Amber Herd or the court case. It was just a nice conversation with a very humble man. I'm still pinching myself because I never dreamt that Johnny Depp would be in my office having a chat about how the CCTV in the restaurant works.'
Derek Hough, 37, and Hayley Erbert, 27, were spotted out and about in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.

It is the first time the dancers have been seen since announcing on June 2 they are engaged to be married.

The adorable couple held each other's hands as they strolled about in the California sun.

Cute: Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert were spotted on their very first outing as an engaged couple in Los Angeles on Monday

The lovely couple kept their looks comfortable and casual as they strolled about in Los Angeles.

Erbert wore a black jumpsuit with a low V-neck, with the fabric cuffed at the ankles. She wore a pair of tan open-toed sandals with straps.

The dancer had her dark hair in a sleek up do that was parted in the middle. Her jewelry was simple, wearing a small necklace and gold hooped earrings to make the simple outfit pop.

A large black bag was slung casually over her left shoulder and black sunglasses helped shield her eyes from the bright sun.

Hand in hand: The engaged couple were spotted never letting go of their hands as they made their first public outing after Hough's extravagant proposal

The Emmy award winner also donned a very casual yet well put together ensemble. He wore a white, short-sleeved shirt with three buttons at the top that could easily be adjusted.

Hough paired the top with tan pants along with gray and white sneakers. The star wore a cap backwards on his head and also added aviator sunglasses to complete his look.

The couple looked comfortable and happy in the spotlight after their proposal was officially revealed to the media.

Lovely: The Dancing With The Stars duo looked very happy to spend time with each other in LA on Monday

Hough and Erbert first met on Julianne Hough's tour in 2014, and crossed paths again in 2015 when they were both professional dancers on Dancing With The Stars.

The two officially began dating that year, and dated for a total of seven years before Derek proposed.

The Hairspray Live! star helped create and design a one-of-a-kind engagement ring with the co-owner of Paris Jewellers, Chau Lui.

Lui sat down with People and discussed the process of the creating the special ring for Derek's fiancee.

'It was important to Derek that the diamond was rare and had tremendous sparkle, fire and brilliance, just like their love,' Lui stated. The engagement ring is an oval diamond shape and contains a hidden halo 'that sparkles from all angles.'

Extravagant proposal: Derek proposed to Hayley surrounded by glowing candles and flowers

Big day: The two stars spent the day in Yosemite and even went on a helicopter ride before Hough officially proposed

There was indeed a lot of thought and planning into the proposal. The star sat down with Us Weekly to go into detail about the special day.

On the topic of calling Hayley his fiancee, Hough stated, 'I think that word now feels right to they way I feel and to my commitment to her and to our love and story and life together...Hayley is The One.'

On the day of the proposal, Derek and Hayley spent the day in Yosemite, including a helicopter ride.

Afterwards, back home, the 27-year-old walked into a room filled with, '250 candles and 1,600,' event planner Troy Williams told the publication.

The 37-year-old said, 'It felt special to transform the house into this beautiful sanctuary with candles and flowers and of course our special songs and music that mean a lot to us, playing at the same time.'
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Scott Disick's rumored on-again love interest Holly Scarfone sent temperatures soaring on Tuesday as she donned a tiny thong bikini for a beach outing in Malibu.

The 23-year-old model showed off her incredible figure in the white two-piece while frolicking in the ocean waves.

The Too Hot To Handle star flashed her underboob in the bikini's off-the-shoulder top, which barely covered her ample assets.

Sizzling: Scott Disick's rumored on-again love interest Holly Scarfone sent temperatures soaring on Tuesday as she donned a tiny thong bikini for a beach outing in Malibu

The Kylie Jenner lookalike showcased her sculpted legs and pert derriere in the two-piece's low-cut string-tied bottom.

The television personality emphasized her trim waistline with a thick gold belly chain.

The influencer accessorized with a delicate gold necklace and chunky gold earrings.

Sexy: The 23-year-old model showed off her incredible figure in the white two-piece while frolicking in the ocean waves

Seeing double: The influencer, shares a striking resemble to Kylie Jenner, the younger sister of Scott's ex Kourtney Kardashian who he dated from 2005 to 2015 (Holly left, Kylie, right)

The brunette beauty wore her long locks parted in the center and down in loose waves.

She had on a natural palette of makeup that included a rosy blush, a light gold eyeshadow and pale pink lipstick.

Holly was seen closing her eyes and smiling blissfully as she skipped along the shoreline.

Skimpy: The Too Hot To Handle star flashed her underboob in the bikini's off-the-shoulder top, which barely covered her ample assets

Holly's mother Rhondi Evelyn-Stowell joined her for the beach day. She donned a cream-colored cover-up as she set up a white beach towel.

According to E! News, Holly and Scott, 39, were spotted out together in Los Angeles last week after being first romantically linked a few months ago.

The two were seen shopping at a Balenciaga store on Friday. That same day, the model shared a Instagram Story video of a wild rabbit in a backyard that appeared to be Scott's.

Mother-daughter day: Holly's mother Rhondi Evelyn-Stowell joined her for the beach day. She donned a cream-colored cover-up as she set up a white beach towel

Three days earlier, Scarfone had been spotted holding hands with Chelsea FC player Ben Chiltern while enjoying a night out in West Hollywood.

Holly's outing with The Kardashians star comes almost two weeks after they enjoyed a naughty exchange in which he joked about her many 'talents.'

Late last month, Scarfone posted a sizzling snap of herself modeling one of Scott's Talentless wears.

On again? According to E! News, Holly and Scott, 39, were spotted out together in Los Angeles last week after being first romantically linked a few months ago

'oh lord she's @talentless,' she captioned the photos.

'I can think of a few talents you have right off the top of my head, no pun intended,' Scott commented.

Holly then replied: '@letthelordbewithyou see u soon.'

It comes as come as Holly's Too Hot To Handle co-star's Harry Johnson and Cam Holmes claimed that her relationship with Scott was fake.

The Netflix stars spoke out about the new couple in an interview with Slingo, as they claimed Holly would 'milk dry' an opportunity to further her fame.

Harry, who appeared alongside Holly on season three of the saucy reality show, said: 'For me, Holly is just about it, if that makes sense.'

Wowza! Scott enjoyed a flirty exchange with Holly after she posted this sexy snap and he joked about her 'talents'

Cam - who appeared on season two of the series - chimed in to say: 'Yeah, she loves it... She knows what she's doing and she'll do it to get where she needs to be.'

Harry added: 'Holly loves it. Imagine a cow, Holly would milk it dry - in the nicest way possible.'

When asked directly if they felt she genuinely likes Scott, Harry replied: 'Nah, no way on god's planet does she like Scott. Holly's smart. I like her, but she's smart.'

MailOnline has contacted Holly's representatives for comment.

Holly and Scott were first spotted together at Nobu Malibu last month, and they travelled to Paris together not long afterwards.

After they started dating, some fans have pointed out that Holly bears a resemblance to Kylie.

However earlier this month Scott was seen as he stepped out holding hands with his newer love interest, 27-year-old model Rebecca Donaldson.

It comes just after his ex-partner Kourtney Kardashian wed husband Travis Barker in a lavish Portofino ceremony over the weekend surrounded by friends and family.
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On 1 August, over three decades since Australian soap Neighbours first graced television screens, it will be time for fans to say an emotional goodbye to Ramsay Street and its residents.

And with the hour-long finale less than two months away, could it be no other than the show's old-timers Kylie Minogue, 54, and Jason Donovan, also 54, to star in the final scene?

The pair, who played Charlene and Scott Robinson, quit the soap 33 years ago - and their onscreen wedding is considered a significant cultural moment of the late 1980s.

After 37 years on British TV... is THIS how it ends? Iconic Aussie soap Neighbours 'could welcome Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan back to Ramsay Street' for final ever scene

According to The Sun, the pair will turn to each other before smiling and declaring they are 'home', in the show's closing moments.

A source told the publication: 'Everyone is gutted the show is coming to an end but they are determined to go out on a high.

'Kylie and Jason have such strong ties to the series they didn't even think twice about returning.

'The final scene will make fans well up and sees Charlene and Scott return to the street as they declare, "we're home"'.

Iconic: The pair, who played Charlene and Scott Robinson, quit the soap 33 years ago - and their onscreen wedding is considered a significant cultural moment of the late 1980s

It has also been said that bosses have written the script so Neighbours could make a comeback if anyone 'wanted to rescue it'.

Kylie quit Neighbours in June 1988, having become the first person to win four Logie Awards in one year and the youngest ever recipient of a Gold Logie.

She went on to launch a phenomenally successful music career, selling more than 80 million albums worldwide.

Onscreen couple: According to The Sun, the pair to will turn to each other before smiling and declaring they are 'home', in the closing moments

It comes after Neighbours executive producer Jason Herbison has hinted the pair will have a bigger role in the finale than first reported.

Speaking to The Herald Sun on Wednesday, he said the recent leak didn't fully explain the '80s golden couple's storyline in the episode.

'What I've read is not what happens which is great. It hasn't come out yet.'

He kept tight-lipped about the details of their appearance but he called the pair 'wonderful' adding it was 'emotional' for them.

Pop star: Kylie quit Neighbours in June 1988, having become the first person to win four Logie Awards in one year and the youngest ever recipient of a Gold Logie (pictured that year)

Confirmation: It comes after Neighbours executive producer Jason Herbison (pictured) has hinted the pair will have a bigger role in the finale than first reported.

'Seeing Kylie back as Charlene was quite a moment. Very special and I think for them too it was a real full circle for them,' he told the publication.

Kylie and Jason's wedding on the series 34 years ago was watched by 22 million people across Australia and the UK.

Last month, a leaked script revealed the fate of the lovebirds, stating they will return to Erinsborough at the end of the episode and deliver the closing lines.

Kylie and Jason, who were dating in real life at the time, were household names in both countries, and would each go on to launch music careers in the UK.

Their on-screen relationship began after Scott mistook Charlene for an intruder at his neighbour Madge Ramsay's house, before eventually learning she was Madge's daughter.

After getting married, the pair left Erinsborough and moved to Brisbane.

Neighbours announced that production would be ceasing on the long-running soap in a tweet back in March.

They're back! Guy Pearce (Mike Young), Ian Smith, (Harold Bishop) Lucinda Cowden (Melanie Pearson), all led the original stars of Neighbours returning to the iconic soap for the final week of filming in Melbourne on Monday

Original: Paul Keane (right) , who plays Des Clarke, was one of Neighbours 12 original characters and has been back on the soap as a regular since 2020

Legend: Paul appeared as Des in the very first episode of Neighbours which saw several characters attend his Stag Do

Iconic: Guy, who played Mike Young between 1986 and 1989, was spotted on set as the TV series filmed its final scenes this week

After his stint on Neighbours as bad boy Mike Young (left) Guy Pearce has forged a successful career in Hollywood, starring in films such as Memento and The Hurt Locker. Pictured right, on set this week

All over: Neighbours announced that production would be ceasing on the long-running soap in a tweet back in March

'We are so sorry to say that after nearly 37 years and almost 9,000 episodes broadcast we have to confirm that Neighbours will cease production in June,' the show wrote.

'Following the loss of our key broadcast partner in the UK [Channel 5] and despite an extensive search for alternative funding, we simply have no option but to rest the show.

'To our amazing, loyal fans, we know this is a huge disappointment, as it is to all of us on the team. We thank you for all your messages and support and promise to end the show on an incredible high. From here on, we are celebrating Neighbours.'

Network 10 addressed the end of the series in a statement to Australian media in March, admitting it had been a 'difficult decision'.

Fremantle, the production company behind the soap, said it had been unable to come up with 'alternative funding' for the series.

Suave: Guy looked effortlessly cool as he sported a black leather jacket and matching skinny jeans while preparing to film a scene on a motorbike

Style: Lucinda cut a glamorous figure for the day as she donned a bright red dress with a floral detail

Show: Lucinda portrayed Melanie from 1987 to 1991 and made a cameo appearance for the 20th anniversary in 2005

End of an era: Stefan Dennis (left), who played Paul Robinson, and Geoff Paine (right), who starred as Clive Gibbons, both looked thrilled to be back on set

All over: Fremantle, the production company behind the soap, said it had been unable to come up with 'alternative funding' for the series (the cast are pictured in 1995)

Mainstay: Stefan Dennis portrayed cold-hearted businessman Paul Robinson, appearing in the show's first episode back in 1985

Final days: Annie, Guy, Stefan and Paul were all brought back for the soap's final days of filming alongside Annie Jones right) who starred as 'Plane Jane' Harris

Return: Geoff played the character of Dr Clive Gibbons for one year before returning to the role in 2017

Snap: Lucinda was seen taking a photo of Geoff as he held up the iconic Ramsay St road sign

Role: British-born Guy had a four-year stint as Mike in Neighbours before hitting the big time

Looking good: Lucinda sported a pair of eye-catching gold earrings while she wrapped up in a black coat

Star: Annie Jones portrayed 'Plane Jane' Harris on Neighbours from 1986 to 1989 and won the Logie Award for Most Popular Actress
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Bryce Dallas Howard took inspiration from her hit Jurassic World film franchise to decorate her retro Los Angeles area home.

The 41-year-old actress showcased her quirky pink and green 'glam cretaceous' abode - complete with dinosaur wallpaper - in a new piece for Architectural Digest on Tuesday.

Howard's latest and final installment Jurassic family, Jurassic World: Dominion, hits theaters nationwide on June 10.

Pre-historic home: Bryce Dallas Howard took inspiration from her hit Jurassic World film franchise to decorate her retro Los Angeles area home

'We had the chance to visit Mia Farrow once,' Howard told the magazine, referring to Farrow's home in Connecticut. 'And it was the most magical place. Her house was full of stories and treasures, mementos of such a legendary life.

'Seth and I left thinking, 'This is what we aspire to. This is what we want our home to be like.'

The ginger haired beauty, who is a Los Angeles native, shares her cozy home with husband Seth and their two children.

In a video, Bryce described the importance of bringing nature into the space which mean including a lot of greenery, specifically 'pre-historic' plants from the cretaceous period.

Welcome! The 41-year-old actress showcased her quirky pink and green 'glam cretaceous' abode - complete with dinosaur wallpaper - in a new piece for Architectural Digest on Tuesday

'We had the chance to visit Mia Farrow once,' Howard told the magazine, referring to Farrow's home in Connecticut. 'Seth and I left thinking, 'This is what we aspire to. This is what we want our home to be like.'

Quirky: The ginger haired beauty, who is a Los Angeles native, shares her cozy home with husband Seth and their two children

Greenery: In a video, Bryce described the importance of bringing nature into the space which mean including a lot of greenery, specifically 'pre-historic' plants from the cretaceous period

As Seth explained, the couple wanted their home to look like what someone in the 1980s thought 2022 would look like - so a sort of retro-futurism.

Together, the couple worked with designer and friend Claire Thomas, who brought their love of Star Wars and Star Trek into the space in unique ways like spacey round pillows and a mural on the outside of the home.

The mural features two suns and is 'an homage to protagonist Luke Skywalker's fictional home planet Tatooine.'

'I remember growing up being like, 'I would love to live on the Starship Enterprise,' Bryce told AD. 'There's a softness to the futurism of [director] Gene Roddenberry's world that feels so enticing.'

Funky: As Seth explained, the couple wanted their home to look like what someone in the 1980s thought 2022 would look like - so a sort of retro-futurism

Eco-impact: Howard tried to keep her home eco friendly everywhere she could and leaned into local companies

Inspired: Together, the couple worked with designer and friend Claire Thomas, who brought their love of Star Wars and Star Trek into the space in unique ways

Vibes: The bathrooms in Howards home have particular spunk and she proudly declared her love for a 'loud powder room'

The bathrooms in Howards home have particular spunk and she proudly declared her love for a 'loud powder room.'

In one restroom, a statement wall features a bold tulip printed wallpaper. The floral motif is a romantic nod to her early years dating Seth when she studied in Amsterdam, a city known for its tulips.

Jurassic World gets some love in Howards vanity room which is a small alcove in her master bedroom.

The pink wallpaper is printed with various dinosaurs and Bryce revealed that the minute she saw it she knew she had to have it.

A nod to her husband: In one restroom, a statement wall features a bold tulip printed wallpaper. The floral motif is a romantic nod to her early years dating Seth when she studied in Amsterdam, a city known for its tulips

Soft look: The home is all pale, warm pink shades and light greens

May the force be with you: A mural on the outside of the home features two suns and is 'an homage to protagonist Luke Skywalker's fictional home planet Tatooine'

Speaking of the meaning behind it, the beauty explained that she wanted to pay tribute to how she made the money to buy and furnish her home.

Howard will reprise her role as Claire Dearing - a dinosaur rights activist and the former park operations manager of Jurassic World in the final movie in the Jurassic World trilogy.

She stars opposite Chris Pratt, who plays Owen Grady, a Navy veteran and ethologist, and a Velociraptor expert in the trio of films.

A nod: Jurassic World gets some love in Howards vanity room which is a small alcove in her master bedroom

Perfect: The pink wallpaper is printed with various dinosaurs and Bryce revealed that the minute she saw it she knew she had to have it

Film star: Howard will reprise her role as Claire Dearing - a dinosaur rights activist and the former park operations manager of Jurassic World in the final movie in the Jurassic World trilogy

On screen: She stars opposite Chris Pratt, who plays Owen Grady, a Navy veteran and ethologist, and a Velociraptor expert in the trio of films

For the final installment in the franchise, the stars if the original Steven Spielberg 1993 blockbuster, Jurassic Park, are reprising their respective roles.

Jeff Goldblum, 69, will return his role as gifted mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm, who specializes in chaos theory, for the fourth time, while Sam Neill, 74, will be back as Dr. Alan Grant.

Laura Dern - who previously made little more than a cameo in 2001's Jurassic Park III - is returning as Dr. Ellie Sattler.
Kanye West has split with his Kim Kardashian lookalike girlfriend Chaney Jones.

The breakup comes just days after the 44-year-old rapper was pictured at the movies with a mystery woman, who fans believe is the glamorous influencer Monica Corgan.

Kanye and Chaney, 24, are said to have ended things after their trip to Japan, but it is not clear who broke up with who, TMZ reports.

It was only a month ago that Chaney showed off a tattoo dedicated to the rapper on her wrist, with an inscription that read 'Ye,' the name which Kanye goes by legally.

Kanye West and Chaney Jones SPLIT! Rapper and Kim Kardashian lookalike part ways... after he's pictured with at the movies with another woman (Pictured above in March)

Fans started buzzing after the social media model posted a series of snaps of herself to her Instagram page, with her left wrist in full view.

Closer look: The 24-year-old Instagram influencer got his name 'Ye' tattooed on her left wrist

Chaney's wrist featured the word 'Ye' - which is Kanye's name - inked permanently in black cursive handwriting.

The model has since removed pictured of Kanye from her Instagram account and they no longer follow one another.

The pair were first spotted together at a party in Malibu, California, while he was still believed to be casually dating Uncut Gems actress Julia Fox.

Chaney then stepped out wearing all-black clothes, including a catsuit and knee-high boots that were strikingly similar to the clothes worn by Kanye's ex-wife Kim, 41.

When news broke that Kanye and Julia had split in February, rumors began that the rapper had officially moved on with Chaney, quickly becoming his next muse.

Over: Kanye, 44, and Chaney, 24, are said to have ended things after their trip to Japan , but it is not clear who broke up with who (Pictured above in Miami in March this year)

In March, Kanye is said to have gifted Chaney a rare Birkin bag worth $275,000, something that he did for both Julia Fox and his ex Kim in the past.

Last week, Kanye was spotted on a cinema dating watching Top Gun: Maverick with a woman who fans claim is influencer Monica Corgan.

Internet sleuths quickly pointed out that Kanye's new date looked to be Corgan, who is an Instagram model known for being an ambassador for the swimwear brand Boutine LA.

'Forgot to mentionwent to see @topgunmovie the other night and sat next to @kanyewest,' Motta wrote in the caption of the photo, which sees Ye and his companion intently taking in the action on the screen.

Kim clone! Chaney (left) wore a black swimsuit in February this year that seemed to be inspired by Kanye West's ex Kim (pictured right in a January 2022 Instagram post)

Monica boasts 34.6K followers on her Instagram profile, and posted a snap of her legs in Balenciaga boots as she sat inside of a movie theater on the day the snap was taken.

'Cool girl,' she captioned the carousel of photos, which also saw her wearing Kim's favorite brand as she posed in a bathroom mirror.

Interestingly enough, the two seem to have known each other for a while, as Kanye has previously mentioned Corgan's name on a song.

Last year, when West and fellow rapper, Drake, were feuding, the Canadian star leaked a song by Ye and Andre 3000, titled 'Life of the Party.'

In the song, Kanye is heard rapping: 'So don't text me like I'm Juanita JCV/ Or more important, Monica Corgan, who was there for me/ Somebody really there for me, was rare for me.'

Movie date: Last week the Donda rapper, 44, was spotted catching a screening of Top Gun: Maverick in the presence of a blonde companion

Model looks: Corgan is an Instagram model who is known for being an ambassador for the swimwear and bikini brand Boutine LA

Already styled by Kanye? On Monday, Monica was spotted out looking as though she had been helped with outfit by the rapper

Fans have also pointed out that Corgan was spotted wearing Kanye's merch, and has been seen on his tour bus several times.

Since splitting with his wife Kim, Kanye has been linked to a string of other women - including model Irina Shayk - though nothing has run the distance.

Meanwhile, Kim has moved on in a new relationship with SNL funnyman Pete Davidson, who was recently seen out with Kim and Kanye's son Saint.
Three police officers refused to save a man drowning in a lake in Arizona and just watched him die, according to reports.

According to Fox News, the victim, 34-year-old Sean Bickings, drowned in Tempe town lake while three anonymous Tempe police officers stood by and watched, with one telling Bickings, "I'm not jumping in after you."

The events leading up to Bickings' drowning, as well as the role of cops on the scene, are revealed in the newly released body-cam video and a transcript of the incident released on June 3.

According to the recently released footage, police went to an alleged argument between Bickings and a woman on May 28 around 5 a.m.

In the video, the female identifies herself as Bickings' wife and claims that the two have had disagreements in the past but that Bickings has never been physically aggressive with her.

Two officers then approach Bickings, who was sitting on a bench near the bridge, with a third officer standing nearby. Officers chat with Bickings for a few minutes, asking questions.

Footage Show Police Officers Refuse To Rescue the Victim From Drowning

Bickings went over a short metal fence between the boardwalk and the river around 5.12 a.m. Bickings asked if he was free to go as he approached the water, to which officers replied, "You can't swim in the lake, man."

Bickings jumped into the water and began swimming farther into the lake. "How far do you think he'll be able to swim?" one officer questioned another as Bickings swam away. "

Bickings began to tell officers that he was drowning shortly after, according to a transcript of the body-camera footage that was provided.

Read Also: CDC Urges Use of Face Masks Against Monkeypox Amid Rising Number of Cases

"I'm going to drown. I'm going to drown," Bickings told the officers. One of the officers replied: "No, you're not."

For a second time, Bickings told the police officers that he was drowning and could not swim back to the bridge's pylon. But another officer answered him: "OK, I'm not jumping in after you."

Bickings' partner became increasingly distraught as he drowned, pleading with cops to save her husband, per The Guardian. An officer instructs her to get off the bridge and threatens to put her in a police car at one point.

Bickings' partner kept on asking the officers to save him, but the officers said a boat is on its way.

On May 28, Bickings was retrieved from the lake at about 11.30 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

It Was a High-Risk Rescue

A police union in Arizona defended its officers' judgment not to rescue the victim while he was drowning in the lake, stating that they lacked the necessary resources, as per a report from The Independent.

Representatives of the Tempe Officers Association said on Monday that attempting such "high-risk rescue" might lead to "the death of the person in the water and the officer, who could be pulled down by a struggling adult."

According to the police union, officers are not trained in water rescue and do not have the necessary equipment to help persons who are drowning.

According to a statement posted to the Tempe government website on Friday, Tempe city manager Andrew Ching and Tempe police chief Jeff Glover called Bickings' drowning a "tragedy."

After conducting an investigation, authorities placed the three police involved in the scene on paid administrative leave.

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As a scion of the Jardine Matheson dynasty, which owns the Mandarin Oriental hotel group, Willa Keswick knows a thing or two about opulence.

And her wedding at the weekend was suitably lavish for a woman whose family's fortune is reputed to be 5.7billion.

Former nightclub owner Willa, 38, exchanged vows in the Cotswolds with Jake Morant, head of events at luxury catering firm Bread & Honey.

Happy day: The wedding of Jake Morant, head of events at luxury catering firm Bread & Honey, and Willa China Keswick, a former night club owner and a scion of the Jardine Matheson dynasty

Pictured: Jaime Winstone, left, at wedding of Willa China Keswick to Jake Morant (not pictured)

Willa, whose brother Archie dated Hollywood star Sienna Miller, was joined by a host of her glamorous friends, including aristocratic model Clara Paget and Ray Winstone's daughter Jaime, who was a bridesmaid.

'I'm still riding high on the dreamy love cloud that was the celebration of marriage for my friends,' gushes actress Jaime.

Countdown host Anne Robinson was flattered when she was approached by a male fan.

She was less impressed when he told her: 'My wife said I was to ask you the name of your hairdresser  not that she wants to look like you.'

Clairvoyant princess to wed Paltrow's spiritual guru

No one can dispute that Meghan Markle has shaken up the Windsors. Now another American is to marry into a European royal family, and he's an even more fascinating character.

Durek Verrett, a shaman known as Hollywood's hottest guru, is engaged to Princess Martha Louise of Norway, the Queen's second cousin once removed, who was once tipped as a bride for Prince Edward.

'Love does not judge where you come from or who you are as a human being,' the couple declare in a statement released by the Norwegian palace yesterday.

'Love creates a bridge between people, cultures and religions. And we are happy to have found each other, across continents, ethnicity and social background.'

A spokesman for the Princess's parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja, says: 'His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen send their most heartfelt congratulations to Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett on the occasion of their engagement and wish them all the best for the future.'

The news will delight Verrett's famous friends including Gwyneth Paltrow, for whom he acts as the personal spiritualist. The actress, 49, has already met the Princess, 50, and they bonded over their mutual love of alternative lifestyles.

Ambassadors of love': Durek Verrett, a shaman known as Hollywood's hottest guru, is engaged to Princess Martha Louise of Norway

While Paltrow's Goop website gives out recipes for spirit truffles which aid extra-sensory perception, the Princess claims to have supernatural powers, including the ability to speak to angels.

She was introduced to the actress in 2019 when on holiday in the Hamptons in New York, and declared: 'Meeting Gwyneth Paltrow was such a gift. [Her] wisdom, strength, clear vision and soft personality with a great sense of humour is so inspiring.'

Gwyneth Paltrow is pictured with Durek Verrett on a couch

Of the encounter, Los Angeles-based shaman Verrett said: 'I'm so happy my loves have finally met.'

The Princess has three teenage daughters with her late ex-husband, Ari Behn. They married in 2002 but split in 2016. Tragically, he took his own life on Christmas Day in 2019.

Martha Louise has been dating Verrett, 47, since 2019. He is a selfstyled 'global ambassador of love' who boasts of contact with aliens.

No date has been set for the wedding and, apparently, the couple will continue to live on different continents.

Artist Jeremy Houghton was caught out by Princess Anne over the Jubilee weekend, after he dashed to Epsom to exhibit a painting of the Queen's racehorse Dunfermline. Knowing that a royal presence was likely, he was horrified to discover that he had left home without a tie. 'After a frantic search in my car boot I found my daughter's Pony Club one,' Houghton says. It was a bit skimpy, but he thought he had got away with it until the Princess turned up. She soon spotted his neckwear and burst out laughing. The matter was, I understand, relayed back to the Queen that evening, along with the painting.

Stylish Countess Maya still raising cash for Diana's pal

Her life was cut short by cancer three years ago, but the impish spirit of Countess Maya von Schonburg endures.

Dazzling items from her wardrobe, including a pink silk coat, go on public view next week, prior to their sale by Kerry Taylor Auctions.

Maya, who memorably declared that her 9 million divorce settlement from billionaire Mick Flick 'wasn't enough', directed that every penny from the sale goes to Team Domenica, a charity founded by Princess Diana's friend Rosa Monckton, which helps young people with learning disabilities fulfil their potential and find employment.

Princess Martha Louise and her ex Ari Behn are seen at the wedding of Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist in 2015

Domenica  Rosa's daughter with her husband, my fellow Mail columnist Dominic Lawson  was a godchild of Diana.

Rosa's fondest memory of Maya? 'Her, in a Valentino jacket, leaving a huge fundraising party in London driving a red double-decker bus  all the way back to Windsor.

Emma Samms, who made her name in U.S. soaps such as Dynasty, is struggling to explain some British landmarks: 'A couple of my American visitors, when they saw Windsor Castle as we drove past it on the M4, wondered, 'Why would they build the castle so close to the freeway?'.'

Edna's autograph fury

Comedian Barry Humphries, aka Dame Edna Everage, who's on a theatre tour, is not amused by autograph hunters.

'There are always ratbags waiting at the stage door who haven't been to the show,' says Humphries, 88. 'They demand my signature on pictures of Bruce the shark [from Finding Nemo]  an animation for which I provided the voice. And a few discourage one from inscribing their programme with their name as they plan to flog it on eBay.

Designer of THAT Diana Rigg catsuit dies aged 83

Although Mary Quant is credited with inventing the mini-skirt, some say its real creator was designer John Bates, who died of cancer on Sunday aged 83.

Innovative: John Bates, designer, (pictured with models) has died at age 83

For the label Jean Varon, he also created the provocatively tight catsuit worn by Diana Rigg in The Avengers. It not only catapulted her to stardom, but helped define the style of the Swinging Sixties.

Bates lived for a time in a luxurious apartment and drove a white Rolls-Royce, but he spent his last years in obscurity in Wales, explaining that he had 'no regrets at all'.
Kris Jenner tried to put rumors to rest that she and her longtime boyfriend Corey Gamble had secretly tied the knot in a new advance clip from The Kardashians.

The 66-year-old momager was enjoying a salad when her daughter Khloe Kardashian, 37, quizzed her about rumors she had heard recently claiming the couple had gotten married out of the public eye.

But Kris seemed to quiet her daughter's suspicions when she invoked her late father Robert Kardashian.

Nothing to see here: Kris Jenner, 66, denied to her daughter Khloe Kardashian, 37, that she had secretly gotten married to her boyfriend Corey Gamble in a clip from The Kardashians shared Tuesday

Kris seemed to give Khloe an in to ask about her relationship status when she gushed that Corey was 'always really protective' of her.

'Mom, I have heard from so many people that you're secretly married,' the Good American co-founder interjected.

'No, I'm not secretly married,' Kris replied while keeping a smile plastered on her face.

But Khloe ordered her to 'Let me see your hands.'

Denial: 'Mom, I have heard from so many people that you're secretly married,' Khloe interrupted. 'No, I'm not secretly married,' Kris replied while keeping a smile plastered on her face

Whoops! But Khloe ordered her to 'Let me see your hands.' It didn't look good for the matriarch, as she raised her left hand, revealing a glittering ring on her ring finger, with what looked like a massive yellow diamond

Not what it looks like? 'Hmm, looks like it,' Khloe said nonchalantly. 'Stop! You think I'm going to get married and not have a big-a** party?' her mother replied, though Khloe didn't find that argument convincing

It didn't look good for the matriarch, as she raised her left hand, revealing a glittering ring on her ring finger, with what looked like a massive yellow diamond.

'Hmm, looks like it,' Khloe said nonchalantly.

'Stop! You think I'm going to get married and not have a big-a** party?' her mother replied, though Khloe didn't find that argument convincing.

'A thousand percent I think you guys are just gonna sneak it on by. I've heard from four different people,' she said.

Fits the bill: 'A thousand percent I think you guys are just gonna sneak it on by. I've heard from four different people,' Khloe said

That does it: 'I swear to God, on all my kids and daddy,' she said, referencing her late ex-husband  and Khloe's father  Robert Kardashian, who died in 2003 following a bout with esophageal cancer

Going strong: Kris and Corey have long been rumored to have taken the next step with their relationship since they began dating in 2014, and her penchant for wearing large diamond rings on her left ring finger hasn't with rumor-monger fans; seen May 2 in NYC

Kris took a softer tone as she tried to convince her daughter that she wasn't fibbing.

'No, Khloe, I'm not secretly married,' she reiterated, before unleashing her secret weapon to end the questions.

'I swear to God, on all my kids and daddy,' she said, referencing her late ex-husband  and Khloe's father  Robert Kardashian, who died in 2003 following a bout with esophageal cancer.

Kris and Corey have long been rumored to have taken the next step with their relationship since they began dating in 2014, and her penchant for wearing large diamond rings on her left ring finger hasn't with rumor-monger fans.

Kris raised eyebrows when fans speculated that Corey didn't accompany her to her daughter Kourtney Kardashian's wedding to Travis Barker, as he didn't appear to be featured in any photos.

He wouldn't be the only major family member not to attend, as Kourtney's brother Rob sat out the nuptials, and her grandmother wasn't pictured either.

The couple looked happy and stylish earlier in May, when they walked the red carpet at the Met Gala together.

Loving it: Earlier in the Kardashians clip, Kris gushed about how great Corey had been when it came to moving into their new house, though it was filmed well before the latest questions about her relationship with Corey

Sweet: Her daughter asked if he was like her 'head of security.' 'Basically! I love that side of him, because he's always really protective,' Kris replied sweetly

Earlier in the Kardashians clip, Kris gushed about how great Corey had been when it came to moving into their new house, though it was filmed well before the latest questions about her relationship with Corey.

'He's been so amazing moving into the house. Because he really handles everything. There's so much security,' Kris said.

Her daughter asked if he was like her 'head of security.'

'Basically! I love that side of him, because he's always really protective,' Kris replied sweetly.

The next episode of The Kardashians will be available to stream on Hulu starting after midnight on Thursday, June 9.
Sunrise hosts Natalie Barr and David 'Kochie' Koch were left speechless when a live cross with weatherman Sam Mac went off the rails on Wednesday.

Sam was interviewing performance art group Discordia at the Rising festival in Melbourne when one of the members, Will, made a strange remark about 'anuses'.

Describing the dancers' sparkly outfits, which featured pink ring-shaped headpieces, Will said: 'These creations are actually inspired by sea urchins and also giant, fluffy anuses...'

Carnage: Sunrise hosts Natalie Barr (left) and David 'Kochie' Koch (right) were left speechless when a live cross with weatherman Sam Mac went off the rails on Wednesday

This bizarre comment left the Sunrise presenters reeling.

Back in the studio, Natalie covered her face in shock as Kochie mouthed 'what?' and fill-in newsreader Angie Asimus winced.

The hosts stifled laughter as Will went on to explain how sea urchins have anuses where their mouths should be 'and also love Ricky Martin'.

His face says it all: Sam was interviewing performance art group Discordia at the Rising festival in Melbourne when one of the members, Will, made a strange remark about 'anuses'

A red-faced Sam Mac blurted out: 'Oh! Who doesn't like Ricky Martin?'

He sheepishly admitted he should have 'asked that question' before going live to air, then swiftly moved on to a weather update.

The on-air gaffe comes after a changing of the guard behind the scenes at Sunrise.

Reeling: Back in the studio, Natalie covered her face in shock as Kochie mouthed 'what?' and fill-in newsreader Angie Asimus winced

The Channel Seven breakfast show's longtime executive producer Michael Pell stepped down in April to take up a new position at the network in Los Angeles.

Sarah Stinson, the former executive producer of The Morning Show, has been promoted to the newly created role of Director of Morning Television, overseeing Sunrise, Weekend Sunrise and The Morning Show.

Meanwhile, day-to-day operations at Sunrise will be handled by executive producer Sean Power, who has spent the past decade working for Seven, 2GB and Nine.
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Tuesday night's Love Island ended with plenty of drama as Italian hunk Davide Sanclimenti opted to couple up with Gemma Owen in the first recoupling of the series.

Davide's decision left Gemma's partner Liam Llewellyn single and vulnerable, with the Masters student at risk of being dumped from the villa.

Meanwhile, the tense episode revealed that two brand new girls - Afia Tonkmor and Ekin-Su Culculoglu - were heading into the villa, with the public able to vote on which two boys will head on a date with them.

She scores! Tuesday night's Love Island ended with plenty of drama as Italian hunk Davide Sanclimenti opted to couple up with Gemma Owen in the first recoupling of the series

The bombshell contestant held the power after it was revealed 24 hours previously that he had to chose one of the girls to pair up with, despite the girls already being in couples with the others lads.

After spending the day getting to know the girls, the evening saw decision time for business owner Davide as he had to chose which girl to steal from one of the other boys.

Speaking in front of the firepit, he explained that his decision had not been an easy one as he had just 24 hours to get to know the other girls.

He then added: 'It's not just attraction, yes she's a stunning girl. We really had a good time and I would like to know her more. The girl I would like to couple up with is... Gemma.'

His choice; The bombshell contestant held the power after it was revealed 24 hours previously that he had to chose one of the girls to pair up with, despite the girls already being in couples with the others lads

Incoming: Meanwhile, the tense episode revealed that two brand new girls - Afia Tonkmor (L)and Ekin-Su Culculoglu - were heading into the villa, with the public able to vote on which two boys will head on a date with them

As Michael Owen's daughter made her way over to her new partner, Liam looked visibly gutted as he could only sit by and watch.

But his misery continued as he then received a text which confirmed his single status and revealed that anyone not in a couple by the end of the week is at risk of being dumped from the villa.

Meanwhile, viewers were quick to take to Twitter to share their thoughts on Davide choosing Gemma to couple up with.

One viewer tweeted: 'Gemma and Davide have to be the least compatible couple I've ever seen....'

With another sharing: 'Nothing happened this episode just wasted one hour of my time just to see Davide get with Gemma which was pretty obvs from the beginning. Boringgg.'

Choice: The bombshell contestant held the power after it was revealed 24 hours previously that he had to chose one of the girls to pair up with, despite the girls already being in couples with the others lads

Decision time: Speaking in front of the firepit, he explained that his decision had not been an easy one as he had just 24 hours to get to know the other girls

First choice: 'It's not just attraction, yes she's a stunning girl. We really had a good time and I would like to know her more. The girl I would like to couple up with is... Gemma'

'Im so upset about Davide choosing Gemma, while yes she is an attractive girl (as all of them are in my opinion) hes almost 10 years older than her. Davide is most likely more mature than Gemma and choosing her is only gonna make problems down the road' said a third.

'Im happy Davide and Gemma coupled up because when they break up, she is gonna turn up her tyranny and hes gonna go into toxic mode' commented a fourth watcher.

A fifth wrote: 'Gemma and davide are so awkward together each conversation makes me want to dieeeeee'

With another adding: 'I think Davide pick Gemma because shes the only girl that isnt interested in the person shes with.

Oh no: His misery continued as he then received a text which confirmed his single status and revealed that anyone not in a couple by the end of the week is at risk of being dumped from the villa

At risk: The other islanders watched on as Liam learned that his place in the villa was in jeopardy if he didn't couple up by the end of the week

The opening scenes saw Gemma made her intentions clear with Davide as she told him that she didn't like to be second best.

As the Italian hunk pulled her for a chat, the daughter of Michael Owen asked him if he had good morals, to which he remained coy.

Reprimanding him, she uttered: 'nah you don't do you, you're a little s**t!'

After being questioned why she said this about him, Gemma said: 'because you couldn't give me a straight answer. Do you mess people around?'

Opinions: Meanwhile, viewers were quick to take to Twitter to share their thoughts on Davide choosing Gemma to couple up with

To which Davide responded: 'No'.

On his impending decision, Gemma then added: 'I feel like the power has proper got to your head.'

As Davide implied he like the power during their flirty chat, Gemma then added: 'Oh my God, I might remove myself from this situation so you've got to pick someone else!

'I don't like competition, I want to be first, not second!'

And it seemed as though Davide liked Gemma straightforwardness as her words apparently made an impact on his later decision.

Nice to meet you: Afia Tonkmor, 25, hails from London and is a Lounge Host at a Private Members Club

Newcomer: On why she's entering the villa, Afia explained: 'It just seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet someone, have an amazing summer, just have so much fun and have a bit of a summer romance as well'

Elsewhere, with Liam on his lonesome, he may well be consoled by the fact that two new bombshells are set to enter the very soon.

Afia Tonkmor, 25, hails from London and is a Lounge Host at a Private Members Club.

On why she's entering the villa, Afia explained: 'It just seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet someone, have an amazing summer, just have so much fun and have a bit of a summer romance as well.'

The beauty said of her falling in love: 'I fall in love quickly, too quickly, two dates I am like, OMG I am obsessed with this boy, hes everything.

Meanwhile, Ekin-Su Culculoglu pis a 27-year-old actress from Essex.

Hey there: Ekin-Su Culculoglu pis a 27-year-old actress from Essex

New girl in town: Detailing her search for love, Ekin-Su said: 'Im looking for that real genuine spark and they just see me as me. I think the concept of the show brings back true and raw feelings'

Detailing her search for love, Ekin-Su said: 'Im looking for that real genuine spark and they just see me as me. I think the concept of the show brings back true and raw feelings.'

On why she's still a single lady, she added: 'Partially because Im quite picky and Im not just looking for looks, Im looking for brains! Im looking for someone with intelligence, someone who can have good chats. Nothing like cockiness! Im looking for a serious man and a serious relationship.'

Elsewhere on the show, things heated up between Andrew and Tasha as two shared a kiss, after having locked lips during the earlier airport challenge.

As they sat on the sofa and reflected on the game, Andrew asked Tasha if she wanted a repeat performance of their kiss and soon swiftly moved in for another more intimate smooch.

As a giggly Tasha joked he was marking his territory, her other potential love interest Luca watched on as the other boys cheered.

Object of her affections? The opening scenes saw Gemma made her intentions clear with Davide as she told him that she didn't like to be second best

Ouch! Reprimanding him, she uttered: 'nah you don't do you, you're a little s**t!' After being questioned why she said this about him, Gemma said: 'because you couldn't give me a straight answer. Do you mess people around?'

Intrigued: It seemed as though Davide liked Gemma straightforwardness as her words apparently made an impact on his later decision

The show made its much-anticipated return to screens on Monday night, with ten hopeful singletons heading to a brand new Mallorcan villa in search of 'fun, flirting and fifty grand.'

The series kicked off with a dramatic twist as viewers were given the chance to vote for this year's first couples for the first time, but romances were already been put to the test with the arrival of hunky bombshell Davide Sanclimenti.

While the couples were mere hours into getting to know one another, the Islanders learned that one boy would be left vulnerable as Davide chose which one he'd like to be paired up with, and Gemma Owen didn't waste any time stealing a cheeky smooch from the hunk - despite being in a pairing with Liam Llewellyn.

Getting close: Elsewhere on the show, things heated up between Andrew and Tasha as two shared a kiss, after having locked lips during the earlier airport challenge

Kiss kiss: As they sat on the sofa and reflected on the game, Andrew asked Tasha if she wanted a repeat performance of their kiss and soon swiftly moved in for another more intimate smooch

Romance: Elsewhere on the show, things heated up between Andrew and Tasha as two shared a kiss, after having locked lips during the earlier airport challenge

During this season of Love Island, contestants will be given inclusivity training, round the clock access to mental health experts and bespoke guidance on how to cope with instant fame as part of an extensive care package implemented ahead of its latest series.

Producers have ensured its latest crop of singletons are given plenty of professional guidance as part of their duty of care protocol - before, during and after their stay in the Spanish villa.

Ahead of this series, contestants were offered video training and guidance covering appropriate inclusive language around disability, sexuality, race and ethnicity, as well as general behaviours and microaggressions.

All change: Love Island contestants will be given inclusivity training and bespoke guidance on how to cope with instant fame (pictured: The cast of 2021)

LOVE ISLAND 2022: DUTY OF CARE Comprehensive psychological support Training for all Islanders on the impacts of social media and handling potential negativity Training for all Islanders on financial management Detailed conversations with Islanders regarding the impact of participation on the show A proactive aftercare package which extends support to all Islanders following their participation on the show Guidance and advice on taking on management after the show Information courtesy of ITV Advertisement

Pre-filming psychological and medical assessments, including reviews conducted by an independent doctor, psychological consultant and reports from each Islander's own GP to check their respective medical histories, were also required.

The inclusion training, which Islanders were offered prior to entering the Villa, consisted of conversations chaired by BCOMS (Black Collective of Media in Sport) founder Leon Mann MBE.

It also included DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) consultant Hayley Bennett, disability specialist Shani Dhanda and broadcaster Sean Fletcher.

The discussions have been devised to tackle topics including inclusive language, behaviour, creating safe spaces and being a good ally.

Additionally, prospective Islanders watched a video fronted by the show's executive producer and head of welfare interviewing former Islanders about their experiences on the show.

This included details on the two week period before they enter the Villa, how to cope being filmed 24 hours a day, the interaction they will have with producers in the Villa, the support provided to family members, dealing with social media trolling, and adapting to life away from the show.

As always registered mental health professional are engaged throughout the whole series - from pre-filming to aftercare.

Potential Islanders are also required to fully disclose in confidence any medical history that would be relevant to their inclusion in the Villa and the production's ability to provide a suitable environment for them.

Love Island continues tomorrow at 9pm on ITV2 and ITV Hub. Episodes are available the following morning on BritBox.
Riverdale heartthrob Cole Sprouse shared a cheeky mirror selfie, in which his behind was FaceTuned to look abnormally large.

The Italian-born, Cali-raised 29-year-old - who boasts 50.6M social media followers - sarcastically captioned his doctored snap: 'Good morning to my publicity team!'

'People who share all of their personal life on social media. Those people genuinely scare me,' Cole confessed to Interview Magazine last Wednesday.

Just kidding! Riverdale heartthrob Cole Sprouse shared a cheeky mirror selfie, in which his behind was FaceTuned to look abnormally large

'I'm firmly convinced that any form of social media is a performance. People who are willing to perform every aspect of their life there are truly a terrifying breed.'

Sprouse's post received amusing comments from his Riverdale castmates Drew Ray Tanner, Skeet Ulrich, Vanessa Morgan, and Mark Consuelos as well as his Moonshot co-star Lana Condor.

The former Disney Channel star's Kardashian/Jenner-style derriere picture also caught the attention of his Canadian girlfriend since February 2021 - Ari Fournier - who wondered: 'How long until this gets taken down?'

Last week, the 23-year-old Ford Model included a smiling snap of Cole wearing a pink sweater in her May photo dump slideshow.

The Italian-born, Cali-raised 29-year-old - who boasts 50.6M social media followers - sarcastically captioned his doctored snap: 'Good morning to my publicity team!'

Cole confessed to Interview Magazine last Wednesday: 'People who share all of their personal life on social media. Those people genuinely scare me. I'm firmly convinced that any form of social media is a performance. People who are willing to perform every aspect of their life there are truly a terrifying breed'

'Make it clap!' Sprouse's post received amusing comments from his Riverdale castmates Drew Ray Tanner, Skeet Ulrich, Vanessa Morgan, and Mark Consuelos as well as his Moonshot co-star Lana Condor

Normally, Sprouse hates being watched when he isn't acting, which is why he lambasts sneaky photo-snapping fans on a separate Instagram account with the handle @camera_duels.

'Despite the narrative I've pushed on that Instagram account - which is that I always win - I've realized that we both kind of lose,' the Borrasca actor explained to Interview.

'They have a picture of me, and I have a picture of them, and that's how it works. As long as my camera is in the shot, I consider the interaction a personal victory. But I would say we both ultimately lose, just emotionally.'

Cole continued: 'I don't [like being watched], no. I consider privacy, especially in our social media age, to be the ultimate form of privilege. I don't think it's surprising that a lot of single people are like, "I want a partner that's got two followers!" What we desire, truly, is to return to a form of privacy that may no longer exist.'

The former Disney Channel star's Kardashian/Jenner-style derriere picture also caught the attention of his Canadian girlfriend since February 2021 - Ari Fournier - who wondered: 'How long until this gets taken down?'

'May was high in emotions. Finding joy in every little moment!' Last week, the 23-year-old Ford Model included a smiling snap of Cole wearing a pink sweater in her May photo dump slideshow

'I consider privacy to be the ultimate form of privilege': Normally, Sprouse hates being watched when he isn't acting, which is why he lambasts sneaky photo-snapping fans on a separate Instagram account with the handle @camera_duels

Ironically, Sprouse said he 'loved people watching' and his side career as a professional photographer has seen his pictures published in Teen Vogue, L'Uomo Vogue, The Sunday Times Style, and W Magazine.

Catch more of the NYU grad as Forsythe 'Jughead' Jones III in the sixth season of The CW's Riverdale, which resumes this Sunday with an American Psycho-themed musical episode.

The sixth season of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's Archie Comics-inspired teen drama currently has a 60% critic approval rating and a 44% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Her Hogwarts days saw her travelling in all sorts of unusual ways.

But former Harry Potter star Emma Watson chose to journey on horseback as she relaxed on holiday in Ibiza this week.

The actress, 32, unwound with a friend as the pair rode through the paths of the Balearic party island.

Hot to trot: former Harry Potter star Emma Watson chose to journey on horseback as she relaxed on holiday in Ibiza this week

Emma kept cool atop the pale grey horse in a burnt orange lacy crop top. She finished her casual look with grey capri leggings and wore her light brown hair loose.

Ensuring she remained safe on the trip on Sunday, the Harry Potter actress wore a black riding helmet.

The womens rights activist appeared completely at ease on the trek, wearing black riding boots and clutching the reins in one hand.

So much for Quidditch: The actress unwound with a friend as the pair rode through the paths of the Balearic party island

The island appears to have cast a spell on the star, who often holidays there. She was reported to have even lived in Ibiza for several weeks at the end of 2020.

Her latest appearance comes after she appeared to slam Harry Potter author JK Rowling as she took to the stage at this year's BAFTAs.

The star - best known for her role as Hermione Grainger in the film adaptations of Rowling's books - took to the stage to present the award of Best Outstanding British Film, when she was introduced by host Rebel Wilson.

Controversy: Her latest appearance comes after she appeared to slam Harry Potter author JK Rowling as she took to the stage at this year's BAFTAs

'Here to present the next award is Emma Watson. She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she's a witch,' said Rebel, by way of introduction.

Emma then emphasised: 'I'm here for ALL the witches!'

The jabs come after JK's statements on transgender issues were branded transphobic by some fans.

The controversy surrounding her began after she tweeted about biological sex leading to backlash and a subsequent 'cancellation' from the trans community.
She has transformed her figure by quitting the booze and following a very strict yoga regime.

And weatherman Steve Jacobs' ex-wife Rosie, 42, showed off her incredible bikini body in Bali on Tuesday.

The mother-of-two flaunted her ripped abs and toned legs in a white two-piece as she posed for some Instagram photos.

Stunning! Weatherman Steve Jacobs' ex-wife Rosie, 42, unveiled her ripped bikini body and new thigh tattoo in a bikini in Bali on Tuesday after giving up the booze

She also revealed a new tattoo on her thigh.

Rosie's high-waisted swimmers drew attention to her taut midsection and showcased her ample cleavage.

The TV presenter looked happy and healthy, sporting a golden tan and longer locks.

Makeup free, she looked incredibly youthful.

She's glowing! Rosie is pictured left in March 2022 and right on Tuesday

Back in June 2019, Rosie talked about giving up alcohol.

She told her Instagram followers that getting sober was one of several major changes she made after leaving her 'unhappy marriage' to Steve in 2018.

Rose shared a throwback photo of herself on a running track from June 2018, and reflected in the caption on her personal growth over the past 12 months.

'Exactly one year ago today I took this snap in Vanuatu, just before I moved back to Australia with my munchkins to start my new life as a single mama,' she wrote.

'The year has flown [by] and it has certainly been filled with massive highs and a handful of lows.

Relaxed: Rosie has been staying in Bali for the last few weeks

'I've bought and paid off my apartment, I've got my fur babies home safely, the girls have settled into their awesome new school, we've made new friends, embraced old ones, I've thrown myself back into my TV career.'

She continued: '[I've] started writing again... I'm rediscovering the beauty of Sydney, I've quit alcohol, and started Pilates again I've forgiven past pains and set new goals.

'And I've reached a level of contentment and happiness that I pray lasts a lifetime. Thank you to those who have been part of my journey these last 12 months. You know who you are.'

Rosie started her career as a television producer, but is perhaps best known for hosting a variety of shows on Nine, 10, Foxtel and The Weather Channel.

She married Jacobs in 2010, but they divorced nine years later in 2019.

The former couple share daughters Isabella and Francesca.

Steve and Rosie married three years after meeting on the set of the Today show, where he was a star weather presenter and she was a behind-the-scenes producer.

Ex factor: Rosie married former Today weatherman Steve Jacobs (right) in 2010, but they divorced nine years later in 2019. Pictured together at a charity gala in Sydney in December 2015

They separated in late 2017, just a few months after relocating to Vanuatu in what friends described as a 'last-ditch attempt' to save their seven-year marriage.

She moved on with a Canadian commando Dylan Nash then former AFL player Matt Shir.

Jacobs had been on the rebound from a fling with Nash after the breakdown of her marriage when she fell for Shir.

The pair met via a dating app in June 2018 and Shir moved into her apartment at Bronte, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, by October that year.

Jacobs parted ways with Shir, 39, in January 2019.
NASA tested the spaceflight hardware supporting the endeavor as the agency is getting closer to conducting its first crewed mission to the moon in 50 years. This is as part of the Artemis program.

Thus, to share the space program with more people, three video explainers were released by NASA. The video explainers describe the upcoming Artemis I mission in simple terms.

How would the spacecraft voyage in space?

First Crewed Lunar Landing Since 1972 Might Happen in 2025

For those who are not aware of the missions, Artemis I will perform an uncrewed flyby of the moon. This is as part of preparations for the subsequent crewed Artemis II mission, which will take the same path.

Thus, if both missions go well, Artemis III will put the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface possibly in 2025, which will mark the first crewed lunar landing since the final Apollo mission in 1972, as per the Digital Trends report.

Based on the current plan, Artemis I will be launched using NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. This will be done in a mission that could potentially take place as early as this summer.

It will be seen in the first animation how the SLS rocket will power the Orion spacecraft toward the moon at the start of the Artemis I mission, with the rocket's first stage falling away soon after launch, according to the Digital Trends.

Meanwhile, the second video shows that when the Orion approaches the moon, gravity will pull it toward the lunar surface.

At an altitude of 60 miles, Mission Control will fire the Orion's engines to send it toward what's known as a distant retrograde orbit (DRO) about 40,000 miles above the moon's surface.

A second engine burn will steady the spacecraft in its new orbit once it reaches the target altitude for DRO.

For six days, the Orion will remain in DRO. This will give NASA enough time to gather data from the spacecraft as part of efforts to assess its performance.

Related Article: NASA Warns 2 'Potentially Hazardous' Massive Asteroids to Get Close to Earth This January 2022; Will It Hit?

Homeward Bound: How Will the Spacecraft Return to Earth

Since NASA is planning to put astronauts on the Orion spacecraft from Artemis II onwards, the key part of the test mission is returning the spacecraft safely to Earth, according to Digital Trends.

To make it happen, to take Orion out of the DRO and send it back toward the moon, Mission Control will fire its engines again.

At an altitude of 60 miles, a second engine burn will combine with the moon's gravity to propel the spacecraft on a path back to Earth in a voyage that will take five days, as per the Digital Trends report.

At a speed of about 25,000 mph, the spacecraft will hit Earth's atmosphere, putting huge stress on the underside of the vehicle during its descent.

However, with its specially designed heat shield, along with the parachutes that the Orion will deploy shortly before splashdown, a safe homecoming is ensured.

This month, ahead of an Artemis I launch targeted for August, NASA is about to conduct final tests on the SLS rocket.

Related Article: NASA Asks Public for Opinion on Its Mars Sample Return Mission
Netflix has announced that its hit South Korean zombie series "All of Us are Dead" is getting a second season.

The announcement has been made as a part of Netflix's Geeked Week. A video, which features lead stars Cho Yi-hyun, Lomon, Park Ji-hu, and Yoon Chan-young, announcing the second season has also been uploaded on social media by the streaming platform.

The first season of the show priemered on Netflix on January 28, 2022.

Netflix's 'All of Us are Dead' Season Two

Netflix's "All of Us are Dead" is officially getting a second season.

According to a report by Variety, the announcement was made during the streaming platform's Geeked Week. The purpose of Geeked Week is to "showcase new and returning series, in addition to positioning Netflix as the home of Asian horror and sci-fi genre content."

Netflix Korea posted a tweet on its official Twitter account that includes a video of the four main cast members thanking their fans for their support and announcing that season two is officially happening. You can watch the video below:

The Twitter account also uploaded a poster of the zombie series' second season.

    ?



    ,     .    2  . # #AllofUsAreDead # #Netflix pic.twitter.com/1qwUD0ppZQ  Netflix Korea  (@NetflixKR) June 6, 2022

'All of Us are Dead'

"All of Us are Dead" is a Netflix series based on the Korean webtoon "Now at Our School" by Joo Dong-geun. The story of this zombie series follows a group of high school students are they try to survive and escape when a zombie outbreak begins at the school, which is located in the fictional city called Hyosan.

What eventually happens outside the high school is also show and there is particular focus on what happens to the Hyosan Police detective and auxiliary police officer who are suddenly entrusted with the information that can solve the zombie crisis.

Variety notes that season one, which is 12 episodes long, "ended on a cliffhanger, with six survivors from the outbreak rescued but quarantined by the government, and class president Nam-ra (Cho) now a half-zombie."

You can watch the official trailer for the series below:

Related Article: Korean Zombie Series 'All of Us Are Dead' Tops Global Netflix Chart: Is Season 2 Happening?

The Success of Season One of 'All of Us are Dead'

According to Variety, "All of Us are Dead" is part of Netflix's top ten non-English shows of all time. This happened in 91 countries, per the report, and the zombie series stayed there for two successive weeks. In fact, in its first 10 days, "All of Us are Dead" tallied a total of 361 million viewing hours.

Soompi reports that the zombie series shot straight to number one in the Netflix chart of 25 countries within the day of its release. It is also the fourth South Korean show to ever make it into the charts following "Arcane," "Hellbound," and "Squid Game."

It likewise comes second to "Squid Game" in terms of being the most popular South Korean shows that can be found on the streaming platform.

Read Also: Resident Evil Netflix Series: New Teaser Posters, Premiere Date Revealed
Hyderabad: Surya Arokyaraj, the 25-year-old man who was assaulted by cops, had a rod fixed on his left leg and had sustained injuries on his right eyebrow and ended up with wobbly teeth as the police hit him on his mouth with a baton, alleged his sister.

Meanwhile, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has taken suo moto cognizance of the case and is inquiring into the incident. SHRC members visited the hospital to gather information.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Suryajully, elder sister of Arokyaraj, said that constables attacked him even though he did not resist his arrest.

He was a little drunk and tried to sit on our neighbours bike when he tripped and fell along with the vehicle. Alleging that he damaged their bike, the neighbours picked up an argument and called the cops, she said.

Suryajjully said that doctors at Gandhi hospital have done a surgery and put up a rod below his left knee on Monday.

He will be shifted to a general ward on Tuesday. He is badly injured, she added.
A screen grab of the viral video in which police are seen kicking, hitting and assaulting Arokiaraj while trying to grab the bamboo stick from him. (DC)

HYDERABAD: The Chilkalguda police allegedly assaulted and injured a man, who was said to be inebriated, after he picked up a fight with his neighbour and resisted arrest. He suffered a fracture to his left leg reportedly due to the assault.

The incident took place on Saturday night when the man, Surya Arokiaraj, 25, from Mettuguda, had allegedly picked up a fight with his neighbour after getting drunk. Following a call by the neighbour, the Chilkalguda police reached the spot and tried to shift Arokiaraj to the police station. However, he resisted and abused them, apart from trying to attack them with a bamboo stick, following which the constables pinned him down and beat him up.

In a video clip of the incident that went viral on social media, the police personnel were seen kicking, hitting and assaulting Arokiaraj while trying to grab the bamboo stick from him. He sustained injuries on his leg during the assault.

Sources said that the incident happened at around 11 pm and that the four policemen attacked Arokiaraj when he told them that he would visit the police station in the morning. Arokyaraj was later rushed to Gandhi Hospital by the locals in an ambulance and is undergoing treatment for his leg fracture, sources said, adding that the constables allegedly visited him at the hospital and tried to negotiate a deal by offering cash.

Chilkalguda police denied the allegations and said they did not assault him, but tried to take away the stick to which he held on tight. When asked about the assault, Chilkalguda inspector G. Naresh, said, A case was booked against the man for attacking area locals with a bamboo stick and creating nuisance. He attacked the constables first with the stick.
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh seems heading for a serious shortage of diesel and petrol as oil marketing companies like BPCL are imposing ration in fuel supply while HPCL stopped releasing its stocks on credit basis to petroleum traders. Small-capacity pumps are already dry in several areas.

Though the BPCL has been at it for the last few days and several fuel stations faced short supply as a result, fresh trouble came when HPCL stopped supply on credit basis. This even though the latter charges nearly 18 per cent interest on credit. It wants traders to pay the money in advance in order to release fresh stocks.

Traders say they are deeply troubled by these situations. They have difficulty filling up their tanks at the fuel stations.

They have appealed to the state government to write off additional VAT of Rs 4 and road cess of Rs 1 on each litre of petrol and diesel so that there can be a dip in their prices.

There is a major difference in the prices to the tune of `6 per litre for both petrol and diesel between AP and neighbouring states, like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Telangana. Hence, a large number of consumers from border areas are going to these states to fill their vehicle tanks," they say.

State-owned oil marketing companies like BPCL, HPC, IOC say they are incurring a loss of nearly `8 per litre on petrol and `25 per litre on diesel and that they can no longer bear with such a loss.

So with petroleum traders who say their dealer margin of Rs 1.88 on diesel per litre and Rs 3.15 on petrol per litre is no longer remunerative as these rates have not been revised for several years. They are seeking an upward revision of the dealer margin and do not want any share in routine revision of fuel prices either upward or downward.

Meanwhile, shortage of fuels is evident in rural areas where small fuel stations having the facility for storing small quantums of fuels are getting dried up. Such a scenario may spread to other parts of the state soon unless both the Centre and the state government take action to solve the issue.

President of the AP federation of petroleum dealers Gopalakrishna said, We want the Centre to force oil marketing firms (OMCs) to do dynamic pricing of fuels and help them overcome their losses. We also appeal to the AP government to withdraw the additional VAT and road cess to give some relief in the form of a dip in fuel price to the consumers.

Petroleum dealers met BJP national president JP Nadda and sought his intervention. They urged him to arrange a meeting with the petroleum minister to resolve the issues.

On an average, seven lakh to eight lakh litres of diesel and 4.5 lakh litres of petrol are being consumed in AP per day.
The Hyderabad police have booked BJP MLA Raghunandan Rao for revealing some photos, and videos pertaining to the sensational Jubilee Hills minor girl gang-rape case, in which three juveniles connected to politically influential families are the accused.

A case has been registered against the Telangana MLA under IPC Section 228 A (disclosure of the identity of the victim in gang rape offences) based on a complaint of a city-based advocate.

Reacting to the development, Rao said that in the press conference he held at the BJP office on Saturday he did not disclose the 17-year-old girl's name, face, parent's identity, or address.

Read | Hyderabad gang-rape case: BJP MLA's action gives new twist

I am a law-abiding legislator. And as a practising advocate I will never do anything illegal, Rao said while charging the Congress party with trying to defame him.

The Dubbaka MLA had said that he was releasing the photos showing the accused to point out the involvement of an AIMIM MLA's son. The city police had earlier stated that no evidence was found against the son of the MLA representing a constituency in the old city.

Accusing the BJP of dragging the victim's family into public, NSUI state president Balmoor Venkat demanded to know how the MLA got hold of the evidence.

I am fighting for the victim's cause. What I do not understand is Congress's reaction in a case involving the relatives of AIMIM leaders. What is the link? I now suspect if some Congress leaders' sons are also involved, Rao said on Tuesday.

In the photos, and videos Rao revealed, the girl (face concealed) could be seen sexually molested by a boy inside a high-end car, while others were recording it.

The BJP has accused the TRS government, and Telangana police of intentionally booking cases against their leaders, instead of arresting the offenders.

One of the main accused Umair Khan (18), said to be the nephew of an AIMIM MLA, is still at large.
Earlier this year, cybercriminals ran off with about $36 million in crypto assets from IRA Financial retirement accounts on the Gemini crypto exchange.

In a lawsuit filed Monday against the Gemini Trust Company, IRA Financial alleged Gemini did not deliver on its contracted promise of security for its crypto assets on the defendant's crypto exchange.

Gemini Breach: How Millions of IRA Retirement Funds Were Siphoned Off

Gemini is the crypto exchange led by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, or the Winklevoss twins. IRA Financial was using Gemini's architecture to secure users' accounts, when on Feb. 8 an unscrupulous user began withdrawing bitcoin, ether and U.S. dollars from dozens of users, stealing millions before the hack was spotted, according to reports.

Gemini first pointed blame on IRA for the hack, claiming the transfers were made "by utilizing properly authenticated accounts" that IRA controlled complying "with IRA's approval processes" and appeared to the crypto exchange "to be legitimate."

Read Also: Crypto Scam: Meme Coin Tsuzuki Inu Steals $1.1 Million From Investors

The lawsuit alleges that IRA switched from Gemini's online client to its Application Programming Interface to streamline customer onboarding. That API, it said, had a "fatal flaw,"- a master key that could access all sub-accounts to IRA's master Gemini account. The suit says that whoever had access to the master key can withdraw crypto assets without second-factor authentication. IRA further alleges Gemini never told the company about the master key.

IRA lawyer Eric Ostroff said in that Gemini's platform had "a single point of failure" allowing cybercriminals to pocket tens of millions of dollars of crypto assets from customer retirement accounts.

In a statement, Gemini rejected the lawsuit's allegations, describing their security standards "the highest in the industry." It further claimed that when IRA Financial notified them of the security breach, Gemini acted quickly to "mitigate the loss of funds from their accounts."

Users Remain Uncompensated After Data Breach, Class Suit Filed Against Gemini, IRA

Amidst the blame game between Gemini and IRA, users were left hanging for months. As they are still not recompensated for the loss. IRA Financial said it would use funds won in its Gemini lawsuit to reimburse victims.

A class action lawsuit filed against both companies in California federal court last March states that both companies are to be blamed for the data breach, and that neither have acted on compensating victims.

Despite this breach, some financial companies are still considering crypto investments for their retirement savings. Fidelity Investments for its part said it is allowing investors to save some of their 401(k) in Bitcoin.

FTC: About $1B Lost from Crypto Scams, 60 Times Worse Than Four Years Ago

A recent report by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission shows Americans have lost over $1 billion in crypto so far this year, mostly from scams. The rate of losses was over 60 times higher than was reported just four years ago.

Related Article: Crypto Scams: How to Spot Fraud Cryptocurrencies Like SQUID, Tsuzuki Inu
Amid the ongoing controversy around Nupur Sharmas remark on Prophet Mohammed, Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders extended his support to former BJP member and slammed the Arab and Islamic countries.

Wilders, the chairman of the Party for Freedom and a member of the House of Representatives in the Netherlands, on Tuesday said that Sharma only spoke the truth about Prophet Mohammed. "It is ridiculous that Arab and Islamic countries are angered by Indian politician #NupurSharma @NupurSharmaBJP for speaking the truth about #ProphetMuhammad who indeed married Aisha when she was six years old and consumed the marriage when she was nine. Why does India apologize?" he tweeted.

Also Read  Maharashtra police summon Nupur Sharma over derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed

It is ridiculous that Arab and Islamic countries are angered by Indian politician #NupurSharma @NupurSharmaBJP for speaking the truth about #ProphetMuhammad who indeed married Aisha when she was six years old and consumed the marriage when she was nine. Why does India apologize?  Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) June 6, 2022

Geert said that Islamic nations have "no democracy" and they "persecute minorities and disrespect human rights like no one else". He added that "the ideology of the prophet Mohammed is offensive and abusive".

"Dont listen to the hypocrites. Islamic nations have no democracy, no rule of law, and no freedom. They persecute minorities and disrespect human rights like no one else. THEY should be criticized! The ideology of #Muhammad is offensive and abusive, not the heroic #NupurSharma!, the Dutch parliamentarian said in a tweet.

Dont listen to the hypocrites. Islamic nations have no democracy, no rule of law, no freedom. They persecute minorities and disrespect human rights like no one else. THEY should be criticized! The ideology of #Muhammad is offensive and abusive, not the heroic #NupurSharma!  Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) June 7, 2022

In an earlier tweet, Geert also advised Indians to stand with Nupur Sharma and not get intimidated by the Islamic countries. "Appeasement never works. Itll only make things worse. So my dear friends from India, dont be intimidated by Islamic countries. Stand up for freedom and be proud and steadfast in defending your politician #NupurSharma @NupurSharmaBJP who spoke the truth about Muhammad," he tweeted.

Appeasement never works. Itll only make things worse.

So my dear friends from India, dont be intimidated by islamic countries. Stand up for freedom and be proud and steadfast in defending your politician #NupurSharma @NupurSharmaBJP who spoke the truth about Muhammad.  Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) June 6, 2022

The BJP on Sunday suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal over their statements. The decision was later welcomed by the international communities.
Scientists on Monday presented fresh evidence linking the earliest domestication of chicken to a 3,500-year-old site in Thailand, ruling out south India or northern China as the likely sites of origin as suggested by previous studies.

The new findings also note that poultry farming in South Asia was a post-Harappan development and that the domestication of chickens took place in Southeast Asia and coincided with rice cultivation.

As the process of chicken domestication remains unclear, the team stitched multiple pieces of evidence to trace the timing and circumstances under which chicken evolved from wild jungle fowl into domesticated but exotic bird and then as a staple food across the world.

European researchers reassessed chicken remains from more than 600 archaeological sites in 89 countries based on archaeological, iconographic and textual data for the study which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

They correlated the distribution of chickens in the archaeological records with human societies and their subsistence strategies to prove that the earliest, unambiguously domestic chicken remains were from Ban Non Wat in Thailand, dated around 16501250 BCE.

The findings contradict previous identifications of chicken remains and suggest that the fowl was not domesticated on the Indian subcontinent, did not reach Central China, South Asia or Mesopotamia until around 1000 BCE, and arrived in Ethiopia and Mediterranean Europe by around 800 BCE.

A correlation between early chickens and the first appearance of rice and millet cultivation suggests that the production and storage of these cereals may have acted as a magnet, thus initiating the chicken domestication process.

In the Indian subcontinent, identification of early remains of domesticated chickens is problematic due to the co-occurrence of an endemic red junglefowl subspecies (in eastern, central and parts of northern India along the Ganges) and the gray jungle fowl that was found in the south and western parts.

While bird bone remains from along the Middle Ganges around 4500 to 2000 BCE are likely to be wild birds, some earlier studies had also linked domestic chickens with farming communities of the mature Harappan culture nearly 2600 to 1900 BCE in the Indus river basin.

Our analysis demonstrates that key specimens from sites belonging to this cultural phase including Mohenjodaro and Harappa have either been misidentified, or are too large to be confidently categorised as prehistoric domestic birds, the team reported.

The reappraisal of published chicken bone specimens in Chalcolithic and Bronze Age sites across India and Pakistan dating nearly 3500 to 1000 BCE undermines both the species identification and the domestication status of these remains.
India is likely to have Cheetahs roaming around in a protected forest in central India by August 15, top sources in the Union Environment Ministry said on Tuesday, noting that the first few spotted cats will come from South Africa.

In the first batch, 5-6 animals may be brought before Independence Day as the paperwork is on track. Two technical teams from India have visited the source game park and a South African team will be inspecting the arrangements at Kuno Palpur National Park in Madhya Pradesh next week.

A 10 sq km enclosure for cheetahs has been readied at Kuno to house the animals so that wildlife scientists can check if they are adapting well to the Indian climate and landscape. The plan is to import 32 animals over a period of time.

Earlier this year, the ministry informed the Parliament that Rs 38.7 crore from Project Tiger was allocated for the Cheetah reintroduction project between 2021-22 and 2025-26. An action plan has been released for the project, which was under consideration for more than a decade.

While the environment ministry was in discussions with South Africa and Namibia for the ambitious programme, sources said considerable progress had been made with the South African authorities. The Ministry of External Affairs is now vetting the final agreement before the signing.

The cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952, four years after the last three known animals were shot in the forests of Koriya district in Chhattisgarh.

The animals meant for translocation would be from a reproductive age group and genetically diverse and disease-free. They would also have to be behaviorally sound - not overly imprinted to humans but tolerant, predator wary, capable of hunting wild prey, and socially tolerant of each other for establishing a new cheetah population.

Sources said for the first time, the environment ministry would come out with a scientific estimation on Indias elephant numbers, replacing the existing jumbo census.

An updated estimation on the numbers of tigers, elephants and leopards will be released in December. The number of lions in the Gir forest has increased by more than 30 per cent since the last census in 2015 to reach around 900.

A second conservation centre for the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) at Ramdevra in Rajasthan is under development as the government gives a push to artificially supplement the breeding of GIB, facing extinction threats. Only about 150 such birds are estimated to be left in the wild.
An Indian photojournalist, Durlabh Roy Chaudhary of Kolkata, is in Jhapa jail for the past seven months on the charge of carrying fake currency.

According to Nepal's state-owned news agency, Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), Chaudhary, 24, was arrested from Chandragadhi airport on November 18, 2021, when he was visiting Nepal from Kolkata via Kakadvitta checkpoint.

A spokesperson at the District Police Office, Jhapa, Basanta Pathak, said that police seized 226 pieces of photocopy of $100 bills from Chaudhary during search while he was flying to Kathmandu from Chandragadhi airport.

The police then filed a case in the District Court, Jhapa. Later, a bench of Justice Shankar Bahadur Rai remanded Chaudhary to custody stating that "there are bases to believe that the defendant is guilty."

He said that Jhapa District Court has already issued an order to keep Chaudhary in custody for investigation on fake currency charge.

Chairperson of the National Forum of Photo Journalists, Pradeep Raj Onta, said initiatives are being taken for his release. The Indian photo journalist is innocent. Claiming Chaudhary is not a fake notes smuggler, Onta requested to release Chaudhary by finalising the case soon as he had carried fake currency only for video shooting.

Rahul Barua, secretary of South Asia Foundation, also recently visited Jhapa district and inquired about the case of Chaudhary and committed to support all required legal assistance to him. Barua told IANS that his organisation will provide legal, financial, and administrative support to him.

Barua also visited Jhapa recently and met Chaudhary in jail.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has also been providing legal counsel to Chaudhary.

Another Nepali tourism entrepreneur, Suman Pandey also announced to provide financial support to Chaudhary, saying, "he was instrumental in promoting Nepal tourism and other attractions through his videos and vlogs and we must encourage him. So, I decided to support him."

Onta shared that Chaudhary works as a freelance photographer for different media organisations including National Geography, World Street Photobook, and Times of India as well as running his own YouTube channel Sniper Monk Travels.

According to Ratopati, a popular news site in Nepal, Chaudhary in his statement has maintained that he was carrying counterfeit dollars for his documentary named 'Money is nothing'. Besides, Chaudhary also claimed that he himself showed those dollars to the security guard who later called the police. "It was not discovered by the police during a security screening," he said.

According to Chaudhary, he then told police that he had brought the counterfeit dollars to use in his documentary. "However, the police recorded the wrong statement and made him sign it forcibly making him believe that they will release him in a while."

According to his mother Trapti Roy Chaudhary, the website wrote that Chaudhary, who has difficulties understanding Hindi, has been made to sign his statement recorded in Nepali. He has claimed that the statement is wrong and doesn't match with the one he had recorded. Later in the court, he maintained that he came to know about the statement recently. "I have not committed any crime that is being reported by the police. Back in my country, we throw counterfeit notes in the air during a marriage ceremony and I was about to do the same in Pokhara and shoot a YouTube video. I have a YouTube channel named Sniper Monk Travels. That was the only reason to carry counterfeit dollar notes with me. It was me who showed those counterfeit notes to the security personnel who called the police and arrested me. It was not my intention to use it in Nepal. Besides, those notes were printed in photocopy papers and it is easy for anyone to recognize that it is a counterfeit one," the news report published in Ratopati said.
Though it rushed to quell the outrage in West Asia over the comments made by the two BJP leaders on Prophet Mohammed, New Delhi on Monday hit back at Pakistan, which sought to take advantage of the uproar and raise the pitch of its routine tirade against India.

New Delhi reacted after its acting envoy to Islamabad was on Monday summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of the Government of Pakistan, where senior diplomats of the neighbouring country conveyed to him that the belated and perfunctory disciplinary actions taken by the BJP against its two leaders for the unacceptable remarks against Prophet Mohammed could not assuage the pain caused to the Muslims.

After its envoys to Qatar, Kuwait and Iran were also summoned to the foreign ministries of the respective nations on Sunday, New Delhi sought to soothe the ruffled feathers, pointing it out that the comments made by the two BJP leaders  Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal  had reflected the views of the fringe elements and not of the Government of India. The BJP suspended both the leaders following a nudge from the Prime Minister's Office, which acted after receiving inputs from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) about the growing outrage over the comments and the need to contain it fast, in view of safety and security of about 9 million Indian expatriates in West Asia and Indias high stake in its relations with the countries in the region, particularly in terms of energy and economic partnerships.

Also Read | Sharif accuses Modi govt of persecuting Muslims, condemns BJP leaders' comments about Prophet

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also issued statements condemning the comments made by the two BJP leaders. So did Oman and Jordan. The outrage also spread to South Asia and South-East Asia with Maldives and Indonesia condemning the comments by the two BJP leaders.

India, however, sought to turn the table on Pakistan on Monday. The absurdity of a serial violator of minority rights commenting on the treatment of minorities in another nation is not lost on anyone, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the MEA, said in New Delhi. The world has been witness to the systemic persecution of minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadiyyas by Pakistan.

India also strongly reacted to a statement issued by the general secretariat Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The 57-nation-bloc stated that the remarks made by Sharma and Jindal on Prophet Mohammed were part of growing spate of hatred and defamation of Islam in India. The MEA in New Delhi dismissed the statement issued by the OIC, terming it as unwarranted, as well as motivated, misleading and mischievous.

The comments by Sharma and Jindal drew a personal attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his counterpart in Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, on Sunday. Sharif took to Twitter to accuse the Modi Government in New Delhi of trampling religious freedoms and persecuting the Muslims in India. The MoFA of the Government of Pakistan served a demarche to New Delhis acting envoy to Islamabad, alleging that the growing mainstreaming of the reprehensible anti-Muslim sentiment and the increasing attempts at depriving the Muslims of their centuries-old places of worship citing frivolous historical claims were nothing but the obvious outcomes of the deep-seated Islamophobia in India. The Pakistan Army also took to Twitter to condemn the blasphemous remark of the two leaders of the BJP in India.

New Delhi responded by claiming that the Government of India accorded the highest respect to all religions. This is quite unlike Pakistan where fanatics are eulogized and monuments built in their honour, the MEA spokesperson said, adding: We call on Pakistan to focus on the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities instead of engaging in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India.
Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was questioned by the Delhi Police over a threat letter that was recently received by Bollywood megastar Salman Khan and his father, writer Salim Khan, official sources said on Tuesday.

According to the sources, Bishnoi has denied any involvement in the said death threat and maintained that he has no hand in it.

Bishnoi was questioned by the Special Cell as he had previously, a few years back, vowed to kill Salman Khan for the latter's alleged involvement in the infamous black buck poaching case.

Also Read: Security tightened for Salman Khan, family after death threat

The Mumbai Police said that Salim Khan, 87, was handed over an unsigned, hand-written threat letter on Sunday morning around 7.30 am by an unknown person on a bench where he normally rests after jogging at the Bandra Bandstand promenade, and it was addressed to him and his son Salman.

The letter is signed off with some initials which the police are probing and also attempting to unravel if they are linked to any past incidents targeting Salman Khan.

The police are also scouring CCTV footage of the area for clues and questioning locals for further leads on the threat letter.
The BJP SC Morcha held a protest in front of leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah's residence on Tuesday, where they attempted to dump shorts (chaddis) collected from different parts of the state.

The shorts were collected by different BJP units, in protest against Siddaramaiah's remarks against the RSS.

Siddaramaiah had threatened that the Congress party would burn chaddis across the state, if the government failed to release NSUI workers who were arrested for protesting and burning a khaki chaddi outside Education Minister B C Nagesh's Tiptur residence.

BJP SC Morcha president Chalawadi Narayanaswamy said Siddaramaiah had insulted everyone who wears chaddis by giving a call to burn khakhi shorts, which was formerly a part of the RSS' uniform.

"Earlier, the military and police wore chaddis as uniform. Labourers and farmers wear chaddis," Narayanaswamy said.

The Morcha took took out a procession from Gandhi Bhavan to Siddaramaiah's residence to dump the shorts.

"The call for a campaign by Siddaramaiah to burn chaddis targeted RSS and the BJP. RSS men started wearing pants six to seven years ago," he said.

The protestors were detained by the police.

Meanwhile, in a tweet, the Karnataka Congress urged Dalits to keep distance from the BJP.

"BJP cannot treat Dalits in a respectful manner and has assigned them the responsibility of collecting chaddis used by someone. This is an example of how BJP and RSS treats Dalits," Congress said in a tweet.

Responding to the protests in a tweet, Siddaramaiah said that while he respected Narayanaswamy's right to protest, he had contempt for the 'slave mentality,' which enabled him to carry old chaddis on his head.

"Your position is limited to this. You will always remain an untouchable for the top leadership of the Sangh," he said.
Max Boggs, who was from Eglinton, County Derry, died following a two vehicle collision in Cobden, Victoria, on Saturday morning, local time.

The 18 year old had been working and living in the area.

Two males, aged 30 and 21, who were in the same vehicle as Max, were transported to hospital "with serious injuries" following the collision, Victoria police have confirmed.

Max was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

The female driver of the other vehicle was taken to hospital "as a precaution," they added.

Beloved son of Ryan Boggs and Rhonda Connell, Max's passing has caused an outpouring of grief in the community.

In a social media post on Sunday, Max's father, Ryan Boggs, described his son as his "best friend."

He wrote: "Max, you werent just my son, you were my right arm, my best friend and my firstborn. You made me proud every day. Best big brother ever. Love you son, sleep well."

Tributes have also been paid online by City of Derry Rugby Club, Eglinton Primary School, and the City of Derry Young Farmers' Club.
Last week came news from The Federation of Businesses of the Congo (FEC)s telecom commission that a hike in telecoms tariffs was on the way. But the telecoms regulator ARPTC has responded by saying it cant happen.

The background to this, as reported by Agence Ecofin, was the announcement and eventual withdrawal of a very unpopular mobile registration tax, which was then replaced by an alternative mechanism in late March used to fund some of the telecom regulators services. These were ostensibly small taxes on voice calls, texts and data, justified as payment for ARPTCs services.

Operators said last week they had no other choice than to raise the tariffs of the various services on which the government is now levying additional taxes and cancel some special offers, according to a press release announcing the decision.

The FEC has suggested that the taxes unnecessarily increase households expenses in an already difficult socio-economic context, something we mentioned in a report in April, along with suggestions that the new tax could be even more profitable to ARPTC than its unpopular predecessor

But now, as reported by TeleGeography's CommsUpdate, ARPTC has published a statement insisting that operators are required to seek permission from the regulator to review tariffs, something ARPTC has not yet granted.

ARPTC has also threatened sanctions on any provider that illegally raises tariffs or spread misinformation on the matter. The question now is how the most heavily taxed telecoms sector in sub-Saharan Africa will respond.
Actor So Ji-sub poses during an online press conference for the MBC's new medical legal series, "Doctor Lawyer," Friday. Courtesy of MBC



By Lee Gyu-lee



Actor So Ji-sub has made his return to the small screen with MBC's new medical legal series, "Doctor Lawyer," about four years since the action series, "My Secret Terrius," which won him the grand prize at the 2018 MBC Drama Awards.



The new series, which kicked off on Friday with a 5.2-percent viewership rating, revolves around a genius surgeon, Han Yi-han. About five years after one of his patients died during surgery, he becomes a lawyer, specializing in medical litigation.



While helping those suffering from medical malpractice and negligence, he tries to find the truth behind the surgery that changed his life and seek revenge on whoever is responsible for it.



The 16-part series is led by director Lee Yong-suk, who helmed the hit historical drama, "Iljimae," (2008), and is scripted by Jang Hong-cheol, who wrote the suspense series, "Class of Lies" (2019).



"Not only was the script intriguing, but it was also interesting that Han Yi-han has two professions: a doctor and a lawyer," the actor said during an online press conference for the series, Friday. "It sounds like two different jobs but they are similar. Doctors save people's lives in operating rooms, and lawyers do the same in courts. I came to think that I made the right choice (by joining) as I filmed the series."





A scene from the series, "Doctor Lawyer" / Courtesy of MBC
Africa Data Centres, which boasts Africas largest network of interconnected, carrier and cloud-neutral data centre facilities, has announced plans to building a 30MW data centre facility in Accra, adding Ghana to its existing Nigeria and Togo data centres.

The company, which is part of the pan-African Cassava Technologies Group, says the new 30MW facility will lay the groundwork for the companys hyperscale partners to expand digital services and solutions to more countries in West Africa and will make Africa Data Centres the largest provider in the region.

According to Tesh Durvasula, Chief Executive Officer at Africa Data Centres: We chose Accra as our next location since there is an existing high demand from hyperscalers, cloud operators and multinational enterprises to digitally transform West Africa.

Durvasula also highlights the numerous African start-ups which are, as he puts it, raising billions to debut disruptive models across a wide range of sectors. He adds: With Ghana being the second-largest economy in West Africa, it also is an attractive investment destination for international tech giants that want to expand their footprint in the region.

While seamless connectivity is undoubtedly key to helping Ghanaian businesses and citizens reap the rewards of the digital disruptions happening across West Africa, the company points out that the lack of necessary infrastructure has resulted in slower growth in Ghana than the rest of the world.

This new data centre will be welcome therefore  and it is far from the end of the story. As we reported last year, the Africa Data Centres team aims to build many interconnected, cloud and carrier-neutral data centres across the length and breadth of the continent in what is described as an unrivalled US$500 million investment in Africas digital transformation.
The Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has announced plans to monitor telecommunications traffic for revenue assurance purposes, suggesting that the existing system, whereby operators declare their revenues, may no longer be adequate.

Until now, authorities have relied on voluntary declarations from the three mobile firms  NetOne, Telecel, and Econet  and the fixed phone operator Telecel, along with a number of ISPs.

Officials are apparently now monitoring telecommunications traffic volumes and other trends to ensure that operators do not under-declare revenue and consequently benefit from inaccurate tax returns.

Theres another angle to this initiative, which ITWeb Africa, quoting Gift Machengete, Director General for Potraz, describes as combating telecommunications or fraud-perpetrated traffic refilling and the use of grey routes or illegal gateways in the conveyancing of international traffic.

The POTRAZ traffic monitoring and revenue assurance system aims to combat network fraud, enforce billing integrity and revenue assurance, and deal with disputes on national interconnections. Importantly, it cannot monitor content.

As for the effect of fraud on the major players in the market, given Zimbabwes economic issues it may come as no surprise that there is a growing black market for data packages whose prices undercut those of Econet, NetOne and Telecel. Its possible, therefore that operators could welcome this initiative.
With communication with people across borders becoming second nature to many on the internet in India, English to Hindi and Hindi to English translation tools are more important than ever. Irrespective of what service you use, their accuracy and ease of use matter. It can be tough to weed out the worst of the lot when picking a translation service. But you do not need to worry, as that is exactly what we have done in this article. We have sorted the best apps and websites that you can use for English to Hindi translation.

Google Translate

If there was one service that any person looking to translate their text from one language to another would go to with a blind eye, is Google Translate. It has support for a variety of inputs and over 100 languages. One of the standout features of Google Translate is that if you are unsure about the exact language that you are putting in for translation, Google will detect the language on its own.

It is completely free, and if you log into your account, you can use the history feature, which stores all your previous actions. It also lets users enter web addresses for translation, redirecting them to the website, translated to their specified language.

Translate

Another major name in this list, Translate, is a service that offers a great English to Hindi translation service. The biggest edge that it has over any other names listed here is that there is an option that gets your text translated by actual humans. Yes, you read it right. If you select the Professional Translation option on the page, the website claims that there will be an actual human expert of the selected languages working on your text.

Unlike Google, though, this is a paid service. If you are willing to do anything apart from basic two language translation or want to translate anything other than the homepage of a website, you will have to shell out some money. With each subscription tier, services offered get better and include things like a choice for a preferred translator.

Translate Hindi to English

As basic as the name may sound, the Translate Hindi to English app brings a host of features to the table. Available as an application for both iOS and Android devices, this app helps the users translate their text from one language to another and can be used as a learning tool.

A dictionary and a video translator are among the different features baked into the app. The dictionary is available both online and offline, further expanding the app's usability. The learning features also provide a chance for its users to pronounce words and play games for a more interactive learning experience. The app is free for download, but there are advertisements in the app, which can be removed by paying a fee of USD 2.99.

Microsoft Translator

Microsofts translation tool, called Microsoft Translator, is a mobile application available across prominent mobile platforms. The app has claimed support for over 70 languages. But theres a catch here. Not all features are available for all 70 languages.

The app lets users download language packs for offline use. This feature could come in handy for frequent travellers, who otherwise would have had to look for an internet connection for translating basic exchanges. The apps android version also allows for cross-app translation using context menus, and on the Apple side, theres a Safari extension for webpage translation.

Typing Baba

Typing Baba is one service that packs a punch for being a fairly plain and simple web tool. Along with translation services, a host of other services are available on its website. But we will leave that for another day. Coming to its translation capabilities, the tool uses Googles Translation API, which means the results that you yield would be the same as that of Google Translate.

In terms of language selection, this tool is fairly limited. It serves the basic purpose of being a simple translation tool, though. There are 13 language translation pre-sets which can be reversed on the translation page but cannot be further modified. The languages in the pre-set include Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Kannada, etc.

Hi Translate

Hi Translate is another powerful translation tool that provides English to Hindi translation. A free-to-download application, listed on both Android and iOS app stores, there is a subscription fee that users have to pay to unlock its full capabilities.

Like Google Translate, it has support for 100 languages, which includes English to Hindi translation. Other features of the application include camera and voice translation, which are also similar to that of Google. The Android version of the app is capable of performing cross-application translations too. To aid with face to face interactions, the app comes with a dialogue translation feature too, which is capable of translating live conversations between two individuals.

Easy Hindi Typing

The second app on this list that uses Google Translates API for its English to Hindi translation tool, Easy Hindi Typing, is a tool that, despite its limitations, is a good option to be used. Given its use of the said API, the results are fairly accurate, but theres an upper limit of 500 characters.

The website of Easy Hindi Typing owns up to the flaws of an online translation service, recommending a professional service for a larger application like a book or articles. But for relatively informal and common applications, this application and others on the list are perfect. Easy Hindi Typings English to Hindi translation tool is simple to use.

LingvaNex

If all you need to do is translate your text from English to Hindi and get off the website, LingvaNex is just right for you. With no bells and whistles and an easy to use interface, this web tool means business. Just that and nothing else.

There are applications of this available for every platform/service you could think of. While this may seem to be a feature that can be ignored, it can prove to be vital for maintaining consistency if you are a multi-tasker. Another multi-tasking capability that this adds is the dictionary that is baked right in.

Translate Now

A no-frills attached mobile translation application, Translate Now, comes equipped with just the right tools to make it a light and effective translation app. At just 43 MB, on the Apple App Store, this app does not take up much space on the device it's installed.

It does not require any special permissions to operate, so thats another less thing to worry about. Just copy and paste the text into the app, choose the language that you want to translate it to, and youre done. Its simple and intuitive, making it a decent choice.
The POCO F4 rumour mill has been active for a while now, with expected announcement dates, specs and design rumours coming every day. The Xiaomi based brands latest mobile is expected to be a rerelease of the Redmi K40S, launched in China earlier this year. POCO has started teasing the launch of a new device lately, which could be the POCO F4 in all possibilities. POCO India has also tweeted about a new product release, which could mean the F4 might be launching in India.

Its Four o clock and as promised we have something very exciting to share#MadeOfMAD pic.twitter.com/N7fPD6R36p  POCO India (@IndiaPOCO) June 6, 2022

POCO F4 Specifications and Launch Date

The POCO F4 might come with the Snapdragon 870 under the hood, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. Few leaked images of the F4 show that it might feature a 64MP triple camera with an OmniVision sensor, which is an upgrade on the 48MP triple camera setup present on the Redmi K40S. It also comes with a 4520mAh battery with fast charging and Android 12 based on Xiaomis MIUI 13.

The POCO F4 has a similar design to the Redmi K40S with a gradient finish seen in the leaked images. The top-left of the back of the phone is home to the rear camera. The front has a punch-hole design to house the single selfie camera. The device is expected to have a 6.69-inches AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz.

POCO has stated in its promotional tweet about how its focus is back on Everything You Need, which emphasises providing an all-round experience for its consumers, unlike the POCO F4 GT variant that primarily focuses on gaming. The launch date is yet to be announced, so we might have to wait a little longer to confirm how many of the leaks were indeed right.
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Rendering by Environmental Works Community Design Center [enlarge] The 90-unit Ethiopian Village will house seniors earning up to 60% of area median income.





General contractor Walsh Construction Co. broke ground last September on Ethiopian Village at 8323 Rainier Ave. S. in Seattle. This project will construct 90 units of affordable senior housing in a new five-story building and expand and renovate an existing community center that serves the Ethiopian community.





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SEATTLE  The city of Seattle has awarded $849,711 to support 20 community-initiated projects through the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods' Neighborhood Matching Fund.

Twenty community groups received awards ranging from $18,700 to $50,000 and have pledged $710,588 to match their award through local cash donations, volunteer hours, donated materials, and in-kind professional services.





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Rendering by IHB Architects [enlarge] This view looks roughly southwest, as if from Military Road.





An old house sitting on a sloping, nearly 1-acre development site traded in 2020 for a little over $1 million. Now there's a new hotel plan at 14831 Military Road S. from a Renton investor and IHB Architects. The city of SeaTac is now conducting a SEPA review for the proposed five-story, 88-room Candlewood Suites. The public comment period ends June 14.





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SEATTLE  An apartment building at 427 Summit Ave. E. recently sold for $5.8 million, according to King County records. The seller was 216 E Roanoke Apartments LLC, which acquired the property in 2017 for about $4 million.

The buyers were married area investors. No new plans have been filed.





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Jonathan Borofsky's "Hammering Man," a 22-meter-tall installation that stands near Gwanghwamun in central Seoul / Courtesy of Sehwa Art and Culture Foundation



By Park Han-sol



Just west of central Seoul's bustling Gwanghwamun area, a 22-meter-tall black steel giant striking down a hammer tirelessly in his right hand is enough to grab the attention of any rushing pedestrian.



"Hammering Man," a towering kinetic sculpture that serves as one of the iconic landmarks in the city, celebrates the 20th anniversary of its creation this month.



The sculpture was installed on June 4, 2002, next to the 24-story Heungkuk Life Insurance Building, giving the downtown area a spark of creative energy.



It is part of a series designed by American sculptor Jonathan Borofsky, who is best known for his large-scale, site-specific installations occupying public spaces and museums around the world.



The "Hammering Man" series was first conceived in 1979 when a 3.4-meter-tall wooden model was shown at the Paula Cooper Gallery in New York City. Since then, 2D black steel sculptures depicting an individual pounding a hammer with a motorized arm have appeared around the globe  including Seattle, Dallas and Los Angeles in the United States, Frankfurt in Germany, Basel in Switzerland and Nagoya in Japan.



Of all the models installed in 11 cities worldwide at different scales, the Seoul edition remains the largest, as it stands 22 meters high and weighs 50 tons. It strikes a blow every 35 seconds from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on each weekday, operating at slightly longer hours than the average office workers in Seoul.



It is said that the imagery of Borofsky's industrial piece was first inspired by one tale of a kind giant told to the young sculptor by his musician father, according to the Sehwa Art and Culture Foundation under Taekwang Group that is responsible for operating and managing the Seoul installation.



And in 1976, a photo of a cobbler in Tunisia hammering away became the basis of his series' design.



The artist has noted on multiple occasions that the piece symbolizes working-class men and women throughout the world who labor with their hands.



"He or she is the village craftsman, the South African coal miner, the computer operator, the farmer or the aerospace worker  the people who produce the commodities on which we depend," he stated.



In celebration of the sculpture's 20th anniversary, the Sehwa Art and Culture Foundation is running a special giveaway event, offering goodies to selected users who leave a congratulatory message for "Hammering Man's birthday" on the social media channels of the Sehwa Museum of Art.


Tata Projects to build Noida International Airport

Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) has selected Tata Projects Ltd to undertake the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of Noida International Airport (NIA). The company has been selected from three shortlisted teams with demonstrated experience in the design, procurement, and construction of large infrastructure projects.

Tata Projects will construct the terminal, runway, airside infrastructure, roads, utilities, landside facilities and other ancillary buildings at Noida International Airport.

Noida International Airport will combine Indian culture and hospitality with Swiss technology and efficiency to develop a modern, user-friendly design, inspired by India. The passenger terminal will encompass parameters such as short and efficient passenger flows, digital services, and commitment to minimal environmental impact. NIA will be a digital airport in India, enabling contactless travel and personalised services for families/the elderly and business travelers, says a Tata Projects release.

We are pleased to partner with Tata Projects for engineering, procurement, and construction work at Noida International Airport. With the award of this EPC contract, our project enters the next phase, which will witness a rapid increase in the pace of construction activities on site. Together with Tata Projects, were working to deliver a passenger terminal, runway, and other airport infrastructure with a capacity of 12 million passengers annually, by 2024, Christoph Schnellmann, chief executive officer, Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, said, adding Noida International Airport will bolster employment generation and economic growth in the state as well as the country.

We are proud to be entrusted with the EPC works for the greenfield Noida International Airport at Jewar. Tata Projects will work closely with YIAPL to deliver Indias most advanced and environment friendly airport on time. We shall deploy the latest technologies in its construction, while meeting the highest standards of quality, safety, and sustainability, Vinayak Pai, CEO and MD designate, Tata Projects Ltd, said.

Noida International Airports passenger terminal has an efficient layout, convincing design language, multiple high-quality areas spaced out with lush greenery, and a balanced concept for both energy savings and a tangible sense of sustainability. The design complements customer comfort with sustainability, and timeless design with flexibility for future needs.

NIA will be Indias first net-zero emissions airport. The airport will be designed and developed keeping in mind the requirements of green infrastructures like IGBC certified buildings, rainwater harvesting, zero liquid discharge sewage treatment plant, waste management facility amongst others.

It will feature design elements which are not only synonymous with local architecture, but also contribute to sustainable operations. For instance, the terminals central landscaped courtyard will bring in natural light and ventilation reducing energy costs and CO2 footprint.

The other local design elements include flights of steps at the terminal forecourt, like the famous ghats of Varanasi and Haridwar, welcoming and bringing together people. Delivering the look and feel of a haveli, the courtyard will allow fresh air and sunlight into the terminal building. Inspired by the important rivers of the region, a white, translucent, wavy roof will give the effect of a flowing river. The passenger terminal will feature intricate ornamental lattice screens, inspired by Indian architecture. Noida International Airport will showcase a grand entry to the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Zurich Airport International AG won the bid in 2019 to develop the airport and has achieved various milestones towards the development of the airport till date. These include the security clearance, signing of the concession agreement, selection of architects, launch of the brand identity, signing of the shareholder and state support agreements, approval on the masterplan and the development plan, financial closure with SBI, selection of concessionaire to design, build and operate a fuel farm and with AAI for CNS-ATM services at the airport. The concession period has officially commenced from 1 October 2021.

Yamuna International Airport Private Limited is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, which has been incorporated as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to develop the greenfield Noida International Airport in Jewar. The government of Uttar Pradesh signed the concession agreement with Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) on 7 October 2020. The company, together with the government of Uttar Pradesh, New Okhla Industrial Development Authority, and Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority, will be responsible for implementing the public-private partnership project.

Tata Projects provides turnkey end-to-end solutions to set up fully integrated rail and metro lines, commercial buildings and townships, data centres& airports, power generation plants, power transmission and distribution systems, oil and gas refineries, chemical process plants, water and wastewater management solutions, complete mining and metal purification offerings.

It is currently executing some of the most marquee projects across India such as New Parliament Building, Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link, Multiple Stretches of Dedicated Freight Corridors, and Metro Rail Lines across multiple cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Chennai.
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The corporate logo of Modern Lion, a joint venture established between Hyundai Card and Like Lion / Courtesy of Hyundai Card



By Lee Min-hyung



Hyundai Card launched a joint venture to establish a non-fungible token (NFT) trading platform with a local programming education startup, aiming at expanding its presence in the emerging growth area.



The card firm and Like Lion will join hands for the launch of an NFT marketplace and wallet service sometime in the latter half of 2022, Hyundai Card said Tuesday.



The Hyundai affiliate is considered one of the nation's frontrunners in the finance technology business. The company has pushed for a series of blockchain-powered businesses in recent years in areas such as data science and artificial intelligence.



The latest decision came as the NFT is drawing huge popularity as a fresh investment area both in the country and abroad. The NFT refers to a unique digital token that cannot be replicated. The blockchain is a backbone technology for the NFT.



The name of the joint venture is Modern Lion. The word "Modern" symbolizes Hyundai Card, and "Lion" was derived from the corporate name of the startup.



Both sides have yet to fix the specifics over the timeline of the launch of the joint venture. Hyundai Card plans to launch its own NFT after the new company starts its business. Both firms will also engage in a range of NFT-related businesses further down the road.



"When big companies and startups push for a joint business, they should be willing to cooperate with each other on an equal footing," Hyundai Card Vice Chairman and CEO Chung Tae-young said. "Hyundai Card and Like Lion will do their utmost to maximize synergies by garnering all their capabilities."



Like Lion CEO Lee Doo-hee also pledged to turn the joint venture into a global NFT platform provider by taking advantage of the latest partnership with Hyundai Card.



"We will try our best to make Modern Lion become an influential NFT player and win an outstanding status in the global market," he said.


A Lithuanian woman arrested following a raid on a cannabis grow house in County Louth, told gardai she had returned from a trip to England, to find her home transformed for the cultivation of cannabis plants, Dundalk Circuit Court heard last week.

Judge Dara Hayes was told that explanation was not accepted by gardai but it was acknowledged the now 44 year old defendant was not the target of the search operation.

The court heard gardai got no response when they arrived at the then home of Kristina Lazotkiene at The Cloisters, Collon on April 22nd 2020 and as a result they forced entry.

Sixty four cannabis plants with an estimated street value of 51,200 were recovered from various locations in the property, where sapling plants, fertilizer and cultivation units were also discovered.

The defendant told gardai she had returned from a four day trip to England in mid March and found the house had been transformed into a grow house, but the investigating garda said in his experience it would not have been possible to have such a harvest in that time frame.

The Defence barrister said his client, a cancer survivor, was a very small cog in a wheel, having played a role in watering the plants, and was not the target of the Garda raid, while the court heard she had moved from England to Ireland after Brexit and had worked as a cleaner and driving children to school, and found work through a Lithuanian Facebook page which 'dried up' due to the pandemic.

Noting the defendant was of previous good character, Judge Hayes imposed a two and a half year sentence, which he backdated to May 11th last year, when she went into custody, having never applied for bail.
Irish Water is working in partnership with Louth County Council to carry out essential leak repair works to safeguard the water supply for homes and businesses in Dundalk.

The works are scheduled to take place tomorrow, Wednesday, 8 June from 10am until 6pm.

To facilitate the safe delivery of the repairs, customers on the Dublin Road (between Xerox Junction and Felda Junction), Dundalk and surrounding areas may experience temporary low pressure and/or water outages during the works.

Crews will make every effort to minimise the disruption to impacted customers and will work to complete these works as quickly and as safely as possible, a spokesperson for Irish Water said.

It typically takes two to three hours following restoration time for the network to refill and normal water supply to fully return.

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Irish Water receive direct communications from Irish Water for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours.

Speaking about the works, Michael Cunniffe, Regional Asset Operations Lead at Irish Water said: Irish Water understands that essential maintenance works can be inconvenient and working in partnership with our colleagues in Louth County Council, we will make every effort to minimise the disruption that these necessary works may cause.

Michael added: Customers may experience some temporary discolouration of water following the works and occasionally issues such as internal airlocks may arise. For advice on clearing discoloration and airlocks, visit www.water.ie/water- supply/supply-issues/ following-an-outage.



Irish Water and Louth County Council said they regret any inconvenience caused.

The Irish Water customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact them on Twitter @IWCare with any queries. For updates, please visit the Water Supply Updates section of the Irish Water website.



Irish Water is responsible for the delivery of all public water and wastewater services in Ireland. We are committed to continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies.
Cruinniu na nOg, the annual day of free creativity for children and young people, takes place on Saturday 11th June. The event is being run by Creative Ireland, in conjunction with Louth County Council & the Louth Creative Ireland Culture Team.

This year we are back in person with our Carnival of Creativity across the county and have an action-packed line up of workshops and activities to offer. The Cruinniu na nOg programme encourages children to embrace their creativity and get involved in Arts and Culture and we have events happening in Carlingford, Dundalk, Ardee and Drogheda.

Carlingford  In the Carlingford Heritage Centre between 2 & 4p.m Creative Spark will have workshops where kids can try print-screening, origami and collages all inspired by Carlingford and its fascinating heritage.

Dundalk  An Tain Arts Centre have Storytelling, Pottery Making workshops and Dance for Musical Theatre workshops available at varying times between 10a.m and 6p.m. MAD Youth Theatre will also host a free drama workshop between 2 & 4p.m. and we will have Music Generation Students performing live at Market Square showcasing the fabulous talents of our young musicians in the county. Dundalk Youth Centre members will also be performing a re-enactment of the "Rediscovery of the Tain Bo Cuailnge" story. Finally in the Creative Spark facility at Clontygora there will be an exhibition of work that has been going on in the Redeemer Resource Centre with a young mother and toddler group which was part of one of our outreach programmes.

Ardee  We have exhibitions in the Bohemian Centre featuring works produced across 3 different workshops that have been running with the New Leaf programme in Ardee and Dunleer over the past 6 weeks. The young participants have been working on a digital animation project, learning how to DJ, and on a film making project. Their works will be on display in the Bohemian centre on Sat 11th June.

Drogheda  There will be Thrilling Tales from Barlow House, Superstories and Superheros in Droichead Arts Centre and a fantastic free workshop by Drogheda Youth Theatre in the Barbican Centre. Meanwhile in Drogheda Library there will be an exhibition of mixed media sculptures made by members of the Connect Family Resource centre over the past few weeks in the last of our outreach projects. Finally, Drogheda library will also host workshops on 11th June in person where kids will be making Berehynias, traditional dolls from the Ukraine. Ukrainian artist Olga Duka will facilitate the 3 workshops with the second workshop specifically for Ukrainian children.

All in person events on 11th June are free, but booking is required. Materials will be provided for a selection of the workshops and can be collected in advance from venues. All activities and events are in conjunction with An Tain Arts Centre, Droichead Arts Centre, Creative Spark, Carlingford Heritage Centre and Louth County Libraries. With special thanks also to the New Leaf programme, Connect Famliy Resource Centre & Redeemer Family Resource Centre

For details on all the events go to:

https://cruinniu.creativeireland.gov.ie/events/location/louth/
Political stability in Northern Ireland cannot be held hostage over infighting within the UK's Conservative Party, Michelle ONeill has warned.

Sinn Feins vice president said the turmoil within Prime Minister Boris Johnsons party was having an impact on the public in the region.

There has been expectation that a Government bill to override aspects of the contentious Northern Ireland Protocol will be published this week.

Critics of Mr Johnson claim the aim of the bill is more about shoring up support for his leadership among the hard line Brexiteer wing of his party, rather than its stated purpose of achieving greater consensus within Northern Ireland for the post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Powersharing at Stormont is on ice after the DUP refused to re-establish a devolved executive following last months Assembly election in protest at the protocol, which has created economic barriers on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Ms ONeill tweeted: Our political stability cannot be a hostage to Tory in-fighting.

This and DUP boycott of Government is hurting the public at a time when we should have their backs.

Boris Johnsons threat to Protocol is to risk their entire agreement with EU on withdrawal & with colossal impact.

The UK Prime Minister yesterday (Monday June 6) survived a Confidence Vote, winning the support of his party by 211 to 148.

However, he has attained support from fewer MPs (59%) than his predecessor, Theresa May.

Mrs May was ousted from office within six months of securing 63% support from her MPs during her own Confidence Vote.

Alliance Party deputy leader Stephen Farry tweeted ahead of the vote: To Conservative MPs, do not use Northern Ireland and future of protocol as pawns in the Confidence Vote in Boris Johnson or any future leadership ballot.

Meanwhile, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood urged Conservative MPs to call time on Mr Johnsons premiership.

Boris Johnsons leadership has been characterised by a cynical corruption of the ideals of public service, he said.

He has warped the principles of honesty and integrity in public life through a sustained campaign of dishonesty designed with only his own personal ambition in mind.

The Sue Gray report was a stark dismantling of the pretence that Boris Johnson cares about anyone else.

Self-gratification, parties, cake and wine while people were making the most severe sacrifices in the name of community speaks directly to his character and his leadership.

Tory MPs have the opportunity to call time on the politics of ego, the casual law breaking and the culture of dishonesty which has infected public office during this administration.

Anything less than a vote of no confidence in this Prime Minister is an endorsement of the corruption of democratic norms.
Divisions within the Conservative Party must not dictate the UK approach to negotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol, the Irish foreign affairs minister has said.

Simon Coveney warned that divisions within the Conservative Party could not impact on UK-EU negotiations over the post-Brexit arrangements for the region.

Tory MPs voted by 211 to 148 in support of Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday (Monday June 6).

It comes amid a stand-off between the UK and the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol, an agreement designed to avoid a border on the island of Ireland and which instead created fresh checks on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said the UK intends to legislate to override parts of the deal on Northern Ireland.

Opposition to that deal has seen the DUP block efforts to restore powersharing in the region.

Mr Coveney said today (June 7): If those divisions within the Conservative Party impact on Ireland, because the Prime Minister or the British Government decides in order to maintain support within the party that they have to take a tougher line on Brexit, or on the Northern Ireland Protocol, well then obviously divisions in the Conservative Party and in the British Government impact on Ireland.

And of course, thats where we have a concern.

He told RTE radio: So whoever is the British prime minister, we will work with them, of course, but what we dont want to see is Ireland being part of a strategy to maintain support within the Conservative Party in the context of hardening a position on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Irish governments position is very clear on this.

We believe we can settle these issues.

We can address to a large extent the concerns that have been expressed by the unionist community in Northern Ireland by implementing the protocol with a lot of flexibility and pragmatism, and by doing that, settling issues that have been causing divisions for far too long in Northern Ireland politics.

But in order to do that, we need a partner.

Mr Coveney said the EU wants serious negotiations and is willing to compromise and show flexibility.

He said he hoped planned legislation to override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol would not become the price of Conservative Party support for Mr Johnson.

The foreign affairs minister argued that the British Government had not shown the necessary seriousness to reach an agreement on the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.

He said the UK Government was instead threatening to publish legislation this week which would effectively be using British domestic law to breach international law by setting aside elements of their treaty obligations.

That would be a big mistake I think politically, because I think itll cause an awful lot more problems than it solves.

I certainly hope thats not the price of the British Prime Minister maintaining majority support within his own party.




Korea plans to seek legislation on state policy measures to secure stable supply chains amid heightened economic uncertainty, the finance minister said Tuesday.







The government will push to submit a set of three bills that center on the provision of fiscal support, tax benefits and financial assistance for companies making efforts to diversify supply chains, according to Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho.







"Building stable supply chains requires close cooperation between the private sector and the government," Choo said at an economy-related ministerial meeting.







He said details will be soon unveiled after related ministries discuss the issue.







How to ensure stable supply chains has emerged as a key issue in strengthening economic security, as the prolonged war between Russia and Ukraine, and China's COVID-19 shutdowns have aggravated global supply chain disruptions amid the pandemic.







South Korea has decided to join the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), the U.S.-led new economic initiative, following a May summit in Seoul between President Yoon Suk-yeol and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden.







The government hopes its bid to join the IPEF will help diversify and stabilize the country's supply chains amid fast-changing global trade circumstances. (Yonhap)


Interview: China-proposed Global Security Initiative could bolster world peace, stability, says expert

Xinhua) 10:00, June 07, 2022

CAIRO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China's recently proposed Global Security Initiative would strengthen world peace and stability, an expert has said.

"Through this security initiative, China seeks to find balanced relations that preserve world peace before countries plunge into wars and conflicts," Diaa Helmy, secretary-general of the Egyptian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and expert on Chinese affairs, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Helmy said the initiative would serve a new world order based on respect for all and security for all.

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the expert said, "the United States used Ukraine as a test balloon in order to weaken the Russian army, sacrificing the Ukrainian people, their interests and wealth."

While "weeping over the homeless and demanding human rights for refugees and victims," Helmy said the United States is to blame for Ukraine's refugee crisis.

Helmy said NATO pledged not to expand in Eastern Europe but has failed to live up to its word, expanding eastward several times and creating a security crisis in Europe.

He said the newly-proposed security initiative could play a significant role in global peacemaking.

"China's initiatives will be very important and effective in a cohesive world based on cooperation; a world based on peaceful negotiations and dialogue, not based on illogical unilateral sanctions," Helmy said.

Helmy lauded the Belt and Road Initiative as a force for peace, with its focus "on the development of countries and the construction of infrastructure, ports and roads that serve and maintain global trade."

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)




A U.S. veteran of the Korean War is hoping to find his long-lost Korean comrade who fought together with him during the 1950-53 conflict and gave him an unforgettable gift: a Korean national flag, Seoul's veterans affairs ministry said Tuesday.







Upon the request by James Lantz, the 90-year-old veteran, the ministry launched a campaign to find the Korean Marine that he met in Daegu, 302 kilometers south of Seoul, in 1951. He does not remember the Marine's name.







Lantz made the request in April when Korea's consulate general in Los Angeles conferred the Ambassador for Peace Medal on him for his dedication to defending Korea during the conflict.







Lantz said the Korean marine gave him the flag when he was transferring to a new site of responsibility following a two-week stay in Daegu. He still remembers the Korean man's "kind face" and good command of English, according to the ministry.







"That was 71 years ago, and if he was 20 years old, he'd be 91 years (old). Hopefully, he's still alive," Lantz said in a video message released by the ministry. "Too bad I didn't give him an American flag."





The ministry said anyone with any information related to the Korean man can contact it at 1577-0606 or send an email to

. (Yonhap)






Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung gives parts of the remains of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first native Korean Catholic priest, to Monsignor Julien Kabore, charge d'affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila, Seoul, Nov. 23, 2021, in this photo provided by the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul. Yonhap



Parts of the remains of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first native Korean Catholic priest, have been shared by local Catholic churches and individuals for decades, a report showed Tuesday, reigniting a controversy over the preservation and transactions of the relics of Catholic saints.



The report was published in 1996 in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the death of the saint, who was persecuted and executed for practicing Christianity in 1846, a year after he was ordained as the first Korean priest. He was canonized as a saint by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Korea in 1984.



It was based on documents related to the relocation project of Kim's body and follow-up research, and interviews led by an anonymous priest.



One of the papers from the 1996 report showed that some 141 institutions and clergy, including a church of the Archdiocese of Seoul, had been given a fragment of Kim's body as of 1996.



A separate document handwritten by a local convent between 1969 and 1996 said his remains have been scattered to a total of 209 places, including 40 churches or religious institutions. More than 160 Catholic priests and followers have obtained a physical relic of the saint, it said.



The whereabouts of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon's physical remains have come into the spotlight since a fragment of Kim's spine was put on sale through an online e-commerce platform in March.



The Korean Catholic Church pointed out that the Code of Canon Law strictly bans the sale of sacred relics without the permission of the Vatican.



According to the 2017 decree by a congregation of the Holy See, moreover, the significant relics, referring to the bodies or their significant parts of a saint, should be preserved in a suitable container and displayed at a holy place for service.



As the controversy heated up, the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul carried out an investigation into its 150 member churches over the past two months to check whether they actually have the physical relics.



The Archdiocese said it was hard to verify the exact locations and possessors due to the lack of available documents, admitting it should have tracked the records of the sacred remains more properly.



"We will reveal the outcome and follow-up measures of the investigation in a more transparent way," said Matthias Hur Young-yup, a spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Seoul.



The Korean Catholic church celebrated the 200th birth anniversary of St. Kim last year, carrying out various memorial events and campaigns, including pilgrimage programs and special services across the country. (Yonhap)




CORK Opera House and University College Cork Department of Theatre announced the appointment of playwright Jody ONeill as the new Theatre Artist in Residence, following the search for a professional theatre artist who identifies as autistic.

The joint initiative, aimed at celebrating and promoting diversity in artists, provides a bursary of 20,000. The application process was open to artists working in areas including, but not confined to, creating, writing, production, and direction.

An Artists Journey

Jody ONeill, who was born in Dublin, but raised in Cork, is thrilled with the announcement and explains that theatre has always been a central part of her life.

I grew up in Cobh. My mum was a member of Haulbowline Theatre Group, so my first memories are of us going out on a a boat to Haulbowline to see a performance.

I joined Activate Youth Theatre as a teenager and was lucky to be among brilliant people there.

Later, I worked with Graffitis Professional Theatre Company before completing an acting degree in Trinity, graduating in 2003. Then I acted and worked as a waitress.

Some years later, Jody began to write.

One particularly bad waitressing job led me to write my first play (circa 2006), and for the first few years working as a playwright I focused on what I thought other people would consider to be good theatre. I tried to emulate what was around me.

But then my son was diagnosed with autism in 2016, and as I researched his diagnosis, I began to reflect on my own neurodivergence.

The research was so compelling that I processed it by writing scenes. I quickly realised two things: that I was autistic and that I had written 26 scenes, the bones of what became my play, What I (Dont) Know About Autism.

Playwright Jody ONeill

This celebrated play was first performed in the Abbey Theatre in 2019 before coming to the Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork, in February, 2020.

I was diagnosed officially just a few days after our first development week in the Abbey, says Jody. The play was important because I found myself looking at my son and thinking this is a difference, not a deficit. I wanted to reach more families, to focus not on the grief of getting a diagnosis but on how to best support children so they can be successful.

Jody viewed the Abbey as the perfect place to stage her work.

It meant something, that it was a professional production on our national stage. I didnt want it to be compartmentalised, as if it was something disabled people were doing over there.

I wanted it to be inclusive and appealing to all neurotypes. We had both autistic and non-autistic actors performing roles. It was for and about everyone.

Positive Change

This new appointment at UCC and Cork Opera House offers the talented playwright a unique opportunity to continue this work of promoting true inclusion in theatre and beyond.

Jody argues that making things inclusive for autistic people generally benefits everyone.

In our performances, we invite people to move around. Its about giving people more time and space.

For actors, its about having shorter days, longer breaks, sending pictures of people and settings before we start.

Its about having a designated quiet space and a designated welfare person, so nobody is trying to manage too much. Its about giving content warnings, signposting loud sounds or bright lights.

I asked her if this might take from the spontaneity of the theatre experience.

The magic is not in the what happened, its in the how something happened, she explains.

You still retain the magic, the wonder, and the surprise of theatre. As I kid I used to read the end of books first. My son does the same. It doesnt distract from the experience of reading the middle. We have a limited number of stories in the world to reflect the human experience. We re-invent them, but theyre fundamentally the same. So, content warnings do little to diminish the theatrical experience.

Cork Opera House CEO, Eibhlin Gleeson, playwright Jody ONeill, University College Cork President Professor John OHalloran, and Professor Yvon Bonenfant, Head of Department at UCC Theatre, announcing the new Theatre Artist in Residence for Cork Opera House & UCC. Picture: Max Bell

In her new role as Artist in Residence, Jody will liaise directly with the CEO of Cork Opera House and the Professor of Creative Practice and Department of Theatre at UCC throughout her residency.

Professor Yvon Bonenfant, Head of Department, at UCC Theatre welcomed Ms ONeills appointment, saying: UCCs Theatre Department is thrilled to welcome an artist of Jody ONeills stature and import to this residency.

ONeill has made a critical and ground-breaking contribution to not only the development of theatre as an aesthetic and social medium, but also to our social discourse around autism and other disabilities. We are delighted to support the next stages of the development of her career.

He was joined in welcoming Ms ONeill by Cork Opera House CEO, Eibhlin Gleeson.

She said: We are so delighted and proud to welcome Jody as our Theatre Artist in Residence at Cork Opera House. Jody is a ground-breaking and celebrated artist and will be a hugely important addition to the Cork Opera House family.

We feel incredibly lucky that we will work with her to promote inclusivity, diversity, and acceptance in our industry. We look forward to all that we will achieve together.

ONeill is similarly enthusiastic.

UCC is already doing a lot of work to make itself an inclusive campus. The President spent a lot of time with me, showing me the work thats already being done.

Similarly, Cork Opera House is interested in running relaxed performances. I certainly plan to insert myself wherever there is space to encourage more inclusivity.

And there should be plenty of it, plenty of room for improvement; 80% of autistic people are underemployed or unemployed.

Jody points out that autistic people are perfectly capable of working but often the environment is unsupportive, simply because people dont know how to make it so.

She recalls working in the Opera House as a teenager and never stopping for a cup of tea because nobody had shown her where to find the tea.

ONeill also remembers not really knowing what her role was because nobody ever explicitly explained it.

Its about making the invisible more visible for everybody. I hope my work with both UCC, and Cork Opera House facilitates positive change.

A Bright Future

A part of that, of course, will be through theatre. Im working on a few projects. The first piece is around the under-diagnosis of autism in girls and the link to eating disorders.

Another project will be a 25-minute play that I hope to perform in offices and around the community, looking at equity and inclusion.

I also have a commission from Graffiti. Therell certainly be a lot of work to keep me busy.

On ONeills announcement, UCC President, Professor John OHalloran said: We are constantly striving to make UCC and our wider society a more inclusive place.

We recognise that such a goal is not just achieved by having the desire to make our shared spaces more accessible and welcoming, but by also having creative voices help shape our understanding of how we can actually achieve this ambition in a meaningful way.

Jody ONeills creative voice promises to be a significant one.
RESIDENTS in the village of Kerry Pike and its environs are set to hold two demonstrations next week to highlight the issue of speeding in the area.

The campaign, organised by the Clogheen/Kerry Pike Community Association, is targeted at drivers who are flouting the speed limit.

There has been an issue with traffic speeding through our area, in particular through the village of Kerry Pike, for some time but it appears to have got worse in the recent past, association chairman Jim OMahony told The Echo.

We decided that we needed to do something about it following a lot of discussion on this topic at our AGM in March.

We got a lot of signs made up, which we intend to put up on all approach roads to our area to try and improve driver behaviour.

Demonstrations are set to take place on Wednesday and Thursday next week from 8am-9am.

We hope that we will have groups of people in hi-vis jackets with the signs to demonstrate that we will no longer tolerate this type of behaviour in our area, said Mr OMahony.

We hope that we will have a good turnout, selecting four or five locations where the worst of the speeding is taking place.

The community in Killard a few years ago held similar demonstrations, which greatly improved the situation for them, so we hope that it will be successful for us also.

Sinn Fein councillor in the ward, Mick Nugent, said both he and his party colleague, councillor Kenneth Collins, support the residents with their campaign.

Mr Nugent said he has raised the issue of speeding in the area with Cork City Council.
By Dominic McGrath, PA

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has appealed to Boris Johnson to pull back from acting unilaterally over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Speaking during a visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Mr Martin said Europe will respond in a calm and firm way when the British Government publishes legislation over the protocol.

Mr Martin said he would not get involved in what was happening in the Conservative Party after Tory MPs voted by 211 to 148 in support of Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday.

It comes amid a stand-off between the UK and the EU over the protocol, an agreement designed to avoid a border on the island of Ireland and which instead created fresh checks on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said the UK intends to legislate to override parts of the deal on Northern Ireland, with the details expected to be announced this week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a confidence vote on Monday (Alberto Pezzali/PA)

Opposition to that deal has seen the DUP block efforts to restore powersharing in the region.

Mr Martin said: Europe will respond in a calm and a firm way to whatever decisions are taken by the British Government and in relation to whatever legislation is published and enacted.

I am very clear that unilateralism will not work.

I would say to the United Kingdom Government it needs to think of the people of Northern Ireland and not to do anything which undermines the economic wellbeing of the people of Northern Ireland.

He added: I dont want to become involved in any shape or form in what is transpiring in internal British politics; as far as I am concerned, I am dealing with the British PM and I have appealed to him consistently to engage with the European Union.

I get a sense that people want a bit of stability and I think the first thing we could do collectively, Europe and the UK and Ireland as members of the EU, is to do the sensible and pragmatic thing. Get into negotiations and solve the issues around the protocol.

Mr Martin was asked about reports that the UK government legislation would empower Secretaries of State to override parts of the protocol.

He said: That would not work.

That would be deeply damaging because it would represent the violation of international agreements. And it really is very difficult in this day and age to be comprehending that.

Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney (Niall Carson/PA)

Speaking earlier, Foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney warned that divisions within the Conservative Party could not impact on UK-EU negotiations over the post-Brexit arrangements for the region.

Mr Coveney said: If those divisions within the Conservative Party impact on Ireland, because the Prime Minister or the British Government decides in order to maintain support within the party that they have to take a tougher line on Brexit, or on the Northern Ireland Protocol, well then obviously divisions in the Conservative Party and in the British Government impact on Ireland.

And of course, thats where we have a concern.

He told RTE radio: So whoever is the British prime minister, we will work with them, of course, but what we dont want to see is Ireland being part of a strategy to maintain support within the Conservative Party in the context of hardening a position on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Irish governments position is very clear on this.

We believe we can settle these issues.

We can address to a large extent the concerns that have been expressed by the unionist community in Northern Ireland by implementing the protocol with a lot of flexibility and pragmatism, and by doing that, settling issues that have been causing divisions for far too long in Northern Ireland politics.

But in order to do that, we need a partner.

Mr Coveney said the EU wants serious negotiations and is willing to compromise and show flexibility.

He said he hoped planned legislation to override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol would not become the price of Conservative Party support for Mr Johnson.

The foreign affairs minister argued that the British Government had not shown the necessary seriousness to reach an agreement on the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.

He said the UK Government was instead threatening to publish legislation this week which would effectively be using British domestic law to breach international law by setting aside elements of their treaty obligations.

He added: That would be a big mistake I think politically, because I think itll cause an awful lot more problems than it solves.

I certainly hope thats not the price of the British Prime Minister maintaining majority support within his own party.
President Biden will pledge to cut U.S. climate pollution to 50% of 2005 levels by 2030, according to reports.

The goal, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, would nearly double the cuts targeted by the Obama administration in 2015.

The White House said an official decision had not yet been made.

Wow. Thats ambition with a capital A, Georgia Tech climate scientist Kim Cobb told the AP after learning of Bidens plans.

Other groups, including Sunrise Movement, the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth are calling for U.S. climate pollution cuts of 70% by 2030, which they say more accurately reflects Americas cumulative climate pollution.

The reports come days before the administrations virtual gathering of international leaders meant to push other countries to do more and reestablish the U.S. as a credible proponent, if not leader, of international climate action.

The United States must be an undeniable global leader in climate action, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said Tuesday. We cannot preach temperance from a barstool and not pay our fair share when approximately 40% of all the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is red, white and blue.
President Joe Biden has taken steps to boost the solar industry in the U.S.

The administration announced plans to pause tariffs on solar panels and use the Defense Production Act to boost the domestic manufacturing of clean energy technology including solar parts.

Together, these actions will spur domestic manufacturing, construction projects, and good-paying jobs  all while cutting energy costs for families, strengthening our grid, and tackling climate change and environmental injustice, the White House said in an announcement. With a stronger clean energy arsenal, the United States can be an even stronger partner to our allies, especially in the face of Putins war in Ukraine.

The suspended tariffs impact solar panels from four Asian countries: Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, Reuters reported. There is an ongoing investigation into whether importing solar panels from these countries is a way to evade tariffs on Chinese goods. However, the investigation has put a damper on some U.S. solar projects as companies are concerned about having to pay tariffs of up to 250 percent depending on its outcome.

There is going to be this safe harbor timeout on the collection of duties, and thats at the heart of whats going to save all of these solar projects and ensure that they are going forward, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.

However, domestic solar manufacturers and labor unions have argued in favor of tariffs on international imports in order to boost the domestic industry, The New York Times reported.

If you have a supply chain that depends on dumped and subsidized imports, then youve got a problem with your supply chain, Scott Paul, the president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, told The New York Times.

To assuage these concerns, the administration has also invoked the Domestic Production Act to boost the domestic industry as well.

The news of the tariff suspension caused solar energy stocks to rise on Monday, CNBC reported.

We believe the announcement will be a clear positive for our coverage, particularly within the utility-scale solar market, which has faced uncertainty since the U.S. Department of Commerces AD/CVD investigation was launched in late-March, JPMorgan analyst Mark Strouse said in a note to clients reported by CNBC.

Bidens move earned praise from environmental advocacy groups.

Investing in American-made clean energy will boost U.S. manufacturing, lower costs for families, create millions of good paying jobs, and position the United States as a global leader on the cutting edge of clean energy innovation, Executive Director of Climate Power Lori Lodes said in a statement emailed to EcoWatch.

The Center for American Progress noted that this was the first time the Defense Production Act had been used specifically to boost clean energy technology.

Todays announcement is a historic first, senior vice president for Energy and Environment Policy at the Center for American Progress Christy Goldfuss said in a statement emailed to EcoWatch. It puts the climate crisis on par with other threats to our nations well-being and recognizes that we have the tools to tackle it. Invoking the Defense Production Act to bolster U.S. energy security by strengthening our domestic manufacturing base for clean energy here at home is exactly what our country needs now.

The Biden administration has committed to reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030.
What would happen if we stopped spewing all fossil fuels into the atmosphere today?

A new study published in Nature Climate Change Monday found that temperatures would still have a 42 percent chance of overshooting the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Our findings make it all the more pressing that we need to rapidly reduce emissions, lead author and University of Washington (UW) Ph.D. student in oceanography Michelle Dvorak said in a press release.

The new study was attempting to answer how much global warming is already guaranteed by past greenhouse gas emissions. Previous research had indicated that, for the most part, future temperature rise is dictated by future emissions, E&E News reported. However, most of those studies focused only on carbon dioxide. The new research looked at all potential emissions, and this makes a difference because some fossil-fuel related pollutants actually have a cooling effect. This means that ending these emissions could reverse this cooling effect. In addition to carbon dioxide, the research considered emissions including methane, nitrogen oxide, sulfur and soot, according to the press release.

The study looked at what would happen if all of these emissions were stopped immediately each year between 2021 and 2080. At the pause point, the Earth would see a 0.2 degrees Celsius increase in temperature that would persist for 10 to 20 years.

This paper looks at the temporary warming that cant be avoided, and thats important if you think about components of the climate system that respond quickly to global temperature changes, including Arctic sea ice, extreme events such as heat waves or floods, and many ecosystems, study co-author and UW associate professor of atmospheric sciences and of oceanography Kyle Armour said in the press release. Our study found that in all cases, we are committed by past emissions to reaching peak temperatures about five to 10 years before we experience them.

The researchers found that global temperatures had a 42 percent chance of overshooting the 1.5 goal if emissions ceased now. Under a medium-emissions scenario, the chance of overshooting the 1.5 goal rose to 66 percent if fossil-fuel burning were stopped in 2029.

They are looking at geophysical commitments, Glen Peters of the CICERO Center for International Climate Research in Oslo, Norway told New Scientist. In all reality, we will not get emissions to zero overnight, so that basically means we are already committed to 1.5C.

However, there is better news for the upper limit Paris agreement goal of keeping warming at two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. There is currently a two percent chance of overshooting this goal if emissions ceased today, but this jumps to 66 percent if emissions continue along a medium pathway and then cease in 2057.

The news comes as climate negotiators are meeting in Bonn, Germany, to discuss progress since the COP26 UN climate talks in Glasgow in 2021 and set the groundwork for the COP27 talks in Egypt in November of this year, Sky News pointed out.

Tom Evans, a specialist on geopolitics at the climate think tank E3G, told Sky News that no G20 country had currently made commitments in keeping with the 1.5 target.

[B]ig powers in the Bonn negotiating rooms [need] to stop playing games with the future of vulnerable countries, he said.

Scientists have warned that honoring the 1.5 target is essential for avoiding the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Even if temperatures temporarily overshoot this goal, it is possible that the Earth would still cool later, E&E News pointed out. However, the effects on glaciers and sea ice, sea level rise and plant or animal extinction could not be walked back.

According to the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, meeting the 1.5 goal means cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 43 percent by 2030 and reaching net zero by the early 2050s. Policies in place as of December 2020 would put the world on track for 3.2 degrees Celsius of warming.
Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM), Odisha, participated in a three-nation tour with Vice-President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu, to Gabon and Senegal, as part of the CII delegation representing Higher Educational institutions of India. The Vice-President was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar and three Members of Parliament, Sushil Kumar Modi (Rajya Sabha), Vijay Pal Singh Tomar (Rajya Sabha) and P Ravindhranath (Lok Sabha), senior officials of Government of India, media and business persons.

CUTM, being the first skill university in India, had two objectives in mind for this visit.

The first was to add skilled manpower to Gabon and Senegal by offering skill development/capacity building courses which will help in obtaining gainful employment and also contribute to the growth of these two countries' economies.

Secondly, to set up the first maritime education and engineering school in Gabon with the help of GSEZ, MoE (Gabon Special Economic Zone. Ministry of Education), MoHE (Ministry of Higher Education) and MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource Development). As Gabon is one of the Member States of the International Maritime Organisations (IMO) since 1976, the maritime school will help Gabon to meet its maritime security and manpower requirements.

This visit as a part of the CII delegation team was a proud moment for CUTM. Monalisha Ghosh, Associate Director, International Relationships and Government Partnerships, participated on behalf of CUTM. During the visit, Ghosh participated in the two major events of business hosted jointly by CII and the Chamber of Commerce of Gabon and Senegal and met several potential partners in promoting education, particularly in skilling. She also explored various opportunities that will help in strengthening bilateral cooperation between India and these two countries. During the visit, the CII delegation, including CUTM visited GSEZ, where CUTM explored opportunities to help them in setting up a training centre in wood engineering.

This is one of the first universities that visited Africa, in general, Gabon and Senegal, in particular, and seized the opportunity in furthering CUTMs international outreach.

CUTM strongly believes that this tour will further strengthen the Indo-African relationships by creating better opportunities in higher education through the integration of skills.




UK's Pirbright Institute looks for team to design new veterinary vaccine centre

The Pirbright Institute in Surrey, England, the United Kingdom, is seeking a design team for a new 3.9 million (US$4.9 million) Veterinary Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (Vet-VMIC).

The multidisciplinary design team, project manager and cost manager selected for the estimated 666,000 (US$832,940) contract will design and deliver a new hub focused on identifying and monitoring new livestock and zoonotic diseases.

The Vet-VMIC project, planned to complete in 2025, is the latest addition to a sprawling 15ha research complex.

"The Vet-VMIC core objectives will be to stimulate the development of new vaccines for animal health and public health, both in the UK and globally," a brief stated. "The Vet-VMIC will build on and develop expertise in veterinary virology, bacteriology, parasitology, immunology and vaccine development.

"The Vet-VMIC building will predominately be a clean room, GLP containment level 2 (SAPO2/ACDP2/GMO2) building with 1 x laboratory clean room suite designed to GMP level that will have the capability of working with SAPO3/ACDP3/GMO3 classified pathogens.

Founded in 1987, the Pirbright Institute is a research centre which diagnoses and studies viruses carried by animals such as foot-and-mouth disease and swine and avian flu.

The latest project comes five years after NBBJ completed a new 17.5 million (US$21.9 million) National Vaccinology Centre  providing research facility for scientists studying diseases in animals  at the Pirbright Institute site located between Woking and Guildford in Surrey.

Appointed in 2012, NBBJ's brief was for an adaptable building in what is an evolving campus with a changing mix of research programmes.

The accommodation includes both generic and specialist laboratories designed to biosecurity protocols, alongside offices, meeting and social areas.



- Architects' Journal
Daniel Kritenbrink, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs / Yonhap





The United States does not and will not link its humanitarian assistance for North Korea to progress in denuclearization talks with the impoverished country, a senior U.S. diplomat said Monday, urging Pyongyang to engage in dialogue and also accept U.S. or international assistance to deal with COVID-19.







Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, also reiterated that the U.S. remains open to dialogue.







"We are also gravely concerned by the serious outbreak of COVID-19 underway in the DPRK right now, and how it may affect the health and well-being of the North Korean people," Kritenbrink said in a forum jointly hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Korea Foundation.







DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.







"We continue to support efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and COVID-19 vaccines to the DPRK. We see this humanitarian crisis as separate from making progress on denuclearization and we do not and will not link the two," he added.







North Korea has said more than 4 million people have been identified with "fever" since it began reporting potential COVID-19 cases last month.










Australia's biosecurity at risk with lack of veterinarians





Australia's shortage of veterinarians in rural and regional areas could put national biosecurity at risk as livestock diseases, such as lumpy skin disease and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), inch closer, an industry spokesperson said last month.

The country's livestock sector was on high alert since May 6 when Indonesia announced the detection of more than 1,000 cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in cattle.

Head of veterinary and public affairs for the Australian Veterinary Association, Cristy Secombe, said Australian vets play an important biosecurity role for the agricultural sector.

"We would be very worried if there was a FMD outbreak coming into Australia, that we would not have sufficient vet capacity rurally to be able to play our role in the biosecurity response," Dr. Secombe said.

Dr. Secombe said pre-emptive control measures were needed to ensure the disease was excluded from entering Australia.

"It's a really important issue. If FMD did come to Australia, then it's all-hands-on-deck to make sure that we deal with the disease outbreak so the community is safe," she added. "I think we need to scenario plan. It may require some mobilisation of veterinarians from other countries to assist."

The lack of veterinarians is linked to the poor retention of skilled vets  a problem blamed on renumeration as many vets work for free to keep expenses down for the community.

Meanwhile, Australia's chief veterinary officer, Mark Schipp, said the arrival of FMD in Indonesia greatly increased the risk to Australia's cattle, sheep, goat and pig industries.

"An estimate was done in 2013 that if we had a large-scale outbreak, it would be a $50-billion cost to those industries because we would lose all of our export markets," Dr. Schipp said. "It has very significant trade consequences as well as for animal health and welfare."

Dr. Schipp added that in the event of an outbreak, Australia would likely need to rely on help from other industries and departments.

He pointed out that Australia has a vaccine bank held in the United Kingdom and could call upon other countries for their vaccines as well.



- ABC




World Aquaculture Conference 2023 to be held in Darwin, Australia

The World Aquaculture 2023 (WA2023) will attract thousands of international attendees for a four-day conference featuring industry speakers, showcasing innovative research, workshops and tours, its organiser said.

Australia will host the annual WA2023 from May 29 to June 1, 2023 at the Darwin Convention Centre. This is the first World Aquaculture conference to be hosted by Australia since 2014.

With a value of US$263.6 billion, world aquaculture production reached 114.5 million tonnes in 2018.

Darwin is the ideal location for WA2023, in close proximity to the expanding Australian industry, and to around 89% of the world's aquaculture from major production regions in Asia.

With the Australian government recently recognising the need to support a strong future for Australian aquaculture, WA2023 is a timely event to bring international and national industry representatives, scientists, sector analysts, government officials, educators and policy makers to present, exchange ideas and progress sustainable industry development.

Seafood Industry Australia (SIA), the Australian peak-body representing the commercial seafood industry, said they are excited to be hosting the event.

"We are thrilled to welcome the World Aquaculture 2023 conference to Australia," SIA chief executive officer Veronica Papacosta said.

"Australia's aquaculture sector has maintained steady growth over the last few years, with the sector's GVP growing 10% in 201920. This growth can be largely attributed to Tasmania's growing Atlantic salmon industry, which is now worth 35% of national fisheries and aquaculture GVP.

"Aquaculture is an integral food production sector and plays a key role in securing international food security, a role which is forecast to grow in years to come. Australia's aquaculture sector has a bright future as it continues to set international benchmarks by providing fresh, high-quality, sustainable seafood year-round, while meeting and exceeding regulatory requirements.

"We look forward to hosting national and international delegates in Darwin, and for them to experience our great Australian seafood first-hand."

Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said Tourism Australia is excited to be supporting the World Aquaculture Conference 2023 in Darwin through its Business Events Bid Fund Program.

"We congratulate the Northern Territory on its successful bid to host this conference, which has the potential to deliver significant benefits," Harrison said.



"Attracting events, like this, is helping to generate global attention for Australia's world-class business events offering whilst also delivering short and long term benefits to our tourism industry and economy more broadly."



- World Aquaculture Society




Saudi Arabia expected to become major aquaculture producer globally





The chief executive officer of Saudi Arabia's National Fisheries Development Programme (NFDP), Ali Al-Shaikhi, announced on June 4 that the country is on its way to becoming a leading global aquaculture producer.

The remarks were made during an interview with an Arabic news and current affairs TV channel.

According to a report in The Saudi Gazette, Al-Shaikhi said that Saudi Arabia would reach its aquaculture production goal after joining the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA), the largest international organisation in the sector.

NACA was formed by an international treaty and signed in Bangkok, Thailand, in January 1988. The organisation aims to raise the profile and recognise the importance of aquaculture and fisheries in the Asia-Pacific region. It also maintains a network of aquaculture centres and has made significant contributions to the development of the sector in Asia.

Al-Shaikhi said that there are several international organisations and research centres that previously worked in aquaculture, but the kingdom's ascension to NACA places it on a strategic path, allowing Saudi Arabia to join forces with countries that produce more than 90% of the world's aquaculture output.

In addition to joining NACA, Saudi Arabia's aquaculture sector has received several recent boons including independent sustainability certifications from Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) for Tabuk Fisheries Company and an Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification for a shrimp farm operated by the National Aquaculture Group (Naqua).

A study conducted by the National Fisheries Development Programme in 2010 found that the kingdom has the potential to produce over one million tonnes of seafood a year.

Despite this potential, Saudi Arabia's aquaculture sector produced 100,000 tonnes in 2020. Officials have set targets to increase this output to 300,000 tonnes by 2025 and reach 600,000 tonnes by 2030.

Policymakers expect marine fish will account for 450,000 tonnes of this target, while shrimp and land-based aquaculture facilities will make up the remainder.



- The Fish Site




Bion in collaboration with US university to create integrated beef facility

Bion Environmental Technologies, Inc., a developer of advanced livestock waste treatment technology, has announced a letter of intent with University of Nebraska-Lincoln to collaborate to develop an integrated beef facility.

The new, state-of-the-art facility would incorporate innovative barns, an anaerobic digester and a Bion 3G Tech system to provide waste treatment, generate renewable energy and capture and upcycle nutrients.

The proposed project would be located at the Feedlot Innovation Center, which is being developed at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center, near Mead, Nebraska, the United States. The new facility will be both a working feedlot and a testbed where private companies can see how emerging technologies work in a commercial setting.

The objective of the collaboration is to support research and development of feedlot and other animal production technologies to advance economic, climate-smart and other environmental goals that will improve livestock production through the integration of Bion's technology with other innovative feedlot technologies and practices under development within UNL's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The Feedlot Innovation Center will provide a unique opportunity for private industry to work alongside researchers, scientists, students and producers to develop and evaluate emerging technology used in managing animals in feedlot settings. It will include a complex with cattle comfort and research buildings, a feed technology facility, innovative open lots and an animal handling facility.

Additionally, the expansion will create real-world facilities to test new precision technology, address environmental challenges facing the feeding industry and improve cattle performance and welfare while comparing different environments and housing systems. The expansion will also allow for innovation in manure collection and management that will innovate both new and possible modifications for existing operations.

"The Feedlot Innovation Center presents an incredible opportunity to pull together the best and the brightest minds working in animal agriculture today to create more resilient systems for food animal production," said Mike Boehm, Harlan vice chancellor for IANR and University of Nebraska vice president for agriculture and natural resources. "We are thrilled with Bion's plan to be part of this effort, and are excited to welcome other partners as well."

"We are excited to work with UNL to demonstrate how Bion's unique 3G Tech platform can support climate-smart beef production," said Bill O'Neill, Bion's chief executive officer. "It is critical that climate and clean water technologies and practices be integrated to provide a comprehensive solution to the environmental and economic challenges faced by today's beef industry. The 3G Tech platform was designed to dramatically reduce the environmental impacts of beef finishing operations to both air and water, improve farm economics and deliver truly sustainable products to the consumer that maintain the grain-finished quality that is the hallmark of US beef."

- Bion
U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price speaks during a news conference in Washington, March 10. The United States continues to remain concerned that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test in the near future. Reuters-Yonhap



The United States continues to remain concerned that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test in the near future, a state department spokesperson said Monday (local time).



Ned Price, however, said the U.S. also remains prepared for such a contingency.



"So we remain concerned that the DPRK could seek a seventh nuclear test in the coming days," the department press secretary said when asked about U.S. measures to deal with recent North Korean provocations.



"It's a concern we have warned about for some time, I can assure you that it is a contingency we have planned for, and it has been a concerted topic of discussion with allies and partners," added Price. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.



Intelligence officials in Seoul and Washington have noted the North may have already completed all preparations for a nuclear test, which will be its seventh if conducted. North Korea conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017.




The SEC has reportedly opened an investigation into Binance to find out whether its BNB token was an unregistered security during its 2017 initial coin offering, reported Bloomberg. BNB coins are primarily used to pay transaction fees on Binance, currently the words largest crypto exchange. The company is also facing another, separate SEC probe  launched in February  into alleged ties between its founder and two trading firms. The DOJ, IRS and CFTC also opened investigations last year into the company for a number of potential criminal violations, including insider trading and market manipulation.

As the industry has grown at a rapid pace, we have been working very diligently to educate and assist law enforcement and regulators in the US and internationally, while also adhering to new guidelines. We will continue to meet all requirements set by regulators, wrote a Binance spokesperson in an email to Engadget in response to a request for comment. Engadget has also reached out to the SEC for comment, and will update if we hear back.

The SEC over the past few years expanded its crackdown of ICOs for failing to register with the agency before going public. The agencys specific investigation into Binance also seeks to figure out if Binance.US  an affiliated exchange that launched in the US in 2019 after the latter was banned  is actually a separate entity from the China-based Binance.

Binance reportedly processed at least $2.35 billion in illegal transactions tied to drugs, hacks and fraudulent activity, according to a Reuters investigation published today. The story detailed a number of high-profile hacks of Binance, including a heist from North Korean hacking group Lazarus. Binance in a blog post responded to the Reuters story, writing that it was rife with falsehoods and published its email exchange with the news agency. In the exchange, Reuters reporters asked Binance to confirm multiple details from their reporting, including whether the company had taken any action to mitigate any further illegal activity. Based on the published emails, Binance seems to have declined to provide the requested details with Reuters on the record.

We are sorry that Binance has declined our request for an interview. As we explained earlier, we cannot commit to keeping an entire briefing on background because it would not be ethical for us to withhold important information from an article, wrote Reuters reporter Angus Berwick in an email to Binance spokesperson Patrick Hillmann.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman speaks to media after meeting with South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul Tuesday. AP-Yonhap





A senior U.S. diplomat warned Tuesday that North Korea would face a "swift and forceful" response should the recalcitrant regime press ahead with a widely anticipated nuclear weapon test.







Deputy U.S. Secretary of State Wendy Sherman issued the warning after she met with her South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun-dong, in Seoul, to discuss the North's weekend missile launches and the possibility of it conducting what would be its seventh nuclear test.







"Any nuclear tests would be in complete violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions," Sherman told reporters. "There would be a swift and forceful response to such a test."







Sherman added, "The entire world will respond in a strong and clear manner. We are prepared."






Hanna Rosin just gave Fire Island an F- on the Bechdel Test, and Twitter is like "....yeah...?"

Fire Island is a film that puts a new spin on Jane Austen's classic work Pride and Prejudice. It uses this well known framework and tells the story of a group of gay men on Fire Island.

The Bechdel Test is a standard that was created in a cartoon by Alison Bechdel. A work only passes the Bechdel Test if there is a scene between two women in which the women do not talk about a man. Hanna Rosin, author and NY Mag podcaster, tweeted out:

"So @hulu #FireIslandMovie gets an F- on the Bechdel test in a whole new way. Do we just ignore the drab lesbian stereotypes bc cute gay Asian boys? Is this revenge for all those years of the gay boy best friend?"

So @hulu #FireIslandMovie gets an F- on the Bechdel test in a whole new way. Do we just ignore the drab lesbian stereotypes bc cute gay Asian boys? Is this revenge for all those years of the gay boy best friend?  Hanna Rosin (@HannaRosin) June 6, 2022

Just...why?

The internet is on FIRE (pun intended) with people pointing out the obvious fact: of ALL of the movies that have come out recently, you're going to Bechdel Test FIRE ISLAND??!?!?!?!

The movie is a love story about a group of men. No part of the advertising surrounding this movie tried to avoid that.

That's like giving the salad at McDonald's an F-. No one goes to McDonald's for salad. McDonald's knows you do not go to McDonald's for salad. OBVIOUSLY the McDonald's salad is bad, but it's your fault for ordering the McDonald's salad. Might we offer you a french fry?

Twitter is in complete agreement.

There are roughly 400 movies that come out every year. It's an odd choice to Bechdel test-tweet the only one this year (in the history of cinema?) about a group of gay Asian American menhttps://t.co/JzQ8bk1Ljw  Richard Kim (@RichardKimNYC) June 7, 2022

I think the craziest past is that the bechdel test is literally pass/fail? Tf is an F-?  Cody Wimmer (@Cody_Wimmer) June 7, 2022

F- on the bechdel test pic.twitter.com/SOG1wPq1n4  Rose Dommu (@rosedommu) June 7, 2022

complaining that Fire Island, a movie about gay Asian men, a severely underrepresented group in mainstream media, doesnt pass the Bechdel Test would be like complaining that there arent any white women in Moonlight



not everything must center you, and not everything is for you https://t.co/2tW9JGqWZd  Jerrica (@JinkiesJerrica) June 7, 2022

I THINK WHEN AN ENTIRE MOVIE FOCUSES ON A MARGINALIZED GROUP OF PEOPLE IT SHOULDNT HAVE TO TAKE THE BECHDEL TEST https://t.co/a7cAsMdHt3  Doug Benson (@DougBenson) June 7, 2022

Brb. Off to go rate the comedic timing in Crimes of the Heart.
Antibiotic resistance is a major concern among experts due to its increasing prevalence in our health systems. Fifteen years ago, the Danish company Novozymes discovered that Plectasin, a protein from the mushroom Pseudoplectania nigrella, showed antibiotic properties against multiresistant bacteria. And since then, extensive research followed.

It all started when the team was studying the structure of the wildtype Plectasin and three other variants with different amino acids mutated. We wanted to see how stable they were and how they behave in solution, explains Pernille Harris, professor at the University of Copenhagen (at the Technical University of Denmark) and corresponding author of the paper. They found that the ones with changed amino acids showed very different stability in solution.

In one of the variants of Plectasin, they noticed a different behaviour: We found that the protein formed a gel at neutral and basic pH and wanted to find out how, as it could be important in future applications, explains Christin Pohl, now a postdoctoral researcher at Lund University, who was first and co-corresponding author of the paper. When the scientists noticed the gel, they decided to characterise it using AFM and NMR and found out that the protein developed chain-like fibrils. Then they raised the question of whether these were amyloid fibrils, which are present in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers disease, or not. The difference between amyloid and non-amyloid fibrils is that in the first type the protein changes its structure to a distinct  -sheet structure, which makes it difficult to reverse this kind of fibril formation, whilst non-amyloid fibrils can be formed by the peptide in its native state.

But it wasnt enough. And with samples that didnt crystallise, they turned to cryo-EM. Ive been a long-term user of the ESRFs Small-Angle X-ray Scattering and Macromolecular crystallography beamlines and I know the quality of the service we get here. So we asked Christoph Muller-Dieckmann for help as we are cryo-EM novices, you could say, explains Harris. The first contact led to a fruitful collaboration with Muller-Dieckman, Isai Kandiah and the rest of the cryo-EM team at the ESRF. For image analysis Greg Effantin and Guy Schoen from the IBS were involved in this collaboration. Both teams guided us really well and we managed to solve the structure, which couldnt have been possible ten years ago, adds Pohl.

The structure showed that the fibrils are most likely inert but plectasin keeps the antibiotic effect upon release from the fibrils. The scientists believe that they could potentially be used as a slow-release mechanism of the antibiotic property. Sustained release is often facilitated by a release from the surface of a solid particle such as a crystal. The challenge is that the release is proportional to the surface area of the particles which is ever declining as the crystals becomes smaller resulting in a lower and lower release of the active component after dosing. In contrast to most other solid particles release from a fibril can only happen from the fibril ends and the drug (here plectasin) will be released at a constant velocity facilitating a fully controlled antibiotic concentration throughout the treatment. An additional advantage is the pH tunability of the plectasin fibrils which gives the system an additional controllable parameter for release of the active peptide.

Cryo-EM is a new and very efficient way to get an atomic structure of one-dimensional structures like fibrils and many fibril structures are already published in the literature, which revolutionises the knowledge we have of proteins and peptides in fibrils.

This research was supported by the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement no. 675074) in the project PIPPI (Protein-excipient Interactions and Protein-Protein Interactions in formulation).

Reference:

Pohl, C., Effantin, G., Kandiah, E. et al. pH- and concentration-dependent supramolecular assembly of a fungal defensin plectasin variant into helical non-amyloid fibrils. Nat Commun 13, 3162 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30462-w

Text by Montserrat Capellas Espuny
The European Union is aiming to launch three new military missions in West Africa after Russia has pushed Europe out of Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR) and threatens to do so in Burkina Faso. The new missions ought to be in Burkina Faso, one of the Gulf of Guinea states, and in Niger according to a strategic review paper by the European External Action Service (EEAS).

More specifically, the EU foreign service recommends, in the document dated 25 May, to consider CSDP military missions in Niger and Burkina Faso and CSDP action in the Gulf of Guinea. In its strategic review of the EUTM Mali and EUCAP Sahel Mali missions in 2022, the EEAS takes stock of the political and security situation in Mali (which) continues to deteriorate and the consequences for the missions. It comes as the United Nations top political official for Africa has bemoaned Malis decision to withdraw from a multinational military force in West Africas Sahel region, calling the move unfortunate and regrettable. Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee told a meeting of the UNs Security Council (UNSC) last week that the decision by Malis military government to leave the G5 Sahel force is most certainly a step back for the Sahel.

The decision to abandon the multinational force, which includes troops from Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania and that was formed in 2017 to counter armed groups who have swept across the region in recent years, would further isolate Bamako on the regional and global stage. Nigers President Mohamed Bazoum said that Malis decision, which came after it was not allowed to assume the groups rotating presidency, meant the Sahel force was now dead. The meeting came after the EUs top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said the bloc will keep its military training mission in the former French colony suspended for the time being. This is because, as Borrell stressed, the EU has received no guarantees from Malis government on non-interference by the Wagner group, Russian mercenaries that have come to the aid of Malis military and are being blamed for human rights violations.

Meanwhile, the German government backed a change to two of the countrys military deployments in West Africa, moving hundreds of soldiers from Mali to neighbouring Niger and shifting its emphasis in Mali from a European to a United Nations mission. Germany will increase its participation in a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, providing up to 1,400 soldiers to compensate for the French withdrawal from the country amid friction with the military junta there. German government has announced that training and support previously provided to Mali would be offered to Nigers military in the future, citing a changed situation in the Sahel. Germany is also concerned that Malian forces receiving EU training could cooperate with Russian mercenaries operating in the country. German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht warned last week that Malian forces could commit cruel violations of human rights alongside Russian mercenaries.
AV-Comparatives Test Results - Enterprise Factsheet H1 2022

AV-Comparatives Test Results - Enterprise Factsheet H1 2022 - AV-COMPARATIVES/PR NEWSWIRE

INNSBRUCK, Austria, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AV-Comparatives, the independent ISO-certified security software evaluation lab, has released the latest results from the Business Main-Test Series, which evaluated a range of anti-virus products in business environments. This report is brought in the interim of the full Performance Test and product reviews, which will be released in July.

Link to test report: https://www.av-comparatives.org/tests/business-security-test-march-april-2022-factsheet/

In business environments, it is usual for products to be configured by the system administrator in accordance with vender's guidelines. With the Enterprise Main-Test Series, AV-Comparatives invited all vendors to configure their respective products towards an enterprise-first environment. The applied settings are then used across all Enterprise Tests over the year. AV-Comparatives has listed all relevant deviations from default settings.

The following products (latest version available at time of testing) were tested under Windows 10 64-bit systems: Acronis, Avast, Bitdefender, Cisco, CrowdStrike, Cybereason, Elastic, ESET, G Data, K7, Kaspersky, Malwarebytes, Microsoft, Sophos, Trellix, VIPRE, VMware and WatchGuard.

Ransomware and phishing are currently the biggest cyber security threats to enterprises. This makes choosing the right endpoint protection software even more important."

-- Peter Stelzhammer, co-founder AV-Comparatives

The Real-World Protection Test examines the performance of leading antivirus solutions to assess their capabilities in conditions experienced every day by users around the world. The interim results of this the Real-World Protection Test are based on a set of 373 live test cases (malicious URLs found in the field), tested from the beginning of March until the end of April. Of the 18 vendors tested, nine received a 99% and above protection rate, with Bitdefender and G Data earning the highest protection rate score of 99.7%.

The Malware Protection Test assesses a security program's ability to protect a system against infection by malicious files before, during or after execution. For this test, 1,007 recent malware samples were used. Of the 18 vendors tested, 14 received a 99% or above Malware Protection Rate, with VMware, Acronis, Bitdefender and Trellix scoring the highest.

To ensure that the tested programs do not protect the system at the expense of high false-alarm rates, a false-positives test is also run for the Malware Protection Test. False positives run on a scale of 'Remarkably High' to 'Very Low'. A Low to Very-Low rate of false positives is considered anything below 15, with the highest number of false positives being greater than 125. From this year onwards, products are required to have a false-positive rate on non-business files below the 'Remarkably High' threshold in order to be approved. As of the March-Aril Business Test, Acronis, ESET, Kaspersky, Microsoft, Avast, Bitdefender, Cybereason, Sophos, VIPRE, VMware and WatchGuard have scored either 'Low' or 'Very Low'.

The full report, including Performance Testing and product reviews, will be released in July. To be certified in July 2022 as an 'Approved Business Product' by AV-Comparatives, the tested products must score at least 90% in the Malware Protection Test, with zero false alarms on common business software, a rate below 'Remarkably High' for false positives on non-business files and must score at least 90% in the overall Real-World Protection Test over the course of four months, with less than one hundred false alarms on clean software/websites.

The full results of the March-April Business Test Factsheet are available here: https://www.av-comparatives.org/tests/business-security-test-march-april-2022-factsheet/

Peter, co-founder of AV-Comparatives, attends and speaks at #RSAC 2022, ping us a mail if you want to meet in person. He is right back from "The Sphere unconference", hosted by WithSecure.

About AV-Comparatives

AV-Comparatives are an independent organization offering systematic testing to examine the efficacy of security software products and mobile security solutions. Using one of the largest sample collection systems worldwide, it has created a real-world environment for truly accurate testing. AV-Comparatives offers freely accessible av-test results to individuals, news organisations and scientific institutions. Certification by AV-Comparatives provides a globally recognized official seal of approval for software performance.

Media contact: Peter Stelzhammer, +43 720115542, media@av-comparatives.org

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The Geneva Association announces the elections of four new Board members: Lard Friese, CEO, Aegon; Xi LUO, Chairman, People's Insurance Company of China; Hiroshi Shimizu, President & CEO, Nippon Life; Peter Zaffino, Chairman & CEO, AIG

The Geneva Association announces the elections of four new Board members: Lard Friese, CEO, Aegon; Xi LUO, Chairman, People's Insurance Company of China; Hiroshi Shimizu, President & CEO, Nippon Life; Peter Zaffino, Chairman & CEO, AIG - THE GENEVA ASSOCIATION/PR NEWSWIRE

ZURICH, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following The Geneva Association's 2022 General Assembly last week, the organisation announces two key developments:

The election of four new members to its Board of Directors: Lard Friese , CEO, Aegon; Xi LUO , Chairman, People's Insurance Company of China ; Hiroshi Shimizu , President and CEO, Nippon Life; Peter Zaffino , Chairman & CEO, AIG.

, CEO, Aegon; , Chairman, People's Insurance Company of ; , President and CEO, Nippon Life; , Chairman & CEO, AIG. The Geneva Association's joining the United Nations Environment Programme-Finance Initiative (UNEP-FI) Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI).

The Geneva Association's 49th General Assembly brought together 57 global insurance CEOs over 23 June in Venice, Italy. Titled Building Bridges to a More Sustainable Future, the event explored how global challenges, from climate change to economic volatility, are impacting the insurance industry and how insurers can best support society in navigating these crises.

Recent shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine have catalysed institutions to hone their ESG agendas for maximum impact. General Assembly discussions highlighted that for insurers, this means

Increasing resilience to climate change by combining mitigation efforts and adaptation measures, incentivising risk reduction and providing disaster relief through insurance coverage

by combining mitigation efforts and adaptation measures, incentivising risk reduction and providing disaster relief through insurance coverage Promoting not only environmental but also social sustainability across underwriting, investments and operations

across underwriting, investments and operations Tackling protection gaps so that a greater number of people, especially in the most vulnerable contexts, can access insurance coverage

so that a greater number of people, especially in the most vulnerable contexts, can access insurance coverage Promoting individuals' physical, mental and financial wellbeing through innovative products and services

Christian Mumenthaler, Chairman of The Geneva Association and CEO of Swiss Re, said: "Discussions at our General Assembly revealed that geopolitical tensions, economic volatility, social inequality and climate change are key concerns for us all. I am pleased that The Geneva Association has become a supporting institution of UNEP-FI's Principles for Sustainable Insurance, reinforcing that sustainability  the E, the S, and the G  is a central issue for the industry.

I also warmly welcome Lard Friese, Xi LUO, Hiroshi Shimizu and Peter Zaffino to the Geneva Association Board of Directors. As representatives of Europe, China, Japan and the United States, their views will be instrumental to ensuring our agenda captures the priorities of insurers around the globe."

Jad Ariss, Managing Director of The Geneva Association, commented: "The challenges before us, as an industry and as a society, require coordinated thinking and action. Our annual meeting was a powerful platform for 57 of our member CEOs around the world to align, particularly on their social and environmental ambitions. Sustainability is clearly the dominant priority for insurance companies and their customers today. We are proud to become a supporting institution to the UNEP-FI PSI."

The Geneva Association is the only global association of insurance companies; its members are insurance and reinsurance CEOs. Based on rigorous research conducted in collaboration with its members, academic institutions and multilateral organisations, The Geneva Association investigates key risk areas that are likely to impact the insurance industry, develops recommendations and provides a platform for stakeholders to discuss them. In total, the companies of Geneva Association members are headquartered in 26 countries around the world; manage USD 21 trillion in assets; employ more than 2.5 million people; and protect 2.6 billion people.

https://www.genevaassociation.org/news/press-releases/new-board-members-PSI-june-2022

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Monday, June 6, 2022

& How Does It Increase Consumer Safety?

In mid-April, Colorado legislators introduced SB22-205, which addresses the growing regulation issues of intoxicating cannabinoids masquerading as CBD products. The purpose of this bill is to regulate cannabis-related products that can cause a person to become intoxicated when consumed. This involves all intoxicating cannabinoids, including synthetics such as Delta-8, & Delta-10. Kazmira was one of the few hemp-based CBD companies in support of this bill, which would ultimately limit hemp products to a maximum of 20 mg THC per container or 2 mg THC per serving. The bill even stated that violations to this limit would result in civil financial penalties.

An amendment was proposed that ultimately delays and dilutes the bill, while not setting any limits on THC per container. At length, this amendment can be summarized into four parts:

Authorizes the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to promulgate rules to prohibit chemical modification, conversion, or synthetic derivation of intoxicating THC in final products.

Includes Delta 8, 9, 10 and other isomers

Directs the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) to create a task force to study intoxicating hemp products and make legislative and regulatory recommendations for the regulation of industrial hemp, with a report to be produced by January 1, 2023.

Task Force will start by September 1, 2022. Task Force to have 20 different stakeholders, including representatives from the hemp and marijuana industry at all levels, attorneys, consumers, patients, and government officials. Appointments for hemp participants would be made primarily by the CDPHE.

Adds a new provision to the Consumer and Commercial Affairs Title, where an unfair and deceptive trade practice relating to hemp is to be considered a violation. This provision was necessary to obtain the funding outlined below.

Dispenses to the Colorado General Attorney (CGA) $587,347 from the marijuana tax cash fund to enforce on consumer protection and antitrust. These funds will cover 3 new full-time employees (FTE) and other required tools and resources for enforcement.

Kazmiras concern with this amendment is that it delays an urgent need for action on limiting the amount of THC in consumer hemp products, which is currently a major consumer safety issue for hemp derived products. However, we are optimistic that the task force will reach the conclusions needed to address consumer safety and move forward with this regulation.

Why Does this Bill Matter?

In the UK, the government has recently passed similar regulations, limiting the amount of THC in hemp to 0.2%. In addition, theyve limited the THC content in CBD products to 1 mg THC per container. The UK government released a Consumer CBD Products report that states, The remit of this report was to recommend a low, trace level for the controlled phytocannabinoids in consumer CBD products under the MDA [Misuse of Drugs Act] and so consideration was given to the maximum dose of ?9-THC that would be unlikely to produce any psychoactive effect (i.e. elevation of mood or high). The Working Group considered that a ?9-THC dose of 1 milligram (mg) was unlikely to produce significant psychoactive effects.

This rule is very conservative compared to the 20 mg THC per container limit that the original Colorado bill proposed. The UK is clearly erring on the side of safety when it comes to THC. The report goes on further to say, It has been reported that single inhaled doses of ?9-THC as low as 2 mg can produce psychoactive effects (Zuurman, et al., 2008), (Klumpers, et al., 2012).

In the U.S. this bill has come at a time where we are seeing an increase of intoxicating synthetic cannabinoids being produced and marketed as naturally derived hemp products, by exploiting a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill. This rise in intoxicating synthetic cannabinoids has led to the FDA recently issuing warning letters for the first time to five companies with products containing Delta-8 THC. It is clear that the FDA considers this to be a huge consumer safety issue which supports the need for urgent action in Colorado.

Hemp Gets Political

Organizations in opposition to this bill included the US Hemp Roundtable and Colorado Hemp Association, along with several hemp-based CBD manufacturers, and other hemp industry stakeholders. Their argument was primarily that this form of regulation, especially limiting THC amount per serving and container, would essentially eliminate full-spectrum hemp products. Likewise, these companies would have to discontinue all current products that exceeded the 20 mg THC per container limit, otherwise a hefty fine would be imposed.

In support of this bill, along with a few hemp derived product companies and Vicente Sederberg LLP, was the marijuana enforcement division and several other marijuana businesses. Its clear why marijuana related stakeholders are in support of the bill, because hemp companies are not currently taxed or regulated for selling products with THC levels consistent with some recreational marijuana products.

The amendment was brought about as a compromise for both sides. As with most compromises, each party isnt completely satisfied with the amendment thats been proposed. There are still a lot of questions and issues left unresolved that need to be negotiated.

One republican sponsor has actually pulled his name from the bill after amendments were proposed. Senator Don Corams support for this bill was predominately for regulating synthetic THC isomers including Delta-8 and Delta-10. Coram offered his own amendment to include more affiliates of the hemp industry on the task force, which was denied. He ultimately pulled his name from the bill stating, he was never involved nor invited to participate in the drafting of the amendments

0.3% THC is Arbitrary and Confusing to Consumers

Non-intoxicating products are what CBD is all about. Cannabidiol is a non-psychotropic compound, used to provide natural benefits with no intoxication. Currently, without the bill, hemp products must be less than 0.3% THC. This means that in a product like a chocolate bar that weighs 100 grams, you could have as much as 300 mg total THC. The 0.3% THC limit is contentious and based on our example, allows for more than enough THC to intoxicate someone. This can be incredibly dangerous when the consumer believes theyre taking a non-intoxicating CBD product. Colorado already limits edible retail marijuana products to have no more than 100 mg THC per product, while this 0.3% limit can allow hemp products to potentially contain more THC than retail marijuana products.

0.3% might seem miniscule and negligible, but numbers can be deceiving. For example, have you ever looked at a product and noticed that the active ingredient is displayed in very small amounts (generally less than 1%) compared to the inactive ingredients? Yet, clearly this ingredient is considered active for a reason. The same can be said with the 0.3% THC limit in CBD products. Imagine a bottle of Nyquil with a 1 fluid ounce serving size, equivalent to about 30,000 milligrams. The active ingredient in Nyquil for cough suppressant is Dextromethorphan Hbr and consists of 20 milligrams per serving. When we do the math, we can see that Dextromethorphan Hbr only makes up .06% of Nyquil. Though it seems like a small percentage, that small amount is clearly enough to be considered active. Likewise in a hemp products case, that small percentage can be intoxicating.

In addition to intoxication, there are health risks associated with THC, specifically with edible products. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that marijunana edibles can,  [2] Cause intoxicating effects that last longer than expected, depending on the amount ingested, the last food eaten, and medications or alcohol used at the same time. [3] Be unpredictable. The amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or the concentration or strength, is very difficult to measure and is often unknown in edible products. Many people who use edibles can be caught off-guard by their strength and long-lasting effects.

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment has recognized that THC is a safety issue for consumers and subsequently drafted regulation 6 CCR 1010-21 to require that manufacturers of CBD products display the amount of all cannabinoids, including THC, in milligrams contained in a single serving of the product as well as in the entire container. Without these guidelines, it falls on the consumers and retailers to calculate the amount of THC contained in a product, based only on the federal upper limit of 0.3% by weight.

Relating back to intoxicating synthetic cannabinoids, the FDA released a consumer alert on Delta-8 THC and its serious health risks. This report outlined five things to know about Delta-8 THC. They caution that Delta-8 THC products have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for safe use and may be marketed in ways that put the public health at risk. Theyve been receiving more and more adverse event reports involving Delta-8 THC containing products. They warn consumers that Delta-8 THC has psychoactive and intoxicating effects, potentially even more concerning than the intoxicating effects of naturally occurring hemp compounds. They warn that Delta-8 THC products often involve the use of potentially harmful chemicals to manipulate the concentrations of delta-8 THC claimed in the marketplace and, in addition, Delta-8 THC products should be kept out of reach of children and pets.

Retailers Beware of Deceptive Practices

Deceptive practices and marketing of intoxicating compounds is prevalent in the CBD industry. Not only is this an issue for consumers but retailers as well. Recently, a retail chain in Colorado mentioned to our founders that, CBD products on our shelves have virtually no THC in them because 0.3% is so tiny. After showing the retailer the math and breaking down what 0.3% THC really means, the retailer was shocked when they realized that a CBD product on their shelf actually contains a whopping 60 mg of THC. This retailer was under the assumption that because the product has less than 0.3% THC, that it was free of THC, when in fact 60 mg THC in a CBD product is unquestionably an intoxicating amount. This indicates the problem that both consumers and retailers are being misled and misinformed by CBD manufacturers, which is why the need for a THC limit in milligrams is necessary. The phrase less than 0.3% THC is factually misleading and most certainly does not mean THC free.

Why Does Kazmira Support the Original Intent of this Bill?

The original bill would have created a thriving CBD industry in the long run; however, consumer trust is crumbling. There are countless marijuana products masquerading as CBD products from hemp. This includes Delta-8 THC products, hemp derived Delta-9, as well as high amounts of THC in CBD products. Focusing on the latter, the amount of THC allowed in these CBD products remains arbitrary and as weve mentioned, creates significant safety hazards for consumers.

Furthermore, without the bill, the industry will face a credibility problem with large consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. As it stands today, the large CPG companies see an industry in its infancy with no commitments to safety or quality. Because of these twisted incentives, inevitably, this will lead to a race to the bottom. Only when these companies can be assured that there is a healthy ecosystem that has gone through proper quality and safety checks, will they enter the market. This bill is an important step in the right direction for the hemp industry. Now is the time to tip the scales towards consumer safety by regulating CBD products and limiting intoxicating cannabinoids.




A North Korean defector group said Tuesday it had sent balloons carrying masks and COVID-19 medicines across the border earlier this week to help people in the North, while the Seoul government asked activists to refrain from such campaigns as they could have a negative impact on regional stability.







Twenty balloons carrying 20,000 masks, 15,000 Tylenol pills and 30,000 vitamin C pills were released between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Sunday from Pocheon, north of Seoul, Fighters for a Free North Korea said to the press. It remains unconfirmed whether the materials have landed in the North as intended.







The unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs reiterated a call for refraining from such a move, calling it a violation of the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act.







Under the ban, violators are subject to up to three years in prison or a maximum fine of 30 million won ($23,700). The North has responded angrily to activists here sending balloons mainly carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets and portable radios across the border.







"We fully understand the group's efforts to help North Koreans, but as the government is seeking inter-Korean healthcare cooperation, we have publicly urged them on numerous occasions to refrain (from launching), considering what will be of real help to the North Koreans," a ministry official told reporters on the customary condition of anonymity. (Yonhap)






Brian Alfaro, the San Antonio oil-and-gas businessman-turned-felon, has gotten two years shaved off his prison sentence.

Alfaro, who received a 121-month prison term at a sentencing in November 2020, had the sentence cut to eight years and one month Tuesday. A federal appeals court had ordered his resentencing.

He also had the amount hell owe victims of his crimes trimmed by about $500,000, to $9.4 million.

On ExpressNews.com: Federal appeals court sets aside former San Antonio oilman Brian Alfaros prison sentence

In February 2020 a jury found him guilty on seven counts of mail fraud after an eight-day trial. His company developed and promoted oil and gas wells to investors, who purchased unit shares in the drilling projects.

Prosecutors told jurors that Alfaro used investors money to support a lavish lifestyle, including buying a $500,000-plus Lamborghini and Spurs season tickets.

Alfaro, 53, did not take the stand in his own defense. He appealed the sentence but not his conviction.

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans in April agreed with Alfaro in finding that U.S. District Judge Fred Biery erred during sentencing by not accepting the prosecutors concession on the actual financial losses suffered by the victims in the case. That resulted in the judge incorrectly calculating the sentencing guideline range.

The ruling wasnt a complete victory for Alfaro because the appeals court rejected his other arguments about how Biery incorrectly sentenced him.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio oilman Brian Alfaro appeals 121-month prison sentence for defrauding investors

A haggard-looking Alfaro, who has had multiple sclerosis for 35 years, appeared at the resentencing dressed in navy blue prison garb and shackles. Michael McCrum, his lawyer, told Biery that Alfaro has not received up to 40 supplements his doctors say he needs to keep him in a good place.

Alfaro, who has served about 16 months, is imprisoned at a low-security federal correctional institution in Bastrop.

Factoring in Alfaros health and his work teaching English and other courses to fellow inmates, McCrum tried to convince Biery to hand down a sentence below the suggested guideline range of 97 months to 121 months.

Biery said he reread letters that had been sent to him by Alfaros victims before the original sentencing. He also read out loud a letter he recently received from one of the victims, Joe Jarosek, 69, of Temple.

More than one night I lay awake worrying about my bills and payments needing to be made because of the fraud he committed against me, Jarosek wrote. I find it to be a sad thing that some people would go so low as to take advantage of people who have worked hard for their money, and they have taken it away because of fraud.

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Biery gave Alfaro an opportunity to address Jarosek and his other victims.

I have had time to evaluate what happened, Alfaro said. The two words that really come to mind on how it all fell apart  it really is based  on ego and greed. I think if you look at those two things, those are the biggest things as to what happened.

S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff.

Biery wasnt buying his explanation.

Im not hearing any remorse about Brian Alfaros lifestyle and taking these peoples money and buying cars and houses, the judge said.

He cited how Alfaro dodged paying taxes on a $2,500  possibly more  Rolex watch by stating in an affidavit that it was a gift for a cousin in California. The watch turned up when U.S. Marshals seized assets from Alfaros former home in Shavano Park.

It was greed, Alfaro said.

No, sir, the judge replied. Youre a crook.

After Biery told him he wanted to hear that admission and not that he got greedy, Alfaro said, I am a crook. I apologize to Mr. Jarosek, in particular, for how it turned out.

I lost my way, Alfaro added. Those actions are actions that I took and that I did. I take responsibility for all of them. Thats not the man that I am now or Im going to be going forward.

pdanner@express-news.net
The San Antonio lawyer accused of looting client accounts of millions of dollars wont be practicing law any longer.

Estate-planning and personal-injury attorney Christopher Chris Pettit has surrendered his law license rather than face disciplinary action from the State Bar of Texas.

The Supreme Court of Texas accepted Pettits resignation Monday.

At least 14 lawsuits have been filed by clients who allege Pettit, 55, stole their money and commingled accounts. He served in multiple roles for clients, including as legal counsel, investment adviser and trustee. He also prepared tax returns. Though he has denied the allegations in some complaints, he also entered into agreed judgments  which include punitive damages  with a handful of clients.

On ExpressNews.com: Embattled San Antonio lawyer, accused of defrauding clients of millions, files huge bankruptcy case

The FBI has been investigating. The Internal Revenue Service also has its own investigation, according to a person with knowledge of the matters.

Pettits alleged scheme unraveled in recent months, culminating last week with him and his firm each filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Pettits petition listed $27.8 million in assets and $115.2 million in debts, making it one of the largest personal bankruptcy cases ever filed in San Antonio.

Among the assets are multiple homes, including a 7,300-square-foot Disney World mansion thats listed for sale at $8.9 million and a house at 555 Argyle Ave. in Alamo Heights overlooking Olmos Dam. Thats valued at $3.6 million. Pettit also owns two Porsches and two Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

On May 24, he filed a motion for the Supreme Court to accept his resignation. He offered no explanation.

The State Bar of Texas Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel had detailed Pettits professional misconduct in a response, citing four grievance complaints it received.

One of the complaints alleged Pettit was appointed the trustee for a doctors irrevocable trust in 2019 and later assumed sole control over $11 million in assets. Pettit told the doctor the money would remain in an account at Charles Schwab & Co., conservatively invested in bonds and cash.

In 2020, the complaint says, Pettit transferred about $10.8 million to his and/or his law firms accounts. He then converted the money for his own use, the complaint adds.

Pettit falsely represented to the doctor that the money had been transferred to the lawyers Estate Management Account at Frost Bank.

To support his lie, Pettit provided (the doctor) an altered Frost Bank statement for the account  that appeared to reflect a balance in excess of $12,000,000, the complaint adds. The doctors funds were not in the account, and the money in it was far less than what was represented by the altered statement, according to the complaint.

Pettit reportedly paid back $8 million to the doctor, who sued in September when he didnt receive the rest allegedly owed. In March, state District Judge Laura Salinas signed off on an agreed judgment that ordered him to pay the doctor about $2.9 million in actual damages and $8.6 million in punitive damages.

Pettits law license already has been canceled. Hes now required to notify all of his clients and the judges handling his cases that hes no longer practicing law. He also must return any files, papers, unearned monies and any other client property.

S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio lawyer faces multiple lawsuits for allegedly stealing millions from clients

The Supreme Courts actions lay out conditions for reinstatement of Pettits law license, though that seems highly improbable. He must make restitution to a couple in the amount of more than $311,000 and pay the State Bar $2,500 to reimburse it for the fees and expenses it incurred in its investigation.

Pettits bankruptcy petition lists about $106 million in unsecured claims, most of them held by clients. He disputes all of the unsecured claims.

He has maintained his main law office at 11902 Rustic Lane. He also has another office a little more than a mile away at 13111 Huebner Road.

A brief bio of Pettit on his law firms website says he majored in economics at the University of Dallas. He earned his law degree from St. Marys University School of Law. He has taught law at Our Lady of the Lake University, the bio adds. The university said its records indicate that Pettit never taught at the school

Pettit had served on the board of a publicly traded penny-stock company, EF EnergyFunders Ventures Inc., but resigned last month  a day after the Express-News reported on his mounting legal troubles. EnergyFunders, an oil and natural gas investment company, trades on a Canadian stock exchange but maintains its executive offices in San Antonio.

This article has been updated to include a statement from Our Lady of the Lake University.

pdanner@express-news.net
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Skillets will soon sizzle and spirits once again flow in one of San Antonios most storied restaurant spaces. Carriqui is set to open this September in the former Pearl-area home of Liberty Bar.

The new restaurant is named in honor of the colorful green carriqui bird that can be spotted fluttering around South Texas. The menu will draw inspiration from the carriquis flight path through the state, with fresh Gulf Coast seafood dishes, Rio Grande Valley-inspired botana platters, San Antonios pit-cooked barbacoa and brisket and more.

Carriquis kitchen will be helmed Jaime Gonzalez, who previously served as executive chef at Hotel Emmas Supper restaurant. Cassie McCloud, who created the famous Three Emmas cocktail at Hotel Emmas Sternewirth, will lead Carriquis bar program.

Don B. McDonald Architect

Carriqui will feature three distinct dining areas designed to model a South Texas aesthetic. The main building that once housed Liberty Bar will be dubbed The Carriqui House. The space has undergone a number of renovations that will offer diners two stories of seating and balcony tables on the second floor.

A smaller structure on the property called The Rock House has recently been added to offer additional indoor seating. The restaurant will also have a courtyard space for outdoor dining featuring a cooking pit where many of the restaurants proteins will be prepared over a live fire.

On ExpressNews.com: Review: Liberty Bar in Southtown the doyenne overlooking the cool kids

It is an honor to work on this project. I am deeply passionate about the culinary program at Carriqui, which pays tribute to the flavors and foods that are central to our region, Gonzalez said in a news release. The food and experience will be warm and familiar  like you are spending time in the home of a close friend who also happens to be a great cook.

KIN MAN HUI, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

The iconic 11,000-square-foot building housing Carriqui was constructed in the 1890s by former Pearl brewmaster Fritz Boehler. In its early days, the building served as a watering hole for Pearl Brewery employees, a general store, a boarding house and more.

Many San Antonians remember it best as Liberty Bar, which occupied the spot from 1985 through 2008. Liberty Bar developed a loyal following for its funky, hip vibe where everybody seemed to know your name. Liberty Bar has since relocated to a former convent in the Southtown area.

Helen L. Montoya, Staff / San Antonio Express-News

After Liberty Bar closed, the space housed Boehlers Bar & Grille and then noted chef Andrew Weissman opened Minnies Tavern & Rye House there. The short-lived bistro served French-inspired fare in the mid-2010s.

On ExpressNews.com: Review: At Pearl Hotel Emmas posh Supper restaurant, nostalgia isnt enough

Over the years, the building developed a distinctive lean that was fixed in 2014. The building has been moved multiple times  once to repair its foundation and again relocating it closer to the Pearl from its original location at 328 E. Josephine St. to its new spot at 239 E. Grayson St.

Rick Hunter, staff photographer / EXPRESS-NEWS FILE PHOTO

The new project was announced by the recently formed the restaurant ownership and management company Potluck Hospitality. Potluck Hospitality is led by former Pearl Chief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Fauerso, who helped curate many of the restaurants currently operating at the Pearl.

Potluck Hospitalitys roster of concepts includes Pearl restaurants Best Quality Daughter, Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, The Bottling Department food hall and more.

pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen
A San Antonio woman is accused of conspiring with a Bexar County Sheriff's deputy to smuggle synthetic marijuana into the Bexar County Jail, according to court documents.

Alexis Gonzalez Ponce, 18, was arrested on Friday and charged with conspiracy to provide prohibited items in a correctional facility.

Officials said Ponce was attempting to get a bag and a half of "cherry bomb," another name for synthetic marijuana, to Zachary Vargas, who was in jail on murder and aggravated robbery charges, according to Ponce's arrest affidavit.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio lawyer who allegedly looted client accounts of millions surrenders his law license

While monitoring the recorded jail phone calls, a Bexar County sergeant heard Ponce say that she was meeting with a sheriff's deputy on May 28 to give him the drugs, the affidavit said. The deputy was later identified as Kolbe Counts-Ramirez.

Investigators discovered that Counts-Ramirez had requested to work in the main jail unit where Vargas was being housed. He admitted to having the synthetic marijuana in his vehicle parked in the jail parking lot, according to Vargas' affidavit.

Counts-Ramirez, 21, admitted to agreeing to give the drugs to Vargas for $1,000, the affidavit continued. Ponce had met with Counts-Ramirez prior to his shift to give him the drugs, the court documents said.

Counts-Ramirez was arrested on May 29 on charges of criminal conspiracy to introduce prohibited substances into a correctional facility, possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. Counts-Ramirez has since been fired from the department.

Ponce has been released on a $10,000 bond.

taylor.pettaway@express-news.net
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COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  Sweden's justice minister narrowly survived a no confidence vote in parliament Tuesday over surging crime, in a ballot that had threatened to topple Prime Minister Magdalena Anderssons minority government as the country is jockeying to join NATO amid strong opposition from Turkey.

But the key move that saved the government came from independent, Kurdish Iranian-born lawmaker Amineh Kakabaveh, who's a red rag for Turkey: a vocal critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and a former member of an armed Kurdish militant group who speaks up for the Kurdish cause.

Turkey  which as a NATO member has a blocking vote  has opposed the bids by Sweden and neighboring Finland to join NATO amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Erdogan accuses the two Nordic countries of backing militant Kurdish groups like the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a group listed as terrorist by the European Union and the U.S. that has waged a long and bloody insurrection in Turkey.

In Tuesday's ballot in Sweden's 349-seat parliament, the right-leaning opposition had secured 174 votes, one short of the required 175. After Kakabaveh abstained, there were still 174 votes against Justice Minister Mogan Johansson, 97 in his favor, 70 abstentions and eight absentees.

Prime Minister Andersson, the leader of the Social Democrats, had said that if the no confidence vote was approved her government would resign. Sweden faces general elections on Sept. 11.

In recent years, Sweden has suffered a rise in organized crime activity with several gang-related shootings in its the major cities of Stockholm, Goteborg and Malmo. Last week, the right-wing populist Sweden Democrats had called for the no confidence vote, claiming Johansson had allowed Sweden to become a gangster country.

But Kakabaveh, 51, said the justice minister deserved to stay in office.

I know that Morgan Johansson is a politician who cares about the rule of law. I do not trust the opposition, she said before Tuesday's vote. Kakabaveh stressed that Johansson had succeeded in, among others, fighting violence against women, including so-called honor killings.

Turkeys Ambassador to Sweden Hakki Emre Yunt claimed in an interview with Swedish news agency TT last month that the PKK has ties to certain lawmakers in Sweden who allegedly work against Turkey by taking a stance against Ankara.

I can mention Amineh Kakabaveh since she had an agreement with the Social Democratic Party to support them, he said.

In November, Kakabavehs vote allowed Andersson to become the countrys first female prime minister.

If women are only allowed to vote but are never elected to the highest office, democracy is not complete, she had said at the time. Feminism is always about girls and women being complete people who have the same opportunities as men and boys.
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Deputy James Englert was eating lunch in the cafeteria of Arapahoe High School when he heard the janitors voice over the radio that the school was going on lock-down. As he ran to the north side of the suburban Denver school it appeared the library was on fire, until he saw the 17-year-old student bleeding on the floor. Next to her were three shotgun shells.

TEXAS SHOOTINGS ANALYSIS: 8 Texas mass shootings may have been prevented by proposed gun control efforts

Oh, someone else is in the building with a gun besides me, Englert thought, he recalled in an interview from the Colorado high school where he still works as a school resource officer.

He remembered getting tunnel vision. If his radio communications sounded garbled, its because My tongue felt about 10 times its normal size. He reminded himself to control his breathing.

I was thinking, How will this play out? Ill probably charge at him and try to get off a shot. Hell probably fire at me and he might miss before I get off my shot. Not real tactical, I know.

The confrontation never arrived. About two minutes elapsed between the time student Karl Pierson entered the building through an unlocked door on a December 2013 afternoon and killed Claire Davis, then himself. Hed been looking to shoot a librarian.

Brennan Linsley, STF / Associated Press Brennan Linsley, STF / Associated Press A parent picks up her daughter at a church where students from nearby Arapahoe High School were evacuated to after a shooting on the Centennial, Colo., campus Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. / In this Dec. 19, 2013 file photo, Arapahoe High School students hug at a tribute site for fatally-wounded student Claire Davis. (Brennan Linsley, STF / Associated Press) A parent picks up her daughter at a church where students from nearby Arapahoe High School were evacuated to after a shooting on the Centennial, Colo., campus Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. / In this Dec. 19, 2013 file photo, Arapahoe High School students hug at a tribute site for fatally-wounded student Claire Davis. (Brennan Linsley, STF / Associated Press)

School shootings are chaotic, dynamic and complex. Experts who study them concede that even when police arrive quickly and perform by the book, a gunman  particularly one armed with multiple weapons or a semi-automatic gun with ample ammunition like the shooter in the attack on Uvalde High School  can still inflict tremendous damage.

Preliminary assessments of the May 24 shooting have called out police for failing to move decisively to end the incident. The school districts chief, Pete Arredondo, appears to have made a serious tactical error by ordering assembled officers to stay out of the room the gunman was in instead of immediately confronting him.

It was the wrong decision, period, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said at a press conference. Other accounts reported Arredondo may have arrived unprepared, including without his radio; and that crucial communications might not have been relayed to him.

Yet it remains unclear how many lives a better response would have saved.

Half of all active shooter events end before law enforcement arrives, according to the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training  ALERRT  at Texas State University. Although a perfect police reaction may prevent some fatalities, once it starts, its very difficult to stop with no loss of life, said Jennifer Zeunik, director of Local Programs for the National Policing Institute, which produces after-incident reports on school shootings.

In response to the Uvalde incident, Gov. Greg Abbott has called for better police training. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick requested more protective equipment for officers.

While potentially useful, such measures have limits. Overall, police from Virginia Tech and Blacksburg did an outstanding job in responding quickly and using appropriate active shooter procedures, concluded an exhaustive review of the 2007 attack, in which a gunman shot 47 people in 10 minutes before committing suicide.

The Santa Fe Independent School Districts 13-member police force was also well trained on how to respond to an attack, recalled Gary Forward, at the time an assistant chief for the Galveston County department. Several officers were retired from other agencies; between them they had decades of experience. Theyd recently responded to an active shooter alarm, so the possibility of an armed assault was still fresh.

When the shooter arrived on a May 2018 morning, police ran toward the attacker. Students piled furniture against classroom doors as theyd been taught. Yet by the time the incident ended, eight students and two teachers were dead and 13 were wounded. The alleged shooter, another student, remains in a psychiatric facility.

Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Youre always going to look at it and wonder if you could do more, Forward said. But I honestly dont know what we couldve done differently.

Change in approach

The 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado shook up how police trained and responded to such incidents. Prior to it officers followed a SWAT model, establishing a perimeter around the site and waiting until they amassed sufficient firepower before rushing the shooter.

After-incident reviews of the attack, in which two teenage boys killed 12 students, a teacher and themselves, convinced police they must confront a shooter immediately. The time it takes to get four or five officers on scene is too long, said Peter Blair, ALERRTs director. The model has steadily evolved from waiting for two- or three-member teams to form, to calling for a single officer to rush an attacker as soon as possible if necessary, he said.

INCIDENT COMMANDER: Why was the head of a six-person force for Uvalde CISD in charge of the mass shooting response?

Since then, however, experts said the tactical lessons police have learned from subsequent school tragedies have been more nuanced, nibbling around the edges of what officers realistically can accomplish once a shooter arrives.

Some departments now equip officers with tourniquets to stop the dying earlier than traditional policies, which recommended waiting until a scene was secured. After-incident reviews of school attacks have led to clearer communication between responders from the numerous agencies flooding into a crowded and dangerous scene.

Calls for more and better equipment are also common. Blair said he wanted all school police to be armed with high-power weapons to match the attackers firepower. Patrick requested $50 million to purchase bulletproof shields.

Despite the lessons learned and tactical tweaks, after-incident reviews show human error and equipment failures are still common. And school shootings continue. By some measures they are getting worse. According to Education Week, which tracks incidents, there have been 27 in 2022 so far and 119 since 2018. The highest number ever, 34, was recorded last year.

Godofredo A. Vasquez, Staff Photographer / Godofredo A. Vasquez

Today armed police typically arrive at a school within minutes or already are on scene. But in a study released last year, a team of Minnesota researchers examining school shootings between 1980 and 2019 found limited benefit. The data suggest no association between having an armed officer and deterrence of violence in these cases, concluded the report.

It found even some preventative hardening measures had had modest success: The majority of shooters who target schools are students of the school, calling into question the effectiveness of hardened security and active shooter drills.

In other words, while police in Uvalde may have committed grave errors, in many cases once a shooting has begun even a perfect response is already too little too late.

Someone who can shoot back

That hasnt stopped the growth of school police. People want to talk about preventative measures, but thats not as important as assuming those measures will fail and putting someone in the school who can at least shoot back, said John Barnes, a Santa Fe school district police officer who sustained a serious injury responding to the attack.

Jon Shapley, Staff / Houston Chronicle

Over the past half-dozen years, the number of Texas school districts boasting their own departments has grown by about 40 percent, said Harold Cook, chief of the Humble ISD Police Department and president of the Texas School District Chiefs Association.

Some districts still use officers assigned from local police or sheriffs agencies to provide security. Lynelle Sparks, president of the Texas Association of School Resource Officers, said the organization counts about 800 individual mostly sworn members.

In both cases, school police must be state licensed, receiving the same basic training as any law enforcement officer. Within 180 days of being hired they must also take between 20 and 40 hours of School Based Law Enforcement Training, which Sparks said includes learning about adolescent development and behavior, among other topics.

In the wake of the Santa Fe shooting, school officers now take a minimum of eight hours on Active Shooter Training, as well. Blair, of ALERRT, said it was only an introduction to what officers needed to know.

POLITIFACT: Debunking the pants-on-fire claim that Uvalde massacre was a 'false flag' attack

A lot of it is PowerPoint slides, he said. He said he favored mandated training for school police through the Texas State institute, where the basic course is a hands-on 16 hours  a recommendation Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday said he would implement.

The schedule  some school police get summers and holidays off  and relatively slow pace has made district departments a common landing spot for retired officers, said Forward, who retired from Santa Fe last year. The shortened year also means campus police can earn less than officers at city and county departments.

When interviewing prospective officers, I tell people you have to love kids, Sparks said. Elementary schools are the best. Youre treated like a Hollywood movie star.

She said daily duties range from monitoring the cafeteria to substitute teaching, speaking to parents, counseling or comforting kids, juggling custody issues and conducting educational trainings about the consequences of drunk driving. There is the occasional drug or assault arrest.

Security is always on everyones mind, she said. Officers carry Tasers and guns. Sparks keeps her heavier weapons and protective gear in her car.

But school attacks are a statistical rarity, and officers say complacency is a constant battle. While Texas law requires students to participate in a fire drill every month, Sparks said active shooter drills are required once a year. With each campus having between 25 and 100 doors, she added, reminding staff and students to keep them locked at all times is a challenge.

Although initial reports said the Uvalde shooter entered the school through a door a teacher had propped open, video appeared to show the door had been shut but apparently did not latch and lock. Forward said persistent open-door problems led Santa Fe to install airport-like sirens on every entry to alert officers when one was ajar.

Officers said they also must strike a balance between being seen as an enforcement authority  while not over-policing children  and acting as a trusted confidant who kids will approach with information about troubled students before they turn violent.

Rather than trying to have a police response in a minute or two and trying to save lives, we need to be preventing attacks before they occur, said Frank Straub, director of the National Policing Institutes Center for Targeted Violence Prevention.

Michael Ciaglo, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle

System failures

In the Arapahoe High School shooting after-action report, investigators found that numerous students were familiar with the shooters anger and violent statements, yet didnt report them. Administrators didnt perform a rigorous threat assessment of the young man, despite ample distress signals in his life.

The system failed at many points to get a handle on [his] problems, in spite of the fact that there were many warning signs and many opportunities, the report stated.

Today there is a cottage industry of risk assessment researchers and practitioners trying to identify the best way to intercept disturbed young people  mostly young men  before they turn violent. In 2019 Texas legislators required all schools to create threat assessment teams.

Early reporting has suggested the Uvalde shooter may have sent up warning flares leading to his attack. Yet some of his statements also appear to have been vague or communicated to strangers online, making it difficult to translate them into action.

NEW DETAILS: 'Its time to die. You guys are mine': Gunman said during 75 minutes of terror in Uvalde

While such clues can seem obvious in hindsight, experts caution that identifying dangerous people before they act remains an imprecise science, challenged by broadly defined behaviors and false-positives. We can do a little bit better than chance, Dewey Cornell, a University of Virginia professor considered a national authority on school threat assessment, told the Chronicle in 2019. But its not nearly good enough for life and death decisions.

More recently, researchers have begun applying after-incident reviews not only to school shooting responses, but also to attacks that were planned but never happened. By examining so-called averted violence, they hope to pinpoint the ways a school shooting was thwarted before it started.

Once police are responding, youve already got a problem, said Straub, whose Averted School Violence program has collected and analyzed nearly 200 such incidents. In almost every case, he said, an attack was derailed when someone came forward and reported a problem. He noted more school attacks were interrupted than carried out.

A 2021 U.S. Secret Service report also found promise in the clues that troubled and potentially violent young people almost always leave if friends, educators, parents and others could be trained to recognize them and act quickly. When community members report these behaviors, the next tragedy can be averted, it concluded.

The studys other findings were less reassuring. Many of those planning attacks had studied previous school shootings. They overwhelmingly intended on using guns to inflict harm. Two-thirds had access to one or more firearms. More than a third expected to die themselves.
WASHINGTON  Progressive immigration attorney Jessica Cisneros is calling for a recount after finishing a fiercely contested South Texas Democratic primary runoff 281 votes behind longtime congressman Henry Cuellar.

Our community isnt done fighting, we are filing for a recount, Cisneros said in a statement on Monday. With just under 0.6 percent of the vote symbolizing such stark differences for the future in South Texas, I owe it to our community to see this through to the end.

Cuellar, a 17-year incumbent from Laredo, declared victory last month, after coming in 177 votes ahead of Cisneros on Election Day. The remaining uncounted ballots expanded his lead by another 104 votes, final results from each county in the district showed.

BACKGROUND: Rep. Henry Cuellar finishes runoff 281 votes ahead of Jessica Cisneros

Texas law allows candidates to request a recount if the vote difference is less than 10 percent of the leading candidates vote total; Cuellar finished with 22,895 votes.

Cuellar said in a statement that he welcomes the recount.

She has no path to victory and will not gain 281 votes, Cuellar said. I welcome this process as it will only further verify our victory.

Cisernoss campaign has been asking supporters to help with a recount fund since the election last month.

Cuellar, meanwhile, is familiar with recounts. His path to Congress began with a 2004 victory in a primary race against an incumbent, when a recount vaulted him to victory by 58 votes after losing the first tally by 145 votes.

The third bout between the 17-year incumbent and the 29-year-old immigration attorney  both from Laredo  drew national attention and millions of dollars as it emerged as a key proxy battle between House Democratic leadership and the progressive wing of the party.

Our movement was never just about one politician  it was about taking on an unjust system that rewards corruption and corporate profits at the expense of the needs of working people, Cisneros said.

ben.wermund@chron.com
The Department of Homeland Security warned Tuesday of a heightened threat after extremists praised the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde and called for at least one copycat attack.

A National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin that was issued Tuesday said domestic violent extremists are propagating disinformation.

More on Uvalde shooting: Thomas J. Henry is representing four students injured in Uvalde school shooting

Others have seized on the event to attempt to spread disinformation and incite grievances, including claims it was a government-staged event meant to advance gun control measures, according to the bulletin, referring to the May 24 Uvalde school shooting.

An 18-year-old gunman stormed Robb Elementary School, killing 19 students and two teachers.

So far, DHS has issued the National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin six times since President Joe Biden took office.

Public gatherings, faith-based institutions, racial and religious minorities, government facilities and critical infrastructure may be targets of domestic violent extremists, according to the DHS bulletin.

You might also like: That seems overboard: Out-of-town police in Uvalde block cameras, disrupt coverage of tragedys aftermath

Threat actors have recently resorted to violence due to factors such as personal grievances, reactions to current events, and adherence to violent extremist ideologies, including racially or ethnically motivated or anti-government/anti-authority violent extremism, according to the bulletin.

Foreign adversaries, including terrorist organizations and nation-state adversaries, also remain intent on exploiting the threat environment to promote or inspire violence, sow discord, or undermine U.S. democratic institutions, DHS officials said.

As the United States enters the midterm election season this year, DHS predicts that domestic violent extremists' calls for violence against democratic institutions, political candidates, party offices, election events, and election workers will likely increase.

The bulletin said issues along the U.S.-Mexico border could also present fuel for extremists.

Some domestic violent extremists have expressed grievances related to their perception that the U.S. government is unwilling or unable to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and have called for violence to stem the flow of undocumented migrants to the United States, the bulletin said.

timothy.fanning@express-news.net
An Air Force investigation into a fatal crash of two T-38 jets at Laughlin AFB last November cited mistakes by a pair of instructor pilots as the principal cause.

The two instructors survived the collision of the two supersonic Talons as they approached a runway, but a student pilot, 2nd Lt. Anthony D. Wentz, 23, of Falcon, Colo., was killed.

The Air Force report did not name the instructors, but one of them was the vice commander of Laughlins 47th Flying Training Wing, Col. Nathan A. Thompson, who was slightly injured but walked away, three sources familiar with the incident told the San Antonio Express-News in the aftermath of the Nov. 19 crash.

The other instructor pilot is still recovering from life-threatening injuries, a spokeswoman for the Air Education and Training Command said. Both remain on active duty, she said.

The report referred to the survivors by their positions as Mishap Instructor Pilots 1 and 2. The jets were in formation on a runway approach in which one was to land and the other to break away and continue flying. Instructor Pilot 1 failed to verify which aircraft would land, resulting in both jets simultaneously attempting to land on Runway 13Center.

Flying with the student, Instructor Pilot 2 failed to recognize a precarious situation developing  and failed to intervene and prevent the looming collision, states the report, which was prepared by Brig. Gen. Gregory Kreuder.

Tom Reel, Staff / Staff photographer

Miscommunication and the fact that both instructors used conflicting techniques to perform the maneuver substantially contributed to the mishap, wrote Kreuder, commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

The jets collided at 10:14 a.m. Based on the reports description of the severity of injuries, Thompson was Instructor Pilot 1, flying in the front cockpit of his plane, while Instructor Pilot 2 was sitting in the rear cockpit of the jet flown by Wentz.

In his conclusion, Kreuder wrote that Mishap Instructor Pilot 2 failed to communicate and (Thompson) failed to verify which aircraft would land.

Wentz was in the T-38C Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training program. The 47th Training Wing graduates around 400 new Air Force pilots every year in the T-38, T-1A Jayhawk and T-6A Texan II.

Going by the call sign Steer 2, Mishap Aircraft 2 was to lead the formation approach to Runway 13Center, clear off Mishap Aircraft 1  Steer 1  to land, and then perform a low approach.

The phrase clear off is used by most instructor pilots who were interviewed for the report to mean that the wingman can stop flying formation off of the lead aircraft and proceed either with a landing or low approach.

But on final approach after Mishap Aircraft 2 cleared off Mishap Aircraft 1, the report said, both aircraft attempted to land and neither performed a low approach. Mishap Aircraft 1, originally on the right side of the formation in the wingman position, ended up below Mishap Aircraft 2 in a position where neither aircraft could see the other.

On ExpressNews.com: Vice commander at Air Force base was involved in fatal jet crash near Del Rio

Mishap Aircraft 1 landed first. One second later, Mishap Aircraft 2s nose landing gear hit the other jets left horizontal stabilizer. Both jets became uncontrollable.

Thompson, a command pilot with more than 2,100 hours in jets, survived the crash with minor injuries but Wentz and his instructor encountered what the report called an interrupted ejection sequence because their jet had flipped upside down.

Wentz was killed and his badly injured instructor was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.

AETC prohibited formation landings in March 2020. However, practice formation approaches, which involve two aircraft that approach the runway until one lands while the other splits off, are a syllabus requirement for specialized undergraduate pilot training.

Shortly after the Laughlin accident, the Air Force changed pilot training guidance on the maneuver. The rules handed down under Lt. Gen. Marshall Brad Webb. who last month handed off command of the AETC to Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, said formation approaches that have one aircraft landing and the other performing a low approach will now require an increased minimum altitude.

Another change was to standardize radio procedures to reduce the possibility of confusion about which aircraft will land.

Formation landings and approaches have drawn criticism over the years because of their inherent risks, though Webb has written that they are integral to training and operations in ways that increase survivability in combat and can help recover aircraft whose avionics malfunction.

Some who saw photos of the crash scene at Laughlin said it looked similar to a 2019 accident at Vance AFB in Enid, Okla., that killed Col. John Matt Kincade, 47, and his student pilot, 2nd Lt. Travis Wilkie, 23. They died when their plane collided with another T-38 to their right. The mishap report on the crash blamed it on pilot error and prompted the Air Force ban on formation landings.

The T-7A Red Hawk is to replace the nearly 61-year-old T-38 fleet beginning in 2023, but development of the new aircraft has encountered delays.

The T-38 is used to train pilots wholl fly front-line fighter and bomber aircraft ranging from the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon and B-1B Lancer to the A-10 Thunderbolt, F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

The latest accident investigation report defended formation approaches, saying theyre important to preparing pilots for the potential situation where an aircraft in the formation is unable to return to an airfield without assistance.

When the nose landing gear struck Thompsons left horizontal stabilizer at 170 mph, it caused his plane to abruptly pitch up. The right side of its nose then dropped, made contact with the ground, and righted itself, the report stated. The aircraft spun in circles across the runway until coming into contact with the Taxiway Bravo sign on the left-hand side of the runway, the report continued. (Thompson) egressed the aircraft on the ground with minor injuries.

Thompson was treated and released from Val Verde Regional Medical Center in Del Rio. A 2000 Air Force Academy graduate, he became vice commander at the wing in June 2021. In 2013 he had led the 469th Flying Training Squadron, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls.

The other jet rolled to the right into an inverted attitude, with the instructor pilot initiating the ejection sequence for himself and Wentz as the plane neared 90 degrees of bank.

(The student pilots) ejection was fully interrupted by the ground, as the aircraft was inverted, causing fatal injuries, the report stated.

The report stated that Wentz, the student pilot, was highly thought of and respected both in the 87th (Flying Training Squadron) and outside of work. It described him as a hard worker who inspired other students to work hard and better themselves. According to one student, (Wentz) was the kind of guy you aspire to be.

sigc@express-news.net
Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong shakes hands with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul, June 7. Yonhap





Senior government officials of South Korea and the United States had talks here Tuesday on North Korea and pending alliance issues, two weeks after their presidents agreed during a Seoul summit to upgrade Seoul-Washington ties to a "Global Comprehensive Strategic Alliance."







The meeting between Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman came a couple of days after the North fired eight short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea. This was their first face-to-face consultation since the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.






A former Bexar County Sheriffs deputy is facing a potential life sentence, on trial on a charge that he sexually assaulted a girl under the age of 17 for three years.

Jurors are set to begin hearing testimony Tuesday morning in the trial of Andrew Sanchez Guerra, 42.

He was 40 and a 17-year veteran deputy of the Sheriffs Office when he was arrested on Jan. 20, 2020. He was released after posting $75,000 bond.

On ExpressNews.com: Deputy accused of sexually assaulting girl over several years

His arrest came exactly a year after the girls mother filed a report with San Antonio police that her daughter told her she had been sexually assaulted by Guerra during a weekend stay with two other juveniles at his apartment Jan. 20, 2019, according to a police report.

The girl told investigators that Guerra began sexually assaulting her in November 2017 when she was around 13, the report stated.

In the alleged January 2019 incident, the girl said there were not enough blankets for her and the two other juveniles staying at his apartment, so the girl slept in Guerras bed, the report stated.

The girl told investigators that her clothes were removed while she was asleep and that she was awakened during the assault. She said similar types of assaults had occurred numerous times, according to the report.

The Docket: Local crime and courtroom news, delivered to your inbox weekly

Police said the two juveniles alleged to be at the apartment that weekend were not assaulted by Guerra.

He joined the Sheriffs Office in September 2003. He was placed on paid administrative leave Jan. 22 to April 29, 2019 while under the police investigation, in accordance with a collective bargaining agreement, and was then placed on paid administrative leave until his arrest Jan. 20, 2020.

Following Guerras arrest, Sheriff Javier Salazar placed him on unpaid administrative leave and said he would begin the process to fire Guerra. .

Guerras case is being tried in the 437th District Court, Judge Melisa Skinner presiding. He is being represented by Ben M. Sifuentes Jr. and Jorge G. Aristotelidis, online court record indicate.

Bexar County assistant district attorneys Clint Malloy and Jordan Brown of are prosecuting.

If convicted of the first-degree felony, Guerra faces five to 99 years or life in prison.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
San Antonio is expected to pay $466,300 to the family and estate of Jesse Aguirre, who died in 2013 after police handcuffed him and held him facedown on U.S. 90 in what some later called the George Floyd case of San Antonio.

Aguirres widow, Blanca Aguirre, agreed to settle the federal lawsuit last month. City Council is expected to vote on the terms of the deal Thursday.

As proposed, the settlement will be divided among family: $100,000 will go to Aguirres estate, $166,300 to Blanca Aguirre and $200,000 to Jesse Aguirre Jr. Its the second settlement for a high-profile police use-of-force case before City Council in recent months. Last month, the council approved $450,000 to family of Antronie Scott, an unarmed Black man shot and killed by police. That payout went to Scotts widow, mother and son.

On ExpressNews.com: City agrees to settle the George Floyd case of San Antonio

On April 12, 2013, Aguirre ran onto U.S. 90 in traffic after arguing with a girlfriend and crashing a car. Officials said he ignored officers demands to stop and resisted arrest. His death played out along the busy highway.

Aguirre family, Courtesy

Police dash-cam video showed some of the incident. Other details came out in court. After handcuffing Aguirre, trying to get him away from highway traffic, a group of officers flipped him over the concrete median and onto the hood of a patrol car.

They later moved him to the pavement  face down. Aguirre appeared to cry out as he was held down by the weight of the police officers.

After more than five minutes, Aguirre appeared to lie motionless. It was another three minutes before officers turned him over and tried to revive him or give him medical attention, according to a court ruling.

On ExpressNews.com: Appeals court finds judge wrongly granted qualified immunity to police in 2013 death of man on U.S. 90

Attorneys for the city have disputed how the incident unfolded. The city admitted Aguirre was on the ground, handcuffed behind his back, but it denied the officers took Aguirres life.

City lawyers argued an officer believed Aguirres response was drug-related. Officers said they had to forcibly subdue Aguirre because he was resisting.

The Bexar County medical examiner ruled that Aguirre died from excited delirium associated with cocaine and ethanol intoxication. He had a mix of cocaine and alcohol in his system. The autopsy report also classified Aguirres death as a homicide, but a medical examiner previously clarified in July 2013 that its not a legal finding.

If approved, the settlement will allow the city to avoid a jury trial in the case. City Attorney Andy Segovia previously said the city would defend the officers involved  Cristina Gonzales, Roberto Mendez, Bettina Arredondo and Benito Juarez, as named in the lawsuit  at trial.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio to pay $450,000 to family of Antronie Scott  an unarmed Black man fatally shot by police

An initial lawsuit filed by Blanca Aguirre appeared over when a judge ruled in favor of the city. But last year, a panel of the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans overturned a key part of the ruling concerning qualified immunity, which protects police in use-of-force cases.

Lisa Krantz /Staff photographer

The panel decided the case should be up to a jury to decide whether the officers involved used force excessively and violated Aguirres constitutional rights. That trial had been scheduled for last month but was canceled when the two sides reached a settlement agreement.

Express-News reporter Guillermo Contreras contributed to this article.

megan.stringer@express-news.net
The Justice Department filed notice Monday that it is appealing a San Antonio judge's $230 million verdict for relatives of the survivors and families of victims of the 2017 mass shooting in Sutherland Springs.

In February, U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez ordered the U.S. government to pay more than $230 million in damages for the Air Forces failure to report the gunmans violent criminal history to the national firearms database. The judge also later ruled the government should pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the families court costs.

Rodriguez said adding disgraced former airman Devin Kelleys name to the database could have prevented him from buying his assault-style rifle.

On Nov. 5, 2017, Kelley opened fire inside First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs with an AR-556 rifle, killing 26 people and wounding more than 20 others. His wife attended the church, but Kelley had tied her up at their New Braunfels home before going on the rampage in Sutherland Springs, about 35 miles to the south.

Lawyers for the Justice Departments civil division didnt say in their filings Monday why they are appealing Rodriguezs decision to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The government is expected to sketch its case for an appeal in later filings.

Lawyers for survivors and families of the victims say the government is likely to make arguments similar to ones struck down at trial.

The government is appealing the finding that they should be held responsible for not following their own background check system,said Jamal Alsaffar, who was the lead lawyer for the families at trial. They are also appealing the finding that the federal background check systems actually work and prevent mass shootings like the one at Sutherland Springs and others.

The San Antonio federal judges verdict is the largest award in recent memory over a mass shooting in the United States. Plaintiffs lawyers said it would compensate the more than 80 family members of victims and survivors who filed suit.

System breakdown

Kelley was booted from the Air Force in 2014 because of his propensity for violence. Before his discharge, he was convicted of domestic violence for seriously injuring his infant stepson and was sent to jail for a year. He had been barred from Holloman AFB in New Mexico for threatening superiors and bringing firearms onto the base.

After a trial in spring 2021, Rodriguez ruled in July that the Air Force was 60 percent responsible for the shooting and Kelley was 40 percent responsible. Rodriguezs $230 million verdict came after a second trial on damages.

Testimony showed that for more than 30 years, the Air Force failed to report thousands of violent felons, including Kelley, into the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System. That system is designed to prevent convicted criminals from purchasing or possessing firearms. Without that flag, Kelley was able to buy guns from licensed dealers.

Government lawyers made several arguments, including that the gunman could have gotten his guns by means other than going to a licensed firearms dealer and subjecting himself to a background check.

The Biden Administration filing this appeal is just re-victimizing these victims, Alsaffar said. Theyve already gone through two trials, and now theyre re-victimizing them by them filing such a cynical appeal.

The Justice Department did not respond Monday to messages seeking comment.

guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
As waves of police from departments across Texas converge on Uvalde, officers have continued to intimidate, harass and impede journalists covering the aftermath of the second-deadliest K-12 school shooting ever in the United States.

An 18-year-old gunman shot and killed 19 children and two teachers with an assault-style rifle at Robb Elementary School on May 24. A maelstrom of media attention intensified after revelations that Pedro Pete Arredondo, chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, held back officers for more than an hour while the gunman remained in a pair of adjoining classrooms filled with children  some of them still alive and calling for help.

On ExpressNews.com: A minute-by-minute reconstruction of the Uvalde school massacre

As weary Uvalde police have begun taking time off, officers across the state  from the Rio Grande Valley to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, from West Texas to East Texas  have descended on the small Hill Country town 85 miles west of San Antonio to assist with traffic control, dispatching and other responsibilities.

Citing the privacy of victims families, some officers have ordered reporters off public sidewalks and used public safety vehicles to block journalists from taking photographs of funerals and burials. In some cases, police have threatened to arrest journalists for walking on public streets.

On ExpressNews.com: Its time to die  75 minutes of horror in Uvalde

Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

The out-of-town officers are under the command of Dilley Police Chief Homer Delgado, the top law enforcement official in a small town about 60 miles southeast of Uvalde.

Efforts to reach Delgado or other Dilley Police Department officials for comment were unsuccessful.

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin Jr. appointed Delgado to direct the out-of-town officers, said Uvalde City Manager Vince DiPiazza.

Their main function is potentially whatever we might need them to assist us with, DiPiazza said. Weve given some downtime to our people to help deal with this situation, so these other officers have stepped in, and theyve helped. My understanding is theyre under some instruction from us to try to keep (journalists) a respectful distance from funeral activities.

DiPiazza apologized to the San Antonio Express-News for any overzealous policing.

That seems overboard to me, DiPiazza said, referring to an incident in which police from multiple agencies harassed an Express-News photographer for standing on a public sidewalk near Uvaldes First Baptist Church.

I would apologize if any of my officers were overzealous, DiPiazza said. Perhaps we should be a little more sensitive to the job yall are trying to do, too. They were probably told to prevent any undue disruption of the funerals by protecting the privacy of the families. Theyre making judgments in the field, and perhaps theyre being overzealous. Well have a little powwow about that on our end.

Uvalde has more out-of-town police assistance than it needs, DiPiazza added.

Theyre from everywhere, he said. This whole event has brought a lot of officers to help, which we appreciate. We cant use them all because its overwhelming.

On Sunday, law enforcement officers who identified themselves as hailing from Bexar County told reporters and photojournalists to walk farther away from a church where a family was holding a funeral for 10-year-old Alithia Haven Ramirez, a victim of the massacre. The journalists already were standing across the street from the church, on a public sidewalk.

Asked by a reporter which department he worked for, one of the officers said to look at his badge, then turned away so the reporter could not see it.

It could not be determined which Bexar County agency the two officers work for  a sign of the confusion created by the flood of law officers in Uvalde.

About 10 investigators with the Bexar County District Attorneys Office are in Uvalde to help with traffic control and other tasks, Bexar County DA Joe Gonzales said.

He said he doubted the two officers who accosted the journalists Sunday were from his office but that hed find out.

My philosophy is wherever the public has a right to be, the media also has that right, Gonzales said. In my opinion, if an officer is instructing a member of the media to move from an area that is accessible to the public, that is not consistent with the state of the law.

He added, Im going to remind our investigators what their authority under the law is. Im confident that our investigators would treat the members of the media with the utmost respect, but I will investigate.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the two officers were not from his agency. Bexar deputies helped out in Uvalde for two days after the massacre, then returned home, he said.

We were there to help with patrolling or any traditional law enforcement functions, Salazar said. If theres anybody looking to stymie the efforts of the media, were not interested in that.

The Bexar County Fire Marshals Office sent six personnel to help out in Uvalde in the two days after the shooting, said spokesman Tom Peine. Those staff members assisted with administrative tasks so local authorities could focus on the investigation, he said.

Peine said the Fire Marshals Office knew of no concerted efforts to block media from reporting on the tragedy and its aftermath.

They have not received such orders, nor had they heard of such orders being given to others, Peine said.

In the immediate aftermath of the massacre, the San Antonio Police Department sent a host of personnel to Uvalde, including a SWAT team, several crime scene investigators and the departments search helicopter.

But as of Monday, only one to two SAPD employees remained  dispatchers who are being sent to Uvalde daily to assist with administrative duties and dispatching, said Sgt. Washington Moscoso, a spokesman for the department.

Police Chief William McManus said he declined a request to send more officers to Uvalde.

I would need that request in writing, and I would need to know exactly how many and what they were going to be used for, McManus said.

He added, If theres no public safety issue with having the media standing in the right of way, theres no reason to ask them to move. Theres got to be some safety issue. Barring that, police officers should not be asking media to move.

Joseph Larsen, a Houston attorney who specializes in First Amendment law, said the types of police interference with news gathering that have occurred in Uvalde are classic First Amendment violations.

Im appalled that this is going on, quite frankly, Larsen said. News gathering itself is a constitutionally protected right. The government stepping in to prevent that is absolutely a violation of the First Amendment.

Larsen, who serves on the board of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, a nonprofit that educates journalists, legal professionals and public officials on First Amendment rights, said the police officers and the city of Uvalde, if it was directing officers to act that way, could be vulnerable to a civil lawsuit.

They better be careful, or they are going to find themselves at the end of a lawsuit, Larsen said. It doesnt sound like the actions of one or two rogue cops. It sounds like coordinated activity. It sounds like it has the sanction of the city.

Conceivably, the officers also could face criminal charges, such as official oppression, Larsen said. According to the Texas Penal Code, a public servant can face charges of official oppression if he or she intentionally denies or impedes another in the exercise or enjoyment of any right, privilege, power or immunity, knowing his conduct is unlawful.

Larsen said police officers and public officials should welcome media coverage  even if it comes with scrutiny of their actions.

The local government should be revealing information to the public, Larsen said. Things dont get fixed unless the public is aware of the problems. They want to run away from it, but they should be running toward it. They are completely lacking in political courage.
San Antonio attorney Thomas J. Henry is representing the families of four students injured in the Uvalde school shooting, according to a news release.

All four of the children represented by Henry suffered gunshot wounds and other injuries after an 18-year-old stormed their Robb Elementary School classroom on May 24. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the shooting, and at least 17 other children and adults were injured.

You might also like: Uvalde DA taps outside lawyers to help investigate Robb Elementary School massacre

The victims represented by Henrys office are all either 9 or 10 years old.

As part of a lawsuit, Henry and his team are investigating the facts surrounding the school shooting and looking at the gunmans past, including potential red flags or threats of violence that may have been posted to social media or communicated directly to others but not properly reported to law enforcement, according to the news release.

Federal and state investigators are also seeking details about the gunmans online chats with young people in California and Germany, the Express-News reported. Court records indicate that search warrants or subpoenas have been issued for the gunmans cellphone and social media accounts.

Alex Wong, Staff / Getty Images

Henrys firm said it intends to also look at how the gunman purchased the guns and ammunition used, how he was able to gain entry into the school, and the response by law enforcement.

More on Uvalde: That seems overboard: Out-of-town police in Uvalde block cameras, disrupt coverage of tragedys aftermath

State authorities and the FBI have interviewed several witnesses, including the children who survived the shooting. The investigation is also focused on the law enforcement response to the shooting, which has been widely criticized after officials revealed that it took police more than an hour to enter the classroom and kill the gunman.

Henrys firm initially filed a petition against the gunmans estate, according to the news release. However, Henry said he is exploring all available legal actions against all responsible parties for possible constitutional rights violations, gun law violations, and violations of laws, policies, and procedures pertaining to school safety.

Henry said the legal action will allow his firm to discover evidence and possibly add other parties to the lawsuit. The focus will be on the school system, law enforcement, social media, and gun and ammunition manufacturers, the news release said.

Related: 11-year-old who survived Uvalde school shooting will testify before Congress this week

Henry's announcement is among a growing number of potential civil cases stemming from the massacre in Uvalde.

Last week, a Robb Elementary School teacher and the father of a student killed in the mass shooting at the school both signaled their intent to sue Daniel Defense LLC, the manufacturer of the assault-style rifle the gunman used in the shooting.

Pete Luna /Uvalde Leader-News

Henry also represents several victims of the mass shooting at Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church in 2017. In February, a U.S. Federal Judge returned a $230 million verdict against the United States government for its role in that shooting. The Justice Department filed notice Monday that it is appealing a San Antonio judge's verdict.

timothy.fanning@express-news.net
In the wake of the Uvalde massacre of 19 children and their two teachers, another story has arisen closer to home for journalists.

Over the last few days, as Uvalde families have laid their loved ones to rest and multiple investigations are ongoing, journalists covering the story have been threatened and intimidated by police and members of motorcycle clubs who say theyve been asked to protect the victims families.

It should ring another alarm for investigators examining the police response to the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.

What began with inaccurate reports and a shifting narrative has morphed again into more police mishandling.

Journalists have been told they cant stand on public property or enter a public building to request public information or request an interview with an official.

Theyve been told they cant walk on a public street near the funeral homes. Police officers have blocked cameras with their bodies or by creating barricades with parked police vehicles.

Journalists have been harassed by police and members of motorcycle clubs  who unfairly or not fit the very definition of intimidation. Thats likely why they were tapped for the job of keeping journalists at bay on the pretense of protecting grieving families.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

Several bikers have told reporters they were invited by police to help provide security. Official or unofficial, paid or unpaid, they need to be recalled.

They need to stand down.

As far as is known, theyre non-commissioned and non-deputized. Theyre also unnecessary.

Their presence threatens journalists and thwarts First Amendment rights. Like the Second Amendment, the first isnt absolute but no such questions apply here.

If a private citizen chooses not to speak to the news media, thats their right. They have the right to privacy. They also have the right to speak to a reporter if they choose.

Police dont get to obstruct either party, and a person who self-identifies as a biker has even less standing, whether invited or not.

Its understandable that local police need assistance at this time and have called on police from other jurisdictions to help manage crowds that have converged on the town, including journalists.

We all have jobs to do; and if what police are doing is trying to control the narrative, obstructing the press wont help matters.

Too little is known about what happened May 24, which is why the FBI is assisting in an investigation by the Texas Rangers, a unit thats part of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Then theres the U.S. Justice Department, which is conducting an independent investigation into the police response to the shooting at the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin Jr.

A Texas House of Representatives committee also will examine the events surrounding the massacre, and the Uvalde County District Attorney has asked former Brazos County District Attorney Bill Turner and other outside lawyer to assist its investigation.

Journalism has a role to play as well.

Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered the Watergate scandal 50 years ago. What began as a burglary at the Democratic National Committee headquarter in 1972 led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Woodward and Bernstein were on CNNs Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter on Sunday morning, right before Express-News Executive Editor Nora Lopez went on to talk about the harassment of journalists in Uvalde.

Lopez, president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, called the police response unprecedented, making it increasingly difficult for us to trust what authorities and what the police are telling us.

Lopez explained what reporters do. They write down what police say. They attempt to verify that information. They request public documents under public records laws. They interview eyewitnesses and relatives.

With some exceptions, people speak with journalists to get their story out, especially in these kinds of situations. In my experience, if someone doesnt want to talk with us, we back off.

Photos and video show us that police have interacted with members of biker clubs to obstruct journalists. Bikers have said they were enlisted by local police.

Weve never been told that by the police, Lopez said on CNN. Weve tried to reach out to the police chief to register these concerns about how theyre treating the media out there. Weve not gotten a response from them yet.

In one video, a biker is seen telling a journalist  who might have bumped into him, or vice versa, as they walked  that the bump constituted assault on a public servant. He said hes a paramedic, thus a public servant.

It looked like an insidious threat.

Even when family members have wanted to speak to reporters, Lopez said police and bikers have intervened, discouraging or prevented them from speaking with members of the press.

What officials fail to see is that Uvalde families have many of the same questions journalists do, and they want answers.

eayala@express-news.net
We often hear that its a bad idea to create laws in the fevered atmosphere surrounding a traumatic incident.

Theres some truth in that notion.

Consider the 2001 Patriot Act, rushed through Congress immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, at a time of great fear and anxiety in this country. The law expanded the federal governments authority to commit acts of domestic surveillance and infringe on our civil liberties.

Thomas Dodds mail-order gun bill was not one of those knee-jerk pieces of legislation, although it was routinely characterized that way.

Related: Editorial: Now is the time to rebuff NRA donations

The story of Dodds long 1960s struggle to pass a common-sense firearms regulation tells us a lot about how deep this countrys resistance goes when it comes to imposing limits on gun access. Dodds crusade also contradicts the popular modern narrative that the National Rifle Association used to be much more amenable to gun reform.

Its a story that offers perspective to the current battle  in the aftermath of the shocking May 24 massacre at Uvaldes Robb Elementary  to address this countrys epidemic of mass shootings.

Dodd, the late U.S. senator from Connecticut (and the father of former U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd), spent much of the 1960s relentlessly pushing a bill that would apply restrictions to mail-order gun sales.

The bill became the focus of public attention in late 1963, after Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy with a $12.78 Italian rifle he had ordered by mail under the pseudonym of A. Hidell.

Dallas Police Department, HO / MCT

Well before the Kennedy assassination, law enforcement officials expressed concerns about how easy it was for kids and people with criminal records to purchase mail-order firearms.

At a January 1963 U.S. Senate committee hearing, Kenneth Carpenter, a Los Angeles police commission investigator, testified that the mail-order gun business was a problem of grave concern to the country.

To this date, there are no laws adequately regulating mail-order gun sales, Carpenter said. This means that anyone, virtually anyone, can get a gun.

Dodd already had been looking into the issue for about a year before that Senate hearing. He found that 1 million firearms a year were being purchased by mail in this country and that one-fourth of those guns were going to people with criminal records.

In Fairfax, Va., a young boy shot and killed a neighbor child with a snub-nosed pistol bought from a shady mail-order gun house.

Dodd told committee members that the country was being flooded with deadly weapons, weapons that have been imported by the thousands and indiscriminately sold by a few unscrupulous dealers who use the anonymity of the mails and common carriers to sow their seeds of destruction.

Later that year, one of those weapons landed in Oswalds hands.

After the Kennedy assassination, Dodd stepped up his effort to pass a bill regulating mail-order sales. The bill prohibited the interstate commerce of guns to anyone under 18 or previously convicted of a felony. It also prevented buyers from hiding behind anonymity or pseudonyms.

It was a sensible solution to an undeniable problem.

Even the intense sense of national grief over Kennedys death, however, couldnt help Dodd overcome the objections of gun enthusiasts. His bill got blocked in the House Commerce Committee.

In early 1965, with Dodd making another bid to get his bill passed, an NRA member took out a front-page ad in Shotgun News, calling the mail-order legislation part of a Communist plot to take over the United States by confiscation of all firearms.

Once again, Dodds effort got blocked.

Mark Felix / Bloomberg

It wasnt until October 1968, after the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, that Congress finally managed to pass legislation restricting mail-order sales of rifles and shotguns.

Even then, the NRA successfully fought to strip away provisions calling for a national gun registry and licenses for all gun carriers.

In June of that year, then-NRA President Harold Glassen warned organization members that gun-control supporters were aiming for the complete abolition of civilian ownership of firearms.

The long, frustrating story of Dodds mail-order bill indicates that long before Sandy Hook and Uvalde, gun enthusiasts were able to stifle the nations desire for reform.

Six decades later, the problem is the same: a loud, angry mob views any gun-control legislation as a calamitous step into government oppression.

The options are tough. You cant change the mindsets of elected officials controlled by gun-rights absolutists. And voting people out of office isnt easy. But its the best shot weve got.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
After gun rampages, many politicians invoke a familiar phrase: Now is not the time.

Now is not the time for politics.

Now is not the time to change gun laws without knowing all the facts.

Now is not the time to place blame.

Iterations of these types of phrases are repeated, it is often said, out of respect for the victims and their families. But the effect is to delay a necessary dialogue about the nations gun violence problem and lax firearms laws. These magic words  now is not the time  are repeated with each mass shooting, even though large majorities of Americans support reforms and want change: 81 percent support universal background checks, 66 percent support a federal database to track gun sales, 64 percent support banning high-capacity magazines, the Pew Research Center reported in 2021.

The mantra of now is not the time simply buys time for organizations such as the National Rifle Association to let the news cycle fade. Now is not the time seems to really mean there is never a good time.

In the aftermath of the school shooting in Uvalde  where an 18-year-old man used an assault-style rifle to kill 19 children and two teachers  the Houston Chronicle overlayed Texas politicians comments about the tragedy with the amount of money theyve accepted from the NRA.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, $583,816. U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, $204,705. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, $176,284.U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, $31,669. Gov. Greg Abbott, $16,750. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, $12,500. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy $11,763. Indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton, $10,750. U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, $9,759.

Perhaps now should be the time for candidates and elected officials to reject funds from the NRA and give serious consideration to the gun safety reforms that polls show most Americans support. Even under the best of circumstances, NRA donations to Cornyn, for example, color his involvement with potential bipartisan federal reforms.

To be clear, any bipartisan agreement about gun safety measures in the aftermath of Uvalde should include key stakeholders such as the NRA and other gun rights supporters. But it also requires an honest discussion about easy access to firearms  and we dont see that happening.

As Cornyn said during a floor speech this week: Were not talking about banning a category of weapons across the board, a ban for certain high-capacity magazines or changing the background check system by adding additional disqualifying items. If were actually serious about finding common ground and building consensus, those sorts of things will stand no chance of passing the Senate.

Why?

Like others, Cornyn has said he is interested in strengthening mental health, bolstering school security, keeping guns out of the hands of people who are already legally prohibited from having them.

Likewise, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a San Antonio Republican and Navy veteran, has emphasized mental health as the starting point to bipartisan discussions that, apparently, would not include guns.

This is so much bigger than Left or Right, he tweeted May 31. I dont care what your politics are  if you want to solve the mental health problem in this country, lets work TOGETHER to fix this.

He said he asked President Joe Biden for help in getting funding for a mental health center, better police communications and a new emergency operations center.

Can we agree that we need to address the mental health issue in this country? Can we start there? he asked in an interview on KENS 5. If the answer is yes, then I think we can go on from there.

Mental health care does need improvement, but this is not an either-or issue. We can bolster mental health and physical security of public places at the same time we consider new gun legislation.

But, apparently, now is not the time.
From left are Hwang Joon-kook, Yun Duk-min, Chung Jae-ho and Chang Ho-jin, who have been appointed as South Korea's ambassadors to the United Nations, Japan, China and Russia, respectively. Courtesy of presidential office



President names ambassadors to Japan, China, Russia, completing lineup of envoys to 4 key foreign postings



By Nam Hyun-woo



President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday named South Korea's ambassadors to Japan, China and Russia, completing the appointments of envoys to the country's four key foreign postings.



According to the presidential office, Yoon tapped Yun Duk-min, Chung Jae-ho and Chang Ho-jin as ambassador plenipotentiary to Japan, China and Russia, respectively. Former lawmaker Cho Tae-yong had already been appointed as ambassador to the U.S. on May 17.



They will work officially as ambassadors to those countries after presenting their credentials to the host governments.



Yun, appointed as ambassador to Japan, is a chair professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and had been chancellor of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy during the conservative Park Geun-hye administration.



He has been vocal in the improvement of South Korea-Japan relations, calling for a prompt resolution of a conflict between the neighboring countries over Japan's World War II atrocities and compensation for wartime Korean laborers during Japan's forced occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945. That conflict was aggravated following the South Korean Supreme Court's 2018 ruling against Japanese companies and ordering them to compensate surviving South Korean victims of wartime forced labor.



During his speech at a conference hosted by the Nikkei last month, Yun said, "The Yoon government will not let Seoul-Tokyo relations aggravate further." At the time, he floated the idea of the South Korean government compensating the victims and collecting the money from Japanese firms by organizing a fund, adding it is his personal view.



"The most important task for the ambassador to Japan will be resolving the strained Seoul-Tokyo relations," an official at the presidential office said. "If he is officially appointed, I expect he will focus on this matter."









Chung, appointed as ambassador to China, is also a scholar  a diplomacy professor at Seoul National University. He served as the head of the university's Institute for China Studies, and is known as an expert in the trilateral relations between South Korea, China and the U.S.



During an interview last year with JoongAng Ilbo newspaper, Chung said South Korea's strategic ambiguity about the U.S.-China rivalry is "on its last legs," and the country "should not be afraid of raising its voice on pending diplomatic matters," if they are deemed necessary to national interests.



This is in line with Yoon's diplomatic initiative for "a global pivot state" that envisions a heightened role in advancing freedom, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.



Chang, appointed as ambassador to Russia, is a chair professor at Korea Maritime & Ocean University. He spent most of his career as a diplomat, serving as presidential secretary for foreign policy during the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration and as a political councilor at the South Korean Embassy to Russia.





South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Tae-yong speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the National Assembly in Seoul, in this Jan. 18, 2021, file photo. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



With this latest announcement, Yoon has completed the appointments of South Korea's top envoys to its four major diplomatic postings.



The president opted to pick diplomatic experts as his top envoys, which contrasts with his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who named political appointees as ambassadors to those countries. Cho was a lawmaker with the People Power Party before taking the job, but he is better known as a career diplomat.



This is interpreted as Yoon's acknowledgement that the current diplomatic situation surrounding South Korea is grave, with the country being intertwined in the U.S.' rivalries with China and Russia.



As Yoon steers the country's diplomacy to strengthening the alliance with the U.S., pressures from China and Russia are expected to weigh on Seoul in terms of economic ties and cooperation over North Korea issues. To address challenges stemming from these dynamics, Yoon appears to have chosen experts with rich diplomatic experience, watchers said.





Minister of Office for Government Policy Coordination nominee Bang Moon-kyu / Courtesy of presidential office
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Homeowners will get some relief from higher taxes after Bexar County commissioners adopted additional property exemptions Tuesday.

Noting concerns about increasing property values, consumer inflation and a state cap on year-to-year property tax revenue increases for local entities, commissioners approved a substantial hike in the countys homestead exemption from the initial $5,000 break adopted in March to 20 percent  the maximum allowed by the state. They also increased the University Health hospital district exemption for property owners age 65 and over  from $10,000 to $30,000.

On ExpressNews.com: Property tax protests set record in Bexar County

For the average homeowner, county taxes account for about 11 percent of the annual tax bill.

Residents filed a record number of appraisal protests  more than 156,000 in response to the initial wave of appraisal notices, with protest forms still coming in this month  according to the Bexar Appraisal District. Its more than 10 percent higher than the previous record of 141,000 protests recorded in 2021. Despite the economic impact of the pandemic, values have risen about 28 percent this year in Bexar County and even higher in other urban Texas counties, driven by a high demand for housing stock that has outpaced availability.

Residents who reside in the home they own are eligible for the homestead exemption, regardless of age. About 358,000 homeowners in Bexar County currently have a homestead exemption on file.

With the new exemption set to take effect this year, the owner of a $300,000 home will save nearly $175 on their annual tax bills, said Commissioner Marialyn Barnard, who has led the efforts on the Commissioners Court to provide tax relief. She said shes especially concerned about the tax burden on families with children.

This affects every family who owns a home, Barnard said.

On ExpressNews.com: Calvert calls for tax reform as homeowners reach breaking point

The increased exemption on property values for homeowners 65 and over on hospital district taxes also takes effect this year and represents a roughly $55 annual savings.

The over-65 tax exemption is important to many seniors on fixed incomes struggling to pay property taxes resulting from higher appraisal values of their homes, a county memo said.

Commissioner Tommy Calvert said state legislators need to provide more school funding and ease the burden on homeowners.

In Austin, thats the real start of this pain problem. But were doing our part, Calvert said.

shuddleston@express-news.net
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Pressure is mounting from leaders in Texas largest cities for Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session on gun regulations and school security after the mass shooting in Uvalde.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is the latest to join Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff in a plea for swift action from the state.

A special session should be called now by the governor so these matters can be debated and voted upon before our children return to school in the fall, Turner said in a tweet.

When asked about the possibility of a special session at a May 27 news conference in Uvalde, Abbott said, all options are on the table. He said he expected laws to be passed in multiple different subject areas in response to this devastating crime. More recently, his office has said the governor is still focusing his attention on Uvalde and does not want to comment while the town is mourning, with funerals scheduled through June 16.

Dallas County commissioners are set Tuesday to consider a resolution that supports changes in gun laws similar to what Wolff has advocated. The resolution also urges Abbott to allow legislators who have expressed a desire to pass common-sense and effective laws to protect the people of the state from mass shootings through a special session.

On ExpressNews.com: Wolff urges Abbott to call special session on gun violence

The resolution supports raising the minimum age to purchase an assault-type rifle from 18 to 21, red flag laws authorizing a judge to remove firearms temporarily from someone who poses a credible danger, universal background checks that close loopholes for gun shows and private sales, and an increase in mental health funding through Medicaid expansion.

It lists Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Arkansas and Oklahoma as Republican states that have expanded Medicaid access.

Bexar County commissioners Tuesday will consider a roughly $16 million package to reduce gun violence. Initiatives include gun locks, public education and school-based mental health support.

The May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers and left 17 others injured before Border Patrol agents killed the gunman. Abbott last week announced the formation of special legislative committees to develop recommendations on school safety, mental health, police training and firearms safety for consideration by the Legislature, which begins meeting in its regular session in January.

But Wolff and others say Texans cant wait that long.

A special session needs to be called now because we are only three months away from the start of the fall school semester, Wolff said in a letter to Abbott on Saturday that he shared with officials in Harris, Dallas, Tarrant and Travis counties.

The letter urges the state to raise the age to purchase semi-automatic weapons, provide state funding for school security upgrades and trauma emergency planning, adopt a red flag law and universal background checks, and require training and a license to carry firearms  a restriction Wolff said the state once had but has stripped away.

Wolff has been adamant that the governor and Legislature act quickly after the massacre in Uvalde, which is right on our doorstep, 85 miles west of San Antonio. A 2017 shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, some 30 miles southeast, killed 26 people and wounded 22.

This could happen to us when school starts up in the fall, Wolff said. If it could happen in Sutherland Springs and Uvalde, it could happen right here.

On ExpressNews.com: Bexar County leaders demand swift action by state after Uvalde shooting

The Dallas County resolution notes that since Abbott took office in 2015, six mass shootings in Texas have caused 92 deaths and left 111 people injured. It says there are a finite amount of days that action can be taken before schools reopen for the next year.

Administrators, faculty and staff as well as students and their parents deserve the comfort of knowing that swift action was taken to address the overwhelming concern of looming domestic terror on campuses and in communities across the state, the resolution states.

shuddleston@express-news.net
In recent days, law enforcement officers in Uvalde have blocked reporters from engaging with residents and covering the aftermath of the horrific May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary.

These actions would be troubling under any circumstances, but they are particularly alarming in the face of questions that have arisen over how police officers handled the shooting and how transparent theyve been with the public about it.

The increasingly tense dynamic between police and the media was a topic of discussion on this weeks episode of the Express-News Puro Politics podcast.

Greg Jefferson, the newspapers metro editor, explained how the situation has escalated over the past week.

On ExpressNews.com: Out-of-town police in Uvalde block cameras, disrupt coverage of tragedys aftermath

Were approaching this very respectfully, but this is a huge tragedy that calls out for coverage, Jefferson said. Its what we do, and I think its what the broader community needs.

So they (the reporters) are just trying to do their jobs and what were finding is, in addition to police departments from all across the state  were talking about Southlake, Allen, Tomball, Del Rio, Lubbock and others  they (Uvalde police officers) are there basically creating a wall between reporters and funeral services; events that we have a right and responsibility to cover.

Jefferson added that the Uvalde Fire Department is also using its fire trucks to barricade funeral homes and churches and obscure all sight lines to those properties.

If you step back, think about the Uvalde Police Department, he said. There are at least two investigations underway into the police response. Uvalde police are integral to those investigations, and nobody thinks theyre going to turn out well.

These are going to be very embarrassing, probably very damning reports, once its done. So you have to question what the Police Departments motivation is in keeping reporters away from Uvalde residents.

Hear more about the Uvalde Police Departments treatment of the media on the latest edition of Puro Politics.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, tapped as the lead Republican emissary for bipartisan negotiations over potential gun legislation, is making it clear that lawmakers are pursuing a narrow compromise that will not include a ban on assault-style weapons or expanded background checks.

Dismissing those and other items at the top of Democratic policy wish lists as nonstarters, Cornyn said law-abiding gun owners will not be impacted at all if Congress reaches an agreement in the wake of last months mass shooting at a Uvalde elementary school.

Talks have centered on keeping guns out of the hands of people who are already legally prohibited from having them, said Cornyn, who is pushing to enable federal background checks on juvenile records that are often sealed or expunged.

Were not talking about banning a category of weapons across the board, a ban for certain high-capacity magazines or changing the background check system by adding additional disqualifying items, Cornyn said in a speech on the Senate floor. If were actually serious about finding common ground and building consensus, those sorts of things will stand no chance of passing the Senate.

In the days after the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 students and two teachers dead, President Joe Biden and other Democrats have urged lawmakers to ban assault weapons, institute stricter background checks and raise the minimum age for people to buy semi-automatic weapons. House Democrats are preparing on Wednesday to pass a sweeping package of gun reforms that includes most of these proposals, none of which are likely to pass the Senate.

IN-DEPTH: For Texas Republican lawmakers, its an A grade from the NRA  or else

Meanwhile, a bipartisan cadre of senators led by Cornyn and Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut have pursued less expansive proposals, hoping to arrive at a package that would receive the support of at least 60 senators  the threshold needed to pass the divided chamber.

While such talks have repeatedly failed in recent years, lawmakers have said the latest round of discussions is more serious than prior failed attempts.

Cornyn, who boasts an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association, has frequently played a role in policy negotiations following mass shootings, and he authored the last major federal gun measure to become law.

Known as the Fix NICS Act, Cornyns bill tightened requirements for states and federal agencies to report criminal history data to the FBIs National Instant Criminal Background Check System. He introduced it after the 2017 shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, where a gunman killed 26 people using a gun he was able to buy because the Air Force had failed to report his criminal record to the system.

In the first three years after the law was passed in early 2018, the FBI reported an increase of 11.5 million records  amounting to an 11.4 percent increase  in the three national databases scanned before each purchase from a federally licensed firearms dealer.

Cornyn suggested Congress could turn to legislation with a similar goal in mind this time, along with policies aimed at strengthening mental health and bolstering school security.

What Im interested in is keeping guns out of the hands of those who, by current law, are not supposed to have them: people with mental health problems, people who have criminal records, he said.

One proposal lawmakers are considering, Cornyn said, is making juvenile records accessible for background checks on firearms purchases. In an interview with the New York Times, Cornyn suggested that such a policy could have prevented the Uvalde gunman from obtaining his weapon, which he purchased shortly upon turning 18.

Nothing that happened in his past was part of that background check, Cornyn said. We are reaching out to see if there is maybe a mechanism that could make that information available, just like if they were an adult. They would either pass or not pass based on their criminal and mental health record. It is a real gap.

The bipartisan talks have also reportedly touched on the possibility of incentivizing states to pass red flag laws, which allow judges to temporarily confiscate firearms from people deemed potentially dangerous. Cornyn said GOP senators discussed red flag laws during a lunchtime briefing Tuesday, during which the Texas Republican relayed an update on the gun negotiations that received a noncommittal response from his colleagues, according to CNN.

Conservative lawmakers and activists in Texas have generally opposed red flag laws. The Texas Republican Party platform opposes red flag legislation or any measure that would cause gun owners to be investigated by law enforcement or appear before a judge when there is no reasonable cause of a crime committed.

As after other mass shootings, Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican leaders have summarily rejected calls for tighter gun laws, instead focusing on access to mental health services.

In 2019, the Legislature responded to a mass shooting at Santa Fe High School near Houston by passing a number of bills aimed at increasing mental health resources for students. Mental health experts say those initiatives have only begun to address Texas mental health crisis and that there is little evidence mental illnesses cause mass shootings.

Benjamin Wermund contributed to this report.

jasper.scherer@chron.com
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WASHINGTON  Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey choked up Tuesday as he spoke at the White House about the children who were killed in the school shooting in his hometown last month.

From a podium in the press room, the actor showed a self-portrait drawn by 10-year-old Alithia Ramirez, whose parents told him that if we could share it, then somehow maybe that could make Alithia smile in heaven.

He talked about the green high-top Converse shoes worn by 10-year-old Maite Rodriguez that represented the love of nature of the girl who dreamed of being a marine biologist. The shoes were the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting.

Now Playing: Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey offered an emotional eulogy to victims of last month's rampage in Uvalde, Texas. and called on Congress to "reach a higher ground" and pass gun control legislation in honor of the shooting victims. (June 7) Video: Associated Press

IN-DEPTH: After messy handling of Uvalde shooting, experts say even the fastest response cant outrun bullets

How about that (expletive)? McConaughey said as he banged his fist on the lectern.

How can the loss of these lives matter? McConaughey said. We need to recognize that this time, it seems that something is different.

The actor and self-described gun owner spoke for more than 20 minutes as he urged lawmakers to take action to restrict access to firearms. He called for expanding background checks, raising the age to purchase an AR-15 from 18 to 21, adding a waiting period to purchase assault-style weapons and for red flag laws that give courts the ability to take guns away from those deemed to pose a threat.

These are reasonable, practical, tactical regulations, he said. Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals. These regulations are not a step back, theyre a step forward for a civil society and  and  the Second Amendment.

It marked a decisively political turn for McConaughey, who just seven months ago ruled out a run for governor by declaring that politics was a path that Im choosing not to take at this moment. The actor describes himself as an aggressive centrist and in the past has declined to offer specific political viewpoints, even as he publicly mused about running for office.

In an interview on Fox News after the White House speech, McConaughey said he isnt seeking political office.

Im here because on the 24th of May, I got the news that there was a mass shooting in the town that I was born in, he said.

And while McConaughey declared at the White House that new gun laws should be nonpartisan and the country is not as divided as we are being told we are on the issue of firearms, some of the reforms the actor is pushing go beyond what Republicans have so far been willing to consider.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the Texas Republican who is leading Senate negotiations on possible gun legislation for the GOP, has said expanded background checks, for instance, are off the table.

If were actually serious about finding common ground and building consensus, those sorts of things will stand no chance of passing the Senate, he said this week.

RELATED: Cornyn says law-abiding gun owners wont be impacted by legislative response to Uvalde massacre

McConaugheys White House speech came on the heels of two days of meetings with lawmakers in Washington. He met with President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday. Neither Cornyn nor U.S. Sen. Ted Cruzs offices responded to requests about whether McConaughey met with the Texas senators while he was in town.

Cornyn told the Dallas Morning News on Monday that he had previously talked to McConaughey by phone but had not met with him in person.

Certainly, his voice is important, but everybodys voice is important in trying to figure out where the consensus lies for bipartisan legislation, Cornyn said. I may see him as a constituent. Hes a Texan after all.

The House on Wednesday is expected to pass a sweeping package of gun reforms that include much of what McConaughey is espousing. The reforms, billed as the Protect Our Kids Act, go further than any gun control measure that has passed the House since the assault weapons ban of the 1990s. They would raise the age to buy semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21, ban high-capacity magazines, create requirements for safe gun storage in homes, and crack down on so-called ghost guns that are built from kits and exempt from weapon sales regulation.

Republicans have so far opposed the legislation, which passed the House Judiciary Committee on a party line vote last week. U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the top Republican on the committee, chalked the reforms up to radical attempts to legislate away Second Amendment rights.

Also on Wednesday, a fourth-grader who survived the Uvalde shooting, as well as parents of one of the victims, are slated to speak before the House Oversight Committee.

ben.wermund@chron.com
NEWS FLASH





The newly appointed Algerian Ambassador to Serbia, Fatah Mahraz, has launched an initiative for the establishment of flights between the two countries, meeting a number of relevant stakeholders in the past few weeks. In talks held upon the request of Ambassador Mahraz, we discussed the Algerian initiative and the conditions that need to be met for the resumption of scheduled flights between Serbia and Algeria, in the mutual interest of both parties, the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate said in a statement following talks with the Ambassador. Air Serbia will run several sports charters from Belgrade to Algerias second largest city of Oran later this month for the upcoming Mediterranean Games.
The Wyoming oil and gas industry is running more drilling rigs this week than at any time in the last six months.

Between November and May, the statewide rig count fluctuated from 14 to 16, according to Baker Hughes. Its climb to 18 as of Friday ties the highest documented rig count in the state since the start of the pandemic.

I think well continue to see some increases, said Ryan McConnaughey, communications director for the Petroleum Association of Wyoming.

The collapse of oil prices in early 2020 prompted companies around the world to shut in existing wells and cut back on new drilling. And when the U.S. economy reopened, relatively abruptly, last summer, demand quickly outstripped supply.

Wyoming oil and gas companies interest in drilling increased as demand pushed oil prices up toward the end of 2021, and skyrocketed along with the price of oil in the months after Russia invaded Ukraine.

A year ago, U.S. oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate averaged about $68 per barrel. This week, it cost closer to $115 per barrel.

Companies uncertainty about investing in new wells under the Biden administration, which has angered industry by delaying its first onshore oil and gas lease sale by more than a year, faded as oil soared to its highest sustained price since 2014.

But despite the consistently high prices of recent months, supply chain issues and labor shortages have caused major slowdowns for new production.

Qualified personnel remain hard to source as the industry ramps back up. Every aspect of the industry is looking for similar talent, Bill DeGraeve, director of drilling for Casper-based True Drilling, said in an emailed statement.

True is currently operating one of Wyomings 18 active rigs, according to DeGraeve. The company plans to stand up another in the state this month  a more favorable situation than that of some smaller Wyoming operators, which have yet to secure a rig after searching for one for months.

The oil and gas industry is accustomed to the ups and downs of the markets it serves. Every bust shrinks the pool of available suppliers and laborers, and the inevitable boom strains what remains, often resulting in higher costs and longer wait times.

But this cycle, DeGraeve said, is as severe as any in the past.
Montana State Prison. Keith Schubert/Daily Montanan.

The Montana State Prison is like a city within itself, and just like in the outside world, workforce struggles have impeded the prisons ability to run smoothly.

From educators to correctional officers to nursing staff, the prison is struggling to fill positions, a problem that has persisted for years. Officials said on Wednesday that at any given time, 20 percent of the 328 correctional officer staff positions at the prison are unfilled.

While employee shortages at the prison have existed for about a decade, prison warden Jim Salmonsen told reporters during a media tour of the prison he has never seen anything to this magnitude before.

In the prisons mental health unit, Salmonsen spoke of the importance of having a full staff.

Because this unit is more intensive, we do have more staff in these units  keeping a regular crew is paramount in this unit, he said. We try to, but were just not that successful in doing it.

But it hasnt always been this way, according to Rep. Greg Frazer, R-Deer Lodge, a correctional officer at the prison, who said the staffing shortages have led to a culture change within the prisons walls.

When I first started there, at one point, there were more applications than what they could hire on. So you had people knocking on the door waiting to get in, Frazer told the Daily Montanan in an interview following the media tour. It was a nice place to work. It was a meaningful place to work. Things have declined over the years, and the culture shifted.

And the staffing shortages have had a ripple effect on employee well-being at the prison. With mandatory overtime, he said correctional officers are being forced to work longer shifts.

If you have children that you have to pick up from school, or you have an appointment to get to or fill in the blank with an infinite amount of other possibilities, it feels like kidnapping, and that drives the morale down, he said.

One idea that lawmakers have tossed around to subsidize the staffing shortage is bringing in the National Guard, which former Gov. Steve Bullock did to offset staffing shortages brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. But Salmonsen and Frazer said the Guard may not be the best answer as they do not have the necessary training to step into a correctional officer role.

The last time the National Guard was called  I dont think their assistance was quite at the level where the administration and the employees had presumed it was going to be, and thats not the National Guards fault, Frazer said.

Salmonsen agreed and said he has not asked the current administration to call in the National Guard.

The prison, which can house up to 1,600 inmates, was forced to close down an entire unit in early May, a move DOC officials said would ease staffing troubles by reducing the number of mandatory posts.

Despite the struggles, Salmonsen said his staff is doing good work.

Im very proud of what goes on inside this place, he said. One point of pride for Salmonsen is Montana Correctional Enterprises, the arm of the prison that provides education and workforce training.

During Wednesdays tour, Salmonsen highlighted the prisons wood shop, welding shop, auto shop, and upholstery unit. Inmates working in these units make from 40 to 80 cents an hour. And while inmates occupy the prison, their work at the prison shows the outsize role they play in making it operational.

Within MCE is the prisons education program, where they are rolling out a new program called Last Mile, a computer programming class for prisoners. Montana is the seventh state to enroll in the program, which started in the San Quintin State Prison in California in 2010. The Gianforte Family Foundation donated $150,000 to bring the program to the prison, and the contribution will allow Last Mile to run for two years.

The prison is vetting inmates for the program; 22 will be allowed to take the class in the first year. Once a facilitator is hired, the course will begin in late June or early July. According to Last Miles website, 86 percent of inmates who take the course are placed into entry-level tech jobs, and the recidivism rate for those who complete the course is 0 percent.

Our goal is career readiness, said Education Director Marisa Britton-Bostwick.

But, she said, staffing shortages are also impacting her department, which usually has 150 inmates taking classes per year, but is now only able to service around 90.

And like in hospitals outside of the facility, the prisons infirmary is struggling to find staff, said medical services manager Melissa Scharf. The prisons clinic sees around 20 patients per day and has 25 full-time nursing staff and one infection control specialist.

Part of the problem, Scharf said, is working as a prison nurse is not what people generally see themselves doing while in nursing school.

No nurses look at corrections to start, she said.

Jim Anderson, who took over as the DOCs public safety bureau chief in November as part of a reorganization of the department, said DOC is exploring multiple avenues to ease the staffing shortages, but no formal options have been presented.

Were just recognizing in the future  next five to 10 years, were going have to do something. And so were just starting to explore those options, he said.

One option being considered is building a new prison or updating the current one, he said. We could build a lot smarter prison for less staff, he said.

Salmonsen also commented on the struggles of operating a prison built in the 70s. Its like fitting a square peg in a round hole, he said.

One concrete thing the department has done to address the shortage is centralizing its Retention and Recruitment Committee. About two months ago, the department combined its two committees into one committee.

Obviously, (staffing) is one of our main concerns and topics that were focusing on, he said about the committees work. Were just trying to consolidate those efforts and put all of our resources going in one direction  We need nurses and medical professionals just as much as we need correctional officers.

The move reflects the departments new informal motto, Were one DOC.

The committee will consist of various positions from the departments correctional facilities and branches and will aim to recruit at places like career fairs and the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls.

But for now, Anderson said the focus is building on the good work already being done.

Im proud of our people  theyre working hard conditions  and were trying to work hard for them as well, he said. He pointed to a recent $2 raise for correctional officers at the prison as an example.

We were able to get them a pay bump, recently, within our own budget, and were looking to go to the Legislature and ask for more; we want their wages to be competitive with the detention centers across the state. And currently, theyre not, he said.

The post Workforce shortages remain a thorn in the side of the Montana State Prison appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Professor Janet Dwyer from the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) based at University of Gloucestershire has been awarded an OBE in the Queens Platinum Jubilee honours list.

The Professor of Rural Policy and a former director of the CCRI received the award for her services to rural research over more than three decades.

In 2021, she achieved a lifetime ambition of being elected as President of the UK Agricultural Economics Society, one of the world's leading associations of professional and academic agricultural economists.

Commenting on the award, she said: I hope my award helps to inspire other researchers, particularly younger colleagues, to understand and recognise the impact and significance that their work can have.

I have developed a keen interest in supporting and developing impactful research and fostering a strong research culture and environment, with colleagues at the University and the CCRI.

Director of the CCRI between 2013 and 2021, Professor Dwyer has undertaken rural research for more than 35 years, beginning with her PhD examining the contrasting impact of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on rural conservation in Wales and Normandy.

She managed a series of evaluations on the performance of agri-environment schemes, seeking to influence the path of CAP reform in a more environmentally-friendly direction, while working at the Countryside Commission between 1991 and 1998.

Working at the Institute for European Environmental Policy from 1998-2002, she undertook numerous evaluations of agri-environment and rural development policies.

These enabled European and UK policymakers better understand how their programmes were experienced by farmers and rural communities across Europe.

Professor Dwyer moved to the CCRI at the university in 2002, where she has continued her work in policy analysis and development, embracing research on social and environmental sustainability and resilience in the agri-rural domain.

Currently, she is working on UK rural enterprise and innovation in the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise programme, as well as advising the government of Malta on their future agriculture and rural policy.

She also advises Green Alliance, the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission and Defra on rural and agricultural issues, and is a Director of Rural England CIC.




The government of President Yoon Suk-yeol has a role to play in rebuilding Ukrainian cities ravaged by Russia's invasion as it has vowed to take on greater international responsibilities, the ruling party chief was quoted as saying.







People Power Party (PPP) Chairman Lee Jun-seok left for Ukraine on Friday as head of a PPP delegation of about 10 people, including lawmakers, in a trip aimed at discussing cooperation and expressing support for the Ukrainian people amid the war with Russia.







The delegation entered Ukraine from Poland on Saturday and visited Bucha and Irpin, satellite towns of Kyiv, the next day, according to party officials. The party belatedly disclosed the delegation's itinerary in consideration of their security.







"We are here to find out what we can do for Ukraine," Lee was quoted as saying by party officials. "A task has been created for the Yoon Suk-yeol government as it vowed to strengthen its roles in the international community."







During the second day of the visit, the delegation met with Ukrainian officials and discussed ways to provide support, with Lee emphasizing that he will report his findings to President Yoon, the PPP said.







Lee also met with ethic Koreans in Ukraine.







The delegation's exact schedule in Ukraine has not been disclosed real time, but it has already been reported that the delegation had visited the capital city of Kyiv as the Kyiv governor disclosed their visit in a Facebook post.







The delegation is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before returning home. (Yonhap)






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World Environment Day (WED) or Eco Day, officially known as the UN World Environment Day, has been annually celebrated since 1974 on June 5. The date was established by the United Nations as World Environment Day in 1972 at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. This was a result of discussions on human interactions and the environment, also leading to the formation of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Since then, WED has been a platform for encouraging awareness on environmental issues like human overpopulation, global warming, sustainable consumption, marine pollution, and wildlife crime. The programme sees a global participation from over 143 countries, with businesses, communities, non-government organisations, governments and celebrities advocating environmental causes.

Each year, WED is celebrated with a theme to draw attention to pressing issues. The theme of the first WED was Only One Earth, which was also the motto for the 1972 Stockholm Conference. 2022 marks 50 years since that day which eventually led to designating a day as WED. It comes as no surprise then, that the theme for this years WED is the same, because the truth is, we have just this one planet to call our home, and we have to safeguard its finite resources at all costs.

Image: Shutterstock



With a focus on living sustainably in harmony with nature, World Environment Day 2022 will be hosted by the Government of the Sweden in partnership with UNEP. The idea is to bring transformative changes, through policies and choices, towards cleaner and greener lifestyles.

Notably, the idea for rotating the centre of WED activities by selecting different host countries began only in 1987. In the past, World Environment Day celebrations have been hosted in India in 2011 and 2018, under the themes Nature at your Service and Beat Plastic Pollution, respectively.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, was quoted as saying, In 2022, we hope to see a world turning the corner on the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. But we do so with the knowledge that we continue to face the triple planetary crises of climate change, nature loss, and pollution. Per Bolund, Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden and Minister for Environment and Climate, said that as a proud host of 2022 WED, the country will highlight pressing environmental concerns, and showcase their initiatives and global efforts to address climate and nature crises. He also invited the global community to join in the important discussions and celebrations.

Read more: Your Guide To Cooking And Eating Sustainably


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Shraddha Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor's most anticipated Luv Ranjan's next has been the talk of the town for a very long time. The stars were spotted filming a song from the film in Delhi, which went viral on the internet, and the actress has now arrived in Spain. Shraddha took to social media to share a glimpse of the shoot as she travels to Spain for Luv Ranjan's next while capturing a road trip with a song in the background. She also wrote "Hola!" while tagging the location and her hair and makeup artists, Shraddha Naik and Nikita Menon.

Shraddha Kapoor will be seen in Luv Ranjan's untitled next comedy-drama with Ranbir Kapoor, which will be produced by Luv Films and T-Series. Earlier this year, the on-screen couple attended their director Luv Ranjan's intimate wedding in Rajasthan. The movie will be released on Holi 2023. She is also working on a comedy project with director Pankaj Parashar called Chaalbaaz In London, which could be released this year. She is also working on Vishal Furia's Naagin. According to reports, Shraddha will also begin shooting for Naagin soon, and pre-production work on the film has already begun.
Pharmactive targets Asia Pacific Market with new collaboration

MADRID, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pharmactive Biotech Products, S.L.U., announces a new strategic partnership with Singapore-based Nutraconnect Pte, Ltd. to bring innovative, scientifically backed nutraceutical ingredients to the Asia-Pacific marketplace (not including Australia and New Zealand).

The partnership will combine the strengths of both companies into a greater whole. Pharmactive will provide its well-supported, clean-label botanical extract ingredients, while Nutraconnect will function as a growth engine for the region, connecting Pharmactive with local and regional nutraceutical players seeking high-quality, pure ingredients. Nutraconnect Pte., Ltd. is a start-up led by Rohit Noronha, co-founder and Chief Growth Officer, and Nikhil Prabhakar Sawant, co-founder and CEO. Both are highly experienced leaders in the nutraceutical industry.

"We are very fortunate to partner with Nutraconnect, as their team possesses a great deal of market and customer information and strategic insight, allowing for quick responses to potential customers in their local time-zone," confides Jean-Marie Raymond, CEO and Founder of Pharmactive. "Asia is a tremendous growth-hub for Pharmactive. We already have had successes in Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia with Affron pure saffron extract and Aged Black Garlic [ABG+]. Many Asian industry players, formulators, and brand owners approach us about new compounding formats or innovative product concepts to cross the nutraceutical/functional food and beverage divide. Asia is clearly the frontrunner in terms of new ingredient concepts."

"When it comes to nutraceuticals, Asia-Pacific is a fast-moving region, with multiple players constantly on the lookout for the latest ingredients," adds Sawant. "They expect great service and rapid response, even with difficult custom-made formulations,

questions about the regulatory framework in certain countries, etc., and this is exactly where our core strength lies. We look forward to helping Pharmactive meet challenges and grow its business in the APAC market."

About Pharmactive

Pharmactive Biotech Products, S.L.U., is a Madrid-based pioneering biotechnology company that develops and manufactures differentiated natural ingredients supported by science, such as pure saffron extract and aged black garlic. The company's mission is to make a daily positive and significant impact on people's health and well-being through premium botanical ingredients backed by scientific studies and approved by ethics committees. Pharmactive grows, cultivates, and produces farm-to-fork botanical ingredients with a minimal ecological footprint.

About Nutraconnect

Founded in 2022, Nutraconnect Pte., Ltd., is a nutraceutical business growth acceleration service headquartered in Singapore. The company provides end-to-end solutions for global nutraceutical ingredient manufacturers that are looking to establish a foundation for sustainable growth in the fragmented, but booming APAC market. Visit www.nutraconnect.com.sg to learn more about the company and its services.

For more information, contact Company Contact: Press Contact: Pharmactive Biotech Products, S.L.U. NutriPR Mariana Ortega Marketing Associate Tel: +34 625 926 940 Email: mortega@pharmactive.eu Liat Simha Tel: +972-9-9742893 E-mail: liat@nutripr.com Twitter: @Pharmactive_SP Twitter: @NutriPR_ Web: www.pharmactive.eu Web: www.nutripr.com

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COLOGNE, Germany, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prinx Chengshan, the international tire company with Chinese origin, debuted its new flagship brand PRINX at Tire Cologne 2022, from May 24 to 26, 2022. With an international product portfolio covering the PRINX, Chengshan, Austone and Fortune brands, Prinx Chengshan made quite a stir among partners, customers and the media via creative booth design and in particular, VR technologies, demonstrating bold innovation and high ambition of globalization.

An international brand with a global vision

Based on insight into consumer needs for 46 years, Prinx Chengshan has formulated a brand strategy consisting of globalization, localization, multi-brands and differentiation. With existing brands including Chengshan, Austone, and Fortune, the PRINX brand featured a completely new image, highlighting the company's confidence in exploring the international markets amid EV transition.

The PRINX EV products boast the world's first-class performance and original design, while Prinx Chengshan exhibited its new passenger winter tires and all-season tires, demonstrating cutting-edge and indigenous technologies including noise-reduction Silenteck and instant self-repairing Healteck technologies.

To offer visitors a virtual experience, the 360 VR exhibition stand was erected. Through digital technology, it created an immersive communication platform, combining both on-line and off-line experience. Taking the lead in digital innovation in recent years, Prinx Chengshan has accumulated rich experiences in intelligent manufacturing and channel modernization, and digitization will support more business scenarios and continue to optimize its global supply chain and service network.

Accelerated overseas expansion

Since its establishment, Prinx Chengshan has been growing fast in China with a global vision. In recent years, sales of its overseas markets increased quickly due to a robust global sales network, with international sales revenue up by 70% YoY in 2021. By the end of last year, Prinx Chengshan products have been sold in more than 130 countries and regions across six continents, and its overseas service capability and brand charisma is expanding on a continuous basis.

Going forward, Prinx Chengshan will inject new impetus to enhance its core competitiveness and forge a global brand architecture with an international product portfolio and brand strategy. In the era of sustainable mobility, Prinx Chengshan is expected to expand its international footprint and kickstart a "new journey" with a stable and high-quality global supply chain and service network.

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Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong, right, shakes hands with Deputy U.S. Secretary of State Wendy Sherman ahead of their meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap



International community likely to respond to Pyongyang's provocation



By Kang Seung-woo



South Korea and the United States warned, Tuesday, that a quick and strong response was awaiting any possible nuclear test by North Korea, stressing the allies' full preparation to effectively deal with Pyongyang's destabilizing and provocative activities.



The strong statement came after Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong held a meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Wendy Sherman, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul amid high expectations that the Kim Jong-un regime is anticipated to conduct a seventh nuclear test soon.



The vice-ministerial meeting also took place on the heels of a series of South Korea-U.S. talks featuring North Korea's nuclear program. President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden held a summit, May 21, to discuss ways to handle North Korea's nuclear and missile challenges, followed by a trilateral meeting by nuclear envoys from South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, last week. Later this week, the defense ministers of the two countries are scheduled to meet in Singapore on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, in which the North Korean nuclear issue is likely to top the agenda.



"There would be a swift and forceful response to such a test because the International Atomic Energy Agency itself has said there is concern that they may conduct a nuclear test. This would be very destabilizing to world security," Sherman told reporters following her meeting with Cho.



"I believe that not only the ROK and the United States and Japan, but the entire world, will respond in a strong and clear manner. We are prepared," she continued.






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Kohl's Corp. (KSS) said Monday that it has entered into an exclusive three-week period of negotiations with Franchise Group Inc. (FRG) over a potential sale of the department store operator at $60.00 per share in cash. The purpose of the period is to allow Franchise Group and its financing partners to finalize due diligence and financing arrangements and for the parties to complete the negotiation of binding documentation, Kohl's said in a statement. Franchise Group said in a separate press release that if the companies enter into a definitive agreement, Franchise Group plans to contribute approximately $1 billion of capital to the transaction, all of which is expected to be funded through a corresponding increase in the size of its secured debt facilities. A majority of the financing for the transaction is anticipated to be provided on the basis of the real estate assets of Kohl's Corporation. The companies noted that there can be no assurances that any agreement will be reached or that a transaction will be agreed or completed on the terms set forth above or otherwise. KSS closed Monday regular trading at $42.12 up $0.64 or 1.54%. In the after hours trade, the stock further gained $5.68 or 13.49%. 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.
XI'AN, China, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This year is the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972-2022). To mark this occasion, the UN announced to convene the"Stockholm +50"High-level International Conference themed "A Healthy Planet for the Prosperity of All - Our Responsibility, Our Opportunity". During this event, the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment (UN-SPBF) will convene its Fourth High-Level Global Session in Stockholm, Sweden, from 31 May to 4 June 2022.

On June 1, 2022, Li Zhenguo, founder and president of LONGi, took part in a high-level leadership dialogue "Stockholm +100: Shaping our Common Future" via video. The leadership dialogue marked the presence of experts from UN organizations and global business organizations as well as corporate executives, who spoke on rebuilding multilateralism, making affordable and clean energy accessible to all, eliminating global inequality and achieving prosperity for everyone.

Given the fact that carbon neutrality has become a global consensus, renewable energy has become the cornerstone to support the global energy transition. The rising proportion of renewable energy represented by solar photovoltaic in its newly installed capacity is the general trend. By the end of March 2022, the global cumulative solar photovoltaic installed capacity successfully surpassed the 1TW mark, with the solar industry officially entering the terawatt era. According to forecasts, new PV installations globally will need to reach 1500GW-2000GW by 2030, with 30 years of uninterrupted installation, to form effective support for the global energy transition and establish the groundwork for achieving global carbon neutrality. Li Zhenguo highlighted the current situation of the global PV industry through video at the conference.

In terms of rebuilding multilateralism and eliminating global inequality, developing countries and LDCs are still in the process of development, so it is a natural trend for their energy consumption to continue to rise. However, developing countries and LDCs also need to make efforts to move towards a green and low-carbon energy transition path. These countries should formulate and improve policies and roadmaps related to energy transition as soon as possible to promote the transition from traditional fossil energy consumption to clean energy consumption. "The complete development and utilization of solar energy is of great significance to forging global multilateral relations and the elimination of gaps," Li Zhenguo commented.

Since 2010, solar photovoltaic technology innovation has reduced the cost of electricity by more than 90% and is now the most economical source of electricity in most countries around the world. Through technological innovation, LONGi has continuously reduced the cost of solar photovoltaic electricity, allowing more people around the world, particularly those in developing and less developed countries and regions, to enjoy affordable and clean energy. For example, in the desert areas of Egypt and Africa, which are far from the power grid, most of the electricity generation depends on diesel generators. LONGi's modules have been incorporated into an "off-grid solar water pumping" system, which drives pumps to extract groundwater through solar photovoltaic power generation to meet the needs of local residents for irrigation and domestic use, yielding both economic and social benefits. This will in turn contribute to the sustainable development of the area. Making affordable and clean energy accessible to all is crucial to eliminating global inequalities and building a healthy planet where everyone can thrive.

"LONGi attaches great importance to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and continues to promote their integration into our business value chain, fully integrating the promotion of sustainable development concepts and actions into corporate strategies and operations," said Li Zhenguo, founder and president of LONGi, at the Stockholm +50 High-level International Conference. In the company's recently released sustainability report, LONGi has described in detail its practices and performance in ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) in 2021, and responded positively to the UN Sustainable Development Goals through practical governance guidelines and management practices.

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Funding follows triple-digit growth in Germany and high demand for professional smart home device and appliance installation

Mila AG, the European leader of on demand technical support, announced their pre-Series A round of $2M led by early-stage investment fund Born2Grow Ventures, GmbH and Co. KG. The funding followed Mila's successful management buyout from Swisscom in October 2020. Current investors, Geneva-based Alpana Ventures and Silicon Valley-based Oriza Ventures also participated in the round. Mila has over 11,000 trained technicians in Germany, Switzerland, the UK, France, and Austria.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005222/en/

"We experienced over 300 percent growth in Germany and secured over 40 brand partners across Europe in 2021," says Chris Viatte, CEO and founder of Mila. "This funding will allow us to continue to expand our sales and engineering teams and replicate our solid success in Switzerland across Europe and the UK." (Photo: Business Wire)

"Mila has a clear strategy in terms of opening up international markets," says Andrea Muth, investment manager of Heilbronn-based Born2Grow Ventures. "Mila has created market entry barriers in the tech support market that are extremely difficult for new providers to open up."

Born2Grow Ventures boasts a diverse portfolio that has one consistent focus: to find a team and technology whose technology has a well-defined market.

"We experienced over 300 percent growth in Germany and secured over 40 brand partners across Europe in 2021," says Chris Viatte, CEO and founder of Mila. "This funding will allow us to continue to expand our sales and engineering teams and replicate our solid success in Switzerland across Europe and the UK."

Mila has offices in Berlin and Zurich, and recently opened its first UK location in London. They continue to serve telco giant Swisscom and have seen growth in services for brands such as Amazon, Otto, BOSCH, and Google and will introduce EV charging station installations in Germany and the UK in Q2.

"We recognized the growth potential for Mila in Germany and the scalability of their business model to expand across Europe and globally," says Alex Liang, co-founder of Silicon Valley-based Oriza Ventures. "We see our investment as strategically-timed for growth in the UK and other countries where Mila's professional services are in high demand."

With the IoT connectivity standard MATTER release date targeted for fall 2022, Mila is poised to be a pivotal player as connected device adoption explodes bringing with it interoperability issues with existing devices. Through the Mila Academy, trained, vetted Mila Pros allow global brands to offer a third-party agent to install, configure, and ensure their technology is operating, integrated, and performs as designed.

"As an early-stage investment firm, we predicted Mila's ability to successfully navigate the management buyout and keep growing," says Pascal Widmer, founding partner of Alpana Ventures. "We are thrilled to see a European VC, like Born2Grow Ventures, investing in Mila and have confidence in Viatte's leadership ability."

About Mila

Since 2016 Mila has delivered real-time, vetted, on-demand neighborhood tech support. Mila expanded from Switzerland into new markets through a network of strong retail and enterprise partnerships, offering services in Germany, Austria, France, and the UK. With over 40 enterprise partners, Mila is the European leader of on demand, crowdsourced technical support. For more information, please visit www.mila.com/en-ch.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005222/en/

Contacts:

Media Contact:

Kimberly Hathaway

+1 415-994-1097

kimberly@hathawaypr.com


HRS and Burckhardt Compression

accelerate their partnership

for large-capacity hydrogen stations

Grenoble, June 7, 2022 - HRS, a leading European designer and manufacturer of hydrogen refueling stations , and Burckhardt Compression, world leader in reciprocating compressor systems, today announce the signing of a supply contract for the delivery of several diaphragm compressors. They will be integrated into HRS hydrogen refueling stations with a capacity of over one ton per day. This follows the recent partnership agreement signed on March 15 (see press release).

As a reminder, the partnership between HRS and Burckhardt Compression is the result of a shared conviction: the development of hydrogen for the mobility market is an essential pillar of the decarbonization of the global energy system.

The aim is to provide refueling solutions for intensive market use, with a capacity of over one ton per day, in order to meet the market demand for heavy transport (bus, trucks, ports) and light commercial vehicles (taxi fleets). The partnership also provides a joint response to new market opportunities, particularly to future demand on the hydrogen mobility market (boats, trains, aircraft, etc.).

Burckhardt Compression and HRS have thus pooled their know-how to develop large-capacity hydrogen refueling stations. A design for 1-2 tons per day stations has been drawn up using specific compressors produced by Burckhardt Compression and taking industrialization constraints into account, which should lead to Capex optimization in the long run.

The two-year contract secures a stock of several of these compressors , which can be delivered to HRS within a few weeks. This will be necessary in order to respond swiftly to the expected ramp-up in demand for large-capacity stations, which is already strong. It also activates HRS' order for the first two units, which will enable the first 1 ton per day stations in its order backlog to go into production.

As part of the partnership, Burckhardt Compression will promote HRS solutions on its website, as one of its key customers for hydrogen mobility applications.

Fabrice Billard, CEO of Burckhardt Compression: " We are very pleased that the recent partnership between our two companies has resulted in a first significant order for compressors. We are convinced that this innovative agreement will support the hydrogen mobility in France and the decarbonization of transportation. ".

Hassen Rachedi, Founder and CEO of HRS: "We are following our plan to provide the first large capacity stations in collaboration with our partner Burckhardt Compression. The integration of their unique technologic know-how into our stations will allow us to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen mobility. This partnership, which accentuates our presence in Switzerland and our European footprint, is also a further step towards the structuring of our industry, an ambition that we carry with conviction at HRS! "

ABOUT HRS

Founded in 2004, Hydrogen-Refueling-Solutions (HRS), formerly TSM, is pioneer in hydrogen mobility. European designer and manufacturer of hydrogen refueling stations, for over ten years, the Company has been committed to reducing transport emissions.

Thanks to its unique experience and know-how, HRS has developed a complete range of hydrogen refueling stations for all types of fuel cell vehicles that is perfectly suited to the needs of a fast-growing European market. At its Champ-sur-Drac site, HRS has mass production capacities that enable it to assemble up to 60 units per year in record time, in as little as 8 weeks. A new 14,300m2 production unit, planned for the fall of 2022, in the Grenoble metropolitan area in Champagnier (Isere), will increase HRS's production capacity to 180 stations per year.

The Company posted 2020/2021 revenue of 10.5 million. As of December 31, 2021, the company had 79 employees. (ISIN code: FR0014001PM5 - ticker symbol: ALHRS).

CONTACTS HRS

Investor Relations

ACTUS finance & communication

Gregoire SAINT-MARC

hrs@actus.fr

Tel. +33 1 53 67 36 94 Press Relations

ACTUS finance & communication

Anne Catherine BONJOUR

acbonjour@actus.fr

Tel. +33 1 53 67 36 93

ABOUT BURCKHARDT COMPRESSION

Burckhardt Compression is the worldwide market leader for reciprocating compressor systems, and the only manufacturer and service provider that covers a full range of reciprocating compressor technologies and services. Its customized compressor systems are used in the gas gathering and processing, gas transport and storage, refinery, chemical, petrochemical as well as in the industrial gas and hydrogen mobility and energy sectors. Burckhardt Compression's leading technology, broad portfolio of compressor components and the full range of services help customers around the world to find the optimized solution for their reciprocating compressor systems. Since 1844, its highly skilled workforce has crafted superior solutions and set the benchmark in the gas compression industry.

SIX Swiss Exchange: BCHN Further information at www.burckhardtcompression.com, Twitter, LinkedIn

CONTACT BURCKHARDT COMPRESSION

Saskia Rusch

Head of Corporate Communications and Branding

Tel.: +41 52 261 57 81

Saskia.Rusch@burckhardtcompression.com

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Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-74882-2022_06_07-burckhardt-commande-en.pdf
Latest data from trivago shows a real appetite from travellers to make 2022 'the best summer ever'

New data from trivago (using One Poll) reveals that travel restrictions during the pandemic saved would-be travellers an average of 1887.70, with almost one-in-ten (8%) saying they saved over 5000. When asked what they have done with the money, 45% said they put it in a savings account, 22% treated themselves, 20% put it towards a large purchase and 19% put it towards rent or a deposit for a house.

As travel restrictions finally lift, the appetite to travel is recovering strongly. Of those who generally have at least one holiday a year, a third (33%) have already made firm plans to travel in 2022 and a further 21% have made tentative plans. In total, over a third (34%) say they have been browsing/investigating future holidays more than before the pandemic.

The pandemic has also increased Brits willingness to spend more on their travel habits - almost four-in-ten (37%) travellers plan on spending more on their holidays. This rises to two-thirds (66%) of 18- to 24-year-olds. Where travellers reside has a marked impact in spending. Whilst over half (55%) of Londoners are planning on spending more on their holidays this year, only 20% of travellers from East Anglia are willing to dig deeper into their wallet. In total, it is the over 65s who remain the most cautious, with 18% saying they will likely spend less than if the pandemic hadn't happened.

However, despite Brits saving money by being unable to travel during the pandemic, wannabe travellers are still more concerned about their finances than their health. In fact, the research revealed that 48% of UK travellers would make concrete plans if they could guarantee their money back should they get their holiday cancelled, compared with 33% who said they would be more likely to book if there was a guaranteed low risk of catching Covid-19.

Percentage of travellers willing to spend more on their holiday than they would have done pre-pandemic, by region:

Column %

n East Anglia East Midlands London North East North West Northern Ireland Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands Yorkshire and the Humber Much more 3% 2% 24% 11% 7% 0% 15% 7% 9% 15% 15% 10% 4 3 59 7 14 0 23 18 15 12 23 13 A little more 17% 22% 31% 31% 26% 41% 20% 32% 25% 26% 28% 17%

"Expectations are high that this could be the best summer ever. Of those who have firm plans to travel, over half (51%) believe that 2022 is going to be their best summer yet for travel," comments Axel Hefer, CEO of trivago. "Travellers are tired of waiting for a dream getaway. Three-in-ten (30%) told us they are planning on organising a 'bucket list' holiday sooner than originally thought due to the pandemic."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The survey was deployed online and ran from February 25-March 3, 2022 polling a sample of 2,000 adults age 18+ in both countries for a total of 4,000 respondents. For both countries, quotas were used to ensure an accurate representation of each countries' population by gender, age, geographic region, education, and income.

About Trivago:

trivago is a leading global hotel search platform focused on reshaping the way travelers search for and compare hotels and alternative accommodations. Incorporated in 2005 in Dusseldorf, Germany, the platform allows travelers to make informed decisions by personalizing their hotel search and providing them access to a deep supply of hotel information and prices. trivago enables its advertisers to grow their businesses by providing access to a broad audience of travelers via its websites and apps.

Press Contact

Contacts:

Press Contact: Trivago Unity Team trivago@hellounity.com

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Words, and variations of words such as "believe," "expect," "plan," "continue," "will," "should," and similar expressions are intended to identify our forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and important factors that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. For additional information factors that could affect our forward-looking statements, see our risk factors, as they may be amended from time to time, set forth in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We disclaim and do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by applicable law or regulation.
Major platform update provides enhanced proof of address and anti-money laundering offerings to support customers in navigating complex regulatory landscapes

Trulioo, the leading global identity verification company, today announced the release of a major product update to GlobalGateway, the company's award-winning platform, that includes innovations in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) watchlist and proof of address offerings, and upgraded Know Your Business (KYB) verification capabilities.

Organizations are facing increased regulatory pressure to ensure they're monitoring new and existing customers against applicable sanctions lists while meeting increased expectations from consumers for fast and easy digital onboarding. The GlobalGateway updates announced today are designed to support Trulioo customers in meeting these expectations and complying with complex and varied regulatory requirements around the world.

"As a global service provider, Trulioo must continuously innovate to meet an increasingly varied and diverse range of regulatory compliance requirements that our customers face every day," said Michael Ramsbacker, Chief Product Officer, Trulioo. "We are dedicated to bringing forward solutions that address the changing needs of our customers and the market as a whole both at the point of onboarding and beyond and I am pleased to share that this GlobalGateway update does just that."

The update includes the launch of enhanced GlobalGateway Watchlist, UtilityID, and upgraded Business Verification. Together these services streamline the onboarding of consumers and businesses, as well as provide continuous monitoring for fraud, money laundering and illicit behavior throughout the customer lifecycle.

GlobalGateway Watchlist is one of the most complete watchlist services on the market. It connects to customers' eIDV onboarding journeys via a single API integration to provide screening and monitoring of an organizations' users against 6,000+ global watchlists and 20,000+ Adverse Media lists both at the point of onboarding and continuously thereafter.

UtilityID is a consent-based identity verification service that uses utility provider data to verify addresses, removing the need for the manual download, upload and scanning of documents and other high-friction document verification processes. This also presents a more secure way to obtain address verification as utility documents are easily forged. With UtilityID, Trulioo customers can meet Proof of Address compliance requirements in real time, provide a faster onboarding experience, a higher level of address accuracy, and significantly reduce operation times associated with manual utility document and ID document review.

The enhanced Business Verification offering allows companies to verify a business' details anywhere in the world, from high-level data to stringent Ultimate Beneficial Owner verification. It leverages revolutionary intelligence to address the complex challenges of conducting business at an international level, including managing varying regulations, diverse standards for Business IDs, addresses and local languages, as well as automatically selecting the best-suited source of information. Trulioo's unmatched global network of data sources allows KYB customers to easily access accurate and up-to-date information that supports compliance requirements and due diligence.

To learn more about how Trulioo is integral to future-proofing onboarding and compliance goals visit trulioo.com. Trulioo will be on site at Money 20/20 Europe, June 7-9, 2022, visit booth D124 or book a GlobalGateway demonstration.

About Trulioo

Trulioo is the leading global identity verification company, building trust online so that businesses and consumers can transact safely and securely. Trulioo provides real-time verification of 5 billion consumers and 330 million business entities worldwide all through a single API integration. Organizations rely on its identity verification platform, GlobalGateway, to help meet their business and compliance requirements and automate due diligence and fraud prevention workflows. The Trulioo mission is to help provide every person on the planet with a digital identity to enable access to basic financial services and support. For more information, visit trulioo.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005043/en/

Contacts:

Media

Lucy Screnci

media@trulioo.com
Today, Ripple, the leader in enterprise blockchain and crypto solutions, has announced a partnership with Lunu to support the Berlin-based company's luxury retailers in accepting cryptocurrency as a form of payment in store and online using Ripple's Liquidity Hub.

Lunu enables high-end and luxury retailers in the UK and Europe to accept crypto payments in store via Lunu's point of sale (POS) terminal and online widget. Lunu currently works with customers including Farfetch, Off-White, Browns and Steven Stone. Liquidity Hub will enable Lunu's customers to accelerate the acceptance of crypto payments by optimizing the exchange of crypto assets to fiat in one place at competitive prices.

Ripple launched Liquidity Hub to support long-term crypto adoption, offering turn-key integration and smart order routing to source digital assets at optimized prices. Liquidity Hub customers can seamlessly access crypto assets from a variety of global venues, including market makers, exchanges and OTC desks.

"For luxury retailers it is vital to stay on top of the latest trends, and when it comes to payments the greatest innovation is coming from the evolving crypto scene. Thanks to Lunu these retailers get access to new, younger, more affluent audiences that are constantly growing in numbers. Our partnership with Ripple has the potential to greatly impact retailers' customer service offerings by expanding the variety of payment methods and by portraying retailers' brands as more innovative and progressive," said Rajesh Madhaiyan, Director of Product, Lunu

"Crypto liquidity is the common thread that underpins all of Ripple's solutions, from payments to lending and credit. Our ambition is to build a suite of enterprise-oriented crypto products for the benefit of our clients and their customers. This is why we are so excited by this fantastic new use case for Liquidity Hub which will enable Lunu's luxury retail clients to accept crypto payments at the point of sale," said Sendi Young, Managing Director, Europe, Ripple

Demand in Europe for Ripple's products remains extremely strong. Ripple's recent New Value research found that 70% of respondents at financial institutions in Europe expect blockchain to have a massive or significant impact on their business in the next five years, while 59% of respondents expressed interest in using blockchain for payments.

Ripple is the market leader in blockchain and crypto enterprise solutions and continues to see unprecedented growth globally, as customers continue to grow and scale using its products. In 2021 Ripple had its most successful year to date, more than doubling the number of transactions on RippleNet. RippleNet's annualized payment volume run rate now stands at $15B.

RippleNet leverages blockchain technology to help Ripple's partners around the world accelerate their business performance and scale. It delivers a superior end-customer experience, simplified network partnering, liquidity management solutions, lines of credit, and state-of-the-art infrastructure to enable real-time payments.

About Ripple

Ripple is a crypto solutions company that transforms how the world moves, manages and tokenizes value. Ripple's business solutions are faster, more transparent, and more cost effective solving inefficiencies that have long defined the status quo. And together with partners and the larger developer community, we identify use cases where crypto technology will inspire new business models and create opportunity for more people. With every solution, we're realizing a more sustainable global economy and planet increasing access to inclusive and scalable financial systems while leveraging carbon neutral blockchain technology and a green digital asset, XRP. This is how we deliver on our mission to build crypto solutions for a world without economic borders.

About Lunu

Founded in Berlin in 2018, Lunu is the creation of Artem Shaginyan and Petr Vishnyakov, two successful tech entrepreneurs who met in 2018 at an avant-garde art exhibition in one of Berlin's industrial hangars. When they found they shared an interest in the potential of blockchain technology, they decided to explore that industry to identify the most promising areas for business development. Their partnership in Lunu combines Vishnyakov's expertise in the new digital economy and cryptocurrencies with Shaginyan's background as a designer and serial entrepreneur in e-commerce.

Lunu is more than a tech startup. The company and its founders are emblematic of a new way of life for the 21st century: principled, fair, and dedicated to art and creativity, with a strong sense of social responsibility.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005412/en/

Contacts:

Ian Burge

press@ripple.com
CARGOTEC CORPORATION, PRESS RELEASE, 7 JUNE 2022 AT 10:00 AM (EEST)





Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has announced that it is to upgrade and expand its manufacturing plant in Ottawa, Kansas, home to the company's terminal tractor manufacturing operations in North America. The investment, worth close to EUR 20 million, will eventually enable the plant's annual production capacity to be doubled, making it the largest terminal tractor manufacturing facility in North America. The investment is driven by the growing demand from the logistics industry for eco-efficient equipment solutions that do not rely on fossil fuels to operate.



The project will see a purpose-built extension added to the factory to manage the increased flow of incoming materials and the introduction of new assembly line feeding technology to reduce the use of forklifts and minimise materials and movements in the production area.



The existing line will be converted to a high-speed line for 'rapid build' distribution terminal tractors and a completely new 'flex line' with state-of-the-art technology will be added to enable high-volume production of Kalmar's fully electric and high-end terminal tractor models.



Sustainability is at the core of the expansion project, with the plant employing eco-efficient lighting, maximising the use of renewable energy and implementing material handling processes designed to minimise waste. The plant layout has also been designed to protect the wellbeing of personnel, with safety and assembly ergonomics being critical considerations.



Michel van Roozendaal, President, Kalmar Mobile Solutions: "We are very excited about taking this huge leap forward in the North American market. When the addition to the plant opens up in 2023 we will have achieved our vision of a Kalmar smart factory with fully digitalised assembly processes. Not only will it be the biggest terminal tractor manufacturing facility in North America by some distance, but it will also be a true American powerhouse for the manufacture of eco-efficient cargo-handling equipment."

"This investment puts us in an excellent position to strengthen our market leadership in North America. The new smart factory will drastically reduce our lead times while increasing the overall safety, quality and efficiency of our production process. We have a long history here in Ottawa and are excited to continue our growth in this community," says Alan Wilson, Director of Operations, Ottawa Plant, Kalmar.







Further information for the press:

Michel van Roozendaal, President, Kalmar Mobile Solutions

Maija Eklof, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Kalmar, tel. +358 20 777 4096, maija.eklof@kalmarglobal.com

Kalmar offers the widest range of cargo handling solutions and services to ports, terminals, distribution centres and to heavy industry. Kalmar is the industry forerunner in terminal automation and in energy efficient container handling, with one in four container movements around the globe being handled by a Kalmar solution. Through its extensive product portfolio, global service network and ability to enable a seamless integration of different terminal processes, Kalmar improves the efficiency of every move.www.kalmarglobal.com

Kalmar is part of Cargotec. Cargotec's

Attachments
Zaandam, the Netherlands, 7 June,2022 - Nikos Lavidas has been appointed Brand President of Greek supermarket chain Alfa Beta Vassilopoulos ('Alfa Beta'), effective August 20th. In his new role, Nikos will lead Ahold Delhaize's brand Alfa Beta, which is part of the CSE region of Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia. Nikos will report into Jesper Lauridsen, COO Ahold Delhaize CSE Region and Brand President at Albert Czech Republic.



Nikos Lavidas has had an extensive career in food retail. In 2009 and 2010, he worked as Managing Director at Kraft Foods. After that he joined the Greek supermarket chain I&S Sklavenitis S.A. There Nikos worked for almost nine years, starting as Head of Strategy and Expansion. He led the company through a reorganization and a series of acquisitions, which allowed the company to grow into a major Greek retailer.? He was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2019. Most recently Nikos worked at Upfield, a newly formed regional business unit of Unilever. As Managing Director, he held overall accountability for Greece, Cyprus and Albania and several other countries within South East Europe.







Wouter Kolk, CEO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia: "This appointment is a positive step for Alfa Beta, our prominent Greek food retailer. Alfa Beta is strongly rooted in Greece, leads in food e-commerce and has a broad high quality and healthy offering and a successful customer loyalty program. With Nikos Lavidas on board, the team will be reinforced by someone with extensive experience in the supermarket sector as well as on the supplier side. Nikos is well able to weigh all interests and will ensure the best offer for customers, together with the Alfa Beta team. I wish Nikos all the success in his new role!"

Jesper Lauridsen: "I am very happy to welcome Nikos as Brand President of AB. He will join a strong team of retail professionals in serving millions of customers every day."

Nikos Lavidas: "I am absolutely thrilled to be making such an important step of becoming part of AB Vassilopoulos, a company with such a strong legacy in Greece. I cannot wait to join my efforts with the AB team in this exciting and ambitious path to growth."







- Ends -

Cautionary notice

This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words such as effective, will, step, prominent, leads, successful, be, ensure, to be, ambitious, path to, growth, to, drive and is, or other similar words or expressions, are typically used to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the "Company") to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the Company's public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Company's management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Company's management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.

For more information

Press office: +31 88 6595134 / media.relations@aholddelhaize.com

Investor relations: +31 88 659 5213

Social media: Instagram: @Ahold-Delhaize | LinkedIn: @Ahold-Delhaize | Twitter: @AholdDelhaize



About Ahold Delhaize

Ahold Delhaize is one of the world's largest food retail groups and a leader in both supermarkets and e-commerce. Its family of great local brands serves 55 million customers each week, both in stores and online, in the United States, Europe, and Indonesia. Together, these brands employ more than 413,000 associates in 7,452 grocery and specialty stores and include the top online retailer in the Benelux and the leading online grocers in the Benelux and the United States. Ahold Delhaize brands are at the forefront of sustainable retailing, sourcing responsibly, supporting local communities and helping customers make healthier choices. The company's focus on four growth drivers - drive omnichannel growth, elevate healthy and sustainable, cultivate best talent and strengthen operational excellence - is helping to fulfil its purpose, achieve its vision and prepare its brands and businesses for tomorrow. Headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands, Ahold Delhaize is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels stock exchanges.
COMMERZBANK AG (London Branch) - Pre Stabilisation - Commerzbank EUR500mil 5.25NC4.25

Pre-Stabilisation Notice

07 June 2022

Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft

EUR 500,000,000

Green Fixed to Floating Rate Non-Preferred Senior Notes due 14 September 2027

Launched pursuant to the Issuer's MTN Programme.

Commerzbank AG (contact: Ian Turner; telephone: +44 207 475 1817) hereby announces, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Managers named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014).

The security to be stabilised: Issuer: Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft Guarantor (if any): n/a Aggregate nominal amount: EUR 500,000,000 (no grow) Description: EUR 500,000,000 Green Fixed to Floating Rate Non-Preferred Senior Notes due 14 September 2027 Offer price: tbc Other offer terms: Payment date 14 June 2022, denoms 100k+100k, listing Frankfurt. Expected Rating A1 (Moody's) / BBB+(S&P) Stabilisation: Stabilisation coordinator:

Stabilising Managers: Commerzbank AG

ABN AMRO

BBVA

ING Bank N.V.

Natixis S.A. Stabilisation period expected to start on: 07 June 2022 Stabilisation period expected to end on: no later than 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility. The Stabilising Managers may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Regulated Market.

In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilising Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

This announcement is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

END
Arbitrary torture at U.S. black sites violates human rights

10:21, June 07, 2022 By Chen Zi ( People's Daily Online

(Cartoon by Ma Hongliang)

The U.S. has long touted itself as a defender of human rights, but the so-called practice of American human rights has proven just to be a fig leaf covering up for frequent instances of arbitrary torture and prisoner abuse scandals at the countrys black sites.

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has set up black sites in many countries under the pretext of its War on Terror to secretly put alleged terrorist suspects under arbitrary detention and extort confessions using torture techniques.

The Guardian reported that, according to a newly declassified report of the U.S. government, a detainee at a secret CIA detention site in Afghanistan was used as a living prop to teach trainee interrogators torture techniques. Brutal and horrifying enhanced interrogation techniques, including torture, waterboarding, sleep deprivation, knocking prisoners heads against walls, and dousing them with ice-cold water, all of which are cruel acts against humanity, have reportedly been used at these black sites.

The Costs of War project based at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University published early this year indicated that the U.S. has set up black sites in at least 54 countries and regions around the world, and has detained hundreds of thousands of people since the 9/11 attacks, including Muslims, women and juveniles. U.S. taxpayers are spending $540 million a year just to support the detainment of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

While trampling on the rule of law and violating human rights, the U.S., a self-anointed beacon of human rights, has meanwhile casted a scrutinizing light onto others all while keeping itself shrouded in the dark.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Senik speaks during a media briefing at the country's embassy in Yongsan District, central Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap





By Kwon Mee-yoo







Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Senik asked the Korean government and private businesses here to participate in the reconstruction of the country after the Russian invasion, especially to rebuild infrastructure and establish a technological hub.







Senik is visiting Korea from Monday through Wednesday to discuss Korea's cooperation in rebuilding Ukraine. He is the first high-ranking official from Ukraine to make an official visit to Korea since the Russian invasion began in February.







"We sincerely believe that we will win and already started to work on a recovery plan. The success story of Korea building a very successful economy (after the Korean War) is a case study for Ukraine and we look forward to inviting experts from Korea as well as businesses and the government to help us restore Ukraine," Senik said during a media briefing at the country's embassy, Tuesday.







Senik, who arrived Seoul late Monday, had a closed-door meeting with Korea's second vice foreign minister Lee Do-hoon and another meeting with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Tuesday, discussing aid to Ukraine and cooperation for post-war recovery.







"There is no other nation in the world like Korea, which fully understands the pain that Ukraine feels now. During my meetings in Seoul today, I felt sympathy and solidarity coming from our Korean partners and friends," Senik said.







The deputy minister said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initiated a recovery plan for the country, which not only includes a physical rebuilding of the country following Russia's aggression, but also reimagining the economy and political system of Ukraine.







"We speak about energy efficiency, green technologies, best education, better health care system, et cetera. And the case of the success story of Korea is of paramount importance to us. That's why we invite experts from Korea as well as businesses and the government to take part in this recovery plan," he said.







Senik doubles as the Ukrainian foreign ministry's chief digital transformation officer and is much interested in Korea's advanced digital technologies.







"I think that Korea and Ukraine have complementary economies. We do have resources that are needed for high tech industry and Korea has expertise in infrastructure and construction. We definitely welcome Korean business to participate in the recovery plan for Ukraine. I believe that starting from communications and going all the way to construction, there are a lot of opportunities for Korean business to grow and prosper in Ukraine," he said.







The Ukrainian deputy minister also met with Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy as well as Korean companies which could take part in reconstructing the war-torn country, Wednesday.







Senik said Kyiv is counting on Seoul and expects Korea to become more proactive in supporting Ukraine financially and militarily.







"I had a very successful meeting today with second vice minister Lee and we agreed that we are on the same page on many issues. Ukraine does call on the international community to provide weapons to protect itself from the Russian aggression. And as we all want this war to be over as soon as possible, the sooner we get the necessary military equipment, the sooner the war will end."







Senik appreciated the visit to Ukraine by a Korean parliamentary delegation, led by ruling People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok, as they could see the atrocities and cruelties of Russian aggression with their own eyes.







"Visits by foreign guests are a much appreciated signal of solidarity with Ukraine. That is why we highly appreciate the visit by the leader of the PPP to Ukraine in this very difficult time," he said.







Despite the difficult situation, Ukraine believes it is high time to shift Ukraine-Korea relations into high gear on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties.







"The government of Ukraine is keen to discuss and negotiate a free trade agreement with Korea, which will benefit both Ukraine and Korea. So one of the issues was how we can start negotiations on FTA," Senik said.







Senik also had a separate meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who is also on her visit to Korea, and they discussed security, humanitarian and economic assistance to Ukraine. After leaving Seoul Wednesday, Senik will visit the Philippines and Singapore.


Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
The small island of Donso is renowned as a historic fishing village, where even today boathouses at the harbour honour its rich maritime heritage with name plaques of fishing vessels. It forms the perfect backdrop for Sweden's biggest all-inclusive trade fair Donso Shipping Meet, taking place on June 14th and 15th this year. In the lead up to this event, IEC Telecom Norway, one of the leading satcom service operators in the region, shares insights on the latest trends in marine comms.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005020/en/

Alf Stian Mauritz, CAO and President North Central Europe, IEC Telecom Group (Photo: AETOSWire)

"Sea transport is important for a myriad of economic activities in the Nordic region with 90% of Sweden's international trade traffic conducted over water," shares Alf Stian Mauritz, CAO and President North Central Europe, IEC Telecom Group. "Due to their locations, heavy process industries in Sweden and Finland are highly dependent on sea transport. Besides, Norway owns the ninth biggest merchant fleet in the world while Denmark operates the fifth largest container fleet in terms of gross tonnage. In parallel today, Donso has been home to increased activity in the tanker shipping sector, especially for bulk goods and chemicals, and is expanding its harbour for bigger ships," he adds.

This merchant sector represents the largest market for connectivity needs and has generated about $300 million in maritime satcom service revenues in 2021. With an 18% global share of vessels, the Scandinavian countries and the European Union are heavily invested in maritime satcom installations and emphasise crew welfare. According to Euroconsult, the number of VSATs in the fishing segment alone is expected to increase 400% by 2024 and the bandwidth consumption per vessel is expected to double.

New crew welfare and safety regulations as well as high-performance broadband services even in the harshest weather conditions are prompting vessel owners to readily adopt onboard connectivity. "Tracking and monitoring services in particular are expected to witness a significant growth rate in the near future," says Mr. Mauritz. With its portfolio of IoT solutions, IEC Telecom offers real-time visibility over maritime operations.

This year, IEC Telecom will present the state-of-the-art LT-4100 satellite communications system at Donso Shipping Meet for the first time. Suitable for racing, shipping, leisure vessels, and workboats, LT-4100 has been particularly designed for the rough environment at sea. Thanks to a pioneering heating element, it can operate between a broad temperature range, perfect for the Nordic region and its heavy sea traffic. LT-4100 is the first Iridium Certus 100 terminal, delivering voice and data connectivity with 100% global coverage.

IEC Telecom has been part of the Nordic satellite communications market for over a decade, with a regional flagship office in Oslo, Norway.

*Source: AETOSWire

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005020/en/

Contacts:

Anastasia Kuzmenko, +971(0)44475180

E. marketing@iec-telecom.com

W. iec-telecom.com
Prove launches new Trust Score attribute in the UK centered on scam mitigation

Prove Identity, Inc. ("Prove"), the leader in digital identity, today announced that it is partnering with financial organisations and mobile carriers to use cryptographic authentication to fight authorised push payment (APP) fraud and scams in the UK. Prove's Trust Score helps banks fight APP scams by determining potential fraudulent behavior during high-risk transactions using telecommunications signals.

APP fraud occurs when fraudsters trick consumers or businesses into sending payments under false pretenses to a bank account controlled by the criminal. Bad actors typically do this through phone, email, or text message, and once the consumer has authorised the payment themselves, they have no legal protection to recover the losses. Between July 2019 and the end of June 2021, 854m was lost across 306,573 cases of APP fraud, and only 42% of losses were returned to consumers.

"APP scams are among a newer set of scams that rely on socially engineering humans to authorise transactions. These scams are even more detrimental since the transactions are initiated by the consumers themselves, so it's imperative that we have an understanding of what constitutes unusual activity, while delivering services to legitimate consumers securely and with little friction," said Keiron Dalton, UK and EU Vice President at Prove. "We are excited to be a key element of a hugely collaborative ecosystem containing both major mobile operators and financial associations, as we deliver cryptographic authentication technology to help mitigate fraud, and protect consumers from being scammed of their hard-earned savings."

Prove's cryptographic authentication allows relying parties (financial institutions, companies, and governments) to trust that the data asserted by users during authentication and verification events is actually true, by leveraging cryptography as the source-of-truth.

Following the successful launch of Mobile Auth, where Prove created a method of authentication that removed the opportunity for fraudsters to compromise SMS one time passcodes via social engineering, the company is now the first to provide connectivity for scam signals with two major UK mobile operators.

Prove's approach has always been one of collaboration and tangible data science to measure outcomes. Prove's Mobile Auth deployments have yielded dramatic fraud cost reduction for major UK banks. With its scam signal involvement, Prove is again providing real time insight alongside high risk transactions to determine potential activity suggesting social engineering is taking place. The results are proving to be powerful as the capability matures.

Prove is the first company to provide access to APP specific cryptographic authentication solutions via two major mobile operators. For more information about the partnership or Prove's cryptographic authentication technology, visit prove.com.

About Prove Identity, Inc. ("Prove")

As the world moves to a mobile-first economy, businesses need to modernize how they acquire, engage with and enable consumers. Prove's phone-centric identity tokenization and passive cryptographic authentication solutions reduce friction, enhance security and privacy across all digital channels, and accelerate revenues while reducing operating expenses and fraud losses. Over 1,000 enterprise customers use Prove's platform to process 20 billion customer requests annually across industries, including banking, lending, healthcare, gaming, crypto, e-commerce, marketplaces, and payments. For the latest updates from Prove, follow us on LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005445/en/

Contacts:

PR Contact:

pr@prove.com
Out-of-the-box customer service platform purpose built to unify the retail customer journey

Fourth in a series of Talkdesk Experience Clouds engineered from the ground up to deliver customer experience innovation for industry-specific business needs

Helps retailers drive brand loyalty and customer lifetime value by providing a better way to connect with, care for, and know their customers

Visit Talkdesk at Forrester CX North America, June 7-9 in Nashville, or Shoptalk Europe, June 6-8 in London, to learn more about Talkdesk Retail Experience Cloud

Talkdesk, Inc., a global cloud contact center leader for customer-obsessed companies, today introduced Talkdesk Retail Experience Cloud, the AI-powered customer service solution specifically made for retailers. The uniquely designed platform unifies the customer journey across physical and digital channels to help brands meet customers wherever they are. Pre-configured retail workflows and scripts ensure value is added to every conversation, while "retail fluent," pre-trained AI accelerates speed to resolution.

Talkdesk Research underscores the strategic, growth-driving role of customer service in retail. Recent global surveys show that the ability to resolve customer service issues on first contact has become the number one driver of customer loyalty. Other studies show that 72% of shoppers say their preferred channel varies by context, and 86% of retail CX leaders say customer relationship growth will be an agent KPI within the next few years. Designed based on extensive industry research and expertise, Talkdesk Retail Experience Cloud offers a broad range of benefits for retailers, their customers, and their workforces.

Business-centric benefits

Drives customer lifetime value and loyalty: Equips teams with tools to deepen customer connections, increase sales, and build brand love through every conversation.

Equips teams with tools to deepen customer connections, increase sales, and build brand love through every conversation. Maximizes the tech stack and reduces costs: Improves time-to-value with a platform that is easy to set up, maintain, and monitor; out-of-the-box integrations offer simple-to-build connections.

Improves time-to-value with a platform that is easy to set up, maintain, and monitor; out-of-the-box integrations offer simple-to-build connections. Enhances real-time reporting and visibility: Provides proactive real-time reports, dashboards, and insights from the customer service platform to all functions of an organization.

Customer-centric benefits

Accelerates speed to resolution: Allows customers to connect with organizations in the place, time, or device of their choice, or self-serve through voice and digital channels that are pre-trained to address common retail CX use cases.

Allows customers to connect with organizations in the place, time, or device of their choice, or self-serve through voice and digital channels that are pre-trained to address common retail CX use cases. Boosts NPS and CSAT across all channels: Smart, contextual, priority routing pairs customers with customer service representatives who can best assist them whether the agent is in the contact center, in-store, or someone from another department.

Smart, contextual, priority routing pairs customers with customer service representatives who can best assist them whether the agent is in the contact center, in-store, or someone from another department. Reduces customer effort and frustrations: Leverages real-time analytics to identify the reasons behind customer inquiries and combines that insight with proactive communication and automation tools that anticipate customer needs.

Workforce-centric benefits

Reduces training, on-boarding, and turnover: Enables teams to fuel customer growth quickly with AI-powered tools, such as pre-configured retail workflows, scripts, next best actions, access into customers' digital shopping carts, and more.

Enables teams to fuel customer growth quickly with AI-powered tools, such as pre-configured retail workflows, scripts, next best actions, access into customers' digital shopping carts, and more. Improves productivity and collaboration: Equips digital and in-store associates with customer interaction history, order details, and all conversations (voice, video, co-browse, social media, messaging, and email) via a single unified interface.

Equips digital and in-store associates with customer interaction history, order details, and all conversations (voice, video, co-browse, social media, messaging, and email) via a single unified interface. Optimizes and empowers the workforce: Gives teams personalized improvement opportunities for enhancing service quality, consistency, after-call work, and compliance all based on customer feedback, transcripts, and KPIs.

Talkdesk Retail Experience Cloud joins a growing roster of Talkdesk industry-specific contact center innovations introduced by the company in recent months. Learn more about Talkdesk CX offerings for retail at Forrester CX North America, June 7-9 in Nashville, or Shoptalk Europe, June 6-8 in London.

Supporting Quotes

"The art of good retailing has never been more challenging. The number of exceptions requiring customer service is increasing and becoming more complex. Some customers prefer speaking to a live person, others want to chat, video, email, or text when they need assistance," said Steve Rowen, managing partner, Retail Systems Research. "Retailers must meet their customers where they are when it comes to customer service, and technologies like the Talkdesk Retail Experience Cloud enable them to do so."

"As a global leader in next generation CX, we pride ourselves in supporting retailers worldwide with the best CX talent, digital tools, and consultative services," said Paulo Silva, senior vice president of client solutions, Alorica. "The Talkdesk Retail Experience Cloud will be instrumental for us in continuing to serve our customers with the best technology available."

"Few people contact customer service because they're happy, yet every service interaction shouldresult in happy customers. This means everyconversation is an opportunity to take customers on a happy path," said Shannon Flanagan, vice president of retail and consumer goods, Talkdesk. "With Talkdesk Retail Experience Cloud, retailers can easily create that journey whether that's providing self-service options that actually work, equipping service associates with tools to deepen customer relationships, or using the gold mine of customer service data to ensure an exceptional experience."

Additional Resources

Sign up to attend the June 16 Talkdesk webinar with Retail Systems Research on "Driving growth through great customer service: The lost art"

See Talkdesk as a Leader by Gartner in the 2021 Magic Quadrant for Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) and other recent awards and recognition

Social Networks

Talkdesk Community: https://www.talkdesk.com/customer-community

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talkdesk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Talkdesk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Talkdesk/

About Talkdesk

Talkdesk is a global cloud contact center leader for customer-obsessed companies. Our automation-first customer experience solutionsoptimize our customers' most critical customer service processes. Our speed of innovation, vertical expertise, and global footprint reflect our commitment to ensuring that businesses can deliver better experiences across any industry and through any channel, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and accelerated business outcomes.

Talkdesk is a registered trademark of Talkdesk, Inc. All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005615/en/

Contacts:

Americas

Camille Beasley

camille.beasley@talkdesk.com

(972) 896-1936
Anya Hindmarch and Bill Amberg support campaign to challenge misinformation about leather making

AMSTERDAM, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LeatherTruthfully is a new global campaign and mission from Leather Naturally, a not for profit global association that focuses on sharing the positive benefits of leather through information and education.

The LeatherTruthfully campaign will share truthful facts about leather making and address misperceptions about how leather is made and its role in a sustainable economy.

A LeatherTruthfully website will launch on Monday 6 June, although campaigning will be on-going. Through inspiration and education, the LeatherTruthfully website will address misperceptions and answer key questions with clear facts about leather making.

LeatherTruthfully has attracted global support from respected leather designers and leaders in sustainability including Anya Hindmarch and Bill Amberg.

"I'm proud to support Leather Truthfully. It's a meaningful campaign that shares how leather is made and its role in a circular economy, where nothing is wasted. There are so many misunderstandings about leather right now. It's time to celebrate its rich heritage and remind everyone of the circular and sustainable qualities of leather that fit our human desire for a better, healthier planet." - Bill Amberg.

"I am a supporter of the LeatherNaturally campaign and its mission to shine a light on sustainable leather production. I think we need to trust in and return to nature as much as we can. Leather is an incredible, natural, waterproof, flexible, durable material that should not be wasted and has an important place in any circular economy." - Anya Hindmarch.

The LeatherTruthfully campaign was inspired by an evident lack of global awareness about how leather is made and its role in a sustainable future. A recent UK survey of 2,000 people conducted by Leather UK demonstrated the extent of public misunderstanding. The survey revealed:

Only 24% of people were aware that hides and skins were a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise go to waste.

50% think animals are raised specifically to make leather.

74% are confused by the term 'vegan leather' with 54% not aware of its composition or the fact that vegan leather could be plastic.

The LeatherTruthfully website will address common misunderstandings and questions with fact filled answers such as 'is leather sustainable' or 'are animals killed for leather'. The site will also share a range of industry insights and fresh perspectives as well as inspiring stories from global leather makers.

Ultimately the LeatherTruthfully is a long term campaign that aims to maintain a truthful and global conversation about all aspects of leather manufacture and making.

Please visit LeatherTruthfully for more information. Don't hesitate to contact gaby@prospectsociety.com , lorna@prospectsociety.com or info@leathernaturally.org to arrange interviews or find out more about the campaign.

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Avril Mannion , Brian Gaynor and James McGivern join the Board of BlueSnap Payments Ireland in key senior leadership positions

, and join the Board of BlueSnap Payments Ireland in key senior leadership positions Together they bring over 70 years of combined industry knowledge and expertise

The Payment Orchestration Platform continues to grow its EU presence through its Dublin -based European HQ

BOSTON and DUBLIN, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueSnap, the Payment Orchestration Platform that helps businesses accept and optimize payments around the world, has today announced key leadership appointments to further growth across Europe. It has appointed Avril Mannion as Chairperson of the Board, Brian Gaynor as Executive Director and CEO, and James McGivern as Executive Director and CFO.

These appointments come as part of BlueSnap's commitment to expanding its European presence and establishing a highly specialised EU-based team with a vast amount of industry expertise.

Ralph Dangelmaier, Global CEO at BlueSnap, said: "We couldn't be more excited to welcome these three incredible individuals to BlueSnap's European division and have them join me on the EU Board. Today's announcement is a continuation of our European business expansion, and follows the launch of our European headquarters in Dublin last year. We are glad to have Avril, Brian and James onboard to help us provide European merchants with a sophisticated payment platform that will allow them to optimise global payments."

As an independent non-executive director and chairperson of BlueSnap's EU business, Avril Mannion will oversee the company's EU Board, drive its European strategy, and set high governance standards within the business.

Avril, an industry veteran with over 25 years experience, was previously with Soldo Financial Services Ireland DAC, where she acted as the CEO and COO of the company, leading and developing the company's overall business strategy. She also managed the implementation of Soldo's risk and compliance frameworks, policies and procedures, and governance structures.

Avril Mannion, Chairperson of EU Operations at BlueSnap said: "I'm thrilled to be working with the amazing team at BlueSnap, helping to direct its European strategy as the company grows its EU presence. Today, merchants across the continent are demanding better and more efficient all-in-one payment solutions that address their ever-evolving needs.

This makes it an exciting time to be a part of BlueSnap as it continues to bring its innovative solution to merchants across Europe."

New European CEO Brian Gaynor will lead the day-to-day running of the European business, expanding BlueSnap's footprint and product offering, as well as ensuring that the company is compliant with local regulations.

As former CEO of J.P. Morgan Wholesale Payments Europe Limited, Brian has more than 25 years of experience operating and developing business strategies and technical directions for businesses across payment acquiring and issuing, telecoms, and financial services industries.

Moreover, as BlueSnap's new European CFO, James McGivern will manage the business' finances, ensure financial compliance, develop its strategy for growth, and oversee all financial and statutory reporting for the geography. He joins BlueSnap with over 25 years of experience in the financial services and fintech sectors with the likes of Barclays, Bank of Ireland Group and PayPal.

James has strong experience in identifying key target markets, sectors, and clients for businesses. He is also well-versed in developing technology-based propositions to improve the operational efficiency and address the challenge of regulatory change for global financial services organizations.

BlueSnap's Payment Orchestration Platform provides companies with a single account that hosts everything they need to sell globally. It allows software companies to think locally and act globally. It supports over 200 different payment types and shopper currencies, payment acceptance in over 200 regions, with local card acquiring in 47 countries.

Notes to editors

For media enquiries, please contact bluesnap@hardnumbers.co.uk

About BlueSnap

BlueSnap helps businesses accept global payments a better way. Our Payment Orchestration Platform is designed to increase sales and reduce costs for all businesses accepting payments. BlueSnap supports payments across all geographies through multiple sales channels such as online and mobile sales, marketplaces, subscriptions, invoice payments and manual orders through a virtual terminal. And for businesses looking for embedded payments, we offer white-labeled payments for platforms with automated underwriting and onboarding that supports marketplaces and split payments. With one integration and contract, businesses can sell in over 200 regions with access to local card acquiring in 47+ countries, 100+ currencies and 100+ global payment types, including popular eWallets, automated accounts receivable, world-class fraud protection and chargeback management, built-in solutions for regulation and tax compliance, and unified global reporting to help businesses grow. BlueSnap is backed by world-class private equity investors including Great Hill Partners and Parthenon Capital Partners. Learn more at BlueSnap.com
LG Electronics ultra-premium home appliance brand, LG SIGNATURE, celebrates art and beauty in technology through the short film Hide and Seek, created by Francesca Molteni.

The film will premiere during Milan Design Week, sealing the collaboration between LG SIGNATURE and Molteni&C - two brands synonymous with excellence, refinement, and natural elegance.

SEOUL, South Korea, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LG SIGNATURE, the ultra-premium home appliance brand celebrating art and beauty in technology, will premiere the short film Hide and Seek, a project by Francesca Molteni, during Milan Design Week. Produced by Muse Factory of Projects, the film marks a new chapter in LG SIGNATURE's collaboration with Molteni&C.

Filmed in the elegant Molteni&C showroom in Milan where premium home appliances and furniture are in perfect harmony, the setting illustrates the closeness between the two brands, united by their exceptional aesthetic vision. This setting, which depicts the LG SIGNATURE lifestyle, has also inspired the new area layout dedicated to the brand's products in the Signature Kitchen Suite showroom, with furnishings by Molteni&C.

The elegant collaboration between LG SIGNATURE and Molteni&C will soon be available at Contract Atelier in Milan, an innovative space for contract business, and Co van der Horst in Amsterdam, the boutique concept store - both featuring exclusive partners including Molteni&C.

Hide and Seek is screening from June 7 to 12 on the lower level of the Signature Kitchen Suite showroom (Via Manzoni 47) at Milan Design Week. It can also be viewed on the LG SIGNATURE website: www.lg.com/global/lg-signature/showroom.

The film

Hide and Seek, a short film envisioned, written, and produced by Muse for LG SIGNATURE, immerses viewers in a magical, joyful, and playful world. It portrays the discovery of a new planet, into which two children, Vicky and Marty, sister and brother, lead us by the hand. They enter a real space, a design setting, a world of apparently inanimate objects, and then lose their way, spellbound, captured by the marvelous arrival of new, unexpected friends.

The sister and brother play hide and seek, chasing each other and getting lost. Gradually, the new LG SIGNATURE collection becomes the protagonist of the story: the technology of the products appears to be activated by magic, lighting up panels, automatically opening doors and drawers, and unfurling the majesty of a roll-up TV screen before the curious eyes of Vicky and Marty. The magic of technology shows the children how human it can be, adapting to their needs in a functional and stimulating way. At the same time, creativity becomes a tool to imagine a different, better future, also in domestic spaces.

The set is the Molteni&C showroom, immersed in darkness. When light turns on, the spaces become visible, room by room. The LG SIGNATURE products featured include: Rollable OLED TV R, OLED 8K TV, the InstaView Fridge, Wine Cellar, TWINWash Washer/Dryer, and Air Purifier. Each is introduced one by one, like the actors in a performance.

Credits:

Art Direction: Francesca Molteni

Directed by Mattia Colombo and Davide Fois

Editing: Veronica Scotti

Original music: Luca Fois

Producer: Claudia Adragna

Created by Muse Factory of Projects, 2022

About LG SIGNATURE

LG SIGNATURE is the premium brand of the worldwide innovation leader LG Electronics. Created for the most demanding consumers, the projects of LG SIGNATURE offer an experience of pure, sophisticated and luxurious life in the home. Incorporating the finest LG technology, the LG SIGNATURE products are designed by concentrating on their "true essence," in line with the brand's modern, distinctive style. For further information, visit the website www.LGSIGNATURE.com.

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) is pleased to provide an update of its Sunbird exploration program at the Seguela gold Project located in Cote d'Ivoire.



Paul Weedon, Senior Vice President of Exploration, commented, "Following the release of Sunbird's maiden Inferred Mineral Resource containing 350,000 gold ounces in March 2022, expansion drilling has continued to grow the high grade mineralized footprint at depth and beyond the initial maiden resource envelope." Mr. Weedon continued, "Results such as 28.2 g/t gold over 3.5 meters from drill hole SGRD1408 and 12.6 g/t gold over 7.7 meters from drill hole SGRD1422 highlight the open nature of the deposit's mineralization." Mr. Weedon added, "Further drilling is underway to test these extensions, with drill hole SGRD1423, a further 100 meters down plunge, intersecting several points of visible gold." Mr. Weedon concluded, "In addition to the exploration success at Sunbird this field season, target generation elsewhere on the Seguela property has continued to grow the portfolio with several new very encouraging prospects identified."

Sunbird Prospect drill highlights include:

SGRD1405: 18.3 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 11.9 meters from 168 meters

18.3 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 11.9 meters from 168 meters SGRD1408: 28.2 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 3.5 meters from 351 meters

28.2 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 3.5 meters from 351 meters SGRD1421: 6.1 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 8.4 meters from 252 meters

6.1 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 8.4 meters from 252 meters SGRD1422:12.6 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 7.7 meters from 319 meters

Subsequent to the release of Sunbird's maiden Inferred Mineral Resource of 3.4 million tonnes at an average grade of 3.16 g/t gold containing 350,000 gold ounces (refer to Fortuna news release dated March 15, 2022 (https://fortunasilver.com/site/assets/files/13473/2022-03-15-fvi-nr_1.pdf)), expansion drilling further down-dip and down-plunge has continued to intersect high grade mineralization beyond the initial optimized pit shell used to constrain the maiden Inferred Mineral Resource (refer to Figure 1).

Drilling has successfully intersected an interpreted continuation of the core high grade mineralization a further 100 meters down-plunge from previous intersections with drill hole SGRD1408 intersecting 28.2 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 3.5 meters and drill hole SGRD1422 intersecting 12.6 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 7.7 meters. Assays are pending for drill hole SGRD1423 which intersected several points of visible gold a further 100 meters down plunge. This structure remains open at depth, some 350 meters below surface.

In addition to extending mineralization at depth, drilling was also designed to further define the central high grade core, with a total of eight holes consistently intersecting high grades (greater than 100 grams x meter), including the most recent drill hole SGRD1405 intersecting 18.3 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 11.9 meters from 168 meters down-hole. Full results received for this recent 7,071 meter 20-hole program are listed in Appendix 1.

An additional 5,110 meter 15-hole program to infill and extend the depth potential has commenced with four holes completed to date (refer to Figure 1). Drill hole SGDD095, for which assays are pending, intersected more than five points of visible gold to two millimeters in diameter in geological logging of the drill core. This interval has the potential to extend the high grade core a further 25 meters to the north.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/47ba223c-5747-4dfb-90ca-f4643decc5a1 (https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/47ba223c-5747-4dfb-90ca-f4643decc5a1)

Seguela Regional Exploration

Regional exploration across the Seguela Project has continued to generate attractive targets along the key structural corridors and building off regional soil and auger sampling campaigns, geophysical anomalies and field mapping (refer to Figure 2 and Appendix 2).

Highlights from the current generative field season include:

Winy: located approximately five kilometers to the south-east of Antenna, a first pass trench sampling program returned 52 meters at 1.54 g/t gold which was following up a regional soil anomaly and 25 rock chip samples ranging from 0.13 g/t gold to 68.2 g/t gold. Winy is in a structurally favorable setting at the intersection of locally significant north-east trending structures intersecting the pressure shadow to the north of a small intrusive body.

G7: located approximately 14 kilometers to the south-east of Antenna, a 196-hole, 5,008-meter, reconnaissance air core drilling program returned a best intersection of 32 meters at 1.26 g/t gold in hole SGAC7763 from eight meters with a follow up 6-hole, 504 meter, scout reverse circulation (RC) drilling intersecting 18 meters at 1.54 g/t gold from 76 meters in drill hole SGRC1396. G7 is hosted in the easternmost volcaniclastic and schistose domain and represents a potentially new host setting.

Barana: located 8 kilometers north of Antenna, a greater than 2-kilometer-long +50 parts per billion (ppb) gold auger anomaly has been identified, with a 759-hole, 14,204 meter, scout air core drilling program returning up to seven meters at 2.25 g/t gold from 12 meters in hole SGAC629 and 20 rock chip samples ranging from 0.01 g/t gold to 9.28 g/t gold. Barana is hosted in the northern extension of the same Antenna host lithologies.

Folly: located approximately seven kilometers south of Antenna, additional wide spaced 30-hole, 2,451 meter, scout RC drilling program (200-meter line spacing) following up previous reconnaissance RC drilling returned encouraging results along a greater than 1.2-kilometer strike zone interpreted as the same structural corridor as hosting the Antenna deposit approximately one kilometer to the north. Results include 1.5 meters at 12.79 g/t gold from 88 meters (drill hole SGRC1189), 8.2 meters at 1.69 g/t from 22 meters (drill hole SGRC1252) and 3.0 meters at 7.90 g/t gold from 88 meters (drill hole SGRC1317).

Follow-up drill testing of these prospects along with further drilling at the high grade Gabbro North prospect to follow up previous high grade results including 4 meters at 23.0 g/t gold from 109 meters in drill hole SGRC1236 and 8 meters at 39.0 g/t from 88 meters in drill hole SGRC1152 (refer to Fortuna news release dated September 7, 2021 (https://fortunasilver.com/site/assets/files/11116/2021-09-07-fvi-nr.pdf) and Roxgold news release dated June 17, 2021 (https://sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=8&issuerNo=00005999&issuerType=03&projectNo=03239063&docId=4989133)) is planned for the second half of 2022.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/49c58a65-f17a-4e78-a328-9262127b2321 (https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/49c58a65-f17a-4e78-a328-9262127b2321)

Quality Assurance & Quality Control (QA-QC)

All drilling data completed by the Company utilized the following procedures and methodologies. All drilling was carried out under the supervision of the Company's personnel.

All air core (AC) drilling at Seguela used a 3-inch blade bit with 1-meter samples collected and laid out in rows on the ground, and then spear-sampled in four-meter composites for a final sample weight of approximately two kilograms. Drilling is maintained until either damp samples are encountered or ground refusal. Trench samples were collected in 4-meter composites along one wall of the trench and below any transported horizons for a final sample weight of 2-3 kilograms. All rock-chip, AC and trench samples were assayed at Elam Laboratories in Cote d'Ivoire with routine gold analysis using a 50-gram charge and fire assay with an atomic absorption finish. Quality control procedures included the systematic insertion of blanks, duplicates and sample standards into the sample stream. In addition, Elam Laboratories inserted its own quality control samples. AC samples are used for target generation only and not used for any mineral resource calculation.

All RC drilling at Seguela used a 5.25-inch face sampling pneumatic hammer with samples collected into 60-liter plastic bags. Samples were kept dry by maintaining enough air pressure to exclude groundwater inflow. If water ingress exceeded the air pressure, RC drilling was stopped, and drilling converted to diamond core tails. Once collected, RC samples were riffle split through a three-tier splitter to yield a 12.5% representative sample for submission to the analytical laboratory. The residual 87.5% sample were stored at the drill site until assay results were received and validated. Coarse reject samples for all mineralized samples corresponding to significant intervals are retained and stored on-site at the company-controlled core yard.

All DD drill holes at Seguela were drilled with HQ sized diamond drill bits. The core was logged, marked up for sampling using standard lengths of one meter or to a geological boundary. Samples were then cut into equal halves using a diamond saw. One half of the core was left in the original core box and stored in a secure location at the company core yard at the project site. The other half was sampled, catalogued and placed into sealed bags and securely stored at the site until shipment.

All Seguela RC and DD core samples were shipped to ALS Laboratories preparation laboratory in Yamoussoukro for preparation and then, via commercial courier, to ALS's facility in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso for finishing. Routine gold analysis using a 50-gram charge and fire assay with an atomic absorption finish was completed for all Seguela samples. Quality control procedures included the systematic insertion of blanks, duplicates and sample standards into the sample stream. In addition, the ALS laboratory inserted its own quality control samples.

Qualified Person

Paul Weedon, Senior Vice President of Exploration for Fortuna Silver Mines Inc., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 being a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (Membership #6001). Mr. Weedon has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Weedon has verified the data disclosed, and the sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information or opinions contained herein by reviewing geochemical and geological databases and reviewing diamond drill core. There were no limitations to the verification process.

About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. is a Canadian precious metals mining company with four operating mines in Argentina, Burkina Faso, Mexico and Peru, and a fifth mine under construction in Cote d'Ivoire. Sustainability is integral to all our operations and relationships. We produce gold and silver and generate shared value over the long-term for our stakeholders through efficient production, environmental protection, and social responsibility. For more information, please visit our website (https://fortunasilver.com/).

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Jorge A. Ganoza

President, CEO and Director

Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

Investor Relations:

Carlos Baca | info@fortunasilver.com (mailto:info@fortunasilver.com) | Twitter: @Fortuna_Silver (https://twitter.com/Fortuna_Silver?t=5v8vqKKvb4yDTKNCSWmzGQ&s=09) | LinkedIn: fortunasilvermines (https://www.linkedin.com/company/fortunasilvermines/posts/?feedView=all)

Forward looking Statements

This news release contains forward looking statements which constitute "forward looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "Forward looking Statements"). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward looking Statements. The Forward looking Statements in this news release may include, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for the Seguela gold Project and mineral properties, including the Sunbird Prospect; the anticipated exploration and other development programs at the Sunbird Prospect and other mineral properties at the Seguela gold Project, together with the investment, nature, implementation and timing thereof; the timing for, and anticipated results of the exploration programs at the Sunbird Prospect and the Seguela gold Project, and the intention to expand mineralization at the Seguela gold Project; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlook; the merit of the Company's mines and mineral properties; mineral resource and reserve estimates; timelines; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; expenditures; approvals and other matters. Often, but not always, these Forward looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as "estimated", "potential", "open", "future", "assumed", "projected", "used", "detailed", "has been", "gain", "planned", "reflecting", "will", "containing", "remaining", "to be", or statements that events, "could" or "should" occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations.

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 results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward looking Statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; the duration and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and workforce and the effects on the global economy and society; changes in prices for silver, gold and other metals; the success of the Company's exploration program at the Sunbird Prospect and the Seguela gold Project; technological and operational hazards in Fortuna's mining and mine development activities; risks inherent in mineral exploration; fluctuations in prices for energy, labor, materials, supplies and services; fluctuations in currencies; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral reserves, mineral resources, and metal recoveries; our ability to obtain all necessary permits, licences and regulatory approvals in a timely manner; governmental and other approvals; political unrest or instability in countries where Fortuna is active; labor relations issues; as well as those factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form. 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 to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward looking Statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to expectations regarding the results from the exploration programs conducted at the Seguela gold Project; expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Company's information derived from its exploration programs at the Seguela gold Project; current mineral resource and reserve estimates; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained; that there will be no significant disruptions affecting operations and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward looking Statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any Forward looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that Forward looking Statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on Forward looking Statements.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Reserves and Resources

Reserve and resource estimates included in this news release have been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for public disclosure by a Canadian company of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Unless otherwise indicated, all mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates contained in the technical disclosure have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves.

Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and mineral reserve and resource information included in this news release may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies.

APPENDIX 1. Seguela gold Project, Cote d'Ivoire: Sunbird Prospect drill results

HoleID Easting (WGS84_29N) Northing (WGS84_29N) Elevation (m) End of Hole Depth (m) UTM Azimuth

(m) Dip

(m) Depth From (m) Depth To (m) Downhole Width (m) ETW1

(m) Au (ppm) Hole Type2 SGRD1402 742749 893485 478 260.5 90 -60 NSI RCD SGRD1403 742676 893437 464 381.3 90 -60 61 62 1 0.7 13.50 RCD 221 223 2 1.4 10.64 RCD including 222 223 1 0.7 15.35 RCD 237 242 5 3.5 4.68 RCD including 238 239 1 0.7 11.20 RCD SGRD1404 742666 893337 460 380.5 90 -60 93 94 1 0.7 5.14 RCD SGRD1405 742734 893240 460 261.5 90 -60 168 185 17 11.9 18.33 RCD including 168 170 2 1.4 135.00 RCD and 173 174 1 0.7 16.35 RCD SGRD1406 742622 893237 485 426.2 90 -60 NSI 0 RCD SGRD1407 742609 893138 485 444.4 90 -60 NSI 0 RCD SGRD1408 742590 893036 493 450.5 90 -60 351 356 5 3.5 28.23 RCD including 353 355 2 1.4 67.15 RCD SGRD1409 742582 892761 524 384.5 90 -60 286 287 1 0.7 14.50 RCD 351 375 24 16.8 1.61 RCD SGRD1412 742655 893189 499 450.5 90 -60 NSI 0 RCD SGRD1413 742753 893436 480 280.2 90 -60 197 200 3 2.1 3.68 RCD SGRD1414 742715 893385 472 350.2 90 -60 278 280 2 1.4 9.20 RCD including 278 279 1 0.7 17.45 RCD SGRD1415 742690 893284 485 339.4 90 -60 NSI 0 RCD SGRD1416 742635 893086 510 432.2 90 -60 343 350 7 4.9 1.54 RCD 368 370 2 1.4 5.61 RCD SGRD1417 742678 893235 489 360.3 90 -60 81 83.5 2.5 1.75 4.84 RCD 258 266 8 5.6 2.55 RCD SGRD1418 742772 893357 486 252.5 90 -60 149 159 10 7 1.87 RCD SGRD1419 742714 893135 486 294.4 90 -60 202 213 11 7.7 2.55 RCD including 202 203 1 0.7 10.35 RCD 224 227 3 2.1 4.94 RCD including 225 226 1 0.7 13.45 RCD 231 233 2 1.4 17.37 RCD including 231 232 1 0.7 33.80 RCD SGRD1420 742706 893339 469 339.4 90 -60 268 269 1 0.7 6.36 RCD SGRD1421 742673 893137 492 318.9 90 -60 247 248 1 0.7 19.86 RCD 252 264 12 8.4 6.13 RCD including 252 253 1 0.7 27.32 RCD and 259 260 1 0.7 16.63 RCD SGRD1422 742643 893035 513 400.4 90 -60 319 330 11 7.7 12.56 RCD including 320 321 1 0.7 98.90 RCD and 325 326 1 0.7 13.65 RCD SGRD1424 742893 893087 525 263.6 90 -60 198 220 22 15.4 2.09 RCD including 204 205 1 0.7 14.03 RCD

Notes:

ETW: estimated true width RCD: reverse circulation pre-collar, diamond core tail

APPENDIX 2. Seguela gold Project, Cote d'Ivoire: Regional Exploration Results

Winy trench results

SampleID Sample_Type Easting

(WGS84_29N) Northing

(WGS84_29N) Elevation

(m) Au_ppm Au_Batch_No A158060 Trench 746425 893554 377 0.046 YM21344139 A158061 Trench 746427 893553 376 0.056 YM21344139 A158062 Trench 746427 893554 377 0.06 YM21344139 A158063 Trench 746429 893554 377 0.831 YM21344139 A158065 Trench 746432 893553 378 0.713 YM21344139 A158066 Trench 746437 893552 378 0.04 YM21344139 A158067 Trench 746440 893552 379 0.085 YM21344139 A158068 Trench 746442 893552 380 0.025 YM21344139 A158069 Trench 746445 893555 381 0.016 YM21344139 A158070 Trench 746450 893553 382 0.019 YM21344139 A158071 Trench 746453 893553 383 0.009 YM21344139 A158073 Trench 746459 893553 385 0.011 YM21344139 A158074 Trench 746458 893557 386 0.009 YM21344139 A158075 Trench 746467 893552 386 0.012 YM21344139 A158076 Trench 746469 893553 388 0.012 YM21344139 A158077 Trench 746475 893553 387 0.013 YM21344139 A158078 Trench 746478 893553 389 0.015 YM21344139 A158079 Trench 746480 893555 390 0.015 YM21344139 A158081 Trench 746485 893551 391 0.025 YM21344139 A158082 Trench 746487 893553 391 0.024 YM21344139 A158083 Trench 746492 893553 391 0.026 YM21344139 A158084 Trench 746496 893553 391 0.835 YM21344139 A158085 Trench 746501 893552 390 0.033 YM21344139 A158086 Trench 746506 893552 389 1.015 YM21344139 A158087 Trench 746509 893553 389 0.405 YM21344139 A158089 Trench 746513 893551 389 0.461 YM21344139 A158090 Trench 746517 893552 387 0.037 YM21344139 A158091 Trench 746520 893554 387 0.375 YM21344139 A158092 Trench 746524 893552 386 1.025 YM21344139 A158093 Trench 746528 893551 386 1.365 YM21344139 A158094 Trench 746532 893551 384 0.434 YM21344139 A158095 Trench 746537 893551 383 8.27 YM21344139 A158096 Trench 746540 893551 382 3.04 YM21344139 A158098 Trench 746545 893551 382 1.945 YM21344139 A158099 Trench 746548 893550 381 0.887 YM21344139 A158100 Trench 746552 893551 380 2.21 YM21344139 A158139 Trench 746394 893551 377 0.261 YM21344139 A158141 Trench 746399 893552 376 0.039 YM21344139 A158142 Trench 746402 893554 376 0.019 YM21344139 A158143 Trench 746407 893553 376 0.027 YM21344139 A158144 Trench 746412 893554 375 0.02 YM21344139 A158145 Trench 746417 893553 375 0.014 YM21344139 A158146 Trench 746420 893554 376 0.019 YM21344139 A158147 Trench 746422 893553 376 0.029 YM21344139 A158149 Trench 746423 893554 376 0.028 YM21344139 A158150 Trench 746426 893554 377 0.038 YM21344139 A158151 Trench 746556 893551 377 0.143 YM21344139 A158152 Trench 746560 893551 377 0.038 YM21344139 A158153 Trench 746563 893550 377 0.079 YM21344139 A158154 Trench 746568 893550 376 0.054 YM21344139 A158156 Trench 746571 893550 374 0.045 YM21344139 A158157 Trench 746577 893548 372 0.04 YM21344139 A158158 Trench 746579 893548 372 0.03 YM21344139 A158159 Trench 746582 893548 371 0.032 YM21344139 A158160 Trench 746587 893548 370 0.031 YM21344139 A158161 Trench 746591 893548 369 0.023 YM21344139 A158162 Trench 746594 893548 368 0.019 YM21344139 A158163 Trench 746597 893548 366 0.023 YM21344139 A158165 Trench 746602 893550 366 0.022 YM21344139 A158166 Trench 746606 893550 365 0.027 YM21344139 A158167 Trench 746609 893550 362 0.026 YM21344139 A158168 Trench 746613 893550 361 0.024 YM21344139 A158169 Trench 746616 893551 360 0.023 YM21344139 A158170 Trench 746619 893550 359 0.023 YM21344139 A158171 Trench 746623 893549 358 0.023 YM21344139 A158173 Trench 746627 893551 358 0.026 YM21344139 A158174 Trench 746631 893552 357 0.025 YM21344139 A158175 Trench 746635 893549 356 0.037 YM21344139 A158176 Trench 746638 893550 355 0.027 YM21344139 A158177 Trench 746642 893550 355 0.042 YM21344139 A158178 Trench 746646 893546 353 0.051 YM21344139 A158179 Trench 746651 893550 352 0.026 YM21344139 A158181 Trench 746655 893550 352 0.031 YM21344139 A158182 Trench 746659 893549 351 0.026 YM21344139 A158183 Trench 746662 893550 351 0.042 YM21344139 A158184 Trench 746667 893550 349 0.021 YM21344139 A158185 Trench 746670 893550 349 0.012 YM21344139 A158186 Trench 746674 893550 348 0.011 YM21344139 A158187 Trench 746678 893551 347 0.036 YM21344139 A158189 Trench 746681 893550 347 0.027 YM21344139 A158190 Trench 746686 893552 346 0.022 YM21344139 A158191 Trench 746689 893548 346 0.023 YM21344139 A158192 Trench 746693 893548 346 0.019 YM21344139 A158193 Trench 746697 893550 346 0.013 YM21344139 A158194 Trench 746702 893552 344 0.013 YM21344139 A158195 Trench 746705 893551 344 0.014 YM21344139 A158196 Trench 746709 893550 343 0.017 YM21344139 A158198 Trench 746713 893550 343 0.021 YM21344139 A158199 Trench 746717 893553 343 0.012 YM21344139 A158200 Trench 746720 893557 341 0.019 YM21344139 A158201 Trench 746724 893555 340 0.024 YM21344139 A158202 Trench 746729 893552 340 0.019 YM21344139 A158203 Trench 746733 893554 339 0.016 YM21344139 A158204 Trench 746737 893552 339 0.014 YM21344139 A158205 Trench 746739 893550 337 0.162 YM21344139

Note: true width not determined; samples are 4-meter composites

G7 and Barana RC and AC results; AC reported for intervals greater than 2.5-gram x meter

HoleID Easting

(WGS84_29N) Northing

(WGS84_29N) Elevation

(m) End of Hole

Depth (m) UTM

Azimuth

(m) Dip

(m) Depth

From (m) Depth

To

(m) Au

(ppm) Hole

Type1 Area SGRC1396 748234 882652 336 102.0 270 -60 76 94 1.54 RC G7 SGRC1397 748205 882756 338 60 270 -60 NSI RC G7 SGRC1398 748240 882753 341 52 270 -60 NSI RC G7 SGRC1399 748119 882553 327 102 270 -60 NSI RC G7 SGRC1400 748167 882552 327 88 270 -60 NSI RC G7 SGRC1401 748220 882556 326 100 270 -60 NSI RC G7 SGAC7763 748205 882656 340 48.0 270 -60 8 40 1.26 AC G7 SGAC7775 747953 882656 337 37.0 270 -60 32 37 0.49 AC G7 SGAC8121 747901 882455 331 28.0 270 -60 16 28 0.62 AC G7 SGAC8141 748196 882858 335 37.0 90 -60 20 24 0.61 AC G7 SGAC8147 748024 882856 319 37.0 270 -60 8 12 0.58 AC G7 SGAC545 743979 902791 379 17.0 275 -60 8 9 2.65 AC Barana SGAC5501 743943 905258 379 18.0 275 -60 2 3 7.17 AC Barana SGAC5606 743980 904418 376 14.0 275 -60 3 5 1.22 AC Barana SGAC5639 743782 904418 361 12.0 275 -60 5 11 0.43 AC Barana SGAC5684 743304 904008 371 15.0 275 -60 10 14 0.97 AC Barana SGAC5685 743302 904008 365 14.0 275 -60 4 6 1.05 AC Barana SGAC5724 743761 904010 374 20.0 275 -60 12 13 2.26 AC Barana SGAC5750 743512 904004 372 13.0 275 -60 8 13 0.45 AC Barana SGAC578 743698 902789 377 30.0 275 -60 0 2 1.01 AC Barana 8 17 0.82 AC Barana SGAC5782 743887 902092 383 23.0 275 -60 9 23 0.79 AC Barana SGAC5784 743869 902090 383 18.0 275 -60 9 12 0.74 AC Barana SGAC5785 743858 902087 385 18.0 275 -60 0 12 1.11 AC Barana SGAC5787 743842 902085 385 15.0 275 -60 2 14 0.46 AC Barana SGAC5788 743834 902086 382 18.0 275 -60 0 18 0.56 AC Barana SGAC5789 743826 902086 379 20.0 275 -60 16 20 0.61 AC Barana SGAC579 743683 902788 378 32.0 275 -60 19 20 2.20 AC Barana SGAC580 743667 902785 375 24.0 275 -60 2 12 0.23 AC Barana SGAC581 743655 902788 376 30.0 275 -60 0 11 0.73 AC Barana SGAC582 743640 902792 374 40.0 275 -60 0 5 2.09 AC Barana 16 19 1.32 AC Barana SGAC5912 743584 902795 376 22.0 275 -60 6 11 1.06 AC Barana SGAC5924 743914 903604 388 33.0 275 -60 0 1 5.60 AC Barana SGAC5927 743764 903613 387 37.0 275 -60 26 33 1.90 AC Barana SGAC5942 743724 903608 375 28.0 275 -60 19 25 0.40 AC Barana SGAC5951 743880 903196 392 34.0 275 -60 26 32 0.68 AC Barana SGAC5952 743732 903194 390 42.0 275 -60 0 7 0.33 AC Barana 13 15 3.92 AC Barana SGAC5954 743716 903196 392 41.0 275 -60 25 33 1.38 AC Barana SGAC607 743677 903197 387 24.0 275 -60 5 19 0.51 AC Barana SGAC608 743876 902483 374 30.0 275 -60 0 8 0.27 AC Barana 18 30 0.50 AC Barana SGAC629 743748 902549 367 21.0 275 -60 12 21 1.80 AC Barana SGAC649 743537 902481 370 15.0 275 -60 5 11 0.41 AC Barana SGAC706 743509 902481 364 12.0 275 -60 4 6 1.80 AC Barana SGAC7814 744228 903203 407 36.0 275 -60 24 35 0.50 AC Barana SGAC7854 744220 902802 391 20.0 275 -60 8 20 1.56 AC Barana SGAC7855 744209 902799 391 31.0 275 -60 4 20 0.74 AC Barana SGAC7857 744185 902804 397 16.0 275 -60 12 16 0.63 AC Barana SGAC7864 744101 902798 383 21.0 275 -60 16 20 0.54 AC Barana SGAC8153 742877 902092 380 34.0 275 -60 33 34 2.04 AC Barana SGAC8164 742642 902091 377 46.0 275 -60 24 28 0.56 AC Barana SGAC8171 743382 902790 397 15.0 275 -60 4 8 0.93 AC Barana SGAC8184 743285 902790 368 10.0 275 -60 8 9 4.16 AC Barana SGAC8190 743234 902791 366 19.0 275 -60 4 8 42.60 AC Barana SGAC8192 743219 902791 372 8.0 275 -60 0 4 1.09 AC Barana SGAC8217 743044 902789 362 18.0 275 -60 8 12 0.50 AC Barana SGAC8226 742931 902788 364 24.0 275 -60 8 12 2.59 AC Barana SGAC8425 743309 903607 373 20.0 275 -60 4 8 1.05 AC Barana

Note:

RC: reverse circulation; AC: air core true width not estimated





Folly RC results

HoleID Easting (WGS84_29N) Northing (WGS84_29N) Elevation (m) End of

Hole

Depth

(m) UTM

Azimuth

(m) Dip

(m) Depth

From

(m) Depth

To

(m) Downhole

Width (m) ETW1

(m) Au

(ppm) Hole

Type2 Area SGRC1186 742750 887617 385 60 270 -55 0 0 NSI RC Folly SGRC1187 742782 887616 378 120 270 -55 71 73 2 1.4 0.48 RC Folly SGRC1187 742669 887468 366 100 270 -55 80 81 1 0.7 0.27 RC Folly SGRC1188 742669 887468 366 100 270 -55 0 2 2 1.4 1.16 RC Folly 10 12 2 1.4 0.59 RC Folly 61 62 1 0.7 0.22 RC Folly SGRC1189 742784 887462 369 102 270 -55 88 90 2 1.5 12.79 RC Folly SGRC1192 743129 886977 361 60 270 -55 34 35 1 0.7 0.47 RC Folly SGRC1193 743166 886976 364 120 270 -55 63 64 1 0.7 0.29 RC Folly SGRC1194 743128 887074 371 60 270 -55 31 32 1 0.7 0.79 RC Folly SGRC1195 743163 887076 368 130 270 -55 68 70 2 1.4 1.21 RC Folly SGRC1196 743124 887176 377 66 270 -55 19 20 1 0.7 2.13 RC Folly SGRC1197 743162 887178 380 126 270 -55 0 0 NSI RC Folly SGRC1198 742724 886453 357 54 270 -55 29 37 8 5.6 1.14 RC Folly SGRC1199 742758 886456 360 138 270 -55 96 103 7 4.9 0.28 RC Folly SGRC1200 742726 886355 365 54 270 -55 0 1 1 0.7 0.2 RC Folly SGRC1251 742761 886355 367 100 270 -55 59 63 4 2.8 1.77 RC Folly 28 29 1 0.7 0.25 RC Folly 43 44 1 0.7 1.69 RC Folly 59 66 7 4.9 1.1 RC Folly SGRC1252 742728 886552 362 54 270 -55 22 33 11 8.2 1.69 RC Folly SGRC1253 742766 886550 362 132 270 -55 70 76 6 4.2 0.54 RC Folly SGRC1253 73 75 2 1.4 1.05 RC Folly SGRC1253 98 104 6 4.2 0.11 RC Folly SGRC1316 742726 886602 352 90 270 -60 45 50 5 3.5 4.59 RC Folly SGRC1316 including 45 46 1 0.7 12.46 RC Folly SGRC1316 742726 886602 352 90 270 -60 0 0 NSI RC Folly SGRC1317 742758 886604 352 130 270 -60 88 92 4 3.0 7.9 RC Folly SGRC1317 including 89 90 1 0.7 29.3 RC Folly 106 109 3 2.1 2.1 RC Folly 121 123 2 1.4 0.78 RC Folly SGRC1318 742725 886501 359 67 270 -60 33 34 1 0.7 17.75 RC Folly 15 16 1 0.7 1.08 RC Folly 25 26 1 0.7 1.09 RC Folly 33 35 2 1.4 9.09 RC Folly SGRC1319 742760 886502 355 135 270 -60 70 76 6 4.2 0.35 RC Folly 87 88 1 0.7 0.21 RC Folly 94 95 1 0.7 1.11 RC Folly SGRC1320 742725 886403 360 73 270 -60 24 35 11 7.7 0.88 RC Folly SGRC1321 742760 886402 363 120 270 -60 82 91 9 6.3 2.8 RC Folly 35 36 1 0.7 1.05 RC Folly 58 59 1 0.7 1.6 RC Folly 79 106 27 18.9 1.08 RC Folly 82 91 9 6.3 2.8 RC Folly SGRC1322 742733 886304 360 50 270 -60 1 2 1 0.7 0.23 RC Folly SGRC1323 742771 886303 362 120 270 -60 66 74 8 5.6 0.52 RC Folly 71 73 2 1.4 1.04 RC Folly

Notes:
LONDON, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The two heads of Elite Capital & Co. Limited, Dr. Faisal Khazaal and Mr. George Matharu, announced today that the company implemented a number of measures in celebration of the platinum jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain.







"The Board Members at its meeting today decided to provide an additional salary to permanent employees in all countries in which Elite Capital & Co. operates for this month, as well as to provide a commemorative coin issued by the Royal Mint for this occasion to the Board Members and the Regional Directors. This is the first UK coin to feature The Queen's signature," Mr. George Matharu, CEO of Elite Capital & Co. said.

Elite Capital & Co. Limited is a Financial Management company that provides project-related services including Management, Consultancy, and Funding, particularly for large infrastructure and mega commercial projects.

Elite Capital & Co. Limited's head office is located at 33 St James' Square, London SW1Y 4JS, United Kingdom with our Board Members, Staff, and Agents being located across the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. It also has multi-lingual staff to ensure accommodate all of the clients' needs.

"It was decided to add a symbolic logo on the occasion of the platinum jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the top of the Elite Capital & Co.'s website throughout this year until the beginning of January 2023 in order to express our company's loyalty to Her Majesty," Dr. Faisal Khazaal, Chairman of Elite Capital & Co. said.

Elite Capital & Co. Limited offers a wealth of experience in Banking and Financial transactions and has a range of specialized advisory services for private clients, medium and large corporations as well as governments. It is also the exclusive manager of the Government Future Financing 2030 Program.

Elite Capital & Co. Limited has designed and launched the first one-of-a-kind financial system under the name 'Government Future Financing 2030 Program' back on the 15th of January 2020 to provide financial support rather than lending to Governments.

Dr. Faisal Khazaal and Mr. George Matharu concluded their statement by saying, "We are happy with this celebration, which touches every British company and individual, wishing Her Majesty Elizabeth II continued good health, and the Royal Family continued prosperity."

Contact Details -

Elite Capital & Co. Limited

33 St. James Square

London, SW1Y4JS

United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 (0) 203 709 5060

SWIFT Code: ELCTGB21

LEI Code: 254900NNN237BBHG7S26

Website: ec.uk.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4ff5515e-d3f7-45fd-ac8c-bee455824e48
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Channel Capital Cayman, an offshore governance services business based in the Cayman Islands is pleased to announce that it has been issued with a Companies Management License by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) and it is now offering its investment fund fiduciary services to investment vehicles domiciled in the Cayman Islands.

Located in the Cayman Islands and UK, each member of Channel Capital Cayman acts as a fund director and is regulated by CIMA. The team of directors initially includes Mark Cook, Carl Brenton and Katherine Youhanna, and offers decades of professional governance experience to select fund boards.

The Cayman Islands is a world leader in the establishment of offshore investment funds due to its tax-neutrality, stable economy, sophisticated banking sector, and professional financial services industry. Approximately 70% of non-US domiciled alternative investment funds managed by US SEC-registered advisors are domiciled in the Cayman Islands.

Executive Director at Channel Capital Cayman, Mark Cook, said: "The Cayman Islands remains by far the most popular jurisdiction for global hedge, private equity and infrastructure funds. The Cayman Islands Government and CIMA have developed a strong regulatory framework for the investment funds industry, and we are confident that the Cayman Islands will continue to be a leading funds jurisdiction."

"Having been involved in the industry since 2008, we know first-hand the vast range of compliance and governance issues boards have to navigate. The independent director services we provide allows for a flexible and tailored approach to fund governance through each stage of an investment fund's life cycle. Our platform ensures necessary compliance with regulation is satisfied but with an emphasis on reducing the administrative burden faced by those in the fund governance space and we look forward to expanding our team of likeminded fund directors," said Mr Cook.

About Channel Capital

Established in 2013, Channel has 47 employees across Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Grand Cayman, and currently partners with eight investment management firms. Channel provides incubation, distribution, operational and responsible entity services to a select group of investment management firms and their clients across the institutional, family office, high net worth and advisor-led investor space. Channel's subsidiary entity, CIML, provides responsible entity services to a limited set of funds. https://www.channel.capital

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1834209/1.jpg

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South Korea and the United States conduct a combined air power demonstration involving 20 warplanes over the West Sea, June 7. Yonahp



South Korea and the United States conducted a combined air power demonstration involving 20 warplanes, including F-35A stealth fighters, over the West Sea, Tuesday, Seoul officials said, in another display of their readiness following North Korea's weekend missile launches.



The air maneuvers came just a day after the allies fired eight ground-to-ground ballistic missiles into the East Sea in a tit-for-tat response to the North's launch of eight short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), Sunday.



"We conducted the combined flight to show our deterrence capabilities and capabilities to respond (to North Korean provocations)," a military official here told reporters on condition of anonymity.



In the allied demonstration, the South mobilized its mainstay jets, including F-35As, F-15Ks and KF-16s, while the U.S. deployed F-16 fighters, according to the officials.



Seoul and Washington have been stepping up security coordination through such displays of military might in the wake of Pyongyang's continued saber-rattling amid concerns about the possibility of it carrying out an underground nuclear weapon test.









Seoul officials have warned that Pyongyang's military provocations will be met with "corresponding" reactions.



Shortly after the North's launch of three ballistic missiles, including an apparent intercontinental ballistic missile, on May 25, the South and the U.S. conducted combined missile launches in their first such joint move since 2017.





A U.S. MH-60 helicopter lands on South Korea's 14,500-ton amphibious landing ship Marado during a combined exercise held in waters off Okinawa, June 2. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff
HELSINKI (dpa-AFX) - Finland's trade deficit widened in April, as imports rose more than exports, preliminary figures from the Finnish Customs showed on Tuesday. The trade deficit increased to EUR 900 million in April from EUR 265 million in the same month last year. In March, the trade deficit was EUR 1.400 billion. Exports increased 22.9 percent yearly in April and imports rose 33.1 percent. Shipment to EU countries increased 33.3 percent in April and imports from them gained 18.2 percent. Exports to countries outside EU grew 10.5 percent in April and imports from those countries surged 56.4 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.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil prices fell in choppy trade on Tuesday, as growth worries overshadowed investor optimism that China would see significant demand recovery. Benchmark Brent crude futures slipped 0.3 percent to $119.16 in European trade, while WTI crude futures were down 0.3 percent at $118.12. Economists at Barclays said that a series of rate hikes by ECB will ultimately contribute to an economic recession. Investors await the monetary policy announcement by the European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday, with the central bank expected to confirm an end to bond buying. Meanwhile, a flattening of the yield curve is also seen as an indicator of a possible recession. Bond yields remained supported after Australia's central bank surprised markets by lifting the official cash rate by a bigger-than-expected 50 bps. On the positive side, more Covid-19 related restrictions eased in Shanghai and other major cities, raising hopes for a demand recovery. U.S. crude supply data from the American Petroleum Institute is due later in the day, with inventories expected to fall as the peak period for U.S. demand kicks off with the summer driving season. 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.
Key Takeaways:

ApolloX DEX has secured a strategic investment to drive continued expansion and shape Web3 trading

Investors who participated in the seed funding round include Binance Labs, Kronos Research, and 5 others

ApolloX looks to build new product lines in its ecosystem and to shift to DAO self-governance

ANTIGUA, Antigua and Barbuda, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ApolloX , one of the top 10 decentralized exchanges (DEXes) on CoinMarketCap as of June 2022, announced today that it has secured an undisclosed amount in seed funding from investors including Binance Labs and Kronos Research.

Other investors who participated in the round include Lingfeng Capital, SafePal, TokenPocket, 3Commas and LUX Capital.

The strategic funding will help ApolloX expand its current product and build new product lines in the ecosystem - including spot trading, predict-to-earn, and DEX-as-a-Service. Since its launch in September 2021, ApolloX continues to see stellar growth, with cumulative trading volume hitting $158.87 billion in May 2022.

"Decentralized finance increasingly eats into the market share of centralized finance. Protocols are rapidly innovating in this competitive space as users demand more control, value, and accessibility. We are stoked that our investors recognize our contribution to this evolution toward decentralization and Web3," said ApolloX Captain, Founder of ApolloX.

ApolloX offers an accessible yet sophisticated decentralized trading solution. The team's understanding and passion for the industry drive ApolloX to build features that will change the experience for all stakeholders in cryptocurrency and blockchain.

ApolloX 2.0 and DAO Self-Governance

In April 2022, the platform announced its forward-looking plan to achieve its vision of Web3: ApolloX 2.0 , a 5.75 billion APX token burn, and transition to decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) self-governance.

The DAO structure will help further adoption of decentralized crypto assets and user-centric blockchain technology on a global level. ApolloX DAO will utilize industry-standard solutions to implement decentralized governance, and facilitate transparent and trustless decision-making by the community for platform development.

ApolloX believes the future of DAO will help to eliminate centralized leadership and empower the next generation of protocols to bring blockchain innovation to greater heights. This will bring forth new markets and opportunities for the industry.

In the coming year, ApolloX will execute its roadmap and continuously improve on its degree of decentralization. It will also continue to expand its strong network of partners with platforms and companies like CoinMarketCap, PancakeSwap, and Banxa Holdings.

About ApolloX

ApolloX is one of the top decentralized crypto exchanges. Launched in 2021, ApolloX's mission is to make crypto accessible to everyone, not just the professional trader. In 2022, ApolloX announced its plan to transition to a DAO governance model.

The ApolloX ecosystem is fast-growing and includes its in-built DeFi Wallet, ApolloX NFTs and more. APX is ApolloX's utility token which can be obtained as trading rewards and used for governance on ApolloX.

For more information, please visit ApolloX DEX: www.apollox.finance .

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1679784/Apollox_Logo.jpg
COPENHAGEN (dpa-AFX) - Denmark's industrial production increased at a softer pace in April and was largely driven by the output growth in the pharmaceutical sector, figures from Statistics Denmark showed on Tuesday. Industrial production rose a seasonally adjusted 1.1 percent monthly in April, after a 4.6 percent growth in March. In February, output increased 1.4 percent. Production grew for the fourth month this year and this shows that the Danish industry is defying the uncertainty in the industry due to the rising commodity prices and the invasion of Ukraine, the statistical office said. Production in the pharmaceutical industry, which has significant weight on the overall index, gained 8.8 percent monthly in April, while production in transport industry, with a smaller bearing, declined 17.3 percent. Excluding pharmaceuticals, production decreased 1.8 percent in April. Production of electrical equipment, and wood and paper industry, painting works increased by 3.1 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively. Output declined in the plastic, glass and concrete industry, furniture and other industries, and chemical industry and oil refineries. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
DGAP Post-admission Duties announcement: Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd. / Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act]

Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd.: Announcement of Publication of Circular regarding the upcoming Annual General Meeting on Hong Kong Stock Exchange



07.06.2022 / 12:36

Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 WpHG transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG

Announcement of Publication of Circular regarding the upcoming Annual General Meeting on Hong Kong Stock Exchange



Qingdao / Shanghai / Frankfurt / Hong Kong, 7 June 2022 - Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (the "Company" or "Haier Smart Home"; ISIN D-Shares: CNE1000031C1) on 6 June 2022 published a Circular regarding its upcoming Annual General Meeting scheduled for 28 June 2022 (the "Circular") on the website of Hong Kong Stock Exchange in accordance with applicable trading rules of Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The Circular is available at:

https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2022/0606/2022060601397.pdf



IR Contact:

Haier Smart Home Hong Kong

T: +852 2169 0000

Email: ir@haier.hk

Press Contact:

CROSS ALLIANCE communication GmbH

Sara Pinto

pi@crossalliance.de

T: +49 (0) 89 1250903 35



About Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.:

Haier is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances with a focus on smart home solutions and customized production. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. develops, produces and distributes a wide range of household appliances. These include refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters, kitchen appliances as well as small household appliances and an extensive range of intelligent household appliances. The Company distributes its products through leading household brands such as Haier, Casarte, Leader, Candy, GE Appliances, AQUA and Fisher & Paykel. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. has launched Smart Home Experiential Cloud, which connects homes, users, enterprises and ecosystem partners, and facilitates the integration of Haier's online, offline and micro-store businesses and supports user interaction to further optimize the user experience.

07.06.2022 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


This new program gives software and hardware providers the means to showcase compatibility and certify products with the Eclipse Sparkplug protocol and MQTT-based IoT infrastructure

ORLANDO, Fla., June 07, 2022, one of the world's largest open-source software foundations, in collaboration with its Sparkplug Working Group , today announced at the ARC Industry Forum the launch of the Sparkplug Compatibility Program . This program is based on Sparkplug, an open source software specification that enables mission-critical operational technology ("OT") clients to use industry standards like MQTT to seamlessly integrate data from their applications, sensors, devices, and gateways with most Industrial Internet Of Things (IIoT) Infrastructure.



"MQTT has already established itself as the 'de facto' standard for messaging transport in the IT and OT market sectors," said Mike Milinkovich, executive director for the Eclipse Foundation. "However, it doesn't specify the content of its payloads, making interoperability across the IIoT incredibly challenging. Sparkplug, acting as the HTML of the IIoT, is the industry's best solution for solving this issue and is already in widespread use across multiple industries. Our new program lets industrial firms know if their vendors' systems are Sparkplug compatible."

The Sparkplug Compatibility Program aims to provide integrators and end-users with an easy way to procure devices and software products that are fully compatible with the Sparkplug specification, thus ensuring their solutions will seamlessly integrate with the most common Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices and networks. To be included in the program, products will need to pass an open-source series of tests that validate conformance to the specification. These tests are based on the Sparkplug Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK). Products passing the TCK will be featured in the official list of compatible products, available on the Sparkplug Working Group's website. In addition, licensees of the Sparkplug Compatible trademark will be able to promote compatibility, while also being recognizable in the marketplace through the use of the "Sparkplug Compatible" logo.

Organizations who wish to participate in the compatibility program are invited to join the Eclipse Foundation and Sparkplug Working Group. Interested parties can find out more about the Sparkplug Working Group and the Sparkplug Compatibility Program here .

About Sparkplug & MQTT

By design, the MQTT specification does not dictate a Topic Namespace or any payload encoding. However, as the IIoT and other architectures leveraging the publisher/subscriber model are adopted by device OEMs in the industrial sector, having different Topic Namespace and payload encoding can inhibit interoperability for the end customer.

Sparkplug provides an open and freely available specification for how Edge of Network (EoN) gateways or native MQTT enabled end devices and MQTT Applications communicate bi-directionally within an MQTT Infrastructure. It is recognized that MQTT is used across a wide spectrum of application solution use cases, and an almost indefinable variation of network topologies. To that end the Sparkplug specification addresses the following components within an MQTT infrastructure:

Sparkplug defines an OT-centric Topic Namespace

Sparkplug defines an OT-centric Payload definition optimized for industrial process variables.

Sparkplug defines MQTT Session State management required by real-time OT SCADA systems.



Quotes from Participating Organizations

Cirrus Link solutions:

"Cirrus Link was founded with the express purpose of providing MQTT centric software for Industrial Automation Solutions. As one of the co-inventors of MQTT I couldn't be more pleased to be participating with the Eclipse Sparkplug Working group and see the launch of the Sparkplug Compatibility program. Having native devices and software solutions providing "Plug and Play" capabilities leveraging the power of an MQTT/Sparkplug infrastructure will be a disruptive change in the way industrial automation solutions are designed and implemented in the future," Arlen Nipper, CTO at Cirrus Link Solutions

Chevron:

"For a large enterprise like Chevron, Automation Engineers around the globe could be spending countless hours testing to see if something will work in their process control network or their IIoT network. Having the confidence that something will "just work" when you plug it in to your system via the Sparkplug compatibility program is a huge saver of time and money," Todd Anslinger, IIoT & Automation Specialist at Chevron.

Inductive Automation:

"We are definitely excited about the Sparkplug Compatibility Program and the experience of collaborating with this Eclipse Working Group. Since day one, Inductive Automation has supported an open, interoperable, and standards-based approach to industrial automation systems. The Sparkplug Specification expands Digital transformation opportunities across the industrial sector enabling deployments at scale and accelerating time to value. The entire ecosystem supporting IIoT evolution benefits from the launch of the Sparkplug Compatibility Program," Don Pearson, Chief Strategy Officer, Inductive Automation

Opto 22:

"For our customers, democratizing data in OT systems while securing legacy, brownfield devices is top of mind," states Benson Hougland, VP Product Strategy with Opto 22. "MQTT with Sparkplug provides the tools they need to safely and simply share data among industrial operations, IT systems, and cloud platforms. Back in 1996, Opto 22 joined with Microsoft to develop the OPC specification-and later found the OPC Foundation-to solve the data share challenges of that decade. Today's data-sharing problems have evolved. Our Sparkplug Working Group membership is our commitment to offer the most effective solutions now and ensure our customers' success."

HiveMQ:

"Sparkplug is changing the OT industry for the better," states Ian Skerret, VP of Marketing at HiveMQ. "It solves the data interoperability challenges many of our customers have rolling out new IIoT systems. HiveMQ is proud to participate in the collaborative community to make Sparkplug a success."

Canary:

"Our time-to-value when working with enterprise applications using Sparkplug brokers is mind blowing. Whether 10,000 tags or 2 million tags, historizing Sparkplug tags into a Canary Historian happens instantaneously," said Jeff Knepper, executive director, Business Development, Canary.

About the Eclipse Foundation

The Eclipse Foundation provides our global community of individuals and organizations with a mature, scalable, and business-friendly environment for open source software collaboration and innovation. The Foundation is home to the Eclipse IDE, Jakarta EE, and over 400 open source projects, including runtimes, tools, and frameworks for cloud and edge applications, IoT, AI, automotive, systems engineering, distributed ledger technologies, open processor designs, and many others. The Eclipse Foundation is an international non-profit association supported by over 330 members, including industry leaders who value open source as a key enabler for their business strategies. To learn more, follow us on Twitter @EclipseFdn , LinkedIn or visit eclipse.org .

Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Media contacts:

Schwartz Public Relations for the Eclipse Foundation, AISBL

Stephanie Bruls / Susanne Pawlik

Sendlinger Strae 42A

80331 Munich

EclipseFoundation@schwartzpr.de

+49 (89) 211 871 - 64 / -35
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / Grid Metals Corp. ("Grid" or "the Company" ) (TSXV:GRDM)(OTCQB:MSMGF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Canada Nickel Company Inc. ("Canada Nickel") (CNC)(CNIKF) to sell a 100% interest in the Bannockburn Nickel Property located near Matachewan, Ontario. Under the terms of the Transaction Canada Nickel will acquire 100% of the Bannockburn Property in return for issuance to Grid of 2.0 million of Canada Nickel's common shares.

Robin Dunbar President and CEO of Grid commented, " This transaction with Canada Nickel will enable us to streamline our portfolio and allow us to focus on our core battery metals projects located in Manitoba's Bird River area including the PEA stage Makwa Mayville Ni-Cu-PGM-Co Property and the Donner Lake Lithium Property. This transaction will also provide us with participation in the future success of Canada Nickel by becoming a significant shareholder. Our share position in Canada Nickel will provide Grid with direct exposure to Canada Nickel's large portfolio of exploration and development projects in the Timmins nickel camp.

Mark Selby, Chair and Chief Executive Officer said, "The acquisition of Bannockburn is highly complementary to our southern cluster properties at Sothman, Midlothian, and Powell. The Bannockburn "B" zone has already been successfully tested for 600 metres of its total 1.3 km strike length with multiple intervals in excess of 0.3% nickel and has smaller, higher grade potential at other zones on the property. Historical mineral processing work confirmed presence of heazlewoodite, similar to Crawford, and the ability to generate a 35% nickel concentrate."

About the Bannockburn Property

The Bannockburn Property consists of 125 mining claims that Grid Metals acquired under an option agreement from Outokumpu Mining in 2003. Grid recently drilled eight ( 8) holes at Bannockburn all of which intersected "Crawford" type bulk tonnage disseminated nickel mineralization (B Zone). The property also has several higher grade occurrences of Kambalda-style massive sulfide nickel mineralization.

Transaction Summary

Under the terms of the Agreement Canada Nickel has agreed to issue 2.0 million of its common shares to Grid in return for the transfer of 125 mining claims located in Bannockburn and Montrose Townships. The shares will be subject to a four month and one day hold period.

Dave Peck, P.Geo., has reviewed the contents of this press release on behalf of Grid Metals Corp. and is the qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

About Grid Metals Corp.

Grid Metals Corp. owns a number of projects focused on battery metals and platinum group metals in Manitoba and Ontario. The current focus for the Company is the PEA stage Makwa Mayville Ni-Cu-PGM-Co property and the adjacent Donner Lake Lithium property both located 145 km from Winnipeg. Other key project interests include several Mineral Exploration Licences in northern Manitoba ( prospective for Ni-Cu-PGM) and the East Bull Lake Palladium Property in the Sudbury region of Ontario.

To find out more about Grid Metals Corp., please visit www.gridmetalscorp.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Grid Metals Corp.

Robin Dunbar - President, CEO & Director

Telephone: 647 201 6844

Email: rd@gridmetalscorp.com

David Black - Investor Relations

Email: info@gridmetalscorp.com

Telephone: 416 955-4773

SOURCE: Grid Metals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/704090/Grid-Metals-Corp-and-Canada-Nickel-Announce-Sale-of-Bannockburn-Nickel-Property
JACKSONVILLE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / LFTD Partners Inc. (OTCQB:LIFD) (www.LFTDPartners.com) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Lifted Made, Kenosha, Wisconsin (www.LiftedMade.com), is expanding its operations for the fifth time during the last two years, leasing an additional 6,132 square feet in Kenosha, WI, which is expected to facilitate the internalization of certain packing functions, as well as to provide additional needed office space.

The new five-year lease, which will commence on July 1, 2022, represents a 25% increase, up to a total of 30,370 square feet, in the aggregate office, production and fulfillment space being used by the rapidly growing hemp-derived cannabinoid and psychedelics products company. Under the terms of the lease, Lifted Made will pay a base square foot charge of $10.75 per square foot per annum, with a 2.5% increase in rent each year during the term. Lifted Made will also be responsible for paying its proportionate share of real estate taxes and other operating costs.

Nicholas S. Warrender, LIFD's Vice Chairman and COO, and the CEO of Lifted Made, said, "During the past year Lifted Made has taken aggressive steps to utilize high quality suppliers that are located as close to Kenosha as possible, to minimize the risk of supply chain disruptions. This new lease should allow Lifted Made to internalize certain packing functions that have historically been performed by third party contractors, giving us greater control, and is expected to be immediately accretive to our earnings per share. We'll also obtain some additional office space that we need due to our continuing growth."

About LFTD Partners Inc.

Publicly-traded LFTD Partners Inc., Jacksonville, FL (OTCQB ticker symbol LIFD) is the parent corporation of Lifted Made, Kenosha, WI (www.LiftedMade.com), which manufactures and sells psychedelic products under its Silly Shruum brand, and hemp-derived cannabinoid products under its Urb Finest Flowers brand. LFTD Partners Inc. also owns 4.99% of CBD-infused beverage and products maker Ablis Holding Company (www.AblisBev.com), and of craft distillers Bendistillery Inc. d/b/a Crater Lake Spirits (www.CraterLakeSpirits.com) and Bend Spirits, Inc. (www.Bendistillery.com) all located in Bend, OR. Please read LIFD's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which fully describe our business and the Risk Factors associated therewith. Stay updated with our company news and product launches by subscribing to our newsletters at www.LFTDPartners.com and www.LiftedMade.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 operations, financing, growth, performance, products, 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 these companies' actual operations, financing, growth, performance, products, plans or results 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.

CONTACTS:

Lifted Made

Attn: Nicholas S. Warrender, CEO

Phone: (224) 577-8148

Email: CEO@LiftedMade.com

Website: www.LiftedMade.com

LFTD Partners Inc.

Attn: William C. "Jake" Jacobs, President and CFO

Phone: (847) 400-7660

Email: JakeJacobs@LFTDPartners.com

Website: www.LFTDPartners.com

SOURCE: LFTD Partners Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703959/Lifted-Made-Signs-Another-Lease-to-Facilitate-the-Internalization-of-Certain-Packing-Functions-Starting-July-1
INNISFIL, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / White Tuque announced today that Laura Payne has joined their leadership team as Chief Enablement Officer (CNO) and Vice President of Security Consulting. Payne is a 20-year veteran of the industry whose career began in IT building and managing processes for incident, problem, and change management. This experience not only gave Payne greater insight into how computer systems work, but also how teams work and communicate together during times of organizational transformation and growth.

Payne's career transitioned into the field of cybersecurity when she took on the role of planning and implementing security policies to protect critical systems as Information Security Officer (ISO) at BMO Financial Group. Despite feeling somewhat like she had been thrown in the deep end, Payne found her footing. "Fortunately, because I knew all the people, had a good understanding of the processes, and I understood the building blocks of the technology that was being used, I was able to be successful from there."

White Tuque's approach to cybersecurity begins with understanding the people, processes, and technologies being used by any business of any size. Payne recognizes these three factors are inextricable from one another when approaching cybersecurity in a holistic way. "People, process, and technology are at the core of any successful program. If you don't have the people in place to make the program a success, with the right kind of thinking and support from leadership, then your program is bound to fail from the outset. People are often forgotten when budgeting or planning a program, and White Tuque appreciates this is an aspect that cannot be ignored."

Most recently, Payne had been working in consulting and is excited to radically change some of the problems she has seen throughout her experience in the field. "Having spent some time consulting and working in very large organizations that have a lot of resources, it's become much more obvious how important it is to bring security principles and protections to a wider variety of audiences."

"I think White Tuque is a really unique organization in that it is built on the premise of bringing expertise together in a way that is accessible to a range of clients who might not be finding affordable access to the security services they need."

White Tuque's Founder and CEO, Robert D. Stewart, is thrilled that Payne has come on board. "Laura is not just an ordinary hire; she is here to join our core leadership team. Laura's appointment as Chief Enablement Officer could not be a better fit for a growing firm like White Tuque. Anyone who has had the pleasure of working with Laura would tell you she enables those around her in everything she does. She educates and enables her clients in every interaction; she motivates those around her to learn and grow; and she is going to enable the entire team at White Tuque to continue building something special."

Raymond Kyte, Vulnerability and Configuration Management Team Lead at White Tuque, worked with Payne at Bank of Montreal. At the time there were changes in leadership - teams were reshuffled, and Payne quickly stepped up to fill a leadership role. Kyte explains, "I had a front row seat to Laura's ascension into the vacant director's chair, rallying the entire department behind her. I vividly remember her walking between the cubicles within days of taking control, and effortlessly communicating with members of multiple teams focused on several disciplines, providing each with clear guidance and sincere engagement. She hasn't looked back since."

Kyte continues, "I am genuinely excited to work with a leader of her calibre once more. She truly is a leader who understands what it takes to solve the right problems and lead from the front."

Looking ahead to her future at White Tuque, Payne said, "I think the title of Chief Enablement Officer says a lot about what I'm looking forward to, which is really enabling our clients, enabling the team, and enabling our partners to really do a great job of cybersecurity. I get excited by anything where I am helping somebody build and improve in a meaningful way."

Payne continued, "Being creative to find a better way is also key, and White Tuque has an incredible amount of creativity baked into its approach: finding solutions that are cost effective and looking at ways that we can do this with an understanding of what's important to the client's business and helping them find the resources and programs that are the best fit, while fostering relationships and bringing people together to make this all happen."

About White Tuque

White Tuque's mission is to give companies a trusted partner and a framework of best practices for cyber defence. We are a boutique team with expertise in cyber risk, cyber protection and intelligence.

Partnership with White Tuque gives all companies access to a battle-tested and crisis-proven team of Canada's leading cyber-security experts. We make this level of protection affordable by condensing simple and repeatable tactics into a digestible and scalable format for all organizations. These tactics are the backbone of what protects businesses of all sizes, including Fortune 500 companies and financial institutions. At White Tuque our mandate is to make these available to organizations of all sizes.

To learn more about White Tuque's services you can reach out to us at Info@WhiteTuque.com or visit our website at https://WhiteTuque.com/.

SOURCE: White Tuque

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/704100/Cyber-Security-Industry-Expert-and-Thought-Leader-Laura-Payne-Joins-White-Tuque-as-Chief-Enablement-Officer
Top Certificate Authority enables PDMS' ship registry clients and international regulators to validate documents, signatures and organizational identity

BOSTON, MA and LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / GlobalSign (https://www.globalsign.com/en), a global Certificate Authority (CA) and leading provider of digital signing, identity and security solutions for the IoT, today announced a technology partnership with PDMS. PDMS, a leading software engineering company, is using GlobalSign's Advanced digital signing solution to offer its ship registry clients and international regulators peace-of-mind for the authenticity and validity of documents, their signatures and organizational identity. GlobalSign's Digital Signing Service (DSS) enables PDMS to issue comprehensive digital certificates via its popular MARIS platform, one of the world's top technology solutions for international ship registries. As a result, paper-based certificates once couriered around the world can now be delivered digitally to a regulator, onboard a ship or to a seafarer in minutes.

With 200,000+ seafarers managed and 100 million of gross vessel tonnage registered to the MARIS platform, end-to-end security is a priority for customers. With high volumes of digital information managed, PDMS believes a layered security approach is a must. This includes the ability to sign digital documents safely, easily and effectively across various stages of a registry's operational workflow.

"With DSS, PDMS can now power ship registry clients to issue comprehensive digital certificates via MARIS. The solution GlobalSign has created with us is a game-changer," said Bruce McGregor, Director, PDMS. "It gives our users peace-of-mind for the authenticity and validity of documents, their signatures and the organizational identity."

GlobalSign fit the bill as a globally-recognized Qualified Trusted Service Provider and CA - combined with an ability to collaborate as a technical partner. GlobalSign's innovative DSS allows users to deploy digital signatures into any application with one simple REST API integration. This means all supporting cryptographic elements are provided in one API with little development or overhead - and no on-premises hardware to manage. GlobalSign's DSS reduces the latency and overhead that often comes with homegrown digital signature solutions.

When a document is submitted for digital signature via MARIS, an algorithm of the PDF is sent to the signing authority. The value is based on the full content of the PDF document, and then digitally signed by encrypting the hash value with the signer's private key and returned in the new PDF. When viewed in the PDF viewer, the document hash is decrypted using a public key. If the decrypted values match, users receive verification the document was signed by the signing authority and has not been tampered with.

"Our easy, seamless process makes it possible for PDMS customers worldwide to significantly reduce manhours, cut costs, and have the utmost confidence in their digital signature process," said Andreas Brix, Program Manager, GlobalSign. "We are very pleased to work with them and to have provided a solution that meets their needs."

PDMS is the technology partner of choice for some of the world's most innovative organizations - solving real-world problems with powerful software and digital transformation strategies. One of the core solutions in its suite is MARIS, the leading digital solution for international ship registries. The secure, cloud-based, and flexible enterprise platform seamlessly manages ship registries' compliance with maritime regulations and business-critical functions.

The holistic offering goes beyond registry, survey, and seafarer functions to include workflow management, document storage, certificate production, fiscal management, and reporting. The system also produces and stores a wide range of documents - from survey certificates to invoices.

About PDMS

PDMS is a software engineering and digital transformation business with offices in the Isle of Man and Glasgow. Over the last 29 years PDMS has collaborated with clients in the public and private sector to design, develop and support transformational digital solutions. These solutions deliver a range of business benefits including enabling self-service, reducing costs, improving productivity and delivering organisational transformation. For the last fifteen years, PDMS has also been the leading supplier of cloud based digital solutions to international ship registries helping them to move services online and meet international conventions and regulatory audits. www.pdms.com

About GMO GlobalSign

As one of the world's most deeply-rooted certificate authorities, GlobalSign is the leading provider of trusted identity and security solutions enabling businesses, large enterprises, cloud-based service providers, and IoT innovators worldwide to conduct secure online communications, manage millions of verified digital identities and automate authentication and encryption. Its high-scale PKI and identity solutions support the billions of services, devices, people, and things comprising the IoT. A subsidiary of Japan-based GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K and GMO Internet Group, GMO GlobalSign has offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit https://www.globalsign.com.

Media Relations Contact

Amy Krigman

Director of Public Relations - West

Phone: 603-570-7060

Email: amy.krigman@globalsign.com

SOURCE: GlobalSign

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/704131/Technology-Solution-Provider-PDMS-Partners-with-GlobalSign-for-Advanced-Electronic-Signatures




An independent counsel investigation team began work Tuesday to look into the suicide of an Air Force servicewoman following alleged sexual abuse by a fellow serviceman.







Lee Ye-ram, a then 23-year-old female master sergeant affiliated with the Air Force's 20th Fighter Wing, killed herself in late May 2021 after claiming she was sexually abused by a male service member of the same rank two months earlier.







Lee's family claimed she was also coerced and pressured by other male colleagues not to report the case to the authorities. The family also accused the military police chief of her unit and other investigators of conducting a shoddy investigation after the case was reported.







As the case drew intense public fury, the National Assembly in April unanimously passed a bill mandating an independent special counsel to investigate the case, including whether any defense ministry and Air Force officials attempted to cover it up.







On Tuesday, the independent investigation team led by special prosecutor Ahn Mi-young began its work at an office in western Seoul, vowing to get to the bottom of the case.







"A total of 15 people have been indicted for trial by a military court, but a variety of allegations raised by different social entities still linger, including faulty investigations, the infliction of secondary damage and attempts to cover up the case," Ahn said during a launch ceremony.







"The special counsel team will do its best to reveal the truth behind the case," she said.







The team has until Aug. 13 to wrap up its investigation under the relevant bill that mandates it be carried out within 70 days of its launch. The investigation was launched Sunday, two days ahead of the official opening of the office.







It is extendable by 30 days upon approval from the president.







The special counsel investigation team will be composed of about 80 investigators and support personnel, including three senior lawyers appointed as special assistant counsels. (Yonhap)






VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / Aztec Minerals Corp. (TSX.V:AZT)(OTCQB:AZZTF) ("Aztec" or the "Company") announces that it has closed its oversubscribed CAD$3.4 million non-brokered private placement equity financing. The private placement consisted of 11.4 million units priced at CAD$0.30 per unit for gross proceeds of CAD$3.4 million (the "Offering"). The Offering was first announced in the Company's press release dated May 16, 2022 for gross proceeds of up to CAD$3 million. Each unit consisted of one common share in the capital of the Company and one warrant which is exercisable to purchase an additional common share at an exercise price of CAD$0.40 per common share until June 6, 2024.

Alamos Gold Inc. ("Alamos") (AGI) participated in the Offering with a subscription for 7,926,089 Units, for aggregate consideration of CAD$2,377,826.70. Prior to the closing of the Offering, Alamos held no common shares or warrants of Aztec. Following the closing of the Offering, Alamos holds, as of the date hereof, 7,926,089 common shares and 7,926,089 warrants, for a security holding percentage of 9.9% of the Company's shares on an undiluted basis and 18.0% on a partially diluted basis assuming the exercise of Alamos' warrants. Alamos acquired the units for investment purposes, which will be evaluated and may be increased or decreased from time to time at Alamos' discretion. A copy of Alamos' early warning report is available on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com or can be requested by contacting Scott K. Parsons, Vice-President, Investor Relations, at SParsons@alamosgold.com, 416-368-9932 (ext. 5439) or by mail at Brookfield Place, 181 Bay Street, Suite 3910, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2T3.

Aztec intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to conduct exploration work on its Cervantes porphyry gold-copper project in Sonora, Mexico, and its Tombstone epithermal gold-silver & CRD silver-lead-zinc-copper-gold project in Arizona, USA, as well as for general working capital purposes.

The securities issued in the Offering are subject to a four-month plus one day hold period ending on October 7, 2022 in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). The Offering is subject to the final acceptance of the Exchange. Aztec paid cash finder fees totalling CAD$11,160 to arm's length finders in connection with the Offering.

About Aztec Minerals - Aztec is a mineral exploration company focused on the discovery of large mineral deposits in the Americas. Our core asset is the prospective Cervantes porphyry gold-copper property in Sonora, Mexico. The historic, district-scale Tombstone property hosts both bulk tonnage epithermal gold-silver as well as CRD massive sulfide silver-lead-zinc-copper mineralization in Cochise County, Arizona. Aztec's shares trade on the TSX-V stock exchange (symbol AZT) and on the OTCQB (symbol AZZTF).

"Simon Dyakowski"

Simon Dyakowski, Chief Executive Officer

Aztec Minerals Corp.

Contact Information - For more information, please contact:

Simon Dyakowski, CEO or Bradford Cooke, Chairman

Tel: (604) 619-7469

Fax: (604) 685-9744

Email: simon@aztecminerals.com

Website: www.aztecminerals.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects" or "it is expected", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward looking statements in this press release include, but are not restricted to, statements regarding the final approval of the Exchange to the private placement and the Company's planned use of the proceeds.

These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include that the Company does not receive final Exchange acceptance to the private placement. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Aztec Minerals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/704098/Aztec-Minerals-Closes-its-Oversubscribed-34-Million-Private-Placement-Financing-with-Alamos-Gold-as-Strategic-Investor
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

VANCOUVER, BC and HONG KONG, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / Reyna Silver Corp. (TSXV:RSLV)(OTCQX:RSNVF)(FRA:4ZC) ("Reyna" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that due to significant investor demand, the Company has increased the size of its previously announced "best efforts" private placement (the "Offering") from C$3,000,000 to C$4,000,000 from the sale of up to 11,111,111 units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of C$0.36 per Unit (the "Offering Price").

Each Unit will be comprised of one common share of the Company (each, a "Unit Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall be exercisable to acquire one common share of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") at a price of C$0.50 at any time on or before the date which is 24 months after the closing date of the Offering.

Red Cloud Securities Inc. (the "Agent") is acting as sole agent and bookrunner under the Offering. The Agent will have an option, exercisable in full or in part up to 48 hours prior to the closing of the Offering, to sell up to an additional 2,777,778 Units at the Offering Price for additional gross proceeds of up to C$1,000,000 (the "Agents' Option").

The Units will be offered by way of a private placement under the "accredited investor" and "minimum amount investment" exemptions under National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions in all the provinces of Canada. The Units may also be sold in offshore jurisdictions and in the United States to Qualified Institutional Buyers as defined in Rule 144A under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and to Accredited Investors as defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the U.S. Securities Act, by way of a private placement basis pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for the exploration of the Company's Guigui and Batopilas properties in Chihuahua, Mexico and for general corporate and working capital purposes. The Offering is scheduled to close on or around June 21, 2022 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Unit Shares and Warrant Shares will have a hold period of four months and one day from the closing date of the Offering.

The Agent will receive a cash commission of 6.5% of the gross proceeds of the Offering as well as broker warrants in an amount equal to 6.5% of the number of Units sold pursuant to the Offering. Each broker warrant will be exercisable to purchase one Unit at $0.36 for a period of 24 months following the closing date of the Offering.

The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Reyna Silver Corp.

Jorge Ramiro Monroy

Chief Executive Officer

For Further Information, Please Contact:

Jorge Ramiro Monroy, Chief Executive Officer

info@reynasilver.com

www.reynasilver.com

About Reyna Silver Corp.

Reyna Silver Corp. (TSXV: RSLV) is a growth-oriented junior exploration and development company focused on exploring for high-grade, district-scale silver deposits in Mexico and USA.

Reyna's principal properties are the Guigui and Batopilas Properties in Chihuahua, Mexico and the Medicine Springs property in Nevada, USA. Guigui covers the interpreted source area for the Santa Eulalia Carbonate Replacement District (CRD) and Batopilas covers most of Mexico's historically highest-grade silver system. Medicine Springs, where the Company has an option to acquire an 80% interest, appears to host a largely buried, widely developed CRD system.

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 Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: the likelihood of completion of the Offering, the use of proceeds from the Offering, the anticipated closing date of the Offering and the ability to obtain the necessary regulatory authority and approvals in connection with the Offering.

In making the forward-looking information in this release, Reyna has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on Reyna's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Reyna. Although Reyna considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others: the inability to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals from the applicable securities regulators or obtain the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange in connection with the Offering, the occurrence of a material adverse change, disaster, change of law or other failure to satisfy the conditions to closing of the Offering; the inability of the Company to apply the use of proceeds from the Offering as anticipated; the ability of the Company to achieve its corporate objectives or otherwise advance the progress of Reyna; risks related to the international operations; the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities of mineral properties; the interpretation of drilling results and other geological data; the Company's inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities; general market and industry conditions; and those risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on SEDAR.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Reyna does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Reyna Silver Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/704137/Reyna-Silver-Increases-Size-of-Brokered-Private-Placement-to-C40-Million
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2022) - Bell Copper Corporation (TSXV: BCU) (OTCQB: BCUFF) ("Bell Copper" or the "Company") reports that it has received complete assay results from drillhole BS-3 at its Big Sandy project. Big Sandy is a large, truncated porphyry copper-molybdenum target located in northwestern Arizona, approximately 30 kilometers south of the Company's Perseverance Project.

Highlights

Inclined drillhole BS-3 cut 200 meters grading 0.42 percent copper (8.4 lbsCu/st) and 2.4 grams of silver per tonne from 1302 meters to 1502 meters, including 54 meters grading 0.67 percent copper (13.4 lbsCu/st) and 3.7 grams of silver per tonne from 1445 meters to 1499 meters.

BS-3 drilled an additional 524.33 meters from 1502 to 2026.33 meters (total depth) grading 0.16 percent copper and 2.2 grams of silver per tonne.

The entire bedrock interval in BS-3, extending 834.33 meters from 1192 meters to 2026.33 meters (total depth), consisted of pervasively sericitized quartz monzonite porphyry typical of the low grade, outer "phyllic" or "QSP" (quartz-sericite-pyrite) alteration zone of a porphyry copper system.

Metallurgical testing continues on the 200-meter chalcocite-bearing interval 1302-1502 meters for copper recovery via routine froth flotation and leaching.

Drillhole BS-3

Disseminated chalcocite (copper sulfide) and pyrite was first encountered in drillhole BS-3 at an inclined depth of 1302 meters, immediately beneath leached capping. Chalcocite variably overprints predominantly pyritic mineralization from the inclined depth of 1302m to at least 1589m. Chalcocite mineralization in this 287-meter interval is interrupted by spotty jarosite-bearing shear zones lacking pyrite and chalcocite. No copper oxide minerals were encountered in the intersection. Pyrite content averaged over 9 percent by weight across the interval.

The 200-meter interval between 1302 meters and 1502 meters returned an average grade of 0.42 percent copper (8.4 lbsCu/st) and 2.4 grams of silver per tonne, including 54 meters from 1445 meters to 1499 meters grading 0.67 percent copper (13.4 lbsCu/st) and 3.7 grams of silver per tonne. The true thickness of the 200-meter chalcocite-bearing interval is not known. The maximum copper assay in the interval was 4.30 percent copper over 0.3 meters. Two other copper assays in the interval exceeded one percent copper, including 2.65 percent copper over 1.6 meters and 2.12 percent copper over 0.60 meters.

From an inclined depth of 1502 meters to the bottom of the hole at 2026.33 meters, sulfide minerals were dominated by pyrite, accompanied by minor chalcopyrite, tennantite, sphalerite, and trace molybdenite, with pyrite averaging 10 percent by weight over the interval. This interval averaged 0.16 percent copper and 2.2 grams of silver per tonne. The average ratio of pyrite to chalcopyrite in this interval is 20:1 by weight.

The entire bedrock interval in BS-3, extending 834.33 meters from 1192 meters to 2026.33 meters (total depth), consisted of pervasively sericitized quartz monzonite porphyry typical of the low grade, outer "phyllic" or "QSP" (quartz-sericite-pyrite) alteration zone of a porphyry copper system.

BS-3 was terminated when the mechanical limits of the drill were reached. The inclination of the hole steepened to over 80 degrees at the bottom of the hole, so negligible progress was being made to cross laterally through the pyrite zone and into any adjacent copper shell. Future drilling will test hypothetical supergene chalcocite that would be expected to overlie any adjacent copper shell.

Metallurgical Testing Ongoing

A composite sample of coarse assay rejects from the chalcocite-bearing (copper-bearing) interval 1302-1502 meters was shipped to SGS Lakefield lab in Ontario for a bank of scoping metallurgical studies (see March 22 release). Chalcocite is being tested for its amenability to recovery by both froth flotation and acid leaching. Molybdenite is being tested for its amenability to concentration by froth flotation and for its rhenium content. The testing allows Bell to consider multiple extraction scenarios as we drill future intersections at Big Sandy.





Figure A. Core from BS-3 (1927.5 m) showing coarse-grained pyrite with quartz, sericite, and minor chalcopyrite (copper-iron sulfide) cutting quartz-molybdenite in quartz monzonite porphyry.

To view an enhanced version of Figure A, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2825/126701_bellfigurea.jpg





Figure B. Core from BS-3 at the bottom of the hole (2026.33 m) showing coarse-grained pyrite with quartz, sericite, and minor chalcopyrite (copper-iron sulfide) in quartz monzonite porphyry. High pyrite content, pervasive late-stage sericitic alteration, and high ratios of pyrite to chalcopyrite suggest that BS-3 did not penetrate the copper-rich part of the porphyry system.

To view an enhanced version of Figure B, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2825/126701_bellfigureb.jpg





Figure C. Vein-filling chalcocite (shiny silver gray) and pyrite (brassy) in sericitized porphyry at 1364.5 meters running 2.12 percent copper over 0.6 meters.

To view an enhanced version of Figure C, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2825/126701_bellfigurec.jpg

Tim Marsh, Bell's President and CEO, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI43-101, said,

"Bell Copper has demonstrated the existence of a new supergene enriched porphyry copper deposit at Big Sandy. We have shown that significant copper grades are present over a length scale of 200 meters, though we lack knowledge of the true thickness in this first intersection. Drilling a half-mile of QSP with little primary geochemical gradient gives us our first clue that this is the large porphyry system that we went looking for. We have not yet found the primary source of the copper, though the veins and minerals in the core all suggest that BS-3 was close. The Company is following up the BS-3 intersection with a 900-meter step-out hole, BS-4, from a new drill pad. Precollar drilling and casing into bedrock will be completed with an angle-capable mud rotary drill, which is expected to significantly accelerate the pace of future drilling at Big Sandy."

Sampling, Assaying and Quality Control

Core was sawn lengthwise using a diamond saw and was then sampled under the supervision of on-site geological staff and transported by the Company's Qualified Person from the drill site near Kingman, Arizona to Skyline Laboratories in Tucson, Arizona for sample preparation and assay. Core was sampled on nominal 3-meter intervals, but was shortened around prominent sulfide-rich veins to limit the influence of high grade material.

Analysis at Skyline consisted of a four-acid digest (hydrochloric, nitric, hydrofluoric, and perchloric acids) with ICP-MS determination for 48 elements, and gold by fire assay. One matrix-matched, certified reference standard or coarse field blank was inserted into the sample stream for every 10 samples of core from BS-3. Skyline internal quality control included pulp replicate analyses and certified reference materials.

About Bell Copper

Bell Copper is a mineral exploration company focused on the identification, exploration and discovery of large copper deposits located in Arizona. Bell Copper is exploring its 100% owned Big Sandy Porphyry Copper Project and the Perseverance Porphyry Copper Project which is under a Joint Venture - Earn In.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Marsh, PhD, PEng., the Company's CEO and President. No mineral resource has yet been identified on the Big Sandy Project. There is no certainty that the present exploration effort will result in the identification of a mineral resource or that any mineral resource that might be discovered will prove to be economically recoverable.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

Bell Copper Corporation

"Timothy Marsh"

Timothy Marsh, President, CEO & Director

For further information please contact the Company

Tel: 1 800 418 8250

Email: info@bellcopper.net

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "potential", "target", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management based on the business and markets in which Bell Copper operates, are inherently subject to significant operational, economic, and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include actual exploration results, interpretation of metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, delays or inability to receive required approvals, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators, including those described in the Company's most recently filed MD&A. The Company does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126701
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Kraft Heinz Co.'s processed cheese brand Velveeta announced the launch of its first-ever nail polish collection 'Pinkies Out Polish'. The new limited-edition, Cheese-scented nail polish is made in partnership with beauty brand Nails.INC. The product includes a nail polish duo and nail stickers. Cheese-scented red and yellow nail polish duo is available for $15 in 'Finger Food' and 'La Dolce Velveeta,' plus 'That's La Dolce Velveeta' irresistible nail stickers for $4.99. Pinkies Out Polish is available exclusively on Amazon.com and NailsInc.com while supplies last. The creamy shades are formulated in Nails.INC long wear formula and patented wide hugging brush for flawless application. The company said the collaboration furthers the brand's latest creative platform, 'La Dolce Velveeta'. Kelsey Rice, Senior Brand Communications Manager at Kraft Heinz said, 'VELVEETA is known for its rich, creamy texture and cheesy, melty goodness, so what better way to bring this to life for our fans than with something equally as rich and creamy - nail polish. Our VELVEETA Pinkies Out Polish gives pleasure seekers everywhere an irresistible new way to show the world that they are living 'La Dolce Velveeta' by living pinkies out.' 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.
SEOUL (dpa-AFX) - As part of a joint US-South Korea military exercise, 20 warplanes flew over the Yellow Sea on Tuesday. It was yet another show of strength by the allies in the wake of North Korea's missile provocation. The combined air power demonstration involved 16 South Korean F-35A, F-15K and FK-16 fighters and four American F-16 fighter jets, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. 'South Korea and the US have demonstrated their strong ability and will to strike quickly and accurately against any North Korean provocations by demonstrating their combined defense capabilities and posture through this combined air force demonstration flight,' JCS added. The South Korean military, in close coordination with its U.S. counterparts, is maintaining a firm readiness posture, according to the press release issued by South Korea's Defense Ministry. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday expressed concern that Pyongyang suspectedly opened an access way to its underground nuclear weapons testing site. The joint military muscle-flexing came a day after the United States and South Korea fired eight ballistic missiles into the East Sea in response to North Korea's missile launches Sunday. It was an apparent reaction to South Korea-United States joint naval exercise last week, led by a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of a market assessment report on the "Global Antibiotic Resistance Market by Pathogen (DRSP, DRC, CD, MRSA, DRNG , DRNTS, Other Pathogen), Technology (Antibiotics, Phage, Pep/Lys, Antibodies, Vaccine, Others) Trends, Industry Competition Analysis, Revenue and Forecast To 2030."

According to the latest research by InsightAce Analytic, the global Antibiotic Resistance market is valued at US$ 10.82 Billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach US$ 18.34 Billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period of 2022-2030.

Antibiotic resistance is caused by antibiotic overuse and misuse (ABR). Most antibiotics are accessible over-the-counter, and many people use them without a doctor's prescription. The presence of international organizations in developed markets acts as a stimulant such as BARDA gives biotech companies financial assistance to complete early-stage research on innovative antibiotic-resistant illness remedies. This is projected to open up new revenue possibilities for participants in the worldwide Antibiotic Resistance market. Major companies' high expenditures and recent breakthroughs in creating numerous technologies have provided profitable revenue prospects for market expansion over the projection period.

Request for Sample Pages: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1244

The global antibiotics industry is expanding because of rising antibiotics in poor and middle-income countries, pharmaceutical companies' significant investments in R&D, and an increase in the prevalence of infectious diseases. Major players' substantial investments and new advancements in the production of various end-use goods have provided lucrative revenue potential in developed markets. Furthermore, advances in nutrition, medicines, and immunization are expected to boost the antibiotic resistance industry forward during the forecast period. The discovery of advanced prospect molecules and the introduction of novel combination therapies to treat antibiotic-resistant microbial infections are expected to propel market growth.

However, The shortage of educated employees and strict safety rules may pose additional challenges to the antibiotic resistance market's growth over the upcoming years. Furthermore, a lack of investor interest in the research and development of antibiotic resistance medicines may impede the demand for antibiotic resistance throughout the projection period.

The North America Antibiotic Resistance market will likely earn a significant revenue share and develop at a rapid CAGR shortly. Several new medicine launches and considerable treatment costs support the regional market's expansion. Also, the development of healthcare facilities in the region is expected to fuel the growth of the antibiotic resistance market in the upcoming years. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant illnesses and an increase in healthcare-acquired infections are expanding the patient pool in the United States.

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Furthermore, the presence of significant market players and increased collaboration among important companies for market penetration in the area gives opportunities for the worldwide Antibiotic Resistance market to develop. Greater engagement in terms of investment to combat resistance and implementing proper usage and stewardship standards for the use of antibiotics will boost market expansion over the upcoming years.

Major market players operating in the Antibiotic Resistance market include The Medicines Company, Melinta Therapeutics, Arsanis, Phage Technologies S.A, Westway Health, Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, BioVersys GmbH, Nabriva Therapeutics, Macrolide Pharmaceuticals, Nemesis Bioscience, C3J Therapeutics, Inc, EpiBiome, discuva, SmartPhage, AmpliPhi Biosciences, Pherecydes Pharma, Micreos, Procarta Biosystems, Lumavita, Madam Therapeutics, Priaxon, Biolytx Pharmaceuticals, AntibioTx, Xellia Pharmaceuticals, Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Synereca Pharmaceuticals, Allecra Therapeutics, Fixed Phage, Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Demuris, Prommune, Biosergen, Innovation Pharmaceuticals, Aviragen Therapeutics, Achillion Pharmaceuticals, ImmunNovative Developments, S.L., Achaogen, Inc., SelectX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., TaiGen Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Theravance Biopharma, Abbvie, KYORIN Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Iterum Therapeutics Limited, Forge Therapeutics, Alopexx Vaccine LLC, Integrated Biotherapeutics, Hennepin Life Sciences, Fedora Pharmaceuticals Inc, Contrafect Corporation, Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd., AiCuris, RedHill Biopharma, Redx Pharma Plc/ Redx Anti Infectives Ltd., ABAC Therapeutics, Alaxia SAS, Antabio S.A.S, Auspherix Ltd, BioFilm Pharma, Centauri Therapeutics Ltd, Combioxin SA, Da Volterra, Debiopharm International SA, Deinobiotics/Deinove, Destiny Pharma plc, Eligo Bioscience, Helperby Therapeutics Ltd, Karveel Pharmaceuticals, MaaT Pharma, Motif BioSciences, Inc / Motif Bio PLC, Mutabilis SAS, Neem Biotech Ltd, Northern Antibiotics Oy (Ltd), Nosopharm, NovaBiotics Ltd, Phico Therapeutics Ltd, Polyphor Ltd, QureTech Bio AB, SetLance Srl, Ultupharma AB, Vaxdyn, Vibiosphen, Bioaster, Vivexia, KBP Biosciences, Absynth Biologics, Spero Therapeutics, Merck, Symphogen, Warp Drive Bio, Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), Pfizer, Allergan, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Cipla, DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals, Wockhardt Ltd., VenatoRx Pharmaceuticals, MicuRx, Entasis Therapeutics, Merlion Pharmaceuticals, Aridis Pharmaceuticals Inc, Other Prominent Players.

Key Developments in the market:

In April 2022 , Johnson & Johnson announced the opening of the J&J Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery (Satellite Center) at the University of Cape Town's Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre. The H3D Satellite Center will aim to develop novel approaches to combat the current and growing danger of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), focusing on multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB).

Johnson & Johnson announced the opening of the J&J Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery (Satellite Center) at the University of Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre. The H3D Satellite Center will aim to develop novel approaches to combat the current and growing danger of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), focusing on multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB). In Sept 2021 , Iterum Therapeutics plc announced that in the third quarter of 2021, the company held a Type A meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss the steps required for resubmitting the New Drug Application (NDA) for sulopenem etzadroxil/probenecid (oral sulopenem) for the treatment of simple urinary tract infections (uUTI). The FDA published a Complete Response Letter (CRL) to the company in July, asking for further evidence to support the approval of oral sulopenem for the treatment of adult women with uUTI.

Iterum Therapeutics plc announced that in the third quarter of 2021, the company held a Type A meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss the steps required for resubmitting the New Drug Application (NDA) for sulopenem etzadroxil/probenecid (oral sulopenem) for the treatment of simple urinary tract infections (uUTI). The FDA published a Complete Response Letter (CRL) to the company in July, asking for further evidence to support the approval of oral sulopenem for the treatment of adult women with uUTI. In Jan 2020 , Wockhardt became the first Indian pharmaceutical company to receive approval from the drug regulator for two new antibiotics, which it aims to offer on the home market in the coming months. Emrok (injectable) and Emrok O (oral) has been authorised by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the treatment of severe bacterial skin and skin structure infections, including diabetic foot infections.

Wockhardt became the first Indian pharmaceutical company to receive approval from the drug regulator for two new antibiotics, which it aims to offer on the home market in the coming months. Emrok (injectable) and Emrok O (oral) has been authorised by the Drug Controller General of (DCGI) for the treatment of severe bacterial skin and skin structure infections, including diabetic foot infections. In Nov 2019 , Novartis announced the signing of a merger agreement and strategy with The Medicines Company. The anticipated purchase of The Medicines Company would enable Novartis to continue growing pipeline depth in a critical therapeutic area - a core pillar of its M&A strategy - and is in keeping with Novartis' strategic aim of delivering genuinely revolutionary medicines to patients. It would include a possible first-in-class siRNA inhibitor targeting PCSK9, which has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of high-risk patients with increased LDL-C.

Market Segments

Global Antibiotic Resistance Market, by Pathogen, 2020-2030 (Value US$ Bn)

DRSP

DRC

CD

MRSA

DRNG

DRNTS

Other Pathogen

Global Antibiotic Resistance Market, by Technology, 2020-2030 (Value US$ Bn)

Antibiotics

Phage

Pep/Lys

Antibodies

Vaccine

Others

Global Antibiotic Resistance Market, by Region, 2020-2030 (Value US$ Bn)

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

North America Antibiotic Resistance Market, by Country, 2020-2030 (Value US$ Bn)

U.S.

Canada

Europe Antibiotic Resistance Market, by Country, 2020-2030 (Value US$ Bn)

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Russia

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific Antibiotic Resistance Market, by Country, 2020-2030 (Value US$ Bn)

India

China

Japan

South Korea

Australia & New Zealand

Latin America Antibiotic Resistance Market, by Country, 2020-2030 (Value US$ Bn)

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa Antibiotic Resistance Market, by Country, 2020-2030 (Value US$ Bn)

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Why should buy this report:

To receive a comprehensive analysis of the prospects for the global Antibiotic Resistance market

To receive an industry overview and future trends of the Antibiotic Resistance market

To analyze the Antibiotic Resistance market drivers and challenges

To get information on the Antibiotic Resistance market size (Value US$ Bn) forecast to 2030

Major investments, mergers & acquisitions in the Antibiotic Resistance market industry

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Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic:

Global Phage Therapy Market

Global Therapeutic Proteins and Oral Vaccines Market

Global Biosimilar Monoclonal Antibodies Market

Global COVID-19 Therapeutics Market

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Enterprise B2B payments leader TIS announces the successful arrangement of a new debt facility with Kreos Capital providing access to 50 million for growth.

HEIDELBERG, Germany, June 07, 2022announced the successful arrangement of a new debt facility with Kreos Capitalthat will provide up to 50 million in financing. Kreos Capital, the leading growth debt provider in Europe, facilitated the deal to provide TIS with additional funding to execute a variety of strategic initiatives involving new product innovations, potential acquisitions, and continued geographic expansion.

The debt financing, closed in early May, gives TIS access to an attractive pool of liquidity that will be deployed to sustain their continued expansion plans and comes on top of $40 million in equity financing raised previously. The decision was approved unanimously by TIS' Board and institutional shareholders.

According to Erik Masing, CEO of TIS, "Working with Kreos creates the ideal conditions for pursuing the company's aggressive business objectives. The funding comes at the perfect time for TIS as we look to expand our geographic footprint, push into new verticals, and extend core platform capabilities. We look forward to working with Kreos on executing our strategy."

TIS CFO Bastienne Foellerechoed Erik's sentiments, commenting, "Approval of this loan facility by TIS' board and financial sponsors reflects a high level of confidence in the strength of our business, the capabilities of our team, and our overall strategy. With Kreos as our financing partner, TIS will have the ability to swiftly execute our strategic initiatives while having the flexibility to respond to new opportunities as they arise."

For Kreos Capital, TIS represents both an early investment from Kreos' seventh investment fund, and an ideal business partner to support with financing due to their consistent track record of growth. Highlighting TIS' solid track record and prospects for future success,Sean Dunne, General Partner of Kreos Capital, added, "TIS is an industry leader in enterprise B2B payments, cash management, and fraud prevention solutions and continues to gain widespread market traction. We look forward to working with the management team to achieve their growth objectives."

For more information regarding this announcement, please contact TIS.

Press Contact

Jennifer Knutel, VP Marketing U.S.

Treasury Intelligence Solutions (TIS)

+1 978.875.2085

jennifer.knutel@tispayments.com

About Kreos Capital

Kreos Capital is the leading growth debt provider in Europe and Israel, backing high-growth companies through every stage of their life cycle. Kreos targets investments in all areas of the Technology and Healthcare sectors and, to date, has committed in excess of 3.9 billion in more than 690 portfolio company transactions, across 17 countries. With over 2.0 billion in current funds under management, Kreos can invest between 2 million and 100 million per transaction in both public and private companies across stages. Learn more at www.kreoscapital.com.

About TIS

TIS is reimagining the world of enterprise payments through a cloud-based platform uniquely designed to help global organizations optimize outbound payments. Corporations, banks, and business vendors leverage TIS to transform how they connect global accounts, collaborate on payment processes, execute outbound payments, analyze cash flow and compliance data, and improve critical outbound payment functions. With $2 trillion in payments processed annually, the TIS corporate payments technology platform helps businesses improve operational efficiency, lower risk, manage liquidity, gain a strategic advantage, and ultimately achieve enterprise payment optimization. Visit us for more information at www.tispayments.com.

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / Gold Terra Resource Corp. (TSXV:YGT)(Frankfurt:TX0)(OTCQX:YGTFF)("Gold Terra" or the "Company") today announced assay results for three (3) additional drill holes, GTCM22-004, 008 and 014 designed to expand high grade mineralization in the Mispickel area. Drilling continues to extend gold mineralization in the new high-grade MP-Ryan Zone, a second zone situated west of the main Mispickel area that has the potential to add ounces to the original Mispickel zone, with both zones near surface. To date, the Company has released 8 holes out of the 19-hole winter program which totals 6011 metres.

Significant intersections for the three holes in the MP-Ryan Zone include:

GTWL22-014- intersected 31.89 g/t gold (Au) over 3 metres including 69.4 g/t Au over 1 metre

GTWL22-004 - intersected 7.63 g/t gold over 3 meters , including a visible gold-bearing vein which returned 22.5 g/t Au over 1 meter

, including a visible gold-bearing vein which returned GTWL22-008 - intersected 4.17 g/t Au over 6 meters, including 11.35 g/t Au over 1 meter, and including 11.8 g/t Au over 1 meter

Chairman and CEO, Gerald Panneton, commented, "These high-grade drill results indicate that the MP-Ryan Zone is developing into a new high-grade gold zone approximately 100 to 150m west of the main Mispickel area. This additional high-grade gold zone is a great indication of a larger system than previously thought in this area and opens up the whole area for other significant high-grade discoveries. The Mispickel area will be part of our updated NI 43-101 resource scheduled to be announced in Q4 of this year. The Mispickel area is situated 20 kilometres north of Yellowknife and complements our flagship Con Mine Property where we are currently drilling at depth along the Campbell Shear south of the Con."

Figure 1: Drilling in the North and South

This drilling program of 19 holes totaling 6,011 metres was part of a small winter program in the northern part of the Company's Yellowknife City Gold Project. At least ten (10) holes have intersected visible gold (VG) in a wide sheared vertical structure currently extended over a minimum strike length of at least 450 metres. Assays are pending for all the remaining 11 holes.

The Company's 2022 primary drilling program remains focused on testing the continuity of the mineralized zones within the Campbell shear south of the former Con Mine with the objective of adding high-grade ounces to the current 1.2 Moz inferred resources (see March 31, 2021 Technical Report). Following closure of the winter program, the company is continuing its drilling on the Campbell shear structure south of the former Con Mine which produced 6.1 Moz (1938-2003).

Drilling Results

Hole GTWL22-004 intersected a zone of moderately sheared silty bedding with argillitic intervals hosting increased mineralization and veining. Visible gold is present in a small (4 cm) quartz vein from 57-60 metres returning 7.63 g/t Au over 3 metres, including a visible gold-bearing vein which returned 22.5 g/t Au over 1 metre.

A second zone from 84.5-93.5 metres also returned anomalous gold values with 0.96 g/t Au over 9 metres, including 2.47 g/t Au over 1.5 metres, and 4.27 g/t Au over 1 metre.

VG in hole GTWL22-004 is shown in the following Figure 2 and all pictures can be found on the Company website at www.goldterracorp.com.

Figure 2: Visible gold in a mineralized quartz vein in hole GTWL22-004

GTWL22-008 was drilled on the same northing as hole GTWL22-004 and was designed to intersect the Footwall, Main, and Hanging Wall Zones. Anomalous gold was intersected in all three zones.

Footwall zone - The hole intersected broad zones of anomalous gold mineralization from 44 to 98 metres containing 4.17 g/t Au over 6 metres, and including 11.35 g/t Au over 1 metre and 11.8 g/t Au over 1 metre . The Footwall Zone contains sub-centimeter smoky laminated quartz veins with spotty chlorite along vein selvages with a halo of medium grained arsenopyrite in the host rock adjacent to veining. There were three grains of gold in smoky quartz ranging from matchhead to pinhead at 78.3 metres .

. The Footwall Zone contains sub-centimeter smoky laminated quartz veins with spotty chlorite along vein selvages with a halo of medium grained arsenopyrite in the host rock adjacent to veining. There were three grains of gold in smoky quartz ranging from matchhead to pinhead at 78.3 metres Main Zone - The hole intersected 0.37 g/t Au over 18 metres from 109-127 metres with similar veining and mineralization to the Footwall Zone.

Hanging Wall Zone - An interval of pale to smoky grey quartz veining with minor fine and needle to coarse arsenopyrite  pyrrhotite in the pressure shadows was encountered from 324-333 metres. This includes 0.74 g/t Au over 9 metres, including 1.75 g/t Au over 3 metres from 326-329 metres.

Figure 3: Visible gold in the Footwall Zone of GTWL22-008

GTWL22-014 - The Hole was drilled to expand on the newly discovered zone from hole GTWL22-007 (May 5, 2022 press release). This hole is approximately 30 metres along-strike to the south from hole 007. The hole intersected zones of strong mineralization and quartz veining, similar to what is observed in Mispickel proper.

An intersection of smoky veining from 43-46 metres contains a large pale to smoky quartz vein with multiple grains of visible gold along small fractures in the vein. The vein is mineralized with arsenopyrite, pyrite  sphalerite and contains small sections of patchy chlorite. This intersection grades 31.89 g/t Au over 3 metres, including 69.4 g/t Au over 1 metre .

. An intersection from 81-89 metres that contains 15% dark smoky grey quartz veining with pyrrhotite, pyrite, and arsenopyrite mineralization grades 1.15 g/t Au over 8 metres, including 2.54 g/t Au over 3 metres.

A zone from 138-140 metres with narrow quartz veins and minor arsenopyrite in argillitic rocks grades 1.79 g/t Au over 2 metres.

Figure 4: Visible gold in hole GTWL22-014

A table of significant drill intersections for holes GTWL22-004, 008 and 0014 is shown in Table 1:

Table 1 - GTWL22-004, 008 and 0014 intersections

Hole From (metres) To (metres) Width (metres) Grade (g/t Au) GTWL22-004 56 59 3 7.63 INCL. 57 58 1 22.5 AND 84.5 93.5 9 0.96 INCL. 84.5 86 1.5 2.47 INCL. 91.5 92.5 1 4.27 GTWL22-008 78 84 6 4.17 INCL. 78 79 1 11.35 INCL. 83 84 1 11.8 AND 326 329 3 1.75 GTWL22-014 43 46 3 31.89 INCL. 44 45 1 69.4 AND 81 89 8 1.15 INCL. 85 88 3 2.54 AND 138 140 2 1.79

Drilling in the new MP-Ryan Zone is extending the zone along a 500-metre-high grade trend which remains open in all directions. During the winter 2022 program 6,011 metres have been drilled in 19 holes. Logging and sampling are ongoing, with completion of sample shipments expected by the end of June.

The location of drill holes in the MP-Ryan Zone are shown in the following Figure 5.

Figure 5: Location of MP-Ryan Zone drill holes

Cross-section for holes GTWL22-004 and 008, and 014 is shown in Figure 6 & 7:

Figure 6 - Cross-section of hole GTWL22-004 and 008 Figure 7 - Cross-section of hole GTWL22-0014

2022 Drill Program

The Company intends to drill approximately 40,000 metres in 2022 with the objective to delineate a high-grade gold mineral resource to add to the Company's current 1.2 million inferred ounces (See the technical report, titled "Technical Report on the 2021 Updated Mineral Resource Estimates, Northbelt Property, Yellowknife City Gold Project, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada" with an effective date of March 14, 2021, which can be found on the Company's website at https://www.goldterracorp.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com) and ultimately advance towards an economic study.

The 2022 drill program is well underway with two rigs drilling the Campbell Shear south of the former high-grade Con Mine, with one deep drill rig targeting the Campbell Shear at a depth of approximately 1000 metres below surface and at a 200-metre spacing. A second drill rig is allocated to test the Campbell shear, north of Yellorex zone which was not part of the original agreement with Newmont (September 2020) but is now part of the updated agreement (November 2021) covering all Newmont claims and leases over the former Con Mine area.

Technical Appendix

This news release reports the assay results from three (3) drill holes totalling 812 metres from which 658 core samples were assayed. Assays results range from non-detectable gold to a highest assay of 69.4 g/t Au. The Company inserts certified standards and blanks into the sample stream as a check on laboratory Quality Control (QC). Drill core samples are cut by diamond saw at Gold Terra's core facilities in Yellowknife. A halved core sample is left in the core box. The other half core is sampled and transported by Gold Terra personnel in securely sealed bags to ALS preparation laboratory ("ALS") in Yellowknife or to Actlabs assay lab in Kamloops, BC. Samples prepared by ALS are shipped to ALS's Vancouver facility for gold analysis. Gold assays of >3 g/t are re-assayed on a 30 g split by fire assay with gravimetric finish. Samples with visible gold are additionally assayed using a screen metallic method. Both ALS and Actlabs are certified and accredited laboratory services. ALS and Actlabs routinely inserts certified gold standards, blanks and pulp duplicates, and results of all QC samples are reported.

Drill holes were drilled at right angles to the structure hosting the mineralization and dip angles of holes were designed to intersect the zones as close to normal as possible. Zones reported here are interpreted to be approximately 90 percent true thickness.

The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Joseph Campbell, Chief Operating Officer, a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Gold Terra's Yellowknife City Gold Project

The YCG project encompasses 800 sq. km of contiguous land immediately north, south and east of the City of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Through a series of acquisitions, Gold Terra controls one of the six major high-grade gold camps in Canada. Being within 10 kilometres of the City of Yellowknife, the YCG is close to vital infrastructure, including all-season roads, air transportation, service providers, hydro-electric power, and skilled tradespeople. Gold Terra is currently focusing its drilling on the prolific Campbell shear, where 14 Moz of gold has been produced, and most recently on the Con Mine Option claims immediately south of the past producing Con Mine (1938-2003).

The YCG lies on the prolific Yellowknife greenstone belt, covering nearly 70 kilometres of strike length along the main mineralized shear system that host the former-producing high-grade Con and Giant gold mines. The Company's exploration programs have successfully identified significant zones of gold mineralization and multiple targets that remain to be tested which reinforces the Company's objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada.

Visit our website at www.goldterracorp.com.

For more information, please contact:

Gerald Panneton, CEO & Executive Chairman

gpanneton@goldterracorp.com

Mara Strazdins, Manager of Investor Relations

Phone: 1-778-897-1590 | 604-689-1749 ext 102

Strazdins@goldterracorp.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements made and information contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation ("forward-looking information"). Generally, this forward-looking information can, but not always, be identified by 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 statements that certain actions, events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotations thereof.

All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other 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 information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding the current drilling on the Campbell Shear on the Newmont Con Mine Option potentially adding high grade ounces to the Company's current YCG mineral resource, future planned drilling on the Con Mine Option area and the Company's objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada.

There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section in the Company's most recent MD&A and annual information form available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. 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. All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Except as required under applicable securities legislation and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information.

SOURCE: Gold Terra Resource Corp

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/704101/Gold-Terra-Expands-High-Grade-MP-Ryan-Zone-With-3189-GT-Au-Over-3-Metres-Including-694-GT-Au-Over-1-Metre-Northbelt-Mispickel-Area-Yellowknife-NWT
Project reflects company's commitment to PAO business, doubles production capacity in Europe

Chevron Phillips Chemical ("CPChem") announced today plans to expand its polyalphaolefins (PAO) business with the construction of a new unit in Beringen, Belgium. Once local permits are approved, this significant investment will double the company's PAO production capacity in Belgium (to 120,000MT) upon targeted startup in 2024.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005224/en/

Chevron Phillips Chemical's Beringen plant in Belgium. Photo credit: Chevron Phillips Chemical.

For over 40 years, CPChem has been a leader in the development of high-quality PAOs, which are marketed under the Synfluid brand. PAOs are specially designed chemicals made from alpha olefins. They are used in many synthetic products such as lubricants, greases, and fluids and have emerged as essential components in applications including automotive, industrial, cosmetics, technology, and military use.

"Our Beringen plant has a long history of safe, reliable production of PAOs and of serving our customers with excellence," said Mitch Eichelberger, executive vice president of polymers and specialties. "The construction of a new unit near our existing assets will allow us to benefit from strong local expertise and leverage Belgium's central position to meet customer needs globally."

Synfluid PAOs offer strong advantages due to their unique properties, and they support the company's commitment to accelerating change for a sustainable future. PAOs help reduce energy consumption through efficient lubrication; by reducing friction, they can lower fuel consumption and emissions. The growing demand for PAOs is fueled by the performance of these molecules at extreme temperatures, and also by new applications such as electric and fuel-efficient vehicles and heat transfer fluid.

"Increased production from this new investment will be critical to support growing demand at a time of great innovation in several sectors that require PAOs," said Antoine Janssens, Europe Africa region general manager.

Ideally located in the heart of Europe, the new PAO unit will enjoy significant advantages in infrastructure, feedstock availability, and operational expertise. CPChem already operates PAO units in Beringen, Belgium, and Baytown, Texas. With this new investment, the company is reinforcing its commitment to being the supplier of choice for its growing global customer base.

About Chevron Phillips Chemical

Chevron Phillips Chemical is one of the world's top producers of olefins and polyolefins and a leading supplier of aromatics, alpha olefins, styrenics, specialty chemicals, plastic piping and polymer resins. With approximately 5,000 employees, Chevron Phillips Chemical and its affiliates own nearly $18 billion in assets, including 31 manufacturing and research facilities in six countries. Chevron Phillips Chemical is equally owned indirectly by Chevron Corporation U.S.A. Inc. and Phillips 66 Company, and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. For more information about Chevron Phillips Chemical, visit www.cpchem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter: @chevronphillips.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005224/en/

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News inquiries:

Erica Miller

erica.miller@cpchem.com

+1-832-813-4279
Babylon (NYSE:BBLN) today announced it will host its second 'Ask The CEO' episode featuring Dr. Ali Parsa, the Founder and CEO of Babylon, on June 23 at 1:00 pm EST (10:00 am PST).

The series, which kicked off on May 26, features a sit-down fireside chat with Dr. Parsa to answer questions from the investor community. Dr. Parsa will often be accompanied by other key company executives and stakeholders.

To attend the event, please go to the "Events" page of the Investors section of the Company's website. A link to the live video webcasts will also be available on this page, and a replay of the webcast will be available the day following the events. If you would like to submit a question for Dr. Parsa, please send it via email to investors@babylonhealth.com either in advance or during the call. For more information, please visit https://ir.babylonhealth.com/.

About Babylon

Babylon is one of the world's fastest growing digital healthcare companies whose mission is to make high-quality healthcare accessible and affordable for every person on Earth.

Babylon is re-engineering how people engage with their care at every step of the healthcare continuum. By flipping the model from reactive sick care to proactive healthcare through the devices people already own, it offers millions of people globally ongoing, always-on care. Babylon has already shown that in environments as diverse as the developed UK or developing Rwanda, urban New York or rural Missouri, for people of all ages, it is possible to achieve its mission by leveraging its highly scalable, digital-first platform combined with high quality, virtual clinical operations to provide integrated, personalized healthcare.

Founded in 2013, Babylon's technology and clinical services is supporting a global patient network across 15 countries, and is capable of operating in 16 languages. And through a combination of its value-based care model, Babylon 360, and its work in primary care through NHS GP at Hand, Babylon managed over 440k lives globally from the start of 2022. In 2021 alone, Babylon helped a patient every 6 seconds, with approximately 5.2 million consultations and AI interactions. Importantly, this was achieved with a 93% user retention rate in our NHS GP at Hand service and 4 or 5 star ratings from more than 90% of our users across all of our geographies.

Babylon is also working with governments, health providers, employers and insurers across the globe to provide them with a new infrastructure that any partner can use to deliver high-quality healthcare with lower costs and better outcomes. For more information, please visit www.babylonhealth.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005776/en/

Contacts:

Media

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Investors

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Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Police



The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) said Tuesday it will conduct an investigation into the recent mysterious disappearance of six live bullets from a special police unit assigned to guard the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul.



The incident occurred on May 18, when an officer from the 101 Presidential Police Security Corps lost a pouch containing the live ammunition for a .38-caliber revolver while on duty. The officer reported the loss of his bullet pouch after work that day, and the police unit has so far been searching for the missing ammunition without success.



President Yoon Suk-yeol started working in the new presidential office compound, relocated from Cheong Wa Dae, May 10, and U.S. President Joe Biden visited Korea from May 20 to 22 for his first summit with Yoon.



A ranking official of the SMPA said it will take punitive measures against those responsible for the loss of the bullets after the investigation and come up with measures to prevent a recurrence.



"The missing bullets have yet to be found though data from all surveillance cameras in and around the police unit has been analyzed. The search has also been carried out with various possibilities in mind, and I've heard that even a luggage search has been ongoing with the consent of unit members," the official said.



The official added that the police unit has strengthened its internal education on the prevention of the loss of weapons and is mulling over the introduction of a double locking device for live bullets. (Yonhap)




Brampton, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2022) - Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. (CSE: SNA) (CSE: SNA.CN) ("Star" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the signing of a Letter of Intent ("LOI") with Astral Aviation ("Astral") of Kenya to purchase seven (7) units of the STAR-ISMS for its fleet of cargo aircraft.

Astral is a member of Africa Airlines ("AFRAA"), The International Air Cargo Association ("TIACA") and Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry ("KNCCI").

Astral is a licensed cargo airline that has been flying in Africa for 22 years. It provides reliable and cost-effective air-freight solutions using a combination of schedule and charter flights within its Intra-African, Middle East, Asian and European Network.

Astral operates a fleet of F27, DC9F, B727-200F, B757F, B767-200Fand B747-400F aircraft within its geographic area which is comprised of 50 destinations. It operates a combination of scheduled and ad-hoc charters along with value-added leasing services and has agreements with over 30 Interline Partners along with preferential agreements with the leading global and local freight forwarders. It also has partnerships with over 25 global GSA's, facilitate the consolidation of cargoes at the freighter-friendly Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (Kenya), Johannesburg (South Africa), Dubai (UAE) and Liege Airport (Belgium).

Mr. Amir Bhatti, Chief Executive Officer of Star said: "This LOI with Astral gives Star a wide variety of planes to install our Star A.D.S . We are excited to have this opportunity to work with Astral and providing them a solution to improve safety and optimize their aircraft operations."

About Star Navigation Systems - www.star-navigation.com

Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. manufactures the In-flight Safety Monitoring System, STAR-ISMS, the heart of the STAR-A.D.S. System. The STAR-A.D.S. System has real-time capability of tracking, performance trends and predicting incident-occurrences which enhances aviation safety and improves fleet management while reducing costs for the operator. Star's MMI Division designs and manufactures high performance, mission critical, flight deck flat panel displays for defence and commercial aviation industries worldwide.

About Astral Aviation - www.astral-aviation.com

Astral Aviation is a cargo airline based in Nairobi, Kenya. It was established in November 2000 and started operations in January 2001. It operates scheduled and non-scheduled ad-hoc cargo charters to regional destinations in Africa and to Liege in Belgium.

Forward Looking Information

Certain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are statements that address or discuss activities, events or developments that Star expects or anticipates may occur in the future. When used in this news release, words such as "estimates", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "projects", "will", "believes", "intends" "should", "could", "may" and other similar terminology are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations and beliefs of Star's management. Because forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, actual results, performance or achievements of Star or the industry may be materially different from those implied by such forward-looking statements.

Examples of such forward-looking information that may be contained in this news release include statements regarding; growth and future prospects of our business; our perceptions of the industry and markets in which we operate and anticipated trends in such markets; expectations regarding the operation of our app; and our future revenues.

Material factors or assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making an estimate set out in the forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, our ability to execute on our business plan, increase visibility amongst consumers and convert users to revenue producing subscribers and the success of the business of our partners. Forward-looking statements involve significant uncertainties, should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be an accurate indication of whether or not such results will be achieved.

The risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the airline industry are real and substantial but cannot be defined or measured in any meaningful way at this time.

Should one or more of these factors or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.

Accordingly, readers should exercise caution in relying upon forward-looking statements and Star undertakes no obligation to publicly revise them to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.

NEITHER CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Please visit www.star-navigation.com or contact

Mr. Amir Bhatti, CEO at 1-416-252-2889 #230

amir.bhatti@star-navigation.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126755
SAN FRANCISCO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nature Scientific Reports journal has published results of a new decentralized federated AI learning algorithm from Presagen that can train AI on data that is distributed globally, without having to move private data to a central location. The breakthrough algorithm was able to achieve greater AI accuracy than traditional centralized AI training in real-world scenarios where data is poor-quality and contains errors, particularly when private data cannot be manually verified.

The algorithm, developed by AI company Presagen, presents a practical solution for connecting data silos and training AI in industries where data are sensitive and cannot be shared (moved), such as healthcare, defense, and finance. Research interest in distributed AI learning algorithms, called federated learning, has increased in recent years. However, many implementations have struggled with scalability, and typically require data to be transferred to a central location, potentially breaching data privacy.

Presagen's Decentralised AI Training Algorithm (DAITA) approach ensures data privacy, is robust and is scalable as well as cost-effective for large real-world problems. Rather than moving data to the AI in a central location, the algorithm moves the AI to the location of the data, which can be distributed globally. Only the general abstract learnings from the AI trained on the data sources are shared, and never the individual datasets themselves.

Presagen Chief Scientist Dr Jonathan Hall explained "Using DAITA, we can optimise how the AI travels around the world - minimizing the cost of transfer, whilst simultaneously maximizing the performance of the final AI, all without looking at sensitive data."

In collaboration with the Ovation Fertility network of IVF laboratories in the USA, the algorithm was applied to a healthcare problem of assessing the viability of embryos to assist embryologists in identifying embryos that are likely to lead to a pregnancy for IVF patients.

Ovation Fertility's VP of Scientific Advancement, Dr Matthew (Tex) VerMilyea said "Embryo viability data has inherent errors. Patient embryos that are viable do not always lead to a pregnancy due to other factors related to the patient. Many problems in healthcare have poor-quality data, due to uncertainty or subjectivity."

Presagen CEO Dr Michelle Perugini said "To train AI in healthcare that is unbiased and commercially scalable, you need to train AI on globally diverse data from clinics around the world, that represent different clinical settings and patient demographics. However, the challenge is that data privacy laws prevent sharing and centralizing medical data to train AI. Our decentralized AI learning algorithm addresses data privacy, data quality, and data diversity issues of connecting global data silos to AI for the benefit of patients around the world."

Presagen has two commercial AI healthcare products in market globally, under its Life Whisperer brand for the fertility sector. Life Whisperer assess embryos for their viability and genetic integrity. Life Whisperer is currently being distributed globally by FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific.

About Presagen

Presagen is an AI healthcare company that is changing the way clinics, patients, and medical data from around the world are connected through AI. Its platform, The Social Network for Healthcare, connects clinics and patients globally, and enables collaboration and data sharing to create scalable AI healthcare products that are affordable and accessible for all. The decentralized network democratizes the creation of AI products, promotes collaboration through incentives, and protects data privacy and ownership. With a focus on improving Women's Health outcomes globally, Presagen's first product, Life Whisperer, is being used by IVF clinics globally to improve pregnancy outcomes for couples struggling with fertility. With a vision of creating the largest network of clinics, patients, and medical data from around the world, Presagen is driving the future of AI Enhanced Healthcare.

About Ovation Fertility

Ovation Fertility is a national network of reproductive endocrinologists and scientific thought leaders focused on reducing the cost of having a family through more efficient and effective fertility care. Ovation's IVF and genetics laboratories, along with affiliated physician practices, work collaboratively to raise the bar for IVF treatment, with state-of-the-art, evidence-based fertility services that give hopeful parents the best chance for a successful pregnancy. Physicians partner with Ovation to offer their patients advanced preconception carrier screening; preimplantation genetic testing; donor egg and surrogacy services; and secure storage for their frozen eggs, embryos and sperm. Ovation also helps IVF labs across America improve their quality and performance with expert off-site lab direction and consultation. Learn more about Ovation's vision of a world without infertility at www.OvationFertility.com.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1832001/Presagen_Logo_Black_Text_Logo.jpg
Press Release

4BIO Capital Portfolio Company Code Biotherapeutics Closes Upsized and Oversubscribed $75 Million Series A Financing

7 June 2022

London & Greater Philadelphia - 4BIO Capital, Inc. ("Code Bio" or "the "Company"), a biotechnology company pioneering targeted non-viral delivery of genetic medicines. 4BIO actively participated in Code Bio's start-up process and co-led its seed financing round.

The round was led by Northpond Ventures, with participation from new investors Amgen Ventures, Hatteras Venture Partners and UCB Ventures and existing investors New Enterprise Associates, CureDuchenne Ventures, the JDRF T1D Fund, UPMC Enterprises and Takeda Ventures. Proceeds from the round will enable Code Bio to advance its lead programs in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) towards IND-enabling studies, expand its pipeline and platform applications, and further scale manufacturing and operations.

Code Bio's 3DNA platform has demonstrated the potential to deliver various genetic medicines to multiple cell types in a tissue-targeted, re-dosable manner, which enables its use across a broad range of genetic disorders. The 3DNA platform is designed to fully unlock the potential of genetic medicines and overcome key limitations of other delivery approaches.

Dr Dmitry Kuzmin, Managing Partner at 4BIO Capital and Board Member at Code Bio, commented: "With this latest round, 4BIO continues to demonstrate our strong capability in company creation. Having worked closely with Code Bio since its inception, we have supported the Company as it has made significant progress with the signing of its first partnership and development of itspioneering 3DNA delivery platform.We are delighted to be investing alongside an impressive array of international investors to support the advancement ofCode Bio'slead programs inDuchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Type 1 Diabetes, two debilitating conditions which are underserved by existing therapies."

Brian P. McVeigh, Code Bio Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer said: "Patients with rare and prevalent genetic diseases, and their caregivers, are in need of breakthrough treatments that will truly make a difference in their lives.We're energized by the confidence these high-caliber, top-tier investors are demonstrating through their support as we drive our discovery programs forward and strive to rapidly deliver on the promise our proprietary synthetic DNA-based, non-viral genetic medicines delivery platform holds."

- End -

Contacts

4BIO Capital +44 (0) 203 427 5500

info@4biocapital.com (mailto:info@4biocapital.com) Consilium Strategic Communications

Amber Fennell, Allison Connolly, Genevieve Wilson +44 (0)20 3709 5700

4biocapital@consilium-comms.com (mailto:4biocapital@consilium-comms.com)

About 4BIO Capital

4BIO Capitaland Twitter @4biocapitaland visit www.4biocapital.com.

About Code Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Headquartered in Greater Philadelphia, Code Bio is a biotechnology company pioneering the development of genetic medicines to treat and potentially cure serious and life-threatening genetic diseases. By leveraging its novel non-viral multivalent synthetic DNA delivery platform, 3DNA, Code Bio's approach can overcome multiple challenges inherent with viral-based delivery approaches, including immunogenicity, size and delivery limitations, inability to re-dose and manufacturing complexity. The company is advancing an internal pipeline of therapies focused on serious and life-threatening diseases while also developing multiple collaborative partnerships to take forward additional programs in both rare and prevalent diseases. For more information, visit www.codebiotx.com.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / Granite Creek Copper Ltd. (TSXV:GCX)(OTCQB:GCXXF) ("Granite Creek" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of its 2022 field exploration campaign at the high-grade Carmacks Cu-Au-Ag project, south of the operational Minto mine in Canada's Yukon Territory. The first phase of the program will consist of a high-resolution, deep-penetrating Induced Polarization ("IP") survey which Simcoe Geophysics has now initiated. The wireless Alpha IP survey system is capable of resolving targets at depths in excess of 500 meters and is being employed to locate vertical and horizontal extensions of the three main mineralized areas of the Carmacks deposit and to identify subparallel zones.

Previous historical IP surveys were highly effective at identifying near-surface structures hosting copper oxide mineralization, but with effective penetration of less than 250 meters, leaving significant potential below that level. Most recently, comparisons of 2021 drill data with these historical IP surveys strongly reinforces their value in generating and refining drill targets. Concurrent review of historical data has also identified several areas in and around the Carmacks deposit that are top targets for their potential to host additional mineralization. The Company has identified three priority areas for this IP survey:

Gap target area - The area between Zone 2000S and Zones 1, 4, 7, has not been sufficiently evaluated for potential mineralization. The Company recognized faulting in the area that may have offset mineralization and the IP survey will assist in detecting offsets to better target future drillholes. The success of 2021 drill campaign to expand and upgrade resources in Zone 2000S, especially DDH21-011 (See NR dated August 24, 2021) has made this zone a priority. Extension target area - Zones 1, 4, 7 are abruptly cut off on the northern end where a thick layer of overburden restricts surface exploration. This area will be surveyed to detect down dropped or laterally offset blocks of the mineralization that may be located under the thick cover. 1213 target area - The conceptual pit in the southern part of Zone 1213 only extends to 130m below surface because drilling has not fully tested the depth of mineralisation in this area. Surveying in this area will further define the down dip potential of the zone.

Figure 1 - Oblique view of 2022 resources and proposed pits (total strike length of 2,950 m)

Timothy Johnson, Granite Creek President & CEO, stated, "We are very pleased to have Simcoe Geophysics returning to the property after their successful 2021 campaign at our Carmacks North target area where over 20 new targets were identified that we will be following up on this year. That there are still significant areas in and around the Carmacks deposit that our geological team have identified as having potential to host further mineralization is a testament to the prospectively of the Minto Copper belt. We look forward to updating the investing community as we receive results from this survey as well as on progress of the preliminary economic assessment update."

About the Carmacks Deposit

The recently updated Carmacks Deposit 2022 Resource Estimate consists of 36.2 million tonnes (Mt) in Measured and Indicated categories (M&I), grading 1.07% CuEq (0.81% Cu, 0.26g/t Au, 3.23g/t Ag and 0.011% Mo) for a total of 651 million pounds (Mlbs) of contained M&I copper and an additional 38 Mlbs Cu Inferred as the main input (see news release dated March 15, 2022). An updated Preliminary Economic Assessment is underway.

About Granite Creek Copper

Granite Creek, a member of the Metallic Group of Companies, is a Canadian exploration company focused on the 176-square-kilometer Carmacks project in the Minto copper district of Canada's Yukon Territory. The project is on trend with the high-grade Minto copper-gold mine, operated by Minto Metals Corp., to the north, and features excellent access to infrastructure with the nearby paved Yukon Highway 2, along with grid power within 12 km. More information about Granite Creek Copper can be viewed on the Company's website at www.gcxcopper.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Timothy Johnson, President & CEO Telephone: 1 (604) 235-1982 Toll-Free: 1 (888) 361-3494 E-mail: info@gcxcopper.com Website: www.gcxcopper.com Metallic Group: www.metallicgroup.ca Twitter: @yukoncopper

Qualified Persons

Ms. Debbie James, P.Geo., a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, and future plans and objectives of the company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Granite Creek Copper believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the companies with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Granite Creek and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review annual filings available at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Granite Creek Copper Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/704121/Granite-Creek-Copper-Launches-2022-Exploration-Program-at-the-High-Grade-Carmacks-Copper-Gold-Silver-Project-in-Yukon-Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2022) - Barksdale Resources Corp. (TSXV: BRO) (OTCQX: BRKCF) ("Barksdale" or the "Company") is pleased to report positive results from its first phase of metallurgical test work on copper mineralization at the San Javier copper-gold project located in Sonora, Mexico. A comprehensive testing program was completed in eight column tests utilizing material sourced from four large-diameter diamond core holes that were drilled by Barksdale in August and early September of 2022. The objective of the program was to help guide optimum processing options for the project. Test work was completed by McClelland Labs Inc under the supervision of Steve Dixon, a metallurgical consultant to the Company.

Press Release Highlights

Extraction of acid soluble copper ranged between 77% and 93% for oxide dominant samples

Extraction of acid and cyanide soluble copper ranged between 72% and 89% for oxide dominant samples

Copper recovery was still increasing in all samples at the conclusion of the 120-day column tests, indicating the potential for residual copper extraction

Test work indicated that acid curing and agglomeration is likely not required as the acid cured samples did not extract more copper than using raffinate alone

Future tests will focus on optimizing operating parameters such as lift height and cycle times as well as to determine the effectiveness of coarser crushing

Rick Trotman, President and CEO of Barksdale, commented: "The results of the San Javier column leach testing program have demonstrated strong recoveries of oxide copper while also shedding considerable light on the potential for a low-cost style operation that doesn't require agglomeration and has low acid consumption. These initial metallurgical recovery parameters will assist in the calculation of our initial resource at Cerro Verde and will also feed into a preliminary economic study. We are very excited to continue pushing this project forward in a highly constructive copper price environment."

2021/2022 Metallurgical Testing Program

The metallurgical test program was conducted at McClelland Laboratories, Inc. in Reno, Nevada, under the supervision of Jack McPartland, Metallurgist / President at McClelland, with additional oversight by Steve Dixon, Barksdale's consulting metallurgist.

The San Javier copper deposit contains predominately oxide copper mineralization with isolated zones of sulfides and mixed oxide/sulfide mineralization. Four composites representing three oxide and one sulfide dominant mineralized zone were evaluated by column leach tests to see the impacts of an acid cure on the extraction of copper for material crushed to a P80 of 25mm (1.0 inch). Each composite had two column tests - one column was acid agglomerated with a 5.0 kilogram per tonne acid cure and the other column was completed without an acid agglomeration cure. Acid agglomeration is an operating process where ores are pretreated with acid and cement prior to being stacked on a heap leach pad in order to maximize copper recoveries and prevent degradation of the leach pad's physical characteristics. This process can add significant processing costs.

Raffinate used for the tests contained 5 grams per liter of sulfuric acid and the irrigation rate was 6 L/hr/m2. The primary irrigation time was 120 days, after which the columns were washed and rinsed for 4-5 days and then unloaded, screened, and assayed. Table 1 presents the eight test conditions:

Test Column Composite Acid Cure Acid Raffinate





kg/t g/l 1 CL-1 4726-001 0 5 2 CL-2 4726-001 5 5 3 CL-3 4726-002 0 5 4 CL-4 4726-002 5 5 5 CL-5 4726-003 0 5 6 CL-6 4726-003 5 5 7 CL-7 4726-004 0 5 8 CL-8 4726-004 5 5

Table 1. Test conditions of the eight column tests.

Oxide Results

The feed grades of each copper class in each oxide dominate composite, determined by size analysis, are presented in Table 2 as well as the percentage of acid soluble and cyanide soluble copper for each composite. The insoluble copper fraction contains copper sulfides that are not soluble by acid or cyanide in shake test procedures (mainly chalcopyrite).

Test Composite Total Copper Acid Soluble Cyanide Soluble Insoluble Acid Soluble Cyanide Soluble Insoluble



Cu% Cu% Cu% Cu% % % % 3 & 4 4726-002 0.60% 0.53% 0.05% 0.02% 88.4% 8.5% 3.1% 5 & 6 4726-003 0.39% 0.35% 0.01% 0.02% 90.6% 3.4% 5.9% 7 & 8 4726-004 0.64% 0.52% 0.01% 0.11% 81.0% 1.9% 17.0%

Table 2. Grade profile of the three oxide dominant composites.

Copper recovery for oxide dominate mineralization was quite good, with extraction of acid soluble copper ranging between 77% and 93% while extraction of acid and cyanide soluble copper ranged between 72% and 89%.

Test Column Composite % of Total Copper % of Acid Soluble Copper % of Acid and Cyanide Soluble Copper 3 CL-3 4726-002 79% 84% 76% 4 CL-4 4726-002 78% 79% 72% 5 CL-5 4726-003 82% 93% 89% 6 CL-6 4726-003 81% 84% 81% 7 CL-7 4726-004 68% 84% 82% 8 CL-8 4726-004 68% 77% 76%

Table 3. Copper extraction from the six oxide dominant column tests.

Copper extraction was still climbing for all composites after the full irrigation program was completed, pointing to the potential for continued extraction of copper in the second cycle of irrigation once a new lift is place on the ore that completed the first cycle of irrigation. Additional tests will be completed that focus on evaluating optimal timing of the primary and secondary leach cycle times.







Figure 1. Recovery performance and net acid consumption of the Cerro Verde oxide dominate composite samples. Two column tests were completed for each composite, which are represented in each graph as "blue lines" (no acid cure) and "red lines" (acid cure). Recovery curves were still increasing at the end of the 120-day column tests.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8531/126707_7ac90206b44d1863_002full.jpg

The columns that contained an acid cure provided faster recovery of copper during the first 30-60 days of irrigation but ultimately did not extract more copper than using raffinate alone. Additionally, net acid consumption in all samples was lower using only raffinate than those that also had an acid cure. Overall net acid consumption on non-cured oxide samples ranged between approximately 2 and 3 kilograms per tonne. Low net acid consumption can significantly reduce operation costs of heap leach operations.

Sulfide Results

While the Cerro Verde deposit predominately contains oxide copper mineralization, there are zones of both sulfide dominate and mixed oxide/sulfide mineralization where understanding the metallurgical response is warranted. Composite 4726-001 contained a higher insoluble copper content than the other composites at Cerro Verde and the results of the column leach tests utilizing this composite demonstrate that the use of soluble copper assays in future ore control programs will likely be very effective in identifying the sulfide zones, which will allow the Company to only place material on the heap leach pad if the recoverable copper estimates meet the required cut-off grades based on copper recovery, acid consumption, and metal prices.

Test Composite Total Copper Acid Soluble Cyanide Soluble Insoluble Acid Soluble Cyanide Soluble Insoluble



Cu% Cu% Cu% Cu% % % % 1 & 2 4726-001 0.42% 0.08% 0.15% 0.19% 18.5% 35.4% 46.2%

Table 4. Grade profile of the sulfide dominant composite.

Acid soluble recoveries were well above 100% for composite 4726-001, which suggests that the acid soluble grades may have been underreported via the shake test procedures completed at the assay laboratory, given the relatively short duration of the laboratory test (1-hour) versus the 120-day column test. Overall recoveries of both acid and cyanide soluble copper were between 51% and 58% and the recoveries were still increasing at the end of the 120-day irrigation cycle.

Test Column Composite % of Total Copper % of Acid Soluble Copper % of Acid and Cyanide Soluble Copper 1 CL-1 4726-001 27% 170% 58% 2 CL-2 4726-001 31% 148% 51%

Table 5. Copper extraction from the sulfide dominant columns.

The column that contained an acid cure provided faster recovery of copper during the first 15 days of irrigation but ultimately did not extract more copper than using raffinate alone. Additionally, net acid consumption was lower using only raffinate (~22 kg/t) compared to the column that also had an acid cure (~25 kg/t). Overall net acid consumption on non-cured oxide samples ranged between approximately 2 and 3 kilograms per tonne. Additional test work will look at larger crush sizes and longer cycle times for sulfide mineralization (>300 days).







Figure 2. Recovery performance and net acid consumption of the Cerro Verde sulfide dominate composite. Two column tests were completed for the composite, which are represented in each graph as "blue lines" (no acid cure) and "red lines" (acid cure). Recovery curves were still increasing at the end of the 120-day column tests.

To view an enhanced version of Table 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8531/126707_7ac90206b44d1863_003full.jpg

Future Work

Future metallurgical test work will focus evaluation of heap leach lift heights and primary cycle times to optimize the copper in solution and acid consumption parameters. Additionally, bulk samples should be used to evaluate increased crush size beyond 25mm (1 inch) on the acid and cyanide dominate mineralization. With regards to sulfide dominant mineralization, an evaluation of crush size should be completed that also extends leach cycle times of >300 days. This will assist in determining the economics of leaching sulfide dominate mineralization.

Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Steve Dixon, a metallurgical consultant to the Company and a 'Qualified Person' as defined under Canadian National Instrument 43-101.

Barksdale Resources Corp. is a base metal exploration company headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., that is focused on the acquisition, exploration and advancement of highly prospective base metal projects in North America. Barksdale is currently advancing the Sunnyside copper-zinc-lead-silver and San Antonio copper projects, both of which are in the Patagonia mining district of southern Arizona, as well as the San Javier copper-gold project in central Sonora, Mexico.

ON BEHALF OF BARKSDALE RESOURCES CORP

Rick Trotman

President, CEO and Director

Rick@barksdaleresources.com

Terri Anne Welyki

Vice President of Communications

778-238-2333

TerriAnne@barksdaleresources.com

For more information please phone 778-238-2333, email info@barksdaleresources.com or visit www.BarksdaleResources.com .

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes "forward-looking information" under applicable securities legislation including, but not limited to, the ability of Barksdale to achieve metallurgical recoveries of copper and gold at San Javier. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on a number of estimates and assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking information is neither a promise nor guarantee, and is subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, delays in obtaining governmental or third party approvals and permits, actual results of exploration activities, unanticipated geologic formations, structures and characteristics, environmental risks, future prices of base and other metals, operating risks, accidents, labor issues, and other risks in the mining industry as well as general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets and lack of available capital. There are no assurances that the Company will obtain the necessary permits for and successfully complete the proposed technical and drill program at San Javier as currently contemplated or at all. In addition, there is uncertainty about the spread of COVID-19 and variants of concern and the impact they will have on the Company's operations, supply chains, ability to access mineral properties, conduct due diligence or procure equipment, contractors and other personnel on a timely basis or at all and economic activity in general. All forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126707
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - JetBlue (JBLU) said antitrust expert Glenn Pomerantz stated that the DOJ will strongly consider the benefits that the JetBlue Effect will bring to all stakeholders. Pomerantz was engaged by JetBlue to work alongside its antitrust counsel to examine how the combination of JetBlue-Spirit would be reviewed by regulators. Pomerantz said: 'If you're worried about the passengers who really want an ultra-low-cost alternative, those alternatives will be there. There are plenty of other ultra-low-cost carriers, who will enter and take over a route of Spirit's if that route is profitable. Frontier is out there and there's Allegiant and Sun Country and some recent entrants as well. So, everyone's going to win if JetBlue and Spirit merge.' Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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VIENNA, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The OPEC Fund for International Development has dedicated US$1 billion of its resources over the next three years to the new OPEC Fund "Food Security Action Plan", to be deployed as immediate assistance to cover the import costs of basic commodities such as seeds, grains and fertilizers, while supporting medium and long-term security of food supply in partner countries.

OPEC Fund Director-General Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said: "Millions of vulnerable people could face famine over the next few months unless the international community responds swiftly and effectively to the global food crisis. The OPEC Fund's nimble model has enabled us to dedicate US$1 billion of our investment program to ensure food security where - and how - it is needed the most."

The new facility will channel public and private sector loans, as well as grants to developing countries hit hardest by the fallout from the war in Ukraine, which has pushed up food and fertilizer prices worldwide.

In addition to providing immediate relief, the OPEC Fund Food Security Action Plan is geared toward building the resilience of partner country agriculture sectors and strengthening regional food value chains to future proof against global shocks.

Since its establishment in 1976, the OPEC Fund has committed US$2.6 billion to agriculture projects, representing more than 10 percent of its total operations, in support of Sustainable Development Goal 2 - Zero Hunger. It has specifically targeted investments in rural infrastructure, development of production and storage facilities, trade in agricultural goods, as well as training, capacity and institution building.

OPEC Fund convenes development community in Vienna

Seeking to galvanize partners and spur action on delivering the global SDGs despite recent shocks to the international system, the OPEC Fund will host its inaugural Development Forum in Vienna, Austria on June 21, 2022. Focusing on climate, energy and food security, the Forum will gather government leaders, heads of institutions and expert practitioners from the public and private sectors to share their views on the state of play and future scenarios for international development. The high-level forum entitled "Driving Resilience & Equity" will highlight critical questions such as how to strike the right balance between climate action and essential energy access; how innovations in finance and technology can transform delivery; and what it will take to translate joint ambitions into on-the-ground impact.

More details about the OPEC Fund's "Food Security Action Plan" will be announced at the Development Forum on June 21, 2022.

About the OPEC Fund

The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) is the only globally mandated development institution that provides financing from member countries to non-member countries exclusively. The organization works in cooperation with developing country partners and the international development community to stimulate economic growth and social progress in low- and middle-income countries around the world. The OPEC Fund was established by the member countries of OPEC in 1976 with a distinct purpose: to drive development, strengthen communities and empower people. Our work is people-centered, focusing on financing projects that meet essential needs, such as food, energy, infrastructure, employment (particularly relating to MSMEs), clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education. To date, the OPEC Fund has committed more than US$22 billion to development projects in over 125 countries with an estimated total project cost of US$187 billion. The OPEC Fund is rated AA+/Outlook Stable by Fitch and AA/A-1+, Positive Outlook by S&P in 2021. Our vision is a world where sustainable development is a reality for all.

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MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - Russia's UN Ambassador has stormed out of a UN Security Council meeting in protest against the European Union blaming his country for triggering a global food crisis after its invasion of Ukraine.



Addressing Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia at the 15-member UN apex body on Monday, European Council President Charles Michel said, 'Mr. Ambassador of the Russian Federation, let's be honest, the Kremlin is using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries.'



'The dramatic consequences of Russia's war are spilling over across the globe. This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty, and destabilizing entire regions,' he added.



Michel also accused Russian soldiers of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the ongoing bloody war.



As he was leaving the Security Council conference hall, a visibly irritated Nebenzia refuted the allegations and said what the top EU official said was a lie.



Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned about a global food crisis caused by Russia's blockade of Black Sea ports that facilitate Ukraine's grain exports.



Ukraine, which is a major supplier of the world's wheat, corn and sunflower oil demand, exported 4.5 million tons of agricultural produce every month before the Russian invasion.



Global prices for grains, cooking oils, fuel, and fertilizer are soaring since Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine.



Meanwhile, intense battle is going on in Severodonetsk, as the Russian forces are trying to seize control of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.



Ukraine Armed Forces said Russia is attacking the strategic industrial city using artillery, aircraft, and helicopters.



The British Defence Ministry said in its latest update that Moscow plans to cut off Severodonetsk and its adjoining regions from both the north and south. Ukrainian forces recaptured parts of Severodonetsk, the MOD said on Tuesday.



The Ukrainian Navy claimed that ships of the Russian Black Sea fleet have withdrawn to more than 100 kilometers from Ukrainian shores as a result of its attacks with missiles and drones.







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Increase in prevalence of cataract surgery, surge in adoption of advanced premium intraocular lens, and development of new intraocular lens by the large number of key players drive the growth of the global intraocular lens market.

PORTLAND, Ore., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Intraocular Lens Market by Type (Monofocal Intraocular Lens, Premium Intraocular Lens), by Material (Polymethylmethacrylate, Silicone, Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Acrylic Materials), by End User (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Ophthalmology Clinics, and Eye Research Institutes): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031." According to the report, the global intraocular lens market size generated $3.8 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach $6.5 billion by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 5.6% from 2022 to 2031.

Download Sample PDF at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2092

Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities

Increase in prevalence of cataract surgery, surge in adoption of advanced premium intraocular lens, and development of new intraocular lens by the large number of key players drive the growth of the global intraocular lens market. However, unsupportive reimbursement scenario for premium lens and postoperative issues such as refractive errors restrain the market growth. On the other hand, technological innovations and rise in number of product approvals create new opportunities in the coming years.

Covid-19 Scenario

During the Covid-19 pandemic, patients suffering from cataract and other eye-related issues were hesitant to seek immediate care due to possibility of cross-contamination in hospitals and clinics. Many ophthalmologists had to close their practices temporarily.

The visits to eye clinics or hospitals lowered down significantly. According to the study conducted by National Center of Biotechnology Information in 2021, the patient visits to eye care hospitals reduced by 3.5% during the pandemic. This, in turn, reduced the demand for intraocular lens and impacted the intraocular lens market negatively.

The monofocal intraocular lens segment to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period

Based on type, the monofocal intraocular lens segment accounted for the highest market share in 2021, contributing to more than three-fifths of the global intraocular lens market, and is expected to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. This type of lens is the preferred choice of numerous ophthalmologists, which, in turn, led to the dominance in terms of revenue for this segment. However, the premium intraocular lens segment is expected to witness the highest CAGR of 7.2% from 2022 to 2031, owing to their proficiency in treating patients suffering from intricate retinal issues.

Specific Requirement on COVID-19? Ask to Our Industry Expert: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/2092

The hospitals segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on end user, the hospitals segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than half of the global intraocular lens market, and is expected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is due to surge in number of cataract procedures performed in inpatient settings. However, the ophthalmology clinics segment is projected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 6.8% from 2022 to 2031. This is attributed to rise in number of discrete ophthalmic clinics.

North America to maintain its dominance in terms of revenue by 2031

Based on region, North America contributed to the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2021, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global intraocular lens market, and is expected to maintain its dominance in terms of revenue by 2031. This is due to favorable reimbursement policies for cataract treatment in this region. However, Asia-Pacific is projected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period. This is attributed to surge in awareness regarding advanced treatment options and huge geriatric population base susceptible to cataract.

Leading Market Players

Alcon

Bausch Health, Inc.

Carl Zeiss Meditech

EyeKon Medical, Inc.

Humanoptics

Hoya Corporation

Johnson & Johnson

Lenstec, Inc.

Rayner Intraocular Lens Ltd.

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Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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With $32 Million in New Capital from Robert Bosch Venture Capital, Renesas, Anzu Partners and Arm, Arduino's Vision for Universal Innovation Moves from the Garage and Classroom to the Enterprise with New Professional Offerings

Arduino, an open-source company used by tens of millions of developers around the world, today unveiled plans to expand its portfolio of hardware, software, connectivity and developer tools for professionals. This move brings more of the speed, simplicity and power of the Arduino innovation platform to the enterprise, providing a new generation of engineers with the flexibility and access they have come to expect in a work environment. By expanding its enterprise-scale offerings, Arduino is charting a new strategic course, focusing on larger organizations while also maintaining its commitment to deliver the industry's most innovative tools for makers and students.

"The way corporations solve contemporary challenges and identify new business opportunities is quickly evolving as a new generation of engineers moves into the workforce in larger numbers. With this investment we are developing and delivering a new range of dedicated enterprise solutions to ignite this transformation" commented Fabio Violante, CEO of Arduino.

Generation Z and Millennials combined make up over 63 percent of the global population, and according to a recent study detailed in Engineering.com, "workplace flexibility, team communication and the technological limitations of current design tools (source)" are among the biggest concerns for Millennial and Gen Z engineers.

"Engineers in these generations grew up using Arduino boards in STEM programs around the world, and they have become accustomed to the accessibility, simplicity and power of the company's open-source hardware, software and cloud services," said Massimo Banzi, co-founder, Chairman and CMO of Arduino. "They are now taking those demands into the enterprise as they enter the labor force."

Arduino was born at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea as an easy-to-use tool for fast prototyping, aimed at students without a background in electronics and programming. Over the years, Arduino expanded to offer tools for education and professionals. Today the Arduino ecosystem includes a broad range of partners and customers, and now the company has set its sights on empowering a new generation of professional engineers with enterprise-scale applications. To accomplish this, Arduino will expand its professional offerings, including:

Delivering specialized low code cloud services to accelerate the development and deployment of IoT applications to meet industry needs.

Offering new solutions for intelligent edge design including new system modules.

Creating and integrating new AI capabilities for designers.

Enhancing global prototype-to-production capabilities by expanding its existing Systems Integrators Partner Program.

Partnering with Global Leaders; New Round of Funding Behind a New Vision

Arduino has a history of working closely with technology leaders around the world, including Arm, Google, Bosch, Intel and others, to ensure its products are always cutting edge, aligned with the latest trends and grounded in the real world. To help realize its new vision of expanding further into the enterprise, Arduino raised a Series B round of $32 million led by the global deep tech investor Robert Bosch Venture Capital (RBVC). Renesas, Anzu Partners, and Arm joined the round.

"Our new investors support our growth and our strategy, and understand the values and the transformative power of Arduino," commented Fabio Violante.

"Arduino has an unprecedented worldwide community of developers," said Dr. Ingo Ramesohl, managing director at RBVC. "The company is growing successfully beyond the prototyping business to become the core enabler in the industrial IoT (IIoT). We are excited to partner with Arduino as it moves forward to revolutionize the way enterprise professionals innovate."

"Arduino has a unique opportunity to expand their already robust engineering community to encapsulate the enterprise market," said Chris Allexandre, Senior Vice President and Executive at Renesas Electronics. "We are delighted to support them in their plans of broadening their customer base and becoming a disruptive enterprise platform."

About Series B Investors

About Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH: RBVC is the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch Group, a leading global supplier of technology and services. RBVC invests worldwide in innovative start-up companies at all stages of their development. Its investment activities focus on technology companies working in areas of business of current and future relevance for Bosch, above all, automation and electrification, energy efficiency, enabling technologies, and healthcare systems. RBVC also invests in services and business models that are relevant to the above-mentioned areas of business. Furthermore, RBVC enables co-innovation between Bosch and start-ups through the Open Bosch Program. Additional information is available at: www.rbvc.com

RBVC is the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch Group, a leading global supplier of technology and services. RBVC invests worldwide in innovative start-up companies at all stages of their development. Its investment activities focus on technology companies working in areas of business of current and future relevance for Bosch, above all, automation and electrification, energy efficiency, enabling technologies, and healthcare systems. RBVC also invests in services and business models that are relevant to the above-mentioned areas of business. Furthermore, RBVC enables co-innovation between Bosch and start-ups through the Open Bosch Program. Additional information is available at: www.rbvc.com About Renesas Electronics Corporation: Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) empowers a safer, smarter and more sustainable future where technology helps make people's lives easier. A leading global provider of microcontrollers, Renesas combines an expertise in embedded processing, analog, power and connectivity to deliver complete semiconductor solutions. These winning combinations accelerate time to market for automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT applications, enabling billions of connected, intelligent devices that enhance the way people work and live. Learn more at renesas.com.

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) empowers a safer, smarter and more sustainable future where technology helps make people's lives easier. A leading global provider of microcontrollers, Renesas combines an expertise in embedded processing, analog, power and connectivity to deliver complete semiconductor solutions. These winning combinations accelerate time to market for automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT applications, enabling billions of connected, intelligent devices that enhance the way people work and live. Learn more at renesas.com. About Anzu Partners: Anzu Partners is an investment firm that focuses on industrial and life science technology companies with the potential to transform their industries. Anzu works with entrepreneurs to develop and commercialize technological innovations by providing capital alongside deep expertise in business development, market positioning, global connectivity and operations. For more information, please visit https://anzupartners.com/.

Anzu Partners is an investment firm that focuses on industrial and life science technology companies with the potential to transform their industries. Anzu works with entrepreneurs to develop and commercialize technological innovations by providing capital alongside deep expertise in business development, market positioning, global connectivity and operations. For more information, please visit https://anzupartners.com/. About Arm: Arm technology is at the heart of a computing and data revolution that is transforming the way people live and businesses operate. Arm's energy-efficient processor designs and software platforms have enabled advanced computing in more than 215 billion chips and its technologies securely power products from the sensor to the smartphone and the supercomputer. Together with 1,000+ technology partners, Arm is at the forefront of designing, securing and managing all areas of AI-enhanced connected computing from the chip to the cloud. For more information: https://www.arm.com/

About Arduino

Arduino is the leading open-source hardware and software company in the world. Born to provide an easy-to-use platform for anyone making interactive projects, Arduino has reached a global community and adapted to new needs and challenges, branching out into products for IoT, wearables, 3D printing and embedded environments. As of today, the Arduino community includes approximately 30 million active users.

All names of products or services mentioned in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005327/en/

Contacts:

Media Contact:

RJ Bardsley

Wireside Communications

For Arduino

+1-804-215-2088

rjbardsley@wireside.com
Ukrainian servicemen on patrol in a recently retaken village north of Kharkiv, east Ukraine. May 15, 2022. AP-Yonhap



By Lee Hyo-jin



Some local journalists are calling on the government to guarantee freedom of the press in conflict zones such as Ukraine, pointing out that current laws banning journalists from traveling to war zones seriously undermine media freedom.



Under the Passport Act, Korean nationals are banned from traveling to any part of the world with a Level 4 travel warning issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Those who travel to such regions without approval can face up to a year in prison or a maximum fine of 10 million won, as well as having their passports confiscated.



Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in mid-February, the Korean government issued a travel ban on the country.



And journalists were not exempt from this rule.



Kish Kim, a freelance photographer and war correspondent with more than a decade of experience, viewed that the rigid rule has been a major setback for local journalists from conducting accurate and reliable reporting about war-ravaged regions.



"As far as I know, Korea is the only country in the world where the press needs to get government permission to cover war zones. This absurd rule has barred journalists from engaging in real-time reporting," he told The Korea Times.



"While a soldier's duty is to fight in war, a war correspondent's duty is to do on-the-scene reporting about what's happening there. And this should be respected. But the Korean government hasn't been allowing us to carry on with our jobs," he said.



Kim added that while other foreign reporters he met in conflict zones such as the Gaza strip were offered assistance and protection by their embassies, the Korean embassy told him to "evacuate immediately," saying that he may face punishment in his home county.





A photo taken by Kish Kim in February of 2011 in Helmand, Afghanistan / Courtesy of Kish Kim
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2022) - Couloir Capital is pleased to announce it has published a new research note on Metallic Minerals Corp. (TSXV: MMG) (OTCQB: MMNGF) ("MMG" or "Company"). The update report is titled, "Inaugural Copper Resource for La Plata, Strong Drilling Results at Keno Silver."

Report excerpt: "MMG has significantly advanced its core properties Keno Silver and La Plata, with key developments including:

Announcement of a maiden resource for the La Plata Project located in Colorado, as well as final results from the drilling campaign completed in December 2021.

Announcement of further results from the 2021 field program at Keno Silver, specifically for East Keno and Formo.

The developments, especially the inaugural resource estimate for La Plata, are catalytic events that fundamentally change aspects of our valuation thesis for MMG. With the discovery of pounds in the ground, we are able to apply a valuation of MMG that incorporates the intrinsic value of a more material asset base, reducing the risk associated with a valuation based primarily on less tangible metrics. With a resource discovery and a private placement underway, we believe MMG will look to build on recent strength and maintain momentum going into the rest of 2022."

The report can be accessed through Couloir Capital's portal: https://www.couloircapital.com/research-portal

About Metallic Minerals Corp.

Metallic Minerals Corp. is a growth-stage exploration company, focused on high-grade silver and gold projects in underexplored, brownfields mining districts of North America. Our objective is to create shareholder value through a systematic, entrepreneurial approach to exploration in the Keno Hill silver district, La Plata silver-gold-copper district, and Klondike gold district through new discoveries and advancing resources to development. Metallic Minerals has consolidated the second-largest land position in the historic Keno Hill silver district of Canada's Yukon Territory, directly adjacent to Alexco Resource Corp's operations, with nearly 300 million ounces of high-grade silver in past production and current M&I resources. In addition, exploration at the recently acquired La Plata silver-gold-copper project in southwestern Colorado is targeting a silver and gold-enriched copper porphyry and adjacent high-grade silver and gold epithermal systems. The Company also continues to add new production royalty leases on its holdings in the Klondike gold district in the Yukon. All three districts have seen significant mineral production and have existing infrastructure, including power and road access. Metallic Minerals is led by a team with a track record of discovery and exploration success on several major precious and base metal deposits, as well as having large-scale development, permitting and project financing expertise.

About Couloir Capital Ltd.

Couloir Capital Ltd. is an investment research firm comprised of a team of veteran investment professionals dedicated to providing world-class opportunities in the natural resource exploration and development sectors along with real and alternative asset classes and strategies.

For further information, please contact:

Rob Stitt, Managing Director, Couloir Capital Ltd.

Email: rstitt@couloircapital.com

www.couloircapital.com

Disclosure: Couloir Capital and/or affiliated companies holds shares or warrants in the Company. The warrants have an exercise price of $0.60 and expire in August 2022.

A service agreement exists between Couloir Capital and the Company.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126697
Fungible Storage Cluster Certified for VMware vSphere to Support High Performance VM Systems

Fungible Inc., the dynamic composable infrastructure company, today announced a new release of Fungible Storage Cluster (FSC) 4.1, providing support for VMware vSphere environments requiring high-performance.

Virtual machines provide unparalleled flexibility in managing complex and changing compute environments. Workloads running in virtualized environments can have varied storage requirements. For demanding workloads, Fungible's high-performance all-flash array based on NVMe/TCP is now certified for vSphere and available for VMware virtualized environments. The latest release (4.1) will now enable customers to experience the superior manageability of vSphere combined with the high performance of Fungible's Storage Cluster.

"NVMe/TCP enables vSphere customers to accelerate their storage performance while leveraging existing investments and lowering complexity," said Marc Fleischmann, Cloud CTO, VMware, "Through collaboration with innovative companies such as Fungible, VMware continues to build a world-class ecosystem of technology partners that offer our customers flexibility and choice to meet their business requirements."

Customers can plug FSC storage into their ESXi servers with NVMe/TCP and get what appears to be local storage. The resulting performance is nearly identical to local storage even though it is a shared resource providing economic benefits to match the performance benefits.

"VMware vSphere is the virtualization infrastructure of choice for a variety of mission-critical, performance-sensitive workloads in the data center," said Eric Burgener, Research Vice President, Infrastructure Systems, Platforms and Technologies at IDC. "As IT organizations deploy more workloads that require accelerated compute and storage, the use of composable, disaggregated infrastructure (CDI) like that available from Fungible will be deployed more often to enable the more efficient use of these types of resources in VMware environments. IDC expects that the CDI market overall will top $4.8 billion by 2025."

"VMware has long led the drive to improve flexibility and utilization of data center infrastructure. Now with the latest release of our vSphere certified Fungible Storage Cluster, VMware users can further enhance their ability to tune demanding workloads to get the utmost performance and flexibility," said Pradeep Sindhu, Co-Founder and CDO of Fungible. "Trade-offs of flexibility versus performance are no longer required. Pairing VMware with NVMe/TCP for storage access with our DPU-powered Storage Cluster allows VMware customers to address the performance requirements of today's modern applications."

With FSC, vSphere users may also see storage cost savings since FSC's erasure coding provides robust data protection which can be less expensive than traditional RF1 or RF2 replication. Additionally, Fungible's composable data infrastructure provides flexibility to compose storage to meet current needs and recompose it to adapt to changing needs providing outstanding investment protection.

To learn more about the new FSC 4.1 and the VMware vSphere certification and how you can get more value and performance from your VMware vSphere resources click here or contact sales@fungible.com.

About Fungible:

Silicon Valley-based Fungible, the world's premier dynamic composable infrastructure company, creates solutions to cloudify the world's data centers by utilizing the Fungible DPU to connect CPUs, GPUs, and storage via NVMe/TCP over standard IP/Ethernet networks. Fungible aims to revolutionize the performance, economics, reliability and security of scale-out data centers. Visit Fungible to learn more. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Fungible and Fungible FSC are registered trademarks of Fungible, Inc. VMware and vSphere are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States, and other jurisdictions. This article may contain hyperlinks to non-VMware websites that are created and maintained by third parties who are solely responsible for the content on such websites.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005155/en/

Contacts:

Jennifer Bell

Fungible, Inc.

(669) 292-5522

press@fungible.com
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zinnov, a leading global management consulting and strategy advisory firm, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Cyient, a leading consulting-led and industry-centric Global Technology Solutions company, in its acquisition of Celfinet. Headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, Celfinet is an international Wireless Engineering Services company with a strong focus on providing end-to-end Network Planning and Performance Optimization services.

With this acquisition, Cyient strengthens its Wireless Engineering practice to support Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and Enterprises to deploy their pervasive connectivity networks at scale. This will also enable the company's Enterprise customers to build networks to harness the power of 5G and drive their own Digital Transformation journey. The addition will further strengthen Cyient's presence in Europe, where Celfinet has a strong footprint, and help scale Cyient's business across North America and Australia.

Anand Kalra, Principal at Zinnov, remarked, "The Wireless Engineering space has been seeing active M&A over the last few years as companies strive to build strong capabilities in modern technologies including 5G. We are proud to have advised Cyient's management on this highly strategic transaction that strengthens their capabilities in the wireless space, and also expands their presence in Europe and across the globe. We believe that the trend of acquiring wireless technology companies will prevail and we will continue to see more M&A by both large- and mid-sized companies in the next couple of years."

The transaction was announced at an Enterprise Value of EUR 41 Mn. Celfinet reported revenues of EUR 17.1 Mn in 2021 with EBIT margins of 21.1% - implying a multiple of 12X EV/EBIT.

Previously, Zinnov has served as the exclusive Financial Advisor for Intive's acquisition of SimTLiX.

About Zinnov

Founded in 2002, Zinnov is a global management and strategy consulting firm, with presence in New York, Santa Clara, Houston, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Paris, and Pune. Over the past 20 years, Zinnov has successfully consulted with over 250+ Fortune 500 enterprises and large and mid-market Private Equity funds to develop actionable insights that help them create value - across dimensions of both revenue and optimization. With core expertise in Digital Engineering, Mergers & Acquisitions, Digital Transformation, Innovation, Global Talent, and Outsourcing Advisory, Zinnov assists clients by:

Advising global PE firms and enterprises on asset shortlisting and target evaluation, commercial due diligence, and value creation.

Helping global companies outline and drive their open innovation programs, design and operate accelerator programs, and enable collaboration with start-ups across specific use cases and predefined outcomes.

Enabling global companies to develop and optimize a global engineering footprint through center setups, and technology and functional accelerators to achieve higher R&D efficiencies, innovation, and productivity.

Growing revenue for companies' products and services in newer markets through account intelligence, market entry, and market expansion advisory.

Structuring and implementing Digital Transformation levers enabled by technologies like AI/ML, Cloud, IOT, and RPA.

With their team of experienced consultants, subject matter experts, and research professionals, Zinnov serves clients from across multiple industry verticals including Enterprise Software, BFSI, Healthcare, Automotive, Retail, and Telecom in the US, Europe, Japan, and India.

For more information, visit http://zinnov.com .

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/694742/Zinnov_Logo.jpg
JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of market assessment report on "Global SERD Therapeutics Market (Products (Faslodex, RAD1901, GDC-9545, AZD9833, SAR439859, and Other Generics), Therapy (First-Line Treatment, Second-Line Treatment))- Industry Analysis, Competitive Landscape, Revenue Forecast 2020-2030"

According to the latest research by InsightAce Analytic, the global SERD therapeutics market size valued at US$ 1.33 billion, and it is expected to reach US$ 5.75 billion in 2030, recording a promising CAGR of 17.9% during the period of 2020-2030.

Selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) is a type of drug which downregulates the estrogen receptor. SERD and full receptor antagonist are essential treatment options for HR-positive breast cancer. Tamoxifen, a particular estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) with receptor agonist and antagonist action, and aromatase inhibitors, which prevent estrogen production, but cause acquired resistance, are examples of endocrine medicines. Fulvestrant, the only SERD currently licensed, has weak drug-like characteristics. The development of oral SERDs with optimal target occupancy and potency and enhanced clinical performance has been a primary emphasis for improving disease management. The increasing investments by key players in the development of promising breast cancer therapies are anticipated to fuel the SERD therapeutics market growth over the forecast period.

Request for Sample Pages:https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1246

Major driving factors in the SERD therapeutics market are the increasing need for SERD therapies, the high prevalence of breast cancer, rising number of clinical trials. Furthermore, the fast adoption of advanced medical technologies, population growth, and a growing number of health-conscious people will enhance the growth of the SERD therapeutics market. However, the high price of devices, complex procedures, and resistance to endocrine therapy is restraining the development of this market. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has both positively and negatively impacted the SERD therapeutics market due to the lockdown situations.

At the regional level, the North American region is the major revenue holder of this market due to rising awareness about SERD therapies, increasing government investments in the research and development of therapies for the treatment of various cancer diseases, and the rising prevalence of breast cancer. On the other hand, the Europe region will also dominate the market during the forecast period due to the advancements in the biopharmaceutical field, stringent regulations, and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. The Asia-Pacific market is projected to show significant growth in the future due to the growing SERD therapeutic industries and fast adaption of new technologies.

Enquiry Before Buy:https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/1246

Leading manufacturers in this field are focusing on novel SERD therapy innovations, making new partnerships, collaborations and agreements, growing awareness about SERD therapies, and increasing research investments for developing advanced technologies. These strategies will propel their growth opportunities in the market. In 2020, QLHC announced an evaluation of Sanofi's SAR439859, an oral estrogen receptor degrader (SERD), in a new I-SPY 2 study arm targeting patients with newly diagnosed hormone receptor-positive (HR+) clinical stage 2/3 invasive breast cancer. AstraZeneca moved its next-generation oral SERD AZD9833 into phase 1 in 2018. While work on AZD9496 stalled after a few early clinical trials, AstraZeneca has quickly expanded and advanced the development of AZD9833. Late last month, AstraZeneca began enrolling patients in the phase 3 clinical trial of AZD9833.

Major key Players in the SERD therapeutics market are Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc, AstraZeneca, Plc., Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, G1 Therapeutics, Inc., Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, HBT Labs, Inc, Hoffmann-La Roche AG, InventisBio, Novartis AG, Radius Health, Sanofi S.A., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Zenopharm LLC., Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, and List of Other Prominent Players.

Recent Key Developments:

In June 2021 , Eli Lilly and Company presented new results for the exploratory use of Verzenio (abemaciclib) in high-risk early breast cancer, as well as for its oral selective oestrogen receptor degrader (SERD) LY3484356 (ASCO). Lilly is releasing an exploratory analysis from the positive Phase 3 monarch study testing Verzenio, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, in a subset of patients with HR+, HER2-, high-risk early breast cancer (EBC) who had had neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Eli Lilly and Company presented new results for the exploratory use of Verzenio (abemaciclib) in high-risk early breast cancer, as well as for its oral selective oestrogen receptor degrader (SERD) LY3484356 (ASCO). Lilly is releasing an exploratory analysis from the positive Phase 3 monarch study testing Verzenio, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, in a subset of patients with HR+, HER2-, high-risk early breast cancer (EBC) who had had neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In Sept 2020 , InventisBio recently announced the conclusion of a $147 million series D fundraising, which included several of the world's leading biopharmaceutical and healthcare venture capital firms. InventisBio currently has three medicinal compounds in various stages of clinical development, and one new product has recently begun a worldwide phase I clinical trial. D-0502 showed remarkable anti-tumour effectiveness in phase 1 research, with superior absorption and an acceptable safety profile when compared to other oral SERDs in clinical development throughout the world.

InventisBio recently announced the conclusion of a series D fundraising, which included several of the world's leading biopharmaceutical and healthcare venture capital firms. InventisBio currently has three medicinal compounds in various stages of clinical development, and one new product has recently begun a worldwide phase I clinical trial. D-0502 showed remarkable anti-tumour effectiveness in phase 1 research, with superior absorption and an acceptable safety profile when compared to other oral SERDs in clinical development throughout the world. In Sept 2019 , Preliminary data from a Phase 1/2a dose-escalation trial of G1T48, an oral selective oestrogen receptor degrader (SERD), in patients with oestrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative (ER+, HER2-) breast cancer were released by G1 Therapeutics, Inc. G1T48 was well tolerated in the study and showed anti-tumour effectiveness in patients who had been substantially pre-treated. The results of this trial support the future development of G1T48 in both first line and adjuvant settings, and a first-line Phase 3 pivotal trial is expected to begin in 2020.

Market Segments

Market Size (Value US$ Mn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2020 to 2030 based on Products

Faslodex

RAD1901

GDC-9545

AZD9833

SAR439859

Other Generics

Market Size (Value US$ Mn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2020 to 2030 based on Therapy

First-Line Treatment

Second-Line Treatment

Market Size (Value US$ Mn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2020 to 2030 based on Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

North America SERD therapeutics market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2020 to 2030

U.S.

Canada

Europe SERD therapeutics market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2020 to 2030

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Russia

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific SERD therapeutics market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2020 to 2030

India

China

Japan

South Korea

Australia & New Zealand

Latin America SERD therapeutics market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2020 to 2030

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa SERD therapeutics market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2020 to 2030

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Why should buy this report:

To receive a comprehensive analysis of the prospects for global SERD therapeutics market

To receive industry overview and future trends of global SERD therapeutics market

To analyse the SERD therapeutics market drivers and challenges

To get information on SERD therapeutics market size value (US$ Mn) forecast till 2030

Major Investments, Mergers & Acquisition in global SERD therapeutics market industry

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Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic:

Global RNA-based Therapeutics Market

Global Stem Cell Exosome Therapeutic Market

Global Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Market

Global Oncolytic Virus Therapy Market

Global Immuno-Oncology Cell Therapy Market

About Us:

InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets and repositioning products. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with an in-depth analysis with key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Contact Us:

InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd.

Tel.: +1 718 593 4405

Email: info@insightaceanalytic.com

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The advanced new tool delivers highly-accurate state-of-the-art AI skin analysis, detecting hydration levels and helping consumers to easily identify problematic areas on their skin

Perfect Corp., the leading artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) beauty and fashion tech solutions provider, has partnered with the Italian beauty brand Bakel, to introduce a new and advanced AI Skin Analysis solution to their online customers. The cutting-edge tool was presented at Cosmofarma, a popular industry event dedicated to healthcare and beauty.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005924/en/

Perfect Corp. and Bakel partner to introduce a new, cutting-edge AI Skin Analysis solution to online customers. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Pushing the Envelope of Modern Skincare

With the launch of the new AI Skin Analysis solution, consumers are now guided through the product application process, which removes uncertainty and elevates product enjoyment. The Bakel brand stands for clean beauty and the incorporation of cutting edge innovations. Bakel's newly developed skincare product, the JALU 3D with technology protected by 5 patents, combines product excellence with leading-edge AR shopping experiences to deliver a match made in heaven.

AI Skin Analysis Delivers the Ultimate Skincare Shopping Experience

The AI skin diagnostic tool utilizes deep learning technology to provide users with real-time skin analysis, flagging areas that need more care and attention. Online shoppers can now receive precise and detailed skin evaluations, and receive personalized product recommendations tailored to their unique skin concerns, directly on Bakel's US website. Users simply need to snap a picture of their face and in less than 3 seconds the AI algorithm will identify where the innovative JALU 3D product should be applied. Such a revolutionary in-depth approach will significantly enhance consumers' skincare routines, improving product application precision, and increasing overall product efficacy.

Cutting-edge Beauty Tech and Innovative Skincare Products a Match Made in Heaven

"With great excitement we continue expanding our partnerships with European brands, particularly in Italy a beauty and fashion mecca. We are happy to see that our solutions are received enthusiastically by like-minded, innovation-focused brands in the region. We are absolutely thrilled to collaborate with Bakel, as I believe their innovative 3D technology and our powerful AI Skin Analysis solution are a perfect fit," said Alice Chang, Perfect Corp. Founder and CEO.

"A real 'Digital App' capable of evaluating one's skin condition through a simple selfie, with a specially designed algorithm identifying areas of the face that might need extra care, this is great!" said Raffaella Gregoris, Founder of Bakel. "Our partnership with Perfect Corp. creates a completely new shopping experience for our customers. Their skincare routine will instantly become more effective thanks to the artificial intelligence, which is now an integral component of any shopping journey."

To learn more about Perfect Corp.'s AI Skin Analysis solution, please visit: https://www.perfectcorp.com/business/products/ai-skin-diagnostic

To experience Bakel's Skincare Analysis, please visit: https://bakel3d.myshopify.com/

About PERFECT Corp.

Perfect Corp. is the leading SaaS AI and AR beauty and fashion tech solutions provider, dedicated to transforming shopping experiences through empowering brands to embrace the digital-first world. By partnering with the largest names in the industry, Perfect Corp.'s suite of enterprise solutions deliver synergistic, technology-driven experiences that facilitate sustainable, ultra-personalized, and engaging shopping journeys, as well as equipping brands with next generation of consumer goods. Perfect Corp. offers a complementary suite of mobile apps, including YouCam Makeup and YouCam Perfect, to provide a consumer platform to virtually try-on new products, perform skin diagnoses, edit photos, and share experiences with the YouCam Community. To learn more, please visit PerfectCorp.com.

About BAKEL

BAKEL promotes a pure and effective anti-ageing skincare, formulated to provide only real benefits to the skin, thanks to its exclusive 100% active principles and 0 useless substances formulas. A complete range of products able to guarantee the luxury of a healthy skin, in few and simple gestures.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005924/en/

Contacts:

Press

Perfect Corp. official website: https://www.perfectcorp.com

Perfect Corp. on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/perfect-corp/

Perfect Corp. official Blog: https://www.perfectcorp.com/business/blog/1

Corporate: Tony Tsai at press@perfectcorp.com or by phone: +886-2-8667-1265, ext. 2167

USA: Jacqueline Agudelo at contact_pr@perfectcorp.com or by phone +1 (917) 935-8232

Japan: Ryusho Hosaka at contact_pr_jpn@perfectcorp.com or by phone: +81-3-5875-6651

China: Winter Zhang at Winter_zhang@perfectcorp.com or by phone: +86-166-2139-1855

Europe: Jessica Thiant at contact_pr_fr@perfectcorp.com

Mexico: Ingrid Motta at contact_pr_latam@perfectcorp.com or by phone: (+521) 5512491739

United Kingdom: Will Parrott at contact_pr_uk@perfectcorp.com

UAE: Alaa Salameh at contact_pr_uae@perfectcorp.com or by phone: +971-0559655728
Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2022) - EP Homes, a division of Everyday People Financial Inc. (or "EP") is pleased to announce another graduate of the Bridge to Own program, an alternative path to homeownership for those who may not have enough money saved for a down payment, are new to Canada, are self-employed, or are unable to secure a traditional mortgage to buy a house.

The Estrella family qualified for the program in June 2019 with no down payment. They selected a brand-new, turnkey duplex in the northwest Edmonton community of Rapperswill. Despite the pandemic and its challenges, they were able to maintain consistent payments and successfully completed the home ownership program within three years. Through the EP Homes Bridge to Own program, they are now officially homeowners a month ahead of their official program end date of June 2022.

"EP Homes is all about everyday families," said Barret Reykdal, President and CEO, Everyday People Financial Inc. "Watching them month over month reaching their goals and building a savings plan that they never believed was possible is why we do what we do. We look forward to helping even more Canadians like the Estrellas on the path to homeownership."



The Estrellas have been residents of Edmonton for over 11 years where Justino is a forklift operator and Katherine is an assistant manager at an alternative financing company. "EP Homes is truly about helping people," said Katherine and Justino Estrella. "Everyone was helpful all along the way. The process was transparent, which made it easier for us to become homeowners - something we are so proud of! Having good neighbours and a friendly community brings us peace of mind as a young family."

All homes for the Bridge to Own program are brand-new turnkey with the inclusion of window coverings or blinds, deck, and landscaping. The Rapperswill neighbourhood is located on the northwest side of Edmonton close to schools and hospitals and other amenities. The community also borders the Anthony Henday ring road offering easy access to the Capital region, including all of Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Spruce Grove, and Stony Plain.

About EP Homes and Everyday People Financial Inc.

EP Homes is a division of Everyday People Financial Inc. We partner with homebuilders across Canada to make homeownership a reality for everyday people.



Everyday People Financial Inc. is a Canadian-based financial technology and consumer financing company founded on the belief that everyone deserves access to credit, instant payments and the opportunity for homeownership. Through our technology driven ecosystem, our alternative and specialty credit financing programs offer credit and payment cards, homeownership facilitation, consumer lending, digital banking, and credit collection services. Our Mission is to help our clients be their best financial self. We're with them every step of the way, listening and adapting to offer the kinds of credit products and services that help everyday people add extraordinary value to their everyday lives.

For more information on Everyday People Financial Inc., visit www.everydaypeoplefinancial.com and www.ephomes.ca.

Contact

Barret Reykdal, President and CEO

Everyday People Financial Inc

letsconnect@epfinancial.ca

1 888 825 9808

Caroline Sawamoto

Media Relations

letsconnect@epfinancial.ca

1 888 825 9808

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126758
Regulatory News:

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) will host a live webcast of the company's remarks and question-and-answer session by Emmanuel Babeau, Chief Financial Officer, at the 2022 Deutsche Bank Global Consumer Conference at www.pmi.com/2022deutschebank on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at approximately 8:30 a.m. CEST (2:30 a.m. ET).

The webcast will provide a live stream of the entire PMI session.

The webcast can also be accessed on iOS or Android devices by downloading PMI's free Investor Relations Mobile Application at www.pmi.com/irapp.

An archived copy of the webcast will be available at www.pmi.com/2022deutschebank until 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 13, 2022.

Presentation slides will be available on the same site.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future

Philip Morris International (PMI) is a leading international tobacco company working to deliver a smoke-free future and evolving its portfolio for the long term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's current product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor and oral nicotine products, which are sold in markets outside the U.S. Since 2008, PMI has invested more than USD 9 billion to develop, scientifically substantiate and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, with the goal of completely ending the sale of cigarettes. This includes the building of world-class scientific assessment capabilities, notably in the areas of pre-clinical systems toxicology, clinical and behavioral research, as well as post-market studies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the marketing of versions of PMI's IQOS Platform 1 devices and consumables as Modified Risk Tobacco Products (MRTPs), finding that exposure modification orders for these products are appropriate to promote the public health. As of March 31, 2022, PMI's smoke-free products are available for sale in 71 markets, and PMI estimates that approximately 12.7 million adults around the world excluding Russia and Ukraine, have already switched to IQOS and stopped smoking. With a strong foundation and significant expertise in life sciences, in February 2021 PMI announced its ambition to expand into wellness and healthcare areas and deliver innovative products and solutions that aim to address unmet consumer and patient needs. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005919/en/

Contacts:

Philip Morris International

Investor Relations:

New York: +1 (917) 663 2233

Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4666

Email: InvestorRelations@pmi.com



Media: David Fraser

Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4500

Email: David.Fraser@pmi.com
Dave Eifert, Sr. Business Development Manager IIoT, Phoenix Contact, appointed to the IoT Community Advisory Board

Dave Eifert, Sr. Business Development Manager, and Don Dickinson, Sr. Business Development Manager Infrastructure, Phoenix Contact USA, to deliver Keynote at the IoT Slam Live 2022 conference, June 22-23, Cary, North Carolina, USA

The IoT CommunityTM (Internet of Things Community), the world's largest community of CXOs and IoT professionals and practitioners, announces Phoenix Contact has joined its elite IoT ecosystem as a gold-level corporate member. Phoenix Contact's Dave Eifert, Sr. Business Development Manager IIoT, Phoenix Contact, was also appointed to the IoT Community Advisory Board.

David Hill, Executive Director of the IoT Community: "We are excited to welcome Phoenix Contact to our IoT Community ecosystem as a gold-level corporate member, in addition to adding Dave Eifert to our Advisory Board. The edge is at the forefront of the IoT Community's focus, and Phoenix Contact is significantly helping to transform the Edge of Things which makes this a great fit for our ecosystem. We look forward to working with the Phoenix Contact team, to accelerate the uptake and evolution of the industrial and enterprise edge."

Phoenix Contact is a global market leader for components, systems and solutions in the fields of electrical controls, networking and automation.

Dr. Tom Bradicich, Hewlett Packard Fellow, at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and IoT Community Advisory Board Chair: "We are pleased to have Phoenix Contact join us in the IoT Community, and welcome Dave Eifert to the Advisory Board. We look forward to advancing our vision of an open, secure, and intelligent edge, collaborating across our IoT Community."

Phoenix Contact's corporate membership adds to the elite IoT Community ecosystem, composed of the biggest names in technology and household names across the IoT industry. Over the past 7 years, the IoT Community has engaged with industry leaders to create the most compelling and trusted thought leadership content in the IoT ecosystem.

Dave Eifert, Sr. Business Development Manager IIoT, Phoenix Contact: "Becoming a gold member of the prestigious IoT Community is an honor for Phoenix Contact, and I am excited to join the IoT Community Advisory Board. Together, we can help share industry learnings and best practices at a core level on critical issues we see from industrial and enterprise IoT customer deployments. I look forward to working with other community members to create the framework for the IoT Community's Converged Edge Center of Excellence."

Also at the IoT Slam Live conference, Eifert, and Don Dickinson, Sr. Business Development Manager Infrastructure, Phoenix Contact USA will deliver a spotlight Keynote address titled: Practical tips to realize benefit from implementing IIoT/Digitalization. This keynote will offer tips for how to realize real business benefit from IIoT/Digitalization projects. The session will cover how to assure that the benefit is not limited to "islands", but is scalable, and available to benefit the wider organization. The critical subject of cyber security will be considered.

Full details on the IoT Slam Live 2022 conference can be viewed at: https://iotslam.com/iot-slam-live-2022-agenda/

IoT practitioners seeking to expand their knowledge in IoT are invited to sign up for a free individual membership in The IoT Community, which has 30,000+ members. For more information, go to: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4662022.

IoT solution providers seeking accession to and collaboration opportunities with the IoT Community should contact: info@iotcommunity.net.

About IoT Community (Internet of Things Community)

The IoT Community is the world's largest CxO community of senior business leaders and IoT practitioners consisting of 30,000+ members. The function is to focus on adoption and application of IoT in commercial environments, overcoming the variety of barriers, inhibitors, technical and operational issues. For more information, visit http://www.iotcommunity.net Twitter: Follow @IoTCommunity @IoTChannel or hashtag IoTCommunity, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/9370944/

About Phoenix Contact

Phoenix Contact is a global market leader based in Germany. Phoenix Contact produces future-oriented components, systems, and solutions for electrical controls, networking, and automation. With a worldwide network reaching across more than 100 countries and with over 20,300 employees, Phoenix Contact maintains close relationships with its customers. The company's wide variety of products makes it easy for engineers to implement the latest technology in various applications and industries. Phoenix Contact focuses on the fields of energy, infrastructure, process, and factory automation.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005699/en/

Contacts:

IoT Community

David Hill

Executive Director

david.hill@iotcommunity.net
Firm has added eleven new senior professionals to its fixed income division since July 2021

DELRAY BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / InspereX, the tech-driven fixed income and market-linked product distribution and trading firm, today announced new additions to its fixed income group with the hiring of Rick Gillham as Senior Vice President, Corporate Trading, and Bryant Smith as Senior Vice President, Institutional Sales. Mr. Gillham and Mr. Smith will leverage their industry expertise to strengthen relationships and focus on improving client outcomes as part of the firm's ongoing fixed income sales and trading expansion.

"We are excited for Rick's contributions," said George Holstead, Co-Head of Fixed Income. "Having worked in both sales and trading, Rick brings a keen understanding of how to navigate fixed income markets. He will be an impactful addition to our corporate credit trading desk and a valuable resource for our clients."

Speaking to Mr. Smith's appointment, Head of Fixed Income Sales John Tolar said: "We're incredibly fortunate to welcome Bryant to InspereX. With nearly 20 years of experience, he is committed to helping banks, public funds, asset managers, and other types of institutional investors find the solutions that best meet their evolving needs."

About the new hires:

Rick Gillham , Senior Vice President, Corporate Trading, joins InspereX from Crews & Associates, where he served as Head of Taxable Trading, focused on high yield and crossover credits, in addition to managing the MBS, Agency, and CD desks. Between 2009 and 2019, he was a Vice President of Institutional Sales at Crews & Associates. Mr. Gillham earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Financial Management and Investments from The University of Arkansas; he is based in Little Rock, AR.

, Senior Vice President, Corporate Trading, joins InspereX from Crews & Associates, where he served as Head of Taxable Trading, focused on high yield and crossover credits, in addition to managing the MBS, Agency, and CD desks. Between 2009 and 2019, he was a Vice President of Institutional Sales at Crews & Associates. Mr. Gillham earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Financial Management and Investments from The University of Arkansas; he is based in Little Rock, AR. Bryant Smith, Senior Vice President, Institutional Sales, brings to InspereX nearly 20 years of experience in serving institutional clients. He also joins from Crews & Associates, where he served as Senior Vice President, Institutional Fixed Income Sales. Earlier, he worked as Vice President, Institutional Fixed Income Sales for Stephens Inc. Mr. Smith earned a bachelor's degree in finance from The University of Arkansas; he is based in Little Rock, AR.

InspereX has added eleven new senior professionals to its fixed income division since finalizing the merger between Incapital LLC and 280 CapMarkets in July 2021.

About InspereX

InspereX is transforming how fixed income securities and market-linked products are accessed, evaluated, and traded. Home to the pioneering BondNav platform - one of the first cloud-native bond aggregation platforms - InspereX provides financial advisors, institutional investors, issuers, and risk managers deep access to fixed income market data across asset classes, as well as industry-leading origination, distribution, and education in market-linked products. Focused on delivering true price transparency, liquidity, execution targeting price improvement, and the information advantage gained through data aggregation, InspereX inspires greater confidence through the power of technology.

The firm is a leading underwriter and distributor of securities to more than 2,000 broker-dealers, institutions, asset managers, RIAs, and banks. InspereX represents more than 400 issuing entities and has underwritten more than $670 billion in securities. The firm has seven trading desks and more than 200 employees with principal offices in Delray Beach, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City.

2022 InspereXSM. All rights reserved. Securities offered through InspereX LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Technology services provided by InspereX Technologies LLC. InspereX LLC and InspereX Technologies LLC are affiliates. InspereX and insperex.com are trademarks of InspereX Holdings LLC.

MEDIA CONTACT:

John Principio

River Communications

914-686-5599

jprincipio@riverinc.com

SOURCE: InspereX

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703987/InspereX-Appoints-Corporate-Trading-Institutional-Sales-Executives-to-Fixed-Income-Team
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, second from left, meets with Korean LGBTQ community leaders to discuss the sexual minorities' human rights at Habib House in central Seoul, Tuesday. Captured from Twitter



By Lee Hae-rin



U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Korean LGBTQ community leaders during her visit to Seoul, Tuesday, as a part of the Joe Biden administration's pro-LGBTQ foreign policy.



According to a media note from the U.S. Department of State released on June 3, Sherman met with Korean LGBTQ activists "to highlight the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion and mark Pride Month."



Sherman's visit to Korea from June 5 to 7 was part of her trip to the Indo-Pacific, which also included the Philippines, Vietnam and Laos. It follows last month's U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit, and Biden's visit to Korea and Japan.



This is the third official meeting of high-ranking U.S. government personnel with the Korean LGBTQ activists. Former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the U.S. Department of State's first-ever special envoy for the human rights of LGBTQ people Randy Berry held previous meetings in the capital in August 2015, and February 2016, respectively.



The latest meeting followed a request made last month by the Center for Military Human Rights Korea (CMHRK), a governance body under the Ministry of National Defense. CMHRK representative Lim Tae-hoon said the center sent a letter of request to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the U.S. Department of State asking for Biden to meet with Korean LGBTQ activists during his visit to Korea last month.



The Koreans invited to the event included religious leaders, human rights activists and celebrities advocating for LGBTQ rights, including Lim, Korea's first transgender celebrity Harisu and gay TV personality Hong Seok-cheon. The event was closed to the media.



On the U.S. side, Sherman was joined by U.S. Charge d'Affaires Chris Del Corso and other embassy officials.



Prior to the meeting, Sherman and Ha raised the Progress Pride Flag along with the U.S. flag at Habib House, the residence for the U.S. ambassador to Korea in central Seoul.



"I was honored to raise the Progress flag today at the U.S. Chief of Mission residence in Seoul as a symbol of the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to advance the human rights of LGBTQI+ people everywhere," Sherman tweeted, Tuesday, along with a picture of herself and Ha raising the flag.



The Progress Pride Flag is a redesign of the rainbow flag that has been the symbol of the LGBTQ human rights movement worldwide since 1978. It combines the six stripes of the rainbow flag with a chevron featuring black, brown, light blue, pink and white stripes to be more inclusive of marginalized people of color, trans people, those living with HIV/AIDS and those who have been lost.



The Korean LGBTQ activists and U.S. government officials held a discussion on LGBTQ human rights in Korea and anti-discrimination measures for them.



During the discussion, the participants mentioned the need for the prompt passage of an anti-discrimination law and expressed concerns over the Seoul Metropolitan Government's possible disapproval for the Seoul Queer Culture Festival to use Seoul Square in July, Lim said.





A rainbow flag hangs on the facade of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul in this photo taken on July 15, 2018. The Embassy has hung the symbol of LGBTI community in solidarity with sexual minorities in time for Pride Month every year since 2017. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Comprehensive in vitro pro-arrhythmia assay used to validate Axol's cardiomyocytes for cardiac safety testing

Axol Bioscience Ltd. (Axol), an established provider of iPSC-derived cells, media, and characterization services for life science discovery, today announced that its human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived ventricular cardiomyocytes have undergone comprehensive in vitro pro-arrhythmia assay (CiPA) validation. Using this assay, the cells were shown to be suitable for measuring cardiotoxicity, offering scientists a robust cardiac model for drug discovery and screening.

Axol's human iPSC-derived ventricular cardiomyocytes are manufactured at scale according to strict quality control standards using ISO 9001-accredited quality management systems, providing a continuous source of cells from the same genetic background for use in multiple experiments. This offers a physiologically relevant in vitro research model of human heart cells to reliably and repeatably test drug candidates for cardiotoxicity at scale.

With the advent of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, the US Federal Food and Drug Administration Agency (FDA) launched a working group to assess the utility of these cells in reproducing cardiotoxicity in a dish, known as CiPA*. The assay tests cells with 28 compounds that are known to be cardiotoxic and induce the fatal arrhythmia "Torsades de Pointes". Clyde Biosciences, a CRO that specializes in cardiotoxicity assays, used this assay to validate Axol's cardiomyocytes for cardiac safety testing. Using these cells could help researchers to identify unsuitable drug candidates earlier in the drug discovery process and improve the number of promising pre-clinical drug candidates that translate through to clinical trials and to patients.

Liam Taylor, CEO, Axol Bioscience, said: "Scientists need cells and reagents they can rely on to make meaningful assessments of drug candidate toxicity, before progressing candidates to the clinic.

We're both excited and proud to demonstrate the suitability of our human iPSC-derived ventricular cardiomyocytes for toxicity testing. Axol's stringent quality control standards mean we have the capability to produce reliable, validated cells that scientists can use to assess a compound's cardiac liability and, ultimately, help to improve the drug discovery process."

Prof. Godfrey Smith, CSO, Clyde Biosciences, added: "As a core member of the CiPA initiative, we're pleased to have supported Axol's cell development and helped the team assess the performance of its cardiomyocytes. Having run the CiPA protocol on Clyde's proprietary CellOPTIQ platform, and provided analysis and interpretation of the data, we confirm our data indicates that Axol's cardiomyocytes meet the requirements for predictive in vitro pro-arrhythmia screening.

For further information about Axol's human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, please visit: https://axolbio.com/cells/cardiovascular-system/

Dr. Jamie Bhagwan, Group Leader, Axol Bioscience will present data describing the development of Axol's iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes alongside Clyde Biosciences' Prof. Godfrey Smith at a free-to-attend webinar on June 9th, at 6 PM BST 1 PM ET 10 AM PT. Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1085358037527496720?hss_channel=lcp-

Axol will also be attending the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting in San Francisco, USA from June 15-18, 2022. Visit booth 440 to learn more.

About CiPA: https://cipaproject.org/about-cipa/About

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005976/en/

Contacts:

Dr. Michelle Ricketts

Tel: +44 (0) 7789 053 885

E-mail: michelle.ricketts@zymecommunications.com
Engineering Company Serving the Life Science and Advanced Technologies Industry Grows Office To Better Serve Clients

PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / DPS Group, a privately-owned, global engineering, procurement, construction management, validation (EPCMV), and technical services firm serving the life science industries, announced today it has expanded its office at the Spring Mill Creative Campus located at 1020 Spring Mill Avenue in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. DPS has moved into a converted warehouse building on the Spring Mill campus that boasts 20' ceilings, large windows, exposed ceilings, and numerous collaborative spaces.

Serving high-tech industries around the world, DPS Group delivers full-service engineering across a range of disciplines, including project management, procurement, design, construction management, health and safety management, commissioning, qualification, and validation (CQV), and facility start-up. To reach the Philadelphia office, please call (267) 201-6334 or email info@dpsgroupglobal.com.

"We are excited to be in our new, larger office space in the Spring Mill Creative Campus," said Ryan McDonough, senior vice president of project operations for the DPS Philadelphia office. "The new office better accommodates our growing team and enables us to hire additional resources to continue to provide industry-leading support and service to our life science clients. The new space allows us to foster collaboration and innovation amongst team members and projects."

Since acquiring Spring Mill in April of 2019, Alliance HP has spent over $10M to upgrade the Property, creating first-class amenities including a first-class fitness center and tenant lounge, upgraded common spaces, and functional upgrades. Alliance will spend an additional $5M on capital projects as part of a second phase of renovations to complete the transformation of the former Lee Tire manufacturing plan to a Class A creative office building. Throughout the renovations, Alliance has incorporated branding elements honoring the Property's industrial history.

"DPS Group is exactly the sort of tenant we set out to attract when we acquired and committed to fully renovating Spring Mill", said Richard Previdi, CEO of Alliance HP. "Given the Property's industrial history, we are pleased to see tenants like DPS choosing to locate their Philadelphia headquarters here contributing to innovation in a meaningful way. We look forward to continuing to attract innovative, "new-economy" tenants to Spring Mill."

Frank Palopoli and Paul Garvey of Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant in this transaction while Pat Brady and Ryan Fitzpatrick of JLL represented the Landlord.

About DPS Group

DPS Group is a global engineering, consulting, and project management company, serving high-tech industries around the world. DPS delivers services for clients across the complete engineering and construction value chain including feasibility studies, concepts, consulting, architecture, engineering, procurement, construction management, commissioning, qualification, and validation as well as client-side technical services.

DPS applies its extensive process engineering expertise built over 47 years, as well as significant Lean construction experience to assist clients in high-end process sectors such as pharmaceuticals, biotech, and semiconductors to deliver manufacturing facilities speedily, safely, and cost effectively. What sets the firm apart is the partnerships it builds with clients through a fundamental understanding of their businesses and its own agility, flexibility, original thinking, and high-caliber people.

DPS has grown substantially in recent years and now employs more than 2,500 people in 18 offices and on client sites in Ireland, U.K., Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. For more information, visit www.dpsgroupglobal.com.

Media Contact

Susan Shelby, FSMPS, CPSM

Rhino PR

978.985.4541

dps@rhinopr.com

SOURCE: DPS Group Global

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/704060/DPS-Group-Expands-Office-in-Philadelphia


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - American private sector companies and organizations have committed to invest more than $1.9 billion to create economic opportunity in northern Central America.



This is more than double the value of initial private sector investments in response to Vice President Kamala Harris' Call to Action.



As part of her role addressing the root causes of migration from Central America, the Vice President last year had launched the Call to Action for businesses and social enterprises to make significant commitments to promote economic opportunity for people in the region.



Ten companies and organizations announced major new commitments Monday, joining 30 companies that have already invested since the launch of the Call to Action in May 2021.



Agroamerica, a sustainable food and ingredients corporation, will invest more than $100 million in six new projects that will generate 1,000 jobs in northern Central America over the next 5 years.



COATL, a digital service firm, will invest $35 million in El Salvador to expand rural access to high-speed internet over the next 5 years.



Fundacion Terra will invest $24.5 million in new programs over 5 years, including scholarships to teach 40,000 students in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras in Math and Spanish, that will promote financial inclusion.



Gap Inc. plans to increase its sourcing in Central America by approximately $50 million per year, as part of its strategy to increase supply chain resilience by nearshoring more production to the Western Hemisphere. These increased purchases from the region will support an estimated 5,000 additional jobs in Central America.



Millicom, a telecommunications company, will invest $700 million to expand and maintain its mobile and broadband networks in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador over the next two years.



Pantaleon, a conglomerate including investments in agroindustry and real estate, will invest $9.4 million to fund the initial phase of a 1,200-acre industrial park on Guatemala's Southern Coast.



SanMar, a U.S.-based apparel wholesaler, will increase its purchases of products manufactured in northern Central America by $500 million by 2025. These purchases will support the supply of products to SanMar's over 60,000 customers, the overwhelming majority of which are American small businesses engaged in domestic light manufacturing.



Unifi, a company that produces recycled and synthetic yarns, has committed to invest $15 million over the next five years to expand capacity, improve efficiency, and reduce energy use.



Visa will invest more than $270 million over the next five years to expand financial inclusion and digital infrastructure, with the goal of adding 6.5 million people and 1 million small and medium enterprises (SMEs) into the formal financial system in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.



Yazaki North America, an automotive components producer, will invest an additional $110 million to hire over 14,000 new employees in Guatemala and El Salvador.







Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
LONDON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CedCommerce, a leading multichannel eCommerce enabler, announces the launch of its new commerce solutions at Shoptalk Europe to create great e-commerce experiences for merchants of all sizes.

As an official sponsor of the retail's largest event, CedCommerce made a big splash by simplifying the online selling experience for merchants worldwide. The new set of integrations includes:

Unfolding Experts.CedCommerce

Helping Shopify brands expand their store presence, CedCommerce is proud to announce the addition of CedCommerce Experts - a Shopify Experts agency whose ideology is to build, nurture, and scale Shopify merchants.

This marks a new era with CedCommerce's talented pool of Shopify experts who find solace in -

App configuration, customization, and installation

Custom store and theme development

Brand building

Strategizing business administration

Enhancing Ads Capabilities in Facebook & Instagram Shopping App

The 'Ads feature release' in the Facebook & Instagram Shopping App enables Shopify merchants to create, manage, and monitor Facebook Ads within the App.

This new range of features results in better brand building and product discovery. Some of the major highlights of the extended ad features are:

Unified and expedited Onboarding on Meta commerce surfaces and ads accounts.

Dynamic and flexible ad targeting based on demographics, and behavioral aspects for personalization

Measuring real-time ads analytics through Conversion API and Pixel support

No cost ad optimization with ad campaign set-up, management, and optimization.

CedCommerce partners with Coupang Marketplace

The Coupang Integration for WooCommerce solution allows merchants to enter the South Korean market via one of its largest e-Commerce market companies, Coupang. The integration enables cutting-edge features, including:

Quick and hassle-free Onboarding

Easy and optimized bulk catalog

Automated Inventory and critical data syncing

Inflow of orders placed on Coupang into WooCommerce

"We are always striving to enhance our multichannel eCommerce capabilities, and there couldn't be a better place than Shoptalk to bring across these major launches," says Abhishek Jaiswal, CEO, and co-founder of CedCommerce. "CedCommerce's latest eCommerce initiatives take us a step closer to helping businesses and entrepreneurs expand their visibility in the online world. We look forward to exchanging more ideas with retailers, partners, and marketplaces."

Find CedCommerce team at Booth E25. Cannot make it to Shoptalk, feel free to book a call with the CedCommerce team of experts.

About CedCommerce

CedCommerce is a leading eCommerce platform and marketplace integrator whose vision is to build secure, optimized, and scalable integration tools and technologies for online sellers to offer multichannel capabilities. CedCommerce is helping online Marketplaces to create an optimized integration ecosystem for a smooth seller onboarding and streamlined product data feed flow. In close collaboration with partners like Google, Facebook, Walmart, and eBay, we have built over 50 sales channel tools for all major platforms viz Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, and Prestashop.

Visit CedCommerce or follow them on Twitter , Linked In , YouTube , and Facebook for more.

Media Contact:

pr@cedcommerce.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1420605/CedCommerce_Logo.jpg
HIGHLIGHTS

Results for remaining diamond holes from 2021 exploration campaign received

Assays return high-grade gold from all zones of the Eastmain system identified to date

Best intercepts include: 1.0m at 365.5g/t gold from 81.0m (EM21-229, E Zone, highest grade to date for Benz) 6.6m at 9.8g/t gold from 643.9m including 1.1m at 36.7g/t gold (EM21-230, D Zone) 6.2m at 9.7g/t gold from 674.3m including 1.0m at 23.4g/t gold (EM21-182, D Zone) 8.4m at 4.6g/t gold from 578.0m including 1.0m at 26.0g/t gold (EM21-203, C zone) 6.8m at 4.5g/t gold from 458.5m including 1.3m at 8.7g/t gold (EM21-232, D Zone) 3.0m at 9.8g/t gold from 345.0m including 0.8m at 35.8g/t gold (EM21-207, E zone)

Confirmed discovery of Upper Horizon, a new high-grade zone between Kotak and the Mine Trend, adding one more discovery to Benz's track record

Consulting geologist Marcus Harden (ex-Bellevue Gold) to lead structural interpretation targeting structurally controlled high-grade shoots in the next round of drilling

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2022) - Benz Mining Corp. (TSXV: BZ) (ASX: BNZ) (the Company or Benz) is pleased to provide gold assay results from its 2021 drilling campaign. All fire and metallic screen fire assays have been received and confirm D and E Zones as high-grade gold discoveries whilst expanding mineralisation at A, B and C Zones.

These results enable Benz to be a position to release an Exploration Target* based solely on the areas targeted as part of the 2021 drill program and its understanding of Eastmain's geology with the potential to add to Benz's existing 376,000oz resource**.

Table 1: Exploration Target Eastmain Gold Project June 2022

Target1 Tonnes Range (Mt) Grade (g/t) Gold target (Moz) Mine Horizon, A, B, C depth extensions, NW and D Zones lower 1.8 5.90 0.34 higher 2.9 7.20 0.67 E Zone lower 0.7 5.3 0.12 higher 1 6.6 0.21 Total Lower 2.5 5.7 0.46 higher 3.9 7.0 0.88



*The potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Target is conceptual in nature and is therefore an approximation. There has been insufficient exploration drilling results to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. The Exploration Target is in addition to the existing mineral resource estimate **.

** Existing resource reported under JORC (2012) and NI43-101 in Benz prospectus dated 21/12/2020 Details of the existing resource on the following page.

Table 2: Eastmain Project existing Resource Estimate

Existing Resource** Cut-off grade (g/t) Tonnes (Mt) Grade (g/t) Total gold ounces (Moz) A, B, C Zones indicated 2.5 0.9 8.19 0.24 A, B, C Zones inferred 0.6 7.48 0.14 Total 2.5 1.5 7.91 0.38



** Existing resource reported under JORC (2012) and NI43-101 in Benz prospectus dated 21/12/2020

CEO, Xavier Braud, commented:

"We are excited by these results which show that we keep getting systematic high-grade intercepts on wide 100m x 100m spacing and have delivered our highest assay to date with 1.0m at 365.5g/t gold. Nearly all holes returned mineralisation which demonstrates the size extent of the mineralised system.

"The small 10 hole drill program in 2020 saw us prove the concept of using electromagnetics to find gold mineralisation at the Eastmain Project.

"In 2021, we were able to leverage off this exploration technique to, notwithstanding the pressures brought about by Covid and 6 months assay turnaround times, deliver an Exploration Target of this size from only 12 months of drilling.

"I am very proud of the Benz team who has managed to drill multiple high-grade greenfield discoveries into the Project.

"We would never have been able to reach the Exploration Target we have today in such a short period of time if it wasn't for direct targeting the 400+ EM conductors identified to date at Eastmain and enough visible gold in core to keep us drilling.

"We are now integrating all of the geological information at hand, combined with all the assays to date, in a broader study to hone into the highest grade parts of the system.

"We are thrilled to have secured the expertise of Marcus Harden. Marcus has a lot of experience in similar high grade gold systems, including the Bellevue Gold project in Western Australia, which Benz has used as an analogue for its exploration methodology.

"We found new mineralised zones targeting electromagnetics and it is now time to capitalise on those discoveries by understanding the structural controls on the high-grade shoots in the system.

"The Exploration Target we are releasing today is based only on our knowledge of the Mine Horizon. All of Benz's new discoveries, Nisto Trend, Kotak Trend, Upper Horizon, and the gold hosted by the tonalite in E Zone are not part of the target and form part of the upside still to be realised at the Project.

"The upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt is an amazing place to explore; the discovery potential is enormous. 2022 has also delivered us some great surprises. The Ruby Hill West lithium pegmatite discovery and the southern anomalies are showing us great potential for the belt. We look forward to the results from our 2022 drill program that has targeted further extensions along this exciting greenstone belt."

Newly joined consultant, Marcus Harden, commented:

"I am very pleased to come onboard and spend some of my time consulting to Benz on the Eastmain Project. Eastmain shares a lot of similarities with previous deposits I have worked on. I am looking forward to helping with targeting the next series of discoveries at Eastmain. I share Benz's management view that the Project has a lot more to offer and I am glad to be part of this exciting new phase in the Project's history."

Resource estimation specialist, Dr Marat Abzalov, commented:

"The level of geological knowledge we have reached at Eastmain, combined with all of Benz's successful drilling and the latest 2021 assays results, has allowed us to produce an Exploration Target for Eastmain. We are now able to see the upside in depth extensions and new discoveries around the existing Eastmain Resource. We are also confident that, with more drilling, all of Benz's new discoveries (Nisto & Kotak Trends, Upper Horizon) will contribute to the groth of the Project's endowment. We will now work on the drilling requirements to place Benz in a position to produce a maiden resource estimate and fully realise the potential of the area."





Figure 1: All BNZ drill collars to date coloured by maximum gold abundance in g/t x m, Eastmain Project with selected high-grade results from newly released 2021 assays.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/126775_cd022cb264945aa8_001full.jpg

Introduction

Benz drilled 92 holes for c.51,500m of core in 2021 targeting fixed loop and down hole electromagnetic conductors in the mine area focussing on the new discoveries at D and E Zones and proving up extensions to the original A, B and C Zones at depth.

Assays for 32 drillholes were announced in December 2021 before Benz started experiencing considerable delays in metallic screen fire assays turnaround. The high-grade nature of the deposit called for systematic metallic screen fire assays of mineralised zones with limited other alternatives available at the time.

Benz has now received complete assay results from the 60 remaining holes from the 2021 drill campaign.

Following its success in 2020, Benz pursued a strategy of drilling TDEM and BHEM anomalies in order to follow the best geophysical response caused by the presence of conductive sulphides (pyrrhotite) associated with the gold mineralisation. The electromagnetics strategy led Benz to the discovery of two new mineralised zones, D and E, and the extensions to the north of known zones A, B and C that will increase the size of these historical zone to the northeast.

It is noteworthy that whilst the gold mineralisation at Eastmain is closely associated with pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite, EM is a method of choice for exploration targeting as the gold occurs as coarse free gold. Historical mill recollection from MSV resources reports in the 1990's show +95% recoveries from Eastmain Ore via conventional grind, floatation and CIL extraction.

D Zone

D Zone is located 2km to the southeast of the Mine portal along strike from A, B and C Zones. This area had been sparsely drilled previously in the 1980's to try to follow the Mine Trend to the southeast with little success.

Benz drilled 29 holes into D Zone in 2020 and 2021 totalling 22,256m, intercepting the Mine Horizon between near surface and 850m vertical depth at the deepest.

Electromagnetic conductors, both from surface FLEM surveys and from DHEM surveys, identified three mineralised sulphide bearing horizons, the Mine Horizon, the Upper Horizon, and the Kotak Horizon. Both Upper and Kotak are located in the hanging wall of the Mine Horizon and represent strong targets for expansion of the mineralised system and increase of the ounces endowment.

1- The Mine Horizon: This is represented by a highly deformed, altered banded rock (silicified and biotite) with quartz veins locally containing up to 20% sulfides mostly pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite with traces of sphalerite. This silicified horizon is in contact with a sheared and altered ultramafic intrusion. Gold is found as free grains mostly located in the deformed ultramafic and quartz veins within the silicified zone. Garnets are locally present.

2- The Upper Horizon: This is represented by a shear zone with locally up to 20% sulphides and is affected by silica and biotite alteration. Garnet porphyroblasts are present as well as magnetite.

3- The Kotak Horizon is similar to the Upper Horizon with an apparent increase in quartz veins density.





Figure 2: D Zone map with BNZ collars coloured by maximum gold abundance in g x m, electromagnetic conductors, current Eastmain resource outlined over schematic geology.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/126775_cd022cb264945aa8_002full.jpg

Several holes returned multiple mineralised horizons with grade. Best intersections from D Zone from the May-Dec 2021 drilling include:

EM21-182: Kotak Horizon: 0.8m at 1.03 g/t gold from 327.7m

Upper Horizon: 1.0m at 1.52g/t gold from 518m

Mine Horizon: 6.2m at 9.7 g/t gold from 674.3m including 1.0m at 23.6 g/t gold and 0.47% copper

EM21-230: Kotak Horizon: 1.9m at 11.7 g/t gold 324.1m

Upper Horizon: 1.2m at 2.2 g/t gold from 510.3m

Mine Horizon: 6.7m at 9.8 g/t gold from 643.9m including 1.1m at 36.7g/t gold

EM21-232: Upper Horizon: 6.8m at 4.5 g/t gold from 458.5m

Mine Horizon: 4.1m at 1.5 g/t gold from 601.1m





Figure 3: D Zone cross section (50m wide) showing the three parallel mineralised horizons (Mine, Upper and Kotak)

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/126775_cd022cb264945aa8_003full.jpg

Hole EM21-228 intersected the Mine Horizon between 936.0m and 970.5m, the deepest intersection to date at the Project. The interval showing visible gold and samples were submitted for metallic screen fire assays. Results included 0.7m at 1.0g/t gold from 965.6m and 1.4m at 1.7g/t gold from 969.1m. The results illustrate the heterogeneity of the material. Laboratory rejects from this interval have been submitted for analysis by PhotonAssay and results are pending.

A complete set of results is available in Appendix 1 with reports of composite significant intervals.

Zone A, B and C extensions:

Benz's strategy was to test TDEM and BHEM conductors located in the extensions of the historical modelled resource of the A, B and C Zones.

A total of 15,397m was drilled since 2020 with 14,173m drilled in 2021.

Using electromagnetics, Benz was able to directly target extensions to known mineralisation, down plunge and along strike, saving a considerable amount of time and drilling to discover more high-grade mineralisation and show that A, B and C Zones extend at depth well past the boundaries of the current resource model.





Figure 4: Cross section through C Zone (historical wireframe off-section to the NW - into the page - section is 50m wide) showing extensions at depth.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/126775_cd022cb264945aa8_004full.jpg

The Mine Horizon was identified in all holes drilled with best intersections showing:

In C Zone extension (Mine Horizon):

EM21-199: 3.3m at 5.3g/t gold from 372.6m with 1.0m at 15.85 g/t gold in sheared ultramafic.

EM21-203: 8.4m at 4.6g/t gold from 578.0m in silicified mylonite including 1.8m at 26.0 g/t gold.

EM21-212: 3.2m at 2.8g/t gold from 581.4m and proving continuity of thickness and mineralisation in the Mine Horizon.

EM21-221: 5.4m at 3.7 g/t gold from 605.1m.

In A Zone extension (Mine Horizon)

EM21-222: 3.1m at 3.6 g/t gold from 409.9m.

EM21-214: 2.2m at 5.5g/t gold from 452.5m.

EM21-216: 1.5m at 2.8g/t gold from 387.4m.

A complete set of results is available in Appendix 1 with reports of composite significant intervals.).

E Zone:

E Zone is located 3km to the SE of the Mine portal and 1km to the southeast of D Zone. E Zone is a virgin discovery made by Benz under glacial cover following electromagnetics targeting in 2020.

To date, Benz has drilled 33 holes into E Zone with 11 of those holes returning assays of over 8.0g/t gold. Gold has been intersected in wide spaced drilling in an area that measures 700m by 600m from surface down to 350m vertical depth and is still open at all sides. Benz has followed mineralisation all the way to subsurface with the shallowest mineralised horizon intercepted in drillhole EM21-234 with 1.6m at 2.9g/t gold from 4.4m.

At E Zone, mineralisation occurs in several settings.

- A strongly deformed and altered horizon mostly located at the contact of the volcanosedimentary sequence and a deformed altered tonalite intrusion structurally interpreted as sitting in the hanging wall of the Mine Horizon. This horizon is strongly altered in biotite, sericite and carbonate and is cut by sulphide and quartz veins. Garnet porphyroblast are observed as well, sulphides are mostly pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite with rare molybdenite. Visible gold has been observed in this setting in several holes associated with quartz veins.

- Strongly sericite, albite and carbonate altered and locally deformed tonalite with quartz, carbonate and tourmaline veins and veinlets. Pyrite, sphalerite and locally arsenopyrite (with pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite) are observed in association with quartz veins. Visible gold has been observed in several holes in this setting.

This tonalite intrusion has a variable thickness over the area, dips parallel to foliation (45 degrees to the northeast) and seems to pinch out to the west. We have identified it over an area of 700m by 500m. Monzonite and quartz diorite were observed in the margins of this intrusion.

The tonalite has only been observed in E Zone and is interpreted as syntectonic.

Gold mineralisation can be found associated with shears and quartz - albite veins throughout the intrusion but more abundantly in the upper half and closer to the sheared contact with the volcanic sequence.

Best intersections are:

EM21-229: 1.0m at 365.5g/t gold (11.7oz/t) starting at a shallow 81.0m in a sulphide bearing quartz vein with visible gold.

EM21-200: 4.3m at 4.9g/t gold from 230.74m including 1.3m at 8.7g/t gold in a shear at the contact been volcanics and a gabbro and 4.8m at 0.5g/t gold from 417.5m within altered tonalite.

EM21-207: 3.0m at 9.8 g/t gold from 345.0m including 0.8m at 35.8g/t gold in altered tonalite.

EM21-213: 1.8m at 3.9g/t gold from 97.2m in altered tonalite and 2.7m at 1.7g/t gold from 173.2m in quartz veins with sulphides within the tonalite showing high-grade bearing structures within the intrusion.

EM21-218: 4.8m at 4.7g/t gold from 130.9m including 1.0m at 10.4 g/t gold in sheared volcanics above the tonalite contact and within 100m from surface showing shallow high-grade material at E Zone.

EM21-220: 1.1m at 9.5g/t gold from 24.4m in a sheared ultramafic with quartz and tourmaline veins and 2.0m at 6.7 g/t gold in sheared volcanics at 91.0m highlighting multiple stacked high-grade structures just below shallow (<20.0m) overburden at E Zone.

EM21-227: 3.8m at 5.4g/t gold from 222.8m in a shear zone including 1.3m at 18.3g/t gold

EM21-233: 4.6m at 2.5g/t gold starting at 397.68m in a shear zone including 0.9m at 8.1g/t gold.

EM21-234: 1.6m at 2.9g/t gold starting at a very shallow 4.4m and 0.88 g/t gold over 7m from 70.7m highlighting potential for bulk low-grade material within the body of the tonalite, a common setting in Archean greenstone belts where later felsic intrusions can be host to disseminated low grade gold over the whole body of the intrusion.





Figure 5: E Zone drilling coloured by maximum gold abundance over simplified geology and electromagnetics modelled plates projected to surface.

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Figure 6: EM21-229 - 81.3m visible gold. Best assay (by PhotonAssay) returned 1.0m at 365.5g/t gold.

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Figure 7: E Zone cross section with geology, DHEM conductors and highlight intervals.

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NW Zone:

The NW Zone is located about 600m to the NW of the A Zone mineralised lens and camp infrastructure and can be accessed by a trail in summer. The mineralised horizon is associated with a strongly biotite, sericite, silica and carbonate altered mylonite located within deformed and altered ultramafic rocks. Sulphide content varies from 1-2% to up to 20% in sulphide veins, with xenoliths of enclosing rocks, often associated with quartz veins. There are also stringers and patches of sulphides. Garnet porphyroblasts are also observed in association with the more biotite altered rocks.

Main sulphides are pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, pyrite and sphalerite. Visible gold was observed in several holes at NW Zone. Benz's discovered Nisto Trend at the NW Zone and A Zone is found between 100m and 200m deeper than the Mine Horizon. Mineralisation is hosted at the contact between strongly deformed and altered sediments (wackes and conglomerate) and ultramafics with stringers and patches of pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite. Garnet porphyroblasts are locally observed in association with the more biotite rich rocks.

Geological continuity and exploration target

1-From D Zone to NW Zone including A, B and C Zone extensions

The Mine Horizon displays very good geological continuity over the 2.7 km between NW Zone and D Zone.

Whilst the geology is continuous, structural features such as faulting and folding control the gold abundance within the horizon.

This geological continuity and the beginning of an understanding of structural controls is the base for Benz's capacity to establish an exploration target, in line with all drilling results to date.

Note: The current exploration target is solely based on the understanding of the Mine Horizon's geology. Upper and Kotak Horizons have only recently been discovered by Benz and the drill density to date does not allow yet to draw an accurate interpretation of continuity.





Figure 8: NW Zone to D Zone map with existing resource outline and exploration target areas used for exploration target size evaluation.

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2-E Zone

E Zone is a new discovery made by Benz in 2021. The geological context at E Zone is different from the extended Eastmain Mine system.

Benz, in its endeavour to "size up" the potential at E Zone, drilled on a wide spaced 100m x 100m pattern, targeting electromagnetic conductors and following visible gold intercepts towards surface.

A common feature to all the drilling is the presence of a sheared zone at or near the upper contact between the volcanics and the tonalite intrusion. This mineralised shear zone displays sufficient apparent continuity to establish an exploration target for E Zone. None of the lower grade tonalite related mineralisation nor any of the other shear zones intersected in E Zone drilling to date have been considered as the drilling spacing does not allow yet to draw an accurate interpretation of continuity.





Figure 9: D and E Zones map with existing resource outline and exploration target areas used for exploration target size evaluation.

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Exploration target estimation methodology

Drilling conducted in 2020 and 2021 at the Eastmain Project targeted wide spaced electromagnetic conductors located outside of the existing resource envelope.

The drillhole closest to the existing resource wireframe intersects the Mine Horizon approximately 100m away from the wireframe.

Based on geological observations, Benz's drilling of 2020 and 2021 intercepted with certainty the Mine Horizon in multiple locations.

Estimation of the exploration targets was made using two dimensional (2D) Multiple Indicator Kriging technique (MIK) applied to drillhole intersections without constraining mineralisation by wireframes.

Mineralised intersections of the Mine Horizon (at NW, A, B, C Zone extensions and D Zone) were selected using 0.1 g/t Au as the lower cut-off value and estimation was made independently for thickness and metal accumulation (i.e., product of length x grade) for each hole. The same methodology was used for the upper shear at E Zone.

Multiplying the surfaces area of estimated blocks by the block thicknesses and a density of 2.7 t/m3 (an appropriate estimate of average density of greenstones) allowed for the calculation of a range of tonnages.

Grade range was deducted from MIK estimate dividing the obtained metal accumulations by the corresponding thicknesses.

The methodology at E Zone was the same but following geological continuity of the upper shear zone, a geological feature encountered in all holes drilled at E Zone and displaying sufficient characteristic features to establish geological continuity between core intercepts and allow for the construction of an MIK model using all drilling to date in the area.

The data used did not integrate the highest-grade interval of 1.0m at 365.5g/t gold from 81.0m in drillhole EM21-229 as the duplicate analysis result had not yet been received.

Mineralisation from the Nisto Trend in the footwall of the Mine Horizon and from the Upper Horizon and the Kotak Horizon in the hangingwall of the Mine Horizon was not part of this calculation.

Table 3: Exploration target Eastmain Project - Mine Horizon and E Zone Upper Shear - potential additional mineralisation

Target1 Tonnes Range (Mt) Grade (g/t) Gold target (Moz) Mine Horizon A, B, C Zone depth extensions, NW and D Zones lower 1.8 5.90 0.34 higher 2.9 7.20 0.67 E Zone lower 0.7 5.3 0.12 higher 1 6.6 0.21 Total Lower 2.5 5.7 0.46 higher 3.9 7.0 0.88





1The reader is advised that an Exploration Target is based on existing drill results and geological observation from drilling as well as interpretation of multiple available datasets. The Exploration target is conceptual in nature and is therefore an approximation.

Benz highlights the fact that there has been insufficient exploration drilling and therefore insufficient data to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. Benz is currently evaluating the amount and nature of drilling needed to attempt converting the exploration target into a resource estimate

2022 Exploration Update

From January to May 2022, Benz drilled over 17,000m of core for 43 diamond drillholes into a range of regional targets identified by electromagnetics and a historical 3D induced polarisation. Most of these targets are located within the 12km of strike of greenstone belt surrounding the Eastmain deposit.

Benz also drilled recently identified FLEM conductors at the Southern Anomalies. Results of visual mineralisation from the drilling at the Southern Anomalies were reported on 18 May 2022.

Core from the 2022 drilling campaign is still being processed and Benz is looking forward to updating the market with progress from the 2022 drilling.

Figure 10: Eastmain Project area



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This release was prepared under supervision and approved by Dr. Danielle Giovenazzo, P.Geo, acting as Benz's qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 for the reporting of exploration and drilling results.

This release was prepared under supervision and approved by Dr. Marat Abzalov, PGeo, holder of an OGQ temporary permit, acting as Benz's qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 for the purposes of exploration target compilation and calculation.

All core samples were dispatched either to Actlabs in Ste-Germaine-Boule (Abitibi) or ALS Global at the Lachine for fire Assay / AAS finish (gravity) and metallic screen where Visible gold was observed. Multielement analysis was conducted on selected core by either ICP-MS or ICP-OES. Recently, core samples were sent to MSA labs in Val D'Or for photon analysis.

Benz Mining enforces industry-standard QA/QC procedures to its drilling program. All batches sent for analysis include certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicates.

Benz Mining will keep the market updated with upcoming assays results as they become available.

For more information please contact:

Australia:

Xavier Braud

CEO, Benz Mining Corp.

Telephone: +61 8 6143 6702

Email: info@benzmining.com

Dannika Warburton

Principal, Investability Partners

Email: benzmining@investability.com.au

Telephone: +61 401 094 261

Canada:

Paul Fowler

Head of Corporate Development (Canada)

Benz Mining Corp.

Telephone: +1 416 356 8165

Email: info@benzmining.com





About Benz Mining Corp.

Benz Mining Corp. (TSXV: BZ) (ASX: BNZ) brings together an experienced team of geoscientists and finance professionals with a focused strategy to unlock the immense mineral potential of the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt in Northern Quebec, which is prospective for gold, lithium, nickel, copper and other high-value minerals. Benz is earning a 100% interest in the former producing high grade Eastmain gold mine, Ruby Hill West and Ruby Hill East projects in Quebec and owns 100% of the Windy Mountain project.

At the Eastmain Gold Project, Benz has identified a combination of over 380 modelled in-hole and off-hole DHEM conductors over a strike length of 6km which is open in all directions (final interpretation of some of the conductors still pending).

In 2021, Benz confirmed the presence of visible spodumene in a pegmatite at the Ruby Hill West Project, indicating lithium mineralisation which Benz intends to further explore in 2022.





Benz tenure over Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt simplified geology.

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About Eastmain Gold Project

The Eastmain Gold Project, situated on the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt in Quebec, Canada, currently hosts a NI 43-101 and JORC (2012) compliant resource of 376,000oz at 7.9gpt gold (Indicated: 236,500oz at 8.2gpt gold, Inferred: 139,300oz at 7.5gpt gold). The existing gold mineralisation is associated with 15-20% semi-massive to massive pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite in highly deformed and altered rocks making it amenable to detection using electromagnetic techniques. Multiple gold occurrences have been identified by previous explorers over a 12km long zone along strike from the Eastmain Mine with very limited but highly encouraging testing outside the existing resource area.

About Ruby Hill West Lithium Project

he Ruby Hill West Lithium project is a surface occurrence of spodumene bearing pegmatite within the Ruby Hill West project, located 50km due west of the Eastmain exploration camp. The occurrence was first sampled in 2016 by Eastmain Resources and then by Quebec government geologists in 2018. Only limited sampling was conducted by both groups.

In March 2022 Benz conducted a drilling program at the Ruby Hill West lithium pegmatite prospect and reported a 31.2m interval of visible spodumene rich pegmatite in the drilling (ASX & TSX-V releases dated 29 April 2022 "Multiple spodumene pegmatites intersected at Ruby Hill West").

Core samples from this drilling program have been submitted to the laboratory in late April and early May and results are expected shortly.

Forward-Looking Information: Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that the Company obtains regulatory approval. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, that occurrences such as those referred to above are realized and result in delays, or cessation in planned work, that the Company's financial condition and development plans change, and delays in regulatory approval, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Competent Person's Statements: The information in this report that relates to Exploration Results is based on and fairly represents information and supporting information compiled by Mr Xavier Braud, who is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG membership ID:6963). Mr Braud is a consultant to the Company and has sufficient experience in the style of mineralisation and type of deposits under consideration and qualifies as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves". Mr Braud holds securities in Benz Mining Corp and consents to the inclusion of all technical statements based on his information in the form and context in which they appear.

The information in this report that relates to the estimation of an Exploration Target is based on and fairly represents information and supporting information compiled by Dr Marat Abzalov, who is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (FAusIMM, 202718). Dr Abzalov is a consultant to the Company and has sufficient experience in the style of mineralisation and type of deposits under consideration and qualifies as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves". Dr Abzalov holds securities in Benz Mining Corp and consents to the inclusion of all technical statements based on his information in the form and context in which they appear.

The information in this announcement that relates to the Inferred Mineral Resource was first reported under the JORC Code by the Company in its prospectus released to the ASX on 21 December 2020. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original market announcement and confirms that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimate continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Person's findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement.

Appendix 1: Drilling data to date - Eastmain Mine

Table 4: Collar data from Eastmain mine 2021 drilling

DDH ID Area X-NAD83-Z18N Y- NAD83-Z18N Elevation Azimuth Dip Final Depth Claim Number EM21-175 Zone D 700226 5797876 487 206 -70 573 1133508 EM21-176 Zone E- North 701210 5798045 483 213 -67 624 1133510 EM21-177 Zone D 700114 5797875 486 210 -70 471 1133508 EM21-178 Zone D- North 700263 5798666 481 215 -65 603 1133526 EM21-179 Zone D 700062 5797789 485 210 -70 444 1133508 EM21-180 Zone D- North 700357 5798529 482 210 -70 648 1133526 EM21-181 Zone D 700181 5797790 487 210 -65 486 1133508 EM21-182 Zone D 700343 5798227 484 210 -75 780 1133508 EM21-183 Zone D 700080 5798025 485 210 68 669 1133508 EM21-184 Zone D 700368 5797902 491 210 -70 573 1133508 EM21-185 Zone D 700305 5798405 486 210 -70 804 1133508 EM21-186 Zone D 700262 5797716 494 210 -70 474 1133508 EM21-187 Zone D 700428 5798232 487 210 -75 831 1133508 EM21-188 Zone D 700188 5797587 492 210 -70 342 1133508 EM21-189 Zone D 700039 5797566 495 210 -70 309 1133507 EM21-190 Zone D east 700675 5797450 497 210 -65 474 1133490 EM21-191 Zone D 700474 5798085 492 210 -70 696 1133508 EM21-192 Zone E 701121 5797475 504 215 -60 429 1133490 EM21-193 Zone E 701204 5797420 494 215 -60 420 1133491 EM21-194 Zone D- North 700230 5798513 490 210 -70 837 1133526 EM21-195 Zone E 701354 5797502 500 185 -70 513 1133491 EM21-196 Zone E 701351 5797498 500 215 -60 750 1133491 EM21-197 Zone D- North 700250 5798660 479 200 -82 798 1133526 EM21-198 Zone E 701457 5797480 505 185 -70 591 1133491 EM21-199 Zone C extension 699469 5798384 480 215 -70 720 1133507 EM21-200 Zone E 701471 5797596 513 185 -70 654 1133510 EM21-201 Zone C extension 699599 5798581 484 210 -70 816 1133525 EM21-202 Zone E 701389 5797380 502 185 -70 528 1133491 EM21-203 Zone C extension 699769 5798518 483 215 -70 627 1133525 EM21-204-B Zone A extension 699134 5799044 487 215 -70 711 1133524 EM21-205 Zone C extension 699770 5798528 482 215 -80 693 1133525 EM21-206 Zone E 701539 5797488 513 185 -70 600 1133491 EM21-207 Zone E 701409 5797573 505 185 -70 591 1133491 EM21-208 Zone A extension 699050 5799082 493 215 -70 588 1133524 EM21-209 Zone C extension 699735 5798655 482 215 -75 741 1133525 EM21-210 Zone E 701222 5797541 503 215 -65 510 1133491 EM21-211 Zone A extension 699091 5798743 485 220 -70 471 1133524 EM21-212 Zone C extension 699648 5798686 477 215 -70 891 1133525 EM21-213 Zone E 700975 5797197 531 215 -60 348 1133490 EM21-214 Zone A extension 699168 5798831 481 220 -70 498 1133524 EM21-215 Zone E 700888 5797073 524 215 -60 585 1133490 EM21-216 Zone A extension 699295 5798952 484 215 -70 627 1133524 EM21-217 Zone C extension 699648 5798686 477 215 -82 732 1133525 EM21-218 Zone E 701388 5797225 501 185 -70 432 1133491 EM21-219 Zone B extension 699308 5798763 481 220 -65 594 1133524 EM21-220 Zone E 701368 5797141 503 185 -70 504 1133491 EM21-221 Zone C extension 699737 5798555 483 215 -80 675 1133525 EM21-222 Zone A extension 699154 5798740 485 220 -70 510 1133524 EM21-223 Zone E 701357 5797025 508 185 -70 306 1133491 EM21-224 Zone E 701522 5797229 500 185 -70 507 1133491 EM21-225 Zone B extension 699441 5798612 478 215 -75 540 1133525 EM21-226 Zone D 700238 5798158 484 210 -75 744 1133508 EM21-227 Zone E 701526 5797327 501 185 -70 534 1133491 EM21-228 Zone D- North 700453 5798720 478 210 -75 1017 1133526 EM21-229 Zone E 701646 5797349 498 185 -70 588 1133491 EM21-230 Zone D 700306 5798191 484 210 -77 714 1133508 EM21-231 Zone E 701741 5797349 493 185 -70 561 1133491 EM21-232 Zone D 700325 5798107 485 210 -75 645 1133508 EM21-233 Zone E- North 701202 5797903 514 210 -70 486 1133510 EM21-234 Zone E 701490 5797036 497 185 -70 471 1133491 EM21-234 Zone E 701490 5797036 497 185 -70 471 1133491

Table 5: Eastmain significant intervals (composites with 0.2g/t cut-off, 1m internal dilution)

DDH ID From To Total Length Au g/t best Zone EM21-175 95 95.5 0.5 0.22 D zone EM21-175 100.3 100.8 0.5 1.26 EM21-175 291.9 300 8.1 2.25 EM21-175 includes 297.6 299 1.4 6.56 EM21-175 303.9 305.3 1.4 13.94 * EM21-175 387.8 390.5 2.7 0.45 EM21-175 402 403.5 1.5 0.27 EM21-175 411.9 417 5.1 0.43 EM21-175 includes 411.9 413 1.1 0.8 EM21-175 420 421 1 3.93 * EM21-175 422.5 424 1.5 0.64 EM21-176 66.2 67 0.8 5.62 Zone E north EM21-176 240.7 241.1 0.4 2.2 EM21-176 467.5 469.1 1.6 0.31 EM21-177 75 75.5 0.5 0.74 D Zone EM21-177 88.5 90 1.5 0.41 EM21-177 256.9 258.9 2 12.03 EM21-177 includes 256.9 257.9 1 23.59 EM21-177 265.5 267 1.5 0.26 EM21-177 293 294 1 0.55 EM21-177 380 382 2 0.71 EM21-177 387.7 388.7 1 1.75 EM21-178 267.5 269 1.5 0.83 D Zone- North EM21-178 469.4 473 3.6 2.02 EM21-178 including 472 473 1 2.96 EM21-178 518.4 519.3 0.9 1.31 EM21-179 168.8 169.7 0.9 0.22 D Zone EM21-179 223 223.3 0.3 0.21 EM21-179 297.4 298.4 1 0.8 EM21-179 304 305 1 0.38 EM21-179 306.5 308 1.5 0.22 EM21-180 415 418.1 3.1 1.78 D Zone EM21-180 including 416 417 1 4.99 EM21-180 473 474 1 19.41 EM21-181 166.2 167 0.8 0.21 D Zone EM21-181 345 346 1 5.49 * EM21-182 283.9 285.5 1.6 0.29 D Zone EM21-182 327.7 328.5 0.8 1.03 EM21-182 416.9 417.5 0.6 0.85 EM21-182 446 447 1 0.25 EM21-182 495.6 496.4 0.8 0.48 EM21-182 518 519 1 1.52 EM21-182 520 522 2 0.26 EM21-182 664 665.1 1.1 0.44 EM21-182 674.3 675.4 1.1 0.23 EM21-182 674.3 680.5 6.2 9.74 EM21-182 includes 675.4 676.5 1.1 9.12 * EM21-182 includes 679.5 680.5 1 23.42 EM21-183 112.2 114 1.8 1.24 D Zone EM21-183 363.5 364.5 1 0.79 EM21-183 387.5 388 0.5 0.55 EM21-183 421 421.5 0.5 0.65 EM21-184 162 163 1 0.19 D Zone EM21-184 291.5 292.5 1 0.28 EM21-184 297 298 1 0.38 EM21-185 351.8 353 1.2 1.54 D Zone EM21-186 201 202.5 1.5 0.31 D Zone EM21-186 274.5 276 1.5 0.35 EM21-186 315.5 318 2.5 0.37 EM21-187 334.2 335.1 0.9 0.42 D Zone EM21-187 514 515 1 0.69 EM21-187 601 602.3 1.3 0.87 EM21-187 714.4 715.3 0.9 1.03 EM21-188 91.4 92.1 0.7 0.36 D Zone EM21-188 100.8 102.1 1.3 0.61 EM21-189 99.5 100.6 1.1 0.43 D Zone EM21-191 76.6 77.1 0.5 0.26 Zone D EM21-191 294.9 295.5 0.6 0.75 EM21-191 510.5 511.5 1 0.66 EM21-191 619 620.5 1.5 1.67 EM21-192 124 125 1 0.71 Zone E EM21-192 330.6 332 1.4 0.22 EM21-192 350 351.5 1.5 0.32 EM21-192 383.5 385 1.5 0.29 EM21-192 413.3 414 0.7 1.83 EM21-193 190 191 1 0.59 Zone E EM21-193 197 198.5 1.5 0.55 EM21-193 229 229.9 0.9 0.5 EM21-193 304.5 306 1.5 0.24 EM21-193 308 309 1 0.35 EM21-193 315.5 317 1.5 0.28 EM21-193 340 341 1 0.51 EM21-193 358 359.5 1.5 0.63 EM21-194 729.5 731 1.5 2.57 Zone D- North EM21-194 750.7 752.3 1.6 3.26 * EM21-195 248.9 250 1.1 0.2 Zone E EM21-195 267 268 1 0.5 EM21-195 293 294.5 1.5 0.27 EM21-195 311 312 1 19.85 * EM21-195 333 334.5 1.5 0.2 EM21-195 427.5 429 1.5 0.2 EM21-195 483 484.5 1.5 0.23 EM21-196 169.1 170 0.9 0.49 Zone E EM21-196 300 300.6 0.6 1.33 EM21-196 327 328.5 1.5 0.21 EM21-196 350.3 350.8 0.5 2.42 EM21-196 368.6 369.2 0.6 1.42 EM21-196 384 385.5 1.5 0.62 EM21-196 427.5 429 1.5 0.8 EM21-196 453 454.5 1.5 0.2 EM21-196 456 457.5 1.5 0.25 EM21-196 585.8 586.7 0.9 0.43 EM21-196 662.5 663 0.5 0.63 EM21-197 430.3 431.1 0.8 0.23 D north EM21-197 470.4 471.4 1 4.88 EM21-197 504 505.1 1.1 0.78 EM21-197 524.8 527 2.2 3.02 EM21-198 157 158.5 1.5 7.67 Zone E EM21-198 195.2 198.2 3 1.2 EM21-198 201 207 6 0.83 * EM21-198 including 205.8 207 1.2 2.33 EM21-198 244.3 247.4 3.1 0.37 EM21-198 287.9 289.5 1.6 0.55 EM21-198 290.7 292.2 1.5 0.38 EM21-198 312 312.8 0.8 1.8 EM21-198 326.3 327.5 1.2 0.28 EM21-198 330 330.7 0.7 0.26 EM21-198 360 361.5 1.5 0.28 EM21-198 363 364.5 1.5 0.22 EM21-198 397.5 398 0.5 2.62 EM21-198 413 414.5 1.5 0.44 EM21-198 437 438.1 1.1 0.22 EM21-198 439.8 441.4 1.6 0.21 EM21-198 482 483 1 0.24 EM21-198 568.8 570 1.2 0.22 EM21-199 372.6 376 3.4 5.25 Zone Cx EM21-199 includes 374.9 376 1.1 15.85 EM21-199 589.6 590.7 1.1 1.33 EM21-199 628.5 630 1.5 0.21 EM21-199 673.8 674.3 0.5 0.33 EM21-200 81 81.7 0.7 0.77 Zone E EM21-200 149 150 1 10.05 * EM21-200 170.4 171.9 1.5 0.57 EM21-200 205.2 206.7 1.5 5.78 EM21-200 226.3 228 1.7 0.29 EM21-200 230.7 235 4.3 4.87 EM21-200 includes 230.7 232 1.3 8.73 EM21-200 363.3 365.5 2.2 1.3 EM21-200 includes 364.9 365.5 0.6 4.23 EM21-200 370.2 371 0.8 0.43 EM21-200 372.6 373.6 1 0.4 EM21-200 384.4 385.5 1.1 0.43 EM21-200 388.5 389 0.5 0.67 EM21-200 393.4 394.5 1.1 0.28 EM21-200 400.7 402 1.3 0.22 EM21-200 417.5 422.3 4.8 0.49 EM21-200 includes 420.2 421.2 1 1.57 EM21-200 425.1 426 0.9 0.46 EM21-200 479 480 1 0.38 EM21-200 505 506 1 0.47 EM21-200 531.5 540 8.5 0.41 EM21-200 includes 531.5 533 1.5 1.6 EM21-200 includes 532 533 1 2.27 EM21-201 175.8 176.6 0.8 0.21 Zone Cx EM21-201 182.4 185.2 2.8 0.98 EM21-201 includes 182.4 183.2 0.8 2.54 EM21-201 532.5 536 3.5 0.66 EM21-201 537.1 538 0.9 0.02 EM21-202 204 205 1 1.6 Zone E EM21-202 207.5 212 4.5 0.6 EM21-202 includes 208.5 209.5 1 1.85 EM21-202 251.5 253 1.5 4.42 EM21-202 302.5 304 1.5 1.44 EM21-202 327.5 329 1.5 0.52 EM21-202 340.5 342 1.5 0.2 EM21-203 578 586.4 8.4 4.64 Zone Cx EM21-203 includes 582 583 1 26 EM21-203 includes 583 584.2 1.2 4.54 EM21-204 476 477 1 0.58 Zone Ax EM21-204 560.5 566 5.5 0.58 EM21-205 415 417 2 0.53 Zone Cx EM21-205 595.8 597 1.2 2.71 EM21-205 612.2 621 8.8 0.63 EM21-205 includes 614.3 615.3 1 2.25 EM21-205 0 0 0 0 EM21-206 121.5 123 1.5 0.75 Zone E EM21-206 141 142.8 1.8 2.89 EM21-206 includes 142.1 142.8 0.7 6.6 EM21-206 224 225 1 0.36 EM21-206 229 230.1 1.1 0.38 EM21-206 241.5 243 1.5 1.65 EM21-206 326.5 328 1.5 0.23 EM21-207 195 196 1 0.25 Zone E EM21-207 277.5 278 0.5 0.22 EM21-207 303 303.7 0.7 0.46 EM21-207 327.6 328.8 1.2 0.41 EM21-207 338 339.2 1.2 1.13 EM21-207 342 343 1 0.27 EM21-207 345 348 3 9.79 EM21-207 Includes 345 345.8 0.8 35.8 * EM21-207 352 353 1 0.24 EM21-207 356 357.2 1.2 1.37 EM21-207 385 386 1 0.24 EM21-207 464 465 1 1.35 EM21-207 476 476.9 0.9 0.47 EM21-207 483.5 485 1.5 1.24 EM21-208 312 313.5 1.5 0.3 Zone Ax EM21-208 535.3 536.5 1.2 0.38 EM21-208 545.3 546.5 1.2 0.42 EM21-208 560.7 562 1.3 0.24 EM21-209 420.2 421.5 1.3 0.47 Zone Cx EM21-209 549 549.5 0.5 0.24 EM21-209 0 0 0 0 EM21-210 254.9 255.7 0.8 12.3 Zone E EM21-210 259.1 260.3 1.2 0.74 EM21-210 281.8 282.8 1 0.85 * EM21-210 373.3 374.1 0.8 7.01 EM21-210 394 395.5 1.5 0.22 EM21-210 399 400.5 1.5 0.55 EM21-210 424.5 425 0.5 0.23 EM21-210 501.7 502.5 0.8 0.71 EM21-211 216 218 2 0.22 Zone AB x EM21-211 389.4 390 0.6 1.03 EM21-211 422.3 422.9 0.6 4.85 EM21-212 238.5 239 0.5 0.51 Zone Cx EM21-212 581.4 584.6 3.2 2.84 EM21-212 includes 582.8 584.6 1.8 4.07 EM21-212 590.7 591.6 0.9 0.54 EM21-212 863.1 864.2 1.1 0.33 EM21-213 97.2 99 1.8 3.89 Zone E EM21-213 163.5 164.1 0.6 0.23 EM21-213 166 167 1 0.36 EM21-213 173.2 175.9 2.7 1.72 EM21-213 187.5 189 1.5 0.21 EM21-214 183.1 183.6 0.5 1.02 Zone ABx EM21-214 208.1 209.5 1.4 1.03 EM21-214 276 279 3 0.42 EM21-214 452.5 454.7 2.2 5.54 EM21-214 includes 453.7 454.7 1 11.55 EM21-215 90 91.4 1.4 0.24 Zone E EM21-215 105 106.5 1.5 1.35 EM21-215 108 109.5 1.5 0.83 EM21-215 112 113 1 2.18 EM21-215 177 178 1 1.71 EM21-215 529 535 6 0.24 EM21-216 18 19 1 0.47 Zone ABx EM21-216 386.2 387.7 1.5 0.21 EM21-216 397.5 398.6 1.1 0.91 EM21-216 400 401.6 1.6 0.26 EM21-216 404.6 406.1 1.5 0.37 EM21-216 575.5 577 1.5 0.31 EM21-216 587.4 588.9 1.5 2.76 EM21-217 393.5 395.1 1.6 1.53 Zone Cx EM21-217 0 0 0 0 EM21-218 32.5 34 1.5 0.21 Zone E EM21-218 40 41.5 1.5 0.21 EM21-218 130.9 135.7 4.8 4.69 * EM21-218 including 132 133 1 10.4 EM21-218 and 133.6 134.3 0.7 7.41 EM21-218 138.6 140 1.4 0.63 EM21-218 161.5 163 1.5 0.33 EM21-218 171.6 172.2 0.6 0.51 EM21-218 227 228 1 0.69 EM21-219 349.7 350.5 0.8 0.79 Zone ABx EM21-219 352 353.5 1.5 0.26 EM21-219 444 445 1 0.28 EM21-219 470 474.4 4.4 0 EM21-220 24.4 25.5 1.1 9.46 Zone E EM21-220 91 93 2 6.71 EM21-220 105 106.5 1.5 1.42 EM21-221 50.5 51.6 1.1 0.91 EM21-221 603.8 616.6 12.8 1.92 Zone C EM21-221 includes 605.1 610.5 5.4 3.7 EM21-221 includes 605.1 606.9 1.8 5.48 EM21-221 includes 608 609.5 1.5 4.28 EM21-222 409.9 413 3.1 3.56 Zone Ax EM21-222 includes 412 413 1 5.4 EM21-223 27 27.8 0.8 0.32 Zone E EM21-223 32 33 1 4.75 * EM21-224 148.9 149.4 0.5 0.26 Zone E EM21-224 155.3 156.3 1 0.24 EM21-224 177 178 1 1.34 EM21-224 317 318 1 0.88 EM21-224 341 341.6 0.6 0.22 EM21-224 396.9 400 3.1 0.38 EM21-224 410.5 411 0.5 5.28 EM21-225 250 253.5 3.5 0.26 Zone Cx EM21-225 414 415.9 1.9 0.31 EM21-225 480.6 481.8 1.2 2.95 EM21-225 486.8 488 1.2 0.2 EM21-225 525 525.9 0.9 0.2 EM21-226 229 231 2 0.24 Zone D EM21-226 236 238.6 2.6 0.39 EM21-226 477 480 3 0.2 EM21-226 596.8 598.8 2 1.95 EM21-226 Includes 596.8 597.3 0.5 5.76 EM21-227 144.2 145.8 1.6 0.24 Zone E EM21-227 189.9 191.6 1.7 2.44 EM21-227 193 194 1 0.2 EM21-227 197.6 198.8 1.2 26.8 * EM21-227 222.8 226.6 3.8 5.4 EM21-227 includes 224.7 225.9 1.2 18.3 EM21-227 366 368 2 0.21 EM21-227 378.6 379.4 0.8 0.23 EM21-228 449 450.1 1.1 0.86 Zone D North EM21-228 537 539 2 0.48 EM21-228 938.6 939.1 0.5 0.26 EM21-228 942.3 943.4 1.1 0.98 * EM21-228 965.6 966.3 0.7 1.04 EM21-228 969.1 970.5 1.4 1.71 EM21-228 980.9 982.3 1.4 0.23 EM21-229 81 82 1 365.5 Zone E EM21-229 290 291.5 1.5 0.24 EM21-229 445 446 1 0.21 EM21-229 463 465 2 0.41 EM21-229 468 469.1 1.1 0.24 EM21-229 528.3 529 0.7 0.47 EM21-230 151.5 152.2 0.7 0.23 Zone D EM21-230 248 249.4 1.4 0.22 EM21-230 324.1 326 1.9 11.72 EM21-230 incl 325.1 326 0.9 23.2 EM21-230 330.9 331.4 0.5 0.6 EM21-230 477.5 479.5 2 0.69 EM21-230 Includes 477.5 478.3 0.8 1.71 EM21-230 510.3 511.5 1.2 2.23 EM21-230 643.9 650.5 6.6 9.8 EM21-230 includes 647.5 648.6 1.1 36.7 EM21-231 77 78 1 5.73 Zone E EM21-231 332.6 334 1.4 0.37 EM21-231 553.5 555 1.5 0.24 EM21-232 30.3 30.8 0.5 0.21 Zone D EM21-232 240.9 241.8 0.9 0.32 EM21-232 244.5 245.5 1 0.23 EM21-232 323.4 327 3.6 0.36 EM21-232 448 450 2 1.52 EM21-232 458.5 465.3 6.8 4.48 * EM21-232 includes 460.7 462 1.3 8.73 EM21-232 463 464.3 1.3 8.7 EM21-232 535.5 537 1.5 0.21 EM21-232 596 599.7 3.7 0.22 EM21-232 601.1 605.1 4 1.5 EM21-232 includes 604 605.1 1.1 4 EM21-233 49 50.3 1.3 0.32 Zone E north EM21-233 52.1 52.7 0.6 0.41 EM21-233 139 141 2 0.21 EM21-233 397.7 402.3 4.6 2.53 EM21-233 includes 400.4 401.3 0.9 8.07 EM21-233 404.6 405.9 1.3 0.22 EM21-234 4.4 6 1.6 2.87 Zone E EM21-234 63.1 63.9 0.8 0.85 EM21-234 67.7 69 1.3 0.7 EM21-234 70.7 77.6 6.9 0.88 EM21-234 includes 75.3 76.6 1.3 2.54 EM21-234 289.2 290.9 1.7 0.46





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HRS wins the Euronext 2021 best IPO award in the Small & Mid Cap category

Grenoble, June 7, 2022 - HRS, a leading European designer and manufacturer of hydrogen refueling stations, obtained the Euronext 2021 Best IPO Award in the Small & Mid Cap category at the 10th annual Euronext conference held on June 7, 2022 in Paris.

The annual Grands Prix des Marches Boursiers, awarded by Euronext, serve to highlight the most outstanding transactions in their respective sectors and to foster best practices in the marketplace. The winner in each category is chosen by a panel of experts based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative criteria.

At this year's event, four awards were presented: two in the IPO category (Small & Mid Cap and Large Cap) and two for equity financing transactions (Small & Mid Cap and Large Cap).

The award recognizes the success of HRS's IPO, the largest to date on Euronext Growth. It will be remembered that the transaction carried out in February 2021 was a tremendous success, enabling HRS to raise 97.3 million. The success was driven by leading French and international institutional investors, together with a significant number of retail investors. This was reflected in overall demand representing 5.7 times the initial offering.

The award is especially significant for HRS in that 2021 saw a record number of IPOs, with 33 transactions on Euronext and Euronext Growth.

Hassen Rachedi, Founding Chairman and CEO of HRS and Olivier Dhez, Deputy CEO of HRS, said: "We are immensely proud to have won this award for the Best Small & Mid Cap IPO in 2021, at the Euronext Grands Prix des Marches Boursiers. It rewards the largest fundraising transaction on Euronext Growth since its creation. We would once again like to thank investors for their confidence and the great enthusiasm that has greeted our project, as well as all the partners that assisted us and contributed to the transaction's success.

The funds raised have already enabled us to considerably accelerate our development and to play a major role in promoting the use of hydrogen in transportation. We will step up the pace further over the coming months, with large-capacity stations capable of delivering 1 or more tonnes of hydrogen a day. Manufactured in our future industrial site, these stations, the most advanced on the market, will enable us to further consolidate our position as sector leader in France and one of the largest manufacturers in Europe."

PARTNERS IN THE SUCCESS OF THE TRANSACTION

GILBERT DUPONT

GROUPE SOCIETE GENERALE PORTZAMPARC

BNP PARIBAS GROUP LAZARD FIELDFISHER

BK AVOCATS D'AFFAIRES Global Coordinator,

Lead Manager and Joint Bookrunner,

Listing Sponsor Lead Manager and Joint Bookrunner Adviser Legal advisers PARENTHESE FINANCE CONSEILS D'EXPERTS BBM GROUPE

MAZARS ACTUS

finance & communication Financial adviser Accountants Statutory

auditors Financial communication

ABOUT HRS

Founded in 2004, Hydrogen-Refueling-Solutions (HRS), formerly TSM, is pioneer in hydrogen mobility. European designer and manufacturer of hydrogen refueling stations, for over ten years, the Company has been committed to reducing transport emissions.

Thanks to its unique experience and know-how, HRS has developed a complete range of hydrogen refueling stations for all types of fuel cell vehicles that is perfectly suited to the needs of a fast-growing European market. At its Champ-sur-Drac site, HRS has mass production capacities that enable it to assemble up to 60 units per year in record time, in as little as 8 weeks. A new 14,300m2 production unit, planned for the fall of 2022, in the Grenoble metropolitan area in Champagnier (Isere), will increase HRS's production capacity to 180 stations per year.

The Company posted 2020/2021 revenue of 10.5 million. As of December 31, 2021, the company had 79 employees. (ISIN code: FR0014001PM5 - ticker symbol: ALHRS).

CONTACTS HRS

Investor Relations

ACTUS finance & communication

Gregoire SAINT-MARC

hrs@actus.fr

Tel. +33 1 53 67 36 94 Press Relations

ACTUS finance & communication

Anne Catherine BONJOUR

acbonjour@actus.fr

Tel. +33 1 53 67 36 93

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The QX online Partner Portal is for game developers and publishers to stream, process, and analyze events for offering rewards and incentives to gamers

SAN ANTONIO, June 07, 2022(QX) has strategically engaged with Onica, by Rackspace Technology, to design and develop enhancements to the QX Partner Portal to stream, process, and analyze events for offering rewards and incentives to gamers, based on game publisher monetization goals.

QX is a first-of-its-kind public exchange that tracks and manages the rewards that gamers acquire online and redeem them for cash. The QX platform includes the Partner Portal for game developers and publishers to onboard their games and a QX mobile app for gamers.

The QX platform for mobile and online game publishers enables increased gameplay, improves player retention, and grows revenue by providing a superior solution for exchanging and redeeming issued rewards. QX provides unique benefits to publishers by providing a new revenue stream and helping improve their return on investment. For gamers, the platform allows them to own all earned rewards from participating games and exchange those rewards for cash on the QX mobile app.

Rackspace Technology is building a streaming data processing system capable of injecting data streamed from a large volume of QX partners. This includes developing a robust CI/CD pipeline that includes Branch Structure, Automatic/Manual Approval Process, Customer-driven Deployment Strategy, Streaming Data Processing System, an enhanced Partner Portal, as well as Services and Methods to retain historical data. Additionally, Rackspace will deploy necessary databases, APIs, and required AWS infrastructure for the platform to scale optimally to millions of users across the globe.

"The project with Rackspace Technology is a critical milestone for QX to raise additional funding and move into the next phase of our product launch," said Jim Mulford, Founder and CEO of QX. "With the Rackspace Technology AWS implementation, we will be better positioned in the market to support both gamers and game publishers with real-life rewards-driven incentives for achieving specific goals in games."

"Our partnership with QX demonstrates our expertise in supporting the evolving gaming rewards Industry," said, Subroto Mukerji, President, Americas Region for Rackspace Technology. "Rackspace Technology is strategically positioned to support customers on all aspects of their AWS cloud adoption journey. Our work with QX to implement, design, and develop an enhanced online Partner Portal to help implement their gaming rewards platform for gamers further demonstrates the Rackspace Technology AWS expertise."

About acQyr eXchange, developed by Denver-based Targeted Shopping Solutions, Inc, is the first public exchange to track and manage the digital assets

About Rackspace Technology

Rackspace Technologyis a leading end-to-end multicloud technology services company. We can design, build, and operate our customers' cloud environments across all major technology platforms, irrespective of technology stack or deployment model. We partner with our customers at every stage of their cloud journey, enabling them to modernize applications, build new products and adopt innovative technologies.

Media Contact

Natalie Silva

Rackspace Technology Corporate Communications

publicrelations@Rackspace.com
The focus of the agreement is to develop a transdisciplinary approach to revitalizing, developing, and monitoring the Nation's recently acquired land in Fort McMurray.

Anzac, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2022) - Willow Lake Metis Nation (WLMN), an Anzac, Alberta-based Metis community, and the Resilience Institute (TRI), a national education and research institute, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The formal partnership is directly related to WLMN's land acquisition and Sohkastwawin initiative.

WLMN and TRI plan to take a transdisciplinary approach to revitalizing, developing, and monitoring the approximately 205 acres of land WLMN recently acquired, which has been highly impacted by industry activity. TRI is a charitable organization that partners with local and Indigenous Peoples, academia, and industry on multi-pronged initiatives to build resilience to current and future impacts of climate change.

"Sohkastwawin is a Cree term for 'the act of being resilient' and it is the future for our people," says Justin Bourque, CEO of WLMN. "Sohkastwawin is an ecosystem of food, culture, and economy that will provide our citizens the ability to maintain resilience in an ever-changing future on climate change and bolster our ability to adapt. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the Resilience Institute on this important initiative."

"This initiative exemplifies the meaning of doing business differently in contrast to 'business as usual' in the context of climate change and the impacts it is unleashing on communities," says TRI's Founder and President, Laura S. Lynes. "By taking a transdisciplinary approach to Sohkastwawin we bring together the wisdom of local and traditional knowledge holders with the best available science to meet the community's objectives. We're really excited about this journey."

The partnership was bolstered by a $30,000 community investment by Keyera Corp. ("Keyera") (TSX: KEY). The generous donation will be used to fund the crucial cultural and scientific research to support TRI's work and WLMN's vision, including creating holistic land development and monitoring plans for the Nation. Next steps include assessing the current landscape and gaining an understanding of the proposed impacts of their plans for the land from a climate lens. The University of Saskatchewan has been engaged to undertake the groundwork.

"Keyera is pleased to support the future development and vision for this land through our $30,000 donation and wish Willow Lake Metis Nation great success as they step forward in this journey," says Dean Setoguchi, Keyera President & Chief Executive Officer. "At Keyera, we strongly believe in the power of collaboration and seek partnerships with those who have likeminded goals, such as sustainability and community resiliency. That's why we're honoured to support the Sohkastwawin initiative and look forward to continued growth of our relationship with Willow Lake Metis Nation."

Sohkastwawin will accomplish many goals, including economic benefit - not only for the Nation, but the whole community. The cultural space will provide traditional food, medicine, material, and reclamation sources for WLMN citizens and the entire region while allowing them to share their traditional ways with others to promote their Metis culture. Above all else, Sohkastwawin will reconnect WLMN with the bison: a culturally important keystone animal.

The creation of this sustainable resource will prepare the Nation, and future generations of WLMN citizens, to handle an environment and economy impacted by climate change. WLMN plans to start with 20 heads and will work with its industry partners to increase the herd over time. A new partnership will then form: one between the WLMN and the bison.

"The Metis and bison share a powerful historical connection," continues Bourque. "By capitalizing on our mutual resilience, with the TRI's support, we will work together to reclaim our land."

###





Keyera President & CEO Dean Setoguchi (left) and Willow Lake Metis Nation CEO Justin Bourque (right) shake hands. Keyera presented Willow Lake Metis Nation with a $30,000 cheque toward the Nation's Sohkastwawin initiative. Credit: Nicholas Vardy



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Willow Lake Metis Nation logo



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The Resilience Institute logo



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About Willow Lake Metis Nation

Willow Lake Metis Nation (WLMN) is a Metis community whose citizens now mostly reside in the community of Anzac, Alberta. WLMN's roots lie in the history of the fur trade in Alberta and the economic and political circumstances that evolved during and after the fur trade. The historical Willow Lake community was close to trade and travel routes that connected Fort McMurray and Willow Lake to Lac La Loche to the east, to Fort Chipewyan to the north, and to Lac La Biche to the south. Willow Lake Metis people lived on and derived their livelihood from the lands between these locations through much of the later fur trade period, and WLMN people continue to use these lands to exercise their Indigenous rights, sustain their culture and identity as Metis people, support their community, and pass their knowledge and way of life on to their descendants. Key Metis family lines represented in the WLMN community include Bourque, Cardinal, Huppie, Lavallee, McKenzie, Quintal, and Whitford.

For more information, visit www.wlmn.ca

Media Contact:

Peter Pilarski

Vice President, CIPR Communications

403-462-1160

peter@ciprcommunications.com

About The Resilience Institute

The Resilience Institute (TRI) is a Canadian charitable organization. It focuses on co-developing initiatives that weave local and cultural knowledge with scientific and technical expertise and foster multi-generational engagement. TRI aims to build bridges to resilient futures by fostering opportunities that engage rights holders and stakeholders in relevant, respectful, and meaningful ways.

For more information, visit www.resilienceinstitute.ca

Media Contact:

Laura S. Lynes

President, The Resilience Institute

403-679-8492

Laura@resilienceinstitute.ca

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126751
The Fuse Group Continues to Build a Next Generation, Full-Service Visual Effects Company with 1,400 Artists Across 12 Locations

The Fuse Group, parent organization to leading visual effects studios FuseFX, FOLKS, and Rising Sun Pictures, is pleased to announce its acquisition of El Ranchito, a world-renowned, high-end independent visual effects studio headquartered in Madrid, Spain and a studio location in Barcelona. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The acquisition brings The Fuse Group to over 1,400 artists across twelve locations and four continents. El Ranchito co-founder and Managing Director Felix Berges and the rest of the partners of the company will continue to lead the business and operate under the El Ranchito brand.

"El Ranchito's unrivaled pedigree in high-profile productions is a strong complement to the current makeup of The Fuse Group," said Sebastien Bergeron, CEO of The Fuse Group. "The El Ranchito team has established a fantastic company whose culture and philosophies completely align with ours. We are thrilled to partner with them to further broaden our offerings of skill sets, locations, rebates, and services to our studio clients. El Ranchito's previous work on such high-profile projects as Game of Thrones, See, Shadow and Bone, Stranger Things, and The Mandalorian has cemented their position as a truly elite provider of visual effects in the market."

"We are excited to become a part of The Fuse Group. We have a common ethos with similar longstanding approaches to visual effects work, and our shared goal is to offer top-notch VFX services wherever clients most need them. We know this partnership is the right next step for us in achieving that shared vision," commented Berges.

David Altenau, co-founder of FuseFX and Chairman of The Fuse Group, added, "As demand for VFX services continues to grow worldwide, we remain committed to building the next generation global full-service visual effects studio that can seamlessly serve clients across multiple geographies. We are excited about how perfectly El Ranchito fits within our vision of a tightly integrated global network of elite studios."

Loyra (legal) and Mesana (financial) have advised El Ranchito's shareholders on this transaction. Jones Day acted as legal advisor and Alvarez Marsal acted as due diligence advisor to The Fuse Group.

About The Fuse Group:

The Fuse Group brings together world-leading visual effects studios, FuseFX, FOLKS, Rising Sun Pictures, and now El Ranchito. The company employs over 1,400 personnel across twelve worldwide studio locations in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Atlanta, Montreal, Toronto, Bogota, Saguenay, Adelaide, Brisbane, Madrid, and Barcelona. The Fuse Group is a portfolio company of investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm. For more information, please visit www.fusefx.com.

About El Ranchito:

El Ranchito was founded in 2004 by a world-class team of VFX supervisors and producers and is a full-service visual effects studio based in Madrid, with an additional office location in Barcelona. Since its founding, El Ranchito has participated in the postproduction of over 200 projects, many of them for major international clients. El Ranchito's workforce comprises over 200 highly experienced VFX professionals recognized globally for their exceptional VFX work on projects like Game of Thrones and The Impossible. Formore information, please visit www.elranchito.es.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005957/en/

Contacts:

Oscar Negroni

Director of Marketing

(201) 221-6223
Regulatory News:

ACTICOR BIOTECH (ISIN: FR0014005OJ5 ALACT) (Paris:ALACT), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative treatments for cardiovascular emergencies, today discloses the total number of voting rights and shares as of May 31, 2022 (pursuant to Article L. 233-8 II of the French Commercial Code and Article 223-16 of the General Regulation of the French Financial Markets Authority).

Listing Place: Euronext Growth Paris

ISIN Code: FR0014005OJ5

Web site: acticor-biotech.com

Date Number of shares making up the share capital Theoretical number of

voting rights (1) Number of voting

rights excluding

shares stripped of

voting rights (2) May 31, 2022 10.545.776 10.545.776 10.502.986

(1) In accordance with Article 223-111 of the AMF's General Regulation, this number of shares is calculated based on all shares carrying the right to vote, including those stripped of voting rights.

(2) The actual voting rights correspond to the total number of voting rights that can be exercised in a general meeting. They are calculated on the basis of the total number of voting rights attached to the total number of shares minus the shares without voting rights.

About ACTICOR BIOTECH

Acticor Biotech is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, a spin-off from INSERM (the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research), that is developing an innovative treatment for acute thrombotic diseases, including ischemic strokes.

Acticor Biotech is developing glenzocimab (ACT017), a humanized monoclonal antibody fragment (Fab) directed against a novel target of major interest, platelet glycoprotein VI (GPVI). Glenzocimab inhibits platelet binding to the thrombus without affecting physiological hemostasis, thereby limiting the risk of bleeding, particularly intracerebral hemorrhage.

Acticor Biotech is supported by a panel of European and International Investors (Karista, Go Capital, Newton Biocapital, CMS Medical Venture Investment (HK) Limited, A&B (HK) Limited, Anaxago, Mediolanum farmaceutici and the Armesa foundation). Acticor Biotech is listed on Euronext Growth Paris, since November 2021 (ISIN: FR0014005OJ5 ALACT).

For further information, please go to www.acticor-biotech.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005675/en/

Contacts:

ACTICOR BIOTECH

Gilles AVENARD, MD

CEO and Founder

gilles.avenard@acticor-biotech.com

T.: +33 (0)6 76 23 38 13

Sophie BINAY, PhD

General Manager and CSO

Sophie.binay@acticor-biotech.com

T.: +33 (0)6 76 23 38 13

NewCap

Mathilde BOHIN Olivier BRICAUD

Investor Relations

acticor@newcap.eu

T.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 95
From left, Yun Duk-min, Chung Jae-ho, Chang Ho-jin and Hwang Joon-kook / Yonhap





President Yoon Suk-yeol named ambassadors to China, Japan, Russia and the United Nations, Tuesday, completing a new lineup of the top envoys to all four major powers after selecting a new ambassador to the United States last month.







Yun Duk-min, a foreign policy expert who previously headed the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, was named ambassador to Tokyo, while Chung Jae-ho, a professor of Seoul National University, was named ambassador to Beijing.







Chang Ho-jin, a former ambassador to Cambodia, was named ambassador to Russia while former Ambassador to Britain Hwang Joon-kook was tapped as ambassador to the United Nations, the presidential office said.







The selections completed the lineup of ambassadors to the four major nations.







Last month, Yoon picked then Rep. Cho Tae-yong of the ruling People Power Party, who previously served as vice foreign minister, as his first ambassador to the United States.







Yun traveled to Japan in April as a member of then President-elect Yoon's policy consultation delegation, while Chung is a professor of political science and international relations at SNU and previously headed the university's China institute.







In other nominations, Yoon tapped Kim Joo-hyun, head of the Credit Finance Association, for chief of the Financial Services Commission; Heo Seoung-woo, a former member of Yoon's transition team, as presidential secretary for public proposals; and Yu Byung-chae, a culture ministry official, as presidential secretary for culture and sports. (Yonhap)






Conditions of availability of the preparatory documents

Regulatory News:

ESI Group (Paris:ESI), Rungis, France, (ISIN Code: FR0004110310, Symbol: ESI) hereby informs its shareholders that the Combined General Meeting of the company will be held on Tuesday, June 28th, 2022, at 1:30 pm (CET) at the company's headquarters, 3 bis rue Saarinen, Batiment Le Seville, 94528 Rungis Cedex.

In order to promote shareholder dialogue, shareholders are invited to send their questions by email to investors@esi-group.com, until June 24, 2022.

The notice of meeting, including the agenda and the draft resolutions to be submitted to the vote of the shareholders, was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires (BALO) on May 23, 2022. The notice of meeting will be published in the BALO and in a legal gazette on June 13, 2022.

The information for the meeting referred to in Article R. 22-10-23 of the French Commercial Code may be consulted and downloaded from the company's website: https://investors.esi-group.com/shareholders-meeting.

The documents and information referred to in Article R.225-83 of the French Commercial Code are available to shareholders at the above-mentioned Internet address.

Upcoming event

Annual General meeting June 28, 2022 (1h30pm CET)

Half year results 2022 September 7 th , 2022 (6 pm CET)

, 2022 (6 pm CET) Investor's conference September 27th, 2022

About ESI Group

Founded in 1973, ESI Group envisions a world where Industry commits to bold outcomes, addressing high-stakes concerns environmental impact, safety comfort for consumers and workers, adaptable and sustainable business models. ESI provides reliable and customized solutions anchored on predictive physics modeling and virtual prototyping expertise to allow industries to make the right decisions at the right time while managing their complexity. Acting principally in automotive land transportation, aerospace, defense naval and heavy industry, ESI is present in more than 20 countries, employs 1,100 people around the world, and reported 2021 sales of 136.6 million. ESI is headquartered in France and is listed on compartment B of Euronext Paris.

For further information, go to www.esi-group.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005762/en/

Contacts:

ESI Group

Florence Barre

investors@esi-group.com

+33 1 49 78 28 28

Verbatee Press Shareholder Relations

Jerome Goaer, j.goaer@verbatee.com, +33 6 61 61 79 34

Aline Besselievre, a.besselievre@verbatee.com, +33 6 61 85 10 05
Beter Bed is working hard to develop its strategic positioning as a market-leading sleep specialist. This transition is based on a solid culture of innovation and experimentation. Thijs Nootenboom, responsible for E-commerce at Beter Bed, regards the nomination as recognition of the steps Beter Bed has taken in experimenting and creating a sustainable innovation infrastructure.

Experimentation as a mindset

At the heart of this successful innovation culture is the experimentation programme initiated by the e-commerce team several years ago. The experimentation programme has, among other things, resulted in the creation of an excellent infrastructure and a streamlined business process for testing hypotheses in a short cycle. This provides opportunities to effectively cash in on current and future e-commerce opportunities and to achieve the ambitious online targets (sales of at least  100 million by 2025). With the launch of LUNEXT, Beter Bed's digital organisation, the conditions have been created for scaling up experiments, once validated, quickly and efficiently to the business. The focus is no longer exclusively on ROI but also on supporting the business with validated decision-making.

"Lessons learned from the experiments are shared with the entire organisation so that everyone can learn from them," says Thijs Nootenboom. "Experimentation has now become a mindset at Beter Bed, allowing the impact and deployment of strategic initiatives to be iteratively tested. It's embedded in our daily activities thanks to the close cooperation between the development team and the commercial teams. This prevents internal debates about resources and capacity, increases the speed of testing and leads to better results. In the coming year, experimentation will be even more emphatically on the agenda as we enter into dialogue with other departments and share relevant lessons with each other. The prestigious nomination for the Experimentation Culture Awards 2022 strengthens our confidence that we are on the right track. This is a big compliment to the teams driving the development of an experimentation culture within Beter Bed Holding."

Experimentation Culture Awards 2022

The experimentation programme and the development team's role as accelerator are what prompted the Experimentation Culture Awards expert jury to nominate Beter Bed in the "Organisation-wide" category. Other nominees are Marks & Spencer (UK), TL (Switzerland), ASOS (UK) and Vattenfall Netherlands. The Experimentation Culture Award was established in 2020 with the aim of promoting a culture of experimentation around the world and helping people to achieve a reliable, evidence-based decision-making process. The organisation does this by sharing inspirational stories of experimentation growth and by nominating individuals, teams and organisations that deserve to be recognised for their work. The awards will be presented online on 7 July 2022.



About Beter Bed Holding

Beter Bed Holding (BBH) is the Netherlands' leading sleep specialist in retail, wholesale and B2B.



Our mission is simple. We believe that the better we sleep, the happier, healthier and more productive we are. And we won't rest until everyone gets the high-quality sleep they deserve.



Listed on Euronext Amsterdam, BBH operates the successful retail brands Beter Bed, Beddenreus, the new subscription brand Leazzzy and the digital organisation LUNEXT. In addition, through its subsidiary DBC International, BBH has a wholesale business in branded products in the bedroom furnishings sector, which includes the well-known international brand M line.

With 4 distribution centres, a fleet of 80 vehicles, 134 stores, a fast-growing online presence, and a wholesale company our team of over 1,000 dedicated employees generated  214.2 million revenue in 2021.

Providing expert sleep advice is at the very heart of our strategy, and thanks to our revolutionary 'Beter Slapen ID' tool, our sleep consultants help customers to get the perfect night's sleep. BBH is proud that M line is the official sleep supplier of AFC Ajax, TeamNL, Jumbo-Visma, NOC*NSF and the KNVB.

For more information

Press enquiries: Uneke Dekkers / CFF Communications

T +31 (0)20 575 4010 or M +31 (0)6 50261626

E uneke.dekkers@cffcommunications.nl

Attachment
Regulatory News:

Aelis Farma (ISIN code: FR0014007ZB4 ticker: AELIS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specialized in the development of treatments for brain diseases (the Company ), informs its shareholders and the financial community that the Company's Ordinary General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at 2 p.m., at Centre Broca Nouvelle Aquitaine, 11 rue Albert Marquet, 33000 Bordeaux

The notice of meeting, including the agenda and draft resolutions as well as the terms and conditions of participation and voting at the meeting, was posted on the website of the Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires "BALO" (www.journal-officiel.gouv.fr/pages/balo/) on May 23, 2022 (bulletin number 61).

If they are unable to attend the meeting in person, shareholders may exercise their voting rights remotely, before the general meeting

either by sending a proxy to the Company,

or by voting by mail,

by using the form available on www.aelisfarma.com in accordance with the procedures indicated in the notice of meeting published on May 23, 2022, in the BALO.

All documents relating to this General Meeting are available on request from the Company or can be consulted on the Company's website under the heading Investors General Meetings.

In accordance with the applicable legal and regulatory provisions:

any registered shareholder may, up to and including the fifth day before the general meeting, request that the Company send him the documents provided for in Articles L. 225-115 and R. 225-83 of the Commercial Code. In the event of an express request, such documents may be sent by electronic means. For holders of bearer shares, the exercise of this right is subject to the provision by their authorized intermediary of a certificate of account registration;

any shareholder may consult the documents referred to in Articles L. 225-115 and R. 225-83 of the Commercial Code at the company's registered office.

Due to the uncertainties resulting from the current context related to the Covid-19 epidemic, the Company may be required to modify, subject to applicable legal and regulatory provisions, the procedures for the conduct of, participation in and voting at the General Meeting. Shareholders are therefore invited to regularly consult the section of the Company's website dedicated to General Meetings.

About AELIS FARMA

Founded in 2013, Aelis Farma is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing a new class of drugs, the Signaling Specific inhibitors of the CB1 receptor of the endocannabinoid system (CB1-SSi). These new molecules hold great potential in the treatment of many brain diseases. CB1-SSi were developed by Aelis Farma on the basis of the discovery of a new natural defense mechanism of the brain made by the team of Dr. Pier Vincenzo Piazza, CEO of the Company, when he was Director of the Inserm Magendie Neurocentre in Bordeaux. For these discoveries, Dr. Piazza was awarded the Grand Prix of Inserm, and the Grand Prix of Neurology of the French Academy of Sciences, which are among the most prestigious French awards for medicine and neurology.

Aelis Farma is developing two first-in-class drug candidates that are at the clinical stage, AEF0117 and AEF0217, and has a portfolio of innovative CB1-SSi for the treatment of other diseases associated with dysregulation of CB1 receptor activity.

AEF0117, which targets the disorders due to excessive cannabis use (addiction and psychosis), has demonstrated efficacy in a phase 2a clinical trial and has entered a phase 2b clinical trial in the United States in the second quarter 2022. Aelis Farma has an exclusive option and license agreement with Indivior PLC, a leading pharmaceutical company in the treatment of addiction, for the development and commercialization of AEF0117 for disorders due to excessive cannabis use. As part of this agreement, Aelis Farma received $30 million (option payment). If Indivior exercises the license option at the end of the phase 2b, Aelis Farma will receive a $100 million license fee (potentially in 2024) and up to $340 million in additional payments contingent on the achievement of development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on net sales of AEF0117 ranging between 12% and 20%.

AEF0217, which targets various cognitive disorders including those associated with Down syndrome, is progressing successfully in its phase 1 program and could provide the first proof of efficacy in early 2023. This compound has undergone an extensive preclinical proof-of-concept program using highly innovative and highly predictive tests to assess cognitive functions. In this context, AEF0217 has demonstrated its ability to completely reverse deficits in several models of cognitive disorders such as Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome, as well as in models of certain cognitive deficits associated with aging.

Based in Bordeaux, within the Inserm Magendie Neurocentre, Aelis Farma has a team of 24 highly qualified employees and has benefited from investments from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Bpifrance, regional funds ACI, NACO and Aqui-invest and IRDI Capital Investissement.

For more information: www.aelisfarma.com

ISIN: FR0014007ZB4

Ticker: AELIS

B Compartment of Euronext Paris

Warning

Prospective Data

Some information contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, not historical data. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions about Aelis Farma's current and future strategy and the environment in which Aelis Farma operates. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results or other events, to differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those set out and detailed in Chapter 3 "Risk Factors" of Aelis Farma's registration document approved by the Autorite des marches financiers on 14 January 2022 under number I.22-003.

These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and Aelis Farma expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any updates or corrections to the forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect any change in expectations or events, conditions or circumstances on which any such forward-looking statement is based. Forward-looking information and statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond Aelis Farma's control. Actual results could differ materially from those described in, or implied or projected by, forward-looking information and statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607006024/en/

Contacts:

AELIS FARMA

Pier Vincenzo Piazza

Co-founder and CEO

contact@aelisfarma.com

NewCap

Dusan Oresansky/Marine de Fages

Investor Relations

aelis@newcap.eu

+33 1 44 71 94 92

NewCap

Nicolas Merigeau

Media Relations

nmerigeau@newcap.fr

+33 1 44 71 94 98
Mattress Firm and SES-imagotag sign U.S.

roll-out with the help of Cisco Meraki

SES-imagotag, (Euronext: SESL, FR0010282822) the global leader in digital solutions for physical retail, today announced that it has been selected by Mattress Firm to be their official digital tag provider, digitalizing all their stores in the U.S. Mattress Firm is a leading retailer in North America operating over 2,300 stores in 49 states across the U.S.

With the implementation of VUSION Retail IoT platform in their stores, Mattress Firm will be able to elevate customer and associate experiences, as well as enable them to centrally control, monitor and execute all their prices and markdowns in the VUSION IoT Cloud.

"The VUSION Retail IoT platform will provide immediate benefits in our stores to both our customers and our 6,500 Sleep Experts across the country. The automated pricing solution will allow us to make price adjustments more quickly and efficiently, which ultimately creates an even more seamless shopping experience," said Jon Sider, Chief Information Officer at Mattress Firm.

The powerful combination of SES-imagotag's VUSION Retail IoT solution and the Cisco Meraki cloud-managed networking platform helps businesses easily scale and enhance customer experiences. With Meraki's ESL integration capabilities and Wi-Fi 6 Access Points, SES-imagotag's VUSION solution will help Mattress Firm quickly deploy and activate all its stores within just a few months. As a result, greatly simplifying operations, enhancing customer experiences, and substantially lowering the total cost of the solution for their locations, and contributing to the SES-imagotag Positive Retail initiative.

"In order to take advantage of new technologies and provide excellent customer experiences, global retailers must build agile business models that can scale seamlessly. With the help of Meraki wireless solutions and partners like SES-imagotag in our extensive partner ecosystem, businesses like Mattress Firm can fuel their digital transformation efforts to deliver better outcomes." -- Jayanthi Srinivasan, Director of Product Management, Cisco Meraki

Philippe Bottine, CEO North America at SES-imagotag concluded: "We are thrilled to support Mattress Firm's on-going digitalization of their stores, who are true leaders in their space. Thanks to the VUSION solution developed by SES-imagotag, we help Mattress Firm provide better customer and associate experiences in their stores. We are very much looking forward to expanding our partnership."

About SES-imagotag and the VUSION Retail IoT platform

SES-imagotag is a world leader in smart digital labels and IoT solutions for physical retail, serving over 300 large retailer groups around the world in Europe, Asia and North America.

SES-imagotag has developed the VUSION Retail IOT technology platform to help retailers transform their physical stores into high value digital assets, more automated, data-driven, and connected in real-time to suppliers and consumers. VUSION improves the agility, precision and accuracy of prices, whilst ensuring the omnichannel synchronization of prices, product information and marketing campaigns. The platform developed by SES-imagotag also optimizes in-store order preparation and restocking. VUSION improves employee satisfaction by freeing up time from cumbersome low value-added tasks and allowing them to focus on customer service and merchandizing tasks. VUSION connects shelves to the Cloud, providing real-time accurate information on product availability and location, allowing for reduced inventory, out-of-stock and waste, as well as improved on-shelf availability and merchandizing compliance. VUSION empowers consumers with better product, nutritional and traceability information at the shelf and enables a frictionless in-store shopping experience with features such as product search, pathfinding and cashier-less scan & pay features.

SES-imagotag supports the United Nations' Global Compact initiative and has received in 2022 the Gold Sustainability Rating from EcoVadis, the world's reference of business sustainability ratings

SES-imagotag is listed in compartment B of the Euronext Paris

Ticker: SESL - ISIN code: FR0010282822 - Reuters: SESL.PA - Bloomberg: SES

www.ses-imagotag.com

About Mattress Firm

Mattress Firm, the nation's largest omni-channel mattress specialty retailer, has been helping solve America's sleep problems for more than 90 years through our family of brands. Every one of our more than 6,500 passionate Sleep Experts are driven by a common purpose: to change people's lives through better sleep. Whether browsing online or in one of our 2,300+ stores, our highly trained team provides personalized service and advice to help customers choose the right mattress and bedding products based on their unique needs. Our expertly curated selection of products include leading brands such as Beautyrest, Nectar, Sealy, Serta, Simmons, Sleepy's Stearns & Foster, Tempur-Pedic, Tuft & Needle, tulo, and Purple. Mattress Firm supports local and national charities through product and monetary donations and offers employee volunteering opportunities to serve their communities. No matter the time of night, Mattress Firm wants to help people get the sleep they deserve. Our Sleep.com website provides expert advice and helps people explore the health benefits of quality sleep, and the Sleep.com app provides free sleep tracking and personalized insights to improve sleep.

Achieve your best sleep by visiting MattressFirm.com, and learn more on the Mattress Firm Newsroom and by following @MattressFirm on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact:

Investor Relations: Labrador - Raquel Lizarraga / +33 (0)6 46 71 55 20 / ses-imagotag@labrador-company.com

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In a meeting in the corporate assembly of Equinor ASA (OSE:EQNR, NYSE:EQNR) on 7 June 2022 Michael D. Lewis was elected as new member to Equinor's board of directors and Anne Drinkwater was elected as deputy chair of the board of Equinor ASA.

Furthermore, the corporate assembly re-elected Jon Erik Reinhardsen as chair of the board in addition to re-election of Anne Drinkwater, Bjrn Tore Godal, Rebekka Glasser Herlofsen, Jonathan Lewis, Finn Bjrn Ruyter and Tove Andersen as shareholder-elected members of the board of directors.

Michael D. Lewis is CEO of E.ON UK plc. He was CEO of E.ON Climate & Renewables GmbH in the period 2015-2017 and between 2007-2015 he was Chief Operating Officer of the same company. In the period 2004-2007 Lewis held the role as Vice President Corporate Strategy in E.ON AG. He has also worked as Equity Analyst, Strategy Analyst and Environmental Specialist and Environmental Scientist in other companies. Lewis has extensive international experience and broad board experience.

Lewis is chair of the board of Energy and Utilities Skills Partnership as well as member of the Natural Environment Research Council and Imperial College Business School, Centre for Climate Finance and Investment.

Lewis holds an MA in Environmental Law from De Montfort University, MSc Pollution and Environmental Control from the University of Manchester and BEng Engineering Technology from Leicester Polytechnic.

The election of shareholder-elected members to the board of directors enters into effect from 1 July 2022 and is effective until the ordinary election of shareholder-elected members to the board of directors in 2023.

Contacts:

Jarle Roth, chair of the nomination committee

All enquiries to be directed through Equinor Corporate Press Office, Sissel Rinde, +47 412 60 584.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

For immediate release

7 June 2022

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 100,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 792.15p 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 3,414,223; 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 221,577,080.

The figure of 221,577,080 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
EMulate Therapeutics Has Incorporated A New Wholly Owned Subsidiary to Deploy Its Platform Technology in the Companion Animal Health Sector. Senior Executives will be attending the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Conference - June 14 - 16 in San Diego, CA.

BELLEVUE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / EMulate Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage therapeutic device company focused on developing and commercializing innovative and distinctive therapies to address critical unmet needs in healthcare, today announced the incorporation of a new wholly owned subsidiary, Zoesana Therapeutics, Inc. Last year, EMulate incorporated Indolor Therapeutics, Inc. to focus on therapies for those suffering from serious pain conditions and Mensana Therapeutics, Inc. to focus on therapies for those suffering from a variety of mental health conditions. Earlier this year, EMulate incorporated Cellsana Therapeutics, Inc. to focus on therapies for those suffering from cancer. Through Zoesana Therapeutics, Inc., EMulate will use its proprietary radio frequency energy (RFE) technology, targeted at the low and ultra-low ends of the RFE spectrum (ulRFE), to provide safe and effective therapies to companion animals suffering from serious diseases, such as cancer, pain conditions and anxiety. (See www.emulatetx.com; News, for recent press releases.)

"We are extremely pleased to establish another subsidiary company, again in furtherance of our long-term business strategy," said Chris Rivera, President and Chief Executive Officer of EMulate Therapeutics, Inc. "Building on our past successes in treating over 200 canine and feline pets with various forms of cancer and other health conditions, Zoesana will seek opportunities to partner with veterinary practitioners and organizations to improve health outcomes for animals needing treatment for solid tumor cancers and serious conditions like pain and anxiety, among others. In addition, we will be attending the International Biotech conference next week in San Diego, speaking with companies and other organizations in the animal health space, as well as companies focused in cancer, pain management and mental health issues for human patients."

EMulate's business strategy is to leverage its proprietary ulRFE technology into multiple subsidiary vertical business units that can be partnered or built into successful independent commercial companies, as EMulate did with Hapbee Technologies, Inc. (HAPB), a publicly traded, commercial, consumer wearable technology company.

About EMulate Therapeutics, Inc.

EMulate Therapeutics is a clinical stage company utilizing its proprietary radio frequency energy technology (RFE) targeted at the low and ultra-low ends of the RFE spectrum (ulRFE) to provide safe and effective therapeutic benefits specifically targeted at the patients' underlying conditions. The company has generated encouraging human data from patients afflicted with glioblastoma and diffuse midline glioma and is preparing for pivotal (phase III) studies in each indication. It has also generated encouraging preclinical data in pain management and mental health models and is preparing for initial human clinical trials in each area. In addition, positive data have been generated independently in animal health and bio-agriculture models. EMulate Therapeutics is the licensor of its proprietary technology to Hapbee Technologies, Inc. (HAPB:TSVX). Hapbee is a commercial stage consumer technology company spun out from EMulate in 2019. EMulate is the largest independent shareholder in Hapbee and recipient of quarterly royalties from net sales.

Company Contact:

David Matteson

dmatteson@emultatetx.com

Cell: 425/478-2121

Investor Contact

James Carbonara

Hayden IR

Tel (646) 755-7412

james@haydenir.com

To learn more, please visit https://emulatetx.com/.

SOURCE: EMulate Therapeutics Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/704192/EMulate-Therapeutics-Announces-the-Incorporation-of-A-New-Wholly-Owned-Subsidiary
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / Sebastiani Ventures Corp. ("Sebastiani" or the "Company") (TSX-V:SBS.H) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a licensing agreement dated effective June 6, 2022 with EvokAI Creative Labs Inc. ("EvokAI") (the "Licensing Agreement"). EvokAI is a MedTech AI-powered company dedicated to the development of transformational and innovative technologies for the modern healthcare sector. It deploys machine learning models to search medical data and uncover insights to help improve health outcomes, patient experiences, drug development, preclinical and clinical decisions and provide more accurate diagnoses. EvokAI tailors its AI algorithms across the whole healthcare system, from hospitals, private clinics, research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations, to medical professionals, patients, healthy individuals aiming at preventing any kind of disease and beyond, protecting the aging genome. EvokAI is at arm's length to the Company.

For more information about EvokAI, visit the company's website at https://evokailabs.com

Pursuant to the terms of the Licensing Agreement, Sebastiani has the non-exclusive right to pursue strategic partnerships for commercial applications of the technology worldwide. In the event that Sebastiani reaches agreement with any third parties for use of EvokAI's technology, EvokAI will receive a revenue sharing royalty. Pursuant to the Agreement, Sebastiani also has an exclusive three-month period to conduct further due diligence on EvokAI, with an option to acquire EvokAI, through a reverse takeover transaction, valuing EvokAI at $70 million. In the event that Sebastiani exercises the option, such transaction would constitute a change of business under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") and would be subject to Exchange approval and compliance with the Exchange's change of business policy. There can be no assurance that Sebastiani will elect to exercise the option or pursue the change of business with EvokAI.

For further information, contact Scott Ackerman at 1-778-331-8505 or sackerman@emprisecapital.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of:

SEBASTIANI VENTURES CORP.

Scott Ackerman

Director

Sebastiani Ventures Corp.

Email: sackerman@emprisecapital.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Sebastiani Ventures Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/704194/Sebastiani-Ventures-Licenses-Artificial-Intelligence-Technology-From-Evokai
Leading Georgia Shake Roofer harnesses the power and style of DaVinci Synthetic Shake roofing to give local neighborhood homes a beautiful and long-lasting new look.

COVINGTON, GA / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2022 / Braswell Construction Group (BCG) is a preferred partner in the roofing industry known for its exceptional installations and great customer service. Recognized as the top roofing specialist for real cedar shake and synthetic shake roofing, BCG is one of the few Georgia contractors that knows how to restore and maintain cedar shake. 99% of the cedar roofing replacement jobs BCG has worked on were incorrectly installed by the original roofing company.

With over 20 years of experience, Braswell Construction Group installs shake roofing correctly the first time. BCG offers premium shake roofing options for customers wanting to improve the look and function of their home. Additionally, there are different grades of cedar shake and different manufacturers most of which produce inferior products as compared to the products BCG uses. The expanding category of synthetic roofing products cater to homeowners, builders, and remodelers who prefer renewable resources that come with the advantage of extreme durability and longevity yet want the look of natural shake roofs.

Advanced materials and manufacturing technologies give the synthetic products better resistance to weathering, greater durability, and longer lifespans than real cedar, according to manufacturers. "The material is mimicked to obtain efficiency and also longer life over the natural product," says Chris Braswell, owner of BCG.

BCG is recognized as a DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor by DaVinci Roofscapes. The program, sponsored by DaVinci RoofScapes, was established to facilitate relations with select contractors in recognition of their expertise and experience in installing and maintaining DaVinci synthetic shake roofing systems. This esteemed accolade and elite status of being named a DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor recognizes a heightened level of expertise and experience in installing DaVinci roofing systems.

The Power of DaVinci's Synthetic Shake

Roofing professionals know that top manufacturers let their materials speak for themselves, and that is exactly what DaVinci Roofscapes has done since they originated back in 1997. "DaVinci offers a superior quality of product that strikes the balance between high-end luxury design and stunningly modern appearances that are made to last," says Chris Braswell, CEO of Braswell Construction Group. DaVinci's focus on creating beautiful appearances that last longer than the average tile is what makes them a preferred partner with roofing companies all around the United States.

Earlier variations of shake shingles from other brands have slowly become less popular over time, but DaVinci aims to bring it back into the spotlight with a proprietary line of polymer-based composite cedar shake tiles. Their compelling synthetic line offers exactly what customers expect-a stunning appearance and a long lifespan. It pairs the appearance of genuine cedar shingles with even more durability than natural materials currently offer.

DaVinci's Synthetic Shake preserves its beautiful color, even after exposure to the elements. To the delight of homeowners, these shingles are ideal for withstanding a long list of problems caused by nature, including hazards associated with wind, hail, moss, tree falls, and drastic temperature changes.

The Synthetic Shake line has proven its durability and security through a comprehensive series of flame tests, including intermittent, spread, and burning brand tests. These shingles proudly received a Class A rating in the roof fire ratings offered by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), making them a cut above the rest. Able to resist spreading flames, fire penetration, and recurring intermittent flames, DaVinci offers yet another remarkable product designed to keep homeowners safe.

Ideal for homeowners in different climates, DaVinci's Synthetic Shake is built to last no matter what life brings. Available in both single-width and multi-width varieties, the Synthetic Shake line is a compelling example of yet another wonderful DaVinci Roofscapes product. Homeowners can enjoy these shingles in a range of color schemes that covers everything from the subtle Chesapeake all the way to the DaVinci-coined Fancy Shake. Already, the reviews agree that this product is a new age for synthetic shakes in roofing, and DaVinci is changing the way that we view them with these resilient and aesthetically pleasing materials.

About DaVinci Roofscapes:

DaVinci Roofscapes is a roofing manufacturer that wants to make the roofing industry better one roof at a time. Committed to natural looks and styles, they provide materials that make homes look gorgeous, offering any home an instant upgrade. Bringing together natural beauty, exceptional performance, and a long-lasting design, they are able to meet the needs of consumers living in a wide range of different environments. As game-changers in the industry, they can bring together years of experience with innovative designs to create products that look great and perform even better.

About Braswell Construction Group:

Braswell Construction Group is a leader in specialty roofing and a DaVinci Roofer Masterpiece Contractor. BCG has been a recipient of the prestigious DaVinci Project of the Year Award Winner multiple times, an award that is only given to three roofing specialists nationwide.

BCG has been locally owned and operated since 2002, and prides itself on its high-quality craftsmanship, exceptional customer service, and professional acumen. They have a reputation for always completing its roofing and restoration projects on time and on budget while providing customized service, top-notch customer service, and unparalleled workmanship.

Braswell Construction Group has been featured several times in both Yahoo Finance, ABC, FOX, among many others as an industry leader and the top Roofing Contractor in the state of Georgia.

Braswell Construction Group operates from many Georgia locations to service homeowners with all their roofing and restoration needs in Greensboro/Lake Oconee, Augusta, Athens, Covington/Conyers, Stone Mountain, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Atlanta, and their respective surrounding areas.

For more information, please visit https://www.braswellconstructiongroup.com

Contact Info:

Name: Michelle Bird

Email: info@braswellconstructiongroup.com

Organization: Braswell Construction Group, Inc. Roofing & Restoration

Address: 6105 Emory St NW, Covington, GA 30014, United States

Phone: (678) 283-2551

SOURCE: Braswell Construction Group

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/704195/Georgia-Shake-Roofer-Braswell-Construction-Group-Uses-Synthetic-Shake-Roofing-to-Improve-Georgia-Neighborhoods
The Hamburg-based AI technology company enables measurable ROI-driven licensing that optimizes the creative performance of content

LOS ANGELES, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Songtradr, the world's leading B2B music company, announced today the acquisition of leading AI metadata and music search company, Musicube. The transaction expands the company's portfolio of tech-enabled music solutions designed to license the right music for any content, driving higher ROI and enabling brands to measurably engage their target audience. Using neural networks and proprietary artificial intelligence, Musicube's semantic search has reached product leadership in both quality and data depth. It helps match music to content and a brand's target audience. This technology further enhances Songtradr's B2B music solutions that harness the power of data and tech-enabled intelligence with creative excellence.

"Musicube has approached audio analysis from an entirely unique perspective and this acquisition accelerates our mission to increase the value and effectiveness of music in content," said Paul Wiltshire, CEO of Songtradr. "Their impressive team of passionate musicologists and data scientists understand the power of data and its relationship with music, which ultimately benefits our brand and agency customers as well as music rights holders. In order to have the world's best B2B music search and recommendation technology, we need premier metadata enrichment technology, which is a key component of the B2B music supply chain. Adding the Musicube technologies, data and extraordinary team to Songtradr will help accelerate our enterprise customer user experience."

Musicube's proprietary software is delivered via web widgets and an API that provides pristine metadata at scale for music labels, publishers, music supervisors, among many other audiences. The technology also enables customers to search for tracks, playlists and artists based on audiences, moods, genres, vocal features, instruments, tempo and more, unlocking the true value of catalogs and rights.

David Hoga, CEO and founder of Musicube, said: "Songtradr is the most exciting music company we have seen in a very long time. We are incredibly happy to join this exceptional team of music lovers and technologists as every single conversation we have had can be characterized by both cordiality and an ambitious agenda. We share a common vision of an artist-friendly music industry, using data to achieve it."

With a team of more than 350 people and offices in 12 countries worldwide, Songtradr has grown from being a music tech product for independent artists to a multi-disciplined, end-to-end solution for music buyers, brands and rights holders.

Songtradr's unique portfolio of the world's leading music services companies (Massive Music, Big Sync Music and Song Zu) alongside its industry-leading technology and data products (Songtradr, Tunefind, Pretzel, Jaxsta (investment only) and Musicube) provides its customers a distinct advantage to maximize the value of music in their projects.

For more information about Songtradr's products and services, visit songtradr.com .

ABOUT MUSICUBE:

Musicube's music AI solution provides rich metadata for music labels, publishers, rights holders and others seeking song discoverability tools. The database includes more than 50 million song titles with ISRC and all contributors, as well as more than 500 keywords (such as moods, musical characteristics, content from song lyrics and many more). The company is composed of experienced musicologists and data scientists based in Hamburg, Germany. For more information, visit http://www.musicu.be .

ABOUT SONGTRADR:

Songtradr is where music meets data, ideas meet innovation, and brand missions are transformed by sound.

We work with brands, agencies, businesses, labels, artists, and more, empowering them to excel on an international stage. Propelled by technology, real-time data intelligence, and musical expertise, our fully integrated products and services help amplify brands and enable artists and rights holders to realize the full potential of their catalog.

Whether with a classic song or a trending tune, a global music strategy or a sonic identity, we help translate ideas into powerful, ROI-driven solutions to ensure content always hits the right note.

We power the world with music.

Press Contact:

Kara Gaughan

Jive PR + Digital

778-872-7676

kara@jiveprdigital.com

www.jiveprdigital.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1832398/Songtradr_Logo.jpg

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Samsung, SK say their investment strategies not affected by geopolitical issues



By Kim Yoo-chul



South Korea's official joining of the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) could possibly jeopardize Seoul's long-standing strategic partnership with Beijing, as the core purpose of the IPEF is to counter China's growing economic and political influence in Asia.



The rationale behind such concerns was illustrated early by a series of recent remarks by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who has expressed his dissatisfaction with the launch of the economic framework, which excludes China. Wang said in his May 16 videoconference with Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin that China doesn't want to see "technological decoupling" through the launch of the IPEF.



But because the prime goal of the IPEF is aimed at ensuring supply chain resiliency, the point of which is also embraced by China, given Beijing's continued heavy investment into the semiconductor industry, experts and executives at Samsung and SK  the world's top two chip manufacturers  said Seoul's participation in the IPEF will help domestic tech companies deepen their "dual-track" strategy for dealing with both the United States and China.



The Joe Biden administration is continuing the former Donald Trump administration's economic "decoupling" strategy to reduce U.S. reliance on Chinese imports and supply chains. Decoupling from China will cost a lot and China still lags far behind in the race for semiconductors, for example, when it comes to the level of tech being applied to manufacture advanced microprocessors, according to experts.



"The point is that China still has to rely on technology support from foreign companies in batteries and semiconductors, the industries which the country has identified as strategically important. Interestingly, because of South Korea's joining of the IPEF, China is expected to offer more incentives and benefits for Korean semiconductor and battery manufacturers doing business there," said Jeon Byeong-seo, the director of the Institute of Chinese Economic and Financial Research. China accounts for a 63-percent market share of the global consumption of semiconductors as of May of this year, according to estimates by market research firms.



The world's top memory chip manufacturer, Samsung Electronics, said it is on track to manufacture a massive quantity of chips with finer 3-nanometer processing technology. Its existing semiconductor plant in Austin, Texas, has been fully operational to manufacture chips with highly advanced technology, while its new chip plant, to be built in the city of Taylor, near Austin, will also be assigned to handle chips with premium technology. SK hynix, the world's No. 2 chipmaker, is investing heavily in the United States with a huge focus on high-end semiconductor technologies.



Washington's priority is banning Chinese tech companies from buying parts and components from U.S. companies or those of its allies, for use in manufacturing cutting-edge products, without its approval.



"In the case of semiconductors, a lot of Chinese companies are still relying on less-advanced 20-nanometer-level processing technology as the mainstream tool for semiconductor production. This level of technology is classified as a second-tier technology. However, Beijing's concern is how to shield itself from Washington's economic squeeze by announcing extra billion dollar investment plans in the semiconductor industry. Samsung and SK will benefit a lot," a former high-ranking trade ministry official said in a brief telephone interview.



The precondition to make the decoupling strategy actually happen is to get more countries currently maintaining a high level of economic partnership with China into an alternative U.S.-led economic bloc. But the point is not many countries are ready right now to follow suit. Plus, Europe and Asia do not necessarily want to see a decoupling from China because doing so would undermine the competitiveness of their companies and could slow economic growth.









"Given the amount of investments in China by Korean tech companies, it will be a sensible scenario for China to provide more benefits for Samsung and SK affiliates in a way to retain them and to persuade them to level up their technology collaboration. At the time of Korea's joining of the IPEF, China didn't overreact to it or even make remarks signaling its intention to impose retaliatory measures," a senior executive at a first-tier parts supplier for Samsung, which has operations in China, said by telephone. "Beijing doesn't believe it can win support from Japan, the United States and Taiwan."





A protester holds signs during a rally outside the foreign ministry in Seoul during a trilateral meeting among the United States, South Korea and Japan, June 3. AP-Yonhap



Representatives at Samsung and SK said they've been studying how Korea joining the IPEF could affect their mainstream businesses in China. They said that the principle of their go-to-market strategy will be maintained regardless of geopolitical issues.



Over the last decades, China's core role in the semiconductor industry has been one of a mere assembler and packager. In 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted China's dependence on core technologies is the biggest hidden trouble for the country and asked officials to put more focus on accelerating the development of "core semiconductors." In 2019, China created a state-backed fund worth $28.9 billion in a bid to make its own chip supply chain. However, the trade conflict between the world's top two economic powerhouses has been curbing this aim.



The Quad, a potential risk factor



Given China's significance and influence in the global economy, even Washington's allies are preferring to remain on healthy terms with both the U.S. and China, hedging between China as a trading partner and the United States as a security partner.



Political analysts say Washington's definition of the IPEF  that it isn't intended to pressure China politically as it is more about economic cooperation  leaves the door open for Beijing to apply a "phased approach" to its partners in Asia because the IPEF is more a signal, a statement of purpose and an ambiguous vision rather than a pact such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) or the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).





Two chips are on display at the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute in Hsinchu, in this file photo. Reuters-Yonhap
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2022) - Foremost Lithium Resource &Technology Ltd. (CSE: FAT) (OTCQB: FRRSF) (FSE: F0R0) (WKN: A3DCC8)(www.foremostlithium.com) ("Foremost Lithium, "Foremost or "The Company") announced John Gravelle has agreed to accept the role as President and CEO. Foremost Lithium has seen significant growth on the Company's lithium exploration assets and is in the fortunate position to quickly grow its global market presence. Mr. Gravelle brings over 30 years of global mining and extensive global capital markets experience. He is a retired partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers where he served in various leadership roles related to mining, including in-depth knowledge of cross-border markets, M&A and corporate governance. Mr. Gravelle's industry knowledge of capital markets, and related experience helping public companies navigate through a variety of equity and debt offerings will enable Foremost Lithium to implement strategies to increase the Company's visibility to an expanded shareholder base.

John Gravelle, Foremost's incoming President and CEO, comments: "I have seen enormous growth opportunities with this company and in the lithium market in general. We also are fortunate to have a very passionate, knowledgeable and driven team. Speaking on behalf of the Board, our primary objective is to leverage the talents of our team, our tremendous lithium projects in Snow Lake, Manitoba, and to fully take advantage of the robust demand for lithium. We will support strategic initiatives that elevate Foremost Lithium's future growth and expand our shareholder base."

The Company is committed to exploring and evaluating all possibilities and opportunities that will put it on a trajectory for growth in all markets and deliver shareholder value. Appointing John Gravelle into this role will ensure that the Company will maximize its success. Scott Taylor will continue to be on the board of directors.

John Gravelle

President and CEO, Foremost Lithium

About Foremost Lithium Resource & Technology

Foremost Lithium is an energy tech company driven to become one of the first North American Companies to produce high quality battery-grade lithium hydroxide domestically to fuel the electric vehicle and battery storage market. Given the importance and global focus on increasing energy decarbonization, especially when it comes to vehicles. The company is hyper-focused in continued exploration and growth on its four lithium properties, Jean Lake, Grass River, and Zoro located in Snow Lake, Manitoba, and Hidden Lake in the Northwest Territories. Foremost also holds its Winston Gold/Silver Project in New Mexico, USA.

For further Information Please Contact:

IR@foremostlithium.com

Foremost Lithium Resource &Technology

1 604 330-8067

Follow Us and Contact Us on Social Media:

Twitter: @foremostlithium

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foremost-lithium-resource-technology

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForemostLithium

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to Foremost within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Foremost provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections, or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct, and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to market conditions, exploration findings, results, and recommendations, as well as those risks and uncertainties identified and reported in Foremost's public filings under Foremost's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although Foremost has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Foremost disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126813
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2022) - Euro Asia Pay Holdings Inc. (CSE: EAP) (the "Company"), a Vancouver-based fintech solutions provider, is pleased to announce that the Company has changed its corporate name to "Hero Innovation Group Inc." In connection with the name change, the Company's trading symbol on the Canadian Securities Exchange will change from "EAP" to "HRO".

The Company expects its common shares to commence trading under the new name and symbol on or about June 10, 2022. The new ISIN and CUSIP associated with the common shares are CA42771M1005 and 42771M100, respectively.

The name change reflects the Company's growth and innovation towards delivering innovative financial solutions for the next generation of consumers whose parents demand safety, security and peace of mind while promoting financial literacy for the future. Since its start in 2017, the Company has been continually diversifying its products and services to address specific unmet needs of the youth demographic. At the same time, it is delivering a unique service to the North American market with its flagship brands - Hero Financials & SideKick.

"Our company is at the forefront of fintech innovation," said Peter MacKay, CEO of Hero Innovation Group. "Hero is the new name, but our mission and purpose of empowering the younger generation of consumers with meaningful tools as they embark on their financial independence journey remain the same."

The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Markus Westerholz, as its Chief Technology Officer. Mr. Westerholz brings over 20 years of experience in software development to the team. He is passionate about designing highly scalable, well maintainable systems, building strong, self-reliant teams and creating efficient work processes to tie it all together. A former CTO of Venzee Technologies, Markus has built and led teams that have delivered successful solutions for a wide range of industries, such as asset management for gaming, heavy industry cost calculation systems, cloud-based solutions for digital asset management and modern supply chain challenges.

Markus has received various certifications from the British Columbia Institute of Technology's Computer Science Program and Cloud Vendors such as AWS.

About Hero Innovation Group Inc.

Hero Innovation Group Inc. (formerly, Euro Asia Pay Holdings Inc.) is a developer of innovative financial solutions for the next generation of consumers. Through its flagship product, SideKick, introduced in 2018, the company identified unmet needs in the market within specific demographics, such as international students in Canada, and delivered a product to address those needs. Hero Financials, the Company's latest product, is targeted at parents, kids and young adults across Canada. With financial literacy at the forefront of the company's values and a plethora of advanced proprietary technology features, Hero Financials prepares kids to become financially smart adults through a variety of financial literacy tools.

To learn more about Hero Group's products and services, visit www.heroinnovationgroup.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Peter MacKay

Chief Executive Officer & Director

For further information, please contact:

Peter MacKay

Chief Executive Officer & Director

(800) 508-8813

ir@heroinnovationgroup.com

For all media queries, please contact:

Hero Innovation Group Inc.

Swati Mehta

PR Associates

(403) 804-0768

smehta@prassociates.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release include forward-looking statements or information (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. The Company is providing cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause its actual results to differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions as to expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as "may", "anticipates", "is expected to", "estimates", "intends", "plans", "projection", "could", "vision", "goals", "objective" and "outlook") are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. The Company has based the forward-looking statements largely on its current estimates, assumptions and projections about future events and trends that it believes may affect its business, financial condition and results of operations.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, which contribute to the possibility that the predicted outcomes may not occur or may be delayed. The risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, include, but are not limited to: the ability of the Company to establish a market for its products; competitive conditions in the mobile payments industry which could prevent the Company from becoming profitable; the effectiveness and efficiency of advertising and promotional expenditures to generate interest in the Company's products; dependency on continued growth in the adoption of mobile payment technology; volatility of the market price of the Company's securities; the inability to secure additional financing; the Company's intention not to pay dividends; claims, lawsuits and other legal proceedings and challenges; conflicts of interest with directors and management; and other relevant factors.

Factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements include its history of losses from operations; technology risks; its ability to obtain the additional financing required to meet long-term goals; its dependence on key personnel, including its executive officers; and uninsured risks. These factors are not exhaustive.

Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and, except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126811
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil prices climbed higher on Tuesday as prospects of increased demand from China following relaxations of lockdown restrictions, and supply concerns outweighed concerns about growth. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has projected that U.S. crude production and petroleum demand will both rise in 2022. Oil prices moved higher despite a recent decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, together called OPEC+, to increase output in July and August by 648,000 barrels per day, or 50% more than previously planned. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for July ended higher by $0.91 or about 0.8% at $119.41 a barrel. Brent crude futures were up $1.81 or 1.51% at 121.32 a barrel a little while ago. The World Bank has slashed its global growth forecast to 2.9% for 2022, lowering its earlier forecast by nearly a third, warning that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has compounded the damage from the coronavirus pandemics. The World Bank said many countries are now facing recession. Meanwhile, markets await weekly oil reports from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and EIA. The API's report is due later today, while the EIA is scheduled to release its weekly inventory data Wednesday morning. 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.
Almonty Industries Inc. ("Almonty" or the "Company") (TSX: AII ASX: AII OTCQX: ALMTF Frankfurt: ALI) is pleased to announce the closing of a private placement of 2,494,118 Chess Depository Interests ("CDIs") at A$0.85 per CDI to raise gross proceeds of A$2.12 million ("Placement") with the Company's third largest shareholder Deutsche Rohstoff.

The use of proceeds of this Placement will be for general working capital prior to the drawdown of the KfW-IPEX Bank US$75.1 million finance facility and to accelerate ongoing growth strategies now being pursued.

The Placement CDIs are expected to settle on or around June 7, 2022. The Placement CDI's issued under the Placement will rank equally with existing CDI's and Common Shares on issue.

The closing of the Placement is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the acceptance by the TSX and ASX.

Lazarus Corporate Finance Pty Ltd acted as Lead Manager to the Placement and will be paid a total fee of 6% of the gross proceeds raised in the Placement. Current Almonty Director Mr Andrew Frazer is also the managing director of Lazarus, the Lead Manager for the Placement.

For and on behalf of the board of Almonty Industries Inc.

About Almonty

The principal business of Toronto, Canada-based Almonty Industries Inc. is the mining, processing and shipping of tungsten concentrate from its Los Santos Mine in western Spain and its Panasqueira mine in Portugal as well as the development of its Sangdong tungsten mine in Gangwon Province, South Korea and the development of the Valtreixal tin/tungsten project in north western Spain. The Los Santos Mine was acquired by Almonty in September 2011 and is located approximately 50 kilometres from Salamanca in western Spain and produces tungsten concentrate. The Panasqueira mine, which has been in production since 1896, is located approximately 260 kilometres northeast of Lisbon, Portugal, was acquired in January 2016 and produces tungsten concentrate. The Sangdong mine, which was historically one of the largest tungsten mines in the world and one of the few long-life, high-grade tungsten deposits outside of China, was acquired in September 2015 through the acquisition of a 100% interest in Woulfe Mining Corp. Almonty owns 100% of the Valtreixal tin-tungsten project in north- western Spain. Further information about Almonty's activities may be found at www.almonty.com and under Almonty's profile at www.sedar.com.

Legal Notice

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions.

Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. These statements and information are based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and reflect Almonty's current expectations.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Almonty to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: any specific risks relating to fluctuations in the price of ammonium para tungstate ("APT") from which the sale price of Almonty's tungsten concentrate is derived, actual results of mining and exploration activities, environmental, economic and political risks of the jurisdictions in which Almonty's operations are located and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, forecasts and assessments relating to Almonty's business, credit and liquidity risks, hedging risk, competition in the mining industry, risks related to the market price of Almonty's shares, the ability of Almonty to retain key management employees or procure the services of skilled and experienced personnel, risks related to claims and legal proceedings against Almonty and any of its operating mines, risks relating to unknown defects and impairments, risks related to the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, risks related to governmental regulations, including environmental regulations, risks related to international operations of Almonty, risks relating to exploration, development and operations at Almonty's tungsten mines, the ability of Almonty to obtain and maintain necessary permits, the ability of Almonty to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting requirements, lack of suitable infrastructure and employees to support Almonty's mining operations, uncertainty in the accuracy of mineral reserves and mineral resources estimates, production estimates from Almonty's mining operations, inability to replace and expand mineral reserves, uncertainties related to title and indigenous rights with respect to mineral properties owned directly or indirectly by Almonty, the ability of Almonty to obtain adequate financing, the ability of Almonty to complete permitting, construction, development and expansion, challenges related to global financial conditions, risks related to future sales or issuance of equity securities, differences in the interpretation or application of tax laws and regulations or accounting policies and rules and acceptance of the TSX of the listing of Almonty shares on the TSX.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to, no material adverse change in the market price of ammonium para tungstate (APT), the continuing ability to fund or obtain funding for outstanding commitments, expectations regarding the resolution of legal and tax matters, no negative change to applicable laws, the ability to secure local contractors, employees and assistance as and when required and on reasonable terms, and such other assumptions and factors as are set out herein. Although Almonty has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results, level of activity, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and even if events or results described in the forward-looking statements are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, Almonty. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and are cautioned that actual outcomes may vary.

Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Almonty cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on Almonty's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events.

Almonty has also assumed that material factors will not cause any forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF ALMONTY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD- LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE ALMONTY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607006260/en/

Contacts:

Lewis Black

Chairman, President and CEO

Telephone: +1 647 438-9766

Email: info@almonty.com
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has reportedly told employees at SpaceX that the company does not intend to take its Starlink satellite internet business public before 2025. 'I'm not sure exactly when that [IPO] is, but maybe it will be like - I don't know, just guessing - three or four years from now,' Musk said at a private meeting of the company's employees, according to an audio recording obtained by CNBC. Three to four years would mean that Starlink IPO will only take place after 2025, which is later than Musk's initial estimates. In an email sent by Musk in May 2019, which was obtained by CNBC, Musk had stated that 'it will probably make sense to take Starlink public in about three years or so.' Musk then pushed back that estimate, saying in a tweet last year that it would be 'at least a few years before Starlink revenue is reasonably predictable,' adding that 'going public sooner than that would be very painful.' In the latest meeting, the CEO reiterated this point to the SpaceX's employees that they 'should not think of things going public as, like, a sure path to riches.' 'The public markets are fickle' and 'really pistol-whip you if you don't meet expectations,' Musk added. SpaceX recently raised at least $1.5 billion in a funding round, valuing the company at around $125 billion. 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.
Drone light show brings environmentally friendly spectacle to the skies above Jasper National Park

Jasper, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2022) - Levitating movie magic will soon dazzle the Rockies for the second year in a row. This October, the Jasper Dark Sky Festival will have a hypnotizing light show of hundreds of choreographed drones moving in sync above the mountain town.

The annual two-week dark sky festival (Oct. 14-23) will also draw a stellar line-up of space and science stars who will tackle the hottest topics of the day, like space tourism and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The line-up includes returning fan favourites like Delalune Space founder Rob Meyerson, SETI Institute senior astronomer Seth Shostak, scientist-astronaut candidate Dr. Shawna Pandya, and science communicator Jay Ingram. Musical performances will feature the lunar loving Dark Sky Band, including an original song to accompany the Drone Light Show.

New to the festival this year (and coming from around the planet) are spaceflight author Emily Carney, astrophysicist Emma Louden, and award-winning artist and occupational diver Dr. Sarah Jane Pell. Meanwhile Edmonton's own artificial intelligence expert Patrick Pilarski will bring his research into how bionic limbs can help amputees.

Indigenous events will include Fireside Chats with Warrior Women, pahkisimon sunset ceremony at Lake Annette and guided plant walks. There will also be a symphony under the stars with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, kid-friendly rocket launches, live and interactive science demonstrations with TELUS World of Science - Edmonton, stargazing using the most powerful telescopes in the Rockies, trivia night, astrophotography workshops, guided night hikes, foodie experiences, and more.

About the festival

Jasper National Park was designated as a Dark Sky Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society in 2011; it is the largest accessible Dark Sky Preserve in the world. The Jasper Dark Sky Festival is entering its twelfth year and is presented by Rocky Mountaineer. Learn more at jasperdarksky/travel.

Media Contact

Emily Van Tighem

Specialist, Earned & Social Media | Tourism Jasper

1.780.931.9000

emily@jasper.travel





Tourism Jasper



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Tourism Jasper



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Tourism Jasper



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TORONTO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tavares family will be hosting a Celebration of Life and Legacy Event honouring Mr. David Nicodemio Tavares on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm at Massey Hall, 728 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5H 1S5. The Regional Undersecretary for the Regional Government of the Azores, President of the Municipal City Hall for Ponta Delgada, Deputy Mayor, former Minister of Finance for Ontario and former Mayor of Mississauga will pay tribute to an entrepreneur and pioneer in the Canadian Portuguese community.

Mr. David N. Tavares passed away at the young age of 72, on Wednesday January 13, 2021 after a battle with cancer during the Covid-19 pandemic province wide shutdown. As a result, family, friends and colleagues were unable to pay their respects until restrictions were removed. The family is pleased to organize a memorial service to celebrate the life of David N. Tavares by bringing together family, friends and colleagues from around the world to Toronto. The event will be live streamed from our social media sites - (https://youtu.be/g01l6TxZLdw)

David was a visionary and pioneering Canadian entrepreneur who immigrated to Canada from Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal in 1966. He made Canada his place to grow and applied his technical ingenuity, with a passion for developing technological solutions, to serve the world. He used the same passion he had for everything Canadian by creating a strong Canada-Azores-Portugal partnership to promote economic opportunity for his native Azores. David was a humble man and all about giving back. He founded his enterprises with the mission to grow and serve people, using technology as a means to improve peoples' daily lives on a global scale.

Founding several enterprises spanning the five decades of his career, David's most notable GlobeStar Systems Inc., the developer of the Connexall enterprise software platform used in hospitals around the world. Connexall has become the leading software in patient alarm management. David served communities and industries with a focus on customer service excellence, value driven products and services. The creation and development of Connexall would be his greatest achievement and the pride of making a marked difference in the technological evolution in healthcare. His belief that Connexall could help save lives would drive his passion and dedication to development with hospitals.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/connexallgss

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConnexallGSS

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConnexallGSS

For further information contact the Organizing Committee at celebrationoflife@connexall.com
Saudi Arabia hosts largest UNWTO Executive Council meeting since pandemic

UNWTO Secretary General and Ministers praise Saudi focus on tourism

UNWTO agenda focuses on key global issues in tourism

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Saudi Arabia hosted the official opening of the 116th UNWTO Executive Council Meeting today, a powerful vehicle that brings together global tourism leaders to shape the future of the sector.

As First Vice Chair of the UNWTO Executive Council, His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb discussed with global leaders how tourism must be a key part of a stronger and more sustainable world and called for greater collaboration to accelerate the sector's recovery.

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Saudi Arabia, commented: "Tourism is a vital driver of growth, opportunity, and development and today, we are at global cross-roads. Our sector could create 58 million jobs in 2022, to reach more than 330 million, just 1% below pre-pandemic levels. This can only be achieved with strong leadership, a clear vision, and resources.

"Tourism's restart in many countries around the world offers a unique chance to rethink tourism governance, communications and beyond. We have an incredible opportunity to set a new way forward, to create a strong future for the global tourism sector, and we must seize it."

Adopting the Meeting agenda, Member States welcomed the report on current trends in international tourism provided by UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili alongside UNWTO monitoring reports and tools developed since the outbreak of COVID-19.

UNWTO Secretary-General, His Excellency Zurab Pololikashvili, and His Excellency Siandou Fofana, Minister of Tourism of Cote d' Ivoire and Chair of the UNWTO Executive Council, said: "It is our joint responsibility to shape a more sustainable tourism sector. We must re-think tourism development, re-invent tourism destinations and businesses and re-build the whole of the tourism eco-system. The 116th UNWTO Executive Council is where we come together to take the first steps towards this ambitious but vital goal. Thank you, Saudi Arabia, for enabling us to meet in person and kick-start this journey."

The two-day meeting, held in the historical city of Jeddah, is the biggest in-person, Executive Council meeting held since the pandemic began. Aimed at fostering strong coordination between member states to boost the recovery of global tourism, the meeting demonstrated the Executive Council's determination to adopt a joined-up approach.

His Excellency was joined in Jeddah by Ministers and representatives from 35 Member States of the Executive Council, alongside global tourism leaders and private sector decision-makers.

***NOTE TO EDITORS

Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism leads the Saudi Tourism ecosystem, with support from the Saudi Tourism Authority and the Tourism Development Fund.

The Ministry sets the Kingdom's tourism sector strategy and is responsible for the development of policies and regulations, developing human capital, gathering statistics, and attracting investment. It works in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority, which promotes Saudi Arabia as a global tourism destination, and the Tourism Development Fund, which executes the Ministry's investment strategy by providing funding for the sector's development.

Headed by His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, the Ministry was founded in February 2020, following the opening of Saudi Arabia to international leisure tourists for the first time in its history in 2019.Saudi Arabia aims to welcome 100 million tourism visits by 2030, increasing the sector's contribution to GDP from 3% to 10%.

About the United Nations World Tourism Organization

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UNWTO promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1834982/Ministry_of_Tourism_1.jpg

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Fresho, a London, UK-based company that aims to make food supply chains more sustainable between restaurants and their suppliers, raised 38M in Series A funding.

The round was led by Primorus Investments, Capital Zed, Andrew Sypkes, and Second Quarter Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate across UK and US.

Co-founded by Managing Directors James Andronis and Huw Birrell, Fresho provides a solution for tens of thousands of chefs who reach for their device to choose exact quantities for their needs, in an online shopping experience specifically tailored to the B2B food industry. It enables:

buyers to see live prices and specials, allowing for informed product choices and assistance in food cost management

suppliers to receive the order immediately in a single dashboard and to leverage real time sales data to manage purchasing efficiently and eliminates wastage before it becomes an issue.

More than 38,000 foodservice venues across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States have now used the innovative software solution, with more than 700 million ($1 billion USD) processed through the platform annually. Freshos user base consists of restaurants, hotels, hospitals, cafes, schools, farm shops, QSRs and independent retailers. In London, a number of iconic venues place orders with Fresho. These include Michelin star rated restaurant Wild Honey within Sofitel St James, Polpo, 1 Lombard Street, and the Bingham Riverhouse.

Fresho now employs over 60 people after launching in the UK in 2021.

FinSMEs

07/06/2022




President Yoon Suk-yeol said Tuesday rallies in front of former President Moon Jae-in's home should be handled in accordance with the law just like those outside the presidential office.







Moon and his family have complained of loud and verbally abusive rallies by conservative activists outside their home in Yangsan, 309 kilometers southeast of Seoul, ever since they moved in after the former president's retirement last month.







"Well, since rallies are allowed at the presidential office, won't they all be handled in accordance with the law?" Yoon told reporters when asked to comment on the protests.







The JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported earlier Yoon was "deeply concerned" about the protests, citing a key presidential official. It also claimed the presidential office was planning to ask the activists to refrain from holding the rallies.







"The issue was briefly discussed during a tea meeting between the chief of staff and senior secretaries," a presidential official told reporters Tuesday. "But there was no separate meeting on it as to where the position of the presidential office was decided, or any process of asking the president for his thoughts on that." (Yonhap)










Four-term lawmaker Woo Sang-ho was named as new interim leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Tuesday.







Woo was selected to lead the DPK's interim leadership committee in a general meeting of lawmakers, party spokesperson Shin Hyun-young said.







Woo will lead the DPK until the party elects a new chairperson at a national convention planned for August.







"Rep. Woo is expected to exercise leadership in an impartial manner as he has declared he won't seek reelection," Shin said.







Woo is considered one of the "Generation 86" lawmakers, a mainstream group within the DPK referring to those who went to university in the 1980s and were born in the 1960s. The Generation 86 group has been blamed by critics for the party's low approval ratings amid perceptions they are politicians with vested interests.







However, Woo is considered more neutral than others and enjoys trust from a wide spectrum of party members.







Reps. Lee Yong-woo, Park Jae-ho and Han Jeoung-ae were named as members of the committee, Shin said.







The new leadership was selected after all members of the previous leadership committee quit en mass to take responsibility for the party's crushing defeat in last week's local elections. (Yonhap)






By Choe Chong-dae





One hundred forty years ago, the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation between the Joseon Kingdom of Korea and the United States was signed in Jemulpo, now Incheon, in May 1882.



The Korean Legation was dispatched to Washington with Park Jeong-yang (1841-1904) as Korea's first ambassador with a diplomatic staff of nine in 1887. One of the staff was Kang Jin-hee (1851-1919), an interpreter, attache and painter for Park who spoke English and Japanese fluently. He was an accomplished intellectual with interests in literature, calligraphy and painting. He recorded his diplomatic tenure in America with paintings and poems rendered in calligraphy. The Korea Legation celebrated King Gojong's 36th birthday in 1888 with a reception at Fisher House in Washington, D.C. Kang made paintings that expressed longing for Korea at that time as well as a variety of paintings of his impressions of his stay in the U.S.



The exhibition, titled, "Connections (continue)," sheds light on Kang Jin-hee's diplomatic and artistic life. It is at Gallery Yeh in Garosu-gil, Gangnam District, Seoul, from May 26 through June 18.



My wife and I had the pleasure of viewing the exhibition at special invitation of the gallery. We were fortunate to enjoy detailed explanations Kang's distinctive work by the gallery's directors, Kim Bang-eon and Kim Yong-shik. They are in fact the great-granddaughter and great-grandson of Kang.



The exhibition featured some of King's distinctive paintings, such as "Seungilbansongdo," "Samsanyukseongdo," "Jangyo-song-byeoldo" and "Hwachabunbyeoldo."



"Seungilbansongdo" depicts celebrations of the birthdays and long life of King Gojong and Crown Prince Sunjong in the spirit of Korea's strong state and patriotism. The "Samsanyukseongdo" depicts the legendary Samshin Mountain, a most sacred mountain where the deities representing the holy spirit and longevity reside. "Jangyosongbyeoldo" shows a farewell scene with Park Jeong-yang on a pier in the U.S.



I was most impressed by the "Hwachabunbyeoldo" which portrays the scenery of cities besides Washington, D.C., where two trains come and go from different directions. It is considered to be Korea's first travel painting that depicts American scenery, based on when he traveled to Boston.



The artwork on display is very important for research into modern literati paintings and calligraphy. It is the earliest painting created by the first Korean diplomat in the U.S. at the end of Joseon Kingdom.



Returning to Korea in 1890, Kang served as an official in the judicial administration and in the education institute until 1910, thanks to his rich career and education. Resigning from civil service in 1911, he immersed himself in calligraphy, literati painting and teaching. He played a pioneering role in establishing the Korea Calligraphy Art and Painting Association later on.



Also on display is "Akbuhabyeong," a collection in the Joseon lyric genre, including lyric poems and pansori, a distinctive form of Korean narrative folk song. It evokes Korean common people's feelings of joy, sorrow and nostalgia, and was written in Kang's hand in 1913. The book includes famed epic poetry of the late Joseon period, composed by Song Man-jae, Shin Wi, Choe Si-young, Kim Seok-joon and Ko Young-moon, with Kang's translation and commentary.



In recognition of his fame in calligraphy and lyric writing, Kang was asked to inscribe the stone statue of Donghak founder Choe Che-woo's tomb in 1911. Kang's unique style of seal script reads, "Tomb of Donghak Founder." It stands in front of Choe's tomb in Gyeongju. Donghak (Eastern Learning) was a school of thought, philosophy and movement in Korea, which developed into the native religion of Cheondo-gyo, as it is known today.



It has been nearly a century and a half since Korea and the United States have established diplomatic ties. Kang Jin-hee's diplomatic, literary and artistic legacy still resonates with us. My fervent wish is that Kang's early contribution strengthens the strong alliance between the two countries.





Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association.






President hit for naming ex-prosecutors to key posts



President Yoon Suk-yeol has come under criticism for appointing former prosecutors to major government posts. Yet he has continued to defend his appointments by saying that his policy is to appoint the right person with "competence" to the right position. But only a few agree with him.



Yoon, a former prosecutor general, angered the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) when he nominated his close confidant Han Dong-hoon, a former senior prosecutor, for justice minister. DPK lawmakers strongly objected to the nomination, arguing that Yoon was trying to control the prosecution through Han to force prosecutors to dig up dirt on key figures of the previous Moon Jae-in administration.



However, Yoon brushed aside such arguments and appointed Han to lead the Ministry of Justice. He also named another colleague prosecutor as vice justice minister. The problem became worse after Yoon announced a plan to create a new personnel vetting unit under the justice ministry. The unit is to take over the task of vetting candidates for senior officials at the top office. The senior presidential secretary for civil affairs used to handle that task. But the new president abolished that position.



Yoon's preference for former prosecutors does not stop there. He tapped five more former prosecutors to ministerial and vice ministerial positions. One of them is Lee Wan-kyu for minister of government legislation. Lee, a lawyer, once defended Yoon when he was suspended as prosecutor general briefly in 2020 for targeting former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, a close aide to then President Moon, in a corruption case.



Yoon also appointed former prosecutors to key posts in the presidential office, including secretaries in change of personnel affairs, disciplining government officials and general affairs. It is not too much to say that Yoon's former colleagues in the prosecution have monopolized major posts both in the presidential office and the administration.



On June 3, Yoon named Cho Sang-joon, a former deputy chief of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, as head of planning and coordination at the National Intelligence Service (NIS). He also tapped Park Sung-keun, a former prosecutor, as chief of staff to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Cho's appointment has triggered a controversy because of his career as a lawyer defending Yoon's wife in a stock price manipulation case.



On Tuesday, Yoon appointed Lee Bok-hyun, another former senior prosecutor, as governor of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), prompting protests from his critics and opposition lawmakers. This is the first time that an ex-prosecutor has been assigned to lead the financial regulator. The president may face a stronger backlash if he names the chairperson of the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) in the same way.



Yoon has already been slammed for a lack of diversity in forming his inaugural Cabinet, whose members are mostly male and Seoul National University graduates. His preference for former prosecutors could undermine the credibility of his administration. A ranking official said that the presidential office would study ways of promoting diversity in appointments. But Yoon is still apparently trying to legitimize his lopsided appointments by saying that he values candidates' competence the most. He should heed criticisms for trying to turn the country into a "Republic of Prosecutors."




Jayathi Y. Murthy will be the next president of Oregon State University, the OSU Board of Trustees announced Tuesday morning, June 7.

The vote was unanimous.

She will begin her role Sept. 9, succeeding interim-president Becky Johnson, who has led the university since May 2021. The board voted on a five-year employment agreement with the university.

Murthy will be the first woman of color to lead OSU.

This is the right place and right time, Murthy said in a news release. I am very impressed by Oregon State University. OSU is well-positioned to address the many challenges in how higher education will be best provided in the years ahead thanks to the universitys excellent faculty, staff and leaders, and its commitment to student success, inclusive excellence and its long experience and leadership in online education.

Her annual base salary will be $423,000. The board approved supplemental compensation with an annual amount of $227,000 funded by the universitys foundation. The board may approve increases to the base salary supplement.

Murthy is the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. She is the first woman dean at UCLA Engineering and started the Women in Engineering at UCLA program, which supports the full participation of women in engineering.

She grew up and received her undergraduate degree in India. She received her masters and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Washington State University and the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, respectively.

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Murthy and the other presidential semi-finalist, Charles R. Martinez, visited the OSU-Corvallis campus May 23 and 24 to give presentations and answer community members questions. Those who attended, both virtually and in person, had the opportunity to fill out a community input form to aid in the trustees decision.

The presidential search process was much more open this time around than it was for the selection of F. King Alexander, who resigned in March 2021 after a report came out revealing King contributed to systemic failures in responding to sexual and relationship violence during his time as president at Louisiana State University

Kings hiring was not made public until the board had already voted to offer the position to him.

Chief diversity officer Scott Vignos said the openness and transparency of the search process was crucial in selecting the right candidate.

"The opportunity for community members to meet with and engage with the candidates added incredible value to the process," Vignos said. "It gave students, faculty and staff the opportunity to think about the candidates expertise in relation to their work."

Faculty Senate President Kate MacTavish said the open process made OSUs shared values of accountability and integrity clear to those who applied. In the height of the Alexander controversy, the Faculty Senate had called for his resignation about five days before his resignation.

I am very excited about the leadership President Murthy will bring to OSU, MacTavish said. Her strong commitments to student success, vision around research excellence, and experience in development within higher education will guide us well as we move into our next chapter as a public, land-grant university.

Murthy said she plans to grow faculty research, scholarship, creativity and innovation by continuing to hire and retain excellent staff. She also hopes to advance diversity, equity and inclusion by expanding college access and providing already enrolled students with strong support services.

I do not believe in exclusivity or in excluding certain students, she said. Thats not the future I see for OSU. I see broad access for all qualified learners.

Joanna Mann (she/her) covers education for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6076 or Joanna.Mann@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @joanna_mann_.

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Pesident Yoon Suk-yeol looks at a semiconductor photomask during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul's Yongsan District, Tuesday. Yonhap





President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed officials Tuesday to help boost the semiconductor industry by making institutional changes and nurturing a talented workforce.







Yoon gave the instruction during a Cabinet meeting, saying semiconductors are a "national security asset" that account for 20 percent of the country's total exports.







"We must join forces to create the institutional conditions so that the semiconductor industry will be able to further increase its competitiveness in the future," he said.







"In the semiconductor industry in particular, nurturing an excellent workforce is key."






Lee Jae-seung, president and head of the Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics, poses with the company's Bespoke home appliances during an online press conference, Tuesday. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics



By Baek Byung-yeul



Samsung Electronics unveiled new products such as refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers to customers globally, Tuesday, as part of its efforts to expand the presence of its Bespoke home appliance brand.



In June 2019, Samsung launched a new refrigerator in the Korean market as the first model under the Bespoke home appliance brand and saw a huge success, enabling customers to tailor the colors and designs of the exteriors of their appliances.



After witnessing the success, Samsung expanded its Bespoke lineup to various home appliances and advanced into overseas markets in 2021. To expand into more overseas markets, the company held an online event, called Bespoke Home, for global media and unveiled the latest Bespoke appliances.



"The positive response from the Bespoke Home event last year showed us that our vision for a better home life through inspirational design, customization and intelligent connectivity struck a chord with people around the world," Lee Jae-seung, the president and head of Digital Appliances Business at Samsung, said.



"This year, we are excited to build on our vision by offering consumers more ways to be self-expressive, experience the connected services and live more sustainably at home with Bespoke," Lee added.



Samsung said this year's Bespoke kitchen and living appliances have more stylish colors, updated features and premium finishes. In particular, the company added the Bespoke AI washer and dryer as well as the Bespoke kitchen package, comprised of an oven, dishwasher and induction cooktop, to its product lineup for overseas markets.



For the European market, one of Samsung's major markets with high purchasing power, the Bespoke kitchen package includes an artificial intelligence (AI) technology-powered oven, the company said. The Bespoke oven, which will be launched in the second half of this year, offers connected features, helping users cook efficiently and with more ease. In July, Samsung will release the new Bespoke AI washer and dryer in the U.S. and Europe.



The company will also expand the number of service countries for its SmartThings Home Life  an internet of things (IoT) service, which enables users to remotely control various home appliances  to 97 countries within this month.



Not only users of Samsung appliances, but also users of appliances made by more than 200 partners, can use the SmartThings service. Remote control features such as cooking, energy control, clothing care, pet care and air system control are available with the service, the company said.


Dublin, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Colombia Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



This report considers the present scenario of the Colombia data center market and its market dynamics for 2022-2027. It covers a detailed overview of several growth enablers, restraints, and trends in the market. The study includes the demand and supply aspects of the market.



KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT

Some of the major colocation operators in Colombia include InterNexa, HostDime, ODATA, and Equinix. According to the Uptime Institute, around 17 data center facilities are certified as Tier III in Colombia.

Local businesses, BFSI institutions, and foreign firms are among the customers hosting their data in colocation data centers in Colombia. In terms of location, Bogota dominated the colocation services market.

Colombia is a growing gaming market in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico, with the gaming population expected to increase significantly over the forecast period. This will increase the data generated by this industry, which in turn will be driving data center demand.

The deployment of 5G networks will boost the digital economy of the region and will lead to higher demand for high-bandwidth networking infrastructure and edge data centers. For instance, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced AWS outposts in Colombia in May 2021.

In January 2022, the ICT Ministry and the administrative department of the public function (DAFP) announced a law for the digitalization and automation of government procedures.

In Colombia, renewable energy sources include hydropower, solar energy, biomass, geothermal, and wind energy. Colombia is working towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by the 2030 from 2014 levels.

Colombia has over ten Free Trade Zones, including Rionegro (Medellin), Pacific (Cali), La Candelaria (Cartagena), Quindio, Santa Marta, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Palmaseca (Cali) and Arauca, which expect to attract data center facilities in the coming years.

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS RESEARCH?

Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and the Colombia colocation market revenue.

An assessment of the data center investment in Colombia by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators.

Data center investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across cities.

A detailed study of the existing Colombia data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about the Colombia data center market size during the forecast period.

Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party data center facilities in Colombia

Facilities Covered (Existing): 05

Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 03

Coverage:

Bogota

Other Cities

Existing vs Upcoming (Area)

Existing vs Upcoming (IT Load Capacity)

Data center colocation market in Colombia

Market Revenue & Forecast (2021-2027)

Retail Colocation Pricing

The Colombia data center landscape market investments are classified as IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecasting.

A comprehensive analysis of the Colombia data center market growth, latest trends, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the industry.

Business overview and product offerings of prominent IT infrastructure providers, construction contractors, support infrastructure providers, and investors operating in the industry.

A transparent research methodology and the analysis of the demand and supply aspect of the market.

MARKET TRENDS

Growing Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Colombia

Increased Adoption of Growing Cloud Services

5G Deployment increasing Edge Data Center Investment

Procurement of Renewable Energy in Colombia

VENDOR ANALYSIS

Some of the key investors in the Colombia data center market in 2021 included HostDime, Scala Data Centers, GlobeNet, and Equinix.

In Colombia, GlobeNet and AngloGold Ashanti Colombia are some telecom operators working towards deploying commercial 5G services.

IT Infrastructure Providers

Arista Networks

Broadcom

Cisco Systems

Dell Technologies

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Huawei Technologies

IBM

Lenovo

Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors

ACOM

Fluor Corporation

ZFB Group

Quark

Support Infrastructure Providers

ABB

ALFA LAVAL

Armstrong Ceiling Solutions

Assa Abloy

Caterpillar

Cummins

Delta Electronics

Daikin Applied (Daikin Industries)

Eaton

Flex

Generac Power Systems

Johnson Controls

Legrand

Mitsubishi Electric

Piller Power Systems

Rittal

Schneider Electric

STULZ

Siemens

Vertiv

Data Center Investors

Equinix

GlobeNet

HostDime

IPXON Networks

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Existing & Upcoming Third-Party Data Centers in Columbia

20+ Unique Data Center Properties

Data Center It Load Capacity

Data Center White Floor Area Space

Existing Vs Upcoming Data Center Capacity by Cities

Cities Covered

Bogota

Other Cities

Chapter 2 Investment Opportunities in Columbia

Data Center Investments

Investment by Area

Investment by Power Capacity

Chapter 3 Data Center Colocation Market in Columbia

Colocation Services Market in Columbia

Retail Colocation

Colocation Pricing (Quarter Rack, Half Rack, Full Rack) & Add-Ons

Chapter 4 Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Market Trends

Market Restraints

Chapter 5 Market Segmentation

IT Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Electrical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Mechanical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

General Construction Services: Market Size & Forecast

Chapter 6 Tier Standard Investment

Tier I & II

Tier III

Tier IV

Chapter 7 Key Market Participants

It Infrastructure Providers

Construction Contractors

Support Infrastructure Providers

Data Center Investors

Chapter 8 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jh8k56
Staunton, VA, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ten high school students have begun apprenticeships as solar installers through an innovative parternship to establish a home-grown solar power industry in the coalfield region of Southwest Virginia. The apprentices just completed an intensive course of classroom training and have now moved on to installing rooftop solar on their public schools in Lee and Wise counties. At the conclusion of the program, based on demand, qualifying graduates will be offered permanent positions based locally.

The apprenticeship program is part of an economic development initiative called Securing Solar for Southwest, a partnership that includes two solar power companies  Secure Futures Solar, a commercial solar developer based in Staunton, VA and GOT Electric, a solar engineering, construction and procurement company based in Harrisonburg, VA  along with Mountain Empire Community College based in Big Stone Gap, VA.

For students interested in careers in energy technology, it has been difficult in the past to see the value of pursuing training in emerging technologies like solar power because it wasnt clear that work in the field would be available in the local area, said Kristin Westover, president of Mountain Empire Community College. This program is different because it offers the prospect of careers that are based right in Southwest Virginia.

At the end of May, students from Career and Technical Centers in both Lee and Wise counties completed a seven-day long intensive course of classroom training at MECC. Subjects of instruction included industrial safety, introduction to construction, the national electrical code and solar power installation. Secure Futures paid each of the students a $500 stipend for completing the classroom sessions where they earned nine college credits each.

Starting in early June, students moved on to the hands-on training phase of the apprenticeship for eight weeks installing solar power equipment at campuses of public schools in Lee County and Wise County under the supervision of NABCEB-certified solar installers from GOT Electric. Before starting work, Secure Futures provided students with a set of tools that will be theirs to keep, free of charge. For their work during the apprenticeship, students are paid $17 per hour as employees of GOT Electric.

At the conclusion of the apprenticeship, based on demand for projects, qualifying graduates will be offered ongoing positions with GOT Electric, where they can continue to work on solar projects at schools in Lee and Wise counties until their estimated completion date of mid-2023. After that, the company plans to install solar power systems at additional school divisions in the area, offering work for years to come.

Apprentices in the program range from age 16 to 18 years old. The Youth Solar Technician Apprenticeship Program is operated according to a challenging plan for tasks and hours for high schoolers approved by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry.

By completing such an intense apprenticeship so early in their working years, these students will gain attractive career options, said Andy Hershberger, director of GOT Electric. They can either pursue further training to qualify as journeyman electricians or they can continue to work as solar installers, using their apprenticeship experience to give them a head start.

Jobs in the solar power industry have increased 167% over the past decade, which is five times faster than the overall job growth rate in the U.S. economy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. As of September 2021, there were more than 250,000 solar workers in the United States in fields spanning manufacturing, installation, project development, trade, distribution, and more. Currently, job listing website indeed.com lists more than 65 open positions for solar power installers, technicians, electricians and supervisors in Virginia. Salaries offered range from around $30,000 to more than $90,000 per year.

Installations at the schools represent the first of many solar projects that we are pursuing with public school districts in the coalfield region that will create well-paying jobs and educational opportunities with community colleges in the region, said Franklin Duke West, who oversees workforce development initiatives at Secure Futures Solar.

Secure Futures Solar initiated the two solar power projects on which the apprentices are working. In 2021, the company signed power purchase agreements to provide more than three megawatts of solar panels on a total of 11 campuses at both Lee County and Wise County public schools. The company is currently in negotiations with several other school divisions in Southwest Virginia on additional solar power projects that could total five megawatts or more.

Southwest Virginia is now able to nurture locally trained solar installers and put graduates into career jobs with good pay and potential for advancement, said West. Their work is a model for other communities that want to build a financially sustainable clean energy industry locally.

About Secure Futures Solar

Secure Futures Solar is a commercial-scale solar developer based in Staunton, VA that builds, owns, manages and funds affordable Resilient Solar Solutions for hospitals, schools and businesses. The company establishes authentic long-term partnerships with customers to combine state-ofthe-art solar technology with innovative business models to make commercial solar affordable in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, helping customers to realize the economic, environmental and community benefits of solar energy. In 2017, Secure Futures became a Certified B Corporation. Find the company online at www.securefutures.solar.
Lee Kwang-hyung, president of KAIST / Courtesy of KAIST



KAIST head stresses importance of nurturing manpower in semiconductor industry



By Baek Byung-yeul



The Yoon Suk-yeol government, which was inaugurated on May 10, is urged to focus on developing the country's capabilities in science and technology, which have emerged as key drivers to protect national security and survive in the escalating hegemony war between the United States and China, the head of the nation's top science and technology university said.



"Science and technology have now become key drivers of national security and international politics at a time when the U.S. and China are fighting to gain technological supremacy," Lee Kwang-hyung, president of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), told The Korea Times in a recent written interview.



"Countries that secure high technology will take the lead in international politics, the economy, military and industry. The new government needs to run state affairs with the idea that science and technology are the basis of everything," the president added.



Among the emerging technologies, the president especially emphasized the need to secure technological advancement in semiconductors, which are becoming a key commodity that all countries need for their development.



"Without semiconductors, all industries could be severely damaged. The fact that Japan implemented an export control policy against Korea three years ago is a great lesson. Even now, due to the lack of chips for vehicles, car production lines are not running smoothly," he said.



Lee added that the supply chains of materials, parts and equipment related to strategic items must be managed in detail.









"As not all parts and materials can be self-sufficient in a single country, a cross-country alliance must be established to safely cooperate and manage the supply chain. That's why international cooperation is more important," he said.





President Yoon Suk-yeol greets KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung during his visit to National Nanofab Center, an affiliate research center of KAIST, in Daejeon, April 29. Joint Press Corps
NEW YORK, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Riskified Ltd. (NYSE: RSKD) pursuant and/or traceable to the Registration Statement issued in connection with the Companys initial public offering conducted on or about July 28, 2021 (the IPO or Offering), of the important July 1, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.



SO WHAT: If you purchased Riskified securities pursuant and/or traceable to the IPO 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 Riskified class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5896 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than July 1, 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 firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, the IPO Registration Statement was negligently prepared and, as a result, contained untrue statements of material fact or omitted to state other facts necessary to make the statements made not misleading and were not prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations governing their preparation. Specifically, the IPO Registration Statement made inaccurate statements of material fact because they failed to disclose the following adverse facts that existed at the time of the IPO: (1) as Riskified expanded its user base, the quality of Riskifieds machine learning platform had deteriorated (rather than improved as represented in the Registration Statement), because of, among other things, inaccuracies in the algorithms associated with onboarding new merchants and entering new geographies and industries; (2) Riskified had expanded its customer base into industries with relatively high rates of fraud  including partnerships with cryptocurrency and remittance business  in which Riskified had limited experience and that this expansion has negatively impacted the effectiveness of Riskifieds machine learning platform; (3) as a result, Riskified was suffering from materially higher chargebacks and cost of revenue and depressed gross profits and gross profit margins during its third fiscal quarter of 2021; and (4) thus, the Registration Statements representations regarding Riskifieds historical financial and operational metrics and purported market opportunities did not accurately reflect the actual business, operations, and financial results and trajectory of Riskified prior to and at the time of the IPO, and were materially false and misleading, and lacked a factual basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Riskified class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5896 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

lrosen@rosenlegal.com

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cases@rosenlegal.com

www.rosenlegal.com
HANOI, Vietnam, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a series of activities in Vietnam with the Vietnam Blockchain Association, on the afternoon of June 4, Binance founder and CEO, Mr. Changpeng Zhao, came to greet the Vice Director of the National Assembly Committee on External Relations, Mr. Nguyen Manh Tien at The National Assembly Building of Vietnam.



At the meeting, Mr. Changpeng Zhao (CZ) said he was researching the potential Vietnamese market and expressed his hope that Vietnam would create favorable conditions for Binance to expand its operation here.





Meeting with National Assembly Committee

Binance has a robust blockchain ecosystem, operating in a variety of fields from training to charity and investment, shared the CEO. With experience in working with many countries around the world, Binance has been licensed to operate in France, Italy, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai... With aligned perspectives on the future of blockchain in the process of global digital transformation and Vietnam's opportunities in the new technology wave, Binance wished to exchange research with Vietnam in blockchain technology application and human resource training in the country, as well as learn about policies and laws in Vietnam.

According to the founder of Binance, blockchain is crucial for the fintech and other tech industries. Therefore, the places where Binance Group invested in always pay special attention to universalizing technology, recruiting local personnel, and building core personnel with technique, skills and legal knowledge. At Binance Academy, in addition to training technology knowledge and skills, Binance also strengthens cooperation with universities and awards scholarships to ignite the passion for technology in the young generation and popularize blockchain to the local community.





Mr. Nguyen Manh Tien - National Assembly Committee - Mr. Changpeng Zhao  Binance &

Mr. Phan Duc Trung  Vietnam Blockchain Association (right to left)

CEO Changpeng Zhao committed that Binance will always fully comply with Vietnam's legal policies and put the safety of users first.

The Vice Director of the Committee on External Relations, National Assembly, praised CEO Changpeng Zhao's visit to Vietnam. He stated that Vietnam welcomes global partners and enterprises to learn about the Vietnamese market, particularly in the digital economy. Furthermore, Vietnam is always willing to coordinate and collaborate with the rest of the globe to maximize the potential of blockchain technology applications.

This is a new field that Vietnam has not yet regulated, so Mr. Nguyen Manh Tien suggested that the Binance Group works with Vietnam to study appropriate legal policies and share learning and training programs to disseminate technical knowledge. As a result, prepare future Vietnamese talents to enter the international technology environment. Furthermore, Vietnam seeks to promote the sharing of experiences from other countries in terms of applying technology, promulgating legal regulations, creating a legal corridor for operations, and protecting the interests of consumers, enterprises and the government. The National Assembly of Vietnam is the legislative body willing to assist in this process, which will benefit both businesses and people.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Tien highlighted that to build the digital economy, Vietnam must undergo digital transformation and accomplish the work of national digital transformation as soon as possible. It is time for banks to modify their business models and embrace digital technology.

He also asked Vietnam Blockchain Association to cooperate effectively with Binance and investors to research and develop Blockchain applications in many fields, and at the same time, propose feasible policies to the National Assembly. Through the Vietnam Blockchain Association, we will soon coordinate human resources to learn about successful blockchain technology management models and extended applications in the world. I hope that Binance will be a strong connection between Vietnam and the world in the upcoming time., he shared.



To respond, Binance CEO also committed to actively actualizing the partnership agreement. He appreciated the vital role of the Vietnam Blockchain Association in promoting the digital economy and digital transformation. Vietnam Blockchain Association is one of the organizations with the most efficient operation that I know of. Active members include leaders of government agencies, which is a notable plus point in technology dissemination, bringing technology to daily life and creating new value for the society, he said.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/10285012-78b6-4f9e-8e82-d7d658f9f606

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b947f625-eb0b-4965-a972-79c1993dd04f
HONG KONG, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- China Renaissance Holdings Limited (China Renaissance or the Company; stock code: 1911.HK) is pleased to announce that, the Company has been honored among the top ten-biggest private equity groups in mainland China, and ranked 150 in the world on the PEI 300 list, a ranking by London-based Private Equity International (PEI), a leading magazine for the private equity industry. The PEI 300 ranks groups by the amount of direct-investment private equity capital raised or formed over the last five years.



Launched in 2013, Huaxing Growth Capital (HGC) is the flagship fund of China Renaissances Investment Management segment and the principal private equity investment arm of the Company. As of December 31, 2021, CRs Investment Management segment had approximately US$7.7 billion of assets under management (AUM), with HGCs AUM reaching US$5.8 billion. HGC focuses on investing in companies in the growth and maturity stages, concentrating on high-conviction investments in the smart industries, smart technologies, smart healthcare, smart consumerism and smart enterprises.

Among over 100 deals invested by HGC, some have already completed their IPOs, including Meituan, KE, WuXi AppTec, Bilibili, Li Auto, Pop Mart, MGI, SenseTime and Navitas; while others are the top players in their respective sectors, such as SVOLT, Dreame, Calterah, and so on.

HGC manages four USD-denominated funds and four RMB-denominated funds, and enjoys an unparalleled industry network and extensive market coverage by leveraging the comprehensive resources provided by CRs platform. In addition to acting as the partner of choice and a quasi-strategic investor for Chinese Smart Economy champions, HGC serves as a bridge that helps global investors reach attractive investment opportunities in China. HGC continues to work closely with innovative founders and companies that bring greater value and convenience to peoples everyday lives, and deliver solid returns for investors.

About China Renaissance

Founded in 2005, China Renaissance (CR) is a leading financial institution that provides private placement and M&A advisory, equity underwriting, sales & trading, research, investment management and other services. Over the past 17 years, CR has been dedicated to identifying companies with significant growth potential and serving as a trusted partner to support their value creation journey.

CR has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and New York, with more than 650 employees. As of June 30, 2021, China Renaissance has advised on and invested in over 1,125 transactions with a total value of over RMB 1.4 trillion(~US$220 billion ). As of December 31, 2021, the companys private equity funds had an asset under management (AUM) of over RMB 49 billion (~US$7.7 billion).

CR Securities (formerly known as Huajing Securities) is one of the first securities firms set up in accordance with Supplement X to the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA). Since its establishment, CR Securities has assembled strong investment banking, fixed income, asset management, wealth management, securities brokerage, and research teams to serve existing and new clients.

Media Contact

China Renaissance

Public Relations

Yuki Zhao

yukizhao@huaxing.com

Investor Relations

huaxingcapital@chinarenaissance.com

or

Sard Verbinnen & Co

ChinaRenaissance-SVC@sardverb.com
Sydney, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proactive, provider of real-time news and video interviews on growth companies listed in Australia, has covered the following companies:



Orthocell Ltd (ASX:OCC) has wrapped up its Remplir (previously CelGro  ) nerve reconstruction study, and the results are promising. Click here

) nerve reconstruction study, and the results are promising. Click here Antilles Gold Ltd (ASX:AAU, OTCQB:ANTMF) has adopted a new strategy to achieve its medium-term objective of establishing a substantial mining group in Cuba in partnership with the governments mining company, GeoMinera SA. Click here

Buru Energy Ltd (ASX:BRU) shareholders have shown strong support for the companys recent capital raising efforts, delivering approximately $9.2 million into Burus coffers. Click here

Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX:PDI) has brought a new non-executive director on board to guide the gold stock through its next phase of growth. Click here

Skyfii Ltd (ASX:SKF, OTC:SFIIF) has signed a three-year agreement with a major Australian museum. Click here

White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM, OTCQX:WRMCF) has delivered bonanza grade hits including 0.2 metres at 140 g/t gold within 0.5 metres at 51.6 g/t during diamond drilling at Exhibition Reef of the Morning Star Underground Gold Mine in Victoria. Click here

Maximus Resources Ltd (ASX:MXR)s recently completed external expert review and sampling of the Lefroy and Larkinville prospects at the Spargoville tenements in Western Australia has confirmed the presence of rare-element lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites. Click here

Blue Star Helium Ltd (ASX:BNL, OTC:BSNLF) has honed in on a high helium concentration at the JXSN#3 discovery, which forms part of the Galactica/Pegasus prospects in Las Animas County, Colorado, with shares rising as a result. Click here

Sipa Resources Ltd (ASX:SRI) is diving into extensive exploration across most of its Western Australian projects, including at Paterson North, Barbwire Terrace, Wolfe Basin, Murchison and Warralong. Click here

Medallion Metals Ltd (ASX:MM8) is trading higher on encountering visual quartz-sulphide mineralisation during step-out drilling at the Harbour View deposit at Kundip Mining Centre (KMC), up to 180 metres from the closest previous drilling. Click here

Volt Resources Ltd (ASX:VRC) has executed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the sale of 5,000 tonnes of fine natural flake graphite product annually for 10 years from the Bunyu Graphite Project in Tanzania. Click here

Australian Potash Ltd (ASX:APC) has welcomed updated flow modelling that outlines the potential for increased production from brine at the Lake Wells Sulphate of Potash Project (LSOP) in WA. Click here

archTIS Ltd (ASX:AR9) has added a new channel partner to resell its data-centric security solution NC Protect to customers in the Asia Pacific Region. Click here

Krakatoa Resources Ltd (ASX:KTA) is encouraged by the interpreted results of a moving loop electromagnetic ground (MLEM) survey over 15 of the high-priority late-time electromagnetic survey (AEM) targets identified at Mt Clere Rare Earth Project in the northwest margins of the Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. Click here

Castillo Copper Ltd (LSE:CCZ, ASX:CCZ) has reassessed its core strategy, choosing to prioritise growth of the Broken Hill Alliance (BHA) Projects cobalt mineralisation in western New South Wales and the NWQ Copper Projects Big One copper deposit in northwest Queensland. Click here

AuTECO Minerals Ltd (ASX:AUT, OTC:MNXMF) has made several senior management appointments aimed at accelerating the growth and development of its asset portfolio, led by the rapidly growing and high-grade Pickle Crow Gold Project in Canada. Click here

Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:PAR) has received an A$8.2 million boost in the form of an R&D tax refund as part of Australias R&D tax incentive scheme. Click here

Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX:BGL) has completed several important milestones in the development of the Bellevue Gold Project in Western Australia, de-risking the cost, production and cashflow outlook. Click here

Altech Chemicals Ltd (ASX:ATC) has made further patent filings to protect its intellectual property relating to the application of Silumina Anodes battery materials technology and alumina coating process. Click here

Animoca Brands Corporation Ltd has released positive unaudited financial and business highlights for the last three months of 2021 and the first four of 2022, ending April 30. Click here

About Proactive

Proactive is a unique tech-enabled platform providing companies globally with a comprehensive investor engagement solution across their business lifecycle.

With six offices on three continents, Proactive works with innovative growth companies quoted on the worlds major stock exchanges, helping executives to engage intelligently with investors.

In 2020, Proactive featured in 809 million search results, our content was viewed over 165 million times and our readers spent over 10 million hours on our websites. Proactive has produced over 300,000 articles and 20,000 executive interviews since it was established in 2006.

For more information on how Proactive can help you make a difference, email us at action@proactiveinvestors.com
Pune, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diamond Coating Market research give industry status and trend report for forecast period of 2028 which offers a complete study on Diamond Coating market, standing on the readers viewpoint, providing comprehensive market information and penetrating insights. No matter the client is industry insider, possible participant or stakeholder, the report will provide beneficial information and statistics.

Diamond Coating market research report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of Diamond Coating market by product type, application, key manufacturers and key regions and countries.

Get a Sample Copy of the Report at - https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-sample/20543916

According to our researcher latest study, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the global Diamond Coating market size is estimated to be worth US$ 2209.2 million in 2021 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 3220.4 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 5.5% during review period.

Market split by Type, can be divided into: -

Metal

Ceramics

Composites

Others

Market split by Application, can be divided into: -

Mechanical

Electronic

Biomedical

Electronic

Others

Market segment by Region/Country including: -

North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)

Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain etc.)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Southeast Asia etc.)

South America (Brazil, Argentina and Colombia etc.)

Middle East & Africa (South Africa, UAE and Saudi Arabia etc.)

To Understand How Covid-19 Impact Is Covered in This Report - https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-covid19/20543916

Leading players of Diamond Coating including: -

Oerlikon Balzers

D-Coat GmbH

Neocoat SA

Crystallume Corporation

Element Six

SP3 Diamond Technologies

Advanced Diamond Technologies

Blue Wave Semiconductors

Diamond Product Solutions

JCS Technologies PTE Ltd.

Key questions answered by this report include: -

Worldwide and Regional Market Size of Diamond Coating, and development forecast 2022-2028

Main manufacturers/suppliers of Diamond Coating worldwide, with company and product introduction, position in the Diamond Coating market

Market status and development trend by types and applications

Cost and profit status of Diamond Coating, and marketing status

The report provides a detailed evaluation of the market by highlighting information on different aspects which include drivers, restraints, opportunities, and threats.

Inquire or Share Your Questions If Any Before the Purchasing This Report  https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/20543916

Detailed TOC of Global Diamond Coating Market 2022 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2028

1 Market Overview

2 Manufacturers Profiles

3 Diamond Coating Breakdown Data by Manufacturer

4 Market Analysis by Region

5 Market Segment by Type

6 Market Segment by Application

7 North America by Country, by Type, and by Application

8 Europe by Country, by Type, and by Application

9 Asia-Pacific by Region, by Type, and by Application

10 South America by Region, by Type, and by Application

11 Middle East & Africa by Country, by Type, and by Application

12 Raw Material and Industry Chain

13 Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers

14 Research Findings and Conclusion

15 Appendix

15.1 Methodology

15.2 Research Process and Data Source

15.3 Disclaimer

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Emergence Therapeutics strengthens leadership team with the appointment of Hatem Azim as Chief Medical Officer





Duisburg, Germany, 7 June 2022. Emergence Therapeutics AG, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibody drug conjugates (ADC) for the treatment of cancers with high unmet needs, today announces the appointment of Hatem Azim, MD, PhD, as Chief Medical Officer (CMO), as of 6 June 2022.

Dr. Hatem Azim joins Emergence Therapeutics from Pierre Fabre, a French multinational pharmaceutical company where he was Head of Oncology Early Clinical Development. In this role he was responsible for strategic clinical drug development and management of immuno-oncology and ADC research projects. Prior to this, Dr. Azim held the role of Vice President, Head of Clinical Development at Innate Pharma in France.

Dr. Azim holds a Medical Degree from Cairo University, a Masters degree in Oncology from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne and a PhD from the Universite Libre De Bruxelles. He is a Breast Cancer Medical Oncologist with strong academic background, having worked for many years at Jules Bordet Institute in Brussels after finishing his oncology training. He is highly published with more than 130 research papers and 10 book chapters. Hatem has served as member of several international guideline committees and has been invited as faculty member on numerous occasions including at the annual conferences of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). He was previously awarded the ASCO Merit Award and the University of Padova Breast Cancer Award in recognition of his work in the oncology field.

Jack Elands, CEO of Emergence Therapeutics, commented: I am delighted to welcome Hatem to Emergence as our Chief Medical Officer. His leadership experience and expertise in clinical drug development will be instrumental in executing Emergences clinical strategy for ETx-22, our novel ADC targeting Nectin-4, as well as our broader strategy to become a dominant ADC developer.

Hatem Azim commented: Emergence Therapeutics is on the frontier of developing novel, highly selective ADCs for the treatment of hard-to-treat cancers. Im very excited to join at this critical and exciting phase and look forward to joining the senior leadership team to help further advance ETx-22s clinical development and future programs.

- ENDS -





For more information, please contact:

Emergence Therapeutics

Dr. Jack Elands, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +33 6 38 35 70 08

Consilium Strategic Communications

Chris Gardner, Maya Bennison

Email: Emergence@consilium-comms.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 3709 5813

About Emergence Therapeutics

Emergence Therapeutics is a European biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibody drug conjugates (ADC) to treat high-need cancers. Its lead program combines a highly specific antibody with optimized linker and payload technology to target Nectin-4  an important target for a broad range of cancers which has been clinically validated as an ADC target by enfortumab vedotin, now approved for the treatment of urothelial cancers by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Emergence Therapeutics is also actively exploring opportunities to develop further first- or best-in-class ADCs driven by therapeutic need. Emergence Therapeutics is based in Duisburg, Germany with a subsidiary in Marseille, France. For more information, please visit:
Latest data from trivago shows a real appetite from travellers to make 2022 the best summer ever

New data from trivago (using One Poll) reveals that travel restrictions during the pandemic saved would-be travellers an average of 1887.70, with almost one-in-ten (8%) saying they saved over 5000. When asked what they have done with the money, 45% said they put it in a savings account, 22% treated themselves, 20% put it towards a large purchase and 19% put it towards rent or a deposit for a house.

As travel restrictions finally lift, the appetite to travel is recovering strongly. Of those who generally have at least one holiday a year, a third (33%) have already made firm plans to travel in 2022 and a further 21% have made tentative plans. In total, over a third (34%) say they have been browsing/investigating future holidays more than before the pandemic.

The pandemic has also increased Brits willingness to spend more on their travel habits - almost four-in-ten (37%) travellers plan on spending more on their holidays. This rises to two-thirds (66%) of 18- to 24-year-olds. Where travellers reside has a marked impact in spending. Whilst over half (55%) of Londoners are planning on spending more on their holidays this year, only 20% of travellers from East Anglia are willing to dig deeper into their wallet. In total, it is the over 65s who remain the most cautious, with 18% saying they will likely spend less than if the pandemic hadnt happened.

However, despite Brits saving money by being unable to travel during the pandemic, wannabe travellers are still more concerned about their finances than their health. In fact, the research revealed that 48% of UK travellers would make concrete plans if they could guarantee their money back should they get their holiday cancelled, compared with 33% who said they would be more likely to book if there was a guaranteed low risk of catching Covid-19.

Percentage of travellers willing to spend more on their holiday than they would have done pre-pandemic, by region:

Column %

n East Anglia East Midlands London North East North West Northern Ireland Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands Yorkshire and the Humber Much more 3% 2% 24% 11% 7% 0% 15% 7% 9% 15% 15% 10% 4 3 59 7 14 0 23 18 15 12 23 13 A little more 17% 22% 31% 31% 26% 41% 20% 32% 25% 26% 28% 17%

Expectations are high that this could be the best summer ever. Of those who have firm plans to travel, over half (51%) believe that 2022 is going to be their best summer yet for travel, comments Axel Hefer, CEO of trivago. Travellers are tired of waiting for a dream getaway. Three-in-ten (30%) told us they are planning on organising a bucket list' holiday sooner than originally thought due to the pandemic.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The survey was deployed online and ran from February 25-March 3, 2022 polling a sample of 2,000 adults age 18+ in both countries for a total of 4,000 respondents. For both countries, quotas were used to ensure an accurate representation of each countries population by gender, age, geographic region, education, and income.

About Trivago:

trivago is a leading global hotel search platform focused on reshaping the way travelers search for and compare hotels and alternative accommodations. Incorporated in 2005 in Dusseldorf, Germany, the platform allows travelers to make informed decisions by personalizing their hotel search and providing them access to a deep supply of hotel information and prices. trivago enables its advertisers to grow their businesses by providing access to a broad audience of travelers via its websites and apps.

Press Contact

Contacts:

Press Contact: Trivago Unity Team trivago@hellounity.com

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Words, and variations of words such as believe, expect, plan, continue, will, should, and similar expressions are intended to identify our forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and important factors that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. For additional information factors that could affect our forward-looking statements, see our risk factors, as they may be amended from time to time, set forth in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We disclaim and do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by applicable law or regulation.
June 7, 2022

Amsterdam, the Netherlands  Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced that Willem (Wim) Appelo will join Philips Executive Committee, effective July 18, 2022, and succeed Sophie Bechu as Chief Operations Officer per October 1, 2022. Mr. Appelo will report to Philips CEO Frans van Houten and work closely with Mrs. Bechu to ensure a seamless transition. Mrs. Bechu, who joined Philips in 2016, will step down from her role on October 1, 2022, after which she will work on project-based initiatives until she retires at the end of January, 2023.

Mr. Appelo (Dutch, 1964) will join Philips after having worked as interim Supply Chain Officer, and with private equity firms in the medical technology industry for the last year. Before that, he was Vice President Supply Chain Strategy, Innovation & Deployment at Johnson & Johnson, where he led the Enterprise Supply Chain Global Strategy and Innovation team across the companys three operating segments: Pharma, Consumer Health, and Medical Devices. Prior to that, Mr. Appelo was Johnson & Johnsons Vice President Supply Chain Medical Devices. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, he held various senior positions at Xerox Corporation, ultimately as President, Global Delivery and Technology Group, where he was responsible for Xeroxs then newly-created Global Supplies Business Group.

I am very pleased that Wim Appelo will be joining Philips as our new Chief Operations Officer, said Frans van Houten, CEO of Royal Philips. Wim brings a wealth of relevant experience to Philips, adding in-depth knowledge and understanding of medical technology and informatics supply chain management, which will help Philips accelerate its journey to becoming a health technology solutions leader. I want to thank Sophie for her highly valuable contribution to Philips and her relentless focus and deep commitment to establishing Philips Integrated Supply Chain organization since joining in 2016. During that time, she successfully optimized our supplier base and manufacturing footprint, continually driving operational excellence with a customer-first mindset.

Mr. Appelos appointment to Philips Executive Committee builds on last years appointment of Shez Partovi, MD, as Chief Medical, Innovation & Strategy Officer, and member of Philips Executive Committee. Dr. Partovi brings highly relevant experience to Philips given his prior roles as neuroradiologist at the Barrow Neurological Institute, Chief Digital Officer at Dignity Health, and Worldwide Head of Healthcare, Life Sciences and Medical Devices at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Philips has continued to strengthen its senior management across the company with the appointment of 30 experienced healthcare and medical technology leaders over the past three years.

Additional information on Philips Executive Committee can be found here .

For further information, please contact:

Ben Zwirs

Philips Global Press Office

Tel.: +31 6 1521 3446

E-mail: ben.zwirs@philips.com

Derya Guzel

Philips Investor Relations

Tel.: +31 20 59 77055

E-mail: derya.guzel@philips.com

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 79,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter .

Attachment
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Among 28 industrialized countries in the world with universal health-care, Canada is only one of six that does not use any form of cost-sharing for core medical services, which can be used to incentivize more efficient use of scarce health resources and potentially reduce wait times, finds a new study published by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.



Despite ranking amongst the most expensive universal health care systems in the developed world, comprehensive measures of performance indicate that Canada routinely lags behind its international peers in key metrics of health care performance, such as the availability of doctors and hospital beds, and wait times for medically necessary care.

At the same time, Canada departs from more successful universal health care countries in a number of ways, including the use of cost-sharing for patients.

The study finds that 22 of 28 universal health care countries studied require patients to share in a portion of the cost of treatment, though lower-income and/or at-risk groups are almost always exempted. Cost sharing is accomplished in a number of ways, including deductibles (an amount up to which individuals are exposed to the full cost of treatment after which insurance covers expenses), co-insurance payments (a certain percentage of the cost of each treatment is paid by the patient) and copayments (a fixed amount paid by the patient per treatment).

Patients in Canada are not directly billed for any portion of their care. The experience for most Canadians is that using health care is free, which is at odds with our international peers and can lead to higher demand for medical services than would otherwise be the case, which results in longer wait times that have long plagued Canadas health care system, said Bacchus Barua, director of health policy research at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Understanding Universal Health Care Reform Options: Cost-Sharing for Patients.

Crucially, many of the universal health-care countries with shorter wait times than Canada for elective surgery require some form of patient cost-sharing for core services, including Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Unfortunately, the federal Canada Health Act effectively prohibits provinces from introducing any form of cost-sharing to their health-care model.

Canadas health-care system is in need of reform, and cost-sharing is potentially one piece of the puzzle that could lead to a better, more efficient use of our scarce health-care resources, said Mackenzie Moir, a Fraser Institute policy analyst and study co-author.

Of course, design matters  and such cost-sharing requirements need to be complemented by safety nets for vulnerable populations.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Bacchus Barua, Director, Health Policy Studies

Fraser Institute

Mackenzie Moir, Policy Analyst

Fraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:

Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute

Tel: (604) 688-0221 Ext. 721

E-mail: drue.macpherson@fraserinstitute.org

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter and Facebook
Dublin, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Clinical Trials Management System Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Solution Type (Enterprise, Site), by Delivery Mode (Web & Cloud-based, On-premise), by Component, by End User, by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2022-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global clinical trials management system market size is anticipated to reach USD 4.72 billion by 2030. The market is expected to expand at a notable CAGR of 13.9% from 2022 to 2030.

The key factors driving the market growth include the rising number of clinical trials, digitalization across healthcare R&D, number of decentralized trials, and product enhancements. The Clinical Trial Management System offered by SimpleTrials, for instance, includes features such as contact management, calendar & monitoring, project planning, document management & eTMF, contract & payment system, subject tracking, visit report authoring & letter generation, EDC integration, and reporting and business analytics.



The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in several challenges in conducting and operating clinical trials. As per a survey published by Oracle in 2021, 12% reported that clinical trial activity was paused. These respondents represented professionals involved in clinical trials at CROs, medical device companies, and biopharmaceutical companies.

However, the urgency to develop vaccines and other treatment options supported the adoption of emerging technologies. These included video visits, phone visits, remote monitoring, eConsent, and EHR. In fact, about 76% of respondents reported that the pandemic catalyzed their adoption of decentralized clinical trial methods. The trend is projected to continue post-COVID and is expected to propel the demand for CTMS solutions.



Increasing investments by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical device companies, and CROs coupled with government funding are promoting research activities. This factor is expected to boost demand for clinical trial management systems. According to the estimates of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA), global research-based biopharmaceutical industry has spent around USD 179 billion on R&D in 2018.

This number is estimated to reach USD 202 billion by 2022. These investments facilitate the development of new medicines and vaccines to prevent and treat diseases. Some of the popular therapeutic areas for drug development include cancer, immunology, neurology, infectious diseases, and others.



Clinical Trials Management System Market Report Highlights

The Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) market was valued at USD 1.50 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 13.9% during the forecast period.

Rising prevalence of chronic diseases, number of clinical studies, initiatives by market players, and flow of R&D investments are expected to drive the market growth during the forecast period.

The increasing demand for interoperable solutions and adoption of AI and machine learning (ML) in healthcare are other key factors fueling market growth.

Clinical Trial Management System is one of the three applications of IQVIA's Digital Trial Management Suite. It is designed to improve patient safety, produce faster trials to database lock, and speed up time to market.

IQVIA's CTMS solution uses both AI and ML to provide predictive intelligence and also increases interoperability with EDC.

The web & cloud-based segment dominated the market by delivery mode in 2021. The enterprise segment on the other hand, held the largest share of the solution type segment.

This is owing to increasing adoption of cloud-based technologies and enterprise-wide applications of CTMS solutions..

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope



Chapter 2. Executive Summary



Chapter 3. Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Market Variables, Trends & Scope

3.1 Market Lineage Outlook

3.1.1. Parent Market Outlook

3.1.2. Related/Ancillary Market Outlook

3.2. Penetration & Growth Prospect Mapping, 2021

3.3 Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Market Dynamics

3.3.1 Market driver analysis

3.3.2 Market restraint analysis

3.4 Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Market Analysis Tools: Porters

3.5 Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Industry Analysis-PEST (Political & Legal, Economic, Social, and Technological)

3.5.1 Political/Legal Landscape

3.5.2 Economic Landscape

3.5.3 Social Landscape

3.5.4 Technology Landscape



Chapter 4. COVID-19 Impact Analysis

4.1 COVID-19 Prevalence Analysis

4.2. Current Impact & Future Scenario

4.3. Impact on Market Players



Chapter 5. Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Market : Segment Analysis, by Solution Type, 2017-2030 (USD Million)

5.1 Solution Type Market Share Analysis, 2021 & 2030

5.2 Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) market, by Solution Type, 2017 to 2030

5.3 Enterprise

5.4 Site



Chapter 6. Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Market : Segment Analysis, by Delivery Mode, 2017-2030 (USD Million)

6.1 Delivery Mode Market Share Analysis, 2021 & 2030

6.2 Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) market, by Delivery Mode, 2017 to 2030

6.3 Web & Cloud-based

6.4 On-premise



Chapter 7. Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Market : Segment Analysis, by Component, 2017-2030 (USD Million)

7.1 Component Market Share Analysis, 2021 & 2030

7.2 Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Market, by Component, 2017 to 2030

7.3 Software

7.4 Services



Chapter 8. Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Market : Segment Analysis, by End User, 2017-2030 (USD Million)

8.1 End User Market Share Analysis, 2021 & 2030

8.2 Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Market, by End User, 2017 to 2030

8.3 Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Firms

8.3.1 Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Firms market, 2017-2030 (USD Million)

8.4 Medical Device Firms

8.5 Others



Chapter 9. Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Market : Regional Market Analysis 2017-2030 (USD Million)

9.1 Definition & Scope

9.2 Regional Movement Analysis, 2021 & 2030

9.3 Regional Market Snapshot



Chapter 10. Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Market-Competitive Analysis

10.1 Market Participant Categorization

10.1.1. Company Market Position Analysis

10.1.2. Synergy Analysis: Major Deals & Strategic Alliances

10.1.3. Market Leaders

10.1.4. Innovators

10.2. List of Key Companies



Chapter 11. Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) Market-Company Profiles

11.1 Company overview

11.2 Financial Performance

11.3 Product benchmarking

11.4 Strategic initiatives

Iqvia Inc.

Medidata Solutions, Inc.

Oracle

Datatrak International, Inc.

Clario

Simpletrials

Calyx

Realtime

Labcorp

Veeva Systems

Wipro Limited

Pharmaseal

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4acwg5

Attachment




The Korea Times reporter Kim Hyun-bin test drives the Lamborghini Huracan EVO Spyder on the outskirts of Sant'Agata, Italy on May 21. Courtesy of Volkswagen Group
Pune, India, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global big data analytics market size is rising and projected to reach USD 549.73 billion by 2028. The overall market size was USD 206.95 billion in 2020 and USD 231.43 billion in 2021. Further, the market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 13.2% during the 2021-2028 period. This information is published by Fortune Business Insights in its report, titled, Big Data Analytics Market Forecast, 2021-2028.

As per the report, big data analytics examines the unstructured and structured record to envision and deliver understandings grounded on connection, concealed configurations, varying trends in the market, and many more.





Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/big-data-analytics-market-106179





Industry Development

April 2021: The Wall Street Journal presented the WSJ/Realtor.com Emerging Housing Markets Index, meant to detect upward housing markets and the prospective for forthcoming house price upsurge along with an augmented standard of living.

Report Scope & Segmentation

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 CAGR 13.2% 2028 Value Projection USD 549.73 Billion Base Year 2020 Big Data Analytics Market Size in 2020 USD 206.95 Billion Historical Data for 2017 to 2019 No. of Pages 140 Segments covered Component, Application, Vertical and Geography Big Data Analytics Market Growth Drivers Tactical Procurement by Prominent Players Set to Impel Market Development Rising Utilization of Edge Computing to Stimulate Demand for Analytics Tools





Digital revolution across various industries such as healthcare, production & manufacturing, wholesale & retail, and others during the coronavirus disease outbreak is expected to enhance big data implementation.

Moreover, the industrial internet of things (IIoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) navigate computerization in the production industry. Big data technology is being employed across portfolio management, asset administration and analytical maintenance, network manufacturing, real-time alerts, and many more to magnify the growth of the manufacturing industry amid undefined business situations.





Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this Market:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/big-data-analytics-market-106179





Drivers and Restraints

Rising Utilization of Edge Computing to Stimulate Demand for Analytics Tools

The quantity of associated IoT gadgets is growing owing to the increasing implementation of the Internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), as well as machine learning algorithms (MLA). As per a report published by IDC data, 152,200 IoT gadgets are likely to be linked each minute by 2025.

Furthermore, the rising demand for linked devices is enhancing the employment of edge computing. With the ability to process data in real-time and speedier reply intervals, edge computing is predominantly relevant to industrial IoT. This factor is anticipated to promote the big data analytics market growth during the forecast period.













Report Coverage

We provide our reports which are conducted with an all-inclusive examination approach that majorly emphasizes on delivering precise material. Our scholars have applied a data triangulation method which further assists us in offering trustworthy estimations and accurately testing the general market dynamics. Further, our analysts have received admission to numerous international and regional funded registers for providing the up-to-date material so that the stakeholders and business professionals invest only in essential zones.

Segmentation

On the basis of component, the global market is segregated into software, hardware, and services.

By application, the market is classified into data discovery and visualization (DDV), advanced analytics (AA), and others (data preparation, and others).

In terms of vertical, the big data analytics market is divided into BFSI, government, retail, manufacturing, IT & telecom, healthcare and life sciences, and others (automotive, and others). BFSI is expected to gain maximum revenue share in the industry vertical due to the extensively growing customer base.

Geographically, the market is branched into regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and South America.





Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/big-data-analytics-market-106179





Competitive Landscape

Tactical Procurement by Prominent Players Set to Impel Market Development

The crucial players in the market are capitalizing on providing novel and ground-breaking applications of big data analytics across all business fragments. Moreover, to build novel solutions, prominent market players encompass the possibility of fundamental data, elevate their tools and technology, and fortify their analytics and technology solutions competencies.

Regional Insights

North America held the maximum big data analytics market share during the mentioned time period. The region observes the presence of important businesses through all the industries and is expansively executing the big data analytics software.

Asia Pacific perceived noteworthy CAGR during the forecast period owing to the expansion in BFSI, retail, manufacturing, healthcare and other industries. Along with leading nations such as India, China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and others, the development latent for the market is broad in the region.

Europe has considerably augmented the implementation of progressive communication, network solution, social media, electronic devices, linked devices, and more. The broadly increasing data in the region is anticipated to boost the demand for analytical solutions.

List of Key Companies Covered in the Big Data Analytics Market Analysis Report:

Microsoft Corporation (Washington, U.S.)

Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc. (New Jersey, U.S.)

Equifax, Inc. (Georgia, U.S.)

IBM Corporation (New York, U.S.)

Salesforce.com, Inc. (California, U.S.)

SAP SE (Walldorf, Germany)

Verisk Analytics Inc. (New Jersey, U.S.)

Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (New York, U.S.)

Moody's Corporation (New York, U.S.)

Oracle Corporation (Texas, U.S.)

SAS Institute Inc. (North Carolina, U.S.)

QlikTech International AB (Pennsylvania, U.S.)

TransUnion (Illinois, U.S.)

Fair Isaac Corporation (California, U.S.)

Experian Information Solutions, Inc. (California, U.S.)





Quick Buy - Big Data Analytics Market Research Report

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Major Table of Contents:

Global Big Data Analytics Key Players Market Share Insights and Analysis, 2020

Key Market Insights and Strategic Recommendations

Companies Profiled Overview Key Management Headquarters etc. Offerings/Business Segments Key Details Employee Size Key Financials Past and Current Revenue Geographical Share Business Segment Share Recent Developments

Annexure / Appendix Global Big Data Analytics Market Size Estimates and Forecasts (Quantitative Data), By Segments, 2017-2028 By Component (Value) Software Credit Risk Management Business Intelligence Solutions CRM Analytics Compliance Analytics Workforce Analytics Others (content analytics, supply chain analytics, etc.) Hardware Services By Application (Value) Data Discovery and Visualization (DDV) Advanced Analytics (AA) Others (Data Preparation, etc.) By Vertical (Value) BFSI Government Retail Manufacturing IT & Telecom Healthcare and Life Sciences Others (Automotive, etc.) By Region (Value) North America South America Europe Middle East & Africa Asia Pacific North America Big Data Analytics Market Size Estimates and Forecasts (Quantitative Data), By Segments, 2017-2028 By Component (Value) Software Credit Risk Management Business Intelligence Solutions CRM Analytics Compliance Analytics Workforce Analytics Others (content analytics, supply chain analytics, etc.) Hardware Services By Application (Value) Data Discovery and Visualization (DDV) Advanced Analytics (AA) Others (Data Preparation, etc.) By Vertical (Value) BFSI Government Retail Manufacturing IT & Telecom Healthcare and Life Sciences Others (Automotive, etc.) By Country (Value) United States Canada Mexico



TOC Continued!





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Dublin, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Hand Dryer Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global hand dryer market reached a value of US$ 792.1 million in 2021. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach a value of US$ 1,546.8 million by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 11.20% during 2022-2027. 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 sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Hand dryer refers to an electronic appliance that is deployed in public washrooms as a cost-effective alternative to paper towels for drying hands. It aids in maintaining an optimal level of cleanliness and hygiene by eliminating the risk of cross-contamination and the spread of pathogens. Hand dryers activate through buttons, which, in turn, triggers sensor for detecting movements to enable the motor to emit warm air for drying purposes. At present, it is commercially available in varying types, such as push-button, high-speed, and automatic hand dryers.



Hand Dryer Market Trends

The widespread adoption of automatic hand dryers across various industrial verticals, such as healthcare and hospitality, for maintaining hygiene is one of the prime factors driving the hand dryer market growth. In line with this, the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic is acting as another major growth-inducing factor as automatic hand dryers offer contactless hand-drying experience, which, in turn, aids in inhibiting the spread of the virus significantly.

The environmental consciousness amongst the consumers and the increasing demand for eco-friendly devices over towels and tissues to save paper are also contributing to the market growth. Moreover, the introduction of the blade hand dryers for minimizing bacterial spread in the washroom is contributing to the market growth.

Other factors, such as rapid technological advancements to mandate the prevalent hygiene requirements, several initiatives undertaken by the government bodies of various nations for the installation of hand dryers in the commercial sector to ensure consumer safety and strengthen the infrastructure, strategic collaborations between the top players and manufacturers for the continual launch of more effective product variants at affordable prices, are creating a positive outlook for the market.



Key Market Segmentation

This report provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the global hand dryer market, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country level from 2022-2027. The report has categorized the market based on product, operation mode, mounting technique and End-user.



Breakup by Product:

Hot Air

Jet Air

Breakup by Operation Mode:

Push Button Hand Dryer

Automatic Hand Dryer

Breakup by Mounting Technique:

Surface Mounted

Wall Mounted

Breakup by End-user:

Hotel

Hospitals and Clinics

Food Processing and Service Industry

Commercial Complexes

Office Buildings

Others

Breakup by Region:

North America

United States

Canada

Asia-Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Australia

Indonesia

Others

Europe

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Italy

Spain

Russia

Others

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Others

Middle East and Africa

Competitive Landscape

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being American Specialties Inc., Bobrick Washroom Equipment Inc., Dyson Limited, Euronics Industries Pvt Ltd, Excel Dryer Inc., Hokwang Industries Co. Ltd, Jaquar Group, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Palmer Fixture Company, Panasonic Corporation, Saniflow Hand Dryer Corporation, and World Dryer Corporation (Zurn Water Solutions Corporation).



Key Questions Answered in This Report

How has the global hand dryer market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global hand dryer market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the product?

What is the breakup of the market based on the operation mode?

What is the breakup of the market based on the mounting technique?

What is the breakup of the market based on the End-user?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global hand dryer 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 Hand Dryer Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Product

6.1 Hot Air

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Jet Air

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Operation Mode

7.1 Push Button Hand Dryer

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Automatic Hand Dryer

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Mounting Technique

8.1 Surface Mounted

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Wall Mounted

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by End User

9.1 Hotel

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Hospitals and Clinics

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 Market Forecast

9.3 Food Processing and Service Industry

9.3.1 Market Trends

9.3.2 Market Forecast

9.4 Commercial Complexes

9.4.1 Market Trends

9.4.2 Market Forecast

9.5 Office Buildings

9.5.1 Market Trends

9.5.2 Market Forecast

9.6 Others

9.6.1 Market Trends

9.6.2 Market Forecast



10 Market Breakup by Region



11 SWOT Analysis



12 Value Chain Analysis



13 Porters Five Forces Analysis



14 Price Analysis



15 Competitive Landscape

15.1 Market Structure

15.2 Key Players

15.3 Profiles of Key Players

15.3.1 American Specialties Inc.

15.3.1.1 Company Overview

15.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.2 Bobrick Washroom Equipment Inc.

15.3.2.1 Company Overview

15.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.3 Dyson Limited

15.3.3.1 Company Overview

15.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.4 Euronics Industries Pvt Ltd

15.3.4.1 Company Overview

15.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.5 Excel Dryer Inc.

15.3.5.1 Company Overview

15.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.6 Hokwang Industries Co. Ltd

15.3.6.1 Company Overview

15.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.7 Jaquar Group

15.3.7.1 Company Overview

15.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.8 Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

15.3.8.1 Company Overview

15.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.8.3 Financials

15.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.9 Palmer Fixture Company

15.3.9.1 Company Overview

15.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.10 Panasonic Corporation

15.3.10.1 Company Overview

15.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.10.3 Financials

15.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.11 Saniflow Hand Dryer Corporation

15.3.11.1 Company Overview

15.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.12 World Dryer Corporation (Zurn Water Solutions Corporation)

15.3.12.1 Company Overview

15.3.12.2 Product Portfolio



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mjpcj7

Attachment
Sydney, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets. - https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Myanmar-Burma-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW





But a series of troubling events and increased repression since the military retook power in a coup in 2021 has thrown the forecasts for future growth into considerable doubt. Even estimates about the current state of affairs in the telecom sector are full of uncertainty, with one of the major mobile operators announcing a rapid withdrawal from the country while most of the rest have fallen under the governments influence.



In the five years since telecom market liberalisation, both mobile and mobile broadband penetration grew from single digits to around 100% by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The global health crisis was the first major event to bring a halt to the markets climb, but that was only a minor blip compared to what was to come with Myanmars second coup detat in February 2021. Leading up to that point saw officials from the Ministry of Transport and Communications instruct telcos to install spyware in their networks, to give the army access to all private voice and data communications. The junta shut down access to the Internet for several long periods following the takeover, including for the entire month of April. Then, following the refusal of the countrys two privately-owned mobile operators (Ooredoo and Telenor) to comply with the directive to install the surveillance software, executives from the two companies were barred from leaving the country and threatened with having their mobile licenses revoked. With personal safety and business operating conditions deteriorating badly, Telenor arranged a fire sale to Lebanons M1 Group, effectively writing off its entire Myanmar venture.



The political, social, and economic unrest has continued over the last 12 months, involving multiple reports of violence and even mobile tower sites being taken out by anti-government protestors. Foreign investors are fleeing the country and the long-term outlook for its telecom sector is, at best, bleak.



Key developments:





Military junta threatens the cancellation of mobile licenses and the detention of company executives if operators refuse to load spyware on their networks.

Telenor exits the Myanmar mobile market in a fire sale to Lebanons M1 following the imposition of military rule.

M1 agrees to sell a majority share of its Telenor acquisition to local interests, as dictated by the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Malaysia carrier Axiata Group puts its planned listing of towerco Edotco on hold due to the political unrest.

E-commerce transactions grow 73% year-on-year as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.



Companies mentioned in this report





Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT); Telenor Myanmar; Ooredoo Myanmar; Mytel.







Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Myanmar-Burma-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW
Sydney, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets. - https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Malawi-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW





A national fibre backbone has been built to connect all 28 districts in the country. Started in May 2017, the first phase of the project, running to 1,320km, was completed in 2018. The second phase, running to 2,800km, was started in June 2021. This phase also included a new data centre, and connected an additional 29 cities.



Malawi is linked to the national telecom network of Tanzania, and through this it has onward connectivity to Mozambique, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Zambia.



However, capacity remains low and as a result the wholesale price for bandwidth is high, despite several successful orders obliging the telcos to reduce costs for end-users.



An additional burden is the high tax for telecom services. The 17.5% tax on mobile phone sales introduced in 2015 is considered one of the main reasons why Malawi has low smartphone take-up. In January 2022 the Malawi Confederations of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the ICT Association of Malawi called on the government to reduce taxes imposed on ICT services. These taxes, together with spectrum fees and annual licence fees paid by operators, have raised the cost of internet services and thus contributed to them being unaffordable for a significant proportion of the population.



The telecom regulator in August 2021 published a report which noted the economic boost to be gained if the estimated two million people who had no access to the internet were connected, so enabling them to take part in the digital economy. The report influenced the government to adopt a five-year universal services strategy, under which some 720,000 Malawians are to be connected to broadband, while 1,300 institutions will be provided with Wi-Fi.



Key developments:





TNM Mpamba m-money service partners with Mastercard;

Telecom regulator launches the five-year Universal Service Fund (USF) Strategic Plan;

Telcos agree to reduce cost of mobile data packages;

Government urged to reduce rate on several ICT taxes contributing to high cost of internet services;

TNM partners with the PPPC to provide free wireless Internet services nationally;

Government begins review of the National ICT policy and the Malawi Digital Broadcasting policy;

Airtel Africa completes sale of its tower unit in Malawi to Helios Towers;

Regulator uses USF to install mobile towers in rural areas, to be leased to Airtel Malawi and MTL for a fee;

Regulator leans on Universal Access Fund to improve mobile services to rural areas;

Report updates include recent market developments, regulators market report for 2020, operator data to Q4 2021, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.



Companies mentioned in this report:





Malawi Telecommunications (MTL), Access Communications (ACL), Bharti Airtel (Zain, Celtel), Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM), G-Mobile (GAIN), Celcom, ESCOM, MalawiNet, MTL Online, Skyband, Globe Internet, Broadmax, Burco







Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Malawi-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW
New York City, NY, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Compassion in World Farming is urging animal lovers across the globe to unite in a show of support for a ban on the cruel trade of live animal exports on June 14 as part of the seventh annual Ban Live Exports: International Awareness Day.

The charity is encouraging people all over the world to take action by joining a Twitter storm or signing a petition aimed at persuading the EU to ban this cruel and unnecessary trade. Every year, millions of live animals, including calves, sheep and pigs are transported by road, rail, sea or air across continents. More than three million are exported from the EU alone. During this time, they often endure horrific conditions such as overcrowding and extreme temperatures, causing enormous pain and distress.

The Ban Live Exports: International Awareness Day, which was started by the charity in 2016, is held on June 14 every year and brings together people from all over the world to protest against the continuation of this cruel and unnecessary trade. This year sees the launch of a hard-hitting new video featuring a spoof travel agency advert mocking the inadequacy of EU regulations to protect the welfare of farmed animals during transport.

Ben Williamson, U.S. Executive Director, Compassion in World Farming, said: Compassion has campaigned for a ban on live exports for decades. Under current European Union rules, pigs can be transported non-stop in trucks for 24 hours and most sheep and cattle for 29 hours with just a one-hour rest during the journey. Its time for this awful trade to end once and for all.

"EU legislation has already led to improved welfare both within and outside of Europe. Following the EU ban on battery cages for egg-laying hens, similar legislation has been adopted by ten US states. European action on ending long-distance live animal transport has the potential to be similarly leading and is expected to have a ripple effect globally.

Last years day of action, which was held virtually for the second year in a row due to COVID-19 restrictions, received an overwhelming show of support in at least 40 countries: over 150 NGOs joined the Twitterstorm to raise awareness about this awful trade, and tweets containing the hashtag #BanLiveExports received more than 62 million views.

For further information about the International Awareness Day to Ban Live Exports, visit Compassions website here.

###

Notes to Editors

The date of June 14 was chosen to mark the live export tragedy that occurred on the same day in 2015 when 13,000 sheep tragically lost their lives during a long sea journey from Romania to Somalia. Along the way thousands of sheep died from dehydration, starvation and exhaustion.

Compassion in World Farming was founded in 1967 by a British dairy farmer who became horrified at the development of intensive factory farming. Today Compassion is the leading farm animal welfare organization dedicated to ending factory farming and achieving humane and sustainable food. With headquarters in the UK, we have offices across Europe, in the US, China and South Africa.

To find out more about Compassion in World Farming visit: http://www.ciwf.com
Sydney, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets. - https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Cameroon-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW

However, a combination of operator disputes, mismanagement, and laxity from the regulator has meant the market has not reached its potential.



Camtel has long held a licence to offer mobile services, yet it has failed to do so thus far. A launch of services scheduled for the beginning of 2021, under the Blue banner, has been put on hold and is not anticipated until some time in 2022. Nevertheless, a limited fixed-wireless broadband service, under the Blue Home banner, was launched in September 2021.



The third MNO Viettel Cameroon had suffered from its own internal difficulties revolving around a longstanding dispute between the two shareholders Viettel and Bestcam. Noting that the quality of services had fallen during the previous few years, and anxious to safeguard its XAF210 billion investment in the country, Viettel in November 2021 resumed talks with Bestcam.



For its part, the regulator has failed to progress with issuing a 5G trial licence to MTN Cameroon, despite appeals for a licence having been made since 2019.



Key developments:





New fibre link to Gabon is completed;

World Bank urges Cameroon to make better use of submarine fibre capacity;

Camtel, Sudachad Telecom, and Sudatel announce plans to build a terrestrial fibre cable connecting through Cameroon, Chad, and Sudan;

Camtels national roaming deal with MTN Cameroon comes into effect;

Cameroon accounting for 73% of the 1.1 billion e-payment transactions among CEMAC member countries;

Camtel becomes the fourth MNO after securing a mobile concession, but delays service launch;

Orange Cameroon expands LTE-A services;

Report update includes the regulator's market reports, telcos' operating data to Q1 2022, updated Telecom Maturity Index tables, charts and analyses, recent market developments.



Companies mentioned in this report:





MTN Cameroon, Orange Cameroon, Camtel, Cameroon Mobile Telecommunications (CMT), Pastel, CamNet, MTN Network Solutions, Matrix Telecoms, Ringo, Nexttel Cameroon (Viettel), YooMee







Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Cameroon-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW
Sydney, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets. - https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Chad-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW

Although both operators struggle to generate revenue in a market where customers have little disposable income, they are supported by being local business units of significant regional players.



Both operators have nevertheless seen their subscribers bases increase steadily in recent years. Moov Africa Chad reported a 14.2% increase in the number of mobile subscribers in the year to September 2021.



While Moov and Airtel focus investment in mobile network infrastructure to expand the reach of their 3G and LTE services, there is also tentative investment in fixed-line broadband. Given that the countrys copper network is very meagre, and is largely limited to the capital NDjamena, there is a business case to develop new fibre rather than bother with upgrading exiting copper. At the end of 2021, Moov announced plans to launch a limited FttP network in NDjamena during 2022.



This is only a start of a potential development in the fixed-line sector which will be supported by Chads increased connectivity to international fibre cables. Chad is participating in the 500km Trans-Saharan Backbone as well as the Central Africa Backbone and other cables. Since mid-2020 the government has funded several ICT projects, including a new national data centre and associated 1,200km fibre network, a 50km metro network in NDjamena, and an additional 200 mobile towers for Sotel Tchad.



Domestic internet capacity increased from 270Mb/s in 2017 to 5,479Mb/s in 2020. This increase was largely due to the Chad-Sudan link, which also reduced wholesale access costs. In turn the cost for retail access has fallen, which makes connectivity more viable for a greater proportion of the population.



Key developments:





International mobile roaming charges eliminated among Central African Economic and Monetary Community countries;

Camtel, SudaChad Telecom, and Sudatel announce plans to build a terrestrial fibre cable connecting through Cameroon, Chad, and Sudan;

Government removes duty on imported telecom devices to boost adoption of digital services;

Airtel Chad drops plan to sell passive infrastructure in Chad to Helios;

Moov Chad increases the number of mobile base stations, preps for FttP rollout;

Government approves three-part telecom infrastructure upgrade project as part of the Strategic Plan for Digital Development and Posts 2020-2030;

2021 Finance Law reduces spectrum fees;

N'Djamena - Adre axis fibre link is opened;

Report update includes the regulators market updates to 2020, operator data to Q1 2022, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.



Companies mentioned in this report:





Sotel Tchad, TchadNet, Airtel Chad, Tigo Chad, Tchad Mobile (Orascom), Maroc Telecom, Sitcom, Salam Mobile







Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Chad-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW
Sydney, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets. - https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Lesotho-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW

After the regulator tried to revoke Vodafone Lesothos licence in late 2020, the company fought back and secured a reprieve from the courts. Having considered that one of the difficulties in its relationship with the telco stemmed from its reliance of Vodacom reporting on itself, the regulator in early 2021 secured a system to monitor traffic and billing systems, aimed at protecting consumer rights and safeguarding quality of service.However, the regulator has also assumed the right to approve appointments to managerial positions made by Vodacom Lesotho or Econet Telecom Lesotho, which has been contested by the operators.The dispute also encouraged the regulator to make changes to the market more widely. Although technically the telecom sector is open to competition, in effect it has remained a duopoly, with new entrants only having been able to become players on invitation from the regulator. This changed from October 2020, when amendments made to certain rules came into effect, which removed this restriction and allowed any prospective market entrants to apply for a licence. Licensees must provide services within two years.



Key developments:





Vodacom Lesotho transfers its M-Pesa division to a new independent company, VCL Financial Services;

Vodacom reports an increase in m-money subscriptions at end-2021;

Telecom regulator assumes the right to approve telcos senior management appointees, publishes SIM registration regulations, instructs MNOs to begin registering their customers SIM cards;

Econet Telecom Lesotho expands FttP network;

Lesothos National Assembly approves the Computer Crimes and Cyber Security Bill, 2022;

Safaricom and Vodacom Group acquire the M-Pesa brand;

Improved internet connectivity following landing of international cables;

Universal Service Agency expanding base tower infrastructure in remote areas;

Report update includes ITU statistics, regulators ICT market report, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, operator data to Q1 2022, recent market developments.



Companies mentioned in this report:





Telecom Lesotho, Econet Telecom Lesotho, Vodacom Lesotho, Eskom, Comnet







Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Lesotho-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW


Tuesday, June 7, 2022





Dear Shareholders and Investors,

We wish to inform you that we have sold the last of our originally four 2002 built suezmax tankers, the Nordic Moon.

The price is about $16 million net to NAT. The vessel will be delivered to the new owners during June 2022.



We plan to take delivery of a newbuilding from Samsung Shipyard in South Korea at the end of June. It will start on a six year contract as from delivery.



The first newbuilding from Samsung in this round was delivered to us in mid - May. The vessel started on a contract for 6 years when delivered from the yard. A strong balance sheet is essential. The NAT debt is low compared with other US listed tanker companies.



NAT is in a positive phase of development as illustrated in this message.





For contacts, please see at the end of this communication.



CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, anticipate, intend, estimate, forecast, project, plan, potential, will, may, should, expect, pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our managements examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market, as a result of changes in OPECs petroleum production levels and worldwide oil consumption and storage, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the prospectus and related prospectus supplement, our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and our reports on Form 6-K.

NAT is a Bermuda based company.

Contacts:

Bjrn Giver, CFO

Nordic American Tankers Ltd

Tel: +1 888 755 8391

Herbjrn Hansson, Founder, Chairman & CEO

Nordic American Tankers Ltd

Tel: +1 866 805 9504

www.nat.bm
New Delhi, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the study undertaken by Astute Analytica the global aluminum casting market is anticipated to register a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period 2022-2030. The global aluminum casting market was valued at US$ 61.3 bn in 2021 and is forecasted to reach US$ 108.6 bn by 2030. In terms of volume, the market is estimated to record a growth at a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period.

Aluminum casting is a type of metalworking process that involves pouring liquid metal into a mold or form, that has been shaped by a pattern of the desired final product. Some of the common molding methods for producing castings are die casting, permanent mold casting, investment casting, and sand casting.

Download Free Sample Report Now @ https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/aluminum-casting-market

Aluminum casting plays a major in the automobile industry, the industry is the largest user of aluminum casting. Aluminum die casting is heavily used in making vehicle chassis, wipers, and some intricate components of the braking assembly of vehicles. However, one of the main factors that are challenging the aluminum casting market growth in the automotive industry is the magnesium alloy. As magnesium alloys are 30% lighter than aluminum, they can help to decrease the weight of vehicles and can help to reduce fuel consumption.

Iron product segment dominates the market and is projected to maintain its dominance over the forecast period, by growing at a CAGR of 7.1%. Most iron casting manufacturers combine casting along with another process that tends to be more efficient or better suited for the requirements of a particular project. In terms of distribution channel, OEM is the most favored channel in the market.

Regional Analysis

North America holds the third-largest share in the Global Aluminum Casting Market in 2021

In North America region, the US holds the maximum share in 2021 and the automotive industry is the largest user of aluminum casting. The majority of products produced by die casting companies in the US are for the automotive and construction industries. According to the report of the Aluminum Association, over US$ 3.50 billion of aluminum die castings were shipped by American die casting plants in 2019, as compared to US$ 3.81 billion in 2018. Due to Covid-19, the shipments declined in 2019 and 2020.

Germany dominates the Europe Aluminum Casting Market

Germany is the highest shareholder country in the Europe Aluminum Casting market, accounting for 20.2% share in the market. Germany has one of the most refined aluminum die casting industries. However, the with car production and sales in Germany have been hard hit by the Brexit thereby, slumping the by US$ 18.40 bn (14.64 bn) in 2021. This can have a drastic effect on the Germany Aluminum Casting Market as the automotive sector is the highest end-user of the industry.

Asia Pacific holds the maximum share in the Global Aluminum Casting Market

Asia Pacific is estimated to register the fastest CAGR during the forecast period due to the presence of some of the most well-known technology-enabled metropolises in the region which include China, South Korea, and Japan. China is the major driving country for the large-scale import and export of primary aluminum from the Asia Pacific to western countries. China's annual aluminum output rose 4.8% from the previous year to a record in 2021, reaching 38.5 million tonnes. In India, the auto-component industry holds up to 7% of Indias GDP and supports or employees as many as 19 million people. Many western and top Asian (China, Japan, and South Korea) companies are now looking at India for Components & Part Designing.

Die casting segment has the highest CAGR in the Middle East & Africa Aluminum Casting market

Most of the aluminum casting is used in the automotive and construction sector. According to the Automotive Production Development Plan - Vision 2020, South Africa plans to produce over 1.2 million vehicles, which can open many favorable opportunities for the aluminum casting market in South Africa where most of the aluminum casting is done for body panels. With the increasing demand for aluminum wheels in the South Africa automotive industry, the demand for aluminum casting has increased significantly.

Brazil is the highest shareholder in South America Aluminum Casting Market

According to Brazilian Foundry Association (ABIFA), the aluminum casting market is largely driven by the automotive sector. Over 1,043.5 MT of aluminum casting was produced in 2021. The growth of the foundry market in Brazil is the main propellor for both automotive and aluminum casting markets in South America. According to LK group, a Hongkong-based designer and manufacturer of die casting machines, Brazil is one of the most important primary die casting product suppliers. It holds 10th rank in the world for total die casting product volume. It is home to over 1170 die casting companies and 57,000 die casting personnel. As die casting holds a major share in the market, owing to the increasing production volume in Brazil, it is playing an important role in the die casting industry among BRICS countries.

Directly Purchase a copy of report with TOC @ https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/aluminum-casting-market

Report Attribute Details Market Size Value in 2021 US$ 61.3 Billion Market Outlook for 2030 US$ 108.6 Billion Expected CAGR Growth 6.8% Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2030 Top Market Players Arkema SA, Arrmaz, BASF Corporation, Dupont De Nemours Inc., Dynacast Deutschland GmbH, Honeywell International Inc., Huntsman Corporation, Kao Corporation, Ingevity Corporation, MartinreaHonsel Germany GmbH, Alcast Technologies Inc., Kraton Corporation, Nouryon and Sasol Limited among others Segments Covered By Product, By Method, By Industry, By Region

Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, Middle East & Africa Customization Options Get your customized report as per your preference. Ask for customization

Competitive Landscape

Alcast Technologies Ltd., based in Canada, provides a wide range of adaptable sand molding processes & techniques to meet aluminum casting requirements.

ArrMaz Products, Inc. is a specialised chemical manufacturer for agricultural nutrition, mining, infrastructure, oil and gas, and other rapidly increasing industries. The company was acquired by Arkema S.A. on July 1st, 2019.

BASF SE is a German Multinational Chemical Corporation that produces non-cellular polyurethane casting compounds for all kinds of mold including epoxy, aluminum, silicon, and others.

DuPont de Nemours, Inc. provides bonding solutions and die casting solutions. The company supports a globally linked network of regional application development experts who work with customers throughout the value chain to develop innovative solutions in automotive, packaging, construction, consumer goods,

Dynacast International Inc. produces high-precision zinc, aluminum, and magnesium die-cast components around the world to fulfil customer needs. They have 22 manufacturing plants across 16 countries globally.

Huntsman Corporation extensive portfolio of hot- and cold cast elastomers, hot casting machines and TPU elastomers and develop solutions to meet specific needs. The strategic outlook of the company is to see chemistry as a way to address some of today's most serious societal issues.

Segmentation Overview of the Global Aluminum Casting Market

The following are the different segments of the Global Aluminum Casting Market: -

By Product Segment of the Global Aluminum Casting Market is sub-segmented into:

Silicon

Iron

Copper

Magnesium

Zinc

By Material Segment of the Global Aluminum Casting Market is sub-segmented into:

Die Casting

Permanent Mold Casting

Investment Casting

Sand Casting

By Industry Application Segment of the Global Aluminum Casting Market is sub-segmented into:

Aerospace Commercial Transport Planes Airframes Fuselages and Wings Space Station Shuttles/Structures

Construction And Architecture Power Grids and Electrical Transmission Lines High Rise Buildings

Site Furnishings (Removable Bollard Applications)

Food And Beverage (cans)

Electrical and Electronics Equipment

Automotive Lightweight Aluminium Frames Body Panels Engines Sensor And Airbag Housings Seat Belt Retractor Spools Lock Barrels Connectors for Autonomous Vehicles Steering and Braking Systems Others

Agriculture Crankcase Housings

Others

By Region Segment of the Global Aluminum Casting Market is sub-segmented into:

North America The U.S. Canada Mexico

Europe The UK Germany France Italy Spain Poland Russia

Asia Pacific China Taiwan India Japan Australia & New Zealand ASEAN Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa (MEA) UAE Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of MEA

South America Brazil Argentina Rest of South America



To gain more insights into the market with a detailed table of content and figures, click here: https://www.astuteanalytica.com/industry-report/aluminum-casting-market

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.




Figure 1Kim E-bae, Jeju Air's CEO, speaks during a press conference held at the Mayfield Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Jeju Air
New York, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "AgroScience Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284273/?utm_source=GNW

Ltd, GNP AGROSCIENCES PVT. LTD, Himalaya Agro Science, Green Earth Agro Science, Sigma Agriscience, Eurofins Scientific, and Arysta LifeScience.



The global agroscience market is expected to grow from $203.81 billion in 2021 to $216.6 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3%. The market is expected to grow to $263.17 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.0%.



The agroscience market consists of sales of agroscience products by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that are used in agricultural products production and processing.This includes the products used in soil cultivation, crop cultivation, animal production, and also the processing of agricultural products for human consumption and use.



It also offers the transformation of primary product to final product such as production, preservation, and packaging to be used by the end-user.



The main types of agroscience are biopesticides, bio stimulants, and GM seeds.The biopesticides market consists of sales of biopesticides products by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that refer to certain types of pesticides derived from natural materials such as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals.



They are sourced out of acid-based bio stimulants and extract-based bio simulants, and used in crops, food and vegetable applications.



North America was the largest region in the agroscience market in 2021.North America is expected to be the largest market in agroscience market.



The regions covered in the agroscience market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.



The growing adoption of sustainable agriculture is expected to propel the growth of the agroscience market.The agricultural communities across the globe are shifting towards sustainable agricultural practices, to preserve and restore critical habitats, help protect watersheds, and improve soil health and water quality.



For instance, in October 2021, the Agoro Carbon Alliance, the first sustainable agriculture program backed by Yara, one of the global agriculture leaders in crop nutrition, has been launched in India.Agoro Carbon Alliance aims to create a more sustainable and profitable food future.



Therefore, the growing adoption of sustainable agriculture is driving the growth of the agroscience market.



Strategic partnerships and collaborations are a key trend gaining popularity in the agroscience market.The key players in the agroscience market are expanding their research and development activities through strategic collaborations and partnerships with relevant players in the market.



For instance, In April 2021, Corteva Agriscience, a US-based agricultural chemical, and seed company collaborated with a USA-based biotechnology company Ginkgo Bioworks. As part of the collaboration, Ginkgos cell engineering platform and DNA codebase are being combined with Cortevas natural product development and agricultural expertise to explore the next generation of organically inspired sustainable solutions.



In October 2020, American Vanguard, an American producer of agrochemicals and pesticide delivery systems acquired Agrinos in USA-based biological crop inputs supplier and developer of biological crop input technologies for an undisclosed amount. Through the acquisition, American Vanguard is aiming to capitalize on the strong market demand for sustainable crop production as well as the Agrinos portfolio will complement American Vanguards Green plants liquid nutrition products which have enjoyed successful growth in Central American market.



The countries covered in the agroScience market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284273/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On May 26, 2022, eight companies concluded their 3-month Catalyst Accelerator journey with an on-site demonstration day at Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation. This event brought over 100 attendees from the community. In attendance were Air Force, Space Force, and other Government personnel, subject matter experts from industry leaders, investors assessing the potential of cohort company technologies, and those curious about where the U.S. is heading with space technology.

The Hybrid Data Movement cohort was the ninth Accelerator facilitated by Catalyst. The cohort was chosen for their technology and business readiness from a pool of 32 companies and began their Accelerator experience on March 1, 2022. The problem statement was framed around how we might provide a secure and scalable hybrid data environment to pull, move and combine diverse sets of data from commercial, public, Allied and Government sources to allow users to find, fix, target, track, engage, and assess on faster timelines. Rajarathnam (Mouli) Chandramouli from the cohort company, Spectronn, explained, "The Catalyst Accelerator provided critical customer discovery and business development skills required to work with the DoD. Since a majority of the startup founders and CEOs in our cohort had deep technical backgrounds, this program equipped us to move out of our comfort zone." Peggy Bunzli, from the cohort company Zenn USA, followed by stating, During the course of the 3-month Accelerator, we learned so much, had amazing access to Commercial and DoD customers and grew our network tremendously. We also had a lot of fun and made lifetime connections with the participants from the other 7 companies.

Over the course of the Accelerator, the companies were guided by the following subject matter experts: Government Sherpas and end-users, enabling them to better understand Government space needs; business experts, helping them pivot their technology and corporate posture to position themselves well in the Government market; and Commercial Sherpas (Microsoft, Amergint, Ball Aerospace, ManTech, LinQuest Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Leidos, and Viasat), helping them step into the Government arena with advice, consulting, and key contact introductions within the Government and Commercial sectors. Supporting the Hybrid Data Movement cohort and the ongoing Catalyst Accelerator program is a critical part of Microsofts efforts to empower startup companies and bring innovation to address government customers challenges, said Gregg Walsh, Business Development Manager at Microsoft.

Demo Day was the culmination of the Hybrid Data Movement Accelerator. It was the final product of the cohorts diligence, the re-imagining of their technology, the shifting of their business model to fit the new customer  Space for the U.S. Government. Each cohort company provided a brief pitch on their technology before attendees had the opportunity to follow-up individually with the small businesses. Patrick Barrett, Chief Executive Officer at Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation explained, "The culmination of this 3-month cohort was the result of an amazing partnership with AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate who have funded our talented Accelerator Team comprised of KiMar Gartman, Shae Thomas, and Kate Menendez with support from Mo Kanwischer along with our Operations Specialists who in turn have enabled the success of eight companies. These eight companies pitched components of solutions to fill capability gaps supporting the National Space Defense Center (NSDC) at Schriever Space Force Base (SSFB). The mission that they support is critical to the security of our nation. Thank you to our Colorado Springs-based Space ecosystem pulled together through Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation that allows us to enable commercially focused companies through the Catalyst Accelerator program pivot into the Aerospace and Defense sector while still maintaining a focus on their commercial technologies. I wish each of the eight companies success as they continue to grow and contribute to our Nation.

Cohort companies included:

Archangel Lightworks - https://www.archangel.works/ - Archangel Lightworks is developing laser technology for the next generation of satellite communication. Their technology enables satellite operators to download 100x more data from orbit more quickly and more securely than radio frequency-based approaches. Their laser technology will massively increase the amount of valuable data downloadable from orbit  bringing more data for climate monitoring, agriculture, and many other Earth Observation use cases down to the people who are using it to improve life on Earth. Their vision is a future where disparate networks across space, air, ground, and sea are securely connected using wireless laser links creating truly ubiquitous connectivity.

krtkl (critical) - https://krtkl.com/ - krtkl provides high-reliability hardware and software solutions for hard real-time applications in the robotics, sensing, and space industries. krtkls mission is to build a smarter, more connected world by democratizing access to advanced technology. The companys products have been deployed in thousands of mission-critical commercial and defense systems with demanding performance requirements and size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints. krtkls high-bandwidth, radiation-tolerant space mesh router allows for rapid deployment of low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. The hardware is front-end agnostic and software reconfigurability enables on-orbit processing without additional SWaP or cost impacts.

Matchbook AI - https://www.matchbookai.com/ - Matchbook AI offers the only data solution that helps customers connect in real-time to fully mastered data that is trusted, enriched and always ready for business. This is where their transformational reference data as a service (RDaaS) platform creates incredible business value. RDaaS enables customers to connect on-demand, discover what matters most and manage third-party provider data, including Experian, Moodys and Dun & Bradstreet. By residing between a customers enterprise data systems and third-party data providers, RDaaS creates centralized data governance with distributed controls to empower companies with trusted data for impactful decision-making. Customers can connect in real-time to fully mastered data that is trusted, enriched and always ready for business.

Pixspan - https://www.pixspan.com/ - Pixspan provides the fastest and easiest data acceleration for moving large data files of any type and size on-premise and to, from, and within the Cloud, globally and on demand. Pixspans software products accelerate and enhance Cloud and On-Premise workflows, offering unprecedented savings in time, storage and infrastructure costs. Pixspan offers Bit Exact Round Trip lossless compression of full-resolution images for speeding up transfers over limited bandwidth.

QuSecure - https://www.qusecure.com/ - QuSecure is the global leader in quantum cybersecurity. Theyre using the threat of quantum attacks as a catalyst to fix the foundation of digital infrastructure  by putting security first, they assure private and safe communication, anytime, anywhere, on any device. Their software-based solution combines zero-trust endpoint management, unbreakable quantum keys, ultra-fast transport protocols, and Legacy Protocol Switching to deliver unparalleled end-to-end security on earth and in space. QuSecures vision is to create an exceptionally secure world through post-quantum cryptography.

Spectronn - https://www.spectronn.com/ - Spectronn has a software platform that concurrently and in real-time optimizes heterogeneous data networking and computing for resilient and low-latency situational awareness. It virtually combines all available networking and computing assets in space and on earth to deliver smart data (satellite, UAV, SAR, RADAR, CCTV, RF, and IoT sensors) collection, storage, sharing, and analytics. AVA, their human-centered AI engine combines deep machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing to analyze the collected data for visual storytelling and Q&A. These integrated capabilities deliver clear, real-time intelligence to first responders, warfighters, and commercial stakeholders, without cognitively overloading them  everything they need and nothing they do not.

TurnRock Labs - https://www.turnrocklabs.com/ - TurnRock Labs has a mission to make autonomy affordable for everyone. TurnRock seeks to revolutionize the world of general-purpose robotics by leveraging human brainpower to create more adaptable, resilient, and future proofed systems. They believe that the next generation of coordinated autonomy will depend on faster and more effective real-time integration of software intelligent agents and the humans who operate them. TurnRock is developing the Dynamic Multi-Echelon Agent Control (DMAC) platform to provide real-time integration and simulation capabilities for digital twin models to inform decision making.

Zenn USA - https://www.zenn.global/ - Zenn USA starts with a re-imagined data storage platform with innovative Software & Hardware. The small form-factor and easy to use design can be utilized from Edge networks to massive scale up data centers, and the platform is 10X more energy efficient than existing data servers. Data also has a significant environmental impact due to the short lifespan of equipment and resulting electronic waste. Zenn is working to increase the life span of systems and to enhance modularity and durability to provide its customers with systems that are easy to use, cost effective and contribute to the circular economy. Zenns mission is to advance the innovation and production of state of the art, eco-friendly, secure data storage and management technologies, through engineering, research, and development to meet the IT needs of our customers, in collaboration with interested organizations and stakeholders.

The Hybrid Data Movement Accelerator was made possible with the support of AFRL/RV, the U.S. Space Force and the generous support from Corporate Sponsor, Microsoft, and Demo Day Sponsor, Amergint.

About Catalyst Accelerator

The Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate and United States Space Forces Catalyst Accelerator is a NewSpace-focused defense and national security industry accelerator, headquartered on the Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation (CCTI, a Colorado 501(c)3) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. CCTI is a collaborative ecosystem where industry, small business, entrepreneurs, startups, government, academia, and investors intersect with Colorados aerospace and defense industry to create community, spark innovation, and stimulate business growth.

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Toronto, ON, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meltwich Food Co. is introducing its new milkshake called the Pride Shake in honour of Pride month.

Meltwich Food Co. believes that all people have the right to love who they love and express themselves in their most authentic way. The Pride Shake was created to recognize the inspiring history, culture, and diversity of the LGBTQ2A+ community. Meltwich Food Co. welcomes all guests to honour this important month alongside them by enjoying this refreshing, sweet treat.

The new rainbow-themed shake will be available for the month of June at Meltwich Food Co. locations across Canada in both small and large sizes. In support of the LGBTQ2A+ community, Meltwich Food Co. will also be donating one dollar from each Pride Shake purchase to PFLAG Canada.

PFLAG Canada is a national charitable organization for the LGBTQ2A+ community and their families, friends, and allies. PFLAG Canada was founded by parents who are committed to creating a world where everyone is accepted and celebrated. You can learn more about PFLAG Canada at their website, pflagcanada.ca.

About Meltwich Food Co.

Were obsessed with cheese. The way it melts. The way it tastes. The way it elevates the flavour of everything it touches So weve dedicated our life to the celebration of cheese in all of its deliciously ooey-gooey forms! You can count on us to be on the leading edge of cheesy creativity, fusing it with premium ingredients into our inventive and craveable comfort food.

Follow Meltwich Food Co. on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

You can learn more about Meltwich at www.meltwich.com.

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CHICAGO, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GAINSystems, a provider of innovative cloud-based supply chain planning solutions, today honored Border States with its 2022 Supply Chain Transformation Partner of the Year award. The achievement recognizes Border States' achievements in advancing its supply chain using automation and new initiatives in supply planning, SAP S/4Hana integration, and AI-fueled lead sensing. These strategies relied on the GAINS solutions and delivered measurable value in a short period of time. The award was given to Tony Serati, Vice President of Procurement at Border States, on Monday, June 6, 2022, at the 2022 Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/XPO in Orlando.

"Border States showed exemplary vision before the pandemic that more recently helped them to successfully navigate high levels of industry variability in the electric, natural gas, and oil markets," shared Joe Olson, CEO of GAINS. "We are delighted to recognize the Border States leadership and procurement teams for their commitment to using ML, AI, and automation to attain peak inventory and supply chain performance in changing times. In recognition of this award, GAINS has made a donation in Border States' name to the Barco Nightingales Foundation, a charitable organization that builds solar water wells in Haiti."

Since 2010, Barco Nightingales Foundation has served the people of Haiti by building solar water wells to provide clean drinking water to more than 30,000 people. The wells receive all of their power from the sun and are located in some of the island's most remote parts, replacing polluted rivers as the community's drinking water source.

"Border States and GAINS have had a strong partnership based on trust and innovation for many years," said Tony Serati, Vice President of Procurement at Border States. "We both share a passion for our customers as well as our communities. Our company is honored to receive the supply chain transformation award and to support a greater cause with Barco Nightingales Foundation and their impactful work to better the lives of the people in Haiti."

For information on Barco Nightingales Foundation and GAINS' support of their solar well and lunch programs since 2013, visit https://gainsystems.com/social-responsibility/.

About GAINSystems

At GAINS, our quest is to democratize supply chain planning. The GAINS Supply Chain Performance Optimization Platform helps businesses large and small Move Forward FasterSM with greater agility, resilience, confidence, and sustainability. The GAINS AI-driven cloud platform delivers continuous cost and profit optimization via machine learning, proven algorithms, and actionable analytics for global manufacturing, distribution, retail, and service parts/maintenance operations. Innovative design combined with the GAINS Proven-Path-to-Performance (P3)SM methodology enables rapid onboarding and tangible results, including increased sales, inventory turns, and service levels at reduced operating costs in as little as 8 weeks. GAINS proudly provides digital supply chain planning expertise to industry leaders like Graybar, Honda Motors, Menards, Rockwell Automation, Stuller, and Textron Aviation. For more information, visit www.gainsystems.com.

GAINS is a registered trademark, and Move Forward FasterSM, and Proven-Path-to-Performance (P3) SM are service marks of GAINSystems. Other products mentioned in this document are registered, trademarked, or service marked by their respective owners.

Media Contact:

Jenny Lacey

GAINSystems

jlacey@gainsystems.com

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Image 1

















Image 2: 2022 Supply Chain Transformation Partner of the Year





Tony Serati of Border States receives award from GAINSystems for 2022 Supply Chain Transformation Partner of the Year









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Albany, NY, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FirstLight, a leading provider of digital infrastructure services to enterprise and carrier customers throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, announced today it has reached a milestone in Maine, having added approximately 300 route miles of new fiber throughout the State since 2019.

FirstLight has consistently invested in Maine, installing fiber throughout the state and serving some of Maines largest K-12, higher educational, healthcare, state and local government and financial services institutions, as well as manufacturers, retailers and small businesses, with low latency, symmetrical broadband, backed by responsive service and support. FirstLight currently has 3,600 fiber route miles in Maine and will build an additional 121 route miles of fiber by year-end. Its fiber network connects to the cable landing station in Halifax, Nova Scotia and traverses a unique route through the state and into Boston, Mass.

In addition to serving organizations, FirstLight also provides traditional telecommunications services to residential customers by operating as an Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC) in parts of Central and Western Maine as well as a CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier).

Maine has always been an important market for FirstLight as weve tried to provide secure, dependable digital infrastructure services including Internet to customers across a broad geographic region, explained Kurt Van Wagenen, President and CEO. We have a great relationship with the people of Maine and value the quality of its workforce.

Additionally, the Town of Minot Board of Selectmen finished negotiations with FirstLight earlier this year to upgrade and expand their existing service to a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network in the northwest portion of Minot. FirstLight has completed the "make ready" stage of the project and is currently in the construction phase.

FirstLight also operates a 52,000 square foot data center in Brunswick, with cloud and colocation services. The facility was formerly a command and control center for NATO, and has undergone extensive upgrades focused on enhancing its security, HVAC, and electrical systems.

FirstLight has a number of support centers and offices located throughout its Maine footprint, and 17% of its workforce is based in Maine.

In addition to its organic growth, FirstLight has also invested by joining forces with several established organizations. In 2019, FirstLight acquired Maine Fiber Co. and in 2017, it acquired Maine-based Oxford Networks, a cloud, data, and telecommunications provider with a rich history in Maine that spans back more than a century, as well as 186 Communications. Both Maine Fiber Co. and 186 Communications were participants in the federal BTOP program administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to fund fiber builds in unserved and underserved areas of the country. FirstLight continues to honor all of the commitments made under these BTOP grants and operates these fiber assets in an open access manner consistent with BTOP guidelines.

FirstLight is a member of a number of Maine chambers of commerce, as well as industry trade groups including the Maine Technology Users Group, the Telecommunications Association of Maine, and the Maine Bankers Association.

FirstLight has also supported a number of local civic and nonprofit organizations over the years, including the Dempsey Challenge, an annual cancer bike and walk fundraiser; the Androscoggin and Mid Coast United Way organizations; Junior Achievement of Maine; and Pine Tree Camp, a summer camp serving children and other people with disabilities.

###



About FirstLight Fiber, Inc.

FirstLight, headquartered in Albany, New York, provides fiber-optic data, Internet, data center, cloud, unified communications, and managed services to enterprise and carrier customers throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic connecting more than 13,000 locations in service with more than 125,000 locations serviceable by our more than 25,000-route mile network. FirstLight offers a robust suite of advanced telecommunications products featuring a comprehensive portfolio of high bandwidth connectivity solutions including Ethernet, wavelength and dark fiber services as well as dedicated Internet access solutions, data center, cloud and voice services. FirstLights clientele includes national cellular providers and wireline carriers and many leading enterprises, spanning high tech manufacturing and research, hospitals and healthcare, banking and financial, secondary education, colleges and universities, and local and state governments.

To learn more about FirstLight, visit www.firstlight.net, or follow the company on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
New York, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "RF Tunable Filters Market Research Report by Type, Component, System, Mechanism, Application, End User, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06254725/?utm_source=GNW



The Global RF Tunable Filters Market size was estimated at USD 107.15 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 117.76 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 10.08% to reach USD 190.66 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the RF Tunable Filters to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Type, the market was studied across Band Pass Filters and Band Reject Filters.



Based on Component, the market was studied across Digitally Tunable Capacitors (DTCs), MEMS Capacitors, Oscillator Filters, Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Filters, Surface-mount Device (SMD) Variants, and Varactor Diodes.



Based on System, the market was studied across Avionics Communication Systems, Handheld & Pocket Radios, Mobile Antenna, RF Amplifiers, Radar System, Software Define Radios, and Test & Measurement Systems.



Based on Mechanism, the market was studied across Electronic, Magnetic, and Mechanical.



Based on Application, the market was studied across Aerospace & Defense, Energy & Power, Healthcare, Mining, Smart Cities, TV White Spaces, and Transportation.



Based on End User, the market was studied across Avionic Communications Systems, Handheld & Pocket Radios, Mobile Antennas, RF Amplifiers, Radar Systems, Software-defined Radios, and Test & Measurement Instruments.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.



This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for RF Tunable Filters market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the RF Tunable Filters Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global RF Tunable Filters Market, including Analog Devices, Inc., Anatech Electronics, Coleman Microwave Company, DiCon Fiberoptics, Inc., Dover Corporation, EI Wave Digitech (I) Pvt LTD., EXFO Inc., Filtronetics Inc., Flann Microwave LTD., Fraunhofer, Koshin Kogaku Co., Ltd., LGL Group, Inc., M.T. SRL, Microwave Filter Company, Inc., Netcom Technologies, Newedge Signal Solutions LLC, Ranatec, Renesas Electronics Inc., RF Products Inc., SANTEC CORPORATION, Smiths Group PLC, Telonic Berkeley Inc, Temwell Corporation, The LGL Group, Thorlabs, Inc., Vanlong Technology Co., LTD., Wainwright Instruments, Wainwright Instruments GmbH, and Wispry Inc..



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global RF Tunable Filters Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global RF Tunable Filters Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global RF Tunable Filters Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global RF Tunable Filters Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global RF Tunable Filters Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global RF Tunable Filters Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global RF Tunable Filters Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06254725/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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New York, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Saudi Arabia Mobile Network ICT infrastructure Services Market, By Service Type, By Deployment Mode, By End User, By Region, Competition, Forecast and Opportunities, 2017-2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284165/?utm_source=GNW



Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market was valued at USD274.67 million in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.71% during the forecast period, 2023-2027, to achieve the market value of USD504.64 million by 2027F. Rising adoption of Internet of Things services and other IT services in various industries is actively driving the growth of the Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market in the upcoming five years. Growing use of technologically advanced internet-based services, artificial intelligence, and expansion of the smart cities in the country also plays a vital role in the growth of the Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market in the upcoming five years. Increasing threat toward data sharing and increasing attacks on data security further ensures advanced technology usage and substantially supports the growth of the Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market in the future five years. Rising number of market players and rapid penetration of the global giants in the country to expand their multinational businesses also play a vital role in the growth of the Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market in the forecast years through 2027. The growing globalization of the telecom industry worldwide also impacts the industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This expansion of the telecom industry also aids the growth of the Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market in the forecast period.

Implementation of Vision 2030, along with the National Transformation Program 2020, supports the digital transition in Saudi Arabia, thus substantiating the growth of the Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market in the upcoming five years.

The Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market is segmented on the basis of service type, deployment mode, end user, regional distribution, and competitive landscape.Based on service type, the market is further segmented into deployment service, professional service, managed service, maintenance service, and neutral hosting service.



By deployment mode, the market is fragmented into on-premises and cloud.Based on end user, the market is bifurcated into mobile network service vendor, government, enterprise, and others.



The market is also analyzed on the basis of regions of the country and is differentiated among the Central region, Western region, Eastern region, and the Rest of Saudi Arabia.

The service type segment of the Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market is expected to be led by deployment services in the upcoming five years.Deployment services may hold the largest revenue shares of the market in the future years on the grounds of expansion of the cloud computing industry in the country.



Growing demand for on-premises deployment services also supports the growth of the Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market in the next five years.

Advanced Communications and Electronic Systems Co., Shabakkat KSA, Tawal, Mobiserve, CommScope Saudi Arabia LLC, Modern Technology Company, Ltd (MOTECO), Arabian Development & Marketing Co., Ltd., WiConnect, Iman Group, Virgin Mobile Saudi Consortium LLC, Saudi Telecom Company, Zain Saudi Arabia, Alia ICT, Seder Group, Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily), NourNet, Salam, MDS Arabia, Bazy Trading & Contracting Co. Ltd are among the major market players in the Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market.



Years considered for this report:



Historical Years: 2017-2020

Base Year: 2021

Estimated Year: 2022E

Forecast Period: 2023F-2027F



Objective of the Study:



 To analyze the market size of Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market from 2017 to 2021.

 To estimate and forecast the market size of Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market from 2022E to 2027F and growth rate until 2027F.

 To classify and forecast Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market based on service type, deployment mode, end user, regional distribution, and competitive landscape.

 To identify dominant region or segment in the Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market.

 To identify drivers and challenges for Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market.

 To examine competitive developments such as expansions, new software launches, mergers & acquisitions, etc., in Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market.

 To identify and analyze the profile of leading players operating in Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market.

 To identify key sustainable strategies adopted by market players in Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market.



The analyst performed both primary as well as exhaustive secondary research for this study.Initially, the analyst sourced a list of service providers across the country.



Subsequently, the analyst conducted primary research surveys with the identified companies.While interviewing, the respondents were also enquired about their competitors.



Through this technique, the analyst could include the service providers that could not be identified due to the limitations of secondary research. The analyst examined the service providers, software developing companies, distribution channels and presence of all major players across the country.

The analyst calculated the market size of Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market using a bottom-up approach, wherein data for various end-user segments was recorded and forecast for the future years. The analyst sourced these values from the industry experts and company representatives and externally validated through analyzing historical data of these software and applications for getting an appropriate, overall market size.



Various secondary sources such as company websites, news articles, press releases, company annual reports, investor presentations and financial reports were also studied by the analyst.



Key Target Audience:



 Service providers, software developers

 Suppliers, distributors, and other stakeholders

 Government bodies such as regulating authorities and policy makers

 Organizations, forums, and alliances related to mobile network ICT infrastructure services

 Market research and consulting firms

The study is useful in providing answers to several critical questions that are important for the industry stakeholders such as service providers, software developing companies, partners, end users, etc., besides allowing them in strategizing investments and capitalizing on market opportunities.



Report Scope:



In this report, Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market has been segmented into following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

 Saudi Arabia Mobile Network ICT Infrastructure Services Market, By Service Type:

o Deployment Services

o Maintenance Services

o Managed Services

o Professional Services

o Neutral Hosting Services

 Saudi Arabia Mobile Network ICT Infrastructure Services Market, By Deployment Mode:

o On-Premises

o Cloud

 Saudi Arabia Mobile Network ICT Infrastructure Services Market, By End User:

o Mobile Network Service Vendor

o Government

o Enterprise

o Others

 Saudi Arabia Mobile Network ICT Infrastructure Services Market, By Region:

o Central

o Western

o Eastern

o Rest of Saudi Arabia



Competitive Landscape



Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in Saudi Arabia mobile network ICT infrastructure services market.



Available Customizations:



With the given market data, we offers customizations according to a companys specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:



Company Information



 Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284165/?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.



__________________________
Mount Juliet, Tennessee, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



Pool Service HQ wants homeowners and other property owners all over the United States can check out the best directory website for pool builders that they are providing. This is a directory of professional pool companies, pool contractors, pool service companies, and pool supply companies. To make it easy for directory users to find what they are looking for, the directory is subdivided into several categories, which are: pool services; pool contractors; pool repairs; pool suppliers; and hot tubs & spas. The website also has a blog page where they publish articles about swimming pools.

Pool Service HQ offers free quotes from local pool service providers that are located near that particular customer for various kinds of pool services, such as pool supplies, liner services, pool installation and construction for indoor or outdoor pools, leak detection, pool maintenance, pool cleaning, emergency pool service, and pool opening and closing. Meanwhile, pool companies can contact Pool Service HQ for a free demo and find out how to grow their pool service business for a fraction of the cost of conventional marketing methods.

Shane Atwell, a spokesperson for Pool Service HQ says, It is important to choose a pool that suits your needs when looking for one. Many people believe that all swimming pools are the same. However, this is false. There are many types of swimming pools. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages. An in-ground pool is the first type of swimming pool. The above-ground pool is another common type of pool. We provide free quotes from local pool contractor pros near you for pool services including pool installation and construction for indoor or outdoor pools, pool supplies, liner services, pool cleaning, leak detection, pool maintenance, pool opening and closing, and emergency pool service.

To provide some kind of a shortcut for site visitors looking for pool companies, a number of the pool companies are featured on the home page of the Pool Service HQ directory website. In case, the site visitors want to search further, they will need to click on a particular category and they will be brought to that particular category page. For each of these pages, including the home page is a US map that indicates the location of these companies. When the map shows the whole country, circles are used to indicate the approximate location of the pool companies and the number of pool companies for that location. Clicking on a particular circle will expand the map to focus on that particular area that one circle will resolve into more circles with each circle showing the number of pool companies for that location. Clicking on one of these circles will expand the map further and that one circle clicked will then resolve into more circles. And the site visitor can keep clicking and until such time that the circles finally resolve into individual pool companies. For each of the category pages, it is also possible to enter particular location into a text box and this serves as a filter.

Each listing for a particular pool company indicates the address of the service provider, a link to its website, its telephone number, its social media pages, some photos if available, and a map that indicates its exact location.

Customers who are searching for a contractor to build, repair, or maintain their swimming pool or those looking for any pool or hot tub-related supplies will have to enter the exact nature of the products or services they are searching for in an online contact form on the website. The website will then send the said request to three professional pool companies, pool contractors, pool service companies, or pool supply companies that are found in its directory that best match the specific location and requirement. The customer will then select one of the quotes based on various factors, such as the cost of services, types of services offered, customer ratings, and more.

https://youtu.be/TYqKCmWRYvM

Those who are interested in learning more about how to find pool services near me can check out the Pool Service HQ website, or contact them on the phone or through email.

###

For more information about Pool Service HQ, contact the company here:



Pool Service HQ

Shane Atwell

(833) 672-1700

poolservicehq@gmail.com

Pool Service HQ

United States


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The APWG's new Phishing Activity Trends Report reveals that in the first quarter of 2022 the APWG observed 1,025,968 total phishing attacksthe worst quarter for phishing that APWG has observed to date. This quarter was the first time the three-month total has exceeded one million. APWG saw 384,291 attacks in March 2022, which was a record monthly total.

In the first quarter of 2022, APWG founding member OpSec Security reported that phishing attacks against the financial sector, which includes banks, remained the largest set of attacks, accounting for 23.6 percent of all phishing. Attacks against webmail and software-as-a-service (SAAS) providers remained prevalent as well, while attacks against retail/ecommerce sites fell from 17.3 to 14.6 percent after the holiday shopping season. Phishing against social media services rose markedly, from 8.5 percent of all attacks in 4Q2021 to 12.5 percent in 1Q2022. Phishing against cryptocurrency targetssuch as cryptocurrency exchanges and wallet providersinched up from 6.5 in the previous quarter to 6.6 percent of attacks.

John Wilson, Senior Fellow of Threat Research at APWG member HelpSystems, tracks the identity theft technique known as "business e-mail compromise" (BEC). Wilson noted that "In the first quarter of 2022, 82 percent of Business Email Compromise messages were sent from free webmail accounts. Of those, 60 percent used Gmail.com. For the 18 percent of BEC messages sent from attacker-controlled domains, NameCheap was the most popular registrar.

"One third of all maliciously registered domains use for BEC attacks were registered via NameCheap," Wilson pointed out.

APWG member PhishLabs by HelpSystems analyzes malicious emails reported by corporate users. John LaCour, Principal Product Strategist at PhishLabs by HelpSystems, said that "In the first quarter of 2022, we observed a 7 percent increase in credential theft phishing against enterprise users, up to nearly 59 percent of all malicious emails." LaCour also noted that impersonation attacks were 47 percent of social media threats, up from 27 percent the prior quarter.

"A lot of companies don't realize that their executives are being spoofed on social media. This is a huge business risk," said LaCour.

On another front, APWG member Abnormal Security documents the dangerous nature of ransomware for all kinds of companies. Abnormal Security found the total number of ransomware attacks decreased by 25 percent in the first three months of 2022, falling to a similar level that Abnormal observed in the third quarter of 2021. This decrease seems to be primarily caused by a big drop in attacks from two prolific cybercrime gangs, Pysa and Conti, known to develop and deploy ransomware at scale.

Crane Hassold, Director of Threat Intelligence at Abnormal Security, said that "The disappearance of Pysa and the significant drop in attack volume from Conti clearly had a substantial impact in the overall ransomware landscape in the first quarter of the year. This demonstrates the centralized nature of the ransomware landscape, meaning a relatively small number of groups are responsible for a majority of attacks. This also means that any actions taken against those groups (law enforcement disruption, infrastructure takedown, etc.) can have a noticeable impact on overall attack volume.

"This is very different from something like BEC, which is highly decentralized, where the removal of dozens or even hundreds of actors wouldn't have that much of an overall impact on attack volume because there is no 'head of the snake' to go after," Hassold said.

The top industries impacted by ransomware in Q4 2021 were manufacturing, business services, finance, and retail and wholesale firms, said Hassold.

The full text of the report is available here: https://docs.apwg.org/reports/apwg_trends_report_q1_2022.pdf

About the APWG

Founded in 2003, the Anti-Phishing Working Group, (APWG) is the global industry, law enforcement, and government coalition focused on unifying the global response to electronic crime. Membership is open to qualified financial institutions, online retailers, ISPs and Telcos, the law enforcement community, solutions providers, multilateral treaty organizations, research centers, trade associations and government agencies. There are more than 2,200 companies, government agencies and NGOs participating in the APWG worldwide. The APWG's (www.apwg.org) and <education.apwg.org> websites offer the public, industry and government agencies practical information about phishing and electronically mediated fraud as well as pointers to pragmatic technical solutions that provide immediate protection. The APWG is co-founder and co-manager of the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Messaging Convention, the global online safety public awareness collaborative (https://messagingconvention.org) and founder/curator of the eCrime Researchers Summit, the world's only peer-reviewed conference dedicated specifically to electronic crime studies (www.ecrimeresearch.org). APWG advises hemispheric and global trade groups and multilateral treaty organizations such as the European Commission, the G8 High Technology Crime Subgroup, Council of Europe's Convention on Cybercrime, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Europol EC3 and the Organization of American States. APWG is a member of the steering group of the Commonwealth Cybercrime Initiative at the Commonwealth of Nations. Among APWG's corporate sponsors are: 418 Intelligence, Abnormal, Accenture, Acronis, Afilias, AGARI, AhnLab, AT&T, Allure Security, AREA 1, AIT, appgate, Avast, Awayr AI, AXUR, BW CIRT, Bambenek Consulting, Banelco CSIRT, Bolster, BrandShield, Browlser, ByteDance, Canva, CaixaBank, Check Point, Cisco, CLARO, Cloudflare, CLOUDMARK, COFENSE, Coinbase, Comcast, CSC, CSIRT BANELCO, CSIS, Cyan Digital Security, CYREN, Cyxtera, CZ.NIC, DS Lab, DigiCert, dmarcian, DNS Belgium, DomianTools, EBRAND, Entrust Datacard, ESET, Facebook, FirstRand, Fortinet, FraudWatch, GetResponse, GMS Securidad, GoDaddy Registry, Group-IB, Guidewire. Hitachi Systems, .ID, ICANN, Infoblox, Ingressum, INKY Technology Company, IQ Global, iThreat, Kaspersky, KnowBe4, Lenos Software, LINE, Looking Glass, LSEC, Mailshell, McAfee, Microsoft, Mimecast, NAVER, Netcraft, NetSTAR, Nominet, Opera, OpSec Security, Palo Alto Networks, PANDI, PayPal, PhishLabs, Proofpoint, Qintel, Rakuten, Recorded Future, Redsift, REDIRIS, ReversingLabs, RiskIQ, RSA, S2W Lab, SafeGuard Cyber, Salesforce, Secutec, SIDN, SlashNext, Sopos, SWITCH, Symantec, Tessian. Thomsen Trampedach, ThreatSTOP, TNO, TrendMicro, Trustwave, Twilio, Unbiased Security, Vade, Verisign, Viettel Cyber Security, Webroot, workday, ZeroFOX, ZibaSec, ZIX, and zvelo.

Media Contacts

For media inquiries related to the APWG, please contact APWG Secretary General Peter Cassidy (pcassidy@apwg.org, +1.617.669.1123). Or for company-specific content related to this release, please contact: Anil Prasad at Abnormal Security (www.abnormalsecurity.com/contact), Stefanie Wood Ellis of OpSec Security (sellis@opsecsecurityonline.com); Rachel Woodford of Agari (Rachel.Woodford@helpsystems.com), Eduardo Schultze of Axur (eduardo.schultze@axur.com,+55 51 3012-2987); Stacy Shelley of PhishLabs (stacy@phishlabs.com, +1.843.329.7824); Holly Hitchcock of RiskIQ (holly@frontlines.io).

Related Images











Image 1: Phishing Attacks, 2Q2021 - 1Q2022





Phishing Attacks, 2Q2021 - 1Q2022

















Image 2: Ransomware Victim Industries, 1Q2022





Ransomware Victim Industries, 1Q2022

















Image 3: Most Targeted Industries, 1Q2022





Most Targeted Industries, 1Q2022

















Image 4: Registrars Used to Register BEC Attack Domains, Q1 2022





Registrars Used to Register BEC Attack Domains, Q1 2022









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
HINGHAM, Mass., June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The scholarship fund from Massachusetts based businessman Timothy Iberger is currently accepting applications. Students are encouraged to apply today at the official scholarship website. Timothy knows that education plays an important role in becoming a successful entrepreneur but not everyone can receive the necessary education needed for this foundation. The rising costs for education have made it increasingly difficult to get good quality education, let alone attend something like a university which is why Timothy Iberger has set his sights on addressing the problem through his scholarship program that he recently launched.



Mr. Iberger launched the scholarship which is available now in hopes that it will serve as a way for him to help others while also being an opportunity to help bring positive change to the world. He knows how important education is to ones future and is saddened that not everyone can have the same opportunities with learning as he did. His scholarship will serve as his first steppingstone in helping with the problem of rising education costs. Interested students who wish to apply and learn more about Mr. Ibergers scholarship can find his website that contains all the details you can read up about the scholarship as well as send an application.

Entrepreneurs serve to be one of the forefronts of change through action as they have the potential to make the ideas of others into reality through smart innovation coupled with their problem-solving skills. Throughout history, successful entrepreneurs and innovators have always brought with them positive change to the world by fixing various problems and bringing technology that advanced and improved on current ones. To be an entrepreneur sets you on a path filled with many competitions and risks and the best way to reduce these is through the power of education.

Being an entrepreneur and innovator himself, Timothy understands the crucial role education play and has launched his scholarship program as an attempt to help others. The scholarship program is primarily aimed toward helping students who have the same ambition as him on becoming an entrepreneur and also have a strong desire to help those through their future careers as one. The scholarship promises to award the lucky student with financial aid that will go towards paying their education and tuition fees. It is open to students who are either studying in college or high school graduates entering college with plans on doing the same. For information about the scholarship and how you can apply, visit the official Timothy Iberger Scholarship website for all the information about how to apply.




Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) said Tuesday it has clinched a 1.07 trillion won ($850 million) order to build four liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers under a deal with a Qatari state oil firm.







DSME, the world's No. 4 shipbuilder by order backlog, said it will build the 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carriers in its Okpo shipyard on the south coast and deliver them by the first half of 2025.







The order is the first result of a $19 billion contract that DSME and two other Korean shipbuilding giants  Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries  signed with Qatar Petroleum in June 2020 to construct more than 100 LNG vessels through 2027.







The preliminary pact, an arrangement that precedes a major shipbuilding order, allows the Qatari company to secure so-called construction slots from the shipyards.







The contract is in line with Qatar's plan to boost its LNG production capacity to 126 million tons by 2027 from the current 77 million tons. Qatar is the world's top LNG producer.







DSME's order is widely expected to lead to the securing of more orders for LNG carriers by the three major shipbuilders for the Qatari project.







Earlier in 2004-07, DSME successfully delivered 26 LNG carriers out of an order for 53 vessels placed by Qatar. DSME has an annual capacity to build around 20 LNG ships.







DSME has bagged orders worth $5.47 billion to build 16 LNG carriers, six container ships and one offshore plant so far this year, already achieving 61.5 percent of its yearly order target of $8.9 billion. (Yonhap)






WeRide Robotaxi fleet equipped with the new sensor suite has been fully tested and begun trial operation.

WeRide SS 5.0 has achieved hardware design breakthrough from mechanical LiDAR to solid-state LiDAR, transitioning from single roof module to split sub-modules.

By significant reduction of form factor and power consumption, WeRide SS 5.0 can react accurately and consistently to Chinas increasing complexity of urban traffic.



GUANGZHOU, China, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WeRide, the world's leading L4 autonomous driving technology company, has released a new generation of autonomous driving sensor suite --- WeRide Sensor Suite 5.0 (WeRide SS 5.0), announcing that its Robotaxi fleet carrying the new sensor suite has been fully tested and begun trial operation. Integrated with powerful performance and cutting-edge design, WeRide SS 5.0 is flexible to connect to different vehicle models with higher efficiency and at lower cost, accelerating the commercialization of WeRide Robotaxies.





WeRide SS 5.0 carries out WeRides design concept of WeFusion, following the principles of seamless integration, modular structure, and distributed layout to challenge once again the boundary of Robotaxi design. WeRide SS 5.0 realizes the best intelligent driving with top notch software and hardware technologies.

As the "Eyes of self-driving", WeRide SS 5.0 embodies 12 cameras and 7 solid-state LiDARs, which constitute 6 sensor sets, installed at different locations of the car body. The autonomous driving (AD) sensor suite is integrated with the car, keeping the maximum shape of the car as original while achieving 360 degrees sensing capability.





Based on sufficient testing verification and solid support from strategic partners, WeRide has accumulated rich experience in applying solid-state LiDAR to Robotaxi, resulting in best-in-class solutions. WeRide SS 5.0 applies 7 automotive grade solid-state LiDARs located on the roof front, rear wing and around the body of the car, reducing dramatically the size of the suite and delivering better reliability.

Among them, the Roof Front Sensor Set is equipped with 3 solid-state LiDARs, 5 mid-range cameras and 2 long-range cameras, avoiding the bulky shape of multi sensor suite, presenting smooth and elegant curves from all angles. The Rear Wing Sensor Set is equipped with 1 solid-state LiDAR and 1 mid-range camera, which is perfectly hidden in the body of the car, complement of the Roof Front Sensor Set, covering perception at the rear. The Blind Spot Sensor Set around the car is composed of multiple blind spot LiDARs and fisheye cameras. Total 6 sensor sets constitute WeRide SS 5.0s revolutionary design.

Based on further optimization of the compute platform, WeRide SS 5.0 can run stably on a wide range of compute capability from 250 to 500 TOPS, achieving lower power consumption and maximum performance.

Compared with WeRides previous sensor suite, the size and weight of WeRide SS 5.0 is further reduced: the height of the Roof Front Sensor Set is shorter by 66%, the thickness is reduced by 15%, and the overall weight is 17% less.

WeRide SS 5.0 gives the vehicle a powerful perception capability with a radius of over 200 meters and 360 blind-spots free, realizing the reduction of volume and power consumption, reacting accurately and stably to Chinas increasing complexity of urban traffic.

The launch of WeRide SS 5.0 is not only the fastest sensor suite upgrade in WeRides history, but also one of the biggest breakthroughs --- hardware iteration from mechanical LiDAR to solid-state LiDAR, transitioning from single roof module to split sub-modules.

The answer to resolve autonomous driving sensor suites dual challenge of performance and design relies on WeRides cutting edge exploration and first-hand experience in purposed-built and mass-produced AD vehicles. WeRide ONE platform is widely used in the five major AD products, around 23 cities worldwide. The underlying framework is maturing with strong adaptability and stability. Over years of AD practice, WeRide has gradually formed a set of production system to meet the needs of R&D, mass production and commercialization.

WeRide has accumulated more than 11 million kilometers of public road AD mileage, and more than 2.8 million kilometers of driverless mileage, forming WeRide ONE, the platform of one system for five major products. It covers Robotaxi, Mini Robobus, Robovan, Robo Street Sweeper and SAE L2-L4 advanced driving solutions. WeRide SS 5.0 further unleashes the potential of L4 AD technology from WeRide, going beyond concept but also ready for large-scale testing and deployment, reflecting WeRides global-leading technology and excellent product power.

WeRide SS 5.0 has achieved a ground-breaking balance in AD performance, flexibility, and cost control for mass production. In the process of continuous exploration, WeRide adheres to strategic cooperation, attracting more partners from the ecosystem, joint together to create the industrys first-class AD products for users and customers.

About WeRide

WeRide is a leading, commercial-stage global company that develops Level 4 autonomous driving technologies. WeRide aims to develop safe and reliable driverless solutions to make mobility and transportation safer, more affordable and accessible. WeRide is conducting autonomous driving R&D, tests and operations in over 23 cities around the world.

As the pioneer leader in autonomous technologies and services, WeRide has stepped up to the commercial stage in operations. WeRide offers an all-rounded product mix of Robotaxi, Mini Robobus, Robovan, Robo Street Sweeper and Advanced Driving Solution, providing smart services in online ride-hailing, on-demand transport, urban logistics, environmental services and acting as a solution provider.

Established in 2017, WeRide is headquartered in Guangzhou, China, and has expanded its R&D and operation centers to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Zhengzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, and Anqing, as well as San Francisco in the US. WeRide has formed strategic partnerships with top-tier global OEMs and Tier 1 including Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, Yutong Group, GAC Group, Bosch, etc.

For more information, please visit:

Website: www.weride.ai; Medium: https://werideai.medium.com/; twitter/LinkedIn/YouTube: WeRide.ai.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/620c4241-3eac-4397-a0a4-4d80017a963d

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/93bf9e37-4603-44fe-82cf-869113e58d2d
NEW YORK, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP (Scott+Scott), an international securities and consumer rights litigation firm, advises investors of its continued investigation of certain directors and officers of Guess?, Inc. (Guess) (NYSE: GES) for breaching their fiduciary duties to Guess and its shareholders. If you are a Guess shareholder, you may contact attorney Joe Pettigrew for additional information toll-free at 844-818-6982 or jpettigrew@scott-scott.com.



Scott+Scott is investigating whether Guesss board of directors or senior management failed to manage Guess in an acceptable manner, in breach of their fiduciary duties to Guess, and whether Guess has suffered damages as a result.

On January 19, 2021, a fashion model filed a complaint against Guess and its co-founder and director Paul Marciano, alleging that Marciano was a known recidivist sexual predator. According to the Wall Street Journal, Marciano has been publicly accused of sexual misconduct by at least eleven women, including four just in the past year.

What You Can Do

If you are a Guess shareholder, you may have legal claims against Guesss directors and officers. If you wish to discuss this investigation, or have questions about this notice or your legal rights, please contact attorney Joe Pettigrew toll-free at 844-818-6982 or jpettigrew@scott-scott.com.

About Scott+Scott

Scott+Scott has significant experience in prosecuting major securities, antitrust, and consumer rights actions throughout the United States. The firm represents pension funds, foundations, individuals, and other entities worldwide with offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Connecticut, California, Virginia, and Ohio.

Attorney Advertising

CONTACT:

Joe Pettigrew

Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP

600 W. Broadway, Suite 330, San Diego, CA 92101

(844) 818-6982

jpettigrew@scott-scott.com
NEW YORK, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP (Scott+Scott), a national securities and consumer rights litigation firm, continues to investigate whether certain directors and officers of General Mills, Inc. (General Mills) (NYSE: GIS) breached their fiduciary duties to General Mills and its shareholders. If you are a General Mills shareholder, you are encouraged to contact attorney Joe Pettigrew with Scott+Scott for additional information at (844) 818-6982 or jpettigrew@scott-scott.com.



Scott+Scott is investigating whether members of General Millss board of directors or senior management failed to manage General Mills in an acceptable manner, in breach of their fiduciary duties to General Mills, and whether General Mills and its shareholders have suffered damages as a result.

On April 18, 2022, the New York Times reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was investigating reports that thousands of people had become ill after eating Lucky Charms cereal. According to the article, the FDA stated that its own reporting system had received more than 100 submissions related to Lucky Charms in 2022 thus far.

What You Can Do

If you are a General Mills shareholder, you may have legal claims against General Millss directors and officers. If you wish to discuss this investigation, or have questions about this notice or your legal rights, please contact attorney Joe Pettigrew toll-free at (844) 818-6982 or jpettigrew@scott-scott.com.

About Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP

Scott+Scott has significant experience in prosecuting major securities, antitrust, and consumer rights actions throughout the United States. The firm represents pension funds, foundations, individuals, and other entities worldwide with offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Connecticut, California, and Ohio.

Attorney Advertising

CONTACT:

Joe Pettigrew

Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP

600 W. Broadway, Suite 3300, San Diego, CA 92101

(844) 818-6982

jpettigrew@scott-scott.com
NEW YORK, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MODA DAO in association with emanate.live, Orb Marketplace, mau5trap, Techne & 2808 Recording are hosting the biggest music celebration and party during NFT.NYC week. Featuring performances by deadmau5, NERO, Noizu, Daniel Allan and BRUX, the OWN THE MUSIC event on Tuesday June 21 at the Brooklyn Mirage will be a celebration of digital music by icons of the industry and titans of the electronic genre.



OWN THE MUSIC at the Brooklyn Mirage, one of New York Citys most sought after nightlife venues, will cater to musicians, producers, collectors, fans, tech-forward record labels and artists from across the globe. Collectible digital music will be released on the event day, made streamable on emanate.live and tradable via the event sponsor Orb marketplace, while Volta.xr control the visuals on the 85m wide LED screen.

MODA will launch their Music3 framework on the night, with collectible Audio Genesis releases premiered by the headline artists; the first time that iconic new and back-catalog electronic releases have been made available, from artists of this caliber, in this new collectible industry-ready digital format.

Music in the Web3 space is so new, often referred to as the wild west, said Sean Gardner, Co-Founder of Emanate.live. With the Music3 framework, we have a way to collect digital music again, bringing the digital age to the old crate-digging culture of first-press vinyl and promo edition records. This technology will bring in a golden era for music creators and will create a new bond between artists and their fans. This is the start of a new era.

The event brings together a close group of artists, friends and industry teams with decades of stories and collaborations, alongside thousands of fans and collectors in the heart of Brooklyn alongst one of the city's biggest technology events.

Our team has been alongside MODA and Emanate from the beginning. Were thrilled to see the launch of these digital music releases. The fans are starting to understand why this movement is important and what it means to own the music again, says Dean Wilson, CEO of Seven20, deadmau5 longtime manager and business partner in 720mau5.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale from Tuesday the 7th June , 4pm ET time. A limited number of VIP tables and sponsorship opportunities available for enquiry via the event website https://www.moda.audio/nyc .

The Brooklyn Mirage party will follow an event that MODA will host at Consensus 2022 in Austin. The MODA team will be partnering with ATX DAO for Keep Austin Web3 taking place on June 10 to help bring together digital music enthusiasts to host open discussions around Web3 technology and what it means for the future of music.

Learn More

For more information, visit the event website https://www.moda.audio/nyc

For tickets: https://link.dice.fm/L9eb3f470759

Press Contact:

Margaret@serotonin.co

For music/lifestyle press inquiries - agreenberg@falconpublicity.com

About MODA DAO

MODA is a global technology network and community. Designed for the advancement of music and the adoption of collectible digital music via new technologies.



About Emanate

Emanate is the worlds most deeply integrated digital streaming platform with owned-music integration and collaboration features for artists all over the world.
HOUSTON, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evolve Transition Infrastructure LP (Evolve) (NYSE American: SNMP) today announced the approval by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas of the previously announced Settlement Agreement between Evolve and Mesquite Energy, Inc. (Mesquite) and certain of their respective affiliates resolving outstanding claims between the parties.

As part of the Settlement Agreement, Mesquite will pay $10 million to Evolve and each of the parties to the Settlement Agreement will execute and deliver to each other party to the Settlement Agreement customary releases providing for, among other things, the release of all claims (including relating to historic payments), causes of action and demands accruing prior to the date of the Settlement Agreement. The parties have agreed to exchange the payment and customary releases within 5 days of the Bankruptcy Courts order approving the Settlement Agreement becoming non-appealable or such earlier date as may be agreed by the parties.

Concurrent with the execution of the Settlement Agreement, Evolve and Mesquite entered into the previously announced Amended and Restated Firm Gathering and Processing Agreement (Restated Gathering Agreement) pursuant to which Evolve received an additional dedication of Mesquites Eastern Catarina acreage position in Dimmit, La Salle, and Webb counties in Texas and the payment of amounts equaling approximately $5 million from Mesquite. Further, the Restated Gathering Agreement extends the term of Evolves previous firm gathering and processing agreement with Mesquite and provides a separate rate for new production in Mesquites Catarina acreage which solidifies Evolves commercial position regarding its current gathering and processing operations with Mesquite.

Evolve expects to use the proceeds from the payments received and to be received in connection with the Settlement Agreement and Restated Gathering Agreement for both debt repayment and general partnership expenses. As a result, Evolve anticipates less than $30 million of total debt outstanding as of September 30, 2022, which represents a significant reduction from $180 million as of December 31, 2018.

Todays settlement of our prior disputes with Mesquite represents a critical step forward for Evolve and we are pleased with this favorable outcome, said Randall Gibbs, CEO of the general partner of Evolve. The settlement proceeds will allow us not only to pay down debt but move forward with a renewed focus on our continued dedication to the energy transition.

About Evolve Transition Infrastructure LP

Evolve Transition Infrastructure LP (NYSE American: SNMP) is a publicly-traded limited partnership formed in 2005 focused on the acquisition, development and ownership of infrastructure critical to the transition of energy supply to lower carbon sources.

Additional information about Evolve can be found in its documents on file with the SEC which are available on its website at www.evolvetransition.com and on the SECs website at www.sec.gov.

Contacts

Charles Ward

Chief Financial Officer

ir@evolvetransition.com

(713) 800-9477

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact, included in this press release are forward-looking statements. Any statements that refer to Evolves future strategy, future uses of capital, future operations, plans and objectives of management or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as may, expect, plan, anticipate, believe, project or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on managements current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of Evolves business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions.

These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about Evolve that may cause Evolves actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Management cautions all readers that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated or implied in forward-looking statements. For more information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed or forecasted, please read Evolves filings with the SEC, with particular attention to the Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections in Evolves most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, all of which are available on Evolves website at www.evolvetransition.com and on the SECs website at www.sec.gov. These cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to Evolve or persons acting on Evolves behalf. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, Evolve disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.
New York, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GloriAid team is very happy to announce the start of its $GAID Token sales on 8th June, Wednesday.

GloriAid Concept

GloriAid is a decentralized ecosystem aimed at driving charity oriented activities across the world. An idea that in a decentralized ecosystem, a miniature fee on transactions could be set aside to feed a child, ensure that every single person rises above the poverty line, clothe the poor and shelter the homeless.

GloriAid Plans

GloriAid's primary objective is to provide refuge for Ukraine who are in need of food, shelter, and medicine today. GloriAid team is deeply saddened by the events happening within Ukraine and as much as they continue preaching "No to War", and aims helping victims of this war disasters in ways that they can.

GloriAid will also start off its first charity work by partnering and working directly with Ukraines Ministry of Health and other organizations responding in the region to provide urgently needed medical aid, including emergency response packs intended for first responders, oxygen concentrators, critical care medicines, and much more. To show first allegiance on our cause, 10% of the total money gotten on the initial token sale will be donated to Ukraine as a relief fund for the ongoing war right now.

GloriAid Unique Features

According to the GloriAid team, the platform was created to drive charity-oriented activities across the world. An idea that in a decentralized ecosystem, a miniature fee on transactions could be set aside to feed a child, ensure that every single person rises above the poverty line, clothe the poor and shelter the homeless.

The marketplace is designed to disrupt the existing NFT system as the rewards, collections and exclusive NFTs won on their P2E gaming (Game-fi) platform can be sold on the GloridAid Marketplace.

GloriAid stands out as a charity oriented project still offering unique utility to its users. They are the first by setting the pace with this unique offer on the Binance Chain network.

The team created a secured environment for NFTs transactions, allowing users to buy and sell their favorite NFTs. The transactions are powered by fully-functional smart contracts that allow seamless transactions. This assures sellers and buyers the security of their funds and digital assets, they can thus look forward to fast transactions, low transaction costs, security, and other benefits.

The $GAID Token

$GAID is the utility token of GloriAid, having a supply cap of 1 billion tokens. $GAID token will be used to power transactions in the GloriAid ecosystem.

The GloriAid NFT Marketplace will feature both the minting and trading of digital valuables in the form of NFTs. $GAID will be essential in the use of our marketplace in paying for transaction fees, featured listings etc. Users can have opportunities to stake their $GAID tokens and earn passively in $GAID tokens.

How To Join $GAID Token Sale

Initial investors who wish to acquire some $GAID tokens at the presale can visit the GloriAid Website page.

Instructions on how to participate can be seen on their Website .

During the Presale, the allotted 400 million $GAID tokens will be sold at the rate of 0.00006 BNB per token with a minimum purchase of 0.1 BNB and maximum buy of 20 BNB.

For the Holders of the $GAID Tokens

$GAID holders are offered governance rights. They can contribute to decisions on GloriAid with the power to vote, propose, and decide on important issues related to the token such as the functionality of the GloriAid Ecosystem and proposed improvements on it.

$GAID tokens will be the payment coin for advertisement slots and featured listing.

About GloriAid

GloriAid is creating a revolutionary project, a first of its kind which has the potential to generate large rewards to its holders. We are on a mission to create a decentralized platform which actively participates in charity oriented services, where crypto currency will actively impact the lives of humans even those that do not have the opportunity to actively participate in crypto.

Social Media Handles:

Telegram: https://t.me/gloriaidcommunity



Twitter: https://twitter.com/glori_aid



Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gloriaid_



Email: support@gloriaid.io
SIngapore City, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NFT watch maker Chronoface recently announced their plans to launch their NFT sales in the second half of 2022. By leveraging Non-Fungible Token (NFT) technology, Chronoface offers limited edition collectible smartwatch faces to the rapidly growing smartwatch market.

The demand for smartwatch market is fuelled by the skyrocketing watch prices, where prices of premium watches prices achieved an average growth rate of more than 40%. The huge price increase is caused by a few factors like unfair package deals in authorized dealerships, long waiting lists, grey market dealers and also the Covid-19 pandemic effect, where unspent monies are spent on luxury assets like luxury watches.

Chronoface aims to solve the above problems by creating exclusive digital watches for the masses with luxury designs comparable to the physical watch market, if not, better.

The key to their product is the idea of non-fungibility or digital scarcity. Transactions of these watches can be done online easily, and prices are transparent, thus giving them a true valuation as well. The team has created a wide collection of face designs and is also working with brands and artists to produce different collections to serve the different markets.

Chronoface NFT holders will have access to their mobile application on Android and IOS devices, where they can pair their NFT faces to almost any smartwatch. Each watch face is unique and no other user can own the same one.

Chronoface also mentioned in their development plans to provides a marketplace for NFT smartwatch users to buy, sell, and trade content anywhere in the world. Their NFT can also be used in future metaverse, where users can wear the watches in their avatars and explore Chronoface storefront in the metaverse.


Austin, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Austin, Texas -

North Austin: Nationwide roofing franchise Mighty Dog Roofing has introduced its plan to present several brand-new technological developments to serve regional customers better.



While the business has been known to use modern technology for conventional home evaluations, the addition of several brand-new functions, consisting of a cost-free roofing visualizer and a consumer information vault, elevates the business to a brand-new level of customer service.



Numerous roofing businesses agree that managing insurance and claims is a customer's issue to handle independently, preferring to only participate in the physical process of repairing or replacing a roof. However, Mighty Dog Roofing of North Austin has uncovered that the secret to success is helping clients care for their homes in the long term and supplying all the needed information that insurers require when it's time to file a claim.



The Mighty Dog Client Vault is one example of this dedication to customer care. When the office obtains a new client, they open a file to preserve a meticulous account of client records, including reports, photos, a checklist of items sold, warranties, communication, and maintenance records. By doing this, when an insurance provider tries to deny a case due to the absence of documents, the customer vault can come to the rescue with evidence of routine maintenance and inspections. This data vault also helps consumers that need to know if they are safeguarded under warranty.



The Customer Vault isn't the only update the company has seen in recent years; Drones have completely replaced standard roofing evaluations, saving both employees and customers money and time.



The business insists that drones are a fantastic tool for examinations, maintenance, repair services, land advancement & surveying, and various other tasks that would otherwise be tedious or dangerous. In addition, drones can offer quicker and more secure solutions by simplifying the process considerably.



Inspections with drones will allow the specialists to take a closer look at the roof to identify maintenance issues, with most of the work being done off-site while examining the footage. This modern technology is especially advantageous for multi-level business buildings where it would undoubtedly be brutal and dangerous to inspect each structure manually. To save consumers money and time, Mighty Dog Roofing is one of the very first businesses in the area to supply this service.



Combining this cutting-edge development in roof covering assessment with the complimentary roofing visualizer used on the site, Mighty Dog Roofing is promptly becoming a one-stop-shop for all roofing needs in North Austin.



The roofing visualizer is an online interactive tool that permits users to see what their residence or business would look like with brand-new roofing. Clients can pick from a gallery or submit their own images, select the design of their structure, and after that, choose from a range of colors and materials to find the perfect roof for their house.



The local presence of this North Austin roofing company guarantees that dependable roof installment, repair, and also residence improvement services are available to more people in the North Austin area to keep up with a growing city with lots of demand for housing,

For over 25 years, the staff at Mighty Dog has trained and certified roofing repair work and replacement specialists, siding professionals, window professionals, and also other residential as well as industrial building and construction professionals.



The team at Mighty Dog Roofing is proud to be at the center of the current technological developments in roofing and also anticipates aiding clients in protecting their investments for many years to come.



To find out more about Mighty Dog Roofing as well as their brand-new drone services, clients can visit their web site at www.mightyroofing.com/north-austin or telephone at (512) 855-7076.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1Wt4kb0VAA

###

For more information about Mighty Dog Roofing of North Austin, contact the company here:



Mighty Dog Roofing of North Austin

Ryan Scherer

828-808-4371

rscherer@mightydogroofing.com

11126 Jollyville Rd. Austin, TX, 78759
Kang Soo-jin / Courtesy of LG

By Park Jae-hyuk



A female law school professor with a decade-long career as a prosecutor has been mentioned as the strongest candidate to become the first head of the antitrust watchdog under the presidency of Yoon Suk-yeol.



According to government sources and media reports, Tuesday, the presidential office will soon announce the nomination of Korea University professor Kang Soo-jin, 51, as the chairperson of the Fair Trade Commission (FTC).



"We have nothing to say about the rumor at this moment," an official of the presidential office said.



If Kang is appointed as the FTC chairperson, she will be the first legal professional to lead the agency. In addition, she will be its second female chief, following her predecessor, Joh Sung-wook.






Why the mystery hepatitis in children may have been here all along
Prior to the Spanish Grand Prix, there was a riot within Formula 1. The B-specification of the AMR22 suddenly looked remarkably like the RB18 and that made Red Bull Racing suspect that Aston Martin had illegally gotten hold of data from the Austrian IP. Helmut Marko blew the whistle on this, but is now backtracking.

Article continues under ad

Some employees recently traded Red Bull for Aston Martin and that caused people like Dan Fallows to be thought to have taken information from their old employer. That is against FIA rules and so Red Bull demanded that work be done on the matter. However, the International Motorsport Federation found no grounds to declare AMR22 illegal and so racing in Spain and Monaco could proceed as usual.

Red Bull retracts allegations

Red Bull revealed during the weekend in Barcelona that data had been downloaded. An internal investigation was opened and the team of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez has since drawn its conclusions. Marko says that Red Bull is putting the matter to rest. Aston Martin thus seems to be definitively off the hook, something they have always been 100 percent confident about.

"As things stand, we can't prove anything and we won't go after it, because we don't see Aston Martin as a direct competitor of ours. What you can't prove in black and white, you should leave alone," Marko said in an extensive video interview with Motorsport-Total.com. Aston Martin was hoping to make a big move with the introduction of the new specification, but it didn't happen. Only one point was grabbed in Monaco by Sebastian Vettel.

FIA must provide clarity

So Red Bull will be putting its time and energy into other things from now on, but still the Milton Keynes-based formation wants clarity from the FIA on a few things. Marko and co. want to know how far you can actually go in imitating other people's cars. He points out, for example, that if there is still room for copying parts, then sister team AlphaTauri's car could become much more like the Red Bull in the future.
A protester holds up an anti-Boris Johnson placard outside parliament in London, Britain, June 6. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a confidence vote Monday but a large rebellion in his Conservative Party over the so-called "partygate" scandal dealt a blow to his authority and leaves him with a struggle to win back support. EPA-Yonhap





British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a confidence vote Monday but a large rebellion in his Conservative Party over the so-called "partygate" scandal dealt a blow to his authority and leaves him with a struggle to win back support.







Johnson, who scored a sweeping election victory in 2019, has been under increasing pressure after he and staff held alcohol-fuelled parties in his Downing Street office and residence when Britain was under lockdowns to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.







The vote was a blow to Johnson, with 41% of his lawmakers casting ballots against his leadership after months of scandals and gaffes that has raised questions over his authority to govern Britain and knocked his standing among the public.







But Johnson, a master of political comebacks, instead described the vote as a "decisive result" meaning that "as a government we can move on and focus on the stuff that I think really matters to people."







"We can focus on what we're doing to help people with the cost of living, what we're doing to clear the COVID backlogs, what we're doing to make streets and communities safer by putting more police out," said Johnson, who for weeks has tried to move the national conversation away from "partygate."







It is a change of fortune for Johnson and underlines the depth of anger against him. He was met with a chorus of jeers and boos, and some muted cheers, at events to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth in recent days.







Several lawmakers said the vote, which saw 211 lawmakers cast ballots in favor of Johnson against 148, was worse than expected for a prime minister, once seemingly unassailable after winning the Conservatives' largest majority in more than three decades.







"Boris Johnson will be relieved at this vote. But he will also understand that the next priority is to rebuild the cohesion of the party," David Jones, a former minister, told Reuters. "I am sure he will be equal to the challenge."







Others were less optimistic, with one Conservative lawmaker saying on condition of anonymity: "It is clearly much worse than most people were expecting. But it is too early to say what will happens now."







Roger Gale, a long-time critic of Johnson, urged the prime minister "to go back to Downing Street tonight and consider very carefully where he goes from here."







The entrance door of 10 Downing Street in London is illuminated as evening falls in this June 6 photograph. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a no-confidence vote triggered by his Conservative MPs the same day and will stay on as leader, but the scale of the rebellion leaves his future in doubt. AFP-Yonhap









By winning the confidence vote, Johnson has secured a reprieve for 12 months before lawmakers can bring another challenge. But his predecessor Theresa May scored better in her 2018 confidence vote only to resign six months later.







Dozens of Conservative lawmakers have voiced concern over whether Johnson, 57, has lost his authority to govern Britain, which is facing the risk of recession, rising fuel and food prices and strike-inflicted travel chaos in the capital London.







But his Cabinet rallied around him and highlighted what they said were the successes of the government: a quick rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations and Britain's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.







A majority of the Conservatives' lawmakers  at least 180  would have had to vote against Johnson for him to be removed.







Earlier, a spokesperson for Johnson's Downing Street office said the vote would "allow the government to draw a line and move on" and that the prime minister welcomed the opportunity to make his case to lawmakers.







Johnson, a former London mayor, rose to power at Westminster as the face of the Brexit campaign in a 2016 referendum, and won the 2019 election with the slogan to "get Brexit done."







Jacob Rees-Mogg, Brexit opportunities minister, told Sky News that completing Britain's departure from the European Union would be "significantly at risk without his drive and energy."







Johnson has locked horns with Brussels over Northern Ireland, raising the prospect of more barriers for British trade and alarming leaders in Ireland, Europe and the United States about risks to the province's 1998 peace deal.







But it was the months of stories of what went on in Downing Street, including fights and alcohol-induced vomiting, when many people were prevented from saying goodbye to loved ones at funerals that did the real damage.







The move led to lawmakers from different wings of the party revealing that they had turned against their leader. One former ally accused the prime minister of insulting both the electorate and the party by staying in power.







"You have presided over a culture of casual law-breaking at 10 Downing Street in relation to COVID," Jesse Norman, a former junior minister, said before the vote.







Johnson's anti-corruption chief John Penrose also quit. (Reuters)


Whats next for the following 100 years of Chinese archaeology

By Chen Xi and Ji Yuqiao (Global Times) 13:39, June 07, 2022

The Shuanghuaishu site Photo: Courtesy of Zhengzhou Municipal Research Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

Editor's Note:

Chinese President Xi Jinping recently stressed the importance of furthering the study of Chinese civilization to enhance the historical awareness and cultural confidence of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and society, while unswervingly following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics to realize national rejuvenation.

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on a national research program dedicated to tracing the origins of Chinese civilization.

The Global Times spoke with a number of Chinese scholars and experts, so they break down the large-scale program and give readers a detailed and clear view of its accomplishments.

As the chief expert of a national research program dedicated to tracing the origin of Chinese civilization, Wang Wei told the Global Times that the program has achieved fruitful results over the past 20 years. However, he noted that some archaeological mysteries have not yet been solved. As modern Chinese archeology enters its second 100 years, what questions will it be seeking to answer?

Mystery of the Sanxingdui Ruins

One of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century, the Sanxingdui Ruins in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, believed to be the remnants of the Shu Kingdom that existed some 4,500 years ago, have stunned archaeologists and history buffs around the world.

As more relics were unearthed, archaeologists came across pits filled with thousands of broken and burnt relics. After this discovery, certain questions plagued experts: Why did the ancient people of the Shu Kingdom destroy these artifacts before carefully burying them in a pit? Where did they attain the ivory, seashells and metal ores used to make these relics? How were they able to carry this out on such a large scale?

Li Haichao, a professor at the School of History and Culture, Sichuan University, told the Global Times that they have launched a program called "Study on Sanxingdui Culture and Chinese Civilization" to solve the above mysteries.

As the chief expert of the program, Li has set up five topics for research: the genealogy, population and social structure of the Sanxingdui Culture, the Sanxingdui Culture's exchanges with other regions, the development of their civilization, the relationship between the region and China's Central Plains and a comparative study that looks at the Sanxingdui Culture and other ancient civilizations at home and abroad.

"I hope that through this project, the collation, research and interpretation of the archaeological excavations at the Sanxingdui Ruins can progress further," said Li.

Discoveries in Heluo Kingdom

The Shuanghuaishu site in Central China's Henan Province is also a magical site full of mythological connections, as the site appears to have been a capital during the era of China's Five Legendary Rulers (c. 2600BC-c. 2070BC).

Encompassing an area of some 1.17 million square meters in size, the Shuanghuaishu site is located on the southern bank of the Yellow River in the city of Gongyi's Heluo township.

Since the discovery of the Shuanghuaishu site, many history buffs have expressed a strong curiosity about the site and its relationship with China's Yellow Emperor, one of the Five Legendary Rulers described in many myths.

"The important archaeological findings provide key evidence for further insight into the origin of Chinese civilization and also demonstrates the importance and influence of the Heluo area in the beginning of Chinese civilization around 5,300 years ago," Gu Wanfa, director of the Zhengzhou Municipal Research Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, told the Global Times.

According to Gu, the Shuanghuaishu site is of significant importance for research into the origin of Chinese civilization and still possesses a number of puzzles waiting to be pieced together through archaeology.

For example, in one location at the site nine pottery pots were arranged in the pattern of the constellation Beidou (Big Dipper), which shows that people living in ancient Heluo Kingdom had relatively advanced astronomical knowledge.

Currently, they are verifying whether the location of the Shuanghuaishu site was related to the position of the constellation in the night sky, which would have been different more than 5,000 years ago due to star drift. If this turns out to be the case, it would mean that these ancient people already had the concept of a connection between man and nature, an important concept in later Chinese culture.

Meanwhile, archaeologists have discovered some imprints that look like wheel tracks at the site, but it is still unknown what type of transportation the ancients used.

Other questions such as whether this was the only capital in the region and what relationship these people had with those in other regions also need to be further explored, said Gu.

Looking to the future

Considering China's over 5,000-year-long history, it is not surprising that so many questions still remain unsolved today.

Jia Xiaobing, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Archaeology, told the Global Times that archaeologists still need to seek answers concerning regional characteristics and how the interaction of ancient cultures led to the origin of Chinese civilization.

"Future breakthroughs will mainly be achieved through more extensive and in-depth multi-disciplinary cooperation that pushes forward research into the origin of Chinese civilization," said Jia.

Wang echoed that increasing the role various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences play in the study of the origin of civilization is a must.

As modern Chinese archaeology enters its second 100 years, Wang pointed out that increasing international communication and introducing the findings of Chinese archaeology to the world will be an important task.

"In the future, we plan to trace the temporal and spatial scope of this research from 5,500 to 8,000 years ago to about 2,800 years ago. We should let more people understand the excellent Chinese civilization through some immersive experiences or other means of introduction of these archaeological achievements," said Wang.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu)
Japanese and U.S. joint fighter jets fly in formation over the East Sea, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap



Japanese and NATO officials agreed Tuesday to step up military cooperation and joint exercises as they shared concerns that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is causing a deterioration of the security environment in Europe and Asia.



Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said after meeting with NATO Military Committee chief Rob Bauer that Japan hopes to strengthen its ties with European countries and welcomes NATO's expanded involvement in the Indo-Pacific region.



"The security of Europe and Asia are closely intertwined, especially now with the international community facing serious challenges," Kishi said.



Bauer's visit in Tokyo comes as Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force is participating in NATO naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.



Japan has been increasing its military capabilities and cooperation with Europe, in addition to its alliance with the United States and partnerships with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, in the face of China's rise.



On Tuesday, Japanese and U.S. fighter jets conducted joint flight drills over the East Sea "amid an increasingly severe security environment, such as North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches," Japan's Defense Ministry announced.



The joint exercise, which involved four Japanese F-15 fighter jets and two U.S. F-16s, was aimed at demonstrating the two militaries' "strong commitment and close cooperation in responding to any emergency, while further reinforcing the strong alliance," it said.



Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been invited to the NATO summit later this month, and is reportedly considering attending the meeting, which would make him the first Japanese leader to do so.



In May, Japanese Military Chief of Staff Koji Yamazaki joined a meeting of NATO counterparts in Belgium for the first time.



Bauer praised their increased engagement in tackling "shared security challenges."



Japan quickly joined the United States and Europe in imposing sanctions against Russia and providing support for Ukraine, saying the crisis affects not only Europe but also could further embolden China to increase its assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. (AP)


BY: A. Andoh-Odoom and E. Tawiah & C. Tortoe

Category: Opinion
Airbus Helicopters in Japan and Japans leading helicopter operator Nakanihon Air (NNK) recently jointly performed the countrys first helicopter flight powered with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). NNKs H215 helicopter conducted a 30-minute flight at Nagoya Airport in Aichi Prefecture.





The aircraft was fueled with 600 liters of SUSTEO 10, a renewable jet fuel produced by Japans first biofuel manufacturer Euglena, which has met the specifications of both international and Japanese standards of diesel fuels ASTM D1655 and JIS K 2204 respectively. SUSTEO contains 10% of SAF mixed with Jet A-1.

Todays SAF flight trial is very important for our company as we work on the reduction of the CO 2 emitted during flights in an effort to tackle climate change issues. The locally produced SAF is an immediate approach towards reducing carbon emissions for the helicopter market. Hajime Futagami, President of Nakanihon Air

The twin-engine, heavy-lift H215 is a member of the Super Puma helicopter family, known for its high availability rate, performance, and competitive operating cost. >

Today, all Airbus helicopters are certified to fly with up to a 50% blend of SAF mixed with kerosene, with the aim to reach 100% SAF in coordination with engine manufacturers. An Airbus H225 performed the first helicopter flight with 100% SAF powering one of the Safran Makila 2 engines in 2021. Helicopter operations with 100% SAF would translate to a reduction of 80% of CO 2 emissions.

Airbus Helicopters has launched a SAF User Group dedicated to the rotary-wing community, in a bid to drive the deployment of biofuels. The company has also started using SAF for training and test flights at its French and German sites.
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Do we process sensitive personal information?

Applicable law recognises certain categories of personal information as sensitive and therefore requiring more protection, including political opinions and trade union membership. In limited cases, we may collect sensitive personal data about you. We would only collect sensitive personal data if there is a clear reason for doing so; and will only do so with your explicit consent.

How and why will we use your personal data?

Personal data, however provided to us, will be used for the purposes specified in this Policy or in relevant parts of the website.

We may use your personal information to:

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(4) If you request, put you in touch with other supporters in your area (who have also provided such consent);

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Childrens data

We do not knowingly process data of any person under the age of 16. If we come to discover, or have reason to believe, that you are 15 and under and we are holding your personal information, we will delete that information within a reasonable period and withhold our services accordingly.

Security of and access to your personal data

We endeavour to ensure that there are appropriate and proportionate technical and organisational measures to prevent the loss, destruction, misuse, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or of access to your personal information.

Your information is only accessible by appropriately trained staff and volunteers.

We may also use agencies and/or suppliers to process data on our behalf. We may also merge or partner with other organisations and in so doing transfer and/or acquire personal data.

Please note that some countries outside of the EEA have a lower standard of protection for personal data, including lower security requirements and fewer rights for individuals. We may transfer and/or store personal data collected from you to and/or at a destination outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Such personal data may be processed by agencies and/or suppliers operating outside the EEA. If we transfer and/or store your personal data outside the EEA we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient implements appropriate measures to protect your personal data.

Otherwise than as set out in this Privacy Policy, we will only ever share your data with your informed consent.

Your rights

Where we rely on your consent to use your personal information, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This includes the right to ask us to stop using your personal information for direct marketing purposes or to be unsubscribed from our email list at any time. You also have the following rights:

(1) Right to be informed  you have the right to be told how your personal information will be used. This Policy and any other policies and statements used on our website and in our communications are intended to provide you with a clear and transparent description of how your personal information may be used.

(2) Right of access  you can write to us to ask for confirmation of what information we hold on you and to request a copy of that information. Provided we are satisfied that you are entitled to see the information requested and we have successfully confirmed your identity, we have 30 days to comply.

(3) Right of erasure  as from 25 May 2018, you can ask us for your personal information to be deleted from our records.

(4) Right of rectification  if you believe our records of your personal information are inaccurate, you have the right to ask for those records to be updated.

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(6) Right to data portability  to the extent required by the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) where we are processing your personal information (i) under your consent, (ii) because such processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are party or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contact or (iii) by automated means, you may ask us to provide it to you  or another service provider  in a machine-readable format.

To exercise these rights, please send a description of the personal information in question using the contact details in section 15 below. You can also unsubscribe from our email list by sending a blank email to news-unsubscribe@marxist.com

Where we consider that the information with which you have provided us does not enable us to identify the personal information in question, we reserve the right to ask for (i) personal identification and/or (ii) further information.

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We are required to have one or more lawful grounds to process your personal information. Only 4 of these are relevant to us:

Personal information is processed on the basis of a persons consent Personal information is processed on the basis of a contractual relationship Personal information is processed on the basis of legal obligations Personal information is processed on the basis of legitimate interests

(1) Consent

We will ask for your consent to use your information to send you electronic communications such as newsletters and and fundraising emails, and if you ever share sensitive personal information with us.

(2) Contractual relationships

Most of our interactions with supporters are voluntary and not contractual. However, sometimes it will be necessary to process personal information so that we can enter contractual relationships with people. For example, if you subscribe to one of our publications, or purchase merchandise online.

(3) Legal obligations

Sometimes we will be obliged to process your personal information due to legal obligations which are binding on us. We will only ever do so when strictly necessary.

(4) Legitimate interests

Applicable law allows personal information to be collected and used if it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate activities (as long as its use is fair, balanced and does not unduly impact individuals rights).

We will rely on this ground to process your personal data when it is not practical or appropriate to ask for consent.

Achieving our purposes

These include (but are not limited to) promoting socialist policies

Governance

Internal and external audit for financial or regulatory compliance purposes

Statutory reporting

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Conventional direct marketing and other forms of marketing, publicity or advertisement

Unsolicited messages, including campaigns, newsletters, and fundraising appeals

Analysis, targeting and segmentation to develop and promote or strategy and improve communication efficiency

Personalisation used to tailor and enhance your experience of our communications

Operational Management

Maintenance of suppression files

Processing for historical, scientific or statistical purpose

Purely administrative purposes

Responding to enquiries

Delivery of requested products or information

Communications designed to administer existing services including subscriptions, administration of petitions and financial transactions

Thank you communications and receipts

Maintaining a supporter database and suppression lists

Financial Management and control

Processing financial transactions and maintaining financial controls

Prevention of fraud, misuse of services, or money laundering

Enforcement of legal claims

Reporting criminal acts and compliance with law enforcement agencies

When we use your personal information, we will consider if it is fair and balanced to do so and if it is within your reasonable expectations. We will balance your rights and our legitimate interests to ensure that we use your personal information in ways that are not unduly intrusive or unfair in other ways.

Data retention

The length of time each category of data will be retained will vary depending on how long we need to process it for, the reason it was collected, and in line with any statutory requirements. After this point the data will either be deleted, or we may retain a secure anonymised record for research and analytical purposes.

In the event that you ask us to stop sending you direct marketing/fundraising/other electronic communications, we will keep your name on our internal suppression list to ensure that you are not contacted again.

Policy amendments

We keep this Privacy Policy under regular review and reserve the right to update from time-to-time by posting an updated version on our website, not least because of changes in applicable law. We recommend that you check this Privacy Policy occasionally to ensure you remain happy with it. We may also notify you of changes to our privacy policy by email.

Third party websites

We link our website directly to other sites. This Privacy Policy does not cover external websites and we are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any external websites you visit via links on our website.

Updating information

You can check the personal data we hold about you, and ask us to update it where necessary, by emailing us at webmaster@marxist.com

Contact

We are not required by law to have a Data Protection Officer  however we have a Data Protection Manager.

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
DANBURY - The city has approved plans by a Bethel business school graduate to meet some of the underserved self-storage market in Danbury by building a three-story facility between two existing self-storage businesses on the east end.

The citys Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve plans by 26-year-old Ethan Draper and his mother Laurel Draper to build a 59,000-square-foot indoor self-storage facility at 12 Great Pasture Road, which is bordered to the north and to the south by existing self-storage businesses.

The reason: the Danbury market area has 300,000-square-feet of unmet self-storage demand, Ethan Draper said, due to the exponential growth of apartments and condominiums which as we all know lack storage space.

The Drapers attorney agreed.

There is a rash of self-storage projects and applications  some of them under construction  in the general area, going from New Milford and Brookfield down into Ridgefield, attorney Neil Marcus said during a public hearing in April. Its amazing how this market is underserved.

Ethan Draper agreed, citing research that showed 10 existing self-storage facilities within three miles of his 1.5-acre site. Eight of those facilities are at 100 percent capacity with the remaining two at 95 and 98 percent capacity, he said.

The Drapers plans to build a climate-controlled 470-unit structure was approved last week as the Planning Commission was reviewing a separate application by a Georgia company to transform a vacant 3-acre site on Mill Plain Road into its first Connecticut location.

Plans by Diamond Point Development to build a 100,000-square-foot indoor self-storage facility with 670 units will be discussed further at the Planning Commissions June 15 meeting. Diamond Point, which has six similarly sized self-storage buildings in Georgia and a seventh in Maine, has four other self-storage projects in progress in New York, Massachusetts and Maryland.

To win approvals, Diamond Point will have to satisfy concerns of city leaders and Danburys professional staff about traffic and the environmental impact of rock blasting on the sloped site.

On the east end, the Drapers had to overcome questions about parking and the impact of the new business on an environmentally sensitive portion of the property near wetlands.

Ethan Draper, who recently finished a 15-month active-duty stint with the Connecticut Air National Guard, distributing vaccines and COVID tests in Danbury, visited similar self-storage facilities to document traffic and parking patterns for the Planning Commission.

In the end, the citys planning department attached a list of conditions to the Planning Commissions approval.

They need a flood plain permit, said Jennifer Emminger, the citys deputy planning director, during a meeting last week. Once theyve satisfied comments from the engineer department, we will start working on that flood plain permit.

Planning Commission member Perry Salvagne said he felt comfortable supporting the project.

I appreciate the work that went into it, Salvagne said. It is probably the lengthiest conditions list I have seen. It is very comprehensive.

Fellow commission member Helen Hoffstaetter agreed.

There were a number of conditions that got documented, Hoffstaetter said. As we went through the process I believe they all were satisfied.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
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WASHINGTON (AP)  Academy Awardwinning actor Matthew McConaughey made an appearance at the White House Tuesday to call on Congress to reach a higher ground and pass gun control legislation in honor of the children and teachers killed in last months shooting rampage at an elementary school in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas.

In a highly personal 22-minute speech, McConaughey exhorted a gridlocked Congress to pass gun reforms that can save lives without infringing on Second Amendment rights.

McConaughey, a gun owner himself, used his star power to make an argument for legislation in a fashion that the Biden administration has not been able to muster, offering a clear connection to the small Texas town and vividly detailing the sheer loss of the 19 children and two teachers in the second worst mass school shooting in U.S. history.

He specifically called on Congress to bolster background checks for gun purchases and raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15-style rifle to 21 from 18.

We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that wont make it so easy for the bad guys to get the damn guns, McConaughey said.

McConaughey, who earlier this year considered a run for governor of Texas before taking a pass, met briefly in private with President Joe Biden before addressing the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room.

McConaughey has also met with key lawmakers this week, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that handles gun legislation, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, and the panels ranking Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

Also Tuesday, the son of Ruth Whitfield, an 86-year-old woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a racist attack on Black shoppers in Buffalo, New York, last month, called on Congress to act against the cancer of white supremacy and the nations epidemic of gun violence.

Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires? Garnell Whitfield Jr. asked members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

McConaughey, who declined to take questions, spoke of his own connections to the town. He said his mother taught kindergarten less than a mile from Uvaldes Robb Elementary School, the site of the May 24 shooting. He also noted that Uvalde was the place where he was taught about responsibilities that come with gun ownership.

Uvalde is where I was taught to revere the power and the capability of the tool that we call a gun, he said.

McConaughey said he and his wife drove back to Uvalde on the day after the shooting and spent time with the families of some of the victims and others directly affected by the rampage.

He said every parent he spoke to expressed that they want their childrens dreams to live on.

They want to make their loss of life matter, McConaughey said.

He related the personal stories of a number of the victims.

He told the story of Maite Rodriguez, an aspiring marine biologist. McConaughey's wife, Camila, sitting nearby, held a pair of green Converse sneakers resembling those that the girl often wore.

McConaughey said the sneakers "turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting."

He held up artwork from Alithia Ramirez, who dreamed of attending art school in Paris. And then there was Eliahna Ellie Garcia, who loved dancing and church and already knew how to drive tractors. Ellie was looking forward to reading a Bible verse at an upcoming church service when she was killed.

McConaughey acknowledged that gun legislation would not end mass shootings but suggested that steps can be taken to lessen the chances of such tragedies happening so frequently.

"We need to invest in mental healthcare. We need safer schools. We need to restrain sensationalized media coverage. We need to restore our family values. We need to restore our American values and we need responsible gun ownership, McConaughey said.

Is this a cure-all? Hell no, but people are hurting."

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

__

In a version of this story published June 7, 2022, The Associated Press quoted McConaughey saying his wife Camila was holding a pair of sneakers worn by a girl who died in the attack. The shoes were similar, but they were not the girls sneakers.
GREENWICH  After a police pursuit involving a canine unit, officers apprehended a suspected thief who was part of a group allegedly attempting to steal catalytic converters from vehicles, Greenwich police said Tuesday.

The incident began as officers from Port Chester, N.Y., were pursuing a car used by the suspects at about 4 a.m. Saturday, according to a police summary.

The police report described the cars occupants as suspected catalytic converters thieves.

The car crashed into a fence on Frontage Road and a number of suspects scattered, according to police. A canine unit was brought in for a search of the area, and police said they apprehended one suspect who was hiding in a garage on Delavan Avenue.

Daniel Angol, 25, of Brook Street, Hartford, was charged with criminal trespass, police said. Bail was set at $10,000.

He also has an arrest record in Massachusetts for allegedly taking part in an effort to steal catalytic converters in 2021. Angol also pleaded guilty to charges of reckless driving and driving with a suspended license in 2020.

The theft of catalytic converters has become a persistent problem in Greenwich and the region at large. Greenwich police have received reports of thefts of automotive parts on Pleasant Street and River Road in recent days.

Thieves had been targeting cars all over the region, even damaging school buses and vehicles used to transport food to needy people. The car parts are typically sold for scrap at local dealers, according to police.

To combat the problem, Gov. Ned Lamont signed a law in May creating new requirements for junk dealers and vehicle repair shops to receive and resell catalytic converters. The new law aims to cut down on the black-market trade in stolen parts.

Thieves can get $50 to $250 per stolen catalytic converter, which contain traces of valuable metals. It takes only a few minutes for thieves to steal the part.

There was a 400 percent increase in stolen catalytic converters from 2019 to 2020, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
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GREENWICH  The Greenwich Symphony Orchestra has announced a new musical director after a search that began in late spring 2020 and included each finalist taking the podium to conduct a concert.

A panel of musicians and board members selected Stuart Malina, a Tony Award winner and director/conductor of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania.

Joshua Gersen, Melisse Brunet, Martin Majkut and Ransom Wilson were the other finalists for the position, and the GSO thanked for their time. But Malinas experience aiding the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestras development wowed the search committee, GSO board chair Peter Tesei said.

I expect with his depth of experience globally and having done this in several other communities, were going to be in excellent shape to have a really exciting 2022-2023 season, Tesei said.

Malina began working on a program for the fall as soon as he was notified that he was hired, Tesei said.

I think hes looking to draw in a wider range of audiences by expanding not just on the classical music repertoire but other types of programs in the broader community for pops and perhaps musicals, Tesei said. I think its really focusing on the core, which is the classical music, but then building off of that.

The board hopes to expand the symphonys outreach with Malinas help and bring in younger crowds with some pops concerts, one of Malinas qualities.

We want to make a greater effort to have a broader reach, and I think we are really focused on appealing to those who live within a 30-minute drive to the Performing Arts Center because at their disposal is world-class classical music within a half hour drive, Tesei said.

Malina is in his 21st season directing and conducting the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, which he notes in his website biography has seen tremendous growth during his tenure.

The Lake Placid Sinfonietta, the orchestra of the Adirondacks, appointed Malina its music director in September 2019; he debuted at the St. Louis Symphony this past December.

In 2013, he was a guest conductor of the Florida Orchestra, leading the group in nine series each season. One of his series, the Coffee series, earned high kudos from the community.

He has a very engaging personality, Tesei said. He engages audience members, post-concert, to ascertain feedback, answer questions, perhaps elicit interests for future concerts.

Malina graced the stage of Carnegie Hall in 2007 when he conducted the New York Pops while he played the keyboard. In addition to his skills at conducting, his keyboard chops have earned acclaim.

Malina has crafted dozens of arrangements and compositions, ranging from pops shows to symphonic masterpieces.

In 2003, his work orchestrating the musical Movin Out alongside Billy Joel won a Tony Award.

He studied at Harvard University, the Yale School of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music.

He lives in Harrisburg with his wife Marty and their children, Sara and Zev.

annelise.hanshaw@

hearstmediact.com
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GENEVA (AP)  Investigators commissioned by the U.N.s top human rights body say tensions between Palestinians and Israelis are underpinned by Israel's perpetual occupation of Palestinian areas with no apparent intention of ending it.

The findings came Tuesday in the first report by a Commission of Inquiry, headed by a three-person team of human rights experts. It was set up last year by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council following an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The U.N. human rights office says the war killed at least 261 people  including 67 children  in Gaza, and 14 people, including two children, in Israel.

The commission, headed by former U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay, is the first to have an ongoing mandate from the U.N. rights body. Critics allege that permanent scrutiny testifies to an anti-Israel bias in the 47-member-state council and other U.N. bodies. Proponents say the commission is needed to keep tabs on persistent injustices faced by Palestinians under decades of Israeli rule.

The report largely recaps efforts by U.N. investigators over the years to grapple with the causes of Mideast violence and the authors acknowledged it was in part a review of previous U.N. findings.

What has become a situation of perpetual occupation was cited by Palestinian and Israeli stakeholders to the commission as the one common issue that amounts to the underlying root cause of recurrent tensions, instability and protracted conflict, the authors wrote. They said impunity for perpetrators of violence was feeding resentment among Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem.

Israels government, which opposed the creation of the commission, refused to grant its members access to Israel or Palestinian territories, and testimonies from Palestinians and Israelis were collected from Geneva and Jordan.

Israels Foreign Ministry rejected the report as part and parcel of the witch hunt carried out by the Human Rights Council against Israel.

It called the report biased and one-sided and accused the commission members of ignoring Palestinian violence, incitement and antisemitism. The Commission members, who claim to be objective, were only appointed to their roles because of their public and well-known anti-Israel stances, in direct opposition to the rules set out by the United Nations, it said.

The State Department reiterated its opposition to the open-ended and vaguely defined nature of the commission and said the report does nothing to advance the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

The report's authors cited credible evidence that convincingly indicates that Israel has no intention of ending the occupation and has plans to ensure complete control of Palestinian areas. Israels government, it added, has been acting to alter the demography through the maintenance of a repressive environment for Palestinians and a favorable environment for Israeli settlers.

They also voiced criticism of Palestinian leaders, saying the Palestinian Authority, which administers autonomous areas in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, frequently refers to the occupation as a justification for its own human rights violations. It also points to the occupation as the core reason for failure to hold legislative and presidential elections, the authors said. The PA is widely criticized for corruption and intolerance for dissent.

Despite the criticism, the Palestinian Authority welcomed the report. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the report found beyond any doubt, that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and discrimination against Palestinians are the root causes behind the recurrent tensions, instability and prolongation of conflict in the region.

As for Hamas authorities in Gaza, the commission said they show little commitment toward upholding human rights and little adherence to international law. Since seizing control of Gaza in 2007, Hamas has shown little tolerance for political dissent and been accused of torturing opponents.

Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Gaza Strip from Egypt in the 1967 Mideast war.

It has annexed east Jerusalem and claims the area  home to the citys most important holy sites  as part of its capital. It considers the West Bank to be disputed territory and has built scores of Jewish settlements there. Over 700,000 Israeli settlers now live in the two areas.

The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority seeks the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza for an independent state. The international community overwhelmingly considers all three areas to be occupied by Israel.

Rights groups have accused both Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes during last year's fighting. Israel vehemently denies the allegations, accusing Hamas of endangering civilians by using residential areas for cover during military operations.

___

Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  State officials across the nation have taken on Big Tech companies in the courts and state legislatures, and federal regulators have nipped at Twitter over alleged violations of users data privacy.

Now, one state attorney general with an outsize personality and edge-skating stance nearly in the league of Elon Musk is striding into the maelstrom of Musks $44 billion now-tenuous bid for Twitter. He is launching an investigation of Twitter for potential false reporting of bots on its platform to bolster complaints Musk himself made this week in threatening to walk away from the deal.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his investigation of Twitter on Monday just hours after Musk, the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO, accused Twitter of refusing to disclose the extent of its spam bot and fake accounts.

The unexpected turn in the months-long drama of Musk and Twitter sent that company's shares down 1.5%, likely angering shareholders who had filed suit against Musk last month, accusing him of deflating the stock price. Twitter's shares have tumbled more than 20% in the last month. They closed at $40.13 Tuesday, up 57 cents.

Paxton's unusual move struck observers as singular and possibly inappropriate, though he likely has the legal authority to pursue it. In launching his investigation, Paxton suggested that Twitter might have violated Texas' Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

The state attorney general's move against Twitter is far different from the growing legal actions taken by groups of states that have joined to target alleged anticompetitive practices by Google and Meta, for example, or to investigate TikTok and its possible harmful effects on young users mental health.

Individual state attorneys general don't normally investigate a major publicly traded company over its regulatory filings. In Twitter's case, the data it submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission involve complex federal law.

The SEC has the resources and the expertise and the legal remedies for this, and I doubt that Texas has any of these, Marc Fagel, a securities law expert who was the regional director of the SECs San Francisco office, said in an interview. Its a headline-based investigation as far as I can tell.

Johnny Koremenos, a spokesman for the Republican Attorneys General Association, told The Associated Press that hes unaware of any other state attorney general who might be planning to launch a similar investigation into Twitter.

James Tierney, a former Maine attorney general who teaches at Harvard, was critical of Paxtons probe, which he sees as aiding Musk, whose electric car maker Tesla recently opened a plant in Texas capital of Austin.

Consumer laws exist to protect consumers from real harm, Tierney said. They do not exist to allow a government official to meddle in ongoing corporate transactions on behalf of a constituent.

Paxton notes that Twitter had said in its filings with the SEC that fewer than 5% of all users are bots, when, Paxton asserts, they may in fact comprise as much as 20% or more" of the 229 million total accounts. Musk contended in a May tweet, without providing evidence, that 20% or more are bogus.

Paxton demanded that Twitter turn over documents by June 27 to show how it calculates and manages its user data.

The difference could dramatically affect the cost to Texas consumers and businesses who transact with Twitter, such as advertisers, Paxton contended in his announcement. He asserted that the disparity may inflate the value of Twitter, now estimated at $30.5 billion, and raise the costs of doing business with it.

Twitter spokespeople declined comment Tuesday on Paxton's announcement. The company said in a statement Monday that it has been cooperatively sharing information with Musk in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement.

The Texas attorney general, who has long carved out a distinctive public persona, isn't likely to mind any criticism. A Republican currently running for a third term as the state's top lawyer, Paxton has yet to have his day in court after being indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, and his career has upended what it means to be a compromised officeholder in Texas.

His critics say Paxton has become an example of how powerful public figures can drag out even normally career-threatening criminal charges and defy predictions of their political demise.

Conservative Republicans, who accuse social media like Twitter of anti-conservative bias and censoring views of those opposed to abortion and others, have embraced Musk's bid for Twitter because of his advocacy of free speech in place of the platform's content moderation. Paxton's fellow Texan U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has called Musk's move the biggest development for free speech in decades."



Associated Press writers Geoff Mulvihill in New Jersey and Acacia Coronado in Texas contributed to this report.

__

Follow Marcy Gordon at https://twitter.com/mgordonap
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP)  An American woman who prosecutors say led an all-female battalion of Islamic State militants in Syria pleaded guilty on Tuesday in a case that a prosecutor called a first of its kind in the United States.

Allison Fluke-Ekren broke down sobbing after admitting in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, a charge that carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence.

The guilty plea resolves a criminal case that came to light in January after Fluke-Ekren, 42, who once lived in Kansas, was brought to the U.S. to face accusations that she led an Islamic State unit of women and young girls in the Syrian city of Raqqa and trained them in the use of automatic rifles, grenades and suicide belts.

It is the first prosecution in the U.S. of a female Islamic State battalion leader, said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh. More than 100 women and young girls received training. And some of the girls, who were as young as 10 or 11 years old, may wish to speak at Fluke-Ekren's sentencing hearing, Parekh said.

Some of them may wish an opportunity to address the court because we would argue that there is lifelong trauma and pain that has been inflicted on them, Parekh said.

Charging documents in the case trace Fluke-Ekren's travels and activities in the Middle East over the last decade, including a move with her second husband to Egypt in 2008, though they don't shed light on what inspired her alleged allegiance to foreign militant groups.

After moving back and forth throughout the region, including to Libya and Turkey, she settled in Syria in late 2012 or early 2013, where her husband ascended to a leadership position in the Islamic State with responsibility for training snipers.

In Syria, according to one witness cited in court documents, she spoke openly about her desire to conduct an attack in the U.S., including by parking a car loaded with explosives in a shopping mall garage. Another witness said Fluke-Ekren discussed ideas for a bomb attack on a college campus in the Midwest.

Prosecutors say that after Fluke-Ekren's second husband was killed in an air strike in Syria in February 2016 while conducting reconnaissance on a hill, she spearheaded the creation of a Women's Center that offered medical services and child care  but also advanced weapons training  to dozens of women and young girls.

Her all-female battalion, known as Khatiba Nusaybah, began operations in 2017, with a goal of teaching female Islamic State members how to defend themselves against the group's enemies and to defend the territory of Raqqa, prosecutors say.

In 2018, she told a witness that she had instructed someone in Syria to get a message to her family that she was dead so that the U.S. government would not try to find her.

The following year, though, she ended her affiliation with the Islamic State and was smuggled out of IS-controlled territory, according to court documents. Fluke-Ekren has said she tried to turn herself in at a local police station last summer because she wanted to leave Syria, and that about two weeks later, she was taken into custody at her home and later held for months in prison.

A criminal complaint against Fluke-Ekren was filed under seal in the U.S. in 2019 but not made public until she was brought to Virginia in January to face charges.

Fluke-Ekren, who said in court that she had a master's degree in the U.S. in teaching, moved to Egypt with her second husband in 2008 and lived in Benghazi, Libya in the fall of 2012, when a n attack on U.S. government facilities resulted in the deaths of four Americans.

Fluke-Ekren is not alleged to have played any part in that attack, but prosecutors say she helped her second husband review and summarize documents that he said were stolen from the U.S. compound there.

Fluke-Ekren admitted Tuesday to the gist of the government's allegations, though at one point she said one of the witnesses quoted in court documents was young at the time of their interactions and may have come away with a different understanding of their conversations. She also suggested that she had not intentionally trained young girls.

Sentencing was set for October 25. A lawyer for Fluke-Ekren declined to comment after the plea hearing.

____

Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
The Office of the Attorney General lost five prosecutors in the past fiscal year and will need more attorneys to replace them, Attorney General Leevin Camacho said during a budget request hearing on Tuesday.

Two of the prosecutors that left went to other government agencies and another three relocated. Additionally, there are two attorneys at prosecution on long-term military leave through the end of the year.

In the meantime, two new prosecutors have been hired and four attorneys from other divisions at the attorney generals office have had to step in to fill in the gap at prosecution.

Another three hires are needed to bring prosecution up to 18 attorneys in total. Some of the attorneys that left were being hired off with $30,000 annual raises, Camacho said.

Some of the five vacancies were left by more experienced attorneys with higher pay. That may open up the door for more lower-paid entry-level attorneys to be brought into prosecution, Camacho said,

If we were talking to the chief prosecutor, he would say I need 25 prosecutors, but the idea of us filling seven new attorneys next fiscal year is not very high.

When pressed by Speaker Therese Terlaje, Camacho said that they should be able to manage through next fiscal year with 18 prosecutors. Handing off some of the work now done by attorneys to paralegals, and upgrading their case management system so attorneys dont have to spend unnecessary time doing tasks like data entry were two examples.

I want to say 70% to 80% of the cases we charge out every year are either possession of Schedule II controlled substance, family violence, and DWI, which in most cases dont have to go to trial, Camacho said.

Besides the five prosecutors that left, one attorney needs to be hired to the Child Support Enforcement Division, in addition to another to the Consumer Protection Division.

According to Camacho, his office is projecting to spend $630,000 more this fiscal year than they were actually allocated and will have to cover the gap with lapsed funds from previous years. The office is requesting a $17.66 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of $2.16 million from last years budget request.

About $1.8 million of the increase is for employee salaries, including $268,965 going to investigators who benefited from the recent increase in law enforcement pay, $479,412 for regular pay increases for employees, and $1.3 million going to fill vacancies.

Besides the attorneys that need to be hired, nine staff positions also are vacant.
Joey Terlaje, former Department of Corrections deputy director is once again asking that charges against him connected to a 2017 incident be dropped because of a lack of supporting evidence.

Terlaje was indicted in December 2021 on one charge of felonious restraint as a third-degree felony and two counts of official misconduct stemming from an incident at ex-Yona Mayor Jesse Blass ranch in 2017.

Terlaje is accused of assisting Blas in holding his then-girlfriend Vickilyn Teregeyo against her will for three days and not using his position as a Superior Court of Guam marshal at the time to prevent it. Terlaje also is accused of reporting Teregeyo, who was on pre-trial release in the local court, for violating her conditions of release in an attempt to keep her quiet about the incident at the ranch.

Despite these facts, which were produced after Terlajes continuing efforts to receive more information from the prosecution, his attorney Joaquin Jay Arriola still thought it was not enough for the charges to stand.

There is absolutely no evidence in the grand jury proceedings or discovery or anywhere that the defendant (Terlaje) restrained anyone. Absolutely not. The only allegation is that Mr. Blas restrained the victim, Arriola said before arguing on Terlajes capacity to prevent Blas and reporting Teregeyos violations.

What obligation or duty is there for Mr. Terlaje to stop Mr. Blas from committing either act?

Shes a felon posting pictures of her holding firearms and drugs so that sounds like something he should have done as a marshal, Arriola added.

Prosecution

Assistant Attorney General Leonardo Rapadas followed Arriolas arguments by explaining Terlaje violated his duties as a marshal.

He is a law enforcement officer with duties separate from you and I, from citizens who walk in the street, they have a much higher duty when it comes to enforcing the law, Rapadas said in his reply.

It doesnt matter what she (Teregeyo) has on her plate, it doesnt matter who she is. She is a citizen at the time. These violations that occurred against her by Blas, and as a law enforcement officer, he is not supposed to restrain her. He is not supposed to help Jesse Blas keep her captive at the ranch ... hes not supposed to work with other individuals to get her arrested to keep her quiet about what happened, Rapadas added.

Judge Alberto E. Tolentino, after hearing the attorneys arguments, asked Rapadas in particular about Terlajes official duties and if they were explained to the grand jury.

Was there any instruction to the grand jury with regard to official duties of the marshal or law enforcement officer? Tolentino asked. Because dont you leave it to the grand jurys imagination what the marshals duty should be?

Rapadas replied the grand jury was given some instruction but offered to clear the issue up at a later date.

Tolentino took the matter whether to dismiss the charges under advisement and will release his decision at a later date.
The driver involved in a May 18 traffic collision on Carnation Road on Route 26 by Las Palmas Phase III in Dededo was arrested, according to a media release from the Guam Police Department.

Siro Retongtong was located and arrested with the help of Superior Court of Guam marshals at 3:45 p.m. Thursday.

According to GPDs news release, Guam Highway Patrol Investigators were activated to investigate the crash. It was later identified that minutes prior to the incident the operator of a vehicle was recording live on his social media which was shared and forwarded on various media platforms, GPDs media release states.

Retongtong was arrested for the following offenses:

Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Vehicular negligence.

Driving while impaired.

Reckless driving with injuries.

Drinking in a motor vehicle.

Open container.

Improper storage.

Illegal use of a cell phone

No drivers license.

GPDs media release also stated that Retongtong was arrested for prior pending charges:
Published on 2022/06/07 | Source

New posters added for the upcoming Korean movie "Emergency Declaration" (2020)

Advertisement

Directed by Han Jae-rim

With Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Nam-gil, Im Si-wan, Kim So-jin,...

Wrapped up filming: 2020/10/24

Synopsis

An aircraft is forced to declare an emergency when an unprecedented terror occurs inflight.

Veteran chief police detective In-ho (Song Kang-ho) receives a tip about a man threatening a terrorist attack against a plane. While investigating, he discovers that the suspect has actually boarded flight no. KI501. Despite his phobia of flying, Jae-hyeok (Lee Byung-hun) decides to go to Hawaii for the sake for his daughter's health. At the airport, he is distracted by a strange man who hangs around, speaking to them in a menacing way. Flight no. KI501 departs Incheon Airport for Hawaii, but soon afterwards a man dies for mysterious reasons. Fear and chaos spread quickly, not only inside the plane, but also on land. Hearing this news, Transport Minister Sook-hee (Jeon Do-yeon) sets up a counterterrorism task force and calls an emergency meeting in order to find a way to land the airplane.

Release date in Korea : 2022/08
Container depot explosion kills at least 49, injures hundreds in Bangladesh

A fire and subsequent explosion at a shipping container depot near Chittagong, Bangladesh killed at least 49 people and injured over 300 more on June 4. Many of those killed and injured had arrived at the depot to help extinguish a blaze that had erupted before several containers storing chemicals exploded.

Representative image: Shutterstock

The incident began at around 21:00 local time when firefighters, police, and local volunteers were called to the BM Inland Container Depot in the town of Sitakunda following reports of a fire. Some of those responding to the incident, including emergency services, were only wearing flip-flops and casual clothes whilst battling the fire. As hundreds of people attempted to stop the fire from spreading, several shipping containers exploded, engulfing people in flames and sending debris flying across the site.



Many of the injured remained in critical conditions several days after the incident with the death toll likely to rise further.



Hundreds of people were rushed to nearby hospitals which quickly became overwhelmed resulting in many patients receiving treatment in corridors and even outside. According to news outlets, at least five firefighters were killed with many more seriously injured. Several journalists reporting on the initial fire are also believed to have been killed in addition to dozens of local volunteers helping to fight the blaze.



The explosion was heard miles away with windows in local buildings being shattered by the blast waves. Footage from the scene following the blast was reminiscent of the 2020 Beirut explosion.



Firefighters continued to battle the fire into June 5 with further explosions making it difficult, local officials said. The army and local volunteers positioned sandbags around the site to prevent chemicals from spilling into the Indian Ocean.



The cause of the initial fire is unknown, however fire officials have said they suspect it may have originated in a container of hydrogen peroxide before it spread to several surrounding containers. Two separate committees  a fire services committee and an industrial safety regulator committee  have been organised to investigate the cause of the fire.



Industrial safety incidents are common in Bangladesh due to poor enforcement of safety regulations. The container depot stores around 4,000 containers and acts as a storage point for containers travelling onto Chittagong, Bangladesh's main sea port, which is located around 25 mils (40km) away.



More information...
Avec la publication des videos incriminants des membres d cela force de lordre, le Directeur des Poursuites Publiques, met sa plume dans la plaie et encre pour que les legislateurs viennent avec les projets de lois, Police and Criminal Evidence Act. PACE et Police and Criminal Justice Bill (PACJA).

Satyajit Boolell, SC ecrit:-

It was the wish of Government to pass and proclaim a bill reflecting a new version of PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act) in 2018.

In that context ,my office had extensive discussions with Judge Geoffrey Rivlin, Consultant on the Bill, on assignment from the Commonwealth Secretariat. Rivlin was efficient incarrying ou this assignment and ensured that he had consultations with the Police, the Mauritius Bar Association, the Law Reform Commission and the Judiciary amongst others,before and after finalising the first draft of the Police and Criminal Justice Bill (PACJA).

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CEO of international exploration and production company Kosmos Energy Andy Inglis will attend and participate at African Energy Week (AEW)  Africas premier event for the oil and gas sector  taking place from 18  21 October 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Representing one of Africas most active international oil and gas independents, the participation of Inglis at Africas leading investment platform for the oil and gas sector is critical for driving dialogue around the role companies like Kosmos Energy play in optimizing exploration and production across Africas rich basins.

Prior to his current role at Kosmos Energy, Inglis held executive roles at various energy giants including UK-based infrastructure developer Petrofac and Russias third-largest oil producer TNK-bp. Inglis led bps exploration and production activities during his 30-year-long career with the major where he executed the companys growth prospects in Azerbaijan, Angola, Algeria, the Gulf of Mexico, Egypt, Trinidad, and the Asia-Pacific region. At AEW 2022, Inglis expertise and know-how around managing exploration and production activities for various firms will be vital for the discussion on scaling up upstream activities in Africa.

Since taking over the CEO role at Kosmos Energy in 2014, Inglis has led the American firm in a series of production optimization services in Ghana and Equatorial Guinea and infrastructure-led exploration in proven basins in Equatorial Guinea. The success of Kosmos Energy in Equatorial Guinea, under the leadership of Inglis, led to the firm and its partners securing an extension of the production sharing contract for Block G with the Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea  a development that will bring in new investments and accelerate exploration and production across the central African country. With both Equatorial Guinea and other African countries like Ghana, Senegal and Mauritania seeking to expand collaboration with international independents, the deal is a significant and positive development within the continents upstream sector at a time when Africas capital expenditure across the entire oil and gas value chain continues to decline.

Meanwhile, with Kosmos Energy representing one of the co-developers of the monumental Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project, located on the maritime border of Senegal and Mauritania, Inglis will be instrumental in leading discussions on African gas. Gas represents a particularly lucrative energy resource in Africa, holding the potential to alleviate energy poverty and kickstart sustainable socioeconomic growth while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Accordingly, AEW 2022 has placed natural gas as a central theme, promoting the role the resource has and continues to play in making energy poverty history while driving the transition to a clean energy future. By coming to AEW 2022 in Cape Town, Inglis will not only participate in industry-advancing discussions on gas but will provide project updates, emphasizing the role GTA gas will play both in Africa and in Europe.

Whats more, at a time when African gas is becoming increasingly valuable in global supply chains, largely due to European nations looking to divest from Russian gas, projects such as the GTA will be key for addressing energy security internationally. With a number of large-scale gas developments expected to come online in the next few years  phase one of the GTA expects first production in 2023, for example  European markets are looking at improving trade networks with Africa. Recently, German Chancellor H.E. Olaf Scholz traveled to Senegal to discuss possible pipeline developments that will link GTA with Germany. While other nations turn to Africa, AEW 2022 represents the ideal platform for deals to be signed, trade agreements established and Africa-global partnerships formed that will lead the world into a new era of energy security.

We are honored and proud to host Andy Inglis, Kosmos Energy CEO, at AEW 2022 this year in Cape Town. Kosmos Energy is undertaking significant developments across the continent, particularly in the field of natural gas. As projects such as the GTA come online and European nations seek collaboration with African gas producers, companies such as Kosmos Energy will be instrumental in positioning Africa as a globally competitive gas market. AEW 2022 will be the place to sign deals and make decisions that will not only transform Africas energy landscape but global energy networks, states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber (AEC).

Under the theme Exploring and Investing in Africas Energy Future while Driving an Enabling Environment Inglis will participate in various summits at AEW 2022, driving discussions on gas, exploration and energy security.

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Chinas proposals accord with general trend of world peace, development: President of Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association

14:33, June 07, 2022 By Yang Yi ( People's Daily

China has made remarkable achievements in containing the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty alleviation and ecological governance, and witnessed significant improvement in peoples living standards in recent years, said Ananda Goonatilleke, President of the Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association (SLCFA), in a recent interview with Peoples Daily.

The fundamental reason for such achievements lies in the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, he said.

In September 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Sri Lanka, during which Goonatilleke met Xi for the first time.

President Xi was erudite and easy-going, and always had a warm smile on his face, he recalled.

During this state visit, Xi published a signed article entitled Let us become partners in pursuit of our dreams in Sri Lankan newspaper Daily News.

I believe that the ship of China-Sri Lanka friendship and cooperation is bound to brave the wind and waves along the magnificent 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to pursue the dream of national development, Xi wrote in the article, which greatly inspired and encouraged Goonatilleke.

As the president of SLCFA, I determined to take the joint construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road proposed by Xi as an opportunity to promote economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges between our two countries, Goonatilleke said.

Since 1978, Goonatilleke has visited China many times and witnessed Chinas fast development. Ive carefully read the addresses Xi delivered on different occasions, and really admire the wisdom and art of his leadership, he noted.

President Xi proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Global Development Initiative (GDI), among other initiatives, and calls on countries to uphold the universal values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom and build a community with a shared future for mankind. These ideas accord with the general trend of world peace and development, and show strategic foresight, Goonatilleke stressed.

Goonatilleke was elected the president of SLCFA in May 1995. During the past over 20 years, he has traveled between Sri Lanka and China for many times, contributing to the non-governmental exchanges between the two sides.

In October 2015, a speech contest on the theme Human Development Inspired Through 21st Century Maritime Silk Route was jointly held by the SLCFA and the Chinese Association for International Understanding (CAFIU) under the International Department of the CPC Central Committee in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A total of 575 students from across Sri Lanka participated in the speech contest, which turned out to be a huge success and aroused many students interest in China and friendly cooperation between the two countries.

Young people are the future of a country. The SLCFA is willing to create conditions to help more outstanding young people go to China for exchanges so as to consolidate the foundation of friendship between our two countries, Goonatilleke said, adding that the SLCFA will continuously broaden cooperation and further exchanges with Chinese non-governmental organizations to make the tree of friendship even more luxuriant.

In July 2013, the CAFIU invited a delegation made up of representatives of think-tanks and the media from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to China.

As a member of the delegation, Goonatilleke visited Beijing, Shanghai, east Chinas Jiangxi province, etc.

In Jiangxi, he toured the Ancient Kiln and Folk Customs Museum in Jingdezhen city, which is known as Chinas porcelain capital, introduced Sri Lankas practices in protecting and developing traditional culture at a dialogue on the inheritance and development of culture in the processes of industrialization and urbanization, and had in-depth exchange of views with Chinese participants in the event.

Jingdezhen has a long history, and its ceramics culture and industry development really impressed me, Goonatilleke said. The CPC has carried out deep thinking and active explorations in inheriting historical and cultural heritage as well as promoting fine traditions, especially in advancing the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, Goonatilleke pointed out, noting that the experience China has gained in these endeavors is helpful to other countries.

Goonatilleke considers the Sri Lanka-China relations an example of friendly coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between countries of different sizes.

The year 2022 marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Sri Lanka. Back in 1952, when the two countries hadnt even established diplomatic relations, they signed the historic Rubber-Rice Pact, which ushered in friendly exchanges and became a much-told story in the history of their friendly and cooperative relations. In 1971, Sri Lanka firmly supported the restoration of Chinas lawful seat in the United Nations.

These important moments in the development of Sri Lanka-China relations are engraved in Goonatillekes mind.

Mentioning the 20th National Congress of the CPC to be held in the second half of the year, Goonatilleke said that he really looks forward to the congress and is convinced that it will provide more experience and inspirations for other developing countries, including Sri Lanka.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
GOVERNMENT has hiked user fees at public hospitals by 1 748%, prompting analysts to warn of an upsurge in home deaths.

New adult and children consultation fees have been pegged at US$12 and US$6, respectively, which are an equivalent of $3 696 and $1 848 in the local currency using the official exchange of US$1:$308.

Hospital fees were last increased in January 2020, with adults and children respectively paying $200 and $100 in Zimbabwe dollars at the time.

Reference is made to the hospital user fees circular dated April 19, and the Exchange Control Exclusive Use of Zimbabwe dollar for Domestic Transactions Amendment Regulations, 2020 no 3 (Statutory Instrument 185 of 2020).

Following the release convergence of the Exchange Control Directive No 3 of 2022, in line with the convergence of the auction exchange rates and the interbank willing-buyer willing-seller exchange rate, you are being advised to implement user fees in line with the current interbank exchange rates, Health and Child Care ministry secretary Jasper Chimedza wrote in a memo dated June 1, 2022.

Chimedza was not reachable for comment last night.

The memo was addressed to provincial medical directors, medical superintendents and public hospital chief executive officers.

Following the directive, consultation fees for adults are now at US$12 and children US$6. Ward fees for adults are set at US$12, and US$8 for children.

Ambulance fees per kilometre US$1,60. Intensive/coronary care unit per day  adults now at $US16. Intensive/coronary care unit per day  children now at $US10. Consultation fee is valid for seven days and chronic consultation fees are valid for one month, a notice to the public hospitals read.

The notice says patients may pay the new fees at the interbank rate, which currently stands at $325 to US$1.

Patients were paying almost half in user fees before the latest increase.

The new user fee hike will hit most Zimbabweans, who have been forced to turn to public hospitals as the pricing at private health facilities is beyond the reach of many.

However, public hospitals have been failing to provide quality services owing to years of underfunding.

Analysts said the increase in user fees would worsen the plight of patients battling to access health care due to prohibitive costs.

Zimbabwe Nurses Association president Enock Dongo said many people would die at home because they could not afford the fees.

This is too expensive for civil servants and other ordinary citizens. This will lead to many people dying at home. People will die unnoticed, and people will die with conditions that can be saved if they manage to go to the hospital. Its an unfortunate scenario, he said.

Plagued by a scarcity of drugs, dilapidated medical equipment and persistent strikes over poor remuneration by health sector professionals, the public healthcare system is on the verge of collapse.

Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) executive director Itai Rusike said the new hospital fees barred access to equitable health care services for the majority of ordinary citizens.

The CWGH is concerned that the new hospital fees will increase the barriers to use of services and inevitably bar access to equitable healthcare services by the majority of poor people that depend on the public healthcare system. These user fees are not affordable to many, defeating the point of having the right to health in the Constitution, Rusike said.

We understand that the hospitals are facing severe cash constraints. However we are concerned that the situation at present is one in which the public is not being adequately informed on what exactly to expect at hospitals and thus cannot adequately budget and plan for their visits to these services, he added.

The public health sector faces funding shortfalls as Zimbabwe has over the years failed to meet the Abuja Declaration on health spending, which calls for 15% budget allocation to the sector.
Leading luxury hospitality company Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and Gruppo Statuto, one of Italy's preeminent hotel development companies, announce that Four Seasons will assume management of the historic Hotel Danieli. Following extensive renovations, the property will be reintroduced as Hotel Danieli, Venezia, A Four Seasons Hotel in 2025.

Located in the Riva degli Schiavoni region of Venice along the Grand Canal, adjacent to Piazza San Marco, the Hotel consists of three buildings: the 14th century Palazzo Dandolo and two 19th century additions linked by bridges - Palazzo Casa Nuova and Palazzo Danieli Excelsior. Hotel Danieli's rich heritage is on display throughout the property, showcased in the beautifully preserved Venetian Gothic style architecture, along with art and antiques from throughout the property's history.

"Italy is a beloved and important destination for luxury travellers, and we have been capitalizing on the strength of this market with property enhancements and incredible new additions to our portfolio - many of them in collaboration with our long-term partners, Gruppo Statuto," says Bart Carnahan, President, Global Business Development and Portfolio Management, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "With Hotel Danieli, we are adding another iconic property to our Italian portfolio, where we will honour the historic legacy of this Venetian landmark while also introducing the exceptional Four Seasons service experience to one of Italy's most popular destinations."

Venice is a significant travel market globally, celebrated for its art, culture and architecture. The city is also known for its unique geography, as it is built on an archipelago of hundreds of islands, some of which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, connected by bridges and canals. Travellers explore the city via water or on foot, allowing them to take in the extraordinary sights and attractions at every turn.

"Hotel Danieli is a renowned and historic property in Venice, and we are confident that our partnership with Four Seasons will help usher the Hotel into its next chapter, maintaining the standard of quality and excellence that guests have come to expect of the Hotel," says Giuseppe Statuto, owner of Gruppo Statuto. "Together with Four Seasons, our properties in Milan and Taormina have seen great success, and Hotel Danieli will perfectly complement these world-class experiences that are unmatched in Italy."

Hotel Danieli has a long history of being one of the most luxurious hotels in Venice with an ideal location in the heart of the city. Guests will be a short walk from myriad attractions, including the market stalls of Piazza San Marco, gondola rides along the canal and Basilica San Marco.

Guests will be immersed in the splendour of the property from the moment their stay begins, enjoying unique arrival experience on boat via the Grand Canal. Guest rooms feature exceptional views of the Grand Canal, surrounding city and Venice's Bay. The property also features four restaurant and bar outlets, which also benefit from exquisite views, as well as seven meeting and event spaces.

The Hotel will undergo extensive renovations prior to reopening as a Four Seasons experience, with renowned designer Pierre-Yves Rochon overseeing the interiors. Rochon has worked on several other historic Four Seasons properties in Europe, including in Florence, Paris, Cap-Ferrat and Megeve. During the renovation period, the property will remain open with select services and amenities available. During this time, the hotel will be operated and managed by Gruppo Statuto under the name The Hotel Danieli, Venezia.

Upon reopening as a Four Seasons experience in 2025, Hotel Danieli, Venezia, A Four Seasons Hotel, will join Four Seasons growing collection of properties in Italy, including Four Seasons Hotel Milano, which recently underwent extensive renovations of its common areas; Four Seasons Hotel Firenze; San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel; and an upcoming resort in Puglia.

Hotel website
Burgeoning boutique luxury hotel brand, The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts, has announced the opening of The Pavilions Rome, The First Musica from 1 July 2022. Housed in a mid-century building originally designed by architect Mario Docci, and now elegantly renovated by Studio Marincola, the new five-star boutique joins sister hotels The First Arte and the First Dolce to complete a unique tripartite urban resort experience in the Eternal City. Collectively dubbed The First Roma, the three hotels blend la dolce vita with contemporary Roman culture, tantalising the senses through art, gastronomy and wellbeing.

Overlooking the winding Tiber River, just minutes from the Spanish Steps, The First Musica is a sophisticated new escape from the cosmopolitan clamour of the ancient capital. Framing oversized windows, the strikingly modern mesh and concrete facade in natural brass tones pays homage to Richard Meier's iconic Museo dell'Ara Pacis, situated on the opposite riverbank; inside, superlative materials such as Loro Piana fabrics and rare Calacatta marble conjure a calm, warmly luxurious ambience. Every one of the 24 rooms and suites features floor-to-ceiling windows, dark boiserie on the walls, chic brass accents - from the bathroom fixtures to Bang & Olufsen Beosound Balance wireless speakers - and large format modern artworks.

Serving up curated cocktails, fine wines and Italian and international cuisine, accompanied by special live music events and DJ sets, the vibrant six- and seventh-floor Alto rooftop bar commands sweeping views of Rome's historic cityscape. From an equally showstopping fifth-floor vantage point, sophisticated Italian restaurant Oliva serves a menu of reinterpreted Roman and regional classics in its in- and outdoor dining spaces.

Serenely sequestered below street level, a subterranean spa (opening September 2022 TBC) features an indoor pool and wellness area offering two treatment rooms for massages and beauty treatments exclusively for The First Roma guests.

In harmony with its Roman sisters, The First Arte and The First Dolce, The First Musica offers The Pavilions' signature personalised service, intuitively tailored to the preferences and tastes of each individual guest. Together, the three hotels complete The First Roma, a unique deconstructed urban resort experience that takes guests on a sensational journey of sights, tastes and sounds. From the delicious desserts of The First Dolce's VELO restaurant and Chef Daniele Lippi's famous tasting menu at The First Arte's Michelin-starred Acquolina; to the impressive collection of artworks exhibited at The First Arte; to the beautiful music filling the rooms and social spaces at The First Musica, guests are welcome to discover and enjoy different twists of The First Roma lifestyle at each of the three hotels.

The Pavilions invites guests to Experience Rome with inspiring tailor-made itineraries to immerse guests into the Eternal City's unprecedented history and hidden secrets. From venturing off the beaten track to explore usually cloistered areas of the Vatican City or discover Rome's subterranean secrets, to visiting the imposing art collection of Villa Borghese and embarking on a mouth-watering tour of Italian cuisine, The Pavilions' signature Curated Journey provides an unforgettable experience.

With the opening of The Pavilions Rome, The First Musica, The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts now has a total of 11 owned or managed hotels and resorts in operation across Asia and Europe, with a further two in the pipeline.

Stays at The Pavilions Rome, The First Musica start from 500 per room per night, including taxes and service. For further information and reservations, please visit pavilionshotels.com/rome/thefirstmusica or email [email protected].

Hotel website
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced the sale of The Confidante Miami Beach to Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. and the highly anticipated rebrand of this oceanfront resort to Andaz Miami Beach, which will be the Andaz lifestyle brand's introduction to Florida. Sunstone plans to invest approximately $60 million to reimagine the property over the next two years, creating an immersive and inspiring luxury lifestyle resort experience. Upon completion, travelers and Floridians alike can enjoy the Andaz brand's distinctly local experiences that stimulate the senses.

The extensive enhancement project will include a redesigned lobby that will offer a unique ocean view check-in experience, the reinvention of all food and beverage offerings, a refreshed pool and recreation area, the modernization of the hotel's guestrooms, expansion of the hotel's suite mix, and an upgrade to the meeting and event spaces. The project is expected to begin next year in phases with an anticipated completion by early 2024. The hotel will remain in operation during the renovation process - minimizing impact to the guest experience as much as possible - and will continue to be managed by Hyatt.

The $60 million transformation will reposition the property under the Andaz brand, offering thoughtful, unscripted service and an exciting luxury lifestyle experience on Miami Beach that will encourage guests to go beyond the familiar and satiate their curiosity with the sights, sounds, and tastes for which the city is known. The location of the hotel inspires travelers to explore the true essence of nearby South Beach and Miami's art and shopping districts, the world-famous, culturally inspired local cuisine, and the years of history of the city encompasses.

With deep historical roots in Miami Beach, The Confidante Miami Beach is a three-towered property that pays homage to the vibrant feeling of the city in the 1950s. Serving at one time as the tallest modern building in Miami Beach, the hotel originally opened in the 1940s as the 18-floor Lord Tarleton Hotel on Collins Avenue, making headlines and representing a boom for the city's economy.

The repositioned Andaz Miami Beach will join Hyatt's existing portfolio of hotels in the city, including two Hyatt Centric hotels in South Beach and Brickell, three Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels near Miami International Airport, and Hyatt Regency Miami, for which Hyatt just announced extensive redevelopment plans. Hyatt will also soon introduce travelers and locals to Thompson South Beach, which recently celebrated a groundbreaking and is slated to open in 2023, and Grand Hyatt Miami Beach Convention Center, which is set to open in 2025 as the only convention center hotel on Miami Beach.

Hotel website
A HARARE court is expected to decide today on a case of deliberate HIV transmission, two months after the country decriminalised transmission of the virus.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) is representing Lindiwe Ndhlovu, who was accused of deliberately infecting her boyfriend, the complainant in the matter.

Ndhlovu, through her lawyer Paidamoyo Saurombe, filed an application for removal from further remand following the decriminalisation of wilful HIV transmission.

In his application before magistrate Yeukai Dzuda, Saurombe argued that section 70(1)(1) of the Constitution provides that no person may be convicted of an act or omission that is no longer an offence.

Following the repeal of section 79 of the Criminal Code which former section the accused person was charged under, the provisions of section 70(1)(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe protect the accused person from any further remand, Saurombe submitted.

It is further submitted that there is no possibility of a conviction arising out of an act that is no longer an offence. By operation of law, on May 27, 2022, the State as dominus litis (the person who is actually behind legal proceedings, even if they are brought in the name of someone else) ceased to have any basis to further remand the accused person as there was no longer a charge recognisable in law.

It is thus submitted that the accused person must not be placed on any further remand as the basis of being placed on remand has ceased by operation of law. In the result, the accused person prays that she is removed from remand.

According to court papers, the accused person was arrested on March 31 this year and appeared in court where she was placed on remand and the matter was postponed to April 4 for bail consideration.

She was then granted bail on April 4, and the matter was remanded to April 29.

However, the State said it was still perusing the docket and conducting further investigations.

In April, Zimbabwe became the second country in Africa to fully repeal its HIV-specific criminal law after the Marriages Amendment Bill was signed into law.

Prior to the legislations passage, an act of HIV transmission could result in a sentence of up to 20 years in prison under section 79 of Zimbabwes Criminal Code.

The statute was, however, seldom enforced. Newsday
Executive Chef Nicholas Davies joins The Yarrow, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City from Snowbasin Resort, part of Grand America Hotel and Resorts, in Huntsville, Utah. In his new role, Chef Davies helms The Yarrow's two culinary outelts, 1800 Park and Vertical Lounge, where he is charged with menu and concept development and implementation, inventory and cost control, procurement strategy with major suppliers, and coordination with clients on weddings and events. Prior to his time in Utah, Chef Davies served as Executive Chef at Village Station at Sun Valley Resort in Idaho.

The Yarrow, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City

Park City, Utah

United States Website
Jazz Moralez has been appointed as the Beverage Manager at the reimagined Finch & Fork at the iconic Kimpton Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara. A fifth generation Santa Barbara native and restaurant industry veteran for over 10 years, Moralez holds a Level 1 Sommelier Court of Masters Sommeliers Certification. She finds inspiration from her travels throughout Europe as a Flamenco dancer, as well as her family's experience hosting foreign exchange students, which sparked her interest i n international culture, with a special interest in food and wine.

At Finch & Fork, Moralez is passionate about bringing to life the stories of the local farms, winemakers, and distillers with her wine selections and libations alongside Chef Riker's menu. She is an expert at creating well-balanced drinks with subtle complexities that attract and satisfy both the experienced and novice imbibers. Moralez lives in Santa Barbara with her partner Emiliano and her beloved rescue dogs Buck & Bubbles.
Michiel is a Dutch national and grew up across Europe, The Caribbean and South America. He started his career in hospitality as a Steward, before specializing in hotel F&B business. As a seasoned hotelier, Michiel brings with him more than 20 years of hospitality experience with a strong background in Food and Beverage, having worked with renowned properties such as Sofitel Metropole Hanoi, Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers and Crowne Plaza Changi Airport.

Michiel joined IHG in September 2013 as Executive Assistant Manager with Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park then Crowne Plaza Changi Airport as Executive Assistant Manager in February 2016. During his 3.5-year stint at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, Michiel played a pivotal role in driving traffic and volume for the hotels extension of a new tower. An individual who is committed to our people, Michiel is also a talent advocate which led to his win at IHGs SEAK (SEA & Korea) Talent Impact award in 2020.

Prior to his latest appointment, Michiel's most recent role was General Manager at Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road, a position he held for more than three years. Under his leadership, the hotel won Thailand's leading boutique hotel 2019 by World Travel Awards and Luxury Boutique Award 2020 by The World Luxury Hotel Awards.
Augustin Cacot joins YOTEL as Vice President of Demand leading digital performance, commercial innovation, analytics, and CRM globally. Cacot joins from Duetto where he was VP of customer success for EMEA elevating revenue strategy and driving change management for customers. Prior to Duetto, he was Regional Director of Revenue for the UK city center assets of Starwood Capital managed by Principal Hayley, Four Pillars and De Vere Venues and held roles at Concorde Hotels and The Set Hotels in revenue management positions.

View Augustin Cacot's LinkedIn Profile

Augustin Cacot is a graduate of EHL in Lausanne - Switzerland
Sophie Perret is a senior director at the HVS London office. She joined HVS in 2003, following ten years operational experience in the hospitality industry in South America and Europe. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sophie holds a degree in Hotel Management from Ateneo de Estudios Terciarios, and an MBA from IMHI (Essec Business School, France and Cornell University, USA). Since joining HVS, she has advised on hotel investment projects and related assignments throughout the EMEA region, and is responsible for the development of HVS's business in France and the French-speaking countries. Sophie completed an MSc in Real Estate Investment and Finance at Reading University in 2014. Sophie is also a certified surveyor and a member of the RICS. For further information, please contact: [email protected] or +44 20 7878- 7722 (Work).
In conjunction with the start of the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, Hyatt Hotels Corporation ("Hyatt" or the "Company") (NYSE: H) is pleased to share an update on operating results for May, summer travel booking trends, and confirmation of the closing of previously announced asset dispositions.

We are delighted that we closed on the last of four previously announced owned hotel dispositions. In total, these four dispositions generated $812 million in gross proceeds and demonstrate meaningful and expeditious progress towards our current $2 billion asset disposition commitment, said Mark S. Hoplamazian, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Additionally, our operational metrics in May serve as further evidence of continued recovery with comparable system-wide RevPAR improving from April, and system-wide RevPAR outside of Asia Pacific actualizing 3% above 2019 levels for the second consecutive month. As we look forward, we anticipate a busy summer travel season ahead.

OPERATIONAL UPDATE

Comparable system-wide RevPAR in May was approximately $127, representing the strongest RevPAR performance in any individual month since November of 2019. System-wide RevPAR in May was approximately 6% below May of 2019(1) or approximately 3% above May of 2019 when excluding Asia Pacific. Comparable system-wide RevPAR in May improved 2% as compared to April driven by improved occupancy, primarily in urban markets. The average daily rate in May was approximately 8% above May of 2019 led by luxury brands in the Americas, which exceeded 2019 by approximately 24%.

Leisure transient revenue remained at record levels, up 18% in May compared to May of 2019, bolstered by a strong performance over Memorial Day weekend where RevPAR in the Americas was approximately 24% above Memorial Day weekend of 2019. Business transient and group revenue also continued to strengthen in May, growing by 23% and 11%, respectively, from April. In May, business transient revenue was 35% below May of 2019 and group revenue was 12% below May of 2019.

The strength of Memorial Day weekend and favorable forward booking trends indicate a robust summer travel season ahead. System-wide comparable transient revenue on the books for the months of June through August is pacing 5% ahead of the same time in 2019 or 15% ahead when excluding Asia Pacific. Additionally, short-term demand for group business continues to trend significantly ahead of 2019 levels. Gross group room revenue booked in May for stay dates in 2022 for comparable Americas full service managed properties was 46% above May of 2019 and group pace for the remainder of the year, from June through December, has improved from April and is approximately 9% below 2019 levels.

Our all-inclusive portfolio also continues to experience strong results. Based on preliminary results, net package RevPAR in May, for Apple Leisure Group (ALG) resorts in the Americas, is expected to be approximately 17% to 20% higher in comparison with the same properties managed by ALG in May of 2019. Additionally, gross package revenue for ALG resorts in the Americas is pacing more than 30% above 2019 levels over the months of June through August for the same set of properties.

1 Comparisons to 2019 are based on Comparable hotels in both 2019 and 2022.

TRANSACTION / CAPITAL STRATEGY

The Company has closed on all four previously announced asset dispositions resulting in gross proceeds of $812 million, or over 40% of its current $2.0 billion disposition target, reflecting an aggregate multiple of 15.7x 2019 EBITDA, and entered into a long-term management agreement for each of the properties upon sale. The previously announced dispositions include Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa, Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk, The Driskill in Austin, Texas and The Confidante Miami Beach. Additionally, the Company is currently marketing two additional owned hotels for sale.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose  to care for people so they can be their best. As of March 31, 2022, the Company's portfolio included more than 1,150 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 71 countries across six continents. The Company's offering includes the Park Hyatt, Miraval, Grand Hyatt, Alila, Andaz, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Destination by Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Thompson Hotels, Hyatt Centric, Caption by Hyatt, JdV by Hyatt, Hyatt House, Hyatt Place, UrCove, and Hyatt Residence Club brands, as well as resort and hotel brands under the AMR Collection, including Secrets Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Vivid Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts, and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt loyalty program, ALG Vacations, Unlimited Vacation Club, Amstar DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions technology services. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.
Summer is quickly approaching in many parts of the world, and travel planning is on the rise: search interest in 'passport appointments' increased 300% over the first four months of 2022, and 'luxury hotels near me' has over two times the search interest it had during the same period in 2019.

Our team attended Google Marketing Live last week to share our focus areas as we see travel searches rebounding. We showcased new products that will make it easier than ever before for our travel partners  both large and small  to capture new travel demand, including hotel rates on Google Business Profile, feedless onboarding for Hotel Ads, and Performance Max for travel goals.

Getting accurate and timely rates and availability information for your hotel is crucial to finding and serving your prospective guests. We're making this easier in three ways:

First, we're actively supporting industry-standard protocols to bring hotel availability, rates and inventory online. Talk to your technology providers to see if they are already able to connect your hotel information to Google.

Second, we've significantly simplified our onboarding process by offering the ability for hoteliers to add rates and availability to their Google Business Profile  bypassing technical spreadsheets and files. Individual hotels that meet eligibility requirements can directly input their rates through their Google Business Profile to participate in free hotel booking links. Visit our Help Centre article for more information.

Source: Google

Additionally, we're opening up access to Hotel Ads by enabling advertisers to create Hotel campaigns without needing a Hotel Centre account in the coming months. This means that any Google Ads advertiser will be able to run ads for the hotels website by using rates that weve sourced.

The advertiser can indicate 'I dont have a Hotel Centre account' during campaign creation. This will allow the advertiser to then search for and select hotels of interest. For hotels where Google has available rates, Google will automatically select the highest-quality feed for the hotel.

Last year, we introduced Performance Max campaigns as a new way to buy Google ads across Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps from a single campaign. They complement your existing performance campaigns to help you drive results across Googles full range of advertising channels and inventory. Now, were excited to expand Performance Max for travel goals. Later this year, hotel advertisers will be able to promote their properties and increase bookings across all of Googles channels.

Performance Max for travel goals simplifies ad campaign setup with pre-populated asset groups for each hotel property, with auto-generated images, descriptions, and videos that you can review and edit. It also extends your reach to property-specific queries on Search, in addition to promoting your hotel properties across Google's advertising channels that comes with Performance Max.

Source: Google

As the travel landscape continues to evolve, well work together to bring your customers helpful and comprehensive experiences wherever theyre searching across Google. To learn even more about how to get started bringing your hotel business online, visit our website.

Posted by Michael Trauttmansforff, Director, Product Management  Travel at Google

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Bangkok - To coincide with World Environment Day on June 5th, Anantara is announcing its signing of all its resorts and hotels with the UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge. Launched in 2019 in Thailand, The UNESCO Pledge in partnership with Expedia has since expanded to create a globe-spanning travel ecosystem which supports sustainable tourism.

An award-winning luxury hotel brand developed by Minor Hotels, Anantara has focused its efforts on social, economic and environmental areas of priority since the brands foundation in 2001, changing the definition of purposeful travel for generations of holidaymakers along the way. By signing up to the pledge, Anantara is adding a portfolio of over 45 hotels across the world to the roster of over 4,200 properties committed to concrete, transparent and achievable climate action.

As the world moves towards climate resilience, the role of inclusive partnerships, such as Expedia Group and UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge, will only grow, said John Roberts, Group Director of Sustainability and Conservation for Anantara. At every Anantara property sustainable tourism drives our choices, and over the years we have compiled a blueprint of best practices that we now hope to share in a streamlined manner with other pledge signatories to encourage the adoption of an ever-more sustainable business model.

The UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge aims to promote sustainable travel, community resilience and heritage conservation globally, said Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture. By signing the Pledge, we are pleased that Anantara Hotels and Resorts publicly commit to actions that will reduce the environmental impact of their businesses, raising awareness to travelers and helping them make more sustainable travel choices.

In each country where the brand operates, Anantara teams and guests contribute to social and environmental projects supporting local communities through grassroots involvement, as well as matching guest donations to organisations that provide vital services, including wildlife protection.

Anantaras charitable foundation, the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF), works with local communities to protect wild elephants while providing shelter & vet care to out-of-work elephants during the pandemic. By working with scientists, mahouts and guests, Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort in Chiang Rai and GTAEF are supporting the wellbeing of Thailands pachyderms and leading the charge in pioneering welfare-based management techniques. Guests at Anantara Golden Triangle get to commune with elephants in nature thanks to such pioneering programmes as Walking with Giants, The Mahout Experience and staying at one of the see-through Jungle Bubbles surrounded by wildlife.

In the Maldives, the Anantara team has been working alongside marine biologists from Coral Reef CPR since 2015 to develop ways to protect the corals from the effects of climate change. Their holistic approach encompasses practical environmental protection and marine education to limit potential damage to the reefs and ensure they continue to thrive. Guests staying at Anantara resorts in South Male Atoll and Baa Atoll can participate in coral reef propagation programmes and contribute to the on-going conservation effort by adopting a coral frame and planting it with the guidance of Anantaras resident marine biologists.

In Cambodia, Anantara's parent company Minor International, Cardamom Tented Camp, Wildlife Alliance and Yanna Ventures joined together as a non-profit alliance to protect 18,000 hectares of the Cardamom Mountains forest in the Botum Sakor National Park from poachers and clearcutting. In recognition of the programmes success, Cardamom Tented Camp was included in the Green Destinations Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories, as well as winning in 2019 the PATA Gold Award for Ecotourism. In the same year, it was listed in National Geographic UKs invitation-only listing of top 36 eco-hotels around the world which are leading by example.

Another opportunity for guests to get involved is Anantaras signature Dollars For Deeds programme that enables hotels to match guests donations dollar for dollar to raise funds for a range of worthy causes. Whenever guests opt to donate one dollar per night of their stay, Anantara matches each guests contribution, resulting in a highly effective fund-raising mechanism that supports the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF) in Chiang Rai, the Mai Khao Turtle Foundation in Phuket, and the Princess Sirindhorn Craniofacial Centre at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok.

Anantaras commitment to the environment has been certified by Green Growth 2050, based on a set of Global Sustainable Tourism Council-recognised hotel-industry standards, with 36 Anantara properties awarded Green Growth 2050 certification to date. The properties were recognised for excellence in human rights, child protection, employee protection, community development, environmental stewardship, and tourism ethics and sustainability.

For more information about Anantaras sustainability efforts and initiatives, please visit https://www.anantara.com/en/sustainability.

About Minor International

Minor International (MINT) is a global company focused on three core businesses: hospitality, restaurants and lifestyle brands distribution. MINT is a hotel owner, operator and investor with a portfolio of over 520 hotels under the Anantara, Avani, Oaks, Tivoli, NH Collection, NH, nhow, Elewana, Marriott, Four Seasons, St. Regis and Radisson Blu brands in 56 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe, South and North America. MINT is also one of Asia's largest restaurant companies with over 2,300 outlets system-wide in 24 countries under The Pizza Company, The Coffee Club, Riverside, Benihana, Thai Express, Bonchon, Swensen's, Sizzler, Dairy Queen, Burger King and Coffee Journey brands, in addition to over 1,000 outlets of MINT's strategic alliances (i.e. S&P and BreadTalk). MINT is one of Thailand's largest distributors of lifestyle brands and contract manufacturers. Its brands include Anello, BergHOFF, Bodum, Bossini, Charles & Keith, Esprit, Joseph Joseph, Radley, Zwilling J.A. Henckels and Minor Smart Kids. For more information, please visit www.minor.com.

Mark Thomson

Director of PR & Communications

+66 (0)2 365 7678

Minor
Since its inception, Chicago-based Aparium Hotel Group has set itself apart as a new kind of hotel brandone that allows itself to venture off the beaten path, both geographically and philosophically. The hotel management company counts 10 independent and boutique properties in its portfolio, including Clayton Members Club & Hotel in Denver, Crossroads Hotel in Kansas City, and the Detroit Foundation Hotel, to name a few. Remarkably, the company opened five hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Goal: Reduce dependency on OTAs

Because independent hotels don't have the backing of a big brand, they can be inherently challenging to market and build guest loyaltycausing many independent hoteliers to turn to Online Travel Agencies to garner awareness and drive bookings. On top of this, as Aparium opened several new properties during the COVID-19 pandemic, reliance on OTAs was somewhat higher than normal because of the need to drive awareness of the new property.

But Aparium knows the importance of not relying heavily on OTAs and instead finding the right distribution mixin fact, the company monitors direct vs. OTA mix on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. So the company set a goal to wean off OTAs for these new properties in order to allow for more flexibility that would drive a better guest experienceand ultimately build guest loyalty.

Aparium adopted a "direct bookings are king" philosophy. Leadership shifted focus to "look-to-book" data to see potential reasons travelers were abandoning instead of booking.

To reduce dependency on third-party distribution, Aparium's VP of Marketing Jason Pirock and team created a strategy to drive and capture more business on their direct website, specifically focusing on raising conversion rate on the property's booking engines, powered by SHR's Windsurfer.

The team performed a deep dive into conversion rates across the entire guest journey, starting with comparing guests booking room reservations versus restaurant reservations, and then dove into conversion rates at both the website and booking-engine level.

"We can report until we're blue in the face," Pirock says. "Ultimately, what we're striving for is data we can understand, use, and take action on."

Steps to a Better Conversion Rate

To start, the Aparium team spent much of late 2021 and early 2022 rebuilding their websites, adopting modern technology and migrating to best in class servers that could accept real-time rate and inventory changes. They were looking for ways to improve the guest booking experience while at the same time further streamlining the overall booking experience, with a specific focus on website performance and load time, which ultimately impacts conversion rate.

Objectives were to stand up sites that are as easy to use as possible, and ensuring the visitor is never too far away from a Call To Action (CTA). The company placed a larger focus on mobile, a channel that continues to show demand growth. Aparium partnered with SHR in its mission to convert lookers to bookers. The team credits the close relationship with SHR, who did a massive audit on all of Aparium's properties and pointed to several opportunities to drive conversion, including:

Shifting the focus to showing rooms and their amenities over rates and packages

An imagery audit to find top areas of opportunity (the audit found inconsistency in image sizes, resolution, etc.)

A deep dive into guest-facing descriptions to ensure they told the right story.

In the summer of 2021, as leisure travel accelerated, Aparium created a curated landing page that told the story of what each hotel offered on-property. The landing pages outlined how guests could plan their road trips (especially important, as many travelers were still wary about hopping on an airplane during the pandemic) and three perfect days in each destination while spotlighting the hotel restaurants, signature cocktails and events.

Then, the team's focus turned to conversion performance metrics.

"We chose to look at things a little bit differently. The industry tends to pay attention to full-funnel conversion - they're looking at total room reservations (conversion) divided by total traffic - whereas we break it down into several categories," Pirock says. "We want to see how many people are moving from our site to the booking engine, and then how many people are converting from there. In addition to rooms, our model emphasizes F&B as well as lifestyle activations, which means guests are coming to our sites for multiple reasons and thus are taking different journeys to explore. By breaking down their path, we can see where people are converting. This helps us better understand where to focus."

Leaning on Data to Make Decisions

Immediately after the site audit and switchover, Aparium began reporting significantly decreased load speeds, which has helped increase the properties' visibility on Google.

Thanks to Aparium's renewed focus on converting direct business, conversion rates on the booking engine are rising across most properties. But measuring against industrywide benchmarks continues to prove difficult, Pirock says.

A study by h2c and Hotel Benchmark suggests the average website conversion rate for a hotel group in 2019 was 1.9%. The report found the average booking engine conversion rate - the percentage of those who navigated to the booking engine that resulted in a transaction - to be 6.8%.

Most of Aparium's website booking engines are converting between 7-8% of visitors, Pirock says. "The IBE is pacing ahead of its goals and we're pacing ahead of our revenue goals. Our conversion rates are really, really strong."

But Pirock isn't satisfied. Even at 8% conversion, he can't help but wonder why the other 92% are abandoning their booking. Next steps, he says, are to focus on mobile conversion rates, where Aparium is seeing increasingly heavy traffic, and evaluating e-mail abandon cart technology.

"If they're already in there, what can we be doing differently to get them to convert?" he says. "We should be able to flip the script and capture these customers."

About SHR

Sceptre Hospitality Resources (SHR) delivers solutions for hotels to improve guest satisfaction at each touchpoint  from marketing, booking, and on-property experience  while driving revenue every step of the way. More than 2,000 hotels around the world rely on Windsurfer CRS to optimize their channel mix, Maverick CRM to personalize their guests' experiences, or Wave RMS to maximize revenue and profitability. Headquartered in Houston with offices in Barcelona and Singapore, SHR deploys deeply integrated, cloud-based software built in an open, API-first framework that reduces the cost, time and development work associated with connecting systems. Learn more at shr.global.

Samantha Wai

Digital Marketing Manager

SHR, Sceptre Hospitality Resources LLC

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The janitors who clean Houstons office buildings will get raises and new workplace protections under a two-year contract approved by members of the Service Employees International Union.

We secured the things that mattered the most to us, said janitor Zacarias Tzul. A proof to Houston that when workers come together, they can win.

The agreement, ratified Saturday, was reached Wednesday night, less than 24 hours after the old contract expired, following an overnight session of negotiations between union leaders and a number of the cleaning companies that contract with building owners for janitorial services. The companies at the table were ABM Industries and Pritchard, both of New York; ISS of San Antonio; Compass of Charlotte, N.C.; Velociti of Riverside, Mo.; and Sodexo of Gaithersburg, Md.

John Nesse, an attorney who represented the cleaning companies, described the agreement as one that reflects the mutual best interest of all parties involved.

Wages for most janitors will increase by at least $1.00 an hour and as much as $2.60 an hour. Under the old contract, janitors wages started at $10.75 an hour.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston janitors and cleaning companies avert strike

The companies agreed to cover a slightly larger share of premiums to keep the workers health care costs from rising. Janitors who work at least 30 hours a week are eligible for individual insurance, which will cost $54.47 a month  about $2 less  under the new deal.

The contract also includes new protections against sexual harassment and assault in the workplace. Employers will be required to notify workers of their rights and investigate any such reports. Janitors who report abuse will be shielded from retaliation.

This is the first janitors contract in Texas to include such provisions, according to the SEIU. Mercedes Herrera, a janitor who serves on the unions bargaining team, called the protections long overdue and sorely needed. Gracias a Dios,  Thank God, Herrera added.

This agreement shows the janitors, the city, and the entire industry that these companies respect workers by agreeing to a strong union contract, SEIU Texas President Elsa Caballero said.

Janitors, at the outset of negotiations, declared as a key goal a starting wage of $15 an hour, which is already standard in many comparable-size cities. This contract doesnt quite get there, but it is a step in that direction, union leaders said.

erica.grieder@chron.com
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It all started with a koozie.

In the early 2000s, Meagan Morris and her husband Luke had steady, traditional careers in oil and gas. Meagan also dabbled in corporate events planning, which she liked and felt that she did well.

Friends asked her to design and print their wedding invitations in 2011, and by the end of that year, she quietly opened an early iteration of Sip Hip Hooray on Etsy. The initial idea was to create custom stationery and niche wedding products in her spare time. Bespoke save-the-dates and couple-specific koozies quickly became Meagan's most requested items, so Luke suggested she take some of the insulated drink holders to a local bridal show.

"Those all sold out," she says. "A popular design was 'To have and to hold and to keep your beer cold.' From there I said let's expand this on Etsy. So we put up 10-15 designs and it really took off."

Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

The Morrises never dreamed that a party goods and social stationary business would pay more than their 9-to-5 desk jobs. By 2014 Meagan and Luke both handed in their notices to focus on Sip Hip Hooray full-time. Two years later, the couple was making double their previous salaries. This month marks 10 years of Sip Hip Hooray  Meagan reports the company now generates between $5 to 7 million in annual revenue.

Their success has grown at a steep incline over the past decade. Still, walking away from not one, but two steady incomes was a gamble.

"It started as fun money. You know, trip money and going out to eat money," Meagan explains. "When we both quit our jobs our families looked at us and were like, 'Are you sure?'"

She's the creative, and Luke works the numbers. Meagan never graduated from college and considers herself self-taught. "But I did have that corporate training," she adds.

Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

Foil-stamped business cards were hard to come by when Meagan first tested the design waters. She could make it happen.

"Fancy, but still business has always been our sweet spot. That mix of wedding knowledge and higher end printing," she says. Morris eventually realized she was spreading herself thin. "I couldn't give my job my all and my company my all. I wanted to take a chance on myself."

The leap of faith paid off. Part of her good fortune was just being in the right place, at the right time. The wedding industry relied on traditional-style printing at the time, then Pinterest changed everything. Customization became the "it" trend and Sip Hip Hooray's presence on Etsy had already garnered a solid following.

Meagan credits the e-commerce site with catapulting her company. It was the no. 1 marketplace for handmade, vintage and one-of-a-kind items  the visibility was essential.

Though at a certain level of customization, she explains, Etsy can be limiting. So the Morrises risked everything yet again, and moved their business to a self-hosted website. That's when Sip Hip Hooray really took off.

Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Sip Hooray, poses for a portrait Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.

She even discovered an avenue to grow with her clients post-nuptials. Now products and services offered include gifts for other life milestones like buying a home or having children. Custom door mats and house sketches are a hit with real estate agents.

During the pandemic she pivoted to printing stay-at-home inspired sayings on entertaining essentials. Inner Loop boutiques including Emerson Sloane and Berings stocked her 10-stack frosted or foam cups inscribed "socially-distanced roadie" or "please, keep 6-feet apart." Sip Hip Hooray expanded into nationwide wholesale in 2020, as well.

By 2021 the husband and wife business partners decided the time had come to open a storefront in their native Tomball. On June 3 of last year a physical location for customers to "elevate the everyday" became a reality.

"We're confusing because we do so many things it can be overwhelming," Meagan admits. "We've just always tried to make everyday things special, and the store helps people to do that."

Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Sip Hooray, poses for a portrait Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.

An ottoman-sized, champagne cork pool float is one of her favorite kitschy items. She imports specialty cocktail syrups and olive oil from a 400-year old tree in Italy, too.

"This one guy drives in from Pearland every so often for our pickles," she says. "He had them once in Napa, found that we stock them on Storefinder, and buys us out.

As the Morrises prepare Sip Hip Hooray's 10-year milestone all month long, they're also looking to the future. Meagan wants to develop the company's couture gifting with Face-Time shopping and white glove delivery service. And she'd love to expand her brick-and-mortar to the Heights, Woodlands or Fulshear -- eventually.

Luke's eye is always on the bottom line and doesn't to stray too far from Sip Hip Hooray's bread and butter.

"Our top product for the whole company is still custom koozies, per my husband's direction," Meagan says.

amber.elliott@chron.com
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Maine health authorities are extending a deadline for schools to test for lead in drinking water.

Lead exposure can cause health and behavioral problems, especially in young children. It can enter drinking water through lead pipes.

The Maine Legislature passed a law in 2019 requiring all schools to test for lead between Oct. 1, 2021, and May 31 of this year. The Maine Center for Disease Control said it's extending the deadline because a large number of schools recently submitted samples for lab analysis, WCSH-TV reported.

The agency said more than half of schools have submitted at least one result, and about three quarters have requested a test kit. It said the state should have a better picture of which schools still need to perform initial sampling within a month or two.

Data from early April show that more than a quarter of fixtures, faucets and fountains in Maine schools produced lead levels that were high enough to be a concern.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Pennsylvania's Republican-controlled Senate approved a bill Monday that orders a number of changes to state laws over partisan election observers in polling places and election offices, a throwback to complaints in 2020 by former President Donald Trump that the Democratic bastion of Philadelphia needed to be watched closely for election fraud.

Pennsylvania, like other battleground states where Trump lost, is still roiled by Trump's baseless claims that 2020's presidential election was stolen from him. It has helped drive a wider partisan stalemate in election-related legislation in Pennsylvania's statehouse.

The bill passed, 30-19, with every Republican and one Democrat backing it.

The sponsor, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor who has spread baseless claims about election fraud, said the bill would restore trust and integrity in elections.

However, the office of Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said in a statement that the administration strongly opposes the bill and that it "does nothing to increase access to voting."

One provision in the bill would remove the county residency requirement in state law for certified poll watchers, freeing them to come from anywhere in the state.

Trump had pushed for such a change in 2020, failing in court. Wolf has threatened to veto such Republican legislation previously, with Democrats calling it a voter intimidation tactic.

The bill also would raise the number of partisan poll watchers allowed into each polling place during voting and give them access to any facility where votes are collected.

In 2020, Trump campaign aides complained that Philadelphia city officials had prevented campaign representatives from watching people registering to vote or filling out mail-in ballots in newly opened satellite election offices there.

The campaign sued and lost in court, with judges saying Pennsylvania law did not allow partisan representatives to observe in election offices.

Another provision in the bill would require partisans who are certified to watch election workers processing mail-in or absentee ballots to have a clear line of sight to view and hear the proceedings at a distance of six feet or less."

The Trump campaign had sued  and lost  in state and federal courts over its complaints that its observers were not allowed close enough to scrutinize mail-in ballots as they were being processed in heavily Democratic Philadelphia and Allegheny County, which is home to Pittsburgh.

___

Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at twitter.com/timelywriter.

___

Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at twitter.com/ap_politics.
Tea sold in 23 states is possibly contaminated with hepatitis A and is being recalled

Tea sold in 23 states is possibly contaminated with hepatitis A and is being recalled

A company called Urban Remedy, in an attempt to ensure "safety as a top priority" is recalling a certain tea distributed in 23 states, including Illinois, because it may be contaminated with hepatitis A.

The move is associated with the outbreak investigation linked to organic strawberries.

The tea, Urban Remedy Organic Revitalizing Tea Tonic Strawberry Hibiscus Rose, was recalled due to the possible presence of organic strawberries that have been linked to a hepatitis A outbreak being investigated in the United States and Canada, according to a company announcement posted by the FDA on June 5.

There have been 17 illnesses and 12 hospitalizations linked to the outbreak in the U.S., with most of the cases being in California. Ten laboratory-confirmed cases have also been identified in Canada as of June 2.

The FDA, sharing news of the outbreak in May, noted that investigations showed the strawberries were the "likely source" of illnesses.

But, no illnesses have been reported from consuming the recalled Urban Remedy tea.

The product number subject to the recall reads as follows: 813377025831 Urban Remedy Organic Revitalizing Tea Tonic Strawberry Hibiscus Rose.

The product was sold in a 12-ounce resealable plastic bottle between May 17 and May 29 at various retail stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

More on the outbreak: FDA: Strawberries may contain Hepatitis A virus

What to do if you bought the recalled product:

"At Urban Remedy, food safety is our companys top priority," CEO Paul Coletta said in the announcement.

Coletta is asking those who purchased the product with the affected lot number (1232 best by 7/17/2022) to dispose of the item or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Those who have already consumed the product they bought are being advised to contact their health care provider to find out if they are up to date on their vaccine, while those who develop hepatitis A symptoms should "immediately" call their local health department, according to the FDA.

Hepatitis A is a contagious virus that can cause liver disease, according to the FDA. Some symptoms to watch out for include jaundice, dark urine, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain and pale stool. The illness may occur from 15 to 50 days after consuming the contaminated food or drink.

According to the FDA, "all people" are susceptible to hepatitis A, except for those who have been vaccinated or had it before; they are "immune" to the infection.

Consumers with questions can call 855-875-8423 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST or email connect@UrbanRemedy.com.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  A California federal judge on Monday sentenced the Mexican man acquitted of murder in the 2015 shooting death of a woman on a San Francisco pier to the seven years he's already spent in jail  bringing to a legal close the case that ignited a national firestorm over immigration, crime and sanctuary cities.

Jose Inez Garcia Zarate was in the U.S. illegally when Kate Steinle, 32, was fatally shot along a crowded Pier 14 where she was walking with her father and a family friend. He faces deportation and U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria told him in court to never return to the U.S.

The shooting shocked a country already divided over immigration and fueled Donald Trumps successful campaign for president. Trump called for a crackdown on unlawful immigration and the sanctuary cities and states  including San Francisco and California  that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Garcia Zarate admitted firing the gun on July 4, 2015, but said he found it under a bench and didn't know what it was when he picked it up because it was wrapped in a T-shirt. The gun fired accidentally after he picked it up, he said. Officials said the bullet ricocheted off the ground and hit Steinle.

He was acquitted of homicide charges by a San Francisco jury in 2017 but faced firearms charges in federal court. In March, he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and a person illegally in the country in possession of a firearm.

If you return to this country again and you are back in front of me, I will not spare you. Let this be your last warning: do not return to this country, Chhabria said before sentencing Garcia Zarate to the time he has already served.

Chhabria also delivered a harsh rebuke of the mental health treatment received by Garcia Zarate for his schizophrenia while in custody, which the judge said was virtually nonexistent.

Garcia Zarate will be sent to Texas, where he faces a federal judge for failing to report his location when he was released from a San Francisco jail shortly before the shooting. He had been deported five times and was on track to be removed from the U.S. again when he shot Steinle.

The maximum sentence on the firearms charges was 10 years. Prosecutors agreed to the sentence of time served plus three years of probation. Garcia Zarate's lawyers wanted a shorter sentence so he could apply any time left over in case the judge in Texas imposes additional prison time.

The handgun belonged to a U.S. Bureau of Land Management ranger who reported it stolen from his parked car a week before Steinle was killed.

Before the killing, Garcia Zarate had recently completed a prison sentence for illegal re-entry to the U.S. when he was transferred to San Francisco to face a 20-year-old marijuana charge.

Prosecutors declined the case, but the San Francisco sheriff released him from jail despite a federal immigration request to detain him for at least two more days for deportation.

Garcia Zarate "feels horrible about what happened, and that hes very sorry and apologizes, his lawyer, Mike Hinckley, said in court Monday.

The judge said he does not believe that prosecutors proved that Garcia Zarate had acted with criminal recklessness in the shooting and that he likely did not understand what was happening that day when he killed Steinle, because of his mental health illness.

Chhabria also expressed sympathy for Garcia Zarate, who spent most of his seven years in county jail without medication or meaningful treatment.

Two doctors diagnosed Garcia Zarate with schizophrenia and found him unfit to stand trial because he could not follow the court proceedings.

"That must have been hell," Chhabria said.

But the judge also said that consequences matter and that Garcia Zarate admitted being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Steinle's relatives were not present in court for the sentencing and prosecutors said her family did not want to participate in the proceedings.
A 16-year-old Milby High School student died Monday after a vehicle drove over a guardrail and into a Houston bayou, police said.

The Houston Police Department dive team rescued at least one person after the 1:05 p.m. crash at 100 Broadway in East Houston.

Police said the female driver was driving at a high speed.

Underneath the bridge near Brays Greenway Park, teenage girls embraced, eyes red and wet with tears, after seeing police remove the body of the girl from the black sedan that was pulled out of the water a few hours after the crash.

Among the mourning teens was Debra Maldonados daughter, a sophomore at Milby High School, who told her mother it was her good friend who died in the crash.

Maldonado said she believed there were three teens in the car, all sophomores at Milby, although neither Houston police nor the Houston Independent School District has confirmed the identities of the driver and passengers.

Maldonado said her daughter received a happy birthday call from the now deceased teenager Sunday and was supposed to get a gift from her Monday.

To see her standing there right now. Its hard, said Maldonado. Shes never really lost friends like that before. Shes never really lost anybody like that, close to her.

In a message to parents Monday, Milby Principal Ruth Pena said counselors would be available for students and staff.

"This is a terribly difficult time for our school community," Pena's statement said. "As such, counselors will be available on campus to provide support to students and staff and answer any questions they might have. They will remain available for as long as they are needed."

Tuesday is the last day of school for the HISD.

KHOU-TV reported that a teenage boy, who was also in the car and escaped safely, spoke to investigators about the incident.

Staff writers Nicole Hensley and Alejandro Serrano contributed to this report.

Earlier:

The Houston Police Department dive team rescued at least one person after someone drove over a guardrail and landed in a Houston bayou early Monday afternoon.

The crash happened around 1:05 p.m. at 100 Broadway Street in east Houston, according to a Twitter post from the Houston Police Department. The condition of the driver is unknown.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Houston Chronicle

A jury has convicted Hakeem Alexander Coles for violently robbing employees at the Cle nightclub while he was working there as a security guard in 2019, according to U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

The 26-year-old from Minneapolis, Minn., used a false identity to get hired at Cle, a Midtown establishment that was also the scene of a deadly shooting in 2021.
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In a break from department protocol, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner publicly stated Monday that civil rights attorney Ben Crump was lying when he said Jalen Randle was fatally shot in the back of the neck in April by a Houston police officer in Pleasantville.

Finner, in a statement, cited preliminary autopsy results that he says show the 29-year-old father was shot in the front of the neck. Crump, who represents Randle's family, had an independent autopsy conducted by Autopsy and Pathology Services, P.A. in Kingswood. Those results, which were shared with the Houston Chronicle, say that the bullet hit Randle in the back of the neck and left no exit wound.

More from Sam Gonzalez Kelly: When HPD killed Jalen Randle, the east Houston community of Pleasantville lost a son

The portions of the official autopsy results made public by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences showed that Randle died of a gunshot wound to the neck, but the documents available do not specify a point of entry. The full autopsy has not yet been released to the public, and the agency did not immediately respond to requests for further details.

But the police chief clearly wanted to get out ahead of what he portrayed as "misinformation" being offered by the family's high-profile lawyer.

"We respect and understand emotions and pain that families who have lost loved ones go through during these investigations. Having said that, the family's attorney, Mr. Ben Crump, whom I respect as an advocate for justice, is claiming Mr. Randle was shot in the back of the neck or head. That is a false statement. To publicly make such a false claim is irresponsible," Finner said.

Houston police normally refrain from commenting publicly on police shootings until an internal investigation has been completed. Finner said that while "this is only one component of a comprehensive investigation, it is necessary to correct this misinformation." He did not respond to a request for further comment.

Crump, in a response shared Tuesday, questioned why Finner wouldn't release information to back up his statement.

Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer

"The Randle family, in the wake of burying Jalen, is now facing the compounded pain of the Houston Police Chief by attempting to discredit legitimate evidence that Jalen was shot in the back of his neck. We have four sources of evidence, including the independent autopsy, the officer's body camera video, statements made shortly after Jalen's death by emergency room medical professionals, and statements made by funeral home directors that all conclude Jalen was shot in the back of his neck," Crump said.

Randle's family echoed this sentiment and said they were upset that bullet entry wound had become a point of contention.

GUN REFORM: Mayor Turner joins other Texas city leaders in push for special session after Uvalde shooting

"They're saying he was shot in the front but they're not showing evidence to back up that statement," said Jalen Randle's father, Warren Randle. "And it shouldn't even matter where he was shot, because they shot an unarmed man. Are they trying to say it was justified because he was shot in the front?"

Body camera footage released last month appears to show Officer Shane Privette fatally shooting Randle, who was wanted on two felony warrants, immediately after the officer exited his patrol vehicle. Before the shooting, he chased Randle briefly in his car through Pleasantville, where Randle grew up.

On Monday, Randle's family and friends met with Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg and held a protest outside her office to press for murder charges against Privette.

Ogg said that her office will present evidence to a grand jury after the Houston Police Department finishes its internal investigation, and that the jury will decide to indict Privette or not.

sam.kelly@chron.com
Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer

A 16-year-old girl who died Monday afternoon when a car crashed into an east Houston bayou was driving the vehicle and traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the incident, according to police.

Milby High School held a vigil and balloon release for Emily Castilleja Tuesday afternoon, said the Houston Independent School District. Flowers, a pinwheel and a sign with Emily's name decorated with blooms lined the softball field where students gathered to honor Castilleja's memory.
Federal officials have removed a Missouri City trucking company from the road, after investigators said the company was created to allow a firm penalized earlier in May to keep driving.

In a news release, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said JPL Logistics was declared an imminent hazard  which stops it and its trucks from operating  on May 31. The imminent hazard ruling followed one on May 7 for Jaypur Logistics, also located in Missouri City and owned by Purav Shah of Houston.

According to its federal permit, Jaypur operates 18 trucks and has 18 drivers.

Of those, however, Shah said 17 were drivers who owned their own trucks and were the source of the problems. He said after founding Jaypur in 2018, he focused more on the finance of the company and not its day-to-day operations and management of safety and compliance. Lapses in the training and rules were addressed quickly, he said.

Those guys were all fired, Shah said.

In the trucking industry, many drivers work for a company, but own and drive their own trucks, receiving loads from a company like Shahs that handles logistics and billing.

During an investigation, federal regulators said they found numerous violations with the company, notably its oversight of drivers. Some of the problems date back to 2019, months after the company was founded.

It could only identify a fraction of the drivers and vehicles operating under its authority and was not even aware its drivers had hauled hazardous materials, officials said in a release. Jaypur Logistics failed to ensure its drivers were eligible to drive, allowing six drivers who were already prohibited Twice Jaypur Logistics drivers have been cited for operating under the influence and three times its drivers have been cited for on-duty possession of drugs or alcohol.

Shah said after the problems emerged, and Jaypur lost some of its rating as a logistics company, he created JPL in 2020 to maintain a company-owned truck and drivers.

JPL is listed as having two drivers and four trucks, and operating five blocks down Texas 6 from Jaypur.

When it was pulled from the road, Jaypur was told not to operate under a different identity, using a different incorporation number. Instead, officials said, a Jaypur driver used the JPL information to complete a trip after he was pulled over in Montana.

Mr. Shah told the driver to change the USDOT number on the side of the truck from Jaypurs DOT number to JPL Logistics LLCs USDOT number, officials said in their order.

Shah disputed that, saying he told the driver to park the truck until the issues could be sorted out.

He said he has filed a corrective plan for Jaypur with federal officials in the hopes of regaining his permit to operate, as well as continue JPL. Should that corrective plan be approved, the companies can return to service under federal rules.

We wont go on the road until we are safety compliant, Shah said. It is going to be strictly our trucks, or if we have owner-operators, we are going to do it right from the beginning.

Combined the companies face up to $59,000 in fines.

dug.begley@chron.com
A former Harris County commissioner is voluntarily dismissing a lawsuit accusing Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioners Court of violating state law when they approved a new redistricting map in October.

Former Precinct 3 commissioner Steve Radack, a Republican, argued the commissioners violated the Open Meetings Act because they did not make public the map that ultimately was approved within 72 hours of the meeting.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Ex-Harris County commissioner sues Judge Lina Hidalgo over redistricting meeting

Under the state's Open Meetings Act, governments are required to post public notices about meetings at least three days before they occur. The law does not require them to post supporting documents, although governments sometimes do. Harris County commissioners posted notice of the Oct. 28 meeting in a timely manner.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Harris County Democrats approve new precinct boundaries, aimed at expanding their power

Andy Taylor, Radacks lawyer, said the lawsuit could resume at a later date.

"We're just hitting the pause button," Taylor said. "We non-suited the case without prejudice. What that means is that we can refile it anytime we want to within four years of the date of the meeting that we're complaining about. So, we've still got three years plus to make that decision."

Republican Commissioners Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey challenged the county's redistricting map in a lawsuit in November, hoping to stop implementation of the map they argued was gerrymandered to benefit Democrats. The Texas Supreme Court denied their challenge on the grounds that settled precedents "sharply limit judicial authority to intervene in ongoing elections."

Taylor said he and Radack were pausing the legal challenge while they determine the next steps in Cagle and Ramsey's lawsuit.

"There's an appeal pending on the redistricting plan that two of the commissioners had filed last year, and my brief is due in about two weeks. So, we expect a ruling in that case very quickly  this year, or worst case scenario early next year, which is a whole lot faster than we could get a decision on the case that I just voluntarily non-suited," Taylor said. "That's the purpose, is we want to see how that case turns out, and then make a decision whether we want to reup on this case or not."

Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee issued a statement welcoming the decision to drop the lawsuit, which had sought to invalidate the new map.

Im glad this frivolous lawsuit was dismissed, Menefee said. The county ran a transparent, thorough redistricting process. My office will continue working with each of the commissioners to ensure the transition process is as seamless as possible.

Hidalgo's office declined comment.

In a statement, Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said: For too long, Harris Countys precinct boundaries have intentionally split up communities of interest in a process that was driven by political gain and self-preservation. The map that I proposed, and that was ultimately adopted, allows the voices and views of the people to be reflected by those who represent them. The lawsuit challenging the Countys new map was nothing more than another attempt to maintain the unjust status-quo by undermining our democratic process. Im glad that this lawsuit has been dropped. Its a win for Harris County voters, and for our democracy.

jen.rice@chron.com
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Paul Collins had been friends with Jalen Randle for as long as he can remember. Growing up in Pleasantville, Collins saw his childhood friend grow from a boisterous young boy into a doting father to his 5-year-old girl.

So when body camera footage released last month appeared to show a Houston police officer fatally shooting Randle in the neck after a brief car chase, before Randle could comply with the officers demands, the pain Collins felt was personal. He wanted justice.

I want the same justice that would happen for anybody else in America, Collins said. Everybody should be held accountable for the actions they take, it shouldnt be that because (the police officer) has a badge (he) can do whatever hes capable of.

Collins was one of dozens of people, many of whom knew Randle personally, who protested Monday outside Harris County District Attorney Kim Oggs office to demand that Ogg charge the officer who shot Randle with murder. Ben Crump, the high-profile civil rights attorney representing Randles family, called for criminal charges against the officer, Shane Privette, last week and announced that the family intends to file a civil rights complaint against the Houston Police Department.

Ogg met with Randles family ahead of Mondays protest to listen to their concerns and explain how her office handles police shootings. The offices Civil Rights Division will review the evidence from the police departments internal investigation and present those findings to a grand jury, which will determine whether Privette is indicted. The process usually takes between six and 12 months, Ogg said.

Anytime youve lost a child, the trauma is profound, and so much of the meeting is letting them simply express their grief, their frustration with our system and police department and city government, and so I listen. And then we try to convey information that will let them know whats going to happen, not as a result of, but through the process, Ogg said.

Arthur Reed, an investigator with Crumps law firm, declined to share details about the meeting but described the talks as meaningful.

We look forward to working with her office to find justice for Jalen Randle, Reed said. His daughter deserves it, his community deserves it, and well continue to fight in the name of Jalen Randle.

Local activist Quanell X said he wanted to see Privette charged with murder. He slammed the Houston Police Officers Union, whose president Douglas Griffith told ABC 13 that all (Randle) had to do was comply, for defending Privette.

The reason why the union president talks like that is because he doesnt give a damn when cops kill Black men. He feels that theyve been killing Black men for so long in Houston and Harris County that they can get away with it, because theres not too much that people are going to do, the activist said.

Griffith, in response, stood by his remarks and maintained that Randle knew officers were after him and just had to put his hands up.

I pray (Quanell X) never has to make a true life (or) death decision in a matter of seconds, as our officers have to do on a regular basis, Griffith said.

Privette, who was placed on administrative duty following the shooting, was previously indicted in 2019 for aggravated assault based on allegations he beat a suspect during an undercover narcotics investigation. Those charges were dismissed months later when new, unspecified evidence was presented to a second grand jury.

The officer can be heard in the body camera video appearing to say oh s - - - immediately after shooting Randle. Police were serving Randle with felony warrants for aggravated assault and evading arrest. Prior to the shooting, as his partner follows the vehicle Randle was riding in, Privette can be heard saying he aint gonna live to leave this neighborhood, according to Randles family and friends.

A spokesperson for the Houston Police Officers Union contends that Privette stumbled over his words and said he aint gonna liv- leave this neighborhood, suggesting that Randle mighttry to flee on foot.

The east Houston neighborhood of Pleasantville has mobilized since Randles death, saying they want to hold Privette and the Houston Police Department accountable. After the meeting with Ogg, the protesters stayed for chants outside the district attorneys office.

Oh s - - -! they chanted, repeating the words Privette uttered after shooting Randle.

sam.kelly@chron.com
Montgomery County Police Reporter

An inmate and three guards are in stable condition Tuesday morning after a Texas Department of Criminal Justice van was involved in a crash on Interstate 45 near Conroe, according to police.

Conroe firefighters were dispatched to reports of the crash around 2:40 a.m. at the 10000 block of the I-45 and found the van against the center barrier along with a red Ford F-150 in the middle northbound lanes, Conroe police stated in a news release.
NEWTOWN  Will the attorney who won a $73 million settlement from Remington for nine Sandy Hook families use the same playbook in his legal dealings with the company that made the AR-15-style rifle used in the Texas massacre last month?

Yes and no.

Of course you look at the precedent, but in any complicated case as grievous and shattering as this, you have to keep your toolkit wide open and look at everything, said Josh Koskoff, a Bridgeport attorney who last week made national news by calling on rifle maker Daniel Defense to provide information about its marketing, especially to teens and children and about the gun companys communications with the Uvalde shooter. The Sandy Hook playbook is part of it, but you dont want to start out with tunnel vision because you can miss whats right in front of you.

Uvalde is the small Texas town where an 18-year-old gunman drove to an elementary school and killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers on May 24. The brutality of the massacre was all the more traumatic here because it had so many parallels to the massacre of 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.

Koskoff and a team of Texas lawyers who are representing the parents of a slain Uvalde fourth-grade girl in many ways drew the battle lines last week for a legal fight with Georgia-based Daniel Defense. The parents lawyers called on the company to turn over information relevant to your marketing of AR-15 style rifles to teens and children; to your incitement and encouragement of the assaultive use of these weapons; to your on-line purchase system; and to your communications, on any platform, with the Uvalde shooter; and to your awareness of the prior use of AR-15 style rifles in mass shootings.

Those fighting words, released to the press, produced scores of headlines across the country that the lawyer who won the historic settlement in Connecticut with the one-time gun-making giant Remington was following the same battle plan in Texas on behalf of grieving parents.

Koskoff cautioned on Tuesday that he was not rushing with a predetermined mindset into anything.

No matter how a case appears from the outside, you dont bring a lawsuit until you have as much information as you can get to build the case, Koskoff said.

In Connecticut, where nine families sued Remington for unlawful marketing of the AR-15-style rifle used in the Sandy Hook massacre, Koskoff attorneys were seeking Remingtons internal marketing documents right up to February, when the defunct manufacturers four insurance companies offered to the families all they had left after two Remington bankruptcies  $73 million.

In Texas, Koskoffs June 3 letter to Daniel Defense served as a legal warning for the company to preserve data and records of all potentially relevant information regarding advertising, market studies, and purchase records, as well a legal request for the company to turn over marketing materials to the lawyer team representing the parents of the slain girl.

We ask you to begin providing information to us now, rather than force (the parents) to file a lawsuit to obtain it, the letter read.

Daniel Defense did not respond Tuesday to a request from Hearst Connecticut Media for comment. The company posted a statement on its website saying its thoughts and prayers go out to the families and community devastated by this evil act.

We will cooperate with all federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities in their investigations, the statement read. We will keep the families of the victims and the entire Uvalde community in our thoughts and our prayers.

Koskoff said the first purpose of the lawyers June 3 letter was to test Daniel Defense on its word to cooperate with investigations by turning over internal documents.

Koskoff would not speculate what happens next, except to say that Daniel Defense had been put on notice.

It would be nice if they cooperatedbut the second purpose (of the letter) is to make sure nothing goes missing, Koskoff said. There are three options: they turn over the documents and cooperate, or they dont turn over the documents but they maintain them, or they engage in criminal behavior and destroy the documents. We are not suggesting that theyll choose door number three.
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The chilling details of the Santa Fe ISD High School massacre four years ago sent the Texas governor and state lawmakers into action.

A 17-year-old trenchcoat-clad student walked into the school early on May 18, 2018, armed with a sawed-off shotgun, a .38-caliber revolver and homemade bombs. By the time officers arrested the gunman  about half an hour after the shooting began  10 people were dead, most of them students.

Another 13 people were injured, including Flo Rice, a substitute teacher. Two buckshot rounds had torn through her leg and broken her femur, prompting visits in her hospital room from Gov. Greg Abbott and other elected officials.

Abbott promised Rice hed take action, including a commission to take a detailed look into the shooting  similar to one created in Florida after a similar massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School. He seemed supportive, she recalled. He wanted to fix things.

INCIDENT COMMANDER: Why was the head of a six-person force for Uvalde CISD in charge of the mass shooting response?

Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Houston Chronicle

And, ultimately, Texas lawmakers passed SB 11, legislation meant to strengthen mental health resources for students and staff, help school districts harden campuses, create emergency operation plans, require training for police officers working in schools, provide emergency response training for school employees  including substitute teachers like Rice  and establish threat assessment teams to help identify students who are potential threats to their classmates  and find ways to intervene. It was a huge, huge start, Rice recalled.

But her excitement waned when she learned that the state had failed to create any sort of accountability metrics  or safeguards to ensure that school districts followed the law  and had failed to invest enough money to help school districts implement the improvements lawmakers had urged.

I felt we had just been fooled, Rice said.

Now, in the wake of another horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Rice sees it happening all over again.

THE LIVES LOST: Remembering the victims of the horrific Uvalde school shooting

This time around, Abbott is creating legislative committees focused on school safety, prompting her and others to question if its all for show.

Further, Abbotts commission never delivered any sort of detailed report laying out what exactly happened at Santa Fe ISD High School and how another shooting might be avoided in the future, as promised, Rice said. Thats apparently because authorities do not want to potentially endanger the ongoing prosecution into the gunman, who was deemed not competent to stand trial.

Safety plans havent materialized

The lack of funding for school safety has had this effect: A 2020 audit by the Texas School Safety Center found that fewer than a fifth of school districts across the state had emergency operations plans with active shooter policies.

Uvalde CISD was one of them, underscoring how difficult it is to keep schools secure.

School Safety Center Director Kathy Martinez-Prather declined to be interviewed for this story, citing a schedule devoted to programming and initiatives.

In an emailed statement, officials noted the center is not a regulatory agency, but said state law requires districts complete safety and security audits of their facilities once every three years and report those findings to the School Safety Center, which are then compiled into a statewide report.

THE AFTERMATH: After Uvalde massacre, Texas GOP leaders double down on the same fixes they tried after Santa Fe

The centers audit showed more than 600 districts did not have active-shooter policies. About 200 others had plans that auditors deemed inadequate. And just 67 had emergency plans up to state standards, according to the report.

An emergency operations plan can be in place, along with policies and procedures, the statement noted, but those plans and procedures are only as effective as they are implemented.

In the aftermath of Uvalde, Abbott is now charging the the School Safety Center with conducting in-person, unannounced, random intruder detection audits on school districts, according to a June 1 letter to Martinez-Prather. Staff should approach campuses to find weak points and how quickly they can penetrate buildings without being stopped.

TEXAS RESPONSE: Gov. Abbott calls for intruder detection audits to test school safety plans

Most of the potential fixes floated after Santa Fe, as well as mass shootings in Sutherland Springs and El Paso, did not get put in place. The scores of firearms policy laws proposed in 2019 and 2021  including ones that might have established universal background checks or raised the age to purchase an assault weapon  were dead on arrival.

Red flag laws also never became a reality, with Rep. Dan Crenshaw complaining that such bills attempt to enforce the law before the law has been broken.

Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Houston Chronicle

One notable exception at the Congressional level was the Fix NICS Act, sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn, the states senior senator. The bill attempted to close loopholes and shortcomings in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System that had allowed a U.S. Airman to buy weapons he later used to slaughter 26 worshippers at a church in Sutherland Springs.

After Uvalde, Flo and her husband, Scot, watched in frustration as Abbott announced the creation of more legislative committees focused on school safety  a move from the same old playbook, they said.

They arent the only ones.

One of the states largest public education labor groups condemned the action, calling it very weak.

Committees and other groups have studied school safety before, including after the Santa Fe High School shootings in 2018 and the El Paso Walmart shootings in 2019, officials from the Texas State Teachers Association wrote in response, and schools obviously arent safe from mass shooters. This is because the governor and legislators refuse to address the real issue and enact reasonable gun laws to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldnt have them. The governor didnt even put this issue on the agenda for the new committees.

Funds not spent on mental health

After Santa Fe, lawmakers put together nearly $100 million for mental health resources for teens and children. Only about an eighth of districts across the state used any of the funds for mental health support, according to the School Safety Centers report.

A state task force later discovered the Texas Education Agency wasnt actually measuring the impact of those programs, and couldnt even count the number of students served or any standard outcomes they measure.

In the days after the Uvalde massacre, Abbott issued a slew of press releases. During a news conference in Uvalde, he said he considered the work of the 2019 legislative session one of the most profound lawmaking efforts not just in Texas, but in any state to address school shootings.

Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Houston Chronicle

But to be clear, he continued, we understand our work is not done.

Just as he did in 2018, he talked about the need for mental health resources for Uvalde and schools across the state  despite the fact that Texas has underfunded its mental health care system for decades, and in many parts of the state, the largest mental health facility in most counties may well be its jail.

As he had after Santa Fe, Abbott called for more active shooter trainings. He again ordered the Texas School Safety Center to review local districts emergency operations plans.

The Rices say theyve heard it all before.

How many (dead) is enough for him? Scot Rice asked. As long as they dont change gun laws, its acceptable to him. Its the cost of doing business.
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As waves of police from departments across Texas converge on Uvalde, officers have continued to intimidate, harass and impede journalists covering the aftermath of the second-deadliest K-12 school shooting ever in the United States.

An 18-year-old gunman shot and killed 19 children and two teachers with an assault-style rifle at Robb Elementary School on May 24. A maelstrom of media attention intensified after revelations that Pedro Pete Arredondo, chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, held back officers for more than an hour while the gunman remained in a pair of adjoining classrooms filled with children  some of them still alive and calling for help.

'PLEASE SEND THE POLICE NOW: A minute-by-minute reconstruction of the Uvalde school massacre

As weary Uvalde police have begun taking time off, officers across the state  from the Rio Grande Valley to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, from West Texas to East Texas  have descended on the small Hill Country town 85 miles west of San Antonio to assist with traffic control, dispatching and other responsibilities.

Citing the privacy of victims families, some officers have ordered reporters off public sidewalks and used public safety vehicles to block journalists from taking photographs of funerals and burials. In some cases, police have threatened to arrest journalists for walking on public streets.

The out-of-town officers are under the command of Dilley Police Chief Homer Delgado, the top law enforcement official in a small town about 60 miles southeast of Uvalde.

Efforts to reach Delgado or other Dilley Police Department officials for comment were unsuccessful.

UVALDE MASSACRE: 'Its time to die. You guys are mine': Uvalde gunman said during 75 minutes of terror

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin Jr. appointed Delgado to direct the out-of-town officers, said Uvalde City Manager Vince DiPiazza.

Their main function is potentially whatever we might need them to assist us with, DiPiazza said. Weve given some downtime to our people to help deal with this situation, so these other officers have stepped in, and theyve helped. My understanding is theyre under some instruction from us to try to keep (journalists) a respectful distance from funeral activities.

DiPiazza apologized to the San Antonio Express-News for any overzealous policing.

That seems overboard to me, DiPiazza said, referring to an incident in which police from multiple agencies harassed an Express-News photographer for standing on a public sidewalk near Uvaldes First Baptist Church.

THE AFTERMATH: Law enforcement officials say journalists will be charged for being on Uvalde CISD property

I would apologize if any of my officers were overzealous, DiPiazza said. Perhaps we should be a little more sensitive to the job yall are trying to do, too. They were probably told to prevent any undue disruption of the funerals by protecting the privacy of the families. Theyre making judgments in the field, and perhaps theyre being overzealous. Well have a little powwow about that on our end.

Uvalde has more out-of-town police assistance than it needs, DiPiazza added.

Theyre from everywhere, he said. This whole event has brought a lot of officers to help, which we appreciate. We cant use them all because its overwhelming.

Journalists turned away from covering tragedy

On Sunday, law enforcement officers who identified themselves as hailing from Bexar County told reporters and photojournalists to walk farther away from a church where a family was holding a funeral for 10-year-old Alithia Haven Ramirez, a victim of the massacre. The journalists already were standing across the street from the church, on a public sidewalk.

Asked by a reporter which department he worked for, one of the officers said to look at his badge, then turned away so the reporter could not see it.

It could not be determined which Bexar County agency the two officers work for  a sign of the confusion created by the flood of law officers in Uvalde.

About 10 investigators with the Bexar County District Attorneys Office are in Uvalde to help with traffic control and other tasks, Bexar County DA Joe Gonzales said.

He said he doubted the two officers who accosted the journalists Sunday were from his office but that hed find out.

My philosophy is wherever the public has a right to be, the media also has that right, Gonzales said. In my opinion, if an officer is instructing a member of the media to move from an area that is accessible to the public, that is not consistent with the state of the law.

He added, Im going to remind our investigators what their authority under the law is. Im confident that our investigators would treat the members of the media with the utmost respect, but I will investigate.

Sheriff: 'We were there to help'

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the two officers were not from his agency. Bexar deputies helped out in Uvalde for two days after the massacre, then returned home, he said.

We were there to help with patrolling or any traditional law enforcement functions, Salazar said. If theres anybody looking to stymie the efforts of the media, were not interested in that.

The Bexar County Fire Marshals Office sent six personnel to help out in Uvalde in the two days after the shooting, said spokesman Tom Peine. Those staff members assisted with administrative tasks so local authorities could focus on the investigation, he said.

'TRYING TO HELP': Police officers from across Texas converge on Uvalde in wake of massacre at Robb Elementary

Peine said the Fire Marshals Office knew of no concerted efforts to block media from reporting on the tragedy and its aftermath.

They have not received such orders, nor had they heard of such orders being given to others, Peine said.

In the immediate aftermath of the massacre, the San Antonio Police Department sent a host of personnel to Uvalde, including a SWAT team, several crime scene investigators and the departments search helicopter.

But as of Monday, only one to two SAPD employees remained  dispatchers who are being sent to Uvalde daily to assist with administrative duties and dispatching, said Sgt. Washington Moscoso, a spokesman for the department.

Police Chief William McManus said he declined a request to send more officers to Uvalde.

I would need that request in writing, and I would need to know exactly how many and what they were going to be used for, McManus said.

He added, If theres no public safety issue with having the media standing in the right of way, theres no reason to ask them to move. Theres got to be some safety issue. Barring that, police officers should not be asking media to move.

Attorney: 'I'm appalled that this is going on'

Joseph Larsen, a Houston attorney who specializes in First Amendment law, said the types of police interference with news gathering that have occurred in Uvalde are classic First Amendment violations.

Im appalled that this is going on, quite frankly, Larsen said. News gathering itself is a constitutionally protected right. The government stepping in to prevent that is absolutely a violation of the First Amendment.

Larsen, who serves on the board of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, a nonprofit that educates journalists, legal professionals and public officials on First Amendment rights, said the police officers and the city of Uvalde, if it was directing officers to act that way, could be vulnerable to a civil lawsuit.

They better be careful, or they are going to find themselves at the end of a lawsuit, Larsen said. It doesnt sound like the actions of one or two rogue cops. It sounds like coordinated activity. It sounds like it has the sanction of the city.

Conceivably, the officers also could face criminal charges, such as official oppression, Larsen said. According to the Texas Penal Code, a public servant can face charges of official oppression if he or she intentionally denies or impedes another in the exercise or enjoyment of any right, privilege, power or immunity, knowing his conduct is unlawful.

Larsen said police officers and public officials should welcome media coverage  even if it comes with scrutiny of their actions.

The local government should be revealing information to the public, Larsen said. Things dont get fixed unless the public is aware of the problems. They want to run away from it, but they should be running toward it. They are completely lacking in political courage.
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Deputy James Englert was eating lunch in the cafeteria of Arapahoe High School when he heard the janitors voice over the radio that the school was going on lock-down. As he ran to the north side of the suburban Denver school it appeared the library was on fire, until he saw the 17-year-old student bleeding on the floor. Next to her were three shotgun shells.

TEXAS SHOOTINGS ANALYSIS: 8 Texas mass shootings may have been prevented by proposed gun control efforts

Oh, someone else is in the building with a gun besides me, Englert thought, he recalled in an interview from the Colorado high school where he still works as a school resource officer.

He remembered getting tunnel vision. If his radio communications sounded garbled, its because My tongue felt about 10 times its normal size. He reminded himself to control his breathing.

I was thinking, How will this play out? Ill probably charge at him and try to get off a shot. Hell probably fire at me and he might miss before I get off my shot. Not real tactical, I know.

The confrontation never arrived. About two minutes elapsed between the time student Karl Pierson entered the building through an unlocked door on a December 2013 afternoon and killed Claire Davis, then himself. Hed been looking to shoot a librarian.

Brennan Linsley, STF / Associated Press

Brennan Linsley, STF / Associated Press Brennan Linsley, STF / Associated Press A parent picks up her daughter at a church where students from nearby Arapahoe High School were evacuated to after a shooting on the Centennial, Colo., campus Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. / In this Dec. 19, 2013 file photo, Arapahoe High School students hug at a tribute site for fatally-wounded student Claire Davis. (Brennan Linsley, STF / Associated Press) A parent picks up her daughter at a church where students from nearby Arapahoe High School were evacuated to after a shooting on the Centennial, Colo., campus Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. / In this Dec. 19, 2013 file photo, Arapahoe High School students hug at a tribute site for fatally-wounded student Claire Davis. (Brennan Linsley, STF / Associated Press)

School shootings are chaotic, dynamic and complex. Experts who study them concede that even when police arrive quickly and perform by the book, a gunman  particularly one armed with multiple weapons or a semi-automatic gun with ample ammunition like the shooter in the attack on Uvalde High School  can still inflict tremendous damage.

Preliminary assessments of the May 24 shooting have called out police for failing to move decisively to end the incident. The school districts chief, Pete Arredondo, appears to have made a serious tactical error by ordering assembled officers to stay out of the room the gunman was in instead of immediately confronting him.

It was the wrong decision, period, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said at a press conference. Other accounts reported Arredondo may have arrived unprepared, including without his radio; and that crucial communications might not have been relayed to him.

Yet it remains unclear how many lives a better response would have saved.

Half of all active shooter events end before law enforcement arrives, according to the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training  ALERRT  at Texas State University. Although a perfect police reaction may prevent some fatalities, once it starts, its very difficult to stop with no loss of life, said Jennifer Zeunik, director of Local Programs for the National Policing Institute, which produces after-incident reports on school shootings.

In response to the Uvalde incident, Gov. Greg Abbott has called for better police training. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick requested more protective equipment for officers.

While potentially useful, such measures have limits. Overall, police from Virginia Tech and Blacksburg did an outstanding job in responding quickly and using appropriate active shooter procedures, concluded an exhaustive review of the 2007 attack, in which a gunman shot 47 people in 10 minutes before committing suicide.

The Santa Fe Independent School Districts 13-member police force was also well trained on how to respond to an attack, recalled Gary Forward, at the time an assistant chief for the Galveston County department. Several officers were retired from other agencies; between them they had decades of experience. Theyd recently responded to an active shooter alarm, so the possibility of an armed assault was still fresh.

More from St. John Barned-Smith: Santa Fe school shooting survivors feel betrayed by state's response, want more after Uvalde

When the shooter arrived on a May 2018 morning, police ran toward the attacker. Students piled furniture against classroom doors as theyd been taught. Yet by the time the incident ended, eight students and two teachers were dead and 13 were wounded. The alleged shooter, another student, remains in a psychiatric facility.

Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Youre always going to look at it and wonder if you could do more, Forward said. But I honestly dont know what we couldve done differently.

Change in approach

The 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado shook up how police trained and responded to such incidents. Prior to it officers followed a SWAT model, establishing a perimeter around the site and waiting until they amassed sufficient firepower before rushing the shooter.

After-incident reviews of the attack, in which two teenage boys killed 12 students, a teacher and themselves, convinced police they must confront a shooter immediately. The time it takes to get four or five officers on scene is too long, said Peter Blair, ALERRTs director. The model has steadily evolved from waiting for two- or three-member teams to form, to calling for a single officer to rush an attacker as soon as possible if necessary, he said.

INCIDENT COMMANDER: Why was the head of a six-person force for Uvalde CISD in charge of the mass shooting response?

Since then, however, experts said the tactical lessons police have learned from subsequent school tragedies have been more nuanced, nibbling around the edges of what officers realistically can accomplish once a shooter arrives.

Some departments now equip officers with tourniquets to stop the dying earlier than traditional policies, which recommended waiting until a scene was secured. After-incident reviews of school attacks have led to clearer communication between responders from the numerous agencies flooding into a crowded and dangerous scene.

Calls for more and better equipment are also common. Blair said he wanted all school police to be armed with high-power weapons to match the attackers firepower. Patrick requested $50 million to purchase bullet proof shields.

Despite the lessons learned and tactical tweaks, after-incident reviews show human error and equipment failures are still common. And school shootings continue. By some measures they are getting worse. According to Education Week, which tracks incidents, there have been 27 in 2022 so far and 119 since 2018. The highest number ever, 34, was recorded last year.

Godofredo A. Vasquez, Staff Photographer / Godofredo A. Vasquez

Today armed police typically arrive at a school within minutes or already are on scene. But in a study released last year, a team of Minnesota researchers examining school shootings between 1980 and 2019 found limited benefit. The data suggest no association between having an armed officer and deterrence of violence in these cases, concluded the report.

It found even some preventative hardening measures had had modest success: The majority of shooters who target schools are students of the school, calling into question the effectiveness of hardened security and active shooter drills.

In other words, while police in Uvalde may have committed grave errors, in many cases once a shooting has begun even a perfect response is already too little too late.

Someone who can shoot back

That hasnt stopped the growth of school police. People want to talk about preventative measures, but thats not as important as assuming those measures will fail and putting someone in the school who can at least shoot back, said John Barnes, a Santa Fe school district police officer who sustained a serious injury responding to the attack.

Jon Shapley, Staff / Houston Chronicle

Over the past half-dozen years, the number of Texas school districts boasting their own departments has grown by about 40 percent, said Solomon Cook, chief of the Humble ISD Police Department and president of the Texas School District Chiefs Association.

Some districts still use officers assigned from local police or sheriffs agencies to provide security. Lynelle Sparks, president of the Texas Association of School Resource Officers, said the organization counts about 800 individual mostly sworn members.

In both cases, school police must be state licensed, receiving the same basic training as any law enforcement officer. Within 180 days of being hired they must also take between 20 and 40 hours of School Based Law Enforcement Training, which Sparks said includes learning about adolescent development and behavior, among other topics.

In the wake of the Santa Fe shooting, school officers now take a minimum of eight hours on Active Shooter Training, as well. Blair, of ALERRT, said it was only an introduction to what officers needed to know.

POLITIFACT: Debunking the pants-on-fire claim that Uvalde massacre was a 'false flag' attack

A lot of it is PowerPoint slides, he said. He said he favored mandated training for school police through the Texas State institute, where the basic course is a hands-on 16 hours  a recommendation Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday said he would implement.

The schedule  some school police get summers and holidays off  and relatively slow pace has made district departments a common landing spot for retired officers, said Forward, who retired from Santa Fe last year. The shortened year also means campus police can earn less than officers at city and county departments.

When interviewing prospective officers, I tell people you have to love kids, Sparks said. Elementary schools are the best. Youre treated like a Hollywood movie star.

She said daily duties range from monitoring the cafeteria to substitute teaching, speaking to parents, counseling or comforting kids, juggling custody issues and conducting educational trainings about the consequences of drunk driving. There is the occasional drug or assault arrest.

Security is always on everyones mind, she said. Officers carry Tasers and guns. Sparks keeps her heavier weapons and protective gear in her car.

But school attacks are a statistical rarity, and officers say complacency is a constant battle. While Texas law requires students to participate in a fire drill every month, Sparks said active shooter drills are required once a year. With each campus having between 25 and 100 doors, she added, reminding staff and students to keep them locked at all times is a challenge.

On HoustonChronicle.com: At Houston NRA event, Trump decries Uvalde massacre, blasts calls for gun control as repulsive

Although initial reports said the Uvalde shooter entered the school through a door a teacher had propped open, video appeared to show the door had been shut but apparently did not latch and lock. Forward said persistent open-door problems led Santa Fe to install airport-like sirens on every entry to alert officers when one was ajar.

Officers said they also must strike a balance between being seen as an enforcement authority  while not over-policing children  and acting as a trusted confidant who kids will approach with information about troubled students before they turn violent.

Rather than trying to have a police response in a minute or two and trying to save lives, we need to be preventing attacks before they occur, said Frank Straub, director of the National Policing Institutes Center for Targeted Violence Prevention.

System failures

In the Arapahoe High School shooting after-action report, investigators found that numerous students were familiar with the shooters anger and violent statements, yet didnt report them. Administrators didnt perform a rigorous threat assessment of the young man, despite ample distress signals in his life.

The system failed at many points to get a handle on [his] problems, in spite of the fact that there were many warning signs and many opportunities, the report stated.

Today there is a cottage industry of risk assessment researchers and practitioners trying to identify the best way to intercept disturbed young people  mostly young men  before they turn violent. In 2019 Texas legislators required all schools to create threat assessment teams.

Early reporting has suggested the Uvalde shooter may have sent up warning flares leading to his attack. Yet some of his statements also appear to have been vague or communicated to strangers online, making it difficult to translate them into action.

NEW DETAILS: 'Its time to die. You guys are mine': Gunman said during 75 minutes of terror in Uvalde

While such clues can seem obvious in hindsight, experts caution that identifying dangerous people before they act remains an imprecise science, challenged by broadly defined behaviors and false-positives. We can do a little bit better than chance, Dewey Cornell, a University of Virginia professor considered a national authority on school threat assessment, told the Chronicle in 2019. But its not nearly good enough for life and death decisions.

More recently, researchers have begun applying after-incident reviews not only to school shooting responses, but also to attacks that were planned but never happened. By examining so-called averted violence, they hope to pinpoint the ways a school shooting was thwarted before it started.

Once police are responding, youve already got a problem, said Straub, whose Averted School Violence program has collected and analyzed nearly 200 such incidents. In almost every case, he said, an attack was derailed when someone came forward and reported a problem. He noted more school attacks were interrupted than carried out.

A 2021 U.S. Secret Service report also found promise in the clues that troubled and potentially violent young people almost always leave if friends, educators, parents and others could be trained to recognize them and act quickly. When community members report these behaviors, the next tragedy can be averted, it concluded.

The studys other findings were less reassuring. Many of those planning attacks had studied previous school shootings. They overwhelmingly intended on using guns to inflict harm. Two-thirds had access to one or more firearms. More than a third expected to die themselves.
The district attorney who is overseeing a criminal investigation into the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School has enlisted the help of at least four outside attorneys, according to one of the lawyers, former Brazos County district attorney Bill Turner.

Christina Mitchell Busbee, whose office handles felony prosecutions for Uvalde and Real counties, is heading up a Texas Rangers investigation into the massacre, which left 19 students and two teachers dead. She sought the help of outside counsel to handle the volume of information stemming from the inquiry, Turner said Monday.

There's just such an overwhelming amount of work to be done that she just kind of called in and asked for help, said Turner, a Democrat who worked as a prosecutor for the Texas Attorney Generals office after a three-decade tenure as the top prosecutor in Brazos County.

Also pitching in are district attorneys Tonya Ahlschwede and Audrey Louis, who each oversee rural five-county regions near Uvalde County. Nelson Barnes, a former local prosecutor who coordinates a state border prosecution program under Gov. Greg Abbotts Operation Lone Star initiative, is helping with the investigation too, Turner said.

IN-DEPTH: Its time to die. You guys are mine, gunman said during 75 minutes of terror in Uvalde

Investigators thus far have sought details about the gunmans online chats with young people in California and Germany, the Express-News reported. Court records indicate search warrants or subpoenas have been issued for the gunmans cell phone and social media accounts.

State authorities and the FBI have interviewed at least several witnesses, including children who survived the shooting. The investigation is also focused on the law enforcement response to the shooting, which has been widely criticized after officials revealed that it took police over an hour to enter the classroom and fatally shoot the gunman.

Busbee did not respond to an email seeking comment. She has said her office will decide whether to file any criminal charges after reviewing the Texas Rangers findings. Authorities have said they believe the gunman was acting alone.

Turner said its too early to know whether the investigation will lead to any criminal charges.

Prosecutors always look at all the facts, and after they look at the facts, then they decide whether or not theres any kind of criminal violation, Turner said. So, the fact that the elected DA is looking at this just simply means that she's doing her job to look at all the information. And after she reviews the information, then she can start making decisions.

jasper.scherer@chron.com
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Pressure is mounting from leaders in Texas largest cities for Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session on gun regulations and school security after the mass shooting in Uvalde.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is the latest to join Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff in a plea for swift action from the state.

A special session should be called now by the governor so these matters can be debated and voted upon before our children return to school in the fall, Turner said in a tweet.

When asked about the possibility of a special session at a May 27 news conference in Uvalde, Abbott said, all options are on the table. He said he expected laws to be passed in multiple different subject areas in response to this devastating crime. More recently, his office has said the governor is still focusing his attention on Uvalde and does not want to comment while the town is mourning, with funerals scheduled through June 16.

Dallas County commissioners are set Tuesday to consider a resolution that supports changes in gun laws similar to what Wolff has advocated. The resolution also urges Abbott to allow legislators who have expressed a desire to pass common-sense and effective laws to protect the people of the state from mass shootings through a special session.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Santa Fe school shooting survivors feel betrayed by state's response, want more after Uvalde

The resolution supports raising the minimum age to purchase an assault-type rifle from 18 to 21, red flag laws authorizing a judge to remove firearms temporarily from someone who poses a credible danger, universal background checks that close loopholes for gun shows and private sales, and an increase in mental health funding through Medicaid expansion.

It lists Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Arkansas and Oklahoma as Republican states that have expanded Medicaid access.

The May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers and left 17 others injured before Border Patrol agents killed the gunman. Abbott last week announced the formation of special legislative committees to develop recommendations on school safety, mental health, police training and firearms safety for consideration by the Legislature, which begins meeting in its regular session in January.

But Wolff and others say Texans cant wait that long.

A special session needs to be called now because we are only three months away from the start of the fall school semester, Wolff said in a letter to Abbott on Saturday that he shared with officials in Harris, Dallas, Tarrant and Travis counties.

The letter urges the state to raise the age to purchase semi-automatic weapons, provide state funding for school security upgrades and trauma emergency planning, adopt a red flag law and universal background checks, and require training and a license to carry firearms  a restriction Wolff said the state once had but has stripped away.

Wolff has been adamant that the governor and Legislature act quickly after the massacre in Uvalde, which is right on our doorstep, 85 miles west of San Antonio. A 2017 shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, some 30 miles southeast, killed 26 people and wounded 22.

This could happen to us when school starts up in the fall, Wolff said. If it could happen in Sutherland Springs and Uvalde, it could happen right here.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Gov. Abbott calls for intruder detection audits to test school safety plans

The Dallas County resolution notes that since Abbott took office in 2015, six mass shootings in Texas have caused 92 deaths and left 111 people injured. It says there are a finite amount of days that action can be taken before schools reopen for the next year.

Administrators, faculty and staff as well as students and their parents deserve the comfort of knowing that swift action was taken to address the overwhelming concern of looming domestic terror on campuses and in communities across the state, the resolution states.

shuddleston@express-news.net
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Berkshire County Arc Awards Scholarships to High School Students

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Berkshire County Arc, along with BCArc's Down Syndrome Family Group, has awarded $7,000 in scholarship funding to five recent Berkshire County high school graduates who will be pursing undergraduate education in the field of human services.

This year's recipients include:

Quinn Walton (Wahconah Regional High School) is receiving the "Carol Craighead Memorial Scholarship Award" with a BCArc Down Syndrome Family Group Scholarship. She is majoring in Engineering and will be attending Tufts University in Medford.

Lily Robb (Wahconah Regional High School) is majoring in Elementary Education and attending Merrimack College in North Andover.

Kelly Couch (Monument Mountain Regional High School) will be majoring in Social Work and attending the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine.

Caroline Maloney (Lee High School) is "Undecided" for her major and will be attending the College of Charleston, in Charleston, SC.

Jessica Figueroa (Taconic High School) is majoring in Political Science and will be attending UMass., Amherst in Amherst.
With the landmark Roe v. Wade decision now seemingly on thin ice, supporting your female employees' health decisions is certainly more complicated and potentially legally dicey. So it makes sense that some employers are reconsidering where they hire workers.

That's true for Chelsea Cohen, the co-founder of SoStocked, a St. Louis Park, Minnesota-based inventory management system. She says the company is going to focus on hiring employees located in state, where abortion is legal, while figuring out how to cover costs for current out-of-state employees.

It's an unenviable position. After all, employers oftentimes just want to hire the right person for the job, without regard for where that person is located. But doing so under such constraints can also pose an unenviable risk.

The cost of covering the procedure have ticked up in recent years. The median charge for an abortion from 2017 to 2020 was $560, which has since increased to $575 for abortions performed during the first trimester and $895 during the second trimester, according to an April 2022 study published in Health Affairs. These prices will only increase with more regulation.

Travel prices are also skyrocketing with record high fuel prices, rental car shortages, and pilot shortages hitting the airline industry. The U.S. currently harbors 27 abortion deserts, or major cities where people must travel 100 miles or more to obtain abortion care, a number that will increase if Roe is overturned.

San Francisco-based credit card company TomoCredit is one company willing to front the bill. The company will pay $5,000 of legal expenses related to anti-abortion laws, $2,500 toward travel expenses, and up to $2,500 for out-of-pocket medical costs, says Kristy Kim, founder and CEO of the company. That's $10,000 total for any employee who needs to take them up on the benefit. While for some companies that's easily feasible, for small businesses on tight budgets, doing so may not be possible.

Keep in mind that most companies will also have to seek legal counsel to wade through various state laws, especially for employees located in states with strict aiding-and- abetting statutes like Texas. Such laws, which can result in costly lawsuits, can make it difficult for small businesses to run their businesses and recruit the most qualified candidates, says Burton M. Goldfield, president and CEO of TriNet, a Dublin, California-based professional employer organization for small and medium-size businesses.

"We regularly guide our customers through the complexity of multi-jurisdictional hiring and there is no doubt that decisions about where to invest and grow are influenced by laws that can have a negative effect on the business community," says Goldfield.

And it will only get more complicated if Republicans attempt to create a nationwide ban on abortion travel. While that scenario isn't certain, there is a chance the party could regulate travel for abortions based on the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. Doing so would outlaw interstate travel for the purpose of performing an abortion, or obtaining one, says Seth Chandler, professor of law foundation at the University of Houston Law Center. Such legislation could conceivably be upheld as constitutional if Roe is overturned.
A guy I know owned a chain of restaurants with a business partner. He no longer does. What happened? Covid was certainly a challenge and food service is always a tough business, but the main reason was that the partner had a textbook midlife crisis that ended up blowing up his life and his finances. He had to sell his stake in the venture and the business never fully recovered from the fallout.

This is just one personal anecdote, but it's certainly not an unfamiliar story. Midlife crises can spell the death of your marriage and your dignity, but they can also spell the end of a previously successful business. How do you prevent them?

At first blush that sounds like both a complicated question and a personal one. But according to Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks, most midlife meltdowns can be prevented with just two simple mindset shifts.

Midlife crises aren't inevitable

Brooks is the author of a series of articles in The Atlantic called "How to Build Your Life," which break down the academic research on positive psychology and thriving in your life and career into useful advice for a popular audience. In his latest, he tackles the phenomenon of the midlife crisis, tracing when the idea first came into popular consciousness and the evolving understanding of why one occurs and how often.

All of this is fascinating if you're looking for a deep dive into the subject, but the essential takeaway is that scientists once thought midlife crises were a normal part of the aging process. They've since changed their tune. "More recently," Brooks writes, "many have found that a 'crisis' is not our unavoidable fate."

To avoid crashing into regret and mortality and making ill-considered decisions when we hit midlife, Brooks insists you need to make these two small but profound changes to your mindset.

1. Focus on gains, not losses.

Aging is implacable. As you get older, you are going to lose physical strength and speed and eventually some mental speed and flexibility, too (though those changes start later than you expect). Understandably, that sets off feelings of panic in many people. But Brooks points out that those feeling despair at their worsening memory and weakening biceps are only focusing on half the equation. Some skills get worse with age, but lots of other important ones get better.

"Stagnation, which can lead to a crisis, happens when you try to fight against time, whether you're desperately trying not to look older or struggling against changes in your skills and strengths. Generativity comes from accepting your age and recognizing the new aptitudes and abilities that naturally develop after age 40 and get stronger through your 50s and 60s. These include the growing ability to see patterns clearly, teach others, and explain complex ideas--what psychologists call 'crystallized intelligence,'" Brooks writes.

Still skeptical? I've written about multiple studies showing that certain important skills from EQ to some types of creativity actually get better as we age. You can read a few of them here, here, and here. I should also point out that the average age at which entrepreneurs with successful exits found their businesses is thoroughly middle-aged 47 precisely because all the skills and experience gained in your younger years make you a more formidable (if also more easily tired) entrepreneur.

2. Focus on subtraction, not addition.

Brooks has written before about how the good life is often gained by subtraction rather than addition. (He advocates a tool called a "reverse bucket list" to figure out what commitments, stressors, and miscellaneous other junk to remove from your schedule and your brain.) Apparently, this process of pruning is key to avoiding a midlife crisis too.

"Early in life, success usually comes from addition: more money, more responsibility, more relationships, more possessions. Life in early adulthood is like filling up an empty canvas. By midlife, however, that canvas is pretty full, and more brushstrokes make the painting worse, not better," he claims, advising: "Work to change your objective by stepping away from voluntary duties and responsibilities, and making more time to think, read, love, and pray--the work that you need to do to reengineer you."

This all sounds easy enough in theory, but as we all know focusing on the positive and saying no more often can actually be fiendishly difficult in real life. Which is why, Brooks helpfully points out, there are many programs and academies out there to help you through the process. Brooks suggests a few in his article.
Editor's Note: SparkCharge is one of seven private companies Inc. identified that are driving development within seven key pathways to net zero--eliminating one ton of greenhouse gases for every ton emitted.

WELCOME TO THE electrification revolution. Electric vehicle sales in the U.S. nearly doubled in 2021. Increasing mileage standards, government incentives (remember the $465 million federal loan to Tesla in 2009?), and rising shareholder pressure are driving the market. The big automakers are competing to see which can invest the most in electric tech, and the cost of lithium-ion batteries has plunged. Today, you can buy an electric-powered Harley or F-150 if you want one. Before too long, you'll probably need to; major manufacturers plan to go fully electric by 2040.

But there's still a major obstacle to widespread adoption of EVs: access to charging stations. There are fewer than 50,000 such stations across the U.S. (including Tesla's proprietary network), compared with more than 136,000 gas stations. Enter SparkCharge, which has developed a portable, direct-current charger called the Roadie that you can access through an app. "We were able to take the EV charging station and put it on your phone," says founder and CEO Josh Aviv. "We have a customer in Dallas who gets his car charged while he's at IHOP every Saturday."

Aviv, 30, began developing EV-infrastructure ideas in college, and SparkCharge was born in his Syracuse University dorm room. Seeing the gap between EV sales and the availability of charging stations, he focused on the millions of Americans, including rideshare and delivery drivers, who may not own single-family homes where ports are easy to install. He also saw new markets opening in "charging deserts," stretches with no way for EVs to refuel.

Aviv and his team quickly displayed a knack for attracting good attention. In 2018, SparkCharge won the $1 million grand prize at 43North, a startup competition in upstate New York, which led the company to base its manufacturing in Buffalo. Two years later, Aviv and CTO Christopher Ellis went on Shark Tank and secured $1 million from hosts Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner for 10 percent equity. Last year, Ford and Newlab, a Brooklyn-based tech accelerator, chose SparkCharge as one of five startups to support in a joint venture focused on clean transportation.

So far, SparkCharge's R&D has produced the Roadie, a modular unit that typically stacks to the size of a small filing cabinet. EV drivers plug the location and time they want a charge into the app, and a roadside assistance or rental company dispatches a tech with a Roadie to top off the battery at a rate of a mile per minute. In addition to Dallas, SparkCharge serves Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose. The plan is to expand to 20 cities this year and go nationwide by 2023.
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The promotions for India's much-awaited 'Bharamastra' are on. Ayan Mukerji's film saw multiple delays because of the pandemic and post-production issues but is finally ready to hit the theatres.



Actor Ranbir Kapoor and director Ayan Mukerji are busy promoting the film, while Alia Bhatt is in London, shooting for her first-ever Holywood film.

Twitter Screen Grab

In a recent interview with Variety magazine, Ranbir Kapoor said the movie attempted to create our own Marvel.'

Brahmastra

Bhramastra is a mythology-based fantasy film headlined by Ranbir and Alia, who play Shiva and Isha. Amitabh plays Professor Arvind Chaturvedi in the movie, and Nagarjuna is an archaeologist named Ajay Vashisht. Mouni's character is named Damayanti.



Talking to Variety about Brahmastra, Ranbir said,

"Its deeply rooted in Indian culture, and we had the opportunity to create our own Marvel, which Ayan is trying to do with his Astraverse. Any film, any good, compelling story, made in your culture, in an authentic way, in its true form, will connect to a large audience."

He added, "There is a little luck to it  like what kind of release you get, what kind of exposure you get. And in our case, we have Disney. And theres nothing better than that. So, I believe that Brahmastra is in a great place where we have that opportunity, where a world audience can witness it."

In contrast to his vision of Bharamastra in Variety, in a new interview with PTI, Kapoor said the genre is 'original.'

"This is not like a Marvel film. In its genre, it is very original. We can't compare 'Brahmastra' to any film that is made around the world. I am a big movie watcher and I have seen every film that is out there. There is no reference to this film," Ranbir told PTI ahead of the trailer launch of the much-hyped project.

"Very early on when we started this film, we, unfortunately, got the tag of it being a superhero film. It is not a superhero film, it is a fantasy adventure and I play a character who has a divine power associated with it," he added.

Superhero films can be a possibility later; Ranbir added the first part of a trilogy about the film.

According to Ranbir, he and Mukerji, who also directed his previous hits "Wake Up Sid" and "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani," could have easily made lots of money with another love story they chose the difficult path.

"Making movies is not easy. Ayan could have made a lot of money with a love story after 'Yeh Jawaani...', I could have had another superhit film in my career. But he took the risk, and unless you take the risk, you can't go to another level", the actor said in an interview at his home 'Vastu' in Bandra.

He added, "Our dreams are bigger than I can express. They're limitless, and we don't know where we can reach, him as a director and me as an actor"

Brahmastra will be Ranbir's first release after Sanju (2018) and Mukerji's last film was 'Yeh Jawaaani...', released in 2013.

"I don't think I am that talented that I can just jump from one film to another. It takes time. As you get older, you want to do quality films, and you don't want to do quantity. That's the way you want to live your life. You want to be part of good films, and good films take time," Ranbir said.

Ranbir says he is well aware that a lot is riding on the success of "Brahmastra," a big-budget fantasy adventure that has never been attempted in Bollywood before on such a scale.

Ranbir said he got to fulfill "every desire" while working on the film, be it working with legends like Bachchan and Nagarjuna or collaborating with his wife, Alia.

"Working with Amitabh Bachchan is truly an honor and a privilege for an actor. He is the best and the greatest Indian actor. Working with an actor like Alia  when I saw her second film, 'Highway,' I said,' she's the next Amitabh Bachchan,' while I was at Ayan's house with him and Karan (Johar) before Alia became Alia Bhatt."I am proud that my prediction is coming true. She is that impactful as an actor, she is unlimited, and she is immense. "

In Ranbir's view, his collaboration with Mukerji is beyond the typical actor-director pairing.

He says they both love the process of creating something from scratch, which is why he was a part of the journey for "Brahmastra" right from its inception a decade ago. The film has gone through many changes since then.

"We are so close that he always discusses his ideas when he is excited. And he just doesn't discuss the idea on the surface level but also goes deeper. Maybe he thinks I can understand his ideas. Initially, when he wrote the film, it was a little different, it was about two guys. He wanted to write a story about friendship, fire, and water, which evolved into 'Brahmastra'," the actor said.

"...the way he merged the new age life with ancient Indian history was quite marvelous. Being a spectator and collaborating with him was quite a privilege," Ranbir added.

Ranbir plays a DJ named Shiva, who has a strange connection with 'fire'. He said that Lord Shiva inspires the imagery and his characteristics in the film.

"This is not a character that you can understand easily or go and act. You need the help of imagination, the help of a lot of people and things to pull through. And on the sets, the fantasy world is not what you see, and it's all created. Lord Shiva is not just the lord of destruction and dance, and there are so many different factors to it. In every scene and moment, there is something that you could relate to Lord Shiva's life. "

The film was officially announced in 2017 by producer Karan Johar and is set for a global theatrical release on September 9.

"Brahmastra Part One: Shiva" will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. It is a joint production of Star Studios, Dharma Productions, and Starlight Pictures.

(With inputs from PTI)

(To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.)


The driver of a Mahindra SUV has been arrested for hitting a biker in Delhi, the video of which recently went viral on social media with Delhi Police taking a suo motu cognisance of the matter.

What's the matter?

On Sunday, a group of 8-10 bikers was returning from Gurugram and they spotted a speeding Mahindra SUV. When they pointed out the driver's rash driving, he reportedly threatened them and abused them. Shortly after, the four-wheeler rammed into the biker, almost killing him, before fleeing in full speed.



The entire episode was captured on a helmet camera of a fellow biker riding beside the victim. In the video, Mahindra Scorpio SUV can be seen hitting the bike, the motorcyclist then crashes into the side railing, and the car speeds off near Arjangarh metro station in South Delhi.



Video has gone viral

Watch the video that has now gone viral:

In a video shared by ANI, the bikers can be seen having a heated argument with the driver.

#WATCH | A man hit a biker with his four-wheeler following a heated verbal exchange with the biker group, near Arjan Garh metro station in Delhi. (05.06)



Police say they've taken cognisance of the matter & investigation is on.



(Note: Abusive language)



(Source: Biker's friend) pic.twitter.com/ZHXdGil95z  ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2022





I was returning with 8-10 of my friends from Gurugram to Delhi when he came near us & started rash driving. He threatened & verbally abused my friend. My friends slowed down a little but I drove ahead. The man sped up, hit my bike, and sped away," the biker said.

Fortunately, the biker was not seriously injured despite a hard impact.

Driver booked for attempt to murder

The accused has been booked for attempted murder and a case has been registered in the Fatehpur Beri police station under IPC Section 307. With the video going viral, Delhi Police took a suo motu cognisance of the matter and had asked the bikers to file a written complaint.

Anurag Iyer shared the video on Twitter on Sunday.

@PMOIndia @ArvindKejriwal @DCPNewDelhi



Please help us , the Scorpio Car driver almost killed a few of our riders and threatened to kill us by crushing us under the car.



This is not what we vote for or pay taxes for



no one was severely injured

Gears respect riders pic.twitter.com/rcZIZvP7q4  ANURAG R IYER (@anuragiyer) June 5, 2022





Iyer tagged PMO, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, and DCP New Delhi. Along with the video, Iyer wrote in the post, Please help us, the Scorpio Car driver almost killed a few of our riders and threatened to kill us by crushing us under the car. This is not what we vote for or pay taxes for. No one was severely injured.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.


June 1 marks the beginning of the most insurance-y time of the year.

Its the beginning of the annual Atlantic Hurricane Season. Oh yes. Its that time of year.

Since hurricane season only comes around once every year (and stays for six months) now is the best time to pay homage to this grand time of year and make sure that we think insurance thoughts as we prepare ourselves for the possibility of an evening five mile per hour drive from Florida to North Georgia, or coastal Texas to Oklahoma, or most of Louisiana to somewhere (anywhere) else.

Since most insurance customers arent currently building their homes or buildings, theres really no need to talk about how to harden a building against windstorm, unless, of course, you want to talk about secondary water resistance, hurricane straps for roof-wall connection, or impact-resistant glass. We actually do want to talk about impact-resistant glass, but only to show those videos of the company testing their windows by propelling boards at them at speeds over 100 miles per hour. Maybe another time.

What we really need to talk about are the insurance issues that come up related to this time of year. As we usually do, I want to make sure to remind you that any policy wording that is quoted here comes from forms written and filed by ISO. These policies may be identical to the policies that you are dealing with, but they also may not. Make sure that you read and understand the actual policies that apply in your world, whether you work at an insurance company, are an insurance agent, or happen to be an insurance consumer.

Hurricane deductibles

In general, insureds hate their deductibles. I know because I hate deductibles. On the other hand, I understand the reason for deductibles, and I understand how my deductibles apply so at least I hate them with knowledge of what Im hating. And I only hate them when I have to deal with them. When Im working on insurance things, I really like deductibles.

Thats why we need to address the most important deductibles for this time of year. We will need to deal with both the hurricane and wind and hail deductibles because they are different, and that difference is significant.

Lets start at the beginning. A deductible is a way for the insurance company to share in the risk management of certain risks. A deductible is a way to give the insured some skin in dealing with certain losses. The deductible is a great tool to cause the insured to take more care of certain property. For example, there was an insured who had a series of relatively small claims, each one less than $5,000. They felt really safe in submitting those claims, especially when they had a $250 deductible.

After two years of several of these claims, we decided to raise their deductible on a renewal to $2,500. You might say that it seems rough to 10x their deductible. An analysis of the pattern of claims showed us that the insured was careless with their equipment, which was causing these small claims. The increased deductible was a way to motivate them to take better care of their equipment and avoid those smaller losses. The companys fear was that these smaller losses would one day morph into a couple of very large losses. As we sometimes say, frequency breeds severity.

Whether youre dealing with a hurricane deductible, or windstorm or hail deductible, the ISO endorsement reads the same as to how the deductibles apply.

Windstorm or Hail (Hurricane) Deductible Calculations

A (Hurricane) Deductible is calculated separately for, and applies separately to:

Each building that sustains loss or damage; The personal property at each building at which there is loss or damage to personal property; and Personal property in the open.

This is a change to the unendorsed policy because it reads, in part, like this.

When the occurrence involved loss to more than one item of Covered Property and separate Limits of Insurance apply, the losses will not be combined in determining application of the Deductible. But the Deductible will be applied only once per occurrence.

For most losses, only one deductible applies without concern for how many different types of property are damaged. It doesnt matter the number of buildings or the number of locations where personal property is damaged. Theres only one deductible. Except when you add a hurricane or windstorm deductible form. Then we calculate the deductible based on all of the items that are damaged.

Also, that deductible is a percentage deductible. The deductible amount is a percentage of the value of the property. Sometimes, thats the limit of insurance and sometimes thats the replacement cost of the property. So if you have a $1,000,000 building and $500,000 in personal property with a 5% hurricane deductible, if both the building and personal property are damaged, the total deductible is $50,000 for the building and $25,000 on the personal property. This is a big difference from the $5,000 or $10,000 deductible that many larger insureds have to deal with. Many insureds are going to deal with smaller amounts, but this is how we make the point.

These deductibles are no joke.

Now, heres the really hard part to deal with, the difference between windstorm and hail and hurricane. Heres where you make your money as a coverage analyst. Heres what I mean. Take a look at the definition of hurricane (CP 03 23 Florida Calendar Year Hurricane Percentage Deductible).

Under the terms of this endorsement, a hurricane is a storm system that has been declared to be a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center of the National Weather Service (hereafter referred to as NHC). The Hurricane occurrence begins at the time a hurricane watch or hurricane warning is issued for any part of Florida by the NHC, and ends 72 hours after the termination of the last hurricane watch or hurricane warning issued for any part of Florida by the NHC.

The term hurricane is very specific, and its very narrow. This means that the hurricane deductible only applies when there is a hurricane and theres only a hurricane when the NHC has issued watches or warnings about hurricanes. This is good for the insured because when the hurricane deductible doesnt apply, the deductible for fire applies.

If you were to look at the endorsement that creates a windstorm or hail deductible, you find that there is no definition of windstorm or hail. Without a definition in the policy, we have to use a common definition, unless theres another part of the policy that might define the term windstorm or hail. Spoiler alert, there is no definition of windstorm or hail in the policy.

According to dictionary.com, a windstorm is a storm with heavy wind but little or no precipitation.

According to Merriam-webster.com, a windstorm is a storm marked by high wind with little or no precipitation.

You get the point. Windstorm means any high winds that could damage property. Do you see how very broad the windstorm or hail deductible really is? It expands the cause of loss from hurricane, which has a very specific definition to windstorm or hail, which means that any time the wind blows hard enough to shake a branch, or any hail falls, the deductible applies, which will be the same percentage as the hurricane deductible.

Heres the advice, check to see if there is a hurricane or windstorm or hail deductible on the policy and if there is, find some funding just in case the forecasters are correct and there are extra hurricanes this year. If the policy has a windstorm or hail deductible, negotiate with the insurer for a hurricane (or named storm, which is available in some states) deductible. The windstorm or hail deductible form is bad news for any insured that has a wind exposure.

Cost of evacuation

The question comes up every year. Is there coverage for the costs of evacuating an area when the governor orders an evacuation? The answer is very simple.

No, well most likely there isnt. Its possible that someone has a policy that has some coverage for the expenses related to evacuation, but Ive never seen it and its not on any ISO-based policy that I know of. Its just not an insurable expense because no damage has happened. Sure. If a hurricane comes by and takes the roof into the next county, there is coverage on a homeowners policy for the additional living expenses incurred because of the hurricane damage to the dwelling. Theres also coverage available for the lost business income if the insureds store has a tree in the showroom and theres business income coverage.

But theres still no coverage for evacuation expenses.

Theres also coverage for damage to property that is removed because its in danger of being damaged by a hurricane. ISO commercial property policies have an additional coverage called Preservation of Property. This additional coverage provides the insured with protection for their personal property that they move because their building has been damaged or may be damaged by a covered cause of loss.

This isnt more coverage, its a way to provide additional covered causes of loss to property thats already covered if it happens to get damaged while the insured is trying to protect it from damage. If the insured loads their inventory of 80 television into the back of their box truck to protect them from Hurricane George, theres coverage for any damage to those televisions if, for example, the bridge the truck is on collapses into the river and the televisions are swept into the Gulf of Mexico.

But theres still no coverage for evacuation expenses.

Theres more to cover, but thatll be for another day. This is enough for all of us to ponder and meditate upon. Hurricane season is here. Lets be ready.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Hurricane
South Africa: Gupta brothers arrested in the UAE

The Department of Justice and Correctional Services has confirmed the arrest of alleged State Capture masterminds Rajesh and Atul Gupta at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Last year, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) had issued red notices for the two brothers.

Now, discussions on the extradition of the brothers back to South Africa are expected to get underway.

Discussions between various law enforcement agencies in the UAE and South Africa on the way forward are ongoing. The South African government will continue to co-operate with the UAE, the department said.

According to an NPA statement released in July last year, the brothers are wanted in South Africa in relation to the R25 million Nulane Investment fraud and money laundering case.

The case relates to procurement fraud involving R24.9 million, paid between November 2011 and April 2012 by the Free State Department of Agriculture (FSDoA) to Nulane Investment 204 (PTY) LTD, a company owned and controlled by Iqbal Sharma.

From there, the funds were diverted to Islandsite Investments 180 (Pty) Ltd (Islandsite), a company owned and controlled by the Gupta family.

The R24.9m was purportedly paid to Nulane to conduct a feasibility study for the Free State Provinces flagship Mohoma Mobung project, on the basis that Nulane had unique skills to perform the work.

The group is charged together with three companies, Nulane Investment 204 (Pty) Ltd, Wone Management (PTY) LTD, Pragat Investment (Pty) LTD, Islandsite Investments Pty Ltd, the NPA said at the time.

The other accused in the case are former government and state entity officials, former Transnet board member Iqbal Sharma, former Free State head of Department for Rural Development Peter Thabethe, former head of FSDoA Limakatso Moorosi, former FSDoA Chief Financial Officer, Seipati Dhlamini and Nulane Investment employee Dinesh Patel.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-06-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China's Greater Bay Area emerging as a global innovation hub

14:36, June 07, 2022 By Jiang Xiaodan ( People's Daily

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a vibrant city cluster in southern China which comprises Hong Kong, Macao, and nine cities in south Chinas Guangdong province, witnesses stories about scientific and technological innovations every day.

China Spallation Neutron Source, a piece of scientific apparatus built at the Songshan Lake Science City, Dongguan, south Chinas Guangdong province.

Kwok Wai-keung, a young man from Hong Kong who started his own business in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, has given new features to suitcase by leveraging technological elements, enabling it to serve as power bank, automatically weigh the items in it, realize anti-theft tracking, and be located after the luggage is checked in.

Ever since his company settled in the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub in Shenzhen in 2016, it has applied for over 20 invention patents, cooperated with more than 10 well-known luggage brands at home and abroad, and completed multiple rounds of financing.

Because of the favorable policies in Shenzhen, full-blown industrial chain of Guangdong as well as the industrial complementarity between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, research and development results in Hong Kong can be rapidly commercialized in Shenzhen, which is why our company has enjoyed fast development, the entrepreneur pointed out.

Scientific research projects of many Hong Kong universities choose Guangdong for production and industrialization. This has been a recent trend in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao technological cooperation, said Gordon Lam Chi-wing, chairman of Hong Kong Technology Association.

The scientific research advantages and achievements of Hong Kong and Macao, combined with the strong manufacturing capacity of Guangdong, have played an important role in leading technological advances, he added.

According to the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a highly influential international center of science and innovation is being built at a faster pace in the area.

As the construction of infrastructure progresses, the building of a batch of start-up areas of a comprehensive national science center in the Greater Bay Area is picking up speed, including the Guangming Science City in Shenzhen and Songshan Lake Science City in Dongguan, Guangdong.

While the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), a piece of scientific apparatus built at the Songshan Lake Science City, is in stable operation; and the phase- project of China Environment for Network Innovations (Shenzhen), a national key scientific and technological infrastructure project, has been completed and put into operation.

Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub in Shenzhen, south Chinas Guangdong province.

During Chinas 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the Greater Bay Area plans to push ahead with the construction of the phase- project of CSNS, Pengcheng Cloud Brain, a key technology facility in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), advanced attosecond laser facility, cold seep ecosystem research facility and human cell lineage facility to further lay the material foundations for original innovations.

Some apparatus built in the nine cities of Guangdong involved in the construction of the Greater Bay Area is open to Hong Kong, Macao, and the rest of the world, said Liang Qinru, deputy head of the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province. Liang believes that the increasingly fast flow of innovation factors among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao will greatly enhance the Greater Bay Areas technological innovation capabilities.

Liang noted that the three spectrometers of the CSNS have completed nearly 500 projects for users, of whom over 10 percent come from Hong Kong and Macao; and the designated line of the National Supercomputer Center in Guangzhou for Hong Kong and Macao has served over 200 users from the two regions.

Cross-regional comprehensive technological innovation platforms covering various fields and industries have been built in the Greater Bay Area, effectively facilitating technological innovation and speeding up cooperation on the transfer and commercialization of scientific and research findings.

The Guangzhou national lab has been inaugurated; the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Health and the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics under the Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, were put into trial operation; the Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians was established in Hong Kong; and the Greater Bay Area national center for technology innovation was established.

As of the end of 2021, the South China Technology Commercialization Center in the Greater Bay Area had gathered more than 60,000 items of excellent innovation resources from Hong Kong, Macao, and the Chinese mainland, attracted more than 750 high-quality science and technology service institutions and over 3,000 science and technology enterprises across the country, launched over 3,600 products related to science and technology services, and facilitated transactions worth 868 million yuan ($130 million).

As various factors gather in the Greater Bay Area, a modern industrial system is taking shape quickly.

Focusing on advantageous fields such as new-generation information and communications technologies, advanced battery materials, high-end medical equipment, intelligent equipment, intelligent mobile terminals, and ultra-high definition videos, the Greater Bay Area has cultivated a number of competitive advanced manufacturing clusters. The construction of the phase- Ethylene project of ExxonMobil, an American multinational oil and gas corporation, in Huizhou, Guangdong, was comprehensively initiated.

Statistics showed that more than 300 million yuan of fiscal funds for scientific research projects have been allocated by Guangdong province to projects in Hong Kong and Macao, benefiting over 10 universities and research institutes in the two regions.

Last year, the number of national high-tech enterprises in the nine cities of Guangdong involved in the Greater Bay Area construction exceeded 57,000; and a total of 780,000 patents were granted in these cities, among which nearly 100,000 were for inventions.

The innovation cluster of Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou has ranked second in the world in terms of the global innovation index for two consecutive years, higher than Beijing and Shanghai, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The construction of an international center of science and innovation has played a major role in improving the Greater Bay Areas innovation capabilities.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
iprism Underwriting, the specialist commercial, property and high net worth MGA, has added property/casualty insurance company AmTrust to its property owners panel as broker demand for specialist property owners cover increases.

The new relationship allows iprism to offer brokers a greater choice of rated insurers, competitive pricing and a wider underwriting footprint for occupant types. It is also enhanced with a new approach to address mapping, which broadens e-trade acceptance rates giving brokers a fast response on new quotes.

The MGA has a range of solutions for property owners including commercial, residential and unoccupied properties, all backed by UK-based rated capacity. The addition of AmTrust to the property owners panel is part of a drive to strengthen this range of products and give brokers more choice.

Weve seen a significant increase in quotes on property owners products from brokers and have responded by building out our panel of insurers, ensuring that our brokers benefit from a greater choice of cover and more competitive pricing. Our years of expertise and in-house delegated authority means that we can quickly respond to brokers and find them the right cover at the right price, commented Ian Lloyd, CEO at iprism.

We are committed to building our presence in the UK and see MGAs like iprism as an important route into that market. iprism has a strong broker following and great distribution and were looking forward to building a strong, profitable partnership over the coming years, said Hannah Connolly, property underwriting manager at AmTrust.

London-based iprism Underwriting is a management owned, wholesale MGA that uses in-house technology to deliver a range of insurance products to UK brokers. Operating a proprietary insurance brokerage platform, with support from a team of expert underwriters, iprism provides access to a range of specialist insurance products for commercial and private clients, all backed by a panel of UK-based rated insurers.

Source: iprism Underwriting

Topics Insurance Wholesale Property
SiriusPoint Announces Appointments to Executive Leadership Team and Insurance & Services Segment

SiriusPoint Ltd., the Bermuda-based specialty insurer and reinsurer, announced two internal appointments to the companys Executive Leadership Team (ELT).

Patrick Charles joins the SiriusPoint ELT and has been promoted to global head of Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance & Services. Charles joined SiriusPoint in September 2021, with 20 years of underwriting and strategic management experience, as head of Americas P&C Insurance to manage and grow the companys U.S. P&C insurance business.

He is responsible for the companys global strategy in P&C insurance, the expansion of SiriusPoints strategic partnerships, and the development of products and services to support new and existing partnerships. In this role, Charles reports directly to Dan Malloy, CEO.

Darryl Siry, the companys chief technology officer, has also been appointed to the ELT, reporting to Dan Malloy. Siry, an experienced technology, marketing, and operations executive, joined SiriusPoint in May 2021 to lead the companys technology integration and to develop an efficient and scalable operating platform across the global business. Siry is also responsible for the development of the managing general agency (MGA) operating platform, which supports SiriusPoints strategic partnerships, and for maximizing the value of SiriusPoints insurtech partnerships and investments.

I am very pleased to welcome Patrick and Darryl to SiriusPoints Executive Leadership Team, said Malloy. These appointments recognize the talent we have at SiriusPoint and the contribution that both Patrick and Darryl have made to our business  they have been instrumental in the development of our Insurance & Services strategy.

These appointments follow the resignation from SiriusPoint of Prashanth Gangu, chief operating officer, and president, Insurance & Services. On behalf of the SiriusPoint team, I would like to thank Prashanth for his contributions to our Company and wish him well in his future endeavours, said Malloy.

We have the right leadership team in place to continue the growth and development of the Insurance & Services segment, which includes our exciting strategic partnerships approach, commented Malloy. We are committed to supporting our sizable portfolio of investments and continuing to position SiriusPoint as the partner of choice for entrepreneurial MGAs and insurance service providers.

Related:

SiriusPoint Announces Resignation of Chairman and CEO Sankaran

Topics Leadership
The 911 dispatch center that employed Mandy Tripp denied her workers compensation claim for post-traumatic stress syndrome because fielding calls involving death and injury are part of the job.

A divided Iowa Supreme Court rejected that reasoning on Friday, ruling that emergency responders cannot be held to a higher standard to prove eligibility for benefits than workers in other roles.

Our workers compensation statute doesnt impose a higher burden on workers with jobs that involve frequent brushes with traumatic events than workers in other occupations, the high court said in a 4-3 decision.

Iowa is the latest state to grapple with the standard that should be used to determine whether a worker qualifies for workers compensation because of PTSD. The National Council on Compensation Insurance said that PTSD for emergency responders was a top trending issue in 2019, with 17 states enacting legislation on the topic that year and 17 more considering bills.

Many states bar compensation for mental injuries entirely or allow compensation only if there is a corresponding physical injury. Others limit benefits to emergency responders or allow benefits for PTSD only in limited circumstances.

State high courts are often called upon to draw the line. Most recently, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that a police officer who developed PTSD after a shootout with a gunman during a welfare check was eligible for workers compensation. Appellate courts in Illinois and Louisiana have also ruled that mental injuries caused by sudden events rather than the ordinary stress caused by working conditions are compensable, the majority opinion says.

The Iowa Supreme Court decided in 1995 that workers are entitled to benefits for mental injuries without a corresponding physical injury, according to the majority opinion. In Dunlavey v. Economy Fire & Casualty Co., the court ruled that in cases involving a mental injury with no physical component, a worker must show that the workplace stress is unusual and of a greater magnitude than the day-to-day stress experienced by other workers holding similar jobs.

In 2002 the court approved benefits for a convenience store clerk who suffered PTSD after witnessing a shooting, even though he was not physically injured. In Brown v. QuikTrip, the court walked back its earlier standard, according to the Supreme Court majority. The court found the store clerks claim was compensable because his injury was based on a manifest happening of a sudden traumatic nature from an unexpected cause or unusual strain.

Tripp filed a workers compensation claim with Scott Countys Emergency Communications Center in November 2018, approximately two months after taking a particularly stressful 911 call. A woman repeatedly screamed into the phone, Help me, my baby is dead! Tripp stayed on the phone with the woman for two minutes and 15 seconds before finally calming the caller enough to get an address.

Later, Tripp and her co-workers heard radio traffic from emergency responders who said rigor had set in, and police officers who discussed a potential crime scene and said that it looked as if the childs head had been struck by a claw hammer.

Tripp struggled for weeks after the call. She cried constantly, had trouble sleeping and withdrew socially, according to court pleadings. She started having suicidal thoughts and startled when hearing loud noises. She sought psychological counseling and was diagnosed with PTSD. A psychiatrist testified that she was permanently disabled.

Scott Countys insurer, the Iowa Municipalities Workers Compensation Association, denied her claim on the grounds that such calls are not unusual or unexpected  a reference to the ruling in Brown. A deputy commissioner, the state workers compensation commissioner and a district court judge agreed.

But the Supreme Court majority said Tripps stress during the 2018 call was unusual and unexpected. The court cited testimony from other dispatchers who said while they regularly receive calls involving deaths, those rarely involve infants.

The majority said nothing in Iowa statutes requires emergency workers to show that their mental injury was caused by hyper-unexpected causes and hyper-unusual strains to qualify for benefits.

We thus hold that the district court erred in its interpretation of the statute in ruling otherwise, the majority opinion, written by Justice Matthew McDermott, says. Chief Justice Susan Christensen and Justices Brent R. Appel and Dana Oxley joined the majority opinion.

Christensen wrote a separate opinion that urged the state legislature to adopt a statute similar to Minnesotas that provides a rebuttable presumption that a PTSD diagnosis was caused by the first responders job.

Justices Edward M. Mansfield, Christopher McDonald and Thomas Waterman dissented.

The majoritys ill-advised change to the legal causation element in mental injury claims opens the floodgates to fraudulent claims that are difficult to disprove and will drive up the cost of doing business in Iowa, the dissenters said in a separate opinion written by Waterman.

It appears that Tripp has moved on. According to her page on Linkedin, she left her position with the dispatch center last December and is now employed as a reemployment career planner for the state of Iowa.

Topics Iowa
The city of Wichita plans to settle a lawsuit filed over the death of a man who was shot by a police officer in 2012.

The citys law department has asked the City Council to approve on Tuesday a $175,000 settlement with the mother of 24-year-old Troy Lanning. A city spokeswoman said the settlement will be paid out of a self-insurance fund, The Wichita Eagle reported.

Lanning was shot by officer Randy Williamson in April 2012 after a police pursuit and foot chase. His mother claimed in a lawsuit filed in 2014 that Lanning was shot as he raised his hands to comply with commands and then was shot at least twice more as he lay on the ground.

The citys lawyers argued that the shooting was justified because Williamson reasonably perceived that Lanning, who was holding a black bag, was a threat. The city admits no liability in the settlement.

Williamson told investigators Lanning was reaching into the bag when he shot him.

An autopsy showed Lanning was shot six times, including twice in the back. No gun was found in his bag or in the vehicle he fled from before being shot.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Kansas
DOXA Insurance Holdings launched of a new skilled nursing facilities program, created by Promont Insurance Advisors, a subsidiary specializing in program management in the healthcare industry.

Promont Skilled Nursing will be a full-stack managing general underwriter focused on professional and general liability for small- to mid-sized facilities on a nationwide basis. Promonts leadership team brings a wealth of knowledge and specialized industry experience in underwriting, risk management, claims, and distribution.

Chicago, Illinois-based Promont Insurance Advisors provides specialty coverage solutions for niche classes of business, including allied healthcare, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, churches and schools, and faith-based houses of prayer.

Based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, DOXA acquires specialty niche-focused insurance distribution companies such as Managing General Agencies, Wholesale Brokers, and Program Administrators.

Topics Indiana
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McCathron Succeeds Founder Wand as CEO

Home insurer Hippo reports it has appointed Richard McCathron as chief executive officer. McCathron has served on Hippos board of directors and as the companys president since February 2017.

In a related move, Assaf Wand, founder and prior CEO, has become executive chairman of the board to focus on long-term strategic initiatives.

Before joining Hippos executive team and board, McCathron held senior executive positions at multiple insurance companies including First Connect Insurance as its president and CEO from 2012 to 2017, Superior Access Insurance as president and CEO from 2007 to 2010 and Mercury Insurance Group as regional vice president from 2004 to 2007.

Hippo is headquartered in Palo Alto, California with offices in Austin, Dallas, Oakland and New Jersey, and sells insurance products in 38 states.

M&A Platform io.insure Launches in U.S. with Senior Hires

Insurtech io.insure, an online mergers and acquisitions (M&A) insurance marketplace for small-to-medium enterprise transactions, has launched in the U.S. with senior level hires Nate Stortzum and Gregory A. de Keersmaeker joining as managing partners.

The firm, part of the POP Holdings Group, brings together advisors, insurance brokers, accounting firms, corporate financiers, and banks, in a marketplace that offers niche products for customers in the small and medium business sector, and promises efficiencies in the broader M&A insurance market.

The firm and its global partnership with Fusion Specialty and its insurers currently serves markets from seven hubs across five continents. First available in Australia earlier this year, the platform is now being launched in the U.S. and will soon be expanded to the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia, with financial lines and other specialty products to be announced in the near future.

Stortzum will be responsible for distribution, sales, product and partnerships. Stortzum brings 17 years of experience in both senior broking and underwriting leadership roles. He was a member of Alliant Insurance Services, one of the largest M&A brokerage teams in the U.S., and ran professional, transactional and management lines in the Midwest region for Ironshore Insurance Services.

de Keersmaeker is responsible for building the global customer services arm, covering documentation, support, training, onboarding and enablement for the platform. He spent a decade in enterprise sales engineering at Cohesity and Commvault systems.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions USA
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As the financially struggling Boy Scouts sell off a number of campgrounds, conservationists, government officials and others are scrambling to find ways to preserve them as open space.

A $2.6 billion proposed bankruptcy settlement designed to pay thousands of victims of child sexual abuse has added pressure to an organization beset by years of declining enrollment, and the Scouts and their local councils have been cashing in on their extensive holdings, including properties where some of the abuse took place. Developers have bought up some. Preservation groups hope others can be protected and some legislators have taken notice.

I am emphasizing to my colleagues that there is a clear urgency here, said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who thinks there may be federal funds available to buy Scout properties. We have no time to waste.

For over a century the Scouts and their local councils have acquired properties across the country where generations have learned to appreciate the outdoors through camping, swimming and canoeing.

In Blumenthals state of Connecticut, the Scouts Yankee Council is considering a $4.6 million offer from developers for a 252-acre property, Deer Lake, near Long Island Sound that offers camping, fishing, and hiking. The council has rejected offers from two conservation groups but is negotiating with one of them that offered a revised bid.

Sen. Blumenthal has said hes looking into the possible use of money from the National Park Services Land and Water Conservation Fund to help in the purchase of the Connecticut camp and the other Boy Scout properties for sale across the nation. Individual states decide which projects to pay for with that money.

Other properties targeted for preservation include 96 acres of what was the Boy Scouts Camp Barton, on the west shore of Cayuga Lake in New Yorks Finger Lakes region. It includes woodlands, streams, trails and a 75-foot (23-meter) waterfall.

They are not making any more lakefront property, said Fred Bonn, regional director for the Finger Lakes State Parks system. Access to the lake is challenging, both with its topography and what is owned privately.

Several local towns and New York states Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is working with the Baden-Powell Council of the Boy Scouts to try to preserve the land. A nearby 41-acre parcel already was sold by the Scouts to private interests.

Its unclear exactly how much land across the United States belongs to the Boy Scouts, partly because it is owned by local scout councils. But evidence in the bankruptcy trial indicated the local councils own close to 2,000 properties that could be worth between $8 billion and $10 billion, said Timothy Kosnoff, an attorney who represents more than 12,000 claimants in the bankruptcy.

The proposed bankruptcy settlement with Boys Scouts of America would have its more than 250 councils contribute at least $515 million in cash and property and a $100 million interest-bearing note. Kosnoff said the Scouts will need to sell much of their land to contribute to the national settlement or, if it fails, to pay for continuing legal battles.

I cant predict how long it will take for all these properties to be liquidated, but I think its inevitable, he said.

Some abuse victims have mixed feelings about the camps sale.

Joe, a victim who did not want his last name used because his family is unaware of his experience, was abused by his scout master starting at the age of 8 in the 1970s at a Connecticut camp that was sold years ago to make way for housing on Candlewood Lake. Hes not sure he wants people camping on land where scouts were once abused.

I dont have those warm feelings about those places, he said. Its almost like Poltergeist. Do you want your house on land where those things happened? So, I dont know what to do with those places.

The Boy Scouts of America said in a statement that selling the camps may be necessary in some instances to compensate victims.

Every decision must take into account the finances, viability of potential buyers, sustainability and meeting the obligations to provide the best service to youth within their respective council, the organization said.

Councils in states including Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have all recently sold or announced plans to sell camps.

Sen. Blumenthal said selling camps to developers goes against the tenants of an organization that is supposed to teach environmental stewardship.

Unfortunately, local Boy Scout councils are selling to the highest bidder, he said. So, I think it is a national challenge, but it goes to the core of what scouting means and the ethos and ethic of scouting, which they may be betraying.

In Michigan, a consolidation of local Boy Scout councils that began a decade ago has led to the sale of numerous properties, including Silver Trails, a 269-acre camp about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Port Huron. A group called the Thumb Land Conservancy tried to buy it in 2019, but lost out when the scouts sold it to a gravel-mining company.

Theyve sold off, I think 15 camps statewide, said Bill Collins, the conservancy groups executive director and a former Boy Scout, who used to camp at Silver Trails. So, people now have to drive sometimes a couple of hundred miles across the state to go to camp. Well, that makes most of day camp activities unfeasible and things like weekend camp outs much more of a chore for everyone involved.

In Maine, the Androscoggin Land Trust has a purchase agreement to buy the 95-acre Boy Scout Camp Gustin near Lewiston, which includes a large pond and a bog that is filled with wildlife. Aimee Dorval, the trusts executive director, said the state governments Land for Maines Future program has agreed to chip in half of the $415,000 appraised value of the property. The rest is being raised through private donations.

The purchase would be part of the trusts larger effort to preserve about 1,000-acres of open space along the Androscoggin River near Lewiston, land that also has been targeted by developers. The trust plans to continue allowing Boy Scouts to use the land while opening it up to the larger community for camping and other activities.

Dorval said its important for groups like hers to step up as these camps are put up for sale.

There are accredited land trusts all across the nation that can take this on, she said. I think it would be foolish if people stayed away from this because of the (Boy Scout abuse) controversy. To us, its not about that. It is about conservation and about trying to preserve an area for youth and nature-based activities and historic scouting access.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Claims
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The health-care industry accounts for 8.5% of the United States greenhouse gas emissions, almost as much as agriculture. So the Biden administration is pushing hospital systems to do more to combat climate change: The US Department of Health and Human Services has asked hospitals, health suppliers, drug companies and others in the industry to pledge to reduce their GHG emissions to net zero by 2050, inventory their supply chain emissions and develop a climate resilience plan for their facilities.

Some hospitals have already taken carbon-cutting steps like installing on-site solar power, purchasing renewable energy, and improving energy efficiency in their buildings. But the vast majority of emissions in the sector  80%  come from the medical supply chain. These are difficult for hospitals to address because theyre not under their direct control.

Health-care leaders are now looking for ways to cut these Scope 3 emissions, knowing that otherwise, attempts to decarbonize the sector will fall short.

The supply chain is absolutely critical to this success, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine said. Without dealing with the supply chain, we wont be successful and thats a challenge, but were going to work on it.

Chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and food are among the largest contributors to hospitals supply-chain emissions, said Jodi Sherman, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine and director of the Yale Program on Healthcare Environmental Sustainability. Addressing the unsustainable supply chain has become even more critical after hospitals experienced shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nurses and doctors had to reuse masks and gowns using protocols that hadnt been fully tested for safety. Finding ways to use those items more efficiently could help with both emissions and future disruptions, including those stemming from climate-related weather events.

Deciding what products to use in the operating room can be a little bit harder than where to get a hospitals energy from because it involves more decision-makers, according to Lovisa Gustafsson, vice president of controlling health-care costs at the Commonwealth Fund, which promotes improvement and equity in health care. You never want to do anything thats going to sacrifice quality of care or access to care, or anything like that. But there definitely are questions there in terms of how things could be done in a better way, she said.

There has been a perception in the sector that green initiatives are costly, but youre choosing to eliminate waste, and waste is usually associated with cost, said Matthew Meyer, co-chair of the University of Virginia health sustainability committee and a professor of anesthesiology. A 2019 study found that the cost of waste to the US health-care system is $760 billion to $935 billion annually.

To curtail their Scope 3 emissions, health systems are considering putting pressure on their suppliers to move toward more sustainable practices. They are also trying to stem the consumption of single-use items inside their walls.

Hospitals have a major card to play when it comes to getting their suppliers to address their climate footprintmassive purchasing power. They typically get medical supplies from distributors like McKesson Corp. and AmerisourceBergen Corp., and often partner with other hospitals to use their collective purchasing power to negotiate discounts. If one large hospital system or one of these groups pushes their suppliers on addressing emissions, that could affect a suppliers bottom line, and these companies will start to take notice, Meyer said.

AmerisourceBergen, one of the largest medical supply distributors in the US, signed the HHS pledge and plans to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% in 2032, a spokesperson said. The company says it is cutting carbon through more efficient energy usage in buildings and transportation and by expanding its renewable energy portfolio.

At least two major hospital systems  Kaiser Permanente and Providence Health and Services  are already working with suppliers on strategies to tamp down on emissions, the systems said. Health Care Without Harm, an advocacy organization focused on addressing climate change in health care, has been consulting with its members to put together questions that health systems can ask suppliers, such as whether they are monitoring their emissions or have an action plan to reduce them, said Antonia Herzog, associate director of climate policy and advocacy.

If the whole health-care system is demanding this, vendors are going to have the option to either be public about this information and work to make their product the most sustainable  or theyre going to risk losing the contract, Meyer said.

Researchers and hospitals are looking to the UKs National Health Service as a model. It has a plan to decarbonize by 2045 and has reduced its emissions by 26% from 1990 to 2020. The NHS requires its larger suppliers to report their greenhouse gas emissions through a standardized framework, benchmark them, and manage them with a goal of getting to net zero, Sherman said, and it plans to work with smaller suppliers to try to reach the same goal.

Hospitals can also control how much waste they produce. Many items used daily are designed to be discarded after a single use, which is both expensive and bad for the environment.

Non-reusable items like syringes and IV tubing dont account for most of the waste. Things like blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximetry probes, bed linens and even expensive devices such as laparoscopic instruments are often designed for disposal when they could be sterilized and used again. The manufacture of replacements for these discarded items generates more emissions.

Sherman calls this an unscrutinized, out of control, largely non-evidence-based trend, which has left the US vulnerable to supply-chain interruptions both from health emergencies like Covid-19 and climate-related extreme weather. The federal government could require companies seeking Food and Drug Administration approval to design their products for reuse and to include that in their applications, she added.

Hospitals also routinely throw away billions of dollars worth of drugs each year because the vials are large and regulations prohibit them from being split between patients. In the operating room, I have a vial that is 99 times more than I need. And I have to throw it away, said Sherman. Potential solutions modeled on the NHS include hospitals buying right-sized packages and only stocking the amount of a drug they need, to avoid having expired stock that has to be tossed out.

Seema Wadhwa, executive director of environmental stewardship at Kaiser, said the system recently worked with its supplier for disinfecting wipes to cut waste. Normally the wipes come in a hard-case canister that has residual chemicals considered hazardous. The supplier now provides the wipes in containers like those that hold diaper wipes. They can be transported more easily, create less waste and dont have the dangerous chemicals.

Shira Stein is a reporter for Bloomberg Law.

Photo: Medical supplies sit on a counter in an exam room at Perry Memorial Hospital in Princeton, Illinois/Bloomberg

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a lawsuit from an Oklahoma Goodwill branch seeking coverage for COVID-19 business income loss.

Goodwill Industries of Oklahoma had sought to appeal its lawsuit against Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co. to the Supreme Court after a panel of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals granted Philadelphias motion to dismiss in December 2021.

The Supreme Court did not offer an explanation in its decision to deny the lawsuit.

The 10th Circuit rejected on appeal Goodwills claims that its COVID-19 income losses were covered by direct physical loss of property. Because Goodwill never lost physical control of its property nor did COVID-19 destroy Goodwills property, its commercial policy with Philadelphia does not cover losses, the panel opined.

The business income provision unambiguously covered only losses stemming from physical alteration or tangible dispossession of property, the panel wrote. Neither occurred here.

Courts have overwhelmingly rejected COVID business interruption lawsuits with some rare exceptions.

An analysis earlier this year by Hinshaw & Culbertson law firm found that in COVid-19 litigation cases, insurers prevailed in 78 percent of state court rulings and 95 percent of federal court rulings.

Topics Lawsuits USA COVID-19 Oklahoma
The front lawn of Lydia Larces home is strewn with debris: remnants of cabinets and chunks of pink shower. She lives in a FEMA trailer out back, her home in shambles after hurricanes tore through Lake Charles.

Larce, like many in Southwest Louisiana, has what she calls storm PTSD. Tornado warnings trigger anxiety. She struggles to sleep.

The fear and the unknown _ it has me on an edge, Larce said.

A string of devastating hurricanes tore through this region in recent years. Nationally, too, there have been more Category 4 and 5 hurricane landfalls in the past five years than in the previous 50 combined. Larce and her neighbors know they are on the front lines of climate change.

Her region is now the epicenter of a trend that she fears will make those disasters worse. Developers plan to build a series of liquefied natural gas export facilities nearby.

Theyre an absolute powerhouse for greenhouse gas emissions, said Naomi Yoder, a staff scientist at Healthy Gulf, a nonprofit that advocates for clean energy.

Greenhouse gases are raising global temperatures and fueling extreme weather, including storms like those that pummeled Larces hometown.

For awhile, it seemed as though an era of expanding fossil fuel facilities might be ending. Last year, President Joseph Biden announced his intention to fight climate change by sharply reducing emissions.

Yet since Biden became president, the U.S. has become the worlds largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as demand for the fuel escalated. Russias invasion of Ukraine intensified the push, heightening demand for natural gas, especially for European countries reliant on Russian energy.

The natural gas industry promoted U.S.-produced LNG as a way to fill the gaps. American terminals are exporting gas at full capacity, so expansion of the terminals accelerated.

The new and proposed export terminals are clustered along the Gulf Coast, where some locals are supportive.

Its a significant boon to our economy, because it provides good, high-paying jobs, said Eric Tarver, a member of the Calcasieu Parish School Board. More than that, its a tremendous amount of tax revenue that just dwarfs what weve had from any other industry.

But other locals say few of those coveted jobs go to long-time residents.

REGION IN DISTRESS

Scattered across Lake Charles, blue tarps cover dozens of dilapidated roofs, evidence of the damage inflicted by hurricanes.

I feel Southwest Louisiana has been made a sacrificial lamb, said Roishetta Ozane, an organizer for Healthy Gulf.

A critic of the expansion of LNG facilities, Ozane warns neighbors that the emissions worsen global warming and violent storms.

Now is the time to get peoples attention, to open their eyes that climate change is real, Ozane said.

Nearby, Cindy Robertson refills a pantry box in her front yard to help feed homeless neighbors.

Her region has endured seven federally declared disasters in two years. With a succession of LNG terminals opening around her, she fears her region hasnt yet seen the worst.

Instead of focusing on LNG we need to take all that brainpower and all that money and put it into expanding our renewable resources, Robertson said.

EXPORTS SURGING

The use of wind and solar energy has grown as prices for such renewables have plunged. But so has the worlds thirst for natural gas. In February, the U.S. exported six times times the LNG it did five years earlier.

Investors poured $63 billion into building American LNG terminals over the past decade, and could spend $100 billion more over the next two decades, according to Rystad Energy.

Thats despite warnings from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that emissions from existing fossil fuel infrastructure would cause global warming to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) _ a level scientists say would bring dangerous consequences.

Of the eight terminals now exporting LNG, five are in Louisiana and Texas. At least 16 more are proposed, nearly all in those states.

The projects are backed by Exxon Mobil, Qatar Energy, Total Energies and other global energy giants.

Were delivering a cleaner, more environmentally friendly fuel, said Charlie Riedl, executive director of the Center for LNG, the industrys lobbying group. The U.S. can use that to help defuse some of the geopolitical issues around the world by delivering a reliable fuel source.

Initially, Bidens administration didnt approve requests to expand the LNG industry. But after the war in Ukraine began, it allowed some facilities to upgrade, increasing how much they could produce, and encouraged the oil and gas industry to boost production.

Asked whether encouraging fossil fuel exports contradicts Bidens climate goals, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told The Associated Press, We have got to do both, adding the U.S. can help allies, reduce fuel cost and transition to cleaner energy.

CLEANER THAN COAL?

At sunrise on the Gulf Coast, the dark sky cracks into shades of orange and gray. A bright orb on the horizon looks like the rising sun. Its not. Its a flare from Calcasieu Pass LNG, a new terminal which opened about a mile from John Allaires beachfront property.

A retired environmental engineer for an oil company, Allaire doesnt oppose oil and gas use. But he fears a proposed terminal which would cover about half the ponds here packed with mud minnows and spawning shrimp.

Im glad theres still places like this left _ I really dont want to see it paved over, Allaire said.

Together, the four LNG export terminals on the Gulf Coast emitted nearly 10 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020 _ comparable to all of Costa Rica, according to the Global Carbon Project.

The LNG exports are also tied to climate change because methane, the main ingredient of LNG, is a powerful greenhouse gas. And methane escapes in large quantities from leaky wells and pipelines.

Natural gas proponents say its better for the climate than burning coal, because it releases fewer emissions when burned. But in most places globally, gas isnt substituting for coal; its adding to coal and other energy sources, said Rob Jackson, a professor at Stanford University.

According to the Energy Information Administration, natural gas use will drive an overall increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. from 2037 to 2050.

In building more LNG export terminals, Jackson said, were locking in emissions for decades to come.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Louisiana
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Homeowners and public adjusters may now feel a little more emboldened to record an insurance adjusters inspection of a home, after a Florida appeals court ruled in favor of the practice last week  the third such ruling in as many years.

The 4th District Court of Appeal, in West Palm Beach, held that because the American Strategic Insurance Corp. policy does not address the question of video and audio recording of an inspection, the case should be remanded and reconsidered. The court reversed a Palm Beach County trial courts 2021 ruling in favor of the insurer, which found that the insurance policy did not authorize the filming of the insurers inspector.

We conclude that nothing on this record precludes an insured from recording an insurance adjusters inspection while in the insureds own home, 3rd DCA Judge Martha Warner wrote in the opinion. The trial court erred in entering declaratory judgment for the insurer.

American Strategic, a Progressive Insurance Co. subsidiary based in St. Petersburg, argued that the HO policy did not permit the recording of its inspector. But the appellate court found that the policy did not forbid it, either. The judges noted that courts have consistently held that any ambiguity in a policy must be strictly construed in favor of the insured and strictly against the insurer.

An oft-quoted 1976 opinion from the 4th DCA said: Where a contract is simply silent as to a particular matter, that is, its language neither expressly nor by reasonable implication indicates that the parties intended to contract with respect to the matter, the court should not, under the guise of construction, impose contractual rights and duties on the parties which they themselves omitted.

More recent rulings from the 4th DCA and the 3rd DCA have found that an insurance adjuster has no legitimate expectation of privacy while in an insureds home. In Silversmith vs. State Farm Insurance, the 4th District found in 2021 that Florida law, which prohibits audio recordings unless both parties agree, does not apply to an insurance inspection scenario. A year earlier, the 3rd District Court of Appeals declined to review a trial court order that allowed a recording of an inspection.

Those rulings rested in part on a 1994 Florida Supreme Court decision that persons objecting to being recorded in most cases must state an actual subjective expectation of privacy, and a societal recognition that the expection is reasonable.

In the American Strategic case, homeowners Ryan and Andrea Gesten suffered damage to their home from a plumbing problem in 2019, the court explained. Ryan Gesten, himself a trial attorney experienced in insurance claims litigation, hired a public adjuster to assist in the claim. The claim totaled $81,000.

The public adjuster informed the insurer that he would be recording the carriers home inspection.

This is being done for the benefit of transparency and accountability for both parties, the public adjuster wrote to the insurance company.

American Strategic objected to the audio recording. On the day of the planned inspection, ASIs attorney, its adjuster and an independent expert showed up at the property. The public adjuster had a camera strapped on. The ASI lawyer objected and the parties could not come to terms. The inspection was never completed, the court explained.

ASI then petitioned the trial court to bar the audio recording. The Gestens sued for breach of contract. The Palm Beach court granted summary judgment in favor of the insurance carrier, and the appeal followed.

The court opinion and the original suit filed by ASI explain that ASI argued that the recording would violate the policy and state law, and that the insurer had no way to record the public adjusters inspection. And because ASIs lawyer was present, that would create an attorney-client communications that should not be filmed, the complaint said.

Finally, there is a genuine concern (over) what the public adjuster may do with the images and audio tape of these individuals, ASIs petition reads.

Theres also the fact that the homeowners public adjuster was Scott David Thomas, a man who has become notorious in the Florida insurance industry for making things difficult for insurance company adjusters and experts in recent years. The state Department of Financial Services, which regulates agents and adjusters, in March of this year filed an administrative complaint against Thomas, charging him with repeatedly stonewalling insurance company adjusters on property inspections.

In some instances, Thomas became belligerent and disparaging toward Citizens Property Insurance adusters and other adjusters, refused to answer questions, demanded proof of the other inspectors workers compensation insurance, requested background checks on inspectors, often changed agreed-on inspection dates and refused to meet except on Saturdays. Thomas could ultimately lose his license if an administrative ruling goes against him.

The appeals court decision in the ASI case may not settle the audio-recording question completely. Samuel Alexander, the appeals lawyer for the homeowners who was also the attorney in the 2021 Silversmith case, pointed out that the concurring-but-dissenting opinion by 4th DCA Judge Mark Klingensmith took issue with his colleagues reliance on the Silversmith decision.

The Silversmith opinion is in direct conflict not only with the statute with our prior decisions in two other cases, Klingensmith wrote. Florida laws prohibition on recording without a subjects consent prohibits what the appellees want to do, and provides no exception for business interactions or for when an adjuster is in someones home.

That could crack the door open for further litigation on the issue in coming years, partly because American Strategics lawyers did not raise some issues at the trial court level.

Because our opinion here does not explicitly rest on Silversmith as controlling precedent, we do not need to revisit Silversmith for the purposes of deciding this matter, Klingensmith wrote. However, in the future, I would consider doing so in an appropriate case.

Topics Carriers Florida Homeowners
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A Florida insurance executive will soon join the board of governors for Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

Charlie Lydecker was formerly president of the retail division of Brown & Brown Insurance, one of the largest brokerages in the U.S., and is now CEO of Foundation Risk Partners. He was named to the Citizens board in late May by Floridas chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis. He replaces Marc Dunbar, a Tallahassee attorney and gaming lobbyist whose term ends Aug. 1.

Lydecker may take over sooner than that: He will attend his first board meeting July 13, according to news reports.

Charlie Lydecker is a consummate insurance professional with more than three decades of experience, including property and casualty, Patronis said in a statement.

Lydecker left Daytona-based Brown & Brown in 2017 and launched Foundation Risk Partners, which quickly became one of the largest commercial insurance brokers in the country, according to news reports. His appointment should help quell concerns that Citizens board members have not had enough experience in the insurance business.

The Florida Association of Insurance Agents early this year urged lawmakers to adopt Senate Bill 1728, which would have required that board members have at least 10 years in property and casualty insurance, or with a trade association. The bill, which addressed a number of other issues in Floridas insurance market, passed the Senate but died in the House during the regular session of the Legislature, which ended in March.

After he left Brown & Brown, the company in 2018 sued Lydecker and others affiliated with Foundation Risk Partners, accusing them of working to create a competing insurance firm while still employed at B&B.

The defendants in the suit responded that B&B had, in fact, betrayed longtime executives by promoting the chairmans son to be CEO in 2009.

A judge dismissed most of the suits allegations in 2019.

Seaglass Names Murray RM Consultant

Seaglass Insurance Group, a managing general agent domiciled in Florida, has appointed Esther Murray as risk management consultant.

Murray was previously safety management consultant for MEMIC, Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Co., a workers compensation insurer based in Maine.

The move will help Seaglass specialize in providing workers comp coverage for the healthcare sector, Seaglass CEO Tod Austin said in a statement.

Topics Florida
The death of a mother of two in Cork has sparked calls for permanent safety barriers to be erected on parts of the citys docks.

Former lord mayor Tony Fitzgerald says it is time to review safety along the quays following the death of 45-year-old Douglas woman Gillian Daly.

The mother of two died after her car entered the river at Kennedy Quay shortly after she had parked there.

She had two young sons, Evan and Luke, in the car at the time, but they managed to scramble out and were pulled to safety by emergency crews with non-life-threatening injuries.

After being checked up and treated briefly at Cork University Hospital, the boys, aged 12 and 10, were returned to the care of their father.

The tragic event, which took place at 8.45pm last Friday, was witnessed by a number of onlookers who called for help.

The open docks area where the incident occurred does not have a barrier to prevent vehicles from entering the water.

It has been a very sad and traumatic weekend for her family and friends, Cllr Fitzgerald said.

I think it is time to review the safety surroundings of the quay. It is certainly something worth considering as it is a very open space.

It is worth reviewing by gardai, the emergency services, Cork City Council and the Port of Cork to make a recommendation on any action that needs to be taken in relation to the safety of our citizens.

Ms Dalys death, which is being described as a tragic incident, has come at a time when six other people lost their lives after being involved in road traffic collisions over the bank holiday weekend.

It bring to seven the total number of road deaths in Ireland since the current road safety campaign began, after a man in his 60s died in a single-vehicle collision in Dunmanway, Co Cork, on Thursday morning.
Parts of Cork City have become no-go areas, a city councillor has claimed after a street brawl spilled over into traffic on Corks main shopping street.

It is the second such violent street brawl incident to occur on the main city street, to be captured on video and shared widely, in just a few weeks.

A garda investigation is underway into the latest fight which erupted on St Patrick's Street at around 6pm on Monday.

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Colm Kelleher, who branded those involved as thugs, has reviewed the footage and said he has raised the matter directly with senior gardai today.

These are absolutely disgraceful scenes. This is not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination, he said.

Footage of the incident shows a fight breaking out between two men who were part of a larger group of people who were standing outside the Savoy centre on St Patricks Street, where a homeless volunteer group runs a feeding station.

One man can be seen punching and kicking another and wrestling him to the ground, where he continues to kick and punch the man in the body and around the head.

The Lord Mayor of Cork Colm Kelleher branded those involved in the street brawl as thugs; he has reviewed the footage and said he has raised the matter directly with senior gardai. Picture: Michael O'Sullivan /OSM PHOTO

That man then manages to get to his feet and retaliate. He drags the other man to the ground and the footage shows him punching and kicking his attacker several times.

The two men continue fighting and the brawl spills out onto the main street, where one of the men throws the other on to the bonnet of a passing car.

Mr Kelleher said this incident, especially at that early hour on a bank holiday Monday, coupled with a similar evening time incident on MacCurtain St last month, doesnt paint a good picture of the city.

This is not how we want to present our city  thugs effectively fighting each other on the streets, he said.

I have liaised with gardai this morning and they are reviewing the footage which is circulating on social media.

"The perpetrators are clearly identifiable in the footage and the gardai are pursuing a definite line of enquiry."

These individuals need to be brought before the courts and prosecuted to the full rigours of the law.

Meanwhile, a man in his 80s has been treated in hospital after being knocked to the ground an incident in Cork City centre.

The man received minor injuries after being knocked during a public order incident by a number of other parties on Patricks Street just before 8pm last night.

A garda spokesman said the man was taken to the Mercy University Hospital for treatment for non life threatening injuries to his hand as a precaution.

One source said the man happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and was not involved in the public order incident.

Gardai had been called to the scene but those involved in the incident had left the scene.

No arrests have been made and gardai are continuing their investigation, he said.

However, Independent Cllr Ken OFlynn said the city centre has become a no-go area for many people and he called for more high visibility garda patrols.

He said despite claims that Cork has never had more gardai, there doesnt seem to be a visible garda presence on the ground in the city centre.

I was in the city centre myself on Friday night and didnt see a single garda, he said.

I have also witnessed day-time drug dealing in the city centre, on Caroline St, on Paul St, and on Tuckey St.

We are told that we have more gardai but we dont seem to see them.

He suggested using the old Cork prison building as a drunk tank or as a temporary detention facility to deal in the short term with those involved in such violent street fights.

And he said the authorities should conduct a review of the operation of various homeless charities who operate feeding stations in the city centre and consider providing them with permanent facilities.

I admire the dedication of those involved in these services but perhaps the time has come now to look at amalgamating such homeless services and to find a proper facility for them, Mr O'Flynn said.
Simon Coveney has said he intends to bring a memo to Cabinet shortly recommending a significant increase in Ireland's defence spending.

Speaking from Helsinki this morning, as Finland sits poised to join Nato, Mr Coveney, who holds the defence and foreign affairs portfolios, said discussions on military spending have been ramped up since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.

Finland, where up until a few months ago support for joining Nato stood at approximately 20%-25%, has now seen that support swell to 70%. In Finland's parliament of 200 members, only eight voted against joining Nato. The country applied for Nato membership on May 18.

We've seen a huge shift in public support and political support because of what's happened in Ukraine and because of Russian aggression, and what that means for the future, Mr Coveney said.

Of course, the debate in Ireland is very different because I don't think the broader public in Ireland feels a direct threat from Russia to Irish sovereignty and security in the same way that is the case here in Finland.

"But undoubtedly, there is debate happening across the European Union, whether it's in Finland and Sweden, where I am today or indeed in many other countries, where there's a lot of discussion now around how the EU secures its future and protects its people and Ireland needs to be part of that debate."

Mr Coveney said he plans to bring a very significant memo to Government recommending a significant increase in expenditure on defence. "We now have very clear evidence on the back of the commission that reported on the capacity problems within the Defence Forces that we need to address."

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence said Ireland "needs to move ahead as well with an open mind I think on broader debates around what neutrality means today, versus what it might have meant 10 years ago or five years ago or even six months ago because that debate is changing.

During his visit, Mr Coveney will meet with Finlands Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pekka Haavisto, Finlands Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen, and Swedens Foreign Minister Ann Linde.

Mr Coveneys team say he will use this opportunity to discuss Russias War of Aggression against Ukraine, the Security situation in Europe, Irelands Presidency of the UN Security Council and Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Boris Johnson is set to meet his Cabinet on Tuesday as he seeks to keep his premiership afloat by putting a bruising confidence ballot firmly behind him.

The British prime minister insisted he had secured a decisive victory despite 148 of his own MPs voting to oust him on Monday night, arguing the UK government could now move on and focus on what really matters to people.

He also poured cold water on the prospect of a snap election, saying he was certainly not interested in the idea.

But while allies of Mr Johnson have insisted his ballot victory should draw a line under the question of his leadership, Labour is moving to apply further pressure on the PM by pushing a Commons vote on standards.

The party is urging MPs from all sides to back calls for Mr Johnsons ethics adviser to be given the freedom to launch his own investigations into potential ministerial rule breaches.

Boris Johnson is set to meet his Cabinet on Tuesday as he seeks to keep his premiership afloat by putting a bruising confidence vote firmly behind him (Alberto Pezzali/PA)

Tory MPs voted by 211 to 148 in support of the prime minister on Monday, but the scale of the revolt against his leadership left him wounded.

When Theresa May faced a confidence vote in 2018 she secured the support of 63% of her MPs, but was still forced out within six months.

Mr Johnson saw 41% of his MPs vote against him, a worse result than Mrs May.

But the prime minister told reporters in Downing Street: I think its an extremely good, positive, conclusive, decisive result which enables us to move on, to unite and to focus on delivery and that is exactly what we are going to do.

He rejected the assertion that he was now a lame duck prime minister who needed to call a snap election to secure a new mandate from the public, insisting he was focused on peoples priorities.

I think its an extremely good, positive, conclusive, decisive result which enables us to move on

Several ministers flocked to back the PM following the result, with foreign secretary Liz Truss and levelling up secretary Michael Gove tweeting their support.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said it was time to move forward after the prime ministers victory, while health secretary Sajid Javid said Mr Johnson had secured a fresh mandate from the Conservative Party.

Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis also said Tory MPs must unite behind the PM and focus on making peoples lives better.

But others were not entirely positive, with environment secretary George Eustice saying it is always disappointing when there is a significant minority of your own party voting in such a way.

Mr Eustice told the PA news agency the result underlines that as a government we have got to work very hard to reconnect with our own parliamentary party to reunite them behind the agenda we were all elected to deliver.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said it is always disappointing when there is a significant minority of your own party voting in such a way (James Manning/PA)

Blackpool MP Scott Benton, who voted in favour of Mr Johnson, said he could acknowledge the outcome was not good for the prime minister, and he would have preferred a bigger majority.

Speaking to Sky News in Westminsters central lobby, Mr Benton said his constituents dont care about the tittle-tattle in Westminster.

But asked if he could acknowledge that it was not a good result for Mr Johnson, he said: No, I can acknowledge it.

Of course I support Boris Johnson. Would I have liked the majority to be higher for him this evening? Of course, I would.

But as a Conservative Party we do one thing very well, and thats uniting and fighting the opposition.

Would I have liked the majority to be higher for him this evening? Of course, I would

Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Johnson was utterly unfit for the great office he holds.

Conservative MPs made their choice, he said.

They have ignored the British public and hitched themselves and their party firmly to Boris Johnson and all he represents.

The scale of the revolt against Mr Johnsons leadership has left him vulnerable, and he could suffer further blows in two key by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton on June 23.

But he was bullish on Monday night as he told reporters that he had secured a very good result for politics and for the country.

In its motion, to be tabled in the Commons on Tuesday, Labour will ask all MPs to vote to adopt a package of recommendations put forward by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in a report last year.

These include a call for Mr Johnsons ethics adviser to be able to initiate investigations into breaches of the ministerial code.

The prime minister previously said he was putting in place an enhanced process for his independent adviser on the code, Lord Geidt, to initiate his own investigations into possible breaches, but that he would still need Mr Johnsons consent before proceeding.

Labours deputy leader, Angela Rayner (Gareth Fuller/PA)

The chairman of the standards watchdog, Lord Evans of Weardale, said the change, while an improvement on the previous position, meant the adviser was still not sufficiently independent.

Angela Rayner, Labours deputy leader, said: Labour is urging MPs of all parties to support this independent, cross-party package of reforms to tackle decaying standards.

If they fail to back this move to clean up politics, it is they who will have to look their constituents in the eye.

Former Conservative leader William Hague said Mr Johnson has experienced a greater level of rejection than any of his predecessors and should quit the premiership.

Last nights vote is worse in percentage terms than that suffered by Mrs May and on a par with Heseltines challenge against Mrs Thatcher.



The Prime Minister should now leave with honour and residual affection for what he has achieved.  Andrew Bridgen (@ABridgen) June 7, 2022

Words have been said that cannot be retracted, reports published that cannot be erased, and votes have been cast that show a greater level of rejection than any Tory leader has ever endured and survived, Mr Hague wrote in The Times.

The article was shared by Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who said: Lord Hague is right. The residual concerns from across the party will continue to remain.

Last nights vote is worse in percentage terms than that suffered by Mrs May and on a par with Heseltines challenge against Mrs Thatcher.

The prime minister should now leave with honour and residual affection for what he has achieved.
A British journalist and an Indigenous affairs official are still missing in a remote part of Brazils Amazon as authorities say they are expanding search efforts in the area, which has seen violent conflicts between fishermen, poachers and government agents.

Dom Phillips, who has been a regular contributor to The Guardian, and Bruno Araujo Pereira were last seen early on Sunday in the Sao Rafael community, reported the Univaja association of people in the Vale do Javari Indigenous territory, for which Mr Pereira has been an adviser.

The pair were returning by boat from the Vale do Javari and bound for the city of Atalaia do Norte, about an hour away, but never showed up.

Mr Pereira is one of the Brazilian Indigenous affairs agencys most experienced employees operating in the Vale do Javari area.

He oversaw the agencys regional office and the co-ordination of isolated Indigenous groups before going on his current leave.

He has received a stream of threats from illegal fishermen and poachers, and usually carries a gun.

The Itaquai River runs through the Vale do Javari region in Amazonas state, Brazil (Fabiano Maisonnave/AP)

Univaja said the two had been threatened during their reporting trip.

On Saturday, while they were camped out, two men travelled by river to the Indigenous territorys boundary and brandished a firearm at a Unijava patrol, the associations president, Paulo Marubo, told The Associated Press (AP).

Mr Phillips, who has reported from Brazil for more than a decade, has been working on a book about preservation of the Amazon with support from the Alicia Patterson Foundation, which gave him a year-long fellowship for environmental reporting that ran until January.

The pair disappeared while returning from a two-day trip to the Jaburu Lake region, where Mr Phillips interviewed local Indigenous people, Univaja said.

Only the two were on the boat.

The place where they went missing is the primary access route to and from the Vale do Javari, Brazils second-largest Indigenous territory that is bigger than Maine, and where several thousand Indigenous people live in dozens of villages.

People from the area say that it is highly unlikely the men would have gotten lost in that sector.

He is a cautious journalist, with impressive knowledge of the complexities of the Brazilian environmental crisis, Margaret Engel, the Alicia Patterson Foundations executive director, wrote in an email.

Dom Phillips, a superb journalist, regular contributor to @guardian, and great friend, is missing in Javari Valley of Amazon after death threats to his indigenista companion, Bruno Pereira, who is also missing. Calling on Brazilian authorities to urgently launch search operation.  jonathanwatts (@jonathanwatts) June 6, 2022

And he is a beautiful writer and a lovely person. The best of our business.

Brazils federal public prosecutors said in a statement on Monday they had opened an investigation and that the Federal Police, Amazonas states civil police, the national guard and navy had been mobilised.

The navy, which prosecutors described as co-ordinating the search, said it sent a search-and-rescue team of seven and would deploy a helicopter on Tuesday.

The armys footprint and manpower is far greater than the navys in the region, and there was no indication from officials on why it was not included in the initial search efforts.

But late on Monday, a spokesman for the armys Amazon division told AP it had since received orders to deploy a search mission.

Mr Phillips has also contributed to the Washington Post and New York Times.

He currently lives in Salvador, a city in Brazils Bahia state, with his wife, Alessandra Sampaio, who shared a series of messages on Twitter through a friend.

I can only pray that Dom and Bruno are well, somewhere, prevented from continuing on for some mechanical reason, and that all of this becomes just one more story in a life replete with them, Ms Sampaio wrote.

It is extremely important that Brazilian authorities dedicate all available and necessary resources to the immediate realisation of searches, in order to guarantee, as soon as possible, the safety of the two men

I know, however, the moment the Amazon is going through and I know the risks that Dom always denounced.

The Vale do Javari region has experienced repeated shootouts between hunters, fishermen and official security agents, who have a permanent base in the area, which has the worlds largest population of uncontacted Indigenous people.

It is also a major route for cocaine produced on the Peruvian side of the border, then smuggled into Brazil to supply local cities or to be shipped to Europe.

In September 2019, an employee of the Indigenous affairs agency was shot dead in Tabatinga, the largest city in the region. The crime was never solved.

It is extremely important that Brazilian authorities dedicate all available and necessary resources to the immediate realisation of searches, in order to guarantee, as soon as possible, the safety of the two men, Maria Laura Canineau, the director of Human Rights Watch in Brazil, said in a statement on Monday.

Journalists working for regional media outlets in the Amazon have been slain in recent years, though there have been no such cases among journalists from national media nor foreign media.

However, there have been several reports of threats, and the press has limited access to several areas dominated by criminal activity, including illegal mining, land-grabbing and drug trafficking.

I hope they are found soon, that they are well and safe, former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva posted on Twitter.

President Jair Bolsonaro issued a comment on Tuesday: Really, just two people in a boat in a completely wild region like that is not a recommended adventure. Anything could happen. It could be an accident, it could be that they have been killed, he said in an interview with television network SBT.

We hope and ask God that theyre found soon. The armed forces are working hard.
Burma Junta Forces Continue to Torch Villages in Upper Myanmar

In Ngouke To Village in Kantbalu Township, Sagaing Region after being torched by regime forces in late April./Photo- Koehtaungboh Revolution

Over 180 houses in Sagaing Region were burned down on Monday as regime forces continued to torch villages in Kantbalu Township, according to locals and resistance groups.

On Monday morning, a detachment of 80 junta soldiers who have been stationed at Koehtaungboh Village for two months started torching houses in nearby Hnal Kone Village, said Koehtaungboh Revolution, a local news page.

Some 40 houses were burned down in the arson attack, including the homes of both resistance fighters and supporters of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, according to the news page.

Regime forces also torched over 140 houses in Shawphyukone Village in Kantbalu, a village of 250 homes.

Koehtaungboh Peoples Defense Force (PDF) said that junta soldiers burned down another four houses in nearby Khunkone Village on Monday afternoon.

On Sunday, regime troops also torched houses in nearby Kine Village, and subsequently detained 60 villagers in the sun for two hours as punishment for trying to put out the fire, Koehtaungboh Revolution said.

On June 1, a family of three including a child died when junta soldiers randomly shelled the residential areas of Koehtaungboh Village with 60mm mortar shells, said the Kantbalu Tiger Rangers, a local resistance group.

Following the mortar attack, a combined force of local resistance groups attacked the junta troops in the village on June 2 and 3. The PDFs were forced to retreat after they were attacked by three helicopter gunships.

Junta forces have escalated their raids and arson attacks in townships across Sagaing, which remains a stronghold of armed resistance to the military regime. Mobile phone and internet service has also been cut across rural Sagaing.

Data for Myanmar, an independent group monitoring junta atrocities, reported on Monday that an estimated 18,886 houses and buildings had been burned down in regime arson attacks since the coup and up to the end of May.

Sagaing has suffered the most, losing an estimated 13,840 houses.

The monitoring group said that the actual number of houses torched by regime forces is more than their reported figures due to insufficient information on the ground.

Myanmar think tank The Institute for Strategy and Policy, said recently that an estimated 22,299 houses and buildings had been burned down up to May 26. Of those, 15,530 were in Sagaing Region.

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Burma Junta Forces Kill Striking Employees of China-backed Mine in Upper Myanmar

Letpadaung copper mine pictured in 2014. / The Irrawaddy

Myanmars military regime has detained and killed striking employees of China-backed copper mines in Sagaing Regions Salingyi Township, alleging that they have ties to Peoples Defense Forces (PDF), said a local resistance group.

On May 25, regime soldiers killed two striking employees from Myanmar Yang Tse Copper Ltd., said the Phoenix without Border guerilla group.

The two victims were identified as Ko Kyaw Nyein, who worked in the processing department, and Ko Chit Thein Zaw, who worked in the mining department. Both men were from Ywa Thar Village in Salingyi, said Phoenix without Border.

The duo fled during a junta raid and were caught in Done Taw Village. Their bodies were found at the cemetery of Kan Kone Village, according to the guerilla group. The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the report.

Junta troops also reportedly detained U Thein Naing, a section head of the Myanmar Yang Tse Ltd mining department on June 1. Pro-junta telegram accounts claimed that U Thein Naing had ties to PDFs.

In April, 16 resistance groups in Sagaing warned China-run copper mines to halt operations by May 5, saying that the mines are helping fund the Myanmar military whose air raids, arson attacks and artillery strikes have devastated much of rural Sagaing.

Chinese mining company Wanbao and its two subsidiaries, Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper Ltd. and Myanmar Yang Tse Copper Ltd., run three copper mines  Letpadaung, Sabetaung and Kyesintaung  in Sagaings Salingyi Township, in partnership with the military-owned Myanma Economic Holdings Ltd.

The mines have long been a source of public fury for being built on confiscated land and destroying the environment. Letpadaung copper mine, especially, has made headlines for many years due to land disputes and a series of violent crackdowns against anti-mine protesters.

The warning to cease operations by the PDFs followed an attempt by Wanbao to resume mining after output at the mines fell dramatically due to employees going on strike since last years coup.

Resistance groups said that junta troops have raided villages near the copper mines since their warning.

On May 5, Wanbao expressed deep concerns in response to the threats from the PDFs.

Wanbao is a subsidiary of the state-owned defense firm China North Industries Corporation. In July 2021, the US sanctioned Wanbao Mining and its entities for supporting Myanmars regime and has also banned the trade of copper from the mines on the London Metal Exchange.

Regime forces have been raiding and torching villages across Salingyi and neighboring Yinmabin townships, but resistance remains strong in those areas with locals continuing to stage protests against the junta.

On Sunday, PDFs fired mortar shells at the main Salingyi police station and junta checkpoints. At least five regime soldiers are believed to have been injured, according to Salingyi PDF.
Burma Myanmar Junta Slams France Over Illegitimate Snub, Threatens Ties

The Myanmar regime's Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin takes part in a virtual meeting of foreign ministers and representatives of members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Naypyitaw in March 2021. / AFP

YANGONMyanmars junta on Monday expressed its utmost indignation at a French diplomatic snub describing it as an illegitimate government, warning it could threaten bilateral ties.

Last week the junta said it would execute a former lawmaker from ousted State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyis party and a prominent democracy activist, in what would be the countrys first judicial executions in decades.

The announcement sparked outrage among rights groups and governments and calls for their release.

A statement condemning reports of the sentencing issued by Frances embassy in Yangon also referred to the junta as an illegitimate military regime.

On Monday the juntas Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed its utmost indignation and strong protest.

The remarks were totally unacceptable to the Government of Myanmar this statement could have negative impacts on the existing bilateral relations, it said in a statement.

Western governments have led international criticism of last years coup that ousted Daw Aung San Suu Kyis administration and unleashed a violent crackdown on dissent, with some imposing sanctions and meeting with opposition figures.

The statement also slammed the US State Department and the spokesman of UN secretary-general for their irresponsible and reckless statements on the case.

In May the junta threatened to downgrade diplomatic ties with Australia after it said Canberra would not replace its recently departed ambassador to the military-run country.

Britains recent downgrading of its mission in the country to charge daffaires was also slammed as unacceptable by a spokesman last month.

Shunned by Western governments, the junta has turned to traditional allies including Russia and China for support.

It has described Russias invasion of Ukraine as justified, backing its major ally and arms supplier.

Four people, including former MP Phyo Zeya Thaw and democracy activist Ko Jimmy, will be hanged after their appeals against their death sentences were thrown out, a junta spokesman said on Friday.

The date for the executions has not yet been announced.

The junta has sentenced dozens of anti-coup activists to death as part of its crackdown on dissent after seizing power last year, but Myanmar has not carried out an execution for decades.
Burma Myanmars Shadow Govt Operates Network of Schools in Resistance Strongholds

A community school in Myaung Township, Sagaing Region / Myaung Education Network

In parts of Myanmars northwest and southeast, where anti-regime resistance has rendered the juntas administration largely ineffective, students are back in classbut not at military government-run schools.

They instead go to community schools staffed by former government school teacherslocally known as CDM teachers for their participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), which was set up by state employees who refuse to work under the military government.

Most of the schools are under the guidance of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG), a parallel government set up by lawmakers from the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) and its ethnic allies in the wake of the military coup last year.

Students from primary to high school age in Sagaing Region, Magwe Region, Chin State, southern Shan State, Kayah State and Karen State are now attending the community schools supported by local well-wishers.

The NUGs Ministry of Education has issued a recognition policy for the public schools while providing teaching guidelines. Textbooks and other teaching materials are provided by local communities and the classes are free.

In Sagaing Regions Myaung Township alone, nearly 4,000 students are attending 27 community schools run by 380 CDM teachers.

Ma Tereza, a school administrator for the Myaung Education Network, said the organization had been providing interim education since March 2022 to ensure children arent deprived of their right to education.

Their education was delayed by the pandemic and the coup. Students were away from the classroom for two years, she said.

Regime education not wanted

Education is among the social sectors most seriously affected by the coup. A majority of students who had been kept out of classrooms by the COVID-19 school closures in 2019 and 2020 refused to return to their schools when the regime tried to reopen them in June last year. Both parents and students boycotted the education provided by the junta, which has so far killed more than 1,800 people, mainly for rejecting its rule. The NUG encouraged the boycott by offering online classes run by CDM teachers. Some well-to-do parents have enrolled their children in private schools.

In a big blow to the regime, 150,000 out of the more than 430,000 teachers in the country joined the CDM, causing a teacher shortage at schools, according to the Basic Education General Strike Committee (BEGSC).

The regime is still struggling to cope. Shortly before Junethe start of Myanmars basic education school yearit invited CDM teachers to go back to work, saying they would be pardoned provided they hadnt committed serious crimes like killings.

However, barely 2,000 out of the 150,000 striking teachers showed up for work, according to the regimes own figures announced this week.

Student attendance has been similarly unimpressive. According to the junta, while 9 million students are officially enrolled this year, only 5.2 million have appeared in class, meaning nearly 4 million basic education students are still boycotting the regimes education system.

A parent of a high school student from Shwe Pyi Thar Township in Yangon Region said she would never send her son to school as long as the junta exists.

I will provide vocational training to him. If a civilian government takes power, I will let him go to school, no matter how old he is.

For students who refuse to attend the regimes schools, the NUG this year is also offering online classes via its schools such as the Free Online Educational Institution Myanmar, Yangon Federal School, Nway Oo Federal School, Mandalay Federal School, Ayeyarwaddy Federal School and Kaung For You Education, among others.

The schools seem to be popular among those in cities. For example, Kaung For You Education received 100,000 enrollments a few hours after its admission announcement, well exceeding the number it could accept.

But there have been complaints from some parents who cant afford online learning and private schooling; their children have missed two years of school so far.

A mother from Yangons North Dagon Township said that as her family has little income, she couldnt afford the admission fee to send her daughters to a private school. So she has to send her children to a regime-run school, as there are no community schools run by CDM teachers in Yangon, where the juntas administration is still functioning to some extent.

Therefore, I send them to their school, but it doesnt mean we support military rule, she said.

Learning amid raids, torchings and fighting

The emergence of community schools in some townships in Sagaing Region, Magwe Region, Chin State, southern Shan State, Kayah State and Karen State can be attributed to the areas unwavering armed resistance against the regime since last year.

Fighting in these areas has inflicted serious casualties on the regime, leaving the junta unable to fully control them, especially in the countryside. In response, the junta raids villages and torches homes.

At the same time, the NUG is trying to establish its administration in these areas while setting up an interim education system through community schools under its guidance.

The total number of community schools in the areas is not yet available, but their popularity is easy to see.

In Sagaings Kawlin Township, 300 CDM teachers are struggling to take care of more than 10,000 students at community schools.

In neighboring Magwe Region, which has seen frequent clashes between junta troops and local resistance forces, nearly 70 community schools have been set up by the NUGs peoples administration this academic year in villages in Myaing, Pauk, Gangaw and Yesagyo townships, according to local people. They use every space available, from government school buildings to Buddhist monasteries. Learning materials are provided by local communities as well as local Peoples Defense Force groups (PDFs) for students whose villages have been torched by junta troops.

Given the regimes frequent raids on villages, the PDFs also try to provide a degree of security for the schools. But when the military mounts serious raids, all have to flee.

Ma Tereza, the school administrator for the Myaung Education Network, admitted that this is a problem. But teaching resumes once the soldiers have left the village. Even if the village is burnt, parents dont fail to send their children to school, she said.

In Kayah State, an anti-regime stronghold in Myanmars southeast, 90 percent of students are attending community schools this academic year, according to the Kayan New Generation Youth (KNGY) group, which has been providing education for local children there since 2007. It operates schools in Pekhon Township in southern Shan State, Thandaungyi Township in Karen State and Demoso Township in Kayah State.

The KNGY began setting up its own schools in 2020-21. So far, it has taught over 8,000 primary school students. Unlike schools under the NUGs guidance and support, the ones run by the KNGY are independent.

Our schools are based on social development and nationalism, said Khun Maung Tin, a KNGY spokesperson.

The KNGY holds classes in religious buildings and residents houses.

As the Myanmar military frequently conducts offensives in Kayah State, some of the groups schools in Demoso and Pekhon were closed this year, he said.

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Burma Over 300 Myanmar Military Troops Killed in Karen State in May: KNU

KNLA and allied resistance forces pose after seizing the juntas strategic Thay Baw Boe camp in Karen State on May 19. / Cobra Column

Some 303 junta troops and members of the pro-regime Border Guard Force (BGF) were killed in 448 clashes with ethnic Karen fighters in southeast Myanmars Karen State in May, taking the total death toll among junta forces in Karen State in the first five months of the year to about 1,800.

The Karen National Union (KNU) said in a statement on Sunday that its armed wingsthe Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO)clashed with regime troops every day last month in the areas it controls in Karen State, adding that there were 448 clashes in total with 303 junta deaths and 215 injured. That means there were at least 14 clashes and around 10 regime fatalities every day in May.

There were 345 clashes in January with 399 regime deaths, 421 clashes in February with 311 regime deaths, 510 clashes in March with 429 regime deaths (making it the deadliest month) and 507 clashes with 356 regime deaths in April, according to the KNUs monthly breakdown of the fighting.

Given those numbers, the total death toll among junta forces in Karen State in the first five months of the year now stands at 1,798.

Around seven KNLA and KNDO fighters were killed and 26 injured in May, said the KNU. Six civilians died in regime artillery strikes and air strikes, and another 21 were wounded. So, the total death toll among KNLA and KNDO fighters in the first five months of the year now stands at 67.

The Irrawaddy has not been able to independently verify the numbers.

Padoh Saw Taw Nee, the head of the KNUs Foreign Affairs Department, attributed Mays decline in regime casualties to the fact that there was only one major clash during the montha battle in which anti-regime forces seized an army camp.

A junta deputy commander was among five regime soldiers killed on May 19 when the KNLA and allied resistance forces seized the strategic Thay Baw Boe camp in Karen State from the Myanmar military.

Thay Baw Boe had been in the hands of the Myanmar military since the early 1990s. Located in a strategic position, it was used by the regime as a staging area from which to reinforce troops when fighting broke out.

Padoh Saw Taw Nee said the general rising trend in the death toll among regime troops over the past five months could be due to a combination of a lack of popular support for the Myanmar military, which limits its ability to gather information, and a decline in the capabilities and morale of junta forces.

In previous decades it was very rare for the army to lose officers on the battlefield, but now even battalion commanders and deputy battalion commanders are being killed in action, he said.

The KNU, Myanmars oldest revolutionary group, rejects the military regime, which seized power in a coup in February last year. Since then, its armed wings have been fighting in Karen State alongside civilian resistance groups that also oppose the junta.

Fighting between junta troops and the KNLA/KNDO has intensified since the juntas Dec. 14 raid on Lay Kay Kaw Town in Karens Myawaddy Township, close to the border with Thailand. The regime claimed that democracy activists and Peoples Defense Force fighters were sheltering in the town.

The KNU has accused regime forces of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, using civilians as human shields and raiding and looting villages.

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Analysis Junta's Election Next Year Unlikely to End Myanmars Crisis

Votes being counted at a polling station during the 2020 general election. / The Irrawaddy

A crisis unfolded in Myanmar when the military seized power in a coup on Feb. 1, 2021.

Observers made calculations based on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) and failed to notice the role Myanmars people were going to play. Myanmars military admitted it had not expected such a strong response from the people. The crisis continues to worsen.

The United Nations secretary general and Chinas special envoy to Myanmar could not find a quick fix. And ASEANs five-point consensus endorsed by China and the US failed.

Clashes have intensified while the economy declines.

People who believe the juntas policy of annihilation will not work, other countries and people who fear Myanmar will break up if the crisis is not controlled are looking for a solution. One escape route could be the general election which the regime plans to hold next year.

In April, the Chinese and Indian ambassadors separately visited the regimes Union Election Commission (UEC).

The Indian representative even promised assistance for a 2023 general election.

The two countries are apparently exploring if an election next year could end the crisis in Myanmar. Other countries also apparently share the view.

But we need to review why the 1990 general election provided no solution.

People will say it is because the former regime refused to hand over power to the NLD. The real problem is the regime lacked the will to deal with problems through dialogue and ignored the majority.

Instead of dialogue, the regime chose to lock up thousands of political prisoners.

Some will argue that the 2010 election did not end the crisis. The election itself was not the solution but the actions taken after the election were. The release of political prisoners, the lifting of media censorship, economic reforms and dialogue with opposition leaders helped end the crisis. Myanmar enjoyed relative stability between 2011 and 2020.

Electoral fraud at the 2020 general election is the reason the regime has cited for its coup. But according to the 2008 Constitution, it is the UEC and not the government that is responsible for elections.

So it had to be the UEC to be blamed or prosecuted for mismanaging an election. But the regime has not prosecuted election officials but instead targeted NLD government figures on corruption charges.

It has failed to prove its accusations of electoral fraud.

As to the proportional representation (PR) system which the regime is planning to introduce in the place of first-past-the-post, the Constitutional Tribunal has ruled that it does not comply with the 2008 Constitution. But the regime is prepared to introduce PR anyway, which questions its claim that it will stick to the 2008 Constitution. So we need to analyze the real intention of the military in staging its coup in 2021. And this has called into question next years election which the junta will organize under the 2008 Constitution which it has been bending and stretching as it pleases.

What is important is the wishes of Myanmars people. Myanmars crisis today is the result of last years coup and people see the military as responsible.

Thousands died and tens of thousands were detained and countless houses have been torched. People will not accept a military-organized election if the junta refuses to take responsibility for its atrocities. More than 1,000 people were given prison sentences and some 100 face the death sentence.

The regime has also gagged the media. Under such circumstances, no one will believe an election is free and fair.

The regime claims that some 70 percent of lawmakers have stayed clear of the resistance movement.

Some observers asked if their participation in a junta election could resolve the crisis. At present, the NLD central executive committee and the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) have won a certain degree of public support.

It is impossible that those lawmakers who stay clear of the resistance movement will win the public support the NLDs bodies enjoy. They will not win public support like previous groups that split from the NLD in the past. The pacifists will not be able to persuade the people, heal their pain and calm their anger.

Some NLD members indeed prefer non-violent resistance over the armed struggle.

They stick to Daw Aung San Suu Kyis philosophy of non-violence and avoiding street protests. Though they do not publicly share their views on the NUG, they do not appear to accept armed resistance in their minds.

But their problem is that people only chose armed struggle because there was no alternative. And those NLD members cannot present themselves as figures of non-violent resistance without Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. They know that they cannot win public support.

Another problem is that if they choose to contest the junta-organized election while Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders are in jail, it amounts to betrayal.

The NLD boycotted the 2010 general election because Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures remained under detention at the time. Furthermore, the charges Daw Aung San Suu Kyi faced under the previous regimes were political. But the current regime has filed corruption charges against her.

Despite the promised election, the regime is rounding up political prisoners and the NLD will not be allowed to operate freely. No election will be free or fair under such circumstances.

Another factor is press freedom. The regime has revoked the licenses of several media groups and jailed dozens of journalists. Independent journalists have been barred from doing their job.

The military wants full control of government affairs. It is not willing to release its grip regardless of an election.

While the military claims it is the only institution powerful enough to introduce disciplined democracy, no one trusts an organization that has killed, torched and looted in numerous villages. People distrust anything the military says. Its proposed election is no exception.

Though the regime says it will hold the election next year, it is highly unlikely that stability can be restored in time.

The junta leaders offer for peace talks has failed to convince most of the ethnic armed groups. And so the regime will continue to fight them and the peoples defense forces (PDFs) which get stronger and are forcing the regime to build pillbox bunkers in Yangon.

The economy is in decline and crime is growing. Muggings are happening in central Yangon. It is hard to see how an election will solve these issues.

Another solution is to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and hold talks with her. It is not easy though. Under previous regimes, she was arrested on political charges. Her reputation was not harmed.

But the current regime has prosecuted her for corruption. So it is not enough just to release her. The junta has to explain its fabricated charges. The regime will not do that.

And releasing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will not solve the problem. It also has to deal with the NUG and, more importantly, the PDFs.

In the aftermath of the coup, the regime used violence on protesters but now the people show no fear and the regime has committed more violence and reached a point of no return.

The regime might also be thinking of going to the extreme. Some generals are reportedly fantasizing about one-party dictatorships like North Korea.

The regime may choose to rig the election. The UEC chairman due to oversee the election is the same chairman who oversaw the 2010 general election.

To conclude, it is unlikely any 2023 election will end Myanmars crisis.
Miami-Dade County commissioners on Monday voted 9-4 to approve a resolution that would make the countys unincorporated areas into, essentially, the 35th municipality. This came after a 100-minute reaction during a Special Meeting of the Board.

Action also was taken regarding the Clerk of Courts operations, but both items would not be effective until 2025  after the 2024 election, which will see voters return to the polls to choose a sheriff and a county clerk.

The re-establishment of the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, as approved by voters with the passage of Amendment 10 in November 2018, and new state regulations on how the county Clerk of Courts operations will be led, are the basis for the resolutions.

The idea of having two law enforcement agencies that could overlap each other -- the Miami-Dade Police Department and the new Sheriff's Office -- was questioned with regards to jurisdiction and duplicated services.

For example, which department would take the lead in a homicide case? Then there were questions about the eventual cost to taxpayers.

"This vote doesn't affect municipalities," said Commissioner Raquel Regalado, who decided to drop her resolution in favor of co-prime sponsoring Resolution 220783 with the initiator, Chairman Jose "Pepe" Diaz, after adding a "friendly" amendment.

"(Unincorporated areas) deserve parity, that's all were saying ... the injustice is allowing them to be second-class citizens," she said, regarding a high level of police coverage with specialized divisions, such as homicide.

An elected sheriff would be in charge come 2025, and no longer Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (who is the last in Florida to hold the dual role) or "director" (currently George A. Perez as the interim) of the Miami-Dade PD.

Commissioner Sally Heyman, like several others, said citizens in her district are satisfied with the services they receive now. She wanted to make clear that "all services could remain intact if it's the will of the elected sheriff."

Commissioner Joe Martinez pointed out that a town such as Sweetwater, without its own homicide department, would have to reach out to the Sheriff's Department because the newly created municipality would not have the authority.

"Now you would have to fund the Sheriff's homicide unit, the sexual battery unit, he said, early in the discussions. The best way is to continue services."

The Miami-Dade Police Department is currently being funded from countywide and Unincorporated Municipal Service Area (UMSA) revenues.

Mondays resolution provides that the Miami-Dade Police Department shall provide police patrol services in the unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County as well as the airports, PortMiami, and Miami-Dade County transit facilities, and continue to provide specialized investigative services including, but not limited to, homicide investigations, homeland security, air patrol, special response, economic crimes, public corruption, bomb disposal, the crime lab, the training bureau, the Fusion Center, and the Real Time Crime Center when the Miami-Dade County Sheriffs Office is re-establish on Jan. 7, 2025.

It also provides for the preparation of draft transition agreements to be negotiated with the Sheriff-elect after the November, 2024 election.

"We know, when the Sheriff takes over, he or she will have their opinion on how they see (a perfect fit)," Chairman Diaz said. "I believe this is the most balanced item moving forward."

Martinez agreed, noting that nothing will be decided until the new Sheriff is elected and decides the best way to police Miami-Dade County  especially, the 1 million residents who live in unincorporated areas.

In 1966, the Dade County Sheriff's Office was reportedly engaged in a pattern of corrupt behavior  protecting illegal gambling operations, taking hush money from brothels, and even extorting illegal abortion providers for protection, according to a WLRN report. Following the scandal, Dade County voters chose to eliminate the elected sheriff position and make the county's police chief an appointed role.

Transitioning the Clerk of Courts

Resolution 221007, regarding the County Clerk of Courts and prime-sponsored by Regalado, passed 10-3.

It calls for establishing a transition plan related to the constitutional office of Clerk of the Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County. The resolution also: directs the County Mayor to inventory County employees, assets, equipment, contracts, grants and licenses used by the Finance Department; directs the County Mayor to create a transition plan and draft agreements for the transfer of responsibilities and functions of the County Finance Department to the Clerk of the Circuit Court; and provides for reports to the Board.

That transition also commences Jan. 7, 2025.

Basically, it calls for a Clerk of Court and an ex-officio Clerk of the Board, who would be in attendance, to answer questions on how money is spent, for example, with immediate replies.

Harvey Ruvin, in his 30th year as the county's Clerk of the Courts  and also a former commissioner  was in attendance, and spoke a couple of times at the podium.

"Harvey, my dear friend, you've done an amazing job," Chairman Diaz said. "I respect your opinion (to stay on and seek yet another re-election) and what the state tells you to do ... The amendment (being added to the resolution) is to have an 'asking' in 2025 as to what the state (wants) ... My colleagues are trying to keep it the way you have done, a safe system.

To watch a replay of the entire Board of Commissioners meeting, click here.
Cyber criminals pivoted to unconventional people-focused attack methods last year, including 100,000 daily smartphone attacks and double the amount of smishing (phishing cybersecurity attacks over mobile text messaging) attempts year-over-year, according to cybersecurity firm Proofpoints latest The Human Factor report.

And more than 20 million messages attempted to deliver malware linked to an eventual ransomware attack in 2021, according to the Human Factor 2022 Report which Proofpoint says dives deep into user risk, drawing on data and insight from a years worth of research, covering threats detected, mitigated, and resolved across one of the largest datasets in cybersecurity.

One constant that remains as organisations approach a sense of normalcy after a disruptive year is that cyber criminals continue to target and exploit people, said Proofpoint executive vice president of cybersecurity strategy Ryan Kalember. Last year attackers demonstrated just how unscrupulous they really are, making protecting people from cyber threats an ongoing  and often eye-opening  challenge for organisations.

Proofoint says the report draws from a multitrillion-datapoint graph, one of the largest data sets in cybersecurity, and every day it analyses more than 2.6 billion email messages, 49 billion URLs, 1.9 billion attachments, 28.2 million cloud accounts, 1.7 billion mobile messages and more.

The Human Factor Report analyses data collected throughout 2021 and sheds light on the nature of todays cyber threats, while offering actionable insight on how to protect employees against them. Key findings highlighted in Proofpoints 2022 Human Factor Report include:



Cyber criminals recognise that our smartphone contains the keys to both our personal and professional lives . Smishing attempts more than doubled in the US over the year, while in the UK over 50% of lures were themed around delivery notification. In addition, cyber criminals initiated more than 100,000 telephone-oriented attacks a day.

High-privilege users are disproportionately targeted. Managers and executives make up only 10% of overall users within organisations, but almost 50% of the most severe attack risk.

Over 80% of businesses are attacked by a compromised supplier account each month . Security awareness training focusing on supply chain threats is business critical for organisations.

Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive are the most common legitimate cloud infrastructure platforms used by threat actors . Last year, 35% of cloud tenants that received a suspicious log-in also experienced suspicious file activity after the breach, revealing that privilege-based risk widens as enterprises move to the cloud. On average, approximately 10% of organisations were found to have at least one authorised active malicious application in their environment.

The hand-in-glove relationship between malware groups and ransomware operators continue. More than 20 million messages attempted to deliver malware linked to an eventual ransomware attack between January 1 to December 31, 2021.

Attackers piggyback on pop culture. Threat actors used popular figures such as Justin Bieber and The Weeknd, and Netflix series Squid Game in their lures in 2021. By October, cyber criminals were sending Squid Game-themed emails to victims in the U.S., promising early access to the next season, or even the opportunity to be cast in future episodes.

Cyber criminals continue to capitalise on global conflicts. Earlier this year, threat actors and APT groups aligned with national interests responded to Russias invasion of Ukraine. We saw destructive wiper malware deployed against Ukrainian organisations and key communications infrastructure, in addition to activity from - and - aligned actors, specifically targeting European governmental organisations involved in asylum and other relief efforts. Belarus - and China

To download Proofpoints Human Factor 2022 report, visit: https://www.proofpoint.com/us/resources/threat-reports/human-factor.
Are air taxis the future of public transportation? SK Telecom believes so. The South-Korean telco will commercialise urban air mobility (UAM) in 2025, according to its CEO Ryu Young-sang, saying UAM will fundamentally change the transportation market.

The Korea Times reports UAM is poised to become the next generation of mobility. UAM can reduce air pollution and easing traffic congestion, especially in regions where social infrastructure and populations are concentrated like in Seoul.

UAM aircraft does not emit carbon as they are powered with electricity.

In a company column, Ryu expressed desire to become a leader in the UAM market, ahead of his competitors.

"UAM has been considered to become feasible by 2030 at the earliest, but innovative companies worldwide are shortening the period. SKT will lead the commercialisation of UAM in Korean skies by 2025 and will offer autonomous services by 2030," he wrote, as per The Korea Times.

However, SK Telecom isn't the sole company eyeing the next generation of transportation. Last February, the Korean Government launched its K-UAM Grand Challenge program, seeking to identify the country's first operator or urban air mobility services.

According to Total Telecom, the project seeks to bring together aircraft developers, designers, and operators to develop the UAM ecosystem to commercialise UAM in Korea by 2025.

Aside from SKT, the government has received proposals from car maker Hyundai, Kakao Group, and conglomerate Lotte Group, backed by their own consortium of partners.

SKT's rivals, KT Corp and LG Uplus, have joined the aerospace arena as well.

SKT has teamed up with Silicon Valley-based aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation, as well as Hanhwa Systems and Korea Airports for the said project, and has submitted its proposal on 31 May to participate in the venture.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 6 June 2022.
A team of researchers led by Western Australias Curtin University have joined forces to develop an artificial intelligence tool to improve the maintenance of marine structures such as jetties and ports impacted by corrosion.

The joint project, led by the Curtin Corrosion Centre, has received funding from SmartCrete CRC to deploy the new monitoring tool and to look at better ways to repair ageing marine structures built with commonly used engineering materials such as reinforced concrete.

Lead researcher Dr Mobin Salasi, from the Curtin Corrosion Centre, said marine structures commonly corrode due to their exposure to harsh conditions, including the salt water splash zone where the movement of water plus high levels of oxygen and chlorides induce the perfect corrosive environment.

Each year, 30 billion tonnes of concrete are used for construction, and some of the structures subject to harsh conditions, such as the ocean, which can have a significant impact on their strength and capability to last, Dr Salasi said.

The cost of corrosion-related infrastructure in Australia is currently estimated to be $8 billion and can lead to loss of functionality, high maintenance costs, and in rare extreme situations, catastrophic failures causing injuries. All of these factors mean regular inspections and maintenance are important preventative measures.

This project will address the problem from two fronts  monitoring and repair. Concrete corrosion is a complex multifactorial phenomenon, so the team will develop a new AI-based decision-making tool that will be fed data and images on the marine structures and then the algorithm will produce reports of high-risk areas for the Port authorities, so the maintenance strategies can be scheduled. We will also look at a better repair solution to lengthen the life and extend the inspection interval for these structures.

Professor Mariano Iannuzzi, Director of the Curtin Corrosion Centre, said this is an exciting opportunity for researchers from multiple organisations to come together to find better solutions for a common problem in the construction industry.

Marine structures are an integral part of shipping and transport industries, so it is paramount that these structures are maintained to ensure no other flow-on impacts. In collaboration with Dr Amin Chegenizadeh and Dr Masood Khan from Curtins School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, we will tackle the issue by monitoring the structures and addressing any concerns before it is too late, Professor Iannuzzi said.

Our partners will work together on this innovative and intelligent tool, which will lead to cost savings in the long term, while also helping to reduce the environmental impact caused by these corroded structures.

The partnership is built upon an existing project involving the Curtin Corrosion Centre and Fremantle Ports and Curtin University says the research will assist Fremantle Port Authority and Southern Ports in proactively monitoring corrosion of ageing infrastructure and exploring the suitability of maintenance tools and products.

Monitoring novel concrete chemistries will be assessed as part of the project supported by Parchem Construction Supplies.

The collaborative project also includes researchers from Curtins School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Macquarie University, and Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, part of Hamad bin Khalifa University.

The project will lean on the expertise from Curtins partnership with technology company Cisco and will also deploy students from Innovation Central Perths talent pool to support sensor fusion, dashboard development and development of an AI tool to support predictive maintenance.
Advocacy groups have launched Stop the Deal, a campaign that seeks to block Tesla CEO Elon Musk's US$44 billion ($61 billion) bid in order to acquire social media giant Twitter.

The groups have united against Musk's Twitter takeover, voicing their opposition that "he will degrade important safeguards on the platform if he's allowed to take control," according to CNBC.

The Stop the Deal campaign says Elon Musk's ownership of Twitter will give extremists a platform to ignite "white nationalism, hate, disinformation, and harassment, further endangering marginalised communities."

The campaign warns that if Musk acquires Twitter, accounts of public figures who were banned for inciting violence and spreading disinformation will be reinstated. The campaign is most likely referring to former president Donald Trump, but it did not mention his name, according to Mobile World Live.

According to Al Jazeera, US conservatives are applauding Musk's takeover and have urged the Tesla CEO to restore Trump's Twitter account, which was suspended last 6 January 2021 after the US Capitol riot.

The campaign's website have urged food and beverage companies Coca-Cola and Kraft to stop advertising with Twitter if Musk does not back out.

Accountable Tech, Centre for Countering Digital Hate, GLAAD, and MediaJustice have participated to fight Elon Musk's acquisition.

The campaign is the latest move to against Musk's takeover of Twitter.

Last month, The Guardian reported that Twitter investors sued Musk for delaying his disclosure of his stake in the company, saying that Musk saved US$156 million ($217 million) by failing to disclose that he had purchase more than 5% of Twitter by 14 March.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 6 June 2022.
Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol
Violent insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Over months, the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection has issued more than 100 subpoenas, done more than 1,000 interviews and probed more than 100,000 documents to get to the bottom of the attack that day in 2021 by supporters of Trump.
FILE - The Department of Homeland Security logo is seen during a news conference in Washington, Feb. 25, 2015. DHS says a looming Supreme Court decision on abortion, an increase of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and the midterm elections are potential triggers for extremist violence over the next six months. DHS said June 7, 2022, in the National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin the U.S. was in a "heightened threat environment" already and these factors may worsen the situation.
One of Washington College Academys new divisions is the School of Arts and Crafts where sewing, basket-making and drawing are among the many classes offered.
Johnson City, TN (37604)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 92F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds light and variable.
Johnson City, TN (37604)

Today

Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the morning. High 92F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 72F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Today

Mostly sunny skies this morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 91F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.

Tonight

Widely scattered showers or a thunderstorm this evening. Then partly cloudy. A few storms may be severe. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

Tomorrow

Partly cloudy in the morning followed by scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Hot and humid. High 91F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Four candidates are in the running to become Kenyas next president, including current deputy president William Ruto and veteran politician Raila Odinga, the electoral body said.

It is the smallest number of candidates to be cleared to stand for the top job in the East African powerhouse since multiparty democracy in the early 1990s.

Only four candidates met the requisite constitutional and statutory requirements from a shortlist of 17, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) said in a statement late Monday.

Aside from Ruto and Odinga, the other candidates vying for the presidency in the August 9 vote include lawyers David Mwaure and George Wajackoyah  a former spy who once went into exile in Britain.

More than 50 aspirants had expressed interest in standing to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta, who must stand down after serving the maximum of two five-year terms.

This years contest is shaping up to be a two-horse race between the presidents erstwhile ally Ruto and 77-year-old former opposition leader Odinga, who now has the backing of Kenyatta.

Wajackoyah, an eccentric lawyer, is running on a pledge to expand the executive, reduce the working week to four days and legalise marijuana.

Mwaure, who had shown interest in running in 2013 but later shelved his candidacy, has pledged to crack down on corruption, a hot-button issue in Kenya.

 Women running mates 

All the candidates save for Ruto have chosen women as their running mates, which, should they win, would open the door to Kenyas first female deputy president.

A mainstay of Kenyan politics, Odinga remains hugely popular despite losing four shots at the presidency.

But his fiery anti-establishment image took a knock following his 2018 reconciliation with Kenyatta.

Ruto, 55, was initially anointed by Kenyatta as his successor but found himself marginalised after the 2018 pact between the president and former foe Odinga.

A former agriculture minister, Ruto has lambasted Kenyatta over his economic policies including the countrys huge debt burden, vowing to undo them if elected.

With its diverse population and ethnic voting blocs, elections in Kenya have often been marred by violence.

Both Kenyatta and Ruto had been indicted by the International Criminal Court on crimes against humanity charges for their alleged role in orchestrating post-poll violence in 2007 that cost more than 1,100 lives.

The case collapsed in 2016 after the court declared a mistrial citing troubling incidences of witness interference.

After post-election fighting in 2017 left dozens dead, Kenyatta and Odinga announced a rapprochement, saying they hoped to end repeated cycles of poll-related violence.
Jeon Mi Do made a surprise appearance at the 67th Memorial Day Ceremony.

Observed every 6th of June, the annual ceremony honors the fallen Soldiers and civilians during the Korean war.

Jeon Mi Do Participates in 67th Memorial Day

For the 67th Memorial Day, all eyes and ears are on the 39-year-old South Korean actress who joined the celebration and participated in the ceremony by reciting a letter titled "A Grandfather's Promise."

According to Osen, a live broadcast via KBS at the National Cemetery in Seoul featured the highlights during Memorial Day.

Jeon Mi Do was spotted wearing an all-black ensemble as she read the message written by Jeong Ji Hee, the granddaughter of the late Army Brigadier General Hwang Gyu Man.

With a calm voice, the actress recites a short yet heartfelt letter that includes lines that say, "It's been two years since I couldn't see my grandfather's warm smile. Grandpa always said 'a life in debt' and 'a life of bonuses.' I didn't understand. I remember the story my grandfather once told me."

The 67th Memorial Day Ceremony was attended by over 5,000 people of the bereaved families and representatives, as well as President Yoon Seok Yeol and his wife, Kim Kun Hee.

Over Twitter, fans expressed how proud they are of Jeon Mi Do being able to read the lines while holding back her tears.

She's holding back her tears but still the voice did not crack. We missed you eonnie #JeonMido https://t.co/S200BpuuZF  Rose  (@RoseeeforRosie) June 6, 2022

On the other note, some fans mentioned how gorgeous the actress is with her slightly long hair like the ones she had during "Hospital Playlist."

Last time we saw a Mido update was when she still had her Chanyoung hair. And now, her Songhwa hair is [coming] back!! #JeonMido # #Mido # #Midoring pic.twitter.com/eRNJlTT1zw  Midoring  (@JeonMido_) June 6, 2022

From Neurosurgeon in 'Hospital Playlist' to Cancer Patient in 'Thirty-Nine'

The 39-year-old theater actress catapulted to fame after landing the role of Yulje Medical Center's top-notch neurosurgeon Chae Song Hwa in "Hospital Playlist."

For two seasons, Jeon Min Do captivated the hearts of viewers with her beauty and charm as she played the skilled doctor.

In addition, fans are also hooked on her chemistry with fellow lead stars Yoo Yeon Seok, Kim Dae Myung, Jung Kyung Ho, and her team-up with Jo Jung Suk.

Unfortunately, after successfully wrapping up the second season with a high viewership rating, PD Shin Won Ho admitted that producing season 3 is quite a challenge as he has "accumulated a lot of concerns and exhaustion" from coming up with the drama adding, "I don't think it'll be easy to make a decision on whether we'll continue on with this story."

While the fans are hopeful that tvN will release "Hospital Playlist 3," Jeon Mi Do appear as one of the lead stars in "Thirty-Nine."

She is joined by top stars Son Ye Jin and Kim Ji Hyun as they played highschool best friends.

At the time, "Thirty-Nine" faced backlash after portraying Jeon Mi Do as a terminally ill patient.

Netizens pointed out that her new character contradicts her previous role in "Hospital Playlist."

However, Jeon Mi Do perfectly pulled off her character despite the criticisms, making viewers cry buckets.

KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
"Our Blues" episodes 17 and 18 touch the hearts of many as it depicts different family dynamics and how they cope with unexpected situations.

Here's what happened to Go Doo Shim, Ki So Yu, Kim Hye Ja and Lee Byung Hun in the latest episodes of the hit series.

'Our Blues' Episode 17: Hyeon Chun Hui Discovers Son's Hidden Secret

Although delighted to see her granddaughter Son Eun Gi (Ki So Yu), Hyeon Chun Hui (Go Doo Shim) still worries about the reason why her daughter-in-law left her daughter in her care.

Unfortunately, it wasn't anything about a failing marriage rather it was something more severe.

After accidentally hearing Eun Gi's story, Chun Hui rushes to Mokpo Hospital to check on her son who's currently in the ICU after unexpectedly getting hit by a truck.

She suggests letting her son die to stop the pain and agony, and hands all of her savings to her daughter-in-law for her to start anew.

Back in Jeju, Eun Gi cries her heart out and refuses to accept that her father is in critical condition.

Eun Gi still hopes for her father to be better, and fulfill his promises to see 100 moons and make 100 wishes as they live in Jeju harmoniously.

Thankfully, Chun Hui's son wakes up from coma and recovers with the help of his wife and daughter.

Back at home, Chun Hui busies herself with work to help her son financially, and waits for his family to come to Jeju to settle down as a fisherman.

'Our Blues' Episode 18: Lee Dong Seok Recalls Painful Past

Lee Dong Seok (Lee Byung Hun) finally discovers the truth behind his mother's failing health as Jung Eun Hui (Lee Jung Eun) reveals that his mother suffers from terminal cancer.

Because of his wrath, he couldn't feel any positive emotions about what he learned. Instead, his hate for Kang Ok Dong (Kim Hye Ja) becomes more intense.

He recalls how much he loathed his mother's marriage with his father's own friend. Because she remarried, he would always be beaten to pulp by his step-brothers without showing any remorse.

This scarred Dong Seok for life, and up until now, he still couldn't look at his mother the same way. But when he learns about her illness, his heart softens up.

In spite of his hatred towards his mother's second family, Dong Seok still agrees to accompany her to her late ex-husband's memorial service.

Though he tries so hard to display indifference, Dong Seok feels a gut-wrenching emotion as he sees his mother tidying up her house and giving away personal items, as if preparing to bid goodbye to her friends.

Meanwhile, Min Seon Ah (Shin Min Ah), who promises to visit Jeju after her work in Seoul, confesses her love for Dong Seok in episode 18.

KDramadtars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
As part of Netflix's Geeked Week, the zombie apocalyptic series "All of Us Are Dead" announces its return with a new season!

With a gripping and spine-chilling drama poster, the series keeps fans' excitement to a whole new level!

'All of Us Are Dead' Returns With Season 2 This 2022

Zombie junkies are screaming in excitement as the Netflix hit series "All of Us Are Dead" starring Cho Yi Hyun, Park Ji Hu, Lomon, Yoon Chan Young and more announces its return!

On Tuesday, June 7, Netflix Korea officially announced that the highly loved series is set to return with a new season through an eerie poster and a video teaser.

"All of Us Are Dead" depicts the stories of students who fend for themselves as a zombie virus breaks out at their school.

The series topped the global Netflix charts one day after its release, and became the second most successful South Korean show following "Squid Game" and "Hellbound."

On the other hand, the news of its second season was announced as part of Netflix's Geeked Week, an event that intends to showcase series with the Asian horror and sci-fi genres.

The Geeked Week video featured the four main stars of the series including Park Ji Hu, Yoon Chan Young, Cho Yi Hyun and Lomon who thanked their fans for their immense support.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: Did You Know? Yoon Chan Young Had His First Kiss Ever in 'All of Us Are Dead'

In particular, the quartet also teased the viewers on what to expect in the second season, intensifying fans and viewers' excitement.

Furthermore, "All of Us Are Dead" Season 2 is expected to be released sometime in 2022 through Netflix's Geeked Week!

'All of Us Are Dead' Spoilers and What To Expect From the New Season

In the first season, the story of Yoon Chan Young, Park Ji Hu, Cho Yi Hyun and Lomon was left open-ended.

While other students were rescued by the government, Choi Nam Ra (Cho Yi Hyun) became a hambie or a zombie and Lee Cheong San (Yoon Chan Young) is presumably dead.

Now that a new season is on its way, viewers and fans look forward to finding out what's in store for the characters and their backstories.

In particular, the story of Choi Nam Ra, who was timid and reserved in the first season, is one of the arcs that people anticipate to see the most.

The stories of supporting characters Yoo In Soo, Lee Yoo Mi, Kim Byung Chul, Lee Kyu Hyung and Jeon Bae Soo are also expected to be put under the microscope.

"All of Us Are Dead" is a webtoon-adapted drama written by Chun Sung Il and directors Lee Jae Kyoo and Kim Nam Su.

In case you missed it, watch the drama teaser here:

What are you hoping to see in Season 2? Share it with us in the comments below!

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
Only three of nine Kelowna city councillors attended the Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual convention, held in Regina over the weekend. When the event was last held in person in Quebec City in 2019, seven Kelowna councillors attended.
Kelowna pilot Dave McElroy, right, and other members of the Give Hope Wings expedition prepare to take off Monday from Kelowna's airport in support of Hope Air.
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RACINE  If a loved one was missing, after how many years would you give up hope and stop searching?

Never, Trenna Anderson Jossart said. Absolutely never.

Jossart is the aunt of Rachel, Cameron and Kyle Anderson, who went missing along with their mother in April 2000, after the family left Racine and moved to Fulton, Mississippi. Rachel, Cameron and Kyle were 13, 12 and 9 at the time.

Ever since, for more than two decades, the Anderson family has been working to find them.

The exact date the Andersons went missing is unclear, but their family was able to narrow down the timeframe earlier this year when they received information they had long been trying to obtain: the last day the children were in school in Fulton.

Rachels last day was April 5, 2000. Kyles last day was two days later. Cameron never returned after April 10.

Adding to the mystery, the Anderson kids two older siblings (their mom had two children from a previous relationship before having Rachel) are apparently still alive in Mississippi.

The Anderson family is currently engaged in another campaign to spread the word of the missing family in hopes that someone, somewhere, will remember something. Perhaps someone in their hometown of Racine can help.

Last call

In 2000, Jeff Anderson, the father of the three missing children, was preparing for the summer visit he was due to receive as part of the custody agreement with his ex-wife, Leslie.

He remembers the last conversation he had with one of his kids, Cameron, who had called on a Wednesday.

Jeff reminded his son he would talk to him on Saturday, per the court order that allowed phone calls between Jeff and his kids only on Saturdays.

He had been in trouble with his ex-wife once before for calling Rachel on weekdays while she was in school.

Jeff told his son he did not want to get in trouble with Leslie for violating the court order.

He remembers Cameron saying something like, All right, Daddy, I love you. It would be the last time he spoke to any of his children.

Jeff attempted to call his children on Saturday but did not get to talk to them. He was put off for months by the property owner where the family was staying with excuses such as, Theyre not here right now.

The Journal Times could not independently verify the property owners name.

The property owner  who is apparently still alive and living with the two older Anderson siblings  was also from Racine and the group had moved south together in 1997 or 1998.

The two older children were from a previous relationship of Leslies and were later adopted by Jeff. Both of the children have mental disabilities.

Fulton

After months of excuses, the property owner told Jeff that Leslie did not like Mississippi, packed up three of her kids and left with a truck driver. According to Jeff, the property owner said Leslie left her two older kids with him.

Jeff said he never believed Leslie just left with the three younger kids, leaving the two oldest behind.

Jossart pointed to the staggered days the three children stopped going to school and said, They did not just leave in the middle of the night.

Investigation

What has followed is a two-decade long effort to track down Leslie, Rachel, Cameron, and Kyle.

The initial efforts in Mississippi were hindered, Jossart said, by local officials who treated the missing Andersons as a parental abduction case and not a missing person case.

She claimed one Mississippi officer said, Sometimes people do not want to be found.

However, officials in Ohio County, Indiana, where Jossart lives, were successful in having the names of the missing Andersons entered into the National Crime Information Center database, even though the family disappeared in another jurisdiction.

The family worked with a private investigator. Additionally, the pictures of the family were featured on the wall of Walmart back when the store still featured the photos of missing children, and their pictures were also featured on the back of tax booklets issued by the federal government.

The Johnson family has also worked closely with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

However, they have not been able to see the two remaining children, still living on the same property in Mississippi. The Andersons attempted to talk to them in 2002, but the property owner called the police and had Jossart, Jeff Anderson and their mother removed, they claimed.

Because they are adults, they cannot be made to visit with their adoptive family.

In the time since Leslie was last seen in Fulton, Mississippi, her social security has not been used for employment and she has not registered a car.

Additionally, the childrens school records from Wisconsin were never requested by any other district.

Jeff said he hoped someone would come forward with information.

I miss my kids dearly, he said. I missed them growing up.

I would appreciate any help from anybody, no matter how small it may seem to be, Jeff said. It may be the last piece of the puzzle.

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China's social security fund records steady expansion in 2021

Xinhua) 15:58, June 07, 2022

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China's social security fund reported steady expansion in terms of revenue and expenditure in 2021, data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security showed.

The revenue of the fund topped 6.82 trillion yuan (1.02 trillion U.S. dollars) last year, soaring 34.6 percent from 2020, according to a statistical bulletin released by the ministry.

About 6.27 trillion yuan of the fund was spent in the same period, up 8.9 percent from the previous year, the bulletin said.

Contributions to the social security fund come from basic old-age insurance, unemployment insurance and work-related injury insurance.

By the end of 2021, about 1.03 billion people had participated in the basic old-age insurance scheme, and the accumulative balance of the fund neared 6.4 trillion yuan.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
Last month was the worst-ever May on record for overcrowding at St Lukes Hospital, with soaring trolley figures supplied by the INMO.

Data shows 637 people were left waiting for a bed at the hospital in May - more than double that of the same month the previous year, when 250 patients were on trolleys and wards. The INMO has sounded the alarm over the extremely high figures, which traditionally decline at this time of year after the busy winter months.

There are 34 patients waiting on beds there today.

It comes mere weeks after a surprise visit to the local hospital in April by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to partially open a new ward. That, so far, appears to have had no discernible impact on the trolley crisis, with St Luke's the fourth most-overcrowded in the country in May.

Nationally, over 8,680 patients were without a bed in Irish hospitals in May according to the monthly TrolleyWatch figures.

It has been another extremely difficult month for Irish nurses and midwives in our hospitals. May is traditionally a time in our hospitals where pressure begins to ease but our members have had no reprieve," said INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha.

Yet again, University Hospital Limerick is the most overcrowded hospital in the State. Nurses there are reporting that they are under tremendous pressure and are completely overwhelmed by the conditions they are working in day in and day out. Nurses right across the country are reporting high levels of burnout.

The HSE Emergency Taskforce should convene in Limerick, so all members can see first-hand the suboptimal conditions that healthcare staff are working in and make recommendations on improving conditions in the countrys most overcrowded Emergency Department.

The Minister for Health must make good on his proposed expert review of University Hospital Limerick. It has been over a month since he announced a review would take place, yet no terms of reference have been published or meetings have been scheduled with this union.

Nurses and other healthcare staff cannot be expected to sustain this type of pressure all throughout the summer. If the Government and HSE are serious about retaining those who already work in the health service, meaningful action must be taken to ensure safe care conditions for both patients and staff. No nurse wants to have to care for patients in sub-optimal conditions.

It is time for the HSEs Emergency Taskforce to urgently reconvene to discuss overcrowding and realistic solutions to same on a hospital-by-hospital basis.
Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board (KCETB) welcomed learners from across a range of programmes in adult education to the Ormonde Hotel on Tuesday, May 31 to thank them for their engagement and their commitment over the last number of years.

The management and staff came together to plan this event as a return to in-person celebration of the learners achievements, and an opportunity for learners across different programmes to meet.

Learners showcased their work from a variety of art, craft and design classes, in woodcarving, photography, family learning programmes, and community education projects. It was clear to all present that the opportunity to learn, combined with great tuition and a can-do attitude can produce amazing results, even in the most challenging of times.

Learners were invited to weave a star decoration for the KCETB family tree. This tree was expertly curated by Kilkenny Youthreach learners as part of their involvement in the Ambers One Million Stars Ireland project earlier this year. It was great to see such a beautiful project extended to include all KCETB learners.

Gillian, one of the Community Education tutors, spoke to learners and staff about their journey through Kilkenny and Carlow ETB to date. Learners spoke about their experience with the Adult Literacy Service where classes are run for those who are hoping to improve their English language skills, computer skills, photography and family learning programmes such as the Hug-a-Book project.

I stood outside the door there on Patrick Street on the first day, wondering if Id go in or not, I was so nervous but by God it was the best decision I ever made to step through that door," said one learner.

"I couldnt even tell you how much Ive learned  and from a lad who had never turned on a computer before. All the tutors are great, there was no pressure, and I just learned. Its amazing.

Other VTOS Kilkenny learners were delighted to show their ceramic pieces and told me about how their creative side was unleashed by signing up for the programme.

I used to work in the bank, so I had never had myself down as being a creative person, and here I am now, showing off my handiwork. Im actually very proud of myself, and thanks to the teachers, they couldnt have been more helpful, said another.

Some spoke about the difficulties during Covid restrictions: It was tough, going from classroom to everything online-but I learned so much even in that. It was tough for the teachers as well, you know, they seemed to be online the whole time. They were always available to us, to help us, to answer questions, and we got through it.

Community groups around the county have been funded through the KCETB Community Education Service to run community projects which meet the needs of individuals and their communities. The Cois Nore group showcased their knitting and craft works, while Urlingford Art Group had an exhibition of work developed over the duration of their time together.

UCasadh Project based in Ferrybank presented their traditional gypsy wagon, a highly impressive piece of craftsmanship, of huge cultural significance. It was created by Jamie Stokes and Kalem Madigan.

All the learners have showed real grit and determination over the last few years. Theyve been fantastic. Ive no doubt we will see more fabulous work from them in future," said Siobhan OBrien, Community Education Facilitator.

When learners made it back to the classrooms after Covid lockdowns, restrictions in place affected the class size and the interaction between learners.

Many learners have come through programmes, and are going to be working with children in childcare settings, and as healthcare assistants in our hospital and nursing homes, as a direct result of their studies with the likes of BTEI, Back to Education Initiative.

The staff of Kilkenny Adult Guidance Service were on hand to answer queries from learners about what path they could take next. The service is available to the public for information on available courses and routes of study.

Returning to work, education or training can be daunting prospect. People can have many questions, not just about the course, but also about funding and progression routes. We can help answer all those questions, said Joan Howley, Adult Guidance Counsellor with the service.

Kilkenny Adult Guidance Service, Lower New Street, Kilkenny can be contacted on 056-7764448 or adultguidance@kkadulted.ie for more information.
Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 105. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 103. * WHERE...Portions of central and northeast Missouri as well as west central Illinois. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
Danish Ambassador to Korea Einar Jensen introduces the country's leading wind power technology during an interview with The Korea Times at the Embassy of Denmark in central Seoul, May 25. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



By Kwon Mee-yoo



With the effects of climate change now visibly and tangibly affecting the daily lives of people around the globe, sustainability is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. The Northern European country of Denmark is rising as a model case for countering climate change while securing economic growth.



"Sustainability has always been a keyword for Denmark. The government upholds sustainability as one of its core values, and takes a crosscutting approach to mainstreaming it across all sectors. Nobody can solve climate issues on their own  we need to do it all together," Danish Ambassador to Korea Einar Jensen said during an interview with The Korea Times at the country's embassy, May 25.





Denmark aims to build the world's first energy island and usher in a new era for offshore wind production. The islands are expected to play a major role in the phasing-out of fossil fuel energy sources in Denmark and Europe. Courtesy of the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities



First and fast mover in green transition



Denmark is one of the first movers in green energy with more than 40 years under its belt. On a windy day, Denmark now gets more than 100 percent of its national electricity through renewable energy. It plans to produce 100 percent of its daily electricity with renewable sources by 2028.



"We have already come quite a long way to self-sufficiency. As of today, about 70 to 80 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources. Fifty percent is from wind and the rest is from biomass, biogas and solar. About 20 percent is from fossil fuels, but this continues to be on the decrease. So renewables take up the biggest portion and this is just the beginning," Jensen said.



Denmark's prime minister recently hosted the North Sea Summit, where a number of European countries pledged to ramp up renewable energy production in the North Sea. The goal is to reach 150 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy by 2050. Denmark envisions it will be able to deliver half of all green energy needed to reach the European Union's climate neutrality goals by 2050.









"The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the impact this had on oil has once again shown the world the importance of transitioning away from fossil fuels. As a trailblazer in offshore wind, Denmark is now more than ever dedicated to starting the next chapter of offshore wind production: energy islands," he said.



Denmark is currently undertaking the biggest construction project in its history of building two artificial islands for offshore wind energy production. The plan is to start with a 3GW capacity that can power 3 million homes, then scale up to 10GW, which will meet 150 percent of its domestic electricity needs.



A de facto green giant, Denmark sees Korea has similar potential. Korea still has a long way to go in achieving its ambitious target to reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent from 2018 levels by 2030, but Ambassador Jensen said its future is bright.



"Back in the 1990s, (the ratio of renewable energy in Denmark's energy mix) was 5 percent, like Korea now is at 5 percent. It took us 25 years to move that far, but Korea will be able to do it a lot faster. At the time, renewable energy was much more expensive than fossil fuels. Today, it is price competitive and the technology has also come a long way."





Korea has many companies that can be easily incorporated into the supply chain for offshore wind, as indicated in this infographic. Courtesy of Embassy of Denmark in Korea
President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) launch event, held in Japan, via video link at his office in Seoul, May 23. Courtesy of the Presidential Office



By Baek Byung-yeul



The government launched a response team on Tuesday, consisting of officials from various ministries including the industry and trade ministry, finance ministry and foreign ministry, in response to the recently-launched Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), in order for Korea to play a leading role in the formation of the new international initiative.



On May 23, U.S. President Joe Biden launched the IPEF initiative when he was visiting Tokyo. Including Korea, a total of 14 countries joined the economic framework, which is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the U.S. and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region.



The participating countries are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.



Korea, where exports account for a large portion of the national economy, plans actively to participate in the IPEF to increase its responsiveness to global issues that emerged alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, such as supply chain disruptions and climate change.










Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong left for Europe, Tuesday, on a business trip that is likely to involve a visit to a semiconductor equipment maker in the Netherlands.







Lee arrived at Gimpo International Airport at around 11:45 a.m. and left the country for the Netherlands, Germany and France.







Lee is widely expected to visit Veldhoven-based ASML, one of Samsung's biggest chipmaking partners and the sole maker of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems, which are essential for making advanced chips.







He did not answer questions from reporters asking about possible merger and acquisition deals.







Samsung has been actively looking for potential M&A targets in a wide array of businesses, including chips. Senior executives have hinted multiple times that a deal could come sooner rather than later.







His trip, which runs until June 18, is his second business trip overseas in six months. In December, he visited the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to expand global networks and seek new business opportunities.







Choi Yoon-ho, president and CEO of Samsung SDI, a battery and electronic materials manufacturer, was on the same flight, but he is said to not be accompanying Lee during the entire itinerary.







Lee's overseas trip came two weeks after the Korean tech giant announced a massive investment plan for the next five years to sharpen its competitiveness in the chip industry.







Samsung said it will invest 450 trillion won ($355 billion) in semiconductor and biopharmaceuticals, 80 percent of which will be used for research and development and nurturing talent in South Korea, especially in advanced chipmaking.







In particular, the company said it will import new EUV machines at an earliest date, which it said "will give Samsung an advantage to make the most advanced microchips." (Yonhap)






By Lee Jong-eun





Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden visited East Asia, holding a series of summits with the leaders of South Korea, Japan and the member states of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad). The summits addressed multiple agendas, one of which was approaches toward China. Is the U.S. alliance in the Indo-Pacific committed only to defending the existing regional order? Or does the alliance also seek a revision of the geopolitical status quo?



From one perspective, the joint statements appeared to focus on maintaining a "free and open" Indo-Pacific. The U.S.-ROK joint statement pledged cooperation in developing an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). The Quad's joint statement opposed "provocative actions that seek to change the status quo" without explicitly mentioning China.



Finally, the U.S.-Japan joint statement criticized China's unlawful maritime activities and non-transparent security agreements with the Solomon Islands. These joint statements appeared to signal prospects for coexistence and cooperation with China if the latter restrains from behaviors destabilizing the regional order.



However, the joint statements also included clauses that China could perceive as interference in its domestic affairs. The U.S.-Japan statement expressed concerns about human rights issues in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. The U.S.-ROK and U.S.-Japan statements affirmed the importance of "peace and stability" across the Taiwan Strait.



China would likely perceive the statements regarding Hong Kong and Xinjiang as an attempt to expand the U.S.-led regional order into China's domestic politics. While the statements on the Taiwan Strait appear only to affirm the maintenance of regional stability, Biden's remarks during the U.S.-Japan summit have raised doubts about the commitment to the key component behind such stability.



Since the normalization of U.S.-China diplomatic relations, U.S. administrations have maintained "strategic ambiguity" toward Taiwan. While the U.S. has formally recognized Taiwan as part of "One China," the U.S. has exported arms to support Taiwan's self-defense and has been equivocal on whether the U.S. would intervene in the case of China's possible military operations against Taiwan. However, at the U.S.-Japan summit's news conference, Biden declared explicitly that the U.S. would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan.



For defenders of Biden's response, "strategic clarity" has become necessary to deter China from escalating provocations against Taiwan. The proponents of strategic clarity have advocated that the U.S. should signal a clear intention of military deterrence to prevent China from altering the geopolitical status quo. However, the proponents' arguments do not address another risk to the status quo. What happens if Taiwan formally declares independence?



China has tolerated Taiwan's de facto independence on the basis most of the international community officially recognizes Taiwan as part of "One China" and that Taiwan has not formally declared its independence. China, however, has threatened military intervention if Taiwan pursues secession. Until now, U.S. strategic ambiguity has contributed to preserving the status quo by deterring China from a military operation and deterring Taiwan from pursuing formal independence.



However, Biden's seemingly unconditional affirmation to defend Taiwan could threaten the delicate balance. If Taiwan declares independence and China intervenes to prevent the former's secession, would the U.S. defend Taiwan militarily? Is Biden tacitly giving Taiwan a choice to reject the "One China" policy? Would such endorsement motivate Taiwan's aspiration for formal independence? Far from deterring China, the threat of U.S. defense of Taiwan's self-determination could motivate China's resolve to defend its geopolitical status quo.



If the U.S. is committed to strategic clarity, Biden could have also been clear on the limits of U.S. military commitment toward Taiwan. Specifically, Biden could have declared that the U.S. will only defend Taiwan if the latter pledges not to pursue formal independence. Yet, such a declaration also risks controversy.



To some proponents of a "free and open" Indo-Pacific, Taiwan is entitled to participate in the regional order as a sovereign state. An explicit repudiation of Taiwan's prospects for independence would reinforce what critics decry as inconsistencies and flaws of the current regional order. A group of U.S. senators has already co-signed a bipartisan letter urging the Biden administration not to exclude Taiwan from the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).



Though U.S. officials have quickly reiterated their commitment to "One China," Biden's comment on Taiwan reveals that the U.S. faces a strategic dilemma in the region. Is the strategic objective limited to maintaining the existing Indo-Pacific regional order? Then, a strategic bargain might require tolerating China's existing domestic policy and geopolitical status. If, however, the strategic objective is to expand the liberal regional order, then the U.S. strategy would challenge non-liberal features of the regional status quo, including the ambiguous status of Taiwan.



Each strategic choice faces risks. While a more restrained approach improves the prospects of maintaining competitive coexistence with China, it risks highlighting limitations of the regional order promoted by U.S. alliances. However, a more assertive approach risks being perceived as more than deterring or even "containing" China, but rather as an attempt to "diminish" China.



What implication do U.S. strategic choices have for South Korea? South Korea's foreign ministry has affirmed support for the "One China" policy and has reassured that the IPEF's purpose is not to exclude China. Facing difficult diplomacy with China over security issues related to the Korean Peninsula, South Korean policymakers might perceive the proliferation of conflict issues between the U.S. and China as an overstretch for the U.S. regional strategy.



South Korea's strategic interest might then be in persuading its ally to be more "selective and focused" in approaches toward China. In advising the U.S. on balancing between maintenance and revision of the Indo-Pacific order, perhaps South Korean policymakers could share the Korean aphorism on prudence, "stretch your leg after first examining the place to lie down."





Lee Jong-eun (jl4375a@student.american.edu), a Ph.D. candidate, is an adjunct faculty at the American University School of International Service. Prior to this, he has served as a South Korean Airforce intelligence officer. His research specialty includes U.S. foreign policy, South Korean politics and foreign policy, alliance management, East Asian regional security.


Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. Record high temperatures expected. High 93F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 75F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette said Monday that he plans to travel to Africa just as the primary campaign season kicks into high gear, banking that his name recognition is so strong he can afford to leave the country with his job on the line.

La Follette told The Associated Press that he plans to leave on a trip to Kenya and Zimbabwe on Sunday and doesn't plan to return to Wisconsin until "early July." The 81 year-old Democrat said he booked the trip two years ago but had to postpone it due to the COVID-19 pandemic and doesn't want to lose his down payment.

The trip comes as La Follette faces a challenge within his own party for his job and with Republicans targeting his office.

"It's probably not the best time, but I had no choice unless I had to forfeit the payment I made for it," he said. "So I decided that life has to go on."

The stakes are high for the sleepy office because Republicans want to shift election oversight from the state elections commission to the secretary of state, following the model of more than 30 other states. Democrats fear that could allow Republicans to improperly influence certification of Wisconsin elections, particularly the 2024 presidential contest.

Worried that La Follette may lack the energy to compete, Dane County Democratic Party chair Alexia Sabor is challenging La Follette for the party's nomination.

La Follette plans to stay in small lodges with a group of 10 to 15 people and spend his days on excursions looking at wildlife. Earlier this year, he said he was so scared of contracting the coronavirus he didn't know how he would circulate his nomination papers across Wisconsin, although he ultimately did manage to secure the 2,000 signatures he needed to get on the ballot. He said he now feels the pandemic has subsided enough that it's safe to travel overseas.

"I'll wear my double mask and shield on the airplane," he said.

La Follette  a distant relative of "Fighting" Bob La Follette, a progressive governor and 1924 presidential candidate  was first elected secretary of state in 1974. After a failed try for lieutenant governor in 1978, he won the office in 1982, ousting Democratic incumbent Vel Phillips in a primary, and has won reelection nine times.

The Wisconsin primaries are Aug. 9. State Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, Jay Schroeder and Justin Schmidtka are running in a three-way Republican primary.

La Follette said he's not particularly worried about not being able to campaign in the crucial weeks leading up to the primary. The lodges have internet service so he can stay in touch, he said, and he's confidant that voters already know plenty about him.

"I'm sure my opponent will try to make hay out of it, but it's not like I'm an unknown candidate," he said. "People know who am I. The issues are simple. Who has the best chance of winning in November? I am that candidate. If my opponent tries to drag out any other issues like I'm too old or I'm in Africa, that doesn't make any difference. The issue is the same. Who has the best chance to beat the Republican?"

Sabor accused La Follette of disengaging with voters.

"This trip demonstrates the same disrespect for voters that Doug has shown for taxpayers his entire 40-plus years in public office," she said in a text her campaign consultant, Sachin Chedda, forwarded to the AP. "He couldn't go out and get signatures but he can go on safari?"
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 7 (ANI/PRNewswire): The admission for online courses is in full swing and KFBS invitesnext-generation aspiring entrepreneurs who want to align their family business with guidance provided by KFBS Online Courses.

KFBS brings responsible programs and courses for a responsible future. Also, KFBS has research centers which were started to benefit KFBS students and instructors to do research on the new things and invent which is beneficial to business and society.

Also Read | Pune Shocker: Man Peeps at Woman While She Takes Bath in Special Room of Pune Hospital, Booked.

KFBS Online Courses will be taught by Distinguished Faculties, Senior Leaders, and Entrepreneurs who have impacted the world and made a difference.

Programs

Also Read | From Jurassic World Dominion to Ms Marvel, Check Out Major Releases of This Week!.

Post Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship Development

Post graduate Diploma in Family Business Management

Post Graduate Diploma in Comprehensive General Management

Also, KFBS provides short term courses which is essential to Business.

Note: Some of the courses are available throughout the year.

Eligibility Criteria: Graduate in any Discipline

For admission write to us at: Admission@kfb-school.org

or call us at +(91) 86556 58744 or visit our website www.kfb-school.org for more details.

Last date to apply is 15th July, 2022.

The accelerated pace and global scope of business underscore the crucial need for both entrepreneurs, executives and organizations to continually reinvent themselves. Without leaders who have mastered the latest concepts and practices, companies are ill-prepared to compete and succeed in the long term.

The solution is lifelong management development which is why at KFBS the faculty helps students to recharge entrepreneurs' thinking, enhance their individual management capacity, and apply their newly developed competencies for sustainable corporate advantage.

KFBS offers a program experience that is truly transformational. Entrepreneurs & Executives return to their organizations empowered with:

A greater understanding of the forces shaping the business climate

An expanded view of general management as it relates to business operations, organizational structures, and competitive strategies

Deep, practical knowledge and sound judgment for addressing day-to-day challenges

A greater ability to think creatively, make sound decisions, and develop results-driven solutions

A new vision-based view of the future filled with unprecedented business opportunities

A new level of management expertise for implementing the corporate mission

Best practice and strategies to deliver long-term success and ensure global competitiveness

Key Elements of KFBS learning model provide the foundation for an unparalleled Education.

Philosophy: The KFBS Education experience is shaped by the school's cross-functional approach to general management, innovative teaching methodologies, which promote teamwork and collaboration. Participants are exposed to an in-depth education that prepares them to immediately leverage their enhanced leadership capacity to build a sustainable advantage for the companies.

Faculty: Every program is taught by a team of KFBS' highly respected academicians, educators, researchers, authors, and entrepreneurs who leverage their business expertise to create new and enduring concepts that shape the practice of management.

As business practitioners, they are living models of effective management and leadership. Working with these international business minds, participants gain knowledge straight from the source, exploring current and future issues and gaining exposure to new research-based business models.

Case Method: The case method is employed as the best tool to teach general management and leadership. This learning by analogy compels participants to apply practical business lessons to their own company's challenges. Executive Education & Other courses participants benefit from an added dimension.

Interaction: Every program facet is structured to promote dynamics, interchange and share learning among talented, accomplished peers from diverse companies and industries.

Technology: Simulation, online exercises, webcasts, teleconferences, and other technology-based methodologies expose executives to the most recent advances and help them maximize the potential of technology in their work.

Kuril Founders B-School (KFBS) is an autonomous business school and provides Online Certificates, Post Graduate Diplomas, and Hybrid mode Executive Education in the area of Advanced Business Management, Entrepreneurship Management & Family Businesses Management Programs to Entrepreneurs and Family Businesses. KFBS is the Business school for Entrepreneurs and Family Business.

KFBS was started in July 2021 and is located in Thane City, near Mumbai, Maharashtra-India.

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 7 (ANI/PR Newswire): DBS Bank India announced the launch of its first-ever credit card in India in partnership with Bajaj Finance Limited, co-branded as 'Bajaj Finserv DBS Bank SuperCard', powered by Visa. Designed to de-clutter customers' wallets, the SuperCard eliminates the need for having multiple credit cards.

Both the regular and co-branded credit cards are popular in the market, with customers choosing them for specific benefits. While regular credit cards provide offers and rewards across categories, co-branded cards offer additional benefits on the partners' products or services as well.

Also Read | South Africa Refuse To Play ODIs in Australia in January To Accommodate Domestic T20 League.

The SuperCard, a one-of-its-kind offering, will provide its customers with benefits and rewards across different product categories and exclusive benefits on the Bajaj Finserv's range of products and services available across the country.

Prashant Joshi, Head - Consumer Banking Group, DBS Bank India, said, "The launch of our first credit card is a milestone for DBS Bank in India. We have designed an end-to-end digital experience for a mobile-first digital-native audience, staying true to our strengths. The SuperCard is a transformative credit card experience curated to eliminate friction in the payments journey and transparency in billing so that customers can Live More and Bank Less.

Also Read | Mohammed Siraj Recalls, When I Wore My Cap in Melbourne, I Thought Dad Should've Been Here'.

The credit card space is seeing robust growth. We are confident that the SuperCard developed in partnership with Bajaj Finance will help eliminate the need for multiple cards, widen the access to credit and offer compelling rewards and benefits to our customers, thanks to the BFL franchise network. Our vision is to leverage the strengths of both organisations and offer an end product which guarantees rich rewards and best-in-class customer experience."

Anup Saha, Deputy CEO, Bajaj Finance Limited said, "It is our constant endeavour to transform how financial services are rendered while keeping our customers at its core. Our partnership with DBS bank for this co-branded credit card further strengthens our position to deliver a seamless customer experience. Our digital onboarding journey enables the customer to avail the SuperCard in a frictionless manner across all our digital properties and start using it instantly!

The Bajaj Finserv DBS Bank SuperCard, as the name suggests, not only provides various industry-first benefits across lifestyle, travel and subscription categories but also provides exclusive Bajaj Finserv EMI network benefits like cashback on 'No-cost-EMI' loan down-payments and redemption of cash points against the same. It also has Bajaj Finserv Health benefits bundled into it. Bundling all this together, this card is a clear contender to become the most preferred card in our customers' wallets."

Sandeep Ghosh, Group Country Manager, India and South Asia, Visa said, "As more consumers turn to credit cards for their daily and discretionary needs, they actively seek easier access to credit alongside curated benefits and privileges. The Bajaj Finserv DBS Bank SuperCard has been designed to offer the best of both worlds. We are excited to partner DBS Bank as they launch their first credit card in India and are confident that the card's unique value proposition will appeal to a large segment of Indian consumers."

Some of the benefits are further enumerated below:

- The SuperCard will be available in six variants, offering welcome bonus of up to 20,000 Cash Points. It also multiplies customer's cash points up to 10x every month on achieving monthly milestone spends. The customers can also enjoy up to 20X accelerated cash points on spending via DBS Card+ mobile app and Bajaj Finserv app.

- Customers can apply for the card from the comfort of their homes through all the digital channels of Bajaj Finance Limited and get their paperless KYC completed on the same day, allowing them to start using their Card instantly

- The SuperCard also allows customers to receive up to 5 per cent cashback (up to INR 500 per transaction) on the down payment of consumer durable loans at Bajaj Finance EMI network stores

- The SuperCard allows customers to subscribe to various memberships like Disney Hotstar, and Zomato Pro via DBS Card+ mobile app and get up to 40 per cent cashback in form of Cash Points

- Other card benefits include special health plan on Bajaj Finserv Health which offers deep discounted tele-consultations from physicians across India, airport lounge access, interest-free cash withdrawal for up to 50 days, fuel surcharge waiver, and easy to convert spends to EMI starting from INR 2500

- Customers would get access to DBS Delights, an exclusive platform where they can redeem Cash Points and avail of curated offers across top brands in the shopping, dining, travel, and healthcare segment

Through this partnership, DBS Bank India and Bajaj Finance aims to create an end-to-end digital experience and proposition for customers while catering to a large customer franchise across the geographic distribution of Bajaj Finance Limited.

DBS Bank successfully launched its very first Credit card in partnership with Bajaj Finance Limited (BFL) in the esteemed presence of Piyush Gupta (DBS Group CEO), Surojit Shome (DBS India CEO) and Bajaj Finserv leadership Rajeev Jain (BFL CEO) and Anup Saha (BFL Deputy CEO), Visa leadership Sandeep Ghosh (Group Country Manager, India and South Asia), where they unveiled the Bajaj Finserv DBS Bank SuperCard.

Bajaj Finance Limited, the lending arm of Bajaj Finserv Limited, is one of the most diversified NBFCs in the Indian market, catering to more than 50 million customers across the country. Headquartered in Pune, the company's product offering includes Consumer Durable Loans, Lifestyle Finance, Digital Product Finance, Personal Loans, Loan against Property, Small Business Loans, Wallet, Co-branded Credit Cards, Two-wheeler and Three-wheeler Loans, Commercial lending/SME Loans, Loan against Securities and Rural Finance which includes Gold Loans and Vehicle Refinancing Loans along with Fixed Deposits. Bajaj Finance Limited has the highest domestic credit rating of AAA/Stable for long term borrowing, A1+ for short-term borrowing, and FAAA/Stable and MAAA (Stable) for its' FD program. It has a long-term issuer credit rating of BB+/Positive and short-term rating of B by S&P Global ratings.

To know more, visit https://www.bajajfinserv.in

DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with 18 markets. Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named "World's Best Bank" by Euromoney, "Global Banks 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, with ~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 consumer, SME, and corporate banking services. 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 on the Asian way. It has also established an SGD 50 million foundation to strengthen its corporate social responsibility efforts in Singapore and 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 of our 30,000+ staff representing over 40 nationalities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.

This story is provided by PR Newswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PR Newswire)

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Seems like actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu has wrapped up shooting for Karan Johar's chat show Koffee with Karan 7. On Tuesday, 'The Family Man 2' star posted her new pictures on her Instagram which garnered a lot of attention from the fans. It has been speculated that this new look of Samantha is from the sets of Karan's most controversial show. Twinkle Khanna Jokes She Cant Do Koffee With Karan Again, Drops a New Show Idea.

The backdrop seen in Samantha's pictures is similar to the post shared by Karan where he mentioned working on the new episode Karan recently announced that the new season will exclusively stream on the OTT Platform which will mark the debut of several Indian actors on the show. The release date of this season is still awaited. Koffee With Karan Season 7: Karan Johar Looks Red Hot As He Kickstarts Shooting for His Talk Show (View Pics).

Meanwhile, Samantha is busy waiting for the release of her film Yashoda, which is scheduled to hit the theatres on August 12, 2022. Interestingly, the movie is clashing with Aamir Khan's much-awaited Laal Singh Chadha which marks the Bollywood Debut of Samantha's ex-husband Naga Chaitanya.

Apart from this, she will be seen opposite Varun Dhawan in the Hindi Remake of the American Web Series Citadel directed by the director duo Raj and DK.

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New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Tuesday said she "accepts and respects" the party's decision.

The BJP on Sunday had suspended its national spokesperson Sharma and expelled its Delhi unit's media head Naveen Kumar Jindal as the row over their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed escalated with protests from some Muslim countries.

Also Read | Delhi Weather Update: Heatwave Sears Parts of National Capital, Relief Likely on Weekend.

"I have practically grown up in the organisation. I respect and accept their decision," Sharma said after she was asked about the BJP's action against her.

Amid demonstrations by Muslim groups and the sharp reaction from countries like Kuwait, Qatar and Iran, before suspending its leaders, the party on Sunday had issued a statement asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces insult of any religious personality.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Man Rapes Girlfriend After Spiking Her Drink in Bhopal; Arrested.

Sharma's comments, made in a TV debate nearly 10 days back, and Jindal's now-deleted tweets sparked a Twitter trend calling for a boycott of Indian products in some countries.

Party general secretary Arun Singh in a statement had said that the party is strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion.

The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy, he said.

The BJP statement, however, made no direct mention of any incident or comment.

The statement announcing action against Sharma and Jindal also made no particular reference to their controversial remarks.

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New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the BJP corporators from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation on Tuesday and expressed confidence that the party will work for good governance and ending the "dynastic misrule" in Telangana.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is eying the southern state for big gains after putting up a string of impressive electoral performances, including in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Assembly bypolls and Hyderabad municipal polls.

Also Read | COVID-19 in Goa: Period Between June 15 to July 15 Crucial, Say Experts.

The corporators were accompanied by Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Union minister G Kishan Reddy, who is also from the state.

"Met @BJP4Telangana corporators in GHMC and other party leaders from Telangana. We had wide-ranging discussions on how to focus on community service endeavours and help people at the grassroots. BJP will work for good governance and ending dynastic misrule in Telangana," Modi said in a tweet.

Also Read | Kerala Gold Smuggling Case: CM Pinarayi Vijayan Says, 'Swapna Suresh's Revelation Is Baseless'.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who heads the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the southern state, has been working to shore up support for an anti-BJP alliance at the national level.

The BJP has so far been unable to make much gains in south India outside Karnataka, but its recent show in Telangana has infused the party with the hope of ensuring a strong presence in another southern state.

The saffron party is also holding its national executive meeting in Hyderabad next month.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 7 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, on Tuesday, confirmed the arrest of a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in Bengaluru.

A suspected Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist was arrested in Bengaluru in a joint operation by the Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir police.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Man Rapes Girlfriend After Spiking Her Drink in Bhopal; Arrested.

The accused, Talib Hussain was arrested on June 5. Hussain had allegedly taken shelter at a mosque in Srirampura here and used to deliver sermons during Friday prayers. He had fled Jammu and Kashmir with his wife and children as the hunt for him was intensified by the armed forces, and was hiding in Bengaluru.

CM Bommai assured that the State government would provide necessary assistance to the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Also Read | Kerala Gold Smuggling Case: CM Pinarayi Vijayan Faces Calls for Resignation Amid Explosive Revelation by Accused Swapna Suresh.

Speaking to reporters, Bommai said, "The security forces keep a watch on the movements of suspicious elements. It is a routine exercise for them. Such arrests have been made in the past too in Bhatkal, Sirsi and other places."

"Necessary assistance would be provided to the Jammu and Kashmir Police in their hunt for such elements," said the Karnataka Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, there has been an ongoing spree of Hindu killings in Jammu & Kashmir in recent times.

A 36-year-old migrant Kashmiri Pandit and high school teacher Rajni Bala was also shot dead by terrorists in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Notably, two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists have been neutralized by security forces during an encounter at the Chaktaras Kandi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara on Tuesday, of which one was from Pakistan.

Earlier, a banker, Vijay Kumar, a resident of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan working in Kulgam, was shot dead by terrorists in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking to ANI, IGP Kashmir said, "In Vijay Kumar's murder case, terrorists have been identified. They'll soon be arrested/ neutralised."

Jammu and Kashmir Police said that two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were involved in the killing of Amreen Bhat. IGP Kashmir, while briefing about the recent civilian killings said that both the terrorists involved in Kashmiri TV actor Amreen Bhat's murder case were identified and neutralised.

On May 12, Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Bhat, a clerk, was murdered inside the tehsildar's office in Chadoora tehsil of Budgam district.

Talking of Rahul Bhat's murder, the IGP said that two terrorists have been involved in his killing, one of whom has been killed. "Two terrorists were involved in Rahul Bhat's murder; one neutralised, one remains and we are after him," he said.

In an encounter in Sopore on Monday, one Pakistani terrorist affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed by the security forces. As per the documents recovered from the killed Pakistani terrorist, he was identified as Hanzalla of Lahore, Pakistan.

Earlier, a Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) 'commander' was killed in an overnight encounter in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, the Jammu and Kashmir police said on June 4.

People belonging to the Hindu community employed in Kashmir have staged a protest in Jammu and demanded security for members of the Kashmiri Pandit community. (ANI)

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Chennai, June 7: Residents in Chennai's Perungudi have a new cause for alarm. Just days after the massive fire in the dump yard in the locality was doused, the lake adjoining the landfill turned pink. Situated next to the 200-feet Radial Road, the pink-coloured lake has now become a 'photo booth' to passers-by. The lake water has turned pink due to contamination and excess methane found in the waterbody.

"Cyanobacterial algal bloom on the surface reduces the oxygen level in a waterbody. It blocks sunlight from reaching the flora and fauna. Without sufficient sunlight, plants cannot grow properly and living organisms in the water will starve to death. An algal bloom can be harmful when it releases toxins into the air and water. High concentration levels of such toxins are dangerous to the environment as well as to human beings," Sundarapandian, an environmentalist from Poovulagin Nanbargal. DO NOT POP Huge Frozen Methane Bubbles Formed Under Ice on Lakes Surface, Can be Highly Dangerous!.

The locals showed concerns regarding the incident and demanded the authorities to look into the matter. "This lake's water has changed into pink colour because of a fire that happened in April. This needs to be taken care of seriously. Tamil Nadu Government should take action to clear the issue because this will affect people living in the nearby areas soon", said a local, Chandru.

The Deputy Mayor of Chennai, Magesh Kumar, took note of the situation and assured a quick redressal of the problem. A major fire broke out at the Perungudi dump yard in Chennai on April 27. The fire had spread across 10 acres of land. Two sky lifts, 11 fire tenders and 300 lorries were used in dousing the flames.

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Gariaband, June 7: A leopard was found dead with its body parts missing in Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district, forest officials said on Tuesday. The carcass, around 4-5 days old, was found in a decomposed condition in south Udanti range close to the Odisha border on Monday evening, Deputy Director of Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve Varun Jain said.

"Paws and teeth of the leopard, aged around 5 years, are missing leading to speculation of poaching. However, the cause of the death is not immediately known as the body is decomposed. Samples from the carcass have been sent for forensic analysis," he said. During a search in the area along with a dog squad, forest personnel zeroed in on the house of a suspect in nearby Indagaon village from where body parts of deer, bear and peacock, electric wire, bow-arrows and other materials used in poaching were found and seized, Jain said. Waghdoh, Maharashtras Oldest Tiger, Dies of Old Age at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.

"However, body parts of the leopard were not found and efforts are on to trace the suspect, who was not present during the raid. Further investigation is underway,' he added. On Sunday night, a tiger was found dead in Guru Ghasidas National Park of the state's Korea district with forest officials suspecting it was poisoned to death. In March this year, a leopard was found dead near Gariaband town.

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New Delhi, June 7 (ANI): The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Tuesday seized a huge cache of ammunition from Lohardaga district in Jharkhand in three separate joint search operations.

The CRPF, a Central paramilitary force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, conducted these searches at specific locations in Chapal, Jurni and Guni villages based on a tip-off.

Also Read | Delhi Weather Update: Heatwave Sears Parts of National Capital, Relief Likely on Weekend.

The seized ammunition includes six Improvised Explosive Devices (2 kg each), two bundle wires and 40 pieces of MSeal packets and 421 rounds of live cartridges.

On specific intelligence, CRPF's 158 Battalion troops along with state police carried out searches at around 10 am at Chapal village under Serendag police station and recovered 289 rounds of live cartridges.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Man Rapes Girlfriend After Spiking Her Drink in Bhopal; Arrested.

In the second such operation conducted at Jurni village under Serendag police station at around 11.55 am, the CRPF and the police recovered a total of 132 rounds of live cartridges.

The security forces seized six IEDs, two bundle wires and 40 pieces of MSeal packets when they carried out searches at Guni village at about 12.30 pm.

The CRPF, with a strength of more than 3 lakh personnel, is the leading force for the internal security of the country. It is handling counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism and left-wing extremism apart from handling duties related to installation security, polling duties and VIP security. (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], June 7 (ANI): Election Commission of India (ECI) in its meeting held on Tuesday under the Chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar along with EC Anup Chandra Pandey decided to double the remuneration of the polling officials going to the polling Stations three days in advance.

Till now the remuneration for Polling Officials used to be a uniform per diem amount for all alike.

Also Read | COVID-19 in Goa: Period Between June 15 to July 15 Crucial, Say Experts.

This is the third major decision taken by ECI after Rajiv Kumar assumed charge of CEC on May 15.

ECI on May 26 has initiated graded action against 2100 RUPPs under the relevant sections 29A and 29C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. There are 2,796 registered unrecognised political parties in India as of September 2021, which is an increase of over 300 per cent since 2001.

Also Read | Kerala Gold Smuggling Case: CM Pinarayi Vijayan Says, 'Swapna Suresh's Revelation Is Baseless'.

Kumar, after taking charge of CEC on May 15, in its first meeting of the commission on May 20, The Commission unanimously decided that Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners (ECs) will not take any income tax benefits presently given to them. Further, CEC and ECs will avail of only one LTC in a year in place of three LTCs presently available to them.

According to ECI, all Chief Electoral Officer of Deputy Electoral Officers are also directed to reassess route charts to all Polling stations to work out paths with the best connectivity.

The Commission decided to develop Special water/shock proof, extra protective backpacks/ cases to carry EVM-VVPATs and safeguard the machines provided to all such teams to aid hands-free movement in difficult terrain.

The Commission further directed all DEOs/ROs to visit the P-3 Polling Station locations one year in advance of the General Election to the Legislative Assembly or the Parliament. Chief Electoral Officers would also visit some polling stations themselves.

The Commission further directed that all DEOs/ROs would identify at least the 5 lowest voter turnout booths in each assembly constituency. They shall visit these booths to identify factors for low voting turnout and take targeted interventions to mitigate the factors hampering the voting process.

In order to address voting apathy in urban areas, the Commission decided to undertake focused awareness activities in this respect, the Commission also took note of the fact that under the Negotiable Instruments Act, the polling day is declared as a holiday for all workplaces with the primary purpose of facilitating voting by the employees.

All Central/ State Government Departments / CPSUs/ State PSUs and Corporate entities with 500 plus employees shall appoint a nodal officer to ascertain leave availing but non-voting employees. Special Voter Education and Electoral Participation Awareness sessions would be held for such non-voting members of these organizations.

Further, the Commission shall continue to expeditiously home deliver EPICards to newly enrolled first-time voters. It would equally be their duty to cast their vote. Specially focused Voter Education and Electoral Participation Awareness campaigns would be undertaken for young voters.

The voters migrate from the place of their registration to cities and other places for education, employment and other purposes. It becomes difficult for them to return to their registered Polling Stations to cast their vote. The Commission felt that time has come to explore possibilities of remote voting, maybe on a pilot basis.

A committee would be set up to examine the issues of migrant voters. Given the fact that Voters and Political Parties are the primary stakeholders, the wider consultation with all stakeholders including Political Parties would be started thereafter. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chandigarh, Jun 7 (PTI) The Punjab Vigilance Bureau arrested former state minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot on corruption charges in the early hours of Tuesday, official sources said.

The social welfare and forest minister in the previous Congress government was arrested from Amloh.

Also Read | Amit Shah to Inaugurate National Tribal Research Institute in Delhi Today.

This came days after the arrest of district forest officer Guramanpreet Singh and a contractor Harminder Singh Hummy in a corruption case.

Both of them are learnt to have provided details of the alleged wrongdoings in the forest department when Dharamsot was the minister, sources said.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi to Meet GHMC Corporators, BJP Leaders in Delhi Today.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi, Jun 7 (PTI) The sensational gold smuggling case that had rocked Kerala before the Assembly polls last year has returned to haunt the ruling LDF with prime accused in the case, Swapna Suresh, on Tuesday levelling certain allegations against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his family members and some top bureaucrats.

Also Read | COVID-19 in Goa: Period Between June 15 to July 15 Crucial, Say Experts.

While the Chief Minister dismissed as "baseless," Suresh's allegations of some sort of smuggling activities against him and the others, main opposition Congress demanded his resignation from the state's top post.

Also Read | Kerala Gold Smuggling Case: CM Pinarayi Vijayan Says, 'Swapna Suresh's Revelation Is Baseless'.

The BJP too said that Vijayan has lost the moral right to continue as the chief minister of the state.

The CPI(M) and the party-led LDF issued statements strongly defending the Vijayan. The Left alleged "political conspiracy" to tarnish the image of Vijayan-led government behind Sruesh's allegations.

It all started when Suresh, after appearing before a magistrate court in Kochi, dropped a bombshell claiming she has given a statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure narrating the role of CM, some of his family members and top bureaucrats in various smuggling activities.

Strongly reacting to the allegations, the Chief Minister, in a statement, said "unsubstantiated allegations have been made through the media from some quarters for narrow political reasons" and this was "part of some political agenda".

"Such agenda were rejected by the people earlier. After a break, the old things are repeated by the accused in the case. There is not even a shred of fact in it", Vijayan said.

He said if those raising such allegations think that the will of his government and its political leadership can be shattered by spreading lies again, it will not succeed.

"The people will realise the facts and reject the baseless propaganda aimed at discrediting the Left Democratic Front government which is working for the overall development and social welfare of Kerala," the CM said.

Meanwhile, the opposition sharpened its attack against Vijayan, seeking his resignation as chief minister in view of the "shocking revelations" made by Suresh against him.

Referring to the investigation carried out by the central agencies earlier into the gold smuggling case, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, V D Satheesan, alleged the probe came to a halt after Suresh gave similar statement to the Customs and it was due to the unholy nexus between the CPI(M) and the ruling BJP at the Centre.

The Congress leader said a court-monitored investigation should be carried out in view of the latest revelation of Suresh. KPCC chief K Sudhakaran also made a similar demand, claiming people have lost faith in the central agencies' probe into the case.

As the issue snowballed into a big political row, activists of the Youth Congress and the BJP's Yuva Morcha held marches separately to the secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram.

Police resorted to water cannons to disperse the agitating Youth Congress workers who were raising slogans against Vijayan. They also burnt the effigy of the chief minister.

In their statements, both the CPI(M) and the LDF alleged conspiracy to defame Vijayan and the state government behind the revelations of Suresh.

Strongly defending the chief minister, the Left said the people will reject the allegations as was done during the 2021 Assembly elections.

After giving a statement before the Magistrate on Monday, Suresh had said there was a threat to her life and therefore, she was going to disclose all the facts related to the case before the court.

Suresh had said she had more to say about the gold smuggling case and the people involved in it.

She was released from jail in November last year, 16 months after her arrest in the sensational gold smuggling case.

Suresh, a former employee of the UAE Consulate here, was taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with another accused Sandeep Nair from Bengaluru on July 11, 2020.

The NIA, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Customs conducted separate probe into the racket that was busted with the seizure of gold worth Rs 15 crore from the diplomatic baggage of the UAE Consulate at Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 5, 2020.

Several people, including M Sivasankar, the former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and another ex-employee of the UAE Consulate here, Sarith P S, were arrested in connection with the case.

(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, Jun 7 (PTI) President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday said that higher education institutions have a major responsibility of transforming the impressionable youth.

For this, we need to address their aspirations, as they are future leaders in various spheres of life, he said, inaugurating the two-day conference of vice-chancellors of central universities and directors of institutions of national importance at Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

Also Read | Delhi Weather Update: Heatwave Sears Parts of National Capital, Relief Likely on Weekend.

Kovind said digital technologies are expanding the boundaries of education and the key to achieving excellence is to harness the transformational benefits of digital technologies for enriching the teaching and learning experience.

When the pandemic threatened to derail teaching and learning, technology ensured continuity. There were difficulties, no doubt, but it is good to see that all of you imparted teaching and conducted assessments, evaluations and research uninterrupted. We can build on that experience now, and make classroom sessions more interactive, giving students a thorough understanding of the subject, he said.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Man Rapes Girlfriend After Spiking Her Drink in Bhopal; Arrested.

Kovind said, to improve the quality of education, we should also consider sophisticated and innovative learning approaches.

The President said he was happy to see that Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' commemorating the glorious history of India's freedom movement finds a place in the opening session.

He said the country's institutions of higher learning are central to this, as our young citizens are not only the inheritors of the past, but also the ones who will be leading India into its next golden age.

Institutions of higher education have a major responsibility of transforming the impressionable youth. For this, we need to address their aspirations, as they are future leaders in various spheres of life.

I can say with confidence that each one of you is going to help achieve this goal. The extraordinary growth of India in recent times would not have otherwise been possible. I am sure you will continue the good work, Kovind said.

The President is the Visitor of 161 central institutes of higher education. Out of 161 institutes, 53 are attending the conference physically while others are connected virtually, a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

Kovind said, in order to achieve our larger goals, improving the quality of institutions of higher learning is of vital importance.

We should be setting benchmarks for the best in the world, he added.

The President said that while one cannot deny the importance of pure sciences, for a country like India the importance of utilising research into socially and economically relevant outcomes cannot be ignored.

Therefore, the agenda item on collaboration between academia, industry and policy makers' is highly relevant, he said.

There are a number of such initiatives in India working both ways - taking the benefits of research to the market and also bringing the expertise of the market to academia, Kovind said.

The President said that questioning accepted beliefs and flowing against the tide has often been the basis of human progress.

However, in an era of unprecedented technological strides, it is not just individual brilliance but also the systems of support that facilitate such progress. It is a pooling of human intelligence that has led to this fluid environment, Kovind said.

He said that discussions on the topic, Education and Research in Emerging and Disruptive Technologies', would enhance our understanding of this very relevant aspect of higher education.

The President noted that in order to encourage an ecosystem of start-ups and innovation, nearly 2,775 institutional innovation councils have been set up in higher education institutions in 28 states and six UTs.

He expressed confidence that this would go a long way in promoting the aims of a socially relevant partnership between the institutions of higher education and the industry.

Kovind also noted that India's ranking in Global Innovation Index has significantly improved from 76 in 2014 to 46 in 2021.

He said, however, in order to improve the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in India, we need to encourage the filing for patents and streamline the process for it.

Speaking about the agenda item integrating schooling and higher and vocational education', the President said that the system should educate in a way that not only enhances knowledge, but also provides the skill to live a fulfilling and useful life.

School lays the foundation, but this must lead a student to higher or vocational education meeting both aptitude and aspirations, he said.

During the inaugural session of the conference, the President also presented the Visitor's Award 2020 for Research (Biological Sciences)' to Prof Mohammad Zahid Ashraf, Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia, for his research on hypoxia-induced thrombosis; and Visitor's Award 2020 for Technology Development' to Prof Pritam Deb, Department of Physics, Tezpur University, for his work on development of biodegradable polymer film reinforced with two-dimensional hetero-structure for food packaging.

The third Visitor's Award 2020 for Research (Physical Sciences)' will be conferred on Prof Anunay Samanta, School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad later on for his contribution to the spectroscopy and dynamics of short-lived chemical species formed on photo-excitation of molecular systems and materials.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kochi (Kerala) [India], June 7 (ANI): Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in the Kerala Gold Smuggling Case, on Tuesday revealed that she has declared in court about the involvement of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife and daughter in the matter.

"I have already given 164 statements in court about a threat to my life. I have declared in court about all the people involved in this case. I have also filed a petition seeking protection in court. They are considering it. I have declared in the court about what is the involvement of M Sivasankar (then principal secretary to Kerala CMO), the Chief Minister, CM's wife Kamala, CM's daughter Veena, his secretary CM Raveendran, then Chief Secretary Nalini Netto IAS, then minister KT Jaleel," she said.

Also Read | Country Now Power Surplus in Comparison to What It Was in 2014, Says Power Minister RK Singh.

Swapna claimed that a baggage containing currency was sent to Vijayan when he was in Dubai in 2016.

"Way back in 2016, Sivasankar contacted me while the Chief Minister was in Dubai. At that time, I was the secretary at the consulate. Sivasankar told me that the CM had forgotten a bag which should be delivered to Dubai immediately. As per the instruction of the consulate general, the bag was handed over to a diplomat at the consulate. When the bag was brought in by the consulate official, we realised that it contained currency. We have a scanning machine in the consulate. Then we have to scan whatever parcel arrives there. That's how it all started," she added.

Also Read | Delhi Weather Update: Heatwave Sears Parts of National Capital, Relief Likely on Weekend.

She said that she only followed the instructions of Sivasankar and did what he said to her.

"Surprisingly, we have delivered biriyani vessels with huge weight from the Consul General's house to Cliff House (CM's official house) in the vehicle of the consulate. This was according to the instructions of Sivasankar. It was not just biryani, it had metal objects. There have been many incidents like this. When taken to Cliff House I think it's common sense (on asking about whether CM is aware or not)," Swapna further said.

She also urged the court and the investigation agencies to conduct proper investigation.

"Everything else has been said in court. There is a case going on and the investigation should be proper. If everyone is involved, according to the decree of involvement, the court and the investigation agencies should listen to an accused and understand what is their involvement," she added.

The Kerala gold smuggling case pertains to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels. It had come to light after 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crore smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage was busted by the customs department in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5, 2019.

After spending 16 months behind bars, Swapna was released from jail in November last year.

The case is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the customs department.

Earlier this year, Swapna Suresh had alleged that she was exploited and manipulated by M Sivasankar, principal secretary of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The statements came after Sivasankar in his upcoming autobiography "Aswathamavu: Verum Oru Aana" alleged that Swapna had trapped him by gifting him an iPhone.

Sivasankar was arrested on October 28, 2020, after the Kerala High Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition.

In his upcoming book, he alleged that Swapna had deceived him and that she was the mastermind of the gold smuggling racket, according to vernacular media reports.

Sivasankar was released on bail on February 4, last year. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bhopal, Jun 7 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday recorded 17 new cases of COVID-19 that raised the tally of infections to 10,42,836, an official from the state health department said.

Also Read | Delhi Weather Update: Heatwave Sears Parts of National Capital, Relief Likely on Weekend.

With 34 patients recovering from the infection, the count of recoveries reached 10,31,863, while the toll remained unchanged at 10,737, as no fresh fatalities were reported during the day, he said.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Man Rapes Girlfriend After Spiking Her Drink in Bhopal; Arrested.

The positivity rate stands at 0.3 per cent in the state, which is now left with 236 active cases, the official said.

At least 5,292 swab samples were examined during the day, taking the total number of tests conducted in the state to 2,93,52,319, he added.

As per a government release, a total of 11,94,14,521 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, of which 30,729 jabs were given on Tuesday.

Coronavirus figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 10,42,836, new cases 17, death toll 10,737, recoveries 10,31,863, active cases 236, number of tests so far 2,93,52,319.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chandigarh, Jun 7 (PTI) The Shiromani Akali Dal on Tuesday claimed that there was a grave threat to jailed leader Bikram Singh Majithia's life and that he was likely to be implicated in a "false" case at the behest of ADGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu, who holds the additional charge of Prisons.

The former minister's wife and SAD legislator Ganieve Kaur has written in this connection to the state police chief with a copy marked to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Also Read | Chennai: Lake Water Turns Pink After Methane Contamination in Perungudi, Locals Demand Action.

Citing the threat, Akali leaders Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Daljit Singh Cheema demanded the government to immediately remove Sidhu, the anti-drug special task force chief, from the additional charge of Prisons.

Majithia is lodged in Patiala jail in connection with a drug case.

Also Read | COVID-19 Vaccination in India: Cumulative Number of Coronavirus Vaccine Doses Administered in India Crosses 194.41 Crore, Says Health Ministry.

The SAD leaders claimed that Majithia's family members have grave apprehensions that the IPS officer would "misuse" his official position to implicate the former minister in another case.

They said that there was animosity between the families of Majithia and Sidhu and that the officer was looking to settle scores.

Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act last year on the basis of a 2018 report of a probe into a drug racket in the state. The report was filed by Sidhu in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
A file photo of the fire incident at the building in Mundka (Photo/ANI)

New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): The Forensic Science and Laboratory team handed over the DNA sample reports of victims of the Mundka fire incident to the Delhi Police on Tuesday.

The Forensic team matched several samples with the missing persons' family's DNA.

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According to Delhi Police, DNA samples of 26 persons were collected from blood relatives.

On May 13, as many as 27 people died after a massive fire broke out at an office building in Mundka in Delhi.

Also Read | Indian App Safecity Addressing Gender-Based Violence Wins World Justice Challenge.

The four-storey building was used as office space for multiple companies. According to the Delhi Police's FIR, the building did not have a fire safety protocol in place.

Out of the 27 dead bodies, 8 were identified. The DNA profiling was conducted for the remaining bodies, said Delhi police.

Following the incident, North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) suspended two officials including a section officer. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Patna (Bihar) [India], June 7 (ANI): Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 15 National Highway projects in Patna and Hajipur in Bihar with a total cost of Rs 13,585 crore.

Speaking on the occasion Gadkari said, "Mahatma Gandhi Setu is the lifeline of Bihar, which connects North Bihar with South Bihar. With this super structure replacement project, the time taken to cross Mahatma Gandhi Setu has been reduced from 2 to 3 hours to 5 to 10 minutes."

Also Read | Chennai: Lake Water Turns Pink After Methane Contamination in Perungudi, Locals Demand Action.

He said the Chhapra-Gopalganj section being two-lane with four bypasses will allow the traffic of the highway to pass through the bypass and the city will get rid of traffic jams.

The Minister said the route from Umagaon will directly connect the religious places of Uchhaith Bhagbati and Mahishi Tarapith.

Also Read | COVID-19 Vaccination in India: Cumulative Number of Coronavirus Vaccine Doses Administered in India Crosses 194.41 Crore, Says Health Ministry.

"Aurangabad - Chordaha section six-lane road will improve the connectivity of Bihar with Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal," he said.

Gadkari said Munger-Bhagalpur-Mirzachowki section four-lane greenfield road will facilitate the farmers of this region to deliver their crop across the country, which will increase the income of the farmers.

He said the two-lane road being built on NH-80 will facilitate connectivity between Bihar, Sahibganj and Assam connecting with the Inland Waterways Terminal reducing the logistics cost.

Gadkari said apart from this, traffic will be facilitated from Begusarai elevated flyover, Jayanagar bypass ROB and long jams of level crossings will be avoided. "With the construction of Ara four-lane road from Kayamnagar, the traffic for Ara will be smooth," he added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai/New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Suspended BJP functionary Nupur Sharma was on Tuesday summoned by Maharashtra Police for recording her statement in the case registered against her for controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad that have drawn mounting backlash in India and abroad, while security was provided to her by the Delhi Police after she complained of receiving death threats.

The Opposition has been demanding strict legal action against Sharma and has accused the ruling BJP of harming India's image with its "politics of hatred'' after many Muslim countries lodged their protest on the issue and issued statements criticising the alleged derogatory remarks made during a TV debate.

Also Read | Delhi Weather Update: Heatwave Sears Parts of National Capital, Relief Likely on Weekend.

Asserting that the controversy had not impacted the NDA dispensation as Sharma was not a government functionary, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said ''good relations" would continue with the countries even as Malaysia, Iraq and Libya joined over a dozen Muslim nations in condemning the comments.

Delhi-based Sharma has been summoned by the Mumbra police in Thane, neighbouring Mumbai, to record her statement before the investigating officer on June 22 in connection with an FIR registered against her, a Thane police official said.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Man Rapes Girlfriend After Spiking Her Drink in Bhopal; Arrested.

Also, the Mumbai Police has asked a news channel to hand over the video clip of Sharma of the alleged objectionable statements made by her during a TV debate in connection with another FIR at Pydhonie police station.

A Delhi Police official, meanwhile, said that Sharma and her family have been provided police security after she alleged that she has been receiving threats and was being harassed over her remarks

Police said on May 28, its cyber cell unit received a complaint from Sharma against various persons about death threats and targeted hatred after which an FIR was registered under various IPC sections including 506 (criminal intimidation).

The BJP had on Sunday suspended Sharma and expelled its Delhi unit media head Naveen Kumar Jindal who again claimed on Tuesday that he and his family members have been receiving "death threats" on social media platforms.

The BJP action came as the row over their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad escalated with protests from several Muslim countries and groups.

India continued to grapple with the international fallout on Tuesday, with the Indian Missions in these countries maintaining that the controversial remarks do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India and noting that "vested interests" that are against India's bilateral ties with these nations have been inciting the people using these comments.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal too stressed that good relations will continue with the Gulf countries that have reacted sharply to the issue.

"I don't think that this statement was made by any government functionary and, therefore, it has no impact on the government and necessary action has been taken by the party," Goyal, Minister for Commerce and Industry told, reporters in Kochi, Kerala when asked about the controversy.

He said the External Affairs Ministry has clarified the issue.

"The Foreign Office has come out with a clear clarification on that remark and the BJP has taken the necessary action in this regard. With all these countries, we have a very good relationship and our relations will continue to be very good," he said.

When asked about a social media campaign to boycott Indian products in the wake of the row, the minister said he has not heard of any such thing.

"They have only mentioned that such a statement should not be made and accordingly, action has been taken against the person who made the comments. All the Indians living in gulf countries are safe and do not have to worry," the union minister said.

After the row erupted, the BJP asserted that it respects all religions and strongly denounces the insult of any religious personality.

Sharma unconditionally withdrew her controversial statement and claimed her comments were a reaction to the "continuous insult and disrespect towards our Mahadev (Lord Shiva)".

On Tuesday, Sharma said she respects the party' decision.

"I have practically grown up in the organisation. I respect and accept its decision,'' she said.

Qatar, Iran and Kuwait had on Sunday summoned India's Ambassadors and expressed their strong protest and condemnation of the controversial remarks.

In response to a statement issued by the Parliamentary Committee on Awqaf and Tribals of Iraq on the controversial tweets, the Indian embassy there said that "in line with our civilisational heritage and strong cultural traditions of unity in diversity, Government of India accords the highest respect of all religions".

Strong action has already been taken against those who made derogatory remarks. A statement has also been issued by concerned quarters emphasising respect for all religions, denouncing insults to any religious personality or demeaning any religion or sect, it said.

"Vested interests that are against India-Iraq relations have been inciting the people using these derogatory comments. We should work together against such mischievous elements who aim to undercut the strength of our bilateral ties," said the statement.

Egypt-based Arab Parliament also expressed its strong condemnation and rejection of the "irresponsible remarks issued by the spokeswoman of India's ruling (BJP) against Prophet Mohammad."

On Monday, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the Maldives, the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman and Afghanistan too had condemned the remarks.

Responding to a query on the issue, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said, I've seen stories. I haven't seen the remarks themselves, but I mean, regardless, I can tell you that we strongly encourage respect and tolerance for all religions.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Yavatmal, Jun 7 (PTI) More than 60 people fell sick after consuming food at a marriage function in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, a health official said on Tuesday.

Also Read | Apple watchOS 9 Announced With Afib History Feature, Medications App & More.

The wedding function was held in Shembalpimpri village under Pusad taluka here on Monday.

Also Read | Xiaomi 12 Ultra Renders & Specifications Leaked Online: Report.

After having food, many guests complained of uneasiness and started vomiting, district medical officer Prahlad Chavhan said.

Nearly 40 to 45 guests were treated in a hospital at Kalmanuri in neighbouring Hingoli district, while 20-25 people were provided medical assistance at a public health centre in Pusad. Some people were also treated at a private hospital here, he said.

The condition of the patients was stable, the official said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
PLA warns away Australian spy plane for close airspace trespass in Chinas Xisha

(Global Times) 16:45, June 07, 2022

A J-16 fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Western Theater Command gets ready to take off from the runway during an aerial combat training exercise under complex electromagnetic conditions in early April, 2021.(Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn)

The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) warned away an Australian spy plane when it recently attempted to trespass into Chinese airspace of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea for close-in reconnaissance, the Chinese Defense Ministry said on Tuesday, debunking Australias claim that a PLA warplane intercepted the Australian aircraft and threatened the safety of its crew.

The PLA Southern Theater Command organized maritime and aerial forces to identify and warn away an Australian P-8A ASW aircraft, when it repeatedly approached the Chinese airspace of the Xisha Islands for a close-in reconnaissance on May 26 despite repeated warning from the Chinese forces, Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson at Chinas Ministry of National Defense, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Australian warplane severely threatened Chinas sovereign security, and the Chinese militarys countermeasures were professional, safe, reasonable and legitimate, Tan said.

Australia is calling white black, keeping on spreading false information and hyping confrontation, Tan said. China strongly opposes this.

Tans remarks came after Australia's Defense Ministry said in a press release on Sunday that a P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force wasintercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraftduring a routine maritime surveillance activity in the South China Sea on May 26, claiming the spy plane was flying in international airspace.

The interception resulted in a dangerous maneuver that posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew, the Australian press release claimed.

China has sternly warned Australia to stop similar dangerous provocative moves at once and to restrict the actions of its maritime and aerial forces, or it shall bear serious consequences, Tan said.

In the May 26 event, the Chinese plane released flares while flying closely alongside the Australian plane, before cutting in front of the P-8 and releasing a bag of "chaff" into its flight path, which included aluminum fragments that were sucked into the engine of the Australian plane, Australia's ABC News reported.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu)
New Delhi, June 7: The Parliamentary Privilege Committee of Lok Sabha has summoned the Maharashtra Chief Secretary, state Director General of Police and Mumbai Police Commissioner to appear before them on June 15 in connection with the breach of privilege complaint by MP Navneet Rana.

The Committee headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sunil Singh will take up the matter concerning the breach of privilege complaint by Maharashtra MP Navneet Rana next week.

The Committee has summoned several officers from Maharashtra after Rana filed a complaint with the Lok Sabha Speaker about the same. The Amravati MP had written to the Parliament's Privileges and Ethics Committee on charges of breach of privilege and had alleged illegal arrest and inhuman treatment faced by her at Khar police station. Hanuman Chalisa Row: MP Navneet Rana, MLA Ravi Rana Pray at Hanuman Temple in Delhi for Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray's Ouster.

Rana appeared before the privilege committee on May 23 to present her side of the story. On April 25, a complaint of a serious breach of privilege was given by Navneet Rana to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla who further referred it to the Privilege Committee.

Navneet appeared before the Parliamentary Privilege Committee on May 23 over her allegation of "patently illegal arrest and the consequent inhuman treatment meted out to her at Khar Police Station, Mumbai".

Following this, the Privilege Committee summoned Maharashtra Chief Secretary Manu Kumar Srivastava, Director General of Police Rajnish Seth, Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey and Superintendent of Women District Prison, Byculla (Mumbai) Yashwant Bhanudas.

Navneet Rana along with her MLA husband Ravi Rana were arrested on April 23 from their Mumbai residence after declaring that they would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's residence in Bandra.

They were booked in two FIRs lodged on charges of sedition, promoting enmity, and assaulting a public servant to prevent discharge of duty. The Rana couple was granted bail on May 4 and released from jail the next day.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bhubaneswar, Jun 7 (PTI) Appealing to citizens to provide succour to stray animals in distress, Odisha Chief Minister on Tuesday inaugurated tele veterinary service and launched animal resources mapping initiative.

For protection and care of stray animals in urban areas, Patnaik also launched a helpline number 1962 for immediate response towards animals in distress.

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Speaking on the occasion, he said one can dial toll free number 1962 to report such animals and ensure emergency services. The helpline will remain open 247 to extend veterinary services through animal ambulances in 11 urban areas.

The line department officials have been directed to facilitate the services, he said, adding that NGOs engaged in animal care would be sanctioned funds for the purpose.

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The CM also inaugurated tele veterinary services to help farmers engaged in fisheries and cattle farming in rural areas. It would not only protect fish and cattle farms but also improve farmers' income, he said.

The farmers can dial toll free number 1962 or 155333 to avail the services from animal service units in all blocks, he said.

The chief minister also inaugurated fisheries and animal resources mapping system. Under the state government's 5T initiative, all animal farms in Odisha would have geo-tagging and would be displayed on WEB-GIS.

The government also signed an agreement with BAIF Institute for engaging 1500 technicians for artificial insemination across the state. Another agreement was signed with Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aqua Culture for setting up a hatchery of Bhekti' fish at Gopalpur in Ganjam district.

Odisha's new Agriculture, Farmer Empowerment, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development minister RP Swain attended the meeting.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ahmedabad, Jun 7 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Gujarat on June 10 and 18 to inaugurate a multi-speciality hospital and address two mass gatherings in Navsari and Vadodara districts, an official said on Tuesday.

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The prime minister will address a gathering of tribals at Khudvel village in Navsari district on June 10, he said.

As per the local administration, nearly 3 lakh tribals from south Gujarat, including Navsari, Tapi, Dang and Valsad districts, are expected to attend the event at Khudvel in Chikhli taluka. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will also attend the event.

Modi will inaugurate a multi-speciality hospital and AM Naik Healthcare Campus, situated on the National Highway 48 in Navsari, on the same day, said a statement by Nirali Memorial Medical Trust.

On June 18, the prime minister is scheduled to address nearly 4 lakh people at a gathering on the outskirts of Vadodara city, after taking out a roadshow from the airport to the venue near Sardar Estate, municipal commissioner Shalini Agrawal said.

Modi will arrive at Vadodara in the morning after offering prayers at the Mahakali temple atop Pavagadh Hills in the neighbouring Panchmahal district, said Hitendra Patel, chairman of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation's standing committee.

"After the 4 km-long roadshow, the prime minister will address nearly 4 lakh people, including beneficiaries of various government schemes, such as rural housing, at Leprosy Hospital ground near Sardar Estate," said Patel, who along with Agrawal and local MP Ranjan Bhatt visited the ground to take stock of the preparations.

These visits come ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections, which are due in December this year.

(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], June 7 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Biotech Startup Expo - 2022 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on June 9 at 10:30 am, informed the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Tuesday.

This will be followed by his address on the occasion, said a statement issued by the PMO.

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According to the PMO, the Biotech Startup Expo - 2022 is a two day event being held on June 9 and 10. It is being organised by the Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

It is being held to mark completion of ten years of setting up of BIRAC. The theme of the Expo is 'Biotech Startup Innovations: Towards AatmaNirbhar Bharat'.

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The Expo will act as a platform to connect entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, scientists, researchers, bio-incubators, manufacturers, regulators, government officials, etc.

About 300 stalls will be set up at the Expo, which will showcase the applications of biotechnology in various fields such as healthcare, genomics, biopharma, agriculture, industrial biotechnology, waste-to-value, clean energy, among others. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jaipur, Jun 7 (PTI) The BJP on Tuesday wrote to the Enforcement Directorate and the Rajasthan chief electoral officer, expressing apprehensions of horse trading and the use of black money in the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls.

The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Gulab Chand Kataria, Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia, Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore and party whip Jogeshwar Garg accused the Congress of misusing government machinery to intimidate MLAs.

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They said some of the disgruntled MLAs were openly giving statements against the government till recently but later they went to Udaipur in a chartered plane with CM Ashok Gehlot.

The ruling Congress has shifted its MLAs to a hotel there alleging poaching attempts by the BJP.

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The BJP leaders, however, claimed that there are chances that temptations were given to the MLAs.

They also expressed apprehension that there could be black money in the Udaipur hotel and demanded action on corrupt practices to ensure free and fair elections.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Mahesh Joshi gave a letter to the chief electoral officer demanding action on horse-trading attempts.

Joshi, however, did not name anyone or any party in the complaint. He had also given a similar complaint to the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Sunday.

Elections to four seats of the Rajya Sabha from the state will take place on June 10.

The Congress has fielded three candidates, BJP one and media baron Subhash Chandra is contesting elections as an independent candidate. He is backed by the BJP.

While the Congress with its 108 MLAs in set to win two seats, it requires the support of Independents and legislators of other parties to win a third seat.

Chandra has the support of 33 legislators--30 of the BJP and three of the RLP--and is short of eight votes to win the contest.

The BJP with its 71 MLAs is set to win one seat.

(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/Jaipur/Mumbai, Jun 7 (PTI) Ahead of the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls, political temperatures were soaring in several states that could see close contests, with parties trying to keep their flock together and trading accusations of poaching of MLAs.

After more than two decades, Maharashtra will witness a contest in the Rajya Sabha polls as there are seven candidates in the fray for six seats.

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The Shiv Sena has decided to shift its MLAs to a five-star hotel in south Mumbai to ward off overtures and the ruling MVA leaders were holding talks with smaller parties and Independents backing the tripartite dispensation.

The BJP has asked its MLAs to come to Mumbai in the next two days.

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"We were in 'The Retreat' (at Madh island in northwest Mumbai) and all our ministers too were present there. We will be moving to hotel 'The Trident' (in south Mumbai)," Sena MLA and party spokesperson Sunil Prabhu said.

The Trident is a stone's throw from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly where voting will take place.

In the 288-member House, smaller parties have 16 MLAs together while the number of Independents is 13.

A total of seven candidates- BJP (3), Shiv Sena (2), NCP (1), and Congress (1)- are in the fray for the six RS seats.

The contest for the sixth seat is between BJP's Dhananjay Mahadik and Sena's Sanjay Pawar.

In Rajasthan, the BJP wrote to the Enforcement Directorate and the Rajasthan chief electoral officer, expressing apprehensions about horse-trading and the use of black money in the Rajya Sabha polls.

The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Gulab Chand Kataria, Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia, Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore and party whip Jogeshwar Garg accused the Congress of misusing government machinery to intimidate MLAs.

Their reaction came as Rajasthan police serve a notice to BJP legislator Chandrakanta Meghwal in a five-year-old assault case.

Meghwal, who is camping in Jaipur with other MLAs of the party ahead of elections to the upper house, did not appear at the police station in Kota.

After the notice, the opposition BJP accused Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of hatching a conspiracy but an aide of the Congres leader dismissed the charge saying the case against Meghwal was registered when the BJP was in power.

The Congress had shifted its MLAs to Udaipur on June 2, saying it fears horse-trading by the BJP.

Congress leader Mahesh Joshi gave a letter to the chief electoral officer demanding action against alleged horse-trading attempts.

Joshi, however, did not name anyone or any party in the complaint. He had also given a similar complaint to the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Sunday.

Elections to four seats of the Rajya Sabha from the state will take place on June 10. While the Congress can easily win two and the BJP one, the contest is for the fourth seat for which the BJP is backing Independent candidate Subhash Chandra.

Chandra claimed that eight Congress MLAs may vote for him and asked former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot to also cross sides.

This would be an opportunity for Pilot to avenge his "humiliation", the media baron told reporters.

Pilot, however, advised Chandra to withdraw from the contest to avoid being humiliated.

"An advice to the Independent candidate of Rajasthan -- Better to be out of the contest before voting on 10th. It is better to be humble than to be humiliated," he tweeted.

"Unfortunately politics is not like making a TV series where you decide who will do what," he said, targeting the media baron.

Meanwhile, an official statement claimed the two legislators of the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) have decided to support the ruling Congress after meeting Gehlot.

However, the legislators said they want to stay in a circuit house or any other place than the hotel where other Congress legislators are camping, according to the statement.

Six candidates are in the fray for the Rajya Sabha poll to four seats from Karnataka, leading to a heated contest for the fourth seat.

The Congress on Tuesday appealed to the 'secular MLAs' to cast their 'conscience votes' for their candidate Mansoor Ali Khan.

Congress Karnataka unit chief D K Shivakumar said he and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were making this appeal to everyone in the Karnataka Assembly.

Offering to trade second preference votes with the Congress, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said his main agenda is to defeat the BJP.

The former chief minister also claimed that even if JD(S) manages to get the 22 second preference votes from the Congress, it will be in a leading position.

Despite not having the adequate number of votes to win the fourth seat from the state Assembly, all the three political parties in the state -- BJP, Congress and JD(S) -- have fielded candidates for the seat, forcing an election.

"My main agenda is that BJP should face a defeat, I'm ready for it. After Congress General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala called me, I calculated and have personally informed him that we (JDS) are ready to transfer our 32 second preference votes to Congress, but want their (Congress) 24 second preference votes in return," Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters, he said he doesn't have a better offer than this to make and asked Congress to prove its "secular commitment".

The six candidates in the fray for Rajya Sabha polls from the state are - Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, actor-politician Jaggesh and outgoing MLC Lehar Singh Siroya from the BJP, former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh and state general secretary Mansoor Ali Khan from the Congress, and former MP D Kupendra Reddy from the JD(S).

Despite the JD(S) seeking support to ensure Reddy's election to the Upper House of the parliament, the Congress did not withdraw its second candidate Khan from the fray and has issued a whip to all its MLAs asking them to vote for the party's candidates.

There are talks within political circles that the BJP may be at an advantage if preference votes were to be counted and Congress and JD(S) don't come to any understanding.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 7 (ANI): Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar on Tuesday said that the terrorists involved in the killing of the bank manager in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district have been identified and will be neutralised soon.

The banker, Vijay Kumar, was a resident of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan and was working in Kulgam.

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Speaking with ANI, IGP Kashmir said, "In Vijay Kumar's murder case, terrorists have been identified. They'll soon be arrested/ neutralised."

Condemning his killing, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had said that the "coward terrorists will not be spared".

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IGP Kashmir, while briefing about the recent civilian killings said that both the terrorists involved in Kashmiri TV actor Amreen Bhat's murder case were identified and neutralised.

Jammu and Kashmir Police said that two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were involved in the killing of Amreen Bhat.

Talking of Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Bhat's murder, the IGP said that two terrorists have been involved in his killing, one of whom has been killed.

"Two terrorists were involved in Rahul Bhat's murder -- one neutralised, one remains and we are after him," he said.

On May 12, Rahul Bhat, a clerk, was murdered inside the tehsildar's office in Chadoora tehsil of Budgam district.

People belonging to the Hindu community employed in Kashmir have staged a protest in Jammu and demanded security for members of the Kashmiri Pandit community.

A 36-year-old migrant Kashmiri Pandit and high school teacher Rajni Bala was also shot dead by terrorists in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Notably, two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists have been neutralized by security forces during an encounter at the Chaktaras Kandi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara on Tuesday, of which one was from Pakistan.

The Pakistani terrorist goes by the code name Tufail, whereas the second terrorist killed has been identified as Ishtiaq Lone from Tral.

In another encounter in Sopore on Monday, one Pakistani terrorist affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed by the security forces.

As per the documents recovered from the killed Pakistani terrorist, he was identified as Hanzalla of Lahore, Pakistan.

Earlier, a Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) 'commander' was killed in an overnight encounter in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, the Jammu and Kashmir police said on June 4. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 7 (ANI): The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department officials carried out an inspection of Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram on Tuesday.

The notice served last week informed the Committee of Pothu Dikshithars to keep ready all details related to revenue and expenditure, audit reports and bank passbooks from 2014.

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The notice was served a week after the Tamil Nadu Government issued an order permitting devotees to offer worship from the Kanakasabhai mandapam at the temple.

The notice also sought the details of properties of the temple and revenue, present status of the properties, details of donations, jewellery, and other valuable items and their estimates. The details of land belonging to the temple and lessees and register of lessees were also sought.

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Dikshithar Committee said the Endowments Department do not have jurisdiction under Section 107 of the 1959 Act.

Meanwhile, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister PK Sekarbabu said, "Nataraja Temple is a common public temple as per High court verdict. When complaints come to the government, an inspection can be made as per law. Endowment Commisioner gave a notice to temple officials regarding the inspection. Dikshithars opposed the inspection. Since our government works based on law, we inspect the temple. The devotees, priests and temple authorities should not have differences in mindset."

"We are not against Dikshithars. We are doing the inspection in legal way. We are not acting against any law," he added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Hyderabad, Jun 7 (PTI) The city police on Tuesday said six persons have been apprehended in connection with the gangrape of a teenage girl here last month.

"Six accused have been arrested in this case... Out of six, one is a major," Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand told reporters Tuesday night.

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The rest are juveniles, including one just one month short of 18 years of age, he said.

Five of the arrested persons were involved in the rape of the teenage girl on May 28. One juvenile was allegedly seen in videos misbehaving with the girl, but was not involved in rape.

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Anand said stringent sections of law have been invoked against those involved in the heinous crime.

The punishment under the sections could be imprisonment for life till death or even death penalty, he said. The case would be tried in a special court.

Amid allegations of involvement of children of influential persons, he said the gangrape happened in a Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV). It "seems to be" an official vehicle, he said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jaipur, Jun 7 (PTI) Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Tuesday took a jibe at BJP-backed Independent candidate Subhash Chandra over his claim that eight Congress MLAs may vote for him in the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls, and advised him to withdraw from the contest to avoid being humiliated.

"An advice to the Independent candidate of Rajasthan -- Better to be out of the contest before voting on 10th. It is better to be humble than to be humiliated," Pilot tweeted.

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"Unfortunately politics is not like making a TV series where you decide who will do what," he said, targeting the media baron.

Earlier in the day, Chandra claimed that eight Congress MLAs may vote for him in the Rajya Sabha polls and asked Pilot to also cross sides.

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This would be an opportunity for Pilot to avenge his "humiliation", the media baron told reporters.

Pilot had rebelled against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot two years ago, plunging the Congress government in the state into a crisis.

Following the rebellion, Pilot was removed from the posts of the deputy chief minister and the state Congress president.

Chandra has filed his nomination as an Independent candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections to be held on June 10. The BJP and the National Democratic Party are supporting him.

While the Congress with its 108 MLAs in set to win two seats, it requires the support of Independents and legislators of other parties to win a third seat.

Chandra has the support of 33 legislators--30 of the BJP and three of the RLP--and is short of eight votes to win the contest.

The BJP with its 71 MLAs is set to win one seat.

(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, Jun 7 (PTI) Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday said the government is committed to ensure health security for every citizen and it is strengthening district hospitals to provide better healthcare facilities.

He also emphasised on the role of states in ensuring food safety and healthy food practices, an official statement said.

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Mandaviya released Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)'s 4th State Food Safety Index (SFSI) to measure the performance of states across five parameters of food safety.

The index was started from 2018-19 with the aim of creating a competitive and positive change in the food safety ecosystem in the country.

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Speaking on the occasion of the World Food Safety Day, Mandaviya highlighted that there has been holistic development in the health sector.

The minister said the government is dedicated to ensure health security for every citizen in the country.

For this, he said, the government is focussing on primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare fronts with various initiatives like health and wellness centres and strengthening of district hospitals under the National Health Mission.

He praised the crucial role FSSAI plays in ensuring healthy and nutritious food to the citizens of the country.

"It is important to note that states have an important role in ensuring food safety and healthy food practices. It is the need of the hour that we come together to ensure a healthy nation," Mandaviya said.

The minister felicitated the winning state/Union Territories based on the ranking for the year 2021-22 for their performance across parameters.

Among the larger states, Tamil Nadu was at the top, followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Among the smaller states, Goa stood first followed by Manipur and Sikkim. Among UTs, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh secured first, second and third ranks, respectively.

Mandaviya also felicitated states which showed significant improvement in the State Food Safety Index.

To motivate smart cities to develop and execute a plan that supports a healthy, safe and sustainable food environment through adoption of various Eat Right India initiatives, Mandaviya also felicitated 11 winning smart cities of the EatSmart Cities Challenge, launched by FSSAI last year in association with the Smart Cities Mission.

He felicitated winners of the Eat Right Research Challenge for cities and districts and Eat Right Research Awards and Grants.

Mandaviya launched various innovative initiatives by FSSAI including the Eat Right Research Awards and Grants  Phase II. Eat Right Creativity Challenge  Phase III, a competition at the school level and logo for AyurvedaAahar which contains the initials of Ayurveda and Ahara with 5 leaves symbolising five elements of nature.

Further, the minister also released various e-books that advocate and capture innovative recipes about oil-free cooking and sugarless desserts.

He also launched various resource books including Khadyanjali, a quarterly magazine published by the Rajbhasha Division of FSSAI; Guidance Document on Food Borne Disease Outbreak Investigation and Microbiological Process Control, Sampling and Testing of Fish and Fishery Products etc.

To prevent burden from food borne diseases and to ensure food safety, Rajesh Bhushan, Union health secretary, said that a multifaceted and multi stakeholder approach involving industries, government machinery, regulators etc. is required and awareness must be created at each level of the society.

Arun Singhal, Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI, said that food testing paradigm in the country is being improved in mission mode and memorandum of understandings have been signed with states/UTs to carefully see the food safety implementation in their respective areas.

(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, Jun 7 (PTI) Mitsubishi Electric Corporation on Tuesday said it will invest about Rs 220 crore (3.1 billion yen) in its Indian subsidiary to set up a new factory in Maharashtra.

The new factory will be set up near Pune in Maharashtra. Its subsidiary Mitsubishi Electric India will manufacture inverters and other factory automation (FA) control system products, said a statement from the Japanese manufacturer of electrical and electronic products.

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The factory is expected to start operations in December 2023 and would expand the company's capabilities to meet the growing demand in India, it added.

"The rapidly growing Indian market is expanding at an annual rate of about 8 per cent mainly in industries such as automobiles, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, data centres, and textiles, with further market expansion expected in the future," it said.

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The new two-floor, 15,400 square-metre factory will be built on 40,000 square metres of land near Pune.

"....(it) will help expand Mitsubishi Electric's production capabilities to meet local demand for products, and also contribute to the Make in India initiative promoted by the Indian government," the statement said.

In addition, the facility will incorporate various features aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by reducing carbon dioxide emissions by using highly efficient air conditioning systems and LED lighting equipment.

It will also meet sustainable development goals (SDGs) by reusing wastewater through underground filtration treatment and greening.

Mitsubishi Electric India is in the business of "development, manufacture, sales and after-sales service of FA control system products, sales and after-sales services for air conditioners, semiconductors; manufacture, sales and after-sales service of electrical products for railway vehicles.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is a world leader in electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation and building equipment.

The company had recorded a revenue of 4,476.7 billion yen (USD 36.7 billion) in the fiscal ended March 2022.

(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], June 7 (ANI/Xinhua): A Chinese envoy on Monday warned against constantly providing weapons to Ukraine or imposing sanctions on Russia.

The international community should not stop at eliminating sexual violence and human trafficking. Only through cease-fire and the restoration of peace can the trauma of conflict for women and children be fundamentally avoided, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

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"The international community should work together to promote peace talks, and encourage Russia and Ukraine to come back to the negotiation track," he told a Security Council meeting on sexual violence and human trafficking in the context of the Ukraine conflict.

Constantly providing weapons or imposing sanctions and pressure will not solve the problem, but will only perpetuate and expand the conflict, he warned.

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People in Ukraine and other developing countries should not pay the price for geopolitical and bloc confrontations. At a time when humans have a shared future and when global security is indivisible, no country can or should seek its own absolute security at the expense of the security of others. And international and regional security cannot and should not be guaranteed by strengthening military blocs and cutting off supply and industrial chains, said Dai.

"China once again calls on the parties concerned to put international and regional peace and security first and to play a constructive role in the proper resolution of the crisis in Ukraine," he said.

The conflict has taken a heavy toll on the Ukrainian people. The security risks faced by women and children are particularly worrisome. Parties to the conflict should comply with international law and take measures to protect civilians from all forms of violence, including sexual violence and human trafficking against women and girls, he said.

The use of sexual violence as a tactic of war is a serious crime. Any allegations should be investigated impartially on the basis of facts, he said.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, 6.8 million Ukrainian people have crossed borders into neighboring countries for refuge, the vast majority of whom are women and children. China appreciates the humanitarian spirit shown by Ukraine's neighbors in providing safe shelter and basic livelihood for women and children refugees. Meanwhile, the growing number of cases of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse is disturbing, he said.

China calls for immediate international cooperation to identify and punish relevant criminal acts. The relevant UN agencies should strengthen monitoring and analysis and provide professional and technical support to combat human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and sexual abuse against Ukrainian refugees, he said. (ANI/Xinhua)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad, Jun 7 (PTI) German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday said that a constructive approach and confidence building measures between Pakistan and India were key to improvement of their ties and solution of the Kashmir issue.

Baerbock, who is in Pakistan on her maiden visit to the country, made the remarks here during a joint press conference along with her Pakistan counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Also Read | Polio Outbreak in Pakistan Worsens, Nation Reports Eighth Case of 2022.

Responding to a question, Baerbock said she supported resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN resolutions.

She said that a constructive approach and confidence building measures between Pakistan and India were key to improvement of their bilateral ties and solution of the issue.

Also Read | China: Heavy Rain, Floods Affect Over 800,000 Residents in Jiangxi Province.

She also welcomed the Line of Control ceasefire agreed upon in 2021 and stressed the need for both sides to reduce tensions.

Bilawal said that peace in South Asia was "contingent upon peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue."

The foreign minister said the international community must immediately take notice of the increasing incidents of alleged persecution of minorities and rising tide of Islamophobia in India.

Citing the recent "provocative and sacrilegious statements" by the BJP leaders, Bilawal said that such "outrageous and highly condemnable statements had hurt the sentiments of the Muslims all over the world," state-run APP news agency reported.

The foreign minister said Pakistan wanted peace with India, but it required a rational approach from the other side, adding with such irrational steps by India, the space for peace was being squeezed.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have spiked since New Delhi abrogated the Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. India's decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.

India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir "was, is and shall forever" remain an integral part of the country. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda.

New Delhi has also told Pakistan that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.

The top German diplomat also made a damning assessment of the Afghan Taliban rule, saying the war-torn country was heading in the "wrong direction".

"When we look across the border the Taliban is leading the country to a downfall," she said, adding that parents were unable to feed their children, girls were deprived of education, women were being shunned and the dissenting voices were being suppressed.

She said that the Afghan economy had come to a halt and urged the world to tell the Taliban that there was no room for normal ties until they address the global concerns.

"The international community must stand united and tell the Taliban loud and clear that you are heading in the wrong direction, she said.

On his part, Bilawal urged the international community to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan where the lives of 40 million Afghans were at risk.

Talking about the Ukraine conflict, Baerbock said that Russia's war had set dangerous precedents and asked the world to stand by Ukraine. She also said restrictions by Russia on wheat exports and its capture of Ukrainian stocks resulted in food price hikes and put at risk the lives of those dependent on wheat imports.

Bilawal said that his country was against the conflict and urged for resolution of the issue through peaceful means.

The two leaders also talked about global warming, expressing concerns about the state of climate conditions.

"When it comes to the climate crisis, we are all living in the same house and the roof is already on fire. We are running out of time and have now to act," the German minister said.

The two countries agreed to deepen their ties in various fields including climate and also discussed opportunities for increased trade and investment.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Hanoi, Jun 7 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday arrived here in Vietnam on a three-day visit, in reflection of the growing congruence in maritime security cooperation with the key Southeast Asian country amid China's increasing muscle-flexing in the region.

Singh was welcomed at the airport by India's Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma and senior officers of Vietnam's Ministry of National Defence.

Also Read | Polio Outbreak in Pakistan Worsens, Nation Reports Eighth Case of 2022.

Hon'ble RM, Shri Rajnath Singh arrived at Hanoi on an official visit to Vietnam from 8-10 June 2022. He was welcomed at the airport by Amb. Pranay Verma and senior officers of Vietnam's Ministry of National Defence, the Embassy of India said on Twitter.

In New Delhi, the defence ministry said Singh's visit to Vietnam from June 8 to 10 is aimed at further consolidating the bilateral defence ties as well as the comprehensive strategic partnership.

Also Read | China: Heavy Rain, Floods Affect Over 800,000 Residents in Jiangxi Province.

The defence minister will hold extensive talks with his Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Giang, with a focus on exploring new initiatives to further strengthen the defence engagements, besides exchanging views on regional and global issues of shared interest, it said.

Singh is also scheduled to call on Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Vietnam, an important country of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), has territorial disputes with China in the strategic South China Sea region.

India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's aggressive military manoeuvring in the region.

China also claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.

India has oil exploration projects in the Vietnamese waters in the South China Sea. India and Vietnam are boosting their maritime security cooperation in the last few years to protect common interests.

"At the Hong Ha Shipyard in Hai Phong, the defence minister will preside over the handing over ceremony of 12 high-speed guard boats constructed under the government of India's USD 100 million defence line of credit to Vietnam.

"This project is significant in the context of the growing defence industry cooperation with Vietnam and exemplifies Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India, Make for the World'," the ministry said in a statement.

During his Vietnam tour, Singh will also visit training institutions of the country at Nha Trang, including the Telecommunication University where an Army Software Park is being established with a USD 5 million grant from India.

He will also attend a community event organised by the Embassy of India in Hanoi and interact with the Indian diaspora.

"The defence minister's visit on the historic occasion of 50 years of establishment of India-Vietnam diplomatic relations and 75 years of India's Independence will further consolidate the bilateral defence cooperation and the comprehensive strategic partnership," the ministry said.

The relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of a "strategic partnership" during the visit of Vietnam's then prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung to India in July 2007.

In 2016, during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Vietnam, the bilateral relations were further elevated to a "comprehensive strategic partnership".

Vietnam has become an important partner in India's Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific vision.

Last week, Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), visited Vietnam for the 12th round of political consultations and the ninth round of strategic dialogue in Hanoi.

(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], June 7 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday held Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan accountable for breaching the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal as he called his faulty decisions 'suicide bombings' on Pakistan.

"PTI carried out suicide bombings throughout the country. The decisions they made in the last month, as well as the manner in which they breached the IMF deal and the savagery with which they did so, were acts of suicide attacks against the country," PML-N tweeted, citing Abbasi.

Also Read | Remarks Against Prophet: Now, UAE Joins List of Islamic Nations Condemning Nupur Sharma's Statements.

Blaming the PTI Chief for the financial mess, former Prime Minister Abbassi said that he has broken promises towards the nation as he has put the country in the doldrums due to his corrupt practices while he urged the Pakistani community to solve the crisis without fearing anyone, lambasting at Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has accused the former PTI government previously of destroying the energy sector of the country while he blamed the Imran Khan's government for its incompetence and neglect in the energy sector.

Also Read | Monkeypox Outbreak: UK Records 77 News Cases, Tally Rises to 302; Biggest Breakout Outside Africa.

Despite several attempts to block the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, Imran Khan became the first Prime Minister of Pakistan to lose a no-trust vote in Pakistan's history.

The voting took place after midnight in which as many as 174 members voted in favour of the motion in the 342-member House while members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were absent.

The ouster took place after a high political drama in the National Assembly with the Supreme Court overturning the decision of the Deputy Speaker to reject the opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion against the ruling PTI-led coalition. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad [Pakistan], June 7 (ANI): The Pakistan National Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution condemning the efforts being made by former Prime Minister Imran Khan to "defame" the country's armed forces for political purposes.

A resolution that was passed with a majority vote urged the "state" to move the Pakistan Supreme Court against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief over his "anti-Pakistan and anti-armed forces" remarks.

Also Read | World Food Safety Day 2022: WHO Releases Handbook To Measure Foodborne Disease Burden.

"...House condemns the efforts being made by Imran Niazi to defame the armed forces of Pakistan for political purposes," the resolution says.

According to Dawn newspaper, the resolution also said armed forces are not only discharging their responsibilities but are also the guarantors of Pakistan's geographical boundaries.

Also Read | India Has a Set of Interests When It Comes to Engaging with the Taliban Regime: US.

This comes after Imran Khan last week said that if Pakistan's establishment does not make the right decisions, the country could split into three parts and end up losing its nuclear deterrent capabilities.

The ousted PM made these remarks in an interview with a television channel.

"If the establishment is not with you irrespective of your popularity as was the case with Benazir Bhutto, you will not be able to come back in power. Keeping this in mind, what is your future strategy?" he said.

After these remarks, a number of leaders from the country including, former president Asif Ali Zardari slammed Khan saying no Pakistani could talk of tearing this country apart.

"This language is not of a Pakistani but of Modi. Imran Khan's power is not everything in the world, be brave and learn to stand on your feet and do politics now," he said.

In an apparent response to Imran Khan's rhetoric, the Pakistani Army on Monday said that country's nuclear capability is the guarantor of deterrence and defence of the motherland and no compromise will be made on the country's nuclear program.

General Nadeem Raza, Pakistan's Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Monday stressed avoiding baseless and unnecessary comments on Pakistan's nuclear programme, Geo News reported.

"Pakistan is a responsible and confident nuclear country," the deputy chairman of the National Command Authority said during a seminar at the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) in Islamabad.

He asserted that national security is indivisible and assured that under no circumstances shall Pakistan allow a compromise on its nuclear program. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Colombo, Jun 7 (PTI) Sri Lanka's Cabinet has deferred by a week the approval of the proposed 21st Amendment to the Constitution to empower Parliament over the executive president, amidst stiff resistance from some members of the ruling party.

The 21st Amendment is expected to annul the 20A to the Constitution which gives unfettered powers to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after abolishing the 19th Amendment.

Also Read | India Has a Set of Interests When It Comes to Engaging with the Taliban Regime: US.

The draft of the proposed amendment was presented at Monday's Cabinet meeting.

It was decided to approve it only after all parties agreed with the amendments proposed. It will be presented to the Cabinet next week," Charitha Herath, a government parliamentarian, told reporters.

Also Read | Boris Johnson No-Confidence Vote: UK PM Survives Vote of Confidence as 211 of His MPs Vote for Him.

A section of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party (SLPP) is averse to bringing in 21A without addressing the current economic crisis.

People are facing difficulties without essentials. We will have to think of settling the economic issues first before trying political solutions," Sagara Kariyawasam, the ruling SLPP general secretary said.

Constitutional Affairs Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe was hopeful of having the Cabinet nod on Monday.

The government announced on Friday that most of the concerns raised by parties had been addressed and agreed upon.

However, the main Opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), expressed disagreement, saying the government needed to wait until the Supreme Court's determination on their draft document on the amendment.

The SJB has accused the government of watering down the amendment so as to allow president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to continue enjoying full powers.

The SJB presses for the abolition of the presidential system.

The constitutional affairs minister said the government's aim was to move provisions which may require it to be subject to a national referendum.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last week batted for the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, saying it will curb the president's unlimited powers while enhancing the role of Parliament in governing the debt-ridden country which is also facing an unprecedented political turmoil.

His proposal to introduce the 21st Amendment met with stiff resistance from some members of the ruling SLPP party.

They charged that Wickremesinghe was looking to garner more power for himself while weakening President Rajapaksa who appointed him.

The powerful Rajapaksa family tightened their grip on power after their massive victory in the general elections in August 2020, which allowed them to amend the Constitution to restore presidential powers and install close family members in key positions.

Wickremesinghe was the main sponsor of the 19th Amendment in 2015 which empowered Parliament over the executive president.

The constitutional reform was a major plank of the agreement between Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe when he took over the job of prime minister on May 12.

Sri Lanka has been grappling with unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948.

Sri Lanka's economic crisis has created political unrest with protesters demanding the President's resignation.

Under the 21A, the President will be held accountable to the Parliament.

The Cabinet of Ministers is also accountable to Parliament. The National Council is also accountable to Parliament. Fifteen Committees and Oversight Committees are accountable to Parliament.

Sri Lanka in mid-April declared that it was unable to meet its foreign debt payments and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) classified Sri Lanka's debt as unsustainable. Therefore debt restructuring was key for an IMF programme.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
A sex-assault civil lawsuit against actor Kevin Spacey can proceed in federal court in New York City, a federal judge ruled Monday. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said in a written ruling that the allegations that actor Anthony Rapp brought against Spacey established an issue of material fact as to whether Rapp sufficiently alleges that Spacey acted to gratify sexual desire during an encounter at a Manhattan party in 1986 when Rapp was 14. Kevin Spacey Confident That He Can Clear His Name Despite His Sexual Assault Charges in the UK.

The judge noted that Rapp has alleged that Spacey placed a clothed Rapp on a bed and briefly put his own clothed body partially beside and partially across Rapp's before Rapp wriggled out, got up, and left the premises.

In his lawsuit, Rapp seeks compensatory and punitive damages for what he alleges was assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Rapp testified at a deposition that there was no kissing, no undressing, no reaching under clothes and no sexualised statements or innuendo during an encounter that lasted no more than two minutes, the judge said. Spacey denies the allegations.

Kaplan did dismiss a common law assault allegation, saying the claim was not included in those revived by a Child Victims Act in New York state that in 2019 temporarily allowed individuals to make claims in instances in which the statute of limitations would normally have barred them.

The ruling comes two weeks after British prosecutors said they had authorised police to charge Spacey with four counts of sexual assault against three men. The alleged incidents occurred in London between 2005 and 2013.

Peter Saghir, a lawyer for Rapp, declined comment. A lawyer for Spacey did not return a message seeking comment.
Kerala gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh, who had promised to make more revelations about the case, on Tuesday directly named Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife, daughter, two top aides to Vijayan and one Cabinet minister in connection with the case.
BJP leader Harshit Srivastava Lala booked in UP for inflammatory post against Prophet Mohammed on Tuesday, 7 June 2022. Recently, Uttar Pradesh Police released posters with photos of 40 people who are accused of invoking the violence in Kanpur last week that left at least 40 people, 20 police personnel, injured. The violence had broken out in areas of Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh after some members of the minority community called for the closure of shops as part of a protest over alleged inflammatory remarks made against Prophet Mohammed by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

Uttar Pradesh | Kanpur Police arrest BJP youth wing leader Harshit Srivastava over his controversial tweet in view of clashes in the district that broke out recently. Case registered. pic.twitter.com/0D3tEq32L9  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) June 7, 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.)
Geneva, June 7: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday released a handbook to help countries measure their foodborne disease burden and identify food safety system needs.

The handbook, released on the occasion of World Food Safety Day, can also help countries assess the causes, magnitude and distribution of foodborne diseases, strengthen national infrastructure and better protect people's health.

World Food Safety Day is observed on June 7 every year. This year's theme is 'Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow'. "Food should sustain and support human health, not harm it," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

"WHO's new handbook will help countries collect and analyse data to inform sustained investments in food safety. The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the intimate links between the health of humans, animals and the planet that sustains us.

"WHO will continue to work with partners with a One Health approach to keep communities safe from foodborne disease," he said. Every year, 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses are reported. In 2010, 4,20,000 people died due to diseases such as salmonella and E.coli infection, a third of them children under five years of age.

This figure is estimated to increase year after year, but it is difficult to get a clear picture of the real impact foodborne diseases are having around the world.

In 2020, the World Health Assembly had adopted a new resolution mandating the WHO to monitor the global burden of foodborne and zoonotic diseases at the national, regional and international levels and to report on the global burden of foodborne diseases with up-to-date estimates.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 07, 2022 10:57 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi, June 7: Terrorist organisation Al Qaeda in the Subcontinent (AQIS) has issued a threat relating to India saying that they are ready to blow themselves up in Gujarat, UP, Bombay and Delhi to "fight for the dignity of our Prophet".

The threat statement said, "saffron terrorists should now await their end in Delhi and Bombay and in UP and Gujarat". Nupur Sharma's Prophet Muhammed Remark Row: From Making Statement on Gyanvapi Masjid Case to Tendering Apology; Here's All That Transpired And Who Said What

"They shall find refuge neither in their homes nor in their fortified army cantonments. May our mothers be bereaved of us if we do not avenge our beloved Prophet."

"We shall kill those who affront our Prophet and we shall bind explosives with our bodies and the bodies of our children to blow away the ranks of those who dare to dishonor our Prophet.. [They] shall find no amnesty or clemency, no peace and security will save them and this matter will not close with any words of condemnation or sorrow," it added.

The threat statement mentioned "Hindutva terrorists occupying India" and said "we shall fight for the dignity of our Prophet, we shall urge others to fight and die for the honour of our Prophet,"

The threat statement, shared by some social media users, referred to controversial remarks of a BJP office-bearer against whom the party has taken action. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Even the word was chilling: Ebola. The virus stole into the girls house in her small eastern Guinea town, invisible as death, and swiftly killed her grandmother and great-aunt. There were dark rumors everywhere that Ebola was witchcraft.

Soon her mother and aunt fell sick too. Health workers with Doctors Without Borders came and talked to the family for a long time. Then they donned yellow heavy plastic suits, white plastic aprons, masks and bibs and took 12-year-old Rose and her mother and aunt away in an ambulance.

And everybody knew that when they took you away, you never came back.

This is a time of terror in many West African communities as they face the worlds worst outbreak of one of the deadliest known diseases, easily spread through bodily fluids and difficult and dangerous to treat. Roses story, recounted by her nurse, exemplifies the fear  and sometimes bravery  that comes with the epidemic.

In the Doctors Without Borders isolation ward, things got worse for Roses family. Her mother, feeling depressed and hopeless, gave up, waiting for death. Her aunt was also sure she was going to die.

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No, youre not, Rose insisted.

But they had a right to be afraid. Only about 40% of those sickened in the outbreak have survived; in previous outbreaks, the mortality rate has been as high as 90%.

Since this outbreak began in Guinea in February, nearly 730 people have died there and in neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone, the World Health Organization said Thursday. The risk for health workers is high and several senior doctors have died, including Sierra Leones top Ebola doctor, Sheik Umar Khan.

For some foreign health workers, the hardest thing isnt wearing the suffocating plastic suits in the humid West African heat. Nor is it the impossible-to-answer questions from terrified people as they watch loved ones being taken away, perhaps forever.

It is the children in their cribs in the isolation units. Toys are placed in the beds with them, and the cribs are placed near windows, so people outside the unit can wave.

The people inside the treatment center are completely alone. We cant be there with them for hours on end. We have to go in and out, said Monia Sayah, a Doctors Without Borders nurse who recently returned home to the United States after treating patients and counseling families for 11 weeks in Guinea. She worked on an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012.

Sayah said she was especially moved by the children. There was Rose, the 12-year-old who refused to give up. There were babies whom she sadly watched die. She saw no child younger than 4 survive Ebola.

Doctors Without Borders encourages family members of patients, especially relatives of small children, to don protective garments and go into the isolation ward to be with them. But some are too afraid.

With the outbreak raging out of control, Sierra Leones president, Ernest Bai Koroma, declared a state of emergency late Wednesday, quarantined areas affected by the virus, banned public gatherings, and deployed security forces to assist in house-to-house searches to find those with symptoms, after dozens of suspected victims fled in panic.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday warned Americans to avoid all non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Michael Stulman of Catholic Relief Services, currently in Sierra Leone, said the outbreak is likely to get worse before it improves.

We definitely havent seen the worst of it. The treatment centers are at full capacity and as soon as a new treatment center is set up its almost immediately full, he said.

This is a scary virus and it can kill you, and the majority of people with it are dying. As soon as someone from the World Health Organization shows up and says your family member or friend has tested positive and we need to monitor you, people get scared and they hide.

One of Sayahs roles was to visit the homes of suspected victims and take people with her to treatment facilities. She encountered suspicion, mistrust and even hostility. Yet some people understand that the doctors are there to help.

One village family had lost seven members before Sayah met with them. When she arrived at their house, she donned protective gear and carefully entered. She saw a sick woman, about 40 years old.

You look at them and you talk to them and you can see if they are not going to make it, Sayah said. She recommended that the woman be taken for treatment, but she died the next day.

Some communities in Guinea blame humanitarian agencies and health workers for bringing the disease. Stulman said myths had spread that the hospitals were killing centers from which no one emerged alive, or that the disease didnt really even exist, having been concocted by humanitarian agencies to raise money.

But there has been progress recently in public education, he said. People are now acknowledging Ebola does exist. But this is going to need a lot more work.

Catholic Relief Services is running education campaigns in the region to get the message out that those who seek treatment, which includes rehydration and medication for symptoms, have a better chance of survival.

When Roses mother and aunt were at their lowest points in the Doctors Without Borders isolation ward, the girl was at her most determinedly cheerful. She knew all the staff members and patients by name. She chirped and chattered.

She was very brave, very mature, Sayah said. She was taking care of her mother, who was very sick. She was very strong and very dynamic.

When her mother or aunt lost hope, she kept coaxing them. She told them to keep drinking water.

They were very depressed and thought they were going to die, Sayah said. But they recovered and eventually went home. Rose, still infectious, had to stay on in an isolation facility. So she appointed herself an unofficial medical assistant, hovering around helpfully, telling Sayah if she missed something.

Some survivors are shunned when they return to their villages. Many face a financial struggle, having lost their family breadwinners.

The impact on these families, outside the emotion and trauma of their loss, is that the people who are most affected are usually young and strong because theyre the ones taking care of the sick all day, Sayah said.

Doctors Without Borders meets with village elders and community members and counsels patients, often for hours, on the need to seek treatment. Family members also ask questions.

A lot of them will say, Are they coming back? Its a very hard question to answer. Its important to be honest. You just tell the truth and say you will do your best and get them as quickly as possible to the treatment facility, Sayah said.

Rose was one of the lucky ones. She recovered and went home. But afterward, she frequently returned to the place where she had nearly died.

She and her aunt came back every day to the facility to see us, Sayah said. They just needed to come back.
Former Proud Boys leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio is facing new federal charges of seditious conspiracy with four top associates as federal prosecutors ramp up their case against the extremist group.

USA Today News reported the case is related to the deadly January 6 United States Capitol attack.

The conspiracy case was filed against Tarrio, 38; Ethan Nordean, 31; Joseph Biggs, 38; Zachary Rehl, 37; and Dominic Pezzola, 44.

All of them are detained on the earlier charges, with the new indictment adding two charges: one count of seditious conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging any duties.

The defendants are now facing nine charges, except for Pezzola, who has an additional robbery charge.

READ NEXT: January 6 Panel Considers Rewriting the 1807 Insurrection Act Amid Fears of a Donald Trump Repeat

Proud Boys Sedition Charge in Capitol Attack

The charge of seditious conspiracy requires prosecutors to show that at least two people agreed to use force to overthrow government authority or delay the execution of a U.S. law. It carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to the New York Times report.

It was not immediately clear what evidence caused the new charges.

However, the indictment highlighted the central role played by the Proud Boys in the effort to forestall former U.S. President Donald Trump's defeat while "opposing the lawful transfer" of power by force by breaching the U.S. Capitol.

Caroline Edwards, a Capitol Police officer who was injured, was part of the group to present live testimony.

Nick Quested, a British documentarian filming the Proud Boys amid the riot, is considered by the committee likely to have been a witness to their conversations planning for January 6.

Quested accompanied the Proud Boys to pro-Trump rallies in Washington in November and December 2020. He was also present with a camera crew the day before the attack when Tarrio met in an underground parking garage near the Capitol with a small group of pro-Trump activists.

January 6 Capitol Riot

Rep. Liz Cheney called the Capitol attack a "conspiracy," describing its fallout as an "ongoing threat."

Cheney said in a CBS Sunday Morning interview reported by USA Today that the matter is "extremely broad" and "extremely well-organized."

She also referred to the "willingness of many Republican Party members" to turn a blind eye to Trump's efforts to overturn the election. Cheney said many GOP members are not taking their "responsibility seriously," adding that some have pledged their allegiance and loyalty to Trump.

The Wyoming lawmaker said that she hopes the nation will pay attention to the committee's revelations, exposing the fragility of American democracy.

Court records noted the legal strategy behind Trump's efforts to reject votes in some states, with some Republican lawmakers discussing martial law.

Cheney called out House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, alleging that he has chosen to "embrace more hateful sects of his party" in hopes of becoming the next House speaker.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Admits He Didn't Win Presidential Election 2020 During Interview With Presidential Historians

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Proud Boys charged with sedition in January 6 attack - from CBS Evening News
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday directed all school districts of the lone star state to undergo an "active shooter training" following the incident in Uvalde that killed 19 children and two teachers.

Abbott penned a letter on Monday addressed to the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) executive director, Dr. Pete Blair, to help train the school law enforcement to respond to active shooter situations, KSAT reported.

"ALERRT provides the best research-based active shooter response training in the nation, and your work helps save lives and protect our communities," Abbott said in the letter. He contends that the organization has trained more than 200,000 first responders across the nation.

Abbott also highlighted in his letter that he wants an emphasis or instruction for "school-based law enforcement" in all of the state's 1,022 districts, in the light of the Uvalde shooting, according to New York Post.

"Texas can benefit from the expertise that your organization offers. I request that you provide a debrief of the Uvalde school shooting and other relevant situations to school administrators, law enforcement personnel, and other decision-makers charged with school safety in all of our public schools," the Texas governor said.

He added that the training delivered by veteran first responders will help law enforcement on school campuses better respond to situations like what happened in Uvalde.

Abbott also acknowledged in his letter that they cannot bring back the lives that were taken by the shooting, but they will do everything in their power to prevent the incident in Uvalde from happening once again.

Abbott hopes that the training will start before the next school year begins.

READ NEXT: Texas School Shooting: Joe Biden Sends Desperate Plea for Gun Control, Highlights How Uvalde Parents Took DNA Swabs to Identify Children

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott After the Uvalde Shooting

A week before Abbott penned a letter to ALERRT, the Texas governor was heckled when he visited a makeshift memorial located in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

A video Tweeted by Reporter Ron Filipkowski showed people booing Abbott while he was going out of the said elementary school.

A Fort Worth resident expressed her anguish to Abbott, calling the Texas Governor a "son of a b****." The resident also highlighted that the Texas governor did not do anything about the gun laws in their state.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden also visited the said makeshift memorial.

Texas Shooting in Robb Elementary School

The Texas shooting happened on May 24. The shooter, Salvador Ramos, 18 years old, entered the Robb Elementary School carrying an AR-15 rifle. Authorities discovered Ramos sent a warning on Facebook before committing the act.

Ramos killed 19 children and two teachers after he went on a rampage at the school. He also died in the aftermath of the shooting.

Previously, Ramos' mother claimed that he was not a violent person despite the caused casualty in the Texas school. However, his mother acknowledged that he did not have many friends.

READ NEXT: Pres. Joe Biden Pledges to Act on the Texas School Shooting During a Visit to the Tragedy's Site; Gov. Greg Abbott Receives Backlash

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Texas School Shooting 'Could've Been Worse,' Gov. Abbott says - From ABC News
The ninth Summit of the Americas started in Los Angeles. The gathering is considered a high-profile meeting that is expected to deliver an accord on managing unprecedented levels of migrants throughout the region.

The White House, wth the Organization of the American States and participating countries, highlighted the agenda on themes like migration, pandemic resilience, climate change, digital transformation, and democratic governance, according to a Miami Herald report.

Meanwhile, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro were not invited.

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday that he would skip the event and send his foreign affairs minister instead as all countries were not invited.

Leaders of El Salvador, Bolivia, and Honduras were not seen to attend. Honduras' new president, Xiomara Castro, will instead send Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina to Los Angeles in her place.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration officials earlier said that undemocratic regimes would likely be excluded as their leaders were not elected in free and fair elections.

The Inter-American Charter, a document subscribed to by member states of the OAS, requires countries for their leaders to be elected in a free and fair election to participate in these meetings.

READ NEXT: Mexican Murderers' El Chino,' 'Monsters of Ecatepec' Among Most Notorious Serial Killers in Mexico

Latin American Countries on Summit of the Americas

Mexico's Lopez Obrador has announced that he will not be attending after the Biden administration expressed that it would not invite Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Bolivia followed Mexico, and several Central American countries are still deciding.

Manuel Orozco, an expert at the Inter-American Dialogue think tank, said that the diminishing influence of the U.S. in Latin America is a "byproduct of toxic polarization."

Orozco added that they have not had the leadership to show why democracy matters, adding that politics and democracy are not talking to each other.

Some experts have raised questions on what progress can be made if Mexico and some of the Central American countries that are the sources of most of the illegal immigration into the U.S. are not present at the event.

Brazil's right-wing leader President Jair Bolsonaro earlier announced he would not attend until the White House promised him a bilateral meeting with Biden.

Argentina's leftist President Alberto Fernandez was still deciding until Biden telephoned him personally.

Summit of the Americas

Politico news reported that Biden aides are still being vague about what exactly the president will propose to his counterparts.

A White House official, however, hinted that there is an economic framework proposal, which would reportedly tackle issues like supply chain vulnerabilities.

There will also be an initiative to promote health systems and health security to prepare for future pandemics and up supply chains.

A new partnership of climate and energy with Caribbean nations is also being eyed.

One factor driving the launch of the gathering was promoting democracy, with democracy in the region still under threat and not just in places like Venezuela.

There will also be talks about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It has sought to call as many countries as possible to stand up against Kremlin.

READ MORE: Brian Laundrie Manhunt: Parents of Gabby Petito's Fiance Change the Date of Florida Fugitive's Disappearance

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Summit of the Americas comes to Los Angeles - from Fox 11 Los Angeles






A migrant caravan has started to march towards the U.S.-Mexico border amid the ongoing Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.

According to Al Jazeera, migration activists said the latest group of migrants left the city of Tapachula in Mexico on Monday. Tapachula is known to be a key point in the journey of many migrants and asylum seekers hoping to reach the U.S.-Mexico border.

Associated Press reported that the caravan was estimated to be around 4,000 to 5,000 migrants, mostly from Central America, Cuba, and Venezuela.

The latest migrant caravan is reportedly the largest group to attempt to leave southern Mexico this year. Last year, a much larger group was stopped in Guatemala.

Mexico's National Institute for Migration did not provide an estimation of the migrant caravan's size. It also did not release any statement concerning the group of migrants.

Many of the migrants had children in their arms or on their backs. There were also migrants in the caravan who were using a sheet of plastic to shield them from rain.

The migrant caravan reportedly departed just hours before Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would not be attending the Summit of the Americas because the Biden administration did not invite Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to participate.

READ NEXT: New 2,000-Strong Migrant Caravan Departs From Southern Mexico With Aim to Reach U.S. Border

Migrant Caravan Departs Mexico's Tapachula City Hoping to 'Attract' the Attention of Summit of the Americas Leaders

Migrants who joined the caravan hoped they would attract the attention of the region's leaders at the Americas summit.

Migrants were complaining about delays in paperwork on visa requests, which have trapped them in Tapachula. Reports claimed that Mexico's asylum agency had been overwhelmed by the surging number of applicants.

Ruben Medina, who joined the migrant caravan, told AP that he and 12 members of his family traveled from Venezuela to Mexico for a visa.

"[We have] been waiting about two months... and still nothing, so better to start walking in this march," Medina said.

Colombian migrant Robinson Reyes said he hoped the migrant caravan would get the attention of the Summit of the Americas' leaders.

"We want a future for our children... we want to cross Mexico without any problems... God willing, they can talk and resolve this," Reyes noted.

Luis Garcia Villagran, the migrant caravan organizer, said the group marching toward the U.S.-Mexico border is a result of countries collapsing from poverty and violence.

"We strongly urge those who attend the summit... to look at what is happening, and what could happen even more often in Mexico, if something is not done soon," Villagran noted.

Migrant Caravan Heads to U.S.-Mexico Border

The migrant caravan is currently the only large group of migrants walking toward the U.S.-Mexico border. AP reported that the "phenomenon" of migrant caravans to highlight migrants' plight took off in 2018.

Their strategy of marching towards the borders together worked at first, but the Guatemalan and the Mexican governments have been far more aggressive in dissolving the groups.

In October last year, a migrant caravan grew to about 4,000 members before it diminished in southern Mexico.

READ MORE: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Directs 'Active Shooter Training' in all School Districts Following Uvalde Tragedy

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Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Migrant Caravan Sets Out in Southern Mexico - From Los Angeles Times
The Sussex couple - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - have decided to step out of their senior roles in the British royal family in January 2020.

Harry earlier revealed in an Oprah Winfrey interview that by stepping down from his role, he was cut off financially, which led him to use money left to him by his mother, Princess Diana, to help pay for the security of his family.

But The Washington Post reported that Prince Charles' Office, Clarence House, published in its annual accounts, covering the period from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021, that he paid his sons and their families a sum of $6.3 million for their "official expenditure."

A spokesman for Clarence House explained that the Prince of Wales "allocated a substantial sum" to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to support them with their transition in stepping down as senior members.

The spokesman said it has stopped giving funds to the Sussex couple in the summer of 2020 and that the two are now "financially independent." Royal accounts' annual report also offered some details into the inner workings of the royal household.

In 2020, Queen Elizabeth II received the equivalent of $120 million from the Sovereign Grant, the publicly funded contribution to the work of the royal family.

The money is also used to pay for staff and the upkeep of royal residences. In 2020, the bill for over 500 full-time employees amounted to around $33.7 million.

READ NEXT: Queen Elizabeth Takes Note of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Daughter Lilibet in Her Christmas Speech

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Net Worth

According to LADBible, Prince Harry reportedly have a net worth of $60 million as of May 10 this year. Before stepping down from their duties, 95 percent of their income came from the Prince of Wales, with the other five percent from the taxpayer-funded sovereign grant.

Harry and his brother Prince William were left with their mother a fund worth $40 million to share. Harry has reportedly used the money to establish himself in California. Forbes reported that Harry was earning between $50,000 and $53,000 as a helicopter pilot for the Army Air Corps.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Meghan Meghan was estimated to have a separate net worth of $5 million. She earned most of her money from her acting career. The actress reportedly earned up to $50,000 per episode of the legal drama "Suits."

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Business

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had recently partnered with sustainability-focused investment firm Ethic as "impact partners."

According to Hollywood Reporter, Ethic is a financial services and technology firm focused on the world of environmental, social, and governance investing.

The company also creates custom investment portfolios for its users based on the issues and investment criteria most important to them.

The Sussex couple has also launched Archewell, which has closed a TV and film deal with Netflix and a podcast deal with Spotify.

Prince Harry has also produced a mental health series with Oprah for Apple TV+. The Duke of Sussex also serves as the "chief impact officer" of the tech startup firm BetterUp.

Reports said the Sussex couple are tapping into their celebrity status to make money and bolster what they currently have.

READ MORE: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Opt Not to Hold Daughter Lilibet's Christening in U.K. As It's Likely Be in California: Royal Sources

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: How Much Are Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Worth? - From Forbes
Mesmerizing landscapes, flavorful foods, and thrilling adventures are some of the things that Puerto Rico offers for every traveler. Puerto Rico also has a rich culture, which is evident in the festivals the country hosts each year.

According to Trip 101, Puerto Rico is a melting pot of rich and diverse cultures as it showcases traditions and customs from South America, Europe, North America, and Africa.

READ NEXT: Top 5 Paraguay Festivals That Need to Be on Everyone's Bucket List

Top Puerto Festivals

The date and time of every festival in Puerto Rico vary. However, the schedule may influence your travel date to the American territory.

To help you decide when to fly to Puerto Rico and experience the best festivals in the country, here are some of the famous events on the Caribbean island.

Soborea Puerto Rico

A journey to a foreign land will not be complete if you will not try its authentic dishes. Soborea Puerto Rico is a good opportunity to try the island's best foods.

This culinary festival is usually held on a weekend in April or May. It is one of the most-awaited food events in the Caribbean that offers local rum, beer, wine, and cocktails. So why not pair the drinks with your chosen Puerto Rican dish?

Aside from authentic dishes, this event brings internationally renowned chefs and TV personalities from all over the world, Trip Savvy reported.

San Juan International Billfish Tournament

Puerto Rico, also blessed with vast seas, became one of the arenas for one of the world's known festivals/competitions. The San Juan International Billfish Tournament, held in August or September, attracts deep-sea anglers and game fishing enthusiasts worldwide.

This event is a week-long tag-and-release competition known primarily for the abundance of blue marlin fishing during the day and parties at night.

Aibonito Flower Festival

If you love flowers, then Aibonito Flower Festival is the one for you. This flower festival takes place in the mountain town of Aibonito from June to July.

It celebrates Puerto Rico's pink asters and white daisies. And even mini sunflowers. This event also features beautiful floral displays and stalls selling crafts and plants. There are also food kiosks at the event.

San Sebastian Street Festival

The end of the holiday season is celebrated in Puerto Rico every third week of January. The San Sebastian Street Festival is one of the largest outdoor parties on the island. It goes on from Wednesday night until Sunday afternoon.

This festival offers several experiences to foreigners, including arts and crafts, spontaneous dancing on the street, and circus performances. The festival's highlight is the parade of Cabezudos, where people wear huge masks and big-headed puppets.

Puerto Rico Salsa Congress

Salsa is one of the famous dances in Latin America, and Puerto Rico has an event dedicated to the dance. The Puerto Rico Salsa Congress is a weeklong celebration held in June.

People from around the world come to Puerto Rico during this festival to see the dancers, hear the music, and even learn the art of dancing Salsa from seasoned instructors.

READ MORE: Top 5 Festivals in Peru You Should Check Out

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Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: The Biggest Party in Puerto Rico! [San Sebastian Street Festival 2020] - From Spanish and Go
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday junked the request of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera to review his case.

According to Law and Crime, El Chapo's lawyers filed a petition for a writ of certiorari last April. The high court reportedly rejected the petition without comment.

El Chapo's legal team cited two reasons for granting the petition for a writ of certiorari. The first was more technical and related to violations of an extradition treaty. The second had something to do with El Chapo's complaints about "pretrial restraints."

El Chapo's legal team noted that "certiorari is also warranted because excessive and punitive pretrial restraints impaired petitioner's right to counsel, a defense, and due process of law."

They maintained that the pretrial confinement of the Sinaloa Cartel leader was beyond "draconian." El Chapo's lawyers argued that the "series of pyramiding constraints" and "tower of expanding restraints" robbed the Sinaloa Cartel boss of the ability to "mount a defense" and get a fair trial.

Before his sentencing, prosecutors called El Chapo a "ruthless and bloodthirsty leader," whom they said should be sentenced to the mandatory minimum of life in prison because of his murderous drug trafficking business.

Last January, a federal appeals court in New York has upheld the life sentence of El Chapo after his request for a new trial was dismissed.

In their decision, the three judges rejected some of El Chapo's arguments, including jury bias, "deplorable" jail conditions, and the U.S. government selectively targeting him for prosecution.

READ NEXT: El Chapo Trial: Sinaloa Cartel Boss to Ask Supreme Court to Review His Case to Overturn Drug Trafficking Conviction

Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Chapo Asks Supreme Court to Review His Case

Before the petition was filed in the Supreme Court, El Chapo's lawyer, Mariel Colon Miro, told Milenio that the high court should review the case because they believed that the Sinaloa Cartel boss was treated unfairly.

"They don't take him out into the open air. They don't take him out for a single day. We have a lot of problems because they don't treat him medically if he gets sick," Colon Miro said.

"Requests were ignored. He can't have two 15-minute calls a month... The government claims that they need to have him under those restrictions because he can pass some message," the lawyer added.

Colon Miro further noted that some basic rights, like access to water and toothache treatment, were also violated inside the prison. The lawyer said they hoped that the high court would overturn the Mexican drug kingpin's conviction after reviewing his case.

The Case of Sinaloa Cartel Founder El Chapo

The Sinaloa Cartel is considered one of the world's most powerful drug-trafficking syndicates. The Mexican drug cartel has been known for carrying out assassinations, murders, and torture to protect its turf.

The group was founded in the late 1980s and headed by El Chapo. The Mexican drug kingpin was arrested and sentenced to more than 20 years in prison in 1993. El Chapo escaped from prison in 2001 and was apprehended again in 2014 in Sinaloa, Mexico.

The Sinaloa Cartel boss again escaped from prison through a tunnel the following year. In January 2016, Mexican officials announced that El Chapo has been captured again. He was extradited to the U.S. the following year.

El Chapo, 65, is serving a life sentence in prison after being found guilty in 2019 of all 10 federal charges he faced. He was accused of illegally importing millions of kilos of cocaine from Mexico to the U.S., along with significant quantities of heroin and marijuana.

According to prosecutors, El Chapo allegedly used murder, torture, kidnapping, bribing officials, and "other illegal methods to control territory throughout Mexico and to subdue opposition."

El Chapo is currently being held in Colorado's supermax prison, the most secure federal prison in the U.S. Last month, the Sinaloa Cartel boss complained about being mistreated in the Colorado prison.

In a seven-page letter that was sent to the attorney general, El Chapo said the treatment he received in the maximum-security prison in Florence, Colorado was "cruel and unfair," and it was taking a toll on his health.

He wrote in English that due to the treatment at the prison, he suffers from "headaches, memory loss, muscle cramps, stress, and depression." He added that the treatment he received was also causing him to suffer from psychological problems.

El Chapo said he also had no human contact other than when the guards put on and remove his shackles. He further noted that he often stays hungry as they serve him "little food."

"I have raised this issue with staff, but no one has done anything... I pray that this court intervenes," El Chapo noted.

READ MORE: El Chapo Son's Turf Is Being Invaded by El Mayo's Hitmen as They Battle for Control of Sinaloa Cartel

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Inside El Chapo's Newest Supermax Prison Cell - From Top Trending
A hitman loyal to the four sons of former Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, known as Los Chapitos, was found dismembered inside a steel drum in Mexico.

According to Borderland Beat, the gruesome discovery was recorded last Wednesday afternoon after a call was received through the emergency line.

Police, who rushed to the scene, confirmed the report before requesting support from the State Attorney General's Office.

The Daily Star reported that the alleged Los Chapitos gunman's body was found in the municipality of Aquiles Serdan in Mexico's state of Chihuahua.

The hitman's body parts were reportedly wrapped in black bags before being shoved inside the steel barrel. A message written on cardboard was found alongside the corpse.

Authorities did not disclose the full content of the message. But the word "Chapitos" was reportedly specified in it, suggesting that the body belonged to a member of a Sinaloa Cartel's faction still loyal to El Chapo's sons.

READ NEXT: Migrant Caravan Starts March Towards U.S.-Mexico Border Amid Ongoing Summit of the Americas

El Chapo's Sons vs. Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Mayo

Sinaloa cartel boss Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and El Chapo's four sons or the Los Chapitos were reportedly left in command of the Sinaloa Cartel after El Chapo was arrested and extradited to the U.S.

However, reports suggested that there's an internal dispute for total control of the powerful criminal organization.

The Los Chapitos - Ovidio Guzman Lopez, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar - is reportedly looking to assume supreme control of the Sinaloa Cartel and their father's former right-hand man, El Mayo, appears to be their internal enemy number one.

Reports said El Chapo's sons have also been at odds with their uncle, Aureliano "El Guano" Guzman. El Chapo's brother is also a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The U.S. State Department has offered $5 million rewards for each of El Chapo's sons, who are subject to a federal indictment for their involvement in the illegal drug trade.

The department noted that the brothers have "high-level command and control roles" in a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and oversee roughly 11 labs in Sinaloa state that produce 3,000 to 5,000 pounds of meth a month.

Ovidio, Ivan, and Jesus were reportedly brought by their father into the Sinaloa Cartel's criminal operations when they were teenagers to learn the ins and outs of the organization.

El Chapo and El Mayo of the Sinaloa Cartel

Both El Chapo and El Mayo were among the people who established the Sinaloa Cartel from the remnants of the Guadalajara Cartel after its leader Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo was arrested in 1989.

The U.S. State Department said El Mayo also has wide real estate holdings and has invested in multiple businesses in Mexico. The department has already increased its offer from $5 million to $15 million for information that will result in the arrest of El Mayo.

A federal court found El Chapo guilty of drug trafficking, money laundering, murder conspiracy, and use of a gun in crimes involving drugs. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his days at the ADX "Supermax" prison in Florence, Colorado after being sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019.

The Sinaloa Cartel is one of Mexico's largest and most powerful drug trafficking organizations. The Mexican drug cartel has been known to carry out assassinations, murders, and torture to protect its turf.

READ MORE: El Chapo Case: Supreme Court Rejects Sinaloa Cartel Boss' Appeal to Review His Drug Trafficking Conviction

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Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: New Details of Government Plan to Track Down, Arrest 4 of El Chapo's Sons - From ABC 7 Chicago
A Wisconsin man accused of murdering six people and taking selfie photos with some of the victims' bodies as his the background is now facing multiple murder charges.

According to Crime Online, Travis Birkley, 34, is accused of killing six people who were found dead from gunshot wounds at a duplex in Milwaukee last January 23. Court documents released last week indicate that the victims may have been dead longer than first believed.

Detectives had linked Birkley to the killings after finding evidence on his cellphone, including a photo of himself wearing one of the victim's expensive eyeglasses.

Court documents noted that three of the bodies were found in the home's basement that was seen in the background of the suspect's selfies.

The three other bodies were reportedly discovered in various parts of the multi-residence home. Police found the bodies after a woman called 911 and said she had been shot in the head.

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Wisconsin Killer Admits Murdering 6 People

According to NBC News, court documents noted that a witness told police that the Wisconsin man had admitted killing the six people with his cousin during a botched drug robbery.

The witness, who was not named in the court documents, also testified about seeing Travis Birkley with a gun, cash, and drugs believed to belong to one of the dead victims. The 11 shell casings found at the scene reportedly came from two different guns.

According to the criminal complaint, Birkley's cousin allegedly told police that they had planned to rob one of the victims after meeting to buy drugs, but the wife arrived at the scene, leading to them fatally shooting her.

The commotion reportedly caused others inside the multi-residence to probe, leading to their shooting deaths. The complaint against Birkley did not identify his cousin by name, and no additional arrests have been made in connection with the case. Police on Sunday said there was no additional information available.

Birkley was arrested in a home near North 16th street, less than a half-mile from the original crime scene last week. The Wisconsin man made his initial court appearance on Saturday.

He is being held on $1 million bail after he was charged with six counts of felony murder as a result of an armed robbery. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for June 15.

The Murder of Six People in Wisconsin

The victims were reportedly discovered during a welfare check on January 23 at a duplex near North 21st and West Wright streets.

According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, those killed were Michelle D. Williams, 49, and her husband, Donta "Michael" Williams, 44; Donald Smith, 43; Charles L. Hardy, 42; Javoni Liddell, 31; and Caleb A. Jordan, 23.

According to the medical examiner's report, the Williams lived at the duplex, as did Smith. Jordan experienced homelessness before and was taken in by the Williams, said his mother, Latoya Jordan.

The criminal complaint noted that friends had not heard from Michelle for a couple of days, prompting her son and niece to go to her house.

The son and niece noticed blood on the door and called 911. Hardy, Jordan, and Liddell were found dead in the basement after police arrived. All of the victims died from single gunshots to their heads.

The Williams was found dead by the police upstairs, while Smith was under belongings that seemed to have been piled up by someone who was ransacking the house for something.

Donta died from a single shot to the head, while Michelle was shot six times and badly beaten. On the other hand, Smith was shot four times, including one to his head, with apparent stab wounds to his hands and arms.

READ MORE: Disney Stocks Falls by 33% After Governor Ron DeSantis Revokes Special Status

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WATCH: Milwaukee Man Charged With Murder of 6 Near 21st and Wright - From FOX6 News Milwaukee
Salutem Insights Limited, who are supported by Local Enterprise Office Laois, were winners at this years National Enterprise Awards.

The awards, which took place at the Mansion House in Dublin, are in their 23rd year and run annually by the Local Enterprise Offices.

Laois Finalist, Salutem Insights Limited took home the Mid East Regional award at last Thursdays National Enterprise Awards.

Salutem Insights is a health economic and market access company, who support the healthcare sector with in-depth analysis, interpretation, and communication of clinical and health economic data.

They provide all types of health economic and outcomes research, such as health technology assessment (HTA) submissions, burden of illness reports, systematic reviews, and economic models. They also provide training to both industry and academic institutions on health economics, economic modelling and on ensuring that the high standards required for completion of HTA submissions are met.

Their senior experts are materially involved in all projects and have a substantive role in all deliverables, where they balance scientific and academic expertise with commercial and strategic awareness. They put significant importance on their engagement with their clients as they realise its paramount to the success of any project.

Congratulating the local winners, Honor Deevy, Acting Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Laois said: The National Enterprise Awards are an annual celebration of the achievements of Irelands small businesses and Salutem Insights Ltd. are very deserving winners of this award, because of the impact that they have already made on their sector. Local Enterprise Office Laois is proud to have supported them along their journey to success.

Sandra Redmond, Managing Director of Salutem Insights Ltd. said : 'We were delighted to represent Laois at the National Finals and to win a regional award is fantastic. We couldn't have done this without the help and assistance from LEO in Laois as they have been an invaluable resource and support to us since we started this journey. I would like to take this opportunity to thank John Mullholland, Evelyn Reddin, Honor Deevy, Linda Meredith and Mark Clancy for all their guidance and encouragement in the last few years'

The overall winner at the National Enterprise Awards was Wicklow aquaculture and offshore wind company, Aqualicense. Established in 2019 by Kate Dempsey the company has gone from strength to strength. MORE BELOW PICTURES.

The company engages in consultation, planning, legal compliance and project delivery on behalf of companies in the aquaculture and offshore renewable energy industries.

They expanded their operations into the highly regulated offshore renewable energy sector in 2021 which has helped the company grow considerably and they are now looking to expand their expertise into new markets internationally.

Several other companies won across a range of categories at the Awards, which were established by the Local Enterprise Offices to celebrate the impact and quality of small businesses across the country.

The Best Start-Up category was won by Acoustic Interiors supported by Local Enterprise Office Offaly. The business improves the health, wellbeing and productivity of people through intelligent acoustic design and fit-out of homes, offices and buildings.

The Green/Sustainability Award went to Cirtex, supported by Local Enterprise Office Longford. The company have created a closed-loop manufacturing business that upcycles the materials from duvets and mattresses, most of which are imported, to be reused in new products.

The Best Export category was won by Professional Hair Labs supported by Local Enterprise Office Wexford. The family run business is a manufacturer and distributor of cosmetic products including GHOSTBOND, the worlds leading product for hair adhesive solutions.

The Innovation Award went to Cubbie who are supported by Local Enterprise Office Mayo. The installation, which is in over 200 schools across Ireland, enables students with neurodiversity or sensory challenges to regulate their senses with a bespoke programme to ensure their learning and academic experience is not adversely affected.

Finally, the One to Watch Award was taken by Streat School supported by Local Enterprise Office Monaghan. The business provides an end-to-end solution for those looking to enter the street food business, providing equipment, workshops and branding materials.

This years winners share a 50,000 investment fund and eight regional winners were also announced on the night. Those winners are 

Farmony in the Dublin Region (backed by LEO Fingal)

Torpey in the South West Region (backed by LEO Clare)

Salutem Insights in the Mid East Region (backed by LEO Laois)

SmartRoutes in the South Region (backed by LEO Cork City)

FeedAlpha in the South East Region (backed by LEO Carlow)

Tantek 4D in the North West Region (backed by LEO Sligo)

Aines Chocolate in the North East Region (backed by LEO Cavan)

Studio Meala in the West Region (backed by LEO Roscommon)

There was also an Outstanding Achievement Award presented on the night to an individual or company who has excelled in recent years. This award went to ABC Nutritionals from Clare. The Shannon based business, established in 2007 are a private label manufacturer of sports, weight management and lifestyle nutrition products. They have double their workforce and turnover since 2018 with 68 now employed and hope to reach 100 by 2025 with a new facility in development.

Previous winners of the National Enterprise Awards include Irish Yoghurts (1998), Obelisk (2000), Simtech Aviation (2008), Digiweb (2004) and Design Pro (2013), Terra NutriTech (2018) and Pestle & Mortar (2019). The last winners in 2021 were Bevcraft, who were supported by Local Enterprise Office Westmeath. Europes only mobile canning company have gone from strength to strength since winning the award, opening new hubs across the continent.

The National Enterprise Awards are one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country. Others include Local Enterprise Week, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Womens Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland.

Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Since their inception eight years ago, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 20,000 jobs across the country. The LEOs work with thousands of client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses. For more information see www.LocalEnterprise.ie
Volunteers will be out on the streets collecting to raise funds for Laois Hospice this Friday, June 10.

Hospice care and homecare is all about providing help and support to those living with a life-limiting illness and their families. Hospice care is provided either in specialist units in the hospice or in the persons own home with specialist palliative trained home care nurses.

With hospices nationwide needing to raise approximately 20 million each year to continue to provide their person-centred loving care to patients and their families, Hospice Sunflower Days aims to raise as much funding as possible for hospice and specialist palliative homecare services across Ireland, with all funds raised locally, staying locally.

Speaking ahead of the return of the on-street collection, Chairperson of Laois Hospice, Seamus ODonoghue said: We are thrilled to be able to return to our traditional on-street collection this year as part of our fundraising campaign and we are calling on members of the public throughout the country to donate what they can to help support their local hospice or homecare service. With all funds raised locally, staying locally, together we can all make a difference to the lives of hospice patients and their families.

Laois Hospice are urging people to support by donating to the on-street volunteers on Friday June 10, or by dedicating a sunflower in memory of a loved one online at www.togetherforhospice.ie/sunflowerdays
Six towns and cities will be chosen to take part in a new Night-Time Economy pilot programme to help promote a vibrant night-time culture across Ireland.

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, announced the news today (Tuesday June 7) and confirmed the selection process has begun.

The programme includes the appointment of Night-Time Economy advisors in each of the selected towns or cities.

The minister said this will be a "significant step" towards securing a vibrant and sustainable night-time culture for "all our citizens".

She said, "The selection of these pilot towns and cities is a vital stage in this process and I would like to thank the CCMA and the local authorities for their leadership and support for this process. This is in direct response to an action in the Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce which I published last year.

"The Taskforce explored ways in which we could promote a thriving, inclusive and diverse Night-Time Economy. It is crucial now that we follow up on their recommendations and act on them to create and support opportunities for audiences, venues, businesses and performers."

Minister Martin has committed funding for two years to support the recruitment of Night-time Advisors for the chosen areas.

The application call for Local Authorities will close on June 24 2022 and the chosen cities/towns will be announced this summer.

The minister has also provided funding to support late night openings of a number of cultural institutions throughout the year, including the Crawford Art Gallery in Co Cork, the National Library of Ireland in Co Dublin, and the Museum of Country Life in Turlough Park in Co Mayo.

The initiatives planned throughout the year are a direct result of recommendations made by the Night-Time Economy Taskforce.
Kildare County Council has been criticised by a State watchdog over a proposal which would lead to a rate of residential construction which is out of proportion.

The deputy head at the Office of the Planning Regulator Anne Marie OConnor has told KCC that the local area plan for Clane, which oversees the overall development of the town, needs to be reviewed.

She believes that moving Clane to a tier 3 (self sustaining town) classification from tier 4 (town) - as part of the draft Kildare county development plan 2023-2029 - is not justified.

The redesignation was voted through by a majority of local councillors (18-14).

Tier 3 towns like Celbridge, Maynooth and Monasterevin all have rail stations.

Clane is not served by a rail or an alternative high quality public transport corridor, she said.

Read more Kildare plans

In a comprehensive letter sent to KCC, Ms OConnor also highlighted the low ratio of jobs to resident workers showing high levels of outbound commuting and a weak employment base.

She pointed out that the current local area plan for Clane refers to it as a small town and states that the growth rate should be controlled. Ms OConnor is responsible for assessing all local authority development plans and local area plans.

A local resident said if this move is not revisited it will lock in car dependency, which goes against trends everywhere.

The submission also pointed out that a number of housing developments (up to seven), which are underway or in the planning ,could provide over 1,000 housing units.

The current plan envisaged some 1,026 homes.

This will produce a growth rate which will exceed government guidelines.

The OPR also said there is a high probability that the Clane population of 7,280 in 2016 will exceed 30% - and therefore a breach of national policy objectives, which state that this shouldnt happen before 2040.

The 7,280 figure is itself a quadrupling of the population since 1991.

There is a real danger that Clane will grow at a rate that is disproportionate to the capacity of the social and physical infrastructure to meet the needs of the community, said Ms OConnor, adding (it) will result in car-dependent travel patterns contrary to national strategic outcomes for sustainable mobility and the transition to a low carbon and climate resilient society.

Separately, a number of significant building companies have claimed they could be forced to halt the construction of new homes and freeze sites in County Kildare because housing targets for the Dublin commuter belt, which takes in swathes of County Kildare, are too limiting.

This is despite an unprecedented amount of residential development underway and, in addition, approved for parts of the county. At the same time vital infrastructure like primary and schools are under pressure to cope with the demand for places and traffic congestion is a problem in all the major towns.

Data produced by the Department of Housing shows Kildare has the second highest rate of home building in the country so far this year, only marginally behind the South Dublin County Council area.

Builders Cairn, Glenveagh, Ballymore and OFlynn, who made the claim, have already built 3,000 homes within Kildare in the past five years.

They argue that the need for new homes is greater than the draft plan suggests, according to The Irish Times, but KCC says the plan was prepared in line with ministerial rules for housing supply targets and other national policies.

Property growth rates are issued to local authorities by the Department of Housing and Local Government and the national framework, adopted by the government four years ago, sets out how Ireland can move away from the business as usual development pattern. This means that it seeks to disrupt trends that have been apparent for the last fifty years and have accelerated over the past twenty.
The much-anticipated return of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby 2022 was met with much fanfare earlier today at its official launch in the Curragh Racecourse.

Only 1,000 people were allowed to attend the 2021 Derby, but this years iteration will see the return of the more conventional, and much more sociable, atmosphere commonly associated with the race weekend.

A wide array of guests attended the launch, including Kildangan Stud Managing Director Joe Osbourne, CEO of Barberstown Amanda Torrens, and Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) Suzanne Eade.Also in attendance were Kildare Mayor

Naoise O Cearuil and Deputy Minister Martin Heydon TD.

Ms Eade said, Its amazing that we have something with the Curragh that we are really proud of, particularly with the international interest on the racetrack it is only fitting that, to accompany the finest turf in the world, we now have the facilities to go with it. People can come, have a great day and enjoy some of the best flat racing there is in an incredible venue.



GUEST OF HONOUR

However, the guest of honour for the launch was Derby winner from 1989, Steve Cauthen, who scooped victory on board Old Vic.

In addition to launching the Kildare Derby festival and the race weekend today, Mr Cauthens horse from that famous win is being commemorated in the Kildare Derby Festival Hall of Fame.

The Curragh is one of the best courses in Europe and it is a very fair track, the best horse typically wins around here. I had a great feeling that I was going to win the Derby the night before because I knew how good Old Vic was, Mr Cauthen recalled.

Even prior to Hall of Fame induction, Mr Cauthen and Old Vic were going to be part of the Curragh forever as the pristine all-weather gallops on the tracks are known as The Old Vic gallops.

The gallops were created following a donation from Old Vics owner Sheikh Mohammed.

SPEAKERS

Mr Cauthen wasnt the only Derby winning jockey present as Johnny Murtagh, a three-time Derby winner spoke about the prestige of the big race, There has been a break but the Irish Derby used to be the benchmark for three-year-old horses in Europe with the English and French coming over.

Aidan (OBrien) and how strong he is, maybe, they have been afraid in recent times - but there is great racing and huge prize money on offer so that international interest is starting to come back up again and we want to get the Derby back to being that big race it was.

Johnnys wife Orla Murtagh, who is also chair of the Kildare Derby Festival committee, also spoke at the event, pointing to the far-reaching legacy of Old Vic, as well as the importance of the Derby in the wider context of Ireland.

She said: Since we are such a small country, we sometimes underestimate the great things that we have, and the power that we have throughout the world.

I love to see the next generation coming together for the Derby, along with the older generation and those abroad visiting it.

Following the guest speakers, Mr Cauthen was presented with a pristine collection of Tipperary Crystal by CEO of Curragh Racecourse,, Brian Kavanagh and Tara Buick, the marketing manager for Curragh Racecourse.



EXCITEMENT

Commenting on the launch after the presentation, Mr Kavanagh told the Leader that he was delighted to be able to bring the Derby back to its full capacity.

He also said he was very proud to have Steve Cauthen as a special guest for the launch, describing him as a legend of horseracing, and added that he was delighted to see the turnout at the launch.



Im looking forward to welcoming people back to this years Derby; there will be something for everyone, Mr Kavanagh said.



The Kildare Derby festival runs from Saturday June 18 with the Curragh Derby cycle kicking off the events and running through the Derby weekend with various events until Sunday June 26.



The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby festival begins Friday June 24 and runs until Sunday, with the big race, The Irish Derby on at 3:45pm on Saturday. Each race day will be followed by a live musical performance from The Blizzards on Saturday and a Queen tribute band on Friday.

Pictured above is Thom Malone and guest of honour Steve Cauthen.
During a meeting of the leaders of the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 16, 2022. ALEXANDER NEMENOV / AP

Neither support nor condemnation: that's the position the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan) have taken toward the former Russian overlord and his war in Ukraine. At the end of May, the Kyrgyz security services (GKNB) filed a complaint against a Kyrgyz national who was fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian forces. The previous month, the same group had warned its citizens not to display the letter Z, a symbol of the Russian offensive, under penalty of legal action.

None of the five Central Asian countries had their head of state appear alongside Vladimir Putin during this year's May 9 parade on Red Square, which commemorates the victory over Nazism. Kazakhstan went so far as to cancel the military parade at home, for the first time since their independence in 1991.

More on this topic Subscribers only The war in Ukraine is having a knock-on effect on Central Asian and Caucasian economies

Instead of the traditional pilgrimage to Moscow, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited Turkey to sign agreements for military cooperation (including the construction of an ANKA attack drone factory in Kazakhstan) and for the development of logistics corridors (for goods and hydrocarbons) that would bypass Russian territory. The gesture angered Russia, inciting a series of aggressive statements, such as one Russian MP's call to "denazify Kazakhstan."

Beyond the symbolic, the Central Asian chancelleries have all refused to follow Moscow in recognizing, despite Ukraine's territorial sovereignty, the independence of the two self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.

"Central Asian countries have a good relationship with Ukraine. They're upset by what's happening," said Michael Levystone, a researcher at the Institut Francais des Relations Internationales (IFRI, French Institute of International Relations) and a specialist in the region. The two most authoritarian regimes, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, are keeping a wall of silence on the subject.

Kyrgyzstan, however, has been defiant towards Moscow, by pointing out that every state has the right to conduct its own foreign policy, an allusion to the Russian demand for "neutrality" toward Ukraine. "This is a point to be emphasized regarding the country's dependence on Moscow," the expert said.

Moscow's exclusive domain

Made up of recent states formed from former Soviet republics following independence in 1991, Central Asia is considered Moscow's exclusive domain, particularly when it comes to security. Russia strives to maintain its status as the exclusive protector against the threat of Islamists from Afghanistan through performing military exercises, establishing military bases (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) and serving as leader of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the eastern counterpart to NATO, which includes three countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, alongside Belarus and Armenia). This past January, during an insurgency in Kazakhstan, Moscow solidified its reputation as the guarantor of security in the region by deploying a contingency of 2,000 CSTO soldiers to support the president.

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Israel's Defense Force reservists, wearing mask depicting Yahya Sinwar the Hamas chief in the Gaza Strip and holding Palestinian flags, protest outside the United Nations Offices in Geneva on June 7, 2022. The demonstration, organized by Israeli NOG Shurat HaDin, demands Human Right Council upcoming Pillay Report labeling Israel an apartheid state to be cancelled. FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

A team of investigators, appointed last year by the United Nations Human Rights Council to probe "all underlying root causes" in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, pointed the finger squarely at Israel on Tuesday.

"Ending the occupation of lands by Israel... remains essential in ending the persistent cycles of violence," they said in a report, decrying ample evidence that Israel has "no intention" of doing so. The 18-page report mainly focuses on evaluating a long line of past UN investigations, reports and rulings on the situation, and how and if those findings were implemented.

More on this topic Subscribers only 'When it comes to Israel, invasion, dispossession and annexation of Palestinian territories do not lead to sanctions'

Recommendations in past reports were "overwhelmingly directed towards Israel," lead investigator Navi Pillay, a former UN rights chief from South Africa, said in a statement. This, she said, was "an indicator of the asymmetrical nature of the conflict and the reality of one state occupying the other".

The investigators also determined that those recommendations "have overwhelmingly not been implemented", she said, pointing to calls to ensure accountability for Israel's violations of international law but also "indiscriminate firing of rockets" by Palestinian armed groups into Israel. "It is this lack of implementation coupled with a sense of impunity, clear evidence that Israel has no intention of ending the occupation, and the persistent discrimination against Palestinians that lies at the heart of the systematic recurrence of violations in both the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel."

'Witch hunt'

Israel has refused to cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry (COI) created last year following the 11-day Hamas-Israel war in May 2021, which killed 260 Palestinians and 13 people on the Israeli side. Israel has in the past loudly criticised Pillay for "championing an anti-Israel agenda", and on Tuesday the foreign ministry slammed the entire investigation as "a witch hunt".

The report, it said, was "one-sided" and "tainted with hatred for the State of Israel and based on a long series of previous one-sided and biased reports." It had been published, it said, as "the result of the Human Rights Council's extreme anti-Israel bias."

The United States, a staunch ally of Israel which rejoined the Council under President Joe Biden, after Donald Trump withdrew from the body - reiterated that it "firmly" opposes the "open-ended and vaguely defined nature" of the COI. "The existence of this COI in its current form is a continuation of a long-standing pattern of unfairly singling out Israel," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

More on this topic Subscribers only Israel extends unexplained detention of Franco-Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri

In Geneva, dozens of Israeli reserve soldiers and students - some of them dressed like Palestinian Hamas militants - marched Tuesday outside the UN headquarters in protest. Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, who heads the Israeli NGO Shurat Hadin that organised the protest, slammed the rights council as "the most anti-Semitic body in the world."

Israel and its allies have long accused the top UN rights body of anti-Israel bias, pointing among other things to the fact that Israel is the only country that is systematically discussed at every regular council session, with a dedicated special agenda item. The COI, which is the highest-level investigation that can be ordered by the council, is the ninth probe it has ordered into rights violations in Palestinian territories. It is the first, however, tasked with looking at systematic abuses committed within Israel, the first open-ended probe, and the first to examine "root causes" in the drawn-out conflict.

Le Monde with AFP
THE SHANNON Foynes Port Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Norwegian firm considered to be one of the worlds leaders in offshore wind generation.

The deal has been signed with the Norwegian Offshore Wind cluster, which is aiming to be the strongest supply chain for floating offshore wind world wide. The memorandum will enable collaboration between the Shannon Foynes Port Company and offshore interests in Norway providing a framework for further collaboration on market activities towards both the Irish and Norwegian offshore wind market.

On top of this, the agreement provides a platform for research, development and innovation activities for Irish and Norwegian companies.

Norway is already a world leader in offshore wind and its government earlier this month launched a large-scale investment plan aimed at allocating sea areas to develop 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040.

Port company chief Pat Keating said the deal will allow Ireland to become an international energy hub for the first time.

Norway is a world leader in the development of floating wind and its this very technology that will enable Ireland to not alone meet its longer term climate change targets but become an international energy hub for the first time in our history. The Shannon Estuary will be a key enabler of that because of its proximity to offshore winds and its deep waters, which are essential for supply chain.

Irelands potential from floating offshore wind generation off the West coast alone stands at 70 gigawatts, which is 12 times our current installed wind capacity on land. So what we now need to do is to realise that opportunity and being able to partner with global leaders like Norway will be a key enabler of that. Norwegian Offshore Winds partnership with us on this memorandum reflects just how big that opportunity is and we look forward to working closely with them to progress this mutually beneficial relationship," he said.
WORK on a new motorway surface along a stretch of the M7 in Limerick is expected to begin next month.

The new surface along an 8km stretch of the motorway between J28 (Castletroy) and J30 (Rosbrien) should provide long-term health benefits to residents who live nearby.

The new surface will be a low road noise surface and follows a pilot study by Limerick City and County Council assessing the benefits to health by implementing noise reducing interventions, particularly near Monaleen.

In recognition of the work completed by the council on this matter, Transport Infrastructure Ireland is working in collaboration with the local authority to fund the pilot project by bringing forward a scheduled lifecycle maintenance intervention for a section of the M7.

The change of road surface to a low-noise road surface will not eliminate road noise for communities living near the M7 but it should have a positive impact on their long-term health.

The resurfacing works are expected to commence in late July/early August and should be complete by late September/ early October.

All works related to this resurfacing project will take place at night on a phased approach to protect workers and minimise traffic disruption.

The roads impacted will be fully operational each morning and only one side of the motorway will be closed at a time.

This phasing of the night-time closures is to minimise disruption and is subject to securing necessary temporary road closures and temporary road works speed limits.

Commenting on the project, Simon Jennings, Senior Executive Scientist with Limerick City and County Council said: "The pilot project should have a positive impact on the health of communities living besides the M7 in Limerick. The Council acknowledges the support of TII and Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and looks forward to continuing to work collaboratively with them on the Project."
SHANNON Airport will once again be linked to the city of lights, following the announcement of twice-weekly flights to Paris Orly.

Low-cost Spanish airline Vueling will open up its first route from the local airport from September, with routes connecting Shannon and Paris on Mondays and Fridays.

The first trip takes place on Monday, September 12 at 3.05pm, with return journeys on Fridays and Mondays. It's a journey of around two hours.

Shannon says this announcement represents a further boost to its pandemic recovery which will now see the airport operate 27 services to the US, UK, and Europe.

Orly Airport is the nearest airport to the centre of Paris, just 13km from the city of lights.

The second largest airport in France, it provides hub connectivity with onward connections to major European cities and Middle Eastern countries.

Shannon Group CEO, Mary Considine said: We are delighted to welcome our new carrier Vueling, part of IAG, to Shannon Airport. This service is another major boost for inbound and outbound business and tourism interests in the region. We have been working closely with Vueling to deliver the service and are looking forward to seeing our passengers jet off to this globally renowned city, steeped in culture and history. Paris is one of the most popular cities in the world and we know this will be an exciting destination for our passengers to enjoy.

Carolyn Prowse, Vuelings chief commercials strategy, customer and network officer, said: Vueling has scheduled a total of 114 destinations in 31 countries until 29 October 2022, reaching a very similar level of operations to 2019. We are very excited to see a progressive development of business this year and to keep expanding the airlines offering across Europe. The new direct route between Shannon and Paris Orly airports reinforces Vuelings interest in providing a more flexible and varied offer to travellers based in Ireland.

Really excited to confirm that an official announcement will be made soon about the new Shannon/Paris Orly route which will be operated by Vueling from September (reservations now open!). This will connect @ShannonAirport to a hub offering over 200 destinations worldwide! https://t.co/w0xrj6KqnX pic.twitter.com/Q1wpgQW2HW  Honorary Consul of France, Limerick (@france_midwest) June 7, 2022

Named the world's most attractive city destination for 2021 in the Euromonitors Top 100 City Destination Index, Paris is known far and wide as the European epicentre of culture, cuisine, fashion, and style. Its beautiful boulevards, world-famous sights, rich history and breathtaking architecture provide the backdrop for a truly memorable experience. From the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, to Disneyland Paris and river trips along the Seine, visitors will be spoilt for choice.

There were previously flights between Shannon and Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, operated by Aer Lingus.
Attaullah, a legislator for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has vowed to carry out suicide attacks on the Shehbaz Sharif administration if even a "single hair strand" of party Chairman Imran Khan's head is harmed, adding that his partymen are ready to carry out "suicide attacks."

The Islamabad police department tightened up security and issued a high alert in neighbouring regions of Bani Gala in the city on June 4 night, amid rumours of a conspiracy to kill former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

"If a single hair on Imran Khan's head is harmed, then those running the country be warned: Neither you nor your children will remain. I will be the first to carry out a suicide attack on you, I will not let you go. In the same way, thousands of workers are ready," Attaullah said in a video posted on Twitter.

Section 144 has already been implemented in Islamabad, and public meetings have been prohibited, according to an Islamabad police official.

"In view of the expected arrival of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in Bani Gala, which is a residential area located in Islamabad, security in the area has been beefed up and a high alert has been sounded. However, until now Islamabad Police has not received any confirmed news of return from Imran Khan's team," Islamabad Police tweeted.

"Security Division has deployed dedicated security in Bani Gala. A list of people in Bani Gala has not been provided yet to Police. Section 144 is imposed in Islamabad and any congregation is not allowed as per orders of District Magistrate," it said.

"Islamabad Police will provide complete security to Imran Khan as per the law and reciprocal cooperation is expected from Security teams of Imran Khan as well," the police added.

Hassaan Niazi, nephew of Imran Khan said that if anything happens to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, the act will be treated as an attack on Pakistan.

"Anything happens to our leader Imran Khan, will be treated as an attack on Pakistan. Response will aggressive - the Handlers will also regret," Hassaan Niazi, nephew of Imran Khan said.

In April, Fawad Chaudhry had said that the securities agencies of the country have reported a 'plot' for the assassination of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

"After these reports, the prime minister's security has been beefed up as per the government's decision," he was quoted as saying by the Pakistan newspaper Dawn.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Faisal Vawda also made similar claims that there is a conspiracy to assassinate the former Pakistani PM Imran Khan over his refusal to "sell the country".

While responding to the conspiracy to assassinate the premier as mentioned in the letter, Vawda said that there was a threat to the Pakistan PM's life but remained evasive.

He further said that Khan was advised to use bulletproof glasses during his rally at Islamabad's Parade ground. "But as always and as usual, he said my [death] will come when Allah wills. Don't worry about it," Vawda was quoted as saying by Dawn.

Later the same month, after the PTI government's ouster, the Lahore deputy commissioner had cautioned the party against going ahead with a rally in the city and had advised Imran to address the gathering virtually in light of "severe threat alerts".

The former Prime Minister had reiterated, on May 14 that his life was in danger and that he had recorded a video in which he had taken the names of all those who conspired against him since last summer, owing to which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed the relevant authorities to provide foolproof security to Imran Khan the next day.

(With ANI inputs)
Pride Month kicked off this year with the debut of a romantic comedy that already feels like an instant classic. An update of "Pride and Prejudice" set off the coast of New York, "Fire Island" swaps out the courtship games of the 19th-century English gentry for the often just-as-ritualized search for love among gay men today.

Early in the film, Noah (Joel Kim Booster) drops his phone in his friend Erin's (Margaret Cho) pool, which means a week without Grindr during what may be the last of he and his chosen family's annual visits to the gay destination. But Noah's more focused on finding hookups for his bestie Howie ("Saturday Night Live" breakout Bowen Yang) anyway, despite Howie's protests that the kind of intimacy he's looking for is less physical than emotional.

"Fire Island," now streaming on Hulu, is a love story made by hopeless romantics. Booster, who also wrote the movie, grew up partially home-schooled in the Chicago suburbs "worshiping at the altar of Nora Ephron." He watched the 1995 "Pride & Prejudice" miniseries starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth every year with his adoptive mother, and is a fan of the 2005 film adaptation with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen (also a favorite of director Andrew Ahn). Loving rom-coms as a boy gave Booster "really outsized expectations for what love would look like," he told The Washington Post. "That's probably why I was single until I was 33."

In the film (as in real life), Fire Island can be a gay utopia - or a walled-off fortress. Noah, Howie and their friends (Matt Rogers, Tomas Matos and Torian Miller) are at its outskirts, marked as Others in a social hierarchy that once proudly proclaimed "No fats, no femmes, no Asians." "Fire Island" may well be the first mainstream movie to explore anti-Asian bias within gay circles - as well as its inverse, the fetishizing "rice queens." So prevalent is the sexual racism that "it would be a miracle if any one Asian American person did not experience discrimination in the queer community," Yang said. "We're the only race that's checked off in that little trio."

"It damages you," said Booster, who repeatedly saw anti-Asian sentiments as a youth figuring out his place in the LGBTQ+ community. Times are changing, he asserted, but only in that now "a lot of people keep those sorts of messages behind the curtain." Booster's own boyfriend, who is White, has heard complaints about Asian Americans from gay men who don't know he has an Asian partner. "That's why I wrote this movie," Booster said, "to shed light on some of that."

But "Fire Island" is also a story defined by queer joy. Ahn first read Booster's screenplay about a year into the pandemic, when he hadn't seen his friends in a long time. "I hadn't hung out with them at a bar to dance, to drink, to be stupid," he said, "and I saw in Joel's script everything I was missing in my life."

Making a raunchy rom-com was a departure for Ahn, whose first two features were quiet, well-received indies. "I am very proud of my work on 'Spa Night' and 'Driveways,' " he said, quipping self-deprecatingly, "I know some people fall asleep in them." Booster, a "huge fan" of "Spa Night" - a sexual coming-of-age tale within Los Angeles Koreatown's steam rooms - said Ahn "always felt like the most obvious choice for me."

While "Fire Island" depicts a common queer Asian American experience, Booster doesn't want the film to be considered a definitive encapsulation of that community. "This isn't a movie [where] I was trying to represent everybody," he said - a shirking of the burden of representation that he repeats in his upcoming Netflix stand-up special, "Psychosexual."

The movie revives a trend among rom-coms of the 1990s, when classic texts were refashioned into modern-day stories. (Both Booster and Yang cite "Clueless," based on Jane Austen's "Emma," as a childhood touchstone.) But there's another pop-cultural icon from that era just as crucial an inspiration: Cho, the pioneering comic and star of the 1994 sitcom "All-American Girl," the first prime-time comedy about an Asian American family.

"I think every gay person on set had a moment with Margaret where they took her aside and told her how important she was to them," Booster said. "It was a gauntlet of little gay boys just telling her how much she changed their lives - and I was one of them."

Yang admired how Cho trusted that her idiosyncrasies would speak to the masses. "She was this bisexual Korean person from San Francisco who was able to broadcast so much relatability, humor and pathos, and yet would always end her sets with some message about self-love before that was even a mainstream concept," Yang said. "This movie would not exist without her."

Somewhat shockingly, then, Cho's role - the surrogate mother whose house the 30ish gay friends stay at - was originally written for a man. The script had gender-swapped Austen's Mrs. Bennet to "Aaron," but when the actor dropped out and Cho asked whether there could be a role for her, Erin was born. "It just felt really special that she could be a part of this project to support and usher in this next generation of queer Asian American talent," Ahn said. It turned out Cho, too, had parallel experiences on Fire Island, though the biographical tidbit that made it into the script is the one in which Erin checks a lover for crabs with the light from a flip phone.

If Cho's casting was a foregone conclusion, the most challenging role to fill was Will, the aloof and snobbish Darcy character who eventually reveals a wellspring of decency and repressed passion. That's the "hardest job" because "you have to start off not really liking him ... and then you have to fall in love with him by the end," Booster said. Complicating the casting process was the possibility that both Yang and Booster's characters could end up with White men, which would send a mixed message for a film wrestling with Asian American desire and desirability.

"Will was not written with any specific race in mind," Booster said. "How to Get Away With Murder" star Conrad Ricamora, who is Filipino and White, was the only Asian American actor seen for that role. "It just so happened that he was the best," Booster said. "He was the only person that I tested with who made me [forget] my lines because I was so flustered. It's just so easy to fall in love with him."

But the most compelling relationship in the film is the platonic one between Noah and Howie. That's likely by design, since the movie is a tribute to queer Asian American solidarity. Booster took care to include aspects of his eight-year friendship with Yang in the script, like the "E.T."-like touching of fingertips that their characters use as their own private expression of love. As in the film, the duo sometimes communicate across the room with a look. That's "something a lot of Asian men share with their queer Asian friends, that deep, intrinsic understanding of our experience and our hurt and our wants," Booster said.

Yang, who admires and covets the gay Asian American community Ahn has cultivated in his L.A. hometown, said he hopes to find one as consummate around himself. "I always tell Andrew I need an Asian boyfriend. I need to not have to explain so many things about myself, in the same way that working on a queer Asian film was so liberating in terms of dropping that weight that I walk around with every day." The relief is palpable.
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Harry Styless film career is set to explode later this year thanks to roles in films such as Dont Worry Darling and My Policeman, but the pop star wouldve had an even bigger movie debut in 2022 had he nabbed the starring role in Baz Luhrmanns Elvis. Styles was a serious contender to play Elvis Presley, but Luhrmann opted to cast Austin Butler instead. The filmmaker recently opened up to to the Australian radio podcast Fitzy & Wippa (via Uproxx) about why he rejected Styles.

Harry is a really talented actor. I would work on something with him [but] the real issue with Harry is, hes Harry Styles, Luhrmann said. Hes already an icon. Harry and I came to a place, genuinely I mean, he was just desperate to put the suit on and explore. Hes such a great spirit and I have nothing but great things to say about Harry Styles.

Luhrmann continued, The thing about Austin was that he will tell you himself, I didnt pick him: Its as if he was drawn, like the role drew them in, because he was almost born to play it. You know, we can talk about it now, he like loses his mom at the same age that Elvis did. He sends a video to me with this thing and He just happened like two years non-stop living and breathing as Elvis. Hes now going through a sort of, its like, deprogramming thing because hes been a long time since hes known who he was.

Butler sent Luhrmann an audition tape that featured him singing a broken down version of Unchained Melody, which helped seal the deal in the actors favor. Butler was so in character during the making of Elvis that he was hospitalized the day after filming ended because of a virus that simulated appendicitis. Butler was left bedridden for one week.

The next day [after filming wrapped] I woke up at four in the morning with excruciating pain, and I was rushed to hospital, Butler told GQ last month. My body just started shutting down the day after I finished Elvis.

Butler has earned rave reviews for his Elvis performance, which earned a 12-minute standing ovation at its Cannes Film Festival world premiere. Warner Bros. is opening the music drama in U.S. theaters on June 24.

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- 'One Day I Shall Astonish the World,' by Nina Stibbe.

Best known for her novel "Man at the Helm," Stibbe again shows her tart comic touch in this charmer of a story about an unreliable friendship. While working at a sewing shop in an English university town, Susan Warren meets Norma Pavlou, an ambitious young woman who sews her own clothes - badly. The two become precarious friends, with Norma forever seizing the main chance, often to Susan's detriment. Still, Susan does herself no favors by dropping out of college when she gets pregnant and marries Roy, whose main interest is golf. Joanna Scanlan, an award-winning comic actor, is an inspired choice as narrator. She has a fine sense of drollery, her timing is exquisite, and her manner gentle and touching when the plot darkens and calamity looms. (Little, Brown & Co., unabridged, 10 hours)

- 'The Return of Faraz Ali,' by Aamina Ahmad

Ahmad's extraordinarily accomplished first novel revolves around Faraz Ali, born to a prostitute in Mohalla, Lahore, Pakistan's red-light district. Faraz's powerful father has the boy taken from his mother and raised by a poor but respectable family. By 1968, he is an up-and-coming police officer, and as Pakistan erupts into civil unrest, Faraz's father asks him to return to Mohalla to cover up the death of an adolescent girl - an "accident," he calls it. It's not. Faraz can't let it go and begins to uncover hidden connections going back decades, a dangerous exercise in a dangerous time. The large cast of believable characters is given voice by narrators Homer Todiwala, delivering the men's sections, and Nina Wadia, the women's. Both actors handle the characters beautifully, faithfully capturing their personalities. This is a great novel, rich in setting, shocking in its depiction of brute, inexorable power, but unexpectedly sweet in conclusion. (Penguin Audio, Unabridged, 121/4 hours)

- 'City on Fire,' by Don Winslow

It's the 1980s and two mobs, one Irish, the other Italian, run Providence, R.I.'s criminal enterprises. The Irish have the docks; the Italians, politicians and police - all under the predator gaze of Boston and New York crime syndicates. In the middle of it is Danny Ryan, son of an alcoholic father who used to run the Irish end and brother to the reckless, unreliable Liam, who has stolen the girlfriend of one of the Italians. Danny, who has always wanted out of the rackets, is levelheaded and a would-be peacemaker, but Liam's folly has unloosed in the Italians a thirst for vengeance coupled with opportunism and treachery - and we are deep in Winslow's menacing territory of bad faith and escalating violence. Ari Fliakos, a gifted actor who has played tough guys with gangland panache, narrates this in a hard-hitting Providence accent that only occasionally sounds as if JFK has grabbed the mic. (Harper Audio, Unabridged, 9 hours).

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Katherine A. Powers reviews audiobooks every month for The Washington Post.
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Russia, in retaliation for economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed over the countrys attack on Ukraine, announced that it has added 61 Americans to its own blacklist  including Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings.

Hastings and the other U.S. nationals on Russias blacklist are banned indefinitely from entering the Russian Federation, according to a notice published Monday by Russias Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Netflix didnt respond to a request for comment.)

Also on Russias blacklist is Universal Pictures president Peter Cramer; top execs from United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, S&P Global, investment firm BlackRock and the entire board of Raytheon Technologies; and multiple White House and U.S. State Department officials. Russias Foreign Ministry said it was blacklisting the U.S. business and government figures in response to a constantly expanding list of sanctions imposed on Russian politicians and public figures, as well as representatives of Russian business.

In February, just days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Netflix said it would not carry the 20 Russian free-to-air propaganda channels, which the streamer may have been required to host under Russian law. In early March, Netflix announced that it would pause all future projects and acquisitions from Russia  and then shut down its service entirely.

With the Russia shutdown, according to Netflix, it lost 700,000 subscribers in the country  contributing to its net loss of 200,000 customers in the first quarter of 2022. The company has projected a loss of 2 million subscribers for the June quarter.

Netflix had launched its streaming service in Russia in 2016, operating through a service provider agreement with Russias National Media Group.

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The heirs of the author of a magazine article that served as the basis for Top Gun have sued Paramount Pictures, claiming the studio went ahead with the new sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, despite knowingly no longer owning the copyright.

As noted in the lawsuit (which was shared by Variety), the original 1986 Top Gun was based on Ehud Yonays 1983 story for California magazine, entitled Top Guns. Paramount secured the exclusive movie rights to the story after it was published, and Yonay received a based on credit as well.

In 2018, Yonays children, Shosh and Yuval, retrieved the copyright to their fathers original story under Section 203 of the U.S. Copyright Act, which allows authors to get back the rights to their work after 35 years. Shosh and Yuvals suit claims they properly availed themselves of this termination right, and the copyright to the Top Guns article reverted back to them on Jan. 24, 2020.

Nevertheless, the suit states, Paramount deliberately ignored this, thumbing its nose at the statute. This case arises out of Paramounts consciousness failure to re-acquire the requisite film and ancillary rights to the Yonays copyrighted Story prior to the completion and release of their derivative 2022 sequel.

In response to the lawsuit, Paramount issued the statement, These claims are without merit, and we will defend ourselves vigorously.

Marc Toberoff, one of the lawyers representing the Yonays, shared a statement with Rolling Stone, in which he referenced characters and quotes from Top Gun. Paramounts statement reminds me of Read Admiral Chester Hammer Cain: The end is inevitable, Maverick. Your kind is headed for extinction,' Toberoff said. To which Maverick replies: Maybe so, sir. But not today. Much as Paramount wants to pretend otherwise, they made a sequel to Top Gun after they lost their copyright. As Maverick would say: Its time to buzz the tower.'

(The other attorney representing the Yonays is Alex Kozinski, a former federal judge who retired from the bench in 2017 after numerous female law clerks accused him of sexual misconduct. Kozinski apologized and said his former clerks may have misunderstood his broad sense of humor and candid way of speaking.)

In the new lawsuit, Toberoff and Kozinski argue that it naturally follows that Top Gun: Maverick is derived from Ehud Yonays story considering the original films screenwriters  Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr.  received a writing credit on the sequel. They also claim that Maverick, like the original film, reveals key elements that are substantially similar to those in Yonays original magazine article.

While Top Gun: Maverick went into production in May 2018, the lawsuit claims that it was not completed until May 2021, over a year after the Yonays retrieved the copyright. As such, the lawsuit states that Top Gun: Maverick does not qualify for the prior derivative works exception, and that Paramount went ahead with the film without securing a new license.

The lawsuit additionally claims that Paramount was placed on clear notice of these issues when the Yonays served the studio with their copyright termination notice in 2018, and again in May 2022 when they sent a cease-and-desist letter regarding the movie. Per the suit, Paramount argued the sequel was sufficiently completed by Jan. 24, 2020 (the date the copyright reversal went into effect), a claim the Yonays clearly dispute.

The Yonays are seeking damages, as well as an injunction that would stop Paramount from distributing the blockbuster, which has reportedly grossed nearly $300 million in the U.S. so far.

This story was updated 6/6/22 at 10:33 p.m. ET with a statement from Marc Toberoff
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Germanys ZDF Studios has boarded six-part series Boundless, (Sin Limites), an epic adventure tale of the first circumnavigation of the world 500 years ago whose backers include Spanish pubic broadcaster RTVE.

Directed by Simon West (Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), Boundless stars Alvaro Morte, the Professor in Money Heist, as Spaniard Juan Sebastian Elcano and Westworlds Rodrigo Santoro as Portugals Ferdinand Magellan.

The six-part series is described by Robert Franke, VP drama, ZDF Studios, as one of the biggest and most ambitious dramas that ZDF Studios has ever had the pleasure of being involved with.

Boundless is produced by Miguel Menendez de Zubillaga (Loving Pablo) for Madrid-based Mono Films (Descarrilados) in co-production with Leo Pearlman and Heather Greenwood at Londons Fullwell 73 (One Direction 3D: This is Us, Bros: After the Screaming Stops). It is co-produced by Patrick Fischer and Richard Kondal.

Backed by Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, it is also one of the biggest Spanish-language plays to date of Amazons Prime Video which will bow the flagship drama in exclusivity in Spain and Latin America on June 10. This will be followed by launches, among other territories, in the U.K., the U.S., France and Germany during the summer.

ZDF Studios will handle global distribution rights with RTVE outside Prime Video territories.

The big series is also supported by Spanish regional broadcasters EiTB in the Basque Country  Elcano was Basque, as a lot of the sailors on Magellans expedition  Andalusias Canal Sur and Madrids Ayuntamiento, or Town Hall.

Proposing an expedition to young and then go-ahead King Carlos 1 of Spain, Magellans main aim was to break Portugals monopoly on the spice trade by forging a route West for Spain around Southern America to the Spice Islands, the Moluccas in Indonesia, which he had already conquered for Portugal in 1511.

Magellan left Spain in command of a fleet of five ships in 1519. After three years of starvation, storms which sunk one ship, freezing temperatures in what became known as the Strait of Magellan, constant mutinies, battles with valiant indigenous inhabitants of Philippine islands and madness, a ghost ship barely returned home with 18 survivors and a hull full of spices.

The voyage changed the world, finally proving that Mother Earth was round and teeming with life, ZDF Studios announced in a press release Tuesday.

A broad-based historical adventure which is historically instructive and allows for high production values and family viewing,Boundless appears from its Spanish-language trailer to have its narrative backbone in the personal growth of Elcano who began the expedition as a prisoner, spent much of its early part in chains, but takes destiny into his hands, rising to the challenges of leadership and coming back a captain.

We are pleased to again be working with our long-standing partner RTVE on another exciting project. The producers have been fantastic in securing top class talent, both on and off screen, in order to do this epic story justice, said Franke.

He added: It has been a pleasure to cooperate with Mono Films and Fulwell 73 on such an extraordinary show for the very first time. The high production value throughout makes this a premium must-watch series that will captivate audiences around the world.

ZDF Studios hosted an exclusive pre-screening of the first episode of Boundless for B2B clients at NEM in Dubrovnik on June 6.

RTVE and ZDF Studios will present Boundless to a selected group of international buyers at its private RTVE Showcase in Madrid on June 16 in the presence of Simon West and Alvaro Morte, among others.

As a public broadcaster, at RTVE we are thrilled to be part of such a fantastic TV series based on one of the most important events in Spanish history, said Jose Pastor, RTVE Film & Fiction Director. We strongly believe that Boundless, as an adventure content with high production values, will not only connect with any kind of audience from all over the world, but will also allow them to learn about a wonderful achievement of Spanish culture.

Fulwell 73s scripted team is proud to help shine a light on forgotten stories of human ingenuity. Its been a delight to work on this ambitious period drama with our co-producers Mono Films and to welcome on board a top class team of film makers, added Greenwood, senior executive at Fulwell 73.

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A man slashed a motorcycle riders forearm with a machete during a road rage incident reported in east Laredo, according to Laredo police.

Andres Juarez-Leon, 35, was arrested on the charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

On May 25, police officers responded to a stabbing reported in the intersection of North Arkansas Avenue and East Kearney Street. Multiple people called in to report a male armed with a machete. Police then learned that a motorcycle rider and the occupant of a light brown pickup were getting into a fight.

First officers on scene encountered a 30-year-old male with a small but deep laceration to his left forearm and a witness next to a black motorcycle by the 2800 block of North Arkansas. The injured male stated that the pickup was tailgating him in the intersection of East Clark Boulevard and Aguila Azteca.

He waved at the driver of the pickup to back up. Instead, the driver accelerated and got closer to the back of the motorcycle while they were at a traffic light. When the light turned green, the motorcycle rider switched lanes to allow the driver to pass him.

Both continued traveling west until the driver stopped abruptly in the 2800 block of North Arkansas. The motorcycle rider got on top of the sidewalk thinking the driver would reverse and strike him intentionally, states the arrest affidavit.

Thats when the driver of the pickup exited the vehicle holding a machete. Police said the driver slashed the complainant on his left forearm. Both struggled on the ground before the suspect drove off. A machete found by the grassy area of the sidewalk was recovered as evidence, states the affidavit.

Police observed a brown Nissan Frontier matching the description of the suspect vehicle and followed it to the 3300 block of Weeping Willow Street, where it was pulled over for a traffic stop. Authorities identified the driver as Juarez-Leon.

At first, Juarez-Leon did not want to speak to officers claiming that he did nothing. He was taken to the LPD booking room, where he allegedly admitted taking out the machete. He added that the motorcycle rider took it away from him and punched him.
Although pending official approval, the state of Tamaulipas has a new governor-elect.

Dr. Americo Villarreal Anaya, from the political party Morena  the same party as Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador  has reportedly won the election for governor of the state of Tamaulipas.

Villarreal Anaya received 49.99% of the vote, or 710,952 votes, according to preliminary results from the Tamaulipas Electoral Institutes Preliminary Election Results in Program, or PREP for short.

The current governor of Tamaulipas is Francisco Javier Garcia Cabeza de Vaca, from the PAN Party. He actually has dual citizenship, as he is an American citizen born in McAllen.

Villarreal Anayas closest challenger was Cesar Augusto Verastegui Ostos from the PRIAN coalition, who got 44.20%, or 628,541 votes. His party was made up of three of the oldest parties uniting together  PAN (National Action Party), PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) and PRD (Party of the Democratic Revolution)  to beat the candidate from the current Mexican president's party.

The third candidate in the race was Arturo Diez Gutierrez Navarro who received just 3.16%, 44,895 votes, who is part of the Mexican independent political party Citizens' Movement.

Villarreal Anaya also claimed victory over social media on Monday.

This victory would not have been possible without the support and trust of hundreds of thousands of people from Tamaulipas who have placed their hope in true change, he said in a statement on social media. I reiterate my commitment to work every minute of my hours and every hour of my days to achieve the welfare of the people of Tamaulipas.

Based on the preliminary results from PREP released on Monday, only about 53.31% of the population is said to have voted in the northern Mexican state in the gubernatorial elections. In total, this accounts to about 1,422,038 votes when the Sunday votes those who voted from another foreign country are counted.

However, final results for the election have not yet been certified, as the actual results will be released on Wednesday, June 8, as the district counts will begin, which determine the electoral results in each of the districts of the entity.

A spokesman for the City of Laredo stated that Mayor Pete Saenz will not provide an official congratulatory phone call to the winner of the gubernatorial race until all of the votes are counted and Villarreal Anayas win is made official by the election organization.

As the votes are made official, people from Nuevo Laredo have started to weigh in, as many voiced different opinions of the three candidates fighting for the governorship of the state. And some also noticed that lines werent very long at the polling sites.

It was few people. Many election sites were almost empty, said local Oscar Garcia, a former journalist who voted in Sundays gubernatorial elections. Among young people, the vast majority did not go, and since the result was somewhat expected, everyone was already upset with the PAN, although a change with Morena is not expected.

According to PREP, 164,123 people voted in the Sunday elections in Nuevo Laredo from the three districts in the city where voting sites were opened. Overall, that sits a little bit more than half of the voters who are registered in the city.

One of the voters who went out to vote on Sunday and then crossed into Laredo late that afternoon for some shopping was Rodolfo Duarte.

I did provide my civic duty to go out and choose our next leader, as that is what the fabric of any democracy is, Duarte said. I supported the current party in the leadership of the presidency and municipality, because we need people that do care and do things for the people to be in power, not just those who seek to become famous or make money.

Duarte shared a differing experience from Garcia, stating that when he went out to vote, he saw many people waiting in line, as the people expressed excitement to do so.

Seeing the people go out and vote was something beautiful, even on a very hot day, Duarte said. But it shows how people want change, and they can even go against the candidate that represents three parties at once to prove it.

Although Duarte and Garcia are good examples of locals going out to vote, many also stayed behind. One example was Martha Lopez, who chose to not participate during the Sunday gubernatorial elections.

I honestly went for the third party, but knew he would not win as the two main candidates were really the ones contesting the race, Lopez said. I did not go vote because I did not like any of the candidates, as they all represented similar values and come from parties that have been in power too long. Nevertheless, I hope the victor does make a change, as at least he is a doctor and might have insight into pandemic-related stuff and the medical needs of the state and city, which could be something new.

Garcia said that even though he knew the independent option was not going to have a chance, he did go out and vote for that candidate. He feels that many of the people who voted this candidate were either young people or individuals who felt that the other two parties were not doing their jobs correctly.

I voted, but for a third option, he said. I did not choose either of the two main ones because they did not convince me.
A man will stand trial this week for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol when he caused a crash that killed two men along Mines Road in 2017, according to court documents.

An indictment states that Miguel Angel Meza, 29, by criminal negligence caused the death of David Angel Alejandres, 19, and Jorge Salazar Jr., 20, by driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or driving a vehicle in a manner that disregarded the safety of other individuals and motorists.

Meza is facing two counts of intoxicated manslaughter and two counts of criminal negligent homicide. If convicted, Meza could face up to 20 years in prison per count.

The case unfolded at about 2:58 a.m. June 10, 2017, when police responded to a crash involving two vehicles in the 11100 block of FM 1472 Road. A yellow 2006 Ford Mustang driven by Meza rear-ended a 2006 Ford F-150 that had run out of gasoline. Alejandres, Salazar and another male were pushing the stalled vehicle when Meza allegedly crashed into them, killing both.

Opening statements began late Monday. Prosecutors said they have a recorded phone call of Meza admitting to drinking. The case is about choices, according to the Webb County District Attorneys Office. Meza made a choice of getting into the car and start driving.

After crashing, Meza asked the fatally injured if they were drinking as they laid down taking their final breaths on the floor. Meza did not help them, prosecutors said.

Members of the Laredo Police Department Crash Team reconstructed the collision utilizing specialized training. Theres also surveillance video of the point of impact and audio evidence of Meza admitting fault.

This week we will talk to you (jurors) about choices. Miguel Angel Meza made his choice on June 10, 2017. We will show you and prove to you that theres only one choice remaining and that is for you to hold him accountable, said Assistant District Attorney Claudia Garcia.

Defense counsel agreed that this will be a trial of choices but pointed out that the blame is being shifted to Meza. The defense also mentioned that the pickup had stalled prior to the fatal ending. Instead of calling for help or pulling into a parking lot, the occupants decided to keep moving forward resulting in the crash that killed Alejandres and Salazar.

The defense stated that Alejandres and Salazar covered the hazard lights on the pickup while pushing the vehicle in an extremely dark location. Meza was obeying traffic laws and one officer will testify that Meza was intoxicated. Evidence will show that Meza was sober, according to the defense.

The trial resumes on Tuesday.
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)  Seven employees of a Tennessee Starbucks who were fired after starting unionization efforts claimed victory Tuesday when their Memphis store voted to join a wave of U.S. locations of the coffee chain that have decided to organize.

The so-called Memphis Seven jumped for joy, hugged one another and wept after a count held by the National Labor Relations Board showed an 11-3 vote in favor of unionization of a Starbucks store near the University of Memphis.

The group pushed for a union for months, even after their firing in February on allegations by Starbucks that they violated store security rules. The baristas are pushing for reinstatement and want to help other Memphis stores unionize.

The reason that I am filled with tears is because Memphis Seven has fought so hard, said Nikki Taylor, one of the fired workers. To know that that work didn't go in vain, that fight didn't go in vain, that losing sleep didn't go in vain, it's amazing to me.

After the vote Tuesday, Starbucks said it respects the process and will bargain in good faith.

Other U.S. locations planned union votes Tuesday. Two Starbucks in Chicago voted against unionization, while a third voted yes, the labor relations board said. Other votes were scheduled in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Portland, Oregon; Albany, New York; and Lawrence, Kansas.

Seattle-based Starbucks has 9,000 company-run U.S. stores. Nationally, the NLRB has received 280 union petitions for Starbucks locations, board spokeswoman Kayla Blado said. Of 149 vote counts, 122 locations have voted for a union and 79 have been certified, Blado said.

A store in Atlanta voted Monday to become the first unionized Starbucks in the city's metro area, news outlets reported.

The Memphis group announced a campaign to unionize on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday this year. Starbucks then fired them, alleging violations of policies related to maintaining a secure work environment and safety standards. Workers allowed unauthorized people into the store when it was closed, Starbucks said.

But the seven Memphis baristas claimed they were let go because of efforts to join Starbucks Workers United. The NLRB has asked a Memphis federal court to order their reinstatement. A hearing was scheduled for Thursday.

The firings generated national interest as a symbol of workers' battles to unionize in big corporations. The Rev. William Barber of the Poor People's Campaign led a march in March in support of the Memphis Seven, who watched Tuesday's online count at the campaign office of Steve Mulroy, a Democrat running for Shelby County district attorney.

One of the workers, Beto Sanchez, said firing seven workers at the same time was a stupid decision.

They tried to use us to scare other unions, to scare other stores, to scare everyone else, Sanchez said, adding that his colleagues were fighting for respect, for dignity, for workers rights.

Sanchez, a store supervisor before he was fired, claimed his fellow workers had been left at times without hot water or air conditioning. He said Starbucks didnt always treat his store's employees well during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday, the company said it was listening and learning from workers in stores seeking union support.

From the beginning, weve been clear in our belief that we are better together as partners, without a union between us, and that conviction has not changed, the statement said.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, a longtime union foe, said during a corporate earnings call in May that the company respects the rights of Starbucks employees and will bargain where its required to. But he also insisted that employees dont need a union to get the best-in-class wages and benefits Starbucks provides.

Schultz then announced $200 million in new investments for non-union stores, including raises for veteran employees and more training time for new baristas. The company even promised one of the unions priorities  credit card tipping  before the end of this year.

Parties have one week to file objections, the NLRB said. If none are filed, results will be certified June 14.
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Iowa Democrat Mike Franken, a retired Navy admiral, will challenge Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley's reelection this fall after winning his party's nomination Tuesday over two competitors.

Franken beat former congresswoman Abby Finkenauer and physician Glenn Hurst to earn the right to run against Grassley, who is seeking an eighth Senate term and beat back a nominal primary challenge of his own.

"What must happen is we must defeat Chuck Grassley, Franken told supporters in Des Moines after receiving a call of congratulations from Finkenauer. Were done with this. Were absolutely done. Im not going to be the junior senator from Iowa. Im going to be the leading senator from the state of Iowa.

Frankens primary win is something of a surprise, given Finkenauer was better known throughout the state after her 2018 victory over a Republican congressman that made her the second-youngest woman elected to Congress. Finkenauer lost in a reelection bid in 2020 but was a frequent presence on cable television and raised millions of dollars toward her Senate run.

But Franken campaigned in more than 50 of Iowa's 99 counties, touting his upbringing in rural, northwest Iowa where Democrats have all but vanished from public office. And yet Franken beat Finkenauer soundly in the state's most populous areas including the Des Moines metro area, as well as in the liberal bastion of Iowa City, next door to Finkenauer's eastern Iowa base.

We're going to take this race from a third-tier Senatorial race to a tier one, the most interesting race in nation, Franken added.

In his campaign, Franken emphasized a need to dial down the political tension in Washington. He also called for adding a public insurance option to the Affordable Care Act.

Joyce Mahl of Council Bluffs in western Iowa said she voted for Franken because she was unsure Iowans would vote for a Democratic woman in the general election, though Iowa has elected Democratic women, including Finkenauer, to Congress. Mahl's top priority is a candidate she views as stronger against Grassley.

If you want Grassley out, youve got to vote for the one that you think can beat him, Mahl, 66, said after voting at a downtown Council Bluffs church.

Franken will nonetheless face stiff headwinds going into the general election against Grassley, who has served seven terms. A state that Democrat Barack Obama won in two presidential elections has steadily shifted to the right in recent years, part of a broader transformation that has spread through the Northern Plains that has made it increasingly difficult for Democrats to compete statewide.

Mark Hollander, 47, a marketing professional from West Des Moines, said he voted for Finkenauer in part because of her background in Congress, but also because she represents a new generation. Finkenauer stressed limiting the number of terms a member of the Senate can serve.

I do agree with her on term limits, Hollander said. I feel that Grassley has not been especially effective in the last decade-plus and has turned more obstructionist at this point.

But Finkenauer's campaign faced an unexpected stumble in April when she nearly didn't make the primary ballot. Republican activists claimed she hadnt gathered enough signatures from enough counties. A district judge ruled Finkenauer hadnt qualified for the ballot, a ruling she called deeply partisan. The Iowa Supreme Court overruled that decision and allowed her to run.

Still, the episode turned off a number of veteran state Democratic activists, former candidates and officeholders, prompting some to give Franken a second look. He posted stronger first-quarter fundraising figures than Finkenauer and earned endorsements from some well-known former Finkenauer supporters bothered by her declining to accept responsibility for the filing mistakes.

Grassley, from New Hartford in northern Iowa, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980 after serving three terms in the U.S. House.

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Associated Press writers David Pitt in West Des Moines, Iowa, and Grant Schulte in Council Bluffs, Iowa, contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol will open a series of hearings focusing on far-right extremists who broke into the building, with testimony from a documentary filmmaker who recorded the riot and a Capitol Police officer who was one of the first people injured in the attack.

The panel announced Tuesday that the witnesses at Thursday nights prime-time hearing will be British filmmaker Nick Quested, who recorded members of the far-right Proud Boys as they stormed the building, and Caroline Edwards, a U.S. Capitol Police officer who was seriously injured as the rioters, including members of the Proud Boys, shoved past police officers and forced their way into the Capitol.

In announcing the witnesses, the committee said it would present previously unseen material documenting January 6th, receive witness testimony, and provide the American people an initial summary of its findings about the coordinated, multi-step effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and prevent the transfer of power.

The hearing is expected to be a broad, multimedia overview of the committees findings and a reminder to the public of the violence of the day, with other hearings in the coming weeks diving into more specifics of the planning behind the attack. In its yearlong investigation the committee has conducted more than 1,000 interviews.

The committee has reached out to a group of Trump-era Justice Department officials, including Jeffrey Rosen, the acting attorney general at the time of the riot, about having them as witnesses, according to a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Lawmakers are focused not only on the extremist groups that were among the rioters, but also on President Donald Trumps actions at the White House while the mob of his supporters beat law enforcement officers and broke into the building. They have also investigated Trump's efforts to overturn the election in the weeks before the attack, including pressure on state officials.

Quested, a British filmmaker who also witnessed some of the Proud Boys' planning before the attack on the Capitol, was present for some of the most extraordinary events that took place that day. He accompanied members of the extremist group as they walked to the Capitol from Trumps morning speech in front of the White House, as they broke through police barriers and eventually into the building, and as hundreds of Trumps supporters moved through the Capitol to protest his defeat. Quested confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that he would be a witness.

Quested also filmed Henry Enrique Tarrio, then the leader of the Proud Boys, the night before when Tarrio met in an underground Washington garage with Elmer Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, another extremist group present at the riot. The video did not record the conversation but shows the two meeting in the garage with other members of the groups.

Tarrio and other members of the group were charged on Monday with seditious conspiracy for what federal prosecutors say was a coordinated attack to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory. Rhodes was indicted on similar charges earlier this year.

Quested, who was filming the group as part of a documentary about extremism in America, was interviewed by the committee behind closed doors in recent weeks and has turned over some of his video to the panel. He said he was also interviewed by the Justice Department, which is prosecuting hundreds of cases related to the insurrection.

The panel is expected to play some of Quested's documentary footage. Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a member of the committee, said Tuesday that in terms of video, much of what the committee will present is things that you have not seen directly before.

Edwards was one of the first officers to be injured on the West front of the Capitol as the crowd  led by members of the Proud Boys  began to push inside. She suffered a head injury and said afterward that officers need better support.

The committee said that Edwards patrolled the West plaza even after suffering the brain injury and prevented many rioters from entering the Capitol building. Her injuries have since prevented her from returning to the first responders unit, the panel said, but she is expected to join the unit again this year.

Federal authorities have linked more than three dozen people charged in the Capitol siege to the Proud Boys. Its members describe it as a politically incorrect mens club for Western chauvinists.

___

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

___

For full coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP)  Three Tempe police officers are under non-disciplinary administrative paid leave after allegedly not helping a homeless man who drowned in a man-made city lake.

Tempe police have released edited body camera footage from officers of the May 28 incident.

According to a transcript of the footage provided by the city, 34-year-old Sean Bickings told Tempe police he was drowning and begged officers for help.

Police said Bickings apparently jumped into the lake in an attempt to evade police after officials did a background check and found three outstanding warrants.

The transcript of the remaining portion of the video indicates the video cuts off when Bickings starts telling police that he's going to drown, the Arizona Republic reported Monday.

One officer reportedly told Bickings: I am not jumping in after you."

According to the transcript, a person identified in the document as a witness attempted to jump into the lake to help Bickings, who did not resurface.

A city fire department rescue team recovered Bickings body and pronounced him dead.

Tempe officials have asked the Arizona Department of Public Safety to investigate the police response to the drowning.
We will be in Storm Alert Weather mode today as dangerous heat and humidity continue across the Tennessee Valley. High temperatures will reach Read More
Steve Doremus, communications officer for Hamilton County Schools, demonstrates Thursday how a badge is required to enter Hixson High School. It is one of several security measures implemented at schools across the district to prevent school shooters.
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Junior Trade Promotion Minister was in Madrid last week to meet with company chiefs connected to leading Longford petfood manufacturer C&D Foods.

The Longford-Westmeath TD spent two days in the Spanish capital as part of a two day mission aimed at strenthening trade and business links between the two countries.

It was, according to Mr Troy, a chance to highlight the success of Irish companies, like those such as C&D in the Spanish marketplace.

For Irish companies looking to start their export journey or indeed for those already exporting and looking to grow their market reach, I encourage them to consider Spain and the wider Eurozone market, he said.

The Eurozone is one of the worlds largest economic regions and benefits from ongoing economic growth. With significant post-Covid investment and recovery programmes driving opportunity across the region, the potential for innovative Irish companies is there for the taking."

Trade is strong between our two countries and the potential to further strengthen our economic links with Spain is clear.

I strongly encourage Irish companies looking to grow their exporting reach to look to the Eurozone and be part of the thriving community of Irish businesses using Irish innovation to address some of the challenges facing industry in these markets.

During the trade visit Enterprise Ireland organised participation at Madrid Platform, where the delegation were given the opportunity to meet with Spanish, European and LATAM partners of interest and learn about opportunities in the market.

At Madrid Platform, they also meet with representatives from Madrid Nuevo Norte (Distrito Castellana Norte Madrid), which is the largest urban regeneration project in Europe, presenting huge opportunity for several of the participating companies.

Tom Kelly, Divisional Manager for Industrial and Lifesciences at Enterprise Ireland said: Ireland and Spain have a strong and important trading relationship.

The Spanish market provides a significant opportunity for Enterprise Ireland clients in a region where Irish companies enjoy a reputation for innovation and flexibility.
IFA President Tim Cullinan said IFA will not support exploring a Cap and trade model for emissions, as proposed in the Dairy Food Vision Group interim report.

The reality is: this is a quota by another name which IFA is completely opposed to, he said.

"We are also opposed to the proposal to force farmers to cut inorganic fertiliser use by 22% to 25% by 2025, and by 30% by 2030.

The current target, as set out by the Minister in AgClimatise and subsequently included in the overall Food Vision report is to reduce inorganic fertiliser use by 20% by 2030. This is already a challenging target and we will not support any further tightening of this, he said.

On the proposed cow exit/reduction scheme, Tim Cullinan said IFA were willing to have further engagement on condition that any such scheme would be 100% publicly funded; will not lead to restrictions on any farmer who does not sign up to the scheme; and that other farming sectors are fully consulted.

The IFA President said the organisation would support the other 14 recommendations in the report which were consistent with IFAs overall policy of reducing emissions per unit of output rather than restricting output.

Irish farmers are playing our part on climate action but we must have evidence-based policy making. There must be full economic and social impact assessment of any proposed measures; a full calculation of potential carbon leakage; and full measurement of on-farm carbon removals, he said.

In addition, the new methodology for calculating the Global Warming Potential (GWP*) of Biogenic methane, as referenced in the Climate Act must be factored into decision making, he said.

Overall, the focus of the Government in reducing farm output and by extension food production is wrong. Every serious global organisation from the UN to the G7 has indicated the serious threat to global food security. Yet our Government is trying to curtail production in a country that is fortunate to have one of the best climates in the world for producing food, he said.
Family & Parenting, Local News, Press Releases

By Long Island Published: June 07 2022

In #1 place, with the highest number of searches for 'divorce lawyers' relative to population size was Merrick.

When New York divorce courts began to reopen in the summer of 2021, a local divorce lawyer reported working 16-hour days just to cope with inquiries from New Yorkers who wanted out from their marriages. And business didnt let up throughout the year, even over the Christmas period, which is usually a more sedate time when it comes to divorces, as couples want to avoid tension among their families during the celebrations. Divorce inquiries were reported to be 45% higher than pre-pandemic levels.

DivorceAnswers.com, a resource dedicated to legal information about divorce, analyzed New Yorkers online searches for the term divorce lawyers during the pandemic  the research revealed that in total, New Yorkers searched for divorce lawyers 433,344 times during the pandemic.

The study also broke down these searches across cities in New York, which were weighted by population. The city in #1 place with the highest number of searches for divorce lawyers relative to population size was Merrick, with 8,400 online enquiries  around 41.7% when compared against a population of 20,130.

In last place  position #100  with the fewest number of enquiries was New Rochelle, with just 1,680 online searches for divorce lawyers during the pandemic. It seems many couples here possibly enjoyed their time in lockdown together.

While some studies have observed that divorces in some states have actually fallen during the pandemic, what is clear is that the pandemic has been a source for disputes among separating couples that simply didnt exist prior to 2020.

The lockdowns enforced as a result of the pandemic appeared to have led to a flood of divorce inquiries from unhappy couples across The Empire State. Indeed, Kris Lippi from ISoldMyHouse.com reported that inquiries for 1-bedroom rentals increased 37% since March 2020. Lockdowns were undoubtedly a contributing factor to this trend  perhaps some marriages had been hanging on by a mere thread before the pandemic, therefore, being forced to face these issues during lockdown may have been breaking point for many.

Furthermore, Lauren Cook-McKay from DivorceAnswers.com observed that spending more time together, having more time in general and having limited opportunities to leave the house may have resulted in some discovering their partners hidden traits, such as extra-marital affairs or dishonest behavior. Another less reported reason is that the financial turmoil caused by the pandemic meant that getting divorced made more financial sense  that is, if the bread-winning spouse lost their job, the subsequent loss of income would mean a lower settlement.

One recently separated woman (28) of Albany, who did not wish to be named, said lockdowns clarified what shed sensed previously  that she felt trapped and wanted her freedom back. In pre-pandemic times, the couple were always in motion, spending nights together but otherwise living separate and busy lives. Then when they were forced to work at home together, she was confronted with a more insular world.

One particular flashpoint among couples during the pandemic was differences in points of view on how their childrens lives were affected. Ms Cook-McKay says, While many couples have opposing views on the issue of vaccinations, the solution was relatively straight forward  one partner would get vaccinated and the other would choose not to. But we witnessed countless examples of heated exchanges between couples when it came to their childrens welfare regarding Covid, such as whether they should also be vaccinated or should go maskless in public.

Another source of conflict over the pandemic was when the parents had already separated and were living in different locations. Even prior to the pandemic, it was difficult in enough for parents to share time with their children, as they struggled between their jobs and embarking on their new lives apart. But Covid certainly has complicated timesharing, continues Cook-McKay: We have seen many examples of one partner becoming incredibly frustrated with the other, who has used the coronavirus as an excuse not to hand over their children for their allotted time. In many cases it has led to suspicions and accusations of broken agreements.

The issue of vaccinations has caused fault lines in many New York relationships. The numbers of couples seeking divorces solely due to differences in their opinions on vaccinations and the very existence of Covid itself is extremely low, however, Lauren Cook-McKay does think that enforced social distancing by the authorities meant that many arguing couples were unable to air their grievances with family or friends, allowing these negative thoughts to compound and reach a point of no return.
Literacy Capital PLC - London-based investment firm - Net asset value per share at March 31 stands at 320.0 pence, up from 277.2p at December 31. Net assets at March 31 total GBP192.0 million, up from GBP166.3 million at December 31. Company says that the continued growth in net assets was driven by uplifts across a number of portfolio companies. Four companies in the three months to March 31 contributed more than GBP5 million of uplift each, with all trading and growing strongly, it adds. Reports positive start to 2022 with continued momentum.

Current stock price: 385.00 pence, up 1.3% in London

12-month change: up more than double from 180p

By Heather Rydings; heatherrydings@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Sirius Real Estate Ltd - operator of business parks, offices and industrial complexes in Germany - Expects its total dividend to rise to between 4.389 rand cents and 4.427 cents for the financial year ended March 31, representing an increase of 16% to 17% compared to 3.800 cents in the prior year.

The higher payout is predominantly due to an increase in funds from operations. The company expects to release full-year results next Monday.

Stock price close in London: 113.60 pence

12-month change: up 11%

Stock price close in Johannesburg: ZAR21.67

12-month change: up 13%

By Artwell Dlamini; artwelldlamini@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
JOHANNESBURG, May 24 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto's QIT Madagascar Minerals (QMM) mineral sands mine restarted production on Monday following a five-day halt, after reaching an agreement with demonstrators who had set up roadblocks at the site, Rio told Reuters on Tuesday.

Communities surrounding QMM's mine in southeastern Madagascar have been protesting over a release of water from the mine site into the surrounding environment, after which dead fish were found.

Rio says water sampling data shows no link between the water release and the dead fish. But local government authorities banned fishing in the area after the dead fish were found, impacting livelihoods.

QMM decided to curtail operations on May 18 due to the community unrest, Rio said.

"Following an agreement signed on 22 May between QMM, the authorities and demonstrators, all roadblocks were dismantled enabling QMM to resume operations yesterday (23 May)," Rio said.

At the signing, QMM gave the communities zebus and rice "as a symbol of reconciliation", and agreed to continue providing food supplies to the affected fishing community for a further two months.

QMM started giving food supplies in mid-March to that community of between 5,000 and 7,000 people, Rio said, despite the data showing no direct link between QMM activities and the dead fish.

Rio came under fire earlier this month at both its London and Melbourne annual general meetings over the water release.

"QMM is in danger of losing its social license to operate," investor advisory firm Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility said on May 5.

Former chairman Simon Thompson told the London AGM the company would build a water treatment plant and develop clean water projects for surrounding communities. He said he accepted Rio has work to do to "enhance" its licence to operate in Madagascar.

Rio on Tuesday said it expected the new process water treatment unit to be in place by the middle of this year.

QMM produces ilmenite, which is shipped to a Rio Tinto plant in Quebec to be processed into titanium dioxide. (Reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Jan Harvey and Chizu Nomiyama)
(Alliance News) - South Africa on Tuesday said it was surprised at Irish budget airline Ryanair Holdings PLC's "backward profiling" of passengers, who were given a pre-travel test in Afrikaans to prove they were legitimate passport holders.

The airline has admitted it imposed a requirement for South Africans flying to Britain and Ireland to fill out a questionnaire issued in Afrikaans "due to the high prevalence of fraudulent South African passports".

Passengers who fail to complete the questionnaire are denied travel and fully refunded for their tickets.

Afrikaans, just one of 11 official languages in South Africa, is commonly used by around 12% of the country's population of nearly 60 million, and played a controversial role in the oppression of black citizens during apartheid.

South Africa's Department of Home Affairs said in a statement: "We are taken aback by the decision of this airline because the Department regularly communicates with all airlines to update them on how to validate South African passports, including the look and feel."

The department also runs a 24-hour operations centre that airlines can access to verify South African passports.

"It is not clear to which extent the airline has used these services before resorting to this backward profiling system," it said.

In response to uproar on social media, Britain's ambassador in South Africa took to Twitter to clarify that such language and general knowledge tests were "not a UK government requirement" for South Africans entering the UK.

"Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is at the forefront of efforts to bring an end to the abuse of South African travel documents," the statement said.

It added an unspecified number of passport fraud kingpins and their lieutenants have been arrested in recent months.

The Pan South African Language Board, a state organisation tasked with promoting multilingualism in the country, was disgusted by Ryanair's method of verifying passports through an Afrikaans test.

"We find this reckless decision by Ryanair quite problematic and is reminiscent of the old colonial and apartheid systematic subjugation of speakers of other languages, mainly black people, to racial and linguistic discrimination," the board's head Lance Schultz said in a statement.

source: AFP

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Download Image: Web

Call for Entry: No Entry Fee

PRIDE

Lycoming College Downtown Art Gallery

Deadline: July 5, 2022

The Lycoming College Art Gallery, located in downtown Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is seeking submissions for our upcoming exhibition, PRIDE, opening July 29, 2022.

Thanks to ongoing activism of the LGBTQIA+ community, the term pride is now synonymous with month-long celebrations of queer life and advocacy for equal rights around the world. Using pride as its framing concept, this exhibition will highlight the work of queer artists, providing a safe space and platform to engage with their work. We seek submissions from artists whose work draws from the lived experience of being queer in its myriad of forms. This may include, but is not limited to, those that challenge binaries and biases of gender and sexuality, expose systemic inequalities, and explore and/or celebrate queer life. We are interested in all types of work, especially those that utilize non-traditional processes or approach traditional materials in unconventional ways.

Entries will be accepted through July 5, 2022. PRIDE will open July 29, 2022 and run through September 2, 2022. For more information on the gallery, visit: https://www.lycoming.edu/art/gallery/

ELIGIBILITY

Professional artists as well as student artists are encouraged to enter. Entries must represent original works of art. There is no size restriction, other than what can fit through our gallery doors. There is no restriction governing date of completion.

MEDIA

All media (2D and 3D) will be accepted including video. Please follow the submission guidelines below.

NO ENTRY FEE

SUBMISSION MATERIALS

Artist Bio (100 words)

Artist Statement (200 words)

CV with preferred method of contact

Digital image (jpg-format) or video link per submitted artwork.

Image list including the following for each submitted work: title, media, size, date, value (must include value for insurance purposes even if the work is not for sale)

Send entries to: lycocampusartgallery@lycoming.edu

Email Subject Line: 2022PRIDE_LastName

A maximum of five works per artist will be accepted. Lycoming College Gallery will retain the submitted images of accepted artwork and reserves the right to use the images in publications and gallery publicity. Beyond such use, the artist retains full copyright of exhibited work.

Still images should be sent as jpegs and be at least 1000px at their widest dimension, but not exceed 2MB each. Please label each image with <Lastname>.<Number>

For video work please link directly to online or downloadable content that does not require a login, password or membership to view. These may be in the form of Youtube, Vimeo, or personal websites. Links to video entries must remain valid and active through the notification of jury results.

IMPORTANT DATES

7/5  Submission Deadline (midnight)

7/8  Notifications of Results

7/21  Latest date for artwork arrival

7/29  Opening reception (5pm)

9/2  Closing reception (5pm)

9/3  Last day of show

Artwork will be shipped within a week after the show ends.

SHIPPING AND RETURN OF ARTWORK

All work accepted for the exhibition must arrive ready to install. Works not gallery ready, or not exhibiting good craftsmanship, may be eliminated from the final exhibition. Accepted work that differs significantly from the entry images or suffers from poor presentation choices, will be disqualified. Please note that professional level presentation and craftsmanship is a requirement. Work may be hand delivered or shipped. Shipped works must be sent in an easily reusable container/packaging with return shipping prepaid. All work must arrive at the gallery by the specified date (see calendar above). Accepted work will remain on display for the duration of the exhibition. Artists are responsible for all shipping costs to and from the gallery.

Ship Accepted Work To:

Lycoming College

Art Department

Pride Exhibition

One College Place

Williamsport, PA 17701

SALES

Lycoming College does not take a commission for works sold at their galleries. If a work is not for sale please indicate with NFS value in appropriate space on the consignment sheet. Lycoming College will put potential collectors in touch with the respective artists but will not negotiate sales.

Questions can be directed to: lycocampusartgallery@lycoming.edu
Wang Zhigang, Chinese minister of science and technology, made the remarks at a press briefing in Beijing, citing the Global Innovation Index released annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The past decade has witnessed China's biggest progress in science and technology, with the country climbing to the 12th position on the global list of most innovative economies, up from the 34th place in 2012, a Chinese official said on Monday.

In 2021, China's total expenditure on research and development (R&D) reached 2.79 trillion yuan (about $420 billion), the second-highest in the world. It accounted for 2.44 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), which was close to the average level of the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, Wang said.

That's up from the 1.03-trillion-yuan investment in R&D in 2012, which took up 1.91 percent of its GDP back then, according to Wang.

China's funding for basic research is 3.4 times what it was ten years ago, reaching an all-time high for the country, Wang noted.

The country's science and technology talent pool has also been growing over the past decade. In 2021, China's R&D manpower reached 5.62 million man-years, which was the highest globally and 1.7 times that of 2012, he said.

In 2021, China's turnover of technology contracts reached 3729.4 billion yuan, 5.8 times that of 2012, accounting for 3.26 percent of the country's GDP.

The number of invention patents owned by every 10,000 people rose to 19.1 in 2021 from 3.2 in 2012.

The proportion of scientifically literate citizens in the country increased from 3.27 percent in 2010 to 10.56 percent in 2020.

Open wider to the world

China will open wider to the world in science and technology, exchange and cooperate with more countries, and make more contributions to the world's scientific and technological progress and sustainable development, Wang said.

Wang said openness and cooperation are intrinsic to the development of science and technology and indispensable to addressing global challenges.

China pursues an open, inclusive and mutually beneficial international cooperation strategy in science and technology, which leads to cooperation with 161 countries and regions, Wang added.

World-leading scientific and technological infrastructure such as the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is open to all scientists, domestic or not. "The FAST has provided observation service to 27 scientific projects in 14 countries around the world," said Hou Jianguo, head of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

China just launched the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship on Sunday, sending three taikonauts for a six-month mission to help complete the construction of the country's space station by the end of this year.

Since last year, the country has successfully launched the Tianhe core module, three Tianzhou cargo ships and carried out two manned missions to construct the space station.

With the International Space Station set to retire in the coming years, China's space station will become the only one orbiting the Earth. Officials from the China National Space Administration have expressed willingness for international cooperation and for non-Chinese astronauts to participate in the country's future space station missions.

(Gong Zhe and Liu Wei also contributed to the story.)
MANISTEE COUNTY  A list of Manistee County first response agencies are reporting higher calls for service lately compared to years past.

Josh Glass, Manistee City Police chief, reported at the June Manistee County Public Safety Committee meeting that the police departments complaint volume skyrockets in June and the officers are extremely busy.

Photo provided/Josh Glass

Glass noted that the department is not just busy with calls for service but also with revisiting its COVID-19 mitigation plan, training on emergency vehicle operations, first aid and firearms, and work with schools.

June specifically, we have the second half of our training curriculum. We have all the things that are associated with the beach, traffic doubles (or) triples, ordinance enforcement, he said. Its a very, very busy time for us, as it is for everyone else.

Glass said the department is also preparing for the Manistee National Forest Festival as well as the fireworks and parade tied to it.

Michael Machen, Manistee County emergency management coordinator and 911 deputy director, said overall, everything is just up.

File photo

Kind of like everybody else, were just kind of busy; 2020 is kind of the throw-away year when nothing happened so thats why theres a huge increase between 2020 and 2022. But overall, they are up just a little bit  about 230 calls from last years month of May to this years month of May.

One incident in particular last month that drew the help of 18 agencies spanning nine counties was a drowning on Bear Lake.

Its a tragedy and its something that nobody should have to go through. Our hearts go out to (his) family and friends and everyone who was involved and touched by that incident, Manistee County Sheriff Brian Gutowski remarked at the committee meeting.

Responders searched Bear Lake from May 29 through Wednesday when the 20-year-old Manistee mans body was found.

Gutowski remarked on the importance of partnerships when responding to calls like the drowning incident.

Courtesy photo

Were a small sheriffs office, were a small community and we couldnt do anything that we do especially in instances like this without the help of our partners, he said. I have staff that worked over 48 hours in four days. Sunup to sundown, they were out there with our dive team, our marine patrol getting boats set up, getting them out on the water working all daylight hours. Then coming in putting everything away and doing it again the next day.

Gutowski said the number of agencies that helped was just overwhelming and its a testament to what we do in public safety when things like this happen.

Travis House, Michigan State Police Cadillac Post Commander, said search and rescues in lakes are difficult. People dont realize (when they) look at an inland lake and I think most people look at it and think it should be no problem to recover a drowning victim from that.

Courtesy photo/Michigan State Police

The truth is its an effort and from what I could tell it was very well run by the sheriff and the amount of resources that poured out to help really was something to behold, House said.

Lisa Sagala, Manistee County controller and administrator, pointed out at the meeting that the family of the man who drowned was appreciative of the efforts by all the different agencies that assisted in the search.

Provided photo

A look at the numbers

Not only is June going into the time when police, fire, EMS and central dispatch see higher numbers, it has also been a time of higher calls compared with the last few years overall.

According to a report included in the June Manistee County Public Safety Committee agenda materials, there were 1,452 calls, incidents and other events recorded by law enforcement in May 2020.

Then in May 2021, that number increased to 1,865 and finally to 2,083 last month.

The highest numbers reported last month for law enforcement were attributed to traffic stops, follow up investigations, criminal history checks, assisting citizens and abandoned 911 calls.

The report also broke the numbers into the most common times of day and days of the week in which events took place during May throughout the last few years.

Last month, law enforcement saw most of its calls and activities on Mondays compared to the lead day in May 2021 and 2022 being Saturdays.

Of all the law enforcement calls last month, the highest number of calls took place at either 4 p.m. or 7 p.m. These two time slots together accounted for about 13% of the months calls.

For fire and EMS, there was also an increase from May 2020 to 2022 as the area went from seeing 377 calls in 2020, to 396 in 2021 and finally 410 last month.

Most of the calls last month were for ambulance requests and fire runs, followed by ambulance request transfers and lift assists.

Graphics provided/Manistee County Public Safety Committee

In 2020, there were 48 fire runs for May, while 2021 had 47 and 2022 had 56. But ambulance request transfers dipped by about 35% from 2020 to 2022.

May 2022 at a glance Here is what the Manistee County Public Safety Committee reports show for May 2022 in Manistee County's emergency calls.  Law enforcement had 2,083 calls, incidents and events responded to last month.  Law enforcement saw most of its calls and activities on Mondays and Tuesdays.  Most law enforcement numbers stem from traffic stops, follow up investigations, criminal history checks, assisting citizens and abandoned 911 calls.  There were 410 fire and EMS calls last month.  The highest number of fire and EMS calls took place at either 4 p.m. or 7 p.m.  Most of the fire/EMS calls were for ambulance requests and fire runs. See More Collapse

The most common time for calls to fire and EMS last month was from 10 p.m. to 10:59 p.m. The most common day for fire and EMS calls last month was Tuesdays while May 2020 it was Fridays and May 2021 was Saturdays.

Animal control also saw increases in some types of calls last month.

Last month, the county continued to see an increase in animal bites with six instances reported compared to two in April.

Animal control stats in the report also showed an increase in animals impounded going from one in April to 13 last month. Animal control spent the most time in Bear lake Township on calls followed by Manistee Township and Stronach Township, according to the reports.
Courtesy graphic

BURLINGTON, Vt.  Keagan Thomas, of Manistee, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering during commencement ceremonies last month.

This year's commencement at the University of Vermont  the 221st in the school's history  marked a return to a traditional celebration outdoors on the University Green after two years of reimagined ceremonies due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
About MHI Group

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the worlds leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.
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The girl, naked and screaming, ran directly toward Nick Uts camera -- and into history.

Her name is Kim Phuc, and the instant the Associated Press photographer captured her image 50 years ago -- on June 8, 1972 -- she became more than a victim of a South Vietnamese napalm strike on her hamlet. She was and is an international symbol of that unpopular war, and of the torment inflicted on innocents in all wars.

For nearly a century, the AP has covered war with images. Some won Pulitzer Prizes, like Uts napalm girl, like Eddie Adams breathtaking photo of the execution of a Viet Cong prisoner, like Joe Rosenthals tableau of Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jimas Mount Suribachi.

They and others are engraved in global memory, often resonating in ways that words and video do not.

Some show wars action -- a Palestinian with stone in hand confronts an Israeli tank; Korean refugees crawl over a shattered bridge, like ants; a statue of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein crashes to the ground.

But others focus on the pain, and the losses. A Marine, bleeding profusely around his neck, is evacuated by helicopter after a bombing in Afghanistan. A man displays scars left by machete-wielding gangs in the Rwandan genocide. A Palestinian woman, her face a mask of fury and grief, brandishes helmets left behind by those responsible for a massacre at the Sabra refugee camp in Lebanon.

All too often, the war photos depict young victims.

Thirty-eight years apart, in Vietnam and Syria, fathers clutch the bodies of their dead children. In between, in 1994, a 7-year-old boy lies mortally wounded in a pool of blood in Serajevo.

And then, this year, Evgeniy Maloletka captured the aftermath of the Russian bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine. Five men carried a pregnant woman on a stretcher. Her pelvis had been crushed; she would not survive.

Nor would her unborn child.

___

This story has been corrected to show that South Vietnamese planes dropped the napalm, not American planes.
Last September, 60-year-old Diane Pendleton had an experience she could have never imagined happening  she underwent minimally-invasive heart surgery at MyMichigan Medical Center Midland. Thanks to her successful procedure, Pendleton was able to embark on a boating trip of a lifetime, which was only possible thanks to the extremely talented and compassionate team who cared for her.

Prior to her procedure, Pendleton remembers experiencing labored breathing and feeling winded while hiking during a trip to the Traverse City area. She also said that it felt like her heart was racing. Upon returning home, she scheduled an appointment with her Primary Care Physician Danielle Bennett, D.O. Dr. Bennett suspected it could be heart related and ordered a series of cardiovascular tests which resulted in a referral to Interventional Cardiologist Omar Ali, M.D., additional diagnostic testing, and a cardiac catheterization procedure.

During a follow-up appointment with Dr. Ali, he determined that she was suffering from a leaky mitral valve, as well as atrial fibrillation (AFib). Pendleton also had a known hole in her heart which was thought to have already closed on its own. Knowing that her condition would require surgical repair, Dr. Ali referred her to Cardiovascular Surgeon Raj Gopaldas, M.D.

I am so thankful I had Dr. Gopaldas as my cardiovascular surgeon, Pendleton said. His ability to perform minimally-invasive heart surgery is nothing less than amazing. I cant thank MyMichigan enough for bringing this talented heart surgeon to our area. His professionalism and confidence put me at ease from the very beginning.

Dr. Gopaldas performed a complex surgical repair of Pendletons mitral valve using tiny incisions between the ribs on her right side. This minimally-invasive surgical technique does not require cracking the breastbone used in traditional open heart surgery. Instead, Dr. Gopaldas inserts the instruments through the incisions to perform the procedure. Using the same incision, he also performed a MAZE procedure to correct Pendletons AFib and was also able to fully close the hole in her heart she was born with.

In addition to Dr. Gopaldas, Pendleton also expressed gratitude to two of his team members. His nurse, Amber Howard, was incredibly kind, patient and very professional, she added. Amber calmed me down when needed and kept me informed every step of the way. She is without a doubt in the right profession and her passion clearly shows through. Additionally, Nurse Practitioner Kevin Weaver handled my daily visits following my surgery and is truly one of the nicest people I have ever met. Kevin is knowledgeable, professional, and compassionate and he was always eager to be sure I was comfortable. Not to mention, he answered any questions I or my family had.

Pendleton also spoke highly of her post-surgical care.

Following my surgery, I was taken care of by two of the most amazing human beings, she said. When my family left each night, it was a little upsetting since it was the first time in my life I didnt want to be left alone. But Scott, my night nurse, was there whenever I needed him. He helped me rest comfortably and when a push to walk was needed, he was my cheerleader. He also provided a good laugh. Pendleton referred to him as her "night angel."

Another caregiver who was instrumental in her recovery was Troy.

After being in his care for five days at the hospital, it felt like I was leaving a member of my own family, Pendleton said. Troy made sure that I had anything I wanted, that I was comfortable and he treated my family and I with respect and love. I truly never felt like there were any other patients on the floor and there were!

Approximately a month after her surgery, and following clearance from her doctors, she, along with her husband Drake and their daughter Clair, embarked on the first leg of a 6,000-mile boating expedition known as the Great Loop. This "loop" is a continuous waterway that allows recreational boaters to travel the Great Lakes, inland rivers of America's heartland, Gulf Intracoastal Waterways, part of the Atlantic Ocean coastline, and Canadian Heritage Canals to explore eastern North America.

Despite some challenges along the way, this has been an incredible journey so far, Pendleton said. If it werent for the amazing team who cared for me prior to the trip, it would not have been possible.

Pendleton stressed that she and her family will be forever grateful for everyone who played a role in her care.

I truly could go on and on about all of them, she said. They will always have a special place in my heart. I cant thank them enough for giving me my life back and giving me the opportunity to take this trip of a lifetime!

Those who would like more information about MyMichigan Healths new Mitral Valve Program may visit www.mymichigan.org/mitralvalve. Additional information about Dr. Gopaldas can be found at www.mymichigan.org/gopaldas.
BIG RAPIDS  Officers with the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety responded to the following calls. All calls may not be reported. All suspects are assumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

 Police investigated the homicide of a woman that officers found along the White Pine Trail near Colburn Avenue during their patrol.

 A check wellbeing request was made in the 1300 block of Catherine. Officers checked on the wellbeing of a male. He allegedly was upset with management, and they were concerned he might hurt someone. The male allegedly made comments to staff that he has a rifle. He was upset because he was told to quarantine due to bed bugs, according to police. He was advised to only speak with management over the phone.

 A juvenile assault was reported in the 300 block of North Michigan. Incident was handled by a school resource officer.

 A juvenile assault was reported in the 500 block of North Warren Avenue. Incident was handled by a school resource officer.

 A hit and run was reported in the 1200 block of Spring and State. Complainant said they were hit by a small silver car.

 Police responded to an alarm in the 700 block of Maple Street. New employee reportedly did not know what the watch panic button did, so he pushed the button.

 Police responded to the 300 block of North Warren for a report of larceny of packages from the porch.

 Suspicious activity was reported in the 800 block of Clark Street. An unknown male reportedly came in with a fake ID and was refused service. Business did not get the name or seize the ID, and the male was gone upon arrival.

 Suspicious activity was reported in the 1700 block of South State Street. Two males allegedly got into a fight in the parking lot. Both parties were located later, but would not give much information and did not want a report.

 Police responded to the 600 block of Maple Street for a report of failure to pay. A male allegedly attempted to pay at the pump, but the transaction did not go through. The Mecosta County Sheriff's Office was able to contact the registered owner, who contacted the driver to get in touch with the store in the morning.

 A person was reported missing in the 100 block of Gilbertson. A 35-year-old left June 2 and has not been heard from since. Possibly in the Grand Rapids area.

 A noise complaint was made in the 600 block Adams. Resident was issued noise warning after allegedly playing loud music while in the shower.

Saturday, June 4

 A civil issue was reported in the 700 block of Fuller. A male who was placed at the facility by Kent County Probate was upset and wanted to smoke. He allegedly used his cane to attempt to break out and threaten another resident. The staff wanted his cane removed. He gave up his cane after speaking to him.

 A civil issue was reported in the 200 block of North Third. A female wanted to report that her roommate had broke the windows in her garage. She was advised it is a civil matter as roommate is a resident. The roommate apparently moved out on the date of the report.

 A property damage crash was reported near Maple and Michigan.

 A civil issue was reported in the 800 block of Country Way. Two females allegedly got into a verbal fight after one confronted the other about stealing her man.

 A noise warning was issued in the 400 block of Maple Street.

 Suspicious activity was reported in the 100 block of West Bridge. A caller thought someone was in her house. Police didn't find anyone.

Sunday, June 5

 An assault was reported in the 1100 block of Fuller Avenue. A male was allegedly assaulted by another male.

 A larceny was reported in the 600 block of Maple Street. The complainant said their car keys had been taken from the store counter. Contact was made with a male who returned the keys, possibly taken by mistake.

 Police responded to the 500 block of South Third Avenue for a report of failure to pay. The employee said a female driving a light tan Honda civic (2015-18 model) allegedly failed to pay for $23.59 in fuel. Police were unable to locate suspect vehicle in search.

 A traffic stop in the 800 block of South State Street resulted in the driver being cited for no insurance and unregistered vehicle. The vehicle was towed.

Monday, June 6

 A debit card found near the Big Rapids library was turned into the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety.

 A traffic stop near Cedar and South State streets led to the driver being cited for no insurance.

 Officers responded to a call in the 300 block of South Third Avenue. Complainant reported her 13-year-old son had been arguing with her and allegedly attempted to pull a knife on her. She was able to get the knife away. No injuries occurred.

 Officers were dispatched to the Parkview Village Apartments for a report of a found bicycle down by the river.
New England Health Care Employees Union / Contributed photo

MIDDLETOWN  New England Health Care Employees Union District 1199 union members stopped by Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown last week to air their concerns about the reduction of services.

Our front-line members at DMHAS who provide mental health and addiction services are extremely concerned about the reduction of services at a time of growing need, compounded by a massive wave of staff retirements, the union said in a news release.
OZARK, Ala.  Two aviators were injured Monday when a military helicopter crashed near an Army base in southern Alabama, officials said.

The AH-64 Apache helicopter was involved in an aviation incident near Ozark, Alabama, according to a news release from the Fort Rucker Public Affairs Office. The two-person aircrew was transported for medical treatment, but no fatalities were reported.

The helicopter was damaged and officials said the incident is under investigation.

Fort Rucker, located in southeast Alabama, is the headquarters for U.S. Army Aviation and is the primary flight training installation for the Army.
TOKYO  Japanese and NATO officials agreed Tuesday to step up military cooperation and joint exercises as they shared concerns that Russias invasion of Ukraine is causing a deterioration of the security environment in Europe and Asia.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said at the beginning of his meeting with NATO Military Committee chief Rob Bauer that Japan hopes to strengthen its ties with European countries and welcomes NATOs expanded involvement in the Indo-Pacific region.

The security of Europe and Asia are closely intertwined, especially now with the international community facing serious challenges, Kishi said.

Bauers visit in Tokyo comes as Japans Maritime Self-Defense Force is participating in NATO naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.

Later Tuesday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet approved an annual policy plan that calls for a drastic strengthening of defense capabilities and spending within five years, citing growing tensions involving Taiwan and a commitment by NATO members to spend 2% of their gross domestic product on defense  twice as much as Japan's current military spending of just over 1% of GDP.

The plan calls for pre-emptive strike capabilities as well as the development and strengthening of space, cyber and electromagnetic defense and of unmanned weapons  a major shift that critics say goes beyond Japan's self-defense-only principle.

Kishida, during a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden last month, expressed his determination to bolster Japan's defense capability and spending. The policy paper, the first under Kishidas eight-month-old government, also covers economic security, energy and other key issues.

Japan has been increasing its military capabilities and cooperation with Europe, in addition to its alliance with the United States and partnerships with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, in the face of Chinas rise.

On Tuesday, Japanese and U.S. fighter jets conducted joint flight drills over the Sea of Japan amid an increasingly severe security environment, such as North Koreas repeated ballistic missile launches, Japans Defense Ministry announced.

The joint exercise, which involved four Japanese F-15 fighter jets and two U.S. F-16s, was aimed at demonstrating the two militaries' strong commitment and close cooperation in responding to any emergency, while further reinforcing the strong alliance," it said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been invited to the NATO summit later this month, and is reportedly considering attending the meeting, which would make him the first Japanese leader to do so.

In May, Japanese Military Chief of Staff Koji Yamazaki joined a meeting of NATO counterparts in Belgium for the first time.

Bauer praised their increased engagement in tackling shared security challenges.

Japan quickly joined the United States and Europe in imposing sanctions against Russia and providing support for Ukraine, saying the crisis affects not only Europe but also could further embolden China to increase its assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.
Read the original article on Business Insider

On August 1, 1943, U.S. Army Air Force B-24 Liberators took off from bases in Libya for an audacious raid on one of the Nazi military's most valuable resources.

Operation Tidal Wave was meant to destroy Nazi-controlled oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania. The campaign was unprecedented in scale, with 1,725 airmen taking off in 177 bombers.

The attack on Ploiesti, a sweeping, low-level bombing raid, took a heavy toll on the U.S. airmen involved: 225 of them were killed, earning the day the grim nickname Black Sunday.

U.S. airmen killed in the 1943 raid on Ploiesti and identified by the Ploiesti Unknowns Project. (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency)

Many of those fallen airmen were not immediately recovered or identified.

Three-quarters of a century later, the U.S. Department of Defense's POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has been using archival research and modern forensics  including DNA analysis from exhumed skeletal remains  to account for airmen still missing from the 1943 mission.

The "Ploiesti Unknowns Project," which began in 2017, has so far identified remains of 19 Tidal Wave airmen and notified their descendants.

In the last three months alone, the Pentagon has announced the identification of five Ploiesti airmen: Sgt. Elvin L. Phillips, 23; 1st Lt. Louis V. Girard, 20; Lt. Col. Addison E Baker, 36; 2nd Lt. David M. Lewis, 20; and Staff Sgt. William O. Wood, 25.

The mission

The Columbia Aquila refinery in Ploiesti, Romania, most likely in 1943. (U.S. Office of War Information)

Operation Tidal Wave was the Allies' first large-scale, low-altitude raid against a well-defended Axis target, and the stakes were high.

The oil fields and refineries spread across the 18-square-mile complex produced one-third of the Reich's oil, which powered everything from cars and tanks to planes and warships.

Allied leaders who had agreed on the next phase of the war at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943 believed that obliterating "Hitler's gas station" would be critical to slowing the movement of Axis troops and supplies. They also knew such a mission would be costly.

Training for Operation Tidal Wave took place in Libya, where airmen from five different bomb groups lived mainly in tents in the sweltering desert around Benghazi.

Crews simulated bombing runs on a life-size replica of the refinery complex. Models of their assigned targets were built with wood and canvas. The airmen learned how to make use of the B-24's relatively long range and heavy payloads for the 2,000-mile flight to Romania and back.

Despite the preparation, a variety of conditions made an already treacherous mission even more dangerous.

The airmen would be tight on fuel, flying lower and longer than usual, and dealing with maintenance issues caused by the harsh desert conditions, like sand clogging their engines.

The commander of the 44th Bomb Group warned his airmen that only half of them were likely to survive. Radio operator Norm Kiefer remembers a briefing officer saying "the target was so important that if we lost all of the attacking force but destroyed the refineries, it would be worth it."

The message to airmen was that this single raid could shorten the war by as much as six months.

Early on August 1, crews began taking off from Libya, flying in formation across the Mediterranean toward their targets. Waves of B-24s followed each other, keeping radio silence to evade German radar.

A B-24 over a burning oil refinery in Ploiesti, August 1, 1943. (U.S. Army photo)

Yet little went as planned on the path to Ploiesti. Navigation issues led entire squadrons off course. Meanwhile, the Germans knew more about the raid, and were better prepared for it, than the Allies anticipated.

The airmen encountered heavy German resistance, including barrage balloons. The Germans also set smoke pots ablaze in the bombers' path to obscure targets and blind Allied pilots.

Billowing clouds of black smoke limited visibility and interfered with navigation as the B-24s descended to drop their bombs. They flew so low  just 50 feet off the ground  that gunners on the bombers had to aim up at anti-aircraft guns on the roofs of buildings.

Other disguised defenses  anti-aircraft guns hidden among train tracks, oil tanks, and surrounding fields  greeted the vulnerable bombers as they streaked toward their targets.

The costs and recovery efforts

Operation Tidal Wave proved that the USAAF could carry out large-scale offensive bombing raids, but the feat came at a high price.

The raid knocked about 46% of Ploesti's annual production offline, but the Germans had the refineries up and running at full capacity within three months. The U.S. Army Air Forces never tried another low-level raid against the Germans.

More than 50 of the 177 bombers involved did not return. German soldiers in the region captured 32 airmen alive and collected the remains of some who had been killed. Crashed bombers and bodies left a horrifying scene around Ploiesti.

Because the bombers flew in waves and had separate targets, and because in many cases they missed their targets or purposely veered off-course after being hit, Allied forces struggled to recover the scattered, often badly burned bodies.

"They crashed all over the place," said Christine Cohn, the lead DPAA historian on the Ploiesti Unknowns Project. "There was a lot of scatter  some bailed, but most were killed as they were flying so low."

Still, Romanian citizens worked to locate fallen airmen after the raid, burying them in the Civilian and Military Cemetery in Ploiesti and in 10 smaller cemeteries in nearby villages.

After the war, the American Graves Registration Command attempted to recover fallen Americans from across the European Theater.

There was a joint effort to exhume remains of U.S. airmen in and around Ploiesti. German POWs were sometimes tasked with excavating the graves.

The conditions of the remains and their burials made identification harder. Evidence of each soldier's identity  things like dog tags  was often missing.

Excavated remains were sent to France and Belgium for bone analysis to help determine height, weight, and age. Scientists studied what was left of the airmens' mouths using fillings, cavities, and missing teeth to help with identification.

In the early 1950s, the U.S. government suspended its Return of the Dead program, pausing active searches to recover World War II remains. Some 80 U.S. airmen killed over Ploiesti remained unidentified.

Many of their exhumed remains were stored in Belgium, where they were essentially untouched for nearly 50 years.

Today's efforts

A 21st-century change in government policy opened the door to using forensics to identify soldiers' bodies. That led the DPAA to launch the latest effort to exhume and identify the remains of Tidal Wave airmen in graves marked as "unknown."

Cohn commended Romanian civilians for burying the fallen airmen during the war but said the way bodies were buried  sometimes with multiple bodies in one casket  complicates the identification process.

Cohn has spent the last several years doing in-depth research to build cases that the Department of Defense should approve the disinterment of specific remains by demonstrating that a successful identification is likely.

She studies the raid and peruses photos of remains, aerial imagery, maps and airmen's files, using evidence and a lot of Excel spreadsheets to narrow down who each "unknown" airman could be.

When disinterment is approved, the skeletal remains are sent to anthropologists at a DPAA lab in Nebraska, where they examine the bones and try to match them to a specific file.

The lab team, led by DPAA scientist Megan Ingvoldstad, works with a U.S. Army genealogist to contact descendants believed to be related to specific missing airmen, sharing details and requesting DNA samples to compare to the skeletal remains.

Remains recovered by the Ploiesti Unknowns Project are transferred at Offutt Air Force Base, September 4, 2020. (U.S. Air Force photo by Leticia Cunningham)

The recent announcement of the identification of Lt. Col. Addison Baker was the 17th time the Unknowns Project team matched unidentified remains to an unaccounted-for Tidal Wave airman since the project began.

Baker, a 36-year-old pilot from Chicago, was commander of the 93rd Bombardment Group. As he approached his target over Ploesti, his B-24 was hit by an anti-aircraft shell and caught fire.

Instead of attempting an emergency landing, Baker continued leading his formation toward the target. After his crew unleashed their bombs, Baker veered away from the formation to avoid a collision and tried to climb high enough for his crew to bail. Despite the effort, all 10 crew members were killed. Baker received a posthumous Medal of Honor for his actions.

In April, Baker's nephews  who knew their uncle before he went to war and provided DNA to confirm the identification of his remains  joined other family members and Army representatives to celebrate the news that Baker had been accounted for after 78 years.

Beyond the historical significance of the Unknowns Project, Cohn sees her team's efforts as one important way to honor the ultimate sacrifice made by those airmen.

"It is very significant for me to be able to give closure to the families of the missing," Cohn said. "It's our responsibility to go out and find them and bring them home."
DNIPRO, Ukraine  Russia claimed near-victory Tuesday in its fight for part of an eastern Ukrainian industrial region whose capture is one of Moscows main stated war aims, as Ukraine acknowledged that it was waging a tough battle to keep one of its last cities there from falling.

In the fourth month of the Russian invasion, Ukraine redoubled its pleas for more heavy weaponry to parry slow and grinding advances by Moscows troops, which are backed by relentless artillery fire, in the contested region known as the Donbas, made up of two eastern provinces, Luhansk and Donetsk.

Moscows triumphal claim came from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who said in televised remarks that 97% of Luhansk had been liberated by Russian forces.

Separately on Tuesday, a Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said some Western-supplied military equipment deployed in the countrys east, including two U.S.-provided artillery systems, had been knocked out by Russian artillery, a claim that could not be independently verified.

Crucial to Moscows eastern campaign is control of the industrial city of Severodonetsk, one of only two major population centers in the region that Russia has not yet been able to capture.

Ukraine said its forces were holding on in Severodonetsk  but with difficulty.

Our armed forces are doing their utmost to defend the city, Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk told Ukrainian television Tuesday.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his overnight address to the nation, said fierce street fighting was underway to keep Severodonetsk in Ukrainian hands.

Ukrainian officials say Russia is throwing more and more military resources into the fight, and Western military officials said Tuesday that Russian forces are apparently trying to isolate the city by cutting off both northern and southern approaches.

Russia will almost certainly need to achieve a breakthrough in the area in order to consolidate tactical gains into operational level success in the wider region, British military intelligence said in its latest assessment.

Zelenskyy told his compatriots that Russia also has set its sights now on Zaporizhzhia, a major southeastern city of nearly three-quarters of a million people that is a gateway to central Ukraine. It is the capital of a province of the same name, and has served as an important way station for Ukrainians fleeing from heavily battered or Russian-occupied areas, such as the fallen city of Mariupol.

We will do everything for the defense of Zaporizhzhia and its environs, Zelenskyy said.

Along the eastern front lines, civilian suffering has intensified as bombardment rains down on cities, towns and villages in the path of Russias military push.

Over the last 24 hours, Russian forces have fired on more than 20 populated areas in the Donbas provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk, the Ukrainian military said. In an operational report Tuesday, Ukraines military General Staff said that, in addition to aiming shellfire at towns and villages, Russia was launching airstrikes on Donetsk.

The Kremlin says it does not deliberately target civilians  which is considered a war crime  but on the ground, mainly elderly residents who have stayed behind face punishing daily barrages that force them to cower in makeshift underground shelters and endure primitive conditions reminiscent of life in pre-industrial times.

We could never imagine a time where we would have to make fires for cooking, said Liubov Vedeneeva, a 69-year-old who was chopping wood outside her apartment building in Lysychansk, a city not far from Severodonetsk.

Both lie on the banks of the strategic Seversky Donets River. Zelenskyy described them as dead cities after endless waves of Russian bombardment. But in a bid to boost troop morale, he paid an unannounced weekend visit to Ukrainian front lines in Lysychansk.

Control of the Donbas region is now Moscows principal declared war aim, after it failed in the wars early days to seize the capital, Kyiv, and its forces were pushed away from Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city.

To aid Ukraine in its fight for the region, Britain has said it will supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems. Ukraine says that is key to knocking out Russian artillery batteries that have been savaging eastern cities and towns.

Russia has warned that it will take unspecified retaliatory measures for delivery of longer-range Western weapons to Ukraine.

More than 100 days in, the wars impact is felt differently in different parts of the country. In Odesa, the crown jewel of Ukraines coastal cities, a normal summer season would see its population swell with tourists. Instead, restaurants were mostly empty, and only a few beachgoers defied warnings of mines.

Other cities, though, are bursting to capacity with those escaping the eastern battle zone. In Dnipro in central Ukraine, a main waypoint for those fleeing the fighting, new arrivals are in constant need of comfort and shelter.

Were seeing double the numbers of people we usually have in the city, said Petro Voytovych, who works at a restaurant that is part of World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that serves meals to crisis-stricken communities.

A major Ukrainian aim is to end a Russian blockade of Ukraines ports on the Black Sea  a struggle that has worldwide implications because grain exports have been choked off amid the fighting. Zelenskyy said in his address that he has spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about mediating efforts to ease the blockade.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has cited what he called credible reports of Russian forces pilfering grain stockpiles for attempted sale. The United Nations food agency has repeatedly warned that the Russian invasion could trigger widespread hunger around the world in coming months.

We need a safety corridor for ships to enable grain exports, Zelenskyy said in advance of expected talks this week in Ankara, the Turkish capital, to which Moscow, but not Kyiv, will be a party. Turkey is now finding a format on how to provide us with guarantees.

Russia sought Tuesday, as it has previously, to put the onus of halted grain supplies on Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine needed to de-mine the waters off Odesa, the countrys main Black Sea port, and said Russia was prepared to escort commercial vessels to international waters.

Meanwhile, Ukraines first lady, Olena Zelenska, appealed to the international community not to turn its eyes away from the countrys lengthening struggle against the Russian invasion. In an interview to air Thursday on ABC, she said the whole world, and Americans as well, must refrain from getting used to this war.

Yes, it is far from you, it lasts long and you can get tired of it, but please do not get used to it, she said in remarks to ABC released Tuesday by her husbands office. Because if everyone gets used to it, this war will never end.

She added that Ukraine could not cede land for peace, because the aggressor will not stop at part of our territory  they will not stop until they destroy us.

____

(Bulos reported from Dnipro and King from Washington. Marcus Yam contributed from Lysychansk, Ukraine.)

___

2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Nearly all of the five members of the Proud Boys extremist group who were indicted by federal authorities this week for seditious conspiracy related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol are veterans, according to court documents and the military services.

The indicted men include an Army combat veteran with a Purple Heart, two Marines who served in the infantry and logistics, and a sailor recruit who washed out in boot camp. The only non-veteran of the group was Enrique Tarrio, the former chairman of the Proud Boys, a far-right group that formed in 2016 and played a key role in the violence in Washington last year.

The charges released Monday allege that the four men were the vanguard among hundreds of pro-Trump rioters gathered to disrupt Congress from certifying the presidential election that day. They were the first to push past police barricades and the first to break windows in the Capitol as part of a seven-hour riot that left 114 police officers injured and caused $1.5 million in damages, according to the indictment and a government watchdog report.

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"What we saw in the lead-up to Jan. 6 was that [veterans] were the ones making the decisions about how the group was going to behave, how it was going to organize on Jan. 6," Michael Jensen, a senior researcher at the University of Maryland who studies extremism, told Military.com in a phone interview.

The Proud Boys' veteran status and alleged roles in Jan. 6 raise new questions about the connection between military service and extremist activity following similar sedition charges in January against the Oath Keepers and its founder Stewart Rhodes, an Army veteran and former paratrooper. Authorities say the Oath Keepers created a military-style "quick reaction force" to violently oppose the transition of power to President Joe Biden after he won the 2020 election.

Sedition charges are rare, and the Capitol attack has no parallel in modern U.S. history. Of the 16 people the government has now charged with sedition crimes stemming from Jan. 6, more than half served in the military.

The four indicted men's service experience spans the gamut, records show. Many of the documents were compiled in an extremism database kept by the University of Maryland, which granted Military.com access.

Joseph Biggs, a Proud Boys member who was one of the first people to break past police barricades, appears to have the most time in the military. He spent 12 years in the Army and did two combat deployments as an artilleryman, earning a Purple Heart as well as several personal achievement awards and a Combat Action Badge.

Biggs left the Army in 2012 as a staff sergeant under a medical discharge, according to his service records.

In this Jan. 6, 2021, photo, rioters, including Dominic Pezzola, center with beard, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Two other indicted Proud Boys members, Dominic Pezzola and Zachary Rehl, served in the Marine Corps, the service confirmed. Pezzola, who is alleged to have stolen a riot shield he used to break the first window at the Capitol, served for seven years in the reserves as an infantryman, leaving as a corporal in 2005 with no deployments. Rehl, who officials say was key to setting up the group's radios, served as a logistics specialist for four years and was also discharged in 2012 as a corporal having never deployed.

Ethan Nordean, the last of the indicted members and who allegedly helped gather supplies and money for the plot, had the shortest service. He served just over a month as a seaman recruit -- the lowest rank possible -- and never left boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois, according to the Navy.

Another Proud Boy -- Charles Donohoe, a former Marine -- is mentioned in the indictment as a participant in the riot and leader, but he was not indicted alongside the four veterans and Tarrio on Monday. Court records show he pleaded guilty to two charges in April and has been cooperating with the government.

Marine Corps records show Donohoe was an infantryman who deployed to Iraq twice before being discharged in 2010 as a corporal after serving four years. A court document filed by his lawyers says that, after his time in the Marines, Donohoe worked as a contractor who "monitored and disrupted Taliban operations" while stationed in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Monday's indictment of the Proud Boys alleges the men were also key in raising money, recruiting volunteers, and making plans to attack the Capitol. Although there is no reference to any of the men directly employing their military training, experts have previously told Military.com that veterans -- even those with minimal experience -- are valuable to extremist groups.

"One of the reasons why veterans are so appealing to these organizations is because they assume leadership roles in the group right away," Jensen told Military.com.

Jensen said Oath Keepers members skew older and are less likely to have actual combat from service in the post-9/11 era. Meanwhile, Proud Boys are a younger group, thus more likely to have veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars within its ranks, and more prone to committing violence.

None of the five indicted Proud Boys is older than 44 years of age. Nordean is the youngest at 31 and Pezzola is 44, according to the court document. In contrast, the indicted Oath Keepers were between 44 and 67 years of age.

"The Proud Boys are attracting that kind of younger man for the most part, younger veteran that has combat experience, that still desires that kind of camaraderie and sense of mission that the military gives," he said. "They're attracted to a group that sold themselves as a group that's going out there and fighting on behalf of the cause."

There's no evidence suggesting veterans or active service members are more or less likely to join extremist groups such as the Proud Boys or Oath Keepers.

However, experts are growing increasingly concerned that veterans are more likely to be targeted for recruitment because of their tactical knowledge and the inherent social credibility they carry. A court document filed by Biggs' defense team even noted that the Army combat veteran "did use his planning and leadership roles honed in the military to plan several Proud Boys events in and out of Florida."

Even a rudimentary understanding of basic combat tactics and military mission planning can be difficult for law enforcement to combat. In an unrelated incident, a cavalry scout veteran, who only reached the rank of sergeant and had an otherwise unremarkable career, was arrested in January for teaching classes on how to build bombs and fortify homes against police.

Yet the number of veterans who do become radicalized makes up an extreme minority of the military community.

"There's concern about what [extremism] does to the reputation of military service and the veteran community. Whenever a veteran does something violent, it generates a lot of negative news that reflects poorly on the veteran community," Jensen said. "What we lose in that news cycle is the fact that there are millions of veterans that are never going to radicalize."

Fit in or F--- Off

The Proud Boys, which had been staging demonstrations around the country with other far-right groups for years, were already discussing their plans for Jan. 6 by late December 2020, according to the indictment. The men set up an encrypted messaging group called "The Ministry of Self Defense Leader's Group." The group, referred to as MOSD, would become a code word for their activities during the Capitol siege.

On Dec. 27, for example, the indictment alleges that Nordean started a crowdfunding campaign for "protective gear and communications." A court document says he communicated with a person who offered to donate a tactical vest, steel plates and bear mace to the group.

Days later, the indictment says Tarrio told the "MOSD Prospect Group," a separate group for people who wanted to join the more exclusive Leader's Group, that the ministry "will have a top down structure" and warned prospective members that "if that's something you're not comfortable with" not to bother showing up.

Tarrio split their efforts into two sections: "Operations" run by Rehl and two other unnamed people, and "Marketing" led by himself, Biggs and Nordean, according to the indictment.

On a Dec. 30 video call for recruits into the MOSD, the indictment says Tarrio and other leaders warned that members were required to follow leaderships' commands and that they could "fit in or f--- off."

The MOSD members group grew to at least 65 people by Jan. 2, just days before the Capitol violence unfolded.

Tarrio raised the possibility of storming the Capitol in a Jan. 4 message on the group chat. By that evening, the indictment says, the Proud Boys were discussing dividing people into groups and assigning radio channels for them to use.

Court documents show that Rehl, the discharged Marine whose LinkedIn profile says he managed finances and shipping equipment for the Corps, was key in setting up communications for the day of the siege.

Rehl "brought a number of programmable radio devices with him, and he assisted in the plans to program and distribute them to ensure the group could communicate through the day," court documents allege. The Chinese-made radios were made to transmit "on more than 1,000 different frequencies, making them far more difficult to monitor or overhear."

Throughout the planning process, the indictment alleges, the leaders emphasized that people not "wear colors" -- the distinct yellow and black outfits the group had become known for. A separate court document explained that the Proud Boys "likely knew from experience that their typical tactic of marching in 'uniform,' and in unison, would draw a concentrated law enforcement response to their location."

Day of the Attack

On the day of the riot, about 100 Proud Boys gathered near the Washington Monument -- including four of the men indicted for sedition. Tarrio, who had been arrested on Jan. 4 for destruction of property and possessing high-capacity magazines, was ordered to leave Washington, D.C.

Nordean and Biggs, armed with the radios the leaders had procured, led the group to the Capitol, the indictment alleges.

"Seconds before 12:53 p.m., Biggs was approached by an individual whose identity is known to the grand jury," according to the document. The person spoke with Biggs and then crossed the police barrier erected round the building to keep out the gathering crowd.

"This was the first barrier protecting the Capitol grounds to be breached on Jan. 6, 2021, and the point of entry" used by the indicted members of Proud Boys, authorities charge.

From there, the group allegedly rushed up the west plaza, past police barricades, while people were posting in the Proud Boys leadership group chat to "Push inside! Find some eggs and rotten tomatoes!"

At around 2:13 p.m., Pezzola allegedly used a riot shield taken from a Capitol Police officer to break a window in the Capitol. "The first members of the mob entered through this broken window," the indictment says.

Within minutes, the Senate had suspended its vote to certify Biden as the official winner of the 2020 presidential election. Meanwhile, at around 2:38 p.m., Tarrio made posts on social media that read "Don't f--ing leave," as well as "Make no mistake..." followed by "We did this..."

The indictment also alleges that Tarrio met with Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, in an underground parking garage on Jan. 4 for about 30 minutes. The indictment is sparse on details of the meeting, noting that some of the other participants were not known to investigators, but the document does say "a participant referenced the Capitol."

The detail is significant since it appears to connect Rhodes and his Oath Keepers militia group to the Proud Boys and their activities on Jan. 6.

Top Oath Keepers members were indicted in January over their own plans to cause mayhem at the Capitol. Prosecutors allege that the group stockpiled guns and ammunition at a nearby hotel in Virginia while making plans to deploy armed reaction teams into the city and the Capitol building.

Court documents show that, since the initial January 2022 indictment, two of the Oath Keepers charged with seditious conspiracy -- Joshua James and Brian Ulrich, who are not military veterans -- have pleaded guilty to that charge, as well as obstructing an official proceeding, and begun cooperating with the Justice Department.

The Proud Boys indictment comes just days ahead of House select committee hearings on the Jan. 6 attack scheduled to start Thursday during prime time. The landmark hearings are expected to flesh out details following an extensive investigation into the riot aimed at keeping then-President Donald Trump in power after he lost reelection.

In the two months before the Capitol riot, Trump and some GOP lawmakers spread lies that the national election was marred by fraud, despite numerous recounts and no evidence. Trump asked his supporters to come to Washington on Jan. 6 to protest. His false election fraud claims fueled much of the anger among protesters in Washington that day.

Part of the crowd on Jan. 6 was chanting "hang Mike Pence" and making threats against other officials, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The mob also erected a noose and gallows outside the Capitol.

Trump had once directly addressed the Proud Boys, as public concern grew over extremist groups. When asked to condemn white supremacy during the first presidential debate in September during the last election, Trump told the Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by," which was widely seen as tacit approval of the group.

Jensen, with the University of Maryland, said the group's mode of operation is "offensive" and that the members are "not just sitting back waiting for this civil war that the Oath Keepers think is coming that never comes."

If any of the men indicted for seditious conspiracy are eventually charged and convicted, they can face up to 20 years in jail, according to U.S. law.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: Inside the Oath Keepers' Plan for an Armed Takeover of the US Capitol
Navy veteran Jerome Biggins was promised a job as soon as he graduated from Heald College, which was owned by the for-profit Corinthian Colleges chain.

Instead, he ended up with at least $30,000 in debt from student loans and no job in his field of information technology for a decade.

But now, the debt that has prevented him from moving on with his life, including buying a home, will be erased after the Biden administration last week announced it was forgiving all $5.8 billion remaining in federal loan debt for 560,000 borrowers who attended the now-shuttered Corinthian Colleges.

Read Next: New Alaska Light Infantry Brigade Will Replace Army's Scrapped Strykers

"It was like a huge load off my back, something that's been plaguing me for many years," Biggins told Military.com in an interview about his reaction to the Biden administration's move. "I just felt like I was used, and I was taken advantage of, and I didn't really get anything out of it that I was supposed to. So, at least having this off my back gives me a lot of relief mentally, emotionally, financially, everything."

Corinthian, which ran a chain of for-profit colleges from 1995 to 2015, shut down after the Department of Education slapped it with a $30 million fine for falsifying job placement data, grades and attendance records.

Biggins is one of potentially hundreds, if not thousands, of veterans scammed by Corinthian who will no longer have to pay back any outstanding loans after the Biden administration's debt discharge.

It is unclear exactly how many veterans are among the 560,000 covered in Thursday's announcement, with an Education Department official saying the agency did not track borrowers' veteran status. But Corinthian was known to aggressively target veterans for enrollment and even sign some up for loans without their knowledge.

"When Corinthian shut down, all these veterans had collection agencies coming after them for loans" they were unaware of, Carrie Wofford, president of advocacy group Veterans Education Success, said in an interview with Military.com. "Finally, the veterans are gonna stop being hassled by collection agencies for fraudulent loans."

Corinthian students had previously been able to apply for debt relief known as "borrower defense." But last week's move -- announced by Vice President Kamala Harris, who investigated and sued Corinthian when she was California's attorney general -- wipes out all remaining loans without any further action needed by the veterans and other borrowers.

Some veterans and other borrowers may also get money back from the federal government or have their ability to access future federal financial aid restored, depending on their specific circumstances, said an Education Department official, who spoke to Military.com on the condition of anonymity under terms set by the department.

The year Corinthian closed, at least 422 veterans were actively enrolled there, according to a 2016 Senate report. Thousands more attended in the years prior, with the Senate report noting 6,427 veterans were enrolled in the 2012-13 academic year.

"I can't tell you how many of the 560,000 [getting debt relief] are veterans, but I think it's highly likely there are at least a decent number," the Education Department official said. "We know this company was a major recipient of veterans benefits. It had a business model incentive to go after them."

Corinthian was one of the top 10 recipients of veterans benefits before it shut down, the official added.

One of the incentives to target veterans was what was known as the 90/10 loophole. Under federal law, for-profit colleges have to get at least 10% of their revenue from sources other than the Department of Education. GI Bill benefits used to be allowed to be part of that 10%, motivating for-profit colleges to enroll veterans, until a law was passed in 2021 closing that loophole.

Corinthian was found to have tricked veterans into enrolling by having sales people pose as "Pentagon advisers" and using official military seals in marketing materials, Wofford said.

Biggins, the Navy veteran, said he did not encounter those tactics, but was sold on attending Heald pretty easily after being guaranteed a job upon graduating.

"They said something along the lines of that because I'm a Heald student and a veteran, that I will be looked upon as respected by companies, and a lot of them would hire veterans for the sole purpose that we understand the attention to detail," recalled Biggins, who attended Heald from 2000 to 2002 after serving in the Navy for four years.

Many veterans used their GI Bill benefits at Corinthian, but still have loans for several reasons. In addition to Corinthian's practice of signing people up for unauthorized loans, some veterans who used the GI Bill also applied for loans because the benefits didn't cover all their costs, or because Corinthian pressured them into applying for loans, Wofford said.

Biggins said Corinthian tricked him into taking out a loan on top of using his GI Bill benefits by drowning him in paperwork and pressuring him to sign it before he could think about whether a loan made sense.

"Everything happened so quickly," he said. "I believe that they either filled out the paperwork for me or they had me do it in their office, and then I started getting all this paperwork that I didn't understand, and it happened to be related to the student loans."

While Wofford celebrated the loan relief, she also said many veterans won't be whole again until Congress restores all the GI Bill benefits Corinthian tricked them out of.

In 2017, Congress passed a law restoring GI Bill benefits for those who were enrolled within 120 days of the school closing. But that still leaves the "vast majority" of veterans cheated out of those benefits with no recourse, Wofford said.

"Congress has not yet agreed to pass a law that would give you your GI Bill back if you were scammed," she said, "and that's a travesty."

-- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel.

Related: Senators Ask VA to Help Veterans Affected by School Closure
At the turn of the 20th century, Louisiana's Cajun people were still growing up speaking their own form of the French language. Today, this history and culture is widely celebrated, but at the time, it was considered a low-class, "back country language," according to author and podcaster Jason Theriot.

Teachers discouraged the language in schools through harsh punishments, causing many young Cajuns to grow up feeling ashamed of their backgrounds. That all changed when the United States called on its French-speaking Louisianans to help win World War II.

The people we know as Cajun came to Louisiana after being expelled from their original home on Canada's east coast, today's provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. They were also present in what is today the U.S. state of Maine. When the Seven Years' War broke out between France and Britain, it spilled over into North America in 1754 as the French and Indian War.

Believing the French-speaking natives of the area would aid French military operations, Canada's governor forcibly transported them to other colonies or to England and France. Many of French-speaking Canadas former residents made their way to Louisiana, then controlled by Spain. Like many forced migrations, it killed thousands through hunger and disease.

Those who arrived in Spanish Louisiana would remain, even after the United States took control of the territory. They retained their unique language and culture and are today recognized as a national ethnic group, but the celebration of their identity is a relatively recent development.

When formal schools became compulsory in Louisiana after 1910, Cajun children found themselves being punished for speaking their native language at school, despite the fact that many had never known English before. They found their language and culture suppressed -- until World War II broke out in Europe.

The armed forces and American intelligence services suddenly needed French speakers like they never had before. Theriot told the Acadiana Advocate that Cajuns were being shipped out to regular infantry units and suddenly finding themselves transferred to becoming translators, intelligence officers and liaisons to French resistance cells.

"Twenty-year-old GIs are writing back to their families and friends back home saying, 'Hey, you won't believe, but that language I was told was not useful, that French language that was beat down when I was a kid, has become invaluable. And you wouldn't believe all the wonderful things that have happened to me since I've gotten here,'" said Theriot.

Since completing his master's thesis on the same subject in 2007, Theriot has been working to expand the body of knowledge on this little corner of history to include three books, another in progress and the podcast "Frenchie."

He's interviewed more than 100 Louisiana Cajun veterans in his work, and is constantly looking for more, either in-person or through videos and letters submitted by family members. The podcast, named "Frenchie" after the nickname given to many Cajun troops by their fellow GIs, finds Theriot interviewing some of these veterans in their different roles.

He has also covered the foundations of the Cajun National Guard, the 2nd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, the 31st "Dixie" Division, which was the largest French-speaking American infantry unit in World War II. The first episode is a series of interviews with Bob LeBlanc, who landed at Normandy with Gen. George S. Patton's Third Army and was a liaison officer to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

Theriot's goal has been to reveal the invaluable contributions made to the war effort from a small subset of Americans, using the thing for which they were once persecuted: their language. Their service restored their cultural pride and has since led to the national embrace of their history and heritage.

Robert LeBlanc, seen here accepting an award for his lifetime of service, was also presented with the Congressional Gold Medal for his service during WWII, where he volunteered for the Office of Strategic Services in 1943. (Louisiana National Guard)

Catch the "Frenchie" podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or wherever you like to listen. To keep up with the latest developments in Theriot's research, visit his website.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

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Successfully transitioning from the military to a successful, well-paying civilian career is all about how you think about your transition. It's all in your mindset, says PreVeteran founder Jason Anderson; you just need to change the way you think and align yourself to the private sector.

He knows what he's talking about, because he has the experience and research to back him up.

Anderson is an Air Force Academy graduate, a former C-130 Hercules pilot with two decades of service, a small business owner and employee in the civilian aerospace industry. In the years following his separation, he took stock of the thoughts, emotions and actions that consumed him during his transition.

He founded PreVeteran, a research-based transition assistance program designed to help separating service members know their value, successfully operate in the civilian world and find meaningful jobs.

Seeking answers, he looked into different academic disciplines, including psychology and sociology, but ended up landing on cognitive neuroscience because, to him, nothing is more profoundly individual than how one's brain processes information to make decisions. In fact, to develop this portion of the program, he hired a cognitive neuroscientist for a year to gain a deeper understanding of how humans think.

He applied those findings to the PreVeteran program, "Transition 2.0."

The military's current Transition Assistance Program, called TAP, is part of every departing service member's military separation checklist. For many years, it was a weeklong class, designed to teach soon-to-be civilians about job searching, VA benefits, other benefits they get as they leave the military and more.

In 2019, TAP became available to service members 365 days before their date of separation. It helps them translate their military skills to the civilian world, and includes a day of benefits instruction from the Department of Veterans Affairs and a day of instruction on educational, employment or entrepreneurial career tracks.

Anderson calls the Department of Defense TAP classes "Transition 1.0."

"TAP has been around since 1991," Anderson tells Military.com. "They've changed it since then; the program and its outcomes are similar. It's a good program, but they try to put too much into a short program. They throw all this information, all these resources in and hope that some of it sticks."

Anderson notes that surveys and studies performed in recent years, including those years since TAP's overhaul in 2019, revealed widespread veteran unemployment, underemployment and lower pay for veterans. Fifty percent of veterans are still leaving their first post-military job within the first year, with 65% leaving within two years, figures backed by Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

"That's been the case for the past 30 years," says Anderson. "This is not a new phenomenon."

Airmen participate in a Transition Assistance Program class in the Airmen and Family Readiness Center on Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. (U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Kate Thornton)

PreVeteran's Transition 2.0 is based on cognitive neuroscience principles whose methodology is being validated by a researcher at Texas A&M University. It's an individually tailored, holistic method that provides veterans with the framework and tools to help service members preventatively adapt to the civilian world before they leave the military.

Anderson says this individual focus will allow them to find the industry, company, role and level of employment that will be a good fit for them. Veterans need this level of specificity, because the private sector needs a specialist, and this is how they advertise positions on their job boards.

Without going through this training, the military members, who've never seen a job board before, do not understand how that role aids the profit-making enterprise.

"Transition 1.0 is a group-focused system," Anderson says. "It can really complicate individual thinking. Thoughts drive behaviors, which drive actions and drive outcomes.The group focus is guiding the individual through an extremely complex landscape, and it can confuse an individual's thoughts, actions and behaviors. It's going to create bad outcomes."

If the service member has never transitioned before, which is true for the vast majority of separating troops, they have no experience from which to draw. Since they're still looking for clarity, Anderson says, they will draw conclusions from anywhere they can. The result is a "brain gap" that will search for answers from anywhere, including social media influencers, who might just be trying to sell them something.

"They're a Hoover," Anderson says. "Essentially, they're pulling in all this external information from research and from influencers. The lack of memory leads to the brain going to a survival function of, 'Hey, I need to figure this out.'"

In the end, the military member will revert to what they know: the military mindset. The civilian world, Anderson says, does not work that way.

"They need to fundamentally change," he says. "They have to become aligned to the private sector's needs. You need time to change and time to acclimate yourself to the private sector's needs and wants."

Over PreVeteran's five-week Employment Prep Course, students can begin developing that transition 2.0 mindset. Traditional TAP training teaches things like translating military skills for the civilian world, a process Anderson calls "tactical," whereas PreVeteran's training allows the individual to engage in more empowering strategic thinking.

"The first step of preparation should be done before you do the GI Bill, a SkillBridge program or get a job," he says. "Otherwise, if you haven't done that first step, everything after it is totally inefficient or won't work."

To learn more about PreVeteran and Transition 2.0, take the Employment Readiness Quiz or read the 5-Step Guide for Getting the Job You Want. You can also sign up for a free Employment Prep Workshop on June 16, 2022, via LinkedIn or Online. Visit the PreVeteran website courses page for regular Employment Prep or salary negotiation classes, each just $497.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

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How to use the mindat.org media viewer

Click/touch this help panel to close it.

Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image)

Controls - all media types

Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device.

Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen.

< and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys.

< and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys.

> in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys.

? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key.

Other keyboard shortcuts:

1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons

Scalebar

If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular.

Controls - Video

Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key.

Controls - Animation (Spin Rotation)

Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys.

The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types.

The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control.

Controls - 3D Stereoscopic images

If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways:

- without any special equipment using cross-eyed or parallel-eyed method

- with stereoscope

- with anaglyph glasses.

- on a suitable 3D TV or monitor (passive 3D system)

For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D

To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them.

Controls - photo comparison mode

If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu.

Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder.

Summary of all keyboard shortcuts
Mr. Wisdom Agodza also known as Rev. Nyansa Boakwa of Happy FM has signed a new contract with Dokpam Ghana as their Media and Publicity Director.

The signing ceremony was held on Thursday 2nd June, 2022 at the Dokpam office at Dansoman in Accra.

The CEO of Dokpamu Ghana, Mr. Kwabena Hene Ahenkang signed on behalf of the company and congratulated Mr. Agodza for his new role and also assured him of a healthy working relationship.

He added, "Mr Wisdom Agodza has done an excellent job for the organization during his two months probationary period and deserved a contract to that effect."

The Corporate CEO of Dokpam Technology, Mr. Jean-Rony Borgelin said, "you are one of a kind. Congratulations our Dokpam soldier. I wish you well in your new role."

An elated Nyansa Boakwa thanked them for the honour done him and assured the organization of putting in his maximum best and representing the brand very well. "Signing this contract is very welcoming and I look forward to giving it my utmost best to make the app well known in Ghana," he stated.
The Ahafo Regional Director for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr Jackson A Nyantakyi has entreated people of the Region to take very good care of their various vicinities and desist from all forms of air pollution, water pollution and land degradation.

He emphasised that it is very imperative to respect and protect the environment.

He made this statement at a conference which was held at Goaso, the Ahafo Regional Capital.

The Agency gave training to small scale miners within the jurisdiction of the region so that their activities will not pollute the environment.

"EPA's Ghana's mission is to manage, protect and enhance the countrys environment and seek common solutions to global environmental problems. Our mission is to be achieved through an integrated environmental planning and management system with broad public participation, efficient implementation of appropriate programs and technical services, advice on environmental problems and effective consistent enforcement of environmental law and regulations," Dr Nyantakyi.

He added, "I am using this opportunity as a voluminous conduit to urge all miners within the Ahafo enclave to follow the right procedures in extracting minerals. Mining operators have to think about the environment in other not to harm living and non-living creatures. Ahafo EPA is poised to work assiduously to make the entire environment of Ahafo a better place to live."

In an exclusive interview, the Ahafo Regional NADMO Director, Collins Osei Bonsu, who was the chairman for the occasion also reiterated that "our source of strength and living depends on the environment therefore, when the environment is destroyed, we have destroyed ourselves."

The NADMO Director added that Government is not against mining but against unlawful operations and degradation of lands.

The Asutifi South Coordinating Director also advised the various mining companies to follow the proper way of mining to save the environment.
Chief Executive Officer of Buffer Stock Company, Alhaji Abdul Hanan Alubi has appealed to appointees of the Akufo-Addo led government to support New Patriotic Party (NPP) grassroots.

He made the call when he was speaking at the NPP USA national delegates conference in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 4, 2022.

The CEO of Buffer Stock believed if all appointees were to use their positions in government to energize the party base for 2024 elections by supporting and listening to the concerns of the grassroots, it won't be difficult in breaking the 8.

According to Alhaji Hanan, the grassroots are the engine of the party that can win us election 2024, so they must be listened to, and taken care of.

Contributing to a panel discussion, "the footsoldiers CEO", as he is affectionately called due to his kindness to footsoldiers also advised the party people to be honest and appreciate the efforts and support of the appointees who are doing their best to support.

According to him, some party people have benefited from government and yet are found complaining that they have not gotten any support since 2017. He added that some will even benefit and keep quiet while others complain.

The Hon. CEO also used the opportunity to reaffirm his belief that, NPP will win the 2024 elections with the Nana Addo led track record of massive developments in the key sectors of the economy. He also maintained that unity, honesty and effective communication will be the tools NPP will use in breaking the 8.

Alhaji Aludiba is part of a high powered delegation of government and top hierarchy party functionaries invited by the NPP USA Chapter to their annual conference.
West African leaders meeting in Accra have decided to uphold sanctions against Mali, along with the suspension of Burkina Faso and Guinea from the bloc. The measures could be lifted if the military rulers in all three countries speed up plans for a return to civilian rule.

Sunday's comment came a day after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met in the Ghanaian capital Accra to decide how to deal with Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, where the military has seized power with no plans to return to civilian rule for several years.

All three nations are currently suspended from the 15-nation body - which imposed strict economic and financial sanctions on Mali in January - and is threatening to do likewise to Burkina and Guinea.

Saturday's meeting failed to come to a decision on the suspended countries, with the issue set to be addressed at the next ECOWAS summit on 3 July.

Speed up transition

In a statement, African leaders said they would "uphold" the punitive measures imposed on Mali on 9 January but continue talking to the junta in Bamako "with a view to reaching an agreement to ensure a gradual lifting of the sanctions".

This, they said, would depend on the junta accelerating the transition to democratic rule. The military initially said it would hold on to power for five years but after ECOWAS imposed sanctions, the transition was reduced that to two.

ECOWAS says the army must leave office within a maximum of 16 months.

In the statement, the region's leaders again demanded Burkina and Guinea come up with "an acceptable transition timetable".

Both military regimes plan to cling to power there for three years.

"Our objective has always been to find ways to help these countries return to constitutional order," Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo said on Saturday.

Juntas resist ECOWAS threats

West Africa has seen a succession of military coups in the past two years.

There were two in Mali - in August 2020 and May 2021- followed by one in Guinea in September 2021 and another in Burkina in January 2022

ECOWAS, keen to stop the political instability spreading, has held several summits since 2020 and has piled pressure on all three.

However, the military presidents - Mali's Colonel Assimi Goita, Guinea's Colonel Mamady Doumbouya and Burkina's Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba - have all resisted the external threats.

They maintain their countries are facing severe domestic crises - including jihadist insurgencies - and they need "transition periods" to rebuild their states before they can organise elections.

Unlike Mali and Burkina Faso, Guinea is not battling a jihadist insurrection but public discontent with the junta is rising.

ECOWAS voiced alarm at the growing social and political tensions in Conakry, and urged the military regime to "desist from any arbitrary act that undermines the rule of law".
President Emmanuel Macron's bloc has come out on top in most of the 11 constituencies of French voters overseas who went to the polls on Sunday, ahead of the rest of France. The left posed a stronger challenge than in 2017, however, while former prime minister Manuel Valls, backed by Macron's party, was knocked out.

Eleven out of the 577 seats in parliament are reserved for geographical zones where French citizens live abroad, such as one for those in Canada and the United States and another for Central and Eastern Europe.

Macron's "Ensemble" ("Together") alliance won the largest number of votes this weekend in eight of them, while the left-wing coalition NUPES led by leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon, was ahead in two.

Ten out of the 11 constituencies that voted will see a second round run-off between Ensemble and NUPES on 18-19 June.

The left has improved its performance compared to 2017, when it qualified for the second round in five constituencies, thanks to an unprecedented alliance formed between left-wing parties to challenge the presidential majority this year.

Valls knocked out

The only candidate backed by Macron who did not make it through to the second round was Manuel Valls, a former Socialist prime minister under Francois Hollande, who ran in the Iberian peninsula constituency, covering Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Monaco.

Macron backed Valls at the expense of his 2017 candidate, Stephane Vojetta, who went on to run a dissident campaign against Valls and won to face the left-wing candidate in the run-off.

"An election is a moment of truth," Valls tweeted in acceptance of defeat before deleting his Twitter account.

Absolute majority?

Voters in France will cast their ballots to elect 577 MPs in two rounds on 12 and 19 June.

To achieve an absolute majority and continue his programme of reforms, Emmanuel Macron needs a minimum of 289 seats in parliament.

An IFOP poll showed for the first time last week that Ensemble may fall short, winning 270-310 seats in the second round.

The poll gave NUPES 170-205 seats.

On the right, the Republicans were forecast to get 35-55 seats and the far-right National Rally (RN) was projected to win 20-50.

Melenchon, who is running on a hard-left ticket with proposals to lower the retirement age, raise the minimum wage and offer more social and environmental protections, casts Macron as a liberal who will further unwind workers' rights and serve the interests of the rich.

If Macron wins a majority in parliament following his re-election as president, he has said his government's priorities will include action to combat climate change and raising the retirement age.

(with newswires)
Six opposition leaders arrested after violent anti-French protests in N'Djamena were on Monday handed one-year suspended sentences for disturbing public order, Chad's public prosecutor told AFP.

They were also fined 10 million CFA francs, or about 15,000 euros, said prosecutor Moussa Wade Djibrine, who had sought two-year prison terms.

The swift trial opened Monday morning at a court at Moussoro, around 300 kilometres (180 miles) from the capital, with defence lawyers boycotting the hearing amid a heavy police presence.

The case comes against a backdrop of political tension with a military junta in power following the death of the country's veteran leader more than a year ago.

An authorised march in the capital on May 14 against France's military presence in Chad turned violent.

Seven petrol stations belonging to the French oil major Total were attacked and 12 police officers injured, according to a police toll.

In the aftermath, the authorities carried out a string of arrests among the march organisers, who denied any responsibility for the violence.

Those charged included Max Loalngar, coordinator for Wakit Tamma, Chad's main opposition coalition, and Gounoung Vaima Gan-Fare, secretary of the Chadian trade union federation.

The six were charged with disturbing public order and destruction of property. They had begun a hunger protest on May 23.

Trade unions, opposition political parties, armed groups and international NGOs have called for the six to be released immediately and unconditionally.

"We will appeal, a suspended sentence is still a sentence," said Wakit Tamma's lawyer Laguerre Ndjarandi.

Chad. By (AFP)

The six "will be released today", said the Moussoro court's public prosecutor Abdoulaye Bono Kono.

"The court has been kind, it's not a bad thing to calm things down," communication minister Abderaman Koulamallah told AFP.

Dialogue delayed

Chad has been under military rule since President Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled with an iron fist for three decades, was killed in April 2021 during operations to crush rebels in the north of the country.

He was succeeded by his son Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, a four-star general, now the transitional president.

His junta vowed to hold "free and democratic elections" within 18 months after staging a proposed nationwide "dialogue".

A reconciliation forum should have started last month but has run into major problems.

Armed groups have warned that Monday's trial further compromises the national dialogue. The political opposition has already withdrawn from the organising process.

France has thousands of troops in the Sahel, including in Chad, under its Barkhane mission.

But in February, Paris announced it would withdraw its troops from Mali and deploy them elsewhere after falling out with the junta in Bamako.

On May 16, Deby, reacting to the violence that had unfolded two days earlier, attacked what he called "false and unfounded allegations" that French troops would redeploy to Chad.
The General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, Rev. Professor Paul Frimpong Manso is cautioning politicians not to involve the clergy in their political agendas in the country.

According to Rev. Professor Paul Frimpong Manso, the rate at which political heads and their followers are dragging the clergy into unnecessary politics in a move to influence their supporters has become a source of worry for all.

In an interaction with the media on why some outspoken pastors who used to speak on national issues are no longer forthcoming and vocal, Prof. Frimpong Manso blamed politicians for such issues and urged them to stop dragging the clergy into their agendas.

We don't want to be dragged into unnecessary politics. Sometimes people want to drag us into politics, so we do their bidding. I don't think any religious leader will be interested in doing the bidding of politicians. We will be neutral, but we will speak when the need arises.

Prof. Frimpong Manson made the remark on the sidelines of the induction service of the Eastern Regional Superintendent of the Church Rev. Dr Albert Anane in Koforidua over the weekend.
Shiekh I. C. Quaye

07.06.2022 LISTEN

The National Hajj Board has announced the 2022 Hajj package for prospective pilgrims pegging the total cost of the trip at GH39,000 for new pilgrims.

A statement issued by the Chairman of the Hajj Board, Shiekh I. C. Quaye, said pilgrims who maintained their 2020 Hajj deposit of GH19,500 will only pay a top-up of GH7000 making a total of GH26,500.

The fee, according to Shiekh I. C. Quaye, is lower than others in the sub-region, adding that the board, with the support of the government, has put in place measures to make the financial expenditure more accommodating for pilgrims.

He indicated that the 2022 Hajj package includes housing, transport, medical fees, flight and other services in Mecca, Jeddah and Medina.

The first flight from Tamale to Medina will take off on 17th June, 2022, while the first flight from Accra takes off on the 21st June, 2022.

Shiekh Quaye said the Hajj quotas of all participating countries have been reduced with only 3,069 pilgrims expected to take the journey this year from Ghana.

On health, he said the Saudi authorities have put in place strict control measures during the Hajj period from 7th to 12th July, 2022.

Hajj will be available this year for those under 65 years of age, provided that they obtain the basic doses of vaccines approved in the Kingdom.

Pilgrims must present a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to their arrival to the Kingdom, he added.

The chairman of the Hajj Board said pilgrims must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with the complete doses of Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson, Moderna, Sinopharm, Sinovac.

He said quarantine will not be necessary for foreign pilgrims fully vaccinated with vaccines approved in Saudi Arabia.

However, pilgrims must have medical insurance to cover any COVID-19 related treatment costs during their stay.

Worshippers are no longer required to obtain a permit and appointment to pray at the Grand Mosque in Mecca as well as the Prophet's mosque in Medina. All intending pilgrims must be registered online through e-Hajj. The e-Track is already active, he stated.

DGN online
Some NPP youth in the Akyem Swedru constituency have called on the Controller and Accountant General, Kwasi Kwaning Bosompem to focus on his core duty and stop eyeing the constituency seat as a retirement package.

According to them, over the last few months, Mr Kwaning Bosompem has been meddling in politics at the local level while in active service as a public servant.

Among others, the youth group claims the Controller General has been seen at party functionaries enticing delegates with monetary inducements.

"The last straw that broke the camels back, is when he was spotted at the constituencys party delegates conference doling out monies to delegate," they stated.

This among many others they believe is meant to sway their mind towards him when the party opens its nomination for the MPship slot.

Ahead of that, the NPP youth in the Akyem Swedru constituency has sent a caution notice to stay far away from the constituency and ditch any plans of contesting the Akim Swedru seat.

A whole controller should not be meddling in politics. During the delegates congress we caught him meeting with the delegates and gave out GHC 200 to induce them. He intends to contest as MP but we want to tell him parliament is not a retirement package for him so he should go home and enjoy his retirement package, the statement read.

Below is the statement:

We, the Concerned Youth of NPP in the Akyem Swedru constituency, have noted with dismay, plans by the Controller General, Kwasi Kwaning Bosompem, to contest the Akyem Swedru seat.

More shocking is the fact that, Mr Bosompem is in active service as a public official.

Over time, he has taken advantage of the States largesse at his disposal and using it for his selfish parochial interest.

We want to send a strong warning to him, that we wont allow our conscience to be bought by the monetary inducements he has been offering some of us, delegates.

A whole Controller should not be meddling in politics. During the recent delegates Congress, we caught him meeting with the delegates and gave out 200 cedis to inducement them. He intends to contest as MP but we want to tell him parliament is not a retirement package for him so he should go home and enjoy his retirement.

By 2024, hell be 64 years and we, the youth of the Akyem Swedru constituency feel he will not be able to articulate our issues and better represent us in Parliament at his old age.

We reiterate our resolve not to allow Mr Bosompem to buy our conscience with money.

We wish to appeal to our hardworking President Akufo-Addo and the father of our great NPP, to call his appointee, the Controller and Accountant General, to order and leave the Akyem Swedru seat alone.

As we prepare to break the eight, we also implore our National Executives to stand firm and ensure the Controller focuses on his core duty and stop eyeing the Akyem Swedru seat.

Signed

Concerned NPP Youth of Akyem Swedru
Akufo Addo is a callous president who thinks he can do whatever he wants, regardless of what the majority of Ghanaians think. Despite the NPP government's borrowing practices and large debt commitments to Ghana without accountability, Ken Ofori-Atta, Ghana's worst Finance Minister, remains in power. Why?

Cabinet reshuffles occur in every serious government when one or more ministers fail to carry out their responsibilities successfully. What's keeping President Nana Akufo Addo from reshuffling the cabinet to replace Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, if he won't sack any of his inept ministers?

I used to believe that all NPP politicians are not only liars and deceptive politicians, but also more corrupt than the NDC government they accuse of corruption. Nevertheless, an item on Ghanaweb got my notice just recently, and it caused me to reconsider my thinking. "The wealth collected by Sir John within three years was too much," says Mr. Obiri Boahen, Deputy General-Secretary of the NPP.



Since Nana Akufo Addo was elected as president of Ghana, appointing his relative Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister, has been the most significant setback to the country's development, as Ghana has been plunged into unprecedented hardships, marked by massive corruption, high rate of unemployment, and massive debt, all without accountability.

"If the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, widely known as Sir John, could acquire such fortune in three years, then he believes that living will accomplish more than that," Nana Obiri Boahen stated.

If the truth deserves an award, Obiri Boahen should be the first recipient of the 'Truth Award,' because he has demonstrated to be a man of great conscience and integrity who truly cares about the suffering of the masses, which I haven't seen in politics yet, as none of the politicians, including the so-called Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, have done.

Ghanaians should not be surprised to learn later that certain dishonest NPP political crooks will be furious with Obiri Boahen for expressing the truth, even though he may not have in mind that his actions will reinforce those who have already lost faith in the NPP leadership.

Since Nana Akufo Addo was elected as president of Ghana, appointing his relative Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister has been the most significant setback to the country's development, as Ghana has been plunged into unprecedented hardships, marked by massive corruption, high rate of unemployment, and massive debt, all without accountability.

It will be remembered that on March 27, 2022, I published a post headlined "Ken Ofori-Atta Was Appointed As Finance Minister To Make Akufo Addo's Corruption Easier," on the ModernGhana news site.

"The worst injustice Ghanaians committed to themselves by accepting Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister from the beginning, and the nation's troubles are far from done as long as he remains Finance Minister since he was appointed to make corruption easier for Akufo Addo." I said in that post, that as a result, every dollar spent by the NPP government has complicated accountability reasons."

Because Akufo Addo is inconsiderate and lacking in integrity, he finds everything easy, but one thing he may find difficult is to remove Ken Ofori-Atta from his position as Finance Minister because he wants the family to have control of the country's finances and to prevent others from knowing the depth of the financial hole they have created through corruption.

Whatever the case, the truth will emerge, but Akufo Addo won't be unconcerned because the NPP will no longer be in the office by then. Despite its abundant resources, Ghana will remain the poorest and most difficult to leave the country unless the correct example is set.

Mr. Obiri Boahen, the NPP's Deputy General-Secretary, stated that if Sir John has such fortune in three years, live politicians cannot be trusted. As a result, any administration that succeeds the NPP should investigate politicians' holdings, and any found guilty of corruption should be arrested, convicted, and imprisoned, or Ghana would never grow.
07.06.2022 LISTEN

The 2020 presidential candidate of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), Rev. Christian Kwabena Andrews popularly called Osofo Kyiri Abosom, has criticized the ruling New Patriotic Party for pumping public funds into building a National Cathedral while Ghanaians are wallowing in poverty.

He lamented the economic hardships Ghanaians are facing and called on authorities to shift their focus to providing viable employment opportunities to the youth.

According to the man of God, leaders who prioritize a National Cathedral over their citizens at a time of economic suffering are weak in their minds.

In his view, the leaders are disconnected from the realities on the ground and needs of their citizens.

Speaking on Angel FMs mid-morning show dubbed Yadwumanie with Ohemaa Woyeje, Osofo Kyiri Abosom queried that the minds of our leaders, starting from President Akufo-Addo to those down there, are weak [In] this current age, do you [President Akufo-Addo] have to go and build a cathedral for the nation? Are you serious?

The Founder of Life Assembly Worship Church disclosed that churches are collapsing because people have become enlightened and seen the deceit of supposed men of God.

His comments follow the governments decision to release an amount of GH25 million to the National Cathedral Secretariat as additional seed money for the construction of the National Cathedral.

The governments action was met with massive public outcry with majority of Ghanaians feeling that those funds could have been used for more pressing needs.

Among those opposing the governments decision is the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who said considering the current debilitating economic crisis, why is the Akufo-Addo government releasing a colossal GH25 million for the National Cathedral project?

He added, Shockingly, this is the same government claiming lack of funds to pay NABCo trainees, School feeding caterers, service personnel, the 3-year no-textbooks-syndrome.

Reacting to same, Dr Clement Apaak, MP for Builsa South, said President Akufo-Addo is engaged in extreme lawlessness.

National Cathedral Project

President Akufo-Addo in March 2017, proposed the construction of a National Cathedral which he said is in fulfillment of a promise he made to God before winning the 2016 general elections.

At the ground-breaking ceremony, the President described the proposed Cathedral as an interdenominational worship project which is also a thanksgiving gesture to God for the blessings bestowed on Ghana on the occasion of her 60th-anniversary.

The $350 million project will have an auditorium of 5,000-seater capacity which will be expanded to a 15,000-seater capacity for national events as well as chapels and a baptistery.
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has urged government to intensify education on vaccination against COVID-19.

His comment follows a revelation by the Ghana Health Service indicating that COVID-19 cases are on the rise again.

There are over 300 active cases currently being handled by health authorities.

General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Titus Beyuo said the public should be encouraged to get vaccinated.

There must be educational campaigns as the cases begin to rise to get people to volunteer to take the vaccines. At least, people have received the vaccines for well over a year and nothing has happened to them. That should give enough confidence to be vaccinated now, he said on Eyewitness News.

The Ghana Health Service is worried efforts at containing the spread of COVID-19 are being frustrated by the unwillingness of most Ghanaians to get vaccinated.

Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Franklin Asiedu Bekoe said COVID-19 cases have risen over the last two weeks.

He said this is a sign that the virus still persists and urged Ghanaians not to let down their guard .

Our latest data shows about 300 cases. This show that the virus is not totally out of the system. We also have flu (H3N2) going around, so a number of people are coughing and sneezing. Most of the test results come out as either H3N2 or COVID-19.

He indicated that most of the cases were recorded in the Greater Accra Region.

Some were recorded in schools, others were traced to parties and indoor events.

He noted that health experts cannot predict if the virus will ever be a thing of the past, that is why we are trying to integrate it into our healthcare and pushing for more vaccinations.

When more people get vaccinated, we can at least control the spread.

He indicated that less than 10% of Ghanaians have been vaccinated.

He fears Ghanaians stand at risk should there be another wave of the virus.

GHS is thus going to intensify its campaign to get more people vaccinated in the coming days.

There will be one this week, between the 8th and 12th, and another between the 23rd and 27th of this month.

citinewsroom
Minority Spokesperson on Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has defended his sides insistence on a parliamentary probe of COVID-19 expenditure.

Speaking after Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Kwaku Kwarteng said such calls were an attempt to impugn the government, Mr. Akandoh retorted that if you have nothing to hide; you have absolutely nothing to fear.

We are a Parliament, and we play an oversight responsibility over the executive and therefore, our standing orders allow us to play that particular function.

It is part of our responsibility to play an oversight responsibility and for me, it gives the quickest results when the parliamentary bi-partisan committee is set up for a single purpose.

The Speaker of Parliament first admitted the motion from three Members of the Minority Caucus for an inquiry into the expenditure made by the government since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

However, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, who chaired proceedings of the House in February 2022 dismissed the motion on the floor of Parliament.

He said such a bi-partisan committee is already provided for by the Constitution, since the Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) are empowered to do such work.

The Minority has indicated that it will re-file a motion for a probe into COVID-19 expenditure.

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said his sides resolve has been strengthened by viral audio from a regional executive of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that suggests that COVID funds were distributed to party functionaries.

Haruna Iddrisu said, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We were here when our Foreign Affairs Committee reported how monies adding up to about GH66 million were spent on behalf of the ministry. Since when has the Ministry of Finance begun a procurement entity for the Ministry of Foreign affairs?

citinewsroom
A Deputy Finance Minister, John Kumah, believes government has not erred for not detailing the GH32 million to Sir David Adjaye and Associates for consultancy on the National Cathedral project in the budget.

Speaking on The Point of View on Citi TV, Mr. Kumah said the government had given enough clarity on state funding of the cathedral.

Even though it may not be captured as a budget item because it is not under any specific MDA, it can form part of government expenditure as long as we have captured in the budget that we were going to provide seed funding, he explained.

In the case of the GH 32 million, he said this money was coming from the office of the President.

It is already a budget item provided for in the [office of the president] budget that was used for that purpose, which is legal, he added.

In Mr. Kumahs view, a line item is not necessary if it is one of the priorities under a specific item which is already provided.

You just need to talk about it, as we have done, he added.

In further response to the use of public funds for the cathedral which was supposed to be donor-funded, Mr. Kumah said even when we raise private funds, there will still be public funds because we are raising them for and on behalf of Ghanaians.

The plan for the cathedral was proposed by the government in March 2017 as a physical embodiment of national unity, harmony, and spirituality.

The inter-denominational cathedral is expected to have an auditorium capable of seating 5,000 people, as well as chapels, and a baptistery.

The President has said the controversial project is in fulfilment of a promise he made to God in the run-up to the 2016 election.

citinewsroom
Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has prayed that the wishes of Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia come true.

We will always support and pray for Dr. Bawumia to ensure his dreams and aspirations are achieved. We dont know what his dreams are for now, but anything he desires, we pray to God to help him fulfill it, he said.

So Vice President, when you pray, whatever you want from God, God will talk to Bosomtwe, and Bosomtwe will respond to the call of God, and your vision will come to pass. We just dont know what you are praying about, only God knows, Dr Adutwum said at the sod-cutting ceremony for phase II of the State-of-the-Art Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Centres at Abrankese in Greater Kumasi in the Ashanti Region on Monday, June 6.

Dr Bawumia is seeking to be elected the next NPP flagbearer to contest in the 2024 presidential election.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Togbe Afede XIV

07.06.2022 LISTEN

Successful Ghanaian businessman, Togbe Afede XIV has explained that he rejected the ex-gratia paid to him by the Council of State Secretariat because he felt uncomfortable.

The statesman who is now being praised on social and traditional media has confirmed that he has returned a sum of GHC365,392.67 that he received from the Council of State secretariat as ex-gratia.

Providing clarity on his decision, Togbe Afede XIV has explained that he was propelled to take the action because he thought it was inappropriate for a short part-time work he did for the Council of State.

According to him, receiving such a huge sum of money in ex-gratia for that part-time job made him very uncomfortable.

I did not think the payment was made to trap me, as is being speculated. I believe it was paid to everybody who served on the Council of State. However, I thought that extra payment was inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work, for which I received a monthly salary and was entitled to other privileges. So, I was very uncomfortable with it, Togbe Afede XIV explained in a press release issued on Monday, June 6, 2022.

The respected businessman who is also board chairman of Hearts of Oak added, I want to add that my rejection of the payment was consistent with my general abhorrence of the payment of huge Ex Gratia and other outrageous benefits to people who have by their own volition offered to serve our poor country.

Below is a copy of the press release:
The Executive Director for the West Africa Centre for Counter Extremism (WACCE), Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar has warned Ghanaians not to create fear and panic in the country with threats of terror attacks.

Although he called for extra vigilance to forestall any possible attack, he said there is the need to have a conversation around not creating panic within the system.

He explained on the New Day show on TV3 Tuesday June 7 with host Helene Appiah-Ampofo, that there are many countries that are dealing with terror attacks however, they do not allow that to interfere with normal daily life.

More importantly, I think the conversation we should also be having is how not to create panic in the system. There are many countries that they are dealing with terrorism and yet it does not get in the way of their normal daily life as people and so, it is important that that part of the conversation is featured in our conversation, he said.

Recently the Administrator of the Ola Cathedral in Tamale, Most Reverend Father Carolus Magnus described as dangerous the boastful public comments made by national security and other security services on the country's security preparedness against a possible terror attack.

Delivering a sermon, he said the use of such boastful comments publicly could rather bring the country under attack.

He said We have to be careful about it, if we are not handling it properly the terrorist will indeed attack us. Saying that for us, we are ready, it is a very dangerous thing to do. We say we are ready, we have our men at the borders will make them take us on.

To say we are ready and we are prepared, what kind of thing is that ? When I hear such things I am even more affraid because when you begin to talk like that the people can try you.

Deputy National Security Coordinator , Mr Edward Kweku Aspmani, had indicated that Ghana is definitely not insulated from terror attacks.

Clearly, he said, Ghana is a target.

He explained that the terrorists have been targeting mostly resource-rich countries therefore, since Ghana is endowed with natural resources, it exposes the country to the miscreants.

Addressing a press conference on the measures that have been put in place to prevent the attack's from happening in the country, on Sunday May 22, he said We are not insulated from those attacks therefore, we think Ghanaians should be aware. Why are we involving Ghanaians? The nature of the threats is such that it is not conventional warfare, they don't come in with the APCs and fighter jets. They come in all forms, it could be your pastor in the church, cleric in the mosque, individuals coming in as CSOs purporting to do community work.

That means that we all have to be vigilant. Also we know that the terrorists want access to the sea, the nature of the various attacks we have all seen in the subregion indicates that wherever they go there is some form of mineral or natural resource there particularly gold.

So the question therefore is, if they attack cities and towns in Burkina Faso that has gold deposits, clearly, Ghana will be an interest.

We are clearly therefore a target that is why we are here today to seek the support of Ghanaians.

3news.com
European experts in the field of information security are meeting this week in the northern French city of Lille at the International Cybersecurity Forum, in a context of global tension provoked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

More than 13,000 specialists are expected to take part in the three-day conference which opens on Tuesday. The forum will focus on the latest threats to the security of computerised information and the most efficient ways of defeating so-called cybercriminals.

General Didier Tisseyre, who heads the national defence forces' cyber unit, will represent French military interests at the forum. He is to take part in a round table discussion on the role of the European Union in protecting computer-based data.

The European Commissioner Margarethe Vestager, and Olli Ruutu, assistant director general of the European Defence Agency, will also take part.

Under the six-month French presidency of the European Union, due to end this month, the 27-nation bloc has agreed the political terms of a revision of security norms for major infrastructures.

Debates are already underway at EU level on the security of connected objects, on a European standard for such security, and on the admissability of electronic evidence in criminal cases.

Three French start-ups take centre stage

The Lille forum will also honour three French start-ups for their work in the sector.

They are StrongNetwork, which has developed a secure working environment for computer coders, Mindflow, working to automate system responses to cyber incidents, and Erium/BlackNoise, which generates simulated attacks to test system security.

While the war in Ukraine has led to a heightened global level of vigilance, most experts agree that the conflict has, for the moment, been limited at the cyber level.

"Russian efforts have been concentrated on systems inside Ukraine," according to Guillaume Poupard, director general of the French National Agency for Computer System Security (ANSSI).

The Ukrainians have broadly defeated Russian cyberattacks, Poupard adds, suggesting that this gives grounds for broader optimism.

The worst incident so far has been that provoked by fallout from the Russian destruction of the KA-Sat satellite system.
President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute for Security, Disaster and Emergency Studies, Dr Ishmael Norman, has said the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), the Police and other security agencies are strong enough to deal with any terrorist group that may emerge in the country.

He however, asked the government to scale up its efforts in resourcing all the state security agencies with modern equipment and technology to enable them stay ahead of the criminals at all times.

Speaking on the New Day show on TV3 with host Helene Appiah-Ampofo, regarding terrorists attacks in some West African countries including Nigeria, Dr Norman said regarding Ghana that I dont see any real preparedness of the population, I dont see any real preparedness of the military forces and security forces. I think we should be concerned about that but we should also learn to put things in context. I have said before that 9/11 was catastrophic event but the quantum of the people that actually died compared to the population of the United States although a lot of people suffered post traumatic events.

I dont wish Ghana to be attacked by terrorist groups but we have to put it in context that even if it happens, the effect will be very negligible so let us put things in the context and stop frightening ourselves that the terrorists are going to take over.

Our Army is very strong, our Police is very strong even though sometimes we doubt them but they are very strong, our Navy, our other military agencies and we the people, we are also very strong. If we see something happening, I know there will be patriotic Ghanaians that will jump onto the terrorist and deal with them. Let us not be frightened, government needs to prepare, provide equipment, provide technology.

The Executive Director for the West Africa Centre for Counter Extremism (WACCE), Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar also warned Ghana not to create fear and panic in the country with threats of terror attacks.

Although he called for extra vigilance to forestall any possible attack, he said there is the need to have a conversation around not creating panic within the system.

He explained on the same show that there are many countries that are dealing with terror attacks however, they do not allow that to interfere with normal daily life.

More importantly, I think the conversation we should also be having is how not to create panic in the system. There are many countries that they are dealing with terrorism and yet it does not get in the way of their normal daily life as people and so, it is important that that part of the conversation is featured in our conversation, he said.

Ghana is clearly a target for terror attack, Deputy National Security Coordinator , Mr Edward Kweku Aspmani, recenlty said.

He explained that the terrorists have been targeting mostly resource-rich countries therefore, since Ghana is endowed with natural resources, it exposes the country to the miscreants.

Addressing a press conference on the measures that have been put in place to prevent the attack's from happening in the country, on Sunday May 22, he said We are not insulated from those attacks therefore, we think Ghanaians should be aware. Why are we involving Ghanaians? The nature of the threats is such that it is not conventional warfare, they don't come in with the APCs and fighter jets. They come in all forms, it could be your pastor in the church, cleric in the mosque, individuals coming in as CSOs purporting to do community work.

That means that we all have to be vigilant. Also we know that the terrorists want access to the sea, the nature of the various attacks we have all seen in the subregion indicates that wherever they go there is some form of mineral or natural resource there particularly gold.

So the question therefore is, if they attack cities and towns in Burkina Faso that has gold deposits, clearly, Ghana will be an interest.

We are clearly therefore a target that is why we are here today to seek the support of Ghanaians.

---3news.com
The Madina District Court has adjourned the traffic offence case involving #FixTheCountry convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor.

The case has been pushed forward to July 12 because presiding judge is on leave.

The FixTheCountry convener was arrested on May 17 at the East Legon tunnel and put before the court having been charged with careless and inconsiderate driving as well as failure to observe road markings.

The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service arrested Mr Barker Vormawor and two others who were fined 300 cedis each after they pleaded guilty.

But the FixTheCountry convener pleaded not guilty and was later granted a bail of GHC30,000 after he was detained for about 8 hours.

Meanwhile, Mr Barker Vormawor who is facing charges of treason felony is set to return to court on June 29 after prosecution filed a bill of indictment.

The bill of indictment will pave way for the Ashaiman District Court to commit the FixTheCountry convener on the charges levelled against him.

---3news.com
ZimLive editor Mduduzi Mathuthu as pictured at the police station where he was summoned June 6. (Credit withheld)

07.06.2022 LISTEN

Lusaka, June 6, 2022  On Monday, police in Bulawayo in southwest Zimbabwe detained Mduduzi Mathuthu, editor of privately owned news website ZimLive, and charged him with insulting or undermining the authority of President Emmerson Mnangagwa over a tweet he wrote about the presidents fiscal policies, according to news reports and a statement from the regional press freedom group, Media Institute of Southern Africa. The journalist was released about an hour later and police told him they would later set a date for a court hearing, according to Mathuthu and his lawyer, Nqobani Sithole, who both spoke to CPJ via messaging app.

Authorities in Zimbabwe should stop harassing ZimLive editor Mduduzi Mathuthu, a known critic of the government, and immediately drop the spurious charge of insulting or undermining the presidents authority, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator in New York. Presidents are public figures and should have a greater tolerance for criticism and debate without police having to waste resources to defend their reputations.

Mathuthu appeared for questioning on Monday, June 6 at the Bulawayo central police station, following a summons on June 1 in which the police said  without giving further details  that they were investigating a case against him, Sithole said. During the questioning, police said they were charging him over his tweet, since deleted, about Mnangagwas suspension of bank lending to private companies and government departments. CPJ has reviewed the tweet.

If found guilty, Mathuthu faces one year in jail or a fine of up to 4,800 Zimbabwean dollars (US$13.26) or both, according to the law.

CPJ called Zimbabwe police spokesperson Paul Nyathi and also sent a request for comment via messaging app but did not receive a reply.
Pope Francis expresses his condolences to the victims of a terrorist attack on a Catholic church in Nigeria's southwestern Ondo State, which killed over 50 people, including several children.

After learning of the unfortunate attack at the Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Nigeria, Pope Saint Francis demonstrated his awfulness in a tweet on Monday, June 7, 2022.

In the tweet, Pope Francis prayed for the victims of the atrocious violence as well as for the transformation of the hearts of the terrorist gang members who perpetrated the atrocious act on innocent Christians.

I was deeply saddened to learn of the horrific attack at Saint Francis church in Owo in Nigeria. pray together for all those affected by this act of horrible violence and for the conversion of those blinded by hatred and violence, he expressed.

On Sunday, June 5, 2022, a group of unknown gunmen attacked and shot at a Catholic Church in Owo, Southwestern Nigeria, killing approximately 50 worshipers and injuring several others, including children.

Since 2013, Pope Francis has been the Bishop of Rome and thus the head of the Catholic Church Worldwide, as well as the sovereign of the Vatican City State.

Find below a screenshot of the tweet:
Two Indian-born brothers who allegedly wove a web of corruption across South Africa have been arrested in Dubai and face extradition, in a landmark step in Pretoria's anti-graft fight.

Dubai police confirmed Tuesday they had arrested Atul and Rajesh Gupta after receiving a so-called red notice from Interpol, and were coordinating with the South African authorities for their extradition.

South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority confirmed the contact but refused to give details.

"Extradition is a complex process involving many role players, including the executive," said spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga.

The arrests bring a glimmer of hope that the alleged masterminds behind South Africa's darkest corruption scandal will face prosecution after years of legal fog and delay.

The two tycoons are accused of paying bribes for state contracts and wielding influence over ministerial appointments in a scandal that clouded former president Jacob Zuma's administration and eventually forced him from office.

By one estimate, several billion dollars were lost to the South African economy as a result of their activities.

After Zuma resigned in February 2018, his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa took over.

Ramaphosa vowed to make the fight against graft the cornerstone of his presidency. But prosecutions have been rare, public scepticism runs deep and Ramaphosa himself is now fighting accusations of scandal.

'State capture'

The Guptas came to South Africa in 1993, eventually building a sprawling empire in mining, computer technology and media. Some members of their family were granted South African citizenship.

But the pair and other family members fled the country shortly after a judicial commission, launched in 2018, started probing "state capture" -- the alleged looting of state assets -- and the brothers' influence over the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

After arduous investigations, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo this year published a report that described how the brothers became intertwined with the highest levels of government and the ANC.

The family befriended Zuma to the point where they influenced cabinet appointments, and infiltrated state-owned enterprises, where they secured some of the juiciest contracts, it said.

Zuma "would do anything that the Guptas wanted him to do for them," Zondo said in his report published this year.

Zuma was last year jailed for 15 months for refusing to testify before the investigators. He was released on parole, having served just two months of the term.

An independent investigator estimated that the cost of the Guptas' alleged illicit activities in South Africa could be as much as 50 billion rand ($3.2 billion) over the years.

Their current arrest is however for fraud and money laundering in connection with a 25-million rand contract paid to a Gupta-linked company, Nulane Investment, for an agricultural feasibility study in the central Free State province.

Their arrests came almost a year after Interpol issued a red notice -- a global alert enabling law enforcement to arrest a person sought for prosecution or to serve a custodial sentence and hold them pending extradition.

A third brother, Ajay Gupta, is not cited in the current case, but has been named in another embezzlement and corruption case.

Ramaphosa's problems

Zuma is on trial for corruption in a separate case dating back to when he was vice president. By Jerome Delay (POOL/AFP)

The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) said it hoped the arrests are "indeed the beginning of arrests and prosecution of those who have... looted our country for years and are directly responsible for the hardships that millions of South Africans face today."

Ramaphosa, meanwhile, is enmeshed in a growing scandal centred on the theft of cash from his sprawling cattle and game farm.

He is accused of buying the silence of the burglars, who were allegedly detained on his property.

He fiercely denies the allegations, which have surfaced as he vies to stay on as ruling party leader when his term expires in December.

"The ones who are pursuing the corrupt also have skeletons in the cupboards," said Sandile Swana, an independent political analyst, who believed Ramaphosa would probably retain his presidency despite the "Farmgate" scandal.

burs-jv-sn/ri
The Chairman of the Hajj Board Ghana, Sheikh I C Quaye has announced that Ghana has been shortlisted among countries that will participate in this year's Hajj with a quota of 3,069.

At a meeting with members of the Hajj Agents Association of Ghana in Accra, the Chairman also said potential pilgrims above 65 years of age will not be allowed into Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj.

"Upon receipt of the quota I as Chairman led a delegation to Saudi Arabia last month upon where we signed all the necessary agreements with Hajj Officials of Saudi Arabia to ensure that preparedness to airlift Ghanaian Pilgrims is achieved with optimum advantage for Ghanaian in the respect of accommodation, catering, transportation have all been duly organized, therefore I can say Ghana is ready to participate in Hajj 2022," he stated.

Acknowledging the immense support from the President, H.E Nana Akufo-Addo and Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia over the last five years and still counting, he said government of Ghana is supporting the Hajj Board with a sum of $3.9million for this year's Hajj.

Emphasising that with government effort, the board arrive at a Hajj fee of GH39,000 for new pilgrims and GH26,500 for pilgrims who kept their money with the board during the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 Hajj.

"The Hajj Board Ghana has pulled out all the stops to make the financial expenditure much more accommodating. Again, we emphasise that with the government effort, we have arrived at a Hajj fee of GH39,000 for new pilgrims. The Hajj Board agreed that Ghanaian pilgrims who kept their fee deposits with us in 2020 and did not opt for a refund when Hajj was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 to pay GH26,500 which requires a top-up of GH7,500 only. The Board has duly taken note of their faith in wanting to perform Hajj whenever a date was announced," he stated.

He said the board has worked assiduously to arrive at a fare that is moderate for Ghanaian pilgrims.

"In the neighbouring states: Nigerian Muslims are paying a fee of N2.5 million equivalent to GH47,000. Ivory Coast, Benin and Niger, their figures are in the same ballpark".

Sheikh I C Quaye, therefore, entreats all Hajj agents to communicate the same to their clients who have retained the deposit they paid to the Hajj Board in 2020.

On vaccination requirements, he said pilgrims must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with the complete doses of the vaccines to be able to enter the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Some five Members of Parliament have filed a private members motion for a comprehensive probe into the 2020 general elections.

The Members behind the motion are MP for Asawase, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, MP for Bolga East, Dr Dominic Ayine, MP for Akatsi South, Bernard Ahiafor and MP for Salaga South, Zuweira Ibrahimah.

The nine-point motion covers issues such as pre-thumb printed ballot papers in Ashanti; multiple declaration of results; an investigation into alleged procurement breaches, discovery of excess ballot papers, and an inquiry into violence in six constituencies.

The motion stipulates that the said probe committee must be chaired by a member of the Minority. It is unclear when the motion will be moved in Parliament.

There have been calls for a probe into the 2020 general election, which some believe was not free and fair.

In 2021, the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to probe alleged illegal printing of excess presidential ballot papers in the 2020 general elections.

The petition, signed by the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said persons found culpable after the probe should also be prosecuted.

I write on behalf of the National Democratic Congress to petition your office to institute criminal investigations into and prosecute persons culpable in the illegal printing of over one million excess presidential ballots meant for the Ashanti Region at Innolink Printing press, one of the seven security printing firms contracted by the Electoral Commission to print election materials for the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections, a portion of the petition said.

The party said its petition was occasioned by the fact that there had not been any update on investigations on electoral malpractices and violence that characterised the election and voter registration exercise.

The partys 2020 presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama also went to the Supreme Court over the elections citing several infractions, but he was unsuccessful in the Election Petition.

---citinewsroom
A Professor at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo has commended the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, who has refunded the ex-gratia paid him for serving on the Council of State from 2017 to 2020.

Prof Gyampo says this sends a signal to all persons being paid what he describes as illegal ex-gratia to do same.

Speaking on the mid day news on TV3 Tuesday June 7, he said Overall, I think it is something that is commendable. The man is saying I was taking a monthly salary and so I dont see why I should take this kind of money as ex-gratia. It should be a good message to all who are given illegal ex-gratia.

Touching on the relevance of the Council of State, he said First of all, the Council of state itself as a body is needless, we dont need a Council of State now whose advise is not binding on the president. We dont need now, a Council of State that the president directly or indirectly appoint its membership and and render that body toothless. The whole idea of Council of State was borrowed from our traditional idea of council of elders.

In the traditional setting, no chief has a hand in appointing the council of elders. Council of elders were operating in the Chiefs palace as a right. Before the Chie was born members of the council of elders were there.

Togbe Afede XIV had served on the Council in his capacity as the President of the National House of Chiefs .

He insisted that the payment was not to trap him, contrary to speculations after he made a refund to the Controller and Accountant General.

I did not think the payment was made to trap me, as is being speculated, he stated in a press release on Monday, June 6.

I believe it was it was paid to everybody who served on the Council of State.

However, I thought that extra payment was inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work, for which I received a monthly salary and was entitled to other privileges. So, I was very uncomfortable with it.

He stressed that he had written to the Council of State to state his reasons for rejecting the ex-gratia.

3news.com
07.06.2022 LISTEN

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute for Security, Disaster and Emergency Studies, Dr. Ishmael Norman, has said security agencies in Ghana are strong enough to deal with any terrorist attack if they are well organized.

Mr. Norman, however, advised the government to increase its efforts in equipping all the state security agencies with modern equipment and technology to enable them stay ahead of the attackers at all times.

Our Army is very strong, our Police are very strong even though sometimes we doubt them but they are very strong, our Navy, our other military agencies and we the people, we are also very strong. If we see something happening, I know there will be patriotic Ghanaians that will jump onto the terrorist and deal with them. Let us not be frightened, government needs to prepare, provide equipment, provide technology, he stated.

Speaking on the New Day show on Accra-based TV3 on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, with host Helene Appiah Ampofo, regarding terrorist attacks in some West African countries, including Nigeria, Dr. Norman said Ghana need to be concerned about putting things in context to enable the security agencies defend the country against any terroristic invasion rather than be frightened.

According to him, as it stands, he doesn't see any serious preparedness in the military force and other security forces in the country.

I dont see any real preparedness of the population, I dont see any real preparedness of the military forces and security forces. I think we should be concerned about that but we should also learn to put things in context rather than intimidating ourselves. I dont wish Ghana to be attacked by terrorist groups but we have to put it in a context that even if it happens, the effect will be very negligible so let us put things in the context and stop frightening ourselves that the terrorists are going to take over, he asserted.

This conversation follows the recent terrorist attacks in neighboring countries such as Cote-D'Ivoire, Burkinafaso, and even the alarming one in Nigeria, where unknown gunmen recently attacked and killed scores of worshipers of the Catholic church in Southwestern Nigeria, Owo state.
The Malawian hit song, Moyo wa Mtawoni, meaning 'the town life', was released some 20 years ago by musician Ben Michael Mankhamba. It addressed the challenges of living in urban areas and praised the laissez-faire lifestyle of villages.

The song resonated with many - not strange in a country where the majority lives below the poverty line and where urban poverty is on an upward trajectory.

Fast forward a few years later: he was crowned the leader of Chingalire Village, outside Malawi's capital Lilongwe, a development that would be a milestone in his life.

When I was installed as a chief, I just accepted it and age-wise I was also mature enough to come to the village and take the position. But it was a tough decision to make, Mankhamba told RFI's Africa Calling.

Village homestay

Nestled inside a woodland, Chingalire village is very different from other villages, even though urban development is just a few kilometres away. Mankhamba has transformed the village into a centre for cultural preservation.

The idea is to expose visitors, including international tourists, to typical Malawian village life and Mankhamba describes it as a great place to share village life and where a real exchange of knowledge between guests and villagers takes place.

The homestay also preserves history by passing on folktales to the young people, as well as traditional dances.

It's a model cultural village where tourists or people who just want to know about the Malawian culture can come and learn a few things - maybe language, dressing, manners and food, he says.

The centre has a women's empowerment group, an under-five clinic, an amphitheater and a youth club where the young perform traditional dances.

In addition to performing at the centre, the dancers are hired to perform across the country.

Not only does this keep the young people busy and prevents them from getting involved in harmful behaviour. They also earn money too.

Dozens of the young people participating in the village told Africa Calling that they use the money to buy school supplies while others supplement their family's income.

Some parents weren't happy initially about their dedication to the dancing, but have come around to it, he says.

The other thing is that we have elders from different villages who are storytellers and we invite them to tell stories about old folktales. It's one way of also teaching and passing on history to the youth, he added.

Cultural and environmental

The chief is also passionate about the environment and actively protects the woodland and the animals that are found at the centre.

As well as encouraging his 'subjects' to plant trees, he also trains women to make stoves that use less wood.

The establishment has 10 permanent workers and employs dozens more for short periods of time when there is a performance. Mankhamba said the people in the village are reaping the benefits of the centre from learning to plant trees in their household, as well as keeping the traditions alive.

The initiative is commendable, as youth are exposed to the traditional values at a time when this is scarce, especially in the urban settings, according to Mwayi Lusaka, a lecturer in history and heritage studies at Mzuzu University.

He notes that the dances performed at the cultural village are not specific to Malawian ethnic groups, but also comes from neighbouring countries from which these groups originated.

In every culture there is a context and medium in which they express their identity, in which they communicate their cultural values, says Lusaka.

For example, the cultural values to do with initiation, teaching right conduct and behaviour among the youth who are graduating to adulthood and these dances are the medium through which these cultural values are transmitted. Apart from being a vehicle, they are also a signifier of identity and belonging, he adds.

Metamorphosis of chief and village

Mankhamba's new role entailed a change of his funky look, including chopping off his trademark dreadlocks.

The elders thought it was not good for the community and I was forced to chop them off. It was really bad because it was like I lost my identity, says Mankhamba, adding that no one recognized him on the street.

People thought I had stopped performing and doing music which made me lose gigs because everyone thought I had quit music. Yet, I was still doing music and it is just that maybe my looks changed, he says.

Today, although Mankhamba's songs don't receive massive airplay compared to the previous decade, the older generation still holds on to them dearly. He still performs for corporate functions and transfers the proceeds to his foundation.

But how does someone who was accustomed to the stage light and the bustle of urban life feel comfortable with country life?

"It was tough at first, but when I started doing what am doing in the village, working with the youth and doing cultural works, my passion for the project helped, he says.

I'm now proud and I don't regret that I left the town and came here to the village.

This story was originally heard on RFI's Africa Calling podcast.
The Supreme Court has thrown out an application filed by Operator of Ghana's Sankofa oil field, ENI Ghana Limited and its partner Vitol Upstream Ghana Limited to quash the payment of 30 per cent of revenue from the sale of crude oil as ordered by the High Court.

An Accra High Court (Commercial Division) on January 24, 2022, ordered ENI Ghana Limited and its partner Vitol Upstream Ghana Limited to pay 30 per cent of revenue from the sale of crude oil to the Court Registrar.

The Supreme Court said the application was unmeritorious and that the order made on January 26, 2022, was beneficial to both parties and still holds.

The Court, therefore, awarded GH10,000 cost against ENI/Vitol.

The payment, which is estimated to be about US$40million monthly, commences from June 25, 2021, the date of the original ruling and continues every month afterwards until the substantive matter is determined.

Upon receipt of the payment, the Registrar will then pay the same into an escrow account and furnish the Court and the parties with records of payment.

The Court presided over by Justice Mariama Sammo made the order Monday, January 24, 2022, following an application by Springfield Exploration and Production Limited, Operators of the West Cape Three Points (WCTP) Block 2 for the Court's clear interpretation of its earlier ruling.

Springfield's application was precipitated by ENI and Vitol's failure to comply with the Court's ruling of June 25, 2021.

On June 25, 2021, the Court ruled in favour of Springfield Exploration and Production Limited's application to freeze revenues received by Eni and Vitol from the sale of crude oil from the Sankofa field pending determination of their substantive case filed in July 2020.

The companies have been in dispute since an April 2020 directive was issued by the Ministry of Energy to unitize the Afina and Sankofa fields to ensure optimal recovery of the resources in the common reservoir in the interest of all the parties involved, including the State.

GNA
Tourists enjoy a meal in the sun during the May Day holiday in Songjiahe village in Mozitan town, Anhui province. XINHUA How much can a mountain village change in about five years? The remarkable transformation of Songjiahe village in Mozitan town in East China's Anhui province may provide an answer. From a remote, backward village to a must-visit tourism destination, Songjiahe's transition trajectory is nothing short of astounding. Located at the old revolutionary base area of the Dabie Mountains, Songjiahe received nearly 100,000 tourists last year, despite the pandemic, raking in a revenue of over 1 million yuan (about $148,000). The story was, however, completely different before 2016. The village was marred by dilapidated old houses and served only by rugged, barely passable mountain roads. Today, however, Songjiahe is connected to the outside world by black ribbons of asphalt, making it a hidden treasure amid nature's pristine artistry. "Limited farmland in the mountainous area forced locals, especially the young people, to move out of their native village and seek employment in big cities," says Cheng Hao, a native of Songjiahe. Due to poor transportation in the deep mountains, locals were even reluctant to go to the county seat 40 kilometers away, says the 33-year-old Cheng, who played a major role in Songjiahe's transformation. "I began working in the county seat in 2011 after graduating from university, but, in 2016, I made the decision to return to Songjiahe and work to improve my village," he adds. After his return, Cheng joined the family-run tea business and started to incorporate his own ideas. Thanks to the standardized tea production workshop that he set up, the income of local tea farmers increased by 15,000 yuan per household, and in 2021, the village's income from tea production exceeded 10 million yuan. However, in Cheng's view, given its seasonal nature, tea alone was not enough to bring about fundamental changes in the village. So, he continued to explore more pragmatic and viable solutions. Cheng formed a team of more than 10 individuals, all under the age of 40, since new industries require youthful energy. Many of them are from Songjiahe, who have returned to their rural home from big cities. Since 2018, Cheng has led his team to work with the local community, setting up a tourism company and exploring new ways to integrate the development of cultural tourism, rural tourism and ecotourism. Several "wandering cabin" homestays have been set up to attract tourists. "I bought them from South China's Guangdong province last year and these cabins feature a standard hotel room," Cheng says, adding that his team has also built a river rafting project, spanning about 1 km, in the village. With limited long-distance travel due to sporadic, domestic COVID-19 resurgences, camping has become a popular holiday activity among Chinese people. Cheng jumped on the bandwagon and purchased tents, awnings and barbecue grills to rent out at the start of this year. During the May Day holiday, Songjiahe village held more than 20 camping activities. "We will continue to enrich our tourism sector to ensure Songjiahe attracts more visitors," Cheng says.
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) says it is difficult to measure the productivity of public sector workers against their salaries under the current salary structure.

The Commission said there was supposed to be a component of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) linking pay to productivity, but that component was yet to be implemented.

Mr Earl Ankrah, Acting Director, Research, Monitoring, Evaluation and Head of Public Affairs, FWSC, told the Ghana News Agency that a holistic review of the SSPP would incorporate that aspect where the output of public servants would be measured.

The whole conversation about the Single Spine did not come as a salary issue but a complete issue with productivity and indeed on the Single Spine, we have what we call linking pay to productivity, a way of ensuring that Government employees are earning their salaries rightfully.

But we are yet to go into that phase of linking pay to productivity, and once we get there, we will be in a good position to establish whether or not public sector workers are being overpaid or underpaid, he said.

There have been conflicting opinions about whether the salaries of public sector workers commiserated with their work output.

Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, Government's Statistician, reignited the debate in his inaugural lecture at the University of Cape Coast last Thursday by suggesting that public sector workers are generally overpaid for work done.

He argued that while earnings averaged about GH3,420 for the public sector worker, output in the sector averaged about GH1,420, less than half the earnings.

His assertion triggered sharp rebuttals, with the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) calling on the Government's Statistician to provide data to back his claim.

There were similar reactions from other labour unions.

Mr Ankrah said the FWSC could not agree or dispute Prof. Annim's findings because it was based on his personal research.

He said once the SSPP was reviewed, the Commission would be able to assess the productivity of public servants by analysing the performance appraisals of the various Departments and Agencies.

Productivity issues happen at the Departments, Agencies level. In most institutions, performance appraisals are done, starting with the setting of targets for employees, which is reviewed in the middle of the year and then at the end of the year.

Once that is done, then Fair Wages will come in to collate appraisal results and then we will strike a certain balance between their salaries and performances to productivity then we will be able to tell if public servants are being paid, overpaid or underpaid, he said.

The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, in April this year, set up a nine-member Technical Committee to review the SSPP and submit report in three months.

Chaired by Dr Alhassan Iddrisu of the Ministry of Finance, the Committee is to among others, identify the key challenges in the implementation of the SSPP, including linking performance to pay, market premium and administration of salary differentials in the public sector.

GNA
07.06.2022 LISTEN

Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar, Executive Director of the West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism (WACCE), has warned Ghanaians against instilling fear and panic among themselves with threats of a terrorist attack.

Although he pleaded for increased vigilance to prevent any potential attack, he cautioned against causing panic within the system.

He explained on the New Day show on TV3, an Accra-based TV station on Monday, June 6, 2022, that although many countries are dealing with terror attacks, they do not let this interfere with their normal daily lives.

More importantly, I think the conversation we should also be having is how not to create panic in the system. Many countries are dealing with terrorism and yet it does not get in the way of their normal daily life as people and so, it is important that that part of the conversation is featured in our conversation, he said.

His warning is in response to Deputy National Security Coordinator Edward Kweku Asomani's recent claim that Ghana is the target of a terror attack.

According to Mr. Asomani, terrorists have primarily targeted resource-rich countries including Ghana's abundance of natural resources which makes it a prime target for terrorists.

On Sunday, May 22, Mr. Asomani addressed a press conference on the measures put in place to prevent the attacks from occurring in the country, indicating that Ghanaians are not immune to terrorism because the attackers appear to be targeting countries rich in natural resources, and as such, Ghana could also be a target.

We are not insulated from those attacks therefore, we know that the terrorists want access to the sea, the nature of the various attacks we have all seen in the sub-region indicates that wherever they go there is some form of mineral or natural resource there particularly gold. So the question therefore is, if they attack cities and towns in Burkina Faso that have gold deposits then Ghana can be a target. We are therefore a target that is why we are here today to seek the support of Ghanaians, Mr. Asomani emphasised.
Two Indian-born brothers who allegedly wove a web of corruption across South Africa have been arrested in Dubai and face extradition, in a landmark step in Pretoria's anti-graft fight.

Dubai police confirmed Tuesday they had arrested Atul and Rajesh Gupta after receiving a so-called red notice from Interpol, and were coordinating with the South African authorities for their extradition.

South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority confirmed the contact but gave no details, saying extradition processes were complex and involved heads of states.

The arrests took place on June 2, according to the UAE's state news agency.

They bring a glimmer of hope that the alleged masterminds behind South Africa's darkest corruption scandal will face prosecution after years of legal fog and delay.

The two tycoons are accused of paying bribes for state contracts and wielding influence over ministerial appointments in a scandal that clouded former president Jacob Zuma's administration and eventually forced him from office.

By one estimate, several billion dollars were lost to the South African economy as a result of their activities.

After Zuma resigned in February 2018, his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa took over.

Ramaphosa vowed to make the fight against graft the cornerstone of his presidency. But prosecutions have been rare, public scepticism runs deep and Ramaphosa himself is now fighting accusations of scandal.

'State capture'

The Guptas came to South Africa in 1993, eventually building a sprawling empire in mining, computer technology and media. Some members of their family were granted South African citizenship.

But the pair and other family members fled the country shortly after a judicial commission, launched in 2018, started probing "state capture" -- the alleged looting of state assets -- and the brothers' influence over the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

After arduous investigations, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo this year published a report that described how the brothers became intertwined with the highest levels of government and the ANC.

The family befriended Zuma to the point where they influenced cabinet appointments and infiltrated state-owned enterprises, where they secured some of the juiciest contracts, it said.

Zuma "would do anything that the Guptas wanted him to do for them", Zondo said in his report published this year.

Zuma was last year jailed for 15 months for refusing to testify before the investigators. He was released on parole, having served just two months.

An independent investigator estimated that the cost of the Guptas' alleged illicit activities in South Africa could be as much as 50 billion rand ($3.2 billion) over the years.

Their current arrest is however for fraud and money laundering in connection with a 25-million-rand contract paid to a Gupta-linked company for an agricultural feasibility study.

Their arrests came almost a year after Interpol issued a red notice -- a global alert enabling law enforcement to arrest a person sought for prosecution or to serve a custodial sentence and hold them pending extradition.

A third brother, Ajay Gupta, is not cited in the current case, but has been named in another embezzlement and corruption case.

Ramaphosa's problems

The ANC lauded the arrests, calling for the extradition to be expedited.

"The latest developments underscore the commitment of the ANC-led government to rigorously root out all forms of corruption," it said in a statement.

Zuma is on trial for corruption in a separate case dating back to when he was vice president. By Jerome Delay (POOL/AFP)

The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) said it hoped the detentions marked "the beginning of arrests and prosecution of those who have... looted our country for years and are directly responsible for the hardships that millions of South Africans face today".

Ramaphosa, meanwhile, is enmeshed in a growing scandal centred on the theft of cash from his sprawling cattle and game farm.

He is accused of buying the silence of the burglars, who were allegedly detained on his property.

He fiercely denies the allegations, which have surfaced as he vies to stay on as ruling party leader when his term expires in December.

"The ones who are pursuing the corrupt also have skeletons in the cupboards," said Sandile Swana, an independent political analyst, who believed Ramaphosa would probably retain his presidency despite the "Farmgate" scandal.

Julius Malema, leader of the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters, wants Ramaphosa "to step aside with immediate effect" over the farm scandal.

burs-jv-sn/imm
Malian forces and local armed groups have launched a bid to recapture a jihadist-held border town in a region where hundreds of civilians have died in the past few months, sources there say.

Fighting has been unfolding over the last few days at the strategic town of Anderamboukane near the border with Niger, located in central Mali's Menaka region.

The clashes have pitched Mali's armed forces and local allies, mainly ethnic Tuaregs, against militants allied to the Islamic State group, the sources say.

"A big part of the Menaka region is under the control of the jihadists today," Abdoul Wahab ag Ahmed Mohamed, head of Menaka's interim authorities, told AFP.

"From March to May, several hundred civilians were killed and between 20,000 and 30,000 people displaced," said Moussa Ag Acharatoumane, leader of the Movement for the Salvation of Asawad (MSA), a Tuareg group which is fighting the jihadists. The figure for the displaced chimes with UN estimates.

The head of the UN's MINUSMA mission to Mali, El Ghassim Wane, described the situation in the Menaka region as "extremely dramatic" in a visit on May 31.

Jihadists in northern Mali launched a revolt in 2012 that three years later spread to the centre of the country -- an ethnic powder-keg where the militants inflamed long-running community friction.

From there, the insurgency spread into neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso.

Across the Sahel, thousands of people have lost their lives and more than two million have fled their homes.

Malian forces pulled out of Anderamboukane in late 2019 as part of a redeployment in the face of relentless jihadist attacks.

Pro-government forces on Saturday said they had wrested "total control" of the town and "routed" the jihadists. Since then, there have been conflicting reports over who controls the town.

But information from the remote, conflict-torn region is sketchy, and Mali's ruling junta has been relatively tight-lipped about operations there.

The attempt to recapture the town coincides with a military pullout from Mali by France -- the country's traditional ally -- and its European partners.

Relations between Mali and its erstwhile colonial power soured after Bamako wove closer ties with the Kremlin, bringing in Russian military operatives that Paris says are mercenaries.

UN warning

In a report last week to the Security Council, UN chief Antonio Guterres sounded the alarm for the so-called tri-border area, where the borders of Niger, Mali and Burkina converge.

In Menaka, "inter-community relations have also worsened, with most recent attacks sparking reprisals against local Fulani, based on claims that they supported previous attacks against the Daoussahak," one of the Tuareg groups, the report said.

"Attacks by violent extremist groups have become increasingly sophisticated, well-organized and deadly. This triggered the displacement of an estimated 32,000 people," it said.

Map of Mali locating the capital Bamako and key towns of Menaka, Gao and Kidal. By (AFP)

On Monday, several dozen inhabitants of Menaka staged a demonstration, with banners condemning "the silence over the massacre of civilians in Menaka (and) Gao" and appealing for the state to deploy forces in the area.

Mali has been run by a military junta since August 2020, when colonels angered at failures to roll back the jihadists toppled the country's elected leader, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

"The state is aware of the situation in the Menaka region and every measure is being taken to prevent the region from falling into the jihadists' hands," a senior military source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Ousmane Diallo, an Amnesty International specialist on Mali, said the IS-affiliated jihadists in Menaka had suffered a string of "tactical losses" in the last two years.

Today, though, the French pullout has given the jihadists "greater room to manoeuvre," he said. "The government's response is still wanting, three months after the first attacks."

lal-sd-kt-ah/jhd/ri
07.06.2022 LISTEN

The 2016 Parliamentary Candidate for the Progressive People's Party (PPP) in Jomoro Constituency of the Western Region, Mr. Mathieu Kwao Bentho has defected to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Announcing his defection over the weekend at a press conference at Elubo, Mr Mathieu Kwao Bentho stated that the NDC remains now the best political party in Ghana.

He also added that as compared to the NPP, the NDC had done more development than the NPP and also has the development of Ghana at heart hence his decision to join the party (NDC).

"As the 2016 Parliamentary Candidate (PC), Progressive People's Party (PPP) and with my sixteen (16) years experience in active and behind the scenes in politics, I have come to firmly resolved that, it is the National Democratic Congress Party (NDC) that can be trusted with the destiny and the development of this beautiful country, Ghana, hence my decision to defect and join the national democratic party", he said.

He used the opportunity to emphasize that he was not joining the NDC to compete or fight for any position in the party but just to be an ordinary member to support the party to recapture in 2024.

"I wish to emphatically state that my decision to defect and join the NDC is not to compete in any position but serve the party as an ordinary new party member as any other faithful member will serve", he pledged.

He also pledged to support the NDC's Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro, Madam Dorcas Afo-Toffey to succeed.

"Let me also state it clear that I don't have any ambition to contest as a Parliamentary Candidate so nobody should think that I have joined the NDC for any contest any one including the Hon MP, Madam Dorcas Afo-Toffey in Jomoro", he emphasized.

He added that, "As the common adage goes, I have carried the PPP, the NPP and the NDC and I have come to know which party cares and I have settled with the NDC. The love is deep and the NDC is caring."

Mr. Kwao Bentho who was the PPP Western Regional Second Vice Chairman in 2012 advised the youth of Jomoro, Ellembelle, Evalue Ajomoro-Gwira and Ghana at large that if they wish to secure their future, the NDC should be their choice not the NPP.

"My uncle Peter Nwawan was the first parliamentary candidate in jomoro constituency for the NPP and He led all to join the NPP though we belonged to the NDC before I became the PPP Parliamentary Candidate in 2016. As the adage goes, I have carried the NDC, the NPP and the PPP and I know which is heavy. I have come to conclude after sixteen (16) years of experience in active and behind scene politics that the NPP can never be trusted with what they say or promise," he stressed.

He, therefore, called on his followers who voted for him in 2016 to join him in NDC to help former President John Mahama win the 2024 general elections and Hon. Dorcas Afo-Toffey to rescue Ghana from collapsing.

"The Akufo-Addo government with mouthwatering promises ascended to power but the result is clear incompetence. Today you can't buy anything, everything has increased, prices of goods and services have all skyrocketed, the youth of this country are not getting work to do and most have lost total hope in the NPP and its government.

"I therefore wish to use this medium to call on my followers who voted for me in the 2016 general elections to join me in NDC to campaign and vote massively for His Excellency John Dramani Mahama to become president to rescue the country", and the NDC's Members of Parliament, Hon Dorcas Afo-Toffey in Jomoro, Hon Armah Kofi Buah in Ellembele and Hon Kofi Nokoe (KAN) in Evalue Ajomoro-Gwira constituencies to retain their parliamentary seats come 2024 to help develop our Nzemaland and Ghana at large," he emphasised.

Moreover, the leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the area has welcomed him to the party and promised to work tirelessly with him to maintain the Jomoro Parliamentary seat and recapture the presidential seat for John Mahama in 2024.
PM Elisabeth Borne has condemned as "outrageous" comments by Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the new left-wing Nupes alliance, following a fatal police shooting over the weekend. The issue of police violence has entered a close parliamentary election battle between Nupes and allies of centrist President Macron.

Police killed a passenger in a car in northern Paris on Saturday after the vehicle failed to stop when summoned by officers and then allegedly drove towards them at speed.

The three officers, taken into custody, were released without charge on Tuesday, their lawyer said.

The shooting came just a week after police were widely condemned over their conduct at the Champions League final in Paris, where security forces teargassed fans and failed to stop street crime by local youths.

Images of frustrated passengers being teargassed outside a Paris train station over the weekend after rail services were cancelled also drove questions about their methods.

"If you vote for me, I'll change the doctrine governing the use of force by the police in our country," Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the Nupes left-wing alliance, told France Inter radio on Tuesday.

"It's not normal that we kill someone for failing to stop," he added, saying that four people had died in such circumstances in four months.

"The police kill," he tweeted on Saturday, sparking condemnation from rival politicians and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin ahead of the two-stage vote on June 12 and 19.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne condemned Melenchon's comments.

"I'm very shocked by the way Jean-Luc Melenchon systematically criticises the police with such totally outrageous speech," she told France Bleu radio on Tuesday. "The police have a difficult job in serving the French."

Divisive issue

The three officers involved in Saturday's shooting say they opened fire on the car in self-defence and their lawyer claims there is video evidence to back them up.

The 38-year-old driver, who has been hospitalised with a throat injury, has a long criminal record and no driving licence, Le Parisien newspaper reported.

A woman in the front seat was hit in the head by one of the "eight or nine shots" fired in the capital's 18th district.

The use of force by French police is a divisive political issue in France, with Melenchon and other left-wingers frequently criticising security forces.

Darmanin said Monday that police "deserve respect" and that "insulting them dishonours those that want to govern".

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said Tuesday that Melenchon "is always on the side of thugs, of criminals. He's never on the side of the security forces."

"It's not because someone has died that the police have done something that is open to criticism," she told Franceinfo, adding that police had the right to defend themselves.

The killing of police by jihadists as well as suspected drug dealers in recent years has led to public sympathy for their plight.

A policewoman was killed in southwest France in July 2020 when a car refused to stop and drove through a checkpoint, prompting an outcry at the time.

Police unions also complain about poor pay for officers and difficult working conditions, particularly in low-income suburbs where there is deep rooted hostility towards them.

'French Chavez'

Campaigning ahead of the first round of voting this Sunday is set to intensify this week, with Macron making several trips around the country to lend support to his centrist "Ensemble" ("Together") coalition.

Surveys suggest "Together" is on course for a narrow majority, but the results are viewed as hard to forecast because abstention is predicted to reach record levels of around 50 percent.

Melenchon and the Nupes alliance  which groups his France Unbowed party, the Socialists, Greens and Communists  are hoping to block newly re-elected Macron by winning a majority.

The first results  for 11 constituencies representing French people living overseas  were published on Monday.

After a first round of voting at the weekend, they showed Macron's candidates finishing top in eight out of the 11 as expected, but Nupes candidates making major gains compared with the last polls in 2017.

Macron's Republic on the Move (LREM) party and allies have upped their attacks on Melenchon in recent days, which analysts see as a sign of nervousness.

Senior MP Christophe Castaner said the former Trotskyist promised a "Soviet revolution", while Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire called him a "French Chavez" in reference to late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.

Melenchon is promising to lower the retirement age to 60, introduce wealth taxes on companies and high-earners, and hike the minimum wage by around 15 percent.

Macron needs a parliamentary majority in order to push through his domestic agenda of tax cuts, welfare reform and raising the retirement age.

The 44-year-old defeated Le Pen in the second round of the presidential election on April 24, winning a second five-year term.

(with AFP)
07.06.2022 LISTEN

The president of Ghana, Nana Addo, has come under fierce attack by the opposition National Democratic Party and some known media houses. Joynews Kojo Yankson took Akufo-Addo to the cleanest by chiding him for ignoring the plight of Ghanaians at the expense of a cathedral. He sought to say that Akufo-Addos promise cannot be representative of the views of Ghanaians but his own. The Honorable Okudjeto Ablakwa had suggested that the government's determination to fund the National Cathedral is a stab in the back of Ghanaians who are suffering under the current government. He further suggested that the president might end up in Hell for erring in his decision to fund the National Cathedral with the states money whilst the masses are wallowing in poverty and despair.

I found it very intrigued about how these media houses and the opposition NDC could situate discussions on the Cathedral around the president and seek to discredit him for his intention to do something for God. First of all, the National Cathedral cannot be a personal promise of Akufo-Addo as they had suggested. Akuffo Addo as the president of Ghana is a supreme leader of the country and is the spiritual leader through whom God, Principality, Powers and other spirits communicate to Ghanaians or talk to Ghanaians. So if prior to becoming a president he decides to think for Ghana about how we can get a commonplace for merging our faith to worship the ONE GOD, it cannot be described as a personal promise. When the president cut the sod for the construction of the Cathedral he indicated that the edifice is to thank God for his mercies upon the nation and fill in the missing link of the national architecture of not having a National Cathedral. I find it very surprising that the governments commitment to contribute funds to the construction of the Cathedral could be greeted with indifferences to the level of such backlash.

We all agree that the countrys economic situation is wobbling but we cannot sum up our challenges and pretend that 25million cedis are needed to feed every child on the street as Kojo Yankson of Joyfm seeks to paint. It is highly unfair since everyone knows that successive governments had failed to address the problems of the country adequately. Indeed, NABCO, National Service personnel and some other sectors workers are yet to receive their remunerations. The government indeed need enough money to bail out ailing sectors of the economy but is also false that 25million cedis are needed to resolve all these chronic issues. In the Bible, David had a desire to build a house for God not because it was his promise but as a dedication to God for his mercies on behalf of the nation. What Nana Addo did was not different from the biblical footprint of Davids actions. Importantly, the National Cathedral is going to be an asset to Ghana, a kind of tourist attraction boost for the nation. All proceeds that will culminate from the use of the cathedral after its construction come to the nations coffers. So if government invest in his construction, he knows that the monies are not going to waste but will be recouped back into the economy. So simply, it is a form of investment.

We must thank the President for this single vision and initiative and not count Ghanas problem as though the National Cathedrals money is the only money Ghana needs to solve her numerous problems. We pray for a better Ghana and we also pray for Gods blessings upon the nation even as we build a Cathedral in his name.

BY Isaac Ofori

Educationist, Motivational Speaker, Student
Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) joins billions of citizens around the world to celebrate World Food Safety Day with this years theme being Safer Food, Better Health. We find the theme very appropriate to inspire responsible and thorough policy making which will endure to the benefit of human health as well as that of animal life and the environment.

With the experiences of millions around the world on the real effects of climate change, it is crucial to ensure that in the food production value chain, there is a more ecological approach to protect the environment and biodiversity. We must see it our responsibility as consumers not to encourage businesses which pollute the earth while growing our food. We must make conscious decisions to support companies that manufacture in a responsible manner although our first preference should be to get access to fresh food from as close to home as possible.

We therefore repeat our call to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health to ban the use of dangerous chemicals in our food production like glyphosate-based pesticides and herbicides. the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as well as the World Health Organisation have all expressed concerns about the effect of such chemicals on human health and the environment.

A little over four years ago, on 4th March, 2018, news broke out in Ghana, that four persons have died at Akakpokope, a village in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region after consuming popular delicacy, banku and okro soup. The victims were said to belong to two separate families who coincidentally seemed to have eaten the same meal. (See: 4 dead after eating banku and okro soup  https://t.co/PgciWmXcCI ). Laboratory results confirmed that the Banku dish that claimed the lives of persons at Akakpokofe in the Volta Region contained some poisonous substances, according to the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).

The victims complained of stomach ache after eating the popular Ghanaian staple, banku and okro soup, and died soon after they were admitted to the hospital. In a release issued Wednesday, 14th March, 2018, the FDA stated that Laboratory results receivedindicated the presence of Chlorpyrifos, a very toxic substance found in commonly used pesticides which when ingested can cause death.  Banku deaths: Lab results reveal corn flour contained pesticide  FDA | General News 2018-03-14 https://t.co/iXGhR0yvkw

Even before the purchase and release of the chemical product to Ghanaian farmers by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Chlorpyrifos was already notorious as a neurotoxic insecticide linked to lower IQs and ADD in exposed children. We repeat the call for the ban of the use of such toxic and expensive imported inputs in our food production.

On this auspicious day FSG repeats its calls on the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to take all necessary measures to ensure that there is mandatory labelling of all food and feed in Ghana containing genetically modified organisms (GMO) as ingredients.

These concerns about our food safety come at a time when the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has received an application for the commercial release of genetically modified cowpeas. As a civil society organisation interested in advocacy for the rights of citizens, we are very concerned that there exists no long term epidemiological studies on the consumption of a genetically modified cowpea anywhere in the world and so the claims of its safety are therefore not based on science and deliberately misleading to potential consumers who may have this as a valid concern before endorsing such a product for their families to consume.. The cowpea is a very important staple crop in Ghana and the entire sub-region and so the implications of the loss of biodiversity in local varieties upon the release of a GM Cowpea is something that we should see as a clear food security risk and certainly a violation of the nations food sovereignty as an indigenous home of the cowpea.

It would be recalled that in his ruling on the case, dismissing an interlocutory injunction on the commercial release of Bt cowpea, the first of a series of GM crops in the pipeline for Ghana, Food Sovereignty Ghana & 3 ors Vs National Biosafety Committee & 4 ors, the judge, His Lordship Sir Justice Denis Agyei, stated: The law is that GMOs should be differentiated from organic or natural cause, and should be labelled to enable consumers know the products to take an informed decision. [13] Ruling On GMO Case: Food Sovereignty Ghana & 3 ors Vs National Biosafety Committee & 4 ors, Suit No. HRCM 43/15 29th Oct. 2015.

What FSG is asking for ought not to be controversial. The FDAs own General Labelling Rules, 1992, (L. I. 1514) stipulate that food labelling be informative and accurate. Labelling of packaged and prepackaged products is for purposes of health, food safety and need to know. The minimum labelling requirements are that labelling should be clear, concise and in English. We insist that there is a need to know if the food or feed contains GMOs. Traceability and culpability leads to responsibility and responsibility leads to safety.

We wish to state categorically that our right to know what is in our food is a fundamental human right. It is not up for debate. There is no way our laws on the labelling of GMOs should be voluntary, as some stakeholders appear to be suggesting.

Ghanas agriculture does not need GMOs. All the independent experts agree. As mentioned earlier in reference to the proposed release of a GM cowpea, there is no scientific consensus on the safety of GMOs. This is the position of independent scientists with expertise related to the subject, published in a reputed peer-reviewed scientific journal (see: https://t.co/PP917ONTfa ).

A mandatory labeling regime is the only national effort that can be implemented to make Ghanas food market unattractive for inferior goods that may be rejected by foreign markets and shipped to countries with weak and voluntary labeling legislation.

We also use this opportunity to send a message to the general public on the importance of observing strict hygiene and safety when it comes to the preparation and sale of food. It is essential to ensure the highest standards of cleanliness in the preparation spaces as well as the hygienic transportation of food from sources and to the customer.
The Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi, has urged Ghanaians of all religious persuasions to voluntarily contribute to the construction of the National Cathedral.

Plans for the construction of a National Cathedral continue to generate lively debate although Government insists it will be funded by the private sector and serve as a multi-purpose national edifice, some have raised concern about its usefulness and cost.

The lawmaker underscored the importance of the Cathedral, and urged all to help build it for Ghana and for the glory of God.

As you all know, there are efforts to build a National Cathedral. It is very important that we build the Cathedral. It is a voluntary exercise; anybody who wants to contribute can contribute. I have contributed, and I will contribute some more. So I encourage everybody to think about it, and lets build it. It is not for anybody. It is for Ghana and for the glory of God, Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi exclusively told Accra-based Kingdom FM.

He added, "A voluntary, national contribution to the construction of the Cathedral would further cement Ghanas standing as a religiously-diverse country living at peace with itself."

Ghana is Africas second most peaceful country, with adherents of many religions living and working together to build the nation. The construction of the Cathedral would add further to our enviable record of peaceful co-existence, he stated.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, accompanied by senior members of the Clergy, laid the foundation stone for the Cathedral on March 5, 2020 to signal the start of construction. A National Cathedral Secretariat has since been set up to raise funds from individuals and the private sector for its construction, while work continues apace.

The cathedral will house a series of impressive chapels, a baptistery, a 5000-seat two-level auditorium, a grand central hall, music school, choir rehearsal, art gallery, shop and multi-use spaces. It will also be home to Africas first Bible Museum and Documentation Centre, dedicated to Christianity and nation-building in Ghana.
On 4th December 2021, The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa, held its presidential election. The successful election and transfer of power were a powerful message toward Gambia's successful transition into a democratic society. To recall, in the last election five years ago, the people of Gambia rejected their authoritarian leader Yahya Jammeh through a democratic election. Thus, the present election was the first one in 27 years when the name of the deposed and exiled dictator Jammeh did not appear on the Gambian ballot.

Sudan after Bashir and Egypt after Mubarak are good examples of how a transitioning country may fall apart quickly once a strong leader departs. From that perspective, the peaceful conduct of the election should be seen as historic.

While six candidates ran for the country's top job, including incumbent President Adama Barrow, there were 25 nominations at the beginning. Ninety per cent of Gambians, or about 860,000 people, exercised their democratic rights. Despite Jammeh's substantial clout, the election went off without a hitch. A large turnout demonstrated Gambians' determination to choose their future leader and spoke loudly for the country's law and order.

A unique voting system

The Gambia has used a unique voting system for its legislative and presidential elections for the past 55 years. Instead of paper ballots or voting machines, marbles have been used to cast votes. The British introduced this technique to promote greater involvement among the population because the illiteracy rate was relatively high during their independence in 1965. The rate of illiteracy has decreased in the 50 years since the country's independence. On the other hand, the marble voting mechanism is still in use.

Under this approach, instead of ballot boxes, a metal cylinder with a hole in the top is installed at the polling station. When a voter arrives at a polling site, the polling agents verify his identity. Following the verification, they are directed to various coloured drums, one for each political party, each with a photo of the candidates printed on it. Then, based on their favourite candidate, voters place their marble on one of the drums.

The counting procedure is even more straightforward: marbles are emptied into a square tray with dotted holes, and the count is done on the spot. This on-the-spot counting ensures fairness and contributes to the public's trust in the voting process.

In the Gambia, the election system is based on first past the post. It means that the party with the highest number of votes is proclaimed the winner regardless of the margin. As the number of candidates grows, the system becomes more complex and logistically challenging, as each candidate must have their drum. Despite various revisions to the voting method, Gambia has elected to preserve its own voting system.

In addition to being the most basic method of voting, the procedure has so far proven to be fair and transparent, with no evidence of rigging. In fact, despite the fact that this method of voting is outdated, it was used to remove a 27-year dictatorship in 2016.

British established this unique way of voting with marble in 1965 as an inclusive approach, allowing the uneducated masses to identify who they are voting for and exercise their democratic right without difficulty. It was a salute to simplicity in the face of the world's elite-driven voting system. Even though voting with marbles appears to be a retrograde electoral method, it is nevertheless convincing due to its simplicity and immunity to voter fraud and suppression in today's modern voting system based on upgraded technology.

The incumbent President, Adama Barrow, was declared the winner with an overwhelming majority when the results were announced on 5th December. He received approximately 53% of the vote, while his closest challenger, Oussainou Darboe, received only 28%. Although his win was challenged by four of the five opposition parties, there was no serious pre- or post-election violence. Even though opposition leaders disputed the outcome, it was most likely just a ploy to keep their followers energised. In any case, because a written appeal to the court did not accompany the verbal challenge, the case was prima facie dismissed.

Elections are usually tampered with and rigged in other nations with different voting procedures because of the transit of votes. On the other hand, the votes are counted on the spot, at the source, in full view of everyone. In reality, former Gambian president Jammeh, who is better known for his tyranny, instituted this counting on the spot in 2016. Despite the fact that he mistreated individuals, he never interfered with the system since he was sure of his ability to win. In 2016, for the first time in Gambian history, President Jammeh lost a democratic election to Adama Barrow; it was clear proof that the electoral system has been working.

The Gambian democracy has triumphed again. The Gambian marble voting system may be elementary, but its simplicity could spark a powerful allure for any country afflicted by the convoluted election process. There have been debates about switching to paper ballots in order to comply with modern voting standards. However, there appears to be no rationale for modifying the system as long as it can produce fair results. As famed Italian polymath, Leonardo da Vinci famously said, "Simplicity is the greatest sophistication".
Soldiers killed nine civilians including a baby in one of Cameroon's conflict-scarred anglophone regions last week in a "misunderstanding", the defence ministry said on Tuesday.

Four troops were searching for a missing colleague on June 1 when they encountered "a group of frenzied villagers", the ministry said in a statement.

They opened fire, killing four women, four men and an 18-month-old girl and slightly wounding a 12-month-old baby, it said.

The incident took place in Missong in the Northwest Region, it said.

The statement, in an exceptionally swift condemnation, described their action as "inappropriate, ill-suited for the circumstances and manifestly disproportionate" and said the troops had been detained pending the outcome of an investigation.

The Northwest and neighbouring Southwest Region are home to most of the anglophone minority in majority French-speaking Cameroon.

After years of chafing at perceived discrimination, anglophone militants declared an independent state in the two regions in 2017, triggering a crackdown by the authorities.

The spiral of fighting has claimed more than 6,000 lives and prompted more than a million people to flee their homes, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank.

Separatists have targeted police, soldiers, officials and schools, which they deem to be symbols of the state, often carrying out kidnappings.

The armed forces have also been accused of abuses -- charges that the Cameroonian authorities have in the past been quick to dismiss.

In February 2020, at least 23 people were killed in a military raid on the village of Ngarbuh in the Northwest Region, 15 of whom were children, according to UN figures.

The army initially said they had died when a fuel tank exploded during a firefight between troops and separatists.

But as an international outcry developed, the authorities said the civilians had been killed by "uncontrolled" soldiers who were supported by militiamen.

Three soldiers were then prosecuted for murder and pleaded not guilty, but the verdict has still to be announced more than two years later.

In February 2021, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said troops had raped at least 20 women and killed a man in a raid on the village of Ebam in the Southwest Region -- an accusation that the defence ministry said was "undocumented".

In its statement on Tuesday, the defence ministry said it "deeply regrets this grave and unfortunate incident and expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the victims".

"The inquiry that was immediately opened by the local administrative and judicial authorities... will enable full light to be shed and to discern the outlines and responsibilities for this regrettable misunderstanding."

Ilaria Allegrozzi, a researcher on central Africa at HRW, said the inquiry had to be "credible and independent".

Colonial legacy

The presence of the anglophone regions derives from the colonial era.

The former German possession of Cameroon was partitioned after World War I between Britain and France.

In 1961, part of the British territory, the Southern Cameroons, joined Cameroon after it gained independence from France, becoming the Northwest and Southwest regions.

The separatists' entity, called the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, has no international recognition.

Cameroon's 89-year-old President Paul Biya, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for four decades, refused demands for a federal structure as anglophone agitation mounted prior to 2017.

After the campaign became violent, Biya organised a national forum in 2019 which led to the state granting more autonomy to the two regions, but not in key areas of governance.
The Vice President of the Republic, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, has inaugurated the newly-completed state-of-the-art Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service headquarters at East Legon, Greater Accra Region.

At the ceremony, the Vice President also inaugurated the Applied Technology Institute as well as the distribution of vehicles.

Delivering his address, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia shared his excitement about the completion of the TVET Service headquarters, adding that he is confident it will lead to the transformation of TVET in Ghana.

The project has been completed. It has been delivered and the completion of this project has brought a sigh of relief to the management of the Ghana TVET Service, the beneficiary institutions, students, and the general public, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia shared.

While commending the Minister of Education and the management of TVET Service for their hard work, the Vice President extended appreciation to the Planet One Group for executing the project in record time.

Im happy to state that in spite of the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Planet One Group has successfully completed the project on time. Thank you very much to the chairman and consultant of Planet One Group, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia added.

The Vice President in his speech admonished the management of the TVET Service to take very care of the facilities of the new headquarters.

He also implored students who will be benefiting from the facilities to display patriotism and endeavour to make the government and their parents proud.

It is my hope that the beneficiaries of these state-of-the-art facilities and vehicles shall demonstrate a high level of patriotism and professionalism in their usage to serve the intended purpose.

I urge the management and staff of the Ghana TVET Service to serve as an example in the area of the maintenance of these facilities for other institutions to emulate and I trust you can do it, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia stressed.

Mounting the podium to deliver her speech, Mrs. Mawusi Nudekor Awity who is Director-General of the Ghana TVET Service described todays occasion as a demonstration of a commitment by the government to see a better TVET in the country.

She indicated that the Modernization of Vocational Education System Project in Ghana is helping the youth acquire skills to meet the requirement of job markets in the world.

She said the project has revised hopes and brought smiles to many homes.

On behalf of Ghanaians, Mrs. Mawusi Nudekor Awity expressed gratitude to President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia for the investment in TVET education.

She disclosed that with TVET now the preferred education in Ghana, her service is in the process of implementing startups for graduate TVET students with the help of donor partners.

The inauguration of the TVET Service headquarters and the Applied Technology Institute is under the Modernization of Vocational Education System Project in Ghana.

The governmental projects to boost TVET education in the country have classroom blocks, ICT Centres, administration blocks, workshops, male and female dormitories, and the installation of workshop equipment.

In addition to the TVET Service headquarters and Applied Technology Institute, 37 buses, 23 double cabin pickups, 2 tractors, 3 Toyota Fortuners and 1 Toyota V8 land cruiser have been handed over to the TVET Service for distribution.

The overall expenditure for the project is $131.6 million.
The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) is demanding that government pays 20 percent Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA) to its members by the end of June 2022.

Vice President of the Association, Jacob Anaba, explains that the ultimatum comes on the back of current economic conditions and the worsening plight of teachers, as well as governments failure to negotiate.

The President had earlier said, and I quote, we (government) know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to life. The question is what has changed? Mr. President, your people (workers) are dying; please attend to them now and do not prioritise the economy over the human resources. The worker can no longer bear the economic hardship.

At a press briefing in Accra, on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, the leadership of NAGRAT noted they would be pushed to embark on an industrial action if their demands are not met.

This situation has resulted in the rank and file of our membership calling for positive action. Therefore, we are by this conference serving notice to those who matter that their ineptitude towards the call by the Unions to grant COLA to the suffering Ghanaian Worker is leaving us no alternative than to respond to the incessant demands of our members.

We, therefore, demand that, as a matter of urgency, the Government must grant workers a Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA) of 20% at the end of June 2022. Leadership would be left with no option than to declare a strike by the end of July 2022, if all the requests made are not adhered to. Leadership hereby yields to the demand of members for positive action, beginning with the wearing of red bands by the end of June 2022, if the demands made are not met, he added.
The Vice President of the Republic, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has called for support for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his efforts to transform Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the country.

Delivering a speech as the Special Guest at the inauguration and handing over ceremony of the Overall Upgrading and Modernization of Vocational Education System Project in Ghana on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, the Vice President stressed that TVET education has gained grounds since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) took over government.

He revealed that with TVET education now free, thousands of students are enjoying after enrolling in various institutions in the country.

It is worthy to mention that the President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has fulfilled his promise of free TVET for all. He has fulfilled his promise. This free TVET for all has resulted in a record-breaking enrolment of over 45,000 students in various programmes in TVET institutions across the country.

Government has also implemented applied technology institution concept with the establishment of the East Legon Applied Technology Institute to provide a rigorous academic core and industry-led programmes to support the socio-economic transformation of the country, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia shared.

The Vice President further implored all stakeholders including the citizenry to back President Akufo-Addo to make TVET education better in the country. According to him, this is the sure way to create jobs for the unemployed.

I wish to charge you all to embrace the Presidents agenda of transforming the TVET Landscape to serve as a catalyst for job creation and entrepreneurial development of the citizenry, Dr. Bawumia added.

Facilities inaugurated by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia under the Overall Upgrading and Modernization of Vocational Education System Project in Ghana included a state-of-the-art TVET Service headquarters as well as the Applied Technology Institute, which contains classroom blocks, ICT centres, administration blocks, workshops, male and female dormitories, and installation of workshop equipment.

In addition, a fleet of vehicles including 37 buses, 21 double cabin pickups, 2 tractors, 3 Toyota Fortuners, and 1 Toyota V8 Landcruiser was handed over to the TVET Service for distribution.

The facilities under the project executed by Planet One Group put together with the vehicles cost $131.6 million.

The facilities and vehicles are to boost Technical and Vocational Education Training in the country.
The Queen was unable to attend the event but the sketch came as a surprise to some of her closest relatives. The monarch was determined to play some part to show the British public how much the celebrations have meant to her in a sketch that had echoes of her appearance with James Bond at London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "While the Queen may not be attending the concert in person, she was very keen that people understood how much it meant to her and that all those watching had a great time.

Her Majesty is well known for her sense of humour, so it should be no surprise that she decided to take part in tonights sketch.

There was an interest in the filming and animation process and the opportunity to invite a famous bear to tea was just too much fun to miss."

The sketch saw Her Majesty inviting Paddington for cream tea which goes wrong when the clumsy bear drinks the monarch's cup of tea and sprays a footman with cream from a chocolate eclair.

Paddington also showed the monarch that he keeps marmalade sandwiches under his hat, with the Queen revealing that she keeps some in her handbag.

Paddington then congratulates the Queen on her 70-year reign, saying: "Happy Jubilee Maam. And thank you for everything."

The monarch replies: "Thats very kind."

The sequence ended with the Queen and Paddington using a spoon to tap the beat to Queen's 'We Will Rock You' on a china teacup as the rockers started the musical performances.

Bang Showbiz
Great news for the coffee lovers out there as new research out of the UK has revealed that years of drinking coffee is linked to a lower risk of death.

...With the amount of coffee we have on a Monday morning, we might end up living forever!

Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical school Christina Wee wrote an accompanying editorial to the research, Today FM's Tova asked Wee to explain the research and share whats in coffee thats so good for us.
New York, US (PANA) - The UN chief has called for the military authorities in Sudan and civilian representatives and political leaders to enter into direct talks over the future of the country in good faith, following continued unrest
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TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP)  Several thousand migrants set out walking in the rain early Monday in southern Mexico, tired of waiting to normalize their status in a region with little work and still far from their ultimate goal of reaching the United States.

Their advocates said they wanted to call attention to their plight, timing it with this weeks Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. It was estimated to include 4,000 to 5,000 migrants, mostly from Central America, Venezuela and Cuba.

It is the largest migrant caravan to attempt to leave southern Mexico this year, though a much larger group was stopped last year in Guatemala. Mexican authorities have eventually broken up the others through a mix of force and offers to more quickly resolve their cases.

Many carried children in their arms, on their backs, using sheets of plastic or blankets to shield them from the persistent rain. They walked from the southern city of Tapachula to a town about 10 miles (15 kilometers) away before stopping to rest for the night.

For months, migrants and asylum seekers have complained that Mexicos strategy of containing them in the southernmost reaches of the country has made their lives miserable. Many carry significant debts for their migration and there are few opportunities for work in Mexicos south.

The migrants complain that delays in paperwork on visa requests have trapped them in Tapachula, a city near the Guatemalan border. On Monday, a group of migrants tried to escape a detention center in Tapachula, climbing onto one of the roofs of the facility. However, police and National Guard ringed the center and prevented any escape.

Mexicos asylum agency has been overwhelmed by the surging number of applicants. Restrictive policies have made applying for asylum in Mexico one of the few routes migrants have to legalize their status and be able to continue traveling north.

The caravan departed just hours before Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that he would not be attending the Summit of the Americas because the Biden administration did not invite Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua to participate.

Luis Garcia Villagran, an activist accompanying the migrants in Tapachula, said they wanted to send a message to the regions leaders that the migrant women and children, the migrant families are not bargaining chips for ideological and political interests.

Venezuelan migrant Ruben Medina said he and 12 members of his family found themselves in southern Mexico because of his countrys president Nicolas Maduro.

(We have) been waiting about two months for the visa and still nothing, so better to start walking in this march, Medina said.

They gave us an appointment for August 10 in (the asylum commission), and we dont have the money to wait, said Joselyn Ponce of Nicaragua. We had to walk around hiding from immigration, there were raids, because if they catch us they will lock us up."

The phenomenon of migrant caravans took off in 2018. Previously, smaller annual caravans moved through Mexico to highlight migrants' plight, but without the stated goal of reaching the U.S. border.

But then several thousand migrants began walking together, betting on safety in numbers and a greater likelihood that government officials would not try to stop them. It worked at first, but more recently the Guatemalan and Mexican governments have been far more aggressive in moving to dissolve the caravans before they can build momentum.

An October 2021 caravan grew to about 4,000 migrants before it diminished in southern Mexico. Another that was broken up by authorities in Guatemala in January of that year was estimated to be even larger.

While the caravans have garnered media attention, the migrants traveling in them represent a tiny fraction of the migratory flow that carries people to the U.S. border every day, usually with the help of smugglers.
Tiger King star Bhagavan Doc Antle has been charged with laundering more than half a million dollars, money federal prosecutors said Monday that he believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle people across the Mexican border into the United States.

Charges against Antle and Andrew Jon Sawyer, one of Antle's employees at Myrtle Beach Safari, were revealed during a federal court hearing in Florence, South Carolina.

According to federal prosecutors, Antle and Sawyer laundered $505,000 over a four-month period by doling out checks from businesses they controlled, receiving a 15% fee of the money that passed through their hands.

The checks, prosecutors allege, falsely purported to be payment for construction work at Myrtle Beach Safari but were in reality intended to serve as evidence that the recipients had legitimate income.

According to the complaint unsealed in court Monday, Antle discussed his plan to conceal the cash he received by inflating tourist numbers at his 50-acre (20-hectare) wildlife tropical preserve. Prosecutors also said he had previously used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals for which he could not use checks.

Records for the Horry County jail show Antle and Sawyer were both arrested Friday. Attorneys for both men did not immediately comment on the charges when reached via email.

According to authorities, Antle and Sawyer each face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

Antle is featured prominently in Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, a 2020 Netflix documentary miniseries that focused on tiger breeders and private zoo operators in the U.S. The series focused heavily on Oklahoma zoo operator Joe Exotic, who also was targeted for animal mistreatment and was convicted in a plot to kill a rival, Carole Baskin.

Animal rights advocates have accused Antle of mistreating lions and other wildlife. He was indicted in Virginia in 2020 on animal cruelty and wildlife trafficking charges.

In May, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked the IRS to probe Antles Rare Species Fund, a nonprofit raising money for wildlife conservation. PETA alleges he uses some of the funds money to subsidize his safari site in Socastee outside Myrtle Beach.

Its fitting that Doc' Antle is behind bars after years of locking up the endangered animals he uses in tawdry photo ops. His legal woes are mounting, as PETA recently blew the whistle on his apparent charity scam, and the end to his reign of terrorizing tiger cubs cant come soon enough, said Debbie Metzler, associate director of PETAs Captive Animal Law Enforcement division, in a statement.

Meanwhile, in Virginia, Antle is facing two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to wildlife trafficking charges, as well as 13 misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and animal cruelty charges tied to trafficking lion cubs. Those charges are scheduled to go to trial next month.

Antle has a history of recorded violations, going as far back as 1989, when he was fined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for abandoning deer and peacocks at his zoo in Virginia. Over the years, he has more than 35 USDA violations for mistreating animals.

___

Meg Kinnard can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  San Francisco residents voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to recall progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin following a heated campaign that captivated the country and bitterly divided Democrats over crime, policing and public safety reform in the famously liberal city.

Recall proponents cheered the results at a victory party, with California state leaders of the hotel and retailers associations lauding Boudins removal as a sign that visitors, shoppers and workers will be prioritized again in a city that relies heavily on tourism. They rejected Boudins efforts to paint them as Republicans.

This election does not mean that San Francisco has drifted to the far right on our approach to criminal justice, said Mary Jung, a chair of the recall campaign, in a statement. In fact, San Francisco has been a national beacon for progressive criminal justice reform for decades and will continue to do so with new leadership.

Boudin, 41, was a first-time political candidate who narrowly won office in November 2019 as part of a national wave of progressive prosecutors who pledged to seek alternatives to incarceration, end the racist war on drugs and hold police officers to account.

But his time in office coincided with a frustrating and frightening pandemic in which viral footage of brazen shoplifting and attacks against Asian American people drove some residents to mount a recall campaign of the former public defender and son of left-wing activists.

Partial returns Tuesday night showed about 60% of voters supporting the recall, but Boudin remained defiant in a speech to supporters, saying he was outspent by right-wing billionaires. He said voters were understandably frustrated by the pandemic and a city government that has failed to deliver on safety, housing and equity.

We have two cities. We have two systems of justice. We have one for the wealthy and the well connected and a different one for everybody else. And thats exactly what we are fighting to change, he said, adding that justice was on their side.

It was unclear Tuesday what the resounding recall of Boudin could mean to the progressive prosecutor movement nationally and in California, where reform candidates were competing against more traditional law-and-order candidates in a handful of races, with mixed results.

California's progressive attorney general, Rob Bonta, who was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, was leading with 57% of the vote Tuesday night, easily advancing to the November general election. Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, a critic of Boudin who ran as an independent, did not advance.

In Los Angeles County, the campaign to recall progressive District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement the results showed that Gascon, the former prosecutor of San Francisco, could be next.

But Miriam Krinsky, executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution, said the movement toward more liberal approaches to criminal justice was growing as more people understand that tough-talking prosecutors do not result in safer communities.

If one can read anything into tonights outcome, it should be the distorting impact of a low turnout recall process easily swayed by special interests and coming at a time of deep frustration and trauma, rather than clear and considered opposition to a prosecutor committed to ending failed tough-on-crime policies, she said.

Mayor London Breed, who had backed a more moderate Democrat in the 2019 district attorney race, will name Boudins replacement after the results are certified by the elections office and approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Boudin could also run in November when the race is back on the ballot.

Boudins time in office was marked by a bruising battle with the San Francisco Police Department, which accused his office of withholding evidence in a case against an officer. Boudin shot back that he could not prosecute cases when police failed to bring evidence and made arrests in just 5% of cases.

He made headlines when he disclosed that police had used DNA collected from a rape to arrest the victim in an unrelated property crime.

San Francisco has long struggled with open drug dealing, vandalism, auto theft and home burglaries. Political experts say the political newcomer who narrowly won in 2019 was in the crosshairs of outside forces that made him an easy target for public frustration.

Boudin was a baby when his parents, left-wing Weather Underground radicals, served as drivers in a botched 1981 robbery in New York that left two police officers and a security guard dead. They were sentenced to decades in prison.

While campaigning, he spoke of the pain of stepping through metal detectors to hug his parents and vowed to reform a system that tears apart families. Kathy Boudin was released on parole in 2003 and died of cancer in May. David Gilbert was granted parole in October.

The recall campaign against Boudin was backed by many of the same people who successfully ousted three liberal members of the San Francisco school board in February. Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, however, easily beat a Republican-led recall last year.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Bynum School Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Bynum School Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Bynum School Show More Show Less 5 of 5









Trinity School's Seniors in Servant Leadership and Philanthropy (SLP) and Greenwood High and Legacy High schools' Students in Philanthropy (SIP) have donated $4,650 to Bynum School.

"We are so thankful for the students generosity," Bynum Development Director, Tracy Bush, said. SIP and SLP are educating our future leaders and philanthropists, and these students will continue to make an impact in the lives of others."
Midlands hottest day of the year is in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service.

The NWS reported on its website that a high temperature of 107 degrees is expected Tuesday and that Midland is likely to experience seven 100-degree high temperatures over a span of eight days. So far, Midland is two days into that stretch, and triple digits have been recorded two times  100 on Sunday and 103 on Monday.

A high temperature of 107 degrees on Tuesday would be hotter than the high of 105 degrees on May 28. In fact, it would be the hottest day since Aug. 14, 2020 (when the high temperature also reached 107 degrees).

The NWS shows high temperatures of 102 degrees on Wednesday and Friday, 100 on Saturday and 104 on June 12. The lone day with a high temperature below 100 is Thursday when the high is expected to reach 98 degrees.

The average high for June 5-12 is typically 94-95 degrees.

The forecast doesnt show a chance for rain through Saturday. The NWS has reported 1.67 inches at Midland International through five days this month. Still, the NWS shows the Midlands rainfall through June 5 this year is 2.3 inches below normal.

Drought conditions

The heat is expected to dry the land again. In fact, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported Monday that its drought assessment system  the Keetch-Byram Drought Index -- showed a rising index score in Midland County (5 points to 543). That number had dropped by more than 120 points in the previous week, thanks to rainfall across the region.

It remains to be seen if the scorching temperatures will increase the index rating above 575, forcing the county to extend its burn ban.

Midland County Fire Marshal Justin Bunch has previously told the Reporter-Telegram that the county will not enact a burn ban until our KBI is at or above 575.
Midland Development Corp. directors are preparing for future businesses with actions taken at Mondays monthly board meeting.

Board members agreed to amend an agreement to purchase a 58.207-acre tract of land in the David Mims Business Park by extending the feasibility period for an additional 60 days.

Stephen Lowery, chairman of the MDC board, and Sara Harris, executive director, told board members they expect 42 LLC, which is representing the actual buyer, will close on the acquisition before the deadline provided in the amendment.

Harris also asked board members for guidance on engaging one or more engineering firms to help obtain tenants for property owned by the City of Midland at Midland International Airport. Harris explained that there is a prospective tenant for the property. Based on the guidance she received from board members Monday, she said she will discuss MDCs engineering needs for prospects with several different firms in order to determine price and scope. She will then bring a professional services agreement or agreements to the board for approval at the next monthly board meeting on Aug. 1.

Board members also passed a resolution approving the MDCs 2022-2023 Fiscal Year budget. Harris said the proposed budget is generally in line with the current budget for FY 2022, with general and administrative expenses and operating expenses flat.

The only exceptions are the costs associated with MDCs purchase of the J.L. Davis properties downtown at 210 N. Big Spring St. and 211 N. Colorado St. for $4.9 million. The purchase impacted insurance, grounds maintenance and building maintenance costs. Harris said budgeted sales tax revenues were increased from $10 million in the current fiscal year to $11 million for the upcoming FY 2023.
MetrixLab Opens First Office in Africa

Digital research firm MetrixLab has opened its first office on the African continent, in Johannesburg, South Africa, appointing Nanzala Mwaura as Managing Director and Rentia Kraucamp as Research Director.



A part of Tokyo-based Macromill, MetrixLab helps clients with product innovation, brand engagement and the creation of customer value. The new office in South Africa joins other AMEA locations in China, Singapore, India, the UAE and Australia.



Mwaura joins after fourteen years at Ipsos, latterly as Chief Client Officer SSA, before which she led the Brand Health Tracking and Copy Testing practice. In her new role, she is joined by Kraucamp, who will direct local research operations. Kraucamp previously owned boutique agency Lucid Research and Insights Consultancy, before which she was Commercial Lead at GfK, and Director of Client Service - Customer Experience at Ipsos. She began her career as an Account Director at Ipsos Markinor before moving to Added Value as Project Director.



Rob Valsler, Regional MD of MetrixLab AMEA, comments: 'Nanzala is the ideal person to launch our first office in Africa and help our global clients better understand this unique continent. Along with Rentia, they share a combination of energy and experience that's a perfect match for MetrixLab's culture - blending evolving technology with passionate experts'.



Web site: www.metrixlab.com .




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Nick Brown, the owner of the Releaf Shop in Hagatna, holds a popular CBD sleep aid at his shop on Monday afternoon. By late August, local businesses can begin to apply to legally grow, process and sell cannabis and cannabis-infused products.
A child sits on a man's shoulders as migrants take part in a caravan in Tapachula, Mexico on June 6, 2022 as they attempt to cross the country and reach the U.S. border while regional leaders gather in Los Angeles to discuss migration and other issues.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  A theater in Ukraines capital reopened over the weekend for the first time since Russian forces invaded the country, and tickets quickly sold out.

Theater on Podil was the latest cultural institution in Kyiv to resume operations. Movie theaters and the National Opera opened their doors at the end of May.

We were wondering how it would be, whether spectators would come during the war, whether they think at all about theater, said one of the actors, Yuriy Felipenko, on Sunday. And we were happy that the first three plays were sold out.

Filipenko said the theater was putting on plays with just a few actors.

His colleague Kostya Tomlyak had hesitated to perform in wartime. But the influx of people returning to Kyiv since hostilities there have lessened persuaded him that its necessary to learn how to live during the war, to live with theater, cinema, cafes. You continue living, although you dont forget that there is the war.

Russian forces withdrew from their offensive on the Ukrainian capital in early April, refocusing on the eastern region of the Donbas.

The main question is how actors can be helpful, Tomlyak said.

Founded in 1987, the Theater on Podil long has been one of the most popular in Kyiv. In 2017, it moved to a new modern building equipped with state-of-the-art scenery.

Since the start of the war, the theater has changed its repertoire, dropping plays by Russian authors.
TACOMA, Wash. (AP)  An anti-harassment order has been issued against a sheriff in western Washington, requiring him to stay away from a Black newspaper carrier who is suing him over a confrontation last year.

Pro Tem Judge Christine Chin on Monday cited a course of conduct of unlawful harassment, in ruling that Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer must steer clear of Sedrick Altheimer for one year, The Seattle Times reported.

The ruling came in a virtual hearing on whether to extend a temporary anti-harassment order against Troyer that had been filed last month by an attorney for Altheimer.

Chin referred to recent incidents in which Altheimer said Troyer followed him in an SUV, circling around and flashing his lights as Altheimer delivered newspapers in Tacoma.

Altheimer testified under oath Monday about the encounters, saying he was left fearful by the continued contacts with Troyer.

Troyer did not come to the hearing, but then was summoned to appear by the judge. His attorney, John Sheeran, said Troyer would not offer testimony because of a criminal case pending against him.

Sheeran disputed Altheimers harassment claims, saying Troyer had encountered him only once since the 2021 incident  while checking on his elderly father, to whom Altheimer delivered a newspaper.

Troyer has faced criticism and calls for his resignation over his early morning Jan. 27, 2021, encounter with Altheimer, who was delivering newspapers on his regular route. Saying he believed Altheimer was acting suspiciously, Troyer followed him in his SUV, not identifying himself as law enforcement.

The two wound up in a standoff and Troyer called in a large police response, repeatedly telling an emergency dispatcher that Altheimer had threatened to kill him. Troyer backed off his threat claims upon questioning by Tacoma police.

Troyer has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor criminal charges of false reporting and making a false or misleading statement to a public servant over the incident. He has called the charges brought by the state attorney generals office a politically motivated anti-cop hit job.

A trial was originally set for July but has been moved to October.

An investigation commissioned by the Pierce County Council, conducted by former U.S. Attorney Brian Moran, found Troyers conduct had violated policies on bias-free policing and other professional standards.

Troyer last year also was placed on Pierce Countys Brady list  a roster of law enforcement officers with credibility problems that could impact their ability to serve as witnesses in criminal cases.
SALEM, Mass. (AP)  In the wiggle of a nose, a man partially covered the Bewitched statue in Salem with red paint, police said.

Witnesses called police at about 5 p.m. Monday to report someone spray painting the bronze statue, Capt. John Burke said Tuesday. The statue depicts actor Elizabeth Montgomery  as lead character Samantha Stephens in the 1960s sitcom  sitting on a broomstick in front of a crescent moon.

An officer in the area spotted a man fitting witness descriptions of the vandal and after a brief chase arrested a 32-year-old city resident on charges of defacing property, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, Burke said.

The suspect, who was going through a rough time and wanted to do something to get arrested" according to a prosecutor, was held on $500 bail at Tuesday's arraignment. His attorney said he has been living in a shelter for two weeks since his marriage ended, and has been looking for a new job.

In between meetings, was disappointed to hear the Bewitched Samantha statute downtown was vandalized, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll tweeted Monday night. Im grateful to (Salem police) for their quick work apprehending the individual responsible. Well work to get the statue cleaned, as fast as a twitch of Samanthas nose.

Red paint on the upper half of the statue has already been cleaned off, Burke said.

The statue was erected in the city famous for the 1692 witch trials in 2005, despite protests from some who said it trivializes the tragedy of the trials.
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A series of yoga classes for children is primed to begin next week.

Jax Yoga, 206 E. State St., will be starting its Kids Yoga and Mindfulness Camp on June 13, 15 and 17.

There will be two classes each day. One will be for those between 3 and 5 years old from 9 to 10 a.m. One for 6 to10 year olds will be from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Classes will be focused on mind-body awareness, with children getting to do age-based yoga, journaling and crafts.

Registration is $15 for one day or $35 for all three.
An independent group that monitors COVID-19 community levels says the risk has increased in two west-central Illinois counties.

COVID Act Now, a non-profit organization that provides local-level analysis of the virus, uses criteria similar to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but updates levels at the start of each week; the CDC updates risk status later in the week.

According to COVID Act Now, Brown and Cass counties now are at high risk level. It uses a three-tier ranking that goes from low to medium to high.

In Brown County, the change was made because there have been 18 new reported cases during the past week, excluding at-home positive tests. That gives the county a rate of 278 cases per 100,000 people, up from 78.3 at the end of May.

Cass County's per-100,000 case rate was 491.9 as of Monday, according to COVID Act Now. It was at 156.4 on May 31.

Scott and Schuyler counties were raised to medium risk levels, with Scott County's case rate going from 87.5 on May 31 to 277.7 on Monday. Schuyler County's case rate actually has declined, going from 177.3 on May 31 to 103.4 by Monday.

Officially, the Illinois Department of Public Health uses CDC assessments of county coronavirus transmission risks.

Nineteen Illinois counties are at the highest community-transmission level, according to the state health department. Sangamon and Menard counties in west-central Illinois are among those.

Health officials urge those in high community-level areas to wear masks indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status. For those who have a compromised immune system or who are at greater risk for severe disease, it is recommended that non-essential activities that could lead to exposure be avoided.

Thirty-one counties  including Cass, Morgan, Schuyler and Jersey  are at the medium community level, according to the CDC.

At medium level, officials recommend the elderly and those with health issues wear a mask indoors when in public places and make sure they are vaccinated and have received a booster shot.
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TOKYO (AP)  Japanese and NATO officials agreed Tuesday to step up military cooperation and joint exercises as they shared concerns that Russias invasion of Ukraine is causing a deterioration of the security environment in Europe and Asia.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said at the beginning of his meeting with NATO Military Committee chief Rob Bauer that Japan hopes to strengthen its ties with European countries and welcomes NATOs expanded involvement in the Indo-Pacific region.

The security of Europe and Asia are closely intertwined, especially now with the international community facing serious challenges, Kishi said.

Bauers visit in Tokyo comes as Japans Maritime Self-Defense Force is participating in NATO naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.

Later Tuesday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet approved an annual policy plan that calls for a drastic strengthening of defense capabilities and spending within five years, citing growing tensions involving Taiwan and a commitment by NATO members to spend 2% of their gross domestic product on defense  twice as much as Japan's current military spending of just over 1% of GDP.

The plan calls for pre-emptive strike capabilities as well as the development and strengthening of space, cyber and electromagnetic defense and of unmanned weapons  a major shift that critics say goes beyond Japan's self-defense-only principle.

Kishida, during a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden last month, expressed his determination to bolster Japan's defense capability and spending. The policy paper, the first under Kishidas eight-month-old government, also covers economic security, energy and other key issues.

Japan has been increasing its military capabilities and cooperation with Europe, in addition to its alliance with the United States and partnerships with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, in the face of Chinas rise.

On Tuesday, Japanese and U.S. fighter jets conducted joint flight drills over the Sea of Japan amid an increasingly severe security environment, such as North Koreas repeated ballistic missile launches, Japans Defense Ministry announced.

The joint exercise, which involved four Japanese F-15 fighter jets and two U.S. F-16s, was aimed at demonstrating the two militaries' strong commitment and close cooperation in responding to any emergency, while further reinforcing the strong alliance," it said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been invited to the NATO summit later this month, and is reportedly considering attending the meeting, which would make him the first Japanese leader to do so.

In May, Japanese Military Chief of Staff Koji Yamazaki joined a meeting of NATO counterparts in Belgium for the first time.

Bauer praised their increased engagement in tackling shared security challenges.

Japan quickly joined the United States and Europe in imposing sanctions against Russia and providing support for Ukraine, saying the crisis affects not only Europe but also could further embolden China to increase its assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.
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HUIXTLA, Mexico (AP)  Several thousand migrants walked on through southern Mexico on Tuesday, covering ground while authorities showed no signs yet of trying to stop them.

The largest migrant caravan of the year provided a live illustration to regional leaders meeting in Los Angeles this week at the Summit of the Americas of the challenges governments face in managing immigration flows.

Mexico has dissolved smaller caravans this year through force, but more recently by offering them transportation to other cities farther north where they could legalize their status.

Luis Garcia Villagran, a migrant advocate traveling with the caravan, said negotiations for such a resolution were already taking place, but nothing had firmed up.

The caravan reached the town of Huixtla on Tuesday, about 25 miles from Tapachula, where they started Monday.

Eymar Hernandez Benavides was a state police officer in Venezuela. In January, his extended family, divided between Tachira and Barquisimeto, began a group chat on a messaging platform. For three months they aired their grievances  product scarcity, high food prices, constant electrical blackouts  and planned their exit.

Hernandez sold his car and other belongings to fund the two-week odyssey from Venezuela to Mexico, including through the harrowing jungle-clad Darien Gap that separates Colombia and Panama. That was hardest part for his wife, Jenny Villamizar. Not just the swollen rivers, rain, wildlife and thick vegetation, but watching their three children suffer.

More than 130,000 migrants crossed the Darien Gap in 2021. Since January, more than 34,000, including 18,000 Venezuelans, have crossed there, according to Panamas National Migration Service.

On Tuesday, Hernandez walked up a rural highway in southern Mexico with 17 relatives, including his wife and their children, the 3-year-old in a stroller.

It's not Venezuela, it is the president, Venezuela works, it is a paradise, we didn't want to leave our country, Hernandez said, referring to President Nicolas Maduro, who was not invited to the summit.

He said they want the U.S. to help resolve the crisis in Venezuela so they can return, but in the meantime they want asylum in the United States. They did inquire about asylum in Mexico in Tapachula, but were given an appointment for July. Through odd jobs they earned enough money to rent just one room, so they decided to join the caravan instead.

Their goal for Tuesday was to make it to Huixtla, Chiapas, a town still more than 1,000 miles from the closest point on the U.S. border. Mexican National Guard and immigration agents were visible along the route, but had not made an effort to stop the migrants. They did make those who had gotten rides on truck trailers get off and walk, apparently hoping to tire them out.

Maria Jose Gomez, 24, and Roselys Gutierrez, 25, a couple also from Venezuela, said they had left Colombia after experiencing homophobia there and suffering physical attacks.

They arrived in the southern Mexican city of Tapachula near the border with Guatemala a week ago and joined the caravan when it left Monday. Gomez was walking Tuesday with the rainbow flag and Gutierrez with that of Venezuela.

We are very tired and want this torment to be over, Gomez said. We have walked a lot on the trip. We passed through the Darien jungle and have been in seven countries counting this one.

Mexico has tried to contain migrants to the south, far from the U.S. border. But many have grown frustrated there by the slow bureaucratic process to regularize their status and the lack of job opportunities to provide for their families.

Mexicos asylum agency has been overwhelmed with requests in recent years as policies leave migrants few other options than to request asylum so they can travel freely. Last year, Mexico received more than 130,000 asylum requests, more than triple the year before. This year, requests are already running 20% above last year.

The phenomenon of migrant caravans took off in 2018. Previously, smaller annual caravans moved through Mexico to highlight migrants plight, but without the stated goal of reaching the U.S. border.

But then several thousand migrants began walking together, betting on safety in numbers and a greater likelihood that government officials would not try to stop them. It worked at first, but more recently the Guatemalan and Mexican governments have been far more aggressive in moving to dissolve the caravans before they can build momentum.

While the caravans have garnered media attention, the migrants traveling in them represent a small fraction of the migratory flow that carries people to the U.S. border every day, usually with the help of smugglers.

The Biden administration had hoped to hammer out a regional agreement on managing migrant flows at the summit, but the presidents of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are not attending, a notable absence of some of the leading migrant-sending and transit countries.

Keira Lara, a 30-year-old from El Salvador, trudged down the highway Tuesday with three of her four children. She had just arrived in Mexico a week earlier and only heard about the summit once she joined the caravan Monday. She said government officials had demanded money from her at every border they crossed.

Of the leaders meeting in Los Angeles this week she asked that they let us pass, that there isn't so much corruption in governments, because that's why people migrate.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscows invasion.

Dozens of the dead taken from the bombed-out mills now Russian-occupied ruins have been transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where DNA testing is underway to identify the remains, according to both a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment.

The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

It was unclear how many bodies might remain at the plant.

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to fight for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows goal of completing the capture of the industrial Donbas region.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces were holding their positions in the city amid fierce fighting in the streets as Russia tries to deploy more forces.

But it is the 103rd day, and the Ukrainian Donbas stands. It stands firmly, he said in his nightly address to the nation.

Zelenskyy also said Moscow's forces intend to take the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, home to more than 700,000 people, a move that could severely weaken Ukraines standing and allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

In the Zaporizhzhia region ... there is the most threatening situation there, Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian fighters' dogged defense of the steel mill frustrated the Kremlin's objective of quickly capturing Mariupol and tied down Russian forces in the strategic port city.

The defenders' fate in Russian hands is shrouded in uncertainty. Zelenskyy said more than than 2,500 fighters from the plant are being held prisoner, and Ukraine is working to win their release.

The recovery of their remains from the Azovstal ruins has not been announced by the Ukrainian government, and Russian officials have not commented. But relatives of soldiers killed at the plant discussed the process with The Associated Press.

Ukraine on Saturday announced the first officially confirmed swap of its military dead since the war began. It said the two sides exchanged 320 bodies in all, each getting back 160 sets of remains. The swap took place Thursday on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Anna Holovko, a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment, said all 160 of the Ukrainian bodies turned over by the Russians were from the Azovstal ruins. She said that at least 52 of those bodies are thought to be the remains of Azov Regiment soldiers.

Maksym Zhorin, a former Azov Regiment leader now co-commanding a Kyiv-based military unit, confirmed that bodies from the steel plant were among those exchanged.

The brother of an Azov fighter missing and feared dead in the steelworks told the AP that at least two trucks of bodies from Azovstal were transferred to a military hospital in Kyiv for identification.

Viacheslav Drofa said the remains of his elder brother, Dmitry Lisen, did not appear to be among those recovered so far. He added that some of the dead were severely burned.

The mother of a soldier killed in an airstrike on the plant said the Azov Regiment telephoned her and said her sons body might be among those transferred to Kyiv. The mother did not want her or her son to be identified by name, saying she feared that discussing the recovery process might disrupt it.

She tearfully referred to her son as a hero. Its important for me to bury him in our Ukrainian land," she said.

In other developments Monday, Ukraine's efforts to fight off Russia's invasion loomed large over D-Day commemorations in France, where the 78th anniversary of the Normandy invasion was marked.

"The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy.

He added: Its about maintaining the so-called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead who are buried here at this cemetery."

American D-Day veteran Charles Shay, 97, was at Omaha Beach to mark the the anniversary of the June 6, 1944, landings and pay tribute to those who fell that day. Asked about the war raging on the European continent, Shay said, "It is a very sad situation.

In 1944 I landed on these beaches, and we thought wed bring peace to the world. But its not possible, he added.

Meanwhile, the president of Ukraines separatist Donetsk Peoples Republic said that the pro-Moscow region is putting on trial three British men alleged to have been mercenaries for Ukraine. If convicted on the charges, including of trying to seize power, the men could get the death penalty.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree granting lump-sum payments of 5 million rubles ($81,000) to families of Russian National Guard members who die in Ukraine. Guard members have taken part in such operations as the seizure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The lump sum is roughly six times the average annual Russian salary.

On the battlefield, Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was repairing armored vehicles, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while Russian artillery struck 431 military targets, Konashenkov said. His claims could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian forces put up resistance in Sievierodonetsk and other areas.

"There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on this direction, Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian artillery fire could be heard outside the city of Bakhmut, southwest of Sievierodonetsk.

Ukrainian tanks moved back and forth from the front line, carefully hiding under trees after firing at Russian positions. One of the tanks was a T-80 captured from Russian forces. Its crew hacked bushes with hatchets and covered the vehicle and its main gun with branches.

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Associated Press writers David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine; Andrea Rosa in Bakhmut, Ukraine; and Sylvie Corbet in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, contributed to this story.

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Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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VIRGINIA  Masonic Lodge members are holding a cookout Saturday to raise money for the Virginia Community Day Care Center.

Grilled bratwurst and jumbo hot dogs will be for sale starting at 10 a.m. at Fast Stop convenience store at Illinois routes 125 and 78.
Sangamon and Menard counties now are among the places in Illinois where the risk of coronavirus transmission is highest, and metrics by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control portend other counties in the region could be approaching that status.

Nineteen Illinois counties now are at the highest community-transmission level, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. That's up from 15 such counties last week and eight the week before that.

High community level counties are Fulton, Knox, Logan, Mason, McLean, Menard, Peoria, Sangamon, Tazewell and Woodford in central Illinois and Cook, DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Will, Boone, Lee, Stephenson and Winnebago in northern Illinois.

Health officials urge those in high community-level areas to wear masks indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status. For those who have a compromised immune system or who are at greater risk for severe disease, it is recommended that non-essential activities that could lead to exposure be avoided.

Thirty-one counties  Cass, Morgan, Schuyler and Jersey among them  are at the medium community level, according to the CDC.

At medium level, officials recommend the elderly and those with health issues wear a mask indoors when in public places and make sure they are vaccinated and have received a booster shot.

The CDC updates its community level statuses on Thursdays. It assesses communities based on three key metrics: weekly new reported cases per 100,000 people; weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people; and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by coronavirus patients.

COVID Act Now, a non-profit organization that provides local-level analysis of the disease, uses similar criteria but updates at the start of each week. Its assessments fairly consistently have foreshadowed the coming CDC levels.

On Monday, the group moved Cass County into the high level. It said there were 271.7 new reported cases for every 100,000 residents; that rate was 156.4 at the end of May.

The average case rate for the state is 256 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people.

"Case surges have continued in central Illinois in the past few weeks," according to Cass County Health Department. Last week, "Cass County saw 50 new documented cases of COVID-19. This is a substantial increase from the 12 cases or less per week reported in the last 12 weeks."

The health department cautions that the actual number likely is higher because of the widespread availability of at-home testing.

"We also know that we are only seeing the positives that come through medical facilities, and there are many more positive home tests that are not reported," according to the agency. "We encourage residents to maintain awareness of the risks that remain at large gatherings, and consider masking and handwashing when out in the community."

Morgan County, which the CDC said is at medium community risk, has seen ups and downs that took it to 300.01 new reported cases for every 100,000 residents at the end of May. New cases per 100,000 were 216.9 as of Friday, according to COVID Act Now statistics.

Still, these levels remain substantially lower than the pandemic peaks at the start of the year  the per-100,000 case rate on Jan. 17 in Morgan County was 2,875 by comparison  and the number of associated deaths have remained low. The number of people requiring hospital care for COVID-19 is seeing an increase statewide, however.

State and federal officials have attributed the declines in death and severity to immunization. More than 76% of those eligible in Illinois have received at least one vaccine dose, more than 69% of Illinois total population is fully vaccinated, and more than 52% of the vaccinated population has an initial booster, according to CDC data.

With 50 Illinois counties now rated at a high or medium community level, we should all be paying attention to the transmission levels and taking steps to ensure that we are up to date on vaccinations and boosters, Illinois Department of Public Health acting Director Amaal Tokars said. At this time, we are all wise to put on our masks in indoor public spaces and avoid indoor crowded spaces as much as possible."

Tokars said it was important that those who test positive, whether at home or in a clinical setting, contact a health care provider to discuss treatment.

"The treatments are much more effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths when they are taken early in the course of the illness," Tokars said.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 32,605 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease and 47 related deaths last week.

There have been 3,332,780 cases of coronavirus and at least 33,865 virus-related deaths in Illinois since March 2020, according to the state health department.
As Democrats prospects in the 2022 mid-term elections dim, the party needs to revive itself with what was once a reliable constituency  Hispanic voters.

A Wall Street Journal poll taken in December found Hispanic voters split 37% to 37% if the election were held today. The Journal poll also showed that Hispanic voters mirror the overall voter pool. When asked how Biden is handling his responsibilities, 42% approved of the presidents job performance, and 54% disapproved  in line with the 41% approval and 57% disapproval among the broader voting public.

Since the Journal published its results, conditions in the country have worsened, more bad news for the flailing administration. As of late May, only divine intervention can save Democrats from electoral calamity when November rolls around.

A clarifying note: the term Hispanic voter should be interpreted broadly. The Census Bureau includes as Hispanic any person who, when asked, identifies as Hispanic. Included are Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, South Americans and other mostly Spanish-language speakers.

Continued erosion in the Hispanic vote would leave Democrats chances of maintaining its slim margin in Congress at nil. Equis Labs, which studied the Latino electorate, found that in 2020 swings toward the GOP of 20 points occurred in parts of Floridas Miami-Dade County, 12 points in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and double-digit swings in parts of the Northeast. In South Florida, the move was large enough to flip two congressional seats from Democrat to Republican.

Mark Zandi, Moody Analytics chief economist, wrote that, despite a booming jobs market, todays political environment is among the toughest for incumbents that hes ever surveyed. The consensus among political analysts like Zandi is that voters are out to punish incumbents with their Republican vote. If conventional wisdom is correct and if Hispanics continue to abandon Democrats, theyll be the minority in the upcoming 118th Congress.

Hispanic voters shifting allegiance took the establishment media by surprise, but not other impartial, national scene observers. First, Hispanic voters have the same goals as other citizens  a stable economy, educational opportunities for their children and a good quality of life.

Second, and less noted by mainstream journalists, mass immigration, a hallmark of Democratic administrations that Biden has taken to record levels, harms Hispanics and other minorities more than any demographic. The immigrant who arrives today makes yesterdays immigrants efforts to become established more challenging, particularly in his job search or for his school age children who will enroll in ever-more crowded classrooms. The report that Department of Homeland Security tracking has identified as many as 50,000 migrants from Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Haiti, Peru and the Northern Triangle countries waiting in makeshift tents along the Southwest borders Mexican side is terrible news for recently arrived migrants.

The most important factors among Hispanics who are fleeing Democrats began during President Obamas two terms, and both of which Biden is pursuing to the extreme. One is a refusal to vigorously carry out interior enforcement, including at the workplace. Weeding out illegal immigrants from the job site would make more blue-collar jobs available to minority populations. Second, U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services data obtained through a Freedom of Information request revealed that, from 2009 to 2014, the agency issued 5.5 million new work permits to immigrants, beyond the 1.1 million legal immigrants and 700,000 guest workers admitted to the U.S. each year. Moreover, Biden has begun to give the arriving migrants, as well as Ukrainian refugees and Afghan evacuees, work authorization.

Voters who identify as Hispanic will decide if they want to continue with unprecedented record immigration under Democratic leadership that will adversely affect most every aspect of their lives, or if they wish to support sustainable immigration levels that include border and interior enforcement.

For now, multiple polls indicate that voters will support candidates that promise to reduce immigration and increase immigration enforcement, a welcome change from Biden and his lieutenants sovereignty-ending agenda.
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Dubai arrests 2 Gupta brothers over South African fraud case View Photo

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Dubai police said Tuesday they arrested two brothers from the Gupta family, wanted over allegedly looting state money with former South African President Jacob Zuma.

The arrest of Atul and Rajesh Gupta, who had lived for years in the sheikhdom, was the latest major extradition arrest by authorities in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai in particular has long welcomed the wealthy with little question into its luxury neighborhoods.

With the UAE now heading the international policing body Interpol, the country has faced renewed questioning over its lax checks on money laundering and reluctance to extradite suspects. That has only increased as Russian money flows into the Arabian Peninsula nation amid Moscows war on Ukraine.

Police issued a statement saying they arrested the brothers in connection with money laundering and criminal charges in South Africa. The Emirates in a later statement said police arrested the two Guptas on June 2.

The two, as well as their brother Ajay, had been suspected of hiding out in Dubai since fleeing South Africa around the same time Zuma resigned in 2018 amid allegations he had overseen massive levels of corruption at state-owned companies.

The family has denied the allegations previously. It wasnt immediately clear if the two had a local lawyer.

South Africas City Press newspaper reported in 2016 that the Gupta family had purchased a $30 million residence in Dubais Emirates Hills neighborhood, which had 10 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, nine reception rooms, a double grand staircase, a hand-painted dome, space for 11 cars, and chandeliers in virtually every room.

Dubai police said they made the arrest after receiving an Interpol red notice warrant for the two.

The arrest reflects the continuous efforts of the UAE in combating money laundering crimes through local cooperation among the competent authorities, police said.

Dubai police did not immediately acknowledge Ajay Guptas whereabouts. The Gupta family is originally from India.

Authorities in South Africa late Monday said the two brothers had been arrested after discussions between them and Dubai officials. However, Emirati authorities did not confirm the arrests until Tuesday.

South Africas National Prosecuting Authority said Tuesday it had assigned an experienced team of internal and external experts who were working to extradite the two men to South Africa.

The arrests come nearly one year after the UAE ratified the extradition treaty with South Africa. It came into effect in June 2021, just as Interpol issued the red notice against the two Gupta brothers and their accomplices.

The Guptas are accused of using their association with Zuma to cash in on huge government contracts and kickbacks, and were believed to be so influential they had a say in Zumas appointment of Cabinet ministers. Their names burst into public view in 2016, when an official said the Guptas allegedly offered him a $44 million bribe to become the finance minister in exchange for favors.

The U.S. Treasury Department placed the three Gupta brothers on a sanctions list in 2019, accusing them of being members of a significant corruption network. That forbids U.S entities from conducting business with them or handling their assets.

Until they are in front of a South African court, we need to be cautious but what has happened to date should be applauded, said Karam Singh, the executive director of the activist group Corruption Watch.

Zuma, 80, was president from 2009 until he was forced to step down by his African National Congress Party in 2018 amid the graft scandal. He faces corruption charges over a state arms purchase and went to prison in July 2021 for refusing a court order to testify before a judicial inquiry.

Zumas incarceration sparked weekslong riots in parts of South Africa that killed over 300 people and saw 25,000 soldiers deployed in the worst violence since the end of the apartheid era. Zuma has been out of prison on a medical parole that was later revoked, a decision now being challenged in the courts.

Dubais boom-and-bust real estate market, open to foreigners, has attracted investors and those fleeing conflicts from years. Just as long, war profiteers, terror financiers and drug traffickers sanctioned by the U.S. have used Dubais real-estate market as a haven for their assets.

Scrutiny also has increased after the Financial Action Task Force, a global anti-money-laundering body, placed the UAE on its grey list earlier this year, escalating its monitoring of the countrys efforts to crack down on illicit financial flows.

Over the last year, Dubai police have announced several major extradition-related arrests, typically involving suspected drug dealers and gangsters. The extraditions now appear to have stepped up into other crimes. Last week, Dubai police similarly arrested a British man wanted in Denmark over an alleged $1.7 billion tax fraud case. Sanjay Shah, who maintains his innocence, similarly had been living in Dubai for years amid court cases targeting him over allegedly masterminding the scam.

However, theres a renewed focus on Russian money flowing in as Moscow faces Western sanctions over the Ukraine war. In the northern emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, a sanctioned Russian oligarchs megayacht now hides from possible Western seizure. That vessel, the Motor Yacht A, is owned by Andrey Melnichenko, a European Union-sanctioned oligarch worth some $23.5 billion, according to Forbes. Melnichenko has rejected the sanctions and denied being close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Andrew Meldrum and Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this report.

By MALAK HARB and JON GAMBRELL

Associated Press
Sri Lankan PM requests patience as UN calls for relief funds View Photo

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  Sri Lankas prime minister said Tuesday that the United Nations has arranged a worldwide appeal to help the island nation cope with critical shortages of food, fuel and medicines, but the projected funds barely scratch the surface of the $6 billion it needs to stay afloat over the next six months.

In a speech to Parliament, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the U.N. seeks to provide $48 million in assistance over a four-month period.

Wickremesinghe said it will be tough for the next three weeks to obtain some essentials and urged people to be united and patient, to use the scarce supplies as carefully as possible and avoid nonessential travel.

Therefore, I urge all citizens to refrain from thinking about hoarding fuel and gas during this period. After those difficult three weeks, we will try to provide fuel and food without further disruptions. Negotiations are underway with various parties to ensure this happens, Wickremesinghe said.

Sri Lanka is nearly bankrupt, having suspended repayment of its foreign loans. Its foreign reserves are almost spent, which has limited imports and caused serious shortages of essential items including food, medicine, fuel and cooking gas.

It is due to repay $7 billion this year of the $25 billion in foreign loans it is scheduled to pay by 2026. Sri Lankas total foreign debt is $51 billion.

Authorities have started discussions with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout package, and Wickremesinghe said he asked the IMF to lead a conference to unite Sri Lankas lenders.

Holding such a conference under the leadership of India, China and Japan will be a great strength to our country. China and Japan have different credit approaches. It is our hope that some consensus on lending approaches can be reached through such a conference, Wickremesinghe said.

A decision last year to ban imported agrochemicals and make farming totally organic halved rice production during the main cultivating season, though the ban has since been withdrawn. A lack of funds to buy fertilizer threatens future yields, too, causing fears of a worsening food crisis.

Wickremesinghe said chemical fertilizer imports cost $600 million a year and $150 million will be needed to import food each month. Another $1 billion will be required to strengthen the local currency, and in all, Sri Lanka will need about $6 billion to stay afloat for the next six months, he said.

The task of rebuilding our declining agriculture must begin immediately. We are losing the international market for our export crops. Action must be taken to prevent this. Chemical fertilizers are needed to boost local agriculture, he said.

Wickremesinghe said that before he took over as prime minister last month, the government had alienated Sri Lankas long-time allies.

Japan is our long-time friend. A nation that has helped our country greatly. But they are now unhappy with us due to the unfortunate events of the past, Wickremenshinghe said. Our country failed to formally notify Japan of the suspension of certain projects. Sometimes the reasons for these suspensions were not even stated.

Sri Lanka canceled and reinstated a port development project with India and Japan multiple times in the years following their initial 2019 agreement.

Despite alienating these friendly nations, India offered to help us in the face of the growing crisis. We express our respect and gratitude to them during this difficult time. We are also working to re-establish old friendships with Japan, he said.

India has provided billions of dollars in help to Sri Lanka through loans and credit lines since the crisis started.

Sri Lankan Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara said the government plans to send part of its bloated state workforce to work overseas to earn much-needed foreign currency. He said the health ministry is also formulating laws to help state health workers seek foreign jobs.

Remittances from overseas workers have been one of Sri Lankas main economic lifelines, along with garment exports and tourism, but that income has drastically declined because authorities artificially maintained the value of U.S. dollar and made conversion of foreign money into local currency compulsory, leading many to use illegal channels to transfer funds.

Nanayakkara said Sri Lanka typically received $700 million a month in remittances from expatriate workers, but the figure dropped to $230 million in March.

The economic crisis has led to political turmoil. Protesters have been camped outside the presidents office for more than 50 days calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whom they accuse of being responsible for the crisis.

Protests have almost dismantled the once-powerful Rajapaksa political dynasty, with the presidents brother resigning as prime minister last month amid violent protests. Three other family members resigned from Cabinet positions earlier this year.

By KRISHAN FRANCIS and BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI

Associated Press
Indonesian army officer gets life sentence for double murder View Photo

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  A middle-rank Indonesian army officer is being stripped of his military title after he was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison for murder, joint deprivation of the independence of others and removing the bodies with the intention of concealment in a case that drew public outcry.

Priyanto held the title colonel before his sentencing and dismissal from military service.

Two of Priyantos subordinates were with him when their car crashed into two teenagers on a motorcycle in December. Handi Saputra, 17, was riding the motorcycle with his girlfriend Salsabila, 14, in West Java province.

During the trial in Indonesias capital Jakarta, Priyanto admitted he had the idea of disposing of the two bodies because he thought the teens had died and werent moving or breathing.

However, a number of other witnesses  including a civilian who helped lift the two victims into Priyantos car at the crime scene  said Handi was still moving and groaning in pain.

Instead of taking him to the hospital, Priyanto ordered his men to put the two victims in the car. Despite the subordinates rejection of his plans, Priyanto decided to throw the bodies into the nearest large river so that the two bodies could drift into the sea in the hope they would be lost or eaten by animals and not found.

The two bodies were found by local residents three days later in separate rivers in neighboring Central Java province.

The forensic expert serving as a witness said water was found in Handis respiratory system, showing he was still alive when he was thrown in the river.

One of the presiding judges said the case is meant to teach soldiers a lesson in respecting human rights even though they are trained to kill.

This punishment is also to provide a deterrent effect for other soldiers, Brig. Gen. Faridah Faisal said Tuesday before reading out the verdict.

Both of his subordinates are also on trial regarding the case.

Relatives of the victims, in a broadcast by TV ONE, said they accepted the verdict on Priyanto and his punishment.

Many Indonesians welcomed the armys retreat from politics after Suhartos often brutal 32-year rule was ended by mass protests in 1998. The changes represented a major break with the past and set the stage for civilian-led reforms to enhance the elected governments control over military institutions and defense policy.

Despite a reputation for brutality, the image of Indonesias armed forces has improved since Suhartos departure.

By ACHMAD IBRAHIM and EDNA TARIGAN

Associated Press
CHP San Andreas Unit logo View Photo

San Andreas, CA The CHP is releasing more information about a recent head-on collision that took place on May 28th,2022 on Highway 49 south of Gold Strike Road. The last update about this crash can be found here.

On May 28th, 2022 CHP officers and local fire agencies were dispatched to a traffic collision on Highway 49 south of Gold Stike Road. Shortly after the collision, both of the involved vehicles caught fire, causing fatal injuries to one of the drivers. The other driver, Rodney Patrick of San Andreas was trapped in the drivers seat of his 2014 Ram pickup. Due to the severity of his injuries, the damage to his vehicle, and the fire, Patrick was unable to exit his vehicle on his own. Multiple citizens stopped at the scene and attempted to remove Patrick from his vehicle and away from the spread of the fire.

Close to five minutes after the collision, San Andreas Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Lee Rhodes arrived and made contact with Mr.Patrick. Despite being only in jeans and a tee-shirt, Chief Rhodes entered the burning vehicle from the passenger side in an attempt to rescue him. Chief Rhodes made multiple attempts to pull him from the drivers seat but was unable to free him. Officer Butzler soon arrived on the scene and began to assist. Additionally, a citizen attempted to free the driver from the burning vehicle which at this point was becoming fully engulfed in flames. Chief Rhodes was able to pull Patrick from the vehicle and onto the ground where he was carried away from danger with help from Officer Butzler.

The CHP wants to recognize the efforts of Chief Rhodes, the unidentified citizen who assisted, and everyone else who fought to rescue Patrick and save his life.
Sonora, CA Todd Schroeder recently made his return to performing in Sonora, and an article on that performance can be found here. A direct result of that concert was the opening of the Todd Schroeder Young Artist Grant Fund at Sonora Area Foundation. Todds performance moved concert attendees Gary Dambacher and his wife Charlene who were inspired after hearing about how his annual concert supports the program but also a need for a better sound system at the Sonora High Auditorium.

The couple thought a fund at the Foundation would create more interest in the Young Artist Grant Program and Todds annual concert, so a donation was made to establish the fund. When donors were made aware of this new fund, several of them contributed.

Gary Dambacher explained what motivated him by saying, My wife, Charlene, and I have been continually impressed by Todds concerts that weve attended since 1995. Its amazing to us that he and the other celebrities travel to Sonora and perform for the sole purpose of raising funds to enable our young artists and musicians to get a financial start on their careers. The Young Artist Grant, now based at the Sonora Area Foundation, will allow the community to contribute to a much-needed sound system for the auditorium as well as more scholarships for our students.

Todd Schroeder explains the initial origins of the grant and new partnership by saying, When I started the Young Artist Grant in 1995, it was to recognize Sonora High School graduating seniors that wanted to pursue a career in the performing and visual arts. And by putting on the Benefit concert, we were able to raise funds to not only give grants to the students but also to invest in the tools necessary for the teachers to develop the students talents. Now joining with the Sonora Area Foundation, we have the opportunity for the community to be involved and recognize the importance of the arts in the lives of everyone in the community. I am thrilled to continue the dream at this exciting new level.
Iowa Democrat Franken to face GOPs Grassley in Senate race View Photo

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Iowa Democrat Mike Franken, a retired Navy admiral, will challenge Republican Sen. Chuck Grassleys reelection this fall after winning his partys nomination Tuesday over two competitors.

Franken beat former congresswoman Abby Finkenauer and physician Glenn Hurst to earn the right to run against Grassley, who is seeking an eighth Senate term and beat back a nominal primary challenge of his own.

What must happen is we must defeat Chuck Grassley, Franken told supporters in Des Moines after receiving a call of congratulations from Finkenauer. Were done with this. Were absolutely done. Im not going to be the junior senator from Iowa. Im going to be the leading senator from the state of Iowa.

Frankens primary win is something of a surprise, given Finkenauer was better known throughout the state after her 2018 victory over a Republican congressman that made her the second-youngest woman elected to Congress. Finkenauer lost in a reelection bid in 2020 but was a frequent presence on cable television and raised millions of dollars toward her Senate run.

But Franken campaigned in more than 50 of Iowas 99 counties, touting his upbringing in rural, northwest Iowa where Democrats have all but vanished from public office. And yet Franken beat Finkenauer soundly in the states most populous areas including the Des Moines metro area, as well as in the liberal bastion of Iowa City, next door to Finkenauers eastern Iowa base.

Were going to take this race from a third-tier Senatorial race to a tier one, the most interesting race in nation, Franken added.

In his campaign, Franken emphasized a need to dial down the political tension in Washington. He also called for adding a public insurance option to the Affordable Care Act.

Joyce Mahl of Council Bluffs in western Iowa said she voted for Franken because she was unsure Iowans would vote for a Democratic woman in the general election, though Iowa has elected Democratic women, including Finkenauer, to Congress. Mahls top priority is a candidate she views as stronger against Grassley.

If you want Grassley out, youve got to vote for the one that you think can beat him, Mahl, 66, said after voting at a downtown Council Bluffs church.

Franken will nonetheless face stiff headwinds going into the general election against Grassley, who has served seven terms. A state that Democrat Barack Obama won in two presidential elections has steadily shifted to the right in recent years, part of a broader transformation that has spread through the Northern Plains that has made it increasingly difficult for Democrats to compete statewide.

Mark Hollander, 47, a marketing professional from West Des Moines, said he voted for Finkenauer in part because of her background in Congress, but also because she represents a new generation. Finkenauer stressed limiting the number of terms a member of the Senate can serve.

I do agree with her on term limits, Hollander said. I feel that Grassley has not been especially effective in the last decade-plus and has turned more obstructionist at this point.

But Finkenauers campaign faced an unexpected stumble in April when she nearly didnt make the primary ballot. Republican activists claimed she hadnt gathered enough signatures from enough counties. A district judge ruled Finkenauer hadnt qualified for the ballot, a ruling she called deeply partisan. The Iowa Supreme Court overruled that decision and allowed her to run.

Still, the episode turned off a number of veteran state Democratic activists, former candidates and officeholders, prompting some to give Franken a second look. He posted stronger first-quarter fundraising figures than Finkenauer and earned endorsements from some well-known former Finkenauer supporters bothered by her declining to accept responsibility for the filing mistakes.

Grassley, from New Hartford in northern Iowa, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980 after serving three terms in the U.S. House.

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Associated Press writers David Pitt in West Des Moines, Iowa, and Grant Schulte in Council Bluffs, Iowa, contributed to this report.

By THOMAS BEAUMONT

Associated Press
7 fired Starbucks workers celebrate union vote in Memphis View Photo

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)  Seven employees of a Tennessee Starbucks who were fired after starting unionization efforts claimed victory Tuesday when their Memphis store voted to join a wave of U.S. locations of the coffee chain that have decided to organize.

The so-called Memphis Seven jumped for joy, hugged one another and wept after a count held by the National Labor Relations Board showed an 11-3 vote in favor of unionization of a Starbucks store near the University of Memphis.

The group pushed for a union for months, even after their firing in February on allegations by Starbucks that they violated store security rules. The baristas are pushing for reinstatement and want to help other Memphis stores unionize.

The reason that I am filled with tears is because Memphis Seven has fought so hard, said Nikki Taylor, one of the fired workers. To know that that work didnt go in vain, that fight didnt go in vain, that losing sleep didnt go in vain, its amazing to me.

After the vote Tuesday, Starbucks said it respects the process and will bargain in good faith.

Other U.S. locations planned union votes Tuesday. Two Starbucks in Chicago voted against unionization, while a third voted yes, the labor relations board said. Other votes were scheduled in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Portland, Oregon; Albany, New York; and Lawrence, Kansas.

Seattle-based Starbucks has 9,000 company-run U.S. stores. Nationally, the NLRB has received 280 union petitions for Starbucks locations, board spokeswoman Kayla Blado said. Of 149 vote counts, 122 locations have voted for a union and 79 have been certified, Blado said.

A store in Atlanta voted Monday to become the first unionized Starbucks in the citys metro area, news outlets reported.

The Memphis group announced a campaign to unionize on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday this year. Starbucks then fired them, alleging violations of policies related to maintaining a secure work environment and safety standards. Workers allowed unauthorized people into the store when it was closed, Starbucks said.

But the seven Memphis baristas claimed they were let go because of efforts to join Starbucks Workers United. The NLRB has asked a Memphis federal court to order their reinstatement. A hearing was scheduled for Thursday.

The firings generated national interest as a symbol of workers battles to unionize in big corporations. The Rev. William Barber of the Poor Peoples Campaign led a march in March in support of the Memphis Seven, who watched Tuesdays online count at the campaign office of Steve Mulroy, a Democrat running for Shelby County district attorney.

One of the workers, Beto Sanchez, said firing seven workers at the same time was a stupid decision.

They tried to use us to scare other unions, to scare other stores, to scare everyone else, Sanchez said, adding that his colleagues were fighting for respect, for dignity, for workers rights.

Sanchez, a store supervisor before he was fired, claimed his fellow workers had been left at times without hot water or air conditioning. He said Starbucks didnt always treat his stores employees well during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday, the company said it was listening and learning from workers in stores seeking union support.

From the beginning, weve been clear in our belief that we are better together as partners, without a union between us, and that conviction has not changed, the statement said.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, a longtime union foe, said during a corporate earnings call in May that the company respects the rights of Starbucks employees and will bargain where its required to. But he also insisted that employees dont need a union to get the best-in-class wages and benefits Starbucks provides.

Schultz then announced $200 million in new investments for non-union stores, including raises for veteran employees and more training time for new baristas. The company even promised one of the unions priorities  credit card tipping  before the end of this year.

Parties have one week to file objections, the NLRB said. If none are filed, results will be certified June 14.

By ADRIAN SAINZ

Associated Press
Proud Boys documentarian to be among first Jan. 6 witnesses View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol will open a series of hearings focusing on far-right extremists who broke into the building, with testimony from a documentary filmmaker who recorded the riot and a Capitol Police officer who was one of the first people injured in the attack.

The panel announced Tuesday that the witnesses at Thursday nights prime-time hearing will be British filmmaker Nick Quested, who recorded members of the far-right Proud Boys as they stormed the building, and Caroline Edwards, a U.S. Capitol Police officer who was seriously injured as the rioters, including members of the Proud Boys, shoved past police officers and forced their way into the Capitol.

In announcing the witnesses, the committee said it would present previously unseen material documenting January 6th, receive witness testimony, and provide the American people an initial summary of its findings about the coordinated, multi-step effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and prevent the transfer of power.

The hearing is expected to be a broad, multimedia overview of the committees findings and a reminder to the public of the violence of the day, with other hearings in the coming weeks diving into more specifics of the planning behind the attack. In its yearlong investigation the committee has conducted more than 1,000 interviews.

The committee has reached out to a group of Trump-era Justice Department officials, including Jeffrey Rosen, the acting attorney general at the time of the riot, about having them as witnesses, according to a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Lawmakers are focused not only on the extremist groups that were among the rioters, but also on President Donald Trumps actions at the White House while the mob of his supporters beat law enforcement officers and broke into the building. They have also investigated Trumps efforts to overturn the election in the weeks before the attack, including pressure on state officials.

Quested, a British filmmaker who also witnessed some of the Proud Boys planning before the attack on the Capitol, was present for some of the most extraordinary events that took place that day. He accompanied members of the extremist group as they walked to the Capitol from Trumps morning speech in front of the White House, as they broke through police barriers and eventually into the building, and as hundreds of Trumps supporters moved through the Capitol to protest his defeat. Quested confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that he would be a witness.

Quested also filmed Henry Enrique Tarrio, then the leader of the Proud Boys, the night before when Tarrio met in an underground Washington garage with Elmer Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, another extremist group present at the riot. The video did not record the conversation but shows the two meeting in the garage with other members of the groups.

Tarrio and other members of the group were charged on Monday with seditious conspiracy for what federal prosecutors say was a coordinated attack to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory. Rhodes was indicted on similar charges earlier this year.

Quested, who was filming the group as part of a documentary about extremism in America, was interviewed by the committee behind closed doors in recent weeks and has turned over some of his video to the panel. He said he was also interviewed by the Justice Department, which is prosecuting hundreds of cases related to the insurrection.

The panel is expected to play some of Questeds documentary footage. Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a member of the committee, said Tuesday that in terms of video, much of what the committee will present is things that you have not seen directly before.

Edwards was one of the first officers to be injured on the West front of the Capitol as the crowd  led by members of the Proud Boys  began to push inside. She suffered a head injury and said afterward that officers need better support.

The committee said that Edwards patrolled the West plaza even after suffering the brain injury and prevented many rioters from entering the Capitol building. Her injuries have since prevented her from returning to the first responders unit, the panel said, but she is expected to join the unit again this year.

Federal authorities have linked more than three dozen people charged in the Capitol siege to the Proud Boys. Its members describe it as a politically incorrect mens club for Western chauvinists.

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Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

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For full coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and MICHAEL BALSAMO

Associated Press
Tackling migration, Harris backs investment in Latin America View Photo

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday that the Biden administrations work to attract investment to Central America, part of the U.S. effort to reduce migration, has generated $3.2 billion in private-sector commitments.

We know the American people will benefit from stable and prosperous neighbors, she said during remarks on the second day of the Summit of the Americas, which brings together countries from across the hemisphere. And when we provide economic opportunity for people in Central America, we address an important driver of migration.

President Joe Biden, who arrives at the summit on Wednesday, tasked Harris last year with addressing the root causes of migration, which routinely strains U.S. resources at the border with Mexico. Progress has been slow, a reflection of the regions intractable problems and what some critics describe as U.S. neglect.

Harris said she would focus on empowering women who face poverty and violence in their home countries. The effort is known as In Her Hands, and it aims to connect more women to the banking system, help them participate in agriculture and provide them with training in coding and cybersecurity.

When you lift up the economic status of women, you lift up the economic status of families, of her community and of our entire hemisphere, Harris said.

Her speech followed a roundtable with women leaders, including entrepreneurs, from Central America.

This weeks summit, which is being hosted by the U.S. for the first time since the inaugural event in 1994, is an opportunity for Harris to connect with leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean as she welcomes them to her home state.

With her focus on the region, Harris is following in the footsteps of Biden himself, who worked on migration issues when he served as vice president to President Barack Obama. However, Harris has taken just two trips to the region since taking office.

In recent days, she and the president have been working the phones to shore up attendance among leftist leaders who have been critical of the U.S. decision to exclude the authoritarian governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela from the Los Angeles summit.

But the effort yielded few results. Among those staying home are the presidents of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras  the only three leaders Harris has met in her two quick trips to the region.

Brian Winter, vice president of the Council of the Americas, said Harris got off on the wrong foot as Bidens point person assigned to address the root social and economic causes driving migrants to the U.S. In a May 2021 policy speech delivered to Winters international business group from Washington, Harris, a former California prosecutor, mentioned corruption no fewer than 10 times, stirring resentment in a region where leaders are sensitive to taking lectures from U.S. policymakers.

Corruption is a huge problem, but clearly there are more delicate ways to handle this, said Winter. A lot of doors closed even before she got on the ground.

Harris reiterated her anti-corruption goals  we must promote the rule of law  in her remarks Tuesday. The announcement that private-sector commitments have reached $3.2 billion includes $1.2 billion that was announced in December and another $1.9 billion being detailed this week.

New initiatives being announced include a $700 million expansion of cellular networks in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador by Miami-based Millicom; a $270 million commitment by Visa to promote digital payments; and a $150 million nearshoring investment by the Gap Inc. that could see as many as 5,000 jobs created closer to the U.S.

But the Biden administrations biggest policy proposal in the region  a $4 billion aid package for Central America  has stalled in Congress with little apparent effort to revive it. Meanwhile, the number of migrants at the U.S. border with Mexico has surged to its highest levels in decades, even as the Biden administration has little to show for the Democratic presidents promise as a candidate to introduce a humane asylum system that would break with Trump-era restrictions.

One challenge is finding partners in a region where institutions are weak, gang violence is prolific and corruption is rampant.

None of the countries Harris is to work with will be represented at the summit by its president, according to the list of delegations the White House released Tuesday. All three nations are sending their foreign ministers instead. And in recent months, the U.S. has taken a strident tone against El Salvadors President Nayib Bukele, whom it accuses of using his popularity to amass power and ride roughshod over democratic checks and balances.

Meanwhile, Guatemala President Alejandro Giammettei said last month that he would not attend after the U.S. criticized his decision to reappoint an attorney general it alleged was involved in corruption.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Honduras President Xiomara Castro, who has won praise from U.S. officials for her decision to extradite her predecessor, Juan Orlando Hernandez, to the U.S. to face federal drug charges. Harris, who attended Castros inauguration in January, spoke in recent days with Honduras first female president in a last-ditch effort to persuade her to travel to Los Angeles.

But in the end Castro sided with fellow leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico in boycotting the summit. Surely weighing on her decision was the United States quick recognition of a new government after Honduras military removed her husband, President Manuel Zelaya, from office in 2009.

Its a far tougher set of actors that the U.S. has to deal with even compared to what the Obama administration faced, said Rebecca Bill Chavez, president of the Inter-American Dialogue.

Chavez, who advised Harris on foreign policy during her brief presidential run, welcomed the vice presidents focus on gender-based violence and female migrants, something that was missing from past administrations. Shes also hopeful that Harris familial ties to Jamaica  her immigrant fathers birthplace  could help her connect to leaders in the Caribbean who are overlooked even in Latin America policy circles.

But Bidens record is tough to top. As vice president he made 16 trips to Latin America and his presence in the region has loomed large since his days as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, when he helped craft Plan Colombia, by far the biggest U.S. military and economic aid package in the region.

Chavez said that on issues of climate change, migration and inclusive economic growth, the Biden administration has the opportunity to lay out a vision with appeal to all countries no matter their ideological bent or bilateral agenda with the U.S.

To succeed she and the Biden administration really needs to broaden their scope, said Chavez. Los Angeles is the perfect opportunity for them to show they are so. But it cant be a one and done event. It requires follow-through to become reality.

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Goodman reported from Miami, and Megerian reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Christopher Sherman in Mexico City and Elliot Spagat in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

By AMY TAXIN, CHRIS MEGERIAN and JOSHUA GOODMAN

Associated Press
Actor McConaughey calls for gun legislation at White House View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  Academy Awardwinning actor Matthew McConaughey made an appearance at the White House Tuesday to call on Congress to reach a higher ground and pass gun control legislation in honor of the children and teachers killed in last months shooting rampage at an elementary school in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas.

In a highly personal 22-minute speech, McConaughey exhorted a gridlocked Congress to pass gun reforms that can save lives without infringing on Second Amendment rights.

McConaughey, a gun owner himself, used his star power to make an argument for legislation in a fashion that the Biden administration has not been able to muster, offering a clear connection to the small Texas town and vividly detailing the sheer loss of the 19 children and two teachers in the second worst mass school shooting in U.S. history.

He specifically called on Congress to bolster background checks for gun purchases and raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15-style rifle to 21 from 18.

We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that wont make it so easy for the bad guys to get the damn guns, McConaughey said.

McConaughey, who earlier this year considered a run for governor of Texas before taking a pass, met briefly in private with President Joe Biden before addressing the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room.

McConaughey has also met with key lawmakers this week, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that handles gun legislation, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, and the panels ranking Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

Also Tuesday, the son of Ruth Whitfield, an 86-year-old woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a racist attack on Black shoppers in Buffalo, New York, last month, called on Congress to act against the cancer of white supremacy and the nations epidemic of gun violence.

Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires? Garnell Whitfield Jr. asked members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

McConaughey, who declined to take questions, spoke of his own connections to the town. He said his mother taught kindergarten less than a mile from Uvaldes Robb Elementary School, the site of the May 24 shooting. He also noted that Uvalde was the place where he was taught about responsibilities that come with gun ownership.

Uvalde is where I was taught to revere the power and the capability of the tool that we call a gun, he said.

McConaughey said he and his wife drove back to Uvalde on the day after the shooting and spent time with the families of some of the victims and others directly affected by the rampage.

He said every parent he spoke to expressed that they want their childrens dreams to live on.

They want to make their loss of life matter, McConaughey said.

He related the personal stories of a number of the victims.

He told the story of Maite Rodriguez, an aspiring marine biologist. McConaugheys wife, Camila, sitting nearby, held a pair of green Converse sneakers resembling those that the girl often wore.

McConaughey said the sneakers turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting.

He held up artwork from Alithia Ramirez, who dreamed of attending art school in Paris. And then there was Eliahna Ellie Garcia, who loved dancing and church and already knew how to drive tractors. Ellie was looking forward to reading a Bible verse at an upcoming church service when she was killed.

McConaughey acknowledged that gun legislation would not end mass shootings but suggested that steps can be taken to lessen the chances of such tragedies happening so frequently.

We need to invest in mental healthcare. We need safer schools. We need to restrain sensationalized media coverage. We need to restore our family values. We need to restore our American values and we need responsible gun ownership, McConaughey said.

Is this a cure-all? Hell no, but people are hurting.

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

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In a version of this story published June 7, 2022, The Associated Press quoted McConaughey saying his wife Camila was holding a pair of sneakers worn by a girl who died in the attack. The shoes were similar, but they were not the girls sneakers.

By AAMER MADHANI

Associated Press
HEMET, Calif. (AP)  A small plane crashed into the backyard of a Southern California home on Tuesday and the pilot was hospitalized with critical burn injuries, authorities said.

The fiery crash happened around 9:35 a.m. in the city of Hemet, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.

The pilot, the planes sole occupant, was driven to a nearby hospital and later flown to Arrowhead Regional Medical Centers burn unit in critical condition, officials said.

Eugene Barron, who lives next door, said he and another neighbor used a garden hose to douse the fire. He said the pilot was conscious and speaking after being consumed by flames.

I just pray that he lives because he was  covered in fire, Barron told CBS Los Angeles.

Two people who were in the house were unharmed, Fire Chief Eddie Sell said.

The Beechcraft 77 appeared to have crashed through a cinder-block wall and into the backyard, according to TV news images.

The cause of the crash was under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  A lawsuit claiming that New Mexico county commissioner and Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin engaged in viewpoint" discrimination could be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court in a test-case for free speech rights on social media platforms.

Chaplain and local Democratic Party leader Jeff Swanson lost a federal appeals court ruling in February in a lawsuit claiming he was blocked by Griffin from social media discussions about public county business on Griffin's Facebook page.

Swanson, a Marine veteran, says he was blocked in a discriminatory fashion after criticizing Griffin about the upkeep of a courthouse and urging Griffin to not mix politics and religion. Swansons attorney on Monday confirmed the petition to the Supreme Court, which has not said if it will take the case.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver in February sided with Griffin in the dispute over his social media account and whether it functioned as a public forum concerning county affairs, with implied guarantees to public access and free speech.

The appeals court in the dispute found no clearly established right to First Amendment free speech protections for public discussions on social media platforms.

Advocacy groups including the ACLU assert that First Amendment rights should apply to social media accounts when a public officials use accounts as an extensions of their office.

Griffin has said that he used his Facebook page to express personal opinions as just one member of a three-member county commission.

The dispute emerged in 2019  long before Griffin, an elected commissioner in southern New Mexicos Otero County  was suspended indefinitely from social media accounts, including Facebook, following his arrest in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.

Griffin was convicted of illegally entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds, where he appeared on an outdoor terrace and tried to lead the crowd in prayer without entering the building.

He was acquitted of engaging in disorderly conduct during the riot that disrupted Congress from certifying Joe Bidens presidential election victory.

Griffin is not running for reelection in November.
UMC Childrens Hospital and Texas Tech Physicians will host a free water safety event on Saturday.

The event is set for 9:30-11:30 a.m. at Water Rampage, 6602 Marsha Sharp Fwy W in Lubbock.

There will be water safety training for people of all ages. Attendees will receive CPR training, will have a chance to tour first responder trucks, and kids will get free life jackets. Door prizes will also be available.

Participants will also get a chance to stay until noon when the water park officially opens for business.
With construction on Continental Automotive's new facility underway in New Braunfels, job seekers can start looking for employment opportunities. The state-of-the-art 215,000-square-foot, $110 million manufacturing facility is expected to open in the fall, the company said to the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

"Construction is coming along, despite some challenges with COVID and subcontractors and finding people," Project Manager Ryan French said to the newspaper. "We are in the process of getting close to where were going to start ramping up production. Later this year, well start production, and were starting to hire."

The new location, the second facility in Texas, will offer 580 well-paying jobs with "excellent benefits" over the next four years in New Braunfels, with plans to hire 100 people this summer. The facility will be located off I-35 and Kohlenberg Road and will create products for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, the foundation of assisted and automated driving, the report says.

The company develops key components for assisted and automated driving all over the globe. The new location in New Braunfels positions the company to expand its research and development and manufacturing in the United States as demand for intelligent safety functions increases, according to the report. The plant will produce radar sensors that are for safety functions like blind-spot detection and forward-collision warning.

"Well have the start-up of production later this year. Thats still the original plan and on track," French said to the Herald-Zeitung. "Well see a big ramp-up in 2023 as were bringing in more equipment from the Seguin facility to this one."

In 2019, Comal County commissioners and New Braunfels City Council members separately agreed to incentivize Continentals multi-million dollar investment in New Braunfels. The agreement provides a multi-year refund of property taxes paid on the improvements and business personal property in exchange for the company fulfilling certain employment and wage levels. If the company meets all the benchmarks, it could total up to $3.3 million in land acquisition grants, up to $1.8 million for infrastructure improvements and up to $270,000 in roadway impact fees to improve Kohlenberg Road, according to the report.
Beginning in the mid-to-late 1970s, musician Jesse Sublett was a leader in Austin's burgeoning punk rock underground as a member of The Skunks and The Violators, the latter alongside future Go-Go's bassist Kathy Valentine. All the while, though, there was another, seedier underground movement in Austin, one with which Sublett  in his later career as a true crime writer  wouldn't become familiar for decades.

In his new book out on UT Press on Tuesday, June 7, The Last Gangster in Austin: Frank Smith, Ronnie Earle, and the End of a Junkyard Mafia, Sublett paints the portrait of a Dixie Mafia outlaw and the district attorney sworn to stop him. And it all takes place right under Sublett's nose in a seemingly sleepy Austin, as The Skunks played ragers at Raul's near University of Texas at Austin and the Armadillo still staved off extinction.

Sublett came across a notorious figure named Frank Smith in the early 2000s while poring over microfilm for his memoir, which involved a grisly murder that happened in his own home during the summer of 1976. One day that August, Sublett returned from a Sunday night gig in San Antonio to find his girlfriend of four years, Dianne Roberts, murdered in the Austin home they shared.

Because of the pain stemming from that gruesome serial killing, Sublett self-imposed a news blackout in the mid 70s, which meant that he missed some crucial contemporary crime stories revolving around Smith. Nearly two decades later, he started research for a potential book about true crime in Austin in the 1970s, and one newspaper story in particular jumped out at him, involving Smith and a shooting at a junkyard. Smith in particular, a millionaire ex-convict with bail bonds and junkyard businesses, caught Sublett's eye as he pored over newspaper clippings.

He discovered that Smith, the son of a Baptist preacher who had started a junkyard in 1956, had once been the driver for Texas Governor Allan Shivers, who eventually pardoned him. Smith used the junkyard as a home base for car theft and money laundering, and became a notorious figure who kept slipping from the law's grasp.

"He had a sort of Donald Trump-like craving for attention, and even when attention would not be good for him legally, he just couldn't help himself," Sublett says. "He loved being in the spotlight and teasing about his illegal activities. Frank had an uncanny instinct for knowing where the power was, and getting it."

Alan Pogue, used with permission

The man tasked with taking Smith down in the 1970s was longtime Austin and Travis County district attorney Ronnie Earle. When Sublett began working on Last Gangster in Austin in 2020, he reached out to Earle's wife Twila. Told that Earle was in ill health, he quickly set up a phone interview with the former DA who had retired in 2008. But just two weeks after that call, on April 5, 2020, Earle died.

"I felt really bad," Sublett says, of waiting so long to reach out to Earle. "But getting to know Twila and getting to know Ronnie through her was a very rewarding and enriching experience. My admiration for Ronnie and her was so high because they were a team on a lot of their mutual interests, including criminal justice reform."

Last Gangster in Austin switches between Earle's rise to district attorney coinciding with Smith's burgeoning auto salvage and bail bonds business. When a rival junkyard gets in Smith's way, a series of bungled attempts to eliminate the competition  including arson and gun violence  leads to the rookie Earle taking on Austin's criminal underbelly.

Jay Godwin, Austin History Center, Austin Public Library

What Sublett discovered about his adopted hometown  he moved to Austin with Roberts in 1974  surprised him in the way of organized crime. While the Cosa Nostra mostly left the city alone because it didn't have the types of industries and unions that was their bread and butter, it's relative then-smallness allowed figures like Smith to run complicated, under-the-radar rackets.

"Austin is the state capital and there's a lot of power and influence there, so prostitution and drugs and that kind of homegrown underworld did thrive. There were a lot of book-makers and a homegrown drug culture that actually used Austin as its base, rather than doing a lot of mayhem on their home turf," Sublett says. "And so Austin acquired a reputation as an exporter of crime."

In his research, Sublett never found a distinct reason that made Smith the eponymous last gangster in the city. But he thinks it's because Austin eventually grew up, and when it went from a sleepy town that had a rural influence to what it became, a lot of the illegal activity that lived on the margins just dried up.

"The days of analog crime passed. There was a time when checks are a big problem. Professional forgers would go from town to town and go to a bank and get the blank checkbooks and just paper the town," he says. "It was analog hacking. That kind of stuff is unthinkable now."

John Anderson, used with permission

While Sublett was working on the story, he reached out to former Austin American-Statesman crime writer Bill Cryer, who covered Smith's escapades. He texted Sublett that Smith was "a virus" whose story "will haunt you if you're not careful." The writer says that while he answered many questions about Smith, he was left with even more.

"It kind of got in my head, the Frank Smith trip, but I don't think I was ever seduced by it. I think the thing is that he's still kind of an enigma," Sublett says. "I felt like I never quite figured out how he got that way. He didn't just rebel  there's rebelling from your strict religious upbringing, and then there's the direction that Frank went, and I don't get it. A lot of it was self-defeating ... as if he wanted to get caught."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

China urges the US to fulfill President Joe Biden's statement with real actions that the US does not support "Taiwan independence," Zhao Lijian, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said at a press conference on Monday in response to the US' move of adding back the statement "We do not support Taiwan independence" in its State Department fact sheet.

The US State Department has changed its fact sheet again over the island of Taiwan, adding back the statement "We do not support Taiwan independence," it was found in the US State Department website on May 28, after it removed the line less than a month earlier.

"History can't be tampered with, facts can't be denied, and right and wrong can't be distorted," Zhao said.

"There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China," Zhao said.

The one-China principle is the consensus of the international community and a universally recognized basic norm governing international relations, and also a solemn commitment made by the US to China in the three China-US joint communiques, Zhao noted.

The US should abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations in the three China-US joint communiques, follow through on the political commitments on the Taiwan question it made to China, and fulfill President Biden's statement that the US does not support "Taiwan independence," Zhao said.

"The US should stop engaging in political manipulation of Taiwan-related issues or containing China with the Taiwan question," Zhao said. Otherwise, it will seriously damage China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, he added.
Matthew McConaughey has been very vocal about the shooting at Robb Elementary School in his hometown of Uvalde. He openly expressed his distraught and frustration on social media following the event, stating its time we re-evaluate, and renegotiate our wants from our needs. Now, the Oscar-winning actor is taking his concerns to Washington D.C.

On Tuesday, June 7, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi posted a picture on Twitter of her and McConaughey engaged in conversation at the U.S. Capitol. In her post, Pelosi mentioned the pair discussed Congress efforts on gun violence prevention legislation. She expressed an urgent need for action to save lives  especially the children.

While in D.C., McConaughey delivered an impassioned, and at times emotional, speech about gun safety at the White House Press Briefing. He spent the first opening minutes discussing those who lost their lives and their families. He stressed gun reform legislation should be a non-partisan issue.

"People are hurting, families are, parents are, and look, as divided as our country is, this gun responsibility issue is one we agree on more than we don't," McConaughey said.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

He held other meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill earlier in the day to discuss gun reform legislation.

McConaughey echoed his calls for something, anything to be done to prevent another tragedy from happening in an op-ed in the Austin American-Statesman on Monday, June 6. He called for gun responsibility laws and measures that wont infringe on Americans Second Amendment rights.

Depraved acts of violence, with guns as the weapon of choice, are ripping apart families, tearing at peoples faith, and shredding the fabric of our society," McConaughey wrote. "We have an epidemic of indiscriminate mass shootings, of parents burying their children, of inaction, and buck-passing. Saving the unnecessary loss of lives is not a partisan issue."

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

McConaughey then laid out his four-point plan to restore balance. His first order of business calls for background checks for all gun purchases. He also calls for the age requirement to purchase an assault rifle to increase from 18 to 21. McConaughey went on to suggest a national waiting period for assault rifles and Red Flag Laws, which allows courts to prevent potentially dangerous people from accessing firearms.

Watch McConaughey's speech at the White House Press Briefing here:
Tara Ziemba/Getty Images

It's official, downtown San Antonio is growing a little sweeter with the imminent arrival of the city's first Voodoo Doughnuts location. After Chef Stefan Bowers announced the incoming closure of Playland Pizza last month, rumors have been swirling about who would takeover the downtown lease.

MySA confirmed with the Portland-based doughnut purveyor that Voodoo Doughnuts are, indeed, preparing to move into the property at 400 E Houston Street, with doors opening sometime in late 2022.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Outback Steakhouse could be the next tenant to move into Brooks. The growing Southeast Side mixed-used community has welcomed a list of new businesses in recent years, ranging from national brands to local names, like La Gloria, and now Australian flair could be on the menu.

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filings show Outback is planning a $1.7 million restaurant at 2814 S.E. Military Drive. The roughly 5,000-square-foot restaurant is expected to have a construction timeline of November 7, 2022 to June 5, 2023. As with all TDLR filings, details are subject to change, but the plans are cohesive with the brands previously announced expansion framework.
BarbacoApparel

After the tragic mass shooting that occurred in Uvalde, a San Antonio apparel business turned to what they do best to try and help the grieving Texas community. BarbacoApparel designed a "Unidos for Uvalde" T-shirt where 100% of the proceeds will be donated to a fund for the Uvalde survivors.

"This was really close to us," Cat Contreras-Sanchez, co-owner of BarbacoApparel, told MySA. "We were thinking of how we can help out because everyone feels a bit helpless right now, so we thought the best move was to make T-shirts."
One of San Antonio's most beloved TV news anchors made her much anticipated return to the Alamo City's airwaves. Locals have been swooning over Isis Romeros return to their homes as KENS 5s new main evening anchor since it was first announced she was returning to TV news in April. She made her debut Monday night, June 6, during the station's 6 p.m. newscast. You can also watch her at 10 p.m.

Romero has hit the ground running ever since announcing her return to a familiar space. MySA decided to reach out to her and find out what shes most looking forward to as she begins this next chapter in her career.

Q: What are you looking forward to the most about your return to TV?

A: Theres a lot Im looking forward to. Its hard to pick just one! Im looking forward to telling peoples stories again, Im looking forward to collaborating with my team and enjoying the camaraderie of the KENS newsroom, Im looking forward to engaging with the community once more. There is so much to look forward to.

Q: How do you feel about working with your husband?

A: When I met Phil, I met my soulmate. Aside from being husband and wife, we are also best friends, equal partners, and parents to three amazing children. It makes perfect sense that we work better as colleagues than competitors. Due to childcare issues, it's unlikely we'll get to work side-by-side during the same shift, but it's an amazing feeling getting to work towards a shared goal for the same company.

Q: After your exit from KSAT, what did you do with your time?

A: During the pandemic, I decided to go back to school to pursue my masters degree, which has always been a dream of mine. I still had 21 credit hours left to complete my degree when I left KSAT, so I threw myself into my schoolwork to finish in two semesters. I also had a non-compete in effect, which meant I couldn't accept an on-air position at any San Antonio TV station through May. Through it all, I tried to maintain a grateful heart and move forward in a positive way.

Q: Why did you decide to come back to TV?

A: My year away from TV news was full of reflection for me. I leaned on my faith and asked God to guide me because I wanted to remain working in San Antonio and wanted to continue my role as a journalist  but was willing to accept the possibility this may not happen. Anchor positions don't come open very often, so when I saw a job posting last fall for an anchor position at KENS, I decided to go for it. There's a verse in the Bible about God knowing the desires of your heart, and I believe that's what happened in my situation. In my heart, I wasn't ready to leave TV news. People leave their jobs in this industry all the time, and they go for a variety of reasons, but that day has not yet come for me. I still have work to do.
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KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines military intelligence agency says Russia has so far turned over the bodies of 210 Ukrainian fighters killed in the battle for Mariupol. It says most of them were among the last holdouts in the Azovstal steelworks.

The agency did not specify Tuesday how many more bodies are believed to remain in the rubble of the plant.

Russia now controls the destroyed port city. It began turning over bodies last week. Ukraine said Saturday that the two sides had exchanged 320 bodies, with each getting back 160. It is unclear whether any more bodies have been given to Russia.

The Ukrainian fighters defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

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KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

 AP Exclusive: Ukraine recovers bodies from steel-plant siege

 Ukraine's leader says Russia is trying to capture a key southeastern city

 US general says US, allies will keep sending significant aid to Ukraine

 UN: Climate shocks and Ukraine war fuel multiple global food crises

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Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his government is working to raise money to fund the army and rebuild cities and towns destroyed in the fighting.

He said in his nightly address Tuesday that work is already underway to restore electricity, gas, running water and phone service in places from which Russian forces have been pushed out. He says much also needs to be done to re-equip hospitals and remove landmines.

Zelenskyy says one of the ways money is being gathered is through the government fundraising platform UNITED24, which in its first month brought in more than $50 million.

He says Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina on Tuesday joined former Ukrainian soccer player Andriy Shevchenko in becoming an ambassador for the fundraising platform.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces have made no significant advances in the eastern Donbas region over the past day.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said late Tuesday that the absolutely heroic defense of the Donbas continues.

Zelenskyy says the Russians clearly did not expect to meet so much resistance and are now trying to bring in additional troops and equipment. He says the same is true in the southern Kherson region, which Russian troops occupied early in the war.

Zelenskyy slso says that Ukraine plans to release a special Book of Executioners next week with confirmed information about war crimes committed by the Russian army. He says those named will include not only those who carried out war crimes but their commanders.

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JERUSALEM -- Ukraines ambassador is urging Israel to sell its Iron Dome rocket interception system and provide anti-tank missiles to defend civilians against Russias invasion.

Yevgen Korniychuk on Tuesday stopped short of accusing Israel of blocking the sale of the missile defense system. But he wants the Israeli government to back up its verbal support for Ukraine with military assistance. At a news conference in Tel Aviv, he said Ukraine wants to buy the Iron Dome system, contending that the United States would not oppose such a sale.

The United States has been financially supporting Israels Iron Dome for about a decade, providing about $1.6 billion for its production and maintenance, according to the Congressional Research Service. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets fired into Israel.

Korniychuk also said Israel last week declined a U.S. request for Germany to deliver Israeli-licensed Spike anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.

Israel has limited its support for Ukraine to humanitarian aid and was the only country operating a field hospital inside the country earlier in the year. Israel fears helping Ukraine militarily would inflame Russia, which has a military presence in neighboring Syria. Israel, which carries out frequent strikes on enemy targets in Syria, relies on Russia for security coordination.

The Israeli Defense Ministry had no comment.

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WASHINGTON  The U.S. military has begun training Ukrainian forces on the sophisticated rocket systems that the Biden administration agreed last week to provide, but that Russia has said could trigger wider airstrikes in Ukraine.

Marine Lt. Col. Anton Semelroth, Pentagon spokesman, said Ukrainian troops are training on the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, at Grafenwoehr training base in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

The U.S. agreed to send four of the medium-range, precision rocket systems to Ukraine as part of a $700 million package approved last week, and officials said it would take about three weeks of training before they could go to the battlefront.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Sunday that any Western deliveries of longer-range rocket systems would prompt Moscow to hit objects that we havent yet struck.

About 900 Ukrainian service members have received training on a variety of weapons by the U.S. so far, including on howitzers which are being delivered to the front lines.

The HIMARS is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets, which can each travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers).

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MILAN  Italian right-wing leader Matteo Salvini says Italians are prepared to continue to make economic sacrifices to support the defense of Ukraine and reach a ceasefire.

Inflation in Italy last month was 7% as prices at the gas pump, grocery store and in energy bills skyrocketed, due in part on sanctions on Russian energy and raw materials shortages.

Salvini, speaking to foreign reporters on Tuesday in Rome, said his League party backs the sanctions that the European Union imposed on Russia. But he emphasized they must be a means to a cease-fire and not be something that continues into the fall.

We need to see if they work or not," said Salvini, whose party is part of Italy's wide-ranging governing coalition. In April of this year, the value of Russian exports to Italy rose by 18%, while the value of Italian exports to Russia decreased by 48%. The bottom line is that Russia is accumulating a ton of rubles, euros, dollars and who knows what, while European countries are choking.

Added Salvini: Sanctions are an absolutely useful instrument as long as they damage those sanctioned. If, at the end of the day, they damage those that impose them, then something is not working"

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MOSCOW -- The Russian parliament has passed a set of laws allowing Moscow not to comply with the top European human rights courts rulings.

The move on Tuesday formalized the broken ties between Russia and the Council of Europe, the continents foremost human rights body.

In accordance with the new laws passed by the State Duma, Russias lower parliament house, Russian authorities are no longer obligated to comply with rulings of the European Court of Human Rights issued after March 15.

On that date, Russia announced it was withdrawing from the Council of Europe -- only to be officially expelled the next day over what the Kremlin calls a special military operation in Ukraine.

Thousands of Russians in recent years have turned to the court as a last resort, after failing to win in Russian courts, on human rights issues ranging from political persecution to domestic violence.

State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin on Telegram on Monday described the court as a tool of a political battle against our country in the hands of Western politicians, adding that some of its rulings went directly against Russias Constitution, our values, our traditions.

Volodin cited a ruling demanding that Russia recognize same-sex marriage, which was outlawed two years ago in a set of constitutional amendments.

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KYIV, Ukraine  The Ukrainian authorities have refused to allow the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog to visit a nuclear plant in southern Ukraine under the Russian control.

The International Atomic Energy Agency director Rafael Mariano Grossi said that he intends to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest in Europe, to help maintain its safety and security.

Grossi spoke Monday to the IAEA board about the dire situation at the plant, taken by the Russian troops in early March. He noted the pressure on the plants Ukrainian staff and voiced concern that some spare parts were not getting to the plant due to supply chain interruptions.

He reiterated his determination to lead an expert mission to the plant, saying that we must find a solution to the hurdles preventing progress.

Grossi contended that Ukraines government had called on him to lead such a mission, but Energoatom, the Ukrainian state company overseeing the countrys nuclear power plants, said in a blunt statement Tuesday that he wasnt welcome.

Energoatom said it hadnt invited Grossi to visit the plant and described his intention to tour it as yet another attempt to legitimize the occupiers presence there and effectively approve their action. The company contended that Grossis previous visits to Ukraine were useless. It alleged that he was acting in collusion with Russia, claiming that the Russians hold a quarter of senior managerial positions at the IAEA.

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MOSCOW  Using unusually crude language, a top associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin has castigated Moscows opponents, reflecting heightening tensions between Russia and the West amid the fighting in Ukraine.

Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president who now serves as the deputy head of Russias Security Council, explained his harsh criticism of Russias foes on his messaging app channel by saying: I hate them. They are bastards and scum.

He went on, saying that they want that Russia and all of us die and adding that as long as Im alive, I will do everything to make them disappear.

Medvedev served as Russias president in 2008-2012 when Putin had to shift into the prime ministers post due to term limits. He had been seen in the West as a liberal, but to Western disappointment, he stepped down after one term to let his mentor reclaim the presidency. He then served as his prime minister for eight years until Putin named him his No. 2 at Russias Security Council.

Medvedev has been increasingly critical of the West.

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KYIV, Ukraine -- A Ukrainian presidential advisor has vowed that Kyiv will retake all the lands currently under Russian control and urged Ukrainians to be patient.

Dont let the news that weve ceded something scare you, Mykhailo Podolyak said in a short video address on Tuesday. It is clear that tactical maneuvers are ongoing. We cede something, we take something back. Russians outnumber (Ukrainian troops), they have more equipment.

The adviser added: But we need to make sure that every village we temporarily cede and then take back costs Russians a lot of blood and make them exhaust reserves and resources,.

Podolyak stressed that Ukraine is still waiting for more weapons from its allies.

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MOSCOW  Russias defense minister says that the Russian troops have taken control of large swaths of eastern Ukraine.

Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday that the Russian forces have fully liberated the residential quarters of Sievierodonetsk and are fighting to take control of an industrial zone on its outskirts and the nearby towns.

That city, the administrative center of the Luhansk region, has recently been the focus of the Russian offensive.

Shoigu added that the Russian troops were pressing their offensive toward the town of Popasna, with a pre-war population of 20,000, and lying some 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Sievierodonetsk. He noted that they have taken control of Lyman and Sviatohirsk and 15 other towns in the region. He claimed that 97% of the Luhansk region has already been liberated.

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VILNIUS, Lithuania  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says his country is ready to increase its military presence in the Baltic region to meet new challenges to regional security.

We have agreed to strengthen the eastern flank of NATO by creating a new strong brigade here, Scholz said during a visit on Tuesday to Lithuania. The Baltic country borders Kaliningrad, a Russian region where the countrys Baltic Sea fleet is based. A brigade would be 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers

Scholz also pledged to continue supplies of necessary weapons and troops' training to Ukraine. He dismissed claims that Germany was hesitating with heavy weaponry supplies, including most modern howitzers, to Ukraine.

Lithuania President Gitanas Nauseda welcomed the German plans to deploy more troops in the country. The Russian military threat will remain a major source of threat to regional security," she said. "Baltic states are in an especially vulnerable position here on the front line of NATO external borders.

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MOSCOW  The Russian military says it has destroyed several artillery systems provided by the West in the latest series of strikes on Ukrainian targets.

Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Tuesday that the Russian artillery hit a howitzer supplied by Norway and two other artillery systems given to Ukraine by the United States. He said that the Russian artillery barrage destroyed other Ukrainian equipment in the countrys east while the Russian air force hit Ukrainian troops and equipment concentrations and artillery positions.

Konashenkovs claims couldnt be independently confirmed.

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LVIV, Ukraine -- A Ukrainian official says Russia has deployed additional troops to eastern Ukraine to help capture a key city.

Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai told The Associated Press that the Russian forces control industrial outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, one of key two cities in the Luhansk region left to be seized by Russia. The Russian forces have so far failed to take over all of it and have been forced to deploy additional troops, he said.

Toughest street battles continue, with varying degrees of success, the situation constantly changes, but the Ukrainians are repelling attacks, Haidai said.

Neighboring Lysychansk -- another city still not taken in the region  is being barraged by artillery. Haidai said. He said the Russian troops shelled a local market, a school and a college building, destroying the latter. Three people with wounds were sent to hospitals elsewhere Ukraine.

A total destruction of the city is underway, Russian shelling has intensified significantly over the past 24 hours. Russians are using the scorched earth tactics, Haidai said.

In all, the Ukrainian forces have repelled 10 Russian attacks over the past 24 hours, according to the Luhansk governor.

Nearly all the region is under the control of Russia, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces.

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KYIV, Ukraine  In a latest sign of Ukrainian resilience, a theater in Ukraines capital reopened for the first time since Russian forces invaded the country on Feb. 24, and tickets sold out for Sundays performance.

Cinemas and the National Opera opened their doors at the end of May in Kyiv.

We were wondering how it would be, whether spectators would come during the war, whether they think at all about theater, whether its of any interest, said one of the actors, Yuriy Felipenko. And we were happy that the first three plays were sold out.

Actor Kostya Tomlyak says he had hesitated to perform in wartime. But the influx of people returning to Kyiv since hostilities there have lessened persuaded him that its necessary to go on.

Said Tomlyak: You continue living, although you dont forget that there is the war. The main question is how actors can be helpful.

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MOSCOW  Russias Foreign Ministry announced Monday that is levying sanctions on 61 U.S. nationals,.

It said the move was being taken in response to the ever-expanding U.S. sanctions against Russian political and public figures, as well as representatives of domestic business.

The list includes U.S. officials and former and current top managers of large American companies, such as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscows invasion.

Dozens of the dead taken from the bombed-out mills now Russian-occupied ruins have been transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where DNA testing is underway to identify the remains, according to both a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment.

The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

It was unclear how many bodies might remain at the plant.

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to fight for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows goal of completing the capture of the industrial Donbas region.

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NEW YORK  U.S. authorities moved Monday to seize two luxury jets  a $60 million Gulfstream and a $350 million aircraft believed to be one of the worlds most expensive private airplanes  after linking both to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

A federal magistrate judge signed a warrant authorizing the seizure of the Gulfstream and a Boeing jet that authorities said was worth less than $100 million before a lavish customization.

The action takes place just days after the United States announced new sanctions and penalties on Russian oligarchs and elites, Kremlin officials, businessmen linked to President Vladimir Putin and their yachts, aircraft and firms that manage them.

President Joe Biden promised after Russias February invasion of Ukraine to pursue Russian elites ill-gotten gains.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Monday that his office was using every legal tool available to respond to Russians illegal war in Ukraine.

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UNITED NATIONS  The U.N. envoy on sexual violence in conflict says sexual violence in Ukraine especially against women and girls remains prevalent and underreported, and the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country is turning into a human trafficking crisis.

Pramila Patten told the U.N. Security Council Monday that there is a gap between its resolutions aimed at preventing rape and other sexual attacks during conflicts and the reality on the ground for the most vulnerable  women and children.

As of June 3, she said, the U.N. human rights office had received 124 allegations of conflict-related sexual violence  97 against women and girls, 19 against men, 7 against boys and 1 gender unknown. Verification of these cases is on-going, she said.

Patten said Ukraines prosecutor general informedher during a visit in May that a national hot line reported the following forms of conflict-related sexual violence between Feb. 24, when Russian troops invaded the country, and April 12: rape, gang rape, pregnancy following rape, attempted rape, threats of rape, coercion to watch an act of sexual violence committed against a partner or a child, and forced nudity.
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LONDON (AP)  Now we know what is in Queen Elizabeth IIs handbag.

The long-time mystery was solved Saturday when the British monarch made the second star turn of her career, appearing in a mini-movie to kick off a concert celebrating her 70 years on the throne. The sketch featured the queen having a cream tea with British national treasure Paddington Bear at Buckingham Palace.

After drinking all the tea and destroying the cakes, the duffle-coat wearing bear from deepest Peru told Elizabeth how he always had a reserve supply of marmalade sandwiches with him, lifting up his red hat to reveal his favorite treat.

So do I, the queen responded before opening her bag and declaring: I keep mine in here.

The scene recalled the moment Elizabeth appeared as a Bond girl in a short film for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.

Her majesty is well known for her sense of humor, so it should be no surprise that she decided to take part in tonights sketch, the palace said. There was an interest in the filming and animation process and the opportunity to invite a famous bear to tea was just too much fun to miss."

The queens performance with an animated bear drew laughter and loud applause from the overflow crowd at the concert outside Buckingham Palace that was the highlight of the third of four days of festivities celebrating her Platinum Jubilee. The 96-year-old monarch did not attend the concert in person due to what the palace describes as episodic mobility issues.

Despite the queens absence, spirits were high during an event that culminated with appearances by the monarchs son and grandson. Prince Charles and his son Prince William paid tribute to the queen in separate speeches that honored the past and looked to the future.

Anne Middleton, 61, who travelled from Cardiff in Wales for the jubilee celebrations, said she loved the Paddington sketch and the queens decision to skip the event didnt dim the festivities.

Not for me, she said, decked out from head to toe in the flags of the U.K. and Wales. She turned up on the first day, and we know she would have been there if she could have been.

Charles opened his short speech by addressing the queen as Your Majesty, mummy, then paid tribute to her lifetime of selfless service.

The queens eldest son and heir recalled the ever-growing list of world leaders Elizabeth has met and the endless stacks of state papers she has reviewed during a reign that has now stretched from the early days of the Cold War to the information age. But he also highlighted his mothers role as a symbol of stability, unifying the U.K. and the Commonwealth as they negotiated this rapidly changing world.

You have met us and talked with us. You laugh and cry with us and, most importantly, you have been there for us, for these 70 years, Charles said as scenes from the queens life were projected on the palace walls. You pledged to serve your whole life  you continue to deliver. That is why we are here. That is what we celebrate tonight.

William preceded his father with remarks that underscored the queens long-time commitment to the environment as he highlighted the need to combat climate change. The presentation began with a clip of the queens 1989 Christmas message, in which she called on all nations to work together to protect the earth for our children and our childrens children.

That message is still relevant today, William said.

Its my firm hope that my grandmothers words are as true in 70 years time as they are tonight, that as nations we come together in common cause, because then there is always room for hope.

The queen has not attended any of the jubilee festivities since Thursday, when she waved to supporters from the balcony on Buckingham Palace.

The monarch also decided not to go to the Epsom Derby earlier Saturday, and was represented at the prestigious annual horse race by her daughter, Princess Anne.

The queen, known as a horse lover, has only missed the Epsom Derby a handful of times. On Saturday, five of her former racehorses were paraded, and 40 jockeys who have ridden for the queen formed a guard of honor before the national anthem was played.

Shes been breeding horses for over 60 years, Frankie Dettori, one of the jockeys, told the BBC. She knows all the blood lines and shes won lots of races and shes very knowledgeable,

Im sure today shell find a TV and shes going to watch it live, because she loves the Derby so much, he added.

It was the second time in as many days that the queens mobility issues have robbed crowds of a chance to see her.

On Friday, the queen skipped a special service of Thanksgiving in her honor at St. Pauls Cathedral in London. Palace officials said she had experienced some discomfort at events the day before, which included waving to huge crowds from Buckingham Palace.

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, were among nearly 50 members of the royal family who gathered Friday at St. Pauls Cathedral to honor the absent head of state. It was the couples first public appearance in the U.K. since they stepped back from royal duties and moved to California two years ago.

Apart from attending Fridays service, the couple has so far stayed out of the limelight. Their two children, Archie and Lilibet, who turned one Saturday, havent yet made an appearance during this trip. A spokesperson for the couple said they were spending the day privately and were not joining some 30 other royals at Saturdays concert.

Meanwhile, members of the royal family travelled to Wales and Northern Ireland as part of celebrations across the U.K.

William and his wife Kate brought two of their three children  8-year-old Prince George and 7-year-old Princess Charlotte  to Cardiff Castle in Wales before a separate concert in the castle grounds in honor of the queen.

The queens youngest son, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, visited a 1950s-themed seaside funfair in Belfast. Edward tried his hand at pulling a pint of Guinness at a diner, while Sophie took in a 50s and 60s dance demonstration.

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Follow APs coverage of Queen Elizabeth II at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
Jourdanton Police Department

San Antonio-area police are asking the public to be on the lookout for a murder suspect on the loose, according to a Monday, June 6 Facebook post from the Jourdanton Police Department. Officials stated the suspect, Luis Daniel Rodriguez, 44, is said to be traveling south on Highway 16 on a bicycle.

As of 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday, June 7, the Jourdanton Police Department said there is no new information on the murder suspect and they are still actively searching for him. Officers and deputies patrolled non-stop since the public alert was released on Monday. Officials made contact with almost 100 people who were called in as riding bikes or suspicious persons. None were the wanted subject, according to Jourdanton police.
Family members have publicly identified the 13-year-old boy shot and killed by a San Antonio police officer during an incident on Friday, June 3, on the city's Southwest Side. His mother, Lynda Espinoza, identified the teen as AJ Hernandez, according to KVUE.

Hernandez was shot on the 4900 block of War Horse after he allegedly reversed and T-boned a patrol car occupied by an officer, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said. A second officer on the scene, located outside of the patrol car, shot Hernandez after he rammed into the police car, according to McManus.

The teenager was transported to University Hospital and underwent surgery, where he later died from his injuries. Hernandez was attempting to flee the scene in a stolen vehicle, McManus said.

Two other juvenile occupants, a 16-year-old female and a 15-year-old male, were also in the vehicle and have not been identified. They were uninjured.

"I want justice for him, there was no reason for him to shoot a 13-year-old," the teen's mother told KVUE, adding her son was handcuffed after he was shot.

The officer who shot him has been with the department for three years and was placed on administrative duty, SAPD said. In a statement, SAPD said the officer who shot Hernandez feared the officer inside the patrol car would be struck by the teen's vehicle. The officer in the patrol car was uninjured, a police statement read.

According to the SAPD's manual, officers are barred from shooting into a vehicle, except when they are facing deadly force.

"Officers shall not discharge a firearm at or into a moving vehicle unless the occupants of the vehicle are using deadly force against the officer or another person, and such action is necessary for self-defense or to protect the other person," the manual reads.

In a statement issued June 7, SAPD notes the vehicle was stolen by two unidentified males armed with a handgun 12 days prior to the incident that left Hernandez dead. The SAPD's statement goes on to say the suspects of the May 22 crime wore masks, which conflicts with an incident report shared by the department. MySA did not receive an immediate response to a request for clarification.

Police did not release any information identifying the suspects involved in the May 22 aggravated robbery case, but the incident report says they were identified by the victims as suspects in a previous crime officers had a photo of from a doorbell camera.

SAPD was originally dispatched to the June 2 scene in response to a call about shots fired in the area. Hernandez and the other occupants of the vehicle have not been identified by police as the source of the gunfire due to their status as minors.

KVUE reported Hernandez was previously arrested in a smuggling case in April, where he and another juvenile allegedly had seven undocumented migrants inside a vehicle the teens were driving.

Hernandez's mother said the smuggling case is irrelevant to her son's death, adding that he had been struggling with the death of his sister, according to KVUE.

Espinoza is asking for SAPD to release the bodycam footage of the incident. SAPD said it's prohibited by law from doing so because of Hernandez's age. SAPD said they are in contact with Espinoza and are working with her to communicate the next steps of the investigation.
As recent payment outages in Germany (and elsewhere) have shown, even proponents of a cashless economy have an interest in safeguarding the future of cash, if only for the sake of financial stability.

A few days ago, many shops in Germany had CASH ONLY signs displayed on their windows or at the entrance to their premises. Some establishments allowed people without cash to pay by card, but only if they provided a signature. It was as if parts of Germanys payment system had just travelled through a wormhole back to the 1990s, albeit with euros rather than the Deutsche Mark as the legal currency.

According to initial reports, the cause of the problems was a software glitch affecting all H5000 payment card terminals, which are widely used by German retailers including some of the largest supermarket chains. Starting on May 24 normal card payments became all but impossible for those retailers. The problems lasted for a week or so, prompting some larger retailers to replace all of their card terminals. Its an investment that many smaller, struggling retailers can ill afford to make right now.

There are (or at least were) around 100,000 H5000 units in Germany, according to some estimates. The devices were manufactured by the US financial services provider Verifone specifically for the German market, but they are operated by eleven network operators, including Payone GmbH and Concardis GmbH.

On May 27, one of those companies, Payone, reported it was facing issues with the H5000 card terminal and that the issues were occurring throughout the country: Like other network operators, we are currently experiencing considerable restrictions in the processing of transactions with card payment terminals of the type H5000 from the manufacturer Verifone throughout Germany.

According to Handelsblatt, financial supervisors from Bafin and Bundesbank are already on the case. The German banking industry, which represents the interests of banks and savings banks, also announced that it would analyze and process the disruption in depth in collaboration with the various parties involved and the supervisory authorities. However, it also conceded that it will still take a while before the last H5000 terminal is replaced or updated.

The problem first came to light on May 24 when the Konsum retail chain in Dresden published the following message on its Facebook page: Attention, an important notice for you! Due to a Germany-wide malfunction, card payments are currently not possible in our stores.

Similar problems began to be reported by other retail chains such as Netto, Edeka, Aldi Nord, Rossman and DM as well as smaller, independent retailers and petrol stations. Initial reports suggested that H5000 card machines across Germany were experiencing a software malfunction that stopped them processing payments.

As things stand, it will be necessary to install new software updates on all H5000 terminals, which the manufacturer will provide as soon as possible, Payone said.

But some IT experts have pointed to a different possible cause: an expiring security certificate. The problem, it seems, is that the Verifone H5000 is a rather old albeit robust model whose so-called End of Life was officially announced by Verifone in 2019. The company ended its production of the terminal a year later. Although it offered limited product support until 2023, one of the embedded certificates seem to have expired unnoticed on Tuesday May 24 causing the terminals to stop working. That is the hypothesis of Jan Wildeboer, a self-described EMEA Evengelist at IBM-owned Red Hat who began informing the English-speaking public about the issue in a rapidly expanding Twitter thread.

Wuildeboer is a Linux expert and the H5000 was the first card terminal in Germany to run on open source software. On May 30, the Bavarian newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung reported that a curious detail within the network operators support instructions seemed to support Wildeboers hypothesis (machine translated):

Usually, any tech support will immediately ask the caller, Have you tried rebooting? In this case, the network operators advise retailers against rebooting the terminals themselves. That fits with Wildeboers certification thesis. Because when you reboot, the devices check their integrity, i.e. whether they may have been manipulated by hackers. If they then lack a necessary certificate, they switch to a kind of safe mode from which only an on-the-spot technician can release them.

Whos to Blame?

Trying to apportion blame for the payment terminal outages is not going to be easy. As the article in Suddeutsche Zeitung notes, Verifone released a software update in Verifone despite having previously stated there would be no more updates after April 2021. This suggests the developers may have realized there was a potential problem with the expiring certificate. But the update seems to have reached only a few retailers, who apparently experienced no problems with their terminals. For everyone else, the devices suddenly became unusable on May 24.

This, as the article notes, is where the question of guilt gets interesting. After all, retailers in Germany have clearly lost a certain amount of business as a result of the outage. If Verifone made a software update to avert the problem, then who is responsible for the broken devices? The retailer? Or the network operator? Or did Verifone fail to give the network operators and retailers sufficient warning about how critical the unscheduled update was?

Inherent Fragility

In recent days the crisis appears to have more or less petered out, at least for the companies that have been able to replace or fix their terminals. On June 3, the newspaper Focus reported that more and more of the affected retailers can now accept credit cards and giro cards again. But the crisis still serves as a timely reminder of one of the main dangers of going completely cashless: the inherent fragility of a purely cashless economy.

At a personal level the impact of the payment outage in Germany was fairly limited, as long as you had access to cash. And just about everybody did, given that ATMs continued to work throughout the outage. In other words, there was an alternative to digital money that was widely available to all users  i.e. physical cash.

There is also something rather peculiar about Germans (as well as Austrians): they love physical money (a topic I have written on before for WOLF STREET). Even the intense demonization of cash in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic failed to shake the German peoples faith in physical lucre, although the use of cashless payment transactions, whether by card or mobile, has grown significantly in the last two and a half years.

A recent 11-country survey by the payment companies PYMNTS and Stripe found cash and cheques are still the most common way to make in-store payments in Germany, accounting for 37% of all in-store transactions compared to 29% for card-based methods and 20% for mobile payment platforms. The study  Benchmarking the Worlds Digital Transformation  found that cash is also still popular in Italy, Spain and Japan.

In many other parts of Europe, particularly in the north, cash is, to all intents and purposes, dying a natural, albeit artificially accelerated, death. For example, in France cash and cheques account for just 12.6% of in-store transactions. In the Netherlands its 18% and in the UK, 19%.

A Brief Foretaste

Just imagine what would happen if a similar payment card outage that just happened in Germany were to occur in Sweden, Norway, the UK or France, where far fewer people use cash. The disruptive impact would have been far greater. We already had a brief foretaste of what that might look like a few weeks ago. On Monday May 16, Norway, the worlds most cashless economy (according to its central banks), with reportedly just 4% of the population still using cash, suffered a nationwide outage of its card payment system. Card terminals went down throughout the country, leading to long queues at the ATMs.

In a large number of shops, including grocery stores, payment cards were useless on Monday afternoon, reported the online newspaper Nettavisen. Many feared that the ATMs would run out of cash as a result of the unexpected development.

Imagine if the outage had lasted for days or weeks rather than hours, as occurred in Puerto Rico in 2017 as a result of devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. Electronic payment systems went down for weeks, turning the island into a de facto cash-only economy. So serious was the fallout that corporate clients began begging the New York Federal Reserve for large amounts of dollars in cash to meet payrolls. In the end, the Fed dispatched a jet loaded with an undisclosed amount of dollar bills to the stricken island.

Of course, there are myriad other reasons why a fully cashless society is far from desirable, including the inevitability of more granular surveillance, the loss of one of our last vestiges of personal privacy and anonymity, the exclusionary effects it will have on those who are unable to access or use digital technologies and the much greater power and control it would grant to both governments and corporations over our spending habits  and indeed potentially over our ability to spend money at all.

As Silkie Carlo, the director of the British civil liberties organization Big Brother Watch wrote in a recent op-ed for the Daily Telegraph, financial services companies have already shown a predilection for taking an interventionist approach to peoples spending:

There are now numerous examples of cancel culture driving digital wallets to be frozen  an early notable example was PayPal freezing WikiLeaks account in 2010. Just months ago, the Canadian government froze bank accounts of people associated with the truckers Freedom Convoy, in an effort to quell the campaign against mandatory vaccines. With digital currency, the question fast becomes not only who watches how you spend your money, nor even who controls how you spend it, but who actually owns it?

Even people who have absolutely no qualms whatsoever about the prospect of governments, central banks and corporations instituting a cashless economy as a means of grabbing a lot more power, or arguably total power, over our lives should have serious concerns about its potential implications for the stability of the financial system. As Stefan Ingves, the governor of Swedens central bank, the Riksbank, warned back in 2018, replacing physical cash altogether could cause serious problems in times of crisis:

If the power supply is cut its no longer possible to make electronic payments. For reasons based purely in preparedness we need notes and coins that work without electricity.

Of course, central banks themselves are exploring the possibility of introducing their own central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs, in the near future. A small number have already done so, including the Peoples Bank of China, whose digital yuan is already being used in pilot schemes to stimulate consumption in its pandemic-hit economy. While its true that many central banks have insisted that physical cash will continue to exist alongside the CBDCs, central banks are not exactly known for keeping their word.
Lambert and I, and many readers, agree that Ukraine has prompted the worst informational environment ever. We hope readers will collaborate in mitigating the fog of war  both real fog and stage fog  in comments. None of us need more cheerleading and link-free repetition of memes; there are platforms for that. Low-value, link-free pom pom-wavers will be summarily whacked.

And for those who are new here, this is not a mere polite request. We have written site Policies and those who comment have accepted those terms. To prevent having to resort to the nuclear option of shutting comments down entirely until more sanity prevails, as we did during the 2015 Greek bailout negotiations and shortly after the 2020 election, we are going to be ruthless about moderating and blacklisting offenders.

Yves

P.S. Also, before further stressing our already stressed moderators, read our site policies:

Please do not write us to ask why a comment has not appeared. We do not have the bandwidth to investigate and reply. Using the comments section to complain about moderation decisions/tripwires earns that commenter troll points. Please dont do it. Those comments will also be removed if we encounter them.

* * *

Mans best chef? Pet husky manages to start making dinner using rice cooker South China Morning Post (J-LS)

Photographer Records a Scary Encounter with a Bear PetaPixel (David L)

Chickens were first tempted down from trees by rice, research suggests Guardian (Kevin W)

Riflebird Performing Special Moves To Woo Female impresses Everyone But Her; WATCH RepublicWorld (J-LS)

Another fine mess: clearing up the dog poo problem Guardian (Kevin W). NYC has had draconian laws for quite a while. Was there a breakdown during Covid?

Scientists accidentally create super-vicious HAMSTERS in a lab after gene editing experiment goes wrong and makes aggressive rodents chase, bite and pin each other down Daily Mail (Kevin W)

Scientists announce a breakthrough in determining lifes origin on Earthand maybe Mars PhysOrg (Chuck L)

Convergent Evolution Has Been Fooling Us: Most of Our Evolutionary Trees Could Be Wrong SciTechDaily (Kevin W)

This tiny handheld precision 3D scanner is the ultimate reverse-engineering instrument Yanko Design (David L)

Timnit Gebru: Ethical AI Requires Institutional and Structural Change Stanford (David L)

Your Brain Is Ready to Learn About New Things Without You Even Realizing ScienceAlert (Kevin W)

Catastrophe drives evolution. But life resides in the pauses Aeon (Anthony L)

#COVID-19

Science/Medicine

Long covid could change the way we think about disability Washington Post (Dr. Kevin) Why the Covid Vaccines Were Never Likely to Be Effective A Midwestern Doctor. FYI since readers have mentioned it in comments. Not at all keen about his enthusiasm for herd immunity but his arguments about the dodgy vaccine studies are well taken.

Asia

China offers Covid vaccine insurance to win over sceptics of the jab Financial Times

Climate/Environment

China?

Wheels coming off Teslas China drive East-West Center (Kevin W). These are all current/near term issues. China is not going to let any billionaire, particularly a foreign one with a monstrously outsized ego, become influential. Look at Jack Ma. So I dont know how they stymie Musk, but expect rules designed to whack Tesla if Musk continues to have #2 or #3 markets share as the EV market grows.

South Korea has nuclear subs firmly in its sights Asia Times. Kevin W: AUKUS blowback.

India

Brexit

It's accelerating massively.

Try getting trailers from Spain or Italy. Prices are eye-watering.

Hauliers are asking for empty running from the UK. Being paid to go back without a load.

We are in bother and it ain't funny  Uncle (@nannycrin) June 4, 2022

New Not-So-Cold War

Syraqistan

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

The Surreal Case of a C.I.A. Hackers Revenge New Yorker (Paul R). Crazy story.

Imperial Collapse Watch

Trump

Justice sends mixed messages on subpoenaing Trumps inner circle The Hill

Biden

Biden declares US energy emergency RT (Kevin W)

Yes, Democratic Messaging Sucks. But Its Harder to Fix Than You Think. New Republic. Resilc: We stand for nothing and do nothing when in office (except start warzzzz).

A Chilling Assassination in Wisconsin Atlantic (resilc)

These 25 rainbow-flag waving companies donated $13 million to anti-gay politicians since 2021 Popular Info (resilc)

Our freedom is under attack by those who care more for power than for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights & the American people. They seek to divide and conquer, to weaken, censor and disarm us, to pit us one against the other, using identity politics to foment fear and hatred. pic.twitter.com/ZG3lt88auB  Tulsi Gabbard  (@TulsiGabbard) June 7, 2022

The Incredible Political and Media Journey of Jesse and Tyrel Ventura Matt Taibbi. From a long e-mail by Chuck L:

This is important because, among other reasons, Jesse Venturas experience shows MSM outlets will readily sacrifice their own self interest (e.g. audience ratings) under duopoly pressure. I was a member of the Reform Party under whose flag Jesse was elected MN governor in 1998. He was one of the better governors weve had. For example instead of picking cronies for administrative positions and judges he openly solicited applications from the public and selected appointees on the basis proven capabilities and experience. However, I believe he missed a golden opportunity to have a long-lasting impact on state, and even national politics. Ventura had three signature issues: the tax cut mentioned in the Taibbi interview; the Twin Cities first light rail transit system; and a constitutional amendment to convert the state legislature to a unicameral body. The first two were successes. A tax cut of IIRC $900M went through, although it was soon followed by a revenue drop because of the dot com bubble burst. The first LRT, running between downtown Minneapolis to the MSP airport and beyond to the Mall of America was finally approved and construction started on his watch. But the Unicameral amendment was a non-starter from the get-go. All things considered, however, if Jesse chooses to run for President in 24 I will definitely support him regardless of who the legacy party candidates are. Hopefully hes learned from his own experiences.

Gunz

Manchin wants to raise age to 21 for gun purchases, doesnt see need for AR-15s CNN Firearms: What you can do right now Your Local Epidemiologist. Posts like this make me want to tear my hair out. Lets start with her first idea, gun safety. Yes, its a problem. A crappy study (internet survey! and you know respondents would know saying they didnt employ good practices was the wrong answer, and so the extent of unsafe gun habits was pretty certain to have been understated) in 2016 found that 46% of gun owners admitted to unsafe storage. I read a different study, which I cannot find due to the state of the Internet, that found that trying to teach established gun users about gun safety was largely ineffective, they had to learn it while they were learning about how to handle weapons. Oh, and as youd expect, people who have guns for personal protection are much less likely store them safely because their reason for having a gun is to be able to grab it and shoot at a baddie! Similarly, under Community level measures, her first idea is health care. Huh? First, doctors arent paid to be family therapists and dont see patients all that often. And as a non-gun owner/user, I would refuse to answer questions about guns and would drop a doctor who made inquires like that (why should that be on my record either way?) Second, she suggests greater vigilance around trauma. Has she not worked out that women downplay being on the receiving end of abuse because admitting to it is a fast track for having their kids put in foster care? And kids who are abused are nearly always protective of their parents, making up excuses for bruises and even bone breaks. The hypocrisy of officials who blame mental illness for mass shootings. Slate (resilc)

Our No Longer Free Press

How crypto giant Binance became a hub for hackers, fraudsters and drug traffickers Reuters. Over $2.3 billion.

The Economics of Stadium Names: Sell your stock in (most) companies that buy them Axiom Alpha (resilc)

AARPs Billion-Dollar Bounty KHN

SEC Closes In on Rules That Could Reshape How Stock Market Operates Wall Street Journal. Haha, Gensler is about to whack Citadel.

Musks Buyers Remorse Wont Get Him Out of Twitter Deal Bloomberg

Class Warfare

Antidote du jour (CV):

And a bonus (Jim D). Awww!

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Yves here. Boris Johnsons unimpressively thin victory in a no-confidence vote on Monday is the lead story in UK papers. Its hardly news that the big reason Johnson soldiers on despite being marked up a bit is that the leadership ranks in both the Tories and Labour are appallingly weak. If there were any credible alternative to Johnson, they would almost certainly been able to mount a successful ouster. But Rishi Sunak? Dominic Raab? Priti Patel? Liz Truss? They struggle to reach the level of mere mediocrity.

Key points from the Financial Times:

But the confidence vote, triggered after more than 15 per cent of his MPs withdrew their support from him, was accompanied by rancour and withering criticism of the prime minister from his colleagues.previous Conservative prime ministers  including Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Theresa May  have won similar challenges to their leadership, only to lose office shortly afterwards.. Wavering Tory MPs were promised ministerial jobs in an early reshuffle if they stuck with Johnson, while one ally of the prime minister said those who had offered only tepid support, including trade minister Penny Mordaunt, would be fired. The prime minister promised Tory MPs he would next week make a major speech on a Plan for the Economy with chancellor Rishi Sunak, offering the prospect of future tax cuts.

Perhaps I am too far to judge accurately, but the row over Partygate, which was a huge snub to citizens who followed the UKs strict lowdown rules, conveniently put the press focus on a closed case, as opposed to current, acute problems like spiraling petrol and electricity costs, high food prices and expected shortages, and Ukraines deteriorating military situation.

Boris Johnson, who has just suffered the worst result in a confidence vote of any sitting PM ever, describes it as "a very good result for politics and the country. It's a convincing result, a decisive result.  Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) June 6, 2022

Ahem, a good result compared only to losing.

In the last few years, the only sitting Tory PM who did worse than Johnson in a confidence vote from their own MPs was Thatcher  and she was out within a matter of weeks after that pic.twitter.com/f3q8ygsuH1  Slough for Europe    (@SloughForEU) June 6, 2022

By Adam Ramsay, openDemocracys special correspondent. You can follow him at @adamramsay. Adam is a member of the Scottish Green Party, sits on the board of Voices for Scotland and advisory committees for the Economic Change Unit and the journal Soundings. Originally published at openDemocrcacy

If you search on YouTube, youll easily find videos of pythons attacking crocodiles. The vast snake slowly wraps its crushing body around its foe, which splashes and lashes with its enormous jaws. Sometimes, the battle ends in a draw, both creatures sliding away to fight another day. Other times, the serpent wins, slowly squeezing the air out of its prehistoric prey.

In recent weeks, the Parliamentary Conservative Party has slithered around its leaders chest. Boris Johnson has writhed and snapped, ribs occasionally cracking. Today, the snake will make its final squeeze. Whether it has the strength for the kill, we shall see.

Whatever happens, you dont want to be in the water when the fight is over.

Johnson has been a terrible prime minister, and if he had any scruples would have resigned long ago. For me, this is less because of partygate, and more because of his disastrous record with COVID  the UKs death rate has been twice that of Ireland and significantly higher than most of our other neighbours.

But the idea that his replacement will be any better is just wishful thinking. The Parliamentary Conservative Party isnt the one that elected him as leader three years ago, but now also includes the malignant growth of the 2019 election.

The Tories now count among their ranks MPs like Lee Anderson, made famous by his extremist remarks against Gypsy and Traveller communities and suggestions that poor people cant cook properly, and Aaron Bell, who has been given thousands of pounds worth of gifts by the gambling industry while, coincidentally, opposing its regulation.

And its not like those opposing Johnson represent some kind of virtuous wing of the party.

Bell is one of the 54 MPs known to have submitted a letter calling for a confidence vote in the prime minister. So, too, is Steve Baker, who first came to prominence as chair of the dark money-funded European Research Group (which pushed a hard Brexit) and then led the dark money-funded COVID Recovery Group (which fought against lockdown) and now plays a leading role in the dark-money-funded Net Zero Watch(which campaigns against climate action).

Baker has also taken money from an arms company while promoting the aerospace industry in Parliament; accepted travel costs from the government of Equatorial Guinea before writing a report dismissing concerns about their human rights abuses; and accepted conference expenses from radical right-wing American groups with links to Robert Mercer and the Koch brothers.

When I put all those things to Baker in 2017, he didnt get back to me.

Theres Mark Harper, who was David Camerons minister for disabled people and then the chief whip as Cameron pushed through brutal austerity. Now, Harper is the chair of the COVID Recovery Group, making him one of the leading rebels who pushed the government into its pandemic laxity. He submitted his letter of no confidence back in April.

Or theres Roger Gale  the first Tory MP to publicly confirm sending a letter of no confidence in the prime minister  who described same-sex marriage as Alice in Wonderland territory, Orwellian. Or Andrea Leadsom, who last week criticised Johnsons failure of leadership, and who was also responsible for scrapping subsidies for on-shore wind farms.

Former prime minister Theresa May hasnt declared that shes signed a no-confidence letter to Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs, but has been a vocal opponent of her replacement. This has led some to see her as somehow better than him. Are we really going to forget the Windrush scandal and the hostile environment so quickly?

Douglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, is a bit of a windsock on Johnson, changing direction with each passing storm. But one thing hes been consistent about is his long-running war against Scottish Travellers. He famously once said that, if he were prime minister for a day, his top priority would be tougher enforcement against Gypsies and Travellers, while, in 2018, he tried to get a Traveller family in his constituency evicted because their camp was too visible.

So while I suspect that the crocodile will cling to life this time, there is no reason to think that  when the snake eventually wins  whoever replaces Johnson as king of the swamp will be any better.

The current favourite to succeed Johnson is Jeremy Hunt, whose long tenure as health minister left the NHS on its knees. As my colleague Caroline Molloy put it, his record is one of missed targets, lengthening waits, crumbling hospitals, missed opportunities, false solutions, funding boosts that vanished under scrutiny, and blaming everyone but himself.

Second favourite is the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, whose dangerous rhetoric on the Northern Ireland protocol and trips across the Atlantic funded by the Koch Brothers would ring alarm bells in any sane democracy.

Whether or not the serpent crushes the crocodilian makes for compelling viewing for political junkies. But for the country, the big questions are about climate breakdown, the urgent need to invest in public services and the rapid decomposition of our democracy. The reality is that whether or not Johnson survives will make little difference to any of these.
Yves here. This headline makes clear that the so-called Global South is not buying what the US and NATO are trying to sell, that its Russias fault that the world, and most of all developing countries. This continues to be a hot topic as the West seems to be turning the volume up on its diatribes against Russia as responsible for increasingly dire global hunger, as opposes to US sanctions.

There was tit for tat of sorts yesterday as Russia and non-Western media sources reported on a meeting between the Chair of the African Union, President of Senegal Macky Sall and Putin, where the food issue featured prominently. See our introduction to Michael Hudsons latest post for sharply diverging press accounts. Putin appeared on Rossiya TV on June 3 and spent a fair bit of the interview addressing the global food crunch.

By Anis Chowdhury, Adjunct Professor at Western Sydney University and University of New South Wales (Australia), who held senior United Nations positions in New York and Bangkok and Jomo Kwame Sundaram, a former economics professor, who was United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, and received the Wassily Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. Originally published at Jomo Kwame Sundarams website

Food crises, economic stagnation and price increases are worsening unevenly, almost everywhere, following the Ukraine war. Sanctions against Russia have especially hurt those relying on wheat and fertilizer imports.

Unilateral Sanctions Illegal

Unilateral sanctions  not approved by the UN Security Council  are illegal under international law. Besides contravening the UN Charter, unilateral sanctions inflict much human loss. Countless civilians  many far from target countries  are at risk, depriving them of much, even life itself.

Sanctions, embargos and blockades  sold as non-violent alternatives to waging war by military means  economically isolate and punish targeted countries, supposedly to force them to acquiesce. But most sanctions hurt the innocent majority, much more than ruling elites.

Like laying siege on enemy settlements, sanctions are weapons of mass starvation. They are silent killers. People die in their homes, nobody is counting. The human costs are considerable and varied, but largely overlooked. Knowing they are mere collateral damage will not endear any victim to the sanctions true purpose.

US Sanctions Victims

The US has imposed more sanctions, for longer periods, than any other nation. During 1990-2005, the US imposed a third of sanctions regimes worldwide. These were inflicted on more than 1,000 entities or individuals yearly in 2016-20  nearly 80% more than in 2008-15. Thus, the Trump administration raised the US share of all sanctions to almost half!

Tens of millions of Afghans now face food insecurity, even starvation, as the US has seized its US$9.5 billion central bank reserves. President Bidens 11 February 2022 executive order gives half of this to 9/11 victims families, although no Afghan was ever found responsible for the atrocity.

Biden claims the rest will be for humanitarian crises, presumably as decided by the White House. But he remains silent about the countless victims of the USs two-decade long war in Afghanistan, where airstrikes alone killed at least 48,308 civilians.

Now, the US-controlled World Bank and IMF both block access to financial resources for Afghanistan. The long US wars massive population displacement and physical destruction have made it much more vulnerable and foreign aid dependent.

The six decade-long US trade embargo has cost Cuba at least US$130 billion. It causes shortages of food, medicine and other essential items to this day. Meanwhile, Washington continues to ignore the UN General Assemblys call to lift its blockade.

The US-backed Israeli blockade of the densely populated Gaza Strip has inflicted at least US$17 billion in losses. Besides denying Gazas population access to many imported supplies  including medicines  bombing and repression make life miserable for its besieged people.

Meanwhile, the US supports the Saudi-led coalitions war on Yemen with its continuing blockade of the poorest Arab nation. US arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have ensured the worst for Yemenis under siege.

Blocking essential goods  including food, fuel and medical supplies  has intensified the worlds worst ongoing humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, years of famine  including starving to death a Yemeni child every 75 seconds  have been aggravated by the largest cholera outbreak anywhere in history.

Humanitarian disasters and destroying lives and livelihoods are excused as inevitable collateral damage. Acknowledging hundreds of thousands of Iraqi child deaths, due to US sanctions after the 1991 invasion, an ex-US Secretary of State deemed the price worth it.

Poverty levels in countries under US sanctions are 3.8 percentage points higher, on average, than in other comparable countries. Such negative impacts rose with their duration, while unilateral and US sanctions stood out as most effective!

Clearly, the US government has not hesitated to wage war by other means. Its recent sanctions threaten living costs worldwide, reversing progress everywhere, especially for the most vulnerable.

Yet, US-led unilateral sanctions against Iran, Venezuela, North Korea and other countries have failed to achieve their purported objectives, namely, to change regimes, or at least, regime behaviour.

Changing US Policy?

Although unilateral sanctions are not valid under the UN Charter, many US reformers want Washington to lead by example, overhaul US sanctions, and ensure that sanctions are targeted, proportional, connected to discrete policy goals and reversible.

Last year, the Biden administration began a comprehensive review of US sanctions policies. It has promised to minimize their adverse humanitarian impacts, and even to consider allowing trade  on humanitarian grounds  with heavily sanctioned nations. But actual policy change has been wanting so far.

US sanctions continue to ruin Irans economy and millions of livelihoods. Despite COVID-19  which hit the nation early and hard  sanctions have continued, limiting access to imported goods and resources, including medicines.

A US embargo has also blocked urgently needed humanitarian aid for North Korea. Similarly, US actions have repeatedly blocked meeting the urgent needs of the many millions of vulnerable people in the country.

The Trump administrations sanctions against Venezuela have deepened its massive income collapse, intensifying its food, health and economic crises. US sanctions have targeted its oil industry, providing most of its export earnings.

Besides preventing Venezuela from accessing its funds in foreign banks and multilateral financial institutions, the US has also blocked access to international financial markets. And instead of targeting individuals, US sanctions punish the entire Venezuelan nation.

Russias Sputnik-V was the first COVID-19 vaccine developed, and is among the worlds most widely used. Meanwhile, rich countries vaccine apartheid and strict enforcement of intellectual property rights  augmenting corporate profits  have limited access to Western vaccines.

The US has not spared Sputnik-V from sanctions, disrupting not only shipments from Russia, but also production elsewhere, e.g., in India and South Korea, which planned to produce 100 million doses monthly. Denying Russia use of the SWIFT international payments system makes it hard for others to buy them.

Rethinking Sanctions

Economic sanctions  originally conceived a century ago to wage war by non-military means  are increasingly being used to force governments to conform. Sanctions are still portrayed as non-violent means to induce rogue states to behave.

But this ignores its cruel paradox  supposedly avoiding war, sanctions lay siege, an ancient technique of war. Yet, despite all the harm caused, they typically fail to achieve their intended political objectives  as Nicholas Mulder documents in The Economic Weapon: The Rise of Sanctions as a Tool of Modern War.

As Cuba, Iran, Afghanistan and Venezuela were not major food or fertilizer exporters, their own populations have suffered most from the sanctions against them. But Russia, Ukraine and even Belarus are significant producers and exporters.

Hence, sanctions against Russia and Belarus have much wider international implications, especially for European fuel supplies. More ominously, they threaten food security not only now, but also in the future as fertilizer supplies are cut off.

With tepid growth since the 2008 global financial crisis, the West now blocks economic recovery. Vaccine apartheid, deliberate supply disruptions and deflationary policies now disrupt international economic integration, once pushed by the West.

As war increasingly crowds out international diplomacy, commitments to the UN Charter, multilateralism, peace and sustainable development are being drowned by their enemies, often invoking misleadingly similar rhetoric
(Natural News) Fake president Joe Biden  who was never legitimately elected to the Office of the President  is now accelerating his planned destruction of America by provoking Putin into a retaliatory strike against US and NATO targets. This was all confirmed over the last three days as cited in numerous sources below.

BACKGROUND: The illegitimate Biden regime has promised to send HIMARS weapon systems to Ukraine, claiming that Ukraine has given assurances to Washington D.C. and promised the weapons wont be used to wage attacks against Russian territory. This has been widely reported across the corporate media.

Despite those assurances, a high-level Ukraine spokesperson (see below) said they would break that promise and use the HIMARS weapons to attack Crimea, a region that has long self-recognized as territory of Russia (although Ukraine disputes this and claims Crimea belongs to Ukraine). Ukraine Says It Might Use U.S. Weapons to Invade Russia, reports ModernDiplomacy.eu, writing:

On June 1st, when the White House announced that it would be sending to Ukraine weapons that might be used for invading Russia, Jonathan Finer, deputy White House national security adviser, said Washington had asked Ukraine for assurances the missiles would not strike inside Russia. On June 3rd, Ukraines Government rejected that request.

At the time when Biden made that announcement on June 1st, Reuters noted that, Biden announced the plan to give Ukraine precision HIMARS rocket systems after receiving assurances from Kyiv that it would not use them to hit targets inside Russian territory.

Then, as reported by RT, Ukrainian official Alexey Arestovich broke that promise:

Kiev may strike Crimea, a Ukrainian presidential aide says, despite assurances US weapons wont be used to hit Russian territory.

Ukraine will use US-supplied rocket systems to strike into Russian territory should it deem such attacks necessary, Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Alexey Arestovich said on Thursday.

Both Russia and Ukraine consider Crimea to be their own territory.

Putin promises to retaliate against US / NATO cities

If Ukraine uses the US-provided HIMARS weapons to strike Russian territory, then Russia will respond by deploying new long-range weapons against new targets which may include US or NATO cities or military bases. This was reported by The Epoch Times over the weekend in a story entitled, Putin Warns Russia Will Strike New Targets If US Gives New Missiles to Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 5 warned that Russia would strike new targets if the United States were to supply longer-range missiles to Ukraine.

If they are supplied, we will draw appropriate conclusions from this and use our own weapons, of which we have enough, in order to strike at those facilities we are not targeting yet, says one translation of Putins remarks. That translation, however, is at odds with another translation that clarifies Putin means new weaponry will be used to strike targets that have not yet been struck, which seems to mean beyond Ukraine.

Putin is potentially leaving his comments somewhat vague, and translations may vary. You can see the Fox News pro-war interpretation of Putins warning here:

Keep in mind that with a few exceptions, Fox News is just a mouthpiece of the military industrial complex, just like CNN.

Putin is likely not bluffing

Joe Biden is a cognitively retarded puppet. Putin is a high-IQ strategic genius. Its not difficult to see where this goes if Biden keeps poking the bear. First, Putin isnt bluffing. Furthermore, Putin can strike targets across Western Europe at will, as all of NATO has zero effectiveness at defending against Putins hypersonic missiles, hyperglide reentry vehicles and Sarmat II ICBM missiles.

To anyone who thinks NATO can stop Russias missiles, they must be asked: Why hasnt NATO stopped Russias missiles in Ukraine, then?

Using these platforms, Putin can potentially unleash fuel-air explosives (sometimes called thermobaric bombs), EMP weapons or even tactical nuclear weapons against targets in Poland, Germany, France, the UK or even the United States.

By delivering HIMARS weapons to Ukraine and watching Ukraine use them to attack Russia, Biden is handing Putin the military justification he needs to escalate his retaliatory attacks against NATO targets, since NATO would be directly involved in the war against Russia if Ukraine uses NATO weapons to attack Russian territory.

Remember, too, this is on top of Americas military leaders openly bragging about providing the satellite imagery and targeting solutions that allowed Ukraine to sink a Russian flagship in the Black Sea.

Is achieving World War III Bidens real goal? Is he deliberately attempting to provoke Putin into a retaliatory escalation in order to unleash a true world war before the midterm elections in the USA where democrats are widely expected to be politically clobbered? We think so, but thats just the current assessment, and its subject to change as circumstances warrant.

In todays Situation Update, I bring you more details on this and other important news:

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The administration prepares to disarm the population.

(Natural News) (Article by Dan Peterson republished from AmericanMind.org)

Citing a gun violence public health epidemic, President Biden has promised both executive and legislative action against firearms rights. Epidemic? Homicides, including gun homicides, trended steadily downward from the early 1990s through 2019. The surge in crime and homicides starting in 2020 coincided with the riots, urban disorder, and defund-the-police activism that roiled America last summer.

But gunsnot the actions of leftist politicians, activists, and media operativesare the real problem, according to Biden. He demanded that Congress, among other things, ban so-called assault weapons, establish a universal background check system for all gun transfers, and pass legislation that would certainly bankrupt the domestic firearms industry. But he also announced forthcoming executive actions, two of which are especially revealing.

The first is Bidens promise to publish a rule within 60 days to establish that a stabilizing arm brace can turn a lawfully owned pistol into a short-barreled rifle. Owners of short-barreled rifles must register them with the federal government under threat of heavy fines and imprisonment. Biden claims that an arm brace, like the one on the pistol used by Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa in Boulder last month to murder 10 people, can make a firearm more stable and accurate while still being concealable.

Typically, pistols are concealable. But pistols that benefit from an arm brace are usually based on an AR-15 type of mechanical action, and are big and heavy. The Ruger pistol used by Alissa, for instance, has an action of that type, is about 25 to 28 inches long, and weighs 6.2 pounds; it is classified as a handgun because it is not designed to be fired from the shoulder but from one hand. The very largest handguns suitable for concealed carry are about 8 inches long and weigh a little more than 2 pounds; most concealed carry guns are far smaller. An AR-15 type pistol with an arm brace is concealable on the person in the same way that a table lamp is concealable.

Complaining that a brace can make a firearm more stable and accurate is like complaining that a car can be made more fuel-efficient with better handling. When gun control groups argue to ban military-style assault weapons like the AR-15 they claim that these guns are designed to spray fire from the hip, though in fact they only fire one shot each time the trigger is pulled. But the gist of the accusation is that spray fire is inaccurate and endangers bystanders. Thus, if a gun is inaccurate it should be banned, but if it is accurate it should also be banned. All guns must be banned.

A second proposed executive action by Biden is to stop the proliferation of ghost guns that are made by individuals and which do not have serial numbers. Licensed manufacturers and importers must stamp a serial number on the main partthe receivers or framesof any guns they manufacture or import.

But Americans have always been able to make a gun legally for their own use without marking it with a serial number. Some companies sell 80 percent receivers that are incomplete and must be modified by drilling, machining, or other operations before they can be used to make a gun. As sold, they cant function as a receiver and are thus not serialized. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives has specifically approved the sale of many of these 80 percent receivers.

The Biden Administration argues that when these firearms turn up at crime scenes, they often cannot be traced by law enforcement due to the lack of a serial number. But that assumes that tracing guns by serial number leads to solving crimes, which is only very rarely true. The only name associated with a serial number is that of the person who bought the gun from a licensed dealer. But criminals dont generally get their guns from dealers, because most cant pass the background check. As studies of prison inmates have shown, they usually get them from friends or relatives, by theft, from the street, by purchases made on their behalf by third parties, or by other means that are under the radar. So banning ghost guns would have little effect on solving crime.

But if every gun must have a serial number, and there are universal background checks as Biden proposesincluding for every private transfer of a firearmthen all the pieces are in place for a national firearms registry. The federal government can eventually know who owns every single firearm in the United Statesexcept, of course, those owned by criminals, who wont comply with universal background checks anyway.

The Biden Administration is clearly preparing the ground for mass disarmament of the law-abiding population, which is more or less what leading Democrats have demanded for years. It is vital, especially now, when crime is rising and police have adopted a reactive posture toward fighting it, that the American people make clear that we will defend our absolute right to possess and bear arms.

Read more at: AmericanMind.org
(Natural News) A Democrat operative has pleaded guilty to running a massive voter fraud scheme during the 2020 election.

(Article by Sean Adl-Tabatabai republished from NewsPunch.com)

66-year-old Guillermina Fuentes pleaded guilty to charges of ballot harvesting during Arizonas primaries, which was made illegal in 2016.

Fuentes admitted to running the voter fraud scheme during the 2020 primary election to help Democratic candidates win.

Theepochtimes.com reports: The scheme involved early ballots from other voters that were collected and deposited into a ballot box on primary election day, the office said.

Fuentess plea came as a result of an ongoing election fraud investigation conducted by the Arizona Attorney General offices Election Integrity Unit. She was indicted in December 2020.

Fuentes, of Yuma County, is the owner of a local construction business, former mayor of San Luis, Arizona, and a Democratic precinct committee person.

She admitted to knowingly collecting early ballots from four persons who is not her family member, household member, or caretaker, or on or about Aug. 4, 2020, the day of the primary election, according to her plea agreement.

Fuentes further admitted that the early ballots were later provided to Alma Juarez, who pleaded guilty in January to one count of ballot abuse, a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of six months with probation available, according to Juarezs plea agreement.

The former mayor will be sentenced on June 30.

Fuentes told The Epoch Times on Friday that the charge was a result of political witchcraft and that her political opponents hated her.

In a response to a press inquiry from The Epoch Times, Fuentes attorney called Arizonas ballot abuse law a race-based ongoing anti-democratic, state-wide, and national voter suppression efforts.

Parallel Investigations

Tania Pavlak, a spokesperson from the Yuma County Sheriffs Office, told The Epoch Times that the Sheriffs office has not been involved in prosecuting Fuentes, as the Arizona Attorney Generals office and the county sheriffs office are conducting separate and parallel investigations on voting fraud allegations in the state.

Pavlak said the sheriffs office is conducting its own voter fraud investigation and currently has 16 open cases related to either the 2020 election or the 2022 primaries. She declined to comment on how many cases are related to either election.

The pattern of fraudulent voter registration forms, according to a May 11 statement made by the sheriffs office, include impersonation fraud, false registrations, duplicate voting, and fraudulent use of absentee ballots.

Press Release??https://t.co/2E3CbCZweD

May 11, 2022

YCSO & the Yuma County Recorders Office are working together to examine cases of voting fraud from the 2020 General Election & now a recent pattern of fraudulent voter registration forms leading up to the 2022 Primary Election. pic.twitter.com/m3iioHq3Xh  Yuma Sheriffs Office  AZ (@YumaSheriff) May 11, 2022

The spokesperson said the Yuma County Recorders Office detected a pattern of fraudulent voter registration, in which a number of people sent in duplicate forms or documents with false information on them, and referred the cases to the countys sheriff.

We already had been investigating these cases for the past few months and so the sheriff wanted to make sure we sent out that information with election season now hot and up and running. That way, people were aware of what was happening and also could stay vigilant, Pavlak said.

What theyre seeing is that there are registration forms that are being either falsified or people that are double registering with information that doesnt match their current registration, she added.

Ballot Harvesting Hearing

Fuentess guilty plea came two days after a hearing at the Arizona legislature where the states Senate and House lawmakers heard evidence and allegations pertaining to a state-wide ballot harvesting campaign during the 2020 presidential election.

Election integrity organization True the Vote at the hearing presented evidence of cell phone tracking data showing that more than 200 devices had visited ballot drop boxes in two of the states largest counties no less than 5,700 times during the 2020 election.

When we started the project, we didnt know [what we would find], said Catherine Engelbrecht, the Texas groups founder and president, at the May 31 hearing.

We began to think through what is a realistic expectation or threshold for when going to a drop box is too many times. We wanted to focus on a clear, narrow data set [to demonstrate] extreme outlier behavior.

The groups investigators settled on 10 visits as outlier behaviorbut in Arizona, they found that each alleged ballot harvestor went an average of 21 times each, Engelbrecht said.

In Yuma County, the study found 1,435 unique drop box visits by 41 target devices based on cell phone signals, or pings.

Lawmakersall Republicanvowed to move forward with bill HB-2289 that would make ballot drop boxes illegal in Arizona.

The only thing I would like to see come out of this meeting is people going to jail, said State Rep. Quang Nguyen (R). I would just like to see people cuffed.

Engelbrecht told The Epoch Times on June 3 that the state attorney generals investigation, which led to the indictments of Fuentes and Juarez, shows that this issue is getting a broader look.

Based on our research, the Arizona model is one that is followed across the country, and it involves national organizations, she said, referring to alleged widespread ballot harvesting.

So we, the American people, need to continue the pressure on to continue investigations moving forward to get to the bottom of whats happening, not just in Yuma County, Arizona, but in many counties across this country.

Read more at: NewsPunch.com
(Natural News) European Law Enforcement Organization (Europol) Director Catherine De Bolle expressed fears that the influx of weapons sent by the West to Ukraine could be used by criminal groups in the coming years.

De Bolle told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that at some point, the war will be over. We want to avoid a situation like the one that followed the war in the Balkans 30 years ago, she said in reference to the Yugoslav Wars aftermath.

She stated that massive amounts of weapons surfaced in Europe after the war ended and that these guns are used to this day by various criminal groups. This time, De Bolle wants Europe to be ready.

The situation is highly dynamic and fragmented and we are receiving different figures from our European partners, De Bolle said.

In response, Europol is finding a way to deal with the situation after a possible end to the war. This involves assembling an international task force to address the presentiment, De Bolle said.

Moscow has been repeatedly warning the West to stop shipping weapons to Ukraine. Fars News Agency website highlighted that this effort is just prolonging the conflict and hurting Russia instead of helping Ukraine.

Tyler Durden of the website Zero Hedge said that Kremlin has long highlighted far-right and neo-Nazi groups and the danger of arming them. Azov Battalion in particular had been on the front lines in what is now Russian-controlled Mariupol. The said battalion is believed to be the main Ukrainian fighting force in Donbas.

Moreover, Russia complained about Stinger missiles from the United States flooding the Ukrainian battlefield. These missiles pose a severe threat to military aircraft and may also endanger civilian aviation.

Biden administration spends $700 million more to arm Ukraine

The looming concern on where the weaponry ends up after the war did not stop the Biden administration from reinforcing Ukraine with millions worth of sophisticated weapons.

Just recently, the U.S. unveiled a $700 million package of weapons for Ukraine in an urgent effort to prevent Russia from seizing the final swaths of land in the Donbas region. The high-technology rocket systems is yet to arrive as it will take at least three weeks to reach the battlefront. (Related: Russias nuclear forces hold drill as Biden approves more military aid for Ukraine.)

The Biden administration decided that it is worth the risk to send four medium-range rocket systems. This is after weeks of debate about whether this precision-guided weapons would elicit a strong military response from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

We dont have an interest in the conflict in Ukraine widening to a broader conflict or evolving into World War Three. So weve been mindful of that but at the same time, Russia doesnt get a veto over what we send to the Ukrainians, Defense Secretary for Policy Colin Kahl said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Ukrainians have given assurances that they will not use these systems against targets on Russian territory and that there is a strong trust bond between Ukraine and the United States.

Subsequently, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the U.S. is deliberately and diligently pouring fuel on the fire and that they do not believe Kyivs assurances that the multiple rocket launch systems will not be used for attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading with the West to send multiple-launch rocket systems as soon as possible to help stop Russia as these rockets have a longer range than the howitzer artillery systems that the U.S. has provided Ukraine. They would allow Ukrainian forces to strike Russian troops from a distance outside the range of Russias artillery systems.

However, Ukrainian troops still have to be trained on the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) for about three weeks before they can go to battle.

The Department of Defense is sending four truck-mounted HIMARS systems to Ukraine. The trucks each carry a container with six rockets, which can travel about 70 kilometers (43.5 miles).

Visit Chaos.news for more news related to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Watch the below video that talks about Biden unveiling $700 million package of weapons for Ukraine.

This video is from the What is happening channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Leaked docs show FBI funded Ukrainian neo-Nazi Azov Battalion that orchestrated Charlottesville chaos to stoke racial division, destabilize West.

Biden crime syndicate, DOD funded Ukraines COVID-19 research before the start of pandemic.

Some of the weapons delivered to Ukraine will be used against us.

Berlin agrees to send tanks to Ukraine but theyre not going to be much help.

Sources include:

SHTFplan.com

FarsNews.ir

ZeroHedge.com

USNews.com

APNews.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Governments around the world may use the monkeypox outbreak to establish and expand their medical surveillance systems.

Organizations like the World Economic Forum (WEF) are calling on governments around the world to do more to prevent future pandemics by supposedly expanding their ability to predict, detect and prevent diseases. This is meant to be done through an expansion of global surveillance networks.

Writing for the WEFs website, British health charity Wellcome Trust Director Dr. Jeremy Farrar argued that there are already surveillance networks for many diseases and it would be simple to expand these existing networks to cover other diseases.

The Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System already manages the surveillance of new strains of influenza. The Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System similarly collects national data on AMR for selected priority pathogens, wrote Farrar.

He also used examples from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic of surveillance systems supposedly being able to deal with new outbreaks and the emergence of new variants.

It was the well-established disease testing and surveillance networks in South Africa that alerted the world to the dangers of the omicron variant, he wrote.

Farrar further proposed that local and country-level surveillance systems be joined together with other collaborative public health organizations. The data these different agencies have will be shared and collated under a global health platform like the World Health Organizations Surveillance Hub in Berlin to ensure rapid, open and trusted access to reliable information. (Related: WHO partners with German telecom company to create global COVID-19 vaccine passport app.)

Dr. Dave Martin, in an interview with Clay Clark on Brighteon.TVs Thrive Time Show, noted that it is unforgivable that Americas leaders are not standing up to these blatant attempts to surveil Americans.

We have over 50 percent of the population in America that is waiting to see real leadership stand up, he said. We have shown time and time and time again that if you stand for the truth, if you stand for human values, if you stand for the light, people will rally to the cause.

Heres the bottom line people. This is a moment of cowardice  supreme cowardice  among most of our elected officials, among most of our appointed officials, Martin continued. And the fact of the matter is, we are suffering a deficit of moral leadership that has the ability to say we can articulate what it means to be human, we value what it means to be human and we will fight for that humanity at all cost.

Only 25 monkeypox cases in the US, still zero deaths

There are now over 700 cases of monkeypox around the world, including 25 in the United States.

There are five cases each in California and New York and two each in Utah, Illinois and Colorado. Washington State, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Hawaii and Georgia all have one case of monkeypox each.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes there may be more cases that have gone under the radar, it also noted that no deaths have been reported in the outbreak anywhere in the world. In America, most of the monkeypox cases have recovered without requiring hospitalization.

Learn more about the expanding surveillance state at Surveillance.news.

Watch the June 2 episode of Thrive Time Show as host Clay Clark talks to Dr. Dave Martin about how the monkeypox outbreak could be used as a justification to expand the medical tyranny surveillance state.

Thrive Time Show with Clay Clark airs Monday to Friday at 3:30 to 4 p.m. and Saturday at 12 to 12:30 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

FBI goes completely rogue: Report finds bureau illegally spied on millions of Americans.

Canada intensifies airport surveillance with digital identity and facial recognition systems.

Globalists want to track your individual carbon footprint for total control over your travel, food and consumption of goods.

Smart device that gives COVID test results in 20 minutes also sends data to CDC and other government agencies.

Not just another tracking device: Hand-implanted MICROCHIP includes ANTENNA used for tracking payments, people and possibly nanoparticles from COVID-19 injections.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

WEForum.org

News.Yahoo.com
(Natural News) In a congressional meeting Thursday, Rep. Thomas Massie listed 11 incidents in which a good guy with a gun was able to stop a bad guy with a gun and prevent the loss of innocent life.

(Article by Warner Todd Huston republished from WesternJournal.com)

As the Democrats make a renewed effort to push their narrative that a good guy with a gun is a myth that never plays out in real life, Massie proved them wrong in under 5 minutes with nearly a dozen examples of it doing just that.

Speaking as a member of the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, June 2, Massie blasted the Democrats plan to raise the age to buy a gun to 21, saying that laws like that dont stop criminals because criminals dont obey the law.

In fact, he said the Democrats pet idea of the gun-free zone is fantasy nonsense  dangerous nonsense.

During his comments, Massie noted that the husband of a former aide of his, Nikki Goeser, was shot and murdered right in front of her in a gun-free zone. Goesers husband was killed by a lunatic who was stalking her. Meanwhile, she had followed the law by leaving her licensed firearm in her car  where it did her no good.

Goesers husband was killed in 2009, but even being arrested, tried, convicted and imprisoned didnt stop this criminal from breaking the law and harassing Nikki. The killer continued harassing Goeser by sending her threatening letters in the mail from jail, a felony offense itself.

The incident spurred her to write a book about her experience, Stalked And Defenseless: How Gun Control Helped My Stalker Murder My Husband in Front of Me.

With all this in mind, Massie knows exactly what he is talking about and he didnt hold back during the congressional committee hearing on what a waste of time more anti-gun laws are.

After Democrats in the gun control say that good guys with guns never stop shooters, @RepThomasMassie spends five minutes going through recent stories of good guys with guns stopping bad guys with guns. pic.twitter.com/XZsjWHKyNj  Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 2, 2022

Im gonna run out of time, but Ill try to make each of these summaries brief, Massie said, but he had enough time during the allotted period to list these 11 cases:

1. May 25, 2022, in Charleston, West Virginia, a woman carrying a legal firearm stopped a man who was shooting an AR-15 into a crowd.

2. May 3, 2022, in South Fulton, Georgia, a man with a gun stopped a teenager from firing into a crowd during a rally.

3. Feb. 19, 2022, in Portland, Oregon, a man who was shooting at a rally was stopped by a person with a legal firearm.

4. Oct. 17, 2021, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a 16-year-old illegally carrying a gun opened fire in a mall, but was stopped by a man with a legal gun.

5. Dec. 31, 2021, Syracuse, New York, Property manager used his legally held 9mm handgun to stop a man shooting into a rally.

6. Aug. 11, 2021, San Antonio, Texas, a woman exited her car after crashing it, and began indiscriminately shooting at people, but an armed homeowner fired back and killed her.

7. July 22, 2021, Fort Meyers, Florida, a felon illegally carrying a gun was stopped from firing into a crowd by a man legally carrying a gun.

8. July 4, 2021, Chicago, Illinois, a gunman killed one woman, but was stopped from killing more by a legal concealed-carry permit holder.

9. Jun 21, 2021, Arvada, Colorado, a man killed an assailant and stopped more from being killed.

10. May 15, 2021, Fort Smith, Arkansas, a man shot a woman in her apartment and then left the room, shooting at other people, but was stopped by someone with a legally held rifle.

11. Feb. 20, 2021, Metairie, Louisiana, a man who had already killed two people was stopped from killing more when several other people legally carrying confronted him.

These 11 people saved lives in accordance with their Second Amendment rights to self-defense. And these are but a tiny slice of the estimated 1,029,615 individuals who yearly deter a crime with a personal firearm, Forbes reported.

It should also be pointed out that each of Massies examples showed the actions of people from different races, backgrounds and economic statuses, including vulnerable women protecting themselves from violent attackers. Self-defense is not a right or a practice limited to one sector of the population, but benefits everyone.

Massie also told Fox News that he doesnt support red flag laws, either, because they ignore due process, and he blasted the Democrats gun storage proposal.

[T]he scariest one that they proposed today was that you have to store your firearms in a way thats federally approved and if you dont, they can come in and seize them, he told Fox.

Massie is no sudden convert to pro-Second Amendment issues, either. He took massive heat in 2021 when he tweeted a family Christmas portrait with each member of his family holding a favorite firearm, the BBC reported at the time.

Merry Christmas! ?

ps. Santa, please bring ammo. ? pic.twitter.com/NVawULhCNr  Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 4, 2021

That tweet sure sent the lefts collective heads into the stratosphere. So, no doubt, did his list of self-defense heroes.

Read more at: WesternJournal.com
(Natural News) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed Kremlins forces are now in control of 20 percent of the country as the conflict marks its 100th day on Friday, June 3.

As of today, about 20 percent of our territory is under the control of Russia, almost 125 thousand square kilometers. This is much larger than the area of all the Benelux countries combined, he said in a video message for the Luxembourg parliament.

Zelensky told the members of the parliament that all combat-ready Russian military formations are involved in the aggression and that the front line extends for over 1,000 kilometers. As it now appears, Russia is ready to seize the key city of Severodonetsk in Donbas despite the ongoing street-to-street fighting. If subdued, this would put the Russian army in control over all of Luhansk province.

Meanwhile, United Kingdom defense officials said Russia has already seized most of Severondonetsk and is making steady local gains, enabled by a heavy concentration of artillery.

During the said video address to Luxembourg lawmakers, the Ukrainian leader issued a high Russian death toll, claiming that more than 30,000 Russian troops have died, which may be in contrast to their earlier declaration that there is a steady Russian advance. He did not disclose Ukrainian casualties.

Thats greater than the death toll of the Soviet Union in 10 years of war in Afghanistan, greater than Russias death toll in two Chechen wars, Zelensky said.

After presenting her credentials to Zelensky, new U.S. ambassador to Kyiv Bridget Brink said the Biden administration would help Ukraine prevail against Russian aggression.

Western nations have pumped arms and military supplies into Ukraine as reinforcement. The U.S. just announced granting $700 million package of sophisticated weapons, including more advanced rocket launch systems to be sent in a few weeks. These units can simultaneously fire multiple precision-guided munitions on targets up to 80 kilometers away. (Related: Russias nuclear forces hold drill as Biden approves more military aid for Ukraine.)

U.S. President Joe Biden believes that theres going to have to be a negotiated settlement to end the war. But he made it clear that hes not going tell the Ukrainians what they should and shouldnt do or if they should surrender the territory in exchange for peace.

War in Ukraine far from over

While Russia has advanced to control one-fifth of Ukraine on the 100th day of the siege, the war is still far from over.

In the eastern Donbas region, Russian forces are currently making gains in a grinding artillery battle. Meanwhile, Ukraine is waiting for the Wests shipments of longer-range and heavier weaponry. Cease-fire negotiations are on hold.

The conflict brings casualties to thousands and more than two million Ukrainians have crossed back into the country since violence shifted away from the capital, Kyiv. European Unions border agency Frontex claimed that more people have started going back to Ukraine than are leaving. However, United Nations refugee agency said Ukraine has 7.1 million people displaced within the country and more than 6.5 million refugees.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that the scale of destruction in Ukraine defies comprehension. People are living with the anguish of not knowing what happened to their loved ones, ICRC Director General Robert Mardini said.

In other developments, 60 percent of infrastructure and residential buildings in Lysychansk have been destroyed by attacks, according to a local official; Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko, who was evacuated before the city fell, told reporters in Kyiv that 100,000 residents in his devastated port city remain under Russian control; and about 800 people, including children, are hiding underneath the Azot chemical factory in Sievierodonetsk, according to Serhiy Haidai, governor of Luhansk.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of shifting the responsibility on Russia for a looming global food crisis. Kremlin blamed the blockages of food shipments on Western sanctions and on Ukraines defensive mining of Black Sea ports. After a meeting with Putin, Senegals President and leader of the African Union Macky Sall tweeted that Russia expressed readiness to facilitate wheat exports.

Visit WWIII.news for more news related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Watch the below video as President Volodymyr Zelensky said 20 percent of Ukrainian territory is now under Russias control.

This video is from the Chinese taking down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Worldwide famine looms as Russia-Ukraine conflict drags on.

Russias investigation concludes that USA exploited Ukraine to develop illegal biological weapons.

Some of the weapons delivered to Ukraine will be used against us.

Corruption in the midst of war: Ukraine unlikely to receive the promised $65 billion in Western aid.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

BBC.com

NDTV.com

CBC.ca

NPR.org

TheGuardian.com

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Opponents of arming Ukraine as the country battles Russian invaders have argued that the U.S. has literally no oversight of the tens of billions of dollars in financial and military aid being sent to Kyiv, a point that is now being driven home.

In recent days, U.S.-supplied weapons such as the venerable and sophisticated Javelin anti-tank missile have wound up for sale on the dark web, according to The Atlas News, which noted:

Users from Ukraine have posted several American made FGM-148 Javelins for sale on the Dark Web Marketplace, Thief Marketplace. The posting was made less than three hours ago and the seller advertised shipping available from Ukraine, specifically Kyiv. The seller is charging 30,000 USD for what seems to be just the tube. Unseen is the command Launch Unit, and it is unclear if there is a missile in the tube. A full ensemble of the Javelin usually goes for 206K USD, with the Command Launch Unit valued at around 120K USD and each missile at about 80K USD, so this posting is a steal.

The seller, @weapon_ukraine_big_sale, has a number of other U.S.-made weapons systems ranging from Stinger man-portable, shoulder-fired missiles, Phoenix Ghost Drones, and crates of small arms and ammunition, all of which are vitally needed by the Ukrainian military.

So far, the Biden regime and Congress have authorized the Pentagon to ship some 5,500 Javelin tubes to Ukraine as well as an unspecified number of command launch units, necessary for the system to fire. In all, that accounts for at least one-third of all Javelins in the Defense Departments inventory; most that have been sent are being used against Russian armor and other ground vehicles following the Feb. 24 invasion.

The Pentagons Javelin stocks are running low and thanks to decades worth of off-shoring U.S. industrial production, combined with the current manufactured supply chain crisis, the U.S. military cannot quickly replace them, according to a leading Republican lawmaker.

In an interview with Fox News, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), said that the regime is dangerously depleting Javelin stocks at a time when more conflicts involving American troops could break out around the world (such as a Chinese invasion of Taiwan).

Whats bad is the president himself seems at times to constantly want to remind everybody what we wont do and putting arbitrary limits on our assistance, I think, undermines our effort. But, the real ugly is that we are running low in terms of our stockpiles, he said last month.

We just burned through seven years of Javelins and thats not only important as we continue to try and help the Ukrainians win in Ukraine, thats important as we try to simultaneously defend Taiwan from aggression from the Chinese Communist Party, he continued.

They are going to need access to some of these same weapons systems, and we simply dont have the stockpiles at present in order to backfill what weve spent in Ukraine, he noted further.

Last week, our dementia patient president, Joe Biden, visited the Lockheed Martin plant in Troy, Ala., where the defense company builds Javelins. Lockheed officials said that the company is attempting to increase its workforce in order to crank out more of the missiles, but it is doing so at a time when the labor market is the tightest it has been in decades.

The company did say it still expects to ramp up production in the near term.

Appearing on Face the Nation, Jim Taiclet, the president and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation, said that production of the weapon would double from 2,100 missiles per year to 4,000 per year, adding that production will take a number of months, maybe even a couple of years to get there because we have to get our supply chain to also crank up.

Not to mention finding enough new workers to build the weapons.

Obviously, the concerns among many American lawmakers that our unmonitored weapons could wind up in the hands of those who seek to harm us have come true.

Sources include:

NaturalNews.com

TheAtlasNews.co
(Natural News) From being hyped as a prospective Democratic presidential opponent against then-President Donald Trump to a disgraced convict, attorney Michael Avenattis life has certainly changed in just a few short years, and all of it is his own fault.

On Friday, the disgraced creepy porn lawyer, as Fox News Tucker Carlson called him, was sentenced to four years behind bars for stealing some $300,000 in book proceeds from client Stormy Daniels, a porn star whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

Avenatti reportedly expressed some remorse while in the courtroom last week, but that didnt sway a federal judge, who sentenced him to three additional years as part of a prison sentence he has been serving since last summer, according to Courthouse News Service.

Avenatti told the court: Because of my actions I will never practice law again. I will forever be branded a quote-unquote disgraced lawyer and worse. I have destroyed my career, my relationships and my reputation, and have done collateral damage to my family, and my life.

The outlet adds:

The disbarred lawyer is already serving a 2 1/2-year sentence on a separate conviction for trying to extort Nike, and U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman denied requests earlier this week to let Avenatti wear a suit for his sentencing Thursday morning and to appear remotely.

The latest sentencing follows Avenattis conviction in February on counts of wire fraud and identity theft for diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars that a publisher was paying the adult film actress Stormy Daniels for her tell-all in 2018.

During his trial, Avenatti insisted that hed told Daniels, who at the time was his client, that he needed to keep some $300,000 of an $800,000 advance she received for her autobiography, Full Disclosure. But she ultimately testified that no, she had not given him permission to keep those funds.

Your honor, there is no doubt I made a series of mistakes and exercised poor judgment, Avenatti told the court, officiated by U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman, on Thursday. I own the conduct for which I was convicted, am accountable for it, and deserve just punishment.

I have brought embarrassment and ridicule upon myself, and innocent third parties including my family, my children, my friends and the legal profession, he continued. Some have forgiven me; Many, most, never will.

Earlier, Furman denied a request from Avenatti to wear a suit to his sentencing hearing last week and to appear remotely.

The judge gave Avenatti a four-year sentence  two years for each of the counts for which the former California lawyer was convicted. The judge did allow Avenatti to serve 18 months concurrently with his Nike sentence. At the end of that sentence, he will have to serve another 30 months in prison for his conviction on defrauding Daniels.

The lawyer came to represent Daniels during then-President Donald Trumps term. She retained Avenatti as she sought to go public about an alleged affair she said she and Trump had ten years earlier. She also alleged that attorneys for the former president paid her $130,000 in so-called hush money to remain quiet about the alleged affair head of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has vehemently denied he ever had sex with Daniels, much less an affair.

At the time Daniels retained Avenatti, his law firm was failing financially.

A federal judge tossed a defamation lawsuit she filed against Trump in October 2018 and ordered her to pay his legal fees.

The New York Post noted:

The case stemmed from a Trump tweet that called Daniels, who claims she had an affair with him, a total con job. Trump has denied the affair.

Judge S. James Otero, a US District Court judge in Los Angeles, said Monday the comments made in the presidents tweet appeared to be an opinion protected by the First Amendment.

The tweet in question constitutes rhetorical hyperbole normally associated with politics and public discourse in the U.S., the ruling reads. The First Amendment protects this type of rhetorical statement.

Sources include:

NYPost.com

CourthouseNews.com
(Natural News) The average price of gas in the United States has more than doubled since President Joe Bidens first day in the White House in Jan. 2021.

On Jan. 20, 2021, Bidens inauguration day, the average price per gallon of gas was approximately $2.39. As of Saturday, June. 4, the average price for a gallon of gas is at $4.81, up five cents from the previous day, according to AAA. (Related: American fuel prices about to breach $5 per gallon mark just as country enters summer travel season.)

On Monday, June 6, gas prices went up another five cents to $4.86. According to veteran oil markets expert Andy Lipow, the question now is not if average gas prices will breach the $5, but when. He expects it to happen sometime this month as oil trades higher for the summer peak travel season and in anticipation of future freak weather incidents.

Another concern, Lipow noted, is the price of diesel. Fewer drivers in America use diesel for their personal vehicles but its continued increase will still force the price of goods to rise in parallel with it.

Of particular concern is the price of diesel in the Los Angeles and Long Beach area of $6.90, which looks to be headed to $7, said Lipow. It matters because 31 percent of all containerized international waterborne trade passes through these ports. These goods are then delivered to the consumer by truck and rail. Higher freight costs means higher costs of consumer goods.

At least 10 states already have average gas prices of over $5

At least 10 states have already breached the $5 mark for average statewide gas prices.

California leads the pack as of Monday with $6.34 per gallon of gas. This is the highest statewide price of gas in the country. The Golden State is followed by Nevada with $5.49 per gallon, Hawaii with $5.47, Oregon with $5.41 and Washington state with $5.40.

The five other states with gas prices of $5 or more are Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. In Washington, D.C., the price of gas is $5.06.

Another nine states are poised to hit the $5 threshold within the next few days, including Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, where statewide gas prices are $4.96 and $4.95, respectively.

The people in these states were hit hard in the past few weeks as more of them took their personal automobiles on vacation.

People are still fueling up, despite these high prices, said AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross in a news release. At some point, drivers may change their daily driving habits or lifestyle due to these high prices, but we are not there yet.

Come hell or high gas prices, people are going to take vacations, noted Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis for the Oil Price Information Service, which provides real-time oil price fluctuation data for AAA.

Lipow said the bottom line with the increasing price of gas is that there is no immediate end in sight, especially if Biden and his administration continue to push policies that make the price of gas worse.

The consumer should expect that high gasoline and diesel prices are here with us for a long time, said Lipow. And while this fall and winter gasoline prices may fall off a bit, a return to $3 a gallon gas is quite unlikely.

Oil and gas companies are already prepared to work with the federal government to boost production and thereby help lower prices. David Holt, president of the Consumer Energy Alliance, whose members include numerous oil and gas companies, noted that they are prepared to act quickly.

A boost to production would go far in lowering oil prices. A report from AAA warned that pump prices will likely remain elevated as long as demand grows and supply remains tight.

We are in unprecedented territory with gasoline prices headed for a national average of $5 a gallon, said Holt said during an interview with NPR.

Kloza noted that the $5 average will be reached by the Juneteenth and Fathers Day weekend. He also predicted that the national average could approach or breach the $6 mark by Labor Day.

FuelSupply.news has more on rising gas prices in America.

Watch this clip from the Newsmax program Wake Up, America about how Bidens approval ratings are plummeting as the average price of gas soars.

This video is from the channel NewsClips on Brighteon.com.

More related articles:

Americans outraged as Biden tries to paint skyrocketing gas prices as an incredible transition away from fossil fuels.

The collapse of DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) supply will devastate the trucking industry, which supplies everything else: food, consumer goods, auto parts and more.

Gasoline price in Los Angeles rises to as much as $7.83 a gallon  more than the federal minimum wage.

Insanity: Washington state gas stations running out of fuel, adding another digit to signs in anticipation of $10 gas.

Gasoline headed to $6.20 a gallon by August, warn JPMorgan analysts  EVERYTHING is going to get super expensive as a result.

Sources include:

WashingtonTimes.com

FoxBusiness.com

NBCNews.com

NPR.org

KCRA.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The global elites have come together to form what has been dubbed as a one world government. They have signed a treaty that would enable the World Health Organization (WHO) to take control and have governance over any NATO-aligned countries.

These globalists have a global agenda and they are people who are far worse than well-known dictators like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Mao Zedong. The Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is just a forerunner to more pandemics. In fact, one of those is already here, with monkeypox now in full swing and ably supported by engineered media hysteria.

Millions of people are now aware of the emerging one world government and the plans of the globalists to take power under the pretense of world health. People have now realized that this so-called New World Order (NWO) is religiously paganistic, luciferic and satanic in its characteristics. (Related: The specter of one world government looms large.)

Big events took place a couple of weeks ago in Switzerland, with the WHO holding its annual World Health Assembly in Geneva and the World Economic Forum (WEF) conducting its annual meeting in Davos.

The WHO has voted on a pandemic treaty on strengthening preparedness for and response to health emergencies. The pandemic treaty will make WHO the sole directing and coordinating authority on international health. The pandemic treaty includes regular simulation exercises, global surveillance, more vaccines, more censorship, contact tracing and digital vaccine passports.

The WEFs annual meeting, which was led by its founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, has the theme History at a Turning Point. Included in its agenda are more vaccines, more censorship and more LGBTQI resilience.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction recently held its annual global platform where they planned for pandemic simulations, global governance, funds to fight so-called climate change and the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda, which is also known as the Great Reset.

The UN Secretary-General has also signed a treaty to put the WEF in command of the international organization. This will pave the way for a world government that can declare war against every nation state, populace, family and the medical freedom of people.

People are now seeing the rise of a tyrannical world government whose endgame is all about transhumanism and mass depopulation of the human race.

And with the powerful megabanks and international corporations also working with the WEF, the globalists now have full public command under a corporate treaty to rule Earth and cause mass death destruction.

NWOs final strike in America is coming

The New World Orders final strike in America will include a man-made bio attack, food shortages, rolling blackouts and endless riots.

Americans may need a massive military-style campaign to summon the strength to overcome this global private sector and achieve the fundamental economic transition it is looking for.

The New World Order is able to raise prices of practically everything, and they are going to do whatever they can to try to make people go down on their knees and take the solution that they have.

Follow Globalism.news for more news about the globalist agenda.

Watch the video below to know more about the one world government.

This video is from the What If This Happened? channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Alex Newman: War advances Deep State objective of one world government.

Globalists want to track your individual carbon footprint for total control over your travel, food and consumption of goods.

Globalists push for centralization of power amid worldwide economic decline.

Globalists have been planning to starve the world with food scarcity since at least 2015.

The coronavirus achieves all the top priorities of the globalists: Depopulation, authoritarian government and elimination of the elderly who no longer contribute tax money.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

WHO.int

WEForum.org
(Natural News) A Republican lawmaker pushed Democratic colleagues off the deep end earlier this week for handling several of his own firearms in order to make a point about a far-left push to ban high-capacity magazines.

Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) pulled out a collection of his personal handguns during a Thursday House Judiciary Committee markup session that was taking place virtually on measures aimed at preventing gun violence, prompting concern from Democrats on the committee.

After Steube made several points about how banning certain gun magazines would effectively be a ban on the guns they belong to because other, smaller magazines would not fit them, he was interrupted at one point by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas).

I hope the gun is not loaded, she interjected.

Im in my house, I can do whatever I want with my guns, Steube promptly responded.

The Hill adds:

Steube was not at the Capitol with other lawmakers but was attending the hearing remotely via videoconference.

He pulled out his guns while making a point about a provision in the legislation being considered that would ban sales of magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Everything you need to know about this gun control package: Democrats dont even want to let me show what theyre trying to ban. Im an American in my own home, and Ill do whatever I want with my guns, Mr. Chairman, he wrote on Twitter along with a video clip of the exchange.

WATCH:

Everything you need to know about this gun control package: Democrats dont even want to let me show what theyre trying to ban. Im an American in my own home, and Ill do whatever I want with my guns, Mr. Chairman. pic.twitter.com/pH2OIsnlVp  Congressman Greg Steube (@RepGregSteube) June 2, 2022

In the video, Stuebe noted that he constantly carries a concealed handgun, a privilege that lawmakers are afforded in the nations capital, while average citizens in that heavily Democratic city are not.

Dont let them fool you that they are not attempting to take away your ability to purchase handguns. Theyre using the magazine ban to do it, Steube said.

For the record, Steube is a veteran; he joined the U.S. Army and served with distinction from 2004 to 2008 as an airborne infantry officer and member of the Judge Advocate General Corps, doing one tour in Iraq (2005-2006)  so he knows how to handle weapons.

Steube mentioned that the bestselling Glock 19 has a standard magazine capacity of 15 rounds. Then, Steube brought out some of his own firearms that come with standard magazines that hold more than 10 rounds: A SIG Sauer P226, a SIG Sauer 320, and a SIG Sauer P365 XL, The Hill reported.

Steube pulled out lower-capacity magazines and showed that they do not fit in his handguns that have a larger standard magazine capacity, arguing that Democrats bill would essentially outlaw those firearms, the report continued.

During his presentation, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) repeatedly attempted to get Stuebe to yield for a question.

No, Im trying to get my point across in the two minutes I have left, Steube finally said.

The session was aimed at discussing eight new gun-control provisions Democrats hope to pass following mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, last month  both by 18-year-old suspects who used semi-automatic AR-15-style rifles.

Needless to say, several Democrats chimed in to gaslight Stuebe, including Rep. Eric Swalwell, the California Dem who lasted about 15 minutes in his partys 2020 presidential primary.

This is who Republicans are. Kids are being buried and theyre bragging about how many guns they own during our gun safety hearing. They are not serious. They are a danger to our kids, he wrote on Twitter.

This is who Republicans are. Kids are being buried and theyre bragging about how many guns they own during our gun safety hearing. They are not serious. They are a danger to our kids. pic.twitter.com/3A6H62Wol7  Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) June 2, 2022

And who are Democrats? They want to put your kids in even greater danger by disarming as many Americans as possible, all while they enjoy heavily armed security personnel who carry some of the same weapons they dont want us to have.

Sources include:

TheHill.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) On June 4, Russian Federation Pres. Vladimir Puttin issued a warning against the United States that if it proceeds with sending missiles to Ukraine, Russia will have no choice but to strike new targets beyond its special operation.

Procuring Kyiv with more weapons, Putin said, will only drag out the armed conflict for as long as possible. In the event that longer-range missiles are sent to Ukraine, Putin added, Moscow will draw appropriate conclusions and strike facilities that it has not yet targeted.

If they are supplied, we will draw appropriate conclusions from this and use our own weapons, of which we have enough, in order to strike at those facilities we are not targeting yet, reads an English translation of Putins words on Russian state television.

Putins statement came in response to statements issued by the corrupt Biden regime about supplying multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to Ukraine. The Resident-in-Chief himself confirmed that the U.S. plan is to send more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine at the request of authorities in Kyiv.

The White House statement, which was issued three days before Putins response, indicated that the U.S. plans to lead the world in providing historic assistance to support Ukraines fight for freedom. This includes giving the country new capabilities and advanced weaponry, including HIMARS with battlefield munitions  to defend their territory from Russian advances.

HIMARS, by the way, stands for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. These weapons, which are produced in the United States, can hit targets up to 300 miles away, depending on the type of rocket used.

Russia says it is on a humanitarian mission; Ukraine says Russia just wants to murder innocent people

Since Ukraine does not have any such weapons of its own  just the bioweapons produced there by the Pentagon, apparently  the country has been requesting multiple launch rocket systems such as the M270 and M142 HIMARS to strike troops and weapons stockpiles at the rear of Russian forces.

On May 31, a senior White House official told reporters from multiple news outlets that the U.S. will send munitions that will enable the Ukrainians to more precisely strike targets on the battlefield from a greater distance. Ukraine, this official added, will not strike any targets inside Russia.

On June 5, for the first time in many weeks, Russian forces struck Kyiv while Ukrainian officials said a counterattack on the main battlefield in the east had supposedly retaken half of the city of Sievierodonetsk.

Ukraine claims that Russia carried out the long strike using long-range air-launched missiles fired from heavy bombers as far away as the Caspian Sea. Such a weapon is supposedly more valuable than any tanks that Russia says it has hit.

The Kremlin resorts to new insidious attacks, tweeted Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolyak. Todays missile strikes at Kyiv have only one goal  kill as many as possible.

In a separate interview, Putin said that Russias anti-aircraft troops have taken down multiple Ukrainian weapons, describing the success as cracking them like nuts.

Ukraine, meanwhile, continues to accuse Russia of simply being out for innocent blood, despite detailed accounts from Russian officials as to the nature of this special operation and the reasoning behind why it had to be done  one of them being the Pentagons bioweapons laboratories littered all throughout Ukraine.

U.S. involvement in any form with the Ukraine / Russia conflict is a violation of our neutrality, wrote someone at The Epoch Times.

Just like that idiot Wilson and his money lenders got us into WWI, Biden and his criminal cabal are involving us in the Ukraine to cover for his sons underhanded dealings.

The latest news about the Russia-Ukraine conflict can be found at WWIII.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheEpochTimes.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) After informing a court overseeing his case that he identifies as female, a biological male pedophile who raped numerous children was spared prison.

(Article republished from En-volve.com)

Peter Selby, a 68-year-old convicted pedophile, was discovered with over 125,000 photographs and films of child rape kept on various electronic devices, some of which depicted children as young as three years old.

Selby confessed his involvement to authorities immediately after they searched his home for the files, claiming that his addiction to adult pornography had morphed into full-fledged pedophilia, according to reports.

Nationalfile.com reports: Though Peter Selby was convicted of crimes at trial and sentenced to 14 months of incarceration, he will avoid prison or jail altogether thanks to him identifying as a transgender woman. Despite the judges admission at sentencing that Selbys conviction proved just how deviant [his] sexual desires are, he was let off the hook because of his transgenderism, with the judge expressing concerns over how he would cope with the anxiety of being a trans in prison.

You identify as transgender and that has caused issues for you and anxiety for you in how you would cope with that if you were immediately sent to prison, the judge said at sentencing, opting to instead suspend the jail term which, under UK law, allows offenders to completely avoid incarceration. Instead, Selby will merely attend counseling and register as a sex offender for 10 years.

You are someone who is transgender and the impact of custody would be significant for you in the circumstances, said the judge, justifying the incredibly light sentence.

Read more at: En-volve.com
(Natural News) Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, told AiF.ru in a recent interview that Western pharmaceutical companies are behind the spread of many dangerous diseases, including the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).

Calling the Fauci Flu man-made, Patrushev explained that the so-called virus was likely made in Pentagon laboratories with the assistance of a number of major Big Pharma companies. He also linked the Clintons, the Rockefellers, George Soros and the Biden Crime Family to such endeavors.

Instead of caring for the health of mankind, reads an English translation of Patrushevs words, Washington spends billions on the study of new pathogens. In addition, Western medicine is increasingly practicing genetic engineering, synthetic biology methods, thereby blurring the line between artificial and natural.

Since Russia stands starkly against these kinds of things, the West continues to demonize that country, Patrushev went on to state. He explained that the Western agenda has not changed for centuries as Western powers continue to dictate their terms to the world, boorishly trampling on the sovereign rights of states.

Covering their actions with words about the struggle for human rights, freedom and democracy, they are actually implementing the doctrine of the golden billion, which suggests that a limited number of people can flourish in this world, Patrushev went on to state.

The destiny of the rest, as they believe, is to bend their backs in the name of their goal.

The U.S. and the U.K. are engineering the current global economic crisis for their own gain (of course)

In order to increase the wealth and welfare of magnates in London and on Wall Street, the United States and the United Kingdom, Patrushev revealed, controlled by big capital, are intentionally demolishing the global economy, which will doom millions of people in Africa, Asia and Latin America to starvation.

They are doing this, Patrushev further explained, by depriving the poorest and most reliant countries in the world of necessities such as grain, fertilizer and energy, all the while blaming Russia for their own evil machinations.

By their actions they are provoking unemployment and a migration catastrophe in Europe, Patrushev said. Uninterested in the prosperity of European states, they are doing everything to make them disappear from the pedestal of economically developed countries.

And for unconditional control over this region, the Europeans were put on a chair with two legs called NATO and the EU, disdainfully watching how they balance.

Since Western tyrants refuse to stop their maniacal quest to take over the world and subdue everyone who is not them underneath the heavy boot of authoritarianism, Russia may have no choice but to take on the entirety of NATO in what would probably become World War III.

The West has only itself to blame for this, just to be clear. Russias special operation in Ukraine, which seeks to root out the Big Pharma-Pentagon-military-industrial complex stranglehold on Ukraine, is not being received well by countries like the U.S., the U.K., Poland and Germany, all of which have been served notice by Russia to back off, or else.

All the goals set by the President of Russia will be fulfilled, Patrushev explained about how Russia has no plans to stop this mission until it has been completed.

It cannot be otherwise, since truth, including historical truth, is on our side. Not for nothing that General Skobelev once said that only our country can afford such a luxury as to fight out of a sense of compassion. Compassion, justice, dignity are powerful unifying ideas that we have always put and will put at the forefront.

The full interview with Patrushev is available at The Saker.

More related news about the corrupt West can be found at Corruption.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheSaker.is

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Russian political scientist Sergey Mikheyev went on Russian television to warn that the war in Ukraine will escalate into a nuclear Third World War.

Mikheyev, a regular pundit on state-owned channels and a known ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, made this statement during an appearance on a state-owned television station. The nuclear war is coming, he said. (Related: Russian TV airs discussion about possibility of launching nuclear missiles against Berlin, Paris and London.)

He then strongly criticized the West for supplying Ukraine with arms and ammunition, saying that this will only expand the conflict.

[The West] talks about how many more weapons are being sent and how frightening these weapons are, they dont understand what happens next, said Mikhayev, implying that the only way Russia can match the Wests escalation of the conflict is through nuclear war.

Mikhayev continued by pointing out that the terrible weapons supplied to Ukraine by the West keep coming and one day the Ukrainian armed forces will use these weapons in a way they promised not to. This refers to a promise made to American Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the missile system Washington has supplied to Kyiv will not be used to strike targets in Russian territory.

They promised not to use them a certain way, but most likely they will do it anyway, said Mikhayev. And that will lead to World War III.

Mikhayev noted that when Ukraine inevitably uses Western-supplied weapons to strike at Russian territory, this will force Russia to retaliate or risk losing face.

A common man asks, What happens next? Next comes World War III. The nuclear war is coming, thats all, he said. There will be a nuclear war.

More Russian pundits warn of nuclear war if the West doesnt back down

Mikhayev is not the first nor the last person to go on Russian television stations to warn of a possible nuclear world war.

One of these known television personalities is Vladimir Solovyov, who is also known by the title Putins voice.

During one episode of his show on Russia-1, Sunday Evening with Vladimir Solovyov, he made similar warnings about how Western-supplied long-range weapon systems could strike into Russian territory. If such an incident were to occur, it would only be a matter of time before nuclear war breaks out.

Everything is moving in that direction, he said. I hope well live through this. If everything keeps progressing the way it is, only a couple of mutants in Lake Baikal will survive. The rest will be destroyed in a massive nuclear strike.

Solovyov warned that even if the arrival of U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) weapons systems in Ukraine does not immediately lead to nuclear war, it still sets a dangerous precedent.

If NATO decides they can place whatever they want on our borders, theyll be sending more and more American weapons to Ukraine. Ukraine will fire and end up hitting one of our nuclear power plants, and here we go, he warned. The process will quickly become uncontrollable. Everyone will get more than they asked for. Bang! And theres nothing left.

The statements of many Russian media personalities come after the U.S. and its allies in NATO confirmed that they are sending multiple rocket launcher systems to Ukraine to support Kyiv in its fight against Russia.

President Joe Biden recently confirmed that it was supplying Ukraine with M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. The missiles launched by this system have an effective range of 102 miles and a maximum range of 186 miles.

A week later, the United Kingdom confirmed that it was sending M270 multiple-launch rocket systems to Ukraine. This long-range missile system can hit targets up to 50 miles away.

Read more about Russian threats of nuclear war at NuclearWar.news.

Watch this clip from InfoWars as Brian Wilson breaks down statements from Russian politicians and media outlets showing that the country is ready to retaliate against the United States with nuclear weapons for interfering in the war in Ukraine.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

BEGGING FOR THE APOCALYPSE: Biden provokes Putin to strike USA and NATO cities with new long-range weapons that might include nukes or EMP weapons.

Russias nuclear forces hold drill as Biden approves more military aid for Ukraine.

Russian MP: Russia can destroy America with four Satan 2 missiles.

Russia holds war games with simulated nuclear strikes against the EU.

A single nuclear sub strike would drown Great Britain in a radioactive tsunami, warns Russia.

Sources include:

Express.co.uk

TheGuardian.com 1

DailyMail.co.uk

MissileThreat.CSIS.org

TheGuardian.com 2

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A loophole in the body-camera requirements for Texas police officers could result in the public never knowing what truly happened inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

By law, Texas cops must keep their bodycams operating at all times while working. However, a dead suspect loophole could be taken advantage of by the city of Uvalde, depending on its interpretation of the laws surrounding bodycam footage.

For critical matters that are under investigation, Texas law provisions that police agencies only publicly release bodycam footage if they believe that doing so would somehow further a law enforcement agenda.

Otherwise, Texas law grants law enforcement agencies broad discretion to set their own policies for handling the public disclosure of bodycam footage, VICE reports.

Further, the dead suspect loophole allows law enforcement to resist publicly releasing bodycam footage if the suspect was killed, and thus cannot be convicted of any crime.

According to J.T. Morris, a First Amendment lawyer based out of Austin, the alleged death of the 18-year-old gunman at the hands of Border Patrol agents could be used by Uvalde to avoid public disclosure of both audio and video captured at the scene of the crime.

State law makes clear that if theres bodycam footage related either to an officers use of deadly force or an investigation or administrative proceeding related to an officer, that bodycam footage cannot be deleted or destroyed until any proceedings are done, Morris is quoted as saying.

Enemies of Second Amendment opposing release of Uvalde bodycam footage

The police department in Uvalde is already in hot water over its officers refusal to enter the school as the crime was occurring. We are now being told that Border Patrol was already there and had breached the classroom where the shooter was barricaded.

Last year, Border Patrol released a massive bodycam plan for its own agency, indicating plans to outfit 6,000 officers and agents with the devices by the end of 2021.

In the context of the gun control debate, many are wanting to see the footage. However, enemies of the Second Amendment say that it is not necessary to be confronted with that kind of shocking imagery in order to drive change, to quote VICEs Tess Owen.

The way Texas law was crafted allows law enforcement agencies broad discretion to set their own policies for how to handle the public disclosure of bodycam footage. Chances are that if it incriminates Uvalde police officers in any way, the footage will remain undisclosed.

The shooting was staged, wrote someone at Natural News, speculating as to why the bodycam footage will probably never be released.

This was likely another psy-op by a traitorous government, added another. They cant go full authoritarian until they have taken our guns.

Someone else added that the Uvalde shooting reeks of another Sandy Hook false flag, explaining that on March 21 of this year, the Uvalde CISD Police Department held an Active Shooter Course at Robb Elementary School.

The whole shooting was staged two months ago, this person further wrote. It was a drill later sold as the real thing.

Many others wrote that they believe Uvalde police were told to stand down by some other agency, which is probably another reason why incriminating bodycam footage will never be publicly released.

Concerning the Second Amendment and the lefts continued attempts at changing or abolishing it, other commenters wrote that it is a non-negotiable.

The Second Amendment isnt about hunting, one of them wrote. Its to prevent evil people in government from doing exactly what theyre trying to do now.

More related news about law enforcement controversies can be found at PoliceState.news.

Sources for this article include:

VICE.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Totalitarian takeovers, just like what the Joe Biden-led Democratic Party is doing in the United States right now, have very similar telltale signs.

Totalitarian takeovers, whether they are on the Far Right or the Far Left, whether theyre the Nazis, whether theyre the commies, fascists, communists, it doesnt really matter. When you distill it all down, they have very similar telltale signs, human rights lawyer Leigh Dundas told Doug Billings during the May 31 episode of The Right Side on Brighteon.TV.

Billings, host of one of the most popular conservative and social commentary programs in America, said the chaos brought by the Democratic Party  or what he now calls the Communist Socialist Party  is all designed for that purpose. (Related: Doug Billings: Democratic Party has been replaced by the Communist Socialist Party  Brighteon.TV.)

Dundas agreed.

The human rights attorney and abolitionist dedicated to preserving basic freedoms pointed out that the targeting of the family, churches and places where people go to work or gather are signs that a totalitarian takeover is happening.

Dundas added that the Democrats are doing what dictators like Pol Pot and Adolf Hitler did in Cambodia and Germany, respectively.

Theyre doing what every good dictator who wants to take over a country or a region has done from time immemorial and that is to take out the places of gathering, the churches and target the family unit, she explained.

During the Pol Pot regime, all white-collar people were rounded out of their houses in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh and sent to concentration camps. The children-parent relationship was also destroyed by the Pol Pot regime by driving a wedge into the family unit.

Commie socialists are slamming their beliefs in Kamikaze mode

Billings said that the commie socialists are slamming their beliefs in full Kamikaze mode into the fabric of American society. He also mentioned that members of the LGBTQ community, who are celebrating Pride Month this June, represent a minority of people in America. However, they are so loud and have the support of the radical media. (Related: Doug Billings calls out the immorality of the transgender agenda  Brighteon.TV.)

But Billings believes America is going to see a seismic shift during the midterm elections in November, with entrepreneur Elon Musk and millions of people in the country leaving the Democrats and joining the Republicans. Musk, who supported former President Barack Obama, has earlier said that todays Democratic Party has been hijacked by extremists.

The Tesla founder has also described the woke cult as one of the biggest threats to modern civilization. He has also labeled Joe Biden a damp sock puppet, adding that the president is treating the American public like fools.

Many blue states, including California, are also swinging to the Republican side. However, Dundas doesnt think the Democrats will just roll over and die.

Dundas said its no surprise that monkeypox is suddenly on the loose with another round of elections happening in America. She said this is the perfect time for the Democrats to scare and whip Americans into a state of fear again to have another shot at doing what they did in the 2020 presidential election.

Asked about her opinion on monkeypox and how it relates to the communist-socialist playbook, the human rights attorney said the disease is being used to scare people and to see how much obedience the perpetrators can get from the average citizen.

Follow AbolishSocialism.com for more news about the communist-socialist Democrats.

Watch the full May 31 episode of The Right Side below. The The Right Side airs every Tuesday at 7-8 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related articles:

Human rights attorney Leigh Dundas warns that Covid-19 tyranny is becoming a second Holocaust.

Elon Musk: Democratic party has been hijacked by extremists.

Lieutenant governor of Texas slams radical lefts agenda to disrupt family.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

DougBilling.US

AriseFreedomTour.com
(Natural News) The Uvalde Police Department (PD) and the police force attached to the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) are no longer cooperating with Texas investigation into the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.

The school shooting at Uvalde was one of the worst mass shooting incidents of its kind in the history of the United States, leaving 19 children and two adults dead. The Uvalde PD and CISD Polices response to the crisis has been criticized since the beginning for reportedly not doing enough to stop the shooter and prevent more kids from dying.

According to multiple sources who spoke to news outlets, the decision to stop cooperating occurred immediately after Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Col. Steven McCraw held a news conference during which he said the Uvalde PDs decision to delay entering the classroom where the shooter barricaded himself was the wrong decision and contrary to protocol.

DPS is currently conducting an investigation into the massacre and reviewing the response of law enforcement. (Related: Texas officials revise story, say teacher closed school door before deadly Uvalde mass shooting.)

A spokesperson for the DPS did not confirm the story but did say the police chief of the Uvalde CISD police force has refused calls for follow-up interviews with Texas law enforcement agencies.

The Uvalde Police Department and Uvalde CISD Police have been cooperating with investigators. The chief of the Uvalde CISD Police provided an initial interview, but has not responded to a request for a follow-up interview with the Texas Rangers that was made two days ago, said the spokesperson.

Uvalde police still lying about sequence of events in shooting

DPS officials are investigating both Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo and a teacher at Robb Elementary School for actions that may have inadvertently helped 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos commit his killing spree.

Uvalde police officials claimed that a teacher at Robb Elementary propped open the door through which the gunman entered the school. This assertion was immediately walked back following pushback from the teacher and her lawyer.

According to Don Flanary, the teachers lawyer, she closed the door while informing the 911 dispatcher that the shooting had begun, but its automatic lock malfunctioned and did not prevent the gunman from entering the school.

She thought the door would lock because that door is always supposed to be locked, said Flanary.

Uvalde PD and CISD Police are also being blamed for engaging in a standoff with the shooter for nearly 50 minutes rather than taking charge of the situation by entering the school to deal with the gunman immediately.

While the shooter was barricaded in a room, as many as eight or nine children who were with him were still alive and were calling 911 pleading for help.

Uvalde police officials earlier claimed that they presumed all children inside the classroom were dead. However, footage obtained by ABC News directly contradicts this claim. Police dispatched had relayed information to officers approximately 40 minutes before the shooter was dealt with, saying the room he was in was full of victims at this moment.

The condemnation of the police response has been so widespread that both Texas Republicans and Democrats have criticized it. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a press conference that Uvalde police have misled him with inaccurate information about the sequence of events during the crisis, while Democratic Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro has called for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to step in and investigate the actions of the police.

Learn more about the Uvalde mass shooting at Shootings.news.

Watch this clip from InfoWars as host Owen Shroyer reacts to the news that Uvaldes police are no longer cooperating with Texas investigation into the school shooting.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Police in Uvalde purposely ignored active shooter training, fueling speculation of false flag engineered event aimed at fueling gun control push.

Police in Uvalde contradicted their own mass shooter training: Were they TOLD to stand down while killer rampaged?

Criminal charges could be filed against POLICE in Uvalde who stood by and did nothing while children were massacred right in front of them.

Law enforcement allowed Texas shooter to commit mass murder by BLOCKING parents from saving their children.

Uvalde massacre was a PLANNED STAND DOWN operation  law enforcement saved their own children while parents were pepper-sprayed and handcuffed.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

ABCNews.go.com

TexasTribune.org

NationalReview.com
(Natural News) Right-wing political commentator Matt Walsh has released a new documentary called, What Is A Woman? that addresses a simple question that modern Western culture can no longer answer.

Factually speaking, the answer is simple. In todays feelings-based delusionary world, however, there is no longer one correct way to identify what it means to be a woman (or a man, for that matter).

Walsh never imagined himself having to ask this question, nor did he ever in his earlier years expect that American society would be all over the map in terms of providing an answer to it  but here we are.

A trailer for the film  you can watch it below  depicts Walsh asking various women and men who tried to make themselves look like women what a woman is. The answers and non-answers he received are disturbing but no longer surprising.

Hahahaha, uhh, responded one group of nervously uncomfortable girls at a womens march.

If you are not here for women, we ask you to leave! was another response from an obese female.

Native Africans laughed when asked by Walsh if a man can become a woman; indicate they never want to come to corrupt and evil America

Walsh also spoke with so-called experts on the subject, including Dr. Marci Bowers, a gender reassignment surgeon who told him that there is not one particular thing that defines a woman.

It could be many things to many people, said Dr. Michelle Forcier, a professor and pediatrician, about what a woman is.

One Gert Comfrey, who calls herself a gender affirmation therapist, told Walsh that some women have penises, right, and some men have vaginas.

None of these three apparent women, who call themselves experts on the subject, responded correctly to Walsh that a woman is a person with female biological anatomy, period.

The only person in the trailer, anyway, who answered the question correctly was an elderly man who owns a collectibles shop. When asked by Walsh how he knows he is a man, the guy responded simply by indicating that he has male genitals.

It seems silly to discuss the matter so crudely, but this is the depths to which American society has fallen. Grown adults with college degrees no longer understand natural biology and are insistent that it bends and sways based on feelings and delusions.

This is at the crux of What Is A Woman? which exposes the lunacy of todays society. A simple question that even just a decade ago would have been easily answered the same way by everyone is suddenly now a controversial issue.

Walsh also visited an African tribe where he asked the same questions, only to receive laughter at how ridiculous they are.

Can a man become a woman? Walsh asked, to which the tribal men smiled and laughed because, no, a man cannot become a woman and they know it.

Meanwhile, back in the West, an obese man dressed as a woman with fake breasts told Walsh that only women know what women are, whatever that is supposed to mean.

Im not a woman so I cant really answer that, added Comfrey, who is clearly a woman, to the Western answer to Walshs question.

Prepare to be absolutely disgusted, should you choose to watch Walshs film, as you realize just how closely the United States now resembles Sodom and Gomorrah. And just like those two biblical cities, Americas days are numbered just the same.

When things as fundamental and natural as this needs to be explained and documented, it is evidence how far society has gone down the path of insanity, added a commenter at YouTube to the conversation.

More related news about the gender insanity of the West can be found at Gender.news.

Sources for this article include:

WhatIsAWoman.com

YouTu.be

NaturalNews.com
New Department of Defense testing has indicated that dangerous amounts of hazardous PFAS are poisoning water sources in regions near at least 12 military sites, raising public health groups that the DoD is not doing enough to safeguard the public.

The military's data provided this week showed levels of five types of PFAS chemicals at "very high" levels, according to Scott Faber, vice-president of government affairs for Environmental Working Group, and they pose a health risk to citizens living nearby.

"You can only hope that now that people are aware of the problem, they are looking for alternate water sources," he added.

PFAS, the Forever Chemical

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a group of roughly 9,000 compounds used in various sectors to make goods resistant to water, stains, and heat. Despite their effectiveness, the substances have been associated with cancer, renal disease, birth deformities, low immunity, liver difficulties, and other dangerous illnesses.

They're known as "forever chemicals" because of how long they last in the environment.

PFAS are very dangerous fluorinated compounds used in hundreds of common items. They accumulate in our bodies and do not degrade in the environment. PFAS has been related to cancer, reproductive and immune system injury, and other disorders in very tiny amounts.

Chemical firms hid evidence of PFAS' health risks for decades. PFAS is now found in virtually all Americans' blood, including newborn newborns, and more than 200 million people may be consuming PFAS-contaminated water. What began as a "modern chemistry marvel" has turned into a national calamity.

Also Read: Nigeria Successfully Cleaned Up Deadly Lead Pollution That Killed 600 Children Since 2010

Military Bases

In training exercises and crises, military firefighters employ aqueous film-forming foam, or AAFF, containing extraordinarily high quantities of PFAS. But AFFF is effective; it has resulted in extensive contamination near bases and airports. Congress recently demanded that the military inspect 700 installations for PFAS pollution and set aside $571 million for cleaning, though many believe the cost will be much higher.

Meanwhile, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020 requires the Pentagon to phase out AFFF and replace it with safer alternatives already on the market.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a 70-parts-per-billion recommended health threshold for PFOS and PFOA, two forms of PFAS used in foam, though this might be decreased shortly. Several states have already set considerably lower standards.

PFOS levels in groundwater near Seattle's Whidbey Island NAS hit 4,700 parts per trillion and eight locations above the EPA's recommended standards. Meanwhile, the agency examined the levels of three additional PFAS compounds that surpassed 1,150 ppt. While there is no federal requirement for those compounds, several were above state-set limits.

How Harmful Can Military Bases Be For the Environment

For decades, benzene, trichloroethylene, lead, and other toxic substances infiltrated the groundwater at military bases due to leaking storage tanks and waste disposal procedures. Groundwater was also contaminated by PFAS, which was detected in 2012 on the base and in the adjacent villages.

DND Report

The Department of Defense stated that it had given bottled water, filtration devices, or linked households to municipal water lines in areas where PFAS contamination was discovered since 2016.

"The Department of Defense continues to conduct routine samples at impacted off-base areas and is expanding sampling to examine further and identify locations where there is a known or prospective risk of PFAS leak," according to a spokeswoman.

On the other hand, Faber claims that the military has known about the threat for decades and that "they are only informing neighbors because Congress forced them to."

"They would continue to be a nasty neighbor in the absence of a Congressional edict," he stated.

Related Article: Contaminated Pearl Harbor Waters Makes Military Families Sick

For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Swarms of microscopic shrimp-like organisms live beneath a gigantic Antarctic ice shelf, in a cathedral-like cavern hundreds of meters high, in a newly found underwater habitat that had been an ice-locked secret until recently.

New Zealand scientists discovered the habitat 500 meters beneath the ice in a hypothesized estuary hundreds of kilometers from the Ross Ice Shelf's edge.

Studying Under the Ice

Researchers from universities in Wellington, Auckland, Otago, the National Institute of Water and Atmospherics (Niwa), and the Geological and Nuclear Sciences were funded by Antarctica New Zealand to explore the role of the estuary in climate-induced ice shelf melt.

However, when they dug through the ice and into the river, amphipods, little organisms related to lobsters, crabs, and mites, swarmed their camera.

"At first, we assumed something was amiss with the camera," Niwa's Craig Stevens explained, "but when the focus improved, we spotted a swarm of arthropods roughly 5mm in size."

They'd done studies in other ice shelf regions and believed they knew what was going on, but this time there were some huge shocks.

Also Read: Antarctic Orca, a Submarine Volcano, Triggered by a Swarm of 85,000 Earthquakes

A Surprising Discovery

According to Stevens, while the mission was motivated by climate change, there was also an element of discovery.

They were ecstatic because all those critters swimming about their gear indicated that there was undoubtedly an important ecology present.

Huw Horgan of Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, who leads the project, was the first to notice the estuary while studying satellite imagery of the Ross Ice Shelf.

Researchers have known about a network of secret freshwater lakes and rivers beneath the Antarctic ice sheets for some years. Still, they have yet to be physically investigated, according to Horgan.

"Being the first to see and experience this river seemed like entering a secret universe."

He stated that instruments had been placed in the river to record its behavior and that lab researchers would look into what makes the water so special.

The team's discoveries went even further: it had recently installed its mooring just days before the massive eruption of Tongan volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai. As the wave passed through the hollow, the team's equipment noticed a considerable pressure shift.

"Here we are, in a neglected corner of the earth, observing real-time effects from events that felt worlds away," Stevens said after witnessing the eruption's consequences. It was very amazing."

Enduring Under the Ice

Because of the prevalence of sea ice along the Antarctic coast, organisms must be able to endure lengthy periods of time without light. Plants and animals that live beneath sea ice along Antarctica's coast must withstand long periods of darkness since the ice blocks light.

Plants and animals that dwell beneath the sea ice have adapted to the cold and lack light.

Those who live in places where sea ice forms must be able to go without light for extended periods of time. Plants on the seafloor, such as algae, can only use the sun's energy to generate food (photosynthesis) in the summer. They must survive on stored energy for the remainder of their lives. This indicates that they develop slowly.

Related Article: Accidentally Discovered and Rare Fossilized Algae Closes Evolutionary Gaps

For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Russian Supreme Court bans denial of conviction expungement for not guilty plea

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

13:21 07/06/2022

MOSCOW, June 7 (RAPSI)  The Supreme Court of Russia has prohibited lower courts to deny expungement of record if a convict had pleaded not guilty.

According to the Draft Resolution of Plenum of Supreme Court "On application by courts of the Russian Federation of Law on calculation of the expungement terms, when considering clearing of a criminal record, courts must provide individual approach to convicts and avoid unfounded and unmotivated decisions.

Courts must take into account all information submitted by convicted persons and other information obtained by court in order to decide the matter. According to the existing requirements, conviction may be expunged if meeting two criteria, including a persons irreproachable conduct after the completion of sentence and compensation of caused damage, the Supreme Court states.

According to the document, courts may not deny conviction expungement on grounds not provided by law, including the crime gravity, other convictions, leniency of the endured punishment, not-guilty plea and others.




At 2:11 p.m. on Monday, White Island, a tiny volcanic isle in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty, was shaken by an enormous eruption around 10 a.m. local time.

A succession of powerful explosions erupted, hurling ash 12,000 feet into the sky and showering the volcano's floor with scorching material before all was silenced a few minutes later.

It was clear right once that lives had been lost. At the time, many visitors were on the island, some of whom were standing quite near to the volcano's active vent.

"This was probably the true worst-case scenario" for this type of volcanic eruption, says Shane Cronin, a volcanologist and Earth scientist at the University of Auckland.

The explosion, understandably, caught many people off guard. But it was nothing unusual for this volcano and the sort of eruption style involved: similar eruptions have occurred at numerous volcanoes throughout the world, and they will continue to do so without notice.

Also Read: Hunga Tonga Volcanic Eruption Created Intense Atmospheric Pulse Never Seen Before

An Unexpected Eruption

So, why was Whakaari/White Island's eruption so unexpected and deadly?

The top of Whakaari/White Island is a complicated undersea volcano. According to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, it is very exuberant, erupting in a variety of types. Many of the explosions are modest.

Hyperactivity

Whakaari/White Island is constantly watched due to its hyperactivity and the regularity with which tourists visit. Scientists were keeping a careful eye on it in the hopes of spotting any signs that the volcano was preparing for a catastrophic eruption.

GNS Science, a New Zealand-based consulting firm, observed some localized surface deformation a few weeks ago, according to Geoff Kilgour, a scientist with the firm. Subsurface pressure changes generated by flowing superheated liquids, gases, or magma can cause deformation. However, the activity did not imply a significant increase in pressure in this circumstance.

Nonetheless, certain geyser-like convulsions and an increase in gas emissions and seismic rumblings were detected by monitoring efforts and reports from tourist firms at the time. As a result, the volcano's warning status was raised. An increase in the alert level does not always guarantee that an eruption will occur, and in many circumstances, no eruption will occur. This time, however, there was a fatal exception.

This can cause gases to become trapped beneath the surface, where they accumulate and heat up, generating a pocket of superheated components similar to a pressure cooker. The boiling water frequently tries to turn into steam, but it stays a liquid due to the high pressure.

This implies that any fracture in this geologic pressure cooker can result in a violent, rapid decompression. Liquid water turns into steam in a heartbeat, expanding its volume 1,700 times. The expanding force is powerful enough to break rocks and leave scars on the earth's surface.

When the pressure at the vent is released, a decompression wave is launched into the volcano's throat, colliding with more pressured water. A steam-based eruption can change into a magma-driven explosion when the shockwave reaches the magma.

Deadly Steam

According to Cronin, if you stand too close to the vent, even a steam explosion may kill you. However, the flying boulders, moist debris jets, and burning air may be deadly.

And everything occurs so quickly that no one has time to respond. The majority of this eruption was a series of impulsive bursts, each lasting only a few seconds. According to Kilgour, the whole incident was over in just two minutes. Due to the limited size of Whakaari/White Island, the situation is particularly risky.

"On White Island, there aren't many places you can go without being near the vent," says Loc Vanderkluysen, a volcanologist at Drexel University.







Related Article: Long Quiet Volcano Showed Activity As Alaska Cruise Season Begins

For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Flood threat due to rising river water level is causing an alarm for three communities in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, as of Monday, June 6.

Local authorities have issued mandatory evacuation orders along with a flood watch and local state of emergency in the affected areas to warn residents and avoid being trapped in case of potential overland flooding.

Over recent years, several incidents of overland flooding has gripped B.C. and other Canadian provinces, as floodwaters from overflowing rivers and melting ice enter houses and other establishments. .

While similar evacuation orders were issued in the past, there were instances where flash floods occur with little or without warning.

Scientists have been on high alert since May after an expert issued a warning that B.C. may brace for an increasing flood risk in the coming months at that time.

The latest developments prove that such warning may be viable since the expert predicted that the greatest risk will fall during the summer season, which approximately spans from June to September in Canada.

B.C. Flood Risk

Local officials on the evening of Sunday, June 5, ordered residents of the so-called Terrace-area communities of Old Remo, New Remo, and Usk to evacuate from their homes and register at a community center east of the Terrace, according to a report by The Canadian Press, as cited by Global News.

The Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine also issued a declaration of a local state of emergency as a flood watch remains in effect for Skeena River and Bulkley River, ranging from Telkwa and Smithers all the way to the communities in Terrace.

Additional flood watches were issued for Dean River in the Fraser Plateau, located east of the B.C. community of Bella Coola, and for the Liard River and its surrounding tributaries around Fort Nelson, as well as along Highway 97 into Watson Lake.

Also Read: State of Emergency: Overland Flooding Due to Heavy Rain Prompts over 1,000 Evacuations in Alberta Province, Canada

High Streamflow Advisories

CTV News Vancouver also cited the Canadian media release, indicating that high streamflow advisories have been posted for a multitude of other rivers and streams across northwestern corner of the Canadian province.

Meanwhile, the River Forecast Centre reportedly said rainfall and warm weather across northern B.C. will fill up waterways at least until Monday.

It added the flood danger is decreasing for most of the southern interior, which covers areas from the Cariboo Plateau to the United States border.

Increasing Flood Risk

On May 10, Jonathan Boyd, a B.C. hydrologist with the River Forecast Centre, issued a warning of the increasing flood risk across the province.

Boyd emphasized this is due to the persistence of cold temperatures which delays the snow melt across the region, as per Tri-City News.

Meteorologists and other hydrologists were alarmed following the flood warning.

As snow, ice, or frozen water piles up across B.C., the expected heat and other weather hazards brought by the summer season could eventually lead to rapid melting, Boyd explains.

In the coming weeks and months, a combination of heat waves, heavy rain, or severe thunderstorms may reportedly contribute to the flood threat across the province.

Related Article: British Columbia, Canada is Threatened by Increasing Flood Risk: Hydrologists and Meteorologists on High Alert
A zombie shark discovered off the coast of Guadalupe Island, located 125 miles (201 kilometers) from mainland Mexico, was captured in a footage by a filmmaker during a shark cage diving activity in search for ocean predators.

The zombie great white shark was seen biting on a prey just a few inches from the filmmaker.

Zombie Shark

In a YouTube video below posted by the channel Euan Art, it can be seen that 36-year-old Euan Rannachan, a photographer and filmmaker, was inside a shark cage capturing a footage of the zombie shark biting into a bait and a prey under the waters off Guadalupe Island.

In the video, the great white shark resembled an optic feature out of a zombie movie since its eyes were completely white for a moment.

Hence, the filmmaker gave great white's name associated with the notorious "undead" known in popular culture as a zombie, which can be in the form of humans or animals as well.

A YouTube user commented on the video said the eyes of the shark is called nictitating lens.

Meanwhile, a second commentator said it was a membrane that serve as a protection to the eye.

Lastly, another user commented the zombie-like eye intended to protect the shark from blood or debris as seen in the YouTube footage.

The zombie shark video was posted in May 2019 but is currently going viral on YouTube with more than 12,000 views as of Monday, June 6.

Also Read: Shark With 300 Teeth That Has Been on the Planet for 80 Million Years Is Captured in Portugal

Nictitating Lens

Nictitating lens is caused by the nictitating membrane, a "transparent or translucent third eyelid" possessed by some animals with the aim of protecting or moistening the eye while still maintaining visibility, according to a study published in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology in March 2017.

Similar to the discovered zombie shark off the Guatemala Island coast, nictitating lens are common as indicated by the study's researchers.

However, the paper centered its approach on a rare case report of a nine-year-old girl with a persistent unilateral nictitating membrane.

The case study is unique since a nictitating membrane is no longer present among humans due to its state of being vestigial, which means the remnant of the membrane no longer serves its initial purpose.

This dormant optic feature that is rare among primates can be associated with the development of our eyelid covered with skin, such as those of humans, which serve as an alternative protection of the eye instead of the nictitating lens.

Furthermore, the said study suggested that a fully-developed nictitating membranes are found in various animal groups like amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles.

Zombie Shark Sightings

Despite of the scientific background explaining the zombie shark's feature, the footage has still been deemed bizarre.

However, there are other related zombie shark sightings that do not pertain to having a nictitating lens.

In November 2012, another YouTube video posted by the MRU TV channel shows a half-eaten zombie shark. The footage was originally captured by 35-year-old Mario Lebrato, a scientist from Spain.

The scientist reportedly said he was in a state of shock after he saw the marine animal was mauled from a cannibalistic attack, presumably from another shark.

In addition, there was a discovered zombie shark at an abandoned aquarium. The shark was not actually dead, instead, it was covered with molds. The incident went viral in March 2022 after a French YouTuber uploaded the footage on her YouTube channel and her TikTok account, according to BGR Media.

Related Article: Fishermen Capture a Large Shark That Is Being Devoured by an Unknown Sea Creature
BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 3: An injured rat hobbles seemingly unafraid of its surroundings on July 3, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. Rats are among the city's most long-serving residents. (Photo : Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

While it is known that wildlife can be carriers of viruses which spread among human species, the potential threat it poses to public health requires constant observation.

In Sweden, researchers have identified a widespread and new coronavirus named the Grimso virus among rodents - specifically the red-backed bank voles (Myodes glareolus), ScienceAlert reported. It is not known what danger it can cause to humans in any way, nonetheless, it is a reminder to monitor wildlife viruses carried by animals we most likely have close contact with.

"Based on our observations and previous coronaviruses identified among bank voles, there is good reason to continue monitoring the coronavirus amongst wild rodents," virologist Ake Lundkvist from Uppsala University in Sweden said in the study published in Viruses.

Wildlife Disease among Voles

Lundkvist and his colleagues have been trying to monitor wildlife disease among voles to better anticipate possibilities of spill over.

Bank voles are common rodents in Europe and known as hosts of the Puumala virus, reported by a study published in National Library of Medicine. This virus causes a hemorrhagic fever known as nephropathia epidemica in humans. In Europe, there are more than 10,000 yearly cases of nephropathia epidemica.

The risk of contracting disease from voles is high since they seek refuge in human buildings or shelters, easily carrying diseases into your household. Moreover, the researchers warn that chance of interactions with the rodents will likely increase in the future as climate change destroys their natural habitat.

"Between 2015 and 2017, we consistently found what we have called the 'Grimso Virus' in 3.4 percent of these voles, which would suggest that the virus is widespread and common in Sweden's bank voles," says Lundkvist. He led the study together with researcher Jiaxin Ling and Anishia Wasberg, a doctoral student and the first author.

Researchers from the Zoonosis Science Center aim to map out zoonotic viruses, understand interaction between viruses and host animals, and develop methods that may effectively limit major virus outbreaks spreading in humans from animals.

Also read: Bees are Fish? California Judges Ruled

Bank Voles as Natural Reservoirs for the Disease

Researchers in Sweden found several distinct viral strains of the Grimso virus among voles in over three years, including other related coronaviruses distributed in other parts of Europe, like France, Germany, and Poland. They further explain that the highly divergent virus is easily adapted to new hosts and habitats.

In addition, they reveal that human exploitation of wild spaces "has directly increased the risk of animal disease spilling over to humans," especially among bats, rodents and primates which in nature have adapted to human environments.

It is also important to keep an eye on other vectors of human disease like larger mammals in close contact with human civilization. One example of this is wild deer, of which roughly 40 percent have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in the US, according to ScienceAlert.

Also, livestock such as minks have been rolled into the COVID-19 pandemic, which worries researchers as the virus shows possible mutation amongst them.

Related article: Fossilized Bones Fuel Debate on the Purpose of Giraffe's Necks
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: A zoo keeper holds a bucket of horse meat to feed the lions at the new lion enclosure 'Land Of The Lions' at London Zoo on March 16, 2016 in London, England. The enclosure will be opened by the Queen and is modelled on the village Sasan Gir in Gujarat, India, where lions and villagers live side by side. It is five times the size of the previous enclosure and facilitates for a breeding group of endangered Asiatic lions, of which only several hundred remain in the wild. (Photo : Photo by Chris Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

After Aline Oudin felt obliged to seek a temporary residence for her cherished 28-year-old chestnut horse Tenor du Pluvinage, she posted an inquiry appealing if anybody might provide him a suitable paddock to live out his days.

Illegal Trafficking of Horse-Meat

The Guardian has recently reported a case of horse-meat trafficking in Europe, when a guy in his 60s answered that he was searching for a peaceful companionship for the juvenile mare he recently purchased for his daughter, Oudin agreed to enable him take the pony off with the condition that she may meet him on a routine basis.

According to the statement of the owner in an interview made by the guardian - the online media site that covered the article, she has claimed that everything occurred in a flash that she did not even get enough time to ponder what just have occured.

She also stated that the guy appreciated Tenor, and because of that she gave me her full trust of taking of Tenor and tha she was in considerable anguish at having to leave from my friend of 23 years.

Oudin sent out requests and advertisements in an attempt to find out what had occurred to her pet. She found the pony was already transferred to a slaughterhouse month prior.

Nine years later, 18 persons, namely two veterinarians, are scheduled to testify in person in Marseille on Monday, charged of being part of a huge criminal smuggling operation that reportedly provided horsemeat unsuitable for biological digestion to distributors and processors throughout Europe.

The news media site Cheval Magazine has also reported that the appellants, from France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain, are suspected of buying and selling thousands of pensioned draft horses and thoroughbreds, as well as equines, to Belgium, where they were reportedly provided counterfeit recognition and monitoring records prior to actually becoming forwarded back to slaughterhouses in the south of France.

They risk up to ten years in jail if charged of the crime as part of an organized organization or delivering fraudulent and misleading goods intended to endanger population wellbeing. Eight of the suspects have been detained since 2015, when European authorities broke up the continent's structure.

Also read: Bees are Fish? California Judges Ruled





Horse-Meat Trafficking in Europe





The examining magistrate, Mathilde Bloch, stated that investigators had demonstrated carelessness or positive conduct indicating the cooperation of the two veterinarians suspected of altering paperwork.

Oudin, from Meurthe-et-Moselle in eastern France, is estimated to be among of more than 150 horse owners who turned over their aging horses expecting they would be cared for in their final years.

Following much study, the owner discovered that the horse was murdered when he was given pesticide, slithering, and anti-inflammatory medications that had rendered him completely unsuitable for consumption, told the French media, LeParisien.

"I have been genuinely upset. I kept this horse for two decades and he was like family to me."

Several of the physicians' solicitor, Lionel Febbraro, attributed his claimant's participation on ignorance over extremely difficult European standards. Although the experts acknowledge it can't be nice to find that your pony stopped at the slaughterhouse, nobody perished ill.

Related article: Australian Man Having a 6-Minute Wrestle with Kangaroo Caught on Video




Researchers Mark Bolinger, Ryan Wiser, and Eric O'Shaughnessy gathered information on renewables from 908 wind farms and 822 solar businesses in the United States, all of which had a capacity of more than five megawatts.

They gathered data on wind farms from the present to 1982, when modern, utility-scale wind farms first appeared in the United States. The data for solar dates back to 2007, when the United States developed its first utility-scale solar photovoltaic plants greater than five megawatts. The study was just published in the journal iScience.

Cost of Renewable Energy

The researchers discovered that workers who operate renewable energy sources such as solar and wind farms learn to do it more effectively, decreasing the levelized cost of power (LCOE). According to Mark Bolinger, the same is true for funding those renewable energy plants, a research scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

He claims that because a fledgling sector is regarded as dangerous, the cost of borrowing is high. However, when lenders and investors gain expertise in the market, they become more comfortable with the assets and are prepared to give more competitive rates, resulting in lower costs. "Learning can help with more than simply the upfront capital costs. Instead, all five or six LCOE inputs might benefit from time spent learning by doing. All of these can help to reduce expenditures."

Also Read: Activist are Afraid that Renewable Energy Sources Might Endanger Biodiversity

Various Components

LCOE, according to Bolinger, is made up of various components. The most critical factor is the plant's initial installation cost. The capacity factor, which measures how much energy the plant can generate each year, comes next. Operating expenses, government tax rates, finance costs, and estimated plant useful lives are all considered in the LCOE. He explains, "[LCOE] is effectively spreading expenses throughout the whole life of those plants."

The researchers discovered that learning rates based on LCOE were 15% for wind and 24% for solar. "You can use those past learning rates to forward-looking deployment forecasts after calculating them," Bolinger explains. For example, doubling the incremental deployment of wind by 2030 would result in a 30% reduction in the LCOE. "Learning curves are all about looking at previous correlations and extending them."

According to Bolinger, the previous study was mostly centered on capital costs, which solely focused on the upfront installment cost, perhaps because empirical data on installment prices is simpler. In contrast, data on the other expenses included in LCOE is more challenging to come by.

"If you want to accomplish this based on LCOE, your data intensity will skyrocket." However, when you consider it, LCOE is the proper measure to employ here because capital cost is merely one of five or six inputs into the LCOE calculation. And, rather than a restricted emphasis on capital expenditures, the industry has generally concentrated on optimizing or decreasing LCOE."

Previous Cost Reduction

The researchers focus on previous cost reductions in renewables in their report. From an average of $440 per MWh in the industry's early years (1982-1984) to an average of $32 per MWh in 2020 dollars, the LCOE for wind has dropped by 93 percent. From more than $230 per MWh during the first few years of the market (2007-2010) to $34 per MWh in 2020, the utility scale solar LCOE dropped by 85 percent in a significantly shorter time.

"While we depict these LCOE decreases over time, it is important to note that incremental deployment, not time itself, drives the cost reduction under a learning curve framework. In other words, a decrease in LCOE over time is a reflection of learning rather than a straight assessment of it, according to the researchers.

According to Mark Bolinger, there is a lot of literature on learning rate and learning curve theory. Moore's Law, for example, states that the number of transistors per silicon chip will double every year. According to Bolinger, the learning rate - a measure of how much cost decreases for each doubling of cumulative output - is identical.

This study adds some well calculated predictability to the future development of renewable energy. The more confident lenders are in their investments' safety, the more money will be available.



Related Article: Experts are Saying that Renewable Sources are Not Enough to Solve Europe's Energy Crisis

For more environmental news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Firefighters try to douse a fire that broke out in a garments factory in Narayanganj on January 28, 2022. (Photo : Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

As per authorities, a major blaze at a shipping warehouse in southern Bangladesh claimed the lives of 40 individuals and injured around 450 others.

Massive Fire in Bangladesh Kills 40 People

In the statement of a forensic official at the state-run Chattagram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), they claimed that as of now, 40 deceased corpses have arrived at the mortuary here, which was then reported by media outlet PTI as said, while at estimated of five firemen were among those killed, BBC News reported.

Facilities in the neighborhood are overcrowded, with long lines of patients seeking medical care in the halls. Doctors and nurses have requested blood transfusions, and several of the wounded were evacuated to Dhaka, the metropolis.

According to CMCH enforcement station associate sub-inspector Alauddin Talukdar, who spoke to the Bangla Tribune today, 28 persons have killed as of 11.15 a.m. on Sunday.

As firefighters attempted to put out the fire, a massive blast shook the area, enveloping several of the responders in embers and hurling wreckage and victims into stratosphere.

Istakul Islam, the chairman of the Red Crescent Youth Chittagong's Medical and Welfare Division, have also stated that an estimated of 350 of the casualties are being treated at CMCH. Furthermore, Istakul Islam claimed that the number of fatalities at some other institutions might be higher.

The incident at the BM Inland storage yard started about nightfall on Saturday after blasts in a hazardous barrel. The warehouse lies near Chittagong's Sitakunda Upazila, 216 kilometers (134 miles) southeast of Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka.

Early Sunday, Mominur Rahman, the town's top administrative, was quoted as saying there were nevertheless multiple hotspots of wildfire in the warehouse.

Chittagong civil physician Mohammed Elias Hossain verified the fatalities of six persons in a message to the Associated Press premature of Sunday time.

As per regional TV broadcast sources, the number of fatalities at the CMCH later increased to a minimum 16.

Mr Hossain said at the moment that the figure might grow higher, adding that several firefighters noting enforcement officers are amongst the casualties. He urged all physicians in the region to pitch in to assistance with the urgent serious medical condition, as reported in the recent post of the Independent.

Also read: Environmental Impacts of Fracking Boom in the US

Container Storage Facility Fire Incident

On Sunday morning, participants, several sporting just sandals, began to pull victims from the smoldering ruins. Images from the wreckage revealed the mangled remnants of aluminum transport crates as well as a warehouse's fallen ceiling. According to a regional reporter, there was a strong odor in the atmosphere.

The incident is said to have originated in a hydrogen peroxide bottle prior to actually swiftly extending to adjacent receptacles. The explosion had been so powerful that it could be observed a few kilometers distant and smashed the window frames of surrounding building structures.

According to one nearby store clerk, a chunk of rubble flew half a kilometer and lodged in his stream bed. Following the incident, he saw fireballs dropping like precipitation. The power of the incident, according to locals, rocked the whole neighborhood and smashed glass windows in surrounding residences.

Similarly, Reuters reported a total of 5,000cargo around the facility. The Dutch-Bangladeshi strategic partnership manages input and output products and is situated about 40 kilometers from Chittagong, Bangladesh's principal shipping route.

Related article: 18 People Apprehended For Illegally Trafficking Horse-Meat Across Europe




Journalist Yury Dud challenges foreign agent status

 Moscow's Zyuzinsky District Court

16:19 07/06/2022

MOSCOW, June 7 (RAPSI)  Journalist and blogger Yury Dud has filed an administrative lawsuit against Russias Justice Ministry challenging a mass media-foreign agent label, according to the case file of Moscows Lefortovsky District Court.

Discussion of the lawsuit is set for June 16.

Prominent Russian YouTube blogger was added to the list of mass media acting as foreign agents in April.

In October 2021, Moscow's Zyuzinsky District Court fined Dud 100,000 rubles (over $1,600 at the current exchange rate) in a drug propaganda case. The administrative offense protocol regarding him was drawn up in accordance with the provisions of the Russian Administrative Code envisaging a fine of up to 1.5 million rubles (about $25,000).

This court has already considered a similar case over illegal propaganda or advertising of drugs: last June, it fined rapper Alisher Morgenstern for this offense 100,000 rubles.




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Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. Record high temperatures expected. High 99F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph..

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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).
In a sometimes-heated meeting, several residents of the Fox Valley subdivision objected to McNews plan to develop part of the property that would abut their homes and build duplexes.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. Record high temperatures expected. High 99F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low near 75F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Questions on Ice House, a row of single-family houses in Campustown, Meijer Drive, a lounge chair shortage at Sholem Pool, a former dry cleaners at Springfield & Neil, backyard fires, Bradley Avenue improvements, MTD to STM and those signed stones at Prairie Play at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana.
'I have the most conservative legislative record of any candidate in the race. I have never voted for a tax increase and have never introduced legislation that would give the Illinois government new taxing powers.'
Do you really want to order a soda with your burger? Just one soda can have more added sugar than the entire daily limit recommended for most adults.

Seeing a warning icon on a restaurant menu may help consumers identify the high amounts of added sugar hidden in menu items -; and it may even convince them to reach for healthier items like water.

Those are the observations recorded in a new University of California, Davis, study. In a national survey sampling more than 1,300 adults, researchers found that added-sugar warnings with icons plus text, or icons only, were effective at getting a "high added sugar" warning message across to people. The survey took place in 2021.

Excess added sugar in our food supply is a leading driver of Type 2 diabetes, which is predicted to affect about half of all U.S. adults in their lifetime." Desiree Sigala, study's lead author, UC Davis postdoctoral researcher, Department of Molecular Biosciences

The study, published online in the July issue of the journal Preventive Medicine, is believed to be the first of its kind to design and test the effects of added-sugar warnings for restaurant menus. And while the United States Food and Drug Administration requires large chain restaurants to make some nutrition information available in restaurants, there is currently no requirement for added sugar to be publicly disclosed for restaurant foods, researchers said.

This leaves consumers in the dark about the high levels of added sugar in their meals, which can contribute to negative health outcomes, researchers said. New York City recently sought to address this problem by passing a law requiring added-sugar warnings on prepackaged restaurant menu items. Policymakers across the country are considering similar warnings for added sugar on restaurant menus.

"By exposing the high amount of added sugar in ordinary restaurant foods, these warnings could help consumers make informed decisions," said senior author Jennifer Falbe, UC Davis assistant professor of nutrition and human development in the Department of Human Ecology. "But more importantly, requiring these warnings could incentivize restaurants to offer a wider variety of options that are not loaded with sugar."

The icons, designed by the study team, resemble stop, yield, and "caution" traffic signs.

Warning icons are a simple way to equip consumers with nutrition information and nudge companies to improve the healthfulness of their products, without taking up space on the menu, researchers said.

In the online, randomized study, participants were shown either a control label (a QR code), one of six possible icon-only added sugar warning labels, or one of the icons combined with three text variations: "high in added sugars," "high sugars" and "sugar warning." Each icon contained an exclamation mark or an exclamation mark with a spoon. While icon-plus-text and icon-only labels had favorable responses among participants compared to the control labels for the outcomes of perceived effectiveness and knowledge of items' added sugar content, there were no significant differences when comparing icon-only to icon-plus-text labels, researchers said.

According to the researchers, the design of the labels was based on sodium warning labels required by law for New York City and Philadelphia chain restaurant menus.

Furthermore, most participants in the study, or 80%, supported the added-sugar warning labels being used on restaurant menus.

"These promising results support the need to further develop and test restaurant menu added-sugar warning labels by conducting experiments with menu ordering outcomes to determine behavioral effects," Falbe said.

In addition to Falbe and Sigala, co-authors include Marissa G. Hall, Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Aviva A. Musicus, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Christina A. Roberto, Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania; Sarah E. Solar, Department of Human Ecology, and Sili Fan, Department of Statistics, UC Davis; DeAnna Nara and Sarah Sorscher, Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The study was funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies directly and through a subaward from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Falbe has additional support from the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Sigala has support from the National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views or policies of the funders.
According to a report by The New York Times, former CIA director Gina Haspel once oversaw the enhanced interrogation process in which suspects were tortured via coercive means, including the use of waterboarding, in an overseas US prison. This has triggered a public outcry, and the evil deeds of the US "black sites" once again have drawn widespread criticism from the international community. The black sites are typical examples of the US' trampling on the rule of law and violation of human rights.

The US has set up "black sites" in multiple countries under the guise of fighting terrorism. The report of the Costs of War Project by Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs at Brown University points out that following the 9/11 attacks, the US has orchestrated a system of "black sites" throughout the world in at least 54 countries and regions, where over 100,000 people were detained, including Muslims, women and children.

The US "black sites" have been notorious for extremely outrageous cruelty in interrogation. According to media reports, the egregious Guantanamo Bay detention camp, the Bagram prison in Afghanistan and the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, are caught up in prisoner abuse scandals, with the use of brutal and horrifying enhanced interrogation techniques including waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and personal humiliation. A detainee was even used as a living prop to teach trainee interrogators of the CIA, who lined up to take turns knocking his head against a plywood wall and dousing him with ice-cold water. The tortures against humanity have left him devastated both physically and mentally.

An independent panel of experts on human rights as appointed by the UN Human Rights Council issued a statement in January this year, stating that for the past 20 years, the US has arbitrarily detained people without trial or due process at Guantanamo Bay, and subjected them to torture or ill-treatment, which has violated the International Human Rights Law (IHRL), a "stain on the US government's commitment to the rule of law." The panel urged the US to close its Guantanamo Bay detention camp and end "an ugly page of wantonly violating human rights".

However, the US has turned a deaf ear to the concerns of the international community. In the torture of prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, only low-level US soldiers were brought to trial and convicted, but all the senior US military and government officials and private military contractors (PMCs) involved were exempted from trial ; the US deliberately destroyed 92 videotapes, which contained direct evidence to the torture in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, and the US Department of Justice has refused to press charges against the personnel involved; at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, the site of a secret prison, a suspect was tortured to death, but the relevant staff got promoted and granted with bonuses with no punishment at all... What the US has done is a stinging satire on its self-proclaimed "global human rights defender".

The US has accustomed to pointing fingers at others to interfere in others' domestic affairs under the disguise of human rights, while gets utterly discomfited with fact-based investigations carried out by international agencies against itself. A "torture report" disclosed by the US Senate Intelligence Committee in 2014 was extensively edited. In addition, when the International Criminal Court (ICC) insisted on investigating possible war crimes and crimes against humanity that have been committed by the US military and intelligence officials in Afghanistan, the US government blatantly imposed economic sanctions and visa restrictions on a number of officials, including the ICC Chief Prosecutor.

The US government's outrageous human rights record, both at home and abroad, has left a deep impression globally. The obsession with American hegemony has made the US a negative example of violating human rights across the world. On the issue of human rights, what the US needs to do is to introspect much about and correct its own wrongdoings, striving to eliminate its own human rights debt, instead of politicizing human rights issues and interfering in other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights. The hypocrisy of American-style human rights can do nothing to improve the human rights situation and international image of the US.

Editor's Note: This article is originally published on paper.people.com.cn, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
Sky Network Television Limited (NZX/ASX: SKT or Sky) wishes to address recent speculation in the Australian Financial Review and other media sources in relation to Skys possible acquisition of MediaWorks Holdings Limited (Mediaworks).

Sky advises that:

- it is currently in exclusive negotiations with Mediaworks shareholders regarding a potential acquisition of MediaWorks radio and out of home advertising business;

- the likelihood of a transaction proceeding is still highly uncertain with discussions and due diligence ongoing and incomplete; and

- under the current proposed transaction structure if an acquisition of Mediaworks proceeds, it would not require Sky to raise new equity but would require approval of an ordinary resolution by shareholders at an Extraordinary Shareholder Meeting.

Sky indicated at the time of announcing its interim results on 24 February 2022 that it is assessing opportunities to invest capital to accelerate the growth of the business, generate new revenue streams, and deliver improved returns for shareholders.

Sky management and Board see the possible acquisition of MediaWorks as consistent with this strategy.

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In a session at this year's Euroanaesthesia, Obstetric Anaesthesia Expert Dr Nuala Lucas (Northwick Park Hospital, London, UK) will examine the key messages for anesthesia practice from the UK's Maternal Mortality Reports which are produced annually to provide robust information about the causes of maternal deaths to promote learning and further reduce preventable maternal mortality in the UK and beyond.

In the last of these reports covering 2017-19, a total of 191 women died during or up to six weeks after the end of pregnancy, from causes associated with their pregnancy, among 2,173,810 women giving birth in the UK. This translated to a rate of 8.8 women per 100,000 dying during pregnancy or up to six weeks after childbirth or the end of pregnancy  a similar rate to that seen in 2010-12, almost a decade earlier.

The data regarding ethnicity showed an alarming disparity  while the maternal mortality rate was 7 per 100,000 for white women, for Asian women this was 12 per 100,000; for mixed race women 15 per 100,000, and for Black women a staggering 32 per 100,000  more than four times the rate of white women. Similarly, the most deprived 20% of pregnant women, with a maternal mortality rate of 14, were twice as likely to die as those in the most affluent 20% (maternal mortality rate 7).

The UK Maternal Mortality Enquiry program is led by Professor Marian Knight at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford and supported by clinicians from multiple disciplines in maternity care.

Our latest report acts as a reminder of the urgent action required to reduce the inequalities in maternity care that exist due to a woman's ethnicity and socioeconomic status. This will be crucial to ensure a reduction in maternal deaths in the future.'' Professor Marian Knight, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford

The report shows that heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women during or just after pregnancy, followed by epilepsy and stroke. Sepsis and thrombosis and thromboembolism (blood clots) remain important causes of maternal death during or up to six weeks after the end of pregnancy. The maternal death rate from preeclampsia and eclampsia continues to be low but is higher than the lowest rate recorded, in 2012-14. Cancer is the most frequent cause of death for women between six weeks and a year after the end of pregnancy. Maternal suicide remains the leading direct (pregnancy-related) cause of death over the first year after pregnancy.

Dr Lucas says: "While some of these events are beyond the remit of the maternal anesthesia teams, such as the tragedy of cancer during or just after pregnancy, there is much that we can do to further drive down maternal mortality in the UK. Even one preventable maternal death is unacceptable," she explains.

Each pregnant woman in the UK should be assessed for the risk of blood clots using national guidelines produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, with the maternity team, ensuring anti-clotting medication is prescribed if this is indicated. A major focus of improving outcomes is utilizing primary and secondary prevention, particularly risk recognition and stratification. This is essential for women at an obviously higher risk of complications  those with heart disease.

Of course, not every complication can be prevented, and for some women, critical events like major postnatal bleeding (obstetric hemorrhage) will occur even in women without risk factors. Optimizing outcomes in these situations relies heavily on ensuring 'institutional preparedness' in every maternity unit  the availability of staff and resources. Multidisciplinary training is now a mandatory requirement for maternity units in the NHS.

Finally, even when it looks like mother and baby are fine and all has gone well, there can be a sudden and unexpected deterioration of the mother in the recovery ward. The use of maternal early warning scores to assist with detecting acute deterioration has been a recommendation in the UK for several years. The publication of a new national maternal early warning score system is anticipated later this year.

What relevance does the UK Maternal Mortality Report have outside the UK? A United Nations Sustainable Development Goal is that by 2030, the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) will be reduced to less than 70:100,000 live births. To achieve quality improvement in maternal health and continued reduction in MMR, it is necessary to understand the structures and processes that lead to a maternal death. This approach, described by the World Health Organization as going 'beyond the numbers', can be undertaken by different methodologies depending on the healthcare setting and resources. The methodology of MBRRACE-UK, the longest running enquiry of its kind, provides an international benchmark, and many of the lessons highlighted in its reports are applicable in other healthcare settings.

Professor Knight and Dr Lucas agree that to achieve significant improvement in maternal mortality, there is a need to address mortality due to causes arising from existing disease aggravated by pregnancy. This will require increased emphasis on multidisciplinary planning and provision of care for women who have existing disease. Obstetric anesthesia has an integral role in many aspects of maternal care beyond the provision of anesthesia and analgesia. It has a shared responsibility for delivering safe care but is often under-represented and under-resourced in the planning of maternity care. Anesthesia services in the maternity must be adequately resourced, which is an essential action for policymakers and service planners.
As the Food and Drug Administration goes forward with its proposal to ban menthol cigarettes, Rutgers researchers insist the move is a step toward social justice and better health equity in the Black community, where menthol cigarettes have been heavily marketed by tobacco companies.

In a commentary published in JAMA Network Open, researchers at the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies (CTS) said the ban will help prevent young people from starting to smoke and lower national smoking rates, particularly among vulnerable groups.

Indeed, the FDA's proposed product standard cites 26 research studies authored or coauthored by CTS team members.

Cristine Delnevo, director of the center and a professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health, and Andrea Villanti, deputy director of CTS and an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health, have published multiple studies and were expert reviewers of the FDA's "Scientific Assessment of the Impact of Menthol in Cigarettes."

Delnevo, Villanti, Ollie Ganz, an instructor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and a researcher at CTS, and Kevin Schroth, associate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and a researcher at CTS discuss why the scientific evidence outweighs any industry arguments.

Why should menthol cigarettes concern public health officials?

Delnevo: The FDA's Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee concluded that menthol in cigarettes reduced the harshness of smoking and was associated with increased initiation, higher dependence, and lower quit success.

Our study, published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, draws attention to the continued availability of menthol cigarettes in the U.S. as a social justice issue. Most Black smokers in the U.S. smoke menthol cigarettes, and extensive research shows that the tobacco industry targeted African American communities with advertising for menthol cigarettes for decades.

Data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey also show that while menthol use declined overall among youth from 2011 to 2018, there was no decline among Black and Hispanic students.

How has the consumption of cigarettes, especially menthol cigarettes, changed over time and why is this important in the context of a ban on menthol cigarettes?

Delnevo: Our study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed cigarette consumption data in the U.S. between 2000 to 2018, and found there was a 46 percent decline in cigarette consumption during this period  but 85 percent of that decline was attributed to nonmenthol cigarettes. This is a pattern consistent with evidence that menthol cigarettes increase initiation and progression to regular smoking and decreases smoking cessation success.

We also found that the introduction of menthol capsules, a product feature that allows consumers to crush a liquid-filled capsule in the filter, may have slowed the downward trajectory in cigarette consumption. The industry continues to innovate, and policymakers need to be comprehensive in their approach to banning flavors.

Why is it important to ban menthol cigarettes and why has it been difficult to enact a nationwide ban?

Ganz: Research shows that a ban on menthol cigarettes would significantly impact public health and positively impact the African American community. A 2011 study modeling the effects of a menthol ban in the U.S. estimated that 633,252 deaths could have been averted and that one of three of these lives lost would be a Black person. Other vulnerable communities also are at risk if a menthol ban is not implemented. Our study concluded that the inaction on menthol came down to lack of political will.

Will an FDA ban on menthol cigarettes survive tobacco industry lawsuits?

Schroth: Our commentary explains why the FDA has a high probability of prevailing when the tobacco industry inevitably files a lawsuit challenging the FDA's final rule. The 2009 Tobacco Control Act clearly gives the FDA the power to issue a product standard like this and sets parameters for a lawsuit. A product standard must be appropriate for the protection of public health, with two primary considerations: It should help current smokers to stop and contribute to decreasing smoking initiation. A persuasive body of evidence shows that menthol cigarettes contribute to youth initiation and reduced success among people trying to quit. The persuasiveness of this scientific evidence is likely to be the decisive factor in a lawsuit.

Will an FDA ban on menthol cigarettes criminalize menthol cigarettes or lead to an increase in criminal activity, with a disproportionate effect on the African American community?

Schroth: As our commentary recognizes, this question reflects a talking point that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company injected into the public domain. However, the idea that a menthol ban will contribute to criminal activity or violence is not consistent with tobacco control enforcement practices. Companies and manufacturers are the ones that will be affected by enforcement of a menthol cigarette ban, not individuals.

But it appears that FDA is taking this issue seriously. The FDA invites comments from the public on how it can clarify the roles of enforcement authorities and any potential racial and social justice implications of the proposed product standards.

How can we maximize the public health benefit of an FDA menthol cigarette ban?

Delnevo: We need to keep a watchful eye on youth tobacco use behaviors, including use of multiple products, substitution with other products or alternative methods of menthol flavor delivery. We also need to comprehensively evaluate the effects of menthol or flavor bans on tobacco-related health inequities.

Villanti: In a new commentary published in JAMA Network Open, we highlight that the FDA's proposed menthol cigarette ban is a pivotal moment for health equity and suggest a range of activities including:

Raising awareness and countering any misperceptions and disinformation about the goals of flavored tobacco policies Ensuring that policy enforcement focuses on retailers and manufacturers Limiting policy exemptions to prevent loopholes or inequitable implementation Scaling up tobacco cessation resources

Schroth: Individuals and groups should consider contributing to FDA's virtual listening sessions on June 13 and 15 and/or submitting public comments by July 5.
A brand of specialty mozzarella cheeses. A collection of natural-gas storage terminals. And Americas top-selling emergency contraception.

At a moment when half of U.S. states stand poised to outlaw or sharply curtail abortion services, the last-ditch pill for women aiming to stave off an unwanted pregnancy rests in the unlikely stewardship of two private equity firms whose investment portfolios range from Italian foods to vineyard management to children's cough medicine.

Kelso & Co. and Juggernaut Capital Partners bought Plan B One-Step from Teva for $675 million in 2017 as the Israeli-based pharmaceutical giant was selling off its global women's health business. In the years since, the drug has become America's most widely used over-the-counter emergency contraception and  at an average cost of $45 per dose  one of the highest-priced over-the-counter medications sold in the U.S.

Foundation Consumer Healthcare, the company owned by Kelso and Juggernaut that sells Plan B, has managed to aggressively market the product while staying under the radar of anti-abortion activists and Republican lawmakers who vilify it as another form of abortion.

But the company's stewardship and women's continued access to Plan B have become matters of urgent concern as the religious belief that life begins before a fertilized egg implants in the uterus gains currency as a legitimate legal standard among Republican lawmakers in state capitals and in Congress. If the Supreme Court cements a leaked draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade without explicitly deferring to the medical standard of when a pregnancy begins  which is after implantation  Republican-controlled legislatures could declare Plan B and intrauterine devices, or IUDs, to be abortifacients.

States that enact legislation to confer "personhood rights" to fertilized eggs, embryos, and fetuses would open a new frontier in laws that dictate the options available for women who are pregnant and those who seek not to become pregnant. The states considering such a move include Alabama, Missouri, and Kansas.

Complicating that political battle, women's health advocates say, is that Foundation Consumer Healthcare and the FDA have failed to correct outdated wording on the product's label that has led to rampant misinformation about how Plan B works.

The language in question, stated as part of Plan B's "drug facts," warns that the pill could prevent "attachment of a fertilized egg to the uterus." But numerous studies have shown that is not the mechanism of action for Plan B, a hormonal medication that delays ovulation and can prevent sperm from fertilizing an egg. Research also shows Plan B does not harm an existing pregnancy, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

That packaging language has been cited, nonetheless, to justify regulations in at least nine states that exclude Plan B from government family planning programs and contraception coverage mandates or that allow pharmacists to refuse to sell Plan B on moral grounds.

The U.S. Supreme Court's 2014 decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores cited the FDA's webpage about Plan B in ruling that requiring family-owned corporations with religious convictions to pay for health insurance coverage for contraception violated a federal law protecting religious freedom.

Similarly, a bill before Congress that would require Department of Veterans Affairs facilities to cover the cost of all forms of contraception for female veterans has been stalled by opposition to the inclusion of Plan B. "The Plan B pill kills a baby in the womb once a woman is already pregnant," U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) erroneously stated during a floor debate. "The VA should not be paying for abortion."

European authorities required the language be dropped from Plan B packaging sold in those countries in 2015, and it has been rejected by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics and American medical associations.

Making a similar label change in the U.S. would require Foundation Consumer Healthcare to petition the FDA  an action that women's health advocates say is long overdue.

"The FDA isn't going to change it unless the companies come in with the data and ask for a label change," said Susan Wood, a health policy professor at George Washington University and former director of women's health at the FDA. A label update would be "straightforward because there is human data that shows that it works prior to ovulation."

"It's the company's responsibility," she added.

Foundation Consumer Healthcare, in an emailed response to a list of questions from KHN, declined an interview and said it would not comment on sales figures, discussions with the FDA, or investment plans.

"The mission of FCH is and always has been increasing the education and availability of Plan B One-Step emergency contraception for women across the country," the company wrote. "We work with a variety of partners to ensure everyone understands how the product works and when it should be taken, and with retailers to make sure the product is available in all major retail stores."

The FDA also declined to comment, citing regulations that protect "the confidentiality of commercial information."

Emboldened by the Supreme Court's leaked draft decision on Roe and its earlier decision to allow Texas' six-week abortion ban to take effect, lawmakers in multiple Republican-led states already are openly considering bans on emergency contraception and IUDs.

Plan B's labeling issue dates to its inception as an over-the-counter pill in 2006. When the drug company that owned Plan B at the time, Barr Pharmaceuticals, sought FDA permission to sell it over-the-counter, the effort faced opposition from anti-abortion forces, according to historical accounts, as well as interviews with people involved. Those forces included a member of the scientific advisory panel reviewing the application. Dr. Joseph Stanford, a Mormon physician who believed life begins at fertilization, argued that a remote possibility existed that Plan B could prevent implantation of a fertilized egg.

Despite having no scientific evidence to support that claim, the company agreed to list the post-fertilization mechanism on the packaging as a way of getting the application approved.

That seemingly innocuous capitulation has paid dividends for abortion opponents, codifying in official government documents a mechanism of action that would be used to blur the line between contraception and abortion, said Christopher ChoGlueck, an assistant professor of ethics at New Mexico Tech who has documented the history of emergency contraception.

Foundation Consumer Healthcare's investment in Plan B is difficult to assess: Private equity firms are required to disclose only limited information, obscuring their operations and holdings.

But drug industry analysts say the business is clearly profitable. Emergency contraception is relatively inexpensive to make, said Samantha Miller, co-CEO of Cadence Health, a biopharmaceutical company developing over-the-counter birth control pills. And the customers are largely young women who buy the pill over the counter even if they  or their parents  have health insurance.

Between 2013 and 2015, 22% of women ages 15 to 44 who had ever had sex reported having used emergency contraception pills at least once, an increase from 4% in 2002, according to a KFF analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey data.

Private equity firms typically raise funds from institutional investors, often with a focus on generating short-term revenue. When Kelso and Juggernaut Capital acquired Plan B in 2017, the campaign to end federal abortion rights, cresting after decades of legal challenges, would have made the purchase of the nation's most popular emergency contraception a tantalizing option. "Private equity senses a possibility wherever vulnerable people are involved," said Eileen Appelbaum, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Interestingly, one of the biggest investors in two Kelso funds invested in Foundation Consumer products is the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana, one of at least 13 states with trigger laws that would ban abortion if Roe falls.

Other investors from anti-abortion states include the University of Houston System endowment and the Houston Police Officers' Pension System.

"With customers buying up Plan B, this could be very good for their investors regardless of their level of comfort profiting off of Plan B," said Eileen O'Grady, of the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, who researches the tangled holdings of private equity firms.

Miller and other industry experts say Foundation can maintain its $45 average price tag for Plan B because of its market dominance. Lower-priced generic emergency contraception is available, largely online, said Dima Qato, associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of Southern California. But Plan B's distribution arrangements with national pharmacies, Walmart, and Target have largely locked out competitors.

"People don't use the generics, and not many places carry them," said Qato. "You want to make sure it's effective. There is a preference for the brand."

Still, if a Supreme Court decision permits states to criminalize abortion and certain contraceptives, Kelso and Juggernaut's investment would certainly be imperiled. States oversee pharmacy laws, leaving ample room for legislatures to allow pharmacies to refuse to dispense emergency contraception.

"Texas and other states will claim this is similar to an abortion pill," said Qato, "and they will say you can't sell it."
A recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server demonstrated various traits, including the entry pathways and sensitivity to vaccination-elicited antibody responses by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variants.

Study: Characterization of entry pathways, species-specific ACE2 residues determining entry, and antibody neutralization evasion of Omicron BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, and BA.3 variants. Image Credit: NIAID

Background

Several SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) with improved immune evasion characteristics, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding affinity, and transmissibility have emerged since the start of the CoV disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, such as the most recent Omicron VOCs. The Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 were discovered first in Botswana in late November 2021, and various Omicron lineages have since arisen, including BA.2, BA.1, BA.4, BA.3, and BA.5.

When Omicron BA.1 emerged, it quickly replaced the dominant SARS-CoV-2 Delta VOC. Furthermore, the Omicron BA.1 variant became globally prevalent because of its ability to escape antibody neutralization and enhanced transmissibility. Therefore, several scientific groups are working on elucidating the processes of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection and their sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies elicited by COVID-19 vaccination.

About the study

In the current work, the researchers using pseudoviruses assessed the transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) impact on SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1.1, BA.1, BA.3, and BA.2 variants' infection versus the SARS-CoV-2 ancestral D614G strain.

The team analyzed how sensitive Omicron variants were to suppression by the endosomal inhibitor chloroquine and soluble ACE2 (sACE2) relative to D614G. They tested the influence of temperature on the stability of spike (S) glycoprotein and hence infectivity on the 293T cell line by incubating Omicron and D614G variant pseudoviruses at 25C (room temperature/RT), 4C, 37C, 32C, 50C, and 42C for an hour or 50C for varying timeframes.

Omicron lineage substitutions in spike. Omicron substitutions are shown in a primary structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, with various domains and cleavage sites indicated. SP, signal peptide; NTD, N-terminal domain; RBD, receptor binding domain; RBM, receptor binding motif; C, C domain; D, domain D; S1/S2, furin cleavage junction of S1/S2 subunits; UH, upstream helix; FP, fusion peptide; HR1/2, heptad repeat 1/2; CH, central helix; BH, beta hairpin; CD, connector domain; SH, stem helix; TM, transmembrane domain. Substitutions common to Omicron (BA) VOCs are shown in black. Substitutions unique to BA.1 VOC are shown in red. R346K substitution additionally present in BA.1.1 is shown in light blue. Substitutions unique to BA.2 VOC are shown in green. Substitutions in BA.1 and BA.2 shared by BA.3 VOC are shown as residues marked with an asterisk.

The scientists examined how Omicron BA.2, BA.1, BA.1.1, and BA.3 variants used ACE2 orthologs from 10 different host species, including the Chinese rufous horseshoe bat, African green monkey, Chinese hamster, ferret, mouse, white-tailed deer, Syrian golden hamster, bovine, Malayan pangolin, and swine. 293T cells transiently transfected with each species' ACE2 receptors were infected using pseudoviruses expressing Omicron and D614G variants' S proteins.

Further, the authors evaluated the residues in Omicron and D614G Ss that block or allow infection of mouse and horseshoe bat ACE2-expressing cells. They assessed if the Q498R and Q493R substitutions in Omicron S's receptor-binding motif (RBM) help or prevent the entrance of pseudoviruses of Omicron to cells exhibiting mouse and horseshoe bat ACE2, respectively.

Furthermore, the team analyzed the serum neutralizing ability in vaccinated people who had received three doses of the COVID-19 Pfizer/BNT162b2 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine (two-dose primary vaccination series plus a third booster dose). They also evaluated recovered sera from five vaccinated people who had a breakthrough infection after the booster between December 2021 and January 2022, when BA.1.1 or BA.1 strains were the most common.

Results

The study results demonstrated that relative to the SARS-CoV-2 ancestral D614G strain, the infection by the Omicron BA.2, BA.1, BA.1.1, and BA.3 variants were less impacted by TMPRSS2, indicating that Omicron variants were more vulnerable to endosomal entrance inhibition. The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants had higher sensitivity to sACE2 and chloroquine relative to the ancestral D614G sequence.

The Omicron mutants also utilized ACE2 receptors more effectively in nine out of 10 animal species evaluated. Besides, due to the Q498R and Q493R S substitutions, Omicron employed mouse ACE2 for entrance contrast to the D614G form. Nevertheless, the Q493R substitution prohibits the Omicron mutants from using ACE2 of the Chinese rufous horseshoe bat.

Ultimately, sera from completely vaccinated persons (three doses of the SARS-CoV-2 Pfizer/BNT162b2 vaccine) and fully vaccinated participants with an Omicron breakthrough infection effectively neutralize pseudoviruses containing S proteins of Omicron and D614G variants. The three-dose vaccinated subjects had identical degrees of neutralization against the Omicron BA.2, BA.1, BA.1.1, and BA.3 sublineages. On the other hand, neutralization of the Omicron variants by antibodies generated by three BNT162b2 vaccine doses was seven to eight times less effective than the D614G, with the Omicron variants yet evading neutralization more effectively.

Omicron lineage pseudovirus entry into cells expressing ACE2 from different species. Infectivity of D614G (A), BA.1 (B) BA.2 (C) BA.3 (D) BA.1.1 (E), Q493R (F), Q498R (G), S373P (H), and Y453F (I) pseudoviruses on 293T cells transiently transfected with ACE2 orthologs of indicated species. The ACE2 of African green monkey is denoted as AGM. 293T cells expressing ACE2 of indicated species, as well as control 293T.ACE2 cells stably expressing human ACE2, were simultaneously infected with 106 RLU/ml of indicated pseudoviruses. Luciferase activities were determined 48 hours post infection. Note: ns denotes not significant. Significant differences in infectivity between each species ACE2 compared to pcDNA3.1 control for pseudoviruses are denoted by asterisks, *: p  0.05; **:p  0.01; ***:p  0.0005; ****:p  0.0001. Dotted line indicates background level infection. Results shown are representative of three independent experiments with eight intraassay replicates. The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron RBD-ACE2 interface (PDB: 7WBP) is shown with contacting residues as sticks at the RBD-ACE2 interface (J-M). The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron RBD and ACE2 are colored in grey and cyan respectively. Positions in RBD (blue) that contact ACE2 (red) residues are highlighted. Residue positions are indicated by arrows. The SARS-CoV-2 RBD/ACE2 interactions between 493R/E35 (J), R493/K35 (K), Q493/K35 (L), and R498/D38-H353 (M) are shown.

Conclusions

The study findings were consistent with the prior reports stating higher utilization of the endosomal entry route by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants in cells harboring only ACE2. However, the team discovered that the coexpression of TMPRSS2 augmented infection. The authors reported that the Omicron BA.2, BA.1, and BA.1.1 variants were more and similarly sensitive to inhibition by the sACE2 monomer (three-fold versus D614G), while D614G and BA.3 were relatively less sensitive.

The present findings also reveal that Omicron lineage S proteins use ACE2 receptors from numerous animal species more effectively for entrance. The S alterations in the Omicron BA.2, BA.1, BA.1.1, and BA.3 mutants allow for robust usage of a variety of ACE2 orthologues for entrance, potentially increasing the chance of the Omicron variants infecting animal species and spreading back to humans.

The findings from the assessment of three-dose vaccinees were compatible with numerous recent studies underlining that three-dose mRNA vaccine-triggered antibody responses against Omicron VOCs were more potent and broad. According to the current findings and data from others, breakthrough infections increased preexisting immunity established by three COVID-19 Pfizer/BNT162b2 vaccine doses, evoking antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2 ancestral strains, Omicron, Beta, Delta, and Alpha variants.

*Important notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
As we approach Juneteenth, a day marked each year to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, new research in the INFORMS journal Management Science finds that racially-charged events and protests over the past decade have a direct and positive effect on what children are learning in U.S. public school classrooms.

The researchers looked at the timing of high-profile police brutality and other racially-charged events to identify their effect on antiracism resources in the classroom.

We find a significant increase in antiracism requests following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. We also find an increase in requests for books featuring Latinx, Asian, Muslim and Jewish cultures, suggesting that a focus on equality for one group can spill over and yield culturally aware dialogues for other groups as well." Saharsh Agarwal, Carnegie Mellon University

The study, "Antiracist Curriculum and Digital Platforms: Evidence from Black Lives Matter," was conducted by Agarwal alongside Ananya Sen, also of Carnegie Mellon University.

The study focused on the digital platform DonorsChoose, the largest crowdfunding platform for public school teachers.

"In the four months following George Floyd's death, more than 91% of antiracism projects posted in response to his death were successfully funded, enabling teachers to acquire books worth $3.4 million, reaching more than half a million students," continued Agarwal of the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at CMU.

Further analysis suggests that these books are now regularly used in the classroom to stimulate conversations related to racial equality and empathy.

"The results were driven primarily by teachers whose students are younger than 10 years old and in schools at the lower end of the income spectrum," says Agarwal. "The results also show the same significant effects in Republican areas, although they are lower than in Democratic areas. This suggests that DonorsChoose allows teachers to overcome geographical frictions and not be limited by local opinions on what is important to teach in the classroom."
Older women with early-stage breast cancer may not need radiotherapy after undergoing surgery, McMaster University researcher Timothy Whelan and his team has found.

Whelan said that women 55 or older with stage one breast cancer displaying a specific biomarker pattern identifying the luminal A subtype can be effectively treated with just surgery and endocrine therapy. He presented research at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago on June 7.

His research team, working with the Ontario Clinical Oncology Group at the Hamilton Health Sciences, tracked 501 patients with luminal A breast cancer for five years post-surgery and found the recurrence of cancer in the breast was just 2.3 per cent without radiotherapy. This was roughly comparable with a 1.9 per cent risk this patient sample had of developing a new breast cancer in their other untreated breast.

Whelan said at this time patients with early-stage breast cancer typically undergo radiotherapy courses of three to five weeks to reduce the risk of their cancer recurring.

These findings are exciting because we have identified a certain group of patients who can avoid radiotherapy and its associated side effects and potentially change for the better medical practice around the treatment of breast cancer." Timothy Whelan, Professor in the Department of Oncology at McMaster, a Canada Research Chair in Breast Cancer Research and radiation oncologist for Hamilton Health Sciences

"Radiotherapy has significant early side effects, including fatigue and skin irritation that can last for several weeks after the course is completed, and late side effects such as breast shrinkage and distortion that can affect quality of life and very rarely more serious complications such as heart disease and second cancers," he said.

"If we can avoid radiotherapy, so much the better. Not all cancers require the same level of often-invasive treatment. There is a very low-risk group of breast cancers displaying the luminal A biomarker and they are not particularly aggressive."

He said the overall risk of cancer recurrence following breast-conserving surgery has decreased in recent years thanks to regular mammogram screening, improved surgical techniques and better systemic treatments.

Whelan said his research is now tracking patients with the luminal A variant of breast cancer for 10 years to learn more about treatment efficacy without the use of radiotherapy.
In a recent research paper posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, scientists from Yale School of Public Health analyzed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-linked deaths in the United States (US).

Study: One Million and Counting: Estimates of Deaths in the United States from Ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and Variants. Image Credit: Gargantiopa / Shutterstock

Background

Novel SARS-CoV-2 variants with higher virulence, transmissibility, and immune evasion have emerged due to sustained worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission since its emergence in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019. In the US, over one million SARS-CoV-2-related deaths have been reported so far. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 mutants identified worldwide have shifted the course of the COVID-19 epidemic in the US several times.

As of 12 May 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) has described five SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), first found in four distinct continents. All five VOCs were more contagious than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and spread to the US. COVID-19 vaccines produced based on the non-variant SARS-CoV-2 (i.e., non-VOC SARS-CoV-2) are weakly efficacious against Omicron and Delta VOCs infections yet extremely effective against severe illness. Notably, over the length of the US SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, the particular burden of death from each viral variant remains unknown.

About the study

The goal of the present study was to calculate the number of deaths caused by each SARS-CoV-2 mutant in the US. The scientists built an epidemiologic model to determine the number of documented COVID-19 deaths in the US attributed to each SARS-CoV-2 mutant. They used information obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about SARS-CoV-2-linked mortalities by jurisdiction and circulating viral variant percentages. Further, to address parameter uncertainty, the team performed a sensitivity evaluation.

The current analysis was based on the tentative numbers of SARS-CoV-2 mortality from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of CDC. This data was accessed up to 12 May 2022.

To obtain the number of documented COVID-19 deaths caused by each SARS-CoV-2 variant, the team back-distributed mortalities to determine the proportion of eventually fatal COVID-19 cases testing positive every day in each jurisdiction and then contrasted these statistics to percentages of variants between sequenced cases in the exact location and timepoint, controlling for variances in disease severity among variants.

Given the interval between the onset of symptoms, testing, and mortality, the team used lags to estimate the timing of sample procurement for new fatalities. They anticipated that sampling for testing occurred zero, one, two, or three days following the beginning of symptoms, with a correlated probability of 25% for all of these four possible lag times for the primary assessment. The researchers also hypothesized a lag between the start of symptoms and death.

Findings

The authors illustrated that 46% (460,124) of the 1,003,419 SARS-CoV-2 mortalities documented as of 12 May 2022 were attributable to WHO-designated SARS-CoV-2 variants in the US at the national level. On the other hand, 54% of all COVID-19 mortalities were attributed to non-variant SARS-CoV-2.

The researchers demonstrated the influence of the SARS-CoV-2 variants throughout the US. The variants caused a significant number of deaths in all regions. The South had the highest variant deaths per capita, with a median estimate of 158 per 100,000, while the Northeast had the fewest, with a median estimate of 111 per 100,000, by US census region. Some areas were disproportionately affected, owing to disparities in vaccination coverage, demographics, preexisting immunity, societal vulnerability, and non-pharmaceutical intervention use.

SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, with a median estimate of 39,548 deaths, Omicron (117,560), and Delta (273,801) were projected to be responsible for almost 40% of national COVID-19 deaths. Indeed, 3,628 of the COVID-19 deaths documented by NCHS could not be assigned to a SARS-CoV-2 variant since the week of mortality was not specified at the state level in the data.

Conclusions

Study findings show that SARS-CoV-2 mutants that have been discovered across the world have claimed a considerable amount of lives in the US. SARS-CoV-2 variants initially found outside the US were responsible for over 40% of COVID-19 deaths in the nation.

The current study backs up the claim that "no one is safe until everyone is safe" by demonstrating the notable effect of SARS-CoV-2 mutants on US mortality, which has emerged in the vicinity of uncontrolled circulation both locally and globally. This analysis implies that fast implementation of methods to mitigate the impact of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants following the commencement of a viral epidemic could be beneficial. The authors noted that more efforts were needed to reduce the likelihood of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants arising, including worldwide COVID-19 vaccination, therapy, and outbreak management, apart from national public health policies.

To summarize, the present work emphasizes the risk that novel SARS-CoV-2 variants pose to Americans, a hazard exacerbated by poor global COVID-19 vaccination rates and a scarcity of therapeutics, diagnostics, and prophylactic approaches for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Tina Passione needed health insurance in a hurry in December. The newly retired 63-year-old was relocating to suburban Atlanta with her husband to be closer to grandchildren. Their house in Pittsburgh flew off the market, and they had six weeks to move out 40 years of memories.

Passione said she went online to search for the federal health insurance marketplace, clicked on a link, and entered her information. She promptly got multiple calls from insurance brokers and bought a plan for $384 a month. Later, though, when she went to a pharmacy and doctor offices in Georgia, she was told she did not have insurance.

In fact, it said it right on her card: "THIS IS NOT INSURANCE."

Passione is one of 10 consumers who told KHN that they thought they were buying insurance but learned later that they had been sold a membership to a Houston-based health care sharing ministry called Jericho Share. The ministry formed in 2021 when House of Prayer and Life Inc., a half-century-old Christian congregation, assumed the name Jericho Share, according to Texas business filings.

Health care sharing ministries are faith-based organizations whose members agree to share medical expenses. The ministries grew in popularity before the Affordable Care Act's mandate for having insurance coverage was repealed because they offered a cheaper alternative to insurance. But they are not insurance, largely not regulated as such, and don't necessarily cover members' medical bills. Massachusetts is the lone state that requires ministries to regularly report data, and only about half of claims submitted to ministries there were deemed eligible for payment. This spring, the Colorado legislature passed similar requirements that await the governor's signature.

The Better Business Bureau gives Jericho Share an F rating, its lowest, and its website shows more than 100 complaints filed in less than a year. Texas Department of Insurance documents show two complaints, from February and March, about Jericho Share. The department responded to both by saying it regulates insurance, which ministries are not, and forwarding them to the state attorney general's office. The attorney general's office did not respond to KHN questions about the status of the complaints.

John Oxendine, a lawyer who was elected four times as Georgia insurance commissioner and ran for governor as a Republican in 2010, responded to KHN inquiries made to Jericho Share. If memberships are being sold to consumers in misleading ways, "that's a good way for a broker to get fired," he said.

"Jericho Share does not tolerate any type of misrepresentation or unethical conduct on the part of its programs," according to a statement sent through Oxendine. "Whenever we become aware of inappropriate conduct, we take appropriate action to remedy the situation."

Consumers can always cancel their Jericho Share plans, Oxendine said. Many consumers who spoke to KHN did cancel their plans and receive refunds, but several said the process to do so was frustrating. Some were left to sort out payment for bills they incurred while they thought they were insured. At least seven of the people KHN spoke with said they ended up with Jericho Share after beginning their health insurance searches on Google.

Encountering such issues while shopping for health insurance is not uncommon, said JoAnn Volk, co-director of Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms. She co-authored a 2021 report that found "misleading marketing practices" were directing consumers to alternative health plans, like ministries, that can cost more than marketplace plans and offer fewer protections.

"It's especially unfortunate because people have set out to buy comprehensive coverage," Volk said.

Susan Fauman, 47, a metalsmith from Germantown, New York, relied on her spouse's insurance coverage but wanted her own insurance policy before submitting her divorce paperwork last fall. Fauman said her Google search landed her on a series of what the advertising industry calls "lead-generating" websites: nongovernmental webpages that connect insurance brokers to consumers.

None of the consumers KHN spoke with could say with certainty which site ultimately connected them to the brokers who sold them Jericho Share memberships. ObamacarePlans.com and AffordableHealthPlans.org are among the lead-generating websites that show up on Google when someone searches with terms such as "Obamacare insurance" or "healthcare marketplace." Those site listings are actually advertisements that resemble ordinary Google search results but are labeled with the word "Ad" and are placed above the most relevant search result: the federal government's official health insurance marketplace, healthcare.gov.

Google spokesperson Christa Muldoon said companies that advertise on searches related to the Affordable Care Act must prove they are licensed to sell insurance via the federal or state marketplaces.

Those marketplaces let consumers shop for comprehensive health insurance, tell them whether they qualify for financial assistance, and connect consumers with enrollment assistance, if needed. By contrast, lead-generating websites typically just sell the personal information provided by consumers to insurance brokers and agents who can sell other types of plans.

Fauman said she unwittingly put her information into what turned out to be several lead-generating websites. She was soon inundated with phone calls from insurance brokers, she recalled.

Eager to get insurance, Fauman said, she bought a plan for about $330 a month, plus a $99 sign-up fee. She said the broker  who, she later realized, never named the plan  said she'd have basically no copays and no restrictions on where to get care. But he did not tell her it was a health care sharing ministry, she said, or that it wasn't insurance  something she didn't know to ask about. When she received her Jericho Share card with its disclaimer, she thought, "What the hell did I sign up for?"

Ministries and aggressive insurance marketing practices have raised eyebrows before, and the Washington state attorney general issued a consumer alert last year about "ads and websites posing as the official health insurance marketplace." But Georgetown Universitys Volk said large-scale crackdowns would likely require cooperation by multiple state regulators because states are the default enforcers of insurance rules. The Federal Trade Commission did bring a case against a Florida-based operation in 2018, alleging it collected over $195 million by enrolling consumers in "worthless plans." The case is ongoing.

And it's not always clear who can and should be protecting consumers in this complicated space that covers public and private insurance, interstate commerce, websites, and health care sharing ministries.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services manages the healthcare.gov website. "When CMS sees an ad we think is misrepresenting HealthCare.gov, we share it immediately with the search engines," deputy administrator Ellen Montz said in a statement.

Louise Rasho, a spokesperson for MediaAlpha, which operates ObamacarePlans.com, said in an email that the company's code of conduct does not allow brokers who buy customer leads to mislead consumers. It periodically monitors calls to ensure compliance. She also noted the site has disclaimers saying that it is not a government website.

Craig Sturgill of Excel Impact LLC, which owns AffordableHealthPlans.org, said that if the company learns a broker has broken the law or used questionable tactics, it terminates contracts and takes "further action" as necessary. "As a digital marketing company, we arent necessarily in the business of deeply educating consumers from beginning-to-end about all of their available options," Sturgill said in an email. "Our role is to connect consumers to advisors who can and should effectively educate consumers."

The broker callback number that consumer Hemani Hughes said she used to correct the spelling of her name on her Jericho Share plan  before she realized it was a ministry  is listed on the websites of the Better Business Bureau and the Utah Insurance Department as belonging to Florida-based Prosperity Health LLC. In an email, Prosperity Health's registered business agent, Ahmed Shokry, said it had "never sold Health Shares."

Hughes, a 49-year-old communications strategist in Kansas, said she was sold a Jericho Share plan in February after specifically telling a broker she did not want a health care sharing ministry plan. Hughes said she realized after her call that the broker never mentioned the plan by name, saying only that she was signing up for a "national PPO" and walking her through the copays.

When Hughes realized it was a health care sharing ministry, she said, she called to cancel her plan. She was met with what she described as "a pretty manipulating and very belligerent gantlet of customer service reps and hold times" over multiple calls.

At one point, Hughes said, the people she was speaking with told her it was irresponsible to go without insurance  even though Jericho Share itself is not insurance.

Hughes outlined her story in a complaint she filed with the Better Business Bureau. Jericho Share responded to the consumer watchdog that it was contacting Hughes directly to protect her private health information and said, "We are working very diligently to investigate this complaint thoroughly." Hughes ultimately received a refund.

Passione said she filed her complaint with the Better Business Bureau after she couldn't get a straight answer about payment for her doctor appointments and prescriptions. In March, Passione canceled her Jericho Share plan and signed up for COBRA coverage through her former employer for $782 a month.

"A bit expensive, but at least I know what I am getting," Passione said.

She said she was reimbursed by Jericho Share for one month's payment and is waiting to hear whether her credit card company can recoup payments she made in January and February.

Fauman, who also filed a complaint, received a refund, too, but spent two months uninsured and avoided calling her doctor while she sorted out the situation.

"I was afraid of what it was going to cost me," Fauman said.

She eventually got marketplace insurance with the help of a navigator, someone trained to help consumers enroll in coverage without earning a commission. After subsidies, Fauman's premium is around $95 a month, costing her about $2,800 less a year than what she said her Jericho Share plan would have  and her new plan is actually insurance.

Where to Buy Marketplace Insurance

To find a health insurance plan, visit the federal marketplace, healthcare.gov, or call 800-318-2596.
The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 489 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 53 are imported while the rest are locally infected.

It also noted that from today, for cases reported via the declaration system for individuals tested positive for COVID-19 using rapid antigen test (RAT), only those which have been verified with positive nucleic acid test results will be announced as positive COVID-19 cases.

This decision was made in view of subsequent negative nucleic acid test results obtained from some positive RAT cases on the declaration system, the centre explained.

Among the 489 new cases, 231 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests while 258 RATs were verified.

A total of 1,203,303 people have contracted the virus since the onset of the fifth wave of the epidemic, involving 9,176 deaths.

This afternoon, the Government made a restriction-testing declaration to cover Sik Man House of Ho Man Tin Estate in Kowloon City. People in the restricted area are required to undergo compulsory testing before the specified deadline.

Due to a number of positive cases, 49 specified places are included in a compulsory testing notice.

Mobile specimen collection stations at Bellagio in Sham Tseng and Hung Fuk Estate in Hung Shui Kiu will be reopened tomorrow, while the mobile station at the open area next to Discovery Bay Fire Station will extend service to June 9.

As there were positive sewage test results with relatively high viral loads in several areas of Yuen Long, Sai Kung and Sha Tin districts, the Housing Department and respective district offices will distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to relevant residents as well as cleaning workers and property management staff working there.

Separately, Qatar Airways flight QR818 from Doha, Qatar on June 4 had one passenger on board who failed to comply with the requirements under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances & Travellers) Regulation, and three passengers who tested positive upon arrival. As the flight triggered the relevant criterion again within 10 days, the Department of Health has prohibited the landing of the airline's passenger flights in Hong Kong from Doha from June 7 to 11.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Governments dedicated webpage.
Kiri Hannifin has been appointed to the newly created role of Chief Sustainability Officer, an executive position recognising the importance of sustainability across all aspects of the companys operation and increased focus the airline is placing on addressing its environmental impact.

Ms Hannifin is the Director of Corporate Affairs, Quality, Health & Safety and Sustainability at Countdown. Since 2017 she has spearheaded the companys programme to reduce emissions, managed the health, safety and wellbeing of the companys 21,000 staff and led its internal and external stakeholder management activity.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says sustainability is the biggest issue facing the airlines future and requires increased focus from a leader who will be a passionate public advocate for the changes all stakeholders need to make to deliver real change. As we rebuild Air New Zealand, we need to advance the extensive work already undertaken to become a truly sustainable airline. Kiris experience in driving change across the supply chain, engaging customers via tangible measures such as removing plastic bags from stores and diverting food waste from landfill will help our efforts move to a new level, says Mr Foran.

Kiri Hannifin will join Air New Zealand on 5 December 2022. She holds an LLB and BA in Political Science from Canterbury University.

This announcement is made pursuant to Listing rule 3.20.1

Ends.

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(Newser)  Update: A Florida man has been found guilty of multiple charges in the severe abuse of an 11-year-old boy who was rescued by a quick-thinking restaurant server last year. A jury found 36-year-old Timothy Lee Wilson, the boy's stepfather, guilty on charges including false imprisonment of a child under 13, aggravated child abuse with a weapon, and child neglect, NBC reports. He will be sentenced in August. Prosecutors said the boy was "tortured, maliciously punished, and deprived of food and water for days at a time." He was rescued after the server, who noticed that he was bruised and wasn't being allowed to eat, surreptitiously held up a sign saying "Do you need help?" When he nodded, she called police. Our original story from Jan. 14, 2021 follows:

A waitress in Florida says it raised a red flag for her when she noticed that an 11-year-old boy wasn't being allowed to order food. When she saw bruises on his face between his mask and his hoodie, she decided to do something. Police say the quick thinking of the waitress, Flavaine Carvalho, helped rescue the boy from abuse so severe it would have likely ended in murder, WFTV reports. Carvalho, who works at the Mrs. Potato restaurant in Orlando, wrote "Do you need help?" on a piece of paper and held it up where the boybut not his parentscould see it. When he nodded, she called 911.

"I'm super concerned and I don't know what to do, can you give me some advice? What I can do?" Carvalho told dispatchers, per Fox 35. "The boy is with bruises and he's not eating," she said, "The others are eating." Police discovered that the boy's body was almost entirely covered in bruises. He told investigators that stepfather Timothy Wilson had beaten him with fists and a broom, hung him upside down from a door, and handcuffed him to furniture. The boy, who was around 20 pounds underweight, said food was regularly withheld as punishment. "What this child had gone through was torture," Detective Erin Lawler said. "There was no justification for it in any realm of the world."

Wilson was arrested for child abuse and Kristen Swann, the boy's mother, was charged with child neglect. The boy and his 4-year-old sister were removed from the couple's custody. Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon praised Carvalho for intervening. "The lesson here for all of us is to recognize when we see something that isnt right to act on it," he said. "This saved the life of a child." (In Kentucky, a pizza delivery driver helped rescue two abused girls.)
(Newser)  Mass shootings, a pandemic, sky-high prices at the gas pump, toxic political and cultural debates. Americans are processing all of the above. And now this: Beginning in prime time on Thursday, the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol is setting out to establish the historical record of that day. After more than 100 subpoenas, 1,000 interviews, and 100,000 documents, the committee has a story to tell in hearings that open this week. A story for the ages, it's been said. The open question, per the AP: How much will the country care?

The committee's examination of the actions of then-President Donald Trump and all the president's men and women, more aggressive than any inquiry before it, has produced a multitude of plotlines that together will tell the tale of a violent uprising. Dozens of the insurrectionists have been brought to justice, many of them being convicted or pleading guilty to serious crimes. But the committee's goal is larger: Who in a position of power should also be held to account? In regard to Trump himself, the key questions are: What did the president do, and when did he do it?

One aim is to establish whether Trump's acts are criminal, as one judge has mused they may be, and whether that would prompt a politically fraught Justice Department prosecution of an ex-president. Multiple hearings will be conducted throughout the month, and the first begins at 8pm Eastern on Thursday, per the Washington Post. The hearings are expected to be livestreamed and should be easy to find at C-SPAN and elsewhere. Major networks plan to air at least part of Thursday's hearing as well.

(Read more Capitol riot stories.)
(Newser)  As in previous years, China fought hard this year to suppress any mention of the deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989and one of the country's most prominent e-commerce influencers may have accidentally fallen on the wrong side of censors. On the eve of the anniversary, a live show presented by Li Qiagi abruptly went offline just minutes after he displayed the ice cream he was promoting in a shape that resembled a tank, with cookies and a chocolate stick as decorations, Fortune reports.

In a message online, Li, also known as Austin Li, blamed a technical glitchbut he failed to reappear for another livestream Sunday. The sudden halt to the Friday feed from Taobao Marketplace left "millions of fans watching online clueless about what happened," reports the South China Morning Post. Most of Li's 170 million followers on the Weibo platform were born after the 1989 massacre and apparently didn't immediately connect the mystery disappearance to the tank-shaped snack, the Wall Street Journal reports. Military tanks were used against civilian protesters in 1989, and Chinese censors routinely remove images of tanks posted online in the days surrounding the anniversary every year.

Li himself was born in 1992, and it's not clear whether he would have realized that an ice cream design resembling a tank was problematic. CNN notes that in discussions on Weibo that were quickly removed by censors, viewers said they had found out more about the events of 1989 when they evaded the "Great Firewall" to try to learn more about why Li had gone offline. "This is the Streisand effect," says US-based analyst Eric Liu. "Censorship is all about keeping the truth from the public. But if people don't know about it, they are bound to keep making 'mistakes' like this." For now, Li's name can no longer be found in search results on the Taobao site. (In Hong Kong, where the annual vigil is now banned, students found a stealthy way to commemorate the anniversary.)
(Newser)  Ryanair's "simple questionnaire" designed to cut down on passport fraud immediately caused the budget airline complications. "Bigoted rubbish," one person posted online. "Pretty racist," said another. When the South African government expressed concern about an increase in the use of fake passports, Ryanair's response was to devise a general knowledge testwhich is not required by UK or Irish border agenciesto give passengers to root out imposters, the BBC reports. "If they are unable to complete this questionnaire, they will be refused travel and issued with a full refund," the Irish airline announced.

The test was written in Afrikaans, the third-most used language in South Africa, behind Zulu and Xhosa. Black South Africans were forced to use Afrikaans during the apartheid era, per the Guardian. A South African passenger going to London described his passport and boarding pass being taken from him, replaced by the test. When he objected, Dinesh Joseph said he was told, "This is your language." Joseph said being able to speak Afrikaans does not make someone more South African than anyone else, and added that he was seething. "It's callous and insensitive to force people to write a test which would evoke so much emotion around itthe language of apartheid was Afrikaans," he said.

The content of the test drew objections, as well, with some saying that knowing which side of the road South Africans drive on or the country's international dialing code does not prove a passenger is rightfully holding a passport. The company did not say why it chose Afrikaans. The head of the Afrikaans Language Board in South Africa also was displeased, saying the "absurd" test had hurt progress in improving the image of the language. (Read more Ryanair stories.)
(Newser)  A judge declared a second mistrial Monday for a man charged in an Indianapolis woman's 2015 killing, after jurors learned details about the case's long history in the court system. Larry Jo Taylor Jr.'s trial was scheduled to begin Monday, but Marion Superior Court Judge Grant Hawkins declared a mistrial after a juror told other jurors about the case's background, including that a mistrial had been declared during Taylors first trial in December, the Indianapolis Star reported. Taylor's trial has now been rescheduled to August.

Taylor is one of three men police say were involved in a string of November 2015 home invasions on Indianapolis' north side that ended when Amanda Blackburn, 28, was fatally shot in her home while 12 weeks pregnant with her second child. She was slain two years after she and her husband, pastor Davey Blackburn, moved to Indianapolis from South Carolina to found Resonate Church, which was shuttered in 2019. Per WTHR, the attack occurred while her husband was at the gym; their toddler daughter was home but was not injured.

Hawkins had declared a mistrial in Taylor's first trial after learning some jurors knew Blackburn had been pregnanta fact defense attorneys successfully moved to keep from the jury. Taylor, 25, faces 13 charges, including murder, burglary, and criminal confinement while armed with a deadly weapon. His two co-defendants accepted plea deals on the condition they would cooperate in his prosecution. Jalen E. Watson pleaded guilty in 2017 to robbery and burglary charges and was sentenced to 29 years for robbery plus 20 for combined burglary charges, with sentences to be served concurrently. Diano Cortez Gordon pleaded guilty in 2018 to robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and burglary charges but has not yet been sentenced. (Read more mistrial stories.)
(Newser)  The UN Security Council heard Monday of the increased danger of sexual violence women in Ukraine are facing during the war. "Russia is using sexual violence and rape as terror to control civilians in temporarily occupied territories," said Natalia Karbowska of the Ukrainian Womens Fund. The UN has had 124 cases of sexually based violence reported to it, but an official said the problem is consistently underreported, the Washington Post reports. "More and more allegations show Russia's soldiers sexually assaulting women and girls, as well as men and boys," said US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

The ambassador said the UN has multiple reports "of Russia's soldiers breaking down doors to basements where women were sheltering and raping them  done in front of their children." The attacks have been filmed by Russian soldiers, Thomas-Greenfield said. Human trafficking has become a threat for women fleeing Ukraine, experts said, per the Post. People posing as volunteers at reception points once the women arrive in other countries are preying on them, often offering rides to the most vulnerable, including those without money, carrying just a suitcase and their children while facing language barriers.

Domestic violence already was a major problem in Ukraine, officials said, and it's worsened since the fighting began. In May, advocacy groups issued a report saying, "The obligation of Ukrainian men to fight, and the easy access to weapons have increased stressors and tension in households, increasing the risk of intimate partner violence." Analysts say the increase in domestic violence could linger after the war. As early as April, the UN called for the allegations of sexual violence against women and children in Ukraine to be investigated, per CNN. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  A retired British geologist was part of a tour group visiting Iraq in March when he picked up some shards of pottery and stones on the ground at the Sumerian archaeological site of Eridu. The 66-year-old was on Monday sentenced to 15 years behind bars for doing so, the New York Times reports. James Fitton was convicted of stealing artifacts and trying to smuggle them out of Iraq, but he says he had no idea it was illegal to take the rocks and pottery pieces. The BBC earlier reported that there were no signs in the area saying so, or guards preventing him from picking anything up. He made no attempt to hide the pieces, and airport security found them in his luggage as the group prepared to travel home. He was arrested, Reuters reports.

Also detained was another tourist from the group, who said the artifacts found in his luggage had been given to him by Fitton to carry. The court acquitted him. The 85-year-old tour director, Goeff Hann, was also held for questioning; he was in poor health but was not allowed to be medically evacuated from the country even after suffering a stroke. The tour company says he died in a Baghdad hospital in April. The Times says the "harshness" of Fitton's sentence was surprising, but Iraq's culture minister says looting of archaeological sites in the country is a big problem, especially because most of them have not been excavated by archaeologists. Fitton's lawyer, who the AP says was "visibly shocked" at the sentence, says the items had no commercial value, and he will appeal. (Read more Iraq stories.)
(Newser)  Kim Phuc Phan Thi grew up hating the June 8, 1972 photograph by Nick Ut that cemented her as "Napalm Girl." "I thought to myself, 'I am a little girl. I am naked. Why did he take that picture? Why didnt my parents protect me?'" she writes in an op-ed at the New York Times ahead of the 50th anniversary of the accidental napalm attack on the South Vietnam village of Trang Bang by its own military. All these decades later, her mind has been changed. Indeed, she argues there is something to be gained from horrific images of war and even of school shootings, which are "the domestic equivalent of war."

It wasn't easy coming to that conclusion. While it was Ut who saved her life, whisking her away for medical treatment, Kim Phuc hated him for a time, too. His Pulitzer Prize-winning photo "became one of the most famous images from the Vietnam War" and "a symbol of the horrors of war." Yet its subjects "are not symbols. We are human." And we "must somehow go on." For Kim Phuc, that was agonizing. "I sometimes wished to disappear." In addition to suffering burns to a third of her body, she battled "intense, chronic pain," "horrific anxiety and depression," and "the shame and embarrassment of my disfigurement," she writes. "It was only in adulthood, after defecting to Canada, that I began to find peace and realize my mission in life."

Now, she travels to war-torn countries "to provide medical and psychological assistance to children victimized by war" and "I hope, a sense of possibilities." "You don't grow out of the scars, physically or mentally," she adds. But "I can say, 50 years later, that I'm glad Nick captured that moment  Im proud that, in time, I have become a symbol of peace." As for school shootings, "the thought of sharing the images of the carnage, especially of children, may seem unbearablebut we should confront them," she writes, for "it is easier to hide from the realities of war if we don't see the consequences." "Showing the world what the aftermath of a gun rampage truly looks like can deliver the awful reality." Read her piece in full. (Read more school shootings stories.)
(Newser)  A Florida woman is facing a manslaughter charge after her 2-year-old son fatally shot his father in the back. Marie Ayala, 28, of Orlando said she heard a "loud pop" on May 26 before finding 26-year-old father of three Reggie Mabry bleeding on the floor of their home, per the New York Times. He'd been playing video games when his 2-year-old son apparently found an unsecured Glock 19 and fired, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Both parents were barred from owning firearms as convicted felons on probation for child neglect and drug charges, Sheriff John Mina said Monday.

Mina said the weapon was "easily accessible, even to a 2-year-old." At various times, Ayala told authorities that the couple kept their gun in a bag on the floor, in a compartment, in a box in a closet, and in a broken safe, according to an arrest report. "She could not explain how the gun fell out of the bag, with a high capacity magazine inserted in it, all while being clipped and zipped," the report reads, per the Times. It adds Ayala admitted that "any child in the room could have figured out how to get the gun out of the bag." The couple's 5-year-old son and 5-month-old daughter were also present, per WION.

So far this year, 46 people in the US have been unintentionally shot and killed by children, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, which estimates 4.6 million children live in a home with an unsecured gun. "This is a uniquely American crisis where children are able to easily access unsecured loaded firearms and hurt themselves or others," Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts tells the Times, adding such shootings are rooted in "negligence by gun owners." Ayala could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of manslaughter by culpable negligence. Held on no bond, she is also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and violation of probation, per the AP. (Read more shooting death stories.)
Ryman Healthcares new regional leadership structure is complete with the appointment of Cheyne Chalmers to head up the New Zealand arm of the Australasian retirement village operator.

Ryman Healthcare Group CEO Richard Umbers said he was delighted to announce that Cheyne would be stepping into the previously announced role of CEO  New Zealand, starting on 13th June 2022.

Cheyne has been Rymans Chief Operations Officer since January 2020. She has been selected for the new role following an international search.

Im delighted that Cheyne has accepted the role, and her appointment is testament to the depth of leadership talent we have within the Ryman team, Richard Umbers said.

She knows Ryman well. She arrived just as the COVID-19 pandemic began, and her leadership throughout the crisis has been exceptional.

Prior to joining Ryman, Cheyne built a strong track record in executive management in large healthcare organisations in Australia and New Zealand, and she understands our business and the industry landscape well.

As CEO  New Zealand, Cheyne will lead the NZ leadership team in a structure that mirrors the already established structure in Australia under the leadership of Cameron Holland; CEO  Australia. Both roles report to the Group CEO Richard Umbers.

The New Zealand business includes 38 retirement villages which are home to 12,000 residents. Ryman has nine villages under construction and another seven in the development pipeline in New Zealand, and a team of 5,800.

Cheyne said she was thrilled to have been appointed to the position, and was looking forward to leading the team, and embarking on the next phase of growth.

On an excitement scale of one to 10 Im at about 11. Ive loved Ryman since I joined, because of the difference we make to the lives of our residents and their families. I enjoy being in a company with a strong culture and purpose.

Im looking forward to building new village communities in New Zealand and weve got an exciting strategy to roll out, I am thrilled about shaping our future.

About Cheyne Chalmers: Cheyne is from Hamilton and began her healthcare career as a registered nurse before moving into management roles. She was nurse leader at Green Lane Hospital and was a senior leader at the Capital and Coast District Health Board. She moved to Melbourne in 2009, where she was Executive Director of Residential and Support Services, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer at Monash Health, during this time she led a number of key business improvement initiatives. She moved back to New Zealand to join Ryman Healthcare as Chief Operations Officer in January 2020.

Cheyne has also held a number of senior leadership roles in healthcare industry bodies in New Zealand and Victoria and has a deep knowledge and operational experience in the healthcare sector.

About Ryman: Ryman Healthcare was founded in Christchurch in 1984 and owns and operates 45 retirement villages in New Zealand and Australia. Ryman villages are home to 13,200 residents, and the company employs 6,700 staff.

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(Newser)  A former president and prime minister of Russia who was once thought by some to be "a hope of Russian liberals and the West" isn't flying under that descriptor anymore after recent harsh statements against Ukrainians amid the Russian invasion. The Daily Beast reports that Dmitry Medvedevwho served as president during Vladimir Putin's hiatus from 2008 to 2012, then as PM from 2012 to 2020"routinely calls for the extinction of Ukraine as a nation" on social media, and a recent post on the Telegram app is sticking to that messaging. "People often ask me why my Telegram posts are so harsh," Medvedev wrote, in Russian, per a post shared by Bulgarian journalist Christo Grozev. "The answer is I hate them. They are bastards and scum. They want death for us, for Russia."

Medvedev then added: "And as long as I'm alive, I'll do anything to make them disappear." The Jerusalem Post reports that the 56-year-old former attorney, who's currently serving as deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, also recently doubled down on his country's claims that the Russian invasion isn't a "war," but a "special military operation," telling Al Jazeera via Tass that Russia's goals in Ukraine are "limited" and that it's trying to keep any damage to civilian infrastructure to a minimum, which has been shown to not be true.

An April article in Radio Free Europe delves more into Medvedev's shift from a "mild-mannered, iPhone-toting technocrat" who once ate cheeseburgers with then-President Barack Obama to a "belligerent" name-caller in service of his boss. "Medvedev may want to signal to everyone that he is part of the system, that he is essentially by Putin's side," Maria Snegovaya, a fellow at the DC-based think tank Center for a New American Security, told RFE at the time. Medvedev is also "among the top politicians least trusted by Russians," RFE notes, citing opinion polls, which may be why he's trying desperately to stay "relevant," Syracuse University political science professor Brian Taylor tells the outlet. (Read more Dmitry Medvedev stories.)
(Newser)  Wells Fargo is backtracking on a hiring policy after an embarrassing investigative report in the New York Times. The bank put what it called a "diversity slate" policy in place in 2020 stipulating that "diverse" candidates must be interviewed for any job with a salary of more than $100,000. The problem? Bank employees told the Times that it resulted in interviews of women and people of color that were purely for showthe positions already had been filled. Managers complained they were instructed to conduct the fake interviews in case regulators ever checked into the bank's hiring practices.

"Since The New York Times published a story last month about diverse job candidate slates at Wells Fargo, I've had the opportunity to hear from many of you," CEO Charles Scharf wrote in a new company memo seen by Reuters. He said the hiring policy would be put on hold for several weeks to make sure that the guidelines live up to their promise, and that hiring managers, senior leaders and recruiters fully understand how the guidelines should work, per the Times.

Scharf also defended the policy's bottom-line results, saying that 42% of people hired for high-paying jobs last year belonged to a racial or ethnic minority, a gain of 5 percentage points from two years earlier. This is not the bank's first brush with controversy over hiring, with Insider noting that the bank agreed to pay nearly $8 million in 2020 after accusations it discriminated against Black job applicants. (Scharf apologized after complaining about "a limited pool of Black talent.")
(Newser)  After surviving a no-confidence vote on Monday, Boris Johnson put the best possible face on things. The British prime minister called it an "extremely good, positive, conclusive, decisive result," one that would allow him to "move on," per the Guardian. What Johnson glossed over is that 41% of lawmakers in his own Conservative party have lost faith in him, and most of the post-mortems on the vote suggest he's still in big political trouble.

Precedent: Yes, Johnson will remain as prime minister. But Katy Balls notes in the New York Times that predecessor Theresa May survived her own no-confidence vote by an even bigger margin but was forced to resign six months later. Margaret Thatcher stepped down within days of her no-confidence victory, and while John Major remained in office after his, he and his party were destroyed in the general election two years later.

Takeaway: The "simple truth is when more than four in ten of your own MPs think the country would be better off without you, you have a problem," writes Chris Mason at the BBC. "That number148will hang around Boris Johnson's neck for ... some time."

The "simple truth is when more than four in ten of your own MPs think the country would be better off without you, you have a problem," writes Chris Mason at the BBC. "That number148will hang around Boris Johnson's neck for ... some time." How it's playing: Coverage in the British press generally reflects all of the above. The AP rounds up examples, including: "Hollow victory tears Tories apart" in the Daily Telegraph, the description of Johnson as "a wounded victor" in the UK Times, and this from the Daily Mirror: "Party's over, Boris."

Coverage in the British press generally reflects all of the above. The AP rounds up examples, including: "Hollow victory tears Tories apart" in the Daily Telegraph, the description of Johnson as "a wounded victor" in the UK Times, and this from the Daily Mirror: "Party's over, Boris." The rules: Current parliamentary rules say Johnson's victory means he's safe from another such challenge for a year. But CNN points out that those rules can be changed at any time. In fact, Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, one of Johnson's intra-party critics, tells Sky News that another no-confidence vote could happen in the fall: "I think we're talking a matter of months, up to party conference [at the beginning of October]."

Current parliamentary rules say Johnson's victory means he's safe from another such challenge for a year. But CNN points out that those rules can be changed at any time. In fact, Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, one of Johnson's intra-party critics, tells Sky News that another no-confidence vote could happen in the fall: "I think we're talking a matter of months, up to party conference [at the beginning of October]." A lesson? The "partygate" scandal has damaged Johnson badly, but the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal thinks his bigger problem is a mishandling of the economy. "The broader lesson is that parties of the right fail when they lose sight of the free-market policies that produce economic opportunity and growth," the editorial reads. "This is the mistake the new redistributionists on the American right want Republicans to make, cheered on by the progressive media. GOP presidential candidates might study Mr. Johnson's tribulations before they try it."

(Read more Boris Johnson stories.)
(Newser)  Burger Kings in Austria are offering customers an unusual way to celebrate LGBTQ lifestyles during Pride Month. Restaurants there are offering whoppers with "equal buns," meaning each has two top buns or two bottom buns, reports CNN. The idea is "meant to put a smile on our faces and to remind us to treat each other with respect and peace," the chain explains. Less clear is whether the company intentionally used the sexual innuendo of tops and bottoms in the ad, but social media was having a field day regardless.

"Burger King Austria made a Pride burger thats either two tops or two bottoms what in straight hell?" tweeted Jarett Wieselman of Netflix, per the New York Post.

Plenty of critics accused BK of being insensitivesuch as this onebut others thought those critics were taking things too seriously. "As a gay person, this is the funniest thing I have ever seen and I don't think I'll ever stop laughing," was one Instagram comment (by unacornium) cited by CNN.

Unsure: "Its not entirely clear whether this was an intentional innuendo or an inadvertent oversight," writes Jon Stapley at Creative Bloq. "It's possible this belongs in our round-up of design fails that were so bad they were actually good, (and) I can't quite make up my mind."

"Its not entirely clear whether this was an intentional innuendo or an inadvertent oversight," writes Jon Stapley at Creative Bloq. "It's possible this belongs in our round-up of design fails that were so bad they were actually good, (and) I can't quite make up my mind." Maybe not: In a post at Out, Mey Rude suggests Burger King probably wasn't making a crass reference. "I have to admit, when I first saw the burger, I thought it was a joke about two tops or two bottoms," writes Rude. "It took me a little while to realize they were supposed to be representing same-sex couples by having same-type buns paired up."

(Read more Burger King stories.)
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(Newser)  Another acknowledgment that the health problems of Senate candidate John Fetterman in Pennsylvania are more serious than initially thought: His wife says he won't be back on the campaign trail until Julyand even that might not be a sure thing. Asked if Fetterman, the state's lieutenant governor, would be back next month, wife Giselle Fetterman told CNN: "Maybe. I think so. That's my hope." Fetterman, 52, was hospitalized after suffering a stroke just before winning the Democratic primary in May, and this week he acknowledged a history of heart trouble.

"I think he deserves a month break to come back as strong as ever," said Giselle Fetterman. "This is going to be a tough race and a really important race. I want him to be fully ready for it." Fetterman faces Mehmet Oz, aka Dr. Oz, in the general election in a race that could help decide which party controls the Senate. John Fetterman has said doctors don't think he'll have any trouble campaigning or serving in office once he's properly rested. He may not be campaigning in person, but Politico notes that Fetterman has released his first general-election ad, a spot aimed at blue-collar voters that is airing on Fox News. (Read more John Fetterman stories.)
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High 74F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Overcast. Low 53F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand  Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited (TSXV: NZP and NZAX: CRP or the Company") wishes to advise that we will again have a strategically located booth (#2331) in the Investors Exchange in the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) annual conference being staged in Toronto next week.

PDAC is demonstrably the largest mining investment show in the world and has proved to be a most successful venue for Chatham in the past. Showcasing Chatham at PDAC has led to subsequent, robust investor support not only from Canada and the USA, but Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Chatham will be represented by CEO Chris Castle and executive director Colin Randall.

The Chatham Renaissance

Attendance at PDAC 2022 is only a small part of Chathams present drive to inform world markets about our companys renaissance in the last two years.

Over the last eighteen months Chatham has transformed from a single project company facing an uncertain and expensive permitting hurdle to a rapidly expanding group of projects much closer to generating operating cash flows with prospects further boosted by phosphate prices at 10-year highs.

The acquisition of Avenir Makatea was the first step in the Companys strategy to build an international phosphate mining and trading house with a focus on low cadmium, organic phosphate.

The Makatea Project in French Polynesia is planned to produce 250,000 tpa with an expected start date of 2024.

The second step was the acquisition of the fully permitted Korella phosphate mine in Queensland, Australia with its ability to generate positive cash flows starting in 2022.

The Korella Mine is planned to produce 250,000 tpa commencing in 2023.

The third step was the application for an exploration permit over a substantial area adjacent to the Korella phosphate mine to potentially increase phosphate reserves and associated rare earths.

The fourth step was the decision to take another value-adding step to its phosphate production with planned manufacturing of Monocalcium Phosphate (MCP) at Korella South. The DCP plant is planned to produce 30,000 tpa of MCP starting in 2025.

Further initiatives including trading rock phosphate, phosphate handling facilities and establishing rare earth related strategic partnerships are being progressively announced as they occur.

The presence of rare earth elements within Korella and potentially Korella South provides the impetus for the Companys wholly owned Pacific Rare Earths Limited to pursue strategic partnerships to beneficiate REE from these two projects.

After PDAC, Chatham will meet with groups of existing and interested investors in London, Munich, Geneva and Zurich, building on earlier investor visits.

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Fairbanks, AK (99707)

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Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 53F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 53F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stressed the importance of respecting all religious beliefs, symbols, and personalities.

It also called for the concerted efforts of the international community to spread the values of moderation, tolerance, and dialogue between religions and civilisations, as well as to confront extremist ideas that feed sedition and religious, sectarian, or racial hatred.

This came as the Ministry welcomed the decision of the Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to suspend the partys spokeswoman, stressing the need to denounce any reprehensible insults against the Prophet Muhammad, as a provocation to Muslims feelings and incitement to religious hatred.
A Japanese court on Monday sentenced a 30-year-old man to a prison term of 18 years in a retrial over a 2017 road rage incident that resulted in the deaths of a couple and injuries to their two daughters.

The Yokohama District Court convicted Kazuho Ishibashi of dangerous driving after he overtook the car of Yoshihisa Hagiyama, 45, and his family on the Tomei Expressway in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, on June 5, 2017, and forced it to stop in the passing lane where it was rear-ended by a truck.

The court recognized that Ishibashi's actions constituted dangerous driving, which was the main focus of the trial, and described them as "relentless criminal acts based on a strong intent."

The prison term was handed down by Presiding Judge Kiyoshi Aonuma as sought by prosecutors, who argued Ishibashi was liable for dangerous driving for repeatedly slowing down in front of the family's car. His defense had said there was no causal link between his driving and the accident.

But Aonuma, in handing down the ruling, rejected the argument, saying, "There was a causal relationship."

The judge said the defendant had advanced directly in front of Hagiyama's car four times and repeatedly engaged in obstructive driving by slowing down and approaching the vehicle. Ishibashi's dangerous driving led Hagiyama to take the risky action of stopping the car on a highway.

According to the ruling, Ishibashi was enraged after being warned by Hagiyama about the way he had parked his car in an expressway parking area just before the incident. Ishibashi pursued Hagiyama, who was traveling with his 39-year-old wife Yuka and their two daughters.
Cannabidiol, abbreviated CBD, is a phytocannabinoid discovered in the mid-1900s. It is one of the 113 cannabinoids identified in the cannabis Sativa plant. CBD accounts for over 30% of the plant.

THC is the most famous ingredient of Cannabis sativa. Hemp is a form of the cannabis plant containing little Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and CBD is obtained. Over the years, it has been proven that the chemicals in the brain can be affected by CBD. However, they're not like the mind-altering effects of THC.

The sale of hemp and other hemp products was made legal in the US in 2018, but not all CBD products are legal. Rather, CBD is approved as a prescription drug. As a result, it can't be legally included in foods but can be included in cosmetics products.

CBD oil is the most commonly consumed form of CBD. It is made by extracting CBD from the cannabis plant and diluting it with a carrier oil like coconut oil. It has become an ideal option for those looking for relief from pain and other ailments.

The cannabinoid doesn't make you feel the mind-altering effects of hemp or have side effects like most pharmaceutical drugs. It can also be purchased online at Smoke Cartel in various flavors, and you dont have to worry about the quality as all of their products are tested by third-party labs.

This article covers the five proven benefits of CBD to our health.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Several studies on rodents, cells, and humans have shown CBD to be an effective anti-inflammatory treatment. But more research is needed to show how it works to alleviate different inflammation types.

CBD oil affects certain cytokines molecules, which are very important in the inflammation process. It reduces the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines, thereby alleviating inflammation. Some studies have shown that CBD oil reduces inflammation by affecting the endocannabinoid receptors.

According to experts, CBD is one of the safest ways to provide anti-inflammatory effects; still, the exact amount of dose that can alleviate each type of inflammation is not yet known.

Anxiety and Stress Relieving Properties

Stress and anxiety are experienced by many due to hectic work schedules, too much worry, personality, and other causes. CBD has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to treat anxiety and depression. However, it has not clear how it helps with anxiety.

Some research suggests it affects the serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a chemical that plays a role in sleep, mood, behavior, and digestion. CBD oil increases the level of serotonin in the brain, so it relieves anxiety and stress, just as antidepressant medications do.

There's no exact CBD oil dose for anxiety, but studies have shown that 300 mg to 600mg can effectively treat social anxiety.

Sleep Quality Improvement

Studies suggest CBD can increase the feeling of calmness, decrease acute pain, and help in muscle relaxation. It also reduces depression, which may help with a better night's rest. So, if you've been looking for a way to calm down and relax at the end of the day to have a peaceful night's sleep, consider taking some doses of CBD oil in the evening.

Pain Management

Studies have shown that CBD oil has a promising effect on pain management. It serves as a perfect alternative for people using opioid medications that can be addicting and habit forming.

Some suggest that CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid receptors in the brain to create anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects that help manage pain.

CBD oil relieves chronic back pain, cancer, fibromyalgia, and neuropathic pain. Researchers have concluded that CBD oil and products effectively manage pain with little or no side effects.

Nausea Reduction

Studies carried out on animals suggest that CBD can help in relieving insomnia by interacting with serotonin receptors. Full-spectrum CBD oil is considered more effective in treating nausea than a little THC.

An advantage of using CBD oil when feeling nauseous is that it's less likely to make you feel like throwing up. Moreover, it comes with few side effects, unlike other nausea medications.

Takeaway

CBD oil is very beneficial to your overall health and well-being. For example, it relieves symptoms of anxiety and depression, eases pain and inflammation, and improves sleep quality. Though it's very safe, excess consumption of CBD oil can cause side effects like fatigue, drowsiness, dry mouth, and loss of appetite.
Japanese auteur and Cannes favorite Naomi Kawase has been accused of violent behavior towards her staff and crew, including an assault that left an employees face swollen.

In May 2019 on the set of True Mothers, an assistant director touched Kawase to point out there was an issue with a shot. Though there is no suggestion that the contact was inappropriate, Kawase reportedly shouted What do you think you are doing? at the assistant director and kicked him in the stomach.

The entire cinematography team, led by Yuta Tsukinaga, resigned from the shoot following the incident. After the Tokyo-based weekly magazine and scoop factory Shukan Bunshun broke the story, Kawase said on her companys website that the matter had been settled internally.

However, the magazine then wrote about an incident in October 2015, when Kawase reportedly assaulted a staff member at her production company Kumies office in Nara City. The award-winning director punched a male employee, knocking him to the ground and continuing to beat him while other staff members fled the office in fear.

When the staff returned, the victims face was visibly swollen. The employee, who resigned immediately, confirmed to Shukan Bunshun that the assault had taken place, but said he did not want to publicly comment on it.
Sri Aurobindo, who was from Pondicherry, was confident that India would definitely be united, and would include Afghanistan, Myanmar and Ceylon

by LN Jhunjhunwala

The Second World War was in full swing in 1941-42. Hitler was marching unopposed in Western Europe; Britain was being bombed continuously. Britain sent the Cripps Mission to India to negotiate a compromise with Indian leaders and ask for their cooperation in the war.

Sri Aurobindo from Pondicherry advised all support to the allies and recommended negotiating with the Cripps Mission. But Gandhiji, Nehru, Patel, and Azad rejected the Cripps mission offer; Rajgopalacharis support was ignored. Gandhijis decisions those days were often unilateral; he was brutal to Subhas who found his way bravely to Europe and Japan and whose death is still a mystery.

Cripps, who had a soft corner for India, also had a good relationship with Nehru during his early days. Cripps had developed a liking for Sudhir Bose, a young man who was also Gandhijis favourite, and told him in confidence that Congress president Maulana Azad had made up his mind in favour of the partition of India and had given a letter confidentially to that effect. Gandhi was disturbed upon hearing this, and asked Sudhir to bring the letter and assure Cripps that he would not use that letter to create an embarrassing situation for him.

The atmosphere of pre-Independence India was very tense. Azad denied his position on partition outright, while Nehru was angry about Sudhirs meeting with Cripps. Gandhi and Patel didnt have the same opinion on Azad.

Unfortunately, Gandhiji was often single-minded in his decisions. Lets consider an instance of Swami Ashokanand (1893-1969), a brilliant student who had a gold medal in English Literature while at City College. He joined the Ramakrishna Mission in 1920 and was initiated into Sanyasa by the then president Swami Sivanand. He served as editor of Prabuddha Bharat (an English monthly journal of Ramakrishna mission started by Swami Vivekanand in 1896 published continuously for more than 125 years). Swami Ashokananda was its editor from 1926 to December 1930, a time where he had lengthy correspondence with Gandhiji on non-violence and industrialisation.

Shankari Prasad Basu, a great Bengali intellectual who had written about 2,000 pages on India of the days of Swami Vivekanand, says, Going through all the articles of Ashokanand and replies of Gandhiji we have to admit that Gandhiji's replies were no comparison to Ashokanands sturdy and comprehensive intellect.

It was during this period that the question of Bengal partition arose. Sri Aurobindo, an important member of the Indian National Congress, led the revolution against the partition of Bengal. Before we understand Sri Aurobindos politics, lets look at his history.

He was born on August 15, 1872. Later, India became free on Sri Aurobindo's birthday in 1947. At the age of five in 1877, he was admitted at Loretto Convent School in Darjeeling, where he moved mainly with British children and learned to speak English as a matter of course. His father left him in England for studies.

For fourteen years between 1879 and 1893, he stayed in England. He lived with his fathers friend, Rev William Brewett at Manchester from where he learned Latin, French, history, geography, and mathematics. After five years in Manchester, Sri Aurobindo moved to St. Pauls School in London and remained there for another six years. He secured the Butterworth prize for literature and the Bedford Prize for History.

He left for Cambridge after securing a scholarship that would ease financial burden on his family. There he acquired his degree of proficiency in English, German, Italian, and Spanish. While in England, he got a job with the Maharaja of Baroda and left for India early February. He joined Baroda College first as a lecturer of French and later as Professor of English and Vice-Principal. India was already in the throes of a revolution, at this point. Sri Aurobindo had resigned from his post as a lecturer and was a part of the Indian National Congress.

Sri Aurobindo started organising revolutionaries to oppose Lord Curzons plan to bifurcate Bengal. These activities landed him in trouble with the British authorities, and he was soon arrested for his suspected involvement in the Alipore Bomb Case.

On Friday, May 1, 1908, Sri Aurobindo was awakened from his sleep at about 5.00 am. Under instructions from Superintendent Cregan, Sri Aurobindo was handcuffed and arrested.

The weekend passed in the lock-up. There was no bath till the fourth day at 11.30 a.m. He was still wearing the same clothes for four days in which he had come from home.

From time to time the police would make the prisoners line up in a long row, mixing up with those accused of theft, murder, and other charges along with political prisoners.

During the period of solitary confinement, Dr. Daly and the Assistant Superintendent would come to his cell almost every day and have a chat. Sri Aurobindo spoke very little. In order to get him to speak, the Assistant Superintendent said that he had been able to get the big boss to agree to a walk outside of the cell, morning and evening.

Sri Aurobindo would walk reciting the ageless, powerful mantras of the Upanishads and walk for a long time.

He has been quoted as saying, I tried to realise the basic truths of God in every form, in the trees, bushes, walls, men, animals, birds, metals in the earth with the recitation of the mantra Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma. The prison ceased to appear like a prison. The white wall, the green leafed tree shining in sunlight, looked vibrating with a universal consciousness. It seemed as if God himself was standing under the tree playing his flute delightfully. Sri Aurobindo was arrested on May 1, 1908, and was released on May 6, 1909.

He inspired his 27 year old disciple, whom he named Navjat, to start a journal to highlight Indias culture. The journal was named Mother India in 1949. Sri Aurobindo approved the ideas and Aurobindo called it my paper. He was confident that India would definitely be united, and would include Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Ceylon. He had a dream of a united India--an India that is partitioned will not be free from communalism or civil strife. These ideas went as far as Swami Vivekananda. Will these ideas come true?

Gandhijis Congress, while refusing Cripps' proposal, ignored Sri Aurobindos advice. They were all aware of the sublime state of Sri Aurobindos mind. Had he not been ignored, India possibly would not have been divided.

(The author is a Founder of the LNJ Bhilwara Group and author. The views expressed are personal.)
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WASHINGTON (AP)  Wide-ranging bipartisan legislation unveiled Tuesday would regulate cryptocurrencies and other digital assets following a series of high-profile busts and failures.

Its unclear, though, whether the bill proposed by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., can clear Congress, especially at a time of heightened partisanship ahead of midterm elections. The bill also comes as advocates for cryptocurrency have become bigger  and more free-spending  players in Washington.

The bill, called the Responsible Financial Innovation Act, proposes legal definitions of digital assets and virtual currencies; would require the IRS to adopt guidance on merchant acceptance of digital assets and charitable contributions; and would make a distinction between digital assets that are commodities or securities, which has not been done.

The bill creates regulatory clarity for agencies charged with supervising digital asset markets, provides a strong, tailored regulatory framework for stablecoins, and integrates digital assets into our existing tax and banking laws," Lummis said in an emailed statement. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency pegged to a specific value, usually the U.S. dollar, another currency or gold.

Lummis has been a vocal advocate for cryptocurrency development and has invested between $150,002 and $350,000 in bitcoin, according to her financial disclosure.

The legislation imposes disclosure requirements on digital asset firms to ensure that consumers can make informed decisions, delineates agency responsibilities over various digital assets  such as Commodity Futures Trading Commission jurisdiction over bitcoin  and requires a study on digital asset energy consumption, among many other proposals.

The bill comes at a tumultuous time for cryptocurrencies, including the May meltdown of the terraUSD stablecoin and luna, the coin meant to buy and sell assets, which traded at a value of less than one ten-thousandth of 1 cent.

Gillibrand said the bill establishes a regulatory framework that spurs innovation, develops clear standards, defines appropriate jurisdictional boundaries and protects consumers."

These developments have prompted lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support legislation that more closely scrutinizes digital assets.

And crypto lobbying has followed suit. This year, for the first time, industry executives have flooded money into congressional races, spending $20 million, according to records and interviews.

Cryptocurrencies have their supporters in Congress. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said at the DC Blockchain Summit in Washington last month that he is drawn to "the exciting potential democratizing effect that can come from creating wider pathways of opportunity for marginalized communities.

Despite the risks, roughly 16% of adult Americans, or 40 million people, have invested in cryptocurrencies, according to a September 2021 Pew Research Center poll. And 43% of men age 18-29 have put money into cryptocurrency.

African Americans are also more likely to invest in cryptocurrencies than white consumers.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order in March, urging the Federal Reserve to explore whether the central bank should create its own digital currency and directed federal agencies, including the Treasury Department, to study the impact of cryptocurrency on financial stability and national security.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in an April speech at American University that more government regulation is needed to police the proliferation of cryptocurrency and ward off fraudulent or illicit transactions.

We have a strong interest in ensuring that innovation does not lead to a fragmentation in international payment architectures, she said, adding that the Treasury Department will work with the White House and other agencies to develop reports and recommendations on digital currencies.

___

Associated Press writer Ken Sweet in New York contributed to this report.
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NEWTOWN - Jenny Hubbard was never able to give her elementary school daughter Catherine her ambitious wish for a backyard birthday party with all the animals.

But in the years since Catherine Violet Hubbard was slain in the Sandy Hook shooting Jenny Hubbard has worked diligently to honor that birthday request in a way she hopes would make her daughter happy.

That is the short version of Catherines Butterfly Party, an annual pet adoption event and fundraiser for the foundation started in the slain childs name that this year will have 25 animal rescues, 200 adoptable pets and an estimated crowd of 7,000.

This years pet adoption party is planned for Saturday at Newtowns Faifield Hills campus on Mile Hill Road.

Every year there is something that just points us to the fact that she is delighting in all this, said Jenny Hubbard, executive director of the nonprofit Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary. It is truly a celebration of her life and presence she had on this earth.

Hubbard, who reflected that her daughter would have turned 16 this month, said she wanted to keep the event free because it is a birthday party, and I wouldnt have it any other way.

At the same time, sponsorships for this years event raised money toward an $8 million animal sanctuary project on a 30-acre field in Newtown owned by the nonprofit. With half the money already raised, plans call for a veterinary intake facility, and an education center offering animal and nature programming for the public.

We want to create buildings that are not only resourceful for the community but also serve as a haven for both humans and animals, said Peter Paulos, the project architect, in a prepared statement. It is my hope that this project will encapsulate Jenny and Catherines dream of providing a refuge for all people and creatures in one shared place.

Among two dozen animal rescues that will participate are Danbury Animal Welfare Society, Bridgeport Cat Rescue, CT Parrot Rescue, Long Island Bulldog Rescue, Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue, House Rabbit Connection, Gimme Shelter, Best Friends Animal Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA.

The ASPCA is thrilled to be part of this years Catherines Butterfly Party for the sixth time alongside other animal welfare organizations to help place pets in loving homes, said Cecilia Ochoa, manager of mobile adoptions at the ASPCA Adoption Center, in prepared remarks. Given that approximately 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S animal shelters nationwide per year, community events that encourage people to adopt pets from their local shelters are more important than ever.

Philanthropist and equestrian Georgina Bloomberg will also be at the event on behalf of The Riders Closet, a venture she founded that is now part of EQUUS Foundation, to accept donations of new and gently used riding apparel.

It has been so inspiring to collaborate with Jenny and see her incredible work on the sanctuary over the years, Bloomberg said in a prepared statement. The Riders Closet is thrilled to attend this years Butterfly Party and celebrate the animals that Catherine held so dear to her heart.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
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More than 800 people across the U.S. have been charged in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, which left officers bloodied and sent lawmakers into hiding, and federal authorities continue to make new arrests practically every week.

The charges against members of the angry pro-Trump mob range from low-level misdemeanors for those who only entered the Capitol to felony seditious conspiracy charges against far-right extremists.

It's the largest prosecution in the history of the Justice Department, whose leader, Attorney General Merrick Garland, has vowed to hold accountable all January 6th perpetrators, at any level.

As the U.S. House committee investigating the attack prepares to hold a series of public hearings to detail its findings, here's a look at where the criminal cases stand:

____

WHO HAS BEEN CHARGED?

Authorities have arrested people in practically all 50 states in connection with the riot. They include former police officers and U.S. military veterans, a five-time Olympic swimming medalist and the son of a New York City judge.

Hundreds of people who went inside but didn't take part in any destruction or violence are facing only misdemeanor crimes like illegal entry, picketing in the Capitol and disorderly conduct that call for up to a year behind bars.

More than 250 people have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement who were trying to protect the Capitol, including more than 85 accused of using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. Others have been accused of assaulting members of the media  one an Associated Press photographer  or destroying media equipment.

The most serious cases have been brought against members of two far-right extremist groups, the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.

The leaders of both groups have been arrested and remain locked up while they await trial later this year for seditious conspiracy, which alleges a plot to forcibly oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power. The rarely used Civil War-era charge calls for up to 20 years in prison.

WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED?

More than 300 people have pleaded guilty to a slew of crimes, including conspiracy and assault. Among them are three Oath Keepers who have admitted to seditious conspiracy, are cooperating with investigators and could testify against their fellow extremists at trial.

There have been seven trials so far in the District of Columbia's federal court. The first five juries convicted the riot defendants of all charges.

The convicted include Thomas Webster, a 20-year New York Police Department veteran who attacked an officer during the riot. Webster claimed he was defending himself when he tackled the officer and grabbed his gas mask.

Jurors also rejected the defense of an Ohio man who claimed he was only following presidential orders from former President Donald Trump when he stormed the Capitol. Dustin Byron Thompson was convicted of obstructing Congress from certifying the electoral vote and other charges.

A judge decided two other cases without a jury, acquitting one of the defendants and partially acquitting the other.

U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden, who was appointed by Trump, convicted Otero County, New Mexico, Commissioner Couy Griffin of illegally entering restricted Capitol grounds, but acquitted him of engaging in disorderly conduct.

In the other misdemeanor case, McFadden found Matthew Martin of New Mexico not guilty of charges that he illegally entered the Capitol and engaged in disorderly conduct, saying it was reasonable for Martin to believe that outnumbered police officers allowed him and others to enter through the Rotunda doors.

WHAT ABOUT THE PUNISHMENTS?

Nearly 200 people have been sentenced so far. The punishments have ranged from probation to more than five years behind bars. About 100 people who were charged with lower level crimes have avoided going to prison, although some of those received time in home detention.

The longest sentence  more than five years  was given to Robert Palmer of Largo, Florida, who threw a wooden plank and sprayed a fire extinguisher at officers before hurling the fire extinguisher at them.

Others who received lengthy sentences include Jacob Chansley, the spear-carrying rioter whose horned fur hat, bare chest and face paint made him one of the more recognizable figures in the attack. Chansley, who called himself QAnon Shaman, got about 31/2 years behind bars after admitting to entering the Senate chamber and writing a note to Vice President Mike Pence that said: Its only a matter of time, justice is coming.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The two most high-profile trials  involving the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys  are expected to take place this summer and fall.

Henry Enrique Tarrio, who was once the Proud Boys top boss, and four others linked to the group were charged on Monday with seditious conspiracy after previously facing other conspiracy counts. They are scheduled to stand trial beginning Aug. 9.

Tarrio, who has since stepped down from his post as the group's chairman, was arrested in a separate case two days before the riot and was not at the Capitol on Jan. 6. But he is accused of helping put into motion the violent attack.

The trial for the Oath Keepers leader, Stewart Rhodes, and four other members and associates the group is scheduled to start Sept. 26. Prosecutors say the Oath Keepers plotted for weeks to try to overturn the election results and prepared for a siege by purchasing weapons and setting up battle plans.

Authorities are still searching for many suspects, including the person who planted two pipe bombs outside the offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees the night before the melee.

____

Follow Alanna Durkin Richer on Twitter at twitter.com/aedurkinricher
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Legislation that would expand North Carolina's Medicaid rolls by hundreds of thousands of adults received final Senate approval on Thursday.

The measure, which also contains several other provisions that its authors say would improve health care access and control patient costs, now goes to the House. Speaker Tim Moore reiterated later Thursday that the bill was too complex and time too limited during this annual work session to consider. GOP leaders want to adjourn around July 1.
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NEW FAIRFIELD  With Rich Sanzo leaving at the end of the month, the school district will welcome a new business and operations director.

The Board of Education voted Thursday to appoint Carrie DePuy to succeed Sanzo in the role, which hes held for 3 1/2 years.

DePuy serves as the South Kent Schools chief financial officer and previously worked as director of finances and operations at the Sherman School.

Carrie comes to New Fairfield with a wealth of experience and outstanding references, Superintendent Pat Cosentino said. We know shes going to do an excellent job for the New Fairfield schools and community.

After six years working for New Fairfield Public Schools, Sanzo will leave at the end of the month and begin a new position out of town  as an assistant superintendent in the Hartford County town of South Windsor.

Sanzo joined New Fairfields school district in 2016 as high school principal, and served in that role for 2 1/2 years. Before that, he worked at Wilton High School as an assistant and then associate principal.

He said working collaboratively with town leaders on the school building projects and helping to bring more transparency to the budget process have been some of the highlights of his time in the district.

Cosentino said Sanzo will be sorely missed.

He has done an excellent job as our director of business and operations, she said. His intelligence, professionalism and communication skills have allowed the district to build a trusting relationship with town leaders and the community.

While hes excited about his new role in South Windsor, Sanzo said he will miss working with the New Fairfield community.

The students, the staff, our community leaders and parents  they have been tremendously supportive to the work Ive been involved in for both of my roles in the district over the years, he said.

Sanzo said hes grateful for the leadership Cosentino and the Board of Education have provided and their commitment to making decisions with a focus on whats best for students.

Working in a school district that maintains that at the core of its philosophy has made both of the jobs Ive had here in New Fairfield enjoyable, said Sanzo, whose last day in New Fairfield Public Schools is June 30.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)  The board overseeing Kentucky's largest school district has filed a lawsuit over legislation passed this year that would shift some authority from the panel to the superintendent.

Jefferson Countys board of education said Monday that it sued state Education Commissioner Jason Glass in Jefferson County Circuit Court to block portions of the sweeping education measure that set to take effect on July 14, news outlets reported.
Next Fox hunt is coming up

The Sandton ARC say they know you could not make the last social and Fox hunt event and that you are waiting patiently for the next one! So here is the information. The next fox hunt will include Gluhwein and Coffee, perhaps even some soup on this almost mid-Winter evening social and quickie Fox hunt adventure.



We will be meeting in the parking area of the Bryanston Pine Forest, in Bryanston, Johannesburg at 18:00 CAT on Wednesday 15 June 2022, the evening before the public holiday, so you can sleep in the next day. Please bring along a torch, warm clothes, your thermos, handheld radio and come join us for a fun filled early evening adventure.

For directions, just type Bryanston Pine Forest into Waze or Google maps, who will then accurately guide you to the venue. Visit the SARL upcoming events for further details.



Other Clubs are invited to submit details about their meetings and activities. There may be visitors in your Club area.

SARL


In early June a few selected Canadian media representatives will explore two of the most beautiful and enchanting agricultural jewels of Europe

TORONTO, June 7, 2022 /CNW/ -- " The Charming Taste of Europe " is pleased to announce that it will host an exclusive press trip to discover the delicious kiwis from Kavala and cherries from Rachi Pieria in Greece throughout early June.

Coming out of Northern Greece, the production of cherries in the country is ranked 10th in the world. In particular, the regions of Pella, Imathia and Piera are the most prominent fruit producing regions throughout Greece. Established in 1987, The Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pierias, "AGIOS LOUKAS" , has a cherry grove of 200 hectares and 250 participating members. Throughout the trip, participants have the opportunity to speak with the producing organization "O AGIOS LOUKAS" about production methods, the cherries themselves and the market. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to visit the cherry fields.

Arriving in Europe during the 19th century and cultivating themself is Greece in the early 1980's is the kiwi. During the past twenty years kiwi production throughout Greece has grown exponentially, in fact, it has become a national product specifically in Kavala, an area positioned on the northern coast of Greece. Here the production of the Kiwi fruit is approximately 50,000 tons, 10,000 of which are produced by KAVALA COOP . During the press trip, participants will have the opportunity to visit "Kavala COOP" Cooperative where they will see the kiwi fields, facilities and speak with the producing organization about the product. Following, participants will be able to explore the city of Kavala as a whole.

Started in 2021, The Charming Taste of Europe is a three-year campaign promoted by the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kavala (Kavala COOP) , the Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pieria ("Agios Loukas") the Vini d' Abruzzo consortium and the Union of Sweet Bordeaux Wines , co-financed by the European Union. This campaign focuses on raising awareness of these high-quality products in the American and Canadian market.

The Charming Taste of Europe aims to educate participants on the beautiful and enchanting jewels of Europe through a hands-on experience of two of the exceptional agricultural products of the country.

About the Charming Taste of Europe :

Europe, a place with timeless charm, is the birthplace of some of the highest-quality products in the world. The Charming Taste of Europe is a special project that introduces exquisite specialties to the United States and Canada, such as Italian and French wines, and fresh fruits from Greece, that showcase Europe's charm, beauty, culture, history, art, heritage and unmistakable tastes.

The mission of the Charming Taste of Europe, co-funded by the European Union, is to increase awareness of the merits and quality standards of select European wines and fresh fruits with promotional activities in the competitive markets of the U.S. and Canada. The Charming Taste of Europe is promoted by the Consortium for the Protection of Wines of Abruzzo, the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kavala (Kavala COOP), the Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pieria "Agios Loukas" and the Union of Sweet Bordeaux Wines. These European agricultural products, famous around the world for their outstanding qualities, will continue to be promoted with initiatives and events for consumers, journalists and trade professionals. For more information visit charmingtasteof e urope.eu

To Follow The Charming Taste of Europe Campaign:

Website: charmingtasteofeurope.eu

Facebook: @CharmingTasteofEU

Instagram: @charmeu_canada

YouTube: The Charming Taste of Europe

Hashtags: #thecharmingtasteofeu and #charmeu

The content of this promotion campaign represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission and the European Research Executive Agency (REA) do not accept any responsibility for any use that may be made of the information it contains

SOURCE The Charming Taste of Europe
30 million tonnes of tailings with tin, niobium and rare earth elements

MONTREAL, June 7, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Auxico Resources Canada Inc. (CSE: AUAG) is pleased to announce that a final agreement has been signed ("Agreement") with Cooperativa Estanifera de Mineradores da Amazonia Legal Ltda. ("CEMAL") concerning the production of tin, niobium and rare earths from the Massangana tailings estimated to contain 30,000,000 tonnes in the State of Rondonia, Brazil. A study prepared by the German Mineral Resources Agency and the Geological Survey of Brazil1 indicates that three types of products could be generated from the tin tailings: columbite concentrate containing 34.07% niobium, monazite concentrate containing 37.74% total rare earth oxide ("TREO"), and cassiterite concentrate containing 54.92% tin. For reference, please see below the table outlining the products as provided within the study.

Massangana Tin

Tailings TREO Sn Th U Ta Nb

% % % % % % Tailings 4.56 0.65 0.49 0.07 0.07 0.37 Monazite Concentrate 37.74 9.61 3.37 0.13 0.42 0.19 Columbite Concentrate 5.67 0.97 0.47 0.09 4.83 34.07 Cassiterite Concentrate 0.09 54.92 0.09 0.03 1.70 2.87















* Note: Studies prepared by the German Mineral Resources Agency and Geological Survey of Brazil can be accessed at: https://www.auxicoresources.com/reports

The Company is launching a feasibility study to process 3,000,000 tonnes a year of tailings at a rate of 10,000 tonnes per day, in order to produce the concentrates outlined in the table above as the first phase of the project. The objective of this project is to produce 135,000 tonnes of monazite concentrate per year, 19,500 tonnes of cassiterite concentrate (tin), and 45,000 tonnes of columbite concentrate (50% niobium + 5% tantalum).

Phase 1 of this project will be launched within the next 12 months and all the necessary permits are in place to execute these activities. During this phase, the Company will be conducting a pre-production study which includes on-site visits and sampling to verify the current resource and validate the present indications.

Phase 2 will involve the construction of the ultrasound-based processing facility capable of eliminating the radioactive elements that are contained in the tailings. The plant will have a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year in order to produce rare earth concentrates that meet the international norms for the transportation of these materials.

In Phase 3 these rare earth concentrates from Brazil (50,000 tonnes) will be shipped to the United States of America ("US") for final separation of the rare earth elements. The Company has prepared a scoping study for the refining of rare earths in Little Rock, Arkansas, US.

The total capital expenditure for the concentration plant in Brazil, and the elemental separation in the US, has been estimated at US$300,000,000. The Company received a term sheet from Broughton Capital for US$300,000,000 debt financing, which is subject to due diligence and an off-take agreement, of which the Company is in the process of negotiating.

Terms of the Agreement

Auxico will earn 85% of the profits of the Joint Venture ("JV") by first, paying US$2,000,000 over the next year, and second, by providing the JV with the necessary capital to engage in the production of the above-mentioned concentrates.

Payments are scheduled as follows: the first payment of US$500,000 will be made within 30 days of the date that the Agreement was signed; the second payment of US$250,000 will be made on or before September 30, 2022; the third payment of US$250,000 will be made on or before December 31, 2022; and final payment of US$1,000,000 will be made on the anniversary of the first payment.

Radioactivity

The Company has successfully removed the thorium content, making the concentrate non-radioactive and eligible for international shipping. Using the ultrasound-assisted extraction ("UAEx") process, the thorium content in the concentrate was reduced to less than 0.1%. For reference, please see the following table.

Brazil Thorium Grade (%) Thorium Grade (%) Before UAEx After UAEx 6.23 < 0.1

*Coalia Research Institute in Thetford Mines, Quebec, analyzed the samples

of the concentrates and performed the metallurgical testing referred to above

The feed material from the tailings received by Auxico averaged 4.56% total rare earth oxide content (TREO), indicating a content of rare earths in the tailings in the order of 1,370,000 tonnes. The provided concentrate contained 63.49% TREO. Please see the table below.

Element Symbol Grade (%) UAEx

Recovery (%)







Cerium CeO 2 35.90 94.43



Dysprosium Dy 2 O 3 0.28 83.54



Gadolinium Gd 2 O 3 0.17 100.00



Lanthanum La 2 O 3 15.17 94.24



Neodymium Nd 2 O 3 9.04 92.51



Praseodymium Pr 6 O 11 0.89 100.00



Samarium Sm 2 O 3 0.90 93.28



Yttrium Y 2 O 3 1.14 80.80





Total REO (%) 63.49







Coalia Research Institute in Thetford Mines, Quebec, analyzed the samples of the concentrates and performed the metallurgical testing referred to above.

Auxico plans, under the supervision of the QP, to initiate a sampling program of the tailings, and prospect primary and secondary deposits identified from satellite imagery. Primary Structures: Four ring structure intrusions highly fractured by secondary faults have been identified. Secondary Structures: Numerous flow/drainage accumulation sites that are not yet exploited have also been identified from satellite imagery. These sites are located in the lowest topographical areas in valleys or streams/rivers in the drainage systems that cross the Massangana granites and the immediate surrounding areas which may represent alluvial mineral deposits, similar to the ones previously exploited.

The following program has been recommended by Auxico's QP and JAPOSAT: (1) compilation of all available technical data; (2) prospect the highly fractured NW and NE lineaments cutting the Massangana Granite Ring structures in search of pegmatite/quartz veins primary source of the mineralization; (3) prospect the drainage accumulation sites for the secondary alluvial mineral deposits: and (4) conduct a LIDAR survey over the property to get a more accurate representation of the structural features and also to more accurately map and calculate the area/volume of the tailings.

Reference 1 Studies prepared by the German Mineral Resources Agency and Geological Survey of Brazil can be accessed at: https://www.auxicoresources.com/reports

DERA, Investigation of tin and tantalum ores from the Rondonia Tin Province, northern Brazil, to develop optimized processing technologies, direct link: https://www.auxicoresources.com/_files/ugd/6f9bc0_e63c3a5dcb934e4180d2184a0dff7deb.pdf

DERA, Tin ores from Rondonia, Brazil and development of advanced processing methods, direct link: https://www.auxicoresources.com/_files/ugd/6f9bc0_c9617f83649642c38e3f027f8bef93a2.pdf



About Auxico Resources Canada Inc.

Auxico Resources Canada Inc. ("Auxico" or the "Company") is a Canadian company that was founded in 2014 and based in Montreal. Auxico is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Bolivia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Additional information on Auxico can be found on the Company's website (www.auxicoresources.com) or on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) under "Auxico Resources Canada Inc."

QUALIFIED PERSON

This news release was reviewed and approved by Joel Scodnick, P.Geo., an independent consultant to Auxico, in his capacity as a Qualified Person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101. The estimated resource presented in this press release is not compliant with National Instrument 43-101, and therefore the QP warns the reader to be cautious of the results in this press release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 signed   signed 



Pierre Gauthier

CEO, Auxico Resources Canada Inc.

[email protected]

Cell: +1 514 299 0881 Mark Billings

President, Auxico Resources Canada Inc.

[email protected]

Cell: +1 514 296 1641

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of the contents of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-statements." Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the planned studies, drill program and the development of the Massangana Project, its sampling program, indications and other mining projects and prospects thereof, related to the Company's operations in Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia and/or Democratic Republic of Congo. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various risk factors. These factors include, among others, uncertainties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors, and their potential effects, which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Except as required by securities law, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise.

SOURCE Auxico Resources Canada Inc.

For further information: Pierre Gauthier, CEO, Auxico Resources Canada Inc., [email protected], Cell: +1 514 299 0881; Mark Billings, President, Auxico Resources Canada Inc., [email protected], Cell: +1 514 296 1641
OTTAWA, ON, June 7, 2022 /CNW/ - Planting two billion trees across the country will help Canada's efforts to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Trees capture and store carbon from the atmosphere, improve air and water quality, support biodiversity and create and support thousands of good jobs.

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced over $2.4 million in funding through the 2 Billion Trees program (2BT) to Trees for Life .

With this funding, Trees for Life will engage partners and collaborators on 34 different tree-planting projects. These projects will range in size, style and scope and, working in different communities and ecosystems, will plant approximately 600,000 trees in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick this tree-planting season. Trees for Life is a national charity committed to mobilizing, empowering and inspiring tree-planting initiatives across Canada.

Launched in 2021, 2BT is part of the Government of Canada's broader approach to nature-based climate solutions. It contributes to Canada's efforts to mitigate climate change while achieving key biodiversity and conservation goals, as well as supporting human well-being.

The program is on track to reach the target of two billion trees over the next decade and is designed to support organizations across Canada in planting an increasing number of trees each year. In its first year, the program signed agreements to support organizations in planting approximately 30 million trees, representing more than 50 species, at more than 500 sites across all provinces. Going forward, the Government of Canada is entering into long-term agreements to secure planting over 10 years. By 2026, the program aims to plant 250350 million trees annually.

Quotes

"Planting trees is an important part of our plan to fight climate change, protect biodiversity and create good jobs across the country. Our government is actively working with partners to continue to deliver upon our commitment to plant two billion trees across Canada, and Trees for Life projects are actively contributing to this effort."

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson

Minister of Natural Resources

"The funding provided by the Government of Canada through the 2 Billion Trees program is so crucial to our ability to continue to grow as an organization and to expand our impact on a national level. Our donors will continue to be highly motivated to provide support knowing that it is being matched by our federal government. We could not be more thankful for the wonderful opportunities the 2 Billion Trees program provides."

Mark Cullen

President & Co-Founder of Trees for Life

Quick facts

The 2 Billion Trees program is part of Canada's Natural Climate Solutions Fund , which embraces the power of nature to fight climate change. In the 2020 Fall Economic Statement , the government committed up to $3.16 billion over 10 years to deliver on this commitment.

, which embraces the power of nature to fight climate change. In the 2020 , the government committed up to over 10 years to deliver on this commitment. Tree planting on a large scale and in a sustainable way requires careful planning. The process of planting a tree takes several years and includes steps like collecting seeds, increasing nursery capacity and growing seedlings until they are large enough to be planted in the ground.

Tree selection is based on climate change and environmental considerations while prioritizing planting native trees. Specific tree-planting locations will depend on the funding proposals put forward by partners.

The government has also established an advisory committee of experts on nature-based climate solutions to advise on program delivery to maximize emission reductions and deliver on key biodiversity and human well-being co-benefits to improve the quality of life for Canadians.

to advise on program delivery to maximize emission reductions and deliver on key biodiversity and human well-being co-benefits to improve the quality of life for Canadians. The 2 Billion Trees program is also co-developing a governance framework for Indigenous-led projects. This will provide opportunities for Indigenous perspectives to shape and inform how these projects will be managed and delivered in a way that reflects Indigenous priorities, values and the long history of Indigenous land stewardship.

Last year, Trees for Life received over $2 million in 2BT funding and planted over 274,000 trees across Canada .

Associated links

Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan ( http://twitter.com/nrcan )

SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

For further information: Contacts: Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6100, [email protected]; Keean Nembhard, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, 613-323-7892, [email protected] ; Ashley Sperling, Director, Marketing and Brand Partnerships, Strut Entertainment, [email protected]
IQALUIT, NU, June 7, 2022 /CNW/ - Investments in key infrastructure build strong and healthy communities across Canada. From roads and buildings  to clean energy projects and air ventilation systems  reliable infrastructure provides communities with opportunities to grow and develop today so that they are better prepared to overcome the challenges of tomorrow.

Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Pamela Hakongak Gross, territorial Minister of Education, announced joint funding to improve air quality in 45 schools across Nunavut.

This investment will support the cleaning and balancing of existing air handling units and duct work and the replacement of associated filters. More than 130 air handling units and ducts will be cleaned to ensure reduced virus transmission. Over 900 filters will be replaced to balance the air flow and improve the capacity to clean air.

Once complete, these upgrades will provide students, teachers and staff across Nunavut with better air ventilation and filtration for a healthier and safer environment.

The Government of Canada is investing over $4.5 million in this project through the COVID-19 Resilience Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program and the Government of Nunavut is providing more than $2.1 million.

Quotes

"The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of having good ventilation in public facilities across Canada. By funding the cleaning and balancing of the ventilation systems in schools across the territory, we are creating healthier and safer learning environments for children in Nunavut."

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities

"This funding will support improved ventilation in our schools, which is key for minimizing transmission of COVID-19. Effective air circulation and filtering inside classrooms will help keep students and staff healthy."

The Honourable Pamela Hakongak Gross, territorial Minister of Education

Quick facts

Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.

Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and rural and northern communities. Over the past six years, Infrastructure Canada has invested more than $851 million in 34 infrastructure projects across Nunavut.

in 34 infrastructure projects across Nunavut. During that period, over $1.9 billion has been invested through the COVID-19 Resilience Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program in over 2,000 projects across the country.

has been invested through the COVID-19 Resilience Stream of the Investing in Infrastructure Program in over 2,000 projects across the country. Infrastructure Canada helps address complex challenges that Canadians face every dayranging from the rapid growth of our cities, to climate change, and environmental threats to our water and land.

Associated links

Federal infrastructure investments in Nunavut:

https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/investments-2002-investissements/nu-eng.html

Investing in Canada Plan Project Map:

http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

For further information: Jean-Sebastien Comeau, Press Secretary and Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, 343-574-8116, [email protected]; Sandi Chan, Acting Communications Manager, Department of Education, Government of Nunavut, 867-975-5615, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, [email protected]
This new partnership will see the distribution of The Company's standardized, naturally derived, psilocybin containing mushrooms to local Jamaican dispensaries for legal sale

VANCOUVER, BC, June 7, 2022 /CNW/ - HAVN Life Sciences Inc. (CSE: HAVN) (OTC: HAVLF) (FSE: 5NP) (the "Company" or "HAVN Life") a biotechnology company pursuing standardized extraction of psychoactive compounds and the development of natural health products, is pleased to announce it has entered into a supply partnership with Green Stripe Naturals Ltd. (GSN) through its subsidiary Green Peak Growers Ltd., a licensed cannabis producer in Jamaica. GSN will distribute the Company's product for sale at licensed dispensaries, as psilocybin containing mushrooms are legal for sale and consumption within the country.

Green Stripe Naturals Inc. was one of the first movers in the cannabis industry in Jamaica and is currently in discussions with 14 local dispensaries for distribution of its cannabis and psilocybin products and anticipate that the number of licensed dispensaries in Jamaica will grow to 35 by year end. GSN and HAVN Life are also exploring future collaborations, including expanded distribution into other Caribbean islands where cannabis and psilocybin containing mushrooms are legal.

"We are very pleased to be partnering with Green Stripe Naturals, providing the highest quality standardized and naturally derived psilocybin containing mushrooms to their dispensary customers across Jamaica," says HAVN Life CEO Tim Moore. "We see many operational similarities between our two organizations and look forward to collaborating on building a network of trusted, plant-derived products to the Caribbean market and beyond," he adds.

Wayne Isaacs, Founder and CEO of Green Stripe comments, "Partnering with HAVN provides us with a premium source of psilocybin, and we are looking forward to working with their science and development teams to further enhance the product offering to serve both the retail and psilocybin retreat markets in Jamaica and the entire Caribbean region." "This is a great opportunity to create unique and special products based on market demand and backed by top-tier science," he adds.

Havn Life's operations in Jamaica are facilitated by strategic partnerships with Hypha Wellness and P.A. Benjamin Manufacturing Company to provide cultivation and processing facilities for psilocybin containing mushrooms, solidifying relationships with local partners.

On Behalf of The Board of Directors

Tim Moore

Chief Executive Officer

About HAVN Life Sciences Inc.

HAVN Life Sciences is a biotechnology company pursuing standardized extraction of psychedelic compounds for the creation of APIs, the development of natural health products, and innovative therapies to support brain health and enhance the capabilities of the mind.

Through its research division, HAVN Labs, the company has developed an end-to-end supply chain of GMP naturally derived psychedelic compounds for research that will define the future of modern medicine. With its new line of natural health products, HAVN Life offers a full range of high-quality mushroom and plant extracts that help boost immune function, reduce inflammation and support a healthy lifestyle.

Purchase our products and find out more at yourhavnlife.com , and follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and Youtube .

About Green Stripe Naturals Ltd.

Green Stripe Naturals Ltd . was formed to take advantage of the tremendous worldwide opportunities in medicinal cannabis and has focused its efforts in developing premium cannabis cultivation, processing, R&D, transportation and dispensary assets in Jamaica, a country internationally renowned for its superior native cannabis.

Founder and CEO Wayne Isaacs is an award winning and internationally recognized Jamaican-Canadian businessman with a tremendous record of accomplishment over his 28-year international career specializing in developing businesses based in emerging and third world economies. The company's goal is to move quickly to solidify and extend its current position as a leader in the burgeoning legal Jamaican cannabis industry.

Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to statements regarding the supply agreement, the Company's business, products and future of the Company's business. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance and developments to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, the risk that the Company's products and plan will vary from those stated in this news release and the Company may not be able to carry out its business plans as expected. Except as required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation and does not intend to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information in this news release. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this press release.

SOURCE HAVN Life Sciences Inc.

For further information: Investor Relations: [email protected]; Media: [email protected]
OTTAWA, ON, June 6, 2022 /CNW/ - The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

The Honourable Denise LeBlanc, a Judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick, Trial Division, in Moncton, is appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick. Justice LeBlanc replaces Justice B.L. Baird, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective March 31, 2022.

Quote

"I wish Justice LeBlanc every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve the people of New Brunswick well as a member of the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick."

The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biography

Justice Denise LeBlanc was appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick in 2018. She received her law degree from the University of Moncton and was admitted to the New Brunswick bar in 1986. Fluently bilingual, she went on to practise law for 28 years, specializing in the areas of civil litigation and corporate commercial law. In 2004, she was appointed Queen's Counsel. She was a partner at the law firm of McInnes Cooper in Moncton when she was appointed to the Provincial Court of New Brunswick in 2016.

A dedicated member of the Law Society of New Brunswick, Justice LeBlanc served on several committees and was a lecturer at the Bar Admission Course for many years. She is a past president of the Canadian Bar Association (New Brunswick Division) and has held seats on the boards of organizations such as the Canadian Lawyers Insurance Association, the Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Hospital Foundation, Villa Providence, and Save the Children Canada.

Quick facts

At the Superior Court level, more than 540 judges have been appointed since November 2015 . These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada . Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.

. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens . Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2+, and those who self-identify as having a disability. The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 provides funding of $77.2 million over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in Alberta , Ontario , Nova Scotia , and Newfoundland and Labrador .

is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 provides funding of over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in , , , and and . Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.

The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.

play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented. Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016 .

. The Government of Canada is committed to promoting a justice system in which sexual assault matters are decided fairly, without the influence of myths and stereotypes, and in which survivors are treated with dignity and compassion. Changes to the Judges Act and Criminal Code that came into force on May 6, 2021 , mean that in order to be eligible for appointment to a provincial superior court, candidates must agree to participate in continuing education on matters related to sexual assault law and social context, which includes systemic racism and systemic discrimination. The new legislation enhances the transparency of decisions by amending the Criminal Code to require that judges provide written reasons, or enter them into the record, when deciding sexual assault matters.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

For further information: Media may contact: Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Justice, 613-992-6568, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]
OTTAWA, ON, June 6, 2022 /CNW/ -The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

Lia M. Bramwell, Assistant Crown Attorney at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario in Ottawa, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Cornwall. Justice Bramwell replaces Justice R.T. Leroy (Cornwall), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective July 9, 2021.

Julie Bergeron, a sole practitioner in Hawkesbury, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Cornwall. Justice Bergeron replaces Justice G.W.Tranmer (Kingston), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective March 28, 2022. The Chief Justice has transferred Justice L. Lacelle (Cornwall) into this vacancy. The vacancy is therefore located in Cornwall.

Jaye Hooper, Partner at Hooper Litigation in Ottawa, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Pembroke. Justice Hooper replaces Justice M. James (Pembroke), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective February 13, 2022.

Ian M. Carter, Partner at Bayne Sellar Ertel Carter in Ottawa, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Ottawa. Justice Carter replaces Justice S.J. Kershman (Ottawa), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective January 31, 2022.

Sharon E. Hassan, Managing Partner at Hassan Law in London, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, Family Court branch, in London. Justice Hassan replaces Justice V. Mitrow (London), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective February 1, 2022.

Quote

"I wish Justices Bramwell, Bergeron, Hooper, Carter and Hassan every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve the people of Ontario well as members of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario."

The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biographies

Justice Lia M. Bramwell grew up in the St. Thomas area and attended Central Elgin Collegiate Institute. She graduated with a B.A. (Hons.) from McMaster University in 1993 and an LL.B. from the University of Windsor in 1997. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1999.

Justice Bramwell worked throughout high school, university and law school in various settings with people with physical and developmental disabilities. She practised civil litigation in Toronto before becoming an assistant Crown attorney, first in Toronto and then in Ottawa. For over 20 years, she prosecuted criminal cases in the Ontario Court of Justice and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. She frequently contributed to legal education for Crown attorneys, police, defence counsel, law students and high school students. She was a member of the Ottawa committee of the Ontario Justice Education Network.

Justice Bramwell was a mentor in the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General's Crown Mentorship Program and the University of Ottawa's Courthouse Mentorship Program. She was a member of the Ontario Crown Attorneys' Association Committee for Diversity and Inclusion and a board member of Immigrant Women Services of Ottawa. She also volunteered with the Community Harvest Program for the Ottawa Food Bank.

In her free time, Justice Bramwell enjoys spending time with her two children and her partner, travelling and spending time in the beautiful outdoors of Ottawa and the surrounding area.

Justice Julie Bergeron was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2000. She started her own law firm under the name of L'Etude legale Julie Bergeron in her home town of Hawkesbury. Her law practice focused primarily on the areas of family law and real estate law. During her career, she also acted as an agent for the Family Responsibility Office, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Transportation, the Office of the Children's Lawyer, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. She also acted in municipal and criminal law matters and represented the interests of municipalities in Ontario. Since 2019, she has served as a deputy judge in Small Claims Court.

In her practice, Justice Bergeron argued cases in English and in French in trial courts, the Divisional Court and the Ontario Court of Appeal. She received the Heidi Levenson Polowin Award in 2018 and was named a special patron of the Children's Treatment Centre in Cornwall.

Justice Bergeron has also been involved in her community. She was a member of the Prescott and Russell Superior Court of Justice Liaison Committee, a member of the board of directors of the Centre York Centre, a supervised access centre, and a member of the ad hoc committee on family law of the Association des juristes d'expression francaise de l'Ontario.

Justice Jaye Hooper was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario. After completing her undergraduate degree in International Relations, she obtained her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor. Throughout her time at Windsor Law, she was involved with Community Legal Aid, becoming its Director of Finance in her final year. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2001.

Justice Hooper spent most of her career at a boutique Ottawa litigation firm before starting her own firm, Hooper Litigation, in 2015. She has represented both plaintiffs and defendants across a broad spectrum of litigation matters, including personal injury, employment, professional negligence, commercial, and construction law. She has acted as trial and appellate counsel at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada.

In addition to her practice, Justice Hooper has played an active role in Ontario's legal community. She is a past president of the County of Carleton Law Association and past chair of the Federation of Ontario Law Associations. She has been a frequent speaker at various legal conferences. In 2021, she was a contributor to the book, Autonomous Vehicles: Self-Driving Cars and the Law of Canada.

Justice Hooper enjoys writing, spending time at the family cottage, and traveling. She and her husband, Paul, are very proud of their four exceptional children.

Justice Ian M. Carter was born and raised in Kingston, Ontario. He received his B.A. from McGill University in 1995 and subsequently worked as a television reporter for several years before completing his LL.B. at Queen's University in 2002.

Justice Carter served as a law clerk at the British Columbia Court of Appeal following his graduation. He then practised criminal and civil law in Vancouver before joining the firm of Bayne Sellar Boxall in Ottawa in 2008. His practice has focused primarily on criminal law. He has conducted trials in multiple provinces and has argued numerous appeals at the Ontario Court of Appeal and at the Supreme Court of Canada. In addition to criminal defence, he has developed a practice representing complainants in sexual assault cases.

Justice Carter has published articles relating to issues in criminal law and has been a frequent lecturer for legal and judicial education programs. As a member of the executive of the Canadian Bar Association National Criminal Justice Section for many years, including as Chair from 2018 to 2019, he has made representations at Senate and parliamentary committee hearings on proposed legislation. He was the 2014 recipient of the Regional Senior Justice Award, given to a member of the County of Carleton Law Association who has made an outstanding contribution as a litigator or solicitor.

Justice Carter, an avid skier and mountain biker, enjoys travel and spending time with his family.

Justice Sharon E. Hassan is a first-generation Dutch farm girl, born in Meaford, Ontario, on the shores of beautiful Georgian Bay. From there, she pursued her first love  horses  at Humber College, Equine Studies. A summer job at a local law firm sparked her interest in law, and she went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Guelph and her Bachelor of Laws at the University of Western Ontario.

Justice Hassan began her career at Aston Berg Kennedy & Morrissey in London, where her mentor, David Aston (now Justice Aston), inspired a passion and respect for Family Law, which she followed for the next 29 years. In 1998, she joined her spouse, Hamoody Hassan, at his firm, Hassan Law, where she primarily practised Family Law and was passionate about mentoring students and young lawyers.

Justice Hassan's commitment to community service began in Law School, where she received the Greta Grant Award for Community Legal Services. She has continued to serve her community through her support and involvement in numerous organizations, including the Canadian Hearing Society, the London Abused Women's Centre, Indwell London and Forest City Community Church.

Justice Hassan and her spouse are the proud parents of a 19-year-old daughter and Hamoody's two children, who work alongside her at Hassan Law. In her spare time she can be found skating the ponds or hiking the trails in the lovely coves bordering her home in south London.

Quick facts

At the Superior Court level, more than 540 judges have been appointed since November 2015 . These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada . Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.

. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens . Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of visible minorities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2+, and those who self-identify as having a disability. The Government of Canada is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 provides funding of $77.2 million over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in Alberta , Ontario , Nova Scotia , and Newfoundland and Labrador .

is committed to promoting access to justice for all Canadians. To improve outcomes for Canadian families, Budget 2018 provides funding of over four years to support the expansion of unified family courts, beginning in 2019-2020. This investment in the family justice system will create 39 new judicial positions in , , , and and . Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.

The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.

play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented. Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016 .

. The Government of Canada is committed to promoting a justice system in which sexual assault matters are decided fairly, without the influence of myths and stereotypes, and in which survivors are treated with dignity and compassion. Changes to the Judges Act and Criminal Code that came into force on May 6, 2021 , mean that in order to be eligible for appointment to a provincial superior court, candidates must agree to participate in continuing education on matters related to sexual assault law and social context, which includes systemic racism and systemic discrimination. The new legislation enhances the transparency of decisions by amending the Criminal Code to require that judges provide written reasons, or enter them into the record, when deciding sexual assault matters.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

For further information: Media may contact: Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Justice, 613-992-6568, [email protected]; Media Relations: Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]
New potential therapy to promote the regeneration of damaged myelin in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Optic Neuritis (ON)

3 million people are living with MS worldwide  1 million living in North America

MS is a major public health issue with a global drugs market estimated at $28 billion in 20282

MONTREAL and STRASBOURG, France, June 7, 2022 /CNW/ - Find Therapeutics Inc. (Montreal, Quebec) and SATT Conectus (Strasbourg, France) have signed an exclusive worldwide license to develop a promising therapy for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Optic Neuritis (ON) based on a new class of compounds. Promising preclinical data show that this innovative therapy, by overcoming the molecular barriers of myelin regeneration, could restore myelin function. For MS patients, it is the hope of being able to stabilise the disease by slowing down physical disability or even accelerate functional recovery.

Multiple sclerosis is a major public health issue with more than 1 million people living with MS in North America and almost 3 million people globally struggle with the disease each day. According to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Canada has one of the highest MS rates in the world with 1 in every 400 people affected.

People diagnosed with this progressive autoimmune disease experience worsening symptoms over time as the patient's own immune system attacks and destroys myelin that envelops and protects elements of neurons in the central nervous system. Usually, the body can partially rebuild the damaged myelin, but this process is slow and becomes less efficient as the disease worsens resulting in irreparable nerve damage and progressive disability. People with MS suffer a diminished quality of life and often die from complications of their disease. MS can also affect the eye with most MS patients experiencing ON at some time in the course of their disease.

With this new therapeutic approach, Find Therapeutics will use its new generation of compounds that selectively target the regeneration of damaged myelin in MS which helps protect neurons and keeps them functioning normally. Initial preclinical pharmacology studies, funded by SATT Conectus, have demonstrated very encouraging results, delivering increased myelin and better function after treatment.

"These results are a major step forward," said Dr. Philippe DOUVILLE, CEO of Find Therapeutics. "A new therapy promoting remyelination in MS and other diseases involving demyelination would be tremendously beneficial to patients and of great interest to the medical community. We are actively advancing the program in preclinical studies and expect to initiate the first human clinical studies when given the authorization by regulatory agencies."

This new therapeutic approach is the result of several years of research under the direction of Prof. Dominique BAGNARD3 in the Laboratory of Myelin Biopathology, Neuroprotection and Therapeutic Strategies (Inserm U1119- University of Strasbourg, France) which is part of the Institut du Medicament de Strasbourg.

"We combined our extensive expertise in developmental neurobiology and our unique drug design approach to demonstrate the therapeutic benefit of antagonizing inhibitory factors controlling demyelination and remyelination in several experimental models of MS," said Prof. BAGNARD. "This research is the result of a relentless scientific investment over more than 10 years during which we had to disentangle the mechanism of action of our therapeutic concept while developing a set of companion assays to obtain the right drug with the expected impact and best safety profile."

Find Therapeutics was launched in 2020 with investments from CTI Life Sciences, along with partner adMare BioInnovations, and two Strasbourg-based biotechnology companies (Domain Therapeutics and Peptimimesis Pharma). Find Therapeutics decided at the end of 2021 to acquire the exclusive license to develop this cutting-edge technology developed by Prof. BAGNARD's team, with the support of SATT Conectus.

"Conectus has invested in this innovative project to optimize this therapeutic tool and demonstrate its pharmacological efficacy," said Caroline DREYER, President of SATT Conectus. "Thanks to our network we have been able to attract biotech startup Find Therapeutics who expressed interest in this exciting program. This is a nice example of technology transfer resulting from synergy between industry, an academic research team, and the SATT Conectus. Find Therapeutics and Prof. Dominique BAGNARD's team are launched on a collaboration dedicated to advancing this innovative technology that could one day be accessible to patients."

ABOUT Find Therapeutics ( Montreal, Canada )

Find Therapeutics, is dedicated to the development of next generation trans-membrane allosteric modulators to treat rare and inflammatory diseases. The company was launched with investments from CTI Life Sciences, adMare BioInnovations, Domain Therapeutics and Peptimimesis Pharma. https://www.findtherapeutics.com

ABOUT SATT Conectus ( Strasbourg, France )

SATT Conectus is the main entry point for business partners and companies to access all the innovations and capabilities from public research in Alsace, one of the top ranked territories for the excellence of research in France. Thanks to its investment fund, SATT Conectus offers advanced, applicative technologies whose proof of concept has been established, and ready to industrialise. Another type of collaboration allows companies to co-develop high potential innovative projects with public research, in order to tailor them to their specific needs.

www.conectus.fr/en

ABOUT THE LABORATORY OF MYELIN BIOPATHOLOGY, NEUROPROTECTION, AND THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES ( Strasbourg, France )

This INSERM research unit is dedicated to translational research focused on myelin diseases. Researchers and clinicians work in close collaboration to conduct projects with strong clinical relevance. Being one of the founding teams of the Institut du Medicament de Strasbourg, the team of Prof. Dominique Bagnard benefits from an ideal technical and conceptual environment aggregating chemists and biologists specialized in drug design. From high-risk to high-potential research projects, the IMS is a powerful research instrument to foster innovation.

https://ims.unistra.fr/

__________________________ 1 SATT: Societe d'Acceleration du Transfert de Technologies/ Tech Transfer Acceleration Company: www.conectus.fr

2 Global Data  March 2022

3 Today, Head of ESBS and Team Director at the CNRS UMRS7242

SOURCE Find Therapeutics

For further information: PRESS CONTACT: Gino Calabretta, Senior Manager, Communications, adMare BioInnovations, [email protected], Tel.438.998.2676
Nonalignment points us toward a safer, more peaceful future.

by Claudia Webbe

War and racism have always been violently, tragically inseparable. For centuries, the most devastating and brutal conflicts in the world have been driven by destructive notions of racial superiority and murderous assertions of ethnic differences.

Russias invasion of Ukraine is abhorrent and deeply concerning. It is an unprovoked, unjustifiable outrage and a heinous violation of international law that will have long-lasting and tragic consequences. The Russian aggression, military bombardment, and deployment of troops to Ukraine should end immediately.

No good can ever come from war and military escalation. As Globetrotter journalist Vijay Prashad said at the Peoples Forum in February, War is never good for the poor. War is never good for workers. War itself is a crime. The international community needs to redouble its efforts to find a diplomatic solution that ensures peace and protects the lives of people in Ukraine and in other countries afflicted by war.

Racism and Wars

The ubiquity of support for Ukraine, especially by Western states, holds up a mirror to show how, through the prism of racism, some conflicts, wars, and incidences of mass suffering are seen as more important and deserving of sympathy than others. There have been numerous instances of journalists expressing shock that the appalling images of suffering from Ukraine are taking place in a European country with a majority white population. This was expressed by NBC News London correspondent Kelly Cobiella, who said: To put it bluntly, these are not refugees from Syria; these are refugees from neighboring Ukraine These are Christians; theyre white. Theyre very similar [to us]. Echoing this explicit reference to race, Ukraines former Deputy Chief Prosecutor David Sakvarelidze told the BBC: Its very emotional for me because I see European people with blue eyes and blond hair being killed.

If we contrast this to the dehumanizing language used to describe nonwhite refugees, asylum-seekers, and victims of warsuch as former British Prime Minister David Camerons description of refugees as a swarma very worrying picture emerges about the inherent racism in how crises are reported, discussed, and responded to by the media, leaders, and the public across the world. This othering of nonwhite, non-European people serves to diminish their suffering. We should oppose the unjustifiable trauma of people in Ukraine as vehemently as we do the suffering of victims of conflicts in Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries suffering from the evils of war.

The media organizations and the UK government need to recognize that every theater of conflict is deserving of both our solidarity and our compassion. The UK government should therefore provide safe passage and refuge for displaced people, refugees, and asylum-seekers arriving from Ukraine as well as all other theaters of conflict across the globe. The UK governments ongoing hypocrisy is clear to see with the abhorrent Rwanda offshore processing plan and the anti-refugee Nationality and Borders Act of 2022, which provides for drastic changes in Britains asylum system. These policies should be scrapped immediately.

Long Tradition of Nonalignment

On March 2, 2022, the United Nations held a vote on a motion condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine. This was supported by 141 of the 193 member states, with just five statesRussia, Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea, and Syriavoting against it. To understand why 35 states, which are overwhelmingly former colonies from the Global South, abstained from voting on the motion, it is vital to consider the long tradition of nonalignment based on which these states are acting.

The Bandung Conference of 1955 is rightly considered one of the most important meetings in human history, as it was a hugely inspiring global gathering of formerly colonized people and was a strong assertion of Pan-Africanism and anti-imperialist solidarity. The conference also helped to popularize the Non-Aligned Movement, which was an effort to counterbalance the rapid polarization of the world during the Cold War, whereby two major powers formed blocs and embarked on a policy to pull the rest of the world into their orbits. One of these blocs was the pro-Soviet, communist bloc united under the Warsaw Pact, and the other was the pro-American, capitalist group of countries, many of which were members of NATO. Millions of civilians died during the proxy wars between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the second half of the 20th century, and the ever-present threat of nuclear annihilation hung like the sword of Damocles over the entire planet.

Nonalignment points us toward a safer, more peaceful future. In 1961, drawing on the principles agreed to at the Bandung Conference of 1955, the Non-Aligned Movement was formally established in Belgrade, then part of Yugoslavia. Today, the Non-Aligned Movement includes 120 countries, representing nearly two-thirds of the United Nations members, which are home to 55 percent of the worlds population. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana and a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement, famously said, We face neither East nor West; we face forward.

While the Non-Aligned Movement developed during the geopolitics of the Cold War, it was founded and has endured on the recognition that no good can ever come from war and that violent conflicts, colonialism, and racism have always been closely intertwined. For instance, of the 35 countries that abstained from voting on March 2, 17 were African nations that for centuries suffered the violent extraction of colonialism. The abstention was far from a reflection of support for Russias invasion. It was an assertion of pacifism made by countries that for centuries have lived under the abominable racist outcomes of colonial warfare.

Across the world, instances of appalling murder and violence at the hands of the British state have been erased from our present-day memory of the empire. The time has come for former colonial states to apologize for and take seriously the historical debt that they owe to the countries, communities, and individuals who endured their cruelty. A revitalized Non-Aligned Movement, guided by the principles of pacifism, justice, and international cooperation, could help rebalance the scales of global politics away from racist wars and toward a future of peace.

This article was produced by the Morning Star and Globetrotter.

Claudia Webbe is a member of the UK Parliament representing Leicester East. You can follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @ClaudiaWebbe.
The first rare disease policy in Canada aims to provide a holistic approach to managing rare diseases in Quebec

TORONTO, June 7, 2022 /CNW/ - Takeda Canada Inc. ("Takeda Canada"), a values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader, committed to discovering and delivering life-transforming treatments, welcomes Quebec's first policy for rare diseases. This policy is an important first step in acknowledging the unique complexities faced by Quebecers living with rare diseases and the changes needed to ensure ensure patients have access to the care and treatments they deserve.

"We congratulate the Quebec government on working with stakeholders, including the innovative biopharmaceutical sector, to develop a policy that will provide, once fully implemented, a holistic approach to improving care for those living with rare diseases," said Rute Fernandes, General Manager, Takeda Canada. "Addressing the gaps in rare diseases, such as improved screening, timely diagnosis, data collection, supporting the development of innovative treatments, and patient and caregiver support are paramount to a long-term and sustainable approach to rare diseases. We look forward to the work of the advisory committee and offer our collaboration in the development of the Action Plan expected later this year."

Takeda Canada was pleased to participate in Quebec's consultation process on rare diseases. In 2021, Takeda Canada released the Strategies for Rare Diseases: International Landscape Report. Takeda's longstanding commitment to Drugs for Rare Diseases (DRD) and extensive global footprint provides a unique opportunity to assess and summarize best practices on how different countries have developed their own tailored approaches to expediting and expanding access to new treatments for rare diseases.

About Takeda Canada Inc.

Takeda Canada Inc. is the Canadian organization of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE: 4502/NYSE: TAK), a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to discovering and delivering life-transforming treatments, guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Genetics and Hematology, Neuroscience, and Gastroenterology (GI). We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries and regions. For more information, visit: takeda.com/en-ca

SOURCE Takeda Canada Inc.

For further information: Media Contacts: Amanda Jacobs, [email protected], +1 647-798-2231
VANCOUVER, BC, June 7, 2022 /CNW/ - The Newswire  Vida Carbon Corp. ("Vida Carbon" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the signing of an Emission Reduction Purchase Agreement with Core CarbonX Solutions Pvt Ltd ("CCX"), an established climate and sustainability consulting firm based in India. Vida Carbon's investment will be used to generate carbon offset credits by improving the cultivation and water management practices of rice farmers in the Indian state of Telangana (the "Project").

Transaction Highlights:

US$8.5 million investment to implement a four-phase Project over 100,000 hectares (ha) of rice fields in Telangana.

investment to implement a four-phase Project over 100,000 hectares (ha) of rice fields in Telangana. 5.4 million carbon offsets are estimated to be generated by Project activities.

Each of phases 1&2 of the Project will cover 20,000 ha, and phases 3&4 will each cover 30,000 ha of rice fields.

Vida Carbon will receive 35% of credits generated in phases 1 and 2 and 25% to 32.5% of credits generated in phases 3 and 4 pursuant to the market price at the time of sale.

will receive 35% of credits generated in phases 1 and 2 and 25% to 32.5% of credits generated in phases 3 and 4 pursuant to the market price at the time of sale. Participating farmers will receive a percentage of revenue from the sale of carbon credits, making them direct participants in the Project's success.

Global rice production accounts for 8-12% of human generated methane. Flooded fields where rice is cultivated create an ideal environment for the decomposition of organic material, which leads to the generation of methane, a greenhouse gas 27x more potent than CO 2 . Farmers in Telangana incur no cost in respect of the water or electricity consumption required for cultivation, creating little financial incentive to optimize water consumption. Vida Carbon's investment will be used to train farmers in water management best practices and equip them with the tools required to accurately measure and regulate the water levels in fields. These practices are expected to reduce flooding, minimize organic decomposition and decrease methane emissions while maintaining crop yield.

The Project accomplishes six United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including a reduction in water usage of 15% to 25%, providing economic gains to participating farmers, strengthening local entrepreneurial networks, and reducing fuel consumption.

Jamie Keech, Executive Chairman of Vida Carbon, commented "Vida Carbon invests in scalable, impactful projects led by proven operators with the potential for strong financial returns. Investment in rice-field water management technology is an innovative approach to generating high quality carbon offset credits with the potential for a significant positive impact in the lives of local farmers. We are pleased to be partnering with CCX, who have repeatedly proven themselves leaders in the sector."

Niroj Mohanty, Managing Director of Core CarbonX, added "For over 14 years, CCX has led exceptional climate sustainability initiatives across 12 countries, including India. We are excited to partner with Vida Carbon in helping the farmer community of Suryapet District, Telangana, implement sustainable rice farming practices. As a result of the excellent outcomes and farmers' feedback under our ongoing pilot phase, more farmers are eagerly looking forward to the Project. We believe this Project to be highly scalable with the potential to deliver meaningful benefits to rice farmers in the Project areas. We appreciate the support of Vida Carbon and look forward to a continued mutually beneficial partnership".

This is the second streaming transaction Vida Carbon has undertaken with CCX, having previously signed a definitive agreement to deploy fuel efficient cookstoves that will reduce emissions in low-income communities in Odisha, India.

About Vida Carbon Corp.

Vida Carbon is a leading carbon credit royalty & streaming company focused on financing high quality sustainable carbon credit projects globally. Vida Carbon is well capitalized and growing rapidly. Vida's portfolio of carbon credit generating assets are diversified across jurisdiction and project type and are operated by highly experienced and reputable project developers.

The Company's mission is to build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with carbon credit operators and developers in exchange for exposure to the future value created through the production of carbon credits. All projects supported by Vida Carbon bring economic and social benefits to the regions in which they operate.

About Core CarbonX

Core CarbonX is a climate and sustainability consulting organization that has worked with businesses and communities across a number of Asian and African countries for over 14 years. CCX uses its expertise, knowledge, and technology in carbon emission reduction programs to incorporate ideas into sustainable business practices for enterprises, governments, and organizations concerned about climate change.

The diverse portfolio of CCX's Clean Development Mechanism and Verified Carbon Standard initiatives has helped customers address the uncertainties of climate change while building and maintaining trust, innovating, and paving the road for a more equitable and sustainable future.

ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY:

Jamie Keech

Executive Chairman, Vida Carbon

[email protected]

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

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WEST HARTFORD  A lawsuit was filed Monday seeking to stop the Board of Education from renaming the Hall High School and Conard High School mascots.

The lawsuit was filed by residents Scott Zweig and Mary McGowan a day before the Board of Education planned to reveal and vote on the newly chosen team names for both schools. The item is on the agenda for Tuesday nights meeting.

The Board of Education voted on Feb. 1 to discontinue the use of the Chieftain and Warrior nicknames. That decision came seven years after the Board had decided to keep the names, but remove all Native American imagery.

The vote, the board said, was pulling the town in line with Public Act 21-2, which would deny any school funding from the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund who uses any name, symbol or image that depicts, refers to or is associated with a state or federally recognized Native American tribe or a Native American individual, custom or tradition, as a mascot, nickname, logo or team name.

Zweig, who is an attorney, contends in his lawsuit that the process in which the Board of Education voted to change the team names contained numerous procedural and substantive flaws.

In a letter to the board dated May 16, Zweig asked the district to rescind its Feb. 1 vote to change the names. In the letter, he claimed the board violated four policies. Those include a policy, which Zweig said permits the use of the Chieftain and Warrior nicknames and an educational equity policy. Another policy cited by Zweig said the board needed to hold two public hearings on the subject, as the vote substantively amends an existing policy.

Corporation Counsel Dallas Dodge responded to that letter on May 25, saying Zweigs arguments were specious.

It is not worthwhile to engage in a point-by-point rebuttal, Dodge wrote in the letter to Zweig. Suffice to say, there is no existing board policy that requires the use of the name Chieftain or Warrior at either public high school.

You are simply incorrect, however, with regard to your assertion that the decision was unlawful or procedurally improper, Dodge continued.

Zweig said in his lawsuit that the cost of renaming the two schools will likely exceed the estimated $27,820 that the town of West Hartford is scheduled to receive from the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund next fiscal year.

He also referenced the May 3 Board of Education meeting where Chief Richard Velky of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation said he approved of the town keeping the team names.

Critically ... the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, one of Connecticuts five recognized Native American Tribal Nations, ... approves the respectful use of names, images and symbols that recognize the history and culture of Native Americans, the lawsuit said. This resolution allows West Hartford to comply with Public Act 21-2 and still receive the funding from the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund.

In an emailed statement, Dodge said Zweigs lawsuit is without merit.

The West Hartford Board of Education has received a so-called Notice of Violation from Attorney Scott Zweig as well as a lawsuit filed by him demanding that the Board of Education rescind its decision to discontinue the use of the Chieftain and Warrior names at our two public high schools, Dodge wrote. Attorney Zweigs alleged procedural grievances are without merit  the decision was properly adopted by the board, and it is consistent with local, state and federal policies concerning equity and diversity. Despite Attorney Zweigs claims to the contrary, there is no court order barring the school district from moving forward with the name changes.

A Superior Court judge has set a virtual hearing for July 7 at 10 a.m.
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BRASILIA, Brazil (AP)  U.S. President Joe Biden became concerned that his Brazilian counterpart was going to skip this weeks summit in Los Angeles, so he dispatched a close adviser to personally deliver the invitation to Jair Bolsonaro.

The gesture was met with a demand, according to three of the Brazilian leader's Cabinet ministers.

Bolsonaro said he would attend the Summit of the Americas only if Biden granted him a private meeting and also refrained from confronting him over some of the most contentious issues between the two men, the officials told The Associated Press.

He didnt want any criticism over deforestation in the Amazon or warnings about his questioning of the Brazilian electoral system's reliability as he prepares to campaign for another term, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak publicly.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department did not address questions about the requested preconditions.

Whether or not Biden bites his tongue, the demand is a reminder of the gap between the two leaders as they prepare for their first one-on-one meeting, which two ministers from Bolsonaro's government said was expected to take place Thursday. The White House has not said when the meeting will happen.

Bolsonaros attendance at the summit may help Biden contain embarrassment over some leaders staying away, partly in a dispute over not all the region's nations being invited to the conference, which is being hosted by the U.S. for the first time since the inaugural event in 1994.

But Bolsonaro's appearance may also be a source of friction. Ignoring Bolsonaro's unrelenting barrage of criticism for Brazil's election system may be untenable for Biden, who has said promoting democratic institutions at home and abroad, is a core part of his administration.

I dont think theres any way around it," said Ted Piccone, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who works on Latin America issues. If Biden says nothing about this issue, it will look bad for him and his democracy agenda in the region and at home.

As a far-right ally of former President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro was among the worlds last heads of state to recognize Bidens election victory. More recently, Bolsonaro accused Biden of snubbing him at a summit of world leaders in Rome last year, saying: He went by as if I did not exist.

While Biden ran for president two years ago, he criticized Brazil for rising deforestation in the Amazon. After Biden took office, Bolsonaros administration worked to demonstrate commitment to reining in the destruction. Efforts included stepping up its pledges at the U.N. climate talks in Glasgow and regular bilateral meetings with U.S. authorities.

But those conversations stalled as data showed continued deforestation. The most recent annual reading was the worst in 15 years.

This is really heading in the wrong direction, Piccone said. If Biden can get Bolsonaro to stop the damage, that would be a win.

Brazil is the hemispheres second most populous democracy after the U.S., and Bolsonaros positioning ahead of his reelection campaign has raised alarm at home and in Washington.

He will be running against his political nemesis, leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. While Bolsonaro has fervent support among his base, early polls say da Silva is leading handily before October's election. The campaign officially starts in August, though both Bolsonaro and da Silva are already holding rallies.

Bolsonaro insists polls dont reflect the true scope of his support, and he has sown doubt about the electronic voting machines employed in every Brazilian election since 1996. He says the electoral authority lacks transparency and accuses some of its members of being biased against him.

Analysts and opposition lawmakers say they worry Bolsonaro is laying the groundwork to reject election results should he fail to secure a second term, and follow Trumps example in encouraging supporters to back a tropical version of the U.S. Capitol riot. He has said repeatedly that only God can remove him from the presidency.

Democracy in the country is no longer just a domestic issue, the electoral authority's president, Luiz Edson Fachin, said in an interview with foreign correspondents on Tuesday. Brazils democracy is of interest to Brazil but also South America, Latin America and all democractic countries in the world.

In a meeting last July at the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, CIA Director William Burns told two of Bolsonaros ministers that the president should stop attacking the electoral system, said two officials who were present at the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Brazils presidential palace did not respond to a request for comment about the tenor of the Burns meeting. The CIA declined to comment.

Burns warning didnt prevent Bolsonaro, just two months later, from pushing Brazil to the brink of an institutional crisis when he rallied supporters to protest against the Supreme Court and told the assembled masses he would no longer heed rulings from one of its justices. Ultimately, he backtracked and said his comments had come in the heat of the moment.

Months went by without further attacks. Recently, though, he has returned to his heated rhetoric.

If need be, we will go to war, the president told a crowd Friday during a speech in Parana. I want the people by my side, conscious of what they are doing and for whom they are fighting.

He keeps preparing a coup, Sen. Renan Calheiros told AP by phone. The political parties need to remain prepared, support the Supreme Court that is the countrys great bulwark, and keep institutions strong, calling the attention of the world.

Calheiros is one of eight senators participating in an informal watchdog group that this year has been meeting to discuss Bolsonaros comments and the traction they receive among civilians, police and military. The group also includes Supreme Court justices and members of the electoral authority, Calheiros said.

The U.S. has confidence in Brazils electoral system, Juan Gonzalez, the National Security Councils senior director for the Western Hemisphere, told reporters Wednesday.

But he didn't say if the issue would be raised when Biden and Bolsonaro have their bilateral meeting. He said they would address global topics, citing as possibilities food security, health security and economic actions in response to the pandemic.

If Biden doesnt push Bolsonaro to respect election results, he risks legitimizing the Brazilian leaders recent challenging of authorities, Brazilian political analyst Thomas Traumann said.

I only see downside for Biden, Traumann, whose uncle was a top aide for Biden, said by phone.

He noted that the Summit of the Americas is supposed to promote democracy, but Biden is going to be in a photo beside President Bolsonaro, and that doesnt guarantee that he will accept the election results.

Bolsonaro, for his part, can use the meeting to head off criticism at home that he is isolated internationally and lacks access to the U.S. president, said Rubens Barbosa, a former Brazilian ambassador to Washington who is president of the Institute of International Relations and Foreign Trade, a Sao Paulo-based think tank.

Bolsonaro has not held many bilateral meetings in his three years as president. He met with Trump in 2019 and 2020 during visits to Washington and Mar-a-Lago, and in the weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, Bolsonaro met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow and later with Hungarian leader Viktor Orban in Budapest.

___

Megerian reported from Washington. AP writer Diane Jeantet contributed from Rio de Janeiro.
With protests planned for Saturday after the mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Buffalo, New York, gun control advocates hope to intensify pressure on Congress to pass laws and additional funding for research to help curb the growing violence.

And they say they're prepared to use philanthropic money and their own fundraising to support their advocacy until public attention forces meaningful changes.

Noah Lumbantobing, a spokesman for March for Our Lives, says he's seen the strategy succeed before.

After the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, that killed 17, students formed the anti-gun violence group and led mass protests across the country. In response, former President Donald Trump's administration banned bump stocks, which was the accessory a shooter used to kill scores at a country music festival in Las Vegas the previous year.

Trump is not our friend  we know that, Lumbantobing said, speaking through the din of protests outside the National Rifle Association convention in Houston last month. Hes not our political ally, but the temperature in the country got so high he couldnt ignore us.

This time, March for Our Lives and other gun control groups plan to mobilize supporters to push Congress to require universal background checks, pass red flag laws allowing guns to be confiscated in certain cases and raise the age limit to buy certain guns.

All that said, they recognize that political leaders have not delivered meaningful action on gun control in America.

If it wasnt for the movement, I would not have any faith in politicians, Lumbantobing, 26, who is based in New York, told The Associated Press. But given that the movement is so strong and its so clear that it is so strong, I think something will happen.

In a speech last week, President Joe Biden proposed numerous reforms, including restoring a ban on the sale of assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as implementing background checks and red flag laws. At the same time, he made clear he recognizes that Republican opposition makes it unlikely that most of those changes will become law.

I know how hard it is," he said. "But Ill never give up. And if Congress fails, I believe this time a majority of the American people wont give up either."

Surveys show that the Republican resistance to gun control doesn't reflect the views of a majority of Americans. Most U.S. adults think mass shootings would occur less often if guns were harder to get and believe that schools and other public places have become less safe than they were two decades ago, polling finds.

Nonprofits, community groups and advocacy organizations say they have gained insight into why gun violence occurs and how to reduce it, including interventions that dont require legislation.

Increasing funding for research, investing in frontline organizations working to prevent gun violence, donating to advocacy groups and taking part in mass movements, advocates say, can help reduce shooting deaths and injuries.

Though gun violence is among the leading causes of death in the U.S., Congress has allocated little funding over the years to study it. Research about gun violence was effectively halted in 1996 by an amendment to a federal spending bill. That suspension was reversed in 2018 after the Parkland shooting. Congress allocated $25 million to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health to fund gun violence research.

That 20-year gap in federal funding means that gun violence has received less study than have other major deadly public health issues like car crashes, smoking or HIV, according to Andrew Morral, director of the National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research.

We dont have great data," said Morral, a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. We dont have a big cadre of researchers working on this.

Last year, Arnold Ventures and The Joyce Foundation commissioned an analysis to find out how much it would cost the government to fund research and collect data about gun violence. Their conclusion: $600 million over five years.

Were not talking about $10, and were not talking about $25 billion; this is a solvable issue, said Asheley Van Ness, a director at Arnold Ventures who oversees gun violence research. Other donors besides the federal government could help contribute.

Philanthropy plays a unique role in American public policy as catalysts for change, often laying a path forward that government can follow, Van Ness said.

Responding to a jump in gun homicides in 2020, the Biden administration allowed municipalities to direct funds from the American Rescue Plan last June toward gun violence reduction strategies, including community violence intervention programs.

The administration also partnered with about a dozen foundations to build the capacity of community violence intervention programs in 15 cities, including Los Angeles, Washington and St. Louis. The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention, which supports shooting victims while theyre recovering and encourages them and their relatives not to retaliate, is providing training and technical help to the initiative.

Jason Corburn, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has done evaluations for a violence interruption organization, Advance Peace, which started in Richmond, California, and now works in multiple cities across the country.

Advance Peace's programs rely on mentors who are knowledgeable about their communities and often have been involved in and imprisoned for gun crimes. Their personal histories give them credibility with the people most likely to be involved in gun violence. But it also means that local governments can be reluctant to fund their employment.

Thats where I think philanthropy can step in and provide that kind of support, Corburn said.

A decade ago, the Joyce Foundation launched a funding collaborative, the Fund for a Safer Future, which pools resources for reducing gun violence. Scott Moyer, president of the Jacob & Valeria Langeloth Foundation and member of the fund's executive committee, says it allows foundations or large donors who are interested but don't have close connections or a deep understanding of gun violence to make an impact.

The fund also donates to organizations that help defend gun regulations and that advocate for policies  something Moyer said is permissible despite restrictions that bar nonprofits from participating in political lobbying.

The fund also allows donors who wish to be anonymous the chance to participate. Still, he suggested, it's better to speak out against gun violence and visibly support funding solutions.

Some people see that gun violence issues are too political," Moyer said. And I would push back on that and just say, People are dying.'

____

This story corrects the spelling of Jason Corburn's last name. It is not Coburn.

____

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
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NEW HAVEN  Heiwa Salovitz could always be seen in his powered wheelchair at the Sunday Vigil for Peace and Justice on Broadway or at the city May Day celebrations, calling for justice and rights for people with disabilities.

At a certain point, he got restless. New Haven wasnt active enough for him on disability rights, said his friend and fellow activist Frank Panzarella. So in 2010, Salovitz moved to Austin, Texas, where ADAPT  American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today  was more active.

That is where he died Jan. 3 at age 52. A memorial service was held there in January, but another will be held Saturday to remember a man who, Panzarella said, was always about respecting everybody.

Panzarella said another reason Salovitz, who was born with cerebral palsy, decided to move west was the New England winters, which arent friendly to people in wheelchairs. Too many sidewalks arent shoveled, too many curb cuts arent cleared, Panzarella said.

Salovitz was continually fighting  testifying, demonstrating  for better enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act. So much of that has really never been enforced and so much more needs to be done, Panzarella said. Half the buildings arent accessible.

He got arrested umpteen times with ADAPT, said another friend and activist, Elaine Kolb of West Haven. Kolb said Salovitz was hit by a car more than once. He never got bitter and he never went for revenge, she said. Ive known a lot of people with a lot of different disabilities and I can say this: Heiwa Salovitz was, and I say still is, one of my most admired, favorite humans ever.

Panzarella said Salovitz had a great sense of humor. One year, a group went to First Night in Milford, but it was almost over by the time they arrived and Salovitzs wheelchair was running low on power. We plugged him into the Christmas tree and sat there and had a great time, Panzarella said.

Salovitz, born Jewish, became a Muslim. He was a person with a strong heart, said Jimmy Jones, a member of Masjid al-Islam on George Street. He was a person with a strong heart, Jones said.

He said he thought Islam answered some of the questions about why people suffer, what do we do with suffering? While most members of Masjid al-Islam are Black or immigrants, even though he was neither, he fit very well, Jones said. He was one of us from the day he took Shahadah [the Muslim profession of faith] until the day he died.

Salovitz also was a member of the Greater New Haven Coalition for People and the New Haven initiatives of Amman Imman (Water is Life), which works to lift up African leaders, according to his friends.

Kolb said Salovitz was born in the Haight Ashbury section of San Francisco in 1969 to Simon Salovitz and Dee LeDoux, and was raised by his grandmother Elaine Harris, who survives, and her husband, Richard Harris, in Wallingford. His obituary lists four siblings, Charlie, Robin, Amy and Larry.

The memorial will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday in the community room at John Prete Savin Rock Housing, 1187 Campbell Ave., West Haven. Masks are required. To RSVP or for more information, email Joan Cavanagh at joan.cavanagh@gmail.com or Kolb at DREAMprod4U@webtv.net.

edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382
Despite five years of advance notice that Connecticut towns would have to submit affordable housing plans by June 1, less than half of them made the deadline.

The deadline  established by a 2017 law that requires such plans every five years marked an important date for affordable housing advocates in Connecticut.

As of Thursday, just 46% of the states towns had submitted plans to the Office of Policy and Management. Nineteen percent of the towns proactively notified the office that they wouldnt meet the deadline and provided an anticipated date.

The state Office of Policy and Management plans to determine appropriate next steps for reminding the delinquent municipalities of their responsibility, spokesman Chris Collibee said.

But there didnt seem to be much appetite for zoning reform during the recent legislative session, either  not a single bill aimed at solving the problems made it to the governors desk, and advocates are now planning their next steps.

Much of the opposition to zoning reform bills was centered on arguments that statewide reform would dilute local control. Opponents argued that towns were already working on their own plans and that legislators should wait to see the results before passing laws to mandate reform.

So the legislative session closed with no major zoning reform in a state that lacks tens of thousands of housing units that are needed to meet the demand from its lowest-income residents.

Advocates, legislators and analysts said zoning reform bills failed this session in part because of the short session, opposition based in local control arguments and a lack of understanding of what zoning reform would mean for Connecticut.

As legislators and advocates plan another push for land-use reform, education that attempts to address misconceptions around proposed bills, existing laws and types of housing developments will be a focus as they prepare for the next legislative session.

Legislators said they agree that the state needs more affordable housing.

The fact of the matter to this day is we do not have enough housing in the state of Connecticut. Period, said Rep. Quentin Williams, D-Middletown, co-chair of the housing committee.

The bills

The bills  House Bills 5429 and 5204  sought to tackle what experts have long said are restrictive local zoning laws. These laws make it harder for developers to build multifamily housing, particularly in many of Connecticuts suburban towns.

DesegregateCT, a group that pushed for transit-oriented development, is a program of the Regional Plan Association. Transit-oriented development is a land use concept that encourages development near public transit stations.

During the legislative session, lawmakers considered a bill that would have required towns to allow denser housing  at least 15 units per acre  within a half mile of a passenger, commuter rail or bus rapid transit station. Certain types of land such as wetlands and steep slopes would have been exempt.

The bill died in committee.

The other major piece of zoning reform legislation last session would have required the states Office of Policy and Management to assess the need for affordable housing regionally in Connecticut. Then, towns would share the responsibility to plan and zone for that need.

A towns share would have been determined by its wealth, median income compared to nearby towns, percentage of housing stock thats multifamily, and the poverty rate. That bill was voted out of committee, but didnt get a vote on the House or Senate floors.

In argument against both bills, opponents said the reforms would have hindered local control and imposed one-size-fits-all solutions on municipalities.

What happened

Zoning reform met resistance, much of which stemmed from Fairfield County, said Rep. Joe Polletta, a Waterbury Republican and ranking member of the Housing Committee. Theres not enough support on either side of the aisle to pass such a bill, he said.

The folks that have been opposed to the bill want to keep local control of zoning, and the bill has not given them that option, said Polletta.

Opponents have cited local control and decried a one-size-fits-all solution to the states affordable housing problem.

Rep. Stephanie Thomas, D-Norwalk, said in a March interview that the transit-oriented development bill doesnt work for all towns. For example, some areas already have single-family homes built near train stations, she said.

While she said she supports the idea of transit-oriented development, Thomas said the bill didnt account for the needs of individual municipalities and isnt the way to introduce the concept to Connecticut.

I just feel so strongly that we cannot vote on a concept, Thomas said. We have to vote on the actual language. I am a huge proponent of affordable housing. I also am a huge proponent of transit oriented development. I just dont think the language of the bill is what makes sense.

Rep. Frank Smith, vice chair of the housing committee, said he thinks housing prices need to be contained through methods other than zoning reform. He said he supports bills such as one that passed during the session to establish more fair rent commissions in the state. The commissions receive rent complaints, conduct investigations and hold hearings, among other actions.

I always felt when it comes to housing, its always better to err on the side of local decision making, said Smith, D-Milford.

Erin Boggs, executive director of Open Communities Alliance, said reform takes time. Her organization pushed for the fair share bill as a part of a coalition of groups called Growing Together Connecticut.

Fair share is a big and meaningful proposal, she said. Its transformative, and things like this dont happen in one year, or two years.

Pete Harrison, director of DesegregateCT, expressed a similar sentiment. He added that its often more difficult for major legislation to pass during a short session.

That effort spring-boarded things, Harrison said of the last session. I feel like its a really similar trajectory for us, that we laid a really good foundation.

Next session, the Regional Planning Association may look at other land use policies to support such as adjusting minimum lot sizes, said Melissa Kaplan-Macey, Connecticut director at the association.

Next steps

New federal priorities may incentivize change.

The Biden administrations newly announced Housing Supply Action Plan includes incentives that tie federal grant dollars to certain zoning reforms, which experts say may push Connecticut lawmakers to pass such measures.

Land use [reform] might appear to be controversial to some, but its clearly a priority on the national level, Kaplan-Macey said.

Meanwhile, advocates and legislators are starting efforts to prepare for the next session.

Williams and other Democratic legislators are organizing informational sessions in the coming weeks  a tour of sorts  during which legislators will visit different types of housing developments across the state. He hopes this will clear up any confusion about what those developments look like in a community as well as combat misconceptions about the states existing affordable housing laws.

I think right now weve focused on perceived solutions without having shared values, and I think we have to create that shared experience first and then move forward together, Williams said.

Education will also be a focus of Growing Together Connecticut. The group also has a focus on finding ways to revitalize cities and will spend the summer gathering input from community members on solutions they think would work for their neighborhoods, Boggs said.

DesegregateCT will be fine-tuning its legislative recommendations and pushing awareness of the policies, Kaplan-Macey said.

None of the major, major priorities got through, and thats a good opportunity for all of us to say Lets hold the states feet to the fire, Harrison said. Theres going to be a lot more pressure and a lot more work together on getting stuff through the next session.
Two minor political parties are potential kingmakers in the 2022 race for governor.

Thats why Republican Bob Stefanowski invited a few dozen members of the Independent Party of Connecticut to a downtown Hartford restaurant for a meet-and-greet lunch last weekend. John Fahan, treasurer of the party, and Robert Hotaling, a candidate for the Independent nomination for governor, crashed the event for the same reason.

And the Griebel-Frank for CT Party, put together in 2018 for Oz Griebels unaffiliated run for governor, which collected 54,741 votes for the former banker and business leader  who died after being hit by a car while jogging in 2020  will interview hopefuls for either cross-endorsements or direct candidacy as the spring turns into summer and the fall election gets closer.

Stefanowski, the former corporate executive from Madison seeking his first elective office, won the Independent cross-endorsement in the party caucus of 2018, with 43 of 64 votes cast. The extra ballot line was worth 25,388 votes to him on election day.

At the time, the party was torn between two factions, one based in Danbury and another in Waterbury whose chairman, Michael Telesca, remains in that position.

In early 2019, shortly after Gov. Ned Lamont took office following his 44,372-vote victory over Stefanowski  including 17,861 votes from the Working Families Party ballot line, the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Waterbury group. After hearing about the upcoming by-invitation lunch for about 30 Independent members, Fahan and Hotaling told Stefanowski their intentions to attend what turned out to be a cordial affair.

I made it very clear to Bob Stefanowski and his campaign that I do not support him, Fahan said in a phone interview. I support Rob Hotaling. Its a free country and anyone can go for the nomination. But Im working to get Rob the nomination. This is about offering the public a choice, having three candidates, not just two.

Hotaling said that a miscue in scheduling a public notice of an Independent Party caucus on bylaws has pushed back the selection of a candidate for later in the summer, but Stefanowski had scheduled his event for around that time. Although he hadt been directly invited, Stefanowski agreed to include him and Fahan on the guest list of about 30 people.

Either way hell be on-stage in the fall, Hotaling, a 44-year-old Cheshire banker, said in an interview. We are the two leading candidates for the nomination. What is good for democracy is civil engagement, transparency and integrity. My understanding is the Independent nomination is very critical for him to compete with Ned in the fall. I get it, but one of the problems in Connecticut politics is the two-party system. Theres not really much choice for voters.

Hotaling said that Stefanowski, who was gracious in greeting he and Fahan at the Peppercorns Grill event, seemed amenable to appearing together in future forum-style gatherings to offer their visions to party members, who Fahan said number around 30,000 statewide.

I represent a set of principles including transparency, good government and ranked voting, Hotaling said. Separately, the one item Bob and I agree on is the issue of affordability that, clearly, Ned Lamont is not addressing. I am all for clean energy balanced with nuclear, while Bob doesnt. On abortion, I stand with women, and Bob has some problems there.

Stefanowski, in an emailed statement from his campaign Monday night, acknowledged the importance of the possible cross-endorsement.

I was happy to have the Independent Party endorsement last election and Im looking forward to participating in the same open process we had last time, Stefanowski said. I have really enjoyed talking with Independent party voters, and we had a great event over the weekend. Its important to continue to provide a forum to talk with voters about whats important to them and work across party lines to get things done.

Over at the Griebel-Frank for CT Party, an effort this year to change the name of the organization to the Serve America Movement alliance was rejected by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, but leaders of the party including the 2018 candidate for lieutenant governor, Monte Frank, said Monday that with the high-profile third line on the ballot, the party will also be interviewing candidates for possible cross endorsement, or outright candidacy.

In January, before the secretary of the state ruling, Frank and party member stressed they wanted to support candidates up and down the ballot in November.

Frank said that he and Griebel-Frank leaders are contemplating a potential lawsuit over the rejection of the proposed name change and affiliation with SAM, the five-year-old bipartisan group of former Democrats and Republican tired of partisan gridlock. But such a challenge would take years to settle in court.

Although such a merger is perfectly permissible, the political party resulting from the merger would not carry minor party status for any office in Connecticut and therefore would not be entitled to automatic ballot access for any office, Merrill ruled.

We still have the Griebel-Frank for CT line and we intend to use it, and well talk to the major-party candidates for governor as well as potential third-party candidates, Frank said, stressing that Hotaling is one of the candidates being interviewed. Frank wants to use the endorsement as a jumping-off spot to push SAMs agenda of problem solving, verifiable standards of transparency and accountability, as well as collaboration.

At this point in the development of the third-party space in Connecticut and nationally, I can accomplish a lot more in building SAM in Connecticut, Frank said. Between the people who are out there in the third-party space who are interested in running and the two major candidates, shared values can improve our election.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
What will be the aftermath of such a situation? More power cuts, further folding of industries, large and small?

by Raj Gonsalkorale

I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts. Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

The Prime Minister has been as frank as he could be about the crisis in Sri Lanka. Neither he, as a previous Prime Minister, nor any other Prime Minister or a President, including the current President provided the unvarnished truth about the crisis to the people of the country till now. Prior to his assuming the Prime Ministership, other government leaders have given a false impression of normalcy and talking and behaving as if things were normal. The general thrust has been to direct blame for the political instability towards protestors, although it is no secret that some opportunists have ridden on the backs of genuine protestors to advance their own agendas with no regard for the plight faced by the country.

As its evident from news reports, there is still no definitive path and a plan towards some degree of economic stability. There are ad hoc news reports about discussions with friendly governments, ongoing Indian assistance, medicines being sent by some governments, Tamil Nadu providing some support, and now, Bangladesh planning to send potatoes.

It is true that an IMF bailout package could be a reality, although timelines for this, conditions attached to such a bail out and what exactly the package would include is not yet known. Besides this, even if such a package becomes a reality, it would not be a sufficient bail out that will lead the country towards that yet to be seen silver lining.

The need of the hour is an emergency economic bailout plan identifying countries that have been contacted, and will be contacted for support, the form of support discussed and expected, (money or supplies), countries that have been and should be contacted for oil and gas say for the next 6 months, whether such support could be provided as long term credit lines, a plan for supply of medicines from pharmaceutical producing countries like India and Bangladesh, fertilizer supplies, and essential food items.

No doubt some of these activities have commenced and are ongoing, but the public still has no indication of the progress of such approaches except piecemeal information reported in the press. As the Prime Minister is the person in charge of trying to lift the economic down fall and find ways and means of securing loans/credit lines from different sources, he and his office could produce a plan with ongoing and intended activities, and progress being made and information on specific successes. Such an approach will give confidence to the public and lift their hopes for the immediate future.

The Prime Minister has given a dismal warning about the immediate future and that worse is yet to come. How many have taken notice of this dire warning is unclear. Neither the President nor politicians in Parliament have referred to the Prime Ministers warning. This could even be a plan to undermine the efforts of the Prime Minister.

Be that as it may, the warning given should be followed with a specific rescue plan, identifying the action items mentioned above and any other additional items related to a rescue plan, and daily progress reports relating to the plan.

What of the Prime Ministers assessment that days, weeks and months ahead will be worse than what it is now? Energy and transport costs are on the rise, thanks to the aftermath of COVID and the war in Ukraine. Shipping circles have said that freight costs, which have gone up by some 50%, will increase further. Oil and gas prices will rise further. It would not be rocket science to predict the fall out arising from this and the impact to Sri Lanka. Shortages of fuel, gas, medicines, food items will worsen, and countries that have assisted Sri Lanka, like India and China, will feel the pinch themselves, and they may find it difficult to extend the same level of assistance to Sri Lanka.

What will be the aftermath of such a situation? More power cuts, further folding of industries, large and small? More firewood cooking although firewood is fast becoming as scarce as gas. Reduction in export earnings, foreign remittances, tourism earnings, all leading to mass unemployment, possible unrest, even violence. Queues for passports stretch for kilometers. Would there be mass exodus from Sri Lanka legally or otherwise?

Sri Lankas food security has been adversely affected on account of the fertilizer saga, and it has been reported that the country may need to import more than 200,000 tons of rice. The question will be how such an import is going to be paid, if it is not covered by a credit line extended to Sri Lanka. The Presidents regular issue of instructions to officials, as reported in the press will not address the issue of food security. He should appoint a committee that should be chaired by him, to develop a plan that will address the issue of food security and take specific actions to implement the plan and report on the progress being made to the public. He must take responsibility to address an issue that he created.

As part of the rescue plan, the Prime Minister could request high level envoys like former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, who still have credibility, to meet Heads of State in China, India, Japan, Russia, the USA, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, to canvass for assistance to Sri Lanka. Doing this through the Ambassadors and High Commissioners of these countries based in Sri Lanka is not high-level diplomacy. It needs to be noted that neither the President nor the former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa visited any of these countries except India to seek assistance even when the dark economic clouds were very clearly visible in the sky at least 18 months ago. It was either arrogance or stupidity, or both as stupidity leads to arrogance.

In the dire situation the country is placed in, politicians are debating the 21st Amendment. There is no denial that the Executive Presidency has failed the country and that governance should return to the Parliament. However, the question is about priorities. Politicians must surely know that Sri Lanka as the people have known it, may not exist if the situation foreseen by the Prime Minister comes to pass. While every Sri Lankas would hope and pray it will not come to that, it will not be divine help that will take Sri Lanka out of the mess it is in. It is the down to earth focus and a collective effort on the part of every Sri Lankan as to how some oxygen can be pumped into a dying and gasping country.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday said the state health department can release data on coronavirus outbreak cases, information sought two years ago near the beginning of the pandemic.

The court ruled 4-3 against Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state's largest business lobbying group, which had wanted to block release of the records requested in June 2020 by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other news outlets.

The state health department in the early months of the pandemic in 2020 had planned to release the names of more than 1,000 businesses with more than 25 employees where at least two workers have tested positive for COVID-19.

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, along with the Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce and the New Berlin Chamber of Commerce, sued to block the release of the records, saying it would irreparably harm the reputations of their members. It argued that the information being sought is derived from diagnostic test results and the records of contact tracers, and that such information constitutes private medical records that can't be released without the consent of each individual.

Attorneys for the state argued that the information contained aggregate numbers only, not personal information, and could be released.

A Waukesha County circuit judge sided with the business group and blocked release of the records. A state appeals court in 2021 reversed the lower court's ruling and ordered the case dismissed, saying WMC failed to show a justifiable reason for concealing the records.

WMC appealed to the state Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court's ruling.

Kurt Bauer, president of WMC, said it disagreed with the ruling, which he asserted has opened the door to massive public intrusion into private medical records possessed by state agencies.

The ruling was written by Justice Rebecca Dallet, who was joined in the majority by two other liberal justices and conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn, who is often a swing vote. The other three conservative justices dissented.

The court concluded that WMC did not have a right to ask a court to block the release of the records before they were made public under an open records request from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The state Supreme Court ruled that WMCs position would undo the legislatures choice to preclude pre-release judicial review in most circumstances.

But Chief Justice Annette Ziegler, writing for the minority, said the law allows for such challenges and the courts ruling will open the door to the release of personal medical information to the public. She warned that the release of confidential patient files would cause irreparable damage.

The ruling closes the courthouse doors to anyone who may wish to challenge the release of personal medical information, Ziegler wrote. This is egregious error.

Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, said the dissenting justices were trying to stir up unfounded fears about the disclosure of personal medical information. The only information being released is the name of businesses and number of employees with confirmed infections, he said in a written statement.

To try to frighten people into believing that their most personal medical information is now open for all to see seems irresponsible, Lueders said.
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On a drizzly Saturday of Memorial Day weekend at Branford Stop & Shop, members of Branford VFW 12106 renewed their annual tradition of handing out red poppies to shoppers in exchange for a donation to support struggling veterans and their families.

Some slid a dollar, or a $20 dollar bill, into the donation jar. Some pinned a red poppy to their shirt.

The red poppy became a symbol of U.S. veterans after John MacCrae wrote a poem about Flanders Field in Belgium, where American soldiers were engaged in battle, amidst a field of poppies.

They represent the blood spilled in Flanders Field, said VFW member Ed Masatto, an Army veteran and member of the National Guard. Theyre about the sacrifice of men and women who gave their lives fighting for our country.

Branfords Jeanne Prota stopped to thank the members for their service.

We appreciate you, what youve done, and everything youre still doing, she said, folding a bill into the donation jar.

What she said means a lot because there was a time you didnt get any thanks, said Chuck Larkins, a veteran of the Air Force who served during the Vietnam War, as Prota continued into the supermarket.

Branford VFW commander Elliott Hastings said the funds will help provide financial aid for state and national veterans rehabilitation and service programs, as well as supporting the VFW National Home for Children in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, a place created to serve the families of active-duty members and veterans.

Some people think Memorial Day is a time for picnics, Hastings said, wiping a drop of rain from his glasses. Its not. Its about honoring the people who sacrificed their lives so we can enjoy picnics. Its about remembering those who are sacrificing so their family members can serve.

Branford VFW 12106 meets the first Thursday of each month at 99 Indian Neck Ave. in Branford. Anyone interested in joining should call Elliott Hastings at 203-848-7737.
Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode have warned the All progressives Congress, APC, particularly, the Northern governors against fo...

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode have warned the All progressives Congress, APC, particularly, the Northern governors against forcing some presidential aspirants to step down.

A report earlier emerged that APC Northern governors who had zoned the partys ticket to the South presented three names to President Muhammadu Buhari for possible consensus.

The reports claimed those on the list include, the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and the former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

Reacting to the report, FFK warned that other aspirants who are not on the list may seek legal redress after the election which may mar the outcome of the exercise.

In a post on his verified Facebook page, FFK advised that a level playing ground be given to all aspirants.

He wrote, If you try to force anyone to step down by excluding them from the ballot at the Convention, know that you are violating section 84 of the Electoral Act and that that aspirant will go to court and turn the whole proceeding into a nullity.

The Northern Governors that are saying they are zoning the ticket and reducing the aspirants to 3 ought to be mindful of this.

They do not have that power and neither ought they try to determine who our presidential candidate ought to be. Let everyone run and let there be a level playing field.

Fani-Kayode has been a major supporter of the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bellos presidential ambition.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has announced Bayo Lawal as his running mate ahead of the 2023 elections. Makinde made this annou...

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has announced Bayo Lawal as his running mate ahead of the 2023 elections.

Makinde made this announcement on Tuesday.

It was gathered that the governor made the announcement during a meeting with some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders from the Oke Ogun zone.

Some of the PDP leaders who were at the meeting according to sources are former PDP Chairman in the state, Kunmi Mustapha, his successor, Dayo Ogungbenro and Senator Hosea Agboola.

Our correspondent reports that the announcement of Lawal who is the Chairman, Oyo State Housing Corporation, has cleared the speculations over who the governor will use as his running mate in 2023.

Lawal, a lawyer is from Kishi in Irepo local government area of Oke Ogun zone.

Makinde dropped his Deputy, Rauf Olaniyan who is Igboho in Oorelope local government area in Oke Ogun zone.

Our correspondent recalls that Makinde dropped Olaniyan and replaced him with Lawal.

Both Makinde and Olaniyan were elected as governor and Deputy governor on the platform of PDP in 2019.

The announcement of Lawal is coming two days after Olaniyan said he has dumped the PDP and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Olaniyan had earlier claimed that about five political parties are asking him to contest on their platforms.
Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has described as an expensive joke, a claim that the National Chairman of the All Progressives Cong...

Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has described as an expensive joke, a claim that the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, has endorsed the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, as the partys consensus presidential candidate.

According to Akeredolu, Adamu took a flight of fancy and decided to make a pronouncement beyond his competence.

The governor said the APC Chairmans pronouncement runs contrary to the position of majority of Northern Governors in APC and their counterparts in the South.

Akeredolu, in a statement on Monday evening, said there was a unanimous agreement on where the next President should come from.

The office of the President should be contested for by qualified persons from the Southern part of the country if the move to get a consensus candidate fails. There has been no shift from this settled issue, he maintained.

He stated that Adamu or anyone with a contrary opinion does so at a personal level, saying he is at best embarking on a frolic which reasonable people will consider dangerous.

Akeredolu, who is still mourning over the killing of worshipers in a church in Owo, Ondo State on Sunday, concluded that power must shift to the south in 2023.

We are grieving but have not forgotten that Power MUST shift to the south. On this we stand, he stressed.
Five presidential hopefuls of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have rejected the frontline candidates recommended by governors to con...

Five presidential hopefuls of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have rejected the frontline candidates recommended by governors to contest the partys primary.

Simon Lalong, governor of Plateau, in an interview on Sunrise Daily, a Channels TV programme, said APC governors recommended five presidential hopefuls to participate in the primary.

The hopefuls recommended to contest, according to Lalong, are Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation; Bola Tinubu, former Lagos governor; Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti governor; David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi, and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

In the interview on Tuesday, Lalong said all other presidential hopefuls have been advised to step down, adding that the frontline candidates recommended by the governors are backed by the national working committee (NWC) members, and have been endorsed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

But in a statement issued after a meeting on Tuesday, the presidential hopefuls  Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River; Emeka Nwajiuba, former minister of state for education; Ogbonnaya Onu, ex-minister for science and technology; Rochas Okorocha; former governor of Imo, and Tein Jack-Rich  described the decision as a joke.

In the past few hours, we have been bombarded with calls and messages from my supporters and concerned Nigerians on a list of five presidential aspirants submitted to President Buhari to choose from, the statement issued by Onu, on behalf of his colleagues, reads.

As long as we are concerned, no list has been submitted to Mr. President. The move by the governors is considered a joke taken to the extreme with the aim of playing with the intellect of Nigerians, particularly us from the South-East.





Mr Presidents directive is very simple; that all presidential aspirants, including those from the North, should meet and harmonise in order to produce a single candidate. As it stands, we have not been consulted or attended a meeting where it was agreed that such names be sent to Mr President.

In the so-called list, out of the five names, only one was selected from the South-East, and we are talking about fairness and justice to the South. What the Governors have done is a mere picnic in the park. These are the same governors talking about equity, justice and fairness, yet in a clandestine manner, purportedly sidelined the South East.

In the absence of any harmonised agreement, no list has been submitted to Mr. President. What they have done is just nothing but a charade which is bound to fail.

We also have it on good authority that the majority of these Governors have been promised and also given various forms of gratifications to thwart the process in favour of one aspirant and such grand plot will fail woefully.

More so, the party led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu remains the official organ of the party through which decisions taken by stakeholders in the party will be communicated and acted upon. In the absence of that, any other move remains null and void.

We urge all well-meaning Nigerians to disregard such information, as we remain in the race, hence no consensus agreement has been reached amongst all contestants.
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) are currently in a closed-door meeting with the national...





The meeting is taking place at the national secretariat of the ruling party.





In attendance were Governors of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai, Kano, Umar Ganduje, Plateau, Simon Lalong, Niger, Sani Bello, Nasarawa, Abdullahi Sule, Borno, Babagana Zulum, Gombe, Mohammad Inuwa Yahaya, among others.





The governors arrived at the partys national secretariat around 8pm.





They headed to the NEC Hall of the party to meet with the members of the partys National Working Committee (NWC).





The meeting is not unconnected with the controversy rocking the party over the choice of the partys presidential candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) are currently in a closed-door meeting with the national leadership of the party.
As the All Progressives Congress, APC, commences its Special convention, a presidential aspirant, Yahaya Bello, has warned the party again...

As the All Progressives Congress, APC, commences its Special convention, a presidential aspirant, Yahaya Bello, has warned the party against excluding him from the ballot.

Bello warned that excluding him from the ballot would be trouble for APC.

The Kogi State governor disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents after his closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Bello said: Im a free citizen of the party, a qualified member of the party. I bought a form and was cleared to participate in the election, and there is no reason for me to be excluded from the ballot.

If they do so, then that is a recipe for bigger trouble for the party.

However, I dont think its a decision of the party but that of a few elites who may decide to use their positions to suppress the so-called minority, but I want to prove in this country that Im not in the minority.

We have the majority, and I belong to the younger generation. I belong to the generation of those that are oppressed, and they are saying their voice must be heard. I believe getting into that arena today, and I will win overwhelmingly.
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, at the presidential villa in Abuja. Bello is one ...





President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, at the presidential villa in Abuja.

Bello is one of the presidential hopefuls of the All Progressives Congress (APC) participating in todays primary.

On Monday, the Kogi governor did not attend the northern governors meeting with Buhari.

Speaking after the northern governors meeting with Buhari, Nasir el-Rufai, Kaduna governor, said Bello was against the governors decision on zoning the presidential ticket to the south.

Bello was later seen in a video storming out of a building, while Abdullahi Sule, Nasarawa governor, was trying to placate him and Babagana Zulum, Borno governor, followed closely behind.

Meanwhile, the Kogi governor, in an interview on Sunday, had described the northern governors decision as self-opinion, adding that it is not binding on him or the party.

Going by that statement, if assuming, without conceding, that such statement came from some of my colleagues, it is just self-opinion, he had said.

It is not binding on Nigerians, it is not binding on me, it is not binding on the party because PGF north is not an organ of the party. It is not binding on northerners and Nigerians, generally.
Chelsea has become the latest club to join the race to sign Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City this summer. The Blues new owner, Todd Boehl...





Chelsea has become the latest club to join the race to sign Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City this summer.





The Blues new owner, Todd Boehly, is keen to make the Brazil striker one of his first signings.





City manager Pep Guardiola is willing to let Jesus leave The Etihad after signing Erling Haaland in a 51 million deal.





Real Madrid was the latest team to join the hunt, after reportedly being offered the player but they face plenty of competition.





Chelsea has shown strong interest in Jesus, according to Spanish outlet AS, and is preparing a bid once the legalities of Boehlys deal have officially gone through.





Jesus, who scored eight times in 21 starts for Man City in their title-winning season in the last campaign, has also been heavily linked with moves to Premier League sides Arsenal and Tottenham.
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State says the powerful cabal in the Presidency is planning to give All Progressives Congress leader, Bol...

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State says the powerful cabal in the Presidency is planning to give All Progressives Congress leader, Bola Tinubu, the MKO Abiola treatment at the presidential primary of the APC.

Fayose said this in an open letter to Tinubu on Monday which he personally signed.

MKO Abiola was the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993, Presidential election but was denied victory after the result was controversially annulled. He was eventually detained by the military government of General Sani Abacha the following year for declaring himself President. He died four years later.

In his open letter, Fayose said it was obvious that Tinubu was swimming against the tide and he needed to proceed with extreme caution.

The letter read in part, Going by the handwritings that are now clearly on the wall, if I may consider sir, I see you as one that may be swimming against the political tide of the cabal in your party. They are equally preparing for your actions and reactions and are fully set to contain same as they did to both Awolowo and Abiola.

Fayose said unfortunately Tinubus empire  which comprised almost all the six South-West governors and ministers as well as Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo  had been balkanised as evidenced by Tinubus outburst in Abeokuta last week.

The ex-governor added that the responses to the Abeokuta outburst by some of Tinubus allies in the North and the South were clearly something to worry about.

He added, Unfortunately, your kingdom has been badly balkanised if what happened in Abeokuta is anything to go by. The book of Proverbs 22 verse 3 reads, Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it but unthinking people will walk into it.
Yoruba Nation campaigner, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho has condemned the killing of innocent Christians at St. Francis Cathol...









Yoruba Nation campaigner, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho has condemned the killing of innocent Christians at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.





Recall that scores were left dead on Sunday after gunmen attacked the church.





The gunmen were said to have thrown an improvised explosive device into the congregation before shooting at them.





Reacting in a viral audio clip, The Nation reports that Igboho said he had been vindicated.





He called on South-West leaders to support him and other courageous Yoruba sons and daughters to guard against the wicked acts.





I pray to God that we dont experience such again. I pray to God to comfort the families of the victims.





My fathers and mothers, can you see that I have been vindicated? I was not in a battle with any Governor or Senator. But what I envisaged, you didnt see it. Now, can you all see?





Many were saying I wanted to create a crisis and foment trouble, but can you all see it now? Well, the situation can still be redeemed. I want Yoruba people to be united before it is too late.





If I offend anyone, I ask for pardon, please, he said.
All Progressives Congress Presidential aspirants from the South-East have written a letter to the President, Muhammadu Buhari, to allow th...

All Progressives Congress Presidential aspirants from the South-East have written a letter to the President, Muhammadu Buhari, to allow the South-East produce the next presidential candidate of the party.

In a copy of the letter obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday, the aspirants urged Buhari to intervene during the convention for proper guidance.

The letter was signed by Ikeobasi Mokelu, former ministers of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; state for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, and Mrs. Ken Uju-Ohanenye.

Senator Rochas Okorocha was listed among signatories but didnt append his signature.

Read full letter:

We the undersigned, who are aspirants to the Office of President on the platform of our party the APC. write to commend your fatherly leadership of our country and our party.

2. We also commend your unequivocal approval of the position of the 14 Progressive governors from Northern Nigeria, to ensure that your successor is elected from the southern part of Nigeria. We also commend the governors for this patriotic and unifying stand. United we stand  Our unity in diversity has been the rallying point of all patriots.

3. Your Excellency. we most humbly request that this position of our brothers from the North be deepened and made even more wholesome by further zoning this position to the South-East.

4. We are all aware that no President can emerge without the support of various geopolitical zones and without the express collaboration of our brothers and sisters from other zones of Nigeria.

5. With our Convention at hand, your kind directive for the deepening of unity in diversity, championed by our founding fathers solely on the basis of strengthening national unity and cohesion and for rousing victory at the 2023 elections are stated objectives in your speeches to the Progressive governors forum, the APC aspirants dinner and the meeting of APC stakeholders.

6. Furthermore. we are humbly requesting that you consider and pick your chosen candidate from the South-East aspirants in line with your stated objectives of handing over to trusted party loyalists.

7. We humbly seek your Excellencys prompt and kind intervention to enable the party delegates to assume proper guidance.

8. Please accept as always. our continuing loyalty and assurances of our esteem regards and obedience to whichever candidate your Excellency deems fit and appropriate to adopt as the candidate of the party.
The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, has condemned the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which left over...





The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, has condemned the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which left over 40 persons dead and many seriously injured.





Recall that gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked the church on Sunday, killed several worshipers while scores were left injured.





Recating, a statement issued by the President-General of the coalition, Goodluck Ibem, alleged that the suspected Fulani herdsmen who carried out the attack have declared war on the South.





The statement reads, The attack by these Fulani terrorists is not an attack against Ondo State alone, but a direct attack against Christians and the entire Southern region.





We are very aware that why the blood thirsty Fulani terrorists choose Ondo State to launch such wicked and barbaric attack, is because of the governors stance against injustice, absolute adherence to the rule of law and implementation of the anti open grazing law.





This attack confirms to all that there is a plot to fulanize and Islamize the country and those behind the plot are determined to push through their evil plot to kill all Southerners in a bid to forcefully take over their ancestral lands.





We demand for an immediate manhunt of those criminals and no stone should be left unturned until they are arrested and brought to justice.





We demand for an immediate emergency meeting of all Southern governors to put in place modalities on how to protect the Southern region.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. High 83F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early. Thunderstorms developing late. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster speaks on June 1 that his office is reviewing policies and ideas that could help curb gun violence. John Marks/Rock Hill Herald/TNS
Saudi Arabia, the worlds biggest oil exporter, raised prices for shipments sold under long-term contracts after futures surged in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Trong Nguyen/Dreamstime/TNS
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un authorized the launching of multiple ballistic missiles on June 5 in an exercise that adds to its record pace of launches for the year. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images/TNS
This is a story about a broken air conditioner, magic numbers, a new IHOP in Thibodaux, praying to God for small miracles, and paying it forward.

On Saturday night, Abdul Hamideh left a $777 tip on a $63.40 tab. For him it was a celebration ritual. For the server who received the money, it was evidence of divine intervention. Heres what happened.

Ava Guan, a waitress at the Hoshun Asian fusion restaurant on St. Charles Avenue, thought that the young guy dining alone on Saturday night might be ordering too much. Hed requested a few sushi rolls, then added a duck dish.

I told him, You sure? I think you may not need more food.

He assured her hed take home any leftovers.

When the diner disappeared into the night and Guan picked up the credit card receipt, she was confused. The $777 tip couldnt be right, could it? But her fellow staff members assured her, it was no mistake. The diner had left a note on the check that read: Take the night off.

It was a very, very nice surprise, she said.

Guan, 45, was born near Hong Kong and moved to the New Orleans area 30 years ago. She lives in St. Bernard Parish. Basically, she said, she splits her time between home, work and her tiny church in Metairie.

An air conditioner at the Olive C. Church on David Drive has been on the fritz since the 14-member Chinese congregation bought the building three years ago. On Saturday morning, Guan said, she donated $300 to help get the machinery mended. Since she knew that $300 wouldnt be enough, she also prayed that somehow God would help with the cause.

Hamideh, a businessman, said that hes into numbers. For instance, 777 is one of his favorites. Thats why he chose that figure for the lavish tip he left on Saturday night.

Its a lucky number, he said.

Hamideh, 31, was raised in Houston but moved to New Orleans seven years ago, because I love the vibe of the city, the whole nine yards.

The IHOP connection

He said he knows something about the food service industry because his dad was an early franchisee in the IHOP diner chain that first appeared in the late 1950s. He said he was arranging the silverware in one of his dads IHOPs when he was just 12, and by the time he was 18, he was a manager. Now he has a New Orleans-based IHOP empire that stretches across five states. Plus, he owns a Popeyes.

On Saturday, Hamideh was celebrating the opening of his newest IHOP, in Thibodaux. When he has a success, he likes to share his happiness, he said. Its his private custom.

I had something good happen to me in this world, he said, and I wanted to pay it forward.

I hope she doesn't think it's weird

He didnt have a plan, he just drifted into Hoshun because its a short stroll from his house. He said he likes to sample menus, so he ordered several things.

After hed left the "Take the night off" note on the receipt, he momentarily worried that the server might misunderstand. "I said, 'Oh shoot, this could sound creepy. I hope she doesn't think it's weird."

Hamideh said he just wanted to make a gesture that said: I was happy to help a neighbor. Especially after everything that food service workers have gone through during the COVID pandemic.

On Sunday, Guan turned over her windfall to the church. A bargain is a bargain, after all.

God has sent this gentleman

Hamideh, she said, was very nice. He helped me so much, so I can help somebody else, she said.

Hamideh said that when people hear about his random act of generosity, he hopes they do the same thing.

This is what they call God doing miracles, said Alex Yang, a leader of the Olive C. church. We think God has sent this gentleman to tell her that Christ is here and in control.

A quick Google search will reveal that in numerology circles, the number 777 has spiritual importance. They sometimes call it "the angel number." Hamideh said he wasnt aware of any of that.

On Monday, Hamideh learned that Guan was planning to donate her tip to her church. But he plans to see to it that the air-conditioning system is repaired, he said.

+10 Duel school: Saturday in City Park with swords, a stern TV star and pretend mayhem The clacking of wooden swords rang out under the Peristyle pavilion in City Park on Saturday morning, as a charming 1990s celebrity led a doze

+3 Race, paternity, identity and $704,000  the story of Louisianas most intriguing painting The trouble with this story is you cant really be sure of anything. A famous 19th-century artist was long thought to be a free Black man, con

+3 Famous portrait of someone who is not Marie Laveau sells for almost $1 million If you close your eyes and try to visualize Marie Laveau, theres a pretty good chance youll summon up frontier artist George Catlins 1837 p
When the New Orleans Pride parade rolls at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 11, in the Marigny and French Quarter, it'll be the first Pride parade in the city since 2019. The pandemic and controversies with past organizing boards put Pride celebrations in New Orleans in limbo over the last several years, Gambit staffer Kaylee Poche writes in this week's cover story. But organizers and the New Orleans LGBTQ community plan to reset with a big comeback.

On the cover of this week's Gambit, we look at the parades, parties, drag shows, concerts and special events celebrating the New Orleans LGBTQ community this Pride month. Flip through the digital edition below for more.

Cant see the e-edition above? Click here.

Also in this week's Gambit: The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane opens its season with "As You Like It"; Political Editor Clancy DuBos recaps the escalating fight between City Council and Mayor LaToya Cantrell over the "Smart City" investigation; Blake Pontchartrain tells readers about the New Orleans homes Tennessee Williams lived in; a new restaurant in the CBD merges Chinese and Creole cuisines; 504icygrl gives a peek into her "Princess Diaries"  plus news and more.

This issue of Gambit also includes a new edition of Details. Flip through the digital edition below for red, white and blue home decor; a shop profile of The Parish Line; and tips for first time homebuyers.

If you can't find 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
Caroline Wanga, CEO of Essence Communications Inc., the owner of the Essence Festival of Culture, wants everyone to know that the annual Fourth of July weekend celebration of Black culture, back live in New Orleans after a two-year hiatus, is going to be bigger and "unapologetically Blacker" than ever.

The gathering, which has attracted more than 500,000 visitors to its events in past years, was suspended for the last two years because of the pandemic. However, virtual Essence Fest broadcasts of performances featuring the likes of Bruno Mars, John Legend, DJ Khaled and Ne-Yo attracted more than 100 million online views.

Now in its 27th year, the event has become synonymous with summer in New Orleans, and apart from the pandemic years it has been held in the city every year since its inception, with the exception of 2006 when Hurricane Katrina meant a move to Houston.

It is one of the most important hospitality events on New Orleans' calendar, having an economic impact of about $300 million over the four-day event, according to New Orleans & Company, the city's tourism marketing agency.

Kenya-born Wanga, who took over as CEO in 2020, said in an extensive interview earlier this month that as much as the virtual events were a success in bridging the pandemic years, Essence Fest isn't Essence Fest unless it's held live in New Orleans.

"The richness of the soil of the culture of New Orleans is what makes it happen," said Wanga. "I could put a concert in any stadium in the country but I don't know people would want to flock there. You put a concert in a stadium in New Orleans and people are coming because of everything else they'll get to do."

The two year break and the upheavals that have accompanied the pandemic, which have highlighted the persistence of racial injustice in the country as well as gender issues, has given new impetus to changes underway before the pandemic to broaden the festival's appeal, said Wanga.

But she said the move to have more diversity and inclusiveness at Essence Fest shouldn't mean any dilution of the celebration of Blackness that has been at its center for a quarter century.

"It is unapologetically Blacker and I think part of why that's culturally important to say is that Black folks when they gather have often been made to feel like they need to tone it down a little bit so that other people can participate," said Wanga. "We are going to have our Blackety-Black-Black party and everybody is welcome but we're going to do it our way."

Still about the headliners

To be sure, the main draw of the event is the big-name performances. Originally dubbed the Essence Music Festival in 1995, Jazz Fest impresarios George Wein and Quint Davis produced that event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine, which had been founded primarily to reflect the interests of African-American women.

Headliners at the first event were Luther Vandross, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, and Aretha Franklin.

The name has since morphed into the Essence Festival of Culture and this year comedian Kevin Hart tops the bill on the opening Thursday night at the Smoothie King Center.

The three following nights at Caesars Superdome feature Nicki Minaj, Janet Jackson, and New Edition, and more than a dozen supporting acts (including Patti LaBelle). The cheapest tickets for a three-day Superdome package combined with the Kevin Hart performance currently are advertised at about $260 via Ticketmaster.

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A bigger tent

The name change reflects the evolution of the event over the years, says Wanga. One in four attendees now are men and there have always been LBGTQ participants.

Essence Fest had already started to add non-concert events prior to the pandemic, but Wanga said this year the offsite offerings have mushroomed.

There will be more than two dozen "experiences", which will include "Essence Eats", a food and wine event at The Sugar Mill; "Essence In His Zone," an event aimed at men at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center; also, several entrepreneurial and business-focused events, including Essence Tech Summit, at the Convention Center.

The wider agenda and more inclusive program  which includes Black country artist Mickey Guyton on the Nicki Minaj undercard  doesn't mean the focus on Black culture this year will be in any way diluted, said Wanga.

More growth ahead

Wanga reckons the hiatus has only emphasized the potential for the event's growth.

"The upside and potential of what this festival could be gets proven every year with how it grows both online and in person, and the fact that it exists a lot outside of what happens here in those four days," she said. "We exist all year round and are continuing to build this perpetual excitement about being able to be here for this reunion."

She cites the street fashion sideshow that has become an essential part of the event. "One of the traditions is that people come her dressed to the nines, like there are people who sort their outfits for years."

For sure, the city of New Orleans recognizes the importance of the event to the local economy.

New Orleans & Co., City Hall and the city's tourism and cultural fund each pay Essence Communications an "events support rights fee," as does the state of Louisiana, which totals more than $1.3 million. The local hotel industry also shows its appreciation with rebates from hotel room receipts that totals about $600,000.

Mark Romig, chief marketing officer at New Orleans & Co., said the impact of the Essence Fest goes well beyond the money brought in directly during the four-day event.

"When Essence stepped up to the plate (in 1995) it really changed the way the New Orleans summer was considered," Romig said. Other summer events have since filled in slots during the sultry months, like Satchmo Fest in August and Southern Decadence in early September.

"Essence Fest is the grandmother at the center of it all," he said.
CROWN POINT  Crown Beer Fest returns to its original location in the Lake County Fairgrounds later this month.

Northwest Indiana's largest and longest-running craft beer festival, which was held at the new Bulldog Park in downtown Crown Point last year, will take place from 1:30 to 6 p.m. June 18.

Crown Brewing has staged the 21-and-older festival as a "celebration for all craft beer enthusiasts" for 12 years now. It will take place at 889 S. Court St. in Crown Point, with the first hour reserved for VIP ticket holders only.

Crown Brewing owner David Bryan said the beer festival will have 45 breweries and almost 200 beers this year. Crown Beer Fest also will have 10 different hard seltzers and offerings from three local coffee companies and two energy drink companies.

Attendees can enjoy games like corn hole and a giant beer pong game.

"This year the VIP guests will have a VIP Room filled with food, snacks and beverages throughout the entire fest, along with VIP bathrooms," Bryan said. "This year we also have District of Art barbershop offering free haircuts."

Attendees can enjoy live music at the beer festival, which will be emceed by Robert Rolfe Feddersen, a frequent performer at local craft breweries who's recorded 10 albums as a solo artist and previously played with Loudmouth.

"We also have two live bands," Bryan said. "The headliner band is Strings Beyond Description, a famous bluegrass band."

This year's breweries include Crown Brewing, 3 Floyds, 18th Street Brewery, Off Square Brewing, Blockhead Beerworks, Fuzzyline Brewing, Ghost Isle Brewery, Windmill Brewing, Off Square Brewing, Maplewood, Evil Horse Brewing, Evil Czech Brewing, Byway Brewing, Shoreline Brewery, St. John Malt Brothers, Ironwood Brewing, One Trick Pony and Flossmoor Station.

Tickets cover a souvenir pint glass and unlimited sampling of the more than 200 beers on tap.

Tickets are on sale now. They are $45 for general admission, $85 for VIP and $25 for designated drivers.

For more information, visit crownbeerfest.com or call 219-663-4545.

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Radio listeners can put in a request for a good cause.

Adams Radio Group plans to host a Make-A-Wish Request-A-Thon on XRock 103.9, Z107.1 and Indiana 105FM Wednesday.

The Valparaiso-based radio station operator is partnering with Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana to host the Request-A-Thon, which plans to make it an annual event.

Listeners can request songs in exchange for donations from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday.

"All the funds raised will help Make-A-Wish grant more life-changing wishes for Northwest Indiana kids with critical illnesses," Adams Radio Group said in a press release. "The inspiring 14-hours will be filled with uplifting wish stories from local families, information about the Make-A-Wish mission and how to volunteer."

People can stop by the studio at 2755 Sager Road in Valparaiso from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to donate in person. They can get their name placed on the Wall of Wishes in front of the studio.

"Founded in 1983, we have granted more than 19,000 wishes, and in fiscal year 2021, granted the largest number of wishes in the country," Make-A-Wish said in a press release. "Make-A-Wish is more than wish-granting, its a global movement of transforming lives through hope, and wishes need you."

Listeners also can donate by calling 219-213-9121, by visiting oki.wish.org/nwiwishes or by texting makeawish to 243725.

For more information, visit oki.wish.org.

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GARY  When twin brothers Erin and Evan Addison and their best friend Emma Arevalo were in eighth grade, their podcasting hobby led to significant media attention, even earning them a win in New York Times student podcast contest.

The students podcasts started out silly, but quickly took a more serious turn when they learned about Maya Energy, a waste processing facility planned to be built across from their school, Steel City Academy.

They were in a club that focused on climate change and were meeting in February while they were still in middle school.

We did research about how dumps can damage the ozone layer and things like that, Erin said. And were students, so we were going to be right across from there.

Their podcast became more oriented toward serious journalism as they interviewed classmates, went to Gary Common Council meetings and filed Freedom of Information requests.

It showed me, at least, that if you see something you want to change, you should talk about it, Erin said.

Evan emphasized the informative aspect, saying he liked using his voice for something productive.

I liked being able to advocate for something, Evan said. I also enjoyed seeing everybodys response and how they had the same passion I had.

Their Maya Energy podcast ended up being the catalyst of their interest, as the three continued to take radio and broadcasting classes at Gary Area Career Center while they were in high school.

In that class, we got to see what it was like to be behind the scenes on the radio, Evan said. They learned about federal rules and regulations in audio broadcasting.

They got to host shows with the adviser, highlighting one where they were arguing about the efficiency of Generation Z. The students said they get things done faster and are able to be more productive. However, the teacher said older generations had to work for things.

I was trying to make the argument that it made us more efficient because we get things done quicker, Arevalo said.

Now, the three friends are seniors in high school ready to figure out what comes next. For all of them, they are hoping to continue radio broadcasting and podcasts.

For me personally, I am a chatterbox and love talking. I hate to stop talking, Arevalo said. Talking about what interests me and what I have a passion for, that motivates me.

For Erin, the biggest part is interviewing. He likes to see how they interact and analyze their thoughts.

Beyond graduation, Arevalo plans to go to Indiana University Bloomington, but she was not 100% sure. She wanted to go into media but was also considering going into the military.

She said she would consider doing media and communications within the military. Evan wants to go into either computer science or media at Indiana State University. Erin plans to go into media as well.

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VALPARAISO  Porter County police are seeking help locating a 39-year-old man sought in connection with public indecency and domestic battery criminal cases.

The man sought is Peter James Dudek, described by police as 6 feet tall, weighing 190 pounds with brown hair and green eyes.

Dudek, who has multiple tattoos, is known to frequent the Hilltop neighborhood near Valparaiso University and is believed to be staying in hotels and with friends in the Northwest Indiana area, police said.

"Peter is also believed to be obtaining rides from others, or traveling via his bicycle," according to county police. "Peter has a work history in the construction and landscaping fields."

He is wanted on failure to appear and failure to comply allegations stemming from charges of maintaining a common nuisance, public indecency and domestic battery, police said.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police anonymously via a text or voicemail at 219-309-7760 or to submit a tip through the department's app.

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MICHIGAN CITY  Police said they seized four handguns and drugs during a traffic stop that resulted in the arrest of three people from an earlier armed robbery.

Michigan City police said they stopped a vehicle Friday in the 1300 block of E. Michigan Boulevard after observing a traffic violation and found six people inside.

A search of the vehicle revealed four handguns, one which had been reported stolen through the Michigan City Police Department.

It was determined three of the occupants were involved in an armed robbery earlier in the day during which cash and a firearm were stolen, police said.

Marquaivion Holmes, 19, and Corey Gray, 20, both of Michigan City, and Ramanze Robinson, 20, of Chicago, were taken into custody and charged with felony counts of armed robbery and theft of a firearm, police said.

Rodney Rolland, 19, of Chicago, was also arrested and faces a misdemeanor charge of possessing marijuana, according to police.

Michigan City Police Chief Dion Campbell applauded the efforts of the officers.

"The teamwork, integrity, and dedication of these officers continue to have an impact on thwarting gun violence in our community," the department said. "As we continue to strengthen our partnerships between Michigan City Police Department, community members, and elected officials, we will continually identify and address the people responsible for the unjust violence in our community."

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CHESTERTON  Students at Chesterton High School have an abundance of programs and activities to choose from. However, one of the most popular ones is its radio and television program.

The high school runs WDSO, also known as 88.3 FM "The Rock." It is a nonprofit station that plays a variety of rock music throughout the school day, as well as individual shows in the afternoon.

All disc jockeys are high school students, and any student at CHS can be involved, after they go through a training session.

Matthew Waters teaches the class section of the program, with two beginner courses and two advanced ones. He said it came about through an after-school vinyl records club back in the 1970s.

Students would broadcast their vinyls on the internal school speakers but later realized they could apply to have an actual radio station.

In 1976, WDSO was born. Even better, a Chicago station donated all its initial equipment.

The current station covers 15 miles, reaching a majority of Porter County and parts of Lake County. According to Waters, that is significantly more than other high school stations.

The radio club had more than 50 participants this year, despite people's arguments that radio may be a thing of the past, Waters said.

"It did a total 180," he said, emphasizing that it's more popular than ever with the podcast era.

Students typically take shifts to disc jockey, with specific students coming in before and after school, as well as students taking shifts during free periods.

They also do monthly meetings to make sure they can determine who wants to do an actual show.

Senior Hamza Sahli said he loved doing a news show. He ran a show titled "Porter County Perspective" where he invited local politicians and important figures in the area to come speak and be interviewed.

During his show, he even got U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, and state Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, on the air.

"WDSO has increased my appreciation in local politics," Sahli said, mentioning how he plans to go into political science and law in college.

While he doesn't intend to pursue radio as a profession, he does think he may consider joining a student radio station when he arrives at Indiana University in the fall.

Senior Camren Fancher enjoyed DJing. He got involved his sophomore year, fascinated that the high school had a program for a medium he did not frequently hear about.

In his time working at the station, he said he has grown to be a successful public speaker, something he initially struggled with.

"I liked being involved with radio, while its still around." Fancher said.

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The state of Illinois now has an official rock.

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation Monday designating dolostone, also known as dolomite, as the newest state symbol of Illinois.

According to the governor's office, dolostone is a form of limestone that makes up the majority of Illinois' bedrock and serves as the foundation of other natural terrain throughout the state.

Children across Illinois voted to recommend dolostone as the state rock after students at Pleasantdale Middle School in Burr Ridge and Maplebrook Elementary School in Naperville discovered Illinois lacked a rock-related state symbol.

Earlier this year, the Democratic-controlled General Assembly made the recommendation official by naming dolostone as the state rock in House Bill 4261.

"Seeing young people use their voices and the democratic process to make change in our state is truly inspiring," Pritzker said after signing the measure into law at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle.

"These young leaders have a bright future of organizing and civic engagement that I am excited to watch. They could not have picked a better rock to represent the strength and stability of Illinois."

The state rock designation was approved 55-0 in the Senate and 103-0 in the House, with state Rep. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, voting present.

Indiana does not have a state rock. But since 1971 it has had an official state stone: Indiana limestone.

Also called Bedford limestone or Salem limestone, Indiana limestone is rated among the highest-quality limestone quarried on earth.

It has been used to construct 35 of the 50 statehouses, including Indiana's, the Empire State Building, Pentagon, Washington National Cathedral, Chicago City Hall, many buildings at the University of Chicago and most of the county courthouses in Indiana.

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CEDAR LAKE  For almost 30 years Bob Gross has been working to restore Cedar Lake. As the town starts the first phase of an eco-restoration project, clear water is finally within reach.

The Pinecrest Marina Boat Dealership has been in Gross' family since 1948. Over the years he has seen the water he works on every day become clouded with sediment and runoff.

That is why in 1996, Gross helped found the Cedar Lake Enhancement Association, or CLEA. The nonprofit has been dedicated to improving both the lake and its surrounding environment ever since.

"I just want to see Cedar Lake have blue water again. It has just always been a goal, and we are getting there, Gross said.

On Monday afternoon, about 40 people gathered near the Cedar Lake beach that sits behind Town Hall for a symbolic groundbreaking on the first phase of the restoration project  constructing the dewatering facility.

The actual dewatering facility will be located off of Parrish Avenue between 151st Street and 155th Street. Dyer Construction will begin building later this week and is slated to complete the facility by September. Once operational, the structure will occupy about 45 acres of a 114-acre parcel of land and will "essentially be a giant, dirt bowl," Cedar Lake Town Manager Chris Salatas explained.

The temporary facility is where all of the sediment dredged from the lake will be stored. Throughout the three-year project, sediment will be pumped from the lake into the facility using a slurry pipeline, which will run through part of the 400-acre wetland on the south side of Cedar Lake. Once at the facility, the sediment and the water will be separated and the water will run back into the lake through the wetland.

When the project is complete, likely in 2024, the dewatering facility will be removed and the land will be used for a sportsplex, Salatas said.

The entire project has a budget of about $7 million.

Removing the large amount of sediment that has gathered in Cedar Lake has been an ongoing project for decades. The town worked with the Army Corps of Engineers for many years, studying the lake and crafting a removal plan. However, Gross said the Army Corps' proposals were far too costly.

Ultimately, the town found a way to fund the project "100% locally," Town Council President Randy Niemeyer, Ward-5, said. The town council voted to issue a TIF bond of $3.9 million, which Niemeyer said will not impact local property taxes. The project will also be funded through a combination of grants from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program and a $350,000 donation from CLEA.

About $2 million of the project's cost will also come from Cedar Lake sewer utility funds because "part of the reason that the lake is in the condition that it's in is from years ago when the septic fields were leaching into the lake. We've invested millions in stormwater projects in neighborhoods around the lake over the last several years that have helped us to create a sustainable project once this is over," Niemeyer explained.

The roots of Cedar Lake

Though the lake still fills with algae, especially on hot summer days, Gross said he has seen Cedar Lake's water quality improve over the years. He attributes some of the change to the reduction in fertilizer runoff. Much of the land surrounding the lake  once a patchwork of farm fields where phosphorous and nitrogen were applied to help crops grow  has now been developed.

The lake formed some 14,000 years ago when the glaciers that covered the Region began to recede. According to the Cedar Lake Historical Association, the glacier left a clay-lined depression in the earth filled with crystal-clear water. The almost 800-acre lake was likely once twice as large.

Cedar Lake became a popular resort community in the late 1800s when the Monon Railway was built. Over the years pollution and erosion degraded the lake, and now, Gross said, the water visibility in the middle of summer "is at best, a little more than a foot."

Once the restoration project is complete Gross wants to be able to see three to four feet into the lake.

"People look back at the greatest days of Cedar Lake as being 100 years ago when the Monon lines came through  I look at it as today forward," Niemeyer said. "We have a chance to set a new history, to carve a new path."

The next phase of the restoration will be actually dredging the lake. Once the dewatering facility is constructed, a dredge barge will get to work. The barge will collect sediment, grind it and then pump it into the slurry pipeline which will deliver it to the dewatering facility.

The town will select a contractor for the dredging portion of the project in the next few months.

A minimum of about 290,000 cubic yards of sediment will be removed from Cedar Lake, though the dewatering facility can hold up to 500,000. Gross said CLEA's "end goal is to fill the whole facility," a feat he estimates will cost an additional $2 million.

Maintaining lake health

Restoration efforts will not stop once the sediment is removed.

To restore native fish and wildlife populations, the DNR will be completing a fish kill after the lake is dredged. Currently, invasive carp and white perch fill the water. The invasives harm the native game fish, eating their eggs before they hatch.

After the fish kill, the DNR will restock the water with native species such as crappy, perch and bass.

CLEA has also been conducting shoreline stabilization projects around the lake for years in an effort to curb erosion. All told, the nonprofit has completed 17 enhancement projects  removing countless old piers, beautifying the town complex and putting in check dams.

If you dredge and it (the sediment and pollution) is still coming in then you have to dredge again, Gross said.

Salatas said the goal was to make the restoration project as "non-invasive as possible." The lake will remain accessible to the public, aside from the specific locations where the barge is dredging.

The health of the lake is interconnected with the health of the town. The restoration will likely draw more economic development to the area, Salatas said.

A lot of people come to Cedar Lake specifically for the lake, so this is really taking us back to our roots, Salatas said.

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In the same spirit, he wondered what treasures might be submersed in Bitcoins data lake. We literally have a record of every single transaction, he said. These are remarkable economic and sociological data sets. Clearly, theres a lot of information in there, if you can get at it.

Getting at it proved nontrivial. Ms. Blackburn was barred from the universitys supercomputing cluster  with her file folder labeled Bitcoin, she was suspected of mining the cryptocurrency. I objected, she said. She said she tried to convince an administrator that she was conducting research, but they were completely unmoved.

A key tactic of Ms. Blackburns was to trace patterns in plots of numbers that in theory should have been random and meaningless. In one case, she was chasing the extranonce, one piece of the mining puzzle: a short field of 0s and 1s tucked within a longer string that encodes each block, or bundle, of transactions. The extranonce leaked information about a computers activity. This led Ms. Blackburn to reconstruct the miners behavior: when they were mining, when they stopped and when they started up again. She speculates that the extranonces leaky behavior was tolerated because it allowed Bitcoins creator to keep an eye on miners; the source code was modified to plug this leak shortly before Satoshi Nakamoto disappeared from the public Bitcoin community in December 2010.

Once Ms. Blackburn had put various toeholds to use  allowing her to erode the identity-masking protections  she began merging addresses, linking nodes on a graph, consolidating the effective population of mining agents. Then she cross-referenced and validated the results with information scraped from Bitcoin discussion forums and blogs. Initially, the catalog of agents who mined most of the Bitcoin tallied a couple of thousand; then it hovered for a while around 200. Ultimately, Hail Mary spit out 64. (Eventually, Hail Marys brains were incorporated into the labs computer cluster, Voltron.)

The studys purpose was not to name names; its the job of the F.B.I. and the I.R.S. to bust Bitcoin criminals. But the researchers pinpointed the identities of a couple of the top players who were publicly known Bitcoin criminals: Agent No. 19 is Michael Mancil Brown, a.k.a. Dr. Evil, who was found guilty of a 2012 fraud and extortion scheme involving Mitt Romney, then a candidate for president. Agent No. 67 is associated with Ross Ulbricht, a.k.a. DreadPirateRoberts, creator of the Silk Road. Naturally, Agent No. 1 is Satoshi Nakamoto  whose true identity the researchers did not try to determine.

Mark Gerstein, a professor of bioinformatics at Yale University, found in the research implications for data privacy. He recently stored a genome on a private blockchain, which allowed for a secure and tamperproof record. But he noted that in a public setting, as with Bitcoins blockchain, a data sets size and subtle patterns made it susceptible to breaches, even as the data remained immutable. (Ms. Blackburn wasnt tampering with the Bitcoin blockchains records.)
But then Ms. Ayala told them that it was their toddler who had fired the weapon, Sheriff Mina said. The family had heard a loud pop, prompting Ms. Ayala to get up from the bed and find her husband bleeding on the floor, the report states. She disarmed the gun and began chest compressions on Mr. Mabry, according to the report.

Then, as her husband was taken to a hospital, she asked her 5-year-old child how the 2-year-old had managed to get the gun, but the child could not explain how he had gotten the gun and replied that his younger sibling had just shot papi, the arrest report states.

When investigators asked Ms. Ayala where they kept their gun, her answers changed frequently, the arrest report states: First she said in a purple bag that was kept on the floor, then that it was in a compartment, and then that it was in a box in a closet or in a safe that was broken at the time.

She could not explain how the gun fell out of the bag, with a high capacity magazine inserted in it, all while being clipped and zipped, the report states.

Ms. Ayala later acknowledged to the authorities that any child in the room could have figured out how to get the gun out of the bag, the report states.

Gun owners that do not properly secure their firearms are just one split second away from one of these tragedies happening in their homes, Sheriff Mina said.
A federal judge ruled on Monday that Louisianas new congressional map represented a racial gerrymander and must be redrawn to include a second district that gives Black voters the chance to elect a candidate of their choice.

The judge, Shelly D. Dick of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, ordered the State Legislature to produce a revised map of the states six congressional districts by June 20. She also directed the state to extend the filing deadline for House candidates, now set for June 22, to July 8.

Her 150-page ruling said the House map enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature illegally packed Black voters into the Second Congressional District, then split the remaining Black voters among the remaining five districts.
History shows, however, that Conservative prime ministers who have been subjected to such a vote  even if they win it  are usually drummed out of office, if not immediately then within a few months.

Mr. Johnson won a smaller share of his partys support on Monday than either his predecessor, Theresa May, did in 2018, or Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher did in 1990, when they survived no-confidence votes. Mrs. May was forced out six months later. Mrs. Thatcher lasted only a few days.

And yet, Mr. Johnson is a singular figure in British politics, gleefully defying convention and often seeming immune to the rules of political gravity. With a comfortable majority in Parliament, his party is no danger of losing power. He could opt to ride out the storm, claiming, as he did on Monday evening, that he got a larger mandate than when he was first elected leader of the party in July 2019.

Still, for a politician who led the Tories to a landslide election victory in 2019 with the promise to get Brexit done, it was a bruising fall from grace  one that could expose him to a political insurgency in his party, an empowered opposition, and further electoral setbacks that weaken his credibility.
LONDON  Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a tense vote of no confidence on Monday, fending off a mutiny that nevertheless leaves him reeling and presages a volatile period in British politics, as he fights to stay in power and lead a divided Conservative Party.

The vote, 211 to 148, fell short of the majority of Tory lawmakers needed to oust Mr. Johnson. But it laid bare how badly his support has eroded since last year, when a scandal erupted over revelations that he and his senior aides threw parties at 10 Downing Street that violated the governments lockdown rules. More than 40 percent of Conservative lawmakers voted against him in an unexpectedly large rebellion.

Mr. Johnson vowed to stay on, declaring that the victory should put an end to months of speculation about his future. Its a convincing result, a decisive result, the prime minister said from Downing Street after the results of the secret ballot were announced.

As a government, Mr. Johnson added, we can focus and move on to the stuff that really matters to people.

History shows, however, that Conservative prime ministers who have been subjected to such a vote  even if they win it  are usually drummed out of office, if not immediately then within a few months.

Mr. Johnson won a smaller share of his partys support on Monday than either his predecessor, Theresa May, did in 2018, or Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher did in 1990, when they survived no-confidence votes. Mrs. May was forced out six months later. Mrs. Thatcher lasted only a few days.

And yet, Mr. Johnson is a singular figure in British politics, gleefully defying convention and often seeming immune to the rules of political gravity. With a comfortable majority in Parliament, his party is no danger of losing power. He could opt to ride out the storm, claiming, as he did on Monday evening, that he got a larger mandate than when he was first elected leader of the party in July 2019.

Still, for a politician who led the Tories to a landslide election victory in 2019 with the promise to get Brexit done, it was a bruising fall from grace  one that could expose him to a political insurgency in his party, an empowered opposition, and further electoral setbacks that weaken his credibility.

In two and a half years, Mr. Johnson has gone from Britains most reliable vote-getter  a celebrity politician who redrew the countrys political map  to a scandal-scarred figure whose job has been in peril since the first reports of illicit lockdown parties emerged last November.

As Britons paid tribute to Queen Elizabeths 70-year reign last week, they were turning against the chaotic tenure of their prime minister. On Friday, Mr. Johnson was loudly booed by the crowd at St. Pauls Cathedral when he and his wife, Carrie, attended a thanksgiving service for the queen.

Image Mr. Johnson and his wife, Carrie, arrive for a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, on Friday. Credit... Pool photo by Matt Dunham

That moment may have crystallized the loss of public support for Mr. Johnson, an ethically flexible journalist-turned-politician whose peccadilloes were forgiven more often than not by a public he proved adept at charming.

Still, for now, Mr. Johnson remains in power, and under the partys current rules, he cannot face another no-confidence vote for a year. The odds of removing him will depend on several wild cards.

Will his Cabinet turn against him, as Mrs. Thatchers did after the vote in 1990, precipitating her swift resignation? Will the party threaten to change the rules and hold a second no-confidence vote, as it suggested it might with Mrs. May, persuading her to negotiate her exit? Will Mr. Johnson gamble by calling an early general election, seeking a mandate from the public that he could not get from his party?

Mr. Johnson sought to deflect questions about a new election on Monday night, saying only, Im certainly not interested in snap elections.

In 1995, Prime Minister John Major triggered, and won, a leadership contest in the Conservative Party, only to go down to a crushing defeat to Tony Blair and the Labour Party two years later. Given Britains economic woes and the Conservative Partys weakness in the polls, some Tories fear a similar outcome this time.

Opposition leaders seized on the result to paint Conservative lawmakers as having endorsed the leadership of a lawbreaking prime minister.

Conservative MPs made their choice tonight, said the leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer. They have ignored the wishes of the British public. Voters, he said, are fed up  fed up  with a prime minister who promises big but never delivers.

Image Labour Party leader Keir Starmer during a news conference following Mr. Johnson's victory in a vote of confidence. Credit... Carl Court/Getty Images

The result leaves Conservatives restive and divided, after a tense day in which senior members of the party sparred openly on social media. Some lawmakers argued that his position had become untenable.

Roger Gale, a Conservative lawmaker, expressed surprise at the size of the rebellion. I think the prime minister has to go back to Downing Street tonight and consider very carefully where he goes from here, Mr. Gale said to the BBC.

But one of Mr. Johnsons defenders, James Cleverly, a minister in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, said, hes won it comfortably and now we need to get on with the job. He said of Mr. Johnsons electoral track record, Theres no other candidate that is going to get anything like that level of support.

Mr. Johnson was greeted warmly when he addressed Conservatives earlier in the afternoon, with some lawmakers pounding their desks in gestures of support, according to those in attendance. But he also got challenging questions, and as the members drifted out of the committee room afterward, it was clear he had not convinced all those who opposed him to call off their mutiny.

I told the prime minister that if he broke the law he would have to go, said Steve Baker, an influential pro-Brexit lawmaker who has called on Mr. Johnson to step down. Hes clearly broken the law, hes clearly acquiesced in the law being broken, so I stick to my word that I gave on the record that he should go.

Noting that he had helped Mr. Johnson become prime minister, Mr. Baker described it as an awful moment.

Image Conservative lawmaker Steve Baker speaking in the House of Commons in April. Credit... Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament, via Agence France-Presse  Getty Images

Mr. Cleverly said the prime minister was in very much serious mode, and that his speech was light on jokes and heavy on plans and policy.

Hes actually got a plan for what he wants to do next, how we deliver on the promises we made in the 2019 general election, he said, how we continue delivering through really, really difficult times.

The latest chapter of this drama began on Sunday when Mr. Johnson was informed by Graham Brady, the head of a committee of Conservative Party backbenchers, that the threshold of 54 letters calling for a no-confidence vote had been reached. Mr. Brady and Mr. Johnson then negotiated the timing of a vote, with the prime minister pushing to hold it quickly.

That gave Mr. Johnson a tactical advantage because it deprived would-be rivals of time to organize a challenge to him. One potential challenger, Jeremy Hunt, tried to move quickly, declaring on Monday that he would be voting for change. Mr. Hunt, a former health secretary and foreign secretary, lost out to Mr. Johnson as party leader in 2019.

Nadine Dorries, Mr. Johnsons culture secretary and one of his most ardent defenders, bitterly criticized Mr. Hunt for destabilizing the party and country to serve your own ambition. In a post on Twitter, she said, Youve been wrong about almost everything, you are wrong again now.

The timing of the vote was also dictated by Queen Elizabeths Platinum Jubilee, a four-day celebration that ended on Sunday. Mr. Brady was determined not to allow news of a no-confidence vote to overshadow the festivities. As a result, Britains political drama played out behind closed doors while the political establishment gathered to pay tribute to the queen in a series of public events.

After he had been told of the vote, Mr. Johnson and his wife, Carrie, attended a pageant at Buckingham Palace, where his face betrayed no signs of the brewing crisis. Several lawmakers who submitted letters calling for a vote asked Mr. Brady that they be postdated so they would not be seen as interfering with the jubilee.

During a star-studded concert on Saturday evening, Mr. Johnson watched performers including Alicia Keys and Queen while Conservative lawmakers pored over a memo from anonymous members circulating on their WhatsApp group, which warned that failing to eject Mr. Johnson would bring the party to ruin, according to a report in The Telegraph.

The blunt assessment of the memo, published by The Telegraph, was that Boris Johnson is no longer an electoral asset.

Image Graham Brady, chairman of a committee of Conservative backbenchers in Parliament, announcing that Mr. Johnson had survived the no-confidence vote on Monday. Credit... Stefan Rousseau/Press Association, via Associated Press

Megan Specia contributed reporting.
At the National Gallery, where she was appointed in February 2019, Suda focused on justice and equity with a commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

I am passionate about human-centered leadership and really interested in building that strength, so people can see the value of the work they do and the value of their own lived experience  where managers and leaders are holding space for discomfort and very necessary conversations, Suda said in a telephone interview.

Thats really what this moment is about for me as a leader, she continued, coming into those conversations with a willingness to make space and be there for them and have eyes wide open.

She added that the Philadelphia Museum  known for its collection of about 240,000 art works, including those by Brancusi, Duchamp, Rodin and Jasper Johns (as well as its signature front steps, featured in the film Rocky)  had long been one of her favorites. I used to find myself lost in the galleries, Suda said. Its just one of the rare places where you could just turn off and enjoy art in a museum in the best way.
LIVING AND DYING WITH MARCEL PROUST by Christopher Prendergast

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Marcel Prousts death, and writers on both sides of the Atlantic are producing books on every aspect of his life, just as museum curators are organizing relevant exhibitions and musicians are recording the work that influenced the writer. (Proust even wrote texts meant to be recited to piano music by his boyfriend, Reynaldo Hahn.)

Proust has become the premier novelist of the 20th century. Every aspect of his uneventful but hugely productive life has been studied. Jean-Yves Tadie has devoted his adult life to researching his biography. In Search of Lost Time has been translated into nearly every language and several times into English. Library shelves groan under the thousands of volumes  about the originals for his memorable characters, the theater he loved, the few cities he visited, his bizarre sex practices and so on. Christopher Prendergasts splendid new book, Living and Dying With Marcel Proust, revisits all the various threads woven into this intricate tapestry. Sometimes reading him feels like, say, seeing all of Venice in a gondola, seated beside a patient, smiling, all-knowing art historian  though at moments we just want to be quiet and listen to the water.

Most of Prousts devoted readers concentrate on characters and on the roles of time, memory, art and love in his vast masterpiece. Prendergast, a fellow of Kings College, Cambridge, and the general editor of Penguins reissue of Prousts work, has drawn on his encyclopedic knowledge to cohere Prousts wide-ranging, scattered references: everything from the crucial device of metaphor to a wonderfully playful chapter on food, especially  naturally  pastry. A madeleine dunked in a tisane may catalyze the entire novel, but the narrator is equally beguiled by dishes prepared by his childhood cook, Francoise, the boeuf a la mode served to a vacuous diplomat, the wonderful croissants accompanying his breakfast coffee, even the look and taste of asparagus, steeped in ultramarine and pink. Asparagus leads him into a discussion of Chardins still lifes as well as to the post-asparagus stench of the chamber pot.
NUCLEAR FAMILY, by Joseph Han

Fallout. Its a topic at the forefront of our minds these days, what with the threat of warheads in the hands of deranged leaders and the nukes of hate dropped around us daily. Joseph Hans debut novel, Nuclear Family, is also focused on fallout  from war, from family obligation, from all that goes unsaid  and what it takes to move forward after a disaster.

Meet the Cho family, owners of Chos Delicatessen 1, 2 and 3. Yes, three thriving Korean delis in Honolulu! All thanks to Appa and Umma, and their children, Grace and Jacob. And thanks to Guy Fieri, who once visited (but didnt even pay for his food), catapulting the restaurants to local fame.

Maintaining a deli dynasty isnt easy, but life for the Chos has been pretty good. Still, when Jacob decides to go to South Korea to teach English, his parents are elated because it means hell reconnect with his roots and return with a renewed sense of purpose. Unbeknown to them, he also leaves to escape his own secrets. But once there, Jacob becomes possessed by the spirit of his grandfather  who died in a South Korean parking garage and yearns to reconnect with the family he abandoned in North Korea  and attempts to cross the DMZ, setting off a multicontinent, multigenerational meltdown.
Johnson survives a no-confidence vote, for now

Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, won a tense no-confidence vote among Tory lawmakers yesterday, 211 to 148. Yet the vote presages a volatile period in British politics as he fights to stay in power and lead a divided Conservative Party.

Johnson vowed to stay on, declaring that the victory should end speculation about his future in the role. Its a convincing result, a decisive result, he said. But history suggests otherwise: Conservative prime ministers who have been subjected to such a vote are usually drummed out of office, regardless of the outcome.

For a politician who led the Tories to a landslide election victory in 2019 with the promise to get Brexit done, it was a bruising fall from grace, Mark Landler, our London bureau chief, writes in this analysis. Johnsons job has been in peril for months.
The company has some competition in North America from the sizable modular industry, in which many businesses claim to use green building materials. Nexii, however, uses third-party testing to validate its green metrics and publishes those results on its website. Nadav Malin, the president of BuildingGreen, an information and consulting firm in Vermont focused on the green building industry, said that while it isnt possible to comment specifically on Nexiis claims about Nexiite, as the company will not reveal the materials ingredients, if the company can live up to its claim to be centering health and sustainability throughout their process in a comprehensive way, they will definitely be a leader in the space.Nexiis customers include a growing number of companies that are working to reduce or eliminate carbon emissions. One-fifth of the worlds 2,000 largest public companies have now committed to reaching net-zero emissions, according to the nonprofit Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit.

Today, Nexii has 400 employees and two manufacturing plants in Canada. The company plans to grow and scale using a franchise model, in which it certifies and licenses local manufacturers across North America to produce its green building panels. Plant owners would be provided with access to Nexiite, as well as the systems and processes needed to produce Nexii building panels. Once certified, these manufacturers could market and sell Nexiis building products in their regions. Ten manufacturing plants in North America are in various stages of development, including one in Hazleton, Pa., that opened in October, and another opening soon in Pittsburgh. The manufacturers pay licensing fees, and a certain percentage of their revenue goes to Nexii.
WASHINGTON  At her confirmation hearing in early 2021, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen told lawmakers that it was time to act big on a pandemic relief package, playing down concerns about deficits at a time of perpetually low interest rates and warning that inaction could mean widespread economic scarring.

A year and a half later, prices are soaring and interest rates are marching higher. As a result, Ms. Yellens role in crafting and selling the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which Congress passed in March of last year, is being parsed amid an intensifying blame game to determine who is responsible for the highest rates of inflation in 40 years. After months of pinning rising prices on temporary supply chain problems that would dissipate, Ms. Yellen acknowledged last week that she had gotten it wrong, putting the Biden administration on the defensive and thrusting herself into the middle of a political storm.

I think I was wrong then about the path that inflation would take, Ms. Yellen said in an interview with CNN, adding that the economy had faced unanticipated shocks that increased food and energy prices.

Republican lawmakers, who have spent months blaming President Biden and Democrats for rising prices, gleefully seized upon the admission as evidence that the administration had mismanaged the economy and should not be trusted to remain in political control.

The Treasury Department has scrambled to clarify Ms. Yellens remarks, saying her acknowledgment that she misread inflation simply meant that she could not have foreseen developments such as the war in Ukraine, new variants of the coronavirus or lockdowns in China. After a book excerpt suggested Ms. Yellen favored a stimulus package smaller than the $1.9 trillion that Congress approved last year, the Treasury released a statement denying that she had urged more spending restraint.

At this tenuous moment in her tenure, Ms. Yellen faced tough questions on inflation when she testified before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday and is likely to confront similar queries on Wednesday, when she appears before House lawmakers. The hearings are ostensibly about the presidents budget request for the 2023 fiscal year, but Republicans are blaming Mr. Bidens policies, including the $1.9 trillion stimulus package, for high prices for consumer products. Ms. Yellens comments have given them grist to cast his first term as a failure.

How can Americans trust the Biden administration when the same people that were so wrong are still in charge? said Tommy Pigott, rapid response director for the Republican National Committee.

The glare is particularly uncomfortable for Ms. Yellen, an economist and a former chair of the Federal Reserve, who prides herself on giving straight answers and staying above the political fray.

Ms. Yellen said at the hearing on Tuesday that current levels of inflation were unacceptable. She pointed to disruptions caused by the pandemics effect on supply chains, and the effects of supply-side disturbances to oil and food markets resulting from Russias war in Ukraine as the primary reasons for high prices. She said Mr. Bidens proposed clean energy initiatives and plans to reform the prescription drug market were measures that could lower costs for Americans.

In recent weeks, Ms. Yellen has had to defend the Biden administrations economic policies even as fault lines have emerged within the economic team. She has expressed reservations about the lack of progress in rolling back some of the Trump administrations China tariffs, which she views as taxes on consumers that were not strategic, and she has been reluctant to support student debt forgiveness proposals, which could further fuel inflation if people have more money to spend.

Over the weekend, Ms. Yellen came under fire again after an excerpt from a forthcoming biography of her indicated that she had sought unsuccessfully to pare down the pandemic aid bill because of inflation concerns. The Treasury Department released a rare Saturday statement from Ms. Yellen denying that she argued that the package was too big.

I never urged adoption of a smaller American Rescue Plan package, she said, insisting that the funds have helped the United States economy weather the pandemic and the fallout from Russias war in Ukraine.

Pressed by Senator Steve Daines, a Republican from Montana, about the extent to which the stimulus money fueled inflation, Ms. Yellen argued that countries around the world were all grappling with rising prices and yet pursued different fiscal policies.

It cant be the case that the bulk of the inflation that were experiencing reflects the impact of the A.R.P., Ms. Yellen said.

Ms. Yellen also pushed back against the idea that an expanded child tax credit that was included in the stimulus package had a significant impact on inflation. She acknowledged that it increased demand and might have led to a marginal increase in food prices, but said that was justified by the fact that more children had access to food.

It cut childhood poverty dramatically, Ms. Yellen said.

Image From left, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Catherine Cortez Masto and Debbie Stabenow conferred Tuesday before Ms. Yellen spoke. Credit... Jason Andrew for The New York Times

Ms. Yellen did appear to veer away from the view of some Democrats that corporate greed and profiteering was a primary reason for rising prices.

Asked by Senator Charles E. Grassley, an Iowa Republican, about whether greed was to blame, Ms. Yellen demurred.

I guess I see the bulk of inflation as reflecting supply and demand factors, she said, sidestepping the issue of greed.

Throughout the last year, Ms. Yellen has largely been an ardent public defender of the Biden administrations economic agenda. She has clashed publicly at times with critics such as Lawrence H. Summers, a former Treasury secretary, who warned that too much stimulus could overheat the economy.

For months, Ms. Yellen  and many other economists  talked about inflation as transitory, saying rising prices were the result of supply chain problems that would dissipate, and base effects, which were making the monthly numbers look worse in comparison with prices that were depressed during the early days of the pandemic.

By May of last year, Ms. Yellen appeared to acknowledge that the Biden administrations spending proposals had the potential to overheat the economy. She noted at The Atlantics Future Economy Summit that the policies could spur growth and that the Fed might have to step in with modest interest rate increases if the economy revved up too much.

It may be that interest rates will have to rise somewhat to make sure that our economy doesnt overheat, even though the additional spending is relatively small relative to the size of the economy, Ms. Yellen said.

But economic indicators still suggested that inflation remained under control through much of that spring. In an interview with The New York Times last June, Ms. Yellen said she believed that inflation expectations were in line with the Federal Reserves 2 percent target and that while wages were increasing, she did not see a wage price spiral on the horizon that could cause inflation to become entrenched.

We dont want a situation of prolonged excess demand in the economy that leads to wage and price pressures that build and become endemic, she said, adding that she did not see that happening.

In the ensuing months, as prices kept rising, Ms. Yellen acknowledged that supply chain problems for items such as microchips  which are crucial for a variety of products, including cars  were worse than she had originally realized. She began to project that inflation could last well into this year.

I am ready to retire the word transitory, Ms. Yellen said at a December event sponsored by Reuters, noting that new virus variants had muddled the economic outlook. I can agree that that hasnt been an apt description of what we are dealing with.

Image President Biden met with Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, and Ms. Yellen in late May. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times

Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, had just days earlier signaled that the Fed would stop using that word to describe inflation, showing that Ms. Yellen was not out of line with other key economic policymakers.

Ms. Yellen reiterated on Tuesday that she and Mr. Powell probably could have used a better word than transitory.

Although some Republicans have called for Ms. Yellens resignation, Democrats outside and inside the Biden administration have in the last week come to her defense.

Mr. Summers said on CNN last week that Ms. Yellen had been echoing the views of most mainstream economists last year when she played down inflation and that those incorrect projections called for a rethinking of economic models.

The consensus didnt see the overheating risk, Mr. Summers said. Ive been wrong plenty of times in my life, but I did see that there was very substantial demand pressure that was building and it seemed plausible given that that there would be bottlenecks.

Brian Deese, the director of the White House National Economic Council, dismissed the suggestion that Ms. Yellen could be sidelined as the administration looked to shift how it communicated about the economy.

Secretary Yellen is our chief spokesperson on the economy, Mr. Deese told Fox News last week. That will continue to be the case, as has been the case.

On Tuesday, Ms. Yellen made the case that the United States economy was facing a potentially deep downturn when Mr. Biden took office and that a robust rescue package made sense at the time. Those funds, she argued, ensured that the economy remained strong.

We have the fastest recovery of any developed country, Ms. Yellen said. Theres no question that inflation is too high and it has to be addressed, and were starting to do that from a position of strength.
Brazil and Guyana, having invested in deepwater oil and gas projects, are expanding production. And Peru is increasing its exports of liquid natural gas to Europe and is talking about tapping into oil fields in the Amazon rainforest.

This all comes against the backdrop of a clear warning from the International Energy Agency. Last year, the organization said there could be no new fossil fuel developments if the world is to limit global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Beyond that threshold, the dangers of global warming  including worsening floods, droughts, wildfires and ecosystem collapse  grow considerably.

The moment is an awkward one for Latin American leaders, who want to show in Los Angeles that theyre taking climate change seriously. Indeed, the theme of the Summit of the Americas is Building a Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Future.

I asked Ariel Kogan, an adviser to Argentinas president on energy policy, if there was a contradiction between a sustainable future and pulling more fossil fuels out of the ground. He said Argentina contributed to less than 1 percent of the worlds emissions and couldnt be asked to make tough choices when rich countries werent doing their part in the climate challenge.

The economic reality of developed countries is not in agreement with this target, he said. There is no dilemma for Argentina. This is a problem for the worlds great powers.

Argentinas sweeping energy transition plan, Kogan said, had to be put on hold. Increasing the production of solar and wind energy, he said, would mean importing this equipment, which the country doesnt have resources to do.
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SALT LAKE CITY  If the Great Salt Lake, which has already shrunk by two-thirds, continues to dry up, heres whats in store:

The lakes flies and brine shrimp would die off  scientists warn it could start as soon as this summer  threatening the 10 million migratory birds that stop at the lake annually to feed on the tiny creatures. Ski conditions at the resorts above Salt Lake City, a vital source of revenue, would deteriorate. The lucrative extraction of magnesium and other minerals from the lake could stop.

Most alarming, the air surrounding Salt Lake City would occasionally turn poisonous. The lake bed contains high levels of arsenic and as more of it becomes exposed, wind storms carry that arsenic into the lungs of nearby residents, who make up three-quarters of Utahs population.
He replied to an email saying she wanted only a friendship with a string of messages, demanding to know how she could be so certain and accusing her of spurning his love because she was immature and cowardly.

Ms. Wesko responded less often and more tersely. But over the next few years, she started experiencing severe, unexplained pain, she said, and was repeatedly taken to emergency rooms. She could not locate a doctor able to treat her condition, she said, and in desperation she emailed Dr. Cahill in 2018 to ask if he knew of a good physician in Colorado, where she was living.

She eventually got a diagnosis of endometriosis that required a specific kind of surgery. Specialists were located in New York, at Lenox Hill Hospital, and Dr. Cahill arranged for them to take her case. He jumped in and took over everything, she said.

Her health plan would not cover procedures done out of state, so Dr. Cahill arranged for both the hospital and the surgeons to waive their fees. But he insisted that Ms. Wesko come to him for two preoperative exams.

When Ms. Wesko objected to an exam on Jan. 30, 2019, according to her lawsuit, Dr. Cahill insisted that as her referring physician he needed to complete it. The implication was clear: She needed to meet Dr. Cahills demand or else she would not be able to receive the surgery that he had arranged and that she desperately needed.

During that exam and a subsequent one, Dr. Cahill again penetrated her anally, and during the second exam, Dr. Cahill fondled her breasts, ripped open her paper gown, touched her stomach and pelvic area, and kissed her on the mouth, according to Ms. Weskos lawsuit.
Since May 13, when the first case in the outbreak was reported, more than a thousand people in 31 countries have been diagnosed with the virus, and at least another thousand cases are being investigated. As of Tuesday, the United States had recorded 31 cases in 12 states and the District of Columbia.

In previous outbreaks, a majority of cases were reported in those who had close contact with an infected patient or animal. But in some instances, airborne transmission was the only explanation for the infections.

Elsewhere on its website, the C.D.C. still urges monkeypox patients to wear a surgical mask, especially those who have respiratory symptoms. It also asks other household members to consider wearing a surgical mask when they are in the presence of the person with monkeypox.

Monkeypox is assumed to behave much like its viral cousin, smallpox. In a 2012 review of smallpox transmission, Dr. Donald Milton, an expert on viruses at the University of Maryland, described several instances of airborne transmission.
Let me note, too, that the freight of words is affected by whos speaking them. Patients  perhaps as a result of sepsis-associated delirium or certain neurological disorders  may not be in control of their speech; people who are subject to Tourette-syndrome-related coprolalia should not be denied medical treatment because their words make clinicians uncomfortable. And your patient? She had a problem with substance use and employed language that is, increasingly, stigmatizing of the user. She had no power over the clinicians who attended to her and to whose decisions she was subject. One indication of her lack of status is that your hospitals risk managers evidently decided that the institution could safely eject her without being held accountable for the consequences. Though they didnt intend to mete out a punishment that might have amounted to a death sentence, the risk managers effectively put the hospital ahead of the patient.

The duties of medical professionals are demanding. In wartime, a medic can have the responsibility of saving the life of a wounded enemy soldier, even if the soldier has just killed one of that medics friends. The fundamental clinical imperatives  evolved, collectively, over generations  shouldnt be hastily set aside. Clinicians have duties of care to patients, even odious ones. And the more serious the likely consequences of refusing care, the larger the burdens they should be willing to accept.

My elderly mother began talking to a romance scammer on social media a few months ago. He claims to be building a bridge in South America and has asked her for money to support the project. She has given him tens of thousands of dollars  her entire savings. Given the convoluted stories she has told me, I have no doubt this man is scamming her, and she and I have fought about her continuing to talk to him. I love her, and it really upsets me that this man defrauded her of her money! Here is the thing, though. She talks to him via internet chat twice a day, and it genuinely makes her happy! She is the happiest Ive seen her in a long time. She has had few friends over her life as well as disappointing romantic partners, and this is someone she actually enjoys talking to. Her savings are gone, and I think she will continue to use her Social Security and pension income to pay her bills. That is, I dont think she will give this man much money in the future. Should I keep trying to persuade my mom to stop talking to this man, given that I think the relationship may end once the money flow stops, and she may feel very sad about the ending? Should I be worried about her physical safety if she stops giving this man money? Our arguments are really bad, and she definitely prefers I stop talking about it altogether. Name Withheld

A lot has been published about romance scams, including by law enforcement, and I dont see that, in the usual course of things, its victims are in physical danger  the scammers often live in another hemisphere, for one thing. (You could contact the F.B.I. if you want further guidance.) But the financial and the emotional depredations are very real. Once the money stops, naturally, the scammers move on. There will be heartbreak ahead for your mother.

Youve done what you can do. You have repeatedly pointed out the problem; youve warned her that the rewards of her relationship are predicated on a lie, and you no doubt have told her about the proliferation of such scams. She doesnt want to go on talking about it. At this point, I dont see what choice you have other than to let her be. As long as your mother remains competent, its up to her to manage her dealings with this man. Theres the minor solace that, as you indicate, the only ongoing risk is a continuing loss of relatively small sums of money, and she has enough to live on. Its painful to watch someone you love being exploited, but you cant lead her life for her.

To submit a query: Send an email to ethicist@nytimes.com; or send mail to The Ethicist, The New York Times Magazine, 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018. (Include a daytime phone number.) Kwame Anthony Appiah teaches philosophy at N.Y.U. His books include Cosmopolitanism, The Honor Code and The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity.
On Thursday morning, the 11 jurors sent their note, which quoted the 12th as making remarks including, Tim Shea is a good man. He doesnt beat his wife, and You just cant vote to lynch someone.

It went on to say that the juror had displayed animosity toward the government, claiming that Mr. Shea was tried in the Southern District of New York because people there vote a certain way but that he should have instead been tried in a Southern state. That juror had also injected into deliberations topics outside the scope of the trial, including talk of political parties, according to the note.

Citing a violation of oath, the note asked Judge Torres to replace the juror with an alternate.

Judge Torres questioned that juror away from fellow panelists and the public. According to a transcript, she asked whether the juror had biases or personal views that would prevent him from being fair and impartial, whether he could determine facts subject to her explanation of the law and whether he could consult with other jurors. The juror replied no to the first question and yes to the second two.

Soon after, the judge instructed the jurors to keep deliberating.

Jurors wrote to the judge on Tuesday saying they had gone through evidence in granular detail, but could not agree on a verdict on any count.

After the trial, the jury foreman, Richard Nardini, said 10 members had been convinced of Mr. Sheas guilt. One had not made any decision, Mr. Nardini added, and the 12th insisted that prosecutors had not proven their case, while raising topics unrelated to the evidence. That juror had dozed off during deliberations and the presentation of evidence, said several fellow jurors.

Another juror, Racquel Henry, said that the 12th juror had suggested that Mr. Trump had provided money to the wall fund. A third, Lauren Reyes, said trying to communicate with the man was incredibly frustrating, adding: It was like talking to a wall.
Those stances place him in ideological territory that is very similar to Ms. Hochuls. Perhaps that is why Mr. Suozzi has struggled to make headway in polls or in fund-raising thus far, raising $3.5 million in the latest reporting period, compared with Ms. Hochuls more than $10 million.

Williams has the progressive lane to himself

As the only far-left candidate in an increasingly progressive state, Mr. Williams has a clear path before him. He also has experience running against Ms. Hochul: In 2018, he lost to her in a competitive race for lieutenant governor.

Yet his campaign for governor has failed thus far to build momentum, raising just $250,000 in the last filing period.

At last weeks debate, Mr. Williams refrained from taking swipes at Mr. Suozzi, saving his barbs for the governor. He repeatedly suggested that Ms. Hochuls six years as lieutenant governor to Andrew M. Cuomo, who resigned last year amid allegations of sexual misconduct, had made her complicit in some of his more unpopular policies.

Mr. Williams has also said Ms. Hochul should have more to show from her time in office, citing the lack of access to food and transit options in the mostly Black Buffalo neighborhood where last months mass shooting took place as proof that she had done little for constituents in her hometown.

In the debate on Tuesday, political analysts suggested, Mr. Williams will need to attack without overreaching. But more than that, he will be hoping for a breakthrough moment that could put his candidacy and ideas  like public power, free public college and an approach to public safety that is based on community building, rather than policing  into the conversation.
To the Editor:

Re Questions for the Court, by Linda Greenhouse (Opinion guest essay, Sunday Review, May 29):

Ms. Greenhouse approvingly refers to a recent column by Maureen Dowd in which the Supreme Courts conservative majority having been raised Catholic is given as a likely reason for their expected overturning of Roe v. Wade.

I had hoped that the fear of Catholic judges and politicians feeling compelled to vote in line with Catholic doctrine was put to rest with J.F.K.s 1960 election, but I guess not. Given that an original backer of the Roe decision was William Brennan, a Catholic, and a current defender is another Catholic, Sonia Sotomayor, its clear that Catholic judges are not monolithic in being anti-choice.

I believe that it is also clear that the Catholic majority is not making its decision to please the pope or the church, but rather they act in support of the two organizations that are directly responsible for installing them in their current positions, the Federalist Society and the Republican Party.

To ascribe these justices right-wing activism to their church rather than their political backers does the church and many Catholics a great disservice.

Rick OConnell

Little Neck, N.Y.

To the Editor:

Linda Greenhouse is correct when she says the Constitution appears to have become irrelevant to the six conservative Supreme Court justices who seem geared to overturn Roe v. Wade, apparently in no small part because of their religious beliefs.
It could be that cases were rising so rapidly in the capital, Pyongyang, that the outbreak had to be acknowledged. But there is most likely also an element of political timing involved in announcing the outbreak just before a recent trip by Mr. Biden to South Korea and Japan.

Mr. Kim may be pursuing a dual-track strategy. The missile launches maintain tension with the United States and South Korea  which helps him to justify building up his nuclear arsenal, putting him in a stronger position for any future standoffs or negotiations.

And the Covid confession serves as a face-saving way to secure humanitarian help and other goods from Beijing  which is always concerned about its neighbor devolving into crisis  after Mr. Kim rejected Chinas previous offers of vaccines. Just days after announcing the outbreak, North Korea reportedly sent three cargo planes to Shenyang, China, to pick up emergency supplies. More arrived recently by rail. It may be receiving Chinese vaccines already.

Help is surely needed. North Koreans have suffered chronic food shortages ever since a massive famine in the 1990s. Fruit, vegetables and meat are luxuries for most people, and malnutrition shows in the splotchy skin, sunken cheekbones and gaunt frames of the many people I encountered across the country during my years reporting on the ground. The past two years of border closures blocking the flow of food, medicine and other supplies has made survival tougher.

Most hospitals and clinics do not have heat, medicine or supplies. Ive seen North Korean nurses dump syringes in a wash basin and rinse them in disinfectant for reuse. In winter, doctors and patients bundle up in heavy quilted jackets because heat is reserved for the operating room.

One North Korean doctor told me years ago that she relied on preventive care because she had no medicine to offer patients, not even for diarrhea, which she said kills scores of North Korean children every year. Hand-drawn posters that lined the walls of her rural clinic suggested eating two bulbs of raw garlic, drinking liquor fortified with an egg and sliced ginseng or sipping tepid water with sliced spring onions and sugar to ward off colds and the flu.
And perhaps change careers. A decade and a half later, Ms. Brooks and her husband, Tony Horwitz, the author and journalist who died in 2019, were safely ensconced on Marthas Vineyard, in a slightly askew, hand-hewed post-and-beam house with a spectacularly sagging roof, most of it built in the mid-18th century, on five meadowy acres. They had two sons, and two Pulitzer Prizes between them.

Ms. Brookss career pivot has worked out rather well. She is now the author of five best-selling historical novels. Her second, March, which imagined the life of the absent father from Little Women, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2006. (Mr. Horwitz won his Pulitzer in 1995, for reporting on the inhumane labor practices at poultry plants and other low-wage American industries, for The Wall Street Journal.)

Ms. Brookss sixth novel, Horse, out next week from Viking, tells the history of the Black horsemen  the trainers, jockeys and grooms, mostly enslaved people  behind the massive horse-racing industry in the antebellum South. The story landed in her lap several years ago, when she met an executive from the Smithsonian Institution, who told her how he had overseen the delivery of the skeleton of a stallion named Lexington, perhaps the most famous stud horse of all time, to the International Museum of the Horse, in Kentucky. (It had been languishing for years in the Smithsonians attic.)
The real chicken mystery has nothing to do with whether the egg came first. Scientists would like to know when, where and how a bird of the jungle came together with human farmers to begin down the path that eventually led to the Popeyes chicken sandwich.

The more bioarchaeologists and evolutionary biologists delve into the deep past of the chicken, the more complex its history becomes, and the more difficult it is to imagine a time when they were not food. But recently, scientists have been reconstructing a past in which the birds, descendants of the red jungle fowl, were first viewed by humans as marvelous and exotic, then sometimes sacrificed to ancient gods and sometimes revered as status symbols.

Details of when and where the chicken was domesticated were debatable. The picture that had emerged was one of early domestication 8,000 or more years ago, possibly in China or India or Southeast Asia. But a pair of companion articles released Monday in the journals Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Antiquity offered an updated origin story, putting the emergence of the domestic chicken closer to 3,500 years ago in what is now Thailand.
I think this gives them a form of power, he said of the people posting his photo, often under accounts intended to look as if they belong to news organizations. Messing with somebody or making somebody feel bad, or saying that is just horrific that theyre so desensitized to, that gives them a feeling of belonging.

But what happens next is the even more insidious danger, Ms. Phillips said: The joke is taken at face value by the sizable portion of people who are already primed to distrust societys institutions.

It just exacerbates all the conspiratorial stuff that we have swirling around and sets us on a dangerous course, she said. It further corrodes our ability to be grounded in the same empirical reality.

Such pranks have a long historical precedent, researchers said. One man, a comedian, has been falsely named as the gunman in several mass killings, including a shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., in 2015.

I dont think you can find an event of significant magnitude where this doesnt happen in the aftermath  its almost a reflex at this point, said Mike Caulfield, a research scientist at the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington. Nowadays, people are promoting false-flag and crisis-actor theories 20 minutes after the event, and in very formulaic ways.

Mr. Caulfield described the cycle as almost factory production, happening like clockwork.

In Mr. Jordans case, his photo resurfaces in social media posts from accounts that mimic news outlets and even copy their logos. A report last year that Bernie had been executed by Taliban soldiers in Kabul was posted on Twitter from @CNNAfghan, a fake account that Twitter suspended, and then amplified by @BBCAfghanNews, another suspended account, which cited multiple reports of the death.
Nevertheless, based on Americans identification of Mr. Lowe, and only Mr. Lowe, the airport police obtained two arrest warrants on June 30, 2020, charging him with felony burglary of a building and misdemeanor criminal mischief, the lawsuit states.

Image Michael Lowe sent a selfie to his girlfriend on May 12, 2020, once onboard the American Airlines flight, according to court documents. Credit... Michael Lowe

More than a year later, Mr. Lowe was at a party on July 4, 2021, in Tucumcari, N.M., when the police started asking for identification in response to a disturbance, the lawsuit states. After checking Mr. Lowes ID, they discovered the outstanding warrants from Tarrant County and arrested him, the lawsuit states.

Mr. Lowe was profoundly confused, according to the lawsuit; he did not even know where Tarrant County was. He told his friends not to worry, it would all get cleared up quickly, the lawsuit states. He was wrong.

At the Quay County detention center in Tucumcari, Mr. Lowe insisted that the police had arrested the wrong person, but his protests were not merely falling on deaf ears but appeared to be antagonizing the jailers, the lawsuit states.

He was ordered to strip naked and was searched and then placed in the jail, the lawsuit states, describing it as noisy, crowded and unsanitary. He spent 17 nights alternating between sleeping on a concrete floor and a metal bunk, the lawsuit states.

Jail officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

Mr. Lowe was taken before a magistrate on his eighth day in jail, the lawsuit states. He was shown a copy of his Tarrant County warrants, but without a lawyer to explain the process to him, he was paralyzed by fear and indecision, the lawsuit states. He ultimately waived extradition to Texas.
He said that Mr. Brown, who was 42, had seven children, two of whom are now adults.

In a brief statement at the news conference, Sheriff Wooten said his department had severely advanced our training since Mr. Browns death, with an emphasis on de-escalation techniques.

The settlement agreement has not been released to the public. The defendants have denied liability, Chris Geis, a lawyer for Sheriff Wooten, said.

Under the agreement, Mr. Browns estate will dismiss all claims against the defendants, in addition to any other potential claims arising from Mr. Browns death, according to a statement issued by the Sheriffs Office.

On the morning of April 21, 2021, three Pasquotank County Sheriffs deputies, dressed in tactical gear, arrived at Mr. Browns house in Elizabeth City to execute drug-related search and arrest warrants. Mr. Brown was sitting in a parked car in his driveway and refused to get out of the vehicle. When he attempted to drive away, the deputies fired at him more than a dozen times, according to court documents.
In the past couple of years, California has done just about everything humanly possible to encourage voting: Mail-in ballots. Same-day registration. Drop boxes. Extended voting. As a result, California has 22 million voters in its electorate.

Thats the good news. The bad news? So far, they seem to be bored stiff with this election.

Political researchers who track the states voting patterns, like Paul Mitchell of Political Data Inc., project that only about six million Californians will have cast a ballot by the time polls close Tuesday.

The election just isnt that interesting right now to Californians, Mitchell said on Monday, when he reported that only about 3.1 million ballots had been cast at last count.
WASHINGTON  Leading Democratic lawmakers in the House have signed a letter urging President Biden to take a more guarded approach to Saudi Arabia and to warn the kingdom against pursuing more strategic cooperation with China on ballistic missiles.

The letter comes as Mr. Biden is planning to travel to Saudi Arabia this summer, a trip some leading Democrats have criticized. Representative Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California and the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, who led the drafting of the letter, said on Sunday that Mr. Biden should not go to Saudi Arabia, citing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans role in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist.

The letter  from Mr. Schiff, four other committee leaders and another senior lawmaker  does not urge Mr. Biden to call off his trip, but it says that engagement with the kingdom should be aimed at recalibrating that relationship to serve Americas national interests. The lawmakers used recalibrating in an apparent effort to underscore to Biden administration officials that they need to stick to their repeated promise to recalibrate U.S. ties with Saudi Arabia.
With everything else demanding Americans attention right now, you may have forgotten that Californias primary election is today.

And you certainly wouldnt be alone: Turnout is expected to be low.

Need a refresher? Heres what to know:

How to vote

California sends a ballot to every active, registered voter  so if you are registered, you should have received one in the mail. You can track it online through the states Wheres My Ballot? system. If you havent gotten a ballot by mail (or you cant find it), you can vote in person at a polling place or vote center.

Not sure if youre registered? Check your voter registration here. If youre not yet registered, no problem: You can register to vote as late as Tuesday at your county elections office, your local polling place or a vote center.
SAN FRANCISCO  Voters in San Francisco on Tuesday put an end to one of the countrys most pioneering experiments in criminal justice reform, ousting a district attorney who eliminated cash bail, vowed to hold police accountable and worked to reduce the number of people sent to prison.

Chesa Boudin, the progressive district attorney, was removed after two and a half years in office, according to The Associated Press, in a vote that is set to reverberate through Democratic politics nationwide as the party fine-tunes its messaging on crime before midterm elections that threaten to strip Democratic control over Congress.

Early returns showed 60 percent of voters in the city approving of the recall.

Ultimately the election was a contest between progressive Democrats who saw Mr. Boudin as a key leader of a national movement to address mass incarceration and a backlash by more politically moderate San Franciscans  a coalition of Democrats, independents and Republicans  who grew agitated by persistent property crimes and open drug use during the pandemic. The backlash won.

Locally, the resounding recall suggested that many in San Franciscos Democratic hierarchy are out of step with  and further left than  the citys voters, one of the most liberal electorates in the country.

In February, the Democratic County Central Committee voted 20-2 to oppose the recall of Mr. Boudin, with the two contrary votes coming from candidates who had run against him for the job. In addition, only two members of the 11-member Board of Supervisors, the citys top legislative body, publicly supported removing Mr. Boudin; one of them was a former spokesman for the police department and the other is rumored to want Mr. Boudins job.

In a legal system that cherishes the adversarial tension of prosecutors battling defense lawyers, Mr. Boudin is one of very few district attorneys in the country who crossed the courtroom. A former public defender, Mr. Boudin began his tenure as the citys top prosecutor in 2020 by aggressively expanding diversion programs as an alternative to prison. He said public safety was his first priority but that along the way he would work to make the system more equitable and reverse the legacy of mass incarceration.

Mr. Boudins replacement will be chosen by Mayor London Breed, who has made public safety a cornerstone of her tenure, including her unusual move in December to declare a state of emergency in the citys Tenderloin neighborhood, the center of the citys illicit drug trade.

The city has been facing persistent property crimes, especially car break-ins and burglaries, but data from the police department showed that many other types of crime, including homicides, have been stable or declined during the pandemic. Both sides of the recall campaign traded barbs over the accuracy of the statistics, especially when many crimes go unreported.

Mr. Boudin himself acknowledged that he did not report his own car being broken into three years before he took office. A clear analysis of Mr. Boudins two-and-a-half-year tenure was also made difficult by the fact that it occurred during the pandemic, when a near total shutdown of the city influenced criminal behavior much more than the policies of a district attorney.

The vote was seen by many as an accumulation of frustration by city residents over squalid street conditions, including the illicit drug sales, homeless encampments and untreated mental illness. During the campaign, Mr. Boudin repeatedly pointed out that he was not responsible for many of the street conditions that San Francisco residents are decrying but he recognized that he had become a vessel for their anger.

Shortly after 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Mr. Boudin stood on a beer keg in an outdoor bar on the edge of the San Francisco Bay, facing down a cold, bracing breeze.

We have two cities, we have two systems of justice, he told the crowd that responded by chanting his name. One for the wealthy and well-connected and one for everybody else. Thats exactly what we are fighting to change.

He vowed to continue what he called a movement, not a moment and thanked his supporters, some of them young activists, he said, some of them grizzled ancient hippies.

Weve made mistakes, weve learned a lot, Mr. Boudin said.

He led the crowd in a chant: Justice! Justice! Is on our side! Is on our side! After he finished speaking, a jazz band in a corner of the bar resumed discreetly.

Tuesdays vote had echoes of another tectonic election in the city, the ouster of three school board members in February, a recall that reflected voters sour mood during the pandemic and an assertion of political power by the citys Asian Americans.

Many of the volunteers in both recall elections were from the Chinese community, members of whom were stung by burglaries and shoplifting and who felt particularly vulnerable after a spate of attacks on Asian Americans in the city during the pandemic.

In San Francisco, you dont know anybody who hasnt had their car broken into, said Mary Jung, the former chair of the Democratic Party in San Francisco and the head of the campaign to recall Mr. Boudin.

In an interview after the recall was declared successful, Ms. Jung described the campaign, pitting Democrats against Democrats, as very emotional.

We feel heard, she said. San Francisco needed a change and this is just really a validation of what a lot of us were feeling.

Supporters of the recall gathered at a bar in the Marina district, packed tightly into an indoor space with thumping hits from the early 2010s. The crowd repeatedly broke into chants of Recall! Recall! and a woman crowd-surfed above the heads of supporters. Men outside celebrated with cigars.

Organizers of the recall say they drew much of their support from harried residents. But criticism of Mr. Boudin also came from those who worked with him. Shirin Oloumi, a lawyer who specialized in prosecuting car break-ins before leaving the district attorneys office last August, described a workplace in turmoil with a stream of departures of experienced lawyers.

David Lee, a political science lecturer at San Francisco State University, said the two recall elections in San Francisco  the Board of Education members in February and Mr. Boudin on Tuesday  were a clarion call by an surly electorate.

There is anger at the failure of government, the failure of City Hall, to address pressing problems, Mr. Lee said. On the precipice of a generational changing of the guard in San Francisco  two iconic San Franciscans, Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, and Senator Dianne Feinstein, are in the twilight of their careers  voters are sending a message of frustration and hankering for change, Mr. Lee said. This was especially true of Asian American voters, he believes.

In San Francisco, a third of the population is Asian and they dont feel like anyone is listening to them  City Hall or the Democratic establishment, he said.

At the same time, many political analysts cautioned not to read too much into the result because it reflected the dynamics of a recall election: When Mr. Boudin was elected in 2019 he received only 36 percent of the vote in the first round of voting. In the third round of that election, under the citys ranked choice system, he ultimately inched ahead of his main rival for the job, Suzy Loftus, by a few thousand votes.

In a recall election, you are running against yourself, said Willie Brown, the former mayor of San Francisco. Mr. Brown said he voted to keep Mr. Boudin in office as a protest against the recall process. But he was also critical of Mr. Boudin, whom he described as a warrior for the downtrodden.

Thats what he is, Mr. Brown said. Hes certainly not a prosecutor.

Holly Secon contributed reporting.
Senator Charles E. Grassley, at 88 years old, is standing for re-election, as is Representative Cindy Axne. Heres what to know about voting in todays primary elections in Iowa:

How to vote

The deadline to request an absentee ballot was about two weeks ago (heres the form). You can track the status of your absentee ballot on this site.

Iowa permits people to register to vote on Election Day. Just go to your polling place with proof of ID and proof of residence. If you do not have the documents election officials require, a registered voter from your precinct may attest for you, according to the website for Iowas secretary of state. Look up whether you are already registered here.

Where to vote

You can look up your polling location here. If you voted by mail, your ballot will be counted as long as it is received by officials before 8 p.m. local time on Election Day (which is also when polls close), or hand-delivered to your county auditor by that deadline.
For the F.B.I. and prosecutors, her conviction marked the end of a seven-year hunt. Ms. Fluke-Ekrens hardened militancy and unusually high-level position in the Islamic State stand out even among the Americans who traveled to wage jihad in Syria. The case was the first prosecution in the United States involving a top female military leader of the Islamic State, the first assistant U.S. attorney, Raj Parekh, said during the hearing on Tuesday.

A teenage mother from Overbrook, Kan., Ms. Fluke-Ekren slowly embraced the Islamic States ideology and had a knack for languages, according to Amy Farouk, a former friend.

It was a way for her to feel important, Ms. Farouk said. It made her have a sense of purpose.

Efforts to reach Ms. Fluke-Ekrens family in Kansas were unsuccessful. But Ms. Farouk, who said she met Ms. Fluke-Ekren in about 2001, filled out portions of her life. At the time, Ms. Fluke-Ekren was a teacher at the Islamic School of Greater Kansas City.

After Ms. Fluke-Ekren had two children and her first marriage in Kansas fell apart, she met an international student from Turkey, Volkan Ekren, at the University of Kansas, where both majored in the sciences, Ms. Farouk said. Ms. Fluke-Ekren graduated in 2007 and then attended a teaching program at Earlham College in Indiana, prosecutors said.
Mr. Carusos campaign has portrayed Los Angeles as a city in decay, where crime has spun out of control and homeless encampments have blighted the landscape. Police, he has told supporters, have been handcuffed by criminal justice reform movements.

A former Republican who re-registered as a Democrat less than a month before entering the race, Mr. Caruso has vowed to quickly address homelessness and crime by building temporary shelters and hiring 1,500 new police officers  plans that his critics say will be impossible to enact given factors including the limitations of the mayors office, which shares governmental power with a number of other institutions.

Ms. Basss campaign has sought to address with urgency the fear and anger animating many voters while acknowledging that fixing the citys deeply rooted problems will take systemic change  and, crucially, time. She has highlighted her connections to the state and federal governments and has said she would leverage those ties to bring more aid to help move people off the streets.

You can come at this in a superficial way, Ms. Bass said of addressing homelessness. That is not going to address the problem unless we align all of the resources that this country has to offer and certainly that our city has to offer.

She has also drawn the ire of some on the left for not only rejecting calls to defund the Los Angeles Police Department but proposing to put up to 250 additional officers on the street.

If our movement does not have an answer for people who are concerned about crime, she said, we are essentially handing it over to conservatives.
With California, New Jersey and five other states holding primaries today, this may be the biggest voting day of the 2022 primary season so far in terms of the sheer number of people heading to the polls.

If youre among those voters, you might be making selections in a wide range of races for statewide office, as well as many local contests.

Not sure if you can vote? Cant find your ballot? Have your ballot but dont know where to put it? Relax. Here is a handy, last-minute guide to help get you through your Election Day.
New Mexico voters will weigh in on some key contests today. Heres what to know if youre heading to the polls.

How to vote

The deadline to apply for absentee ballots was on Thursday. You can track the status of your ballot on this site. Not sure if youre registered to vote? That same site will tell you if you are. The deadline to register for voting in person on Election Day was Saturday.

Where to vote

To find a polling place near you, enter your full name, date of birth and county into this site. Ballots must be returned to the county clerk, or your voting precinct, by 7 p.m. local time on Election Day (which is also when polls close) to be counted.
WASHINGTON  The State Department and the Defense Department have failed to assess civilian casualties caused by a Saudi-led coalition in the catastrophic war in Yemen and the use of American-made weapons in the killings, according to an internal government report.

The report from the Government Accountability Office focuses on attacks in recent years by a Saudi-led coalition that is fighting Houthi rebels for control of Yemen. The alliance, which includes the United Arab Emirates, has carried out deadly strikes using combat jets and munitions that have been supplied and maintained largely by American companies with the approval of the State Department and the Pentagon.

The report spans the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, covering the period from 2015, when the war against the Houthis began, to 2021. It is the second major report by a U.S. agency that lays out government shortcomings in preventing civilian casualties in Yemen. In August 2020, the State Department inspector general issued a report that said the department had failed to take proper measures to reduce civilian deaths.
But it is not clear that the investments will be robust enough to prevent those countries from turning to China for help, a key goal for Mr. Biden.

He can hardly cover infrastructure needs here, Mr. Rozental said. Build Back Better has fallen pretty much by the wayside. There just isnt anything in the cards that would indicate to me that Biden is going to come up with some sort of a big New Deal for Latin America.

For Ms. Harris, whom Mr. Biden assigned to work on addressing the causes of illegal immigration, the summit meeting might have been a chance to demonstrate her effectiveness. After meeting this year with President Xiomara Castro of Honduras, Ms. Harris said she was optimistic about the relationships she was building with leaders in the region.

But neither Ms. Castro nor the leaders of El Salvador, Guatemala or Mexico are attending the summit, undermining the vice presidents assessment of their close relationships. The snubs came after nearly a month of closed-door attempts by the United States aimed at ensuring their participation.

Mr. Bidens insistence that the leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela not attend the summit was seen in many capitals as a sign of U.S. imperialism and an unwillingness to address in an honest way the complex issues in the region.
How has it worked in practice?

It appears to have had at least a modest impact. Christian Grose, a political science professor at the University of Southern California, has found that Asian American and Latino voters are more likely to turn out under the top-two system because a higher share of them are registered as independents. And members of Congress elected under top-two are slightly more moderate than candidates who would most likely have been elected under Californias old system.

In Alaska, a similar top-four primary has created some independence from former President Donald J. Trump for Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, by making it harder for him to threaten her with a primary challenger from the right.

But a 2017 research paper by Mr. McGhee and Boris Shor, a political science professor, found that the top-two system had a modest and somewhat inconsistent effect on representation in the first few election cycles in California and Washington.

Its also hard to separate top-two from Californias other reforms that created an independent redistricting commission and changed state legislative term limits, which were enacted around the same time.

And in the past decade, demographic and other changes have intensified Californias one-party rule, such that Democrats now have supermajority control of the Legislature and Republicans have not won statewide since 2006.

It works, but the size of the effect doesnt meet the size of the issue, Mr. McGhee said. Too many other things are pushing things to the poles, so that youre tinkering around the margins at best.
In the mangroves off a Florida highway in 1974, the authorities found human bones that appeared to have been the remains of a body that had been tied to a tree with wire. How they ended up there was a mystery for decades, and attempts to identify the victim went cold.

Last week, the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office announced that the bones had been identified as the remains of Susan Poole, a 15-year-old girl who disappeared in Broward County just before Christmas 1972. The authorities believe Gerard Schaefer, a serial killer who was convicted in 1973 of the mutilation murder of two Broward County girls and is suspected of other killings, is the best suspect in Susans murder. Mr. Schaefer died in 1995, when he was killed in prison while serving a life sentence, according to the authorities.

At a news conference on Thursday, Detective William Springer of the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office said that Susans bones were identified using a process known as genetic genealogy, which involves comparing genetic evidence with ancestry records. Genetic genealogy has been a key tool for identifying more than 40 murder and rape suspects in cases that are years old, including the infamous Golden State Killer in California.
According to an investigator who testified before a commission investigating state corruption, the Guptas were able to secure at least $3.2 billion worth of government business through a vast network of corporations. They have been accused of obtaining fraudulent contracts, laundering money and using their government connections to help other businesses get access to contracts in exchange for kickbacks.

Having the key suspects in the state capture saga arrested and compelled to account for their alleged wrongdoing is going to boost hope among the people of South Africa that there isnt one law for those without money and another for those with money, Ms. Madonsela said.

Michael Hellens, a lawyer for the Guptas, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The brothers have maintained that they did nothing wrong and are the victims of infighting within the governing party, the African National Congress. The Guptas have not been found criminally liable in cases involving them that have so far made it into South African courts.

There could remain a long path between the arrest of the Gupta brothers in Dubai and their actually facing justice in South Africa.
Before he could board a recent Ryanair flight to London, Dinesh Joseph, a 45-year-old South African leadership and management trainer, had to pass a test about South Africa to prove his nationality.

The test was in Afrikaans, a language once imposed by the former white-led apartheid government and one that many South Africans do not even speak today. When Mr. Joseph asked to take the test in English, he said, a Ryanair customer service agent told him: No, this is your language.

Mr. Joseph, who is of Indian descent and grew up in South Africa speaking English, said he thought he was the target of a prank. What on earth is this? he asked himself.
They forget about a patients primary right, which is to be cared for wherever they are, and its because of this that we needed to resort to contracting foreigners, Dr. Jorge Alcocer Varela, Mexicos secretary of health, told reporters at a recent news conference.

The announcement about the Cuban doctors provoked outrage among many Mexican doctors, who said the problem was not a lack of physicians or an unwillingness to work in rural communities, but the life-threatening conditions they must work under.

That was an ideological and political decision, Dr. German Fajardo Dolci, director of the medical faculty at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said of the move to recruit Cuban doctors. It is not a technical, scientific nor rational decision, from the perspective of managing a health care system.

Dr. Fajardo Dolci said personal safety is the top worry of many doctors. It is a huge concern across the entire profession, he said.

Last July, a doctor was hacked to death with a machete outside his home in the state of Puebla, according to local news reports. In January, another doctor was shot dead in the state of Chiapas during an armed robbery. And in April, gunmen shot and killed a doctor in Coahuila state while he was operating on a patient, according to local reports.

The escalating violence has also made life harder for residents, health care experts say.

In the community of Guajes de Ayala, in the mountains of Guerrero state, in western Mexico, violence drove out a nurse, leaving the health clinic with no medical staff to care for nearly 1,600 residents in the region.
SITAKUNDA, Bangladesh  Firefighters who suffered heavy casualties while responding to a blaze at a shipping container depot in southern Bangladesh over the weekend were unaware of the presence of chemical drums, which set off a series of powerful explosions, local authorities said.

At least 41 people were killed, including nine firefighters, and hundreds more suffered burns in the fire and subsequent explosions, which sent a booming noise over the landscape and shattered windows of nearby buildings. Among those killed were residents who approached the site to capture the fire with their phones.

The disaster reflected the haphazard safety standards that continue to dog Bangladesh, particularly its lucrative garment export industry. The depot held clothing ready for export as well as drums filled with hydrogen peroxide, a chemical compound often used to bleach and dye fabric.
For Chinese students, years of intense studying come down to two or three nine-hour days of testing that will determine where they go to college. Covid-19 has added complications like escaping lockdown or testing in an isolation room.

Temperature checks, masks and negative P.C.R. test results are the basic prerequisites for the record 11.9 million students who registered to take the exam that started on Tuesday. Some test takers are discouraged from leaving their homes for two weeks before the exam. Others must travel to testing sites in specially arranged vehicles from their homes in locked-down areas.

For those who have tested positive for the coronavirus or are a close contact of someone with the virus, isolation or hospital rooms are prepared.
QUEZON CITY, Philippines  The television that used to play footage of Ferdinand E. Marcos declaring martial law is no longer working. The biographies of the people who struggled against the Filipino dictator were tucked away after heavy rains caused the ceiling to cave in. Naked wires now hang overhead.

The Monument of Heroes is one of the few places in the Philippines dedicated to preserving the bitter memory of the Marcos regime, when tens of thousands of political prisoners were tortured and detained. Its mission when it opened in 2007 was to make sure people did not forget the sacrifices made for democracy.

The building is now mostly in disrepair, damaged by Typhoon Ulysses in 2020 and closed for more than two years because of the coronavirus pandemic before reopening in February. But with the recent election of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the former dictator, the Monument of Heroes has seen a surge of interest from Filipinos trying to make sense of how the scion of the countrys most divisive political dynasty could glide to the presidency in a landslide last month.
The easiest way to remove Mr. Johnson would be for the 1922 Committee, which represents Conservative backbenchers, to amend a rule that prevents another no-confidence vote for 12 months. But were senior party figures to try this, Mr. Johnson might threaten to call a snap general election, preferring his chances of winning a contest among voters to one among his querulous lawmakers.

Some analysts said there was a path for Mr. Johnson, albeit a narrow one, which would necessitate cutting taxes, overhauling the public sector and helping red wall voters cope with the cost-of-living crisis. In such a scenario, the party would have to tolerate the loss of some of its traditional seats in the south.

It would also require Mr. Johnson to draw once more on his penchant for confounding the skeptics, not by jumping opportunistically from one issue to another but by putting his head down and soldiering on. The goal would be to survive the fallout from the looming district elections and make it to his party conference in the fall, and then beyond.

If Johnson can get to the end of the year, he can get to the general election, said Matthew Goodwin, a professor of politics at the University of Kent. Its not going to be easy at all, but you will either see a very ugly forced exit, or we all underestimated him  again  and he carries on.
STOCKHOLM  It would have been just a domestic political crisis at another time in Sweden: a senior cabinet member facing a vote of no-confidence from a disgruntled opposition and a vow from his party to support him.

But an effort by right-wing lawmakers to oust Swedens justice minister over rising gun violence has become embroiled in geopolitics, complicating the countrys application to join NATO following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The government of Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on Tuesday averted a political crisis when a lawmaker of Iranian-Kurdish origin abstained from the no-confidence vote, after securing a commitment that Sweden would not bow to Turkish demands over a Swedish bid to become a member of the alliance. That left the opposition one vote short of the majority it needed to remove the justice minister, Morgan Johansson.
Far from Ukraines embattled eastern front, a new struggle is being waged  not from the trenches, but over leafy side streets and broad avenues. That is where the enemy goes by the name Pavlov. Or Tchaikovsky. Or Catherine the Great.

Across Ukraine, officials are starting projects to, as they say, decolonize their cities. Streets and subway stops whose names evoke the history of the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union are under scrutiny by a population eager to rid itself of traces of the nation that invaded in late February.

We are defending our country, also on the cultural front lines, said Andriy Moskalenko, the deputy mayor of Lviv and the head of a committee that has reviewed the names of each of the citys more than 1,000 streets. And we dont want to have anything in common with the killers.
Mitchell Reiss

Brunswick Group has named Ambassador Mitchell Reiss to co-lead its geopolitical practice.

He is based in DC and will work with fellow geopolitical co-lead Kate Fall in London.

Reiss worked in the State Dept. from 2003 to 2005 as director of the Office of Policy Planning and served as George W. Bushs special envoy for the Northern Ireland Peace Process.

Most recently, Reiss was the UK representative to the Independent Reporting Commission focused on paramilitary operations in Northern Ireland.

Reiss also served as president of Washington College and helmed the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

He was national security advisor to Mitt Romney during his presidential run.

Neal Wolin, Brunswick CEO, noted that geopolitical issues rank at the top of global boardrooms and that Reiss long diplomatic career and leadership of several important academic and public sector institutions will benefit clients.
MINISTER of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy TD, visited Offaly last week where he met client companies of Enterprise Ireland and also discussed progress and implementation of the recently launched Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan with steering committee members.

The Ministers first port of call was to Glenisk Organic Dairy in Killeigh. The company was established in 1987 by the Cleary family and is recognised for its premium, clean label, organic cows milk yogurt and goats milk dairy.

Minister Troy then travelled to Birr where he visited Grant Engineering. The company has been manufacturing high quality, high efficiency heating products since 1978 and is the leading oil-fired condensing boiler manufacturer in Ireland.

Minister Troy said There are many companies throughout the country who are receiving valuable support and assistance through Enterprise Ireland. Glenisk and Grant Engineering are excellent examples of how large companies do not have to be located in our major cities and towns to thrive. The Government is committed to more balanced regional enterprise and one way to achieve this is through companies like Glenisk and Grant working productively with our agencies.

The Ministers final engagement was at streamBIRR where he met with Dr Anne Cusack, Chair of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan (REP) and Programme Manager Sarah Morgan. They discussed the progress being made on the actions outlined in the Midlands REP since it was launched at the beginning of March.

Minister Troy added: I am delighted to be here at this excellent facility at streamBIRR and to hear about progress on the implementation of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan.

The Plan is focused on achieving a transition to a climate neutral economy, capitalising on strengths of the Midlands through Smart Specialisation and Digitalisation and positioning the Midlands as a destination of choice to live, work, visit, invest and learn. I have every confidence that this Plan will strengthen economic and enterprise development throughout the Midlands.

streamBIRR is a Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) supported project that can facilitate remote workers, researchers, start-ups and growing businesses. They provide access to hot desk space on a daily or monthly basis, as well as renting dedicated office space.

In addition, streamBIRR provide networking and learning opportunities in data analytics and related subjects.

Dr Anne Cusack, Chair of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Steering Committee commented: It is great to have Minister Troy with us for an update on the implementation of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024, as well as visiting two of our flagship companies in the Midlands, Glenisk Organic Dairy and Grant Engineering. The Minister also got to visit StreamBIRR where they facilitate remote workers, hot desks, researchers, start-ups and growing businesses. In addition, they partner with the researchers at I-LOFAR in Birr and third level universities.

The Minister has been so supportive of our region as we focus on the transition to low-carbon, whilst capitalising on the regions strengths through smart specialisation as well as positioning the Midlands as a great place to live, work, study, visit and invest. I would like to thank the Steering Committee members across Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath and of course, the Regional Enterprise Plan team, led by Programme Manager, Sarah Morgan, for their full commitment to the region and to the implementation of the Plan.

Chief Executive of Offaly County Council, Anna Maria Delaney said: It has been great to meet Minister Troy, who has designated responsibility for the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan, in person and welcome him to Offaly. We have advised the Minister of the progress that has been made in implementing the Midlands REP across the region, including Offaly. Offaly County Council, LEO Offaly and Offaly businesses were key contributors to the development of the MREP to 2024 and are actively contributing to its implementation.

This afternoon we have held discussions around the three strategic objectives of the MREP: transitioning to a carbon neutral economy; smart specialisation and digitalisation and placemaking, and we have taken the opportunity to visit Glenisk, Grant Engineering and streamBIRR, whom are actively involved advancing specific objectives and actions of the Plan.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin is to unveil a bust of Nobel laureate John Hume at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Mr Martin is in the French city for a series of engagements in the Council of Europe, marking Irelands presidency of the body.

On Tuesday evening he will join the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, in unveiling a bust of the long-time SDLP leader and key architect of the Good Friday agreement Mr Hume, which has been donated to the parliament by the Irish Government.

It marks the contribution the Nobel Peace Prize winner made during his 25 years as an MEP, and the inspiration he took from the European project in his work.

The bust has been created by artist Liz OKane.

Its presentation will be preceded by a lecture on Mr Hume to be given by Tory Peer Lord Patten of Barnes.

Dr Sean Farren, chairman of the John and Pat Hume Foundation said: The unveiling of the magnificent bust of John Hume at the European Parliament in Strasbourg is a very important moment for the Hume family.

It also hugely symbolic as the European Union inspired John Humes journey of peace, reconciliation and diversity.

The importance of the EU was clear from his very first visit to Strasbourg in 1979, as a member of the European Parliament.

John Hume believed that respect for difference was the first principle of European Union.

His powerful words resonant as strong today, as the people of Ukraine suffer from the violence of others.

Today, in the face of adversity we must continue to choose the way of peace and step back from the shadow of war.

We must seek out justice and stand up against intolerance and tyranny.

We must make real the promise of conflict resolution and move away from the terrible spiral of violence.

Continuing his visit on Wednesday, the Taoiseach will address the plenary of the European Parliament, reflecting on the 50 years since Ireland decided to join the European Union.

He also hopes to meet the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, who will also be visiting the European Parliament.

Mr Martin said: I greatly look forward to my visit to Strasbourg, the seat of a number of vital European Institutions.

Ireland currently holds the presidency of the Council of Europe, a body which does vital work to support democracy, the rule of law and human rights across our continent.

I look forward to discussing its work, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine.

At the European Parliament I will unveil a bust to mark the career of John Hume, a giant of Irish politics, who drew such inspiration from the European project in his work for peace in Ireland.

I will also have the honour of addressing the Parliaments Plenary to mark 50 years since the Irish people decided to join the then European Community.

That decision was hugely transformative for the country and I will be expressing my view that those looking to join the EU now, including Ukraine, should be able to benefit from the same opportunities.
The dog or domestic dog is a domesticated descendant of the wolf, and is characterized by an upturning tail. The dog is derived from an ancient, extinct wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. The dog was the first species to be domesticated, by huntergatherers over 15,000 years ago, before the development of agriculture. Due to their long association with humans, dogs have expanded to a large number of domestic individuals and gained the ability to thrive on a starch-rich diet that would be inadequate for other canids.
As a journalist, he was sacked for making up quotes; as a shadow minister he was punted over lurid love life claims. And thats just the half-time highlights.
The NSW government will spend half a billion dollars subsidising Sydney drivers for the cost of rising tolls on motorways the state has already sold.
Sydney is host to more than 60 per cent of the nations toll roads even though only about 20 per cent of the population lives here.
The state government planned to dump $75 million worth of Russian assets from a state investment fund after Vladimir Putin launched his illegal invasion of Ukraine, but it has been unable to retrieve almost half of that sum.
In her first substantial comments since leaving office, the former German chancellor rejected a suggestion she engaged in appeasement that ultimately enabled the invasion.
Matthew McConaughey is serious about making a real change when it comes to guns in The United States ... meeting with politicians and speaking from The White House after a shooting that killed 19 elementary students in his hometown. The actor
Naomi Thomas's stepdaughter, Annie, was supposed to be going on a school trip to France today - but has missed it after the family's flight home from a half-term holiday in Portugal was cancelled.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has launched a stinging attack on her colleague Jeremy Hunt, accusing him of "duplicity" and "destabilising" the Conservatives.
Delegates from around the world have kicked off talks in Bonn that will lay the groundwork for this year's UN climate summit in Egypt. The UN's climate chief called for countries "not to lose focus."
Claudia Roth is looking to highlight the destruction of cultural centers under Russian shelling. She is the first German government official to visit the strategic port city.
Ukraine is a major exporter of grain and cooking oil but the war has cut off supplies at ports.
Russia has begun handing over the remains of Ukrainian fighters killed in the Azovstal steelworks, the scene of the last stand in the battle for Mariupol.
ODN 07 Jun 2022

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"These allegations fit in nicely in a depiction of Russian soldiers as beasts and brute barbarians, orchestrated by Western spin doctors - exactly like the Goebbels henchmen did at the close of WWII," said Nebenzya.
Mexican President Lopez Obrador's decision to boycott the summit meeting has upended the agenda, which Biden hoped to center on migration and climate.


Two people have been killed in a shooting at a supermarket in the central German city of Schwalmstadt.
Seven England supporters were arrested in Munich on Monday evening, the UK police have announced. The arrests took place around 24..

talkSPORT 07 Jun 2022
Dominic LeBlanc was battling a very aggressive cancer when Jonathan Kehl of Bad Hersfeld, Germany, made a decision that would form a lasting bond between the two.
Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck has been discussing cooperation on climate protection in the Middle East. But first, he paid an emotional visit to the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem. DW's Jens Thurau reports from Jerusalem.
Brazilian police have opened a criminal probe and interviewed at least four witnesses believed to be among the last to have seen a British journalist and an Indigenous expert who went missing in a remote and lawless part of the Amazon jungle on Sunday.
For over 100 days, the Ukrainian politician has been sending his country's wartime message out to the world, via all channels and by expressing all kinds of emotion and argument.
Newsy 08 Jun 2022

Watch VideoThe House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing begins on Capitol Hill with leaders at odds on how to move forward..
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced what he called a "senseless war" in which Russia is losing "300 soldiers every day." Follow DW for more.
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The state has some of the strictest public health mandates in the country. Five Republicans head into Tuesday's primary election hoping to take on Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in November.
The Scottish Tory leader says Boris Johnson should consider his position after the confidence vote.
Russia is reportedly blocking food exports and stealing grain in Ukraine to sell worldwide as part of a scheme to blackmail the West into lifting sanctions.
The United States won a legal battle on Tuesday to seize a Russian-owned superyacht in Fiji and wasted no time in taking command of the US$325 million ($500m) vessel and sailing it away from the South Pacific nation.The court ruling...
Belfast Telegraph 15 Jun 2022

Theresa May has insisted the UK must do everything it can to press Brazilian authorities to uncover the truth about the..
HLUTI  Despite hundreds of job seekers trying their luck in being recruited into the army, only six will make the cut from each constituency.

This means only 354 people will be recruited countrywide from the 59 tinkhundla centres in the country. Already, 12 people yesterday went to bed smiling with the prospects of joining the army after they qualified during the recruitment exercise which was held at Sigwe and Ngudzeni constituencies. The Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) announced last week that His Majesty King Mswatini III had commissioned the recruitment of soldiers to join the army. A schedule of each constituency has already been publicised, showing the dates when each constituency would be visited.

Aspiring

There was a good turnout in both Sigwe and Ngudzeni constituencies yesterday, where the exercise began as over 500 young emaSwati aspiring soldiers showed up. At the beginning of the exercise in each constituency, the aspiring recruits were told to produce their national identity cards, which were double-checked by bucopho from the different chiefdoms making up the constituencies. After confirmation, they ran for two miles (3.2km) having being marked with a red marker at the starting point, a blue one at the return point and another different marker at the finish line. The first 20 males, along with the first 10 females, made it to the next round, which was physical fitness exercises. During these exercises, one was expected to do as much as they could to increase their chances of making the cut.

Instruction

There were three exercises that were done; which included jack-knives, push-ups and sit-ups. It is worth noting that during the exercises, there are observers who record the scores of all the participants. If one did not follow the instructions while doing an exercise, the counting observer would not continue counting until the exercise was done properly within the stipulated time. From the qualifying 30 participants who took part and complete were part of the physical fitness exercises, the counting of votes was done where the top six winners were announced. The six are made up of four males and two females.

It was said that after qualifying, the six would then be taken for vetting and medical check-ups, which would further qualify them to be taken in for training. Unlike in previous years, where the observing soldiers would assist the aspiring recruits, this year, they (recruits) were holding each other and were sanitised thereafter. Also, oral interviews were not done compared to previous years. Some of the interviewed participants stated that they took part in the exercise because they had always aspired to be soldiers from a young age, while others stated that it was issues of unemployment. Siphamandla Gina, one of the participants, who made it to the final six at Sigwe, stated that the exercises were challenging, especially the jack-knives. He stated that he started preparing as soon as he heard the announcement.

When asked if he was not afraid of being a soldier in light of the political instability in the country, he said he was not shaken, as he always loved being a soldier. I am not into politics as I believe in the current system of governance and that explains why I am here, he said. Thabile Tsabedze said she had less than a week to prepare for the recruitment exercise, and if there was more time to prepare, she would have qualifed. She said she wanted to be a soldier because she needed employment to take care of her family. She said she was not afraid to be a soldier, as she wanted to protect the nation regardless of the political turmoil in the country. She further stated that she was for the current system of governance, tinkhundla.

Masuku Timisile, who also qualified to be in the top six and came first in the running exercise, said she was not afraid to be a soldier. I do not think soldiers are violent, she said bluntly.

She said she believed in communication as the key to solve the current issues in the country.

I do not think that soldiers are violent people, but I understand that they are there to protect the nation, she said. One of the qualifying females, Tivetile Shongwe, broke down in tears when she was announced as one of the two qualifying females. She said this was her third time participating in the recruitment exercise. I am happy that I have finally made it, and I did not even tell my grandmother where I was going when I left home in the morning, she said. Shongwe said she was not scared of being a soldier even in the times of political unrest.

In an interview with UEDF Public Affairs Officer (PRO) 2nd Lieutenant Tengetile Khumalo, she appreciated Their Majesties for commissioning the recruitment. She further said the first day of the exercise was a success. We observed that others did not bring their identity cards (IDs), hence they did not qualify to participate in the recruitment exercise. I would like to remind those who are yet to participate to ensure they bring them, she said.
"Restaurant: Impossible" fans rejoice: Chef Robert Irvine is filming his fifth Michigan-based restaurant next week.

The show is coming to Leah's Korner Kafe in the city of Coleman on June 13-14. Having the program produce an episode there means a facelift for Leah's, provided by the show's $10,000 budget, and a grand reopening meal to help promote the business.

"Restaurant: Impossible" helps restaurants that are facing "an impending demise if things don't improve," according to the Food Network. But, Irvine's tips don't always prevent restaurants he revamps from going out of business.

According to Food Network Gossip, around 55% of locations that "Restaurant: Impossible" visited subsequently closed.

Submitted

In honor of the Mitten being featured for the fifth time, below is an update on the other four restaurants that have been on the show.

A Michigan restaurant was not featured on the show until season four, which initially aired in 2012. It was Frankie's in the city of Three Rivers. Frankie's is still open and keeps an updated Facebook page.

The other Michigan restaurant to air in 2012 was Paliani's Restaurant in the city of Burton which has since closed.

The following year, Irvine visited the city of Douglas to film an episode at Kalico Kitchen. The restaurant was featured on the show in July and closed months later in December.

Kalico Kitchen was also featured in the show's roundup of the "Top 5 Stubborn Owners" Irvine encountered. Watch the clip below.

Most recently, Irvine and his crew traveled to Chez Olga in the city of Grand Rapids.

Photo provided/Google Maps

The restaurant remains open since its episode aired in 2019 and keeps an updated Facebook page.
DERMOTT, Ark. (AP)  Five people were killed and five others injured after a large truck collided with a van belonging to a school serving disabled adults in southeast Arkansas, authorities said.

The crash happened Monday afternoon on U.S. 65 when the 15-passenger van failed to yield when crossing U.S. 65 in rural Chicot County and collided with a truck hauling cooking oil, Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said Tuesday.

Sadler said the van belonged to C.B. King Memorial School, a nonprofit that provides services in several southeastern Arkansas counties to people with developmental delays or disabilities, according to its website.

Our C B King Family is hurting tonight," the school's director of programs, Lora Medina, said in a statement Monday. "We dont have the words right now to express our pain. The Adult Center in Arkansas City will be closed for now as we process what has happened.

Killed in the crash were Regina Jackson, 65; Terry King, 56; Tommy Figures, 50; and Brayshawn Ranson, 19, all of Dermott; and Geraldine Prewitt, 73, of McGehee, state police said. The drivers of both vehicles were injured, along with three other passengers in the van, police said.

State police will assign a reconstruction team to determine what led to the collision, Sadler said.

At this juncture in the investigation, it appears that the driver of the van did not see the oncoming traffic, Sadler said Tuesday morning.

The National Transportation Safety Board also said it would investigate.

The crash occurred south of Dermott, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Little Rock in the Mississippi River Delta region.
Blood donations are needed in Midland for many patients, including 13-year-old Kenzie Gulick, who suffers from acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Her father, Pastor Steve Gulick at the Floyd Church of God, said Kenzie, who has Down Syndrome, likes to read and listen to music. She is an aunt to two nieces, whom she likes to Facetime, but is unable to see in person right now due to her weakened immune system.

Kenzie has just returned home after a 21-day stay at Motts Children's Hospital in Flint, where Gulick said there are 32 people in need of transfusions.

Ive given blood, but until you go through this yourself, you don't realize how important it is and what it's doing, Gulick said. Without these transfusions, she wouldn't be alive right now, along with a bunch of other people down there. These transfusions are what's keeping them alive right now.

Blood drives will take place on Thursday, June 9 at two locations:

 St. Brigid Catholic Church, located at 130 Larkin St., will have a blood drive from 1:30-6 p.m.

 Primrose Retirement Community of Midland, located at 5600 Waldo Ave., will have a blood drive from 11:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.

Gulick initially organized a June 14 blood drive at Floyd Church of God. After donation slots filled up for that day, the two additional blood drives were scheduled for June 9. In addition, a fourth blood drive will be held Thursday, June 16 at Floyd Church of God from 1-5 p.m.

The Versiti Blood Center of Michigan said they are looking to collect 35 units on Thursday and more donors are needed.

Lindsey Chesebro from the Versiti Blood Center said one unit of blood from a single donor can be used to help three lives.

You give platelets, plasma and whole blood when you donate, and that's how you help three different lives, she said.

Since being diagnosed in March 2022, Kenzie, whose 14th birthday is this Sunday, has depended on transfusions and platelets in order to survive. At times, there were blood shortages that left her unable to receive necessary treatment.

The need is constant, Chesebro said. With (blood donations) having a shelf life of 56 days, we have to constantly keep it replenished so its available.

Chesebro said a blood donation can take from 35 minutes to an hour.

Take the time to give some blood, Gulick said. It's one of the easiest things you could do to help save a life.

For more information about donating blood, visit Versiti.org/MI.
File photo

MANISTEE  The Manistee Downtown Development Authority is scheduled to host a public hearing on its city council approved budget during its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday.

The meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m at the West Shore Community College Manistee Downtown Education Center 400 River St. in meeting room B  which is on the east end of the building.
DETROIT (AP)  Authorities on Monday announced a summer crackdown on crime in certain areas of Detroit, pledging to take felons who are caught with guns to federal court where prison sentences typically are longer than in state court.

U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said her prosecutors will focus on the city's 8th and 9th precincts and swiftly make decisions on charges, working closely with Detroit police and federal agents.

As temperatures rise, so does violence. ... Along with a few violent actors there are also very small areas that contribute to most of the violence in our communities," Ison said.

She said mass shootings in the U.S., which have dominated recent headlines, are horrible but there is more urban violence still than mass shootings.

A felon caught with a gun can face up to 10 years in federal prison. Crimes committed with guns can carry even more severe sentences.

Mayor Mike Duggan welcomed the help in the city of 639,000 people. He said the number of gunshot victims in Detroit was down 25% compared to a year ago but it doesn't feel like a celebration.

Duggan noted the weekend death of an 11-year-old girl who was dancing at her grandmother's house when she was hit with stray gunfire from outside the home.

Just senseless, police Chief James White said. Irresponsible gun ownership, irresponsible use of a weapon  it is of epidemic proportions right now in our country and in our city.

A neighborhood activist, Sandra Turner-Handy, said the girl's death occurred in an area now getting extra attention from law enforcement.

It is time to start saving our residents in this city. It is time to stop crying all the time with the chief about our babies being shot," Turner-Handy said.

___

Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez

a report on overnight shootings is the first are the first

320 people shot in detroit. down 25 percent
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PRAGUE (AP)  A massive fire in a nursing home for Alzheimer patients in the Czech Republic has left two people dead and injured more than 50 others, officials said on Thursday.

The regional rescue service said the bodies of the two patients were discovered in the badly damaged building following the fire that broke out late Wednesday at the home in Roztoky, a town just north of Prague.
GRAYLING  Michigan National Guard plans to more than double the size of its Northern Michigan base Camp Grayling.

The camp, which spans more than 148,000 acres, is the largest National Guard training site in the country.

Col. Scott Meyers says expanding the military complex will allow for safely distanced multi-domain training in land, air, sea, cyber and space warfare.

Itll allow us to really put Northern Michigan on a map, Meyers said. I don't see anywhere else in the United States that has the ability to simultaneously train in all those domains of warfare in a four season environment.

Michigan National Guard

Camp Grayling contains the largest restricted special use airspace East of the Mississippi River, Meyers said. Close access to Lake Huron allows for naval training, and the remoteness of Northern Michigan allows for cyber and space training.

Meyers said technologies used in the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq showed the necessity for multi-domain training of modern warfare. The expansion will help them to train under these new technologies.

Some residents have expressed concern that expanding military presence in Camp Grayling will hinder recreation in the area. Meyers said that they already have plenty of impact areas for artillery capabilities; what they are missing is distance away from those loud activities to be able to integrate more low-impact training, such as concealment from space assets.

Staff Sgt. Jacob Cessna/Michigan National Guard

We look at this as very low-impact for the environment, Meyers said. If the units are training and if theyre training well, they shouldn't be seen.

He said under agreements with the Department of Natural Resources, they would drive on existing roads and trails.

For safety reasons, Meyers said they will put out advisories when land is being used for low-impact training, but it will still be available to the public. Any high-risk areas for high-impact training are already fenced off.

There is no timeline for the proposal. Meyers said he hopes to see action by the end of the year after coming to an agreement with the DNR.
Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow will receive an $11,000 increase in pay.

The Midland Public Schools board approved a renewed contract that proposed an increase to roughly $194,300 per year for Sharrow, a contract which has a term from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.

"We know how impressive you are and what you bring to the district," school board President Scott McFarland said.

This item, among others, was approved by the board on Monday in the MPS Administration Center's auditorium. Two board members, Brad Blasy and Patrick Frazee, were absent from the meeting.

McFarland explained that Sharrow, despite an approximate increase of $11,200 in pay, will still be on the low end of compensation in comparison to the superintendents of 13 "similar-performing" districts in the state.

Other superintendent salaries presented by board Prior to the approval of a renewed contract with Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow, he was earning $183,138.72 prior to the board meeting where the salary was raised to $194,342.01. According to MPS Board President Scott McFarland, the district is measured against 13 other districts in Michigan. As of the 2021-22 school year, some of those superintendents are making more than Sharrow. "Even with this proposed pay increase, Mike will still be squarely in the bottom quartile of his peers," McFarland said in front of the board on Monday. "He's OK with that." McFarland provided the following information in front of the board during the recent meeting: Meridian Public Schools Superintendent $185,556 with a $5,000 renewity and $16,400 in healthcare costs, which Sharrow does not have associated costs for Utica Public Schools Superintendent $203,970 Forest Hills Public Schools Superintendent $207,729 Rockford Public Schools Superintendent $270,042 See More Collapse

The MPS summer tax rate is off to the city of Midland after it was approved on Monday. In September 2021, the state legislature reduced the hold-harmless rates, which has led the board to believe that fewer mills will be taken from homestead and qualified agricultural property. The reduction could be .2391 mill after the State of Michigan changed the district's ability to collect taxpayer dollars.

As an update, the board presented estimated information in relation to the 2022-23 general operating budget. Associate Superintendent Brian Brutyn said substantial changes are coming to the budget, but the presented information was the best conservative estimate of the budget.

The State of Michigan has yet to finalize its budget for its next fiscal year, which is from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023.

"This is simply a snapshot in time," Brutyn said, adding he expects changes to follow within a two-week timeframe.

In other business, the board approved:

 payment of the school system's bills of of roughly $6,304,000 for the month of April.

 renewed workers' compensation coverage policy with Ieuter Insurance Agency of Midland. This is the second renewal of the policy at an annual rate of about $80,000.
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.
Bahrain Association of Banks (BAB) is keen to enhance the role of the association and the banks in the initiatives launched by the Central Bank of Bahrain and the government to strengthen Bahrains financial and economic position, said Adnan Ahmed Yousef, Chairman of BAB Board of Directors.

He was speaking following a meeting of BAB Board of Directors at BENEFIT headquarters.

The board discussed several important topics, including strengthening the role of banks in implementing the initiatives for developing the financial services sector and the economic recovery plan, in addition to the upcoming events and activities of the association.

Yousef said the meeting took the initiative to develop its business plans for the coming period in line with its role in developing the financial services sector strategy launched by the Central Bank of Bahrain at the end of last year.

Dr Waheed Al Qassim, CEO of the BAB, said: "We appreciate the great support provided by the board of directors to all the programmes and initiatives of the association. The association plans to launch several initiatives and projects during the coming period, in addition to continuing coordination with the Central Bank of Bahrain on the implementation of the financial services sector strategy.

BAB intends to organise a major economic conference in Bahrain this year in cooperation with the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It also plans to launch the Cyber Security Club to be a national platform for awareness and education on this important topic. - TradeArabia News Service
Rome, Italy (PANA) - UN food agencies -- the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) -- have issued a stark warning of multiple, looming food crises
With calls to reduce carbon footprints growing louder worldwide, public and private sector leaders are taking much-needed action on climate change. The aviation industry is no different as airline companies redouble their efforts to pave the way for sustainability and ensure future generations can enjoy the benefits of flying while minimising their environmental impact.

The aviation sector is a uniquely hard-to-abate sector with the critical yet challenging task of tackling climate change. Yet, Cathay Pacific Airways has taken significant steps by pledging to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Using sustainable aviation fuels, investing in modern and fuel-efficient fleet such as the Airbus A350s and the Airbus A321neos, increasing focus on its carbon offset programme - Fly Greener and reducing aircraft as well as on-ground emissions are all necessary initiatives the airline has taken that could and should help to ensure the long-term sustainability of commercial aviation, says Vishnu Rajendran, Cathay Pacifics Middle East Area Manager.

Speaking exclusively to Travel and Tourism News Middle East, he outlined the airlines sustainability plans, as well as how it intends to be a more customer centric brand by providing customers, including persons with disabilities a safe and enjoyable travel experience while making the Hong Kong-based carrier a more passenger-friendly flying partner.

Decarbonisation in the aviation sector is crucial because flying accounts for 3 percent of worldwide CO2 emissions, making it a significant polluter, said Rajendran. Our top priority is to reduce CO2 emissions and weve already made great stride in taking an active and collaborative approach in creating breakthrough innovations needed to eliminate these.

Cathay Pacific, early last year, took an imminent essential step towards sustainability when it announced the formation of the Aviation Climate Taskforce (ACT) alongside Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and other airline leaders, he noted. The non-profit organisation was established recently to address the challenge of eliminating carbon emissions in aviation through collaboration and innovation.

According to Rajendran, Cathay Pacific has led the way in decarbonisation efforts throughout the years, becoming the first airline company in 2014 to invest in Fulcrum BioEnergy, which develops Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Cathay Pacific is also one of the first Asian airlines to set a timeline for attaining carbon neutrality.

We plan to use SAF for 10 percent of our entire fuel usage by 2030, Rajendran said, adding that cross-sector partnerships will help us meet the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Over the past few years, the company has made pioneering efforts in supporting SAF development. The 2014 deal saw the airline commit to purchasing 1.1 million tonnes of SAF over 10 years, which will cover around two percent of its pre-COVID-19 fuel requirements on an annual basis. The airline company expects to begin taking delivery of SAF produced by Fulcrum and using it on a wider basis for its flights departing the US from 2024 onward.

Currently, sustainable aviation fuels are mixed directly with conventional jet fuel up to a 50/50 blend, Rajendran said. He added that using SAF is critical to decarbonising our operations in the next decades. Our pledge to use SAF for up to 10 percent of our total fuel use by 2030 is a clear indicator of our desire to meet our net-zero emissions target and be a leader in the battle against climate change.

Cathay Pacific has also pledged to reduce its absolute ground emissions by 32 percent by 2030 through strengthening energy-saving measures and adopting renewable energy solutions. The Hong Kong based carrier has invested in technology that provides operational improvements such as e-Enabled Aircraft Programmes, Reducing Engine Taxi-In (RETI) and electronic Flight Folder that helps achieve operational efficiency while also reducing greenhouse gas emission. However, the ability to meet the sustainability target, according to Rajendran, does not lie only with airlines. We are encouraging all stakeholders to decrease their carbon footprint, including policymakers, the energy sector, aircraft and engine manufacturers, and even our consumers.

Talking further about Cathay Pacifics benefits for their customers, Rajendran added that Cathay Pacific believes in moving beyond for its customers and providing them with a comfortable travel experience. The airline has been focusing on providing special assistance for people of determination and those with disability or mobility needs on flights.

Our ground and cabin crews are trained to help passengers with disabilities, he said. While some of our services depend on certain safety requirements, passengers with disabilities or passengers requiring mobiltity support can receive assistance onboard our aircraft with moving to and from seats, preparing to eat, visiting the lavatory and using the inflight wheelchair to get around the aircraft. - TradeArabia News Service
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

The White House announced that United Airlines would transport the third shipment of "Operation Fly Formula" carrying Kendamil Infant Formula from Heathrow Airport in London to the United States.

United Airlines has agreed to transport the milk formula free of charge and will ship more than 300,000 pounds or around 3.7 million eight-ounce bottle equivalent of the infant formula. The White House stated that the major airline would start shipping on June 9 and transport milk from the U.K. to various airports in over three weeks. The flights are part of the "Operation Fly Formula."

Flying in Kendamil Formula

Kendamil formula, a U.K.-based formula manufactured by Kendal Nutricare, recently announced plans to export two million cans of infant formula to the U.S. The milk will be distributed and can be purchased at selected U.S. retailers nationwide and online. This shipment will be available at Target stores across the country in the coming weeks.

As per The Hill, the White House also announced that the Australian company Bubs would ship around 4.6 million 8-ounces of milk formula bottles to Pennsylvania and California on June 9 and 11, respectively. Bubs will send several infant formula varieties, including "easy to digest" goat's milk and specialty formulas.

Read Also: Operation Fly Formula: Plane carrying Baby Formula Milk Arrives in the US, Abbott CEO Apologizes

"Operation Fly Formula"

The White House Launched the Operation Fly Formula to hasten the import of infant formula and get it to stores as soon as possible. The initiative has brought an equivalent of 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles of infant formula to the U.S.

The first formula milk shipment came from Ramstein Airbase in Germany on May 22, and the military plane flew it to Indiana. FedEx then moved the formula to Nestle distribution center before it was distributed to hospitals, pharmacies, and doctor's offices.

The second shipment of baby milk formula, which carried 100,000 pounds or equal to 1 million 8-ounces bottles, arrived at Dulles Airport in Virginia. First lady Jill Biden welcomed the shipment that included specialized formula milk for infants allergic to cow's milk. Most of the milk will be distributed to hospitals and offered to families through prescriptions.

As announced by administration officials, the third shipment is from the Kendal Nutricare and will be shipped by United Airlines. The load is expected to be distributed to store shelves at the beginning of June, according to ABC News.

On Wednesday afternoon, President Joe Biden will also have a roundtable meeting with infant formula manufacturers, Human Health Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy for updates on improving the formula milk supply. Milk manufacturers expected in the meeting are representatives from ByHeart, Bubs Australia, Reckitt, Perrigo, and Gerber.

Notably absent from the list of participants is Abbott Nutrition. In February, Abbott closed its manufacturing factory in Sturgis, Michigan, after reports of serious bacterial infections in four infants. The move exacerbated the shortage of formula milk in the country as other milk manufacturers suffered setbacks due to pandemic supply chain issues.

Related Article: Diluted Formula Milk Causes Electrolyte Imbalance, Fatal Seizures; Cows Milk Good Alternative for Babies at 6 Months
Its being reported today that in a competitive situation, Apple has landed Blitz, the next feature from Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen. He will write, direct and produce the film, which tells the stories of Londoners during the Blitz of World War II. It is set to begin filming later this year.

McQueens Lammas Park produces alongside Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films, and Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer from New Regency. This reunites McQueen with New Regency, where he made the Best Picture Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave and 2018s Widows. Blitz was developed and packaged by New Regency under McQueens first-look deal.

The film adds another high-profile feature with awards potential to Apples development slate, which is what made Blitz such a big target when it hit the market. For more read the full report by Deadline.

Ted Lasso: The Latest Word

Deadline is report this afternoon that Ted Lasso Star Brett Goldstein says that theyre writing season 3 as the series finale.

We are writing it like that, he told the Sunday Times when asked if Season 3 is the end. It was planned as three. Spoiler alert: Everyone dies.

Goldstein not plainly saying it is the end leaves the window of opportunity for more, even if its not via a fourth season. U.K. series also are well known for dropping occasional one-off Christmas specials.

Executive producer Bill Lawrence spoke to Deadline at the ATX TV Festival on Sunday affirming he is leaving the decision as to when the series, currently in production in the U.K., will wrap to star Jason Sudeikis and the producers. For more, read the full Deadline report.

Archive: Apple TV News
On Friday Patently Apple posted a detailed report on EU Lawmakers being hopeful to have a deal by year end that would establish USB-C as the only charger standard in Europe. While the EU Commissions list is only focused on connectors for mobile phones, tablets and headphones, Alex Agius Saliba, a Maltese politician, Member of the European Parliament for the Labor Party, made it clear that the standard would apply to e-readers, low-powered laptops, keyboards, computer mice, earbuds, smart watches, and electronic toys to have a single mobile charging port.

Saliba hoped that the Commission could aim to harmonize wireless charging systems by 2025 and that the legislation should come into force six months after it is adopted, by which time companies will have to adapt their devices, instead of two years.

In a surprise announcement late yesterday, the EU Parliament and Council negotiators agreed to a deal to force USB Type-C to become the common charging port standard by fall 2024.

In the announcement, it appears that the EU is also working to create a common wireless charging standard for the future to ensure that no lock-in systems prevail.

Below is the Official EU Parliament 12 minute announcement of the deal.

Back in mid-May we reported that Apple was already testing future iPhone models with USB-C.
Appointing Professor Seidu Al-Hassan as the new Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has attracted worldwide backing.



The revered Overlord of Dagbon Kingdom, Yaa-Naa Abubakari Mahama in a statement signed by the Gbewaa Palace Secretary extended his heartiest congratulations to Professor Seidu Al-Hassan.



The statement acknowledged that the incoming UDS Vice Chancellor rightly deserved his new position and emphasized that it was in recognition of efforts and commitment to encouraging and strengthening excellence in higher education in Ghana.





Below is the full statement:



In a similar fashion, Paramount Chief of the Saboba Traditional Area, the Uchabobor congratulated Professor Seidu Al-Hassan on his amazing achievement.



For Immediate Release

UCHABOBOR (PARAMOUNT CHIEF OF SABOBA TRADTIONAL AREA





CONGRATULATES THE NEWLY APPOINTED VC OF THE UNIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPEMNT STUDIES

I write to congratulate you on your appointment to enviable office of the vice chancellor of the premier university of the north, University for Development Studies (UDS). Tamale.



Your appointment has confirmed to the generality of the Ghanaian populace of your sterling dedication to duty in the university over the years. The enormous experience you acquired when you previously served as the Head of Department. the Vice Dean and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university has made you best fit for the position of a Vice Chancellor.

You are best known for your humility to the core, impartiality, and dedication to work, and I urge you to bring this to on your new role as Vice Chancellor Of this great institution.



Your appointment has come at a time of the need to expand the university to cover all parts of the northern region to bring higher learning to the doorsteps of our people. The university needs to expand and with you at the helm of affairs, we can be rest assured that this great task would be accomplished.



Once again, I want to on behalf of the Chiefs and people of the Saboba Traditional Area, congratulate you on your appointment and pray that the Almighty God will grant you the wisdom and strength for your new role as talk Vice Chancellor for the University for Development Studies.







(THE UCHABOBOR)



A letter dated June 1, 2022, signed by the Chairman of the UDS Governing Council, Professor Wayo Seini confirmed Professor Seidu Al-Hassans appointment.



The former UDS Pro Vice Chancellor is expected to take over from Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye who retires from active service in September 2022.



Professor Wayo Seini brings a lot of innovation, resourcefulness, and tact to his professional engagements, and is proficient in change management.



His vision is to provide effective leadership and a collegial environment that will further develop the University into a practically oriented institution that is internationally recognized for academic excellence and community service.

He has guaranteed improved teaching, learning, and research, improved capacity of faculty and administrative staff, robust financial stability for the University, increased reputation of the UDS, and an enhanced unity and gender-inclusive University community.



He served in various capacities such as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the UDS between 2015 and 2019, Director of the Institute of Continuing Education and Interdisciplinary Research and Head of the Department of Food Security and Climate Change.





Profile

Professor Seidu Alhassan holds a Ph.D. degree in Agricultural Economics, University of Ghana (2004), M.Phil. Economics, University of Ghana (1996), B. A. Economics, University of Cape Coast (1993), and a Diploma in Education. University of Cape Coast (1993).



He is an accomplished academic and university administrator, with over a decade experience in the higher education sector.



Aside from his teaching responsibilities, he provides technical assistance to governmental and non-governmental agencies in the areas of community development, micro-finance, and development and management of small-scale business enterprises.



He is a network member of the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC). His research interests are poverty, policy management, community development, applied microeconomic theory, literacy, and peace education.

He has written several intellectual articles and authored books beneficial to academia and Civil Society Organizations.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church Ghana, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong Manso, has urged the clergy to live up to their role as the voice of conscience of the nation by speaking out on issues of national interest without fear, favor, or bias.



He said God has raised the clergy to speak truth to power to demand social justice and equity and become the voice for the voiceless whilst at the same time being partners of development.



Because they are afraid of what people will say, oh he is NDC, he is NPP, and you will get these Politicians speaking against us, when we speak they will say the pastors are speaking too much, when we dont speak they will say the pastors are not speaking. To me God has raised ministers of the gospel as the conscience of the nation, we are to speak for the voiceless



So when a government in power does something which is right, we should talk about it and tell them the good deeds that they have done, if the government in power does that which is wrong, we shouldnt be quiet, we should tell them the world what is wrong. In doing so, if people will tag us or gives us names, it is their own business but when God calls a leader he gives him the opportunity and the boldness to speak not only to religious issues but to Social and national issues, we will work together with the government to propel the nation so that the citizenry will have a better life he said.



Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong Manso urged the church in Ghana to be law-abiding and agents of discipline.



Speaking on recent waves of coups in the sub-region, he said military interventions have not been helpful, hence Ghana's need to guard the 1992 constitution and democracy being practiced.



He, therefore, admonished the government to treat coup threats with contempt.



I cannot speak for the church but as an individual, I am worried because coup destroys every nation, we have seen it right from the 60s until 1992, the instability, the sudden changes, killings, anarchy, and lives lost. Firing people couldnt change lives, it couldnt bring progress, it couldnt bring development, thats why we went back to democracy since 1992 or 1993 January 7th, we havent got there but gradually we will get there thats why we change governments, we change MPs and we change leaders.



So to me the ballot is stronger than the bullet so Ghanaians should not encourage, should not promote or we should not even bring coup detat in our national conversation because coups are abomination, they are detestable and we should treat any coup issues with contempt that they deserve he stressed.



Rev.Prof. Paul Frimpong Boateng said this in an interview with the media in Koforidua during induction service for Rev. Dr. Albert Anane as Superintendent for Eastern Region A of the Assemblies of God.



The newly inducted Eastern Regional A Superintendent Rev. Dr. Albert Anane said the church exists to serve the needs of the society therefore as a leader he intends to engage the church in development which will have a positive impact on the citizenry and the community at large.



We want to build a new hospital for the region to take care of the health needs not only of our members but the community at large, we also want to build one of the best schools in the region and we also wish to embark on rural support missions about pastors and members in the rural communities and help touch lives of the vulnerable in societies as well winning souls for Christ Rev. Dr. Albert Anane currently the Pastor in charge of Central Assembly of the Assemblies of God Church in Koforidua said.













Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Ms. Diana Asonaba Dapaah, Deputy Attorney-General & Deputy Minister for Justice attended and spoke at the 6th ICC Africa Conference on International Arbitration, held in Lagos, Nigeria from 1st to 3rd June 2022.



Speaking on the topic Guerrilla Tactics in Arbitration: Keeping Proceedings on Track. Amongst others, Ms. Dapaah highlighted the negative effects of such Guerrilla tactics on Arbitral proceedings.



According to Ms. Diana Asonaba Dapaah, Guerrilla tactics in arbitration tend to make a mockery of the touted advantages of arbitration.



She further highlighted that these tactics erode the gains of International Arbitration.



As part of her presentation, she proposed major reforms in the International arbitration space intended to make arbitration more effective and worthwhile, including an efficacious disciplinary regime that regulates professionals who act as arbitration counsel and arbitrators.



The 6th ICC Africa Conference on International Arbitration on the theme "African Arbitration: Consolidation and Transformation" took place in Lagos, Nigeria on the 1st - 3rd, of June 2022.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate, said that its daily Muscat to London flight will return to Terminal 4 at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), effective June 22, 2022,.



Oman Air has flown a daily flight into Terminal 2 on a temporary basis for the past one and a half years of post-pandemic operations.



The presence at one of the world's busiest airports will further streamline the customer journey on one of Oman Air's signature routes, as Terminal 4 provides guests with a world-class shopping experience, including retail shops, booksellers, electrical outlets, souvenir shops, and much more.



Oman Air passengers flying out of Terminal 4 will continue to enjoy access to the dedicated Lounge, which offers state-of-the-art amenities to premium travellers prior to their journey.



All remaining Covid-19 precautionary safety measures and procedures in place at airports across Oman were lifted on May 22, an airline statement said.  TradeArabia News Service
President Akufo-Addo led government has launched 100 Mercury-free Mining equipment, also known as the "Gold Katcha" to encourage and enhance responsible Small Scale Mining in the country.



The machine, rolled out by Commodity Monitor Limited, a Commodity trading Logistics and research company, efficiently recovers more Gold for artisanal and small miners in Ghana without polluting River bodies.



Addressing the gathering at a colourful event held in Accra on Monday, 6th June 2022, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said although small scale mining accounts for some 40% of Ghanas gold exports, and provides hundreds of jobs, It is not a secret that the sector has been, unfortunately, a major vehicle of environmental pollution which includes the threat posed to life by use of mercury in the recovery of gold and its subsequent release into the ecosystem.



He said the solution to this, however, cannot be to ban small scale mining on the contrary, it is to ensure that mining is carried out in a responsible manner, as was done by the ancestors, and in line with international best practices and conventions across all levels of operation.



He further stated that calling for a national dialogue, on small scale mining, he was convinced and still is convinced, that small scale mining can and should be done sustainably, "and that us why the government will continue to support small scale miners in their work"



The President by this reiterated that his government is not against small scale mining, stressing that "What my government is against is any form of mining that pays no heed to the preservation of the environment and which threatens our very survival and the legacy we seek to bequeath to future generations"



He then assured us that government will not relent to flash out all those who engage in the act illegally. "There are still some who have vowed to seek only their selfish, interests at the expense of the collective national interest. Let me assure them, that government will not relent in its efforts to flush them out of the approved system"



He outlined some measures employed by the government in efforts to help protect the environment "we've had to take far-reaching measures, such as authorizing the involvement of the military, in operation halt II, as well as decommissioning and demobilizing machines and equipment used for illegal mining, in forest reserves and water bodies, which have been designated red zone for mining"



In accordance with Article 36 clause 9 of the Constitution of the Republic, the President said the government will continue to deploy appropriate measures needed to help protect and safeguard the national environment for posterity.



He noted that to restore the sources of livelihood of affected miners and provide legitimate alternative sources of livelihood for such persons, in October last year, the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Program was launched to mitigate the unavoidable hardship that will be faced by illegal miners.



The President commended highly the Sector Minister and his team from the Minerals Commission for a good work done.



He disclosed that the government will procure some 300 more of the equipment under the National alternative employment and livelihood program for use in the various communities where the program is being implemented.



"Our goal is to eliminate gradually or as soon as possible, the use of mercury in small scale mining that helped realize the objectives of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.



He hoped that Ghanaians and particularly the beneficiaries of this equipment, will put them to good use for their own better and for the benefit of the country.



He also called on Ghana and the diaspora to come together on Friday the 10th of June, 2022 to join government and the Ministry plant 20 million trees for a greener future and for the beautification of the country.



The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor in his submission said the Ministry has since his assumption of office, adopted a two-pronged approach to fight the menace which he said are law enforcement and reformation of the sector.



Under law enforcement, Hon. Jinapor outlined a number of measures the Ministry has embarked on to curb the menace saying "following the holding of the National and Regional Dialogues on Small Scale Mining, where we built a national consensus on the way forward, we have held engagements with all sixteen (16) Regional Ministers and their respective Regional Security Councils (REGSECs), to lead law enforcement in their various jurisdictions"



He added that Forest Guards of the Forestry Commission have been working with the relevant security agencies to enforce the ban on river bodies as mining destinations and added that the Ministry is in the process of recruiting and training river guards, to protect our river bodies.



"We have also resourced the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission, with logistics and personnel, to carry out their inspectorate and regulatory functions and this the officials of the Minerals Commission, indicate to me, is the biggest single retooling of the Commission since its establishment" He continued.



In the area of regulatory, policy and operational reforms, the sector minister said they have decentralised the work of the Minerals Commission to the Regional and District Offices, to make access to information and applications for licences easier.



He noted that the policies and strategies being implemented by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, are to promote viable business for Ghanaians who intend to work in the mining industry, whilst, at the same time, protecting the environment.



He further stated that the Ministry recognises the complexities of the small-scale mining industry and the intractable nature of the negative practices associated with it. "Let us face it, what we are dealing with is gold, which is money. Thus, those involved, both the gold barons, foreigners and Ghanaians alike, who finance this illicit business from the comfort of their mansions, and the goro boys on the ground, would not relent in their efforts" He pointed out.



The Sector Minister reiterated the unflinching commitment of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to persevere until they are successful at constructing, in Ghana, a viable, responsible, sustainable and environmentally-sound small scale mining sector which contributes, meaningfully, to the national economy of our country.



On behalf of the Sector Minister, the Deputy Minister in charge of Mines, Hon. George Mireku Duker, expressed appreciation to the President of the Republic for his exemplary leadership and his long term vision which has lead to the procurement of the Gold Kacha Processing equipment.



"We are aware that small scale mining is dear to your heart and your effort of building local champions within the mining industry will always resonate with us and we say Thank you."



He also assured that the Ministry will ensure that all the equipment will be put to the right use, adding that "this will also help mitigate the influx of foreigners financing small scale mining operations in Ghana which our law frowns on"

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Reports claiming that the Inspector General of Police today met the group that planned to demonstrate with weapons and their own security is untrue - Starr News has reported.



Instead, some senior officers of the service met with the leadership of another pressure group Arise Ghana over their planned demonstration scheduled.



The group however failed to achieve consensus with the Police over their 48-hour planned march and convergence points.



The Police administration however raised reservations about the 48 hours overnight picketing at the frontage of the Jubilee house, citing various reasons ranging from the terrorism threat to inadequate personnel and lack of logistics to provide security for over 5,000 people overnight.



The Leadership of Arise Ghana however stood our grounds and insisted that we could not compromise on our 48hours demonstration and picketing in front of the Jubilee house, Executive Director for ASEPA and Leading Member  Arise Ghana, Comrade Mensah Thompson disclosed in a release.



According to him, the meeting hit deadlock without a compromise from both sides.



The meeting between the Police Leadership and the leadership of the Arise Ghana Group will therefore reconvene on Wednesday 8th June, 2022 at 10am, he disclosed.



Representing the Police were COP Tetteh Yohuno, COP Ken Yeboah, COP Awuni, COP Habiba, and COP Suraj.



Representing Arise Ghana was Kwabena Bobie Ansah, Kobby Barlon, Bernard Mornah, Rex Omar, Mensah Thompson, Listowel Nana Poku, Mordecai Thiombiano, Nana Ntow Amirekyi, Dramani Selorm Dzramado and Abdul Rahman Zakari.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A Clinical Psychologist and a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Eric Bentle, has revealed that the memory of the recent "money ritual story is likely to have a lifetime effect on the victim.



Nana Adu-Boafo, a herbalist in Oyibi in the Greater Accra Region, caused the arrest of a businessman, Evans Oppong, for allegedly attempting to use his daughter for money rituals.



In a video posted on the Facebook page of the herbalist, he mentioned that he is a disciplined military man hence his decision to call the police to arrest the father of 12.



"The girl's father came to see me, he told me he just landed in the country after staying overseas for a while, and it hasn't been easy for him.



"He told me he is a father of 12 and is offering two of them for money rituals. He offered me GHS 10,000 and other good surprises when the job was done. Sadly, he had just picked the daughter up during school hours and told her he was going to get her a new dress.



"Yes, I am a herbalist, but I am also a military man. I am very disciplined. I don't engage in any sinister activities.



"I want to prove to the world that herbalists are not as evil as they are painted. We are not killers as is portrayed in movies; we are healers. I have the little girl he brought for me to kill," Nana Adu-Boafo narrated to the police in the video.



The suspect is currently in the custody of the police and is expected to be charged and arraigned.



Reacting to the issue with the host of Atinka FM's AM Drive Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, Dr Eric Bentle expressed displeasure in how the herbalist opened up to the kid.



"For a moment, I thought the whole money ritual story was a movie. This has the tendency of leaving a lifetime effect on the child.



"It is going to be a difficult time for the kid, and it will also go a long way to affect her as she grows.



"The child should be taken through a debriefing as soon as possible to minimize the effects of the harm that has already been caused," he added.

Source: Ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Seventeen foreign nationals, who entered the country through unapproved routes along the Bunkpurugu area of the Ghana-Togo border, have been arrested and repatriated by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).



The migrants, comprising 16 Togolese and a Burkinabe, were rounded up by security officers at a suburb of Bunkpurugu where they were hiding.



The Bunkpurugu Sector Commander of the GIS, Chief Superintendent Rev. Edwin Adjetey Doku, said a team of Immigration, Police and National Investigations Bureau (NIB) officers arrested the foreigners upon intelligence.



Upon investigations, he said, it was revealed that they had rented an apartment where they had been hiding for the past three months.



He said they claimed to have been engaging in QNET, an online marketing business.



After several interrogations and investigations, they disclosed that they used an unapproved route to enter Ghana, he said.



Repatriation

C/Supt Rev. Doku explained, however, that no evidence was found on the migrants to suggest their involvement in terrorism.



The 17 were, however, repatriated and handed over to the Togo Border Operatives for further actions.



C/Supt Rev. Doku indicated that the landlord who rented the accommodation to them had been invited for interrogation, while efforts were being made to arrest the alleged agent who facilitated their movement into the country.



There is growing fear and panic among residents living along the Ghana-Togo border in the Northern and North East regions following a reported militant attack in northern Togo that resulted in the death of eight soldiers and injury of many others.



Last months attack occurred at Dapaongo, a northern Togo town, which shares boundaries with Bunkpurugu and Tatale in Ghana.



The town is said to be about five kilometres from the Bunkpurugu township.



Terrorism alert

The Ministry of National Security last week notified the security agencies of a suspicious movement of some group of persons at Garu, Bunkpurugu and Nakpanduri in the Upper East and North East regions.



A notice issued by the ministry and copied to the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service on Friday, June 3, 2022, said the group was sighted on motorbikes in the Garu District.



Intelligence gathered indicated suspicious movement of a group of persons along a mountainous area that borders Bunkpurugu/Nankpanduri District in the North East Region and Garu in the Upper East Region, the notice said.

Source: Graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has vehemently opposed the distribution of lands at Achimota Forest to individuals or entities for any purpose.



Reports about the sale of Achimota Forest recently dominated the media as some documents popped up showing the Achimota Forest has been sold.



It became more apparent that the forest was sold when an Executive Instrument (E.I) 144 purportedly appended by the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, stated that "effective May 1, 2022, the land on which the Forest is located shall cease to be a forest reserve".



An Executive Instrument (E.I.) 144 gazetted on behalf of President Akufo-Addo by the Lands Minister Samuel Abdulai Jinapor indicates that effective May 1, 2022, the land on which the Forest is located shall cease to be a forest reserve.



The Presidents action was in accordance with Section 19 of the Forest Act, 1927 (CAP. 157) which gives him the authority to declare that particular land is no longer required as a forest reserve, parts of the E.I further said.



Also a recent leak of a Will by the former Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly called Sir John, sought to give credence to the news that the Achimota Forest is sold.



A media report suggested that Sir John, in his Will, named his children and some individuals related to him as the ones the lands should be given to forever.



In reply, the Lands Ministry debunked the allegations saying the "Ministry to inform the general public that the said document does not relate to the Achimota Forest. The said assertion/allegation is false".



Though the Lands Ministry has refuted the claims about the sale of the Achimota Forest, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. however cautions that no one touches the Forest for whatever reason.



He explained that the Achimota Forest is the only carbon sink in the capital city, therefore selling or destroying it will cause the country, particularly the Greater Accra Region, harm.



"There is only one carbon sink in Accra and that's Achimota Forest. You won't be helping us if you apportion a land in Achimota Forest for the building of a training school or hotel or anything. Nobody should touch the Achimota Forest. If you remove the Achimota Forest, there will be huge pollution in Accra," he said during a panel discussion on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme.



He added; "If we destroy Achimota Forest, the rainfall pattern in Accra will change."



"Today, the population of Accra is said to have reached between 3.5 and 4 million people. We have no single carbon sink. The only carbon sink is the Achimota Forest, so there is no justification for giving any part of the Achimota Forest to anybody; no justification whatsoever," Mr. Pratt further warned.



Carbon sink refers to a forest, ocean or other natural environment that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has hinted at the government's commitment to bridge the north-south disparity in education outcomes.



He explained that although many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were operating in the northern sector of the country, the impact of their interventions had not translated into optimum improvement in education outcomes.



The Vice-President attributed the inability of the NGOs to make the needed impact to the fact that they were operating in silos, and explained that the government through the Ministry of Education was going to work with the NGOs to harmonise and integrate their interventions to yield impactful outcomes.



Dr Bawumia announced this in an address read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister for Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, at the 50th anniversary Speech and Prize-giving Day of the Yendi Senior High School in the Northern Region last Saturday.



Commendation

The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, in an address read for him, lauded the management and board of the Yendi SHS for the feat chalked up by the school over the years.



He urged the staff, management and other stakeholders of the school to work as a team to help move the school forward.



The minister announced plans to change the status of the school from category "B" to "A" to promote effective teaching and learning.



Appeal

The Headmaster of the school, Chief Alhassan Mustak Hussein, used the occasion to praise the past and current staff of the school for the roles played over the years towards the improvement and successes of the school.



He appealed to the government and other philanthropists to help renovate the school's laboratory, fix the only pickup the school has and other infrastructure, as well as construct new ones to help improve effective teaching and learning.



The headmaster also appealed to the government to consider tarring roads in the school to help create a conducive environment in the school for teaching and learning.



Appreciation

The Overlord of Dagbon, Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama II, in an address read for him, lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for introducing the free SHS policy which had helped the nation in many ways.



He appealed to the government to extend many school infrastructure projects to the area to ensure that all school children went to school.



Background

The Yendi Senior High School was established in 1970 to educate people from the north-eastern corridor of the country with an initial student population of 70 males and five females.



The school has gone through a series of changes with the current student population being 3,540 of which 1,900 are males and 1,645 females.



After five decades, the school apart from various challenges has also trained various scholars who are serving in various capacities in the country or outside the borders of the country.





Source: graphiconline.com









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The army in Cameroon has confirmed that soldiers have killed nine civilians, including an 18-month-old girl.



An army spokesman said a group of soldiers opened fire when they encountered hostile villagers in Missong, in the country's North-West region, earlier this month.



The spokesman described the use of weapons as "inappropriate and manifestly disproportionate".



Cameroon's ministry of defence says four soldiers have been arrested following the shooting.



An investigation has been launched into the killings.



In the same region two years ago, 21 civilians including 13 children and a pregnant woman were killed by Cameroonian soldiers in the village of Ngarbuh.



Two soldiers and a gendarme were later charged with murder, arson, destruction, violence against a pregnant woman and disobeying orders.



But human rights organisations denounced a slow, unfair trial and the absence of the top army officials among the accused persons.

Source: BBC









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The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor has cautioned Ghanaians not to pay any amount of money for seedlings to be planted on the Green Ghana Day, come June 10, 2022.



He stressed that "the seedlings are not to be sold, they are for free, let no one lie to you and take your money. 20 million seedlings are being obtained for this year's planting"



The Minister disclosed this during an interview on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo" on Tuesday, 7th June 2022, while announcing that this year's agenda is to first stop deforestation and secondly, pursue aggressive afforestation with a strategy to plant 10 million of the purported 20 million trees in degraded Forest Reserves.



He noted that with the other 10 million, the Ministry has engaged a number of institutions to adopt compartments to be branded in their name for the planting to be done there. Hon. Jinapor was quick to add that it's however not too late for other institutions who want to be a part of this compartment adoption idea, to phone in and book for the needed arrangements to be done.



"Schools are also involved and that is why we launched the One-Student, One-Tree initiative in Cape Coast last Friday. So we are hopeful that on June 10, all students will come out and plant their trees" He Continued.



Calling on all to participate, the Sector Minister said "if this ambitious target of 20 million seedlings will be achieved, all Ghanaians would have to come on board to make it a success".



The Minister further stated that the President will lead the trend to do the Presidential Commemorative Planting at the Efua Sutherland Children's Park, followed by the Vice President in the North, Traditional Leaders, Otumfuo, the Northern Chiefs, the Chief Imam, parliamentarians, the diplomatic corps among many other national leaders.



He applauded Ex. President Mahama for accepting to plant on the slated date saying " this is a Ghana Project and Not a Party Project and that is why I am so Grateful to our Ex-President, John Mahama who has agreed to plant with us on June 10"



Speaking to issues relating to lands, Hon. Jinapor said he is disappointed about how matters on land are being handled in the country saying that "we cannot attempt to look at the issues of land from a partisan point of view as the Lands are for Ghana and not a particular party"



Answering the question of why the Ministry has given out up to 40% of public lands to the Asantehene based on some news reports circulating, Hon. Jinapor explained that the land was not properly acquired by the state because compensation was not paid and he described a "historical injustice" done to the Ashanti Kingdom as they are the pre-acquisition owners.



He noted that the Past presidents have not erred in the course of their work in Land administration, as a matter of fact, the work they did is what the Ministry is continuing. "So it's not as if we are cutting corners to give the lands out"



He sighted examples of various lands that have been returned to the pre-acquisition owners through Executive Instruments (EI) and the rightful law processes.



The Minister said he, therefore, has no justification to question their actions which were rightfully done based on the law and "Our only aim is to administer land matters with utmost transparency and integrity. He concluded.





Touching on the Mines



Sector, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources said the government is putting together appropriate policies and regulations in place to restore the water bodies and forest cover in other to help improve the vegetation of the country.



He maintained that the Gold Katcha machines are one of the main mechanisms to help encourage responsible Small Scale Mining adding that some extra 300 of the Mercury- Free technologies will be soon added and this he assured will be distributed to Regions, naming Ashanti, Western and Savannah as examples.



Hon. Jinapor explained how the machines use limited water and do not contain mercury which he said will not go down to destroy the clean water bodies the country has left, adding that the mercury-free machine technologies recovery process is 90% free.



According to the sector Minister, I know a lot of people who have to delve into legal small scale mining and have made it so other Ghanaians can emulate same to help us fight galamseyers together and this can not be done without your contributions. He added.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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As part of efforts to bridge the gap in the telecommunication network connectivity, Government through the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, has committed about 155 million to supplement universal service funds to boost broadband services in rural areas and narrow the digital divide.



The sector Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, made the disclosure yesterday during the 2022 WTDC roundtable discussion in Rwanda.



According to her, 2,016 project cell sites are being built across the country to connect about three million Ghanaians by 2023. She also revealed that similar amount will be committed for the second phase, once the current phase of the Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project is completed.



Ghana, the Minister said, has pledged an open spectrum policy to facilitate the usage of any technology to connect more than 6,000 villages across the country.



Under the programme, three million Ghanaians will be connected by 2023, in addition to building the shared infrastructure for rural connectivity.



We have mandated and are implementing a national roaming policy for any user to access broadband and emergency call services in our rural, unserved and underserved communities, regardless of their service provider, she said.



Mrs Owusu-Ekuful further reiterated Ghanas commitment to enhance digital skills to empower the citizens to develop and utilise digital solutions to address social and economic challenges.



She recounted how government has committed about $2.6 million to add two innovation centres for the training of at least 3,000 people by 2024.



The Girls in ICT programme, the Minister noted, which was initially targeted at 1,000 female students from selected basic schools has been up-scaled to 5,000 girls who have begun training in five regions. It is expected that an equal number of young women will be trained at the tertiary level.



She disclosed that Ghana has an agreement with SMART Africa Alliance, working through the Smart Africa digital Academy, to train up to 22,000 persons by 2023.



According to the Minister, Ghanas Universal Access and Service Fund Administration operates over 220 Community ICT Centres (CICs) across rural communities with a programme to build capacity, offer skills training as well as advisory services.



Ghana is collaborating with the ITU and NORAD to train more than 14,000 individuals by 2023, utilising the network of CICs.



A total of 220 CICs have been put in place to train 105,600 persons annually, with government seeking collaboration with partners and financiers to expand the space to deliver digital skills to at least 200,000 persons by 2024

















Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Speaker of Ghana's Parliament, Rt.Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin is leading a Ghanaian delegation to the 52nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) African Region Conference taking place in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from 03 to 09 June, 2022.



The delegation will represent Ghana's interests, inclusive of Parliament in the Conference and related meetings under the theme, The role of African Parliaments in building an inclusive society to counter growing insecurity in Africa, with a view to explore and share ideas and perspectives on how to strengthen democracy in Africa.



Mr Bagbin, a seasoned legislator who recently retired from his MPship slot, only to be elected Speaker, is expected to address the session on ways to strengthen parliamentary democracy in Ghana and the African sub-region.



Having garnered more than two decades experience as an MP representing the people of Nadowli-Kaleo, Mr Bagbin was elected on the eve of January 7, 2021 as Speaker of Ghana's Parliament.



During his tenure as Speaker, he has been able to enhance the image of Parliament and has restored the lost hope of Ghanaians in the legislature.



Since the return of the country to multi-party democracy in 1993, previous Parliament's have been described as a rubber stamp of the executive being the first opposition member to be elected to serve as a Speaker in a government other than his party, and his nationalism has endeared him to the hearts of the general populace.



The African Region of the CPA comprises of 63 national and subnational legislatures with a mission to promote and protect the interests and perspectives of African Parliaments and countries, into the Commonwealth and beyond, and to promote gender equality, emancipation of women, and respect for human rights, freedoms, democracy and good governance.



The conference is hosted by the Parliament of Sierra Leone in collaboration with the CPA Africa Region Secretariat, and brings together 400 delegates, observers and other participants from CPA Africa Region Member States (Branches) including; Ghana, Botswana, Lesotho, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Eswatini, Cameroon, Namibia, Malawi and Tanzania, as well as sixteen Sub Branches; Nine from South Africa and Seven from Nigeria.



The Conference will be opened officially on Monday, 06 June 2022, at the Freetown International Conference Center, at the Bintumani Hotel, in Aberdeen, Freetown.



The Ghanain delegation will participate in the plenary and side meetings of various committees including; Executive Committee, Commonwealth Womens Parliament Steering Sub Committee, Constitutional Amendment Ad hoc Sub Committee, Regional Representatives Sub Committee, and Programme Planning and Finance Sub Committee.



The high-level delegation led by Rt Hon Bagbin includes the leaders from both sides of the house, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and the Minority Leader, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu.



In accordance with rule 15 (1) and (2) of the Regional Conference Preparation Guidelines, CPA's approved party representation formula for Parliamentary representatives for Ghana's Parliamentary delegation from are:



. Mr Cyril Nsiah: Clerk to Ghana's Parliament



. Mr Richard Acheampong: Head of Speakers Secreteriat



. Mr Camillo Pwamang: Member of the CPA Secretariat



. Ms Sheba Osei: Head, Parliamentary Relations



. Ms Akua Osei-Somuah: Senior Asstant Clerk and one more member from speakers office.



. Hon Mahama Shaibu: Speakers Office.



The Ghanaian delegation is expected to deliberate on the following topics:



 Strengthening Parliamentary Visibility: Parliamentary Efforts in Resource Allocation for Purposes of Executing its Constitutional Mandate,

 Evolving and Adapting New Strategies for Increased Women Participation in Politics,

 The Role of African Parliaments in Accelerating Intra-Africa Trade,

 Mobilizing Regional, International Coordination and Cooperation to Respond to COVID-19 and Future Pandemics,

 Drawing Lessons from Covid-19 to Build Foundations for Future Pandemics



The CPA was founded in 1911 at a meeting of Heads of Government in Westminster Hall as the then-Empire Parliamentary Association and its affairs were administered by the UK Branch. The original members were Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Brasilia, June 7 (UNI) A veteran British journalist and a Brazilian indegenous affairs expert have gone missing in Brazil's remote Javari Valley.

CNN quoted Coordination of the Indigenous Organization, UNIVAJA, as saying on Monday that journalist Dom Phillips, a 57-year-old freelance journalist who has reported on Brazil for more than 15 years, and Bruno Araujo Pereira, a staffer on leave from the Brazilian Indigenous National Foundation (FUNAI), have been missing for over 30 hours.

The organisation said that satellite information have showed the pair's last known location in the Sao Rafael community, where they were expected to meet with a local leader who did not show up, early on Sunday morning.

The missing pair had planned to take a two-hour trip to Atalaia do Norte but never arrived, the organisation added.

Two rescue teams have been deployed to search for them.

Amazonas state governor Wilson Lima has ordered deployment of specialised police reinforcements to reinforce search and rescue operations.

On Monday night, as a second day of searches came to an end without any sign of the two men, The Guardian reported.

Brazilian Alessandra Sampaio, who lives with her husband in the north-eastern city of Salvador, said in statement: "Brazilian authorities, our families are in despair. Please answer the urgency of the moment with urgent actions.

"As I make this appeal they have been missing for more than 30 hours  [and] in the forest every second counts, every second could be the difference between life and death."

According to CNN, the Javari Valley is home to thousands of indigenous people and about 16 uncontacted groups. The valley has several rivers and dense forest making access very difficult.

In September 2019, an indigenous affairs worker Maxciel Pereira dos Santos was murdered in the same area, according to Brazil's Public Prosecutor's Office.

UNI RNJ
Parliament on Tuesday ratified Ghanas membership to the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO).



The APPO (formerly called the African Petroleum Producers Association) was established on January 27, 1987, to serve as a platform for cooperation and harmonization of efforts, collaboration, sharing of knowledge and expertise among African oil-producing countries.



As at December 31, 2021, APPO membership had grown from eight in 1987 to 15; namely Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and South Africa.



The ratification of Ghanas membership to the APPO by Parliament would afford the country access to the Africa Energy Investment Corporation (AEICorp) to mobilise private-sector funds towards the development of Ghanas Petroleum Hub through eligible African and International Financial Institutions.



It would also afford Ghana the opportunity to participate fully in all activities of the organisation.



By the provisions of Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, any treaty, agreement, or convention executed by or under the Authority of the President in the name of Ghana is made subject to ratification either by an Act of Parliament or by a resolution of Parliament supported by the votes of more than one-half of all the Members of Parliament.



Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Energy, who moved the motion for the House to adopt the Committees report on the request for Parliamentary ratification for Ghanas membership to the APPO, said Ghana applied for membership of the APPO on 16th February, 2011, which was unanimously endorsed by a committee of experts at its 41st meeting held on 23rd June, 2011.



He said the subscription fees by way of Ghanas membership and its oil-producing efforts were in the sun of one hundred thousand dollars annually.



Having critically examined the status of the APPO, the Committee takes the view that Ghana stands to benefit tremendously from becoming a member of the Organisation, he said.



He said among others Ghanas membership would avail to the country the right to participate in the critical decision-making of the Organisation, access investment through AEICorp; an opportunity to leverage the Organisation to fund the development of Ghanas emerging petroleum industry for optimal benefits.



Mr Atta Akyea said the Committee noted that Ghana had applied and achieved the requirement for two-thirds majority approval of the member countries, which left the ratification and signing of the status of the Organisation as the last step for Ghana to become a bona fide member of the APPO.



Mr Edward Abambire Bawa, a Member of the Parliamentary Committee for Mines and Energy, who seconded the motion, said he was so excited that Ghana had decided to join the APPO, stating that AEICorp, which was one of the organs of the Organisation would provide capital funding for the development of hydrocarbons in member countries.



Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, a Deputy Minister of Energy/Member of Parliament (MP) for Karaga, said given the fact that Africans needed to work together as a continent to develop their hydrocarbon resources and maximize benefits for their people, the APPO, as constituted currently, would help Ghana in so many ways.



He said at the moment funding was declining for oil and gas projects because of the energy transition; adding that APPO had been working towards the establishment of an African Energy Bank that would mobilise the resources to support the development of the continents hydron carbon resources.



Mr Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah, a former Energy Minister and a Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Energy said the ratification would enable Ghana to enjoy all the benefits of a fully-fledged membership of APPO.



He said Ghana was challenged with how to attract investment in the upstream sector of the petroleum industry and how to leverage financing for the sector; saying Mr Speaker, we can only do that if we can leverage on our membership with APPO, basically to attract investment and get low-interest financing.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Chairman hopeful of the New Patriotic Party, Stephen Ayesu Ntim, has assured delegates of the party all internal disputes arising out of the various elections held would be resolved when he is given the mantle of leadership as National Chairman.



Speaking to the delegates in the Western North, Western and Central Regions as part of his Time Aso to Break the 8 Campaign, Stephen Ntim emphasized that he is not oblivious to the rancorous and acrimonious exchanges and events which characterized the elections held at the constituency and regional levels and would take steps to deal with them.



"I will make sure all internal disputes in some constituencies are resolved in the first hundred days in office as National Chairman, he said.



For us to be able to break the 8, we need to present a united front going into the 2024 elections. A house divided against itself cannot stand, so it is imperative that we iron out all our differences he indicated when he met delegates in the Western Region.



Mr. Stephen Ayesu Ntim has kickstarted his nationwide campaign to sell his message of hope to the delegates of the party.



His tipped to win the Chairmanship position with a bigger margin since party members across the country seem to believe that it is his time to lead the NPP.



From the Western North, Western and Central Mr. Stephen will continue to other regions to meet with the delegates with his message of hope.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Veteran Nigerian politician and former Lagos state governor Bola Tinubu has said it is his turn to lead Africa's most populous nation after his backing helped propel President Muhammadu Buhari to power seven years ago.



Nigeria will go to the polls to choose a new president next February. Buhari's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will pick its presidential candidate at a three-day convention starting on Monday.



Buhari has not named a potential successor for when he steps down after the eight years in office he is allowed under the constitution, but has asked APC state governors to support his choice.



Tinubu, a powerful political figure from Lagos, merged his party with Buhari's in 2013 to form the APC, which finally delivered victory to Buhari, who had lost in three previous presidential elections.



In a speech broadcast on local TV on Friday, the 70-year-old Tinubu told a party meeting in Ogun state that he had supported Buhari on the understanding that he would contest the 2023 presidential election.



"It is my time, I'm educated, I'm experienced. I have been serving you (Buhari) for a long time, bring me (the) presidency, it is my turn," said Tinubu.



"If not for me that stood behind Buhari he wouldn't have become the president."



A presidential spokesman was not immediately available to comment.



Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are seen as frontrunners in the presidential primary, which will be contested by 23 candidates in total.

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.

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The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says the Nana Addo-led government's unbribled desire to build a National Cathedral as part of his political promises for the country will certainly not please God.



Backing his assertions with Biblical references, the outspoken NDC MP said Jesus Christ will be much happy if we take care of the poor.



Mathew 25:34 stated clearly the urgency to support the poor. Failure to that you wont make it to heaven, he stated in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show, Ghana Monte.



Mr Ablakwa was discussing the release of GH25 million for the construction of the National Cathedral by the Nana Addo-led government.



According to him, the release of the funds for the cathedral project shows how insensitive the government is to Ghanaians who are suffering due to the current economic challenges the country is facing.



He suggested that the money released by the president for the construction of the cathedral could be used to boost the economy to make living a better one for Ghanaians.



The God we are serving is a compassionate God, he expects us to do what is right first. You [President Nana Addo] cannot ignore the hungry people and build a church for God. It is not right. As Christian leaders, we should do the right thing. We serve a compassionate God. he bemoaned.



But president Akufo-Addo has previously stated that the National Cathedral project is as important as any development project in Ghana.



Speaking at the Museum of the Bibles inaugural Africa lecture held in the US on Thursday, May 5, 2022, the president said that the cathedral is essential to finding the missing link in Ghanas development.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









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Paramount Chief and the Agbogbomefia of Asogli, Togbe Afede XIV has clarified why he rejected GH365,392.67 ex-gratia paid to him for serving on the Council of State between 2017 and 2020.



According to him, it is not appropriate to receive the said amount when he already took monthly salaries for serving on the Council.



"I did not think the payment was made to trap me, as is being speculated. I believe it was paid to everybody who served on the Council of State. However, I thought that extra payment was inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work, for which I received a monthly salary and was entitled to other privileges. So, I was very uncomfortable with it," he stated in a release.



He provided these clarifications after members of the public reacted to news of whether or not he indeed followed through with his supposed refund and the rationale behind it.



After weeks of trying, I obtained advice on how to refund inappropriate payments to the State, and on March 4, 2022, I made the refund into the Controller & Accountant Generals Department Suspense Account at the Bank of Ghana, he said in the statement.



The move, per Togbui Afede, is in line with his long-standing principle against dishing out huge funds for to public officials at the expense of the citizenry.



I want to add that my rejection of the payment was consistent with my general abhorrence of the payment of huge Ex Gratia and other outrageous benefits to people who have by their own volition offered to serve our poor country, the statement concluded.



Read full statement attached

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Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A former High Commissioner to Namibia and Botswana has described former President John Mahama, as a better leader who steered the affairs of the country better than what Ghanaians are witnessing and experiencing under President Akufo-Addo.



In a conversation with Adom News, Haruna Attah rated the performance of the current government as a mess.



Comparing former President Mahamas tenure in office, he underscored the need for Ghanaians to appreciate that, leadership is not experimental and hence if Ghanaians had given the former president the opportunity to lead the country in the 2016 elections, Ghana would have been better off.



This, he believes, is because Mahama measures up to the likes of Kwame Nkrumah and to some extent Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings whom he described as a leader who was effective but not fully understood.



Haruna Attah over time has drifted so much towards the social democratic tenets of the largest opposition in Ghana, the national democratic congress (NDC) of which he was appointed a high commissioner to the Southern African country of Namibia and Botswana.



It is on record that, the former diplomat has on many occasions used words that are not charitable in his description of the leadership style of the current President Akufo Addo who he has called a con-man.



The journalist and a former editor of the Stateman and Accra Daily Mail newspapers, Haruna Attah questioned the atmosphere under which journalists are operating today.



In his estimation, all gains made by the fourth estate under the 1992 constitutional dispensation in helping shape and grow Ghanas democracy has been eroded in the last five years because of the persistent arrest and harassment of journalists and social commentators for doing their work.



Touching on his relationship with late former president Rawlings after the infamous incarceration of himself (Haruna Attah) and his friend Kweku Baako, the retired diplomat who turns 70 years in September this year noted that, with the passage of time, the two gentlemen made up for their difference before the latter passed on over one year ago.



Recounting a close encounter he had with former President Rawlings in Namibia when he was High Commissioner to that country, Haruna Attah said it was a surprise that the former president seemed nice towards him when they had to host him when an official visit to Namibia.



He explained that they both had to put away their difference to discuss some security challenges threatening the stability of the West African sub-region, especially with the rise of radical groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria in the presence of Samuel Nujoma who had a special relationship with the late Rawlings.







Source: radiogoldlive.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", clarified issues relating to reports about government giving over 400 acres of State lands to the Overlord of Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.



The issue about the lands which include a section of the military barracks in Kumasi doled out to the Asantehene has courted controversies in the public domain.



The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, on Monday, June 7, 2022, called on Ghanaians to calm down as the government hasn't done anything wrong.



Lands To Asantehene



A directive contained in a letter signed by the Chief Director of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, Mrs. Emelia Ayebeng Botchway, on behalf of the Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah is said to have cited the issuance of Executive Instrument 432 of 2021 by Government in respect of Redevelopment of Sector 18 of Kumasi, which was published in the Ghana Gazette on 31st December 2021.



The legislative instrument, the directive said, has revested and released a portion of the state land at the Ridge Residential Area in Kumasi to the Asantehene on behalf of and in trust of the Golden Stool; according to a publication by the The Fourth Estate dated May 30, 2022.



The released portion with an area of 409.24 acres spans from the North-Western Section of the Military barracks near Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. The site is along the Bekwai road as its Western Boundary to the Santasi Round About, with the Southern By-Pass as the Southern Boundary. The land also lies towards Dakwodwom to the KCC/State Experimental School, along the Danyame Stream to the north, with the Cedar Road as the Eastern Boundary.



The revested land contains both privately-owned properties to be maintained and state bungalows to be relocated to the area retained by Government, the directive added.



All leaseholders of private and public residential and other properties within the revested area are also to attorn tenancy to the Asantehene. This means annual ground rent has to be paid to the Golden Stool by all lessees with the coming into force of the Executive Instrument (E.I.) 432, with the Asantehene possessing the reversionary interest, it further said.



Justifications



But speaking on "Kokrokoo", the Sector Minister pointed out that those lands rightfully belong to the Asante Kingdom.



" . . let me just begin by saying that what we have done about the lands of Asanteman is a huge historical injustice which we have written part of; big historical injustice and I will tell you why...So, in 1943, the then colonial government, through the Kumasi Lands Ordinance 1943, acquired approximately 1235.7 acres or 500.09 hectares of land in Kumasi.



"In fact, the story behind it actually was that the fight, the struggles between Asante and the colonial government and the rest, the British wanted an enclave for themselves where no one will come there, that sort of thing. That was actually the rationale, more like, to provide a safe zone and they didn't pay compensation when they acquired it," he revealed.



He also divulged how the documentation of the lands were approved under the erstwhile Mahama government.



On "1st September 2015, President Mahama's cabinet gave approval for 50% of these lands to be returned to the Asanteman, to be returned to the Golden Stool and that is what we have accomplished for Asanteman to receive lands that are rightfully theirs," he said.





I'm Disappointed In Critics

Samuel Abu Jinapor was therefore unhappy that people are hurling tantrums at the government for giving the lands back to Otumfuo.



"I'm really disappointed. It upsets me. I don't believe we should politicize everything and assassinate the character of some people. I've heard some people say Otumfuo has used his power to claim the lands and others saying Akufo-Addo has inappropriately given lands to Otumfuo; it's really unfortunate", he stated.



He disclosed that "Otumfuo went all the way to the Supreme Court over this matter. He fought all the way to the Supreme Court and, today, we have corrected this wrong; I don't think that anybody can quarrel with us about it".



He noted that in order to rectify the historical injustice to the Asantes, a delegation from the Lands Commission went to a negotiation table with the Asantehene so as to satisfy the terms for compensation.



"They had to go to the Asantehene because, strictly speaking, the land is not properly acquired by the State because compensation has not been paid...After series of negotiations, it was agreed that Government of Ghana will retain 50% of the land and Asanteman and the golden stool will retain 50% of these lands, the lands popularly referred to as Sector 18," he said.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Commission counsel Roger Burrill presents information about the police paraphernalia used by Gabriel Wortman, at the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry into the mass murders in rural Nova Scotia on April 18/19, 2020, in Halifax on Monday, April 25, 2022. The inquiry into the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia has revealed two new RCMP miscues that delayed a warning to the public that the killer was driving a replica police car. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Jammu, June 7 (UNI) Alert troops of Jammu police have shot down a drone spotted close to an international border and brought down the payload attached with it in and found magnetic improvised explosive devices in Kanhachak sector of Jammu.

Additional Director General of Police Jammu Zone Mukesh Singh on Tuesday morning said that the BSF troops last night observed a drone activity in Kanachak area and fired few shots towards it.

"Immediately police party was deployed on receiving the information and they followed the anti drone SOP in the general area," said Singh adding that at around 11 pm in Dayaran area of Kanachak, police party again observed the drone activity and fired at it.

"The payload attached with the drone was brought down but the drone however, could not," the ADGP said.

He added that the payload contained three magnetic IEDs packed inside tiffin boxes with timer set to different timings.

"The IED has been deactivated and defused through controlled explosion," he said.

A case has been registered in this regard, said the top cop.

Earlier on May 29, Jammu and Kashmir police recovers magnetic bombs and UBGL grenades from the payload attached with the drone in Rajbagh area of Kathua district after they shot down the device.

UNI VBH RNJ
Carol Todd holds a photograph of her late daughter Amanda Todd signed by U.S. singer Demi Lovato with the words "Stay Strong" in Port Coquitlam, B.C., on Sunday October 5, 2013. The Dutch man accused of extorting and harassing British Columbia teenager Amanda Todd more than a decade ago has pleaded not guilty to five criminal charges. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Kolhapur, June 7 (UNI) The 10th All India Hindu Rashtra Convention in Goa from June 12 to 18 will deliberate on Gyanvapi mosque case, use of loudspeakers at mosques, Mathura Liberation Movement, the Places of Worship Act, besides the recent spree in targetted killing of Kashmiri Hindus.

The Convention will be held at Shree Ramnath Devsthan in Phonda with the key aim "to decide the policy for functioning of a Hindu Rashtra".

Manoj Khadye, coordinator of Hindu Janjagruti Samities (HJS) for Gujarat, western Maharashtra and Kokan region, said that the unique feature of the convention this year is the Hindu Rashtra Sansad (National Hindu Assembly).



It will guide the attendees on ways to ensure ideal functioning of the government.

Khadye said that the Sansad will hold deliberation by experts on subjects like "Parliamentary and Constitutional ways for establishing the Hindu Rashtra".

Over 1,000 representatives of over 350 Hindu organisations from the US, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Fiji, Nepal as well as from 26 states of the nation have been invited.

During the Convention, discussions will be held on various subjects such as Gyanvapi mosque at Kashi (Varanasi), Mathura Liberation Movement, Places of worship Act, Slaying of Kashmiri Hindus, Sound pollution caused by the loud speakers on mosques.

UNI SSS NV ING
Jeremy Wien called a short stack shove of 42,000.

Jeremy Wien:

All-In Player:

Wien flopped open-ended on the board and the turn sealed the deal as he pushed his stack up to half a million near the bubble.
It took just over an hour for Amnon Filippi to finish off Event #7: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better after play was halted early this morning.

Upon resumption, he enjoyed a back-and-forth heads-up battle against Matt Vengrin before eventually securing victory.

He takes home $252,718 and his first WSOP bracelet.

Event #7: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Final Table Results

Place Player Country Payout (USD) 1 Amnon Filippi United States $252,718 2 Matt Vengrin United States $156,198 3 Paul Zappulla United States $111,501 4 Murilo Figueredo Brazil $80,671 5 Matt Glantz United States $59,166 6 David Funkhouser United States $43,997 7 Rami Boukai United States $33,178 8 Mel Judah Australia $25,377

Winner's Reaction

Filippi told PokerNews he splits his time during the WSOP between Las Vegas and New York, where his wife and two children live. He said he was relieved to have finally achieved WSOP gold having first cashed at the Series in 2005.

"I'm just glad to get it out of the way," he said. "I come from a crew of guys - JC Tran, Quinn Do, Tommy Hang - they all have bracelets. Me and Nam Le were the last two of the Mohicans who don't have bracelets so now I'm on the list of having one, I've got to go for another."

The longtime poker pro spent several years in prison after federal marijuana legal troubles, a part of his life he says that he doesn't regret.

"Maybe I would have gotten a bracelet sooner! As a country, we're moving in a direction where cannabis and marijuana are becoming more legal in most states. And it was just a little bit before the times."

Listen: Filippi Discusses Time in Prison on the PokerNews Podcast

With a group of friends on the rail and joining him for winner's pictures, Filippi says that he is grateful for the support he has received.

"My phone is vibrating right now. They all know that I appreciate them. And for the most part I'm pretty kind to most of the guys and people who are texting me. It's just good feedback to know people are paying attention."

Matt Vengrin - Amnon Filippi

Final Day Recap

After play was halted in the early morning, the final two players returned to the Bally's Event Center to play down to a winner.

Filippi started out as chip leader, but Vengrin made a positive start after winning the first pot of the day, and eventually pulled ahead of his heads-up opponent.

Another surge saw him move further ahead as he looked to close out victory, however a flopped set for Filippi saw him regain the chip lead.

With the limits mounting, it only took a few hands more before all the chips went in, with Filippi coming out on top for his first WSOP bracelet.

Amnon Filippi
On June 4, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took up the issue of protests that have erupted in the authoritarian republic since the deadly collapse of a 10-story building in May.

Khameneis comments came in speech marking the 33rd anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the regimes founder, and he put the blame for unrest on outsiders.

The enemy has counted on public protests to put people against the Islamic Republic, and surely the enemys forecast is wrong like its many other ones, Khamenei said.

That is misleading.

Although Khamenei never named the enemies, its generally understood that the term is code for the United States and Western countries that have opposed the repressive regime.

Casting blame elsewhere diverts attention from the real problems that animated protesters, chiefly corruption and skyrocketing food prices.

The May 23 collapse of the Metropol Building in Abadan, a city in Irans southwest Khuzestan province, killed at least 38 and injured 37 more, the government said. News reports said that perhaps 80 other people were believed to be trapped under the wreckage.

The building was still under construction when it collapsed. News reports raised concerns about corruption, citing the owners connections, and recalled unheeded safety warnings. One analysis by the Middle East Institute said the structures vulnerability was common knowledge:

Iranian construction projects have long been criticized by experts for safety violations in a country prone to earthquakes. After the [2017] collapse of Tehrans Plasco building, the Construction Engineers League, an organization with no executive power, identified at least 170 unsafe buildings in the capital that it deemed to be verging on collapse.

Moreover, the head of the Iranian fire department recently identified 33,000 unsafe buildings in Tehran. Of these, 360 were described as needing immediate intervention while 123 were said to be in a state of disrepair comparable to that of the Plasco building at the time of its collapse.

Protesters at first demanded that local officials be held accountable for the Metropol collapse.

After the protests expanded to other cities, demonstrators fury grew, and they started chanting Death to Khamenei and Death to the Dictator, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a sister U.S.-funded news organization to Voice of America.

Iranian authorities said they arrested 13 people, including mayors and other officials, for construction violations.

But the building collapse wasnt the only thing on protesters minds.

Iran has been reeling from a deteriorating economy, thanks in part to harsh Western sanctions over its nuclear program. A cut in state food subsidies caused prices to spike by 30% in mid-May, sparking calls for Khameneis ouster. Reuters said at least four demonstrators were killed:

Videos posted online showed demonstrators burned images of Iran's top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and called for the return of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the toppled Shah of Iran.

Footage on Twitter showed protests in dozens of provinces such as Ardabil, Khuzestan, Lorestan and Razavi Khorasan. Some state-affiliated media, meanwhile, said calm had been restored in the country.

"However, protests continued on early Sunday in at least 40 cities and towns across Iran, including in the town of Quchan near the Turkmen border, the northern city of Rasht and the western city of Hamedan, according to videos posted on social media.

On May 20, Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized Iran for the arrest of prominent sociologist Saeed Madani for meeting suspicious foreign actors and conveying their operating guidelines to entities inside the country. HRW said Madani had been interrogated and prevented from leaving Iran. In January, he also had been stopped from leaving for a fellowship at Yale University.

The arrests of prominent members of civil society in Iran on baseless accusations of malicious foreign interference is another desperate attempt to silence support for growing popular social movements in the country, said Tara Sepehri Far, HRWs senior Iran researcher.

The rights group also noted the reported arrests of two Europeans, one a French teachers union organizer. This followed the arrest of dozens of teachers union activists in late April, HRW said.

Iran has a history of brutally handling protests, be it over elections, water shortages or price hikes, even asking payment from families to return the bodies of demonstrators who were killed.
Drivers along Whiskey Road on Monday might have seen several people out holding signs.

They weren't protesting anything. Instead, they were part of a vigil for peace and nonviolence held by Moms Demand Action and Aiken Women in Black. The groups gather on the first and third Monday every month from 4-5:30 p.m. no matter the weather.

Lynn Pownall with Moms Demand Action said she is out there to pray for peace and common-sense gun legislation.

+2 Juvenile charged after call sends Schofield Middle School into lockdown in May An Aiken County juvenile was arrested and released following an incident that sent Schofield Middle School into a hard lockdown on May 24.

I am out here to be a witness for peace and to pray for some common-sense gun safety legislation because we can do something about gun violence in this state and in this country, Pownall said. Every day over 110 people are killed in the United States due to gun violence  the mass shootings grab our attention, but there's also homicide and suicide and other forms of gun violence. Matter of fact, in the state of South Carolina, more than half of our gun deaths are due to suicide.

Pownall, who has been coming to the events since 2019, also said she would like to urge South Carolina Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott to work toward gun safety legislation.

Georgia man killed in single-vehicle accident Sunday One person has died following a single-vehicle accident on Sunday, May 29.

It's up to them to come to the table in good faith and to help prevent gun violence, Pownall said. I know we can't have 100% free of gun violence, but things like universal background checks and extreme protection orders and things along that line would go a long way to at least preventing some of the gun violence. So I would like to urge our senators to come to the table and vote yes.

For Brenda Conway with Aiken Women in Black, she has been a part of the group since 2006 because she believes there is a better way to live.

We are suppose to be the greatest nation on Earth, and yet gun violence, death by guns in this country is thousands a year compared to none in most other Western countries or maybe they'll have half a dozen, but the difference is extreme, Conway said. "So clearly they could have guns everywhere and mass killings every day too, but they don't. We can learn from them.

Wagener man indicted on multiple counts of firearm possession and narcotics distribution A Wagener man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Columbia on 15 counts.

Ellen Peeples comes out because even though she believes she has no influence, she is going to stand out there and say what she thinks.

Nobody wants to take away everybody's guns  some people think that, we just think there should be less violence, war only as a necessity and it shouldn't have to come to that and we shouldn't have to be afraid all the time, Peeples said. I think if we have differences of opinion, if we could talk, we could understand each other and I just think there has to be some compromise somewhere on the gun issue.

Even though she never had children and never got married, Peeples said that doesn't mean she can't do something. In fact, she used to be a teacher and it's hard for her to image children having to do active shooter drills.

Janet Kabel said she attended Monday because she cares about people's freedom.

That's really what we're talking about here is freedom, to be able to live and have birthday parties and have graduations and go to the grocery store, I think it's time for us to take back that freedom, Kabel said. We're not talking about disarming people and their guns, I grew up on a farm and know how to shoot skeet quite well, but I don't think that there's any room for weapons of war really to be on our streets. I really hope that people will come together, and as I say, reclaim our freedom.

Her 5-year-old grandchild was the reason that Loretta Beckner attended the vigil Monday evening.

I want her to live in a kinder world, safer world, Beckner said. I oppose the assault weapons. I would love to see the age raised from 18 to 21 and more thorough background checks, red flag laws. But the main reason is to just make it a safer society, something like I grew up in.

For anyone interested in attending, the groups gather on the first and third Monday of each month on Whiskey Road across from Fresh Market near Aiken Estates. For more information, call Pownall at 501-499-4485 or Conway at 803-648-6020.
Aiken County residents got to learn about the policy positions of two candidates seeking to represent South Carolina House District 81 Monday evening.

Incumbent Republican Bart Blackwell and Republican challenger Betsy Lamb were asked four questions during a political forum held by the Aiken Standard in the community room of Aiken Electric Cooperative.

Moderator John Boyette, executive editor of the newspaper, asked Blackwell and Lamb what project in District 81 would benefit the most from the $600 plutonium settlement funds the state received from the federal government.

Lamb said she would like to see some of the funds used to address mental health.

"I would like to see [some of it] spent to prevent what just happened in down in [Uvalde] Texas," Lamb said. "I would like to see mental health be a priority in our county at least ... But basically, I would like to see the homeless people and the people that are mentally challenged get some help."

Lamb added she would also like to see the runoff of Whiskey Road into College Acres and Banks Mill Road addressed.

Blackwell said there were a lot of important projects proposed for the funds. He said the Senate and House are currently working to determine how that money gets spent.

"There are two things that are very critical: the [new Aiken County] career and technology center project ... Hopefully, they'll be able to locate that at the Aiken Technical College campus."

He also said the building of a nursing school at Aiken Technical College was a key project because it would help address a shortage of nurses in the area.

Boyette then asked what the candidates would do to address the state's infrastructure issues.

Blackwell said funding was key to making sure the South Carolina Department of Transportation had what it needed to keep the state an attractive place to do business, for people to visit or for people to live in.

Lamb said she agreed with Blackwell but would like to see a light on Pine Log Road that would allow people to turn left on Banks Mill Road. She added she would like to see the state work to make sure to address runoff from roads.

Boyette asked the candidates for one thing they would like to do that would improve the state's education system.

Lamb said she wanted to make sure that the money given by the state to districts could follow the students to the schools they attend rather than remaining with the districts if they attend a charter school. Lamb said this would create competition between the schools and raise the level of both.

She also said the state should examine European-style apprenticeship programs.

Blackwell said education was the single-most important issue facing the state. He added a bill to create $5,000 education scholarships for students to go to the school of their choice was in a conference committee and should be signed into law this year.

He also said the General Assembly is working to raise teacher salary and improve teacher working conditions. Blackwell said the General Assembly approved a 30-minute break for elementary school teachers. He added he had been endorsed by the South Carolina Education Association.

The final question asked the candidates what they would like to see changed to address gun violence.

Blackwell said gun violence was kind of an epidemic. He said he was in favor of firearms education and training. Blackwell also said the state needed to a job of training teachers and administrators, first responders and securing school facilities.

Lamb said she didn't understand why the government was advertising that schools were gun-free zones. She said teachers and principals should be trained on how to fight back and that alarms would be needed.

During the forum, Blackwell said he had been endorsed by Congressman Joe Wilson, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster, Attorney General Alan Wilson, Sheriff Mike Hunt and Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon.

The political forum also featured six Republican candidates running for three seats on the Aiken County Council. In District 1, Ron Felder faces Melinda Starnes. In District 2, Russ "Tony" Ferrara faces Mike Kellems. And in District 5, incumbent Sandy Haskell faces Kurt Mueller.

Boyette asked all six candidates what they would do to make sure that the Aiken County Sheriff's Office has what it needs to protect the county's schools from mass shootings.

Felder said it was important to make sure the sheriff's office had the funding to do its job even if it meant raising taxes. He also said he wanted to support the officers of the department. Starnes said funding was important even if it meant tax increases. She also said she wanted to see officers supported and not be questioned about every move they make.

Ferrara said the sheriff's office was receiving one-third of the county's general fund and that he would not be voting to raise property taxes in the county. Kellems said he wanted to meet with the sheriff and figure out why the sheriff's office can't keep a full staff and make sure that officers aren't overworked. He added he was endorsed by the sheriff.

Mueller said he would also want to meet with the sheriff and the community to see what the needs are and then work to prioritize, implement and execute those needs. Haskell said he felt the county, the sheriff's office and the school board should work together to determine needs and how to fund those needs.
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. Near record high temperatures. High 94F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low around 70F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
MOUNT PLEASANT  A new home decor store is taking over a former farm-to-table food emporium in East Cooper.

Frank Pacera and wife Sonya plan to open Heavens Marketplace later this summer in the former Boone Hall Farms Market space at 2521 Highway 17, according to Vitre Stephens with the commercial real estate firm Avison Young, which handled the leasing transaction.

The retailer operates other locations at two Tanger Outlets in Myrtle Beach, but Frank Pacera said the couple signed a one-year lease at one of the Grand Strand locations and will probably close it by summer's end and move the merchandise down the coast to the 10,000-square-foot East Cooper site.

He said plans originally called for Heavens to open in a 4,500-square-foot space in Tanger Outlets in North Charleston, but he and his wife were told in February that the space would be temporarily unavailable.

The couple began looking elsewhere and walked through the former Boone Hall retail store when the one-acre parcel and four acres behind it sold in March for $2.3 million to Charleston attorney James Duggan, according to Charleston County land records.

"My first thought was it was too big and too expensive, but my wife felt strongly about it," Pacera said. "I like it because it's got that farm-homey-type feel to it."

The former farm store with its exposed wooden pillars is now under renovation. A storage room has been built inside the back of the structure.

"We would love to be open sometime this summer," Pacera said.

The Paceras also ran into a snag when they decided to move to the Charleston area. Their business in Myrtle Beach was originally called Haven's. Another Haven's home furnishings store already exists in Mount Pleasant, so they formally changed the name to Heavens.

The shop will offer home decor, ladies fashions, accessories, some faith-based products and a few pieces of furniture that will double as display tables. A small coffee shop will be set up in the front of the store, and tables will be added to the porch for outside seating.

"We also want to do a lot of outdoor events and offer some floral design classes," Pacera said. "We want to involve the community as much as possible."

Boone Hall Farms Market closed in January 2020 after 14 years of operating a short distance up Highway 17 from its expansive farming operation in the heart of Mount Pleasant.
COLUMBIA  Two new restaurants and more retailers are coming to the Harbison Boulevard commercial corridor, according to business permits newly on file with the city.

The area is one of the most in-demand shopping corridors in the Midlands, with a retail vacancy rate of just 0.5 percent in the first three months of 2022, according to a new report from Colliers South Carolina.

That low rate is despite the area's more than 3 million square feet of retail space.

One chain with big plans is Panera Bread. The national restaurant chain, which focuses on sandwiches, salads and pastries, is going to construct a new stand-along location along Harbison Boulevard, according to city permits.

The free-standing restaurant will go in the shopping center on Harbison Boulevard that is anchored by Rooms to Go.

Panera Bread already has a nearby location on Bower Parkway, one of seven Midlands locations. The company did not immediately respond to questions about its plans.

A second restaurant, Kairos Mediterranean, is coming to the perimeter area around Columbiana Centre, according to a city permit

That restaurant features a build-to-order menu of falafel, chickpeas and other Mediterranean ingredients for salads and wraps.

Kairos currently operates one Columbia restaurant just off Devine Street in the CrossHill area.

A third restaurant project is a rebuilding of the facilities of Bourbon St. Grill inside Columbiana Centre, according to an issued permit.

Another restaurant, Chick-fil-A, has launched its Harbison Boulevard rebuilding project. Its restaurant at 294 Harbison Blvd. is closed for renovation until the fall, according to a sign at the site.

Chick-fil-A obtained permission for the project back in September 2021.

The existing restaurant, which has been in place for decades, will be replaced with a larger building, growing from 3,844 square feet to 4,345 square feet.

The biggest improvement might be the widening of the drive-through to a full two lanes around the building, even expanding to three covered lanes in one section where orders can be taken.

Chick-fil-A has been conducting similar projects at other restaurants in part to reduce drive-thru wait times. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the timeline for this project.

Other businesses in the Harbison corridor are launching new projects, too.

The Rooms to Go location on Harbison is planning to expand into new space in that shopping center, according to a business permit. The furniture retailer already has a large anchor space in the shopping center at 275 Harbison.

Also coming to that shopping center: Hibbett Sports, according to a business permit application.

The sporting good retailer has six locations in the Midlands but none in the Irmo area.

Also coming to the Harbison corridor is another gym, Planet Fitness.

It is headed to 238 Harbison Blvd., a strip of retailers that includes Michael's and PetSmart.

Jessica Holdman contributed to this report.
JOHNS ISLAND  A lot of effort went into saving the 35 acres surrounding the Angel Oak from development. Now, nearly a decade later, the Lowcountry Land Trust is ready to collect community input on what to do with the property.

This week begins a schedule of opportunities for people to share how they'd like to see the wooded space around the iconic oak used. But the ultimate goal remains: that the planned Angel Oak Preserve be passive, publicly accessible green space complemented with trails, boardwalks and interpretive notes, and that the tree itself not be harmed.

The land trust will share a presentation on the tree's history and the future preserve at 7 p.m. June 9, and again at 6:30 p.m. June 15, at the Johns Island Library. Public comments will be collected during the presentations.

This special tree holds deeply rooted history in the Lowcountry. It is named after the Angel family that once owned the land where it stands. The tree is estimated to be at least 300 years old, making it quite possibly one of the oldest trees of its kind east of the Mississippi River.

It's also a behemoth. City surveys estimate the tree to be 65 feet tall with a circumference of 25.5 feet, shading an area of 17,000 square feet beneath the extensive canopy.

Based on the city's most recent inspection, "the health of the Angel Oak could not be better," said David Grant, Charleston's park and tree administrator.

The area surrounding the Angel Oak is so special that community members rallied together to ensure not much changed there. In 2008, Charleston City Council approved plans for a densely built collection of shops, offices and multifamily homes near the Angel Oak Park at Maybank Highway and Bohicket Road.

But there were concerns about the impact this development would have on the tree.

So after collecting more than 12,000 donations, plus Charleston County Greenbelt and S.C. Conservation Bank funds, the Lowcountry Land Trust was able to buy the property for $7 million to save it from development. This is the space that will become Angel Oak Preserve.

Ancient trees Charlestons Angel Oak is believed to be one of the oldest living things east of the Mississippi River, dating back 300 years to possibly 500 years  or older, depending on the source. The oldest living tree in North America  and until recently believed to be the oldest tree on Earth  is a bristlecone pine nicknamed Methuselah in California, where it has been growing for around 4,800 years in the White Mountains near the Nevada state line. A Chilean scientist now believes a Patagonian cypress in that country is more than 5,000 years old, possibly as old as 5,400 years, according to National Geographic. While the veracity of that claim has been met with some skepticism, the adoration of Angel Oak has not.

"Putting this heavy development there would have impacted the root system, the hydrologic flows, the soils, everything that's needed to be preserved for the health of this tree," said Jason Crowley, Coastal Conservation League's communities and transportation senior program director.

The 35 acres owned by the land trust is comprised of every soil necessary for an ancient live oak to thrive, Crowley said.

The Angel Oak's significance as a community landmark goes back generations. Crowley said the late South Carolina educator-activist Septima Clark mentioned in interviews how she would often take breaks from teaching and sit underneath the tree, and even sometimes gather there with her students.

"Even though this was technically private property, it harkens back to the era of Johns Island and the Sea Islands themselves as this place where property boundaries were fluid in the sense of people could walk across private property in order to access things like waterways and a shady tree like this," Crowley said.

The tree's interests have become a cultural issue on Johns Island in recent years as some places that were once accessible to Gullah-Geechee residents for fishing, crabbing and launching boats are now being privatized.

Ashley Demosthenes, CEO and president of the Lowcountry Land Trust, said many locals believe the land around the tree is sacred and have expressed desires to explore the woods there.

"They want it to be a place for education for residents, visitors and the local schools," Demosthenes said. "So that's a huge opportunity that we see, that education component with students."

Overall they want it to be a place open for walking, observing nature and enjoying picnics with family, Demosthenes said.

While the Angel Oak is obviously the main attraction in that part of Johns Island, the Lowcountry Land Trust wants to utilize its 35 acres to relieve some of the pressure on the tree.

So, essentially, the preserve will help distribute visitors across the entire property  not just at the 9-acre Angel Oak Park  using trails, boardwalks and interpretation woven throughout to explain the ecology and cultural significance of the area.

Since the city-owned park is a direct neighbor to the preserve, it makes sense for the two groups to partner in developing a vision and plan for the area, said Jason Kronsberg, director of parks for the city of Charleston.

He sits on the preserve's steering committee with Crowley and people from several other groups, including The Avery Center, The Progressive Club and the Charleston Parks Conservancy.

Members of the community can share their desires for the preserve through an online survey at bit.ly/3xrCh2P. The land trust will have a table at the Sea Island Farmers Market from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. June 11 and June 25. There also will be an information table set up from 2 to 4 p.m. each Friday at Angel Oak Park.

Nelson Byrd Woltz Architects will lead the comprehensive planning process. The goal is to have a design completed in early 2023.
Hector Garate and Graham Calabria spend most days  and sometimes nights  inside a smokehouse next to a health department-approved kitchen located on Garates property in Moncks Corner.

As beef cheeks and sausage cook outside in an offset smoker that Garate built by hand, the pitmaster takes turns with Calabria shoveling coals from the burn barrel and walking them inside to a direct-heat pit, where three whole hogs are cooking over the fire.

The chefs have worked in traditional restaurant settings, though not anymore. Garate owns Palmira Barbecue, a tenant at Port of Call Food + Brew Hall, and Calabria owns his own namesake catering company. Meat pulled from a whole hog is a menu staple at Palmira, where Calabria assists Garate in between his catering gigs. Together, theyre validating the idea that you dont need a white tablecloth and maitre d service to deliver a one-of-a-kind product.

There is an art to what these two chefs are doing. Its not just "set it and forget it," which is the main reason Garate said he is willing to spend hours and hours tending to hogs he sources from Marvin Ross, a fifth-generation farmer in Dorchester County.

With this mentality, Garate and Calabria are building a new company for those who are passionate about barbecue. Whether youre a professional pitmaster or dedicated home cook, Cienfuegos has a custom-made, hand-welded smoker for you.

For us, its just natural to build the equipment that were cooking on, Garate said. If youre a pitmaster, you should build your own pits. Thats just my own mindset.

Cienfuegos sells two staple smokers: The Treasure Chest and The Sancho. The Treasure Chest is the new companys flagship direct-heat smoker, while The Sancho is geared toward commercial cooks who dabble in whole animal cooking.

The company's name is an ode to Garates grandfather, who grew up in Cienfuegos, Cuba. The citys name also happens to translate to 100 fires in English.

These products should definitely last you 100 fires, if not thousands upon thousands of fires, Calabria said. You should be able to pass this down to your grandkids' grandkids. Thats the goal with these, just like a cast iron pan.

Building the blueprint

When Garate launched Palmira Barbecue as a pop-up in 2021, he served sustainable Texas-style barbecue in his hand-welded offset smoker. After signing on as one of the first tenants at Port of Call, he knew he would need a vessel to cook the hogs he sourced from Ross.

He needed to build what became the blueprint for The Sancho in three days, so he tapped Calabria  who had done some carpentry and restaurant remodeling, but not any metal work  to help him complete the job. Calabria was a natural, Garate said; they eventually realized this necessity-based work could become its own business.

The smokers are built for professional pitmasters and chefs in mind, according to Garate and Calabria.

So the idea behind it was we were going to start building commercial applications, Calabria said. We decided maybe the general public would like this, as well.

To make The Treasure Chest and Sancho, they source steel locally and grind it down on-site in Moncks Corner. Its then cut to size based on their blueprint and assembled. Once finished, the duo puts the smokers through a quality control inspection before smoking on them a couple of times to establish seasoning. (They will skip this last step based on the customers preference.)

The versatile Treasure Chest  which first debuted at the Charleston Wine + Food Festivals Surf + Turf event in March  can grill and smoke, depending on where you place the coals in relation to the meat.

You can cook almost anything; thats the beauty of it, Calabria said. You build a massive fire in there, youve got direct heat, so you can grill just like you had a Weber or you can use it as a smoker.

Bringing the heat

It shouldnt come as a surprise that the at-home grilling industry exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers spent nearly $5 billion on grills, smokers, camping stoves, accessories and fuel in 2020, according to a study released last year. Between April 2020 and February 2021, over 14 million grills and smokers were sold.

While there are plenty of options on the market, Garate knows from experience that few offer the quality professional chefs expect. Enthusiastic home chefs also can benefit from Cienfuegos cooking vessels, even if theyre just backyard barbecuing as a hobby.

What instruments are you using? Thats what sets you apart, Garate said. Whatever youre trying to do, we can give you something thats going to help you get there faster.

The Treasure Chest and Sancho can be adorned with paint that can withstand 1,100 degree heat. Like the entire smoker, the paint job can be customized for each consumer. Garate, however, prefers the smokers in their natural state with a linseed oil finish.

When you get something brand new, like a car, and its painted and its beautiful, you get afraid to get it dirty, Garate said. But if you get something that looks a little bit more like its been used, you feel more confident. And thats the whole philosophy behind it, as well.

Each smoker takes about a week to build. But given their busy schedules, Garate and Calabria recommend ordering two months in advance. For more information, go to www.cienfuegos.store.
GEORGETOWN  The city of Georgetown filed a lawsuit against Myrtle Beach contractor Greenwall Construction Service on May 20, alleging that improper reinstallation of a Front Street stormwater pump cost the city $38,000.

The pump in question uses five hoses, three low pressure and two high pressure. According to the city's lawsuit, when the pump was reinstalled in June 2021 after being repaired, the hoses were installed to the incorrect couplers, resulting in a rupture and necessitating new repairs.

The events preceding the lawsuit began with the August 2019 failure of one of two hydraulic pumps in the stormwater retention pond across from 1218 Front St., according to the lawsuit filed in the 15th Judicial Circuit's Court of Common Pleas.

Subsequent "spot repairs" by the city proved ineffectual, and the city decided to have the pump removed and evaluated.

The city passed a budget amendment in December 2020 to pay for the pump's repair and received a $24,432 quote from Greenwall for removal and reinstallation shortly thereafter. After the pump was repaired at Coastal Hydraulics in Charleston, it was returned to Georgetown and reinstalled on May 17, 2021. It failed a second time the following month.

"Upon information and belief, a city employee noticed the high pressure hose connected to Pump #2 had ruptured," the lawsuit states. "Upon further inspection a City employee discovered that the beige low pressure hoses were connected to the quick couplers on the high pressure side of pump #2. The blue high pressure hoses were connected to the quick couplers on the low pressure side of pump #2."

The city alleges in the lawsuit that it lost about 700 gallons of hydraulic oil worth over $14,000 in the process. A subsequent repair at Coastal Hydraulics cost over $23,000, but the pump has been operational ever since.

Georgetown City Administrator Sandra Yudice informed Greenwall in June 2021 that the company would be invoiced for the amount of public money Georgetown spent following the failed reinstallation. That amount came to about $38,000 in unbudgeted funds.

Invoices sent to Greenwall in August 2021 have not resulted in any reimbursement as of May 20, according to the lawsuit.

Greenwall Construction Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some members of Greenville County Council said they are perplexed why Chairman Willis Meadows hasnt allowed a vote on a proposal to pay bonuses to county employees who served the public during the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, those members plan to ask the council to suspend its rules during a June 7 meeting to take the matter out of the chairmans hands.

The move comes more than a month after the council received a recommendation from the county administrator for how to distribute nearly $24 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds the county received but has not allocated.

Councilman Lynn Ballard said the matter stalled and he wants it to be considered now. He expected it to have been taken up at the councils previous meeting but it wasnt put on the agenda. Other than rezoning requests, the council chairman decides what items are placed on the agenda.

Ballard said he asked Meadows to put it on the agenda but he did not. Councilman Joe Dill said he has also asked Meadows to put it on the agenda multiple times.

The councilmen said theyve been peppered with questions from county employees about the bonuses and whether employees would get the premium pay bonuses that neighboring cities and counties have already approved for employees. The cities of Greenville and Spartanburg and school districts in Greenville and Pickens counties have all approved bonuses, among other entities.

Councilwoman Liz Seman has asked multiple times during meetings this year for the countys plan to spend its $101 million in ARPA funds. She also sent an email to the entire council to ask about the unallocated funds.

Dill said the money is in the county coffers and waiting to be spent.

We have been sitting on it here but its not been the majority of the County Council, Dill said. Its been other members of the council that have sat on this money and refused to put it on the agenda.

Meadows said he is also in favor of bonus pay for those who worked as public-facing employees during the pandemic. He said he has delayed a vote on the funds because some of the money may be tied to a project with other government agencies involving money from the state that hasnt yet been appropriated.

Until that happens, we dont really want to do anything, Meadows said.

Meadows said the county staff hadnt made a list of recommendations yet and that County Administrator Joe Kernell had just sent a list in response to an inquiry from Seman. A copy of the report obtained by The Post and Courier shows a 10-page list of recommendations with a title ARPA Funds Program and a detailed explanation of how each amount was recommended for allocation. The report was sent to all council members, including Meadows.

I think Lynn (Ballard) is going to withdraw it, but Im not sure, Meadows said.

Meadows called the other council members' motivation political tied to the primary elections on June 14. Dill, Ballard and Meadows are each involved in contested primaries in their districts.

Both Dill and Ballard said they havent been given a reason for the delay. When told of Meadows stated reason, each said they had not been told about it and called his delay "political."

When the administrator gave us the recommendations and then it didnt go on the council agenda, I said it needs to go on the council agenda so we can discuss it and people dont sit here and wonder, What are you guys doing? Why arent you doing something? Ballard said. I brought it up because its something that needs to be discussed and handled.

Dill called the proposed uses common sense and said it hadnt been brought up because of election cycle politics.

Anybody that would vote against this, the community is going to lynch them, he said. The communitys had enough, especially at the sheriffs office. I can tell you the deputies have had enough, and the people working in the jail and the EMS workers and the people working in this building (County Square) think they deserve that money, and I think we ought to give them that money.

Premium pay

Kernell prepared a report for County Council that recommended the county use $3.3 million in ARPA funds as one-time bonuses for most public safety employees who worked during the pandemic.

Premium pay for essential public safety employees is an allowable use under federal ARPA guidelines and would go to all sheriffs office, emergency management, detention center, law enforcement support, EMS and coroners office employees. It would also go to other non-exempt frontline and essential workers who are still employed by the county and worked from March 2020 through December 2021 during the pandemics most dangerous times, according to Kernells recommendation.

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The pay could be made as a lump sum or installments and would go to employees who couldnt telework remotely and had public interaction. It cant be used to replace existing wages, according to the plan.

As early as Dec. 6, 2021, Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis spoke before the councils public safety committee to request the county use some of its ARPA funds for premium pay for public safety employees.

Most counties are using that to offset something for their employees, Lewis said then. As your sheriff, we would ask that County Council look at a bonus for these employees in some way.

Health initiatives

Kernells plan recommends the county use $16.4 million for public health opportunities. That includes re-opening an emergency room in northern Greenville County, he said.

Since Prisma Health closed its emergency room at North Greenville Hospital in Travelers Rest, some residents have had to travel more than 45 minutes to reach the nearest hospital with emergency care. Kernell said the county had made a request to state officials for 50 percent of the funding required to reopen a north Greenville emergency facility.

Funds could also be used for health needs that have arisen through new COVID-19 variants and the county needs to be able to respond quickly to requests for testing, quarantining, PPE, etc. especially for its homeless and under-housed population, according to the plan.

Dill, who represents northern Greenville, said he has worked for two years to get the county to use federal COVID funds to reopen the emergency room in Travelers Rest. With the possible state funding match, the money could keep the ER open for five years, enough time to build a new emergency room and medical facility that Bon Secours St. Francis and Medical University of South Carolina have proposed in the area, he said.

New emergency operations location

The proposal also identifies space in McAlister Square on Pleasantburg Drive as a new location for the countys emergency operations once the county closes County Square and moves to its new administrative headquarters.

The county previously studied a former Bi-Lo store at South Pleasantburg and Mauldin roads near Interstate 85 as a potential location but has since ruled it out, Ballard said.

Part of the existing building would be repurposed, according to the plan.

The space is ideal for the Emergency Operations Center as the physical structure already exists, resides in the middle of county with lighted intersections and very near both major highway arteries, and provides space for state-of-the-art response training for county crews as well all first responder crews across the county, Kernells recommendation states.

Funding would be used to upgrade the facility to meet required standards, including new technology and renovated office spaces.

The county plans to relocate its emergency operations from County Square so it can knock down the existing county offices as part of a $1 billion redevelopment.

Ballard plans to make a motion for the council to suspend a rule that allows the chairperson to put items on the agenda for consideration by the full council. If his motion is approved by a majority of the council, the spending plan could be approved June 7, he said.

If not, Ballard said it could be sent to a council committee. In recent months, the council has often split its vote 6-6 on controversial topics when leading members fall on opposite sides of an issue.

Ballard said he just wanted the recommendations to be publicly known so a decision can be made.

Most funds already allocated

Greenville County has already allocated $78 million of its allotted $102 million in ARPA funds, according to Kernells report.

The county allocated $56.6 million to replace revenue lost due to the pandemic. It split the allocations over two budget years. The funds include money for road maintenance and infrastructure. That includes $30 million the council approved to pay its portion of a planned bypass to Woodruff Road in late 2021.

The county allocated $10 million to affordable housing to build $5 million in new houses countywide, $2 million for preservation of existing affordable housing and $3 million for a signature project not identified in the recommendation. The affordable housing program is being administered by the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority.

The county also allocated $1.1 million for county COVID-related expenses; $1.2 million for COVID leave; $313,000 for county detention center COVID expenses; $4.4 million for sheriffs office, detention center and emergency services overtime; and $4.4 million for county technological upgrades.
Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. Near record high temperatures. High 94F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 72F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 96F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
COLUMBIA  Alex Murdaugh, a Hampton trial attorney once known for winning high-dollar cases for his clients, will soon likely owe millions of dollars in civil judgments to victims suing him over more than a decade of theft, betrayal and other alleged injustices.

The now-suspended lawyer, whose last name was long synonymous with money and power in the southern tip of South Carolina, almost certainly faces financial ruin in addition to decades behind bars on charges he stole nearly $8.5 million from his legal clients and law partners.

Nearly a dozen significant lawsuits hang over Murdaugh, most filed in the year since the still-unsolved homicides of his wife, Maggie, and son Paul outside the familys Colleton County hunting property on June 7, 2021.

The wrongful death lawsuit involving Paul Murdaughs fatal 2019 boat crash could go to trial this fall. Four other passengers in that wreck have since filed lawsuits that blame the Murdaughs for enabling Pauls drinking or accuse Alex Murdaugh of obstructing a law enforcement probe of the crash.

Several former Murdaugh clients, his old law firm and the sons of his late housekeeper have filed suits accusing him of stealing from them. Their complaints, which echo indictments by the state grand jury, detail complex schemes in which Murdaugh secretly negotiated hefty settlements on their behalf and then directed the money to his own accounts, stealing money they never knew they had.

Relatives, former co-workers and his former insurance company have filed complaints against him. And more lawsuits could be on the way, including from a pair of women who this week alleged Murdaugh and a banker issued themselves personal loans from a $6 million settlement he negotiated on their behalf after their mother was killed in a 2005 auto accident.

This is not an isolated event, it wasnt a one-off, said Ronnie Richter, who represents the women. This was a very organized, systematic and long-term fraud that was perpetrated on a broad scale.

Together, the value of those claims and others may well outpace Murdaughs worth, even as a pair of independent attorneys seek to secure and liquidate his assets, to be divvied up for his creditors. Those assets include the Moselle hunting property where his wife and son were killed.

As the Murdaugh saga winds toward a resolution that may still be years away, here is a look at the major civil claims against the now-disgraced scion of the Murdaugh legal dynasty.

Beach

Filed: March 2019 in Hampton County.

Plaintiffs: Renee Beach, Mallory Beachs mother, on behalf of her estate.

Defendants: Alex Murdaugh; Richard Buster Murdaugh Jr., Alexs son.; Alex's brother, John Marvin Murdaugh, as a representative of Maggie Murdaughs estate; his other brother, Randolph Randy Murdaugh IV, as a representative of Paul Murdaughs estate; Gregory M. Parker, owner of the Parkers convenience store where Paul Murdaugh allegedly made an underage purchase of alcohol the night of the boat crash.

Allegations: The lawsuit accuses Paul Murdaugh of drunkenly driving a boat into a Beaufort County bridge piling in February 2019, ejecting several passengers into the water and killing 19-year-old Mallory Beach.

The younger Murdaugh was later charged with three felony counts of boating under the influence, which were dismissed after his death. The lawsuit accuses Paul Murdaughs relatives and Parkers business of enabling his drunken and erratic behavior, including by providing the the underage teen with alcohol.

Fallout: The boats four surviving passengers each filed their own lawsuits against the Murdaughs and Parkers chain. The Beach lawsuit has sparked fights over leaks, evidence discovery and control of Alex Murdaughs finances. The case is tentatively set for trial in October. Beach family attorney Mark Tinsley said he would be happy to settle the case but isnt confident all sides will reach an agreement.

A wrongful death case is a very traumatic experience for a family, said Tinsley, who is representing two of the boats other passengers as well.

Murdaughs attorneys denied Alex Murdaugh is at fault or knew anything about Paul Murdaughs alleged drinking-and-driving habit. They have asserted that Connor Cook, not Paul Murdaugh, was driving the boat when it crashed that night.

Parkers legal team did not respond to a request for comment. The convenience store chain acknowledged selling alcohol to Paul Murdaugh that day but insisted the wrongdoing of others  including the boats passengers and Murdaughs relatives  overshadows any fault of its own.

The chain said the partiers on the boat purchased alcohol with fake IDs, knowingly drank under age and got into the boat with Paul Murdaugh that night despite his reputation.

Connor Cook

Filed: September in Hampton County.

Plaintiff: Cook, a passenger in the boat crash that killed Beach.

Defendants: Alex Murdaugh, Richard Buster Murdaugh Jr.; Parkers; Tajeeha Cohen, a Parkers clerk.

Allegations: Cook, who was injured in the crash, alleges Alex Murdaugh and others tried to misdirect law enforcement and shift blame for the boating accident away from Paul Murdaugh and toward Cook. Cooks lawsuit claims Paul Murdaughs relatives knew about his excessive drinking, which sometimes led him to develop an alter ego named Timmy, and his habit of drinking while driving.

Cook alleged in his lawsuit that Alex Murdaugh tried to persuade the boats other passengers not to tell investigators his son was driving the boat. He said Alex Murdaugh told him to keep his mouth shut and recommended hiring attorney Cory Fleming, Murdaughs longtime friend, to represent him in the case. Like other boat passengers, Cook also has blamed Parkers for selling Paul Murdaugh alcohol that day.

Fallout: Murdaugh has denied orchestrating a whisper campaign against Cook or obstructing law enforcements investigation of the crash.

The case has been complicated, in part, by the web of ongoing civil and criminal cases ensnaring Alex Murdaugh, Cook attorney Joe McCulloch said.

The Murdaugh saga has taken a toll on Cook and other boat passengers, he said.

That is just a grenade in the bunker of privacy of all these young people. Its had a terrible impact on their lives, McCulloch said. Every survivor of that boat accident wants nothing more than to see these lawsuits ended so they can reclaim their privacy, their lives, from this drive-in movie theyre having to live.

Other boat crash passengers

Filed: Three separate suits between December and February in Hampton County.

Plaintiffs: Three passengers in the fatal 2019 boat crash: Anthony Cook, Mallory Beachs boyfriend; Morgan Doughty; and Miley Atlman.

Defendants (vary by case): Alex Murdaugh, Buster Murdaugh, Maggie Murdaughs estate, Paul Murdaughs estate, Parkers, Cohen.

Allegations: Like the Beach and Cook lawsuits, these complaints allege the Murdaugh family enabled Paul Murdaughs drinking and reckless behavior and blame the Parkers chain for selling alcohol to a minor. The passengers say they suffered emotional and physical injuries, including permanent scarring, as a result of the crash.

Fallout: Tinsley, an attorney for Altman and Doughty, said the direction and outcome of these newer cases will likely depend on the resolution of the Beach lawsuit.

Satterfield

Filed: September in Hampton County.

Plaintiffs: Satterfields sons, Tony Satterfield and Brian Harriott.

Defendants: Alex Murdaugh, Cory Fleming, Murdaughs longtime friend and college roommate; Palmetto State Bank and its vice president, Chad Westendorf.

Allegations: The lawsuit alleged Murdaugh conspired with Fleming and Westendorf to bring a wrongful death claim against him on behalf of Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaughs late nanny and housekeeper, and then steal the $4.3 million in settlement proceeds.

The case stemmed from Satterfields 2018 death after a trip and fall down the steps of the familys Colleton County estate. The suit alleged Murdaugh persuaded Satterfields sons to hire Fleming for the case. Westendorf was appointed to oversee any settlement proceeds.

But the family was never told of two settlements reached in the case, and Murdaugh directed most of the millions to himself through a fraudulent bank account, the suit charged.

Fallout: The Satterfield case was the first to expose how Murdaugh stole settlement proceeds from his legal clients and others who trusted him, allegedly with the help of co-conspirators.

Murdaugh and Fleming have faced criminal charges in connection with the Satterfield case. Murdaugh confessed to a judgment in this case in May, agreeing he owes Satterfields sons $4.3 million. The family has already recovered $7.5 million from other defendants in the case, including Fleming and Palmetto State Bank, Richter said.

State police continue to investigate the manner of Satterfields death. The State Law Enforcement Division announced June 3 it had received her familys permission to exhume her remains as part of that inquiry.

Nautilus Insurance Co.

Filed: April in federal court in Charleston.

Plaintiffs: Nautilus, an Arizona-based insurance company that paid out for the Satterfield wrongful death case.

Defendants: Alex Murdaugh, Fleming; Flemings former law firm, Moss and Kuhn; Palmetto State Bank; Westendorf.

Allegations: The lawsuit alleged Alex Murdaugh tricked Nautilus into contributing to a wrongful death settlement for the Satterfield family. Murdaugh repeatedly lied to Nautilus about his culpability in Satterfields death, including by claiming without evidence that his dogs tripped her that day, the company said.

Murdaugh also pressured Nautilus to settle the claim and was abusive toward an insurance adjuster, threatening to sue Nautilus if it didnt deliver the Satterfields the maximum payout from his $5 million umbrella policy, the company alleged.

The scope of Murdaughs depravity is without precedent in Western jurisprudence, its lawyers wrote in a May filing.

Fallout: The insurance provider said it first became aware of irregularities in the Satterfield case in July. Nautilus is also asking a judges permission to release Satterfield case documents to the federal grand jury that is investigating Murdaugh.

Efforts to reach an attorney for the Nautilus Insurance Co. for comment were unsuccessful. Murdaugh attorney Jim Griffin declined to comment on this case.

Badger

Filed: June in Allendale County.

Plaintiffs: Arthur Badger, an Allendale County man whose wife was killed in a January 2011 crash with a UPS truck.

Defendants: Alex Murdaugh, Russell Laffitte, Palmetto State Bank.

Allegations: The most recent lawsuit filed against Murdaugh alleges he and Laffitte conspired to steal most of a $3.1 million wrongful death and personal injury settlement owed to Badger. The lawsuit alleges Murdaugh and Laffitte tricked Badger into releasing control of his wifes estate to Laffitte, then settled both of Badgers claims against UPS without telling him. The pair then plundered Badgers secret settlement in order to recoup bad loans Palmetto State Bank had given Murdaugh, the lawsuit states.

Laffitte illegally accepted at least $70,000 in fees for his work, the lawsuit alleged. They then laundered Badgers money through Palmetto State Bank accounts to convert it for Murdaughs use, the lawsuit alleged. The bank erred by failing to properly supervise Laffitte and its bank accounts, accepting checks that werent endorsed by the payee and ignoring warnings related to Murdaughs transactions with client funds, the lawsuit alleges.

Fallout: These allegations echo a January state grand jury indictment of Murdaugh that alleges he pilfered the Badger settlement fund in 2013 and 2014. Palmetto State Bank fired Laffitte as its CEO on Jan. 7. He was indicted in April on charges he helped Murdaugh steal from accounts housed at the Hampton-based bank.

The allegations also mirror schemes detailed in other lawsuits in which Murdaugh would represent a client, persuade the client to give up control of their finances, win a secret legal judgment on their behalf and then steal the money for himself.

Its shocking, said Tinsley, who now represents Badger. You certainly see how it was that Alex was able to do what he did  he had a lot of help.

PMPED

Filed: October in Colleton County.

Plaintiff: The since-dissolved Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, Detrick (PMPED) law firm in Hampton founded by Murdaughs great-grandfather in 1910.

Defendant: Alex Murdaugh.

Allegations: The lawsuit alleged Murdaugh used a fraudulent bank account to steal untold sums of money from his PMPED clients and colleagues, a scheme that was discovered only in September after a suspicious check was found on the attorneys office desk.

Fallout: The lawsuit came a month after PMPED forced Murdaugh to resign.

I am immensely sorry to everyone Ive hurt including my family, friends and colleagues, Murdaugh said as he announced his resignation. I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships.

Griffin, Murdaughs attorney, called the lawsuit a very sad development and said Murdaugh would cooperate in the firms investigation.

In November, Murdaugh invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in declining to respond to the lawsuits allegations.

Efforts to reach an attorney for the PMPED law firm prior to publication were unsuccessful.

Murdaughs unpaid loans

Filed: October in Hampton County.

Plaintiffs: Randolph Randy Murdaugh IV, Alex Murdaughs older brother; John E. Parker, Alex Murdaughs former partner at the now-dissolved PMPED firm.

Defendant: Alex Murdaugh.

Allegations: Randy Murdaugh alleged his younger brother still owes him $46,500 from a pair of September loans meant to cover an overdrawn bank account and pay his way into an out-of-state drug rehab facility a few days later. Parker said Alex Murdaugh owed him $477,000 from a series of loans between March and June 2021.

Fallout: Murdaugh quickly confessed judgment in both cases, sparking accusations he was trying to shift his assets to friends and relatives before his alleged victims. The judgments remain pending. They could be among a host of claims a judge will consider when divvying up Murdaughs assets.

A Parker Law Group representative declined to comment.

Spohn and Plyler

Filed: Claim not yet filed.

Potential plaintiffs: Alaynia Spohn and Hannah Plyler, whose mother died in a Ford Explorer rollover accident in 2005.

Possible defendants: Alex Murdaugh, Russell Laffitte, Palmetto State Bank.

Allegations: Spohn and Plyler on June 6 announced they hired Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter, the lawyers who successfully sued Murdaugh on behalf of Gloria Satterfields family, to pursue their own case against Murdaugh and any of his co-conspirators.

In an interview with The Post and Courier, Richter said Murdaugh won the girls a $6 million settlement after their mothers death, money that Laffitte was supposed to protect until they turned 18 years old.

Instead, Richter said, Murdaugh and Laffitte inappropriately issued themselves personal loans from the settlement account and then had to replace the money with other clients funds when they couldnt make up the difference.

Fallout: Bland and Richter have pledged to recover each and every dollar of loss suffered by these young ladies and suggested Laffitte and Palmetto State Bank could be targeted as co-defendants. Richter said he planned to file a lawsuit within 30 days.

Bart Daniel, one of Laffittes defense attorneys, declined to comment on any pending litigation. Daniel has previously said Murdaugh fooled Laffitte just as he fooled his clients, calling the banker a victim  not a co-conspirator.

Pinckney

Filed: Claims not yet filed.

Possible plaintiffs: Pamela Pinckney, Natarsha Thomas, estate of Hakeem Pinckney.

Possible defendants: Alex Murdaugh, PMPED, Russell Laffitte, Palmetto State Bank.

Allegations: An attorney for the Pinckney family, state Rep. Justin Bamberg, in January threatened to bring multi-million dollar lawsuits against Murdaugh and anyone who helped him allegedly steal from settlements owed to the Pinckney family. Murdaugh represented the Pinckneys in a lawsuit against a tire manufacturer after a 2009 car accident left Hakeem Pinckney, a deaf man, severely disabled and injured several of his relatives.

Fallout: The Pinckney family has yet to file any lawsuits. But Laffitte was indicted in April on charges he and Murdaugh conspired to steal nearly $660,000 owed to the Pinckney family. The indictment also alleged Murdaugh and two other attorneys spent more than $8,000 from Pamela Pinckneys account to charter a private plane to the 2012 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
Prosecutors dismissed a murder case against a 29-year-old man after determining there was insufficient evidence to convict him in his longtime friend's shooting death more than two years ago.

Christopher Ravenel pleaded guilty in February to obstructing justice in connection to the shooting death of Ronnie Coakley Jr., and was sentenced to probation.

Coakley, 29, was found dead the morning of Dec. 8, 2019, on Boston Grill Road in unincorporated Charleston County east of Mount Pleasant, according to court records. A witness told Charleston County Sheriff's Office investigators Ravenel was armed with a gun and walking with Coakley before his killing.

Ravenel claimed he was in Ladson at the time, but cellphone records placed him on Boston Grill Road at the time of the shooting.

Ravenel was charged with obstructing justice in February 2020. Three months later, authorities charged him with Coakley's murder.

On June 6, the 9th Circuit Solicitor's Office dismissed the murder case. Managing Assistant Solicitor Jennifer Shealy wrote in a memorandum the witness who implicated Ravenel in the killing had become uncooperative.

Authorities also could not establish a motive for why Ravenel would shoot his friend of many years, the memo states.

Ravenel was sentenced to five years in prison for the obstruction offense, but Circuit Judge Deadra Jefferson suspended the sentence in favor of probation at a Feb. 8 plea hearing, according to court records.

Coakley was a father of five children and was affectionally called "Laron" or "Bam" by former classmates in Charleston County schools, an obituary states.
NORTH CHARLESTON  The mothers of two local gun violence victims say state lawmakers need to fix the state's broken bail system.

Andrea Manigault said at a June 7 press conference her son, Marion Grice, was gunned down in November outside the A1 Grocery on Dorchester Road.

Two men, Dartez Ferguson Jr. and Keano Simmons, are charged with murder in the 25-year-old man's killing, but Manigault said the men should not have been on the streets the day her son was shot.

Simmons, who authorities say was the triggerman, was released from jail only weeks before Grice's shooting after posting $85,000 bail in a strong-arm robbery case. The 24-year-old man was also charged with attempted murder in that case, but the charge was dismissed after police lost contact with the victim, court records state.

Meanwhile, Ferguson, 25, was supposed to be under house arrest with electronic monitoring at the time of the killing, Manigault said. He was awaiting trial in two separate cases involving drug distribution and strong-arm robbery, court records state.

"These guys, they come back on the street, and they don't have not one ounce of contrition," the mother said. "A lot of them figure they have nothing to lose."

Both men remain in Charleston County jail on charges in Grice's killing. Ferguson faces an additional charge of indecent exposure after allegedly flashing a woman May 18 at the jail.

For Manigault, her son's death was emblematic of a failure by criminal justice officials and state lawmakers to fix a bail system that has for years been criticized as a revolving door for violent repeat offenders.

In South Carolina, private bond companies are responsible for electronically monitoring defendants ordered to await trial under house arrest, but the system isn't working, Manigault said.

"My son lost his life and one of the offenders was supposed to be home on house arrest and an ankle monitor," she said. "I'm calling on our state representatives and judges to hold these companies accountable, as well."

In the waning days of the legislative session, the bail system again came under scrutiny as an unrelenting wave of gun violence has swept across the state.

At a May 2 town hall meeting, state Rep. Marvin Pendarvis, D-North Charleston, said violent repeat offenders were committing new crimes even while their old charges remained pending. He said he had spoken with state Sen. Dick Harpootlian, a fellow attorney, about making more violent offenses ineligible for a particular bond.

A day before Pendarvis' press conference, a 21-year-old man awaiting trial in a murder case was arrested by Charleston police on King Street, allegedly in possession of a firearm. Authorities say it was the second time that week Shamar Stanley had been seen in downtown Charleston with a gun, but he managed to flee before officers could arrest him the first time.

Charleston police Chief Luther Reynolds said it was "absolute insanity" that Stanley was free on bail, despite the murder charge and prior accusations he had violated his bail conditions.

Justin Moultrie, another murder defendant, was arrested in April after police say he fired the stray round that struck a 9-year-old boy playing on Charleston's East Side.

Manigault said she joined the Racial Justice Network as vice president of the Charleston chapter after her son's death. She said she can't save her son anymore, but she can help save others from violence.

"We all say that gun violence is out of control, gun violence is rising  and it is, but nobody is doing anything about it," she said. "Everybody is sitting on their hands waiting for the next person to do something."

Manigault was joined at the press conference by Shawnta Brown and Ernestine Brown, two more mothers whose sons were victims of gun violence.

Shawnta Brown said her son, Jerome Foy, was shot last summer. But even as her son lay in a hospital bed  his family uncertain whether he would survive  a judge granted the man accused of shooting him $75,000 bail in the attempted murder case.

"Fortunately, my son did recover from his injuries, but we're living this life where we are looking over our shoulders," Brown said.

Arthur Wilson, 40, is accused of attempting to stab Foy on July 1 after an argument over a set of car keys at a North Charleston residence. Wilson allegedly retrieved a shotgun from the house and attempted to shoot Foy, but the gun jammed, court records state.

He then grabbed a second shotgun and shot Foy in the head, according to records.

As reported by The Post and Courier, Foy graduated in March from the South Carolina Fire Academy with the support of mentors he met through the Medical University of South Carolina's gun intervention program.

Ernestine Brown had a more personal plea for the community. Her son, Jharrda Brown, was fatally shot Feb. 7, 2021, in the Liberty Hill neighborhood of North Charleston.

"The person has not been arrested yet because they say no one will testify," the mother said. "I need y'all to get with the program  come testify for me. Testify for everyone so we can get this person off the street."
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SUMMERVILLE  In a local snub, Mayor Ricky Waring spurned Katie Arrington and endorsed U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in the intensifying Republican primary for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District.

Arrington, a Summerville resident, lives less than a mile away from the mayor.

Sitting on an adjoining park bench beside Mace on June 7, Waring told The Post and Courier his decision to support Mace came down to both the working relationship he has built with her and lingering concerns about Arrington.

"I'm supporting Nancy big-time, not just as mayor but as Ricky Waring. I think she represents our district and she cares about Summerville. I know that because she's been here a lot," said Waring, 73, a lifelong Summerville resident. "I trust her, and I don't trust Katie because I don't know her."

What Waring said he does know about Arrington gives him pause. The mayor said he found it troubling to read about Arrington reportedly losing her security clearance after Pentagon officials claimed she improperly disclosed classified information.

In lawsuits, Arrington has called the loss of her security clearance "a political hit job."

"That struck me as something that just wasn't right," Waring said. "She blamed it on the Democrats, but that's easy to do, to blame it on something else. That alone I question."

Arrington sued the Pentagon in October, and the case ended in January with the Pentagon paying her attorneys fees in a settlement. Arrington then filed a subsequent lawsuit against the Department of Defense, demanding the federal agency hand over all public records that discuss the suspension of her security clearance so that she can clear her name.

Waring said he has not had a chance to talk directly with Arrington about what happened during her time in Washington, and he said he would take a phone call from her to hear her out. But he also said, "It's too late. I'm going to vote for Nancy today."

He said her work to help secure funding for the Berlin G. Myers Parkway showed how she can "deliver for the district."

Mace said his support is "a huge honor."

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While municipal races in South Carolina tend to be nonpartisan, Waring identifies as a Republican. Summerville has a population of about 54,000 people and is the state's seventh-largest municipality.

The endorsement comes one week before the June 14 primary and is a boost for Mace, who is considered a top Republican target for former President Donald Trump.

The Arrington campaign said Waring's support will not change the outcome of the intensifying race.

"The beauty of American politics is that people can support whoever they choose," said Chris D'Anna, Arrington's campaign spokesman. "This endorsement doesn't change the fact that Katie will not only be the next Representative for SC-1, but also the first from Summerville and Dorchester County."

Arrington, a former state lawmaker from Summerville, has challenged Mace's conservative credentials repeatedly on the campaign trail, characterizing Mace as a "RINO," a pejorative that stands for "Republican In Name Only."

During their first and only debate, Arrington said Mace misunderstands what the district wants from her in Washington and that Republicans "cannot collaborate" with Democrats right now.

Waring disagrees.

"I think you've got to do that to make this country work. If you refuse to step across the hall, then we're never going to get anywhere," the mayor said.
That is what Melanie Phillips suggests in the London Times. She argues that Britain, having just completed its celebration of Elizabeth IIs 70 year reign, is united by the monarchy despite its political differences. She contrasts the situation in the U.S.:

In the US, meanwhile, the jubilee has been regarded variously with wonderment, bafflement or even derision. Few Americans see below the flummery to understand why the monarchy is so valuable and why it touches some of peoples deepest emotions about their country.

I dont think that is true. I think most Americans enjoyed and appreciated the pageantry, and do understand the role the monarchy plays in British public life.

Over the weekend I was with a number of Americans at a dinner table. They proceeded to tear each other apart: Democrats v Republicans, pro-Trump Republicans v anti-Trump Republicans. Then they observed despairingly that their country as a whole was tearing itself apart in this way and wondered aloud why this was happening. It was no longer possible, they lamented, to have a civilised discourse and respect differences of political opinion. America was in danger of breaking up on these rocks of dissent.

Its a familiar story. America is indeed breaking up, and disunion has become, or soon will become, a serious possibility. Many Americans would rather separate than live under a socialist, racist, anti-American regime. And some on the Left would just as soon separate, as well.

But could a queen save us? It is too late to undo the events of 1776 et seq. So whats the point?

[W]hat was so moving was that great outpouring of love and enthusiasm for the Queen, which could only happen because she is a uniquely unifying force.

Of course, that had much to do with the person of the utterly admirable queen. It is not obvious that a similar outpouring will greet the demise, someday, of Prince Charles.

This insulates the country to a large extent against the kind of existential disintegration that now threatens America. It means that whatever damage a rogue, charlatan or fool in No 10 may do to the country, he or she cannot destroy the nations sense of itself. That is embodied in the Queen, whose bond of duty with the people is absolute, unbreakable and unconditional because of the sacred oath she took upon herself at her coronation. Sailing above politics, which inescapably entails division, the crown thus embodies the public interest itself, or the welfare of all.

Point taken. But since the Civil War, no one in America has been talking about disunion, until now. The country has been held together by a common patriotism that, in our case, did not require royalty to distract us from political divisions. What has changed, I think, is not that we suddenly rue the absence of a king or queen, but rather that the underlying patriotism that has provided essential unity since the nations founding is now shattered.

To be blunt, we have two major political parties, and one of them is no longer patriotic. That creates a divide that is hard, maybe impossible, to bridge. The task is too great, I suspect, even for a personage as illustrious as Queen Elizabeth II.
and love domestic terrorism. That is the heading of the Washington Free Beacon editorial addressing the latest Biden Department of Justice outrage. Readers of a certain age may recall the classic movie from which it derives: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

The Beacon editorial comments on a story that deserves wider attention. I am taking the liberty of posting it below the break along with the accompanying document filed last month by the Biden DoJ/EDNY prosecutors in the case highlighted by the editorial.

* * * * * *

On the cusp of nonstop, around-the-clock (primetime!) coverage of the Jan. 6 committee hearings, a couple of domestic terrorists are actually getting their day in court, and it is informative to see how Merrick Garlands Justice Department is handling their prosecution.

Recall Garlands breathless declaration, during his confirmation hearings, that 150 years after the Departments founding, battling extremist attacks on our democratic institutions also remains central to its mission.

Colinford Mattis and Urooj Rahman were arrested in the mostly peaceful protests following George Floyds murder. The two lawyers handed out Molotov cocktails to the crowd, and Rahman tossed one into a police car before fleeing the scene in Mattiss van. They reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors in October 2020 that wiped out six of the seven charges against them. Those prosecutors, nonetheless, sought a maximum 10-year sentence and argued that the incident qualified for a so-called terrorism enhancement that would turbocharge sentencinga determination with which the U.S. Probation Office concurred.

Ginning herself up to distribute explosives to the crowd, Rahman gave a video interview in which she declared, This shit wont ever stop until we fuckin take it all down, adding that the only way [the police] hear us is through violence.

Then, Garland and the U.S. attorney for New Yorks Eastern District, Breon Peace, whos handling the prosecution, took office, and you wont believe what happened next!

In mid-May, the same career DOJ prosecutors who argued for that 10-year sentence were back in court withdrawing their plea deal and entering a new one that allowed the defendants to cop to the lesser charge of conspiracy. It tosses out the terrorism enhancement entirely.

The new charge carries a five-year maximum sentence, but the prosecutors are urging the judge to go below that, asking for just 18 to 24 months on account of the history and personal characteristics of the defendants and the aberrational nature of the defendants conduct. Because, you know, Mattis graduated from Princeton and New York University Law School and was an attorney at the white-shoe law firm Pryor Cashman, and Rahman was a public-interest lawyer whose best friend, Obama administration intelligence official Salmah Rizvi, guaranteed the $250,000 required to release her on bail.

Law360, which reported on the events, calls the new deal an unusual step. James Trusty, a former prosecutor in the Department of Justices criminal division, broke it down for us this way: Swapping in a softer plea agreement after having gone through the plea hearing is an exceedingly rare event in federal court. It can happen, he said, if there is truly some new development or understanding about the defendants that merits a fresh look.

In this case, the new development is the political persuasion of the folks running the Justice Department, and for them, Mattis and Rahman are the right kind of domestic terroriststhe ones whose cases and conduct will never be the subject of a congressional hearing or plastered from wall to wall on cable television.

Remember their names, and the special treatment they received at the hands of the Biden Justice Department, when the broadcasts begin on Thursday and when Garland next has the gall to feign concern about political violence directed at our democratic institutions.

Mattis and Rahman Change of by Washington Free Beacon
New York Post columnist Miranda Devine and two Post reporters have obtained a video of Hunter casually wav[ing] around a handgun and point[ing] it at the camera while cavorting with a nude hooker in a swank hotel room[.] The video was provided to The Post by the nonprofit Marco Polo research group. The Post story runs as Packin heat: Nude Hunter Biden cavorts with hooker, illegal gun in latest mess for president.

My own heading pays tribute to the best-selling collaborative literary hoax published in 1969 under the title Naked Came the Stranger. The Hunter Biden saga has pornographic elements far exceeding the imagination of the Stranger hoaxers. However, Hunter Bidens saga is stranger than fiction and resistant to satire.

This chapter of the saga could not be more timely. It meshes nicely with Papa Bidens senescent gun control mania last week.

I wish the New York Post had held its editorial fire slamming Politico last week  see The Post takes offense  to address the current edition of West Wing Playbook by Max Tani and Alex Thompson. Please check it out. Perhaps the Post will return to take it up, but I doubt it.

It opens with a long note on the medias laptop from hell coverage. Youd never know that Politico has distinguished itself in the disgrace department with its own coverage. It winds to this ill-timed conclusion:

The New York Post spends much of its time these days taking self-satisfied victory laps over the decision to publish stories and images from the laptop before the 2020 election. The Post has published numerous editorials in recent months slamming the Times, Washington Post and even this newsletter over much of the mainstream medias caution surrounding the laptop and its contents.

It deserves more attention than I can devote to it this morning. Please check it out.
Is there really a need for another long feature story about how Sen. Dianne Feinstein is senile and needs to go? You wouldnt think so, but New York magazine has a long cover story about how shes lost it. Yesstrange that a magazine with a supposed focus on New York would be so interested in Californias very senior senator, and while the piece is swathed in lots of sympathetic biography for her 52-year career in public office (!), the subtext that she needs to go is impossible to disguise effectively, starting with the unflattering cover photo which makes her look like a cadaver.

Then there are the savage passages repeating and embellishing previous reporting:

Feinstein, who turns 89 in June, is older than any other sitting member of Congress. Her declining cognitive health has been the subject of recent reporting in both her hometown San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times. It seems clear that Feinstein is mentally compromised, even if shes not all gone. . . Reached by phone two days after 19 children were murdered in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, in late May, Feinstein spoke in halting tones, sometimes trailing off mid-sentence or offering a non sequitur before suddenly alighting upon the right string of words. She would forget a recently posed question, or the date of a certain piece of legislation, but recall with perfect lucidity events from San Francisco in the 1960s. Nothing she said suggested a deterioration beyond what would be normal for a person her age, but neither did it demonstrate any urgent engagement with the various crises facing the nation.

I think there are two things behind the lefts open campaign to dispatch Feinstein. First, Feinstein has never been left enough for the left. The New York story more or less admits this with several veiled criticisms such as these:

As the storied career of one of the nations longest-serving Democrats approaches its end, its easy to wonder how the generation whose entry into politics was enabled by progressive reforms has allowed those victories to be taken away. And how a woman who began her career with the support of conservationist communities in San Francisco, and who staked her political identity on advancing womens rights, is now best known to young people as the senator who scolded environmental-activist kids in her office in 2019 and embraced Lindsey Graham after the 2020 confirmation hearings of Amy Coney Barrett, a Supreme Court justice who appears to be the fifth and final vote to end the constitutional right to an abortion. As Feinstein told Graham, This is one of the best set of hearings that Ive participated in. . . .

The mention of Barrett is the second reason the left is mad at her. It was Feinsteins screw-up in Barretts confirmation hearing for her appointment to the Seventh Circuit in 2017 that assured Barretts eventual confirmation to the Supreme Court. Feinstein complained to Barrett that the dogma lives loudly within you, which thrilled bubbled-lefties, but appeared as rank anti-Catholic bigotry to almost everyone else. It meant it would be more difficult to repeat that line of attack when she was nominated to succeed RBG. And Feinstein knew it. It was an unforgivable blunder to the serious left, and now they want to make her pay for it.

Chaseralways the climate angle:

Well, clearly she has to go!

Chaser 2while doing some background reading for this post, I stumbled across this story:

Im certainly not a scientist, she said when asked by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) whether she had a personal opinion on the issue. . . Jamal Raad, campaign director of the green group Evergreen Action, called her response disqualifying. It is a requirement that a Supreme Court Justice be able to review evidence to make a decision, he said. The scientific evidence of climate change is beyond reasonable doubt or debate, yet Amy Coney Barrett refused to acknowledge reality.

A terrific piece of ventriloquist journalism by the very left Post reporter on this beat.

Funny how no one in the media thought it disqualifying when Judge Ketanji Brown-Jackson said I am not a biologist when asked the simple question, What is a woman? Even though women as an intelligible category appear in a lot of statutes that judges have to interpret.
Citibank Nigeria Limited has extended N4 billion ($10 million) financing to Babban Gona Farmer Services Nigeria Limited to support input credit and harvest advance to smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria.

In a statement by the banks country Head of Public Affairs (Nigeria & Ghana), Lola Oyeka, the bank said the transaction will enable 41,000 smallholder farmers to increase their farming income by 350 per cent per hectare, thus contributing to improved economic opportunity in fragile communities.

The loan is part of the Scaling Enterprise facility, a Citi partnership with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Ford Foundation that enables earlier stage, innovative and inclusive businesses in emerging markets to access local currencies, the statement read.

Founded in 2012, Babban Gona is an agrotech company that specialises in the provision of end-to-end value chain services to smallholder farmers including inputs, credit, advisory and offtake across Nigeria.

Kola Masha, Babban Gona co-founder and managing director, was quoted to have said, Babban Gona aims to be the highest impact organization on the agricultural landscape in Africa by supporting our members to generate enough income to improve their livelihoods, education, nutrition and health.

Mr Masha said with the support of our partners, like Citibank, Babban Gona has consistently made farming more profitable for tens of thousands of smallholders across Nigeria where we have improved their net income and agricultural productivity to 2X the national average.

Ireti Samuel-Ogbu, Citibank chief executive officer, said: We are pleased to partner with global development agencies and partners, such as DFC and the Ford Foundation, in the structuring of a pioneering social finance facility aimed at sustaining the Nigerian agricultural sector.

Mr Samuel-Ogbu said Babban Gonas track record and unique business model renders it a partner of choice for scaling positive impact and enabling progress in Nigeria.

According to the statement, the transaction, which is part of Citibanks $1 trillion commitment to sustainable finance by 2030, contributes to progress on several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including; Goal 1, which aims to eliminate poverty; Goal 2, which aims to eliminate hunger, and Goal 8, in support of expanding decent work and economic growth.

Babban Gona creates jobs that promote economic opportunity and stability in underserved communities across Nigeria, said Eugene Amusin, Director, Citibanks Social Finance.

Ms Amusin said, This transaction exemplifies Citis dedication to driving positive social impact in emerging markets and is part of our commitment to invest in opportunities for 15 million households, including 10 million women by 2025.

Jim Polan, vice president, DFCs office of Development Credit, said DFCs investment in Babban Gona will help grow Nigerias agriculture sector, create new jobs, and increase food production and profit margins for farmers.

The strong partnership between DFC and Citi enables us to provide early-stage financing to innovative businesses like Babban Gona, making a development impact in Nigeria and around the world, he said.

Also, Christine Looney, deputy director of Mission Investments for the Ford Foundation said, We are proud to support Babban Gona to bring much-needed solutions to smallholder farmers across Nigeria.

This is a critical expansion of financial services that will provide economic resources for individual farmers alongside the communities they serve, the official added.
A civil servant and resident of Gusau, Zamfara State, Bala Musa, has sued a famous Kannywood actress, Hadiza Gabon, for allegedly reneging on her promise to marry him.

According to NAN, Mr Musa made a case against the actress for defrauding him of N396,000.

Both parties appeared before a Sharia Court in Kaduna State on Monday.

The 33-year-old actress, Hadiza Gabon, stars in Kannywood and Nollywood movies.

The actress, best known for her appearance in Ali Yaga Ali, also serves as an MTN Nigeria and Indomie noodles ambassador.

Court proceedings

Mr Musa told the court that he had been in a relationship with the actress. He also alleged that she promised to marry him.

So far, I have spent N396,000 on her. Anytime she asks for money, I give her without hesitation with the hope that we will marry me

She also failed to show up in Gusau, Zamfara, where I live, after making all arrangements to host her.

The case was first heard on May 23, but the defendant was not in court after being served.

On her part, the defendant, who was represented by her counsel, Mubarak Kabir, said his client was not sure of the authenticity of the summons.

My clients position as a celebrity attracts different kinds of people with different intentions. She is very vigilant regarding her safety and security, he said.

Mr Kabir prayed to the court to give him more time to produce his client in court.

The judge, Rilwanu Kyaudai, adjourned the matter until June 13.
On Monday, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offenses Court, Ikeja Lagos State, fixed July 14 to deliver judgement on the protracted legal battle of Nollywood actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka, aka Baba Ijesha, and his colleague, comedienne, Damilola Adekoya alias Princess.

The decision was arrived at after the court adopted the final written addresses of the prosecution and witnesses.

Since April 22, 2022, Baba Ijesha has been entangled in a messy rape trial for allegedly sexually assaulting Princess 14-year-old foster daughter.

The case has lasted over 12 months since Baba Ijeshas arrest on April 22, 2021, and arraignment on June 24, 2021.

Baba Ijesha is being charged with six counts bordering on the defilement of a minor.

Court Proceedings

During Mondays proceedings, the defence counsel, Dada Awosika, prayed the court to adopt the last written address as he referred to Exhibit A, the CCTV recording of the event of 19th April 2021.

According to the defence counsel, the notion of the defence is that the person who saw the footage was not called as a witness and that the Exhibit had been tampered with, making it a piece of secondary evidence; he also added that it was not in its original form.

On May 5, 2021, the prosecution counsel presented a CCTV camera before the court, kissing and caressing sensitive parts of the body of the 14-year-old girl whom he allegedly raped.

Princess, the 14-year-old juvenile, Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a child expert, Aniekan Makanjuola, the Investigating Police Officer, ASP Wahab Kareem, and a policewoman, Insp Abigail Omane, are among the witnesses for the prosecution counsel.

The DPP concluded the defendants case on December 15, 2021, and Baba Ijeshas defence began on February 17.

Meanwhile, Baba Ijesha, Pastor Jerosi, and Olubunmi Olukolade, a clinical psychologist expert, were the witness for the defence counsel.

The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) brought the allegations against him.

The six-count includes that of sexual assault by penetration, indecent treatment of a child, and sexual assault, which contravene sections 259, 135, and 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011, as well as 135, 263, and 262 Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

Baba Ijesha had, however, employed the services of two senior advocates of Nigeria  Dada Awosika and Babatunde Ogala, and other lawyers, to defend him.
Food vendors and other small business owners in Abuja have expressed mixed feelings over patronage as the All Progressives Congress (APC) holds its special convention to elect its candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

The convention is holding at the Eagles Square, Abuja.

PREMIUM TIMES observed that traders came from within and outside the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to make sales to both delegates and supporters of aspirants of the opposition party.

They brought consumables such as food, soft drinks, bottled and sachet water and other wares such as caps, clothing materials, and footwear were making poor sales.

Traders speak

Patience Silver, a food seller, seated opposite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, looked excited at the turnout of customers.

She told PREMIUM TIMES with the population of people at the centre she had sold more than half of the quantity of the food she prepared today.

I have made more sales, it was better than yesterday. I have sold well today, she said.

She feels that she will recover the losses she made in the past few days.

We paid N10,000 for the canopy and rented the chairs and tables at N100 and N500 respectively, she added.

She said even the security personnel had been chasing traders from one point to another.

Joyce Daniel, who was arriving at the venue of the convention when PREMIUM TIMES approached her, she said she had been making good sales.

Another food vendor, Mary Christopher, said the stress had been too much, but the sales had been encouraging.

Rachel Ilorin, after paying N30,000 to the management of the park on Sunday, but was asked to leave without refunding her money, was busy attending to customers.

 Some paid N20,000 while others paid N10,000. I paid N30,000 and I did make use of the venue, she said.

I could not sell all my food yesterday, I had to waste them this morning because I cannot sell stale food, but today I have sold well and I am still selling, she added.

Adamu Bauchi, who displayed jewellery for sale, said this years convention separated sellers from buyers.

People are not here, they are few sales. Unlike other years, once you display, you see people rushing to patronise you, he said.

Favour Samuel had soft drinks, water and snacks but sold mostly water.

People are not buying drinks and snacks, just water, its not funny, she said.

Security arrangement

Our reporters observed the presence of officers of the Nigerian Police, the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the army and other security agencies manning the various roads and intersections around the venue of the election.

Emergency services such as ambulance services and first aid were also seen.

A cross-section of party supporters who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES expressed satisfaction with the arrangements put in place at the venue.

We are really happy with the way things are moving now and we pray that this will be a huge success, the best will be victorious. Thats what we pray for, the supporters said.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is set for its special convention to elect its presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.

The convention will hold for the next three days (June 6-8) at the Eagle Square in the nations capital, Abuja.

It was initially scheduled for May 29 and 30 but was postponed after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shifted the deadline for political parties to pick their candidates for the general elections from June 3 to June 9.

A total of 2,322 ad-hoc delegates drawn from the 36 states and FCT are expected to participate in the primary to elect the APC flag bearer out of the 23 aspirants jostling for the ticket.

The aspirants are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, former Science and Technology Minister, Ogbonnaya Onu, former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio.

There are also five serving governors, namely Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Ben Ayade (Cross River) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti).

Also in the race are former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, former Ogun State governor and serving senator, Ibikunle Amosun, former Zamfara governor, Ahmad Sani, former Imo State governor and serving senator, Rochas Okorocha.

There are also the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and a serving senator, Ajayi Boroffice.

Also gunning for the APC ticket are two clerics, Tunde Bakare and Felix Nicholas as well as a former Information Minister, Ikeobasi Mokelu, a businessman, Tein Jack-Rich, and the only female among them, Uju Ken-Ohanenye.

All 23 aspirants had been cleared by the seven-member screening committee of the party headed by former National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun.

The committee had in its report submitted on Friday shortlisted 13 aspirants but encouraged the party to allow everyone to participate in the event of inability to reach voluntary withdrawal from the race.

Twenty-eight nomination and expression of interest forms were procured by aspirants and support groups. However, former President Goodluck Jonathan, Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele and AfBD President Akinwumi Adeshina rejected the forms procured for them by support groups. Two ministers, Chris Ngige (Labour and Employment) and Timipre Sylva (State, Petroleum Resources) opted out of the race.

The journey to the convention has been very rough for the party partly due to the internal wrangling as well as poor planning.

The days leading up to the convention had been fraught with controversies, bickering, lobbying, meetings and threats.

Moves by some party members, including President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the emergence of a consensus candidate from among the array of aspirants were unsuccessful.

On Saturday, the president held a meeting with the aspirants during which he asked them to go and chose a consensus candidate among themselves.

I urge all of you to hold consultations amongst yourselves and with the party, with a view to building a consensus in a manner that would help the party reduce the number of aspirants, bring up a formidable candidate and scale down the anxiety of party members, Mr Buhari said

The same day, 10 APC governors in the north backed the shift of presidential power to the south, a boost to the demand of the southern governor for power to return to the south. The aspirants from the north are expected to exit the race given the decision by the governors. However, they are still in the race.

However, barring any last minute changes, all 23 aspirants will slug it out at the convention.

The party says it is ready for the convention for which it recently constituted 18 subcommittees. The Eagle Square venue of the event has been given a face lift.

The Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, said many people have been at work to ensure the success of the event.

APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, said the convention is a bit different from the previous convention because it is the first transition convention of the ruling party.

PREMIUM TIMES is at the convention ground to bring you live updates of the event.






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Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday met with the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

However, the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, who was supposed to be at the meeting, was absent.

The governors, therefore, decided to meet Mr Adamu at his residence to further discuss the convention.

Some of the governors at the meeting were Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).

Although the agenda of the meeting was not disclosed, it may not be unconnected with the declaration by Mr Adamu that Ahmad Lawan is the consensus candidate adopted by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The national chairman had informed the NWC members during their meeting at the national secretariat that Mr Lawan was the consensus candidate of the party but that other aspirants were free to continue the contest.

The declaration was rejected by members of the NWC, who discarded the idea as Mr Adamus opinion.

Briefing journalists after the meeting with the governors, the Deputy National Chairman (North), Abubakar Kyari, said the party is yet to adopt a consensus.

He said the meeting will continue at the Abuja home of Mr Adamu.

Earlier, the APC governors from the north met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

After the meeting, the governors maintained that power must shift to the south.

President Buhari also told them that he had not endorsed any candidate.
Traders at the popular Oja Oba Market in Owo, Ondo State, locked their shops Monday to mourn the victims of the deadly shooting at a church in the town on Sunday.

Gunmen stormed Saint Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo, as worshippers were marking the Feast of Pentecost and opened fire on the congregation.

They also detonated explosives as the worshippers scampered for safety.

At least 70 people were killed and injured, according to Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, the lawmaker representing Owo Constituency I, who visited the scene shortly after the attack.

Police said the gunmen got to the church at about 11.30 a.m.

The police and the state government are, however, yet to confirm the number of people killed.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the assailants approached the church during the service, started shooting from outside the church while others numbering about four shot directly into the church, the police said in a statement.

As of Monday afternoon, bloodstains and a few body parts were still visible in the church.

Fragments of the shattered pulpit at the altar were strewn across the floor.

A stream of humans flowed in and out of the church, some muttering curses at the killers, others wiping tears from their faces.

Traders mourn

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu visited the scene of the attack, condoled the victims, and directed that flags be flown at half-mast in the state for seven days.

A yam seller at the Oja Oba Market who identified herself as Iya Idris said her shop will remain closed for two weeks.

What money am I looking for that will make me open this shop today? she said.

Even if no one is asking us to lock our shops, I wont still open this shop. I couldnt sleep over the night

The trader burst into tears mid-speech.

About seven shops away, another trader, Sulaiman Kemisola, charged Sango worshippers to invoke their god against the perpetrators.

This is the time to enjoy the beauty of our traditional worshippers, let them give oil to Esu and provoke Sango, and its worshippers should not be allowed to sleep until the perpetrators are brought to book.

Not just that, let other custodians of other deities in Owo land also send their deities after the evil perpetrators. I am ready to contribute money toward that if need be.

An aged woman, identified as Iya Sinatu, who lives near the palace of the Olowo of Owo, appealed to the federal government to do all within its powers in ensuring the killers are brought to book.

The attack has been condemned by Nigerians and the international community.

The global head of the Catholic church, Pope Francis, on Monday, condemned the unspeakable violence.

I was deeply saddened to learn of the horrific attack at Saint Francis church in Owo in #Nigeria. #PrayTogether for all those affected by this act of unspeakable violence and for the conversion of those blinded by hatred and violence, the Pope wrote on Twitter.
Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the partys National Working Committee have recommended five aspirants for todays presidential primary of the party while advising the remaining 17 contenders to step down.

Those who got the nod of the governors and party leaders to remain in the race are former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu; a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, who disclosed the development on Tuesday morning, said the list of shortlisted frontline candidates has been presented to President Muhammadu Buhari, who he said okayed the recommendation.

The president told us any of these five are qualified to be president and have contributed to the party (APC). He said he is comfortable with any of them, said Mr Lalong while speaking on Channels TV flagship programme, Sunrise.

Our recommendation is to enable us to give direction for the party as we go into the primary. We cannot go with everybody, but in our view, these are the people we think should remain.

The Plateau Governor said the five recommended aspirants were also advised to hold consultations among themselves to enable them further reduce the number of contestants.

On how the list of frontline aspirants was arrived at, Mr Lalong said, The screening committee submitted a report. All the contestants were graded even though none of them was disqualified.

Mr Lalong, however, added that contestants not shortlisted were free to disagree with the recommendation and proceed to contest at the primary.

The latest development appears a blow to the plot by the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu to foist Senate President Ahmed Lawan on the party as a consensus candidate.

The APC presidential screening committee had last week okayed 23 aspirants for todays primaries.

They are Jigawa Governor, Abubakar Badaru; a former Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry, Godswill Akpabio; a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; a former Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, businessman, Jack -Rich, Tein; President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan; a former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; a former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya On and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Also cleared are a former Governor of Lagos, Bola Tinubu; Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi; a former Governor of Imo, Rochas Okorocha, Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade; General Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare, and a former Zamfara State Governor, Sani Yerima.

Also on the list are a former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani; a former Minister of Information, Ikeobasi Mokelu; a former Speaker of the House of Representatives; Dimeji Bankole; a Deputy Senate Leader, Ajayi Borroffice; US-based pastor, Felix Nicholas and the only woman in the race, Uju Ken-Ohanenye.

Mr Nnamani stepped down from the race on Monday saying the APC had failed to do justice to the south of Nigeria.
The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, said he will win the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary if the process is credible.

Mr Bello told journalists on Tuesday after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja that he was confident of his chances during the primary election.

The Kogi State Governor was absent from the APC governors meeting with the president where they reiterated their support for zoning the partys presidential ticket to the south.

The governor of Kogi State chose to excuse himself from meeting with Mr President because he believes that he does not agree with our position, the Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, said at a press briefing on Monday.

With the exception of Mr Bello who is a presidential aspirant in the race, 13 other governors from the northern region were in support of this resolution.

Sending a strong message to the party leadership, the Kogi governor after his meeting with the president said there will be trouble if his name is omitted from the ballot as delegates arrive to cast their votes.

No reason for me to be excluded from the ballot. If they do so then that is a recipe for bigger trouble for the party. However, I dont think its the decision of the party. It is a decision of a few elites who may decide to use their whatever position to suppress the so-called minority. But I want to prove that in this country, I am not in the minority. We have the majority. I belong to the younger generation.

I belong to the generation of Nigerians that are oppressed and they are saying the most have their voice. And I strongly believe that getting into that arena today, I will win overwhelmingly if the process and the normal regulations are followed, he said

The governor added that he would be willing to step down if Mr Buhari had asked him to but Mr President did not ask anyone to step down.

Mr Bellos chance of clinching the partys apex ticket has further shrunk as governors elected on the platform of the party as well as its National Working Committee (NWC) recommended only five aspirants for todays presidential primary.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the five aspirants are a former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu; a former minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; the governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi; the governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

With his resolution to forge ahead against the above resolution, the Kogi governor may have a long day convincing a substantial number of the 2322 delegates expected to cast their ballot between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Shortly after the gunmen who killed worshippers at Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, left, miscreants poured into the church removing valuables from the victims and stealing money from the offering box, the churchs catechist has said.

Jonatus Awolo, the catechist, who escaped during the attack, told PREMIUM TIMES that the shooting lasted for over 30 minutes, and started when worshippers were marking the Feast of Pentecost.

He said thugs, believed to be members of the community, searched the bodies of the dead and went away with their belongings.

Some people came inside the church after the perpetrators left, said Mr Awolo.

It was some area boys in the street because after I escaped the gunshot, I came back again to check the situation of things after the perpetrators left. When I got back, I saw some people inside the sacristy, some boys were inside the sacristy, some of them were searching everywhere.



Gunmen stormed the church on Sunday morning, opened fire on the congregation and also detonated explosives as the worshippers scampered for safety.

At least 70 people were killed and injured, according to Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, the lawmaker representing Owo Constituency I, who visited the scene shortly after the attack.

Police said the gunmen got to the church at about 11.30 a.m.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the assailants approached the church during the service, started shooting from outside the church while others numbering about four shot directly into the church, police said in a statement.

While many of the injured victims were taken to the Federal Medical Center, Owo, for treatment, the dead bodies were deposited at different morgues in the state.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who visited the scene of the attack, directed that flags be flown at half-mast in the state for seven days.

On Monday, traders at the popular Oja Oba Market in the community locked their shops to mourn the victims of the attack.

Mr Awolo said the miscreants who rushed to the church after the attack were picking money from the scene.

Even when the box of the collection of money was scattered on the floor, people were just picking money, he said.

The money is not what I am talking about, I am talking about the dead that are on the ground. People were picking items from the victims, even my phone was also missing, I cannot find my phone and the charger till this moment.

They were stealing money, phones, and purse of dead victims. I caught one of them, I wanted to arrest him but I just left him there. Imagine. There are many people that are bad-hearted than those perpetrators. Stealing from dead bodies.
Three of the presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have withdrawn from the race and declared their support for the ex-Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu.

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, ex-Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio, and ex-Ogun State Governor,Ibikunle Amosun announced their decisions to step down for Mr Tinubu at the ongoing presidential primary of the party holding in Abuja.

The three men were among the 23 aspirants, including Mr Tinubu, seeking to be the presidential candidate of the APC.

After his announcement, Mr Akpabio asked delegates of his state and others across other states to vote for Mr Tinubu.

For 2023, I want to join you to go with the president that has vision

I will join the next president with a vision. And as I withdraw now, I urge all the delegates, the delegates from Akwa Ibom State and all others to vote for Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, he said amidst cheers from the crowd.

Mr Tinubu was seen, seconds later, smiling at Mr Akpabio.

Next to deliver his speech was Ibikunle Amosun, who after a short while announced his decision to withdraw from the race and asked his supporters to vote for Mr Tinubu in the spirit of fairness.

Shortly afterwards, Mr Fayemi also announced his withdrawal from the race.

I am prepared to sacrifice my ambition to become president of this country. I am a young man and have a lot of time ahead of me.

I urge all my delegates in Ekiti and the South west to accord me the respect and offer support to Bola Tinubu. I am not doing him a favour but a duty of care for Nigeria, he said.

The APC presidential primary is underway.

While aspirants are currently addressing the delegates, a few more are expected to pull out of the race.
The Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has withdrawn from the presidential race and declared his support for the ex-Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu.

Mr Fayemi announced his decision to withdraw at the ongoing presidential primary of the ruling party, APC.

Messrs Fayemi and Tinubu are two of the 23 aspirants seeking to be the flagbearer of the APC.

Before Mr Fayemi announced his decision, two other presidential aspirants, Godswill Akpabio and Ibikunle Amosun, also announced their decision to step down for Mr Tinubu.

Follow our live updates of the presidential primary here.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rerun primaries for Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency has again been cancelled following protests over alleged delegates list alteration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 34 delegates from 11 wards were expected to vote in the primaries.

NAN reports that Francis Chima, Wilson Deriwari, Emilia Ezude and Rita Orji were the aspirants contesting for the House of Representatives for the constituency.

Kasimu Ebozogie, a member of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the PDP primaries, alleged that the delegates list had been altered because of the unfamiliar names on the list.

We had wanted to peacefully follow the directives of the national working committe for rerun.

However, we were surprised that the names being called as delegates by the official handling the election were not those delegates elected by us democratically, he said.

Mr Ebozogie also said the paper from where the list was read was not that of PDP document because the logo on the document was different from the new logo of the party.

So, we protested. We also appreciate the timely intervention of the police on ground that prevented the situation from degenerating into something else, he said.

Mr Ebozogie urged the party leaders to present to the public, the name of the candidate that emerged from the last primaries which he said was Mr Chima.

He noted that the election was free, fair and credible.

I will not advise the party to go into the next election without a candidate for Ajeromi-Ifelodun federal constituency, he said.

Olatunji Ajiwe, the PDP secretary in Ajeromi Ifelodun, said that Mr Chima won the primary election which was conducted on May 22, but because the elections were generally cancelled, the result was not used.

We only want them to use the list that the national chairman and the executive committee gave us against working with another list.

We urge the leadership of the party to come to our aid by giving the people their mandate of Chima representing them.

Meanwhile, one of the aspirants, Mrs Orji said the delegates list was the list that they used for the House of Assembly, Senate and for the Governorship primaries.

So, why will they say that the delegates list was changed. This is the list that they have been using to vote all the while, she said.

(NAN)
Editors Note: This story has been pulled down because it does not meet our editorial guidelines on election reporting. We apologise to our readers for any inconveniences caused.
All phones in the European Union will, from 2024, use the same type of charging port for mobile phones, tablets and cameras, Reuters reported.

By autumn 2024, USB Type-C will become the common charging port for all mobile phones, tablets and cameras in the EU, the European Parliament said in a statement.

EU countries and lawmakers agreed to this on Tuesday after a decade long pursuit. It is the first of its kind in the world.

The political intervention, which the European Commission said would make life easier for consumers and save them money, came after companies failed to reach a common solution.

Brussels has been pushing for a single mobile charging port for more than a decade, prompted by complaints from iPhone and Android users about having to switch to different chargers for their devices.

Apple will be the worst hit by this decision as iPhones are charged from a lightning cable, while Android-based devices use USB-C and USB micro-B connectors.

Half the chargers sold with mobile phones in 2018 had a USB micro-B connector, while 29 per cent had a USB-C connector and 21 per cent a Lightning connector, according to a 2019 Commission study.

EU industry chief Thierry Breton said the deal would save around 250 million euros ($267 million) for consumers.

It will also allow new technologies such as wireless charging to emerge and to mature without letting innovation become a source of market fragmentation and consumer inconvenience, Reuters quoted him as saying.

According to Reuters, Apple, which has warned the proposal would hurt innovation and create a mountain of electronic waste, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

We are proud that laptops, e-readers, earbuds, keyboards, computer mice, and portable navigation devices are also included, Reuters quoted Alex Agius Saliba, a lawmaker who steered the debate at the parliament.

Laptops will have to comply with the legislation within 40 months of it entering into force. The EU executive will have the power in future to harmonise wireless charging systems.

The deal will affect Samsung, Huawei and other device makers as it also covers e-readers, earbuds and other technologies.
Delegates from Lagos State are shortchanged when compared to the number of delegates from other states, the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu, has said.

He made this comment during an interview with Channels Television, at Eagle Square, Abuja  the venue of APCs national convention.

Mr Sanwo-Olu was talking about preparations made for the partys presidential primary as well as the expectations of members of the party.

While he commended the partys Convention Planning Committee for the hard work done, he hoped that the event will be fair, credible and transparent.

When asked which aspirant the Lagos State delegates will vote for, Mr Sanwo-olu said it is up to them (the delegates).

He further said delegates from his state are shortchanged.

We feel we are shortchanged. Kano, for example, has 132 delegates while Lagos State has only 60 delegates. But we have to play by the books, he said.

Although Lagos State has fewer delegates, it is not the state with the least.

PREMIUM TIMES reported. a breakdown of the expected number of delegates per state.

Speaking on party members who are calling for a consensus candidate from the South-east, Mr Sanwo-Olu said anything is possible and that they are still consulting.

We are not giving anything to chance. It has been meetings upon meetings. It is done for the sake of peace, equity and fairness. Consultations are still ongoing. It is not yet over. Its not over until the voting is done.

Anyone can come up to make an announcement

The APC special national convention is underway.

There are, however, controversies regarding choosing a consensus candidate. While the APC governors insist the candidate should be chosen from the South, the party chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, announced Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as the consensus candidate.

Earlier, the governors nominated five aspirants from the South. They are vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, Bola Tinubu, Rotimi Amaechi, Dave Umahi and Kayode Fayemi.
The United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom have condemned the attack on worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State.

A statement by Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN chief, said the Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms the heinous attack in the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on 5 June that resulted in the death and injuries of scores of civilians as people gathered for the Pentecost service.

According to the statement, Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, urged the Nigerian authorities to spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators to justice, adding that attacks on places of worship are abhorrent.

Also, the EU high representative, Josep Borell, in a statement issued in Brussells on Monday, expressing concern as well condemning the attack on defenceless worshippers.

The European Union is shocked by and condemns Sundays armed attack on churchgoers in Owo, Ondo State, Southwest of Nigeria, in which scores of defenceless worshippers were killed, the statement read in part.

Mr Borell described the recent attacks in Nigeria as unacceptable and becoming recurrent. He also urged the government to bring the culprits to justice.

The unacceptable attacks by non-state armed groups are becoming recurrent in various parts of Nigeria and the senseless violence has now spread to the hitherto peaceful state of Ondo.

The EU remains committed to working with the Nigerian authorities to stop this spiral of violence, find a lasting solution. We continue to support Nigeria in its efforts in building sustainable peace, deepening democracy and ensuring protection of fundamental human rights of all its people, including the right of worship and freedom of religion or belief, Mr Borell said.

Catriona Laing, UK envoy to Nigeria, in a tweet on Sunday wrote, Terrible news today from Owo in Ondo State. I condemn those responsible for this horrific crime. I extend my sympathies to all those affected.

Similarly, Vicky Ford, UK minister for Africa, in a tweet, said she was horrified by the attack, insisting that perpetrators must face justice.

I am horrified by the attack that took place in Owo in Ondo State, Ni3geria today. The UK condemns those responsible, they must face justice for their appalling crime. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and communities affected.

Owo Attack

Gunmen on Sunday attacked St Francis catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State leaving over 70 people including children dead, the police said in its account.

A witness, who identified herself as Toyin, said the terrorists attacked the church while the priest was rounding off proceedings of the service.

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.
Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, has expressed sadness over the attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, southwestern Nigeria, which left many dead and others injured.

I was deeply saddened to learn of the horrific attack at Saint Francis church in Owo in #Nigeria, the cleric said via his Twitter handle on Monday.

He invited the world to pray for those affected by the attack and to pray for perpetrators.

#PrayTogether for all those affected by this act of unspeakable violence and for the conversion of those blinded by hatred and violence, he wrote.

According to the Vaticannews, in a message, signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and addressed to Bishop Jude Arogundade of Ondo, the Pope assured those affected by this act of unspeakable violence of his spiritual closeness.

He also prayed for the divine blessings of comfort and strength on the Bishop and faithful of the diocese as they continue to live the Gospel message with fidelity and courage.

Owo Attack

A witness, who identified herself as Toyin, said the terrorists attacked the church while the priest was rounding off proceedings of the service.

Traders at the popular Oja Oba Market in Owo, Ondo State, locked their shops Monday to mourn the victims of the deadly shooting.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu visited the scene of the attack, condoled the victims, and directed that flags be flown at half-mast in the state for seven days.

Yemi Osinbajo, Nigerias Vice President, on Monday visited Olowo of Owo to commiserate with the community over the attack.

Bola Tinubu, an APC presidential aspirant, visited the state and donated N50 million to the families of the victims of the attack and N25 million to the Catholic Church.

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) also donated N50 million to victims of the attack.

The Chairman of the NGF and Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, made the donation when he paid a visit to his Ondo State counterpart at the Government House in Akure on Monday.

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.
That Amapiano, a style of house music that emerged in South Africa in 2019, is fast gaining ground in Nigerian music is not in doubt.

Many Nigerian artists have sampled the Amapiano sound in most of their hit songs in recent times.

Some of Nigerias biggest hits of 2021 featured the Amapiano sounds, including Reekado Bankss Ozumba Mbadiwe Remas Woman Burna Boys Yaba Buluku, Adekunle Golds High and Davidos Champions sound.

Ke Stars Focalistic, Lojays Monalisa, Zinoleeskys Kilofeshe, Naira Marleys Coming, and Falzs Squander are all products of the South African Amapiano sound.

Also, the rave of the moment artist, Kiss Daniel, is trending with yet another Amapiano and Afrobeats-inspired beat, Buga.

The track has garnered over 11 million views on YouTube and multiple streams on various online music streaming platforms in the last month since its release.

Amapiano has amassed over 920 million global all-time streams, according to Spotify statistics. Spotify also noted that the streams on the platform would hit 1 billion in July this year.

Amapiano won for Goya Menors first hit song, Amapiano version of Ameno, a nomination at the 2022 Headies Award.

With Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boys concert raking millions of dollars and selling out O2 Arena, Nigerian music has gained even more recognition globally.

However, with the Afrobeats genre of music dominating recent Nigerian musical exports from the continent, Amapiano takes the second lead, as most Nigerian artists fuse Afrobeats and Amapiano into their music.

Since its emergence in 2019, Amapiano has dominated African music worldwide and spread across Europe, North Africa, and Far East Asia.

Global appeal

Through the Spotify Radar playlist, an online music streaming platform, Spotify, collated the opinions of different entertainers across the world about Amapiano.

Amapiano is blending with local music scenes worldwide to create a haven for reinterpretation and the exchange of cultures.

In an interview with some South African artists on the Spotify Radar playlist, Kamo Mphela explained why Amapiano resonates so strongly both at home and further afield. He describes the music sound as a culture and a movement.

DBN Gogo another South African musician, has also described amapiano as a way of life and the first black African genre to break through since Afrobeats.

Moroccan producer, audio engineer, and DJ, Flomine also noted that Amapiano is changing culture. He said, When you mix Amapiano with traditional Moroccan music [gnawa], it connects people, and when you introduce live instruments, people just love it as its changing culture.

DJ Mitokon, part of the Japanese DJ crew TYO GQOM, added that Amapiano is unique to every country.

Kinshasa-born French artist Youssoupha also described Amapiano as the music without forcing. Youssoupha also infused Amapiano into his latest album Neptune Terminus (Origines) in his trademark style of combining passionate music with lyrics that denounce racial and social injustices.

The future of Amapiano

Spotify says the appeal of Amapiano is rooted in dance and rhythm, and platforms such as TikTok have helped export the movement to millions via devices all over the world.

The global sound of Amapiano has come a long way in a short time, but, like Afrobeat before it, this movement is set to grow as more cultures and scenes from across the world collaborate to reinterpret the sound to make it their own.

A South African musician, DBN Gogo, would describe the future of Amapiano as unlimited. She said, Theres a new song every day of the week. Theres a new dance, and theres a new artist, theres a new DJ, theres a new producer. And with this much creativity and potential for reinvention across the globe, for Amapiano, the skys the limit.
The accreditation of delegates for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary is currently ongoing at the Abuja International Conference Centre amid tight security, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

NAN also reports that no fewer than 2,322 delegates from the 774 local government areas of the country are expected to vote at the presidential primary, including the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The delegates, three from each local government area, were seen in different uniforms popularly called aso-ebi, especially those from southern Nigeria.

The delegates would cast their votes for their preferred aspirant that would emerge as the partys 2023 presidential candidate.

Although 23 presidential aspirants bought the partys presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to contest the presidency, 13 were cleared by the John Odigie-Oyegun-led Presidential Screening Committee.

NAN also reports that 11 governors from the North had in a statement on Saturday, announced their decision to support a power shift to the South after Mr Buharis tenure.

The governors, while urging presidential aspirants from the northern part of the country to step down from the 2023 presidential race, said, the decision to support a power shift to the south is in the best interest of the country.

Meanwhile, there is tight security at the Abuja Eagle Square located in the Central Business District, the venue of the APC special convention, as vehicular and human traffic had been restricted.

READ ALSO: Poll projects Osinbajo to win APC presidential primary

All roads leading to the Eagle Square had been cordoned off, with mobile police officers positioned at strategic positions.

There is also gridlock in most parts of the city, including Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Ibrahim Babangida Way and other areas, as commuters are seen trekking to cover some distance.

Some residents of the FCT said the day should have been declared a public holiday, while journalists slated to cover the event struggle to get accreditation tags from the convention accreditation committee as they are seen hanging around.

Meanwhile, the APC presidential primary election is expected to run through the night.

(NAN)
Seven aspirants jostling for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket have rejected the short list of five aspirants presented to President Muhammadu Buhari by governors elected on the platform of the party.

They are a former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; the Cross River Governor, Ben Ayade; former Minister for State for Education Emeka Nwajiuba; former Imo Governor Rochas Okorocha and businessman Tein Jack-Rich.

Governors elected on the platform of APC had, at a meeting with the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, shortlisted five names from the 23 aspirants in the race for the partys presidential ticket.

The five aspirants who made the governors list include a former minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; a former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; the governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi; and the governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi.

The seven who were excluded from the governors list said in a joint statement on Tuesday that the resolution by the governors was a joke taken to the extreme.

They described the governors resolution as an attempt to sideline aspirants from South-east and South-south regions as they were not consulted before arriving at their decision.

As long as we are concerned no list has been submitted to Mr President, the move by the Governors is considered a joke taken to the extreme with the aim of playing with the intellect of Nigerians particularly us from the South-East.

Mr Presidents directive is very simple, that all Presidential aspirants including those from the North should meet and harmonise in order to produce a single candidate. As it stands we have not been consulted or attended a meeting where it was agreed that such names be sent to Mr President.

In the so-called list out of the five names only one was selected from the South-East and we are talking about fairness and justice to the South, the presidential aspirants posited in a statement released after their meeting.

Without giving details, the aspirants said the governors decisions were motivated by personal gratifications to favour an unnamed aspirant.

We also have it on good authority that the majority of these Governors have been promised and also given various forms of gratifications in order to thwart the process in favour of one aspirant and such grand plot will fail woefully, they alleged.

Their reaction came almost the same time the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, kicked against his colleagues decision to support the zoning of the partys ticket to the South.

He vowed after a meeting with Mr Buhari in Abuja on Tuesday that he would forge ahead in his quest for the partys presidential ticket.
Some delegates from Akwa Ibom State have protested against a controversial court order stopping them from being accredited for Tuesdays presidential election of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The delegates who were visibly angry alleged foul play, describing it as an attempt to disenfranchise them.

Some of the delegates who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, told one of our reporters that the court order was served by an official.

A delegate who is also a local government chairman in the state alleged that the court case leading to the court order was orchestrated to frustrate the aspiration of a former governor of the state, Godswill Akpabio, who is banking on bulk votes from the delegates from the state to clinch the presidential ticket.

Mr Akpabio is among the 23 aspirants jostling for the APC presidential ticket.

The content of the court order was not revealed to us (delegates) before asking us not to vote, a member of the state delegate told our reporter.

Some of the delegates also linked the court case to a former Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East District, James Akpan Udo-Edehe, who recently defected to the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) to realise his governorship ambition.

PREMIUM TIMES has yet to see a copy of the court order.

The controversy comes amidst the leadership tussle in the Akwa Ibom chapter of the party.

Hundreds of delegates are being accredited at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja ahead of the ruling All Progressives Congresss presidential primary.

There are a total of 93 delegates from Akwa Ibom State.
Police officers on Tuesday attacked journalists at the Eagle Square, Abuja, the venue of the All Progressives Congress (APC) special national convention.

The journalists, who were issued accreditation tags by the party to cover the event, had assembled at the entrance of the venue.

But instead of permitting the accredited journalists into the venue, the police officers unleashed their horses on them.

Also, the police officers used tear gas indiscriminately on the journalists.

Crowd control has always been a major challenge at APC events. Poor crowd control was an issue during the March 26 convention that produced the present National Working Committee (NWC).

Despite the accreditation tags issued to them, journalists were not allowed into the venue until Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary, of the party intervened.

Police brutality and attack against journalists remain endemic in Nigeria. The 2020 EndSARS protests called for reform of the police. However, the culture of impunity on the part of security agencies continues to thrive.

APC apologises to journalists

But the APC has apologised to journalists attacked at the APC convention venue.

Mr Morka, in a statement, said: I am sorry about the incident involving the use of tear gas by the police at the Foreign Affairs Ministry Access Gate of Eagle Square. Some of our accredited journalists were affected.

As soon as I was notified, I went there and helped to give access to all accredited journalists.
One person died on Tuesday after an uncompleted three-storey building collapsed at the popular Kantin Kwara textile market in Fagge metropolitan council area.

Officials said many other persons sustained injuries in the incident.

The spokesperson, Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, confirmed the death of the unidentified person.

He said the Fire Service received a distress call at about 2:30 p.m. that a three-storey building still under construction had collapsed.

Mr Abdullahi explained that the first and second floors of the building had already been completed, while the third floor was still under construction.

The spokesperson said firefighters mobilised and rushed the victims to the Murtala Mohammed Specialist hospital, where one person was certified dead by a medical doctor.

Residents have accused officials of granting permits for the construction of dodgy buildings in already congested markets in the state.

PREMIUM TIMES reported last year how some traders at the neighbouring Kofar Wambai market, protested against the erection of more shops by the Kano government.
Gibraltar Welcomes Royal Couple

The people of Gibraltar have today welcomed The Earl and Countess of Wessex to the Rock.

During past Royal Visits, going back to that by Her Majesty the Queen, herself, on the occasion of the Royal Tour of the Commonwealth after her Coronation in 1953, Gibraltar has always risen to welcome members of the Royal Family.

The Gibraltarians have been extremely proud to wave their Union Jacks and taken to the streets to wave and cheer visiting Royals.

Her Majesty the Queen has served on the Throne for a record seventy years, the longest serving Monarch in the world and it is right and fitting that we honour her with all our hearts on this historic and unique occasion.

Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar has conveyed its immense satisfaction over the Royal Visit, which will enable the Gibraltarians to celebrate this historic occasion and pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen.
The Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) says it is investigating Wema Bank PLC and KC Gaming Networks(Bet Naija), for alleged breach of customers data privacy.

The bank is accused of opening accounts for customers without their request or authorisation, while KC Gaming is probed over external attacks on its data.

At this stage, the objectives of these investigations as directed by the National Commissioner of the Bureau, Vincent Olatunji, are to determine the impact of the breaches on the affected data subjects and the remedial actions taken by the concerned data controllers, the NDPB said in a statement signed by the Legal, Enforcement & Regulations Lead, Bolu Bamigboye, said.

The Bureau assured members of the general public that it will ensure proper accountability of the data controllers in the ongoing investigations.

This data processing, according to the complaints against the Bank, involves using their personal data to open accounts. The Bureau is also investigating a report of breach of data privacy at KC Gaming Networks. The breach in this case involved alleged external attack on the KC Gaming Networks, it said.

Unsolicited account opening

The investigation follows complaints from people who received messages indicating accounts had been opened for them at Wema Bank without their permission.

Micheal Ikoro, a lawyer, told PREMIUM TIMES he received three messages from Wema Bank on March 21 without owning an account with the institution.

The first message said, Successful registration on 945, Dail *945000# to change your default pin.

The second read, Your new account has been opened, and the last said, The sum of N50 has been credited to your account.

He said the credit alert unusually came without a name.

On March 31 (my birthday), the bank sent their good wishes, he said on the phone.

Mr Ikoro told PREMIUM TIMES he was keeping records of the mails. He later sent a message to the bank on Twitter, but kept receiving automated replies from the bank.

He went to the banks regional office in the Central Business District in Abuja, where he submitted a letter to the bank.

The manager of the bank agreed that they (the bank) opened the account but on the request from an organisation, he said.

I asked them to give me the details of the organisation in writing, but nothing has been sent to me, he added.

A Twitter user, Arya Stark, wrote A fake account opened with my data, BVN inclusive. All I want from @wemabank is to send me the details of all the transactions done in my name by the imposter. Im not asking for too much.

On Friday, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) urged Wema Bank to provide details on numerous allegations of unsolicited account-opening for people who are not its customers. The commission made the call in a tweet posted on its official handle on Friday.

Can Wema Bank comment publicly on the message that consumers without Wema Bank accounts are receiving across the country, allegedly from the bank? This situation is widespread and cannot be a DM ( direct message) issue anymore. Wema Bank has to come clean, the commission said in the tweet.

Wema Bank reacts

Wema Banks head marketing, communication and investor relations, Funmilayo Falola, told PREMIUM TIMES that the bank had not received any letter from any agency regarding the issue.

Ms Falola said the bank had begun investigation into the account-opening matter after customers complained about the breach of data privacy.

She said the bank did not open accounts without the owners permission.

We dont open accounts without peoples permission, we dont know why people are reporting such, she said.

In a earlier statement, the bank echoed the same position.

We would like to reassure our customers that we keep all customer data confidential. Do note, however, that no account can be activated except by the owner of the account, when the person downloads the app and proceeds with account confirmation, it said.

It advised customers to keep their personal details safe as scammers are on the prowl and would use all opportunities to defraud customers.

Where you think your data may have been compromised, please change all your passwords and PINS immediately, it said.
A senator from Akwa Ibom State, Bassey Albert, said there was an agreement that he would be Akwa Ibom governor in 2023 after Udom Emmanuel completes his two terms.

Mr Albert, who represents Akwa Ibom North-East District, is a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in the state.

He had, however, refused to take part in the PDP governorship primary in Akwa Ibom, citing a pending court case against the partys conduct of the delegate election in the state.

Governor Emmanuels preferred successor, Umo Eno, won the primary.

Other aspirants also declined to take part in the PDP primaries in the state, citing similar reasons.

Mr Albert, on Monday, spoke about how he refused to run against Mr Emmanuel in 2015 because of an agreement that he would be the governor in 2023.

The lawmaker said this in an interview with Planet101.1FM in Uyo.

He said during the preparation for the 2015 general elections, the then President Goodluck Jonathan invited him to the presidential villa in Abuja where he asked him to step down for Mr Emmanuel.

The then PDP national chairman, Adamu Muazu and the then governor of Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio, were among those who were present at the meeting, he said.

Akpabio used to say no matter how beautiful an umbrella is, if it comes out during the sunny season, nobody will buy it. But that no matter how rickety an umbrella is if it comes out during the rain season everybody will buy it, he said.

He (Akpabio) said I should wait, let Eket Senatorial District take their turn, when it gets to Uyo (Akwa Ibom North-East District) it will come to Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency youll go for it, Mr Albert said.

I have mentioned names. These are well-meaning Nigerians. And they are alive. Will I come and lie if there was no agreement? There was an agreement. They can all attest to it, he added.

He said the agreement was reaffirmed in 2019.

Continuing, the lawmaker said, Man can change his mind, but mans position cannot change the plan and the will of God for His people.

The two-term senator, who is the chair of the Senate Committee on Upstream Petroleum Resources, said he has done well for his constituents, but that it is left for them to assess him and give their own verdict.

He said he championed the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act, alongside other senators.

I am a major voice in the National Assembly. I have contributed immensely to the growth of my country, Mr Albert said.

When asked about his relationship with Governor Emmanuel, Mr Albert responded, Perfect! We are working together.

Apparently referring to the governors choice of Mr Eno as his preferred successor, the senator said: Governor Emmanuel is human, he is bound to have his preferences.

But he is just one of the 7 million Akwa Ibom people. You may have your preference, but God will always have the final say.

Mr Albert said in the interview he will contest the Akwa Ibom governorship election and that he will win.
A victim in Sundays terrorist attack in a church in Owo, Ondo State, has narrated how she was spared by one of the gunmen who advised her to scale a fence to safety.

The priest was rounding up the Pentecost Mass at the Saint Francis Catholic Church, Owo, on Sunday when gunshots rang behind Happiness Onuchu.

Quickly, she dashed towards the nearest exit: a door at the front of the church.

I was sitting in front, there is a door at the extreme end there too, so we struggled out through that door, said Ms Onuchu, a survivor of the attack.

My friend and I were thinking of going to hide in the toilet but she said they might still come there then, we decided to scale the fence.

Gunmen stormed the church, opened fire on the congregation and also detonated explosives as the worshippers scampered for safety.

At least 70 people were killed and injured, according to Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, the lawmaker representing Owo Constituency I, who visited the scene shortly after the attack.

Police said the gunmen got to the church at about 11.30 a.m.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the assailants approached the church during the service, started shooting from outside the church while others numbering about four shot directly into the church, police said in a statement.

Ms Onuchu said her friend scaled the churchs fence but she was unable to do the same because she wore a tight gown.

Just by the fence, a guy was trying to also scale the fence too before a gunman arrived and shot him dead. The gunman then asked me to climb the fence and that was how I escaped, she said.

While many of the injured victims were taken to the Federal Medical Center, Owo, for treatment, the dead bodies were deposited at different morgues in the state.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who visited the scene of the attack, condoled the victims and directed that flags be flown at half-mast in the state for seven days.

On Monday, traders at the popular Oja Oba Market in the community locked their shops to mourn the victims of the attack.

Ms Onuchu sustained injuries to her knee and has been treating it at a patent medicine store near her home.

She said it was difficult to know the identity of the attackers because they wore masks.

She also said many of the victims she knows are dead while some are currently recuperating in the hospital.

When this reporter visited St. Louis Catholic Hospital, some of the victims were seen groaning in pain.

Asked if she knew why the gunman spared her, Ms Onuchu said, Maybe because he saw that I was really afraid and was also looking at him pitiably.
Presidential aspirant and former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, has assured delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he is a serious man with a serious purpose.

Mr Tinubu also said he is the best person to fly the partys flag at the 2023 presidential poll.

He said this in his address at the partys special national convention organised to produce the partys presidential candidate.

The convention, which is underway, is being held at Eagle Square, Abuja. It will see party delegates elect a presidential candidate from 23 aspirants that have indicated interest.

Mr Tinubu was the first to address the delegates before the voting exercise.

In his speech, he said at the end, the elected candidate must deliver victory at the 2023 election at both state and national levels and must unite Nigerians from all walks of life. He said he is the person with the capacity to so do.

The candidate you select must have the experience, leadership and qualities. Other aspirants are good men and women but I sincerely believe I am the person that fits that.

The former governor boasted about transforming Lagos State from a dangerous and unwelcoming place to a clean and safe place, adding that he is a serious man with a serious purpose. And will use it to benefit the people.

He also described himself as a unifying leader who has put together structures that have delivered victory over the years.

I cannot talk of a brighter future without declaring my intention to fight terrorism and insecurity. I am confident, competent and ready to start from day one, he added.

In a few hours, the APC will elect a flagbearer.

The convention is holding amid controversies surrounding the selection of a consensus candidate.

While northern governors in the party are calling for a southern candidate, the party chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, had announced Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President, as the partys consensus candidate.

READ TINUBUS FULL SPEECH

OUR ENCOUNTER WITH DESTINY:

Here comes a time in a nation when the hopes of the moment. Let not the destiny of this land be stolen because we did not do what was meant for us to do at this critical moment. Remember, we formed this party not simply to wrest power from a wrong and failing PDP.

We formed this party to give the people of this land the progressive good governance they deserve so that they may live as well and as peacefully as any people on the face of this earth. This corrective journey began with the election of President Muhammadu Buhari. At this convention, we must take the next step toward the proper and necessary direction.

In 2015, the All Progressives Congress won the election to halt the drift in our nations governance, redirect our path, and make clear our national priorities We dedicated this party to the guiding principle that government must be for the benefit or each and every Nigerian before it is for the benefit of any single one of ns, No one is above legal rule or regulation. Likewise one is too low for justice and compassionate governance cover or protect him.

Within this context, the APC under President Muhammadu Buhari has governed with patriotic and disciplined commitment this past seven years. The Buhari government has championed needed reforms, ranging from an innovative petroleum industry law to measures that are aimed at improving power and electricity generation for all Nigerians. Government has invested heavily in building modern airports and railway network and roads. Every Naira is better managed than in prior administrations.

This greater fiscal probity was achieved despite the vast reduction in national revenue caused by the COVID and recurrent global economic downturns. The Buhari government has done more with much less than its PDP predecessors did. The successive PDP administrations did next to nothing with the plenty they had. What they did with our nations abundance is no secret. But what they did not do was even a greater embarrassment.

They left abandoned infrastructure projects all across the nation. The APC completed them. They allowed ISWAP/ Boko Haram to erect strongholds. The Buhari government has been compelled to wage great war against these threats because of the decade of neglect by the PDP.

The PDP should have uprooted this evil when it was but a seed. The APC-led government is now left to contend with the dangerous tree it has become. Yet, as surely as I can state my name, the next APC government shall uproot this evil such that, never again, shall it try to take hold in this land.

While fighting this evil with a purposeful hand, we remain mindful of the socio-economic and political inequalities that often spawn unrest and social instability. Despite economic difficulties wrought by protracted global recession, the APC-led government has progressed in diversifying the economy, improving food security through intense investment in the agricultural sector.

But the long day for national rebuilding is not over. Even greater, bolder work is needed to beat back the hard challenge swe face. Yet, my hope is high and that is hope not for myself but for you and this nation, My greatest trust and comfort reside in the innate goodness of the people of our beloved nation, Joiner in common purpose, with leadership informed by wise and correct policies, the things that we can accomplish are nothing less than historic.

We can change the very face of the nation Though this season of primaries has been abbreviated, I have talked to thousands of people across this land. Yes, there were crowds and jubilant receptions offered me. These were nice things, but they are not the most important factors to the task at hand. People approached me wanting to know if I had a plan to continue the fight against terror and violence.

They wanted to know if I cared about agriculture and the plight of the ordinary farmer. Youths asked me about jobs and their future in this world. The poor asked how and when they will be assured that they can daily place food on the table for their innocent children.

They did not ask for mage or for me to give them charming yet empty responses. Our people asked honest, serious questions and I gave then honest and serious answers I told them what we can achieve through hard work and dedication to a higher national purpose

I told them we must work harder than ever; but I also assured them that the average person shall not feel left behind, Building on the reforms of the past seven years and on the progressive ideals of our party, the coming APC-led government, under my watch, shall place the welfare of the average Nigerian above that of any elite or special interest. Our progressive government must be for the people and never for the powerful.

The powerful already have. Let us give succour and an open door to the less privileged. Let us bring forth a society built on shared prosperity, belief in justice, compassion for others and an unshakable commitment to a form of governance that treats all citizens with equal respect and due regard. Let us not just open the door to the promise of a better society. Let us brick by brick and stone by stone build a new society that begets a greater nation.

Weighty matters now rest in the balance. A fateful decision awaits you the delegates to this convention. Choose that which most wholly benefits the nation. Think big at this moment that we may accomplish great things in the next APC administration that will come on 29 May 2023.

My experience in office and the knowledge gained through hard work, tough trials and patient undertaking have prepared men for this hour. I am a man of purpose with a serious mission. My vow is to use all that I know and all of my abilities to the benefit of the nation and its people. I do not step forward because I think this nomination is my due. I step forward because I can help lead our nation to become what it ought to be.

I do not say this as a boast. Hear me out. I claim not to be special nor great. My training, experiences, acquired knowledge are what is special and uniquely suited for this moment. I am merely a conduit, a servant of a cause much larger than myself.

Now is a time for progressive vision and singular purpose. There is a general agreement that 2023 will be an encounter with destiny, when our nation shall need a certain type of leader to realise a better Nigeria.

We need to build a Nigeria where sufficient jobs for the urban population are available and lead to a good life most wholly benefits the nation. Think big at this moment that we may accomplish great things in the next APC administration that will come on 29 May 2023.

My experience in office and the knowledge gained through hard work, tough trials and patient undertaking have prepared me for this hour. I am a man of purpose with a serious mission. My vow is to use all that I know and all of my abilities to the benefit of the nation and its people. I do not step forward because I think this nomination is my due. I step forward because I can help lead our nation to become what it ought to be.

I do not say this as a boast. Hear me out. I claim not to be special or great. My training, experiences, acquired knowledge are what is special and uniquely suited for this moment. I am merely a conduit, a servant of a cause much larger than myself. Now is a time for progressive vision and singular purpose. There is a general agreement that 2023 will be an encounter with destiny, when our nation shall need a certain type of leader to realise a better Nigeria.

We need to build a Nigeria where sufficient jobs for the urban population are available and lead to a good life.

We need to encourage and support our farmers so that they can car enough to maintain their families, while feeding a growing nation We must continuously invest in the modernisation and expansion of infrastructure, including power, to enhance the quality of life of our people. Additionally, we must continue to empower the states so that grassroots economic and political development is maximised.

Though our tribe and tongue may differ, we must build a united country , premised on equity, fairness and justice. True reform and progress lie not in copying others but in identifying our own opportunities. I have done this in Lagos. I humbly ask you to allow me to use these skills and experiences to advance the nation.

I come to you with a coherent vision on how to improve our nation such that our schools, industry, agriculture and infrastructure will become the pride of all. Ours shall be a land where all Nigerians will have an equal chance and no one is excluded because of his ethnic background, religious creed, place of origin or social station. We are all Nigerians.

By this statement, Iseek your help and support to become our partys nominee and standard bearer in the coming February 2023 elections. To lead Nigerians is a sacred trust, which I do not take lightly or seek selfishly. By giving me the partys mandate, I hereby makey solemn vow to make Nigeria the best home for its citizens.

As an indivisible, united country, we shall overcome the destructive forces attempting to steal our destiny. May the triumph of our democratic journey be complete and serve as an exemplar to Africa, our race, and the rest of mankind. We were born for this moment. Let us now make the most of it.

I thank you all for listening.

May God bless you all.

May God Bless our party, the APC.

May God bless our beloved nation, the Federal Republic of

Nigeria.

*Asiwaju Bola Ahmed TINUBU
The Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru has formally declared support for ex-Lagos governor Bola Tinubu.

Mr Badaru announced this at the ongoing presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress.

He joined some of the other presidential aspirants like Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, ex-Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio and ex-Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun to step down for Mr Tinubu.

The primary is still ongoing at the Eagle Square, Abuja, at the time of this report.

A total of 23 aspirants were cleared to contest the APC presidential primary.
Eighty persons were involved in Sundays attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu said in Akure on Tuesday.

The most unfortunate part is the lives of innocent children cut down in their prime and some severely injured by the mindless attackers, he said in a state broadcast.

The total number of people involved was 80. As at now 56 are on admission, two discharged, while the death toll is 22. Efforts have been deepened to prevent further casualties.

At Owo, the anger is palpable; the tension is at an abrasive level just as the urge for reprisals is high.

Without doubt too, the ripple impact of this heinous act, as well as the understandably angry reaction across the state, could not have been different.

I promise you that we shall commit every available resource to hunt down these assailants and make them pay dearly. We shall never bow to the machinations of heartless elements in our resolve to rid our state of criminals.

In honour of those who lost their lives to this unfortunate attack, I have already directed that all flags be flown at half-mast for seven days.

This started on Monday, June 6, and will end on Sunday, June 12 because it is a collective loss to the people of our dear state he said.

The governor said the attack was an attempt to test the will of the people of the state and indeed, the Southwest geopolitical zone.

He said the attack was an invitation to precipitate anarchy because Yorubaland, and Owo in particular had never been conquered and it would never happen

He urged the people to be calm but to remain vigilant and not take the laws into their hands.

Leave the rest for government to shoulder. I have spoken to the heads of security agencies. I can assure you that security operatives have been deployed to monitor and restore normalcy to Owo kingdom.

I commiserate with my people in Owo, particularly the families of those who lost their lives to this wicked attack.

I extend my condolences to Kabiyesi, the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III as well as to the Lord Bishop of the Catholic Church, Ondo Diocese, Most Rev. Jude Arogundade, the governor added. (NAN)
A presidential aspirant, Nicholas Felix, has withdrawn from the APC presidential race and declared support for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Mr Felix announced his decision at the ongoing APC presidential primary in Abuja.

Mr Felix is a US-based Nigerian pastor of the Miracle Church International. He had, in 2019, contested the presidency on the platform of the Peoples Coalition Party (PCP) and got 110,196 votes  the third-highest number of votes secured by a political party in the poll.

Messrs Felix and Osinbajo are two of the 23 people who sought to be the presidential candidate of the APC.

Before Mr Felix spoke, at least four other aspirants had declared support for Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos governor.

Some other aspirants like ex-transportation minister Rotimi Amaechi and a pastor, Tunde Bakare, said they were not stepping down for any candidate.

The primary was still ongoing at the time of this report with some of the aspirants still giving their speeches.
Uju Ohanenye, the only female presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has withdrawn from the presidential race and declared his support for ex-Lagos governor Bola Tinubu.

Ms Ohanenye, a barrister, announced her decision during the ongoing presidential primary of the ruling party.

She is the only female aspirant out of the 23 aspirants seeking to be the flagbearer of the APC.

She thus becomes the seventh of the 23 aspirants to declare support for Mr Tinubu.

One other aspirant, Nicholas Felix, declared his support for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The APC is expected to conclude its primaries Wednesday and announce its presidential candidate for next years election.


When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place/Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from Heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting/They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them/All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them  Holy Bible (NIV), Acts of the Apostles  2:2

It was Pentecost Sunday on June 5, the day Christendom celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles as seen in Acts of the Apostles: 2:2  but in Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria, it was Black Sunday, as demons from nowhere descended on St. Francis Church, Owa-luwa Street in that historic town. It was 12 noon. The Mass for the day had just ended, but as the congregation filed out of the Church, they were confronted by a team of daredevil assailants who first detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED)  so the Police Command says, before turning their guns on the hapless, unsuspecting worshippers. In broad daylight, the House of God became a war zone and an abattoir. More than 38 persons including the aged, children, men and women were mowed down, massacred. It was a most heinous scene of mass murder. Church officials quickly shut the doors to the church, and began to work their phones as the massacre continued outside. The people were helpless. No help came. It turned out that the police unit in the town did not have operational vehicles! By the time the madness was over, the floor of the church had turned crimson red. It was a gory sight of blood, tears and sorrow. St Francis Church is less than 200 metres away from the palace of the Olowo of Owo, the towns traditional ruler. The dead and the injured were taken to the Federal Medical Centre and St. Louis Hospital, from where doctors sent out distress calls to the public, begging anyone with blood in his or her veins to rush down to donate blood, in order to save lives.

This happened a week after the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Bishop Samuel Kalu-Uche and two others were abducted in Abia State. They regained freedom only after paying a ransom of N100 million. On Saturday, June 4, at the Lugbe market in Abuja, a 30-year old member of a local vigilante group was killed for committing what was called blasphemy. The same day, gunmen invaded the home of a Catholic priest at St. Mary Immaculate Church in Aho Community, Owukpa in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State. The priest was not at home at the time of the attack, so his cook was abducted. It would be recalled also that in May, Deborah Samuel, a 200 level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education was also lynched and set ablaze for blasphemy. In the last two months alone, there have been reports of attacks on churches and abduction of priests and church-goers including Saint Patrick Catholic Church, Gidan Maikambo in the Kafur LGA of Katsina State  two reverend fathers and two boys, also at Saint Pius X Parish, Ikot Abasi Akpan in Akwa Ibom State  a catholic priest, and at Solid Rock Kingdom Church where the founder, clergyman John Okoriko was kidnapped.

Also, on March 28, over 100 persons travelling by train between Abuja and Kaduna were attacked by terrorists. Many died. Many were injured. Over 60 persons were abducted. More than 70 days later, they are still in the custody of their terrorist-abductors. In the South East, violence has become routine  in Anambra, in particular, where an emergent group that goes by the name of UNKNOWN GUNMEN has developed a signature style of attacking Local Government headquarters, police stations, and army formations, in open defiance of the rule of law. They also decapitate their victims, after killing them. The North East, the hotbed of terror and insurgency for more than 12 years remains unsafe. The North West is not safe either. Ethno-religious violence in the Middle Belt has reignited old animosities and sentiments. The South West which has been relatively safe in more contemporary times, has now been thrown into a regime of fear and confusion. Owo which had been a peaceful community, for example, has been robbed of its innocence forever. There are parts of the Northern flank of Yorubaland that are now regarded as the den of kidnappers. Fears have been expressed that there are sleeping cells of terrorists who have infiltrated every nook and cranny of Nigeria waiting to pounce and attack whenever their puppeteers give them orders them to do so. These narratives as reported have been horrifying: whole families have been wiped out, a couple visiting family friends was slaughtered, dreams have been shattered, hope has been damaged.

What is happening in Nigeria? The Pope has prayed for the victims of the Owo massacre and for Nigeria. Yesterday, the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Owo Local Government Area held a prayer session at the premises of St Francis Church, Owo and also held a protest over the evil occurrence. Owo Council CAN Chairman, Revd. Joshua Oladapo said: This is a clarion call, to not only the Nigerian leaders but the international community that these incessant attacks on, most especially the Christian body, the peaceful communities in our nation, should not continue. The point needs to be reiterated that nobody deserves to die or suffer the way Nigerians die, get killed, massacred, beheaded, displaced, assaulted, crushed, and endangered in a mindless manner that throws up a gory spectacle of mans inhumanity. Human life is the cheapest commodity in Nigeria. Listening the other day, to an interview with Methodist Prelate, Samuel Kalu-Uche and his graphic description of his encounter with his abductors and their glittering, well-sharpened blades of death and the evil in their souls, was scary enough. Nigerians are taken like lamb to slaughter in the North, the East, the South and the West, because the state has failed the people. The state stumbles and falters and the people pay the price for its inefficiency, incompetence and lack of will power to do good in the form of body bags and unending jeremiad. It is ironic that even those who visit mayhem on the land justify their actions on the grounds that they too are angry with government or politicians. There can be no justification, however, for the reign of evil that we have seen. Even the unborn is no longer guaranteed any dignity in Nigeria. In the March 28 attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train, two pregnant women were abducted along with others. One of them gave birth while in captivity. The terrorists even invited their own doctors and midwives to attend to her! Terrorists in Nigeria run medical services and have access to medical consultants. The woman and her child are still in that space. The other pregnant woman was released on compassionate grounds. Sad.

While both Christians and Muslims have suffered the pain and misfortune of being Nigerian, living inside Nigeria  that would seem to be the collective burden we all share, in other words, the thingi-fication of our citizenship, it is curious that Christians, Catholics in particular are the main targets of the hoodlums wreaking havoc on the country. The Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right to life (Section 33), right to the dignity of the human person (Section 34), the right to the freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Section 38) and the freedom of assembly and association (Section 40). In Borno, Anambra, Kaduna, Plateau, Sokoto and Owo, these rights are violated with utter impunity, and yet nothing happens until the same rights are violated again.

The pattern is poignantly familiar: some demons show up and inflict injury on our collective psyche, the Nigerian government at all levels, issues statements of condolences and commiseration, and prayers, threats are further pronounced to the effect that the perpetrators of the heinous, evil, grievous, dastardly, callous, inhuman act will be brought to justice. In fact, the government will spare no effort and leave no stone unturned, and will make sure that all resources of state are deployed to address the security challenge in the country. Everyone says more or less the same things. The vocabulary for addressing mindless killings is so limited that it now sounds like fancy semantics. After a few days, the government and the professional mourners move on with their lives. Nobody learns any lessons. Nobody makes any effort. Shortly after, another violent event occurs and we go through the same routine again, like a perpetual Mobius Strip, in a cyclical bind. If it is possible to even benefit from the misfortune, Nigerian politicians would take advantage of it.

Empathy is important. Politicians must identify with the people whose votes they believe would bring them to power. When the same people are in distress, leaders must stand up to help them. On Sunday, June 5, when the Owo massacre occurred, leaders of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Presidential aspirants on the platform of the party had been invited to a dinner with the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, ahead of the partys National Convention scheduled for June 6  9, 2022. The dinner could have been rescheduled. But it was not. It went ahead. The usual, standard argument is that the business of the state cannot be hampered by any adversity or that the Leviathan must refrain from showing fear or panic. Except that this could be an academic thing to say. The truth is that politicians tend to consider their own matters more important than the peoples interests unless they can exploit the latter to promote the former.

Nonetheless, I consider the reaction of the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu to the Owo massacre noteworthy. He left the peppersoup and jollof rice that had been prepared for the dinner with the President at the Villa and rushed back to Ondo State, upon hearing that there was tragedy back home and in fact, in his home town and local government. Some other stomach-centred leader could have stayed back and give the excuse that it was better to have dinner with the President. Akeredolu rushed home to share in the grief and lamentations of his people, and shed a tear or two. More importantly, he struck the right notes when he told the people of Ondo state not to engage in any retaliatory attacks. Religion and ethnicity are combustible issues in Nigeria. A week earlier, it had been said that those who attacked the Methodist Prelate were Fulani. The Prelate even accused the Nigerian Army of complicity, an allegation that was promptly and robustly denied. It would have been disastrous for any responsible leader to encourage an ethnic labeling of what happened in Owo. It was such divisive politics that caused Nigerias civil war of 1967 -1970. With its current fragility, and the expansion of its centrifugal joints, Nigeria is in a delicate situation. It cannot afford another blow-out because it cannot survive it and that is why Nigerian leaders must begin to wear their thinking caps.

It was certainly not strange that the Governor and the people of Owo and Ondo State received so many political visitors on Monday, June 6, yesterday. The timing was auspicious. It was the eve of the ruling partys Presidential primary in Abuja, an event that had been thrown into confusion with the party Chairmans alleged announcement of a consensus candidate who was diplomatically thrown back into the fray by the Presidency, disowning the deed, thus raising the stakes, in what would be a make or mar Presidential primary for the APC. Owo suddenly became a last minute PR space for the gladiators. Four Presidential aspirants abandoned their last minute campaigns and rushed to the town: Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and Ekiti Governor Kayode Fayemi.. Amosun and Fayemi arrived together like twins  they have been twinning for a while in the public space- but Tinubu and Osinbajo arrived separately. Out of the lot, only Tinubu reportedly dropped something  a tidy, small change of N75 million  N50 million for the victims, and N25 million for the Church. Small change, yes, and you know why. But how come nobody else donated something as Nigerians would say? Osinbajo, Amosun and Fayemi could at least have donated blood at the Federal Medical Centre and St. Louis Hospital to help save lives. Nobody from other political parties, not even the PDP, was on the guest list in Owo, at least not yet. Those who visited have since returned to Abuja for the unfolding epic battle over the election of a Presidential standard bearer for their party. The APC clearly faces an existential dilemma. Even the delegates are bewildered.

Whatever the politicians of the APC decide today is their business. Those who win or lose do not deserve our tears or plaudits. It is not an accident that the APC holds its Presidential primary against the background of more bloodshed and pain in the land: it is a sad, graphic, reminder of the agony to which Nigerians have been subjected. It is why the main subject of engagement by any presidential aspirant should be the security and welfare of the people, and their happiness. Money  no amount of naira or dollars, can buy happiness for the people of Nigeria. But good, quality, responsible and responsive leadership can. The man for the job of Nigerian President must be that person who can put an end to the reign of murder, impunity and madness and make this land, whole in pursuit of the common good.

Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson, writes from Lagos.
Politics has almost become an exclusive club of male actors, who prevent the participation of women and youths through all sorts of schemes, even in distortion of such significant mileage attained with the NotTooYoungToRun law and movement to enable a freer field of participation in politics by removing eligibility restrictions. For instance, in a number of political parties, the gate-keepers, who are largely rich, old men, have set up ridiculous entry-level requirements, such as the costs of expression of interest and nomination forms, etc.

Almost three decades after the ground-setting decisions of the Beijing Platform of Action, in which the position of women was affirmed positively and there was the determination that, being a very significant half of the world population, they deserve to be at the centre of political decision-making processes that would make the world evolve and grow in a more sustainable manner, it is quite disconcerting what the lot of women, and the youths, remains in Nigeria.

This is more so disturbing when the size of representation of women has been in the political  and even wider public space  since the advent of this fourth iteration of Nigerian democracy. Women and youths have been continually marginal actors and participants, with barely a handful of them  less than 5 per cent  ever holding positions, either in the local, subnational or national levels.

While we have hardly ever had a woman as a State governor in Nigeria, with the exception of Dame Virginia Etiaba in Anambra between 2006 and 2007, there have been very few women legislators, whether in the national or state parliaments. Even then, when there are the token slots allowed women, the gains made in the earlier years have certainly gotten eroded continually till date, as the numbers of these women have kept reducing in the political space till present.

Politics has almost become an exclusive club of male actors, who prevent the participation of women and youths through all sorts of schemes, even in distortion of such significant mileage attained with the NotTooYoungToRun law and movement to enable a freer field of participation in politics by removing eligibility restrictions. For instance, in a number of political parties, the gate-keepers, who are largely rich, old men, have set up ridiculous entry-level requirements, such as the costs of expression of interest and nomination forms, etc.

It is quite unfortunate that at this point in the Nigerian political process, the door is being shut on effective representation across diverse stakeholders, as depicted by the participation of women, in the extreme commercialisation of the political process. As seen in the cases of two of the major political parties in the country, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with the costs of nominations forms ranging from about N100 million to tens of millions of naira, the process has definitely been rigged against many, particularly women and youths.

Possibly one of the most bizarre instances of the crude attempt to delimit the political participation of women just happened with the charade exhibited by the screening committee of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which considered two female aspirants as unworthy of flying the presidential flag of the party in the oncoming 2023 elections.

The front-running aspirant, Khadija Mobolanle Okunnu-Lamidi (KOL), a highly accomplished media entrepreneur and daughter of a prominent First Republic politician, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, and another aspirant, Cesnabmihilo Dorathy Nuhu-AkenOvia, a linguist and rights activist, are both alleged to have been disqualified by the presidential screening committee of the party. While Khadija Okunnu-Lamidi had earlier been cleared to contest the primary of the party for the presidential slot, the newer allegation of being barred from the same contest is nothing short of blatant discrimination. The report of the partys screening committee claims that even though she exudes confidence, is articulate, charismatic, and has high communication skills, she is however limited by experience.

For the committee, although KOL has been cleared to aspire for public office, yet she is not considered as a presidential material. Hence, she was advised to rather vie for lesser positions, such as the chairmanship of a local government area or as a member of the state or national parliament, with the unspoken part being that such positions are those befitting of her age  being less that 40 years  and her gender. Nothing could be more patronising, indicative of a patriarchal orientation and mindset, and arrantly sexist and discriminatory. The message from the party seems quite clear that politics in Nigeria is a game for rich, old men, to the detriment of the real change-making demographics.

Even much of our national history bears contrary evidence to such stipulation as requirement for leadership. It is a known fact that most in the first generation of leadership that fought against colonial rule, for nationhood and which subsequently shaped the independence destiny of this country, as leaders, assumed their various positions while in their late 20s to early 30s. And many of them hardly had the so mislabelled notions of experience in public office besides their erstwhile preoccupations as either journalists, lawyers or military officials, but that did not prevent them from taking on the reins of leadership and excelling in it.

Even internationally, how much of public service experience could such a decisive and outstanding president as Barack Obama be said to have had (besides being a junior federal senator), before going head on into the American presidency? The fact remains that many are actually highly gifted personalities who have the audacity to take on the demands of leadership and make excellence out of it.

This then leads one to come to the painful realisation that the prominent factor at play in the situations of Khadija Mobolanle Okunnu-Lamidi (KOL), and others in similar position, has nothing to do with their personal capacities and leadership potentials but a deep-seated disdain for female  and youthful  participation at the highest level of power and decision-making in the country. The presidency seems to have been configured in this present day as a geriatric and patriarchal institution in Nigeria, which is contrary to the spirit of the demographics of female and youths, which are the most virile, dynamic and forward-looking in the country.

In like vein, Cesnabmihilo Dorathy Nuhu-AkenOvia, was equally considered by the presidential screening committee of SDP communication skills as being confident, articulate, and having a pleasant personality, but yet limited by the experience of only having run an NGO dealing with gender issues, PLWD, etc. As such, in their estimation, she does not have all it takes to be deemed a presidential candidate.

To cut to the chase of the matter, it seems that there is a lot of disinformation, if not outright misinformation, from persons and camps that seem afraid of the potentials of some of the aspirants of the SDP, such as Khadija Okunnu-Lamidi, to win the primary election of the party at its June 8 convention. As it stands, three aspirants were earlier cleared to contest in the convention, which holds tomorrow. These are two women and one male. But by a political sleight of hand (some call it sorcery), the field is being narrowed down to the male contender. As such, the real question is, in whose interest it is to target two qualified, ethical and competent candidates who so happen to be women?

Also, why is it that it is only the two female aspirants who are targeted by the political smears and lies? While the female vote is quite important to the party, why is this sort of pernicious politics being played around the female aspirants, who are set to contest the primary with integrity? These are women running with money that can stand to be accounted for, and who have chose to rise above the fray of smear campaigns and puny lies in order to champion sincere and collective change.

Fidelis Nwagwu wrote from Abuja.
On the night of May 28, 2022 when ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, the glee on his face reflected his gumption to run again for president. He has been there before. He is there one more time.

Following the melodrama of the PDP presidential primary, the reconciliation with other presidential aspirants to achieve a common goal in the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has another race to run in the interim: to pick his running mate. In the presidential system of government, two good heads are remarkably better than one. While Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has an astounding head over his shoulder as a political juggernaut, a shrewd businessman and an international figure, his race for the presidency and eventual ascension will be much more successful by choosing a vice president who ticks all the boxes that matter most.

The focus should be on the economic and financial background, resource management capability, investment-driving acumen, amiable personality, and proven success at immediate and far-sighted economic planning capacity.

WHO ATIKU ABUBAKAR SHOULD CHOOSE AS VICE PRESIDENT

Not a few agreed he should choose the best among the few good men that contested the PDP presidential primary election. Among the few good men, he is expected not to take a wrong step if he picks the best amongst them. As he did in his previous presidential race, this time, he is looking south for a running mate. Though Nigerias political and economic stakes have become higher and more precarious than before, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar understands the dynamics of having a second-in-command who grasps the nations political economy and can manoeuvre the headwinds to the nations lasting advantage.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should choose a vice-presidential candidate who will support him in tackling Nigerias socio-economic-political problems. A trusted and tested professional in politics who will ensure the revival of the economy, job creation, reduction of cost of living, improvement of Nigerians standard of living and equitable distribution of the commonwealth, amongst others.

Nigerias economy entered a recession in 2020, reversing three years of recovery due to a fall in crude oil prices on account of falling global demand and containment measures to fight the spread of COVID19, noted the African Development Bank; thus corroborating increasingly, the role of a vice president in Nigeria has taken on an additional significance beyond being a ceremonial assistant to the president. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar could attest that since the return to democratic rule in 1999, the vice presidents office can be instrumental in changing Nigerias fortunes. With the enormity of the nations challenges, Alhaji Abubakar will want to put his best foot forward.

PUTTING BEST FOOT FORWARD: HOW?

As he sets to meet the party BOT, the PDP presidential candidate should direct his attention to an individual who combines professional, political, financial, and intellectual prowess and applies it in governance with track records. The PDP and indeed its candidates focus should be on an individual who is professional in politics and not on a professional politician. His vice president should be a technocrat who places a high premium on public service and good governance; an individual with vast experience in financial strategy and planning. Indeed, one with the acumen and experience to leverage in endearing investments. It should be one who will support the president in replenishing the nations already depleted treasury through shrewd economic policies and decisions and drive the move to diversification to a productive end. The running mate will also need to have a wealth of knowledge of Nigerias usually opaque oil and gas sector, with demonstrable experience in infrastructure and power. He should be a vice-presidential candidate with hands-on experience in governance and an international connection politically and economically.

GOVERNOR UDOM GABRIEL EMMANUEL OF AKWA IBOM STATE FITS THE BILL

As a potential PDP vice-presidential candidate, Governor Emmanuel is a leader with a people-centric mindset toward wealth creation, economic and political inclusion, poverty alleviation, infrastructural consolidation and expansion, including job creation.

The person Alhaji Atiku Abubakar needs as vice-presidential candidate in the light of Nigerias current situation, especially from the economic standpoint, should be a professional in politics with a can-do spirit, one who can hit the ground running, one with demonstrable experience not only in the private sector but also in the public sector; the individual with a track record of focusing on sectors critical for economic liberation through infrastructure, agriculture, aviation, etc.

The vice-presidential candidate should have an amiable personality illustrated by his love for people and their welfare: one who caters for every need and uses his financial prowess to manage already strained resources. The vice-presidential running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should have an insightful grasp on policy issues, banking sector performance, and current trends; a respected voice in international financial institutions.

These keenly considered factors are what could land an Alhaji Atiku Abubakar/PDP in Aso Rock in 2023. The Akwa Ibom State governor fills the bill.

WHERE TO LOOK AND HOW TO DO SO

It is a cliche but an indisputable fact that one cannot give what he does not have. It is apparent that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is carefully shopping for the best PDP running mate in the South, especially the South-South. In that region, there are popular and influential individuals who can hold their own at any time. They have substantial supporters bases that can translate to electoral value if well-deployed. They have chosen to stick with the PDP during thick and thin. Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel has a solid reputation and supporters base instrumental in winning the most vibrant opposition party (PDP) the presidential ticket; it is the combination of a tested and trusted presidential candidate (Alhaji Atiku Abubakar) and his running mate (the vice-presidential candidate) that can deliver the goods in good governance and economic prosperity.

Since 1999, except for the deviation brought about by the ruling All Progressives Congress, Nigeria has always had a governor chosen to be a vice president. That has always worked well because of their experience and exposure to governance and economic realities. They know where the shoe pinches. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was the governor of Adamawa state before he was poached by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo. After his eight years, the PDP saw it fit to have a governor go at the presidency, with President Umaru YarAdua taking over the reins of power in 2007. Then-President Umaru YarAdua picked a governor from Bayelsa (in the person of Goodluck Jonathan, who later became the president in 2010) from the South-South.

Together, they continued the PDP vision for Nigeria. When Goodluck Jonathan was president of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015, he had a former Kaduna governor as his vice president. That was Namadi Sambo (the governor of Kaduna from 2007 to 2010).

These are not happenstances. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is shrewd and understands the historical path of PDP. Media reports have indicated he is looking in the right direction: having a governor in the South-South be his running mate. There are a few good men among the current crop of South-South governors. Alhaji Atiku will be wont to pick the very best of them with the economic dexterity, political homogeneity and endurability and not in the least, personal adorability. All the facts and signs point to one man who always delivers, Governor Emmanuel. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will know the door to knock on when he arrives at the right doorstep.

To illuminate Alhaji Atiku Abubakars path to picking the best PDP vice-presidential candidate: which one of the South-South governors proved to be most forward-looking? Which one of the South-South governors demonstrates visionary leadership per peoples welfare, economic prosperity and agricultural revolution? Which one is independent-minded and yet a formidable team player? Which one of the South-South governors aims high and yet stays humble? Which one of these governors speaks less and acts more?

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will not need to look far in his search for a running mate; in his search for an enduring partner to win the 2023 presidential election together. The potential vice-presidential candidate has much ambition as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and will be on the same wavelength as the former vice president. Together, they can achieve more in their unqualified attempt to make Nigeria greater. Few men are always prepared to lead a nation. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar stands out among them. So should his running mate. His choice should be of a vice-presidential candidate, a governor from the South-South with the economic and financial background, resource management capability, investment-driving acumen, amiable personality, and proven success at immediate and far-sighted economic planning capacity.

It is not immodest to conclude that Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel is the best choice of a running mate for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Francis Ekanem lives in Lagos
A delegate at the presidential primary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from Jigawa State, Isah Baba-Buji, slumped and died while taking his breakfast on Tuesday in Abuja.

The APC spokesperson in Jigawa, Bashir Kundu, confirmed the incident to reporters in Jigawa. He said the official was pronounced dead while taking his breakfast and preparing to move to the venue of the party convention.

Mr Kundu said Mr Baba-Bujis body was being prepared to be conveyed back to Jigawa State for burial rites.

Mr Baba-Buji was the APC vice chairman for Jigawa Southwest.

More details about his death will be provided later.

The APC is holding its presidential primary in Abuja to elect its presidential candidate.

Three party delegates from each of the 774 local governments across Nigeria are eligible to vote in the primary.

A total of 23 presidential aspirants are taking part in the primary. Some of them include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, ex-Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, and ex-transport minster Rotimi Amaechi.
At least seven persons have been confirmed dead in a road accident in Agbede, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.

The spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Edo State, Omozie Inegbenebor, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Benin.

Ms Inegbenebor said the crash, which occurred on Sunday at about 11 a.m., involved 14 vehicles, comprising 13 trucks and one Sienna bus.

She said 25 adults were involved in the accident which left seven people dead and others with various degree of injuries.

The crash occurred as a result of a break failure from one of the trucks which ran into other vehicles resulting in a fire outbreak, she said.

Rescue team of the FRSC Edo command have been on ground carrying out rescue operations, clearing obstructions and controlling traffic along the area.

The Sector Commander, Mr. Henry Benamaisia, while carrying out on the spot assessment of the fatal crash, sympathised with families of the victims who were present at the scene and ensured the proper transloading of the vehicles spilling fuel and arrival of water tankers to put out the remaining fire.

The sector commander advised the motorists to always make sure their brakes, tyres and wipers are in good working condition.

He further advised the motoring public to imbibe defensive driving techniques at all times and desist from driving above the prescribed speed limit, she said.

(NAN)
The Enugu State government has warned residents against the illegal felling of trees and dumping of refuse on waterways.

The government said the measure is to protect and safeguard the environment.

The Head of Ecology and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Environment, Enugu, Ifeanyi Nwodo, gave the warning while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Enugu.

He said some residents had engaged in illegal cutting of trees either as firewood or for other purposes, stressing that their action had a negative impact on the environment.

According to him, people should be environmentally friendly by engaging in activities that will make it safe for human beings to dwell.

Mr Nwodo said, If you must cut down trees, you must plant new ones as trees help to shade the atmosphere and ozone.

The head of the department also said that illegal dumping of refuse had caused the state series of flooding, warning that residents should keep their well-packaged waste in designated areas.

We have observed that when it rains, people throw their refuse inside drains which block them.

We are also appealing to those building houses in the state against improper channeling of their drain and building on unapproved areas.

The illicit activities of some scavengers have become problematic to us. Once someone packs refuse, they will open it searching for rubbish, he said.

He warned anyone caught violating the state environmental laws would be arraigned in court.

(NAN)
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has condemned an outspoken Catholic priest in the state, Emmanuel Obimma, over his reported prophecies concerning the governor.

The priest, better known as Ebube Muonso, reportedly said he had a revelation where herdsmen invaded the states Government House, with the governor running out of the building.

But in a letter addressed to the cleric, which has now gone viral, Mr Soludo said such prophecy was mischievous and asked the Catholic priest to channel his energy towards finding solutions to the insecurity in the state.

The governor wondered why the cleric chose to publicly discuss such a serious security matter on his pulpit rather than reaching out to him for appropriate action.

I dont believe these political or phantom prophecies designed to play to the gallery. Thats not my upbringing and faith as a Catholic.

You have my contact and assuming that anything was revealed to you as a threat to my life, do you really believe that the best way to communicate it is on your pulpit? Mr Soludo said.

The governor, who is a Catholic, said although the priest has monopoly of power of the pulpit, such monopoly demands responsibility on the part of the cleric to exercise caution and maturity in the use of such power.

I am convinced that the God I worship who has sent me on this mission will lead us to finish it to His glory! My life is in His hands. No man has a say regarding His (Gods) plan for my life, the governor said.

Mr Soludo added, Father, I expect you to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. We admire you, and the thousands of your followers deserve leadership and direction.

Matters of security should not be part of the drama! We expect you to encourage your supporters to report criminals and to be part of the solution. The society and the church are facing existential threats and this is not the time for theatrics with the matter of security.

Background

Like other states in the South-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State lately with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials, and facilities

Mr Soludo, recently, visited Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in detention.

The governor said the visit to the IPOB leader was part of his wider consultations with critical stakeholders to ensure lasting peace and security in the state and the South-east region.

During his inauguration as the state governor, Mr Soludo had called for a dialogue with the IPOB members and similar groups behind insecurity in the state and region.

The governor, thereafter, announced an amnesty programme for the gunmen and declared an end to the sit-at-home order in the state. But residents have continued to obey the Monday sit-at-home order in the state and across the region, mostly out of fear.

The attacks by the gunmen increased in the state shortly after Mr Soludos inauguration and announcement of an end to the sit-at-home order in the state.

The Nigerian government has accused IPOB of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks.

The separatist group is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria.

The leader of the group, Mr Kanu, is being detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for terrorism.

Mr Kanu appeared in court on May 18 in continuation of his trial. He is billed to appear in court again on June 28.
80% of lebrikizumab responders maintained improvements in skin clearance and disease severity at 52 weeks; lasting improvements in itch were also observed

Data supported both once every two week and once every four week maintenance dosing, with consistent and durable responses

BARCELONA, Spain, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Almirall S.A. (BME: ALM) today announced topline results from one-year analyses of the efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab, an investigational IL-13 inhibitor for the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). The new findings from the Phase 3 clinical trials (ADvocate 1 and 2) showed eight out of ten patients who achieved clinical response (EASI-75*) with lebrikizumab monotherapy at 16 weeks maintained skin clearance at one year of treatment with the once every two weeks or four weeks regimen. Additionally, patients treated with lebrikizumab maintained itch relief across the two trials over the one-year period. These results build upon positive data from the 16-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled part of the ADvocate program.

"We are pleased to witness how lebrikizumab has proven over a year its potential to be a leading option for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. ADvocate 1 and 2 results add to the exciting, growing body of evidence from our Phase 3 clinical trial program and demonstrate that this medicine may provide much-needed relief for those seeking new treatment options. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Lilly and advancing in our clinical program, aiming to obtain approval in the European Union," stated Karl Ziegelbauer, Ph.D., Almirall's Chief Scientific Officer.

AD, or atopic eczema, is a chronic, relapsing, heterogenous skin disease characterized by intense itching, dry skin and inflammation that can be present on any part of the body.1-2 Lebrikizumab is a novel, monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds to the interleukin-13 (IL-13) protein with high affinity to specifically prevent the formation of IL-13R1/IL-4R (Type 2 receptor) which blocks downstream signaling through the IL-13 pathway.3-7 IL-13 plays the central role in AD, promoting Type 2 inflammation that drives skin barrier dysfunction, itch, skin thickening and infection.8-10

In ADvocate 1, 79% of patients who received lebrikizumab every four weeks and 79% of patients who received lebrikizumab every two weeks maintained 75% or greater skin improvement (EASI-75) at one year of treatment. Additionally, 85% of patients who received lebrikizumab every four weeks and 77% of patients who received lebrikizumab every two weeks maintained EASI-75 response in ADvocate 2 at one year of treatment.

The frequency of adverse events and the overall safety profile among these patients treated with lebrikizumab were consistent with the induction phase of the trials as well as previous lebrikizumab studies in AD. No new safety signals were observed in this patient population.

"In these studies, patients treated with lebrikizumab maintained skin clearance and lasting relief from intense itch at one year. We look forward to providing an important new medicine and helping patients find the relief they so desperately seek from the varied and debilitating symptoms of this disease, contingent upon FDA approval," said Lotus Mallbris, M.D., Ph.D., vice president of global immunology development and medical affairs at Eli Lilly and Company.

With these data, Almirall plans to submit a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for lebrikizumab in AD in the second half of 2022. Lilly also plans to submit an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this year, followed by submissions to other regulatory agencies around the world.

These studies are part of the comprehensive clinical development program for lebrikizumab in AD evaluating more than 2,000 patients. Full one-year results from the Phase 3 monotherapy studies will be disclosed at upcoming congresses and in publications in 2022. Additional Phase 3 clinical trials are enrolling for lebrikizumab in AD.

Almirall has licensed the rights to develop and commercialize lebrikizumab for the treatment of dermatology indications, including AD, in Europe. Lilly has exclusive rights for development and commercialization of lebrikizumab in the United States and the rest of the world outside Europe.

*EASI=Eczema Area and Severity Index, EASI-75=75 percent reduction in EASI from baseline to Week 16

About ADvocate 1 and ADvocate 2 and the Phase 3 Program

ADvocate 1 and ADvocate 2 are 52-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, global, Phase 3 studies designed to evaluate lebrikizumab as monotherapy in adult and adolescent patients (aged 12 to less than 18 years of age and weighing at least 40 kg) with moderate-to-severe AD. During the 16-week treatment period, patients received lebrikizumab 500-mg initially and at two weeks, followed by lebrikizumab 250-mg or placebo every two weeks. In the maintenance period, patients with moderate-to-severe AD who achieved a clinical response after 16 weeks of lebrikizumab treatment were re-randomized to receive lebrikizumab every two weeks or every four weeks or placebo for an additional 36 weeks. Patients who required rescue treatment during the induction period or who did not achieve clinical response (lebrikizumab non-responders) at 16 weeks received lebrikizumab every two weeks for an additional 36 weeks. The primary endpoints were measured by an Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) score of clear (0) or almost clear (1) skin with a reduction of at least two points from baseline and at least 75 percent change in baseline in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75) score at 16 weeks. EASI measures extent and severity of the disease. Key secondary endpoints were measured by IGA, EASI, the Pruritus Numeric Rating Scale, Sleep-Loss due to Pruritus and the Dermatology Life Quality Index.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted lebrikizumab Fast Track designation in AD in December 2019. The lebrikizumab Phase 3 program consists of five key global studies including two monotherapy studies, a combination study (ADhere), as well as long-term extension (ADjoin) and adolescent open label (ADore) studies.

About Lebrikizumab

Lebrikizumab is a novel, investigational, monoclonal antibody designed to bind IL-13 with high affinity to specifically prevent the formation of the IL-13R1/IL-4R heterodimer complex and subsequent signaling, thereby inhibiting the biological effects of IL-13 in a targeted and efficient fashion. IL-13 is the central pathogenic mediator of AD, promoting Type 2 inflammation that drives skin barrier dysfunction, itch, skin thickening and infection.6-8

About Almirall

Almirall is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on skin health. We collaborate with scientists and healthcare professionals to address patient's needs through science to improve their lives. Our Noble Purpose is at the core of our work: "Transform the patients' world by helping them realize their hopes and dreams for a healthy life". We invest in differentiated and ground-breaking medical dermatology products to bring our innovative solutions to patients in need.

The company, founded in 1943 and headquartered in Barcelona, is publicly traded on the Spanish Stock Exchange and is a member of the IBEX35 (ticker: ALM). Throughout its 79-year history, Almirall has retained a strong focus on the needs of patients. Currently, Almirall has a direct presence in 21 countries and strategic agreements in over 70, with about 1,800 employees. Total revenues in 2021 were 836.5 million euros.

For more information, please visit almirall.com

Legal warning

This document includes only summary information and is not intended to be exhaustive. The facts, figures and opinions contained in this document, in addition to the historical ones, are "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on the information currently available and the best estimates and assumptions that the Company considers reasonable. These statements involve risks and uncertainties beyond the control of the Company. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from those declared by such forward-looking statements. The Company expressly waives any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, goals or estimates contained in this document to reflect any changes in the assumptions, events or circumstances on which such forward-looking statements are based, unless required by the applicable law.

1 Weidinger S, Novak N. Lancet. 2016;387:1109-1122.

2 Langan SM, et al. Arch Dermatol. 2008;142:1109.

3 Moyle M, et al. Exp Dermatol. 2019;28(7):756-768.

4 Ultsch M, et al. J Mol Biol. 2013;425(8):1330-1339.

5 Zhu R, et al. Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2017;46:88-98.

6 Simpson EL, et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018;78(5):863-871.e11.

7 Okragly A, et al. Comparison of the Affinity and in vitro Activity of Lebrikizumab, Tralokinumab, and Cendakimab. Presented at the Inflammatory Skin Disease Summit, New York, November 3-6, 2021.

8 Tsoi L, et al. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2019;139(7):1480-1489.

9 Ratnarajah K, et al. Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. 2021;25(3):315-328.

10 Bieber T. Allergy. 2020;75(1):54-62.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1217694/Almirall_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Almirall, S.A.
HYDERABAD, India, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyient, a leading consulting-led, industry-centric, global Technology Solutions company, today announced that it had signed definitive agreements to acquire Celfinet. An international Wireless Engineering Services company, Celfinet, is focused on providing end-to-end Network Planning and Performance Optimization services. Cyient will acquire the Portugal-based company for EURO 41 Million.

The reach and performance of ongoing 5G deployment and early steps towards 6G are developing to a point where they provide flawless infrastructure for pervasive and unified connectivity. With this acquisition, Cyient strengthens its Wireless Engineering practice to support Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and Enterprises in deploying their pervasive connectivity networks at scale. This will also enable Enterprises to build networks to harness the power of 5G and drive their own Digital Transformation journey. The addition will further strengthen Cyient's presence in Europe, where Celfinet has a strong footprint, and help scale Cyient's business across North America and Australia.

Commenting on the acquisition, Krishna Bodanapu, Managing Director and CEO, Cyient, said, "Cyient is helping CSPs engineer the networks of tomorrow by delivering solutions across Intelligent Infrastructure, Smart Operations, and Enterprise Network Transformation. Celfinet's deep expertise and long-standing customer relationships will further add to our capabilities as we strengthen our technology play in wireless networks for 5G rollouts. In addition, Portugal has a highly skilled engineering workforce, making it a strategic innovation hub for expanding our global delivery footprint."

Nuno Ribeiro and Jose Mata, Founder and Co-CEOs, Celfinet, declared, "We are very excited about this new journey we are starting with Cyient. Despite many approaches over the years, it was critical to wait for the right fit in a company to take over the business and unleash our potential. Cyient presented not only shared values but also an ambitious and innovative vision for the future, with Celfinet acting as the cornerstone investment to drive Cyient's Wireless Engineering forward."

About Cyient

Cyient (Estd: 1991, NSE: CYIENT) is a leading consulting-led, industry-centric, global Technology Solutions company. We enable our customers to apply technology imaginatively across their value chain to solve problems that matter. We are committed to designing tomorrow together with our stakeholders and being a culturally inclusive, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable organization.

For more information, please visit www.cyient.com



Follow news about the company at @Cyient

About Celfinet

Headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, Celfinet has successfully built an international business combining outstanding wireless engineering expertise and best in class network management solutions portfolio to improve network quality and wiresless customer experience whilst at the same time reducing capex and opex.

For more information, please visit www.celfinet.com

Rishiraj Barik I Soumya P Cyient Press Office  Genesis BCW +91 9739196200 I +91 8368543945 [email protected] I [email protected] Kiran Rajani Cyient PR Team +91 9884139184 [email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/289359/cyient_logo.jpg

SOURCE Cyient
OEMs, suppliers and thought leaders convene to talk about opportunities and the future of aerospace.

ROCHESTER, Mich., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sept. 78, 2022, Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan (AIAM) will hold its AeroOne Conference, dubbed Rise Higher: A Summit of Aerospace OEMs, Suppliers and Thought Leaders. Early registration is strongly encouraged.

Industry professionals from leading global aircraft manufacturers and large Tier 1 companies will gather at JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids to discuss the supply chain outlook from the OEM's and Tier 1's perspective and where the industry is headed in key areas such as next generation Aero Engines, Advanced Air Mobility and Zero Carbon Emissions. The summit is part of AIAM's ongoing work to convene the industry for in-depth discussions on critical needs in the supply chain, aerospace design, technology, and manufacturing.

"This is a remarkable opportunity for industry thought leaders and representatives to connect and share insights," said AIAM President, Tony Vernaci. "There is no better place to hold this conference than Michigan in the heart of nearly 1,000 companies serving the industry. The aerospace industry's 20-year forecast is unprecedented and on pace for a return to pre-COVID production levels. AeroOne capitalizes on that momentum by bringing together experts from a wide array of related sectors, including finance, supply chain, environmental sustainability, human capital, and more."

The summit will include a keynote address by Samantha Marnick, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Spirit AeroSystems, one of the world's largest manufacturers of aerostructures for commercial airplanes, defense platforms, and business/regional jets. Representative panelists and speakers include:

AeroDynamic Advisory

AeroMed Group

Airbus Americas

Boeing

Eaton Aerospace Group

GE Aviation

Liebherr-Aerospace Saline

Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

RCO Engineering

Woodward

And more!

The conference will also feature showcase exhibitors, a networking breakfast and lunch each day, and a premier cocktail reception.

AeroOne offers a unique showcase opportunity for business leaders to present their company's name, brand, product, and technology to a diverse industry audience. Display tables will provide companies with an outstanding platform to meet face-to-face with key figures in the global aerospace industry. The tables will be centrally located for every delegate to view throughout the entire two-day conference. Limited showcase table space is still available.

"Michigan has been home to the aerospace industry for over 75 years," noted Vernaci. "There is enormous opportunity to expand our presence in the industry even further. AeroOne will help to shine a brighter spotlight on our state's growing position as a national and global leader in aerospace."

To learn more about the summit or to register, visit www.aerooneshow.com.

About AIAM: The Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan (AIAM) is a non-profit, member driven industry organization. It is a platform for aerospace leaders in the state to work together on a common set of priorities to strengthen and support the continued growth in the industry through talent attraction and new investment in Michigan.

Contact: Chelsea Yi

734.652.3329

[email protected]

SOURCE Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan
ULP Strike Could Impact Telecommunications Systems for Trans-Alaska Pipeline and U.S. Department of Defense Operations

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T Alascom workers who build, maintain and service AT&T telecommunications infrastructure in Alaska walked off the job on an unfair labor practice (ULP) strike late yesterday to protest AT&T's violations of federal labor laws that protect workers' rights. The workers, who are members of Teamsters Local 959, are objecting to unilateral changes to working conditions AT&T made without bargaining with their union.

In Alaska, AT&T [NYSE: T] owns and operates the Alascom telecommunications infrastructure which supports the operations of the Alyeska Pipeline, numerous critical national security and defense systems, facilities and installations, and many communities throughout the state including Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau.

"Our members' contract with AT&T has expired and the company has not yet agreed to a contract that provides a fair return on their work," said Eileen Whitmer, President of Local 959. "When working under an expired contract, federal law requires that the company bargain with workers' representatives before changing working conditions. AT&T is making unilateral changes to working conditions and our members have the right to engage in concerted protected activity to protest AT&T's unlawful conduct."

"Workers decided to confront management over their unlawful changes but were not satisfied that they were being taken seriously," said Local 959 Business Agent David Nichols. "They walked off the job as a wake-up call to demand that AT&T stop violating federal labor laws."

Local 959 represents 175 members in Alaska who build, maintain and monitor Alaska's telecommunications infrastructure. They frequently risk their lives in extreme weather conditions to repair equipment and keep phone and internet services up and running throughout the state, including dangerous work that can only be performed via helicopter transport.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Kara Deniz, (202) 497-6610

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
CHICAGO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ARCH Venture Partners today announced several key promotions and the appointment of Olivia Zetter as Strategic Advisor and Venture Partner.

Key promotions include:

Ari Nowacek , M.D., Ph.D., to Partner

, M.D., Ph.D., to Partner Sean Kendall to Partner, Europe

to Partner, Corey Ritter to Principal

to Principal Nilay Thakar , Ph.D., to Principal

"We're delighted to have Ari, Sean, Corey and Nilay expand their roles on our investment team working with both life sciences and physical sciences companies," said ARCH Co-founder and Managing Director Keith Crandell. "Each of them started with ARCH at the Associate or Analyst level and have earned their way onto this team through solid and insightful work and by applying their broad skill sets. They have all been engaged in creating new companies and supporting the development of established portfolio firms. We're fortunate to have talent of this caliber in our firm and it is a privilege to work with them."

Dr. Ari Nowacek, Partner, joined as an Analyst in 2015. Dr. Nowacek is a co-founder of HiberCell, Walden Biosciences, and ROME Therapeutics, and was instrumental in the development of Ultivue and Arbor Biotechnologies. Dr. Nowacek is a physician-scientist by training with over 25 peer-reviewed publications and greater than 400 citations in the areas of oncology, neuroscience, virology, and antiretroviral therapeutic development. His research has led to seven issued patents for therapeutic and R&D applications.

Dr. Nowacek holds a B.S. in Biology and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Indiana-Bloomington where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He also holds an M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and an M.B.A. from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He subsequently completed a medical residency in pathology and post-doctoral research at The University of Chicago and Massachusetts General Hospital. He serves as a board member for HiberCell and Walden Biosciences, and as a board observer for Arbor Biotechnologies, ROME Therapeutics, and Ultivue.

Sean Kendall, Partner (Europe), joined as an Analyst in 2015. He is a co-founder of Vizgen and Scale Biosciences, contributed to the formation of and funding of AIRNA, and led ARCH's investment in Lightcast Discovery. Kendall drove business development efforts for other ARCH portfolio companies, including Twist Bioscience, Encodia, Singleron Biotechnologies, Oxford Nanoimaging, and Ultivue.

Kendall holds a B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, and an M.B.A. on the Dean's Honor List from The University of Chicago. He serves as a board member at AIRNA and Encodia, and as a board observer for Vizgen and others.

Corey Ritter, Principal, joined as an Associate in 2018. Ritter is a co-founder of Vizgen, Scale Biosciences, and others in development, and led investments in Slingshot Biosciences, Quantum Circuits, and Singleron Biotechnologies. He also supports business development efforts at DA32 Life Science Tech Acquisition Corp.

Ritter holds a B.A. in Astrophysics from Princeton University and completed his M.B.A. at The University of Chicago. He is a board member at Slingshot Biosciences and a board observer at Vizgen, Scale Biosciences, and Quantum Circuits.

Dr. Nilay Thakar, Principal, joined as an Associate in 2018. Dr. Thakar is a co-founder of Skylark Bio and serves as its Head of Business Development, and supported ARCH's investment efforts in Ally Therapeutics and One BioMed. He has authored eight peer-reviewed publications with greater than 250 citations in the areas of neuroscience, stem cell biology, intracellular signaling, and epigenetics.

Dr. Thakar holds a B.S. in Biochemistry with high-distinction honors and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of Queensland in Australia. He also completed his M.B.A. at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He serves as a board member of AgBiome and as a board observer at Skylark Bio, Arbor Biotechnologies, and One BioMed.

ARCH also announced that security expert Olivia Zetter was appointed Strategic Advisor and Venture Partner.

Zetter brings broad experience in national security and emerging technology issues that bridge public and private sectors. She most recently served as Head of Government Affairs and AI Strategy at National Resilience, a first-of-its-kind manufacturing and technology company dedicated to broadening access to complex medicines and protecting biopharmaceutical supply chains against disruption.

She previously held multiple positions in government, including Director for Research and Analysis at the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, Foreign Affairs Officer at the Department of State's Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues, and Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the United States Department of Defense.

Zetter holds a B.A. in International Relations from American University, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

"Olivia brings to ARCH a deep understanding of artificial intelligence and cyber security, both issues of critical importance to the development of the national and global biotechnology industries. Her experience and counsel will greatly enhance the ability of our portfolio companies to expand and operate optimally around the world," said ARCH Co-founder and Managing Director Robert Nelsen.

About ARCH Venture Partners

ARCH Venture Partners invests in advanced technology companies and is one of the largest early-stage technology venture firms in the United States. The firm is a recognized leader in commercializing technologies developed at academic institutions, corporate research groups and national laboratories. ARCH invests primarily in companies it co-founds with leading scientists and entrepreneurs, bringing innovations in life sciences and physical sciences to market.

For more information, visit www.archventure.com.

Contact:

Morgan Warners

Finsbury Glover Hering

[email protected]

SOURCE ARCH Venture Partners
Mr. Argleben brings over 29 years of banking experience to BCT. Most recently, he served 18 years with Access National Bank (acquired by Atlantic Union Bank) providing commercial lending services to small and early-growth businesses. Mr. Argleben began his career in banking in Espanola, New Mexico at Valley National Bank.

"Ted is a great fit for BCT," stated Alice P. Frazier, President and CEO of BCT. "His passion for helping businesses launch and grow will broaden our commercial lending relationships in Northern Virginia, where we are committed to providing unique and personalized experiences for our customers."

Mr. Argleben earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Finance from California State University, Fullerton.

Community service is important to Mr. Argleben. He previously served on the Board of Directors for Western Fairfax Christian Ministries and also served on the Advisory Board for St. Luke Preschool. In addition, he served as Treasurer for Ebenezer United Methodist Church and taught Sunday School for many years at McLean Bible Church. He looks forward to serving the local communities near BCT.

Born in California and raised in Alaska and Colorado, Mr. Argleben is an avid outdoorsman. He is an explorer at heart and enjoys backpacking, fishing, and elk hunting. He lives in Loudoun County, Virginia with his wife of 31 years, Mary, whom he met while in college. They have two adult sons.

The BCT Lending office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

About BCT-The Community's Bank

Founded in 1871, BCT - Bank of Charles Town, also known as The Community's Bank, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Potomac Bancshares, Inc. (OTC:PTBS). With approximately $719 million in assets as of March 31, 2021, the Company conducts operations through its main office, an additional eight branch offices, and two loan production offices. BCT's offices are located in Jefferson and Berkeley Counties (WV), Washington County (MD), and Loudoun and Stafford Counties (VA). The Bank provides various banking products and services including free access to over 55,000 ATMs through the Allpoint network plus online and mobile banking for individuals, businesses, and local governments. The Bank also offers commercial lines and term loans, residential and commercial construction, commercial real estate loans and agricultural loans. The Residential Lending division offers secondary market and portfolio mortgage loans, one-time close construction to perm loans, as well as home equity loans and lines of credit. For over 65 years, BCT Wealth Advisors has provided financial management, investment, trust, and estate services to its clients. In 2019, 2020, and 2021 the Bank was named a "Best Bank To Work For" by American Banker. In 2018, Forbes named BCT a "Best In State Bank" for Maryland.

The Company's shares are quoted on the OTC Pink Sheet marketplace under the symbol "PTBS." For more information about Potomac Bancshares, Inc., and the Bank, please visit our website at www.mybct.bank.

SOURCE BCT - The Community's Bank
EVANSTON, Ill., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- bloXroute, the company created the fastest DeFi trading tools, blockchain distribution network (BDN) that helps DeFi traders on Ethereum, Solana, BSC, and Polygon, will attend Consensus 2022, the world's largest cryptocurrency event of the year.

The event will be held from June 9-12 and bloXroute would enjoy getting a chance to meet with DeFi traders, miners, validators, DeFI projects and solution providers.

If you want to learn more about how bloXroute can help take your DeFi trading to the next level, we would love to speak with you! And if you're a miner or validator , we want to talk to you too. Please stop by and say hello during Consensus. You can find us at Booth #412.

Alternatively, you can schedule some one-on-one time at the conference in advance by clicking here .

Discover the Future of DeFi with bloXroute

Competitive DeFi traders have turned to bloXroute to upgrade their trading infrastructure for speed and performance. The company's Blockchain Distribution Network gives traders and developers unmatched speed in mempool data, as well as both block and transaction propagation.

See Faster  Act Faster is what bloXroute is all about. DeFi traders use bloXroute to receive market data faster than others for 7-40% more trading opportunities. bloXroute users also act faster to trigger transactions with up to 2 seconds faster transaction and block propagation time.

One of the great things about bloXroute's offerings is that all DeFi High-Frequency and Algo traders can benefit. As long as you're trading on Ethereum, Solana, BSC, or Polygon at any scale, with or without a node, and from single or multiple regions, you can up your trading performance by using bloXroute's BDN plans.

The company offers a variety of plans that are tailored to meet the needs of each individual trader and/or trading firm. If you would like to learn more about these plans, please send an email to [email protected] . You can also visit https://www.bloxroute.com/pages/traders .

About Consensus 2022

Consensus 2022 will be held in Austin, Texas, for the first time in the event's seven-year history. Annually recognized as the world's most influential conference for the crypto, web3, and blockchain industry, Consensus 2022 will bring together thousands of guests from around the world to participate in panels, discussions, keynote addresses, and valuable networking opportunities.

Staying Connected to bloXroute

Website: https://www.bloxroute.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bloXrouteLabs

Medium: https://medium.com/bloxroute

Media Contact:

bloXroute

1) Curtis Plot Chief Business Officer [email protected]

2) Peter Kubantsev Senior Marketing Manager peter.[email protected] +1 773 580 7008

SOURCE bloXroute Labs
BreachQuest Wins Infosec Startup of the Year and Next Gen Security Team of the Year in 10th Annual Global InfoSec Awards at #RSAC 2022

DALLAS, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BreachQuest, the company revolutionizing incident response, is proud to announce that it was named Infosec Startup of the Year and Next Gen Security Team of the year by the Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM).

"We are very excited to receive these prestigious awards from Cyber Defense Magazine," said Shaun Gordon, CEO of BreachQuest. "We knew the competition would be tough and with top judges who are leading infosec experts from around the globe, we couldn't be more pleased."

"BreachQuest embodies three major features we judges look for to become winners: understanding tomorrow's threats, today, providing a cost-effective solution and innovating in unexpected ways that can help mitigate cyber risk and get one step ahead of the next breach," said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

BreachQuest was launched in 2021, with seed funding from Slow Ventures, Tinder Founders Sean Rad and Justin Mateen and Lookout Founder Kevin Mahaffey, to reimagine the incident response process and deliver, Priori, the first modern incident response platform. BreachQuest helps organizations exponentially improve on the industry standards of an average breach requiring 75 days to contain and costing an average of $4.24M. Compared to the current labor-intensive approach, Priori delivers speed and scale along with automation to incident response teams. Priori force multiplies the impact of every single responder.

BreachQuest is excited to be a member on this coveted group of winners, located here: http://www.cyberdefenseawards.com

About BreachQuest

BreachQuest is reimagining incident response with an elite team of cybersecurity veterans, including former NSA, DoD and US Cyber Command operators that have serviced more than 40 percent of the Fortune 100. BreachQuest was founded in response to the growing threat of ransomware, offering organizations the ability to minimize the cost and downtime associated with breaches through a re-engineered approach to incident response and recovery. Built around the proprietary PRIORI Platform, BreachQuest improves organization's security posture with automated end-to-end readiness and response capabilities which enhances cyber resilience and reduces attacker dwell time. To learn more about BreachQuest, visit: https://breachquest.com/.

About CDM InfoSec Awards

This is Cyber Defense Magazines tenth year of honoring InfoSec innovators from around the Globe. Our submission requirements are for any startup, early stage, later stage, or public companies in the INFORMATION SECURITY (INFOSEC) space who believe they have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. Learn more at www.cyberdefenseawards.com

About the Judging

The judges are CISSP, FMDHS, CEH, certified security professionals who voted based on their independent review of the company submitted materials on the website of each submission including but not limited to data sheets, white papers, product literature and other market variables. CDM has a flexible philosophy to find more innovative players with new and unique technologies, than the one with the most customers or money in the bank. CDM is always asking Whats Next? so we are looking for best of breed, next generation InfoSec solutions.

About Cyber Defense Magazine

Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of cyber security news and information for InfoSec professions in business and government. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products, and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power.

Media Contact

Nathaniel Hawthorne for BreachQuest

Lumina Communications

(661) 965-0407

[email protected]

SOURCE BreachQuest
Boasting multiple award-winning recipes, Berczy is now being produced in Utica NY, using premium, four-times distilled vodka and real fruit, an effort that will aid in building out the premium end of the RTD market. To support the community on a local level, 1% of Berczy sales made in the state of New Jersey will be donated to the brand's local charity partner, Reclam the Bay, an effort that supports education and environmental protection along the Jersey shore. Also dedicated to reducing their carbon footprint, the brand has elected to offset all carbon emissions from their production to further solidify their sustainability credentials.

Of the New Jersey expansion, brand co-founder Nick Graham shares, "We have been working on our US venture for over 12 months now, taking on qualified and high profile investors to supercharge our launch." Graham continues, stating, "We are aware of the huge growth potential and opportunity for a premium, spirits based hard seltzer to succeed in the US. Thanks to our award-winning flavors and compelling marketing proposition, we are confident Berczy will stand apart from the competition within this growing category."

In terms of marketing support, the launch strategy includes a large-scale out of home campaign, inclusive of billboards throughout the state of New Jersey, guerilla marketing in key territories, and a digital campaign aptly dubbed, "The British are Coming." Berczy co-founder Nick Johnson shares, "If you look across the beer market, European alternatives are commonplace, but we are yet to see this same transition in the comparatively new hard seltzer category. We are really excited to bring our award-winning recipe with a brand full of British charm to the great state of New Jersey."

Aiming to leverage the growing demand of ready to drink, spirit based products with a premium vodka base, real fruit combinations and a distinctly British philosophy, Berczy is available for sale throughout New Jersey, rolling out in Shoprite locations and state-wide Bottle King locations as of May 24th, with additional retailers joining this summer. Cans of Berczy are available for purchase in single flavor 4-packs for $10.99 MSRP and 6-pack variety packs at $15.99.

[NOTE TO EDITORS]

- The brainchild of two friends, Nick Graham and Nick Johnson, the idea for Berczy was inspired by Toronto's Berczy Park. During the summer of 2019, the duo noticed the prominence of hard seltzer sipping and vowed to introduce their own brand.

- Nick Graham has a background in start-ups and retail, having been an early joiner in establishing HelloFresh's UK supply chain operation, and recently working as a Retail Strategy Consultant at Capgemini. Nick Johnson has over 7 years of international experience in environmental engineering and sales. The founders have since teamed up with industry veteran and former Carlsberg CEO Mike Mitaro, who is providing advisory support to Graham and Johnson.

- Berczy was backed by Virgin Start Ups in June 2020, enabling the brand to access the capital required for marketing and production activities, further cementing its place as one of the UK's most prominent hard seltzers, having featured on BBC's Dragons' Den and having won two Spirits Business Masters medals and a Great Taste star.

- All Berczy products are 100% natural and are flavored using real fruit. As with the UK, Berczy has produced 3 core flavors for the US: Lemon & Lime, Peach & Raspberry, and Passionfruit & Turmeric in 12 fl oz. cans.

For more information on Berczy visit berczydrinks.com

ABOUT BERCZY:

The brainchild of two friends, Nick Graham and Nick Johnson, the idea for Berczy was sparked inside Toronto's Berczy Park after the duo noticed the prominence of hard seltzer sipping during the summer of 2019. This British-born hard seltzer is crafted with real fruit and premium distilled spirit, delivering an uplifting, bubbly taste with every sip. Garnering award wins for its refreshing flavors, the brand is dedicated to a sustainable business model in an effort to provide a positive hard seltzer alternative that benefits both the environment and consumers alike. With a keen eye on global distribution, Berczy is available now in New Jersey, United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and the Netherlands, with new expansions forecasted for the year ahead.

For more information visit berczydrinks.com

MEDIA CONTACT: Georgie Barter, [email protected]

SOURCE Berczy
ST. LOUIS, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadview Group Holdings, LLC ("Broadview"), a leader in direct middle-market investing, is excited to announce the addition of Heath Hunter to the investment team as a principal.

Prior to Broadview Group, Heath was Vice President of Corporate Development at Dot Family Holdings, where he focused on control buyouts of middle-market distribution companies. From 2015 - 2022, as the first hire into Dot Family Holdings, Heath helped the Tracy Family grow their family office to $2.2 billion in revenues and over $200 million in EBITDA. During this time, Heath led five different platforms and numerous complementary acquisitions for Dot Family Holdings. Prior to Dot Family Holdings, Heath was a Vice President at Prospect Partners, a Chicago-based lower middle market private equity firm, where he identified and executed both platform and add-on acquisitions and provided board leadership and strategic guidance to numerous lower-middle-market companies. Prior to Prospect Partners, Heath was a management consultant with PwC in its Chicago office.

"We are extremely pleased to have Heath join Broadview at a pivotal point in the firm's evolution. His addition is an important step in the continued development of Broadview's direct middle-market investing effort. Heath's successful track record in our core investment verticals and existing relationships in the industry will contribute meaningfully to sourcing and executing new investment opportunities," said Clay Hunter, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Broadview. "With the addition of Heath, we are well positioned to execute on our investment strategy in partnering with successful, growth-oriented business owners to build meaningful and sustainable long-term value."

ABOUT BROADVIEW GROUP HOLDINGS, LLC

Broadview Group Holdings, LLC invests in and partners with successful business owners and growth-oriented leadership teams to help scale and create significant and sustainable value in commercial and industrial products, specialty distribution, commercial and industrial services, and food and agriculture businesses. Broadview's permanent capital base and long-term perspective ensure true alignment with its partners and portfolio companies. Broadview Group's principals have decades of experience leading and scaling businesses and providing strategic insight and other expertise as executives, lead investors and board members in a variety of businesses and industries. For more information, please visit www.broadviewgroup.com.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Broadview Group Holdings
DARIEN, Conn., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As Migraine and Headache Awareness Month kicks off, CEFALY Technology is celebrating its 8th anniversary in the United States and a major milestone: 2 billion migraines treated with the CEFALY migraine treatment device.

CEFALY helps people with migraine relieve their pain and prevent attacks with clinically proven, drug-free treatment. An external trigeminal nerve stimulation (e-TNS) device, CEFALY delivers mild electric stimulation to reduce pain signals of the trigeminal nerve, a primary pathway for migraine pain.

At least 39 million Americans live with migraine, which is a complex, debilitating and often misunderstood neurological disorder. This June, CEFALY Technology joins many other migraine activists in advocating for treatment access. We are proud to offer an accessible option that enables migraine sufferers to control their own treatment and regain power over their lives.

Key CEFALY highlights:

The first CEFALY device was introduced in Belgium in 2008.

was introduced in in 2008. In 2014, CEFALY became the first FDA-cleared migraine treatment device for the prevention of migraines.

In 2017, CEFALY became FDA-cleared for the acute treatment of migraines .

. Since 2020, CEFALY has been the only FDA-cleared migraine treatment device used for the treatment and prevention of migraine that is available without a prescription.

"The approval and availability of CEFALY's eTNS technology has completely changed the landscape of what's possible for treating migraine," said Dr. Michael A. L. Johnson, M.D., Director of Medical Affairs for CEFALY Technology. "CEFALY meets a longstanding need for effective, drug-free migraine treatment that is individualized and user-controlled."

"I'm honored and humbled to know that CEFALY has played such an important role in relieving 2 billion migraine attacks  and counting," said Jen Trainor McDermott, CEO of CEFALY Technology. "We'll continue to educate the public about the burden of migraine and empower people to take charge of their treatment routine."

About the CEFALY device:

CEFALY Technology is the maker of CEFALY, an FDA-cleared, over-the-counter wearable medical device clinically proven to help reduce migraine frequency and relieve migraine pain. CEFALY is a non-invasive device placed on the forehead to modify pain sensation in the area research identifies as a center for migraine pain, the trigeminal nerve. The device offers two distinct treatment options - a 60-minute ACUTE setting that serves as an abortive treatment for pain relief at the onset of a migraine, which is clinically proven to stop or reduce migraine pain during an attack; and a 20-minute PREVENT setting for daily use to help prevent future episodes.

About CEFALY Technology:

CEFALY Technology is a Belgium based company with U.S. offices based in Darien, Conn., specializing in electronics for medical applications. CEFALY Technology's mission is to provide the migraine community with forward-thinking treatments that are drug-free and clinically proven to relieve and prevent future attacks.

Learn more about CEFALY by visiting www.CEFALY.com and following us on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn and Instagram .

Media Contact:

Jen Trainor-McDermott

CEO

[email protected]

Mobile: 516-456-4110

Office: 475-207-5336

SOURCE CEFALY Technology
The two aircraft delivered will accelerate CMA CGM AIR CARGO's development.

CMA CGM orders two additional Boeing 777 Freighters, with the aim to have 12 aircraft by 2026.

As an international air cargo company, CMA CGM AIR CARGO offers complete and agile solutions to the Group's customers.

MARSEILLE, France, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The CMA CGM Group, a global leader in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, announce today the delivery of its two first Boeing 777 Freighters and the purchase of two more.

Four Boeing 777 Freighter will join the CMA CGM AIR CARGO fleet

At a ceremony signing held in Everett, WA, CMA CGM AIR CARGO took delivery of its second Boeing 777 Freighter, after the reception of its first Boeing 777 Freighter on May 31st. These planes both come from the order CMA CGM AIR CARGO placed in Spring 2021. The purchase of two Boeing 777 Freighters was the first direct order since the CMA CGM Group announced the launch of its dedicated air cargo transportation division in February 2021.

CMA CGM AIR CARGO also officially disclosed an order for two additional Boeing 777 Freighters. When delivered, the new planes will complete a fleet of at least 12 Boeing and Airbus aircraft by 2026. This additional order means that the CMA CGM Group will have a total of four Boeing 777 Freighters in its fleet.

A cost-effective investment

The Boeing 777 Freighter will provide CMA CGM AIR CARGO the flexibility to deploy the aircraft across its growing air freight network in Europe, North America and Asia, as the Group pursues its commitment to offer its customers a complete range of transportation and logistics solutions.

As the world's largest, longest range, and most capable twin-engine freighter, the aircraft can carry a maximum payload of 107 tons. With a range of 9,200 kilometers, this plane will allow CMA CGM AIR CARGO to grow its air freight service by offering more international destinations and choice.

The 777 Freighter is Boeing's top-selling freighter of all time. Customers from around the world have ordered more than 300 since the program began in 2005. The market leader in air cargo aircraft, Boeing provides more than 90% of the worldwide dedicated freighter capacity, including new production and converted aircraft.

CMA CGM AIR CARGO provides end-to-end solutions for CMA CGM customers

Launched in March 2021, CMA CGM AIR CARGO is the Group's new division dedicated to air freight. It represents another step forward in the CMA CGM strategic direction set by Rodolphe Saade, CMA CGM Chairman and CEO, of providing the Group's customers with an offering that harnesses the tight fit between shipping and logistics.

CMA CGM AIR CARGO fleet currently consists of 4 aircraft. By 2026, CMA CGM AIR CARGO fleet will go up to 12, including the 4 B777 Freighters.

Olivier Casanova, CEO of CMA CGM AIR CARGO stated: "The reception of our first two Boeing 777 Freighters, and this new order of two additional aircraft represents a milestone in our fleet expansion. With four Boeing 777 Freighters by 2024, complementing our existing fleet of 4 aircraft, CMA CGM Air Cargo will enlarge its network, linking Europe, Asia and America and provide a tailor-made range of transportation and logistics solutions to our clients, thanks to a modern, technically and environmentally efficient fleet".

Ricardo Cavero, Vice President Europe, Israel & Turkey Sales & Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes said: "We are delighted that CMA CGM AIR CARGO has placed an incremental order for two new Boeing 777 Freighters. With the delivery of its first two freighters, CMA CGM AIR CARGO will deliver on its promise to its customers to provide end-to-end logistics solutions. The Boeing 777 Freighter unrivalled operating efficiency will allow CMA CGM to operate the airplane across an extensive, global air freight network."

About CMA CGM

Led by Rodolphe Saade, the CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, serves more than 420 ports around the world across 5 continents, with a fleet of 580 vessels. The Group transported 22 million TEU containers (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2021. With its subsidiary CEVA Logistics, a global logistics player which transported 474,000 tons of air cargo and more than 21 million tons of inland freight, and its air cargo division CMA CGM AIR CARGO, the CMA CGM Group is constantly innovating to provide customers a comprehensive and increasingly efficient offering, thanks to new shipping, inland, air freight and logistics solutions.



Firmly committed to the energy transition in shipping and a pioneer in its use of alternative fuels, the CMA CGM Group has set a Net Zero-Carbon target for 2050.

Each year, via the CMA CGM Foundation, the Group supports thousands of children as part of its efforts to promote education for all and equal opportunities. The CMA CGM Foundation also intervenes in humanitarian crises requiring an emergency response by calling on the Group's shipping and logistics expertise to deliver humanitarian supplies around the world.

Present in 160 countries through its network of more than 400 offices and 750 warehouses, the Group employs 150,000 people worldwide, including 2,900 in Marseille where its head office is located.

cmacgm-group.com

SOURCE CMA CGM
Vote the WHITE Proxy Card Today for the Independent Slate

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eileen Drake (the CEO of Aerojet Rocketdyne (NYSE: AJRD)) and Gen. Kevin Chilton (Ret.), Thomas Corcoran and Gen. Lance Lord (Ret.) (three of its Independent Directors) (collectively, the "Non-Steel Directors") issued the following open letter to the shareholders of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. ("Aerojet Rocketdyne" or the "Company"):

Fellow Shareholders,

Aerojet Rocketdyne's shareholders are facing an important decision at the Special Meeting on June 30th.

During her tenure, Eileen Drake (Aerojet Rocketdyne's CEO) has led the Company to strong shareholder returns. The Company improved its competitive position, explored value-enhancing alternatives, gained key customer wins and is now positioned to deliver substantial future value to Aerojet Rocketdyne shareholders. Since she was appointed permanent CEO, the Company has delivered 183% TSR, outperforming the S&P 500 and peers by 57% and 53%, respectively.

On the other hand, Warren Lichtenstein (Aerojet Rocketdyne's Executive Chairman) has endeavored to undermine the Company's management and forward momentum. He has been paid millions as Executive Chair, while rarely visiting the Company's office. Mr. Lichtenstein has been publicly sanctioned by the Board for his actions, following an investigation by an independent national law firm. He launched a proxy fight with his hedge fund (Steel Partners) to replace the Company's directors with friends and two nominees who have provided consulting services to Steel Partners and affiliates (one of whom Lichtenstein announced will be appointed as CEO, if Steel Partners takes control of the Company). Moreover, Mr. Lichtenstein has attempted to deprive Aerojet Rocketdyne shareholders from the opportunity to elect a new Board of Directors through litigation and other shenanigans to delay a shareholder meeting. It is time for shareholders to remove the Steel Partners Directors at the upcoming Special Meeting.

We have nominated a world-class, independent slate for election at the upcoming Special Meeting, comprised of the 4 Non-Steel Directors currently serving on the Board and 4 new independent nominees identified by an independent search firm (the "Independent Nominees"). The Independent Nominees are comprised of Gail Baker (former division President at Collins Aerospace); Marion Blakey (former President and CEO of Rolls-Royce North America); Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden, Jr. (Ret.) (former Administrator at NASA); and Deborah Lee James (former Secretary of the U.S. Air Force) (the "Independent Nominees"). The Non-Steel Directors and Independent Nominees (collectively, the "Independent Slate") are diverse, experienced, and focused on shareholder value, and represent the best path forward for enhancing shareholder value. We urge Aerojet Rocketdyne shareholders to support the Independent Slate at the upcoming Special Meeting.

Today we have filed a new investor presentation with the SEC and will be available on our website, with highlights presented below. We look forward to continuing our engagement with all our shareholders in the coming weeks. Thank you for your continued support.

Aerojet Rocketdyne has delivered strong returns under the leadership of its CEO, Eileen Drake

Since she was appointed permanent CEO, the Company has delivered 183% TSR , outperforming the S&P 500 and peers by 57% and 53%, respectively

, outperforming the S&P 500 and peers by 57% and 53%, respectively

The future also is bright - the management team has secured strategic program wins that provide visibility into long-term value, and created a near-record backlog of more than 3x annual revenue



Announced a high premium sale to Lockheed, which ultimately was blocked by the FTC

In February 2022 Warren Lichtenstein, Aerojet Rocketdyne's Executive Chair and the CEO of Steel Partners, launched a proxy fight and litigation to replace the Aerojet Rocketdyne directors who do not have ties to Steel Partners/Lichtenstein

launched a proxy fight and litigation to replace the Aerojet Rocketdyne directors who do not have ties to Steel Partners/Lichtenstein Guarantee Lichtenstein's nomination at the 2022 annual meeting regardless of the results of the investigation , and

, and

Remove one of the incumbent independent directors to effectively give control of the Board to Lichtenstein and the three directors with ties to Steel Partners

After submitting its original slate in January 2022 , Steel Partners has since revised its slate in June 2022 to remove two existing directors aligned with Lichtenstein / Steel Partners following their testimony in Court

, Steel Partners has since revised its slate in to remove two existing directors aligned with Lichtenstein / Steel Partners following their testimony in Court

Their new slate is comprised of Lichtenstein, an incumbent director affiliated with Steel Partners, and six new nominees hand-picked by Steel Partners, including friends and two nominees who have provided consulting services to Steel Partners and affiliates (one of whom Lichtenstein announced will be appointed as CEO, if Steel Partners takes control of the Company).

Mr. Lichtenstein and people connected with him currently comprise 4 of the 8 directors on the Company's Board



In January 2022 , facing a then-ongoing internal investigation into charges of misconduct, Mr. Lichtenstein attempted to abuse his position as Board chairman to force the Company's Board to approve a related-party agreement with Steel Partners that would:

, facing a then-ongoing internal investigation into charges of misconduct, Mr. Lichtenstein attempted to abuse his position as Board chairman to force the Company's Board to approve a related-party agreement with Steel Partners that would:

When CEO and Board member Eileen Drake and the three directors unaffiliated with Steel Partners opposed the Steel Partners proposed agreement, Steel Partners submitted a notice of nomination for the 2022 annual meeting

Following Steel Partners' nomination of a slate to take control of the Board:

Eileen Drake and the Non-Steel Directors were able to assemble a world-class slate of highly-qualified and independent nominees with a track record of success

and the Non-Steel Directors were able to assemble a with a track record of success

Mr. Lichtenstein and Steel Partners launched costly litigation to relentlessly attack the Non-Steel Directors in an attempt to bully the Non-Steel Directors from pursuing their slate

the Non-Steel Directors in an attempt to bully the Non-Steel Directors from pursuing their slate

Mr. Lichtenstein originally stated that he wanted an annual meeting to occur during the first week of May 2022 ; however, after Ms. Drake was able to assemble a slate of independent director nominees, Mr. Lichtenstein sought to delay the annual meeting until as late as July

; however, after Ms. Drake was able to assemble a slate of independent director nominees, Mr. Lichtenstein the annual meeting until as late as July

Mr. Lichtenstein filed an HSR notice in early April indicating an intention to acquire up to $1bn of AJRD voting securities  or close to a third of AJRD's market cap  in order to effectively control any vote; however, after he received criticism for this tactic, he subsequently committed in a court hearing to not acquire any additional stock before the annual meeting record date

of AJRD voting securities  or close to a third of AJRD's market cap  in order to effectively control any vote; however, after he received criticism for this tactic, he subsequently committed in a court hearing to not acquire any additional stock before the annual meeting record date

An independent investigation into Lichtenstein, of which the results were released in May 2022 , concluded that he engaged in a pattern of misconduct, and Lichtenstein was formally reprimanded by the Non-Management Committee of the Board

, concluded that he engaged in a pattern of misconduct, and Lichtenstein was

After two of his original slate who are current directors on the Aerojet Rocketdyne Board testified at the recent trial, including one who said Mr. Lichtenstein had conflicts, these two were dropped and replaced by two new last-minute candidates

Mr. Lichtenstein has been a poor steward of shareholder value

Mr. Lichtenstein was paid ~$7 million in salary in 2020 for his Executive Chair role, with similar high salary payments in prior years, but only now is criticizing Company strategy and destroying value

for his Executive Chair role, with similar high salary payments in prior years, but only now is criticizing Company strategy and destroying value

During the period starting on the date Mr. Lichtenstein originally joined the Board in 2008 until Ms. Drake was named permanent CEO, the Company underperformed the S&P 500 and its proxy peers by more than 30%



Under his oversight the Company's pension fund has fallen from a $60mm+ overfunded position in 2008 to an underfunded position of ~($275mm) today; perhaps not surprisingly, he has resisted an audit of the pension fund's performance



He has sold down his position from more than 14% to ~5% today (while 4 of his 8 director selections remain on the board)



Mr. Lichtenstein has demonstrated that he is completely out of touch with the Company, launching a website in support of his proxy fight with images of Russian rockets rather than those manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne

It is time for shareholders to remove the Steel Partners Directors and support the Independent Slate at the upcoming Special Meeting

The Independent Slate is comprised of the 4 Non-Steel Directors currently serving on the Board and 4 new independent nominees identified by an independent search firm (all with successful track records and relevant experience)



The Independent Slate will act in the best interest of all shareholders, including evaluating all opportunities to maximize shareholder value

Eileen P. Drake

Chief Executive Officer

Kevin Chilton, Thomas Corcoran, Lance Lord

Aerojet Rocketdyne's Independent Directors

Shareholders with questions can contact our solicitor: D.F. King & Co., (212) 269-5550 (collect) or via e-mail at [email protected].

Important Information

This communication is being made in the participants' individual capacity, and not by or on behalf of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (the "Company"). No Company resources were used in connection with these materials. On June 1, 2022, Eileen P. Drake, General Kevin Chilton, USAF (Ret.), General Lance Lord, USAF (Ret.) and Thomas Corcoran (the "Incumbent Directors") filed a definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in connection with the solicitation of proxies for a special meeting of stockholders of the Company to be held on June 30, 2022.

STOCKHOLDERS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT BECAUSE IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Stockholders may obtain a free copy of the definitive proxy statement, any amendments or supplements thereto and other documents that the Incumbent Directors file with the SEC from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The Incumbent Directors, together with Gail Baker, Marion Blakey, Charles Bolden and Deborah Lee James, may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from stockholders. Information about the participants is set forth in the definitive proxy statement.

Contact :

D.F. King & Co., Inc.

Edward T. McCarthy / Tom Germinario

[email protected]

Committee's Website :

https://maximizeajrdvalue.com/

SOURCE Committee for Aerojet Rocketdyne Shareholders and Value Maximization
The Copaverse Roadshow begins on June 15, traveling to Austin, Chicago, New York, London, Bangalore, Jaipur, and Hyderabad to showcase the latest low-code innovations

CHICAGO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Copado , the global leader in low-code DevOps, today announced it has trained more than 35,000 DevOps specialists and certified more than 20,000 DevOps professionals. The Copado Copaverse is the largest low-code DevOps ecosystem in the world where members can learn, connect and grow their careers. It includes unlimited clouds, more than 150 partners, 1,100 customers and 50,000 community members.

The Salesforce ecosystem continues to grow, with estimates that it will create 9.3 million jobs globally by 2026 and will require additional talent to fill roles across the globe. There is a growing need for specialists in DevOps, security, DevSecOps and low-code administration. The training and certification from Copado has upskilled thousands of administrators, developers and architects to address this skills gap.

"Now more than ever businesses are focused on how to enable employees and support customers digitally while defending against more security threats, yet finding the talent they need has never been more challenging," said Ashley Dodge, vice president of community at Copado. "As a leader in low-code DevOps, it is part of our charter to create and support a diverse and vibrant community where members can uplevel their DevOps and security skills and connect with experts. By sharing new tactics and crafting new tools, Copado continues to upskill and train technical teams to support advanced development processes."

To support the global Copado community , the company is launching its Copaverse Roadshow on June 15. It will host in-person events in Austin, Chicago, New York, London, Bangalore, Jaipur and Hyderabad in 2022 to share more information about the new way of working on low-code delivery teams and inspire Salesforce development teams to implement DevOps best practices.

In its Community, Copado currently offers 45 training modules to support the next wave of DevOps professionals and continues to deliver new resources each month, helping development teams grow and continue to level-up their DevOps skills. Its newest modules include:

Build Automated Tests with QWords: Learn how to create automated web and Salesforce-specific test cases using QWords.

Copado for Mulesoft: Learn how Copado's out-of-the-box Mulesoft support can help manage Salesforce and Mulesoft pipelines in the same place, creating a consistent and connected DevOps environment.

Get Started with Copado Essentials: Begin your Salesforce DevOps journey for free.

Copado's goal is to make release days obsolete by empowering customers to deliver business value quicker and maximize their ROI. People are the code at Copado and the members of the Copaverse leverage the power of DevOps and Robotic Testing to ramp up innovation and end the pain of release days.

More information about the Copado Copaverse can be found at https://success.copado.com/s/ . Anyone interested in attending the Copaverse Roadshow can choose a city here: https://www.copado.com/copaverse-roadshow/

Follow Copado:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/copado-solutions-s.l/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CopadoSolutions

Blog: https://www.copado.com/learning/blog/

About Copado

Copado is the leading DevOps and testing solution for low-code SaaS platforms that run the world's largest digital transformations. Backed by Insight Partners, Salesforce Ventures and SoftBank Vision Fund, Copado accelerates multi-cloud, enterprise deployments by automating the end-to-end software delivery process to maximize customers' return on their cloud investment. More than 1,000 companies rely on Copado to drive digital transformation with speed, quality and value including Boston Scientific, Coca-Cola, Fair Trade, Linde, MassMutual, Schneider Electric and Shell. Copado DevOps 360 processes over 50 million DevOps transactions per month and is rated with a 100% score on the Salesforce AppExchange. More information can be found at: http://www.copado.com .

SOURCE Copado
Market Overview

One of the key factors driving the Corporate Leadership Training Market growth is the increased spending on corporate leadership training.

Emergence of gamification in corporate training is the major trend influencing the Corporate Leadership Training Market growth.

is the major trend influencing the Corporate Leadership Training Market growth. Intense competition among vendors is one of the key challenges hindering the Corporate Leadership Training Market growth.

is one of the key challenges hindering the Corporate Leadership Training Market growth. North America will register the highest growth rate of 41% among the other regions. Therefore, the corporate leadership training market in North America is expected to garner significant business opportunities for the vendors during the forecast period.

will register the among the other regions. Therefore, the corporate leadership training market in is expected to garner significant business opportunities for the vendors during the forecast period. The Corporate Leadership Training Market is expected to have Positive impact despite the spread of COVID-19 virus. In the short term, the market demand will show Superior growth.

despite the In the short term, the market demand will show As the business impact of COVID-19 reduces, the market is expected to have Positive & Superior growth.

the market is expected to have The corporate leadership training market vendors should focus on grabbing business opportunities from the ILT segment as it accounted for the largest market share in the base year.

Download Sample: for more additional information about the Corporate Leadership Training Market

Scope of the Report

Corporate Leadership Training Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 8.69% Market growth 2021-2025 $ 15.78 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 3.52 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution North America at 41% Key consumer countries US, UK, India, Germany, and Canada Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Articulate Global Inc., City & Guilds Group, D2L Corp., Franklin Covey Co., GP Strategies Corp., Interaction Associates Inc., Learning Technologies Group Plc, Miller Heiman Group Inc., Skillsoft Ltd., and Wilson Learning Worldwide 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 forecast period, Customization preview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

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ILT Held the Largest Market Share

The corporate leadership training market share growth by the ILT segment will be significant during the forecast period.

will be significant during the forecast period. ILT is popular in corporate leadership training and is delivered by using blackboards or whiteboards and an overhead projector and often involves the format of storytelling .

. Despite technology changing the face of the training industry in recent times with the adoption of e-learning training methods, it cannot be a substitute for ILT. Thus, the market is expected to grow at a steady pace during the forecast period.

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North America is Expected to Hold a Significant Share of the Market

41% of the market's growth will originate from North America during the forecast period. The US and Canada are the key markets for corporate leadership training market in North America .

of the market's growth will originate from during the forecast period. The for corporate leadership training market in . Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in Europe , MEA, and South America .

of the market in , MEA, and . The increased spending by MNCs on leadership training programs will facilitate the corporate leadership training market growth in North America over the forecast period.

Download our sample report for more key highlights on the regional market share of most of the above-mentioned countries.

Vendor Insights-

The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including:

Articulate Global Inc.

City & Guilds Group

D2L Corp.

Franklin Covey Co.

GP Strategies Corp.

Interaction Associates Inc.

Learning Technologies Group Plc

Miller Heiman Group Inc.

Skillsoft Ltd.

Wilson Learning Worldwide Inc.

The corporate leadership training market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying various organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market.

Quick Buy to find additional highlights on the vendors and their product offerings.

Recent Developments

Articulate Global Inc.- The company offers Storyline 360 (Storyline 360 is an e-learning authoring tool that enables companies to create interactive e-learning, easily) and Articulate 360 Training (videos and training webinars for Articulate 360).

The company offers Storyline 360 (Storyline 360 is an e-learning authoring tool that enables companies to create interactive e-learning, easily) and Articulate 360 Training (videos and training webinars for Articulate 360). City & Guilds Group- The company offers corporate training services for leadership and management, professional development, and apprenticeships resources for study, learning, and end-point assessment.

The company offers corporate training services for leadership and management, professional development, and apprenticeships resources for study, learning, and end-point assessment. D2L Corp.- The company offers Brightspace Learning Platform. It enables corporates to enhance skill development of their employees and thereby improving talent attraction and retention.

Download Our Sample Report to learn more about recent Developments in Corporate Leadership Training Market

Here are Some Similar Topics-

Cross-cultural Training Market by Deployment and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025: The cross-cultural training market share is expected to increase by USD 1.45 billion from 2020 to 2025, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 6.57%. To get more exclusive research insights: Download Sample Report

Corporate Blended Learning Market by End-user and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025: The corporate blended learning market share is expected to increase by USD 27.89 billion from 2020 to 2025, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 12.68%. To get more exclusive research insights: Download Sample Report

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2020

Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025

Five Forces Analysis

Five Forces Analysis

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Application

Market segments

Comparison by Application

ILT - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Blended Training - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Online Training - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Market opportunity by Application

Customer landscape

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- 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

Articulate Global Inc.

City & Guilds Group

D2L Corp.

Franklin Covey Co.

GP Strategies Corp.

Interaction Associates Inc.

Learning Technologies Group Plc

Miller Heiman Group Inc.

Skillsoft Ltd.

Wilson Learning Worldwide Inc.

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

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SAN JOSE, Calif., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Del Grande Dealer Group (DGDG), the Bay Area's largest family-owned automotive group, announced that their family of dealerships is partnering with local water districts to undergo a water conservation project, reducing their water consumption by 65%.

In light of increasing drought conditions, DGDG is joining efforts to limit water consumption by developing responsible water management and long-term water conservation measures.

"DGDG continues to focus on taking action to help with water conservation in the Bay Area and is committed to being part of the solution, said DGDG CEO Jeremy Beaver. "We are extremely proud to partner with Alpine Landscape on our project that will save millions of gallons of water every year."

DGDG is partnering with Alpine Landscapes to remove high-water use turf and overhead spray irrigation and converting to a mix of low water-use ground covers and CA natives with new subsurface drip irrigation technology with cloud-based controllers that can read daily weather.

The new aesthetically pleasing low water-use plants will create uniformity amongst the dealerships and reflect the DGDG brand. The new irrigation equipment will be more efficient, reduce excess waste, and save an estimated 2,349,884 gallons of water per year.

"Choosing to partner with DGDG was an easy decision. Our values align as far as quality, customer service, and long-term sustainability," said Alpine Landscapes President Ryan Dinsmore. "The water conservation project will not only save millions of gallons of water per year, but it will beautify the landscape and be a staple of their store brand, now, and in the future."

About Del Grande Dealer Group

The Del Grande Dealer Group (DGDG) is the Bay Area's largest family-owned automotive group. The dealer group comprises 16 brands and 18 dealerships in Northern California including: Capitol Buick GMC, Capitol Chevrolet, Capitol Ford, Capitol Hyundai, Capitol Kia, Capitol Mazda, Capitol Subaru, Capitol Volkswagen, Concord Mazda, Fremont Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Fremont Hyundai, Genesis of Stevens Creek, Salinas Honda, Stevens Creek Hyundai, Stevens Creek Mazda, Team Cadillac, Team Chevrolet, and Team Mazda. DGDG's team of 1,000 employees offers professional, friendly, and courteous service as well as No Brainer Checkout, DGDG's online vehicle sales platform. For more information, visit DGDG.com.

About Alpine Landscapes

Alpine Landscapes is a commercial landscape management company that specializes in maintenance, enhancements, irrigation, and tree care. It is our job as horticulturists and arboriculturists to educate our partners and be true asset managers of their landscape, irrigation, and trees. For more information, visit youralpine.com.

SOURCE Del Grande Dealer Group
ASHBURN, Va., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC), a leading Fortune 500 global technology services provider, has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape Worldwide Cloud Professional Services 2022 Vendor Assessment. The report recognizes DXC's distinct Cloud Right approach to guiding large enterprises through cloud and IT modernization efforts.

"As our report confirms, DXC Technology is a leader in cloud infrastructure and applications services, which is augmented by its large IT modernization expertise," said Gard Little, vice president, Global Services Markets and Trends, IDC. "DXC continues to make enormous strides in understanding its customer's pain points all while remaining a provider that is highly skilled at running mission-critical systems and operations and modernizing IT and business processes."

The IDC MarketScape report (doc #US48061322, April 2022) noted DXC's strengths, "to include the company's broad-based portfolio of cloud professional services, now augmented by large enterprise IT modernization expertise with the 2019 acquisition of Virtual Clarity, as well as deep product engineering experience with the 2019 acquisition of Luxoft."

The report also stated, "DXC uses proprietary techniques and tools to assess a company's strategic, operational, financial, and technical constraints and opportunities with a focus on delivering targeted improvements that boost performance and contain risk across the information technology landscape. By drawing on its talent and expertise across the DXC enterprise technology stack, DXC has the end-to-end services to support every aspect of a customer engagement."

"This recognition by the IDC MarketScape is acknowledgment that DXC's Cloud Right strategy is working for our customers, helping them make the right tech investments at the right time and on the right platforms," said Vinod Bagal, president, Cloud and Infrastructure Services, DXC. "In just two years, we have made significant gains as part of our commitment to innovation and excellence for our customers. Additionally, in collaboration with our extensive partner ecosystem, we bring more technologies and solutions to our customers."

O-I Glass, based in Perrysburg, Ohio, turned to DXC in 2020 for a comprehensive technology refresh of its hardware platforms, operating systems and applications. DXC has supported the technology needs of O-I Glass since 2008 and is its largest IT partner.

"Our philosophy is to modernize wherever we can, from the data center to devices, and only deploy cloud where it makes sense. DXC focused on finding the right IT solutions to support our business," said Rodney Masney, chief information officer, O-I Glass.

The IDC MarketScape assessed 20 IT service providers from around the world on their capabilities to deliver cloud, application modernization and network capabilities. In its report, IDC noted that cloud service providers, including DXC, continue to expand their cloud capabilities as a complement to traditional strengths. Read an excerpt of the report here.

About IDC MarketScape

IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT (information and communications technology) suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor's position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of IT and telecommunications vendors can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective vendors.

About DXC Technology

DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) helps global companies run their mission critical systems and operations while modernizing IT, optimizing data architectures, and ensuring security and scalability across public, private and hybrid clouds. The world's largest companies and public sector organizations trust DXC to deploy services across the Enterprise Technology Stack to drive new levels of performance, competitiveness, and customer experience. Learn more about how we deliver excellence for our customers and colleagues at DXC.com.

Forward Looking Statements

All statements in this press release that do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts constitute "forward-looking statements." These statements represent current expectations and beliefs, and no assurance can be given that the results described in such statements will be achieved. Such statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements, many of which are outside of our control. Furthermore, many of these risks and uncertainties are currently amplified by and may continue to be amplified by or may, in the future, be amplified by, the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19") pandemic and the impact of varying private and governmental responses that affect our customers, employees, vendors and the economies and communities where they operate. For a written description of these factors, see the section titled "Risk Factors" in DXC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, and any updating information in subsequent SEC filings.

No assurance can be given that any goal or plan set forth in any forward-looking statement can or will be achieved, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements which speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake any obligation to update or release any revisions to any forward-looking statement or to report any events or circumstances after the date of this presentation or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

SOURCE DXC Technology Company
"For a seasonal end-user or business investor, this auction represents the opportunity of a lifetime." Tweet this

With more than 130 feet of white-sand oceanfront, numerous upgrades, fun amenities, and what the listing agent calls "the most unique design on the Florida Gulf Coast," Beachfront Breezes is located directly on the Gulf of Mexico in the heart of Panama City Beach and aims to impress.

The residence was recently listed at $5.25 million according to publicly-accessible real estate data sources.

Commenting on the announcement and the record-setting year of tourism in Panama City Beach, Randy Haddaway, CEO and founder of Elite Auctions said, "According to a recent article in the local paper there, Panama City Beach just saw its busiest March on record for tourism, and that followed its busiest year ever in 2021.

People of all ages, not just the typical Spring Breaker crowd, are ready for fun in the sun again on the Florida Gulf Coastand they're spending big money to vacation at luxury properties like this one."

Haddaway says that anyone looking for luxury Gulf-front property from the Florida Keys to Corpus Christi, Texas, should put this opportunity at the top of their list.

"Florida is sizzling right now, I mean it's absolutely on fire," says Haddaway.

"Everyone wants to come to Florida right now, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the state's pro-tourism business climate, and for a seasonal end-user or business investor, this auction represents the opportunity of a lifetime."

Featuring six oceanfront bedrooms and seven baths, and being offered fully-furnished with a pair of queen-sized bunkbeds, the 3,900 sq-ft home accommodates up to 21 guests and boasts an impressive list of amenities, including a second-story pool, a fourth-story bar and party room with pool table, all easily accessed via elevator, high-end furniture and appliances, and a full-perimeter privacy fence with beach access gates.

12401 Front Beach Rd is available for public and private tours from Noon until 4 PM beginning Monday, June 27 through Friday, July 1. To pre-register to bid, or to schedule a tour, call 844-94-ELITE or email [email protected].

The auction will be held on-site at the property, Saturday, July 2, 2022, at 11 AM CDT, with registration beginning at 9 AM. Remote bids will be accepted by phone. Broker participation is encouraged.

About ELITE AUCTIONS

ELITE AUCTIONS has marketed more than $2 billion of high-value property and luxury yachts for auction with no reserve, accelerating the sale of more than $450 million in luxury assets. Its luxury home auction team is dedicated to helping sellers achieve the best value for their property and secure a sale quickly.

Media Contact:

Kristoffer Stewart

Director of Marketing, Elite Auctions

[email protected]

239.218.5417

SOURCE ELITE AUCTIONS
Learn More About EPAM's Adobe Partnership

Engaging & Personalized Digital Experiences . From strategy to design and development to support, EPAM delivers end-to-end digital solutions powered by Adobe Experience Cloud. Offerings include discovery and consulting, digital marketing, commerce, cloud migration and platform upgrade services.





. From strategy to design and development to support, EPAM delivers end-to-end digital solutions powered by Adobe Experience Cloud. Offerings include discovery and consulting, digital marketing, commerce, cloud migration and platform upgrade services. Faster Time-to-Market with Optimized Cost and Uncompromised Quality. Global resource pool, robust accelerators, and other turnkey solutions such as AEM as a Service, AEM Health Check, FastTrack Adobe Commerce and more.

"As a platinum partner, EPAM has achieved the highest level of Adobe partnership statushelping customers get the most out of their adobe investment to extract maximum business value," said Tony Sanders, Head of Partner Sales, NA at Adobe. "Adobe is proud of the partnership we've created with EPAM over the last decade, and it goes without saying that they've had impressive growth in their Adobe product expertise and dedication in delivering the best customer experiences."

As a globally recognized Adobe partner, EPAM has partnered with Adobe since 2010 to build and deliver personalized, seamlessly integrated experiences for customers. The Company's Adobe practice includes more than 300 Adobe-certified professionals, 1000+ consultants and engineers and an impressive resume of more than 100 global customer transformation success stories.

"WSA has worked with EPAM as its implementation partner for more than three years. EPAM has a proven track record in providing the engineering resources necessary to handle our Adobe Commerce upgrades, customizations, and global rollouts effectively," said Yassine Medhioub, VP, Information Technology at WSA. "The quality of support, the responsiveness, and the integrity that has developed over the years are what we value most. I look forward to a continuous and successful collaboration. Thank you EPAM!"

Attending Adobe Commerce Reconnections on June 8th? This year's event brings together Adobe Commerce leaders, partners, retailers and clients who will share their commerce transformation stories. Meet with EPAM's Adobe Experts in Chicago, IL, USA, to learn how we help many of the world's leading retail brands deliver personalized, seamlessly integrated commerce experiences. Setup a meeting today at: www.epam.com/about/who-we-are/events/2022/adobe-commerce-reconnections.

Learn more about EPAM's work with Adobe at: www.epam.com/our-work/brochures/deliver-engaging-and-personalized-digital-experiences-with-epam-and-adobe.

Visit EPAM's Solution Partner Program profile on Adobe at: www.solutionpartners.adobe.com.

About EPAM Systems

Since 1993, EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM) has leveraged its advanced software engineering heritage to become the foremost global digital transformation services provider  leading the industry in digital and physical product development and digital platform engineering services. Through its innovative strategy; integrated advisory, consulting, and design capabilities; and unique 'Engineering DNA,' EPAM's globally deployed hybrid teams help make the future real for clients and communities around the world by powering better enterprise, education and health platforms that connect people, optimize experiences, and improve people's lives. In 2021, EPAM was added to the S&P 500 and included among the list of Forbes Global 2000 companies.



Selected by Newsweek as a 2021 Most Loved Workplace, EPAM's global multi-disciplinary teams serve customers in more than 45 countries across five continents. As a recognized leader, EPAM is listed among the top 15 companies in Information Technology Services on the Fortune 1000 and ranked as the top IT services company on Fortune's 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list for the last three consecutive years. EPAM is also listed among Ad Age's top 25 World's Largest Agency Companies for three consecutive years, and Consulting Magazine named EPAM Continuum a top 20 Fastest-Growing Firm.

Learn more at www.epam.com and follow EPAM on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes estimates and statements which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Our estimates and forward-looking statements are mainly based on our current expectations and estimates of future events and trends, which affect or may affect our business and operations. These statements may include words such as "may," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate" or similar expressions. Those future events and trends may relate to, among other things, developments relating to on-going hostilities in Ukraine, political and civil unrest or military action in the geographies where we conduct business and operate, developments relating to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, and the effect that they may have on our revenues, operations, access to capital, profitability and customer demand. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include general economic conditions, the risk factors discussed in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the factors discussed in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed on or after the date of this press release, particularly under the headings "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe that these estimates and forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, they are subject to several risks and uncertainties and are made in light of information currently available to us. EPAM undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities law.

SOURCE EPAM Systems, Inc.
Leveraging advanced machine learning, EvolutionIQ's platform integrates with an insurer's system to monitor daily open claims, and then guide claims examiners to cases that require more attention, new actions, or complex decision-making. Insurance carriers and third-party administrators using EvolutionIQ for more than one year saw shorter claim cycles, which increases claimant satisfaction and allows for benefits to be paid faster; loss ratio reductions of up to 3.3 percent; and claim flow-through reductions, which measure movement from short-term disability to more costly long-term disability, of up to 45 percent  with all of the improvements directly attributable to EvolutionIQ.

This partnership will combine EvolutionIQ's advanced technology and Munich Re's deep expertise in disability insurance to help return disability claimants to work faster while reducing claim losses and expenses. Benefits of the partnership for insurance carriers include:

Access to EvolutionIQ's dedicated team of experts for seamless program adoption

Access to Munich Re's group and individual disability expertise and advisory services

Rapid program deployment, with the platform typically operational in less than eight weeks

"Munich Re is the industry standard for reinsurance in the disability space, so they know firsthand how complex the sector is  and how ripe it is for modernization," said Michael Saltzman, COO and Co-Founder of EvolutionIQ. "We have long been impressed by Munich Re's digital transformation work and we are proud to be the claims guidance solution the company is recommending to their trusted partners and clients. Working together, we are going to dramatically increase claimant satisfaction, while simultaneously increasing efficiency and reducing costs in carrier claims departments."

"EvolutionIQ offers our industry a significant opportunity to control claim costs while delivering enhanced claimant satisfaction," said Mark Costello, Senior Vice President, Group and Living Benefits Reinsurance at Munich Re Life US. "Through this partnership, we have the opportunity to help our clients and their customers save money and reduce costs. We are excited to work with EvolutionIQ to deliver cutting-edge technology that delivers real business impact to our clients."

About EvolutionIQ

EvolutionIQ is the leading provider of claims guidance software. Using advanced, proprietary machine learning and natural language processing, the claims guidance platform actively monitors extremely complex bodily injury claims. The system combines real-time predictive accuracy, clear guidance and explainable AI, and EvolutionIQ's strategic deployment services to ensure adoption and business impact. As a result, EvolutionIQ claims organizations spend their efforts on claims they can impact  and their claimants get better, more tailored service. Insurers choose EvolutionIQ to increase their profitability and control over complex lines of business by integrating decision intelligence into every step of the claims handling process. For more information, visit www.evolutioniq.com and follow the company on LinkedIn .

About Munich Re

Munich Re is one of the world's leading providers of reinsurance, primary insurance and insurance-related risk solutions. The group consists of the reinsurance and ERGO business segments, as well as the asset management company MEAG.

Munich Re is globally active and operates in all lines of the insurance business. Since it was founded in 1880, Munich Re has been known for its unrivaled risk-related expertise and its sound financial position. It offers customers financial protection when faced with exceptional levels of damage  from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake through to the 2019 Pacific typhoon season.

Munich Re possesses outstanding innovative strength, which enables it to also provide coverage for extraordinary risks such as rocket launches, renewable energies, or cyberattacks. The company is playing a key role in driving forward the digital transformation of the insurance industry, and in doing so has further expanded its ability to assess risks and the range of services that it offers. Its tailor-made solutions and close proximity to its customers make Munich Re one of the world's most sought-after risk partners for businesses, institutions, and private individuals.

Press contacts

Jason Kapler

EvolutionIQ

[email protected]

(917) 740-5608

Michael McNamara

[email protected]

Munich Re North America Life

(860) 549-6442

SOURCE EvolutionIQ
WASHINGTON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA) priced Connecticut Avenue Securities (CAS) Series 2022-R06, an approximately $754 million note offering that represents Fannie Mae's sixth CAS REMIC transaction of the year. CAS is Fannie Mae's benchmark issuance program designed to share credit risk on its single-family conventional guaranty book of business.

The reference pool for CAS Series 2022-R06 consists of approximately 83,000 single-family mortgage loans with an outstanding unpaid principal balance of approximately $25.0 billion. The reference pool includes collateral with loan-to-value ratios of 60.01 percent to 80.00 percent, which were acquired between June 2021 and July 2021. The loans included in this transaction are fixed-rate, generally 30-year term, fully amortizing mortgages and were underwritten using rigorous credit standards and enhanced risk controls.

Fannie Mae will retain a portion of the 1M-1, 1M-2, 1B-1, and 1B-2 tranches and will retain the full 1B-3H first-loss tranche.

Class Offered Amount

($MM) Pricing Level Expected

Ratings

(S&P/KBRA) 1M-1 $332.500 1-month average SOFR plus 275 bps A- (sf) / BBB+ (sf) 1M-2 $249.375 1-month average SOFR plus 385 bps BBB- (sf) / BBB- (sf) 1B-1 $90.000 1-month average SOFR plus 635 bps BB- (sf) / BB (sf) 1B-2 $82.500 1-month average SOFR plus 1060 bps NR / B- (sf)

BofA Securities, Inc. ("BofA") is the lead structuring manager and joint bookrunner. Nomura Securities International Inc. ("Nomura") is the co-lead manager and joint bookrunner. Co-managers are Amherst Pierpoint Securities LLC ("Amherst"), Barclays Capital Inc. ("Barclays"), Citigroup Global Markets Inc. ("Citigroup"), and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC ("Credit Suisse"). Selling group members are service-disabled veteran-owned Academy Securities Inc. and African-American-owned CastleOak Securities LP.

With the completion of this transaction, Fannie Mae will have brought 50 CAS deals to market, issued nearly $57 billion in notes, and transferred a portion of the credit risk to private investors on over $1.8 trillion in single-family mortgage loans, measured at the time of the transaction.

To promote transparency and to help credit investors evaluate our securities and the CAS program, Fannie Mae provides ongoing, robust disclosure data, as well as access to news, resources, and analytics through its credit risk transfer webpages. This includes our innovative Data Dynamics tool that enables market participants to interact with and analyze CAS deals that are currently outstanding in the market and Fannie Mae's historical loan dataset. In addition, our EU Resources and UK Resources webpages help European Union and UK institutional investors, as well as those managing funds subject to EU/UK regulations comply with EU/UK securitization regulations.

In addition to our flagship CAS program, Fannie Mae continues to transfer mortgage credit risk through its Credit Insurance Risk Transfer (CIRT) reinsurance program.

About Connecticut Avenue Securities

CAS REMIC notes are issued by a bankruptcy-remote trust. The amount of periodic principal and ultimate principal paid by Fannie Mae is determined by the performance of a large and diverse reference pool. For more information on individual CAS transactions, visit our credit risk transfer webpage.

About Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae advances equitable and sustainable access to homeownership and quality, affordable rental housing for millions of people across America. We enable the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and drive responsible innovation to make homebuying and renting easier, fairer, and more accessible. To learn more, visit:

fanniemae.com | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | Blog

Fannie Mae Newsroom

https://www.fanniemae.com/newsroom

Photo of Fannie Mae

https://www.fanniemae.com/resources/img/about-fm/fm-building.tif

Fannie Mae Resource Center

1-800-2FANNIE

Statements in this release regarding the company's future CAS transactions are forward-looking. Actual results may be materially different as a result of market conditions or other factors listed in "Risk Factors" or "Forward-Looking Statements" in the company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. This release does not constitute an offer or sale of any security. Before investing in any Fannie Mae issued security, potential investors should review the disclosure for such security and consult their own investment advisors.

SOURCE Fannie Mae
At Arctic Fox, the team identified ample outcrop prospective for REE covering a large portion of the property (Figure 1), while the six primary anomalies from the historic stream sediment survey will be subject to a comprehensive surface sampling and mapping campaign in the coming months.

During the visit, 12 rock-chip samples were taken which represent the veining and immediate country rock of some of the ridges observed in the tenure. Notably, the technical team believe mineralisation could occur in either the quartz veining and/or the altered country rock.

David Thornley-Hall Chief Executive Officer commented: "Our technical team has done an excellent job reconciling the findings from their recent desktop study with field observations. Notably, the Artic Fox Project has ample outcrop that could be prospective for REE mineralisation, while more work needs to be done on the Isbjorn Project. The technical team will review all the findings in-depth and begin planning a comprehensive surface sampling and mapping campaign to both properties that should commence in the next few months."

Reconnaissance visit objectives and findings

The main objectives of the reconnaissance site visit were:

Ascertain clear and efficient access routes to the primary target areas (Figure 2).

Identify and sample significant outcrop for mineralization styles targeted.

Determine logistics required to conduct a comprehensive exploration campaign.

Artic Fox

Overall, the technical team determined access to the Arctic Fox Project is first rate via a well-maintained sealed road then a network of private tracks within the tenure.

In terms of observed geology, there several areas of ample outcrop with many parallel to sub-parallel, low but steep ridges repeating throughout the tenure. Further, several multiple, parallel quartz veins of varying thickness, texture, structure, mineralogy and colour were observed and sampled individually.

The country rock in between the veins varied from amphibolites, coarse grained granites, meta-sediments and metamorphosed granites/granite contacts. Notably, the veining/alteration observed potentially is the source REE anomalies highlighted in the review of the historical stream sediment survey. In addition, the technical team believes there is potential that pegmatites could be located within the tenure during a more comprehensive mapping and surface sampling campaign.

Isbjorn

The main access to the tenure is via a well-maintained sealed road then via private tracks.

Four rock chip samples were taken at Isbjorn which were all located at borrow pits where enough overlying soil had been removed to expose lateritic gravels, silcrete and/or calcrete nodules.

Further work, which includes using a drone to traverse the tenure may be completed to determine if there is any significant outcrop and if it contains mineralisation.

(The data disclosed in this news release related to sampling results is historical in nature. Megawatt has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling nor has it independently analysed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. Megawatt considers these historical sample results relevant as the Company will use this data as a guide to plan future exploration programs. The Company's future exploration work will include verification of the data through further analysis.)

Qualified Person

Mr. Geoffrey Reed (MAusMM (CP)) (MAIG), Consultant for the Company, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure or Mineral Projects and has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this press release.

Technical Information

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by, or approved by Geoffrey Reed, (MAusMM (CP)) (MAIG), Consultant for the Company. Mr. Reed is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

The data disclosed in this news release related to sampling results is historical in nature. Megawatt has not independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. Megawatt considers these historical sample results relevant as the Company will use this data as a guide to plan future exploration programs. The Company's future exploration work will include verification of the data through further sampling.

About MegaWatt Lithium and Battery Metals Corp.

MegaWatt is a British Columbia based company involved in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in Canada. The Company holds a 100% undivided interest, subject to a 1.5% NSR on all base, rare earth elements and precious metals, in the Cobalt Hill Property, consisting of eight mineral claims covering an area of approximately 1,727.43 hectares located in the Trail Creek Mining Division in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. Additionally, the Company has acquired an 80% interest in a company that indirectly holds a 100% interest (subject to a 2% NSR) in two prospective silver-zinc projects in Australia, being the Tyr Silver Project and the Century South Silver-Zinc Project (see press release dated August 13, 2020), an indirect 100% interest (subject to a 1% NSR) in and to certain mining tenements in Northern Territory and New South Wales, Australia prospective for nickel-cobalt-scandium and rare earth elements. The Company holds a 100% interest (subject to a 2% NSR) in and to the Route 381 Lithium Property, comprised of 40 mineral claims located in James Bay Territory, north of Matagami in the Province of Quebec, covering 2,126 hectares (see press release dated February 3, 2021) and a 100% interest in 229 additional mineral exploration claims prospective for lithium, also in the James Bay area of Quebec covering an area of 12,116 hectares or 121 square kms.

Investors can learn more about the Company and team at https://megawattmetals.com.

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release includes "forward-looking information" that is subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements may include but are not limited to, statements relating to the trading of the Company's common shares on the Exchange and the Company's use of proceeds and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties normally incident to such events. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future events and that actual events or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward- looking statements. Such forward-looking statements represent management's best judgment based on information currently available. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release.

SOURCE MegaWatt Lithium and Battery Metals Corp.
Teaching Strategies' new teacher membership provides access to on-demand and live courses, a peer-to-peer community, expert advice; aims to cultivate high-quality, developmentally appropriate practice year-round

BETHESDA, Md., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Teaching Strategies, the country's leading developer of early childhood curriculum, assessment, professional learning, and family engagement solutions, today launched a first-of-its-kind membership program that will enable early childhood educators to access live and on-demand online courses, including all required training to earn key credentials; a community to exchange best practices with peers; a dashboard to personalize and track individual professional learning journeys and certificates; and expert advice.

By creating self-paced pathways to upward career mobility and providing teachers with resources along the way, the new membership aims to elevate the early childhood education profession and to combat teacher burnout and turnover, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. In a recent survey by Teaching Strategies, educators reported an average stress level of 5.3 on a scale of 1-7. The biggest drivers of this stress, they reported, were staffing issues, workload, and child behavior and attendance.

"Early childhood educators deserve intentional support to thrive and grow in their profession regardless of their experience level on the job. But professional development opportunities have not traditionally been structured to fit their demanding schedules, and to support adult learning best practices from in-person training, to live virtual, to on-demand, to micro learning," said Teaching Strategies President of Product Celia Stokes. "Now more than ever, it's important to ensure educators are provided flexible pathways to advance in their careers either to their CDA certificate or specialization in particular areas."

The membership, which is now available, includes:

Comprehensive eLearning platform. Members will access Quorum, a comprehensive professional development system with personalized learning journeys and real-time progress tracking with a professional development dashboard to manage certificates and badges.

Members will access Quorum, a comprehensive professional development system with personalized learning journeys and real-time progress tracking with a professional development dashboard to manage certificates and badges. Interactive, online professional learning community. The online community invites members to engage, connect, and share experiences with other early childhood educators through moderated discussion forums, exclusive community groups, and the open sharing of ideas.

The online community invites members to engage, connect, and share experiences with other early childhood educators through moderated discussion forums, exclusive community groups, and the open sharing of ideas. Catalog of on-demand, self-paced eLearning courses, including required trainings. The membership offers online professional development and provides members 24/7 access to a catalog of more than 400 hours of training in English and over 130 hours in Spanish. This catalog includes all training for the CDAa key requirement for educators in Head Start programshealth and safety courses to meet all required annual federal training under the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), and product training for all solutions across the Teaching Strategies ecosystem.

Starting this summer, the membership will also offer:

Exclusive access to industry experts. The membership's "Ask an Expert" feature offers a 24-hour response time and exclusive access to weekly, interactive, live sessions hosted by experts and organized by popular topics and best practices in early childhood education.

The membership's "Ask an Expert" feature offers a 24-hour response time and exclusive access to weekly, interactive, live sessions hosted by experts and organized by popular topics and best practices in early childhood education. Virtual live classes. Soon, members will have unlimited access to register for scheduled, live, virtual professional development sessions on a variety of topics.

The launch of the professional learning membership follows Teaching Strategies' acquisition of early childhood education company Quality Assist and its popular eLearning platform Quorum. The addition of Quorum marked a major milestone in the evolution of professional learning and support designed to improve quality in early childhood education programs as part of the Teaching Strategies connected ecosystem.

About Teaching Strategies

Driven by research that shows a child's first eight years form a critical foundation for success in school and in life, Teaching Strategies has been an advocate for the early education community for over 40 years. Today, Teaching Strategies connects teachers, children and families to inspired teaching and learning experiences, informative data, stronger family partnerships, and professional learning through the leading early learning platform and resources. Its products, including the most widely-used curriculum and assessment solutions The Creative Curriculum and GOLD, are found in over 270,000 classrooms and reach over 2 million children each year. To learn why thousands of early childhood programs and many states choose to partner with Teaching Strategies to help ensure children's success in school and in life, visit teachingstrategies.com and follow us on Twitter @TeachStrategies.

SOURCE Teaching Strategies
"The future of EVs is in Michigan. We are proud to announce our facility today  our first in the U.S.  that will not only create jobs for Michiganders, but also help meet rising demand for smart, reliable charging stations, and to continue to expand the FLO network across the USA," said Louis Tremblay, FLO president and CEO. "Thanks to President Biden and Governor Whitmer for supporting policies that will transform the future of mobility and electrification of vehicles."

The Auburn Hills manufacturing facility will also include an advanced testing lab which will ensure FLO chargers offer the best experience with all EVs. The advanced testing lab's location in Michigan puts it in close proximity to leading American car manufacturers and will allow FLO to achieve increased charging alignment to new EVs arriving on the market in coming years, increasing the level of experience to FLO's customers and new EV owners.

As EV adoption grows, so do state and federal efforts to create an EV-friendly environment for both consumers and companies. President Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included $5 billion in funding to build a national charging network that will put the U.S. on the path to make EVs accessible to all Americans for both local and long-distance trips.

In February, Governor Whitmer announced Michigan will receive $110 million over five years in formula funding to build up electric vehicle charging infrastructure and help the state continue leading the future of mobility and electrification.

"We are proud to welcome FLO to Michigan and serve as the home for their very first manufacturing facility in the United States," said Governor Whitmer. "As we look toward growing our economy, investing in our workforce, and creating good-paying jobs, we know the importance of leading the transition to electric vehicles. FLO's presence in Oakland County builds on our tradition of automotive manufacturing with an eye toward our electrified future. This announcement is the latest in a series of recent, major investments in Michigan's economy, and I could not be prouder that the world's manufacturing leaders know Michigan is the place to be."

According to the Department of Energy, sales of new EVs in the United States grew by 85 percent since 2020, and automotive executives believe more than half of their sales will be EVs by 2030. The Auburn Hills facility is expected to be a cornerstone in FLO's effort to expand in the U.S. market, joining a nationwide collective of organizations supporting EV efforts as more Americans switch to EVs.

"DTE is building the grid of the future to support economic growth and electrification for the state," said Tony Tomczak, DTE vice president of electric sales and marketing. "We are excited for FLO to open its Michigan facility and for partnership opportunities in the future."

An economic report released by BW Research, estimates the FLO manufacturing facility will generate $134 million in revenue from sales of EV chargers produced at the facility and $76 million in gross state product in the state of Michigan by 2028. The facility itself will generate 500 jobs and another 230 jobs in industries unrelated to the manufacturing facility that benefit from the increased economic activity in Michigan.

This facility is a major step in FLO's expansion into the U.S. market. FLO has already installed thousands of charging stations in New York City, Southern California, and many other areas across the U.S. with plans for further expansion to meet the needs of consumers nationwide.

About FLO

FLO is a leading North American electric vehicle (EV) charging network operator and a smart charging solutions provider. We fight climate change by accelerating EV adoption through a vertically integrated business model and delivering EV drivers the most dependable charging experience from curbside to countryside. Every month, we enable more than 750,000 charging events thanks to over 60,000 fast and level 2 EV charging stations deployed at public, commercial and residential locations. FLO operates across North America and our high-quality charging stations are assembled with care in Michigan and Quebec. To learn more about what "EV charging done right" means to us, visit flo.com.

About DTE

DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric company serving 2.3 million customers in Southeast Michigan and a natural gas company serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. The DTE portfolio also includes non-utility businesses focused on industrial energy services, renewable natural gas, and energy marketing and trading. As an environmental leader, DTE utility operations will reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions by more than 80% by 2040 to produce cleaner energy while keeping it safe, reliable and affordable. DTE Electric and Gas aspire to achieve net zero carbon and greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. DTE and its 10,000 employees are committed to improving lives with their energy through volunteerism, education and employment initiatives, philanthropy and economic progress. Information about DTE is available at dteenergy.com, empoweringmichigan.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com/dteenergy.

SOURCE FLO
Leading vegan butter and spreadables company welcomes industry veteran to help capitalize on growth

BOISE, Idaho, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Melt Organic is excited to announce that Arthur (Art) B. Drogue has joined its board of directors. Drogue, who held executive roles at Unilever, Best Foods, Nabisco, and other major CPG brands will be the company's newest addition to Melt Organic's board of directors as Melt continues to dominate the vegan butter and cheese spread industry.

"We are excited to bring someone with Art's background, experience and knowledge to our board," CEO and President of Melt Organic, Scott Fischer, says. "First, he is a fantastic human being and a joy to be around. Art's depth of understanding of the consumer-packaged goods industry will help us accelerate growth in our retail butters and launch our incredible, new Spreadable cheese line."

Art Drogue built his career in the CPG industry serving in corporate roles at General Mills, Nabisco, and Unilever, and serves on several international boards and Food Councils.

"I am pleased to be joining the board of Melt Organic to work with the board and management team driving the growth and expansion of our great tasting and better for you vegan butter and cheese spreads. I have been impressed with the work of our CEO, Scott Fischer, and his team as they have worked to expand our market positioning and launch our great tasting line of cheese spreads. I have invested my time and efforts these last several years working with great tasting, better-for-you foods that meet consumer demands and needs  and our lineup of butter and cheese spreads certainly delivers on both fronts. Most importantly the potential for expanding our offerings into other categories provides exciting growth opportunities for the company."

About Melt Organic

Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Melt Organic is known for its perfectly spreadable vegan butter. Sold in more than 10,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada, its full product line includes salted and unsalted butter sticks, regular butter, and butter made with probiotics. Melt butter is made with a blend of organic coconut oil, organic flaxseed oil, organic palm fruit oil, and organic canola oil. In addition, all Melt butter is free from gluten, soy, nuts, and artificial colors and preservatives.

To browse the full product line, visit MeltOrganic.com , or use the brand's store locator to find a retailer near you carrying the plant-based butter.

SOURCE Melt Organic
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Business Intelligence Group today announced that Forward Networks has won the 2022 Fortress Cyber Security Awards in the Network Security category. The industry awards program sought to identify and reward the world's leading companies and products that are working to keep our data and electronic assets safe among a growing threat from hackers.

Forward Networks is the only provider of network digital twin technology that delivers network agility, predictability, and security for on-premises and multi-cloud environments. The Forward Enterprise platform was designed to simplify the management of large, complex, multi-vendor networks and mitigates the biggest issue businesses face with network and security operations: risk. It collects detailed topology, configuration, and state information across the entire infrastructure, and uses that information to create a mathematical model of the network. This "digital twin" serves as the single source of truth for the network, and is presented in an actionable way that helps network and security professionals identify, contain, and prevent security incidents with greater ease and efficiency than ever. Security-focused features enable security engineers to determine the blast radius of compromised devices immediately, view an always up-to-date security posture matrix, prioritize remediation of cybersecurity vulnerabilities (CVEs), analyze their end-to-end network segmentation policies, including end-points, and verify compliance in the cloud.

"Our network digital twin provides a single source of truth across on-premises and multi-cloud environments to reduce the time it takes for security professionals to diagnose and remediate vulnerabilities while allowing them to prove compliance with mathematical certainty," said Chiara Regale, vice president of product and user experience at Forward Networks. "Being recognized as a Network Security Leader in the 2022 Fortress Cyber Security Awards is an incredible honor, as it validates that our efforts to give network and security professionals fast, easy access to actionable insights are valued by the industry and security professionals."

"We are so proud to name Forward Networks as a winner in the 2021 Fortress Cyber Security Awards program," said Maria Jimenez, Chief Nominations Officer, Business Intelligence Group. "As our society continues to evolve and become more reliant on networks and data, companies like Forward are critical at providing the protection and trust consumers demand."

For information about the Forward Networks please visit www.forwardnetworks.com/security. For information about the annual Fortress Cyber Security Awards, please visit https://www.bintelligence.com/fortress-cyber-security-awards .

To learn more about Forward Networks security capabilities please visit us at RSA conference in booth 3217, Moscone Center, San Francisco CA June 6  9, or request a live demo.

About Forward Networks

Forward Networks is revolutionizing the way large networks are managed. Forward's advanced software delivers a "digital twin" of the network, enabling network operators to verify intent, predict network behavior, and simplify network management. The platform supports devices from all major networking vendors and cloud operators, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

Forward Networks was founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D. graduates and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Investors include Goldman Sachs, Andreessen Horowitz, Threshold Ventures, and A. Capital.

About Business Intelligence Group

www.bintelligence.com

The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs , these programs are judged by business executives having experience and knowledge. The organization's proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.

SOURCE Forward Networks, Inc.
"Doctors can use PGx testing to identify - in advance  medications that may not be a good fit for a patient."

Yet, Pharmacogenomics, or PGx, a DNA-based genetics test, has been available for years. Doctors can use PGx testing to identify- in advance  medications that may not be a good fit for a patient avoiding the need for trial-and-error prescribing.

This week GENETWORx is shining a light on PGx testing, utilizing GENETWORx experts, recent studies, and a legislative movement to make the PGx test report a standard part of every patient's health record.

According to The Right Drug Dose Now Act introduced in Congress in February 2022, as well as GENETWORx's own clients, and recent studies, PGx tests save time, money, and in some cases, lives.

The issue is important enough that this week was designated Healthcare Professionals Genomics Education Week by the National Human Genome Research Institute  an arm of the National Institutes of Health. June 7 was earmarked as Pharmacogenomics Day to further spread the word about how pharmacogenetic testing can assist doctors in treating their patients.

A one-time cheek swab for a GENETWORx pharmacogenetic test provides data on an individual's genetic sequence, specifically flagging genes that may present potentially harmful drug or dosing concerns. The data in the PGx report is good for a patient's lifetime, according to GENETWORx experts.

"In practice, there are times when you have two patients with similar profiles who are prescribed the same medications," said Stacey Blankenship, PharmD, GENETWORx Pharmacist. "Then, you find one of them is experiencing side effects while the other says they are getting no relief from the treatment. A PGx test can tell you why this is the case."

As the Mayo Clinic has stated, "personalized medicine holds the promise that treatments will one day be tailored to your genetic makeup. Calling the practice of implementing pharmacogenomics into a patient's treatment plan "precision medicine," Mayo says all medical decisions can be tailored specifically to each patient "in every way possible."

GENETWORx has been performing pharmacogenomics testing for nearly eight years. Last month the company held a panel discussion for medical professionals on the benefits of PGx and how it works. A video of this panel discussion and more info on pharmacogenetics testing can be found here .

Adverse Effects of Mis Prescribed Medications

The American Psychological Association (APA) found that billions of dollars are spent each year on psychotropic drugs as tools in treating many mental health disorders. The APA also stated, "But inappropriate prescribing can cause serious harm."

According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), medication prescribing errors are an ongoing problem with patients who have mental health conditions, a community that is "uniquely vulnerable" to medication errors.

Any medication can cause an adverse effect if prescribed incorrectly or if prescribed without knowledge of its potential negative interference with other drugs, according to Marianne Heeringa, of GENETWORx, who is a Registered Nurse with substantial experience working with PGx.

"Adverse drug events send more than four million Americans to a physician's office or emergency room each year," said Heeringa. "Improper prescribing leads to increased healthcare costs, reduced patient safety and an overall poorer quality of life."

"A PGx genetics test can remove those barriers to treatment with appropriate medication based on an individual's DNA and chart a clear course to wellness," she said.

A Reversal in Our Approach to Personalized Health Care

"Once upon a time, studies into therapies and treatments would take a more universal approach, examining a certain segment of the population and assuming everyone in that demographic would react the same," said Matt Beckman PhD, Director of Laboratory Services at GENETWORx.

"Pharmacogenomics is a complete reversal in thinking from what had always been done before," he said. "An individual's personalized health using their genetics is the key component to all of this, to everything we're doing."

A former professor, Dr. Beckman used to tell his students long ago that one day individualized health would become the new standard in developing new therapies and solving health dilemmas.

"PGx is that realization," he said. "It's that first, critical step to achieving true personalized health care for all."

Studies Are Quickly Finding Benefits of PGx Genetics Testing

A recent case study by the Teachers Retirement System of the State of Kentucky utilizing PGx testing on more than 30,000 enrollees resulted in a $37 million reduction in direct medical charges. By marrying pharmacogenomics with each participant's medication treatment plan, the savings per person was found to be a robust $5,000 to $7,000 over a 32-month time period.

The case study found that 23,000 of the 33,000 members who participated in the study needed to stop or change at least one medication after reviewing the results of their genetic test. After the study, 64% of those enrolled in the program changed their medication plans.

The rapidly evolving field of genomics testing continues to help patients and practitioners alike. Pharmacists, doctors, and many who have a PGx report in their medical record are marveling at its usefulness and precision. See GENETWORx panel discussion video here and visit GENETWORx website. Special info and training for psychiatrists, please call 855-969-8845.

"My PGx test saved my life," Heeringa said. "I wouldn't be standing here today if I didn't have it."

About GENETWORx:

Located in Glen Allen, Va., GENETWORx is a fully integrated CAP accredited laboratory which is certified by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) for high complexity molecular testing. The company is a full molecular and clinical diagnostics laboratory with an expansive test menu, including infectious disease, including COVID-19 testing, and genetic testing. GENETWORx provides a full range of pathogen testing to healthcare facilities nationwide.

Media Contact :

Joe E Carmean

GENETWORx Public Relations

[email protected]

SOURCE GENETWORx
DUBLIN, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market (2022-2027) Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market is estimated to be USD 1.98 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 4.95 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 20.12%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Aviat Networks, Axxcss Wireless Solutions, CableFree Networks, Cisco Systems, Denso, Farran Technology, etc.



Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.



The analyst analyses the Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.



Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, The analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.



Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Increasing Demand in Security Screening and Telecommunication Industry

4.1.2 Rapid Use of Radar Technology in Military and Aerospace Industry

4.1.3 Emerging Applications in Automotive and Medical Industry

4.1.4 Growing Demand of High-Speed Broadband Connectivity

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 Concern Associated with Distortion from Atmosphere

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Rapid Exposure of 5G Coupled with Millimeter Wave Technology in Various Applications Across the Globe

4.3.2 Rising Numerous IoT Based Devices Globally

4.3.3 Use of V-Band Millimeter Wave for Last-Mile Connectivity

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Complex Architecture of Millimeter Wave Requires Advanced Technology Infrastructure



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market, By Component

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Antennas & Transceiver Components

6.3 Communication & Networking Components

6.4 Frequency Sources & Related Components

6.5 Imaging Components

6.6 Interface Components

6.7 Power & Battery Components

6.8 RF & Radio Components

6.9 Sensors & Controls

6.10 Other Components



7 Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market, By Product

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Radar And Satellite Communication Systems

7.3 Scanning Systems

7.4 Telecommunication Equipment

7.5 Others



8 Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market, By Frequency Band

8.1 Introduction

8.2 24-57 Ghz

8.3 57-95 Ghz

8.4 95-300 Ghz



9 Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market, By License Type

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Fully Licensed Frequency Millimeter Wave

9.3 Light Licensed Frequency Millimeter Wave

9.4 Unlicensed Frequency Millimeter Wave



10 Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market, By End-Use

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Automotive & Transportation

10.3 Consumer & Commercial

10.4 Healthcare

10.5 Imaging

10.6 Industrial

10.7 Mobile & Telecom



11 Americas' Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Argentina

11.3 Brazil

11.4 Canada

11.5 Chile

11.6 Colombia

11.7 Mexico

11.8 Peru

11.9 United States

11.10 Rest of Americas



12 Europe's Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Austria

12.3 Belgium

12.4 Denmark

12.5 Finland

12.6 France

12.7 Germany

12.8 Italy

12.9 Netherlands

12.10 Norway

12.11 Poland

12.12 Russia

12.13 Spain

12.14 Sweden

12.15 Switzerland

12.16 United Kingdom

12.17 Rest of Europe



13 Middle East and Africa's Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Egypt

13.3 Israel

13.4 Qatar

13.5 Saudi Arabia

13.6 South Africa

13.7 United Arab Emirates

13.8 Rest of MEA



14 APAC's Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market

14.1 Introduction

14.2 Australia

14.3 Bangladesh

14.4 China

14.5 India

14.6 Indonesia

14.7 Japan

14.8 Malaysia

14.9 Philippines

14.10 Singapore

14.11 South Korea

14.12 Sri Lanka

14.13 Thailand

14.14 Taiwan

14.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



15 Competitive Landscape

15.1 Competitive Quadrant

15.2 Market Share Analysis

15.3 Strategic Initiatives

15.3.1 M&A and Investments

15.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

15.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



16 Company Profiles

16.1 Aviat Networks

16.2 Axxcss Wireless Solutions

16.3 CableFree Networks

16.4 Cisco Systems

16.5 Denso

16.6 Farran Technology

16.7 Fujitsu

16.8 Hubei YJT Technology

16.9 L3Harris Technologies

16.10 Mitsubishi Electric

16.11 NEC

16.12 NTT Data

16.13 Nuctech Company

16.14 Ooma

16.15 Proxim Wireless

16.16 SCSK

16.17 Siklu Communication

16.18 Smiths Group

16.19 Vubiq Networks



17 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/klleq4

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
Best Mobile App Development Companies located: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, and Belgium. Tweet this

"The demand for the best mobile app development services is highly challenging for agencies to search for the best mobile app developers," says GoodFirms

Here GoodFirms has assessed and curated the list of 50+ best mobile application development companies located around the world that includes Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, and Belgium. A few of them are as listed below;

Top Mobile App Development Companies in Argentina

404//, Intermedia, Altoros Labs, AgileEngine, jCor, Amalgama, Endion IT, Crombie, Devsar, ZirconTech

Top Australia Mobile App Developers

openXcell, Utility, Cubix, Protonshub Technologies, SPEC INDIA, Zealous System, GeekyAnts, Rocketech, 3 SIDED CUBE, Quytech.

Best App Developers in Austria

Pixelmate, Ingsoftware, JSGuru, CNJ digital, Mautilus, Margelo, App Monkey, Creative Workline, 9y, Vilea.

Top Android App Developers in Bahrain

MobileCoderz Technologies, Crayo Tech, Red House Marketing, Syskode Technologies, Al Nadeem Information Technology, SKS Technology, Boxon Brand Visionaries, AK Information Technology, Ahmed Alkooheji Communications.

Top App Development Companies in Bangladesh

KAZ Software Limited, IOTA Infotech Limited, Zaag Systems Limited, HRSOFTBD, Workspace InfoTech Australia PTY Limited, Azmi Studio, ZovoTeam.com, IM Digital, Bhavitra TechSolutions, TopOfStack Software.

Top App Developers in Belarus

Smartym Pro, SolveIt, Celadon, XB Software, Omertex, ElateSoftware, Touchlane LLC, CactusSoft, CactusSoft, Dashbouquet Development.

Top App Development Companies Belgium

WorksDelight, KangaCoders, Dengun, Next Apps, Aciety, Mint IT, Kern IT, Vox Teneo, NEOFACTO, Xorlogics.

With this listing, GoodFirms aims to assist the service seekers in choosing the right mobile app development company. Users can take advantage of the advanced filter options such as hourly rates, employees, location, number of reviews, ratings, company certifications, platform, and much more.

GoodFirms assures that the list has been thoroughly assessed based on several qualitative and quantitative metrics. Furthermore, the listed companies are measured considering their unique work methodology, the background of each company, years of experience in the domain areas, online market penetration, client feedback, and much more.

If you are running a mobile app company and wish to get listed , do not hesitate to contact GoodFirms. Gaining the top position among the best service providers will attract the attention of potential prospects, increase productivity, help you generate more sales, and earn more profit.

About GoodFirms:

GoodFirms is a Washington, D.C.-based research firm specializing in identifying the most prominent and efficient IT companies and software providers that can automate the tasks of various industries. GoodFirms' industry-wide research, review & rankings help service seekers leap further and multiply their industry-wide value and credibility.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE GoodFirms
International development organization partners with ecological foundation of El Salvador to increase incomes and create jobs through adoption of environmentally friendly farming technologies to reduce carbon footprints and strengthen climate resilience

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Heifer International, today announced a strategic alliance with SalvaNATURA, the Ecological Foundation of El Salvador, to develop and implement projects that improve agricultural productivity, facilitate the economic advancement of farmers and contribute to the protection and restoration of nature in the Northern Triangle subregion. Since 1944, Heifer International has worked with smallholder farmers to build productive food and farming businesses. SalvaNATURA has 33 years of experience and is an internationally recognized organization with expertise in conservation, restoration and regeneration of nature.

Since 2020, SalvaNATURA has promoted a 10-year strategy for El Salvador and Central America focused on regenerative development. The strategy focuses on the environmental, social, cultural and economic viability of countries, relying on the integrated management of hydrographic basins and natural, human and social capitals. Regenerative development also focuses on the need to resume the functioning of ecosystems to avoid waste generation in production processes, applying nature-based solutions and ancestral knowledge to restore and regenerate ecosystems.

The two organizations will work together to address current drivers of migration in El Salvador and the Northern Triangle region. As such, both organizations will seek opportunities to improve agricultural productivity and rural development through the adoption of best production and processing practices thus aggregating value within the market system to close the living income gap of poor smallholder farmers, create more jobs and increase sales.

Oscar Castaneda, Senior Vice President for the Americas at Heifer International, said: "At Heifer International, we believe ending poverty begins with agriculture. This alliance with SalvaNATURA comes at a time when we must be more ambitious in our efforts to combat climate change. We are in the last chance saloon for real action to avoid catastrophic climate change. In this context focusing on agricultural production and climate change is essential for feeding the world while cooling the planet."

SalvaNATURA has more than 20 years' experience in sustainable certification and working with smallholder farmer cooperatives in coffee and other agricultural products. The organization's mission aligns with Heifer International's goal of supporting 10 million farmers to reach sustainable living income by 2030, ending hunger and poverty in their communities.

Miguel Araujo, President of SalvaNATURA, celebrated this alliance, which strengthens international efforts to tackle climate change, due to Heifer International's presence in 21 countries around the world. "We owe it to our children and grandchildren to take real and urgent action to address the climate crisis. This type of alliance must be multiplied in the Americas, as well as the adoption of regenerative development, contributing to the social, environmental, cultural and well-being improvement of the communities. It is important to consider support for foreign debt swaps for regenerative development, and the Summit of the Americas, which starts next week, is an appropriate forum to discuss it."

ABOUT HEIFER INTERNATIONAL

Since 1944, Heifer International has worked with more than 39 million people around the world to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way. Working with rural communities in 21 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the United States, Heifer International supports farmers and local food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide a living income. For information, visit https://www.heifer.org

ABOUT SALVANATURA, ECOLOGICAL FOUNDATION OF EL SALVADOR

Since 1988, SalvaNATURA, Ecological Foundation of El Salvador, has worked to bring science-based management of protected areas, applied research of ecosystems and biodiversity, supporting biological corridors among protected areas using shade-grown coffee, introducing certification programs of socially and environmentally sustainable coffee, supporting environmental education, and managing watersheds in El Salvador. For additional information, contact [email protected]

SOURCE Heifer International
DUBLIN, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Personal Cooling Device Market (2022-2027) by Product Type, Distribution, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Personal Cooling Device Market is estimated to be USD 7.2 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 9.1 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 4.8%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Personal Cooling Device Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Ambient Therapeutics, Beijing Huimao Cooling Equipment Ltd, Design Go Ltd, Evapolar Ltd, Genexus LLC, Handy Cooler, Havells India Ltd, Holmes Group ( Sunbeam Products Inc), Honeywell International Inc, Laird plc, Lakeland Ltd, O2cool LLC, Shenzhen Krg Electronics Co. Ltd, Tellurex Corp, etc.



Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Personal Cooling Device Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.



The analyst analyses the Global Personal Cooling Device Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.



Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, The analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.



Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Personal Cooling Device Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Increasing Usage of Energy Saving Technology

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 Dominant HVAC System for Room Cooling

4.2.2 Limited Battery Capacity

4.2.3 Less Branding of Products

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Application of TEC Technology for Healthcare, Personal Computers & Laptops

4.3.2 Application of TEC Technology in Wearable Device

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Personal Cooling in Hot Industrial Environment



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Personal Cooling Device Market, By Product Type

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Personal Air Conditioner/Desk Fans

6.3 Handheld Cooling Devices



7 Global Personal Cooling Device Market, By Distribution

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Online

7.3 Offline



8 Americas' Global Personal Cooling Device Market

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Argentina

8.3 Brazil

8.4 Canada

8.5 Chile

8.6 Colombia

8.7 Mexico

8.8 Peru

8.9 United States

8.10 Rest of Americas



9 Europe's Global Personal Cooling Device Market

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Austria

9.3 Belgium

9.4 Denmark

9.5 Finland

9.6 France

9.7 Germany

9.8 Italy

9.9 Netherlands

9.10 Norway

9.11 Poland

9.12 Russia

9.13 Spain

9.14 Sweden

9.15 Switzerland

9.16 United Kingdom

9.17 Rest of Europe



10 Middle East and Africa's Global Personal Cooling Device Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Egypt

10.3 Israel

10.4 Qatar

10.5 Saudi Arabia

10.6 South Africa

10.7 United Arab Emirates

10.8 Rest of MEA



11 APAC's Global Personal Cooling Device Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Australia

11.3 Bangladesh

11.4 China

11.5 India

11.6 Indonesia

11.7 Japan

11.8 Malaysia

11.9 Philippines

11.10 Singapore

11.11 South Korea

11.12 Sri Lanka

11.13 Thailand

11.14 Taiwan

11.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



12 Competitive Landscape

12.1 Competitive Quadrant

12.2 Market Share Analysis

12.3 Strategic Initiatives

12.3.1 M&A and Investments

12.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

12.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



13 Company Profiles

13.1 Ambient Therapeutics

13.2 Beijing Huimao Cooling Equipment Ltd

13.3 Design Go Ltd

13.4 Evapolar Ltd

13.5 Genexus LLC

13.6 Handy Cooler

13.7 Havells India Ltd

13.8 Holmes Group ( Sunbeam Products Inc)

13.9 Honeywell International Inc

13.10 Laird plc

13.11 Lakeland Ltd

13.12 O2cool LLC

13.13 Shenzhen Krg Electronics Co. Ltd

13.14 Tellurex Corp



14 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/do1fuv

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
Hong Kong: Seminar for civil servants held

Around 100 civil servants in the directorate and senior ranks attended the inaugural seminar of the Dialogue with Experts series held by the Civil Service College today.

At the seminar, which was on the topic of "Leadership in New Era - Change is Constant", speakers shared their experiences in leading organisations and teams to embrace and move with changing times and giving tips on managing crises.

They also exchanged views with participants during the discussion session.

Addressing the event, Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip noted that the seminar series is one of the important training initiatives launched by the college.

It aims to bring together experts, scholars and leaders from different sectors to share their insights on the sophisticated and evolving global order and the latest local situation in Hong Kong, as well as to exchange views with civil service colleagues on topics such as public governance, social development and organisational governance.

Mr Nip said Hong Kong had entered a new era in the past two years with the enactment of the National Security Law and the improvements to the electoral system for implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong". The community has higher expectations and demands towards the Government.

As the Government's backbone, the civil service plays a critical role in the effective implementation of policies in Hong Kong.

He emphasised that civil servants must have a good grasp of the country's development and the global situation; discerning prevailing challenges and seizing opportunities under the new era; proactively act in accord with the Government in the administration of Hong Kong; and deliver the mission of administering Hong Kong and contributing to the country.

Mr Nip also encouraged colleagues to broaden their horizons, get in touch with the pulse of the community more closely, enhance their leadership and management capacity and unleash the power of leadership in times of change.

This story has been published on: 2022-06-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iSpring Solutions, a leading vendor of eLearning software tools, announces iSpring Days 2022 , its first online conference, which will be held on June 16-17. iSpring Days 2022 will showcase 10 hours of free lectures, practical workshops, and case studies from award-winning instructional designers and eLearning experts.

This conference will be of interest to eLearning specialists of any level of experience. Those who are just starting out in the eLearning field will learn the essentials they need to create eLearning content and launch online training in their company. More experienced participants will be able to enhance their skills in working with SMEs and learn to create more complex courses using the scenario-based learning approach and interactive role-plays.

"Our ultimate goal is to help people make eLearning as easy and effective as possible," said Ivan Uskov, iSpring CEO. "We've selected the most vital aspects of impactful online corporate training and brought together the best industry experts to share their insights. All participants will surely discover something valuable during these two days and will be able to implement this in their eLearning."

About iSpring Solutions

iSpring is a global leader in creating award-winning eLearning software. Since 2001, iSpring Solutions, Inc. has helped tens of thousands of businesses worldwide advance their corporate training and spread best business practices. iSpring conducts eLearning webinars regularly and shares its expertise via blogs, guides, and its YouTube channel.

More than 59,000 customers from over 170 countries choose iSpring tools for their reliability and high performance. The customer list includes almost 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and educational institutions worldwide, such as Microsoft, SAP, Boeing, Dell, Adidas, Procter & Gamble, the University of California at Berkeley, Harvard University, and Stanford University. For more information, visit the official website at www.iSpringSolutions.com .

Media contact: Kseniya Ibraeva, Marketing Manager, [email protected]

SOURCE iSpring Solutions, Inc.
Patented Timegated Raman technology with real fluorescence rejection and user-friendly interface

HELSINKI, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Timegate Instruments Ltd. released has released the third-generation instrument PicoRaman M3, which implements the patented Timegated Raman technology with real fluorescence rejection. The novel spectrometer offers revolutionary features including fast and continuous, real-time, and online measurements as well as highly specific chemical information and non-destructive analysis.

Timegate has eliminated the complicacy of spectrometer use and developed PicoRaman M3 as user-friendly, compact, and portable design. The instrument allows easy and autoclavable integration with process environment and is free from sample preparation resulting in rapid set-up time. In addition, the PicoRaman M3 enables about 10 to 40 times faster measurements than the previous Timegated Raman instrument generations.

Timegate offers the entire solution for spectroscopic analyses by providing also the ProbePro product family, a variety of different probe optics for in-situ, real-time analysis.

Accurate Raman Spectrometer for Process Industries

The PicoRaman M3 spectrometer broadens the application areas of Raman spectroscopy in various fields of science and process industries, including the biopharmaceutical industry to monitor bioprocess and calculate nutrients.

"We have now finished three years of research and development and launching our new, third generation instrument, PicoRaman M3. The main idea was to produce a time-gated Raman spectrometer for industrial use, as our previous generation models have been designed for laboratory analyses. Now we have the technology which can see chemical changes in real-time. This third-generation technology PicoRaman M3 is robust and developed for industrial environments while maintaining high performance", explains Mari Tenhunen, the CEO of Timegate Instruments.

PicoRaman M3 brings significant benefits to Raman spectroscopic analyses such as faster time to market by better understanding of the process mechanisms, decreased number of process failures, optimized process control and improved productivity as well as product quality with real-time data. It reduces operational costs by not requiring analytical consumables and saving the time of analytical professionals. More information on PicoRaman M3: https://www.timegate.com/products

About Timegate Instruments Ltd.

Timegate Instruments is the first and only company worldwide to commercialize Timegated Raman technology capable of time-resolved measurements without fluorescence interference.

Timegate offers solutions for process industries and academic research to monitor and analyse the critical process parameters in real-time and online. Timegate aids companies to accelerate their material research, solve complex analytical challenges and increase productivity. Timegate's mission is to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer by more efficient process monitoring, exploring depleting raw materials and producing resources for living.

The Timegated Raman technology is based on tens of years of research in several Finnish research institutes, and it is utilizing the patented technologies from that work. The heart of Timegate's solution is the patented Timegated Raman spectrometer which includes a pulsed laser source and fast detection solution based on Single Photon Counting to decrease the influence of interfering fluorescence signal in the collected Raman spectra. In addition to the unique spectrometer solution, Timegate's technology includes user-interface software enabling easy process monitoring for process owners and supporting advanced analysis and maintenance services. Visit our website and learn more: https://www.timegate.com/

Contact Information

Mari Tenhunen, CEO of Timegate Instruments Ltd.

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: +358 40 750 4425

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/timegate-instruments-ltd/r/launching-novel-timegated--raman-spectrometer-for-real-time--online-monitoring,c3581177

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/21681/3581177/1589590.pdf Press release (PDF) https://news.cision.com/timegate-instruments-ltd/i/picoraman-m3-with-probepro-and-immersion-probe,c3058256 PicoRaman M3 with ProbePro and immersion probe https://news.cision.com/timegate-instruments-ltd/i/timegate-logo-transparent,c3058257 Timegate-logo transparent https://news.cision.com/timegate-instruments-ltd/i/picoraman-m3-with-samplecube,c3058258 Picoraman M3 with SampleCube https://news.cision.com/timegate-instruments-ltd/i/timegate-logo,c3058260 Timegate-logo https://news.cision.com/timegate-instruments-ltd/i/picoraman-m3-with-microprobe-and-olympus-microscope,c3058261 PicoRaman M3 with Microprobe and Olympus microscope

SOURCE Timegate Instruments Ltd
Programmatically designed from the onset, the very material and structure of this new gallery responds to and elevates the auction experience. Glass walls, high ceilings, and sophisticated spaces invite collectors to meaningfully engage with department specialists and their carefully curated offerings. From fine art to modern design to fine wine, the strength of Leland Little's team matches the strength of its new facility. This gallery, the only one of its kind in the region, will serve as a hub for arts and culture in North Carolina.

"We are privileged and excited to announce the opening of our new modern auction gallery," states president, Leland Little, "This gallery was designed to provide a space for the collecting community  to gather, to learn, to connect, and to grow in their field of interest, as well as to provide an opportunity to buy and sell in a professional, 21st century auction venue, whether digitally or in person."

On June 11th Leland Little will hold its Signature Summer Auction, featuring a strong selection of fine art, antique furniture, and fine jewelry. Fine Art offerings are led by an oil on paper by Albert Bierstadt (American, 1830-1902) entitled, Nassau Beach and an oil on canvas by Childe Hassam (American, 1859-1935) entitled, The Stairs. English and Continental Furniture highlights include an Important George II Carved Mahogany Pie-Crust Tilt Top Tea Table, Ex Collection of Henry P. McIIhenny, and a Fine English Rococo Carved Mahogany Concertina Action Card Table, Ex Collection of Henry Hirsch, Esq.

Bidding for the Signature Summer Auction will take place live on the Leland Little Auctions website (www.lelandlittle.com). Registered bidders can also leave absentee bids through the Leland Little website prior to the live auction, or register for a phone bid until 8:00 AM the morning of the auction. Bidders may also bid in person within the new Leland Little gallery.

For further information about the auction, please contact:

Leland Little

[email protected]

919-644-1243

SOURCE Leland Little Auctions
MIAMI, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN and LEN.B), one of the nation's largest homebuilders, announced today that the Company will release earnings for the second quarter ended May 31, 2022 after the market closes on June 20, 2022. Additionally, the Company will hold a conference call on June 21, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

The call will be broadcast live on the Internet and can be accessed through Lennar's website at investors.lennar.com. If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived at investors.lennar.com for 90 days.

Lennar Corporation, founded in 1954, is one of the nation's leading builders of quality homes for all generations. Lennar builds affordable, move-up and active adult homes primarily under the Lennar brand name. Lennar's Financial Services segment provides mortgage financing, title and closing services primarily for buyers of Lennar's homes and, through LMF Commercial, originates mortgage loans secured primarily by commercial real estate properties throughout the United States. Lennar's Multifamily segment is a nationwide developer of high-quality multifamily rental properties. LENX drives Lennar's technology, innovation and strategic investments. For more information about Lennar, please visit www.lennar.com.

SOURCE Lennar Corporation
Portfolio continues to outperform industry benchmarks while maintaining a balanced and diversified deep value investment approach

NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lyrical Asset Management LP ("Lyrical"), a New York-based public equity investment management firm, today announced the three-year anniversary of its International Value Equity portfolio.

Lyrical's International Value Equity strategy invests principally in a diversified portfolio of common stocks of mid-capitalization and large-capitalization companies with low valuations relative to their long-term normalized earnings. The portfolio is led by Co-Portfolio Managers, John Mullins and Dan Kaskawits, who have over 28 years combined investment experience.

Since inception, the Lyrical International Value strategy has outperformed benchmark MSCI EAFE and EAFE Value Indices by 270 bps and 350 bps annualized, respectively, net of fees. The portfolio has also generated a total net return of 29.7% compared to the EAFE at 20.6% and EAFE Value at 17.6%.

Jeffrey Keswin, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lyrical Asset Management LP, said, "While past returns have been gratifying, we are most excited about the future. Our team calculates approximately 87% upside to intrinsic value for the portfolio, the highest level since 2020, and a forward P/E multiple of only 9.9x, for a group of companies that have grown earnings at 6.9% per annum since 2007. We believe this to be the best combination of value and growth since our launch."

The Lyrical International Value strategy parallels the disciplined approach of the firm's U.S. value strategy, which dates back to the beginning of 2009.

About Lyrical Asset Management LP

Lyrical Asset Management, an affiliate of Lyrical Partners, L.P., is a fundamental value investment firm. The firm, founded in 2008, seeks to combine value with quality and analyzability to identify undervalued securities, create resiliency across its investment portfolios and help maximize long-term investment results. Lyrical Asset Management offers investors multiple vehicles through which to invest, including long-only 1940 Act Mutual Funds, separately managed accounts, and UCITs funds. Each vehicle invests in liquid securities, is transparent to investors and has historically been tax efficient. For more information, please visit www.lyricalam.com

THIS IS NOT AN OFFERING OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO INVEST IN THE STRATEGY PRESENTED. ANY SUCH OFFERING CAN ONLY BE MADE FOLLOWING A ONE-ON-ONE PRESENTATION, AND ONLY TO QUALIFIED INVESTORS IN THOSE JURISDICTIONS WHERE PERMITTED BY LAW.

THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE OF THE STRATEGY WILL BE ACHIEVED. RISKS OF AN INVESTMENT IN THIS STRATEGY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE RISKS OF INVESTING IN EQUITY SECURITIES GENERALLY, AND IN A VALUE INVESTING APPROACH, MORE SPECIFICALLY. MOREOVER, PAST PERFORMANCE SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS AN INDICATOR OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE. THE FOREGOING INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED IN A FIDUCIARY CAPACITY, AND IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS, IMPARTIAL INVESTMENT ADVICE.

NET RESULTS INCLUDE A 0.85% ANNUAL BASE FEE.

THE MSCI EAFE INDEX IS AN EQUITY INDEX WHICH CAPTURES LARGE AND MID CAP REPRESENTATION ACROSS 21 DEVELOPED MARKET COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, EXCLUDING THE US AND CANADA. WITH 825 CONSTITUENTS, THE INDEX COVERS APPROXIMATELY 85% OF THE FREE FLOAT-ADJUSTED MARKET CAPITALIZATION IN EACH COUNTRY. THE MSCI EAFE VALUE INDEX CAPTURES LARGE AND MID CAP SECURITIES EXHIBITING OVERALL STYLE CHARACTERISTICS ACROSS DEVELOPED MARKETS COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, EXCLUDING THE US AND CANADA. THE VALUE INVESTMENT STYLE CHARACTERISTICS FOR INDEX CONSTRUCTION ARE DEFINED USING THREE VARIABLES: BOOK VALUE TO PRICE, 12-MONTH FORWARD EARNINGS TO PRICE AND DIVIDEND YIELD.

*Earnings growth reflects the historical change of earnings per share of the companies in the LAM International Value Equity strategy as of May 31, 2022 using current composite weights and including, for each calendar year, only the portfolio companies for which data is available. Actual weights of such holdings varied over time. Price-to-earnings ratios are computed using consensus earnings data per FactSet, which include certain adjustments from reported, GAAP earnings.

Contact:

Craig Lifschutz

Managing Director

Lyrical Asset Management LP

[email protected]

SOURCE Lyrical Asset Management LP
Our acquisition will increase access to affordable, quality mental health care for college communities nationwide. Tweet this

Built on a spirit of community and a dedication to collective wellness, Acacia was founded by noted psychologists and prior university counselors, Dr. Keith Higginbotham and Dr. Brett Donnelly in 2014. Acacia Counseling and Wellness provides traditional counseling and psychotherapy, and offers workshops, sessions with therapy animals, wellness activities, and more. Acacia's founders will carry that commitment and those principles to their work with Mindpath Health.

"We wanted to expand our services in order to serve university students nationally," said Dr. Keith Higginbotham, CEO of Acacia Counseling and Wellness. "Mindpath Health shares the same mission and long-term goals and we look forward to continuing our work with university students as part of the Mindpath Health team."

According to a recent report, Under Pressure: Inside the College Mental Health Crisis published by APM Reports, "Colleges have seen a substantial increase in students who have depression seeking mental health services in the past decade. Large numbers of students report depression, anxiety, and contemplating suicide and those numbers have been on the increase. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported, one-quarter of 18- to 24-year-olds surveyed reported having seriously considered suicide in the previous 30 days."

Mindpath Health has deep mental healthcare expertise; its providers form close working relationships with primary care physicians to ensure patients receive high quality coordinated care. With a focus on clinical excellence, providers can offer patients a range of treatments and modalities, including psychiatry, medication management, psychotherapy/counseling, family therapy/counseling, relationship/marital counseling, group therapy, psychological testing, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy.

About Mindpath Health

Mindpath Health is a leading, independent U.S. provider of high-quality outpatient behavioral health services that blends human connection with science-based care, to help guide people on their mental health journey and uplift the communities around them. With a team of more than 650 mental health clinicians, Mindpath Health provides a broad spectrum of psychiatry, including psychotherapy and TMS to more than 97,400 patients annually. We offer telehealth and in-person visits and coordinate care with primary care physicians and referring providers to ensure a focus on total health. Mindpath Health is in-network with most major health insurance providers and has more than 100 locations across California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, Ohio, Arizona and growing. Please visit mindpath.com to learn more.

All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Mindpath Health
"As one of the biggest drivers of the delivery of a clean energy future, we know we must also invest in the workforce needed to achieve net zero," said John Pettigrew, Chief Executive Officer, National Grid. "I strongly believe that National Grid can be a force for doing good. This scholarship fund is part of our continuing commitment to ensuring that our workforce is diverse and ready to bring fresh new ideas to fight climate change, the generational challenge we all face. I can't wait to bring these engineering students on board and support them as they prepare to lead the future."

Core to National Grid is the Company's Responsible Business Charter and an explicit commitment to forging a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive talent pool. National Grid is also committed to creating a culture where every colleague is valued for their unique skills, backgrounds, expertise, and insights. Diversity of identity brings fresh thinking and innovation, which is why National Grid is committed to achieving fifty-percent diversity across all Company new talent recruitment programs as well as among the senior leadership group by 2025.

National Grid Engineering Scholarship Program Criteria:

Be high school seniors, high school graduates or current college undergraduates residing and attending school in New York or Massachusetts

or Plan to enroll or be enrolled in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited four-year college or university in New York or Massachusetts for the entire upcoming academic year

or for the entire upcoming academic year Maintain a GPA score above 3.0 during scholarship program

Come from a home with a household income of less than 80% of the HUD median

Accepted into an engineering program

Accept a paid summer internship with National Grid in the summer of 2023 and each subsequent summer that the engineering student remains in the scholarship program

There is no requirement for the scholarship students to apply for or accept a position at National Grid, post-graduation

The deadline for applications is June 30, 2022. The program will be administered by Scholarship America. All interested parties can apply at: https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/ng-chargingourfuture/

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our fossil-free vision. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram

SOURCE National Grid
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the market research report published by P&S Intelligence, in 2021, the needle-free injection systems market size was $151.0 million, which is likely to progress with a 13.3% CAGR from 2021 to 2030, to reach $466.2 million by 2030. The growing diabetic populace, burgeoning occurrence of needle injuries, and dread of needles amongst individuals are the key drivers for the market.

The prefilled bifurcation, within the product segment, is predicted to witness the higher needle-free injection systems market CAGR, in excess of 14%, from 2021 to 2030. Additionally, the U.S. is the major buyer of these devices because of the high count of people with chronic diseases, including diabetes, in the nation. Further, these systems are mostly self-administering, thus help decrease the risk of infection and human dosing errors.

Get the sample pages of this report at: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/needle-free-injection-systems-market/report-sample

The higher revenue in the market was generated by reusable devices in the past, as they are cost-effective in the long run, with only the vial requiring regular purchase. The disposable bifurcation is projected to grow at a rapid rate in the years to come. This is because these variants prevent the cross-contamination and injuries associated with needles.

The major share of the revenue in the needle-free injection systems market was held by jet-based category, which is likely to grow with an approximately 14% CAGR. This would be owing to the shorter time consumed in preparing the medication, fewer accidental needlestick pricks, and a reduced risk of infections associated with these variants.

Hospitals and clinics account for the widest usage of these devices. This is credited to the technological improvements, growth in the need for immunization, and surge in the demand for medication delivery systems, because of the high footfall of patients at such centers. The swiftest increase in the usage of these devices is to be seen in home-care settings, because of the speedy increase in diabetic patient volume.

Needle-Free Injection Systems Market Regional Insights

In 2021, North America was the chief revenue contributor, with an over 40% share, and it is likely to be the market leader till 2030. This is because of the developed infrastructure for healthcare, increase in the patient awareness on safe infections, surge in the occurrence of enduring diseases, and rise in the spending on the development of needle-free injectors by medical device and pharma firms in the region.

was the chief revenue contributor, with an over 40% share, and it is likely to be the market leader till 2030. This is because of the developed infrastructure for healthcare, increase in the patient awareness on safe infections, surge in the occurrence of enduring diseases, and rise in the spending on the development of needle-free injectors by medical device and pharma firms in the region. The APAC needle-free injection systems market is likely to have the swiftest growth over this decade. This can be because of an increase in the income and surge in the healthcare expenditure emerging economies. Moreover, emerging economies have a vast unmet need for quality healthcare, which offers wide opportunities to players.

Browse detailed report on Global Needle-Free Injection Systems Market Size, Growth Drivers and Demand Forecast Report 2030

Needleless systems are vastly used for the delivery of insulin. This is credited to the massive diabetic population and the anxiety of needles among people. Diabetes was earlier majorly associated with the elderly, but now, pediatric diabetes is also becoming common. Moreover, since the risk of a needle-related injury does not exist, needle-free injections are a feasible option at homes, hospitals, and clinics.

Needle-Free Injection Systems Market Segmentation Analysis

By Product

Fillable

Prefilled

By Type

Liquid-Based

Projectile/Depot-Based

Powder-Based

By Technology

Jet-Based

Spring-Based

Laser-Powered

By Usability

Disposable

Reusable

By Delivery Site

Subcutaneous

Intramuscular

Intradermal

By Application

Vaccine Delivery

Insulin Delivery

Pain Management

By End User

Hospitals & Clinics

Home-Care Settings

Research Laboratories

Regional Outlook

North America

U.S.



Canada

Europe

Germany



France



U.K.



Italy



Spain

Asia-Pacific

China



India



Japan



Australia



South Korea

Latin America

Brazil



Mexico

Middle East & Africa

& Saudi Arabia



South Africa

Browse Other Reports Published by P&S

Global Aspiration and Biopsy Needles Market Size, Share and Demand Forecast Research Report

Global Hypodermic Needle Market Size, Share and Demand Forecast Research Report

Global Needle-Free Diabetes Management Market Size, Share and Demand Forecast Research Report

Global Prefilled Syringes Market Size, Share and Demand Forecast Research Report

About P&S Intelligence

P&S Intelligence provides market research and consulting services to a vast array of industries across the world. As an enterprising research and consulting company, P&S believes in providing thorough insights on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness. P&S keeps the interest of its clients at heart, which is why the insights we provide are both honest and accurate. Our long list of satisfied clients includes entry-level firms as well as multi-million-dollar businesses and government agencies.

Contact:

Prajneesh Kumar

P&S Intelligence

Phone: +1-347-960-6455

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.psmarketresearch.com

Follow Us: LinkedIn Twitter

SOURCE P&S Intelligence
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- nfinite, a leader in next-generation visualisation and e-commerce merchandising, announced today that it has raised $100 million in Series B funding led by global software investor Insight Partners, with participation from existing investor USVP (US Venture Partners).

The funding will be used to expand nfinite's global customer, engineering, and marketing operations to provide the scale and support needed to meet rapid market adoption of its SaaS-based visual e-merchandising platform. It will also help expand the nfinite 3D marketplace which comprises the world's most extensive community of 3D talent and tools dedicated to e-commerce.

The nfinite SaaS platform allows retailers to create, display, and manage unlimited product visuals through advanced CGI technology. It achieved a 10-fold growth in ARR in the last year and has been adopted by three of the world's top five global retailers.

Retail e-commerce is forecast to grow 50%, reaching sales of $7.4 trillion, over the next four years (source: Statista). As e-commerce grows, e-merchandising struggles with a legacy content stack that hampers the creation of high quality, flexible imagery, and truly immersive product experiences for online consumers. The nfinite SaaS-based end-to-end e-merchandising platform solves this problem by removing the technology, cost, and complexity barriers.

Said Alexandre de Vigan, nfinite founder and CEO: "E-commerce is increasingly virtual and consumers yearn for immersive online shopping and personalised experiences, yet e-merchandising - the link between the product, the consumer, and the online cart - was broken. So, we helped fix it by building a one-stop solution for creating, displaying, and managing unlimited product visuals almost instantly. By shifting retailers' visual production to computer-generated 3D imagery and helping them build digital catalogues at a fraction of the cost, the nfinite platform is transforming their e-commerce outcomes which can be measured in magnitudes of increased traffic, engagement, and sales."

Said Rebecca Liu-Doyle, Managing Director at Insight Partners, who has now joined the nfinite board: "nfinite is redefining the e-merchandising space with a platform that enables high quality visual content to be produced at scaleand the largest, most innovative online retailers are already taking note. The company has incredible growth potential and we couldn't be more excited to partner with Alex and the nfinite team to help them bring it to fruition."

The nfinite platform already provides visual assets compatible with Web2 and Web3 applications. As marketing teams explore the future potential of the Metaverse, the ability to create visual assets compatible with both the intense 3D visualisation, and 3D search engine requirements, will enable an organic transition and on-ramp.

About Insight Partners

Insight Partners is a global software investor partnering with in high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. As of February 24, 2022, the closing of the firm's recent fundraise, Fund XII, brings Insight Partners regulatory assets under management to over $90B. Insight Partners has invested in more than 600 companies worldwide and has seen over 55 portfolio companies achieve an IPO. Headquartered in New York City, Insight has offices in London, Tel Aviv, and Palo Alto. Insight's mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on software expertise to foster long-term success. Insight Partners meets great software leaders where they are in their growth journey, from their first investment to IPO. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit insightpartners.com or follow us on Twitter @insightpartners.

About nfinite

nfinite is a SaaS e-merchandising platform that empowers retailers to grow their business and compete in the digital age. It is a turnkey solution for creating, displaying, and managing unlimited product visuals through one seamless interface. Simplifying and scaling CGI technology, the nfinite platform enables companies to cut costs, lift logistical constraints, and accelerate their time to market, while reducing environmental impact. With unlimited visual production capacity, companies can enter the world of endless visual combinations, interactive experiences, and real-time personalised content. Visit nfinite.app for more information.

For more information contact:

Debbie Dingle

+1 415-259-6006

[email protected]

SOURCE nfinite
GAINESVILLE, Fla, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- O2B Kids, the leader in Florida's early education and child care industry, is opening the doors to a brand-new, cutting edge building for their 43rd location, O2B Kids Southwood. This new location expands O2B's reach to Tallahassee, Florida. O2B Kids is helping provide even more opportunities for families and children in this community. With a highly-acclaimed preschool program and dedicated childcare services, families are feeling the positive impact of O2B Kids' passion for providing a state of the art curriculum and positive learning environments to children, helping them grow and learn.

O2B Kids O2B Kids

O2B Kids Southwood facility is located in Tallahassee, Florida and has a multitude of offerings. Right now, Southwood is offering programs for children from infancy through school-age with options of preschool, an afterschool program, and a summer camp program.

The first five years of a person's life are the most important and brain science proves it! Research clearly shows that a child's early experiences with the world and interactions with adults collectively builds the brain's architecture  which creates the foundation for all future learning. Put simply, experiences wire the brain  and the more early experiences, the better!

The Southwood location is a brand-new building, as well, providing top-notch facilities for teachers and children alike. This facility also includes a beautiful play village that spans from an indoor play area to four fully fenced-in outdoor playgrounds to ensure additional security on-campus for all attendees.

In addition to the beautiful play village, O2B Kids Southwood has specially-designed, age-appropriate classrooms where children always have access to toys, technology, and tools that are specifically curated to improve learning and motor skills through play.

O2B Kids is a rapidly growing company focused on providing high-quality care and early education to children from infancy through school ages, and has 43 locations across Minnesota, Florida and Georgia with more on the way.

About O2B Early Education:

With excellent reviews across all 43 locations, O2B Early Education the parent company of O2B Kids. O2B Kids is a Florida based company that has helped shape the landscape of early education, preschool, and childcare. Under the O2B Early Education brand are O2B Kids, Cedars Preschool, Children of Tomorrow, The Child Center, and FD Education.. The company, founded in 1998, has provided excellent care and programs for children as young as newborns, all the way through school-age. The company, as a whole, is committed to providing a strong foundation of comprehensive early-education to children and creating a positive impact in their community.

Media contact:

Michelle M. Deschamps

Marketing Director

[email protected]

407-897-9251

o2bkids.com

cedarspreschool.com

childrenoftomorrow.com

cwagchildcenter.org

fdeducation.com

SOURCE O2B Kids
SAN DIEGO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OmniSync announces receiving a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 2 contract from the US Air Force and a commercial development contract from a large community development group to build and deploy its dual-use innovation discovery, due-diligence research, and funding platforms to increase the efficiency with which public and private capital is invested into unique, requirement-aligned technologies.

The US Air Force has contracted OmniSync to build and deliver software that enables rapid and robust technical market research, by discovering new, non-obvious connections between innovation-focused projects and requirements from airmen and cutting-edge capabilities from industry.

As a progression of its Phase 1 award received in 2021, OmniSync's Phase 2 contract was also awarded under the US Air Force's AFWERX SBIR/STTR program  these are highly competitive awards that support the development of innovative dual-use technologies that solve an important defense need, while also having strong commercialization potential.

Historically, the government's innovation acquisition process has relied on cumbersome, laborious, and often expensive market research to assess the current state-of-the-art. OmniSync will equip Air Force contracting officers and innovation cells with a novel tool that will provide deep knowledge of existing and upcoming cutting-edge technologies across the Air Force and industry, relevant to their requirements, ongoing missions, and projects, within seconds.

On a separate contract, a national group has also partnered with OmniSync to build a platform that aims to provide its startup community a single sign-on software system for raising dilutive and non-dilutive funding in parallel, while also offering funders, investors, grantmakers, and donors a systematic way to scout the best-fit technology, depending on their strategic focus.

"We love seeing technology get built by innovators and used by society. However, the lack of funding often hinders deep technology development, while the lack of its awareness can result in funding being spent/over-spent on duplicative projects. We want to help create a world in which innovation capital deployment is ably supported by deep, objective, data-driven knowledge of the current state-of-the-art of a technology area, as opposed to more traditional, limiting, and often biased approaches that may rely on anecdotal information or knowing the right people. Our AI/NLP algorithms take a more unbiased approach towards deciphering the objectives of projects, missions, and requirements, and discover new, non-obvious technical efforts that can contribute, augment, modify or at-times, abrogate the need for those projects completely, if repetitive," said Dr. Rupak Doshi, CEO of OmniSync Incorporated.

OmniSync is currently in technology-implementation discussions with Federal agencies, as well as with commercial entities, for whom, timely and accurate innovation tracking can better-support up to $billions in meaningful R&D funding allocations.

Air Force Research Laboratories (AFRL) and AFWERX, Air Force's innovation arm, have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) process in an attempt to speed up the experience, broaden the pool of potential applicants and decrease bureaucratic overhead. Beginning in SBIR 18.2, and now in 21.1, the Air Force has begun offering 'The Open Topic' SBIR/STTR program that is faster, leaner and open to a broader range of innovations.

OmniSync is a San Diego-based startup that uses a combination of best-in-class AI/NLP-powered innovation discovery tools, process automation software, and efficient expert-driven support systems to help democratize access to public/private innovation funds. Its flagship product, TurboSBIR is used by thousands of deep tech and life science startups to access agency-wide Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants and contracts to fund product development. OmniSync is VC-backed by strategically aligned firms, such as Govtech Fund, Longley Capital, and General Inception, among other innovation-focused family offices and angel investors. The company was selected among the top-performing tech startups in San Diego, twice in a row by San Diego Connect, and receives support from the ex-Googler founded venture studio, Launch Factory, and premier accelerators, Capital Factory and EvoNexus. Read more about OmniSync.

Media Contact:

Rupak Doshi

[email protected]

858-264-6546

SOURCE OmniSync Incorporated
Onbe receives gold and silver Golden Bridge Awards for success in DEI and client leadership

CHICAGO and PHILADELPHIA, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Onbe, a leading corporate disbursements platform, announced today that the Globee Awards, organizers of the world's premier business awards programs and business ranking lists, has named Onbe a winner in three categories in the 14th Annual 2022 Golden Bridge Business and Innovation Awards.

The coveted annual Golden Bridge Awards program recognizes and honors the world's best in organizational performance, products and services, innovations, executives and management teams, women in business and the professions, case studies and successful deployments, public relations and marketing campaigns, product management, websites, blogs, white-papers, videos, advertisements, creativity, partner programs and customer satisfaction programs from every major industry in the world.

More than 100 judges from around the world representing a wide spectrum of industry experts participated in the judging process. The Golden Bridge Awards are the world's premier business awards program honoring achievements in every industry around the world. Onbe is recognized alongside global brands like IBM, KPMG and Mount Sinai Health System for innovations in product development, cybersecurity and health care, respectively.

Onbe received a silver Globee for Achievement of the Year in Diversity for its emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion. The company has seen outstanding DEI results over the last two years after creating its employee-run DEI Council, BRIDGE (which stands for Bringing Resources of Inclusion and Diversity to Garner Equity), bringing on a Senior Director of Learning & DEI and investing in a DEI-focused team. Currently 50% of Onbe's leadership identify as women and 36% of its employee base identify as BIPOC.

"We are proud to be recognized by the Globees as an industry leader in DEI," said Jen Garrison, Chief People Officer at Onbe. "From employee-driven diversity initiatives to making our company policies more inclusive, Onbe places a high emphasis on DEI at all levels, and this recognition is a testament to that and the commitment we place on our core values."

Onbe's leadership also took home two prestigious awards. Leanne Kellam, Senior Director of Customer Care and Fraud & Risk Management, won a gold Globee for Customer Service & Support Leader of the Year. She was recognized for her perseverance during the tumultuous times of the pandemic, training and transitioning to a new BPO center while maintaining the highest levels of customer care. Melissa Hentschel, Chief Delivery Officer, won a silver Globee for Woman of the Year in Business & the Professions. She was recognized for her commitment to DEI  having spearheaded BRIDGE  and her focus on mentoring and raising up the next generation of female fintech leaders.

"Onbe's success in a broad range of award categories is a true demonstration of the growth and evolution we've experienced as a company over the last eighteen months," said Kevin Brown, Chief Marketing Officer at Onbe. Our intentionality and commitment to building a great culture with diversity of thought and experience has positioned Onbe well for success today and in the years to come, in close partnership with our clients."

See the complete list of 2022 winners here: https://globeeawards.com/golden-bridge-awards/winners/

Stay posted and read success stories of organizations by subscribing to the Globee Newsletter: https://globeeawards.com/subscribe/

About the Globee Awards

Globee Awards are conferred in nine programs and competitions: the American Best in Business Awards, Business Excellence Awards, CEO World Awards, Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards, Disruptor Company Awards, Golden Bridge Awards, Information Technology World Awards, Sales, Marketing, Service, & Operations Excellence Awards, and Women World Awards. Learn more about the Globee Awards at https://globeeawards.com

twitter @globeeawards #globeeawards #goldenbridgeawards

Subscribe to the Globee weekly Newsletter: https://globeeawards.com/subscribe/

Subscribe to Globee Awards YouTube channel

Follow Globee Awards on twitter

Follow Globee Awards on LinkedIn

About Onbe

With more than 25 years of industry experience and offices in Chicago, Philadelphia and London, Onbe is a fintech that manages and modernizes customer and workforce disbursements for corporate clients ranging from mid-market to the Fortune 500. Onbe's team of experts and technology platform offers clients a turnkey solution to offload their entire B2C payment operations, relieving them of the cost, complexity and risk that come with orchestrating these payments in-house. Backed by top-tier investors, Onbe delivers on today's consumer expectations for instant, digital and seamless payments. To learn more, visit www.onbe.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Contact

Marianne Dempsey

[email protected]

SOURCE Onbe
NEWARK, N.J., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic has announced that the company will release the firmware update program Ver.2.0 for the LUMIX GH6 to enhance performance and usability. The firmware program will be available at LUMIX Global Customer Support website https://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/ at UTC 1 a.m. on July 5, 2022.

Together with ATOMOS, a global company that creates innovative technologies and cloud services for filmmakers everywhere, Panasonic created new firmware which enables the output of up to 5.8K / 29.97p and C4K / 119.88p RAW video data over HDMI to be recorded as Apple ProRes RAW on ATOMOS NINJA V and NINJA V+ devices.

First introduced in February 2022, the highly-regarded LUMIX GH6 has been recognized for its exceptional video performance and handling among existing and new GH users worldwide. Over time, the GH6 will evolve with firmware updates to further enhance its performance and usability to meet the changing needs of creators.

GH6 Firmware Version 2.0

1. RAW video data output over HDMI function

-Apple ProRes RAW can be recorded on the ATOMOS NINJA V/V+.

Area Resolution Frame Rate Aspect HDMI Output Monitor/Recorder NINJA V+ NINJA V Micro Four Thirds 5728x3024 (5.7K) 59.94p / 50.00p 17:9 12-bit YES - 29.97p / 25.00p/ 23.98p YES 4096x2160 (C4K) 119.88p / 100.00p - 59.94p / 50.00p / 29.97p/ 25.00p/ 23.98p/ YES Micro Four Thirds

Anamorphic 5760x4320 (5.8K-A) 29.97p 4:3 - 25.00p / 23.98p YES 4352x3264 (4.4K-A) 59.94p / 50.00p -

A LUT (Lookup table) exclusively designed for RAW video recorded on NINJA V/V+ is available on the following customer support website to make the same color grading as V-Log/V-Gamut. It is easy to match colors between the footages recorded with Panasonic Varicam, EVA1 cameras to combine them. https://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/download/lut/s1h_raw_lut/index.html

*Selectable recording mode depends on the firmware version of NINJA V/V+. *Please refer to the ATOMOS website for the information on the corresponding firmware version of NINJA V/V+. *Software that supports Apple ProRes RAW is required to edit RAW video recorded with NINJA V/V+. *All functions may not be available depending on the situation.

2. Internal recording C4K 60p/FHD 60p in ProRes 422 HQ/ProRes 422 are available.

With this update, it is possible to load low compression and high-quality data directly to the PC without transcoding for smooth NLE (non-linear editing)

Major Apple ProRes 422 HQ / ProRes 422 Recording Modes

Firmware version System frequency Quality Shooting range Frame rate Bit rate Aspect ratio Recording media FULL PxP* CFexpress SD Ver.1.0 59.94Hz (NTSC) 5.7K (5728x3024) YES - 29.97p 1.9Gbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 17:9 YES - 1.3Gbps (ProRes 422) 23.98p 1.5Gbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 1.0Gbps (ProRes 422) 50.00Hz (PAL) 25.00p 1.6Gbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 1.1Gbps (ProRes 422) 24.00Hz (CINEMA) 24.00p 1.5Gbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 1.0Gbps (ProRes 422) NEW Ver.2.0 59.94Hz (NTSC) Cinema 4K (4096x2160) YES YES 59.94p 1.9Gbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 17:9 YES - 1.3Gbps (ProRes 422) 29.97p 972Mbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 648Mbps (ProRes 422) 23.98p 778Mbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 519Mbps (ProRes 422) FHD (1920x1080) YES YES 59.94p 454Mbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 16:9 YES YES 302Mbps (ProRes 422) 29.97p 227Mbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 151Mbps (ProRes 422) 23.98p 181Mbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 121Mbps (ProRes 422)

Firmware version System frequency Quality Shooting range Frame rate Bit rate Aspect ratio Recording media FULL PxP* CFexpress SD NEW Ver.2.0 50.00Hz (PAL) Cinema 4K (4096x2160) YES YES 50.00p 1.6Gbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 17:9 YES - 1.1Gbps (ProRes 422) 25.00p 811Mbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 541Mbps (ProRes 422) FHD (1920x1080) 50.00p 378Mbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 16:9 YES YES 252Mbps (ProRes 422) 25.00p 189Mbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 126Mbps (ProRes 422) 24.00Hz (CINEMA) Cinema 4K (4096x2160) YES YES 24.00p 779Mbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 17:9 YES - 519Mbps (ProRes 422) FHD (1920x1080) 24.00p 182Mbps (ProRes 422 HQ) 16:9 YES YES 121Mbps (ProRes 422)

*PxP = Pixel by Pixel

Apple and ProRes are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. ATOMOS, Ninja V+ and Ninja V are registered trademarks of ATOMOS Limited. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. All functions may not be available depending on the situation. Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.

About Panasonic Corporation of North America

Newark, NJ-based Panasonic Corporation of North America is a leading provider of Consumer Lifestyle technologies, as well as innovative Smart Mobility, Sustainable Energy, Immersive Experiences, and Integrated Supply Chain solutions. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Holdings Corporation. One of Interbrand's Top 100 Best Global Brands of 2021, Panasonic is a leading technology partner and integrator to businesses, government agencies and consumers across the region. Learn more about Panasonic's ideas and innovations at na.panasonic.com/us

Follow Press Updates for Panasonic Lumix:

Internet http://us.panasonic.com/news

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SOURCE Panasonic Corporation of North America
RentBarker's online platform has dismantled the rental process. Landlords compete for prescreened tenants, who use prospects' unique qualifications to provide the best price through RentBarker's proprietary bidding system.

Landlords also have the ability to search the only online database of tenants searching for units in their market. RentBarker's online platform acts as a marketplace for both landlords and renters with a unique tenant search tool offered to landlords and access to multiple units for prospective tenants.
The global nonprofit is collaborating with HOPE worldwide and its Global Disaster Response team, as well as its affiliates on the ground in Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Poland and Hungary. A combination of hot meals, food baskets or food vouchers will be delivered to families through the end of July. HOPE worldwide plans to serve residents in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, and Mykolaiv with a food parcel that will provide relief for up to 10 days. In some locations, bulk food supplies will be purchased locally and then assembled by HOPE worldwide's Ukraine staff and volunteers to meet the ongoing needs of families in peril.

To further extend the impact of the donation from Teleperformance, additional financial support was given through Feed the Children's individual donors as well as its corporate partners, AJC Cares, Sushi | Bar ATX, and Americold. By working in concert, these organizations hope to provide relief to nearly 1,700 families.

"In these unprecedented times, it's more important than ever to inspire greater hope,'' said Dave Malutinok, president and CEO of HOPE worldwide. "We've been working to provide families in Ukraine with food, medicine, and shelter since the crisis began. We're grateful for the great partnerships with Teleperformance and Feed the Children who are helping to change lives."

Teleperformance has been a long-time partner of Feed the Children, supporting its various disaster response initiatives through the donations it receives from its employees. Teleperformance then takes these gifts and empowers its employees to select humanitarian projects that they want to fund.

"Citizen of the World (COTW) is a global Teleperformance initiative to support the world's most vulnerable infants and children, and provide disaster relief in times of emergencies," said Clementine Gauthier, Global Head of CSR, Teleperformance. "Feed the Children has been a long-time valued partner of Teleperformance, and we are proud to work with them and HOPE worldwide on this critical need."

For more than 40 years, Feed the Children has mobilized its resources and responded when children needed food. Now, during the crisis in Ukraine, the nonprofit is grateful to its supporters who understand the urgent call to help create a world where no child goes to bed hungry.

"It is only through partnership and the generosity of our donors that we can respond during these critical times and reach families affected by tragedy," said Travis Arnold, president and CEO of Feed the Children. "Through our work with Teleperformance, Americold, AJC Cares, Sushi | Bar ATX and HOPE worldwide, we can support Ukrainians during this difficult time by providing them with food and vital resources."

Visit feedthechildren.org/disaster-response to learn more about how Feed the Children works with a vast network of community and corporate partners to provide disaster response around the world.

About Teleperformance Group

Teleperformance (TEP  ISIN: FR0000051807  Reuters: TEPRF.PA - Bloomberg: TEP FP), a leading global group in digitally integrated business services, serves as a strategic partner to the world's largest companies in many industries. It offers a One Office support services model combining three wide, high-value solution families: customer experience management, back-office services and business process knowledge services. These end-to-end digital solutions guarantee successful customer interaction and optimized business processes, anchored in a unique, comprehensive high-tech, high-touch approach. The Group's 380,000+ employees, based in 83 countries, support billions of connections every year in over 265 languages and over 170 markets, in a shared commitment to excellence as part of the "Simpler, Faster, Safer" process. This mission is supported by the use of reliable, flexible, intelligent technological solutions and compliance with the industry's highest security and quality standards, based on Corporate Social Responsibility excellence. In 2020, Teleperformance reported consolidated revenue of 5,732 million (US$6.5 billion, based on 1 = $1.14) and net profit of 324 million.

Teleperformance shares are traded on the Euronext Paris market, Compartment A, and are eligible for the deferred settlement service. They are included in the following indices: CAC 40, CAC Support Services, STOXX 600, S&P Europe 350 and MSCI Global Standard. In the area of corporate social responsibility, Teleperformance shares are included in the Euronext Vigeo Eurozone 120 index, the FTSE4Good index and the Solactive Europe Corporate Social Responsibility index (formerly Ethibel Sustainability Excellence Europe index).

For more information: www.teleperformance.com Follow us on Twitter: @teleperformance

About HOPE worldwide

HOPE worldwide is an international charity that changes lives through the compassion and commitment of dedicated staff and volunteers to deliver sustainable, high-impact, community-based services to the materially poor and needy. Today HOPE worldwide serves more than 1.5 million people annually on every inhabited continent. For over 30 years, motivated by God's love, HOPE worldwide continues to be an organization dedicated to serving, teaching, healing and loving communities made vulnerable due to poverty, disease or disasters. Together we can inspire greater hope in our world.

To learn more about HOPE worldwide visit hopeww.org. To learn more about HOPE worldwide's Ukraine relief efforts, visit hopeww.org/ukrainerelief. Connect on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter and TikTok for the most current news on programs around the world.

About Feed the Children

At Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids. We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and communities achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in eight countries. We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships.

Visit feedthechildren.org for more information.

SOURCE Feed the Children
LOS ANGELES, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SESAC Performing Rights hosted its annual Film & Television Composer Awards at the Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, California, on Thursday, June 2. The invitation-only event was attended by some of the industry's top executives, publishers, and composers. The awards dinner honored SESAC's top composers in the categories of film, network television, local television, cable television, and streaming media.

"This year seems particularly special, as we join together to celebrate the achievements of our writers," said Erin Collins, SESAC's Vice President of Film, Television, and Developing Media. "We're thrilled to have some new faces and honored to represent our legacy composers. We are always humbled by the incredible talent and accomplishments of our composers and grateful we can come together as a community to celebrate their successes."

Christophe Beck was honored for his film composition of Free Guy, while Andy Grush and Taylor Stewart  The Newton Brothers  were honored for The Forever Purge. In other categories, several television composers including Danny Lux, Gabriel Mann, and Jon Ehrlich, took home awards, recognizing the compositions to some of the industry's most popular shows to include A Million Little Things, Grey's Anatomy, Manifest, The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Drew Barrymore Show, and many more.

For a fill list of honorees, click here.

About SESAC Performing Rights:

SESAC Performing Rights is the second oldest PRO in the U.S. It drives efficiency in licensing for music users and enhances value for its affiliated writers, publishers, and composers by providing timely, efficient royalty collection and distribution. SESAC represents thousands of top-tier songwriters and film composers from a broad range of genres including artists such as Adele, Christophe Beck, Rosanne Cash, David Crosby, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Lalah Hathaway, Kesha, Gabriel Mann and many more. SESAC Music Group is a leader and innovator in music licensing that administers public performance, mechanical, and other rights through SESAC Performing Rights and its affiliates including The Harry Fox Agency, Rumblefish, and Mint Digital Services. SESAC Music Group has offices in New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, London and Munich.

Media Contact:

Jenna Smith

SESAC Inc.

[email protected]

615.932.7905

SOURCE SESAC Music Group
SUMMIT, N.J., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Simplicity Group ("Simplicity") today announced the acquisition of the Eagle Team, LLC ("Eagle Team"), an independent organization specializing in life and annuity sales and distribution. With this deal, Simplicity welcomes five new partners: John Baker, Steve Buller, Chad Castle, Greg Gall, and Chris Lester. Eagle Team will continue to manage its day-to-day business operations while transitioning to the Simplicity brand.

"The Eagle Team's leadership  John, Steve, Chad, Greg and Chris  have, for many years, been seen as leaders in the appropriate positioning of insurance products within a comprehensive financial plan. We have enjoyed a long partnership with the Eagle Team and we are thrilled to expand our existing life insurance oriented relationship, particularly on the annuity and wealth management side of the business," said Bruce Donaldson, President and CEO of Simplicity. "Our goals and values are well aligned, and the team is poised for extraordinary growth with Simplicity's full resources behind them."

"On behalf of everyone at Eagle Team, we are excited to join Simplicity and expand our already successful relationship," said Steve Buller, Partner, Eagle Team. "Simplicity's unrivaled producer support, product access and best-in-class marketing resources will be invaluable to us as we continue to serve leading agents and advisors across the country."

About Eagle Team

Through regular training and teaching, the Eagle Team leaders have a long history of empowering financial professionals to best serve their clients. The Eagle Team leaders are producers helping producers, providing support from lead generation to sales process to access to leading products and services. For more information, please visit www.eagleteamfp.com.

About Simplicity Group

The Simplicity Group is one of the nation's largest and fastest-growing financial product distribution companies, which has had 37 distribution businesses join its partnership (including Eagle Team). Each of Simplicity's operating businesses is directed by its local management team and benefits from access to Simplicity's group resources. Through partnership with top distribution organizations and technology companies, Simplicity seeks to provide compelling business solutions that will attract the industry's best leadership, talent, advisors, agents and future partners.

Simplicity supports independent financial advisors and agents across the country with investment, annuity and life insurance solutions with a focus on client education, consumer value and partnership. For more information about Simplicity, please visit: www.simplicitygroup.com and follow the Company on LinkedIn .

MEDIA CONTACTS

Denielle Webb Alex Timeus Simplicity Group Simplicity Group P: 347-204-7181 / E: [email protected] P: 201-987-7176 / E: [email protected]

SOURCE Simplicity Group
SKYMINT's VP of Creative Strategy, Sarah Bullock, has selected New York based illustrator Mister Bodega to present its first offering in the Series.

"Connection, Creativity, and Collaboration are three of our core values at SKYMINT. With this new series we aim to celebrate artists and musicians, giving them a platform to showcase their creativity while giving back to our community. We are excited to launch the series in June in celebration of Pride." Sarah Bullock, VP of Creative Strategy for SKYMINT.

Mister Bodega, the nom de plume of Austin Reed, has recently begun to explore product and packaging design as an extension of his own creative brand and was thrilled when SKYMINT approached him to collaborate on this exciting new creative endeavor.

"When SKYMINT reached out to me they asked me to create something I felt good about for Pride month. I immediately thought of the Pride parade. When you are young and queer going to something like that is life changing." Austin Reed (Mister Bodega), SKYMINT's inaugural Artist in Residence.

The product assortment will include Pre-rolls and Eighths (3.5g) of SKYMINT's newest strain, Lemon Mintz.

Debuting in June as part of SKYMINT's statewide Pride celebration, proceeds from the sale of items within this highly anticipated lineup will benefit Transgender Michigan. Mister Bodega worked closely with SKYMINT to identify and select Transgender Michigan , a Michigan-based LGBTQ nonprofit, as their benefactor. Transgender Michigan's primary mission is to provide advocacy, support and education while serving to create coalitions in the state of Michigan to unify and empower transgender and gender non-conformist communities.

The collection will be available at all Skymint Premium Cannabis retail stores and select 3Fifteen Cannabis retail stores beginning on June 1st. For further details about SKYMINT's Artist Collaboration Series and to learn more, please visit www.skymint.com.

ABOUT MISTER BODEGA

Austin Reed, also known as Mister Bodega, is a queer graphic designer and illustrator living in Brooklyn, NY with his husband and thirteen-year-old cat. He has been illustrating for three years and is influenced by the nostalgic cartoons and movies of his childhood, as well as folk art and ancient civilizations. He is inspired by the processes that artists from early cultures used to visually communicate their message. Follow him on Instagram @misterbodega.

ABOUT SKYMINT

Beginning operations in Fall 2018 and headquartered in Ann Arbor, SKYMINT is Michigan's leading vertically integrated cannabis company and the state's largest recreational license holder. With two state-of-the-art indoor grow facilities as well as SKYMINT Farms, a 1000-acre sun-grown, sustainable farm, the company cultivates, processes, markets, distributes and sells a full range of branded cannabis products, including SKYMINT, North Cannabis, Jolly Edibles, the Two Joints brand, which benefits the Last Prisoner Project. Just as SKYMINT treats its plants like people - tending to and caring for them by hand, and even playing them music - each and every product is handcrafted to ensure the safest, cleanest, highest quality products at the best value. SKYMINT products can be found at all SKYMINT and 3Fifteen retail locations across Michigan. As purveyors of premium-crafted cannabis, SKYMINT has developed a portfolio of the finest cannabis brands available for daily wellness, healing, or just getting high on life. Visit www.skymint.com

SOURCE Skymint Brands
Learn about crucial advisory and intelligence that can assist buyers in identifying and shortlisting the most suitable suppliers for their dairy product requirements. Some of the leading Stainless Steel suppliers profiled extensively in this report are Outokumpu Oyj, JFE Holdings Inc., and Acerinox SA.

Request a FREE sample report to access more information on other key market vendors and vendor analysis.

Stainless Steel Procurement: Pricing Insights

It is crucial to keep track of current and future Stainless Steel price trends to completely optimize the value of the purchase, both from current cash outflow as well as overall cost and benefit perspective. Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by constant monitoring of price influencing factors described in the report.

Pricing insights presented in this report cover pricing benchmarks and the trends and strategies that can help optimize cost savings.

Request for a FREE sample to access the definite purchasing guide on the Stainless Steel that answers all your key questions on price trends and analysis:

Am I paying/getting the right prices? Is my Stainless Steel TCO (total cost of ownership) favorable?

How is the price forecast expected to change? What is driving the current and future price changes?

Which pricing models offer the most rewarding opportunities?

Stainless Steel Sourcing and Procurement Market Report Key Details:

Report Specs Details Spend growth (CAGR) 5.58% Incremental spend USD 36 Billion Pricing models Time-based pricing model, and Value-based pricing model Supplier selection scope Talent pool, Execution excellence, Technological capabilities, and Regulatory compliance. Market dynamics Regional category spend in terms of percentage with respect to North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa and APAC and global category spend and CAGR in terms of percentage over a span of 5 years.

Download a free sample of this report now: https://spendedge.com/stainless-steel-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

What are the Key Data Covered in this Stainless Steel Sourcing and Procurement Market Report?

Detailed insights and analysis of the major cost drivers, volume drivers, and innovations of the Stainless Steel procurement and sourcing market.

Precise estimation of procurement strategies deployed by major category end-users across several industries while sourcing for Stainless Steel requirements.

Accurate predictions on upcoming trends and changes in vendor behavior.

Analysis into various supplier selection criteria, RFX questions, supplier evaluation metrics, and the service level agreements.

Insight into the most adopted procurement strategies by buyers across industries and an analysis of these strategies with respect to innovation, regulatory compliance, quality, supply, and cost.

Comprehensive details about each pricing model and the pros and cons attached to every pricing model prevalent in the market.

Best Selling Report in the Materials Category:

Printing Ink Sourcing and Procurement Report : This report offers detailed insights and analysis of the major cost drivers, volume drivers, and innovations of the printing ink procurement and sourcing market, which the global suppliers have been leveraging to gain a competitive edge across regions. Read More

This report offers detailed insights and analysis of the major cost drivers, volume drivers, and innovations of the printing ink procurement and sourcing market, which the global suppliers have been leveraging to gain a competitive edge across regions. Read More Industrial Gases Market Top Spending Regions and Market Price Trends: Only a few regions will drive the majority of this growth. Moreover, on the supply side, North America , Europe , and APAC will have the maximum influence owing to the supplier base. Know More

Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contact

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SOURCE SpendEdge
NOVI, Mich., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stoneridge, Inc. (NYSE: SRI) today announced that Jon DeGaynor, president and chief executive officer, and Matt Horvath, chief financial officer, will participate in the Deutsche Bank Global Auto Industry Conference with a presentation at 1:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 16, 2022. Details on how to join the presentation via webcast will be posted to the "Investors/Webcasts & Presentations" section of the Company's website (www.stoneridge.com) prior to the presentation.

About Stoneridge, Inc.

Stoneridge, Inc., headquartered in Novi, Michigan, is a global designer and manufacturer of highly engineered electrical and electronic components, modules and systems for the automotive, commercial, off-highway and agricultural vehicle markets. Additional information about Stoneridge can be found at www.stoneridge.com.

SOURCE Stoneridge, Inc.
SuperMeat will use the funding to set up the world's largest open high-throughput system for cultivated meat media ingredients, supplements and cell scaffolds for cultivated meat production. As part of this effort, SuperMeat partnered with Thermo Fisher Scientific, which provided the world's most advanced screening platform and will support the development and operation of the system. The system will allow SuperMeat to screen hundreds of thousands of materials every month, helping identify the highest quality ingredients with the lowest costs.

By optimizing the ingredients for the cell feed (media), SuperMeat will be able to significantly lower production costs, and improve product quality  providing an open standard for cell feed ingredients that can be used by cultivated meat companies around the world moving toward commercialization.

"The Israeli Innovation Authority has long been a leader in innovation of all kinds. We are honored to receive its support to help pave the way to a standard for a healthier, more sustainable food system for all," says Ido Savir, CEO of SuperMeat. "The system establishment supported by this grant will allow SuperMeat to leverage the cultivated meat production technology it has built to help reduce costs and provide the cultivated meat industry an open platform for commercialization through its strategic partners globally."

This announcement comes on the heels of two strategic partnerships for SuperMeat to further the path to commercialization. Most recently the company announced a strategic partnership with Ajinomoto, a global food ingredient and biotechnology leader, to establish a commercially viable supply chain platform for the cultivated meat industry. SuperMeat has also signed a memorandum of understanding with PHW Group , one of Europe's largest poultry producers and the only company from the meat industry to rank among the 50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders, to manufacture and distribute cultivated meat at a large scale for European consumers.

Through its partnerships paired with the introduction of the open cell feed optimization system, SuperMeat aims to help remove the greatest barrier for cultivated meat commercialization, the cost of cell feed, and move forward commercial viability for the industry as a whole.

For more information on the company, visit www.SuperMeat.com .

About SuperMeat

SuperMeat, headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, is a food-tech company working to supply the world with high-quality meat grown directly from animal cells. The company's products offer a delicious meat experience and a high-quality nutritional profile, while being manufactured in a sustainable, slaughter-free way. SuperMeat's proprietary cultivated meat platform allows food companies to be at the forefront of the emerging cultivated meat industry and manufacture a wide range of products containing cultivated meat inside. SuperMeat is the first B2B company to address the entire category of poultry meat from fat to muscle, providing a complete solution to cultivated meat production. The company has been showcasing the versatility of its meat platform in various events at its pilot production plant, The Chicken , the world's first farm-to-fork facility for local meat production, and is planning to host additional events in the near future.

SOURCE SuperMeat
The $50,000 grant from the Kendeda Fund and 1Earth Fund is made possible by Journalism Funding Partners

ATLANTA, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has received a $50,000 donation from the Kendeda Fund and 1Earth Fund to expand coverage of climate change in Georgia. The one-year grant, made possible by Journalism Funding Partners, will be used to increase the volume and depth of reporting on how climate change is affecting metro Atlanta and the state.

Georgia is vulnerable and is already experiencing dangerous heat, stronger storms and more frequent flooding. With its diverse landscape from mountains to coastal marshlands, the state is expected to see even more dramatic impacts to its livability and economy as climate change accelerates.

With this funding, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will be able to go beyond the daily news and take a deeper look at how the changing environment will affect Atlantans' everyday lives. The newspaper currently employs one climate and environmental reporter, Drew Kann, who joined in October 2021 from CNN.

"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is known for our in-depth reporting and our willingness to pursue complex stories where the stakes are high," said Kevin Riley, editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Climate change is a topic where real, in-depth reporting can make a lasting impact, and we're thankful we've secured partners who also see the clarity credible journalism can bring to this issue."

How Philanthropy is Helping The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Like many newspapers across the country, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is seeking to build partnerships with community and philanthropic organizations to support in-depth journalism for high-impact topics. Along with subscriptions and advertising, donations are another way the community can support the mission of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and ensure the newspaper is able to serve the public for decades to come.

Partners who choose to fund projects with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution understand the value of editorial independence and respect journalistic integrity. As with all community partnerships, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will retain editorial control of its content.

Journalism Funding Partners is a nonprofit that specializes in connecting donors with news organizations and helped make this grant possible.

"Journalism is vital to the health of our democracy and the overall health of communities," said Rusty Coats, executive director of Journalism Funding Partners. "We believe The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a valuable role to play in helping Georgians understand the threat of climate change and what should be done to mitigate the risks."

Funds provided through this philanthropic initiative will allow the newspaper to hire and assign staff to cover topics it was either unable to cover or cover sufficiently to satisfy the need. The AJC will be transparent about which people or organizations provided support to make special projects like this possible.

To contribute to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's climate initiative, please visit www.ajc.com/donate/climate

About The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is dedicated to uncovering the truth, protecting the public's right to know and pressing on to help build a better metro Atlanta and Georgia. We are the leading source of news, information and advertising for metropolitan Atlanta. We reach more than 7 million unique online visitors each month and more than 125,000 subscribers support our mission to produce real, local journalism. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises Inc.

SOURCE Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BLYTHEVILLE, Ark., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The GreenShoots Foundation , a nonpartisan organization dedicated to uplifting people across the social fabric of America, is reporting that its Covid-19 vaccine awareness campaign is picking up momentum nationally. Established by Ted and Cheryl Huffman, the grassroots initiative originated with a PSA campaign focused on rural communities in Ted's beloved home state of Arkansas.

The campaign kicked off in November 2021 with a touching PSA about a father's journey overcoming vaccine hesitancy. The PSA achieved widespread visibility across TV, radio, and billboards, with data revealing an uptick in vaccination rates in Arkansas communities that received the heaviest PSA play.

To view the PSA, "Life. Your Journey. Your Choice." please visit: https://vimeo.com/684005023

In the three months after the release of the PSA campaign, Pulaski County, which contains Little Rock, Arkansas' capital and largest city, saw an increase of +9% over similar markets in neighboring Mississippi without access to the PSA campaign, such as Harrison County and others, which experienced a drop in vaccination rate among the unvaccinated population during the same time period.

Less populated rural communities, such as Arkansas' Chicot County, experienced vaccination rate improvements within five weeks of the introduction of the campaign as compared to rural counties in neighboring Oklahoma, like Blaine, Pushmataha, and Beckham County, which all experienced a drop in vaccine rate over the same period.

In early March, the campaign began to spread organically into small and mid-sized markets outside of Arkansas, generating more than 103,000 donated broadcasts in Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma, Montana, Maryland, Wisconsin, Idaho, West Virginia, Ohio, South Carolina, Alaska, Michigan, Wyoming, Illinois, Tennessee, Utah, and Kentucky.

"We are deeply humbled by the response to this campaign," remarks Ted Huffman. "To see how the message continues to resonate across so many other state lines truly makes our initial hopes for this campaign all the more remarkable and gratifying."

"The spread of this campaign is the traditional media equivalent of going viral," adds Rich Quigley, SVP, Group Director, PR Services at DEFINITION 6 , the agency that spearheaded the campaign. "All the credit goes to Ted and Cheryl Huffman, whose strong vision and personal connection to the people of Arkansas was the key to crafting a sincere message that is now resonating in communities across America."

"When you look at the success of this campaign, I believe it comes down to the representation of core human desires and needs, which are universal and apolitical, like respect, health, and safety," concludes Ted Huffman. "We hope the word will continue to spread and encourage even more people to consider vaccination."

TV and radio stations in Arkansas wishing to air the PSA can download media assets here .

Media in rural communities outside of Arkansas can download assets here .

About The GreenShoots Foundation:

Founded in 2021 by Ted and Cheryl Huffman, The GreenShoots Foundation is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to uplifting people across the social fabric of America. An agricultural term describing the moment when a plant first breaks ground, the GreenShoots name symbolizes the renewal that springs forth after a period of winter, drought, or darkness.

www.thegreenshootsfoundation.org

Media contact:

Mark Tillman

[email protected]

SOURCE The GreenShoots Foundation
More than $8 million in incremental grants to nonprofit organizations will help house thousands of veterans nationwide

ATLANTA, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With more than 37,000 veterans estimated to be experiencing homelessness, The Home Depot Foundation has granted an additional $8 million to nonprofit partners as part of its overall commitment of half of a billion dollars to veteran causes. Individuals who have served in the U.S. military continue to be overrepresented in the homeless adult population, based on estimates from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Home Depot Foundation has been actively working to combat the crisis for the past decade. These latest grants will fund construction and renovation of more than 800 housing units, short-term residential programs, supportive services and other programs aimed at bringing an end to veteran homelessness.

"Over the past decade, The Home Depot Foundation has invested over $110 million to ensure our nation's heroes are able to successfully transition out of homelessness through access to housing and supportive services," said Shannon Gerber, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. "While the factors leading to the issue are complex, the mission is clear: together, we must end veteran homelessness. We're proud to partner with organizations committed to bringing this vision to life."

The Foundation has partnered with leading national nonprofit organizations to ensure our nation's heroes have access to affordable housing, including the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans, Volunteers of America, Community Solutions and Housing Assistance Council. New grants to these organizations will:

Help thousands of veterans experiencing homelessness in major cities move into housing

Provide for new construction and rehabilitation of permanent supportive housing units and transitional housing units

Make more affordable housing resources and tools available

Help low-income veterans at risk of homelessness in rural communities access affordable housing

"Volunteers of America is committed to ending veteran homelessness and preventing others from becoming homeless, and, through this grant of $1.9 million from The Home Depot Foundation, we'll be able to provide services and housing to more veterans across the nation," said Tanisha Smith, vice president of corporate partnerships for Volunteers of America. "Through emergency and transitional housing, mental health, case management, employment and mentorship services, we're committed to helping veterans overcome the barriers that stand between them and a stable, secure life."

Through the Foundation's Veteran Housing Grant program, more than $3.7 million will be distributed to nonprofits making a direct impact in their local communities. The Foundation's $1 million investment in the greater Los Angeles area will help U.S.VETS and Century Villages at Cabrillo, Inc. construct more than 200 new units of housing for low-income veterans and those experiencing homelessness. In Orlando, The Home Depot Foundation's grant will support Step Up on Second Street, Inc. with the construction of 101 units of permanent supportive housing, with 30 units reserved for veterans and their families. Additional funds have been granted to nonprofits working in Atlanta, San Francisco, Tampa, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon, among other cities.

About The Home Depot Foundation

The Home Depot Foundation works to improve the homes and lives of U.S. veterans, support communities impacted by natural disasters and train skilled tradespeople to fill the labor gap. Since 2011, the Foundation has invested more than $400 million in veteran causes and improved more than 50,000 veteran homes and facilities. The Foundation has pledged to invest half of a billion dollars in veteran causes by 2025 and $50 million in training the next generation of skilled tradespeople through the Path to Pro program. To learn more about The Home Depot Foundation visit HomeDepotFoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @HomeDepotFound and on Facebook and Instagram @HomeDepotFoundation.

SOURCE The Home Depot Foundation
COLUMBIA, Md., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The State of Maryland has partnered with CRISP, Maryland's state-designated health information exchange (HIE), and Medisolv, a leader in quality management software, to become the first state in the country to successfully receive Electronic Clinical Quality Measure (eCQM) data from Maryland hospitals under a new quality reporting mandate.

eCQMs are standardized performance measures that track a hospital's quality of care using data from the organization's Electronic Health Record (EHR). Hospitals are required to submit eCQMs annually as part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service's (CMS) Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) program and to The Joint Commission as part of its hospital accreditation.

Under the new State of Maryland initiative, hospitals are required to submit quality performance data on a quarterly basis via the Medisolv Submission Portal integrated with CRISP's HIE portal. This will enable the state to evaluate hospital performance, identify statewide areas for improvement, and incorporate benchmarks into policy development in a timely and consistent manner. The information gained on hospital performance will also provide the opportunity for the Maryland Health Care Commission to expand its reporting and transparency to the public.

"The State of Maryland has always been a leader when it comes to quality reporting, and this initiative aligns with our goal of delivering the right health information to the right place at the right time," said Dianne Feeney, Associate Director of Quality Initiatives for the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission. "We are proud to once again lead the way in this space, and we hope to see other states adopt this model of reporting, because it will ultimately lead to safer and more equitable, efficient, and effective care for our nation's patients."

In the pilot phase of the project, 35 hospitals successfully submitted eCQM data through the CRISP/Medisolv Submission Portal for the optional 2021 performance period. Starting July 15, 2022, all Maryland hospitals are expected to submit their 2022 performance period eCQM data on a quarterly schedule.

"For more than a decade, Medisolv has empowered healthcare organizations to electronically capture, improve, and submit their quality data to CMS. Now, with this partnership, we have demonstrated that organizations other than the federal government can collect eCQM data to evaluate and advance the quality of care being delivered today," said Zahid Butt, M.D., CEO of Medisolv. "We are honored to partner with CRISP and the State of Maryland to blaze new trails in statewide digital quality measures reporting as envisioned by CMS in its digital quality measures (dQM) roadmap for the nation."

About Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission

The Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) is an independent State agency with seven Commissioners appointed by the Governor. The commission is authorized to establish hospital rates for all Maryland hospitals to promote cost containment, access to care, equity, financial stability, and hospital accountability.

About Maryland Health Care Commission

The Maryland Health Care Commission is an independent regulatory agency whose mission is to plan for health system needs, promote informed decision-making, increase accountability, and improve access in a rapidly changing health care environment by providing timely and accurate information on availability, cost, and quality of services to policy makers, purchasers, providers, and the public. They maintain the Maryland Health Care Quality Reports website which is a consumer-friendly tool to help assist consumers in making informed healthcare decisions and to promote greater transparency and accountability among healthcare providers.

About CRISP

CRISP is a regional health information exchange (HIE) serving Maryland, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, and the surrounding regions. A non-profit organization advised by a wide range of stakeholders who are responsible for healthcare throughout the region, CRISP has been formally designated as Maryland's statewide HIE by the Maryland Health Care Commission. HIEs allow clinical information to move electronically among disparate health information systems. For more information about CRISP, visit www.crisphealth.org.

About Medisolv, Inc.

Medisolv is the leading healthcare quality data management company. Their all-in-one quality management solution, ENCOR, provides tools that help healthcare organizations with core measure abstraction, electronic measure capture in the hospital and ambulatory settings, data aggregation from multiple sources, and submission to various reporting entities including CMS, TJC, other payers, state entities, and reporting organizations such as ACOs.

ENCOR is 2015 Cures Edition ONC certified for all ambulatory and hospital electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) and Medisolv is a 2022 CMS-approved MIPS Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR).

For more information about Medisolv, visit www.medisolv.com.

SOURCE Medisolv
LM's solar plant is part of the "Framework Agreement for Academic Collaboration and Technical Assistance" signed between GWE and UP through which GWE will provide UP funding to support the continued development of Panama's renewable energy sector, including scholarship grants, research and development programs, training, internships, laboratory equipment, and more. Once the agreement ends on year 20, ownership of the solar facility will be transferred to UP for remainder of the plant's life cycle.

The 40-megawatt solar project, which is currently in pre-construction, is expected to break ground in the third quarter of 2022. This scalable partnership model is the second launched by GWE in Latin America, and will allow UP to become the first public university in Latin America to be entirely powered by renewable energy sources. LM's solar plant will cover a surface of 40 hectares owned by UP, supplying clean energy to power the university for more than 35 years and preventing 380,000 tons of CO2 emissions during that timeframe.

Panama has one of the most diversified energy matrixes in Latin America, with 60% of its power coming from renewable resources, and mostly hydroelectric. With the reliance on hydropower, Panama's energy security has been significantly impacted as climate change has slowed the flow of rivers which make up almost half of Panama's energy resources. As a result, Panamanian people have faced increasingly unstable power supplies and highly fluctuating and costly energy rates.

"Our goal is not only to create and scale renewable energy projects, but most importantly to build the infrastructure, including a knowledge base, for the long-term," said Menelao Mora de la Lastra, Senior Vice President of Greenwood Energy. "We are honored to be entrusted by the University of Panama with this important initiative. Alma Mater follows our partnership with the Indigenous tribes of Colombia and shows what is possible when community is at the heart of development."

"Alma Mater represents a step further in the transformation and modernization of the University, following our roadmap towards academic consolidation," said Eduardo Flores Castro, Rector of the University of Panama. "This project strengthens the innovative force of our institution by placing technology at the center of education. Through the development of new sustainable methodologies such as this solar facility, our University is more than ready to have an active role in the transformation of society, setting an example for other institutions around the globe to follow."

"This partnership represents Libra Group's commitment to reimaging development through our subsidiaries around the world. This includes creating dynamic and scalable models that advance economic and educational opportunity for future leaders and laying the building blocks for purpose-led development," said Libra Group Chairman and CEO George Logothetis. "We're proud to work with a University that shares our belief that creating a more sustainable planet is the only path forward for global institutions and look forward to following the future of this important project."

About University of Panama

Since its foundation in 1935, the University of Panama ( www.up.ac.pa ) has been steadily expanding into the largest higher education institution of the country, counting with 90,548 students and 4,696 professors and teaching staff, supported by an administrative workforce of 4,605 people. With two campuses in Panama City, and 17 Regional Centers and University Extensions across the country, the University of Panama is dedicated to the training of professionals and citizens to empower their higher capacities, integrity, humanitarism, innovation, social commitment, while encouraging a proactive participation in the transformation of society. Under the guidance of sustainable human development and the principles of education, the University promotes public social good, in accordance with the universal right and a duty of the Panamanian state.

About Greenwood Energy and the Libra Group

Greenwood Energy ( www.greenwood.energy ) is one of the clean energy subsidiaries of the Libra Group ( www.libra.com ), an international business group whose subsidiaries own and operate assets in more than 50 countries. Greenwood Energy is currently developing or managing close to 180 MW of on-site solar energy systems for public and private sector organizations wishing to offset their energy costs in Latin America, including the first utility-scale project in Panama.

The Libra Group is predominately active in six sectors, including renewable energy, aviation, hospitality, real estate, and shipping as well as selected diversified investments. Along with Greenwood Energy, Libra Group subsidiaries including Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure ( www.greenwoodinfra.com ) in North America, and Euro Energy ( www.euroenergy.com ) will soon reach the one-gigawatt development mark in renewable energy, which includes solar, wind and waste-to-energy in six countries.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Cristina Aby-Azar | [email protected] | 917-754-1559

Ben Finzel | [email protected] | 202-277-6286

SOURCE Libra Group
DUBLIN, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market (2022-2027) by Installation Type, Wattage Type, End-Use Application, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market is estimated to be USD 20.81 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 46.04 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 17.21%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Astute Lighting Ltd, Bajaj Electrical Ltd, Bamford Lighting Ltd, CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd, Cree Inc, Dialight plc, Eaton Corp plc, Evluma, General Electric Company, Halco Lighting Technologies, etc.

Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.



The analyst analyses the Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.



Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, The analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.



Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Need for Improvement in Energy-Efficient Lighting Systems for Highways and Pedestrian for Safety of Drivers

4.1.2 High Demand for LED Lighting Driven By the Modernization and Development of Infrastructures Such as Smart Cities and Economic Corridors

4.1.3 Reduction in Prices of LEDs

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 Lack of Awareness Regarding Installation Costs for Smart Lighting and Payback Periods

4.2.2 Development of Laser Lights as Alternative Technologies

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Development of Wireless Technology for LED Street Lighting Systems

4.3.2 Energy Efficiency in Developing Economies

4.3.3 IoT Technology in Smart Street Lighting and Smart City Projects

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Lack of Common Open Standards

4.4.2 Rapid Rise in Product Testing Costs

4.4.3 Lack of Customer Ownership in Utility-Owned Street Lighting



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market, By Installation Type

6.1 Introduction

6.2 New Installation

6.3 Retrofit Installation



7 Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market, By Wattage Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Less Than 50 W

7.3 50-150 W

7.4 More Than 150 W



8 Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market, By End-Use Application

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Highway and Roadway

8.3 Architectural

8.4 Public Places

8.5 Others



9 Americas' Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Argentina

9.3 Brazil

9.4 Canada

9.5 Chile

9.6 Colombia

9.7 Mexico

9.8 Peru

9.9 United States

9.10 Rest of Americas



10 Europe's Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Austria

10.3 Belgium

10.4 Denmark

10.5 Finland

10.6 France

10.7 Germany

10.8 Italy

10.9 Netherlands

10.10 Norway

10.11 Poland

10.12 Russia

10.13 Spain

10.14 Sweden

10.15 Switzerland

10.16 United Kingdom

10.17 Rest of Europe



11 Middle East and Africa's Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Egypt

11.3 Israel

11.4 Qatar

11.5 Saudi Arabia

11.6 South Africa

11.7 United Arab Emirates

11.8 Rest of MEA



12 APAC's Global Outdoor LED Lighting Market

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Australia

12.3 Bangladesh

12.4 China

12.5 India

12.6 Indonesia

12.7 Japan

12.8 Malaysia

12.9 Philippines

12.10 Singapore

12.11 South Korea

12.12 Sri Lanka

12.13 Thailand

12.14 Taiwan

12.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



13 Competitive Landscape

13.1 Competitive Quadrant

13.2 Market Share Analysis

13.3 Strategic Initiatives

13.3.1 M&A and Investments

13.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

13.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



14 Company Profiles

14.1 Astute Lighting Ltd

14.2 Bajaj Electrical Ltd

14.3 Bamford Lighting Ltd

14.4 CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd

14.5 Cree Inc

14.6 Dialight plc

14.7 Eaton Corp plc

14.8 Evluma

14.9 General Electric Company

14.10 Halco Lighting Technologies

14.11 Hubbell Inc

14.12 Neptun Light Inc

14.13 Osram Licht AG

14.14 Philips Lighting Holding B.V.

14.15 Signify Holding

14.16 Syska LED

14.17 Tapan Solar Energy Pvt Ltd

14.18 Virtual Extension

14.19 Zumtobel Group AG



15 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/byh2kb

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tom Feeney, former president and CEO of Safelite and current Executive Chairman of Belron North America, today announced that he is fully retiring effective June 30.

In announcing his retirement, Tom shared that he is looking forward to spending time with his wife, Debra, and family and will continue his commitment to philanthropic service, and his mentorship of young leaders.

"Tom has been an extraordinary leader in Safelite and Belron, said Gary Lubner, CEO of Belron. He turned Safelite into a People Powered, Customer Driven business with a people-first philosophy that continues today. In addition to his leadership contributions, Tom's enthusiasm, camaraderie, focus on performance and love for the generations of Safelite associates have made him one of the great U.S. corporate leaders."

Feeney spent the last 35 years at Safelite. During his 14-year tenure as president and CEO, he was responsible for the significant growth of the business and a threefold increase in the number of associates. He set the company's vision for Safelite to be the greatest, most trusted and admired service brand.

Renee Cacchillo, who was named Feeney's successor as president and CEO of Safelite on December 6, 2021, commented that Tom's leadership was the catalyst for taking the business to where it is today. "On a personal note, I want to thank Tom for his passionate leadership influence and am very grateful to have personally been inspired by him. I know I speak on behalf of all Safelite associates in congratulating Tom on his milestone achievements over the past several decades and in wishing him all the best the future holds."

In recognition of his long-term service and contributions to the company, Feeney has been named Chairman Emeritus  Safelite.

About Safelite

Safelite is a multi-faceted vehicle glass and claims management service organization based in Columbus, Ohio, and operating company-owned facilities in 50 states. The company, which has been in business since 1947, is comprised of two major business operations: Safelite AutoGlass, a vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration services provider and Safelite Solutions, which offers fleet and insurance claims management services for vehicle glass and other claims. The company employs nearly 16,000 people throughout the United States. Safelite is a subsidiary of Belron. Safelite AutoGlass is the largest vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration company under one brand in the world.

About Belron:

Operating in 37 countries across 6 continents through wholly-owned and franchise operations, Belron is home to around 29,000 employees who served 16 million customers in 2021. Belron is the world's leading vehicle glass repair and replacement group. Our market-leading brands include Carglass, Safelite AutoGlass, Autoglass , Lebeau, O'Brien, Smith&Smith and Speedy Glass.

MEDIA CONTACT:

[email protected]

SOURCE Safelite Group
Donated Services Aid Afghan Judicial Community in Seeking Safety and Asylum

NEW YORK and LONDON, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TransPerfect, the world's largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business, today announced that it has joined major law firms in providing pro bono services in support of a mass effort by former Afghan judges to seek asylum in the UK.

TransPerfect Legal Solutions (TLS) provided pro bono language services in Pashto and Dari, Afghanistan's two official languages, for legal documentation necessary for many asylum cases. The campaign in support of the Afghan judges is a multi-faceted and multinational team effort that includes lawyers from major international law firms and comes in response to the potential danger posed to these judges following the Taliban assuming control of Afghanistan. Due to the sensitive nature and safety issues surrounding the proceedings, this initiative was not publicly disclosed for the first six months of operation.

With hundreds of judges and their families at risk due to their prior position overseeing trials for Taliban members, many have sought asylum abroadincluding in the UKfor themselves and their families. The process has been challenging for many due to procedural requirements, language barriers, and security concerns.

When speaking of TLS's role in the initiative, a senior lawyer at a top-10 UK law firm commented, "We are grateful to the TransPerfect team for their fantastic support through an intense and demanding process. Their responsiveness and diligence have been invaluable in our work on this important and time-sensitive effort. This is literally a matter of life and death, and we appreciate TransPerfect stepping up by generously donating their services."

TransPerfect President and CEO Phil Shawe stated, "Ensuring the safety of judges who honorably served Afghanistan's legal community is an important humanitarian cause and a call to duty that we're proud to have heeded."

About TransPerfect

TransPerfect is the world's largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business. From offices in over 100 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 170+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 6,000 global organizations employ TransPerfect's GlobalLink technology to simplify management of multilingual content. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com.

SOURCE TransPerfect
LOS ANGELES, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Upperwood Foundation, launched in November 2021 by Marcel and Barry Oberholzer in response to humanitarian disasters occurring in Afghanistan after the U.S. military withdrawal, has collaborated with AwareNow Magazine to present AwareNow Afghanistan, a publication dedicated exclusively to the unseen and unheard stories of Afghanistan. On Memorial Day, the inaugural issue, "The War Edition", was released.

'The War Edition' of AwareNow Afghanistan, Presented by Upperwood Foundation, Produced by Awareness Ties 'The War Edition' of AwareNow Afghanistan, Presented by Upperwood Foundation, Produced by Awareness Ties

Upperwood, known for its efforts providing medical and humanitarian aid inside Afghanistan and developing career paths for Afghan pilots and maintainers resettling in the United States, released this special issue with AwareNow on Memorial Day in honor of the American and Afghan military who perished fighting in Afghanistan. Shona ba Shona, or shoulder to shoulder, was the motto used by American and Afghan military forces to describe the reliance both forces placed on one another during two decades together fighting the war on terror.

"With the media shift away from Afghanistan, we wanted to ensure the stories that pass through our fingers, as a result of our extensive efforts, are properly documented," said Barry Oberholzer. "I am an author, and I know these moments are living history. They are about human beings facing incredible odds, and Upperwood is doing everything possible to sustain them until better opportunities present themselves. They cannot be forgotten simply because the media no longer has access to Afghanistan."

ABOUT UPPERWOOD: Marcel and Barry Oberholzer are the owners of Upperwood Industries and are active pilots. In addition to being longstanding aviation and technology entrepreneurs, both men are known for their philanthropic efforts worldwide, their accomplishments in the air and on the ground, and Barry Oberholzer is the renowned author of The Black Market Concierge, a one-of-a-kind memoir of his infiltration and exposure at the highest of international levels and then finding his way home. www.upperwood.com

ABOUT AWARENOW: AwareNow Magazine, is a monthly publication produced by Awareness Ties featuring exclusive interviews and personal stories. Each issue inspires and informs while raising awareness for causes one story at a time to a global audience averaging 8 million monthly readers.

www.awarenowmagazine.com

Find and read "The War Edition" by Upperwood and AwareNow Magazine: https://www.awarenow.us/the-war-edition

Company Name: U Foundation

Contact Name: Russ Pritchard

Phone number: 609-617-2771

Email address: [email protected]

SOURCE Upperwood
Program emphasizes critical role uniforms play in performance, identity, and safety

EVANSTON, Ill., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Network Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors (NAUMD) announced the winners of the 2022 Best Dressed Public Safety Award Program.

"The NAUMD is proud to honor our heroes in uniform. Military, law enforcement, fire, and EMS," says Rick Levine, NAUMD Executive Director.

Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office, a small department category winner, have new uniforms that include important upgrades such as a moisture management fabric to improve comfort. Caplan's Uniforms is the program's distributor. Collier County Sheriff's Department uniform program includes distinctive wear for its Honor Guard. This very polished look that was supplied by Flying Cross.

The United States Army earned top honors in the government category working with supplier Fechheimer. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police also won in the government category, supplied by Galls. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department's won for their Motorcycle Unit, garments are supplied by Galls. And the Lancaster Police Department won for the K-9 Unit, also supplied by Galls.

DC's Fire and EMS received an award in the large firehouse, emergency services category, distributed by Muscatello's. The Australia Police Public Order Squad won for tactical uniforms, supplied by Logistik Unicorp. Terrebonne Police Department's refreshed bike patrol uniforms won, also supplied by Logistik Unicorp. And Urgences-Sante, Emergency Services Medical Unit won for EMS, with Logistik Unicorp being the program supplier.

Arizona Department of Public Safety was named the best dressed large department, unforms supplied by Spiewak. Colorado State Patrol, also supplied by Spiewak, took top honors in the highway patrol category. Chester County Parks and Preservation won the park rangers category, and has wear supplied by Witmer Public Safety Group.

"The 2022 NAUMD awards shine a light on the high caliber of technical innovation, creative design and environmental consideration flourishing throughout the uniform industry today," said Margaret Ramsdale, industry veteran and a 2022 awards judge.

About NAUMD

The NAUMD is a non-profit global network of companies that outfit hundreds of millions of workers around the world. The association believes heroes wear uniforms, that uniforms empower employees and that uniform companies make good corporate citizens.

More Info

Pictures

Contact:

Rick Levine

NAUMD

(847) 448-1333 x700

[email protected]

SOURCE NAUMD
Claims are commonly returned to dental practices unpaid and under a 'pending' status because they were submitted with insufficient information. While eligibility and coverage issues render some claims unpayable, many more are closed prematurely, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars on the table. This money goes unpaid, to the benefit of the insurance company instead of the patient.

"Our goal is to help dental practices minimize denials to almost zero by providing actionable data that improves eligibility and benefit verification and eliminate blind spots in revenue cycle management," said Ato Kasymov, CEO and Co-founder of Zentist.

Remit AI decreases the level of accounts receivable (AR) by cleaning the claims coming from payment information. The software automatically filters all ERAs and Explanations of Benefits (EOBs), gathering and categorizing denials. Remit AI identifies any further actions to be taken before a denial can be resubmitted.

In addition to categorizing denials, users can view denial cause and other data, running analytic reports for any day or month

"We have an enormous ability to control our revenue cycle management process with Remit AI and are excited with the results we achieved with Denials Management. Our team's efficiency to manage claims has at least quadrupled and we have clear data as to how we can improve and drastically reduce claim denials pretty fast," said Semira Avanessian, Director of Revenue Cycle Management for Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Boston Pediatric Dental Group.

"When Remit AI is able to identify the cause of an unpaid claim and solve that problem, preventing other claims from being returned for the same reason, the software pays for itself  eventually tenfold," said Mr. Kasymov.

For more information, please visit https://www.zentist.io/remitai

About Zentist

Zentist is a platform that uses advanced technology to simplify and automate insurance revenue cycle management (RCM) for dental practices. At a time when dental businesses lose an estimated $2.1 billion due to legacy billing systems, Zentist leverages robotic process automation (RPA) and machine learning to place otherwise tedious billing tasks on autopilot. Zentist's platform is fully and easily scalable to meet the more complex billing needs of the modern dental industrywhich has been marked by aggressive consolidation and unprecedented pressures for scaling RCM. Its software minimizes human error, maximizes insurance payout, provides advanced analytics on revenue, and improves the patient-provider relationship. For more information or to request a demonstration, please visit https://www.zentist.io/remitai.

SOURCE Zentist
AFWERX is the Air Force's team of innovators who encourage and facilitate connections across industry, academia, and military to create transformative opportunities and foster a culture of innovation. This announcement marks the first time that an integrated weapon and intrusion detection system has been deployed at scale for the Department of Defense using existing and emerging infrastructure.

One in every four workplace shootings occur on government property. The DRASD deployment will combat this issue by overlaying ZeroEyes' gun detection solution onto Ellsworth AFB static cameras and intrusion detection analytics. When a gun is identified, the technology will trigger robots and/or drones to interdict, delay, deter and disorient active shooters with non-lethal strobes and high-pitched sirens until Air Force personnel can intervene. Under Direct-to-Phase II SBIR, the DRASD deployments will be piloted and tested for a period of 15 months, with the goal of validating the fit between ZeroEyes' commercial AI gun detection solution and the Air Force market.

Supplementary to ZeroEyes' partnership with Tyndall AFB announced earlier this year, the Direct-to-Phase II SBIR grant further validates Air Force endorsement of ZeroEyes technology. "Innovation is a key pillar for the United States Air Force, and our leaders are continually seeking innovative technologies to prepare for future conflicts," said Loretta Vega, Deputy Director, 28th Mission Support Group. "We look forward to deploying ZeroEyes' security solution at Ellsworth Air Force Base to further keep our Airmen safe."

Founded by a group of former Navy SEAL team leaders, ZeroEyes' solution uses hundreds of thousands of proprietary images and videos to train its A.I. to be the most comprehensive and superior gun detection technology on the market. The end-to-end solution is capable of proactively identifying guns before the first shot is fired by integrating its machine learning software with existing IP security cameras. This creates a highly affordable means of empowering security decision-makers to radically improve their ability to save lives.

The company employs the expertise of former U.S. military specialists to monitor and interpret specifically flagged images, which ensures the immediate delivery of accurate and actionable intelligence about the brandishing of a gun near an occupied area or building. Once a shooter or intruder is identified, ZeroEyes' software triggers an automated alert to notify the drone or robot of the threat's location so that it can respond before Air Force personnel arrive. By combining automation and robotics, DRASD will decrease response times and save the lives of American service members.

"DRASD deployments will enable the Air Force to optimize and automate resources by reducing their manpower-intensive tasks," said Tim Sulzer, CTO of ZeroEyes. "Once Phase II testing is complete, there is an exciting possibility for extending DRASD to education and commercial environments."

"With more than 2,500 submissions and only an 8-10% acceptance rate, this Phase II SBIR award signifies that the U.S. Air Force believes in ZeroEyes and our ability to deter potential shootings," said Mike Lahiff, CEO and co-founder of ZeroEyes. "We look forward to working closely with the Air Force, expanding to the Air Force market and potentially scaling our solution to the broader Department of Defense."

About ZeroEyes

ZeroEyes delivers a proactive, human-verified A.I. gun detection software solution that integrates into existing security cameras and mitigates mass shootings and gun-related violence by reducing response times, providing actionable intelligence with images and delivering clarity among chaos  ultimately saving lives. ZeroEyes' patented solution has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a promising anti-terrorism technology and is the first video analytics technology to receive SAFETY Act DT&E Designation.

Founded by Navy SEALs and Special Operations military veterans, ZeroEyes delivers accurate and real-time actionable intelligence about the brandishing of a gun near or in an occupied area or building, to local staff and law enforcement with an image of the shooter(s) and location of the threat, within 3 to 5 seconds from the moment the gun is detected. The ZeroEyes team also provides tech consulting, installation assistance and practice drills for active shooter events to enhance safety at schools, corporate and government facilities. Headquartered in the Greater Philadelphia area, the company's affordable and effective gun detection solution has been adopted by the US Department of Defense, leading public K-12 school districts, colleges / universities, commercial property groups, manufacturing plants, Fortune 500 corporate campuses, shopping malls, big-box retail stores and more. Learn more about ZeroEyes at ZeroEyes.com.

SOURCE ZeroEyes
Here in the US, chances are you have sipped Grappa after a long meal at an Italian restaurant and were intrigued. Scott Rosenbaum will expand your knowledge on its versatility, how to recognize each variety, and expound upon how Grappa is holding up in the US market. Attendees will be the first in the US to try and learn how to make the Ve.N.To , a blend of spirit, honey, and chamomile; the first-ever Grappa cocktail to make it onto the IBA's (International Bartender Association) cocktail list.

The foremost authorities and Grappa's brand ambassadors will share their first-hand experiencesbreaking down how production is constantly being improved utilizing innovative technologies and why they safeguard the geographical indication to allow for more transparency with their consumers. Adding to the interactive element, they will also showcase how to pair Grappa with food for different variations of aperitivo and throughout meals.

Grappa  the excellence of the Italian spirits made from the grape skins known as pomace  is getting new attention in the US thanks to creative ways of using it, and its traditional zero-waste production process. Gone are the days of thinking of Grappa as just a digestif or addition to coffee - Hello Grappa will offer the perfect occasion to explore the unknown and the undiscovered potential of this Italian spirit.

About Hello Grappa: Hello Grappa! is a three-year (February 2020 - August 2023) informational and promotional campaign promoted by AssoDistil and co-funded by the European Union under Regulation 1144/2014. Its goal is to raise awareness on Grappa GI through educational and promotional events across some US States. www.hellograppa.com  Instagram & Facebook @hellograppa

SOURCE Hello Grappa
"We are thrilled to be launching Activate New York and Activate Anywhere this year, which doubles our capacity for supporting top science innovators across the entire United States. The Activate Fellows we've selected for Cohort 2022, our largest cohort to date, give me tremendous hope," says Activate CEO Ilan Gur. "Their passion and commitment to improving the world through science provide much-needed optimism and inspiration as the world wrestles with the risks of intensifying climate change, a lingering pandemic, and economic and geopolitical uncertainty."

Founded in 2015, the two-year Activate Fellowship provides fellows the time, resources, and mentorship to develop as leaders and mature their ideas as they start their entrepreneurial journeys. Unlike startup accelerators, the Activate Fellowship takes no equity stake in fellows' companies. Building on the success of its model for supporting early-stage science entrepreneurs, Activate has expanded to four U.S. communities in 2022.

The Activate Anywhere Community recognizes that every U.S. region is home to scientists and engineers with a vision for solving big problems. Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. Activate Anywhere is changing that. The 12 inaugural fellows in this community are located in seven U.S. cities, including Atlanta, GA , Madison, WI , and Fort Collins, CO. They are commercializing breakthrough research in everything from desalination to data center cooling to a decarbonized steelmaking process.

, , and They are commercializing breakthrough research in everything from desalination to data center cooling to a decarbonized steelmaking process. With support from the $19.5 million Carbontech Development Initiative, announced by New York State in April 2021 , the new Activate New York Community provides entrepreneurs with the resources and training needed to scale carbontech innovations as society reckons with the need to decarbonize all sectors quickly. Innovations in carbon dioxide removal, utilization and storage, and advances in biomaterials manufacturing and agriculture are among the solutions the six inaugural fellows in New York are pursuing.

Carbontech Development Initiative, announced by in , the new Activate New York Community provides entrepreneurs with the resources and training needed to scale carbontech innovations as society reckons with the need to decarbonize all sectors quickly. Innovations in carbon dioxide removal, utilization and storage, and advances in biomaterials manufacturing and agriculture are among the solutions the six inaugural fellows in are pursuing. Joining the Activate Boston Community are 10 fellows advancing the bioeconomy, improving productivity, and enabling more efficient, sustainable clean energy systems. Their applications include unlocking the potential of microbes for a range of applications, sourcing essential materials for renewable energy systems, and boosting efficiency in the energy sector.

Welcoming its eighth cohort, the Activate Berkeley Community continues its legacy of hosting fellows who are pushing the boundaries of material science and nanotechnology. These 11 incoming fellows are advancing innovations such as carbon-free production of critical chemicals, turning wastes into circular products, and faster, more efficient computing and energy storage systems.

Cohort 2022 joins a community of Activate Fellows who have raised nearly $800M in private and public fundinga 24X leverage on Activate's direct support.

"The U.S. has the best innovation ecosystem in the world," says Karin Lion, Activate's chief growth officer. "Yet, there is a pernicious gap in systemic support for science entrepreneurs who want to make an impact. Activate has, since its founding, been focused on bridging that gap. By partnering with institutions working to ensure visionary science entrepreneurs get the support they need to turn their ideas into products that solve society's most urgent needs, we can support our largest, most diverse cohort to date."

Activate's dedicated, forward-thinking network of sponsors and partners makes the fellowship possible through direct funding and donations of time, money, equipment, or services. In addition to generous philanthropic partners, Activate is supported by the Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the California Energy Commission, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Without these collaborations, Activate could not provide fellows such comprehensive financial, community, technical, and career support.

About Activate

Activate empowers scientists to reinvent the world by launching startups to address climate change and other global challenges. Working between government, philanthropy, universities, and the private sector, Activate transforms scientists into high-impact entrepreneurs through the Activate Fellowship, a two-year immersive experience that provides funding and fosters the resources, knowledge, networks, investors, and partnerships that fellows need to succeed. Activate's entrepreneurial fellowship model originated at Cyclotron Road, a division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and founding Activate partner. Cyclotron Road is also supported by the DOE's Advanced Manufacturing Office as one of four Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Programs. Activate supports fellows in communities across the United States: Activate Berkeley, Activate Boston, Activate New York, and Activate Anywhere. Learn more at Activate.org.

Media Contact

MC O'Connor, editorial director, Activate

[email protected]

SOURCE Activate.org
Covering the latest retirement and tax planning laws and strategies under the SECURE Act and CARES Act as well as the latest RMD rules released by the IRS in February 2022, IRA Success is an innovative, CE-approved, self-study program. It combines the expertise and clear-cut language of America's IRA Expert Ed Slott, CPA, founder of irahelp.com and Professor of Practice at The American College of Financial Services , and his team of IRA Experts with The College's proven results in e-learning design and delivery. Those that enroll by July 15, 2022, will receive a $110 discount off the full tuition price. To learn more and to register for IRA Success, visit TheAmericanCollege.edu/IRASuccess .

"The retirement planning landscape has been turned on its head in the last couple of years, and now, the IRS has issued new RMD rules that change the way payouts to beneficiaries will work," said Slott. "Some of these new RMD rules are even more confusing than ever before  but advisors must know them to help their clients make sure they are withdrawing the correct RMD amount. Through IRA Success, my team and I share this kind of pertinent information on The College's robust learning platform."

"Ed Slott is the foremost financial planning expert on IRAs. Nobody knows more about the myriad of techniques advisors can use to take advantage of IRA planning opportunities, and nobody explains these techniques more clearly than Ed and his team," said Michael Finke, PhD, CFP, Professor of Wealth Management at The American College of Financial Services. "This program provides deep insight into a proven source of value that advisors can provide for their clients."

With an emphasis on the SECURE Act and new 2022 IRS RMD rules, the 12-course program covers everything from recognizing new backdoor Roth opportunities to identifying key beneficiary categories still eligible for stretch IRA provisions. Each course comes with a video presentation, resources to use with clients and a digital course manual as an extensive reference tool.

"I am proud to work with Ed Slott to create comprehensive retirement planning education for financial professionals. The IRA Success program that Ed Slott and his company have created is the perfect complement to the Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP) Program for advisors seeking a complete understanding of the intricacies and potential mistakes made with qualified retirement plans," said Wade Pfau, PhD, CFA, RICP, Professor of Retirement Income at The American College of Financial Services.

As a leading source of timely IRA expertise and analysis to financial advisors, institutions and consumers, Slott and his team greatly expand The College's knowledge offerings by providing practical, easy-to-understand information on IRA and retirement distribution planning to help financial professionals prepare their clients to secure hard-earned retirement savings and navigate potential tax pitfalls. IRA Success is available for a tuition of $205 per course or $2,195 for the entire program.

ABOUT ED SLOTT

Ed Slott, CPA, is the nationally recognized IRA and retirement planning distribution expert, best-selling author and professional speaker. His latest books include "Ed Slott's Retirement Decisions Guide: 2022 Edition" (IRAHelp, 2022), "The New Retirement Savings Time Bomb" (Penguin Random House, 2021,) and "Fund Your Future: A Tax-Smart Savings Plan in Your 20s and 30s" (IRAHelp, 2021). He has also hosted several public television programs, including his latest, "Ed Slott's Retirement Freedom!" (2022). As an AARP columnist, Slott also writes a Q&A column where he answers consumers' retirement planning questions. His company, Ed Slott and Company, LLC, is the nation's leading provider of technical IRA education for financial advisors, CPAs and attorneys. Ed Slott's Elite IRA Advisor GroupSM is comprised of nearly 500 of the nation's top financial professionals who are dedicated to the mastery of advanced retirement account and tax planning laws and strategies. Visit irahelp.com for more information and connect with Ed Slott and Company on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

The American College of Financial Services was founded in 1927 and is the nation's largest nonprofit educational institution devoted to financial services. Holding the highest level of academic accreditation, The College has educated one in five financial advisors across the United States and offers two master's degrees in management and financial services, along with prestigious financial planning designations such as the Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Wealth Management Certified Professional (WMCP), Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP), Chartered Special Needs Consultant (ChSNC), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), and education leading to the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification. The College's faculty represents some of the foremost thought leaders in the financial services profession. Visit TheAmericanCollege.edu and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Contacts:

Jill Jagelski Schofield

AdvisorPR

973 796 4100/ [email protected]

SOURCE Ed Slott and Company
SUZHOU, China, and ROCKVILLE, Md., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK), a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancers, chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and age-related diseases, today announced that it has released the latest results from a Phase Ib/II study of the third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) olverembatinib (HQP1351) in patients with metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) who were resistant to or failed prior TKI treatment, in a Poster Discussion session at the 58th American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.

Entering the fifth consecutive year in which its abstracts were selected for presentations by the ASCO Annual Meeting, Ascentage Pharma showcased results from multiple clinical trials of its five drug candidates, including the first dataset of olverembatinib in patients with GIST demonstrating a clinical benefit rate (CBR) of 83.3% in the subgroup with TKI-resistant succinate dehydrogenase- (SDH-) deficient GIST.

Although the introduction of TKIs has transformed the management of GIST, TKI-resistant, locally advanced/metastatic GIST remains a major clinical challenge, particularly for patients with SDH-deficient GIST, which is not sensitive to existing TKIs and lacks standard-of-care treatment options.

Olverembatinib is a novel drug developed by Ascentage Pharma and recently received approval in China for the treatment of adult patients with TKI-resistant chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP) or accelerated-phase CML (CML-AP) harboring the T315I mutation, making olverembatinib the first and only approved third-generation BCR-ABL inhibitor in China. While being clinically developed and applied for the treatment of hematologic malignancies, olverembatinib is also being investigated in preclinical and clinical studies for the treatment of GIST, and has already demonstrated promising antitumor activity in multiple preclinical models of GIST.

Prof. Baibo Qiu of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center who is the principal investigator of this study, said, "Olverembatinib is a novel third-generation TKI with potent inhibitory activity against a range of kinases, including ABL, KIT, PDGFR, FGFR, b-RAF, DDR1, and FLT3, and has shown antitumor activity in multiple preclinical models of GIST. In this Phase Ib/II clinical study being conducted in China, olverembatinib has demonstrated preliminary efficacy in patients with TKI-resistant GIST, especially in the SDH-deficient subgroup. These data signal olverembatinib's potential as a treatment option for patients with SDH-deficient GIST who currently lack standard of care treatment and suggest it could bring a major breakthrough to this therapeutic area."

Dr. Yifan Zhai, Chief Medical Officer of Ascentage Pharma, commented, "In the past few years, olverembatinib has amassed a wealth of data demonstrating its therapeutic utility in a number of hematologic malignancies such as CML. These clinical data presented at this year's ASCO meeting show that olverembatinib also has clinical potential for the treatment of GIST, thus suggesting a wide therapeutic window for the drug candidate as a multi-kinase inhibitor. Furthermore, we are proud to be able to present clinical development progress for a number of Ascentage Pharma's drug candidates, which highlight our capabilities in global innovation. Honoring our mission of addressing unmet clinical needs in China and around the world, we are now accelerating our clinical programs to bring more safe and effective therapeutics to patients in need."

The highlights of this abstract on olverembatinib are as follows:

Promising antitumor activity of olverembatinib (HQP1351) in patients with tyrosine kinase inhibitor- (TKI-) resistant succinate dehydrogenase- (SDH-) deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST).

Abstract : #11513

This is an open-label, multicenter Phase Ib/II study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and antitumor activity of olverembatinib in Chinese patients with locally advanced or metastatic GIST whose disease was resistant or failed to respond to imatinib or other TKIs.





As of January 30, 2022 , 39 patients had been enrolled. Olverembatinib was administered orally once every other day (QOD) in 28-day repeated cycles. After 3 patients were treated with 20 mg, other patients were randomly allocated in a 1:1:1 ratio to 30, 40, and 50 mg regimens.





, 39 patients had been enrolled. Olverembatinib was administered orally once every other day (QOD) in 28-day repeated cycles. After 3 patients were treated with 20 mg, other patients were randomly allocated in a 1:1:1 ratio to 30, 40, and 50 mg regimens. Efficacy Results:



In the 8 patients with KIT wild-type GIST, 6 were confirmed as SDH-deficient: 2 had partial responses (PRs), 1 patient's tumor shrunk by 35.9% and lasted for 16 cycles, and another patient's tumor shrunk by 54.2% at the first evaluation. 4 patients had stable disease (SD) as the best response for 2, 6, 14, and 36 cycles, resulting in a CBR of 83.3% (complete response [CR]+PR+SD  4 cycles).



Among 31 patients who had KIT or PDGFRA mutations, 13 had stable disease for at least 2 cycles as the best response, 8 withdrew early, and 10 had progressive disease before Cycle 3.





A total of 36 (92.3%) patients experienced treatment-emergent adverse events, most of which were mild or moderate. Common treatment-related adverse events ( 20%) included increased leukocyte (59.0%) and neutrophil (46.2%) counts, anemia (20.5%), constipation or asthenia (35.9% each), hyperuricemia (25.6%), hypoalbuminemia (23.1%), and elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (20.5% each).





Conclusions: olverembatinib was well tolerated and showed antitumor activity in patients with TKI-resistant SDH-deficient GIST. These promising findings warrant further investigation.

Appendix: A list of Ascentage Pharma's abstracts selected by this year's ASCO Annual Meeting

Drug Candidate Abstract Title Abstract # Format olverembatinibHQP1351 Promising antitumor activity of olverembatinib (HQP1351) in patients (pts) with tyrosine kinase inhibitor- (TKI-) resistant succinate dehydrogenase- (SDH-) deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). #11513 Poster discussion Lisaftoclax (APG-2575) A phase Ib/II study of lisaftoclax (APG-2575), a novel BCL-2 inhibitor (BCL-2i), in patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (R/R CLL/SLL). #7543 Poster presentation Phase Ib/II study of BCL-2 inhibitor lisaftoclax (APG-2575) safety and tolerability when administered alone or combined with a cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor in patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER) breast cancer or advanced solid tumors. #TPS1122 Poster presentation Alrizomadlin (APG-115) Newly updated activity results of alrizomadlin (APG-115), a novel MDM2/p53 inhibitor, plus pembrolizumab: Phase 2 study in adults and children with various solid tumors. #9517 Poster discussion APG-2449 First-in-human phase I results of APG-2449, a novel FAK and third-generation ALK/ ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), in patients (pts) with second-generation TKI-resistant ALK/ROS1 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or mesothelioma. #9071 Poster presentation Pelcitoclax (APG-1252) Updated study results of pelcitoclax (APG-1252) in combination with osimertinib in patients (pts) with EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). #9116 Poster presentation First-in-human study of pelcitoclax (APG-1252) in combination with paclitaxel in patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory small-cell lung cancer (R/R SCLC). e20612 Publication-Only

About Olverembatinib (HQP1351)

Developed by Ascentage Pharma with support from the National Major New Drug Discovery and Manufacturing program, the orally active, third-generation BCR-ABL inhibitor olverembatinib is the first China-approved third-generation BCR-ABL inhibitor targeting drug-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Olverembatinib can effectively target a spectrum of BCR-ABL mutants, including the T315I mutation. Meanwhile, olverembatinib is being investigated for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) in China.

The clinical results of olverembatinib in hematologic malignancies have been selected for oral presentations at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meetings for four consecutive years since 2018, and was nominated for "Best of ASH" in 2019. Olverembatinib has already entered a Phase Ib study in the US and has been granted 3 Orphan Drug Designations (ODDs) and 1 Fast Track Designation (FTD) from the FDA, and 1 Orphan Designation by the EU.

In July 2021, Ascentage Pharma and Innovent Biologics (1801.HK) reached the agreement regarding the joint development and commercialization of olverembatinib in the oncology field in China.

About Ascentage Pharma

Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK) is a globally focused biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancers, chronic hepatitis B, and age-related diseases. On October 28, 2019, Ascentage Pharma was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code 6855.HK.

Ascentage Pharma focuses on developing therapeutics that inhibit protein-protein interactions to restore apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The company has built a pipeline of eight clinical drug candidates, including novel, highly potent Bcl-2, and

dual Bcl-2/Bcl-xL inhibitors, as well as candidates aimed at IAP and MDM2-p53 pathways, and next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Ascentage Pharma is also the only company in the world with active clinical programs targeting all three known classes of key apoptosis regulators. The company is conducting more than 50 Phase I/II clinical trials in the US, Australia, Europe, and China. Olverembatinib, the company's core drug candidate developed for the treatment of drug-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), was granted Priority Review status and a Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and is already approved for the indication. In addition, olverembatinib was also granted an Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and a Fast Track Designation (FTD) by the US FDA, and an Orphan Designation by the EU. To date, Ascentage Pharma has obtained a total of 15 ODDs, 2 FTDs, and 2 Rare Pediatric Disease (RPD) designations from the FDA and 1 ODD from the EU for four of the company's investigational drug candidates. Ascentage Pharma has been designated for multiple Major National R&D Projects, including 5 National Major New Drug Discovery and Manufacturing projects, 1 New Drug Incubator status, 4 Innovative Drug Programs, and 1 Major Project for the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases.

Leveraging its robust R&D capabilities, Ascentage Pharma has built a portfolio of global intellectual property rights and entered into global partnerships with numerous renowned biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and research institutes such as UNITY Biotechnology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Merck, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer. The company has built a talented team with global experience in discovering, developing, launching, and commercializing innovative drugs and is setting up world-class commercial manufacturing and Sales & Marketing teams. One pivotal aim of Ascentage Pharma is to continuously strengthen its R&D capabilities and accelerate its clinical development programs, in order to fulfil its mission of addressing unmet clinical needs in China and around the world for the benefit of more patients.

Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements made in this article relate only to the events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this article. Except as required by law, Ascentage Pharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this article completely and with the understanding that our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. In this article, statements of, or references to, our intentions or those of any of our Directors or our Company are made as of the date of this article. Any of these intentions may alter in light of future development.

SOURCE Ascentage Pharma
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Associated Materials LLC, a vertically integrated building products company that is a market leader in vinyl windows, vinyl cladding, and metal siding and trim, today announced the appointment of James Drexinger as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Drexinger succeeds Brian Strauss, who has served as President and CEO of Associated Materials since 2014.

Mr. Drexinger is a proven senior executive in the building products industry, respected for his ability to drive operational excellence, capture market share and improve customer experiences. Most recently, Mr. Drexinger served as the Chief Executive Officer for private equity-backed American Construction Source (ACS), a leading national building materials distribution platform and manufacturer of value-add products for new residential builders and repair and remodel contractors. Under Mr. Drexinger's stewardship, ACS achieved $1 billion in run-rate revenue at above-market gross margins and EBITDA. The company also underwent significant growth during Mr. Drexinger's tenure, both organically and through multiple, strategic acquisitions.

Prior to his role at ACS, Mr. Drexinger served as Division President and Executive Vice President of Stock Building Supply. Mr. Drexinger has also held senior executive roles at Wolseley North America, NIBCO and Armstrong World Industries.

Mr. Drexinger, Chief Executive Officer of Associated Materials, said, "I am looking forward to leading the Associated Materials team and driving the business forward. As Associated Materials enters its 75th year of operation, there is a unique opportunity to reflect on our success, while at the same time, making significant investment in and renewing key elements of our business and organization to position it for even greater success."

"I am extremely proud to have led Associated Materials," said Mr. Strauss. "I know that Jim has had an exceptional career in the building products industry, and I wish him, and the entire Associated Materials team, the best of luck as they continue to move the company forward."

In March 2022, Associated Materials was acquired by funds managed by Strategic Value Partners, LLC and its affiliates ("SVPGlobal"), a global investment firm with over $18 billion of assets under management. Since the acquisition, Associated Materials has made significant investments in upgrading and broadening the company's capabilities.

David Geenberg, Co-Head of SVPGlobal's North American Investment Team, said, "On behalf of the entire Associated Materials organization, I'd like to thank Brian for his dedication and service, as well as his commitment to managing Associated Materials over these past eight years to a great level of success as a business with excellent products and customer loyalty. We are fortunate to have someone with Jim's skills, vision and deep industry expertise lead Associated Materials during its next phase of growth. We are thrilled to welcome Jim to Associated Materials and look forward to benefiting from his leadership as we invest in bringing the Company's operations, customer experience and employee engagement to new heights in a very bright future for the business."

About Associated Materials

Associated Materials LLC, a vertically integrated building products company with $1.6 billion in revenues, is a market leader in vinyl windows, vinyl cladding, and metal siding and trim. Its mission is to create successful partnerships with contractors, builders, distributors and dealers by providing, installing and servicing industry leading exterior building products and solutions. The company helps partners create or restore exceptional residential, multi-family and light commercial structures that are energy-efficient, comfortable, long-lasting and beautiful for the home or building owner. The company operates 11 manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada, which produce vinyl windows, vinyl & composite siding and accessories and metal building products. The company also operates 126 supply centers across the United States and Canada under the Alside and Gentek brands, respectively. For more information, visit www.associatedmaterials.com.

About SVPGlobal

Strategic Value Partners, LLC and its affiliates ("SVPGlobal") is a global investment firm that focuses on event-driven, special situations, private equity and financing opportunities. The firm uses a combination of sourcing, financial and operational expertise to unlock value in complex situations. Today SVPGlobal manages more than $18 billion in assets under management, and since inception, has invested almost $41 billion of capital, including approximately $17 billion in Europe. The firm, established by Victor Khosla in 2001, has approximately 145 employees, including approximately 65 investment professionals, across its main offices in Greenwich (CT), London and a presence in Tokyo. Learn more at www.SVPGlobal.com.

Media Contacts

Kekst CNC

Todd Fogarty, Richard M. Goldman, Emma Young

[email protected]

SOURCE SVPGlobal; Associated Materials
AT&T Private 5G Network Powered Virtual and Augmented Reality, Video Surveillance, AI and Machine Learning, and Zero Trust Architecture Capabilities at Base Demonstrations

OAKTON, Va., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

What's the news? AT&T* participated in a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. Navy demonstration showcasing a variety of 5G-powered technology solutions that can support the enablement of a Naval "Smart Warehouse." The demonstrations occurred at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego where the smart warehouse concept is being explored by DoD. AT&T's private 5G network at the base delivered data throughput speeds of 3.9 gigabits per second with less than 10 milliseconds of latency when powering the demonstrations.

Why is this important? In October 2020, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced $600 million in awards for 5G experimentation and testing at five U.S. military test sites, representing the largest full-scale 5G tests for dual-use applications in the world. DOD seeks to remain at the forefront of cutting-edge 5G testing and experimentation to strengthen our Nation's warfighting capabilities as well as U.S. economic competitiveness in this critical field.

The 5G Smart Warehouse project at Naval Base Coronado is the DoD program's use-case incorporating 5G capabilities for transshipments between shore facilities and naval units. The goal is to increase the efficiency and fidelity of naval logistic operations including identification, recording, organization, storage, retrieval, and the transportation of materiel and supplies.

AT&T's 5G network offers DoD the ability to scale its 5G-enabled smart warehouse solution and supports global access for DoD users via roaming capabilities used with AT&T's network infrastructure. This allows DoD to benefit from AT&T's commercial investments in its network and avoid costly additional network builds.

What 5G solutions were demonstrated? The solutions demonstrated at the event focused on the 5G Radio Access Network and its optimization of warehouse operations via increased throughput of data, internet of things (IoT) support, and low latency. Among the prototype use cases demonstrated were:

5G-enabled VR/AR capabilities to support military training and operations

The Naval Information Warfare Center-Pacific showcased its Battlespace Exploitation of Mixed Reality (BEMR) laboratory to demonstrate how 5G-enabled virtual and augmented reality can be applied to military training, maintenance, prototyping applications as well as operations.

5G-powered high-definition video surveillance

A 5G-powered high-definition video surveillance demonstration showcased the ease of use and quick integration of an IP camera connected to the AT&T private 5G network at the warehouse to deliver high-definition streaming and direct access to any camera placed on the private network to support video surveillance.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning use cases that use AT&T 5G in a cloud environment.

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) solution demonstrated the possibilities of extending AI and ML from the cloud to the network's edge using the high throughput and low latency capabilities of 5G. A pre-trained model was created to showcase real-time recognition and classification of polyvinyl chloride "elbows" with varying degrees that were placed on a moving conveyor belt. The camera was trained to recognize different objects and update a database with the type and number of parts it recognized. The solution also collects metrics and KPIs and displays them on a dashboard for monitoring and managing operations.

5G-enabled AR to support advanced put/pick technology operated via a hands-free mobile device

A 5G-connected, advanced put/pick technology solution using Augmented Reality (AR) was demonstrated. The solution was operated with a hands-free mobile device and it proved the ability to support increased accuracy while reducing put/pick processing times. It is expected this mobile device technology eventually will be integrated with robotic materiel movers, smart storage devices, and optimization algorithms to further enhance warehouse efficiencies and improve current metrics.

Zero Trust Architecture cybersecurity support

Demonstrators showcased a suite of cybersecurity tools that support the network security architecture with the use of micro-segmentation encryption to provide confidentiality and privacy for the Navy 5G Smart Warehouse network.

Here's what people are saying:

Amanda Toman, acting Principal Director of 5G-NextG, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Research & Engineering

"This is a key example of organizations coming together in a collaborative environment with our Armed Forces to explore the art of the possible in 5G. "We're not just building for the warfighter; we are also innovating with the American citizen in mind. DoD is working to accelerate the development and deployment of 5G-enabled capabilities across many use cases while ensuring those systems  as well as those of our allies and partners  are robust, protected, and reliable."1

Lance Spencer, Client Executive Vice President  Defense, AT&T Public Sector and FirstNet

"The AT&T 5G-powered solution we've delivered at Naval Base Coronado is a first of its kind, high-performance, highly secure, and scalable private network solution. We expect it will serve as the foundation for improved efficiency, timeliness, accuracy, security, and safety of Naval warehouse operations."

What are AT&T's next steps at the Smart Warehouse?

Soon, we expect to connect our high-speed, low-latency 5G service with smart warehouse application infrastructure to support DoD's objectives of leveraging 5G for smart operations and vastly increased asset visibility.

Where can I find more information? Read the related Department of Defense announcement by clicking here.

Go here for more information about AT&T's work in the public sector.

1 Department of Defense Hosts Ribbon-Cutting for 5G Smart Warehouse Network. May 2, 2022.

*About AT&T

We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), please visit us at about.att.com. Investors can learn more at investors.att.com.

SOURCE AT&T
The partnership includes bringing a three-night noma dinner series to Los Angeles this July, hosting the first ever MAD Monday event in LA and providing funding for six scholarship recipients to attend the MAD Academy in Copenhagen, Denmark.

noma

Three-Michelin-star Restaurant Noma and its founder, Danish chef Rene Redzepi, are known for a focus on foraging, innovation and a unique interpretation of New Nordic Cuisine. From sourcing local ingredients to reducing food waste, noma seeks to be an inspiration for other organizations around the world to embrace the opportunity for a more sustainable business model.

As part of the partnership with Audi, Rene and his team from Copenhagen will curate an exclusive invite-only three-night dinner series in Los Angeles from July 19-21. The menu for the dinner series will be a multi-course tasting menu of classic noma dishes inspired by their seasonal menus with a wine pairing selected by the noma team.

"I believe that organizations should continually innovate. At noma, we are constantly building things up to break them down, and then start over againit's at the core of everything we do," said Rene Redzepi. "We should all take a step back into nature to find inspiration to reinvigorate the process of innovation."

Collaborating with noma strengthens Audi's mission to work with like-minded organizations that stand for living progress and creating a more sustainable future. Audi and noma share a commitment to sustainability and inclusion through actions grounded in purpose and a focus on creating a positive impact for individual and society as a whole.

"When you collaborate with like-minded people and companies you not only grow as an individual, but as an organization, too. I find Audi to be a forward-looking company with a strong focus on innovation; creating the ultimate design and experience to develop more sustainable solutions," said Peter Kreiner, noma CEO and co-owner.

MAD and The LA Scholars Award presented by Audi

MAD (Danish for "food") was established by Redzepi in 2011 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating sustainable change in restaurants and communities around the world. Launched in 2019, MAD Academy is an educational initiative based in Copenhagen that invites hospitality professionals to attend five-day intensive programs to gain the expertise, practical tools and inspiration they need to generate positive change in their workplaces, their communities, and the world at large.

Melina Shannon-DiPietro, executive director of MAD, says, "At MAD Academy, we ask ourselves: How might we build a restaurant industry with better working conditions and a more inclusive kitchen environment? How do we create an industry that contributes solutions to climate, environment, and biodiversity, while preserving the deliciousness and pleasure of the restaurant experience?"

As a long-time supporter of the culinary industry, Audi is announcing a pivotal scholarship program that will provide a remarkable opportunity for individuals from the Los Angeles hospitality community to attend the innovative MAD Academy in Copenhagen and learn how to adopt more sustainable practices that can impact and inspire others when they return home. The LA Scholars Award, MAD's most comprehensive scholarship to date, will provide funding for six recipients to attend their choice of MAD Academy program, including airfare, lodging, meals and all programmatic costs.

"Audi is honored to partner with MAD as our goals to drive change around diversity, equity and inclusion are very aligned," said Tara Rush, chief marketing officer, Audi of America. "With the LA Scholars Award, we're underscoring our mission to build a more sustainable and inclusive tomorrow, for automotive, culinary and beyond."

Individuals who reside and work in the greater Los Angeles area and who are interested in applying for the LA Scholars Award presented by Audi can find more information here: https://madacademy.dk/la-scholars/

MAD Monday

As part of its work to transform the hospitality industry, MAD hosts an ongoing series of public talks in local communities that are open to everyone with an interest in food and have an appetite for change. MAD Mondays began as a way to gather food fans and restaurant and hospitality workers on their traditional day off, Monday, to join in meaningful conversations with the goal of ultimately driving positive change in their industries.

MAD Monday LA, presented by Audi and MAD on July 18, will be the first MAD Monday event to be held this year and the first ever to be held in Los Angeles. Built on MAD and Audi's shared values of innovation and a commitment to sustainability, MAD Monday LA will be an evening of inspiration, learning, and community. The event, which will take place at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, will include a thought-provoking lecture and practical skill-building exercise designed to empower and inspire attendees.

The featured speaker will be Douglas McMaster, chef and owner of Silo. McMaster has been a lecturer for MAD Academy, inspiring the next generation of leaders to think differently about food systems, waste, and the industry at large. Doug is known as an influential speaker in Europe and MAD Monday LA will mark the first time he is presenting in the U.S.

The skill-building exercise will be a Planning Change Workshop  facilitated by renowned chef and MAD Academy director, Magnus Nilsson and program manager, Jack Muirhead. This workshop is a way for MAD Monday guests to get an exclusive peek into some of the transformative exercises that are typically reserved for students attending MAD's five-day Academy programs.

"Both Audi and MAD believe in spreading the power of positive impactsupporting talented individuals as they take their learnings from MAD back to their own communities to create long-lasting change," says Shannon-DiPietro.

Following the event, a reception featuring some of LA's diverse food offerings will allow the attendees, community members, young apprentices and luminaries the chance to network and connect.

To reserve tickets to attend MAD Monday LA, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mad-monday-la-presented-by-audi-registration-342884164767 There is no cost to attend and tickets will open to the general public on Monday, June 13.

At Audi of America, we believe the Future is Electric. By 2025, our U.S. model lineup will be 30 percent electrified, including fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Globally, we are committed to net CO2 neutrality by 2050. In 2021, Audi sold 196,038 vehicles in the U.S. and more fully electric models than ever before, with electric vehicle deliveries up by more than 50% over 2020. Learn more about who we are and how we're working to create a more sustainable, innovative, and inclusive future at audiusa.com or media.audiusa.com.

noma

Led by its founder and head chef Rene Redzepi, the three Michelin starred Restaurant Noma, five times recognized as the World's Best, works with an intimate network of purveyors to develop a cuisine that expresses its region's culture and seasons. In February 2017, noma closed at the harbor side warehouse that it called home for fourteen years. Twelve months later, the restaurant reopened in a new location and with a new philosophy focused on the region's three distinct seasons and myriad micro-seasons.

Beyond Copenhagen, and driven by a continued desire to learn, experience and expand their creativity and tastes, noma has also undertaken three international residencies including Japan (2015), Australia (2016) and Mexico (2017).

Rene Redzepi

Rene Redzepi is the founder, head chef and co-owner of noma. Rene Redzepi is the founder of MAD, a nonprofit that aims to build a community of cooks, purveyors, thinkers and enthusiasts, with an appetite for knowledge, a passion for food, and a desire to improve the world around it. In March 2021, he founded Noma Projects, an initiative that aims to transform the restaurant's collective knowledge, craft, and spirit into an engine for creative output and positive change.

Redzepi is the author of Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine, A Work in Progress, and the New York Times bestseller Foundations of Flavor: The Noma Guide To Fermentation. He is married to Nadine Levy Redzepi, and together they have three daughters: Arwen, Genta and Ro.

MAD

MAD (Danish for food) is a nonprofit organization that empowers the global hospitality community with the tools, inspiration, and knowledge to make a difference in their restaurants and the world. MAD was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2011 by Rene Redzepi, chef and owner of restaurant noma, with the ambition of transforming hospitality and driving change in food systems.

Since the very beginning, MAD has led important conversations about how the restaurant community can contribute to the health of the planet and positively contribute to the lives of those working in food. MAD's programs include a Symposium; a series of public talks in major cities around the globe; media shared through books, publications, and online videos; and VILD MAD, free resources to explore nature through foraging. In 2019, MAD launched its most ambitious project yet: an Academy supporting the food and hospitality industry with tools and knowledge for change makers.

SOURCE Audi of America
Approximately 90% of Americans ages 65+ want to age in place*. That is leading to an increasing burden on the 53 million unpaid family caregivers in the United States. Avanlee helps reduce that burden. Avanlee combines care coordination, medication adherence, health and mood monitoring and alerts, private family social activity, a rich "Ask Avanlee'' customer support experience and now grocery fulfillment powered by Walmart  all in one easy to use place.

"We are excited to be working with Walmart for grocery delivery through the Avanlee app, reducing the many tasks associated with caring for an aging parent," said Avanlee Christine, CEO and founder of Avanlee Care. Christine founded Avanlee Care after watching her family tackle the myriad challenges associated with managing care and logistics for older relatives remotely.

"We're constantly thinking of ways to make the busy lives of caregivers easier. Integrating online grocery ordering and delivery from Walmart into Avanlee Care further helps our caregivers access everything they need to support an aging relative in one place. The delivery status tracking gives caregivers confidence that their relative has the food they need when they need it." says Christine.

This solution enables both Avanlee Care and Walmart to further improve their support for senior customers and their family caregivers.

Avanlee and its integrated grocery delivery capability powered by Walmart is available for free download via the App Store and Google Play .

To learn more, visit www.avanleecare.com .

*Source: AARP Report

About Avanlee Care

Avanlee Care is transforming senior care management for families in the United States. Its product Avanlee is an all-in-one app that helps families care for an aging relative remotely so they live healthier and happier lives at home. Avanlee Care was born in Montana, CEO Avanlee Christine's home state, to fix something missing in her life when she witnessed her family's struggles managing her grandfather's care. She's worked in the healthcare system, helped build health tech startups, and today manages her grandmother's care through the app her family inspired. Avanlee Care is supported by investors who want to improve the experience of both caregivers and care receivers. Investor and Board Chair Esther Dyson, executive founder of Wellville, is a leading angel investor who grows businesses in healthcare, human capital, digital technology and biotechnology; her 10-year nonprofit project Wellville is dedicated to demonstrating the value of long-term investment in health and equity.

Press Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE Avanlee Care
Experience Summertime Under the Stars with the Limited-Edition Beach Bonfire Latte and Cold Brew

DENVER, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for summer, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, a leading coffee franchise renowned for its premium sourcing, roasting, and quality 100% Hawaiian coffees and international blends, launches its new summer limited-time-offer, the Beach Bonfire Latte and Beach Bonfire Cold Lava Cold Brew. Beginning June 7, coffee lovers can experience summertime under the stars with combined flavors of macadamia nut and toasted marshmallow.

The Beach Bonfire Latte and Beach Bonfire Cold Lava Cold Brew will be available through the end of August (or while supplies last) at participating franchise locations across the United States. Beach Bonfire Lattes start at $4.25 and Beach Bonfire Cold Lava Cold Brews start at $5.25; prices and participation may vary.

Beach Bonfire Latte: Available as hot, iced, or frozen, this drink is the perfect throwback to summer nights on the sand, featuring toasted marshmallow, macadamia nut, whole milk, and espresso, with a dark chocolate swirl.

Available as hot, iced, or frozen, this drink is the perfect throwback to summer nights on the sand, featuring toasted marshmallow, macadamia nut, whole milk, and espresso, with a dark chocolate swirl. Beach Bonfire Cold Lava Cold Brew: Dare to go beyond the horizon with this tasty creation, made with Hawaiian Blend cold brew and macadamia nut syrup, topped with toasted marshmallow Cold Lava (Bad Ass Coffee's version of cold foam made with milk and syrup).

In celebration of this launch, guests who purchase a Beach Bonfire beverage on June 7 will receive a free limited-edition sticker (while supplies last). Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii 'Ohana Rewards members who purchase a Beach Bonfire beverage will also receive a free Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii mug with a digital offer, in addition to 15 bonus Lei (points) with any purchase on that day. When guests download the Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii app and sign up for rewards, they will receive an offer for a free medium drink.

"Summer is a celebrated season at Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii," said Chris Ruszkowski, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii. "The summer season most resembles Hawaii throughout the year and that means more time outdoors, fun at the beach, and time spent on vacation. Our Beach Bonfire beverages are meant to bring back memories of times spent with family and friends around a summer campfire. Not only do the drinks touch on the magic of smores with toasted marshmallow flavors, but they do so with a Hawaiian twist capturing notes of macadamia nut in every sip."

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii was born on the Big Island of Hawai'i in 1989 with the dream of sharing American-grown, premium Hawaiian coffee with customers everywhere. In addition to premium coffee from the famous Kona region of the Big Island, Bad Ass Coffee also sources from Kauai, Maui, and Moloka'i. Beyond premium Hawaiian coffees, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii also serves up a full menu of popular blended drinks, signature lattes, cold brews, teas, and innovative foods with a Hawaiian twist.

Guests can also purchase retail bags of Bad Ass Coffee to brew at home or the office, including the "King of Coffees" - 100% Kona, as well as other 100% Hawaiian coffees, Hawaiian blends, flavored coffees, and signature blends. In addition to taking home the distinct taste of Hawaii, guests can purchase popular Bad Ass Coffee merchandise such as shirts, hats, mugs, treats, and gifts.

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii is entering a new era of growth following its acquisition by Colorado-based Royal Aloha Coffee Company in 2019. During the last three years, the company has re-launched the national brand with a new logo, packaging, and restaurant design, resulting in a revived 32-year-old brand with a cult following.

For more information about Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii and to find your nearest location, please visit www.badasscoffee.com or download our mobile app available on the App Store or Google Play.

About Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii was born on the Big Island of Hawai'i in 1989 and is dedicated to sharing premium Hawaiian coffees "with a kick" from the Hawaiian Islands through 20-plus franchise locations  with additional 70 shops in various stages of development. Today, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii stores also serve popular blended drinks, teas, food, along with other international premium coffees and sell popular branded merchandise with exceptional service and the Aloha Spirit. Bad Ass Coffees are available in franchise stores, online and will soon be available through grocery, hospitality, and specialty retail channels. The Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii brand and franchise is owned by Royal Aloha Franchise Company, LLC. For more information, visit badasscoffee.com and connect on Facebook and Instagram @badasscoffeeofhawaii. Franchise information is available at badasscoffeefranchise.com.

SOURCE Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii
At HSI, we believe diversity, equity, and inclusion learning is integral to building a more productive and innovative workforce and an important part of driving better business outcomes. As workplaces have become increasingly multi-generational and multi-cultural, organizations are seeking to create a healthier, inclusive environment. Employee awareness, education, and engagement are critical components; our microlearning content and software solutions enable businesses to better support their objectives on this journey.

"We are excited to leverage this council to help our customers and HSI improve outcomes", said Chad Birckelbaw, Chief Executive Officer at HSI. "As a mission-driven organization focused on making the workplace safer and smarter, we recognize that inclusive behavior leads to a mentally healthy work environment and increased engagement. An engaged workforce has fewer accidents, near-misses, missed workdays, and less turnover, all of which leads to better, more sustainable business outcomes."

Joining the Council are Karith Foster and Dr. Marcelle Davis. Karith Foster is a Diversity Engagement Specialist and creator of the groundbreaking INVERSITY methodology and other signature programs. She is creating a seismic shift in diversity and culture change in academic institutions, organizations and corporations across America. Dr. Marcelle Davis, recently named a 2022 Top 100 Diversity Officer and a Top 50 Women Leaders of Virginia, brings more than two decades of experience assisting organizational leaders in the collection and analysis of workforce and recruiting metrics. She is skilled in evaluating business landscapes and implementing policies and practices that enable organizations to ensure equity and inclusion are at the core of all business practices.

"We have never been more committed to fostering meaningful change in the area of DEI within our organization, and in support of the work our customers are doing," said Claire Herring, Chief Learning Officer at Blue Ocean Brain. "We are thrilled to have colleagues like Karith Foster and Marcelle Davis joining the Council. Their insights will challenge us to think bigger about how to support the important work for businesses of all sizes and in all industries."

About Blue Ocean Brain

Blue Ocean Brain is a pioneering microlearning firm that combines collaborative consultation, award-winning content, and flexible integration options to help clients of all sizes and industries across the globe develop a high-performing culture of inclusion and learning that aligns with and supports their strategic priorities. Produced fresh daily, Blue Ocean Brain's interactive content and modern user experience bring mission-critical material to the on-the-go learner in a way that fits easily into the natural flow of their workday. Blue Ocean Brain's content is designed to upskill busy employees around important initiatives such as diversity and inclusion, leadership development, employee mental health and well-being, critical thinking, change management and much more. Learn more about their complete learning solution at www.blueoceanbrain.com.

About HSI

HSI is your single-source partner for EHS, Compliance, and Professional Development solutions. HSI provides integrated e-learning content, training solutions, and cloud-based software designed to enable your business to improve safety, operations, and employee development. Across all industries, HSI helps safety and technical managers, human resources, first responders, and operational leaders train and develop their workforce, keep workers safe, and meet regulatory and operational compliance requirements. HSI is a unique partner that offers a suite of cloud-based software solutions including learning management, safety management, chemical SDS management, and more, integrated with content and training so businesses can not only monitor and manage multiple workflows in one system, but train employees via one partner. HSI is majority-owned by Waud Capital Partners, a leading growth-oriented private equity firm with total capital commitments of approximately $3.0 billion. For more information, visit www.hsi.com.

SOURCE Health and Safety Institute
HONG KONG, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zerog, a Chinese electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer, recently completed a nearly RMB10 million (USD1.48 million) seed round with BlueRun Ventures China (BRV China) as the sole investor. The financing closes as the Nanjing-based start-up unveils ZG-ONE, its pioneering eVTOL aircraft product for low-altitude tourism. The Zerog is the only publicly known eVTOL firm in China that is simultaneously developing eVTOL aircraft with three configurations: multi-rotor, composite wing and tiltrotor.

Established in March 2021 by Xiang Jinwu, the Dean of the School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering in Beihang University and a leading academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Zerog's first generation eVTOL aircraft ZG-ONE adopts a six-axis and six-paddle configuration, weighs 650kg and can carry two people. This model is directed for production with delivery scheduled on the second half of the year in small batches. In addition to providing travel services, ZG-ONE is fully functional in multiple scenarios such as logistics and transportation, emergency rescue and geological exploration.

Along with steadily rising demand, the global market for eVTOL aircraft is projected to grow from an estimated USD 8.5 billion in 2021 to as much as USD 30.8 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 15.3% during the forecast period, according to a research report published by MarketsandMarkets. Morgan Stanley estimates the market for urban air mobility (UAM) to hit USD 1 trillion by 2040 of which the Chinese market accounts for one quarter.

Stubborn urban traffic issues are propelling demand for alternative forms of transportation. UAM aircraft such as eVTOLs have then emerged as some practical substitutes. Some eVTOL aircraft are specialized for short trips which can skip road traffic in congested cities. Generally cheaper than helicopters operationally, they are the right tools in middle-mile and last-mile cargo delivery and medical services. As such, the demand for UAM in urban mobility applications is set to multiply in the years to come.

Terry Zhu, Managing Partner at BRV China, says: "In order for eVTOLs to fully flourish, there are certain complex technological thresholds to break through. The Zerog team possesses full-stack technical skills and product engineering capabilities. We are confident they can empower eVTOLs into much wider applications."

Zerog has established a presence in Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone. It is to launch the first production line of ZG-ONE in July with which mass production will be on the way. The firm already obtained a number of intended product orders. In Zerog's product lineup will be the second-generation composite wing model, the ZG-VC2, and the third-generation tilt-rotor model, the ZG-T6, which seats six people. Tilt-rotor aircraft are generally recognized as the most sophisticated eVTOLs in terms of technical development and can operate with the highest overall efficiency.

Mr. Zhu adds: "With an ever-growing urban population around the world, cities and metropolitans will inevitably look into UAM as complementary transportation as they seek reduction in pollution, improvement in connectivity, and easing strain on existing transport networks. As a signatory of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) program, we are focused on investing in innovative businesses that deliver positive environmental and social outcomes. Zerog is one such ESG-compliant investment."

"We can clearly see the development of UAM has reached a critical point in terms of technological advance, global capital market support and consumer demand. BRV China will continue to turn the spotlight on eVTOL investments across areas including products, business models and infrastructure," says Mr. Zhu.

The founding team of Zerog says: "With an initial specialization in eVOTLs, we aim to provide smarter, faster, safer and more cost-effective solutions in UAM. Our goal is to bring electric aircraft into life and contribute to the air industry of China and of the world."

About BRV China

BlueRun Ventures China (BRV China) is a leading early-stage venture firm in China with offices in Beijing and Shanghai. Having its heritage in Silicon Valley since 1998 and entered China in 2005, BRV China has managed over $1.5 billion through multiple USD and RMB funds, with over $1 billion cash distributions. BRV China focuses on investing in entrepreneurs who create a sustainable impact through technological innovations across enterprise services, transportation and smart machine, digital healthcare, and consumer technology sectors in China. The firm has invested in more than 150 portfolio companies, including Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI), QingCloud (688316.SH), WaterDrop (NYSE: WDH), Energy Monster (NASDAQ: EM), Mogujie/Meilishuo (NYSE: MOGU), Qudian (NYSE: QD), Ganji/58.com, PPTV, Guazi, Meishubao, Nanyan, Shanzhen, Gaussian Robotics, Yi Auto, Pinecone, etc. The firm has been recognized as the "No.1 Early-Stage Investment Firm" in China by Zero2IPO and ChinaVenture, and "Consistent Performing Venture Capital Fund Manager" by Preqin. For further information, please visit https://www.brv.com.cn/en/.

SOURCE BRV China
"The picturesque Greenwich harbor set the stage and we were thrilled to host, engage and entertain so many car lovers this past weekend," said Matt Orendac, Vice Chairman, Concours Group, Hagerty. "We're convinced more now than ever about the value of bringing the car community together. Whether our guests came to enjoy the fun cars of their youth on Saturday or to see the finest cars ever built on Sunday, it's evident that car culture is both alive and thriving."

Greenwich Concours d'Elegance highlights

The weekend kicked into gear with the exclusive Grand Tour for concours entrants. In a nod towards responsible motoring, the tour's impact was offset and made climate positive thanks to a partnership with Chrome Carbon. Friday evening featured the Hagerty Drivers Foundation's unveiling of the 31st vehicle inducted into the National Historic Vehicle Register. The 1952 Hudson Hornet (7B-185596) "Fabulous Hudson Hornet," raced by Herb Thomas, remained on display throughout the weekend.

Saturday's Cars & Community, presented by Griot's Garage, featured RADwood and Concours d'Lemons displays as well as a Kids Zone. In total, the event showcased 125 vehicles on the lawn at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park.

Sunday's Concours d'Elegance celebrated 140 historically significant vehicles in 18 classes. Fifty-seven judges from across the globe selected a Vignale-bodied 1948 Packard Convertible Victoria as Best in Show.

More than 600 future drivers participated in the Kids Zone, enjoying racing simulators, games, coloring stations and more. Experts mentored 15 youth as they selected vehicles from the concours show field to receive Hagerty's Youth Awards.

Over 240 people participated in Hagerty's Ride & Drive, which puts enthusiasts behind the wheel of cars selected from the Hagerty Learning Garage. Test drive vehicles included a 1960 Plymouth Fury, 1963 Lincoln Continental, 1970 Dodge Challenger and a 1971 Ford Bronco. In addition, a 2017 Ferrari 488 GTB and 2017 Lamborghini Huracan Spyder were available to for Hagerty Driver's Club members to enjoy.

Hagerty's support of local charities continued a long tradition of giving back to the community. A gift to the Greenwich Boys & Girls Club will provide summer program scholarships for local students, and contributions to the Greenwich Parks and Recreation will help underwrite their Summer Concert Series. In addition, the concours was proud to work with local charitable vendors, Transportation Association of Greenwich (TAG) and Arch Street.

Refillable water bottle stations provided by YETI reduced waste and environmental impact, dispensing the equivalent of 700 plastic bottles over the weekend. The concours distributed thousands of copies of the 2022 program electronically and sold a limited number of printed versions with the entirety of gross sales split between the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club and Greenwich Parks and Recreation.

Hagerty's next concours, the Detroit Concours d'Elegance, is set for September 16-18, 2022.

Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, by the numbers

>8,000 attendees

700 water bottles saved

>600 youth participants

240 test drive experiences

140 vehicles at The Greenwich Concours d'Elegance

125 vehicles at Cars & Community

57 Concours d'Elegance judges

15 youth judges

Press Kit

Click here for list of award winners and other information.

About Greenwich Concours d'Elegance

Founded in 1996, Greenwich Concours d'Elegance is a three-day premier motoring event held in Greenwich, Connecticut. Exclusive gatherings, luxury shopping, ride and drives, new vehicle experiences and entertaining seminars complement Friday's Grand Tour and Saturday's Cars & Community presented by Griot's Garage. Sunday's nationally recognized Concours d'Elegance celebrates historically significant American and International vehicles along the town's picturesque harbor front. Each year the event supports local charities as a part of Hagerty's larger giving strategy. For more about the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance visit our website at GreenwichConcours.com.

About Hagerty, Inc. (NYSE: HGTY)

Based in Traverse City, Michigan, Hagerty's purpose is to save driving and car culture for future generations and its mission is to build a global business to fund that purpose. Hagerty is an automotive enthusiast brand offering integrated membership products and programs as well as a specialty insurance provider focused on the global automotive enthusiast market. Hagerty is home to Hagerty Drivers Club, Hagerty DriveShare, Hagerty Valuation Tools, Hagerty Media, Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, MotorsportReg, Hagerty Garage + Social, The Amelia, the Detroit Concours d'Elegance, the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, the California Mille, Motorlux, RADwood, the Hagerty Drivers Foundation and more. For more information on Hagerty, please visit www.hagerty.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

More information can be found at https://newsroom.hagerty.com/ .

SOURCE Hagerty
MIAMI, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cajun Cigar Czar, LLC has reached an agreement with WestCann Holdings Ltd. through its wholly owned subsidiary Laika Brands, LLC ("Laika"), for sales and distribution of Laika hemp cigarettes in brick -and-mortar stores throughout the United States.

Dustin Prudhomme CEO of Cajun Cigar Czar has created a network of 500 retail partners nationwide for the distribution of premium handmade cigars. This attracted the attention of the Las Vegas based Laika brand (hemp-based tobacco replacement cigarettes).

Laika hemp cigarettes Dustin Prudhomme CEO of Cajun Cigar Czar

Prudhomme stated: "We at Cajun Cigar Czar are excited about this new partnership with WestCann. I strongly believe that hemp cigarettes will quickly make tobacco cigarettes obsolete. Laika hemp cigarettes boast great flavors without tobacco, nicotine, and are in general, much safer than tobacco cigarettes. We believe that Laika hemp cigarettes has strong potential to create an additional revenue stream for our retail partners."

Laika Hemp Cigarettes are tobacco and nicotine free, while providing the full flavor of conventional cigarettes. Laika's first line of original flavor will soon be followed by a Menthol and a Smooth product line. More information can be found under www.TryLaika.com.

ABOUT CAJUN CIGAR CZAR

Since incorporation in 2016, Cajun has achieved significant success in creating an extensive premium tobacco retail supply network in the Southern United States. Cajun's strategy of providing climate controlled and digitally connected shelf space to retail locations has grown its network to over 500 retail locations, adding additional partner locations constantly.

ABOUT WESTCANN / LAIKA BRANDS

WestCann Holdings, with its Canadian subsidiary WestCann Processors and its Nevada based subsidiary Laika Brands has been specializing in the transfer of tobacco technologies to hemp and cannabis. The company is currently introducing several lines of novel recreational cannabis and tobacco replacement products into the global regulated hemp and cannabis markets.

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES: Gabriel Pineres, 786-541-7411, [email protected]

Interviews and images available upon request.

SOURCE Cajun Cigar Czar
Mark Selby, Chair and Chief Executive Officer said, "The acquisition of Bannockburn is highly complementary to our southern cluster of properties at Sothman, Midlothian, and Powell. The Bannockburn "B" zone has already been successfully tested for 600 metres of its total 1.3 kilometre strike length with multiple intervals in excess of 0.3% nickel and has smaller, higher grade potential at other zones on the property. Historical mineral processing work confirmed presence of heazlewoodite, similar to Crawford, and the ability to generate a 35% nickel concentrate."

Mr. Selby continued "This transaction, in combination with our acquisition of the Newmarket property  another very large ultramafic target adjacent to our Mann properties, conclude our consolidation of large Crawford-type targets in the Timmins region. We have been very pleased with our ongoing regional drilling program and look forward to sharing results on these regional properties through the year as assays become available."

Bannockburn Property

The Bannockburn Property is located 100 kilometres south of Timmins and consists of 125 contiguous unpatented mining claims totaling 2,700 hectares. Bannockburn is in close proximity to the Company's Sothman, Midlothian, and Powell properties. The property contains at least two ultramafic units with the larger one representing the "B" Zone, a large, lower-grade mineralized ultramafic measuring 1.3 kilometres along strike by up to 700 metres across strike (based on its magnetic response) that had yielded similar intervals to Canada Nickel's Crawford Deposit.

The "B" Zone was drilled in 2021 by Grid to a depth of 340 metres, with the best hole, GBN21-03, intersecting 342 metres of 0.28% nickel. Previous drilling by Outokumpu Oyj ("Outokumpu") intersected 203 metres of 0.33% nickel in MBB4-09 and 25 metres of 0.46% nickel in BN-19-98. Preliminary mineral processing testing in 2005 on the "B" Zone showed that a 0.33% nickel grade sample indicated a recovery of 52% to a 35% nickel concentrate.

Previous drilling within the high-grade zones intersected up to 5% nickel in the "C" Zone, which averages 2.5 metres in true thickness, 0.85% nickel over 4.27 metres in the "D" Zone, which remains open and up to 4.54% nickel in the "F" Zone with widths ranging from 0.25 metres to 17.6 metres.

Canada Nickel is acquiring a 100% interest in Bannockburn, which is subject to an existing 2.0% net smelter return royalty with Outokumpu, in exchange for two million common shares of the Company. Closing of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain customary conditions, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Table 1  Grid Metals Historical Drilling  Bannockburn Property

Hole ID From To Length Ni (m) (m) (m) (%) GBN21-01 71.5 232.4 160.9 0.24 including 103.0 125.6 22.6 0.30 with 118.0 125.6 7.6 0.38 GBN21-02 40.5 337.0 296.5 0.28 including 98.0 210.0 112.0 0.32 with 147.0 195.0 48.0 0.34 GBN21-03 39.3 381.0 341.7 0.28 including 256.5 321.0 64.5 0.30 GBN21-04 115.5 309.0 193.5 0.31 including 133.5 162.0 28.5 0.40 and 225.0 247.5 22.5 0.41 GBN21-05 49.7 219.0 169.3 0.20 including 79.5 105.0 25.5 0.27 GBN21-06 60.0 247.5 189.0 0.27 including 133.5 174.0 40.5 0.30 and 210.0 235.5 25.5 0.31 GBN21-07 36.0 405.0 369.0 0.24 including 160.5 273.0 112.5 0.27 with 231.0 273.0 42.0 0.29 GBN21-08 72.0 303.0 231.0 0.24 including 132.0 258.0 126.0 0.28

*True thicknesses are estimated to be approximately 70% of the reported interval lengths.



Figure 1a  Bannockburn "B Zone"  Historical Drillholes Over Total Magnetic Intensity.

Figure 1b  Bannockburn Property with Nickel Sulphide Zones (yellow star) Discovered to Date.

Newmarket Property

The Newmarket Property is located 34 kilometres east of Canada Nickel's Crawford Deposit and consists of 93 contiguous mining claims totaling 1,488 hectares. The property is thought to contain the extension of an ultramafic sill located in Mann Township that Canada Nickel previously optioned from Noble Mineral Exploration. The ultramafic in Newmarket Township measures approximately 8.4 kilometres along strike and up to 600 metres across strike (as estimated from its magnetic footprint).

Exploration of the ultramafic within Newmarket dates to 1947 when International Nickel Co. drilled a series of six short holes to a maximum length of 488 feet (149 metres) and intersected serpentinized ultramafic rocks (no assays provided). In 1995, Falconbridge Ltd. conducted ground geophysics and drilling. Hole MAN35-01 drilled just off the edge of Newmarket property intersected serpentinized ultramafic across entire core length to end of hole. Three three-metre assays at 47, 71, and 105 metres yielded nickel intervals in excess of 0.31% nickel. Hole NEW22-01 intersected a coarse-grained peridotite with an assay value of 0.248% nickel over 3 metres reported by the Ontario Geological Survey.

Consideration for the acquisition of the Newmarket property was included in the property transactions press released on November 22, 2021.

Figure 2  Newmarket Property  Historical Drillholes Over Total Magnetic Intensity.

Other Property Acquisitions

The Company is also pleased to announce that it has entered into two purchase agreements to acquire certain minor properties located in the Timmins, Ontario nickel-sulphide mining district. Under these agreements, Canada Nickel has agreed, subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, to issue a total of 17,000 common shares and has agreed that each of the sellers will retain a net smelter royalty of 2%, with Canada Nickel having the right to re-purchase 50% of the royalty.

Canada Nickel also wishes to clarify, further to the acquisition of certain other properties located in the Timmins, Ontario nickel-sulphide mining district described in its April 20, 2022 news release, that in addition to the share consideration described in such prior release, the Company also agreed to pay $75,000 to the seller and grant the seller a 0.5% net smelter royalty on the property, half of which may be bought back for $500,000. In addition, in the event gold mineralization is discovered on the properties, the seller has the right to elect to form a 50% joint venture with the Company to join in the exploration and development of the gold mineralization on the properties.

The common shares described in this news release are subject to a four-month hold period from the date of their respective issuances.

Figure 3  The Timmins Nickel District

Table 2  Collars

Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip Length

(m) (m) (m) () () (m) GBN21-01 506,785 5,313,730 376 245 (65.0) 250.2 GBN21-02 506,785 5,313,730 376 245 (65.0) 351.3 GBN21-03 506,775 5,313,858 363 245 (65.0) 408.0 GBN21-04 506,704 5,313,991 363 245 (65.0) 349.4 GBN21-05 506,586 5,313,921 362 245 (60.0) 224.0 GBN21-06 506,634 5,313,746 362 65 (65.0) 450.0 GBN21-07 506,980 5,313,536 369 235 (65.0) 402.0 GBN21-08 507,077 5,313,506 364 205 (45.0) 350.0 BN-19-98 506,805 5,313,702 362 250 (50.0) 299.0 MBB4-09 506,755 5,313,920 364 239.9 (45.6) 266.0 MAN35-01 503,615 5,408,390 300 220 (45.0) 149.0 MAN35-02 503,983 5,408,980 300 360 (45.0) 164.0 NEW12-01 506,599 5,405,680 295 90 (45.0) 173.0

Statement Regarding TSX Venture

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.

The completion of any transactions mentioned in this release is subject to customary closing conditions, including final TSX Venture Exchange approval. The common shares issued pursuant to the above noted acquisitions will be subject to a four month hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws. Some transactions may have been approved prior to this release.

Qualified Person and Data Verification

Stephen J. Balch P.Geo. (ON), VP Exploration of Canada Nickel and a "qualified person" as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101, has verified the data disclosed in this news release, and has otherwise reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release on behalf of Canada Nickel Company Inc.

About Canada Nickel Company

Canada Nickel Company Inc. is advancing the next generation of nickel-sulphide projects to deliver nickel required to feed the high growth electric vehicle and stainless steel markets. Canada Nickel Company has applied in multiple jurisdictions to trademark the terms NetZero NickelTM, NetZero CobaltTM, NetZero IronTM and is pursuing the development of processes to allow the production of net zero carbon nickel, cobalt, and iron products. Canada Nickel provides investors with leverage to nickel in low political risk jurisdictions. Canada Nickel is currently anchored by its 100% owned flagship Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulphide Project in the heart of the prolific Timmins-Cochrane mining camp. For more information, please visit www.canadanickel.com.

For further information, please contact:

Mark Selby

Chair and CEO

Phone: 647-256-1954

Email: [email protected]

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, drill and exploration results relating to the target properties described herein (the "Properties"), the potential of the Crawford Nickel Sulphide Project and the Properties, timing of economic studies and mineral resource estimates, the ability to sell marketable materials, strategic plans, including future exploration and development results, and corporate and technical objectives. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon several assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals, the future demand for metals, the results of drilling, inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the property, environmental liabilities (known and unknown), general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, results of exploration programs, risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals, and the impact of COVID-19 related disruptions in relation to the Company's business operations including upon its employees, suppliers, facilities and other stakeholders. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. Canada Nickel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE Canada Nickel Company Inc.
Positive results of effectiveness in dogs of the iBoost vaccine-based cancer immunotherapy published in Nature Communications

Seed round led by Positron Ventures, supported by several health investors including Amsterdam UMC professor and biotech investor Tom Wurdinger

Funds will be used to further advance the cancer vaccine up until phase 1-2 clinical trials in humans

AMSTERDAM, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CimCure, a biotech spin-off of Amsterdam UMC, focusing on the development of a novel vaccine-based cancer immunotherapy through its Immune-Boost (iBoost) technology, today announced that it has raised little over  5 million in a financing Seed Round led by Dutch VC Positron Ventures. The round was supported by several investors with deep industry knowledge, including the investment vehicle of Tom Wurdinger, professor at Amsterdam UMC. With the proceeds of this Seed Round CimCure will further advance the vaccine up until phase 1-2 clinical studies in humans. Dutch vaccine CDMO Intravacc will be CimCure's partner for the development and production of the lead compound.

The vaccine-based immunotherapy developed by the team of Prof. Dr Griffioen at the Amsterdam UMC and licensed to CimCure, has shown high effectiveness and safety, both in murine animal models and in an efficacy study in client-owned dogs with spontaneous bladder cancer. Late May, some of the research results which underlie CimCure's innovation were published in Nature Communications (Van Beijnum et al, 2022).

CimCure was founded in 2016 as a spin-off of Amsterdam UMC supported by Amsterdam UMC's TTO Innovation Exchange Amsterdam and is led by Prof. dr. Arjan Griffioen, CSO, and Diederik Engbersen, CEO. Both have extensive experience in the biotech industry and started CimCure to commercialise a smart, effective and safe treatment strategy against all types of solid tumors at all stages, and can be combined with conventional and state-of-the-art anti-cancer strategies.

Joseph Peeraer, founding partner of Positron said:

"We feel privileged to be able to invest in this promising iBoost technology and vaccine-based cancer immunotherapy, which might become a real game changer in the fight against cancer. This investment in CimCure exemplifies our thesis to invest at an early stage in outstanding scientists who would like to bring a potentially groundbreaking and impactful innovation to market. Professor Griffioen's invention may lead to a much less demanding, cheaper and more effective cancer treatment."

Diederik Engbersen, CimCure's CEO, said:

"We are pleased with this funding round led by Positron and supported by Tom Wurdinger. Our first promising findings with murine animal models and client-owned dogs have recently been published in Nature Communications, bolstering our commitment to advance our technology and therapy towards clinical trials and cancer patients globally over the coming years."

About CimCure's vaccine-based immunotherapy

CimCure develops cancer vaccines through its proprietary Immune-Boost (iBoost) technology of targeted conjugate vaccines. The company has identified specific targets in the tumor vasculature. Eradication of tumor blood vessels and inhibition of their growth will lead to inhibition of cancer growth. This is an attractive approach for treatment of cancer. However, past and current angiostatic drugs are known for rapid induction of drug resistance and loss of effectiveness, due to intervention in tumor-produced growth factors or their receptors. CimCure's approach directly targets the tumor blood vessels, which efficiently attenuates tumor growth directly and does not induce resistance. An additional advantage of targeting blood vessels is that the barrier function of the tumor vasculature for leukocytes can be overcome (Huinen et al, Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 2021).

About CimCure

CimCure is a 2016 spin-off from Amsterdam UMC. CimCure focuses on the design and development of a novel class of active cancer immunotherapies. The company is privately funded and maintains a web presence at www.cimcure.com.

About Positron Ventures

Positron Ventures is a  75m (pre-)seed fund for European science startups that tackle the world's biggest challenges and can benefit from operational involvement by our team of entrepreneurs, dealmakers and teambuilders.

See for more info: www.positron.ventures

About Innovation Exchange Amsterdam UMC (IXA)

IXA is a network, servicedesk and liaison organization for Amsterdam UMC, offering researchers the expertise of grant advisers, business developers and legal experts to help determine a valorisation/ impact strategy. IXA assists in setting up collaborations with third parties and/or starting new ventures, while managing intellectual property and other legal and financial support.

For more information, please visit www.ixa.nl

Contacts:

CimCure

Diederik Engbersen, CEO

T: +31 6 46 336 338

E: [email protected] .com

Positron Ventures

Joseph Peeraer, founding partner

T: +31 6 51 197 847

E: [email protected]

Amsterdam UMC

Daniela Cohen, press officer Amsterdam UMC

T: +31 20 444 3444

E: [email protected]

For media

LifeSpring Life Sciences Communication, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Leon Melens

T: +31 6 538 16 427

E: [email protected]

References

Huinen, Z., Huijbers, E.J.M., Van Beijnum, J.R., Nowak-Sliwinska, P., and Griffioen, A.W. (2021). Anti-angiogenic agents - overcoming tumor endothelial cell anergy and improving immunotherapy outcomes. Nat. Rev. Clin. Oncol. 18, 527-540.

Van Beijnum, J.R., Huijbers, E.J.M., Van Loon, K., Blanas, A., Akbari, P., Roos, A., Wong, T.J., Denisov, S., Jimenez, C.R., Hackeng, T.M., (2022). Extracellular vimentin mimics VEGF and is a target for anti-angiogenic immunotherapy Nat Commun 13, 20.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1833632/CimCure_logo_1_Logo.jpg

SOURCE CimCure
Find additional market insights by Technavio to help your organization foster innovation and make effective decisions. View our Exclusive Sample Report

What are the Some of the Topics Covered in this Report?

Overview of the Market

Market Sizing

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation

Factors Impacting Market Growth

Vendor Analysis

What are the Various Segments Covered in this Report?

Segmentation Segments Product Food and beverage Geography APAC, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America

What are the Factors Driving the Growth of the Cannabis-infused Edible Products Market?

The growth of the cannabis-infused edible products market will be driven by the growing social acceptance of cannabis. The perception of cannabis has changed across several countries. The market has attracted new vendors and large investors. The rising popularity of recreational marijuana has provided traction to the global legal cannabis market.

What are the Trends Supporting the Growth of the Cannabis-infused Edible Products Market?

The increasing number of countries decriminalizing cannabis is a key trend that will support the growth of the cannabis-infused edible products market. Portugal became the first country in the world to legalize the use of all drugs, including marijuana. Canada has legalized the use of marijuana for recreational and medical purposes. Other countries that have legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes include Ireland, Jamaica, Australia, Germany, and South Africa.

Technavio helps businesses keep up with the key trends in the market. Download an Exclusive Sample Report

Which are the Major Vendors Operating in the Cannabis-infused Edible Products Market?

According to Technavio, the major vendors operating in the cannabis-infused edible products market include Bhang Corp., Botanic Lab, Cannabinoid Creations, CHARLOTTES WEB, Gron Confections, Kats Botanicals, Kiva Brands Inc., Lulu Group International, Medix CBD, and Mentor Capital Inc. among others.

Is the Market Fragmented or Concentrated?

The cannabis-infused edible products market is fragmented, and the vendors are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. The vendors in the market are focusing on launching new and innovative products, a cost-effective production cycle, and developments in the distribution in new and existing markets.

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Cannabis-infused Edible Products Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 21.74% Market growth 2021-2025 USD 25.27 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 15.65 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution North America at 72% Key consumer countries US, Canada, Germany, UK, and Mexico Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Bhang Corp., Botanic Lab, Cannabinoid Creations, CHARLOTTES WEB, Gron Confections, Kats Botanicals, Kiva Brands Inc., Lulu Group International, Medix CBD, and Mentor Capital 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

Exhibit 01: Parent market



Exhibit 02: Market characteristics

2.2 Value chain analysis

Exhibit 03: Value chain analysis for packaged foods and meats

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 2020

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025

Exhibit 06: Global - Market size and forecast 2020 - 2025 ($ million)



Exhibit 07: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2020 - 2025 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 08: Five forces analysis 2020 & 2025

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 2020

5 Market Segmentation by Product

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 15: Product - Market share 2020-2025 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Product

Exhibit 16: Comparison by Product

5.3 Food - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 17: Food - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)



Exhibit 18: Food - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

5.4 Beverage - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 19: Beverage - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)



Exhibit 20: Beverage - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Product

Exhibit 21: Market opportunity by Product

6 Customer landscape

6.1 Overview

Exhibit 22: Customer landscape

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 23: Market share by geography 2020-2025 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 24: Geographic comparison

7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 25: North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 26: North America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 27: Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 28: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 29: APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: APAC - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 31: South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 32: South America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

7.7 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 33: MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: MEA - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

7.8 Key leading countries

Exhibit 35: Key leading countries

7.9 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

Exhibit 37: Impact of drivers and challenges

8.3 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

Exhibit 38: Vendor landscape

9.2 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 39: Landscape disruption



Exhibit 40: Industry risks

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 41: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 42: Market positioning of vendors

10.3 Bhang Corp.

Exhibit 43: Bhang Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 44: Bhang Corp. - Product and service



Exhibit 45: Bhang Corp. - Key offerings

10.4 Botanic Lab

Exhibit 46: Botanic Lab - Overview



Exhibit 47: Botanic Lab - Product and service



Exhibit 48: Botanic Lab - Key offerings

10.5 Cannabinoid Creations

Exhibit 49: Cannabinoid Creations - Overview



Exhibit 50: Cannabinoid Creations - Product and service



Exhibit 51: Cannabinoid Creations - Key offerings

10.6 CHARLOTTES WEB

Exhibit 52: CHARLOTTES WEB - Overview



Exhibit 53: CHARLOTTES WEB - Product and service



Exhibit 54: CHARLOTTES WEB  Key news



Exhibit 55: CHARLOTTES WEB - Key offerings

10.7 Gron Confections

10.8 Kats Botanicals

Exhibit 59: Kats Botanicals - Overview



Exhibit 60: Kats Botanicals - Product and service



Exhibit 61: Kats Botanicals - Key offerings

10.9 Kiva Brands Inc.

Exhibit 62: Kiva Brands Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 63: Kiva Brands Inc. - Product and service



Exhibit 64: Kiva Brands Inc.  Key news



Exhibit 65: Kiva Brands Inc. - Key offerings

10.10 Lulu Group International

Exhibit 66: Lulu Group International - Overview



Exhibit 67: Lulu Group International - Product and service



Exhibit 68: Lulu Group International - Key offerings

10.11 Medix CBD

Exhibit 69: Medix CBD - Overview



Exhibit 70: Medix CBD - Product and service



Exhibit 71: Medix CBD - Key offerings

10.12 Mentor Capital Inc.

Exhibit 72: Mentor Capital Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 73: Mentor Capital Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 74: Mentor Capital Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 75: Mentor Capital Inc. - Segment focus

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 76: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.3 Research methodology

Exhibit 77: Research Methodology



Exhibit 78: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 79: Information sources

11.4 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 80: 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
MIAMI, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cano Health, Inc. ("Cano Health" or the "Company") (NYSE: CANO), a leading value-based primary care provider and population health company, is hosting its 2022 Investor Day today. Members of the management team will provide updates on the business, including greater visibility into its strategy, medical center and affiliate operations, and expectations for short- and long-term financial performance.

"Fueled by our national expansion and membership growth, Cano Health has established itself as one of the nation's largest value-based primary care providers," said Dr. Marlow Hernandez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cano Health. "Our mission is to provide access, quality and wellness to our growing membership, and to grow through our three-pronged strategy of build, buy and manage. By providing coordinated care utilizing our CanoPanorama platform, we aim to provide better health outcomes for our members at lower cost. Demand for our services is strong, and we expect our differentiated growth strategy to drive sustainable and profitable growth as we redefine primary care to transform America's healthcare system."

2022 Outlook

The Company is maintaining its 2022 guidance:

Total membership in the range of 290,000 to 295,000

Total revenue in the range of $2.8 billion to $2.9 billion

to Total medical cost ratio (MCR) in the range of 76.0% to 76.5%

Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $230 million to $240 million

to Total medical centers by the end of 2022 of 184-189

The Company continues to expect positive cash from operating activities in 2022. In addition, the Company expects to have positive free cash flow (defined as cash from operations less capital expenditures) in 2023, and expects to add 25 medical centers in 2023.

Investor Day webcast

The event will begin at 9:30 AM ET today. An audio and video webcast will be broadcast simultaneously on the Investor Relations portion of the Cano Health website at investors.canohealth.com. Presentations and other accompanying material will be available on the website shortly before the event begins and archived for one year along with a replay of the event.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements relate to future events and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and could materially affect actual results, performance or achievements. Such forward-looking statement include, without limitation, our anticipated results of operations, including our financial outlook for the 2022 fiscal year, including our expectations regarding cash from operating activities in 2022, and our longer-term financial outlook, including our expectations regarding organic revenue growth in 2023  2025, free cash flow in 2023, de novo builds in 2023 and long-term Adjusted EBITDA. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as "will," "expects," "targets," "anticipates," "foresees," "forecasts," "estimates" or other words or phrases of similar import. It is uncertain whether any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what impact they will have on our results of operations and financial condition. Important risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in forward-looking statements include, among others, changes in market or industry conditions, regulatory environment, competitive conditions, and receptivity to our services; adverse effects on the Company's business as a result of the restatement of our previously issued financial statements; our ability to realize expected results with respect to patient membership, total revenue and earnings; our ability to realize expected financial and other results; our ability to enter into new markets and continue our growth; our ability to raise capital; our ability to continue to execute on our acquisition strategy and integrate our acquisitions and achieve desired synergies; our ability to maintain our relationships with health plans and other key payors; the impact of COVID-19 on our business and results of operations; our future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash, including funds to satisfy our liquidity needs; and our ability to recruit and retain qualified team members and independent physicians. For a detailed discussion of the risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, please refer to our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including the risk factors identified in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and we undertake no duty to update or revise this information unless required by law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined by the SEC rules. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have not been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA, adjusted to add back the effect of certain expenses, such as stock-based compensation expense, de novo losses (consisting of costs associated with the ramp up of new medical centers and losses incurred for the twelve months after the opening of a new facility), acquisition transaction costs (consisting of transaction costs and corporate development payroll costs), fair value adjustments in contingent consideration, restructuring and other charges, loss on extinguishment of debt, and changes in fair value of warrant liabilities. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing our financial measures with other similar companies. We do not consider these non-GAAP measures in isolation or as an alternative to financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures are subject to inherent limitations as they reflect the exercise of judgments by management about which expense, income and other items are excluded or included in determining these non-GAAP financial measures. In addition, other companies may calculate non-GAAP financial measures differently or may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measures as tools for comparison. We have not reconciled our expectations as to non-GAAP measures in future periods to their most directly comparable GAAP measure because certain costs and expenses are outside of our control or cannot be reasonably predicted. Accordingly, reconciliation is not available without unreasonable effort, although it is important to note that these factors could be material to our results computed in accordance with GAAP. You should review our financial statements filed with the SEC, and not rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business.

About Cano Health

Cano Health (NYSE: CANO) is a high-touch, technology-powered healthcare company delivering personalized, value-based primary care to nearly 270,000 members. With its headquarters in Miami, Florida, Cano Health is transforming healthcare by delivering primary care that measurably improves the health, wellness, and quality of life of its patients and the communities it serves. Founded in 2009, Cano Health has more than 4,000 employees, and operates primary care medical centers and supports affiliated providers in nine states and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit canohealth.com or investors.canohealth.com.

Investor Relations Contact:

Derek Fiebig

Cano Health, Inc.

(786) 206-1930

[email protected]

Media Relations Contact:

Georgi Morales Pipkin

Cano Health, Inc.

(786) 206-3322

[email protected]

SOURCE Cano Health, Inc.
Located in the Cayman Islands and UK, each member of Channel Capital Cayman acts as a fund director and is regulated by CIMA. The team of directors initially includes Mark Cook, Carl Brenton and Katherine Youhanna, and offers decades of professional governance experience to select fund boards.

The Cayman Islands is a world leader in the establishment of offshore investment funds due to its tax-neutrality, stable economy, sophisticated banking sector, and professional financial services industry. Approximately 70% of non-US domiciled alternative investment funds managed by US SEC-registered advisors are domiciled in the Cayman Islands.

Executive Director at Channel Capital Cayman, Mark Cook, said: "The Cayman Islands remains by far the most popular jurisdiction for global hedge, private equity and infrastructure funds. The Cayman Islands Government and CIMA have developed a strong regulatory framework for the investment funds industry, and we are confident that the Cayman Islands will continue to be a leading funds jurisdiction."

"Having been involved in the industry since 2008, we know first-hand the vast range of compliance and governance issues boards have to navigate. The independent director services we provide allows for a flexible and tailored approach to fund governance through each stage of an investment fund's life cycle. Our platform ensures necessary compliance with regulation is satisfied but with an emphasis on reducing the administrative burden faced by those in the fund governance space and we look forward to expanding our team of likeminded fund directors," said Mr Cook.

About Channel Capital

Established in 2013, Channel has 47 employees across Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Grand Cayman, and currently partners with eight investment management firms. Channel provides incubation, distribution, operational and responsible entity services to a select group of investment management firms and their clients across the institutional, family office, high net worth and advisor-led investor space. Channel's subsidiary entity, CIML, provides responsible entity services to a limited set of funds. https://www.channel.capital

SOURCE Channel Capital Cayman
Located in the Cayman Islands and UK, each member of Channel Capital Cayman acts as a fund director and is regulated by CIMA. The team of directors initially includes Mark Cook, Carl Brenton and Katherine Youhanna, and offers decades of professional governance experience to select fund boards.

The Cayman Islands is a world leader in the establishment of offshore investment funds due to its tax-neutrality, stable economy, sophisticated banking sector, and professional financial services industry. Approximately 70% of non-US domiciled alternative investment funds managed by US SEC-registered advisors are domiciled in the Cayman Islands.

Executive Director at Channel Capital Cayman, Mark Cook, said: "The Cayman Islands remains by far the most popular jurisdiction for global hedge, private equity and infrastructure funds. The Cayman Islands Government and CIMA have developed a strong regulatory framework for the investment funds industry, and we are confident that the Cayman Islands will continue to be a leading funds jurisdiction."

"Having been involved in the industry since 2008, we know first-hand the vast range of compliance and governance issues boards have to navigate. The independent director services we provide allows for a flexible and tailored approach to fund governance through each stage of an investment fund's life cycle. Our platform ensures necessary compliance with regulation is satisfied but with an emphasis on reducing the administrative burden faced by those in the fund governance space and we look forward to expanding our team of likeminded fund directors," said Mr Cook.

About Channel Capital

Established in 2013, Channel has 47 employees across Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Grand Cayman, and currently partners with eight investment management firms. Channel provides incubation, distribution, operational and responsible entity services to a select group of investment management firms and their clients across the institutional, family office, high net worth and advisor-led investor space. Channel's subsidiary entity, CIML, provides responsible entity services to a limited set of funds. https://www.channel.capital

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1834209/1.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1834244/CC__Logo.jpg

SOURCE Channel Capital Cayman
The leading merchant acquirer has already settled $300M in USDC to date

LONDON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Checkout.com unveils its stablecoin settlement solution, leveraging Fireblocks' new crypto payment technology. This offers merchants the flexibility of 24/7 settlement including weekends and holidays  increasing access to cashflow and significantly reducing operational complexity. Checkout.com is the first PSP to have access to Fireblocks' crypto payouts technology. With this access, Checkout.com is also the first to successfully deploy automatic fiat to stablecoin conversion for their merchants as they receive and process funds from customers.

To date, Checkout.com has facilitated settlement of over $300 million using USDC, a fully collateralized and redeemable USD-pegged stablecoin, via its private stablecoins settlement beta program. During the beta, Checkout.com successfully tested, refined and optimized ways for customers' online fiat transactions to be paid to merchants through USDC.

In addition, Checkout.com's integration with Fireblocks marks the crypto technology provider's expansion into the payments space following the acquisition of First Digital earlier this year. Fireblocks' new crypto payment technology is only available to select PSPs with additional payment capabilities and tools for business to be unveiled later this year. Checkout.com is among the early PSP partners to deploy this new technology.

"At Fireblocks, we believe that every business will become a digital assets business with the advent of Web3," said Ran Goldi, Vice President of Payments at Fireblocks. "Traditionally, merchant payouts are limited to 9-5 on weekdays excluding public holidays and are further delayed through batch processing over several business days. Checkout.com's weekend settlement means that merchants are no longer restricted by arbitrary settlement times. With our in-house team's deep knowledge and expertise in digital asset payments, Fireblocks looks forward to our continued collaboration with Checkout.com to bring even more game-changing solutions to the payments space."

Transak Head of Expansion & Partnerships, Joe Start, said, "Weekend settlement helps to free liquidity constraints we have historically faced as a developer integration making decentralised applications accessible. This enables us to process more payments and we are delighted to have worked with Checkout.com on such a significant step forward for the payments industry as a whole."

At the start, Checkout.com's stablecoin settlement supports USDC with plans to expand to a wider range of assets over time. The company's pilot project already includes several crypto exchanges and tech-forward merchants and is actively expandingwith FTX at the forefront of this work.

Adam Jacobs, Head of Payments from FTX said, "Working with Checkout to pioneer stablecoin settlement has been an exciting development for our business and for the entire Web3 space. We're especially excited to see more businesses using crypto natively aligning with our mission to expand the digital currency ecosystem and bring in more institutional crypto holders."

"Stablecoins started as a fiat-denominated asset used by crypto traders to easily move in and out of more volatile crypto assets," explained Jess Houlgrave, Head of Crypto Strategy at Checkout.com. "but we believe they will also play a fundamental role in improving the underlying payment landscape the fact that we're the first full stack payments provider to successfully pilot an end-to-end solution with weekend merchant-side settlement capability is testament to our commitment to crypto3. We're investing heavily to ensure we can fulfil our mission to enable businesses and their communities to thrive in the digital economy - which we believe includes Web3 and as we see the market reaction, we hope to see more merchants, both crypto native and non crypto native adopt this."

Today's announcement comes on the heels of Checkout.com publishing its Demystifying Crypto report , which found finance leaders surveyed showing significant appetite to hold stablecoins on their balance sheets. Almost 40% of those surveyed said they would like to use decentralised finance for treasury management and settle payments in stablecoins.

For more informationand for merchants interested in potentially settling transactions in stablecoin in the futurevisit checkout.com/crypto .

About Checkout.com

Checkout.com is a global payments solution provider that helps businesses and their communities thrive in the digital economy. Purpose-built with performance, scalability and speed in mind, our modular payments platform is ideal for enterprise businesses looking to seamlessly integrate better payment solutions. With more than 1900 people across 19 offices worldwide, we offer innovative solutions that flex to your needs, valuable insights that help you get smart about your payments' performance, and expertise you can count on as you navigate the complexities of an ever-shifting world. It's why businesses like Crypto.com, Frasers Group, Getty Images, Grab, SHEIN, Sony, Binance and Wise trust Checkout.com.

About Fireblocks

Fireblocks is an enterprise-grade platform delivering a secure infrastructure for moving, storing, and issuing digital assets. Fireblocks enables exchanges, lending desks, custodians, banks, trading desks, and hedge funds to securely scale digital asset operations through the Fireblocks Network and MPC-based Wallet Infrastructure. Fireblocks serves over 1,300 financial institutions, has secured the transfer of over $2.6 trillion in digital assets and has a unique insurance policy that covers assets in storage & transit. Some of the biggest trading desks have switched to Fireblocks because it's the only solution that CISOs and Ops Teams both love. For more information, please visit www.fireblocks.com.

SOURCE Checkout.com
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) will host a conference call on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at 4:30 PM Eastern time to discuss second quarter 2022 financial results and provide a business update for the 2022 third quarter to date.

A press release with second quarter 2022 financial results will be issued at approximately 4:10 PM Eastern time on Tuesday, July 26, 2022.

Participants can join the conference by dialing 1-888-317-6003 and will be prompted to enter the code 8631266. International callers can dial 1-412-317-6061 and will be prompted to enter the code 8631266.

The call will also be webcast live from the Company's website on the investor relations page at ir.chipotle.com and registration is available at https://app.webinar.net/leVDm9BxB4o. An archived webcast will be available approximately one hour after the end of the call.

ABOUT CHIPOTLE

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Chipotle had over 3,000 restaurants as of March 31, 2022, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants. Chipotle is ranked on the Fortune 500 and is recognized on the 2022 list for Fortune's Most Admired Companies. With over 100,000 employees passionate about providing a great guest experience, Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food industry. Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible to everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated purpose as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable business practices. For more information or to place an order online, visit WWW.CHIPOTLE.COM.

SOURCE Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
Partnership will enable travelers to offset carbon emissions with one click

MIAMI, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClimateTrade, the world's first blockchain-based climate solutions provider, today announced a partnership agreement with TravelX , the company building the travel industry's blockchain-based distribution and retailing infrastructure. The partnership will help decarbonize the travel industry through the integration of ClimateTrade's API and TravelX's NFTickets, tokenized flight tickets traded and recorded securely on the blockchain.

"We are extremely excited to be a part of TravelX's mission to evolve the travel industry, making it more sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective. This partnership signifies a giant step in the right direction towards decarbonization in the travel industry," said Francisco Benedito, ClimateTrade CEO.

Through the integration of ClimateTrade's API, customers buying NFTickets via TravelX's platform can easily calculate and choose to offset the emissions of their corresponding flights. Those customers will contribute to mitigation projects, such as reforestation and renewable energy, as selected by TravelX from the more than 60 verified global projects currently available on ClimateTrade's marketplace. Upon concluding a transaction, customers will automatically receive a personalized certificate with information about the amount of CO2 they offset, as well as a blockchain key for traceability, guaranteeing a direct impact in different Sustainable Developments Goal determined by the UN.

"We really believe that a better, more sustainable travel industry is possible. We are creating the blockchain-based infrastructure and the right ecosystem to make that happen. We are happy to partner with ClimateTrade to help offset the carbon footprint of the travel industry together," said Facundo Diaz, Co-founder TravelX.

The companies will celebrate the alliance by hosting a networking event on Wednesday, June 8 at Mila in Miami after the closing of World Aviation Festival Americas.

About TravelX

Led by a team of tech and travel industry veterans with a track record of pioneering change, TravelX is building a blockchain-based distribution protocol developed to create a more secure, decentralized, frictionless, transparent, and efficient travel industry. Learn more at www.travelx.io .

About ClimateTrade

ClimateTrade is a blockchain-based climate pioneer, aiming to empower large-scale decarbonization through constant innovation. The ClimateTrade marketplace allows companies to offset their climate impact by purchasing carbon, plastic and biodiversity offsets, as well as renewable energy certificates directly from project developers. Learn more at www.climatetrade.com .

SOURCE TravelX
DUBLIN, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Colombia Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report considers the present scenario of the Colombia data center market and its market dynamics for 2022-2027. It covers a detailed overview of several growth enablers, restraints, and trends in the market. The study includes the demand and supply aspects of the market.



KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT

Some of the major colocation operators in Colombia include InterNexa, HostDime, ODATA, and Equinix. According to the Uptime Institute, around 17 data center facilities are certified as Tier III in Colombia .

include InterNexa, HostDime, ODATA, and Equinix. According to the Uptime Institute, around 17 data center facilities are certified as Tier III in . Local businesses, BFSI institutions, and foreign firms are among the customers hosting their data in colocation data centers in Colombia . In terms of location, Bogota dominated the colocation services market.

. In terms of location, dominated the colocation services market. Colombia is a growing gaming market in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico , with the gaming population expected to increase significantly over the forecast period. This will increase the data generated by this industry, which in turn will be driving data center demand.

is a growing gaming market in after and , with the gaming population expected to increase significantly over the forecast period. This will increase the data generated by this industry, which in turn will be driving data center demand. The deployment of 5G networks will boost the digital economy of the region and will lead to higher demand for high-bandwidth networking infrastructure and edge data centers. For instance, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced AWS outposts in Colombia in May 2021 .

in . In January 2022 , the ICT Ministry and the administrative department of the public function (DAFP) announced a law for the digitalization and automation of government procedures.

, the ICT Ministry and the administrative department of the public function (DAFP) announced a law for the digitalization and automation of government procedures. In Colombia , renewable energy sources include hydropower, solar energy, biomass, geothermal, and wind energy. Colombia is working towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by the 2030 from 2014 levels.

, renewable energy sources include hydropower, solar energy, biomass, geothermal, and wind energy. is working towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by the 2030 from 2014 levels. Colombia has over ten Free Trade Zones, including Rionegro ( Medellin ), Pacific ( Cali ), La Candelaria ( Cartagena ), Quindio, Santa Marta , Barranquilla, Cartagena , Palmaseca ( Cali ) and Arauca, which expect to attract data center facilities in the coming years.

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS RESEARCH?

Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and the Colombia colocation market revenue.

colocation market revenue. An assessment of the data center investment in Colombia by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators.

by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators. Data center investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across cities.

A detailed study of the existing Colombia data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about the Colombia data center market size during the forecast period.

data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about the data center market size during the forecast period. Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party data center facilities in Colombia

Facilities Covered (Existing): 05

Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 03

Coverage:

Bogota

Other Cities

Existing vs Upcoming (Area)

Existing vs Upcoming (IT Load Capacity)

Data center colocation market in Colombia

Market Revenue & Forecast (2021-2027)

Retail Colocation Pricing

The Colombia data center landscape market investments are classified as IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecasting.

data center landscape market investments are classified as IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecasting. A comprehensive analysis of the Colombia data center market growth, latest trends, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the industry.

data center market growth, latest trends, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the industry. Business overview and product offerings of prominent IT infrastructure providers, construction contractors, support infrastructure providers, and investors operating in the industry.

A transparent research methodology and the analysis of the demand and supply aspect of the market.

MARKET TRENDS

Growing Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Colombia

Increased Adoption of Growing Cloud Services

5G Deployment increasing Edge Data Center Investment

Procurement of Renewable Energy in Colombia

VENDOR ANALYSIS

Some of the key investors in the Colombia data center market in 2021 included HostDime, Scala Data Centers, GlobeNet, and Equinix.

data center market in 2021 included HostDime, Scala Data Centers, GlobeNet, and Equinix. In Colombia , GlobeNet and AngloGold Ashanti Colombia are some telecom operators working towards deploying commercial 5G services.

IT Infrastructure Providers

Arista Networks

Broadcom

Cisco Systems

Dell Technologies

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Huawei Technologies

IBM

Lenovo

Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors

ACOM

Fluor Corporation

ZFB Group

Quark

Support Infrastructure Providers

ABB

ALFA LAVAL

Armstrong Ceiling Solutions

Assa Abloy

Caterpillar

Cummins

Delta Electronics

Daikin Applied (Daikin Industries)

Eaton

Flex

Generac Power Systems

Johnson Controls

Legrand

Mitsubishi Electric

Piller Power Systems

Rittal

Schneider Electric

STULZ

Siemens

Vertiv

Data Center Investors

Equinix

GlobeNet

HostDime

IPXON Networks

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Existing & Upcoming Third-Party Data Centers in Columbia

20+ Unique Data Center Properties

Data Center It Load Capacity

Data Center White Floor Area Space

Existing Vs Upcoming Data Center Capacity by Cities

Cities Covered

Bogota

Other Cities

Chapter 2 Investment Opportunities in Columbia

Data Center Investments

Investment by Area

Investment by Power Capacity

Chapter 3 Data Center Colocation Market in Columbia

Colocation Services Market in Columbia

Retail Colocation

Colocation Pricing (Quarter Rack, Half Rack, Full Rack) & Add-Ons

Chapter 4 Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Market Trends

Market Restraints

Chapter 5 Market Segmentation

IT Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Electrical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Mechanical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

General Construction Services: Market Size & Forecast

Chapter 6 Tier Standard Investment

Tier I & II

Tier III

Tier IV

Chapter 7 Key Market Participants

It Infrastructure Providers

Construction Contractors

Support Infrastructure Providers

Data Center Investors

Chapter 8 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xacpb

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
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Coviello Weber & Dahill LLP announced today the formation of a new law firm founded by brothers Gerald and Jeff Coviello, and their longtime colleagues William "Bill" Dahill and Paul Weber.

The firm pairs the transactional and business advisory skills of Gerald Coviello and Paul Weber with the commercial litigation talents of Jeff Coviello and Bill Dahill. Dahill also specializes in employment disputes and executive employment counseling.

"The launch of Coviello Weber & Dahill LLP is the realization of a long-held dream to start a law firm with my brother, where our shared core values of integrity, justice, and the pursuit of excellence will guide our work for our clients," said Managing Partner Gerald Coviello.

"Gerald and I are excited to join forces with our close friends Paul and Bill and bring our level of legal expertise to Westchester County and beyond," added Founding Partner Jeff Coviello.

Coviello Weber & Dahill's business and corporate law group advises on M&A transactions and other business combinations, as well as early-stage startup and emerging growth company counseling ("cradle to exit"). The group also handles private equity and venture capital raising transactions, joint ventures, investment fund formation and counseling, secured lending transactions, and employment and consulting arrangements. "We pride ourselves on delivering all clients - large and small - sophisticated, value-added legal services at a fair cost, regardless of the size of the transaction, and establishing deep relationships, partnerships, and friendships with our clients," said Founding Partner Paul Weber.

Coviello Weber & Dahill's litigation practice encompasses complex, high-stakes commercial litigation and smaller business disputes on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants at all levels of federal and state court and in arbitrations. The group has deep experience with contract disputes, fraud and business torts, securities litigation, bankruptcy litigation, professional liability claims, and partnership and employment disputes. The firm's attorneys also advise asset managers on litigation funding and legal-related investments. "One of the defining characteristics of the firm is the broad skill set and multi-disciplinary approach of our attorneys. We are both practical advisors and tenacious advocates," said Founding Partner Bill Dahill.

Coviello Weber & Dahill LLP is headquartered at 707 Westchester Avenue, Suite 300, White Plains, New York 10604. Contact the firm at 914-461-4343, via email at [email protected], or online at www.cwdlaw.com.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Coviello Weber & Dahill LLP
"Be the One You Need: 21 Life Lessons I Learned While Taking Care of Everyone but Me" from Health Communications, Inc. is Just the Book We All Need in These Challenging and Isolating Times in Which We Live

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans are in a mental and emotional health crisis, which has turned into a self-care crisis. It's affecting us all: the young, men, women, middle-aged and older Americans, as well as all racial ethnic groups. Data trends show Americans experiencing more depression, isolation, bullying and worry amidst daily traumas in the form of political division, racial division, school shootings, and grocery store massacres. Now even hospitals and medical doctors are targets. All of this, on top of the more than one million deaths due to COVID-19, has made the focus on mental health and self-care more vital than before.

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED BESTSELLING INSPIRATIONAL AUTHOR AND COLUMNIST SOPHIA A. NELSON Be the One You Need

The question we are all asking is: how do I take care of my mental health and wellness in the middle of all of this trouble?

Author Sophia Nelson has some answers. In her 4th book, "Be the One You Need: 21 Life Lessons I Learned While Taking Care of Everyone but Me," Nelson becomes the narrator for our healing. She gives us raw, real and downright empowering practical inspirations from her own life story. Inspired by Nelson's own serious battle with COVID-19, this book could not be more timely to help us practice the art of meaningful self-care. This book is not like other self-help books that just scratch the surface.

This book is a perfectly timed summer inspirational read that will help readers unlock the door to deeper, more meaningful self-care. Nelson wrote the book after having COVID-19 twice, once before vaccines were available and again after getting fully vaccinated. Nelson, like many of us, had to face her own mortality. She knew that she had to make a change in order to live a more fulfilling life.

That change starts with three questions she dares us to ask ourselves often:

1.) What do I want?

2.) What do I need?

3.) How am I feeling?

The change that comes from doing the work on you first and taking care of you first is life-changing, healing, and empowering. It requires us to take a deeper dive into facing our past hurts and traumas. From there, learning to set healthy personal and professional boundaries and doing the work of healing from family, relationship, and environmental trauma is paramount. "My hope with this important and deeply personal book is to help give younger women and men the tools those in my generation (GenX) did not have," said Nelson. "I have lived. I know some things to be true. And COVID changed the way I take care of myself with my family and set healthy boundaries."

Through the lessons she has learned, Nelson helps us rebuild and recalibrate how we practice self-awareness, follow our intuition, and maintain healthy, mutually beneficial relationships.

Here's a snapshot of some of the life lessons discussed:

You are not your family's traumatic history

Take care of your mental and emotional health first

Stop being the go-to for people you can't go to

Don't cancel and publicly shame people

Know the things you need to leave behind in order to move ahead

Reframe your thoughts: Build an EIQ toolkit

Manage expectations of yourself and others

In "Be the One You Need," Nelson provides 21 life lessons that emphasize the importance of putting yourself at the front of the "care" line. Endorsed by some of the most influential people in the world, including New York Times bestselling author and Hollywood producer DeVon Franklin; bestselling author, founder of Know Your Value, co-host of Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski; and CEO the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Dr. Bernice King, this book is one of the most highly anticipated reads of the summer of 2022. Hollywood producer and New York Times bestselling author DeVon Franklin sums this powerful book up best.

"I found 'Be the One You Need' to be a powerful and soul-stirring book that carefully and thoughtfully helps us learn how to service ourselves so we can be of even better service to others," said DeVon Franklin. "This is a must-read for everyone, especially those looking to live a life of true freedom and greater peace."

"Be the One You Need: 21 Life Lessons I Learned While Taking Care of Everyone but Me" releases everywhere books are sold on June 28, 2022. For more information, visit www.betheoneyouneed.com .

Media contacts:

Kayla Tucker Adams, [email protected] ,214-403-9852

Lindsey Mach, [email protected] , 561-453-0689, ext. 9204

SOURCE Health Communications, Inc.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Edafio Technology Partners announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Edafio to its 2022 Solution Provider 500 list.

CRN's annual Solution Provider 500 ranks North America's largest solution providers by revenue and serves as the gold standard for recognizing some of the channel's most successful companies. With a combined revenue of more than $434 billion, this year's list represents an impressive amount of influence and impact wielded by these companies on today's IT industry and the technology suppliers they partner with.

"No matter how remote or how distributed our tasks become, people still make a difference," said Mark Hodges, Edafio's Chief Growth Officer. "We put our focus on the Client and distinguish ourselves with our people. We are honored to be recognized by CRN, because it is a validation that a personal touch still makes a difference."

"The Solution Provider 500 list from CRN serves as the benchmark for the top technology integrators, strategic service providers, and IT consulting firms, making it an invaluable resource for technology vendors seeking to partner with today's top-performing IT solution providers," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "My congratulations go out to each of these companies for their extraordinary contributions to the continued growth and success of the IT channel."

CRN's 2022 Solution Provider 500 list is available online at www.CRN.com/SP500 and a sample from the list will be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine.

About Edafio

With offices in Central and Northwest Arkansas, Edafio Technology Partners is a leading provider of technology and consulting services to businesses across multiple industries. Since 1999, Edafio has helped clients build and protect their businesses through information technology, cloud services, and cybersecurity. Edafio's success begins with its core values: a commitment to client success, unquestionable integrity, and operating as one team with humility and respect.

For more information, visit www.edafio.com.

Follow Edafio Technology Partners: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn , and Facebook.

 2022 The Channel Company, LLC. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Channel Company Contact:

Jennifer Hogan

The Channel Company

[email protected]

CONTACT:

Melissa Swann

Edafio Technology Partners

479-305-3357

[email protected]

SOURCE Edafio Technology Partners
NOIDA, India, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A comprehensive overview of the Dental Floss Market is recently added by UnivDatos Market Insights to its humongous database. The dental floss market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data on various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the dental floss market. The dental floss market report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors in the market that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the dental floss market at the global and regional levels. The Global Dental Floss Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 6% from 2021-2027.

Request Sample Copy of this Report @ https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=11978

Market Overview

The demand for dental floss has been increasing rapidly all over the globe owing to the growth in the number of people suffering from oral health issues and the rise in expenditure on oral care products by consumers in various countries across the globe. For instance, the average annual household expenditure on oral hygiene products in Canada amounted to almost 49 US dollars in 2019, as per StatCan. Furthermore, with the rising awareness among people to maintain their oral health, the number of people opting for dental flossing is also increasing. For instance, as per the study conducted by Delta Dental, nearly 41% of people floss at least once per day.

Additionally, with rapid technological advancement and rising awareness among the consumers to maintain their oral hygiene, many of the industry players are focused on launching new products in the market due to which the dental floss market is witnessing an uptick all over the globe. For example, in June 2020, BURST Oral Care Launches New Black expanding floss infused with Juniper Berry. The floss is coated with charcoal nano-particles that are adsorptive and antimicrobial.

COVID-19 Impact

The recent covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the world and has brought a state of shock to the global economy. The global pandemic has impacted the healthcare industry and has transformed the way healthcare is delivered. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the dental floss market as there has been an increase in the number of people taking care of their oral health due to which the demand for interdental cleaning products has increased.

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The global dental floss market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

By Product, the market is primarily fragmented into

Waxed Floss

Unwaxed Floss

Other Products

Based on product, the dental floss market is segmented into waxed floss, unwaxed floss and other products. The waxed floss segment accounted for a significant market share in 2020 and it is estimated that it will exhibit the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This is because this type of floss provides additional benefits as they contain some essential oils and enzymes that may help in effective plaque removal.

By Distribution Channel, the market is primarily segmented into

Online

Offline

Based on distribution channel, the dental floss market is divided into online and offline. The online segment is anticipated to grow at a rapid rate in the upcoming years owing to the shifting consumer behavior towards online shopping, the launch of several e-commerce sites, and the presence of retailers on an online platform. Additionally, the proliferation in the number of internet users and the growing penetration of e-commerce across the globe are further propelling the growth of this segment. For instance, according to the renowned market intelligence firm, the global E-Commerce market is expected to expand by USD 1 Trillion By 2025.

Dental Floss Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America ( United States , Canada , and Rest of North America )

( , , and Rest of ) Europe ( Germany , United Kingdom , Italy , France , Spain , and the Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , and the Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , India , Australia , Japan , and the Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , , and the Rest of ) Rest of the World

For a better understanding of the market dynamics of the dental floss market, a detailed analysis was conducted for different regions across the globe including North America (U.S, Canada, and the Rest of North America), Europe (Germany, France, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, India, Australia, Japan, and Rest of APAC), Rest of World has been conducted. Geographically, the North America region dominated the dental floss market owing to the growing prevalence of oral diseases in the region.

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The major players targeting the market include

3M

Colgate-Palmolive Company

Procter & Gamble

Koninklijke Philips NV

Dr. Fresh LLC

Church and Dwight Co. Inc.

Lion Corporation

Sunstar Suisse SA

Prestige Consumer Healthcare

Unilever Group

Competitive Landscape

The degree of competition among prominent global companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating worldwide. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the dental floss market. The major players have been analyzed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on global competition.

Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include:

What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the dental floss market?

Which factors are influencing the dental floss market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the dental floss market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the dental floss market?

What are the demanding global regions of the dental floss market?

What will be the global market size in the upcoming years?

What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by global companies?

We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature and geography. Please let us know If you have any custom needs.

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About UnivDatos Market Insights

UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients.

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SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights Pvt. Ltd.
TSX.V: DME

U.S. OTC: DMEHF

Frankfurt: QM01

VANCOUVER, BC, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY CORP. (the "Company") (TSXV: DME) (OTC: DMEHF) (Frankfurt: QM01) From the President of the Company.

The Company is pleased to announce that it has received permits for the next two helium wells in Arizona. The Gunner Dome wildcat prospect is approximately 16 miles east of the McCauley Helium Field. Operations for this well will begin in July when the rig is finished with its current contract. An offset well in the McCauley Helium Field will be drilled later this year to supply additional supply to the McCauley Helium Processing Facility.

"We are excited about drilling the Gunner Dome Wildcat," says Robert Rohlfing, CEO of Desert Mountain Energy Corp. "Adding another new field to our existing 3 helium fields will increase the asset value of our portfolio. The additional offset will increase our anticipated cash flow from the McCauley Helium Processing Facility."

ABOUT DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY

Desert Mountain Energy Corp. is a publicly traded resource company primarily focused on exploration, development and production of helium, hydrogen and noble gases. The Company is primarily looking for elements deemed critical to the renewable energy and high technology industries.

We seek safe harbor

"Robert Rohlfing"

Robert Rohlfing

Exec Chairman & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in polices of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The statements made in this press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ from the Company's expectations.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward looking statements and information herein include but are not limited to statements regarding the Company's anticipated performance in the future the planned exploration activities, receipt of positive results from drilling, the completion of further drilling and exploration work, and the timing and results of various activities.

Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company and its operations to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, changes in national and local governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and the United States; financial risks due to helium prices, operating or technical difficulties in exploration and development activities; risks and hazards and the speculative nature of resource exploration and related development; risks in obtaining necessary licenses and permits, and challenges to the Company's title to properties.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the continued operation of the Company's exploration operations, no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company does not intend to, and nor does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Desert Mountain Energy Corp.
STEUBENVILLE and YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Eastern Gateway Community College, in collaboration with Green Flower, announced the addition of three cannabis certificates designed to provide industry-recognized skills training for those interested in a cannabis career.

Cannabis is the fastest growing industry in America, according to Business Wire and others. Green Flower, the leader in cannabis education, will offer Eastern Gateway learners the opportunity to earn Certificates of Achievement covering advanced dispensary associate skills training, cannabis manufacturing, and cultivation.

"We are excited to offer this new opportunity in an emerging industry that many Ohioans are eager to get involved in," said Eastern Gateway President Michael Geoghegan. "Partnering with Green Flower, a trusted leader in cannabis education, will offer a gateway for our learners to accelerate their career."

"Green Flower is thrilled to partner with EGCC to offer these three cannabis industry training courses to their students. Serving the Ohio River Valley and beyond for more than 50 years, EGCC's commitment to accessible, high quality education through student-focused programs is a perfect fit for our cannabis education goals," said Daniel Kalef, Green Flower's Vice President of Higher Education.

Each certificate program takes 8-weeks to complete and is offered fully online. Students can register and begin courses at any time. Upon certificate completion, graduates will have access to Green Flower's employer network. Courses cost $900 and are now open for enrollment.

These courses will be non-credit and offered through Eastern Gateway's Career Accelerator department. These courses are not Title IV eligible, nor will they be covered as part of Eastern Gateway's Gateway Guarantee or free college benefit programs. Learners will earn a Certificate of Achievement to demonstrate their successful completion of the courses and will have access to job placement services through Green Flower.

For more information on Eastern Gateway's certificate programs, please visit cannabis education.egcc.edu .

About Eastern Gateway Community College

Since welcoming its first 320 students in the fall of 1968, as Jefferson County Technical Institute, Eastern Gateway Community College remains steadfast in its principle that a community college must always respond to the educational, economic and social needs of those it serves. For more than 50 years, the institution has evolved from a technical college focused on workforce training to a community college serving two campuses in four counties in the Ohio River Valley, adding a growing national online program of students in all 50 states.

Eastern Gateway Community College is proud to educate Ohio's 21st Century workforce and its commitment ensuring a quality higher education is within reach of anyone willing to invest the time and effort in their future. Its track record of student-centered innovation will continue to break down barriers for working families to earn the degrees they need to be competitive in a fast-changing economy.

About Green Flower

Founded in 2014, Green Flower is the industry leader in cannabis education, empowering thousands of consumers, regulators, and professionals with the knowledge they need to succeed in the emerging cannabis industry today. Green Flower's content and technology platform powers the cannabis programs of top universities and colleges across the country, provides customized learning and compliance solutions for cannabis businesses of all sizes, and equips individuals with the skills and credentials necessary to make an impact in the modern cannabis industry.

Media Contact:

Amanda Wurst

614-832-7512

[email protected]

SOURCE Green Flower
"Fans love our current fruity offerings, so we're excited to give them more of what they enjoy while introducing new flavors with our Tropical Adventure innovation" said Dan Cutchin, VP Marketing, Tic Tac North America at Ferrero USA, Inc. "Tropical Adventure is meant to act as a 'vacation in a box' and we hope this mashup of vibrant flavors gives consumers a taste of paradise anytime throughout their day."

Tropical Adventure will also be featured in fifteen and six second videos on Digital and Social as part of the brand's recently launched "Take A Ride on a Tic Tac" campaign. "Take A Ride on a Tic Tac" brings the unique refreshing and delicious experience of consuming a Tic Tac to life. It combines work from various artists, illustrators, and musicians to show how Tic Tac can create refreshing moments. The Tropical Adventure videos will be debuting on digital and social media channels this month and features catchy tunes, one-of-a-kind illustrations, and bright graphics to showcase all the refreshing places each flavor of Tropical Adventure can transport consumers.

Tic Tac Tropical Adventure is available for purchase in a 1oz single pack and a 3.4oz bottle pack. Shake one out and enjoy a big burst of tropical flavor to give you the island spirit you need.

One follow is all it takes to stay up-to-date on the latest from @TicTacUSA on social.

For all media inquiries, please email: [email protected] .

ABOUT TIC TAC MINTS

The Tic Tac brand was launched in the U.S. in 1969 by the Italian confectionery manufacturer Ferrero and has been a leading mint brand for over 50 years.

ABOUT FERRERO

For over 70 years, Ferrero has created products loved by generations. We've grown from a bakery in Alba, Italy into the third largest confectionery company in the world. Ferrero entered the North American market in 1969 and continues to spread joy with Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac and Fannie May chocolates. Ferrero Group expanded its portfolio in 2018 with the addition of Butterfinger, CRUNCH, Baby Ruth, 100Grand and other legendary chocolate brands.

We are a family-owned company with 3,000 employees in eight offices and ten plants and warehouses in North America, including a cocoa processing plant in Brantford, Ontario and a planned chocolate processing factory in Bloomington, Illinois. Instilled in every aspect of our business is the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders, and their passion for quality, creativity, and innovation. Follow @FerreroNACorp on Twitter and @FerreroNACorp on Instagram. www.ferreronorthamerica.com.

CONTACT: Jaclyn Giuliano, [email protected]

SOURCE Ferrero North America
Melissa Yearta appointed Director of Marketing to help scale the brand from product build into sales and marketing phase

LOS ANGELES, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ferret, an AI platform empowering companies and individuals with real-time, risk-assessment intelligence, announced today that it has appointed fraud-prevention industry veteran Greg Loos as Chief Operating Officer.

Currently in open beta, Ferret will launch its mobile-friendly app later this year.

Greg Loos, COO, Ferret

Loos is a co-founder and served as President and Board Member of Pondera Solutions, a fraud analytics SaaS company acquired for a reported $125M by Thomson Reuters in 2020. Pondera is known for providing fraud detection analytics to government agencies, notably California's Employment Development Department. Prior to Pondera, Loos spent 23 years at Oracle Corp. in senior management positions. While there, he led large teams of sales and marketing professionals servicing the state and local government market, responsible for more than $100M annually in software and services.

"From my perspective combating fraud in large U.S. government programs over the past decade, I believe Ferret has the capacity to serve a global market and prevent scammers of all kinds," says Loos. "Using AI, machine learning, public information and natural language processing, Ferret will provide instant reputation insights as well as relational intelligence monitoring on business partners and associates. This intelligence will be pushed to subscribers on a mobile device in real-time. With Ferret, transparency will be the new norm."

Also joining Ferret as Director of Marketing is Melissa Yearta, an executive with 15 years of experience in global technology, SaaS and CPG companies, including Teladoc, LogMein, Citrix and Mediasmith. Most recently, she was a marketing executive with payment software producer Fullsteam.

Ferret was co-founded by serial entrepreneur Rob Loughan and technologist Al MacDonald. Loughan is a pioneer in mobile apps and SaaS, and the co-founder of one of Silicon Valley's earliest unicorns, Octane Software, which sold for a record $3.2B in 2001.

"Greg's in-depth executive experience in the fraud-detection industry will be invaluable as we scale up," says Loughan. "Early on as an angel investor, I was defrauded for $1.5 million. I vowed then to pursue a way to help others avoid the same plight. Now that machine-learning technology has caught up with my ambition, I welcome Greg and Melissa to the Ferret team as we pursue our dream of making risk-assessment data affordable and accessible to everyone  not just government agencies and financial institutions."

Delivered via an easy-to-use mobile app, Ferret exclusively uses publicly available data to power its platform, which includes government records and news articles from around the world. Because Ferret is a search engine driven by business-critical risk criteria rather than SEO, the perceived risk of "practical obscurity" with search results is mitigated.

The company is now enabling access to information so that everyone can perform in-depth professional due diligence  identifying risky investments, vendors, partners and customers, and making the best choices for their professional and personal endeavors.

About Ferret

Ferret is an AI platform architected from the ground up to empower companies and individuals with real-time, unbiased intelligence to identify risks and embrace opportunities. Leveraging cutting-edge AI and hundreds of thousands of global data sources, Ferret provides the kind of in-depth information once only available to the financial industry, making transparency the new norm. Co-founded by serial entrepreneur Rob Loughan and technologist Al MacDonald, Ferret is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Calabasas, California, Melbourne, Australia and Mumbai, India. For more information, visit ferret.ai.

Media Contact:

Greg Ptacek

323-841-8002

[email protected]

SOURCE Ferret
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. (NYSE: FHS) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws.

This lawsuit is on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased FHS American Depositary Shares in or traceable to the Company's March 2021 initial public offering.

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: July 11, 2022

No obligation or cost to you.

Learn more about your recoverable losses in FHS:

https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/first-high-school-education-group-co-ltd-loss-submission-form?id=28129&from=4

First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. NEWS - FHS NEWS

CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (a) the new rules, regulations and policies to be implemented by the Chinese government following the Two Sessions parliamentary meetings were far more severe than represented to investors and posed a material adverse threat to the Company and its business; (b) contemplated Chinese regulations and rules regarding private education were leading to a slowdown of government approval to open new educational facilities which would have a negative effect on FHS's enrollment and growth; and (c) as a result, representations made in connection with the Company's initial public offering regarding FHS's historical financial and operational metrics and purported market opportunities did not accurately reflect the actual business, operations, and financial results and trajectory of the Company at the time of the initial public offering, and were materially false and misleading and lacked a factual basis.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in FHS you have until July 11, 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 FHS 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 FHS lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/first-high-school-education-group-co-ltd-loss-submission-form?id=28129&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
FMC previously won the award in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

PHILADELPHIA, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC) was honored today by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) as the Responsible Care Company of the Year, an award recognizing FMC for its excellence and leadership in environmental, health, safety and security (EHS&S) performance. It is the fourth time since 2017 that FMC has been named ACC Responsible Care Company of the Year.

"I am very proud of our company and pleased to accept the Responsible Care Company of the Year Award on behalf of our more than 6,000 employees who work every day to ensure we deliver products safely and sustainably," said FMC president and CEO Mark Douglas. "This award is an acknowledgement and validation for every FMC employee who invests their time, attention and extra effort into their work. It is theirs to celebrate."

FMC is among the safest companies in the chemical industry. In 2021, the company achieved a record-low recordable injury rate of 0.066, which can be attributed to a culture of safety that extends to non-manufacturing employees through a global program called TH!NK SAFE. The program helps all employees, whether they work in an office, lab, field or production facility, to understand and apply the fundamentals of safety.

"The Responsible Care program helps the chemical industry operate with safety as a top priority. It is the mainstay of our industry's commitment to health, safety, security and environmental protection," said ACC President and CEO Chris Jahn.

"For FMC, there is nothing more important than safety," said Douglas. "We believe the key to creating a safety culture at work is to apply the same focus, intention and dedication to safety in every aspect of our lives."

FMC has also made significant progress on its sustainability objectives. In 2021, the company committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, an ambitious goal that will set aggressive reduction standards not only for FMC, but suppliers and vendors as well.

"Our sense of responsibility to people and the planet extends beyond our company walls to the communities where we operate and the farms we serve," Douglas said. "We have an opportunity to leave this world a better place for the next generation. For that to happen, we must act now and we must act boldly."

Net-zero is just one part of FMC's broader sustainability platform which, in addition to climate change, drives progress on food security, conservation and social justice. To read FMC's recently published 2021 sustainability report, please visit fmc.com/sustainability.

About FMC

FMC Corporation is a global agricultural sciences company dedicated to helping growers produce food, feed, fiber and fuel for an expanding world population while adapting to a changing environment. FMC's innovative crop protection solutions  including biologicals, crop nutrition, digital and precision agriculture  enable growers, crop advisers and turf and pest management professionals to address their toughest challenges economically while protecting the environment. With approximately 6,400 employees at more than 100 sites worldwide, FMC is committed to discovering new herbicide, insecticide and fungicide active ingredients, product formulations and pioneering technologies that are consistently better for the planet. Visit fmc.com to learn more and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Statement under the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current views and assumptions regarding future events, future business conditions and the outlook for the company based on currently available information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. These factors include, among other things, the risk factors and other cautionary statements included within FMC's 2021 Form 10-K filed with the SEC as well as other SEC filings and public communications. FMC cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the above cautionary statement. FMC undertakes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they were made, except as otherwise required by law.

SOURCE FMC Corporation
"Due to their generosity, Footsteps for Africa has bettered the lives of those in this village," said Isak Hamatwi, Director of Education at Ohangwena Regional Council. "The schooling life and learning environment at Oshamukweni Combined School will no longer be a life of struggle, but a life befitting a life in an independent country."

Namibia is the third richest country in Africa, but it has the third highest levels of income inequality of any country in the world. For this reason, Footsteps for Africa has focused most of its efforts serving children in the most impoverished areas in northern Namibia, by building school structures and supporting clean water and sustainable food programs.

Footsteps for Africa founder, Austin Cameron, was inspired to execute this project after a 2019 visit to the school where he witnessed children living in shacks made of sticks and cooking their food on makeshift fire pits. The students, who are from villages more than six hours away, live on school grounds. Inspired by the student's 100% graduation rate despite their living conditions, Tiara and Alan Salzman, who also built Salzman Library in a nearby community, provided a donation to fund the project.

"Upon learning the critical needs of these disadvantaged children in Namibia, and as a mother myself, nothing was more important to us than to support Footsteps for Africa in helping these children succeed," said Tiara Cameron Salzman.

Brand new facilities unveiled as part of the project include Salzman Kitchen, a 2,000 square foot building equipped with food preparation equipment, showers, restrooms and cold storage; Salzman Hall, a 5,000 square foot Dining and Congregation Hall that will serve not only the school but the entire community of several thousand people; and two bunkhouses each housing 25 students.

The Footsteps for Africa team held a ribbon cutting ceremony to reveal the finished project to students, teachers, government officials, and community members from 11 surrounding villages. The new facilities will serve as a gathering place for the larger community and will encourage greater participation and awareness of Oshamukweni School.

"Namibia has a lot of schools. Among all of those schools, Footsteps for Africa chose to help our school, and we thank you for that. I am very happy for the (Salzman Kitchen) because we now no longer have to cook on fires outside," said 9th grade student Namola Abraham.

Footsteps for Africa will continue to fund and embark on improvement projects across Namibia. All donations can be made on the website and will go directly to resources such as:

school uniforms : a $100 donation provides one child with a uniform and school supplies for the year.

: a provides one child with a uniform and school supplies for the year. sanitary products : Footsteps for Africa aims to provide washable sanitary pad kits to 1,000 adolescent girls, along with education to battle school absenteeism and "period shaming." A $ 10 donation covers one sanitary kit per girl.

: Footsteps for aims to provide washable sanitary pad kits to 1,000 adolescent girls, along with education to battle school absenteeism and "period shaming." A $ covers one sanitary kit per girl. water supply : Footsteps for Africa will install 15 water wells, solar pumps and agriculture water tanks near Oshamukweni school, ultimately bringing reliable access to clean water to 20,000 people. Fundraising target: $250,000

: Footsteps for will install 15 water wells, solar pumps and agriculture water tanks near Oshamukweni school, ultimately bringing reliable access to clean water to 20,000 people. bunkhouses: Furnished bunkhouses for disadvantaged students at Oshamukweni Combined School as well as other schools in the region, including Ondobe Secondary School in Oshikango, Namibia . Fundraising target: $50,000 per bunkhouse or $2,000 per student.

About Footsteps for Africa

Footsteps for Africa has provided aid to more than 5,000 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in more than 50 schools and orphanages Namibia and Zimbabwe since 2010. Services provided include importation and distribution of goods, the building of facilities, and implementation of medical and food programs. Through partnerships with other aid organizations, government relationships and the commitment to physically being on site for every initiative, Footsteps for Africa works efficiently and ensures that aid reaches the people who need it the most. Learn more at https://www.footstepsforafrica.com or on Instagram and Facebook .

Media Contact:

Redhead Marketing & PR

Alexandra Chiafery | [email protected] | 585.329.9670

Hilary Reiter | [email protected] | 435.901.2071

PR Images and Video: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t3d10zmkxqinwc8/AADIVrouA_YQo50uaiM_fpbUa?dl=0

SOURCE Footsteps for Africa
Gelo continues to disrupt the hand soap category with expansion into international markets

NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Furthering Gelo's mission to eliminate single-use plastics from everyday products, today the brand announces its expansion into Canada with its partnership with Walmart.

Founded in 2020, Gelo is reimagining conventional personal care products to eliminate single-use plastics. Gelo's Hand Washes are offered in quick-dissolving pods that contain concentrated cleansers, naturally derived ingredients and nourishing essential oils. Simply, drop Gelo pods in a reusable hand soap bottle, add water, and, in seconds, experience a delightful hand wash without waste.

By eliminating extra packaging and water, Gelo saves consumers money & space while also saving the planet. Consumers who use Gelo reduce their packaging footprint by 99%1. In its two years since launch, Gelo's innovative products have diverted millions of single-use plastic containers from landfills and oceans.

"We are thrilled to finally offer Gelo in Canada. This has been one of the top requests by our customers and we are excited to make Gelo available to more people," said Curan Mehra, CEO of Gelo. "This is a huge milestone for our brand. Our goal has always been to reduce single-use plastic consumption, and our international expansion will allow us to reach more people and have an even larger impact on the planet."

Gelo's initial international offering will feature the brand's Foaming and Gel Hand Soaps in two bestselling scents, Sea Mist & Lemon.

All of the brand's products are biodegradable, vegan, sulfate-free, phthalate-free, paraben-free, & cruelty-free.

About Gelo

Gelo is reimagining conventional personal products to eliminate single-use plastic packaging and finally offer consumers a sustainable option. Our innovative products help eliminate the need for more than 100 billion single-use plastic cleaning bottles in the United States alone. The brand's disruptive products help consumer across North America save money and space, while also helping to save the planet. Gelo has been featured across top tier outlets such as the Allure, Fast Company, Vogue, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, and more. To learn more about Gelo's mission to reimagine personal care products, visit the website at www.geloproducts.com & TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@gelo_clean.

CONTACT:

Jillian Helft

[email protected]

SOURCE Gelo Products
DUBLIN, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Commercial Insurance Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global commercial insurance market reached a value of US$ 728.0 billion in 2021. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach a value of US$ 1,123.5 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.20% during 2022-2027. 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.

Commercial insurance refers to a type of coverage for businesses and corporations designed to protect the organization, its employees, and its ownership. Some commonly offered commercial insurance policies include property insurance, general liability, commercial auto insurance, workers' compensation insurance, business interruption insurance, cyber liability insurance, and crime coverage.

It covers the company against losses and risks, such as property damage, injury to the employees, cyberattacks, thefts, natural disasters, data breaches, and liability lawsuits that could potentially disrupt the business operations. In recent years, commercial insurance has rapidly gained traction among startups and enterprises as it protects the assets of the insured business from unexpected events and covers the financial losses incurred.



Commercial insurance offers security for business operations, protects the company's reputation, and ensures the wellbeing of its employees and financial situation. As a result, the rising awareness regarding the benefits of commercial insurance policies among enterprises represents the primary factor driving the market growth. Besides this, the increasing number of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the growing need to protect businesses against unexpected losses are augmenting the demand for commercial insurance.

Additionally, regional governments of various countries are taking favorable initiatives to encourage employers and business owners to purchase different types of coverage, such as workers' compensation insurance for employees and commercial auto insurance for business-owned vehicles. Along with this, the rising number of commercial insurance providers is catalyzing the market growth.

Furthermore, the leading players are adopting advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), to offer enhanced services like personalized and convenient insurance plans with lower premium costs to improve customer loyalty and gain a competitive edge. Other factors, including the growing usage of telematics devices across various industries, rising competition among businesses, technological advancements, and rapid industrialization, are also creating a favorable outlook for the market.

Competitive Landscape

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Allianz SE, American International Group Inc., Aon plc, Aviva plc, Axa S.A., Chubb Limited, Direct Line Insurance Group plc, Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company and Zurich Insurance Group Ltd.



Key Questions Answered in This Report

How has the global commercial insurance market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global commercial insurance market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the enterprise size?

What is the breakup of the market based on the distribution channel?

What is the breakup of the market based on the industry vertical?

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 commercial insurance 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 Commercial Insurance Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Type

6.1 Liability Insurance

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Commercial Motor Insurance

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Commercial Property Insurance

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Marine Insurance

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Others

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Enterprise Size

7.1 Large Enterprises

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Distribution Channel

8.1 Agents and Brokers

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Direct Response

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Others

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Industry Vertical

9.1 Transportation and Logistics

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Manufacturing

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 Market Forecast

9.3 Construction

9.3.1 Market Trends

9.3.2 Market Forecast

9.4 IT and Telecom

9.4.1 Market Trends

9.4.2 Market Forecast

9.5 Healthcare

9.5.1 Market Trends

9.5.2 Market Forecast

9.6 Energy and Utilities

9.6.1 Market Trends

9.6.2 Market Forecast

9.7 Others

9.7.1 Market Trends

9.7.2 Market Forecast



10 Market Breakup by Region

11 SWOT Analysis



12 Value Chain Analysis



13 Porters Five Forces Analysis



14 Price Analysis



15 Competitive Landscape

15.1 Market Structure

15.2 Key Players

15.3 Profiles of Key Players

15.3.1 Allianz SE

15.3.1.1 Company Overview

15.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.1.3 Financials

15.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.2 American International Group Inc.

15.3.2.1 Company Overview

15.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.2.3 Financials

15.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.3 Aon plc

15.3.3.1 Company Overview

15.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.3.3 Financials

15.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.4 Aviva plc

15.3.4.1 Company Overview

15.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.4.3 Financials

15.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.5 Axa S.A.

15.3.5.1 Company Overview

15.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.5.3 Financials

15.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.6 Chubb Limited

15.3.6.1 Company Overview

15.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.6.3 Financials

15.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.7 Direct Line Insurance Group plc

15.3.7.1 Company Overview

15.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.7.3 Financials

15.3.8 Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc.

15.3.8.1 Company Overview

15.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.8.3 Financials

15.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.9 Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company

15.3.9.1 Company Overview

15.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.9.3 Financials

15.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.10 Zurich Insurance Group Ltd.

15.3.10.1 Company Overview

15.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.10.3 Financials

15.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/x4xmi3

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
Yapstone's full-stack payments platform provides a trusted gateway into Brazilian and Argentinian markets.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Yapstone, a global payments processor, today announced its further expansion into Brazil and Argentina to provide merchants with an innovative platform to optimize growth in the region.

This strategic extension of Yapstone's platform brings more cross-border and local eCommerce transactions through alternative and local payment methods, enabling merchants to easily scale their operations to reach customers in new markets.

Using Yapstone's 20+ years of payment experience, global licensing footprint, and infrastructure, merchants can process more payments by expanding their acceptance channels to align with their customer's payment preferences, which is essential in creating a frictionless checkout experience that maximizes conversion rates in Brazil and Argentina.

In Argentina, Yapstone's payment capabilities include bank transfers, DeBin, JCB, credit and debit cards, and cash voucher acceptance at over 2200+ POS terminals. In Brazil, merchants can support buyers with bank transfers via the instant payment system PIX, Boleto bancario, Brazil's most popular cash payment method, and international and local cards.

Yapstone's platform architecture has been purpose-built from day one. Their enhanced feature set gives merchants access to robust analytics, sophisticated payment method optimization, and back-office automation, all powered by a single API integration that can be tailored toward the unique needs of global businesses.

In volatile currency markets like Latin America, Yapstone's SMART FX engine will enable merchants to receive optimal rates for currency conversion and seamlessly repatriate funds. SMART FX integrates with international and local banking providers to deliver real-time forex rates and ensure the best possible price, with complete transparency across global treasury operations.

Yapstone's commitment to payment security is a priority, so merchants will also benefit from Yapstone's powerful Risk Engine which uses machine learning and signal analysis to reduce the risk of fraud and chargebacks once a transaction has been approved.

The launch in LatAm is the first step in a series of expansions that Yapstone is preparing across a range of emerging and established markets.

Frank Mastrangelo, CEO of Yapstone, said: "We're proud to continue our expansion efforts in Brazil and Argentina, with more countries to be announced later in the year. We're confident that our solution will deliver the highest level of functionality, reliability, and transparency to merchants looking to expand into Latin America.

"2022 is shaping up to be a year of growth for Yapstone, having recently undergone a major rebrand that redefines our approach to payments, and we look forward to seeing what else we can accomplish this year."

About Yapstone:

Yapstone is a global payments company. Our full-stack payments platform enables and amplifies connections between companies and markets across the globe. Whether it's powering multi-party transactions or accepting local payment methods in emerging markets, Yapstone cuts through the payment complexities to enable commerce worldwide.

For more information, go to yapstone.com or follow us @yapstone on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook .

Check out the new Yapstone website here: www.yapstone.com

SOURCE Yapstone
VANCOUVER, BC AND LONDON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Visier , the globally recognized leader in people analytics and on-demand answers for people-powered business, today announced the appointment of Ian McVey as Senior Vice President and General Manager for EMEA. McVey brings decades of experience in the EMEA market during a time of rapid expansion for Visier.

"We are excited to have Ian join our team at a point where Visier is seeing rapid growth and brand recognition across EMEA," said Ryan Wong, CEO and co-founder of Visier. "Ian's broad experience will be invaluable in helping to scale the great work the EMEA team has already done in this region, and help position Visier as the trusted advisor to help them weather increasing demands on their people and business."

"I have been incredibly impressed with what Visier has to offer," said McVey. "Organizations across EMEA are facing compound pressures of a looming economic recession, a continual risk of turnover and resignations, slow downs in job growth due to multiple global crises, and more. The demand for people data has never been more important, and Visier has unparalleled insights into the data that can drive true impact to the business. I am excited by the journey ahead for us all."

Prior to joining Visier, McVey most recently served as the CCO at HealthHero, Europe's leading telehealth provider, and was part of the executive leadership team that grew Qualtrics in EMEA through an acquisition by SAP and an IPO. He holds a Masters Degree in Engineering from the University of Oxford and an MBA from London Business School.

This appointment comes at a time of significant growth and success for Visier in EMEA, with customers including Royal DSM Cartier, and Merck KGaA adopting the company's pre-built solutions. Recently, at Visier's annual Outsmart event, AngloAmerican, The Lego Group and Standard Bank were recognized for their strategic accomplishments with people analytics and the Visier product. The company's insights have also been highlighted in leading regional outlets like HRDirector , Business Leader , and The Guardian for its research and thought leadership.

Additionally, Visier recently launched Visier People Cloud , combining people insights with business data and democratizing it to people managers, announced a strong Q1 finish , and acquired the assets of Yva.ai .

To learn more about Visier, visit www.visier.com .

About Visier

Visier is the recognized global leader in people analytics, providing on-demand answers to people-powered businesses. Behind every great brand, product, or idea is the Human Truth, and the Visier People Cloud reveals the fundamental questions and actionable truths capable of elevating your employeesand your businessto new heights. Founded in 2010 by the pioneers of business intelligence, Visier has 15,000 customers in 75 countries around the world, including enterprises like Adobe, BASF, Bridgestone, Electronic Arts, McKesson, MerckKGaA, Uber, and more. Visier is headquartered in Vancouver, BC with offices and team members worldwide.

For more information, visit www.visier.com .

SOURCE Visier
IRVINE, Calif., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GoDocs (https://godocs.com/), the automation leader in commercial loan document generation, today announces June as its 25th year in business and two and a half decades of leading the industry with automated solutions for the commercial lending space. GoDocs was founded with the mission of developing full automation for commercial loan documentation. With lenders ranging in asset size from $100M to $1T, essentially 100% retention of customers, and year over year growth now at 75%, GoDocs has achieved its original mission.

Celebrating two and a half decades of leading the industry with automated solutions for the commercial lending space. Transforming the commercial lending industry with next-gen digital software technology. GoDocs: A software company backed by attorneys.

As a true pioneer in the space, the GoDocs founder, Gary Highland, developed the first iteration and the first-ever system with the degree of automation being offered for commercial real estate of all kinds, making GoDocs a true disruptor in the marketplace. Highland, starting out as a lawyer specializing in the documentation for closing commercial real estate loans, quickly realized that technology had the potential to transform the industry. He took it upon himself to further develop his own skillset to build the technology that the industry needed.

"It was clear to me that there had to be a better way to manage loan documentation in a way that would benefit both the lender and the borrower. This gap in the market gave me the vision for GoDocs. Since those early days, technology has continued to evolve and we have worked to provide forward-thinking solutions and build a system that allows users to stay ahead in a competitive market," said founder Gary Highland.

Going into its 25th year, GoDocs is looking forward to gaining a greater market share through brand awareness and continuing to provide excellent customer service while also leveraging emerging technology. In just the past year, GoDocs has expanded its leadership team and introduced a Nationwide Account Management Team. These changes have helped GoDocs cultivate new partnerships and offer advanced end-to-end solutions through integration that eliminates the need for duplicate data entry and accelerates the loan closing process.

"This latest milestone has further emboldened us to provide our customers with best-in-class technology and exceptional customer service that allows them to reach their own growth potential. We are now expanding our product line to C&I loans and integrating our platform to loan origination and core banking platforms. GoDocs helps lower costs for both lenders and borrowers and accelerates the closing process for single and multi-family commercial projects. With the nation facing a housing shortage and an affordability gap, we see it as our mission to help lenders address these critical areas in the nation's economy," said CEO Steve Butler.

While other companies have come and gone throughout the years, GoDocs has become a fixture and a trusted partner. GoDocs continues to be at the forefront when it comes to utilizing the latest technology and understanding the pain points that commercial lenders and borrowers experience. This has allowed them to find new ways to pursue its mission of streamlining the loan documentation process while also significantly cutting costs, and expanding loan volume.

GoDocs is excited about what the future will bring and it is always nice to take a moment to celebrate milestones and reflect on how the company has grown. Twenty-five years of leading commercial lending is definitely something worth celebrating as they continue to transform the industry.

About GoDocs

GoDocs, the automation leader in commercial loan document generation, offers next-generation software solutions for banks, credit unions, and private lenders to create a streamlined process for closing commercial loans. They provide lenders and borrowers with access to the first and only purely cloud-based system that offers a solution that is both flexible and frictionless. This allows commercial lending to operate at scale. GoDocs has remained ahead of the curve when it comes to modernizing organizations and embracing the power of digital transformation. Today, the company is trusted by industry-leading banks and is proud to back its solutions with onshore support for a seamless experience.

Media Contact

Virginia Bush

VP of Marketing

GoDocs

949.274.7907

[email protected]

SOURCE GoDocs
The Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation was chosen by SelectUSA for their annual Investment Summit. Tweet this

Every year, the SelectUSA Investment Summit is the highest-profile event in the United States dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment. The Investment Summit provides exciting opportunities for more investors from more markets and greater representation from economic developers across the nation to engage and interact.

"We are honored to have been chosen as a Spinoff Event by SelectUSA. They see the opportunities in the aerospace and energy sectors in Brownsville and we will be focusing on those emerging industries during our program," said Commissioner and GBIC Chairman John Cowen.

"Through a rigorous application process, the City of Brownsville was selected as one of 13 cities in the United States, and the only city in Texas, to be selected to host a Spinoff event. To date, we have companies from Asia, Europe, South America, and Mexico that have registered to attend," said Helen Ramirez, Executive Director & CEO of GBIC. "We see this as a great opportunity to demonstrate how the City of Brownsville and Texas continues to lead and grow globally in these transformative sectors."

The Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation seeks to promote economic growth in Brownsville and Cameron County by empowering a young and skilled intergenerational workforce that drives innovation to the area. It facilitates economic growth by promoting investment and working with regional and international partners with job creation, training, innovation, business development, and manufacturing. GBIC is a non-profit organization, Type-A Economic Development Corporation. For more information on GBIC please visit https://greaterbrownsville.com/.

Find out why the City of Brownsville was the only Texas city invited to participate in this prestigious Spinoff event and learn from a stellar lineup of experts why the Aerospace, NewSpace, Urban Mobility and Tech ecosystems are rapidly growing in our area and how to take advantage of the available tools and opportunities. To learn more about the city's accomplishments, please visit BTXFuture at https://btxfuture.com/

For more information or to schedule a media interview, please contact Monica Tellam at [email protected].

For more information contact:

Monica Tellam, (956) 778-0076

[email protected]

SOURCE City of Brownsville
Hippo continues to lead the industry by being among the first to utilize hemp-based papers in the cannabis and CBD sector

SAN DIEGO, CA, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hippo Premium Packaging (www.hippopackaging.com), a leading, award-winning provider of custom packaging and branding solutions to the cannabis and CBD industries, announced it utilized a new hemp-based, sustainable packaging solution for its client, Hemp Valley Farms  a CBD manufacturer that uses all-natural, regenerative farming techniques.

Sustainable, hemp-based cannabis packaging from Hippo Premium Packaging.

"Hemp Valley Farms came to us to produce their packaging, and after learning about their company, we thought that using a sustainable hemp-based paper was the perfect solution," said Kary Radestock, Founder and CEO of Hippo Premium Packaging.

Radestock reached out to Mohawk Paper  North America's oldest family-owned and operated fine paper mill  to see how their new Renewal Hemp paper would hold up to the demands of CBD packaging. Every sheet of Mohawk Renewal Hemp is made with 30% hemp fiber  a rapidly renewable fiber source that contributes to a sustainable supply chain.

"Using hemp-based papers is still rather new," Radestock said. "We wanted to collaborate with the manufacturer to make sure everything was dialed-in and optimized so that the final product would be fantastic."

The results demonstrated that now you don't have to sacrifice quality for sustainability  making the paper a perfect choice for premium packaging solutions.

Hippo produced packaging for three different blends of Hemp Valley Farms' CBD tinctures, and is now working on the packaging for HVF's CBD-based cosmetics, balms, muscle rubs, and pet products.

Todd Salemi, founder and CEO of Hemp Valley Farms said it has been a great experience working with Hippo.

"Not only did they bring a hemp-based solution to the table, but equally important, the entire Hippo team was super nice and easy to work with."

Hippo has a limited number of sample sets of this unique packaging solution. If your company is interested in receiving a sample set of the paper, or discussing sustainable, hemp-based packaging solutions, please contact Hippo Premium Packaging at: 619-269-0939, or visit: www.hippopackaging.com/hemp-pkg-promo

ABOUT:

Hippo Premium Packaging creates unique packaging and branding solutions for the cannabis and hemp industries. Winner of many international awards, Hippo develops innovative solutions that build strong brands.

CONNECT:

Facebook: facebook.com/hippopackaging



Twitter: @HippoPackaging

Instagram: instagram.com/hippopackaging

YouTube: youtu.be/DMC5D5dLW-4

Website: www.hippopackaging.com

Media contact:

[email protected]

310-571-5592

SOURCE Hippo Premium Packaging
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE: IBM) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws.

Class Period: April 4, 2017 to October 20, 2021

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 6, 2022

No obligation or cost to you.

Learn more about your recoverable losses in IBM:

https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/international-business-machines-corporation-loss-submission-form?id=28114&from=4

International Business Machines Corporation NEWS - IBM NEWS

CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that International Business Machines Corporation made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Strategic Imperatives Revenue and growth, CAMSS and CAMSS Components' revenue and growth, and the Company's Segments' revenue and growth were artificially inflated as a result of the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperatives Revenue; (ii) the Company's present success and positive future growth prospects concerning its Strategic Imperative business strategy were being fueled by the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperative Revenue and, as a result (iii) the Company misled the market by portraying the Company's Strategic Imperative's financial performance and future prospects more favorable than they actually were as a result of the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperatives.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in IBM you have until June 6, 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 IBM 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 IBM lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/international-business-machines-corporation-loss-submission-form?id=28114&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
WASHINGTON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IDenta Corp. (OTCQB: IDTA) is a worldwide leader in the development of Field Detection and Home Diagnostic Testing Kits for Narcotics, Explosives and Unique Forensic Products in the Homeland Security and Consumer Markets will hold its 2022 Annual Shareholders' meeting on Sunday, June 26, 2022, at 7:00pm (GMT +3) at its headquarters at 120 Bethlehem Road, Jerusalem 9342001, Israel.

Amichai Glattstein, CEO of IDenta Corp, said, "We are excited about the coming annual meeting and we look forward to seeing all the attendees."

About IDenta Corp.

IDenta Corp. is a global leader in the development and supply of Field Detection and Home Diagnostics Testing Kits for Drugs & Explosives and Unique Forensic Products in the Homeland Security and Consumer Markets. IDenta develops, manufactures and distributes revolutionary products for both the professional Law and Retail markets which consistently pass the highest qualifications and testing procedures of law enforcement and security agencies around the world.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain of the statements contained herein may be, within the meaning of the federal securities laws, "forward-looking statements" that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the 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. These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations as of the date hereof, and the company does not undertake any responsibility to update any of these statements in the future.

Company Contact Information:

Public Relations

+1-240-545-6646

[email protected]

SOURCE IDenta Corp.
"At Illumina, customers are at the center of what we do, and we are excited to connect with them at AGBT to unveil our next-generation genomics solutions and learn more about their specific needs and requirements," said Susan Tousi, Chief Commercial Officer at Illumina. "AGBT represents a key opportunity for Illumina to continue driving innovations that accelerate personalized medicine far into the future with our many valued partners."

New, longer-read kit configurations

Expected to be released later this year, the new 600 cycle kit on NextSeq 1000/2000 will deliver longer, paired-end 2x300bp reads and expand the breadth of applications ranging from metagenomics to immune-repertoire profiling. Data will be presented demonstrating NextSeq 2000 as a powerful, new tool to enable full-length V(D)J immune repertoire sequencing at scale to further understand the human immunome.

"The upcoming launch of our new NextSeq kits is another important step towards continuing to elevate sequencing to a new industry benchmark," said Alex Aravanis, SVP and Chief Technology Officer at Illumina. "Greater gene sequencing depth and length, combined with advanced library preparation approaches, represent the next wave of technological advances in repertoire sequencing that will unlock the power of the genome to transform human health."

New data with Infinity Technology

In its June 8 session entitled "Emerging Applications and Advances in Whole Genome Sequencing," Illumina will share new data from its Infinity technology platform, demonstrating exceptional performance across difficult-to-map regions of the genome, the ability to resolve complex structural variants, and the functionality to generate phased data across the highly polymorphic human leukocyte antigen (HLA) regions to assign haplotypes. Additionally, Illumina will share data using the Infinity technology in combination with targeted enrichment. This approach allows users to target the approximately 5% of difficult-to-map genic regions in combination with a standard Illumina genome to enable unprecedented scale using a novel and cost-effective approach.

The Ashley Lab at Stanford University has been an early collaborator with Illumina and has used Infinity data to analyze patient samples to further resolve the underlying genetic variation  creating another powerful tool for more informed clinical decision-making to improve patient outcomes. Euan Ashley, MD, PhD, Professor of Genomics and Precision Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, presented data generated from Infinity technology in his keynote address at AGBT on June 6.

Optimized WGS performance with NovaSeq 6000 and best-in-class informatics

Illumina's NovaSeq 6000 and DRAGEN Bio-IT platform are addressing some of today's biggest global health challenges, including genetic disease diagnosis, cancer detection and treatment, and global pathogen surveillance. Illumina's recent progress in informatics is also optimizing human WGS analysis.

In a June 9 session entitled "Connecting Samples to Genomic Analysis & Interpretation," Illumina will discuss its suite of informatics solutions and highlight its game-changing applications, including DRAGEN v3.10, which provides the most accurate measurement of the genome as measured against Precision FDA benchmarks. In an updated comparison, DRAGEN outperformed all other technologies across all benchmarks and in the difficult major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region. DRAGEN v3.10 continues to deliver industry-leading accuracy across numerous population-scale studies, such as All of Us, Genome England and UK BioBank. As of March 2022, Illumina's customers have processed more than 1.8 million whole genomes through the DRAGEN tools to accelerate the data processing component of sequencing.

Convening and leading critical conversations at AGBT

Illumina will convene and drive critical conversations around genomics innovation, foster industry collaboration, and discuss advances in its genomics technologies through a number of events and discussions at AGBT, including:

"Extending the Reach of Illumina Sequencing Platforms"  Fiona Nohilly , Manager, Product Marketing of Illumina, and Joel Fellis , PhD, VP Product Management, Sequencing Platforms, will discuss efforts to scale and expand access to lllumina's next-generation sequencing platforms. The conversation will take place Tuesday, June 7 at 8:00 am ET in the Palm Beach Room.





 , Manager, Product Marketing of Illumina, and , PhD, VP Product Management, Sequencing Platforms, will discuss efforts to scale and expand access to lllumina's next-generation sequencing platforms. The conversation will take place at in the Palm Beach Room. " Emerging Applications and Advances in Whole Genome Sequencing"  Gary Schroth , PhD, VP and Distinguished Scientist at Illumina, will discuss the latest advances in Illumina's whole genome offering and the vast potential of emerging genomics technologies on Wednesday, June 8 , 8:00 am ET in the Palm Beach Room.





 , PhD, VP and Distinguished Scientist at Illumina, will discuss the latest advances in Illumina's whole genome offering and the vast potential of emerging genomics technologies on , in the Palm Beach Room. "Connecting Samples to Genomic Analysis & Interpretation"  Mike Lelivelt , PhD, VP Product Management, Software & Informatics, will share Illumina's end-to-end solution for connecting samples to critical genomic insights on Thursday, June 9 , 8:00 am ET in the Palm Beach Room.





 , PhD, VP Product Management, Software & Informatics, will share Illumina's end-to-end solution for connecting samples to critical genomic insights on , in the Palm Beach Room. Women's Networking Event  Attendees will be invited to network with women in science at the Illumina-sponsored Women's Networking Event. Illumina will recognize an accomplished scientist as part of its ongoing support for women in science on Tuesday, June 7 at 5:30 pm ET at Signature Island.

"At Illumina, we are pushing genomic technologies to new frontiers to solve the world's biggest health challenges," said Aravanis. "Through our involvement in this year's AGBT, we look forward to engaging with leading genomics innovators and thinkers about the next-generation genomics solutions that are driving the future of personalized medicine  and the ways we can scale these critical innovations to transform health outcomes around the world."

Use of forward-looking statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors to which our business is subject that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements are: (i) challenges inherent in developing, manufacturing, and launching new products and services, including expanding or modifying manufacturing operations and reliance on third-party suppliers for critical components; and (ii) legislative, regulatory and economic developments, together with other factors detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, or in information disclosed in public conference calls, the date and time of which are released beforehand. We undertake no obligation, and do not intend, to update these forward-looking statements, to review or confirm analysts' expectations, or to provide interim reports or updates on the progress of the current quarter.

About Illumina

Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture and other emerging segments. To learn more, visit www.illumina.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Investors:

Salli Schwartz

858.291.6421

[email protected]

Media:

Adi Raval

US: 202.629.8172

[email protected]

SOURCE Illumina, Inc.
This grant allows faculty from Illinois universities and community colleges to contribute to innovative solutions that will help manufacturers navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.

PEORIA, Ill., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) awarded eight Future of Illinois grants to faculty from Illinois universities and community colleges. IMEC's Future of Illinois Manufacturing report highlights the significant change and opportunity ahead for Illinois manufacturers. The purpose of this grant program is to engage faculty on innovative solutions that will help Illinois manufacturing prepare for the future. The total investment of these grant awards exceeds $650,000.

"We are thrilled with the innovative solutions that Illinois academia presented to help Illinois manufacturers embrace the future of manufacturing," said IMEC President David Boulay, Ph.D. "From developing our rural workforce to data analytics, to sustainability and cybersecurity, there is incredible potential in these grant awards."

The eight grant recipients and award topics are listed below:

Leveraging Data Analytics and Artificial

Intelligence for Smarter Manufacturing Azadeh Haghighi, Ph.D., Faculty Member and Director of the Smarture Lab Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department

Azadeh Haghighi, Ph.D., Faculty Member and Director of the Smarture Lab Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Scaling Manufacturing Workforce in Rural

Communities Joy Fitts, Associate Dean of Workforce Engagement & Industrial Careers

Joy Fitts, Associate Dean of Workforce Engagement & Industrial Careers Kaskaskia College Enhancing Resilience and Sustainability for Small Manufacturing Enterprises in Southern Illinois James A. Mathias, Associate Professor, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Materials Engineering

James A. Mathias, Associate Professor, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Materials Engineering Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU) 3D Printing Gateway to Manufacturing David Girzadas, Dean, Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing

David Girzadas, Dean, Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Richard J. Daley College Industrial Electrical Technology (IET) Flex-Lab Steven Flinn, Professor, Agricultural & Industrial Tech

Steven Flinn, Professor, Agricultural & Industrial Tech Illinois Central College (ICC) Cybersecurity Innovation David Hetzler, Dean of Career and Technical Education

David Hetzler, Dean of Career and Technical Education John Wood Community College (JWCC) Review Remote Hands-On Course for Working Engineers Dr. Benedito J. B. Fonseca Jr., Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering

Dr. Benedito J. B. Fonseca Jr., Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Northern Illinois University (NIU) Testbed for Experimenting with Industrial IoT and Cybersecurity Integration in Small Manufacturing Kanchan Mondal, Director, Mechanical, Aerospace & Materials Engineering

Kanchan Mondal, Director, Mechanical, Aerospace & Materials Engineering Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU)

All applications were carefully reviewed by the IMEC leadership team and Board of Directors. The eight applicants above were selected based on their expected impact on the Illinois manufacturing community and the amount of input from small and mid-sized manufacturers that will be utilized in the creation of each of these programs.

About IMEC

IMEC is a team of improvement specialists who are dedicated to changing lives and creating a positive impact on Illinois' workforce and economy. With a mission to drive growth through enterprise excellence, they help organizations become more effective and efficient by identifying issues, developing and implementing solutions, and providing the necessary support that will allow manufacturers to excel in areas of leadership, strategy, customer engagement, operations, workforce, and measurement and results. In 2021, IMEC assisted over 1,600 companies and helped create or retain over 5,679 jobs, resulting in over $450M aggregate impact to the Illinois economy. IMEC has seven offices statewide and approximately 50 full-time industry improvement specialists. For more information, visit www.imec.org.

IMEC is one of 51 MEP Centers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. MEP Centers are part of the MEP National Network, which includes the National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP) and over 1000 manufacturing experts at over 400 service locations, with the tools and resources to help U.S. manufacturers succeed and advance U.S. manufacturing. Being that each Center is a public-private partnership, they are able to connect manufacturers with government agencies, universities and research facilities, trade associations, and many more resources that foster growth and innovation. In 2021, the MEP National Network helped manufacturers create and retain over 125,000 jobs. Find your local MEP Center here.

SOURCE IMEC
Company's first employee donation match program part of expanded food insecurity relief commitment

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Instant Brands, maker of consumer favorites like Instant Pot and Pyrex, expanded its commitment to addressing food insecurity with a $50,000 direct donation to World Central Kitchen, a not-for-profit organization on the frontlines of humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. The donation will allow WCK to provide 250,000 meals to refugee families and those who remain inside the borders of Ukraine.

"Our hearts break for the Ukrainian people who continue to experience the unimaginable. We're inspired by the extraordinary work of Chef Jose Andres and World Central Kitchen, and felt compelled to help in some way," said Ben Gadbois, President and CEO of Instant Brands. "I'm proud of our employees and grateful to everyone who loves our products. Their collective support helps us nourish communities in need and live out our Made for Together commitment, every day."

Instant Brands' donation to World Central Kitchen was funded with 100 percent of proceeds from the sale of a limited-edition Ukraine Pyrex bowl, plus the first-ever employee charitable donation match program.

World Central Kitchen is a non-profit organization that provides fresh meals in response to crises, while working to build resilient food systems with locally led solutions. The company selected WCK because of its shared commitment to food insecurity efforts, and WCK's decade-plus track record of crisis response. In response to the crisis in Ukraine, WCK has served more than 25 million meals to families in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, Spain, and Germany.

"We're grateful for Instant Brands' generosity as we continue to serve thousands of fresh meals daily to residents and refugees in the region," said Maggie Leahy, Director, Donor Relations, World Central Kitchen.

Instant Brands encourages everyone to learn more about World Central Kitchen and ways to help by visiting https://wck.org. Additional information about Instant Brands' commitment to addressing food insecurity and broader sustainable development efforts is available at https://corporate.instantbrands.com/impact/.

About World Central Kitchen

Founded in 2010 by Chef Jose Andres, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises while working to build resilient food systems with locally led solutions. WCK has served more than 70 million fresh meals to people impacted by natural disasters and other crises around the world. WCK's Resilience Programs strengthen food and nutrition security by training chefs and school cooks; advancing clean cooking practices; and awarding grants to farms, fisheries, and small food businesses while also providing educational and networking opportunities. Learn more at https://wck.org/.

About Instant Brands

Instant Brands designs, manufactures and markets a global portfolio of innovative and iconic consumer lifestyle brands: Instant, Pyrex, Corelle, Corningware, Snapware, Chicago Cutlery, ZOID and Visions. With people-first and purpose-driven solutions in mind, Instant Brands is reimagining how people live, eat, connect, and play inside the homeand in the spaces where people gather. The Cornell Capital-backed company is headquartered in Downers Grove, Ill., and employs more than 2,000 people across four continents. Today, Instant Brands' products are in millions of homes worldwide. For more information visit Instant Brands or join the community at LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Instant Brands
"It's always exciting to welcome partners like Hovis & Associates to the Integrity family," shared Bryan W. Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity. "The Hovis family has carried out a 40-year legacy of attentiveness to clients and dedication to service that aligns perfectly with the way Integrity operates. By always striving to overdeliver on Medicare and retirement solutions, David, Kevin and their team have created an unshakeable bond of trust with their clients. Just as other partners have, Hovis & Associates can now look forward to experiencing the 'Integrity Effect' of unprecedented growth. We're thrilled that the Hovis team chose to join us on our mission to help Americans plan for the good days ahead  and we're ready to support them as they make an even greater impact, not only on the St. Louis area, but nationwide."

Beginning in 1984, industry stalwart Dennis Hovis laid the foundation for Hovis & Associates by offering life insurance to Midwesterners. His sons, David and Kevin, eventually joined him in the business, which transitioned to specializing in Medicare in 2006. Today, Hovis & Associates provides full-service Medicare solutions as well as financial services and retirement planning. Its experienced and skillful team takes a consultative approach to help clients meet retirement and healthcare goals, serving more than 25,000 Americans annually. The company has become one of the Midwest's Medicare and retirement planning leaders, garnering numerous community and industry awards.

"One of the most rewarding parts of this business is that we get to spend our days taking care of people," said David Hovis, President and CEO of Hovis & Associates. "Our partnership with Integrity now offers us the chance to help even more Americans. Integrity has the size, scale and scope that clears the path for us to work on our business rather than just in our business. We can continue to run Hovis & Associates the way we always have  but now with Integrity, we gain the added technology and administrative support we need to best serve our clients. In addition, Integrity's Employee Ownership Plan offers our staff a remarkable opportunity to participate in our growth. There are so many incredible benefits to becoming an Integrity partner, and we couldn't be prouder of our decision."

Hovis & Associates will now become an integral part of Integrity's rapidly expanding and diverse partner network. United under the common goal of improving insurance and financial services, Integrity partners learn from each other, collaborate on best practices and create strategies to help more Americans prepare for the good days ahead. This unequaled peer group of icons and leaders is constantly striving to innovate processes in ways that empower Integrity to better protect the life, health and wealth of consumers.

"When considering a partner, the most important aspect was finding one who shared our values and we found that in Integrity," explained Kevin Hovis, President of Medicare Sales at Hovis & Associates. "We know many of the companies who have joined Integrity and watching their explosive growth helped make our partnership decision easier and more straightforward. Integrity brings so much to the table. Their proprietary technology offers our agents countless resources and a more diverse product mix to create the right solution for clients at a much higher level. We're very proud of what we've accomplished thus far  and with Integrity's platform, relationships and systems behind us, the future offers unlimited opportunities for growth."

Supported by Integrity's world-class insurtech platform, Hovis & Associates gains access to much more than just cutting-edge technology. Integrity's comprehensive insurance and financial service offerings also include quoting and enrollment systems, customer relationship management software, ongoing product development and their innovative MedicareCENTER. In addition, Integrity offers shared business services and administrative functions that enable partners to redirect valuable time toward agency growth. This supportive infrastructure includes areas such as People & Culture, Technology & Innovation, finance, legal and compliance, and access to their nationally known marketing and advertising firm.

On top of all those advantages, Hovis & Associates can now offer employees the exciting benefit of meaningful company ownership through Integrity's Employee Ownership Plan.

For more information about Hovis & Associates' partnership with Integrity, view a video at www.integritymarketing.com/Hovis

About Integrity Marketing Group

Integrity, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a leading distributor of life and health insurance, and provider of innovative solutions for wealth management and retirement planning. Through its partner network, Integrity helps millions of Americans protect their life, health and wealth with a commitment to meet them wherever they are  in person, over the phone and online. Integrity's cutting-edge technology helps streamline the insurance and financial planning experience for all stakeholders. In addition, Integrity develops products with carrier partners and markets them through its distribution network of agencies, brokerages and RIAs throughout the nation. Integrity's nearly 6,000 employees work with more than 450,000 agents and advisors who serve over 10 million clients annually. In 2022, Integrity will help carriers place more than $12 billion in new sales and oversee more than $20 billion of assets under management and advisement through its RIA and broker-dealer platforms. For more information, visit www.integritymarketing.com.

About Hovis & Associates

Hovis & Associates is a long-standing, family-run business founded in 1984. The values-driven firm has expanded its consultative services throughout the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan area and the nation, offering three categories of service: Medicare consulting, agent services and financial services. The experienced team at Hovis & Associates also supports agents working within the Medicare consulting arena and takes great pride in creating a professional, positive and rewarding experience for agents nationwide. For more information, visit www.hovisandassociates.com.

SOURCE Integrity Marketing Group, LLC
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the market research report published by P&S Intelligence, in 2021, the global interbody spine implants market accounted for $1,904.8 million revenue, which is expected to touch $2,471.8 million by 2030, at a 2.9% CAGR. Advancements in spinal surgery technologies, increasing demand for spinal fusion devices owing to the rising prevalence of spinal ailments, fast acceptance of minimally invasive spine operations, and surging number of sophisticated bone-grafting product launches are the primary drivers for the market.

Market Opportunities

Owing to the aging of the global population, there is a continuing demand for spinal implants, which drives spinal implant innovation. Metallic biomaterial implants, bioceramic implants, and polymeric implants have been developed for improved clinical results.

Many companies offer products for advanced techniques, including oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF), robot-assisted spine surgery, and 3D printing, which offer several opportunities in the field of neurology drugs and surgeries.

Get the sample pages of this report at: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/interbody-spine-implants-market/report-sample

Metal-Based Implants Will Be in High Demand

In the coming years, metal-based implants are predicted to dominate the interbody spine implants market with more than 45% revenue share, growing at the highest rate. This might be because of the flexibility, robustness, and durability of these variants.

Market Driven by Growing Number of Spinal Disorder Cases

The number of people suffering from spinal ailments is on the rise all over the world. Scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, kyphosis, spondylolisthesis, and fractures are some of the most-common ailments treated with spine implants. Over 266 million people are diagnosed with lumbar degenerative spine disease each year, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Geographical Analysis

In the coming years, the APAC interbody spine implants market will advance with over 3.0% rate. India, China, Australia, South Korea, and Japan are the key revenue contributors to the market. This is due to the increasing awareness of spinal disorders and treatment options, a large patient pool, rising healthcare expenditure, and improving healthcare infrastructure.

Browse detailed report on Global Interbody Spine Implants Market Size, Growth and Development Forecast To 2030

North America dominates the interbody spine implants market owing to the deep penetration of spinal implants and a high volume of spinal fusion and non-fusion procedures. Furthermore, the regional industry is advancing due to the increasing incidence of spinal disorders, including disc herniation, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, and spinal stenosis, as well as the increasing acceptance of advanced spinal implants in Canada and the U.S.

Key End User of Interbody Spine Implants Is Hospitals

Hospitals account for over 50% of the interbody spine implants market share because they execute large numbers of surgeries to treat a variety of spinal ailments. With their high-tech equipment and trained professionals, they are able to better combine orthopedics and neuroscience than other healthcare centers.

Key Players in Market Are:

NuVasive Inc.

Medtronic Plc

Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc.

Stryker Corporation

Johnson & Johnson

Globus Medical Inc.

Interbody Spine Implants Market Segmentation Analysis

By Product Type

Lumbar

Cervical

By Material

Metal

PEEK

By End User

Hospitals

Specialty Orthopedic & Spine Centers

ASCs

Regional Outlook

North America

U.S.



Canada

Europe

Germany



France



U.K.



Italy



Spain

Asia-Pacific

China



India



Japan



Australia



South Korea

Latin America

Brazil



Mexico

Middle East and Africa

and Saudi Arabia



South Africa

Browse Other Reports Published by P&S

Global Small Joint Reconstructive Implants Market Analysis and Growth Forecast Report

Global Dental Implants and Prostheses Market Analysis and Growth Forecast Report

Global Active Implantable Medical Devices Market Analysis and Growth Forecast Report

Global Osseointegration Implants Market Analysis and Growth Forecast Report

About P&S Intelligence

P&S Intelligence provides market research and consulting services to a vast array of industries across the world. As an enterprising research and consulting company, P&S believes in providing thorough insights on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness. P&S keeps the interest of its clients at heart, which is why the insights we provide are both honest and accurate. Our long list of satisfied clients includes entry-level firms as well as multi-million-dollar businesses and government agencies.

Contact:

Prajneesh Kumar

P&S Intelligence

Phone: +1-347-960-6455

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.psmarketresearch.com

Follow Us: LinkedIn Twitter

SOURCE P&S Intelligence
Gestalt-Hamamatsu unified solution will provide end-to-end support to the entire workflow

SPOKANE, Wash., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Gestalt Diagnostics, Inc., a leading provider of digital pathology solutions, and Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., a leading provider of whole slide imaging systems, announced the implementation of a unified solution at Intermountain Healthcare. This combined solution will facilitate Intermountain Healthcare's adoption of digital pathology* and accelerate implementation across the entire Intermountain Healthcare system.

As laboratories adopt digital pathology, they must leverage complex hardware and software solutions ecosystems to augment their existing workflows. Intermountain Healthcare recognized the complexity of implementation and adoption of digital pathology. To facilitate adoption and help users recognize the value of digital pathology, Intermountain Healthcare opted for an open ecosystem that was genuinely interoperable. As a result, Intermountain Healthcare selected Gestalt and Hamamatsu to drive efficiencies while reducing turnaround times for their clinicians.

Dylan Miller, MD, who co-led the digital pathology implementation strategy at Intermountain Healthcare, noted, "Combining the flexibility, reliability, and durability of Hamamatsu's latest generation scanning technology with Gestalt's highly adaptable and interoperable image management and reporting solution has been an ideal pairing. We are able to meet diverse and dynamic needs across multiple lab sites and pathology groups in our system as we are rolling out digital pathology because of this tremendous partnership."

Don Ariyakumar, Product Manager at Hamamatsu stated, "Enabling customers to select the best-in-class solutions for their organization along with interoperability is critical for the adoption of digital pathology. We are thrilled to work with Gestalt and help Intermountain Healthcare reach its potential with Hamamatsu NanoZoomer digital pathology systems."

"A truly interoperable platform which incorporates every component necessary to streamline the workflow for pathologists is essential for leveraging the full benefits of digital pathology," said Lisa-Jean Clifford, COO & Chief Strategy Officer at Gestalt. "The deep integration of our Image Management System with Hamamatsu is a cornerstone of the digital process. PathFlow, our digital pathology solution, streamlines the workflow and case management for Intermountain Healthcare's pathologists through interoperability, increasing efficiency. Our ability to integrate bi-directionally with the LIS and EMRs to provide the right case to the right pathologist both internal to Intermountain Healthcare and to their external clients, regardless of their location, has a positive impact on their operations."

Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.

Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. is a leading manufacturer of photonics devices. We design, manufacture, and sell optical sensors, light sources, optical components, cameras, photometry systems, and measurement/analysis systems.

Gestalt Diagnostics, Inc.

Gestalt Diagnostics is committed to bringing anatomic pathology into the digital age. The US company was formed in 2017 and provides enterprise solutions and services to transform anatomic pathology laboratories from glass slides, microscopes, and couriers to an automated, electronic digital workflow. Gestalt has developed its flagship product, PathFlow, built upon its experience and expertise in a radiology PACS - Image Management System. This experience in radiology forged its success in developing and deploying a fully digital pathology solution specifically for pathology labs. The advisory board contains industry-leading pathologists who continually weigh in on Gestalt's development plans and the usability of solutions in clinical practice, education, and research.

*Whole Slide imaging system is sold for research use only

SOURCE Gestalt Diagnostics
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Effective June 7, 2022, The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) New Jersey Chapter is merging with the IABC New York Chapter to create a stronger and more vibrant regional organization supporting all Tristate area members. IABC New York Tristate Area Chapter will serve business communications professionals in the New York Metro, Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester, NY and Connecticut areas.

IABC is the only communications industry association that fully represents the integrated disciplines of business communications, including public relations; digital; corporate, internal and crisis communications; investor relations and marketing. Its members are drawn from a whole spectrum of business sectors, including corporate, agency, consulting, government, academia and not-for-profit.

"As the pandemic has strained resources for so many organizations and changed the world of work forever, it became clear that to provide enhanced value to our members and truly represent the New York City Metro region, we needed to come together," says Audra Hession, IABC New York Tristate Area Chapter President. "The combination of our chapters creates a structurally sound, fiscally strong and talent rich organization that geographically represents the corporations, not-for-profits, academic institutions and municipalities of our business region."

"Never has the role of business communicators been more important as we assist business leaders, media and the public in navigating the complexities and challenges of today's global society," says Danielle Bond, Chair, IABC International Executive Board. "As the media and communications hub of the world, the New York Tristate Region is incredibly important to furthering the mission of IABC. We are excited to bring these chapters together to create a powerhouse of communications professionals."

The newly merged chapter will offer expanded networking opportunities, educational resources, and training and development initiatives focused on helping its members, regardless of their career stage, develop new skills and expand their professional and personal networks.

Additionally, IABC New York Tristate Chapter is hosting World Conference June 26-29 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square. It is IABC's first in-person conference in more than two years and has been reimagined to meet the needs of today's communication professionals. Association members and non-members can connect with peers from around the globe, learn from industry experts during exceptional sessions, and garner knowledge that elevates their career and organization.

The existing New York Chapter Board of Directors assumes responsibility for managing the chapter and furthering IABC's mission in the region. The chapter is currently recruiting volunteers to fill the positions of Vice President, Program Development and Vice President, Partnerships. Email [email protected] to inquire about these opportunities.

About IABC

Setting a standard of excellence since 1970, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global industry association with a network of 12,000 members in more than 80 countries. IABC delivers on the Global Standard in communication through its educational offerings, certification, awards program, resource library, and annual World Conference. Its mission is to meet the professional development and networking needs of its members, champion effective business communication practices via its Code of Ethics and elevate the authority of the profession.

Contact:

Audra Hession

[email protected]

+ 1-203-918-5987

SOURCE IABC New York Tristate Area Chapter
IOWA CITY, Iowa, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iotaMotion Inc., a leader in developing advanced surgical systems for cochlear implant surgery, announced today the appointment of Mike Lobinsky as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. Mike will lead the iotaMotion business as it ramps up commercialization efforts following the FDA market authorization for the iotaSOFT insertion system in Q4, 2021.

Mike is an accomplished medical technology executive with more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, spanning advanced capital equipment and precision surgical robotics. Prior to joining iotaMotion, he served as CEO of medical device developer EOS Imaging, which was acquired by ATEC Spine inc. in 2021. Mike has additionally served as U.S. Vice President  Robotics at Smith & Nephew PLC, which he joined through their 2016 acquisition of Blue Belt Technologies, a global innovator in handheld surgical robotics. He assembled and led Blue Belt Technologies' US Sales efforts from commercialization through acquisition. Mike built and managed high performing teams at Stryker, Brainlab, and BioMedix earlier in his career.

Eric Timko, Executive Chairman of the Board, said, "We are very excited to welcome Mike as President and CEO of iotaMotion. His track record and experience in medical devices, at every stage of a company's growth and including deep expertise in robotics, makes him an ideal fit to lead our team and grow our presence in the cochlear implant surgical market."

"I am delighted to join iotaMotion. We have an exciting first-to-market solution along with vast medical and technology expertise both in-house and through an impressive group of advisors and collaborators putting us in a position to become the standard bearer in CI robotics," said Mike Lobinsky. "Robotics systems are finding their way into operating rooms across the globe, across specialties. With iotaMotion's focus on miniaturizing surgical assisting technologies to work in cohesion with surgeons' expertise, we are poised to make a significant contribution to cochlear implant surgery."

Co-founder and former iotaMotion President and CEO Christopher Kaufmann, MD will continue to support the company's product portfolio and strategy as Chief Technology Officer and board member. "Building on our momentum in bringing the world's first robotic-assisted CI insertion system to market, Mike's industry and commercial leadership experience will be key in accelerating surgeon utilization of iotaSOFT. We are excited for this next chapter of iotaMotion as we continue to grow our team and expand CI access for surgeons and their patients."

To learn more about the iotaSOFT Insertion System for cochlear implantation visit https://www.iotamotion.com/iotasoft. Please refer to the labeling for a complete list of warnings, precautions and contraindications.

IOTAMOTION, INC.

A privately held Iowa based company, with operations in Austin, Texas, iotaMotion is developing surgical robotic assistive technologies with the goal of advancing cochlear implant surgery beyond human capability. The company's solutions aim to standardize cochlear implant electrode insertion, and to provide unprecedented control in surgical care settings with the goal of expanding access to cochlear implant interventions for both surgeons and patients.

For more information, visit https://iotamotion.com or contact Wade Colburn at [email protected].

SOURCE iotaMotion, Inc.
CHICAGO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 22, experts from the global research firm Ipsos and executives from across the food and beverage industry, including Kellogg's, Mars Wrigley, and McDonald's, will convene at Chicago's Greenhouse Loft to share perspectives and data on innovation and expansion in the foodservices sector.

The summit, "On the Menu: Where Is the Next Growth for Food and Beverage?," will leverage expertise from Ipsos and experience from industry leaders to explain what (and how) Americans are eating, and what that will mean for business in the years to come.

The keynote speech will be delivered by James Beard award-winning restaurateur Kevin Boehm, cofounder and co-CEO of Chicago's Boka Restaurant Group and chairman of the BIAN Chicago private wellness club. Boehm will share how he pivoted to turn multiple pandemic-era challenges into opportunities, resulting in the fastest growth his organization has experienced in 28 years.

"On the Menu" will chart the future of the industry across four panels:

In " The State of the Food Consumer ," Oscar Yuan , President of Ipsos Strategy3, will lead a panel of experts as they paint a portrait of the American shopper in 2022, from confidence to shopping behavior.

," , President of Ipsos Strategy3, will lead a panel of experts as they paint a portrait of the American shopper in 2022, from confidence to shopping behavior. Then, in " Channel Evolution in Food and Beverage ," Sarah Lehman , vice president of Ipsos Channel Performance in the U.S., and Jesse Itzkowitz , Chief Behavioral Scientist at Ipsos, will host a discussion about the forces that drive impulsive orders online, in-store, and in between.

," , vice president of Ipsos Channel Performance in the U.S., and , Chief Behavioral Scientist at Ipsos, will host a discussion about the forces that drive impulsive orders online, in-store, and in between. In " Extending Your Brand Beyond Functional Food ," Joseph DeVeny , U.S. leader for Ipsos' Innovation practice, and Joe Lonek , Director on the Ipsos Social Intelligence Analytics team, will lead a discussion on how brands can innovate products that meet consumers' values, from health and wellness to sustainability and corporate responsibility.

," , U.S. leader for Ipsos' Innovation practice, and , Director on the Ipsos Social Intelligence Analytics team, will lead a discussion on how brands can innovate products that meet consumers' values, from health and wellness to sustainability and corporate responsibility. And finally, in "Marketing Food to Diverse Audiences," Manuel Garcia-Garcia , a senior leader promoting Diversity and Inclusion at Ipsos, and Lisa Zielinski , Vice President at Ipsos Creative Excellence, will consider how businesses can address Americans' demand for empathy, authenticity, and equitable representation.

The afternoon will also include a networking lunch and a cocktail reception presented by What the Future, Ipsos' strategic foresight magazine.

Learn more and register at https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/food-summit-2022.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing over 18,000 people.

Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multispecialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques.

Our tagline "Game Changers" sums up our ambition to help our 5,000 customers move confidently through a rapidly changing world.

Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and Mid-60 indices and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).

ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP

www.ipsos.com

SOURCE Ipsos
ivWatch sensors use visible and near-infrared light to measure changes in the optical properties of the tissue near a peripheral IV insertion site. Audible and visual notifications are provided through a patient monitor when changes consistent with IV fluid leaking and pooling in the tissue adjacent to the IV site are detected. ivWatch has two sensor solutions  a reusable optical sensor cable for short-term monitoring and a miniaturized, disposable sensor designed for small or active patients. The proprietary algorithm mitigates the effects of tissue blood volume changes due to patient motion, allowing patients to move around freely during monitoring while limiting the number of false notifications.

The national validations of European Patent Numbers 3545827 and 3563758 cover the ability to differentiate between patient motion and the presence of an infusate in the tissue. In addition, European Patent Number 2844316 and its validations cover adhering the fiber optic sensor to the patient's skin with a receptacle. Each of these European patents are validated in the following nations: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Israel Certificate of Patent Number 234599 covers the geometry of the sensor heads for both the optical and the electronic systems.

ivWatch was granted their first FDA clearance in 2015; prior to ivWatch, there was a severe absence in support and tools for clinicians to detect infiltrations at their earliest stages. Clinicians could only rely on tactile examinations of IV sites with minimal ability to see if fluid is leaking outside the vein under the skin. As clinicians are pulled in a variety of directions and continue to experience high levels of fatigue, the use of ivWatch in addition to periodic IV checks to detect infiltrations is becoming more and more imperative. The reality of only relying on periodic monitoring of IV sites is that if an infiltration is not caught at its earliest stages, it can lead to patient harm such as tissue necrosis, amputation, scarring, nerve damage, and medication dosing errors.1,2

"IV infiltrations and extravasations do not discriminate when it comes to geographical borders or the type of infusion, however, our technology has the opportunity to transform IV therapy universally," said Gary Warren, President and CEO of ivWatch. "These new patents strengthen the depth of the company's patent portfolio and demonstrate our strong overall commitment to protecting our innovations. Our patents speak to the power of our product engine, our engineering techniques, and validate our unique technology and the global opportunity."

While the proprietary algorithm is very complex and took decades of research, development, and clinical studies, the ease of use for clinicians is incredibly user-friendly and seamlessly integrates with current IV practices and protocols. ivWatch technology is currently used in healthcare facilities worldwide and is ambitiously expanding its operations, increasing its adoption rates, partnering with distributors globally, and gaining additional regulatory approvals in key parts of the world. A strong strategic patent portfolio is critical for all medical device companies' growth and success. To learn more about the company and its IV site monitoring solutions, visit www.ivWatch.com.

About ivWatch, LLC

ivWatch, LLC is a biosensor technology company focused on improving patient safety and the effectiveness of intravenous therapy. Our dedicated and passionate team is pioneering the use of optical sensors to detect adverse IV events early to minimize the risk of injury caused by infiltrations and extravasations. By using this technology, clinicians can leverage continuous monitoring to help identify infiltrations as early as possible. Our innovative IV monitoring solutions are backed by decades of clinical research and device development. To learn more, follow us on Twitter @ivWatch, Facebook @ivWatchLLC, and LinkedIn @ivWatch-LLC, or visit www.ivWatch.com.

References:

1. Gorski, L. A., Hadaway, L., Hagle, M. E., Broadhurst, D., Clare, S., Kleidon, T., Meyer, B. M., Nickel, B., Rowley, S., Sharpe, E., & Alexander, M. (2021). Infusion therapy standards of practice, 8th edition. Journal of Infusion Nursing, 44(1S). https://doi.org/10.1097/nan.0000000000000396

2. Alexander, M., Corrigan, Avv., Gorski, L., Hankins, J., & Perucca, R. (2010). Infusion nursing: An evidence-based approach (3rd ed.). Saunders Elsevier.

SOURCE ivWatch, LLC
Investing RM 600 Million in Infrastructure

Expansion of facilities to drive development in the local economy and across the region

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- J&T Express ("J&T"), an international express logistics company, announced today it has completed the acquisition of a 30-acre parcel of land in Bandar Rimbayu, Selangor, Malaysia. The land will be used to build an integrated logistics center for express distribution, logistics and transportation and warehousing to meet J&T's growing business needs in Malaysia.

Charles Hou, Group Vice President of J&T Express, said, "As a global integrated logistics service provider, J&T Express is committed to providing customers with more efficient and convenient services. It remains our emphasis to strengthen our leadership position in Southeast Asia through expanding our presence in existing markets. The new facility will be fitted with our advanced technology, which enables us to better tap on our existing networks to meet the growing demands of the burgeoning e-commerce industry in Southeast Asia.".

"Rimbayu is the golden triangle of Selangor, we believe in the future development potential of this area." CEO of J&T Express Malaysia, Roy Zeng said, "This year marks the fifth year since J&T Express commenced operations in Malaysia. With diversified expansion and the strong momentum thanks to the continuous growth of the regional market, we have decided to invest RM 600 million to purchase a parcel of land and build a logistics centre in Malaysia. In doing this, we hope to drive the development of the local economy, provide jobs for the community, and play an active role in the development of the local logistics industry and the long-term development of the community."

Founded in 2015, J&T Express' localized express network now spans twelve countries including China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Mexico, and Brazil, serving over 2 billion people.

- End -

About J&T Express

J&T Express is a global logistics service provider with leading express delivery businesses in Southeast Asia and China, the largest and fastest-growing market in the world. Founded in 2015, J&T Express' network spans twelve countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, China, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Mexico and Brazil. Adhering to its "customer-oriented and efficiency-based" mission, J&T Express is committed to providing customers with integrated logistics solutions through intelligent infrastructure and digital logistics network, as part of its global strategy to connect the world with greater efficiency and bring logistical benefits to all.

SOURCE J&T Express
Teams from JA of Wisconsin and JA of Northwestern Ohio Receive Honors.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Three teams of Junior Achievement students representing JA of Wisconsin and JA of Northwestern Ohio have been selected as first-, second-, and third-place honorees at the national JA Titan National Virtual Competition. A total of 29 teams from across the country participated in the competition.

The competition, which is made possible through the support of Janus Henderson Investors, is a national competition in which high school students compete as business CEOs in the phone industry, experiencing firsthand how an organization evaluates alternatives, makes decisions, analyzes the outcomes of those decisions, and then strategizes what to do next. Student teams from across the United States competed for the chance to win prizes and be named the JA Titan of Business. The JA Titan National Virtual Competition took place on May 18 and 19, 2022. Prizes were awarded to the three top performing teams.

The winning teams are:

1st Place: JA Titan  of Business, JAWIS3, JA of Wisconsin

JA of 2nd Place: Tragic Tornadoes, JA of Northwestern Ohio

JA of 3rd Place: Tiffin Money Makers, JA of Northwestern Ohio

With a focus on financial literacy and insights into the workforce, JA Titan brings business economics to life. As students work in teams, or on their own, to make financial decisions about production, marketing, research and development (R&D), and corporate social responsibility (CSR), they begin to see how every choice made in an organization relates to its future success.

About Junior Achievement USA  (JA)

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches more than 2.5 million students per year in 103 markets across the United States as part of 10 million students served by operations in 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.

About Janus Henderson

Janus Henderson Group (JHG) is a leading global active asset manager dedicated to helping investors achieve long-term financial goals through a broad range of investment solutions, including equities, fixed income, quantitative equities, multi-asset and alternative asset class strategies.

As of March 31, 2022, Janus Henderson had approximately US$361 billion in assets under management, more than 2,000 employees, and offices in 23 cities worldwide. Headquartered in London, the company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)



SOURCE Junior Achievement USA
The oversubscribed round was led by Foundry Group with participation from Greycroft and many of Knock's existing investors, including RRE, First American Financial's venture arm Parker89, Company Ventures, Second Century Ventures, and filmmaker and actor M. Night Shyamalan. The round also attracted other new notable investors, including serial entrepreneur Kevin Ryan of AlleyCorp. Ryan founded some of the most transformative companies in New York, including MongoDB, Business Insider and GILT Groupe, and previously led DoubleClick as CEO through its $3 billion acquisition by Google. Knock has now raised a total of $900 million of debt and equity since its founding in 2015.

"Knock's technology and financing innovation is revolutionizing the home buying and selling experience by transforming what has historically been a stressful and complicated process into one that is more certain, transparent and convenient," said Knock Co-Founder and CEO Sean Black. "We are grateful for the confidence our newest and existing investors have shown in our business and the opportunity before us. We believe this underscores the fact that our platform is now more important than ever as homebuyers struggle to compete with cash buyers and are increasingly embracing new ways to buy and sell homes. We are excited to add Ian and Dave to our board. Both bring successful track records of helping to scale fintech and other software companies and their guidance will be invaluable."

Knock provides homebuyers and their agents with innovative financing solutions in a transparent and convenient mobile app experience that empowers them to compete with cash buyers to win their dream home. With the Knock Home Swap, existing homeowners have access to 100% of the money necessary to buy their new home before listing their old house. Knock GO enables first-time buyers and others who don't have a home to sell to make an offer that's competitive with cash by providing sellers with the certainty of a guaranteed, on-time closing.

As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Greycroft, Ian Sigalow is responsible for the venture capital firm's operations, investment strategy and vision. He is on the investment committee for all Greycroft funds, which invest in consumer, enterprise software, fintech and digital health companies looking to redefine the internet economy. Prior to founding Greycroft, Ian Sigalow founded StrongData, a pioneer in payment encryption, and spent several years as a venture capitalist with Boston Millennia Partners. He holds a bachelor's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

As a Managing Partner of Second Century Ventures, the most active global fund in real estate technology, Garland also guides the award-winning scale-up program REACH. Backed by the National Association of Realtors, REACH leverages the association's more than 1.5 million members and an unparalleled network of executives within real estate and adjacent industries. Garland has acquired, owned and managed portfolios of single-family residential, commercial and development properties across America. He maintains over two decades of strategic advisory and board services to numerous public and private real estate and financial firms. He holds a bachelor's degree from Notre Dame and an MBA from the Melbourne Business School.

About Knock

Knock is rewriting the rules of homeownership with mobile technology and innovative home financing solutions that make all homebuyers Power Buyers. Knock's flagship Home Swap product empowers consumers with a non-contingent offer on their phone to buy the home they want before selling the home they have, providing certainty knowing you've found your dream home and the convenience of not having to live through repairs or showings. Knock GO (Guaranteed Offer) is a cash-like home loan solution for first-time homebuyers looking to compete in today's hot housing market.

Launched in 2015 by founding team members of Trulia.com, Knock currently operates in 75 markets nationwide. Knock has raised $900 million in debt and equity from top-tier investors, including Foundry Group, Greycroft, RRE, Parker89 and The National Association of Realtors, giving NAR's 1.5 million members the ability to market Knock's homeownership solutions to their clients. For more information visit: knock.com .

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Knock
SAN FRANCISCO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global lactic acid market size is expected to reach USD 5.8 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.0% from 2022 to 2030. The market growth can be attributed to the increasing demand for lactic acid in various end-use industries, including industrial, food and beverages, and pharmaceuticals, especially in emerging economies such as India, China, and Indonesia. Additionally, demand for this product as a feedstock in the production of Polylactic Acid (PLA) is anticipated to drive the market globally.

Key Insights & Findings from the report:

In 2021, sugarcane emerged as the dominant raw material segment with a revenue share of around 39.0% owing to its abundant availability in nature, low cost, and environmental friendliness.

Corn emerged as the second-largest raw material segment in 2021 and is projected to witness considerable growth over the forecast period owing to the rising awareness regarding sustainable products in the major application industries.

PLA emerged as the dominant application segment in 2021 in terms of both volume and revenue owing to the rising usage in the manufacturing of biodegradable and biocompatible products.

In 2021, North America emerged as the largest regional market due to the presence of major personal care and cosmetic industries in this region, especially in the U.S.

Request a free sample copy or view report summary, "Lactic Acid Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Raw Material (Sugarcane, Corn, Cassava), By Application (PLA, Food & Beverages, Personal Care, Pharmaceuticals), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030", published by Grand View Research.

Lactic Acid Market Growth & Trends

COVID-19 had a substantial effect on the expansion and dynamics of various businesses. Customers were concerned about social distancing, immunity, and contactless methods of defending themselves from the pandemic in the absence of vaccinations. These characteristics significantly impacted customer preferences for packaged items with protective advantages. Due to the limitations on public transport services throughout regions, there were mass food purchases and storage. The pandemic has had a favorable impact on the packaging business. Plastic is replacing earlier packaging solutions because of its price, durability, and safety. During the pandemic, food and beverage packaging was in great demand. Due to well-being and safety concerns, people were more likely to buy packaged food goods. As a result of these causes, the market has grown.

Various raw materials used for the production of lactic acid include carbohydrates such as corn, sugarcane, sugar beet, and tapioca. A large share of this product produced globally is obtained through the fermentation process owing to its lower production costs as well as rising consumer awareness regarding sustainable and environmentally friendly products. The production process is commercially mature with a significant number of manufacturers, including Corbion, NatureWorks LLC, Galactic, and Henan Jindan Lactic Acid Technology Co., Ltd., using it. The raw materials used for the commercial synthesis of this product include maltose or starch, lactose, sucrose, and glucose.

These raw materials are derived from various feedstocks, such as barley malt, whey, molasses, and beet sugar, which are used to produce lactic acid via microbial fermentation. The cost of raw material is a key factor to be considered in the fermentation process for the commercial production of this product. They may specifically cater to application areas such as industrial, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, personal care, chemicals, and agrochemicals. In July 2020, Corbion appointed IMCD to distribute bio-based food and non-food components to New Zealand and Australia. This development would strengthen Corbion's influence in Asia Pacific. Polylactic acid is predominantly used to manufacture microwaveable containers, including disposable cutlery and food containers. Multiple beneficial properties such as improved aesthetic appeal and resistance to grease and oil are positively influencing the demand for polylactic acid in the formulation of food packaging products across the globe, further triggering the lactic acid demand.

Lactic Acid Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global lactic acid market on the basis of raw material, application, and region:

Lactic Acid Market - Raw Material Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

Corn

Sugarcane

Cassava

Other Crops

Lactic Acid Market - Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

Industrial

Food & Beverages

Pharmaceuticals

Personal Care

Polylactic Acid (PLA)

Others

Lactic Acid Market - Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

North America

U.S.



Canada



Mexico

Europe

Germany



France



U.K.



Italy



Netherlands

Asia Pacific

China



Japan



India



Indonesia



Malaysia



Philippines

Central & South America (CSA)

(CSA) Brazil

Middle East & Africa (MEA)

List of Key Players of Lactic Acid Market

BASF SE

Galactic

Musashino Chemical ( China ) Co., Ltd.

) Co., Ltd. Futerro

Corbion

Dow

TEIJIN LIMITED

Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research:

 Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials Market - The global biodegradable superabsorbent material market is expected to reach USD 190 million by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Significant usage of bio-based, high-performance absorption polymers in adult incontinence products, disposable diapers, and agriculture applications is likely to boost the industry growth over the forecast period. Furthermore, feminine hygiene sector is anticipated to provide unique opportunities for these environment-friendly polymers over the next few years.

 Bioresorbable Polymers Market - The global bioresorbable polymer market is anticipated to reach USD 2.26 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The growing demand in the medical sector, owing to its hydrolytically degrading property in the body is projected to increase the global market growth.

 Polymer Gel Market - The global polymer gel market is expected to reach USD 7.93 million by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to witness a CAGR of 5.7% over the forecast period, owing to increasing personal care products consumption has been a major factor driving market growth. In addition, growing consciousness regarding the advantages of these products coupled with the trends of adopting smart farming techniques has led to the increased utilization of polymer gel in agricultural activities.

Browse through Grand View Research's Specialty Polymers 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.

ontact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

Grand View Compass | Grand View Pipeline

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SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
Meridian Energy will deploy the OCEAN Charge Point Management System for the management and monetization of their public charging network across the country.

CHAM, Switzerland, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Etrel, a Landis+Gyr (SIX: LAND) company providing integrated e-mobility solutions, and Meridian Energy, New Zealand's largest electricity generator, signed an agreement to adopt the Etrel OCEAN Charge Point Management System for the management and monetization of Meridian's public charging network across the country.

Etrel provides integrated EV charging solutions that support the deployment of electric vehicles by focusing primarily on charging technology for powering electric vehicles with green energy sources. Therefore, the selection of Etrel was a perfect match for Meridian, which generates electricity entirely from renewable sources  wind, water and sun.

Meridian's utmost priority is to ensure that its users have a smooth transition and experience using its EV charging network. OCEAN's white-label app will help them increase customer intimacy and build brand awareness while providing an outstanding charging experience. On top of this, OCEAN's extensive integration capabilities will allow Meridian to connect today's service offering with its EV charging service, making it easier for its private and business customers to switch to electric vehicles.

Tim Calder, Emerging Markets and Innovation Lead at Meridian is excited by the opportunity of working with Etrel to bring this software to the New Zealand market: "We know driving electric vehicles is not only great for the environment but also a great experience and we want to make sure that using our EV charging network is no different. Partnering with Etrel means EV drivers using our charging network will be well supported and get that great experience especially across key moments like signing up, finding and using a charger and making payment".

"We are proud to support Meridian's ambitious EV charging network rollout and help reach New Zealand's energy transition objectives", said Rok Poteko, Head of Software Sales at Etrel. "People are at the core of our e-mobility solutions - from the EV drivers who use our white-label app to our partners who manage their customers' journey in the back-end system. We will enable Meridian to provide a seamless EV charging experience."

About Landis+Gyr

Landis+Gyr is a leading global provider of integrated energy management solutions. We measure and analyze energy utilization to generate empowering analytics for smart grid and infrastructure management, enabling utilities and consumers to reduce energy consumption. Our innovative and proven portfolio of software, services and intelligent sensor technology is a key driver to decarbonize the grid. Having avoided more than 9 million tons of CO 2 in FY 2021 and committed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, Landis+Gyr manages energy better  since 1896. With sales of USD 1.5 billion in FY 2021, Landis+Gyr employs around 6,500 talented people across five continents. For more information, please visit our website www.landisgyr.com.

Etrel, a Landis+Gyr company, is a provider of integrated e-mobility solutions, pioneering INCH interactive charging for electric vehicles, and OCEAN, a comprehensive software platform for EV charging network management. Etrel's innovative and sustainable charging solutions help accelerate electric mobility in over 40 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit our website www.etrel.com.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1672109/Landis_Gyr_Logo.jpg

Contact:

Melissa van Anraad

Head of PR

Phone +41 41 935 63 98

[email protected]

Investor inquiries: [email protected]

Media inquiries: [email protected]

SOURCE Landis+Gyr
A #LeatherTruthfully website will launch on Monday 6 June, although campaigning will be on-going. Through inspiration and education, the #LeatherTruthfully website will address misperceptions and answer key questions with clear facts about leather making.

#LeatherTruthfully has attracted global support from respected leather designers and leaders in sustainability including Anya Hindmarch and Bill Amberg.

"I'm proud to support #Leather Truthfully. It's a meaningful campaign that shares how leather is made and its role in a circular economy, where nothing is wasted. There are so many misunderstandings about leather right now. It's time to celebrate its rich heritage and remind everyone of the circular and sustainable qualities of leather that fit our human desire for a better, healthier planet." - Bill Amberg.

"I am a supporter of the #LeatherNaturally campaign and its mission to shine a light on sustainable leather production. I think we need to trust in and return to nature as much as we can. Leather is an incredible, natural, waterproof, flexible, durable material that should not be wasted and has an important place in any circular economy." - Anya Hindmarch.

The #LeatherTruthfully campaign was inspired by an evident lack of global awareness about how leather is made and its role in a sustainable future. A recent UK survey of 2,000 people conducted by Leather UK demonstrated the extent of public misunderstanding. The survey revealed:

Only 24% of people were aware that hides and skins were a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise go to waste.

50% think animals are raised specifically to make leather.

74% are confused by the term 'vegan leather' with 54% not aware of its composition or the fact that vegan leather could be plastic.

The #LeatherTruthfully website will address common misunderstandings and questions with fact filled answers such as 'is leather sustainable' or 'are animals killed for leather'. The site will also share a range of industry insights and fresh perspectives as well as inspiring stories from global leather makers.

Ultimately the #LeatherTruthfully is a long term campaign that aims to maintain a truthful and global conversation about all aspects of leather manufacture and making.

Please visit #LeatherTruthfully for more information. Don't hesitate to contact [email protected] , [email protected] or [email protected] to arrange interviews or find out more about the campaign.

SOURCE Leather Naturally
LG Energy Solution broadens next-generation battery research partnerships by teaming with University of Munster and Forschungszentrum Julich in Germany following cooperation with UCSD in U.S. and KAIST in Korea

following cooperation with UCSD in U.S. and KAIST in Korea Battery manufacturer and two German research institutes to focus on developing next-generation electrolyte and a green process for lithium-ion battery manufacturing

SEOUL, South Korea, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution (LGES; 373220) is expanding its joint battery research programs with leading institutions across the world as it aims to drive next-generation battery technology amid the fast-changing industry.

LGES today announced that it is partnering up with academic organizations in Germany. The company will be working with Munster Electrochemical Energy Technology (MEET) of University of Munster and Helmholtz Institute Munster (HI MS) of Forschungszentrum Julich. These institutions will take part in a joint battery research program funded by LGES's Frontier Research Laboratory (FRL).

Researchers from all three parties (LGES, MEET and HI MS) will be working on a research for the next generation lithium-ion battery technology using green materials and processes. In particular, the joint research team will be looking into ways to boost battery cell performance including its energy density and cycle life.

Through its FRL programs, LG Energy Solution has been leading the industry by continuously driving battery-related studies with prestigious academia across the world.

LG Energy Solution first established the FRL program with the University of California San Diego to develop a new type of an all-solid-state battery by putting together a solid-state electrolyte and advanced electrode techniques.

Separately, LGES started the FRL program with Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), a national university, for base techniques on elements of next-generation batteries last October.

LG Energy Solution said it will continue to expand its FRL program globally as it hopes to explore and preoccupy next-generation battery techniques while offering scientists to focus on battery-related researches.

"Through multiple FRL programs worldwide, LG Energy Solution will thrive to lead the commercialization of next-generation battery techniques," said Youngjoon Shin, Chief Technology Officer of LG Energy Solution.

About LG Energy Solution

LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 24,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V. and Hyundai Motor Group. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution's ideas and innovations, visit https://www.lgensol.com.

SOURCE LG Energy Solution
By the end of this year, Lunit INSIGHT CXR will be deployed at more than 30 division medical sites across the Korean army, air force and navy. The software will support medical forces by detecting 9 types of chest abnormalities and screening tuberculosis.

As the solution was trained with a vast amount of medical data provided by the Korean Ministry of National Defense, it offers a military-optimized service, especially in diagnosing tuberculosis, pneumonia, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, and lung cancer, five of the most common chest findings in the military.

"Lunit INSIGHT CXR can bring value to diagnosis processes in a military environment where there is high vulnerability to mass infection, especially like tuberculosis, but lacking diagnostic specialists," said Brandon Suh, CEO of Lunit. "Our powerful AI solution enables fast and accurate screening, providing better medical service for soldiers. We hope that this joint project with the government can innovate and build a more robust and sustainable medical system and serve as the best practice of business-government partnership to boost the system.



The deployment was decided based on a testing period in military bases and recommendations from renowned organizations. In 2021, Lunit delivered its software to 13 military medical facilities, including the Korean Armed Forces Capital Hospital and Yeonpyeong Marine Base. The validation proved that Lunit INSIGHT CXR can enormously assist specialists in a military environment with its high accuracy and practical efficacy. The product also verified its unrivaled performance by detecting tuberculosis with 0.97-0.98 AUROC (Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves) during the assessment conducted at the Asan Medical Center, one of the most trusted hospitals in Korea.

In addition, in March 2021, Lunit INSIGHT CXR was recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization) Consolidated Guidelines on Tuberculosis1 as one of the computer-aided detection (CAD) software that can be used in place of human readers for TB screening in populations aged 15 years and older. The recommendation came after conducting two parallel studies by the most reliable international organizations in tuberculosis research, the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). In both studies, Lunit INSIGHT CXR showed the highest AUC (Area Under the Curve) scores among three CAD systems when the diagnostic performance was analyzed against microbiological reference standard (MRS). 2 3

Based on the corroborated value, Lunit plans to expand the reach of its solution, paving the way to install its AI product in more military medical sites across the country and drive the transformation of the system.



1 https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/340255/9789240022676-eng.pdf

2 Sandra.k, et al., A study from FIND, preprint at medrxiv. 2022, available at https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.24.22269730v1

3 Sandra.k, et al., A study from IOM, preprint at medrxiv. 2022, available at https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.30.22273191v1



SOURCE Lunit
The MAVERICS graft system is a revolutionary functional artificial artery that is designed to eliminate the need for vessel harvesting in cardiac bypass surgery patients  creating a more efficient, cost-effective, and less invasive procedure.

MINNEAPOLIS, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Led by founder and CEO Manny Villafana, Ph.D. Sc., Medical 21 is a next-generation medical technology company seeking to reshape the future of cardiac bypass surgery procedures with their groundbreaking MAVERICS graft system.

Medical 21's team of world-renowned industry professionals Medical 21's MAVERICS graft for cardiac bypass surgery

The MAVERICS graft is a small, flexible tube encasing a nitinol scaffold designed to eliminate the need to harvest vessels from a heart bypass patient. Medical 21 has developed a strong and cost-effective graft system that is less invasive than traditional methods. Eliminating vessel harvesting will increase patients' quality of life, speed up recovery, and even open up access to the surgery for patients who were previously ineligible.

Many attempts at similar grafts have failed due to issues around biocompatibility and structural load. Medical 21's animal studies in sheep have shown positive results surpassing the requirement of 90 days. In fact, the positive results have continued for over 250 days after the initial procedure.

Villafana, the recipient of the Living Legend of Medicine award by The World Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery in 2006, said, "This has the potential to be the most-used single implantable device developed for medicine. Heart disease is the number one killer in the world and we are trying to do something about it. We are focusing on improving cardiac surgery with the graft we have developed. People have attempted this for many years, but we have been able to get it done. We've had successful animal trials and now are getting ready for human clinical trials."

Hearts are complex organs that are difficult to replicate and repair; a graft must be biocompatible, flexible, and strong  but traditional methods have often failed, clogged, and created further complications for patients. Medical 21 has developed a graft that is biocompatible, structurally sound, and resilient enough to withstand the intense and specific conditions the cardiovascular system requires while offering a less invasive and less time-consuming procedure.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the #1 cause of death globally, with roughly two billion adults at risk for heart disease. There are currently 800,0001,000,000 cardiac bypass surgery procedures performed worldwide annually, requiring 2.53.5 million grafts. As these numbers rise each year, the global need increases as well. Medical 21's MAVERICS graft will be available to patients regardless of the condition of their own arteries and veins, giving a group of previously unviable candidates a chance at surgery. Patients with varicose veins, severe diabetes, and amputations will have access to heart bypass surgery since Medical 21's graft system eliminates vessel harvesting.

This innovative technology is designed to eliminate disfigurement from vessel harvesting and reduce a patient's pain, discomfort, and post-op wound healing complications. With the significant reduction in recovery time, patients may spend at least one less day in the ICU compared to traditional methods.

Medical 21's MAVERICS graft system can benefit surgeons by reducing operating room time and reducing costs through shorter hospital stays and fewer post-op complications per patient.

Medical 21 recently opened a Regulation A+ equity round for $40 million and is receiving investments on its website (www.investinmanny.com). Learn more about Medical 21's groundbreaking strides in cardiac bypass surgery procedures by visiting Medical21.com.

About Medical 21

Medical 21, Inc. is a developmental stage medical device company founded by Manny Villafana, Ph.D. Sc., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Medical 21 has developed and intends to commercialize and market an artificial graft to bypass blockages in the heart. This revolutionary product is supported by a team that collectively possesses decades of experience in the successful development, manufacturing, sales, and marketing of medical products to the domestic and international healthcare markets. The Medical 21 artificial graft is not yet FDA approved or cleared. For investigational use only. Not yet available for commercial sale.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" as such term is defined in applicable US and Canadian securities legislation. The words "may," "would," "could," "should," "potential," "will," "seek," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to the Medical 21, Inc. (the "Company"). Such statements reflect the Company's current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation: the conditions to closing of the transaction being satisfied, including obtaining all necessary approvals for the transaction. Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information or statement is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information or statement. The forward-looking information and/or statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law.

Legal Notice

This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or sale of the securities referenced herein. Any such offer will only be made in compliance with applicable state and federal securities laws pursuant to Regulation A, Tier 2 of the Securities Act of 1933. A link to the qualified offering circular and related offering documents is attached hereto and all prospective investors should carefully review these materials, which includes important disclosures and risk factors associated with an investment in Medical 21, Inc.

The information is provided for convenience only, is not investment advice and may not be relied upon in considering an investment in Medical 21, Inc. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained herein, and any investment decision should be based solely on the information contained in the offering circular and related materials, and the investors independent research. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the future performance of any investment in Medical 21, Inc., or that investors will or are likely to achieve favorable results, will make any profit at all or will be able to avoid incurring a loss on their investment. In addition, prospective investors are encouraged to consult with their financial, tax, accounting or other advisors to determine whether an investment in Medical 21, Inc. is suitable for them. A copy of the offering circular filed with the SEC may be obtained at the following URL: http://medical21.com/offering-circular

Media Contact

Andrea Sweeney

+1 (952) 221-3104

[email protected]

SOURCE Medical 21
Experienced healthcare leaders bring decades of experience in global drug commercialization and patient access

Appointment brings significant pharmaceutical leadership experience to the MAPS PBC board

MDMA-assisted therapy, a novel treatment for PTSD with FDA breakthrough therapy designation, is on track for NDA submission in 2023 pending results of the confirmatory Phase 3 trial

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC) today announced the appointment of Jeff George and Dan Grossman, Ph.D., to serve on its Board of Directors, effective June 2, 2022. The non-profit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Board of Directors is responsible for appointing members to the MAPS PBC Board of Directors, an important feature of the public benefit model.

Jeff George, Board Director, MAPS PBC Dan Grossman, Board Director, MAPS PBC

"Jeff and Dan have world-class backgrounds and a wealth of experience which will help prepare us to successfully launch and commercialize MAPS' breakthrough therapy for PTSD. We are elated to welcome them to our team, which will continue to propel us toward achieving our mission." Amy Emerson , CEO, MAPS PBC

Jeff George brings over two decades of experience in global healthcare and corporate leadership across North America, Europe, and emerging markets. He is currently Managing Partner of Maytal Capital, a healthcare-focused private equity and venture capital firm he founded in 2017, and a Partner at Bridge Builders Collaborative, an early-stage venture firm focused on mental health. He previously served as the global CEO for both Sandoz and Alcon, at Novartis Group, where he served on the Executive Committee from 2008 to 2016. George serves on multiple boards of directors, including both publicly-listed and privately-held biopharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as for five non-profit organizations. He holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. from Carleton College.

"I'm honored to join the MAPS PBC Board of Directors and to have the opportunity to work with the terrific MAPS PBC team to help bring this life-changing medicine to patients suffering from PTSD. I look forward to leveraging my experience to help advance MAPS PBC's mission to catalyze healing and well-being through the best-in-class drug development of psychedelic-assisted therapies." Jeff George, Board Director, MAPS PBC.

Dan Grossman is a Managing Director & Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), one of the world's preeminent management consulting firms. He has nearly 20 years of experience in BCG's Health Care Practice Area, working with leading biopharmaceutical and medical technology companies on issues of corporate strategy, pipeline development, and commercializing innovation globally. His experience spans therapeutic areas, with significant depth across major areas of neuroscience. He has served as the head of Learning & Development for BCG in North America and is responsible for BCG's portfolio of proprietary data and software tools for the Health Care Practice. Grossman also serves as Treasurer and Executive Committee member of the Board of Trustees of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University and a B.A. from Harvard College.

"MAPS PBC is an organization on the cusp of commercializing groundbreaking innovation. I'm grateful to join the Board at this inflection point and for the opportunity to work with the Board and leadership team to advance psychedelic treatments and improve the lives of millions of people suffering from the most intractable and burdensome mental health conditions, such as PTSD." Dan Grossman, Board Director, MAPS PBC.

MAPS and MAPS PBC expect to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD in 2023. MAPS intends to apply for Priority Review, which reduces the target review time for a drug from ten months to six. Recent reporting from the National Center for PTSD estimates about 12 million Americans are currently living with PTSD , a nearly 50% increase over previous estimates, underscoring the substantial existing need for novel treatment options. The appointment of these seasoned leaders brings important commercial, market access, and organizational development expertise to MAPS PBC's board and organization to support accelerating the potential for patient access of this breakthrough therapy.

ABOUT MAPS

Founded in 1986, MAPS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana. MAPS is sponsoring the most advanced psychedelic therapy research in the world: Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. Since MAPS was founded, philanthropic donors and grantors have given more than $130 million for psychedelic and marijuana research and education. MAPS has earned both the Guidestar Platinum Seal of Transparency and a 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator .

ABOUT MAPS PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION (MAPS PBC)

MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC) catalyzes healing and well-being through psychedelic drug development, therapist training programs, commercialization, and patient access of prescription psychedelics while prioritizing public benefit above profit. Founded in 2014, MAPS PBC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. MAPS PBC is the parent company of MAPS EU, formed to organize and administer clinical trials of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD in the United Kingdom and European Union.

MEDIA CONTACT

Betty Aldworth, Director of Communications, MAPS

maps.org/newsroom or [email protected]

831-429-6362 ext 303

SOURCE Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
McCain's second Farms of the Future site will focus on innovation in agriculture to help the business more effectively tackle the impacts of climate change

The project will include testing cutting-edge technology to improve soil health, biodiversity, and reduce water use and greenhouse gas emissions across the country

McCain CEO Max Koeune has warned the global food system is 'under threat' and says overhauling agriculture is central to cutting carbon emissions and ensuring supply chains are resilient and sustainable

TORONTO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- McCain Foods Limited has unveiled plans for a second Farms of the Future in South Africa, as part of its drive to cut carbon emissions and tackle the impacts of climate change.

McCain has identified two South African locations totalling 465 ha irrigation and 90 ha dryland on which McCain will grow 125 ha potatoes for use across the country, per year. The farm will focus on enhancing productivity, while prioritising soil health, water efficiency, the reduction of agro-chemical impacts and the introduction and preservation of biodiversity. This comes after last year's announcement of the first Farm of the Future location in Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada.

McCain plans to open three Farms of the Future in different growing regions around the world by 2025. It is all part of a global commitment to implement regenerative agriculture across 100 per cent of its potato acreage by 2030.

McCain CEO Max Koeune said the Farms of the Future project is vital in trying to make the global food system more sustainable: "This is a critical moment. The strain that global supply chains are under right now is shining a stark light on how exposed we are, with a food system that requires a radical transformation to address the challenges of our century."

"If we don't change the way we farm, feeding the world in 30 years will require an 87 per cent increase in carbon emissions. The implications of that are bleak  and we cannot allow it to happen. Farmers are on the front line here  they see the impacts every day, with extreme weather wreaking havoc on the growing season. Working collaboratively, we believe this transformation will ensure both McCain and our farmers will have a business for generations to come."

At Farm of the Future Africa, the potential to grow multiple crops per year, innovate with irrigation technology in a water-scarce region as well as the challenges arising from the presence of soil-borne pests and diseases make it the ideal location for transferring learning to other parts of the world, including China, India, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia.

All of the potatoes grown on Farm of the Future Africa will be made into French fries and other frozen potato products, servicing consumers across Africa.

Farm of the Future Canada in Florenceville, New Brunswick has already seen strong yields after just one year in operation, and fertilizer application at the site is already down by more than 16 per cent compared to typical McCain growers in the area. The reduction is mainly in nitrogen and phosphorous, a cut that helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 2 per cent compared to grower historical average.

Charlie Angelakos, Vice President, Global External Affairs and Sustainability at McCain Foods, said: "The potential of the Farms of the Future project is enormous. It allows us to test and learn in different climates and geographies and to discover how best to leverage rapidly developing technology and agricultural practices  all in close collaboration with farmers to ensure it is economically viable and scalable for them."

Read more about McCain's Farms of the Future and the company's commitment to sustainable agriculture at mccain.com.

For more information, please visit mccain.ca. Follow McCain on Twitter @mccainfoods and Instagram @mccaincanada and Like it on Facebook at /mccaincanada.

About McCain (Global, North America )

McCain Foods Limited is a family-owned business founded in 1957 in Florenceville, New Brunswick. Today, the company is the world's largest manufacturer of frozen potato products and a global leader in appetizers and snacks. Its products can be found in restaurants and retail stores in more than 160 countries around the world. The company has major production, retail and corporate operations across North America. Globally, McCain employs approximately 22,000 people, operates 49 production facilities on six continents, partners with 3,500 farmers and generates annual sales in excess of CDN $11 billion.

SOURCE McCain
Shuman's Dental Industry Experience and Leadership Roles Will Inform Decisions That Support Dentists and DSOs, Shareholders, and Membersy Employees

AUSTIN, Texas, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Membersy , the digital health company expanding access to quality dental care through subscription-based dentistry, today announces Michael Shuman's promotion to Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Shuman will assume the day-to-day leadership of the company as it continues expanding access to quality and affordable dental care for all patients through its subscription-based membership software and strategic partnerships with DSOs and dental practices nationwide.

Before being named CEO, Michael was Membersy's Chief Revenue Officer where he was responsible for the company's business development and sales operations, including the development of partnerships and revenue growth opportunities. His most recent efforts led the company to a $66 million investment from Spectrum Equity in 2021.

Shuman brings more than a decade of experience within the dental space to his role as CEO. At the same time, his six years of leadership at Membersy guided the company's sales and customer services operations that saw the company scale immensely, including partnerships with 4,500+ practices nationwide.

"It's an incredible honor for me to step into the position of CEO and to better serve our employees and the company we have built together thus far," said Shuman. "We have an incredible team here at Membersy and the hard work everyone puts in continues to inspire me, day in and day out."

Shuman's ascension corresponds with the company's efforts to rapidly expand its teams, products, and services in response to its fast-growing DSO partner base. Moving forward, Shuman's leadership will guide Membersy as it expands its product lineup, including healthcare subscription plans, while continuing to enhance its offerings in the dental space.

"As I look ahead at the software we've built and the services we offer at Membersy, to the new products we're developing and the visible impact we're having on the dental space, I could not be more excited for us as a company," Shuman notes. "The decisions we make will be based on what's best for our dentists and DSOs, our shareholders, and my colleagues, all backed by our mission to improve access to affordable dental care."

About Membersy

Membersy, a SaaS company and leading membership plan administrator, is making dental care more approachable through its subscription-based software and administrative solutions.

Since 2015, Membersy has been at the forefront of positive change in the way patients access quality and affordable dental care, while simultaneously creating a model for dental providers to control the pricing narrative and lessen their reliance on insurance carriers.

Now partnered with over 4,500 dental practices and over 10,000 dentists nationwide, Membersy continues to set the industry standard for custom in-house dental plans that prioritize an enhanced patient experience. For more information, including a complete list of Membersy's growing partner portfolio, please visit Membersy.com or follow us on LinkedIn @membersy.

For Press Inquiries:

Sara Lambley

JMG Public Relations

[email protected]

602-469-6373

SOURCE Membersy
HERNDON, Va., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Metron Aviation, a global leader in software solutions for Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Air Traffic Flow Management Systems (ATFM), will exhibit at the 2022 World ATM Congress, in Madrid, Spain.

Metron Aviation will showcase its Harmony System and Post-Operations Evaluation Tool for its primary audiences  airlines, airports, and air navigation service providers (ANSPs).

The Harmony system is a comprehensive, integrated Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) solution that enables aviation authorities to proactively monitor and manage system-wide operations at local, national, and regional levels. Harmony provides stakeholders a common view of current and future air traffic conditions as well as advanced automation for identifying and managing a dynamically changing environment.

Post-Operations Evaluation Tool (P.O.E.T.) is an advanced analytical tool used by the aviation community to view and analyze ATM operations and airspace system performance. P.O.E.T.'s intuitive, querybased interface enables stakeholders to address systematic problems by fusing data sources to create a complete picture of operations in the areas of flight, traffic flow, and performance. P.O.E.T., delivers to airlines, airports, and ANSPs the capability to identify inefficiencies through analysis that can be used to reduce fuel costs, enhance environmental performance, increase maintenance savings, and improve policies and procedures.

During the tradeshow event, Metron Aviation and NAVBLUE invite participants to visit Stand #1229 in the Recinto Ferial Ifema Madrid to learn more about their ATM and ATFM software solutions and options for onsite deployment or softwareasaservice cloud delivery model.

About Metron Aviation

Metron Aviation is the most trusted and proven innovator in the Air Traffic Management (ATM) industry. A subsidiary of Airbus, Metron Aviation has an honored past of developing ATM and ATFM solutions for the global aviation industry. By collaborating with all stakeholders in the Air Traffic Management arena  air navigation service providers, airlines, airports, civil aviation authorities, and other influencers  Metron Aviation understands what is at the heart of aviation issues and can tackle even the most complex air traffic management challenges.

For details, visit www.metronaviation.com | Contact: Toni Evans, Metron Aviation Marketing | [email protected]

SOURCE Metron Aviation
Need for a more reliable, accurate and cost-efficient testing platform

VANCOUVER, BC, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Microbiome Insights, Inc., a global leader for end-to-end microbiome sequencing and comprehensive bioinformatic analysis, announced today it was awarded an $881,000 contract from Health Canada to develop a testing platform to accurately identify and characterize micro-organisms found in microbial biotechnology products, and predict their interactions that could mask or enhance adverse effects to determine risks to human and environmental health. This contract follows an initial agreement completed in 2021 and is part of Innovative Solutions Canada, a competitive federal funding program for innovators and federal agencies to collaborate and further commercialize new technology.

"Leveraging our expertise in metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, we are excited to continue our collaboration with Health Canada to develop a testing platform that will benefit both regulators and the manufacturers of microbial mixture products," said Dr. Pedro Dimitriu, the Head of Research and Development at Microbiome Insights. "The translation of microbiome science into products is accelerating and with this, there is a real need for a more reliable, accurate and cost-efficient way to determine the quality and safety of these new products."

Products with microbial mixtures have the capacity to perform novel and complex tasks in a diverse array of biotechnology applications, many of which support the goals of sustainability. The testing required for regulatory approval of these products can be costly, often relying on animal testing to understand their toxicity. There are no suitable test methodologies and novel approaches to determine the adverse effects of microbial mixtures.

As part of the Innovative Solutions Canada program, Microbiome Insights is developing a more reliable, accurate, and cost-efficient way to determine the quality and safety of these new products.

About Microbiome Insights Inc.

Microbiome Insights, Inc. is a global leader providing end-to-end microbiome sequencing and comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, where samples from around the world are processed in its College of American Pathologists (CAP) accredited laboratory. Working with clients from pharma, biotech, nutrition, cosmetic and agriculture companies, and world-leading academic and government research institutions, Microbiome Insights has supported over 700 microbiome studies, from basic research to commercial R&D and clinical trials. The company's expert bioinformaticians and data scientists deliver industry-leading insights, including biomarker discovery, machine-learning-based modelling and customized bioinformatics analysis.

www.microbiomeinsights.com

Health Canada

Health Canada is the Federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health. It ensures that high-quality health services are accessible and works to reduce health risks. Health Canada is committed to improving the lives of all of Canada 's people and to making this country's population among the healthiest in the world as measured by longevity, lifestyle, and effective use of the public health care system.

www.canada.ca/en/health-canada.html

Innovative Solutions Canada

Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) is a competitive federal funding program for innovators and federal agencies to collaborate and further commercialize new technology. It is a key component of the Canadian government's Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year plan to make Canada a global innovation leader and prepare Canadians to succeed in tomorrow's economy.

www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/101.nsf/eng/home

SOURCE Microbiome Insights
Funding will support exploratory phase 2 proof-of-concept study in patients hospitalized for moderate to severe diabetic foot ulcer infection (DFI)

BOZEMAN, Mont. and VANCOUVER, BC, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Microbion Corporation of Bozeman, MT, today announced that it has received non-dilutive funding through its strategic partnership with CUBRC, Inc., a Buffalo-based, independent not-for-profit research company, of up to $2.1 million from the US Navy through the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC) partnership. The funding project is titled "Pravibismane Suspension as a Topical, Broad Spectrum Anti-Infective Wound Care Treatment and Prevention for Combat Injury-Related Infections". The funding received will be used to support the conduct of an exploratory phase 2 proof of concept trial in patients hospitalized for moderate to severe diabetic foot ulcer infection with enrollment expected to begin in Q2 2022.

"We are pleased to be supported by the US Navy and MTEC and are working closely with them to advance our topical pravibismane through phase 2 proof-of-concept studies," said Karim Lalji, CEO of Microbion Pharma Corp. "Our topical diabetic foot ulcer infection program is well aligned to the Navy's interest in innovative wound care technologies to treat and prevent biofilm-related infections, since biofilm contamination is a hallmark characteristic of chronic foot ulcer infections. Further exploration of pravibismane's safety and efficacy in overcoming biofilm-related DFI may potentially expand the clinical utility of topical pravibismane to treat combat wound infections in a variety of settings, including in the field and hospital."

Lester Martinez, MD, MPH, Major General (Retired), U.S. Army, President and Chairman of MTEC Board commented on the importance of Microbion's research. "Though diabetic foot ulcer infections aren't traditionally thought of as a combat related wound suffered in the field, diabetes is a serious disease that affects a significantly high percentage of our veterans and its complications such as DFI contributes to decline in health, quality of life and are responsible for the vast majority of non-combat amputations among veterans. Microbion's research into healing these wounds with the ultimate goal of preventing or delaying amputations can potentially improve the daily lives of these patients and return normal mobility," Dr. Martinez stated.

Pravibismane is the first in a new class of anti-infective drugs structurally unrelated to other clinically utilized antibiotics. With a novel mechanism of action, pravibismane shuts down bacterial ATP production thereby halting global bacterial cellular metabolism. In in vitro studies, pravibismane exhibits broad-spectrum, potent activity against DFI-relevant pathogens and their biofilms including MRSA and drug resistant P. aeruginosa.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1b trial treating patients with chronic moderate to severe diabetic foot ulcer infection, topical pravibismane treatment plus standard of care demonstrated a numeric 85% wound size reduction versus 30% placebo plus standard of care. Pravibismane also demonstrated a numeric reduction in ulcer-related amputation (2.6% in the pravibismane group vs 15.4% placebo).

DFIs are a major health concern in the Veterans Health Administration as DFUs are associated with a substantial mortality rate (five-year mortality rates are as high as 45% for neuropathic ulcers and 55% for ischemic ulcers1) and often require amputation to fully address the nidus of infection.2 Approximately 28.5 million adults in the US are diagnosed with diabetes, of whom 15  25% are at risk of developing a foot ulcer.3,4 More than half of diabetic foot ulcers become infected.5 DFIs remain the most frequent diabetic complication requiring hospitalization and are the most common precipitating event leading to lower extremity amputation.6 Furthermore, recent studies suggest that many DFIs are caused by bacteria in a biofilm mode.6 In 2018, there were ~8.25 million hospital discharges with diabetes reported, including 154,000 for a lower-extremity amputation.3 US Veterans Affairs estimates there were 20.3 million living Veterans in 2018.7 The overall prevalence of diabetes among US veterans is ~25%, which is higher than the US civilian population at ~9%.8

References:

Del Core MA, Ahn J, Lewis RB, et al. The evaluation and treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and diabetic foot infections. Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics. 2018;3:3. doi:10.1177/2473011418788864



Sundararajan PP, Porter BM, Grant KA, et al. Foot infections in the Veterans Health Administration. The Foot and Ankle Online Journal. 2015;8(3):1. doi:10.3827/faoj.2015.0803.0001



Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report website. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html, accessed June 6, 2022



Lavery LA, Davis KE, Berriman SJ, et al. WHS guidelines update: Diabetic foot ulcer treatment guidelines. Wound Repair Regen. 2016;24(1):11226. doi: 10.1111/wrr.12391



Armstrong , DG, Boulton, AJM, and Bus, SA. Diabetic foot ulcers and their recurrence. N Engl J Med. 2017;376:2367-75. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1615439



Lipsky et al. Guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of foot infection in persons with diabetes (IWGDF 2019 update). Diab Metab Res Rev. 2020. e3280. doi: 10.1002/dmrr.3280



VETPop2018: A Brief Description. Web: https://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/Demographics/New_Vetpop_Model/VP_18_A_Brief_Description.pdf, accessed June 6, 2022



Liu Y, Sayam S, Shao X, et al. Prevalence of and trends in diabetes among veterans, United States , 20052014. Prev Chronic Dis. 2017;14:170230. doi: 10.5888/pcd14.170230

About Microbion

Microbion is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing a new class of therapeutic compounds to improve the lives of patients with rare and serious diseases. Microbion's lead drug candidate, pravibismane, is the first product in this new class and has a novel mechanism of action offering unique potential to address the unmet needs of chronic and severe health conditions. The Company is advancing inhaled pravibismane in Phase 1 clinical development for the treatment of chronic lung diseases, including non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and cystic fibrosis-related lung infections. Topical/local pravibismane is in Phase 2 development for the treatment of chronic wounds and orthopedic infections. Pravibismane has received backing from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, NIH, US DoD, and CARB-X with over $21 million in grants. The FDA has granted pravibismane with Orphan Drug, Fast Track, and QIDP designations. Microbion Pharma Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Microbion Corporation. For more information visit: www.microbioncorp.com.

About CUBRC

CUBRC is an independent not-for-profit scientific corporation that executes Research, Development, Testing and Systems Integration programs in Medical Sciences, Chemical and Biological Defense, Data Science and Information Fusion, Command and Control, and Hypersonics. For more information visit: www.cubrc.org.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain of the statements made in this press release are forward-looking, such as those, among others, relating to the success of clinical development of pravibismane and preparation for potential commercialization. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those anticipated, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to: our ability to enroll patients in our clinical trials at the pace that we project; the size and growth of the potential markets for pravibismane or any future product candidates and our ability to serve those markets; our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of pravibismane or any future product candidates; and our expectations regarding the potential safety, efficacy or clinical utility of pravibismane or any future product candidates. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Microbion Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

US Government Funding Disclaimer

Efforts described herein were partially sponsored by the Government under Other Transactions Number W81XWH-15-9-0001. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Governmental purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation thereon. The views and conclusions contained herein are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Government.

SOURCE Microbion Corporation
VANCOUVER, BC, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today MiniTool just updated its video editing software  MiniTool MovieMaker  to version 5.0, along with brand new effects, several bug fixes, and an obvious performance boost.

9 Fascinating Effects Added

The newly released MiniTool MovieMaker 5.0 brings 9 fascinating effects this time. Within a few clicks, users can download and add the effects to the editing videos. This is not the whole story. According to MiniTool, the company will keep updating its online resources like transitions, effects, texts, motions, and animations in the next releases to better furnish user videos.

Preview and Download Online Resources

More breakthrough progress in MiniTool MovieMaker 5.0 is the realization of the online preview of resources. The old versions packaged all transitions, effects, and more resources for users to download and install. This brought larger installation packages and longer installation times.

Now things have changed. Users can preview the new online resources and download the ones they prefer, which just consumes a few clicks. We expect that users will be able to categorize or favorite specified resources shortly.

View Changelog Before Upgrade

Upgrading MiniTool MovieMaker to the latest version is not a required option, and staying in the current version will not affect the user's operation. What matters is that users wouldn't know what's changed in the new version. They upgraded as instructed, and they found it difficult to discover the shining point, for bug fixes are always very obscure.

In the newly released version, MiniTool MovieMaker 5.0 will tell users what has changed before users go to the next version like 5.0.1 or stay at version 5.0, very user-friendly.

More Bug Fixes

The new version has more bugs fixed. For instance, the upgrading window could disappear if users switch to other apps during the upgrading process. Users were unable to find the upgrading window when they try to get back until the upgrade process is complete. Also, black screen flashes always appear when users switch between animations and video/image clips on the timeline. In MiniTool MovieMaker 5.0, all these bugs have been successfully fixed.

Free Edition Limit

The free edition of MiniTool MovieMaker 5.0 exhibits some limitations in usage. For instance, users can edit and export the first 3 videos without a length limit. Then they will be prompted to unlock the length limit with a subscription plan (prices starting from $12.99/mo.).

But this is not compulsory. MiniTool MovieMaker Free is available to download and use. Without a license key, users can keep using this program to edit and export videos within 2 minutes. Visit the official website to have a try.

About MiniTool

Founded in 2009, MiniTool has a long-term commitment to disk management, system protection, and data recovery. Since 2018, MiniTool focused on multimedia programs like MiniTool MovieMaker and MiniTool Video Converter. By now MiniTool MovieMaker has gone through four years of development, and the current version is stable and user-trusted.

For more about MiniTool please visit:

https://www.minitool.com/

https://moviemaker.minitool.com/

SOURCE MiniTool Software Limited
"Under Brian's leadership, Motiva achieved best-ever production and reliability performance and successfully entered new markets," said Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani, Chairman of Motiva's Board of Directors. "I am confident that Jeff is the right leader for Motiva going forward. He has the knowledge, energy and integrity that will build upon the legacy of operational excellence that Brian has built over the last four years."

Rinker brings more than 30 years of downstream and midstream energy experience to Motiva, including leading international organizations. Prior to joining Motiva, Rinker served as CEO of Limetree Bay Energy and as Executive Vice President of Downstream and Midstream for Husky Energy.

"I've long admired Motiva for its best-in-class operations, exceptional company values and industry leadership," said Rinker. "I'm thrilled to join such a high-performing organization and look forward to building on the strong foundation that Brian developed while strengthening Motiva's position in the Aramco family of companies."

At Husky Energy, Rinker was responsible for refining, upgrading, trading, pipeline, and fuels marketing activities. He developed and implemented an optimization-led business model across six refineries and upgraders to deliver improved safety, reliability, and profitability. Rinker began his career at BP and later served in executive positions at OMV.

"What I admire most about Motiva is its dedication to being a good neighbor," said Rinker. "My commitment to upholding Motiva's license to operate in Port Arthur and the communities surrounding our terminal and pipeline operations will not waver."

Rinker earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, graduating with honors. He has also completed executive programs at Harvard Business School, Stanford University, and Case Western Reserve University.

Brian Coffman, who will exit the CEO post on June 30, expressed confidence in the appointment of Rinker. "Jeff's focus on developing strong teams, continuously improving, and delivering exceptional results will serve Motiva well in its aim to be the pacesetter within our industry."

About Motiva

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Motiva refines, distributes, and markets petroleum products throughout the Americas. The company's Port Arthur Manufacturing Complex in Port Arthur, TX, is comprised of North America's largest refinery with a crude capacity of 630,000 barrels a day, the country's largest base oil plant, and an adjacent chemical plant. Under exclusive, long-term brand licenses with Shell and Phillips 66 (for the 76 brand), Motiva's marketing operations support more than 5,000 retail gasoline stations. The company's 2,400 U.S. employees are dedicated to delivering excellence and having fun making a difference. Motiva is wholly owned by Aramco.

SOURCE Motiva Enterprises LLC
Mphasis bullish on aiding enterprises unlock the path of technology transformation; on track to creating 1000 technology jobs over two years in Alberta

CALGARY, AB, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mphasis, (BSE: 526299) (NSE: MPHASIS), an Information Technology (IT) solutions provider specializing in cloud and cognitive services, deepens commitment to Canada with the inauguration of a delivery centre in Downtown Calgary, Alberta; and is open to welcoming enterprises for technology transformation and employment for deserving talent. The Mphasis business ecosystem, is strongly positioned to reinforce the region's reputation as a leading hub for digital transformation, AI, quantum computing, and more, and contribute to Canada's growing digital sector by aiding enterprises unlock the path of technology transformation.

Canada is fast becoming one of the world's leaders in science, research, and technological innovation. According to Calgary Economic Development, Alberta's spending on digital transformation is set to surpass C$20 billion between 2021-2024, with Calgary companies accounting for C$7.5 billion. Digital transformation spending is set to grow by thirteen per cent on average across all industries in Alberta, with the energy and retail sectors the most rapid adopters.

Mphasis is aligned to the Alberta government's priorities and objectives of economic development by strengthening innovation, boosting exports, and increasing foreign investment in this province by offering next-generation digital technology services to both existing and new Fortune 500 clients.

"The establishment of Mphasis' new office in Calgary is yet another indicator of Alberta's rapidly diversifying economy. Our technology sector is one of the fastest growing in the world as more and more companies, entrepreneurs, and skilled workers discover Alberta's incredible potential. This new office will build on that momentum and propel Alberta forward in technological research and development. We look forward to seeing Mphasis contribute to an Alberta digital technology workforce that is second to none," said Honourable Jason Kenney, Premier of Alberta.

"Alberta's technology and innovation space is taking off and Mphasis is taking it even further with its presence in Calgary. We have the talent and the entrepreneurial spirit here in Alberta to bring forward ideas and businesses that will have global benefit. Alberta's economy is rapidly diversifying and creating thousands of tech jobs," said Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation.

"The past three years, Canadian businesses have made great strides in digitizing their operations, especially in the recent years. While one in three business are digitizing; there is great potential for all enterprises to leverage Mphasis' global expertise, approach to transformation, backed by next-generation solutions to build momentum and reenergize their growth trajectory. Mphasis' investment in Canada extends beyond growing our offices; we are thrilled to create an ecosystem for Canada's workforce to upskill in digital technologies and work with Fortune 500 companies globally. Looking forward to welcoming our first set of employees in Calgary and to building great partnerships with Enterprises and Institutions in the region," said Nitin Rakesh, Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Director, Mphasis.

"As Calgary's reputation for tech and innovation grows, more companies like Mphasis are recognizing the value our city offers including the ability for their employees to build a rewarding career and great life here. It also highlights the importance of continuing to invest in tech scale-up efforts, essential in attracting more growth to our city," said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek.

"Mphasis's new Calgary Delivery Centre exemplifies the diversity of Calgary's future-focused economy when a global IT solutions provider sees this city as the location of choice in North America to work with companies to accelerate digital transformation across all sectors of the economy," said Brad Parry, President and Chief Executive Officer, Calgary Economic Development.

"With the opening of its new facility in Calgary, Mphasis recognizes the abundance of talented and qualified people in our city. The partnership between Mphasis and the University of Calgary is fueled by our shared vision to grow Alberta's vital digital economy. Together, we are creating a world-class technology hub, and we will strive to leverage this incredible opportunity to accelerate emerging sectors  including AI, cloud services, and quantum computing  for the benefit of all Albertans," said Dr. Ed McCauley, President and Vice-chancellor, University of Calgary.

Mphasis brings scale and specialization to the Canadian market beyond the Calgary Delivery Centre by investing in clients and talent across the country. Last year, Mphasis formed strategic partnerships with the Government of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and the City of Calgary to accelerate talent development and development of a quantum computing ecosystem in Calgary, driving R&D and job creation in the technology sector. Mphasis is also developing additional unique Canadian partnerships in Alberta and across the country to capture emerging growth opportunities.

"Digitization is a major driver of Canada's economic growth, with Calgary emerging as a leading light in the country's innovation ecosystem," said Rohit Jayachandran, Senior Vice President, and Head Strategic Accounts, Mphasis.

"We are seeing heightened demand for next-generation technology transformation services, with huge scope for Mphasis to expand its footprint in Canada. The launch of our new centre marks an important milestone and will enable us to leverage the significant pool of top talent in the local market to further enhance our offering for our Canada-based clients," he added.

"Alberta's tech sector is growing by the minute with new, innovative, and exciting investments. As Alberta continues to be a leader in tech, organizations globally are noticing the talent pool and business-friendly environment the province has to offer. As we invest in growing our talent, Alberta will continue to position itself as a clear destination of choice for investors around the world," said Rick Christiaanse, CEO, Invest Alberta.

Mphasis has opened applications for a range of digital skillsets in the field of application development, including testing and DevOps professionals, scrum masters, and IT infrastructure support personnel across leading tech stacks, as well as project managers and other key project delivery management roles.

Source:* https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prCA48596021

About Mphasis

Mphasis' purpose is to be the "Driver in Driverless Car" for Global Enterprises by applying next-generation design, architecture, and engineering services, to deliver scalable and sustainable software and technology solutions. Customer centricity is foundational to Mphasis and is reflected in the Mphasis'Front2Back Transformation approach. Front2Back uses the exponential power of cloud and cognitive to provide hyper-personalized (C=X2C2=1) digital experience to clients and their end customers. Mphasis' Service Transformation approach helps 'shrink the core' through the application of digital technologies across legacy environments within an enterprise, enabling businesses to stay ahead in a changing world. Mphasis' core reference architectures and tools, speed, and innovation with domain expertise and specialization, combined with integrated sustainability and purpose-led approach across its operations and solutions are key to building strong relationships with marquee clients. Click here to know more. (BSE: 526299; NSE: MPHASIS)

SOURCE Mphasis
WASHINGTON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA is inviting media to see a technology that could one day help land humans on Mars after it is inflated for the final time on Earth before its spaceflight demonstration later this year. The event will take place beginning 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, June 15, at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

The Bernard Kutter Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) is scheduled to launch with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's JPSS-2 polar-orbiting satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Nov. 1. After hitching a ride to space aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, LOFTID will inflate and then descend back to Earth from low-Earth orbit to demonstrate how the inflatable heat shield can slow down a spacecraft to survive re-entry.

Engineers at Langley are completing work to ensure LOFTID is flight-ready before it is shipped to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for final acceptance testing, then to Vandenberg for launch.

NASA and ULA experts will provide a briefing on LOFTID and NASA's Moon to Mars technologies, followed by interview availability and the opportunity to see several additional laboratories developing technologies that will enable NASA's return to the Moon and future Mars exploration.

Participants include:

Jim Reuter , associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), NASA Headquarters

, associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), NASA Headquarters Trudy Kortes , director of technology demonstrations for STMD, NASA Headquarters

, director of technology demonstrations for STMD, NASA Headquarters Joe Del Corso , LOFTID project manager, NASA Langley

, LOFTID project manager, NASA Langley John Reed , ULA chief rocket scientist

Media wishing to participate in person must request accreditation by 5 p.m. EDT Monday, June 13, from Kristyn Damadeo at: 757-755-0366 or [email protected]. Virtual interview opportunities may also be arranged.

NASA is closely monitoring COVID-19 metrics and safety protocols are subject to change. Any updates will be provided as needed.

The LOFTID project is a part of the STMD Technology Demonstration Missions program. The project is managed by Langley with contributions from NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. NASA's Launch Services Program, based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch.

For more information on LOFTID, see:

https://www.nasa.gov/loftid

SOURCE NASA
NPHM's Artist as Instigator Residency provides support for mid-career and established artists, activists and cultural workers to incubate ideas and produce new work in collaboration with the museum. The selected artist receives a $10,000 honorarium and a $10,000 budget for project expenses. NPHM also provides accessible outdoor exhibition space, programming and administrative support, partner opportunities and national publicity. Additionally, NPHM offers the exterior walls of its future site, 1306 W Taylor St., as an accessible outdoor exhibition space.

"At NPHM, we strive to make public policy more truly public. By documenting and contextualizing stories of public housing and highlighting the diversity of the people who lived there, we aim to ultimately impact policy to ensure that all people have a place to call home," NPMH Executive Director Lisa Yun Lee, Ph.D., said. "There's no better way of doing that than by using compelling art to highlight issues many people may not otherwise encounter, broadening their knowledge and hopefully changing their outlooks.

"By using art and culture to rally people around significant issues, we hope to help them unleash their radical imaginations in pursuit of social justice not only in housing but also other aspects of society that relate to equity and justice. Often, art imitates life. But sometimes, life imitates art. Our past Artist as Instigators have done both in their work, and we've found this residency has been a pathway to positive change."

Translating Pressing Social Issues into Urgent, Effective Art

The NPHM has selected and supported experienced artists who connect arts, culture and public policy with three previous Artists as Instigators. They include Tonika Lewis Johnson (2021), Jen Delos Reyes (2020) and William Estrada (2019), all of whom have created compelling artworks that raise awareness about pressing social issues and have the potential to impact public policyand in some cases, already have.

Estrada, NPHM's first Artist as Instigator, created imagery and posters used by housing advocacy groups when they pushed to pass the Just Housing Amendment to the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance. The amendment prohibits landlords from discriminating against individuals with a history of criminal convictions. Bolstered by Estrada's art, the campaign was successful, and the Cook County Board of Commissioners passed the Just Housing Amendment in April 2019.

The museum's second Artist as Instigator, Jen Delos Reyes, used her artwork to spur civic participation in the 2020 presidential election. Her project involved creating 40-foot-tall banners with stirring snippets from poemssuch as, "We are the ones we have been waiting for," by June Jordanand installing those banners on the exteriors of NPHM's future site. Reyes then mailed more than 2,000 people a poster with the poem snippets and a letter imploring them to vote.

Lewis Johnson, the current NPMH Artist as Instigator, has received extensive local and national media attention with her interactive exhibition, "Inequity for Sale." The project tells the oft-ignored story of land sale contracts, a predatory Chicago real estate practice in the 1950s and '60s that imposed excessive monthly payments on Black homebuyers who were barred from obtaining traditional mortgages because of racist policies. Land sale contracts prevented Black buyers from building equity, and many buyers ultimately lost their properties. Ultimately, due to Land Sale Contracts, an estimated $3.2 billion to $4.0 billion was expropriated from Chicago's Black community during the period between 1950 and 1970, according to a 2018 Duke University study.

"So many residency programs invite artists to make new work, but very few encourage artists to strive for social impact and furnish them with the resources to do so," Tiff Beatty, NPHM's program director of arts, culture and public policy, said. "NPHM's Artist as Instigator Residency supports artists as they explore and expand their artistic practice, while also supplying them with the assets and community relationships that the museum can provide. That's what makes this program so unique.

"Often, at the outset, our Artist as Instigator isn't entirely sure how their project will take shape; we work as a team to help them refine and realize their vision. It's a true partnership. Deep collaboration and support are part of the DNA of this residency," Beatty added.

Amplifying Artists' Work to Generate More Opportunities

NPHM harnesses its resources to highlight Artists as Instigators' work frequently and meaningfully. "We help artists leverage the residency to win additional support," Lee said. In doing so, NPMH also expands the reach and impact of these inspirational projects. For example, Lewis Johnson, NPHM's most recent Artist as Instigator, received a $100,000 grant from Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events to expand her powerful " Inequity For Sale " exhibition.

"If you are interested in expanding your work to impact public policy issues, then the museum is here to help you link your arts and cultural practice with public policy transformation," Beatty said. Artists are encouraged to apply via written or video submission for this year's NPHM Artist as Instigator Residency program by midnight June 20, 2022, even if they don't yet have a specific idea for a project to pursue during the residency. The residency will run from July of this year to June 2023.

About the National Public Housing Museum: The NPHM is the first cultural institution in the United States dedicated to interpreting the American experience in public housing. Its mission is to preserve, promote and propel the right of all people to a place where they can live and prospera place to call home. Using art, oral histories and material culture, the Museum will archive and share public housing stories of hope and personal achievement, as well as stories of struggle, resistance and resilience. These stories create opportunities for visitors to understand and engage in innovative public policy reform to reimagine the future of our communities, our society and the places we call home. Its physical structure is currently in development and will be an adaptive reuse of the last remaining building of the former Jane Addams Homes on Chicago's Near West Side. When completed, visitors will interface with compelling, historically significant exhibits and engage with the provocative ideas of internationally renowned contemporary artists.

Media Contact:

Beshanda Owusu

[email protected]

773-398-9194

SOURCE National Public Housing Museum
PALM BEACH, Fla., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FinancialNewsMedia.com News Commentary - Canada is an important player in the world's production of uranium. Uranium mining in Canada for the domestic industry is also extremely important in the coming years as green solutions will be growing. Canada is the world's second largest producer of uranium, with approximately 13% of global production. Canada has the world's largest deposits of high-grade uranium with grades of up to 20% uranium, which is 100 times greater than the world average. The nuclear power industry in Canada is regulated by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). The CNSC regulates uranium mines and mills, as well as all the stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. Nuclear power supplies 15 percent of Canada's energy needs. Refining and fuel fabrication takes place in Saskatchewan and Ontario. The country's nuclear power industry is comprised of 18 CANDU reactors in Ontario and one in New Brunswick. These reactors consume about 25 percent of Canada's domestic uranium production. The other three-quarters of Canada's uranium is sent to global nuclear power markets. Uranium mining in Canada accounts for 13 percent of global output, making the Great White North the second largest producer of uranium in the world, behind only Kazakhstan. Active mining companies in the markets this week include Traction Uranium Corp. (OTCQB: TRCTF) (CSE: TRAC), Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (NYSE: PLG) (TSX: PTM), NexGen Energy Ltd. (NYSE: NXE) (TSX: NXE), Valaris Limited (NYSE: VAL), Baselode Energy Corp. (OTCQB: BSENF) (TSX-V: FIND).

Canada hosts 9 percent of the world's uranium resources, and is home to the biggest deposits of high-grade uranium. Their grades of up to 20 percent uranium are 100 times greater than the global average. Canada's uranium deposits are found mainly in the provinces of Saskatchewan, Labrador and Quebec, as well as the territory of Nunavut. Of these, Saskatchewan leads the country in uranium exploration and production. The majority of Saskatchewan's mining activity occurs in the uranium-dense Athabasca Basin, a mining-friendly region in the north of the province that's renowned for its high-quality uranium deposits. The area's long uranium-mining history has made Canada an international leader in the uranium sector.

Traction Uranium Corp. (OTCQB: TRCTF) (CSE: TRAC) BREAKING NEWS: Traction Uranium welcomes Dr. Yuanming Pan Esteemed Professor and Research Scientist at the University of Saskatchewan to their Technical Advisory Committee - Traction Uranium Corp. (the "Company" or "Traction"), a mineral exploration issuer focusing on the development of discovery prospects in Canada, including its two flagship uranium projects in the world-renowned Athabasca Region, is pleased to announce effective June 1st, 2022 esteemed University of Saskatchewan ("UofS") Professor and research scientist Dr. Yuanming Pan to their Technical Advisory Committee.

Dr. Yuanming Pan obtained his PhD degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1990 and has served on the faculty at the University of Saskatchewan since 1993. Pan's research spans from mineralogy to economic geology, environmental mineralogy, and geochemistry, with extensive experience in diverse mineral commodities from gold to graphite, lithium, rare earth elements, and uranium. Pan's research group developed the technique of using alpha-particles-induced defects in quartz for the exploration of uranium deposits.

Lester Esteban, Chief Executive Officer, stated "For almost 30 years, many geologists in the field today that graduated from the UofS have had to pass through Dr. Pan. I've been following Dr. Pan's research work for quite some time. His method started from research on the Key Lake and McArthur river mines and has been applied to the Maw Zone, the Phoenix Deposit and the Arrow Deposit. The novel uranium exploration technique he pioneered looking at radiation-induced defects in quartz as a new vector for uranium exploration will undoubtedly bolster our efforts in ground delivering on our properties. I'm excited to have Dr. Pan on our Technical Advisory Committee and having his research team collaborating with our exploration team in bringing us closer to making that next great uranium discovery." CONTINUED Read this full press release and more news for Traction Uranium at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-trac/

Other recent developments in the mining industry of note include:

Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (NYSE American: PLG) (TSX: PTM) recently reported that the Company and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation ("JOGMEC") have signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") acknowledging a consensus to accelerate financing opportunities for the Waterberg Project. Hanwa Co., Ltd. ("Hanwa") was a witness to the MOU.

During a meeting held on the sidelines of the African Mining Indaba in Cape Town on May 10, 2022, representatives of JOGMEC and Platinum Group discussed finance and development plans for the Waterberg Project. Following the meeting, both parties signed the MOU acknowledging their discussion. Furthermore, JOGMEC expressed its intention to maintain JOGMEC's interests in the Waterberg Project and to support funding contributions for project development to the extent possible.

NexGen Energy Ltd. (NYSE: NXE) (TSX: NXE) recently announced the signing of an Impact Benefit Agreement ("IBA") with the Clearwater River Dene Nation ("CRDN"), covering all phases of the Rook I Project ("Rook I" or the "Project"), which hosts the 100% owned Arrow uranium deposit.

NexGen signs a historic IBA with CRDN. The Rook I Project is located within the traditional territory of the CRDN. The IBA defines the environmental, cultural, economic, employment and other benefits to be provided to the CRDN by NexGen in respect of the Project, and to confirm the consent and support of CRDN for the Project throughout its complete lifecycle, including reclamation. The Agreement was negotiated and developed out of the Study Agreement that was signed in 2019 between NexGen and the CRDN. The Study Agreement formalized engagement with the CRDN to identify potential impacts to Aboriginal and treaty rights and socio-economic interests, and identify potential avoidance and accommodation measures in relation to the Project whilst acknowledging the duty to consult remains with the Crown. Further, the Study Agreements provided CRDN support to negotiate the IBA. Note, the IBA does not abrogate, extinguish, or constitute the abandonment of any existing Aboriginal, inherent, or treaty rights of the CRDN recognized and affirmed pursuant to Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. Importantly, the Agreement is entered into in recognition of the Aboriginal and Treaty Rights of the CRDN.

Valaris Limited (NYSE: VAL) recently announced that Christophe Raimbault, Vice President and interim Head of Marketing will take on a new role as Vice President - Sustainability and New Energy. Christophe will continue to serve as Vice President and interim Head of Marketing until Matt Lyne joins Valaris as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, which is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2022.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Anton Dibowitz said, "The creation of this new position highlights the Company's continued strategic focus on sustainable business practices that support our purpose of providing responsible solutions that deliver energy to the world. Christophe's appointment will drive further momentum behind our commitment to reduce emissions from our operations and partner with our customers to support their ESG efforts, as well as identify and progress opportunities within the new energy arena."

Baselode Energy Corp. (OTCQB: BSENF) (TSX-V: FIND) recently provided an update on the ongoing 20,000 metre diamond drilling program (the "Program") on the ACKIO high-grade uranium discovery ("ACKIO"), Hook project ("Hook"), Athabasca Basin area (the "Basin"), northern Saskatchewan.

"We continue to hit mineralization at the overburden contact; within 25 m from surface. The mineralization from AK22-051 is the shallowest being drilled in the Basin. This rarity of near-surface mineralization with high levels of radioactivity sets Baselode apart from our peers as there's no other recent discovery this close to surface. Near-surface mineralization has been a key characteristic required for numerous Basin deposits going into production as open pit mines. Holes AK22-051 and AK22-047 are substantially the two best drill holes on ACKIO to date in terms of continuously elevated radioactivity. They also have the highest average levels of radioactivity, and each includes multiple discrete intersections with greater than 10,000 cps. We're excited to see ACKIO grow with near-surface mineralization, including consistently higher levels of radioactivity. AK22-051 remains open in all directions and AK22-047 remains open to the east," said James Sykes, CEO, President and Director of Baselode.

DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM expects to be compensated forty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Traction Uranium Corp. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

Contact Information:

Media Contact email: [email protected] - +1(561)325-8757

SOURCE FinancialNewsMedia.com
PROVO, Utah, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: NUS) today announced President and CEO Ryan Napierski and Chief Financial Officer Mark Lawrence will present at the Stifel Cross Sector Insight Conference on Thursday, June 9, 2022. They will participate in a fireside chat to discuss the company's Nu Vision 2025 strategy as well as opportunities and trends in the beauty and wellness space.

The company's presentation will be webcast live beginning at 3:35 p.m. ET. Those wishing to access the event can visit the Nu Skin Investor Relations page at ir.nuskin.com. The archive of the webcast will be available at this same location through Tuesday, June 23, 2022.

About Nu Skin

Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: NUS) is a global integrated beauty and wellness company, powered by a dynamic affiliate opportunity platform. The company helps people look, feel and live their best with products that combine the best of science, technology and nature. Backed by more than 35 years of scientific research, Nu Skin develops innovative products including Nu Skin personal care, Pharmanex nutrition and the ageLOC anti-aging brand which includes an award-winning line of beauty device systems. Nu Skin operates in approximately 50 markets worldwide in the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Pacific. Rhyz Inc. is the company's strategic investment arm that includes a collection of technology and manufacturing companies to support growth in the core Nu Skin business. Nu Skin is committed to sustainability, including global initiatives such as transitioning to reduced and sustainable packaging for all products by 2030. The Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation also strives to improve children's health, education and economic circumstances throughout the world. For more information, visit nuskin.com.

SOURCE Nu Skin Enterprises
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nuveen Global Cities REIT, Inc. ("GCREIT") announced that its 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Annual Meeting"), held on June 1, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, was convened and adjourned without any business being conducted, due to lack of the required quorum.

The Annual Meeting will reconvene virtually on July 28, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time to provide its stockholders additional time to vote on the proposals described in the proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022. No changes have been made in the proposals to be voted on by stockholders at the Annual Meeting. Stockholders will be able to attend the reconvened Annual Meeting via a live audio webcast by visiting meetnow.global/M5QGKDR and logging on to the webcast with their control number (the 14-digit control number found in the shaded box of their proxy card).

The record date for determining stockholder eligibility to vote at the Annual Meeting will remain the close of business on April 2, 2022. Proxies previously submitted will be voted at the Annual Meeting unless properly revoked, and stockholders who have already submitted a proxy or otherwise voted need not take any action.

GCREIT's Board of Directors unanimously recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" all proposals.

About Nuveen

Nuveen, the investment manager of TIAA, offers a comprehensive range of outcome-focused investment solutions designed to secure the long-term financial goals of institutional and individual investors. Nuveen has $1.2 trillion in assets under management as of 31 Mar 2022 and operations in 27 countries. Its investment specialists offer deep expertise across a comprehensive range of traditional and alternative investments through a wide array of vehicles and customized strategies. For more information, please visit www.nuveen.com.

Additional information and where to find it. In connection with the Company's 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the Company has filed relevant materials with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including the Company's definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the "Proxy Statement"). This letter is not a substitute for the Proxy Statement or any other document that the Company may file with the SEC or send to its stockholders in connection with its Annual Meeting of Stockholders. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, INCLUDING THE PROXY STATEMENT, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS. Stockholders will be able to obtain the documents free of charge at the SEC's website, http://www.sec.gov.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology or the negatives thereof. These may include GCREIT's financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements about plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, and statements regarding future performance. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and there are or may be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements. GCREIT believes these factors include, but are not limited to, those described under the section entitled "Risk Factors" in its annual report for the most recent fiscal year, and any updated risk factors included in its periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Except as otherwise required by federal securities laws, GCREIT undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

This press release is not an offer to sell any securities.

Nuveen Real Estate is a real estate investment management holding company owned by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA).

Contact:

Rebecca Vignali

Nuveen Media Relations

703.505.7954

[email protected]

VPS-2231593PR-O0622X

SOURCE Nuveen
DUBLIN, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Cosmetic Surgery and Procedure Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Procedure Type, By Non-invasive Type, By Invasive Type, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2021-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Cosmetic Surgery And Procedure Market size is expected to reach $107.2 billion by 2027, rising at a market growth of 9.8% CAGR during the forecast period.



Cosmetic surgery is a specialized area of medicine that focuses on enhancing one's look through surgical and medicinal methods. All sections of the head, neck, and body can benefit from cosmetic surgery. In addition, cosmetic surgery is opted by the people who want to increase the aesthetic appeal of a functional body part.



The invention of new cosmetic devices through manufactures has resulted in an increase in demand for cosmetic therapies in recent years. The overview of technologically enhanced product lines, such as non-invasive body contouring systems that use fat freezing technology, for example, is expected to generate lucrative growth opportunities.



Botulinum toxin is a naturally present deadly toxic substance with various applications. This toxin is most commonly used for the treatment of painful muscle spasms as well as for cosmetic reasons. Botulinum toxin is also known as Botox and Dysport. The small use of this toxic chemical aids in muscular coordination and this substance is very useful in cosmetic treatments.



Botox injections are known for their capabilities to degrade the appearance of facial creases. These injections are also used to treat excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis), neck spasms (cervical dystonia), an overactive bladder, and lazy eyes. Botox injections may also be useful in the prevention of chronic migraines. Additionally, Botox injections temporarily paralyze muscles by injecting a toxic substance onobotulinumtoxinA. This toxin is made by the microbiota that causes botulism, which is a form of food poisoning. Botulinum toxin was first used in a drug called Botox. AbbotulinumtoxinA (Dysport), rimabotulinumtoxinB (Myobloc), and incobotulinumtoxinA are now among the other products available (Xeomin). These injections are not interchangeable because they slightly different, especially in terms of dosage units.



Along with that, Botox injections block the effects of particular chemical transmission from nerves, most of which end up causing muscles to contract. The most common usage of these injections is to partially rest the facial muscles which end up causing fine lines in the forehead and across the eyes. These injections are used to cure issues that impact the body systems.



Plastic surgery is performed using a variety of instruments such as curettes, Awls, gouges, chisels, and mallets. Depending on their function, these instruments are classified as cutting tools, clutching or carrying instruments, and plungers.



COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the demand for aesthetic medicine. Originally, social distancing and a sharp drop in consumer income harmed the overall aesthetic procedure industry. The market had experienced a period of short-term negative growth as a result of factors such as temporary closures of beauty centers, limited operations, decreased product demand, and disruptions in the production and business chain.

Remote working has enhanced the average time spent on Zoom calls. People are paying too much attention to about their physical appearance. It has created a market for cosmetic procedures, with Botox being one of the most popular. Non-invasive procedures have grown in popularity in recent months, while invasive procedures have declined.



Market driving Factors:

Increasing Technological enhancements and rise in demand for Minimally Invasive Procedures

The Cosmetic Surgery and Services Market is growing in conjunction with technological advancement. This is due to higher knowledge of advanced cosmetic surgery techniques and increased affordability of beauty treatments. Technologies such as Halo laser, combines ablative and non-ablative wavelengths to profit the skin on different levels.

Among the radio wave, micro needling devices are the secret, Infini, vivace, and enzymes. With the advancements in technologies and treatments, the demand for more efficient aesthetic procedures is also increasing across the world. The Cosmetic Surgery and Services Industry is increasing due to the rising preference for minimally invasive procedures.



Massive attention in modeling and a professional life in aviation

Several sectors, such as modeling work and aerospace, are integrally linked to human beauty from the outside. Individual people pursuing a job in these industries must encounter certain standards of beauty. Applicants applying for the job of flight attendant must fulfill the airline's height, skin color, and body shape demands.

When candidates have tattoos and piercings or scar tissue on their bodies, their applications are more often rejected. Participants who wish to pursue these career opportunities make every attempt to satisfy the criteria. Many people is expected to prefer to have cosmetic procedures, but the recovery time and the chances of obtaining scars from stitches during surgeries often inhibit them from using it.



Marketing Restraining Factor:

Strict Regulations and Inadequate Reimbursement

Restrictive laws and inappropriate reimbursement rates are two key factors expected to nullify the expansion of the Cosmetic Surgery and Services Market. Several patients do not seek a recommendation from their general practitioner because they are extremely fearful of an unkind response or believe that plastic procedures are not essentially medical. Self-referral to the treatment center is a more suitable option.

Cosmetic clinics have highly variable standards, but in response to an advertisement, the clinics frequently send representatives to the patient's home. These legislators are not medically qualified, but they suggest operations and book surgery dates, frequently offering a discount if the physician signs right away.

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Market Scope & Methodology



Chapter 2. Market Overview

2.1 Introduction

2.1.1 Overview

2.1.1.1 Market Composition and Scenario

2.2 Key Factors Impacting the Market

2.2.1 Market Drivers

2.2.2 Market Restraints



Chapter 3. Competition Analysis - Global

3.1 Publisher Cardinal Matrix

3.2 Recent Industry Wide Strategic Developments

3.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations and Agreements

3.2.2 Product Launches and Product Expansions

3.2.3 Acquisition and Mergers

3.2.4 Approvals and Trials

3.2.5 Geographical Expansions

3.3 Top Winning Strategies

3.3.1 Key Leading Strategies: Percentage Distribution (2017-2021)



Chapter 4. Global Cosmetic Surgery And Procedure Market by Procedure Type

4.1 Global Non-invasive Market by Region

4.2 Global Cosmetic Surgery And Procedure Market by Non-invasive Type

4.2.1 Global Botox Injections Market by Region

4.2.2 Global Laser Hair Removal Market by Region

4.2.3 Global Soft Tissue Fillers Market by Region

4.2.4 Global Chemical Peel Market by Region

4.2.5 Global Microdermabrasion Market by Region

4.2.6 Global Others Market by Region

4.3 Global Invasive Market by Region

4.4 Global Cosmetic Surgery And Procedure Market by Invasive Type

4.4.1 Global Breast Augmentation Market by Region

4.4.2 Global Liposuction Market by Region

4.4.3 Global Nose Reshaping Market by Region

4.4.4 Global Tummy Tuck Market by Region

4.4.5 Global Eyelid Surgery Market by Region

4.4.6 Global Others Market by Region



Chapter 5. Global Cosmetic Surgery And Procedure Market by Region



Chapter 6. Company Profiles

6.1 Evolus, Inc. (Alphaeon Corporation)

6.1.1 Company Overview

6.1.2 Financial Analysis

6.1.3 Research & Development Expenses

6.2 Revance Therapeutics, Inc.

6.2.1 Company Overview

6.2.2 Financial Analysis

6.2.3 Segmental Analysis

6.2.4 Research & Development Expenses

6.3 Cynosure, LLC

6.3.1 Company Overview

6.3.2 Recent strategies and developments:

6.3.2.1 Acquisition and Mergers:

6.3.2.2 Geographical Expansions:

6.4 Alma Lasers Ltd. (Sisram Medical Ltd.)

6.4.1 Company Overview

6.4.2 Financial Analysis

6.4.3 Regional Analysis

6.4.4 Research & Development Expense

6.4.5 Recent strategies and developments:

6.4.5.1 Product Launches and Product Expansions:

6.4.5.2 Approvals and Trials:

6.5 Candela Medical Corporation (Syneron Medical Ltd.)

6.5.1 Company Overview

6.5.2 Recent strategies and developments:

6.5.2.1 Acquisition and Mergers:

6.6 Bausch Health Companies, Inc.

6.6.1 Company Overview

6.6.2 Financial Analysis

6.6.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

6.6.4 Research & Development Expense

6.7 Lumenis Ltd.

6.7.1 Company Overview

6.7.2 Recent strategies and developments:

6.7.2.1 Product Launches and Product Expansions:

6.8 Galderma S.A.

6.8.1 Company Overview

6.8.2 Recent strategies and developments:

6.8.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements:

6.8.2.2 Product Launches and Product Expansions:

6.8.2.3 Acquisition and Mergers:

6.9 AbbVie, Inc. (Allergan PLC)

6.9.1 Company Overview

6.9.2 Financial Analysis

6.9.3 Regional Analysis

6.9.4 Research & Development Expense

6.9.5 Recent strategies and developments:

6.9.5.1 Approvals and Trials:

6.9.5.2 Acquisition and Mergers:

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/66b1p5



Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Legacy database infrastructures are unable to handle unpredictable traffic surges and make extracting insights from the disparate sprawl of data silos considerably more difficult. In today's rapidly changing data works, organizations are in need of a next-generation database. TiDB Cloud addresses numerous pain points brought on by legacy implementations by allowing developers and database administrators (DBAs), with little or no training, to handle complex tasks, such as infrastructure management and cluster deployment.

"With more organizations leveraging cloud and hybrid cloud strategies, many continue to face the challenge of extracting data to deliver timely, actionable insights," said Dai Vu, Managing Director, Marketplace & ISV Programs, Google Cloud. "We are pleased to partner with PingCAP and provide customers with solutions that address their need to connect, manage, and scale their data lifecycle."

With TiDB Cloud now available on Google Cloud Marketplace, developers and DBAs can rapidly analyze large amounts of data across multiple datasets. Enterprises of all sizes can easily deploy and manage TiDB Cloud and other cloud services on demand in a unified manner through Google Cloud Marketplace while eliminating friction to their business growth all without prepayment or contract.

Users are also provided best-in-class security to protect their data with Google Cloud's hyper-secure facilities and private network. TiDB Cloud integrates with additional Google Cloud services, including BigQuery, Dataflow, Dataproc, and Looker, facilitating integration and implementation.

"Developers and DBAs heavily rely on TiDB Cloud to alleviate the burden of dealing with large data volumes and help them deliver well-informed responses at the speed of business growth," said Ed Huang, CTO and Cofounder of PingCAP. "This collaboration with Google Cloud will not only increase TiDB Cloud's visibility and awareness to reach more developers across the globe, but it will also help customers fully realize their growth potential with unified insight, enhanced OLTP scalability, and real-time analytics."

The default pricing model for TiDB Cloud is on-demand, as users can make payments for their usage on a monthly basis without any upfront commitment required. Google Cloud users will pay directly through their Google Cloud account to consolidate bills all in one place but will also be able to view their billings and usage in the TiDB Cloud portal.

To learn more about TiDB Cloud and get started now, visit the TiDB Cloud Google Cloud Marketplace listing .

About PingCAP

Founded in 2015, PingCAP is an enterprise-grade software service provider committed to delivering an open-source, cloud-native, one-stop database solution for growth-oriented clients to focus on their business priorities. PingCAP's flagship project, TiDB, is an open-source, distributed Hybrid Transactional and Analytical Processing (HTAP) database that features horizontal scalability, strong consistency, and high availability with MySQL compatibility.

For more information, visit www.pingcap.com .

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE PingCAP
TAMPA, Fla., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pinnacle Fertility (Pinnacle), the fastest-growing network of physician-centered fertility practices representing more than seven clinics and 20 locations nationwide, has partnered with Igenomix as their exclusive preimplantation genetics testing (PGT) laboratory and provider for genetic counseling services. Continuing Pinnacle's commitment to collaborative medical leadership and patient-first care, this strategic partnership was the result of the Medical Council's collective determination and offers patients an increased opportunity to find success in their family-building journey.

"Our Medical Director Council extensively studied the science behind major genetic labs to determine which would provide us with the best possible data to make key decisions. Bringing Igenomix on as our exclusive genetics provider for Pinnacle Fertility clinics continues to ensure that we meet our single guiding principle which is to provide the best patient outcomes possible," shares Dr. Richard Marrs, Chief Medical Director for Pinnacle Fertility.

With more than 15 years of experience, Igenomix is the global leader in reproductive genetics and focuses on quality, safety, and science to help healthcare professionals and patients detect genetic abnormalities before treatment, avoid implantation failure, and ensure patients achieve a healthy pregnancy.

"Pinnacle Fertility continues to set the standard in fertility care by bringing leading technology, integration and innovation to its suite of family building services. Partnerships with companies like Igenomix, who are committed though-leaders like we are, benefit our patients and those seeking to grow their families with the help world-class reproductive genetic testing and counseling services," says Andrew Mintz, CEO at Pinnacle Fertility.

PGT is an elective treatment option that can be used to identify embryos at risk of having a specific genetic or chromosomal condition and is available for patients at all fertility clinics within the Pinnacle network. Igenomix offers the most comprehensive portfolio of infertility treatments for genetics and was the first organization to launch non-invasive PGT-A services. Patients who choose to use PGT as part of their treatment plan receive complementary pre- and post-test genetic counseling to help guide and educate them on their options and results.

"Bringing Igenomix onboard is an exciting opportunity for our patients to seamlessly have access to genetic testing and counseling services, such as PGT at our fertility clinics," shares Dr. Dr. Priya Maseelall from Reproductive Gynecology and Infertility "The genetic counselors are perfectly integrated into our programs and champion our patients' success like we do."

Patients electing to use PGT, undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) to create embryos, and then cells are removed from each embryo for genetic testing. Embryos with normal results are selected to be transferred into the uterus in hopes of achieving a pregnancy and delivering a child without a genetic condition. By utilizing PGT, genetic diseases can be prevented. In addition, studies have shown that PGT can not only improve success rates but also provide optimism and peace of mind during pregnancy and after birth.

About Pinnacle Fertility

Pinnacle Fertility is the nation's fastest-growing physician-centric fertility care platform, supporting high-performing fertility clinics and comprehensive fertility service providers nationwide. Under a united mission of fulfilling dreams by building families, Pinnacle clinics offer innovative technology and processes, compassionate patient care, and comprehensive fertility treatment services, ensuring families receive a high-touch experience on their path to parenthood.

For more information about Pinnacle Fertility, visit pinnaclefertility.com

About Igenomix

Igenomix is a global leader in reproductive genetic testing with laboratories in 23 countries and assisting hundreds of thousands of patients per year worldwide. As part of Vitrolife Group, the company is recognized for its R&D expertise and quality of service. In the US, Igenomix has proven to be the best-in-class when comes to credibility, consistency on their results, automatization of their laboratories and the most important, patient care.

Learn more about Igenomix at Igenomix.com

Contact:

Walt Conrad

[email protected]

SOURCE Pinnacle Fertility
New executive leadership leverages exceptional expertise, with Hap Hewes bringing more than 20 years of experience in specialty materials and Sean Doherty bringing more than 25 years of finance and accounting experience.

OAKVILLE, ON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Polar Sapphire, a manufacturer of high-purity aluminum oxide ("HPA"), announced that Hap Hewes has been appointed Chief Executive Officer and Sean Doherty has been appointed Chief Financial Officer. Ara Partners, a private equity firm focused on industrial decarbonization, is the majority owner of Polar Sapphire.

Mr. Hewes brings significant leadership and industry expertise to Polar Sapphire, with over 20 years of experience in the specialty materials industry, having held senior roles with companies including Saint-Gobain, Rubicon Technology, and Saphikon. Most recently, Mr. Hewes was President and CEO at Pallidus, a private equity-backed specialty materials company utilizing disruptive and proprietary technology to grow ultra-high quality silicon carbide crystals. He has significant HPA market experience, specifically in downstream uses of HPA to grow sapphire for use in LED, aerospace and defense, medical, and optical end markets. Mr. Hewes received a BS from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

"I am thrilled to join Polar Sapphire and lead the company as we commission additional HPA production capacity and capitalize on the significant growth opportunities in the growing HPA market," said Hap Hewes, CEO of Polar Sapphire. "The company has a strong foundation and differentiated production process that will allow us to deliver high specification HPA consistently to our customers enabling them to achieve greater value. I look forward to working with the company's founders, Scott Nichol and Dan Smith, the Board, and Ara Partners to realize Polar Sapphire's long term strategic vision."

Mr. Doherty brings over 25 years of financial leadership experience to Polar Sapphire having held various senior finance and accounting roles with multiple private equity-backed companies. Most recently, Mr. Doherty was Executive VP Finance and Administration at PASSUR Aerospace. Prior to that, Mr. Doherty spent 13 years at NAVBlue, where he started as Corporate Controller and was ultimately promoted to CFO. Mr. Doherty began his career at BDO and received a BA from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is designated as a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Accountant.

"I am very excited to join the Polar Sapphire leadership team and lead the finance organization as the company begins to scale up operations," said Sean Doherty, CFO of Polar Sapphire. "The company has created a deep bench of technical and business talent, and I am looking forward to working with the rest of the management team to execute on our strategy."

"Polar Sapphire is well-positioned to become the preferred supplier of HPA, which is a critical specialty material for use in LEDs and lithium-ion batteries and is key to decarbonization efforts across various end markets," said Tuan Tran, a Partner at Ara Partners. "The additions of Hap and Sean provide multiple decades of relevant expertise and add to the diverse skill sets across the company. We are proud to partner with this talented team as we work to build Polar Sapphire into a leading supplier of HPA in the growing LED and lithium-ion battery markets globally."

About Polar Sapphire

Polar Sapphire has developed a breakthrough process for manufacturing the world's highest-purity and lowest-cost High Purity Alumina (HPA). HPA is a critical input for green technologies such as LEDs, lithium-ion battery separators used in electric vehicles, semiconductors, plasma displays, and lasers. Polar Sapphire has a low-emission process compared with the incumbent process, which is highly toxic to local environments. The company currently operates a commercial facility in Oakville, Ontario. For more information on Polar Sapphire, visit www.polarsapphire.com.

About Ara Partners

Ara Partners is a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments. Ara Partners invests in the industrial & manufacturing, chemicals & materials, energy efficiency & green fuels and food & agriculture sectors, seeking to build businesses that provide significant decarbonization impact. It operates from offices in Houston, Texas, Boston, Massachusetts, and Dublin, Ireland. Ara Partners closed its second fund with approximately $1.1 billion in capital commitments in September 2021. For more information on Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com.

Contacts

Mark Semer / Alex Jeffrey

Gasthalter & Co. LP.

[email protected]

(212) 257-4170

SOURCE Ara Partners
With Yonder, Primer gives commercial and government organizations early intelligence about emerging narratives that may impact their brands or strategic advantage  and helps to create a window of opportunity to take countermeasures.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Primer , a leader in machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) solutions for government agencies and Fortune 1000 companies, today announced it has acquired Yonder, a pioneering company in disinformation analysis. Yonder is renowned in the information operations space, having deployed AI technology to identify disinformation campaigns and provide contextual intelligence for some of the world's largest organizations, including a global retailer, a fast food brand, a telecommunications giant, and the U.S. Government.

Primer redefines how people engage with an increasingly complex world of information with its AI-powered toolkit for risk and security applications that support time-sensitive, mission-critical decision making. By pairing Yonder's contextual narrative intelligence capabilities with Primer's state-of-the-art NLP models and solutions, such as Primer Command for real-time security and operational intelligence, customers can proactively monitor emerging narratives, identify the groups starting and promoting them, assess the potential risks, and take action to avoid or mitigate harm to their brands and operations.

Getting ahead of false or misleading influence campaigns - before they go viral and have lasting effects on perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors - is essential to combating the challenges of information-based warfare. From the war in Ukraine to market manipulation of cryptocurrency, disinformation changes the course of conflict, impacts elections, degrades brands, and distorts discussions. Primer has a track record of success deploying NLP infrastructure and pre-trained engines that help organizations such as the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) detect, understand, and respond to disinformation campaigns as part of their overall information operations posture.

"Primer saw a unique opportunity to join forces with Yonder and accelerate our ability to provide the world's best solutions for detecting and monitoring information operations and disinformation campaigns as they unfold, giving customers early warning capabilities to launch countermeasures and defend against attacks," said Sean Gourley, CEO, Primer. "The experts at Yonder have defined and shaped the disinformation analysis space over the last several years. We are thrilled to welcome them to Primer and help our customers meet the rapidly changing needs for today's information warfare environment."

"Since our founding, Yonder has been dedicated to developing technologies to protect brands and their reputations from manipulation on social media. It's clear this mission is more important than ever, and Primer is the perfect partner to take our solutions to the next level," said Jonathon Morgan, CEO, Yonder. "Primer's machine intelligence for text-based information is unparalleled, and Primer's talent is world class. Together, we will continue to deliver the industry's best tools for information operations, situational understanding, and decision support."

"The ability to collect, analyze, and act on intelligence that could impact reputational integrity has become mission critical for organizations of every size, in every industry," said Tejas Totade, CTO, at Ruder Finn, one of the world's largest independent global communications and creative agencies. "Yonder's narrative detection capabilities coupled with Primer's innovative language analysis platform will be a uniquely powerful solution for Ruder Finn as we help our clients promote and protect their brands."

Strengthening Primer's Foundation

Today's announcement builds on Primer's strategy to build the infrastructure for creating and deploying NLP models and applications that enable government and civil society organizations to be successful in their missions.

The acquisition of Yonder follows Primer's recent acquisition of LightTag , which added team-based data label management software to Primer's infrastructure, ensuring better data on which to train NLP models, higher model performance, and faster deployment of models into production.

Yonder complements Primer Command , an AI-powered real-time security and operational intelligence solution that provides situational awareness of fast-breaking events to inform timely decisions and action.

Customers and partners will now have access to a larger set of complementary technologies designed to analyze and interpret natural language, including Primer's pre-trained NLP models with advanced algorithms for bot detection, synthetic text detection, and claim detection and extraction.

For more information about today's announcement and to request demos of Yonder and Primer Command, please contact Primer .

Resources:

About Primer

Primer builds machines that can read and write with human-level precision. Primer's industrial-grade NLP technology is deployed by some of the world's largest government agencies, financial institutions, and Fortune 50 organizations. Trusted to operate in sensitive and complex data environments, Primer provides deep and proven artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) solutions tailored to risk and security applications, including: monitoring global events in real time, identifying disinformation campaigns, responding to cybersecurity attacks, detecting risks to brand reputation, and other impacts on organizational resilience and mission success. Primer is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, with offices around the world. For more information, please visit https://primer.ai .

Media contact:

Kim Dion, PR/AR, Primer

[email protected]

 PRIMER is a registered trademark of Primer Technologies, Inc.

 PRIMER COMMAND is a registered trademark of Primer Technologies, Inc.

SOURCE Primer
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of leading private sector organizations and cyber advocacy groups; Business Executives for National Security; the Coalition for Midmarket Cyber Excellence; Cyber Threat Alliance; Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0; Institute for Security and Technology; and the Multilateral Cyber Action Committee; are issuing a Joint Statement calling for increased public private collaboration to improve the nation's cybersecurity readiness. Secretary Chertoff, Steering Committee Member of the Multilateral Cyber Action Committee (MCAC), the organization that led the coordination of this statement stated: "The MCAC is a global committee focused on improving cybersecurity for a secure and open internet and wants to pursue deep public private partnership. In the United States, we think the joint statement highlights the current successes of the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative, as well as it's need to continue to grow and evolve. We are committed to making that happen."

The signatory organizations believe that the Biden administration has made progress in deepening partnership with the private sector to improve the security of the country's critical infrastructure. Effective engagement requires private and public sector collaboration and leadership to address issues such as the Solar Winds supply chain attack, log4J vulnerabilities, ransomware attacks, and threats from Russian and other malicious nation-state actors. The signatories seek to build upon existing initiatives to deepen public-private partnership. Mark Montgomery, Executive Director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0 stated "the Solarium Commission always posited that effective deterrence in cyberspace is a three-legged stool, relying on investments in defensive capabilities, investments in cost imposition capabilities, and the most challenging - building a public-private collaboration to defend our critical infrastructure. We are advocating to address this exact national security challenge with these five initiatives."

The group of organizations are committed to enhancing public-private sector cooperation and actively seek to engage U.S. government partners with ideas and initiatives to strengthen national cyber resilience. They seek to assist the public and private sectors in increasing the impact of collaborative efforts like the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC), among others, through a combination of advocacy, capability building, and scaling. General Joseph L. Votel, USA (Ret.), President and CEO, Business Executives for National Security states "Never has collaboration between the private and public sectors been more critical to defending US interests in cyberspace. Only full integration of the best technologies, talent, and processes from business, government, and the military can successfully repel the constant assault from our adversaries."

"The recommendations the MCAC are advocating are strongly aligned with the mission of The Coalition for Midmarket Cyber Excellence (CMCE). Midmarket companies struggling with cybersecurity are underrepresented in the government landscape and policy debates. Expanding on existing public-private collaboration is a strong step to help ensure the security of midmarket companies crucial to the nation's critical infrastructure,' Emily Coyle, Executive Director of the Coalition for Midmarket Cyber Excellence stated.

The organizations are calling for the promotion of the following:

Increasing the Reach and Impact of the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC): The JCDC has demonstrated value as a tool in protecting American and allied and partner critical networks during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The supporting organizations will collaborate with JCDC and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) leadership to help amplify the impact of the collaborative.

Increasing Collective Understanding of Cyber Threats: The organizations, working together, will support efforts to identify, provide, assess, establish, and deploy the tools, technology, incentives, business processes, and legal frameworks required to create a shared understanding of cyber threats across our digital ecosystem, including the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. This shared view would enable cyber defenders in all sectors to plan, exercise, and respond together at network speed.

Enhancing Contingency Planning: Understanding the JCDC has initiated efforts to work with the private sector in anticipation of cyber contingencies such as those resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they recommend that this effort seek to identify the top 5 cyber contingencies that pose national security risk and develop proactive response plans.

Improving the Legal Framework: The signatory organizations are committed to identifying and proposing improvements to laws and regulations that hamper effective cyber defense. They are committed to working with lawmakers on protected, preemptive legislation that carefully balances regulatory compliance with industry-recognized recognized standards and positive incentives to increase U.S. security and resilience commensurate with today's threat levels.

Building Teamwork: The signatory organizations propose expanded opportunities for long-term exchange programs between government and private sector technical personnel in cybersecurity roles.

SOURCE Multilateral Cyber Action Committee (MCAC)
VANCOUVER, BC, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - June 6th, 2022  Prospect Ridge Resources Corp. (the "Company" or "Prospect Ridge") (CSE: PRR) (OTC: PRRSF) (FRA: OED) is pleased to announce the appointment of Yan Ducharme as the new company President, Nicholas Luksha as the new Executive Vice President, and the start of the 2022 field operations with prospecting crews picking up where they left off at the end of the 2021 field season.

Yan Ducharme brings over 25 years of experience to the company in greenfield and brownfield exploration projects. He started his career with SEMAFO in Guinea, Western Africa, on the Jean-Gobele exploration project which later became the Kiniero mine. In Quebec, he joined Cambior at the Sleeping Giant mine, then to the exploration office where he took care of exploration projects in the four corners of the Abitibi and in the James Bay area. Mr. Ducharme was also part of the exploration team at the Rosebel Mine in Suriname, South America for Cambior/Iamgold. Yan spent several years working NioGold's Marban project which reached 1.5M oz of measured and indicated resources (32Mt at 1.48 g/t Au) and 600k oz of inferred resources (16.5Mt at 1.13 g/t Au; NI 43-101 August 15, 2013). He was Vice-President of the company when it was bought by Oban mining, now operating as Osisko (TSE:OSK). He was regional exploration manager for Canadian Malartic until the Kirkland Lake project was acquired entirely by Agnico-Eagle (TSE:AEM), and then became exploration manager for SOQUEM. Most recently, Mr. Ducharme was exploration manager for Wesdome Gold Mine's (TSE:WDO) Kiena site. Mr. Ducharme obtained a Master's degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Quebec in Montreal.

The Company is excited to be back in the field. The prospecting crews mobilized and started collecting more channel, chip, and grab rock samples across the Holy Grail and Knauss Creek properties. The crews started by targeting known zones with high grades of gold, silver, and other metals to help to prepare for drilling which is slated to start during the summer. The crews will then mobilize to other areas of the vast properties to sample and earmark future drill targets. With the assistance of a Lidar survey, the vast system of logging roads and helicopter, we will continue like last year with a very aggressive program to find more high-grade occurrences of gold to generate drilling targets. Mr. Ducharme's leadership will prove to be valuable with the prospecting crews and the drilling program when started.

Mr. Luksha will continue to oversee and manage an array of the companies' corporate responsibilities from his newly appointed role as Executive Vice President. It is with great excitement and anticipation that he hands the presidential reins to Mr. Ducharme.

Michael Iverson, CEO states, "Having Yan Ducharme come on as President and run the field operations will be a huge asset to our team and shareholders. My many years of working with Yan in the past gives me a great deal of confidence that he will expediate our coming results in proving up our resources. He's a homerun hitter and this will be his next grand slam as we get the field operations going. Welcome to the team Yan."

Qualified Person

All scientific or technical information included in this news release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Rein Turna, P.Geo., a consultant to the Company and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Holy Grail & Knauss Creek

The Holy Grail and Knauss properties start about 10 kilometers north of the town of Terrace in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. They are easily accessible by two highways and a network of logging roads. They are contiguous and form a horseshoe covering about 730 square kilometers.

The southern tip of the Golden Triangle arrives just northwest of the properties. The Bower Lake and the Hazelton Groups hosting most of the deposits and mines of this area are also underlying the Holy Grail and Knauss Creek properties.

A few gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc occurrences where found in the past. The most notable is the Dorreen mine where three levels were developed and it is believed that around 700 tons of ore were mined out at an average grade of more than 10 g/t Au.

The properties hold more than 10 very interesting gold showings, sometimes with silver, copper, lead and zinc.

About Prospect Ridge Resources Corp.

Prospect Ridge Resources Corp. is a British Columbia based exploration and development company focused on gold exploration. Prospect Ridge's management and technical team cumulate over 100 years of mineral exploration experience and believes the Holy Grail and Knauss Creek properties to have the potential to extend the boundaries of the Golden Triangle to cover this vast under-explored region.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management's expectations and intentions with respect to, among other things, positive exploration results at the Knauss Creek and Holy Grail projects and the Company's use of proceeds from the Private Placement. These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that future exploration results at the Knauss Creek and Holy Grail projects will not be as anticipated and that the Company will use the proceeds from the Private Placement as anticipated.

In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that future exploration results at the Knauss Creek and Holy Grail projects will be as anticipated and that the Company will use the proceeds from the Private Placement as anticipated.

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.

SOURCE Prospect Ridge Resources Corp.
House Bill 1421 Requires Florida School Districts to Standardize Reunification Plans, Connect to Student Information Systems, and work with First Responders and Local Governments

HOUSTON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Raptor Technologies ("Raptor"), the U.S. leader in school safety software, announced today that, with Gov. Ron DeSantis's signature of Florida House Bill 1421, Florida schools will be required to have a family reunification plan to reunite students with guardians after a school emergency. The plan must include enhanced collaboration protocols with first responders and local governments that utilize student information to help increase reunification accuracy and speed. Raptor currently provides advanced Raptor Reunification software to several Florida districts, including Baker, Citrus, Calhoun, Charlotte, Duval, Gadsden, Hamilton, Hardee, Holmes, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Palm Beach, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter and Washington.

The bill requires that each district school board and charter school governing board adopt a family reunification plan in coordination with local law enforcement agencies and local governments. These boards can leverage the model plan that the Florida Office of School Safety (OSS) will develop with the Division of Emergency Management and other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, fire and rescue agencies, first-responder agencies and local governments. The model reunification plan now requires integrating student information and notification systems to facilitate the overall reunification process. Additionally, through its annual review process, the OSS must now confirm each school district's compliance with the law.

"Raptor congratulates Rep. Fred Hawkins for this impactful bill and the Florida legislature for unanimously passing this critical legislation," stated Gray Hall, chief executive officer for Raptor Technologies. "Parents want to be reunited with their children as quickly as possible following a school emergency. Having a model plan in place that brings in the key elements of real-time student information and is built in coordination with first responders and the community goes a long way to making this happen."

Raptor provides technology that meets and exceeds the requirements of the new law. Enabling schools to reunite families four times faster than traditional processes, Raptor Reunification software gives school districts the power to streamline and manage reunification in one easy-to-use application that works on any device.

As student guardians come to pick up their child(ren), schools can confidently know where the child is located or if they're injured or missing in real-time. By linking to the school's student information system, in compliance with HB 1421, schools can ensure they are releasing students to authorized guardians by confirming their identity and even custody rights. This helps prevent parental abductions and human trafficking. First responders, administrators and incident commanders can make informed decisions quickly, as all data updates in real-time throughout the emergency in easy-to-use dashboards.

Finally, the Raptor application automatically creates summary reports with a detailed history of the entire reunification process for better after-incident debriefs. Raptor's implementation experts work closely with districts to build a customized execution plan and train staff, public safety officials and end-users, often resulting in a live community-wide reunification event like the one recently hosted at Polk County in April 2022.

"Emergencies can happen on any campus at any time, so we're always searching for ways to improve our safety plans," said Capt. Jill Seymour, director of Safe Schools for Polk County Public Schools. "Evacuating students to a safe location is just one part of dealing with many emergencies. Keeping track of students and getting them reunited with their families represents the next big challenge. Raptor's reunification system includes an easy-to-use app that streamlines this process, eliminating paperwork and improving communication among those responding to the emergency. Our initial drills with this technology have been favorable, and Raptor has been quick to make modifications to suit our needs."

"HB 1421 reinforces how a multi-faceted reunification plan is an important part of each school's overall safety strategy," stated Darren Norris, school safety specialist for Sumter County Schools. "Sumter County has taken a proactive approach to reunification by coordinating with local first responders and community leaders. We've also implemented Raptor's reunification technology to create a more reliable and effective process for reuniting children with their guardians after an emergency. Raptor continues to be a key partner and is enabling us to build a reunification program that will exceed the requirements of this new law."

About Raptor Technologies

Founded in 2002, Raptor has partnered with over 50,000 schools globally, including over 5,000 K-12 US school districts, to provide integrated visitor, volunteer, emergency management, and safeguarding software and services that cover the complete spectrum of school and student safety. To learn more about Raptor Technologies, visit www.raptortech.com.

Media Contact:

Matt Maurel

512.387.3440

[email protected]

SOURCE Raptor Technologies
"We are proud to partner with Sam's Club in our national launch of our new hand rolled, Grande Chicken Enchiladas topped with our fresh made salsa roja and shredded cheese," said Bryan Freeman, Executive Chairman of The Real Good Food Company. "Our delicious Grande Enchiladas have a limited amount of carbs and are 100% grain free because our "tortillas" are made of chicken and cheese instead of processed grains and flours. We are honored to have this opportunity to introduce this craveable entree to Sam's Club Members and we believe this furthers our mission toto make nutritious food more accessible throughout the US, and in turn, improve the lives of Sam's Club Members looking for healthier options in the frozen food aisle".

Real Good Foods' Grande Enchilada is now available in Sam's Club stores nationwide. To learn more about Real Good Foods and to find a store near you, please visit www.realgoodfoods.com.

To learn more about Real Good Foods and to find a store near you, please visit www.realgoodfoods.com.

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

[email protected]

Investor Contact

Chris Bevenour

[email protected]

SOURCE Real Good Foods
-- Revenue within and Gross Margin above Guidance

-- Mid-to-Late Stage Project Pipeline of 2GW and Storage Pipeline of 1GWh

-- Strong Financial Position of $233 million Cash and Cash Equivalents[1]

STAMFORD, Conn., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ReneSola Ltd ("ReneSola Power" or the "Company") ( www.renesolapower.com ) (NYSE: SOL), a leading fully integrated solar project developer, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022. ReneSola Power's first quarter 2022 financial results and management commentary can be found by accessing the Company's shareholder letter on the quarterly results page of the Investor Relations section of ReneSola Power's website at: http://ir.renesolapower.com.

ReneSola Power will hold a conference call today to discuss results.

Conference Call Details

ReneSola Power will hold a conference call today, June 7, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time (5:00 a.m. China Standard Time on Wednesday, June 8, 2022) to discuss financial results.

Please register in advance to join the conference call using the link provided below and dial in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin. Conference call access information will be provided upon registration.

Participant Online Registration: http://apac.directeventreg.com/registration/event/7779910

A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers until June 15, 2022. To access the replay, please reference the conference ID 7779910.



Phone Number Toll-Free Number United States +1 (646) 254-3697 +1 (855) 452-5696 Hong Kong +852 3051-2780 +852 8009-63117 Mainland China

+86 (800) 988-0552 Other International +61 (2) 8199-0299



A webcast of the conference call will be available on the ReneSola Power website at http://ir.renesolapower.com .

About ReneSola Power

ReneSola Power (NYSE: SOL) is a leading global solar project developer and operator. The Company focuses on solar power project development, construction management and project financing services. With local professional teams in more than 10 countries around the world, the business is spread across a number of regions where the solar power project markets are growing rapidly and can sustain that growth due to improved clarity around government policies. The Company's strategy is to pursue high-margin project development opportunities in these profitable and growing markets; specifically, in the U.S. and Europe, where the Company has a market-leading position in several geographies, including Poland, Hungary, Minnesota and New York. For more information, please visit www.renesolapower.com.

[1] Includes $10 million U.S. Treasury Bills.

SOURCE ReneSola Ltd.
The program aims to train 100,000 Saudis during 2022. The campaign kicked off in late 2020 with the launch of a new human capital development strategy in the Kingdom's burgeoning tourism industry, which aims to attract more Saudi nationals to the sector.

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Saudi Arabia, said: "It is vital that we invest in our youth now. Creating a skilled workforce with the talent and ambition to support and drive the tourism sector regionally and globally is key to realising Vision 2030. This program demonstrates our commitment to empowering young people by providing them with right skills, support and opportunities to shape the future of the tourism industry."

According to His Excellency, the program has three main objectives that aim to nurture, develop and support talent in the industry. It seeks to spread a culture of professionalism, help nascent professionals gain the knowledge and qualifications needed to break into the industry, and support their success through refinement of their skills. The program will help trainees to secure jobs within the sector, including seasonal, part-time, or full-time opportunities across the Kingdom.

His Excellency further stressed that this and other initiatives are geared towards delivering on the National Tourism Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030 targets, including the creation of one million new jobs in tourism by 2030.

Mohammed Bushnag, Deputy Minister, Human Capital said: "A financial investment of this size shows our determination to equip our youth with the tools they need to suceed. Three quarters of Saudi nationals now consider the tourism industry as a viable career option. Supporting the dreams of our Tourism Trailblazers and enabling their continued education at the best global schools, is vital as we continue to emerge as a global player in the sector."

Participants in the program are set to benefit from training scholarships at leading global institutions in France, Spain, Switzerland, UK, Australia, and Italy. Applications will be accepted not only from fresh graduates, but also from Saudis who already work within the industry and those who aspire to start a career in the tourism, hospitality, culinary, service, and sales fields.

His Excellency added that the highly specialized programs will empower scholarship trainees by equipping them with the skills and qualifications required to confidently enter the labor market.

His Excellency added that the highly specialized programs will empower scholarship trainees by equipping them with the skills and qualifications required to confidently enter the labor market.

***NOTES TO EDITORS

About the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism leads the Saudi Tourism ecosystem, with support from the Saudi Tourism Authority and the Tourism Development Fund. The Ministry sets the Kingdom's tourism sector strategy and is responsible for the development of policies and regulations, developing human capital, gathering statistics, and attracting investment.

It works in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority, which promotes Saudi Arabia as a global tourism destination, and the Tourism Development Fund, which executes the Ministry's investment strategy by providing funding for the sector's development.

Headed by His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, the Ministry was founded in February 2020, following the opening of Saudi Arabia to international leisure tourists for the first time in its history in 2019. Saudi Arabia aims to welcome 100 million tourism visits by 2030, increasing the sector's contribution to GDP from 3% to 10%.

About the United Nations World Tourism Organization

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UNWTO promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1834904/Ministry_of_Tourism_1.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1834902/Ministry_of_Tourism_2.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1834903/Ministry_of_Tourism_3.jpg

SOURCE Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia
Schultz Family Foundation Launches $100 Million Fund to Unlock Non-Predatory Capital for Diverse Entrepreneurs Tweet this

Despite the potential for diverse businesses to be powerful economic catalysts, many face persistent, structural inequities and barriers. Access to capital has long been the primary impediment to the growth of diverse businesses, particularly access to competitively priced capital. To that end, EEF will work to accelerate the growth of emerging, high-potential, diverse-owned businesses by making direct equity investments and increasing access to non-predatory sources of capital, including revenue-based financing and low-cost working capital.

"Every person, regardless of race or background, deserves an equal opportunity to realize their dreams. Unfortunately, in America the color of your skin and where you grew up are the most reliable predictors of economic success. We believe that investing in underrepresented entrepreneurs and diverse-owned businesses will be an efficient and effective means for forging a more inclusive economy, reducing the wealth and employment gaps, and strengthening our democracy," said Tyra A. Mariani, president of the Schultz Family Foundation.

According to a September 2020 Citi report, providing fair and equitable lending to Black entrepreneurs alone over the past 20 years would likely have resulted in the creation of an additional $13 trillion in business revenue and potentially created 6.1 million jobs per year.

Data suggest that strengthening emerging, high-potential businesses led by diverse founders (e.g., businesses that are growing revenue at a 15 percent annual rate) and positioning these businesses to become middle market companies (e.g., generating annual revenue of $10 million to $1 billion) has the potential to be a powerful way to increase economic and social outcomes for historically disadvantaged communities.

Recognizing that all businesses need more than just capital to grow, EEF will also underwrite philanthropic grants designed to improve the operating environment for underrepresented entrepreneurs and diverse-owned businesses by supporting them with training, executive mentoring, data collection, research and policy development.

To lead the effort, the Schultz Family Foundation has hired David Hinson as managing director and head of EEF. With over 20-years of executive experience, Hinson brings extensive knowledge of capital access, acquisitions and global business development for diverse-owned businesses. Prior to joining the Foundation, he served as Senior Vice President in the Private Wealth Services division of Ategra Capital Management LLC. Previously, Hinson was appointed National Director of the Minority Business Development Agency at the U.S. Department of Commerce under the Obama Administration. In this role, David served as senior advisor to the Administration on the growth and global competitiveness of the nation's eight million minority-owned businesses. David led the Agency to its highest five-year performance, providing over $19 billion in contracts and capital to diverse businesses. Before joining the Obama Administration, David was Founder and President of Wealth Management Network, a New York City-based wealth management advisory practice. He also held management-level positions at Envestnet and Bank of America.

"There are a growing number of innovative, growth-oriented, diverse-owned businesses poised to join the middle market. But for too many of them, capital is out of reach because too often capital flows to the best relationships, not the best deals," said Hinson. "By supporting these companies, we believe that they will not only outperform in terms of financial returns but lead the way in creating positive social outcomes, jobs, and wealth in historically underserved communities."

Interested in learning more? Contact the EEF team here.

About the Schultz Family Foundation

The Schultz Family Foundation, established in 1996 by Sheri and Howard Schultz, creates pathways of opportunity for populations facing barriers to success, focusing on youth transitioning to adulthood and marginalized populations, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. By investing in scalable solutions and partnerships in communities across the country, the Foundation aims to help tackle the barriers and roadblocks that prevent individuals from reaching their full potential and, in doing so, strengthen our communities and our nation. For more information about the Foundation and its work: schultzfamilyfoundation.org.

SOURCE Schultz Family Foundation
LONDON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaleido Intelligence, a leading connectivity market intelligence and consulting firm, has published the largest-ever survey of IoT connectivity. floLIVE, a leading IoT connectivity provider of advanced 5G network solutions and a full suite of global cellular connectivity services for IoT use cases, both privately and over the cloud, was one of the key industry experts that provided support for the survey commissioned by Kaleido Intelligence.

Over 750 IoT professionals participated in the survey that explored the most important factors for IoT connectivity firms to provide, as well as identifying pain points for both those currently deploying IoT and those looking into it for the future. Topics covered in the survey included how IoT projects are managed, what the biggest concerns are, and what is required from IoT service providers. It was also crucial to examine the drivers for adoption of a range of promising technologies, such as eSIM and Private 5G Networks.

Research highlights:

Cellular IoT deployments continue to be issues of concern for businesses, with persistent concerns about security and service availability continuing to plague the space.

End-to-end security ranked a #1 concern by both current and future IoT deployers.

Respondents found it highly important to keep multinational solutions safe from permanent roaming restrictions.

Almost all respondents expected connectivity providers to offer some form of security, with over half wanting advanced options, such as IP restrictions, traffic burst detection, unconfigured ports and more.

Hardware design and support is seen as the biggest challenge by non-adopters of the technology.

Vertical-specific solutions are increasingly expected.

Asaf Gigi, VP Marketing, floLIVE commented, "We are pleased to be one of the industry experts supporting Kaleido Intelligence with this important piece of research. We are excited that our unique offering of a private network that intelligently combines private and public network access and seamless handoff resonates well with enterprise customers who appreciate that the new age of Private 5G networks must extend beyond the campuses and blend into a global connectivity service."

Steffen Sorrell, Research Lead at Kaleido Intelligence added, "Connectivity forms a fundamental building block towards generating value for IoT but is often the source of projects failing to scale adequately. This survey aims to uncover what the main connectivity pain points experienced by enterprises are, and how a combination of industry expertise and education can help enterprise customers focus on maximising the value of their IoT data."

Join the Webinar

The survey findings will be presented and discussed in detail at a webinar discussion on 9th June, presented by Kaleido Intelligence and a range of industry leaders, including FloLIVE, Eseye, iBASIS, KORE Wireless and Truphone. Sign up for the webinar and a whitepaper detailing the results here. If you are unable to join the webinar, please sign up here to get access to an on-demand recording available after the event, and the attendant whitepaper.

About floLIVE

floLIVE offers advanced 5G network solutions and a full suite of global IoT cellular connectivity solutions. Its unique global connectivity service floNET provides enterprises and mobile operators with fully compliant, highly performant, and globally agnostic connectivity. The platform encompasses a wide range of services to market verticals, from a full GSM IoT-oriented core network, through to IoT BSS, device and eSIM management and targeted IoT vertical solutions - all provided as-a-service via floLIVE's global cloud. For more information, visit https://flolive.net/

About Kaleido Intelligence

Kaleido Intelligence is a specialist consulting and market research firm with a proven track record delivering telecom research at the highest level. Kaleido Intelligence is the only research company addressing mobile roaming in its entirety, covering:

Data Forecasts by Market

Historical & Forecast Viewpoints

Competitive Intelligence

Strategic Insight

Trend Analysis

Research is led by expert analysts, each with significant experience delivering telco research and insights that matter.

SOURCE floLIVE
 ExxonMobil Among Latest Class to Satisfy Program Requirements 

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC), a self-funded business council advancing sustainability in the vinyl industry, today named 17 companies that are now +Vantage Vinyl verified. A voluntary assessment conducted by the council, +Vantage Vinyl serves as independent, third-party verification of a vinyl company's integrated efforts to achieve sustainability in its operations and practices.

"The mission behind +Vantage Vinyl is to drive enhanced sustainability efforts across the vinyl industry. In short, we want to recognize companies who can demonstrate they are committed to balancing environmental stewardship with economic support and social responsibility," said Jay Thomas, VSC executive director. "With a growing focus on sustainability, companies that become +Vantage Vinyl verified are ensuring consumers that they are focused on using more sustainable practices to make a long-term impact on their communities, the environment, and the world at large."

Companies that voluntarily participate in the +Vantage Vinyl initiative are required to demonstrate their contribution to industry progress and continuous improvement in sustainability across all three sectors: social, economic, and environmental. Verification through GreenCircle Certified, LLC authenticates and reports on the activities and key performance indicators achieved by each company within the five sustainability pillars: environmental stewardship, social diligence, economic soundness, collaboration, and open communications.

Companies that achieved +Vantage Vinyl verification in 2022 include:

Aurora Plastics, LLC

Baerlocher USA

Cornerstone Building Brands

Eastman

Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A .

GEON Performance Solutions

HMTX Industries

Occidental Chemical Corporation

OXO Global Business Unit, ExxonMobil Product Solutions Company

Shintech Incorporated

Sika Corporation  Roofing

Tarkett

Teknor Apex Company

The AZEK Company Inc.

The Lubrizol Corporation

Vestolit

Westlake Corporation

"+Vantage Vinyl verification leads to further advancement of sustainability in the vinyl industry and a clear commitment to a better future," Thomas said. "We congratulate this year's class for their dedication to the cause and encourage them to continue their efforts. They serve as an example to other companies who seek appropriate recognition and verification for their sustainability efforts. With the +Vantage Vinyl verification, they can send a strong message to their customers, their prospects, and the industry as a whole."

For more information, visit vantagevinyl.com.

About the Vinyl Sustainability Council

The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC), founded in 2016 in partnership with the Vinyl Institute, is a collaborative platform for companies, organizations, and other industry stakeholders to come together to advance the U.S. vinyl industry's contribution to sustainable development. Through its +Vantage Vinyl verification program, the VSC aims to drive continuous improvement across all three aspects of sustainability  environmental, social and economic performance. For more information, please visit https://vantagevinyl.com/.

Media Contact:

Jeff Donaldson

412.347.8039

[email protected]

Photos: bldpressroom.com/vsc/new-vantage-vinyl-members

SOURCE Vinyl Sustainability Council
Hydro CIRCAL is Hydro's brand of recycled aluminum made with a minimum of 75% recycled, post-consumer aluminum scrap, certified by third-party auditors DNV GL, and has a market-leading CO2 footprint of just 2.3 kg CO2e/kg aluminum  or less. CIRCAL is expected to deliver an estimated 70% CO2 reduction versus the North American average for aluminum when including Scope 1,2,and 3 emissions. Through advanced processing technology, Hydro is able to create material with the highest post-consumer recycled content in the market. As a result, Hydro drastically reduces energy use in the production phase while still offering high-quality aluminum with equivalent metallurgical properties that maintain the strength and corrosion resistance needed in automotive components.

"We are very excited to enter into this close partnership alongside Hydro to bring a product to market that proves to assist in carving our path towards carbon neutrality" said Mark White, president and CEO  Shape Corp. "As the industry continues to shift towards electrification, it is exciting to see the progress that is being made to materials that keep sustainability in focus for the future of automotive."

This collaborative partnership opens the doors for Shape to introduce the uniqueness of Hydro CIRCAL to the global automotive market, bringing green on green solutions while continuing to provide the strength and weight-saving properties held by Hydro's aluminum product line.

"Aluminum is lightweight, infinitely recyclable, maintaining all unique properties no matter how many times it's recycled. This is why the metal can play a significant role in the lightweighting of electric and hybrid vehicles, as cars need less electricity and fewer or smaller batteries to travel the same distances," said Eivind Kallevik, executive vice president - Hydro Aluminium Metal.

Hydro CIRCAL provides a sustainable solution for OEMs as continued efforts target electrification, carbon neutral manufacturing and recycled material for future vehicle programs. Shape and Hydro aim to bring Hydro CIRCAL's first automotive product to the market through testing of material and identification of application projects.

As a multi-material company seeking to provide the best possible solution for the customer, Shape has pledged to reduce its global carbon emissions 30% by 2030 and to be fully carbon neutral by 2035. By developing products utilizing low-carbon aluminum, Shape aims to be carbon neutral in the production phase and to reduce carbon emissions for end users through lightweighting of the products it provides to its customers, thereby further contributing in mitigating climate change.

This partnership is a sustainable step forward as Shape expands its extrusion capacity with a new 320,000 sq ft. plant located in Trenton, OH to support ongoing industry growth.

Shape Corp. is a global leader in multi material automotive impact energy management systems and lightweight body structures utilizing advanced-high strength steel roll forming, tight tolerance aluminum extrusions and large tonnage injection molding. Founded in 1974, the company employes more than 3,500 team members with 17 facilities worldwide allowing Shape to serve customers in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information visit Shapecorp.com

SOURCE Shape Corp.
Company plans to keep growing in downtown Indy; add 125 workers

INDIANAPOLIS, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ShipSigma, an Indianapolis-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) analytics, contract analysis, and negotiation solution that helps customers ensure they are always receiving the lowest parcel shipping costs, announced today that it is investing $2 million to grow its global reach in the logistics sector.

The company recently leased 6,000-square-feet of space at 235 S. Meridian St. and plans to add up to 125 employees by the end of 2026, offering an average wage of nearly $42 an hour.

"We're committed to investing not just in real estate in the heart of the city but in human resources," said ShipSigma Co-Founder and CEO Chase Flashman. "IUPUI's School of Informatics is a key partner, and we're really impressed with the students from that program who are already working with us."

"The logistics sector is one of Indiana's top economic drivers, and ShipSigma offers an indispensable service," said Ann Lathrop, executive vice president of global investments for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). "We expect to see additional growth as supply chain challenges are overcome and the world gets back on track with help from great Hoosier companies like ShipSigma."

Mayor Joe Hogsett said ShipSigma's decision to grow in downtown Indianapolis is welcome and an indicator of Indianapolis's vibrant local economy.

"We are excited that ShipSigma has chosen to invest in Indianapolis and expand their operations," Mayor Hogsett said. "Indiana is the crossroads of America, which powers our region's strong logistics sector. ShipSigma offers an incredibly valuable service to companies around the world, and their choice to headquarter here demonstrates our strong business environment and neighborhood quality of life."

Since its launch in 2018, ShipSigma has grown 850% in employee count, 489% in revenue and 843% in customer base, which includes e-commerce, small and midsize businesses, and Fortune 1,000 companies.

Huse Culinary, parent corporation of St. Elmo's Steak House, uses ShipSigma's proprietary technology to lower their shipping costs beyond what they could ever do by themselves.

"We ship tens of thousands of bottles of our fiery St. Elmo Cocktail Sauce all over the US and ShipSigma has greatly reduced our shipping costs and cut our carrier errors by over half," said Bryn Jones, vice president of Marketing and Retail at Huse. "Partnering with them is a no-brainer regardless of where their offices are located; however, seeing them aggressively invest in the growth and revitalization of downtown Indy makes us even more excited and proud to partner with them."

Flashman credited local and state business climate as well as support from TechPoint, the state's nonprofit growth accelerator, for creating a support system for his planned growth. Another factor is a 2021 investment received last year from Emigrant Capital Corp., the private equity division of Emigrant Bank, the largest privately held bank in North America, which Flashman described as "significant."

ShipSigma's proprietary SaaS solution helps customers ensure they are always receiving the lowest parcel shipping costs without having to change carriers or service levels. Its artificial intelligence-powered, end-to-end supply chain technology provides shipping insights & analytics , carrier contract negotiation , benchmarking analysis and parcel invoice audit solutions.

Based on the company's job creation plans, the IEDC committed an investment in Parcel Optimization Technologies, LLC dba ShipSigma up to $2.3M in the form of incentive-based tax credits and $75,000 in conditional training grants. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once Hoosiers are hired and trained. The city of Indianapolis supports the project in partnership with Develop Indy, the economic development organization for the city of Indianapolis and Marion County.

About ShipSigma

ShipSigma , an industry leader in the development and application of end-to-end technology that helps shippers spending $100K - $100M annually achieve lower costs with UPS and FedEx. Named a Top Logistics Analytics Solutions Provider in 2020 by Logistics Tech Outlook, ShipSigma leverages proprietary technology to ensure its 250+ customers pay the lowest possible parcel shipping rates, saving them an average of more than 25% annually. The company manages $1B+ in parcel spend and has saved its customers more than $92M. For more information about the 2022 TechPoint Mira Scale-Up of the Year nominated company, visit www.shipsigma.com .

MEDIA CONTACT: Hannah Fogle, [email protected], 317-224-9929

SOURCE ShipSigma
TEMPE, Ariz., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Everyone's ready for a summer of fun in the sun, but the last two years may have left us all just a bit rusty. Enter the JoySol CBD Daily Care System  a trio of Oil Drop Blends that provide physical and mental support to help you feel more prepared, focused and at peace throughout the day. Each is purposefully formulated with a generous dose of high quality, broad-spectrum CBD, a proprietary terpene blend and other powerful ingredients. Each provides benefits specific to the time of day it is intended for use (morning, midday, and evening). Together they work like a dream to help you manage and move on from everyday stress and feel ready to engage in all the summer-time activities you love.

THE PRODUCTS

1. Daily A.M. Oil Drop Blend will help you face each day feeling your best  more alert and prepared.

Ingredients:

High-quality, broad-spectrum CBD (50MG - <0.1% THC).

CBG (5MG) isolate  a rare Cannabinoid found organically in the hemp plant.

100% CO2 extracted, high-purity CBD and CBG.

A proprietary A.M. blend of super class terpenes includes Beta Caryophyllene, Limonene, Myrcene, Alpha Pinene and Beta Pinene.

Coconut-derived MCT Oil - easily absorbed by the body.

Hemp derived with <0.1%THC.

NovaSOL Curcumin (5MG)  helps support brain, digestive and cardiovascular health as well as aid in the reduction of occasional inflammation and minor discomfort due to strenuous exercise.

Natural orange flavor.

Natural sweetener, Stevia - no carbohydrates or artificial ingredients.

2. Daily Boost Oil Drop Blend will help keep you focused and effective throughout the day.

Ingredients:

Broad-spectrum CBD (25MG - <0.1% THC).

CBC (2MG) isolate  a rare Cannabinoid found organically in the hemp plant.

100% CO2 extracted, high-purity CBD and CBC.

A proprietary Boost blend of super class terpenes including Beta Caryophyllene, Limonene, Myrcene and Humulene.

Coconut-derived MCT Oil - easily absorbed by the body.

Hemp derived with <0.1%THC.

NovaSOL Curcumin (5MG)  helps support brain, digestive and cardiovascular health as well as aid in the reduction of occasional inflammation and minor discomfort due to strenuous exercise.

Natural peppermint flavor.

Natural sweetener, Stevia - no carbohydrates or artificial ingredients.

3. Daily P.M. Oil Drop Blend helps you relax, unwind, and end each day in calm and comfort.

Ingredients:

High-quality broad-spectrum CBD (50MG - <0.1% THC).

CBN (2MG) isolate  a rare Cannabinoid found organically in the hemp plant.

100% CO2 extracted, high-purity CBD and CBN.

A proprietary P.M. blend of super class terpenes including Beta Caryophyllene, Limonene, Myrcene and Linalool.

Coconut-derived MCT Oil - easily absorbed by the body.

Hemp derived with <0.1%THC.

NovaSOL Curcumin (5MG)  helps support brain, digestive and cardiovascular health as well as aid in the reduction of occasional inflammation and minor discomfort due to strenuous exercise.

Natural vanilla flavor.

Natural Sweetener, Stevia - no carbohydrates or artificial ingredients.

Usage for all Oil Drop Blends: Shake well. Take  (.5 ml) to 1 full (1 ml) dropper as needed.

JoySol products are sustainably sourced by some of the top cultivators in the world and lab tested. They are non-GMO, gluten-free and free of artificial dyes and fragrance.

JoySol is a brand from Herbal Brands, the US branded division of Clever Leaves, a leading multinational operator and licensed producer of pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoids. Its operations in Colombia and Portugal produce cannabinoid active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and finished products in flower and extract form for a growing base of B2B customers around the globe. Clever Leaves aims to disrupt the traditional cannabis production industry by leveraging environmentally sustainable, ESG-friendly, industrial-scale and low-cost production methods, with the world's most stringent pharmaceutical quality certifications. For more information, please visit https://cleverleaves.com/en/home/ and follow Clever Leaves on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Daily A.M. Oil Drop Blend; Daily Boost Oil Drop Blend and Daily P.M. Oil Drop Blend retail for $49.99 each.

JoySol products are available at www.JoySol.com. Follow @JoySolCBD on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Contact: Nikki Gersten

503-317-9024

[email protected]

SOURCE JoySol CBD
AKANTIOR  is slated to become the first approved orphan medicinal product for acanthamoeba keratitis after more than 15 years of eye disease research conducted by SIFI

is slated to become the first approved orphan medicinal product for acanthamoeba keratitis after more than 15 years of eye disease research conducted by SIFI SIFI reaffirms guidance of potential European Commission approval by 2Q23 and market launch immediately thereafter

SIFI has launched an early access program across European countries in June 2022

CATANIA, Italy, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SIFI S.p.A. ("SIFI" or the "Company"), a leading international ophthalmic company headquartered in Italy, announced today that the European Medicines Agency ("EMA") has validated its Marketing Authorization Application ("MAA") for AKANTIOR (polihexanide) for the treatment of acanthamoeba keratitis ("AK").

Fabrizio Chines, Chairman and CEO of SIFI, stated, "Today's announcement marks the culmination of an extensive research effort across the Company to bring forward the first licensed therapy for acanthamoeba keratitis. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to our dedicated leadership and their staffs for their fortitude, skill, and execution capabilities to ensure we achieved this historic milestone." Mr. Chines continued, "Once again, SIFI has brought to bear the innovation that has become synonymous with our Company's brand, and, in the case of AKANTIOR, is underscored by the product's proprietary formulation, novel dosing regimen and uniqueness as a mono-therapy," concluded Mr. Chines.

Professor John Dart, the pivotal Phase III clinical trial principal investigator and Honorary Clinical Professor at the Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, stated, "AK is one of the most severe and painful eye infections and also one for which there is no licensed therapy. Most patients require months of treatment and 25% lose useful vision. Our 15 year drug development project culminated in October 2021 with the completion of the Phase III clinical trial which has demonstrated a high medical cure rate. Our findings show that AKANTIOR will provide a majority of AK patients the prospect of recovering their vision and quality of life; I hope that this will soon become the standard of care for treatment of this disease," concluded Professor Dart.

Manuela Marrano, SIFI's Executive Director of Market Access and Regulatory Affairs, stated, "Based on our current estimates, we remain confident in our ability to start the commercial launch AKANTIOR across Europe, including the United Kingdom (UK), by 2H23, which will include recommendation from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use ("CHMP") and approvals by the European Commission ("EC") and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency ("MHRA") in the UK." The EMA has already granted polihexanide Orphan Drug Designation in this disease.

Ms. Marrano continued, "Considering the higher incidence rate of acanthamoeba keratitis infection during warmer months, coupled with the extreme nature of the disease, its outcomes, and lack of approved medications, SIFI is also proactively launching a pan- European early access program to enable access for patients to AKANTIOR without delay, to the extent permitted by each countries regulatory requirements." SIFI has partnered with Durbin, a part of Uniphar Group's Product Access Division and a leading specialist in the international distribution of specialized pharmaceuticals, to manage the Polihexanide Access Program. Durbin has extensive global experience providing, high-quality support while adhering to complex local requirements. "We are incredibly pleased to be working in partnership with SIFI on this important access program," said Dan Piggott, Managing Director of Uniphar Group's Product Access Division. "We look forward to helping facilitate broader access to polihexanide for patients with critical unmet medical needs suffering from acanthamoeba keratitis."

Today's announcement follows the Company's announcement in October 2021 that the pivotal Phase III trial of AKANTIOR in adults and adolescents with acanthamoeba keratitis met its primary endpoint (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03274895). SIFI is evaluating different options for the commercialization of AKANTIOR globally, including potential out-licensing agreements for regions beyond its core markets.

ABOUT AKANTIOR

AKANTIOR (polihexanide) stands to become the first approved drug for the treatment of acanthamoeba keratitis in the world. It is an anti-amoebic polymer that acts on both the trophozoites and cysts of the protozoan Acanthamoeba. It is formulated at a 0.8mg/ml concentration which makes it possible to administer as monotherapy eye drops in single-dose containers. In contrast, current treatment protocols include various non-standardized combination therapies involving unlicensed  compounded or imported  alternatives. Polihexanide is also being developed by SIFI for the treatment of fungal keratitis for which indication it also has FDA Orphan Drug Designation.

ABOUT Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK)

AK is a rare, acute, severe parasitic corneal infection caused by Acanthamoeba, a free-living amoeba. AK is an ocular emergency and requires urgent treatment to save the eye. It can lead to poor vision, potential blindness, or even eye loss and often requires single or multiple corneal transplants. It affects people of all ages, most of whom are young or middle-aged soft contact lens wearers. Patients report unbearable pain and extreme light sensitivity and can rarely work or lead normal lives until symptoms resolve. The incidence of AK has been rapidly growing in recent years.

ABOUT SIFI

SIFI is a leading international ophthalmic company, headquartered in Italy, focusing on eye care since 1935. SIFI develops, manufactures, and markets innovative therapeutic solutions for patients with ophthalmic conditions. SIFI is fully committed through its R&D to improving the quality of life of patients, exporting treatments to more than 20 countries worldwide with a direct presence in Italy, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Romania, Mexico, and Turkey.

About Durbin

Durbin is a specialist pharmaceutical services provider, distributing critical medications to over 160 different countries. A part of Uniphar Group's Product Access Division, Durbin works in partnership with global pharmaceutical and biotech companies to provide Early Access Programs (EAPs), including Named Patient Supply and Cohort Programs. Durbin has over 25 years' experience designing and implementing EAPs and specializes in strategic consultancy, asset specific program design and innovative, customized delivery models.

Key Contact AKANTIOR:

Jelle Kleijn

Global Head of AKANTIOR

+31 615643708

[email protected]

for Early Access Program, Key Contact:

Vincenzo Papa

Head of Scientific Affairs AKANTIOR

+39 3453698813

[email protected]

For Healthcare Professionals within France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK wishing to access polihexanide:



Contact Durbin EAP team:

[email protected]

+44 (0)20 8869 6500

For Healthcare professionals outside the Durbin EAP countries please contact the SIFI EAP Key Contact.

SOURCE SIFI S.p.A.
South LA non-profit offers businesses assistance and affordable loans to minority- and women-owned businesses

LOS ANGELES, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation received a generous $100,000 grant from Silicon Valley Bank to support underserved small businesses and entrepreneurs in South Los Angeles. The funds will go directly to the organization's CDFI revolving loan fund, which helps revitalize the South LA community by giving affordable small business loans to minority-owned small enterprises.

Silicon Valley Bank was also the title sponsor for the recent grand opening of VSEDC's South L.A. Best Buy Teen Tech Center, a 1,200 square-foot tech incubator for teens and young adults.

"VSEDC is thrilled and grateful for Silicon Valley Bank's support for the hard-working, diverse small business owners of South Los Angeles," says CEO of VSEDC, Joseph T. Rouzan, III. "For far too long, our community has been overlooked and underserved. Our partnership with Silicon Valley Bank represents a renewed commitment to creating an economically sustainable region."

Based in the heart of South LA, VSEDC has been serving minority- and women-owned small businesses in the region for over 40 years. The non-profit works to create an equitable future and thriving local economy through customized one-on-one technical assistance, and economic development services. In 2018, VSEDC became a CDFI non-traditional lender with a revolving loan fund to infuse the local economy with capital. VSEDC's affordable small business loans supply funds to businesses that are historically ineligible for loans from traditional lenders, such as banks.

"Small businesses are vital to our communities, but they often struggle to get the capital and support they need to thrive," said Craig Robinson, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Silicon Valley Bank. "We are pleased to support VSEDC's critical work to get funding into the hands of people of color and women business owners in South LA."

Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation (VSEDC) is a community-based nonprofit and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) recognized for decades of technical and entrepreneurial assistance to South LA small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs. The services VSEDC provides serves to drive community self-sufficiency, facilitate business growth, access to affordable housing, goods and services, and job creation. VSEDC achieves this through youth education, a core curriculum of business education, one-on-one business assistance, and small business loans. Find out more about VSEDC at www.vsedc.org , Facebook and Twitter .

Silicon Valley Bank, the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors, provides commercial banking services, expertise and insights to the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. Silicon Valley Bank operates in centers of innovation around the world and is one of SVB's core businesses with SVB Capital, SVB Private and SVB Securities. With global commercial banking services, Silicon Valley Bank helps address the unique needs of its dynamic, fast-growing, innovative clients. Learn more at svb.com .

SOURCE Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation
The potential growth difference for the single-use bioprocessing system market between 2021 and 2026 is USD 10.60 billion. To get the exact yearly growth variance and the Y-O-Y growth rate, Talk to our analyst.

Key Market Dynamics:

Market Driver - The key factor driving the global single-use bioprocessing system industry growth is the increasing use of single-use technologies to minimize the risk of contamination . Contamination among batches reduces the production yield and increases the cost and time-to-market by making it necessary to undertake additional steps for purification. In addition, the detection of impurities in the post commercial stages by regulatory bodies can make end-users liable for product recalls and legal actions.

The key factor driving the global single-use bioprocessing system industry growth is the . Contamination among batches reduces the production yield and increases the cost and time-to-market by making it necessary to undertake additional steps for purification. In addition, the detection of impurities in the post commercial stages by regulatory bodies can make end-users liable for product recalls and legal actions. Market Challenge - The key challenges to the global SUB system industry growth are the issues related to extractables and leachable in polymeric systems. Leachables can have a toxic effect on patients who consume these drugs and can also have an adverse impact on the properties of drugs, thereby reducing their efficacy. Due to contamination concerns, the US FDA has mandated that pharmaceutical companies must demonstrate the safety of the materials used in container production systems, closure systems, and drug delivery devices.

To learn about additional key drivers, trends, and challenges - Download our Sample Report right now!

Segmentation Analysis:

The single-use bioprocessing system market report is segmented by Application (mAb production, Vaccine production, Plant cell cultivation, PSCTs, and Others), End-user (Pharmaceutical companies, CROs and CMOs, Biotechnology companies, and Academic and research institutions), Product (Bags and mixers, Bioreactors and fermenters, Filtration devices and sampling systems, Bioprocess containers, and Others), and Geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW)).

The single-use bioprocessing system market share growth in the application segment by the mAb production will be significant for revenue generation. SUB systems eradicate the chances of cross-contamination and reduce the time involved in the preparation of new equipment between mAb production batches.

Download our sample report for additional insights into the contribution of all the segments

Some Companies Mentioned

The single-use bioprocessing system market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as investment in R and D and strategic partnerships to compete in the market.

3M Corp.

Corp.

ABEC Inc.



Adolf Kuhner AG



Advanced Microdevices Pvt. Ltd.



Avantor Inc.



Celltainer



Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA



Corning Inc.



Danaher Corp.



Entegris Inc.



Eppendorf AG



Getinge AB



Meissner Filtration Products Inc.



Merck KGaA



Parker Hannifin Corp.



Sartorius AG



SENTINEL PROCESS SYSTEMS INC.



Solaris Biotechnology Srl



Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

To gain access to more vendor profiles with their key offerings available with Technavio, Click Here

Related Reports:

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Single-use Bioprocessing System Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 17.33% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 10.60 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 14.56 Performing market contribution North America at 37% Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled 3M Corp., ABEC Inc., Adolf Kuhner AG, Advanced Microdevices Pvt. Ltd., Avantor Inc., Celltainer, Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA, Corning Inc., Danaher Corp., Entegris Inc., Eppendorf AG, Getinge AB, Meissner Filtration Products Inc., Merck KGaA, Parker Hannifin Corp., Sartorius AG, SENTINEL PROCESS SYSTEMS INC., Solaris Biotechnology Srl, and Thermo Fisher Scientific 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 forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Application



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Product



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 10: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 11: Parent market



Exhibit 12: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 13: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 14: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 15: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 17: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 18: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 19: Five forces analysis - Comparison between2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 20: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 21: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 22: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 23: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 24: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 25: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Application

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 26: Chart on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Application

Exhibit 28: Chart on Comparison by Application



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Comparison by Application

5.3 mAb production - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 30: Chart on mAb production - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on mAb production - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 32: Chart on mAb production - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on mAb production - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Vaccine production - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 34: Chart on Vaccine production - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Vaccine production - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 36: Chart on Vaccine production - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Vaccine production - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Plant cell cultivation - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 38: Chart on Plant cell cultivation - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Plant cell cultivation - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Plant cell cultivation - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Plant cell cultivation - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.6 PSCTs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 42: Chart on PSCTs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on PSCTs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 44: Chart on PSCTs - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on PSCTs - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.7 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 46: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 48: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 49: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.8 Market opportunity by Application

Exhibit 50: Market opportunity by Application ($ million)

6 Market Segmentation by End-user

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 51: Chart on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

6.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 53: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 54: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

6.3 Pharmaceutical companies - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 55: Chart on Pharmaceutical companies - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Pharmaceutical companies - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 57: Chart on Pharmaceutical companies - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Pharmaceutical companies - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.4 CROs and CMOs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 59: Chart on CROs and CMOs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 60: Data Table on CROs and CMOs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 61: Chart on CROs and CMOs - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 62: Data Table on CROs and CMOs - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.5 Biotechnology companies - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 63: Chart on Biotechnology companies - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 64: Data Table on Biotechnology companies - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 65: Chart on Biotechnology companies - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 66: Data Table on Biotechnology companies - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.6 Academic and research institutions - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 67: Chart on Academic and research institutions - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 68: Data Table on Academic and research institutions - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 69: Chart on Academic and research institutions - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 70: Data Table on Academic and research institutions - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.7 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 71: Market opportunity by End-user ($ million)

7 Market Segmentation by Product

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 72: Chart on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 73: Data Table on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Comparison by Product

Exhibit 74: Chart on Comparison by Product



Exhibit 75: Data Table on Comparison by Product

7.3 Bags and mixers - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 76: Chart on Bags and mixers - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 77: Data Table on Bags and mixers - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 78: Chart on Bags and mixers - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 79: Data Table on Bags and mixers - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 Bioreactors and fermenters - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 80: Chart on Bioreactors and fermenters - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 81: Data Table on Bioreactors and fermenters - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 82: Chart on Bioreactors and fermenters - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 83: Data Table on Bioreactors and fermenters - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 Filtration devices and sampling systems - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 84: Chart on Filtration devices and sampling systems - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 85: Data Table on Filtration devices and sampling systems - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 86: Chart on Filtration devices and sampling systems - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 87: Data Table on Filtration devices and sampling systems - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 Bioprocess containers - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 88: Chart on Bioprocess containers - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 89: Data Table on Bioprocess containers - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 90: Chart on Bioprocess containers - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 91: Data Table on Bioprocess containers - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 92: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 93: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 94: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 95: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 Market opportunity by Product

Exhibit 96: Market opportunity by Product ($ million)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 97: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 98: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 99: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 100: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 101: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 102: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 103: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 104: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 105: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 106: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 107: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 108: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 109: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.5 Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 110: Chart on Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 111: Data Table on Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 112: Chart on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 113: Data Table on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.6 Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 114: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 115: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 116: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 117: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.7 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 118: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 119: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 120: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 121: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.8 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 122: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 123: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 124: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 125: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 126: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 127: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 128: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 129: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.10 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 130: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 131: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 132: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 133: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.11 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 134: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 135: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 136: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 137: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.12 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 138: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 139: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 140: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 141: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 142: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 143: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 144: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 3M Corp.

Corp. Exhibit 145: 3M Corp. - Overview

Corp. - Overview

Exhibit 146: 3M Corp. - Business segments

Corp. - Business segments

Exhibit 147: 3M Corp. - Key news

Corp. - Key news

Exhibit 148: 3M Corp. - Key offerings

Corp. - Key offerings

Exhibit 149: 3M Corp. - Segment focus

12.4 Adolf Kuhner AG

Exhibit 150: Adolf Kuhner AG - Overview



Exhibit 151: Adolf Kuhner AG - Product / Service



Exhibit 152: Adolf Kuhner AG - Key offerings

12.5 Avantor Inc.

Exhibit 153: Avantor Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 154: Avantor Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 155: Avantor Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 156: Avantor Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 157: Avantor Inc. - Segment focus

12.6 Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA

Exhibit 158: Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA - Overview



Exhibit 159: Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA - Business segments



Exhibit 160: Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA - Key news



Exhibit 161: Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA - Key offerings



Exhibit 162: Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA - Segment focus

12.7 Danaher Corp.

Exhibit 163: Danaher Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 164: Danaher Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 165: Danaher Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 166: Danaher Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 167: Danaher Corp. - Segment focus

12.8 Eppendorf AG

Exhibit 168: Eppendorf AG - Overview



Exhibit 169: Eppendorf AG - Product / Service



Exhibit 170: Eppendorf AG - Key news



Exhibit 171: Eppendorf AG - Key offerings

12.9 Merck KGaA

Exhibit 172: Merck KGaA - Overview



Exhibit 173: Merck KGaA - Business segments



Exhibit 174: Merck KGaA - Key news



Exhibit 175: Merck KGaA - Key offerings



Exhibit 176: Merck KGaA - Segment focus

12.10 Sartorius AG

Exhibit 177: Sartorius AG - Overview



Exhibit 178: Sartorius AG - Business segments



Exhibit 179: Sartorius AG - Key news



Exhibit 180: Sartorius AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 181: Sartorius AG - Segment focus

12.11 Solaris Biotechnology Srl

Exhibit 182: Solaris Biotechnology Srl - Overview



Exhibit 183: Solaris Biotechnology Srl - Product / Service



Exhibit 184: Solaris Biotechnology Srl - Key offerings

12.12 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Exhibit 185: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 186: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 187: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 188: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 189: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Segment focus

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 190: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 191: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 192: Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 193: Research methodology



Exhibit 194: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 195: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 196: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

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UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email:[email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
DALLAS , June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Office of Career Services at Southern University and A&M College recently partnered with social media screening service, Filtari, to assist students with "cleaning up" their social media profiles before applying for employment. Southern is the first historically Black university in the U.S. to enter into this partnership, taking an active approach in helping students to present a professional look online.

"We understand the impact social media can have on potential career opportunities," said Tamara Montgomery, executive director of career services at Southern. "We invest in our students by providing access to Filtari to help scholars understand the impact that social media can have on their careers and future employment opportunities."

During Southern's Spring Commencement rehearsal in May, 50 graduating seniors were able to participate in the pilot program with Filtari.

According to a 2020 survey from The Harris Poll, 71 percent of U.S. hiring decision-makers agree that looking at candidates' social media profiles is an effective way to screen applicants. Additionally, for those that use social media to vet candidates, 55 percent have found content that caused them to not hire the applicant.

"Everyone makes mistakes on social media," said Spencer Cheng, CEO of Filtari. "It is important for students to understand that those mistakes can have a lasting impact on their future careers. We want to make sure that each student is presenting their best self to prospective employers."

According to the company, "Filtari looks for content that recruiters say are the biggest red flags when reviewing candidates. Filtari's AI-trained system looks for photos and posts containing references to alcohol, drugs, toxic speech, NSFW content, and weapons on the platforms of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Students opt in to authorize their social media profiles and let Filtari's software do the rest."

For information about partnerships, please email Spencer Cheng at [email protected] or call 214-326-0813.

Contact:

Spencer Cheng, CEO

214-326-0813

[email protected]

SOURCE Filtari
First-of-its-kind deal in Spectrum's 26-year history further expands the agency's capabilities following back-to-back years of double-digit growth

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spectrum Science, an independent, integrated marketing, communications and media agency hyper-focused on health and science, today announced the acquisition of SONIC Health, a strategic agency that applies the science of storytelling to transform corporate and brand communications. The SONIC team will join Spectrum as the SONIC Story Lab, crafting compelling, emotive narratives and creative, innovative activations that connect with audiences, keep them engaged and drive meaningful action.

"We are excited to welcome SONIC Health to our team. Science and storytelling have always been core to our work at Spectrum and with the launch of the SONIC Story Lab, we're furthering our ability to support brands across their lifecycle with a strategy-first approach that drives game-changing content and activations," said Jonathan Wilson, Owner and CEO of Spectrum Science. "Spectrum will continue to pursue strategic opportunities like this one to enhance our capabilities to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving industry and media landscape."

SONIC Health was co-founded in 2013 by Fabio Gratton and Ross Fetterolf, veterans of the healthcare marketing industry who saw an opportunity to use strategic storytelling to create innovative and meaningful connections between clients and their audiences. With this acquisition, Fetterolf will be joining Spectrum as EVP and head of the SONIC Story Lab. Gratton will remain involved as a consultant, helping to advise on select client work.

"Telling a relatable, compelling and concise story is more important now than ever beforeand joining Spectrum not only gives SONIC a bigger stage, it also significantly enhances the breadth and depth of stories we can tell," said Gratton.

In addition, this acquisition brings incredible talent and depth of experience to the Spectrum team, including experience strategist and SONIC Health partner, Alex Walters, who joins as a senior vice president, as well as SONIC's full team of experts in advertising, digital strategy and creative story production.

"The rules of storytelling are the same for Spielberg or SONIC Health," Fetterolf shared. "Telling healthcare stories is incredibly important because they have the potential to impact so many lives. Our partnership with Spectrum offers the ability to pair their deep scientific expertise with our passion for the science of storytelling, expanding the reach and resonance of our clients' brands and communications. With so many factors competing for people's attention, we need to bring more Hollywood to healthcare."

The SONIC acquisition is the first deal of its kind for Spectrum in the agency's 26-year history, and comes after a year of record-breaking revenue in 2021. Financing for the acquisition was provided by Monroe Capital.

About SONIC Health

SONIC Health is a privately held life sciences marketing company. Strategists by trade, innovators by reputation, and storytellers at heart, SONIC Health is comprised of big agency veterans offering traditional agency services that center around the story their clients want to tell the world. For more information, visit SONICHealth.com.

About Spectrum Science

Spectrum Science is an integrated marketing, communications and media agency like no other. An independent, full-service agency with end-to-end capabilities, Spectrum's team are experts in sciencefocused on strategic engagements with our audiences. We leverage human-centered insights, motivating creative, innovative storytelling and technology to reach audiences where they are with the content they need and want. Spectrum offers global reach as the US partner and chair of Global Health Marketing & Communications (GHMC). For more information on how Spectrum goes Beyond the Science Quo, visit www.spectrumscience.com or follow @SpectrumScience on Twitter.

SOURCE Spectrum Science
Researchers develop a simple and effective generative adversarial network known as SphereGAN for unsupervised image generation

SEOUL, South Korea, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Deep neural networks are popularly used for object recognition, detection, and segmentation across different avenues. Of these, generative adversarial networks (GANs) are a superior class of neural networks whose performance exceeds that of conventional neural networks. They are meant to minimize the inconsistencies between real and fake data, and have proven successful for image detection, medical imaging, video prediction, 3D image reconstruction, and more.

SphereGAN: Novel and Improved Neural Network Developed by Researchers from Chung-Ang University

Despite their growth over the last few years, they are not devoid of limitations. Training conventional GANs is difficult and involves very high computational costs, making them unreliable for complex computer vision problems. In addition, the data generated by them lacks diversity and appears unrealistic. Thus, it is not surprising that many GANs are unstable and can only handle simple data sets.

To overcome these limitations, a team of researchers including PhD student Sung Woo Park and Professor Junseok Kwon from Chung-Ang University in Seoul conducted a study with a simple solution. This study, published in IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, was made available online on August 12, 2020, and was published in Volume 44 Issue 3 of the journal on March 1, 2022.

In this study, the team proposed a simple and effective integral probability metric (IPM) based GAN known as 'SphereGAN'. SphereGAN uses multiple geometric moments to examine the inconsistencies between real and fake data distributions on the surface of a 'hypersphere'. A hypersphere is a sphere with multiple dimensions which belongs to a branch of mathematics known as Riemannian geometry. "Compared to the trends of conventional generative models, we tried to bridge machine learning with the well-known sub-area of mathematics known as 'Riemannian geometry', since it has many positive implications for mathematical data," said Prof. Kwon, explaining their motivation behind this unique approach.

They found that by incorporating Riemannian geometry in this model, SphereGAN demonstrated a considerably improved performance as compared to conventional GANs.

For starters, it could be mathematically verified, was found to undergo stable training, and was successful in generating realistic images. Moreover, it displayed superior mathematical properties which eliminated the need for additional processes such as virtual data samplinga necessary requirement for conventional GANs. SphereGAN also used multiple geometric moments, which improved its accuracy in measuring distancesan important aspect of image generation.

On testing this model's efficacy for unsupervised 2D image generation and 3D point cloud generation, the team observed that the resultant 2D images and 3D point clouds were more realistic than those produced by conventional GANs, regardless of the domain of the dataset.

What are the long-term implications of using SphereGAN? "GANs have been employed for numerous applications the industrial fields, such as the generation of 'deep fake' images," explains Prof. Kwon. "The difference between these fake images and real ones cannot be distinguished by human perception. In the coming years, these and more advanced image generation applications will be possible with a robust model like SphereGAN".

Looks like SphereGAN will truly revolutionize imaging applications for multiple industrial and research fields in the coming years!

Reference

Title of original paper: SphereGAN: Sphere Generative Adversarial Network Based on Geometric Moment Matching and its Applications

Journal: IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TPAMI.2020.3015948

About Chung-Ang University

Website: https://neweng.cau.ac.kr/index.do

Contact:

Seong-Kee Shin

02-820-6614

[email protected]

SOURCE Chung-Ang University
MENTOR, Ohio, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratus (or "the Company"), a market-leading asset-light facilities services provider, announced today that Bryan Hartnett has joined the Company as Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. He replaces former COO Dave Walters, who recently retired from Stratus.

"We are pleased to welcome Bryan, a seasoned executive who has deep experience in facilities services and an outstanding track record of driving best-in-class operations and client satisfaction," said Tim Eippert, founder and CEO of Stratus. At Stratus, we create solutions that take brands and people to the next level. Bryan really connected with our mission, and I look forward to partnering with him to bring it to life. I'd also like to personally thank Dave for his many years of dedicated service to Stratus, and wish him the very best in his retirement."

Mr. Hartnett joins Stratus from Vixxo, an integrated facilities management company, where he served as SVP of Customer Operations after a decade as President of the East Division. Prior to Vixxo, Mr. Hartnett was CEO and founder of National DCP, a company supporting franchisees of Dunkin' Brands. Previously he was COO of Dunkin' Donuts N.E. Distribution Center, a regional purchasing and distribution cooperative serving 2,500 Dunkin' Donuts franchise locations. Mr. Hartnett began his career in public accounting.

"I am thrilled to join Stratus during this exciting period in the Company's evolution," said Mr. Hartnett. "Across all sectors, our clients are looking for innovative solutions to attract consumers in a competitive market. Stratus' reputation of partnering with blue-chip clients to deliver creative branding solutions and facility maintenance services are second to none. I look forward to working with Tim and the entire Stratus team to expand our offerings and explore new ways to better serve our clients."

About Stratus

Stratus is a leading brand implementation and facilities services company offering signage solutions, brand environments, energy services, repair and maintenance programs, and refresh and remodel capabilities across 50 states and 24 countries. With more than 50,000 projects completed annually, the Company provides versatile solutions for some of the world's largest and most recognized brands. Stratus is a portfolio company of Vestar Capital Partners. For more information, please visit www.stratusunlimited.com.

Media Contacts

For Stratus

Tim Walter

440.209.6200

[email protected]

For Vestar

Lambert

Jennifer Hurson

845.507.0571

[email protected]

or

Caroline Luz

203.656.2829

[email protected]

SOURCE Stratus; Vestar Capital Partners
MELBOURNE, Australia and INDIANAPOLIS, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX, Telix, the Company) a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of diagnostic and therapeutic products using Molecularly Targeted Radiation (MTR) advises that Dr Christian Behrenbruch, Group CEO and Managing Director will be presenting at the Jefferies Healthcare Conference in New York.

The presentation will take place on June 10 at 11.30am ET. A live webcast of the presentation will be available at this link https://wsw.com/webcast/jeff240/tlx/1721400. A replay will be made available on the Telix website.

About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited

Telix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of diagnostic and therapeutic products using Molecularly Targeted Radiation (MTR). Telix is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with international operations in Belgium, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States. Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage products that address significant unmet medical need in oncology and rare diseases. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX). For more information visit www.telixpharma.com and follow Telix on Twitter (@TelixPharma) and LinkedIn.

Telix's lead product, gallium-68 (68Ga) gozetotide (also known as 68Ga PSMA-11) injection, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),[1] and by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).[2] Telix is also progressing marketing authorisation applications for this investigational candidate in Europe[3] and Canada.[4]

Telix Investor Relations

Ms. Kyahn Williamson

Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited

SVP Corporate Communications and Investor Relations

Email: [email protected]

U.S. Contact

Lisa Wilson

In-Site Communications, Inc.

Email: [email protected]

T: 917-543-9932

[1] ASX disclosure 20 December 2021. [2] ASX disclosure 2 November 2021. [3] ASX disclosure 10 December 2021. [4] ASX disclosure 16 December 2020.

Legal Notices

This announcement may include forward-looking statements that relate to anticipated future events, financial performance, plans, strategies or business developments. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "outlook", "forecast" and "guidance", or other similar words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's good-faith assumptions as to the financial, market, regulatory and other considerations that exist and affect the Company's business and operations in the future and there can be no assurance that any of the assumptions will prove to be correct. In the context of Telix's business, forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about: the initiation, timing, progress and results of Telix's preclinical and clinical studies, and Telix's research and development programs; Telix's ability to advance product candidates into, enrol and successfully complete, clinical studies, including multi-national clinical trials; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, manufacturing activities and product marketing activities; the commercialisation of Telix's product candidates, if or when they have been approved; estimates of Telix's expenses, future revenues and capital requirements; Telix's financial performance; developments relating to Telix's competitors and industry; and the pricing and reimbursement of Telix's product candidates, if and after they have been approved. Telix's actual results, performance or achievements may be materially different from those which may be expressed or implied by such statements, and the differences may be adverse. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Telix disclaims any obligation or undertaking to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or a change in expectations or assumptions.

The Telix Pharmaceuticals name and logo are trademarks of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited and its affiliates (all rights reserved).

SOURCE Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited
"Robert Heinlein famously said: 'A human being should be able to change a diaper, conn a ship, set a bone, cook a tasty meal, program a computer, ... etc.' David embodies this philosophy: over the last decade he has started a family, written a book, taught at a Japanese university, started a successful crypto company, and served on the board of Sanrio (the Hello Kitty company) all the while growing his expertise in computing and being a standout sales leader at Lenovo, NEC, and AMD." said Tenstorrent CEO Ljubisa Bajic. "One of the greatest challenges in a tech company's formative years is the transition from being focused on R&D to success in the global marketplace. David's extensive experience will help build Tenstorrent's community of developers and customers and his energy and breadth will help us serve that community well."

Tenstorrent's mission is to bring unique solutions to the problems facing AI and machine learning. Bennett joins the Tenstorrent team at an exciting time in its trajectory as the company expands its team globally to Belgrade and Bangalore.

"What excites me most about Tenstorrent is that its technology scales from a single chip to a thousand chips, and from low power all the way up to megawatt data centers. $1,000 cards to $1m high density racks are powered by a single software stack that supports inference and training and a wide range of models which is a game changer," said Bennett. "I've spoken with Ljubisa and Jim, and we intend to open source the compiler software stack so that our AI developer community can add functionality and also see the inner workings of the stack. We want developers to be able to solve their own problems rather than being blocked by opaque and proprietary solutions."

Being developer focused is core to Tenstorrent's strategy which has expanded to include hardware, open source software and cloud services.

"Tenstorrent has built AI hardware and software that works. We also built an AI cloud so our customers can prototype the product and run production," said Tenstorrent President and CTO Jim Keller. "Additionally, we are now building high performance RISC-V processors to complement AI and advance CPU technology. We're really happy to have David join the team and bring this to market."

Prior to joining Tenstorrent, Bennett served as the President of Lenovo Japan, Japan's largest PC manufacturer. He also served as the CEO of NEC Personal Computers, and as a Global Vice President at Lenovo. He drove Lenovo Legion to the #1 gaming PC OEM in Japan, and oversaw the in-house development of numerous PC products. Before joining Lenovo, he spent twelve years at AMD, finishing his tenure there as the Corporate Vice President and General Manager of AMD's Asia Pacific and Japan region. He ran the worldwide Enterprise and Commercial business for AMD's largest OEM customers including HP, Lenovo, Samsung, NEC and Fujitsu.

While based in Japan, Bennett co-founded and operated Morgenrot KK, a distributed GPU computing company that containerized high density servers in partnership with energy companies around the world to provide cheap and green compute to rendering, machine learning and crypto workloads. He also serves on the board of Sanrio Company Ltd (the Hello Kitty company) and D4 Enterprises, Japan's renowned retro gaming and emulation programming house.

About Tenstorrent:

Tenstorrent is a next-generation computing company with the mission of addressing the rapidly growing compute demands for software 2.0.

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with U.S. offices in Austin, Texas, and Silicon Valley, and global offices in Belgrade and Bangalore, Tenstorrent brings together experts in the field of computer architecture, ASIC design, advanced systems, and neural network compilers. Tenstorrent is backed by Eclipse Ventures and Real Ventures, among others.

For more information visit www.tenstorrent.com .

SOURCE Tenstorrent Inc
TUCSON, Ariz., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In an 8-to-1 decision, the Texas Supreme Court agreed with the amicus brief filed by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), by ruling that the Texas Medical Board should have voided its report in the Data Bank against a good physician.

"More than 100,000 physicians have disparaging reports against them in this federal database," observed AAPS General Counsel Andrew Schlafly. "Many of those reports should be voided as the Texas Supreme Court just held with respect to this physician."

Robert Van Boven, M.D., D.D.S., valiantly fought for nearly a decade to obtain justice amid false accusations against him. "The Board's findings and conclusions in its Final Order negated the factual basis for the allegations against Van Boven," the Texas Supreme Court found, yet the Texas Medical Board had refused to void its prior adverse action report to the Data Bank against the physician.

Mr. Schlafly states, "This decision by the Texas Supreme Court establishes a cause of action for physicians to obtain justice for outdated and inaccurate reports about accusations that were never proven."

When a physician ultimately prevails against false accusations, as Dr. Van Boven did, there should not be a "scarlet letter" that remains forever in the federally maintained Data Bank. This new decision establishes appropriate liability for entities when they fail to void false accusations in the Data Bank once the physician is exonerated.

The Texas Supreme Court held that "the Board was required to file a Void Report with the Data Bank. Officials' actions to the contrary were therefore ultra vires, and the officials are not immune from Van Boven's claims."

"The era of smearing physicians with impunity by not voiding false accusations from the Data Bank is over," Mr. Schlafly states.

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) is a national organization representing physicians in all specialties since 1943. Its motto is omnia pro aegroto (everything for the patient).

SOURCE Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS)
KINGSTON, Jamaica, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The non-profit news entity, Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (CIJN), has launched an investigative series on citizenship by investment (CBI) programmes in the Caribbean. The stories examine the benefits of the programmes, along with transparency and accountability concerns in St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica and Saint Lucia.

A network of eighteen Caribbean journalists worked on the cross-border collaboration, which highlighted the economic value of such programmes to these small island developing states. Former CNN anchor and correspondent Jim Clancy led the teams in developing five long-form multimedia investigative stories.

The global concern over such programmes has become increasingly acute due to the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Caribbean nations have, accordingly, halted applications from Russia.

With the EU Parliament's review of CBI programmes and the uncertainty of the outcome, these islands could lose a major source of revenue that accompanied removal of Schengen visas. Based on available data, the report indicates that the highest number of applicants in the region are Chinese nationals.

A country-by-country examination of the use of revenue from the initiatives shows that while there are several positives which benefit the country's citizenry, there are grey areas regarding where and how the funds are utilised. There are also issues raised by several opposition parties and civil society critics. The degree of transparency and data in the public domain varied from island to island.

There is a clear indication that competition among the Caribbean countries is fierce, with each attempting to ensure that its investment option is the most attractive.

CIJN will also will be releasing a documentary on the findings.

CIJN stories can be accessed at www.cijn.org. All content can be freely republished with attribution and without amendment. For more information, email [email protected]

COMPANY: Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network

PHONE: 954-990-0007

E-MAIL: [email protected]

WEBSITE: www.cijn.org

SOURCE Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (CIJN)
SILICON VALLEY, Calif., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Reshoring Institute together with Supply Chain Management Review and Peerless Media announce the introduction of a new videocast hosted by Rosemary Coates. The new show, called "The Frictionless Supply Chain," will feature interviews with leaders in supply chain management. https://www.scmr.com/podcast/welcome_to_frictionless_a_new_podcast_hosted_by_rosemary_coates

The Frictionless Supply Chain Podcast

"This is an exciting new podcast," said Rosemary Coates, Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute and host of the new program. "We will focus on women leaders, although not exclusively. We will also emphasize global supply chains and how geopolitics and regional economics affect the flow of goods around the world."

Record numbers of college students at the undergraduate and graduate levels have majored in supply chain management and will be entering this well-paid, growing area of business after graduation. Universities around the world have developed new programs and majors in this fast-growing field. Businesses are recognizing supply chain management as the pathway to efficient operations and strategic advantage. These companies are adding executive-level supply chain jobs to their organizations. According to a Gartner survey, women now comprise 41% of the supply chain workforce and over 50% of the college students majoring in this function.

"Women in supply chain management is going to be an important area of focus for the Frictionless podcast, and I'm looking forward to hearing from more women leaders. At a number of the events we've been to recently, we've noticed more women who are in leadership roles as presenters. We are the Frictionless podcast will highlight these senior leaders," said Bob Trebilcock, Editorial Director at Supply Chain Management Review.

There is no shortage of topics in global supply chains currently. With the global pandemic, the lockdowns in China, and the war in Ukraine, supply chains are being disrupted worldwide and may continue to be chaotic for many months to come.

"Making supply chains frictionless is no easy task," said Coates. "We intend to interview supply chain leaders who can help us understand how."

The Frictionless Supply Chain podcast is available to download on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, or you can watch the videocast on the Reshoring Institute channel on YouTube.

Rosemary Coates is the Founder and Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute, a non-profit and non-partisan organization helping companies bring manufacturing back.

Contact:

Rosemary Coates

408-605-8867

[email protected]

SOURCE Reshoring Institute
BARTLESVILLE, Okla., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

"Deluded idiot."

On June 29, the Day of the Christian Martyr, VOM will honor Chau's example by adding his name to the Martyr's Memorial. Tweet this God called John Chau to North Sentinel Island, where the people have no contact with outsiders and they have responded violently to past contact. John still obeyed, preparing for the next nine years to live among them. On Nov. 15, 2018, John made first contact. A Sentinelese boy fired an arrow at John that lodged in his Bible. John retreated. The next day, John penned a note to his family. On Nov. 17, the fishermen who left John saw tribesmen burying his body.

"Adventure bro."

"Dumb American."

These were just a few of the pejoratives used to describe 26-year-old American missionary John Chau after he was killed in late 2018 attempting to reach the "most isolated tribe on the planet" with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Indian authorities called Chau's evangelistic efforts to the unreached Sentinelese tribe on North Sentinel Island, a "misplaced adventure in a highly restricted area."

But a closer look reveals Chau's Christ-like compassion, extensive training and preparation, and clear-headed conviction of his calling to the Sentinelese people.

"Every decision John Chau madefor nine yearswas made with an eye toward landing on that beach," said VOM Radio Host Todd Nettleton. "He counted the cost to answer Christ's call. He was mocked and ridiculed, not only by the press and the secular world, but also by fellow followers of Christ."

This year on the Day of the Christian Martyr, June 29, The Voice of the Martyrs will honor Chau's obedient and brave example by adding his name to the Martyr's Memorial located at the ministry headquarters in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

According to church tradition, June 29 marks the anniversary of the Apostle Paul's beheading in Rome. On this important date in church history, Christians around the world commemorate the lives of countless believers like Chau who gave their lives for Christ.

"What is it worth to us, each of us as followers of Christ, to see people come to know Jesus? What price is too high? That's the question that John Chau's life, and Day of the Christian Martyr, inspire us to ask," said Nettleton.

"I am personally thrilled more people are going to know John's storythe true storybecause of this year's DOCM resources," said Nettleton. "My prayer is that God uses John's example to inspire many more Christians to obey Christ's call to spread His love to every tribe, tongue and nationand to the people we live next door to or work with each day."

To help churches and believers participate in Day of the Christian Martyr, VOM has developed a free digital resource kit . This free download includes:

a powerful video testimony,

questions for reflecting on Chau's sacrifice,

a sermon outline,

a church bulletin insert,

and guided prayer slides.

Read Chau's full story online at https://www.persecution.com/stories/john-chau/ .

SOURCE The Voice of the Martyrs
U.S. Government's Appeal Filed as President Joe Biden and Lawmakers Call for Action to End Gun Violence

SAN ANTONIO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday, June 6, the United States government filed an appeal to overturn a landmark $230,000,000 verdict awarded to the victims of the tragic Sutherland Springs mass shooting. The verdict issued against the United States government on February 7, 2022 sought to compensate the families of those killed as well as survivors for the pain, trauma, and suffering they endured.

The shooting, which killed 26 people and left 22 others seriously injured, is one of the deadliest mass shootings in Texas history. U.S. Federal District Judge Xavier Rodriguez ruled that the United States Air Force was 60 percent responsible for the shooting as evidence showed the Air Force had failed to report thousands of violent felons to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The system is designed to prevent convicted criminals from purchasing or possessing firearms.

Sutherland Springs Shooting Appeal Filed while President Biden and Lawmakers Call for Action to End Gun Violence Tweet this

One of the felons the Air Force failed to report was able to purchase an assault rifle with multiple high-capacity magazines which he then used to carry out the mass shooting at Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas on November 5, 2017.

"For our government to try to avoid accountability for its role in the Sutherland Springs tragedy  especially at a time when our nation is grappling with mass shooting after mass shooting  is unconscionable," said Thomas J. Henry. "How can this country ever expect to stop these mass killings if our own government will not make themselves accountable?"

The appeal by the U.S. government follows a string of mass shootings in the United States. These include a shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York which killed 10 people and a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas which killed 19 children and two teachers. The two shootings happened within 10 days of each other.

Thomas J. Henry currently represents victims injured in both the Sutherland Springs shooting and the shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.

After the shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo, President Joe Biden and legislators from both sides of the aisle called for action to reduce mass shootings. In an address to the nation on June 2 , President Joe Biden stated "It's time for each of us to do our part." He claimed that gun violence in the United States has turned the country's schools and other public places into "killing fields", and he called on Congress to take serious action against gun violence.

These calls to action echoed previous statements by President Joe Biden.

On November 5, 2017, in the wake of the Sutherland Springs shooting, President Joe Biden tweeted : "These tragedies aren't inevitable. Don't let hopelessness win today. We must persist in our efforts to prevent gun violence."

Thomas J. Henry says that the actions by the United States government are at odds with what our leadership is saying about gun violence.

"When we went to court and provided evidence that the Sutherland Springs shooter was able to acquire the firearm he used because of oversight and failures by our government, both Republicans and Democrats fought against us," said Thomas J. Henry. "Now that a U.S. federal judge has ruled that they broke the law, they want to file an appeal? Our government is telling every shooting victim, every parent, and every child: 'we don't have to follow the law.'"

"I believe President Joe Biden was right when he said these tragedies aren't inevitable," added Thomas J. Henry. "This was the case in Sutherland Springs where 26 people lost their lives due to illegal and negligent behavior by our government, and our government should lead by example and accept responsibility. It is what the victims deserve."

About Thomas J. Henry Law

Thomas J. Henry Law, PLLC, is one of the nation's leading personal injury firms . Since 1993, the firm has fought to secure justice and compensation for individuals who have lost loved ones due to the negligence of others and to prevent similar instances of wrongful death from occurring again. Over that time, Thomas J. Henry and his firm have been the recipients of numerous awards and recognitions .

In 2021, Thomas J. Henry Law was named "Law Firm of the Year" by the American Institute of Legal Professionals.

In 2020, the firm was named one of the Best Places to Work by Glassdoor for the second consecutive year. It was the only law firm to secure the accolade. Firm founder Thomas J. Henry was named one of SA Scene Magazine's Best San Antonio Lawyers. Thomas J. Henry was also recognized in Texas Lawyer's (an ALM Company) Southwest Top Verdicts and Settlements of 2020 for securing the #1 Gross Negligence Verdict for the year.

In 2019, Thomas J. Henry Law was recognized as one of the nation's Premier Law Firms by Newsweek.com . That same year, Bloomberg Businessweek published a feature on Thomas J. Henry, highlighting his firm's "clear commitment to client satisfaction." Thomas J. Henry was also named the Best Attorney of San Antonio by the SA Current.

In 2018, Thomas J. Henry was named a Distinguished Lawyer by Lawyers of Distinction and was also recognized as one of the Best Personal Injury Attorneys in the nation by Newsweek.com. In 2017, Thomas J. Henry achieved one of the 10 largest verdicts recorded in Texas for the year (awarded to Thomas J. Henry by Texas Lawyer, an ALM company) as well as the #1 Texas Car Accident, Bus Accident, and Negligent Supervision Verdicts for the year (awarded to Thomas J. Henry by TopVerdict.com).

Other recent results include:

$50 Million for a Trucking Accident Resulting in Wrongful Death (Expenses: $1,126,381 | Attorney's Fees: $21,000,000 | Net to Client: $27,000,000 )

(Expenses: | Attorney's Fees: | Net to Client: ) $35 Million for a Trucking Accident Resulting in Wrongful Death (Expenses: $100,000.00 | Attorney's Fees: $12,750,000.00 | Net to Client: $22,150,000.00 )

Death (Expenses: | Attorney's Fees: | Net to Client: ) $30.2 Million for an Accident Involving a Recalled Vehicle Resulting in Spinal Cord and Back Injuries (Expenses: $39,576.15 | Attorney's Fees: $10,060,980.00 | Net to Client: $20,121,960.57 )

(Expenses: | Attorney's Fees: | Net to Client: ) $12.7 Million for a Medical Malpractice Resulting in Spinal Cord and Back Injuries (Expenses: $300.000.00 | Attorney's Fees: $2,000,000.00 | Net to Client: $10.4 Million - Purchase of Lifetime Annuity)

(Expenses: | Attorney's Fees: | Net to Client: - Purchase of Lifetime Annuity) $10.9 Million for Medical Malpractice Resulting in Spinal Cord and Back Injuries (Expenses: $300,000.00 | Attorney's Fees: $3,200,000.00 | Net to Client: $4,029,762.00 - Purchase of Lifetime Annuity)

(Expenses: | Attorney's Fees: | Net to Client: - Purchase of Lifetime Annuity) $10 Million for a Company Vehicle Accident Resulting in Spinal Cord and Back Injuries (Expenses: $125,000.00 | Attorney's Fees: $4,250,000.00 | Net to Client: $5,625,000.00 )

In 2016, Forbes Magazine named Thomas J. Henry a "Texas Leader in Law," noting his ability to secure large financial awards, a positive reputation among professional peers, and a dedication to philanthropy at the local, national, and global levels.

Thomas J. Henry is also a lifetime member of both the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and of Rue Ratings' "Best Attorneys of America."

Outside of the courtroom, the firm is known for its many philanthropic endeavors and generous contributions to local and global communities.

The firm has an active philanthropy program that supports causes related to poverty, veterans, national disaster relief, education, animals, and the arts.

PRESS CONTACT (Thomas J. Henry):

Norah Lawlor Lawlor Media Group www.lawlormediagroup.com

Tel: (212) 967-6900

SOURCE Thomas J. Henry Law
Hahn Brings Over Two Decades of U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue Experience

WASHINGTON , June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vita Inclinata (Vita), developer and producer of precision aerospace and industrial stabilization devices, today announced Tony Hahn has joined the company as an advisor. Leveraging his U.S. Coast Guard, MS in Engineering and Technology Management, and MIT's Seminar XXl Fellowship experience, Hahn will provide strategic, technical, and leadership guidance for Vita Rescue System adoption within the rotary-wing public sector.

Tony Hahn Joins Vita Inclinata As Advisor

"Through my many years of being an offshore and shipboard search and rescue Pilot-in-Command for the U.S. Coast Guard, I was trained on the latest life-saving technologies and thought I had seen it all," Hahn said. "However, when I saw a demonstration of Vita's stabilization technology, I was amazed and immediately understood how this revolutionary system could greatly improve the safety, time, and rescue efforts for aircrews. I'm excited to help advocate for this technology's use in the public sector and rescue efforts worldwide."

Hahn has an impressive 24 years of U.S. Coast Guard experience. Most recently, he held the position of Chief of Staff, Coast Guard Pacific Area Command, Alameda, Calif., where he provided guidance, support, and leadership to advance the strategy, direction, and vision of the Pacific Area Commanderwith an area of operations over 74 million square miles utilizing over 13,000 active duty, civilian and volunteer employees. Before his Chief of Staff position, Hahn served as Sector/Air station Commander at Air Station, Corpus Christi, TX. In this position, he was responsible for the safety, security, and facilitation of commerce as Captain of the Port for Corpus Christi, Victoria, and Brownsville.

Most notable as Sector/Air Station Commander, Hahn led the Corpus Christi federal response to Hurricane Harvey. Through his efforts, his team helped save 209 lives, provided assistance to more than 600 individuals, secured 1,500 maritime pollution sources, created comprehensive port surveys, and provided aid to navigation placement for the Port of Corpus Christi openingin only seven days.

Additional U.S. Coast Guard responsibilities throughout his career include Chief of Public Affairs, Aeronautical Engineering Program Manager, Maintenance Officer, and Instructor Pilot.

"Coupled with his leadership skills, Hahn brings a unique perspective to the Vita team that only years of active search and rescue missions can provide," said Caleb Carr, CEO, Vita. "We are proud to have him collaborate with our public sector teams to advance the adoption of our lifesaving technologies."

About Vita Inclinata

A friend's death during a rescue operationwith a helicopter close but unable to stabilize due to weather and terrainwas the genesis of Vita Inclinata. Founded in 2015 as a way to solve a real problem, Vita today controls chaotic swinging and spin and adds safety and precision for rotor-wing and fixed-wing aircraft and cranes. With the mission of "Bring them home, every time," Vita's technology changes the narrative while saving lives, time, and money across industries, including search and rescue, military, firefighting, public safety, construction, wind energy, and oil and gas. The company is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, with offices in Washington, DC, and Huntsville, Alabama. For more information, please visit www.vitatech.co .

For more information, contact:

Betsey Rogers

BridgeView Marketing

603-821-0809

[email protected]

SOURCE Vita Inclinata
The Collaborators Launch a Comprehensive Traceability Playbook Aimed at Building Responsible Supply Chains for a New Era

The open-source playbook offers a one-stop guide for fashion brands wanting to accelerate sustainable transformation with digital traceability.

TrusTrace estimates that 95% of supply chain information is still tracked manually, but are seeing increased interest in digital solutions after experiencing a 350% increase in brands requesting support in the first months of 2022 vs 2021.

In connection with the playbook launch, TrusTrace submits a UNECE Sustainability Pledge aimed at accelerating sustainable transformation through supply chain traceability at scale.

STOCKHOLM, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TrusTrace, a market-leading platform for supply chain transparency and product traceability within the fashion and retail industries, in collaboration with Fashion Revolution and Fashion for Good, today announces the launch of The Traceability Playbook. The comprehensive, open-source guide offers an in-depth analysis of the evolving market dynamics and incoming legislation moving traceability from a nice-to-have to a must-have, and includes practical advice on how to leverage traceability to achieve their goals. The initiative was driven by a collective commitment to accelerating sustainable transformation in the fashion industry, through cross-industry collaboration and knowledge sharing.

The Traceability Playbook

Shameek Ghosh co-founder and CEO, TrusTrace comments: "We're at an inflection point as an industry, where sustainability is evolving from a 'nice-to-have' to a 'must-have' business imperative; a point at which one's greenline is becoming every bit as important as one's bottom line. However, with this evolution comes the need for knowledge  on how to most effectively manage this sustainable transformation  which is why we've teamed up with Fashion Revolution and Fashion for Good to develop this Traceability Playbook. Together, with some of the most knowledgeable, best-informed minds in the industry, we've created a resource for the fashion industry that will significantly support sustainable transformation."

The start of 2022 has seen TrusTrace experience a 350% YoY increase in brand requests for traceability guidance and support, inspiring the traceability platform to join forces with advocacy organization Fashion Revolution and the global innovation platform Fashion for Good, to develop the Traceability Playbook.

The collaborators have worked together to combine knowledge and expertise, developing this go-to manual that will help brands understand the basics of achieving supply chain traceability, from the key players operating within the vast supply chain network, to the digital trends and legislation driving traceability forward. The Playbook is written by sustainable fashion journalist Megan Doyle, who worked with collaborators to combine knowledge and develop this go-to manual that will help brands understand the basics of achieving supply chain traceability, from the key players operating within the vast supply chain network, to the digital trends and legislation driving traceability forward.

Providing both up-to-date insights and concrete examples of good practice, the playbook includes case studies from innovative companies such as Balenciaga, Gucci, adidas, and more, as well as insights from thought leaders across the industry including Amina Razvi from the Sustainable Apparel Coalition; Paul Foulkes-Arellano from Circuthon; and Baptiste Carriere-Pradal from Policy Hub  each providing in depth insight into their specialist topics.

Ultimately, the guide aims to support brands in understanding the business case for traceability whilst offering a step-by-step roadmap to achieve it.

Liv Simpliciano Policy & Research Manager, Fashion Revolution comments: "The Rana Plaza tragedy inspired the creation of Fashion Revolution and the #WhoMadeMyClothes campaign, understanding that a lack of transparency costs lives and in order to achieve accountability, greater visibility is needed to drive industry transformation. As part of this work, we are pleased to highlight practical case studies of brands' disclosure on how they are addressing some of the industry's greatest challenges across overconsumption, overproduction, decent work, circularity and carbon emissions. Transparency is the starting point, not the end in itself. The Traceability Playbook is a resource democratising access to knowledge from leaders in the industry and importantly, exposes where greater traceability and transparency are needed to catalyse change."

Katrin Ley, Managing Director at Fashion for Good adds "Improved traceability and data integrity are the bedrock of a circular supply chain enabling and incentivising sustainable enhancements. With the growing importance of an impact driven supply chain, Fashion for Good is excited to contribute to an open source playbook for the industry that promotes a collaborative approach of knowledge sharing, implementation and driving the change that is needed to transform the industry for the better."

Available to download from the TrusTrace website, the guide covers key topics such as the business case for traceability and transparency, the need for standardization and decentralization of data and the key traceability trends driving the market. The guide also includes a 'material school' chapter, offering guidance on the impact of different materials.

One chapter explores key trends within digital supply chain traceability solutions, along with the importance of supplier education and technology innovation to drive more sustainable production practices. The guide also addresses the business drivers of traceability, including laws and regulations, communicating product specific impact data and product specific claims.

Finally, TrusTrace explains the different levels of traceability, the benefits and limitations of each type, and how brands can leverage them to track and improve their ESG performance and compliance. To learn more, interested brands can then take the traceability test to identify how to best get started or progress their traceability journey.

The Traceability Playbook is also a key education tool for the UNECE Sustainability Pledge that TrusTrace has submitted today, aimed at accelerating sustainable transformation through supply chain traceability at scale. The pledge commits to three key actions;

Educating the fashion industry on how to best leverage technology in the form of supply chain traceability to deliver on SDG and ESG goals.

the fashion industry on how to best leverage technology in the form of supply chain traceability to deliver on SDG and ESG goals. Scaling traceability in the industry by expanding the number of brands they support in building a data foundation. This will enable the industry to make informed decisions to improve ESG performance.

traceability in the industry by expanding the number of brands they support in building a data foundation. This will enable the industry to make informed decisions to improve ESG performance. Accelerating positive results through collaboration and integration with other sustainability solution providers.

Maria Teresa Pisani, Economic Affairs Officer and Project Lead at UNECE highlights: "Behind the clothes we wear, there are women and men that need to be respected, and deserts, forests and oceans that need to be protected. Traceability and transparency are key to ensure that social, human rights and environmental risks are properly identified and addressed along global and complex value chains. It is a starting point to give a face and a voice to vulnerable actors in this industry, and a right move towards responsible choices and circular business models that will drive wrong patterns "out of fashion". We are delighted to welcome TrusTrace in our UNECE Sustainability Pledge community, as this is another step forward to accelerate transformation at scale, for the sustainable clothing industry of the future"

The Traceability Playbook will be launched on 7th June 2022 during a side event of Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition  the leading international forum for sustainability in fashion.

"Digital traceability is a critical enabler for the circle economy, and we believe it has an important role in achieving a just transition and distributing value fairly across all actors. We encourage fashion leaders to work in pre-competitive and cross-sectoral collaborations to achieve this goal. The Traceability Playbook is a helpful public resource to support us all in taking action towards a net positive industry." Holly Syrett, Director of Impact Programmes & Sustainability, Global Fashion Agenda.

Visit www.trustrace.com to download your copy of the Traceability Playbook from the 7th June 2022

For Further information please contact:

Jess Passananti

[email protected]

212-481-3456 x 23

SOURCE TrusTrace
ORLANDO, Fla., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP), a leading global consumer products company, announces today that it has entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of its Nutrimetics beauty business, which operates in Australia, New Zealand, and France. This transaction advances the Company's turnaround plan strategy of divesting non-core assets. Terms of the transaction, including the anticipated closing date, have not been disclosed. The sale of the Nutrimetics beauty business follows the Company's sale of its Avroy Shlain beauty business in South Africa during the first quarter of 2021, and the sale of its House of Fuller beauty business in Mexico during the second quarter of 2022.

"We are pleased to have reached agreement to sell our Nutrimetics beauty business," said Miguel Fernandez, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tupperware Brands. "We remain focused on executing on our turnaround plan, and the sale of our non-core assets, including Nutrimetics, aligns with this strategy by enabling the Company to increasingly focus on growing our core Tupperware brand. Our goal remains unchanged: to restore this iconic brand to sustained growth and deliver increased value to all stakeholders. This transaction represents yet another milestone along that path."

About Tupperware Brands Corporation

Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) is a leading global consumer products company that designs innovative, functional and environmentally responsible products that people love and trust. Founded in 1946, Tupperware's signature container created the modern food storage category that revolutionized the way the world stores, serves and prepares food. Today, this iconic brand has more than 8,500 functional design and utility patents for solution-oriented kitchen and home products. With a purpose to nurture a better future, Tupperware products are an alternative to single-use items. The Company distributes its products into nearly 70 countries primarily through independent representatives around the world. For more information, visit Tupperwarebrands.com or follow Tupperware on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and Twitter .

Investors: Alexis Callahan, [email protected], 321.588.5129

Media: Cameron Klaus, [email protected], 407.371.9784

SOURCE Tupperware Brands Corporation
OpenAP owners Fox, NBCUniversal, Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery will convene leaders from across the marketing ecosystem at a pivotal moment for the advertising industry

Together they will demonstrate how shared innovation powered by OpenAP makes it possible for marketers to target and measure consistent ID-based audiences at scale across programmers and screens

NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OpenAP and its owners Fox, NBCUniversal, Paramount and Warner Brothers Discovery today announced they will join forces at the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to host a first-of-its-kind Advanced Advertising Summit. Following a year of significant innovation and acceleration of more advanced ways to reach precise audiences and measure advertising consumption across screens, the TV networks will convene brand, publisher, agency and technology executives from across the marketing ecosystem to coalesce around a shared vision for the future of TV advertising.

The Advanced Advertising Summit will be hosted on Thursday, June 23rd from 10a.m.-2p.m. CEST at Long Beach, Croisette Cannes and will include conversations with decision makers who are solving TV's most complex challenges. Topics will be focused on action and accelerating TV advertising's transition from siloed panel-based demographics to census ID-based audiences at the breadth, quality and scale that only television as a platform can provide for marketers.

"Our companies have proven that through collaboration, partnership and shared goals we can ignite a movement that transforms an entire industry. The last year alone brought seismic shifts with programmers and advertisers both acting on what we've been talking about for years and bringing real change to how we target and measure the value of TV advertising. By coming together with OpenAP, we will show the strength of premium video and how joint cross-programmer solutions like OpenID and XPm unlock audience planning, optimization and measurement at scale," said Dan Callahan, SVP, data strategy and sales innovation at FOX; Krishan Bhatia, president & chief business officer at NBCUniversal; John Halley, chief operating officer, advertising revenue at Paramount; and Jim Keller, EVP, digital ad sales and advanced advertising at Discovery, Inc. in a joint statement.

The TV Summit at Cannes Lions will be the singular destination where TV networks along with technology, measurement and data companies unite to demonstrate the power and innovation of data-driven marketing. Featured companies joining the event will include Amobee, Comscore, EDO, Innovid, iSpot, LiveRamp, Magnite, Nielsen, VideoAmp, SambaTV, TransUnion and Truthset.

"Television has for decades been the most storied platform for creativity, and the rise of data and multiscreen viewing now offers an entirely new platform for marketers to reach their audiences with brand messages at scale. The future of TV is no longer some far-off idea -- it's here. With our partners, OpenAP will place TV advertising right where it should be -- in the center of the conversation around creativity and innovation at Cannes Lions," said Brittany Slattery, chief marketing officer at OpenAP.

Thursday's Advanced Advertising Summit will kick off with a discussion on the Future of TV, featuring Callahan, Bhatia, Halley and Keller. Networks will present on progress of recent cross-screen targeting and measurement innovations, and will be joined by Catherine Sullivan, CEO of PHD US; Doug Rozen, CEO of dentsu Media, Americas; and Jay Askinasi, chief growth officer, Publicis Groupe, among others, who are all leading in bringing more advanced strategies to market. Additional content will be presented by Summit Partners.

To stay updated on speakers and programming details and register to attend, visit our webpage here .

About OpenAP

OpenAP is the advanced advertising company bringing simplicity and scale to audience-based campaigns in television. Powered by a standards-based approach to data activation, we enable advertisers to onboard audiences centrally for use in planning, campaign execution and measurement across the largest footprint of premium video advertising. OpenAP makes it possible for unified ID-based audiences to be used for targeting and measurement across any TV publisher in both linear and digital viewing environments, unlocking transformative insights when using the same audience consistently across all screens. Our technology is open and interoperable, delivering workflow automation and efficiencies on advanced audience campaigns for agencies, brands and publishers. For more information, visit www.openap.tv and follow @OpenAPTV on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE OpenAP
TXOne Networks wins categories "Most Innovative Critical Infrastructure Protection," "Hot Company ICS/SCADA Security" and "Best Product Industrial Cybersecurity" in 10th Annual Global InfoSec Awards at #RSAC 2022

- Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) -

SAN FRANCISCO and TAIPEI, Taiwan, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At TXOne Networks we are proud to announce that we have won the following awards from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry's leading electronic information security magazine:

"Most Innovative Critical Infrastructure Protection"

"Hot Company ICS/SCADA Security"

"Best Product Industrial Cybersecurity"

"We're thrilled to receive one of the most prestigious and coveted cybersecurity awards in the world from Cyber Defense Magazine, during their 10th anniversary as an independent cybersecurity news and information provider. We knew the competition would be tough and with top judges who are leading infosec experts from around the globe, we couldn't be more pleased. We are happy to see that our solutions including the Stellar series, the Edge series, Trend Micro Portable Security 3, and the OT Defense Console are not only well received by our customers and partners, but that they have been recognized by the awards jury," said Dr. Terence Liu, CEO of TXOne Networks.

"TXOne Networks embodies three major features we judges look for to become winners: understanding tomorrow's threats today, providing a cost-effective solution, and innovating in unexpected ways that can help mitigate cyber risk and get one step ahead of the next breach," said Gary S. Miliefsky, publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

TXOne Networks is thrilled to be a member of this group of winners, which can be found here: http://www.cyberdefenseawards.com.

TXOne's threat researchers Mars Cheng and Selmon Yang are honored to give a talk at the RSA Conference on June 9 (2:10 PM - 3:00 PM PT, Moscone West 2006). Join them and learn more about the "Deconstructive Take-Over of Mitsubishi Electric Ecosystems" and our OT Zero Trust concept.

Join the #RSAC RSA Conference 2022 virtually at https://www.rsaconference.com/usa.

About TXOne Networks

TXOne Networks offers cybersecurity solutions that ensure the reliability and safety of industrial control systems and operational technology environments through the OT zero trust methodology. At TXOne Networks, we work together with both leading manufacturers and critical infrastructure operators to develop practical, operations-friendly approaches to cyber defense. TXOne Networks offers both network-based and endpoint-based products to secure the OT network and mission-critical devices in a real-time defense-in-depth manner. www.txone.com

About Cyber Defense Magazine

Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of cyber security news and information for InfoSec professions in business and government. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power.

TXOne Networks press contact:

[email protected]

+886 2-2378-9666 ext. 5133

European press contacts TXOne Networks:

GlobalCom PR-Network GmbH

Martin Uffmann / Caroline Hannig-Sachon

[email protected] / [email protected]

+49 (0)89 360 363-41 / -42

SOURCE TXOne Networks
2022 Hurricane Season is here!

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Only a week into the 2022 Hurricane Season and Tropical Storm Alex became the first named storm of the six-month season, flooding parts of southern Florida. Now that hurricane season is officially upon us, now is the time to make sure your family is prepared in the event of any severe weather conditions.

Officially beginning June 1 and running through November 30, forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center are calling for an above-average Atlantic hurricane season, predicting at least 14-21 named storms and six to 10 hurricanes  four of which could be Category 3 or higher.

But while forecasting is not an exact science, it is important to keep in mind that just one storm could have a significant impact on homes, property and lives.

That's why Virginia Natural Gas is providing customers with the following recommended natural gas safety guidelines for use before, during and after a weather emergency:

Meter Safety

DO NOT turn off your gas supply at the main meter. Only Virginia Natural Gas or emergency personnel should turn the valve on or off.



Leaving natural gas meters on helps to maintain proper pressure in the gas piping within homes or businesses and can prevent water from entering the fuel lines should flooding occur.



Customers are encouraged to know the location of their natural gas meter.



Following a weather emergency, customers should ensure the natural gas meter is visible, and the area surrounding the meter is free of trash and debris. Mechanical equipment used after the storm to clean up a location may damage the meter if it is hidden.



If a natural gas meter is damaged or an underground gas line is exposed, customers should immediately leave the area, and call the Virginia Natural Gas 24-hour emergency response line at 1.877.572.3342 or 911 from a safe location.

Appliance Safety Before and After the Storm

Customers are advised to leave their natural gas service operational during a hurricane or severe storm. Most modern gas appliances have safety valves that shut off the flow of natural gas automatically with a loss of gas pressure or flooding of the appliances.



Electronic ignition appliances will not come on when the power source has been impacted.



If you are uncomfortable leaving your appliances operational, contact a trained professional (certified plumber or HVAC contractor) to shut off your appliances at the cutoff valves. When it is safe to do so, have them return to turn the valves back on, leak test the line and turn on to test the appliance for safe operation. Find a qualified natural gas contractor.



If flooding occurs at a residence or business and the gas appliances are underwater, customers are advised not to operate their appliances until a safety inspection is conducted by a certified plumber or HVAC contractor.

Damage Prevention

Strong winds and saturated ground could cause trees to become uprooted. Before removing downed trees, customers should contact VA811 to have the location of underground utility lines marked since downed trees could become tangled with natural gas lines.



If a natural gas meter is damaged or a natural gas line is exposed, customers should immediately leave the area and call the Virginia Natural Gas 24-hour emergency response line at 1.877.572.3342 or 911 from a safe location.

Detecting Gas Leaks

If customers smell the distinctive "rotten-egg" odor associated with natural gas, they should leave the area immediately and move a safe distance away from the potential leak, while avoiding any action that may cause sparks.



Look for blowing dirt, discolored vegetation or continued bubbling in standing water.



Customers should never try to identify the source of a leak or stop the leak themselves.



Avoid using any sources of ignition, such as cell phones, cigarettes, matches, flashlights, electronic devices, motorized vehicles, light switches or landlines, as natural gas can ignite from a spark, possibly causing a fire or explosion.



Customers should call the Virginia Natural Gas 24-hour emergency response line at 1.877.572.342 or 911 once they are in a safe place out of the area of the suspected leak. They should also stay away until Virginia Natural Gas or emergency personnel indicates it is safe to return.

Generator safety

Generators can be useful after a storm but dangerous if not properly used. The primary hazards to avoid when using a generator are carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from the toxic engine exhaust, electric shock or electrocution and fire.



NEVER use a generator in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces.



NEVER try to power the house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet, a practice known as "backfeeding."



Plug appliances directly into the generator. Or use a heavy duty, outdoor-rated extension cord that is rated (in watts or amps) at least equal to the sum of the connected appliance loads.



During a power outage, natural gas generators provide continuous fuel supply from an existing natural gas line. While these units are available in a range of sizes to meet various energy needs, customers are encouraged to contact Virginia Natural Gas before purchase and installation to determine whether their service line and meter meet load requirements for the generator's safe and efficient operation.

Personal Safety

Your personal safety is the most important thing before, during and after a storm. The Red Cross urges everyone to be prepared before the storm hits. This means having an emergency preparedness kit that includes among other things, a seven-day supply of medications, copies of important documents such as insurance policies, non-perishable food items and water for two weeks, extra cash, batteries for flashlights and radios, and personal hygiene products. Visit the Ready.gov national preparedness website for more tips.



that includes among other things, a seven-day supply of medications, copies of important documents such as insurance policies, non-perishable food items and water for two weeks, extra cash, batteries for flashlights and radios, and personal hygiene products. Visit the national preparedness website for more tips. Flooding and storm surge are historically the leading cause of hurricane-related deaths in the United States . Know your flood zone and potential risk hazards in your area. Visit the Virginia Department of Emergency Management website and simply enter your address to "Know Your Zone."

How to connect with us

During a storm, Virginia Natural Gas communicates information to customers through the news media and on Facebook , Twitter, Instagram , and Nextdoor.

For more information about natural gas safety, visit virginianaturalgas.com/safety .

About Virginia Natural Gas

Virginia Natural Gas is one of four natural gas distribution companies of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO). Virginia Natural Gas provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable natural gas service to more than 300,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in southeast Virginia. Consistently ranked in the top quartile for customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates, the company also has been recognized by the Virginia Department Energy (Virginia Energy) and the Virginia Oil and Gas Association for its safety, innovation, environmental stewardship, community outreach and educational programs, and has been named Local Distribution Company of the Year five times since 2015. The company has been ranked by its business customers as one of the most Trusted Business Partners in the utility industry according to Cogent Reports, and a Top Workplaces in Hampton Roads by Inside Business. For more information, visit virginianaturalgas.com and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Nextdoor.

About Southern Company Gas

Southern Company Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America's premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.3 million natural gas utility customers through its regulated distribution companies in four states with approximately 600,000 retail customers through its companies that market natural gas. Other nonutility businesses include investments in interstate pipelines and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more information, visit southerncompanygas.com.

SOURCE Virginia Natural Gas
"Our partnership with Metro Fund Inc. represents an opportunity for both companies to grow our operations. Bringing together Metro Fund's deep relationships, especially in South Florida's Latino community, and Walker & Dunlop's industry-leading expertise in CRE lending will lead to more favorable financing options and better deals for our clients," said Howard Smith, Walker & Dunlop President. "Since founding Metro Fund in 2014, Orlando Diaz has demonstrated his ability to originate quality commercial, construction and multifamily loans through relationships with the local building and development community. Walker & Dunlop is excited to expand Metro Fund's lending capacity in all facets of CRE, including with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."

Walker & Dunlop originated $49 billion in transactions and financed over $42 billion for multifamily properties in 2021. With one of the strongest networks in the industry, the firm's 2021 brokered loan originations totaled $30 billion, a 170% increase over 2020.

"Partnering with Walker & Dunlop, the third largest provider of CRE capital in the U.S., will bring marketing and production support, along with a host of new multifamily and commercial lending options to our established builder and investor clientele," said Orlando Diaz, President of Metro Fund Inc. "As the construction and commercial market continues to flourish, the backing of Walker & Dunlop will solidify Metro Fund's position as the lender of choice for CRE and multifamily lending in South Florida"

Metro Fund Inc., a Hispanic-owned business established in 2014, is a leading independent mortgage and CRE lender in South Florida with deep ties to the development community in South Florida. Since its inception, Metro Fund has deployed significant amounts of capital for both the residential and commercial market via institutional lenders and private capital.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) is one of the largest providers of capital to the commercial real estate industry, enabling real estate owners and operators to bring their visions of communities  where Americans live, work, shop and play  to life. The power of our people, premier brand, and industry-leading technology makes us more insightful and valuable to our clients, providing an unmatched experience every step of the way. With over 1,400 employees across every major U.S. market, Walker & Dunlop has consistently been named one of Fortune's Great Places to Work and is committed to making the commercial real estate industry more inclusive and diverse while creating meaningful social, environmental, and economic change in our communities.

SOURCE Walker & Dunlop, Inc.
More manufacturing capacity, new retail products, celebrity recipes and a documentary video series highlight a year of announcements and celebrations

COLUMBUS, Ohio , June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1987, White Castle launched its retail division, becoming the first fast-food restaurant to offer its food in grocery stores for preparation at home. Some industry experts scoffed at the idea, saying a fast-food restaurant couldn't succeed as a consumer packaged-goods company. But White Castle proved them wrong. Its retail division has grown steadily over the years, becoming an integral part of the family-owned business' success and giving the brand a national presence.

White Castle's retail division celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2022. Tweet this White Castle's retail division, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, features a diverse lineup of menu items.

"When my dad, Bill Ingram, was president and CEO, he wanted to make sure everyone had access to White Castle Sliders, including people who didn't live in a White Castle market," said Lisa Ingram, White Castle's current president and CEO. "That's how he came up with the idea of selling our Sliders in grocery and convenience stores. It was a strategic decision that has made a significant difference for White Castle."

Now observing its 35th birthday, White Castle's retail division has several reasons to celebrate.

The division sold its 6 billionth retail Slider at the end of 2021 and achieved record sales last year. In fact, 20% of its total sales since 1987 have come in the past three years alone, and the division is poised for continued growth.

To keep up with the increasing demand for its frozen Sliders, White Castle is expanding the manufacturing capacity at its plant in Vandalia, Ohio, near Dayton. The company has invested $27 million in the project, which will be finished this summer. The expansion doubles the size of the plant from approximately 75,000 square feet to 150,000 square feet.

During the groundbreaking ceremony last summer, White Castle officials named the plant "The House That Bill Built" in honor of Bill Ingram, the third-generation family member who was responsible for creating and expanding the retail division during his tenure as president and CEO. Today, The House That Bill Built, along with other dedicated manufacturing facilities in Covington and Louisville, Kentucky, supply packaged Sliders to retailers, large and small, in all 50 states.

As part of White Castle's commitment to bring even more craveable snacking solutions to consumers, White Castle on June 1 announced a partnership with Bellisio Foods, one of the nation's largest, most trusted frozen-food companies, to bring White Castle's Chicken Rings to retail outlets across the U.S.

One of the most popular menu items in Castles, Chicken Rings will debut this summer, making a welcome addition to White Castle's retail selection. These lightly breaded, tender, juicy white meat chicken rings will come in two flavors  original and spicy. Packaged in a stand-up, resealable pouch, they're ready to satisfy every crave anytime.

Look for another product announcement at the end of July.

"Our retail division continues to perform well and exceed our sales goals," said Tiffany Carreker, general manager and vice president of sales for White Castle's retail division. "These new products are going to enhance our existing line-up and make our retail offerings even more attractive to customers. It's a perfect way to celebrate our 35 years as a CPG business."

In late 2021, White Castle added the Chicken & Cheese Slider, White Castle's top-selling non-beef Slider sold in Castles, to its retail lineup. The rollout of the popular Slider, which is made with all white meat topped with American cheese, continues with wide acceptance among major food retailers nationwide. The Chicken & Cheese Slider joins five other craveable varieties of White Castle Sliders available in grocers' freezers: Original Sliders, Classic Cheese Sliders, Jalapeno Cheese Sliders, Chicken Breast Sliders and the Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Slider.

White Castle will be celebrating the 35th anniversary of its retail division in other ways, too.

Celebrity food enthusiast Adam Richman, the former host of Man v Food, recreated three of his favorite recipes using White Castle Sliders. This tasty trio of dishes  Slider Lasagna, Slider Scallion Pancakes and Afternoon Tea with Sliders  are very easy to make but result in surprisingly delicious flavor combinations.

And later this year, White Castle will release a documentary-style video series on social media. Called "The Crave Chronicles," these 30- to 45-second vignettes will go behind the scenes to show how Sliders are made, how they ended up in grocery stores nationwide, and how team members work to satisfy customers' cravings every single day.

"We've come a long way since retail's launch in 1987, not just in years, but in everything we've been able to accomplish, as well," Carreker said. "We make the great taste of Sliders available to Cravers all across the country, and that's always reason to celebrate."

About White Castle

White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain, has been making hot and tasty Sliders as a family-owned business for 101 years. Based in Columbus, Ohio, White Castle started serving The Original Slider in 1921. Today White Castle owns and operates more than 350 restaurants dedicated to satisfying customers' cravings morning, noon and night and sells its famous fare in retail stores nationwide. The Original Slider, named in 2014 as Time magazine's "Most Influential Burger of All Time," is served alongside a menu of creatively crafted Sliders and other mouthwatering food options, including White Castle's Impossible Slider, named by Thrillist in 2019 as the "Best Plant-Based Fast Food Burger." White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants, bakeries and frozen-food processing plants. In 2021, 100 years after the first Slider was sold, Fast Company named the fast-food pioneer one of the "10 Most Innovative Dining Companies." White Castle is known for the legendary loyalty of its team members, more than 1 in 4 of whom have worked for White Castle for at least 10 years, and also for its faithful fans ("Cravers"), many of whom compete each year for entry into the Cravers Hall of Fame. The official White Castle app, available at iTunes App Store or Google Play, makes it easy for Cravers to access sweet deals and place pickup orders at any time. They can also have their orders delivered using one of White Castle's delivery partners. For more information on White Castle, visit whitecastle.com.

SOURCE White Castle
LOS ANGELES, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vance Street Capital LLC ("Vance Street"), a Los Angeles based private equity firm, today announced its second single asset continuation fund  VSC Extended Value (EV) 2, LP ("EV2")  backing Motion Dynamics Corporation ("Motion Dynamics" or the "Company"), a leading provider of highly engineered precision wire-based components primarily for the medical device, industrial and aerospace markets.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Fruitport, Michigan, Motion Dynamics is a leading manufacturer of wire-based micro-components and sub-assemblies, which are frequently found in micro-catheters, pacemakers and neuromodulation devices. The Company focuses on products that require fine and ultra-fine wire diameters, unique alloy types and shapes, and high precision / tight tolerances.

Vance Street originally invested in Motion Dynamics in September 2016 through Vance Street Capital II, L.P. ("Fund II"). Since partnering with Motion Dynamics, the Company has doubled its manufacturing footprint, expanded into new and adjacent manufacturing capabilities and pursued strategic M&A, all of which have contributed to market leading growth. Chris Witham, Founder and President of Motion Dynamics, has led the Company under Vance Street's ownership and will continue to lead the business during the next phase of growth. "We originally partnered with Vance Street due to their experience working with entrepreneurs and their long track record of supporting high-precision manufacturing businesses. Throughout their investment period, Vance Street has been a supportive partner and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with the team to capitalize on the strong foundation we have built to further the Company's growth," said Chris Witham.

EV2 was oversubscribed and is capitalized with commitments from both new and existing Vance Street LPs. Vance Street offered all LPs in Fund II the opportunity to reinvest the value of their investment.

"Motion Dynamics was an outstanding investment for Fund II, and we are excited that Chris and the rest of the Motion Dynamics team chose to partner with Vance Street again. We remain aligned in our objectives on how to pursue growth, add additional capabilities and continue to build upon this leading MedTech platform," added Brian Martin, Managing Partner at Vance Street.

Vance Street partnered with Apogem Capital ("Apogem") as the lead investor. "We tracked Motion Dynamics for some time and jumped at the opportunity to support the Company and Vance Street by providing equity and debt to complete the transaction," said Michael Zeleniuch, Managing Partner at Apogem.

Vedder Price LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal advisors to Motion Dynamics and Vance Street Capital LLC. Debt financing for the transaction was provided by Apogem Capital, BMO Capital Markets and Northwestern Mutual. M2O Private Fund Advisors LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to Vance Street and placed the continuation fund with Apogem Capital as the lead investor. The EV2 syndicate included new investors to finance the transaction. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Vance Street Capital LLC

Vance Street Capital is a middle-market private equity firm investing in highly engineered solutions businesses across the medical, life science, industrial, and aerospace & defense sectors. For over two decades, Vance Street's partners have worked with management teams and family owners to accelerate revenue growth, improve operations, and acquire strategic assets for the companies in their investment portfolio. For more information please visit: www.vancestreetcapital.com

Media Contact:

Natalie Yates

[email protected]

SOURCE Vance Street Capital
Return to Work Testing Offered Along with Treatment at Onsite PT Clinics Helps Keep Employees in the Workforce

DULUTH, Minn., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WorkWell, the experts in preventing and treating sprains, strains, and back pain, today announced that its WorkFIT program is now available in its Onsite PT clinics. The WorkFIT program provides a functional test to determine an employee's readiness for return-to-work activities after an injury or illness to ensure that they can safely perform all of the essential physical requirements of their job.

"In today's tight labor market, where organizations struggle with retention, it is more critical than ever to keep employees engaged," said Karil Reibold, Chief Executive Officer at WorkWell. "The combination of onsite treatment and WorkFIT allows companies to stay closer to their employees, even when ill or injured, which helps boost employee retention."

By conducting return-to-work testing at an onsite PT clinic, clinicians can identify task modifications, accommodations, or other restricted work options so that employees remain present in the workplace. As a result, employees stay actively engaged with the company rather than being entirely out of the workforce, promoting employee retention.

Compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), WorkFIT screens are based on a worker's capability to perform specific job functions for fitness for duty when considering returning to work. The program allows employers to make legal, fair, and non-discriminatory decisions regarding employees returning to work.

For more information, click here.

About WorkWell

WorkWell helps organizations prevent and treat sprains, strains, and back pain by delivering comprehensive and scalable musculoskeletal health programs as part of their overall safety and wellness programs. We partner with employers to keep employees safe, healthy, and productive by identifying workplace risks, implementing early intervention and proactive ergonomics, providing employee testing and treatment, and ensuring safety compliance. Our prevention, treatment, and training programs are delivered by our network of 10,000 credentialed physical therapists who are experts at delivering all aspects of a comprehensive musculoskeletal wellness program. To learn more, visit us at WorkWell.com or follow us on Twitter at @WorkWellPandC and LinkedIn.

CONTACT:

Laura MacSweeney

Red Javelin Communications

[email protected]

339-221-0614

SOURCE WorkWell Prevention and Care
Yourways acquisition of the site, located at Dublin Airport Logistics Park, was a strategic choice convenient for a client base including the Republic of Irelands major pharma and biopharma companies, and offering easy access to a significant domestic clinical trials market and many international locations.

As the new flagship depot for the European continent, the Dublin site will be an important global hub, supported by the companys other European depots in London, UK; Kyiv, Ukraine; Minsk, Belarus; and Moscow, Russia.



The site is scheduled to be audit ready by Q4, 2022 and will offer Yourways unique integration of clinical, primary and secondary packaging, and premium courier services  optimizing the speed and efficiency of customers clinical trials worldwide. Yourways expertise covers high-value drugs including APIs, investigational medicinal products (IMPs), and everything required by trials, including kitting and ancillary materials.



With Irelands strength in biopharma, Yourway has operated there for over 15 years, which contributed to our decision to build our flagship depot in Dublin, said Gulam Jaffer, Founder & President of Yourway. Were anticipating notable market growth in Europe, and Yourway will be perfectly placed to support it.

Dublin joins Yourways existing network of global depot locations, which, beyond the aforementioned European sites, includes the companys headquarters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and depots in Canada, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Israel, South Africa, India, China, Japan, Singapore, and Australia. With such a robust global network of GMP-compliant depots offering both ambient and temperature-controlled pallet and shelf locations and packaging capabilities, the company is well positioned to support clinical trials anywhere in the world with its integrated suite of services.



About Yourway

Yourway is the only truly integrated premium courier and clinical packager, providing a full range of primary and secondary clinical packaging, ancillary materials sourcing, logistics, storage and distribution, and premium courier services serving the global biopharmaceutical industry. Headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with a global network of fully managed 21 GMP depots worldwide, Yourway is an agile and reliable partner with 25 years of experience. Visit https://www.yourway.com/.

Contact:

Leandro Moreira

SVP, Corporate Development

+1 610 395 9198

[email protected]

SOURCE Yourway
More than 3,300 workers at 70 companies, including fish and chip shops and financial institutions, today began working a four-day week as part of the world's largest trial into the shortened traditional working week.

The trail will run for six months and is organised by 4 Day Week Global, a group advocating a shorter working week without loss of wages, in collaboration with think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week Campaign, and researchers from Cambridge University, Oxford University, and Boston College.

The trial is based on the 100:80:100 paradigm, which allows for 100% pay for 80% of the time in exchange for 100% productivity.

Platten's Fish and Chips on the Norfolk coast is participating along with Sheffield software firm Rivelin Robotics, London-based inheritance tax experts Stellar Asset Management, and Charity Bank in Tonbridge, Kent.

Later this year, Spain and Scotland are to be begin testing four-day working weeks.

"The UK is at the crest of a wave of global momentum behind the four-day week," said Joe OConnor, chief executive of 4 Day Week Global.

"As we emerge from the pandemic, more and more companies are recognising that the new frontier for competition is quality of life, and that reduced-hour, output-focused working is the vehicle to give them a competitive edge."

Researchers will talk to each participating company about the impact on corporate productivity and employee satisfaction, as well as on the environment and gender equality.

Additionally, researchers will study how employees respond to an extra day off in terms of stress and burnout, work and life satisfaction, health, sleep, energy use, and travel.
Roquefort Therapeutics PLC (LSE:ROQ) is to accelerate two of the antibody programmes it acquired with Lyramid, having determined they have high commercial potential in cancer treatment.

Stephen West, executive chairman, said the biotech wants to be first to market with an anti-Midkine oncology antibody.

Lyramid, a pioneer in inhibiting Midkine, a factor linked to a number of serious diseases, was acquired in December and Roquefort said the programmess, ROQA1 and ROQA2, demonstrated significant anti-cancer activity in validated in vivo models of metastatic tumours.

The intention is for a CTA/IND [new drug] filing in late 2023.

Elsewhere, the company has continued its collaboration with Murdoch University in Western Australia to design and test a novel series of gene silencing reagents, antisense oligonucleotides, targeting Midkine.

Oligonucleotide drugs interfere with the processing of the Midkine mRNA ultimately leading to reduced active Midkine protein produced in diseased tissues and tumours, said Roquefort.

West added: "It has been a very active start to the year during which we have made significant progress.

The collaboration with Murdoch University is yielding encouraging results with the company's lead oligonucleotide drug candidates.

In addition, we are delighted that the review of the wider portfolio acquired with Lyramid has resulted in the conclusion that two of the antibody programs have high commercial potential and we will therefore be accelerating the development of those.

These are exciting developments that broaden the commercial potential within the company and enhance the upside value that we believe can be delivered as we progress the programs."
Photo-Me International PLC (AIM:PHTM) is looking bright after a positive trading update.

The firm, which operates laundrettes and food vending machines as well as photo booths, said it was upgrading its 2022 forecasts after performing ahead of expectations so far this year.

Half year revenue was up 24.2% compared with the same period last year, with its photo booths benefiting from pent up demand for passports as travel restrictions were lifted.

It said the strong start to the year came despite the current economic and consumer uncertainty, and a significant increase in supply chain and raw material costs which it mitigated through its significant pricing power.

Overall for the year it expects revenues to grow by at least 20%, with profits in the range of 47mln to 50mln, assuming no further COVID-19 related restrictions.

Its shares have jumped 13.31% to 80p.

2.33pm: National Express shares stall after update

Worries about margins at National Express Group PLC (LSE:NEX) have put the brakes on the coach operator's shares.

The firm, which saw its offer for Stagecoach lapse last month after a rival bid from German group DWS Infrastructure, said providing low UK fares and as well as unprecedented levels of wage inflation in the US would hit its margin recovery.

It is aiming for an average profit margin of 9% in the period 2022 to 2027, and recovery to pre-pandemic margin levels of around 10% in the later stages of that period.

But in the short term, a recovery in profitability is expected to lag a recovery in revenues, and it expects a 2022 margin of around 7%.

Its shares are down 9.61% at 244.6p.

12.15pm: Zenova signs Saudi Arabia distribution deal

Zenova Group PLC (AIM:ZED) has reached a deal to distribute its thermal insulation and fire protection products in Saudi Arabia.

The company has signed a sub-distribution agreement with the Ethmaar Investment Company, which has strong relationships with major organisations in the country.

This deal includes Ethmaar placing the first order of one container valued at 116,000 within 3 months of entering into the agreement and then ordering a minimum of 1.2mln worth of Zenova products within 12 months.

Chief executive Tony Crawley said: "This agreement with Ethmaar represents a very important first step for Zenova into Saudi Arabia and we look forward to working with Ethmaar as we gain a foothold for our products in this jurisdiction where our products are much needed to tackle the issues that are increasing in their significance as the local authorities focus more on temperature management, energy conservation, safety and prevention of fire."

Zenova shares have climbed 5.81% to 16.4p.

11.14am: Corcel climbs on plans to expand Canadian mine into nickel

Corcel PLC (LSE:CRCL) is climbing after the natural resources company unveiled plans to expand its 50% owned Dempster vanadium project in Canada.

It now plans to include a review of the nickel potential in addition to the existing vanadium targets.

It said: "The company believes that this project expansion is appropriate due to nickel's increased recognition as a key battery metal that is essential to creating the lithium-ion battery density demanded by buyers of electric vehicles as well as grid level energy storage installations.

"This renewed focus on nickel can be seen in recent nickel prices movements as well as an ongoing race to secure nickel supplies by end users such as Tesla, Inc. This expanded effort fits well with the company's existing battery metals led strategy and should ultimately make the Dempster project more valuable and more likely to be progressed to an operating mine in the Yukon."

Corcel shares are 7.59% better at 1.32p.

10.16am: Filtronic in demand after winning US contract

Filtronic PLC (LSE:FTC) is flying after a new US contract.

The firm, which makes products for the aerospace, defence, telecoms infrastructure and critical communications markets, said it had won a follow-on deal for full production units after a successful trial of its 5G mmWave modules for the test equipment market.

The contract is worth US$0.9mln, and revenues are expected to be recognised in the 2023 financial year.

The company said the deal broadens its customer base and establishes an adjacent telecommunications market it had been actively targeting for growth.

Chief executive Richard Gibbs said: "We are delighted to have been chosen as the production partner for these technically challenging mmWave products. Once again, we have been able to demonstrate the importance of our in-house manufacturing, and our ability to take a design all the way through from initial concept into full production.

"We now look forward to the challenge of delivering production units working to secure future manufacturing orders of this product."

Its shares are up 6.74% at 10.14p.

9.20am: Haydale Graphene sees revenues ahead of forecasts

Haydale Graphene Inds PLC (LSE:HAYD, OTC:HDGHF) is higher after it said full year revenues were likely to be ahead of market expectations.

The company said the figures had been boosted by a strong launch of High Tech Systems' product Hi-Therm, where it supplies boron nitride as a thermal fluid for domestic and industrial heating systems.

It also benefited from a positive settlement in a contractual dispute with a US group selling silicon carbide cutting tooling and wear-resistant solutions.

On the other hand it has seen slower than anticipated sales of silicon carbide to East Asian customers, who have been adversely impacted by the lock downs in China.

Chief executive Keith Broadbent said: "Our transition from a research and development focussed organisation to a commercial operation has accelerated during the second half of the year and we look forward to driving our business forward in the coming year and thereafter."

Its shares have climbed 6.87% to 7p.

8.47am: AMTE Power (AIM:AMTE) accelerates after electric vehicle deal

AMTE Power (AIM:AMTE) has accelerated 9.63% to 74p. after the battery cell specialist signed an agreement with powertrain developer Viritech to support the development of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

The deal paves the way for AMTE to supply its ultra high power cells for use in Viritech's battery packs on high performance electric vehicle projects, including heavy goods vehicles, light commercial vehicles, marine, aerospace, and distributed power applications and Viritech's hypercar project, Apricale.

Earlier this year AMTE said it anticipates making an announcement within 2022 on new production facilities for its cell types that will enable the business to produce UK-based cells at industrial scale.

AMTE chief executive Kevin Brundish said: "Batteries are essential to the transition to hydrogen electric vehicles and our UHP cells are the perfect fit for this collaboration, with our carefully refined cell chemistry able to fulfil the specific power, weight and safety requirements for Viritech's power trains. This partnership will help the EV industry move to net zero emissions while ensuring the UK remains a competitive player in automotive manufacturing."

Elsewhere BowLeven PLC (AIM:BLVN), the Africa focused oil and gas company, has bubbled up after a new partner was proposed for a key field.

New Age, the operator of the Etinde field in Cameroon where Bowleven has an equity stake, said it had agreed to transfer all its interests in the field to Anglo French group Perenco.

The transaction needs approval from the Cameroon government and the Etinde joint venture partners, Bowleven and Lukoil.

In any case Bowleven will continue to be entitled to a final investment decision payment of US$25mln from its partners, whoever they end up being.

Bowleven chief executive Eli Chahin said: "The prospect of Perenco becoming our partner and operator at the Etinde permit is very positive news.

"We believe that Perenco's proven Cameroon oil and gas developments and substantial experience provide an opportunity to accelerate our efforts to secure the final investment decision and the associated US$25mln payment to Bowleven. We look forward to engaging with Perenco and we will update shareholders in relation to Etinde developments in due course."

Bowleven has jumped 40% to 3.5p.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether crypto exchange Binance Holdings Ltd broke securities laws by selling digital tokens while the crypto exchange was just getting started five years ago.

The SEC review will examine the company's origins as well as those of its BNB token, now the fifth-largest cryptocurrency.

Binance Holdings' native token, BNB, lost more than 7% of its value after Bloomberg reported that US regulators are investigating the company.

Binance Coin (BNB) is an exchange-based token issued by cryptocurrency exchange Binance and was originally created on the Ethereum blockchain as an ERC-20 token in July 2017, but was moved to Binance Chain in February 2019.

During the height of the initial coin offering (ICO) boom, BNB ICOs took place on several platforms in July 2017 and Binance opened its doors shortly thereafter.

Investigators are examining whether the 2017 ICO should have been registered as a security.

The SEC has brought dozens of enforcement actions regarding ICOs, in which virtual coins are issued to raise money.

In a statement, Binance said "it would not be appropriate for us to comment on our ongoing conversations with regulators, which include education, assistance, and voluntary responses to information requests," Bloomberg reports, with the company adding it works with authorities and "will continue to meet all requirements set by regulators."

This scrutiny of BNB's origins may be troubling for Binance as it faces multiple investigations in Washington.

An investigation by Reuters claimed Binance has been used to launder at least US$2.35bn in illicit funds over the last five years.

Binance is already under investigation by several federal agencies, including the SEC, with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission launching an investigation last year into the exchange's trading practices.

The Financial Conduct Authority ordered Binance Markets' UK operation to cease operations last year following a review of its operations,

Binance was also ordered to stop operating in Ontario last June, although it continued to do so until March of this year, state reports.
Blencowe Resources PLC (LSE:BRES)s chief executive officer, Mike Ralston, explains to Proactives Katie Pilbeam why he is very excited about the final metallurgical test work results from the Orom-Cross graphite project in Uganda.



The results revealed a low level of impurities, which will play well with the battery applications that we are looking to sell most of our products into, Ralston said, as it will reduce the costs of purifying the end product. The flake graphite concentrate also demonstrated many other attributes that will make it easier for the company to market its product to traditional and advanced graphite applications including both primary and secondary battery markets.



Ralston said the company had pretty much scored a home run with every one of the key metrics end users would be looking at.
FTSE 100 was going nowhere in early dealings rather like Boris Johnson even though 41% of his MP colleagues voted against him in last nights no-confidence motion. Whether the PM will eventually have to go seemed to matter less to investors than China easing its Covid restrictions with the index down 2 at 7,605.

Biffa is the latest UK company in the sights of US private equity. The waste recycler has received a 1.4bn, 445p per share, takeover approach from Energy Capital, which Biffas board say they are minded to accept.

Retail sales in May dropped 1.5% on a like-for-like annual basis according to the British Retail Consortium, something it blamed on the cost of living surge. Footfall over the Jubilee, however, was 6.9% higher than an average May weekend said the BRC.

Britain is facing national fuel crisis according to the RAC. Simon Williams, the motoring groups fuel spokesman, said further government intervention was urgently needed including a cut in fuel duty and or VAT.

Ted Bakers chosen buyer has pulled out just a fortnight after it was given full access to the company's accounts. The clothing brand said its board was now pondering whether to return to one of its spurned suitors and see if their previous proposals were still on the table.

Among the small caps, Open Orphan boasted record sales, up 76%, and swung to a profit last year as human challenge studies were reignited by the pandemic. Orders have also surged ahead and now stand at 64mln.

Zephyr Energy aims to monetise its Utah gas resources through a fast-tracked cryptocurrency mining venture this summer. The company said that the crypto facility could be operational in as little as eight to 12 weeks, in tandem with the start of production from the State well.
Paramount Pictures is being sued for copyright infringement over the sequel to the 1986 Top Gun movie.

The family of the Israeli writer whose magazine article inspired the original Tom Cruise movie claims the film studios rights to Ehud Yonays 1983 story Top Guns expired in 2020.

A lawsuit filed on Monday at the Los Angeles federal court by Yonays widow and son said Paramount did not reacquire the rights under the US Copyright Act following termination in January 2020.

The Israeli family want unspecified damages from Paramount, as well as profits from the new film, Top Gun: Maverick.

"Much as Paramount wants to pretend otherwise, they made a sequel to Top Gun after they lost their copyright," lawyer Marc Toberoff, the Yonays representative, told the BBC.

The family claimed to have told the film studio in 2018 that its rights to the article would be terminated two years later.

Paramounts Top Gun franchise would have never existed without Yonays "literary efforts and evocative prose and narrative," the lawsuit said.

Paramount hit back and said: "These claims are without merit and we will defend ourselves vigorously."

Maverick, which earned 438mln within its first 10 days, had the fourth largest opening weekend of pandemic-era films, behind Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Batman.
i(x) Net Zero PLC chief executive Steve Oyer joins Proactive London to talk about the companys first set of results as a listed company and the exciting year ahead.

He says the company has a significant opportunity to invest additional capital in the six existing investee companies and is also looking at potentially entering other areas such as hydrogen and carbon trading, as well as talking about the significance of the AIM float earlier this year, the awarding of the LSE Green Economy Mark and what investors might expect from the year ahead.
1. Musk bid for Twitter 'inevitably' heading to court

The founder of electric vehicle company Tesla Inc and space exploration venture SpaceX issued an updated filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday to complain that the company was obstructing the provision of material data relating to its platform.

Read more

2. Paramount faces Top Gun: Maverick copyright infringement claim

Paramount Pictures is being sued for copyright infringement over the sequel to the 1986 Top Gun movie.

Read more

3. Lloyds among chosen few for Citi as banks get over spring slump

Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LSE:LLOY) is 'top pick' for Citigroup as the market returned to a more positive stance on the sector

Read more

4. Biffa receives takeover bid but Ted Baker back to square one

Biffa PLC (LSE:BIFF) said it has received a proposed takeover bid from private-equity firm Energy Capital Partners

Read more

Ted Baker PLC (LSE:TED) said its chosen buyer last night decided not to buy the company, a fortnight after it was given full access to the company's accounts.

Read more

5. FTSE 100 stagnates following the no-confidence vote

At the close, the UK blue-chip index was down 9.29 points, or 0.1% at 7,598.93, above the day's low of 7,570.67 but below the session peak of 7,617.53.

Read more
Castillo Copper Ltd (LSE:CCZ, ASX:CCZ) has reassessed its core strategy, choosing to prioritise growth of the Broken Hill Alliance (BHA) Projects cobalt mineralisation in western New South Wales and the NWQ Copper Projects Big One copper deposit in northwest Queensland.

This new strategy will also see the company seek development partners to advance assets at Cangai Copper Mine in northern NSW and four other prospective projects in Zambia's Copperbelt.

High commodity prices of US$70,000 per tonne for cobalt and US$9,000 per tonne for copper have prompted Castillos new strategy, which seeks to take advantage of the high demand forecast for both minerals.

The boards core strategic intent is to create value for shareholders via developing the core projects, Castillo Copper managing director Dr Dennis Jensen said.

With cobalt remaining over US$70,000 per tonne, the priority is to extend known mineralisation across the BHA Projects East and West Zones via targeted drilling campaigns and formalising a clear path to market.

Similarly, with copper above US$9,000 per tonne, the board will apply the same formula for the Big One Deposit within the NWQ Copper Project.

Concurrently, the board intends to align with development partners to advance the Cangai Copper Mine and four prospective copper projects in Zambia.

BHA Project East and West Zone

Castillo's geology team at the BHA Project near Broken Hill is defining an exploration target, having recently announced a shallow inferred mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 21,556 tonnes of contained cobalt metal.

The company is finalising planning and approvals for two reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaigns across the project, designed to extend known cobalt mineralisation in the East Zone and test targets identified in the West Zone, near Cobalt Blues Broken Hill project.

Castillo says it has been approached by several groups interested in becoming offtake partners since announcing the MRE, providing a clear path to commercialisation.

To aid these discussions, CCZ has dispatched diamond core from the Sisters Prospect for metallurgic analysis to determine its suitability for cobalt concentrate and other downstream applications.

The Castillo board intends to engage with key shareholders regarding potential support in developing the BHA Project at a faster pace, given its presence on the NSW Governments critical minerals list.

NWQ Copper Project  Mt Isa Copperbelt

Castillo has also produced a shallow MRE at NWQ, fielding 21,886 tonnes of contained copper metal.

In the same vein as BHA, the company is engaging with potential offtake partners  specifically those with processing operations at Mt Isa  and diamond drill cores have again been set for metallurgic analysis to determine viability for copper concentrate and similar downstream applications.

The board says it is reasonably confident it will be able to secure an offtake partner, as several local processors are operating below desired capacity.

CCZ will conduct RC and diamond drilling campaigns on the Big One deposit, focused on extending known mineralisation and elevating confidence in measured resources.

The NWQ project holds additional upside in the Arya prospect, where flake graphite has been discovered and will be put through its metallurgic paces imminently.

There is also strong geochemical and geophysical evidence of copper mineralisation potential, which will be followed-up with a proof-of-concept campaign targeting a sizable magnetic anomaly.

The company has interpreted this anomaly to host massive sulphides with potential for copper mineralisation.

Cangai Copper Mine

The Cangai Copper Mine also features on the NSW Governments critical mineral list, indicating it may receive some government support in developing the project, especially given its MRE of 107,589 tonnes of contained copper.

The company believes Cangai has significant exploration potential, as it still holds several untested bedrock conductors interpreted to be open at depth.

Castillo is in preliminary discussions with several potential development partners to further advance Cangai.

Zambia Copper Projects

Castillo is confident comprehensive geochemistry and geophysical campaigns undertaken at the Luanshya and Mkushi projects in Zambia have identified multiple high-quality copper targets for drill testing.

The company is also encouraged by interest from several prospective development partners wishing to form a joint venture (JV) to advance these two projects via funding drilling campaigns.

The board is optimistic that further discussions could secure a positive outcome.
Australian Potash Ltd (ASX:APC) has welcomed updated flow modelling that outlines the potential for increased production from brine at the Lake Wells Sulphate of Potash Project (LSOP) in WA.

After releasing a front end engineering and design (FEED) study last year, which focused on the Lake Wells borefield, the SOP company analysed results from its recently completed brine supply bores.

APCs evaluation points to increased brine grade and sustainable pumping rates within the borefield, and by updating its hydrogeological flow model the company could increase annual SOP production by 15,000 tonnes.

Ultimately, the 12.5% upgrade would bring the projects production metrics up from the 120,000 tonnes per annum shown in the FEED study to a 130,000-tonne annual production rate.

Whats more, modelling suggests that 89 supply bores will be suitable for life-of-mine (LOM) operation, whereas the original FEED development model had 172 bores over the LOM  a 48% reduction in installed bores.

New financial modelling on the way

Australian Potash managing director and CEO Matt Shackleton said: We continue to apply a rigorous de-risking methodology to the development and operational strategies at the LSOP, including crucially in the fundamental brine abstraction (mining) process.

The LSOP will be developed as a 100% borefield abstraction project with no reliance on surface trenching to collect brine.

The early works program we undertook through 2021 and early 2022 has demonstrated improvements in the brine borefield and data from constructed bores has allowed us to further optimise the flow model underpinning the LSOP development, providing us the opportunity to produce more SOP with less bores over the life of mine."

He said the financial implications of these results were being worked through, "but less bores means lower initial capital cost and lower sustaining capital costs, which we reasonably anticipate will flow through to the LSOPs financial outcomes.

Updated financial modelling will be announced to ASX as soon as it is available.

Higher annual production rate

Initially, APC believed it could produce 100,000 tonnes of SOP every year with brine extraction, thanks to a 2019 definitive feasibility study (DFS).

Using 20% of the in-situ measured resource, the company calculated a probable reserve of 3.6 million tonnes.

The DFS also forecast another 50,000 tonnes per annum could be produced by converting Lake Wells muriate of potash (MOP) to SOP.

The brine abstraction rate was optimised through the FEED study, leading to optimised SOP output of 120,000 tonnes per annum.

Through the DFS, external consultants AQ2 prepared a hydrogeological model for LSOPs proposed development.

This model has been updated regularly with actual data generated in the field.

By including data from bore test pumping to date in the hydrogeological model, APCs modelling indicates theres potential to increase the annual SOP production from brine abstraction to 135,000 tonnes per annum.

A further improvement from the updated flow model is a reduction in the number of bores required to produce the necessary brine flow.

Where the FEED model indicated a required 79 bores at startup, expanding to 172 bores over the life of the LSOP, the current model revises the required bores down to only 89 over the life of mine.

As a result, the potential cost savings over the life of the mine could be substantial.

Along with the reduction in bore number, the updated flow model predicts higher grade and a longer production profile.

The implications to LSOPs pond network, harvest ponds and processing plant are being considered in light of the improved flow model.
Krakatoa Resources Ltd (ASX:KTA) is encouraged by the interpreted results of a moving loop electromagnetic ground (MLEM) survey over 15 of the high-priority late-time electromagnetic survey (AEM) targets identified at Mt Clere Rare Earth Project in the northwest margins of the Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia.

The survey highlights multiple walk-up sulphide drill targets with strong 10,000-plus siemens conductors recorded at the project.

Notably, all MLEM traverses recorded significant mid to late time anomalies indicative of basement sources.

Moving forward, Krakatoa will drill test priority targets on completion of all regulatory permitting earmarked for the late September quarter.

Read: Krakatoa Resources to begin MLEM survey with priority targets to be drilled in June

Significant massive sulphide mineralisation

Krakatoa CEO Mark Major said: The company is extremely pleased with the results of the MLEM target generation.

We recognised we had some great targets after flying the VTEM survey and now we have confirmed the true nature of these high calibre targets.

This area is an emerging region and one which is attracting a lot of attention now.

Multiple targets have the potential to host significant massive sulphide mineralisation and we could be on the cusp of something significant for our shareholders."

Map of AEM targets showing MLEM lines over TMI magnetics.

MLEM survey

In total, 18 traverses of data were collected over 15 target areas, for about 45-line kilometres of data collection.

All data were collected using a moving in-loop configuration with a series of wider initial pass traverses followed up with tighter infill traverses where required.

All traverses recorded significant mid to late time anomalies (basement sources) except for the B3 target.

Plate modelling of the MLEM data indicates the anomalies are sourced by basement conductors with conductances that range from hundreds of Siemens to more than 10,000.

Strongest anomalies were recorded at Milly-Milly (MM-1) and North Bullbadger (NBB-8). The sources of the MLEM anomalies model in the high thousands of Siemens (typically greater than 8,000) with responses recorded well into the last channel of the 0.25-hertz data.

Forward plan

Krakatoa is undertaking the regulatory permitting and heritage clearance requirements at Mt Clere.

Once complete the company will rapidly advance to drilling which is expected to be a combination of reverse circulation and diamond methods.

All targets have been 3D plate modelled and prioritised for drill testing.

Additional conductors and PGE-nickel-copper targets, identified from the initial interpretation of the AEM data in early 2022, will be followed up with the second phase of MLEM surveys and ground-truthing programs this year.

Major adds: We have only looked at a third of the targets so far.

We are now planning our inaugural drilling program to test these targets and have commenced the processes for obtaining all the regulatory permitting and requirements for the heritage survey.

We are looking to complete these activities as soon as possible.
Volt Resources Ltd (ASX:VRC) has executed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the sale of 5,000 tonnes of fine natural flake graphite product annually for 10 years from the Bunyu Graphite Project in Tanzania.

The non-binding LOI was signed by 100% Volt subsidiary, Volt Graphite Tanzania Ltd, with listed battery anode material producer Graphex Group Limited subsidiary, Graphex Technologies (OTCQX:GRFXY, HKG:6128) LLC.

This LOI includes a provision for the parties to enter into a definitive offtake agreement within 60 days and another that could see offtake volume increased to 10,000 tonnes of Bunyu product for any 12-month period, by mutual agreement.

A volume producer

Graphex Technologies is a volume producer of spherical graphite for lithium-ion battery anodes and has recently filed for a proposed listing on the NYSE, America.

The opportunity to align with Volt Resources fits perfectly into Graphexs goal to augment and diversify the upstream supply of high-quality natural graphite to meet the growing demands of EV production in the US and worldwide, Graphex Group president John DeMaio said.

We look forward to exploring the possibility of expanding the relationship with Volt in the future to include higher volumes from Bunyu and potentially additional Volt assets.

A highly respected company

Volt managing director Trevor Matthews said: We are very pleased to secure this Letter of Intent for our Bunyu Product, and Volt is delighted to be partnering with such a highly respected company such as Graphex.

The company looks forward to completing the definitive offtake agreement with Graphex for the Bunyu graphite product."

Volt is continuing negotiations with other parties for additional offtakes for the Stage 1 Bunyu Project.

Strong demand in graphite market

"With strong demand in the graphite market, we are continuing to progress discussions with additional parties in respect to further offtake opportunities, Matthews said.

Looking ahead, Volt remains firmly focused on obtaining the development funding for the Bunyu Project and moving towards construction and first production.

"We look forward to providing shareholders with further updates on progress in the near term.

About Graphex Group

Graphex Group Limited is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and its ADRs are traded on the US OTCQX. It has its principal and administrative offices in Hong Kong and subsidiary office in Royal Oak, Michigan USA.

Graphex is focused on the development of technologies and products for the enhancement of renewable energy, particularly the enrichment of spherical graphite and graphene, key components for EV batteries and lithium-ion batteries for other use cases.

With a manufacturing facility in Heilongjiang Province, Graphex is strategically located near one of the worlds largest high-quality sources of natural flake graphite raw material.

Graphex Group is among the top suppliers of specialized spherical graphite to the EV and renewable energy industries and holds 23 patents in areas including products, production methods, machinery design and environmental protection.
Skyfii Ltd (ASX:SKF, OTC:SFIIF) has signed a three-year agreement with a major Australian museum.

Over the course of the deal, the ASX-lister will help the venue improve its customer experience with a range of traffic and occupancy analytics solutions.

Although the museum has not been named, Skyfii said the venue hosted more than one million visitors annually through a range of venues and exhibits.

Delivering crucial real-time data

Commenting on the three-year deal, Skyfii CEO Wayne Arthur said: The signing of another iconic museum, adding to our growing portfolio of cultural venues, further reflects the value our venue analytics solutions provide.

Our solutions not only deliver crucial real-time data, but allow our customers to create an enhanced service through their venues.

Expanding global footprint.

Skyfiis latest agreement further extends the companys presence in the smart city and cultural venues vertical.

In this space, Skyfii works with a range of domestic and global venues, such as Waverley City Council, The City of Melbourne, the National Museum of Australia and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).

More broadly, Skyfii is intent on expanding its global footprint in the rapidly growing omnidata intelligence sector, in which the company processes more than 11 billion data points daily.

Skyfii generated A$15.4 million in annual recurring revenue at the end of FY22s third quarter and holds A$5 million in cash with no corporate debt.
Orthocell Ltd (ASX:OCC) has wrapped up its Remplir (previously CelGro) nerve reconstruction study, and the results are promising.

Participants in the clinical trial suffered traumatic nerve injuries following motor vehicle, sporting or work-related incidents, resulting in partial or total loss of use of their arms and, in more severe cases, their legs and torso (quadriplegia).

They experienced significant pain and were unable to perform basic activities of daily living  such as eating, bathing and dressing  play sport or work. Without surgery, they would not have regained normal use of their injured arm and hand.

The trial participants received one or more nerve reconstructions augmented with Remplir in one or both upper limbs. Recovery after treatment was assessed by grading the strength of target muscles closest to the site of nerve repair.

Restores arm and hand function

Orthocell welcomed the final data read-out at 24 months post-treatment for all patients in the trial, which showed that nerve reconstruction with Remplir  following injury to the spinal cord, brachial plexus and other peripheral arm/hand nerves  consistently restores arm and hand function.

The results also demonstrate that not only were functional gains maintained between 12 and 24 months post-treatment but also that patients continued to improve over that time.

At 12 months, 76% of all reconstructed nerves resulted in functional recovery of muscles controlled by the repaired nerve, improving to 85% at 24 months post-treatment.

In the quadriplegic patient cohort, 76% of reconstructed nerves also resulted in functional recovery of muscles controlled by the repaired nerve at 12 months, improving to 92% at 24 months post-treatment.

Life-altering repair for participant

Trial participant Damien Hall injured his hand skateboarding, seriously damaging a motor nerve and leaving him with a permanently closed fist.

The treatment I received to repair my nerve damage has been completely life-altering. I had lost full function of my hand, making the simplest of tasks impossible  from tying my own shoelaces to changing my babys nappy, he said.

After being in the trial, I have made a full recovery and am now able to complete tasks unassisted and pain-free giving me back my freedom and independence.

The treatment has also allowed me to return to the sport I love of rock climbing, where I am performing at the same level prior to my injury including competition climbing.

Quadriplegic patient outcomes

More than half of the nerve repairs augmented with Remplir were performed in five quadriplegic patients. The results for this challenging condition have been very encouraging. Patients demonstrated faster and better results in muscle function restoration compared to published studies of nerve transfer surgery using the standard method.

In particular, 76% of the quadriplegic nerve transfers resulted in the best-case clinical outcome for target muscles at 12 months post-treatment, improving to 92% at 24 months post-treatment.

A muscle power assessment (MRC Scale) Grade 3 or 4 means quadriplegic patients regain a level of independence, enabling them to perform tasks such as brushing teeth, drinking from a cup and transferring into and out of a wheelchair without assistance.

These results have seen shares increase by as much as 9.1% intraday to A$0.42 and since the market close on May 10, securities have risen from A$0.235.

Regulatory approval

In March, Orthocell received Australian regulatory approval for Remplir for use in peripheral nerve reconstruction procedures.

The company is now in advanced discussions with potential marketing and distribution partners in Australia and progressing its regulatory strategy to achieve US market approval.

Global addressable market

The company believes Remplir to be an important step forward for improving nerve reconstruction surgery.

Its ease of use, along with consistent and predictable high-quality outcomes, which are achieved in a shorter timeframe compared to competing treatments, will empower surgeons to improve the lives of patients with these complex injuries.

Remplirs global addressable market in peripheral nerve reconstruction is estimated to be worth more than US$7.5 billion per annum, with approximately 3 million procedures that could use Remplir conducted each year.
Shares of Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi surged more than 50% following news that Chinese authorities are planning to wrap up their investigation into Didi Global Inc as early as this week.

Didi's main apps are also to be restored to mobile stores, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Since days after its New York IPO in July last year, Didi has been the target of a cybersecurity probe and has been one of the worst-hit companies by Beijing's regulatory tightening.

The Cyberspace Administration of China removed Didi's app from local app stores in July after accusing it of collecting users' data illegally.

In May, Didi disclosed that the US Securities and Exchange Commission was looking into its 2014 IPO.

Since its IPO at US$14, Didi Global shares have fallen over 85%.

The company also announced in December it would delist from the New York Stock Exchange and list in Hong Kong instead.

Reports indicate that Didi is expected to face a relatively large fine by the regulators with the company also expected to offer 1% equity stake to the state and give the government a direct role in corporate decisions.

In a meeting attended by tech executives in May, China's top advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, supported a stronger digital economy, signaling a regulatory respite for tech giants.

Didis American depositary receipts rose more than 50% on the news.
MCG sells medicinal cannabis products in the UK, Ireland, and Australia. Sales in the third quarter of the year to the end of March 2022 (Q3FY22) were A$550k, taking the fiscal year to date (YTD) total up to A$1.8mln. Sales of an anti-inflammatory, plant-based food supplement (ArtemiC) marketed for the relief of respiratory infections were A$1.1mln YTD; although the contracted annual value to distributor Swiss PharmCan is A$4mln, we do not expect further sales in FY22. A deposit from US partner AMC of A$1.1mln (US$750k) received in Q2FY22, is classed as a deferred payment against future US sales; however, Proactive does not expect any FY22 ArtemiC US sales. The AMC payment is part of a US$24mln three-year deal. No FY22 ArtemiC sales into India are expected. MGC is planning clinical development programmes for cannabis extracts to treat childhood epilepsy and alleviate the symptoms of dementia. The Phase 2 epilepsy study using CannEpil (MGCND00EP1), NCT04406948, may start in June 2022 and run until mid-2023. Trial centres in Israel are confirmed; a clinical trial application for Slovenia is not yet approved. A small study of dementia sufferers conducted in Australia has just reported results. AMC may seek to run US studies at some point which will require an investigational new drug (IND) application to be filed with the US Food 7 Drug Administration (FDA). Two clinical trials with CimetrA, a plant-based formulation to give a faster resolution of COVID-19 symptoms, are running. The trial with the original formulation is ongoing. The Phase 2 dose-ranging study with the simplified formulation (NCT05037162) is ongoing in Israel. AMC plans to seek FDA approval to run a US arm of this study at the University of South Florida. MGC acquired a medical cannabis clinic and a clinical trial organisation in the second half (H2) of FY21. Sales from these in H1FY22 totalled A$258k. The Maltese plant is near completion and will add major additional manufacturing capacity.
The company said challenges in the latter part of May this year are expected to delay stope mining in the East South mining area and result in reduced concentrate production for Q2

Nevada Copper Corp (TSX:NCU, OTC:NEVDF) has told investors it will reduce costs at its underground mine in the US state and said it is poised to receive a further up to US$20 million of funding amid operational challenges at the project.

The miner's largest shareholder Pala Investments has agreed to provide the financing as a promissory note, the company said.

The company said challenges in the latter part of May this year are expected to delay stope mining in the East South mining area and result in reduced concentrate production for Q2.

"These challenges have caused an expected delay of most of the stope ore production until August," it added in a statement.

Management has begun to take steps to reduce costs, including reducing the contractor workforce, it reported, but added that work was advancing on the second dike crossing to the East North Zone as well as open-pit prefeasibility study and drilling.

The East North Zone is expected to have significantly higher copper grades and better geotechnical conditions compared with East South.

Regarding the Pala funding, draws on the promissory note by the company are subject to agreed use of proceeds and Nevada Copper reaching satisfactory arrangements with certain creditors and vendors, the company said.

The note has a maturity date of December 31, 2023, and bears interest at 8% a year on amounts drawn. It is subject to approval by the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The company is in discussions with Pala and other third parties to obtain additional required financing and Pala has fully disbursed the US$15 million accordion to the firm under its existing credit facility with Nevada Copper.

Nevada Copper owns the Pumpkin Hollow copper project in Nevada, which has substantial reserves and resources including copper, gold and silver. Its two fully-permitted projects include the high-grade underground mine and processing facility, which is now in the production stage, and a large-scale open-pit project, which is advancing towards feasibility.

Contact the writer at giles@proactiveinvestors.com
Camino Minerals Corp CEO Jay Chmelauskas joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news completed Phase 1 of its Spring 2022 drilling program which amounted to 3 drill holes at the Lourdes zone at its Los Chapitos copper exploration project in Peru. Chmelauskas telling Proactive the company is reporting that mineralization has been visually observed in two of three drillholes. The core is now heading to the lab for analysis with results expected back at the end of June or early July. The drilling rig has been moved to the next target at the Condori zone and will then complete the drilling campaign at the Gallinazo zone.
United Nations, June 7 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the Sunday's church attack in Ondo State of Nigeria, which resulted in scores of casualties, said his spokesman.

"The secretary-general condemns in the strongest terms the heinous attack in the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 5 that resulted in the death and injuries of scores of civilians as people gathered for the Pentecost service," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

"The secretary-general emphasizes that attacks on places of worship are abhorrent. He urges the Nigerian authorities to spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators to justice," the statement was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.

Guterres extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. He also expressed his sympathies to, and solidarity with, the government and people of Nigeria, it said.
Mexico City, June 7 : At least eight people were killed, including two minors, when a panga (motorboat) carrying a family capsized off the Mexican coast of Guaymas in Sonora state, the state's department for coordinating civil protection has confirmed.

Juan Gonzalez Alvarado, director of the agency, told local media that the accident occurred on Sunday afternoon in front of an industrial fishing park in an area known as Paraje Viejo, Xinhua news agency reported.

He explained that the small six-person boat was carrying 19 people, which caused it to capsize in a strong wave.

After the accident, his team, along with marine and fire personnel, rescued 11 people and started the search for others.

Seven bodies were found on Sunday and the body of a girl was found on Monday.

According to preliminary investigations by the Ministry of the Navy, the main cause of the incident was human error, including the fact that the boat's capacity "exceeded the established limit by more than three times." "The 20-by-10-feet boat is exclusively used for fishing and not for transporting passengers, since it does not have seats or life jackets," according to an information card issued by the Sonora civil protection agency on Sunday night.

In addition, it pointed out that "maritime safety was ignored, since it did not have radio communication and its crew members did not alert authorities before the trip".
United Nations, June 7 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly encourages respect for all religions, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has said regarding reports of two former BJP spokespersons making controversial statements about Prophet Muhammad.

"We strongly encourage respect and tolerance for all religions," Dujarric said on Monday responding to a Pakistan media reporter's question about what he termed the "blasphemous" statements.

The spokesperson said: "We've seen stories, (but) I haven't seen the remarks themselves." Nupur Sharma, who was a BJP spokesperson, has been suspended by the party's leadership, and the party's Delhi unit media head Naveen Jindal has been expelled.

Police in Mumbai, Thane and Hyderabad have registered cases against Sharma charging her with "hurting religious sentiments".

They made the controversial statements during a TV debate.

The BJP dissociated itself from the two.

Arun Singh, BJP's national general secretary denounced the insulting of religious figures.

"The BJP respects all religions. The BJP strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities of any religion. The BJP is also strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion," he added.

The controversial statements have set off an international furore.

Several Muslim nations, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia and Iran, as well as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have officially protested their statements and demanded an apology.

Sharma and Jindal have asserted on Twitter that they did not mean to offend any religion.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)
Aligarh, June 7 : A case has been registered against national secretary of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM), Mahamandaleshwar Annapurna Bharti, alias Pooja Shakun Pandey, in Aligarh for making a statement seeking a ban on namaaz.

She has also been served with a notice issued by the Additional City Magistrate (First) Aligarh.

Pandey replied to the notice on Monday evening, saying that that she regretted if speaking the truth had hurt the sentiments of any religion.

She however, denied that her statement was "provocative".

SSP Aligarh Kalanidhi Naithani said on Tuesday: "A case has been registered against Pooja Shakun Pandey under section 153A, 153B, 295A and 505 of Indian Penal Code at Gandhi Park police station of Aligarh for disputed statements made by her.

"Investigations are ongoing in this case, and appropriate action will be taken. Besides this, a notice has also been served on this issue by the concerned magistrate." Ashok Pandey, the national spokesperson for ABHM, has objected to the action taken by the administration.

Pooja Shakun Pandey is not new to controversies.

She had been booked earlier for glorifying and offering prayers to Nathuram Godse and for various comments and acts in the past.

In the latest controversy, she had handed over a memorandum to the administration and written a letter in blood to the President seeking a ban on crowd fathering for Friday 'namaz'.

"Such a crowd has often turned violent against other communities as seen in Kanpur," she alleged.

Pandey said that she understands the administration's compulsions for acting against her for speaking the truth and not against those who were doing wrong.
Lucknow, June 7 : As the row over the controversial statements made by two former BJP spokespersons escalates, more clerics in Uttar Pradesh are demanding stringent action.

In a statement, Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind (MuH) general secretary and well-known Shia cleric, Maulana Kalbe Jawad, said: "For the last few years, poison is being spread in the country against Prophet Muhammad and Islam, spoiling the country's environment. This is a dangerous trend that will become detrimental to the country's brotherhood. To suspend such elements from the party is not enough but legal proceedings should be initiated. Such people are disturbing the country's harmony for which the government and Supreme Court should think about." While the BJP has suspended Nupur Sharma, the party's Delhi unit media head Naveen Jindal has been expelled for their controversial remarks against Prophet Muhammad.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has termed the BJP's action against Sharma and Jindal as "inadequate".

AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani has sought strict action and legal proceedings against them and also the formation of a law that "condemns and criminalises insults done to religious figures of any religion".

Maulana Rahmani expressed his disappointment at the alleged biased approach of administration towards protesters of one community in the Kanpur clashes that broke out between two communities last week.

"All protests against the controversial comments are legitimate and warranted and I extend my support and approval to them. The action against protesters of one community related to the Kanpur clashes is disappointing."
Mexico, June 7 : Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed that he would not attend the Summit of the Americas this week in Los Angeles due to the exclusion of some countries by the US government.

"It's time to change the dominant political practice," the President told journalists at a press conference at the National Palace here on Monday.

"There cannot be a Summit of the Americas if all the countries of the American continents do not participate," Lopez Obrador insisted.

The President called for a change in the US position, given its "lack of respect" for certain nations such as Cuba, which it has economically blockaded for decades, reports Xinhua news agency.

Mexico will instead be represented by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard at the summit, which will be held on June 6-10.

Lopez Obrador announced weeks ago that he would not attend the meeting if the US government did not invite all regional countries, including Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, which ultimately were excluded.

The Summit of the Americas are periodic meetings of regional heads of state and government to address diplomatic and trade issues of importance at the continental level.

Its first edition was held in Miami in 1994, and since then the event has been accused of excluding countries with political ideologies different from that of the US, such as Cuba and Venezuela.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Manila, June 7 : After the Bulusan volcano in the Philippines' Sorsogon province spewed ash and steam, blanketing nearby towns and villages with ash, local residents were evacuated, authorities said.

Mark Timbal, spokesperson for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said evacuation was underway for the locals to leave the area within the 4-km danger zone, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The relocation is still ongoing. All must leave the danger zone," he told local media late Monday.

The Philippine Coast Guard said it has helped evacuate 58 families in Juban town after Sunday's "phreatic eruption".

Phreatic eruption is a "steam-driven explosion that occurs when water beneath the ground or surface is directly heated by hot rocks or new volcanic deposits or indirectly by magma or magmatic gas".

Image Source: IANS News

Renato Solidum of the government's volcanology institute, said Bulusan continued to emit steam all through Monday.

"This would manifest the active hydrothermal activity beneath the volcano," he said.

Solidum said the institute recorded 29 volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours, adding that it was due to the ongoing hydrothermal activity.

Bulusan, located approximately 390 km southeast of Manila, has erupted 15 times since 1885 and is the fourth most active volcano in the Philippines after Mayon, Taal, and Kanlaon.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Seoul, June 7 : South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday named new ambassadors to China, Japan, Russia and the UN, completing a fresh lineup of the top envoys to all four major powers after selecting a new ambassador to the US last month.

Yun Duk-min, a foreign policy expert who previously headed the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, was named ambassador to Tokyo, while Chung Jae-ho, a professor of Seoul National University, was named the envoy to Beijing, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Chang Ho-jin, a former ambassador to Cambodia, was named envoy to Russia, while former Ambassador to Britain Hwang Joon-kook was tapped as ambassador to the UN, the presidential office said.

The selections completed the lineup of ambassadors to the four major nations.

Last month, Yoon picked then Rep. Cho Tae-yong of the ruling People Power Party, who previously served as vice foreign minister, as his first ambassador to the United States.

In other nominations, the President tapped Kim Joo-hyun, head of the Credit Finance Association, for chief of the Financial Services Commission; Heo Seoung-woo, a former member of Yoon's transition team, for presidential secretary for public proposals; and Yu Byung-chae, a culture ministry official, for presidential secretary for culture and sports.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Seoul, June 7 : Deputy US Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Tuesday warned that North Korea would face a "swift and forceful" response if it conducts a widely anticipated nuclear test.

Sherman issued the warning after she met with her South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun-dong, in Seoul, to discuss the North's weekend missile launches and the possibility of it conducting what would be its seventh nuclear test, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"Any nuclear tests would be in complete violation of UN Security Council resolutions," Sherman told reporters.

"There would be a swift and forceful response to such a test. The entire world will respond in a strong and clear manner. We are prepared." Touching on the North's Covid-19 situation, the US diplomat called on leader Kim Jong-un to focus on coping with the public health issue "rather than taking provocative and dangerous and destabilising actions".

However, Sherman reiterated the Biden administration's desire to re-engage with the North.

"The US harbours no hostile intent towards the DPRK. We continue to urge Pyongyang to ceases its destabilizing and provocative activities and choose the path of diplomacy," she said.

DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
New Delhi, June 7 : India recorded 3,714 fresh Covid cases in last 24 hrs, a marginal decline against 4,518 infections reported on previous day, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday morning.

In the same period, the country registered seven Covid deaths, taking the nationwide death toll to 5,24,708.

Meanwhile, the active caseload has risen to 26,976 cases, accounting for 0.06 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

The recovery of 2,513 patients in the same time span took the cumulative tally to 4,26,33,365. Consequently, recovery rate stands at 98.72 per cent.

Meanwhile, daily positivity rate has slightly dropped to 1.21 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate in the country currently stands at 0.97 per cent.

Also in the same period, a total of 3,07,716 tests were conducted across the country, increasing the overall tally to over 85.32 crore.

As of Tuesday morning, the country's Covid-19 vaccination coverage exceeded 194.27 crore, achieved via 2,47,93,056 sessions.

Over 3.45 crore adolescents have been administered with a first dose of Covid-19 since the beginning of vaccination drive for this age bracket.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Chennai, June 7 : Tamil Nadu health department has commenced a probe into the role of private hospitals in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh after a 16-year-old girl was repeatedly raped and her embryos sold for surrogacy in Erode.

The minor girl had complained that she was forced into a sexual relationship with her mother's paramour and selling her embryos eight times.

Based on her complaint, the girl's mother, her lover, and an agent Malathi were arrested by Erode police. The Tamil Nadu health department had commenced an inquiry after the girl stated that she was taken to private hospitals in Erode, Salem, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh.

While two major hospitals in Erode and Salem are already under scanner, the state health department vigilance team has already commenced a probe into the private hospitals in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh regarding their connection in the case.

A senior officer with the Tamil Nadu health department told IANS: "The investigation is on and we have already conducted searches at one private hospital each in Erode and Salem and further investigations are being conducted in association with the Tamil Nadu police to find out whether there are other instances of illegal sale of embryos.

An investigation has revealed that the girl's mother had collected Rs 20,000 for each embryo sale and paid the agent Malathi Rs 5,000 as her commission. Police said that the girl was subjected to embryo sale eight times.

Erode police sources told IANS that the investigation is being conducted to find out whether a large racket involving hospitals and touts is working to procure embryos for money exploiting vulnerable minor girls.
Chennai, June 7 : Well-known producer K T Kunjumon has named A Gokul Krishna as the director of his much-awaited upcoming film 'Gentleman 2'.

Taking to Twitter, Kunjumon, known for having introduced several top directors, including ace director Shankar, said, "Proud to announce A Gokul Krishna as the director of our mega blockbuster project 'Gentleman 2'." Already, the producer had announced that music director Keeravani would be scoring the music for his film.

He had also announced Nayanthara Chakravarthy and Priya Lal as the heroines of his film.

A Gokul Krishna is best known for his hit film 'Aaha Kalyanam', that featured Telugu star Nani in the lead.

The director has also worked as a co-director of director Vishnu Vardhan in films like 'Billa', 'Arindhum Ariyamalum' and 'Sarvam'.

Sources close to the unit of the film say that the producer is likely to disclose the name of the hero of the film next.

Details of other technicians too would be announced soon, they added.
Johannesburg, June 7 : The South African government has announced that two brothers from the wealthy Gupta family have been arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the media reported.

Atul and Rajesh Gupta are accused in South Africa of profiting from their close links with former President Jacob Zuma and exerting unfair influence, the BBC reported.

Extradition talks are taking place with the UAE, South African officials have said.

The brothers fled South Africa after a judicial commission began probing their involvement in corruption in 2018.

They are accused of paying financial bribes in order to win lucrative state contracts and influence powerful government appointments.

The family, who moved from India to South Africa in 1993, also face accusations of money laundering in India, where tax officials raided properties belonging to them in 2018 in multiple cities, including their company office in Delhi.

Many of the most serious corruption allegations levelled against the Indian-born brothers focus on their relationship with Zuma, who was president of South Africa from 2009 until he was forced to step down amid a storm of corruption allegations nine years later, the BBC reported.

The Gupta family is accused of using their close links with Zuma to wield enormous political power across all levels of South African government, winning business contracts, influencing high-profile government appointments and misappropriating state funds.

Zuma and the Guptas, however, deny any wrongdoing.

After the brothers fled the country, South Africa negotiated an extradition treaty with the UAE in 2021.

President Cyril Ramaphosa's government has said it hoped the agreement would lead to the return of the Guptas to face charges, but it was not immediately clear following the arrests whether the brothers will return to South Africa.

The Gupta family became so closely linked with Zuma that a joint term was even coined for them, the 'Zuptas'.

One of Zuma's wives, as well as a son and daughter, had positions working in senior roles for Gupta-controlled companies, the BBC reported.

Many of the companies in the Gupta portfolio profited from lucrative contracts with government departments and state-owned corporations, where public officials say they were directly instructed by the family to take decisions that would advance the brothers' business interests.

It is alleged that compliance was rewarded with money and promotion, while disobedience was punished with dismissal.

The list of public bodies accused of having been "captured" is extensive, the ministries of finance, natural resources and public enterprises, as well as agencies responsible for tax collection and communications, the state broadcaster SABC, the national carrier, South African Airways, the state-owned rail-freight operator and the energy giant Eskom, one of the largest utility companies in the world, the BBC reported.

A four-year investigation later published by the country's top judge concluded that the wealthy brothers had become deeply embedded in the highest levels of government and Zuma's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.

Reports published this year by investigators accuse the brothers of being linked to racketeering activity through the procurement of rail, ports and pipeline infrastructure.

Its authors also concluded that Zuma "would do anything that the Guptas wanted him to do for them".

Last year, Zuma was imprisoned for 15 months for refusing to testify before the same investigators. He was released on parole after serving two months of his sentence in jaild.
Kanpur, June 7 : Police in Kanpur have arrested Shankar, the owner of Roma Printers, where the posters related to the bandh call on June 3 were printed.

Shankar allegedly printed the posters without completing requisite formalities.

His printing press is located in Brahmanagar locality.

He told reporters that he had merely printed 20 posters and was not aware where the remaining posters were printed.

More than 1,000 posters, asking people to observed the bandh in protest against the controversial remarks made by two former BJP spokespersons, had been put up in various localities in Kanpur after which violence erupted in Beconganj.
New Delhi, June 7 : Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was questioned by the Delhi Police over a threat letter that was recently received by Bollywood megastar Salman Khan and his father, writer Salim Khan, official sources said on Tuesday.

According to the sources, Bishnoi has denied any involvement in the said death threat and maintained that he has no hand in it.

Bishnoi was questioned by the Special Cell as he had previously, a few years back, vowed to kill Salman Khan for the latter's alleged involvement in the infamous black buck poaching case.

The Mumbai Police said that Salim Khan, 87, was handed over an unsigned, hand-written threat letter on Sunday morning around 7.30 a.m. by an unknown person on a bench where he normally rests after jogging at the Bandra Bandstand promenade, and it was addressed to him and his son Salman.

The letter is signed off with some initials which the police are probing and also attempting to unravel if they are linked to any past incidents targeting Salman Khan.

The police are also scouring CCTV footage of the area for clues and questioning locals for further leads on the threat letter.
Chennai, June 7 : The AIADMK Coordinator and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O.Panneerselvam has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to exempt Ukraine-returned medical students from the National Eligiblity-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

He also thanked Modi for bringing back about 14,000 Indian medical students (about 1,900 are from Tamil Nadu) studying in the war-hit Ukraine.

Panneerselvam in a letter to Modi said as per the National Medical Commission guidelines, only those students who clear NEET can get admission to medical colleges in India.

"This is an obstacle for the Ukraine-returned MBBS students in getting admission to the Indian medical colleges," Pannerselvam said.

The AIADMK leader requested Modi to intervene and advise the National Medical Commission to relax the guideline as a special case so that the Ukraine-returned MBBS students can continue their medical education in the country.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Cairo, June 7 : The Cairo-based Arab Parliament has strongly condemned and rejected the "irresponsible remarks" made by two former spokespersons of the ruling party in India against Prophet Muhammad.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Arab Parliament said that "such statements completely contradict the principle of tolerance and interfaith dialogue", which "leads to a state of tension and hatred between religions".

The legislative body of the Arab League also expressed surprise that "such statements are issued by political officials who are supposed to be more keen on spreading the values of moderation, tolerance and dialogue between religions and civilizations, and confronting extremist ideas that feed sedition and religious hatred".

The Arab Parliament also called for the "necessity of realizing the great difference between freedom of expression and respect for the beliefs of others, stressing that it is not possible in any way to accept insulting religions and their sacred symbols under the pretext of freedom of opinion and expression", the statement added.

Nupur Sharma, who was a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson, has been suspended by the party's leadership, and the party's Delhi unit media head Naveen Jindal has been expelled.

The BJP has said that party's view is to respect all religions.

The controversial statements have set off an international furore.

Several Muslim nations, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia and Iran, as well as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have officially protested their statements and demanded an apology.
Islamabad, June 7 : German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will embark on a visit to Islamabad on Tuesday and Wednesday on the invitation of her counterpart in Islamabad Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the Foreign Ministry here said.

During the two-day visit, the two Ministers will hold delegation-level talks on the entire range of bilateral matters and exchange views on regional and global issues, Xinhua news agency quoted the Minister as saying.

Baerbock will also call on the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, according to the statement.

"Germany is a valued partner of Pakistan, both bilaterally and in the context of the European Union," the statement said, adding that the two countries have long-standing and cordial relations marked by mutual respect and close cooperation.

The two sides attach special importance to strengthening bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, including trade and investment, energy, defence, and people-to-people contacts, said the ministry.

The visit of the German Minister is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and is expected to further boost the multi-faceted Pakistan-Germany relationship, according to the statement.
Hyderabad, June 7 : Telugu actor Mahesh Babu, who was last seen in 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata', will be joining the sets of his much-anticipated upcoming movie 'SSMB28' soon.

The 'SSMB28' shoot is set to begin in July, and the shooting schedules are currently being finalised.

Mahesh Babu, who is currently vacationing in Germany with his family, will return soon to join Trivikram Srinivas and the rest of the cast.

Trivikram, who has apparently joined Mahesh in Germany, is said to have discussed the final alterations in the script work.

A high-octane action thriller is expected from this untitled project.

Expectations are high because this is Trivikram Srinivas and Mahesh Babu's second collaboration after 'Khaleja'.

Pooja Hegde, who starred in 'Radhe Shyam', will star alongside Mahesh Babu in this film.

After 'Maharshi,' Pooja has been brought in to work alongside Mahesh for the second time. Thaman will compose the soundtrack, and the film's cast includes a number of well-known actors.
United Nations, June 7 : The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is turning into a human trafficking crisis, a top UN official has warned.

From the outset of the war on February 24, heightened risks of trafficking in persons, including for purposes of sexual exploitation and prostitution, have been alarmingly evident, Xinhua news agency quoted Pramila Patten, the UN secretary-general's special representative on sexual violence in conflict, as saying at a Security Council meeting.

"The lack of consistent vetting of accommodation offers and transportation arrangements is a serious concern, as well as the limited capacity of protection services to address the velocity and volume of displacement," she told the meeting.

According to Patten, there were also concerns regarding the multiplicity of volunteers, with limited vetting, and little or no training or experience.

During her visit to a supermarket-turned-converted receiving centre for Ukrainian refugees in Przemysl, Poland, the official said she found "grave security and protection concerns" in a facility run by volunteers, and with only a "bare-bones presence" of UN agencies.

Humanitarian staff at the site gave credible anecdotal accounts of attempted human trafficking, said Patten.

With minimal security screening, a man registered as a volunteer at the centre in the afternoon and entered the "French room" where refugees were waiting for transport to France. At that time, he made contact with a 19-year-old woman, whom he later woke up in the sleeping hall at 2 a.m., offering a ride to France, she said.

Another man, wearing a yellow volunteer's vest and standing with a sign at the Przemysl train station hall, was offering free transport from Poland to Germany. Other volunteers became suspicious and informed local law enforcement when they noticed that the man was selecting only young women for transportation in his minivan, she said.

Patten called for a coherent and coordinated response at the level of European institutions to strengthen the overall response.

"This is of utmost urgency as I believe that this humanitarian crisis is turning into a human trafficking crisis," she said.

"This requires a concerted, integrated and holistic cross-border response by humanitarian partners, law enforcement agencies, border forces, immigration officials and political leaders. A regional compact is urgently required."
Lucknow, June 7 : The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has tied up with Sulabh International for maintenance of 48 toilets at petrol pumps in Lucknow.

Jaiveer Mishra, general manager retail, IOC, and Fateh Bahadur Singh, controller, Sulabh International, have signed an MoU for the same.

Mishra said: "In our endeavour to serve our customers and further strengthen our commitment towards cleanliness in line with Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Indian Oil Corporation, Lucknow has tied up with Sulabh International Social Service Organisation for the maintenance and cleanliness of 48 toilets at petrol pumps in Lucknow city.

"Indian Oil is committed to serve its customers and extend the best of facilities. We have collaborated with Sulabh International to provide clean toilets to our customers and those travelling through Lucknow. It will be a boon, especially for women and children." Sulabh International's Fateh Bahadur Singh said: "Initially, the agreement is for one year, but if things work out well, it could be extended. Indian Oil will be providing water and electricity to the Sulabh team which would be working in two shifts on a daily basis for keeping the toilets clean. For proper and effective cleaning of toilets, all 48 petrol pumps will be divided into 17 groups which will also be subject to surprise inspections by Sulabh supervisors from time to time." He said the effort is to show everyone that public-private partnership can bring about a positive change in the society.
Mexico City, June 7 : A new caravan with more than 10,000 migrants has left Mexico with the aim of reaching the US border.

The largest contingent so far this year, made up of Central American, South American and Caribbean migrants, departed late Monday from the city of Tapachula in the Mexican state of Chiapas on the border with Guatemala, reports Xinhua news agency.

Many of its members have been waiting for months to regularise their immigration status in Mexico and legally transit to the US border.

The caravan coincides with the start of the ninth Summit of the Americas, where heads of state and government will meet in Los Angeles on June 6-10 to address several issues such as the increase in irregular migratory flows.

Luis Garcia Villagran, an activist with the Center for Human Dignity who is coordinating the caravan, told the media that the aim of the action is to show continental leaders that "migrant women and children, and migrant families are not a bargaining chip for ideological and political interests", and that "the southern border is nobody's backyard".

Throughout 2021 and in the past months, several migrant caravans have set out from Tapachula, but most have been broken up by Mexican authorities.

In recent months, Mexico has offered some migrants the possibility of regularizing their migratory status in states that are less congested than Chiapas, where migrants continuously converge.
Washington, June 7 : A group of students gathered in Washington, D.C., calling for actions from US politicians in the wake of mass shootings over the past few weeks.

Members of Students Demand Action, an advocacy group committed to ending gun violence in American communities, held the rally on Monday near the Capitol Reflecting Pool, reports Xinhua news agency.

With dozens of the participants wearing bulletproof vests standing on the stage, speakers took the podium one by one to discuss the issue of gun violence.

"How many more of us have to die to get the attention of those in office? How many more funerals do we have to attend?" said Manny Macedo, leader of the Los Angeles affiliate of Students Demand Action.

The protesters chanted at one point, "Senators, please act. Don't look away. Don't look away. Don't look away".

On the north lawn overlooked by the Washington Monument at the National Mall was the Gun Violence Memorial made up of rows of white vases with white and orange flowers.

Organisers said the memorial remembers victims of gun violence across the US, urging the Congress to find the courage to act.

A national debate on gun control has been renewed following a spate of recent mass shootings, including the May 24 carnage at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two teachers dead.

Senate Democrats and Republicans have engaged in gun talks but a comprehensive reform is an uphill battle given the political and ideological divides on Capitol Hill.

Monday's rally came on the heels of another deadly weekend riddled with gun violence.

At least 17 people were killed and 62 others injured in 11 mass shootings across the US over the past weekend.

Early Sunday morning, a shooting outside a nightclub in Chattanooga, Tennessee, led to three deaths and 14 injuries.

Hours earlier in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, several shooters opened fire at a crowd in a popular night-life area, killing three while wounding 11 others.

The US has suffered 247 mass shootings over the past five months or so, with more than 18,700 lives lost to gun violence, according to the latest data from Gun Violence Archive.
Montevideo, June 7 : Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou announced that he tested positive for Covid-19 and cancelled his trip to the ninth ongoing Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.

In a tweet late Monday, the President said: "Due to the trip tomorrow to the Summit of the Americas in the US, I had a PCR today. The result of it was that I am positive for Covid-19.

"As a result of this situation, I must cancel all activities for the next few days." Lacalle was scheduled to attend the summit from Wednesday to Friday.
Chennai, June 7 : Maintaining that the Sri Sabanayagar Temple, Chidambaram is a public temple, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) department of Tamil Nadu has announced to inspect its accounts on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In a statement, the department said that it was competent to conduct an inquiry into the administration of the temple as it was a public temple. The HR&CE commissioner has called upon the Dikshithars to cooperate with the investigation and that the order for conducting an inspection will not be recalled.

HR&CE commissioner R. Kannan, in a letter to Secretary Podhu Dikshithars, has clarified that the proceedings issued by the department did not violate the rights conferred by the Supreme Court and also have not restrained the Dikshithars from carrying out the administration of the temple.

The Sri Sabanayagar temple was declared public property in several court judgments, the department was competent enough to constitute a committee and conduct an inspection, the letter read.

Notably, the Commissioner of the HR&CE department had on May 26, written a letter to Secretary, Podhu Dikshithars that acting on petitions received, the department had constituted a committee to inspect the records of the temple since 2014. This inquiry is on the income/expenses of the temple, valuation of jewels and assets of the temple, and inspection of the audit reports of the temple.

The Secretary of Podhu Dikshithars had objected to this and stated that the Sri Sabanayagar temple was not a public temple and that the move of the HR&CE department was aimed at state-sponsored oppression of a micro-community of Dikshithars who are around 1,500 people and performing religious duties.

The commissioner responded that the Sri Sabanayagar temple was a public temple established by the former Kings and endowed several acres of properties for its maintenance and said that the commissioner had the power to appoint a committee to inquire into the affairs of the temple to streamline its administration.

Heavy police protection is provided at the temple premises to prevent any untoward law and order situations due to the objection of the Podhu Dikshithars to the inspection to be carried out.
Jammu, June 7 : Protests and shutdown continued for the second day on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhaderwah town after a temple was found desecrated.

The protesters held placards and markets were closed in the town as people demanded action against the culprits.

Police has registered an FIR at Bhaderwah police station and the authorities have constituted a six-member special investigation team (SIT) headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) (operations), Raj Kumar to probe the case.

Police action came after pictures of the alleged vandalism at Lord Vasuki Nag temple near a lake situated at 17,400ft on a mountain associated with Lord Shiva surfaced on social media. The vandalism took place on Sunday.

Shopkeepers in Bhaderwah township observed a complete shutdown in response to the strike call given by Shri Sanatan Dharam Sabha in Bhaderwah.

Former J&K chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who belongs to Bhaderwah, has condemned the vandalism and requested the local administration to bring the culprits to book immediately. Azad appealed to the people of Doda, especially Bhaderwah residents, to maintain peace and harmony and let the administration deal sternly with such elements who try to divide people and disturb the peace and harmony in the region.

The J&K Congress unit also expressed serious concern over the desecration done with a view to hurt religious sentiments and create hatred and trouble in the society. The party cautioned the people to be aware of the designs of 'enemies of peace'.
Bhopal, June 7 : Last rites of the pilgrims who died in a tragic accident in Uttrakhand were performed in Madhya Pradesh's Panna district on Tuesday.

Out of 25 people who died in the accident on Sunday, 24 were residents of Panna district, and one from the adjoining Chhatarpur.

After an Air Force carrier landed at the Khajuraho airport with the bodies on Monday evening, the state administration made arrangements to send them to their villages.

Panna District Collector Sanjay Kumar Mishra said that ambulances from Satna, Panna, Chattarpur carried the bodies.

The state BJP president V.D.Sharma, who is an MP from the Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency, along with officials from the administration met the families of the deceased.

Addressing the media, Sharma said that the state government stood with bereaved families, adding that it was also taking care of people who were injured in the accident.

The bus, which was carrying a total of 30 people including the driver and helper, fell into a 150-metre-deep gorge on Sunday as it was travelling to the Yamunotri Dham.

Later that day, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with V.D. Sharma, Cabinet Minister Brijendra Pratap Singh, DGP Sudhir Saxena, and OSD Yogesh Chaudhary arrived in Uttarakhand.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh to the families of each deceased, the state government has also decided an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh each for the next of kin of the victims and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

The government will also bear all medical expenses of the injured.
Panaji, June 7 : Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Goa Assembly Michael Lobo on Tuesday refuted as "false" speculations that half of the Congress legislators could join the ruling BJP.

"There is nothing like that. It is a false news being created and spread. It is just a speculation," Lobo said.

On May 28, BJP's Goa desk in-charge C.T Ravi had stated that five MLAs from the opposition are interested to join the ruling side. Since then, Goa is speculating whether a second episode of 'defection' could happen in the coastal state.

Recently, a few MLAs of Congress along with Lobo held a meeting in a hotel, which went viral on social media giving scope for further speculations.

In October 2019, during the last term of BJP government, 10 MLAs of Congress along with Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavalekar, had switched over to BJP. However, Kavalekar lost the Assembly election held in February 2022. The Leader of Opposition joining the ruling fold had invited ire and criticism from a section of society.

LoP Lobo, who was a minister in BJP's last term and joined Congress before Assembly election, is in news for allegedly trying to switch along with other five legislatures of Congress. However, he has refuted the rumours saying calling it "fake" news created by social media platforms to draw people's attention towards their ventures.

"The three of us had coffee together and discussed the forthcoming Assembly session. There was nothing wrong in meeting as there were no BJP functionary. This news was created to draw attention (by a news portal). I even don't know which portal it is, I saw it on whatsapp," Lobo said, adding it is a false news being spread.

Lobo's wife Delilah Lobo is also a Congress legislator from Siolim constituency, in North Goa, while he represents Calangute constituency. Lobo is considered as an influential politician in North Goa.

Reacting strongly against the act of defection, a well-known catholic priest Fr. Eremito Rebello has said that if Congress MLAs choose to switch the party then they will invite punishment and curse.

"There is a rumour that few Congress MLAs are on verge of joining BJP. They had taken a pledge before the Almighty. If they fail to obey it then they will get strict punishment. If they join BJP then they are inviting punishment and curse. They are betraying people (by doing such acts)," Fr. Rebello said.

"Last time only two had remained with Congress (after defection), still eleven got elected in 2022. If they (present Congress MLAs) still try to join BJP then they will face the same fate, how defectors got defeated in the last election," he said.

Congress candidates, before the Assembly elections, had pledged before the Almighty and signed affidavits that they will not leave the party.
Bamako, June 7 : Mali's interim President Assimi Goita has signed a decree to extend the political transition in the West African nation for two years.

This decision came after the 6th Extraordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held in Accra, Ghana, reports Xinhua news agency.

West African leaders failed to agree on the lifting of the sanctions imposed on Mali.

They also decided to re-examine the situation in Mali on July 3, while recommending continuing the dialogue to reach an agreement to ensure "a gradual lifting of sanctions" as "the criteria for the transition are achieved".

After the coup of August 18, 2020, an 18-month political transition was launched in Mali on September 15 that year.

Since then, the transitional authorities have been negotiating an extension of the deadline with the ECOWAS.

The Malian transitional government was required to restore constitutional order since they toppled the government in 2020.

It failed to fulfil a promise to hold elections in February this year, prompting the comprehensive sanctions from the ECOWAS.

In April, interim Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga announced the start of a 24-month transition process of free and transparent presidential elections in the country.
New Delhi, June 7 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said that they have attached 210 immovable properties worth Rs 110 crore belonging to Maithri Plantation and Horticulture Pvt Ltd (MPHPL) in connection with Prevention of Money Laundering related to ponzi scam case.

A senior ED official said that the attached properties are in the name of MPHPL, its sister concerns Sree Nakshatra Builders and Developers India Pvt Ltd (SNBDIPL), Maithri Realtors India Pvt Ltd (MRIPL) and the directors namely, Lakku Konda Reddy, Lakku Malayadri Reddy, Lakku Madhava Reddy and Kolikalapudi Brahma Reddy of these companies.

The ED initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of the FIR registered by Andhra Pradesh Police under section 420 of the IPC, Sec 4 and 5 read with sections 2(c) of Prize Chits Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act and Sec 5 of APPDFE Act against Lakku Konda Reddy and others for allegedly cheating and defrauding general public.

In total, 12 FIRs were registered by Andhra Pradesh police.

The ED learnt during the investigation that MPHPL ran an illegal ponzi scheme and solicited deposits from general public without any permission and without any kind of license to run a Collective Investment Scheme or NBFC etc.

It collected deposits from lakhs of gullible depositors who were encouraged to join by a network of organised agents who were in turn promised very high commission on the invested amount. Investors were lured with the false promise of very high returns or delivery of a plot in dream projects on maturity.

Money trail revealed that the money collected from the public by MPHPL was illegally diverted to other group companies namely SNBDIPL and MRIPL.

They invested in their real estate business and several properties were acquired in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Karnataka in the names of MPHPL, SNBDIPL, MRIPL and the directors of these companies.

The accused managed to collect Rs 288.42 crore from lakhs of gullible investors. As on date, out of the collected amount, MPHPL has failed to return nearly Rs 158.14 crore to the investors.

"The ED has provisionally attached 196 landed properties in AP, 13 landed properties in Telangana and 1 landed property in Karnataka state. The properties include open lands, plots, flats etc, and are valued at Rs 110 crore," said the ED official.

Further investigation in the matter is on.
Hyderabad, June 7 : Three more incidents of rape of minor girls have come to light in Hyderabad even as the police investigation continued in the May 28 gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl by five persons in a car.

Since the sensational case of sexual assault in posh Jubilee Hills came to light, a total of five more cases have been reported. Two of these crimes were reported from the old city on Sunday.

In one of the latest reported incidents, police arrested five accused for sexually exploiting a minor girl in the name of friendship. Police also arrested owners of two lodges, where the accused exploited her.

Karkhana police clarified that it was not a gang-rape but the accused exploited the girl in different days in two lodges. The accused include two juveniles.

A case was registered at Karkhana police station on May 30 on a complaint by the victim's father. According to police, the accused developed friendship with the class 10 student over social media. They allegedly took some photographs of the victim in a compromising position and continued blackmailing her.

In two other cases, two minor orphan girls were sexually assaulted by youngsters who had developed friendship with them. Both the victims were students of a junior college in the city.

The incidents occurred in April but came to light after the warden of the girls' hostel learnt about it and lodged a complaint with the police.

Two cases were registered under zero FIR at Humayun Nagar police station and later transferred to Ramgopalpet and Rajendra Nagar police stations. The accused were booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

One of the victims was sexually assaulted by one Suresh in a car on Necklace Road abutting Hussain Sagar in the heart of the city. The 23-year-old accused sexually assaulted the victim by calling her for a birthday party of a friend.

In the second incident, the victim was lured and raped by a minor boy at a theatre at a shopping mall in Attapur area. The accused allegedly took the victim out of the theatre in the middle of a show and sexually assaulted her on the same premises.

Police apprehended the juvenile and sent him to an observation home.
Bengaluru, June 7 : The probe in the activities of Talib Hussain, the arrested Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, has revealed that he had lived in a mosque here under a different name for three years and delivered provocative speeches.

Sources said that he lived in the state capital under the name of Talik after allegedly eloping with the wife of a policeman from Jammu and Kashmir. Sources also said that he stayed in a mosque at Okalipuram in Bengaluru and delivered lectures.

However, the mosque authorities have refused this allegation and stated that they had only given him shelter. The management of the mosque have told the police that they knew he came from Jammu and Kashmir. The matter is being investigated now.

The mosque authorities told the police that during the second lockdown, Talib Hussain came with his wife and an infant to the mosque. He had told them that he did not have food to eat and they let him live in a room of the mosque without rent.

The mosque authorities have also told the police that Hussain had earlier rented a house and he was not involved in any suspicious activities.

In a joint operation, the armed forces from Jammu and Kashmir along with the Karnataka Police arrested Hussain. According to sources, the operation was jointly conducted by the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and the Central Armed Reserve Police Force (CRPF) with the help of local Bengaluru police.

The operation was carried out on June 3 and the incident has come to light lately.

The arrested terrorist was one of a key person in Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist outfit and he allegedly worked as the commander. The matter was confirmed to the media by Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh.

Sources said Talib Hussain belongs to Kishtwar district of Nagaseni Tehsil. He had joined the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in 2016, and has two wives and five children.

With the arrest of Talib Hussain, the debate of Bengaluru being a sleeper cell for terrorists and anti-national forces has come to the forefront once again. The questions are also being raised on how Talib Hussain could stay for 3 years without coming into the radar of the intelligence agencies.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said that the police department will be keeping vigil on people in the city. "Jammu and Kashmir Police have taken action and Karnataka Police have given all cooperation for the operation. Similar arrests have been made earlier in Bhatkal, Sirsi towns of the state," Bommai said.
Beijing, June 7 : China has advanced its plans to launch a space solar power plant programme in 2028, two years ahead of the original schedule, according to a new paper.

The nation, earlier, aimed to put a 1 megawatt solar energy station in space by 2030.

According to the updated plan, published in the peer-reviewed journal Chinese Space Science and Technology, a satellite will be launched in 2028 to test wireless power transmission technology from space to the ground from an altitude of 400km, the South China Morning Post reported.

In the paper, the researchers said the satellite would convert solar energy to microwaves or lasers and direct the energy beams to various targets, including fixed locations on Earth and moving satellites.

The power generated will reach 10 kilowatts, just enough to meet the needs of a few households, the report said.

But the technology could be scaled up significantly and become "an effective contributor to reaching carbon peak and neutrality goals", Professor Dong Shiwei with the National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Space Microwave under the China Academy of Space Technology in Xian said in the paper.

Dong and his colleagues said the plan was first drafted in 2014. Technological advances and potential military applications may have renewed government interest in the concept, the researcher noted.

Meanwhile, China is not alone planning for a solar plant in space.

In March this year, the UK government considered a 16 billion pound proposal to put a pilot solar power plant in space by 2035 with the help of various European defence contractors, including Airbus, the report said.

The US military has also reportedly tested related technology on the X-37B space plane while considering a $100 million experiment to power up a remote military outpost as early as 2025.

NASA had developed similar plans two decades ago, but shelved due to the complexity and cost of the infrastructure. However, the agency last month said that it was working with the US Air Force on feasibility studies, the report said.
New Delhi, June 7 : The Municipal Corporation's (MC) demolition drive against the illegally constructed structures continued on Tuesday in the national capital's Mangolpuri area.

A bulldozer could be seen removing the shanties that were built alongside a road in Mangolpuri. The civic body cleared a road stretch of around 400 metres from Y-block to the H-Block.

MC officials were seen monitoring the demolition drive and there was no protest by the people in the area.

The police force, along with para-military personnel, were also deployed in adequate numbers as a precautionary measure. Local residents said that the Municipal Corporation had prior conveyed to the people about the demolition process and some illegal encroachments were removed by people themselves.

Notably, this is the second time the bulldozers have rolled in the Mangolpuri area.

Earlier on May 10, bulldozers razed several booths and kiosks that were constructed along the roadside, just a day after a similar drive was proposed to be carried out in Shaheen Bagh.

On the same day, i.e., May 10, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Mukesh Ahlawat obstructed MC officials from carrying out the demolition work and was subsequently detained by police.
Patna, June 7 : Six people, including a woman, suffered stab injuries after two communities attacked each other with knives over alleged molestation of a girl in Shivrajpur village in Bihar's Gopalganj district, police said on Tuesday.

Three of injured -- Faqruddin Mian, Krishna Prasad and Krishna Kushwaha -- suffered serious injuries and were rushed to the emergency ward of Sadar hospital Gopalganj. The doctors of the Sadar hospital referred two of them to Gorakhpur.

However, the villagers claimed that 11 people were injured in the incident.

The information about the incident that occurred on Monday night spread like wildfire and local police immediately rushed to the spot and initiated baton charge to disperse people involved in the violence.

Kuchaikot police station SHO Jiwan Kumar said, "We are investigating the incident. Prima facie, it appeared to be a case of molestation of a girl of one community. The clash triggered between them over this issue and people of both the communities were involved in it. We have deployed a police team to avoid any untoward incident." Both groups have filed complaints with the police in connection with the incident, the SHO said.
New Delhi, June 7 : Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya released Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) 4th State Food Safety Index on the occasion of World Food Safety Day on Tuesday.

Mandaviya further launched various innovative initiatives by FSSAI, including the Eat Right Research Awards and Grants - Phase II, Eat Right Creativity Challenge - Phase III, a competition at the school level and logo for Ayurveda Aahar which contains the initials of Ayurveda and Ahara with 5 leaves symbolising five elements of nature. This logo would be beneficial in creating a unique identity, easy identification and proven benefits to improve health and wellbeing.

The State Food Safety Index has been released to measure the performance of states across five parameters of food safety. The SFSI was started from 2018-19 with the aim of creating a competitive and positive change in the food safety ecosystem in the country. The index will help in providing safe and nutritious food to the people.

Speaking on the occasion, Mandaviya emphasised that nation and nutrition are deeply connected and for a Samruddh Bharat, we need a Swasthya Bharat and for a Swasthya Bharat, we need Swasthya Nagrik. He highlighted that in the last few years, healthcare has also seen a holistic development in the country.

Mandaviya further added that the government is dedicated to ensure health security for every citizen in the country and for this it is focussing on primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare fronts with various initiatives like Health and Wellness Centres and strengthening of district hospitals under the National Health Mission.

"It is important to note that states have an important role in ensuring food safety and healthy food practices. It is the need of the hour that we come together to ensure a healthy nation", he said.

To motivate Smart Cities to develop and execute a plan that supports a healthy, safe and sustainable food environment through adoption of various Eat Right India initiatives, the Health Minister also felicitated 11 winning smart cities of the EatSmart Cities Challenge, launched by FSSAI last year in association with the Smart Cities Mission under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). He also felicitated winners of the Eat Right Research Challenge for Cities and Districts and Eat Right Research Awards and Grants.

Health Minister also released various ebooks that advocate and capture innovative recipes about oil free cooking and sugarless desserts. He also launched various resource books including Khadyanjali, a quarterly magazine published by the Rajbhasha Division of FSSAI; Guidance Document on Food Borne Disease Outbreak Investigation and Microbiological Process Control, Sampling and Testing of Fish and Fishery Products etc.
Chennai, June 7 : DMK minority wing Tamil Nadu state secretary Dr D. Masthan on Tuesday demanded the arrest of suspended BJP national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled leader Naveen Jindal over their remarks against Prophet Mohammed.

Dr Masthan, who is a former member of the Rajya Sabha, in a social media post condemned the remarks of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal against Prophet Mohammed.

In the post, the DMK leader said: "The BJP should not try to escape from the issue by just taking party related disciplinary action against the duo." The DMK leader demanded stringent legal action against the two BJP leaders.

He said that such irresponsible remarks loaded with hatred would disturb social harmony and bring serious implications and damage in the future.

It may be noted that several Islamic countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iran, Jordan and Maldives have come out against the remarks of the BJP leaders on Prophet Mohammed.

India has, however, strongly expressed resentment over Pakistan condemning the remarks of the BJP leaders.
Beijing, June 7 : Over 800,000 residents in China's Jiangxi province have been affected by torrential rain and floods, local authorities said on Tuesday.

The latest round of rainfall since May 28 has wreaked havoc in 80 counties of the province, damaging 76,300 hectares of cropland and causing direct economic losses of 1.16 billion yuan ($174 million), Xinhua news agency quoted the authorities as saying.

The province lifted its level IV flood-control emergency response on Tuesday, as heavy rain have subsided.

Authorities have called for close monitoring of weather changes and efficient flood control and drought relief efforts.

On Tuesday, the National Meteorological Centre renewed an alert for rainstorms in various parts of the country.

From 2 p.m. Tuesday to 2 p.m. Wednesday, heavy downpours are expected to lash parts of Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Hainan.

Some areas may experience up to 180 mm of rainfall.
Chennai, June 7 : Actor Karthi, the younger brother of Tamil star Suriya, has showered praise on director Lokesh Kanakaraj's action entertainer 'Vikram', saying the film was a "true celebration of Kamal Haasan".

The actor, who took to Twitter to pen his thoughts on the film, wrote, "'Vikram' - as mentioned by all, a true celebration of our Kamal Haasan sir! It's such a high to watch him kick up a storm. Action and visuals were racy with interesting connections and surprises throughout." The actor also spoke about the performances of the other members of the cast.

He said, "Fahadh Faasil never lets his intensity drop. Vijay Sethupathi brings out a new shade of baddie." Heaping praises on the film's music director, Karthi said, "Anirudh...what a background score... He makes danger seem so large and the savior seem so powerful." He also spoke about his brother Suriya's performance. He said, "Finally, man Rolex sir was SCARY. Director Lokesh, you transferred your fanboy excitement completely to the audience." The film, which released on June 7, has been garnering praise ever since it hit screens.
New Delhi, June 7 : Recent target killings of the members of minority communities carried out by Pakistan sponsored terrorists are aimed at recreating a situation like 1990s in Kashmir. The terror bosses sitting across the Line of Control (LoC) have directed their stooges to carry out the ethnic cleansing by attacking minorities in the Valley.

All this is happening just a few days before the annual Amarnath pilgrimage is scheduled to commence. The ploy is evident, i.e., to chase minorities out of Kashmir and send a message to Amarnath pilgrims that they could be attacked. However, the government has put its foot down by making it amply clear that the administration won't be a party to any "ethnic-cleansing" scripted from across the border.

The government has driven home a point that migrant government employees, including Kashmiri Pandits, won't be shifted to Jammu, and the Amarnath Yatra-2022 will be held as per schedule.

The message is clear that terrorists and their handlers won't be allowed to succeed in their nefarious designs.

The government has taken a tough call. It has decided that 1990 won't be repeated. When the armed insurgency broke out in the Himalayan region three decades ago the ultras sponsored by Pakistan carried out selective killings of the members of the Kashmiri Pandit community which led to their forced exodus from the Valley. They left everything behind to save their honour and lives. In 2022, nearly 6000 Kashmiri Pandits, who were appointed under Prime Minister's Rehabilitation Package and are posted in different departments across the Valley, are facing a similar situation like 1990. But there is a big difference this time the government is standing with them. The J&K administration has assured them protection and postings at safer places.

Normalcy perturbs terror sponsors The terror groups working at the behest of Pakistan are perturbed by the return of normalcy in Kashmir. They are using hybrid terrorists to spill the blood of innocents. Soft targets are being picked up to instill fear among the people and create chaos.

The target killings indicate that terrorists are no longer in a position to carry out any major attacks as they are aware that challenging the security forces means inviting death.

The terrorists are not only killing Hindus, they are murdering off duty Muslim J&K policemen, unprotected Panchs and Sarpanchs and others. It's an attempt to silence the nationalist voices, who are showing no inclination towards separatism and violence.

After August 5, 2019 -- when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate J&K's so-called special status and bifurcate it into two Union Territories -- shutdowns, street protests and stone pelting have become a history. People of Kashmir are carrying out their daily chores without any disruptions. Tourists arriving in hordes during the past two years have revived the ailing tourism industry.

Pak loses proxy war in J&K Terror sponsors had never expected that a common man in Kashmir will turn his back towards them and would say goodbye to violence, hate mongering and separatism.

The emerging situation in Kashmir has made terrorist handlers realise that they have lost the proxy war which they have been fighting in J&K for the past three decades. Now, they are luring young boys into terrorism by promising them money and are providing them with the weapons to kill their own people.

In October 2021, terrorists tried to chase the minorities out of Kashmir. The terrorists shot and killed seven people in Kashmir, four of them from the Hindu and Sikh minority communities.

Soon after the minorities were attacked in Kashmir, the security forces launched a counter offensive and eliminated 16 terrorists involved in target killings. On the other hand the National Investigation Agency raided over 40 locations across J&K in October 2021 and arrested 25 persons in the terror-conspiracy cases. The J&K Police also arrested many youth for their alleged involvement in the cases. At least 48 prisoners slapped with the Public Safety Act were shifted to high security prison in Agra. Normalcy was restored within a few days. Non-locals and Kashmiri Pandit employees who had left the Valley returned and went back to their work.

Amarnath Yatra as per schedule After a gap of six months the terrorists have once again reappeared on the scene but the security agencies are on the job. The ones who are spreading terror won't survive for long. The counter offensive is on cards as the government is determined to end the terrorism in J&K.

The recent killings have not bogged down the J&K administration as it knows that the security forces would put an end to these target killings like they did in October 2021.

Till date more than 2 lakh people have registered for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, scheduled to commence on June 30 and end in mid August. The government has made it amply clear that the Amarnath Yatra, which is a symbol of Kashmir's composite culture, will go on despite some threat perception that will be handled.

Voices against terrorists become shriller The prevailing situation in Kashmir is an eye opener for the terrorist supporters and their sympathizers. The ultras and Pakistan are no well wishers of Kashmiri people as they are out to once again turn Kashmir into a graveyard. They don't want a common man to prosper, nor can they see him growing. They just want him to dance to their tunes and remain poor forever.

Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) termed the recent bloodshed in the Valley as unacceptable in any society and against humanity. It said that the senseless killings of the members of minority communities go against the basic spirit and concept of Kashmiriyat. The KCCI regretted that the image of Kashmiris is getting dented once again.

The KCCI minced no words to send a message that killings of innocents will have a direct impact on the local economy at a time when it was showing signs of recovery after a long lull.

The voices against terrorists and Pakistan are becoming shriller in Kashmir. At many places local Muslims joined Kashmiri Pandits to protest against the killings of Hindus.

In 1990 the members of the majority community had remained silent due to the fear of guns. But in 2022, the situation has changed. The members of the majority community are standing with the minorities and are assuring them all possible help.

The government too has decided to take the bull by its horns by deciding to thwart the moves of terrorists to trigger yet another mass exodus like 1990. The message is clear that the dispensation led by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is determined to end terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and it won't allow the adversary to succeed in any of its evil designs.
Noida, June 7 : In a bid to pull the wool over cops' eyes, two drug peddlers chose a unique modus operandi to sell drugs, i.e, by 'dressing as women', an official said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Kamal (30) and Atul (32), both residents of village Sakhi in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, were arrested by the police.

"We received information regarding some people selling drugs after being dressed as women," Inspector Amit Kumar of Bita 2 police station told IANS.

He said based on the information, a raid was conducted and the duo was apprehended near P 3 roundabout.

The police said they have recovered 1.5 kg of contraband -- 800 grams of Ganja from the possession of Kamal while 700 grams of Ganja was found in Atul's possession.

Accordingly, the police registered a case under sections 8 and 20 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and arrested both the accused.
Shimla, June 7 : The Bhim Army staged a protest in Shimla on Monday against giving tribal area status to Giripar in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, and warned of an agitation against tribal status (ST) for the backward Hatti community. Reacting to the issue, the Hatti Committee called it a tactic of the Bhim Army to gain political mileage by misleading the people.

During a press conference in Shimla on Tuesday, the central Hatti Committee said that soon the Hatti community is going to get tribal status. It will be announced soon. They said that some anti-social elements are trying to spoil the atmosphere. "Such people have nothing to do with Sirmaur. The Hatti community includes people from all walks of life," they added.

The central Hatti Committee said that there will be no change in the SC/ST Act after Hatti gets tribal status. They said that their demand should be fulfilled soon, the people of Hatti community have changed the nature of the movement and have not ended it, which can flare up again if need be.
London, June 7 : Hollywood star Johnny Depp spent over $62,000 or Rs 48.22 lakh for a special celebratory curry dinner with his friends on Sunday evening in Birmingham, England.

Depp indulged in a feast of "authentic Indian cuisine," cocktails and rose champagne at the Varanasi restaurant, which serves "heavenly recipes and soothing ambience," according to its website, reports nypost.com.

According to 'nypost.com', the actor scored a big victory Wednesday when he was awarded a $10.35 million judgment in his brutal defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, 36.

Depp was hanging out with his musician friend and collaborator Jeff Beck, 77, and 20 other people in their party at what's billed as "Birmingham's largest Indian restaurant." Depp has been staying in the United Kingdom to join Beck on his tour. He even appeared onstage at several of the guitarist's shows, including one at London's Royal Albert Hall late last month.

The father of two travelled to Birmingham to perform with Beck onstage for his show in the city's Symphony Hall. Depp and his entourage had arrived to the trendy eatery by 7 p.m. and posed for photos with fans, the Daily Mail reported.

The 20,000-square-foot restaurant was closed so Depp and his friends could eat in private, and they left around midnight.

Mohammed Hussain, operations director of Varanasi, told the outlet: "We had a call out of the blue on Sunday afternoon saying that Johnny Depp wanted to come to eat with a group of people." "I was shocked, and at first, I thought it might have been a wind up (joke). But then his security team arrived (and) checked out the restaurant, and we let them have the whole place because we were concerned that he might be bothered by other diners," he continued.

Hussain described how the chefs prepared a feast for the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star that included delicacies such as shish kebabs, chicken tikka, paneer tikka masala, lamb karahi and tandoori king prawns.

The executive also shed some light on the evening, noting that Depp was a "very lovely, down-to-earth bloke." "(He) spent a lot of time speaking with the staff, our friends and family and was happy to pose for pictures with them. You would never have thought that he was such a big star. He had a lot of time for us all," Hussain gushed, reports 'nypost.com'.

Hussain also stated that he promised he wouldn't reveal the full bill total, but said that "money was no issue, and it was easily in five figures." He added, "We made more money from Depp's visit than we did from our busiest night of the week, which is a Saturday when we have around 400 diners." The feast ended with simple cheesecake and panna cotta for dessert.

Hussain then recalled the most surprising moment of the night, when Depp "wanted a little break from everybody" for about 20 minutes and sat with him in his office.

Hussain said the A-lister wanted to people-watch on CCTV in his office and was interested in how the cameras worked.

He explained that he didn't ask the Kentucky native about the court case. "It was just a nice conversation with a very humble man. I'm still pinching myself, because I never dreamt that Johnny Depp would be in my office having a chat about how the CCTV in the restaurant works," Hussain said.

"It was a real honour to have him here."
Kathmandu, June 7 : An Indian photojournalist, Durlabh Roy Chaudhary of Kolkata, is in Jhapa jail for the past seven months on the charge of carrying fake currency.

According to Nepal's state-owned news agency, RSS (Rastriya Samachar Samiti), Chaudhary, 24, was arrested from Chandragadhi airport on November 18, 2021, when he was visiting Nepal from Kolkata via Kakadvitta checkpoint.

A spokesperson at the District Police Office, Jhapa, Basanta Pathak, said that police seized 226 pieces of photocopy of $100 bills from Chaudhary during search while he was flying to Kathmandu from Chandragadhi airport.

The police then filed a case in the District Court, Jhapa. Later, a bench of Justice Shankar Bahadur Rai remanded Chaudhary to custody stating that "there are bases to believe that the defendant is guilty." He said that Jhapa District Court has already issued an order to keep Chaudhary in custody for investigation on fake currency charge.

Chairperson of the National Forum of Photo Journalists, Pradeep Raj Onta said, initiatives are being taken for his release. The Indian photo journalist is innocent. Claiming Chaudhary is not a fake notes smuggler, Onta requested to release Chaudhary by finalizing the case soon as he had carried fake currency only for video shooting.

Rahul Barua, secretary of South Asia Foundation, also recently visited Jhapa district and inquired about the case of Chaudhary and committed to support all required legal assistance to him. Barua told IANS that his organisation will provide legal, financial, and administrative support to him.

Barua also visited Jhapa recently and met Chaudhary in jail.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has also been providing legal counsel to Chaudhary as well.

Another Nepali tourism entrepreneur, Suman Pandey also announced to provide financial support to Chaudhary, saying, "he was instrumental in promoting Nepal tourism and other attractions through his videos and vlogs and we must encourage him. So, I decided to support him." Onta shared that Chaudhary works as a freelance photographer for different media organisations including National Geography, World Street Photobook, and Times of India as well as running his own YouTube channel 'Sniper Monk Travels'.

According to Ratopati, a popular news site in Nepal, Chaudhary in his statement has maintained that he was carrying counterfeit dollars for his documentary named 'Money is nothing'. Besides, Chaudhary also claimed that he himself showed those dollars to the security guard who later called the police. "It was not discovered by the police during a security screening," he said.

According to Chaudhary, he then told police that he had brought the counterfeit dollars to use in his documentary. "However, the police recorded the wrong statement and made him sign it forcibly making him believe that they will release him in a while." According to his mother Trapti Roy Chaudhary, the website wrote that Chaudhary, who has difficulties understanding Hindi, has been made to sign his statement recorded in Nepali. He has claimed that the statement is wrong and doesn't match with the one he had recorded. Later in the court, he maintained that he came to know about the statement recently. "I have not committed any crime that is being reported by the police. Back in my country, we throw counterfeit notes in the air during a marriage ceremony and I was about to do the same in Pokhara and shoot a YouTube video. I have a YouTube channel named SNIPER MONK TRAVELS. That was the only reason to carry counterfeit dollar notes with me. It was me who showed those counterfeit notes to the security personnel who called the police and arrested me. It was not my intention to use it in Nepal. Besides, those notes were printed in photocopy papers and it is easy for anyone to recognize that it is a counterfeit one," the news report published in Ratopati said.
Mumbai, June 7 : The Mumbai Police suspect the possible involvement of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in the death threat to Bollywood megastar Salman Khan and his father, writer Salim Khan, official sources said here on Tuesday.

As a precaution, Mumbai Police have beefed up security at the Khans' residence in Galaxy Apartments, Bandra West since Sunday while Joint Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nangre-Patil met Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil to brief him on the case.

Nangre-Patil is understood to have briefed the Minister on the probe status including suspicion that the potential attackers may have conducted a discreet recce of the Khans' local movements and their residence.

A Mumbai Police team is likely to leave for New Delhi to question Bishnoi on his suspected involvement in the threats to the Khan family, especially since he had earlier vowed to kill Salman Khan after the actor was accused in the Black Buck poaching case of 1998 in Rajasthan.

In the current case, police said that Salim Khan, 87, was handed over an unsigned, hand-written threat letter by one unknown person on a bench where he normally rests after jogging at the Bandra Bandstand promenade, around 7.30 a.m. on Sunday.

It was addressed to him and his son Salman and facing something amiss, they immediately alerted their security to inform the police.

Taking serious cognisance, the Bandra police have lodged a first information report against unknown persons for issuing the death threats and launched their probe even as the Mumbai Police Crime Branch also started its own investigations.

The threat letter ends with a couple of initials including 'L.B.' which the police suspect refers to 'Lawrence Bishnoi' though the latter is understood to have denied any connection to the incident to the Delhi Police.
New Delhi, June 7 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday said that they have arrested two persons including a junior engineer of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) posted at Preet Vihar and a Beldar in connection with a bribery case.

A senior CBI official said that the accused were identified as Neeraj Kumar, the JE of the MCD and Sukhdev, the Beldar (mason).

The CBI official said that a case was registered against them on the complaint lodged by the victim.

It was alleged that both the accused demanded bribe from the complainant for allowing him to keep material outside his shop and demanded a bribe of Rs 7,000 from him. The CBI after lodging a case formed a team to look into the matter.

The CBI laid a trap and caught the Beldar red handed while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 7,000 for himself and on behalf of the junior engineer.

The CBI also conducted search operation at the office as well as residential premises of both the accused.

Both the arrested accused will be produced before the designated Court at Delhi.
Los Angeles, June 7 : Hollywood stars Bradley Cooper and Matthew Bomer have been caught on camera locking lips during the filming of the Leonard Bernstein biopic 'Maestro'.

The Oscar-nominated actor and the Golden Globe-winning star were re-enacting a romantic scene for the upcoming movie on the streets of New York City. They were pictured sharing a tender smooch in front of camera, reports aceshowbiz.com.

Cooper, who portrays the legendary Broadway composer, donned a beige trench coat over a white dress shirt and black trousers with a green polka dot bowtie.

Bomer, meanwhile, sported a dark red-and-blue tie and black slacks under a gray wool jacket. Both of them had their hair slicked back with gel to match the 1950s style.

'Maestro', which is also directed by the 'A Star Is Born' helmer, appears to capture Bernstein's life at different stages, including in old age. The 47-year-old actor was previously featured sporting white hair to portray old Bernstein in first-look photos shared in late May.

The biopic is said to focus on his marriage to actress Felicia Montealegre. Though he married the Chilean-American stage and TV performer, he then acknowledged his homosexuality. Throughout the course of their marriage, he had brief extramarital liaisons with young men, which several family friends have said his wife knew about.

'White Collar' alum Bomer is said to portray a clarinet player with whom Bernstein had a brief romance.

After his wife was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1977, Bernstein cared for her until she died in 1978. He retired from conducting on October 9, 1990 and died five days later of a heart attack brought on by mesothelioma.

The movie also stars Carey Mulligan as Bernstein's wife, Jeremy Strong as art critic John Gruen, Maya Hawke as Bernstein's writer and filmmaker daughter Jamie Bernstein, and Sarah Silverman as Bernstein's sister Shirley.
Shimla, June 7 : The BJP's double-engine government is making all-out efforts to boost development in Himachal Pradesh similar to that in other BJP-ruled states.

To ensure 'Mission repeat' in the upcoming Himachal Pradesh Assembly election, the BJP has given the responsibility to all top party leaders during its Working Committee meeting.

The BJP workers have been asked to make the welfare schemes launched by the Central and state governments accessible to the people in the hill state.

During the Himachal Pradesh BJP Working Committee meeting in Hamirpur, BJP MP from Hamirpur constituency and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur, highlighted the achievements of the double-engine government at the Centre and the state to implement unprecedented development work in the hill state.

The Union Minister added that the country was rapidly moving on the path of development under the decisive leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Anurag Thakur said the BJP's double-engine government under the leadership of Modi has not only started development work in Himachal Pradesh but also implemented it on the ground.

Due to the double-engine government, the state has several achievements such as welfare of the poor, healthcare, education, employment, road connectivity, industrial development etc.

Similar to former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Modi considers Himachal Pradesh as his second home. This is the reason that the development of the hill state is among his top priorities, he added.

Thakur said that today due to the Prime Minister's policies, India has become an exporter of several goods, of which the country was a big importer in the past.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, India not only provided vaccines to its own citizens but also made the world take note of the former's growing potential and power by sending the vaccines to more than 150 countries.

Even in the middle of the Ukraine-Russia war, the task of safe evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine through 'Operation Ganga' has also been possible only under the able leadership of Modi.

Anurag Thakur said that earlier even if one family member of the poor suffered from a disease, the whole family would get impacted.

Raising money for treatment of any family member for the poor was a cumbersome task.

Today, every poor person in the country can avail of the world's biggest health scheme 'Ayushman Bharat' in which every family can get free treatment up to Rs five lakh.

In 2014, 40 per cent of the country's population did not have any bank account. Since then, 45 crore bank accounts have been opened and almost every family in India has been linked to the banking system, which came to the rescue of the poor during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Today every rupee sent by the Central government directly reaches the poor. In 2019, even after more than seven decades, only 17 per cent of rural households in the country had access to tap water. Now in less than three years, this figure has reached 50 per cent.

The Union government's top priority is to provide access to clean water to every household.

The Union Minister said poor women in our country used to suffer from lung diseases while cooking on wooden chulhas.

During eight years of the Modi government, nearly 9.17 crore gas connections have been provided.

In the last seven decades, only 3.26 crore houses were built with the help of government assistance. Now more than three crore houses have been built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and work is going on at a fast pace to provide pucca houses to the poor.

The construction of roads is going on in full swing.

The highways constructed in the country during 2014 was 54 lakh km which has increased up 65 lakh km.

A conducive environment is being promoted with infrastructure, finance and all-round support to make our youth job creators instead of job seekers.

Today the concept of a privileged few -- in education, social service, politics, industry or any other field -- has been thwarted.

The success stories of our start-ups, political transformation and empowerment have helped the democracy reach the person standing in the last mile.

The mantra of 'Antyodaya' or last mile delivery is visible in every sphere of governance and life.
Gurugram, June 7 : A 20-year-old youth was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly threatening prinicipal of a school, in which he used to study, in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi from Bas Kusla village, here, police said.

The arrested identified as Pinku alias Golu had threatened the school principal Jai Singh on May 3, the police said.

A mobile phone used in the commission of crime has also been recovered.

During interrogation, the accused said that in 2019, he failed in Class 10 exams. So, he had a grudge against the principal." "The accused had planned to threaten the principal of the school and as per the plan, he called the complainant from a virtual number and threatened to kidnap and kill him in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi," Preet Pal Sangwan, ACP (crime) said.

A case had been registered in this regard under Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Farrukhnagar police station.
Palanpur : , June 7 (IANS) A driver of the Banaskantha police department has been arrested here for using police vehicle for smuggling liquor from Rajasthan to Gujarat.

A Senior police officer will conduct a departmental inquiry into how the driver got possession of the vehicle from the Motor Vehicle section of the Director General of the Police headquarters.

According to the police complaint lodged with the Panthawada police station, a team was posted at the Vaghor square on Sunday night. The police team was checking vehicles entering the state from the Rajasthan side. On seeing a police vehicle (Bolero Jeep) with registration GJ-18-G-5698, a police team out of curiosity stopped the vehicle and noticed that driver Vishnu Chaudhary was accompanied by another person, but there was no officer in the vehicle.

On checking the police vehicle, Banaskantha police found 294 bottles of India made foreign liquor (IMFL) with a market value of Rs 1,21,140 which he had loaded from Mount Abu road. During questioning, driver informed the local police that the vehicle is allotted to Deputy Superintendent of Police with CID (crime). After seizing the liquor, the local police informed the senior officers.

Panthawada police arrested Vishnu Chaudhary and the person accompanying him was his brother Jayesh Chaudhary. They were to deliver the smuggled liquor to a bootlegger in Ahmedabad, said sources from the Banaskantha police.

"It is a serious offence, and a departmental inquiry will be conducted on how the vehicle was allowed to be taken out of headquarters, when the officer is on leave," said J.R. Mothalia, Border Range Inspector General.

The officer further said that the vehicle is allotted to Deputy Superintendent of Police. She is a direct recruit and officer was on leave as she was preparing for civil services examination. On Sunday, she had appeared for competitive exams, she resumed duty only on Monday (June 6).
Kohima, June 7 : The Pune based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in collaboration with the Nagaland government would conduct a film appreciation course for the tribal youth of the northeastern state, officials said on Tuesday.

A Nagaland government official said that the free-of-cost five-day film appreciation course would start on June 13.

The Directorate of Information and Public Relations of the Nagaland government would collaborate with the FTII to conduct the first of its kind course in the state. All the participants should belong to Scheduled Tribe and should be 18 years and above, the official said.
New Delhi, June 7 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which conducted raids at multiple locations belonging to Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain and his associates including relatives, said on Tuesday that it has found cash of around Rs 2.85 crore, apart from 133 gold coins weighing 1.80 kg.

Jain, 57, was arrested on May 30 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and he is in ED custody till June 9.

The ED said that it conducted a search operation on June 6, 2022 at the premises of Jain, his wife and accomplices who had either directly or indirectly assisted him or participated in the processes of money laundering.

"We conducted raids at the premises belonging to Ankush Jain, Vaibhav Jain, Naveen Jain and Siddharth Jain, the Directors of Ram Prakash Jewellers Pvt Ltd, GS Matharoo, Chairman of Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust which runs Prudence Group of Schools, Yogesh Kumar Jain, Director in Ram Prakash Jewellers Pvt Ltd, father-in-law of Ankush Jain and Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust," the ED official said.

The ED had learnt in the investigation that one associate of Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust had provided accommodation entries for transfer of land from company owned by Jain to family members of accomplices in order to alienate the property and to frustrate the process of confiscation.

During the search, various incriminating documents and digital records were seized. The cash amounting to Rs 2.85 crore and 133 gold coins weighing 1.80 kg in total from unexplained source were found in the said premises and were seized, the ED said.

The ED had initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of the FIR registered by CBI in 2017 under section 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) of the PC Act, 1988 against Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, and Ajit Prasad Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain, Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain.

The CBI had filed charge sheet on December 3, 2018 against Jain his wife Poonam Jain, and other accused. It was alleged in the charge sheet that Jain while holding the office as a Minister in the Government of Delhi, during the period from February 14, 2015 to May 31, 2017 had acquired assets which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The CBI has accused Jain his wife and other accused for commission of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Earlier, the ED had provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to companies owned and controlled by Jain on March 31, 2022.
Panaji, June 7 : Former state RSS chief Subhash Velingkar has demanded that the BJP governments at the Centre and state rename Goa's port town Vasco as Sambhaji Nagar.

Velingkar, who now heads the Hindu Raksha Maha Aghadi, took to facebook and said that BJP is in power at the state and Centre. Hence, without waiting for more time, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should clean the 'taint' by renaming Vasco as Sambhaji Nagar.

According to Velingkar, Goa's port town Vasco da Gama, named after the 15th century Portuguese explorer, was once known as Sambhaji Nagar.

"Vasco da Gama was looter. Port in Vasco or municipality is not named after him, it is called Mormugao Port and Mormugao Municipality, (respectively)," he said.

However, he said, Sambhaji Maharaj fought against the Portuguese in 1686, who were forced to leave control over Salcete (Mormugao was part of Salcete then) subsequent to the attack of the former.

"Earlier the display boards of Vasco railway station, post office had been mentioned as Sambhaji Nagar. The process to rename Vasco was taking place, however it didn't come to reality," he said.

Velingkar said that the soldiers of Sambhaji Maharaj remained in Goa for almost 26 days and attacked the Portuguese. "This has historical importance and documentation is there, whereas Vasco Da Gama just looted people," he said.

Velingkar said that they had given a memorandum to the government in this regard and again it will be resubmitted to press for it.

Former MLA of Vasco and current Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Arlekar had also earlier placed a similar demand.

While Vasco da Gama has been credited with discovering a new sea route to India in 1498, when he landed in Calicut, Sambhaji Maharaj is a Maratha hero with several ballads praising his fight against Muslim rulers of the Deccan region and Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
Mumbai, June 7 : With barely 72 hours left for the seat-edge suspenser Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra on June 10, all parties have resorted to herding and hiding their legislators to prevent possible 'political hijacking' by the opposite side, here on Tuesday.

As it became clear that the smaller parties and independents hold the proverbial key to the final outcome for both the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi and Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, each side hurled full-throated allegations of 'poaching' and 'horse-trading' at each other, adding to the excitement of the usually bland indirect elections.

Not willing to take any chances, the MVA allies -- Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress -- and the BJP, have ordered their valuable MLAs to "pack up their bags" and come to Mumbai for a 'retreat' till the RS elections, which may even extend till the June 20 Legislative Council polls.

They are being hosted in luxurious ambience of deluxe hotels or resorts as the top leaders on both sides wrack their brains to ensure the victory of their respective candidates.

The chief battle will be for the 'sixth seat' for which the Shiv Sena candidate Sanjay Pawar will be locking horns with the BJP nominee Dhananjay Mahadik -- both party veterans from Kolhapur.

The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly with 288-members comprises the electoral college and each candidate requires 42 votes to notch a win in the Upper House of Parliament.

This time, with the presence of the seventh candidate put up by the BJP despite the changed permutations and combinations post-October 2019 assembly elections, the elections have become a cliff-hanger.

Given the current numbers commanded by both sides -- the MVA and the BJP -- the latter needs around 12 votes to ensure a smooth sail for Mahadik.

Barring that, the MVA allies can easily get their one candidate elected while the BJP can get 2 elected with their respective present strength.

This time, the Sena has put up Sanjay Pawar for the 'sixth seat' which is contested by BJP's Mahadik, where the smaller parties and independents could play a crucial role.

The MVA leaders have already accused the BJP of bulldozing tactics with "money-power" and "threats" of Big Brothers like ED, IT, CBI, etc. waiting to "lasso" the "gullible ones".

Top MVA leaders, declining to be quoted, claim that given the numbers game, "the BJP is fighting a losing battle" just to keep its central leaders in good humour, while the BJP side winks and contends that "surprises cannot be ruled out", as the clock ticks away for the E-Day on Friday.

Sena's Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut -- who is also one of the contestants -- slammed the BJP for criticising the party's move to herd all its legislators, while a confident Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anil Parab assured that "all those who supported us in 2019 are still with us", hinting at victory for Sanjay Pawar.

State NCP President Jayant Patil and Congress President Nana Patole on Tuesday reiterated that the MVA will win the 4 RS seats it is contesting and foil the BJP's plans to grab a third seat though it lacks the numbers.

Congress and NCP Chief Spokespersons Atul Londhe and Mahesh Tapase, respectively, made it clear that the "BJP's horse-trading market" will be a flop as the three parties and all their supporters are fully united to give a challenge to the BJP.

"We came to power in 2019 and since then we have contested and won all elections together The BJP has made innumerable efforts to topple the MVA, but failed miserably each time, so they keep issuing fresh dates and deadlines," Tapase pointed out.

The four parties are now busy holding classes for their respective legislators and supporting independents or smaller parties' MLAs on the RS election process to avoid confusion in the crucial preferential votes, the importance of the 'Party Whip', etc.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)
Kiev, June 7 : A Russian mercenary, who gained notoriety for butchering prisoners of war and civilians in the Donbas, has been killed while fighting in Ukraine, Daily Mail reported.

Vladimir Andonov, 44, a fighter for the shadowy Wagner Group, was shot by a sniper near Kharkiv during a reconnaissance mission on June 5, Russian media said.

Andonov was known to Russians as 'Vakha' or 'The volunteer from Buryatia' after the region he was from, but to Ukrainians he was known as 'the executioner' for the massacres he helped carry out during Russia's first invasion of the country in 2014.

His death was confirmed by Zhambal-Zhamso Zhanaev, head of the region where Andonov was from, who spoke to a Russian newspaper.

Andonov had served in the regular Russian military from 1997 until 2005 when he moved to the city of Ulan-Ude where he studied in a teaching college, Daily Mail reported.

He dropped out of school before completing his studies and got a job in trade, before answering a call for volunteers to go to Ukraine and join the fighting in 2014.

Andonov was drafted into the Olkhon special forces company fighting in the Donbas, and took part in the Battle of Debaltseve in early 2015 -- one of the last major battles of the initial war.

At the time, he appeared in a video filmed in the region which became one of the first pieces of evidence that volunteers from the Buryatia were in Ukraine.

Ukraine accused him of personally participating in the massacre of prisoners of war in the town of Logvinovo in the aftermath of the battle, and of killing civilians elsewhere in Donbas.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Kochi, June 7 : Kerala gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh, who had promised to make more revelations about the case, on Tuesday directly named Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife, daughter, two top aides to Vijayan and one Cabinet minister in connection with the case.

She said she has given a statement under Section 164 of the CrPC naming the Chief Minister, his wife Kamala Vijayan, daughter Veena Vijayan, former State Chief Secretary Nalini Netto, Additional Private Secretary to Kerala Chief Minister C.M. Raveendran and former Kerala Education Minister and current legislator K.T. Jaleel.

After giving her statement before a local magistrate in Kochi on Monday, Swapna had said she will speak to the media on Tuesday.

"I have been advised by the court to show restraint while I speak and hence I am not able to speak everything about the gold smuggling case. It all began in 2016 when Vijayan first went to the UAE. Then M. Sivasankar (former Kerala Principal Secretary to Vijayan and top IAS official) had asked me to make all arrangements for his visit in the UAE and I did it through our UAE Consulate in Kerala," she said.

"The next day, I get a call from Sivasankar saying that Vijayan has forgotten a bag and it should be immediately sent to him. At the Consulate office, there is a scanner and when we scanned the bag, it was filled with money," Swapna added.

She further said that on many occasions, a biriyani vessel was transported from the house of the UAE Consulate General in India to the residence of the Kerala Chief Minister.

"This has happened on several occasions and it has been found out that it contained metal-like objects. This was done under instructions from Sivasankar," Swapna added.

She said she made the same revelations to the various central probe agencies but this was being told to the media for the first time.

"I have been asked by the court to show restraint and since I respect the court, I am revealing only this much now. May be in the coming days I will be making more revelations," said Swapna, soon after coming out from the court after recording her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC.

On Monday, she had told the media that she testified before a magistrate that she fears a threat to her life and other things about the case pertaining to the unaccounted money that was recovered from her bank locker, as well as of other accused in the case.

Reacting to Swapna's statement, Sivasankar said the former's allegations against him are frivolous while Nalini Netto refused to comment on the allegations levelled against her.

It was in February 2022 after a round of fresh revelations by Swapna, she was asked to appear before the Enforcement Directorate officials.

Though there was nothing much happening in the case, the recent release of the autobiography of Sivasankar in which he claimed that "he never did any favour to Swapna" and added that "he never knew the iPhone that was gifted to him by her was part of a bribe" drew a furious response from Swapna.

Swapna alleged that it was Sivasankar "who destroyed her life" and "all what she knew, he also knew".

She also pointed out that he had told her that he will take voluntary retirement and settle down with her in the UAE.

She said that it was with his help that she along with her husband and children and their friend Sandip Nair, managed to sneak out of Kerala when the gold smuggling case surfaced in July 2020, when the entire state was under massive Covid travel restrictions.

Another revelation by her was that of the two audio clips involving her, one which came out on the day she and her family were on the run to Bengaluru and another while in custody, she said, it was all stage managed and directed by Sivasankar and others.

Meanwhile, the other central agencies -- Customs and Intelligence Bureau -- have also registered cases supplementary to the gold smuggling case and in all these, Swapna is an accused and now out on bail.
Thiruvananthapuram, June 7 : After explosive revelations by Kerala gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh, state Congress president K. Sudhakaran on Tuesday demanded Vijayan's immediate resignation.

"In the country such a thing is being heard of for the first time where a Chief Minister is alleged to have smuggled gold in a biriyani vessel. We demand Vijayan to resign and a probe be ordered under the monitoring of a court. There were lots of agencies which probed this and at the end it was a settlement between the BJP and the CPI-M. Even the family members of Vijayan are named. This is really shameless and he should quit," said Sudhakaran and added that the Congress led UDF will meet soon to decide the future course of action.

For Vijayan, Kerala Police on Tuesday set up unprecedented security to ensure that no media personnel comes anywhere close to him when he arrived at the airport here.

The media was present in good numbers, but they were shocked to see that a big rope was tied far away from where the car to pick Vijayan had come.

Journalists were shouting at the top of their voice asking what he has to say about the fresh revelation by Swapna Suresh of his role.

But Vijayan, feigning ignorance of what was being asked, got into his car and drove away amid unprecedented security.

Top Congress legislator and former Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala also slammed the role of Vijayan in gold smuggling case.

Speaking to the media, Chennithala said his position has now been vindicated.

"I had raised then that Vijayan knew everything and he is the prime accused in this case. Whatever he does to hide, the truth will emerge. I raise things only which I am sure of. Had a proper probe then done by the various central agencies, it would have come out then. Then there were speculations that the BJP and the CPI-M were hand in glove. A fresh probe will bring out everything," said Chennithala and added that he has no clue of what Vijayan's family members role was as I don't speak of things I don't know.

Earlier in the day, Swapna Suresh who was at Kochi, revealed on Tuesday that she has given a statement under section 164 of the CrPC and in it she has clearly talked about the role of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife Kamala, their daughter Veena, Nalini Netto (former Chief secretary), his secretary C.M. Ravindran and K.T. Jaleel (former State Minister and present legislator) in the gold smuggling case.

On Monday, after giving her statement before a local magistrate here she had said that she will speak to media on Tuesday.

"I have been advised by the court to show restraint when I speak and hence I am not able to give out everything. It all began in 2016 when Vijayan first went to the UAE. Then M. Sivasankar (his secretary and top IAS official) had asked me to make all arrangements for his visit in the UAE and we did it through our UAE Consulate here," said Swapna.

"The next day, I get a call from Sivasankar saying that Vijayan has forgotten a bag and it should be immediately sent to him. We at the Consulate office have a scanner and when we scanned it was filled with currency notes," said Swapna.

She then said, on several occasions, a biriyani vessel (round in shape and a big one) was transported from the house of the UAE Consulate General here to the residence of Vijayan.

"This has happened on several occasions and it has been found out that it contained metal like objects. This was done under instructions from Sivasankar," added Swapna.

She pointed out that in the past also she has said the same thing to the various agencies, but this is being said to the media for the first time.

"I have been asked by the court to show restraint and since I respect the court, I am saying only this much now. May be in the coming days I will be revealing more," said Swapna, soon after coming out from the court, where she was giving her statement under section 164.
London, June 7 : "Wounded" is the word that was widely used by a number of British newspapers in headlines about their Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, despite his win on Monday night in a confidence vote in his ruling Conservative parliamentary party.

After Johnson's fellow MPs moved a no-confidence motion against - the minimum threshold for such a vote being letters from 15 per cent of such lawmakers - 148 of them cast their ballots against him versus 211 in favour. This was an unusually large rebellion, bigger than the number that opposed Johnson's immediate predecessor Theresa May. Notwithstanding the latter seeing off the challenge, she was compelled to resign within a few months of this verdict.

Given the British public's now overwhelming disapproval of Johnson, pressure is expected to be mounted on ministers in Johnson's government to revolt against him. Even a majority of his party rank and files, polls indicate, have turned against him. Backbench Conservative MPs could team up with the opposition Labour party to block legislation in parliament - as they did in the case of May - to paralyse governance.

Conservative MPs are acutely aware that John Major won a confidence vote in 1995, but was crushed in a general election two years later. In other words, they realise their re-elections are endangered if Johnson remains in power.

Johnson had set the pace in a trade treaty with India. Business circles in London maintained optimism on a deal. "I don't think it changes the speed and direction of the FTA (free trade agreement) negotiations or of the wider UK-India relationship," an insider stated on condition of anonymity.

However, even a Conservative government under a new Prime Minister, less hostile towards the European Union (EU), is from all accounts likely to smoothen trade ties with the EU, thereby potentially reducing the urgency of a pact with India.

Financial Times, Britain's leading economic affairs daily, was among the morningers which used the term "wounded". Its post-mortem of Monday night's vote was: "Tories (Conservatives) descend into acrimony as Johnson fights for his political life." The Daily Telegraph, a paper Johnson work for and which is quite supportive of him, wrote: "Boris Johnson's hollow victory tears Tories apart." A commentator in the publication felt "the PM looks like toast".

The verdict of columnists in The Times asked, is he a "dead man walking?" A sketch on another of its pages portrayed the situation as: "A PM, his party and the country left firmly in limp-in territory." Even the right-wing, markedly pro-Boris and hot-selling tabloid Daily Mail pronounced the "brutal confidence vote saw 148 Tory MPs try to oust him - worse than Theresa AND Maggie (Thatcher) - with loyalists admitting even ministers secretly voted against him".

The left-of-centre Guardian described it as an "unexpectedly large rebellion" before going on to say Johnson is "badly weakened".

BBC's analysis was: "Boris Johnson will know his opponents are thwarted, not defeated." "Who could replace Boris Johnson?" The Independent asked. It claimed: "Even before the no-confidence vote, he was odds-on at 4/9 to leave No 10 (Downing Street, his Prime Ministerial office-cum-residence) according to (betting agency) Betfair." According to this bookmaker: "Jeremy Hunt, the former Health Secretary, is now the favourite to replace the PM at 9/2." Hunt is also an erstwhile Foreign Secretary, who lost the leadership contest to Johnson in 2019.

Liz Truss, presently Foreign Secretary, is touted as second favourite at 7/1. The third favourite being bandied about is Tom Tughendhat, MP, who has no previous ministerial experience, but is currently chair of the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee.

A former leader of the Conservative party Lord William Hague said Johnson's premiership is no longer "viable". He suggested he "should look for an honourable exit".
Srinagar, June 7 : In multiple raids at different places in Jammu and Kashmr on Tuesday, police has arrested over one dozen people for allegedly maintaining contact with terror commanders in Pakistan.

"Recent target killings and other terror crimes have taken place at the behest of these commanders using local hybrid militants.

"We have rounded up a number of individuals and initiated legal action against them as they have been found to be in contact with militant commanders based in Pakistan", police sources said.

According to the authorities, the arrested persons were in contact with terror commanders in Pakistan including Sajad Gul, Ashiq Nengroo, Arjumand Gulzar and others.

"All these persons have been notified as terrorists by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

"Raids have been carried out at many places including in Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kulgam in the Valley and in Jammu, Ramban, Udhampur, Kathua in Jammu division.

"Many target killings and other militant crimes have been instigated from across the border using local hybrid militants. As on today, dozens of suspects have been picked up across J&K", sources said.

After their recent meeting in Delhi, which was chaired by union home minister, Amit Shah, the top brass of J&K police, central armed forces, intelligence agencies etc have been clearly directed to adopt the policy of zero tolerance towards anti-national elements and the security paraphernalia on ground has to be unambiguously advised to follow such a policy.
Bengaluru, June 7 : The "Chaddi Campaign" in Karnataka has reached a new twist after the ruling BJP on Tuesday launched a new campaign to collect 'chaddis' and send these it to the residence of Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah.

The row started with Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's call to burn khaki shorts worn by RSS workers after cases against 15 workers of Congress' student wing, the NSUI, who were protesting against revision of syllabus by burning khaki shorts in front of Education Minister B.C. Nagesh's residence.

BJP's SC Morcha state President and MLC Chalawadi Narayanaswamy announced that he would personally go to Siddaramaiah's residence with office-bearers of the party and handover collected 'chaddis' to him.

Meanwhile, BJP and RSS workers from Mysuru and Chikkamagalur districts continued to send chaddis to Congress office and Siddaramaiah.

Meanwhile, in a setback to ruling BJP, its MLA from Mysuru, Harshavardhan, has attacked his own party for removing the word 'Samvidhana Shilpi' (Architect of the Constitution) while referring to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in the school textbook.

"I don't know what was the necessity to remove that word from the textbook. We don't tolerate such things. There is no question of compromise on this regard. Action has to be initiated against those who removed this word," he said.

Entering the row, former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said that he presumed that Siddaramaiah would behave respectfully, adding that he will lose respect if he continues to talk about the RSS and 'chaddis'.

"Siddaramaiah's statements would not bring dignity to him. There is no necessity to talk about textbook revision controversy. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has stated that he would rectify the syllabus. There is no need for creating huge controversy over the issue," he maintained.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Nagesh has stated on Tuesday that the ministry won't accept the revision done by the Textbook Revision Committee headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha for II PUC history textbook. However, opposition parties and progressive organisations are not relenting.

Commenting on the 'chaddi' fight between the BJP and Congress, JD-S leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said that protesting on chaddis would lead to nothing.

"The fight has to be registered on policies and the actions of BJP. There is nothing in chaddis. Because of this 'chaddi' movement, the tailors seems to have good business," he quipped.

By repeatedly talking about 'chaddis', both the BJP and the Congress are insulting farmers who work in their farms clad in shorts, he stated.
New Delhi, June 7 : Dwarka district of Delhi on Tuesday got a new Deputy Commissioner of Police, M Harsh Vardhan, days after Shankar Choudhary was relieved from his duty as his name surfaced in a late night party ruckus where a woman was injured.

"The Lt Governor is pleased to order the transfer/posting of M Harsh Vardhan from Additional DCP 1 south district to DCP, Dwarka," an official order read.

Vardhan, a 2012-batch IPS officer, has been asked to immediately join while Choudhary has been shifted as DCP to Police Technology and Implementation.

Choudhary's name cropped up on Saturday for his alleged involvement in a late night brawl at a south Delhi bar.

The injured woman was taken to Max Hospital after which her husband made a PCR call alleging that an officer of Delhi Police of the rank of DCP had assaulted his wife at a birthday party in a private club.

However, later the complainant took back the complaint owing to a 'miscommunication' between them.

According to the complainant, she along with her husband went to a family party at a private club named 'Uncultured Club' in south Delhi where DCP Shankar Choudhary also came along with his family.

"After 1-2 hours, the DCP and his wife left the party and around 12.30-1 a.m. two boys were passing a glass by throwing it in the air. It is at this time the glass hit me on my forehead," the complainant wrote while cancelling her complaint.

She said that those two unknown boys claimed that they are DCP Dwarka's friends which infuriated her husband and he made a PCR call.

Delhi Police Spokesperson Suman Nalwa had also issued a statement on Sunday stating that due to a miscommunication the name of the DCP cropped up in the commotion. "The matter has been resolved as it was a family issue," she added.

However, hours after the statement from Delhi Police PRO, DCP Choudhary was relieved from his duty.
Kolkata, June 7 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday launched a scathing attack against the BJP alleging that the saffron party had been indirectly patronizing separatist group, Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), to create tension in north Bengal and separate the region from the state.

Incidentally, Mamata Banerjee's attack came just a day after a message from KLO was released asking the Chief Minister not to dare to step into the territories of the proposed Kamtapur state.

"Some leaders are threatening to kill me if I resist attempts to separate north Bengal from the state. If you have the courage, point your guns towards me. I know how to blunt your weapons," the Chief Minister said while addressing a public rally in Alipurduar district in north Bengal on Tuesday afternoon.

The Chief Minister also alleged that there is a direct connection between BJP and the separatist groups in North Bengal. "Some BJP leaders, like the separatist groups, often speak of separating North Bengal from the state. I am ready to sacrifice my blood and resist such separatist attempts," she said.

Incidentally, Alipurdar and its adjacent Jalpaiguri district had been a weak point of Trinamool Congress since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when BJP candidates emerged victorius from both the constituencies in these two districts. In the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls too, despite bagging a landslide victory, Trinamool Congress performed poorly in both these districts by winning in only three out of 12 assembly constituencies in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri.

For quite some time several BJP elected representatives from North Bengal, including the party Lok Sabha member from Alipurduar, John Barla, had called for separation of north Bengal from the state for better development in the region.

In the meantime, Jeevan Singh-led KLO too has started a movement to demand separate Kamtapur out of Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Malda, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur districts in northern part of West Bengal, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Goalpara districts in Assam, Kishanganj district in Bihar and Jhapa district in Nepal.
New Delhi, June 7 : The Delhi Police have arrested a 30-year-old man for snatching a gold chain from a retired government teacher, an official said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Monu alias Badshah, is a habitual criminal and was previously involved in 35 cases of robbery, snatching, arms act, gambling, NDPS and theft.

Dy. Commissioner of Police (North-West District) Usha Rangnani said a PCR call was received at Bharat Nagar police station on Sunday around 2 p.m. wherein it was reported that one person snatched a gold chain (with pendant) from a woman and escaped.

The local police rushed to the spot, where the victim (61), a resident of Lajpat Nagar was present.

The victim stated that she was a retired government teacher and she had come to her brother's house in Bharat Nagar a few days ago. At around 11 a.m., she along with her brother was buying fruits from a vendor near Laxmi Bai College, Ashok Vihar. Suddenly, one person came from behind and snatched her gold chain with a Lord Ganesha pendant and fled from the spot.

"She was emotionally attached to her gold chain as it was gifted to her by her parents at her marriage 38 years ago," the official said.

The police registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and initiated an investigation.

A police team was constituted which examined the CCTV footage and analyzed all the exit routes of the culprit. After recording details given by the complainant, it was established that the accused person was seen running in a park after the incident.

Finally, the snatcher was identified as Monu alias Badshah, a bad character. It was found that Monu was recently released from jail.

"On June 6, a tip-off was received that he might visit a park in Ashok Vihar for getting smack. Accordingly, a raid was conducted and accused Monu was apprehended from a park in Ashok Vihar," the DCP said.

The police recovered the snatched gold chain from him.
London, June 7 : The monkeypox virus outbreak, that has seen more than 780 laboratory confirmed cases in 27 countries, may be circulating outside Africa since 2017, according to scientists who analysed its DNA.

The virus is known to be endemic in western and central Africa, and this is the first time that the outbreak is most geographically widespread outside Africa.

"We, therefore, suggest that the pattern we see... means that there has been sustained human to human transmission since at least 2017," wrote Aine O'Toole and team at the University of Edinburgh in the UK, in a report.

The World Health Organisation has also maintained the monkeypox virus may be spreading "undetected".

"The sudden appearance of monkeypox in many countries at the same time suggests there may have been undetected transmission for some time," said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a statement.

Further, the UK team conducted genome sequencing of the monkeypox virus, and found that the viruses responsible for the new cases are closely related to ones detected in a small number of cases in Israel, Nigeria, Singapore and the UK between 2017 and 2019, New Scientist reported.

There are up to 47 DNA-letter changes in the latest viruses compared with these earlier cases. That is an unexpectedly high number given that monkeypox is thought to evolve slowly, by around one mutation per year.

About 42 of these 47 changes involve the DNA letters TT changing to TA, or GA to AA. There is a group of human enzymes called APOBEC3 that help defend against viruses by inducing mutations in their DNA, and these are the kinds of changes they produce, the report said.

"If these APOBEC3 edits are specifically indicative of replication in humans as opposed to another host species then this would confirm this entire clade to be representative of the emergence of a human epidemic by 2017," O'Toole stated in a recent update to their report.

Three of the 10 monkeypox viruses sequenced in the US also showed some differences, while still being related to the 2017 virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The three cases were found in people who had travelled to different countries in Africa and the Middle East in 2021 or 2022.

The infections could be due to independent instances of the virus jumping from some animal reservoir into people. But since they were found to have lots of APOBEC3-like mutations, it could be said that monkeypox has been spreading quite widely in people in Africa since 2017, the report said.

However, the researchers were surprised to find that the existing viruses may be less fit than the 2017 ones, because they are accumulating lots of mutations that are probably detrimental.

"The mutations we see in the virus today are certainly not ones that kill the virus or we wouldn't be seeing them, the virus would be dead. But there may still be some that are dragging it down a little bit, that are adding to the mutational burden," Emma Hodcroft from the University of Bern in Switzerland, was quoted as saying.

While this is reassuring, we shouldn't assume that monkeypox won't evolve to be better at spreading in people if we give it a chance to do so, she says.

And while the monkeypox cases so far may have been mild, this might not be true if the monkeypox virus starts infecting children or people who are immunocompromised, Hodcroft said.

Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak
Rajahmundry : , June 7 (IANS) Actor-politician Jaya Prada on Tuesday alleged that Andhra Pradesh has been pushed into debt trap.

She described Andhra Pradesh as 'Appula (debts) Pradesh', and said BJP was working to turn it into 'Swarna (golden) Andhra Pradesh'.

The former MP was addressing a public meeting titled 'Godavari Garjana' along with BJP national president J.P. Nadda and other leaders.

Jaya Prada, who recently stated that she wants to enter politics in Telugu states, pointed out that Andhra Pradesh's debts have mounted to Rs 7 lakh crore.

The actor told the gathering that while Rajahmundry is her 'Janmabhoomi', Uttar Pradesh became her 'Karmabhoomi'. The former MP of Samajwadi Party described Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh as her two eyes.

"For some reasons I had to leave my state and my people and I apologise to you for this," she said.

The former MP called on the BJP cadres to focus on booth management to strengthen the party and bring it to power so that it can turn its vision of golden Andhra Pradesh into a reality.

Jaya Prada said many governments came but the people's condition has not improved. "The rich are becoming richer and the poor poorer. There is no one to take care of farmers and common man," she said.

She said that BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was working to bring a change in the lives of people. Stating that BJP is in power in 18 states, she said the BJP governments in these states were providing basic amenities to people and addressing their problems.

Jaya Prada voiced concern over growing number of rapes in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. "The girls are not feeling safe to go out of their homes. The parents are worried till their daughters return home," she said.
San Francisco, June 7 : While tech billionaire Elon Musk recently said that Tesla would be reducing its salaried headcount by 10 per cent, a Goldman Sachs analyst says it can provide the company up to $1 billion in annual operating expenses (OPEX) savings -- the company's day-to-day expenses.

Recently, Musk had noted that his electric vehicle company would be reducing its salaried headcount by 10 per cent as the company has become overstaffed in some areas.

This initiative, at least according to Goldman Sachs analyst Mark Delaney, could translate into $0.225-$1 billion in annual OPEX savings, reports Teslarati.

In a message to Tesla employees, Musk noted that while the company is reducing its headcount by about 10 per cent, staff working on key projects such as vehicle and battery production, as well as solar installations, would be unaffected by the layoffs. Hourly headcount will also be increasing.

"Tesla will be reducing salaried headcount by 10 per cent, as we have become overstaffed in many areas. Note, this does not apply to anyone actually building cars, battery packs, or installing solar. Hourly headcount will increase," Musk wrote in his email.

In later comments, Musk further clarified that Tesla plans to increase its total headcount over the next 12 months, though the number of paid employees won't likely change much.

"Total headcount will increase, but salaried should be fairly flat," Musk wrote.

Delaney weighed in on Musk's statements. According to the analyst, Musk's comments suggest that Tesla plans to limit cost growth and not reduce its OPEX at all. This, in turn, should result in some savings for the electric vehicle maker.

"Musk's comments on Twitter of salaried headcount being fairly flat suggest the company's plan is to limit cost growth and not reduce OPEX overall," Delaney said.

"Our base case assumption is for OPEX, including SBC to rise by an average of about $255 million per quarter from 2Q22 through 4Q22, by $1.9 bn in 2022 YoY, and by $2.6 billion in 2023 YoY. Each $100 million of OPEX is about $0.06-$0.08 of EPS," Delaney added.
New Delhi, June 7: The Baloch National Movement (BNM), which seeks complete independence of Balochistan from Pakistan, has alleged that Pakistani security forces are kidnapping Baloch people from across the country, including Karachi, Rawalpindi, Awaran, Panjgoor and Lasbela.

In an online press conference on Monday evening, BNM said: "The new trend is that 'enforced disappearances' of the Baloch people are happening from all walks of life, be it government officials, students, labourers or women. We find that students are being kidnapped in large numbers." The BNM leaders alleged that after the 'Fidayeen' attack by Shari Baloch at Karachi University, there has been a rapid surge in enforced disappearances of Balochs across Pakistani cities.

The nationalist group also released a report on the human rights situation in Balochistan for May 2022.

Giving examples of women being kidnapped, Nazir Noor, the Human Rights Secretary of BNM, said: "Habiba Pirjan and Zaliya Binte Mohammed were both arrested from Karachi on the basis of false information given to the military authorities that they wanted to carry out a suicide attack just like Shari Baloch." The BNM activists said that Zaliya was arrested and during detention an allegation that she is a suicide bomber was levelled against her.

"Pakistan's airport security issued a fake threat alert to all airports with pictures of her, declaring Zalia a potential fugitive suicide bomber," said the activists at the press conference.

Talking about the second Baloch woman, the BNM activists said Abiba was working as a labourer in Karachi where she had migrated along with her children to escape her drunken husband. She has been kidnapped and her whereabouts are not known.

The BNM leaders said Pakistan's intelligence agencies are carrying out enforced disappearances on the basis of baseless information and mere suspicion.

"Now a handful of people are passing on false information to Pakistani intelligence in order to settle personal grudges with ordinary Balochs and their families," they added.

The Baloch leaders said: "In just May this year, 61 Balochs were forcibly disappeared by Pakistan's armed forces. Twenty-two of them were released after being brutally tortured, while 39 are still missing." Noor added that from Karachi alone, 20 Baloch were kidnapped by the Pakistani army. The other places where the Baloch were made victims of enforced disappearances were Awaran where seven people were kidnapped while in Lasbela six had been kidnapped. He added that people were also picked up from Khuzdar, Noshki, Shad and many other places.

The press conference also highlighted that dead bodies are still being found strewn across the country. Five dead bodies were found in May--two in Kohlu, one in Panjgur, one in Lasbela, and one in Sindh's Hyderabad.

The body in Hyderabad was identified as that of Imam Bakhsh, a sympathiser and supporter of the Baloch liberation movement.

BNM's Information Secretary Qazi Rehan said: "The Pakistani Air Force and the Army have been attacking civilian areas. Separately, the forces are kidnapping our people in most cases as well as arresting them in certain others. Pakistan should be made accountable for the human rights violations of the Baloch people." India Narrative had earlier written how Pakistan began to target Baloch women after the sensational Shari Baloch suicide bombing in April which killed three Chinese teachers of the Confucius Institute and one Pakistani driver. The bombing forced Beijing to recall all Chinese teachers of the Confucius Institute from Pakistan.

Many Baloch activists have been saying that since then Pakistan has upped surveillance against the Baloch and has been kidnapping Baloch women on suspicion of suicide bombing.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Chennai, June 7 : The Dharmapuri district administration has banned visitors from entering the Hogenakkal waterfalls area as Cauvery's inflow into the river has crossed 16,000 cusecs.

District Collector, S. Divyadarshini on Tuesday also suspended coracle rides in the dam area due to the heavy gushing of waters. Water has been released from Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagar reserves in Karnataka due to heavy and continuous rains.

The district administration also forbids people from crossing the river and bathing livestock. The district collector also said that ban on tourists and coracle operations will continue till further orders.

The inflow into the Mettur dam also increased to 10,410 cusecs on Tuesday and the state water works department said that heavy rains are the reason behind the increase in water level at the dam.

The water level at Mettur dam stood at 114.75 feet against its full capacity of 120 feet.
New Delhi, June 7 : A Delhi court has denied bail to a man who allegedly absconded with his family and spent over 15 years in Canada after cheating the banks to the tune of nearly Rs 9 crore, on which the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI) arrested him and his mother later.

Special Judge Anil Antil of Rouse Avenue Court noted that the accused Ankur Aggarwal along with his family had absconded and concealed himself for about 15 years in Canada and even after coming to India, he remained elusive for about three years or so.

"The allegations against the applicant are serious in nature, alleged to be involved in economic fraud to the tune of Rs 8-9 crore, causing loss to the government banks and had absconded thereafter," read the order dated June 6.

Refusing to grant the bail moved on medical grounds by the accused, the court said: "There is nothing in the medical report to suggest that any ailments are serious or life-threatening, or which requires immediate urgent medical intervention." The judge further said that heavy-worded medical terminology has been used, however, on analysing and reading the said words carefully, it appears that all the ailments cited are of general in nature, and can well be taken care of by regular and proper treatment, from any of the government empanelled hospitals.

During the course of the hearing, the counsel appeared for the accused and argued on the points that the trial court has failed to appreciate the fact that neither before the High Court nor before the Sessions Court any medical ground was raised by the accused at the time of seeking regular bail, nor any such ground was pressed to plead for interim bail.

On the other hand, the Public Prosecutor submitted that the accused was earlier declared Proclaimed Offender and he had absconded to Canada immediately prior to the registration of the FIRs, and with great difficulty after a passage of almost 15 years, he was apprehended in the present matters.

Further, highlighting his dubious conduct, the Public Prosecutor said there is every likelihood that if he is admitted to interim bail on medical grounds, he will flee from justice or tamper with the evidence or influence the prosecution witnesses.
New Delhi, June 7 : After suspension of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal, the minority leaders of the BJP feel that it will help in restoring faith of Muslim community in the party.

On Sunday, the BJP suspended party national spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her comment on Prophet Muhammad during a TV debate. The Delhi BJP also expelled its media head Jindal from party for his social media comment on the founder of Islam.

BJP minority morcha national president Jamal Siddiqui told IANS that the action against two leaders sent a strong message among the community that there is no difference between BJP's words and action.

"The comments made by our leaders are not the thoughts of the BJP and it was not said by the BJP chief. After action against them by Prime Minister and party chief, there is feeling among the (Muslim) community that there is no difference between BJP's 'kathni aur karni' (words and action). The action will help in restoring faith of Muslim community in the party once again," Siddiqui said.

Siddiqui mentioned that the action will also send a strong message within the party that no one is allowed to speak against the party line for their own publicity.

He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several occasions advised party leaders not to make comments which hurt anyone's religious sentiment.

"Prime Minister advised not to make such comments which hurt the religious sentiment of the community or individual. On many occasions, he (Prime Minister) said that we have to take forward the politics of development. He had also said that while doing politics of development, some will try to stop, divert or derail us but we should not fall in their trap. We have to remain alert to avoid falling in their trap," Siddiqui said.

A minority leader pointed out that the action will connect the party with the Muslim community with a strong message that BJP does not discriminate on religious line.

Another minority leader said that the action echoed the Prime Minister's motto of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas'.

On Sunday, before suspension of both the leaders from the party in a press statement, BJP national general secretary, Arun Singh had said, "During the thousands of years of the history of India every religion has blossomed and flourished. The Bharatiya Janata Party respects all religions. The BJP strongly denounces insults of any religious personality of any religion. The Bharatiya Janata Party is also strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion. The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy."
Mumbai, June 7 : Veteran electronic media journalist Pradeep Bhide -- famed as the 'Face of Marathi Doordarshan' -- passed away following a prolonged illness here on Tuesday, family sources said.

He was 68 and is survived by his wife, son and a daughter. His last rites were performed at the Andheri Crematorium on Tuesday evening in the presence of a large number of media colleagues and admirers.

Bhide was one of the earliest entrants to the Mumbai Doordarshan Kendra which was launched in 1972 and he worked initially in the news translation department.

Blessed with a commanding screen presence and a clear baritone voice, he soon slid into news reading with his trademark 'Namaskar, Aajcha Thalak Batmya' (Namaskar, Today's News Headlines) becoming a household greeting for the evening news on Marathi Doordarshan.

A B.Sc graduate and an alumnus of the Ranade Institute of Communications, Bhide plunged into journalism from the age of 21 and worked in the media for nearly 35 years.

He also had brief stints with the media departments of MNCs like e-Merck and Hindustan Lever before shifting full-time to Doordarshan and media, his first love.

Over the years, he also worked as a correspondent, covering major news events for Doordarshan, formerly part of the National Network and later as it became a regional channel, DD Sahyadri.

Bhide read the day's news in an engaging style, provided analysis, anchored news or other special shows on the government-run channel and occasionally even covered outside assignments.

He was much sought for the periodical state or national elections programmes like Janadesh or the results and political analysis post-polls that were avidly watched.

Later, he also set up his own media company, 'Pradeep Bhide Communications' in Khar, which produced short, advertising films, documentaries, infomercials and promos, and for many of them he provided the voice-over or hosted the programme.

He was the compere for the swearing-in ceremony of the first-ever Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government at Shivaji Park in 1995, and later hosted the oath-taking ceremony of the BJP-Sena government in 2014, besides covering major events of the Presidents, Prime Ministers and other foreign dignitaries.

Several prominent media personalities, NCP MP Supriya Sule, Congress and Shiv Sena leaders condoled the passing of Bhide, terming it as the 'end of an era'.
New Delhi, June 7 : The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Tuesday said they have arrested two wanted criminals in separate operations, of which one was an accused in a murder case.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Vichitra Veer said in the first operation the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Crime Branch arrested a criminal identified as Akash (28), who was absconding in a robbery case registered at the Vijay Vihar police station.

According to the police official, a team was constituted which received a tip-off about the location of the accused, following which a raid was conducted and Akash was apprehended.

"During sustained interrogation, he admitted to have committed the above crime along with his associates," the DCP added.

During the second operation, the Crime Branch arrested an accused identified as Pradeep alias Shyam Singh alias Sunder, who had jumped parole granted by the Court on grounds of Covid-19 in a murder case at Begumpur police station.

Pradeep was arrested after a tip-off was received about his location. He has previously been involved in three criminal cases, including that of murder and under the Arms Act, the official said.
Chandigarh, June 7 : The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday said there was a grave threat to the life of former minister Bikram Singh Majithia and that there was every likelihood of him being implicated in another false case at the behest of AGDP Harpreet Sidhu who had been entrusted with the additional charge of prisons to settle political and personal scores.

Addressing a press conference here to highlight the letter written by Majithia's wife and Majitha legislator Ganieve Kaur Majithia to the DGP along with a copy to chief minister Bhagwant Mann, senior SAD leaders Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Daljit Singh Cheema demanded the immediate removal of Sidhu from the additional charge of the ADGP, Prisons, besides taking other necessary action in the case.

The leaders said there were grave apprehensions in the minds of the family of Majithia as well as that of the SAD that Sidhu had been posted as the ADGP Prisons with the motive of planting something on the former minister.

They said even though Sidhu was a most 'incompetent' police officer he was used by successive governments to settle scores with Majithia and that he had been posted as the ADGP, Prisons, with the same goal by the AAP government.

The SAD leaders said there was a severe animosity between the families of Majithia and Sidhu.

They said Sidhu was closely related to Majithia as the police officer's mother and the paternal aunt of Majithia were real sisters. "There has been bad blood between the families for generations with Sidhu's family blaming Majithia's family for the death of their aunt. This strained relationship and animosity was also withheld by Sidhu from the high court before he embarked upon conducting an inquiry on the alleged role of Majithia in a drug case." Grewal and Cheema said when the high court did not proceed with the report of Sidhu, the latter maliciously handed over the report which was supposed to lie in a sealed envelope to Navjot Singh Sidhu, a politician who was inimical to Majithia.

The SAD leaders said towards the end of the term of the previous Congress government, Sidhu handed over his home cooked report to the DGP to register a false case under various sections of the NDPS Act against Majithia.

They said even after this, Sidhu kept interfering in the case and even wrote a letter to the AAP government on March 8 on which basis the SIT was reconstituted.

"Due to this Sidhu's dictat is treated as a command by the SIT which reports directly to him."
New Delhi, June 7 : An 80-year-old man has moved the Supreme Court seeking compensation of Rs 510 crore from the Uttar Pradesh government in connection with a waqf property.

The man, who claims to be legal heir of the property which was acquired by the state government, has challenged the Allahabad High Court passed on April 19 this year and also the Fatehpur District Magistrate's order, which declined to grant him the compensation.

The petitioner Alim Akhtar claimed that the compensation was due according to the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

The plea, filed through advocate Omprakash Parihar, said: "The petitioner is surviving legal heir, 80-year-old, had rightfully claimed the compensation of Rs 510 crore which was denied by the District Magistrate, Fatehpur and hence the reliefs under the above writ petition ought to have been granted to the petitioner." The plea contended that the high court order is blatantly erroneous as the issue involved before it was in respect of Waqf Alal Aulad property i.e. the property which continue to belong to the descendants for all time to come.

"The Allahabad High Court grossly erred in coming to the conclusion that the petitioner was the owner of the land in issue from 110 years ago. In fact, the petitioner's ancestor Mohammed Hasan was the owner of the property in issue in respect of which the certified copies of the Khasra and Khatawani were on record," it said.

The plea argued that compensation was denied, despite reports finding petitioner's father name in revenue records of the property concerned. "That the entry of the father of the petitioner, as well as Kabrastan, Takiya, and Waqf Alal Aulad is admittedly recorded in the revenue record and it is also admitted by the respondents that they are in possession on the several parts of the aforesaid property and are enjoying the same without awarding the single penny of compensation...", it added.

The petitioners said the court orders were contrary to the Sections 24(2) and 64 of Right to Fair Compensation & Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation & Resettlement Act, 2013, and that it is not correct for the state government to take the property of citizens illegally and arbitrarily without compensation.
Agartala, June 7 : The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday released 'Tripura Files', a short documentary film, to highlight the under development and misgovernance in Tripura and deprivation of the people since India's Independence, party leaders said here on Tuesday.

The Trinamool Congress' Tripura state in-charge and former West Bengal minister Rajib Banerjee said that the 'Tripura Files' was made with many episodes.

"Since India's Independence specially during the Left Front's 35 year's governance (1978 to 1988 and 1993 to 2018) and BJP-led government's 51 months rule, people of Tripura were not only deprived but also suffered with huge undemocratic activities, violence and atrocities. All these would be highlighted in the 'Tripura Files'," he told the media.

Accompanied by TMC's Tripura state President Subal Bhowmik and Rajya Sabha member Sushmita Dev and candidates of the June 23 by-elections, Rajib Banerjee said that Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo) is the only leader in India who not only defeated the Left parties in Bengal after 34 years but also beat the BJP.

"With the strength and guidance of Mamata Banerjee, the TMC would also defeat the BJP in Tripura in the upcoming by-elections and in next year's state assembly polls," he said.

The TMC leader asserted that the by-elections outcome in Tripura would herald the end of the BJP's misgovernance in Tripura.

Banerjee said that all the social schemes functional in Bengal would be introduced in Tripura without any additional financial burden or imposing any tax, once the party forms the government in the state.

"Since March 2018, after the BJP came to power in Tripura, all the elections, mostly local bodies' polls, turned into a farce and people could not cast their votes to elect their leaders," he claimed.

The Trinamool Congress has fielded candidates on all the four assembly seats, Panna Deb (Agartala), Sanhita Bhattacharya (Banerjee) (Town Bordowali), Arjun Sarkar (Surma) and Dr Mrinal Kanti Dev (Jubarajnagar).

The TMC has fielded two women candidates out of four nominees, Banerjee said.
San Francisco, June 7 : A group of Google contractors have called out a recruitment agency over being underpaid for a long time, amounting to thousands of dollars in unpaid wages per affected worker, media reports said.

According to the workers, the payroll errors are happening so regularly that they believe it to be a kind of systematic wage theft, the Verge reported.

Guy Mylius, who was doing work for Google at Artech - a subcontractor hired via Google contractor Accenture, found he was underpaid four months into his job. At the behest of his co-workers, he checked his pay stub against the contractor's work order and found that he was contracted for 50 per cent more money than was making.

"I found out they had been paying me $20 an hour, but they were telling Google they were paying me $30.08 an hour," Mylius was quoted as saying. "That was in the middle of March, and basically they haven't done anything about it." In his six-month term at Artech, the discrepancy added up to more than $10,000, the report said.

Several such workers discovered that their contractors were paying them less than it told Google they were earning.

While Accenture had set the pay rate for each role in a work order document before the hire was made, many found that the rate on their pay stub was $5 to $10 lower than the specified rate, the report said.

In most cases, workers were either completely unaware of the underpayment or believed it to be an isolated incident. It was only when they started comparing experiences that they realised how common the underpayment really was.

"We are looking into this matter," Accenture was quoted as saying, adding that it was investigating the claims to ensure all employees were properly paid.

"This seems to be a pattern," Mylius says. "It's not just that this was an error on my paycheck. I've personally talked to five or six people who are at Accenture who have had the same experience." When the Verge reached Artech for comment, it said all employees were paid "in accordance with their employment agreements", per an internal investigation of the complaint. "Accordingly, at this time Artech denies the allegations in their entirety," Artech general counsel Eric Szoke was quoted as saying. "With respect to Artech's contractual terms with its client, that is a confidential matter between Artech and Accenture." Shortly after Artech sent the statement, Mylius received his back pay in full from the company. No explanation was given for the timing of the repayment, the report said.
Patna, June 7 : The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar has expressed unhappiness after leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav was not invited for the inauguration of Mahatma Gandhi Setu here on Tuesday.

Chitranjan Gagan, the state spokesperson of the RJD claimed that the NDA government was responsible for the pathetic situation of Mahatma Gandhi Setu after 2005.

"When Mahagathbanghan government came into power in 2015, the then deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who was holding the road construction ministry of Bihar, had met Nitin Gadkari and requested him for the restart of the construction work of Mahatma Gandhi Setu. Due to his initiative, the Centre had approved a sum of Rs 1,742 crore for this project at that time," Gagan said.

"Now, Tejashwi Yadav is a leader of the opposition in Bihar and he is a local MLA as one side of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu terminates in Hajipur which comes under the jurisdiction of Raghopur assembly constituency from where Tejashwi Yadav is an MLA. It is extremely unfortunate that the Bihar government did not invite him for the event," he said.

The bridge connects Patna near zero miles with Hajipur in Vaishali district.

Earlier on Tuesday, union road transport and highway minister Nitin Gadkari and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar jointly inaugurated the east side of the bridge. With this all 4 lanes have become operational for commuters. These two leaders also laid down the foundation of 15 roads and bridge projects in Bihar having estimated cost of Rs 13,585 crore.
New Delhi, June 7 : A Malawian national was arrested at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport for allegedly smuggling cocaine capsules worth Rs 9.11 crore by hiding them inside her body.

The official at the airport had intercepted the woman on May 27 at terminal number 3.

She had come to India from Addis Ababa.

"She was intercepted after she crossed the green channel and was approaching the exit gate of the international arrivals hall," said the official.

Initially, nothing suspicious was found in her bag during the check by airport officials but upon undergoing a medical examination, some material was found to be secreted inside her body.

The medical test led to the recovery of 51 cocaine capsules which further resulted in the recovery of a total 607 grams white coloured substance.

This substance was later reportedly found to be cocaine worth Rs 9.11 crore.

"In view of the above facts it was clear that she had violated provisions of Section 8 of the NDPS Act and had committed an offence punishable under Section 21, 23 and 39 of the Act. Accordingly she was placed under arrest as per section 43(B) of the NDPS Act. The powdered substance, prima facie, found to be cocaine has been seized along with concealing materials under section 43(A) of the Act," the customs official added.
New Delhi, June 7 : The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) on Tuesday handed over DNA profiles of three more victims of the horrific Mundka fire, and these were later matched with their kin, an official said.

The latest three bodies identified were of Madhu Devi, Narender, and Muskan.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Outer, Sameer Sharma said 27 dead bodies were preserved at Sanjay Gandhi Hospital and blood samples of their family members were sent to FSL for DNA profiling and matching.

"In the early stage of the case, eight dead bodies were handed over to their family members. Now, out of those handed over bodies, DNA profiles of seven have been matched with their family members," the DCP said.

Those seven were identified as Tanya Chauhan, Mohini, Kailash Jyani, Amit Jyani, Yashoda, Vishal, and Drishti.

"The DNA samples of Ranju Devi, a resident of Bihar was not matched with her son. Therefore today, the blood samples of her parents was also taken today and will be sent to FSL/Rohini for matching," the DCP said.

In addition to this, the FSL authorities have been requested to take fresh blood samples of accused -- Harish Goyal and Varun Goyal -- for matching with the body of their father, Amar Nath Goyal.

On June 1, the family members of the deceased, anguished over not getting bodies of their relatives who died in the massive fire incident in Mundka, had held a protest.

At least 27 people were killed, in one of the deadliest tragedies that the national capital has seen in recent years, as massive fire gutted a four-storey building located near a metro station in west Delhi's Mundka area.

The bodies were charred to such an extent that even after nearly one month, only 10 of the 27 bodies have been identified.
Srinagar, June 7 : The terrorist killed in the encounter with the security forces at Aloora area in South Kashmir's Shopian district has been identified, officials said on Tuesday.

"Killed terrorist identified as Nadeem Ahmad Rather alias Kamran of Kulgam, linked with proscribed terror outfit HM. He was involved in several terror crimes including killing of Kulpora Panch and recruitment of youth into terror ranks," Jammu and Kashmir Police quoting Inspector General Police Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar tweeted.

This is a second encounter in Kashmir in a single day. Earlier on Tuesday two LeT terrorists were killed in an encounter between terrorists and security forces at Chaktaras Kandi area in North Kashmir's Kupwara district.

On Monday, Pakistani terrorist, Hanzalla, was killed in an encounter between terrorists and security forces at Sopore in North Kashmir's Baramulla district.

There have been a series of anti terror operations in Kashmir over the last few months in which many terrorists and their commanders have been eliminated.

Most of the operations have been jointly conducted by the police and the army on the basis of specific intelligence inputs.
Thiruvananthapuram, June 7 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who on Tuesday came under heavy fire after explosive revelations made by Kerala gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh, dismissed it as baseless.

In a statement issued here by Vijayan soon after he arrived at the airport, where he ducked the media, said all these allegations had been dismissed by the people when it first surfaced and will do the same now also.

"The revelation made by an accused which has re-surfaced again due to vested interests has already been dismissed by the people here, earlier. This fresh attempt is a concerted one to destabilise a firm government which is relentlessly working for the good of the people. We are certain that the people who know everything will dismiss this as it did in the past," said Vijayan.

Earlier, state Congress president K. Sudhakaran on Tuesday demanded Vijayan's immediate resignation.

"In the country such a thing is being heard of for the first time where a Chief Minister is alleged to have smuggled gold in a biriyani vessel. We demand Vijayan to resign and a probe be ordered under the monitoring of a court. There were lots of agencies which probed this and at the end it was a settlement between the BJP and the CPI-M. Even the family members of Vijayan are named. This is really shameless and he should quit," said Sudhakaran and added that the Congress led UDF will meet soon to decide the future course of action.

For Vijayan, Kerala Police on Tuesday set up unprecedented security to ensure that no media personnel come anywhere close to him when he arrived at the airport here.

The media was present in good numbers, but they were shocked to see that a big rope was tied far away from where the car to pick Vijayan had come.

Journalists were shouting at the top of their voice asking what he has to say about the fresh revelation by Swapna Suresh of his role.

But Vijayan, feigning ignorance of what was being asked, got into his car and drove away amid unprecedented security.

Top Congress legislator and former Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala also slammed the role of Vijayan in gold smuggling case.

Speaking to the media, Chennithala said his position has now been vindicated.

"I had raised then that Vijayan knew everything and he is the prime accused in this case. Whatever he does to hide, the truth will emerge. I raise things only which I am sure of. Had a proper probe then done by the various central agencies, it would have come out then. Then there were speculations that the BJP and the CPI-M were hand in glove. A fresh probe will bring out everything," said Chennithala and added that he has no clue of what Vijayan's family members role was as I don't speak of things I don't know.

Earlier in the day, Swapna Suresh who was at Kochi, revealed on Tuesday that she has given a statement under section 164 of the CrPC and in it she has clearly talked about the role of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife Kamala, their daughter Veena, Nalini Netto (former Chief secretary), his secretary C.M. Ravindran and K.T. Jaleel (former State Minister and present legislator) in the gold smuggling case.

On Monday, after giving her statement before a local magistrate here she had said that she will speak to media on Tuesday.

"I have been advised by the court to show restraint when I speak and hence I am not able to give out everything. It all began in 2016 when Vijayan first went to the UAE. Then M. Sivasankar (his secretary and top IAS official) had asked me to make all arrangements for his visit in the UAE and we did it through our UAE Consulate here," said Swapna.

"The next day, I get a call from Sivasankar saying that Vijayan has forgotten a bag and it should be immediately sent to him. We at the Consulate office have a scanner and when we scanned it was filled with currency notes," said Swapna.

She then said, on several occasions, a biriyani vessel (round in shape and a big one) was transported from the house of the UAE Consulate General here to the residence of Vijayan.

"This has happened on several occasions and it has been found out that it contained metal like objects. This was done under instructions from Sivasankar," added Swapna.

She pointed out that in the past also she has said the same thing to the various agencies, but this is being said to the media for the first time.

"I have been asked by the court to show restraint and since I respect the court, I am saying only this much now. May be in the coming days I will be revealing more," said Swapna, soon after coming out from the court, where she was giving her statement under section 164.
Bhubaneswar, June 7 : The police in Odisha have arrested a man for allegedly sharing his wife's obscene photographs on social media, an official said on Tuesday.

The Bhubaneswar cyber police arrested the accused Saroj Kumar Das on Monday from Chandbali area of Bhadrak district and presented him at a court, said a police officer.

After their marriage in 2018, Das and his wife were staying in Tamil Nadu.

He was working as a plumber there. As he was a habitual drinker, Das used to spend all his earnings on alcohol, said police officer.

During the lockdown, he spent everything, and the family went into a financial crisis. Following this, his wife returned to Odisha and started working as housemaid in Bhubaneswar, the police said.

Later, Das started demanding money from his wife. However, she refused to give money to him for which he often threatened her that he would make the obscene pictures viral on social media. And one day, he shared such pictures to his wife's relatives.

The police said that Saroj Kumar Das is the second husband of the woman.
Baroda, June 7 : Several incidents of flying drones at private farms during the night have been reported in Anand and Kheda districts of Gujarat.

There are strict policies for using drones for various purposes but recently Gujarat has reported incidents of drones being allegedly used for delivering liquor.

Kheda Superintendent of Police, Rajesh Gadhia said, "We have received such complaints following which the police have increased patrolling at several places. The police have not found any flying drone till now. Flying of specific designed drones is prohibited but if such drones are found, the police will take strict action. There are several private farms so it is possible that some people might be flying drones from there. Mostly these drones are visible in the sky between 8 to 11 p.m." Later, during the day Bhalej police seized a flying device from Ardi village in Anand district, which later turned out to be a toy helicopter.

The police have appealed to the people of Kheda and Anand districts not to pay heed to rumours and inform them if they see any flying objects in the future.
New Delhi, June 7 : There is no clarity yet on whether Congress' interim President Sonia Gandhi, who was summoned by the ED to appear before them on June 8 in a case related to the National Herald, will appear before the agency after she had tested Covid positive on June 2.

Her son and former party chief Rahul Gandhi was summoned to appear before the ED June 13 after he sought exemption on the earlier date.

The ED had summoned the Gandhis to join the investigation in the money laundering case relating to the National Herald and record their statements on June 8.

The case has been lodged against various Congress leaders including Gandhis for allegedly misappropriating National Herald funds.

The Congress had termed the ED summons as "politics of revenge".

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala had said: "This is a politics of vendetta and revenge by the BJP to target opposition leaders as they have done to other opponents in the country.

"National Herald newspaper was started in 1942. At that time the British tried to close it, today the Modi government is also doing the same thing as the Britishers did. Now the ED is being used for this purpose..." As there is no money involved in the case, Congress sources say that the case was closed in 2015.
New Delhi, June 7 : Religare Enterprises Ltd's former Chairman and Managing Director Sunil Godhwani was arrested by the Delhi Police's Economic Offence Wing on Tuesday in a Rs 800 crore fraud case, a police official said.

Godhwani was already under judicial custody pertaining to an earlier offence.

"Yes we have arrested him (Godhwani)," Joint Commissioner of Police, Economic Offences Wing, Chhaya Sharma told IANS.

In December last year, Religare's former CEO Krishnan Subramanian was arrested for siphoning off public money to the tune of Rs 2,397 crore.

Religare Finvest Ltd (RFL) representative Manpreet Singh Suri had filed a complaint against former promoters Malvinder Singh, and Shivinder Singh, Godhwani and others holding key managerial posts, alleging that having absolute control over Religare Enterprises Ltd and its subsidiaries, these persons put RFL in poor financial condition by way of disbursing loans to companies having no financial standings.

In view of the sufficient incriminating evidence on record, Malvinder and Shivinder Singh, along with three others holding key managerial positions in RFL, have already been arrested and charge-sheeted.

Police officials privy to the probe say that these companies willfully defaulted in repayments and caused wrongful loss to RFL to the tune of Rs 2,397 crore. This was also pointed out and flagged during the independent audit by the RBI and the SEBI.
Patna, June 7 : A youth travelled around 190 km perched precariously under the engine of the Sarnath Budh Purnima Express Train in Bihar before he was rescued at the Gaya station but fled before he could be questioned, an official said on Tuesday.

The youth was spotted by the train driver at 4 a.m. on Monday when the train reached Gaya railway station. In a statement to the Railway Protection Force, the driver said that he heard a human screaming from somewhere below, immediately went to check it with a torch light, and spotted a person in a narrow space underneath the traction motor.

"I immediately called Railway Protection Force personnel to extricate him. The youth looked mentally unstable. His health has deteriorated due to extreme heat generated from the engine. When RPF personnel were taking him out, he was asking for water," he said in his statement.

The railway officials failed to find the youth's identity as he managed to flee from the spot soon after he was rescued.

The railway officials are yet to ascertain from where he boarded inside the engine.

The train starts from Rajgir and he probably climbed inside the engine in the railway yards.

From Rajgir to Gaya, the Sarnath Budh Purnima Express Train has six stops, ranging from two minutes to 10 minutes. The train has a maximum stoppage of 10 minutes at Patna Junction railway station.

Officials ruled out the theory that someone can get underneath the engine in a duration of 2 to 10 minutes, especially when the engine is in a running position.
New York, June 7 : Here is some welcome news for the developing countries, which don't have cold storage facilities (minus 70-degree C) to store vaccines such as Pfizers.

"Studies are apace on now Phase 3 clinical trials for two novel Covid-19 vaccine platforms," said CBS news in a special dispatch.

The studies have been published in the 'New England Journal of Medicine' showing promise of results for two novel Covid-19 vaccine platforms -- a plant-based coronavirus-like particle vaccine, and a receptor-binding domain (RBD)-dimer-based vaccine.

The most significant feature of the new vaccines is that neither of them require extreme cold chain storage, which makes them appealing candidates for low and middle-income countries, a key component of global Covid-19 vaccination efforts.

Vaccines Perform Well Despite Variants The first vaccine is a plant-based particle vaccine developed by Medicago/GSK, which was tested on participants in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States as early as March 15 to September 2, 2021, CBS said.

The vaccine, CoVLP, was administered to candidates in two doses within a frequency of 21 days and the results were compared to placebo. The study continued until at least 160 Covid-19 cases were detected in participants at least seven days following the second dose of vaccine.

A total of 24,141 volunteers participated in the trial. Vaccine efficacy was claimed to be 69.5 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval [CI], 56.7 per cent to 78.8 per cent) against any symptomatic Covid-19 caused by five variants that were identified by sequencing, the study found.

The results were even stronger for efficacy against moderate-to-severe disease, at 78.8 per cent (95 per cent CI, 55.8 per cent to 90.8 per cent).

No severe cases or deaths were recorded in the vaccine group. The vaccine group had more adverse effects, but none were severe, the study reported.

"CoVLP+AS03, like all currently deployed vaccines, was designed to target the original viral strain, but no case caused by this strain was identified," the study said, adding, "The context in which vaccines are currently being tested has clearly changed since early in the pandemic." The performance of CoVLP is similar to the current vaccines in use against the current strains. Meaning they are effective against the Alpha, Delta and Kappa variants.

The second vaccine, ZF2001, was tested at 31 clinical sites in Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Ecuador, and later in China. The vaccine made by Anhui Zhifei Longcom of China was given to participants in a randomised manner of three doses within 30 days of each one.

Only 158 of 12,625 participants in the ZF2001 group contracted Covid-19 during the trial, compared to 580 of 12,568 participants in the placebo group. Vaccine efficacy against infection was 75.7 per cent (95 per cent CI, 71 per cent to 79.8 per cent) and 87.6 per cent (95 per cent CI, 70.6 per cent to 95.7 per cent) against severe to critical disease.

Two participants in the vaccine group, and 12 in the placebo group, died of Covid-19, resulting in 86.5 per cent (95 per cent CI, 38.9 per cent to 98.5 per cent) efficacy rate against death, said the study.

A Genotype sampling from Covid-19 cases in the study showed that Delta, Alpha and B.1.617.3 variants were the primary ones. The vaccine efficacy was 76.1 per cent (95 per cent CI, 70 per cent to 81.2 per cent) against Delta, 88.3 per cent (95 per cent CI, 66.8 per cent to 97 per cent) against Alpha, and 75.2 per cent (95 per cent CI, 55.3 per cent to 87 per cent) against Kappa.

"The high cross-protection conferred by ZF2001 (an antigen based on the Wuhan-Hu-1 sequence) against different SARS-CoV-2 variants is encouraging," the study said.

Multiple Vaccine Platforms Need of the Hour Interestingly, neither trial assessed how well the vaccines performed against asymptomatic infections, because both had very few participants over the age of 60. But in an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine, Hanna Nohynek, MD, PhD, and Annelies Wilder-Smith, MD, PhD, claim that the results in the trials are encouraging.

At present, 31 Covid-19 vaccines are in wide use since conditional approval by national regulatory authorities or under the World Health Organization Emergency Use Listing, and, take a breath, more than 300 are currently in development.

The most popular Covid-19 vaccines used in India are Covishield, supplied by the Serum Institute of India (Pune) and developed under licence from the Oxford vaccine initiated by AstraZeneca, and Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech, a home-grown company.

India launched the world's largest vaccination campaign and close to 400 million have been targeted for inoculation with 18-year olds also being added to the list.

Unlike last year (2020-21) when demand outstripped supply, global vaccine supply is now meeting the growing demand. Yet, the emergence of variants that can evade vaccine protection supports a broad range of Covid-19 vaccine platforms, the study claimed.

Mix-and-match strategies may prove to be useful in future booster campaigns. And vaccines that don't require specialised cold-chain storage may prove useful in limited-resource settings.

"We should remain agile in fine-tuning the best use of Covid-19 vaccines for the greatest effect on global public health by acknowledging trade-offs," the authors Hanna and Wilder Smith said in their report in the journal.

"With more vaccine platforms available, we can possibly improve decision making regarding the selection of a vaccine, since different vaccine platforms may be more suitable for certain age groups, certain subpopulations (e.g., those with underlying immune-compromising or other medical conditions), and pregnant women," they added.

As Covid-19 cases began to accelerate again this spring, federal data surprisingly suggests the rate of breakthrough Covid infections in April was worse in boosted Americans compared to unboosted Americans -- though rates of deaths and hospitalisations remained the lowest among the boosted.

This does not mean unnecessarily that the booster shots are somehow increasing the risk. Ongoing studies continue to provide strong evidence of additional protection offered by booster shots against infection, severe disease, and death.

Instead, the shift underscores the growing complexity of measuring vaccine effectiveness at this stage of the pandemic. It comes as officials are weighing key decisions on booster shots and pandemic surveillance, including whether to continue using the "crude case rates" at all.

It also serves to illustrate a tricky reality facing the health authorities amid the latest Covid-19 wave: Even many boosted Americans are vulnerable to catching and spreading the virus, at a time when officials are wary of reimposing pandemic measures like mask requirements, said the CBS report even as more and more Americans have discarded wearing the masks in public places such as shopping malls, theaters etc.

"During the Omicron wave, we saw an increased number of mild infections -- at-home type of infections, the inconvenience, having a cold, being off work, not great but not the end of the world. And that's because these Omicron variants were able to break through antibody protection and cause these mild infections," John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Weill Cornell Medical College, was quoted by the CBS News as saying.

"So, one of the dynamics here is that people feel, after vaccination and boosting, that they're more protected than they actually are, so they increase their risks. That, I think, is the major driver of these statistics," he said.

On the CDC's (Center for Disease Control) dashboard, which is updated monthly, the agency acknowledges several "factors likely affect crude case rates by vaccination and booster dose status, making interpretation of recent trends difficult".

The CDC had rolled out the page several months ago, amid demands for better federal tracking of breakthrough cases. It has now grown to encompass data from immunisation records and positive Covid-19 tests from 30 health departments across the US.

For the week of April 23, it said the rate of Covid-19 infections among boosted Americans was 119 cases per 100,000 people. That was more than double the rate of infections in those who were vaccinated but unboosted, but a fraction of the levels among unvaccinated Americans.

That could be because there is a "higher prevalence of previous infection" right now among those who are unvaccinated and unboosted, the CDC said. More boosted Americans may now have abandoned "prevention behaviours" like wearing masks, leading to an uptick.

Some boosted Americans might be more likely to seek out a lab test for Covid-19, as opposed to relying on over-the-counter rapid tests that go largely unreported to health authorities.

"Home testing has become, I think, the single biggest concern in developed countries that can interfere with our measurements," CDC's Ruth Link-Gelles told a conference hosted by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases last month.

"Moving beyond this crisis, I do think the future is in random sampling. And that's an area that we're looking at closely," Caitlin Rivers, a top official in the agency's disease forecasting team, told an event hosted by the National Academies last week.

Meanwhile, federal officials are also preparing for key decisions on future Covid-19 vaccine shots, which might up the odds that additional shots might be able to fend off infections from the latest variants.

In the short term, CDC Director Rochelle Walenski recently told reporters that her agency was in talks with the Food and Drug Administration about extending the option for second boosters to more adults.
New Delhi, June 7 : India, on behalf of BASIC countries, on Tuesday called for continued work on Loss & Damage, and the Global Goal on Adaptation and Climate Finance at the joint opening Plenary of the 56th Session of Subsidiary Bodies at Germany's Bonn, ahead of the COP27 in November at Egypt's Sharm-el-Sheikh.

Implementation of the Paris Agreement 2015 is the main theme for such climate negotiations. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it is an agreement for combined efforts at reducing emissions to restrict global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial era.

The Paris Agreement had reaffirmed the 2013 Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage (used just as 'Loss & Damage' in climate parlance) as the main vehicle under the UNFCCC process to avert, minimise and address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts, including extreme weather events and slow onset events, especially crucial for developing nations.

Led by its Additional Secretary, Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Richa Sharma, a delegation of 10 officials from India are currently at Bonn for the negotiations, said a ministry official.

"Adaptation finance should be equal to mitigation finance. The developed nations do not want to invest in adaptation because the return on investments is low. But adaptation is a matter of existence for island nations and many developing countries. Going forward, finance for adaptation and Loss & Damage will be very important and India will take this forward," the official said here.

Asserting that developed nations should deliver on finance, he said: "They will push for operationalising Article 6 but the finance for it has not yet come. Also, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) credits have not been counted yet." As it was agreed at last year's climate change negotiations conference (COP26) at Glasgow that a document, 'From Glasgow to Sharm-el-Sheikh', will be prepared, the official said: "We are trying to ensure that these issues are part of this document." India also highlighted the importance of intra-generational equity along with inter-generational equity between and within nations.

Asked about the updated NDC - the nationally determined contribution as part of each nation's actions for combating climate change - the official said: "India would submit the updated NDC under Paris Agreement before the designated time."
Rajahmundry : , June 7 (IANS) BJP President J.P. Nadda on Tuesday slammed the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in Andhra Pradesh for 'lawlessness, corruption and massive debts', and said that time has come for this government to go and for the BJP to come to power.

Addressing a public meeting here on the second day of his two-day visit to Andhra Pradesh, Nadda alleged that corruption is at an all-time high in Andhra Pradesh.

"Today Andhra Pradesh is known for land mafia, sand mafia and liquor mafia. They have become synonyms of Andhra Pradesh," he said.

Nadda also accused the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of diverting funds released by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

Stating that Andhra Pradesh needs double-engine growth, he urged people to vote for the BJP whenever the elections are held.

Nadda said the Jagan Mohan Reddy government did not maintain financial discipline which resulted in the state's debts mounting to Rs 8 lakh crore.

He also targeted the state government for working with a 'vengeful' attitude to crush the opposition.

"I want to tell Jagan Mohan Reddy that nothing is going to stop lotus from blooming in the state," he said.

The BJP chief alleged that law and order has crumbled in the state and those abusing law and order are going scot-free.

"Religious places are being attacked, politics of appeasement is being practised. There is no environment for business. This is a government which is anti-business, working with high-handedness. No investments are coming, no industries are being set up, rather the ones present are leaving the state," he said.

Nadda also claimed that there is lack of employment in the state.

"How employment will be generated when you don't create a congenial environment? Believing in appeasement politics is not good for democracy," Nadda said.

The BJP chief also slammed the YSRCP government for 'discouraging' Telugu language, though the new National Education Policy talks about encouraging regional languages.

He claimed that the Modi government had released Rs 27,294 crore for the state in 2014-15, which has gone up to Rs 77,538 crore in 2022.

He said though Andhra Pradesh accounts for only 5 per cent of the country's population, the Modi government released 21 per cent of the overall budget of National Highway Authority of India to the state.

He also listed out the institutions sanctioned for the state, including AIIMS, IIT, NIT and a tribal university.

Nadda reiterated that Narendra Modi has changed the political culture in the country by challenging dynasty parties, nepotism, vote bank and appeasement politics.

He claimed that the results of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur show that the governments retained there because of pro-incumbency.
Patna, June 7 : BJP MP from UP's Pilibhit, Varun Gandhi, has written to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seeking a thorough investigation into the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) question paper leak case.

Varun Gandhi has uploaded the letter demanding the termination of the BPSC Chairman on his official Twitter account.

"The leak of the BPSC question paper amounts to playing with the future of six lakh students. Many students have contacted me seeking help. We demand Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to initiate a thorough investigation into the matter and arrest the main accused. We also demand the termination of the Chairman of BPSC. He should be held responsible for the negligence which resulted in a massive crime," Varun Gandhi wrote.

The question paper of BPSC was leaked on May 8 this year. The Home Department of Bihar government has formed an SIT headed by an SP-rank officer from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

So far, 14 accused have been arrested in connection with the case.
New Delhi, June 7 : After the controversy following the suggestion of the replacement of long-established Hippocratic Oath by Charak Shapath in medical colleges, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has released draft regulations for the professional conduct of doctors which includes none of that.

Instead, the apex medical body NMC has said in the new Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Misconduct) Regulations 2022 that the medical professionals in the country need to take the Declaration of Geneva 2017 called 'The Physician's Pledge'.

The suggestion from NMC to replace the Hippocratic Oath with the Charak Shapath months back had sparked severe criticism from the medical fraternity.

The Physician's Pledge is a part of the World Medical Association Declaration of Geneva which was adopted by the Second General Assembly of WMA in September 1948.

The NMC draft regulations, released on May 23, mention this Physician's Pledge as an inclusion at the end of its 14-point code of ethics. The Pledge reads, "as a member of the medical profession, I solemnly Pledge to dedicate my life to the service of humanity". The Physician's Pledge has 14 more points.

The NMC has posted the draft Registered Medical Practitioners (Professional Conduct) Regulations 2022 for comments from the public, experts and stakeholders.
Ahmedabad, June 7 : When 107-year-old Jamnaben (name changed) suffered a heart attack, her family was determined to bring her to Ahmedabad. They undertook an eight-hour long road journey from their native village in Mandsaur district in Madhya Pradesh and brought her to the Marengo CIMS Hospital where her angiography showed a severe 99 per cent blockage of the arteries.

A frail Jamnaben presented a significant challenge in conducting angioplasty to restore the normal functioning of her heart. But the doctors surmounted the challenge and treated this very elderly patient.

The team was headed by Keyur Parikh, interventional cardiologist and chairman of the hospital, who was assisted by Chintan Sheth, cardiac anaesthesiologist.

In the case of Jamnaben, the challenges were beyond age. The radial interventional procedure needed the patient to be healthy enough for the doctors to find a radial artery in the wrist.

Parikh said, "Age should never be a limitation to healthcare delivery. The average longevity in India is increasing and is almost at par with Japan and Norway positioned at 74 years and 81 years, respectively (in women). With the changing face of healthcare system, our goal is to deliver healthcare to our geriatric patients just like we do to the younger patients." The family expressed gratitude, saying: "We want our great-grandmother to live many more years. Since the day our grandfather was treated at this hospital for the same procedure, we were sure that our great-grandmother will also recover fast." According to studies, about 40-50 million people in India suffer from Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) and nearly 15-20 per cent deaths are caused by IHD -- a condition when the arteries are narrowed and less blood and oxygen reach the heart, rendering it weak. This ultimately results in heart attack.
New Delhi, June 7 : The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Tuesday apprehended a man here at Punjabi Bagh West Metro Station with foreign currencies worth around Rs 2.7 crore, an official said.

The man, identified as Govind Lamba, was later handed over to Enforcement Directorate (ED) for further questioning.

"We spotted him at around 1.20 p.m. During the baggage screening, we noticed images of currency bundles in high volume in the baggage of the passenger," said a CISF official.

On being asked, the passenger could not give any satisfactory answer and tried to mislead the CISF officials.

Lamba later told the officials that he was associated as Assistant Manager at a travel services company, and he was carrying foreign currency for currency exchange purpose.

The CISF officials, however, did not buy his argument, and he was taken to the station control room.

Eventually, the ED officials and Delhi Metro officials were informed.

The ED officials enquired the matter and they too were not satisfied with the answers given by Lamba who also failed to produce any documents in his defence.

"The following foreign currency was worth Rs 2.7 crore... 2,00,000 AED (United Arab Emirates Dirham); $1,20,000; 20,000 Canadian dollars, 25,000 Singapore dollars; 25,000 Euro; 50,000 Australian Dollar; 4,000 Swiss Franc; 30,000 GB Pounds and 12,00,000 Thai Baht," said the CISF official.

Lamba was later taken by the ED officials to their office.
Hyderabad, June 7 : All six accused, including five juveniles, in the gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in a car in Hyderabad, have been arrested, police said on Tuesday.

While five accused, including a major, were involved in penetrative sex, the sixth, a juvenile and said to be son of an MLA, has been booked for molestation.

Four juveniles involved in the gang rape include the son of a leader of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), who heads a government body. The crime was also committed in an Innova vehicle hired for government duty.

The police had earlier said that out of five accused, three were juveniles. Police Commissioner C.V. Anand, however, told a news conference on Tuesday night that one of the accused who was earlier reported to be major was, in fact, a month short of 18.

Stating that they have strong evidence against those committed gang rape, the police chief said they would be tried in a special court and they could face punishment for not less than 20 years or imprisonment for life till death or even the death penalty.

The five accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 376 D (gang rape), 323 (causing hurt), Section 5G read with 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 366 and 366 A (kidnapping) and Section 67 of Information Technology Act.

The sixth Child in Conflict with Law (CCL) was not involved in rape but he kissed the victim in the car. He has been booked under IPC Section 354, 323 and Section 9 G read with 10 of the POCSO Act. He could face 5-7 years imprisonment.

On the videos circulated on social media, the Police Commissioner said the CCLs took the videos while kissing the girl inside the car and circulated on social media.

Giving a detailed sequence of events, he said that the main accused Saduddin Malik and one CCL misbehaved with the victim in the pub where they were attending a party on May 28.

CCTV footage revealed they followed the girl outside the pub. Four CCLs and the girl boarded a Mercedes to go to a bakery. Malik and four other CCLs boarded Innova. While on the way to the bakery, the CCLs in the Mercedes forcibly kissed her, took videos, and circulated then.

The two cars reached the bakery at 5.51 p.m. The victim alighted from the Mercedes and boarded the Innova. At 6.15 p.m., the Innova left with Malik, the five others and the victim. However, minutes later, one CCL came back to the bakery as he had some urgent work. Malik and four other CCLs took the Innova to Road number 44 behind Pedamma temple, parked it there and then, they raped the girl by rotation.

The Innova later came to the pub and dropped the victim. The victim's father reached there at 7.53 p.m. to pick her up.

The case came to light only on May 31 after the victim's father lodged a complaint with the police and the police recorded her statement the next day.
Dhaka, June 7 : The deaths of 13 fire fighters - the highest fatalities in a single fire incident - while tackling the blaze and explosions at the Sitakundu BM Container Depot, was due to the lack of proper information and also the wrong way of operating, officials said on Tuesday.

According to an official, 150 fire fighters were trained in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia on how to douse chemical fires and identifying chemicals in case of such a fire and have special equipment and chemical protection suits. Skilled fire fighters would not go so near a chemical fire, the official said.

The members of this team are stationed at the headquarters and divisional cities. As per the procedure, the fire fighters begin extinguishing the blaze if it is a normal fire. In the case of a chemical fire, the specially-trained hazmat (hazardous materials) unit would go with protective jackets.

But none of these 11 trained personnel of the hazmat unit in Agrabad, Chattogram went to Sitakunda industrial area or at Kumira Fire Station, the nearby fire station.

Twenty-two normal fire fighters were the first to respond to the fire that broke out in the depot in Chattogram and most of them never made it back.

The fire fighters who rushed to BM Container Depot in Sitakunda from two adjacent fire stations were not trained on extinguishing chemical fires. Officials, however, alleged the local fire fighters, without informing the hazmat team in Agrabad, began dousing the blaze considering it a normal fire, as they were not informed about chemical substances at the depot.

Hazmat team members only went there after seeing media reports on the explosion.

Fire Service officials told the press that they were not informed about chemicals being stored in the depot. If they had known that, they could have taken precautionary and responsive measures accordingly.

The loss and number of casualties could be lessened if such trained fire fighters, with hazmat suits, can be kept at fire stations near the factories, said the colleagues of the deceased fire fighters.

Besides, the Department of Explosives has mentioned that BM Container Depot did not have any license to store hydrogen peroxide. Local Department of Explosives Inspector Tofazzal Hossain said that special infrastructure is a must for storing such chemicals, but there was no such arrangement in the depot.

His department did not know the depot had such chemicals either - and now the depot owner has said that he himself did not know what type of chemicals were stored at his own institution.

However, rubbishing this, Fire Service's Agrabad Branch Inspector Mahbub-e-Ilahi said: "The claim of the depot owner that he did not know which chemicals were stored at his own terminal does not make any sense. We have seen owners concealing information on previous fire incidents as well."
New Delhi, June 8 : Two days after N. Kitovi Zhimomi-led NNPG got a morale booster as Arunachal Pradesh-based Naga organisations backed it in the ongoing peace parleys process, on Tuesday the 'Zeliangrong Naga organisations' of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland have expressed full support and endorsed the Agreed Position of the Working Committee (WC) and the Government of India.

The 'endorsement' was announced after a consultative meet of the Working Committee of NNPG and the Zeliangrong Baudi (Assam, Manipur, Nagaland), Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) Assam, Manipur Nagaland, and Zeliangrong Students' Union (AMN) and Zeliangrong Baudi Manipur on Tuesday at Dimapur.

A joint press release issued by Zeliangrong organisations and the NNPG said Zeliangrong tribal leaders "appreciated" the NNPG for taking "on board all Naga tribes beyond Nagaland State".

They expressed great hope that since the political negotiations with all Naga groups had concluded on October 31, 2019, the "Naga people in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland would be restored of their identity and political right through honourable and acceptable political solution".

The Zeliangrong leaders from three states also acknowledged that the Agreed Position (signed on Nov 17, 2017) and the subsequent status paper of the WC, NNPG has given a "transparent and explicit future position of Nagas which is acceptable to all sections".

On June 5, the Naga groups from Arunachal Pradesh including a women-run organisation had backed the NNPG.

The June 5 and June 7 developments are now being perceived in various quarters as as "jolt and setback" to the NSCN-IM at this critical juncture of Naga peace talks. There is a suggestion that some over-ground Naga politicians too could be upset as they probably preferred the status quo and no final solution.

The NSCN-IM has been alleged for adopting 'delay' tactics in pursuing negotiations with the Government of India - the charge is however, denied by the militant group that is led by mercurial leader Thuingaleng Muivah.

After June 5 meeting wherein Arunachal Pradesh bodies had backed NNPG and endorsed the parleys between the centre and the NNPG, a source had pointed fingers towards the NDPP-led government in Nagaland and said, "All efforts of the ruling coalition to prolong the Agreement to get over with elections have now come a cropper and futile".

Within Nagaland state, the much respected Nagaland Gaon Burrah Federation, 14 Tribal Bodies, Central Nagaland Tribal Council (of Aos, Semas and Lothas) and Nagaland Tribal Council had also urged the Government of India to sign the agreement on "whatsoever concluded as on October 31, 2019.

These developments come as a relief to those who favour early Solution and lasting peace though the NSCN-IM had raised continuous 'objections' to a final agreement on the ground stating that for them the Flag and a separate Constitution were must.

The government of India has categorically rejected the demand. In fact Union Home Minister Amit Shah has personally urged Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, other state ministers and legislators and seasoned veteran politician S.C. Jamir to explain to the Naga people that it would be impossible for the centre to negotiate on the issues of Flag and Constitution.

Meanwhile another revelation -- as reported by IANS - has left many Nagas shell-shocked.

The bone of contention in the 25 years old Naga peace talks could be elsewhere - not the formal subjects of Flag and a separate Naga Constitution.

Sources said the NSCN-IM has proposed formation of a 'Pan Naga Hoho' - a permanent body like Rajya Sabha - but insists that the 'chairman' of the Pan Naga Hoho would be the most powerful authority and who shall also become the executive head as well the Supreme Commander of Nagalim.

The government of India predictably is unable to make a forward movement on this as it is difficult to stomach that in the garb of 'Naga Constitution' what is being proposed is that the proposed post of 'Chairman' of the Pan Naga Hoho would be as powerful as Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping in their respective countries.

In effect, that would the chairman of Pan Naga Hoho would be also more powerful than perhaps even the President of India with the authority to mercy the convicted ones.

The proponents of the Pan Naga Hoho also say - they also want to empower the Chairman with the 'power' to nominate members in the Pan Naga Hoho and this process will undermine the powers of elected Naga leaders.

It further states that all 'executive, political, budgetary and negotiating authority shall be vested in the chairman'.

"How can something like this be accepted...?," a source told IANS.

(Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of books, 'The Talking Guns: North East India' and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth'. Views are personal)
Bengaluru, June 8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to lead the International Yoga Day celebrations from Mysuru on June 21. He would perform Yoga at the Mysuru Palace premises as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, where as many as 15,000 Yoga enthusiasts are scheduled to join the Prime Minister.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai reviewed the preparations for the mega event on Tuesday. He instructed the Mysuru Deputy Commissioner (DC) to finalise the participants by June 13.

He also asked the DC to ensure that the selection comprises people from all sections of the society as instructed by the Prime Minister's office.

The Chief Minister wanted the officials to make arrangements for transport, snacks, drinking water and other facilities for the participants in "perfect" coordination with the Union government.

"Extend all the cooperation to the Union AYUSH Ministry, which is keen to organise an exhibition on Yoga on the occasion," Bommai instructed.

The state government has constituted 14 committees including a Core Committee headed by the District in-charge minister for smooth and successful conduct of the event.

Bommai also told officials of the Police department to ensure foolproof security during the Prime Minister's visit.

The International Yoga Day celebrations are being held in a big way at 75 prominent Heritage spots of the country.

In Karnataka it has been organised at Mysuru, Halebeedu, Hampi, Pattadakal and Vijayapura (Golgumbaz).

Prime Minister Modi would inaugurate the event in Mysuru, while Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje would participate in the event at Halebeedu.

Union Minister for Coal Prahlad Joshi would join the event at Hampi, Union Minsiter of State for IT Rajeev Chandrashekar at Pattadakal and Union Minister of State Energy Bhagwant Khuba at Vijayapura.

Apart from this, Yoga Day celebrations have been organised at 75 places in the state, Bommai said.

Ministers Dr K Sudhakar, ST Somashekar, Narayana Gowda, Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma and other senior officers were present during review meeting.
Berlin, June 8 : Two people were found dead after a shooting in a supermarket in the central German town of Schwalmstadt on Tuesday, according to local police.

The shots were fired in the supermarket at around 1 p.m., said the police. A man first shot a woman in the supermarket and then killed himself, Xinhua news agency reported while referring to local media.

According to the police, no other people were injured, and there is currently no evidence of the third-party involvement.

Further investigations are underway.
Mahanoro Airport, Mahanoro, Madagascar [ VVB / FMMH ]

If you are planning to travel to Mahanoro or any other city in Madagascar, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Mahanoro Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Mahanoro Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Madagascar. Mahanoro Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Mahanoro Airport Info:

Mahanoro Airport IATA Code: VVB Mahanoro Airport ICAO Code: FMMH Latitude : -19.8333 Longitude : 48.8 City : Mahanoro Country : Madagascar World Area Code : 541 Airport Type : Small Mahanoro Airport Address / Contact Details :

Mahanoro (VVB), Madagascar Timezone : Indian/Antananarivo Mahanoro Airport Timezone : GMT +03:00 hours Current time and date at Mahanoro Airport is 15:55:19 PM (EAT) on Wednesday, Jun 15, 2022

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Mahanoro Airport Map - Location of Mahanoro Airport Load Map Madagascar - General Information Country Formal Name Republic of Madagascar Country Code MG Capital Antananarivo Tel Code +261 Top Level Domain .mg

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VVB - Mahanoro Airport IATA Code and FMMH - Mahanoro Airport ICAO code
Morombe Airport, Morombe, Madagascar [ MXM / FMSR ]

If you are planning to travel to Morombe or any other city in Madagascar, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Morombe Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Morombe Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Madagascar. Morombe Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Morombe Airport Info:

Morombe Airport IATA Code: MXM Morombe Airport ICAO Code: FMSR Latitude : -21.7529 Longitude : 43.3755 City : Morombe Country : Madagascar World Area Code : 541 Airport Type : Medium Morombe Airport Address / Contact Details :

Morombe Airport (MXM), Morombe, Madagascar Timezone : Indian/Antananarivo Morombe Airport Timezone : GMT +03:00 hours Current time and date at Morombe Airport is 15:55:19 PM (EAT) on Wednesday, Jun 15, 2022

Looking for information on Morombe Airport, Morombe, Madagascar? Know about Morombe Airport in detail. Find out the location of Morombe Airport on Madagascar map and also find out airports near to Morombe. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Morombe Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Morombe Airport, airlines operating to Morombe Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Madagascar. Scroll down to know more about Morombe Airport or Morombe Airport, Madagascar.

Morombe Airport Map - Location of Morombe Airport Load Map Madagascar - General Information Country Formal Name Republic of Madagascar Country Code MG Capital Antananarivo Tel Code +261 Top Level Domain .mg

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Morondava Airport, Morondava, Madagascar [ MOQ / FMMV ]

If you are planning to travel to Morondava or any other city in Madagascar, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Morondava Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Morondava Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Madagascar. Morondava Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Morondava Airport Info:

Morondava Airport IATA Code: MOQ Morondava Airport ICAO Code: FMMV Latitude : -20.285 Longitude : 44.3162 City : Morondava Country : Madagascar World Area Code : 541 Airport Type : Medium Morondava Airport Address / Contact Details :

Morondava Airport (MOQ), Morondava, Madagascar, Phone: +261 32 40 766 82 Timezone : Indian/Antananarivo Morondava Airport Timezone : GMT +03:00 hours Current time and date at Morondava Airport is 15:55:20 PM (EAT) on Wednesday, Jun 15, 2022

Looking for information on Morondava Airport, Morondava, Madagascar? Know about Morondava Airport in detail. Find out the location of Morondava Airport on Madagascar map and also find out airports near to Morondava. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Morondava Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Morondava Airport, airlines operating to Morondava Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Madagascar. Scroll down to know more about Morondava Airport or Morondava Airport, Madagascar.

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MOQ - Morondava Airport IATA Code and FMMV - Morondava Airport ICAO code
In celebration of Earth Day, TEQlease Equipment Finance, LED Green Light International, and Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission (Fresno EOC) are pleased to announce today the completion of an LED lighting retrofit project with equipment and installation services supplied by LED Green Light International and financing provided by TEQlease Equipment Finance.

Fresno EOC will benefit from the LED retrofit project by drastically lowering energy consumption compared to traditional fluorescent lighting  resulting in as much as an 70% reduction in energy costs over a year and saving 324 metric tons of greenhouse gases. The project was a comprehensive equipment and services retrofit installed across 6 buildings managed by Fresno EOC. The LED lighting retrofit project expects to provide Fresno EOC annual energy savings of more than 457,454 kilowatt hours (kWh).

After careful consideration and analysis of all of our options, we decided to commence this LED lighting retrofit project fully aware of the projected cost savings and energy efficiencies involved. These allow programs to address other areas of need in the communities we serve, said Jim Rodriguez, Fresno EOCs Chief Financial Officer. In addition to projected savings from working with LEDGLI, the financing provided by TEQlease allowed us to match cash flows to the savings, and in that manner, we did not have to burden current budgets with the entire project cost and savings to be realized over subsequent periods. We were very impressed with the execution of all the people involved, including our own Eddie Pacheco, Fresno EOC Director of Facilities, who was instrumental in helping to complete the entire project.

We are excited to provide substantial energy savings to Fresno EOC through our relationship with TEQlease, said Bill Withers, CEO of LED Green Light International. Not only do these retrofit projects reduce Fresno EOCs overall carbon footprint but they also will decrease their annual energy costs and improve the lighting within these buildings for the employees and general public. In total, this project spanned 6 buildings to provide the latest in energy-saving technology to the end customer. James Duggan, LEDGLI Director of Sales Support, added: Lighting fixtures were acquired using the new lighting specification from the Million LED Challenge California State Lighting Contract.

The Million LED Challenge calls for increased lumens per watt and higher color rendering index (CRI) color quality to increase energy efficiency savings and greenhouse gas reduction in California. The project included integrated Bluetooth wireless controls including scheduling and scene control. Finally, the full spectrum lighting provided has many health and wellness benefits for Fresno EOC employees and general public visiting the buildings.

We are proud to offer customers financing for LEDGLIs high-quality, energy-efficient products and to expand our relationship with LEDGLI and Fresno EOC, which has blossomed in the last year, said Michael Lockwood, Founder and President of TEQlease. We look forward to working together on these and future projects because we know that LEDGLI is committed to providing the best energy saving technology, quality and performance  along with on-time delivery and great customer service.

About LED Green Light International

LED Green Light International (LEDGLI)  a US Company that designs and manufactures a full line of the most advanced LED lighting products available in the lighting industry, as well as designing custom LED lighting products that meet the requirements specified by LEDGLIs Customers. LEDGLIs Lighting and Controls products also provide the most advanced Bluetooth Mesh and IOT enabled lighting controls available today in the lighting industry.

About Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (Fresno EOC)

Established in 1965, Fresno EOC is a non-profit Community Action Agency that provides opportunities, strengthens self-sufficiency, and offers support for all people. We listen to the needs of the communities we serve to create effective programs and services. Fresno EOC is at the forefront, continuing the war on poverty with over 35 programs dedicated to getting people the help they need to achieve their goals.

About TEQlease Capital

Since 2000, TEQlease Capital has specialized in providing best-in-class equipment lease financing solutions for businesses, educational institutions, and federal, state and local governments, as well as offering manufacturer and vendor equipment finance programs across all industries. TEQlease Capital focuses on providing unparalleled service and on lowering acquisition finance costs, working with customers and equipment vendors through the entire equipment acquisition financing process. For more information, see http://www.teqlease.com or call (818) 222-1006.

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The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
SCRS GIP Program provides a unique opportunity for sponsors, CROs and solution providers to engage and collaborate with SCRS and its site members. Becoming a GIP demonstrates Clinerions commitment to developing a deeper understanding of the needs of sites and contribute to the development of solutions in the clinical research marketplace.

Sean Soth, SCRS Senior Vice President of Strategy & Global Business Partnerships shared, Intelligent patient data and analytics will be a pathway for site sustainability in the years ahead. Clinerions support of sites and their experience with patient search efficiency will provide unique insights for our audiences and industry. SCRS welcomes the Clinerion teams ideas, dedication and insight to the Global Impact Partner program.

Clinerion is looking forward to a great collaboration with SCRS as a GIP member, based on our mutual principles of supporting clinical trial sites with access to trials, improving trial efficiency and sharing best practices, said Luis Magalhaes, Clinerions Customer Solutions Director. Clinerions worldwide network of hospitals can benefit greatly from SCRS expertise and we expect SCRS will benefit from Clinerions global reach as they expand beyond the USA. We have great expectations of our contacts with SCRS sites and the other GIP members.

About Clinerion

Clinerion accelerates clinical research and medical access to treatments for patients. We use proprietary technologies for analysis of patient data from our global network of partner hospitals. Clinerion's Patient Network Explorer radically improves the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical trial recruitment by offering data-driven protocol optimization, site feasibility evaluation and real-time patient search and identification to match patients to treatments. Our technology solution provides real-world evidence analytics for medical access. Clinerion facilitates the participation of partner hospitals in leading-edge, industry-sponsored trials and time savings in patient recruitment. We create innovative and disruptive fit-for-purpose solutions which enable pharmaceutical companies to shorten patient recruitment and save costs by streamlining operations and leveraging strategic intelligence. Clinerions proprietary Big Data analytics technologies leverage real-time data from electronic health records which comply with international patient privacy and data security regulations. Clinerion is a global data technology service company headquartered in Switzerland.

Clinerion website: http://www.clinerion.com

Clinerions Patient Network Explorer: http://www.clinerion.com/index/PatientNetworkExplorerSolutions.html

For more information, please contact:

Le Vin Chin

Director, Head of Marketing & Communications

Clinerion Ltd

Elisabethenanlage 11, 4051 Basel, Switzerland

Tel.: +41 61 865 60 54

media@clinerion.com

About The Society for Clinical Research Sites

Founded in 2012, SCRS is a global organization that unifies the voice of the clinical research site community to create greater site sustainability. Representing over 9,500 sites in 47 countries, SCRS membership provides sites with a community dedicated to advocacy, education, mentorship and connectivity. SCRS is an influential voice for sites and an active partner in industry-wide initiatives and dialogues focused on improving the clinical research enterprise.

Our Voice. Our Community. Your Success.

Join the community.

SCRS website: http://www.MySCRS.org

For more information, please contact:

Marissa Hill

Communications Manager

Society for Clinical Research Sites

communications@myscrs.org
We are thrilled to be moving into the next chapter with Larry H Miller, Porsche Ventures, and Hearst Ventures by our side as partners with deep expertise and a shared passion for simplifying logistics.

RunBuggy Inc., a technology platform that connects car shippers and transporters, announced today that an investor group comprised of the Larry H. Miller Company, Porsche Ventures, and Hearst Ventures has committed to Series A financing to fuel the companys rapid growth.

RunBuggy will use the funds to continue to scale its automotive transportation logistics technology and accelerate product adoption amongst car shippers and transporters.

RunBuggy launched in 2018 with a mission to simplify car shipping. Since then, the company has built one of the worlds largest digitally enabled carrier networks and transformed automotive transportation logistics management for thousands of shippers and haulers.

For the first time ever, RunBuggy allows shippers to seamlessly and securely connect at scale with their existing management systems to integrate car transportation services, reducing cost and improving delivery times, said RJ Romero, Chairman of RunBuggy. For transporters, RunBuggy offers an alternative to expensive load boards and custom software solutions to better find and manage transportation loads.

We are tremendously proud of what we have accomplished in a few short years. We have led the industry with technology, transforming dated and analog processes to ensure that both shippers and haulers are equipped to succeed in a rapidly changing industry, said Kevin Malik, CEO of RunBuggy. We are thrilled to be moving into the next chapter with Larry H Miller Company, Porsche Ventures, and Hearst Ventures by our side as partners with deep expertise and a shared passion for simplifying logistics. We will continue to leverage RunBuggys leading marketplace technology to accelerate our growth and continue to lead the industry forward.

The Larry H. Miller Company is attracted to investing in companies that have strong CEOs and experienced management teams, and that are delivering an innovative and effective approach to the market. We believe RunBuggy captures all of this through car transportation logistics, which we believe is highly scalable in the coming years and will deliver strong growth. Given our experience in the automotive industry, we understand the value in the transition to digital retail that will become increasingly important in the future. said David Smith, Chief Strategy Officer of the Larry H. Miller Company.

We believe that shippers and transporters will be increasingly attracted to the convenience and simplicity that RunBuggy offers. We are eager to share the extensive knowledge and expertise we have built through our decades-long involvement in the automotive sector, said Stephan Baral, Head of Porsche Ventures USA.

Hearsts Bring a Trailer auction business has been a RunBuggy partner for over a year, said Scott English, Sr. Managing Director of Hearst Ventures. We are excited to extend our relationship and become an investor and we look forward to working with RunBuggy as they rapidly expand their business.

The Series A funding comes on the heels of several months of significant momentum for RunBuggy. Alongside signing new partnerships with some of the largest automotive OEM captives and digital retailers, RunBuggy also expanded its marketplace offering with the launch of RunBuggy HITCH, a cloud-based Transportation Management System (TMS). HITCH puts the technological power of RunBuggy directly into the hands of large shippers and provides a central point of control for automotive transportation logistics operations. Transporters in the RunBuggy network can utilize the companys new matching algorithms to reduce empty miles and optimize earning potential while traveling between pick-up and drop-off locations.

In November, RunBuggy announced the appointment of Jim Lentz, former CEO of Toyota Motor North America, to the companys board of advisors.

To date, Runbuggy has signed up more than 17,000 drivers to its platform, delivered to 55,000+ unique addresses, and has reduced the average time to deliver a vehicle by more than 50%.

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About RunBuggy

RunBuggy is a technology platform that connects car shippers and haulers. RunBuggy allows shippers to seamlessly integrate car transportation services, reducing cost and improving time to deliver. For transporters, RunBuggy offers an alternative to expensive load boards and custom software solutions to better find and manage transportation loads. To learn more, please visit runbuggy.com
The promise of ProactivePulse is its ease of use and the way it helps put pharmaceutical companies in a position to make proactive business decisions that influence their competitiveness, says McDonald.

Proactive Worldwide (PWW), a leading global competitive intelligence company, has launched its ProactivePulse competitive intelligence platform to help pharmaceutical companies overcome difficulties associated with efficient data gathering and analysis. The web-based software platform helps companies thrive within the highly competitive pharmaceutical sector by delivering intuitive, real-time intelligence.

Were helping pharmaceutical companies know what their competitors are up to in the moment, says Paul McDonald, PhD, vice president of healthcare and life sciences at PWW. ProactivePulse gives companies one access point to a wide range of time-sensitive content. Its aggregated and intuitively organized to prevent data overload. Within a matter of a few clicks, users can read, translate, publish and edit relevant information from thousands of sources.

The promise of ProactivePulse is its ease of use and the way it helps put pharmaceutical companies in a position to make proactive business decisions that influence their competitiveness, says McDonald. Most knowledge workers with responsibility to uncover useful content are overloaded with information and raw data from numerous, unorganized sources. Weve straightened out the mess, he says.

ProactivePulse is flexible, scalable and modular. Using content connectors, it collects information and then applies taxonomy rules to distribute content based on user preferences.

The user-friendly dashboard view of an organizations competitive intelligence function files enables user productivity.

Unlike other competitive and market intelligence platforms, ProactivePulse gives you access to collaboration with real people. PWW clients can use ProactivePulse to support their ongoing monitoring projects with the company and gain direct access to PWW analysts and subject matter experts.

ProactivePulse scrutinizes more than 2,600 pharmaceutical industry companies in 100 therapeutic areas and 500 MOAs, plus clinical trial updates. Third-party integration  such as Meltwater, Talkwalker, AlphaSense, SharePoint  opens doors to corporate news from more than 500,000 news sources, and brand and customer data on more than 30 social media platforms.

Interested companies can find more information about ProactivePulse and request a free demo of the software at the ProactivePulse page on the PWW website.

About Proactive Worldwide

Proactive Worldwide is one of the worlds leading market intelligence companies helping top-tier organizations understand vulnerabilities, better predict market shifts, and plan for growth with confidence. We examine competitors, suppliers, customers, regulatory issues, and morethrough advanced competitive, market, and customer intelligenceto deliver a more complete picture of the decision-making environment with a far-reaching perspective that uncovers hidden opportunities and key threats. With over 27 years of experience, we leverage our proprietary methodology, a deep bench of researchers and analysts, and in-house industry specialists to produce insights that have real impact. Learn more at Proactive Worldwide.
Santa Fe Painter Andrea Cermanski I aim to demystify art by making painting approachable to everyone, regardless of age or skill level. I invite students to realize that anyone can make art, and teach them foundational principles of good design in a fun, relaxing environment."

Santa Fe Painting Workshops offers small, personalized art classes and multi-day custom retreats for creative locals, as well as tourists visiting Santa Fe, to explore their artistic side. Cermanski is a respected artist and is opening her downtown studio and gallery to people seeking to take classes in the art mecca that is Santa Fe.

Tourists come to Santa Fe to explore artistic expression. Santa Fe Painting Workshops makes it possible for artists to find their own creative voice and connect within, said Cermanski, who shows her abstract paintings in the gallery space. Classes provide an opportunity for tourists to interact and I look forward to teaching. The workshop space is also perfect for children and families to participate in making art while experiencing an up-close look at the life of a Santa Fe artist.

The artist continued, I aim to demystify art by making painting approachable to everyone, regardless of age or skill level. I invite students to realize that anyone can make art, and teach them foundational principles of good design in a fun, relaxing environment. It is my personal goal to share the gift of painting with others because art helps calm the mind, relax the nervous system and feel connected.

Randy Randall, executive director of TOURISM Santa Fe, says about Cermanskis new location, I am pleased to hear that we will have more painting classes offered in Santa Fe. Having all aspects of art is a key reason our city was recently recognized in Travel and Leisure as the 7th best destination in the world for Art Lovers.

Santa Fe Painting Workshops invites tourists and locals to check out its website at santafepaintingworkshops.com and book a painting class or retreat.
Official symbol of the Universal Life Church Ministries The order states that any government practice that would deny or discourage the Universal Life Church and its ministers from solemnizing legal marriages would violate the 1st and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The Universal Life Church Ministries (ULCM) declared victory this week as it celebrated the successful settlement of a lawsuit it had filed against Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. In its suit, the ULCM alleged that Allegheny County officials and employees had repeatedly denied the ability of its ministers to solemnize legal marriages in the county.

In an order published late Monday, June 6, 2022, Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania entered a final judgment and order in Case No. 2:21-cv-618. The order states that any government practice that would deny or discourage the Universal Life Church and its ministers from solemnizing legal marriages would violate the 1st and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

He further ordered that Allegheny County must ensure that its employees are trained properly to understand that they must not reject the ordinations of Universal Life Church ministers or deny or discourage these ministers from solemnizing legal marriages.

The settlement and published order represent a major victory for the Universal Life Church and its ministers across Pennsylvania, where in recent years the ability of ULCM ministers to solemnize legal religious weddings has been called into question in some parts of the state.

The Universal Life Church Ministries is a nondenominational religious organization based in Seattle, Washington. It is perhaps most famous for its provision of ordinations online at its websites like http://www.ULC.org. The ULCM has ordained over 20 million ministers throughout its history. Many of those ministers go on to perform wedding ceremonies, in addition to other religious ceremonies and general ministry work.
ZTelco Introduces a New Data Center Partnership Launching as a Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution enables other technology vendors to utilize our API stack to integrate our features into their own platforms

Big changes are on the horizon for ZTelco and their RingPlan phone platform as they announce a new partnership deal with the worlds only Tier5 ExaScale data center system, Switch.com.

ZTelco president, Jacob Hansen, signs first-ever partnership deal with major data and storage provider to modernize his fast-growing RingPlan business phone operations, transforming it into a national Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution.

Switch data centers are world-renowned with an incredible 100%, 22-year up-time reputation that far exceeds that of their closest competitor. Their reputation is simply untouchable.

ZTelco will leverage this exciting new partnership to deliver better, faster, and more reliable business phone services worldwide.

The Core data center at the Switch campus in Las Vegas, Nevada is trusted by some of the largest companies and governments in the world and will really provide a springboard for us to scale, said Vice President of operations Ranoo Saeed.

This state-of-the-art, 3.5 million square foot facility is amongst the most advanced, and most secure in the world. Boasting military-grade security and an elite, mission-grade central control center to manage operations.

Switch data centers have raised industry standards throughout the world, becoming the first, and only, ExaScale data center ecosystem to reach a construction and operations Tier5 Platinum colocation.

The change of data centers comes on the heels of ZTelco adding several new premium features to their growing lineup of business tools, including a first-of-its-kind phone automation solution and a premium call center reporting tool.

"This change was a long time coming." Says Jake Hansen, President of ZTelco and RingPlan Phone Systems.

"We have been growing quickly and have been ramping up production for some time, we needed a data center that could keep up with our growing demands and future needs."

Hansen has reportedly signed a multi-year contract with Switch, signaling the beginning of a vast expansion planned for all his business phone operations launching his phone platform into a new level of innovation.

ZTelco's expansion to The Core data center is expected to be completed in Q3 of 2022. This will start a new chapter in scalability and reliability for the RingPlan platform, which has been quickly growing since making its initial splash in 2019.

According to Hansen, customers will not only see faster and better service but more features and capabilities in the near future, as expanded VoIP capabilities are unlocked by this major change.

We expect to gain many benefits from moving our operations to a world-class provider, it was really just a matter of time, according to Hansen.

ZTelco has been growing since its inception in 2004 and is targeting a $100 Million valuation in the next two years.

In 2019, ZTelcos President, Jacob Hansen launched a new SaaS phone solution, which included the most in-demand phone services on a single app; RingPlan would continue evolving to include video conferencing, text messaging, and digital fax, all on one single platform.

Launching as a Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution enables other technology vendors to utilize our API stack to integrate our features into their own platforms Hansen concluded.

This would mark a major shift for the company as they expect their enterprise phone solution to easily integrate with customers' proprietary software and applications.

Today, ZTelco is introducing innovative new tools for business, including automation solutions and a premium 360-degree call center reporting tool. Feedback from those using these tools leaves them very optimistic about what the future has to hold.

ZTelcos new provider, Switch (NYSE:SWCH), recently made national news after an $11 Billion acquisition was announced by DigitalBridge Group (NYSE:DBRG) and global infrastructure investment firm, IFM.

Learn more about ZTelco by visiting them online at https://ztelco.com/. Check out their RingPlan business phone app by visiting them at https://ringplan.com/.

Media inquiries about ZTelco can be made directly to ZTelco at sales@ztelco.com or by calling 858-565-2155. Inquiries regarding the RingPlan phone system can be made directly to mailto:demos@ringplan.com [demos@ringplan.com __title__ null] or calling 833-RINGPLAN (833-746-4752).
Business owners everywhere are using SEO when theyre searching search engines to find out more about SEO.

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 Minneapolis SEO companies in the United States.

SEOblog analysts determined the 15 best Minneapolis SEO companies 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 SEO companies that provide a very competitive digital marketing landscape.

The SEO industry is unique in the sense that its a must for businesses today who are trying to survive and stay afloat, said Shianne VerNess, director of marketing and strategy at Triton Commerce. So many of these same businesses are unaware of what it includes, or how to best utilize it. Ironically, business owners everywhere are using SEO when theyre searching search engines to find out more about SEO.

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 Minneapolis SEO Companies in the United States in 2022:

Skol Marketing, Mankato Web Design, Portkey SEO Solutions, Hook Agency, 405 Media Group,Agency Jet, Triton Commerce, The Guerrila Agency, Prime Advertising & Design, BizzyWeb, Optimum Design Technology LLC, Dealer Teamwork LLC, Snap Agency, Iceberg Web Design and Brandography.

Link: https://www.seoblog.com/best-seo-companies/minneapolis/

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/.

SEO blogs 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.
Intellecta Automated Multichannel Analytics is Powered by AI Machine Learning Intellecta enables teleservices to holistically analyze, score and manage quality assurance and agent performance for 100% of interactions with minimal human effort.

OnviSource announced today that Billie Clarkes Answering Service, a provider of 24/7 live answering and contact center services, has successfully deployed OnviSources Intellecta Multichannel Analytics solution delivered as Cloud/SaaS. Driven by speech technologies, automated analytics and powered by AI machine learning (ML), Intellecta enables the teleservices provider to holistically analyze, score and manage quality assurance (QA) and agent performance for 100% of interactions with minimal human effort.

Teleservices are recognizing that manual QA practices significantly limit the number of interactions that can be processed, and that manual QA is inadequate for effectively measuring and scoring agent performance, skills, and client satisfaction for all interactions with end customers. Having the ability to automatically evaluate and score agent performance beyond conventional key performance indicators (KPIs) using intelligently automated technologies allows teleservices to effectively measure hard and soft skills alike and quickly pinpoint training and development for low performing agents while recognizing and rewarding top performers, thus improving both employee and customer satisfaction overall.

Proper discovery of soft skills by automated analytics, such as empathy, professionalism, cordiality, politeness, etc., requires highly advanced AI technologies such as Machine Learning and Deep Learning (ML/DL). Intellecta uses its own proprietary and multi-engine AI, called iMachine, to provide accurate analysis of soft skills. Furthermore, Intellecta offers Deep Mining analytics, capable of deeper and multi-level mining, to discover the purpose of customer calls, reasons for calls, customers reactions to agents resolutions, etc., providing management with a full picture of what is really happening during interactions with customers.

Without an automated and intelligent analytics solution, we were forced to sample only a small number of interactions, missing valuable information. Using Intellecta and automating the entire quality assurance process for analyzing and scoring agent performance allows us to evaluate every interaction easily and rapidly and without a need for additional personnel, said Susie Etzel, CEO of Billie Clarkes Answering Service. Intellecta has given us a holistic view and true understanding of interactions to help us align our services with what customers demand from live interactions. Beyond their technical solutions, OnviSource has been, and I am confident will continue to be, a true and dedicated partner to ensure our ongoing success in using analytics by offering highly affordable prices, hands-on assistance and training, and a range of customer success programs to make Intellecta work for our specific needs.

Intellecta business intelligence (BI) reports deliver analytics results in correlation to a wide variety of other KPIs (work shifts, call volume, talk time, etc.) and can describe agent performance individually or in comparison with other agents such as top and bottom level performers.

Up to now, it has not been cost effective for teleservices to utilize intelligently automated and AI-driven analytics to automate their quality assurance, explains Francisca Alegria, Chief Revenue Officer for OnviSource. The proven performance and low cost of our Intellecta analytics for this industry fulfills our mission of democratizing intelligent automation solutions powered by AI and machine learning for all industries and applications. With these technologies, teleservices providers can meet their objectives of employee excellence, customer loyalty and business productivity.

Intellecta is part of the ia.Enterprise suite of intelligent automation solutions and is available as both on-premise software and SaaS.

About Billie Clarkes Answering Service

Billie Clarke's Answering Service (BCAS) was opened in San Diego, California, and has continuously served its broad base of clients with excellence since its founding in 1979. BCAS, a member of several industry trade associations, is constantly investing in personnel, technology, software and procedures in order to enhance service standards. Services offered are centered around live but 'virtual' Telephone Receptionists providing the Answering Service You Hoped Existed.

Billie Clarke's Answering Service holds an A+ Accredited Business designation from the San Diego Chapter of the Better Business Bureau. Find out more at http://www.BCanswering.com.

About OnviSource

For more than a decade, OnviSource has enabled several hundred small-to-large companies across a broad range of industries to cost-effectively manage, automate and improve their customer experience and business processes by offering advanced solutions in multichannel data and media capture, unification, analysis, decision making and automation for their entire enterprise, including their contact centers, back offices and IT organizations.

OnviSource ia.Enterprise Intelligently Automated (IA) solutions offer Workforce Optimization and Workforce Management (WFO/WFM), inclusive Teleservice Customer Engagement Management, Multichannel Customer Engagement Analytics, intelligently automated Customer Survey, Process Automation through Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) and Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA). The Company delivers its solutions as software products, cloud or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), managed services, or any combination. OnviSources special Advantage Platinum program assures that solutions work for customers specific needs by offering a series of customer assistance programs with no obligations. These programs include consultation, proof-of-concept and hands-on operation assistance. OnviSource is headquartered in Plano, Texas (North Dallas area), with an additional operation center in Oklahoma.
Snooty Fox Farm: NW County Rd 239 Alachua, FL 32615

Engel & Volkers Florida today announced the record-breaking sale of Snooty Fox Farm, a thoroughbred horse ranch located on NW County Rd 239 in Alachua, Florida. The 341-acre property was represented by Carrie Cason with Engel & Volkers Gainesville. With a $5,000,000 price tag, the transaction now marks the most expensive equestrian property in Alachua County.

This sale shows us that the possibilities are endless for Alachua Countys real estate market in the future, said Cason. Due to the pandemic, we have witnessed dramatic changes in the housing market. There were mass exoduses from metropolitan cities with people exploring more rural areas.

The land has been used for the last 49 years as a thoroughbred horse farm by the Cotter family; in which time it developed an impressive pedigree of award-winning racehorses. Snooty Fox Farm has earned its spot in horse racing history as the birthplace of two Wood Memorial winners and a Kentucky Derby participant. The Cotters owned Hurry Home Hillary, a mare who gave birth to a colt named Bellamy Road. This foal was owned by the Kinsman Stable, the nom de course of George Michael Steinbrenner III, and went on to win the 2004 Cradle Stakes and 2005 Wood Memorial Stakes, amongst others. He was considered a favorite for the 2005 Kentucky Derby, but finished seventh. He then ended his career with a second place finish in the 2005 Travers Stakes. The Cotters bred Toby's Corner from Bellamy Road, who was the winner of the 2011 Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial Stakes and more.

I was honored to represent the sellers of such a stunning property, said Cason. From its rolling hills to the majestic Oak trees, Snooty Fox Farm is truly one-of-a-kind and I am beyond privileged to have been able to sell such a fine farm. This thoroughbred horse farm offers many fantastic scenes in addition to its rich history. It was the home to several premier racing horses, including some horses who participated in the Kentucky Derby. The history of raising magnificent horses is undeniable. I was fortunate enough to experience this journey with such amazing people, the Seller having been incredibly hospitable to us.

The 341-acre property offers an eight-stall barn with four adjacent paddocks, grass show jumping ring, feed room and workshop, and three fenced pastures. The 4,904 square foot home contains four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room, formal sitting room, dining room, library and study, laundry room, and two game rooms. The house, which is centered around the kitchen, features wide-plank, tongue and groove hardwood floors throughout, as well as a walk-in cupula with 360-degree views of the property.

This transaction is another example of Engel & Volkers being the prominent real estate company to sell all types of luxury properties, said Peter Giese CEO Engel & Volkers Florida. Whether it is equestrian properties, ocean front or downtown living, our franchisees and advisors are leading the way in delivering record results for our clients.

Cason came to Engel & Volkers in 2020 when she secured the Engel & Volkers franchise rights to Alachua and Columbia Counties. Her first shop, Engel & Volkers Gainesville, hosted its grand opening in February 2022. Since joining forces with Engel & Volkers, she has represented several record-breaking listings and sales; most recently the Double Barrel Ranch for $4.25-million which broke the sales record for a single-family home in Columbia County, Florida. She has been in the real estate industry for over twenty years, earning her brokers license in 2004 and designations such as the GRI and CCIM along the way. She has closed over 600 transactions throughout her career, totaling a volume of more than $160,000,000.

###

Press contact:

Linzee Werkmeister, Junior Vice President, Marketing & Franchise Support

Email: Linzee.Werkmeister(at)evrealestate(dot)com

Tel: (239) 348-9000

About Engel & Volkers:

Engel & Volkers is a global luxury real estate brand. Founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1977, Engel & Volkers draws on its rich European history to deliver a fresh approach to luxury real estate in the Americas with a focus on creating a personalized client experience at every stage of the home buying or selling process for today's savvy homeowner. Engel & Volkers currently operates approximately 263 shop locations with 5,000 real estate advisors in the Americas, contributing to the brand's global network of over 15,000 real estate professionals in more than 30 countries, offering both private and institutional clients a professionally tailored range of luxury services, including real estate, yachting and aviation. Committed to exceptional service, Engel & Volkers supports its advisors with an array of premium quality business services; marketing programs and platforms; as well as access to its global network of real estate professionals, property listings and market data. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated. For more information, visit http://www.evrealestate.com.

About Engel & Volkers Florida:

Engel & Volkers Florida is the Master License Partner of the global luxury real estate brand Engel & Volkers in the state of Florida. Recognized for uniquely recruiting, training and equipping some of the top professionals in the real estate industry, Engel & Volkers Floridas exclusive business model positions its franchisees at the top of the premium market to gain market share and support their bottom line. The company represents franchise locations in 42 markets: 30A Beaches, Amelia Island, Belleair, Boca Raton, Bonita Springs-Estero, Cape Coral, Clermont, Delray Beach, Destin, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers Downtown, Gainesville, Islamorada, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Jupiter, Madeira Beach, Marco Island, Melbourne Beachside, Melbourne Central, Melbourne Downtown, Miami Coconut Grove, Neptune Beach, Ocala, Olde Naples, Orlando, Orlando-Winter Park, Palm Beach, Palm Coast, Pompano Beach, Sarasota, South Tampa, St. Augustine, St. Pete, St. Pete Beach, Stuart, Tampa Water Street, Venice Downtown, Vero Beach, Wellington, and Windermere.

Engel & Volkers Florida is continuing to strategically strengthen and expand its presence in premium real estate markets across the state of Florida. If you would like to know more about the Engel & Volkers brand or how to join its global networkwhich is known for demonstrating competence, exclusivity and passion, feel free to call our corporate office, located at 633 Tamiami Trl N, Suite 201, Naples, FL 34102 USA. Tel: +1 239-348-9000. For more information about Engel & Volkers Florida, please visit http://www.florida.evrealestate.com
Diamonds are forever, but cancer doesn't have to be. Cash for Gold USA is thrilled to forge this partnership with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, an incredible organization, to be able to contribute to such a noble cause. We look forward to a long-lasting, impactful relationship, says Norman Schneider, president.

Cash for Gold USA, the most trusted brand in North America offering cash for gold, silver, and diamonds, is pleased to announce a diamond giveaway to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. For each $25 donated, participants will receive a chance to win a gorgeous diamond pendant (*appraised at a retail value of $7,500.00 USD). Donations for this fully online fundraiser will be welcomed from May 9, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. EDT through July 8, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. EDT. After the collection period ends, Cash for Gold USA will randomly select and announce the diamond pendants winner on Facebook Live.

Cash for Gold USA is thrilled to forge this partnership with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, an incredible organization, to be able to contribute to such a noble cause. We look forward to a long-lasting, impactful relationship, says Norman Schneider, president. He also shares that some of his employees, friends, and family members have had their lives upended by cancer. This has made the mission to fight cancer personal for all of them.

To donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and be entered into Cash for Gold USAs diamond giveaway, simply go to https://pages.lls.org/voy/calso/los22/cash-for-gold-usa. All donations are tax-deductible and go directly and in their entirety to the LLS.

To learn more about Cash for Gold USAs risk- and hassle-free gold, silver, and diamond liquidation services, please visit https://cashforgoldusa.com/.

About Cash for Gold USA:

Cash for Gold USA is the most trusted brand in North America to sell your gold, silver, and diamonds to. With over $160 Million in transactions from more than 300,000 clients, they take the risk and hassle out of liquidating your valuables, coins, sterling silver, diamonds, and precious metal assets for the highest possible settlement.
Recently, H Robotics traveled to Central Florida to work together with clinicians at Brooks Rehabilitation, providing rebless training and support for patients who are affected by stroke, traumatic injury, or who are recovering from orthopedic surgery.

This new relationship plays an important role in H Robotics mission to restore movement and create a better quality of life with data-driven technology for patients.

We are very glad to have it here and thrilled to see our future outcomes, said Carolyn Tremblay, PT, DPT, Center Manager, Brooks Rehabilitation Osceola.

With multiple operating modes, rebless allows for passive, active, and active-assisted range of motion and exercise, so therapy can be customized based on each individual patients condition and progress. Controlled through an app downloaded onto the patients smartphone or mobile device, rebless allows care providers to use the rebless Clinic software to prescribe exercise regimens, manage and export patient output, and perform telemedicine visits.

Jazmine Hidalgo, an Occupational Therapist at Brooks Rehab says of her experience treating patients with rebless, They are able to do things more in physical therapy when they have that better control, and that rebless really helps me see the patients progress.

For more information on the new partnership between H Robotics and Brooks Rehab, contact us today at Hroboticsus.com.

About Brooks Rehabilitation

Brooks Rehabilitation has more than 50 years of expertise in providing medical rehabilitation services. Their highly trained clinicians provide the most advanced therapy and medical care, along with the compassion, motivation, and hope to help people reach their highest level of recovery.

About H Robotics

H Robotics is made up of a team of innovators who share a passion for improving lives. We are one of the fastest-growing robotics companies that develop, manufacture, and distribute state-of-the-art rehabilitation solutions for people who suffer from neurological and musculoskeletal conditions.
MAXX Properties announced today the acquisition of The Ridge, a 261-unit, 4-story luxury apartment community near Sandy Utah. The Ridge boasts commanding views of the Wasatch and the Oquirrh mountain ranges.

The Ridge offers modern one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. These luxury homes were built in 2018 and feature tech-forward amenities and a nod to the sustainable lifestyle Salt Lake City is known for with energy-saving appliances, LED lighting, and a bike repair station. Communal amenities include a clubhouse with a 24-hour fitness center, swimming pool, fire pit, BBQ stations, and a card-key controlled parking garage. The community is directly across the street from a lifestyle shopping complex with a half dozen upscale dining outlets as well as a state-of-the-art cinema.

Salt Lake City is often rated a best place to live thanks to quality of life factors, affordability, and booming employment sectors. Salt Lake City is also synonymous with outdoor recreation and these Sandy Utah apartments are just a 20-minute drive from world-class of ski destinations and hiking trailheads. They are also conveniently situated near Interstates 15 and 215 and just 12 miles south of downtown Salt Lake.

The Ridge is an accretive acquisition to our Salt Lake City portfolio, said Rick Wiener, Chairman of MAXX Properties. Our family business has been conducting business in Salt Lake City since the late 90s and Utah still has the quality of life and attraction it had a quarter-century ago. We anticipate continued strong fundamentals in Salt Lake City bolstered by a growing trend by employers and individuals alike to live and work in places connected directly to the great outdoors.

The Ridge was partially capitalized through a long-term, fixed-rate mortgage loan provided by New York Life Insurance Company.

About MAXX PROPERTIES

MAXX Properties is a privately held, 85-year-old real estate firm consisting of multifamily, commercial, and cooperatives. Now operating under the fourth generation of Wiener family leadership, the MAXX Properties portfolio includes 39 communities consisting of 9,351 owned multifamily units in six states across the country and an additional 992 sponsor units, and 32 managed cooperative units in New York. For more information, please visit http://www.maxxproperties.com.
Hong Kong South Hope Spot We want everyone to know how important the ocean is to our own health, as humans, explains Sharon Kwok, Hope Spot Champion and actress, conservationist and Director of AquaMeridian Conservation & Education Foundation.

Hong Kong Southern Waters has been declared a Hope Spot (Hong Kong South Hope Spot) by international marine conservation non-profit, Mission Blue, in support of the Hong Kong governments commitment to protecting 30% of its waters by 2030.

Hope Spot Champions Sharon Kwok, Dr Robert Lockyer, and Professor John Wong with AquaMeridian Conservation & Education (http://www.aquameridian.org) are hopeful in building community support for the marine protected area through educational programs and strengthening the areas ecotourism industry. Most importantly, they support comprehensive policy and subsequent enforcement of a marine protected area.

Hope Spots are special places that are scientifically identified as critical to the health of the ocean. Our Hope Spots are championed by local conservationists whom we support with communications, expeditions and scientific advisory.

"I wish you would use all means at your disposal  films, expeditions, the web, new submarines, campaigns  to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, Hope Spots large enough to save and restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet."  Dr. Sylvia Earle

The Southern Waters of Hong Kong are a unique, highly connected enclave in the South China Sea. The designated area, in excess of 41,700 hectares, includes areas of South Lantau, Soko Islands, South Lamma, Aberdeen, Po Toi and Cape D'Aguilar is home to rare endemic species including finless porpoises, sea turtles, horseshoe crabs, as well as the iconic Chinese white dolphins. Hong Kong South Hope Spot possesses exceptional biodiversity and lies within the historical migratory route for whales (e.g. minke, humpback, brydes and gray whales) and dolphins (bottlenose dolphins, risso dolphins), sea turtles, and squids.

Hong Kong currently has seven marine parks and marine reserves, of which 2 fall within the Hope Spot area, however prior to the Hong Kong South Hope Spot being launched only approximately 4,050 hectares, (https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/country/cou_lea/the_facts_mar.html) or roughly only 3% of our marine habitat. The Hong Kong South Hope Spot aims to increase the area to above the 30% commitment of the 30x30 global commitment.

We want everyone to know how important the ocean is to our own health, as humans, explains Sharon Kwok, Hope Spot Champion and actress, conservationist and Director of AquaMeridian Conservation & Education Foundation. She describes the dire conditions the areas marine life populations are in. Sustainable seafood just isnt an option anymore  for many species, there is no such thing as sustainable consumption. Its up to each of us to do what we can to alleviate the pressure on the ocean.

AquaMeridian has been working to raise awareness for marine protection and lobby for the importance of sustainable development of coastal areas as well as marine waste issues such as plastics, abandoned ghost nets and marine debris. Theyve been successful in gathering support from legislators at the Hong Kong Government Legislative Council of Hong Kong (Elizabeth Quat, Paul Zimmerman) to time and push the Hope Spot agenda forward. AFCD have verbally supported extending the protection of Sham Wan and Cape DAguilar. Soko Islands Marine Park has since become Hong Kongs MPA, though the action of this marine conservation group.

To quote the South China Morning Post, "There are 84 species of hard coral in Hong Kong waters, representing about 10 percent of those found globally. By protecting Hong Kong corals, we are also protecting 10 percent of the worlds hard-coral gene pool. This could be a genetic resource for the planet, and are vulnerable to extinction from ocean warming."

All waters are connected and much of marine life tends to travel great distances, so it is difficult to select a specific area to protect. In an ideal world, all of our oceans should be protected, but since we are not quite there yet, we start with vital areas of special interest. From corals, cetaceans, to sea turtles, Hong Kongs southern waters are home or host to a great number of threatened and endangered species. We aim to continue educating the public while working with the government and other like-minded parties to improve protective legislation and policing, says Sharon Kwok.

"Due to the failure in monitoring the established MPAs (Marine Protection Area's) in Hong Kong, critics refer Hong Kong's existing MPAs as paper parks, with illegal cross-border ships from China continuing to fish in the protected zones, hence a breach of trust between local fishermen (who were originally supportive of the MPAs), local Government and NGO groups. However, the Hong Kong government expressed their commitment to expanding the areas marine protected areas and improving enforcement." emphasised Sharon Kwok Pong of AquaMeridian Conservation & Education Foundation.

According to #146 of the Chief Executives Policy Address 2018, the Hong Kong Government Will continue to take forward the measures under the New Agriculture Policy, including the works of the Agricultural Park Phase 1 to be commenced next year. We will recommend designating new fish culture zones at suitable locations, as well as resuming issuance of new marine fish culture licences, with a view to facilitating the change in mode of operation and sustainable development of the fisheries sector.

Many people believe that taking care of the planet is the next generations responsibility, but thats not true. Its our responsibility  right now  to create a better future for their children and grandchildren, says Dr Robert Lockyer, Hope Spot Champion.

Residents of the village are willing to help and stop egg poaching, etc. We want to reach out to them and get them engaged; that ecotourism is better than poaching.

There are so many ways people can get involved. Diving groups can help with fishing net clean-up. On an individual level, people can reduce their consumption of fish.

While Protecting Marine environment and marine life, we are actually protecting ourselves and our future generations. Reduce and cut wastes, Nature has no place for rubbish. Remove them. Says Professor John Wong, currently engaged in the marine sector with the Qatar Government.

Were seeing life come back; we must push Hong Kong to fulfil their ocean protection goals and invest in a healthy future for our waters.

AquaMeridians ultimate goal for this Hope Spot is that through fighting for its protection, Hong Kongs marine community would come together to inspire and educate future generations towards sustainable and responsible care of the area. From students who are rebuilding coral communities; divers who are shedding light on marine debris; to fishermen who must now heed sustainable fishing practicesevery person can and must become a part of positive change.

About Mission Blue

Led by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is uniting a global coalition to inspire an upwelling of public awareness, access and support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas  Hope Spots. Under Dr. Earles leadership, the Mission Blue team implements communications campaigns that elevate Hope Spots to the world stage through documentaries, social media, traditional media and innovative tools like Google Earth. Mission Blue embarks on regular oceanic expeditions that shed light on these vital ecosystems and build support for their protection. Mission Blue also supports the work of conservation NGOs around the world that share the mission of building public support for ocean protection. The Mission Blue alliance includes more than 250 respected ocean conservation groups and like-minded organizations.

About AquaMeridian Conservation & Education

Founded by artist, celebrity and avid marine conservationist, Ms. Sharon Kwok in 2013 and Peter Jackson, AquaMeridian Conservation and Education (AquaMeridian) is a registered Hong Kong-based non-profit organization that aims to educate and engage the public  particularly in Hong Kong  about wildlife conservation and sustainability issues through creative and cross-cultural programs. In 2018, AquaMeridian has become an official member of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

Contact:

Brett Loveman, Director of Communications

Mission Blue

bloveman@mission-blue.org

Sharon Kwok, Executive Director

Aquameridian Conservation & Education

sharon@aquameridian.org

Dr Robert Lockyer, Environmentalist,

AquaMeridian Conservation & Education

robert@aquameridian.org

Prof. John WongBoard of Directors,

AquaMeridian Conservation & Education

johnmkwong@gmail.com

Folder of Supporting Scientific Data and Images taken within the Hong Kong South Hope Spot:

https://www.dropbox.com/home/Hong%20Kong%20South%20Hope%20Spot
"Our goal at Switcher is to change the way video gets made and empower small and mid-sized businesses to take ownership of creating video that drives sales, said Nick Mattingly, CEO and Co-Founder, Switcher Studio.

Switcher, Inc. (Switcher), a leading content creation and video production software company trusted by customers across the globe, announced the launch of Cartr by Switcher Studio, a Shopify app that seamlessly integrates Shopify products with Switcher Studios iOS app to create branded shoppable livestreams on Facebook.

This unique solution enables customers to easily add products to their online shopping cart by simply commenting on the livestream. Once a customer has selected an item from the livestream, Cartr, a chatbot, will deploy and request specifics in terms of size, color, and quantity. This technology takes video from a marketing tactic to a sales strategy and creates a new revenue stream for small and mid-sized businesses.

Since the companys founding in 2014, Switcher Studio has been helping small businesses and individuals create, edit, and share video content in a professional, polished manner without the need to invest in expensive technology and equipment. As live selling continues to grow in popularity, small and mid-sized businesses are looking for ways to tap into this new sales channel to not only drive revenue but expand their customer base by reaching new audiences on social media.

Our goal at Switcher is to change the way video gets made and empower small and mid-sized businesses to take ownership of creating video that drives sales, said Nick Mattingly, CEO and Co-Founder, Switcher Studio. With live selling expected to generate $35 billion in sales by 2024, we wanted to create a video commerce solution that generates revenue, creates repeat buyers, and empowers small business owners to have the tools they need to compete with national and international brands.

Cartr simplifies the live selling process by allowing businesses to connect Switcher to their Shopify store to effortlessly manage inventory for their shoppable streams and deliver a seamless customer experience every time an in-stream purchase is made. Small and mid-sized businesses that use Cartr will benefit from:



Selling live from iOS devices: Retailers can create branded shoppable livestreams for Facebook with just a few taps on their iPhone or iPad in the Switcher iOS app. No complicated technology or technical experts are needed.

Simplifying Facebook Live shopping: Viewers can quickly and easily express their interest in a product right on Facebook during a livestream by commenting to add it to their cart in real time. Cartr helps customers finalize their orders via Facebook DM and then directs shoppers to the businesses secure checkout page within their Shopify store, allowing the customer relationship to stay between the buyer and seller.

Streamlining inventory management: Retailers will decide which Shopify product collections theyd like to promote during their Facebook livestream, and Cartr and Shopify will manage inventory in one location, eliminating the hassle of multiple product catalogs.

Our business has been live selling since early 2021, said Britney Renbarger, Owner of Pink Tag. We have been amazed by how easy the new Cartr app in Shopify makes live selling for boutique owners like us. Cartr makes it quicker to set up and integrate product collections from Shopify, with products magically showing up when we are ready to go live! When viewers comment on our Facebook Live Shopping events, the Cartr chatbot makes checkout so simple. We expect our customer base and sales to grow even further with Cartr. Live selling is a new sales channel that we are excited to continue investing in.

Shopify is an all-in-one commerce platform developed for entrepreneurs to start, manage, or grow their businesses. Shopify serves creators and merchants in more than 175 countries and provides the building blocks needed to succeed in video commerce.

To utilize the Cartr chatbot and create collections of products to use in your videos, businesses will need to have an existing Shopify store and install the Cartr plugin from the Shopify app store. Merchants will then start streaming live video to their Facebook Business Page using the companion app, Switcher Studio. The Switcher Studio iOS app can be accessed from the Apple App Store. Businesses will need an iOS device (iPhone or iPad). For additional support or resources, please visit the Switcher Studio Help Center.

To see a live demo of Cartr by Switcher Studio, tune into Switchers Facebook and YouTube livestream on June 7, 2022, at 1 p.m. EDT.

About Switcher, Inc. and Switcher Studio

Founded in 2014, Switcher, Inc. helps creators and businesses produce videos more easily and affordably through its multicamera production software, Switcher Studio. Switcher Studio lets users sync multiple iOS devices to capture video content from many perspectivesto tell stories, showcase products, and more. And its real-time video editing features to ensure that content is dynamic and polished. Plus, Switcher's integrations with streaming platforms and video conferencing tools allow creators and brands to reach their communities nearly anywhere. The tech startup, based in Louisville, Kentucky, and Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, employs 40+ team members. For more information, visit switcherstudio.com or download the Switcher Studio app.
Biotech Networks 10 US Hubs Biotech Networks breaks down the connection barriers by providing engaging virtual events and resources to advance life science innovations wherever they are being made.

Biotech Networks, the leader in connecting life science professionals since 2008, is establishing three new regional hubs to extend the organizations reach throughout the US western region and the US east coast. The new hubs will include life science professionals and organizations in Texas, Utah, Colorado and North Carolina. This expansion is being launched in conjunction with the 2022 Biotechnology Innovation Organization convention taking place in San Diego June 13-16. Biotech Networks will be hosting two virtual career fairs in June which will be inclusive of the new hubs.

The increase in remote work, rising cost of living expenses, and a shift towards better work life balance have led a growing number of US life science professionals to relocate to emerging biotech hubs. Biotech Networks platform has been developed and highly successful in California and is being replicated in these emerging hubs, allowing life science professionals and organizations to connect and exchange information and resources. Biotech Networks provides regional news and jobs for each of its now ten hubs in conjunction with global virtual events, allowing life science professionals to build the local and global communities they need.

Biotech Networks chose 3 emerging regions for their most recent expansion, beginning with the US western region, which already is comprised of Biotech Networks in California, Washington and Oregon. Texas Region Biotech Networks will serve that states life science industry in Dallas, Houston, and Austin, Texas, and may expand to adjoining states depending on interest. This region has world class research institutions such as the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and UT Southwestern Medical Center and it also boasts the Austin entrepreneurial hotbed. The second new US western region Biotech Networks hub is Utah Colorado Biotech Networks, which includes the Denver/Boulder Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah and includes the research institutions University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the University of Utah.

On the US east coast, Biotech Networks has established the Boston Cambridge Biotech Networks, Pennsylvania NY NJ Biotech Networks, and DC Maryland Virginia Biotech Networks, and is now expanding with North Carolina Biotech Networks which will initially include that state, with plans to expand to South Carolina. North Carolinas Research Triangle Park region boasts research powerhouses Duke University, University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State, with most life science research taking place in Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we all work and live, and networking within and between biotech hubs is now more important than ever, said Mary Canady, PhD, Biotech Networks President. Biotech Networks breaks down the connection barriers by providing engaging virtual events and resources to advance life science innovations wherever they are being made.

Since 2020, Biotech Networks has hosted highly engaging virtual events, including speed networking, diversity and inclusion panels, career fairs, and career development workshops. Biotech Networks is hosting virtual career fairs for the US western region and US east coast in June, see website for more information. Dr. Mary Canady is available to meet with potential partners at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization convention in San Diego June 13-16, meeting requests can be made on the Biotech Networks website.
With their deep industry-specific focus and strong partnership with Microsoft, they have the capabilities and team to help ensure long-term life science customer success.

Merit Solutions and HSO announced a partnership today to help life science organizations automate and scale their operations, meet regulatory compliance, and improve decision-making across the business. As a key component of the partnership, HSO will license and deliver Merit for Life Science, an industry-first solution that enhances the key capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 to ensure on-going FDA compliance, scalability and growth.

The requirements of life science organizations are considerably more stringent than those in other industries. With an ever-increasing demand to get life-saving drugs, therapies and devices to market more quickly, they need a solution and a partner who can deliver the right value at the right time, says HSO EVP and Industry Executive, Jim Bretschneider, As a result of this partnership, we can now deliver a complete solution stack to improve results across the value chain.

With Merit for Life Science and Microsoft, HSO now offers an industry-focused technology platform with the applications needed to meet the unique needs of biotechnology and medical device companies. Life science organizations across the United States can now benefit from secure, cloud-based solutions that improve procurement, production, inventory/warehousing and quality control, enabling them to deliver more innovative, effective and safer products to market.

Were excited to partner with HSO US. They have an impeccable history of satisfying customers and building a strong, customer-focused, team. Said Bill Burke, CEO Merit Solutions With their deep industry-specific focus and strong partnership with Microsoft, they have the capabilities and team to help ensure long-term life science customer success.

ABOUT HSO

HSO is a Business Transformation Partner with deep industry expertise and global reach, leveraging the full power of Microsoft technology to transform the way in which people work and how businesses operate, ultimately driving improvements in business performance for our clients.

HSO helps companies modernize business operations, adopt intelligent automation, deliver real-time performance insights and connect the enterprise  accelerating the impact of digital transformation based on Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Azure.

Founded in 1987, HSO has more than 1,200 professionals throughout Europe, North America, and Asia and is one of the worlds top business solution and implementation partners and a member of Microsofts elite Inner Circle representing the top 1 percent of partners worldwide.

ABOUT MERIT SOLUTIONS

A Gold Certified Microsoft Partner and a leading software provider in the Life Science industry. Merit for Life Science advances Microsoft D365 cloud first ERP to help biotech, pharma, and medical device organizations (product owners, CMOs, and CDMOs) better manage procurement, production, inventory and warehousing, and quality controls while streamlining the complex processes that come with a highly regulated manufacturing environment. It also provides Azure based GxP Docs to help streamline, automate, and securely manage and control critical documents as part of the digital life science solution. For additional information http://www.meritsolutions.com
New data from Best Friends Animal Society was released today, showing that for the first time in five years, U.S. shelter systems are seeing a setback in lifesaving. The responsibility of saving pets lives should not rest solely on shelters and those in animal welfare, but on entire communities including community members, government leaders, shelters and other animal welfare groups, said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society.

Today Best Friends Animal Society, the leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of cats and dogs in shelters by 2025, released newly collected data showing that for the first time in five years, U.S. shelter systems are seeing a setback in lifesaving. In 2021, the number of dogs and cats killed in U.S. shelters increased from 347,000 to 355,000 and was especially stark when compared to the dramatic lifesaving efforts seen throughout the previous year.

Unfortunately, the setback in lifesaving is largely due to the historic decreases in pets entering shelters in 2020, said Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society. As shelters began to reopen in 2021 in increasing numbers, so did the number of pets entering their facilities. Over the course of 2021, shelters saw an 8.1 percent increase in intake, and sadly, the number of pet adoptions could not keep pace with the increased intake.

The shift was even more dramatic for dogs than cats, as dog intake increased by nearly three times the rate of dog adoptions. Despite this, cats remain the most at-risk animals in shelters being killed at twice the rate of dogs.

More statistics from the 2021 dataset:

Shelters are working hard to save lives. Though intake went up by 8.1 percent, the number of dogs and cats killed increased by just 2.3 percent.

The national save rate for dogs and cats in shelters is at 83 percent, representing a 77 percent reduction in dogs and cats killed in shelters since 2017, when Best Friends first start tracking this data.

Five states make up fifty percent of the overall number of dogs and cats killed in 2021 (Texas, California, North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama).

More than half of all U.S. shelters are now no-kill compared to 22.5 percent in 2017, and the number of no-kill counties in the U.S. went up 33 percent over the last five years.

New Hampshire and Delaware sustained their no-kill status, while Rhode Island, North Dakota and Vermont needed to save less than 100 animals each to reach no-kill.

As overall lifesaving stalls, Best Friends data shows the animal shelter crisis in America growing with increasing intakes and waning adoptions. However, the organization is seeing great success with innovative and targeted programs like Best Friends shelter collaborative, which pairs no-kill shelters with shelters that need help. Other programs proving to be highly effective include cat lifesaving programming, inclusive adoption policies, and advocacy work around pet housing restrictions. Shelters that engaged with Best Friends in at least one of these programs saved more than two times the number of lives between 2016 and 2021 than unengaged shelters.

The responsibility of saving pets lives should not rest solely on shelters and those in animal welfare, but on entire communities including community members, government leaders, shelters and other animal welfare groups, said Castle. Through collaboration and community involvement, this model provides better support for pet owners, efficiency in shelters, and more lifesaving outcomes for pets. When a community supports its shelters critical needs, we see dramatic results.

Individuals can help save lives by choosing to adopt from a shelter or rescue group, spay or neuter their pets, foster, volunteer, donate, and support and advocate for community cats through trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) and shelter-run TNVR programming.

For the past six years, Best Friends has spearheaded a one-of-a-kind extensive data collection process that involved coordinated outreach to every shelter in America followed by additional research, data analysis, and technology development. The dataset is the most comprehensive on U.S. sheltered animals, and is based on data collected directly from shelters, state and local coalitions, government websites, and FOIA requests. From this, 94% of the animal intake in U.S. shelters is known, 6% is estimated.

*A 90 percent save rate is the nationally recognized benchmark to be considered no-kill, factoring that approximately 10 percent of pets who enter shelters have medical or behavioral circumstances that warrant humane euthanasia rather than killing for lack of space.

About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society is the leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in Americas shelters by 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to around 355,000. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs across the country, as well as the nations largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 3,700 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All. For more information, visit https://bestfriends.org.
Receive Online Pre-Approval for Vehicle Loans at Bill Alexander Toyota.

People from diverse backgrounds might have different credit histories, which in turn affects their auto loan approval while purchasing a vehicle. Bill Alexander Toyota, an automotive dealership in Yuma, Arizona, now offers online pre-approval for vehicle loans for the customers in the locality. Interested parties are requested to visit the dealerships official website and fill in an online application to get the process started.

To offer stress-free auto-loan solutions, the experienced finance team at Bill Alexander Toyota helps their customers with customized deals that are tailor-made for their requirements. Since the dealership team has connections with multiple lenders and financial institutions, they will ensure that their customer receives a deserving loan program. To start the process, prospective buyers are requested to head over to the dealerships website and fill in a basic application form with their personal data, employment info, and the vehicle they are planning to buy. After the application is submitted, a member from the finance team will get back to the applicant and guide them through the remainder of the process. All personally verifiable data collected for this application will be stored securely and used by the Alexander Toyota Credit Application staff only to facilitate a relationship or business transaction.

Drivers are recommended to visit Bill Alexander Toyota at 889 E 32nd Street, Yuma, Arizona, 85365, in person or browse their official website. For any further information requests or inquiries, kindly reach out to the dealerships customer support team at 928-344-1170.
This technology has been a foundational component of our digital innovation in recent years, so joining the OpenInfra Foundation as a Gold Member is another logical step we could take to contribute to and engage with the community at large, said Alyssa Wright of Bloomberg.

OPENINFRA SUMMIT  The Open Infrastructure Foundation (OpenInfra Foundation) announced today that Bloomberg has joined the organization as a Gold Member. The global finance, media and technology company has been an active contributor to and user of OpenStack, an open source project hosted by the OpenInfra Foundation, since 2013.

Since then, Bloombergwhich uses the power of technology to connect the worlds decision makers with accurate information about the financial markets in order to help them make faster, smarter business and investment decisionshas run a number of production-quality OpenStack clusters. These clusters support various workloads, including web, machine learning, software development, databases and more. Its engineers have also been deeply involved with the OpenStack Operators group, including hosting some mid-cycle meetups.

For example, OpenStack powers Bloomberg Cloud Compute (BCC), the companys private virtual computing and cloud-based storage platform, which is specifically designed to be optimized for high performance and flexible capacity scaling. As one of the largest compute platforms in Bloombergs data centers, BCC is the foundation for internal products used by the companys nearly 7,000 software engineers around the globe. These include Bloomberg Platform as a Service (BPaaS)a container deployment platform built on top of Kubernetesand the companys Fully Managed x86 environment.

Thanks to OpenStack, our BCC platform alleviates many time-consuming tasks by providing Bloombergs engineers with tools to help them build, configure and maintain the computing and storage resources required by their applications, explains Dmitry Margolin, manager of compute engineering. With Bloomberg Cloud Compute, most of our engineering teams have been able to adopt virtual machines, a step that has provided improved utilization, stability and operational flexibility as they develop and maintain our applications.

The Open Source Program Office (OSPO) in Bloombergs Office of the CTO is dedicated to creating policies, efficiencies, awareness and bridges to make it easier for Bloomberg engineers to use and contribute to open source projects such as OpenStack. Fundamental to Bloombergs infrastructure and applications, open source software has enabled Bloomberg to develop and evolve the complex technology at scale required to handle and deliver approximately 300 billion pieces of real-time market data to clients each day. As a Gold Member of the OpenInfra Foundation, Bloomberg stands behind its pledge as an open source first company to produce, publish and support open source software as both end-users and contributors.

As members of the OpenStack community, we know the work we do not only benefits Bloomberg, but also people and organizations around the world that are consuming OpenStack, said Alyssa Wright of Bloombergs OSPO. This technology has been a foundational component of our digital innovation in recent years, so joining the OpenInfra Foundation as a Gold Member is another logical step we could take to contribute to and engage with the community at large.

Bloomberg is a shining example of a company that is committed to open source in word and deed, said Mark Collier, COO of the OpenInfra Foundation. An avid user and contributor to OpenStack, Bloomberg continues to expand its OpenStack footprint and share with the world its expertise, as they are doing here at the OpenInfra Summit this week. We applaud Bloomberg for its open source first commitment, its contributions to the OpenInfra community and its philanthropic and technological contributions to the world. We couldnt be happier to welcome Bloomberg as a Gold Member.

Platinum Members of the OpenInfra Foundation include Ant Group, Ericsson, Facebook, FiberHome, Huawei, Microsoft, Red Hat, Tencent Cloud and Wind River. Gold Members of the OpenInfra Foundation now include 99Cloud Inc., Bloomberg, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Cisco, Cleura, Deutsche Telekom, EasyStack, Intel, Jinan Inspur Data Technology Co. LTD, Mirantis, NEC, New H3C Technologies Co., Limited, Nipa Cloud, Troila Technology, Ubuntu, Vexxhost and ZTE Corporation.

Bloomberg at OpenInfra Summit Berlin

During Day One Keynotes today, Alyssa Wright and Dmitry Margolin of Bloomberg will discuss the companys open source strategy and why it is OpenStack First. On Thursday, June 9, Bloombergs Tyler Stachecki will present a session titled Honey, I Blew Up the Cloud, in which he will describe how Bloomberg engineers have rapidly scaled the companys OpenStack private cloud from inception to a massive footprint, as well as share lessons learned along the way.

About the Open Infrastructure Foundation (OpenInfra Foundation)

The OpenInfra Foundation builds communities who write open source infrastructure software that runs in production. With the support of over 110,000 individuals in 187 countries, the OpenInfra Foundation hosts open source projects and communities of practice, including infrastructure for AI, container native apps, edge computing and data center clouds. Join the OpenInfra movement: http://www.openinfra.dev


Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the lawsuit against Escondido Medical Investors Limited Partnership Life Care Center of Escondido, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The Los Angeles employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a lawsuit against Escondido Medical Investors Limited Partnership Life Care Center of Escondido alleging the company violated Labor Code  2699, et seq. seeking penalties for DEFENDANTs alleged violation of California Labor Code  201, 202, 203, 204 et seq., 210, 221, 226(a), 226.7, 227.3, 510, 512, 558(a)(1)(2), 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198, and 2802. The lawsuit against Escondido Medical Investors Limited Partnership Life Care Center of Escondido is currently pending in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 22NWCV00402. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here.

According to the lawsuit filed, Escondido Medical Investors Limited Partnership Life Care Center of Escondido allegedly failed to fully relieve Plaintiff and other Aggrieved Employees for their legally required thirty (30) minute meals breaks. Employees were also allegedly required, from time to time, to work in excess of four (4) hours without being provided the legally required ten (10) minute rest periods. The California Supreme Court defines off-duty rest periods as time during which an employee is relieved from all work related duties and free from employer control.

PAGA is a mechanism by which the State of California itself can enforce state labor laws through the employee suing under the PAGA who do so as the proxy or agent of the state's labor law enforcement agencies. An action to recover civil penalties under PAGA is fundamentally a law enforcement action designed to protect the public and not to benefit private parties. The purpose of PAGA is not to recover damages or restitution, but to create a means of "deputizing" citizens as private attorneys general to enforce the Labor Code.

For more information about the lawsuit against Escondido Medical Investors Limited Partnership Life Care Center of Escondido, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and other types of illegal workplace conduct.

***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT***
The idea of teaching lifesaving swimming lessons to children, adults and families alike resonates with me. I admire that British Swim School is a mission-based franchise and a reputable brand." - Mayank Sharma, owner of British Swim School of Toronto West - Etobicoke

British Swim School, the nations leading learn to swim franchise company, continues its Canadian expansion with the opening of its first franchise location in Toronto West - Etobicoke, located in the Toronto region of Canada. The latest British Swim School facility recently opened its doors inside the LA Fitness on Junction Road.

Prior to venturing into the franchising community, new British Swim School owner Mayank Sharma worked in management consulting for years. Recently he prioritized working towards a better lifestyle and finding his entrepreneurial spirit, so Mayank is now focused on making a splash in his community as a proud first-time business owner.

British Swim School not only offers a product with a purpose, but it also provides a robust business model with the training and tools needed for franchisees to succeed, said Mayank. The idea of teaching lifesaving swimming lessons to children, adults and families alike resonates with me. I admire that British Swim School is a mission-based franchise and a reputable brand. Im excited to be a part of this experience as the British Swim School franchise continues to expand across Canada.

British Swim School has been dubbed as one of the fastest-growing franchises in the United States, with expansion recently booming throughout Canada as well. The franchise prides itself on only recruiting the best in the business, like Mayank.

British Swim School has been dedicated to teaching water survival skills for more than 40 years by offering a three-part curriculum teaching infants, children and adults of all ages the skills needed for water acclimation, water survival and stroke development. Its mission  ensure that every person, regardless of age or ability, has the opportunity to become a safe and happy swimmer. A mission Mayank plans to deliver within the community he calls home.

British Swim School of Toronto West-Etobicoke will fill a dire need for water survival skills across the area, said Mayank. Theres an increasing demand for the premier swimming lessons this location now offers and learning how to swim and acquiring basic water survival skills are essential life skills everyone should have access to. My goal is to provide as many people as possible, no matter the age, with the tools they need to become happy, confident swimmers. Im looking forward to truly making a difference in the lives of others, one swimmer at a time.

Mayank joins the talented team of franchise owners operating more than 215 British Swim Schools across the United States and Canada.

As we increase our footprint across Canada, its essential to have franchisees like Mayank join our team, said Ashley Gundlach, British Swim School President. Mayank is always seeking opportunities to make a positive impact within his community, so our brand aligns perfectly with his ideals. We know the families and residents that British Swim School of Toronto West-Etobicoke will serve are in excellent hands.

For more information regarding availability and class times offered at British Swim School of Toronto West-Etobicoke, visit https://britishswimschool.com/torontowest-etobicoke/

To learn more about the benefits of British Swim Schools franchising opportunities, visit http://www.britishswimschoolfranchise.com.

About British Swim School

British Swim School, the nations most established swim school franchise with over 40 years in business, believes that every individual, regardless of age or ability, should have the opportunity to become a safe and happy swimmer. Offering lessons for babies, children, and adults, the brand is dedicated to its mantra, Survival of the Littlest, focusing first on the survival skills needed to survive a water accident, then moving on to stroke development and more advanced skills. Not only does British Swim School give peace of mind to countless families who seek the essential life skill the brand offers their children, the purpose-driven franchise offers an exceptional opportunity for entrepreneurs who seek a fulfilling business venture with a sound foundation, low investment, and easily scalable model. Part of the Buzz Franchise Brands family, British Swim School currently operates over 215 schools across the United States and Canada.

For more information about British Swim School, visit http://www.britishswimschool.com.

To learn more about the benefits of British Swim Schools franchising opportunities, visit http://www.britishswimschoolfranchise.com.
Weve developed this container to drive brand differentiation and deliver the kind of experience that todays consumers demand. - Kimberly Kizer, Vice President of Sales for CCL Container.

CCL Container, North Americas leading manufacturer of recyclable aluminum packaging, has introduced a unique, matrix-shaped aluminum bottle that can be fully customized to brand specifications. With distinctive vertical lines and sharp angles, the container is a prime example of the unconventional shaping capabilities made possible with CCL Containers proprietary BodyShapes technology.

Made from durable, lightweight aluminum, the matrix-shaped bottle is fully recyclable and can be designed with rich graphics, bright colors, textured finishes, embossing and debossing, metallics, and other design and decorating effects. Any top can be customized for this container, including pumps, screw caps, trigger sprayers, aerosols, and more.

The matrix-shaped aluminum bottle looks as impressive on the shelf as it feels in the customers hand, said Kimberly Kizer, Vice President of Sales for CCL Container. Weve developed this container to drive brand differentiation and deliver the kind of experience that todays consumers demand.

From dramatic curves and cut angles to subtle contours that extend the length of the container, BodyShapes custom-shaping capabilities enable CCL Container to develop aluminum bottles that can increase brand interest, recall, and affinity. Multi-color lithography supports a variety of colors, graphics, and imagery that capture the essence of the brand and the attention of consumers.

CCL Containers matrix-shaped aluminum bottle reinforces the companys commitment to delivering innovation while prioritizing sustainability. Eliminating waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems are core components of the CCL Container mission.

Learn more about CCL Containers innovative aluminum manufacturing and design capabilities by visiting: https://cclcontainer.com/aluminum-packaging/

About CCL Container

CCL Container is the leading North American manufacturer of impact-extruded aluminum packaging for a broad range of consumer products and market sectors. State-of-the-art manufacturing lines produce finished containers at rates of more than two hundred units per minute in a complete range of sizes, shapes, and styles, with a full spectrum of inline decorating options available. The company is headquartered in Hermitage, PA, and operates three manufacturing facilities in North America. In addition to Hermitage, PA, plant locations include Mexico City and Guanajuato, Mexico. All facilities are ISO 9002 Registered.

CCL Container is a division of CCL Industries, one of the largest specialty packaging companies in the world. CCL Industries employs over 21,000 personnel, with over 180 production facilities operating in 40 countries.

For more information on CCL Container, visit: http://www.cclcontainer.com


2022 Celerant Client Conference At Celerant, we are proud to have been able to support our retailers with new technology to, not only help them get through the pandemic, but be stronger than ever before. Our client conference is the perfect opportunity to introduce and train them on all that's now available to them.

Celerant Technology, the #1 retail software provider of 2022, recently wrapped up its annual client conference. After two years of virtual events, Celerant hosted #ClientCon22 in-person at Hotel Contessa, San Antonio, TX- reconnecting retailers using Stratus Enterprise, with partners and team members for three days of networking, training, and unveiling new software features and integrations of Celerants point of sale and eCommerce platform.

At this years event, Celerants partners, including Avalara, Global Payments Integrated, Shift 4 Payments, GoCart by Worldpay, Fortis, Star Micronics, ShipEngine, Management One, OtterWaiver, and many others, discussed how their integrations can help retailers optimize and automate their business, in-store and online. Celerant also offered two highly anticipated keynote sessions at the conference: Trust, Retail, and Todays Digital Consumer by renowned, international keynote speaker, Marcus Sheridan; and What it Takes to Win at Retail in 2022 by Paul Erickson of Management One.

If there's one thing we've learned through this pandemic, it's how important technology is to retailers, stated Michele Salerno, Director of Marketing at Celerant. At Celerant, we are proud to have been able to support our retailers with new technology to, not only help them get through the pandemic, but be stronger than ever before. Our client conference is the perfect opportunity to introduce and train them on all that's now available to them.

Retailers traveled from across the country to learn how to operate their business more efficiently and increase sales by maximizing their usage of Celerants retail software. Over 30 sessions and workshops were offered at the event focused on a wide-range of topics, including: Promotions and loyalty rewards, apps for mobile shopping and curbside pickup, eCommerce strategy, inventory and warehouse control, buy-trade and consignment, integrated digital marketing, the future of integrated payments, endless aisle of products, rental management, features to be more competitive in 2022, and much more.

RETAILER FEEDBACK:

I attended the conference to bring information back to our staff. Being able to meet everyone and put faces to the voices we speak to on the phone meant a lot. Celerant already feels like family to me, and the event was a great experience! - Dee Schilling, Bill Jacksons Shop for Adventure

During the keynotes, I pulled out my notepad to write just a couple of things; by the time the keynote sessions were over, I had around 4 pages of notes! I got many great ideas from the keynote sessions; so yes, they were both valuable! - AJ ElChaar, Chaar

We adopted Celerants software about 2 years ago. We attended the conference to learn more from both the folks at Celerant and other users. We learned how retailers use the software, what works well for them, and how to apply it to our business. - Frank Holland, Goodwill of Central Oklahoma

My favorite part of the conference is discovering a pathway to upgrade from Celerants Command Retail to the newer Stratus Enterprise point of sale. I also shared and received helpful tips from other retailers about using Stratus and Command systems. Both speakers, Paul Erickson from Management One and Marcus Sheridan, were very informative and helpful. - Lee Duran, Bluewater Outriggers

A video recap of Celerants 2022 Virtual Client Conference is available at https://www.celerant.com/clientconf22/

About Celerant Technology

Celerant Technology is an innovative retail software provider enabling retailers to expand their businesses past their physical storefronts' and into the online world. Rated as the #1 retail software provider year after year by the RIS LeaderBoard, Celerant supports retailers with an all-in-one system; point of sale, inventory management, promotions and loyalty rewards, eCommerce, mobile apps, vendor integrations, marketplace integrations, integrated email marketing and more. To learn more, subscribe to our blog- http://www.celerant.com/blog


We have seen firsthand the power of bringing card services to community financial institutions, and we wanted to work with Corserv to make this accessible to more local banks.

Corserv and The Bank of Missouri (TBOM) announced a partnership with Visa, the world leader in digital payments, to launch a unique program enabling community banks to own their credit card issuing business without adding staff or infrastructure. The initiative allows community banks to utilize their relationship data in the credit decisions for credit card applicants and access cardholder and program data for servicing. The program provides an easy way to expand into the high margin credit services for essential commercial and business customers as well as consumers.

Corserv, TBOM and Visa provide the turn-key platform behind the partnership to implement the full digital technology to administer, process and service the credit cards. TBOM is the credit card sponsor bank, providing the Bank Identification Numbers (BINs) and ensuring compliance with regulations. TBOM sells the corresponding credit card purchase volume to each community bank with the community banks receiving 100% of the interchange, interest, and fees from their cardholder accounts.

With Corserv and TBOM providing the transaction processing, branded cards with user interfaces, competitive Visa credit card products, and servicing, the community bank does not need to add staff or infrastructure.

Visa is the world leader in payments and is just as much in demand from community bank customers as it is from customers of National credit card providers, said Jerry Craft, CEO of Corserv. Community banks can now offer a branded Visa credit card program to their local businesses, municipalities, non-profits, and consumers with competitive credit card products and excellent local service.

TBOM recently launched their own card program using the Corserv platform. The bank was able to provide customers a sophisticated card program that included branded card products, mobile app, digital underwriting and onboarding, purchasing cards, virtual cards, ghost cards, expense reporting, account holder alerts and controls, and self-service admin portals. These same features will be available to community banks participating in the hosted Visa program.

We have seen firsthand the power of bringing card services to community financial institutions, and we wanted to work with Corserv to make this accessible to more local banks, said Adrian Breen, President and Chief Executive Officer at TBOM. We are excited to be the sponsor bank to enable community banks to offer a Visa credit card program with exceptional services branded for their bank to their customers.

About Corserv

Corserv provides payment card issuing programs for credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards, P-cards, and virtual cards that enables Banks and Fintechs to deliver competitive, branded payment services to their customers. Corservs secure hosted programs combine our credit, compliance and marketing expertise with our modern online solution and open APIs  everything clients need to quickly build a successful card-issuing business. Our Bank and Fintech clients increase their earnings per share by benefitting from loan interest, interchange, fee income and economies of scale from Corservs client base. Most importantly, they deepen their customer relationships. For more information, please visit http://www.corservsolutions.com.

About The Bank of Missouri

The Bank of Missouri operates 29 branches across Missouri and has more than $2.8 billion in assets. With a 130-year reputation of community focused financial security, The Bank of Missouri stands strong as an independent community bank. Big enough to accommodate any financial need, yet small enough to give every customer the personal treatment they deserve, The Bank of Missouri helps customers Live Well, Bank Well. Learn more at http://www.bankofmissouri.com .


Cybereason, the XDR company, today published results of their second annual ransomware study during a year of unprecedented attacks to better understand the true impact on businesses. This global study reveals that 73 percent of organizations suffered at least one ransomware attack in 2022, compared with just 55 percent in the 2021 study.

The study once again finds that it doesnt pay-to-pay a ransom demand, as 80 percent of organizations that paid were hit by ransomware a second time, with 68 percent saying the second attack came in less than a month and 67% reporting that threat actors demanded a higher ransom amount.

The report, titled Ransomware: The True Cost to Business Study 2022, further revealed that of the organizations who opted to pay a ransom demand in order to regain access to their encrypted systems, 54 percent reported that some or all of the data was corrupted during the recovery process, compared to 46 percent in 2021, an increase of 17 percent year-over-year. These findings underscore why it does not pay to pay ransomware attackers, and that organizations should focus on detection and prevention strategies to end ransomware attacks at the earliest stages before critical systems and data are put in jeopardy.

Ransomware attacks are traumatic events, and when ransomware gangs attack a second, third or fourth time in a matter of weeks, it can bring an organization to its collective knees. Deploying effective anti-ransomware solutions is easier said than done, and the hackers know it. After being hit the first time by a ransomware attack, organizations need time to assess their security posture, determine what are the right tools to deploy, and then find the budget to pay for it. The ransomware gangs know this and it is the biggest reason they strike again quickly, said Lior Div, Cybereason CEO and Co-founder.

Key findings in the research include:



A Weak Supply Chain Leads to Ransomware Attacks: Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of companies believe the ransomware gang got into their network via one of their suppliers or business partners.

Senior Leadership Attrition: 35 percent of companies suffered C-level resignations following a ransomware attack.

A Matter of Life and Death: Nearly 30 percent of companies said they paid a ransom because of the risk to human life due to system downtime.

Ransom Demands Increase with Each Attack: Nearly 70 percent of companies paid a higher ransom demand the second time.

Ransomware Attacks Lead to Business Disruptions: Nearly one-third (31 percent) of businesses were forced to temporarily or permanently suspend operations following a ransomware attack.

Layoffs Result from Ransomware Attacks: Nearly 40 percent of organizations laid off staff as a result of the attack.

Organizations Dont Have the Right Tools: 60 percent of organizations admitted that ransomware gangs were in their network up to6 months before they discovered them. This points to the double extortion model where attackers first steal sensitive data then threaten to make it public if the ransom demand is not paid.

The full report can be found here: Ransomware: The True Cost to Business Study 2022

Cybereason is dedicated to teaming with defenders to end ransomware attacks on the endpoint, across the enterprise to everywhere the battle is taking place. Learn more about ransomware defense here or schedule a demo today to learn how your organization can benefit from an operation-centric approach to security.

Survey Methodology The research was conducted by Censuswide in April of 2022 on behalf of Cybereason. 1,456 cybersecurity professionals took part in the surveywith participants from the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and Singapore. Major industry verticals covered in the research including: Financial Services, Government, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare and Legal.

About Cybereason

Cybereason is the XDR company, partnering with Defenders to end attacks at the endpoint, in the cloud and across the entire enterprise ecosystem. Only the AI-driven Cybereason Defense Platform provides planetary-scale data ingestion, operation-centric MalOp detection, and predictive response that is undefeated against modern ransomware and advanced attack techniques. Cybereason is a privately held international company headquartered in Boston with customers in more than 40 countries.

Learn more: https://www.cybereason.com/

Follow us: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Media contact:

Bill Keeler

Senior Director, Global Public Relations

Cybereason

bill.keeler@cybereason.com

+1 (929) 259-3261
DCentral Austin, a Web3, Art, Fashion, Finance, DAO, NFT & Blockchain Technology conference takes over The Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas June 7-8, 2022 Web3 investment division 3FuturesFund.com is announcing investments in NFIDX and NFTID technology, designed to mitigate NFT fraud and provide robust and multifaceted offline and online applications across a multitude of industries.

Art, Fashion, NFTs, Celebrities, Web3 Blockchain Technology and the Future of Decentralized Finance collide in Austin, Texas for two hot daysTuesday June 7th, and Wednesday June 8th, 2022but anyone who ventures inside the Long Center for the Performing Arts during DCentral Austin Conference will be immersed in air conditioning, and the present and future state of the metaverse.

Thousands of participants including NFT vendors, technology companies, blockchain developers, celebrities, influencers, investors, artists and more converge in this two day event billed as The Web3 & NFT Event of 2022 on the Dcentralcon.com website.

This event subsequently kicks off Consensus Festival Week in Austin, a week long festival touted as a showcase of all that crypto has to offer, which is presented by Coindesk.com. According to its website, Coindesk is an integrated platform for media, events, data & indices for the next generation of investing and the future of money.

Among the many speakers for the DCentral Austin 2022 conference is writer, director Kevin Smith of Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma fame, as well as social media influencers, and metaverse, DAO and NFT industry luminaries.

Technology companies are also using the critical mass of the Dcentral Austin and Consensus Festival to host free events, including Akash Network and Saga.xyz hosted event Building Web 3 Apps in a Web 2 World. According to the Eventbrite.com registration page, their event invites attendees to join Eric Urban, Distributed Systems Engineer at Overclock Labs and Core Contributor of Akash Network and Rebecca Liao CEO at Saga.xyz, for a two technical presentations on the tools, resources and opportunities for building Web3 application and systems.

This 2 hour event takes place at Vuka in Bouldin Creek from 5pm-7pm on Tuesday, June 7th. Tickets are available for free at Eventbrite.com.

One cutting edge, yet real world focused application announced at DCentral Austin is NFIDX and NFTID technology, which according to its website at NFIDX.com stands for Non-Fungible IDentity Exchange, and Non-Fungible Token Identity verification and fraud Detection, respectively. The goal of the technology includes combatting NFT fraud, and providing grounded blockchain use cases such as an independent blockchain to verify identity and cross reference ownership of NFTs with real world assets. The practical approach to futuristic technology is making one investment group take notice.

According to their website, Web3 investment division 3FuturesFund.com is announcing investments in NFIDX and NFTID technology, designed to mitigate NFT fraud and provide robust and multifaceted offline and online applications across a multitude of industries.

3FuturesFund.com seeks web3 and emerging technology investment opportunities that serves Web3, Web 2.0 and developing economy audiences with dynamic applications for future, contemporary, and developing worldsIn our humble opinion, NFIDX and NFTID technology harnesses the power of the future to empower the present, and we are excited to get behind their team, and encourage others to enquire as well.

More information on NFIDX and NFTID technology can be found at NFIDX.com.

Web3 companies and technologists seeking funding at various stages can learn more at 3FuturesFund.com.

Tickets and more information for Consensus Festival 2022 can be found at their website.

DCentral Austin Conference 2022 takes place Tuesday, June 7th and Wednesday, June 8th at 701 West Riverside Drive, Austin, Texas 78704. Related events take place around Austin. Go to Eventbrite website for more information.
Cobra Dane is a ground-based, L-band, phased-array radar that provides midcourse coverage for the U.S. Strategic Commands Ballistic Missile Defense System. It stands 120 feet tall. The Cobra Dane contract was awarded after an initial prototype contract in 2019. The total contract for the 11 transmitters was $71.1 million with deliveries taking place from June, 2022 through 2025.

Diversified Technologies, Inc. (DTI) developer of PowerMod high voltage, high power pulse modulators, DC power supplies, and process control systems has delivered the first of 12 transmitters to the Air Force to upgrade Cobra Dane Missile-Defense Radar Systems. Cobra Dane is a ground-based, L-band, phased-array radar that provides midcourse coverage for the U.S. Strategic Commands Ballistic Missile Defense System.

DTIs Transmitter Group Replacement for the Cobra Dane ground-based radar facility took place at Eareckson Air Station, Shemya Island, Alaska. Each transmitter group energizes, controls, and protects eight high-power, ring-bar type traveling wave tubes (TWTs). Individual RF outputs from each tube are input to a space-fed phased array antenna. The radar can detect sea-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles, classify re-entry vehicles, and track threats accurately.

According to Michael Kempkes, VP of Marketing at DTI, The Cobra Dane contract was awarded after an initial prototype contract in 2019. The total contract for the 11 transmitters was $71.1 million with deliveries taking place from June, 2022 through 2025.

For more information contact:

Diversified Technologies, Inc.

Michael A. Kempkes, VP of Marketing

35 Wiggins Ave.

Bedford, MA 01730-2345

(781) 275-9444 x211 FAX (781) 275-6081

e-mail: kempkes@divtecs.com

http://www.divtecs.com
Ensono, a leading technology adviser and managed service provider (MSP), today announced its new partnership with ATPCO, a critical platform for the global airline industry that is the worlds primary source for airline retailing and pricing data. ATPCO has chosen Ensono for its leading Mainframe-as-a-Service, disaster recovery and private cloud services to achieve high degrees of operational excellence. Through these services, ATPCO will have full technical and commercial flexibility that fit its current and future business needs.

Over the last few years, the pandemic created new challenges for the aviation industry, causing it to become increasingly siloed due to new regulations and declines in passenger traffic. As airlines continue to recover, they are looking to digitize their capabilities to maximize business outcomes. For ATPCO, a platform that manages more than 300 million fares for over 427 airlines, improving the flexibility and scalability of its mainframe and private cloud infrastructure was crucial for the company to strategically enhance airlines pricing and booking experiences. Together, Ensono and ATPCO aim to implement disaster recovery solutions and enable technical flexibility to assist airlines in achieving new stability and overcoming challenges exacerbated by the pandemic.

We look forward to this partnership with ATPCO and the opportunity to become their ally on the operations side, said Jon Clyne, Senior Vice President of Service Delivery at Ensono. With our ability to adjust to new requests and stay on target with ATPCOs migration and transition goals, we can move towards improving recovery times and modernizing ATPCOs mainframe and private cloud environment. As a strategic partner, were excited to help ATPCO drive improved experiences for airlines and the travel industry by helping them unlock new capabilities from their data.

In its agreement, Ensono will be providing ATPCO with standard, global support by leveraging mainframe operational staff in the US, Europe and India. This team will manage an integrated platform to uphold ATPCOs private cloud environment including managed infrastructure, security, and network elements. This client partnership will also include ongoing support and commercial structure to achieve full operational alignment.

We chose Ensono because of our confidence in the teams ability to deliver a solution that meets our reliability and transformation goals, said John Murphy, President of Core Business at ATPCO. As we pivot from the challenges brought on by the pandemic and look to improve how we utilize and manage our infrastructure, partnering with Ensono to achieve better outcomes and improve overall flexibility and costs for our customers, was an easy choice.

About Ensono

Ensono is an expert technology adviser and managed service provider. As a relentless ally, we accelerate clients digital transformation to achieve business outcomes that stand to last. Our dedicated team helps organizations optimize todays systems across any hybrid environment with services such as consulting, mainframe and application modernization, public cloud migration and cloud-native development. With certified experts in AWS, Azure and Google Cloud and recognized as Microsoft Datacenter Transformation Partner of the Year, Ensono has over 2,900 associates globally and is headquartered in greater Chicago.

Keep up with Ensono on LinkedIn and Twitter. For more information, visit Ensono.com.
Envoy Global, the technology leader that combines access to top legal talent with industry leading technology to bring efficiency and transparency to the global immigration process, announced two new additions to its executive leadership team: Chief Information Security Officer Subhajit Deb and Chief Operating Officer Bob Gallagher.

Deb brings over two decades of experience in the information security, data privacy and risk management practices across industry verticals such as banking, financial, insurance and pharmaceuticals. He holds various cyber security certifications including CISM, CRISC, CPISI, and CIPR. Prior to joining the Envoy team, Deb served as CISO at Dhani Loans and Services, Dr. Reddys Laboratories, and Max Life Insurance. He previously was the Head of Information Security for Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in India and has led several cyber security initiatives as part of the global information security team of Bank of America.

As CISO at Envoy, Deb will maintain Envoys information security program and oversee protection of company and customer data. I am excited to join the Envoy Global team and work to ensure Envoys platform has cutting edge security to help organizations continue to attract and sponsor top foreign talent, said Deb of his new role.

Gallagher joins Envoy Global after 30 years of experience in leading finance, operations and other functions in high-growth organizations, more recently serving as Chief Financial Officer for PE-backed Libra Solutions (formerly Oasis Financial) where he ran the finance, marketing, and HR teams. In his new role, hell be overseeing the operations and financial functions at Envoy Global in addition to managing relationships with Envoys affiliate law firms. Gallaghers extensive experience with corporate development strategy will be critical as Envoy continues to expand its footprint in the U.S. and globally.

Im looking forward to joining Envoy Global at an exciting time for continued growth, said Gallagher. Im thrilled to be working alongside Envoys internal teams and affiliate law firms to further the companys mission of creating a more seamless, transparent, and accessible immigration process.

"We're thrilled to welcome Subhajit and Bob to our executive leadership team. Both are experts in their respective fields with decades of experience and all reflect our commitment to continual growth," said Dick Burke, JD, President and CEO of Envoy Global. "I look forward to working alongside them as we continue our global expansion."

About Envoy Global

Founded in 1998, Envoy Global is a global immigration services provider offering the only immigration management platform that makes it seamless for companies to hire and manage an international workforce. By combining expert legal representationfor both inbound and non-U.S. immigrationand proprietary technology, Envoy empowers companies to acquire the best talent regardless of where they live, while simultaneously managing their entire global workforce and enabling employees to take advantage of business opportunities around the globe. Envoy is a 2019 honoree of the 18th Annual Chicago Innovation Awards, 20th Annual Illinois Technology Association (ITA) CityLIGHTS Awards, Corporate Immigration & Relocation Best Global Corporate Immigration Platform, Built In Chicagos 2019 100 Best Places To Work and 50 Best Mid-Sized Places To Work and ChicagoInnos Coolest Companies List. Envoy is affiliated with two law firms, Global Immigration Associates, P.C. (GIA), who provide immigration legal services to companies and was ranked in the Chambers USA 2021 guide as a top law firm in Illinois within the immigration category, and Corporate Immigration Partners (CIP), an elite group of immigration attorneys and legal professionals who provide personalized immigration services to companies.

Website, technology platform and administrative services are provided by Envoy Global Inc., a Delaware corporation. Legal services are provided by Envoy-affiliated attorneys. Please visit envoyglobal.com for more information or if interested in exploring an affiliation with Envoy.
Vinny Calabrese, Process Automation Business Development, left, introduces Marcus Sweitzer, PennAir Technical Sales Professional, to the range of Festo products in the companys mobile lab.

Festo announces that PennAir, with corporate headquarters in York, Pennsylvania, now sells and supports the full range of Festo pneumatic and electric automation components and systems in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Mark Snyder, Channel Director Festo Corporation shares, One of the most impressive things about PennAir is its holistic approach to business. This automation distributor is creating a culture where team members know they make a difference for customers by listening, possessing a sense of urgency, and responding professionally. PennAirs business acumen and culture have resulted in sustained growth with its industrial and commercial end use customers as well as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The company has an amazing can-do attitude.

Our customers rely on PennAir to provide top products, services, and training, said Conrad Rhein, Director of Sales, PennAir. Festo pneumatic and electric automation solutions, and the people who create them, are the industry gold standard. When you hold a Festo product in your hands you feel the quality. Consolidating the engineering component allows Festo to speed up a new products time-to-market, making OEMs more competitive.

PennAir has served more than 1.5 million customers in the areas of pneumatics, hydraulics, and automation. The company has expertise in aluminum extrusion, automatic lubrication, conveyors, compressed air, electro-mechanical products, robotics, and support services. PennAirs kitting, panel building, and assembly operations are regarded by many of its customers as an extension of their own manufacturing capabilities.

PennAir is ISO 9001 certified for its quality management system, holds the coveted UL508A panel builder certification, has an ISNet certification for a safe and sustainable workplace, and is Great Place to Work certified. The company gives back to its community with support for not-for-profit charitable organizations, including Make-a-Wish Foundation, Keystone Kidspace, York Habitat for Humanity, York County Youth Development Center, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and many others.

There are challenges with supply chain, acquisition, assembly and engineering costs, as well as how to continue to automate and increase productivity. said Rhein. Festo addresses many of these issues at a world-class level. Our customers are thrilled with the addition of Festo products to PennAirs catalog.

Festo is a leading manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components, and controls for process and industrial automation. Celebrating 50 years in the US, Festo Corporation has continuously elevated the state of manufacturing with innovations and optimized motion control solutions that deliver higher performing, more profitable automated manufacturing and processing equipment. Through advanced technical and industrial education, Festo Didactic Learning Systems and its partners prepare workers for current and future manufacturing technologies.

Visit https://pennair.com and http://www.festo.us for additional information.


On Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26, Brooke USA will present another edition of their "Films for a Cause" fundraisers featuring legendary director Steven Spielberg's War Horse, produced by DreamWorks Pictures.

This month, the equine advocacy organization Brooke USA once again harnesses the power of Film Festival Flix's virtual venue solution to build awareness of the issues surrounding the plight of working horses, donkeys, and mules living in vulnerable communities across the globe and to raise funds to help aid them.

On Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26, Brooke USA will present another edition of their "Films for a Cause" fundraisers featuring legendary director Steven Spielberg's War Horse, produced by DreamWorks Pictures.

War Horse is a 2011 historical drama based on both Michael Morpurgos 1982 novel of the same name and its 2007 stage adaptation. Spielberg's cast includes Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup, David Thewlis, Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch. Set before and during World War I, the film relays the epic story of Joey, a bay Irish Hunter horse raised by British teenager Albert (Irvine), as he is bought by the British Army, leading him to encounter numerous individuals and owners throughout Europe, all the while experiencing the tragedies of the war happening around him.

Shot on location in England over 63 days, Spielberg's massive, World War I set period piece used 5,800 extras and 300 horses. The film was named one of the top ten best films of 2011 by the American Film Institute and the National Board Review and was nominated for six Academy Awards (including Best Picture), two Golden Globe Awards, and five British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards.

The story of Brooke USA and our sister organization Brooke: Action for Working Horses & Donkeys are deeply intertwined with the plot of War Horse, as the fate of former WWI horses was one of abandonment and suffering, explained Emily Dulin, CEO of Brooke USA. When Dorothy Brooke arrived in Egypt with her husband she was distraught by the images of these horses shipped from their homes across Europe and the United States to serve in the war. Dorothy sought out these horses to do whatever was needed to ease their suffering. She went on to find hundreds of poorly-treated and worn-out animals desperately in need of help and established the Brooke Hospital for the Animals in 1934.

The mission of Brooke USA is to significantly improve the health, welfare, and productivity of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people who depend on them for survival worldwide. The organization is committed to sustainable economic development by reducing poverty, increasing food security, ensuring access to water, providing a means to education, and raising basic standards of living through improved equine health and welfare. Brooke USA accomplishes this goal by raising funds and responsibly directing them to the areas of greatest need.

With this virtual event, Brooke USA seeks to exalt the many contributions working horses have made throughout history and bring attention to the 100 million working equines which today continue to serve millions of people across the globe. Moreover, the film will help raise funds for Brooke USA's critical work during June when the organization celebrates the birthday of its founder Dorothy Brooke.

The event will be bolstered by the kind support of several corporate partners who together emphasize the importance of Brooke USAs work. Partners (to date) supporting the virtual viewing include Equus Film Fest, Truist, and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

General admission to the program is $35 and provides one access code, VIP Admission includes one access code and home delivery of an exclusive Caroline's Cakes (one of Oprah's Favorite Things) for $165, and Premier VIP Admission includes one access code and home delivery of an exclusive Caroline's Cakes, a bottle of Cugini Winerys Bubbly Traditional Champagne and Mottra caviar for $250. Additional donations are encouraged and can be made on the same page where tickets are sold.

Premier Packages, VIP Passes, and General Admission Passes are on sale now: https://filmfestivalflix.com/festival/brooke-usa/

The virtual event is available to stream worldwide, June 24-26, 2022.

Additional queries can be directed to Nick@FilmFestivalFlix.com

Film Festival Flix is your global virtual venue that empowers festivals, artists, and audiences through a secure user-friendly streaming platform. For more information about our platform, and upcoming festivals, please visit FilmFestivalFlix.com.

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The 2022 iaedp Virtual Symposium registration is available through June 15 and is now on demand 24/7 through July 5 with the opportunity for participants to earn up to 40 Continuing Education/Continuing Medical Education (CE/CME) Units.

While the 2022 iaedp Symposium runs virtually and on demand now through July 5, the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals Foundation (iaedp) announces a Call for Proposals for its 2023 annual Symposium slated for an in-person conference during February 16-19, 2023 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort in Palm Desert, California.

The 2023 Call for Proposals will close on June 30, 2022. Click here for proposal submission information: https://iaedp.confex.com/iaedp/2023/cfp.cgi

The iaedp Foundation is pursuing abstracts on inventive treatment modalities for the many phases of the journey for those with eating disorders -- from denial and resistance to treatment and ultimately recovery.

The 2022 iaedp Virtual Symposium registration is available through June 15 and is now on demand 24/7 through July 5 with the opportunity for participants to earn up to 40 Continuing Education/Continuing Medical Education (CE/CME) Units.

To register for the iaedp 2022 Virtual Symposium, visit https://iaedp.site-ym.com/event/2022VirtualSymposium. For additional information about the iaedp Symposium 2022, visit iaedp.com (iaedp.com).

All 2022 Virtual Symposium sessions are approved through CME, APA, NBCC, CDR, ASWB, NYSW, NYMFT, and NYPSY and CEC/CEP (Canada). Full CE/CME information can be found at https://iaedp.site-ym.com/page/2022CE . The full program schedule for the 2022 Virtual Symposium is here: https://iaedp.confex.com/iaedp/2022/meetingapp.cgi .

The 2022 iaedp Virtual Symposium kicked-off on April 1 with Core Courses, five keynote speaker headline presentations, Spanish-only presentations and scores of other presentations and workshops and a robust exhibit hall. Unlike the live Symposiums at iaedp, participants can view every one of the 2022 Virtual Symposium sessions with the on-demand accessibility.

Attendees also have the opportunity to participate in live networking sessions with exhibitors throughout the week and participate in virtual games with prizes.

The iaedp Virtual Symposium 2022 pricing information follows:



Full Symposium Registration: $550 regardless of membership type or status

Full Symposium Registration with Core Courses: $800 regardless of membership type or status

Core Courses Only - No Symposium Registration: $375 regardless of membership type or status

To register for the iaedp 2022 Virtual Symposium, visit https://iaedp.site-ym.com/event/2022VirtualSymposium. For additional information about the iaedp Symposium 2022, visit iaedp.com (iaedp.com).

About the iaedp Foundation: Since 1985, the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals has provided education and training standards to an international and multidisciplinary group of various healthcare treatment providers and helping professions. MemberSHARE.iaedp.com is an iaedp business journal and online member resource to learn about noteworthy member achievements, continuing education webinars and U.S. and international chapter activity and events; for more information, visit MemberSHARE.

More information about all aspects of iaedp at iaedp.com.
Our meetings serve a vital role in making sure that all of our stakeholders are working together, speaking with one voice, to speed up the delivery of effective treatments to our families. - Mark Stone, President & CEO, FSHD Society

The FSHD Society announced that it is holding back-to-back meetings this month in Orlando, Florida, to convene patients, families, researchers, clinicians, advocacy leaders, industry scientists, and regulators from around the world to focus on the goal of developing treatments for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). FSHD is a rare, hereditary muscle-weakening condition that affects an estimated one million men, women, and children worldwide. It is marked by life-long, progressive loss of muscle function and causes significant pain, fatigue, and disability. There is currently no medication to slow or halt the progression of symptoms.

This landmark series of conferences begins on June 15 with the Industry Collaborative Workshop, an invitation-only meeting of academic leaders, regulators, funders, and 14 companies that have FSHD programs at various stages of development. The workshop will review the current state of trial readiness, including biomarkers, imaging markers, clinical outcomes, care standards, and health economics outcomes research, and seek alignment around approaches to addressing critical gaps.

On June 16-17, researchers will gather for the Societys 29th annual International Research Congress (IRC), the premiere platform for sharing and discussing the latest scientific findings on FSHD. The IRC covers a broad span of research including genetics, epigenetics, pathobiology, novel drug targets, outcome measures, and clinical trials. The Societys leadership has contributed to notable advances, including the discovery of the genetic mechanism of FSHD, identification of therapeutic targets, and several clinical trials including the phase 3 trial that will be activating within the coming month.

The IRC will be followed on June 18-19 by FSHD Connect, the Societys biennial global conference bringing together patients, family members, researchers, and clinicians for two days of education, advocacy, and networking. This years theme is Ignite and our conference will celebrate the patients and families who, through their active engagement with our programs, are accelerating the development of treatments, said Mark Stone, CEO, and President of the FSHD Society.

The series of conferences culminates with the World FSHD Alliances annual summit, a virtual meeting of FSHD patient advocacy groups from 22 countries. With the prospect of new treatments coming on the market over the next few years, the alliance focuses on developing country-by-country strategies to ensure that patients everywhere will have access to these treatments.

Said Stone, Our meetings serve a vital role in making sure that all of our stakeholders are working together, speaking with one voice, to speed up the delivery of effective treatments to our families.

About the FSHD Society

The FSHD Society is the worlds largest research-focused patient organization for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), one of the most prevalent forms of muscular dystrophy. The Society has catalyzed major advancements and is accelerating the development of treatments and a cure to end the pain, disability, and suffering endured by one million people worldwide who live with FSHD. The FSHD Society has transformed the landscape for FSHD research and is committed to making sure that no one faces this disease alone. The Society offers a community of support, news, and information through its website at https://www.fshsociety.org.
Leveraging Mastermind to enhance the unique collection of curated knowledge sources of Alissa Interpret strengthens our position in the somatic and hereditary disease markets.  Kevin Meldrum, VP and GM of the Integrated Genomics Division, Agilent

Genomenon has announced a partnership with Agilent to integrate the Genomenon Mastermind Genomic Search Engine into the new version of Agilent Alissa Interpret. In the first implementation phase, users of the Alissa Interpret genomic data analysis and variant interpretation software will be able to filter and review variants with respect to the number of published articles in which variants are described and link out to view the related evidence in Mastermind.

In the second phase of this project, a deeper integration using Masterminds API will allow Alissa Interpret users to evaluate and review the available literature search results in more detail directly in the application. This phase is planned to begin in 2022.

We are excited to partner with Agilent, an organization that is committed to making genomic analysis for clinical decision support faster, easier, and more effective, said Mike Klein, CEO of Genomenon. With this deeper integration, users of Agilents Alissa Interpret will experience an optimized workflow by being able to quickly view the evidence needed to make a genetic diagnosis.

Leveraging Mastermind to enhance the unique collection of curated knowledge sources of Alissa Interpret strengthens our position in the somatic and hereditary disease markets, said Kevin Meldrum, VP and GM of the Integrated Genomics Division at Agilent. Were looking forward to our continued partnership with Genomenon as both companies continue to expand our technical capabilities.

Genomenons Mastermind Genomic Search Engine supports variant interpretation efforts for cancer and genetic disease by using an AI-driven approach to connect patient genetic data with relevant evidence from scientific literature. As the worlds most comprehensive source for genomic literature in the variant interpretation space, Mastermind is used by over 2,000 diagnostic labs and integrated into 18 clinical-grade decision support platforms and reference databases across the globe.

Alissa Interpret is Agilents cloud-based software platform for interpreting and validating NGS-based tests for rare diseases, as well as somatic and hematologic oncology. It incorporates a number of enabling features, such as clinical database integration, including phenotypic information and the latest ACMG classification guidelines, internal cohort analysis, lab-specific private database, and version control.

Both Genomenon and Agilent will be in-person exhibitors at the European Human Genetics Conference from June 11-14 in Vienna.

About Genomenon

Genomenon is an AI-driven genomics company focused on the advancement of positive health outcomes for patients with rare genetic diseases and cancer. Keeping pace with the ever-evolving body of knowledge within genomics, Genomenon connects current research with patient DNA to accelerate clinical decision making and pharmaceutical drug discovery.

For more information, visit Genomenon.com
Greenberg Traurig and Visa Franchise to Present Choosing the Optimal Path for Permanent Residency in the US: Understanding the Direct EB-5

Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP Immigration & Compliance Practice Shareholder Kate Kalmykov and Visa Franchise Managing Director Patrick Findaro will present a webinar on understanding direct EB-5 investment and the path to permanent residency in the United States June 8 at 1 p.m. Click here to RSVP.

The direct EB-5 program allows applicants for a green card to invest directly as an equity partner into a business which in turn must create 10 full time jobs. Given the revamping and recent governmental pause of the Regional Center program in recent years, investors have turned to the Direct option due to its availability and as a result, its grown exponentially in popularity since its introduction in 1990. Webinar attendees will learn about requirements, legal adjudication trends, and structuring opportunities in these immigrant visa categories. Attendees will also learn how franchise businesses can qualify for investment under the direct EB-5.

Kalmykov, based in Greenberg Traurigs New Jersey office, focuses her practice on business immigration and compliance. She represents clients in a wide range of employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visa matters including students, trainees, professionals, managers and executives, artists and entertainers, treaty investors and traders, persons of extraordinary ability, and immigrant investors. Kalmykov leads the Immigration & Compliance Practice in the firms New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia offices  a team of nearly 20 attorneys and business professionals currently celebrating their 10 year anniversary. She works with clients of all sizes in understanding and complying with immigration laws relating to the hiring and retention of foreign talent. Kalmykovs practice focuses on supporting clients and advising them on temporary and permanent residency immigration options for multinational executive, business, scientific, and information technology personnel.

According to its website, Visa Franchise is an advisor for foreign entrepreneurs in search of business investments eligible for the E-2 and EB-5 investor visas. Since its founding in 2015, Visa Franchise has helped 500+ investors from over 60 countries find the right business opportunity that best fits their unique circumstances. Through this sister company platform, http://www.vettedbiz.com, investors can browse through 5,500+ franchise opportunities available in the U.S.

About Greenberg Traurigs Immigration & Compliance Group: Greenberg Traurigs Immigration & Compliance Group is a multidisciplinary business immigration practice representing businesses, organizations, and individuals from around the world on a wide range of immigration-related matters. The group has achieved international recognition for legal advocacy, results-oriented service, and responsiveness to its clients. The team is composed of active thought leaders who write regularly for Greenberg Traurigs Immigration blogs: Inside Business Immigration and EB-5 Insights.

About Greenberg Traurigs Immigration Compliance Blog: Greenberg Traurigs Immigration Compliance blog addresses the latest developments affecting employers, including the E-Verify program, Form I-9 compliance, Department of Labor issues (H-1B, H-2B and LCA), identity fraud in the workplace, electronic forms I-9s, EB-5 investor regional center compliance, and ICE worksite enforcement audits.

About Greenberg Traurigs EB-5 Insights Blog: Greenberg Traurigs EB-5 Insights blog addresses the broad range of challenges and opportunities presented by the EB-5 program, including the immigration, tax, and securities compliance issues integral to creating and maintaining successful Regional Centers and projects.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2400 attorneys in 43 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.
Charles C. Dunham, IV, a Health Care & FDA Practice shareholder in the Houston office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, will speak at the Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law (CTeL) Spring 2022 Digital Health Summit in Washington, D.C. June 7-9.

Dunham will participate in a panel discussion titled Why do Policymakers Believe Telehealth is more Fraudulent than In-Person Care? June 8 at 12:15 p.m. to summit attendees that will include stakeholders and industry decision-makers.

Founded in 1995, CTeL focuses on sustainable health care technology and telehealth practice organizational models and the effects of regulatory and legal boundaries.

Dunham is a corporate healthcare attorney providing counsel in corporate, regulatory, transactional, reimbursement, privacy, compliance, and white-collar defense matters. He represents an array of health care providers, suppliers, and other health-related entities with a distinct focus on the laboratory and telehealth industries. He works with early-stage startups to publicly traded companies in the health care and digital health technology space to provide advice in strategic planning, investor negotiations, and bringing products from the lab to market. He also advises private equity firms and venture capital groups on their investments in the healthcare industry, including due diligence reviews of target acquisitions, negotiated contracts, and health regulatory compliance by such investments post-closing.

Dunham is a Legal Resource Team Member for CTeL.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP  Texas: Texas is important to Greenberg Traurig, LLP and the firms history. With approximately 140 Texas lawyers in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Greenberg Traurig has deep roots in the Texas business, legal, and governmental communities. Greenberg Traurig Texas works with clients to address their interdisciplinary legal needs across the state utilizing the firms global platform. The Texas attorneys are experienced in industries key to the states future, including: aviation, chemicals, construction, education, energy and natural resources, financial institutions, health care, hedge funds, hospitality, infrastructure, insurance, media, medical devices, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, real estate, retail, sports, technology and software, telecommunications, transportation, and video games and esports.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2400 attorneys in 43 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.
Dorothee Fischer-Appelt will co-chair the Capital Markets Conference 2022 on June 10, an event she has been co-chairing since its inception in 2011. Dorothee and James Mountain, both shareholders in the London office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, will speak on panels at the conference. They will be joined by members of the global capital markets legal community for networking opportunities and informative, in-depth sessions presented by experts.

The event, organized by The Law Society and the American Bar Association, will be held at The Law Society in London and is the first time the conference will be held in person since the beginning of the pandemic.

Dorothee will deliver the opening remarks as a co-chair of the event and will also speak on the panel Recent Developments in Equity Capital Markets. This panel will discuss recent regulatory and practice developments in the Equity Capital Markets, including the implications of the invasion of Ukraine and related sanctions, the impact of the London listings review, development in due diligence practices, and the Australian cartel case.

James will join the panel Facts about SPACs where panelists will discuss European special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC), including structural considerations, choice of listing venues, and practical concerns, as well as de-SPACing transactions and private investments in public equity.

Dorothee is a New York and English-qualified shareholder with 25 years' experience in international capital markets and mergers and acquisitions transactions. She represents companies, financial institutions, and selling shareholders in connection with international equity and debt capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings (IPOs), secondary equity offerings, convertibles, warrants, block trades, high yield offerings, Rule 144A debt offerings, sovereign bonds, exchange offers, and consent solicitations.

James is experienced in advising issuers and underwriters in capital markets transactions, with particular emphasis on equity offerings across both developed and emerging markets. James experience includes IPOs on the main market of the London Stock Exchange and AIM as well as other stock exchanges throughout the world, secondary offerings, private placements, and quick-to-market transactions. He has also worked on secondment at a major international investment bank and a Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 company.

About Greenberg Traurigs London Office: Greenberg Traurig, LLP in London has established itself as a multidisciplinary law firm, with nearly 120 lawyers and growing. The London office provides partner-led advice to domestic and international clients on a range of matters across the legal spectrum. Lawyers at Greenberg Traurig in London advise U.K. and multinational clients operating in many different sectors, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, energy, real estate, financial services, automotive, retail and communications. For additional information, please visit http://www.gtlaw.com.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2400 attorneys in 43 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.


Halo Investing, Inc. (Halo), the award-winning technology platform, is proud to announce that Charles "Chip" Roame, Founder & Managing Partner of Tiburon Strategic Advisors and Tiburon CEO Summits (Tiburon) has joined Halos Advisory Board. Halo provides financial advisors and investors with easy access to structured notes, market-linked CDs, buffered ETFs, and annuities, as well as a suite of tools to educate, analyze, and customize protective investment products to suit their unique portfolio needs.

Tiburon was formed by Mr. Roame in 1998 and is known for its unparalleled offering of market research and strategic consulting, especially for FinTech firms. He is a leading advisor to CEOs, senior executives, and boards of directors in the wealth and investment management world. Prior to forming Tiburon, Chip served in similar capacities as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, and later as a business strategist at the Charles Schwab Corporation.

Chip also serves on the board of directors at Edelman Financial Engines, Facet Wealth, Allspring Global Investors, DPL Financial Partners, and Lefteris Acquisition Corporation. He serves on the advisory board of Paanini, on the mutual fund board of Buckingham Strategic Partners SA and also formerly served as Vice Chairman of Envestnet (NYSE: ENV).

Halo is leading the way in the market thanks to their innovative approach to protective investing. Halos platform provides access to impactful investment opportunities previously unavailable to most investors in a manner that highlights independence, transparency, and education  all critical in the modern age of investing, observed Roame.

Tiburons research highlights the significant challenges RIAs and broker/dealers face, and Halo helps these advisors achieve better business outcomes by saving time, adding technological capabilities, and empowering them to deepen their practice with specialized tools and knowledge. Its certainly a compelling time for Halo given the current state of the financial markets.

For Halo President and Co-Founder Jason Barsema, the feeling was more than mutual. Chip has long been a visionary in the financial industry, applying his tremendous insight, vast network, and passion to FinTech companies like Halo. He joins us at an exciting time for the company as we continue to drive growth and build deeper relationships with wealth managers. Im thrilled to welcome Chip to Halos Advisory Board, and I know his guidance will only enhance our mission. Chips expertise complements our current Advisory Boards skills and experiences, and I am confident he will provide valuable perspectives as we continue to reach new heights every day.

Chip Roame joins a distinguished set of advisors on Halo's Advisory Board including: Jeb Bush, 43rd Governor of Florida; Dr. Neal M. Soss, former Vice Chairman of Investment Strategy and Research and Global Chief Economist for Credit Suisse Group AG; Jack Selby, a founding member of PayPal and Managing Partner at Thiel Capital Management.

About Halo Investing

Halo Investing is an award-winning technology platform for protective investment solutions. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Abu Dhabi, Zurich, Dubai, and Singapore, Halo was co-founded by Biju Kulathakal and Jason Barsema in 2015 with a mission that focuses on putting "impact before profits," providing access to impactful investment opportunities previously unavailable to most investors. Through the Halo platform, financial advisors and investors can easily access structured notes, market- linked CDs, buffered ETFs, and annuities, as well as a suite of tools to educate, analyze, customize, execute, and manage the most suitable protective investment product for their portfolios. Halo has received a growing number of honors and was recently named one of Fast Company's Ten Most Innovative Companies of 2021. For more information, please visit: http://www.haloinvesting.com.

Halo Investing is not a broker/dealer. Securities offered through Sentinus-Halo Securities LLC, a SEC registered broker/dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. Sentinus-Halo Securities LLC is affiliated with Halo Investing Insurance Services and Halo Investing. Sentinus-Halo Securities LLC acts solely as distributor/selling agent and is not the issuer or guarantor of any structured note products.
Decentralized human resource This approach should reduce the number of personnel interviews and the overall time required in the recruitment process. It would also enable the business heads at each development center to hire on the basis of current and local needs.

The global blockchain development company, HashCash Consultants, reveals plans to decentralize its human resource department. The major shift is to be carried forward by the HR core team.

In the intended decentralized system, hiring decisions are to be made at the local development center level. Founder and CEO of HashCash Consultants, Raj Chowdhury, remarked, This approach should reduce the number of personnel interviews and the overall time required in the recruitment process,

It would also enable the business heads at each development center to hire on the basis of current and local needs.

After a series of successes in the international crypto market providing white label crypto exchange software, HashCash Consultants announced an expansion of facilities in Dubai. Only weeks leading to this, the company revealed its acquisition of a two-acre property in the Bengal Silicon Valley - a prominent tech hub in Kolkata, India. The fintech startup is also on a hiring spree looking at over 100 in India alone, building strength across departments.

Given the scale and magnitude of growth required and expected of HashCash at this stage, the higher management has concurred that decentralization of the human resources is what should best suit the situation.

In the proposed decentralized system, payroll checks would be issued by each development center instead of being despatched from central headquarters. This would typically warrant that the employees receive their pay sooner as their paychecks or direct deposits occur closer to where they are issued. More power and control regarding recruitments and appraisals would be vested in the local business heads.

Decentralization of human resources also implies localized policy-making incorporating the local ethics, laws, and territorial norms, added Chowdhury.

To sum up, the role of the personnel in the HR department wouldnt be vastly different from its centralized system. The difference, however, would appear in its way of functioning. The system should be characterized by local administrations which would follow a similar format across locations, varying only in the regulations mandated by the jurisdictions.

About HashCash:

HashCash is a global software company. HashCash Blockchain products enable enterprises to move assets and settle payments across borders in real-time for Remittances, Trade Finance, Payment Processing, and more. HashCash runs US-based digital asset exchange, PayBito & digital asset payment processor, BillBitcoins. HashCash offers exchange and payment processor software solutions, ICO services, and customized use cases. HashCash propels advancement in technology through Blockchain1o1 programs and its investment arm, Satoshi Angels. HashCash offers solutions in AI, Big Data, and IoT through its platforms, products & services. HashCash solves the toughest challenges by executing innovative digital transformation strategies for clients around the world.
From left, Parag Bhosale, Thomas Haught, Ann Fischer and Hiten Gardi, attorneys of the Schaumburg, Illinois law firm Gardi, Haught, Fischer & Bhosale Ltd. donate $5,000 to Feed My Starving Children. Our firm strongly believes it is always important to give back to our community because of what the community has given us. We have been in Schaumburg for about 20 years, and this community has given us happiness, gratification, challenges and success and has made us better individuals,

The Schaumburg, Illinois-based law firm of Gardi, Haught, Fischer & Bhosale Ltd. has donated $5,000 to Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) to provide 20,833 meals to needy youngsters worldwide. Several of the firm's attorneys went to FMSC's Schaumburg facility to give the donation.

Members of the law firm became aware of the nonprofits mission through friends and family and the positive impact that the organization has been making on a global level. Also, the mission of helping children in need across the globe is one that is important to the firm, said partner Ann Fischer.

The law firm was impressed by the number of meals FMSC can produce from a single donation. According to its website, the organization has sent more than 3 billion meals to 108 countries since March 2009. In 2021-2022 alone, FMSC fed 1,091,787 kids. FMSC is based in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, and has operations worldwide, including food-packing facilities in Aurora, Libertyville and Schaumburg, Illinois.

Our firm strongly believes it is always important to give back to our community because of what the community has given us, said Fischer. We have been in Schaumburg for about 20 years, and this community has given us happiness, gratification, challenges and success and has made us better individuals, said Fischer.

Gardi, Haught, Fischer & Bhosale Ltd., is a full-service firm that provides legal advice and protects the rights of individuals and families. In fact, the firm focuses on various legal practices, including family law, immigration, personal injury, workers compensation, real estate, estate planning, commercial and general litigation.

If we can give even a little back compared to what we have received, we know we have helped quite a bit. But the job is never done, so we will continue to help and serve the community and beyond, said Fischer.

About Gardi, Haught, Fischer & Bhosale Ltd.

Gardi, Haught, Fischer & Bhosale Ltd. is a law firm focusing on real estate law, litigation, immigration, divorce, estate planning, corporate law, among other areas. Founded by Hiten R. Gardi and Thomas E. Haught in 2003, the firm is located at 939 N. Plum Grove Road in Schaumburg, Illinois. For more information, call (847) 944-9400 or visit http://www.gardilaw.com.

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The Race for the Family is an inspiring event that celebrates the strength and courage it takes to overcome infertility.

Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) is proud to be the presenting event sponsor at the Cade Foundation's 17th Annual Race for the Family at the Baltimore Inner Harbor on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at 8 a.m ET. Registrants can walk or jog for either a 5K or 1-mile activity at the Inner Harbor event, or participate virtually. Revenue from this event will support the Cade Foundations Family Building Grants that total up to $10,000, which help families who are facing infertility with infertility treatment at SGF or adoption costs.

Coming together to celebrate families overcoming infertility is an incredible experience filled with hope and strength, shares SGF physician, Shruti Malik, M.D., who sees patients at SGFs Arlington, Virginia office. I'm proud to be part of an organization like SGF that advocates for patients both inside the office, and within the community. The family building grants are life-changing for so many families, and when you get to be part of someone's successes after they try for so long to have a family, there's no greater feeling.

We invite all SGF physicians and staff along with current and former patients and other supporters from throughout the community to participate in the Race for the Family, adds Camille Hammond, M.D., MPH, CEO of the Cade Foundation. The Race for the family is an inspiring event that celebrates the strength and courage it takes to overcome infertility.

For the price of one ticket, all registrants will receive a raffle ticket as well as admission to the Cade Foundations Fertilifest event in October. Raffle tickets will be drawn at Fertilifest, and prizes will include the Dr. Stephen Greenhouse Grant valued at up to $10,000 in fertility treatment at SGF, which is given in honor of the legacy and memory of SGF physician, Dr. Greenhouse.

I want others who are struggling to conceive to know that they are not alone, shares Katie, a former Dr. Stephen Greenhouse Grant recipient and SGF patient. I am extremely grateful for the Dr. Stephen Greenhouse Grant, and I encourage anyone thinking of applying to send in an application.

To purchase raffle tickets or to donate towards this cause, please visit the Race for the Family event page.

To apply for a Family Building Grant, please apply for the Cade Foundation Family Building Grant.

About Tinina Q. Cade Foundation

The Tinina Q. Cade Foundation is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to serving the needs of families battling infertility through education, outreach, and grants that help couples pay for infertility treatment or domestic adoption. In the past decade, through events like the Race for the Family, Corks with Cade, and others, SGF and the Cade Foundation have raised more than $1.5 million that is used to fund grants for fertility treatment and adoption for families with infertility and to build awareness about the 1 in 8 couples struggling with infertility. For more information about the Cade Foundation please visit http://www.cadefoundation.org.

About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF)

SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 100,000 babies born from 30+ years of continuous innovation and patient-centered fertility care. With 46 locations, including new locations in Texas, as well as throughout CO, FL, GA, MD, NY, PA, TX, VA, D.C., and Santiago, Chile, SGF offers patients in-person and virtual physician consults, delivers individualized care, accepts most insurance plans, and makes treatment affordable through innovative financial options, including 100% refund guarantees. SGF is among the founding partner practices of US Fertility, the largest physician-led partnership of top-tier fertility practices in the U.S. Call 1-888-761-1967 to schedule a new patient appointment or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com for more information.
iTrip Vacations Missoula opens in Montana. The Missoula area is a great year-round destination, as well as a perfect jumping off point to explore all of Montana's treasures. We look forward to bringing friendly local service to property owners and guests as we share our love for Montana.

iTrip Vacations is excited to announce short-term rental property owners and guests in Missoula, Montana, now benefit from world-class property management and customer service. iTrip Vacations Missoula  owned and managed by Dave Meek  has launched as the newest iTrip destination.

The short-term rental property management company serves homeowners and guests in Missoula, Bitterroot Valley and the Seeley-Swan area. The full-service program increases net rental income and five-star guest reviews, while providing worldwide marketing, free light maintenance, professional cleaning, and automatic-response systems.

We are excited to bring iTrip's national reputation for exceptional short-term rental management to Montana's rental property owners and vacationing guests, said David Meek, iTrip Vacations Missoula owner. The Missoula area is a great year-round destination, as well as a perfect jumping off point to explore all of Montana's treasures. We look forward to bringing friendly local service to property owners and guests as we share our love for Montana.

The Montana 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.

Missoula sits at the confluence of three rivers in the Northern Rocky Mountains. The city offers four seasons of outdoor recreation activities, family-friendly attractions, museums, shopping and local festivals. Missoula is also home to University of Montana and one of the top college towns in the U.S.

To learn more about the full-service rental property management program, contact iTrip Vacations Missoula at 406-543-1546 (Local).

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 100 franchise-owned destinations in North America and has been named a Vrbo Elite Partner in Software for five consecutive years.
My Dog Jack: a potent reminder of the love between pets and owners. My Dog Jack is the creation of published author Kathleen Wyzkoski, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and an animal rescue advocate.

Wyzkoski shares, One day, as I was sitting outside and looking at the pathway Jack and I walked at our camp, there were so many memories so I decided to write about him and all the many adventures we had. Jack was my best friend. I felt his love for me, and in return, he felt mine. God gave us these animals to love and cherish. They have a special place in our hearts.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Kathleen Wyzkoskis new book will tug at the heartstrings as readers learn of Jacks many adventures.

Consumers can purchase My Dog Jack at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about My Dog Jack, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
While other businesses are scaling back their office space, we are grateful for our continued growth and our ability to serve the financial needs of Middle-Class Millionaires in our community. -Clark Kendall, Kendall Capital President & CEO

With a growing team and even faster-growing assets under management (AUM), Kendall Capital is moving its office to 2000 Tower Oaks Boulevard, Suite 240, in Rockville, Maryland. The wealth management firm will make the move on June 10, 2022.

We reached $450 million in AUM in the past year and were adding employees, so we outgrew our space, explained Kendall Capital President & CEO Clark Kendall, CFA, AEP, CFP. It amazes me to look back at where we came from 16 years ago when I started with just me, a phone, a desk and a Rolodex. Today, we have a talented team and a wide array of clients  and were busier than ever amid all this market volatility. While other businesses are scaling back their office space, we are grateful for our continued growth and our ability to serve the financial needs of Middle-Class Millionaires in our community.

Nina Smith, Director of Marketing and Communication, who spearheaded this move by overseeing the space selection, design, IT infrastructure, and new innovative technology, is excited to use the new space as a way to elevate Kendall Capitals brand and better fit the needs of both clients and staff.

While we serve clients all over the U.S., we are truly excited and honored for the continued opportunity to provide financial insights to people living and working here in Montgomery County, Maryland and across the DMV, said Vice President & Senior Relationship Manager Carol Petrov, CFP, CPWA.

Kendall Capital made the Inc. 5000 list for the third year in a row last year, which is the who's-who of the most successful small businesses in America. Kendall noted at the time that the firm has grown organically, not through takeovers or acquisitions. Kendall Capital is one of only six Montgomery County companies to make the list three years in a row.

Last year also saw the release of Kendalls latest book Middle-Class Millionaire Women: Essential Strategies to Ensure Financial Longevity, co-authored with Carol Petrov, CFP, CPWA. The book provides life-changing tips and insights on how women can achieve financial success. It complements Kendalls 2019 book, Middle-Class Millionaire: Surprisingly Simple Strategies to Grow and Enjoy Your Wealth.

About Kendall Capital

Kendall Capital is a wealth management firm providing fiduciary financial planning and investment management services to Middle-Class Millionaires in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The firm currently manages client assets of approximately $450 million. President and CEO Clark Kendall is the author of Middle-Class Millionaire and Middle-Class Millionaire Women and says, Middle-class millionaires are more common than you may realize. While you may not consider yourself a millionaire, you may have accumulated over $500,000 or more in investable assets through disciplined saving and investing, a timely inheritance or a combination of all three. Kendall Capital is a fee-only, fiduciary financial adviser firm. It does not receive commissions from anyone for recommending specific investments in order to serve its clients best interests.
Newest ezCheckprinting business check writer saves employers time with new payee list feature for larger companies. Newest ezCheckprinting business check writer saves employers time with new payee list feature for larger companies.

Latest ezCheckprinting business check writer has been updated by Halfpricesoft.com to accommodate larger establishment owners who need to print checks for an extensive payee list. This feature will save time and frustration for Companies across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

"ezCheckprinting business check writer saves employers time with new payee list feature for larger companies, said Halfpricesoft.com Founder, Dr. Ge.

Potential customers are welcome to try the software at no cost or obligation by visiting https://www.halfpricesoft.com/product_ezCheck.asp.

Many customers utilize and recommend ezCheckPrinting MICR & laser check printing software because the software is easy to use, flexible, and inexpensive. No hidden or recurring fees.

Customers never have to pay a monthly fee for using the ezCheckprinting check writer. Its available at a low cost of $49.00 for a single installation. (No hidden or recurring costs)

Features and highlights included are:



ezCheckPrinting Windows version runs on Windows 8/8.1/10 and 11. 32-bit/64-bit.

Supports multiple clients

Add a company logo and other customizable design features for a professional, corporate look to company checks

No limit to the number of accounts that can be used

Write an unlimited number of checks

Prints MICR characters accepted by most banks (for use with laser printers)  no need to order expensive checks pre-printed with bank information

Use blank check stock or pre-printed checks in check-on-top, check-in-middle, or check-on-bottom formats

Include signature image on checks to save time signing checks

Customizable report features that are easy to use

Save time by printing multiple checks with one click

Export and import check data for use with ezTimeSheet, Excel file, QuickBooks, Microsoft Money, and other accounting software.

To learn more about ezCheckPrinting business check writing software and the many easy to use features, please visit https://www.halfpricesoft.com/product_ezCheck.asp

About halfpricesoft.com

Halfpricesoft.com is a leading provider of small business software, including online and desktop payroll software, online employee attendance tracking software, accounting software, in-house business, and personal check printing software, W2, software, 1099 software, and Accounting software, 1095 form software, and ezACH direct deposit software. Software from halfpricesoft.com is trusted by thousands of customers and will help small business owners simplify payroll processing and streamline business management.
Memorial Regional Hospital is just the fourth facility in the United States to earn advanced accreditiation from the American College of Cardiology. The advanced certification wouldnt be possible without the expertise of our physicians, team members, and the commitment to provide the highest quality patient and family-centered care to our patients.

Memorial Regional Hospital recently entered elite company, becoming just the fourth hospital in the United States to earn Advanced Heart Failure Accreditation from the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The Hollywood-based facility, home to the Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute, exceeded an array of stringent criteria during an onsite review of the staffs ability to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients with heart failure.

Demonstrating its excellence through pre-hospital care, early stabilization, acute care, transitional care, clinical quality measures, and more, Memorial Regional was the only hospital in South Florida to earn the designation, joining facilities in Indiana (Lutheran Hospital), Georgia (Union General Hospital), and Tampa (AdventHealth).

The advanced certification wouldnt be possible without the expertise of our physicians, team members, and the commitment to provide the highest quality patient and family-centered care to our patients, said Peter Powers, Memorial Regional Hospital CEO. "Were proud to be recognized as the leading cardiac program in South Florida."

There are fewer than 60 hospitals in the country that have received Heart Failure Accreditation from the ACC, with the aforementioned four the only ones from that group earning the advanced certification. Facilities must take part in a multi-faceted clinical process that involves completion of a gap analysis, examination of variances of care, development of an action plan, onsite review, and ongoing monitoring. Accredited hospitals have streamlined processes, implemented guidelines and standards, and adopted best practices that better educate patients, improve outcomes, and more effectively and efficiently control disease.

Heart failure is a chronic and progressive condition where the heart is unable to pump enough

blood to meet the bodys needs for blood and oxygen. Memorial was recognized for its evidence-based, protocol-driven, and systematic approach to managing the disease that reduces time to treatment and identifies and predicts high-risk patients while also reducing length-of-stay and hospital readmissions.

(About MRH):

Memorial Regional Hospital (MRH), the 797-bed flagship of the Memorial Healthcare System, has served patients and families since 1953. A Level 1 trauma center, its clinical expertise and advanced technology equip it to handle the most critical situations. The facility also features a wide variety of medical and surgical services, including a cardiac and vascular institute, cancer institute, neuroscience institute, family birthplace, womens and behavioral health services. There were more than 220,000 patient encounters at MRH in fiscal year 2021.

(About ACC):

The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its 54,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health.
Morrison Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce the arrival of Matthew Ferry as a partner in the firms Life Sciences Transactions + Licensing and Technology Transactions Groups, based in San Diego. Ferry brings more than a decade of combined technology transactions, life sciences transactions, and licensing experience to Morrison Foerster.

Ferrys addition highlights the continued expansion of the firms global Life Sciences and Technology Transactions team in key markets on both the East and West Coasts in recent years. This includes the notable arrivals of Technology Transactions and Life Sciences Transactions + Licensing partner Matt Karlyn in Boston, FDA Regulatory + Life Sciences Compliance Group chair Stacy Cline Amin in Washington, D.C., and Patent Strategy + Prosecution partner Hogene Choi in Palo Alto. Ferrys arrival also underscores the continued growth of the firms California capabilities; he is the eighth partner to join the firm on the West Coast since the start of the year. Ferrys arrival also follows the addition of Investigations + White Collar Defense partner Adam Braverman to the San Diego office in 2021.

Ferry joins Morrison Foerster from another leading international law firm, where he advised clients on life sciences, pharmaceutical, strategic IP, technology, data, and information-related transactions. He works with emerging growth, privately held, and publicly traded companies across the life sciences sector, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and medical devices. Ferry advises clients on a variety of transactions, from early-stage startup issues to commercial agreements supporting company operations, to supporting venture capital and private equity clients in their investments in technology and life sciences companies, to supporting corporate teams in a variety of exits.

Matt is a tremendous strategic addition to our global Life Sciences + Healthcare and Technology Transactions Groups at a time of increasing demand within the ever-growing global life sciences industry. In addition to bringing an excellent technical background and extensive experience in commercial life sciences and licensing transactions to the firm, Matts presence further expands our offerings on the ground in San Diego and across California, as well as in other key geographies nationally and globally, said Michael Ward, global head of Morrison Foersters Life Sciences + Healthcare Group.

Ferry draws on his hard science technical background and previous patent prosecution and IP litigation experience to counsel clients in a number of areas including commercial contracts at all stages of technology and product development, patent and technology license agreements, IP and commercial contract matters, and IP hygiene related to startup companies.

Morrison Foerster is a well-known global life sciences and technology leader with exceptional life sciences and transactional capabilities and highly skilled attorneys, said Ferry. I am thrilled to work with my new colleagues in the firms Life Sciences + Healthcare and Technology Transactions practices to help our clients navigate the rapidly growing area of transactions and licensing in the national and global life sciences sector, while growing my practice on the ground in San Diego, said Ferry.

Prior to his most recent role, Ferry spent six years at another leading global firm focusing on both IP litigation and technology transactions. Earlier in his career, he served as a patent agent at a respected patent boutique firm. Ferry earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where he served as comments editor and senior articles editor of the Journal of Law and Technology. He earned his M.S. in Physics from the California Institute of Technology, and his B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, in Physics and Astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to his practice-focused work, Ferry also maintains an active pro bono practice, including representing small business owners and nonprofits in their commercial agreements. He is admitted to practice in California.

About Morrison Foerster

Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firms commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster was recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyers 2021 A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia-Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment.
Mrs. Krishna Chaudhuri Mukhopadhyay shares a collection of short stories that explores experiences and thoughts of young people as they bravely navigate the joys and difficulties of life in her new book titled Born in Heaven (published by Archway Publishing).

Within seven short tales, Chaudhuri explores the minds of children through diverse characters facing a variety of challenges in life. In a gymnasium where teachers are handing out report cards to students and their parents, one of the teachers notices a parent and girl sitting by themselves. When the girl and her mother approach the teachers desk at the end of the night, she soon learns that it may be up to her to rescue a former student from an unthinkable fate. As two families reside next to each other in a neighborhood, their children happily play together without any idea that a chain of events is about to unfold that will make them realize that true friendships can endure even the most tragic of circumstances.

The author hopes that the book helps children learn important lessons about life.

Born in Heaven is available for purchase online at the Archway link above, from Barnes & Noble and on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Born-Heaven-Krishna-Chaudhuri-Mukhopadhyay/dp/1665714980.

Born in Heaven

By Mrs. Krishna Chaudhuri Mukhopadhyay

Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 116 pages | ISBN 9781665714990

Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 116 pages | ISBN 9781665714983

E-Book | 116 pages | ISBN 9781665714976

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Mrs. Krishna Chaudhuri Mukhopadhyay has been living in the United States for a long period of time. She taught mathematics in a magnet public high school. Having taught the adolescents for a number of years. Chaudhuri has gained a thorough understanding of the maze of the young minds. Her love for children gave her a deep insight and a successful career in teaching. Chaudhuri is a member of various educational organizations, the most notably Kappa Delta Pi, an international educational honor society. Chaudhuri is the founding member, trustee, chief editor and a writer of the online magazine usbengalforum.com.

Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit archwaypublishing.com or call 844-669-3957.
Olio Piro Extra Virgin Olive Oil wins global award. "We're so proud that our specially-crafted blend is striking a chord with experts and food connoisseurs alike."

Olio Piro is on a winning streak. The premium extra virgin olive oil, made from the early harvest of a proprietary blend of Italys best olives including those from its own groves on the slopes of Mount Amiata in Southern Tuscany, has been crowned a winner in the 2022 New York International Olive Oil Competition.

This is the fourth year in a row the EVOO has been named best in its class in the important international olive oil contest. Olio Piro, a new member of the Specialty Food Association, will be featured at a special event hosted by Urbani Truffles during the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York next week.

A relative newcomer to the competitive world of high-end olive oil, Olio Piro has been produced since 2018 in the Maremma region of southern Tuscany in the ultramodern Anteata Frantoio olive mill. The mill is owned and operated by Romain Piro and Daniele Lepori. Romain Piros sister, Marie-Charlotte Piro, based in Miami, is the brands worldwide ambassador.

Were so proud that our specially-crafted blend is striking a chord with experts and food connoisseurs alike says Marie-Charlotte Piro who is working to expand U.S. distribution. Olio Piro is available online at olio-piro.com, and at more than 50 specialty food markets including Casa Tua Cucina in Miami and Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market in Los Angeles.

The robust oil, made with a proprietary filtering system, is considered both complex and balanced, boasting floral aromas, herbaceous flavors and a distinctive peppery finish that works especially well as a finishing oil. Olio Piro is a luxurious addition to most any meal and a special treat drizzled over fresh sliced tomatoes and mozzarella or even vanilla ice cream. Its a perfect gift for any host who appreciates fine food, Marie-Charlotte says.

The EVOOs simple label with black and gold type is designed to evoke a bottle of fine perfume. It is sold in half-liter bottles for $59 and a chic smaller bottle, perfect for gift baskets, is sold for $18. For chefs, Olio Piro is also available in 5-liter tins for $289.

Since its debut in 2018, Olio Piro has won 18 international awards and was named Best in the World in its category in the 2021 edition of the prestigious Extra Virgin Olive Oil guide, Flos Olei.

For the 2022 harvest in October, Olio Piro will be pressed in a new facility in Montalcino, Italy, that will enable expanded production.

Note: Photos available on request.

Instagram: oliopiro_usa

Facebook: OlioPiro
Keynote speakers today emphasized the power of the open source modelcompanies collaboratively building software to drive innovation, magnify their return on investment, and make a positive impact on the world.

OPENINFRA SUMMIT  The Open Infrastructure Foundation (OpenInfra Foundation) is hosting its first in-person event in 2  years, gathering the global OpenInfra community to celebrate its contributions to human progress and collaborate on building the next decade of open infrastructure solutions. BBC Research & Development, Bloomberg, BMW, Volvo and Workday are among the enterprises showcasing their open infrastructure software deployments over the course of the three-day OpenInfra Summit.

OpenInfra Collaboration is Growing, Tackling a Trillion Dollar Industry

Keynote speakers today emphasized the power of the open source modelcompanies collaboratively building software to drive innovation, magnify their return on investment, and make a positive impact on the world. Todays presenters also showcased a wide variety of ways new open source communities are addressing emerging open infrastructure demands, including confidential computing, digital sovereignty, DPUs, ESI and security.



Alyssa Wright and Dmitry Margolin with Bloomberg discussed Bloombergs open source strategy and why the company is OpenStack First;

The Kata Containers community has been busy working on new features and use cases. Eric Ernst and Samuel Ortiz, architecture committee members for the Kata Containers project, will discuss one such use case: confidential computing. Theyll provide background on what is, followed by a quick demonstration of confidential computing with Kata Containers.

Nicolae Paladi, CEO and co-founder of CanaryBit, described the existing support for confidential computing in OpenInfra projects and clarified the underlying security guarantees;

Tytus Kurek, product manager at Canonical, discussed how every organization can use OpenStack in their own private data centers to lower the costs of infrastructure;

Dr. Franziska Brantner, State Secretary with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Policy and Climate Action, and Daniel Melin, strategist with Skatteverket (the Swedish Tax Agency), discussed with TechCrunch senior enterprise editor Frederic Lardinois the intersection of open source technologies and digital sovereignty;

Andreas Falkner with Deutsche Telekom discussed how Europes largest public cloud, Open Telekom Cloud, is able to satisfy highest security requirements by leveraging the expertise and passion of the OpenInfra ecosystem.

***Keynotes videos will be available later this week for on-demand viewing.***

***Day Two Preview: Scaling the OpenInfra Way to Drive Innovation***

Day Two keynote presentations will address how open infrastructure is driving technological advancements and innovative solutions in areas such as climate change, sustainability, 5G and edge computing, hardware enablement, autonomous automobiles, and more. Day Two keynote speakers will include:

Stuart Grace, project R&D engineer with BBC Research & Development, who will share his organizations work in building dashboards to track carbon dioxide emissions of virtual machines and thereby reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of its various workloads;

Dr. Vasileios Baousis and Charalampos Kominos of the European National Meteorological Services, who will describe how cloud technologies and cloud storage infrastructures play an integral role in the European Weather Cloud and meteorological innovation;

Stig Telfer, CTO of StackHPC and member of the OpenStack Scientific Special Interest Group, who will discuss multi-organization collaboration and open source innovation in scientific advancement;

George Efthimiopoulos, director of Innovation & Research Programs at Ciena, and Mohammed Naser, CEO of Vexxhost, who will describe the role an OpenStack cloud is playing in Canadas ENCQOR 5G project;

Paul Miller, CTO of Wind River, who will share some of the groundbreaking uses of StarlingX and why communications service providers around the world are leveraging the industrys leading open source project in demanding edge environments to deploy and manage distributed networks.

Toby Owen, VP of product at Fungible, who will describe how Fungible is using DPUs, a new class of microprocessors, to support AI workloads and drive much higher utilization and flexibility in next-generation data centers without sacrificing performance;

Representatives of OpenInfra Labs, who will preview the Open at the Bottom proof of concept being conducted at Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) this summer, which will test a hardware security framework designed to shift workloads on bare metal hardware elastically, securely, and rapidly. Speakers will include Orran Krieger, director of Massachusetts Open Cloud; Jon Stumpf, group head of Infrastructure Engineering at Two Sigma; Trammell Hudson, special projects lead at Lower Layer Lab; and Julia Kreger, senior principal software engineer at Red Hat; and

Johannes Foufas, senior principal engineer at Volvo, who will describe how Zuul features are used as the first line of integration for all modules in the core computer of Volvo automobiles. He will be joined by James Blair, Zuul maintainer and founder of Acme Gating, to discuss their collaboration in getting the operational feedback from Volvo delivered upstream to the Zuul community.

***The OpenInfra Community is Thriving***

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the OpenInfra Foundation (formerly the OpenStack Foundation) builds communities who write open source infrastructure software that runs in production. Jonathan Bryce, executive director of the OpenInfra Foundation, kicked off the event by welcoming Summit participants, both live and virtual, and congratulating the community on the significant progress it has made in the last 2  years despite the COVID-19 pandemic, including:



Expanding its membership of financial supporters by 33%, including new Platinum, Gold and Silver members, since becoming the OpenInfra Foundation;

Celebrating 10 years of OpenStack and surpassing the milestone of more than 25 million cores in production. (Contributors to the latest release included representatives of 160 different companies, and the OpenStack ecosystem includes a robust marketplace of products serving a $7.7 billion market.);

Hosting a virtual summit in 2021 and numerous virtual Project Team Gatherings (PTGs).

Launching OpenInfra Live, a weekly live-streamed event that has received more than 85,000 views over the last year;

Releasing Kata Containers 2.0. (The project launched five years ago with the support of over 20 companies and now boasts more than 60 participating organizations.);

Releasing Zuul 5.0 and 6.0 (The project gating software celebrates its 10 anniversary this year.); and

Releasing StarlingX 6.0. (This project started with contributions from Intel and Wind River and now includes many more contributors, such as Dell, HPE, Samsung, Ericsson and Nokia.)

With 33% growth in organizations financially supporting the OpenInfra Foundation just since January of last year, our global community is more connected and stronger than ever, added Mark Collier, OpenInfra Foundation COO. The Foundation celebrates its 10 anniversary this year, and as we look to our next decade of open infrastructure, were building momentum on what makes our model so successful: aligning companies and individuals who wish to work together, providing them with a framework and tools to effectively collaborate, and helping them invest their funds to best help the project they care about.

Canonical and Wind River are the Headline Sponsors for the OpenInfra Summit Berlin 2022, and T-Systems, Vexxhost and Mirantis are the Premier Sponsors. Bloomberg, Red Hat, B-1 Systems and OVHCloud are Spotlight Sponsors.

***Upcoming OpenInfra Events***



About the Open Infrastructure Foundation (OpenInfra Foundation)

The OpenInfra Foundation builds communities who write open source infrastructure software that runs in production. With the support of over 110,000 individuals in 187 countries, the OpenInfra Foundation hosts open source projects and communities of practice, including infrastructure for AI, container native apps, edge computing and data center clouds. Join the OpenInfra movement: http://www.openinfra.dev


Our growth and success as a company springs from our community-driven philosophy and our open source foundations, so it is with a sense of gratitude, really, that we are elevating our support of the OpenInfra Foundation, said Mohammed Naser, VEXXHOST founder and CEO.

OPENINFRA SUMMIT  The Open Infrastructure Foundation (OpenInfra Foundation) announced today that VEXXHOST has become its newest Gold Member. VEXXHOST is a Canadian cloud computing provider offering OpenStack-powered public cloud, private cloud and consulting services to its customers in over 150 countries.

VEXXHOST has two public cloud regions in North America (Montreal and Santa Clara) and one in Europe (Amsterdam), all running on the latest OpenStack releases and featuring the latest enterprise-grade hardware, including 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors and high-performance NVMe storage. VEXXHOST has recently announced its new open source deployment tool, Atmosphere, that leverages technology such as Helm, Ansible and Kubernetes to deploy OpenStack.

***Long-time Supporter VEXXHOST Upgrades Its Commitment to Open Infrastructure***

When the OpenStack Foundation became the OpenInfra Foundation in 2021, VEXXHOST was at the forefront of this evolution as a Founding Silver Member. Todays announcement recognizes that VEXXHOST has upgraded its sponsorship level from Silver to Gold, increasing their investment in the global OpenInfra community. VEXXHOST has been contributing to the OpenStack community since the second release of OpenStack in 2011. VEXXHOST has offered support as a Corporate Member, infrastructure donor and host of community events and meetups. VEXXHOSTs offerings are fully open source, without any proprietary licensed technology. A steady contributor and user of OpenStack, Zuul and other OpenInfra Foundation software projects, VEXXHOST was conferred the Superuser Award at the 2019 OpenInfra Summit.

Our growth and success as a company springs from our community-driven philosophy and our open source foundations, so it is with a sense of gratitude, really, that we are elevating our support of the OpenInfra Foundation, said Mohammed Naser, VEXXHOST founder and CEO. We are simply giving back to the community and projects that make doing what we do for customers so rewarding, and we intend not only remain avid contributors to and users of OpenStack, Zuul and other OpenInfra projects, but also attendee, sponsor and organizer of events surrounding the open-source community.

VEXXHOST has consistently shown what being an engaged community member is all about, and we couldnt be more pleased about their advancement to Gold Member, said Mark Collier, COO of the OpenInfra Foundation. One of the most powerful examples of their leadership is showing our community that upgrading to the latest version of OpenStack on release day is not only possible, but consistently achievable. By documenting and sharing how they do this, they have helped the entire community map their own rapid migration plans. Additionally, their work with projects beyond OpenStack has been an important part of the communitys integration engine story. We look forward to the next decade of work with Mohammed and his team, and to their featured presentation during the keynotes at OpenInfra Summit Berlin.

VEXXHOST, Ciena to Share Spotlight at OpenInfra Summit Berlin

During the Day Two (June 8) keynotes at the OpenInfra Summit Berlin, Naser and George Efthimiopoulos, director of innovation and research programs of Ciena, will discuss their collaboration and contributions to development of Canadas 5G ecosystem. As a founding member of the ENCQOR 5G project, Ciena has been a key contributor to Canadas extensive 5G ecosystem. The 5G project brought together a wide network of industry leaders, service providers, academia and over 800 small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to collaborate on the creation and commercialization of new and disruptive products, processes and services. One such example is VEXXHOSTs management of the OpenStack cloud environment for the ENCQOR compute network supported by Ciena.

Platinum Members of the OpenInfra Foundation include Ant Group, Ericsson, Facebook, FiberHome, Huawei, Microsoft, Red Hat, Tencent Cloud and Wind River. Gold Members in addition to VEXXHOSTs include 99Cloud, Bloomberg, Canonical, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Cisco, Cleura, EasyStack, H3C, Inspur, Intel, Mirantis, NEC, Nipa Cloud, T-Systems International, Troila and ZTE.

About the Open Infrastructure Foundation (OpenInfra Foundation)

The OpenInfra Foundation builds communities who write open source infrastructure software that runs in production. With the support of over 110,000 individuals in 187 countries, the OpenInfra Foundation hosts open source projects and communities of practice, including infrastructure for AI, container native apps, edge computing and data center clouds. Join the OpenInfra movement: http://www.openinfra.dev
OVHcloud is currently running over 400,000 instances with 900,000 cores of OpenStack...Ant Group announced that it achieved carbon neutrality in 2021 by reducing 29,591.48 tons of CO2 emission with green computing technologies, including Kata Containers.

OPENINFRA SUMMIT  OVHcloud and Ant Group have tied for top honors as co-winners of the 2022 Superuser Awards, which recognizes organizations that have used open infrastructure to improve their business while contributing back to the OpenInfra community. The news was announced today by the Open Infrastructure Foundation (OpenInfra Foundation).

OVHcloud, a global cloud provider, manages 30 data centers across 12 sites on four continents, manufacturing its own servers, building its own data centers and deploying its own fiber-optic global network to achieve maximum efficiency. OVHcloud is currently running over 400,000 instances with 900,000 cores of OpenStack and processes over 6 million API requests every hour. The OVHcloud team deploys most of the OpenStack core components, such as Nova, Cinder, Glance, Neutron, Swift, Keystone and Horizon, as well as other components like Octavia, Barbican, Mistral, Heat, Tempest, Rally and Manila.

The OVHcloud team has been actively involved in the OpenInfra community since 2014, including participating in meetups, summits, OpenStack Days, Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and OpenInfra Live episodes. The team regularly contributes to code, including dozens of reviews, commits and bug fixes, and also open sourced OS Archiver to manage data retention in the SQL databases behind OpenStack. OVHcloud has been one of the cloud providers for the OpenStack CI/CD since 2015.

Gilles Closset, strategic technology alliances director at OVHcloud, described in his nomination of the OVHcloud team how open infrastructure aligns with one of the companys core values: freedom. With a strong foundation based on the open infrastructure ecosystem, OVHcloud aims to federate all players that believe in an open system where anyone stays in control of their data  to manage in an open, trustful, reversible and transparent way.

Ant Group is an innovative technology company that aims to bring inclusive benefits and sustainable services to the world. Formally established in October 2014, it traces its origins back to Alipay, which launched in 2004.

In April 2022, Ant Group announced that it achieved carbon neutrality in 2021 by reducing 29,591.48 tons of CO2 emission with green computing technologies, including Kata Containers.

Thanks to the strong isolation of Kata Containers, we can deploy online applications and batch jobs together on thousands of nodes without significant interference, wrote Xu Wang, senior staff engineer at Ant Group, in his nomination of the Ant Group Kata Containers team. By adopting Kata Containers and other related technologies, we have reduced half of the per-payment energy consumption in the recent Double-Eleven e-Shopping Festival, compared to three years ago.

Comprising more than 30 members, the Kata Containers team at Ant Group is responsible for the container-related R&D of the company and working for sustainable IT infrastructure. Many of the team members have been active upstream Kata Containers project contributors and maintainers since the first day of the project. In addition, the team has organized events, drafted roadmaps, led feature developments, enriched documentation, fixed bugs and helped other users to adopt Kata Containers in production.

***Download the Ant Group Kata Containers White Paper***

The Kata Containers team at Ant Group has published a white paper titled, Kata Containers Best Practices at Ant Group available here.

Read More about the 2022 Superuser Awards Nominees

Launched at the Paris Summit in 2014, the Superuser Awards recognize open infrastructure users who are making a difference in the Openinfra community and demonstrating how open infrastructure software is providing strategic value in their organization. The community submits nominees to Superuser, and the Superuser Editorial Advisory Board determines the winners.

In addition to OVHcloud and Ant Group, 2022 nominees included:



Arvan Cloud

CanaryBit

Daniel Bystrom

Fairbanks

Inspur

Jiangsu Suzhong Construction Group Co., IT Team

OpenMetal

Volvo Cars Corporation

Zhejiang Expressway Co., Ltd., IT Team

About the Open Infrastructure Foundation (OpenInfra Foundation)

The OpenInfra Foundation builds communities who write open source infrastructure software that runs in production. With the support of over 110,000 individuals in 187 countries, the OpenInfra Foundation hosts open source projects and communities of practice, including infrastructure for AI, container native apps, edge computing and data center clouds. Join the OpenInfra movement: http://www.openinfra.dev


SGF honors Pride Month by celebrating families of all kinds. We provide top-notch fertility care for our LGBTQ+ patients in a friendly, compassionate, and inclusive environment where our LGBTQ+ patients receive equal access to SGF's fertility services and financial offerings.

In honor of Pride Month this June, Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) physicians will host free fertility events and live question-and-answer sessions for LGBTQ+ family-building information seekers in addition to attending and sponsoring Pride events throughout the country.

Selma Amrane, M.D., who sees patients at SGFs Towson, Maryland office, will host the LGBTQ+ Family-Building webinar on June 9 at noon ET. Dr. Amrane will share what to expect from SGFs LGBTQ+ family building services including:



Sperm, egg, and embryo donation;

Treatment options for same-sex female couples, including intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and reciprocal IVF;

Treatment options for same-sex male couples, including intended father treatment and donor egg treatment with gestational carrier;

Treatment options for transgender people;

Pre-transition fertility preservation for transgender people;

Legal considerations; and

Financial considerations and programs offered at SGF.

At SGF, we believe everyone should be able to have the family of their dreams, shares Dr. Amrane. We provide top-notch fertility care for our LGBTQ+ patients in a friendly, compassionate, and inclusive environment where our LGBTQ+ patients receive equal access to SGF's fertility services and financial offerings.

SGF physicians, staff, and patients will also be attending Pride events throughout the country to answer questions and work with LGBTQ+ individuals and couples to begin their family-building journeys. At each Pride event, there will be giveaways, patient information, and a chance to win a free fertility consultation.

SGF has been a leader in third-party reproduction (refers to the use of eggs, sperm, or embryos that have been donated by a third person, known as the donor), for nearly 30 years. LGBTQ+ patients who want to have biologically related children can do so through personalized fertility treatment plans at SGF. Many of SGFs treatment options for same-sex and transgender couples enable both partners to participate actively in the family-building process.

After our journey, I had so many same-sex couples that were friends contacting me with questions to start their journey, shares SGF patient, Casey. Its a big, scary unknown to many same-sex couples so I love sharing any knowledge and/or information we have. We are so thankful for this journey with SGF  for giving us equal access to services and being kind throughout the entire process.

SGF LGBTQ+ events and celebrations throughout June at a glance:

Follow SGF on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and events, including information on an Instagram Live for Pride Month.

For LGBTQ+ community members ready to start their family-building journey, contact the SGF New Patient Center at 1-888-761-1967 or complete a brief online request form to schedule a virtual or in-person consult with an SGF physician.

About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF)

SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 100,000 babies born from 30+ years of continuous innovation and patient-centered fertility care. With 46 locations, including new locations in Texas, as well as throughout CO, FL, GA, MD, NY, PA, TX, VA, D.C., and Santiago, Chile, SGF offers patients in-person and virtual physician consults, delivers individualized care, accepts most insurance plans, and makes treatment affordable through innovative financial options, including 100% refund guarantees. SGF is among the founding partner practices of US Fertility, the largest physician-led partnership of top-tier fertility practices in the U.S. Call 1-888-761-1967 to schedule a new patient appointment or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com for more information.
SightMD When asked what excites him most about joining the SightMD team, Dr. Shin said, After 8 years of living in Boston I am excited to be back to my hometown of New York with my wife, baby daughter, and dog.

SightMD, a leading multi-specialty ophthalmology platform in New York, welcomes Harry Sehdev, O.D. and Alex Shin, O.D. to it's expert team.

Dr. Sehdev was born and raised in New York. Dr. Sehdev earned his Bachelor of Science degree from St. Johns University and achieved his Doctor of Optometry degree from SUNY State College of Optometry in NYC. Dr. Sehdev is an active member of the American Optometric Association and the New York State Optometric Association. He is dedicated to providing full scope primary care optometry which includes prescribing glasses, treating ocular diseases, and providing pre- and post-operative care for patients undergoing surgical procedures such as cataract surgery. Dr. Sehdev will be seeing patients at our locations in Bethpage (4277 Hempstead Turnpike, Bethpage, NY 11714) and Huntington (700 New York Ave, Huntington, NY 11743).

Dr. Shin is a residency-trained optometrist providing comprehensive eye exams. Dr. Shin earned a bachelor of science degree from Boston College. He went on to receive his Doctor of Optometry from New England College of Optometry. Dr. Shin completed internships at Veteran Affairs Hudson Valley Healthcare System & South Boston Community Health Center. His residency was completed at Northport Veteran Affairs Medical Center specializing in Primary Eye Care, Vision Therapy & Low Vision. Dr. Shin is focused on providing excellent patient care with an amiable and engaging demeanor. He endeavors to build patient rapport by presenting thorough education about eye health and disease management that is catered to each patient's needs. When asked what excites him most about joining the SightMD team, Dr. Shin said, After 8 years of living in Boston I am excited to be back to my hometown of New York with my wife, baby daughter, and dog. Dr. Shin will be seeing patients at our Smithtown (260 Middle Country Rd, Smithtown, NY 11787) location.

SightMD is actively seeking ophthalmology professionals who are interested in joining our outstanding team. If you are an ophthalmology practice owner interested in merging or selling your practice, please contact our VP of Growth, Franc Galinanes, at (631) 396-8340 or fgalinanes@sightgrowthpartners.com

About SightMD

SightMD is a rapidly-growing integrated ophthalmic provider group, offering patients access to over 80 eye care providers through the convenience of 40 locations across New York. SightMD's track record of providing clinically-excellent care spans over 50 years, and its services include general eye exams, laser cataract surgery and lens implantation, glaucoma management, retinal disorder treatment, corneal services, neuro-ophthalmology, LASIK laser vision correction, oculoplastic surgery, pediatric ophthalmology, and audiology.

Sight Growth Partners is the administrative services provider for SightMD as well as SightMD Connecticut, SightMD New Jersey, and SightMD Pennsylvania. For more information about SightMD, please visit https://www.sightmd.com/sightmd-ny/
Nikhil has supported and developed the Bangalore staff through challenging times, building a winning team to grow Smiths support of customers in India and throughout Asia.

Smith, a leading global distributor of electronic components and semiconductors, today announces the appointment of Nikhil Dahima to the position of General Manager of the companys office in Bangalore, India. In this role, Nikhil will support Smiths team in Bangalore to grow the companys customer base and develop new opportunities for strategic partnerships in the region.

India has become a technology hotspot in recent years, and Smiths Bangalore office has risen to the challenge to meet our customers supply chain needs in this emerging market, said Nikhil. I am excited to take on this new opportunity to support my team and help them to reach even greater heights.

Nikhil joined Smith as an Account Manager and helped to open the companys Bangalore office in 2015. He was then promoted to his most recent role of Trading Manager for the office in 2019.

Throughout his tenure at Smith, Nikhil has proven himself to be a qualified leader, said Claudio Chan, Managing Director, China at Smith. He has worked hard to build up our team in Bangalore, and I can see a bright future for the office as the Indian market continues to thrive.

Nikhil graduated from Bangalore University in 2008 and worked in project management before moving to electronic-component distribution. His proactive attention to detail, positive attitude, and strong communication skills position him for success as he spearheads new initiatives to increase ownership among his team and develop future Smith leaders.

Among Nikhils many strengths is his team focus, said Mark Bollinger, Chief Globalization Officer at Smith. Nikhil has supported and developed the Bangalore staff through challenging times, building a winning team to grow Smiths support of customers in India and throughout Asia.

About Smith

Founded in 1984, Smith sources, manages, and distributes the electronic components that go into everything from mobile phones and computers to appliances and directional drilling systems. In 17 cities around the world, Smiths legion of employees communicates in 50 languages and dialects and buys and sells components 24 hours per day, generating global annual sales in excess of $3.4 billion in 2021. Smith is always moving: helping manufacturers navigate market shifts; customizing supply chain solutions; testing components using cutting-edge technology. The support of Smiths flexible Intelligent Distribution model optimizes customers supply chains from beginning to end, including offering customized options for IT asset disposition that deliver maximum ROI, sustainability, and security. Smiths testing and logistics hubs in Houston, Hong Kong, and Amsterdam cover critical areas like quality management, counterfeit prevention, and environmental safety. Smiths operations, purchasing, and sales worldwide are seamlessly integrated with the companys global IT infrastructure, offering real-time, global inventory and logistics visibility. Smith is the leading independent distributor of electronic components and ranks number seven among all global distributors. For more information, please visit http://www.smithweb.com or reach out to a Smith representative any time of day at +1 713.430.3000.

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Smith is proud to support our automotive partners with not only distribution services but also networking and knowledge-sharing to help build more sustainable supply chains.

Smith, a leading global distributor of electronic components and semiconductors, today announces its upcoming presence at AutoTech: Detroit 2022. This event, formerly known as TU  Automotive Detroit, focuses on the latest trends driving the future of the automotive industry. Over a two-day period, leaders from the automotive-tech ecosystem, including automakers and Tier 1 suppliers, will gather to discuss innovations in ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) and autonomous driving capabilities, connectivity, and other mobility solutions.

Semiconductor shortages, along with other global supply chain challenges, have caused problems for many manufacturing organizations in the automotive sector. Smith representatives will be onsite during the two-day event to discuss the companys tenured expertise in the open- and secondary-market procurement of electronic components. During these unprecedented market conditions, proactive and creative supply chain solutions, paired with market intelligence data, can help many manufacturers keep their lines active.

The conference is a celebration of developments and achievements within the automotive-tech industry. The Smith-sponsored networking drinks reception will take place after conference hours, in the early evening of the first day of the show.

The automotive sector is one of the fastest-growing technology spaces right now, powered by demand for electric vehicles and sophisticated infotainment systems, said Renato Souza, Vice President of Business Development at Smith. Our core business strategy has been the same for decades  procure high-quality parts for customers when they need them. Smith is proud to support our automotive partners with not only distribution services but also networking and knowledge-sharing to help build more sustainable supply chains.

WHAT: AutoTech: Detroit 2022

WHEN: Wednesday, June 8, 2022 from 4:45 to 5:30 PM ET

WHERE: Inspire Stage at the Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave, Novi, MI 48374

To schedule a meeting with a Smith sales or business development representative, please send an email request to houston@nfsmith.com.

About Smith

Founded in 1984, Smith sources, manages, and distributes the electronic components that go into everything from mobile phones and computers to appliances and directional drilling systems. In 17 cities around the world, Smiths legion of employees communicates in 50 languages and dialects and buys and sells components 24 hours per day, generating global annual sales in excess of $3.4 billion in 2021. Smith is always moving: helping manufacturers navigate market shifts; customizing supply chain solutions; testing components using cutting-edge technology. The support of Smiths flexible Intelligent Distribution model optimizes customers supply chains from beginning to end, including offering customized options for IT asset disposition that deliver maximum ROI, sustainability, and security. Smiths testing and logistics hubs in Houston, Hong Kong, and Amsterdam cover critical areas like quality management, counterfeit prevention, and environmental safety. Smiths operations, purchasing, and sales worldwide are seamlessly integrated with the companys global IT infrastructure, offering real-time, global inventory and logistics visibility. Smith is the leading independent distributor of electronic components and ranks number seven among all global distributors. For more information, please visit http://www.smithweb.com or reach out to a Smith representative any time of day at +1 713.430.3000.

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I really want to give our young artists center stage in this competition. They deserve to share in our successes too. The world would be so bland without a little creativity and color.

The creative juices are flowing and the art submissions are rolling in. As TBaar anticipates the opening of their first-ever Christmas at TBaar Cup Sleeve Art Contest, excitement is at an all time high. Founders, Gary Lin and John Lin, alongside four New York based artists, will ultimately choose two $5,000 cash prize winners.

Their designs will be featured on TBaars custom cup sleeves during the 2022 Holiday season. Young creators from all five boroughs are invited to submit their best depiction of Christmas in New York City. The brand opened submissions for their contest on June 1, 2022 with a deadline on July 1, 2022.

CreativiTEA is brewing at TBaar this summer. TBaar, one of New York City's original bubble tea shops, has been providing a safe space for local creatives to be, since 2006. Whether guests visit for TBaars popular bubble teas or to immerse themselves in TBaars vibrant ambiance, there is something for everyone.

TBaars ensemble of panelists form an illustrious group of award-winning illustrators, creative directors, designers, and professors. The bubble tea franchise is proud to introduce Justin Wu, Lorraine Nam, Ari Eleftrin, and Dingding Hu.

Artists Justin Wu and Dingding Hu share a love for food. Justin, a content creator and supporter of local restaurants, does his part by donating proceeds from the illustrations he sells. He also partners with restaurant advocacy group, ROAR. On the other side of the dining table is Dingding. Her gratifying illustrations bring out the bubbliness of the brands she collaborates with. Her work has been featured in Eater, Disney+ and The New York Times.

Hailing from Brooklyn are art director, Ari Elefterin and illustrator, Lorraine Nam. Ari takes an experimental approach to design and creative direction. Google Pixel, Nike and Converse are just a few brands who embrace their concept. Lorraines hands-on approach to creating intricate crafts fall in line with the colorful aura TBaar exudes. You can find some of her work featured in Snapchat, The Washington Post and Michaels.

Gary Lin expresses his excitement when saying, I really want to give our young artists center stage in this competition. They deserve to share in our successes too. The world would be so bland without a little creativity and color.

With TBaars new, simplified t logo, the brand is extending their creative pursuit by offering local creatives a chance to let their imagination run wild. The panelists are looking forward to seeing everyone's NYC inspired creations that mirror the energy and joy of the holidays.

About NU Media

Headquartered in New York City, NU Media is a digital marketing agency that specializes in purposeful storytelling. With a highly diverse and creative team, NU Media labors to meet and exceed client needs from in-depth planning to exceptional performance. The agency is committed to developing brands, making lasting connections and delivering impactful results.

About TBaar

Born on a small corner in Brooklyn, one of New York City's original bubble tea shops, Tbaar, maintains the highest quality ingredients directly from Taiwan. They have been brewing the highest quality tea since 2006. TBaars new brand image broadens their clientele to young creatives by embracing vibrant colors to create a young, fun, and energetic ambiance. Their colorful bubble teas evokes a spark, redefining #creativitTEA one freshly brewed cup at a time. Take a closer look at their bubble tea in action by visiting tbaar.com and follow them on Tiktok and IG: @tbaar.official
Thompson Habib Denison (THD), a Moore company, has welcomed industry veteran Alison Teres as vice president, client strategy. Teres joins THD with more than twenty years of marketing program, channel and segment management experience within for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Teres expertise will support THDs commitment to client growth and create a meaningful social impact.

Teres previously served as executive director, core donor marketing and operations at the American Red Cross where she leveraged new technologies to meet key performance measures in customer experience, client satisfaction and employee engagement. During her 11 years with the American Red Cross, Teres held multiple positions of increasing influence and responsibility. Under her direction, Teres team grew donor loyalty through engagement channels including direct mail, email, text, telemarketing, peer-to-peer, social and emerging spaces, including charity stream fundraising. Her team oversaw programs that stewarded key segments, including monthly and mid-level giving, and marketed on behalf of all Red Cross regions to provide a blended level of national and local support.

THD is a group of some of the brightest minds helping to meet critical marketing and fundraising objectives for important nonprofit organizations. I look forward to being a part of this exceptional team that continuously invests in their people, said Teres, Together with THD, I will create impact throughout the donor journey using a blend of data-driven strategies, THDs industry-leading analytical tools, innovative omnichannel marketing and compelling creative.

We are thrilled to welcome Alison on board at such a dynamic period for THD and Moore. As we continue to progress, Alisons deep understanding of donor behavior and omnichannel marketing strategy will be invaluable in fostering fruitful, long-lasting partnerships with clients, said Linda Williams, executive vice president and chief strategy officer.

To learn more about THD and the services they provide to help nonprofits grow, visit THDinc.com.

About THD

THD is a social impact agency committed to helping nonprofits grow through long-term, brand-loyal donor relationships. Bringing together its core competencies in strategy, data, analytics, marketing and creative, THD develops and executes insight-driven multichannel strategies to advance the mission of meaningful causes that serve our communities, our nation and our world. The company is headquartered in Lincoln, Mass., with clients across the U.S. and Canada.

About Moore

Moore is a leading constituent experience management (CXM) company focused on the integration of the donor experience across all platforms, channels and devices. With over 3,700 employees in 40 locations across the country, the company provides strategy, creative, production, media, data and analytic services powered by an ongoing investment in next-generation artificial intelligence and machine learning to nonprofit, political and association clients. Moore is a recognized key contributor in strengthening these sectors.


The Charming Taste of Europe is pleased to announce that it will host an exclusive press trip to discover the delicious kiwis from Kavala and cherries from Rachi Pieria in Greece in early June.

When it comes to cherries throughout Greece, they are ranked 10th in the world for production, with most of the production coming out of Northern Greece. In particular the regions of Pella, Imathia and Pieria are the most important fruit-producing regions in the country. Founded in 1978, The Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pierias, AGIOS LOUKAS now has 250 members and its cherry grove has expanded to 200 hectares. Throughout the visit, participants will speak with the producing organization O AGIOS LOUKAS about the cherries, the production method, the market and will also have the opportunity to visit the cherry fields.

The kiwi, originally from China, arrived in Europe during the 19th century and cultivated itself in Greece in the early 1980s. Over the past twenty years the kiwi has grown exponentially and has in fact become a national product, specifically in Kavala, positioned on the coast of Northern Greece. Here the production of the Kiwi fruit is approximately 50,000 tons, 10,000 of which are produced by KAVALA COOP. Throughout the trip, participants will visit Kavala COOP Cooperative where they will speak with the producing organization, see the kiwi fields and facilities as well as speak about the product. Following, participants will be able to explore the city of Kavala as a whole.

Started in 2021, The Charming Taste of Europe is a three-year campaign promoted by the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kavala (Kavala COOP), the Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pieria (Agios Loukas) the Vini d Abruzzo consortium and the Union of Sweet Bordeaux Wines, co-financed by the European Union. This campaign focuses on raising awareness of these high-quality products in the American and Canadian market.

The Charming Taste of Europe aims to educate participants on the beautiful and enchanting jewels of Europe through a hands-on experience of two of the exceptional agricultural products of the country.

About the Charming Taste of Europe:

Europe, a place with timeless charm, is the birthplace of some of the highest-quality products in the world. The Charming Taste of Europe is a special project that introduces exquisite specialties to the United States and Canada, such as Italian and French wines, and fresh fruits from Greece, that showcase Europes charm, beauty, culture, history, art, heritage and unmistakable tastes.

The mission of the Charming Taste of Europe, co-funded by the European Union, is to increase awareness of the merits and quality standards of select European wines and fresh fruits with promotional activities in the competitive markets of the U.S. and Canada. The Charming Taste of Europe is promoted by the Consortium for the Protection of Wines of Abruzzo, the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kavala (Kavala COOP), the Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pieria Agios Loukas and the Union of Sweet Bordeaux Wines. These European agricultural products, famous around the world for their outstanding qualities, will continue to be promoted with initiatives and events for consumers, journalists and trade professionals. For more information visit charmingtasteofeurope.eu

To Follow The Charming Taste of Europe Campaign:

Website: charmingtasteofeurope.eu

Facebook: @CharmingTasteofEU

Instagram: @charmeu_usa

YouTube: The Charming Taste of Europe

Hashtags: #thecharmingtasteofeu and #charmeu

The content of this promotion campaign represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission and the European Research Executive Agency (REA) do not accept any responsibility for any use that may be made of the information it contains
The Charming Taste of Europe continues to support its initiatives in the US by promoting The Sweet Bordeaux wines and its territory throughout multiple educational events in the US.

On June 13th, in New York City, there will be a luncheon at Temperance Wine Bar, an electric wine bar in the village. Temperance Wine Bar, serves over 100+ wines by-the-glass and none by the bottle. This encourages guests to sample multiple different wines all diverse in style. The food is an array of small plates inspired from many different cuisines and countries making it easy for guests to explore with different pairings. In addition, Temperance Wine Bar is owned and managed by top sommelier A.J. Pons, who also holds his WSET level 3. This event will involve a dozen importers who will taste Bordeaux wines in a tasting paired with a lunch.

The same day, there will also be a dinner dedicated to distributors at The Gallery at Odo, a private space featuring a japanese kaiseki speakeasy. The restaurant will offer a unique experience for the guests and is a perfect location for discussion and networking.These events will be led by Mary Gorman, Master of Wine, specializing in Bordeaux Wines.

On June 15th, in Chicago there will be another event held at Bottles Up from 12-2 pm located at 3164 N Broadway St. Chicago, IL 60657. Bottles Up is a bottle shop + experience consisting of a team who take great pride in caring for the world and what its drinking. The event will be led by Kristen Ellis, experienced sales and marketing professional, events manager, and wine educator holding advanced certifications in wines and spirits with over twelve years experience in the sales, beverage, and service industries.

This event will also involve a dozen importers who will taste a selection of Sweet Bordeaux wines from the main appellations, such as Cotes de Bordeaux Saint Macaire, Sainte Croix du Mont, Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, Cerons, Cadillac, Bordeaux Superieur and finally Bordeaux Moelleux. These appellations produce wines that pair beautifully with anything from white meat, cheese, duck and even sushi.

From 2021, The Charming Taste of Europe campaign, co-financed by the European Union, promotes the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kavala (Kavala COOP), the Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pieria (Agios Loukas) the Vini d Abruzzo consortium and the Union of Sweet Bordeaux Wines. The campaign focuses on raising awareness of these high-quality products in the American and Canadian market.

About the Charming Taste of Europe:

Europe, a place with timeless charm, is the birthplace of some of the highest-quality products in the world. The Charming Taste of Europe is a special project that introduces exquisite specialties to the United States and Canada, such as Italian and French wines, and fresh fruits from Greece, that showcase Europes charm, beauty, culture, history, art, heritage and unmistakable tastes.

The mission of the Charming Taste of Europe, co-funded by the European Union, is to increase awareness of the merits and quality standards of select European wines and fresh fruits with promotional activities in the competitive markets of the U.S. and Canada. The Charming Taste of Europe is promoted by the Consortium for the Protection of Wines of Abruzzo, the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kavala (Kavala COOP), the Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pieria Agios Loukas and the Union of Sweet Bordeaux Wines. These European agricultural products, famous around the world for their outstanding qualities, will continue to be promoted with initiatives and events for consumers, journalists and trade professionals. For more information visit charmingtasteofeurope.eu

To Follow The Charming Taste of Europe Campaign:

Website: charmingtasteofeurope.eu

Facebook: @CharmingTasteofEU

Instagram: @charmeu_usa

YouTube: The Charming Taste of Europe

Hashtags: #thecharmingtasteofeu and #charmeu

The content of this promotion campaign represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission and the European Research Executive Agency (REA) do not accept any responsibility for any use that may be made of the information it contains
Our customers rely on us for managed solutions, advisory services and software that keeps their businesses safe. We will continue to enhance our offerings to make sure our customers have the right security solutions and services to fit the changing needs within the market. Rick Mace, TPx CEO.

TPx, a leading nationwide managed services provider delivering cybersecurity, managed networks and cloud communications, today announced it received a 2022 Global InfoSec award for Most Comprehensive Cybersecurity Services by Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM).

CDM, the industrys leading electronic information security magazine, honored TPx with the award during the 10th Annual Global InfoSec Awards, held at the RSA Conference in San Francisco.

It is equally exciting and humbling to receive this prestigious cybersecurity award from Cyber Defense Magazine, and it underscores our security commitment to our customers, said Rick Mace, TPx CEO. Our customers rely on us for managed solutions, advisory services and software that keeps their businesses safe. We will continue to enhance our offerings to make sure our customers have the right security solutions and services to fit the changing needs within the market.

TPx offers a complete cybersecurity portfolio, including Managed Firewalls, Managed Endpoint Security, Managed Detection and Response, Managed Disaster Recovery and Backups, Managed Inbox Detection and Response, Security Awareness Training, and Security Advisory Services. By combining industry-leading tools with proven processes and expert resources, TPx helps businesses improve their security posture and protect them against emerging cyberthreats.

TPx embodies three major features we judges look for to become winners: understanding tomorrows threats, today, providing a cost-effective solution and innovating in unexpected ways that can help mitigate cyber risk and get one step ahead of the next breach, said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

About TPx

TPx helps businesses navigate the complicated and evolving IT landscape. As a leading nationwide managed services provider, TPx helps businesses simplify operations, optimize networks, improve productivity, reduce costs and keep IT environments secure. TPx offers a full suite of managed IT, secure network, unified communications and cybersecurity services to manage its customers complex IT needs and make IT easy. For more information, visit http://www.tpx.com or follow TPx on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

About CDM InfoSec Awards

This is Cyber Defense Magazines tenth year of honoring InfoSec innovators from around the Globe. Our submission requirements are for any startup, early stage, later stage, or public companies in the INFORMATION SECURITY (INFOSEC) space who believe they have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. Learn more at http://www.cyberdefenseawards.com

About the Judging

The judges are CISSP, FMDHS, CEH, certified security professionals who voted based on their independent review of a companys data sheets, white papers, product literature and other market variables. CDM has a flexible philosophy to find more innovative players with new and unique technologies, than the one with the most customers or money in the bank. CDM is always asking Whats Next? so we are looking for best of breed, next generation InfoSec solutions.

About Cyber Defense Magazine

Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of cyber security news and information for InfoSec professions in business and government. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power.


Isabel Lopez The workplace culture revolves around support and collaboration. Im grateful for the opportunity to work at Red Banyan as my first job out of college. Its an environment where Im already learning so much, Lopez said.

Red Banyan is delighted to announce it has hired Isabel Lopez as an Account Coordinator in its Washington, D.C. office.

Lopez provides support to a variety of accounts with a focus on content creation that includes writing blog posts, crafting social media copy and media relations, among other things.

Lopez, a native of Washington, D.C., earned a bachelors degree in English with a concentration in linguistics from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Before that, she spent two years in the professional writing program at Champlain College in Burlington, VT.

Im excited to be starting as an Account Coordinator at Red Banyan. Everyone has been professional, savvy and welcoming to new members of the team, Lopez said. The workplace culture revolves around support and collaboration. Im grateful for the opportunity to work at Red Banyan as my first job out of college. Its an environment where Im already learning so much.

Red Banyan CEO Evan Nierman said Lopez writing skills, enthusiasm and creativity made her a good fit for Red Banyan. Her presence expands the agencys footprint in Washington, D.C.

Isabels willingness to learn new things on the fly and embodiment of our agencys core value of commitment to clients make her a good fit for Red Banyan. The energy and positivity she brings to work each day make her a solid addition to our growing team.

Since its launch in late 2010, Red Banyan has continued to grow, establishing itself as one of the leading crisis PR agencies in the United States. Red Banyan provides crisis management, litigation support, media relations and other strategic communications services to a variety of national and global clients.

About Red Banyan

Red Banyan is a top crisis management firm focused on solving complex, highly sensitive and mission-critical communications challenges. Specializing in crisis communications, corporate public relations, government relations, and legal PR, Red Banyan provides an integrated approach to communications rooted in strategy. Learn more at https://redbanyan.com.


Envision Response logo We aimed to make a strong imprint in the region and feel that this recognition is the ultimate seal of our success.

Inc. Magazine today revealed that Envision Response, Inc. is No. 92 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 are honored to be ranked highly by Inc. Magazines esteemed list of fastest-growing companies in the Pacific, said Sean Fay, Founder and CEO of Envision Response. We aimed to make a strong imprint in the region and feel that this recognition is the ultimate seal of our success.

Under Fays leadership, Envision Response has built brands like Ziploc Space Bag, Foodsaver, Blue Cross Blue Shield, T-Fal, and AAA using powerful DRTV campaigns that generate sales and brand awareness. Most recently he and his team have expanded their media and analytics capabilities into connected TV and TV to digital attribution. Envision Response fuses visionary marketers, best-in-class spot production, and seasoned media strategists to create the most compelling cross-platform spot content, and innovative media strategies that convert into accountable advertising initiatives.

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 regions 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 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 Envision Response, Inc.

Envision Response is a performance-based brand marketing and creative agency at the nexus of digital marketing and direct response. The team comprises creative minds and strategists dedicated to amplifying purposeful and impactful brands through proven marketing techniques and imaginative storytelling. To learn more, visit: http://www.EnvisionResponse.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.

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The six-day Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE), which wrapped up on June 7, was an in-person event after two years of virtual fairs.

Held amid a record wave of Covid-19 infections on the island (with nearly 77,000 new cases reported on the first day of the event), TIBE encapsulated the governments new stance on phasing out its zero-Covid policy and in favor of living with the pandemic. A slew of protocols were enforced to protect fair exhibitors and attendees, including mandatory indoor mask-wearing, no drinking or eating inside the exhibition halls, temperature screenings, and walkthrough sanitization gates.

France returned as the guest of honor for a fourth time with about 80 publishers and 2,000 titles. There were special displays to mark the centennial of Marcel Prousts death, present comic artist Emmanuel Lepages original works, and an exhibit of rare manuscripts from classical writers such as George Sand, Victor-Marie Hugo, and Alexandre Dumas.

Other fair highlights included a Hello 30! exhibit to commemorate 30 years of TIBE and a Nature Calls pavilion that introduced 18 plants and animals native to Taiwan as well as related childrens books to emphasize the importance of connecting with nature and reading in childrens daily lives.

Then there was the Stand with Ukraine display showcasing books and illustrations from Ukraine as well as publications on peace from Taiwanese publishers. International market development executive Valentina Butenko of Yakaboo, which is a publishing house that also operates the largest online book-selling platform in Ukraine, was at the fair to highlight publications on democracy, freedom, and human rights. Butenko also hosted two TIBE panels about Ukrainian books, culture, identity, and language.

This years TIBE, with Reading and Publishing Beyond the Pandemic as its theme, hosted over 250 events, 364 exhibitors from 31 countries, and 250,000 visitors, down from 580,000 visitors the last time TIBE was held in 2019. A total of 200,000 book coupons of NT$100 (or $3.40) each were distributed to visitors as a part of the governmental efforts to support the book industry.
British-Nigerian writer and hair care educator Tola Okogwu, author of the Daddy Do My Hair and Azizas Secret Fairy Door series, is launching her Afrofuturistic middle grade series this month, with Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun. The first book is due out June 14 from Simon & Schusters McElderry Books.

Okogwus fantasy series opener was a hotly contested acquisition, according to the Bookseller. S&S bought world rights to the book along with S&S U.K. at auction. The series starter has a 50,000-copy first printing.

Childrens publishing is seeing a rise of Afrofantasy for YA and middle grade readers, with such bestsellers as Ayana Greys Beasts of Prey and Nnedi Okorafors Akata Witch series. Okogwus novel has gained major pre-publication attention; it was listed by the Guardian and Book Riot as a must-read for summer, and was named one of Barnes and Nobles most anticipated childrens books for June Onyeka has already been picked up for film adaptation by Westbrook Studios, a branch of Will and Jada Smiths company Westbrook Inc., and Yoruba Saxon, David and Jessica Oyelowos production company. Both Will Smith and David Oyelowo have signed on as producers for the film, which will debut on Netflix.

Described by her publisher as Black Panther meets X-Men, the novel follows British-Nigerian Onyeka, who after discovering that her attention-grabbing hair has magical properties when it rescues her best friend from death, leaves London and moves to Nigeria to attend school for magical descendants like herself. As she learns about her familys history and her new powers, she and her new friends discover secrets within their school.

My experiences with my hair growing up were predominantly negative, and Ive seen this play out time and time again with other Black women and girls, Okogwu told PW. So when the idea of a girl who discovers that the very thing she considers to be her greatest problem is, in fact, her greatest strength came to me, I knew immediately that the story would center on her amazing Afro textured hair. I wanted to take something that has been distorted and maligned for too long and showcase its true beauty. Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun is a story about accepting yourself as you are and owning that power.

Watch the newly released video trailer for Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun here.

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tola Okogwu. McElderry, $17.99 June 14 ISBN 978-1-66591-261-7
Small Press Distribution (SPD) has named Kent Watson as executive director, effective immediately. SPD, based in Berkeley, Calif., is one of the nations oldest and largest distributors of independent publishers. Watson will replace interim executive director Cindy Myers, who stepped into the role after the resignation of Brent Cunningham.

Watson had been the executive director of Pub West from 2007 until he stepped down in June 2020. Most recently, Watson served as principal director of industry consultancy firm, Book Dimensions. Watson, who will work remotely, said in a statemen that he will "work tirelessly to expand the services and reach for the nearly 400 SPD publishers whose books connect writers and readers beyond the mainstream.

The appointment of Watson closes a 18-month period of uncertainty for SPD. In March 2021, former SPD executive director Brent Cunningham stepped down following employee complaints regarding wage violations and allegations of workplace discrimination. Three months prior, a public letter calling for Cunningham's resignation gained hundreds of signatures from across the publishing community. Board president Alan Bernheimer confirmed at the time that Cunningham's ultimate departure was due to the findings of an internal investigation commissioned by the organization's board of directors in response to the letter.

In a statement, Bernheimer expressed confidence in Watson's appointment. SPD is very fortunate to have Kent as its new executive director, he said. His wealth of experience in all aspects of the book business, together with his management skills, equip him to lead SPD forward in fulfilling its mission."
The nonprofit organization Words Without Borders launched in 2003 to aid in publishing works from countries and cultures underrepresented in English-first language regions. WWB now has an archive of 12,000 published pieces across 140 countries and 130 languages. Though their mission has not changed, there are several new developments planned to expand the literary conversation.

I think its easy to forget just how much has changed for both the publication and the landscape of international literature since we started in 2003, said Eric M. B. Becker, digital director and senior editor.

The publication was among the first online-only literary magazines, has evolved to become a platform for writers and translators alike, with programs like its Poems in Translation contest, the Indigenous Writing Project, and the Words Without Borders Campus program. Throughout, the mission has remained the same: to offer free access to international literature through translation online to anybody with an internet connection.

Our focus has always been on accessibility, explained Karen Phillips, executive director and publisher. Most of our individual supporters just really believe in the mission to cultivate a greater understanding of literature and to build bridges between writers, translators, and readers.

Among the new developments is a complete site overhaul, aimed to improve reader accessibility. The revamped site went live today.

We began as a monthly magazine, producing issues organized around countries, geography, or language, but nowadays they have become restraints, Becker says. Phasing out the monthly themed publishing model, WWB will publish new work daily. This includes collections of criticism, interviews, reading lists, and other resources that further expand upon the synergy between literature and the authors and translators at work.

Its a little unwieldy to go through back issues, said Becker. The new site offers a new search tool that allows people to search based on their interests, travel, or a specific country. The search tool is part of the sites streamlined design to be unassuming and effective in offering readers direct access to the entire WWB archive.

In addition to the overhaul, the publication will expand its focus on audio and visual content, including an evolving range of programming: virtual events, conversations, and more.

The goal is for an individual to make a connection, have an experience with a piece of writing and translation, Phillips said. Whichever way we enable that connection to happen, whether that's because they see it on TikTok, or they watch an interview on our site, or listen to an author reading their piece all of those roads lead to this spark, this connection that we want to facilitate through Words Without Borders.

Over the years, WWB's passion and drive to be a bastion for international literature has paved the way for many writers and translators that werent able to gain an audience in English-speaking countries. So many wonderful things have happened to me thanks to being published the first time around, like my entire literary translation career, basically, said J.B. Anton Hur, the Booker shortlisted Korean translator. Such established writers as Han Kang, Valeria Luiselli, Andres Neuman, and Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk all found a home for the work in the publication early in their writing careers.

I think I speak for my colleagues too, that as an editor I'm more interested in providing a space where writers and translators can converse and have a dialogue through their work, Becker said.

Through the site overhaul, rolling publishing model, and a commitment to exploring multimedia technologies, WWB aims to evolve alongside the dialog forming around the work they publish. Im excited that we can fully embrace our digital identity, said Phillips. We get to free ourselves to pursue so many different writers, genres, styles, languages that might not have been possible in our old publishing model.

Indeed, it is all part of the publication way of expanding their efforts on the eve of its 20th anniversarya milestone that everyone at the publication is excited to celebrate and explore across events both digital and in person.

It's going to be a time of experimentation, says Phillips. Its part of a paradigm shift of the way we see the world.
philosophy super-size 32oz fun times shower gel duo is rated 2.9 out of 5 by 87 .

Rated 1 out of 5 by tuttobella from Shocked and disappointed!! Wow, what a shock it was to discover that Philosophy products are Not animal cruelty free! I feel like I was hoodwinked and deceived into believing that this brand is a responsible, conscientious company who is concerned with the environment and animals. No, they test their products on innocent animals in horrendous painful experiments! I had no idea that their testing methods were still barbaric and uncaring. These products are not that good that I can condone what these animals have to endure for them to sell their products. These days there are many other companies who use other ways and methods that are cruelty free, there is NO excuse for Philosophy to have to resort to testing on animals. Shame on you!!! Philosophy, you need to makes some serious changes before I order any more, all the items I just ordered are going back.Get with the 21st century and become Leaping Bunny approved. You're a huge company and to discontinue testing on animals would be a monumental improvement and would demonstrate that you are concerned that your products are good for all living creatures.

Rated 1 out of 5 by Ittbiy from Animal Testing (WHY)??? I cant believe you test on animals and I will never buy anything from this company again and I am going to tell everyone that I know! You represent philosophy as a wonderful wholesome product and I would think that if you saw what they do to animals to test these products it would make you sick just like I am now and I am sending back that TSV Philosophy Facial scrub and purity made simple that I purchased and it broke my face out all over said my dermatologist. Shame on you there is no excuse to animal test this day and time. I am about finished with QVC and its buying from China and now this misrepresentation of these not so pure products. No more after twenty years I am done!!! I am going to send back everything I have ordered lately that I still have the packaging for!!! Good riddance QVC!

Rated 1 out of 5 by CallieP from Loved them For years....till They sold out to China. They are no longer cruelly free and sell in China who does animal testing. Disappointed!!

Rated 2 out of 5 by Gizmogirl from Lemon drop scent smells just like lemon Pledge If you want to smell like freshly polished wood get the lemon drop scent.

Rated 1 out of 5 by JBodd from Very Disappointed,! Very Disappointed at Philosophy! I was very excited to receive my summery body wash Senorita Margarita! and was shocked at the quality, it smells like a dollar store $1 soap. Hardly smelled like anything,what a big disappointment with my purchase.

Rated 5 out of 5 by valleriee from Love the Margarita & the Lemon Custard Dont like highly smelling products at all! The following two scents fit the bill by being very lightly scented & wonderful! The Margarita & Lemon Custard shower gels are must haves & I never want to run out. They are absolutely scrumptious. Probably my most fav product that QVC sells.

Rated 1 out of 5 by cosdependent from Margarita, No Scent. I was excited to get a fresh summertime scent to use now and throughout the summer outdoors n the recommendation of the host. I had to take a double sniff on this one as I couldnt believe the very faint lime scent that went away in about 2 seconds. Not even a lingering scent during my shower. Returning.
Tolani Collection V-Neck Caftan Blouse is rated 3.4 out of 5 by 30 .

Rated 2 out of 5 by GranSan from Cheap feeling fabric Wish this designer would choose s nicer fabric. The colors are nice and so is the print but even they are so much more muted to the eye in person than when shown on TV and the computer. I pressed this caftan and hung it in a closet area that was very loose. When I took it out to wear about four days later, it was a mess of closet folds and wrinkles. This designer's pajamas also have a cheap hand to them. These clothes have too high a price tag for such poor quality! I kept the pajamas because, at least, they don't wrinkle as badly when just hanging in the closet and they will not be seen in public. But this caftan requires too much work and I have to wonder how unkempt I might look after wearing it in public. Way to expensive!!

Rated 3 out of 5 by Chiluvgirl from Didn't like fit on me I am trying some Tolani fashions, I loved the fabric and design but didn't care for the fit on me. Sadly sending back.

Rated 3 out of 5 by barbiemy from Very pretty and drapes well, but not for me pattern itself is very pretty, but when I put on somehow color does not suit. drapes well. I judged I will not ware so often, so I returned. I discovered for me flower design does not suit me, simple design or more abstract might be suit for me.

Rated 5 out of 5 by blackbeltpam from I Love It!!!! It took a couple times trying on before I decided yes this is a keeper!!! I purchased the floral and its so pretty!!! Ill plan on taking this on vacation in August and wear it with a black summery skirt. Im so surprised by the negative reviews!!!!

Rated 3 out of 5 by CASunshine from Beautiful but not flattering for thicker thighs Ordered Floral and the print is very pretty. The fabric for this price point on a Tolani top is very nice. Flowy, will need to be pressed (ironed). It is short in the front, I agree with another reviewer. I need to lose some weight but I feel this draws attention to the pelvis, thigh area and I don't like my inner thighs and perhaps it's the shaping that pulls attention to an area I would rather not have attention on. I am on the fence about keeping it. I agree that it took a while to arrive. I have noticed QVC moves items into "In Process or Processing" within hours so you can no longer cancel. Meanwhile you check every few days and it's still in process and yet you can't cancel. I tend to think more about my purchases from the Q for that reason. Sometimes you feel pressured to buy because stock is decreasing but you re-watch a video or presentation and change you mind because you notice something you didn't previously but you can't cancel because they change the status. So you wait, receive it, your doubts are confirmed but then you're stuck paying to ship it back. I have to remember "C" is "convenience", not "customer care".

Rated 4 out of 5 by 1victoria from Major design Flaws I tried to cancel my order just hours afer I ordered. Unable to cancel even with customer Service. This took more than a week to process to ship. The front is way to short. Very big in neck area. Really?? Very pretty patterns just needs more shaping. I know Tolina can do better..

Rated 5 out of 5 by rhonda1463 from Another Home Run Tolani! I dont understand the negative reviews?? This is a beautiful top, I ordered all three colors! Her prints are absolutely gorgeous and I get compliments when I wear her line all the time Keep them coming and I will keep buying!
With European 30% quota regulations for streamers already being introduced in a number of markets, the analyst says Netflix is now just a rounding error away from meeting requirements across its entire European footprint. The notable exception is the UK and Ireland, where 27% of titles are European . France is also slightly under, as are minor markets Belgium and Switzerland.The analyst noted that the shift to hit quota was recent and that in December 2021, 16 of the 27 markets analysed were under 30% European. Ampere also believes that even in the UK, Netflix will hit 30% European with the addition of just 408 European titles (or the removal of 953 non-European). Even fewer would be required for France, Belgium and Switzerland to reach 30%.The study pointed out that Netflix was not alone in ramping up the proportion of its content that is European. While Netflix is ahead of its global streaming rivals in programming European content, Amazon also exceeds the 30% quota in Germany, Switzerland and Italy and is on a par with Netflix in the UK with 27% of catalogue titles being of European origin. Other Amazon markets range from 16% to 28% European.HBO Max was also found to have a large proportion of European titles in its local catalogues, with the majority of its European footprint already exceeding 25% European. Disney still has some way to go, hovering around the 10% European mark. But like other studio and global streamers, Disney has recently been ramping up its European local original production activities.Looking at reasons for this dynamic, Ampere suggested that the change could be viewed from two sides of the fence in terms of success. It either reflected the benefits of regulatory pressure in boosting the acquisition and production of European film and TV by US-based players operating in the region, or it showed how global players are increasingly competing directly with local and regional players with content that was hitherto largely the stronghold of single-market local broadcasters.Quietly, while no one was watching, Netflix has boosted the proportion of its catalogue titles that are Europea n to the point where meeting new quota regulations should have no negative impact on its regional business, observed Ampere Analysis research director Guy Bisson.The milestone is a reflection of heavy investment in content outside the US which is rapidly being mirrored by other global streaming players. Perhaps more surprising than Netflixs 30% milestone is the fact that some of the newer major studio players are already rapidly approaching a similar proportion of European content in their local catalogues.
The Tony Awards announced Tuesday that Jennifer Hudson and Andrew Garfield are among the stars who will present at its 75th Annual Tony Awards ceremony, which airs Sunday.

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Hudson (The Strange Loop, Respect) and Garfield (Death of A Salesman, Tick, Tick...Boom!) are part of a line-up of stars who've performed both on Broadway and in films, who will present at the awards ceremony, according to a statement on the Tonys website.

Other presenters include Bryan Cranston, Cynthia Erivo, Ruthie Ann Miles and Bernadette Peters.

The Tony Awards previously announced that Tony nominee Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) will host the ceremony and Angela Lansbury (Hotel Paradiso, Murder, She Wrote) will receive the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.

The ceremony, taking place from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, will start at 8 p.m. on CBS, and Paramount+.

Paramount + will also stream exclusive content starting at 7 p.m. EDT for a pre-show, which Emmy Award winners Darren Criss and Julianne Hough will co-host.
Netflix shared a poster for its highly anticipated film The School for Good and Evil during Geeked Week.

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The film is an adaptation of the Soma Chainani fantasy young adult novel, which is the first in a series of six books.

It follows best friends Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie), who attend the School for Good and Evil, a place for young fairy tale heroes and villains. The pair learn they will be placed in opposing schools -- Sophie is placed in the School for Evil, while Agatha is put into the School for Good.

The poster gives a look at the two schools and says, "There are two sides to every story."

The film stars Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Michelle Yeoh and Laurence Fishburne as the school's deans. Kit Young, Rachel Bloom, Peter Serafinowicz, Mark Heap and Patti LuPone also star.

Author Chainani will serve as executive producer and Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, A Simple Favor) will direct.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are giving a glimpse of their daughter Lilibet's first birthday party.

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Lilibet officially turned one year old on Saturday. Harry and Markle celebrated the occasion by hosting a "casual, intimate backyard picnic" for family and friends at their Frogmore Cottage home.

Harry and Markle shared a photo Monday that was taken by family friend Misan Harriman. The picture is a "candid, spontaneous photograph" that shows Lilibet smiling as she sits in the grass.

"It was such a privilege to celebrate the 1st birthday of Lilibet with my family and hers! Joy and face painting all around," Harriman captioned the post.

Harry and Markle, the duke and duchess of Sussex, "remain incredibly touched by the countless birthday wishes for their daughter," the couple's rep said.

In addition, Harry and Markle were "amazed to learn that people around the world made donations amounting to over $100K to the World Central Kitchen (WCK)" in Lilibet's honor.

Harry and Markle married in May 2018 and have two children, Lilibet and son Archie, 3.

The couple were in the United Kingdom to celebrate Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and her Platinum Jubilee. The visit marked the first time the queen met Lilibet.

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Harry, Markle and their children returned home to California on Sunday.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 06/07/2022



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

's fourth season premiered with Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno having relationship problems, Winter Everett anticipating her big weight-loss surgery, and Pedro Jimeno and his sister Nicole Jimeno refusing to repair their relationship during the episode that aired Monday night on TLC.The first broadcast of Season 4 began in Atlanta, GA, with Pedro, 30, and Chantel, 31, doing some work around the new house they had purchased a few months after returning home from the Dominican Republic."Our own little nest," Chantel gushed.Chantel was shown raking leaves in the fall, and the couple was scheduled to move in a few weeks later. Pedro was excited to have a door to the toilet room, saying they had really made it.Chantel said Pedro was like a jungle man outside with his machete and bare feet, chopping down weeds and vines. And Chantel looked forward to buying dining room furniture.Pedro had been inspired by his real estate agent to pursue a career in real estate and serve the Spanish-language market.Pedro anticipated taking a 74-hour course class and then hopefully passing a big test so that he could sell houses.Chantel asked Pedro if he had engaged in any conversation with Nicole or mother Lidia since returning to Atlanta, and Pedro said he was on speaking terms with his mother again but had yet to talk to Nicole."It was hard watching his family not being nice to him or sensitive to his feelings about his father, not getting in touch with him," Chantel explained.Pedro admitted that situation was very hurtful, but Chantel seemingly wanted Pedro to patch things up with Nicole because the demise of that relationship was affecting their current life together and relationship dynamic."I've seen a change in him that I can't explain," Chantel noted.Later on, Chantel's sister Winter, 26, revealed that her ex-boyfriend Jah was still contacting her and sending her balloons and gifts.Chantel and her mother Karen were happy Winter's seven-year relationship with Jah was over because it had been "toxic."Jah had asked Winter to give back her engagement ring, and so the family didn't want to see them getting back together. Winter even slammed a bouquet of red roses on the cement.In a few days, Winter was about to undergo a bariatric surgery in Mexico. Chantel thought the surgery was best for Winter, but she wasn't confident in her sister going under the knife in Mexico."She's a little too trusting," Chantel claimed.Winter was trusting TikTok Barbie, who claimed she had her procedures in Mexico. But Winter was required to bring her own socks and bandages, which left Chantel and their brother River very skeptical and concerned.Winter, however, said the decision was hers and hers alone -- and she apparently didn't care what anyone else thought, especially because the surgery was more "cost effective" in Mexico.Chantel warned Winter about possible infection and side effects of the surgery, but Winter didn't want to hear about that or talk about it.Regardless, Chantel, being a nurse, planned to give Winter the absolute best care possible.Meanwhile, in the Dominican Republic, Nicole was getting back into beauty pageants. She previously won Miss Earth and planned to compete in Miss Dominican Republic, Miss Universe 2021.She didn't think beauty pageants are sexist at all; on the contrary, she believes they boost a woman's self-esteem.She also said it's important for women to speak well, be smart, and also be mindful of their bodies and overall health.Nicole's best friend Coraima intended to support Nicole through it all.Pedro's mother was then shown saying that Nicole probably should have gone to jail for throwing a bottle at Chantel. Nicole, however, claimed Chantel had called her "a prostitute" and that was totally unacceptable.Nicole told Coraima she had "exploded" at Pedro but felt liberated upon flipping out at him and Chantel. Nicole said Chantel will never speak to her like that again and she essentially made sure of that.And Nicole revealed to her pal, "Alejandro and I are no longer a thing. We ended the relationship... I'm tired. He doesn't change."Coraima predicted Nicole and Alejandro would get back together, but Nicole insisted that wasn't going to happen. Nicole reiterated how they were "done" and she didn't want to see him ever again.Chantel's family later traveled to Tijuana for Winter's procedure. Winter was clearly nervous but attempted to keep her energy and mindset positive.But first, Winter was about to meet "the weight-loss Barbie" in San Diego to talk about her sleeve surgery, which she had three years prior.Chantel thought it was weird to take advice from someone dressed up like a Barbie, but Chantel pointed out how you should never judge a book by its cover.During the drive over to Mexico, Chantel and Karen discussed how neither of them cared if Pedro ever rebuilt his relationship with his family in the Dominican Republic."Hell to the nah!" Chantel admitted with a big smile.While Chantel's family was heading to Tijuana, Nicole and Coraima were filmed going out partying and dancing. Nicole was excited to have a few drinks and a good time as a single woman."I feel so good to be single now. And I have new boobs," Nicole proudly revealed.Lidia took pride in Nicole and Alejandro's breakup, claiming she had gotten rid of the "trash" and "scumbag." Lidia never liked Alejandro and said she had worked too hard to raise a daughter that would end up with a man like that.Lidia hoped Nicole would meet a successful American man, and Nicole admitted the man would need to have money and not be sexist.As for Pedro, Lidia was hoping to receive an apology from him after their explosive altercation at the hotel. But Pedro was embarrassed and disappointed in how his mother and sister had behaved, and he said he was done with that because their actions broke his heart.Over in Tijuana, Karen said she was "secretly terrified" about Winter's surgery but couldn't say so because it would freak Winter out.In order to keep things light, the trio of girls did some shopping for souvenirs and enjoyed a nice lunch outdoors.Winter shared how she had dipped her toes into the dating pool and met a nice 25-year-old man from Nigeria. Winter said she never talked to someone in Africa but she wasn't against dating a man from another country.Winter had a "fairy tale" in mind, telling Karen and Chantel how the man seemed great.But Chantel worried this man just wanted to come to America and may not have the best intentions.Meanwhile, Pedro called Chantel "selfish" because he had cooked and cleaned for her for five years after moving to America -- while she was training to become a nurse -- and expected her to be more supportive of his new job venture and dreams."Pedro has been getting on me a lot about cooking and cleaning. I've been doing all the wifely duties," Chantel said in a confessional."I got three cookbooks and an Instapot. I feel I do just as much stuff as Pedro does, and I think it's clear through my actions that I'm trying to do even more."While chatting via FaceTime, Chantel suggested they should hire a handyman, but then Pedro said they needed a maid.Chantel insisted she was trying to be "Superwoman" by working full-time and then coming home and putting food on the table.Chantel broke down into tears, saying Pedro was just trying to make her feel bad.Chantel said she never saw glimpses of "the old Pedro" and he had been so "distant" from her."He makes it hard for me to know anything about him. I feel like I love my husband but I don't know how to fix our relationship," Chantel explained.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
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The event is free and open to the public and the venue is accessible to people in wheelchairs. For more information, call 802-254-5290 ext. 1201 or visit brookslibraryvt.org.
BRATTLEBORO  With the most populous town of those served by Rescue Inc. leaving, the organi
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This gray fox, suspected of having rabies, has people in Saxtons River on edge.
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Lt. Gov. Molly Gray is a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate for Vermont. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media.
VG Hannover 12. Kammer, Beschluss vom 23.02.2022, 12 B 6475/21

Publisher Germany: Verwaltungsgericht Publication Date 23 February 2022 Citation / Document Symbol ECLI:DE:VGHANNO:2022:0223.12B6475.21.00 Cite as VG Hannover 12. Kammer, Beschluss vom 23.02.2022, 12 B 6475/21, ECLI:DE:VGHANNO:2022:0223.12B6475.21.00, Germany: Verwaltungsgericht, 23 February 2022, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,DEU_VERWALT2,629f57e44.html [accessed 15 June 2022] Comments Decision in German available here: http://www.rechtsprechung.niedersachsen.juris.de/jportal/?quelle=jlink&docid=MWRE220005233&psml=bsndprod.psml&max=true Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Germany: Administrative Court of Hanover grants an urgent application against a Dublin return order to Lithuania due to concerns over the asylum procedure and reception conditions

On 23 February 2022, the Administrative Court of Hanover gave its decision in a case concerning a return to Lithuania under the Dublin III Regulation. The applicant entered Lithuania through Belarus and then continued to Germany where they applied for asylum. However, Germany deemed Lithuania the responsible state for the applicant's asylum procedure and sent a take-back request to Lithuania and on its approval, a removal order to the applicant. The applicant subsequently applied to the Hanover Court for suspensive effect to take action against the removal to Lithuania.



The Court determined that from Article 13 of the Dublin III Regulation, which refers to the entry criteria, Lithuania was originally responsible for processing the asylum claim of the applicant. However, the Court referred to Article 3(2) of the Regulation and elaborated that there is evidence to suggest that Germany should have continued to examine which Member State was responsible and to designate a competent state other than Lithuania. In this analysis, the Court referred to the principle of mutual trust and set out that it must be seriously feared that an asylum applicant will be threatened with a considerable probability of inhuman or degrading treatment within the meaning of Article 3 ECHR and Article 4 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union due to deficiencies in the asylum system of the responsible Member State. It also referred to the case of Jawo.



Furthermore, the Court found that there were serious indications that the asylum procedure and reception conditions in Lithuania showed signs of systemic weaknesses which could cause a risk of inhuman and degrading treatment. The Court referred to the increase in border crossings from Belarus in the summer of 2021 and Lithuania's response of tightening borders and its asylum system. It furthermore noted the many safeguarding and reception concerns on the ground and derived that there is no evidence to suggest that asylum applicants who are returned under Dublin procedure will be accommodated and treated differently. The Court thereby held that there are open prospects of success for the action against the deportation order and that the applicant's interest in suspension of the order outweighs the public interest in its enforcement.



Based on an unofficial translation from within the EWLU team.

Source: ELENA Weekly Legal Update of 18 March 2022.
Decision 202102939/1/V3

Publisher Netherlands, The: Council of State (Raad van State) Publication Date 13 April 2022 Citation / Document Symbol ECLI:NL:RVS:2022:1043 Other Languages / Attachments Decision in Dutch Cite as Decision 202102939/1/V3, ECLI:NL:RVS:2022:1043, Netherlands, The: Council of State (Raad van State), 13 April 2022, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,NTL_COS,629f5e404.html [accessed 15 June 2022] Comments State Secretary for Justice and Security must investigate whether transferring aliens to Croatia on the basis of the European Dublin Regulation is contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The State Secretary J&V (Justice and Security) must better motivate transfer of foreign nationals to Croatia.

The State Secretary for Justice and Security must investigate whether transferring foreign nationals to Croatia on the basis of the European Dublin Regulation is contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The State Secretary can no longer assume without further investigation that Croatia is complying with the requirements of the ECHR. This is the judgment of the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State in two judgments of today (April 13, 2022).

Background

An Egyptian and an Algerian national first applied for asylum in Croatia and then again in the Netherlands. The State Secretary has not considered the asylum applications and plans to transfer the foreign nationals to Croatia. Under the Dublin Regulation, Croatia, as a Member State, is responsible for processing asylum applications, because the aliens applied for asylum there for the first time. The applicants do not agree with this, because according to them the situation for foreigners in Croatia is contrary to the ECHR. They therefore do not want to return to Croatia.

Principle of mutual trust

On the basis of the so-called principle mutual trust, Member States of the European Union may assume in advance that the situation in another Member State does not conflict with the ECHR. Nevertheless, there may be grounds for further investigation if there are doubts as to whether the situation in another Member State meets the requirements of the ECHR.

Further investigation needed due to pushbacks

The Administrative Jurisdiction Division has ruled that the State Secretary must conduct further investigation in the case of Croatia. So-called pushbacks, whereby aliens are unable to apply for asylum, have been taking place on a large scale and for a long time on the external border of Croatia. Sources show that there are serious indications that pushbacks do not only take place when aliens cross the border illegally. The risk of pushbacks also exists for foreigners who have been re-admitted by Croatia from other Member States and for aliens who are deeper in Croatia's interior.

Consequence of the statements

The State Secretary is therefore no longer allowed to transfer aliens to Croatia on the basis of the Dublin Regulation without first investigating the current facts and circumstances. The State Secretary will in any case have to investigate whether so-called Dublin claimants are included in the asylum procedure after transfer to Croatia. With these rulings, the Administrative Jurisdiction Division arrives at a different conclusion than in its decision of 19 July 2021.

Unofficial translation of Press Release https://www.raadvanstate.nl/uitspraken/@130732/202102939-1-v3/
VG Braunschweig 2. Kammer, Beschluss vom 25.02.2022, 2 B 27/22

Publisher Germany: Verwaltungsgericht Publication Date 25 February 2022 Citation / Document Symbol ECLI:DE:VGBRAUN:2022:0225.2B27.22.00 Other Languages / Attachments Decision in German Cite as VG Braunschweig 2. Kammer, Beschluss vom 25.02.2022, 2 B 27/22, ECLI:DE:VGBRAUN:2022:0225.2B27.22.00, Germany: Verwaltungsgericht, 25 February 2022, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,DEU_VERWALT2,629f64df4.html [accessed 15 June 2022] Comments Systemic flaws in the Croatian asylum procedure due to violent push-backs 1. There is considerable evidence that Croatian authorities through forced returns to Bosnia-Herzegovina specifically thwart the right to apply for asylum and thus violate the non-refoulement principle. 2. Croatian police officers regularly use physical and psychological violence when performing push-backs. 3. Due to Croatia's participation in chain deportations from other EU countries, it cannot be ruled out that Dublin returnees from Germany will also become victims of push-backs. Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Germany: Suspensive effect granted in urgent application against removal to Croatia of Iranian mother and her severely disabled son

On 25 February 2022, the Administrative Court of Braunschweig gave its decision in a case concerning a Dublin return to Croatia. The applicants were an Iranian mother and her 12-year-old child who was severely disabled. They applied for asylum in Germany but due to their previous application in Croatia, the applicants were deemed inadmissible and presented with removal orders to Croatia. The applicants applied to the Court for interim measures, suspensive effect and a rejection of the transfer decision.



The Court referred to Article 3(2) of the Dublin III Regulation, which provides for instances where there are substantial grounds for believing that the asylum procedure and reception conditions in the primarily designated Member State have systemic flaws which risk applicants being exposed to inhuman or degrading treatment within the meaning of Article 4 of the Charter and Article 3 ECHR. It reasoned that such systemic deficiencies in the Croatian asylum system are supported by the violent expulsions of asylum applicants to Serbia or Bosnia-Herzegovina and that without individual assurances from the Croatian authorities it is not presumed that applicants returned to Croatia under the Dublin procedure will not become victim to chain removals and that their right to asylum will be violated. It continued that there were numerous reports of violent attacks and denials to the right to asylum towards asylum seekers who had spent several days inland and had been expelled from other EU countries and that there was no reliable evidence that Dublin returnees from Germany were given preferential treatment over other asylum applicants. Furthermore, the Court found it relevant that when the applicants were in Croatia before, the first applicant had been beaten by Croatian police officers, her Iranian papers were burned and they did not receive more consideration as to their vulnerability, which could be the case again on return. Additionally, it mentioned that as the first applicant was illiterate and had permanent responsibility of her severely disabled son, she would have no possibility to defend herself against arbitrary ill-treatment at the hands of the Croatian authorities.



The Court lastly determined that if individual guarantees are obtained from Croatian authorities ensuring adequate reception conditions and asylum procedures for the applicants it would be difficult to check on their implementation after the applicant's return to Croatia. It noted that this is problematic when a vulnerable person such as the second applicant is concerned and that therefore a transfer should not be decided as permissible even in this case. The Court therefore held the application for suspensive effect admissible and well founded and concluded that the removal order to Croatia was unlawful at the relevant time of the decision.



Based on an unofficial translation within the EWLU team.

ELENA Weekly Legal Update - 6 May 2022
VGH BW, Urteil vom 27.01.2022  A 4 S 2443/21 , Juris

Publisher Germany: Verwaltungsgericht Publication Date 27 January 2022 Other Languages / Attachments Decision in German Cite as VGH BW, Urteil vom 27.01.2022  A 4 S 2443/21 , Juris, Germany: Verwaltungsgericht, 27 January 2022, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,DEU_VERWALT2,629f67e64.html [accessed 15 June 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Germany: Administrative Court of Baden-Wurttemberg held that asylum claims by applicants with international protection in Greece cannot be refused as inadmissible

On 27 January 2022, the Administrative Court of Baden-Wurttemberg delivered its decision regarding a Syrian national who applied for international protection in Germany. Following the applicant's arrival in Germany with his wife, their asylum claim was deemed inadmissible on the basis that they were already beneficiaries of international protection in Greece. The couple were subsequently given 30 days to leave Germany or they would be subject to deportation.



The Court firstly noted that Article 33(2) of the Asylum Procedures Directive, which provides for inadmissibility, cannot be invoked if the applicant would be exposed to a serious risk of being subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment within the meaning of Article 4 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU (CFR) in the Member State where international protection was granted, due to the living conditions there. It continued that this assessment depends on all the circumstances of the case and a threshold for such treatment is only reached if the indifference of the authorities places a person, wholly dependent on public assistance and irrespective of their will and choices, in a situation of extreme material deprivation which would be incompatible with human dignity.

The Court secondly referred to previous national jurisprudence and NGO reports to assume that in the applicant's return to Greece, he would not be able to find decent accommodation and would be homeless for a long period of time. It listed Greek housing programs such as HELIOS and ESTIA which the applicant would not be eligible for and furthermore determined that he would not have access to social housing or private housing. Although it was aware of references to NGOs which provided accommodation, it reasoned that the mere naming of individual organisations does not mean there is sufficient housing capacity. The Court furthermore noted that the reports outlined difficulties faced by beneficiaries of international protection in finding affordable housing and experiencing systematic discrimination from landlords. It concluded that there is a real risk of homelessness even for healthy and able-bodied single men.



Lastly, the Court reasoned that in light of the homelessness awaiting on return to Greece for an unforeseen amount of time it was not relevant whether he could possibly access employment which allowed him to cover his living needs as he is already able to do in Germany. In view of all the foregoing considerations, the Court annulled the inadmissibility decision in respect of the applicant, cancelled the entry and residence ban and held the removal to Greece would be unlawful.



Based on an unofficial translation from within the EWLU team.

ELENA Weekly Legal Update - 20 May 2022
WASHINGTON (AP)  The son of Ruth Whitfield, an 86-year-old woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a racist attack on Black shoppers in Buffalo, New York, challenged Congress Tuesday to act against the "cancer of white supremacy and the nation's epidemic of gun violence.

Garnell Whitfield Jr.s emotional testimony comes as lawmakers are working furiously to strike a bipartisan agreement on gun safety measures in the aftermath of back-to-back mass shootings. Ten days after the shooting death of his mother and nine others in New York, another 18-year-old gunman with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 school children and two teachers.

What are you doing? You were elected to protect us, Whitfield Jr. told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires? he asked. If there is nothing then, respectfully, senators  you should yield your positions of authority and influence to others that are willing to lead on this issue.

The hearing is the first of two this week as families of the victims and survivors of the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde appear at public hearings and events on Capitol Hill to show the human toll of Americas gun violence and urge Congress to act.

Pressing for a deal, President Joe Biden met Tuesday with Sen. Chris Murphy, a key Democratic negotiator, who has worked most of his career trying to curb the nations mass-shooting scourge after the heartbreaking slaughter of 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary in his home state of Connecticut a decade ago.

Murphy told reporters after the meeting that he was grateful to have an opportunity to update the president on the talks. Obviously weve still got work to do in the Senate," he said.

Murphy said his goal is to try to get an agreement this week, but he added that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been clear that "we need some extra time to dot the i's and cross the t's that will get it.

Also Tuesday, actor Matthew McConaughey, who is from Uvalde, made the rounds of Senate offices before heading to the White House to open the daily briefing. McConaughey, who earlier this year considered a run for governor of Texas, gave a speech on the importance of taking legislative action to make the loss of these lives matter.

We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that wont make it so easy for the bad guys to get the damn guns, he said. The 52-year-old actor and his wife drove to Uvalde on the day after the shooting and spent time with some of the victims' families.

On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee is expected to hear from more victims families and from fourth-grader Miah Cerrillo, who captured Americans attention after she described covering herself in her dead classmates blood and playing dead to survive the shooting rampage in Uvalde.

The Senate hearing Tuesday focused directly on the white supremacist ideology that authorities say led an 18-year-old gunman dressed in military gear to drive hours to a predominately Black neighborhood in Buffalo and live stream his violent rampage. The shooting left 10 people dead and several others wounded.

My mothers life mattered, Whitfield said. Your actions here will tell us if and how much it mattered to you.

Shortly after the Buffalo massacre, a bill that would have bolstered federal resources to prevent domestic terrorism failed in the Senate at the hands of Republican opposition. Even at Tuesday's hearing, Republican senators took the time to focus on the racial injustice protests that took place in the summer of 2020, citing those incidents as acts of domestic extremism.

Since the failed vote, senators have regrouped and began to meet privately in a small bipartisan group headed by Murphy and Republican Sen. John Cornyn, trying to hash out a compromise that could actually become law.

But lawmakers have been here before  unable to pass any substantial gun safety laws in decades in the face of steep objections from Republicans in Congress, some conservative Democrats, and the fierce lobbying of gun owners and the National Rifle Association. No major legislation has made it into law since the 1994 assault weapons ban, which has since expired.

The issue for Democrats is that a number of the topics with bipartisan support would likely not have stopped either the shooting in Buffalo or Uvalde. And the ones that gun safety advocates argue would have been met with a deep reluctance from Republicans. One such proposal would raise the age requirement for gun purchases from 18 to 21. Another popular measure among Democrats would have banned assault-style rifles altogether.

Instead, the senators are focusing on incremental policy changes through a system that would send funds and other incentives to the states to bolster security at school campuses, provide more mental health services to young people and possibly encourage states to pursue red-flag laws to keep firearms out of the hands of people who would do harm.

But one thing that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seem to agree on is that inaction is not an option.

We know we wont get it all done at once, Schumer said Tuesday afternoon. But the American people want us to get something done and they want to see Republicans do something.

His counterpart across the aisle seemed to echo the sentiment. Almost everybody would like to get an outcome, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told reporters. I hope well have one sooner rather than later.

___

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Alan Fram and Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
This was no run of the mill corruption scandal involving payments to regulators or misuse of public funds.

Its always a sign when the Vietnam Communist Party (VCP) calls for an emergency session of its Central Committee. Following a late May report by the Central Inspection Discipline Commission that detailed the wrong doing and bribe taking by the countrys Minister of Health and the Chairman of the Hanoi Party Committee, the Central Committee voted to expel the two men from the communist party. A third individual, the Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, but not a member of the Central Committee, was also expelled from the party.

Expulsion from the party is in itself a major deal. Party investigators have four levels of discipline: reprimand, warning, demotion and expulsion. No longer protected by their elite party status, their legal jeopardy just went up a few notches. Now that the partys inspection has concluded, they will now be passed on the prosecutors for trial and an almost certain conviction.

While the investigation of Central Committee members is not unheard of (indeed two members of the 12th Politburo were expelled), this is an incredibly elite body of 180 members and 20 alternate members in a country of 100 million people.

So what was the scandal about?

This was no run of the mill corruption scandal involving payments to regulators or misuse of public funds. This was a thorough, year-long investigation, a sign of how importantly the VCP is taking the scandal.

One has to recall that in the first year of the pandemic, Vietnam was the international gold standard or response. They sealed their borders, imposed quarantines, waged a public health campaign, and rallied the population. But Vietnam soon faltered. The Delta and Omicron variants hit the country hard. Vietnam had been so successful in containing the virus that they failed to secure vaccines. Vietnam tried to develop four separate vaccines rather than concentrating its efforts on one or partnering with foreign firms. And following the 13th Party Congress in January 2021, a new leadership team was slow to find its footing. By May 2021, Ho Chi Minh City, the countrys economic engine was in lockdown.

In February 2020, the elite Military Academy of Medicine and Viet-A received an $830,000 grant for a pilot project to produce. In a significant breakthrough, they developed an effective, accurate, and cost-effective test within a month and then quickly moved into commercial production. The Ministry of Health authorized the purchase of the kits at $21 apiece.

But then the dodginess began. In April 2020, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced that the World Health Organizations had authorized the Viet-A test kit, with the expectation of massive sales overseas. Communist Party Chief Nguyen Phu Trong publicly awarded the company with a medal for its achievements in March 2021. Not only did the WHO not recognize the Viet-A test, they rejected it.

That should have set off some alarm bells, but Viet-A made up for the loss of overseas sales by inflating the price at home. A 45 percent markup netted the firm some $175 million.

Calls for investigations mounted in the latter half of 2021. And perhaps with the walls closing in, the companys Chairman, Phan Quoc Viet, increased the bribes and kickbacks. By the time of his arrest in December 2021, he acknowledged paying bribes of over VND500 billion, roughly $22 million.

His arrest was just the beginning: 21 people have been investigated and VND1.6 trillion in assets were seized.

In March 2022, two senior colonels from the Military Medical Academy were arrested. The director of the Military Medical research Institute was arrested for embezzlement and abuse of power, while the head of the Equipment and Supplies Department was investigated for "violating regulations on bidding, causing serious consequences. Both were expelled from the party.

In April, Lieutenant-General Do Quyet, director of Vietnam Military Medical University and his deputy, Major General Hoang Van Luong, were investigated for their institutions role in the scandal. In May, authorities arrested the deputy head of the price management division of the Drug Administration of Vietnam.

That month, the Central Committees Central Inspection Committee released their report that culminated with a recommendation for disciplinary actions against the Hanoi party chief Chu Ngoc Anh, who had previously been the Minister of Science and Technology, and current Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long for their lax oversight and corruption within their ministries.

A health worker waits amidst empty stools at a Covid-19 coronavirus vaccination centre for youths between the age of 12 to 17 in Hanoi, Nov. 23, 2021. Credit: AFP Does it Matter?

Vietnam is a $271 billion economy, and growing quickly. Even by Vietnamese corruption scandals, the Viet-A scandal wasnt that large. Yes, bribes were paid, but bribes are paid every day in Vietnam.

But this scandal seems to have stung the leadership a little bit more. In part there was the direct link between the firm and the senior leadership. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong had egg on his face.

But more importantly, Vietnams response to the pandemic was really quite exemplary. Even after the omicron wave rocked the country in mid-2021, they handled it well, and more importantly, had an extremely effective vaccine rollout. Vietnams handling of the pandemic was critical in keeping the economy humming. In 2020 as every other economy in Southeast Asia contracted, Vietnam,'s economy grew, though at a modest 2.9 percent. Growth slowed to 2.58 percent in 2021, but is set to grow rapidly in 2022. Public health is seen as essential to economic growth, especially as Vietnam seeks to benefit from decoupling from China and supply chain diversification.

The scandal has also hit the vaunted Vietnam Peoples Army, an institution that enjoys the highest levels of trust in the country. Vietnam has largely avoided the major kickback procurement scandals in their military modernization program that plagues many other countries. But it is far from immune to corruption. And one only has to look to Russia to see how pervasive corruption can hollow out a fighting force even after two decades of concerted modernization efforts.

Finally, anti-corruption has been the hallmark of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs tenure. Trong has wielded anti-corruption as he believes that the countrys endemic corruption threatens the VCPs legitimacy. But he also has wielded it as a tool against political rivals. And many in the country will see this as just that: elite political infighting.

Now in his third term, there are expectations that Trong, who suffered a stroke in 2020, will step down before the 14th party congress in early 2026. But as long as he believes that corruption is still reaching the senior most ranks, hell fight to stay on, convinced that others will take the issue of corruption as seriously.

Zachary Abuza is a professor at the National War College in Washington and an adjunct at Georgetown University. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Defense, the National War College, Georgetown University or RFA.
The facility would give China its first naval staging area in Southeast Asia after it opens this week.

Cambodian navy personnel is seen walking along a jetty during a government organised media tour to the Ream naval base in Preah Sihanouk province on July 26, 2019.

China is not secretly building a military facility for its exclusive use inside a naval base in Cambodia, a government spokesman said, dismissing a new report that detailed how both countries have been concealing a project that first gained U.S. attention in 2019.

The Washington Post reported on Monday that China is building a new facilityits second overseas military installation after a base in Djiboution the northern part of Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand, where Cambodia will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday.

The newspaper quoted a Chinese official in Beijing as saying that a portion of the base will be used by the Chinese military. The official denied it was for exclusive military use, telling the Post that scientists would also use the facility.

Cambodian government spokesperson Phay Siphan echoed the Beijing officials denial that it would be for exclusive Chinese military use.

There is no agreement or law saying that the construction is reserved for Chinese benefit exclusively, he told RFAs Khmer Service.

He said the base remains open for visits from other countries, including the United States, but the Post report said Cambodian and Chinese authorities have worked hard to hide the Chinese presence in Ream, keeping the Chinese areas off limits to third-country visitors and altering their dress to avoid scrutiny.

Ream base became the center of controversy in July 2019 after The Wall Street Journal cited U.S. and allied officials as confirming a secret deal to allow the Chinese to use part of the base for 30 yearswith automatic renewals every 10 years after thatand to post military personnel, store weapons and berth warships.

The reported deal, which would provide China with its first naval staging facility in Southeast Asia and allow it to significantly expand patrols on the South China Sea, was vehemently denied by Hun Sen, who said permitting foreign use of a military base in the country would be in full contradiction to Cambodias constitution.

Last year, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman voiced concern about the Chinese military presence at Ream Naval Base during a visit to the country, citing Cambodias razing of two U.S.-constructed buildings on the base in 2020.

After meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen, she arranged for the U.S. Embassy to send its defense attache for regular visits.

Ten days later, the attache arrived at the base, but he cut the tour short when he was not allowed full access, including to the sites of the two buildings.

The U.S. had offered to renovate one of them, and the choice to destroy it suggested that Cambodia had accepted Chinese assistance to develop the base, a Pentagon report released last year said.

A Cambodian official told RFA at that time that Cambodia never agreed to give the attache a full tour, and that the U.S. had committed a breach of trust for asking more than what was agreed upon.

Exiled political analyst Kim Sok told RFA that Cambodia and China are hiding the truth with their denials.

If any suspicions about the Chinese naval base are not resolved, Cambodia could face serious consequencesnot only a diplomatic crisis in the form of pressure from the U.S.but also it will lead to a security crisis. This will affect regional issues if there is no solution, Kim Sok said.

The base will bring more Chinese into Cambodia for purposes other than tourism or business, Cambodian-American rights activist and legal expert Theary Seng told RFA.

The Cambodian political situation is fragile, especially in terms of building good communication with the free world, because the ruling party dissolved its competitors to bolster the dictatorial regime. This has enabled China to [pounce on] the opportunity to increase its influence [in the region], she said.

Australia-based political scientist Carl Thayer said the semantics dont change the situation.

Ream Naval Base is a Cambodian base on its own territory. Are they allocating a section that China can use? And if so, can Cambodians gain access to it without seeking prior permission? he asked.

So Hun Sen says it's not a base, it is a facility, and it's still a base. Or [as] Shakespeare [said], A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, added Thayer, an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

A Chinese navy base in Cambodia, if it's called a facility, it's still a Chinese navy base, he said.

Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
The incident raises questions about the safety of the island's F-16 fleet.

Taiwan is upgrading its fleet of 140 F-16A/B fighters to F-16V status

In the second incident in a week, a Taiwanese air force F-16 fighter jet had to make an emergency landing in Hawaii on Monday due to landing gear problems, media reports said.

Hawaii News Now said the fighter made a hard landing at Honolulu airport, coming to rest on its nose because the landing gear on the aircraft didnt deploy.

No one was injured in the incident, which happened on Monday afternoon, the news portal said. A runway was closed for hours while crews worked to move the aircraft.

Taiwans Ministry of National Defense has yet to provide any comment on the incident, the second related to U.S.-made F-16 aircraft this year.

In mid-January an F-16V, one of the most advanced fighters in Taiwans possession, crashed in the sea off the west coast of the island, killing its sole pilot.

The Taiwanese air force suspended F-16 combat training for over a week but resumed in late January.

On May 31, an air force pilot died when his AT-3 Tzu Chung jet trainer crashed in southern Taiwan.

Taiwan Air Forces refitted F-16V jets taking off. CREDIT: CNA

Upgrading the fleet

The aircraft at Honolulu airport, believed to be a F-16A/B version, was en route from Luke Air Force Base in Arizona to Taiwan, the national Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

Currently 10 F-16 fighters are stationed at the Arizona base for training. They are part of Taiwans program to upgrade 140 F-16A/B aircraft to F-16V status at a total cost of NT$110 billion or U.S. $3.72 billion.

Taiwan has ordered 66 new F-16V fighter jets from the U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin for an undisclosed amount. The jets are expected to be delivered by late 2026 and will be stationed at Zhihang Air Force Base in Taitung County.

In 2019, the U.S. approved the sale of U.S. $8 billion in arms to Taiwan, including the F-16Vs.
Beauty influencer Austin Li, part of a generation of younger Chinese people who know little of the , 1989 Tiananmen massacre, may have been set up by a rival when he displayed a tank-shaped ice-cream dessert on his livestream, prompting censors to pull the plug immediately, RFA has learned.



Li's livestream was taken off air on Jun. 3 shortly after he showed an ice-cream dessert in the shape of a tank, one day ahead of the 33rd anniversary of the crackdown. Public commemorations of the massacre are banned in China.



But a close business associate of Li's, Mei, said the young man was raised in an era where nobody mentioned the massacre.



The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) says the mass protests of 1989 were a "counterrevolutionary rebellion" and that then supreme leader Deng Xiaoping was justified in sending in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to mow down unarmed civilians with guns and tanks.



Online references to the events of , 1989, including images of tanks, are swiftly deleted by government censors.



"He's not doing too well right now," told RFA. "He has offended a lot of people, some of whom were looking to mess with him. He was set up."



dismissed online rumors that Li is being held by the authorities for tax evasion.



"Li Jiaqi paid off his taxes; he paid out a lot of money -- far too much, but he wanted to buy peace, and the tax evasion incident is over," he said.





described Li as a loyal patriot who "usually responds to directions from the CCP very well," expecting to be protected in return.



"His office resembles a party-building operation, and he has had a lot of interaction with the district and municipal party committees," he said.



So, how did a loyal party follower come to display the controversial tank dessert on his live show?



said Li's generation lacks exposure to his country's own recent history.



"He is a victim of the information blackout [around that topic] because ... he is very young," he said. "He has a lot of fans ... now everyone is talking about what happened on , 1989, and more and more people are coming to know about it."



said some 100 million fans may already have heard of the Tiananmen massacre, but plenty more were now likely planning to find out about it as a direct result of Li's tank dessert debacle.



Settling 'old and new scores'

Meanwhile, authorities in the eastern province of Zhejiang have detained a former leader of the 1989 protest movement at Hangzhou University on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," after he protested the confiscation of his mobile phone by police.



Xu Guang was detained on suspicion of the charge, which is frequently used to target peaceful critics of the CCP, by the Xihu branch of the Hangzhou police department last week, fellow dissident Zou Wei told RFA.



"The Xihu district state security police and officers from Yuquan police station came to his door and told him not to go out or make comments online around ," Zou said.



"Then they took Xu Guang's two mobile phones away. The next day, Xu Guang went to Yuquan police station to get his phone back, but the police refused to give it back," he said.



Xu, 54, went to complain in person but was detained when he showed up at the police station.



"The state security police told Xu Guang that ... this time he would get a heavy sentence, because old and new scores were being settled all at once," Zou said. "All we know is that Xu has been on hunger strike since his arrest, but we don't know the specific details."



Xu has previously served a five-year jail term after trying to formally register the China Democracy Party (CDP) as a political party in 1998, and has repeatedly called on the CCP to overturn the official verdict on the 1989 protests.



He is currently being held in the Xihu Detention Center.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
The directive marks the third time this year officials have been asked to pay more to their government.

Residents queue to undergo nucleic acid tests for the Covid-19 coronavirus in Dalian, in China's northeastern Liaoning province on March 16, 2022.

North Korea ordered trade officials stationed in China to pay U.S. $3,000 in so-called loyalty funds by the end of July, which some sources in China said was likely an effort to offset at least part of cost for ballistic missile tests over the weekend.

The China-based trade officials are tasked with doing business with Chinese partners to earn foreign cash for their government, in some cases for leader Kim Jong Uns personal slush fund. Occasionally the government will demand that they pay funds in addition to what their businesses earn for the government, effectively cutting into their own earnings.

The call for loyalty funds usually coincides with important events, a North Korean trade official in the Chinese city of Dalian, in the northeastern province of Liaoning, told RFAs Korean Service Monday on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

This is the third time the authorities have imposed a loyalty fund on us this year. The first and second time, though, trade had been partially open, so we could at least pay half of the fund, the source said.

This time it is not easy because China is on complete lockdown due to the coronavirus, said the source.

The North Korean economy is in shambles, partially because of the closure of the Sino-Korean border and the suspension of trade for essentially the first two years of the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this year rail freight resumed, but it was quickly shut down due to new outbreaks of COVID-19 in China. With no trade, it is difficult for the officials sent overseas to pay their loyalty funds, and they have come to resent it, the official in Dalian said.

Trade officials are indignant that they keep imposing loyalty funds. We know through the internet that yesterday, once again, they tested ballistic missiles, this time eight from four locations, said the source.

We are well aware that tens of millions of dollars are spent to launch a single missile. But how many ballistic missiles have been launched this year? I cant quite understand the behavior of the authorities, who waste foreign currency on missile launches and forcibly impose loyalty funds on us.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the eight missiles were fired from four locations, including the Sunan area of Pyongyang into the sea east of the Korean peninsula.

RFA sources estimate that North Korea has sent around 1,000 trade officials to China, meaning that the loyalty funds imposed this time should bring in around $3 million, far less than the estimated cost of Sundays missile test.

Another trade official in Donggang, a port located close to the North Korean-Chinese maritime border, told RFA that the last time the government imposed loyalty funds, it was for a military parade in Pyongyang. That event later forced the government to acknowledge the virus after fever cases began to erupt among parade participants after they returned to their homes.

Trade officials cannot disobey orders from Pyongyang, so some of us have had to borrow money from our Chinese counterparts to contribute last time, the second source said.

Because of that parade they ended up blocking train and maritime trade again, leaving us in debt. The complaints are pouring in because they are asking us to pay loyalty funds again, the second source said. They are squeezing more money out of us and wasting it on missile launches.

Translated by Leejin J. Chung. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Ethnic Chin IDPs find refuge in a jungle area after fleeing fighting between Myanmar junta forces and local militias in Mindat, western Myanmar's Chin state, May 2021.

Nearly 100,000 internally displaced ethnic Chins in western Myanmar have called for help from civil society groups to avoid allowing the military junta to control distribution of humanitarian aid from Southeast Asian countries, saying their strife-torn region is not receiving assistance.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)  a regional grouping that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its 10 member states, including Myanmar  announced on Sunday that it would work with the military regime to distribute humanitarian aid to Myanmar.

The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Myanmar topped 1 million as of May 30 amid fighting and armed clashes across the country since the February 2021 military coup overthrew the democratically elected government, triggering civilian displacement and a humanitarian crisis, according to the U.N.s refugee agency (UNHCR).

Residents of Chin state have been strong opponents of the military since the takeover, turning the 36,000-square-kilometer (13,900-square-mile) territory into a battlefield. Nearly 90,000 local residents have been forced by the fighting to flee the area.

In Chin state and Magway and Sagaing regions in Myanmars northwest, indiscriminate attacks by junta forces against civilians have resulted in numerous deaths and casualties, the torching of homes and villages, house searches, arbitrary arrests and detentions, UNHCR said.

Restrictions on movement and transportation has led to shortages of food and goods in among IDPs and host communities in the region, the U.N. agency said.

ASEANs promised aid will bypass ethnic Chin IDPs, according to the interim Chin National Consultative Council, Chin states leading political group, and the national Unity Government (NUG), the government in exile formed elected lawmakers and members of parliament ousted in the coup.

ASEAN will provide assistance to Kayah and Kayin states, as well as to Magway, Sagaing and Bago regions, allowing a military junta-led task force to make decisions on how aid is delivered through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management, said Salai Isaac Khin, chairman of the Interim Chin National Consultative Council (ICNCC).

We wonder if they had ignored us because they didnt know the ground conditions, he told RFA. Whats the meaning of this? This is questionable. Its like the people of Chin state, the most vulnerable people, have had their rights ignored.

Were so disappointed

The states and regions that will receive the humanitarian aid have 50,000 IDPs due to post-coup fighting and violence, about 45% of the number of displaced people in Chin state, said the ICNCC and the NUG in a statement issued Sunday. Furthermore, over 30,000 IDPs from Chin state have fled over the border into India.

RFA called ASEANs office in Yangon to ask why Chin IDPs were not included in the aid program, but no one responded.

\A spokesman for the Chin State Joint Defense Committee (CJDC) said it was disappointing that the state is being excluded from receiving ASEAN humanitarian assistance.

Almost the entire town of Thantlang in Chin state was burned down during the fighting, he said. In Falam, about 93 houses were turned into ashes. Thirty percent of the Chin people are war refugees. Were so disappointed that our people have been left out of the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Program. It isnt fair. We strongly oppose that this entire aid program is coming through the junta.

An aid worker assisting the Chin IDPs, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said ongoing fighting has made it difficult to travel between Thantlang and Hakha, and food and medical aid are badly needed.

Chin state is a mountainous region, and its very difficult to bring rice from the mainland, he said.

We want to ask ASEAN whether it has ignored us because it doesnt think that Chin state is involved in Myanmar politics, the aid worker added. Another thing is that ASEAN should meet and work with NGOs and international NGOs instead of with the junta.

Salai Charlie, who helps Chin refugees in Mizoram, India, told RFA that Christian groups and NGOs in India provided initial assistance to those fleeing the fighting but now have stopped.

Currently we are not receiving foreign aid, he told RFA. The Mizoram government is not helping us. The church in Mizoram, the NGOs and the wealthy in Mizoram have donated everything they could to help us. No one is helping us anymore. The rains have come, and we cannot work.

RFA could not reach junta spokesman, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, for comment.

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane for RFA Burmese. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Troops offer residents cash to join the Pyu Saw Htee and threaten arson if they refuse.

Pyu Saw Htee fighters train at a shooting range under the tutelage of junta soldiers, Feb. 11, 2022.

Myanmars military is sending troops to villages in war-torn Sagaing region where the armed resistance is strong and forcibly recruiting residents into pro-junta militias, according to sources in the area.

Residents of Sagaing told RFAs Burmese Service on condition of anonymity that troops have offered them money to join and train with the pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia and threatened to burn down their villages if they dont comply.

A source from Kyunhla townships Magyi Inn village wrote in a letter to RFA that one military unit visited the area last week and demanded that 30 residents join the Pyu Saw Htee. Troops said that if the recruits didnt show up for training within a few days, they would return and torch the entire tract.

RFA attempted to confirm the incident with residents of the village by phone, but they refused to comment, citing fear of reprisal.

A resident of Taze township told RFA that troops recently armed villagers in the area and paid them to recruit others in the fight against pro-democracy Peoples Defense Force (PDF) paramilitaries.

Pyu Saw Htee groups have been set up in many villages of Kanbalu and Taze townships, as well as those in the Mu River valley, he said.

In those villages, people joined them because they were paid and provided weapons. When they were sent elsewhere, they acted abusively because they had received armed training. In some places, they ended up extorting money from people and now are more like bandits.

RFA was unable to independently confirm the residents claim that villagers were being paid to join the Pyu Saw Htee.

Residents of Taze told RFA that there are about 400 Pyu Saw Htee fighters based in the eastern part of their township and neighboring Kanbalu.

Around 500 homes in Tazes Ywah Shay village were set on fire by a joint force of military troops and Pyu Saw Htee militiamen on June 1, they said, although it was not immediately clear whether the arson was connected to a recruitment campaign.

An aerial view of Chaung Oo village, in Sagaing region's Pale township, where junta troops and Pyu Saw Htee fighters burned more than 300 homes, Dec. 18, 2021. Credit: RFA Targeting two regions

Data for Myanmar, a research group that studies the impact of conflict on communities, also said the burning of villages in Sagaing and neighboring Magway region are the work of the military and Pyu Saw Htee. More than 11,400 homes have been destroyed in the regions since the militarys Feb. 1, 2021 coup, the group said.

Residents in Sagaing and Magway regions claim that the military pays Pyu Saw Htee members 7,000 kyats (U.S. $4) a day.

A spokesman for the PDF in Magways Yezagyo township told RFA that the military is using Pyu Saw Htee units to oppress the people.

To say it bluntly, Pyu Saw Htees are asked to do the dirty work because the military doesnt want their name tarnished, he said.

These Pyu Saw Htees are mostly supporters of the military. They are given training and armed and are sent to the head of troop columns. Its dangerous. In other words, they are being used as human shields.

A resident of Sagaing, who also declined to be named, told RFA that he had seen Pyu Saw Htees carrying military-grade weaponry, including automatic rifles and carbines and even grenade launchers.

Asked about the reports, junta Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, told RFA last week that there are no such thing as Pyu Saw Htees and claimed the military is forming militia groups so that residents can protect their own villages from the PDF, which the military has labeled a terrorist group.

If there is a real need, we will provide training first. During the training, they learned how to shoot, he said.

But it is not just a matter of armed training. There are duties and responsibilities to be assumed. There are rules to be followed, just like a soldier does. We are working for peace in the community in a systematic way.

He did not comment on allegations that members of the Pyu Saw Htee are paid by the military.

Forming a proxy force

After the military coup, Pyu Saw Htee militias were formed in villages which formerly supported the military and the military proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

Observers say the Pyu Saw Htee act as a proxy force for the military and are responsible for some of the juntas worst abuses against civilians, including looting and arson, arbitrary arrests, torture, and execution.

RFA documented at least 74 civilian deaths linked to pro-military groups such as the Pyu Saw Htee in Myanmar in May alone.

USDP spokesman Nanda Hla Myint has told RFA that although party members had not been instructed to take up arms against the opposition, the party leadership will not stop them from doing so.

Zaw Zaw, a resident of Sagaings Pale township said that although not every USDP member is Pyu Saw Htee, Pyu Saw Htee units are mainly comprised of USDP members.

Some of them, mostly hardliners, go to Pyu Saw Htee training. In some villages, people who were accused as Dalans (military informers) flee and join them, he said.

These kinds of people have been involved in election campaigns for years. They are not actually USDP members but most of them are very supportive of the USDP.

Min Zaw Oo, executive director of the Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security (MIPS), said the formation of proxy armed groups like the Pyu Saw Htee is a military strategy with a long history in the country.

It seems junta leaders were hesitant in the beginning, as they werent sure whether they could trust the villagers not to turn against them when they were given weapons, he said.

In the beginning, there were no guns, but later  especially in 2022  more groups were armed.

According to a recent report by the Institute for Strategic Studies (ISP Myanmar), at least 5,646 people were killed in clashes across the country between Feb. 1, 2021 and May 10, 2022.

Security forces have killed at least 1,905 civilians and arrested 14,018 others in the 16 months since the coup, mostly during peaceful anti-junta protests, according to Thailands Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Rinchen Tsultrim was convicted of working to split the country' for upholding Tibet's national identity.

Rinchen Tsultrim, a Tibetan monk jailed by China for 'working to split the country,' is shown in an undated photo.

A Tibetan monk serving a four-and-a-half year prison term in China for working to split the country has been refused permission to meet with his family, with contact restricted to brief phone calls once a month, RFA has learned.

Rinchen Tsultrim, 29 at the time of his arrest, was taken into custody on July 27, 2019, in Sichuans Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) county for expressing his thoughts on Tibetan political and social issues on social media.

Now after serving more than a year of his sentence, Tsultrim is still being blocked from meeting in person with family members, who are not being told about his condition of health following his conviction in a closed trial, a Tibetan living in exile told RFA this week.

Despite many requests for a meeting with Rinchen Tsultrim, his family has not been allowed to meet with him even once, RFAs source said, citing contacts in the region and speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

But we have learned from an inmate who was released from the prison that Tsultrim now hopes to get a picture of his family, and he may be able in coming days to speak with them on the phone in a 10-minute call allowed to inmates every month, he said.

Separatism, or working to split the country, is an accusation often leveled by Chinese authorities against Tibetans opposing the assimilation of Tibets distinctive national and cultural identity into Chinas dominant Han culture, and China continues to clamp down on information flows in the region.

Scores of monks, writers, educators and musical performers have been arrested in recent years for sharing news and opinions on social media and for contacting relatives living in exile, sometimes with news of anti-China protests, according to rights groups and other experts.

Particular targets of censors and police are images of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama shared on mobile phones and calls for the preservation of the Tibetan language, now under threat from government orders to establish Chinese as the main language of instruction in Tibetan schools.

A formerly independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force more than 70 years ago.

Chinese authorities maintain a tight grip on the Himalayan region, restricting Tibetans political activities and peaceful expression of ethnic and religious identity, say Tibetan activists and human rights groups.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFAs Tibetan Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Members of the Interfaith Council of Vietnam at a charity event in the Central region in 2020

Church leaders in Vietnam say freedom to practice their religion, enshrined in the Constitution, is being undermined by the 2016 Law on Belief-Religion. Their comments support U.S. claims that the law allows the government to tighten control over religious activities.

The U.S. State Departments annual report on International Religious Freedom 2021, released last week, included Vietnam on a list of countries where religious practices are being curtailed by the state.

The report, by the State Departments Office of International Religious Freedom, found that:

Some religious leaders, particularly those representing groups that either did not request or receive official recognition or certificates of registration, reported various forms of government harassment, including physical assaults, detentions, prosecutions, monitoring, and denials of, or no response to, requests for registration and other permissions.

RFA interviewed several religious dignitaries, who agreed with the State Departments findings.

The current Law on Belief-Religion 2016 significantly controls religion, said Catholic priest Dinh Huu Thoai of the Redemptorist Church, which has been operating in Vietnam since 1925.

Specifically, when registering or changing the place of religious activities we have trouble with the concept of 'religious organization.' In the regulations it requires 'written approval of the religious organization,' which is required by law. The definition of religious organization varies from place to place.

There are almost 7 million Catholics in Vietnam, according to Union of Catholic Asia News, making up 6.6 percent of the population. Even so, Father Dinh said the Catholic Church of Vietnam is still not considered a religious group in some parts of the country.

Some places consider parishes to be religious organizations or at least 'affiliated religious organizations.' They consider the registration or change of places of concentrated religious activities under the jurisdiction of the parish priest. And, if they are rigid considering only the diocese as a religious organization, they ask for the bishop's text even if he is at the bishop's house, not in the locality.

Unregistered religious groups 'persecuted'

Unregistered religious groups find it even harder to navigate the religious law, Father Dinh said.

For example, the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, Pure Hoa Hao Buddhism, Cao Dai Chan Truyen or Protestant groups that do not accept government intervention, are persecuted in all their religious activities.

The U.S. State Department report also mentioned the Vietnamese government's refusal to return hospitals, clinics and schools that local authorities took from the Catholic Church many years ago. When asked about this, Father Dinh said:

Properties of the Catholic Church and [other] religious orders in Vietnam have been confiscated, appropriated, borrowed by the Vietnamese communist government; borrowed but not returned. Hundreds of facilities including monasteries, schools, hospitals, orphanages, etcetera from 1954 in the North and from 1975 in the South. The owners of these establishments repeatedly demand their return in accordance with fair and civilized law, but the number of establishments returned is very small.

There is a paradox going on today, Father Dinh said. The authorities give themselves the right to grant land to religious institutions, even though that land was bought by the religions themselves a long time ago, but they have to carry out procedures to return the right to use that land.

Why doesn't the state use its rights to give the requisitioned religious facilities back to the owner rather than letting this problem drag on without knowing when it will be settled?"

Banned from traveling or meeting overseas visitors

The Redemptorist priest said the U.S. State Department report is lacking in that it omits to mention the issue of freedom of movement for many religious leaders.

Some religious dignitaries, including myself, are arbitrarily banned from leaving the country. These dignitaries are not protected by the law but are arbitrarily banned by the police from leaving for an indefinite period.

I myself have been banned from leaving the country since 2010 until now, which is almost 12 years, without any sign of them returning my passport along with my freedom of movement, Father Dinh said.

Hua Phi, a high-ranking member of the independent religious group Cao Dai Chan Truyen, said his passport was confiscated in 2014 and is yet to be reissued, making it impossible for him to go abroad to attend a religious freedom conference in Southeast Asia.

Hua said all independent religious groups are restricted by the Vietnamese government in terms of their right to practice religion freely, with the government requiring groups to register in order to do so. He said even though many groups have a long history the government still makes it difficult for them to practice their religion.

Many religious organizations and followers are persecuted during religious holidays, according to Hua. He said local police keep a close eye on his movements during Cao Dai religious events, making him unable to travel to some parts of the country to practice his religion.

Hua said many dignitaries of the Interfaith Council of Vietnam, himself included, have been prevented from contacting foreign diplomatic missions when they come to learn about religious freedom in the region.

The U.S. State Department report states that representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City regularly raise concerns about religious freedom in Vietnam with local government officials and the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Father Dinh called on the international community and governments of civilized countries to use economic leverage to put pressure on Hanoi to respect religious freedom.

RFA emailed Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam Government Committee for Religious Affairs with a request for comment on the U.S. report but received no response.
MINSK -- A court in Minsk has sentenced sociologist Tatsyana Vadalaskaya to a lengthy prison sentence while prosecutors in another case have recommended a harsh sentence for journalist Aksana Kolb on charges related to protests against the disputed results of a presidential election in August 2020 that handed authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth term in power.

Vadalaskaya was found guilty on June 7 by Minsk's Zavodzki district court of the organization and preparation of activities that disrupted social order.

She was sentenced to 30 months in open prison, a system known across the former Soviet Union as "khimiya" (chemistry), a term that dates to the late 1940s when convicts were sent to work at dangerous facilities such as chemical factories and uranium mines while living in special nearby dormitories instead of being incarcerated in penitentiaries.

These days a khimiya sentence is seen as less harsh as a convict will stay in a dormitory not far from their permanent address and work either at their workplace as usual or at a state entity defined by the penitentiary service.

In a separate case on similar charges at the central district court in Minsk, prosecutors asked for a 30-month open-prison sentence for Kolb, editor of the Minsk-based independent weekly Novy Chas (New Time).

Novy Chas reported that representatives of Swedish, Czech, and German embassies in Minsk were not allowed to attend the trial. Belarusian human rights groups have recognized Kolb as a political prisoner since she was arrested on April 20.

The cases highlight Lukashenka's harsh, and sometimes violent, crackdown against any dissent since the election, which opposition members say was rigged.

The 67-year-old, who has been in power since 1994, has directed the campaign to arrest tens of thousands of people. Fearing for their safety, most opposition members have been forced to flee the country.

In another trial that began on June 7, this one in the southeastern city of Homel, a court began a hearing against Russian citizen Andrei Podnebenny, who is charged with terrorism, attempting to damage private property, and the creation of an extremist group. All charges are related to Podnebenny's participation in anti-Lukashenka rallies in the city.

Meanwhile, a former lecturer at the Department of Italian Language at the Minsk State Linguistic University, Natallya Dulina, was sentenced to 15 days in jail on hooliganism charges that she has rejected. That is Dulina's third 15-day jail sentence for actions related to protests over Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February.

In the eastern city of Babruysk, journalist Dzmitry Suslau on June 7 was sentenced to 15 days in jail for the "distribution of false materials" about Ukraine war.

Several others were also convicted on similar charges as authorities try to keep a lid on protests related to the war.

Lukashenka has allowed Russia to use Belarus territory to stage the invasion of Ukraine.

The West has refused to recognize the results of the election and does not consider Lukashenka to be the country's legitimate leader. Many countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions against his regime in response to the suppression of dissent in the country.
Russian forces are now in control of most of Syevyerodonetsk despite fierce resistance by Ukrainian forces who are suffering painful losses in the weeks-long battle for the key eastern city as Western countries prepare to announce further deliveries of arms and munitions amid repeated and impassioned appeals from Kyiv.

Russia told Ukrainian forces who were holed up in the Azot chemical plant in Syevyerodonetsk to lay down their arms on June 15, pledging to ensure a humanitarian corridor for the civilians who are also taking shelter in the plant, but Ukraine so far has not responded to Moscow's offer.

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.

British military intelligence said in its daily bulletin on June 15 that several hundred civilians are currently in underground bunkers at the Azot chemical plant together with Ukrainian fighters.

The bulletin issued by Britain's Defense Ministry said that it was "highly unlikely" Moscow had anticipated such stubborn opposition from the Ukrainians during its original planning for the invasion.

It added that in the face of the determined Ukrainian response, Russia has resorted to urban-warfare tactics that rely on the heavy use of artillery, causing extensive collateral damage throughout the city.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on June 14 in a late-night address that Ukraine needs modern anti-missile weapons now, adding there could be no justification for partner countries to delay delivery.

"We keep telling our partners that Ukraine needs modern anti-missile weapons," Zelenskiy said. "Our country does not have them yet at a sufficient level, but it is in Ukraine and right now that there is the greatest need for such weapons. Procrastination in providing them cannot be justified."

The region has been the scene of a weeks-long battle in the Donbas region and the "losses, unfortunately, are painful," he said.

The head of Russia's National Defense Management Center, general Mikhail Mizintsev, promised a humanitarian corridor would be opened to evacuate civilians from the Azot plant from 8 a.m. Moscow time on June 15. Mizintsev said evacuees would be taken to the town of Svatovo, 60 kilometers to the north in territory under the control of Russian and separatist forces.

Ukraine has not reacted to the proposal by Mizintsev, who is accused by Kyiv of human rights violations while commanding troops during the long siege of Mariupol, Ukraine's key port on the Sea of Azov that has been taken over by the Russians.

Zelenskiy said Ukraine is also seeing "painful losses" in the Kharkiv region to the east of Kyiv, where Russia is trying to strengthen its position after being pushed back.

Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said earlier that Ukraine has received just 10 percent of the weapons it has requested from the West to help fight the Russian invasion.

"No matter how hard Ukraine tries, no matter how professional our army is, without the help of Western partners we will not be able to win this war," Malyar said in a televised briefing, saying the West should speed up the delivery of the arms.

Western countries have promised to send sophisticated weapons, including advanced rockets, but deploying them is taking time.

Malyar said there should be "a clear timeframe" for the deliveries "because every day there's a delay, we're talking about the lives of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians."

Dozens of defense ministers from the Ukraine Defense Contact Group are expected to discuss more weapons deliveries to Ukraine on June 15 in Brussels ahead of a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers that will start later in the day, U.S. defense officials said.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is poised to lead the discussions of the group of nearly 50 countries, officials said.

NATO is officially not participating in the talks, to avoid being militarily involved in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and as non-aligned countries are also part of the group chaired by the United States.

With the Luhansk region with its key city of Syevyerodonetsk almost completely in Russian hands, a senior NATO official told CNN that the war in Ukraine has reached a critical point.

"I think that you're about to get to the point where one side or the other will be successful," said the official.

"Either the Russians will reach Slovyansk and Kramatorsk [in the Donetsk region adjacent to Luhansk] or the Ukrainians will stop them here. And if the Ukrainians are able to hold the line here, in the face of this number of forces, that will matter."

With reporting by Reuters, AP, BBC, CNN, and AFP
For years, Igor Sechin, one of Russian President Vladimir Putins oldest confidants and CEO of the state-run oil giant Rosneft, globe-trotted to fancy destinations around Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere aboard luxury private jets.

There was little accountability or transparency about who operated the jets, how they were paid for, when and where they flew, and whether Russian taxpayers were footing the bill.

A 2019 Reuters investigation found dozens of flights by Rosneft jets during Russian holidays and weekends over a four-year period, some of them going to posh vacation destinations like the Maldives. That was then.

This is now: Amid the global fallout from Russias war on Ukraine and the punitive sanctions Western nations have imposed on Moscow in response, private jet companies that for years thrived by offering elite flying services to powerful Russians like Sechin have had their wings clipped.

Dozens of companies have been forced to mothball their jets and wind down their operations.

That includes Art Aviation, the company that operated many of Rosnefts corporate jets, including the plane identified as frequently used by Sechin.

A joint investigation by RFE/RL and the Austrian news site ZackZack pulls back the curtain on the secretive world of private jet management companies catering to powerful Russians -- in particular firms based in Austria, which has long been an attractive destination for powerful Russians to park their money and escape scrutiny.

In addition to the idling of its jets, the downfall of Art Aviation coincided with a more serious development: the death of the British-born CEO, whose body was found on a road below a highway overpass bridge outside of Vienna in early March. Austrian police say they do not suspect foul play; the companys new CEO says the British man, Timothy Hurworth, died by suicide.

The companys demise comes amid a wider crackdown by Western governments on the luxurious properties, offshore havens, and secret assets of Russian tycoons and Kremlin insiders.

Art Aviation was the in-house aviation company of Igor Sechin, said one executive who worked in the Austrian private jet industry and who asked to remain anonymous so as not to jeopardize existing business relationships. They didnt act like a normal company on the market.

They always have been below the radar, but everybody knows that they are connected to Rosneft and Sechin, in particular, another jet industry executive said on condition of anonymity.

Like Champagne And Caviar

Established in 2012, Art Aviation was founded by Mikhail Alenkin, a Russian whose name drew attention in the massive leak of secret legal records and corporate registry documents known as the Paradise Papers.

The focus of the 2017 leak was a multinational law firm called Appleby that specialized in providing offshore services -- essentially a way to hide, sometimes illegally, assets and cash flows, from governments, regulators, or public scrutiny.

According to the Paradise Papers, Alenkin was the ultimate beneficiary owner of a Cyprus-registered company called Sunburst Aircraft Leasing Limited.



Alenkins name also surfaced in news reports in 2018, connected to Rosnefts purchase of 160 helicopters from Italian manufacturer AgustaWestland. Alenkin utilized Applebys legal services to arrange receipt of a commission he received from AgustaWestlands Russian distributor, apparently for brokering the sale, according to a report by the British magazine Private Eye.

In an article published in February 2020 by a newsletter called Corporate Jet Investor, Alenkin explained part of the reason offshore companies like Art Aviation were so popular among the Russian elite: taxes, VAT, a complicated registration process, and law regulations made it prohibitively difficult, and expensive, to register jets in Russia.

He said the growth in gray charters -- privately registered aircraft that make commercial flights within Russia -- had prompted a crackdown from Russian regulators.

He also lamented the growing number of sanctions imposed on Russia in punishment for, among other things, its actions in Ukraine and election meddling in Western countries.

Economic stagnation [and] sanctions against Russian individuals have impacted the number of business jet sales and acquisitions deals. Having said that, and our European colleagues will agree with me, a very large proportion of private jets operated in [the] EU belong to Russian citizens, he was quoted as saying.

In 2014, Alenkin founded another private jet brokerage company based in Dubai called ArcosJet.

In an August 2021 Russian-language interview that was translated into English and republished on ArcosJets website, Alenkin described what he said was his vision of the private jet industry, calling it a necessity, a means of transportation for business.

Business aviation is often seen as indispensable as champagne and black caviar, but [that is] not the most important part; above all, its a very effective means of transportation, he said.

In an e-mail response to questions from RFE/RL and ZackZack, Alenkin said Art Aviation had always followed and complied with all applicable mandatory and industry rules and regulations, including respective sanctions and related restrictions and designations, no violations of which or any other laws have ever been committed by the Company.

Neither the Company, nor any of its management or shareholders have provided any services to persons or companies subject to any sanctions or designations, he said.

Alenkin also said Art Aviation provided aircraft management and operation services to aircraft owners.

The Company never owned, or leased, or somehow affiliated to any aircraft on behalf of any clients, he said in the English-language e-mail. Neither mentioned by you Rosneft, nor Mr. Igor Sechin, or any other executive from Rosneft specifically has had any direct or indirect ownership, control, economic interest in or any role/relation to the Company.

Who Is Mr. Sechin?

Industry experts say demand for private jets and the services of jet management companies like Art Aviation exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic -- in Russia and elsewhere -- as people feared flying on commercial jets and airlines drastically reduced services.

According to Forbes magazine, private jet traffic, particularly in the United States and Europe, broke records in 2021. Russian companies and individuals bought a record 40 business jets in 2021, four times the number purchased the previous year.

For wealthy Russians, that crashed to earth with the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

On March 5, the European Union imposed sanctions on dozens of top Russian officials and business leaders in response to the invasion of Ukraine, then in its 10th day. Sechin was among them.

He is one of Vladimir Putins most trusted and closest advisers, as well as his personal friend, the EU announcement said. He has been in contact with the Russian president on a daily basis.

Like Putin, Sechin, 61, is a veteran of Russias intelligence agencies. He is believed to have worked as a translator for the KGB or military intelligence in Africa in the 1970s, and he has been at Putins side from the start of his political career more than 30 years ago.

In the early 1990s, when Putin worked in the St. Petersburg mayors office, Sechin was his top aide. Sechin continued to hold high-level posts when Putin moved to Moscow, where he became prime minister in 1999, and he served as deputy chief of staff throughout Putins first two terms as president in 2000-2008.

In the 2000s, Yukos, then the countrys largest oil company, was dismantled by the government in a series of dubious court decisions and shadowy auctions. Rosneft ended up acquiring Yukoss main assets, turning it overnight into Russias largest oil company.

Long-imprisoned Yukos founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky accused Sechin, who became Rosnefts chairman in 2004, of orchestrating the seizure.

After serving as Putins deputy prime minister in 2008-2012, Sechin was appointed CEO of Rosneft, and he expanded the companys operations with deals with major international oil companies.

'Utter Loyalty'

In April 2014, Sechin was among the Kremlin insiders who were targeted by the United States in response to Russias seizure of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula -- the first of several rounds of sanctions that have targeted Sechin or Rosneft.

Sechin has shown utter loyalty to Vladimir Putin, a key component to his current standing, the U.S. Treasury Department said in announcing the sanctions.

In 2019, utilizing flight-tracking databases, Reuters identified dozens of flights by Rosneft jets over a four-year period that flew during Russian holidays or weekends. At least 13 flights went to Mallorca, Ibiza, Sardinia, and the Maldives when Sechin or his associates were vacationing.

The jet that Sechin is widely believed to have used -- perhaps exclusively -- was a Bombardier Global Express 6000, which carries up to 13 passengers and a crew of four. This model, which is used by private individuals as well as by companies such as FedEx and even some militaries, costs around $62 million.

This particular jet had a tail number reading M-YOIL and, according to the European aviation regulator Eurocontrol, was operated by a Singapore-registered company called AV Asia Developments Pte Ltd.

A 2016 financial report for AV Asia Developments, which in the past was 100 percent controlled by Rosneft, stated that the company received $1.86 million for the charter of the sole jet it operated at the time, according to the Reuters report. It also paid more than $2 million for services related to that plane.

Among AV Asia Developments board members: Andrei Bychenko, whose LinkedIn profile identified him as the managing director of Rosneft Trade Limited. Previously, he held a senior executive position at Rosneft's main corporate offices.

In March, as Western nations ratcheted up sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, the United States and a growing number of European countries began seizing assets linked to Kremlin insiders and powerful business leaders. The French government confiscated a luxury yacht owned by a company linked to Sechin.

The sanctions also resulted in European and other offshore havens -- whose registries have long been favored by wealthy elites -- kicking such aircraft off those registries, all but grounding them.

Bermuda, for example, on March 12 said its aircraft registry had suspended certificates of airworthiness for 740 Russian-operated aircraft, meaning they can no longer fly.

Private jet management companies scrambled to find places to park their jets where they could still be flown and were less at risk of being seized, like the Gulf state of Dubai -- or Moscow. Others found their jets stuck at European airports including Geneva and Zurich.

Dozens of private jets connected to Russias wealthy were parked at an airport in Dubai at the beginning of April, according to The Wall Street Journal. And as of the middle of May, around a dozen private jets that were connected to Russian individuals were stranded at Swiss airports, Switzerland's civil aviation authority told ZackZack and RFE/RL.

A report by the Swiss consultant company WINGX provided to RFE/RL and ZackZack said that the Russian market for business jets is evaporating and showed a sharp increase in private jets registered in Russia leaving the country following the February invasion.

It also showed a sharp drop-off in flight activity among jets known to be linked to oligarchs s well as among jets that are based outside of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus but spend significant amounts of time in those three countries.

Fate Of The Jets

Austrias reputation as a hub for legal espionage and shadowy business practices and as a haven for the elite, including wealthy Russians, dates to the decades following World War II -- a function of opaque corporate regulations and generous tax laws, not to mention Viennas draw for spies and foreign intelligence services. That atmosphere persists to this day.

Many of Austrias major private jet management companies -- including IJM, Sparefell, and MJet -- base their operations in Schwechat, the Vienna suburb where the citys main international airport is located.

Art Aviations offices, however, are located in a fashionable old building in Viennas Alsergrund district.

The company ended its operations in mid-March; the jets it oversaw were deleted from the official ownership register of Austrias aviation agency, and the company was delisted from Austrian business registries.

In an interview with ZackZack, Bernhard Prokop, who took over as CEO in March and is now in charge of winding down the business completely, said the jets that Art Aviation owned or operated are now in Moscow.

Just before it went dormant, the company oversaw five jets, Prokop said, though the numbers had been higher in the past. The figure of five was backed up by documents obtained by ZackZack and RFE/RL.

I simply dont know what will happen with the jets, he said in the interview at the companys offices. But he confirmed that Sechin frequently traveled on aircraft managed by Art Aviation and that the company was closing because of EU sanctions.

Prokop denied that Rosneft or Sechin were shareholders or indirectly in charge of Art Aviation.

In fact, Austrian corporate records show Alenkin was one of two direct beneficiary owners of the company, along with Timothy Hurworth, the British CEO who died in March.

An indirect beneficiary for the company is listed as Andreas Staribacher, a former Austrian finance minister, a former member of Vienna international airports supervisory board, and an investor in dozens of aviation-related businesses in Austria.

Staribacher did not respond to queries from ZackZack and RFE/RL seeking comment.

Documents obtained by ZackZack and RFE/RL showed at least two of the jets operated by Art Aviation were purchased from a Cypriot company called Shelf Support Shiphold Limited, which is one of two currently known aircraft-operating subsidiaries of Rosneft. The other is Skyline Asset Management Limited, based in the British Virgin Islands.

Corporate documents show that as of 2021, Shelf Support was the registered owner of M-YOIL, the Bombardier jet earlier identified by Reuters and linked to Sechin.

Rosneft did not provide answers to a detailed list of questions submitted by ZackZack and RFE/RL.

Instead, the company responded with a statement accusing RFE/RL of being an instrument of anti-Soviet and anti-Russian subversive propaganda.

Rosneft's corporate practices are in exact accordance with the corporate practices of major American companies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, etc., Rosneft said. We earnestly ask you not to trouble yourself with further requests to the Company on any grounds whatsoever.

Death Of A CEO

Another Austrian-registered corporation that shares extensive overlap with Art Aviation is a company called Jetology, with offices in Vienna. Prokop is listed as a director of Jetology. Until recently, Timothy Hurworth was, as well.

On March 8, just before dawn, Austrian police were called to a highway overpass about 10 kilometers outside of Vienna to investigate a report of a body found next to a bridge.

The body was later identified as Hurworths. He was 46.

Austrias public prosecutor told RFE/RL and ZackZack that a police investigation showed no signs of any third-party involvement. Accordingly, an autopsy was not ordered.

Prokop also said Hurworths death was a suicide and that Hurworth had been distraught about the company being shut down in the wake of the European sanctions.

Jetology also had a British affiliate, whose corporate offices were at an airport in the East Midlands, in England. The companys principal direct beneficiary was listed as Elisabeth Hurworth, a 36-year-old Austrian citizen and Hurworths widow. She could not be reached for comment.

Asked about Hurworths death, Alenkin responded: Mr. Timothy Hurworth was great Friend and business partner of mine. With respect to him and his family and loved ones, I do not find [it] appropriate to comment on the reasons or circumstances of his [death], he said. It is a grievous loss both personally for me and for the industry.

Weiser, editor in chief of the Austrian news site ZackZack, reported from Vienna. Eckel, senior correspondent with RF/RL, reported from Prague.
The Russian State Duma has passed a pair of bills to end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the country.

The bills passed nearly unanimously on June 7, with only one deputy from the opposition Communist Party voting against. They must be signed by President Vladimir Putin in order to become law.

One of the bills would remove the country from the jurisdiction of the ECHR and the other would set March 15 as the cutoff for rulings against Russia, meaning any ruling after that date will not be implemented.

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the ECHR "in the hands of Western politicians has turned into an instrument of political struggle against our country. He was quoted by TASS as saying some of its decisions directly contradicted the Russian Constitution, our values, and traditions."

He cited an ECHR ruling that Russia recognize same-sex marriages, saying there have been a multitude of such rulings by the ECHR, and Russia cannot agree with this.

Russia informed the director general of the Council of Europe (CoE) that it was withdrawing from the court based on Article 7 of its charter under which any member of the council may withdraw following an official notification.

The Strasbourg-based CoE oversees the court and its parliament elects the judges who sit on the ECHR. The CoEs Committee of Ministers decided in March to expel Russia after 26 years of membership over its invasion of Ukraine the month before.

The two bills passed the Duma the same day that the ECHR ruled on a complaint filed by Russian members of Jehovahs Witnesses, a banned Christian group that for decades has been viewed with suspicion in Russia.

The court ruled that the Russian authorities decision to ban the group, liquidate its headquarters and nearly 400 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, and seize property violated the rights of believers.

The court recognized that the Russian authorities violated the provisions of several articles of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, including the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

The court ruled that Russia must take all necessary measures to ensure that any criminal prosecutions of Jehovah's Witnesses are terminated and those previously convicted for participation in the activities of the organization are released.

The court ruled that Russia was obliged in total to pay the applicants almost 3.5 million euros in compensation and return the confiscated property.

The decision was issued in the case of Taganrog and Others vs. Russia, which combined 20 complaints filed by Jehovah's Witnesses from 2010 to 2019.

The ruling would also affect a case in the Siberian city of Chita, where several Jehovahs Witnesses this week were handed prison terms on extremism charges amid an ongoing crackdown on the religious group that has been banned in Russia since 2017.

But the implementation of the ruling will be blocked if Putin signs the bills into law.

The break with the ECHR would also remove a legal avenue that Russians, including jailed Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, have used in the past to raise cases that had been rejected by national courts.

The ECHR ruled in February 2021 that Navalny should be released from prison after being jailed on charges he described as politically motivated. Russia described the ruling as "unlawful."

With reporting by Reuters and TASS
Ukraine will fight to recover all its territory that has been occupied by Russian forces, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said as Ukrainian forces struggled to hold on to the eastern city of Syevyerodonetsk.

The Ukrainian military reported that during the day on June 7 in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Russian troops fired on more than 16 settlements, killing one civilian and injuring six.



Ukrainian defenders repulsed 11 enemy attacks, and fighting was still going on at two locations, the military said. Ukrainian forces claimed to have destroyed three Russian tanks, five artillery systems, several vehicles, and three ammunition depots.



Air-defense units shot down two drones in the skies over the Donbas, the Ukrainian military said. None of the claims could be independently verified.

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.

Zelenskiy said earlier that Ukrainian forces were still holding out in Syevyerodonetsk despite being outnumbered and outgunned by the Russian military.

He said intense house-to-house fighting and the Russians' indiscriminate shelling had turned Syevyerodonetsk and its twin city of Lysychansk into "dead cities."

Regional head Serhiy Hayday said on June 7 Ukrainian forces were finding it hard to stave off Russian attacks in the center of Syevyerodonetsk, but Moscow's forces did not control the city. Hayday also said Russian troops were constantly shelling Lysychansk, which lies across the Siverskiy Donets River.

If captured, the two strategic targets that are still in Ukrainian hands would deliver Russian forces the entire eastern Luhansk region.

The Ukrainian armed forces said in a morning update on June 7 that Russia's "main efforts" remain focused on Syevyerodonetsk and on nearby Bakhmut, where another counterattack had been launched.

The Russians' advance last month toward Popasna, some 50 kilometers south of Syevyerodonetsk, stalled last week, Britain's Defense Ministry said on June 7 in its daily intelligence bulletin.

The bulletin said that Moscow will "almost certainly" need to achieve a breakthrough either in Popasna, or north of Syevyerodonetsk, in the Izyum area if it wants to achieve "success and progress towards its political objective of controlling all of Donetsk Oblast."

Zelenskiy said in his nightly address on June 6 that there may be more than 2,500 prisoners from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol now detained by the Russians in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine.

Zelenskiy said the Russians' intentions regarding those prisoners were changing constantly. Moscow-backed separatist officials in Donetsk have spoken of putting some of the Azovstal defenders on trial for alleged human rights abuses in Ukraine.

The bodies of some Ukrainian troops killed during the siege of Azovstal have been returned by the Russian forces to Ukraine, the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders said.

The association said forensic examination of the bodies may take up to three months. Relatives of the victims are participating in identification procedures.

The Ukrainian military said the Russians had handed over 210 bodies of Ukrainian fighters, most of whom who died defending the city of Mariupol from Russian forces at the vast steel works.



Mariupol residents have been facing a growing humanitarian crisis, compounded by acute shortages of food and water.

A Ukrainian official said June 6 that contamination from decomposing corpses and rubbish had sparked a cholera outbreak -- prompting a citywide quarantine.

"We are seeing the city get closed off," Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the city's mayor, told the media.

Zelenskiy also said the country is hoping to create secure corridors that would allow its ships to export grain from Black Sea ports blocked by the fighting.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on June 7 arrived in Turkey for talks on unblocking grain exports from Ukraine.

Turkey has offered to escort maritime convoys from Ukraine's Black Sea ports, which have been blocked by Moscow's forces.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on June 7 said Poland was in the process of signing a wide-ranging treaty for the delivery of weapons to Ukraine.

The deal is "one of the biggest, if not the biggest weapons export deal of the last 30 years," Morawiecki said after visiting a Polish armaments company. He said the weapons would be critical in helping Ukraine drive out the Russian invaders.

He did not provide specifics on the kinds of weapons to be transferred or other details of the deal, but during a presentation at the company, he and Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak posed in front of self-propelled gun systems.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said radiation detectors in the exclusion zone around Ukraine's defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant are back online for the first time since Russia seized the area on February 24. Radiation levels are normal, the UN nuclear watchdog said.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, CNN, BBC, dpa, and AP
Refugees from the war in Ukraine who were given shelter in Bulgaria are being forced out of their accommodations on the Black Sea coast. The government slashed subsidies for hotels housing them ahead of the summer tourist season.
Louis Vuitton Debuts Its New UTC Boutique

The French fashion house hosted a catwalk at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies coinciding with its opening
All 17 eucalyptus trees in the center medians along Grand Avenue between Escondido Boulevard and Juniper Street in downtown Escondido are being chopped down this week.

Planted roughly 30 years ago, the trees will be replaced with drought-tolerant plants and some trees.

For years, the eucalyptus trees have presented a problem for the city and recently have been looking sick. They are difficult to maintain, limbs have been falling on the street and the root systems have taken over the medians to such an extent that only short-term replanting has been done to maintain minimum appearance standards, city officials said.

All the trees should be gone by the end of the day Thursday, barring extreme weather, and the replanting of the medians should be done by the end of June.

The work will not impact Crusin Grand, the Farmers Market or the May 20 Street Faire, said the citys economic development director, Michelle Geller.

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The total cost of the Grand Avenue Median Facelift project is about $70,000, of which the Downtown Business Association kicked in $20,000 from a grant it had earlier received from the county.

Geller said the decision was made to remove the trees now, even though the city is hoping to begin a much more involved and costly Grand Avenue project in a couple years should grant money become available.

The medians look pretty bad, Geller said. We cant keep any plants alive in there. The question was, do we wait another two years and keep them looking like this or do we do kind of a semi-temporary situation.

Alex MacLachlan, president of the business association, said the Grand Avenue business community supports the project. He said originally the association simply wanted to beautify the medians by planting lots of things. But quick tests showed there was simply no soil left to plant anything in because the trees roots had taken over.

Were redoing the landscaping where the trees have come out but were not going to put in any new trees between Kalmia and Maple because those are the medians that would come out as part of the major streetscape improvements, Geller said.

The city should know within a few months whether grant money for the larger project will be made available by the San Diego Association of Governments, a regional planning agency.

In February, the City Council gave the go-ahead to staff to apply for two grants that would give the city $5 million to begin a dramatic remake of Grand Avenue. The project, which will eventually total $15 million if all goes as hoped, includes construction of three roundabouts at the intersections of Broadway, Maple and Kalmia, as well as the removal of the medians and widening of sidewalks.

Although there has been limited opposition expressed via social media to the removal of the trees, and a few signs were recently attached to some of the eucalyptus trees asking people to call the business association to complain, Geller said the city has received only a couple complaints and MacLachlan said the business association hasnt received a single call.

If you look at the bark, its black and crusty, Geller said of the trees. They are not doing their tree job anymore  like cleaning the air. They are sick and they arent even green anymore.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
(Photo : Wikimedia Commons/Katja Schulz) Scientists are all set to release a parasitic wasp that will prevent the growing population of the destructive spotted wing drosophila.

After more than a decade of research, agricultural scientists at Oregon State University are ready to release a parasitic wasp that prevents a highly destructive fruit fly called spotted wing drosophila.

Extension entomologist and Professor Vaughn Walton from the College of Agricultural Sciences said, USDA has authorized the release of the wasp, also known called Ganaspis brasiliensis, a slow process that took 12 years "from application to decision," a Growing Produce report said.

Parasitic Wasp Might Be a Solution for Spotted Wing Drosophilahttps://t.co/zy1ODrAwBo#CropProtection #biocontrols  Growing Produce (@GrowingProduce) June 6, 2022

Now that it has a permit, the lab of Walton, which is part of the OSU Agricultural Experiment Station, is raising adequate wasps to make a mark in the spotted wing drosophila population in Oregon.

He said this would have a great impact. He added, that spotted wing drosophila is very difficult to control. It has an extremely high reproduction rate with many generations each year.

ALSO READ: Australian Wasp Shown to Pose Serious Danger to Aviation Safety





Integrated Pest Management Approach

Due to the very high reproduction rate, when using pesticides, they need to be applied constantly, at times, twice, or thrice every week. Growers are quite interested, not to mention excited, about a biological control that will work along with cultural management tools to lessen SWD and not cost them any money.

Essentially, the holistic IPM or integrated pest management approach using cultural controls such as good sanitation, drip irrigation, weed cloth, and proper pruning can be fairly effective.

However, there is still a need for IPM management programs to add pesticides in the fight against spotted wing drosophila, explained Walton.

Spotted wing drosophila is well appropriate for the Willamette Valle climate. Approximately 95 percent live in areas around non-crop habitats that function as pest reservoirs for the crops' reinvasion. That's when and where the wasp will be released.

How the Parasitic Was Kills SWD

In their paper published in Scientific Reports, researchers said the parasitoid wasp kills SWD by laying eggs inside the insect. Then, when the former hatches, its larva eats its prey.

Essentially, spotted wing drosophila populations can be kept at bay at the rate of 65 percent at the most when the parasitoid wasp is around to check it, initial data shows.

Walton said, "We'll never take down the entire fly population." However, he added, as SWD increases, there's more food for the wasp to eat.

Spotted Wing Drosophila

Cornell University describes the SWD as a "vinegar or fruit fly of East Asian origin." It made its way in 2011 to New York. At present, the spotted wing drosophila has spread throughout most of the continental US.

Furthermore, it can directly infect the fruit of various plants, although it is most attracted to blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and other late-season, soft-flesh fruits, both wild and cultivated.

SWD deserves to be noticed because, different from its relative species, which lay eggs over a ripe or rotting fruit, the fruit fly can lay eggs inside fresh fruits frequently before harvest.

After a couple of days, the fruit skin turns wrinkled or dimpled, forming craters in the fruit. Minus control measures, late-season blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries can suffer upwards of 80-percent loss in crops.

Related information about the spotted wing drosophila is shown on The Ohio State University IPM Program's YouTube video below:

RELATED ARTICLE: Scientists Find Over 500 'Murder Hornets' Including Almost 200 Queens

Check out more news and information on Wasps in Science Times.
The owner of a wellness clinic in Santa Cruz pleaded guilty in a scheme that sold fake COVID vaccination cards and immunization pellets. A preliminary new study suggests neurological and motor function development problems in babies whose mothers got infected with COVID while pregnant.

Here are the latest updates:

CDC: Many schools need better ventilation systems to prevent virus spread

A new CDC study indicates that high-quality, costly ventilation systems to reduce spread of the coronavirus in schools are not as widespread as desired. A nationally representative survey in K-12 public schools found that higher-cost and resource-intensive" ventilation strategies, like portable high-efficiency particular air (HEPA) filtration systems were reported less frequently in classrooms than simpler tactics like inspecting heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and opening doors or windows -- which a significant majority of schools did employ. Rural and mid-poverty schools were the least likely to report implementing several resource-intensive ventilation strategies. Ensuring use of ventilation improvement resources might reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools and also prevent transmission of other infectious diseases and lead to broader improvements in the health of students and staff members, the researchers wrote. Public health professionals can focus support on schools least likely to report using resource-intensive ventilation strategies to ensure more equitable implementation of ventilation strategies to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

COVID keeps some poll workers absent in S.F.

About 100 poll workers in San Francisco called in sick Tuesday -- most for COVID related reasons, elections officials said. But the absences didn't cause any significant impacts at polling places and voting centers and won't affect the vote count. The number of absences is about 5% of the city's total poll workers, said Elections Department Director John Arntz, and the department had 100 employees on standby at City Hall, if needed to cover absences, he said. All polling places remained open, he said and were set to report returns on Tuesday night. No delays are anticipated, Arntz said.

Pfizer, Moderna vaccines for children under 5 could come as soon as June 21

COVID-19 vaccines for children 6 months to 4 years old could be available as soon as June 21, Dr. Ahmad Kamal, director of Santa Clara Countys health care system preparedness, told supervisors Tuesday. That tracks with the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations vaccine advisory committee meeting scheduled for June 15 to review vaccine safety and efficacy data from Pfizer and Moderna for children in this age group. Once that committee recommends authorizing a vaccine, it typically takes a few days for the full FDA to adopt the recommendation and then for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to review and formally recommend the shots to certain age groups. Kamal said he anticipates the federal agencies will authorize the Pfizer and Moderna shots simultaneously for children under 5, the last remaining age group in the U.S. that cannot yet get vaccinated. The county has been allocated about 15,000 doses of pediatric vaccines  which is one-tenth the adult dose  for the first shipment. There are about 100,000 children in this age group in the county.

1 in 4 symptomatic kids will get long COVID, a large study suggests

Over 25% of children who are diagnosed with COVID-19 may develop symptoms associated with long COVID, according to an analysis of 21 studies on the subject conducted across four continents. Researchers looked at cases of 80,071 children with coronavirus for the study and determined that a quarter of them developed symptoms that lasted between four to 12 weeks after initial infection or developed new persistent symptoms within 12 weeks, according to the study published Monday in medRxiv. The most prevalent clinical manifestations observed were mood symptoms, fatigue and sleep disorders, according to the authors.

COVID wave not yet leading to rise in deaths in Santa Clara County

The current sixth wave of the pandemic, driven by highly infectious omicron subvariants, has not yet led to an increase in related deaths, Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody told county supervisors Tuesday. However, the current wave has yet to plateau in the county, she said, so its too early to tell whether this will hold. So far we have not seen a bump in deaths from this wave of omicron subvariants, but its a little too early to say its not translating to deaths, Cody said. In general, so far, we have not seen the severity we saw during omicron. But its early yet. In previous waves, a rise in deaths typically follows the peak in cases by a few weeks.

CDC raises monkeypox alert for travelers

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention elevated its monkeypox travel notice on Monday to level 2 "alert" status, warning Americans to practice enhanced precautions when traveling. That includes avoiding close contact with sick people, including those with skin lesions or genital lesions. People should also avoid contact with wild animals, living or dead; avoid eating or preparing meat from wild game; and avoid contact with contaminated materials, such as bedding. While the CDC had first recommended on its website that travelers wear face masks, it later removed the advice, CNBC reported. As of Monday, more than 1,000 infections of the poxvirus had been reported in 29 countries, including the U.S. Anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk, the CDC said. CDC is urging healthcare providers in the U.S. to be alert for patients who have rash illnesses consistent with monkeypox, regardless of whether they have travel or specific risk factors for monkeypox and regardless of gender or sexual orientation. California has reported six confirmed monkeypox cases so far.

Santa Clara County COVID infections not yet on the way down

While reported cases look like they may be leveling off in Santa Clara County, wastewater surveillance data shows infections are still going up, Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody told county supervisors Tuesday. While it looks like it may be plateauing, it actually isnt, Cody said. This is the first time weve noticed this difference where our reported case rates and what we see in our sewer sheds is not tracking together. Many positive tests are no longer reported to public health departments because more people are taking home antigen tests and not reporting the results, so counties official case rates are likely an undercount. Cody noted that all four sewer sheds in the county show the level of virus is on the rise. We are not yet on the way down, she said. The increase is largely driven by BA.2 subvariants, but all four of the countys sewer sheds are now seeing BA.4, the subvariant that exploded in South Africa and some parts of the United States.

FDA vaccine advisers recommend authorizing Novavax vaccine

The vaccine advisory committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday recommended the FDA grant emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine made by Novavax. The two-dose vaccine, for people 18 and older, is 90% effective at preventing any infection and 100% effective at preventing severe illness, according to clinical data Novavax submitted to the FDA. However, the company did not present data on the vaccines effectiveness against the omicron variant, the ancestor of the subvariants that are currently driving new cases in the U.S. The trials were completed last fall, when earlier variants were circulating. The FDA typically adopts the committees recommendations, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention usually then recommends the shots for specific groups within a few days. If authorized, the Novavax vaccine would be the fourth brand available in the U.S., joining the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson versions.

Bay Area cases still dropping as spring surge levels off

State data released Tuesday shows coronavirus cases are continuing to fall  slightly  in the Bay Area. The region is reporting about 3,900 cases a day on average, down about 8% from two weeks ago, when the spring surge appears to have started to level off. Health officials have said they remain wary of a possible uptick in cases again due to seasonal gatherings like graduations or the penetration of more infectious or immune-evasive variants.

California Supreme Court chief justice contracts COVID-19

California Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye has tested positive for the coronavirus, court officials said. Cantil-Sakauye, who is fully vaccinated and has had two booster shots, is experiencing mild symptoms, California Supreme Court Clerk Jorge Navarrete said in a news release Monday. She will isolate but continue to work in accordance with state and local health guidelines, but she was not planning to participate in remote oral arguments Tuesday. The court has drafted an order that will allow the chief justice to review video recordings of oral arguments if attorneys agree, Navarrete said. Read the full story.

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 tops 9 million confirmed COVID cases

There have been 9,058,902 total confirmed COVID-19 cases in California since March 2020, as the state hit another unfathomable benchmark while in the middle of its sixth wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The actual number of infections is likely much higher as many residents have turned to home tests, with results that often go unreported to health officials. California is averaging about 31 new cases per day per 100,000 residents, according to state data published Tuesday. That marks a 47% increase over the past month, even though the rate of new daily cases is steadying. The state's test positivity rate remains elevated at 8.9%  a 2.1% increase from the previous seven-day average. COVID-19 hospitalizations also continue to increase, with 2,581 patients across the state as of Tuesday compared to 2,190 a week ago.

BA.4 and BA.5 omicron sub-lineages explode in U.S.

The highly infectious BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages of the omicron coronavirus variant are rapidly crowding out the dominant BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 strains of the virus, according to the latest tally of variant proportions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. BA.5 made up 7.6% of cases sequenced nationally last week, up from 0.4% for the week ending May 7, with BA.4 making up 5.4% of cases nationally, from 0.6% in the same period. This is the first week the CDC has separated the sub-lineages from the B.1.1.529 umbrella. Health experts say BA.4 and BA.5 appear to be more contagious than BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 and show signs of evading immunity, meaning even those previously infected with omicron are susceptible to reinfection. There is concern that the sub-lineages could drive another COVID-19 surge, just as the country emerges from the BA.2 spring wave. Northern California has yet to see the impact of BA.4 and BA.5, which so far make up 0.7% and 0.1% of the sequenced cases in the region.

New vaccine Novavax goes to FDA advisors Tuesday for approval

An FDA advisory panel on Tuesday is considering whether regulators should authorize a COVID-19 vaccine made by Novavax. The vaccine offers an alternative for people who cannot tolerate the earlier vaccines, and the company is hoping to find a niche among unvaccinated millions who might agree to this more traditional kind of shot  a protein vaccine. It also could be a choice for boosters regardless of which type of shot people got first. The experts to the Food and Drug Administration will base their recommendation on the companys clinical trial data, which is strong. The FDA would also need to need to sign off on Novavaxs manufacturing process, which has stumbled over the course of two years.

Study points to neurodevelopmental changes in babies exposed to COVID in womb

Infants whose mothers were diagnosed with COVID-19 while pregnant may suffer from neurological and motor function development at 6 weeks, according to preliminary research by the European Congress of Psychiatry. The analysis suggests that the babies born to infected mothers may have greater difficulty relaxing and adapting their bodies while being held, and difficulty controlling head and shoulder movement, compared to those whose mothers did not contract COVID. Not all babies born to mothers infected with COVID show neurodevelopmental differences, but our data shows that their risk is increased in comparison to those not exposed to COVID in the womb," said Dr. Rosa Ayesa Arriola, the leader of the project, in a statement. We need a bigger study to confirm the exact extent of the difference. The study looked at 21 women who had COVID while pregnant and 21 who did not, and closely followed them, the researchers said.

Impacts of pandemic heighten looming food crises, United Nations says

Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings Monday about looming food crises driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring. World Food Program executive director David Beasley said besides hurting the poorest of the poor the global food crises threaten to overwhelm millions of families who are just getting by. He cited as just the tip of the iceberg food crises now in Indonesia, Pakistan, Peru and Sri Lanka. The report calls for urgent humanitarian action to help hunger hotspots where acute hunger is expected to worsen over the next few months.

Childrens COVID cases dip slightly after 2 months of increase

After rising steadily over the past two months, childrens COVID-19 cases in the U.S. dipped slightly, with 87,374 new cases reported last week, according to data published Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Childrens Hospital Association. That number still remains far higher than the 25,915 cases reported during the mid-April lull between the omicron winter surge and when the BA.2 and BA.2.121 virus subvariants took hold.
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San Francisco could provide an additional 7 million pounds of food to the hungry under a plan announced Tuesday that would require supermarkets and restaurants to rescue edible produce, prepared meals and other food, and to reduce what they send to landfills.

The legislation from Supervisor Shamann Walton and the San Francisco Department of the Environment is intended to help the county comply with SB1383, which seeks to reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfill by 75% to meet state climate goals.

Signed into law in 2016, SB1383 requires food businesses to divert food waste from landfills and to rescue the maximum amount of edible food. It went into effect in January for large-scale food businesses like supermarkets and distributors and will apply to larger restaurants (over 250 seats and 5,000 square feet), hotels, caterers and health facilities in January 2024.

The timing is good, said Alexa Kielty of the Department of the Environment, because the need for food almost doubled during the pandemic, just as food donations went down when hotels and other providers experienced a loss of business.

Food insecurity remains a significant issue in San Francisco with 1 in 4 residents at risk of hunger due to low income or economic insecurity, Walton, who represents District 10, said in a statement. BIPOC communities, in particular Black and Latino, with a growing trend in the citys Asian community, are most at risk.

An estimated 35% of food in the United States is wasted, resulting in a loss of $408 billion in 2019, according to the nonprofit organization Refed. At the same time, when food, yard waste and other organic matter break down in landfills, they emit methane and other greenhouse gases that add up to around 20% of the states methane emissions.

While composting reduces such emissions and is part of the strategy behind SB1383, the law also intends to rescue more food while its still edible.

Waltons proposal, which the Board of Supervisors passed preliminarily on Tuesday and will be up for a second vote on June 14, would require food businesses to keep track of the amount of food they rescue and make sure theyre sorting waste properly. It also allows the Department of the Environment to inspect businesses and impose fines when they dont comply.

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.

However, Our site visits are really focused on education and technical assistance, said Kelly Gaherty, commercial zero waste assistant coordinator at the Department of the Environment. We know that this is a brand new law.

San Francisco has been preparing for SB1383 since 2019, when it received a $500,000 grant to test software that matches food businesses with excess to food recovery organizations like food pantries. The city also used the funds to buy equipment to help organizations handle the expected extra food, such as a new fork lift purchased for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.

The work done with that grant resulted in rescuing over 3 million pounds of food, or about 2.5 million meals, according to the Department of the Environment.

Tara Duggan (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan
A demoted San Rafael principal won a $725,000 settlement two years after filing a lawsuit against the school district alleging discrimination and retaliation over his support of Latino students.

The sum is not insignificant, equal to more than 1% of the budget for the San Rafael City District, which serves 4,200 elementary and middle school students.

Former Venetia Valley School Principal Juan Rodriguez filed the lawsuit in September 2020, six months after his demotion. His lawyers announced the settlement Monday.

Rodriguez alleged that the district discriminated against him based on his race and national origin, and because of his vocal advocacy on behalf of Latino students and his efforts to achieve racial equity, according to his attorneys.

San Rafael Superintendent Jim Hogeboom said insurance will cover all but $181,250 of the settlement, limiting the financial impact on students, and that the district admits no fault.

Throughout this litigation, the district has denied that it violated any laws in regard to the decision to reassign Mr. Rodriguez, Hogeboom said in a statement to The Chronicle. The (school) board believes this settlement was in the best interest of the district to avoid the costs of continued litigation and the impact of the litigation on administrative resources.

Rodriguez had been principal of the school since 2012, leading the previously low-performing school, which is nearly 90% Latino/Hispanic and 80% low income, to a California Gold Ribbon School, a state Department of Education award given for exemplary achievement.

He noted in his lawsuit that 100% of the K-8 schools eighth-grade graduates in 2015 were admitted to a university four years later. He was named Marin Educator of the Year in 2012.

Many parents and community members supported him, with the schools PTA creating a petition urging the district to keep him on as principal, which more than 1,500 people signed.

Yet teachers and union representatives complained publicly about his management style, saying he bullied and berated staff.

His bullying should not be allowed to continue in our district, Mary Kate Kenney, president of the San Rafael Teachers Association, said during a March 9, 2020, school board meeting.

The school board that evening voted to remove him from the post and reassign him to a teaching position. Rodriguez left the district after his demotion. He had worked for the district for 19 years.

I realize that the decision to reassign Principal Rodriguez may have come as a surprise and that it was not communicated in the way we would have liked, said Hogeboom in a statement following the reassignment. However, I would like you to know that a decision of this nature is only made after serious thought and reflection. It would only be made if there were compelling reasons and a conclusion drawn that such action was in the best interests of the Venetia Valley community.

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.

Rodriguez acknowledged in the suit that he fought against the status quo.

Mr. Rodriguez has repeatedly raised issues of racial bias by parents, objected to programmatic changes that he reasonably believed were motivated by racial bias, raised questions about the segregation of the schools and advocated for practices intended to minimize or eliminate racial and ethnic bias in the school system.

Rodriguez said this week that he hopes the lawsuit and settlement will encourage change in the district.

I brought this lawsuit on the grounds that (the district) was engaging in discriminatory practices against socio-economically disadvantaged Latino students and because my advocacy on their behalf resulted in ongoing retaliation that included my removal from the role of principal, he said in a statement Monday. My hope is that as a result of this lawsuit, (the district) will take meaningful steps to address systemic racism, and create an atmosphere that supports and provides equal resources for students of color.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker
Sonoma State President Judy Sakaki announced her resignation Monday amid sexual harassment and retaliation allegations involving her and her husband.

Her resignation comes less than two months after published reports revealed that California State University paid $600,000 to a former provost, Lisa Vollendorf, after she reported allegations of sexual harassment involving Sakakis husband, Patrick McCallum, according to the Press Democrat.

Vollendorf had reported to the chancellors office that several women had accused McCallum of unwanted touching and sexual comments, according to the LA Times.

At the time, the university released a statement saying that the claims are without basis.

In a press release announcing her resignation, Sakaki said working as president has been an honor.

After thoughtful reflection and discussions with my family, I made the decision to step away as president of this wonderful campus, Sakaki said. I care deeply about Sonoma State and believe this choice will allow the campus community to move forward in a timely manner.

Sakaki expressed gratitude to the North Bay and the university for the opportunity to serve during such a challenging and transformative time at Sonoma State.

Our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners have been exceptional, and I will forever treasure my time serving as SSU President. I am humbled and honored to have led this campus for the past six years, she said.

Last month, a majority of the universitys faculty issued a vote of no-confidence against Sakaki, said David McCuan, a professor of political science at Sonoma State.

Since Sakaki became president in 2016, McCuan said there have been a number of problems with her leadership, including the campuss declining enrollment, budget deficit and lack of transparency and support to faculty and students.

Thats what McCuan and other faculty members argued to reach the vote in no-confidence.

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.

Sakakis actions and the words didnt match up and so we brought a series of issues before the campus and it passed, McCuan said.

After the vote, State Senators Mike McGuire and Bill Dodd called for Sakakis resignation, according to the Press Democrat.

Sakakis last day will be July 31.

In her statement, Sakaki said she grew up in East Oakland and was a first-generation college student. Her parents and grandparents were forced into internment camps because of their Japense ancestry.

I look forward to my continued involvement in opening doors and transforming the lives of individuals, families and communities through education, Sakaki said.

Sarah Ravani (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
Residents of San Franciscos Mission Bay neighborhood, where streets are sinking and curbs and sidewalks cracking, are suing the city for repairs and damages, saying officials made the misguided decision to approve construction above fragile bay-fill.

The 303 acres between Interstate 280 and San Francisco Bay, now home to 6,000 residential units, were part of the bay before being filled with rock and dirt in the late 1800s. And when the city approved development in 1998 of the Mission Bay neighborhood, with homes, businesses, schools and a hospital, the suit said, city officials ignored the weakness of the underlying terrain.

As the Mission Bay fill has settled over the years, from the load of the improvements and by environmental conditions, and continues to settle, into the clay and mud below, the infrastructure improvements have sunk and continue to sink, said lawyers for the plaintiffs, owners of a condominium in the neighborhood.

The result, they said, has been improper slopes at ... ramps and sidewalks, cracks in sidewalks with associated tripping hazards, re-configured drainage planes, and ... unsightly gaps around public utility poles and fire-hydrants, together with unsafe street curb dimensions that impose life-safety risks to pedestrians.

Building owners have often been held responsible for repairs to adjacent sidewalks. Asked about Mission Bay last fall, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Department of Public Works told KPIX television that the city is not going to be fixing sidewalks for private property. But Daniel Rottinghaus, attorney for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said Tuesday the problem lies not in the sidewalks but in the location of the development.

It arises from the fact that these roadways, parks, sidewalks were all built on bay-fill and the bay-fill is sinking, he said. The buildings are in bedrock and are not moving but the adjacent infrastructure is sinking, more than 18 inches in some areas.

The suit was filed in Superior Court last month on behalf of owners of The Radiance, a 99-unit condo with entrances at 330 Mission Bay Blvd. and 325 China Basin St. It seeks class-action status on behalf of all Mission Bay residents who have had to pay taxes or fees for neighborhood construction and repair work since October 2020 and seeks refunds of those payments, along with compensation for lost property value and related damage.

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 Rottinghaus said the primary goal of the case is to get the city to change its construction and development practices in Mission Bay so that the streets, sidewalks and buildings can all stabilize.

Residents cant go out in the middle of the street and do coring samples to find out whats going on underneath, he said. Were just trying to get the city to take some responsibility for whats occurring and get them out there.

Jen Kwart, spokesperson for City Attorney David Chiu, said his office was reviewing the suit and will respond in court.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
The reality of drought isnt sinking in for most Californians  or maybe people just dont care.

Cities and towns across the state have not only recently failed to meet Gov. Gavin Newsoms request to cut water use by 15%, compared with a year ago, but urban water use has increased over the last year, up 17.6% in April, according to new state data released Tuesday.

The lack of conservation comes as many parts of California reel from water shortages after three dry years. While some communities have enacted local restrictions to protect supplies, many have relied on voluntary cutbacks that just havent panned out.

April is the third month this year, of four in which theres data, that urban water consumption has gone up instead of down. In March, water use rose 18.9%. The increases are at least partly due to the record dry start to the calendar year, which have prompted many to keep irrigating their lawns.

Conservation was much better late last year when several fall and early-winter storms soaked the state. Those months helped maintain a cumulative statewide water savings of 2% since the governors call for austerity in July.

Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, which tracks urban water use, said despite the lagging efforts recently, he was heartened by the cumulative gain.

California water regulators are hoping that a combination of new state rules requiring communities to prepare for water shortages and recent local restrictions in several areas will bring the conservation numbers up.

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.

Newsom has so far resisted calls to impose mandatory statewide reductions for cities and towns like his predecessor, Jerry Brown. The governor has said local leaders know best how to handle their water supplies.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
Its election day in California and the Bay Area. If you still have yet to vote, our 2022 Voter Guide is a one-stop resource to help you make informed decisions, and our Editorial Board has put together endorsements on many key local and state races and ballot measures.

Polls close at 8 p.m. across California, and our newsroom will be reporting from the polls, and tracking every bit of news as the day goes on.

Once data with election results begin to come in, our data journalists will be doing real-time analysis in our live updates coverage, as well as publishing more stories on how people voted, and what the data says about the election.

Tracking live election results

California races: Our live election results page tracks results in real-time for every California-wide race, driven by data coming from the Associated Press. Follow live California election results.

Local races: Our election results page includes results on every local Bay Area race, from San Francisco to Santa Clara  and will include some key races where we will be showing data and analysis unique to The Chronicle, and not available through the AP. Follow live San Francisco election results.

For the recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, our live results page breaks down the vote by precinct and shows voter turnout by precinct, which should clearly visualize which neighborhoods voted yes and no on the recall. We also have a page dedicated to tracking the results and breaking down the votes on San Franciscos propositions. Follow live Chesa Boudin recall election results.

Look for the live results pages on SFChronicle.com and our app starting at 6 p.m. PT.

When will I know the winners?

In California, many voters have already turned in mail-in ballots, but the state will accept mailed ballots through June 14, so it could be a while before results to all races happening across the state are known, depending on how close a race is after election night.

The Chronicle will be calling the results of several races. You can sign up for our email news alerts or download our app to have us send you the results of races as soon as theyre called. And go here for an explanation of how our team calls races.

Key races to watch

Youll no doubt be dialed in to see the outcomes of measures and races you voted on, but our politics team also has identified these as the highlights for all Californians to watch for this June election:

Chesa Boudin recall: In San Francisco, voters will decide on eight ballot measures, including the marquee initiative to recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin. The recall race is in the national spotlight, and S.F. voters could decide much more than his fate. The race will send out a signal of public sentiment at an unsettled time, when pandemic anxieties and fears of rising crime have stalled some of the momentum on criminal justice reform spurred by Black Lives Matter activism and the police murder of George Floyd.

San Francisco propositions: The electorate will also choose whether to reform the recall process itself, possibly raising the threshold to remove officials in the future. Other items on the ballot include funding for Muni improvements and the creation of a new city government office dedicated to victim rights. Read more here.

Bay Area sheriffs races: Four Bay Area counties face sheriffs elections on the June 7 ballot in races marked by scandals and public demands for reform. In Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties, incumbents are running on  and at times, from  their records. In Santa Clara County, scandal-plagued incumbent Sheriff Laurie Smiths decision to not seek a seventh term created a five-way race to pick up the pieces left by years of controversy. Read more here.

Gubernatorial primary: Gov. Gavin Newsom runs for re-election to a second term. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.

Attorney General primary: Rob Bonta, who was appointed by the governor after Xavier Becerra joined the Biden administration, runs for a full term. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.

D.A. races: Voters will cast ballots for district attorney in every California county except Los Angeles. Occurring during the summer primary when voter turnout is typically low, the off-season elections could nonetheless determine how far the criminal justice pendulum swings in a moment of pandemic-stewed uncertainty. Nowhere is this debate more animated than in the Bay Area, which is in the midst of a political identity crisis. Read more about the races in Alameda County, Contra Costa, Solano County and Santa Clara County here.

Here are five more things to watch in the California election from our politics team.
This month, as we do each June, we are celebrating Pride in San Francisco. This year, there was much debate about whether to allow LGBTQ peace officers to march in the annual Pride Parade while in uniform.

This column wont address that debate, nor any deal to resolve it thats been made. Instead, it will report that on Wednesday, June 1, LGBTQ firefighters, police officers and sheriffs deputies gathered to raise the Pride flag at our main jail. And that the sheriff asked me to say a few words. Here is what I said:

It is fitting that we stand here today. Pride was a concept we fought for long before Stonewall, and it began right outside the jails we deputies manage.

Back in the 1950s, there was a drag queen named Jose Sarria, also known as the Widow Norton. Jose wanted to be a teacher but was arrested and convicted on a morals charge  the crime of being gay. This conviction meant he could never become the teacher he wanted to be.

He instead became a performer, at a club named the Black Cat, and as he became famous, he spoke up. He often said, Theres nothing wrong with being gay  the crime is getting caught.

When the bar closed for the night, he often led a crowd to stand beneath the windows of the old Branch Jail on Stockton, where men and women were being held for the crime of being different, knowing that their names might be published the next day in the newspaper for public indecency. Jose stood beneath those barred windows and sang God save us nelly queens (to the tune of God Save the Queen) to let those arrestees know it was not time to give up hope.

In August 1966, a riot occurred at Comptons Cafeteria in the Tenderloin, in response to the San Francisco police harassment of drag queens and trans people. Those trans activists fought back and sparked a revolution.

Three years later, on June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar in Greenwich Village infamous for allowing same-sex dancing and drag queens. The LGBTQ patrons and neighborhood residents again fought back.

A year later in the same city, the first Pride parade was conducted. The organizers emphasized that there would be no dress code, that individuals would come to the 60-block walk as they were: drag queens and leather daddies, dykes on bikes, and people in uniform. Five thousand showed up.

They chanted: Say it clear. Say it loud. Gay is good, gay is proud.

In 1978, Gilbert Baker introduced a flag to the San Francisco Pride Parade, in eight rainbow colors to celebrate the diversity of the movement. The rainbow, like the one in the Bible, was a covenant with the community, a promise of light and laughter after the storm.

Fifty years ago, we members of the LGBTQ community could not serve in the military. Whether we could teach was soon to be on the California ballot. And we certainly could not have worked in law enforcement.

But some of us chose to make the change from within, to infiltrate those who had oppressed us. We made a difference. The San Francisco Sheriffs Department led the nation in teaching officers about AIDS. We were the first law enforcement agency in the state to introduce and get certified Transgender Awareness Training.

Takes a lot of courage to put on the badge. Takes twice as much when you come from a marginalized community. Many in the old guard did not think we should serve. To this day, 1 in 5 LGBTQ officers experiences employment discrimination.

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.

Takes a lot of courage to put on the badge. Like the colors of the flag, each of the seven points of the star has a meaning, one for each of the virtues. The first is courage and the greatest is truth.

Takes a lot of courage to put on the badge. There are people in our own community who tell us to be ashamed of our uniform. And we tell them we are defined by both that rainbow and that badge.

But Pride is not only about the past; pride is about today and the promise of the future.

Today we stand in the sunlight, proud of who we are, both LGBTQ and first responders.

Today we raise a flag. We are not the Marines, having taken Iwo Jima. Rather, we have taken a stand. We make the radical claim that we can serve both of our communities with honor. When we raise this flag, we promise that we will honor the diversity promised by those colors, and we will continue to be the agents of change within an organization that needs us.

We thank the sworn LGBTQ for their courage, and their pride.

God save us nelly queens.

Kevin Fisher-Paulsons column appears Wednesdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com
Update: Chesa Boudin was ousted as San Francisco district attorney in historic recall

In February 2020, over 1,000 people marched through San Franciscos Chinatown. Under the banner Fight the Virus, Not the People, Asian American and Pacific Islanders and their supporters, stood up against a surge of anti-Asian violence and discrimination.

All of us there that day knew why the vitriol and hate was increasing; Donald Trump had fueled anti-Asian violence through his venomous rhetoric, falsely blaming the spread of the coronavirus on Asians and by extension, Asian Americans  all at a time when our communities were already struggling with shelter-in-place, lost wages and a virus that was killing our loved ones.

Two years later, I could not have predicted that the rise in anti-Asian hate would be hijacked and manipulated by supporters of the campaign to recall San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin.

Live: San Francisco election results for the Chesa Boudin recall

I have served San Francisco my entire life. For eight years, I was a prosecutor under District Attorney Arlo Smith, followed by 24 years as a judge on San Franciscos Superior Court. During my tenure on the bench, I started San Franciscos Domestic Violence Court, and today, although retired, I continue to stay active serving the public by organizing and supporting our communities.

As a leader in the AAPI community of this city, I know this political calculation is wrong and will not make us safer. I would never support a district attorney who did not stand up for our vulnerable community members or the AAPI community. Fortunately, with Boudin, I dont have to make that choice. He has been there for the AAPI community throughout this difficult time and has worked as hard as any district attorney Ive observed to meet the challenges facing us today.

During his tenure, Boudin has greatly expanded services to AAPI victims and outreach to our community. He increased the number of Chinese-speaking victims advocates from one to seven and hired and promoted Kasie Lee  a multilingual, Chinese American woman  to head his offices Victim Services Division. He also made it a policy for victims to have access to language services in all court proceedings, not just when they testify, and created an AAPI Elder Steering Committee to better serve our vulnerable elders. Moreover, he recently announced a new AAPI Victims Services Unit, led by Dr. Paul Lam.

Boudin is prosecuting those who have harmed us, seeking hate crimes charges in 17 cases with AAPI victims and prosecuting dozens of other cases of violence against AAPI San Franciscans. He is also implementing important reforms like not trying kids as adults and civil litigation against manufacturers of ghost guns. While critics use scare tactics to malign reforms, I know from my years on the bench, that these actions are critical in breaking the cycle of crime and making our city safer.

That my fellow AAPI San Franciscans are fearful after the heartbreak of the last two years is understandable. AAPI community members in Oakland, Atlanta, New York and every major city across the country feel similarly. Personally, I, too, have experienced racist taunts and insults off the bench and felt that rage and vulnerability.

And years ago, I also learned what it meant to be the victim of a crime.

In 1991, the year I became a judge, I was robbed at knife point in Portsmouth Square. My attacker was never caught. The district attorney at the time was Smith. But I didnt blame him, or the police, for this attack. I never blamed a district attorney for rising homelessness (which has been a crisis since at least the days of former Mayor Art Agnos). I understand that these problems require serious conversation and real solutions  not pithy soundbites. And certainly not multimillion-dollar campaigns designed to falsely attack one person.

When I talk to my AAPI friends about this election, I tell them how Ive seen the hard work Boudin and his dedicated team put in every day to support our community. I tell them that of course his office has challenges  thats been the case under every district attorney. But I also tell my friends that Boudin has brought in dedicated and bright attorneys, some experts in their field, who are working tirelessly to support victims, provide justice and make our city safer.

In 2020, we were unified in denouncing hate. Elected officials including, Boudin stood up in solidarity with the AAPI communities, working to support local businesses and provide resources for residents.

Two years later, we are divided thanks to a dishonest recall campaign.

Its time to heal. Its time for justice and real safety. Its time for unity once again. Join me in rejecting the recall. Vote no on Proposition H.

Julie Tang is a retired judge for the San Francisco Superior Court and a former assistant district attorney. Upon retirement she co-founded the Comfort Women Justice Coalition with retired Judge Lillian Sing.
NIMBYism is destroying the state.

In a recent interview with The Chronicle, Gov. Gavin Newsom was blunt in his assessment of Californias continued inability to solve the housing crisis. And his hometown of San Francisco is one of the worst offenders. Our city openly flouts laws designed to increase the production of housing.

And yet despite his tough talk, Newsom and his Housing Department havent done nearly enough to crack down. Heres how San Francisco breaks state housing laws and what actions Newsom can take to correct the situation  if he can summon the political courage.

The Permit Streamlining Act: San Francisco is one of the most environmentally friendly places in the state to build housing. Residents have short commutes, ample public transit and dont use much water or air conditioning. Allowing more people to live here, instead of hotter, thirstier, car-centric exurban communities, is one of the most environmentally beneficial actions we can take as a city. But San Francisco has some of the strictest and slowest environmental review processes in the entire state. It can take over two years for the Planning Department to declare a negative declaration (that a project has more environmental benefits than impacts) and just under three to complete a required environmental impact report for new housing. Projects that seek an exemption for these reports can run into problems with the Board of Supervisors, which can decide at any time that the environmental impacts have been insufficiently studied or require further review, which they did for the 495 apartments at 469 Stevenson St.

The Permit Streamlining Act, passed in 1977, requires cities to approve permits in a timely manner. If a city cannot meet the laws deadlines to mark projects as complete, or approve/disapprove building permits, a project is supposed to be deemed approved and the developer allowed to start building. However, this remedy kicks in only after a city completes an environmental review. San Francisco has no such process. Often, the planning department will only mark an environmental review as complete when it approves the final permit for a project. The Permit Streamlining Act is supposed to ensure that applications are processed quickly. But if San Francisco never completes its environmental reviews, builders do not have any way to challenge excessive permitting delays.

The state should reject San Franciscos Housing Element  a legally mandated development plan cities need to complete to receive crucial state funding  until the city fixes this status quo. The state could also file suit on behalf of every project applicant who has been subjected to undue delays.

No net loss rules: In 2019, the California Legislature passed a law that requires cities to avoid a net loss in the number of homes that could be built under their zoning codes. San Francisco is currently proposing to remove the ability to build group housing apartments in Chinatown and the Tenderloin. It will offset this loss by legalizing fourplexes on most lots.

But theres a problem: Group housing is financially feasible to build. The proposed fourplex rules, on the other hand, have been saddled with such high affordability requirements that few if any homes are expected to be built. The new rules would also deny homeowners the ability to split lots and build duplexes without going through an exhaustive review process. While not technically illegal, these rules will almost certainly result in fewer homes produced.

State density bonus: State law grants developers bonuses  more apartments or extra height beyond what zoning regulations allow for  in exchange for building additional below-market-rate apartments in a project. San Francisco is the only jurisdiction in the state that tries to subject these additional units to the citys inclusionary zoning rules and fees. Even though the attorney generals office thinks that this practice is illegal, San Francisco persists. The Housing Department could sue on behalf of any building subject to these fees.

Nonprofits skirting tax rules: TODCO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that owns eight low-income apartment buildings in the South of Market area, but it does not build new housing or even manage the buildings  it takes rent from tenants and subsidies from the federal government, pays a property management company a fee and uses the leftover money to pay salaries and conduct political campaigns, including appealing 469 Stevenson and changes to the citys density bonus rules.

John Elberling, TODCOs president, lives in one of his organizations buildings in a room designated for a maintenance worker. Elberlings apartment should be taxed at its market value, but TODCO claims it is worth just $10,248 per year in in-kind compensation, about a third of the going rate for a top-floor SoMa studio. The building manager, who rents an identical room in the same building, declares over $30,000 in noncash compensation on tax forms.

There are nonprofits in other cities that behave similarly. Newsom could ask the Franchise Tax Board to audit nonprofits that conduct political campaigns and work with local governments to ensure that apartments owned by nonprofits are fit for habitation.

Recent changes in state law were designed to make development more predictable and quicker to approve. But San Francisco still prefers to subject every project to the discretion of its supervisors and the whims of cozy nonprofits. Newsom had no problem suing the conservative Orange County city of Huntington Beach. It remains to be seen whether his appointees will apply the same scrutiny to liberal San Francisco.

Kevin Burke is a volunteer with the California Renters Legal Advocacy and Education Fund and serves on the board of East Bay for Everyone.
The Golden State Warriors are in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years. They're tied 1-1 with the Boston Celtics in the best-of-seven series.

On this episode of the Fifth & Mission podcast, the team's hype man, Franco Finn, joins host Demian Bulwa to talk about how he got his job  Hilary Duff is central to the story  what it means to him to be the only Asian American hype man in the league, and what the Warriors mean to the Bay Area's Asian community.

That includes his mom, a Filipina immigrant who fell in love with the team in the early '70s. Finn says he became a superfan as a kid because watching games with mom meant he could stave off bedtime.

Photo above: Franco Finn at the Warriors' first of two Filipino Heritage nights this season on Nov. 7, 2021, at Chase Arena.
The man acquitted of murder charges following the shooting death of Kate Steinle on a San Francisco pier in 2015 will be released from prison and transferred to federal authorities in Texas, according to his attorney.

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate pleaded guilty in March to federal charges of illegally possessing the lethal weapon. A federal judge sentenced him Monday to time served  nearly eight years  and said he could be transferred to authorities in Texas.

Garcia Zarate will likely be transferred over the next few weeks, said Tony Serra, his defense attorney.

Garcia Zarates case gained national attention after former President Donald Trump used the case to proclaim the dangers of illegal immigration. In 2015, 32-year-old Steinle was killed by a bullet that ricocheted off the pavement and struck her in the back while she was on a walk with her father along Pier 14.

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 said he did not intentionally shoot it and said he found it wrapped in a towel at the pier, picked it up and immediately dropped it as it went off.

Garcia Zarate has been in jail since then. In 2017, a jury acquitted him of murder and assault. The jury convicted him of being a felon in possession of a gun.

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.

But federal prosecutors filed charges of illegal firearms possession by a felon and an illegal immigrant.

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He will now be transferred to Texas to hear his immigration case for illegal re-entry. Prior to this, Garcia Zarate had been deported to Mexico five times.

Chronicle staff writers Bob Egelko and Andy Picon contributed to this story.

Sarah Ravani (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@SarRavani
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The Rev. Megan Rohrer of San Francisco, who made history last year as the first openly transgender person to be elevated as bishop in the countrys largest Lutheran denomination, has resigned amid accusations of racism in their removal of the pastor of a predominantly Latino congregation.

Rohrer, who led the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) and uses the pronouns they/them, said in a letter to the synod Saturday they were resigning due to the constant misinformation, bullying and harassment they experienced after the synod voted to remove the pastor on a symbolically important day for Latino Lutherans.

Rohrer removed Rev. Nelson Rabell-Gonzalez following a two-year investigation by the church into more than a dozen incidents in which Rabell-Gonzalez was accused of verbal harassment and retaliation, according to the Sierra Pacific Synod council. Rabell-Gonzalez denied the accusations. He was removed from his position as mission director of Mision Latina Luterana in Stockton on Dec. 12, the Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe  a significant day for many Mexican American congregants, according to a report released Thursday by the ELCA.

The removal upset many of the Latino congregants, and Rohrer apologized for the timing of the action.

While I am likely strong enough to continue serving as your bishop, I believe I would be a poor role model for my black trans children if I continued in this position, Rohrer wrote in their resignation letter.

According to the Sierra Pacific Synod council, church officials laid out a set of recommendations for Rabell-Gonzalez in July. In December, the council said, Rabell-Gonzalez told Rohrer he would not adhere to them, prompting the church to remove him. The report by the ELCA found that Rabell-Gonzalez did not refuse to adhere to the recommendations.

According to the council, Rabell-Gonzalez and the council agreed to meet on Dec. 12 to discuss his employment, and he was notified at 8 a.m. that day that he would be removed. Rabell-Gonzalez told The Chronicle on Monday that he was not allowed to attend the church on Dec. 12, the Feast Day.

The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, said on May 27 she had asked Rohrer to resign after reviewing an internal report on what had happened, but said she would not initiate disciplinary action.

But in a statement Monday, Eaton said she had decided to start the process to immediately discipline and suspend Rohrer, based on additional information that has come to light.

In an email to The Chronicle on Monday, Rohrer said, The ELCA has decided to move forward with a discipline process, even after I resigned, without providing any specifics about what I allegedly did, and that appears to be in conflict with their own procedures.

Rohrer said they decided to resign as bishop after listening to the important and prayerful conversation at the Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly last week, and after speaking with the Synod Council.

The final details of that agreement are still being negotiated, but I believe in light of todays news, this information should be made public, Rohrer told The Chronicle.

A representative from the ELCA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rohrers resignation brings an abrupt early end to the six-year term of one of the first openly transgender bishops in any mainline Christian denomination. Rohrer was installed as bishop at a joyous ceremony at San Franciscos Grace Cathedral in September.

They had previously served as pastor at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Parkside neighborhood and chaplain for the San Francisco Police Department before being elected bishop in May 2021.

Rabell-Gonzalez, who is Afro-Carribean, told The Chronicle on Monday that the resignation of Rohrer, who is white, is the beginning of the vindication of my community and I.

He denied the allegations made against him and said Rohrers decision to remove him was definitely racism.

Without hesitation, Bishop Rohrer interrupted our celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe, without any concern for the sacredness of the occasion, or the pain they were causing by removing me unjustly, without due process, said Rabell-Gonzalez.

He added that the church  mostly comprised of migrant workers and mixed status and undocumented families  was forced to leave its former location after the December incident and now operates as Iglesia Luterana Santa Maria Peregrina, an independent Lutheran church.

In a statement posted online the day after the incident, Rohrer said the decision to remove the pastor was made unanimously by the Synod Council.

It was heartbreaking, yet necessary as the synod considered the well-being of that community and those it serves, the statement read.

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In a statement in February, the Synod Council said it removed Rabell-Gonzalez after alleged accusations of verbal harassment and retaliatory actions from victims between 2019 and 2022.

In our action and timing to protect the known victims and others continuing to come forward, we caused consequences for the Mision Latina Luterana, the Latinx community, our Synod staff, our pastors and deacons, and the greater church, the Synod Council said.

Several groups, including the Asociacion de Ministerios Latinos, criticized Rohrer and the Sierra Pacific Synod for the move. In a statement on Facebook, they said the incident highlights a lack of empathy and understanding toward their Latinx siblings.

This unfortunate situation is a clear and painful example of how systemic racism is deeply rooted in our church, and the long journey ahead of us to dismantle it, the group said.

The Asociacion de Ministerios Latinos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rohrer issued a public apology Dec. 22 on behalf of the Sierra Pacific Synod and asked the Latino community for forgiveness.

I understand that trust can be lost with one action and must be rebuilt with hundreds of trustworthy actions, Rohrer wrote.

The December incident led Eaton, of the ELCA, to appoint a listening panel of three people to investigate what had happened and to come up with recommendations for the next steps. The 25-page report was released Wednesday.

Let me state clearly, Eaton wrote in a statement Wednesday. The ELCA is a church that will not tolerate racism in any way. We will hold ourselves as fully accountable as any other person or group, and we will condemn racism wherever it exists.

Jessica Flores (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesssmflores
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A Northern California man drowned while trying to rescue his two dogs from punishing waterfalls, local officials said Monday.

Robert Lewis, a 47-year-old resident of the small Siskiyou County town of Montague, was visiting Shackleford Falls, a 14-foot waterfall in Klamath National Forest, with his wife and two dogs Saturday morning.
The Federal Trade Commission is starting an inquiry into the operations of pharmacy benefit managers who control access to prescription drugs for millions of Americans.

The consumer protection agency said Tuesday that that it will order the nations largest PBMs to provide a range of information and records detailing how they do business.

Pharmacy benefit managers run prescription drug coverage for big clients that include health insurers and employers that provide coverage. They help decide which drugs make a plans formulary, or list of covered medications. They also can determine where patients go to fill their prescriptions.

These businesses, the biggest of which are run by companies that also operate health insurers, have been criticized by doctors and patients over their formularies and other concerns about drug access.

FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said in a statement that PBMs have enormous influence over the countrys prescription drug system.

This study will shine a light on these companies practices and their impact on pharmacies, payers, doctors, and patients, Khan said.

The FTC said it will seek to learn more from PBMs about drug manufacturer rebates and how they affect formulary design and the cost of drugs.

The agency said it also will look at complicated and opaque methods to determine pharmacy reimbursement and how patients are steered toward PBM-owned pharmacies.

The agency will seek information from OptumRX, which is part of UnitedHealth Group; CVS Healths Caremark business and the insurer Humana, among other companies.

A CVS Health spokesman said the company was looking forward to working cooperatively with the Federal Trade Commission.

The federal agency said the FTC Act authorizes it to conduct studies without a specific law enforcement purpose, and the companies will have 90 days from the date they receive an order to respond.
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WINDSOR LOCKS  A Hartford man was arrested after authorities found a loaded handgun in his backpack at Bradley International Airport, state police said Monday.

Armand D. Slack, 26, of Hartford, was charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, illegal tampering with airport equipment, illegal sale/purchase of a large-capacity magazine and criminal possession of a pistol or revolver. The tampering charge means he was circumventing security by trying to bring in contraband, police said; the charge about the large-capacity magazine means it has the capacity to hold more than 10 rounds, which makes it illegal in the state of Connecticut.
Hundreds of residents of a luxury downtown San Francisco apartment building, 33 Tehama, were evacuated with a moment's notice from their homes on Friday after a burst water pipe flooded every floor of the building. Now they say they have no idea when they may be able to return, or where they will live as they wait.

All 35 floors of the high-end SoMa tower were impacted on Friday after a 6-inch pipe burst on the roof or top floor and water started gushing through hallways and rooms. "On the second floor, water was dripping from the ceiling. It was really bad," resident Tyler Patterson told SFGATE.

The announcement to evacuate came over a loudspeaker as two fire trucks and PG&E arrived to assess the damage.

"With a moment's notice at 2:30 they were like, 'Get out.' So I grabbed my dog and cat, I didn't even grab my wallet, and made it outside," Patterson said.

Residents were sent to two downtown hotels, the Hilton Union Square and Parc 55, but reported today that they are being forced to check out of their hotels with no news yet on where they will be staying tonight. Patterson says that some have been told to go to South San Francisco.

Another resident, Sun Woo, told ABC7 a similar story on Monday. "I have no place to go after 11 today. I don't know where I will be working from," Woo said. "I don't know where I will be taking my belongings or where I will sleep tonight."

This is allegedly not the first time residents have been evacuated from 33 Tehama due to flooding. Patterson says a pipe on the sixth floor also burst in August 2021, leading to the evacuation of six units. "I was moved for three weeks," he said, "with the same lack of communication and empathy from the building."

In a statement shared with the press, property management company Willowick Residential, a subsidiary of Hines, said they are working diligently to make repairs and restore the safety of the building.

"Immediately upon closing the building we provided our tenants with hotel accommodations," the company said in the statement. "We are continuing to work with our residents to address their needs and provide access to their units on an appointment basis, as the building remains closed while we assess the damage. At this time, we do not have a time frame for re-opening."

SFGATE reached out for further comment from the company but had not heard back at time of publication.

A video shared by residents with SFGATE showed major flooding throughout hallways. Another video posted on Reddit showed water gushing through stairwells and elevators.

District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey said in a tweet thread that he visited the building and is working with both residents and Hines, the parent property management company, to help resolve the situation.

Patterson says he has returned to 33 Tehama twice since the evacuation. "We were all gathered outside the leasing office and they wouldn't talk to us," he said. "They're treating us like dogs. We need reliable housing and notice to relocate. We're hearing rumors that it's going to take weeks to get back in."

Patterson is waiting to find out where he will be sleeping tonight with his French bulldog and cat.

Opened in 2018 as part of the Transbay development that includes the Salesforce Tower, the 35-story luxury residence offers co-working spaces, a game room and a spa-equipped, high-end gym and even an optional butler service called Hello Alfred that can take your clothes to the dry cleaner, take the dog for a walk or order takeout food.

Patterson has been a resident at the building, in which a 2-bedroom apartment rents for anything from $5,000 to $16,000 a month, since 2020.

"It'll be two years in July," he said. "I'm not planning on renewing my lease."
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Two Louisiana sheriffs deputies face charges for allegedly participating in a payroll fraud scheme.

The East Baton Rouge Parish sheriffs office said Michael Arthur, 27, and Andre Weber, 25, were arrested on charges of theft and malfeasance in office and fired on Monday, news outlets reported.

Both men are suspected of fraudulently receiving payment for security work as well as receiving payment for off-duty security work while simultaneously on-duty for the Sheriffs Office. Arthur is accused of theft of more than $5,000. Weber is accused of theft of less than $1,000, the sheriffs office said in a statement.

Court documents show Arthur, a two-year veteran of the agency's Uniform Patrol, was caught on surveillance video clocking himself and Weber, a deputy in the Uniform Patrol for the past year and a half, for a security shift at a business in East Baton Rouge Parish. Arthur was later seen on camera leaving the business without clocking out.

Both men were simultaneously working their shift at the sheriffs office, documents show. Arthur later returned to the business to clock himself and Weber out, the records state.

It was unknown if either suspect has an attorney who could comment on their behalf.
NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP)  Two people accused in a Nigerian fraud scheme pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy during a court hearing in Mississippi, federal prosecutors said.

Edafe Onoetiyi, 34, of Nigeria but living in Dallas, and Susan Johns, 55, of Bothell, Washington, entered the pleas in U.S. District Court in Natchez, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Mississippi said in a news release.
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  Three Florida police officers were charged with manslaughter in the death of a man who was subdued with a stun gun last fall, a state attorney announced Tuesday.

A grand jury in Okaloosa County indicted Crestview police officers Brandon Hardaway, William Johns and Evan Reynolds in the death of Calvin Wilks Jr., 40, who died in October the day after an encounter with police, State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden said in a news release.

The release said Madden was prohibited from commenting on evidence presented to the grand jury.

Let us understand that our law enforcement officers face a difficult job every day; however, the sanctity of a life must never be unjustifiably compromised, Madden said.

The Crestview Police Department issued a news release saying the officers were suspended pending the outcome of the criminal case. The department also rereleased its original news release after Wilks' death, which described him as combative.

Crestview police said they received a call at 2:45 a.m. from a resident who heard a woman scream, Please stop!

Wilks told responding officers he would cooperate, but then closed the door and refused to open it for five minutes. When he did, officers said he was in in a highly agitated state, the department said.

Wilks told officers the woman who lived at the address was in the building's parking lot. Officers searched and could not find her, the department said.

Mr. Wilks continued to act aggressive and made several attempts to close the door on an officers foot, slamming it several times. Officers attempted to deescalate Mr. Wilks aggressive behavior. After receiving no cooperation from Mr. Wilks, officers attempted to detain Mr. Wilks who became combative, and physically resisted by pulling away and kicking the detaining officers. During the incident, Mr. Wilks was tased in the hip, and eventually officers were able to restrain him, the October release said.

The department said it called emergency medical services because they were concerned Wilks was on drugs. After an ambulance arrived, he was unresponsive and died the next day.

Prosecutions of police officers are rare. Police are given latitude to shoot people or use stun guns when the need arises. In Florida, the state Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that police officers have the same stand your ground defense as anyone else with regard to their duties.

But in 2021, the Florida Supreme Court rejected the appeal of a police officer convicted of manslaughter and attempted murder for the fatal shooting of a Black motorist whose car had broken down on an interstate off-ramp. The justices decided that they would not consider the appeal filed by fired Palm Beach Gardens officer Nouman Raja, who is serving a 25-year sentence for the 2015 killing of 31-year-old Corey Jones.

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Associated Press writer Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report.
ORANGE, Mass. (AP)  Three juveniles ages 12 to 14 are facing charges in connection with a massive fire in Orange, Massachusetts last weekend that destroyed four buildings, including a vacant mill, authorities said Tuesday.

They will be brought to Greenfield Juvenile Court on arson-related delinquency charges on a date to be determined, according to a joint statement from city and state investigators.
The heartache of a Korean War veteran from Woodbine, Iowa, searching on Facebook for his lost love from Japan captured the hearts of people all over the world.

Now, a 91-year-old Duane Mann's nearly 70-year journey to find Peggy Yamaguchi has ended with a sweet reunion.

Mann never lost hope he'd get the chance to tell his former love why he never found her after he left Japan.



"This girl thinks I abandoned her," he said. "That's really the crux of why I'm here."

He had been waiting for nearly 70 years to give Peggy a message.

"I prayed that I would be able to do that face on face," he said.

Duane last saw his first love in 1954 when he was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan.



Peggy was pregnant when the 22-year-old Iowa farm boy got his orders: The Navy was sending him back to the U.S.

He left Peggy behind with the promise he'd send for the woman he planned to marry.

But when Duane returned home from the Korean War, he discovered his father had fallen on hard times and spent Duane's savings and then Peggy's letters stopped coming, or so he thought. He discovered later his mother burned the letters.

"She didn't want me to marry a Japanese girl," Duane said.

One final letter arrived. Peggy wrote she lost the baby and married someone else.

"It was over. It set in, that idea that I abandoned her just wore me out and that's not an honorable thing to do," he said.

"I think it was a combination of guilt, confusion and sadness," said Duane's son, Brian Mann.

Brian Mann has supported his father's lifelong quest to find his lost love so he can clear his conscience.

"We owe it to them to see if this is truly the Peggy that my dad is looking for," said Brian Mann.

In early May, KETV reported on Duane's long search, his universal story of heartbreak and hope.

The story went around the world. Japanese media shared the report.

Viewers emailed and posted obituaries and photos, wondering if they had found Peggy.

While Duane was in Iowa searching for Peggy, she wasn't an ocean away in Japan, she was closer to him than he could have ever imagined, only 650 miles, across the Mississippi River and a few states kept them apart all these years.

"I thought, 'What the heck is going on here? What kind of scam artist is this one?'" said Rich Sedenquist, Peggy's oldest son.

That's what he thought when he listened to a KETV reporter's voicemail, asking him if Peggy Yamaguchi was his mother.

"One way to find out," Mike Sedenquist said. "I took my Bluetooth headphones over there, brought your video clip and I played it and she right away said, 'I remember him. He really loved me.'"

Peggy is alive, alert, 91 years old and living with her Navy husband she married in 1955 in the same Michigan community of Escanaba where she raised her three sons.

"He's able to fulfill his dream, his lifelong dream to find the woman that he met and fell in love with and 70 years later, what a wonderful story," said Mike Sedenquist, Peggy's youngest son. "Yep, it's my mom. I love my mom."

An article dated Feb. 3, 1956, from the local Escanaba newspaper, The Daily Press was the key to finding Peggy. A woman in Vancouver, Canada, who saw the original story online found the article. She said she was compelled to act and help Duane.

"I feel like it cut me right to my soul," said Theresa Wong, 23.

Wong is a researcher for the History Channel.

She found that old newspaper article with the headline, "Tokyo Bride Likes Life in Escanaba." The article had Peggy's married last name.

"I cannot imagine carrying around that heartbreak for 70 years," Wong said. "I really hope this is just that opportunity to get closure and a release of all those years of worrying about it."

Inside a conference room at the Island Resort and Casino outside Escanaba, the couple was reunited after all these years. They hugged, kissed, laughed and reminisced about their time together in Japan.

"I was shocked. I was shocked, " said Peggy after learning Duane had been searching for her for seven decades.

"I was scared at first. I thought my mother and Duane wouldn't talk like they did, but when they started smiling and talking it was all worth it. It was all worth it for me," Rich Sedenquist said.



If regret wasn't enough of a reminder, Duane shared with Peggy how he keeps her close with photos in his billfold. He said he's had them for 70 years and he transferred them to new wallets over the years.

"I'm here to tell you that I didn't abandon you at all. I just couldn't find you," Duane finally told Peggy.

"Thank you for remembering and save all the pictures, you must have loved me," Peggy said and then hugged and kissed Duane.

Duane left an impression on Peggy, too. Her son Mike's middle name is Duane.

"Duane. D-U-A-N-E. Now it just came to light how I really got that name and it wasn't by happenstance, it was for a reason," Mike Sedenquist said.

It may take a lifetime, but when you're offered that moment, whether it be romance or resolve, just ask Duane Mann.

"It's really been a freeing experience for me," he said.

Seize the moment and never give up to find peace.
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  Firefighters on Tuesday were working to contain wildfires that started west of Talkeetna, including one that was near nine structures.

The biggest of the three fires was named the Kichatna Fire and was about 0.06 square miles (0.01 square kilometers), said Alaska Division of Forestry spokesperson Sam Harrel.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia on Tuesday claimed to have taken control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraine's Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscows forces hold nearly all of Luhansk province. And it appears that Russia now occupies roughly half of Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts.

After abandoning its bungled attempt to storm Kyiv two months ago, Russia declared that taking the entire Donbas is its main objective. Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian government forces in the Donbas since 2014, and the region has borne the brunt of the Russian onslaught in recent weeks.

Early in the war, Russian troops also took control of the entire Kherson region and a large part of the Zaporizhzhia region, both in the south. Russian officials and their local appointees have talked about plans for those regions to either declare their independence or be folded into Russia.

But in what may be the latest instance of anti-Russian sabotage inside Ukraine, Russian state media said Tuesday that an explosion at a cafe in the city of Kherson wounded four people. Tass called the apparent bombing in the Russian-occupied city a terror act.

Before the Feb. 24 invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russia controlled some 7% of the country, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and areas held by the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces hold 20% of the country.

While Russia has superior firepower, the Ukrainian defenders are entrenched and have shown the ability to counterattack.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces made no significant advances in the eastern Donbas region over the past day.

The absolutely heroic defense of the Donbas continues, he said late Tuesday in his nightly video address.

Zelenskyy said the Russians clearly did not expect to meet so much resistance and are now trying to bring in additional troops and equipment. He said the same was true in the Kherson region.

Speaking earlier to a Financial Times conference, Zelenskyy insisted on Ukraines need to defeat Russia on the battlefield but also said he is still open to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But a former senior U.S. intelligence officer said the time isnt right.

Youre not going to get to the negotiating table until neither side feels they have an advantage that they could push, said Andrea Kendall-Taylor of the Washington-based Center for a New American Security.

The Russians think they will be able to take the whole of the Donbas and then might use that as the opportunity to call for negotiations, Kendall-Taylor said at an online seminar organized by Columbia and New York universities.

Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, said Moscow's forces have seized the residential quarters of Sievierodonetsk and are fighting to take control of an industrial zone on the city's outskirts and nearby towns.

Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. They are among a few cities and towns in the Luhansk region still holding out against the Russian invasion, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces.

Shoigu added that Russian troops were pressing their offensive toward the town of Popasna and have taken control of Lyman and Sviatohirsk and 15 other towns in the region.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak urged his people not to be downhearted about the battlefield reverses.

Dont let the news that weve ceded something scare you, he said in a video address. It is clear that tactical maneuvers are ongoing. We cede something, we take something back."

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai conceded that Russian forces control the industrial outskirts of Sievierodonetsk.

The toughest street battles continue, with varying degrees of success, Haidai said. The situation constantly changes, but the Ukrainians are repelling attacks.

Moscows forces also kept up their artillery barrage of Lysychansk. Haidai said Russian troops shelled a market, a school and a college building, destroying the latter. At least three people were wounded, he said.

A total destruction of the city is under way. Russian shelling has intensified significantly over the past 24 hours. Russians are using scorched-earth tactics, Haidai said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has begun training Ukrainian forces on the sophisticated multiple rocket launchers that the Biden administration agreed last week to provide. The Pentagon said the training is going on at a base in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets, which can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). Officials said it would take about three weeks of training before they could go to the battlefront.

In other developments, Zelenskyy said Ukraine planned to publish a special Book of Executioners next week with information about war crimes committed by the Russian army.

These are specific facts about specific people who are guilty of specific cruel crimes against Ukrainians, he said. Those named would include not only people who carried out the crimes but their commanders, he said.

The war also brought a standoff Tuesday between the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and Ukrainian authorities over the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe.

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, wants to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant to help maintain its safety after it was taken by Russian troops in March.

But Energoatom, the Ukrainian state company overseeing the countrys nuclear plants, said in a blunt statement that Grossi isnt welcome. It said his planned tour is yet another attempt to legitimize the occupiers presence there.

Amid fears of a global food crisis because of the war, the Kremlin said Ukraine needs to remove sea mines near its Black Sea port of Odesa to allow essential grain exports to resume from there. Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that removing the mines could enable Moscows forces to attack.

___

Associated Press journalists David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv; Andrew Katell in New York; and Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this story.

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Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
SALT LAKE CITY  If the Great Salt Lake, which has already shrunk by two-thirds, continues to dry up, heres whats in store:

The lakes flies and brine shrimp would die off  scientists warn it could start as soon as this summer  threatening the 10 million migratory birds that stop at the lake annually to feed on the tiny creatures. Ski conditions at the resorts above Salt Lake City, a vital source of revenue, would deteriorate. The lucrative extraction of magnesium and other minerals from the lake could stop.

Most alarming, the air surrounding Salt Lake City would occasionally turn poisonous. The lake bed contains high levels of arsenic and as more of it becomes exposed, windstorms carry that arsenic into the lungs of nearby residents, who make up three-quarters of Utahs population.

We have this potential environmental nuclear bomb thats going to go off if we dont take some pretty dramatic action, said Joel Ferry, a Republican state lawmaker and rancher who lives on the north side of the lake.

As climate change continues to cause record-breaking drought, there are no easy solutions. Saving the Great Salt Lake would require letting more snowmelt from the mountains flow to the lake, which means less water for residents and farmers. That would threaten the regions breakneck population growth and high-value agriculture  something state leaders seem reluctant to do.

Utahs dilemma raises a core question as the country heats up: How quickly are Americans willing to adapt to the effects of climate change, even as those effects become urgent, obvious, and potentially catastrophic?

The stakes are alarmingly high, according to Timothy D. Hawkes, a Republican lawmaker who wants more aggressive action. Otherwise, he said, the Great Salt Lake risks the same fate as Californias Owens Lake, which went dry decades ago, producing the worst levels of dust pollution in the United States and helping to turn the nearby community into a veritable ghost town.

Its not just fearmongering, he said of the lake vanishing. It can actually happen.

A Modern Oasis, Under Threat

Say you climbed into a car at the edge of the Pacific and started driving east, tracing a line across the middle of the United States. After crossing the Klamath and Cascade mountains in Northern California, green and lush, you would reach the Great Basin Desert of Nevada and western Utah. In one of the driest parts of America, the landscape is a brown so pale, its almost gray.

But keep going east, and just shy of Wyoming you would find a modern oasis: a narrow strip of green, stretching some 100 miles from north to south, home to an uninterrupted metropolis beneath snow-capped mountains, sheltered under maple and pear trees. At the edge of that oasis, between the city and the desert, is the Great Salt Lake.

BRYAN TARNOWSKI/NYT

Utahns call that metropolis the Wasatch Front, after the 12,000-foot Wasatch Range above it. Extending roughly from Provo in the south to Brigham City in the north, with Salt Lake City at its center, it is one of the fastest-growing urban areas in America  home to 2.5 million people, drawn by the natural beauty and relatively modest cost of living.

That megacity is possible because of a minor hydrological miracle. Snow that falls in the mountains just east of Salt Lake City feeds three rivers  the Jordan, Weber, and Bear  which provide water for the cities and towns of the Wasatch Front, as well as the rich cropland nearby, before flowing into the Great Salt Lake.

Until recently, that hydrological system existed in a delicate balance. In summer, evaporation would cause the lake to drop about 2 feet; in spring, as the snowpack melted, the rivers would replenish it.

EROS CENTER U.S.G.S./NYT

Now two changes are throwing that system out of balance. One is explosive population growth, diverting more water from those rivers before they reach the lake.

The other shift is climate change, according to Robert Gillies, a professor at Utah State University and Utahs state climatologist. Higher temperatures cause more snowpack to transform to water vapor, which then escapes into the atmosphere, rather than turning to liquid and running into rivers. More heat also means greater demand for water for lawns or crops, further reducing the amount that reaches the lake.

And a shrinking lake means less snow. As storms pass over the Great Salt Lake, they absorb some of its moisture, which then falls as snow in the mountains. A vanishing lake endangers that pattern.

If you dont have water, Gillies said, you dont have industry, you dont have agriculture, you dont have life.

At the Precipice

Last summer, the water level in the Great Salt Lake reached its lowest point on record, and its likely to fall further this year. The lakes surface area, which covered about 3,300 square miles in the late 1980s, has since shrunk to less than 1,000, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The salt content in the part of the lake closest to Salt Lake City used to fluctuate between 9-12%, according to Bonnie Baxter, a biology professor at Westminster College. But as the water in the lake drops, its salt content has increased. If it reaches 17%  something Baxter says will happen this summer  the algae in the water will struggle, threatening the brine shrimp that consume it.

While the ecosystem hasnt collapsed yet, Baxter said, were at the precipice. Its terrifying.

The long term risks are even worse. One morning in March, Kevin Perry, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah, walked out onto land that used to be underwater. He picked at the earth, the color of dried mud, like a beach whose tide went out and never came back.

The soil contains arsenic, antimony, copper, zirconium and other dangerous heavy metals, much of it residue from mining activity in the region. Most of the exposed soil is still protected by a hard crust. But as wind erodes the crust over time, those contaminants become airborne.

Clouds of dust also make it difficult for people to breathe, particularly those with asthma or other respiratory ailments. Perry pointed to shards of crust that had come apart, lying on the sand like broken china.

This is a disaster, Perry said. And the consequences for the ecosystem are absolutely, insanely bad.

Running Out Of Water, But Growing Fast

In theory, the fix is simple: Let more water from melting snowpack reach the lake, by sending less toward homes, businesses and farms.

But metropolitan Salt Lake City has barely enough water to support its current population. And it is expected to grow almost 50% by 2060.

Laura Briefer, director of Salt Lake Citys public utilities department, said the city can increase its water supply in three ways: Divert more water from rivers and streams, recycle more wastewater, or draw more groundwater from wells. Each of those strategies reduces the amount of water that reaches the lake. But without those steps, demand for water in Salt Lake City would exceed supply around 2040, Briefer said.

The city is trying to conserve water. Last December, it stopped issuing permits for businesses that require significant water, such as data centers or bottling plants.

But city leaders have shied away from another potentially powerful tool: higher prices.

Of major U.S. cities, Salt Lake has among the lowest per-gallon water rates, according to a 2017 federal report. It also consumes more water for residential use than other desert cities  96 gallons per person per day last year, compared with 78 in Tucson, Arizona, and 77 in Los Angeles.

Charge more for water and people use less, said Zachary Frankel, executive director of the Utah Rivers Council. Pricing drives consumption, he said.

Through a spokesperson, Mayor Erin Mendenhall, elected in 2019 on a pledge to address climate change and air quality, declined an interview. In a statement, she said the city will consider pricing as a way to send a stronger conservation signal.

Homes around Salt Lake boast lush, forest-green lawns, despite the drought. And not always by choice.

In the suburb of Bluffdale, when Elie El kessrwany stopped watering his lawn in response to the drought, his homeowners association threatened to fine him. I was trying to do the right thing for my community, he said.

State Rep. Robert Spendlove, a Republican, introduced a bill this year that would have blocked communities from requiring homeowners to maintain lawns. He said local governments lobbied against the bill, which failed.

In the state legislative session that ended in March, lawmakers approved other measures that start to address the crisis. They funded a study of water needs, made it easier to buy and sell water rights, and required cities and towns to include water in their long-term planning. But lawmakers rejected proposals that would have had an immediate impact, such as requiring water-efficient sinks and showers in new homes or increasing the price of water.

What the Future May Hold

The worst-case scenario for the Great Salt Lake is neither hypothetical nor abstract. Rather, its on display 600 miles southwest, in a narrow valley at the edge of California, where what used to be a lake is now a barely contained disaster.

In the early 1900s, Los Angeles, growing fast and running out of water, bought land along either side of the Owens River, then built an aqueduct diverting the rivers water 230 miles south to Los Angeles.

The river had been the main source of water for what was once Owens Lake, which covered more than 100 square miles. The lake dried up, and then for much of the 20th century it was the worst source of dust pollution in America, according to a 2020 study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

When windstorms hit the dried lake bed, they kick up PM10  particulate matter 10 micrometers or smaller, which can lodge in the lungs when inhaled and has been linked to worsened asthma, heart attacks and premature death. The amount of PM10 in the air around Owens Lake has been as much as 138 times higher than deemed safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Local officials successfully sued Los Angeles, arguing it had violated the rights of nearby communities to clean air. A judge ordered Los Angeles to reduce the dust. That was 25 years ago. Since then, Los Angeles has spent $2.5 billion trying to keep wind from blowing dust off the lake bed.

The city has tried different strategies: Covering the lake bed in gravel. Spraying just enough water on the dust to hold it in place. Constantly tilling the dry earth, creating low ridges to catch restive dust particles before they can become airborne.

The result is a mix between an industrial site and a science experiment. On a recent morning, workers scurried across the vast area, checking valves and sprinklers that continually get plugged with sand. Nearby, inside a complex that resembles a bunker, walls of screens monitored data to alert the operations 70-person staff if something goes wrong. If the carefully calibrated flow of sprinklers is disrupted, for example, dust could quickly start to fly off again.

Dust levels near the lake still sometimes exceed federal safety rules. Among Utahs coterie of nervous advocates for the Great Salt Lake, Owens Lake has become shorthand for the risks of failing to act quickly enough and the grave damage if the lake dries up, the contents of its bed spinning into the air.

On what used to be the shore of what used to be Owens Lake is whats left of the town of Keeler. When the lake still existed, Keeler was a boom town. Today it consists of an abandoned school, an abandoned train station, a long-closed general store, a post office thats open from 10 a.m. to noon, and about 50 remaining residents who value their space, and have lots of it.

Cheap land, said Jim Macey, when asked why he moved to Keeler in 1980. He described that period, before Los Angeles began trying to hold down the lake bed, as the time of dust. He recalled watching entire houses vanish from sight when the wind blew in.

We called it the Keeler Death Cloud, Macey said.



BY THE NUMBERS

< 1,000: Square miles covered by the Great Salt Lake today, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In the 1980s, the lake covered about 3,300 square miles.

16%: Salt content of the lake last summer. The salt content used to fluctuate between 9-12%. If the salt content reaches 17%, the algae in the lake will struggle to survive, threatening the entire ecosystem.

> 50%: The population of Salt Lake City is expected to grow by more than 50% over the next 50 years.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
DOVER, Del. (AP)  A bid to override Democratic Gov. John Carneys veto of a bill legalizing possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults for recreational use failed Tuesday in the state House, likely ending efforts this year to establish a state-run marijuana industry in Delaware.

Members of the Democrat-controlled chamber split 20-20 on the veto override, with Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst not voting. A simple majority would not have been enough, however, as a three-fifths majority was required to override Carney's veto.

Legalization would be a prerequisite for establishing a state-licensed and regulated marijuana industry, a proposal that has failed in the House twice this year.

Unfortunately, some of my colleagues feel, you cant regulate whats still illegal, said Rep. Ed Osienski, chief sponsor of both the legalization bill and the companion industry-creation legislation.

The bill legalizing possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults cleared the House on a 26-14 vote last month, and was then approved in the Democrat-led Senate on a 13-7 party line vote. Sen. Bruce Ennis of Smyrna, a retired state trooper, was the only Democrat joining Senate Republicans in opposing the bill.

We did what a majority of Delawareans asked us to do, said Osienski, who urged his colleagues on Tuesday to not ignore the will of the people.

Six of Osienskis fellow Democrats joined Republicans in voting against the override, thwarting his plan to rescind the failed roll call on the industry creation bill.

Osienski introduced separate legalization and industry-creation bills in late March after the House rejected broader legislation that did both. That cleared the way for passage of the legalization bill, which required only a simple majority.

The industry creation bill, meanwhile, failed last month to get the three-fifths supermajority required because it creates a new tax, in the form of a 15% levy on retail sales.

Osienski, a Newark Democrat, has argued that the industry bill would create good-paying jobs while striking a blow against the criminal element which profits from the thriving illegal market for marijuana in our state.

The bill calls for state officials to initially issue up to 30 retail marijuana licenses, 30 manufacturing licenses, 60 cultivation licenses and five testing licenses. It would prohibit people from growing their own plants for personal consumption.

Opponents have argued that legalization and creation of a state marijuana industry would lead to increased marijuana use among teens and young adults, expose business owners to liability, and result in more traffic deaths and injuries. They also say it would do little to eliminate illegal sales.

According to Associated Press reports, legalization has done little to discourage black market sales in California, and some licensees there are simultaneously participating in the black market in order to make a profit. The AP also has reported that analysts estimate Californias flourishing black market for marijuana is at least twice the size of the legal one.

Currently, recreational marijuana use has been legalized in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
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NEW YORK (AP)  As he prepares for a daunting reelection fight in the sprawling New Jersey suburbs, Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski points to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and argues that Republican control of Congress could fuel further extremism in politics.

In Malinowski's telling, state Sen. Tom Kean Jr., his GOP opponent, is a coward for declining to say publicly whether he agrees with the Republican National Committee's description of the violence at the Capitol as  legitimate political discourse.

That will certainly be a theme, he said of the campaign.

Two hundred miles to the south, another endangered Democrat, Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, says voters regularly approach her about the Capitol violence. But she isn't sure that it will be a major theme in her campaign ads this fall.

Who knows? At this point is it in the plan? No, Spanberger said, adding that she's focusing on the economy.

With Democrats defending narrow majorities in Congress, the divergent paths reflect a challenge facing the party as the House committee investigating the insurrection begins prime-time public hearings on Thursday. Some lawmakers and fresh candidates view this as an invaluable moment to refocus the public's attention on the violence that day  and what they consider persistent threats to democracy. But polling shows U.S. adults are more interested in personal issues like surging grocery and gas prices.

Last year's governor's race in Virginia could serve as a warning sign for Democrats eager to tie their Republican opponents to the attack on the Capitol.

Democrat Terry McAuliffe's messages to voters often incorporated former President Donald Trump and his role in sparking the insurrection. He ran television ads featuring grainy images of the Capitol assault accompanied by video of Virginia Republicans pledging allegiance to a flag carried at the attack.

Yet in a state that President Joe Biden carried by 10 percentage points, McAuliffe lost by 2 points.

Former McAuliffe campaign aide Christina Freundlich insists the Jan. 6 focus was an important piece of the Trump puzzle that helped energize Democrats, particularly in a state just across the Potomac River from the Capitol. But she questioned whether Democrats in other states should rely on the strategy.

Frankly, I dont know how effective thats going to be somewhere else, Freundlich said.

Despite such concerns, some Democrats and their allies plan to go forward with an election-year message highlighting the insurrection. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is considering spending money on advertising this fall specifically targeting Republicans who participated in the siege, declined to condemn it or promoted Trump's lies about widespread voter fraud costing him the election.

Guy Cecil, chair of Priorities USA, a Democratic super PAC that has committed over $50 million, including digital ads in battleground states focused on Jan. 6, said it was a false choice to suggest the party had to pick between addressing economic concerns and highlighting what happened that day as part of a broader threat to democracy.

It's useful in terms of raising the stakes of the election and it's also important for us to do it because this is the current and future Republican Party," he said when asked about the hearings during a briefing call with reporters Tuesday. What happened on Jan. 6 and the ongoing efforts to minimize it  to in some cases defend it  is part of, I think an extreme agenda on the part of the party."

More than two dozen Republicans now running for state or federal office took part in Washington protests that day as Trumps supporters violently stormed the Capitol, trying to halt the transition of power. Some have faced charges. More assisted in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election at home.

Still others, such as the top Republicans in the June 21 primary in Spanberger's district, have declared the violent episode was not an insurrection, though the event met the definition of that term.

Federal and state election officials and Trumps own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the election results were tainted. The former presidents allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by courts, including by judges Trump appointed.

Still, some Republicans who are tied to such efforts are winning major statewide Republican primaries.

They include Doug Mastriano, Pennsylvanias GOP nominee for governor, who was seen outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, spent thousands of dollars of campaign cash on charter buses ahead of the event, and was in regular communication with Trump as the then-president sought to deny Biden's victory. If Mastriano wins in November, he would be in position to name the official who would oversee elections in the critical swing state.

For their part, Republicans say they are skeptical that the insurrection or the TV hearings will alter the political dynamics. Despite some concern that Mastriano may be too far outside the party's mainstream, there's been no sustained GOP effort to distance from him after his primary victory last month.

In New Jersey, Kean's campaign manager, Dan Scharfenberger, said Malinowski's coward comment distracts from day-to-day economic concerns, including that gas prices have doubled and seniors can't afford their groceries.

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who chairs the House Republican campaign committee, dismissed the Jan. 6 panel as a partisan witch hunt orchestrated by Nancy Pelosi.

And Calvin Moore, the communications director for the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC dedicated to electing Republicans in the House, said, Theres way less awareness and concern among voters than there is inside the Beltway.

Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist who has conducted dozens of focus groups since the attack, agreed that Jan. 6 is currently a low salience issue. It's not the thing people bring up when you ask open-ended questions about how things are going in the country."

But she also said the hearings offer Democrats an opportunity to change that if they can paint a broader picture of Republicans as too extreme on issues ranging from guns to abortion rights. That could be particularly helpful in states such as Arizona, where leading Republican candidates played key roles in trying to overturn Biden's victory.

She pointed to 2010, when Republicans like Delaware Senate candidate Christine ODonnell lost general elections in what was otherwise a banner year for the GOP.

Will Democrats figure out how to prosecute a case against Republicans on extremism and will these hearing raise the salience as a reminder of that extremism?" she said. I do think the hearings have the potential to shift the conversation, but it has to be part of a broader effort to define the Republican Party as extremists."

She added: "Jan. 6 can be part of a case you prosecute against Republicans, but you have to choose to prosecute it. It can't prosecute itself."

___ Associated Press writer Steve Peoples contributed to this report.

__

For full coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  A British journalist and an Indigenous affairs official were still missing in a remote part of Brazils Amazon on Tuesday as authorities said they were expanding search efforts in the area, which has seen violent conflicts between fishermen, poachers and government agents.

Dom Phillips, who has been a regular contributor to the British newspaper The Guardian, and Bruno Araujo Pereira were last seen early Sunday in the Sao Rafael community, according to the Univaja association of people in the Vale do Javari Indigenous territory, for which Pereira has been an adviser.

The pair was returning by boat to the city of Atalaia do Norte, about an hour away, but never showed up.

Pereira is one of the Brazilian Indigenous affairs agency's most experienced employees operating in the Vale do Javari area. He oversaw the agency's regional office and the coordination of isolated Indigenous groups before going on leave. He has received a stream of threats from illegal fishermen and poachers, and usually carries a gun.

Fabiano Maisonnave/AP

Univaja said the two had been threatened during their reporting trip. On Saturday, while they were camped out, a small group of men traveled by river to the Indigenous territorys boundary and brandished firearms at a Unijava patrol, the association's president, Paulo Marubo, told The Associated Press. Phillips photographed the men at the time, Marubo said.

Phillips, 57, has reported from Brazil for more than a decade and has been working on a book about preservation of the Amazon with support from the Alicia Patterson Foundation, which gave him a yearlong fellowship for environmental reporting that ran through January.

The pair disappeared while returning from a two-day trip to the Jaburu Lake region, where Phillips interviewed local Indigenous people, Univaja said. Only the two were on the boat.

The place where they went missing is the primary access route to the Vale do Javari, Brazil's second-largest Indigenous territory, which is bigger than Maine and where several thousand Indigenous people live in dozens of villages. People from the area say that it is highly unlikely the men would have gotten lost in that sector.

He is a cautious journalist, with impressive knowledge of the complexities of the Brazilian environmental crisis," Margaret Engel, the Alicia Patterson Foundation's executive director, wrote in an email. "And he is a beautiful writer and a lovely person. The best of our business.

Brazils federal public prosecutors said in a statement Monday that they had opened an investigation and that the Federal Police, Amazonas states civil police, the national guard and navy had been mobilized. The navy, which prosecutors described as coordinating the search, said it sent a search-and-rescue team of seven and would deploy a helicopter Tuesday. There were no reports of helicopters being used at any point on Monday, and many of the men's colleagues expressed concern that the government didn't appear to be acting swiftly.

We request from the authorities speed, seriousness and all possible resources for that search," Pereira's family wrote in a statement. Every minute counts, every stretch of the river and the forest not yet checked could be the one where they are waiting for rescue.

The army's manpower is far greater than the navy's in the region, and there was no indication from officials on why it wasn't included in the initial search efforts. But late Monday, a spokesperson for the army's Amazon division told AP it had since received orders to deploy a search mission.

Phillips has also contributed to the Washington Post and New York Times. He currently resides in Salvador, a city in Brazil's Bahia state, with his wife, Alessandra Sampaio, who shared a series of messages posted on Twitter by a journalist helping to advise her.

I can only pray that Dom and Bruno are well, somewhere, prevented from continuing on for some mechanical reason, and that all of this becomes just one more story in a life replete with them," Sampaio wrote. I know, however, the moment the Amazon is going through and I know the risks that Dom always denounced.

The Vale do Javari region has experienced repeated shootouts between hunters, fishermen and official security agents, who have a permanent base in the area, which has the world's largest population of uncontacted Indigenous people. It is also a major route for cocaine produced on the Peruvian side of the border, then smuggled into Brazil to supply local cities or to be shipped to Europe.

In September 2019, an employee of the Indigenous affairs agency was shot dead in Tabatinga, the largest city in the region. The crime was never solved.

It is extremely important that Brazilian authorities dedicate all available and necessary resources to the immediate realization of searches, in order to guarantee, as soon as possible, the safety of the two men, Maria Laura Canineau, the director of Human Rights Watch in Brazil, said in a statement Monday.

Journalists working for regional media outlets in the Amazon have been slain in recent years, though there have been no such cases among journalists from national or foreign media. However, there have been several reports of threats, and the press has limited access to several areas dominated by criminal activity, including illegal mining, land-grabbing and drug trafficking.

President Jair Bolsonaro issued a comment Tuesday: Really, just two people in a boat in a completely wild region like that is not a recommended adventure. Anything could happen. It could be an accident, it could be that they have been killed, he said in an interview with television network SBT. We hope and ask God that they're found soon. The armed forces are working hard."

Three of Bolsonaros ministers told the AP on Tuesday that the government recognizes the importance of a swift response, and is concerned that apparent failure to do so will cast a shadow over Bolsonaros attendance at the Summit of the Americas this week in Los Angeles. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they arent authorized to speak publicly.

___ AP writers Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo and Debora Alvares in Brasilia contributed to this report.
LOS ANGELES  There are initial signs that Californias latest wave of coronavirus cases may be slowing, although itll take more time to be certain.

California reported an average of 13,800 new coronavirus cases a day over the past week, according to data released Friday, down 12% from the previous week. Thats 247 cases a week for every 100,000 residents. A rate of 100 cases a week for every 100,000 residents is considered a high rate of viral transmission.

The trend is the first week-over-week decrease in cases in two months.

One big question, however, is whether reporting delays from the Memorial Day weekend are contributing to the decrease. Its still possible that gatherings from the holiday weekend and during the summer will worsen transmission levels.

Some experts note that test positivity rates are still rising. San Franciscos is more than 12%, while the rate in L.A. County is 5%.

This all means that the current wave has not gone away, Dr. George Rutherford, a UC San Francisco epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert, said in a briefing Friday afternoon.

We do, however, have sewage data that would suggest that theres some drop-off here in San Francisco, Davis, San Jose, Rutherford said, referring to levels of coronavirus in wastewater. Still, there is conflicting data elsewhere in Silicon Valley, he said, with case rates fluctuating in other spots of Santa Clara County.

In L.A. County, no sewer systems reported a doubling of coronavirus levels in the last week, although coronavirus levels in sewage water still remain high, L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a recent briefing.

Los Angeles County reported a 9% decrease in average daily coronavirus cases, according to a Times analysis of data released Friday, with the case rate falling from about 4,600 cases a day to 4,200. Thats the equivalent of 291 cases a week for every 100,000 residents.

We will continue to monitor this closely to see whether or not weve plateaued, Ferrer said.

Elsewhere in Southern California, San Diego County posted a 6% week-over-week decrease in its case rate; Orange County, a 12% decline; Riverside County, a 19% drop; Ventura County, a 13% decline; and Santa Barbara County, a 21% drop. San Bernardino County observed a 1% increase in its case rate.

San Diego Countys case rate was 278 cases a week for every 100,000 residents; Orange County, 192; Riverside County, 168; San Bernardino County, 173; Ventura County, 211; and Santa Barbara County, 224.

Nationally, case rates also may be starting to level off, from 110,000 cases a day for the seven-day period that ended May 27 to about 98,000 cases a day. In California, the San Joaquin Valley posted a 16% week-over-week reduction in average daily coronavirus cases as of Friday. San Francisco Bay Area and Greater Sacramento reported a 17% reduction; and rural Northern California, a 36% drop.

The Bay Area still has the highest case rate in the state, with 317 cases a week for every 100,000 residents; the rate for Greater Sacramento is 226; the San Joaquin Valley, 166; and rural Northern California, 119.

Coronavirus-positive hospitalizations are still increasing statewide and in L.A. County. It typically takes a number of weeks for a reduction in cases to be reflected in hospitalizations.

In California, were still having fairly substantial increases in hospitalizations, Rutherford said Friday. There were 2,446 coronavirus-positive patients in Californias hospitals on Saturday, up 16% over a seven-day period, including 286 in intensive care units, also up 16%.

COVID-19 is making up a growing percentage of the reasons why people in L.A. County are seeking care at emergency rooms. About 6% of ER visits in the past week are related to the coronavirus; a month ago, the rate was 3.8%. L.A. County says theres a medium level of concern when that percentage is 5% or more, and a high level of concern when it exceeds 10%.

This reminds us that the infection for many is not mild, Ferrer said.

Some doctors have said many coronavirus-positive patients are not being treated for COVID-19 illnesses and their infection status is incidental to why theyre in the hospital. At UC San Francisco, half of the coronavirus-patients are being treated for reasons unrelated to a coronavirus infection; at L.A. Countys public and private hospitals, that number is 60%.

Nonetheless, Ferrer said increasing numbers of coronavirus-positive patients will eventually strain hospital systems because of the additional resources needed. Thats why she has warned that, should worsening hospitalization trends hold, L.A. County could reimpose a universal mask mandate in indoor public settings.

But Ferrer also has expressed hope that L.A. County could avoid that measure if people take steps to reduce infections and transmission, as testing ahead of events, getting up to date on booster shots and wearing masks indoors.

If case numbers stabilize or decrease in the next two weeks, the rate of increase in hospitalizations could be a lot lower, Ferrer said. We all have the power to take steps to reduce the amount of viral spread, which ultimately reduces the number of people that are in the hospital with a positive COVID-19 infection.

Other promising trends include a reduction in the number of weekly outbreaks at nursing homes, from 21 to 14 a week as of the last week of May, according to Ferrer. And perhaps that reflects the increased safety measures recently instituted at all nursing homes, she said.

Ferrer continued to strongly encourage universal masking among those 2 and older in indoor public settings.

While there are still individuals questioning the effectiveness of masks, there is an impressive body of reputable research at this point that shows how masks reduce the risk for individuals and slow viral transmission in the community, she said.

Ferrer pointed to research showing that the odds of testing positive were significantly lower for people who said they always wore a mask indoors compared those those who did not, especially for those who wore a respirator like a KN95 mask.

At a panel discussion Thursday, UC San Francisco infectious diseases expert Dr. Peter Chin-Hong expressed hope there would be another lull in the pandemic soon.

I think well probably hopefully have a decent July and August. Infections are already going down in much of the East Coast: Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Chin-Hong said. Still, he said hes concerned about a pair of new Omicron subvariants  BA.4 and BA.5  that are causing some worry.

One question that hasnt been answered is whether the refreshed version of the COVID-19 vaccines being tested by Pfizer and Moderna are going to hold up against BA.4 and BA.5, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said at the UC San Francisco panel discussion. Theyre going to have some data on that in the next couple of weeks.

Looking more long-term, however, Jha said he was optimistic that, eventually, we wont need booster shots every four to six months and an annual COVID-19 vaccination will be enough.

It may take us a year or two to get there, Jha said.

He also said he was hopeful the coronavirus rapid evolution will slow.

Eventually, Jha said, youre going to get a very broad range of immunity across the population because people will have been infected with different strains  so I think the ability of the virus to keep finding its way around the wall of immunity is going to get diminished.

The hard part is predicting when that will happen, Jha said, adding that a new generation of vaccines that do a better job of blocking transmission and preventing infections would help get there.
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NEW YORK (AP)  Two of New York's longest-serving members of Congress have turned from allies to rivals after a court redrew the state's congressional maps, scrambling the favorable landscape Democrats hoped to set for themselves this election year.

U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, a major figure in former President Donald Trumps first impeachment, and Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a champion of 9/11 rescue and recovery workers, are now running against each other in a Democratic primary to represent a reconfigured district in Manhattan.

The intra-party battle is not the result Democrats envisioned for the once-a-decade redistricting in a state where they control the governors mansion and the Legislature.

Nadler, 74, and Maloney, 76, each were first elected to Congress 30 years ago and have risen to chair the powerful House Judiciary and Oversight committees, respectively.

Nadler has long represented the Upper West Side and areas stretching down to Wall Street and parts of Brooklyn, while Maloney's longtime turf was on the other side of Central Park: the Upper East Side, along with parts of Brooklyn and Queens.

But when a state court unveiled the new maps on May 16, merging the Upper East Side and Upper West Side into one congressional district  the 12th  the veteran lawmakers huddled on the House floor. Each tried to persuade the other to run somewhere else.

I said that I thought that if we ran against each other in the 12th, Id probably win, so she should run in the 10th. Why didnt she run in the 10th? She would clear the field and no one else would run, in all likelihood," Nadler recounted. "She said, 'No, no, no. She thought shed win, and why didnt I run in the 10th? And I said no, I didnt want to do that. And it was an impasse and we left it at that.

Weve known each other for a long, long time and since that, we really havent talked, Nadler said.

Maloney, whose campaign did not respond to multiple interview requests from The Associated Press, recounted their conversation similarly in an interview with the New York Post, saying she thought he wouldnt have made the request if she were a man.

My whole life people have told me I shouldnt be where I am so I am not surprised he told me to step aside, she said. The time for women stepping aside is over.

Democrat Suraj Patel, a 38-year-old who has unsuccessfully challenged Maloney in the past, is also running and declared in a statement: "There are no incumbents in this race, just two career politicians  but no one is entitled to any congressional seat.

For Democrats, New York was supposed to be one of the partys few opportunities across the states to draw new district lines in their favor and possibly limit losses in Novembers elections.

But then the wheels came off.

After a successful legal challenge from Republicans produced new court-drawn congressional maps, Democrats were left with tougher battles against Republicans and among themselves.

Now that Nadler and Maloney are facing each other in the 12th District, along with Democrat Suraj Patel, theres an open seat just to the south that wraps in parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Thats drawn a crowded field of at least 10 Democrats, including former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones, who decided to leapfrog from his Hudson Valley district after the new maps put him on a collision path with another Democrat, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.

The lines of Maloneys district, the 18th, were also changed under the courts rewrite, cutting his home in Cold Spring into the reconfigured 17th District. He quickly declared he would run in the 17th, a move that angered some other New York Democrats who saw it as unfair to Jones, who represents that district now.

It even drew him a primary challenge from progressive state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, who announced she would take him on in the 17th, even though she does not live there.

Biaggi won the backing Tuesday of progressive star U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who had been among those critical of Maloney.

Maloney defended his decision, noting that no other incumbent Democrat lived in the 17th District  because Jones home was swept into the new 16th District, much of which is held by another Democrat, U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman.

From my point of view, Im just running where I landed, Maloney said at a news conference last month.

Jones told the AP he considered running in the 17th, but at the end of the day, it was important to me, as someone in the leader of the fight to defend our democracy against the threats of the far right, not to be in a primary with either of my two colleagues in the Hudson Valley, and to focus on making my case in a district I feel a deep connection to.

His case is that its time for an openly gay man to represent the new 10th District, which includes the West Village and the Stonewall Inn, an underground gay bar where a police raid in 1969 sparked a backlash that drove the LGBTQ rights movement.

It was through my visits to the West Village that I summoned the courage to come out as an openly gay man, Jones said. Its wild that the place where Stonewell happened, a movement for LGBTQ liberation, birthed by queer people of color, has never had a gay representative in congress.

The new maps didnt just upend political careers and collegial relationships for New York Democrats. They also upset national plans for the party to expand its chances of keeping power in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Before they were struck down by a state court, Congressional district maps initially drawn by the state Legislature would have given Democrats a strong majority in 22 of 26 congressional districts.

Democrats decided to roll the dice and it didnt come up their way, said Brennan Center for Justice redistricting expert Michael Li, who called the Legislature's maps one of the more aggressive gerrymanders among the states this year.

Democrats currently hold 19 of New Yorks 27 districts, but the state is losing one as a result of the 2020 Census.

The new maps, drawn by a court-appointed expert, give Democrats an edge in 21 of 26 districts, but some of those will be much more competitive and could be won by Republicans.

Ultimately, they are fairer, Li said.

If theyre unhappy with the maps, he said of Democrats, One of the places that they need look if they need to cast blame is with themselves.
The trade group representing the cruise ship industry unsuccessfully pushed international authorities to water down new environmental regulations despite its members climate commitments, experts in marine air pollution warn. Late last month, the International Maritime Organization rejected a cruise industry effort that would have improved cruise ships' carbon pollution scores. Environmental groups say it also would have led to more air pollution by allowing cruise liners to continue with business as usual.

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has membership that accounts for 95% of global cruise trips. Its four biggest members, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises, tout their climate awareness and have all committed to drastically cutting emissions.

Yet according to a filing in April, the cruise ship association lobbied the International Maritime Organization's members to change proposed rules in a manner critics say will lead to increased emissions, while saving cruise lines money.

The International Maritime Organization is the United Nations body responsible for regulating the safety and environmental impact of shipping. Some 175 member states vote on its proposed legislation.

The proposed change would certainly have had a negative climate impact, said John Maggs, president of the Clean Shipping Coalition, an umbrella group of environmental groups that has official status at the maritime organization.

The regulations are very weak anyway, and CLIA is trying to make them even weaker, said Maggs, who has almost 30 years in the field. They are trying to water down the regulations."

But the cruise industry argues the new regulation misrepresents the efficiency of their vessels, which should not be penalized for spending more time in port than cargo ships.

Shipping emits about 2.9% of global carbon dioxide emissions, just over a billion tons of CO2 annually. Cruise liners produce more carbon dioxide annually on average than any other kind of ship due to their air conditioning, heated pools and other hotel amenities, studies have shown.

Carnival, which describes itself as sustainable from ship to shore, has committed to reducing its carbon emissions 40% by 2030 to meet the terms of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C.

Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises have each pledged to meet net zero emissions by 2050, while Norwegian Cruise Lines has spoken of a long-term goal to reach climate neutrality.

Beginning in 2023, all large ships will be assigned a Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), worked out by dividing CO2 output by the capacity of the ship and again by nautical miles traveled.

It will give ships an A to E sustainability rating. If a ship gets a poor rating, it has to submit a plan for how it will improve to at least a C, but there is currently no plan for penalties for badly-rated ships.

Nevertheless the trade group lobbied national delegations at the International Maritime Organization, which was established in the wake of the Titanic disaster, to make a special allowance for cruise ships. It argued their vessels differ from cargo ships because of the lengthy stays in port that are part of a cruise liners existence -- typically with engines running to keep the lights on. This time in port hurts cruise ships ratings, because they thus emit more carbon per mile.

As a result, in-port emissions have a disproportionate impact on a ship's carbon intensity grade, the industry told the agency.

Bill Weihl, a former sustainability chief at both Google and Facebook, who established Climate Voice, which calls on employees to pressure their companies into climate action, called it a familiar story for U.S. companies.

They say  and sometimes do  good things on climate, while behind the scenes their trade associations obstruct and delay.

Two-thirds of cruise ships leave their engines running overnight while in port to power guest facilities. That affects not only the climate but air quality in port cities. The European city most polluted by cruise ship emissions with sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides was Barcelona, topping a list of 50 affected ports, a 2019 report found. Two years previously some 32.8 tons of sulfur oxides was emitted there by cruise ships, the study said.

The cruise ship trade group argued that if its alternative proposal wasn't approved, the regulations that come into force in 2023 will create a perverse incentive for ships to stay at sea longer to improve their rating. This could result in greater total emissions, they argue.

However, experts in marine air pollution say this argument does not hold water because operators cannot be fined for bad ratings, nor ships stopped from sailing.

"Additional time at sea means spending more on fuel. So it hurts their own bottom line, said Bryan Comer, who leads the marine program at the International Council on Clean Transportation. Long term, had the trade group been successful, cruise ships would emit more because there would be less incentive for them to invest in technologies that would reduce emissions such as shore power, fuel cells, and batteries, he added.

They could continue business as usual and still receive more favorable scores that imply they are less carbon intensive than they are.

During negotiations over the legislation, Denmark, France and Germany had argued for stricter measures: that if a vessel languished in a D or E rating for too long, it should have its environmental certificate revoked, which would legally prohibit it from sailing.

Carnival spokesman Roger Frizzell denied any disconnect between the company's public statements on climate and the trade group's efforts before the maritime agency.

The company argues that complying with the rules as written could run counter to its objective to reduce real-world emissions.

We peaked our absolute emissions in 2011," he said.

The firm said it opposes metrics that could create incentives to increase overall emissions.

During a port visit, carbon dioxide produced is much lower than during a voyage, Frizzell said. Yet cruise liners' pollution ratings will be sky high. That's because the distance being traveled is zero.

A statement released by the trade group said CLIA and its cruise line members are fully committed to pursuing net-zero carbon cruising by 2050."

They support rating vessels by rate of carbon emissions in principle, but argue the current mechanism for doing so does not measure total carbon dioxide outputs.

Our call is for the CII formula to be adjusted so it does not unintentionally work against absolute carbon reduction by potentially incentivizing cruise ships to improve their rating by traveling greater distances.

The International Maritime Organization invited the cruise ship industry to come up with a different proposal by 2026.

Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC Cruises all made no comment, instead directing The Associated Press to CLIAs statement.

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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
PRAGUE (AP)  Czech President Milos Zeman said Tuesday that he is ready to veto, if it's approved by parliament, proposed legislation that would give same-sex couples in the country the right to hold civil weddings.

The bill drafted by lawmakers from across the political spectrum was submitted to the Czech Parliament's lower house Tuesday, but no date has been set for the beginning of its debate.

It is strongly opposed by the Christian Democrats, a member of the governing five-party coalition, and by the opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy, an anti-migrant and anti-Muslim populist party.

I'd like to announce that if I really receive such a law to sign I will veto it, Zeman said Tuesday after meeting his Hungarian counterpart Katalin Novak.

Zeman noted that the Czech state already enables civil unions for same-sex couples, But a family is a union between a man and a woman. Full stop.

The Czech president is known for derogatory comments about the LGBTQ community.

A majority of all lawmakers in the lower house can override the presidential veto. The Czech presidency is a largely ceremonial post.

Parliament already started to debate similar legislation in 2018 but didn't take a vote on it before last year's general election and it had to be submitted again.

Same-sex marriage is now legal in some 30 countries worldwide, including most of Western Europe.

In the Czech Republic, Parliament approved in 2006 a law allowing same-sex partners to live in an officially registered partnership and have rights to inheritance and health care similar to those enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.

Such arrangements offer some of the protections of marriage, but many LGBTQ activists consider them a demeaning second-tier status.
DOVER, Del. (AP)  A bill outlawing firearm magazines capable of holding more than 17 rounds passed Delawares Democrat-led Senate on Tuesday with no Republican support.

The legislation was approved on a 13-7 vote, with Sen. Bruce Ennis of Smyrna, a retired state trooper, the lone Democrat to join GOP lawmakers in opposition.

The measure is part of a package of gun-control bills that Democrats want to push through the legislature this month after recent mass shootings in other states. It now goes to the House, which is also controlled by Democrats and which amended a similar Senate bill last year to allow 20 rounds for handguns and 30 rounds for long guns.

The substitute bill approved Tuesday reverts to the 17-round limit. It also eliminates an exemption approved in the House for a Georgetown business that manufactures firearm magazines and could be forced to close if the bill becomes law. Violation of the ban would be a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Possession of an outlawed magazine during the commission of a felony would carry a mandatory two-year prison term and a maximum sentence of 25 years behind bars.

Senate President Pro Tem David Sokola said the bill is a necessary public safety measure and similar magazine restrictions in other states have proven effective in reducing shooting deaths.

The time it takes a shooter to reload their weapon can be critical to allowing victims to escape, said Sokola, adding that magazine restrictions have been upheld by courts.

Opponents argue that the bill, which prohibits the manufacture, sale and possession of any magazine capable of accepting, or that can readily be converted to hold, more than 17 rounds of ammunition, will outlaw every magazine sold with modern semiautomatic weapons. They note that almost every magazine has a removable base plate that allows for cleaning and replacement of the spring that feeds bullets into the chamber  and which also makes it easy to convert a magazine to hold more rounds.

Virtually all firearms that accept magazines ... will be made illegal because of the fact they all have the ability to be readily modified, said Anthony Delcollo, an attorney for the Republican minority caucus.

Majority Leader Bryan Townsend suggested that such concerns are unwarranted because the substitute bill removes language in the previous version that referred to removable base plates. The previous version outlawed any magazine with a removable floor plate or end plate, if the device can readily be extended to accept more than 17 rounds of ammunition.

Having a removable base plate does not in any way automatically mean that a magazine is readily converted to a large capacity. ... Having a removable base plate does not automatically mean that a magazine is prohibited, Townsend said.

Delcollo, meanwhile, said the measure may not withstand a court challenge under Delawares state constitution, which includes more explicit gun ownership protections than does the U.S. Constitution. Delawares constitution specifically protects a persons right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home and State, and for hunting and recreational use.

Its likely this would not meet muster for a Delaware constitutional challenge, said Delcollo, a former GOP state senator.

The bill exempts current and retired police officers, government and military personnel acting within the scope of their duties, and holders of concealed carry permits. It also exempts firearms dealers who sell to those exempt individuals or to other licensed gun dealers.

The legislation calls for $45,000 to be set aside for a program to buy back prohibited magazines from people who currently legally possess them for $10 each. The previous version of the bill set aside $15,000 for the buyback program. Unlike the current version, it also included specific language mandating that people who currently legally possess such magazines surrender them to the state.
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COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  Danish authorities on Tuesday charged a 30-year-old British seaman with negligent manslaughter over a fatal cargo ship collision last year, with the particularly aggravating factor that the suspect was allegedly drunk on his watch.

Two crew members of the Danish-flagged Karin Hj were killed after the freighter collided on Dec. 13 with the British Scot Carrier in the Baltic Sea off southern Sweden and capsized, without sinking. The British seaman, who has not been named, was the duty mate on the Scot Carrier, according to Danish authorities.
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PORT ORCHARD, Wash. (AP)  Three men accused of killing a Washington state family five years ago pleaded not guilty Tuesday, as detectives asserted the killings were about drugs and money and warned that further arrests could come for people who were dishonest with us.

The four members of the blended Careaga family were found executed in January 2017  Christale Careaga, 37, and two 16-year-old boys, Johnathon Higgins and Hunter Schaap, inside their burned-out home on the Kitsap Peninsula west of Seattle; and Christale's husband, John Careaga, 43, in his torched pickup truck at a tree farm two days later.

Kitsap County sheriff's detectives on Monday arrested Danie J. Kelly Jr., 43; Robert J. Watson III, 50; and Watson's brother Johnny J. Watson, 49. The trio pleaded not guilty to felony counts that include aggravated murder, arson and burglary on Tuesday. Superior Court Judge Kevin Hull ordered them held without bail.

Weve wanted answers for the past five years, Carly Schaap, Hunters mother, said Tuesday, according to the Kitsap Sun newspaper. These are awful individuals who committed heinous crimes against four people and shook our community.

The Careagas owned Juanitos Taqueria, a successful Mexican restaurant in Bremerton. In court documents reported by the newspaper, detectives described John Careaga as a family man who stood up for himself  but who also had a sideline bringing a kilo of cocaine from California every couple months to sell locally.

A close friend of Careaga began selling the cocaine to suspect Robert Watson, whom detectives identified as a leader in a local chapter of the Bandidos motorcycle club, authorities said. Careaga's friend eventually stopped selling, and the next time Careaga went to California to get the drugs, Watson took a trip there on Johns heels, and dialogue between the two intensified until the day of the homicides, according to investigators.

John Careaga's attorney told authorities that Careaga had hidden hundreds of thousands of dollars underneath his home, but that money was never found, investigators said.

According to the court records, Robert Watson, an employee of Kitsap County Public Works, stopped going to work and was ultimately fired in September 2017. Detectives said about $303,000 was deposited into his accounts that year, and that there were numerous cash deposits that the source could not be identified.

One of the defendants, Kelly, was associated with the Bandidos as a hang-around  Robert Watson was sponsoring his membership in the organization, detectives said. He also was once a good friend of Careaga, even serving as the best man at Careagas first wedding, before a falling out.

The motive for the crime is complicated  its involving drugs, money, theres definitely some personality conflicts, Kitsap County Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Lissa Gundrum said at a news conference Tuesday.

Gundrum said she had long known of Kelly's involvement in the case, but that extensive investigation involving cellphone location data, interviews and other evidence was required to help determine who else might have been culpable.

Kelly bought a prepaid mobile phone that was used to communicate almost exclusively with John Careaga for the 10 days leading up to the killings, court documents said. Further, detectives wrote, a neighbor of the Careagas who heard the gunshots at the house reported seeing John Careaga's truck speeding away, with Kelly at the wheel and another car following close behind.

Danie and John hated each other such that Danie would have no business being at Johns house or driving his truck, detectives wrote in a probable cause statement.

Unanswered questions remain about the case  including where John Careaga and his truck were held before being found at the tree farm, Gundrum said: We know that there is another crime scene somewhere. We know that there is more people that are either involved or have information.

She also warned that more arrests could come.

Those people who were dishonest with us or maybe held back, were requesting they step forward now and provide the information we need," Gundrum said. I understand why maybe they had some misgivings initially, but now is really the time.

The president of the local Bandidos chapter cooperated in the investigation, she said. She heard from club members that they won't stand for a member who kills women and children.

I don't necessarily think this is club-related, she said. I think these just happen to be members of the Bandidos club.

Aggravated murder carries a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of release.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  Oklahoma Countys top prosecutor confirmed Thursday hes investigating whether a recent campaign ad by Gov. Kevin Stitt violates state law and ethics rules.

David Prater said he launched an investigation after a bipartisan group of House legislators suggested the 30-second ad, titled  Track Record," violates state law.

I consider this a serious matter," Prater said in a statement to The Associated Press. I will respect the lawmakers' request and investigate to determine if evidence exists to prove a violation of Oklahoma criminal statute."

Stitt's relationship with the Legislature, particularly House Republicans, has grown tense in recent months, especially after he vetoed key pieces of the budget agreement reached between the House and Senate.

The ad, airing in Oklahoma City and Tulsa markets, touts Stitts appointment of Attorney General John OConnor, who is described as a conservative fighter" and is prominently featured in the second half of the ad. The Stitt campaign spent about $340,000 to air the ad for three weeks in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the lawmakers said in their letter to Prater.

State law prohibits a candidate from knowingly making or accepting a contribution of more than $2,900 to another candidate committee. Independent expenditures by a candidate committee also are prohibited. Concerns about the ad were first reported by the nonprofit journalism organization Oklahoma Watch.

Donelle Harder, Stitt's campaign manager, released a statement saying the campaign had received legal counsel in advance and they remain confident it is an acceptable campaign ad." But she added: In light of a recent inquiry, we are pausing this particular ad."

O'Connor's campaign manager Brett Humphrey said he didn't want to comment on another candidate's ad, but said they were not involved in creating the ad and haven't asked the governor to pull it.

I don't run the campaign for the governor," Humphrey said.

Oklahoma's primary election is June 28, and O'Connor is facing a tough election contest against fellow Republican Gentner Drummond, who lost to former Attorney General Mike Hunter by fewer than 300 votes during the 2018 primary election. Because no Democrat filed for the seat, whoever wins the primary is expected to coast to reelection in the fall against Libertarian Lynda Steele.

Rex Duncan, a former prosecutor who was recently serving as general counsel for the Oklahoma Republican Party, said he believes the ad is clearly illegal.

It couldn't be more clear, in my opinion," Duncan said. And the simple solution is for the governor to pull the ad or the attorney general to ask the governor to pull the ad."

Duncan said he was fired from his volunteer role as the party's general counsel by new Oklahoma GOP Chairman A.J. Ferrate, who also is an attorney, after Duncan posted his concerns about the ad on social media and talked to a reporter about those concerns.

For his part, Ferrate said he believes Duncan's analysis was flawed and that the ad is perfectly legal.

From my own legal analysis and review of Ethics Commission rules and state statute, there is no issue with Gov. Stitt's ad," Ferrate said.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  A former Oregon elementary principal has been convicted of sexually abusing four students between 2005 and 2009.

A judge in a crowded Clackamas County courtroom on Monday found 68-year-old Jeffrey W. Hays guilty on six counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

Circuit Judge Katherine Weber revoked his bail and ordered him held until sentencing June 28. Closing arguments in the five-week trial concluded Friday.

More than 50 witnesses and 70 pieces of evidence were examined during the trial, including testimony from Hays and the students who said they were sexually abused at Deep Creek Elementary School in Damascus when they were in third or fourth grade.

Two of the students said the abuse happened during lunches with the principal in his office. The other two said Hays groped them while he conducted a math test in his office.

Defense attorney Jason Thompson said Hays would appeal the verdict.

Im shocked that (the judge) thought that the evidence presented, which we all agreed was contaminated, was sufficient to support any verdict beyond a reasonable doubt, Thompson said.

Weber, a former public defender who was appointed to the bench in 2010, presided over the non-jury trial.

Hays was working as the principal of City View charter school in Hillsboro and resigned in 2017 after the Deep Creek allegations came to light.
American adults who havent yet gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 may soon get another choice, as advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday backed a more traditional type of shot.

Next, the FDA must decide whether to authorize the protein vaccine made by latecomer Novavax as the nation's fourth coronavirus shot for adults. It's made with more conventional technology than today's dominant Pfizer and Moderna shots and the lesser-used Johnson & Johnson option.

N ovavax shots are already available in Australia, Canada, parts of Europe and multiple other countries, either for initial vaccinations or as mix-and-match boosters. But U.S. clearance is a key hurdle for the Maryland-based company.

FDA's vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said another choice in the U.S. may entice at least some vaccine holdouts -- whatever their reason -- to consider rolling up their sleeves.

We do have a problem with vaccine uptake that is very serious in the United States," Marks said. "Anything we can do to get people more comfortable to accept these potentially life-saving products is something that we feel we are compelled to do.

A final FDA decision isn't expected immediately, as the agency finishes combing through the data.

Nor is it clear how widely a Novavax vaccine would be used, at least right away. Only about 27 million U.S. adults remain unvaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Eventually, Novavax hopes also to become a choice for the millions more who havent yet had a booster dose of todays vaccines, regardless of which shot people got originally.

The FDA advisory panel voted that the benefits of two primary Novavax doses outweigh its risks  but they had a lot of questions about the shots' role at this point in the pandemic.

This vaccine does indeed fill some unmet needs, such as an option for people with allergies to competing shots, said Dr. Michael Nelson of the University of Virginia.

But the FDA is considering two adult doses for now, when other COVID-19 vaccines have needed a third dose, he said.

And while this vaccine has incredible potential, theres no clear evidence yet of how well it works against the more contagious omicron variant and its siblings, added fellow adviser Dr. Bruce Gellin of the Rockefeller Foundation.

Large studies in the U.S., Mexico and Britain found two doses of the Novavax vaccine were safe and about 90% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. One complication: Those studies were done far earlier in the pandemic.

Novavax chief medical officer Dr. Filip Dubovsky said tests of a booster dose revved up virus-fighting antibodies that could tackle the omicron mutant, data that FDA will have to consider later.

This type of vaccine we think generates a broad immune response against a broad array of variants, he told the FDA advisory panel.

Trial participants generally experienced only mild reactions such as injection-site pain or fatigue, but the FDA did highlight a possible concern: six cases of heart inflammation, known as myocarditis, found among the 40,000 people who received the vaccine in studies.

COVID-19 vaccines are coming under close scrutiny for the possibility of heart inflammation after the Pfizer and Moderna shots were linked to that rare risk.

Novavax argued there were other potential causes for the reports. Other infections including COVID-19 also can cause heart inflammation. The company said more than 744,000 vaccinations in other countries so far support the shots' safety.

Several of FDA's advisers said the Novavax vaccine should come with a warning until more is known but cautioned against comparisons with the Pfizer and Moderna shots' estimated rate of the rare side effect.

I don't want to stigmatize this vaccine inappropriately, said Dr. Cody Meissner of Tufts University.

The Novavax vaccine is made of copies of the spike protein that coats the coronavirus, packaged into nanoparticles that to the immune system resemble a virus. Then an immune-boosting ingredient, or adjuvant, thats made from the bark of a South American tree is added that acts as a red flag to ensure those particles look suspicious enough to spark a strong immune response.

Protein vaccines have been used for years to prevent hepatitis B, shingles and other diseases.

Thats very different than the vaccines currently used in the U.S. The most widely used Pfizer and Moderna vaccines deliver genetic instructions for the body to produce its own copies of the spike protein. J&J uses a cold virus to deliver those instructions.

Manufacturing problems held up Novavaxs vaccine but the company said those problems have been resolved. Novavax, a small biotech company, created the vaccine in its research lab. But the Serum Institute of India, the worlds largest vaccine maker, produces most of its shots including those slated for the U.S.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  Former Connecticut Chief Justice William Sullivan, whose reputation was tarnished late in his career when he plunged the state Supreme Court into controversy and was suspended for violating judicial ethics codes in the mid-2000s, has died. He was 83.

Sullivan, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who served as chief justice from 2001 to 2006, died from undisclosed causes on Monday, state court officials said in an announcement.

While politicians and judges praised Sullivan in statements Tuesday, the former chief justice may best be remembered for the scandal that led to his 15-day suspension in 2006.

Sullivan, known to many relatives and friends by his nickname Tocco, acknowledged he delayed the release of a state Supreme Court ruling in an attempt to help fellow Justice Peter Zarella win confirmation from the legislature to succeed him as chief justice.

Sullivan told the state panel that disciplines judges he believed the ruling, which kept certain judicial records secret, would harm Zarella's chances of being confirmed. Zarella and Sullivan voted in the majority in the decision and Zarella was facing legislative confirmation hearings when Sullivan ordered the release of the ruling to be delayed.

Then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell, a Republican who nominated Zarella for chief justice, later withdrew his name from consideration at his request. Zarella has said he didn't know Sullivan postponed the ruling's release in an attempt to benefit him.

During the controversy, Sullivan also created a constitutional standoff between the courts and legislature when he went to court to fight a subpoena by lawmakers seeking to force him to testify about his conduct before the Judiciary Committee. Sullivan eventually agreed to appear voluntarily before the panel.

Sullivan retired later in 2006 and took senior justice status, which allowed him to continue to hear some cases.

Current Chief Justice Richard Robinson and Gov. Ned Lamont did not mention the controversy in statements on Tuesday.

Throughout his legal career, Chief Justice Sullivan never wavered from his fierce protection of the rule of law, Robinson said. He was a giant who inspired many, and while its often said that no one is irreplaceable, there was only one Tocco Sullivan.

Robinson said what stood out about Sullivan was his dedication to public service and deep devotion and loyalty to his family and friends.

Lamont said, It is without doubt that Chief Justice Sullivan has made a lasting impact in Connecticut, having served as a judge for nearly three decades and authoring hundreds of opinions that continue to impact our legal system today.

Sullivan was born and grew up in Waterbury. He graduated from Providence College in 1962 with a political science degree and got his law degree at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary in Virginia in 1965.

From 1965 to 1966, Sullivan was a captain in the U.S. Army and served a tour in Vietnam, where his conduct earned him several awards including two Bronze Stars, according to a biography prepared by the Judicial Branch.

After the Army, he went into private law practice and also served as Waterbury's corporation counsel.

Former Gov. Ella Grasso, a Democrat, appointed him as a Superior Court judge in 1978. He was elevated to the state Appellate Court in 1997 on Republican Gov. John Rowland's nomination, and became chief justice in 2001, also nominated by Rowland.
John E. Porter, who represented Chicago's northern suburbs for two decades in Congress and helped increase funding for biomedical research has died, his family announced. He was 87.

In a statement, the Porter family said the former congressman died Friday after a recent hospitalization. The statement did not specify a cause of death.

Porter, a Republican, represented Illinois 10th District in Congress from 1980 to 2001. A staunch fiscal conservative, Porter also held moderate social views, backing abortion rights and gun control  positions that are almost unheard of in todays Republican Party. Among other things, he helped lead the successful effort that created the 1994 assault weapons ban, which has since expired. He also was a supporter of international human rights and helped increase funding for scientific and biomedical research.

The whole rough-and-tumble of classless politics was anathema to his character, Mark Kirk, who succeeded Porter in the U.S. House before being elected U.S. senator in 2010, told the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald. The district wanted an independent leader, and he was that independent leader.

Kirk, who started as an intern in Porter's office becoming its chief of staff, said Porter's main legacy was "in doubling funding for the National Institutes of Health and funding the unlocking of the human genome.

When he retired, Port said he was most proud of that work and helping to create the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, a voluntary group that worked to identify, track and end human rights violations all over the world.

We have probably offended every single government on earth, he said, according to the Daily Herald. But they deserved to be offended.

Eight years ago, the National Institutes of Health dedicated the John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Porter is survived by his spouse, Amy, children and stepchildren, John, David, Annie, Robyn, Donna, McKay and Michelle, and 14 grandchildren.

In its statement, Porter's family said services will be held this month in Virginia and that another service will be held in Illinois over the summer.
BALTIMORE (AP)  A former senior Maryland official has pleaded guilty to bribery relating to information technology contracts with a state agency, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Isabel FitzGerald held several offices in the Maryland state government from February 2007 to August 2013. They included chief information officer of the Department of Human Resources, a consultant indirectly compensated by DHR, and as the agency's deputy secretary of operations.
DETROIT (AP)  Federal investigators say Goodyear knew that some of its recreational vehicle tires could fail and cause severe crashes, yet it didn't recall them for as many as 20 years.

Goodyear wouldnt recall the tires even as late as March of this year, despite investigators finding that their failure caused crashes that killed eight people and injured 69 others from 1998 through 2009.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made the allegations against Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear in a Feb. 22 letter sent to the company seeking a recall of 22.5-inch-diameter G159 tires.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. responded to the agency in a March 8 letter refusing to do a recall, but later it decided to conduct one, according to NHTSA documents.

NHTSA had threatened a public hearing and court action if the tires weren't recalled. The agency posted documents Tuesday showing that Goodyear had agreed to recall about 173,000 of the tires, which have been out of production since 2003.

The NHTSA letter says the company should have recalled the tires within five working days of becoming aware of a defect, which it apparently knew of as early as 2002.

The safety-related defect is clear, identified failure that leads to a loss of vehicle control, causing crashes and potentially catastrophic consequences such as death and serious injury, NHTSA wrote in the letter.

Documents say the tire tread can separate from the body, causing drivers to lose control and increasing the risk of a crash. In one case, a front tire on an RV failed as a man and his family were returning from a vacation. The driver heard a loud pop and lost control of the 40-foot-long RV, which crossed the median and hit an embankment. The driver was paralyzed and three other passengers suffered broken spine and pelvic bones, the letter said, without saying where or when the crash occurred.

In its response letter to NHTSA, Goodyear maintained that the tires were rigorously tested and fully qualified to operate at highway speeds. No subject tire inspected by Goodyear engineers ever revealed or even suggested a defect of any kind, the company wrote.

On Tuesday, Goodyear said the tires are not defective and said few, if any, are still on the road.

In its letter, NHTSA presented a detailed timeline of what Goodyear knew when, based on an investigation into the tires that began over four years ago. It also said the company routinely settled lawsuits and got judges to seal the information, keeping it from NHTSA and other plaintiffs' lawyers.

Goodyear's penchant for secrecy undoubtedly provided an ancillary benefit in preventing injured litigants and their counsel from providing information about G159-related crashes, the letter said. NHTSA was not alerted to the extraordinary failure rate of the subject tires until documents were released in an Arizona case in 2017, the letter said.

Goodyear's behavior should bring a fine from NHTSA and criminal charges from the Department of Justice, said Michael Brooks, acting executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety. His organization is among those that sued to get records released in the Arizona case.

Sealing off the documentation that there is a distinct threat to public safety should be against the law, said Brooks, who added that several states have such laws.

Goodyear's conduct is similar to that of General Motors, which covered up an ignition switch defect that caused crashes, deaths and injuries, David Kurtz, the attorney in the Arizona case who notified NHTSA of the tire failures, wrote Tuesday in an email. "Prosecutors found that there was an ongoing scheme to defraud a federal regulator resulting in massive sanctions, he wrote.

In 2015 General Motors agreed to pay over $900 million to fend off criminal prosecution over the deadly ignition-switch scandal. The switches, which could slip out of the run position and cut off the engine, were linked to at least 124 deaths and 275 injuries.

A criminal investigation may be underway. Kurtz said that in 2018, a Department of Justice criminal fraud lawyer traveled to Kurtzs Arizona office to speak with him about the Goodyear case for an entire day. The DOJ typically does not comment about ongoing investigations.

Brooks said NHTSA should have acted much sooner after getting a solid case from Kurtz in 2017.

NHTSA's letter said Goodyear's G159 tire, size 275/70R22.5, was introduced in 1996 for start-and-stop urban delivery vehicles and sold for roads with a maximum speed limit of 65 mph (104.6 kilometers per hour), as all roads were in 1996.

Later they were used as original equipment tires on large motorhomes that typically travel long distances on highways. Such use can increase the tire temperature and deteriorate its performance and life, the letter said.

In 2007, a Goodyear engineer testified in a court case that operating heavy truck tires above 200 degrees Fahrenheit could cause tread separation. Yet in August of 1996, Goodyear tests of the recalled tires found temperatures well in excess of 200 degrees F at 50 mph, the letter said.

Goodyear started getting injury claims in 1998 as some states raised freeway speed limits to 75 mph. It also received death claims every year from 2002 through 2006, the letter stated.

Goodyear, the agency wrote, did a customer satisfaction campaign to replace some of the tires when it should have done a recall. The agency said that the recalled tires had a much higher failure rate than similar tires made by the company.

NHTSA issued a statement Tuesday urging anyone who owns, rents or uses and RV or truck should make sure that 22.5-inch G159 tires are not on the vehicles. If their vehicle has these tires, they should have this recall completed as soon as possible, the agency said.

Goodyears statement Tuesday said its doing the recall to address risks that happen when the tires are underinflated or overloaded on motorhomes, and that RV manufacturers who picked the G159 tire were responsible for communicating appropriate load limits to customers.

But NHTSA wrote that Goodyear knew of chronic underinflation and overloading problems as early as February of 1998, and by January of 2002 had reached the conclusion that the G159 was not, according to its own specifications, suitable for use in Class A (large) motorhomes.

The agency said tire overloading and underinflation are common among RV owners and are foreseeable conditions.

But Goodyear said that NHTSA historically has treated such issues as the responsibility of RV manufacturers who specify tire pressure and load requirements.

The company also wrote that NHTSA's math on claim rates for the tires are based on significant methodological errors" that overstate the rates.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  Emergency services used a sonar-equipped boat Tuesday in the hunt for the wreckage of a small airplane that crashed over the weekend in a waterway that is part of the busy port of Rotterdam and two people on board, as police in Norway said the two people missing were Norwegians.

The identities of those on board the plane haven't been released. Police in Norway told broadcaster NRK in Norway that two Norwegian citizens are missing after the crash. Another broadcaster, TV2, said a school has confirmed that one of those missing was a student living in the Norwegian city of Bergen.
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ABUJA. Nigeria (AP)  Gunmen with explosives killed at least 38 persons including five children in an attack on a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria, the Ondo State Catholic Diocese has told The Associated Press.

Some of the dead "were taken to private hospitals and we have not been able to ascertain the number of casualties for that," said a spokesperson speaking on behalf of Bishop Jude Arogundade of the Ondo Catholic Diocese, suggesting that the death toll could be higher.

Kadiri Olanrewaju, head of Nigerias National Emergency Management Services in Ondo, earlier said on Tuesday that 22 bodies were counted at the morgue while two state lawmakers told AP on Sunday that more than 50 were killed in the attack at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo town in Ondo state.

Some bodies were taken away by family members for private burials, residents said.

The Catholic church in Ondo verified the names of the 38 persons brought to the Catholic hospital and to the Federal Medical Center, the church's spokesperson in Ondo told AP.

Nigeria, Africas most populous country with 206 million people, has grappled for more than a decade with an insurgency in the northeast by the Islamic extremist rebels of Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province. The country now is confronted by growing insecurity problems as separatists and pirates are blamed for attacks in the countrys south while armed groups frequently launch deadly attacks in the northwest.

Before the church attack, Ondo had been considered one of Nigeria's most peaceful states. But now Owo, a small town of traders and government workers located 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the state capital of Akure, is reeling from the violence of the church attack.

Schools and public gathering spots remained closed on Tuesday and many residents stayed at home, residents said.

The Ondo Police Command has not made any arrests yet nor have they confirmed the identities of the attackers, said to be at least five in number, a spokeswoman said.

We can only confirm that explosives were used and we found three undetonated IEDs (improvised explosive devices) at the scene, police spokeswoman Odunlami Funmilayo told the AP.

The attackers sneaked into the church premises, said the police. Some of them were disguised as congregants while other armed men who had positioned themselves around the church premises from different directions, fired into the church, the police added.

There was no warning, no threat, this place has been peaceful, said Sunday Adewale, who works in the palace of the local chief. They just looked for peoples soft spot when people are relaxed.

Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu described the attackers as bloodthirsty terrorists who unleashed an unforgettable scar on all of us.

"The most unfortunate part is the lives of innocent children cut down in their prime and some severely injured by the mindless terrorists," Governor Akeredolu said in a broadcast.

Women in the town protested on Tuesday. They also demanded improved security in the area.

We are here as market women, we are here to commiserate with the people of Owo, we are to say that enough is enough, said Yemi Mahmud, one of the protesters.

In the community, the anger is palpable  just as the urge for reprisal is high," said Governor Akeredolu, who promised that we shall commit every available resource to hunt down these mindless assailants and make them pay dearly.



Lekan Oyekanmi in Owo, Nigeria, contributed to this report.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  An Iowa man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for making explosive devices and then detonating them on an Ankeny street in 2021.

Chad Allen Williams, age 47, of Johnston, was sentenced Friday for making a destructive device and being a drug user in possession of a firearm, according to federal prosecutors.
MILAN (AP)  Italian agents on Tuesday confiscated 4.3 tons of cocaine with a street value of nearly a quarter-billion euros (dollars) in the northeastern port city of Trieste, dealing a blow to Colombia's feared Gulf Clan in one of the largest drug busts ever in Europe.

Arrest warrants were being executed for 38 people on suspicion of international drug trafficking in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Colombia. The seizure was carried out by Italian financial police and coordinated by anti-mafia investigators, following a yearlong investigation that also involved U.S. Homeland Security.
HAYSVILLE, Kan. (AP)  A southern Kansas man has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for the killing of his 4-month-old daughter nearly four years ago.

Andrew Franklin, 36, of Haysville, was sentenced Monday to 250 months in prison, television station KAKE reported. Franklin pleaded no contest in April to second-degree murder and child abuse in the death of 4-month-old Brexley Grace Franklin.
MILWAUKEE (AP)  Wisconsin-based Kohls Corp. is in negotiations to sell the company to the group that runs Vitamin Shoppe stores.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the Menominee Falls-based retailer said Monday that it has entered negotiations with Franchise Group Inc. to acquire the company at $60 per share. That translates to about $8 billion.
CHICAGO (AP)  A man has been charged in a Sunday shooting that wounded a Chicago police officer during a traffic stop on the citys South Side, police said Tuesday.

Jerome Halsey, 27, of Chicago faces two counts of attempted murder and two firearm-related aggravated battery charges, the Chicago Police Department said.

Police said officers were conducting a traffic stop Sunday afternoon when Halsey fired at officers, striking one officer who was hospitalized in serious-but-stable condition.

Police returned fire, hitting Halsey several times. He was expected in court later Tuesday, and it was not immediately clear if he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Sunday's shooting marked the third shooting in a week of a law enforcement officer in Chicago.

A Chicago police officer was shot last Wednesday after she tried to make a traffic stop. She was released from a hospital Monday to the cheers of dozens of officers, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Police identified a suspect in her shooting last week, but no arrests have been reported.

An officer with the U.S. Marshals Services fugitive apprehension team and his police dog were shot last Thursday on the citys Northwest Side while serving a warrant. The officer was shot in the hand but declined to be taken to a hospital. The dog was taken to an emergency veterinary hospital.

A 19-year-old man has been charged in that shooting.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  A New Hampshire man has been arrested on charges of assault and endangering the welfare of a child stemming from suspicious and life-threatening injuries" to a 1-year-old infant, police said Tuesday.

Police in Concord said they responded to a hospital emergency room to investigate the child's injuries in February. Lifesaving measures were taken and the infant was taken to a Massachusetts hospital for additional care, police said in a news release.
HAMDEN, Conn. (AP)  Police in Connecticut have charged an 18-year-old man with murder and other crimes in the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy in a Hamden park last month.

Police arrested Jenigh Ward on Monday in connection with the May 9 killing of Hamden High School freshman Elijah Gomez. Ward also was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and carrying a pistol without a permit.
Sydney King of Milford is one of this year's recipients of the prestigious Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Award at Southern Connecticut State University.

King, a senior at SCSU who is majoring in cultural anthropology and minoring in Spanish, has centered her focus around social justice and community outreach  making it the priority of her time at Southern.

She is currently spending the spring semester immersing herself in the culture to learn the Spanish language further.

Each year, 12 seniors are chosen by the four Connecticut State Universities - four each from Southern and Central, and two each from Eastern and Western. It is considered among the universitys most prestigious student awards and given to those found to have demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership, academics and community engagement. Criteria include a 3.7 GPA or better and having demonstrated significant participation in university and/or community life.

Kings passion for service started when she was 14 years old, when she began participating in faith-led mission trips through her church. During these trips, King would spend two to four weeks every summer volunteering her time on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota  home of the Indigenous North American Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe  one of the poorest in the Northern Hemisphere.

During her time there, King helped to teach summer school to children living in the Red Shirt village. She credits her mission trips to Pine Ridge as a turning point in high school.

I had developed an anxiety disorder in the fall, King said. Most of my anxiety stemmed from a lack of purpose or a feeling of inadequacy. I did not believe that the track I was on to attend a prestigious college and obtain a high-paying job would conceive anything but material comfort.

In addition to volunteering at Pine Ridge, King took a year off between high school and college to join the AmeriCorps NCCC program. She traveled to California to help teach underprivileged students and rebuild homes lost to the devastating Northern California wildfires.

Kings academic adviser, Kathleen Skoczen, professor of anthropology, highlighted Kings focus on social justice and its impact on Kings decision to attend Southern and continue her work to change communities.

Over the last three and a half years, Sydney has become a role model and leader in qualities that define public service at SCSU, Skoczen said. [Sydney] is an enthusiastic, energetic, thoughtful activist who will certainly bring forth a more just world.

King has extended her commitment to service by studying abroad in Chile. She is currently spending the spring semester immersing herself in the culture to learn the Spanish language further. With plans to pursue a masters degree following her graduation, King hopes to expand her knowledge and reach to help more lives.

My time at Southern Connecticut State University provided me with an innovative and diverse environment to learn from peoples real lives, King said. As I move forward in applying for fellowship and graduate school, I am looking to experience the inner workings of political and social change.
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP)  The body of a Southern California man who had been missing since last month was found in a remote section of Death Valley National Park, authorities said.

John McCarry, 69, of Long Beach last contacted a family member by text message from the U.S. 395 community of Olancha, saying he was heading to the desert park, the National Park Service said in a statement.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP)  A Missouri appeals court on Tuesday ruled that former Gov. Eric Greitens didnt violate open records laws by using a message-deleting app to chat with his staff.

The Western District Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling in Greitens favor, the Kansas City Star reported.

A St. Louis attorney sued Greitens in 2017 over use of the Confide app by the governors office. The app deletes messages after the recipient reads them.

Greitens resigned 2018 in the face of possible impeachment and allegations of sexual and political misconduct. Hes now running for U.S. Senate.

St. Louis attorney Ben Sansone argued use of the app violated Missouri open-records laws, which are designed to ensure taxpayers have access to government documents.

But a lower-court judge sided with Greitens, and appeals court judges agreed.

Still, appeals court judges said the ruling should not be interpreted as them condoning use of the app by public officials, writing the app has the practical effect of side-stepping the reach of Missouris Sunshine Law.

Mark Pedroli, Sansones attorney, told The Kansas City Star that theyll try to take the case to the Missouri Supreme Court if necessary.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  A Connecticut prison guard has been fired after an investigation found he fabricated a complaint about being the target of anti-Muslim harassment at work.

The Correction Department confirmed Tuesday that Officer Shem Brijbalis was terminated on April 7 for violating the department's policies and directives related to harassment and unprofessional behavior.

The department began an investigation in May 2021 after Brijbilas filed a complaint about a fake incident report found inside the Cheshire Correctional Institution that included numerous racial slurs and references to white supremacy.

Brijbilas said he was targeted by the document, which was made to look as if he had written it.

Part of it reads, The white man has done so much for us People that we need to shut up and take what is given without complaints.

The incident led to calls for a hate crimes investigation from the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The embarrassment I feel is indescribable and at no point do I feel safe in such a volatile and hateful work environment and I am concerned for my safety and mental health wellbeing, Brijbailas wrote at the time.

But in a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday, the Correction Department said its own investigation found that Brijbalis "did not unknowingly come upon an offensive document while working at the Cheshire Correctional Institution  rather, it was determined, he created the document and left it in a public area, where it was found."

The Department said it also found that Brijbalis made false statements to both the Correction Department and police.

No criminal charges have been filed.

Efforts to reach Brijbalis on Tuesday were not successful. Neither he nor his attorney replied to emails seeking comment and a phone number linked to him was no longer in service.

Farhan Memon, the chairman of Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he did not know enough about the investigation to comment on Brijbalis' firing.
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BERLIN (AP)  Angela Merkel defended her approach to Ukraine and Russia during her 16 years as Germany's leader, saying Tuesday that a much criticized 2015 peace deal for eastern Ukraine bought Kyiv precious time and she won't apologize for her diplomatic efforts.

In her first substantial comments since leaving office six months ago, Merkel said there was no excuse for Russia's brutal attack on Ukraine and it was a big mistake on Russia's part.

Merkel, who dealt with Russian President Vladimir Putin throughout her chancellorship, rejected a suggestion that she and others engaged in appeasement that ultimately enabled the invasion.

I tried to work toward calamity being averted, and diplomacy was not wrong if it doesn't succeed, she said in an on-stage interview at a Berlin theater that was televised live. I don't see that I should say now that it was wrong, and so I won't apologize.

It is a matter of great sorrow that it didn't succeed, but I don't blame myself now for trying, Merkel said.

She defended the 2015 peace agreement that she and then-French President Francois Hollande brokered in Minsk, Belarus, aimed at easing fighting in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russian-backed separatists.

Merkel conceded that it didn't fulfill all of Ukraine's interests and that few people stand by it now, with some saying it was badly negotiated.

But at the time it brought calm and, for example, it gave Ukraine a great deal of time  seven years namely  to develop into what it is today," she said. If there had been no intervention at the time, she added, Putin could have wrought gigantic damage in Ukraine.

She said that sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Crimea in 2014 could have been stronger, as far as I'm concerned, but added that there was no majority sentiment for doing so at the time.

We didn't do nothing either," she said, noting that Russia was thrown out of the Group of Eight and that NATO set a target for countries to work toward spending 2% of their gross domestic product on defense.

Merkel also strongly defended a decision in 2008 not to put Ukraine directly on track to join NATO, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in early April blasted as a miscalculation.

NATO pledged in 2008 that Ukraine and Georgia would one day become members. But French and German concern over Russias reactions dashed their hopes of being granted a membership action plan that would bring them into the alliance within five to 10 years.

Merkel said that Ukraine was not the one we know today," saying it was a country very divided and dominated by oligarchs. It wasn't an internally democratically stable country, she said.

She suggested a stronger NATO green light for Ukraine in 2008 would have led to faster Russian aggression, with Ukraine less able to resist.

I was very certain that Putin wouldn't just let it happen," she said. For him, from his perspective, that was a declaration of war ... I don't share any of this, but I knew how he thought.

Tuning to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, which she long defended against criticism from the U.S., Ukraine and eastern European allies, Merkel said Putin invaded Ukraine without waiting for it to enter service.

Current Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government halted the project in February.

His administration also decided to deliver arms to Ukraine.

Merkel said she had opposed doing that when she was chancellor because Germany and France were trying to lead diplomacy.

That is no longer on the agenda today  this is a different time, she said.

___

Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Unions chief executive vowed Tuesday that Poland would get no money from the blocs vast pandemic relief fund until the right-wing government rolls back measures deemed to limit the independence of the countrys judiciary.

Poland is line to receive nearly 36 billion euros ($38.5 billion) to help its economy recover from the impact of measures introduced to limit the spread of the coronavirus. But the EU has frozen its access to the funds amid concern about political interference with the judiciary.

The European Commission, which proposes EU laws and supervises the way they are enacted, insists that a disciplinary chamber for Polish judges be abolished, that its rulebook be rewritten and that judges sanctioned by the chamber have their cases reviewed.

Let me be very clear. These three commitments, translated into milestones, must be fulfilled before any payment can be made, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France.

The European Parliament has also launched action against Poland over democratic backsliding. The lawmakers have criticized von der Leyen and her commission for being too slow to act. Some are calling for a no-confidence vote on her should the commission release any funds too early.

I know that some of you are skeptical, but let me assure that no money will be disbursed until these reforms are undertaken, von der Leyen said. A first payment will only be possible when a new law is in force that ticks all the boxes under this contract, she said of a plan for Poland to access the funds.

Von der Leyen added that Poland must demonstrate by the end of 2023 that all unlawfully dismissed judges have been reinstated. If this is not the case there cannot be any further disbursement.

Polands lawmakers are still working on changing Supreme Court regulations to abolish the disciplinary chamber. Only one of the dozens of suspended judges has been reinstated, but to a different section in his court, and has been ordered to go on leave.

Many EU lawmakers argued that Poland should have met the conditions before its action plan for access to the recovery fund was submitted. Even some senior members of von der Leyens own commission had reservations about the Polish plan.

Dutch liberal parliamentarian, Sophia Int Veld, said the commission's conditions are merely a smokescreen. Facing von der Leyen, she said: If you make any payment to Poland without all the criteria having been fully met, you lose my confidence. Its democracy.

Polands pandemic recovery plan must still be endorsed by the other 26 EU member states before the end of the month. It would pave the way for government to eventually gain access to 23.9 billion euros ($25.4 billion) in grants and 11.5 billion euros ($11.7 billion) in loans.

EU officials have said that Poland is unlikely to win access to any of the money for several months.
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LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson may have survived a no-confidence vote, but his grip on power is far from secure.

Many compare his position to that of his predecessor Theresa May, who won a similar vote by a larger margin than Johnson but was nonetheless ousted six months later.

The history for prime ministers who survive confidence votes isnt that great," said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London.

A look at how previous Conservative prime ministers fared after leadership challenges against them:

___

MARGARET THATCHER

Thatcher survived a first leadership challenge in 1989, but a second one the next year spelled her downfall.

In 1989, a little-known lawmaker, Anthony Meyer, launched a challenge against Thatcher, who had been reelected as party leader unopposed every year since 1974. Thatcher won comfortably by 314 votes to 33 but, counting deliberately spoiled ballot papers, about 60 had failed to endorse her -- an early indication that her position was shaky.

The next year, former defense secretary Michael Heseltine mounted his own bid to wrest leadership from Thatcher amid serious divisions within the Conservatives.

Thatcher won 204 votes to Heseltines 152 in the first round of the leadership election, but the margin wasn't enough to defeat him outright, forcing a second round.

The Iron Lady resigned two days later, and Conservative lawmakers subsequently elected John Major as her successor in a second ballot.

___

JOHN MAJOR

Major took over as Thatchers handpicked successor in December 1990.

In June 1995, Major resigned as party leader to force a leadership contest against himself, challenging his party to put up or shut up in a bid to quell a persistent group of critics within the Conservative ranks opposed to Britains closer integration with the EU.

Major secured a majority of votes in a Conservative leadership contest against rival John Redwood, but a third of the party either voted against him, spoiled their ballot papers or abstained.

Major clung onto power for almost two more years, until the Conservatives lost the 1997 general election in a landslide victory for Labours Tony Blair.

___

THERESA MAY

May, who became Britains second female prime minister in July 2016, faced severe pressure throughout her tenure over her repeated but ultimately unsuccessful attempts to take Britain out of the European Union.

In December 2018, 48 Conservative lawmakers furious with her Brexit policy triggered a no-confidence vote in her. She won by 200 votes to 117, but the results meant she lost the support of one-third of her lawmakers.

Opposition continued to buffet her leadership and May fought in vain to get lawmakers backing to implement the Brexit deal she struck with the EU. Parliament rejected her plan three times, and even previously loyal members of her Cabinet openly criticized her bill.

May was forced to step down in May 2019, saying it will always remain a matter of deep regret for me to fail to deliver Brexit.

Bale, the politics professor, believes Johnson is different from Thatcher and May and will not resign voluntarily.

Many of Boris Johnsons opponents would say that the only interest he has at heart is his own continuation in the job. So he really will have to be kicked out of Downing Street by lawmakers, Bale said.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP)  Three people were killed and a fourth person was critically wounded in a shooting in Virginia on Tuesday morning, police said.

The shooting happened shortly after 9:30 a.m. near the 1500 block of Maple Avenue, Portsmouth police tweeted. The victims were all adults, police said.

Police gave out little information about the shooting, saying they are working to identify victims, suspects and a motive.

We are looking at all possible motives; we haven't identified one yet, said police spokesperson Victoria Varnedoe.

The city has had a rash of shootings in the last week, including a fatal shooting on Monday, a separate non-fatal shooting Tuesday morning and multiple shootings last week.

During an afternoon news conference, police Chief Renado Prince urged anyone who has information about any of the recent shootings to come forward.

If we dont have the community giving us those hits, those clues, those leads that we can follow up, we are powerless," he said.

Renado listed a dozen shootings since June 1. He said police believe two of the shootings are gang-related, but said the city has not seen an overall increase in gang gun violence.
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MIAMI (AP)  Advanced DNA technology helped detectives link the cases of six women to a man accused of being the pillowcase rapist for a string of rapes back in the 1980s.

Robert Koehler is currently jailed in neighboring Miami-Dade County, where he faces charges for assaulting a woman in the early '80s as well, Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said in a Tuesday morning news conference.

Authorities believe Koehler, 62, may have committed 40 to 45 rapes, terrifying victims by breaking into their homes at night, the sheriff said. The assailant used a pillowcase or other fabric to cover his face  or the face of his victims  before assaulting them, tying them up and stealing items from their homes.

The assaults by the pillowcase rapist attracted extensive media attention in South Florida and the creation of a task force to investigate the sex crimes, sheriff's officials said.

But the trail eventually turned cold and the cases ended up in the cold case unit. However, sheriff's officials said the meticulous record-keeping on the original cases provided detectives the ability to test the evidence decades later.

They dug through 500 boxes of evidence and thousands of sexual assault cases to link the cases to Koehler, said Sgt. Kami Floyd.

Floyd began looking through the files in 2019 and found the case of a woman who was assaulted in her Pompano Beach apartment in June 1984. That led her to several other similar crimes in Broward County.

It was a hunch, Floyd said linking the first case she found to Koehler. It was a hunch based specifically on this case, that he used a pillowcase to cover his face, and at no point was she able to identify who he was because she didnt know what he looked like.

Around the same time, in 2020, prosecutors in Miami-Dade County announced Koehler's arrest and said he was thought to be the pillowcase rapist" whose knifepoint attacks put women across South Florida on edge beginning in 1981.

Floyd got a search warrant for Koehler's DNA and testing done by the sheriff's office crime lab found it matched the evidence in the cases she was investigating, she said.

Detectives worked with prosecutors to bring six sexual assault charges against Koehler.

When I found my first case, it actually saddened me to have to reach out to that victim and have her relive what had happened so many years ago," Floyd said.

It was heartbreaking in many cases, she added, because some women had not even told their families what had happened to them. She said some of the victims told her they would need to talk it over with their families before discussing it with her.

But when they did decide to come back and were brave enough to discuss it with me, I was very proud of them," she said.

Their stories were all similar. They lived alone. They were assaulted at night, and the attacker apparently knew their habits, including in some cases the layout of their apartments.

Now, those victims are very relieved to know the man who attacked them may be brought to justice, she said.

Several of them have commented that they hope more women will come forward," Floyd said.

Floyd explained there are so many sexual assault cases in the cold case files, many from a time before records were computerized, making it difficult to match them.

For those who haven't come forward yet, this will bring you some closure," she said.
MIAMI (AP)  A police officer fatally shot a man who called 911 and warned he was going to kill someone if officers didn't respond immediately to his location.

When officers arrived at the location near Miami on Monday evening, they found a man in his 70s outside a home with a rifle, Miami-Dade police said.
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TORONTO (AP)  A little girl whose body was found in a Toronto dumpster last month was likely never reported missing, the head of the citys homicide squad said Tuesday.

The remains of a Black girl, between four and seven years old, were found in a construction bin outside a Dale Avenue home in Torontos wealthy Rosedale neighborhood on May 2.

Police have gone through numerous tips that came in after they announced the discovery and released images of two items of clothing found with the girls remains, said Insp. Hank Idsinga.

The force also contacted lead detectives in every single missing childrens case in Canada  all 58 of them. Idsinga said there is no evidence to link any of those cases to the child found in the dumpster.

We believe it is unlikely the child located on Dale Avenue has ever been reported missing, Idsinga said at a news conference.

On Tuesday, the force released two sketches of the girl, completed by an artist with Ontario Provincial Police who works with the coroners office.

We have released composite sketches of the little girl in the hope that someone recognizes her, Idsinga said.

Idsinga cautioned the color sketch may not match the true skin tone of the girl, who investigators say is of African or mixed African descent.

She has all of her teeth and has black curly hair sectioned into ponytails, Idsinga said.

Investigators are also looking for a dark-colored Porsche Cayenne SUV that inexplicably stopped outside the home five days before the girls remains were found, Idsinga said.

Toronto police released an image of the Porsche, which stopped by the dumpster on April 28 at 10:26 p.m.

Idsinga said they have been able to track the vehicle to and from the area and are now looking for the publics help to identify it.

That car is literally captured on camera, on Dale Avenue, in the area of the dumpster, right in the timeframe that we believe the body was dumped there and inexplicably stops right by the dumpster for about 21 seconds, Idsinga said.

So of course we want to identify this car. Maybe theres a perfectly innocent explanation as to why it stopped there, but maybe not.

The girls body was found wrapped in a butterfly patterned baby blanket inside a plastic bag, which itself was wrapped in a burgundy and red blanket, investigators said last month.

Investigators believe the body was dumped in the days prior to being discovered, but the girl was dead long before and may have died as far back as last summer.

Idsinga said there is no obvious cause of death and that it will take some time to determine it  or it may remain undetermined.

He said police are awaiting toxicology results from the Centre of Forensic Sciences.

The discovery last month shocked the neighborhood  which is one of the wealthiest in the country  and sent investigators in search of missing children all over Canada and around the world.

Idsinga said eight of the missing 58 children have since been accounted for. Some of the missing have ended up overseas in parental abductions and custody battles, he said.

Local school boards reached out to police and went through their records to try to find anyone who might be missing, Idsinga said.

The child might have been too young to be in the school system, Idsinga said.

Perhaps the child was never in the school system even if they werent too young and so all of those angles have been getting worked on.
HARTFORD CITY, Ind. (AP)  A woman accused of crashing into a northeastern Indiana home, killing a 74-year-old man and his great-grandson, allegedly tried to flee the scene after being handcuffed.

Brandi S. Bare of Montpelier was handcuffed and placed in a police car after last week's deadly crash in the Blackford County city. But Bare, 46, apparently managed to remove the cuff from one of her wrists and walked away from the scene, The Star Press reported, citing court documents.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Republican state lawmakers may soon decide which among the scores of potential amendments to the Pennsylvania Constitution will have any shot of making it to a voter referendum  a tactic that can get politically divisive policies around Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's much-used veto pen.

The comparatively large number of proposals pending in the General Assembly address topics that range from voting rights to abortion and real estate taxes.

Getting constitutional amendments in place so that they can meet their various legal requirements will be a focus of our legislative efforts over the course of the next several weeks, House Republican caucus spokesperson Jason Gottesman said Monday. Given the timing necessary to get the questions advertised and on the ballot, it is our goal to have an agreed-to package completed before we recess for the summer.

A bill introduced by Sen. Dave Argall, R-Schuylkill, to amend the constitution so that gubernatorial candidates could choose their own running mates passed the Senate in April 2021.

But late last year, House Republicans added provisions such as requiring voters to produce IDs and mandating election audits by the states elected auditor general.

Despite the current large number of proposed amendments, its likely that GOP leaders will permit only a few of them to get to floor votes.

I think we need to be careful, Argall said. We dont want to put 20 questions on at once.

Emboldened by their success last year in persuading voters to narrowly approve limits on a governor's powers during emergencies, House and Senate Republicans have introduced a slew of potential amendments. With action to keep most of them alive needed by early August, the clock is ticking.

Democrats argue that the Republican tactic of making law by amending the constitution undermines democracy by cutting out the executive branch and nearly half the General Assembly.

Im afraid were setting dangerous precedents, that when we cannot pass legislation across the governors desk, and override it with a veto override, we amend our constitution," state Sen. Amanda Cappelletti, D-Montgomery, said Monday. And this behavior, it circumvents the explicit checks and balances of our three branches of government."

Cappelletti was opposing a procedural step to speed consideration of a constitutional amendment saying there is no right to an abortion or abortion funding in the state constitution. She warned the measure would bring abortion restrictions, bans and litigation.

Democrats are sponsoring some of the 80-plus proposed amendments, but as they party out of power, their proposals are less likely to see the light of day. Republican proposals, meanwhile, seek to eliminate school property taxes, cut House membership by 50 or so seats, privatize the state liquor system and abolish the office of lieutenant governor.

If these ideas are so popular and so mainstream, why arent they making it through the process? House Minority Leader Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, said last week.

Democratic Rep. Ryan Bizzarro of Erie County has offered an amendment to require two-thirds majorities in both chambers to advance changes to the constitution. Currently they pass with a majority vote.

We were not elected to govern and legislate by constitutional amendment  thats not how Pennsylvania government is set up, Bizzarro said. If we continue to do this, we are headed down a slippery slope that has the potential to have a devastating effect on Pennsylvanians.

A constitutional amendment has already passed both chambers this session and awaits action early next year  the proposal to allow a two-year window for lawsuits by child sexual abuse victims who would otherwise be too old to pursue. The Wolf administrations mishandling of that amendment in early 2021 led to the resignation of the then-secretary of state, Kathy Boockvar.

The state constitution requires proposed amendments to pass both chambers in a two-year legislative session, then be advertised to the public before the next fall election. In the second round that follows, those proposals then must pass both chambers in the following two-year session before going to voters as a referendum for the final say. Amendments do not require the governor's support.

Most of them are currently in their first two-year session and must be advertised three months ahead of the Nov. 8 election if the Republican majority wants to get them to the finish line at some point during the 2023-24 session that starts in January.

Some of the pending proposals reflect frustration among legislative Republicans with the state's Democratic-majority state Supreme Court: to elect judges by geographic districts rather than statewide to boost rural Republican-dominated areas; to require judges to run for reelection; and to cut judicial terms tosix years.

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor, wants to let lawmakers return to session in December of even-numbered years, a gap that he said interfered with his efforts in 2020 to help then-President Donald Trump reverse his reelection loss in the state. Mastriano also seeks to ban no excuse mail-in voting under the 2019 law he voted for and require signature verification for absentee ballots.

Other lawmakers want to change the once-a-decade redistricting process, lower the voting age to 16 and allow ranked choice voting.

___

This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of a name on second reference to Cappelletti, not Cappellitti.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  New Hampshires attorney general said Tuesday that he will not bring criminal charges against protesters who disrupted an Executive Council meeting in September before it began, forcing Gov. Chris Sununu to postpone it.

The cancellation was due to the fact that certain state employees left after the breakfast meeting because of concerns about the protest and were therefore unable to answer questions from the Governor and Council concerning items on that days agenda, Attorney General John Formella said in a statement Tuesday.
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MOSCOW (AP)  Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Tuesday lost an appeal contesting the decision by penitentiary officials to label him as inclined to commit crimes of a terrorist or extremist nature.

Navalny, who has been behind bars since January 2021, was first designated by the penitentiary authorities as a flight risk, which implied additional checks and inspections in prison. But in October last year officials replaced that label with the terrorist or extremist one.

I was worried they would demand that I kissed portraits of (President Vladimir) Putin and learned quotes by (his top associate Dmitry) Medvedev, but it wasn't necessary. It is just that my bunk bed now has a label that describes me a terrorist, Navalny, in his usual sardonic matter, commented on the move at the time in a social media post.

He and his defense team filed an appeal contesting the label, but a panel of judges in the Russia's Vladimir region about 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of Moscow on Tuesday rejected the appeal and ruled to keep the designation in place.

Navalny, Putin's fiercest foe, was arrested in January 2021 upon returning from Germany, where he had been recuperating from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin, and handed a 2-year sentence for a parole violation.

In March, Navalny was sentenced to nine years in prison on fraud and contempt of court charges that he rejected as politically motivated. The move signaled an attempt by the authorities to keep him behind bars for as long as possible.

The new sentence followed a year-long Kremlin crackdown on Navalnys supporters, other opposition activists and independent journalists, in which authorities appear eager to stifle all dissent.

Navalnys close associates have faced criminal charges and left the country, and his groups political infrastructure  an anti-corruption foundation and a nationwide network of regional offices  has been destroyed after being labeled an extremist organization.

Navalny and several of his associates have been added to Russia's registry of terrorists and extremists.
RANDOLPH, Vt. (AP)  Gov. Phil Scott signed two bills into law Tuesday that invest tens of millions of dollars in housing programs using state and federal pandemic rescue funds.

Together, the legislation will deliver more than $45 million to housing programs, Scott's office said in a news release.

Investing in housing has been a top priority of my Administration since day one, and these bills take significant steps forward to bolster Vermonts housing stock, said Scott, a Republican who is running for reelection. He also thanked legislators, administration teams and community partners for helping to get the bills passed, as well as the congressional delegation for its effort to secure much of the funding.

One measure dedicates $20 million for grants or forgivable loans of up to $50,000 to rehabilitate rental units that are out of compliance with building, housing and health laws so that they can be rented at affordable rates, Scott's office said.

The other legislation includes $15 million to provide incentives and support to developers to build modest homes for middle-income Vermonters; $4 million for improvements to manufactured homes; and $2.4 million to expand a tax credit and to create one to make buildings flood-ready, Scott's office said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint said she, the House speaker and governor all believe that addressing the state's housing crisis should be a top priority.

"Im proud of the work weve done to meet housing needs at every level, from affordable housing to middle-income home ownership, and that includes critical updates to rental units and manufactured homes," said Balint, a Democrat running for the U.S. House.
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SINGAPORE (AP)  Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has promoted his finance minister to his deputy as part of a succession plan, but the timing of the handover is unclear.

His office said Tuesday that Lawrence Wong, 49, would become deputy prime minister on June 13 as part of a Cabinet reshuffle. Wong, who will retain his finance portfolio, will be acting prime minister in Lee's absence, it said.

The next generation leadership is taking shape. I ask everyone to give your full support to this important transition, to steer Singapore safely out of the pandemic and into a brighter future," Lee said on Facebook.

Lee, 70, has said Wong would take over the reins either before or after general elections due in 2025. Lee's People's Action Party, one of the worlds longest serving parties, saw its worst election performance in 2020. Although it retained its super majority, it lost some seats and support slipped.

The PAP has dominated politics since 1959 when Lees father, Lee Kuan Yew, became Singapores first prime minister and built the resource-poor city-state into one of the worlds richest nations during 31 years in office. But it has also been criticized for tight government control, media censorship and use of oppressive laws and civil lawsuits against dissidents.

The 2020 poll outcome prompted Heng Swee Keat, the then-finance minister who was tipped to succeed Lee, to withdraw his nomination. Wong took over as finance minister in May 2021 and was picked by the PAP in April as Lee's likely new successor.

Wong, who came to prominence in helping to coordinate Singapore's fight against COVID-19, will be the city-state's fourth leader since independence in 1965.

He was a civil servant who has worked in several ministries and served as Lees principal private secretary from 2005-2008 and the Energy Market Authority CEO from 2008-2011. He only entered politics in the 2011 general elections.

Wong has said being Singapore's next leader would be the biggest responsibility of my life."

I would do my best and give every ounce of my strength to serve Singapore and Singaporeans," he wrote on Facebook.
SONOMA, Calif. (AP)  Sonoma State University President Judy Sakaki will step down amid a scandal involving sexual harassment reports about her husband and alleged retaliation by Sakaki against a school provost, according to a news report Monday.

Sakaki said in a statement that she will depart on July 31, calling her tenure as university president an honor, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported.
Sonoma State President Judy Sakaki, who faced an outcry over her leadership amid a campus sexual harassment and retaliation scandal involving her and her husband, announced Monday that she is stepping down.

The announcement marks the latest fallout from searing criticism over how California State University investigates and resolves sexual harassment and workforce retaliation complaints at its 23 campuses  a controversy that has shaken CSUs leadership ranks and led its chancellor to step down in February.

In recent weeks, Sakakis leadership of the Northern California campus came under scrutiny after a Times investigation detailed how California State University paid $600,000 to settle a legal claim with a provost who reported retaliation and sexual harassment allegations involving Sakaki and her husband, Patrick McCallum, a prominent higher education lobbyist.

The provost, Lisa Vollendorf, alleged she faced retaliation from Sakaki, her boss, after she reported the sexual harassment accusations about McCallum to top officials at the chancellors office, records in the case show.

Sakaki and McCallum previously issued statements to The Times saying they had done nothing wrong. Sakaki denied retaliating against Vollendorf, declaring that the accusations are utterly without basis.

Sakaki faced a revolt from faculty at her campus who voted 173 to 105 in favor of a resolution expressing no-confidence in her leadership. The result prompted local state Sens. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, and Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, to announce that Sakaki should step down for the greater good of the university.

On Monday, the senators released a statement welcoming her decision to resign, saying it would allow the Sonoma State community to start the healing process and return its focus to the universitys core mission  its students. There remain deep cultural challenges within the Cal State system and change is long overdue. There have been too many circumstances where women have been harassed, intimidated and retaliated against. We implore the incoming chancellor to make this glaring issue their top priority and advance change that we can all believe in and reestablish trust.

Sonoma State said Sakakis resignation would take effect on July 31. The university said she was the second woman appointed as president of Sonoma State and the first Japanese-American woman to serve as a university president in the nation.

I care deeply about Sonoma State and believe this choice will allow the campus community to move forward in a timely manner, Sakaki said in a statement.

Sakaki, who was paid $324,000 a year, is a veteran higher education administrator who was appointed as Sonoma State president in 2016. She is entitled to receive payouts for a year as part of a controversial CSU program to help top executives transition after they step down from their posts and is eligible to hold a tenured faculty position in the universitys School of Education, records show.

Faculty leaders at the university said The Times disclosures in April about the sexual harassment and retaliation allegations unleashed simmering frustrations about whether Sakaki could effectively lead the campus, which has experienced a critical drop in student enrollment in recent years and a high turnover among senior administrators.

Sakaki announced that she was separating from her husband after he sent emails to friends and family that Sakaki said were inaccurate and unauthorized. The emails, some of which were sent to The Times, criticized Vollendorf and media coverage of the scandal.

The Times also reported how part of the largest art collection donated to Sonoma State was destroyed at the presidents home during the deadly wine country firestorm of 2017. After the Tubbs fire, tensions surfaced on the campus about displaying more artwork in Sakaki and McCallums private residences, something that was not within the customary deployment of the universitys art collection, according to legal settlement records reviewed by The Times.

An employee who visited the couples home numerous times to assess how and where to hang the art reported that McCallum made her feel uncomfortable, describing him as a dirty old man, a pervert and creepy, according to the records.

Another Times report detailed how Sakaki opted not to discipline a vice president after an investigation concluded that he engaged in inappropriate touching and made unwanted sexual comments to women while working at another CSU campus. Sakaki said she spoke to the vice president for student affairs about her expectations  an action that dismayed two women who had alleged inappropriate conduct by the top official and questioned why he was not disciplined.

The furor over how the nations largest four-year public university system handles similar accusations led Chancellor Joseph I. Castro to resign in February amid criticism over his handling of sexual harassment, bullying and retaliation allegations involving a senior campus official when he was president of Fresno State University. As part of a settlement in that case, the campus former vice president, who was accused of harassment, received $260,000 and a strong letter of recommendation from Castro.

The settlement, which was authorized by former Chancellor Timothy P. White, sparked public outrage and prompted trustees who oversee the system to order a review of how Title IX complaints are handled at each of the 23 campuses.

The Times investigation detailed Vollendorfs reports to the CSU about the allegations against McCallum. Though not a CSU employee, McCallum had been an official university volunteer who participated in campus events with his wife. Vollendorf is a longtime higher-education administrator and was recently appointed as president of State University of New York Empire State College in New York.

Vollendorf said she told the CSU general counsel in December 2018 that three women  two of them campus employees  alleged McCallum talked about his sex life, ran his fingers through one womans hair and then made inappropriate personal comments about her appearance during a party at his house, according to settlement records the provosts attorney filed with system officials.

The women, who reported the accusations to Vollendorf because they worked for her or knew her, described the behavior as creepy, disgusting and pervy, the records said.

The Times investigation noted that Vollendorf provided CSU officials with the names of the three women and three more people who said they witnessed such conduct.

Cal State officials acknowledged that they did not launch a formal investigation into the sexual harassment claims and instead spoke to Sakaki about the accusations against her husband.

They said CSUs former Title IX officer interviewed three people  two complainants and an apparent witness  about the allegations. One person declined to be interviewed. CSU officials said that those interviewed declined to proceed. Officials denied Vollendorf was subjected to retaliation.

Two complainants, who spoke with The Times on the condition of anonymity, said that fears of job loss and damage to the presidents reputation prompted them not to go forward. One complainant said she later told the Title IX officer that she believed Sakaki had retaliated against her over the claims.

A former interim vice president at the university told The Times that he reported similar allegations in 2019 against McCallum on behalf of his staff to general counsel Andrew Jones, but that no one followed up with him.

Gordon McDougall, who directed Sonoma States University Advancement Division before retiring in 2020, said he changed schedules to prevent women on his team from working with McCallum during campus events following complaints of inappropriate touching and comments.
MADRID (AP)  Spain, one of the world's leading markets for prostitution, is hoping to crack down on the practice by targeting people who financially exploit prostitutes, as well as those who buy their services.

On Tuesday, the lower house of parliament took the first step by admitting for debate a governing Socialist party proposal that would bring in fines for those who pay for prostitutes.

The bill would not make prostitution illegal but proposes prison terms of between three and six years, as well as fines, for pimps or procurers. It also proposes penalizing those who make money by knowingly providing premises or apartments for the practice of prostitution.

In a democracy, women are not for purchase nor for sale, Adriana Lastra, the Socialist partys deputy secretary general told Parliament.

Prostitution is legal but greatly unregulated in Spain.

Accurate statistics are difficult to come by but a 2011 U.N. report said the country was the third biggest center for prostitution in the world, behind Thailand and Puerto Rico.

The Spanish branch of Medecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) estimates there are some 350,000 women in prostitution in Spain and 80% percent of them are foreigners without legal papers. The group says that many prostitution customers come from abroad, either as tourists, business visitors or truck drivers.

People who turn to women in a situation of prostitution participate directly in the network that shores up this serious violation of human rights, the Socialist party said on its parliamentary Twitter account.

Prostitutes can be seen on certain city-center streets in most of Spain and roadside brothels, some of enormous size, are common throughout the country. Ads for prostitutes on the internet are also common.

The bill could undergo any number of changes as it passes through parliament and may take many months before it is finally approved.

The proposal was backed by the leading opposition conservative Popular Party, which indicates that it could be approved relatively fast.

Some political parties and experts have argued that Spain should regulate prostitution to protect sex workers rather than try to eliminate it.

The Socialists say the bill is aimed at banning pimping in all its forms. They add that the law does not aim to penalize prostitutes but rather offer them protection as victims of a crime.

Several other European countries already have similar legislation.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP)  A Spanish judge will travel to Israel to seek testimony from the head of tech company NSO, the maker of the controversial Pegasus spyware used in tapping politicians phones in Spain, the country's National Court said Tuesday.

The court said that Jose Luis Calama has decided to lead a judicial commission that will travel to Israel to take testimony from the CEO of the company that commercializes the Pegasus program.

Shalev Hulio is the CEO of the Tel Aviv-based NSO Group. The court gave no date for the judge's trip.

When asked for comment by The Associated Press, a NSO Groups spokesperson said: NSO operates under a strict legal framework, and is confident that this will be the result any government inquiry will reach.

The information was made public after the judge removed the seal of secrecy from the case concerning the hacking of the cellphones of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Spains ministers of defense and interior in May and June 2021.

The cyberattack coincided with a diplomatic rift between Spain and Morocco. But Spains government, which took the case to Spanish court on discovering the hacks last month, has only said that the hacks came from an external power. Moroccan officials have yet to speak on the matter.

NSO says that it only sells its Pegasus spyware to governments for security purposes. Pegasus has been linked to the hacking of other political leaders and activists in other countries. NSO has denied playing any part of this apparent misuse of its evasive technology that has come to light thanks to the work of digital-rights groups inspecting individual phones.

Judge Calama also cited Spains Minister of the Presidency, Felix Bolanos, to answer questions on July 5. Government spokesperson Isabel Rodriguez said that minister Bolanos had been called to testify because he was the minister who took the case to court on behalf of the government.

The court also said that the judge had already questioned the former chief of Spains intelligence agency, Paz Esteban, who was fired after the phone hacking was revealed. In what is apparently a separate use of Pegasus by Spain, Esteban acknowledged that her agency had used the technology to tap the phones of some Catalan separatist politicians.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)  The air forces of Russia and Syria conducted a joint drill over the war-torn country Tuesday, the first since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began more than three months ago, Syria's Defense Ministry said.

The ministry said two Russian SU-35 fighter jets and six Syrian MiG-23 and MiG-29 aircraft simulated facing hostile" warplanes and drones. Syrian pilots dealt with them with cover and support from the Russian warplanes, it said.

All illusive targets were monitored and completely destroyed while aerial targets were hit at night for the first time, the Syrian Defense Ministry said in a statement. It also released a video of the warplanes that it said took part in the drill.

The announcement came hours after Syrian state television reported that Israeli missiles targeted Syrian army positions south of the capital of Damascus, causing material damage but no casualties.

State TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that Israeli warplanes fired several missiles while flying over Syrias Israeli-occupied Golan Heights before midnight Monday. It added that Syrian air defenses shot down most of the missiles.

There was no comment on the strike from Israel.

According to Syrian state media, Israeli missiles targeted central Syria on May 13, killing five people including a civilian, and igniting fires on farmland in the area.

Russia became involved militarily in Syria in September 2015 helping to tip the balance of power in favor of President Bashar Assad's forces in the 11-year conflict that has killed half a million people.

The Syrian Defense Ministry said that during Tuesday's drill, the Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out joint patrols along the Golan Heights and other parts of southern Syria.

The last such joint drill was conducted a week before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. In mid-February, the Russian military deployed long-range nuclear-capable bombers and fighter jets carrying state-of-the-art hypersonic missiles to Syria for massive naval drills in the Mediterranean Sea.

Israel has staged hundreds of strikes on targets in Syria over the years but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations. It says it targets bases of Iran-allied militias, such as Lebanons militant Hezbollah group that has fighters deployed in Syria and fighting on the side of Assads government forces, as well as arms shipments believed to be bound for the militias.
A teacher wounded in last month's mass shooting at a Texas elementary school said he will never forgive law enforcement for waiting more than an hour to stop the gunman who killed 19 students and two teachers.

Arnulfo Reyes, hospitalized after being shot twice during the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary School, spoke of his anger toward police during an emotional interview that aired Tuesday. He described feeling abandoned by officers who stood in a hallway even as students begged for help in repeated calls to 911.

"After everything, I get more angry, because you have a bulletproof vest. I had nothing! I had nothing," a crying Reyes said in a segment broadcast on "Good Morning America." "You're supposed to protect and serve. There is no excuse for their actions."

The police response to the Uvalde, Texas, shooting has faced mounting scrutiny and criticism amid revelations about the officers' delay and other missteps. A timeline laid out by state officials revealed that officers retreated when the gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, shot at them. A phalanx of police waited more than an hour for backup, before a group led by federal Border Patrol agents breached the classroom where Ramos was holed up with students he had shot.

School police chief Pedro "Pete" Arredondo, who was acting as incident commander, made the call that the officers on scene should wait. His order ran against protocols developed since the 1999 Columbine school shooting, which call for police to confront shooters as soon as possible, and was described by Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven C. McCraw as "the wrong decision. Period."

State and federal officials are investigating the police response.

In his interview with ABC, Reyes detailed the horror that unfolded in his classroom as he and his students hid under tables waiting for help. The fourth-grade English and language arts teacher said May 24 was "going to be a good day," with students receiving awards during a ceremony at the school.

Some of the kids went home after the ceremony. But 11 stayed at school, and Reyes put on a movie for them in Room 111. Suddenly, shots rang out.

"The kids started asking out loud, 'Mr. Reyes, what is going on?' " he recalled. "And I said, 'I don't know what's going on, but let's go ahead and get under the table. Get under the table and act like you're asleep.' "

He was gathering them under the table when he turned and saw the gunman.

According to a timeline provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Ramos entered the school through an exterior door at 11:33 a.m. and immediately began shooting into Room 111 or Room 112 - two classrooms connected by a Jack-and-Jill style bathroom. Reyes was shot twice, with one bullet hitting his arm and lung and a second one striking his back.

He fell to the floor and decided, "I'm going to act like I'm asleep also." He said the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary and "prayed and prayed that I would not hear none of my students talk."

In Room 112, Reyes said, a student said, "Officer, officer, we're in here, we're in here." Reyes said the shooter stood up from behind his desk, "and he walked over there, and he shot over there again."

Children in both of the adjoined rooms called 911, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. One student in Room 111 called at 12:19 p.m., and two minutes into the call, three gunshots were audible. The caller hung up at the urging of another student.

At 12:50 p.m., officers used a janitor's keys to unlock the classroom doors. They shot Ramos in Room 111.

"After that, it was just bullets everywhere," Reyes said in the interview. "And then I just remember Border Patrol saying, 'Get up, get up.' And I couldn't get up."

He cried remembering his students who were killed. Shaking his head, he said: "I'm sorry. I tried my best with what I was told to do. Please don't be angry with me."

No training could have prepared teachers for what happened in the classroom that day, Reyes said. He called instead for changes to the law.

"Nothing gets you ready for this," he said. "We trained our kids to stay under the table and that's what I thought, you know, at the time. But we set them up to be like ducks. You can give them all the training you want but it's - the laws have to change."

He added: "I will go to the end of the world to make sure things get changed."
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BANGKOK (AP)  A group of ethnic Rohingya left on a Thai island after a dangerous boat journey from Bangladesh should be given help and the opportunity to determine if they are refugees, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.

The mostly Muslim Rohingya have long been persecuted in Myanmar. More than 700,000 fled to neighboring Bangladesh in 2017 to escape a military counterinsurgency campaign that the U.S. and others have called genocide. Since then, Rohingya have attempted to leave both Myanmar and Bangladesh on perilous sea journeys to Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country relatively lenient to arriving migrants.

The voyages are often arranged by human trafficking gangs who charge large sums for passage on rickety old boats. Those boats that dont sink can end up elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Thailand, especially, tries to turn them away, usually after supplying fuel and food. Boat passengers who make it ashore in Thailand are detained by authorities or sent by the traffickers to work in slave-like conditions.

The Thai navy said the 59 Rohingya left an island in the Andaman Sea had traveled from Bangladesh on large fishing boats. But when they arrived, the ships captain brought these people to the island and said it was Malaysia, the navy's statement said.

The 31 men, 23 women, three boys and two girls were detained after being found Saturday on the southern island of Koh Dong. The navy said it will continue to follow Thailand's standard procedures, including providing humanitarian assistance, for people deemed to be immigrating illegally.

Human Rights Watch said Thailand was obligated to assess the people's claims for refugee protection before trying to return them.

To protect Rohingya asylum seekers, it is crucial for the Thai government to permit the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to conduct refugee status determination interviews, the New York-based group said in a statement.

The Thai government should end its policy of summarily locking up rescued Rohingya boat people and throwing away the key, said Elaine Pearson, HRW's acting Asia director. Thailand should permit the United Nations refugee agency to screen all Rohingya arriving in Thailand to identify and assist those seeking refugee status.

In late May, at least 16 Rohingya died after a storm capsized a boat off Myanmars southwestern coast. There were 35 survivors.

The risk of abuse at the hands of smugglers and the peril of the sea journey itself are both exacerbated during prolonged journeys, when a safe harbor for disembarkation cannot be found, the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said after last months sinking.
Today in History

Today is Tuesday, June 7, the 158th day of 2022. There are 207 days left in the year.

Todays Highlight in History:

On June 7, 1965, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Griswold v. Connecticut, struck down, 7-2, a Connecticut law used to prosecute a Planned Parenthood clinic in New Haven for providing contraceptives to married couples.

On this date:

In 1712, Pennsylvanias colonial assembly voted to ban the further importation of slaves.

In 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia offered a resolution to the Continental Congress stating That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.

In 1848, French painter and sculptor Paul Gauguin was born in Paris.

In 1892, Homer Plessy, a Creole of color, was arrested for refusing to leave a whites-only car of the East Louisiana Railroad. (Ruling on his case, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld separate but equal racial segregation, a concept it renounced in 1954.)

In 1929, the sovereign state of Vatican City came into existence as copies of the Lateran Treaty were exchanged in Rome.

In 1942, the Battle of Midway ended in a decisive victory for American naval forces over Imperial Japan, marking a turning point in the Pacific War.

In 1967, author-critic Dorothy Parker, famed for her caustic wit, died in New York at age 73.

In 1981, Israeli military planes destroyed a nuclear power plant in Iraq, a facility the Israelis charged could have been used to make nuclear weapons.

In 1993, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that religious groups could sometimes meet on school property after hours. Ground was broken for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

In 1998, in a crime that shocked the nation, James Byrd Jr., a 49-year-old Black man, was hooked by a chain to a pickup truck and dragged to his death in Jasper, Texas. (Two white men were later sentenced to death; one of them, Lawrence Russell Brewer, was executed in 2011 and the other, John William King, was executed in April 2019. A third defendant received life with the possibility of parole.)

In 2006, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (AH-boo MOO-sahb ahl-zahr-KOW-ee), the founder of al-Qaida in Iraq, was killed by a U.S. airstrike on his safe house. The U.S. Senate rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump claimed their parties presidential nominations following contests in New Jersey, California, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Ten years ago: Attorney General Eric Holder clashed with Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee seeking more information about a flawed gun-trafficking investigation in Arizona known as Operation Fast and Furious. Bob Welch, a former member of Fleetwood Mac who went on to write songs and record several hits during a solo career, died in Nashville.

Five years ago: President Donald Trump announced his choice to replace James Comey a day ahead of the ousted FBI directors congressional testimony, tapping Christopher Wray, a white-collar defense lawyer with a strong law enforcement background. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a stunning pair of deadly attacks on Irans parliament and the tomb of its revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Keith Urban picked up four CMT Music Awards in Nashville, including video of the year.

One year ago: A unanimous Supreme Court ruled that thousands of people living in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons were ineligible to apply to become permanent residents. Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul Murdaugh, 22, from a prominent South Carolina legal family, were found shot and killed on their familys land. (In the aftermath of the deaths, Maggie Murdaughs husband, Alex Murdaugh, would be jailed on dozens of charges, including the theft of millions of dollars in legal settlements.) An express train barreled into another train that had derailed minutes earlier in southern Pakistan, killing more than 60 people.

Todays Birthdays: Movie director James Ivory is 94. Actor Virginia McKenna is 91. Singer Tom Jones is 82. Poet Nikki Giovanni is 79. Former talk show host Jenny Jones is 76. Americana singer-songwriter Willie Nile is 74. Actor Anne Twomey is 71. Actor Liam Neeson is 70. Actor Colleen Camp is 69. Author Louise Erdrich (UR-drihk) is 68. Actor William Forsythe is 67. Record producer L.A. Reid is 66. Latin pop singer Juan Luis Guerra is 65. Former Vice President Mike Pence is 63. Rock singer-musician Gordon Gano (The Violent Femmes) is 59. Rock musician Eric Kretz (Stone Temple Pilots) is 56. Rock musician Dave Navarro is 55. Actor Helen Baxendale is 52. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., is 50. Actor Karl Urban is 50. TV personality Bear Grylls is 48. Rock musician Eric Johnson (The Shins) is 46. Actor Adrienne Frantz is 44. Actor-comedian Bill Hader is 44. Actor Anna Torv is 43. Actor Larisa Oleynik (oh-LAY-nihk) is 41. Former tennis player Anna Kournikova is 41. Actor Michael Cera is 34. Actor Shelley Buckner is 33. Rapper Iggy Azalea is 32. Actor-model Emily Ratajkowski is 31. Rapper Fetty Wap is 31.
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NEW YORK (AP)  The two Democrats challenging New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's bid to keep her job criticized her Tuesday for her past backing from the National Rifle Association and the deal she reached to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer money on a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills.

Hochul, appearing in her first gubernatorial debate Tuesday night, defended the stadium deal and said her positions on guns had evolved in the 10 years since she got a favorable rating from the NRA while running for reelection in a Republican-heavy New York district.

That was a decade ago. Judge me by what Ive done because a lot of people have evolved since I took that position, she said. You know what we need? More people to evolve.

Hochul became governor in August when then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned amid allegations he sexually harassed several women, which he denied. She is seeking to become the first woman elected to New Yorks highest office, but first she has to win her partys June 28 primary contest against U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi of Long Island and New York Citys elected Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

Hochul is considered the frontrunner in the race, not only because she can claim incumbency but also because she has dominated campaign fundraising and has stacked up endorsements, including the backing of the state Democratic party.

Suozzi, like Hochul, has stuck to mostly centrist positions. Williams is a progressive who in 2018 mounted a strong challenge against Hochul in the lieutenant governor's race.

Williams, a former city councilman who serves as a public ombudsman, said he had been working to stop gun violence 10 years ago and said he wished Hochul had been supportive then.

We are 10 years behind because people in Congress were doing the bidding of the NRA," he said.

Hochul, trying to show she acted quickly amid rising gun violence and a mass shooting in Buffalo last month, highlighted a package of gun bills she signed this week that prohibited anyone under 21 from buying a semiautomatic rifle and required microstamping on new firearms, which would leave individual identifiers on bullet casings fired by those guns.

Ive been the governor for nine months. I got it done in record time, she said.

Suozzi boasted of having an F rating from the NRA and said that while all the candidates on the stage supported the states new gun laws, only one of us standing up here has ever been endorsed by the NRA, taken money from the NRA.

Hochul also defended her plan to spend an eventual $850 million in taxpayer money toward a new stadium for her hometown Buffalo Bills.

The deal has been criticized by Republicans and Democrats for giving so much public money to a private business  in this case, the Buffalo Bills, which are owned by billionaires Terry and Kim Pegula. Good government groups and other critics have also noted there could be a conflict of interest as Hochuls husband works as a senior vice president and general counsel for the Bills concession vendor Delaware North.

Suozzi and Williams both repeated those criticisms early in the debate.

We need to have someone thats going to stop the budget and say we need more money for gun violence prevention, not a billionaire to get a stadium to be built outside Buffalo," Williams said.

Hochul, a Buffalo native and Bills fan, said the stadium deal will create jobs and economically benefit New York. She also said there is no connection between her husband's company and the deal.

They literally sell beer and hotdogs at the games. They had nothing to do with negotiations, she said. Hochul added: Im proud of his work. His ethics are second to none, as are mine.

When it came to ethics, Suozzi was questioned about an ongoing U.S. House Ethics committee investigation over his failure to file reports on some of his stock transactions as required under federal law.

He described it during the debate as a misunderstanding.

Its a paperwork error. And the reality is, weve corrected it, he said.

He then said it was nothing compared to Hochul's handpicked lieutenant governor, Brian Benjamin, being arrested on federal corruption charges in April.

Benjamin had been a state senator from Harlem before Hochul brought him into her days-old administration in August.

He is accused of participating in a scheme to receive campaign contributions from a real estate developer in exchange for using his influence as a lawmaker to send a grant of state funds to a nonprofit controlled by the developer. Benjamin has denied there was anything inappropriate about the grant and pleaded not guilty, but he resigned from the lieutenant governor role. A trial has been scheduled for next year.

Though concerns had been raised about Benjamins fundraising in early 2021  before Hochul made him her second-in-command  the governor has said she was surprised at his arrest and had been told questions about his fundraising had been resolved.

It was very very disappointing to me that those charges were brought because we worked with the information that we had at the time," Hochul said. She called his arrest a setback" and said her new lieutenant governor, former U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado, is going to be an amazing partner.

Williams and Suozzi participated in a debate last week in which they criticized Hochul for not participating. Her campaign said she was instead focused on the end of the legislative session.

The trio is scheduled to meet in another debate on June 16 sponsored by WNBC-TV, Telemundo and the Albany Times Union.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  Turkey on Tuesday called on Greece to withdraw its armed forces from Aegean islands, warning that his country will challenge the status of the islands if it fails to demilitarize them.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a joint news conference with his North Macedonian counterpart, that Greece has been building a military presence on the Aegean islands in violation of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Paris Treaty. He said the islands were ceded to Greece on condition that they be kept demilitarized.

The agreements are there but Greece is violating them. Its arming them. If Greece does not stop this violation, the sovereignty of the islands will be brought up for discussion, he said. Its that clear. You will abide by the agreements.

Greece argues that Turkey has deliberately misinterpreted the treaties regarding armed forces on its eastern islands and says it has legal grounds to defend itself following hostile actions by Ankara including a long-standing threat of war if it extends its territorial waters.

The Turkish ministers comments come amid a new escalation in tensions between the NATO allies that have a history of disputes over a range of issues including mineral exploration in the eastern Mediterranean and rival claims in the Aegean Sea.

Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would stop talking to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, voicing displeasure at comments the Greek leader made during a recent U.S. trip, including suggestions that Congress should block Turkeys acquisition of F-16 fighter jets.

In Athens, Mitsotakis said restraint was needed on both sides of the Aegean due to the war in Ukraine.

I think we are still very far from that point, far from the tension we had in the summer of 2020," Mitsotakis said in reference to a time when tensions flared between Greece and Turkey over gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

"Today, everyone needs to show restraint. Especially at a time when we are facing a very big challenge at NATO with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We must be united, he said.

Cavusoglu said Ankara had sent two letters to the United Nations on the issue of the militarized islands and he called on Greece to respond to the letters.

They are getting aggressive because they cannot respond to the letters, the minister claimed.
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LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson scrambled to patch up his tattered authority on Tuesday after surviving a no-confidence vote that exposed his shrinking support in a fractured Conservative Party and raised serious doubts about how long he can stay in office.

The fact that the vote was held at all highlighted concerns that the famously people-pleasing Johnson has become a liability with voters. The scale of the rebellion  41% of Conservative lawmakers voted against him  would have led most prime ministers to consider resigning.

This is not over, said Philip Dunne, a Conservative legislator who voted against Johnson in Mondays no-confidence ballot. But with Johnson defiantly vowing to get on with the job, the endgame may not be quick.

Johnson vowed Tuesday to focus on what matters to the British people, defined by him as the economy, health care and crime.

We are able now to draw a line under the issues that our opponents want to talk about and take the country forward, he told Cabinet colleagues at their weekly meeting.

But Johnson faces serious questions about his ability to govern a country at a time of increasing economic and social strain.

The rebellion was also a sign of deep Conservative divisions, less than three years after Johnson led the party to its biggest election victory in decades  the peak of a rollercoaster political career.

Many Conservatives have concerns about the probity, and increasingly the popularity, of a prime minister who has previously shown a remarkable ability to shrug off scandal.

The no-confidence vote was triggered because at least 54 Tory legislators, 15% of the partys parliamentary caucus, called for a challenge to Johnson, following public outrage over government parties that broke COVID-19 lockdowns.

Lawmakers voted by 211 to 148 to support him as leader, beyond the 180 he needed to stay in power. Johnson described the win as convincing but the rebellion was larger than some of his supporters had predicted. It was also a narrower margin than his predecessor, Theresa May, secured in a 2018 no-confidence vote. She was forced to resign six months later.

It will come as a big blow," said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. "The reality is that these contests have a habit of exposing quite how weak the authority of a prime minister is.

Most British newspapers were in little doubt that it was bad news for Johnson. The Conservative-supporting Daily Telegraph announced: Hollow victory tears Tories apart. The Times called Johnson a wounded victor, while the left-leaning Daily Mirror said bluntly: Partys over, Boris.

Former Conservative leader William Hague called on Johnson to step down, saying the damage done to his premiership is severe.

Words have been said that cannot be retracted, reports published that cannot be erased, and votes have been cast that show a greater level of rejection than any Tory leader has ever endured and survived, Hague wrote in a Times of London article whose words were splashed across the British media.

Senior government ministers backed Johnson's call to move on. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the party should draw a line in the sand after this vote.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the vote had produced a clear result."

Now is the time to get behind the prime minister, she said.

Despite Truss's promise that she is 100% behind Johnson, she is a favorite to replace him if he is forced out.

The vote followed months of brewing discontent over the prime ministers ethics and judgment that centered on revelations of alcohol-fueled bashes held by staff in the prime minister's office in 2020 and 2021, when pandemic restrictions prevented U.K. residents from socializing or even visiting dying relatives.

In a report last month on the scandal known as partygate, civil service investigator Sue Gray said Johnson and senior officials must bear responsibility for failures of leadership and judgment that created a culture of rule-breaking in government.

Johnson also was fined 50 pounds ($63) by police for attending one party, making him the first prime minister sanctioned for breaking the law while in office.

The prime minister said he was humbled and took full responsibility  but went on to defend his attendance at parties as necessary for staff morale and call some of the criticism unfair.

Johnson still faces a parliamentary ethics probe that could conclude he deliberately misled Parliament over partygate  traditionally a resigning offense. His government is also under intense pressure to ease the pain of skyrocketing energy and food bills, while managing the fallout from Britain's exit from the European Union.

Polls give a lead nationally to the left-of-center opposition Labour Party headed by lawmaker Keir Starmer, a stolid, dutiful foil to the blustering Johnson. The prime minister will face more pressure if the Conservatives lose special elections later this month for two parliamentary districts, called when incumbent Tory lawmakers were forced out by sex scandals.

While party rules bar another no-confidence vote for 12 months, those rules can be changed by a handful of lawmakers who run a key Conservative committee.

In the meantime, both allies and opponents of Johnson doubt he will step down willingly.

Bale said Johnson would likely fight back with tax cuts and other policies designed to appeal to his partys right-leaning lawmakers and supporters.

The problem with that is that its proposing, if you like, policy solutions to a personality problem," he said. It looks from opinion polls that the public have turned against Boris Johnson in particular, and thats in part whats dragging the Conservative Party down.
KRAMATORSK, Ukraine  Just to enter Sievierodonetsk, Ukrainian soldiers run a gantlet of Russian artillery shells zeroed in on the only access route: a bridge littered with the burned husks of cars and trucks that didnt make it.

And once inside the city in eastern Ukraine, the focus of both armies for the past several weeks, Ukrainian soldiers battle Russians in back-and forth combat for control of deserted, destroyed neighborhoods.

Ukraines leaders now face a key strategic decision, whether to withdraw from the midsize city and take up more defensible positions, or to remain and risk being boxed in if the bridge is blown up. It reflects the choices the country has had to make since the Russian invasion began, between giving ground to avert death and destruction in the short term, and holding out against long odds in hopes it will later pay off.

In Sievierodonetsk, that calculation has taken on significance beyond the citys limited military importance. In remarks to journalists Monday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to Sievierodonetsk and its neighbor across the river, Lysychansk, as dead cities ravaged by Russian attacks and nearly empty of civilians.

And yet he insisted there was a compelling reason to stay and fight: Ukraines position throughout the war has been that it intends to hold onto its sovereign territory, and not yield it to Moscow.

Retreating now to better positions on higher ground across the Seversky Donets River, and then fighting to retake the city later, he said, would be harder and carry a higher price in bloodshed than holding on.

It will be very costly for you to return, in terms of the number of people killed, the number of losses, Zelenskyy said.

Our heroes are not giving up positions in Sievierodonetsk, he added. Fierce urban combat continues in the city.

It was a rare public rumination by Zelenskyy on strategic decision-making in the war, providing a window into the goals of his government and its military. Sievierodonetsk is the last major city in the breakaway region of Luhansk that the Russians have not taken; capturing it would give them near-total control of that enclave.

There are other factors as well. Falling back could be demoralizing to Ukraines forces. And some Ukrainian soldiers said it is worth drawing out the phase of urban combat to inflict more casualties on the already depleted Russian forces, and possibly damage their morale.

It was also possible Zelenskyy was aiding the military with misdirection by signaling one intention while quietly pursing an opposite course of action.

The government has not said how many military casualties Ukraine has suffered overall since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion in February. But Zelenskyy said last week that in the recent, intense fighting, each day his country was losing 60 to 100 soldiers killed and 500 wounded. Russias defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, said Tuesday that 6,489 Ukrainian service members had been captured.

Ukraines Interior Ministry this week estimated civilian casualties at 40,000 killed or wounded, though some government officials say the true figures are higher. Ukrainian officials said Tuesday that ruptured sewer and water pipes in the southern city of Mariupol, seized by Russia after a devastating siege, have created a risk of severe disease outbreaks that would raise the civilian toll.

The battle for Sievierodonetsk, part of Luhansk and the broader Donbas region in the east, has raged now for weeks, and some Ukrainian soldiers have questioned why the army has not ordered a tactical retreat.

They are killing a lot of our guys, said a soldier who asked to be identified only by his nickname, Kubik, interviewed last week while smoking beside a road in the town of Siversk, a staging area to the west of the fighting. He had recently rotated away from positions near Sievierodonetsk.

Let them come forward a little bit, let them think they have captured the town, and then we will meet them beautifully from the more advantageous position, he said.

The city lies on the mostly flat, eastern bank of the Seversky Donets. The western bank, in contrast, rises in a prominent hill that provides commanding views and firing positions.

Earlier in the war, Ukrainian soldiers were surrounded in Mariupol and fought for weeks, eventually retreating to hold just a tiny pocket of ground in a steel factory complex where they sheltered in bunkers, before Zelenskyy ordered the holdouts to surrender rather than be killed.

Ukrainian commanders decided to avert a smaller-scale version of that siege earlier this week in Sviatohirsk, a town on the low bank of the Seversky Donets.

Trying to trap Ukrainian troops in the town, Russian forces had been firing artillery at their only remaining route across the river, a bridge near an Orthodox monastery that was also frequently hit. On Monday, the Ukrainian army pulled back, blew up the bridge and took up positions on the rivers high bank, Ukrainian officials said.

Sievierodonetsk was once a sleepy, provincial backwater of about 100,000 residents, with streets lined with poplar trees and a skyline dominated by smokestacks of a fertilizer factory.

Now it is a largely abandoned ruin where battle lines sway often, with each side at times claiming to have expelled the other from part of the city. On Tuesday, Serhiy Haidai, the Ukrainian military governor of the Luhansk region, said Russian forces were again storming positions. Combat continues, he said.

Russian artillery fire into the potential fallback position on the high bank, where Lysychansk lies, has also been ferocious. Shelling hit a market, a mining academy and a school, Haidai said. The strike on the market touched off a fire that burned through the day Monday. Two civilians were wounded.

The Ukrainian government has been emphasizing the tenuousness of its positions in the battle for the Donbas, the mining and farming region now mostly controlled by Russian forces.

The pivotal access bridge to Sievierodonetsk is a panorama of destruction, testifying to the difficulty and risk to Ukraine in holding even some portion of the city.

A video recorded by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporters who entered on a resupply run last week showed the mayhem on the span: Crossing it meant weaving between the burned husks of cars and shell craters in the bridge deck.

The debris has piled up over the past two weeks. In an interview in late May, a soldier at a sandbagged checkpoint at the western edge of the bridge cautioned that Russian artillery spotters had the span  clear of debris at the time  under observation and opened fire whenever a car drove over. Two other bridges into the city were destroyed earlier in May.

Haidai has justified Ukraines efforts to hold Sievierodonetsk as partly a matter of symbolic resistance.

Strategically, the city of Sievierodonetsk is not of great importance, he said over the weekend. The high opposite riverbank is more significant militarily, he said. But politically, Sievierodonetsk is a regional center. Its liberation will lift our morale substantially and demoralize the Russians.

Still, Zelenskyy said he was open to reconsidering his decision based on developments. Either command  to hold ground or to retreat  had potential downsides, he said.

In the first option there is risk, in the second option there is risk, he said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
BEIRUT (AP)  The U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria said Tuesday that they will turn to the government in Damascus for support should Turkey go ahead with its threat to launch a new incursion into the war-torn country.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, said after a meeting of its command that its priority is to reduce tension near the border with Turkey but also prepare for a long fight if Ankara carries out its threat.

The announcement appears to be a message directed at the United States and meant to elicit pressure from Washington on Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to put aside his offensive plans.

Erdogan has repeatedly said over the past weeks that hes planning a major military operation to create a 30-kilometer (19 mile) deep buffer zone inside Syria along Turkey's border, through a cross-border incursion against U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish fighters  an attempt that failed in 2019.

Analysts have said Erdogan is taking advantage of the war in Ukraine to push his own goals in Syria  even using Turkeys ability as a NATO member to veto alliance membership by Finland and Sweden as potential leverage.

On the ground, the situation has been tense with near daily exchanges of fire and shelling between the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters on one side and Turkish forces and Turkey-backed Syrian opposition gunmen on the other.

The Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters have been preparing for weeks to take part in the expected operation against Syrian Kurdish-led forces, seeking to expand their area of influence inside Syria.

On the other hand, relations between the Kurdish-led fighters who control large parts of northern and eastern Syria  including the towns of Tel Rifaat and Manbij that Erdogan has named as possible targets  with the Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces have been mostly frosty over the past years.

But faced with Erdogan's threat, Syrian Kurdish fighters may want those ties to thaw.

The meeting confirmed the readiness of (SDF) forces to coordinate with forces of the Damascus government to confront any possible Turkish incursion and to protect Syrian territories against occupation, the statement said and added that a possible Turkish invasion will affect the stability and unity of Syrias territories.

The statement did not elaborate on what such a coordination entailed  and whether an alliance with Assad's government in Damascus would translate into joint forces on the ground. Syrian Kurdish officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched three major operations inside Syria, targeting Syrias main Kurdish militia  the Peoples Protection Units or YPG  which Turkey considers to be a terrorist organization and an extension of Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. The PKK has for decades waged an insurgency within Turkey against the government in Ankara.

The YPG, a backbone of the SDF, has led the fight against the militants of the extremist Islamic State group and has been a proven top U.S. ally in Syria.
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NEW PRESTON  The VNAs thrift store on Route 202 is packed with bargains this time of year, offering a collection of gently used and new clothing, shoes, housewares and gifts.

The stores dedicated crew of volunteers enjoy their work, but they need more help to keep the place up and running.

This week, volunteers Betty Hinckley, Jane Moore, Marilyn Roze and Diane Locke spent their Monday morning sorting the latest batch of donations.

The supply of donations never ends or wavers  theres always plenty of work for the volunteers, who also wait on customers, keep the displays fresh and appealing and the store neat and tidy each day. Ideally, the store has a team of workers who volunteer in pairs. But lately its been harder to get people to sign up.

I sometimes work here by myself, said Hinckley, who has been a volunteer for nearly 20 years. Its not easy to do it alone.

But volunteering at the thrift store is a labor of love for her, Moore, Roze and Locke, who say they look forward to being with their friends.

Its fun, and we know were doing something to help the (VNAs) patients, Roze said. Its motivating, to help the people in our community. We all live and work in the towns the VNA serves.

The Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Litchfield County thrift store is open Tuesday through Saturday and welcomes regulars and newcomers searching for a deal on a new dress, a purse or a pair of earrings, or maybe a bed spread or a set of sheets.

The clothing is displayed by size  small, medium and large womens and mens garments in their own area of the store, accompanied by shoes, sleepwear, jackets and jeans. Childrens clothes are also available, along with shoes and coats. The store also carries plus-size clothes and handbags, and a boutique rack up front has designer label dresses, jackets, skirts and womens suits. Most of the clothing is sold for a few dollars; the boutique rack items run between $5 and 20.

We just got a whole collection of brand-new bathing suits, Hinckley said.

Housewares, sets of dishes, mugs and glassware, small appliances and decorative, seasonal pottery and serving dishes are also sold. There are CDs and cassette tapes, some vinyl records; greeting cards; and a selection of books and DVDs. Along the back wall, shoppers can find bathrobes, nightgowns and casual dresses, dressy pants, sweatpants and leggings. Jeans in every size are available

Geiger handles marketing and communications for the Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Litchfield County at the organizations Winsted office, and said the stores earnings provide money for visiting nurse services throughout the county, from Canaan down to Washington. Foothills VNA, VNA Northwest and Salisbury VNA merged in the mid-2000s.

While the organizations services usually are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurance agencies, financial assistance is available for those who cant afford it, thanks to the thrift shop.

There are many people who cant afford the care they need, and we provide services to those people, Geiger said. The idea that if you volunteer here, or shop here, means that youre really helping other people. Everything thats raised here goes to the care we provide.

The agency provides skilled nursing and hospice care. It has a medical social worker to advocate for patients, helping them through the emotional and financial challenges that often accompany a health crisis, Geiger said.

Along with nursing care, the agency can provide physical, occupational and speech therapy and home health aides. Advance services include wound care, ostomy and continence care, disease management, pediatric nursing, maternal and child health care, IV therapy and nutritional counseling.

In the community, Visiting Nurse & Hospice runs flu and blood pressure clinics, balance classes, foot care clinics and bereavement support groups.

The thrift shop volunteers encouraged interested residents to join them. We have fun here, and we have a purpose, Roze said. She and the other members of the team are retired. Make new connections  its a fun place to work.

To learn more about the thrift store and to become a volunteer, call 860-379-8561 or visit www.vnhlc.org.
SEATTLE (AP)  Hospital officials in Washington are urging people to wear masks and warning that facilities are heading toward another COVID-19 case peak amid high spread in the community.

Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer on Monday said at the end of last week, almost 600 people with COVID-19 were in hospitals across the state with about 20-25 patients a day on ventilators, The News Tribune reported.

That compares with an average of around 230 hospitalized cases in the daily census in April and 1,700 in February during the Omicron wave.

In response to the rising hospitalizations, officials on a media briefing call Monday implored people to wear high-quality masks indoors in crowded, public spaces, and to get COVID-19 booster shots on top of vaccinations.

Its still something you dont want to get and we want to urge you to do everything you can to protect yourself, said Cassie Sauer, Washington State Hospital Association CEO.

Rising case numbers and hospitalization rates prompted state public health officials to urge indoor masking two weeks ago, but they stopped short of announcing new statewide mandates.

Community spread is also affecting health care workers and straining hospital staffing levels, officials said.

When theres COVID in the community, theres COVID among staff members as well, said Dr. Chris Baliga, infectious disease specialist at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, noting again that a COVID-19 infection can remove a health care worker from the workplace for at least 10 days.

Dr. David Carlson, executive vice president Provider Enterprise and chief physician officer for MultiCare, which has hospitals and clinics around the state, said his health system was running at about 120% of normal capacity, faced not just with COVID-19 cases but pent-up demand for care that went unaddressed in the pandemic's early days.

Officials on Monday said if people test positive many should seek treatment as quickly as possible given the long list of qualifying conditions for COVID-19 therapeutics, such as Paxlovid.

We are at a point where we have supplies for all of this. Feel free to reach out to providers to try to get them, Baliga said.

Dr. Steven Mitchell with the Washington Medical Coordination Center at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle said that requests from hospitals for help in easing patients loads with transfers have doubled in recent days.

Our health care system continues to be remarkably strained, he said.
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NEW YORK (AP)  The trial of a Colorado businessman on charges that he ripped off thousands of donors who contributed $25 million to a campaign to build a wall along the southern U.S. border ended Tuesday in a mistrial after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict in a prosecution that once featured onetime presidential adviser Steve Bannon.

The mistrial in the prosecution of Timothy Shea was granted by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres after the jury reported for a third time that it could not reach a verdict on any count, saying the deadlock was abundantly clear. They said extended deliberations had left them further entrenched in our opposing views.

Turmoil during jury deliberations was revealed last week when 11 jurors sent a note to the judge to say one juror who complained about a government witch hunt had exhibited political bias, labeled the rest of them as liberals and complained that the trial should have occurred in a southern state.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement that the mistrial in no way lessens our resolve or believe in the powerful and compelling evidence that we strongly believe proves his guilt.

He added: We look forward to retrying this case as soon as possible." A retrial, though, was unlikely to occur before the fall.

Shea and his lawyer did not comment as they left the courthouse.

After two previous notes last week pointed toward a deadlock, the judge had urged jurors to try again.

Shea was left to stand trial alone after Bannon, a onetime adviser to then-President Donald Trump, was pardoned. And two other defendants pleaded guilty. The case was prosecuted in New York after it was determined that donors to the fund were from everywhere in the country, including New York.

Conspiracy and falsification of records charges against Shea were filed after questions arose over how donations were spent from a We Build The Wall campaign that raised about $25 million for a wall. Only a few miles of wall were built.

Prosecutors said Shea and other fund organizers promised investors that all donations would fund a wall, but Shea and the others eventually pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars for themselves.

Shea's lawyers contended that he acted honorably regarding the fundraising campaign and did not commit a crime.

Shea, of Castle Rock, Colorado, owns an energy drink company, Winning Energy, whose cans have featured a cartoon superhero image of Trump and claim to contain 12 oz. of liberal tears.

Dissension among jurors was first revealed Thursday when 11 jurors said in their note to the judge that they were unanimously requesting that one juror be replaced by an alternate juror. They said the juror had expressed anti-government bias.

In response to the note, the judge questioned the juror in her robing room with lawyers on both sides present.

Among her questions, Torres asked him if he had any biases or personal views that prevent him from being a fair and impartial juror.

He said he did not. So she left him on the jury.

After twice requesting a mistrial on Thursday, defense attorney John Meringolo renewed his request in writing on Friday on many of the same grounds as he had the day before.

He said the jury had violated secrecy rules by revealing too much in its note seeking the disqualification of one juror, and he said the judge improperly referenced political views when she read them a so-called Allen charge intended to add new energy to deliberations.

Meringolo said those instructions in light of what had occurred earlier Thursday could only have been understood to be singling out the juror and pressuring him to come to a verdict.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A Wisconsin judge on Tuesday agreed to keep on hold his ruling from April that prevented state regulators from requiring businesses and others responsible for pollution by PFAS chemicals to investigate and clean up the contamination.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren said because of the importance and impact of his ruling, it made sense to keep it on hold while the state Department of Natural Resources appeals.

In April, Bohren ruled that state regulators must go through Wisconsin's rule-making process to establish guidelines for dealing with the PFAS toxins known as forever chemicals. The ruling was a win for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the states largest business and manufacturing lobbying group, and Oconomowoc-based dry cleaner Leather Rich, which brought the lawsuit last year.

Bohren said he expects the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the case directly, skipping the state appeals court, to expedite a resolution.

Assistant Wisconsin Attorney General Gabe Johnson-Karp, arguing for the DNR, said Tuesday that allowing the ruling to take effect immediately could prevent the agency from continuing to provide bottled water to 1,300 households affected by PFAS contamination.

Lucas Vebber, attorney for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, said the state has other options, including creating a rule to regulate PFAS chemicals.

Under the judge's earlier ruling, the Department of Natural Resources must wait for legislators to define the chemicals to be regulated and impose limits in state law or through an administrative rule. That process can take years.

The Republican-controlled Legislature has been working to weaken state agency authority under Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, making it all the more unlikely that meaningful regulations would be approved.

Attorneys for the DNR argue that existing law gives the agency broad discretion over how to handle contaminants, and theres no need to go through the rule-making process to regulate PFAS. The DNR's ability to protect public health and the environment will be neutered under the judge's ruling, environmentalists and residents in communities dealing with PFAS pollution have said.

According to the lawsuit, Leather Rich entered a DNR program designed to help businesses that voluntarily report pollution with clean up in 2019. The following year, DNR officials declared that businesses in the program need to test for emerging contaminants, including PFAS, without explaining which of the more than 4,000 PFAS compounds to look for or what levels would be considered too high.

The agency lacked any basis in state law to make such a move, which was done without legislative oversight or opportunity for public comment, the lawsuit alleged.

PFAS is an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances  human-made chemicals used in nonstick cookware and firefighting foam. Multiple studies have shown they can cause health problems in humans, including decreased fertility, developmental delays in children, increased risk of some cancers and a weakened immune system, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The DNR currently lists nearly 90 sites across Wisconsin with PFAS contamination, which has affected both private and public drinking water. A number of municipalities are dealing with PFAS-contaminated groundwater, including Madison, Marinette, Campbel, Peshtigo and Wausau.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  Abortion-rights opponents inched closer to a filibuster-proof super-majority in the Nebraska Legislature on Tuesday that would let them outlaw the procedure if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its landmark legalization ruling, as it appears poised to do.

Nebraska lawmakers were two votes short this year on a bill that would have automatically banned abortions if the court gives states that power.

On Tuesday, Gov. Pete Ricketts appointed a new state senator, Kathleen Kauth, to fill the seat of the late Sen. Rich Pahls, who died in April due to complications from cancer. Pahls opposed abortion and would have voted for the ban, but he was absent during the vote because of his health problems.

Kauth, a Republican and owner of a mediation business, said she would consider it an honor to vote for a bill similar to a proposed abortion ban that narrowly stalled. Supporters fell two votes short of the support they needed to overcome a filibuster in the one-house Legislature, which effectively killed the bill.

I am pro-life and I thought the bill that was recently presented was a very solid one, Kauth said after she was sworn into office.

Pahls was also opposed to abortion and likely would have supported the ban, but his health issues caused him to miss this year's vote where the bill stalled.

Ricketts and other top conservatives have said they'll seek a special legislative session this year to outlaw abortion if the Supreme Court overturns its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, as a draft opinion leaked in May suggests.

Supporters needed 33 lawmakers to overcome a filibuster on the proposal earlier this year, but the final vote was 31-15. With Kauth in office, abortion-rights opponents are now one vote shy of what they need to pass a ban.

One other lawmaker, Democratic state Sen. Justin Wayne, of Omaha, is seen as a key swing vote who might give abortion-rights opponents the last bit of support they need to pass it.

Wayne was absent from the legislative chamber when lawmakers considered the ban in April, and he has declined to say whether he would support or oppose it. An aide said Tuesday that Wayne wouldnt be available to comment.

Other Democrats have promised a no-holds-barred fight to preserve abortion rights in Nebraska. Sen. Megan Hunt, of Omaha, warned in May that she would make a special session the most excruciating, painful experience that her fellow lawmakers have ever experienced.

Ricketts, who has fought for years to clamp down on abortion, said Kauth's position on the issue played a sizeable role in his decision to appoint her. He said he also appreciated her business background and involvement in various Omaha-area community groups.

I always look for pro-life candidates," he said.

Ricketts has said he intends to work with Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers, another Republican, on a possible special session if the court rules as they hope.

It's unclear how they would proceed if they still lacked the votes, but Ricketts said Tuesday: If we call a special session, I fully intend for it to be successful.

___

Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte
EAST GRAND FORKS, Minn. (AP)  A 57-year-old northwestern Minnesota woman is accused of setting a curtain on fire inside a mosque, authorities said Tuesday.

Police said the incident happened about 4:30 a.m. Sunday at the Islamic Center in East Grand Forks,, Minnesota. A bystander quickly put out the fire and the damage was minimal. There were no injuries, police said.

The woman, who has not been formally charged, was arrested on two counts of first-degree arson. Police did not forward any other charges to the Polk County states attorney, a spokesman said.

Authorities have not released a motive.

The suspect, from Thief River Falls, Minnesota, is being held in jail on $5,000 bail, police said. It is not clear whether she has an attorney who could comment on the allegations.

East Grand Forks is across the Red Rdiver from Grand Forks, North Dakota.
The Walnut Creek City Council on will consider creating an ordinance Tuesday requiring city gun owners to safely store their firearms in a residence.

A staff report points out California already has a law that "makes it a crime for a person to negligently store or leave a firearm in any location within premises under the person's custody or control, and do so when the owner knows, or should know, that a child is likely to gain access to it without a parent or guardian's permission, unless reasonable action is taken by the person to secure the firearm against access by the child."

The report also says "Currently, there is no state law that requires safety devices, such as lock boxes or trigger locks, be used on all firearms stored in a residence."

Several Bay Area cities, including Antioch and Pleasanton, have laws requiring gun owners to keep them locked up.

A prescribed burn on the San Andreas Lake Dam will take place Tuesday to reduce fire danger in the area, according to San Mateo County officials, who said smoke may be visible in parts of San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos and Burlingame.

Cal Fire, the San Mateo County Fire Department and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission will burn five acres to consume cured grass and remove vegetation that could compromise the integrity of the earthen dam, the officials said. The burn will also help maintain access for inspections and monitoring of the dam.

The burn will begin on Tuesday morning and will be weather-dependent, firefighters said.

A grassroots group of park advocates held a rally Monday encouraging residents, students and activists alike to gather at University of California at Berkeley's California Hall and speak out against UC's development plan for the historic People's Park.

Volunteers from the group People's Park Council chanted, "power to the people," and others wove through the roughly 60-person crowd to sign people up for the "bulldozer list." The university plans to use bulldozers to tear down the park, and the list will function as a group of defenders to contact when they arrive.

Joe Liesner, rally organizer and secretary of the People's Park Historic District Advocacy Group -- one of the other groups opposing the university's plans -- says that developing on park grounds will sully an integral monument to the history of protest and democracy. Monday's rally was one final attempt to raise awareness before the university starts construction this summer.

Authorities in San Rafael have released more details about a vegetation fire that broke out Monday evening near Dominican University.

According to the San Rafael Fire Department, the blaze was first reported at 9:50 p.m. between Deer Park Avenue and Highland Avenue. The fire burned a eucalyptus grove on a steep hillside, SRFD said.

The fire burned two acres and five structures were threatened but were not damaged. In all, 19 engines from nearly all Marin Fire agencies responded, SRFD said.

The cause of the fire at this time is undetermined and under investigation, Sinnott said.

State and education officials called Monday for more investment in so-called community schools, which are intended to offer more resources for students and their families than traditional schools.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, California Teachers Association President E. Toby Boyd and others held a virtual meeting Monday to discuss the community school model and argue in favor of allocating $1.5 billion in grants to create more community schools.

The state allocated some $3 billion last year to convert schools in areas with high poverty rates into community schools, which offer health care and social services and, in some cases, even include onsite housing for students and families.

Newsom proposed adding another $1.5 billion in one-time spending to expand access to community schools, but legislators have not included that allocation in the tentative state budget for fiscal year 2022-2023, in part because the initial $3 billion grant pool will be dispersed over seven years.

The forward progress of a brush fire that broke out in San Rafael on Monday night and prompted some evacuations has been halted, according to the San Rafael Fire Department.

The fire was first reported near Dominican University at Highland Avenue around 10:07 p.m., and by 10:13 p.m. authorities were ordering some evacuations in the 200 blocks of Highland and Summit Avenues. The fire reached two acres before its momentum was halted.

Authorities went door-to-door evacuations for a small number of homes but others in the area were given evacuation warning. All evacuations have now been halted and residents can return to their homes, the fire department said.

Crews will remain on scene throughout the night and an investigator will attempt to determine the cause of the fire.

Police in San Rafael have released the name of a man who was fatally shot on Saturday night.

Erick Boliver Mendez Vasquez, 33, from San Rafael, was killed in the Canal neighborhood.

The shooting was reported shortly before midnight by a caller who said that a man had collapsed near the intersection of Medway Road and Mill Street, police said in a news release on Sunday.

Officers found Vasquez and he was taken by San Rafael firefighters to a hospital, where he later died.

The National Weather Service forecast for the greater San Francisco Bay Area calls for sunny skies Tuesday, with daytime highs near 60 along the coast, in the mid 70s to low 80s around the bay and from the low to high 80s in the interior valleys of the East Bay and North Bay. Overnight lows are expected in the mid 50s. Conditions will get much hotter beginning Thursday, when interior valleys are expected to be in the 90s and 100s, before cooling by Sunday.

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.
The Summit building at 999 Green is an iconic San Francisco tower. Its Joseph Eichler-designed angles have soared above Russian Hill since the early 1970s and now, its two penthouses are for sale. The north penthouse hit the market at $17 million, while the south penthouse is for sale for $12 million  or buy both penthouses for $29 million.

The north and south penthouse units were most recently a single domicile, a sprawling unit of more than 10,000 square feet with soaring ceilings, towering windows and endless views.

R. BRAD KNIPSTEIN, R. Brad Knipstein

It's also where former Secretary of State George Shultz and his wife Charlotte lived, enjoying six bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, and three half-bathrooms.

R. BRAD KNIPSTEIN, R. Brad Knipstein

The building is the epitome of 1970s-era modernist luxury, designed by Joseph Eichler. The sale and ownership history of the penthouses tells of only three owners, each illustrious in their own way. "The property is a part of San Francisco history," co-listing agent Karen Mendelsohn Gould of Compass told SFGATE.

R. BRAD KNIPSTEIN, R. Brad Knipstein

Developers Gerson Bakar and Al Wilsey brought Eichler's design to life in 1973, after which Wilsey himself occupied the two penthouses with his wife, socialite Pat Montandon. When the Wilseys sold the property, the unit was broken into two: a north and a south penthouse.

Next, Charlotte and Mel Swig of the Fairmont Hotel family purchased the north penthouse and called it home. "After Mel Swig passed, and for the past 25 years, the Shultzes owned both of the penthouses together. That is where they lived and entertained dignitaries from all over the world, and George Shultz continued his work to end nuclear proliferation," said Gould.

R. BRAD KNIPSTEIN, R. Brad Knipstein

The next owner has many options, whether to keep the two units as one lavish, glass-encased set or buy just the north or the south penthouse.

R. BRAD KNIPSTEIN, R. Brad Knipstein

The north penthouse (unit 3201) is 5,380 square feet and offers three bedrooms, four full bathrooms and one half-bathroom. It's wrapped by a deck that frames jaw-dropping bay views. Inside, 20-foot ceilings soar over the two levels, with surfaces covered in glass, marble and wood. Residents can traverse these levels via the stunning staircase or the in-unit elevator.

R. BRAD KNIPSTEIN, R. Brad Knipstein

The south penthouse (unit 3202) also overlooks iconic bay and city views from floor-to-ceiling windows that are 20 feet tall. There are two levels in this 4,935 square foot unit, with an upper-level mezzanine complete with a wet bar and wood-burning fireplace. This unit includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms and two half-bathrooms.

R. BRAD KNIPSTEIN, R. Brad Knipstein

The Summit, which houses these units, enjoys a much-coveted Russian Hill location, deeded parking and 24-hour doorperson service. "I grew up in the shadow of 999 Green on Florence Street at Vallejo and Jones. I remember looking up and imagining what was transpiring in there. The Penthouses have the best views in San Francisco so naturally, the curiosity surrounding them looms large," said co-listing agent Max Armour.
Rest and recovery are critical parts of training for athletes and fitness buffs alikeand massage guns are at the forefront of at-home athletic recovery. Not only do massage guns promise to help relieve your sore muscles, but they can actually help improve circulation and your range of motion after tough workouts. They're more compact than a foam roller, and pack way more punch when it comes to targeting your muscles. (If it's your neck that's giving you issues in particular, here are our six picks for the best neck massagers.)

But let's be real: The massage gun market has become totally saturated. And with so many options out there, it might be hard to decipher which ones are actually worth your hard-earned cash. (Although if you really want to save some dough, you can attempt to turn a jigsaw into your very own massage gun. This guy did.)

If you're totally new to how massage guns works (and how to use them), physical therapist and The Ready State founder Kelly Starrett told Men's Health some of his top tips on how to best utilize your massage gun. His best guidance: Use your own movement while deploying the gun.

"One of the things you can do right away if you're using this in a painful site is to get as much movement into the tissue you're trying to change as possible," he says. "Sometimes we just need to feel better, and that's good enough. But I can do a lot to bias the tissues by giving it some movement."

Here's what you need to know about percussion massage guns so you can to incorporate them into your own routine.

Read more: Best Home Gym Equipment

That list of priorities remains mostly the same for at-home use. Orendorf notes that reliability is still key and that its worth investing in a legitimate brand with high-quality standards rather than a knockoff. Be prepared to spend at least $250 to $350 for a quality product, he says. I would be very suspect of guns in the $100 range.

Of course, even the best guns leave room for improvement. Some options come with convenient travel cases and charging standssomething Orendorf would like to see more products offer. He also mentions that dishwasher-safe attachment heads would make for easier cleaning. And, as the market continues to progress, he hopes for smaller (yet still powerful) designs and Bluetooth app integration.

Shop the best deals on massage guns on Amazon.

The Best Percussion Massagers in 2022

With these priorities and wish lists in mind, the below massage guns represent some of the best options on the market in 2022including a deep dive into different models from Theragun and Hyperice, the two most popular massage gun brands out there.

Read More: Theragun RecoveryAir Boots Review

Most Powerful: Theragun PRO

Theragun's latest model is a humdinger. The 4th generation Theragun PRO includes a 300-minute battery life, a rotating arm, and an ergonomic grip. It also features four different arm positions and six attachments, plus five different percussion settings: 1750, 1900, 2100, 2200, and 2400 percussions per minute, with up to 60 pounds of force. Unlike other Thergaun models, the Pro also has 'smart' capabilities with the Therabody app to track progress and data with Bluetooth connectivity. And it has an OLED screen complete with a force meter for good measure. Phew!

Best Looking: Theragun Mini

This pocket-sized model is perfect for transport and portability. If you like to use your massage gun while you're still at the gym or otherwise on the go, this is the one for you. It weighs a total of 1.43 pounds and has 150 minutes of battery life with three different speed settings (1750, 2100, and 2400) and one attachment.

Best for Travel: Hypervolt Go 2

Hyperices updated mini massage gun fits easily in any purse or backpack, and at just 1.5 pounds, it never weighs you down. But it still gets three hours on a single charge, delivers three different intensities, and has multiple attachments to attack different muscle groups.

Most User-Friendly: Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro

The new Hypervolt 2 Pro is Hyperice's premiere massage gun. It has the strongest percussion technology of all their devices, complete with a brushless high-torque 90W motor. It's shaped like a pill for a comfortable grip and weighs just 2.6 pounds. It features five different percussion speeds which you can effortlessly transition between using the 2 Pro's new digital speed dial. Like other models, it also connects via Bluetooth to the Hyperice app.

Theragun Elite

While the Theragun Elite model is a slightly smaller option compared to the PRO, it still packs all the punch needed to provide quick relief to even the sorest of muscles. It has five different percussion settings and deploys up to 40 pounds of force. It comes with five attachments and has a 120-minute battery life. It's also integrated with the Therabody app via Bluetooth and OLED display.

Read More: Hyperice X Review

Hyperice Hypervolt 2

The standard entry in Hyperice's Hypervolt line isn't as high-powered as its follow-up (see more on that just below), but that doesn't mean that it can't get the job done. The lightweight device weighs only 2.5 pounds, so it won't sit like a rock in your gym bag. It has three different percussion speeds and five different head attachments to vary your experience. Plus, Hyperice's motors are extremely quiet allowing for a peaceful massage experience.

How We Selected

For the past two years, we consulted with Men's Health's Fitness editors and writers on the top massage guns. Experts including our fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. and fitness editor Brett Williams, NASM, dozens of massage guns through the wringer to evaluate their durability and effectiveness. We also considered top-reviewed massage guns that had at least 100 five-star customer ratings on e-commerce websites that we trust.

Why Use a Percussion Massage Gun?

Massage guns can be used as an alternative to the foam roller as a self-myofascial release tool, says Vinh Pham, a physical therapist and the founder of Myodetox, a manual therapy and movement clinic with locations in Canada and the U.S. He notes that benefits include everything from decreased stress, pain and tissue tension to enhanced recovery, blood circulation and range of motion.

You can use it pre-workout to warm up the muscles and post-workout to decrease tightness and soreness, adds Pham.

Want to learn exactly how you should be using one of these buzzy tools? Check out our how-to guide for instructions for best practices before, during, and after workouts.

What to Look For in a Percussion Massage Gun

To learn more about what to look for in a massage gun, we spoke with Pham and Josh Orendorf, a physical therapist, certified personal trainer and the owner of Paceline Physical Therapy in Franklin, Tennessee.

The three most important things for me are reliability, noise, and battery life, says Orendorf. I need something that I know is well-made and wont malfunction during operation, especially because Im using it on injured athletes. Noise is the next most important factor. I need to be able to talk to my athletes over the noise of the gun without yelling at them.

Pham agrees that keeping treatment quiet is a major priority. Personally, noise to me is number one, says Pham. I want to be able to use the massage guns in public, and having it sound like a power tool would make it unusable.

Next up is battery life, as Orendorf says he also cant have guns dying in the middle of treatment. He says that he expects a massage gun to last several full days without requiring a charge. Youll also want to be able to throw the gun in your bag or take it on a weekend trip without worrying about finding an outlet, he says.

Read more: Best Tech Gadgets for Men
Storm Prediction Ctr, Norman, OK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, June 7, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 318

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

403 AM CDT TUE JUN 07 2022

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 318 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 AM CDT

FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

TX

. TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

HEMPHILL LIPSCOMB WHEELER

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM CDT /NOON MDT/ THIS

AFTERNOON TO 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Temperatures 95 to 99 mountains, 110 to 112 Reeves,

Loving, and Ward Counties, as well as the Presidio Valley, and

105 to 109 elsewhere.

* WHERE...Portions of southeast New Mexico and southwest and

western Texas.

* WHEN...From 1 PM CDT /noon MDT/ this afternoon to 9 PM CDT /8

PM MDT/ this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO

9 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures 100 to 103

mountains, 105 to 110 foothills, and 115 to 117 along the river.

* WHERE...Marfa Plateau, Davis Mountains Foothills and Chisos

Basin, Chinati and Davis Mountains, and Central Brewster and

Lower Brewster Counties.

* WHEN...From 1 PM this afternoon to 9 PM CDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Extreme heat will significantly increase the

potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those

working or participating in outdoor activities.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, June 6, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Cimarron County in the Panhandle of Oklahoma...

Northwestern Dallam County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 815 PM CDT.

* At 723 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 9 miles southwest

of Felt, or 15 miles east of Clayton, moving southeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

Hail damage to vehicles is expected.

* Locations impacted include...

Felt.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO HOUSTON/GALVESTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, June 8, 2022

_____

RIP CURRENT STATEMENT

Coastal Hazard Message

National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX

253 AM CDT Tue Jun 7 2022

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY

EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Matagorda Islands, Brazoria Islands, Galveston Island

and Bolivar Peninsula.

* WHEN...Through Wednesday evening.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away

from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and

float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a

direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the

shore and call or wave for help.

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT

THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 111 expected.

* WHERE...La Salle, McMullen, Webb and Duval Counties.

* WHEN...From 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM CDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, June 7, 2022

_____

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX

207 PM CDT Tue Jun 7 2022

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS

EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures 100 to 103

mountains, 105 to 110 foothills, and 115 to 117 along the

river.

* WHERE...Marfa Plateau, Davis Mountains Foothills and Chisos

Basin, Chinati and Davis Mountains, and Central Brewster and

Lower Brewster Counties.

* WHEN...From 1 PM this afternoon to 9 PM CDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Extreme heat will significantly increase the

potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those

working or participating in outdoor activities.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ THIS

* WHAT...Temperatures 95 to 99 mountains, 110 to 112 Reeves,

Loving, and Ward Counties, as well as the Presidio Valley, and

105 to 109 elsewhere.

* WHERE...Portions of southeast New Mexico and southwest and

western Texas.

* WHEN...From 1 PM CDT /noon MDT/ this afternoon to 9 PM CDT /8

PM MDT/ this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Page Content

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee signed a bill legalizing recreational marijuana in the state on May 25. The new law took effect immediately. Adults age 21 and older now can possess up to an ounce of cannabis, may grow cannabis within their primary residenceup to certain limitsand possess up to 10 ounces of cannabis in addition to live plants. Retail sales may begin as early as Dec. 1.

The law states that employers are not required to accommodate the use or possession of marijuana, or being under the influence of marijuana, in any workplace or other location where the employee is performing work, including remote work.

Employers are permitted to refuse to hire, terminate, discipline or take other employment action based on an individual's violation of a workplace drug policy or because the individual was working while under the influence of cannabis. Nonetheless, employers are generally prohibited from terminating or taking disciplinary action against an employee "solely for an employee's private, lawful use of cannabis outside the workplace and so long as the employee has not and is not working under the influence of cannabis."

There are exceptions if off-duty use is prohibited by the terms of a collective bargaining agreement or if the employer is a federal contractor or otherwise subject to a federal law or regulation such that the failure to terminate or discipline the employee would cause the employer to lose a monetary or licensing benefit under the law or regulation.

In addition, if an employee works in a job, occupation or profession that is "hazardous, dangerous or essential to public welfare and safety," an employer may adopt and implement policies that prohibit the use or consumption of cannabis within the 24-hour period prior to a scheduled work shift or assignment. Examples of work that falls under this exception include: operation of an aircraft, watercraft, heavy equipment, heavy machinery, commercial vehicles, school buses or public transportation; the use of explosives; public safety first responder jobs; and emergency and surgical medical staff. Note that drivers of commercial motor vehicles who are subject to the U.S. Department of Transportation's drug and alcohol testing regulations never may use marijuana and will be disqualified from driving if they test positive for marijuana.

The law also provides for automatic expungement of certain civil and criminal convictions related to the possession of marijuana. All eligible records will be expunged by July 1, 2024. Employers may not require an employee to disclose a sealed or expunged offense unless otherwise required by law.

In light of the new protections for off-duty use of marijuana in Rhode Island, affected employers should ensure their drug testing policies and procedures comply with the law.

Catherine A. Cano is an attorney with Jackson Lewis in Omaha, Neb.  2022 Jackson Lewis. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.
Moscow court upholds continued detention of former Deputy Minister of Education

 AGN Moskva, Sophia Sandurskaya

10:39 07/06/2022

MOSCOW, June 7 (RAPSI)  Moscows Tverskoy District Court upheld the detention of former Deputy Minister of Education Marina Rakova on charges of embezzling about 50 million rubles ($700,000).

Rakova will stay in jail till August 6, according to the ruling.

She was placed on a wanted list and arrested in October 2021 after a criminal case was revealed by a law enforcement agency.

Investigators allege that about 50 million rubles were embezzled in the course of implementation of state contracts in the field of education, concluded with the participation of Rakova in 2019, who at that time held the post of Deputy Minister of Education.

Several alleged accomplices of Rakova face criminal charges as well. Former employees of Federal State Autonomous Institution "The Fund for New Forms of Education Development" Eugeny Zak and Maxim Inkin were detained along with executive director of the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences Christina Kryuchkova.

Rakova served as Deputy Minister of Education from October 2018 to March 2020. She was employed by Sberbank afterwards, where she headed the Digital Education Platforms division. In October 2021 she was removed from office.




National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) in partnership with Invest in Denmark, a Govt of Denmark entity today launched a Danish market opportunity report tailor-made for Indian companies looking to expand in the Nordic region with Denmark acting as gateway to the NORDICS. The report opens a gateway for the Danish market, which has high potential but is under-penetrated and lesser engaged, and is a part of NASSCOM strategy to diversify beyond the traditional US, UK and Continental European markets.

The report launched in the presence of the Joint Secretary Meity Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar, aims to facilitate a macro-overview of the Danish IT Sector, including nuances of operating and servicing the broader Nordic region. It has been developed based on empirical inputs from a number of key stakeholders from Denmark & India. It also helps raise awareness of Denmarks economy & IT landscape and talks about opportunities cutting across industry sectors for large, medium, and small Indian tech players. Further, the report provides recommendations on strategies and business models to explore the market and importantly a deeper understanding of Denmarks business culture and dos and donts of undertaking business in the region.

Commenting on the launch, H.E. Freddy Svane, Ambassador of Denmark to India said India and Denmark have never been closer. The recent visit of PM Modi to Denmark not only further strengthened ties with Denmark but also with the region as a whole. There are a number of Indian IT companies in Denmark, already bringing tremendous value to the Danish economy and helping enhance the competitiveness of the Danish Industry. With a strong focus on digitalization in both the countries and a partnership around Green & Sustainable Technologies, we are seeing new opportunities emerge.

The report intends to create a well-informed starting point for Indian technology companies that are interested in serving the Nordic market with Denmark acting as a gateway. Nordic region is not only an early adopter of technology but also home to some of the worlds largest and most innovative corporations. The fact that English is the business language, with more than 50 companies with revenue above USD 10 Billion and about 250 above USD 1 Billion underscores the potential for a tremendous win-win partnership between the Nordic and Indian tech ecosystem. said Shivendra Singh, Vice President & Head Global Trade, NASSCOM.

The report has been developed by Poul Tokkesdal ApS, an independent IT Consulting outfit from Denmark with directional inputs from NASSCOM & INVEST IN DENMARK. It is supported by the Ministry of Electronics & IT (Meity) and pays specific attention to the role of Indian technology players in Danish economy, their historical contributions and potential for the future.
Food delivery company Zomatos board is likely to meet on June 17 to clear a proposal to acquire quick commerce startup Blinkit, almost two years after the two entities first discussed a potential deal, two people aware of the discussions said.

Zomato will pay in its shares for Blinkit, formerly Grofers, the people said.

Under the proposal, Blinkits shareholders are expected to get a little less than 10% stake in Zomato. Blinkits largest investor, SoftBank Vision Fund, will get an almost 4% stake in the foodtech company, one of the people said. Blinkits investors may have to compulsorily hold Zomatos shares for at least six months, the person added.

Based on Zomatos closing stock price of Rs 69.85 on the BSE Monday, a 10% stake is worth about Rs 5,500 crore ($708 million). Zomato already holds about 10% stake in Blinkit. Both companies did not respond to queries till the time of going to press on Monday.

As per a report, citing sources, that the deal was expected to value Blinkit at around $700-800 million based on Zomatos market capitalisation at that time. That was lower than Blinkits last valuation of a little over $1 billion.

Zomato is expected to issue one share for 10 Blinkit shares. The merger has been speculated on as an eventual outcome ever since Zomato first invested in Blinkit last year.

Earlier this year, Zomato said it had also extended a loan of up to $150 million to Blinkit. Last month, during its first investor call since going public, Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal said only a part of this money had been given out to Blinkit and that releasing the remaining amount would depend on whether it required it or not.

Also, Goyal said his company was very conscious about not overpaying for Blinkit in the event of a deal.

We are very conscious that we do not have to overpay for any M&A (merger and acquisition) and we have strong governance processes. We will follow the process and not make any mistake on that front, he had said, when asked how Zomato would value Blinkit.

Zomato has been trying to enter the quick commerce space. It had twice dropped plans to deliver groceries online since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

What changed in the case of quicker deliveries is the product market fit and the customer proposition has become much stronger than kiranas. If we take a city where GMV (gross merchandise value) for online grocery is stagnating, they (quick commerce apps) are now at multiple times of that GMV. The first hurdle was whether it (quick commerce) is a large enough market. On that we think yes. It is a sustainable business and we also have a synergistic food delivery business, Akshant Goyal, Zomatos chief financial officer, had said during the earnings call.

Zomatos closing stock price of 69.85 was 3.1% lower than the previous close and well below its all-time high of Rs 169.10 hit last November.

In a letter to shareholders with Zomatos fourth-quarter results, Goyal had said the company would no longer make any new minority investments and had already put the building blocks for a robust quick-commerce business in India with its previous investments.

On a possible Blinkit deal, Goyal had said the company remained bullish on quick commerce, especially given how synergistic it is to our core food delivery business. While there is a lot to do as the business is at its early stages, theres still a lot of low-hanging fruit to drive growth and efficiency. Blinkit has grown well in the past six months and has also significantly reduced its operating losses, he had said.

Since going public, Zomato has invested in a bunch of startups including kitchen robotics company Mukunda Foods, logistics firm Shiprocket, advertising platform Adonmo, restaurant management software provider UrbanPiper and fitness platform Cultfit.
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Hot on the heels of news that Clive Palmers federal election campaign flop cost the mining billionaire all up about $62 million in advertising comes the intriguing claim that a group of old farts playing around on Facebook had more impact on the poll than Palmers big bucks.

Richard Whitington, a former staffer for Gough Whitlam and retired consultant, mobilised some well-connected friends frustrated with the state of Australian democracy to get behind a campaign called 1in50 to fight back against the Morrison government.

Supporters included inaugural ICAC commissioner Ian Temby, QC, playwright David Williamson, ex-Wallaby and anti-Apartheid activist Anthony Abrahams, historians Judith Brett and Jenny Hocking (of The Palace Letters fame), former diplomat and Governor of Tasmania Richard Butler, Hobart-based silk and Julian Assange campaigner Greg Barns, SC, and legal affairs writer Richard Ackland.

It was from a bunch of old farts with respect to all of them, Whitington said of the lineup which included four AMs, two ACs and an AO.

Fundraising was disappointing, Whitington concedes, and with only about $20,000 donated, the group had to spend their money wisely and plumped for a targeted Facebook ad in 22 marginal seats,  14 Coalition, 8 Labor  focused on a standard suite of anti-Morrison talking points  climate, integrity and treatment of women in politics.
The Australian digital art company that created Van Gogh Alive  and turned Monets lilies into something visitors could stand on  has transformed Australias own Indigenous grand masters art and music into an immersive experience.

Premiering on Wednesday at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, Connection: Songlines from Australias First Peoples, brings to life Indigenous stories, culture and art. It will tour Paris, London and New York and other cities in future.

Connection: Songlines from Australias First Peoples opens on Wednesday at the National Museum in Canberra. Credit:Rhett Wyman

Australias Indigenous art tradition is 50,000 years old, with rock paintings which predate those of bison and mammoths of Frances Lascaux caves by 35,000 years.

Connection includes the works of 100 artists, including Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Albert Namatjira, Tommy Watson, Gabriella Possum, Anna Pitjara and Lin Onus.
Seven town halls on Sydneys CBD fringe  former civic seats of 20th-century local government  are to be opened up to live performance and rehearsals to address the citys chronic arts accommodation crisis.

Weve got seven town halls and most of them are sitting empty 90 per cent of the time, Inner West Council mayor Darcy Byrne said. Magnificent civic institutions we have a responsibility to maintain, regardless of how well they are used because they are heritage items, but they are being grossly underutilised.

Marrickville Town Hall will have new life breathed into it by the arts industry. Credit:Kate Geraghty

An acute lack of rehearsal, performance, exhibition and studio spaces surfaced at last weeks council-sponsored Inner West Arts Recovery Summit as one of the most pressing issues affecting the sectors post-pandemic recovery.

Organisers of the Sydney Fringe Festival have taken up residence in Marrickville Town Hall, which turned 100 in February, with the basement slated to serve as a festival venue for live music.
Many BHP shareholders could be in for a shock at tax time. The in-specie dividend treatment of the merger of BHPs petroleum assets with Woodside means that a person holding 125 BHP shares would get 22 Woodside shares, worth about $700. This would have a $300 imputation credit, bringing up the gross dividend to $1000. For a person earning more than $180,000, this means that an additional $170 tax needs to be paid. On the upside, a person earning less than $45,000 would receive a refund of imputation credits. BHP is not saying much about this when many of its employees have shares through various employee share schemes, and would be significantly impacted by it. Surely, the earlier they know about it the better they can be prepared to find the additional tax.

A BHP spokesperson points out there are two key points to make relating to the merger. The first is that everything BHP does is for shareholders, and the rationale for the deal is based on what is best for investors and for the company over the long term.

Credit:Simon Letch

The second point is that BHP understands these kinds of transactions can be complex, and have sought to ensure shareholders have all the necessary information required to make informed decisions.

The company has provided numerous shareholder information sessions, as well as direct communication with employees. These include the fact that tax would be payable on any personal income derived from the in-specie dividend, as would be the case with a cash dividend payment.
A Sydney businessman who was allegedly kidnapped and beaten in the citys south last year has been arrested on a historic drugs possession charge in Fiji.

Sam Amine, 46, was at home with his wife in San Souci on June 9, when four armed men allegedly broke into the house, pulled him into a stolen BMW and took him to a place in Padstow where he was assaulted. He escaped just before midnight by climbing out of a window.

Fijian police allege that during a 2019 search of a unit belonging to Sam Amine, they found 451.6 grams of anabolic steroids hidden in the homes meter box. Amine owns several gyms in the country. Credit:Fiji Police Media

The Fiji Sun newspaper reported that Amine faced Nadi Magistrates Court last month and was charged with one count of unlawful possession of illicit drugs, namely steroids, in 2019.

The Fiji Police Force allege that, after searching a Fijian unit belonging to Amine in February 2019, they found 451.6 grams of anabolic steroids. Amine owns several gyms in the country.
Queensland man fined after neighbourly brawl over grass clippings

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Queensland students will have access to free feminine sanitary products in every state school.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced a trial with charity Share the Dignity earlier this year would be expanded, with vending machines with free tampons and pads to be installed at every state school.

The announcement follows the southern states, which had already implemented the initiative.

Earlier this year, the Queensland government announced students across 62 schools would have access to free period products, as the first of 120 schools that would be provided with a dignity vending machine as part of the governments $2.5 million partnership with Share the Dignity.
The mother of a teenage driver who fatally struck parents-to-be as they crossed the road with their dogs has been ordered to come to a Brisbane court to watch his sentencing.

The 18-year-olds sentencing is being dealt with as a childrens matter in Brisbane Supreme Court because the tragedy, on Australia Day 2021, happened when he was 17.

The expecting couple - Kate Leadbetter and Matt Field.

Kate Leadbetter, 31, and Matt Field, 37, were killed as they crossed the road at the intersection of Finucane and Vienna roads in Alexandra Hills - east of Brisbane.

The teen behind the wheel had allegedly run a red light.
A council in Melbournes inner north is resisting pressure to sell a controversial sculpture of an anthropomorphic banana after an on-air bid by British-American comedian John Oliver.

The comedian offered to purchase the artwork, titled Fallen Fruit, for $10 and a $10,000 donation to a local food bank during a segment of his HBO show Last Week Tonight which aired overnight.

The 1.8-metre statue by artist Adam Stone. Credit:Instagram

Oliver also offered to make a $5000 donation to Australia Zoos John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward and send a sculpture of a giant alligator showing his middle finger to replace the banana.

The alligator sculpture was created as a prop for a 2017 segment of the show about replacing Confederate symbols in the United States following white nationalist rallies in Charlottesville.
Power giant Origin Energy has warned sky-high energy costs could sink small electricity retailers and blue-collar unions have set the scene for a clash with the government by calling for a new tax on gas exporters ahead of a crisis meeting of ministers on Wednesday.

Origin chief executive Frank Calabria said a shortage of coal and recent outages at coal-fired power stations were increasing demand for gas to fill the gap, driving up wholesale electricity and gas prices across the eastern seaboard.

State and federal ministers will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to tackle surging power prices. Credit:Fairfax

Local issues have been compounded by record global prices as energy companies worldwide scramble to reduce their reliance on Russia to starve Moscow of the revenue it needs to fund its invasion of Ukraine.

Wholesale power prices topped $400 a megawatt hour across the east-coast energy grid last week compared to an average of $70 last year, while wholesale gas prices have more than tripled from $10 a gigajoule to between $30 and $50 in recent weeks.
Melbournes dogs could be getting eight new dog parks, but tensions are mounting over the location of the off-leash areas, with some owners saying the plans have not been properly thought through.

On Tuesday night City of Melbourne councillors will consider designating eight new off-leash areas for dogs, adding 3.5 hectares to the existing 16 hectares of off-leash parkland across the city  equating to nearly 10 MCGs worth of space.

Leon Wiegard with his dog Allen in Carlton around the corner from a proposed dog park at Murchison Square. Credit:Eddie Jim

The recommendation followed a review of dogs in open spaces in 2019 which identified gaps in off-leash provisions across the city.

Melbournes dog population has continued to grow since the start of the pandemic, with registrations increasing more than 20 per cent in the past two years  from 3948 in 2020 to 4750 in 2022.
NASA will launch a trio of rockets from the Northern Territory beginning in late June, the first mission to blast off from a commercial facility outside the US by the leading space agency and the first from Australia this century.

The three rockets will carry instruments that will be used to conduct research on topics including how a stars light influences whether a planet can sustain life from a perspective only available in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Arnhem Space Centre, where NASA will launch three rockets beginning this month. Credit:Equatorial Launch Australia

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the launch as a new era in Australias space industry, which dates to the 1950s and includes work on the first moon landing in 1969.

This project will bring together global and local industry to take Australias space sector into a new era, Albanese said.
Over the weekend, however, a Chinese official in Beijing confirmed to The Washington Post that a portion of the base will be used by the Chinese military. The official denied it was for exclusive use by the military, saying that scientists would also use the facility. The official added that the Chinese are not involved in any activities on the Cambodian portion of the base. The official said the groundbreaking, scheduled for Thursday, was taking place and that Chinese officials would attend. The Chinese ambassador to Cambodia is expected to be present. Asked for comment, the Cambodian Embassy in Washington said in a statement that it strongly disagrees with the content and meaning of the report as it is a baseless accusation motivated to negatively frame Cambodias image. It added that Cambodia firmly adheres to the nations constitution, which does not permit foreign military bases or presence on Cambodian soil. The renovation of the base serves solely to strengthen the Cambodian naval capacities to protect its maritime integrity and combat maritime crimes including illegal fishing, the statement said. Satellite images captured of the China-backed redevelopment of Cambodias Ream Naval Base. Credit:CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and Maxar. Chinas Foreign Affairs Ministry did not reply to a request for comment.

The Western officials said they expect there will be an acknowledgment at the ceremony of Chinese involvement in financing and construction of the expansion of Ream Naval Base, but not of plans for its use by the Peoples Liberation Army. The expansion plans were finalised in 2020, and, significantly, called for the Chinese military to have exclusive use of the northern portion of the base, while their presence would remain concealed, a second official said. The two governments have taken pains to mask the presence of the Chinese military at Ream, the official said. For instance, foreign delegations visiting the base are permitted access only to preapproved locations. During these visits, Chinese military personnel at the base wear uniforms similar to their Cambodian counterparts or no uniform at all to avoid suspicion from outside observers, the official said. When Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman visited the base during a trip to the region last year, her movements were very heavily circumscribed, the official said. Workers labour on an under construction road outside Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Credit:Bloomberg While she was in Cambodia, Sherman sought clarification over Cambodias razing in 2020 of two US-funded facilities on Ream Naval Base, according to a State Department news release. The demolition took place after Cambodia declined a US offer to pay to renovate one of them, according to a Pentagon report on Chinese military developments last year. That move, the report said, suggests that Cambodia may have instead accepted assistance from the [Peoples Republic of China] to develop the base.

What weve seen is over time is a very clear and consistent pattern of trying to obfuscate and hide both the end goal as well as the extent of Chinese military involvement, the second official said. The key thing here is the [PLAs] exclusive use of the facility and having a unilateral military base in another country. Loading Last year, the Joint Vietnamese Friendship building, a facility built by the Vietnamese, was relocated off Ream Naval Base to avert conflicts with Chinese military personnel, the officials said. China and Vietnam have long had a tense relationship, with Hanoi and Beijing clashing over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea for half a century. The secrecy around the base appears to be driven primarily by Cambodian sensitivities and concern about a domestic backlash, the second official said.

There is strong domestic opposition to the idea of a foreign military base, said the official, noting the constitutional ban on the presence of foreign military in the country. As the chair of the 10-member regional Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, Cambodia is keen to avoid the perception it is, as the second official said, a pawn of Beijing. Cambodia has been walking a fine line between accommodating and distancing itself from Beijing. It was an enthusiastic supporter of the US-ASEAN special summit in Washington last month, the second official said. In March, it joined 140 other countries in voting at the UN General Assembly to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine. Beijing abstained from the vote and has publicly affirmed a no limits partnership with Moscow that includes opposing further NATO enlargement. At the same time, Chinese influence in Cambodia has grown rapidly in recent years, with China providing substantial aid and investment, a trend that has also caused some concern in Phnom Penh about overreliance on Beijing.

Beyond its base in Djibouti, opened in 2017, Beijing is pursuing military facilities to support naval, air, ground, cyber, and space power projection, the Pentagon report said. It has likely considered a number of countries, it said, listing more than a dozen, including Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and the United Arab Emirates. A global network could both interfere with US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States, the report said. Loading The report also said that Chinese military academics have asserted that such bases can enable deployment of military forces in theatre, and intelligence monitoring of the US military. The Chinese official told The Post that ground station technology for a BeiDou navigation satellite system was located at the Chinese portion of Ream Naval Base. BeiDou is Chinas homegrown alternative to the US Space Force-managed Global Positioning System, and has military uses including missile guidance. The official did not have direct knowledge of how this system was being used.

Chinas military uses BeiDous high-accuracy positioning and navigation services to facilitate force movements and precision-guided munitions delivery, according to a March report by the Pentagons Defence Intelligence Agency. Loading Chinas global basing effort is not just about power projection but about global tracking and space assets, said a third Western official. Cambodias Ream is one of their most ambitious efforts to date. Chinas navy is already the worlds largest by numbers of vessels. The US Navy has 297 battle-force ships - carriers, destroyers, submarines, etc. - according to the Congressional Research Service, while China has 355 and is projected to have 460 by 2030, according to last years Pentagon report. But, said Andrew Erickson, research director of the China Maritime Studies Institute at the Naval War College, as impressive as those numbers are, without a significant network of robust overseas facilities, their ability to use them falls off rapidly with distance from China.

China is nowhere close to matching the network of military bases the United States has around the world, a major US military and strategic advantage, said Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Centre for a New American Security. Loading But, he said, a base in Cambodia gives them a force-projection capability that they would otherwise not have in the region. Thats intrinsic to the Chinese aspiration of having a more dominant military presence throughout the Asian rimland and in the South China Sea, allowing Beijing to hold at risk - and have political influence over - countries quite far from the Chinese shore. Djibouti was a logical first step for a military outpost in that it is in a region far from China in which Beijing wants to have a presence, in this case to secure its growing Middle Eastern energy interests, Erickson said. Also, the United States, France and Japan have long had military bases there, he noted. The question then becomes, how do you start filling out the board? Cambodia is a no-brainer in that Hun Sen, prime minister since 1985, is extremely amenable, Erickson said, noting that the Cambodian leader has had a long strategic partnership with Beijing.

But the problem is Cambodia is a small country in a tough spot, he said. Its trying to have it both ways: maximum strategic collaboration with China with minimum regional pushback. That contradiction is going to be exposed by the undeniable development of this facility. China also has reportedly sought to establish a facility in the UAE. Last year, US intelligence agencies learned that Beijing was secretly building a military installation at a port in near the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi, the Wall Street Journal reported. After meetings and visits by US officials, construction was halted, the Journal reported. The current status of the project is unclear. Chinas secret building of a Cambodian base resembles the playbook it used in reclaiming and militarising the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea beginning in 2015, said Eric Sayers, a former adviser to the US Indo-Pacific Command who is now a nonresident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. It started quietly, he said, with Beijing claiming its building of artificial islands on coral reefs and atolls was for peaceful purposes and promising the features would not be militarised. Then when it was far too late, we saw permanent and irreversible militarisation. He said he expected to see the trend also play out in the Solomon Islands, a South Pacific nation that recently signed a security agreement with China.

In April, after a draft copy of the agreement was leaked on social media, Beijing confirmed the pact, which neither government has released. According to the leaked copy, China will be permitted to send armed police and military personnel to the Solomon Islands to help maintain order. A hangar at Cambodias Ream Naval Base. Credit:Credit: CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative The government there has denied it would lead to China establishing a military base. But Western officials are sceptical. Theres evidence that China is developing plans and has sent technical teams to the Solomons to explore possibilities for basing facilities that would contradict some of the assurances that the government has made to allied governments, a third Western official said. The Solomons agreement is part of a broader Chinese effort - not always successful - to build influence in the region. Last week, Chinas top diplomat, Wang Yi, completed a 10-day tour of the South Pacific but failed to achieve a desired 11-nation pact on security and development. Instead of repeating the Solomons diplomatic coup, Chinas proposal was shelved at a meeting in Fiji, after some countries questioned whether the deal would spark greater confrontation between China and rivals in the region.
Australia knows better than many countries how disruptive it can be to change sitting prime ministers but, viewed from afar, it seems obvious that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson should consider his position and resign.

Johnson was until recently considered a popular leader who had won a thumping electoral victory in 2019 and had significant achievements to his name.

He delivered Brexit. He oversaw Britains vaccine roll-out during the COVID-19 pandemic. He adroitly ran the climate change summit in Glasgow last year.

Yet Johnson has come unstuck because of the long-running Partygate scandal over the boozy get-togethers he attended in Downing Street during the pandemic lockdowns.

His involvement in these parties in 2020, even as the rest of Britain dutifully stuck to the most rigorous infringement of personal freedom in decades, was hypocritical enough.
Populations in democracies can be fickle. Opinions change often and attention spans can be short. But this is part of the to and fro, and open expression of views, that is so essential in democratic systems.

French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed concern about Russian humiliation in defeat. Credit:AP

One quality that is sometimes observed as lacking in democratic societies is patience. We have become used to rapid Amazon deliveries, 24/7 news cycles, and shorter, faster versions of old sports. This is hardly a new phenomenon.

In his book The Vertigo Years, an exploration of the technological and societal changes in the lead up to World War I, author Philipp Blom wrote that speed and exhilaration, anxiety and vertigo were recurrent themes of the years between 1900 and 1914, during which cities exploded in size and societies were transformed. But, as shown in the long wars of the 20th century, the populations of democracies also have the capacity for strategic patience in the right circumstances.

The Russo-Ukraine War, which began in the hopes of a rapid and decisive victory by the Russians, has now settled into the ebb and flow that is normal for large-scale international wars of this type. Both sides have suffered massive casualties, and both have made gains and suffered battlefield losses. This will be a long war. Those supporting Ukraine must commit to long-term assistance. But leaders of democratic nations must explain to their citizens why this fight is important, why it will take time, and why we must nurture strategic patience if Ukraine is to successfully throw back this invasion of its territory.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The people and the Government of Sint Maarten will be commemorating the 37th Anniversary of Flag Day, on June 13th, 2022. The annual commemoration of Sint Maarten Flag Day will take place from 8:00 am to 11:00 am, on the premises of the Government Administration Building in Philipsburg.

The main feature of this years activities will be a Patriotic School Parade, which will be led by the three primary schools in Philipsburg namely, Sister Borgia, St. Joseph, and Oranje School. Some of the main highlights of this event include the raising of the Sint Maarten Flag along with official addresses by the Honorable Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs and The Honorable Minister of Education Culture Youth and Sport drs. Rodolphe Samuel along with special cultural performances by King Beau Beau, Ilismo, Melissa Fleming, and DJ Pauly.

Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs in an invited comment said, I welcome this opportunity for us as a people to recognize what a flag means to us and the pride we feel when it is flown whether at home, abroad or wherever St. Maarten is represented. I encourage persons to visit our Government website (www.sintmaartengov/culture Special Projects Tab) and other media sources for more information on our National Flag.

It has been 37 years since the Sint Maarten flag was presented by Dr. Claude Wathey, approved and established by the then sitting members of Island Council on June 13th, 1985., Today, the Sint Maarten Flag that was designed by Roselle Richardson remains an intricate part of the fabric of our Historical-Cultural Heritage and the cornerstone of our Patriotism.

In the days, leading up to the commemoration ceremony on June 13th, Minister of Education Culture Youth & Sport drs. Rodolphe Samuel is calling on persons and businesses in the community to show their pride and patriotism by flying the Sint Maarten flag on their vehicles and buildings or wherever they deem it appropriate. The Government of Sint Maarten will do its part also as the Government Administration Building has been decorated reflecting the flag colors red white and blue. Persons are also reminded to follow proper protocol and etiquette of how the flag should be displayed.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Representatives of the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) attended the 10th anniversary of Mental Health Caribbean (MHC) over a three-day celebration in Bonaire from June 1 through 3, 2022.

The MHF team, which consisted of Dr. Kitty Pelswijk, a psychiatrist of MHF, and Ms. Eileen Healy, project coordinator and former director of MHF, actively participated and benefitted from the scheduled symposium, which covered topics such as psychiatry, psychosis, and de-stigmatization in mental health care.

The three-day event was inaugurated by Managing Director of MHC, Mr. Eric Jansen, and also explored topics pertaining to child motivation and inspiration, and youth trauma. Two highlights of the event were the introduction of a new book titled Un kashi yen a Full Closet, which addresses young childrens experiences and coping in abusive situations and the knighting of Mr. Marcelino Mauricio of MHC with the Knighthood of Oranje Nassau by His Excellency Lieutenant Governor, Mr. Edison Rijna on behalf of King Willem Alexander.

The MHF attendees disclosed that the interactive program was very well presented, deeply educational, and boasted of new insights into new treatment methods. Their experience concluded with a graduation ceremony for the first batch of GZ psychologists within all islands in the Kingdom.

MHF has been an active stakeholder of MHC for the past 10 years and extends psychiatric care, crisis intervention, and admissions for Saba and St. Eustatius. During the past 10 years, MHC has managed to reduce the stigma on Mental Health and raise awareness on the balance between physical health and mental health, with the latter being an essential component of overall wellbeing within any population.
PHILIPSBURG:---MTwo psychologists of the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) graduated as Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg (GGZ) psychologists on June 3rd, in Bonaire as part of the first batch of graduates of the two-year GZ- psychology program spearheaded by Mental Health Caribbean (MHC).

Both Mrs. Zuleima Violenus-Salmon of the White and Yellow Cross and Ms. Stephanie Hasseth of MHF was among the 17 graduating psychologists of the Dutch Caribbean islands at the ceremony, which was held in Bonaire during the Mental Health Caribbean 10 Year anniversary celebration. The graduating professionals earned their BIG registration, which is the legal online and public register for Professionals in Individual Health Care in the Netherlands that clarifies care providers qualifications and entitlement to practice. In accordance with their achievements, these professionals are now able and authorized to diagnose and treat a wide variety of psychiatric illnesses and exercise their skills in varied organizations including nursing homes, revalidation centers, disabled care, forensic care, and relationship therapy.

The initiative, which was realized in 2019, was made possible through the efforts of MHC who sealed an agreement with Rino Zuid, an educational institution in the Netherlands to make the program available in the Dutch Caribbean. This initiative was one of great importance because it expanded specialization opportunities in psychology for Dutch Caribbean based professionals that were previously only possible by relocating to the Netherlands

Through the fostering of a partnership of MHF and MHC and other institutes in the Dutch Caribbean, MHF became an accredited health care facility for professional training, which benefitted the two participants of the program. Mrs. Violenus-Salmon was employed at MHF once a week along with full-time employee Ms. Hasseth to obtain practical training at MHF. The success of this monumental moment took immense cooperation between all parties in the midst of the pandemic to provide continuity and maintain the quality of the program.

MHF noted the organization was very proud and commends its graduates for their dedication and notable success. MHF also extended sincere gratitude to their kingdom partners and all individuals involved for their immense efforts and support in realizing this achievement. The Foundation is most pleased that the Mental Health needs of St. Maarten can benefit from the professional development of its staff.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The St Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation brightened the day and put smiles on the faces of about 275 mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers on Sunday when it donated 300 packages containing goodies plus 300 bags of 10kg Love Rice during its triple celebration held at the Belair Community Center on Sunday.



The annual celebration, which is to mark Tzu Chi Day, Mothers Day, and Buddha Day, was held in collaboration with Leaders for Change and the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor VSA, a first-time collaboration for Tzu Chi.



Culture Department Head Clara Reyes and Tzu Chi volunteer Yamile Bastidas guided the event, with Reyes serving as Master of Ceremonies and Bastidas, who translated in Spanish.



A capacity-filled hall at the Belair Community Center, with practically all seats filled and standing space taken up, was on hand to experience the event.



PHILIPSBURG:--- Highlights of the event included a humble foot washing and tea offering ceremony, where children got an opportunity to wash the feet of their mothers in a show of respect. Tzu Chi believes that it is important to be grateful to parents and the way to repay them is to appreciate them and be good to them as this is the foundation of being a good person.



The leaders of several organizations were also on hand to share their heartfelt testimonies.



Young talent was also on display as several youngsters took to the stage to entertain guests including dancers from the Total Restoration Dance Ministry, who performed a dance, and young Jayden George, who sang about his love for his mother.



This year Tzu Chi is celebrating its 56th anniversary. It is also a day to especially remember the organizations volunteers. Tzu Chi began with a group of 30 housewives who set

aside a small amount of their grocery money (NT.50 cents US $0.02) each day to care for needy families. From these humble beginnings, the group has grown to become a major civil society actor, with approximately 10 million members, and chapters in 47 countries. The group's core activities span Charity, Medicine, Education, and Humanistic Culture, and it provides aid to all people regardless of race, religion, or nationality.



Without everyone's joint efforts, Tzu Chi would not be able to help people in over 127 countries and carry out the missions of Charity, Medicine, Education, and Culture. With Tzu Chi volunteers all over the world caring for people in their local communities, many people's suffering can be alleviated in times of disaster, Master of Ceremonies Reyes said.



St. Maarten might be a tiny dot on the map, but thanks to our volunteers the local Tzu Chi Foundation chapter has been carrying out numerous activities on the island. Over the past year Tzu Chi has been very busy in several of its missions, she added.



A touching video depicting Tzu Chis work around the world was shown.



Tzu Chi St. Maarten is able to carry out much of its work thanks to the assistance and compassion of its founder Master Cheng Yen, a Buddhist nun, who formed Tzu Chi on May 14, 1966 in Hualien, Taiwan. Due to Master Cheng Yens assistance through Tzu Chi international, which sent several containers of rice to the country, from Hurricane Irma in 2017 to December 2021, Tzu Chi St. Maarten was able to distribute a total of 30,052 bags of 10kg rice and donate 30,609 food relief packages, which assisted a total of 30,609 families and 153 institutions. It is estimated that a total of 94,750 persons from the various households assisted have benefitted from the donations given. Volunteers assisted in various events a total of 4,689 times over the specified period.



Chantale Groeneveldt from the Minister of VSAs Cabinet said she had been impressed with the number of persons who were present and with the growth of Tzu Chi over the years.



VSA Minister Omar Ottley said the event exemplifies that humanity supersedes ones race, culture, belief, and humanity. This is what we have been missing in the world today - people that would put your neighbor before yourself. People that would see someone hurting, someone in need and stops to take a minute to just hear them out, Ottley said, expressing gratitude to Tzu Chi and its St. Maarten Commissioner Sandra Cheung, amongst others.



Organizations like this and seeing turnouts like this, push me to strive to be better, push me to strive to focus on social needs Within this Ministry, we often focus on public health and the social aspect has been placed on the backburner. Since I have taken this helm, I have worked hand-in-hand with the [Department of] Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs and we have promised to put social affairs up that ladder. Today is a prime example of what we can achieve when we work together, he said.



The Minister said it is events like these that push him to be the best that he can be and he pledged to continue to strive for social equality.



A grateful Cheung said she was heartened by the event. Cheung said she has been with Tzu Chi for almost 20 years. Her heart-wrenching Hurricane Luis experience motivated her to do something to help others. Seventeen years after joining Tzu Chi, she said Hurricane Irma hit and she was scared, but she wanted to help. After a fire was averted at her business and help was received to start up their generator, her husband started baking bread to feed as many people on the island as possible during a period when many people had been fearful, hungry, and hopeless.



Its so important for everyone to remember the disaster and remember that when the disaster came how scared you are, but the moment you step up to help, that fear is no longer there, she said adding that without everyone and her husband, her life would not be as beautiful and contented as it is.



The triple celebration culminated with the VSA Minister assisting Tzu Chi volunteers to give out the food packages and rice to mothers.



The assistance of 55 volunteers helped make the event a success.



Cheung said she was grateful to everyone who was involved in the event in one way or another and thanked everyone for their participation and assistance.
Discovery Announces Leadership Transition; Tony Makuch Appointed as Interim Chief Executive Officer

Discovery Silver Corp. (TSX-V: DSV, OTCQX: DSVSF) (aDiscoverya or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/discovery-metals-corp/ ) announces that Taj Singh, President and Chief Executive Officer, has stepped down from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer and has resigned from the Board of Directors for personal reasons. The Company wishes to thank Mr. Singh for his efforts during his five-year tenure with the Company and wishes him all the best in the future.

Tony Makuch, an independent director of the Company has been appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Makuch is a professional engineer with over 35 years of significant industry and leadership experience and is well positioned to advance the Companya?s strategy through this period of transition with the support of the Board of Directors and the Companya?s management team. Mr. Makuch was most recently Chief Executive Officer of Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd., a leading senior global gold company with operations in Ontario and Australia.

Murray John, Chairman, stated: aWe welcome Tony as Interim CEO. His well-recognized experience in operations, resource development and capital markets will be a great asset. Tony brings stability and leadership to an already strong executive management team at a particularly exciting time in Discoverya?s development.a

Tony Makuch commented that; aIn taking this role, I am very excited about the prospects for the Company and the Cordero Project, and see significant opportunity in working with the Board and Management. Discovery Silvera?s Cordero Project is a world class deposit with industry leading scale, cost performance, manageable capex and financial results as demonstrated in the recently released Preliminary Economic Assessment. As the Company progresses through the next stages of both a Prefeasibility and Feasibility study, we expect to demonstrate with a high level of confidence the excellent economics of the Project and realize significant value for all stakeholders.a

About Discovery

Discoverya?s flagship project is its 100%-owned Cordero project, one of the worlda?s largest silver deposits and one of the very few that offers the combination of margin, size and scalability. Cordero is located close to infrastructure in a prolific mining belt in Chihuahua State, Mexico, and is supported by an industry leading balance sheet with approximately C$70 million available for aggressive exploration, resource expansion and future development. Discovery was a recipient of the 2020 TSX Venture 50 award and the 2021 OTCQX Best 50 award.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

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.

This news release is not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the a1933 Acta) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements including, but not limited to Discoverya?s future plans and objectives with respect to the Cordero project, estimates of future mineral reserves, mineral resources, mineral production, development potential and, future exploration activities planned, plans and objectives in the areas of sustainable development, health, safety, environment, community development, the Cordero, Puerto Rico, Minerva and Monclova projects, and the prospect of further discoveries there, all of which constitute forward looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Discovery believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in market prices, including metal prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. Discovery does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable laws.
6th June 2022 - Maria Bakalova Set for Key Role





Source: Deadline Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a key role in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3.

11th October 2021 - Will Poulter to Play Adam Warlock





Source: Deadline After teasing his appearance at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Adam Warlock looks ready to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the next installment of the hit franchise. Sources tell Deadline that Will Poulter has landed the role of Warlock in Marvels anticipated sequel.

3rd May 2021 - Release Date Announced





Source: Deadline Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3 will be released on May 5, 2023.

15th March 2019 - James Gunn Returning to Direct

Redemption and second chances have long been superhero movie staples, and today it looks like life has imitated art. Ive learned that Disney has reinstated James Gunn as the writer-director of Guardians of the Galaxy 3, and Ive confirmed it with Marvel and Gunns camp.



After the firing, Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn met with Gunn on multiple occasions to discuss the situation. Persuaded by Gunns public apology and his handling of the situation after, Horn decided to reverse course and reinstate Gunn.



Source: Read More on Deadline Redemption and second chances have long been superhero movie staples, and today it looks like life has imitated art. Ive learned that Disney has reinstated James Gunn as the writer-director of Guardians of the Galaxy 3, and Ive confirmed it with Marvel and Gunns camp.After the firing, Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn met with Gunn on multiple occasions to discuss the situation. Persuaded by Gunns public apology and his handling of the situation after, Horn decided to reverse course and reinstate Gunn.





Source: The Hollywood Reporter In the weeks after firing Gunn, there was speculation around town about who could replace the filmmaker, with agents lining up clients but by mid-fall, any perceived search seemed to have petered out, with many thinking that the project was on the back burner. What almost no one knew was that Marvel and Disney had never undertaken a search and had gone back to Gunn and made a deal ... in secret, according to insiders.

More details: @JamesGunn will do both THE SUICIDE SQUAD...and #guardiansofthegalaxy 3. SQUAD will go first, to shoot late fall of this year. Guardians 3 would follow.  Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) March 15, 2019

We are groot  Karen Gillan (@karengillan) March 15, 2019

27 February 2019 - Kevin Feige Gives Update; Confirms James Gunn's Script Is Being Used

I mean, when it was pushed back, it was pushed back. Meaning the release date, because its not coming outalthough weve never announced a release date actually, but it was gonna happen sooner rather than later, initially of course. Outside of knowing that were gonna use [James Gunns] draft, [we have] been focusing on other projects.



Source: Collider I mean, when it was pushed back, it was pushed back. Meaning the release date, because its not coming outalthough weve never announced a release date actually, but it was gonna happen sooner rather than later, initially of course. Outside of knowing that were gonna use [James Gunns] draft, [we have] been focusing on other projects.

2nd September 2018 - Dave Bautista Might Not Return

24th August 2018 - Production Halted

The production of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is being put on hold for the time being as Marvel and Disney regroup on the project, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.



Sources say that crew members, at this stage a small group that was prepping for pre-production, are being dismissed and are free to look for new work. The project was crewing up and was to have gone into full pre-production mode in the fall.



Source: Read More on The Hollywood Reporter The production of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is being put on hold for the time being as Marvel and Disney regroup on the project, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.Sources say that crew members, at this stage a small group that was prepping for pre-production, are being dismissed and are free to look for new work. The project was crewing up and was to have gone into full pre-production mode in the fall.

20th July 2018 - James Gunn Makes Statement

My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative. I have regretted them for many years since  not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they dont reflect the person I am today or have been for some time.



Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now, beyond offering my sincere and heartfelt regret, is to be the best human being I can be: accepting, understanding, committed to equality, and far more thoughtful about my public statements and my obligations to our public discourse. To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies. Love to all.



Source: Deadline My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative. I have regretted them for many years since  not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they dont reflect the person I am today or have been for some time.Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now, beyond offering my sincere and heartfelt regret, is to be the best human being I can be: accepting, understanding, committed to equality, and far more thoughtful about my public statements and my obligations to our public discourse. To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies. Love to all.

20th July 2018 - Disney Severs Ties With James Gunn; Fired As Director

James Gunn is exiting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.



The move comes after conservative personalities resurfaced old tweets in which the filmmaker joked about controversial topics such as pedophelia and rape. Gunn, who has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, has since deleted his Twitter account.



"The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studios values, and we have severed our business relationship with him," said Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn in a statement.



Gunn tweeted, "Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo. As I have discussed publicly many times, as Ive developed as a person, so has my work and my humor."



Source: The Hollywood Reporter James Gunn is exiting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.The move comes after conservative personalities resurfaced old tweets in which the filmmaker joked about controversial topics such as pedophelia and rape. Gunn, who has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, has since deleted his Twitter account."The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studios values, and we have severed our business relationship with him," said Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn in a statement.Gunn tweeted, "Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo. As I have discussed publicly many times, as Ive developed as a person, so has my work and my humor."





Source: Read More on Deadline BREAKING: James Gunn has been removed as director of the Guardians Of The Galaxy series after a batch of old social media dispatches were unearthed that touched on areas like pedophilia and rape.

25th June 2018 - Draft Completed; Pre-Production to Start Soon

Every bit of my heart. pic.twitter.com/hSxnbLpdn6  James Gunn (@JamesGunn) June 25, 2018



[Writer/director] James [Gunn] has delivered a draft and we begin official pre-production on that very, very soon. Itll be shooting early next year. Captain Marvel finishes in about two weeks, Spider-Man starts in about two weeks, and then Guardians 3 will start early next year.



Source: Collider [Writer/director] James [Gunn] has delivered a draft and we begin official pre-production on that very, very soon. Itll be shooting early next year. Captain Marvel finishes in about two weeks, Spider-Man starts in about two weeks, and then Guardians 3 will start early next year.

9th May 2018 - Set After Avengers 4

-Adam Warlock will NOT be in Avengers 4 (and I've never said he will be in Vol. 3).

-GotG Vol. 3 will be set AFTER Avengers 4.

-No, I will not give any hints on the Easter Eggs.

-Yes, all of the Guardians now understand Groot, as in IW.  James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 9, 2018

23rd August 2017 - Will Set Up 10, 20 Years of Marvel Movies

One of the things Im doing with creating Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3  it will take place after the next two Avengers movies, and it will help to set up the next 10, 20 years of Marvel movies, said Gunn. Its going to really expand the cosmic universe. Were going to be setting up new characters.



But the director ended with a word of warning for fans of Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Groot, and Rocket.



It will be the last movie of this version of Guardians of the Galaxy, said Gunn.



Source: Entertainment Weekly One of the things Im doing with creating Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3  it will take place after the next two Avengers movies, and it will help to set up the next 10, 20 years of Marvel movies, said Gunn. Its going to really expand the cosmic universe. Were going to be setting up new characters.But the director ended with a word of warning for fans of Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Groot, and Rocket.It will be the last movie of this version of Guardians of the Galaxy, said Gunn.

21st April 2017 - Adam Warlock Likely to be Introduced

In another interview at the junket today, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige told me that Gunn is developing Adam Warlock to be included in a future Marvel cosmic universe film. When I mentioned this to Gunn, he was also quick to point out that Feiges reason for clarifying that he is working on the character is because people are going to think its about Infinity War. And Gunn makes it clear that this is not the case:



Hes not. Hes not in Infinity War. But he will be a part of the future Marvel cosmic universe and a pretty important part of that.



While neither Feige or Gunn have outright said that Gunn is developing Adam Warlock for Guardians of the Galaxy 3, its a safe assumption since he announced he would be directing the film earlier this week. Feige also implied as much, telling me If he appears anywhere in the future, itll be in Guardians.



Source: SlashFilm In another interview at the junket today, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige told me that Gunn is developing Adam Warlock to be included in a future Marvel cosmic universe film. When I mentioned this to Gunn, he was also quick to point out that Feiges reason for clarifying that he is working on the character is because people are going to think its about Infinity War. And Gunn makes it clear that this is not the case:Hes not. Hes not in Infinity War. But he will be a part of the future Marvel cosmic universe and a pretty important part of that.While neither Feige or Gunn have outright said that Gunn is developing Adam Warlock for Guardians of the Galaxy 3, its a safe assumption since he announced he would be directing the film earlier this week. Feige also implied as much, telling me If he appears anywhere in the future, itll be in Guardians.
Theres a new executive at the helm of Orange-based energy company Avangrid.

The companys new chief executive officer, Pedro Azagra Blazquez, took control of the company on June 1. He replaced Dennis Arriola, who company officials said in March had decided to leave the business at the end of May after less than two years on the job.

Avangrid oversees all of the U.S. companies owned by Spanish energy giant Iberdrola. Those companies include three in Connecticut: The United Illuminating Co. and two natural gas utilities, Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas.

Azagra Blazquez had served as chief development officer of Iberdrola since 2008. He also has served on the Avangrid board of directors since 2019.

Ive had the privilege to be involved with the organization for many years, including leading the company into the offshore wind space, and Im proud of Avangrids leadership in the energy industry, Azagra Blazquez said in a statement. I look forward to taking our company to the next level as we continue to raise the bar, be bold and think innovatively.

Ignacio Galan, chairman of Avangrid, said in a written statement that Azagra Blazquezs substantial experience in the Iberdrola Group, globally and in the U.S., as well as the strong relationships he has built in the country over the years, make him a natural choice to lead the company.

Pedro knows the U.S. market well, Galan said.

Arriolas abrupt departure from the company came against a backdrop of Avangrid getting bogged down with two significant growth initiatives, one in Maine and the other in New Mexico.

Efforts to build a transmission line in Maine that would bring hydropower from Quebec into Maine and the New England region are mired in the courts.

Last month, the Maine Supreme Court heard arguments from officials with Central Maine Power, an Avangrid subsidiary, seeking to overturn the results of a statewide referendum in November 2021. Voters approved a ban on the construction of the project and work on building the transmission line has been on hold since.

A month after the Maine referendum, utility regulators in New Mexico rejected another key Avangrid effort.

Members of New Mexicos Public Regulation Commission voted unanimously last December to reject Avangrids proposed $4.3 billion deal to acquire PNM Resources. The deal, if it had been approved, would have allowed Avangrid to generate more wind and solar power that could be exported to larger markets.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP)  The Dominican Republics minister of the environment and natural resources  the son of a former president  was shot to death in his office by a close friend Monday, the office of the president said in a statement.

Authorities said Orlando Jorge Mera was shot by Fausto Miguel de Jesus Cruz de la Mota, who was later arrested at a church dozens of blocks away after telling a priest he committed a crime and handed over a gun to him.

Officials gave no motive for the shooting, and it wasn't immediately clear if Cruz, 56, had an attorney.

We express our deepest condolences, the office of President Luis Abinader said.

As shots rang out late Monday morning, people on the street yelled and took cover as those fleeing the buidling climbed over a tall fence after first throwing over purses, backpacks and even a pair of shoes because the buildings main gates were locked.

Authorities said that in a phone conversation with Cruz while he was at the church, he promised to turn himself in if they guaranteed he wouldnt be killed.

Heavily armed police officers took him into custody at the church, which is about a 15-minute drive from the office where Jorge was shot.

When he was brought out, Cruz was wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest and kept his head mostly down as the glasses he wore slid slightly down his nose. One bystander yelled: You killed a good man! Murderer!

The victim came from a powerful political family. Jorge was the son of former Dominican President Salvador Jorge Blanco and his sister is a vice minister in Abinader's administration. Jorge's son is a lawmaker for the Modern Revolutionary Party, of which Jorge was a founding member.

The family issued a statement saying that Cruz had been Jorge's friend since childhood and that Jorge was shot multiple times.

Our family forgives the person who did this. One of Orlando's greatest legacies was to not hold grudges," it said.

Police and emergency officials swarmed the office of Environment and Natural Resources Ministry in the capital of Santo Domingo and barred entry as mourners gathered nearby. Jorge's office was on the fourth floor of a building that also houses the Ministry of Tourism.

We are troubled by the situation, Jorges ministry said in a brief statement.

Bartolome Pujals, executive director of the governments Cabinet of Innovation, wrote that he lamented the killing.

His death is a tragedy, Pujals said. We Dominicans have to come together to achieve a pact for peace and peaceful coexistence. No more violence.

Jorge, a lawyer, was appointed minister of the environment and natural resources in August 2020.

___

Associated Press writer Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed to this report.
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NEW HAVEN  A man faces up to 30 years in prison Wednesday after he admitted to organizing a shooting against a rival gang that left a man paralyzed, according to an official with the U.S. Attorneys office.

Asante Gaines, 24, of Bridgeport, is the last man of six to be sentenced in connection with the shooting. He is scheduled to be sentenced at 10 a.m. Wednesday, according to Tom Carson, a spokesperson with the U.S. Attorneys office.

Gaines pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity as well as attempted murder and aiding and abetting, which is in violation of the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering statute.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery asked that Gaines be sentenced to 25 years in prison. Gaines lawyer, Jeffrey Kestenbrand, requested that Gaines be sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison.

Gaines, also known as Santi, is a reputed member of the Green Homes Boyz, or GHB/Hotz, gang based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex, according to former U.S. Attorney Leonard Boyle.

On Jan. 27, 2020, Gaines helped other GHB/Hotz members and members of the Original North End, an allied gang, attempt to kill members of a rival gang in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of the state courthouse on Golden Hill Street, Boyle previously said.

About 20 shots were fired at four victims, leaving one victim paralyzed and another with gunshot wounds in their back, shoulder and wrist.

Though Gaines was not one of the actual shooters, Avery said that Gaines coordinated the attack.

Gaines rallied his GHB gang members and O.N.E. allies to help him commit the planned and very public assassinations, Avery wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Gaines was not concerned that the planned murder was going to occur during daylight hours, at a public courthouse with judicial marshals, police officers, lawyers, defendants, their family and friends and four Connecticut Superior Court judges.

Avery said Gaines was seeking public acknowledgment of these assassinations.

Kestenbrand argued in a sentencing memorandum that Gaines association with the wrong crowd and decision to join GHB were not surprising

Gaines father was absent from his life. His mother then got a divorce from his stepfather, and Gaines lived temporarily with his grandmother and friends in various towns before landing at a homeless shelter in Ansonia, Kestenbrand wrote in Gaines sentencing memorandum.

When Gaines mother got an apartment in Bridgeport, Gaines was bullied at school and changed to fit in. He joined GHB and has been in and out of jail since, Kestenbrand wrote.

In August 2020, a federal grand jury indicted six men, including Gaines, on charges connected with the January 2020 shooting.

Tyiese Warren was sentenced to 40 years in prison, Marquis Isreal was sentenced to 17 years and both Diome Blackwell and Laheem Jones were each sentenced to 15 years. Destine Calderon was sentenced to more than eight years last month.
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Former Chief Justice William J. Sullivan, who served as a judge in Connecticut for decades and was a U.S. Army captain in Vietnam, died at the age of 83 Monday night, according to the state judicial branch.

Sullivan, a Waterbury native, served as chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court from 2001 to 2006. Sullivan was first appointed to be a Superior Court judge in 1978. He presided over criminal, civil, family, juvenile and housing matters, according to a biography provided by the state judicial branch.

He served 19 years as a Superior Court judge and was appointed to the Appellate Court in 1997. He was named to the Supreme Court in 1999, according to the state judicial branchs website.

Chief Justice Richard A. Robinson said Sullivan, who went by Tocco, dedicated his life to serving others.

Throughout his legal career, Chief Justice Sullivan never wavered from his fierce protection of the rule of law, Richard said in a statement Tuesday. He was a giant who inspired many, and while its often said that no one is irreplaceable, there was only one Tocco Sullivan.

Gov. Ned Lamont said Sullivan made a lasting impact on the state.

It is without doubt that Chief Justice Sullivan has made a lasting impact in Connecticut, having served as a judge for nearly three decades and authoring hundreds of opinions that continue to impact our legal system today, Lamont said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. His service to our nation as a captain in the Army during the Vietnam War is also to be highly commended and respected.

My condolences go out to his family, friends and colleagues in the judicial branch, Lamont added.

Sullivan was many things, according to Robinson.

But what stands out the most about this remarkable man was his dedication to public service, coupled with his very deep devotion and loyalty to his family and friends, Robinson said. If Tocco was your friend, you had a friend for life, through thick and thin.

As for family, nothing mattered more to him than his beloved wife, children, grandchildren and extended family, Robinson continued. They were, quite simply, the apex of his life.

Sullivan received his bachelors degree from Providence College in 1962. He then earned his juris doctor from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary in 1965, the judicial branchs website states.

After his studies, Sullivan served as a captain in the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1966. He served a tour in Vietnam and was awarded two bronze stars for merit, the air medal and various campaign ribbons, according to the judicial branchs website.

He was honorably discharged from the Army and practiced law with attorney Robert E. Mellon. In addition to practicing law, he served as civil service commissioner and corporation counsel for the city of Waterbury, according to a biography provided by the judicial branch.

The former chief justice was suspended for 16 days in 20016. While on the Supreme Court, Sullivan delayed a rulings release in an attempt to help Justice Peter Zarella win confirmation from the legislature to succeed him as chief justice, the Associated Press reported.

Sullivan and Zarella voted in the majority of the ruling, which kept certain judicial records secret. Sullivan later told a panel that disciplines judges that he believed the ruling would harm Zarellas chances of being confirmed. Zarella was facing legislative confirmation hearings when Sullivan ordered a delay in the rulings release, according to the AP.

Sullivan retired in 2006 and elected to take senior status, according to the AP and the judicial website.
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Minister of Defense Vasile Dincu and Belgian counterpart Ludivine Dedonder met on Tuesday with the Romanian and Belgian military trained in the Joint National Training Center in Cincu, the Belgian contingent being part of the NATO Battle Group stationed in Romania, informs the Ministry of National Defense (MApN) in a press release sent to AGERPRES.

During the meeting, the two officials addressed current issues on the bilateral and NATO agenda in the run-up to the next ministerial meeting, scheduled for June 16, and the upcoming North Atlantic Alliance Summit in Madrid, with a focus on security developments in the Black Sea region.The Romanian Minister of Defense reiterated that developments in the Ukrainian war theater and its potential implications for Allied security are accelerating the operationalization of battlegroups, including in Romania. He expressed appreciation for Belgium's participation in setting up the Allied Battle Group in Romania, under French command, a clear demonstration of the Alliance's unity and solidarity, but also for Belgium's contribution to implementing measures to strengthen NATO's eastern flank, the source said.Vasile Dincu also voiced his conviction that the Joint National Training Center in Cincu is the perfect location for hosting the Battle Group, providing the right environment for multinational training, with significant benefits in terms of increasing interoperability.During the talks, the Romanian Minister of Defense appreciated the historic decisions and unprecedented measures taken at EU level - evidence of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, of European and Euro-Atlantic unity - and stressed the importance of supporting the Republic of Moldova and Georgia on their European path. At the same time, Vasile Dincu underlined the usefulness of the humanitarian hub in Suceava for the efficiency of the humanitarian assistance provided to the Ukrainian citizens and pointed out the measures taken by Romania in support of Ukraine.
Danube Delta accommodation facilities are roughly 80 percent booked for the upcoming Whit break, and some guest houses are even fully booked, the Danube Delta Tourist Destination Management Association (AMDTDD) announced in a release on Tuesday, Agerpres reports.

Most tourists chose the three-night packages in units that offer Delta kayaking or biking tours and trips that include the Black Sea beaches."Bookings for the entire year so far are 10 percent higher than last year, even if the prices are 15 to 25 percent higher compared to last year," AMDTDD president Catalin Tibuleac told AGERPRES, adding that the guesthouses located near the Black Sea beaches - specifically in Sulina, Sfantu Gheorghe, Crisan, Gura Portitei, Jurilovca and Sarichioi - are highest in demand."Our Western tourists are back. They come for the birds, for the food, for this beautiful delta we all love; the way I see it, room fares have grown a bit more expensive because life has become more expensive everywhere, but this is not a catastrophe," says Mihai Baciu, a travel agency manager.The prices for a three-night Whit holiday package range from 900 RON, breakfast included, to almost 2,000 RON for an all-inclusive package with boat transfer and excursions."Based on our estimates for Whit holiday, we can say that this year again the Danube Delta will be the Romanians' best preferred destination. This trend has picked up during the pandemic and is getting permanent," said AMDTDD president Catalin Tibuleac, as cited in the release.
At the time they are implemented, the extension of the European Carbon Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the green transition must take into account the starting point of each state, making sure that the population vulnerable to economic effects is protected, said Environment Minister Tanczos Barna as he met on Tuesday in Bucharest with the International Monetary Fund delegation led by head of mission for Romania and Serbia Jan Kees Martijn, Agerpres reports.

"Today I received the visit of the IMF delegation headed by Mr. Jan Kees Martijn. I presented them Romania's environmental progress: the cut of emissions and plans to adjust to climate change. Amid the Ukraine war, questions focused on the efficiency of the energy sector and plans to increase the share of renewable energy," the Environment Minister wrote on Facebook.During the meeting, he affirmed the commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the implementation of the Glasgow Agreement and EU policies as priorities for Romania."It is a difficult process that requires a coordinated effort by the responsible ministries. Through the NRRP, the Environment Ministry finances the modernization of water management, waste management and biodiversity conservation. Also, through the programs financed from the Environment Fund, we support the local authorities and the population with turning buildings energy efficient, purchasing photovoltaic systems, renewing the car fleet and purchasing electric cars and the construction of charging stations. I pointed out that at the moment of their implementation, the extension of the EU ETS scheme and the green transition should take into account each state's departure point, making sure that we protect the population vulnerable to economic effects," Tanczos Barna said.An IMF delegation is in Bucharest between May 30 and June 10, 2022 for the regular meeting with the Romanian authorities, as part of the monitoring procedure.
President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday in eastern Buzau that the information according to which the Black Sea would be blocked is an "exaggeration" and that only the northern part of Ukraine is in this situation, Agerpres reports.

Asked how cereals could be transported from Ukraine through Romania, in the context in which the Minister of Defense, Vasile Dincu, declared that the Black Sea is blocked due to the mines, the president replied that at the moment the cereals are being brought to Constata port."This route is viable and it is happening right now. It is a route that is currently being used. Cereals are being brought to the Port of Constanta and from there, further, by water. And to say the Black Sea is blocked seems like an exaggeration to me for the time being. The danger of mines in the Black Sea exists and the northern part of the Black Sea corresponding to Ukraine is blocked, but the Port of Constanta is not blocked and we will make sure it is not blocked," President Klaus Iohannis told a press conference.Asked if he contradicts the Minister of Defense, Vasile Dincu, from this point of view, Iohannis replied: "I should not presume to contradict any minister. I told you how the situation is".
Long lines of lorries were stretching for miles on Tuesday before the main border crossing points into Hungary as Catholic Pentecost traffic restrictions for heavy vehicles at Varand and Nadlac were lifted, with drivers waiting five to six hours to leave Romania.

Lorries headed for the Varsand checkpoint had to wait on the national road to get checked on three control lanes. According to the Online Traffic application on the Border Police website, this is where the waiting time was the longest, at 340 minutes."Heavy traffic, a large number of freight vehicles at the checkpoint on the way out of the country in a short time," according to the application.At PTF Nadlac II, on the pan-European highway, the line of lorries was several kilometres long and waiting times were at least 300 minutes. There were six control arteries for heavy traffic there, double the usual.At Nadlac I, where two exit arteries for lorries were available, the waiting time was at least an hour and a half.Arad Border Police officers told AGERPRES that the traffic jam was caused by two days of traffic ban in Hungary on heavy lorries (over 7.5 tonnes) for the Catholic Pentecost, on Sunday and Monday.Long waiting times were also reported at the crossing points in Bihor and Satu Mare. At Bors I, lorry drivers were waiting in line for at least 180 minutes, at Bors II - for 250 minutes, and at Petea for 270 minutes.

AGERPRES.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Deputy Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu, announced on Tuesday that he called on the Bulgarian authorities to postpone until the autumn the rehabilitation works of the Giurgiu-Ruse bridge, so as not to affect the already heavy summer road traffic, Agerpres reports.

Minister Grindeanu told a press conference in eastern Buzau that his Bulgarian counterpart had promised to consider the request."I had a discussion with the Bulgarian minister yesterday, he was in Bucharest (...) Among the points I touched upon was our request, my request, to postpone these maintenance works for September, because if they start in July the entire traffic will be affected, heavy as it already is, on the Giurgiu-Ruse bridge. The Bulgarian Minister of Transport has assured me that they will analyze this proposal of ours. I repeat, the works are on the Bulgarian side. It was the request that I addressed (...), more of an appeal not to hamper traffic during the summer period, when it is at very high levels anyway," said Sorin Grindeanu.
President Klaus Iohannis is scheduled today to tour Secondary School 11 of Buzau to mark World Environment Day and Teacher's Day.

He will be joined by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu.

According to the Presidential Administration, Secondary School 11 is a model for other educational establishments in Romania, given that it "combines the quality of education offered to students with specific components of green schools" and "the buildings of the school include a number of elements of sustainable school infrastructure."

The Presidential Administration mentions that the report "Education on Climate Change and the Environment in Sustainable Schools," the green axis of the "Educated Romania" project, includes numerous measures for the development of a sustainable school infrastructure and culture.

The report of the Presidential Administration was up for public consultation in the first part of 2022, and its current form will be posted online today.

"The overall aim of the report is for schools to become examples of good practice in sustainability to inspire students - as future active citizens - to adopt appropriate environmental behaviour. The benefits of a 'green' educational infrastructure are many and lead to an increase in the well-being of students and teachers, as well as an increase in the quality of learning. In addition, energy efficient schools can make a substantial contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing energy consumption and, implicitly, energy spending in schools," according to the Presidential Administration..

The implementation of the report on "Education on Climate Change and the Environment in Sustainable Schools requires cross-party efforts, with central and local administrations, non-governmental organisations, the private sector, schools and universities having the responsibility to work together to make the adjustments in the report a reality.

The Presidential Administration says that some of the measures in the report are already being implemented, noting that Green Week has been included in the 2022-2023 school year, and calls for energy efficiency investments in schools projects have been launched by public organisations. AGERPRES
Romania's Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu and Cuba's Minister of Higher Education Jose Ramon Saborido Loidi signed on Monday a higher education co-operation programme, a document that is deemed a "necessary framework" for continuing co-operation between higher education establishments in Romania and Cuba on topics of common interest, capitalising on innovation and exchange of experience and good practices.

The co-operation programme also provides for the award, on a reciprocal basis, of scholarships for all university cycles in areas of common interest.

At a meeting, the two ministers appreciated the dynamics in university co-operation as well as shared concerns in the field of education.

Cimpeanu mentioned the opportunity to capitalise on interuniversity partnership agreements under the European Erasmus + programme, as well as under programmes developed by the University Agency of La Francophonie.

"The support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Romanian Ambassador in Havana, Theodora Magdalena Mircea, is particularly noteworthy," according to a press release.

Monday's event is part of a Romanian tour by Saborido Loidi alongside a retinue of 12 rectors from Cuban universities.

The Cuban dignitary is scheduled to attend a series of events aimed at developing and consolidating Romanian-Cuban bilateral relations in the field of higher education.

This is the first visit of a Cuban minister of education to Romania, being the first member of the Cuban government to visit Romania since 1990, and it marks the potential for collaboration between Romanian and Cuban universities in the broader framework of supporting the development of internationalisation of Romanian universities.

Also on Monday, 18 bilateral co-operation agreements with Cuban universities were signed.

The Romanian universities that signed bilateral agreements on Monday are: the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy; the West University of Timisoara; the Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, and the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest.

At the same time, another 20 bilateral agreements will be signed in the coming days by theTransilvania University of Brasov; the Polytechnic University of Bucharest; the George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures; the 1 Decembrie University of Alba Iulia; the Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava; the I. L. Caragiale National University of Drama and Filmmaking of Bucharest, and the Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad.

The delegation of Cuban rectors consists of the leaders of the following universities: Holguin University, the Camilo Cienfuegos University of Matanzas, the Eastern University, Universidad de Ciencias Medicas de La Habana (UCMH)/University of Medical Sciences, University of Informatics, the Artemisa University, the Pinar del Rio University, the Fructuoso Rodriguez Perez Agricultural University of Havana, the Arts University, the Jose Antonio Echevarria Technical University of Havana, and the Sancti Spiritus University and Ciego de Avila University. AGERPRES
Timisoara City police have identified the man who found the filming drone stolen on Sunday evening from British journalist and producer Charlie Ottley by three minors who had snatched the filmmaker's backpack with the device and other video shooting equipment in the central Civic Park. According to the police, the drone was to be returned to its owner during the day, Agerpres reports.

The Timis Police Press Office announced on Tuesday that after the three theft suspects were identified, police continued investigations, checking the surveillance cameras near the park which led to the identification of the man who found the drone abandoned on Timisoara's I.C. Bratianu Street."We contacted the man and he handed over the drone to the police on Tuesday, to be next returned to its owner. According to the law, the person who found the drone had 10 days to turn it in," the Timis Police Press Office said.The criminal investigation police tracked down the three minors (two boys and a girl aged between 10 and 14) suspected of snatching Charlie Ottley's backpack as he was resting on a bench in the Civic Park.The British documentary filmmaker is in Timisoara for shooting city and county promotion content in a project dedicated to the Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2023 program.
A historic church just south of downtown St. Louis will be able to stay open after parishioners worried about its fate after the current priest announced its retirement.

The Rev. Charles Samson will be the new chaplain of St. Mary of Victories, 744 South Third Street. Established in 1843, it is the second oldest church in the city.

The churchs current chaplain, the Rev. Brian Harrison, 77, announced plans last year to retire and return to his native Australia.

We are excited to be blessed with this dynamic and faithful priest to succeed Father Harrison upon his retirement June 30, a social media post posted by the parish late Monday said.

St. Mary of Victories will have one Mass at 11 a.m. beginning July 3. The Mass is an English Novus Ordo.

The church has offered a 7 p.m. Saturday Mass in English, a 9 a.m. Sunday Latin Mass, and a 11:30 a.m. Sunday Mass in English with a touch of Hungarian, according to its bulletin announcements.

Samson was ordained in 2013.

Were just absolutely thrilled and excited that we can continue on, said chapel council president Jim Hooper, who met with Samson this week. He said Samson is a linguist and that he hopes he will use some Latin at the traditional Mass, and perhaps learn the Hungarian national anthem they traditionally sing at the end of Mass.

Samson lives nearby at the Old Cathedral and is an associate professor at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury.

After St. Mary of Victories was built, it served the citys growing German immigrant population. A group of sisters, later known as the Sisters of St. Mary, the founders of SSM Health, named themselves after the church after coming there to live and care for those sick with smallpox and cholera.

Construction of the Gateway Arch grounds and Interstate 55 at its doorstep also threatened its population. After World War II and the 1956 Hungarian Uprising, the church took on Hungarian immigrants.

The church was the subject of a Post-Dispatch profile in July.

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Casey Jovick opened Jovick Brothers Deli in March, featuring both classic and inventive sandwiches with fun flavor profiles this master butcher, pitmaster and creative collaborator creates.

For the perfect sweet endings, he turned to his first teacher, confidant and booster  his mom, Marybeth McBryan.

RECIPE: Jovick Brothers Deli Oatmeal Scotchies Yield: 84 cookies

Jovick asked his mom to share her recipe for Oatmeal Scotchies. That's his favorite cookie, McBryan says. I also make the chocolate chip cookies and the gooey butter cake, but the Scotchies outsell them both.

McBryan has been making these cookies for over 40 years. When my kids were little, I picked up butterscotch morsels, which were next to the semi-sweet chocolate chips, and the recipe was on the back of the package. I guess I thought oatmeal would add a little more nutritional value to the cookie.

The original recipe listed orange zest in the ingredients, but there was no orange zest in the baking directions. Back in the day it was hard to grate a friggin orange on those boxy graters we had, so I ignored it. The cookies tasted good without it, she says.

Years later, she added the zest back into the recipe. As I got older I mostly baked cookies at Christmas, including the Scotchies. I also got a skinny hand-held microplane grater that is so easy to use I decided to add the zest. The cookies were good before, but with that one addition, they were amazing. They are so fragrant. Now I zest an entire big navel orange into a batch.

McBryan also reduced the amount of oatmeal for improved texture. To speed the process, she melts the butter instead of creaming it for this cookie. I dont use a mixer for these. I beat them by hand, she says. I like a smaller cookie, so I drop these from a teaspoon, not a tablespoon.

McBryan retired from her professional careers in teaching, counseling, business and community service as a member of the St. Louis Public School Board. Now 76, shes helping her son. Ive finally found my dream job, she says. You know, life has its own path and youve got to be in the right place at the right time for some things.

She also shared the first Yelp review that included her cookies: "One of the best sandwiches I have ever had. I had the Voodoo dip and it lived up the hype. The staff were awesome and so friendly. It was a great vibe. I need to make a shoutout to the Scotch cookies. They're homemade by the owners mom! They were the best ... !"

Jovick Brothers Deli

510 Westport Plaza

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  St. Louis and St. Louis County health officials on Monday issued a renewed plea for residents to wear masks in indoor, public spaces, as hospitals reported a growing wave of virus patients.

The city and county are once again seeing high levels of virus transmission. And with at-home test kits now widely used, health authorities warn that infections are significantly undercounted.

The data is clearly telling us we have to take action to reduce the cases, St. Louis Health Director Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis said in a statement. We all need to do our part. We know that masks minimize the transmission of the virus and we can expect a decline in cases and a decline in hospitalizations if our community voluntarily masks up during this critical time.

Hlatshwayo Davis and St. Louis County Acting Health Director Dr. Faisal Khan issued a joint statement Monday strongly recommending that residents wear masks in indoor, public places and in crowded areas where social distancing isnt possible.

Case rates in the city and county have surpassed those seen during the delta variant-driven surge last summer that prompted renewed mask mandates. Schnuck Markets Inc. is once again requiring workers to wear masks in St. Louis and St. Louis County stores, and the Gateway Arch National Park is requiring them for visitors as of Monday. The number of COVID-19 patients in the regions hospitals has doubled in less than a month.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force reported a total of 201 COVID-19 patients across area hospitals on Monday  the highest number in three months.

The seven-day average of new daily COVID-19 admissions was 43  compared with a low of 16 in early April. In the past, the task force has identified an average of 40 as a level of concern.

Six COVID-19 patients have died in St. Louis-area hospitals over the past week, the task force reported.

The numbers include area BJC HealthCare, Mercy, SSM Health, St. Lukes Hospital, and U.S. Veterans Affairs hospitals. Task force data lags two days.

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TUESDAY, June 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- American farmers are at increased risk for tick bites, but new research shows they are doing little to defend themselves against the insects and the illnesses they cause.

Tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, Powassan virus, anaplasmosis, tularemia, ehrlichiosis, heartland virus and Alpha-gal syndrome, and these diseases cost the U.S. health care system up to $1.3 billion a year, the investigators said.

Farm workers have a high risk of exposure to ticks due to the large amount of time they spend outdoors, so scientists from the University of Illinois created an online survey to learn more about their knowledge about ticks and how to prevent tick bites.

To date, 36% of farm workers who have participated in the survey said they have a low level of knowledge about ticks. Fifty-six percent said they rely on friends and family for information about ticks and the diseases they carry; 48% rely on medical professionals, and 40% rely on university extension education programs.

Only 38% of respondents say they are concerned about tick-borne diseases, but 90% do self-checks for ticks.

This is one of the simplest things one can do if going out of doors," said project researcher Sulagna Chakraborty, an ecology, evolution and conservation biology doctorate candidate.

Other recommended precautions include: wearing a hat, long-sleeve shirt and long pants; tucking pants inside boots, and wearing light-colored shirts.

Only 2% of survey respondents said they use tick repellent, and only 10% wear permethrin-treated clothing. Nearly one-quarter said they take no precautions. Only 28% of respondents use tick repellent on their animals.

When they find a tick attached to them, 76% of respondents say they would use the recommended practice of removing the tick with tweezers; 42% remove with their hands; 8% would consult a physician.

"By knowing the knowledge gap, we can provide specific training to fill the gap," Chakraborty said in a university news release.

Climate change has increased the range of ticks seen in the United States: The nation has seen a 10-fold increase in the number of tick-borne diseases since 2006, according to Rebecca Smith, an associate professor of epidemiology in the university's College of Veterinary Medicine.

More information

For more on avoiding ticks, see the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCE: University of Illinois, news release, June 1, 2022

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
TUESDAY, June 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Open-source automated insulin delivery (AID) systems are an effective and safe way for people with type 1 diabetes to control their blood sugar levels, researchers say.

The AID systems combine an insulin pump, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and an algorithm that automatically adjusts insulin delivery every five minutes to keep glucose (sugar) levels in the target range.

Open-source AID systems  developed by people with diabetes and shared openly  were available for years before commercial AID systems. Even though open-source AID systems are used by people worldwide, they are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In a new study, researchers compared the efficacy and safety of the most widely used open-source AID system to sensor-augmented pump therapy (SAPT).

The 24-week multicenter, randomized, controlled trial included 48 children and 49 adults ranging in age from 7 to 70. Many had little or no experience with AID.

The primary outcome was the percentage of time in target glucose range (TIR) between open-source AID and SAPT during the last two weeks of the trial.

The TIR improved among both children and adults in the open-source AID group, but not among those in the SAPT group. The TIR target of >70%  set by international guidelines  was met by 60% of those in the open-source AID group, compared with 15% of those in the SAPT group.

No severe hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) or diabetic ketoacidosis events occurred in either treatment group. There was no increase in overall hypoglycemia, according to the study, which was presented Monday at an American Diabetes Association (ADA) meeting. Research presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

"We were encouraged to see the greatest improvements in time in range were in those who had the lowest time in range at the start of the study. This supports the finding that a wide range of people with diabetes who want to use this technology could benefit from it, regardless of their outcomes with previous therapies," said study author Dana Lewis, a diabetes researcher and founder of the open-source artificial pancreas movement.

"Our findings demonstrate that this is a safe and effective technology and adds to the body of evidence supporting use of open-source AID for improving glycemic outcomes," study lead investigator Dr. Martin de Bock, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Otago, in Christchurch, New Zealand, said in an ADA news release.

More information

There is more on type 1 diabetes at the JDRF.

SOURCE: American Diabetes Association, news release, June 6, 2022

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday that the Biden administration's work to attract investment to Central America, part of the U.S. effort to reduce migration, has generated $3.2 billion in private-sector commitments.

We know the American people will benefit from stable and prosperous neighbors," she said during remarks on the second day of the Summit of the Americas, which brings together countries from across the hemisphere. "And when we provide economic opportunity for people in Central America, we address an important driver of migration.

President Joe Biden, who arrives at the summit on Wednesday, tasked Harris last year with addressing the root causes of migration, which routinely strains U.S. resources at the border with Mexico. Progress has been slow, a reflection of the region's intractable problems and what some critics describe as U.S. neglect.

Harris said she would focus on empowering women who face poverty and violence in their home countries. The effort is known as In Her Hands, and it aims to connect more women to the banking system, help them participate in agriculture and provide them with training in coding and cybersecurity.

When you lift up the economic status of women, you lift up the economic status of families, of her community and of our entire hemisphere," Harris said.

Her speech followed a roundtable with women leaders, including entrepreneurs, from Central America.

This week's summit, which is being hosted by the U.S. for the first time since the inaugural event in 1994, is an opportunity for Harris to connect with leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean as she welcomes them to her home state.

With her focus on the region, Harris is following in the footsteps of Biden himself, who worked on migration issues when he served as vice president to President Barack Obama. However, Harris has taken just two trips to the region since taking office.

In recent days, she and the president have been working the phones to shore up attendance among leftist leaders who have been critical of the U.S. decision to exclude the authoritarian governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela from the Los Angeles summit.

But the effort yielded few results. Among those staying home are the presidents of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras  the only three leaders Harris has met in her two quick trips to the region.

Brian Winter, vice president of the Council of the Americas, said Harris got off on the wrong foot as Biden's point person assigned to address the root social and economic causes driving migrants to the U.S. In a May 2021 policy speech delivered to Winter's international business group from Washington, Harris, a former California prosecutor, mentioned corruption no fewer than 10 times, stirring resentment in a region where leaders are sensitive to taking lectures from U.S. policymakers.

Corruption is a huge problem, but clearly there are more delicate ways to handle this, said Winter. A lot of doors closed even before she got on the ground.

Harris reiterated her anti-corruption goals  we must promote the rule of law  in her remarks Tuesday. The announcement that private-sector commitments have reached $3.2 billion includes $1.2 billion that was announced in December and another $1.9 billion being detailed this week.

New initiatives being announced include a $700 million expansion of cellular networks in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador by Miami-based Millicom; a $270 million commitment by Visa to promote digital payments; and a $150 million nearshoring investment by the Gap Inc. that could see as many as 5,000 jobs created closer to the U.S.

But the Biden administration's biggest policy proposal in the region  a $4 billion aid package for Central America  has stalled in Congress with little apparent effort to revive it. Meanwhile, the number of migrants at the U.S. border with Mexico has surged to its highest levels in decades, even as the Biden administration has little to show for the Democratic president's promise as a candidate to introduce a humane asylum system that would break with Trump-era restrictions.

One challenge is finding partners in a region where institutions are weak, gang violence is prolific and corruption is rampant.

None of the countries Harris is to work with will be represented at the summit by its president, according to the list of delegations the White House released Tuesday. All three nations are sending their foreign ministers instead. And in recent months, the U.S. has taken a strident tone against El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, whom it accuses of using his popularity to amass power and ride roughshod over democratic checks and balances.

Meanwhile, Guatemala President Alejandro Giammettei said last month that he would not attend after the U.S. criticized his decision to reappoint an attorney general it alleged was involved in corruption.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Honduras' President Xiomara Castro, who has won praise from U.S. officials for her decision to extradite her predecessor, Juan Orlando Hernandez, to the U.S. to face federal drug charges. Harris, who attended Castro's inauguration in January, spoke in recent days with Honduras' first female president in a last-ditch effort to persuade her to travel to Los Angeles.

But in the end Castro sided with fellow leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico in boycotting the summit. Surely weighing on her decision was the United States' quick recognition of a new government after Honduras military removed her husband, President Manuel Zelaya, from office in 2009.

Its a far tougher set of actors that the U.S. has to deal with even compared to what the Obama administration faced, said Rebecca Bill Chavez, president of the Inter-American Dialogue.

Chavez, who advised Harris on foreign policy during her brief presidential run, welcomed the vice president's focus on gender-based violence and female migrants, something that was missing from past administrations. She's also hopeful that Harris' familial ties to Jamaica  her immigrant father's birthplace  could help her connect to leaders in the Caribbean who are overlooked even in Latin America policy circles.

But Biden's record is tough to top. As vice president he made 16 trips to Latin America and his presence in the region has loomed large since his days as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, when he helped craft Plan Colombia, by far the biggest U.S. military and economic aid package in the region.

Chavez said that on issues of climate change, migration and inclusive economic growth, the Biden administration has the opportunity to lay out a vision with appeal to all countries no matter their ideological bent or bilateral agenda with the U.S.

To succeed she and the Biden administration really needs to broaden their scope, said Chavez. Los Angeles is the perfect opportunity for them to show they are so. But it can't be a one and done event. It requires follow-through to become reality.

Goodman reported from Miami, and Megerian reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Christopher Sherman in Mexico City and Elliot Spagat in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A man accused of fatally shooting a retired Wisconsin judge and who had a list that included prominent national political figures died in a hospital, a state official said Tuesday.

Douglas Uhde, 56, shot former Juneau County Circuit Judge John Roemer in Roemers home in New Lisbon on Friday before shooting himself, authorities said. He was taken to a hospital where he had been on life support.

Wisconsin Department of Justice spokeswoman Gillian Drummond confirmed Uhde's death. The agency said that Uhde was declared brain-dead on Saturday morning and his body remained on life support until Tuesday morning to allow for organ donation.

Uhde had an extensive criminal and prison record dating back at least two decades, including a case when he was sentenced by Roemer to six years in prison on weapons charges. He was released from his last prison stint in April 2020.

Police found the 68-year-old Roemer zip-tied to a chair, an official told The Associated Press. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Uhde had a list of potential targets in his vehicle that included Roemer, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Whitmers office and the law enforcement source said.

It's unclear how Uhde obtained a gun. Drummond said the Wiscconsin Justice Department is still investigating that aspect of the case.

Associated Press reporter Mike Balsamo contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
ST. LOUIS  The number of aldermen calling for Lewis Reed to resign continued to grow Monday, as pressure built for the embattled president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen to step down after his indictment last week on federal bribery charges.

By Monday afternoon, at least 10 of the boards 25 aldermen had publicly called for Reeds resignation. The calls came after Joe Vollmer, the alderman with the most continuous seniority and current board vice president, told the Post-Dispatch on Friday that after speaking with Reed he expected him to take a leave of absence, putting Vollmer in charge of board functions in the meantime.

There was no indication that Reeds leave meant he would also give up the $90,000 salary he receives as president.

Alderman Annie Rice, 8th Ward, said she didnt think that was appropriate.

In this case of federal indictment for wrongdoing in public office, I dont know theres a clear path, or theres any path that would be acceptable to the citizens of the city short of resignation, Rice said. Everything else just muddies the waters. Is he still getting emails under his official account? Is he still making decisions? Is he still pulling strings? All of that would continue to be in question.

Monday evening, Reeds office released a statement indicating he was working on a transition but not immediately resigning.

Since appearing in court last Thursday, President Reed has been working to gain legal clarity on a transition of authority of critical functions of the Board of Aldermen Presidents Office to the vice President of the Board of Aldermen, the statement said. The office of the president includes numerous legislative functions as well as executive functions that are governed by the citys charter. To assure a seamless transition and minimum disruption, President Reed will continue to finalize these arrangements and will provide further updates soon.

Reed was first elected board president in 2007. The position, filled by voters in a citywide election, is one of the three most powerful in city government. In addition to presiding over the board and assigning bills to committee, the president is one of three members  along with the mayor and comptroller  of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, which controls city spending. Its unclear whether Vollmer would also serve on that board, but it should be able to meet with two members.

Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said in a statement Monday afternoon that her office would monitor the case as it progresses through the legal system ahead of the next Board of Estimate & Apportionment meeting on June 15.

Jones, who has clashed with Reed over city spending and other matters, stopped short of calling for his resignation but said in her statement that President Reed needs to do what is in the best interest of our city in the face of these very serious federal bribery and corruption charges.

In addition to Rice, aldermen calling for Reed to resign include Anne Schweitzer, 13th Ward; Bill Stephens, 12th Ward; Tina Pihl, 17th Ward; Christine Ingrassia, 6th Ward; Michael Gras, 28th Ward; Bret Narayan, 24th Ward; Megan Green, 15th Ward; and Cara Spencer, 20th Ward.

Alderman Shane Cohn, 25th Ward, sent Reed a letter Monday saying that given the magnitude of the charges ... I do not have confidence in your ability to be able to serve as president of the board. He asked Reed to consider resigning for the benefit of our colleagues and our city.

So far, none of Reeds political allies have joined the call for his resignation. The aldermen asking him to step down mostly align with the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which has butted heads with Reed and his allies. Green ran against Reed for board president in 2019; Spencer beat Reed in the first round of voting for mayor in March.

The newest member of the board, Gras, on Sunday Tweeted: why delay the inevitable?

Hey Lewis, Do everyone a favor and resign ASAP, Gras wrote.

Precedent for remaining in office

Reed would not be the first Board of Aldermen president to remain in office while facing federal charges. Former President Thomas Zych served for years after refusing to resign following his 1984 indictment on federal charges of extortion in the awarding of a cable television franchise. Zych was acquitted in 1987 but had declined to run for reelection that year.

Reed and two former aldermen, John Collins-Muhammad and Jeffrey Boyd, were indicted Thursday on bribery charges related to their acceptance of cash payments from a small business owner seeking property tax abatement legislation and the purchase of property from the citys land bank.

The business owner was not identified in the indictment, but he appears to be Mohammed Almuttan, who co-owns and operates several convenience stores in north St. Louis and was charged in 2017 in a cigarette and synthetic marijuana trafficking sting. Many of his federal charges were dismissed in April, but he pleaded guilty to a remaining charge of conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes.

On Monday, the U.S. Attorneys Office filed a motion in Almuttans case seeking the forfeiture of property Almuttan derived from the sale of contraband cigarettes, which Almuttan agreed to in his plea, according to the motion. The property includes over $2 million in cash and bank-held funds, two cars, 4,223 cartons of cigarettes and 25 firearms.

Almuttan, identified as John Doe in the indictment, allegedly made thousands of dollars in cash bribes to Collins-Muhammad, Boyd and Reed in exchange for their help passing tax abatements for a gas station he wanted to build at Von Phul Street and Interstate 70 and for another property in Boyds ward in the Mark Twain Industrial area.

Collins-Muhammad resigned from the board last month, three weeks before the indictment was unsealed. Boyd, who was also charged in a separate insurance fraud case, also unsealed Thursday, resigned Friday afternoon after taking part in the regular Board of Aldermen meeting. A resolution he sponsored for a tax abatement for a logistics company stalled after colleagues balked at the measure due to the nature of the federal charges against him.

Terry Niehoff, who appeared with Boyd in court Thursday, filed a motion Monday to withdraw as Boyds attorney. It wasnt immediately clear why.

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ST. LOUIS  City officials on Monday announced that rentable electric scooters are being turned off indefinitely in downtown and the Downtown West neighborhood as problems persist with large crowds of youths on weekends.

The move comes two weeks after interim Public Safety Director Dan Isom announced the scooter rental companies had agreed to shut down the service at 7 p.m. in an effort to curb disruptive and criminal behavior among large crowds of young people.

Isom on Monday said with the ongoing issues downtown, the police department does not have the resources to monitor scooter usage.

As you can imagine, giving people a picture: If you have 100 or more people downtown, its a big area, the young people are not staying static  they are moving location to location, he said Monday. So while there are officers downtown, they are not in every space the young people go to.

In May, rentable electric scooter company Bird released a statement that said it was working with city officials on the problem and hoped the city would retract its decision to implement an unnecessarily early curfew which penalizes the tens of thousands of responsible riders who depend on our services.

Bird, along with scooter rental company Lime, did not immediately provide comment Monday.

In a media briefing Monday about downtown safety over the weekend, Isom noted the decision to shut down the scooters came after shootings among unsupervised minors Saturday night that hospitalized two teenage girls and injured a third. Police said the gunfire erupted during a fight among two large groups of juveniles at Chestnut and Eighth streets.

While two teenage boys were taken into custody by police in that incident, St. Louis police Maj. Renee Kriesmann confirmed they were not suspected in the shooting but were believed to have engaged in disruptive behavior during the shooting.

The teenage boys were charged with failure to obey a law, police confirmed.

She said investigators have identified a suspect vehicle in the shootings and continue to investigate.

Isom addressed the broader issue: large crowds of unsupervised youths congregating in the downtown area in the evening, often fighting and engaging in disruptive behavior. He reiterated that parents should not drop off their teens to hang out unsupervised and noted his team is working on how the city can hold parents accountable when their children are involved in criminal behavior.

Some measure of legal accountability of the parents, thats what we are exploring; we are determining what that would look like, he said, later adding it might mean that guardians could face legal implications if their child is accused of illegal activity in the area more than once.

Isom outlined other incidents from the weekend, including the arrest Friday night of a person suspected of slashing the tires on 26 vehicles in the Hampton Inn parking lot at 333 Washington Avenue.

He noted 11 vehicles were broken into in the downtown area over the weekend and one firearm was stolen.

Isom said he and Kriesmann discuss the issue of downtown safety on a regular basis.

The groups are growing, and it feels like they are getting more violent, Kriesmann said Monday.

Some downtown stakeholders maintain a few major factors, along with scooters, contribute to the crime and safety issues plaguing downtown St. Louis: cruising, illegal vehicles, Airbnb parties and unlicensed venues serving alcohol.

On Monday, Isom acknowledged cruising was heavy over the weekend downtown and in police District 6, which encompasses most of north city.

To curb cruising and riverfront congestion, the city began closing Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard at 7 p.m. after a triple shooting in April left one dead and two injured. Officers said they saw more than 100 vehicles racing off from the riverfront area when they responded to that shooting.

In another effort to control seasonal crowds, city police in April announced increased patrols between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays downtown.

A city official previously told the Post-Dispatch the department is also concerned about a series of violent incidents stemming from parties held at short-term rentals of downtown condos, including the fatal shooting in March of a 12- and 14-year-old at a birthday party. The department has been in discussions with city aldermen to create new rules for rentals.

For now, the St. Louis Sheriffs Office is working with police to provide an increased law enforcement presence downtown on the weekends, particularly on Washington Avenue, where a portion of the activity is taking place. Isom noted Monday those deputies are not there to provide enforcement.

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ARNOLD  An Imperial woman who taught at a Jefferson County middle school until earlier this year has been accused of sending inappropriate photos to minors, police said.

Tosha Kerperien, 37, has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of furnishing or attempting to furnish pornographic material to a minor, court records show.

Investigators believe Kerperien sent photos to at least three minors via a social media site in January, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Monday. According to court documents, nude photos were sent via Snapchat.

Kerperien was listed as an eighth grade math teacher on Ridgewood Middle School's website as of Monday afternoon. The middle school is part of Jefferson County's Fox C-6 School District.

However, the school district said in a letter to parents on Monday that the "former employee" submitted a resignation letter on Feb. 1, which the district's board of education accepted.

The district said it conducted an internal investigation as soon as allegations were made, and the district reported the allegations to Jefferson County Sheriff's Department and other authorities.

If convicted of the three charges, Kerperien could face up to a year in jail, and a fine of up to $2,000, according to state law.

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CLAYTON  Federal charges alleging a top liaison to St. Louis County Executive Sam Page tried to fraudulently win small-business relief grants drew swift condemnation Tuesday from Pages County Council critics and election opponents, who questioned the countys past federal aid spending.

Tony Weaver, a jail change management coordinator, was charged with four counts of wire fraud in a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds for a local businessman and split the proceeds. Ultimately, none of the four applications Weaver helped file on behalf of the businessman were successful, according to the indictment.

Page appointed Weaver to the jail job in late 2019; at the time, Weaver was a legislative aide for then-4th District Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray, D-Black Jack.

Page fired Weaver immediately after the charges became public Tuesday. In a statement, Page spokesman Doug Moore said the charges were unrelated to Weavers work at the jail and there was ultimately no theft of taxpayer funds because of controls put in place by Dr. Pages administration.

Page, in a prepared statement at the County Council meeting, added that Weaver was stripped of access to county buildings and his county email account, and vowed his administration would cooperate with the federal investigation.

3rd District Republican Tim Fitch, a longtime Page critic, and Jane Dueker, Pages opponent in the Aug. 2 Democratic primary, blasted the statement and accused Page of lying about the success of the program.

They referred to parts of the indictment that showed Weaver telling the businessman, identified as John Smith, that he had helped ten other individuals apply for SBR grant funds.

Dueker, an attorney and former political adviser to previous County Executive Steve Stenger, confronted Page during the public comment portion of the council meeting.

How can you say with confidence that no taxpayer dollars were used? she said. Please inform us. If not, its a lie.

Page, responding to a similar allegation from Fitch, said they were trying to reinterpret the indictment and said those other statements could be part of an ongoing investigation by federal authorities.

Councilman Mark Harder, R-7th District, said afterward that he would introduce a nonbinding resolution calling for a state audit of past federal aid spending.

Dueker had earlier criticized Page over Twitter and in appearances outside the federal courthouse in St. Louis, alleging Weaver had broad influence in county government and that Page empowered and enabled him.

And State Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, who is running for Republican nomination for county executive, had also seized on the indictment in a tweet from his campaign account: Want more corruption in County government? Re-elect @SamforSTLCounty. Want to stop the corruption and crime? Vote for me!

Fitch said that Weavers indictment lent credence to Republicans opposition to a controversial decision in 2020 to cede control to Pages administration of $173.5 million in federal aid under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. Part of the CARES Act money was used to fund a small-business grant program.

This is exactly why some of us on the council battled with Sam Page regarding oversight of these funds & didnt want him to have total control over them, Fitch wrote in the tweet. If its predictable, its preventable. #SamYouOwnThis.

He added that he wanted to offer the U.S. Attorney & the FBI space in the county government building to do their important work.

The council had voted 4-3 to approve the decision to cede control of CARES funds. Walton Gray had been among a four-member Democratic majority who argued it was necessary to disperse aid quickly during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision has since been a flashpoint for county politics. Councilwoman Rita Days, D-1st District, who also voted to approve the move, later said she regretted the decision and joined Fitch and Harder to become among Pages fiercest critics.

Walton Gray was unseated in the August 2020 primary by Shalonda Webb, who joined the three council members in a bipartisan majority critical of Page after his council allies in early 2021 attempted to hold onto council leadership positions using a lame duck vote from Walton Gray. The majority elected Days as council chair to replace Page ally Lisa Clancy, D-5th District.

Clancy, who as council chair in 2020 had formed a council committee to oversee CARES spending, said in a tweet Tuesday evening that she was disappointed to learn about Weavers alleged fraud scheme.

Im disappointed to learn that a former colleague was trying to defraud the Countys CARES Act money, but Im pleased that the checks and balances we had in place made his efforts unsuccessful, Clancy said in a tweet. And, Dr. Page was right to immediately terminate Mr. Weaver from his position today.

According to the indictment, Weaver approached a small-business owner in May 2020 about applying for federal grants through the county, and that his boss on the council, identified in the indictment as Jane Doe, needed to know the names of the businessmans companies because she made the final decision.

That month, while Walton Gray was still on the council, the county launched the St. Louis County Small Business Relief (SBR) program to award grants totaling $17.5 million to small businesses that were affected by stay-at-home orders, using CARES funds.

The indictment says the owner of several businesses, including a gas station, convenience mart, supermarket, laundromat and automobile mechanic shop met with Weaver about obtaining grants under the county program. Weaver helped prepare the applications and directed the businessman to make false representations about his businesses in order to try to win grant money.

It turned out that three of Smiths four businesses werent in Walton Grays district, and ultimately none of them received any of the SBR grant money, according to the indictment.

Walton Gray did not return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday.

In January 2021, after she lost her council seat to Webb, Page hired her as COVID-19 vaccine outreach coordinator for the county. She lost that job in April of this year after voters approved a charter amendment that affected her classification as a county employee.

Other council members did not publicly address the indictment Tuesday. Webb and Kelli Dunaway, 2nd District, were absent from Tuesday nights council meeting.

Updated at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 7.

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UPDATED at noon Friday with victim's name

ST. LOUIS  A man was shot to death late Monday night in the Fairground neighborhood of St. Louis.

Police said the victim, 21-year-old Nicholas Keith, was found dead on his porch about 11:50 p.m. Monday in the 4200 block of Pleasant Street, near Penrose Street.

Police said they have no suspects.

Before this killing, the city on Monday said it has had 71 homicides this year, compared to 79 the same time last year.

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ST. LOUIS  Federal prosecutors have charged a St. Louis County jail official with four counts of wire fraud in a scheme to obtain COVID-19 relief funds for a local businessman and split the proceeds, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday.

Tony Weaver, 63, worked as the legislative assistant to former St. Louis County Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray before St. Louis County Executive Sam Page in 2019 hired him as the change management coordinator at the troubled jail.

Page fired him Tuesday after the charges became public.

Weaver, later appearing in federal court Tuesday in handcuffs, pleaded not guilty. He was released from custody on his own recognizance. He declined to speak to reporters gathered outside the courthouse downtown.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case. Goldsmith, who handles public corruption cases, declined to comment after Weavers hearing.

According to the indictment, Weaver approached a small business owner in May 2020 about applying for federal grants through the county, and that his boss on the council, identified in the indictment as Jane Doe, needed to know the names of the businessmans companies because she made the final decision.

In May 2020, while Walton Gray was still on the council, the county launched the St. Louis County Small Business Relief, or SBR, program to award grants totaling $17.5 million to small businesses that were affected by stay-at-home orders. The program was funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or, CARES, Act.

The indictment said the owner of several businesses, including a gas station, convenience mart, supermarket, laundromat and automobile mechanic shop met with Weaver about obtaining grants under the county program. That business owner, described in the indictment only as John Smith, was told by Weaver that the council member needed to know the names of each of his businesses in order to ensure that those SBR applications would be approved and funded by St. Louis County.

According to the indictment, Weaver and the businessman discussed how much money he could receive:

Weaver: $15,000 each business. Thats a lot of money when you have four different businesses in one District. Youre up to 65, $75,000.

Smith: Theres the mechanic shop, the laundromat, supermarket, gas station, construction company, and Shepley. Thats six. Six businesses.

Weaver: You get $90,000, sir  Thats $90,000. Thats money, sir  as long as they put in different names.

Weaver said he would type up the applications and even though he no longer was an aide to the councilwoman, he could make sure the SBR applications were approved, the indictment said.

The applications Weaver prepared made false representations that the laundromat had been closed for a period of time and the business had to lay off employees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Weaver and Smith discussed that they would split any SBR grant funds that Smiths businesses received:

Smith: When the money comes in  we split it.  You tell me how were gonna split it. OK?

Weaver: Theres so much damn money around St. Louis County, its crazy.

Smith: We need to get some of that  .

Weaver: Uh huh. Everything theyve got over there we need to get some of  thats my attitude.

False representations were also made about Smiths other businesses, the indictment said.

Weaver directed Smith to disguise the true ownership of those businesses by using different email addresses on the application, the indictment said. Under the countys SBR program, a business owner could only apply for one small business grant.

Although Weaver prepared the applications, he didnt want to submit them using his own cellphone lest he get in trouble.

I dont trust St. Louis County, he tells Smith, according to a transcript of their conversation. Theyre trying to get me on something, brother. Im too powerful, brother.

Four applications were submitted on Smiths behalf on May 15, 2020, the indictment said.

Afterward, Weaver and Smith discussed how to split the money. Weaver told him, You know you cant give me no check. He also advised against giving a campaign contribution in his companies names because then that sheds the light on you giving to [Jane Doe] or Tony.

Then Weaver volunteers: I hope this place is not bugged  thats how Stenger got caught, referring to former County Executive Steve Stenger who was convicted in a pay-to-play scheme and ended up in prison.

It turned out that three of Smiths four businesses werent in Walton Grays district, and ultimately none of them received any of the SBR grant money.

Walton Gray did not return a phone call seeking comment. In January 2021, after she lost her council seat to Shalonda Webb, Page hired her as COVID-19 vaccine outreach coordinator for the county. She lost that job in April of this year after voters approved a charter amendment that affected her classification as a county employee.

In December 2020, Weaver met with Smith and advised him that all the SBR grant funds had been paid out:

Weaver: We have to wait until January because another pot of moneys coming in January. And that might be $20,000 a piece. So thats whats going on, man.

Smith: So, what are we gonna do now?

Weaver: Wait until some more money comes in. Only person I know got paid, thats [C.K.], he gave me $300, maybe 4  So, were gonna have to wait and see what else is out there.

It was not immediately clear who C.K. is.

Weaver is a longtime north St. Louis County politico close to Walton Grays father, disbarred attorney and former Missouri State Representative Elbert Walton Jr.

Weaver led the North County political organization Unity PAC, which Elbert Walton founded. He also did work with Walton on the Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District, which was embroiled in allegations of financial mismanagement a decade ago.

The Walton family is a powerful force in north St. Louis County. In addition to Walton Gray, who also served as a state representative before her tenure on the County Council, Waltons other daughter, Angela Mosley is a state senator. Mosleys brother-in-law, Alan Gray, and her husband, Jay Mosley, are also serving in the Missouri House.

Page appointed Weaver to the jail job in December 2019. The new job came with a $82,500 salary, a raise of more than 80% from his $45,406 salary as Walton Grays assistant. Page hired Walton Gray shortly after she had voted with his allies on the County Council in an ill-fated attempt to keep one of his allies as council chair in the days before her successor, Webb, was sworn in.

Doug Moore, a spokesman for Page, said in a statement: Tony Weaver was fired today by the county executive. As the indictment states, the controls put in place by Dr. Pages administration for the distribution of federal funds prevented any theft of taxpayer funds and the indictments are not related to work he was doing for the county executive in Justice Services.

Weaver has served under four different jail directors, joining top officials in monthly meetings of the Justice Services Advisory Board and positioning himself as a mediator in conflicts between supervisors and frontline corrections officers while officials attempted reforms at the facility in the wake of six inmate deaths over 2019 and early 2020.

Jane Dueker, who is challenging Page in the August Democratic Party primary, was outside the courthouse Tuesday as media gathered. Dueker, an attorney and former Stenger political adviser who has been a longtime Page critic, took the opportunity to criticize Page for his hiring of Weaver. She alleged Weaver had a ton of influence in the jail and in county government in general.

I find it difficult to believe that the way Tony Weaver talked in those tapes about what control he has over the mechanisms of county government, he doesnt act like that if he doesnt feel hes been given the power, she said. And thats a major problem.

The unnamed businessman

Unrelated indictments unsealed last week naming three city officials  Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, and former Alderman John Collins-Muhammad  also recorded their interactions with a small businessman.

In those indictments, the businessman is identified as John Doe, but based on other records appears to be Mohammed Almuttan, a gas station and convenience store operator who also owns a Jennings auto repair shop and laundromat on West Florissant Avenue.

In the Weaver indictment, the businessman mentions he owns a mechanic shop, the laundromat, supermarket, gas station, construction company, and Shepley.

Almuttan is the owner of a property where a convenience and liquor store is located at 100 Shepley Drive in unincorporated north St. Louis County.

Almuttan was charged in a 2017 cigarette and synthetic marijuana trafficking sting. Many of his federal charges were dismissed in April, when he pleaded guilty to a remaining charge of conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes.

Neither Almuttan nor his lawyer have responded to requests for comment.

Updated at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday, June 7.

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ST. LOUIS  The indictment unsealed Tuesday against St. Louis County jail employee Tony Weaver describes his interactions with an owner of several small businesses.

The businessman is named in the court filing as John Smith, and describes the kinds of businesses he owns without addresses or other identifying information.

Similarly, unrelated indictments unsealed last week naming three city officials  Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, and former Alderman John Collins-Muhammad  also recorded their interactions with a small businessman.

In those indictments, the businessman is identified as John Doe.

But based on other records, the Post-Dispatch identified the businessman as Mohammed Almuttan, a gas station and convenience store operator who also owns a Jennings auto repair shop and laundromat on West Florissant Avenue.

In the Weaver indictment, the businessman mentions he owns a mechanic shop, the laundromat, supermarket, gas station, construction company, and Shepley.

Almuttan is the owner of a property where a convenience and liquor store is located at 100 Shepley Drive in unincorporated north St. Louis County.

Almuttan was charged in a 2017 cigarette and synthetic marijuana trafficking sting. Many of his federal charges were dismissed in April, when he pleaded guilty to a remaining charge of conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes.

On Monday, the U.S. Attorneys Office filed a motion in Almuttans case seeking the forfeiture of property Almuttan derived from the sale of contraband cigarettes, which Almuttan agreed to in his plea, according to the motion. The property includes over $2 million in cash and bank-held funds, two cars, 4,223 cartons of cigarettes and 25 firearms.

Neither Almuttan nor his attorney have responded to requests for comment.
CLAYTON  Tony Weaver has been involved in St. Louis County politics and government for decades, but his most recent job was as change management coordinator at the troubled St. Louis County jail in December 2019.

County Executive Sam Page hired Weaver to the job from his post as an aide to County Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray, D-4th District.

His new job came with an $82,500 salary, nearly double his $45,406 salary as Grays assistant.

His hiring was blasted by council Republicans who said it was political payback to shore up Walton Grays support for Page on the council.

Weaver, 63, has served under four different jail directors, joining top officials in monthly meetings of the Justice Services Advisory Board and positioning himself as a mediator in conflicts between supervisors and frontline corrections officers while officials attempted reforms at the facility in the wake of six inmate deaths over 2019 and early 2020.

Walton Gray, a former Democratic member of the state House from 2009 to 2016, was elected to the County Council in 2016. She was unseated in the August 2020 Democratic primary by Shalonda Webb, who won the November election.

Weaver is a longtime associate of Walton Grays father, disbarred attorney and former Missouri State Rep. Elbert Walton Jr., whose family is a powerful force in north St. Louis County. Waltons other daughter, Angela Mosley is a state senator. Mosleys brother-in-law, Alan Gray, and her husband, Jay Mosley, are also serving in the Missouri House.

Weaver led the North County political organization Unity PAC, which Elbert Walton founded, and he also did work with Walton for the Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District, which was embroiled in allegations of financial mismanagement a decade ago.

Weaver was also Walton Grays appointee to the county Charter Commission, a 14-member panel that meets every few years to study structural changes to county government. In November 2019, a month before he was hired by Page, Weaver was one of nine commissioners to block a measure that would have ended non-merit executive assistants and secretaries for department heads.

Weavers work for Walton Gray also came under scrutiny in 2019 in federal indictments against former County Executive Steve Stenger, who had tried to arrange a bribe to sway a female County Council members vote on the redevelopment of Jamestown Mall by having the developer hire her father. The scheme was partly revealed in an FBI search warrant in Stengers case, which detailed federal agents recordings from inside Stengers house in September 2018 that captured conversations between Stenger and his chief of staff Bill Miller.

Walton Gray, who represented the district that includes the Jamestown Mall site, was the only person to match the description of the official Stenger sought to bribe, but it was unclear whether she or her father ever knew about the scheme or participated in it. Weaver had met with Stenger campaign adviser, Ed Rhode, and a donor, Dan Devereux, who was friendly with the developers about the project, and had told reporters he had considered the donor a middleman who could set up meetings with the developers for Walton Gray.

After Stenger resigned and was succeeded by Page, Walton Gray was among county officials supporting the county Port Authority's decision to issue a new call for redevelopment proposals for the Jamestown Mall site.

Weaver himself ran unsuccessfully for the 4th District County Council seat in 2008, while leading Unity Pac, seeking to unseat then-Councilman Mike OMara, D-Florissant.

He also ran unsuccessfully in 2014 to fill a seat vacated by former state representative Steve Webb, who had resigned and pleaded guilty to stealing $3,000 in campaign funds. Steve Webb is the husband of Shalonda Webb.

Weaver has been a Spanish Lake Township committeeman since 2004 and was previously a member of the Jennings School Board in the early 1990s. He was also active in the Hazelwood School District, where his children attended school, running unsuccessfully for the school board each year between 2002 and 2006.

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ST. LOUIS  A woman died Tuesday morning after being shot in the chest in the Walnut Park East neighborhood, police said.

The unidentified victim was shot about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 5000 block of Davison Avenue, about two blocks north of Interstate 70, police said.

She had been hit more than once and was found dead in the street, police said.

The gunshot detection system ShotSpotter alerted police to gunfire less than a block away.

Police have not released her name or age, nor the circumstances that led to the killing. Police also haven't said if they arrested anyone or have any suspects.

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JEFFERSON CITY  A new law in Missouri prohibits pharmacists from questioning doctors who prescribe the controversial off-label drugs ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for patients.

The measure, which goes into effect in August, was signed Tuesday by Gov. Mike Parson after it was approved by the Legislature in May.

Under the law, state medical licensing boards would be prohibited from punishing or taking away the medical licenses of doctors who lawfully prescribe the two drugs, which became unproven alternatives to treating COVID-19 among people who opposed vaccinations.

The law also bars pharmacists from contacting a doctor or patient to dispute the efficacy of ivermectin tablets or hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets for human use unless the doctor or patient asks about the drugs effectiveness.

Ivermectin is typically used to treat parasitic worms in horses. The drug is authorized for humans to treat infections caused by parasitic worms, head lice and skin conditions like rosacea, but not COVID-19.

You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, yall. Stop it, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration tweeted in August 2021.

In September 2021, Dr. Steven Brown of Chesterfield told KMOV (Channel 4) that cases of ivermectin toxicity had occurred at Mercy hospitals across the state. Brown is a virtual care physician for Mercy.

People who are relying upon ivermectin and remaining unvaccinated are under a tremendous false sense of security, Brown said. I have seen people with ivermectin toxicity in the emergency room from taking the animal formulation. Ive seen people who relied on ivermectin to prevent themselves from getting COVID who are on ventilators and who have died.

Hydroxychloroquine was developed to treat malaria caused by mosquito bites.

The FDA in July 2020 said hydroxychloroquine showed no benefit for decreasing the likelihood of death or speeding recovery from the coronavirus.

The agency also received multiple reports of people who have been hospitalized after taking ivermectin intended for livestock, according to its website.

The Missouri Pharmacy Association opposed the legislation.

We were not happy with the whole discussion. I think we got the language where it is tolerable for pharmacists, executive director Ron Fitzwater said Tuesday. Its an example of something that when you let outside factors get involved in policy. Its very unfortunate.

The legislation, which was added as an amendment to a package of changes to medical licensing regulations, was sponsored by Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville.

He said he had heard concerns from doctors about potential repercussions if they prescribed the two drugs.

They were in fear of potentially losing their licenses if they were turned in, Brattin said Tuesday. They wanted something done about it.

He said the two drugs had become politicized during the pandemic.

Certain pharmacists wanted to begin acting like physicians and denying the filling of the prescriptions. This reestablishes the professional equilibrium between doctors and pharmacists, Brattin said.

Rep. Patty Lewis, D-Kansas City, earlier told the Kansas City Star that Democrats agreed to the language in the bill to satisfy a group of hard-right conservatives in the Senate.

Brattin, who is aligned with the Senates Conservative Caucus, is running to represent Missouris 4th District in Congress.

The legislation is House Bill 2149.

Posted at 2:43 p.m. Tuesday, June 7.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Iowa Democrat Mike Franken, a retired Navy admiral, will challenge Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley's reelection this fall after winning his party's nomination Tuesday over two competitors.

Franken beat former congresswoman Abby Finkenauer and physician Glenn Hurst to earn the right to run against Grassley, who is seeking an eighth Senate term and beat back a nominal primary challenge of his own.

"What must happen is we must defeat Chuck Grassley, Franken told supporters in Des Moines after receiving a call of congratulations from Finkenauer. Were done with this. Were absolutely done. Im not going to be the junior senator from Iowa. Im going to be the leading senator from the state of Iowa.

Frankens primary win is something of a surprise, given Finkenauer was better known throughout the state after her 2018 victory over a Republican congressman that made her the second-youngest woman elected to Congress. Finkenauer lost in a reelection bid in 2020 but was a frequent presence on cable television and raised millions of dollars toward her Senate run.

But Franken campaigned in more than 50 of Iowa's 99 counties, touting his upbringing in rural, northwest Iowa where Democrats have all but vanished from public office. And yet Franken beat Finkenauer soundly in the state's most populous areas including the Des Moines metro area, as well as in the liberal bastion of Iowa City, next door to Finkenauer's eastern Iowa base.

We're going to take this race from a third-tier Senatorial race to a tier one, the most interesting race in nation, Franken added.

In his campaign, Franken emphasized a need to dial down the political tension in Washington. He also called for adding a public insurance option to the Affordable Care Act.

Joyce Mahl of Council Bluffs in western Iowa said she voted for Franken because she was unsure Iowans would vote for a Democratic woman in the general election, though Iowa has elected Democratic women, including Finkenauer, to Congress. Mahl's top priority is a candidate she views as stronger against Grassley.

If you want Grassley out, youve got to vote for the one that you think can beat him, Mahl, 66, said after voting at a downtown Council Bluffs church.

Franken will nonetheless face stiff headwinds going into the general election against Grassley, who has served seven terms. A state that Democrat Barack Obama won in two presidential elections has steadily shifted to the right in recent years, part of a broader transformation that has spread through the Northern Plains that has made it increasingly difficult for Democrats to compete statewide.

Mark Hollander, 47, a marketing professional from West Des Moines, said he voted for Finkenauer in part because of her background in Congress, but also because she represents a new generation. Finkenauer stressed limiting the number of terms a member of the Senate can serve.

I do agree with her on term limits, Hollander said. I feel that Grassley has not been especially effective in the last decade-plus and has turned more obstructionist at this point.

But Finkenauer's campaign faced an unexpected stumble in April when she nearly didn't make the primary ballot. Republican activists claimed she hadnt gathered enough signatures from enough counties. A district judge ruled Finkenauer hadnt qualified for the ballot, a ruling she called deeply partisan. The Iowa Supreme Court overruled that decision and allowed her to run.

Still, the episode turned off a number of veteran state Democratic activists, former candidates and officeholders, prompting some to give Franken a second look. He posted stronger first-quarter fundraising figures than Finkenauer and earned endorsements from some well-known former Finkenauer supporters bothered by her declining to accept responsibility for the filing mistakes.

Grassley, from New Hartford in northern Iowa, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980 after serving three terms in the U.S. House.

Associated Press writers David Pitt in West Des Moines, Iowa, and Grant Schulte in Council Bluffs, Iowa, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  U.S. House battles took shape in heavily Democratic California that could tip the balance of power in Congress, while former Trump administration Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was in a tight match to claim the Republican nomination for a new House seat in Montana.

In Mississippi, two Republican congressmen were forced into runoffs to keep their seats. Rep. Steven Palazzo had been dogged by ethics questions over his campaign spending, while Rep. Michael Guest faced a challenger who criticized his vote on a proposal to create an outside commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

Primary elections across seven states Tuesday set up November contests in dozens of races, as Democrats look to protect the party's fragile majority in the House.

In a diverse district anchored in California's Orange County, Republican U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel, a South Korean immigrant, will face Democrat Jay Chen. The district, which includes the nations largest Vietnamese American community, is widely considered a toss-up.

In other districts in the nation's most populous state, two Republican House members were trying to surmount challenges tied to former President Donald Trump: One voted to support Trump's impeachment after the U.S. Capitol insurrection, while the other fought against it.

A look at results in key U.S. House races Tuesday:

BATTLEGROUND CALIFORNIA: TRUMP HISTORY LOOMS IN KEY DISTRICTS

In 2020, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia won a narrow victory in a Democratic-leaning district north of Los Angeles. The former Navy fighter pilot was endorsed by Trump that year, then joined House Republicans who rejected electoral votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania and opposed Trumps impeachment after the Capitol insurrection. That record will be a focus for Democrat Christy Smith, who earned a chance for a rematch with Garcia, after losing two years ago.

In a Democratic-tilting district in the states Central Valley farm belt, Republican Rep. David Valadao is highlighting an independent streak while contending with GOP fallout for his vote to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6 insurrection. Early returns showed him holding an edge over Republican Chris Mathys, who made Valadaos vote a centerpiece in his campaign to oust him. The winner will face Democrat Rudy Salas, a state legislator.

California uses a top-two election format in which only the two leading vote-getters advance to the November general election, regardless of party.

In the Central Valley, Republican Connie Conway won a special election to complete the term of former Rep. Devin Nunes, who resigned to head Trumps media company.

TWO MISSISSIPPI CONGRESSMEN FORCED INTO RUNOFFS

A pair of GOP congressmen in Mississippi are headed to June 28 runoffs.

U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, first elected in 2010, will face Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell after failing to win the GOP nomination outright on Tuesday, earning less than 50% of the vote.

A 2021 report by the Office of Congressional Ethics found substantial reason to believe Palazzo, a military veteran who serves on the Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, abused his office by misspending campaign funds, doing favors for his brother and enlisting staff for political and personal errands. His then-spokesperson, Colleen Kennedy, said the probe was based on politically motivated false allegations.

In another Mississippi district, U.S. Rep. Michael Guest will face former Navy pilot Michael Cassidy in a district that cuts through parts of central Mississippi.

Cassidy criticized Guest for being in the minority of Republicans who voted to create an outside commission to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol  a group that would have been separate from the congressional committee now conducting the investigation. Cassidy also says on his website that President Joe Biden should be impeached.

FORMER TRUMP CABINET MEMBER SEEKS RETURN TRIP TO WASHINGTON

Montana gained a second congressional district this year thanks to its growing population, and Zinke, an Interior Department secretary under Trump, is one of five Republicans on the primary ballot for the open seat.

Zinke's rivals have been drawing attention to his troubled tenure at the agency, which was marked by multiple ethics investigations. One investigation determined Zinke lied to an agency ethics official about his continued involvement in a commercial real estate deal in his hometown. Hes faced a smear campaign over his military service from the extreme right wing of his party and questions about his residency following revelations that his wife declared a house in California as her primary residence.

Zinke, a former Navy SEAL and former Montana congressman, was in a tight race Wednesday against former state Sen. Al Doc Olszewski, an orthopedic surgeon and hard-line conservative who has tried to paint Zinke as a liberal insider. The results of the race were being delayed because of ballot printing errors that forced officials in one county to count votes by hand.

The winner will face Olympic rower and attorney Monica Tranel, a Democrat, in the general election.

IOWA'S SOLE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE MEMBER FACES A TOUGH FIGHT

A Republican state senator has captured the slot to take on Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne this fall in a newly drawn district that appears more favorable for the GOP.

Axne is the only Democrat in Iowa's House delegation.

State Sen. Zach Nunn easily outdistanced rivals Nicole Hasso, a financial services worker, and Gary Leffler, who works in the construction industry, to claim the GOP spot. Nunn, an Air Force pilot who has served in the Legislature since 2014 and has worked to cut taxes, was the best known among the GOP contenders.

In previous elections, Axne was elevated by her strong support in the Des Moines area, even as she struggled in rural counties that typically lean Republican. The new district includes several counties in southern Iowa known to turn out strongly for Republicans, increasing the pressure on Axne to drive up her numbers in Democrat-friendly Des Moines and its suburbs.

REMATCH COMING IN NEW JERSEY HOUSE BATTLEGROUND

In what could be New Jerseys most closely watched contest in the fall, Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski and Republican Tom Kean Jr. won their primaries, setting up a rematch of their closely contested 2020 race.

Malinowski, a State Department official in the Obama administration, is seeking a third term as his party faces headwinds heading into the general election. His district added more Republican-leaning towns during redistricting, making his reelection bid potentially more difficult.

Another complicating factor is an ethics investigation hes facing over stock transactions in medical and tech companies that had a stake in the pandemic response. A report from the Office of Congressional Ethics said the board found substantial reason to believe he failed to properly disclose or report his stock transactions.

Malinowski said his failure to initially disclose the transactions was a mistake that I own 100%. He said he didnt direct or even ask questions about trades made by his brokerage firm.

Kean, a former state Senate minority leader and the son of the former two-term Republican governor, said in a tweet that he was humbled by his victory and looks forward to seizing the seat in November.

SOUTH DAKOTA REPUBLICAN BEATS BACK CHALLENGE FROM POLITICAL RIGHT

U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota won his states GOP primary contest as he runs for a third term.

Johnson defeated state lawmaker Taffy Howard, who tried to run to his right. He is set for reelection in November because no other candidate has entered the race.

Howard repeated Trumps lies that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election and attacked Johnson for certifying the electoral college vote. While Johnson touted his conservative voting record during the primary contest, the congressman has also worked with a bipartisan group of lawmakers called the Problem Solvers Caucus.

Johnson drew attacks from a pro-Trump political action committee called Drain the DC Swamp, which spent $500,000 trying to knock him from the House.

Associated Press writers Scott McFetridge in Des Moines, Iowa; Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Miss.; Matthew Brown in Billings, Mont.; Mike Catalini in Trenton, N.J.; and Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, S.D., contributed to this report.

Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Since late 2019 I've booked, canceled, and re-booked the same trip five times using frequent flyer miles. And that process has illustrated a lot of important conclusions about the process  both earning miles and using them. I was concentrating on flying business class to and from Europe from my home in Oregon, but I checked other options along the way. Clearly, with all the variables involved, I can report only my own experience, but I think some conclusions are broadly representative of what anyone would find.

1. Miles do Not Improve with Age.

The value of a frequent flyer mile is inexorably declining. During each of my five successive tries for the same trip, I found that lowest-mile mileage requirement kept increasing and itinerary options kept getting worse  in both business and economy. I expect devaluation of miles to continue indefinitely.

Yes, you can still get some economy class long-haul round-trips within the U.S. for 25,000 miles and to Europe for 60,000 miles, but many  if not all  the available lowest-mile trips increasingly rely on itineraries you wouldn't want: New York to London with a connection in Istanbul or Warsaw, for example, or San Francisco to Paris with back-to-back red-eyes and a full day layover on the East Coast, and few, if any nonstops.

2. Want are Miles Worth Now?

Over the years, the very active frequent flyer blogosphere has valued credit on big US airlines between 1.0 and 1.7 cents a mile. Most foreign airlines show slightly lower values. And transferable American Express, Chase, and Citi credit is worth 1.8 to 2 cents per mile/point. Surprisingly, that hasn't changed much over the last few years. But those values look increasingly high:

Economy class. Currently, for mid-September travel, you can buy long-haul domestic round-trips for $400 to $500 and the lowest-mileage frequent flyer awards are still 25,000 to 30,000 miles. That calculates to a credit value of 1.3 to 2 cents a mile. Nonstop flights to Europe start at $500 from the East Coast; $900 from the West. Frequent flyer round-trips start at 60,000 miles. The math there works out to 0.8 to 1.5 cents a mile.

Business class. My most recent attempt for this coming September costs 145,000 United miles, with a lousy itinerary eastbound. Big-line business class round-trips currently start at $5000 plus, so you could calculate the per-mile value at 3.4 cents each. But most of us wouldn't pay $5000 for a ticket. I regularly see promotional business class round-trip fares to Europe at around $2100, which computes to a more realistic value of about 1.4 cents a mile

3. Credit Card Miles

Clearly, you'll accumulate whatever miles you can by flying. But maximizing credit-card miles is generally not a good deal. A good reward card these days can earn 2 cents per dollar charged on all your charges, so you're generally better off shunning airline cards and instead going for cash-back cards. Even if you have an airline card that gives you free checked bags and other benefits, it's not likely that the various airline benefits will offset annual fees.

4. Getting Top Value

Maximizing the value of your miles can be complicated. Blogger Ben Schlappig (onemileatatime.com) recently listed eight best mileage "sweet spots," and six of them involved using one airline's points to book a flight on some other airline. Special transfer promotions can also offer improved value. For another future trip, I saw a terrific deal: transfer AmEx points to British airways with a 40 percent promotional bonus, then transfer the BA points to Iberia to book the ticket.

If you aren't confident about manipulating miles yourself, a cottage industry of award booking assistance is available. I decided to test the system with PointMe (point.me), and it worked well. The agent there did all the work of converting 82,000 AmEx points into a round-trip business class trip to Europe  that's just a bit over half of the miles for my earlier trip and well worth the $200 fee.

I expect devaluation of miles to continue indefinitely. Use 'em, don't sit on 'em.

(Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Also, check out Eds new rail travel website at www.rail-guru.com.)
Russia and China have been very public about their envy, anger and hostility towards the new Starlink space-based communication system. Russia was the first to feel the pain caused by Starlink and declared Starlink founder and leader Elon Musk an enemy who should be executed. China was less emotional and more practical by making public a government study of the Starlink problem and asking for comments and new solutions. This is a common practice in China and used to be in Russia, especially when the Soviet Union existed. The Soviets used this publicity technique primarily to let all officers in the military know of new tactics, concepts or problems the state was having with something. Public discussion was allowed to help eliminate the less useful suggestions and solutions. Post-Soviet Russia began as a democracy with a new constitution that protected free-speech and ended the domination of the state over how people lived and worked. There were a lot fewer state secrets and the FSB, the successor to the Soviet-era KGB secret police/domestic and national intelligence agency, was deprived of much of its Soviet era power and privileges. As some Russians predicted, the KGB regained power after former (for 16 years) KGB officer Vladimir Putin became president of a democratic Russia. After some initial success improving the economy and curbing corruption, he decided that long-term success for Russia depended on reviving many Soviet-era practices. That included Putin becoming president for life and many new laws to revive Soviet-era practices like more government secrecy and less personal freedom for Russians.

Talented Russian managers, entrepreneurs and innovators sensed they were no longer welcome and began to flee the new Russia while they still could. This crippled Russian technology development and effective management of entire industries. This included the space program, which was still a money maker because Russia could put satellites into space more cheaply than anyone else. The decline of the space program was very visible and embarrassing. Nothing Putin did to fix the problem worked. The space program stumbled into decline, losing more customers and any ability to fix itself. There were similar, but less obvious, failures in the military and key industries. The government responded by outlawing any reporting of these problems and enforcing the new laws. Its space program responded to successful foreign competition with ridicule. This was the case with the more efficient SLV (Satellite Launch Vehicles) that could return to earth and land under their own power rather than falling back to earth and burning up as they entered the atmosphere. Russian experts called it a clever trick that had no future.

China decided to legalize entrepreneurship and personal wealth in the 1980s, before the Soviet Union collapsed, and became an economic and technology powerhouse. Three decades later China has the second largest GDP and space program on the planet. As a result, China is more of a threat to Starlink than Russia. The published Chinese report on Starlink admitted that Starlink was a threat to state censorship of the Internet and communications in general. The Chinese listed the available techniques for disabling or destroying space-based threats and admitted that Starlink was designed to resist physical attacks on satellites or command signals from earth-based controllers. The comments and suggestions seemed to agree that hacking Starlink was more likely to succeed. This took into account that Starlink was designed to more quickly recover from any successful hacks, or new vulnerabilities that hackers had not yet discovered. The Russians and Chinese agreed on one thing; Starlink was a very real threat to both of them. The best the Russians could do was threaten assassination. The Chinese are seeking a less dramatic solution that has a chance of succeeding.

Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, is not the only multiple small satellite ISP (Internet Service Provider) system. There are similar efforts underway in several countries, including Russia and China. Starlink is unique in that it was the first to enter service and quickly proved it could do what it was designed to do. That included quickly adapting to the needs of military users.

Ukraine was one of the few nations to recognize this and in 2021 was negotiating with SpaceX to gain early access to the new Starlink satellite-based high-speed Internet service. Once the Russians invaded in February 2022, Musk ordered Starlink (still in global beta-test mode) turned on for Ukraine and within days had delivered 500 user kits (a small satellite dish and a special modem) with thousands more following. Some Ukrainian engineers had already obtained user kits, to check out the tech and in anticipation of Starlink soon being accessible locally. Ukrainians were impressed by the potential for Starlink, because hundreds of users in other parts of the world already had access for testing purposes and reported consistent high-speed Internet access anywhere.

Another advantage of Starlink was the rapidity of upgrades or modifications to deal with problems, including Russian efforts to jam or disrupt Starlinks performance in Ukraine. Not only were the Russians unable to disable Starlink, but found its encrypted signals a major asset for the Ukrainian military and far superior to communications Russian troops had in Ukraine. Worse for the Russians was the Ukrainian ability to rapidly integrate Starlink with Ukrainian communications and fire control systems.

SpaceX pointed out that it could put additional Starlink satellites into orbit faster than Russia or anyone else could destroy them. This capability was part of the Starlink design that not only allowed satellite and user software to be quickly updated, but new Starlink satellites often had new features added to improve performance and that included more resistance to hacking and jamming.

Starlink satellites are designed to last for up to seven years and the Starlink system is designed to expand to over 30,000 satellites if demand by paying customers is large enough to justify and pay for it. Starlink already has a Starlink 2 satellite design ready to replace aging satellites and expand the Starlink satellite numbers. The new satellite is designed to operate more efficiently over countries that outlaw Starlink as an ISP. Nearly half the Internet users on the planet live in countries that heavily censor Internet use. Starlink makes it much more difficult to censor Internet users. Originally designed to provide affordable high-speed Internet use to those in remote areas, Starlink discovered it had gained a l0t of new customer interest because of the experience in Ukraine.

Initially Starlink was just meant to provide Ukrainian military units with better communications than the Russian invaders. That edge has been maintained and it is expected that the Russians will continue trying to disrupt Starlink service without being able to improve their own military comms much.

China sees Starlink as a serious threat to the current government and its control over the population as well as the effectiveness of their military. Thats no speculation because its already happening, often live on TV, in Ukraine.
[June 06, 2022] A Guide: How To Buy Contacts Online In 2022 Tips and tricks to buy online and save big on brand-name contact lenses. LAS VEGAS, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It can be overwhelming to purchase contact lenses, especially for the first time. At Lens.com, they've gathered practical information to help guide you through buying contact lenses online. When buying contact lenses, the best way to ensure you're saving money is to comparison shop. Overpaying for contact lenses can really add up over time. Take your contact lens prescription from your eye doctor or eye care professional and shop online to start saving money. How To Buy Contacts Online? Before you can place an order for contact lenses, there are a few steps you'll need to take. 1. Obtain a contact lens prescription. A current contact lens prescription issued by a licensed eye care professional is required for any contact lens purchase. U.S. law requires retailers worldwide to verify prescriptions when shipping to a U.S. address.



Prescriptions for eyeglass and contact lenses differ in many respects and are not interchangeable. When you schedule your visit, ask for a "contact lens evaluation" as part of your eye exam. Most providers charge an extra fee for a contact lens evaluation and fitting to help cover the cost of supplies provided to you and the additional time to evaluate the fit of your lenses.



Prescriptions expire in a year or two, depending on the state where you live. If you already have a contact lens prescription you love, you may be eligible to renew your prescription for as little as $10 with an online eye exam.



If you've lost your prescription or your provider was reluctant to provide a copy, Lens.com can obtain your prescription when you place your order. Provide your eye doctor's name and contact information to their customer service staff at 1-800-LENS.COM (536-7266), and they will help secure your contact lens prescription. 2. Find a reputable retailer. Stick to looking for the brand name listed on your prescription in your search. This will help you find your product more easily. When comparing prices among retailers, look at the quantity to ensure you're looking at comparable products.



With more than 45 million people in the U.S. wearing contact lenses, chances are you know someone who is a regular contact lens wearer. Ask your friends and family which retailers they trust when ordering their contact lenses. Sometimes there might even be a referral bonus or discount they can pass along to you.



In 2022, CNET named Lens.com the best place to buy your favorite name-brand contacts online. Lens.com earned this distinction for its unmatched low prices, excellent customer service based 100 percent in the U.S., online eye exams, massive stock of hard-to-find lenses, and that they accept returns of unopened boxes. 3. Completing your order. Once you've found a retailer to complete your purchase, carefully create your order. Selected the lens name, manufacturer name, or lens type to locate your product. When you find the lens you want to purchase, pick the correct prescription and add it to your shopping cart by clicking "Add to Cart". The shopping cart will hold everything for you until you are ready to check out.



Double-check your entries to ensure accuracy and avoid delays in shipping. Some retailers will require that you provide a copy of your prescription. Others, like Lens.com, can obtain your prescription for you. Be sure to include a good email address and phone number where you can be reached if your retailer needs to get a hold of you about your order.



Consider purchasing your contact lens solution and other eye care products online to compound your savings.



If you have a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HAS), use that to pay for your purchase of contact lenses and care solution for additional savings. 4. What to do when your contact lens order arrives. Always inspect your order to ensure you've received the correct product and quantity. Verify your packing slip matches your order receipt. Contact lenses have a long shelf life, but they do expire, so check the expiration date as well.



Mark your calendar for when you'll need to order contact lenses again. Be sure it's before your prescription expires, and give yourself enough time for shipping.



Once you've purchased contact lenses, bookmark your retailer's website to make it easy to return and reorder. What To Consider When Comparing Retailers Online The contact lens industry is highly regulated because contact lenses are classified as medical devices by the Federal Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Even for cosmetic colored contact lenses, a prescription from a licensed eye care professional is required because of the significant potential for harm. An ill-fitting contact lens can cause corneal abrasions and ulcers, eye infections, and even vision loss. While your eye doctor may have your brand of contacts in stock, you'll find significant savings and convenience by shopping online. Online retailers have many advantages over brick-and-mortar stores, leading to savings passed along to you as a consumer. Online stores don't have to pay for expensive retail space, staffing a store that may or may not be busy, plus limited business hours. Not all online retailers are reputable, and some sell counterfeit contact lenses. The health of your eyes is too important to trust a manufacturer that cannot meet the strict requirements set by the FDA. Avoid any issues with the quality of your lenses, and stick to name-brand contact lenses sold through a reputable retailer. But what makes a retailer reputable? Consider how long the company has been in business. Where are their headquarters and operational locations? Review their business policies for returns, shipping, and customer service availability. For example, let's look at Lens.com. It was founded in 1995 and is the longest-running online contact lens retailer in the U.S. Its headquarters are in Nevada, and its distribution center and contact center are in Missouri. They sell major brands and types worn by over 99% of all contact lens wearers, making Lens.com an ideal retailer for just about anyone. To top it off, they have one of the most generous return policies in the business. Steps to Take Before Buying Contacts Online You've been considering contacts for yourself or someone else. Maybe it's a teen who wants to ditch eyeglasses and get contact lenses. Whatever the reason, it's good to prepare yourself with what to expect and pitfalls to avoid. 1. Decide if contact lenses are right for you. Contact lenses are a health care device that almost everyone can safely use. But it's important to note that there are considerable risks if proper hygiene practices are not followed or if the lenses fit incorrectly. Before switching to contact lenses, it's essential to evaluate if the patient is up to maintaining an eye care routine.



Each contact lens has a recommended cleaning and replacement schedule. Some require daily cleaning and storage, others can be tossed at the end of the day with a fresh set of lenses used the next, and others can be worn continuously for several days before cleaning or replacement.



It is imperative to have freshly washed hands when inserting or removing your contact lenses. Consider your daily routine and ability to maintain a proper hygiene schedule and discuss further with your eye doctor.



Patients with certain eye conditions may not be good candidates for contacts, such as severe dry eyes or those susceptible to eye infections. Your eye professional can help you decide if contact lenses are right for you. 2. Prepare for your eye exam and contact lens fitting. Your eye doctor will examine the health of your eyes and dilate your pupils. When discussing contact lenses, share what type of hygiene schedule you feel fits your lifestyle best. For example, if your schedule is hectic and you frequently fall asleep on the couch, that's essential information to help your eye doctor prescribe contacts that match your lifestyle.



Contact lens fittings, especially for first-timers, can be a peculiar experience. Relax! Your eye care professional will walk you through the steps. You may want to go without eye makeup to make it easier and not worry about tears messing up your look. 3. Which contact lenses are the best for new contact lens wearers? Getting used to the feel of contact lenses on your eyes takes some time to adjust. This process can be helped by selecting a comfortable contact lens.



According to Lens.com, there are three contact lenses that stand out and are popular among users based on their unique qualities.



Picked for its remarkable balance of comfort and breathability, Cooper Visions's Biofinity is a monthly disposable lens. These lenses are specially designed to deliver remarkable visual performance, whether you're nearsighted or farsighted. They are also FDA-approved for extended wear, meaning they can be worn continuously for up to six nights and seven days before they need to be removed and cleaned. If you demand exceptional quality, try Biofinity contact lenses.



Another great lens for new contact lens wearers is made by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, one of the most trusted brands in health products. The Acuvue Oasys is often picked for new wearers because of its ability to keep your eyes moist and comfortable. These bi-weekly contacts are ideal for contact lens wearers who experience eye dryness or live in a dry climate. These contacts feature Acuvue's innovative HYDRACLEAR PLUS. Inspired by the way the eye's tear film works, this wetting agent keeps the contacts wet and smooth for all-day comfort. They are also FDA-approved for extended wear of up to six nights and seven days of wear before needing to be removed and cleaned.



New contact lens wearers are often concerned with comfort and convenience. Alcon's Dailies Total1 is an excellent choice because wearing them feels like you're not wearing contacts. This contact lens is designed to be disposed before going to sleep and replaced the next day with a fresh set. Since you're tossing out your contacts every day, there's no daily cleaning ritual, and you get fresh lenses each day. Dailies Total1 (90 pack) are the only contact lenses to feature both Water Gradient and SmarTears Technology for comfort that lasts. 4. Receiving your contact lens prescription. Following your contact lens fitting, your eye doctor is required to provide your contact lens prescription. Congress granted your right to your prescription through the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act. In conjunction with the Contact Lens Rule, this act gives patients the legal right to shop around for contact lenses. Your eye doctor cannot require you to buy contact lenses from them, pay an additional fee beyond the exam and contact lens evaluation fee, or sign a waiver or release of liability or responsibility for your examination.



Some consumers have reported issues receiving their contact lens prescription. You may need to ask for your prescription at the end of your contact lens fitting.



Also, ask your eye doctor to clarify any information you do not understand when receiving your prescription. Make sure your prescription is complete with the following information:

 Your name and your eye doctor's name

 Your exam date and the expiration date of your prescription

 Contact lens brand name and manufacturer

 Contact lens material, power (with +/- signs), diameter, and base curve/designation of the lens



Another critical piece of information to understand about your new contact lens prescription is the replacement schedule and how many come in a box. You'll need this information when comparing pricing and placing your order. 5. How do I read my contact prescription? Although the data that makes up your contact lens prescription may seem intimidating, a contact lens prescription is intended to keep your eyes safe and comfortable and ensure you'll receive optimum vision correction.



Here are the abbreviations used in a typical contact lens prescription. These abbreviations can also be found on the end or side of your contact lens box:





Abbreviation Meaning Definition OD Oculus Dexter Latin for "Right Eye" OS Oculus Sinister Latin for "Left Eye" OU Oculus Uterque Latin for "Both Eyes" SPH Sphere The overall power of the lens. BC Base Curve Back curve of a contact lens is measured in millimeters. DIA Diameter Diameter of your lens from edge to edge. CYL Cylinder A "+" refers to farsightedness, and "-"refers to nearsightedness. AX Axis A measurement to correct astigmatism. ADD Add Power Typically found in prescriptions for reading or close-up vision. Your contact lens prescription will include information about the brand and, in the case of colored or cosmetic lenses, a reference to the color or design. The information may seem complicated, but it's very straightforward once you understand the abbreviations. Millions of Americas each year purchase their contact lenses online. Join in the savings and convenience of online shopping. Would you like more tips about buying contacts online? Visit Lens.com's eyeSTYLE blog with 10 tips for buying contacts online. About Lens.com Founded in 1995, Lens.com, Inc. is the nation's 2nd largest online retailer for contact lenses, offering consumers all the popular brands of contact lenses at wholesale prices with convenient quick delivery. The company provides competitive pricing, convenience, personalized customer service, and online eye exam through its easy-to-use website www.Lens.com and its toll-free telephone number "1-800 LENS.COM" (1-800-536-7266). Lens.com is a privately-held U.S. corporation based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Contact: Janet Webster

888-812-9480, PR@Lens.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-guide-how-to-buy-contacts-online-in-2022-301562191.html SOURCE Lens.com, Inc.

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Israel continues to block the sale or donation of any Israeli weapons to Ukraine by NATO countries that have bought or built under license Israeli weapons. Ukraine has been particularly eager to get some Israeli Spike anti-tank missiles. Refusing to send weapons does encourage Israel to donate more non-lethal aid like protective vests and helmets as well as medical supplies, including a mobile hospital staffed by volunteer Israeli medical personnel. Israel cannot afford to have any Russians getting killed by Israeli weapons. This is all about Israels need to remain on good terms with Russia. Israel has always had good relations with Russia, which was one of the first nations to recognize the new state of Israel in 1948. This played a role in Russian Jews being allowed to migrate to Israel starting in the 1970s. Currently about 15 percent of the Israeli population are either those who migrated from Russia or their descendants. Many of these Russian Jews came from Ukraine, where the current leader is Jewish and since he was elected president in 2019, he backed more economic and security connections with NATO and the West. Despite that Russia worked hard to maintain its good relations with Israel and in 2016 Russian leader Vladimir Putin described Russia and Israel as unconditional allies' '.

Thousands of Russian Israelis have demonstrated in support of Ukraine since the February invasion. The Israeli government refused to openly criticize the Russian invasion and tried to use its good relationship with Russia to help negotiate an end to the fighting and the war. That has not gone as well as expected but it has provided Russian and Ukrainian leaders with a reliable, discreet and quick way to communicate with each other and NATO leaders, especially the Americans by going through Israel.

Israel reacted to the more limited 2014 Russian attacks on Ukraine by halting cooperation with Russian efforts to develop modern UAVs. Because of its even closer relationship with the United States, Israel has never provided Russia with lethal weapons or weapons technology. At the same time Israel has sold over a billion dollars worth of weapons to Moslem majority Azerbaijan, another former part of the Soviet Union that borders Iran and Russian backed Armenia. In late 2020 there was a brief war between Azerbaijan and Armenia that the Azeris won, in part because of the Israeli weapons.

Selling weapons to Ukraine was another matter and Russia apparently told Israel that such sales could reduce Russian cooperation in Syria against Iran. Most Israelis support Ukraine, but the Iranian threat is very real and next door, so Israeli politicians cannot ignore it unless they want to lose their next election. Russia has already suffered major economic losses from the additional economic sanctions imposed after the 2022 invasion and may end up a much-reduced military power. This could include the withdrawal of their forces in Syria. Even with that, Russia remains a major nuclear power with a large enough arsenal to trigger the nuclear apocalypse that became a reality in the 1960s and has kept the peace between the nuclear powers ever since. Vladimir Putin openly threatens to use nukes to keep NATO nations from supporting Ukraine militarily. NATO is sending in lots of weapons anyway, but not NATO forces. Israel wants to stay off the Russian nuclear targets list.

June 6, 2022: In southern Syria (outside Damascus) an Israeli airstrike used ten missiles against Hezbollah and Iranian facilities outside the city. There was a lot of damage but no reports of casualties. These attacks are usually carried out at night, to reduce the possibility of civilians in or passing near the target area being injured. This is the 14th Israeli attack in Syria for 2022.

June 2, 2022: In Vietnam, the Israeli Defense Minister visited for the second time to discuss increased cooperation in defense matters, including intelligence and cyber security as well as technology transfer and similar matters. Intel on terrorist threats, especially to Vietnamese and Israeli overseas is of particular interests and usefulness. For example, in late 2018 Egypt suffered an Islamic terrorist attack near the pyramids, Islamic terrorists. This involved a bomb detonated on a tourist bus which killed three foreign (from Vietnam) tourists and an Egyptian guide. There were twelve wounded. This was the first such attack on tourists since 2017. This attack caused foreign tourists to cancel visits to Egypt, or at least to the pyramids. Israel shares Islamic terrorists information with Egypt and many other countries including some in the Middle East. Israel and Vietnam share many warnings of attacks that do not take place and other terrorist activity that does continue. Similar information sharing agreements have been arranged with many other nations in the region and they work often enough to justify maintaining them. While the Israeli visits to India and Vietnam were taking place, Thailand foiled an Iranian effort to carry out attacks on Israelis and Israelis businesses in Thailand. The last time this happened was in 2014 and the diplomatic damage Iran suffered has not been forgotten by Thais.

The Israeli Defense Minister also visited India on this trip for similar discussions. Israel has exported over billion dollars worth of weapons and defense-related items to Vietnam in the last decade. This is exceeded only by exports to India (Israels largest customer) and Moslem-majority Azerbaijan. In terms of annual defense exports, Israel is now in tenth place.

May 30, 2022: Israel warned its citizens in Turkey, or those planning to visit, that there was credible evidence that Iran was planning to attack Israelis in Turkey as retaliation for the assassination last week of IRGC colonel Hassan Khodaei in the Iranian capital. Iran always blames Israel for attacks like this. Turkish officials pointed out that while Iran often threatens to carry out attacks on Israelis in Turkey, they rarely do so. Aside from the fact that Turkish counterterrorism efforts against such attacks is quite good and that such an Iranian attack would damage cooperation between Turkey and Iran in Syria. The Turks believe Iran made the threat mainly for propaganda purposes.

May 25, 2022: Israeli military planners see the most dangerous threat to Israel is an attack from Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. Since 2021 the growing anti-Hezbollah attitudes in Lebanon make it easier for Israel to obtain information about Hezbollah military preparations for another war. The last war was in 2006 and lasted a month. Israel suffered 165 dead, including 46 civilians. Lebanon suffered 1,800 dead, about two-thirds of them civilians and Lebanese security forces caught in the crossfire. Most of the casualties were suffered during the first ten days of fighting. Since 2006 both Israel and Hezbollah have been preparing for another war, which would include some participation by Hamas in Gaza.

Israel estimates that another war would be shorter and there would be more fatalities, with at least 3,000 Lebanese and 300 Israelis killed during the first nine days. Hezbollah is expected to fire as many as 1,600 rockets a day into Israel, despite improved Israeli air defenses and use of artillery and airstrikes against rocket launching and storage sites. Another war is more likely now because Hezbollah has lost much of its influence over the Lebanese government and popularity with Lebanese in general. Another war would improve Hezbollah popularity among some Lebanese, even if the organization suffered far more damage. Israel seeks to minimize Lebanese civilian casualties in a future war, a task made more difficult by Hezbollah placing many of the rocket storage and launch sites in residential neighborhoods. The civilians are increasingly active in opposing this policy but all Hezbollah does is offer excuses and insist that all must join the fighting against Israeli aggression. The Israeli war plan involves most effective warnings to civilians near Hezbollah targets and more attacks on Hezbollah leaders, who expect to protect themselves using a new system of underground bunkers in southern Lebanon. Israel knows where most of these hideouts are and plans to use ground, airmobile and amphibious attacks to go after the largest number of key Hezbollah facilities, especially leaders. The amphibious operations will be more extensive as Israel is buying two amphibious ships from the United States.

Israeli aerial and satellite surveillance makes it possible to gain a greater understanding of how much training and construction Hezbollah and Hamas carry out. Israel keeps telling Lebanon that if Hezbollah attacks Israel again, like they did in 2006, Israeli attacks on Hezbollah would damage a lot of non-Hezbollah property and kill or injure a lot of Lebanese who do not belong to Hezbollah or their Iranian backers. Hezbollah has built a lot of its military facilities, especially tunnels, in residential areas. This was an effort to use their civilians as involuntary human shields against airstrikes. That does not work and most Lebanese are angry at Hezbollah, not Israel, for this situation. A similar situation is developing in Gaza.

Israel admits that their military intelligence operations inside Lebanon have been continuous during mid-2021 and unpublicized. Hezbollah will only talk about Israel aggression without revealing any details. There have been daily airstrikes and use of artillery as well as more intense intelligence gathering operations, including some Israeli forces operating inside Lebanon.

May 23, 2022: During the last two months Palestinian leaders have managed to revive their terror campaign against Israel with several successful (dead Israelis) attacks. This began in late March when four Israeli Jews were killed by a local Bedouin who was an ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) supporter. The killer was also an Israeli citizen and used a knife to attack people before armed civilians shot him dead. Most of these attacks on Israelis, usually with knives or vehicles, take place in the West Bank and began in 2015 when Palestinian leaders called for suicidal knife terrorism attacks. These attacks soon lost their popularity despite Fatah still pushing them energetically in all the Palestinian media. This can be seen in the number of Palestinian terror attacks disrupted each year. It was 217 in 2014, 187 in 2013, 112 in 2012 and 88 in 2011. In the last decade knife attacks are less common and almost always occur in the West Bank or Jerusalem. Since 1948 some 2,600 Israelis have died from terror attacks inside Israel. Nearly five percent of those dead were foreigners. Palestinian terrorism efforts have never recovered from the defeat they suffered, when Israel adopted new tactics that largely shut down the terror campaign the Palestinians began in 2000. Fatah and Hamas have been trying to revive that effort ever since and have largely failed. The 2022 Israeli deaths are hailed as a great victory while the 70 Palestinians killed during these attacks, especially the many that failed. Are described as Israeli oppression of peaceful Palestinians.

May 22, 2022: In Tehran, assassins killed IRGC colonel Hassan Sayyad Khodaei, who was responsible for recruiting locals in foreign countries to carry out attacks on Israelis there. His work was detected over a decade ago when he set up an attack in India that wounded an Israeli diplomat and his wife. Khodaei rarely wore his uniform and maintained a low profile, even while he was in Iran. For that reason, he was not assigned a security detail inside Iran. IRGC announced that they would take revenge for the death of Khodaei. An internal investigation of the assassination concluded that colonel Ali Esmailzadeh, one of Khodaeis associates apparently leaked information that made it possible for the assassins to track their target and carrying out the attack. On June 2nd Esmailzadeh died after he jumped or was pushed off the roof of his home in the Tehran suburbs. Israel denied any involvement with this and not many Iranians believe the official cause as suicide. Israel was indeed responsible for the death of Khodaei.

May 20, 2022: In southern Syria (outside Damascus) an Israeli airstrike on Iranian military facilities also left at least three dead.

May 13, 2022: In northwestern Syria (Hama province) an Israeli air-strike against Iranian targets left five dead and seven wounded. Most of the casualties belonged to Iran-backed militias or the Syrian army. These men are used to guard Iranian facilities in Syria. One civilian was killed and another wounded. Many of the Iranian SAM (surface to air) and anti-ship missiles and other weapons destroyed are headed for Hezbollah in Lebanon, for use against Israel. Another target of these airstrikes was the underground Syrian chemical weapons research center at Masyaf. Israel has been monitoring and occasionally attacking Masyaf for years. Since 2017 Iran has been actively assisting Syria in expanding the Masyaf operation, resuming the manufacture of chemical weapons and moving more of that to underground bunkers that are resistant to airstrikes. The recent attacks destroyed all the entrances to the underground facilities and apparently collapsed some or all of the underground spaces. Israel makes it clear that such attacks will continue as long as Syria and its patron Iran try to attack Israel and openly call for the destruction of Israel.

It was later revealed that the defense of Masyaf included at least one S300 Russian air defense missile being fired at the Israeli aircraft. The S300 missile was ineffective. The Russians noted this in Ukraine, despite the fact that Ukrainians, with some help from NATO nations, turned the S300 into an effective weapon against Russian aircraft. Syrians and Iranians noted this as well.

May 11, 2022: In southern Syria (Quneitra province) an Israeli airstrike and artillery fire hit Iranian forces preparing to fire on Israel. When Iran-backed forces move too close to the Israeli border they are attacked.
Vimond's Megan Wagoner Talks Acceleration of Cloud Broadcasting

Tim Siglin: Welcome back to Streaming Media East 2022, here at the Westin Copley in Boston. I've got today with me, Megan Wagoner, from Vimond. First of all, tell the audience here in the U.S. who may not know about Vimond what exactly the company is.

Megan Wagoner: Absolutely. We are an OTT streaming technology vendor, and we deal primarily in the video CMS space. Based in Norway,

Tim Siglin: So, you were on a panel that talked about broadcasting in the cloud. Tell us what broadcasting in the cloud means to Vimond.

Megan Wagoner: It's an interesting concept, in terms of working on a streaming vendor versus a more traditional kind of broadcast playout vendor. Wat we started the conversation with is kind of the definition and educating a little bit to make sure we were level-set on what that was. But the idea of broadcast being one-to-many versus more of the streaming, unicast type of solution. So in terms of what we talked about today, it was a lot of history of what broadcasters have done to get into the cloud. And then just things that you need to identify in terms of what to ask vendors what viewers you're going to have and how a lot of the business models are different.

Tim Siglin: And obviously what devices they're gonna consume on, that kind of thing. Now, what has the pandemic done for Vimond in terms of the acceleration of that cloud broadcasting?

Megan Wagoner: Well, I think as you can imagine, it's accelerated a lot of folks' idea for that. I often say that 2021 was the idea of acceptance of broadcast in the cloud, and 2022 is a lot of adoption. We also find that, at least for many startups where there were barriers of entry, that's really lowered a lot for people so that they are able to find tech solutions that can enable them to have a pretty niche streaming solution, a niche channel--something that maybe they didn't think that they could accomplish before. And so, again, it's educating people on what they need to make this happen and then finding the right fit. You know, it's gotta be a good business model. You've gotta have the right target audience. And all of that is on top of the technology.

Tim Siglin: Nice. Now Vimond obviously started in the Nordics and then did work sort of pan-Europe, and now it's in the U.S. Is there a general sense of where the next potential market is beyond beyond these areas? Is it Asia, or is there already a presence in Asia for Vimond?

Megan Wagoner: We actually have a really large presence in the Australia region, what we call our APAC region, which encompasses Asia and Pacific. And so we work with Telstra there. We work with many of the Foxtel brands, Streamotion, Binge Flash, Fox Sports. So we have a really good presence there. The focus on the Americas is really amped up since the pandemic. We've been able to grow a team a little bit out more, and we again have kind of focused on more of the startups. We have really large tier-one customers like Disney and Comcast and folks like that. But now we're able to reach folks that are really just trying to get their voice out there.

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In a note to investors on Tuesday, Bernstein analyst Callum Elliot struck a positive note after the firm hosted Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) CEO James Quincey, at its Strategic Decisions Conference last week.

The analyst said the company was upbeat, and heading into the back end of the second quarter, they saw very limited evidence of any signs that the business is feeling the pressure yet.

"Another strong quarter on the cards in Q2 then? We also note that this positivity was aligned with the upbeat tone from other CPG companies such as CLX, EL, MDLZ and KHC."

The analyst added that JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon cut a "lonely figure" after his recent comments about the potential for an economic "hurricane."

"For all the commotion after WMT/TGT's 1Q commentary, it appears that pockets of weakness are still  for now at least  largely isolated exceptions," wrote Elliot. "We think we've seen a fundamental shift in KO's consumer engagement, with the Real Magic platform, leading to better engagement of younger consumers with Fortnite partnerships, fashion crossovers, and limited-time flavors."

Elliot concluded that they continue to see signs of positive business momentum and increasing evidence that the "turnaround which has been implemented by management over the past three years is gaining steam."

By Sam Boughedda
Newly created roles bolster Companys Risk, Data, Collateral and Agreements capabilities

NORWELL, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acadia, the leading industry provider of integrated risk management services for the derivatives community, today has announced the appointments of Stuart Smith and William (Will) Thomey as Co-Heads of Business Development. In these newly created roles, Mr. Smith will oversee business development for Acadias risk and data products, while Mr. Thomey will assume equivalent responsibility in the areas of workflow and agreement management. Both positions report to Fred Dassori, Acadias Chief Product Officer.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005095/en/

Stuart Smith (Photo: Business Wire)

Acadia has recently extended its integrated risk management capabilities to include pre-trade analytics, capital calculation and position valuations in addition to its core margin messaging, collateral management, and uncleared margin (UMR) solutions.

Will and Stuart bring deep and diverse experience to Acadia, and their leadership will allow us to continue developing and delivering products that solve our clients problems and make our clients businesses more efficient, said Mr. Dassori. Im looking forward to seeing the impact of the additional focus that theyll make possible as we build on the tremendous growth that Acadia has experienced over the past few years.

Smith joins Acadia following seven years with FIS, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Product Management, where he led the Product Organization in the Cross-Asset Trading and Risk business. Smith received a master's degree in Financial Physics from Oxford and obtained his PhD in Quantum Electronic Engineering from the University of Bristol. He will be based in Acadias London office.

Thomey joins Acadia with nearly two decades of experience at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in operations, transformation, and risk roles, most recently serving as their Executive Director of Corporate & Investment Bank Post-Trade Transformation. Thomey graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Delaware, and will be based in Acadias New York office.

Smith commented on his appointment: I am excited to join Acadias team to help them continue to develop their groundbreaking technology solutions in the risk and collateral management fields. I look forward to using my expertise to help Acadia build upon its extensive suite of risk and data products, so that we continue to serve as trusted partners for all firms as they manage the operational challenges of todays regulatory environment.

Thomey added: I am looking forward to using my experience to help Acadia continue to build upon their impressive agreements, margin and collateral business. One thing that sets Acadia apart is its industrywide partnerships, and I am eager to work in collaboration with clients to identify and assess opportunities to enhance and expand our existing products and services while developing new industry-standard solutions.

ABOUT ACADIA

Acadia is the leading industry provider of integrated risk management services for the derivatives community. Our risk, margin and collateral tools enable a holistic risk management strategy on a real-time basis within a centralized industry standard platform.

Acadias comprehensive suite of analytics solutions and services helps firms manage risk better, smarter, and faster, while optimizing resources across the entire trade life cycle. Through an open-access model, Acadia brings together a network of banks and other derivatives participants, along with several market infrastructures and innovative vendors.

Backed by 16 major industry participants and market infrastructures, Acadia is used by a community of over 2000 firms exchanging more than $1 trillion of collateral on daily basis via its margin automation services. Acadia is headquartered in Norwell, MA and has offices in Boston, Dublin, Dusseldorf, London, Manila, New York, and Tokyo. Acadia is a registered trademark of AcadiaSoft, Inc. For more information, visit acadia.inc. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005095/en/

Media Contacts:

Laura Craft

Marketing Director, Acadia

[email protected]

+44 (0)1727 324 5513



or



Brendan Terry

Lansons

[email protected]

+1 (212) 754 5467

Source: Acadia
HARDIN, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of the Village of Hardin water and wastewater systems. The newly acquired system adds approximately 435 water and 405 wastewater customers to the companys southern Illinois service area. The Village of Hardin is located near Illinois American Waters Jerseyville operations.

Our team is excited and ready to serve the Village of Hardin as we expand our footprint across our Southern Illinois service area, said Justin Ladner, President of Illinois American Water. Since 2020 we have had the privilege to add over 26,000 new customer connections and partner with over 10 communities across Illinois through acquisitions. We are excited to include Village of Hardin to our customer base.

The Village of Hardin voted in favor of the sale in May 2021. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) recently approved the sale for $3.3 million.

According to Village of Hardin Mayor Dave Hurley the sale of the water and wastewater systems to Illinois American Water, will relieve the Village of the water and wastewater responsibilities. He continued, Residents and businesses will benefit from a larger scale, efficiently operated water and wastewater utility that brings expertise to our aging systems. Illinois American Water has a proven track record of meeting or surpassing water quality standards.

Illinois American Water plans to invest approximately $3 million in the first five years of ownership to upgrade the Village of Hardin water and wastewater systems. Work will include replacing water meters, installing a sanitary pump station and force wastewater main. Generators will be installed for increased resiliency and continued service in the event of a power outage. Upgrades to the water and wastewater treatment plants will support safe, reliable service. In addition, Safety and security upgrades will be completed including the implementation of automation for operational efficiency.

Ethan Steinacher, operations senior manager for Illinois American Waters Central Division said, The Village of Hardin is celebrating their 175-year anniversary and the community continues positive progress. We look forward to serving our new customers and being a good neighbor and responsible corporate citizen. We appreciate the Villages trust and confidence in our team.

New customers will receive an Illinois American Water welcome packet in the mail. This packet includes information about online account management, billing and more. To learn more about Illinois American Water and hear from communities the company has partnered with, visit Partnering with Us under About Us at www.illinoisamwater.com.

About Illinois American Water  Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people in 24 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and diversityataw.com. Follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

ILLINOIS AMERICAN WATER WAS RANKED HIGHEST IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH LARGE WATER UTILITIES IN THE MIDWEST THREE YEARS IN A ROW!

For J.D. Power 2022 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220606006000/en/

Media Contact: Karen Cotton, Sr. Manager External Communications, [email protected]

Source: Illinois American Water
IT and OT networks can realize a converged industrial network through the integration of Juniper Security Director Cloud and the Dragos Platform

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR), a leader in secure, AI-driven networks, and Dragos, a global leader in cybersecurity for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT) environments, today announced their commitment to securing critical infrastructure through an official joint partnership that provides an automation framework for active attack response for OT-ICS networks and systematizes the research and development work done by both companies.

With this joint partnership, OT networks can leverage Junipers routing, switching and firewalls, in conjunction with the advanced industrial cybersecurity technology and threat intelligence provided by the Dragos Platform, to provide near real-time response to attacks. This innovative joint solution delivers unprecedented cybersecurity visibility across IT and OT domains through the creation of a truly converged industrial network that enables end-to-end threat detection and response orchestration and extends Junipers Connected Security strategy to OT network environments.

Bridging IT and OT in order to modernize industrial networks requires a high-level of precision to maintain the desired characteristics of each area of the network. We are addressing this challenge by combining our industry-leading networking and security portfolio with Dragos to deliver an integrated solution that secures critical infrastructure with built-in threat detection and remediation for real-time active responses to malicious attacks, said Raj Yavatkar, Chief Technology Officer, Juniper Networks.

By integrating communications at the controller level, Juniper and Dragos can exchange threat detection information and stop real-time, east-west cyberattacks in industrial controls systems within minutes. The Dragos Platform provides for the detection of malicious activity by analyzing indications of compromise and threat behaviors, then leverages Junipers security infrastructure to provide mitigative action by utilizing the following capabilities:

Closed-loop OT threat detection between the Dragos Platform and Juniper Security Director Cloud and SRX firewalls, including the ability to automate responses

Security monitoring, intrusion detection and threat hunting

Telemetry aggregation and visualization to ICS/OT assets, network communications and threat behaviors

Industrial organizations, including critical infrastructure, are realizing that IT cybersecurity and OT cybersecurity are unique  and both vital to their organizations, said Jon Lavender, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Product, Dragos. The integration between Junipers management platform, Security Director Cloud, and the Dragos Platform, brings the best of both worlds to organizations looking to secure their IT and OT businesses and gain more control over threats that could move between systems.

Juniper Networks and Dragos, along with their existing joint partner Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), previously collaborated to develop and bring to market a network architecture solution  Converged Industrial Edge  that simplifies and secures the information exchange between IT and OT networks. The project was part of a Department of Energy funded initiative to improve cybersecurity resilience, operational agility and operational cost through an accelerated use of cloud-native technologies in critical infrastructure. With the advent of this official partnership announcement between Dragos and Juniper, the two companies will continue to work together to innovate to protect the critical infrastructure that serves as the foundation of modern society.

Additional Resources:

About Juniper Networks

Juniper Networks is dedicated to dramatically simplifying network operations and driving superior experiences for end users. Our solutions deliver industry-leading insight, automation, security, and AI to drive real business results. We believe that powering connections will bring us closer together while empowering us all to solve the worlds greatest challenges of well-being, sustainability, and equality. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks (www.juniper.net) or connect with Juniper on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Juniper Networks, the Juniper Networks logo, Juniper, Junos, and other trademarks listed here are registered trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

About Dragos, Inc.

Dragos has a global mission: to safeguard civilization from those trying to disrupt the industrial infrastructure we depend on every day. The practitioners who founded Dragos were drawn to this mission through decades of government and private sector experience. Dragos codifies the knowledge of our cybersecurity experts into an integrated software platform that provides customers critical visibility into ICS and OT networks so that threats are identified and can be addressed before they become significant events. Our solutions protect organizations across a range of industries, including power and water utilities, energy, and manufacturing, and are optimized for emerging applications like the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT). Dragos is privately held and headquartered in the Baltimore-Washington, DC area with regional presence around the world, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the Middle East.

category-security

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Media Relations:

Kelsey Akerson

Juniper Networks

+1 (503) 860-9890

[email protected]

Leslie Kesselring

Kesselring Communications for Dragos

+1 (503) 358-1012

[email protected]

Source: Juniper Networks
Americas most widely used electrical wiring device brand furthers its digital transformation journey with the latest in AI technology

LYON, France & MIDDLETON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Esker, a global cloud platform and leader in AI-driven process automation solutions for finance and customer service functions, today announced that Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc. (Leviton), Americas most widely used electrical wiring device brand, is automating its order management process with Esker.

Leviton offers a full portfolio of electrical devices including smart switches and dimmers, outlets, fiber and copper cabling systems, lighting products and more. To expand its growth and continue to pursue opportunities in new markets, Leviton initiated a review of its internal business operations for modernization opportunities. This facilitated the company to replace its legacy ERP with Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) ERP solution; however, its digital transformation efforts were just beginning. Most recently, Leviton determined a need to update its order management process as well  with Eskers Order Management solution proving to be a good fit.

In terms of scalability as a cloud solution, its integration with Oracle and the AI capabilities built into the system, Esker was identified as a clear match for our priorities moving forward, said Mark Richards, Senior Director of eCommerce & Customer Services at Leviton. Our familiarity with Esker goes all the way back to 2011 when we first implemented their on-premises Order Management solution. So, when it came time to modernize and pursue smarter growth strategies, we had hoped that Esker would have the latest and greatest technology to support our next stage of digital transformation  which they did.

Aside from receiving the majority of their customer purchase orders via EDI and on-line, Leviton can still receive up to 10,000 faxed or emailed orders each month from customers, which often require several manual touch points to process. With Esker, the company can now look forward to transforming the repetitive function of order processing through one centralized and AI-powered cloud platform. In addition to improved speed, accuracy and visibility throughout the process, Leviton can expect more strategic benefits; specifically, freeing up Customer Service Representatives for more significant work and delivering customers a better overall experience.

At a time when strategies for securing top talent, strengthening relationships and building business resiliency are so vitally important  particularly for those in the manufacturing sector  its promising to see companies like Leviton take the next step in digital transformation and embrace the role that technology plays in building long-term value, said Steve Smith, U.S. Chief Operating Officer at Esker.

About Leviton

Every day, Leviton is engineering possibilities that make the future happen, meeting the needs of todays residential, commercial, and industrial customers globally. From electrical to lighting, to data networks and energy management, Leviton develops thoughtful solutions that help make its customers lives easier, safer, more efficient, and more productive. Driven by its commitment to its customers, the ingenuity of its employees and the safety and quality of its products and solutions, Leviton makes it happen! For more information, visit www.leviton.com.

About Esker

Esker is a global cloud platform built to unlock strategic value for finance and customer service professionals, and strengthen collaboration between companies by automating the cash conversion cycle. Eskers solutions incorporate technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive increased productivity, enhanced visibility, reduced fraud risk, and improved collaboration with customers, suppliers and internally. Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France, and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information on Esker and its solutions, visit www.esker.com. Follow Esker on LinkedIn and join the conversation on the Esker blog at blog.esker.com.

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Press Contact: Christina Davies

Tel: (972) 366-7453 | [email protected]

Investor Relations Contact: Emmanuel Olivier

Tel: +33 (0)4 72 83 46 46 | [email protected]

Source: Esker
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Leaders from the Americas are gathering at their Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles this week, after COVID-19 devastated a significant portion of the region with 1.3 million deaths in Latin America alone.

To continue battling the current pandemic and prepare for future international health crises, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) urges leaders to work to ensure equity in pandemic commodities, boost genomic sequencing efforts, and foster sincere and transparent collaboration in all matters of global public health, particularly infectious disease outbreaks.

Latin America accounts for a significant portion of the Americas and was hit harder by COVID-19 than any other region globally. Leaders must absolutely use this summit to prioritize how countries can work more cooperatively regionwide to manage responses to pandemics, said Dr. Patricia Campos, AHFs Bureau Chief for Latin America and the Caribbean. A nations wealth  or lack thereof  must not determine who can or cannot access health care goods or services. Leaders of the Americas must commit to creating a new Global Public Health Convention that is transparent, accountable, and works for and protects everyone.

The COVID-19 death toll to date for the Americas is at nearly 3 million people  although the World Health Organization estimates actual numbers to be much higher. A new and equitable Global Public Health Convention would lower the number of preventable deaths and ensure vital commodities like vaccines, personal protective equipment, diagnostics, and therapeutics reach people who need them most.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.6 million clients in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare

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US MEDIA CONTACT:

Ged Kenslea, Senior Director, Communications, AHF

+1.323.308.1833 work +1.323.791.5526 mobile

[email protected]

Denys Nazarov, Director of Global Policy &

Communications, AHF

+1 323.308.1829

[email protected]

Source: AIDS Healthcare Foundation
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- medZERO, with its innovative healthcare financing platform, was one of five companies selected by the Meta Lab challenge last month, a prestigious competition sponsored by the Carolina Fintech Hub and MassChallenge, an international business accelerator program located in Boston.

Since last fall, 99 of the most innovative startups from around the world have been competing to solve some of the most pressing problems facing communities. These small businesses span 21 states in the US and hail from 13 countries globally, including Belarus, Colombia, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, and Rwanda.

The results were announced during Charlotte Innovation week at the Truist Bank Innovation Foundry. medZERO was selected in the Shared Challenges category to address economic and health inequities.

medZERO is a national Mobile lending & healthcare payments platform that makes healthcare affordable for employees struggling to pay their bills. Employee participants have access to on-demand funds enabling them to maximize the use of their health savings accounts resulting in savings up to 30% on their healthcare bills while extending their payments completed via payroll deductions over six to 18 months at zero interest.

Businesses and healthcare providers headquartered throughout the Charlotte region have the opportunity to participate in the Meta Lab medZERO program with discounts and rewards available for those who sign up quickly.

The goals of the challenge aligned with our mission perfectly, said Craig Froude, medZERO CEO and co-founder. Economic stability is the #1 social determinant of health. Without financial stability, health takes a back seat. We started medZERO because we saw a solution that can help address the health and wealth equity gap by providing support and access to underserved individuals and communities.

The Meta Lab is a forward-thinking collaboration among Charlottes city leaders in fintech and healthtech to cultivate a world-leading ecosystem for innovation and collaboration. Carolina Fintech Hub (CFH) partnered with MassChallenge (MC) to launch the first stage of this initiative. MC is a globally known organization uniquely adept at working with corporate clients to understand innovation needs and then identify and recruit the top startups and emerging companies in those fields.

Over the last 5 years Charlotte has become known as a global fintech destination, and the Meta Lab is the next chapter in that story of inspiring growth, says Tariq Bokhari, Executive Director/Founder of the Carolina Fintech Hub and Charlotte City Councilman.

One of the most important milestones for a startup is landing their first enterprise customer, especially in regulated industries like finance and healthcare, said MassChallenge CEO Siobhan Dullea. Meanwhile, corporate leaders are learning that the fastest way to solve big challenges is to partner with a startup. These corporate-startup collaborations are a win-win.

The judges came from a wide array of backgroundsleaders in fintech, healthtech, education, government, and many others. Winners have an opportunity to collaborate directly with CFH anchor partners, as well as gain strategic insights and their share of an equity-free innovation prize pool made possible by EY, Movement Mortgage, and LendingTree. Later phases of the Meta Lab include further opportunities for business development, pilots, capital investments and, in some cases, even acquisition.

Since securing $5.7 million in seed funding last year from Silicon Valley powerhouses True Ventures, Village Global and other angel investors, medZERO launched its app in November 2021 and has been signing up a wide range of customers. In February, LG Electronics and the LG Nova lab in Silicon Valley selected medZERO as one of its First 50 startups for its large-scale Mission for the Future competition targeting new developments within the areas of Connected Health, Energizing Mobility, Smart Lifestyle, The Metaverse and Innovation for Impact.

About medZERO

medZERO, based in Portland, Ore., is an employer-sponsored financial wellness platform that provides employees a smarter solution to pay for healthcare. medZERO is led by an experienced executive team and backed by industry leading investors. Learn more at medzero.com.

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medZERO.com

Media Contact:

Traci Williams

[email protected]

503-747-9261

Source: medZERO
EDMOND, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pinnacle Business Systems, www.pbsnow.com, today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Pinnacle Business Systems to its 2022 Solution Provider 500 list.

CRNs annual Solution Provider 500 ranks North Americas largest solution providers by revenue and serves as the gold standard for recognizing some of the channels most successful companies. With a combined revenue of more than $434 billion, this years list represents an impressive amount of influence and impact wielded by these companies on todays IT industry and the technology suppliers they partner with.

We are honored to again be named on the CRN Solution Provider 500 list. Our customers and partners rely on us for our expertise and services and that trust is what has contributed to our growth. From our engineers, project managers, solution architects, and account managers, to our support teams on the backend  we are blessed to have top talent across the board that understands the need to help our customers build and secure their business. We are not slowing down and are more focused than ever on being the go-to partner in our markets, said Rob Anderson, Pinnacles CEO.

The Solution Provider 500 list from CRN serves as the benchmark for the top technology integrators, strategic service providers, and IT consulting firms, making it an invaluable resource for technology vendors seeking to partner with todays top-performing IT solution providers, said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. My congratulations go out to each of these companies for their extraordinary contributions to the continued growth and success of the IT channel.

About Pinnacle Business Systems

Pinnacle is an information technology solutions provider that designs, implements, and manages affordable, scalable IT solutions and services for clients across all industries. Were headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma, serving Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, and across the Central U.S.

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com

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Amber Lawhun

Pinnacle Business Systems

405-359-0121

[email protected]

Source: Pinnacle Business Systems
Syncro adds product capabilities for UK partners around managing VAT; expands support and services team

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Syncro, a leading Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM) and Professional Services Automation (PSA) platform for Managed Service Providers (MSPs), announced today it is expanding its operations in the UK. The company supports MSPs in how they run their operations, improving efficiency and helping providers establish and maintain their profitability. As part of the launch, Syncro now provides MSPs with the ability to support VAT invoices more easily, and now offers extended support to cover UK business hours.

Syncro continues to build on its existing partner base, with hundreds of MSP relationships in the UK, which was established through word of mouth recommendations and referrals. The company targets MSPs of all sizes with particular success in the small business sector, helping them run their operations and make their staff more efficient while they scale up.

Research commissioned by Syncro found that despite numerous challenges during the pandemic affecting rising costs, staff shortages and supply chain disruptions, more than 60 percent of MSPs have grown in the last two years. This growth is set to continue, as MSPs plan to diversify their service offering to help grow revenue and attract new customers. Many recognise that in order to enable that growth, they will need to invest in software that can scale with them to improve operational efficiencies.

My billing used to require a full day of administration that Id need to do on the weekend as I couldnt afford to waste billable hours during the week, and now the automation within the Syncro platform means it only takes me two hours. I know the platform will still be able to support me even when I have four times the amount of customers I have now. Syncro provides the one stop shop for everything I do within my business. The operational time saved is significant, said Paul Burgwin, Security Consultant at ITConsec.

Syncro has expanded its operations, product and company leadership team in recent months to support its growth. It appointed Emily Glass as CEO, completed the acquisition of Watchman Technologies, added a new Mac Agent to its product portfolio, and enhanced its product with robust Windows OS patching support.

Our company mission is to empower MSPs to start, run, and grow their businesses, and this includes expanding our operations globally starting in the UK, said Emily Glass, CEO, Syncro. Alongside expanding our product line-up with patch management, we have made it easier for our UK partners to manage how they bill their customers, and we have added more support to help them get the most from their PSA and RMM deployments. Our expansion will help our current partners and new ones to run their businesses more efficiently, providing them with a platform that is right for them to support their operations every day.

About Syncro

Syncro is leading the movement of next-gen MSP platforms by combining all of the solutions that MSPs need in one intuitive platform. Syncros unified operations platform, automates and simplifies service delivery for IT professionals so they can grow their businesses.

Visit https://syncromsp.com/ for more information.

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Zoe Gardiner

[email protected]

Source: Syncro
Grant Fund Applications  Act Now!

HANOVER, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Rice Family Foundation was established in 2017 by Michael and Jane Rice and Dylan and Stacie Lissette of Utz Brands, Inc. to provide leadership and support for families' education, health, and well-being in Hanover, Pennsylvania, and surrounding communities.

Using funds granted by the Foundation, the Rice Family Foundation supports eligible local area non-profit organizations that dedicate their time, efforts, and resources to foster a better community. This is made possible based on philanthropic commitments from the Rice and Lissette families, third and fourth-generation members of the Utz family legacy.

In 2021, the Foundation contributed to fifty-two (52) local non-profit organizations that received support. These recipients included organizations such as the YWCA of Hanover, which works to eliminate racism, empower women and promote dignity for all; PennCares, which provides services for people with disabilities and their families; and the HART Center, a private, non-profit vocational training and rehabilitation facility who supports adults with disabilities.

The submission deadline for consideration of 2022 grant funds is no later than July 31, 2022, and can be made by visiting the Foundation's Application page.

Said Stacie Lissette, Director of The Rice Family Foundation, "In these challenging times, we are very excited about the support the Foundation has provided local area non-profits and their numerous successes in helping members of our community. As we turn our attention to awarding the next round of grant funds, we seek to support those local organizations who will continue to make important contributions to the well-being of families in our community."

The Rice Family Foundation will accept applications through a process that is detailed by visiting www.thericefamilyfoundation.com. Applications for 2022 can be made on-line or by mail-in hard copy and will be accepted until July 31, 2022. Awards will be announced and distributed no later than December 31, 2022.

About the Rice Family Foundation

The Rice Family Foundation, located in Hanover, Pennsylvania, funds local initiatives focused on education, health, and the well-being of families in the greater Hanover, Pennsylvania communities. The Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, provides financial grants directly to eligible organizations. For more information, please visit www.thericefamilyfoundation.com.

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The Rice Family Foundation

PO Box 229

Hanover, PA 17331

Or Email: [email protected]

Source: The Rice Family Foundation
FILE PHOTO: A flame burns from a tower at Vankorskoye oil field owned by Rosneft company north of the Russian Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk March 25, 2015. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin/File Photo

By Scott DiSavino

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices gained about 1% on Tuesday, with U.S. crude settling at a 13-week high on supply concerns, including no nuclear deal with Iran, and prospects for demand growth in China, which is relaxing lockdowns to control the pandemic.

Looking ahead, analysts polled by Reuters forecast U.S. crude inventories fell last week. A drop in crude stockpiles could further support prices. [EIA/S] [API/S]

The American Petroleum Institute (API), an industry group, will issue its inventory report at 4:30 p.m. EDT (2030 GMT) on Tuesday. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) on Wednesday.

Robert Yawger, executive director of energy futures at Mizuho, said "several numbers" in the EIA report are "within striking distance of historical lows," including possibly crude storage for the country, crude storage at Cushing, Oklahoma and crude storage in Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Brent futures gained $1.06, or 0.9%, to settle at $120.57 a barrel, its highest since May 31. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 91 cents, or 0.8%, to $119.41, its highest settlement since March 8 which matched an August 2008 settlement high.

The United States said Iran's demands on sanctions-lifting were preventing progress on revival of the 2015 nuclear deal. Analysts have said a deal could add 1 million barrels per day of world oil supply.

The U.S. EIA projected U.S. crude production and petroleum demand will both rise in 2022. [EIA/M]

Prices also drew support from expectations demand would recover in China, where the capital Beijing and commercial hub Shanghai have been returning to normal after two months of lockdowns.

Also, analysts doubted global oil supplies would rise much following last week's OPEC+ decision to bring forward production increases.

The quota increase from OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allied producers including Russia, is lower than the loss of Russian crude resulting from Western sanctions, analysts said, adding that it also fails to address a shortage in oil products.

Trafigura's CEO said oil prices could soon hit $150 a barrel and go higher this year, with demand destruction likely by the end of the year.

Goldman Sachs increased its Brent oil price forecasts by $10 to $135 a barrel for the period between the second half of 2022 and the first half of next year, citing an unresolved structural supply deficit.

In other supply concerns, the Sharara oilfield in Libya was halted again late on Monday and in Norway, more than one in 10 offshore oil and gas workers plan strike action from Sunday if state-brokered wage mediation fails.

(Additional reporting by Rowena Edwards in London and Isabel Kua in Singapore; Editing by Louise Heavens, David Goodman, David Gregorio and Mark Porter)
Evolve Transition Infrastructure LP (Evolve) (NYSE American: SNMP) today announced the approval by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas of the previously announced Settlement Agreement between Evolve and Mesquite Energy, Inc. (Mesquite) and certain of their respective affiliates resolving outstanding claims between the parties.

As part of the Settlement Agreement, Mesquite will pay $10 million to Evolve and each of the parties to the Settlement Agreement will execute and deliver to each other party to the Settlement Agreement customary releases providing for, among other things, the release of all claims (including relating to historic payments), causes of action and demands accruing prior to the date of the Settlement Agreement. The parties have agreed to exchange the payment and customary releases within 5 days of the Bankruptcy Courts order approving the Settlement Agreement becoming non-appealable or such earlier date as may be agreed by the parties.

Concurrent with the execution of the Settlement Agreement, Evolve and Mesquite entered into the previously announced Amended and Restated Firm Gathering and Processing Agreement (Restated Gathering Agreement) pursuant to which Evolve received an additional dedication of Mesquites Eastern Catarina acreage position in Dimmit, La Salle, and Webb counties in Texas and the payment of amounts equaling approximately $5 million from Mesquite. Further, the Restated Gathering Agreement extends the term of Evolves previous firm gathering and processing agreement with Mesquite and provides a separate rate for new production in Mesquites Catarina acreage which solidifies Evolves commercial position regarding its current gathering and processing operations with Mesquite.

Evolve expects to use the proceeds from the payments received and to be received in connection with the Settlement Agreement and Restated Gathering Agreement for both debt repayment and general partnership expenses. As a result, Evolve anticipates less than $30 million of total debt outstanding as of September 30, 2022, which represents a significant reduction from $180 million as of December 31, 2018.

Todays settlement of our prior disputes with Mesquite represents a critical step forward for Evolve and we are pleased with this favorable outcome, said Randall Gibbs, CEO of the general partner of Evolve. The settlement proceeds will allow us not only to pay down debt but move forward with a renewed focus on our continued dedication to the energy transition.

About Evolve Transition Infrastructure LPEvolve Transition Infrastructure LP (NYSE American: SNMP) is a publicly-traded limited partnership formed in 2005 focused on the acquisition, development and ownership of infrastructure critical to the transition of energy supply to lower carbon sources.

Additional information about Evolve can be found in its documents on file with the SEC which are available on its website at www.evolvetransition.com and on the SECs website at www.sec.gov.

ContactsCharles WardChief Financial Officer[email protected] (713) 800-9477

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact, included in this press release are forward-looking statements. Any statements that refer to Evolves future strategy, future uses of capital, future operations, plans and objectives of management or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as may, expect, plan, anticipate, believe, project or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on managements current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of Evolves business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions.

These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about Evolve that may cause Evolves actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Management cautions all readers that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated or implied in forward-looking statements. For more information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed or forecasted, please read Evolves filings with the SEC, with particular attention to the Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections in Evolves most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, all of which are available on Evolves website at www.evolvetransition.com and on the SECs website at www.sec.gov. These cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to Evolve or persons acting on Evolves behalf. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, Evolve disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.

Source: Evolve Transition Infrastructure LP
Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Summit Utility Structures LLC and related company, Sovereign Steel Manufacturing LLC, producers of metal poles and other steel structures for utility infrastructure and highway signage. These companies will become part of a new business unit, Nucor Towers & Structures, serving the utility, transportation and telecommunication sectors. While the acquired companies are ideally suited to service the markets in the Northeast part of the U.S., Nucor's plan is to establish a nationwide footprint able to service all customers throughout North America.

"These acquisitions continue to position Nucor as the leader in steel and downstream steel products as part of our strategy to Grow the Core, Expand Beyond and Live Our Culture. These businesses fit well into the Expand Beyond part of our strategy to acquire companies who have a direct connection to our industry, offer significant growth opportunities and enhance Nucor's position as the leading manufacturing company in the metals industry," said Leon Topalian, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nucor Corporation. "We intend to grow these businesses to become the preferred solutions provider for utility transmission towers, substations, telecommunication towers and highway signage structures."

The market for utility infrastructure has been historically stable and is expected to enter a phase of accelerated growth due to the replacement of aging infrastructure, growth and migration of population, a focus on increasing electric grid reliability, and an increased penetration of renewable energy and energy storage. Additionally, the transition to 5G and the increased consumption of wireless data support strong market trends for telecommunication towers. The highway signage market is also continuing to see strength and is expected to benefit as departments of transportation begin to implement the recently signed federal infrastructure bill.

"These acquisitions create a new growth platform for our company to provide engineered solutions for utility infrastructure and construction projects. The markets for transmission and telecommunication towers are forecast to experience strong growth for decades," said Chad Utermark, Executive Vice President of New Markets and Innovation. "The creation of Nucor Towers & Structures strongly complements our plate capabilities while also adding a new dimension to our arsenal of value-added downstream products such as joists and deck, hollow structural section tubes, metal buildings, insulated metal panels, racking systems, piling and foundation solutions, and shortly, overhead doors."
United States authorities have asked Mexico to probe alleged worker rights violations at the Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) Teksid Hierro de Mexico auto-parts plant. The request follows a petition by the United Auto Workers and a Mexican labor union claiming that workers are being denied the freedoms of association and collective bargaining.

U.S. Trade Rep. Katherine Tai has directed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to suspend the sale of all unsold entries of goods from the Teksid Hierro plant.

The USMCA, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020, requires Mexico to have laws for the effective recognition of workers' freedom to bargain collectively. It allows the United States to revoke the tariff-free status on exports from individual factories that fail to comply with domestic labor laws such as the reforms Mexico instituted in 2019. This is the fourth such complaint under the revised trade deal, U.S. officials said on Monday.

Mexicos Economy Ministry said it would decide within 10 days whether to accept the U.S. request.

By Michael Elkins
FILE PHOTO: The Waymo logo is displayed during the company's unveil of a self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivan during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., January 8, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

By Tina Bellon

(Reuters) - Waymo Via, the self-driving trucking unit of Alphabet Inc, and Uber Technology Inc's Freight business on Tuesday said they signed a long-term strategic partnership that would allow future customers to deploy autonomous trucks more efficiently.

The companies did not share a timeline for when their partnership could be used by paying customers, and Waymo and Uber Freight declined to disclose financial details of the agreement.

Under the partnership, future Waymo customers can use Uber Freight to more efficiently plan their automated and human-driven trucking fleets.

Uber Freight's software acts as a middle man connecting truckers with shippers to reduce shipping costs and expensive empty cargo miles. Uber last year made a stronger push into the trucking market by buying logistics company Transplace for $2.25 billion.

The partnership marks the latest in a series of company tie-ups in the autonomous trucking space as technology companies race to commercialize their products.

Companies including Waymo, TuSimple Holdings Inc, Aurora Innovation Inc and others hope to sell self-driving trucking services to logistics companies and large retailers in coming years. Under those business models, customers would purchase and own the self-driving trucks and pay a per-mile usage fee to the tech companies.

Uber at the end of 2020 sold its own self-driving unit to Waymo-competitor Aurora and holds a nearly 43% stake in the company. Aurora in December said it partnered with Uber Freight.

Waymo said it plans to launch its first fully driverless trucks "in the next few years," beginning on the Texas I-45 between Dallas and Houston.

(Reporting by Tina Bellon in Austin, Texas; Editing by David Gregorio)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aldebaran Resources Inc. (Aldebaran or the Company) (TSX-V: ALDE, OTCQX: ADBRF) is pleased to announce that Stillwater Canada LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sibanye Stillwater Limited (Sibanye-Stillwater) and Aldebarans second largest shareholder, has elected to exercise 1,590,000 previously issued common share warrants for gross proceeds to the Company of $1,113,000. The warrants have an expiry date of September 15, 2022 and a strike price of $0.70.

For further information, please consult our website at www.aldebaranresources.com or contact:

John E. Black, CEO / DirectorPhone: +1 604 685-6800 Email: [email protected]

About Aldebaran Resources Inc.

Aldebaran is a mineral exploration company that was spun out of Regulus Resources Inc. in 2018 and has the same core management team. Aldebaran acquired the Rio Grande copper-gold project located in Salta Province, Argentina from Regulus along with several other early-stage projects in Argentina. Aldebaran also has the right to earn up to an 80% interest in the Altar copper-gold project in San Juan Province, Argentina from Sibanye Stillwater Limited. The Altar project hosts multiple porphyry copper-gold deposits with potential for additional discoveries. Altar forms part of a cluster of world-class porphyry copper deposits which includes Los Pelambres (Antofagasta Minerals), El Pachon (Glencore), and Los Azules (McEwen Copper). In March 2021 the Company announced an updated mineral resource estimate for Altar, prepared by Independent Mining Consultants Inc. and based on the drilling completed up to and including 2020. Aldebarans primary focus is the Altar project with a view to discovering new zones with higher-grade mineralization.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements regarding Aldebaran, including management's assessment of future-plans and operations, may constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws and necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond Aldebaran's control. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words 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 statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.

Specifically, and without limitation, all statements included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that Aldebaran expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the proposed exploration and development of the Altar project described herein, and management's assessment of future plans and operations and statements with respect to the completion of the anticipated exploration and development programs, may constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws and necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond Aldebaran's control. These risks may cause actual financial and operating results, performance, levels of activity and achievements to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. Although Aldebaran believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and Aldebaran does not undertake any obligation to publicly update 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 law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source: Aldebaran Resources Inc.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ameriwest Lithium Inc. (Ameriwest or the Company) (CSE: AWLI) (OTC: AWLIF) (FSE: 5HV0), a North American lithium exploration and development company, is pleased to announce it has received approval from the Arizona State Land Department to commence its Geological exploration plan on its Thompson Valley Property, Arizona, USA. During the week of June 13, 2022, Ameriwests Thompson Valley Property will commence extensive soil, and outcrop sampling carried out by its experienced geological team (figure 1). The acquired samples will be submitted to a qualified laboratory for assay.

Ameriwest President and CEO, David Watkinson, commented, We are very confident that the results will show the extent of lithium present on our Thompson Valley property and anticipate a drill program to be underway on the property in late Q3 to early Q4, 2022.

Figure 1 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f9a966a7-be55-4d38-9c39-0d20537c0f5c

Ameriwest is further pleased to announce it has staked 104 mineral claims in Little Smokey Valley, about 30 miles south of Eureka, Nevada. The Little Smokey Valley Property or LSV Property) claims are adjacent to Clear Sky Lithium Corp.s (Clear Sky) ELi Lithium Property. Ameriwests claims cover a sequence of volcanic sedimentary rocks of lower Miocene to Oligocene age including tuffs, mudstones, claystones, and siltstones that management believes has the potential to host lithium mineralization. A recent NI 43-101 Technical Report entitled The ELi Sediment-Hosted Lithium Deposit, Eureka and Nye Counties, Nevada: Technical Report was prepared by Robert J. Johansing, BSc Geology, MSc Economic Geology, QP MMSA, effective date January 4, 2022, is available under Clear Skys corporate filings at www.sedar.com. The Technical Report summarizes soil sampling results from 133 soil samples on the ELi Property, consisting of 26 mineral claims, with results ranging from 44.5 to 801.7 ppm lithium. Ameriwests geologists have not verified the results reported by Clear Sky but believe the surrounding area, where the Company staked its claims, has potential for lithium mineralization, subject to exploration success, based on nearby results. Ameriwest initially plans to conduct surface soil and rock chip sampling on the property to confirm the presence of lithium. If successful, the Company will conduct further exploration activities such as geophysics and drilling.

David Watkinson, President, and CEO stated, Ameriwest is pleased to have added a second lithium clay exploration property to our growing portfolio of properties. This provides our shareholders and potential investors with a diverse group of properties (Brine and Clay) located in the mining-friendly jurisdiction of Nevada and Arizona all of which have great potential for a lithium discovery.

About Ameriwest Lithium Inc. (CSE: AWLI) (OTC: AWLIF) (FSE: 5HV0) Ameriwest Lithium Inc. is a Canadian-based exploration company with a focus on identifying strategic lithium mineral resource projects for exploration and development. The Company is currently focused on exploring its 13,580-acre Railroad Valley property, the 22,210-acre Edwards Creek Valley, and the 5,600-acre Deer Musk East property in Nevada. In addition, the Company is exploring the 2,860-acre Thompson Valley property in Arizona.

For more information visit: https://ameriwestlithium.com/.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

David WatkinsonPresident and Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Invictus Investor Relations Tel: +1 (604) 343-8661[email protected]https://ameriwestlithium.com/

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forwardlooking information. Forwardlooking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as anticipate, plan, estimate, expect, may, will, intend, should, and similar expressions. Forwardlooking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forwardlooking information. The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forwardlooking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, changes to the Companys strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forwardlooking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forwardlooking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forwardlooking information contained in this news release represents the Companys expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forwardlooking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the matters referenced herein and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

Figure 1 Ameriwest Lithium Thompson Valley Claim Area Figure 1 Ameriwest Lithium Thompson Valley Claim Area

Source: Ameriwest Lithium Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apogee Minerals Ltd. (Apogee or the Company or the Optionee) (TSXV: APMI) is pleased to announce that survey equipment has been mobilized to the Pine Channel project located 43 km west of Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan (the Property). Precision Geosurveys Inc. of Langley, British Columbia has been contacted to complete a 380 line-km helicopter-borne high-resolution aeromagnetic and radiometric survey.

Pine Channel Gold Property Summary:

The Pine Channel Property consists of 28 mineral dispositions covering 6,503 hectares located approximately 40 km west of Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan which is the logistics/business hub for northern Saskatchewan. The property can be accessed year-round by float- or ski-equipped aircraft from Stony Rapids or Fort McMurray, AB. The eastern and northern part of the property is transected by a high voltage powerline. Most geological fieldwork is limited to late May to October but other operations such as geophysical surveys and diamond drilling can be completed year-round.

Highlights from documented historical work and previously reported results include:

North Norite Bay (SMDI 2183): 407.96 g/t Au over 0.5 m (drill hole)

ELA (SMDI 1574): 39.96 g/t Au over 0.55 m (drill hole)

Holes G-1 and G-3 (SMDI 2329): 3.20 g/t Au over 1 m (drill hole)

Occurrence No. 6/Occurrence No. 8 (SMDI 1581): 90.6 g/t Au over 0.2 m (trench sample)

Cole Lake Ni-Cu (SMDI 1583): 0.45% Ni over 7.0 m (drill hole), 6.2 g/t Au, 0.01% Ni and 0.06% Cu over 3.0 m (trench sample)

The main deposit type that is being explored for at Pine Channel is structurally controlled vein-quartz (lode) gold deposits. Mineral occurrences on the Pine Channel Property contain predominantly gold, with rare base metal occurrences. Within the Pine Channel tenures there are eighteen historical showings reported by the Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index (SMDI).

Government mapping in the Pine Channel area dates from 1913, with the first industry work reported in 1950. A total of 51 assessment reports have been filed within the current Pine Channel tenure area. Past operators include Golden Rule Resources Ltd. and Colchis Resources Ltd. who were both active on the project during the 1980s, the last sustained period of exploration in the area. The most recent work prior to Eagle Plains acquiring the claims in 2018 was in 2013 when the area was flown with an airborne Variable Time Domain Electromagnetic (VTEM) survey focused on locating targets for diamond exploration. There has been a total of 6,066 meters of diamond drilling in 115 historic holes completed within the current Pine Channel property claim boundaries with the majority of the holes completed less than 100 meters in length. Although the wide-spaced drilling did intersect significant gold mineralization in places, much of the drilling was completed using thin diameter core which is considered ineffective for assessing the high-grade nuggety gold shears and veins found at Pine Channel.

The first recorded systematic exploration work on the Pine Channel property was in 1950 by Goldfields Uranium Mines. The first significant program on the property was in 1980 by Golden Rule Resources who completed 246 line-km of airborne EM (INPUT) and magnetic surveying. Follow-up ground work located 11 significant occurrences. From 1985-1988 Colchis Resources completed VLF-EM geophysics, biogeochemical surveys, prospecting, soil sampling and trenching followed by shallow diamond drill testing of selected targets.

The Pine Channel project lies within the Tantato Domain which is composed of highly deformed gneisses which form the eastern margin of the Archean Rae Craton. Metamorphic rocks which have been subject to varying degrees of strain form the majority of the property area.

The above results were summarized from SMDI descriptions and assessment reports filed with the Saskatchewan government. Management cautions that historical results were collected and reported by past operators and have not been verified nor confirmed by a Qualified Person, but form a basis for ongoing work in the Pine Channel property area.

In 2019-2020, Eagle Plains completed field programs focused on prospecting and mapping in areas of known mineral occurrences. The work confirmed the widespread occurrences of auriferous quartz veins and associated shear systems in the Pine Channel property. Analytical results from the seventy-two rock samples collected in 2020 range from 6 ppb Au to 68,400 ppb Au. Twenty-three of the samples returned greater than 1 g/t Au, and eight returned greater than 10 g/t Au. The most encouraging of the known showings are the ELA Shaft showing (SMDI 1574) and Occurrence No. 6 and No. 8 (SMDI 1581), which both demonstrate anomalous gold geochemical results and potential for extension of known mineralization along strike.

Qualified Person: Charles C. Downie, P.Geo., a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and a Director of Eagle Plains Resources Ltd., has prepared, reviewed, and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.

About Apogee Minerals Ltd.:

Apogee Minerals Ltd. is a mineral exploration company. Our goal is to build shareholder value through mineral project acquisitions and advancement, as well as new mineral discoveries.

To find out more about Apogee Minerals Ltd. (TSX-V: APMI) visit the Companys website: www.apogeemineralsltd.com

Apogee Minerals Ltd.

Jim Pettit

James PettitCEO and Director

For further information, please contact:

Apogee Minerals Ltd. Riley Trimble, DirectorEmail: [email protected] Tel: (604) 416-2978

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 news release.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Such information includes, without limitation, information regarding the structure of the Proposed Transaction, the terms and conditions of the Proposed Transaction, the Consolidation, the Name Change, the terms of the Financing. the composition of the board of directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer upon completion of the Proposed Transaction, the intention of the parties to seek a sponsorship exemption or waiver, the issuance of subsequent news releases, and Alto Verdes future exploration plans. Although the Company believes that such information is reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.

Forward looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking information as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to: the Companys ability to complete the Proposed Transaction; the expected timing and terms of the Proposed Transaction and the Financing; the state of the financial markets for the Companys securities; the state of the natural resources sector in the event the Proposed Transaction is completed; recent market volatility and potentially negative capital raising conditions resulting from the continued COVID-19 pandemic and risks relating to the extent and duration of such pandemic and its impact on global markets; the Companys ability to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies; and other risks and factors that the Company is unaware of at this time.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

The securities referred to in this news release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements.

This news release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities, nor a solicitation for offers to buy any securities.

Source: Apogee Minerals Ltd.
NEW YORK, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brooklyn Brigade is a lifestyle brand that unites tradition and innovation, enhancing the most iconic styles with modern performance fabrics and finishes. Currently sold at Nordstrom & Macy's, the brand continues to expand.

Brooklyn Brigade launches its Wedding collection featuring accessory sets finished with stain resistance. Available in both men's & boys, the collection includes - ties, bowties, pocket squares, suspenders, tie bars and lapel pins.

Brooklyn Brigade designed these sets in 13 colors to perfectly match the dresses from the most popular bridesmaid dress brands including David's Bridal, Birdy Grey, Azazie and Dessy.

Brooklyn Brigade is a division of AW Chang Corporation - a vertical menswear manufacturer. With over 30 years of business, they've worked with top retailers such as Macy's, Men's Wearhouse, Nordstrom, Stitch Fix & more.

Visit https://www.brooklynbrigade.us/wedding-ceremony

For questions/comments please contact:

Efia Bethel, Brand Partnerships AssociateAW Chang Corporation | Brooklyn Brigade463 7th Avenue, Suite 605New York, NY 10018[email protected]

Related Images

Image 1: Pictured: Slate Blue Necktie, Tie Bar, Rose Quartz Lapel Pin

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment

Pictured: Slate Blue Necktie, Tie Bar, Rose Quartz Lapel Pin Pictured: Slate Blue Necktie, Tie Bar, Rose Quartz Lapel Pin

Source: Brooklyn Brigade
Emergence Therapeutics strengthens leadership team with the appointment of Hatem Azim as Chief Medical Officer

Duisburg, Germany, 7 June 2022. Emergence Therapeutics AG, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibody drug conjugates (ADC) for the treatment of cancers with high unmet needs, today announces the appointment of Hatem Azim, MD, PhD, as Chief Medical Officer (CMO), as of 6 June 2022.

Dr. Hatem Azim joins Emergence Therapeutics from Pierre Fabre, a French multinational pharmaceutical company where he was Head of Oncology Early Clinical Development. In this role he was responsible for strategic clinical drug development and management of immuno-oncology and ADC research projects. Prior to this, Dr. Azim held the role of Vice President, Head of Clinical Development at Innate Pharma in France.

Dr. Azim holds a Medical Degree from Cairo University, a Masters degree in Oncology from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne and a PhD from the Universite Libre De Bruxelles. He is a Breast Cancer Medical Oncologist with strong academic background, having worked for many years at Jules Bordet Institute in Brussels after finishing his oncology training. He is highly published with more than 130 research papers and 10 book chapters. Hatem has served as member of several international guideline committees and has been invited as faculty member on numerous occasions including at the annual conferences of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). He was previously awarded the ASCO Merit Award and the University of Padova Breast Cancer Award in recognition of his work in the oncology field.

Jack Elands, CEO of Emergence Therapeutics, commented: I am delighted to welcome Hatem to Emergence as our Chief Medical Officer. His leadership experience and expertise in clinical drug development will be instrumental in executing Emergences clinical strategy for ETx-22, our novel ADC targeting Nectin-4, as well as our broader strategy to become a dominant ADC developer.

Hatem Azim commented: Emergence Therapeutics is on the frontier of developing novel, highly selective ADCs for the treatment of hard-to-treat cancers. Im very excited to join at this critical and exciting phase and look forward to joining the senior leadership team to help further advance ETx-22s clinical development and future programs.

- ENDS -

For more information, please contact:

Emergence Therapeutics

Dr. Jack Elands, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +33 6 38 35 70 08

Consilium Strategic Communications

Chris Gardner, Maya Bennison

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 (0)20 3709 5813

About Emergence Therapeutics

Emergence Therapeutics is a European biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibody drug conjugates (ADC) to treat high-need cancers. Its lead program combines a highly specific antibody with optimized linker and payload technology to target Nectin-4  an important target for a broad range of cancers which has been clinically validated as an ADC target by enfortumab vedotin, now approved for the treatment of urothelial cancers by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Emergence Therapeutics is also actively exploring opportunities to develop further first- or best-in-class ADCs driven by therapeutic need. Emergence Therapeutics is based in Duisburg, Germany with a subsidiary in Marseille, France. For more information, please visit:

www.emergencetx.com

Source: Emergence Therapeutics AG
SAN FRANCISCO, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) is making $11.1 million available to fund its WISH homeownership matching grant program. In 2022, 43 FHLBank San Francisco member financial institutions headquartered in Arizona, California, and Nevada, are participating to assist eligible low- to moderate-income first-time homebuyers who can receive up to $22,000 in downpayment assistance.

To expand access to quality affordable and sustainable housing, WISH offers downpayment and closing cost assistance to help families overcome the most significant barriers to homeownership and build wealth. Since the launch of WISH in 2000, FHLBank San Francisco has funded more than $128 million in matching grants, assisting nearly 9,000 families achieve the dream of homeownership.

Homeownership remains the primary way families can build wealth in America, meaning these grants do more than just provide a roof for a family, said Teresa Bryce Bazemore, CEO and president of FHLBank San Francisco. WISH grants not only help make the American dream of homeownership achievable, but they also contribute to economic advancement for both underserved communities and future generations.

FHLBank San Franciscos WISH program offers eligible low- to moderate-income households 4-to-1 matching grants of up to $22,000 that can be applied to downpayment and closing costs for the purchase of a home. The grants are targeted to working families and individuals who are ready to make the transition from renting to owning, and the grants can be paired with local, state, and federal grant and mortgage loan programs, such as Fannie Mae HomeReady and Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgages.

Its been gratifying to see the WISH program stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods across Arizona, California, Nevada, and other areas served by our members, said Marietta Nunez, senior vice president and community investment officer at FHLBank San Francisco. Thanks to the support and dedication of our member institutions, were proud to continue our legacy of providing affordable and sustainable solutions to expand homeownership.

Visit fhlbsf.com for more information on these and other FHLBank San Francisco grant programs. Potential homebuyers interested in these programs should contact a currently participating member institution directly to learn more about enrollment.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of San FranciscoThe Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutionscommercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutionsfoster homeownership, expand access to quality housing, seed or sustain small businesses, and revitalize whole neighborhoods. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant, equitable, and resilient.

Media Contact:Mary LongSenior Director, Marketing Communications[email protected]415.616.2556

Source: Federal Home Loan Bank Of San Francisco
TORONTO, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mindset Pharma Inc. (CSE: MSET) (FSE: 9DF) (OTCQB: MSSTF) ("Mindset" or the "Company"), a drug discovery and development company focused on creating optimized and patentable next-generation psychedelic medicines to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders with unmet medical needs, today announced that management will participate in three upcoming conferences:

Grizzle Psychedelics Con 2022 to be held virtually on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. James Lanthier, CEO of Mindset will present at 10:15 a.m. ET. To attend, join here.

Charles Rivers Re-Imagining Substance Abuse, Addiction, and Mental Health Disorders with Psychedelic Therapies Symposium to be held at the AC Hotel in San Francisco, CA on Thursday, June 9, 2022. Fiona Randall, SVP, External Alliances and Scientific Strategy of Mindset, will participate in the Commercializing Psychedelics from Hoffmans Bicycle Ride to the Electric Car panel at 1:35 p.m. PT. In addition, Dr. Randall will present Developing Novel Psychedelic-Inspired Medicines at 3:30 p.m. PT. To attend, register here.

H.C. Wainwright 1st Annual Mental Health Conference: Neuropsychiatry, Psychedelics, and Beyond to be held at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York City on June 27, 2022. To attend, register here.

For more information about the conferences, or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with Mindset management, please contact your appropriate representative directly, or send an email to KCSA Strategic Communications at [email protected].

About Mindset Pharma Inc.Mindset Pharma Inc. is a drug discovery and development company focused on creating optimized and patentable next-generation psychedelic medicines to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders with unmet needs. Mindset was established in order to develop next-generation pharmaceutical assets that leverage the breakthrough therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs. Mindset is developing several novel families of next-generation psychedelic compounds, as well as an innovative process to chemically synthesize psilocybin in addition to its own proprietary compounds. The company has a co-development agreement with the McQuade Center for Strategic Research and Development, a member of the Otsuka Pharmaceuticals family of companies, for its short-duration compounds, Mindset Families 2 & 4.

For further information on Mindset, please visit our website at www.mindsetpharma.com.

For more information, please contact:

Investor Contact:Allison Soss KCSA Strategic CommunicationsEmail: [email protected]Phone: 212-896-1267Media Contact:McKenna MillerKCSA Strategic CommunicationsEmail: [email protected] Phone: 949-606-6585

Company Contact:James Lanthier, CEOEmail: [email protected]Jason Atkinson, VP, Corporate DevelopmentEmail: [email protected]Phone: 416-479-4094Forward-Looking InformationThis news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Additional information regarding risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's business are contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form for the financial year ended June 30, 2020 dated March 5, 2021. The forward-looking information included in this news release is made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Source: Mindset Pharma Inc.
Monarch is reporting final assays for its 2021 diamond drilling program, which include high-grade results of 19.12 g/t Au over 1.9 m, 41.0 g/t Au over 0.5 m, 11.9 g/t Au over 1.5 m and 16.7 g/t Au over 0.89 m.

The 2021 drilling program expanded the mineralized footprint to 600 metres by 1,100 metres to a vertical depth of 400 metres and confirmed that mineralization remains open in all directions, with additional high-grade intersections to the northeast.

The 2022 McKenzie Break diamond drilling program, which began in April with one drill rig, consists of 20,000 metres of drilling in 65 holes. A second drill rig will be added once Monarchs 10,000-metre Swanson diamond drill program is complete.

Monarch is working towards updating its McKenzie Break mineral resource estimate later in 2022.

MONTREAL, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MONARCH MINING CORPORATION (Monarch or the Corporation) (TSX: GBAR) (OTCQX: GBARF) is pleased to report the results for the last 13 holes of its 2021 drilling program on the McKenzie Break deposit, located 25 kilometres north of the Corporations wholly owned 750 tonne-per-day Beacon mill. The 2021 drilling program consisted of 54 holes for a total of 18,632 metres. Earlier results were reported on December 2, 2021 (73.5 g/t Au over 1.35 m), October 20, 2021 (3.93 g/t Au over 5.45 m), June 22, 2021 (70.8 g/t Au over 0.4 m) and March 22, 2021 (8.46 g/t Au over 13.8 m).

The results from the last 13 holes show several high-grade intersections, including 19.12 g/t Au over 1.9 m, 41.0 g/t Au over 0.5 m, 11.9 g/t Au over 1.5 m and 16.7 g/t Au over 0.89 m. The three best intersections are located along the northeastern extension of the current resource envelope (Figure 1). All significant assay results are provided in Table 2.

The 2021 drilling program was a surface program aimed at continuing to expand the McKenzie Break gold deposit and supplementing the recent mineral resource estimate (the 2021 MRE, effective February 1, 2021 and amended October 14, 2021, available on the Corporations website) with holes drilled on 50-metre centres down to a vertical depth of 400 metres. Based on recent results outside the 2021 MRE envelope, the current program has succeeded in expanding the gently dipping deposit, particularly to the northeast. The mineralized footprint now measures 600 metres by 1,100 metres and has been tested to a vertical depth of up to 400 metres. The 2021 program also confirmed that the mineralization is continuous and remains open in all directions.

The 2022 drilling program on the McKenzie Break property, which began in April with one drill rig, consists of 20,000 metres of drilling in 65 holes. A second drill rig will be added once Monarchs Swanson 10,000-metre drilling program is complete. Monarch will continue testing the deposit with holes at 50-metre centres. The 2022 program is aimed at expanding the current underground resource to the north and east, increasing the size of the currently proposed resource pit shell up-dip through expansion to the south and west and testing additional exploration targets along the volcanic-intrusive contact to the south.

Later this year, Monarch will update the mineral resource estimate to include the additional 18,632 metres drilled in 2021 and several strategic holes to be drilled in 2022, as well as a new interpreted geological model.

McKenzie Break continues to show strong exploration potential in all directions as we continue to encounter high-grade gold mineralization, said Jean-Marc Lacoste, President and Chief Executive Officer of Monarch. We expect 2022 to be another busy year on McKenzie Break and are looking forward to the results of the updated mineral resource estimate later in the year.

About McKenzie Break

Gold mineralization occurs in an elongated diorite unit or lens within a shallow embayment of the Pascalis Batholith. Monarch continues to have drilling success beyond the limits of the current resource envelope, recently updated by Geologica and GoldMinds (effective February 1, 2021, and amended October 14, 2021, available on the Corporations website) (see Table 1). The mineralized envelope currently measures 1,100 metres by 600 metres and has been tested down to a vertical depth of 400 metres. In 2022, the Corporation will drill 20,000 metres to continue testing the limits of the defined pit shell and mineralized envelope and to test other priority targets on the property, including targets along the volcanic-intrusive contact to the south. The 2022 drilling program began in April with one drill rig, with a second rig to be added later in the year.

Table 1: 2021 mineral resource estimate for the McKenzie Break deposit

Area (cut-off grade)

Indicated resource Inferred resource Tonnes

(t) Grade

(g/t) Ounces

(Au) Tonnes

(t) Grade

(g/t) Ounces

(Au) Pit-constrained (0.50 g/t Au) 1,441,377 1.80 83,305 2,243,562 1.44 104,038 Underground (2.38 g/t Au) 387,720 5.03 62,677 1,083,503 4.21 146,555 TOTAL 1,829,097 145,982 3,327,065 250,593



Mineral resource estimate notes:

Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. An Inferred Mineral Resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to a Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, market or other relevant issues. The quantity and grade of reported inferred resources are uncertain in nature and there has not been sufficient work to define these inferred resources as indicated or measured resources. The database used for this mineral estimate includes drill results obtained from historical records and up to the recent 2018-2020 drill program. Mineral resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 0.50 g/t Au for the pit-constrained and underground mineral resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 2.38 g/t Au within reasonably mineable volumes. These cut-offs were calculated at a gold price of C$1,980 ounce. The pit-constrained resources were based on the following parameters: mining cost $3.5/t, processing, transportation + G&A costs $27/t, Au recovery 95%, pit slopes 15 degrees for overburden and 50 degrees for rock. The underground reasonably mineable volumes were based on the following parameters: mining cost $98/t, processing, transportation + G&A costs $27/t, Au recovery 95%, dilution of 15% at 0 g/t Au with a minimum stope dimension of 10m x 10m x 5m. The geological interpretation of the deposits was based on lithologies and the typical mineralized interval mainly composed by diorite hosted shear zones. The mineral resource presented here was estimated with a block size of 5m x 5m x 5m for the pit-constrained and for underground. The blocks were interpolated from equal length composites calculated from the mineralized intervals. Prior to compositing, high-grade gold assays were capped to 60 g/t Au applied on 0.6-metre composites. The mineral estimation was completed using the inverse distance squared methodology utilizing two passes. For each pass, search ellipsoids followed the geological interpretation trends were used. Tonnage estimates are based on rock specific gravity of 2.77 tonnes per cubic metre for all the zones. Results are presented undiluted and in situ. Estimates use metric units (metres, tonnes and g/t). Metal contents are presented in troy ounces (metric tonne x grade / 31.10348). This mineral resource estimate is dated February 11th, 2021, and with an amended date of October 14th, 2021. The effective date for the drillhole database used to produce this updated mineral resource estimate is February 1st, 2021. Tonnages and ounces in the tables are rounded to the nearest hundred. Numbers may not total due to rounding. No economic evaluation of the resources has been produced.

The resource estimate was prepared by Alain-Jean Beauregard, P.Geo., Daniel Gaudreault, P.Eng. of Geologica Groupe-Conseil Inc., and Merouane Rachidi, P.Geo., Claude Duplessi, P.Eng. of GoldMinds GeoServices, all qualified persons under National Instrument 43-101.

Sampling consists of sawing the NQ-size core into equal halves along its main axis and shipping one of the halves to AGAT Laboratories in Mississauga, Ontario or ALS Canada in Val dOr, Quebec for assaying. The samples are crushed, pulverized and assayed by fire assay, with atomic absorption finish. Results exceeding 3.0 g/t Au are re-assayed using the gravity method, and samples containing visible gold grains are assayed using the metallic screen method. Monarch uses a comprehensive QA/QC protocol, including the insertion of standards and blanks.

The technical and scientific content of this press release has been reviewed and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo., the Corporations qualified person under National Instrument 43-101.

About Monarch

Monarch Mining Corporation (TSX: GBAR) (OTCQX: GBARF) is a fully integrated mining company that owns four projects, including the Beaufor Mine, which has produced more than 1 million ounces of gold over the last 30 years. Other assets include the Croinor Gold, McKenzie Break and Swanson properties, all located near Monarchs wholly owned 750 tpd Beacon Mill. Monarch owns 29,504 hectares (295 km2) of mining assets in the prolific Abitibi mining camp that host a combined measured and indicated gold resource of 478,982 ounces and a combined inferred resource of 383,393 ounces.

Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements in this press release involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Monarchs actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied therein. Neither TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jean-Marc Lacoste 1-888-994-4465 President and Chief Executive Officer [email protected] Mathieu Seguin 1-888-994-4465 Vice President, Corporate Development [email protected] Elisabeth Tremblay 1-888-994-4465 Geologist and Communication Manager [email protected]



www.monarchmining.com



Table 2: McKenzie Break 2021 drilling program significant assay results

Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m) * Au (g/t) MK-21-293 313.50 314.50 1.00 1.49 321.40 324.50 3.10 7.95 including 321.40 321.90 0.50 41.00 333.00 334.50 1.50 1.68 369.50 371.00 1.50 11.90 377.86 379.00 1.14 1.09 MK-21-298 3.95 5.45 1.50 2.64 34.85 35.60 0.75 2.71 186.00 188.20 2.20 2.80 including 186.00 187.10 1.10 4.20 MK-21-301 46.50 48.00 1.50 0.10 MK-21-309 241.50 244.50 3.00 1.20 248.60 250.00 1.40 1.14 281.00 282.00 1.00 1.94 310.50 312.00 1.50 1.00 328.00 329.00 1.00 2.08 MK-21-314 403.00 404.00 1.00 1.07 428.00 429.50 1.50 2.83 including 428.95 429.50 0.55 5.80 MK-21-316 7.30 7.80 0.50 1.55 15.70 16.20 0.50 5.28 231.80 233.70 1.90 19.12 247.80 248.50 0.70 4.10 257.10 258.10 1.00 1.55 289.70 290.90 1.20 1.05 MK-21-317 208.70 209.50 0.80 3.40 219.30 220.00 0.70 2.86 MK-21-318 300.50 301.70 1.20 2.92 364.50 365.45 0.95 3.63 372.20 373.30 1.10 1.41 378.00 378.80 0.80 1.55 MK-21-319 150.75 152.00 1.25 1.09 249.40 251.80 2.40 1.33 including 249.40 250.40 1.00 3.02 297.90 298.90 1.00 1.46 351.00 352.00 1.00 1.66 MK-21-323 244.40 245.27 0.87 2.08 MK-21-324 208.41 217.25 8.85 3.51 including 208.41 209.30 0.89 16.70 including 214.31 215.74 1.43 7.80 292.47 295.00 2.53 1.35 MK-21-325 289.50 290.50 1.00 1.14 322.00 323.30 1.30 5.60 331.50 332.40 0.90 1.40 353.00 354.00 1.00 2.13 408.00 409.50 1.50 4.30

* True width is 90% of indicated width.



Table 3: McKenzie Break drill hole locations

Hole ID UTM_E UTM_N Elevation (m) Azimut () Dip () Length (m) MK-21-293 310250 5359121 310 230 -88 420 MK-21-298 309989 5358768 311 230 -88 204 MK-21-301 309943 5358927 310 230 -88 55 MK-21-309 310050 5358417 311 230 -88 402 MK-21-314 310350 5358600 308 230 -88 515 MK-21-316 310125 5359170 309 230 -88 415 MK-21-317 310050 5359170 309 230 -88 381 MK-21-318 310250 5359060 310 230 -88 462 MK-21-319 310132 5358940 308 230 -88 399 MK-21-323 310050 5358350 306 230 -88 386 MK-21-324 310000 5358400 305 230 -88 351 MK-21-325 310230 5358440 307 230 -88 423



Figure 1: Significant assay results (Dec 2021  May 2022)

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d07711a6-7e2d-4c31-96cd-1c8420de8f86

Table 4: Monarch combined gold resources

Mineral resource estimates Tonnes

(metric) Grade

(g/t Au) Ounces Beaufor Mine1 Measured Resources 328,500 5.7 59,900 Indicated Resources 956,400 5.2 159,300 Total Measured and Indicated 1,284,900 5.3 219,200 Total Inferred 818,900 4.7 122,500 McKenzie Break2 In-pit Total Indicated 1,441,377 1.80 83,305 Total Inferred 2,243,562 1.44 104,038 Underground Total Indicated 387,720 5.03 62,677 Total Inferred 1,083,503 4.21 146,555 Swanson3 In-pit Total Indicated 1,864,000 1.76 105,400 Total Inferred 29,000 2.46 2,300 Underground Total Indicated 91,000 2.86 8,400 Total Inferred 87,000 2.87 8,000 TOTAL COMBINED4

Measured and Indicated Resources

Inferred Resources 478,982

383,393 1 Source: NI 43-101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate for the Beaufor Mine Project, October 13, 2021, Val-dOr, Quebec, Canada, Charlotte Athurion, P. Geo., Pierre-Luc Richard, P. Geo., Dario Evangelista, P. Eng., BBA Inc.

2 Source: NI 43-101 Technical Evaluation Report on the McKenzie Break Property, October 14, 2021, Val-dOr, Quebec, Canada, Alain-Jean Beauregard, P.Geo., Daniel Gaudreault, P.Eng., Geologica Groupe-Conseil Inc., and Merouane Rachidi, P.Geo., Claude Duplessi, P.Eng., GoldMinds GeoServices Inc.

3 Source: NI 43-101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate for the Swanson Project, January 22, 2021, Val-dOr, Quebec, Canada, Christine Beausoleil, P. Geo. and Alain Carrier, P. Geo., InnovExplo Inc.

4 Numbers may not add due to rounding.




Monarch is reporting final assays for its 2021 diamond drilling program, which include high-grade results of 19.12 g/t Au over 1.9 m, 41.0 g/t Au over 0.5 m, 11.9 g/t Au over 1.5 m and 16.7 g/t Au over 0.89 m.

The 2021 drilling program expanded the mineralized footprint to 600 metres by 1,100 metres to a vertical depth of 400 metres and confirmed that mineralization remains open in all directions, with additional high-grade intersections to the northeast.

The 2022 McKenzie Break diamond drilling program, which began in April with one drill rig, consists of 20,000 metres of drilling in 65 holes. A second drill rig will be added once Monarchs 10,000-metre Swanson diamond drill program is complete.

Monarch is working towards updating its McKenzie Break mineral resource estimate later in 2022.

MONTREAL, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MONARCH MINING CORPORATION (Monarch or the Corporation) (TSX: GBAR) (OTCQX: GBARF) is pleased to report the results for the last 13 holes of its 2021 drilling program on the McKenzie Break deposit, located 25 kilometres north of the Corporations wholly owned 750 tonne-per-day Beacon mill. The 2021 drilling program consisted of 54 holes for a total of 18,632 metres. Earlier results were reported on December 2, 2021 (73.5 g/t Au over 1.35 m), October 20, 2021 (3.93 g/t Au over 5.45 m), June 22, 2021 (70.8 g/t Au over 0.4 m) and March 22, 2021 (8.46 g/t Au over 13.8 m).

The results from the last 13 holes show several high-grade intersections, including 19.12 g/t Au over 1.9 m, 41.0 g/t Au over 0.5 m, 11.9 g/t Au over 1.5 m and 16.7 g/t Au over 0.89 m. The three best intersections are located along the northeastern extension of the current resource envelope (Figure 1). All significant assay results are provided in Table 2.

The 2021 drilling program was a surface program aimed at continuing to expand the McKenzie Break gold deposit and supplementing the recent mineral resource estimate (the 2021 MRE, effective February 1, 2021 and amended October 14, 2021, available on the Corporations website) with holes drilled on 50-metre centres down to a vertical depth of 400 metres. Based on recent results outside the 2021 MRE envelope, the current program has succeeded in expanding the gently dipping deposit, particularly to the northeast. The mineralized footprint now measures 600 metres by 1,100 metres and has been tested to a vertical depth of up to 400 metres. The 2021 program also confirmed that the mineralization is continuous and remains open in all directions.

The 2022 drilling program on the McKenzie Break property, which began in April with one drill rig, consists of 20,000 metres of drilling in 65 holes. A second drill rig will be added once Monarchs Swanson 10,000-metre drilling program is complete. Monarch will continue testing the deposit with holes at 50-metre centres. The 2022 program is aimed at expanding the current underground resource to the north and east, increasing the size of the currently proposed resource pit shell up-dip through expansion to the south and west and testing additional exploration targets along the volcanic-intrusive contact to the south.

Later this year, Monarch will update the mineral resource estimate to include the additional 18,632 metres drilled in 2021 and several strategic holes to be drilled in 2022, as well as a new interpreted geological model.

McKenzie Break continues to show strong exploration potential in all directions as we continue to encounter high-grade gold mineralization, said Jean-Marc Lacoste, President and Chief Executive Officer of Monarch. We expect 2022 to be another busy year on McKenzie Break and are looking forward to the results of the updated mineral resource estimate later in the year.

About McKenzie BreakGold mineralization occurs in an elongated diorite unit or lens within a shallow embayment of the Pascalis Batholith. Monarch continues to have drilling success beyond the limits of the current resource envelope, recently updated by Geologica and GoldMinds (effective February 1, 2021, and amended October 14, 2021, available on the Corporations website) (see Table 1). The mineralized envelope currently measures 1,100 metres by 600 metres and has been tested down to a vertical depth of 400 metres. In 2022, the Corporation will drill 20,000 metres to continue testing the limits of the defined pit shell and mineralized envelope and to test other priority targets on the property, including targets along the volcanic-intrusive contact to the south. The 2022 drilling program began in April with one drill rig, with a second rig to be added later in the year.

Table 1: 2021 mineral resource estimate for the McKenzie Break deposit

Area (cut-off grade) Indicated resource Inferred resource Tonnes(t) Grade(g/t) Ounces(Au) Tonnes(t) Grade(g/t) Ounces(Au) Pit-constrained (0.50 g/t Au) 1,441,377 1.80 83,305 2,243,562 1.44 104,038 Underground (2.38 g/t Au) 387,720 5.03 62,677 1,083,503 4.21 146,555 TOTAL 1,829,097 145,982 3,327,065 250,593

Mineral resource estimate notes:

Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. An Inferred Mineral Resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to a Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, market or other relevant issues. The quantity and grade of reported inferred resources are uncertain in nature and there has not been sufficient work to define these inferred resources as indicated or measured resources. The database used for this mineral estimate includes drill results obtained from historical records and up to the recent 2018-2020 drill program. Mineral resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 0.50 g/t Au for the pit-constrained and underground mineral resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 2.38 g/t Au within reasonably mineable volumes. These cut-offs were calculated at a gold price of C$1,980 ounce. The pit-constrained resources were based on the following parameters: mining cost $3.5/t, processing, transportation + G&A costs $27/t, Au recovery 95%, pit slopes 15 degrees for overburden and 50 degrees for rock. The underground reasonably mineable volumes were based on the following parameters: mining cost $98/t, processing, transportation + G&A costs $27/t, Au recovery 95%, dilution of 15% at 0 g/t Au with a minimum stope dimension of 10m x 10m x 5m. The geological interpretation of the deposits was based on lithologies and the typical mineralized interval mainly composed by diorite hosted shear zones. The mineral resource presented here was estimated with a block size of 5m x 5m x 5m for the pit-constrained and for underground. The blocks were interpolated from equal length composites calculated from the mineralized intervals. Prior to compositing, high-grade gold assays were capped to 60 g/t Au applied on 0.6-metre composites. The mineral estimation was completed using the inverse distance squared methodology utilizing two passes. For each pass, search ellipsoids followed the geological interpretation trends were used. Tonnage estimates are based on rock specific gravity of 2.77 tonnes per cubic metre for all the zones. Results are presented undiluted and in situ. Estimates use metric units (metres, tonnes and g/t). Metal contents are presented in troy ounces (metric tonne x grade / 31.10348). This mineral resource estimate is dated February 11th, 2021, and with an amended date of October 14th, 2021. The effective date for the drillhole database used to produce this updated mineral resource estimate is February 1st, 2021. Tonnages and ounces in the tables are rounded to the nearest hundred. Numbers may not total due to rounding. No economic evaluation of the resources has been produced.

The resource estimate was prepared by Alain-Jean Beauregard, P.Geo., Daniel Gaudreault, P.Eng. of Geologica Groupe-Conseil Inc., and Merouane Rachidi, P.Geo., Claude Duplessi, P.Eng. of GoldMinds GeoServices, all qualified persons under National Instrument 43-101.

Sampling consists of sawing the NQ-size core into equal halves along its main axis and shipping one of the halves to AGAT Laboratories in Mississauga, Ontario or ALS Canada in Val dOr, Quebec for assaying. The samples are crushed, pulverized and assayed by fire assay, with atomic absorption finish. Results exceeding 3.0 g/t Au are re-assayed using the gravity method, and samples containing visible gold grains are assayed using the metallic screen method. Monarch uses a comprehensive QA/QC protocol, including the insertion of standards and blanks.

The technical and scientific content of this press release has been reviewed and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo., the Corporations qualified person under National Instrument 43-101.

About MonarchMonarch Mining Corporation (TSX: GBAR) (OTCQX: GBARF) is a fully integrated mining company that owns four projects, including the Beaufor Mine, which has produced more than 1 million ounces of gold over the last 30 years. Other assets include the Croinor Gold, McKenzie Break and Swanson properties, all located near Monarchs wholly owned 750 tpd Beacon Mill. Monarch owns 29,504 hectares (295 km2) of mining assets in the prolific Abitibi mining camp that host a combined measured and indicated gold resource of 478,982 ounces and a combined inferred resource of 383,393 ounces.

Forward-Looking Statements The forward-looking statements in this press release involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Monarchs actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied therein. Neither TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jean-Marc Lacoste 1-888-994-4465 President and Chief Executive Officer [email protected] Mathieu Seguin 1-888-994-4465 Vice President, Corporate Development [email protected] Elisabeth Tremblay 1-888-994-4465 Geologist and Communication Manager [email protected]

www.monarchmining.com

Table 2: McKenzie Break 2021 drilling program significant assay results

Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m) * Au (g/t) MK-21-293 313.50 314.50 1.00 1.49 321.40 324.50 3.10 7.95 including 321.40 321.90 0.50 41.00 333.00 334.50 1.50 1.68 369.50 371.00 1.50 11.90 377.86 379.00 1.14 1.09 MK-21-298 3.95 5.45 1.50 2.64 34.85 35.60 0.75 2.71 186.00 188.20 2.20 2.80 including 186.00 187.10 1.10 4.20 MK-21-301 46.50 48.00 1.50 0.10 MK-21-309 241.50 244.50 3.00 1.20 248.60 250.00 1.40 1.14 281.00 282.00 1.00 1.94 310.50 312.00 1.50 1.00 328.00 329.00 1.00 2.08 MK-21-314 403.00 404.00 1.00 1.07 428.00 429.50 1.50 2.83 including 428.95 429.50 0.55 5.80 MK-21-316 7.30 7.80 0.50 1.55 15.70 16.20 0.50 5.28 231.80 233.70 1.90 19.12 247.80 248.50 0.70 4.10 257.10 258.10 1.00 1.55 289.70 290.90 1.20 1.05 MK-21-317 208.70 209.50 0.80 3.40 219.30 220.00 0.70 2.86 MK-21-318 300.50 301.70 1.20 2.92 364.50 365.45 0.95 3.63 372.20 373.30 1.10 1.41 378.00 378.80 0.80 1.55 MK-21-319 150.75 152.00 1.25 1.09 249.40 251.80 2.40 1.33 including 249.40 250.40 1.00 3.02 297.90 298.90 1.00 1.46 351.00 352.00 1.00 1.66 MK-21-323 244.40 245.27 0.87 2.08 MK-21-324 208.41 217.25 8.85 3.51 including 208.41 209.30 0.89 16.70 including 214.31 215.74 1.43 7.80 292.47 295.00 2.53 1.35 MK-21-325 289.50 290.50 1.00 1.14 322.00 323.30 1.30 5.60 331.50 332.40 0.90 1.40 353.00 354.00 1.00 2.13 408.00 409.50 1.50 4.30

* True width is 90% of indicated width.Table 3: McKenzie Break drill hole locations

Hole ID UTM_E UTM_N Elevation (m) Azimut () Dip () Length (m) MK-21-293 310250 5359121 310 230 -88 420 MK-21-298 309989 5358768 311 230 -88 204 MK-21-301 309943 5358927 310 230 -88 55 MK-21-309 310050 5358417 311 230 -88 402 MK-21-314 310350 5358600 308 230 -88 515 MK-21-316 310125 5359170 309 230 -88 415 MK-21-317 310050 5359170 309 230 -88 381 MK-21-318 310250 5359060 310 230 -88 462 MK-21-319 310132 5358940 308 230 -88 399 MK-21-323 310050 5358350 306 230 -88 386 MK-21-324 310000 5358400 305 230 -88 351 MK-21-325 310230 5358440 307 230 -88 423

Figure 1: Significant assay results (Dec 2021  May 2022)https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d07711a6-7e2d-4c31-96cd-1c8420de8f86

Table 4: Monarch combined gold resources

Mineral resource estimates Tonnes(metric) Grade (g/t Au) Ounces Beaufor Mine1 Measured Resources 328,500 5.7 59,900 Indicated Resources 956,400 5.2 159,300 Total Measured and Indicated 1,284,900 5.3 219,200 Total Inferred 818,900 4.7 122,500 McKenzie Break2 In-pit Total Indicated 1,441,377 1.80 83,305 Total Inferred 2,243,562 1.44 104,038 Underground Total Indicated 387,720 5.03 62,677 Total Inferred 1,083,503 4.21 146,555 Swanson3 In-pit Total Indicated 1,864,000 1.76 105,400 Total Inferred 29,000 2.46 2,300 Underground Total Indicated 91,000 2.86 8,400 Total Inferred 87,000 2.87 8,000 TOTAL COMBINED4Measured and Indicated ResourcesInferred Resources 478,982383,393 1 Source: NI 43-101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate for the Beaufor Mine Project, October 13, 2021, Val-dOr, Quebec, Canada, Charlotte Athurion, P. Geo., Pierre-Luc Richard, P. Geo., Dario Evangelista, P. Eng., BBA Inc.2 Source: NI 43-101 Technical Evaluation Report on the McKenzie Break Property, October 14, 2021, Val-dOr, Quebec, Canada, Alain-Jean Beauregard, P.Geo., Daniel Gaudreault, P.Eng., Geologica Groupe-Conseil Inc., and Merouane Rachidi, P.Geo., Claude Duplessi, P.Eng., GoldMinds GeoServices Inc.3 Source: NI 43-101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate for the Swanson Project, January 22, 2021, Val-dOr, Quebec, Canada, Christine Beausoleil, P. Geo. and Alain Carrier, P. Geo., InnovExplo Inc.4 Numbers may not add due to rounding.

Historical mineral resource estimate Tonnes(metric) Grade (g/t Au) Ounces Croinor Gold1,2 Measured Resources 80,100 8.44 21,700 Indicated Resources 724,500 9.20 214,300 Total Measured and Indicated 804,600 9.12 236,000 Total Inferred 160,800 7.42 38,400 1 Source: Monarch Gold prefeasibility study (January 19, 2018). This resource was completed for Monarch Gold and has not been reviewed by a qualified person for Monarch Mining as required under National Instrument 43-101 and is thus considered as an historical estimate. Furthermore, a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves; and therefore, Monarch is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves.2 Numbers may not add due to rounding.

Figure 1 Significant assay results (Dec 2021  May 2022)

Source: Monarch Mining Corporation
Alexandria, Va., June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Community Pharmacists Association is hailing a move by the Federal Trade Commission to proceed with a 6(b) study of pharmacy benefit managers and anticompetitive business practices. After the commission in February split 2-2 on a proposal to launch a formal study into PBMs, FTC Chair Lina Khan pledged to call for another vote on the issue.

Todays vote comes after Alvaro Bedoya was sworn in as commissioner in May. He joined Khan and all commissioners in voting to support the investigation. This will make the six largest PBMs (CVS Caremark; Express Scripts, Inc.; OptumRx, Inc.; Humana Inc.; Prime Therapeutics LLC; and MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc.) hand over information on PBM business practices including fees and clawbacks charged to unaffiliated pharmacies, patient-steering, audits of independent pharmacies, reimbursement, and more.

NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, pharmacist, MBA, applauded the outcome. Hoey said:

PBMs behave like monopolies. Their secretive, anticompetitive practices increase prescription drug prices, limit consumer choice, and stymie competition. Theyve escaped serious scrutiny for far too long, but this study will bring their dirty laundry out into the open.

NCPA has repeatedly called on the FTC to scrutinize PBM practices and thousands of community pharmacy owners and their allies have shared with the FTC their examples of the impact health insurer-owned PBMs have on consumer costs and access to prescription drugs contributing to the FTC decision to do the 6(b) study. These examples have made a difference. Were grateful to Chair Khan and the commissioners for considering these concerns and approving this study, which we hope will result in meaningful reforms to merger and acquisition reviews and, of course, to the insurer-PBMs themselves.

###

Founded in 1898, the National Community Pharmacists Association is the voice for the community pharmacist, representing nearly 19,400 pharmacies that employ 215,000 individuals nationwide. Community pharmacies are rooted in the communities where they are located and are among America's most accessible health care providers. To learn more, visit www.ncpa.org.

Andie Pivarunas National Community Pharmacists Association 703-600-1174 [email protected]

Source: National Community Pharmacists Association
Orphazyme A/SCompany announcementNo. 31/2022www.orphazyme.comCompany Registration No. 32266355

Copenhagen, Denmark, June 7, 2022  Orphazyme A/S (ORPHA.CO) (the Company), today announces the notice to convene the Companys Annual General Meeting to be held on:

Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at 2:00 PM (CEST)

at the offices of Gorrissen Federspiel, Axeltorv 2, DK-1609 Copenhagen V.

The notice to convene the Annual General Meeting, including Appendix 1: Candidates for the Board of Directors is attached.

Additional information about the Annual General Meeting is available on the Companys website: https://orphazyme.gcs-web.com/annual-general-meeting-0

For additional information, please contact

Orphazyme A/S

Anders Vadsholt, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer: +45 28 98 90 55

Forward-looking statement This company announcement may contain certain forward-looking statements under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and otherwise, including forward-looking statements about the Companys annual meeting, annual and interim reports and timing thereof. Although the Company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, all statements other than statements of historical fact included in this company announcement about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Companys control, including pursuant to regulatory or judicial intervention. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Attachments

Source: ORPHAZYME A/S
SAN JOSE, Calif., June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nubeva Technologies (TSX-V: NBVA, OTC: NBVAF) announces success in two live ransomware attacks by Conti and a new version of REvil . Nubeva's Ransomware Reversal decrypts ransomware without negotiating or paying for ransomware keys and decryptors. Users recover faster, easier, and with less data loss than paying ransoms or restoring from backups with an overall reduction in recovery costs and damages due to downtime.

In the first case, an existing Nubeva customer, a mid-size company in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, was ransomed by REvil. REvil, responsible for Colonial Pipeline, was arrested in January 2022 as a part of a multinational effort supported by the Russian government. There have been rumored reports of their reemergence due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Despite the recent investments in next-generation firewalls and endpoint protection software, the organization had been ransomed multiple times in the past two years, each with escalating ransom demands and damages totaling in the millions. The customer bought Nubeva as a backstop should it happen again, said Steve Perkins, CMO at Nubeva. When we got our hands on the sample, we validated that it was in fact, a brand-new variant of REvil, confirming the gang's rebirth. The great news is, we decrypt REvil, including this new version sight unseen, protecting customers, and proving the power of our technology.

In the second event, a Healthcare company was attacked by Conti, a leading Russian-based ransomware. Nubeva was brought in by the incident response (IR) company selected for response and recovery. The IR firm deployed Nubevas solution first, to contain the further expansion of the attack, and second, to protect against reinfection during the data-restoration phase of the project.

This engagement is extremely exciting for us as it points to new use cases that expands our value and market. In this case, the customer needed to restore from very recent backups to minimize data loss. But in doing so, they knew they could re-introduce an active threat into their environment. Perkins said Nubeva was the safety net against re-attack while also providing essential forensic data to identify and remove the threat. The result is dramatically faster recovery with the least amount of data loss. This is powerful. We provide ultimate value if you install us before an attack, but we also can add material value to improve recoveries even if we are brought in after the fact. We will be taking these findings to the IR industry to replicate this value and success. Perkins concluded.

Additional details of the customers, the events, and recoveries are being held in confidence by customer request.

Nubeva Ransomware Reversal, released in Q1, 2022, is the NextGen solution for faster and lower cost recovery from ransomware attacks. Nubeva markets its software subscriptions to businesses and organizations directly and through a growing list of resellers, MSSP (managed security service providers), and IR (Incident Response) partners.

Learn more about Nubevas Ransomware Reversal here

About Nubeva Technologies Ltd.Nubeva develops and licenses B2B software for next-generation cybersecurity solutions with a focus on ransomware. The companys patented and awarding winning SKI technology enable advanced decryptions solutions including ransomware reversal - the ability to decrypt and quickly recover from ransomware attacks without paying the ransom, and TLS Visibility - the ability to universally decrypt TLS/SSL network traffic enabling deep packet inspection for cybersecurity and application assurance applications. The company licenses its software to end-user enterprises, managed security service providers, incident responders, and cybersecurity and application solution manufacturers.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the Company's business plans and the outlook of the cybersecurity industry. Although the Company believes in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments, and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release, and the Company assumes no responsibility to update them or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances other than as required by applicable securities laws. The Company undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations, or statements made by third parties regarding the Company, its subsidiaries, their securities, or their respective financial or operating results (as applicable).

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.

For More Information: Steve Perkins [email protected] (714) 261-9948

Source: Nubeva Technologies
Net Present Value  NPV(8) of $2.23 B (pre-tax) and NPV(8) of $1.31 B (after-tax)Internal Rate of Return (IRR)  55.3% (pre-tax) and 41.5% (after-tax)Capital Payback Period  1.5 Years (pre-tax) and 1.8 Years (after-tax)Initial Capital Costs - $ 422MApprox. Annual production- 1437t - Magnet Rare Earths Oxides (Nd+Pr:1291t Dy:125t Tb:21t)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Search Minerals Inc. (TSXV: SMY | OTCQB: SHCMF) (Search or the Company), is pleased to announce the results of its Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the development of its Deep Fox and Foxtrot Rare Earth Element (REE) deposits located in Labrador, Canada and the establishment of a Direct Extraction Hydrometallurgical processing facility on the Island of Newfoundland. The PEA was prepared by SLR Consulting (Canada) Inc. The technical report relating to the PEA will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days of this news release.

Key Financial Metrics (Unless otherwise indicated all values expressed in CDN$, Exchange rate CDN$1 = US$0.80):

The project net present value (NPV) of $2.23B (before-tax) and NPV of $1.31B (after-tax), at a 8% discount rate.

The pre-tax internal rate of return (IRR) is 55.3%, and the after-tax IRR is 41.5%.

The pre-tax capital payback is 1.5 years and after-tax capital payback is 1.8 years from start of production.

Initial capital costs: $422M (includes $61M contingency)

Life of Mine: 26 years. Annual mining production: 720,000t (at 2000tpd)

Net value: $756/t (net of process recoveries and payability terms)

Operating cost: $345/t (including third party separation charges)

The price for Magnet Rare Earth Oxides used: Neodymium oxide- USD$212/kg, Praseodymium oxide USD$201/kg, Dysprosium oxide USD$587/kg and Terbium oxide USD$2,493/kg.

Cautionary Note: The preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them to enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have a demonstrated economic viability.

Greg Andrews, President and CEO of Search Minerals states: This PEA marks the achievement of a significant milestone in Searchs pursuit of establishing a secure and reliable REE mining and process industry in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The strong economic case supports the development of mining and primary production of the Deep Fox and Foxtrot deposits in Labrador and further refining of concentrate into REE mixed oxides and carbonates on the Island of Newfoundland.

Andrews added: We believe Search is well positioned to attract strategic partners and investment as we move forward with the next steps of development including completing a bankable feasibly study and initiating the approvals process for this project. Our goal is to be in production by 2025. The existence of other highly prospective targets within our District provides flexibility to ramp up future development to respond to increasing market demands for our permanent magnet material.

Mineral Resource Estimate

Search has completed an updated Mineral Resource estimate on Deep Fox and Foxtrot. (April 11, 2022 - Search Minerals Announces Increased Deep Fox and Foxtrot Mineral Resource Estimates).

Summary of Mineral Resources as of December 31, 2021Search Minerals Inc.  Deep Fox and Foxtrot Project

Classification Tonnage(000 t) Pr(ppm) Nd(ppm) Tb(ppm) Dy(ppm) Open Pit Indicated 8,483 381 1,422 32 187 Inferred 1,441 329 1,231 30 179 Underground Indicated 6,611 368 1,376 31 182 Inferred 4,862 380 1,427 33 191 Total Indicated 15,094 375 1,402 32 185 Total Inferred 6,303 369 1,382 32 188

Notes:

CIM definitions were followed for Mineral Resources. Open Pit Mineral Resources were reported inside a resource shell at a pit discard NSR cut-off value of C$260/t. Underground Mineral Resources were constrained with mineralization wireframes below the resource shell and validated using underground mining solids based on an NSR cut-off value of C$335/t. Both cut-off values account for all processing, G&A, refining, and transportation charges. NSR values were assigned to blocks using metal prices, metallurgical recoveries, payables (as shown in their respective sections of this report) for each individual element. A minimum mining width of 2.0 m was used for both open pit and underground. Bulk density varies from 2.71 t/m3 to 2.92 t/m3. Revenue attributable to Pr, Nd, Dy, and Tb represent approximately 92% of the total revenue. The estimate is of Mineral Resources only and because these do not constitute Mineral Reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability. Totals may not add or multiply accurately due to rounding.

Mining operation

Mining will be carried out using open pit and underground methods at a rate of 2,000 tpd starting at Deep Fox and followed by Foxtrot. Deep Fox will be mined over an 11 year period (7 years open pit and 4 years underground) and Foxtrot will be mined over a 16 year period (7 years open pit and 9 years underground) for a total mine life of 26 years (Foxtrot open pit and Deep Fox underground will both be mined in year 11).

A total of 18.137 million tonnes (Mt) of mineral will be mined at average grades of 1,416 ppm Nd, 379 ppm Pr, 188 ppm Dy, and 32 ppm Tb.

The open pit mines are planned to be mined using conventional truck and shovel operations.

The underground mines are planned to be mined with conventional longhole mining methods.

Primary Production Plant

Mineralized material from the Deep Fox and Foxtrot deposits will be processed through a grinding and magnetic separation primary processing operation. The operation will take place in a facility constructed near the deposits in Labrador.

Primary processing will produce a REE concentrate, by-product iron concentrate, and dry stackable tailings.

The REE concentrate will be stockpiled in Labrador and seasonally transported to a secondary hydrometallurgical processing plant on the Island of Newfoundland for further processing.

Hydrometallurgical Processing Plant

The hydrometallurgical Direct Extraction Process facility will be sited on the Island of Newfoundland and will produce a mixed carbonate precipitate as the final purified mixed rare earth product.

Rare Earth Separation Processing

Operating costs for the separation of the mixed rare earth product to final saleable individual rare earth oxides are based on a tolling fee for REE separation by a third party.

Ongoing laboratory and pilot plant test work are being conducted to optimize separation processing with the goal of decreasing separation operating costs. Search will complete an engineering study to determine the feasibility of building a separation facility on the Island of Newfoundland.

Environment, Social and Governance

Search has increased its internal capacity and is enhancing its corporate policies, procedures and practices to ensure compliance with industry Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) best practices.

Improvements to the process flow sheet have resulted in design changes which reduce both the footprint of the operations and the potential adverse effects of processing.

Search has initiated environmental baseline studies over both deposit areas and continues to expand its baseline data set. Discussions with the NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) department of Environment and Natural Resources have identified opportunities to collaborate on further regional study initiatives. It is anticipated that joint environmental studies, Traditional Knowledge studies and monitoring programs will be undertaken during the 2022 field season and carry on throughout the life of the project.

All exploration permits are in place. Search continues to work directly with the St. Lewis Town Council, Port Hope Simpson Town Council and the Marys Harbour Town Council to ensure that residents are informed of activities and that their concerns are addressed in a timely manner.

Search entered into a Mining Exploration Activities Agreement with the NCC on August 27, 2012 which remains in good standing. Additional social uplift initiatives include providing scholarships to local students, donating to community projects, and working with the NCC to provide local employment opportunities.

Search is also collaborating with government agencies to seek opportunities to provide renewable energy alternatives in the communities where we work.

After-Tax Cash Flow, Capital and Operating Costs Summary

After-Tax Cash Flow SummaryDeep Fox and Foxtrot

Parameter Units Value Design Feed to Mill Rate ktpa 720 Feed to Mill, Total Mt 18.1 LOM years 26 Revenue, after fees $M 13,719 Total Operating Costs $M 6,250 Total Initial Capital $M 422 Sustaining Capital $M 312 Reclamation and Closure $M 20 Total Capital Cost $M 753 Undiscounted Net Cash Flow, pre-tax $M 6,716 Payback Period years 1.5 NPV 5% $M 3,243 NPV 8% $M 2,231 NPV 10% $M 1,776 NPV 12% $M 1,434 IRR % 55.3% Project Taxes $M 2,620 Undiscounted Net Cash Flow, after-tax $M 4,097 Payback Period years 1.8 NPV 5% $M 1,942 NPV 8% $M 1,314 NPV 10% $M 1.032 NPV 12% $M 820 IRR % 41.5%

Overall Capital Cost SummaryDeep Fox and Foxtrot Project

Area Capital Cost ($M) Open Pit Mining 4.8 Primary Production Plant 108.5 Hydrometallurgical Processing Plant 131.7 Total Directs 245.0 Indirects/Owners 115.6 Contingency 61.2 Total Initial Capital 421.8 Open Pit Sustaining Capital 5.7 UG Sustaining Capital (starting year 7) 134.2 UG Development Capital (starting year 7) 44.3 Process and Infrastructure Sustaining Capital 127.4 Reclamation and Closure 20.0 Total Capital Cost 753.4

LOM Operating CostsDeep Fox and Foxtrot Project

Area Unit Cost OP Mining (Mineralization) $/t mined 6.50 OP Mining (Waste) $/t mined 5.00 UG Mining $/t mined 63.69 Mining (overall) $/t processed 61.75 Additional Haulage to Plant (Foxtrot Only) $/t processed 2.00 Primary Production Plant $/t processed 38.90 G&A (Primary Production Plant) $/t processed 10.97 Transport to Hydrometallurgical Processing Plant $/t processed 5.07 Hydrometallurgical Processing $/t processed 90.60 G&A (Hydrometallurgical Processing Plant) $/t processed 2.74 Separation Charges $/t processed 148.27 Separation Charges $/kg TREO 13.72 Total Operating Costs $/t processed 344.59

Pre-Tax Sensitivity Analyses

Pre-Tax Sensitivity Analyses Deep Fox and Foxtrot

Parameter Variables Units -20% -10% Base 10% 20% TREE Head Grade % 0.69% 0.78% 0.87% 0.95% 1.04% Net Value ($/t) $/t 605 681 756 832 908 Exchange Rate US$/C$ 0.64 0.72 0.80 0.88 0.96 Operating Cost ($M) $M 5,000 5,625 6,250 6875 7,500 Capital Cost ($M) $M 603 678 753 829 904 NPV at 8% $M -20% -10% Base 10% 20% TREE Head Grade $M 1,437 1,834 2,231 2,627 3,024 Net Value ($/t) $M 1,245 1,738 2,231 2,723 3,216 Exchange Rate $M 3,463 2,778 2,231 1,782 1,409 Operating Cost ($M) $M 2,672 2,451 2,231 2,010 1,789 Capital Cost ($M) $M 2,328 2,279 2,231 2,182 2,133

Qualified Person:

Ian Weir, P.Eng., SLR Technical Manager - Mining, is a qualified person (as defined by NI 43-101) and has supervised the preparation of and approved all scientific and technical information herein and has conducted appropriate verification on the underlying data. Tudorel Ciuculescu, M. Sc., P. Geo. is a qualified person (as defined by NI 43-101) and has reviewed and verified all scientific and technical information herein relating to the Mineral Resource estimates.

About Search Minerals Inc.

Led by a proven management team and board of directors, Search is focused on finding and developing Critical Rare Earths Elements (CREE), Zirconium (Zr) and Hafnium (Hf) resources within the emerging Port Hope Simpson  St. Lewis CREE District of southeast Labrador. The Company controls a belt 63 km long and 2 km wide and is road accessible, on tidewater, and located within 3 local communities. Search has completed a preliminary economic assessment report for FOXTROT, and a resource estimate for DEEP FOX. Search is also working on three exploration prospects along the belt which include: FOX MEADOW, SILVER FOX and AWESOME FOX.

Search has continued to optimize our patented Direct Extraction Process technology with support from the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and from the Atlantic Canada Opportunity Agency. We have completed two pilot plant operations and produced highly purified mixed rare earth carbonate concentrate and mixed rare earth concentrate for separation and refining. We also recognize the continued support by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for its Junior Exploration Program.

Search Minerals was selected to participate in the Government of Canada Accelerated Growth Service (AGS) initiative, which supports high growth companies. AGS, as a one-stop shop model, provides Search with coordinated access to Government of Canada resources as Search continues to move quickly to production and contribute to the establishment of a stable and secure rare earth element North American and European supply chain.

For further information, please contact: Search Minerals Inc. Investor Relations Greg Andrews Pretium Capital Group President and CEO Sherman Dahl Tel: 604-998-3432 Tel: 250-558-8340 E-mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation: statements with respect to the timing of a technical report summarizing the results of the PEA, the development, operational and economic results of the PEA, including cash flows, capital expenditures, development costs, recovery rates, operating costs, estimation of mineral resources and anticipated advancement of the Companys exploration, production and processing plans. These statements are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. In certain cases, forward-looking information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "could", "estimates", "expects", "may", "shall", "will", or "would".

Forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of Mineral Resources, the realization of resource estimates, change in market prices, the availability of necessary financing, the timing and amount of future exploration and development expenditures, the progress of exploration and development activities, the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals, and assumptions with respect to environmental risks, title disputes or claims, and other similar matters. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect.

Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include: changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, changes in relationships with local communities, changes in market conditions, unsuccessful exploration results, unanticipated costs and expenses, inaccurate resource estimates, changes in the price of minerals, unexpected changes in the regulatory environment, environmental hazards, unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic conditions. In addition, mining exploration and development is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. Reference should be made to the Company's public filings available under its profile on www.sedar.com for further risk factors.

These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Source: Search Minerals Inc
STOCKHOLM, Sweden and CHICAGO, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tacton, industrial manufacturings Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) SaaS provider for design to sales automation, today announced several updates for Tacton CPQ, the most comprehensive CPQ software on the market for manufacturers. The company is launching Tacton CPQ Data Import Automation, Tacton Product Validations, and an enhanced version of Tactons Integration to Salesforce. Additionally, Tacton is releasing an update to Tacton CPQ Visualization. Tacton CPQs latest enhancements increase efficiency in manufacturing sales and help manufacturers across the globe achieve a smooth process for configuring and selling complex capital equipment and adjacent services. With Tacton, manufacturers can confidently handle any customer request to increase customer satisfaction, improve operations and drive revenues.

Tacton CPQ Data Import AutomationTacton CPQ is central to effective selling, where all product information comes together for the sales team to quickly turnaround quotes. With the new Data Import Automation option, sales representatives can build configurable items and quotations with the most up-to-date data, which improves quote and order quality and client satisfaction. This helps organizations become more nimble and robust to fluctuating data types, such as supply chain changes and currency fluctuations, because data input is automated.

Data Import Automation is especially useful for dealing with data that changes often, such as costs, currency rates, components data, and part lead times. Customers control data in their current business systems and arrange automated, quality-assured releases to the sales configurator. With Data Import Automation, companies can offload repetitive manual tasks without compromising on quality, reduce time to market, and increase margins.

Data Important Automation is available as an option to Tacton CPQ Enterprise and included in Enterprise+.

Product Validations for Tacton CPQ Tacton CPQ supports even the most complex configuration scenarios. The new option Product Validations allows customers to include input from external simulation systems to find the optimal solution for these scenarios. It supports the sales representative in creating an optimal solution for both customers and manufacturers, validated against the environment where it will be used, fast and efficiently. With Product Validations, organizations can reduce maintenance of CPQ from weeks to days which can lead to significant cost savings.

Product Validations is included as an option in Tacton CPQ Enterprise and Enterprise+ editions.

Enhanced Integration to Salesforce Tacton CPQ has proven it can transform manufacturers selling experience. The updated Integration to Salesforce makes selling configurable manufacturing products in the environment sales representatives are used to even more easy and intuitive. With a seamlessly embedded Tacton CPQ interface inside Salesforce, sales reps can both handle the customer relationship in the CRM they love, and at the same time leverage the power of accurate configuration of complex industrial equipment, including accurate pricing, quotes,and sales forecasting data.

Tacton CPQ Visualization Updates Tacton now allows users to dynamically upload their own images and use them in the configuration. A new generation of digital-native shoppers has different expectations than previous generations. Even with customized items, manufacturers must provide a perfect and quick client experience. This new feature will allow companies to tailor the configured product to the specific customer and adapt the visualization to the specific customers needs instantly.

Custom Visualization Image is available as a feature in Tacton CPQ Visualization.

Organizations today are pressed for time, dealing with costly resources, and looking to make their pricing and sales processes much more streamlined, said Patrik Ostberg, VP of Product Management at Tacton. With these new product updates, our manufacturing customers seamlessly update the configure-price-quote process with enterprise master data, with minimal effort and maximum quality. Only Tactons advanced CPQ has been built from the ground up for complex manufacturing, so were able to drive massive efficiencies in product validation and bring real-time visualization to reach a new level of client service. We are pleased to deliver best-of-breed tools that address manufacturers' unique challenges and take their selling operations to the next level.

For more information on Tactons new product integrations and features, we invite you to learn more at:

About Tacton

Tacton is a leading SaaS company trusted by global manufacturers. Tacton Trusted Configuration simplifies sales for manufacturers of complex products. Tactons Configure, Price, Quote software is named a Visionary by Gartner in the Magic Quadrant for CPQ Application Suites and is recognized for its advanced product configuration and visualization capabilities. Tactons founders pioneered computer-based product configuration which today powers Tacton CPQ and CAD Design Automation. Since 1998, Tacton is trusted by global customers such as ABB, Daimler, MAN, Scania, Siemens, Xylem, and Yaskawa. It is co-headquartered in Chicago and Stockholm, with regional offices in Karlsruhe, Warsaw, and Tokyo. Follow Tacton on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Contact:[email protected]

Source: Tacton
MAPLE GROVE, Minn., June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jim Kaster, former board chair of local member-owned financial cooperative TopLine Federal Credit Union, was honored with the Outstanding Director of the Year award from the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN). The Outstanding Director of the Year award is given to one extraordinary credit union board member who best exemplifies the credit union spirit through dedication to, and belief in, the credit union movement. Conditions for nomination include involvement in the credit union movement at local and state levels and participation in other activities that support the credit union mission of People Helping People.

Jim Kaster has been a member of TopLine Federal Credit Union since 1969 and has been involved with the credit union in various volunteer capacities for over 38 years, including 27 years as a Board member and the last 16 years as Board Chair. He began his volunteer service as a member of the Credit Committee for 9 years from 1984-1993 and chaired the committee for 4 years. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1995, served as Treasurer from 1997-2000, Vice Chair from 2000-2005 and for the last 16-years, since 2006, has been the Board Chair. Jim retired from the TopLines Board of Directors in April 2022.

Jim has proven himself to be a gifted leader throughout his years on TopLines Board of Directors, and especially in his position as Board Chair by consistently making a positive impact on the success of the credit union. During his 38-year tenure TopLine has grown from $43 million assets, serving 13,777 members from 1 branch location to over $650 million in assets, serving over 46,000 members from 5 branch locations and with digital access. All through this time of growth, Jim also maintained a careful eye on other success metrics, especially maintaining capital and assuring that member service is the primary focus of TopLines management and staff. Very importantly, Jim is well known to TopLines membership and staff as both a member and a Director who is supportive and appreciative of their efforts in assuring the success of TopLine.

Jims primary focus has always been on how to serve the growing financial needs of members, financial consumers and communities. Jim has experienced the many changes that have and are taking place in the financial services industry. His forward thinking and support for growth has led the credit union to continually look for ways to strengthen member relationships, provide premium level service, offer the products and services members need along their financial journey, support community outreach efforts and promote a collaborative work environment that is shaped by honesty, integrity, respect and trust.

Jims style is that of a servant leader, and with that approach applied so effectively over the years, he has set a high standard in how to make a positive, lasting difference as a credit union Director, said Tom Smith, President and CEO, TopLine Federal Credit Union. He has never lost sight of the true meaning of being a financial cooperative; he is a true believer in putting members best interest above all else, responsibly meeting fiduciary obligations and providing an environment where employees and members are treated with the utmost trust and respect.

The Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) honored Jim Kaster with the award at their annual conference which took place April 21 & 22 at the Radisson Blu Mall of America in Bloomington. MnCUN also created a showcase video featuring Jim that was unveiled at the conference as well as shared online.

The Minnesota Credit Union Network is the statewide trade association that works to ensure the success, growth and vitality of Minnesota credit unions. For more information, visit www.mncun.org.

TopLine Federal Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesotas 13th largest, with assets of more than $678 million and serves over 46,500 members. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit cooperative offers a complete line of financial services, as well as auto and home insurance, from its five branch locations  in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Plymouth and in St. Pauls Como Park  as well as by phone, mobile app and online at www.TopLinecu.com. Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington Counties and their immediate family members. Visit us on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TopLineFederalCreditUnion. To learn more about the credit unions foundation, visit https://www.toplinecu.com/foundation.

CONTACT:Vicki Roscoe EricksonSenior Vice President, Marketing & CommunicationsTopLine Federal Credit Union[email protected]763.391.0872

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ffd058a8-3617-4a8d-9be1-6554f2b58d73

TopLines Former Board Chair, Jim Kaster, Named Director of the Year TopLines Former Board Chair, Jim Kaster, Named Director of the Year

Source: TopLine Federal Credit Union
NEW YORK and EL PASO, Texas, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TransPerfect, the worlds largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business, today announced the grand opening of a new contact center in El Paso, Texas. The center will be a primary hub for the companys TransPerfect Connect division, which specializes in bridging communication gaps through services that include over-the-phone interpretation, business process outsourcing (BPO), and remote customer support including email and chat.

El Paso is part of a region known as The Borderplex, which also includes Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Jon Barela, CEO of The Borderplex Alliance, the regions economic development organization, remarked, Were excited to welcome TransPerfect to our region! This company and our educated bilingual workforce complement each other nicely. Were looking forward to watching TransPerfect grow and succeed here in the Borderplex.

Commenting on the announcement, El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said, Were grateful to TransPerfect for selecting El Paso as the home of their latest operations. Together with our partners at The Borderplex Alliance, we are making the most of our talented workforce and bringing great jobs to our region.

County Judge Ricardo A. Samaniego added, Were proud to welcome TransPerfect to the Borderplex region. These are the types of high skill, quality jobs our region can excel at attracting. My thanks to our partners at the Borderplex Alliance and the City of El Paso for continued partnership in economic development.

TransPerfects El Paso facility builds on the companys existing Texas presence, joining its Austin and Dallas offices in serving the region, as well as extending contact center support to clients and customers across America. The contact center will be the third major hub, joining a 900-seat Phoenix contact center as well as a Costa Rica center opened earlier in 2017.

The growth in demand for outsourced customer service is the primary motivation for this expansion. TransPerfect has created hundreds of jobs in remote customer support and plans to onboard more than 400 agents in El Paso by 2023. To view available positions, visit the careers page.

TransPerfect Connect1015 Belvidere Street El Paso, TX 79912

Email: [email protected]

Our growth plans in El Paso and for TransPerfect Connect as a whole are ambitious, said Steven Cheeseman, the companys Vice President of Contact Center Operations. With the increasing need for customer support in both Spanish and English, as well as our significant investment in the centers infrastructure and amenities, we are confident that our team members will appreciate being in a high-demand industry and in a workplace focused on their wellness and enjoyment.

TransPerfect President and CEO Phil Shawe stated, El Pasos talented workforce made the region an attractive choice for our newest contact center. We look forward to growing with the vibrant business community in the Borderplex region.

The 485-seat facility is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and is designed with employee productivity and workplace enjoyment as its top two priorities. Featured amenities include a large on-site cafeteria, game room, mothers room, and quiet/relaxation room, as well as both free parking and easy access to public transportation.

About TransPerfect ConnectTransPerfect Connect is a leading provider of global call center services, business process outsourcing (BPO), and remote interpreting solutions including over-the-phone interpretation (OPI), video remote interpretation, and multilingual email and chat support. With services in over 170 languages and industry-specialized interpreters screened for subject expertise, TransPerfect Connect enables businesses to bridge communication gaps in seconds. TransPerfect Connect is a division of TransPerfect, the world's leading provider of language and technology solutions for global business. Founded in 1992, TransPerfect has over 6,000 employees and maintains offices in more than 100 cities worldwide. www.transperfectconnect.com

About TransPerfectTransPerfect is the worlds largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business. From offices in over 100 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 170+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 6,000 global organizations employ TransPerfects GlobalLink technology to simplify management of multilingual content. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com.

Contact: Ryan Simper +1 212.689.5555[email protected]

Source: TransPerfect
FILE PHOTO: The Hasbro, Inc. logo is seen on a toy for sale in a store in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 16, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hasbro Inc is poised to prevail over a board challenge from activist hedge fund Alta Fox, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

This outcome would be a blow to Alta Fox, which had pushed the toymaker to spin off its Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming unit and criticized how the company allocated its capital.

Early vote tallies show Hasbro ahead of Alta Fox, which nominated one director to the company's 13-member board, the sources said.

Investors will be allowed to vote until Hasbro's annual shareholder meeting begins on Wednesday and it is possible, albeit unlikely, that the outcome may change, the sources said, requesting anonymity ahead of an official announcement.

Hasbro declined to comment. Alta Fox did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hasbro, valued at $12 billion, is known for making Monopoly and My Little Pony. Its stock price has fallen 18% in the last five years while the S&P 500 Index has climbed 70%.

Alta Fox, which owns a 2.5% stake in Hasbro, first nominated five directors to the company's board before scaling back its ambitions.

Proxy advisory firm ISS has recommended that shareholders withhold votes for Edward Philip, who has served on Hasbro's board for 20 years, to signal their unhappiness. The sources said Philip is set to be re-elected regardless.

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss in New York; Editing by Greg Roumeliotis)
FILE PHOTO: The logo of car manufacturer Tesla is seen at a branch office in Bern, Switzerland October 28, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday gave a Black former elevator operator at Tesla Inc two weeks to decide whether to accept $15 million in damages over racial abuse at the electric car company, far below the $137 million a jury had awarded.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco said Owen Diaz identified no controlling question of law to justify an immediate appeal of the reduced award, which includes $1.5 million of compensatory damages and $13.5 million of punitive damages.

Diaz alleged that his colleagues and a supervisor subjected him to a hostile work environment that included slurs, caricatures and swastikas in his nine months working at Tesla's factory in Fremont, California in 2015 and 2016.

A jury had awarded Diaz $6.9 million of compensatory damages and $130 million of punitive damages last October.

Orrick reduced both on April 13, while rejecting Tesla's bid for a new trial.

In Tuesday's order, Orrick said he was "firmly convinced" that the jury award was excessive, and that allowing a quick appeal "would further delay resolution of a case that is already five years old."

Lawyers for Diaz did not immediately respond to requests for comment. They had said a question of law concerning damages for emotional distress justified an immediate appeal.

Under U.S. Supreme Court precedent, punitive damages typically should be less than 10 times compensatory damages.

The case is Diaz v Tesla Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 17-06748.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)
FILE PHOTO: Michael Wirth, Chairman and CEO Chevron Corp., speaks during an interview on CNBC on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 1, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

By Sabrina Valle

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Europe's plan to double down on renewable fuels in response to rising fuel costs could have the unintended short-term effect of increasing prices and slow down the energy transition, Chevron Corp Chief Executive Michael Wirth said on Tuesday.

"That can erode the public support that will be necessary for the energy transition"," Wirth said. "There is a bit of a paradox that I observe."

Fuel prices have been soaring around the world amid declining investments in fossil fuel projects. Prices have accelerated since sanctions were imposed this year against energy exporter Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

Gasoline and diesel prices are a top electoral topic in different countries of the world, including U.S. Congressional elections and a Brazil presidential run, both later this year.

A persistent period of U.S. diesel at $6 per gallon and natural gas prices nearing $10 per million British thermal unit could have political implications for policy makers, Wirth said.

"One of the things I worry the most about is a period of high prices that voters begin to identify with energy transition ambitions," Wirth said.

The CEO called for policy that would incentivize carbon emission reductions instead of restricting oil and gas supply before renewable fuels such as solar and wind power have scale to replace traditional fossil fuels. Wirth defended the need of a pricing mechanism for carbon in the United States similar to the one set in Europe.

"A price on carbon is a simple way to create a price signal that would create a business model that would mobilize capital," Wirth said. "We need to find some sort of a commercial framework. And it needs to be enabled by policy."

(Reporting by Sabrina Valle; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2022) - Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV: PTU) (OTCQB: PTUUF) ("Purepoint" or the "Company") invites everyone that is attending this year's PDAC convention, the world's premier mineral exploration and mining convention, to visit Purepoint's booth 2636 at the Investor Exchange Pavilion.

The PDAC 2022 Convention will take place in person at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from June 13 - 15, 2022.

Purepoint's management team look forward to meet anyone in person to discuss the upcoming exploration plans that include:

Drilling at Red Willow to resume in September following up on the last program's final hole OSP22-15 which encountered numerous structures with hematite alteration and silicification representing a highly prospective setting for uranium deposition.

Time allowing, the Company expects to complete the Fall drill season in early November at Turnor Lake, testing numerous initial targets including the Serin Zone that resides on trend with IsoEnergy's Hurricane deposit.

In June, Purepoint will carry out a deep sensing ZTEM airborne geophysical survey over the Hook Lake, Carter Corridor to further refine drill targets in anticipation of a follow-up drill program.

An airborne gravity survey is planned in June over the Carson Lake and Russell South projects. These surveys have proven valuable in identifying alteration zones that can refine drill targets when viewed in tandem with existing historic work.

In July, an airborne electromagnetic (EM) survey will be conducted over the MillKey, JebRaven, MidBear and CollinEagle projects (collectively referred to the Tabbernor Projects). The survey will help identify structural splays off of the North/South trending Tabbernor structure as well as associated graphitic conductor targets in the area.

Purepoint is fully funded to carry on the work outline herein.

About Purepoint

Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV: PTU) (OTCQB: PTUUF) actively operates an exploration pipeline of 12 advanced projects in Canada's Athabasca Basin. In addition to its flagship joint venture project at Hook Lake with partners Cameco and Orano and a second joint venture with Cameco at Smart Lake, Purepoint also holds ten, 100% owned projects with proven uranium rich targets. With an aggressive exploration program underway on multiple projects, Purepoint is emerging as the preeminent uranium explorer in the world's richest uranium district.

Scott Frostad BSc, MASc, PGeo, Purepoint's Vice President, Exploration, is the Qualified Person responsible for technical content of this release.

For more information, please contact:

Chris Frostad, President & CEO

Phone: (416) 603-8368

Email: [email protected]

For additional information please visit our new website at https://purepoint.ca, our Twitter feed: @PurepointU3O8 or our LinkedIn page @Purepoint-Uranium.

Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this Press release.

Disclosure regarding forward-looking statements

This press release contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126773
The Improving Access to Worker's Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act would ensure federal workers receive prompt access to high-quality health care for work-related injuries.

AUSTIN, TEXAS, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) President April N. Kapu, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCM, FAAN, issued the following statement regarding the U.S. House of Representatives pending floor consideration of H.R. 6087, the Improving Access to Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act.

H.R. 6087 is a common-sense, no-cost solution to give federal workers timely access to the care they need.

"On behalf of AANP and more than 355,000 NPs, we thank Representatives Courtney (D-CT) and Walberg (R-MI) and the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor for its bipartisan leadership to pass H.R. 6087. We urge the U.S. House of Representatives to vote this week to ensure injured federal workers receive prompt access to high-quality health care for their work-related injuries. Today, federal employees can choose a nurse practitioner (NP) as their health care provider under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, yet outdated federal law prevents these same providers from certifying and overseeing the care of federal employees' workplace-related injuries. H.R. 6087 is a common-sense, no-cost solution to give federal workers timely access to the care they need, when they need it most. By authorizing NPs to certify federal workplace injuries and oversee treatment of injured workers, Congress will reduce unnecessary barriers to timely care and enable the nation's NPs to provide health care services in accordance with state law. We urge the House to vote yes on H.R. 6087."

H.R. 6087 was passed out of the House Committee on Education and Labor in March 2022 with unanimous, bipartisan support by voice vote.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 355,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs' patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate an NP in your community, visit npfinder.com. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org. For COVID-19 information from AANP, visit aanp.org/COVID19.

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SOURCE American Association of Nurse Practitioners
 Discovered in-house by the internal R&D Team at Antengene, ATG-018 is an orally-bioavailable, small molecule ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-associated (ATR) kinase inhibitor that targets the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway. This Phase I study will evaluate the safety, pharmacology and preliminary efficacy of ATG-018 in patients with advanced solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. ATG-018 has the potential as the first orally-available, small molecule ATR kinase inhibitor entering clinical development in Australia.

SHANGHAI and HONG KONG, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Antengene Corporation Limited ("Antengene" SEHK: 6996.HK), a leading commercial-stage global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class and/or best-in-class therapeutics in hematology and oncology, today announced that Antengene has received approval by the Bellberry Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) in Australia to initiate the Phase I Trial of ATG-018 in patients with advanced solid tumors and hematologic malignancies (ATRIUM Trial).

ATG-018 is an orally-available, potent, selective small molecule ATR inhibitor. ATG-018 inhibits the ATR kinase, thus limiting cancer cells' ability to repair damaged DNA, in a mechanism also known as synthetic lethality or the DDR.

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of ATG-018 as a monotherapy, to determine the appropriate dose for Phase II studies and assess preliminary efficacy, if available; the secondary objective is to characterize the pharmacology of ATG-018. The study will be conducted in two parts (dose-escalation and dose-expansion). Icon Brisbane in Australia is the lead site for the study, which will be conducted at five sites across Australia.

"DNA is constantly exposed to damage by sources such as ultraviolet light, toxins, certain chemicals, and natural biochemical processes inside our cells. The DNA damage response (DDR) is able to identify DNA damage and to induce various biological processes that correct these changes." Said Dr Jim Coward, Chair of Icon's Medical Oncology Research Committee and Associate Professor at University of Queensland School of Medicine. "The therapeutic landscape of antitumor agents targeting DDR pathways has rapidly expanded to include inhibitors of other key mediators of DNA repair and replication, such as ATR, ATM and DNA-PK[1]. Positive findings from the trials evaluating ATR inhibitors such as ATG-018 may help provide oncologists with a new tool for improving patient outcomes in challenging cases and give them new hope when other therapies have failed."

Dr. Bo Shan, Antengene's Chief Scientific Officer commented, "ATG-018 has a solid preclinical data package including efficacy as a monotherapy in solid tumor models, oral bio-availability and potential predictive biomarkers for response. It is also one of Antengene's first in-house programs to reach the clinic. The differentiated profile of ATG-018 may enable it to be used as monotherapy and open the door for novel collaborations and combination regimens that could benefit cancer patients around the world. We are very pleased to receive HREC approval for the Phase I ATRIUM trial for ATG-018 and we look forward to collaborating with Dr. Coward and the team at Icon Brisbane on this exciting trial."

About the ATRIUM Trial

The ATRIUM trial is a Phase I multi-center, open-label, dose finding study of ATG-018 monotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors or hematologic malignancies. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of ATG-018 and to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) and/or biologically effective dose of ATG-018 monotherapy and preliminary efficacy, if available. The secondary objective is to characterize the pharmacology of ATG-018. As a Phase I study, there will be intensive safety monitoring throughout the trial.

About ATG-018

Discovered by the internal R&D Team at Antengene, ATG-018 is an oral, potent, selective small molecule inhibitor targeting ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-associated (ATR) kinase. ATR kinase belongs to the phosphoinositide 3 kinase-related family. Inhibiting ATR kinase leads to increased accumulation of single-strand DNA breaks, particularly meaningful for tumor cells which rely on DNA damage repair (DDR). Preclinical studies have demonstrated that ATR inhibitor monotherapy or combination with other drugs (including DDR agents) could be promising therapeutic strategies for solid tumors (including gastric, esophageal, squamous cell carcinoma) and hematologic malignancies (chronic lymphocytic leukemia [CLL], diffuse large B-cell lymphoma [DLBCL] and multiple myeloma [MM]).

According to a preclinical poster presented at 2022 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR 2022) Annual Meeting, ATG-018 has demonstrated potent in vitro and in vivo monotherapy efficacy in solid tumor/hematologic cancer models with certain homologous recombination deficiencies. These data were supported by a series of genetic alterations that correlated with ATG-018 sensitivity and could be potential predictive biomarkers. Taken together, these data suggest that ATG-018 could be a promising therapeutic agent for patients with such homologous recombination deficiencies/genetic alterations.

About Antengene

Antengene Corporation Limited ("Antengene", SEHK: 6996.HK) is a leading commercial-stage R&D-driven global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, manufacturing and commercialization of innovative first-in-class/best-in-class therapeutics for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, in realizing its vision of "Treating Patients Beyond Borders".

Since 2017, Antengene has a built broad and expanding pipeline of 15 clinical and preclinical assets, of which 10 are global rights assets, and 5 came with rights for Asia Pacific markets including the Greater China region. To date, Antengene has obtained 24 investigational new drug (IND) approvals in the U.S. and Asia, and submitted 6 new drug applications (NDAs) in multiple Asia Pacific markets, with the NDA for XPOVIO (selinexor) already approved in mainland China, South Korea, Singapore and Australia.

Forward-looking statements

The forward-looking statements made in this article relate only to the events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this article. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this article completely and with the understanding that our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. In this article, statements of, or references to, our intentions or those of any of our Directors or our Company are made as of the date of this article. Any of these intentions may alter in light of future development. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement, see the section titled "Risk Factors" in our periodic reports filed with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's Annual Report for year-end December 31, 2021, and subsequent filings with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

References: [1] Menolfi, D., Zha, S. ATM, ATR and DNA-PKcs kinasesthe lessons from the mouse models: inhibition = deletion. Cell Biosci 10, 8 (2020).

For more information, please contact:

Investor Contacts: Donald LungE-mail: [email protected] Mobile: +86 18420672158

PR Contacts:Peter QianE-mail: [email protected]Mobile: +86 13062747000

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SOURCE Antengene Corporation Limited
Scott Rye Leads Conversation on "Missing Link" in Cybersecurity

AUSTIN, Texas, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During an interview in Austin at the leading global data center conference, CyberSecure IPS founder and CEO Scott Rye shared his thoughts on protecting against the increasing problem of bad actors targeting and threatening critical infrastructures. The interview also revealed the company's ground-breaking monitoring solution; a next-generation step relative to legacy platforms familiar to the Data Center World audience.

As a result of CyberSecure IPS' leadership in cyber-physical security, Rye spoke to Alan Howard, Principal Analyst at Omdia's Cloud & Data Center, further reinforcing the company's first-time exhibit for the commercial sector of the data center community.

"Having the opportunity to share information about our unique data protection systems with one of the most well-known and respected experts in the field was a definite highlight of the conference," Rye said.

During the interview, Rye revealed what he believes to be the biggest threat to data center security: physical vulnerability. He explained that the "missing link" in cybersecurity is the monitoring of critical physical infrastructure.

While system hacking through software can cripple systems, Rye explained, even more damage can be caused simply by cutting the connection to the data center. Damage to infrastructure is even more dangerous than a digital hack because it needs to be repaired physically; it causes an outage during which no communication can take place. "When you stop someone from communicating, they are vulnerable," Rye said.

CyberSecurity IPS focuses precisely on protecting critical infrastructure. After originating its software work exclusively with the Department of Defense and other 3-letter government organizations requiring the utmost in security standards, CyberSecure IPS expanded into the commercial sector where similar security gaps exist within enterprise data centers, especially "hyper data centers."

As commercial data centers grow, inherent networks require higher speeds that necessitate higher levels of encryption. Encryption, however, slows down bandwidth significantly; Rye explained that CyberSecure IPS' hardware monitoring technology offers the same level of protection by 'watching' data traffic without interfering with it.

The company's enterprise solution processes a comprehensive range of sensor data to monitor the entire cyber-physical environment. This provides insight into security and protection through a holistic, real-time dashboard that's easy to use.

As a veteran, Rye said, creating military-grade security for commercial use is a vital mission in an increasingly dangerous world.

About CyberSecure IPS

A global leader in the cybersecurity space, CyberSecure IPS constantly innovates its suite of patented software and hardware solutions which integrate to bring the physical realm under constant surveillance and provide holistic protection. The most advanced national governments and biggest data centers worldwide look to CyberSecure IPS to protect their critical infrastructure. Learn more at cybersecureips.com.

Contact: Scott Rye, [email protected]

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SOURCE CyberSecure IPS
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greenwich Concours d'Elegance held June 3-5, 2022, in Greenwich, Connecticut, celebrated car culture and honored concours tradition with more than 8,000 enthusiasts.

"The picturesque Greenwich harbor set the stage and we were thrilled to host, engage and entertain so many car lovers this past weekend," said Matt Orendac, Vice Chairman, Concours Group, Hagerty. "We're convinced more now than ever about the value of bringing the car community together. Whether our guests came to enjoy the fun cars of their youth on Saturday or to see the finest cars ever built on Sunday, it's evident that car culture is both alive and thriving."

Greenwich Concours d'Elegance highlights

The weekend kicked into gear with the exclusive Grand Tour for concours entrants. In a nod towards responsible motoring, the tour's impact was offset and made climate positive thanks to a partnership with Chrome Carbon. Friday evening featured the Hagerty Drivers Foundation's unveiling of the 31st vehicle inducted into the National Historic Vehicle Register. The 1952 Hudson Hornet (7B-185596) "Fabulous Hudson Hornet," raced by Herb Thomas, remained on display throughout the weekend.

Saturday's Cars & Community, presented by Griot's Garage, featured RADwood and Concours d'Lemons displays as well as a Kids Zone. In total, the event showcased 125 vehicles on the lawn at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park.

Sunday's Concours d'Elegance celebrated 140 historically significant vehicles in 18 classes. Fifty-seven judges from across the globe selected a Vignale-bodied 1948 Packard Convertible Victoria as Best in Show.

More than 600 future drivers participated in the Kids Zone, enjoying racing simulators, games, coloring stations and more. Experts mentored 15 youth as they selected vehicles from the concours show field to receive Hagerty's Youth Awards.

Over 240 people participated in Hagerty's Ride & Drive, which puts enthusiasts behind the wheel of cars selected from the Hagerty Learning Garage. Test drive vehicles included a 1960 Plymouth Fury, 1963 Lincoln Continental, 1970 Dodge Challenger and a 1971 Ford Bronco. In addition, a 2017 Ferrari 488 GTB and 2017 Lamborghini Huracan Spyder were available to for Hagerty Driver's Club members to enjoy.

Hagerty's support of local charities continued a long tradition of giving back to the community. A gift to the Greenwich Boys & Girls Club will provide summer program scholarships for local students, and contributions to the Greenwich Parks and Recreation will help underwrite their Summer Concert Series. In addition, the concours was proud to work with local charitable vendors, Transportation Association of Greenwich (TAG) and Arch Street.

Refillable water bottle stations provided by YETI reduced waste and environmental impact, dispensing the equivalent of 700 plastic bottles over the weekend. The concours distributed thousands of copies of the 2022 program electronically and sold a limited number of printed versions with the entirety of gross sales split between the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club and Greenwich Parks and Recreation.

Hagerty's next concours, the Detroit Concours d'Elegance, is set for September 16-18, 2022.

Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, by the numbers

>8,000 attendees

700 water bottles saved

>600 youth participants

240 test drive experiences

140 vehicles at The Greenwich Concours d'Elegance

125 vehicles at Cars & Community

57 Concours d'Elegance judges

15 youth judges

Press Kit

Click here for list of award winners and other information.

About Greenwich Concours d'Elegance

Founded in 1996, Greenwich Concours d'Elegance is a three-day premier motoring event held in Greenwich, Connecticut. Exclusive gatherings, luxury shopping, ride and drives, new vehicle experiences and entertaining seminars complement Friday's Grand Tour and Saturday's Cars & Community presented by Griot's Garage. Sunday's nationally recognized Concours d'Elegance celebrates historically significant American and International vehicles along the town's picturesque harbor front. Each year the event supports local charities as a part of Hagerty's larger giving strategy. For more about the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance visit our website at GreenwichConcours.com.

About Hagerty, Inc. (NYSE: HGTY)

Based in Traverse City, Michigan, Hagerty's purpose is to save driving and car culture for future generations and its mission is to build a global business to fund that purpose. Hagerty is an automotive enthusiast brand offering integrated membership products and programs as well as a specialty insurance provider focused on the global automotive enthusiast market. Hagerty is home to Hagerty Drivers Club, Hagerty DriveShare, Hagerty Valuation Tools, Hagerty Media, Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, MotorsportReg, Hagerty Garage + Social, The Amelia, the Detroit Concours d'Elegance, the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, the California Mille, Motorlux, RADwood, the Hagerty Drivers Foundation and more. For more information on Hagerty, please visit www.hagerty.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

More information can be found at https://newsroom.hagerty.com/.

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SOURCE Hagerty
Leadman to lead international distribution for The Weather Channel Television Network's primetime programming and original series

ATLANTA, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Allen Media Group--parent company of The Weather Channel television network--named Tony Leadman Executive Director of International Distribution. In this new role, Leadman is responsible for developing and leading a business unit that will distribute The Weather Channel's hit original programming, such as Frozen Gold, Uncharted Adventure and The Earth Unlocked to broadcasters and content platforms around the world.

"Tony Leadman is highly accomplished and respected in the international broadcast industry," said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. "With his extensive experience in media, sales and marketing, we are confident Tony will help us achieve our international programming initiatives and goals."

Prior to joining The Weather Group, Leadman was the architect of CTV and Bell Media's international program distribution business. He was responsible for numerous international co-productions, commissions and licensing deals securing millions in annual revenue. Before his time with CTV and Bell Media, Leadman was the Canadian Executive Manager of MGM Studios television division. During his tenure with the MGM Studios, he managed the distribution business and secured the Canadian financing of the hugely popular Stargate SG-1 series as well as Poltergeist.

"The Weather Group ownership and management consist of hugely talented and committed people. I am absolutely thrilled to be part of this team and to spearhead our international plans," said Tony Leadman, Executive Director of International Distribution for The Weather Group. "We intend to form partnerships and supply agreements with the world's major broadcasters and producers. It's exciting to be joining a progressive team as The Weather Channel continues to innovate and adapt their primetime programming."

About The Weather Channel

Since its launch 40 years ago, The Weather Channel television network has become the top-rated and most widely distributed weather network in America. The Weather Channel has been voted the most trusted news brand in America for 11 consecutive years, and the fifth most-trusted brand overall. The Weather Channel television network has been the leader in severe weather coverage, providing the most comprehensive analysis of any media outlet and serving as the nation's only 24-hour source of national storm coverage. With trusted meteorologists who analyze, forecast and report the weather, its expertise is unrivaled. In 2021 and 2019, The Weather Channel won Emmy Awards for its innovative Immersive Mixed Reality technology which is changing the standard in weather presentation. The Weather Channel CTV app is available on Amazon Fire TV and Android TV and will be coming soon to Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio, and Xfinity Flex. For more information visit: www.weathergroup.com.

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SOURCE The Weather Channel; Allen Media Group
Berge Bulk and Kongsberg Maritime set up a joint development initiative to advance marine decarbonisation technologies.

The goal is to identify and test emerging decarbonisation technologies and advance the integration of emerging and existing technologies into deployable marine solutions.

SINGAPORE, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore-based dry bulk owner Berge Bulk and marine technology leader Kongsberg Maritime (KM) today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop and advance the deployment of decarbonisation technologies onboard dry bulk cargo vessels.

As a leader in international deep-sea dry bulk shipping, Berge Bulk has embarked on an ambitious environmental programme that has produced ships like Berge Logan, the most energy-efficient bulk carrier in the world. Continuing this programme, Berge Bulk aims to be carbon-neutral by 2025 at the latest and to have a zero-carbon ocean-going dry bulk carrier by 2030. Such an ambitious programme will require significant technical expertise and innovative talent to achieve and present numerous technical, commercial and regulatory challenges. KM is Berge Bulk's latest technology partner to step up to the challenge.

"We're proud to have been chosen by Berge Bulk to accelerate its journey towards carbon-neutral operations," adds James Poulton, Senior Vice President, Kongsberg Maritime. "Together, we'll be laying down a positive marker for maritime sustainability that will inspire a literal sea change for bulk carriers and beyond."

There are two elements of the joint development project. The first element will be to evaluate and test emerging decarbonisation technologies for use in the maritime sector. The second element will be to integrate both emerging and existing technologies into deployable systems that can be installed on Berge Bulk's fleet of over 80 dry bulk vessels.

"Berge Bulk is actively engaged in identifying new emerging technology trends to help us reach our zero-carbon goals," adds James Marshall, CEO of Berge Bulk. "However, there are plenty of existing technologies that we can and should be leveraging today to reduce our vessel emissions now."

Adapting existing technologies to maritime applications is no small challenge. A large proportion of decarbonisation solutions were initially developed for shore-based applications, requiring significant technical adaptations to meet the unique demands of the marine environment. KM's extensive experience developing technology solutions for marine applications is critical to the success of these projects and the broader acceptance of these technologies by the maritime sector. Together, the two companies hope to expand the array of clean technology options available to shipowners who want to reduce their emissions today.

About Berge Bulk

Berge Bulk is one of the world's leading independent dry bulk owners with an outstanding reputation for the safe, efficient, and sustainable delivery of commodities around the world. Berge Bulk is a young and dynamic company with a strong commitment to innovative growth and development. It has committed to be carbon neutral by 2025 at the latest.

Berge Bulk owns and manages a fleet of over 80 vessels, equating to more than 14 million DWT. The fleet ranges from handy-size to cape-size to some of the largest vessels ever built, serving the world's major miners, steel mills and charterers. For more information, visit www.bergebulk.com.

About Kongsberg Maritime

Kongsberg Maritime is a global marine technology company providing innovative and reliable 'Full Picture' technology solutions for all marine industry sectors including merchant, offshore, cruise, subsea and naval. Headquartered in Kongsberg, Norway, Kongsberg Maritime has manufacturing, sales and service facilities in 34 countries.

Kongsberg Maritime solutions cover all aspects of marine automation, safety, manoeuvring, navigation, and dynamic positioning as well as energy management, deck handling and propulsion systems, and ship design services. Subsea solutions include single and multibeam echo sounders, sonars, AUV and USV, underwater navigation and communication systems.

Training courses at locations globally, LNG solutions, information management, position reference systems and technology for seismic and drilling operations are also part of the company's diverse technology portfolio. Additionally, Kongsberg Maritime provides services within EIT (Electro, Instrument & Telecom) engineering and system integration, on an EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction) basis.

Kongsberg Maritime is part of Kongsberg Gruppen (KONGSBERG), an international, knowledge-based group that celebrated 200 years in business during 2014. KONGSBERG supplies high-technology systems and solutions to customers in the oil and gas industry, the merchant marine, and the defence and aerospace industries.

Web: Kongsberg Gruppen | Kongsberg Maritime

Social media: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook

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SOURCE Berge Bulk
COLLEGEVILLE, Pa., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A globally renowned scientist, entrepreneur, and inventor who has revolutionized the 3D printing industry is joining Incoming President Robyn Hannigan, also a known academic innovator, in shaping the future of Ursinus College.

Joseph M. DeSimone has been elected as chair of the Ursinus College Board of Trustees, effective July 1. DeSimone has long been touted for his advances in polymer science, as well as his achievements in developing and commercializing advanced technologies in several cutting-edge fields such as 3D printing, precision medicine, nanoparticle fabrication, and green chemistry. He is the co-founder and former CEO of California-based 3D printing company Carbon and still serves on its board of directors.

One of just 25 people elected to all three branches of the U.S. National AcademiesSciences, Engineering, and MedicineDeSimone received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Barack Obama in 2016. He is currently the Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Professor of Translational Medicine and Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, where he holds appointments in the departments of radiology and chemical engineering, and he serves on the board of directors of Blue Current, a solid-state battery company that he co-founded.

"Joe is a fierce advocate and champion of Ursinus College. His own professional trajectory illustrates how the liberal arts can transformin a very sustainable wayemerging fields as diverse as technology and healthcare," says Hannigan.

Hannigan, an environmental scientist noted for her advances in medical application technologies, will become Ursinus's 19th president on July 1. Following near-concurrent paths to Ursinus leadership, Hannigan and DeSimone are poised to blend entrepreneurial thinking with the foundational elements of Ursinus's residential liberal arts education and its Quest "open questions" core curriculum.

"My experience as a student at Ursinus has defined my approach to scientific inquiry, invention, teaching, mentorship, and entrepreneurship in my career," reflects DeSimone, "and I am incredibly honored to help lead our institution forward."

About Ursinus College

One of the nation's "Colleges that Change Lives," Ursinus College is a highly selective, residential college with 1,500 students that is widely recognized for its Common Intellectual Experience and its Quest: Open Questions Open Minds inquiry-based core curriculum. Ursinus is noted for its undergraduate teaching and within the state for its career outcomes.

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SOURCE Ursinus College
A novel drug candidate for anthrax received orphan drug designation (ODD) by the US FDA.

BOSTON and SEOUL, Korea, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iNtRON Biotechnology ("iNtRON" or "Company") announced today that the company has successfully completed the GLP toxicology studies of BAL200.

The company has completed the general GLP toxicology and safety pharmacology studies with final test reports and has obtained data essential for a licensing deal discussion of BAL200.

iNtRON has conducted a single-dose toxicity study in rodents, a repeated-dose finding and toxicity study in rodents and non-rodents as part of the general toxicity study. The company has also completed safety pharmacology studies on the cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous system. In particular, iNtRON performed a non-human primate (NHP) study in consideration of future licensing deals. The company also has secured key CMC data necessary for the subsequent drug development and regulatory process along with safety and efficacy data.

"Due to recent development progress including the completion of the GLP-TOX studies, most of required data are now secured for business development," said Sang Hyeon KANG, CTO of iNtRON. "Once the efficacy data against various anthrax that are currently being conducted through the US CRO are obtained, BAL200 will be ready for an Investigational New Drug Application (IND). Then, we plan to initiate specific activities for a global licensing deal discussion."

BAL200 is a new biological drug candidate being internally developed by iNtRON based on its various biotechnologies including bacteriophage, endolysin, protein engineering, and immunology technology. The US FDA has granted orphan drug designation (ODD) to BAL200 in 2018, and iNtRON is entitled to enjoy the number of benefits such as expedited drug approval, 7-year marketing exclusivity, waiver of BLA application fee, and tax credit during the development.

Currently, four types of FDA approved post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) are allowed to be used in combination with anthrax vaccines, and antitoxin therapy that treats toxins produced by anthrax also can be used concurrently. However, because not only are bacteria getting resistant to the currently used PEPs, but the approved PEPs also do not have perfect bactericidal antibiotic properties, doubts about their effectiveness are increasing.

"Since relevant studies including GLP-TOX with CROs and related companies in overseas are getting back on track from the delay due to the COVID-19 shut- down, we were able to complete the related studies for BAL200 recently," said Kyung Won YOON, CEO of iNtRON. "BAL200 is a drug candidate will be developed under the Animal Rule of the US FDA, and we plan to highlight it during future global licensing discussion. We have high expectations for BAL200, because it has characteristics to overcome the therapeutic limitations of existing treatments and is effective against resistant bacteria even with a very low risk of resistance development."

About Orphan Drug Designation

The Orphan Drug Designation program provides orphan status to drugs and biologics which are defined as those intended for the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of a rare disease or condition, which is one that affects less than 20,000 persons in the US or meets cost recovery provisions of the act.

About Animal Efficacy Rule

The regulations commonly known as the Animal Rule (21 CFR 314.600-650 for drugs; 21 CFR 601.90-95 for biologics; effective July 1, 2002) allow for the approval of drugs and licensure of biological products based on the results for animal studies when human efficacy studies are not ethical and field trials to study the effectiveness of drugs or biological products are not feasible.

About iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc.

iNtRON is a leader in bacteriophage-based technology with aim to develop and investigate into the 'Immune & Immunotherapeutics' market. While pursuing global research and business development (R&BD) investments since their foundation and accelerated development after entering its IPO in KOSDAQ, the company honed in on innovating BIO New Drugs by developing various 'First-in-Concept' bio-drugs and conducting clinical studies in phases. The Company is committed to development of innovative innovation in the infectious diseases and 'Immune & Immunotherapeutics' area.

About iNtODEWORLD, Inc.

iNtRON has established its wholly owned US subsidiary, iNtODEWORLD, Inc. in 2017. iNtODEWORLD was initially registered in Delaware and the headquarter office is currently located in Boston. iNtODEWORLD provides news, updates and platform development progresses of iNtRON to its potential global partners and collaborators along with its own R&BD works in the US.

Contact Us

YOON, Kyung Won (Kevin) / CEO, Vice President / [email protected]BD Team / [email protected]

www.intodeworld.com

iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc.#708, 148, Sagimakgol-ro, Jungwon-gu, Seongnam-si,Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea

iNtODEWORLD, Inc.1500 District Avenue, Suite 2097, Burlington, MA 01803, USA

it is iNtRON.

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SOURCE iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc.
SEATTLE, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors for McGee Air Services Inc. today named Justin Neff president of the wholly-owned ground operations subsidiary of Alaska Airlines.

Neff joins McGee after eight years working at Alaska Airlines, most recently as managing director of engines, material, components and lease management. Prior to his current role he served as the managing director of supply chain management for Alaska.

Neff joined the airline from Black & Veatch, a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company, where he led global IT contracting, asset management and procurement programs.

"Justin is a proven people manager with the ability to get things done, while leading with his heart," said Wayne Newton, chairman of McGee Air Services board of directors and senior vice president of airport operations and customer service at Alaska Airlines. "I am excited to see him leading our growing team at McGee as we strengthen our operation and begin to grow our presence at airports across the country."

Neff served four terms as an elected official on the city council while residing in Belton, Missouri, his hometown. Although having relocated to the Northwest a decade ago, he is loyal to the Kansas City Chiefs. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

About McGee Air Services

An Alaska Airlines company, McGee provides aircraft management and aviation services throughout the United States. Its expertise includes ground handling, aircraft cleaning, airport mobility, and check-in/gate services. https://www.mcgeeairservices.com/

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines and its regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States and to Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. The airline emphasizes Next-Level Care for its guests, along with providing low fares, award-winning customer service and sustainability efforts. Alaska is a member of oneworld. With the global alliance and the airline's additional partners, guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 20 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. Learn more about Alaska at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

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SOURCE Alaska Airlines
Lunit to supply chest x-ray analysis AI software to military hospitals nationwide in Korea for better detection of critical lung diseases, including tuberculosis

Best practice of business-government partnership to boost military medical system

SEOUL, South Korea, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lunit, a leading medical AI provider, today announced a supply agreement with the Korean National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) as part of the government's $27 million 'armed forces medical system AI transformation' project. Following the deal, Lunit will deliver Lunit INSIGHT CXR, a CE-marked AI software that detects abnormalities via chest x-ray, to Korean military medical institutions and provide advanced medical services to the armed forces.

By the end of this year, Lunit INSIGHT CXR will be deployed at more than 30 division's medical sites across the Korean army, air force and navy. The software will support medical forces by detecting 9 types of chest abnormalities and screening tuberculosis.

As the solution was trained with a vast amount of medical data provided by the Korean Ministry of National Defense, it offers a military-optimized service, especially in diagnosing tuberculosis, pneumonia, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, and lung cancer, 5 of the most common chest findings in the military.

"Lunit INSIGHT CXR can bring value to diagnosis processes in a military environment where there is high vulnerability to mass infection, especially like tuberculosis, but lacking diagnostic specialists," said Brandon Suh, CEO of Lunit. "Our powerful AI solution enables fast and accurate screening, providing better medical service for soldiers. We hope that this joint project with the government can innovate and build a more robust and sustainable medical system."

The deployment was decided based on a testing period in military bases and recommendations from renowned organizations. In 2021, Lunit delivered its software to 13 military medical facilities, including the Korean Armed Forces Capital Hospital and Yeonpyeong Marine Base. The validation proved that Lunit INSIGHT CXR can enormously assist specialists in a military environment with its high accuracy and practical efficacy. The product also verified its unrivaled performance by detecting tuberculosis with 0.97-0.98 AUROC (Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves) during the assessment conducted at the Asan Medical Center, one of the most trusted hospitals in Korea.

In addition, in March 2021, Lunit INSIGHT CXR was recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization) Consolidated Guidelines on Tuberculosis[1] as one of the computer-aided detection (CAD) software that can be used in place of human readers for TB screening in populations aged 15 years and older. The recommendation came after conducting two parallel studies by the most reliable international organizations in tuberculosis research, the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). In both studies, Lunit INSIGHT CXR showed the highest AUC (Area Under the Curve) scores among three CAD systems when the diagnostic performance was analyzed against microbiological reference standard (MRS). [2] [3]

Based on the corroborated value, Lunit plans to expand the reach of its solution, paving the way to install its AI product in more military medical sites across the country and drive the transformation of the system.

[1] https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/340255/9789240022676-eng.pdf [2] Sandra.k, et al., A study from FIND, preprint at medrxiv. 2022, available at https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.24.22269730v1 [3] Sandra.k, et al., A study from IOM, preprint at medrxiv. 2022, available at https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.30.22273191v1

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SOURCE Lunit
LOS ANGELES, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nonagen Bioscience, a cancer diagnostics company, today announced that Wayne Hogrefe, PhD, has been named COO. Dr. Hogrefe has more than 30 years of experience in the diagnostics industry, including research and assay development for vaccine responses, vector-borne diseases, viral pathogens, and emerging pathogens.

In his new role, Dr. Hogrefe will oversee the launch of Nonagen Bioscience's lead diagnostic, Oncuria, as a laboratory developed test (LDT) for bladder cancer by the end of 2022. He will also work closely with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Nonagen seeks FDA approval of Oncuria as an in vitro diagnostic (IVD).

"Wayne is the perfect leader to help us bring our first diagnostic to market," said Nonagen Bioscience CEO Charles Joel Rosser, MD, MBA. "His extensive experience in diagnostics and his business development skills will ensure a smooth rollout of Oncuria as a laboratory developed test later this year."

Dr. Hogrefe holds several patents and has had more than 30 peer-reviewed articles published. He has held leadership positions at Q2 Solutions, St. Luke's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, Focus Diagnostics, and Quest Diagnostics. Dr. Hogrefe is an emeritus diplomate of the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology.

"I'm excited to step into the COO role at this important time for the company," said Dr. Hogrefe. "Oncuria is a novel multiplex immunoassay for the quantitative detection of biomarkers in urine that are associated with the presence of bladder cancer, and it has the potential to make a real difference in the way bladder cancer is diagnosed and managed."

About Nonagen Bioscience

Nonagen Bioscience is a privately held biotechnology company that is focused on globally reducing the burden of cancer with innovative diagnostics. As a physician-led company, Nonagen Bioscience is committed to bringing to the market best-in-class, noninvasive diagnostics for cancer detection, therapy choice, and disease monitoring, so patients can live better, longer lives. The Los Angelesbased company was founded in 2011 and is currently developing diagnostics for bladder, breast, and prostate cancers. www.nonagen.com

Contacts

MEDIA INVESTOR RELATIONS Jenny Sparano Dave Mori Vice President, Public Relations Chief Business Officer [email protected] [email protected] 518.832.3034 777.245.8484

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SOURCE Nonagen Bioscience
Fund dedicated to investing in women- and BIPOC-led companies seeks to make investment landscape more equitable and address inequities in healthcare

BOSTON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Seae Ventures, a Boston-based venture capital firm dedicated to advancing equity by investing in women and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs, has launched its inaugural fund of $107M. Seae is the largest fund dedicated to investing in women- and BIPOC-led companies focused on developing technologies that address financial wellness, mental health, women's health and personalized medicine that benefit traditionally underserved and vulnerable populations.

"It is a well-known fact that women and BIPOC entrepreneurs have not had equal access to capital," said Jason Robart, Seae Ventures co-founder and managing partner. "Closing gender and racial equity gaps starts with investing in historically overlooked entrepreneurs. We are confident our efforts will motivate other venture firms to recognize this unseen value and amplify our portfolio's collective mission through investment and support."

Seae is on its way to changing the landscape for entrepreneurs, patients, and the overall U.S. healthcare system, having already funded 17 startups addressing the country's most pressing healthcare disparities including:

Health in Her HUE , a platform designed to help Black women and women of color easily access culturally sensitive healthcare providers, health content, and community

, a platform designed to help Black women and women of color easily access culturally sensitive healthcare providers, health content, and community Hurdle , an innovative digital mental health platform company aiming to remove barriers to mental health care for People of Color

, an innovative digital mental health platform company aiming to remove barriers to mental health care for People of Color MD Ally , a company that triages 911 calls and reroutes non-emergency calls to telehealth medical services

, a company that triages 911 calls and reroutes non-emergency calls to telehealth medical services Moving Analytics , a telehealth company providing virtual cardiac rehab solutions

, a telehealth company providing virtual cardiac rehab solutions Tia, a company building the "modern medical home for women" across virtual and in-person care

Cofounded in 2019 by healthcare veterans Tuoyo Louis, Jason Robart and Pete Sally, Seae is driven by a mission born from their personal experiences and frustration with the widening health disparities across the country. After successfully leading Zaffre Investments, the corporate venture arm of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the Seae team engaged its broad network of progressive corporate and financial investors to support the new fund. Having firsthand knowledge of the impact that insurers can have on realizing the fund's mission, the team naturally targeted health plans as initial strategic investors.

Seae has garnered support from a broad coalition of more than 30 investors who are dedicated to increasing the prevalence of venture firms with diverse leadership. The coalition includes the American Hospital Association, Blue Shield of California, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Cambridge Associates, Eli Lilly and Company, Goldman Sachs and Health Care Service Corporation.

Suzanne Gauron, Global Head of Launch With GS, noted, "Goldman Sachs is excited to invest in Seae and support their investment in underrepresented founders who are dedicated to building innovative solutions in healthcare. We believe Seae's mission closely aligns with the Launch With GS thesis and we look forward to partnering with the team to drive capital to diverse teams dedicated to improving access to high-quality healthcare."

While the initial fund is closed, Seae will continue to build their firm while enhancing equitable access to capital for diverse entrepreneurs building growth stage companies in future funds.

"Seae Ventures' mission to drive capital toward diverse founders is not just reflective of our shared goals and values, it is also aligned with our investment thesis, which is to affect supply and demand dynamics," said Jasmine Richards, managing director at Cambridge Associates.

To learn more about Seae Ventures visit seaeventures.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.

About Seae Ventures

Founded in 2019, Seae Ventures is dedicated to building and investing in early-stage healthcare technology and services companies primarily founded by women and people who identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color. With a proven track record of success in venture, corporate strategy, innovation, and human capital, Seae seeks to balance the needs of patients, providers, and payers by investing in diverse entrepreneurs with high growth potential in the healthcare and financial technology space. For more information visit seaeventures.com.

Media Contact: Alex ForeroThe Castle Group[email protected]562.552.7726

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SOURCE Seae Ventures
Incentive funding used to upgrade central hot water system, saving over 4,000 therms of energy annually

LOS ANGELES, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced the completion of energy efficiency upgrades in partnership with the Retirement Housing Foundation (RHF) at The Concord affordable senior living community in Pasadena, Calif. The project was made possible through SoCalGas' Whole Building Program. The program provided $108,000 in incentive funding that was used to help replace an aged, undersized central hot water system that serves 150 units within the 14-story affordable senior living complex. All units within The Concord also received water and energy saving measures such as low-flow showerheads and low-flow kitchen and bath aerators at no cost as part of the utility's Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) program. This upgrade will help the property accumulate $35,000 in savings over a five year span and save over 4,000 therms of energy annually, equivalent to powering 11 homes for one year.

"It's great to see SoCalGas place so much effort, time and funds into our community. These energy efficiency upgrades are crucial to our senior residents living at the Concord and will help improve their lifestyle by offering energy stability," said Steve Madison, Pasadena City Councilmember, District 6. "We hope to continue partnering with SoCalGas in the future to help improve our communities."

"These energy efficiency upgrades at The Concord will help residents save money and lower energy usage without altering their lifestyles. Our actions demonstrate our commitment towards helping low-income customers conserve energy while improving their living experience," said Gillian Wright, senior vice president and chief customer officer at SoCalGas. "Our energy efficiency initiatives at SoCalGas plays a critical role in helping our customers save on bills and reduce their energy usage. Energy efficiency initiatives not only help us fulfill our ASPIRE 2045 sustainability goals, it also takes us one step closer to fulfilling California's climate goals."

The completed project includes the replacement and installation of two high efficiency boilers, three water storage tanks, a remote thermostat control, a water heater expansion tank and a recirculation pump which will aid the property in saving approximately 45,000 therms of energy over a span of 10 years. This is equivalent to powering 30 homes in Southern California for a year.

"I can tell you that The Concord project happened because of what the SoCalGas team did with getting us enrolled early in site-wide energy conservation programs," said Stuart Hartman, president and CEO at the Retirement Housing Foundation. "They were a true partner every step of the way. The energy audit that SoCalGas commissioned has revealed the full potential for gas, electric and water savings as well as greenhouse gas reductions. Our site-wide systems reliability and overall efficiencies will improve immensely."

The Whole Building Program provides an assessment of a property's energy performance, upcoming projects, and operation and maintenance along with potential upgrade opportunities. The utility will schedule a free in-depth evaluation of the building's energy system to help identify energy-efficient upgrades and determine potential utility incentives available. Once analyzed, SoCalGas will work with the property owner on reserving incentive funds from the program and select a licensed contractor to perform the installations. To learn more about the program, visit socalgas.com/WBP.

In the last five years, SoCalGas' energy efficiency programs have generated over $1 billion in avoided energy costs and delivered more than 219 million therms in energy savings, enough natural gas usage for 548,000 households a year. These energy savings reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of removing more than 250,000 cars annually. Overall, these measures have helped SoCalGas customers save over $241 million on their natural gas bill costs over the past five years.

SoCalGas also offers various customer assistance programs and incentives to help customers become energy efficient and save money on their natural gas bills every month.

About SoCalGas

Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines will continue to play a key role in California's clean energy transitionproviding electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy deployment.

SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy company in America. In support of that mission, SoCalGas aspires to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045 and to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills, and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego.

For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.

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SOURCE Southern California Gas Company
NOVI, Mich., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stoneridge, Inc. (NYSE: SRI) today announced that Jon DeGaynor, president and chief executive officer, and Matt Horvath, chief financial officer, will participate in the Deutsche Bank Global Auto Industry Conference with a presentation at 1:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 16, 2022. Details on how to join the presentation via webcast will be posted to the "Investors/Webcasts & Presentations" section of the Company's website (www.stoneridge.com) prior to the presentation.

About Stoneridge, Inc.Stoneridge, Inc., headquartered in Novi, Michigan, is a global designer and manufacturer of highly engineered electrical and electronic components, modules and systems for the automotive, commercial, off-highway and agricultural vehicle markets. Additional information about Stoneridge can be found at www.stoneridge.com.

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SOURCE Stoneridge, Inc.
PORTLAND, Ore., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dyrt, the No. 1 app for camping with the most active online camping community, has announced the 2022 Best Places To Camp: Top 10 in the Northwest based on reviews and ratings from its vast community of campers. The winners represent some of the most unique, rustic, luxurious and sought-after camping destinations in the Northwest.

"For almost a decade we've been making it easier and easier for campers to find the information they need to make the most of their outdoor experiences," says Kevin Long, The Dyrt CEO. "Our community has contributed and shared over 4 million reviews, photos and tips for fellow campers to use when planning their trips. Using this data, we created the 2022 Best Places to Camp: Top 10 in the Northwest list."

These 10 highly rated camping spots are situated along hundreds of miles of coastline with mountain ranges to match. Pitch a tent by the beach, scale some premier climbing routes or just go glamping in a modern cabin where craft beer and s'more ingredients are delivered to your door. The Northwest is a rain-soaked wonderland.

"The camping community has grown so much over the years and is becoming more representative of our country as a whole," says Sarah Smith, founder of The Dyrt. "Campers come in all shapes and sizes with different wants and needs and the 2022 Best Places to Camp reflect that. There are luxurious camping resorts, family-friendly spots, some sites that are near cities and others out in the middle of nowhere. There's something special about each place."

About The Dyrt

The Dyrt's mission is to expand the camping community and help more people enjoy the outdoors. With over 30 million annual camper visits and 4 million user-generated reviews, photos, and tips for US campgrounds, The Dyrt is the No. 1 app for camping and the largest source of camping information. The Dyrt PRO enables campers to find free camping areas on public lands, search for campgrounds with cell service coverage, use the app offline, get discounts on camping and more. www.thedyrt.com

Media Contact:

Jason Simms860-526-1555[email protected]

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SOURCE The Dyrt
GHENT, Belgium, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ghent-based Sensolus, specialized in connected asset management, is entering into a partnership with Tosca, the global player in reusable plastic containers, pallets and bins. The Sensolus platform will be used to map the tens of thousands of reusables pooled among its customers in the US. This digitalization allows Tosca to optimize its supply chain to ensure asset availability while reducing its carbon footprint. Tosca will also share these logistics insights with customers, giving more transparency into the journey goods take from source to store shelves. In turn, Tosca's active input will allow Sensolus to better tailor its platform to the consumer goods industry. The partnership was officially signed in Atlanta during Princess Astrid's trade tour of the United States.

This digitalization allows Tosca to ensure asset availability while reducing its carbon footprint.

In 2020 Tosca, with headquarters in Atlanta and Belgium, acquired European pallet pooling market leader Contraload, who was already in partnership with Sensolus to provide IoT. With 100 years of combined experience, Tosca is making supply chains more sustainable by replacing cardboard and wooden packaging with a reusable plastic alternative, from crates for sensitive products such as fruit or eggs to full pallets for heavy loads. Tosca is one of the largest poolers in the world, meaning that major players in consumer goods rely on the market leader to replace their old packaging and manage their entire inbound, outbound and intralogistics flows of reusable packaging, thus saving costs and reducing their carbon footprint.

Optimization and transparency

"The more data you have as a pooler about the locations and condition of your packaging, the better you can optimize your flows and processes, save costs and reduce your footprint," says Kristoff Van Rattinghe, CEO of Sensolus. "Tosca is now also using the Sensolus platform for this purpose. In it, data from thousands of packages is collected and translated into valuable supply chain insights. In addition, Tosca also shares this data with its customers. In this way, they can meet the desire of consumers who increasingly expect transparency into the logistics and production processes behind the items on store shelves."

Scalability of platform

Another determining factor in Tosca's choice of Sensolus was the hardware independence of the Ghent platform. "In a few hours or days, we can integrate new flows and data from tens of thousands of trackers, regardless of the vendor. That makes our solution extremely scalable and means that, as a Belgian scale-up, we can still support a global player like Tosca in a market as immense as the U.S."

"By relying on Sensolus, their proven technology and user-friendly platform, we can map the supply chain and unify our network of customers," says Jesse Sels, president EMEA at Tosca. "Therein lies the unique complementarity of Tosca and Sensolus. We share a common goal, which helps us take the next step together and make our vision of optimization and a circular economy a reality faster."

Best of both worlds

Tosca has a broad experience in packaging and supply chain in the retail and food industry. Sensolus has a deep knowledge of IoT and how data and insights can be made available in a centralized platform. "In that sense, in this partnership we combine the best of both worlds and learn from each other to take a unique position in the ecosystem of supply chain optimization and reusable packaging for the entire food chain, from farm to fork," says Kristoff Van Rattinghe.

The new partnership was officially signed in Atlanta on June 6. The ceremony took place in the presence of, among others, Princess Astrid, Jan Jambon, Minister-President of the Flemish Government and Flemish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Willy Borsus, Vice-President of Wallonia and Walloon Minister of Foreign Trade and Economy. The delegation, along with 300 delegates from Belgian companies, is currently on a trade tour of the United States. "That says enough about the strength of this partnership and clearly demonstrates the potential that lies in the cooperation between major American players and promising Belgian companies. With Sensolus, moreover, we will not stop here. The supply chain is a global challenge. We will therefore increasingly focus on the American market in order to support our customers there as a software supplier," concludes Kristoff Van Rattinghe.

About Sensolus

Sensolus is an industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) company that tracks non-powered assets such as trailers, containers, etc. through an end-to-end solution, helping companies make better, data-driven business decisions. The company has years of expertise in telecom, low-power networks, wireless sensor design and cloud-based analytics. Sensolus' plug-and-play IoT solution includes wireless trackers and an open IoT platform that enables value creation and cost reduction by linking it to enterprise data. In this way, supply chains and logistics processes in which non-powered assets play an important role are optimized.

The Belgian scale-up was founded in 2013 by four IoT enthusiasts and already employs 35 people. It is active in various industries, ranging from aerospace, automotive and logistics to industrial manufacturing and the waste industry. Customers such as Airbus, Atlas Copco and AB InBev call on Sensolus' IoT solution on a daily basis. More than 150.000 assets are tracked in real time on the platform. For more information: www.sensolus.com.

About Tosca

Tosca is a global leader with more than 100 years combined of experience in reusable plastic packaging solutions and pooling for supply chains. Our unique end-to-end pooling capabilities offers growers, suppliers, and retailers a smarter and more sustainable way to move their products from source to shelf. With a robust portfolio of reusable assets including crates, pallets, bulk containers, dollies and more, we are committed to preserving product quality, reducing shrink, and minimizing labor costs.

Our dedicated teams of highly accessible and committed individuals walk alongside you to offer a reliable and consistent service across your markets with the resources and power of a pan-European network. With world-beating industry expertise and a focus on innovation, Tosca is revolutionizing the way supply chains move. For more information visit: www.toscaltd.com.

Media Contact:Laura HardemanDirector of Marketing and Communications, North AmericaTosca[email protected]

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Parent Company of Better-For-You Restaurant Brands Announces New Roles and Promotions to Position its Brands for Future Expansion

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WOWorks, the parent company of better-for-you restaurant brands, Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina and Zoup! Eatery created two new c-level roles to its leadership team to help drive accelerated growth for its brands. WOWorks created two new Chief Brand Officer positions to oversee its two groups of six restaurant brands, as well as handle their day-to-day operations.

Lauriena Borstein was chosen as Chief Brand Officer of Saladworks, Frutta Bowls and Zoup! Eatery. She previously held the position of Senior Vice President at WOWorks and General Brand Manager of Saladworks and Frutta Bowls.

"I am excited to be leading these better-for-you restaurant brands that have demonstrated tremendous growth potential for providing the kind of nutritious, fast casual food guests are seeking - from soups to salads to fruit-based menu items," said Lauriena Borstein, Chief Brand Officer of Saladworks, Frutta Bowls and Zoup! Eatery. "They also lend themselves to a fantastic opportunity for co-branding. I look forward to providing the support system to all franchisees to help them transition to WOWorks, as well as the opportunity of offering two menus at one restaurant."

John Geyerman was selected as Chief Brand Officer for Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, and Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Operations for WOWorks and General Brand Manager for Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and The Simple Greek.

"I am honored to lead three amazing, plant-forward restaurant brands that provide exciting global flavors to our guests," said John Geyerman, Chief Brand Officer of Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, and Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina. "As our healthy-halo concepts experience explosive growth across all traditional and non-traditional foodservice venues, from grocery stores and airports to university campuses, it is vitally important all our marketing and operations initiatives are in-sync with all other restaurant brands."

In order to align marketing initiatives and processes of its six brands, WOWorks has also created two new Vice President of Marketing roles. Lori Kern was chosen as Vice President of Marketing for Saladworks, Frutta Bowls and Zoup! Eatery. She previously held the role of Director of Marketing for Saladworks and Frutta Bowls. Mark Kreiner is now Vice President of Marketing for Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek and Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina. He previously served as Director of Marketing for Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and The Simple Greek.

"I am thrilled to see WOWorks' corporate infrastructure expand to include these new Chief Brand Officers and Vice Presidents of Marketing, plus 10 additional staff promotions that involve expanded responsibilities and goals," said Kelly Roddy, CEO of WOWorks enterprise, fully owned by Centre Lane Partners, LLC. "In order to improve unit-level economics and drive overall growth for each restaurant brand, we are bringing senior strategic and tactical oversight on every brand. The corporate restructuring will also get these executives more ingrained with each restaurant's brand."

As a result of its recent acquisitions of Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina and Zoup! Eatery, WOWorks expects to end the year with over 400 restaurants and create over 10,000 job opportunities in the restaurant industry. Through shared services and plans to leverage best practices from all six brands, WOWorks will continue to increase their negotiation and purchasing power; use cost efficiencies to fuel growth productivity; and improve vendor support as they grow their portfolio of better-for-you restaurants.

ABOUT WOWORKS:

WOWorks was formed in 2020 with a mission to help guests pursue their passions and live their best lives by serving healthy, nutritious and flavorful meals along with its Vow to "WOW!" guest hospitality. Fully owned by Centre Lane Partners, LLC, WOWorks' portfolio, in addition to its newest brands, Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina and Zoup! Eatery, consists of: Saladworks, the nation's leading fast-casual salad brand; Frutta Bowls, a unique restaurant franchise serving a variety of superfood bowls, fresh fruit smoothies, protein bites and more; Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, a popular Mediterranean restaurant concept; The Simple Greek, which offers a fresh and healthy take on traditional Greek recipes in a fast-casual setting. WOWorks seeks to drive explosive growth across all of its brands through a variety of channels, both traditional and non-traditional, including ghost kitchens, food trucks, grocery retail and more.

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CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  U.S. and South Korean fighter jets flew together Tuesday in a display of force two days after an unprecedented missile barrage by North Korea.

Sixteen aircraft, including the F-35A Lightning II, F-15K Slam Eagle and KF-16, showcased South Koreas strong capabilities and will to launch precision and prompt strikes in response to any [North Korean] provocations, according to a South Korean Defense Ministry news release.

Four F-16 Fighting Falcons from the U.S. Air Force took part in the drills, the release said.

Aircraft formations armed with precision-guided weapons flew over the West Sea, also known as the Yellow Sea, according to the ministry.

The fighters executed flying to respond to the enemys threats overwhelmingly in an attack flight formation in airspace over the West Sea, the news release said.

At least four F-35A fighters were part of the exercise, according to video footage released by the ministry.

Our troops are currently tracking and monitoring relevant moves in preparation for additional [North Korean] provocation, cooperating closely with the U.S. side and maintaining their firm readiness posture, the release said.

The show of force comes after North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, on Sunday morning. The South Korean military estimated the missiles flew between 68 and 416 miles at altitudes of 16 to 56 miles.

The North has fired a record 28 missiles in 17 rounds of tests so far this year.

U.S. Forces Korea and the South Korean army responded on Monday by launching eight missiles of their own.

The U.S. Army fired one and South Korea launched seven missiles "to demonstrate the ability of the combined [U.S.-South Korean] force to respond quickly to crisis events," according to statements from USFK and the Defense Ministry.

The allies said the missile exercise demonstrated their ability to strike back at North Koreas origin of provocation.

Joint military drills in response to the Norths missile tests were muted under the previous South Korean president, Moon Jae-in.

However, during the final weeks of Moons administration in March, the South Korean military fired several missiles and dropped Joint Direct Attack Munition bombs roughly two hours after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was inaugurated two months later, vowed to bolster the U.S.-South Korean alliance and signaled he would respond to the Norths provocations with the militarys strength.
WASHINGTON  A U.S. Naval Academy midshipman died early Tuesday while on leave, the school said in a statement.

Investigators are looking into the students cause of death, according to the statement. The academy provided no information on the midshipmans identity.

The brigade of midshipmen, faculty and staff were notified of the midshipmans death this morning, the academy said. Out of respect for the familys privacy, the identity of the midshipman is being withheld for 24 hours after next-of-kin notification.

The naval academy, which is in Annapolis, Md., is providing counseling services for students and staff during this time of grief, according to the statement.

The last publicly announced midshipman death happened one year ago when Michael Myles James, 22, also died while on leave, officials said at the time. He was found unresponsive at his uncle's house in Hiram, Ga., in June 2021 and would have graduated last month.

There are more than 4,500 midshipmen enrolled at the academy, according to the Navy.
WASHINGTON  House lawmakers will push to save five ships that the Navy is slating for retirement, rejecting the service branchs proposal to decommission 24 ships in its fiscal 2023 budget.

The House Armed Services Committees subpanel on seapower and projection forces plans to prohibit the Navy from cutting the cruiser USS Vicksburg as well as four landing dock ships from its fleet, according to committee aides. Lawmakers will recommend the changes to the full House committee this week as it drafts the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual sweeping military policy and funding bill.

Theres consensus that USS Vicksburg should be retained, an aide said, speaking on condition of anonymity. With respect to [landing dock ships], theres strong support for the commandant of the Marine Corps assessment that he needs no fewer than 31 amphibious ships so prohibiting the retirement of the [landing dock ships] certainly gets after that.

The USS Vicksburg, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser that launched in 1991, is nearing the end of a nearly $500 million modernization overhaul in Virginia that began in 2020. Rep. Kay Granger, the ranking Republican of the House Appropriations Committee, admonished Navy officials at a hearing last month for seeking to decommission the cruiser.

At a time when the ship is still in its maintenance period, the Navy is proposing to scrap it, the Texas congresswoman said. If the Navy experts expect Congress to support its vision for this fleet, it must do a much better job of managing the inventory it has. We will not stand idly by as valuable taxpayer funds are wasted.

Other cruisers on the Navys chopping block include USS Bunker Hill, USS Mobile Bay, USS San Jacinto and USS Lake Champlain.

Retirements are also planned for two Los Angeles-class submarines, two oilers, two expeditionary transfer docks and all nine of the Navys Freedom-class littoral combat ships, some of which have been in service less than five years. One of the four landing dock ships that lawmakers are hoping to keep  the Whidbey Island-class USS Tortuga  is undergoing the same service-life extension repairs as the USS Vicksburg.

Navy officials said decommissioning will save about $3.6 billion in the next five years, allowing the Navy to get rid of aging ships and systems that are expensive to maintain and instead invest in unmanned platforms and other technology. The divest to invest strategy has repeatedly frustrated lawmakers who are warily eyeing Chinas rapidly growing fleet.

Congress last year reversed the Navys plan to retire seven cruisers, forcing the service to hang on to two, and ordered the Navy to build 13 ships instead of a requested eight. Next years proposed $180 billion Navy budget also calls for building eight ships  a plan that Rep. Elaine Luria, a retired Navy commander, described as anemic.

The Navy has no strategy, Luria, D-Va., tweeted in March. Stop saying you do, because if you did you would be able to explain how this fleet size will allow us to defend Taiwan.

Rep. Rob Wittman, the ranking Republican on the seapower subcommittee, noted last month that the Navy is congressionally mandated to have 355 ships. The Navys proposed cuts would immediately shrink the current 298-ship fleet to 285 ships, he said.

We dont expand our naval capacity and capabilities by subtracting more than we add, the Virginia congressman said. The budget request definitely does not support [Defense] Secretary [Lloyd] Austins stated intent of pacing the Chinese naval capabilities whose force is expected to exceed 460 ships by the turn of this decade, at which point our fleet will be only two-thirds the size of the Peoples Liberation Army Navy.

Despite the criticism, the subcommittee will recommend sticking to the Navys shipbuilding plan, committee aides said. The Navy is aiming to acquire two Virginia-class attack submarines, two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, one frigate, one amphibious transport dock, one oiler and one towing, salvage and rescue ship.

House lawmakers will also seek to set a statutory floor of 31 amphibious ships and require the Navy secretary to consult with the Marine Corps commandant on all major decisions concerning amphibious force structure and capability, committee aides said.

Other recommendations by the subcommittee include allowing the Air Force to retire eight of its C-130 transport aircraft and 13 of its air-refueling tanker aircraft and authorizing the Navy secretary to enter into procurement contracts for up to 15 guided-missile destroyers and up to 25 Ship-to-Shore connector crafts, according to aides.

The House Armed Services Committee will announce parts of its legislative agenda for the 2023 NDAA during six subcommittee markups this week, with a full committee markup scheduled for June 22. The Senate Armed Services Committee will begin unveiling its version of the bill next week.
Rhein Main Airport, Germany, March 22, 1949: Russian composer and pianist Dimitri Shostakovich (center, with glasses) is surrounded by reporters and photographers at Rhein Main Airport. The famous composer was en route to New York with fellow Russian intellectuals to attend the Cultural and Scientific Conference for World Peace at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, March 25-27, 1949. The composer had been denounced twice by the Soviet communist regime, including in February 1948 when the Soviet Central Committee issued a resolution accusing many Soviet composers  including Shostakovich  of composing music alien to the Soviet people and its artistic tastes. Many of Shostakovichs works were banned after the proclamation and Shostakovich was expelled from his teaching positions at the Moscow and Leningrad Conservatories. The ban was lifted shortly before the Waldorf World Peace conference by order of Stalin who called Shostakovich himself to ask him to represent the U.S.S.R at the conference.
VATICAN CITY  The Vatican has long defended its World War II-era pope, Pius XII, against criticism that he remained silent as the Holocaust unfolded, insisting that he worked quietly behind the scenes to save lives. A new book, citing recently opened Vatican archives, suggests the lives the Vatican worked hardest to save were Jews who had converted to Catholicism or were children of Catholic-Jewish "mixed marriages."

Documents attesting to frantic searches for baptismal certificates, lists of names of converts handed over by the Vatican to the German ambassador and heartfelt pleas from Catholics for the pope to find relatives of Jewish descent are contained in David Kertzer's "The Pope at War," being published Tuesday in the United States.

The book follows on the heels of Kertzer's Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Pope and Mussolini," about Pius' predecessor, Pius XI. It uses the millions of recently released documents from the Vatican archives as well as the state archives of Italy, France, Germany, the U.S., and Britain to craft a history of World War II through the prism of the Pius XII papacy and its extensive diplomatic network with both Axis and Allied nations.

"The amount of material in these archives about searching for baptismal records for Jews that could save them is really pretty stunning," Kertzer said in a telephone interview ahead of the release.

The 484-page book, and its nearly 100 pages of endnotes, portrays a timid pontiff who wasn't driven by antisemitism, but rather a conviction that Vatican neutrality was the best and only way to protect the interests of the Catholic Church as the war raged on.

Kertzer, a professor of anthropology and Italian studies at Brown University, suggests Pius' primary motivation was fear: fear for the church and Catholics in German-occupied territories if, as he believed until the very end, the Axis won; and fear of atheist Communism spreading across Christian Europe if the Axis lost.

To assuage that fear, Kertzer writes, Pius charted a paralyzingly cautious course to avoid conflict at all costs with the Nazis. Direct orders went to the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano not to write about German atrocities  and to ensure seamless cooperation with the Fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini in the Vatican's backyard.

That meant never saying a word in public to explicitly denounce SS massacres, even when Jews were being rounded up right outside the Vatican walls, as they were on Oct. 16, 1943, and put on trains bound for Auschwitz.

Kertzer concludes that Pius was no "Hitler's Pope"  the provocative title of the last Pius-era blockbuster by John Cornwell. But neither was he the champion of Jews that Pius' supporters contend.

Marla Stone, professor of humanities at the American Academy of Rome, said the book "takes a position between the previous poles of historical interpretation."

"Previously, the choices were either Pius XII was 'Hitler's Pope,' deeply sympathetic to the Nazis, eager for a Nazi-Fascist victory, obsessed with the defeat of the Soviets at all costs, and a dedicated antisemite," she told a panel at the academy last month. "The other historiographic position held that Pius XII did everything within his power to help those suffering under Nazi and Fascist oppression and that he was merely constrained by circumstances."

"The Pope at War" is one of several books starting to roll out two years after Pope Francis opened the Pius XII archives ahead of schedule. That gave scholars access to the full set of documentation to resolve the outstanding questions about Pius and what he did or didn't do as the Holocaust unfolded.

One of the first out of the gate was written in-house, by the archivist of the Vatican's secretariat of state, Johan Ickx. Perhaps understandably, it praised Pius and the humanitarian efforts of the Vatican to care for Jews and people fleeing the war, recounting the hundreds of files of Jews who turned to him, begging for help.

"For the Jews it was obvious and clear that Pius XII was on their side and both he and his staff would have done everything in their possibility to save them," Ickx told Vatican News.

The Rev. Peter Gumpel, the German investigator who promoted Pius' now-stalled cause for sainthood, has argued that Pius couldn't speak out more publicly because he knew it would enrage Adolf Hitler and result in more Jews being killed. He cites the case of a Catholic bishops in the Netherlands who spoke out against the deportation of Jews and the Gestapo's response: deporting Jews who had converted to Catholicism.

The Vatican had already taken the extraordinary step, between 1965 and 1981, of publishing an 11-volume set of documentation, curated by a team of Jesuits, to try to rebut criticism of Pius' silence that erupted following the 1963 play "The Deputy," which alleged he turned a blind eye to Nazi atrocities.

But even the Vatican's own prefect of the archives, Monsignor Sergio Pagano, said recently that the initiative, while "worthy" at the time, now needs to be revised.

During a panel discussion hosted by a Spanish research institute in Rome, Pagano acknowledged that the Jesuits "sometimes looked at half of one document, and the other half no," and that he had learned of some "strange omissions" that are now becoming evident. But he insisted there was no attempt at the time to hide inconvenient truths, just a lack of full access to all the files and the chaos of working quickly with a disorganized archive.

Kertzer identifies two major omissions in his book: The first was the transcripts of a series of secret meetings between Pius and a personal envoy of Hitler, Prince Philipp von Hessen, that began shortly after Pius was elected and continued for two years. The secret channel gave Pius a direct line to Hitler that was previously unknown, even to high-ranking Vatican officials at the time.

The second was the full contents of the note from Pius' top diplomatic adviser on Jewish issues, Monsignor Angelo Dell'Acqua, responding to pleas for Pius to finally say something about the roundup of Italy's Jews that accelerated in the autumn and winter of 1943. While Dell'Acqua's opinion  that Pius should not say anything  was previously known, Kertzer says the antisemitic slurs he used to describe Jews had been excised from the Jesuits' 11-volume text.

L'Osservatore Romano has already come out swinging against Kertzer's scholarship, blasting a 2020 essay he published in The Atlantic on some preliminary findings from the archives as "strong affirmations, but unproven."

A key example of the Vatican's priorities, Kertzer says, came during the Oct. 16, 1943, roundup of Rome's Jews. That cold morning, 1,259 Jews were arrested and brought to a military barracks near the Vatican, bound for deportation to Auschwitz.

The day after their capture, the Vatican's secretariat of state received permission from German authorities to send an envoy to the barracks, who ascertained that those inside "included people who had already been baptized, confirmed and celebrated a church wedding," according to the envoy's notes.

Over the following days, the secretariat of state drew up lists of people the church deemed Catholic and gave the names to the German ambassador asking for his intervention. In all, of the 1,259 people originally arrested, some 250 were spared deportation.

"For me, what this means, and I think this is also a novelty in the book, is that the Vatican participates in the selection of Jews," Kertzer said in the interview. "Who is going to live and who is going to die."
HUEHUETAN, Mexico  Several thousand migrants continued walking before dawn through southern Mexico Tuesday, covering ground before the heat of the day and while authorities showed no signs yet of trying to stop them.

The largest migrant caravan of the year provided a live illustration to regional leaders meeting in Los Angeles this week for the Summit of the Americas of the challenges governments face in managing immigration flows.

Many of the migrants themselves had more pressing concerns, such as getting their families to safety and finding work.

Eymar Hernandez Benavides was a state police officer in Venezuela. In January, his extended family, divided between Tachira and Barquisimeto, began a group chat on a messaging platform. For three months they aired their grievances  product scarcity, high food prices, constant electrical blackouts  and planned their exit.

Hernandez sold his car and other belongings to fund the two-week odyssey from Venezuela to Mexico, including through the harrowing jungle-clad Darien Gap that separates Colombia and Panama. That was hardest part for his wife, Jenny Villamizar. Not just the swollen rivers, rain, wildlife and thick vegetation, but watching their three children suffer.

More than 130,000 migrants crossed the Darien Gap in 2021. Since January, more than 34,000, including 18,000 Venezuelans, have crossed there, according to Panama's National Migration Service.

On Tuesday, Hernandez walked up a rural highway in southern Mexico with 17 relatives, including his wife and their children, the 3-year-old in a stroller.

"It's not Venezuela, it is the president, Venezuela works, it is a paradise, we didn't want to leave our country," Hernandez said, referring to President Nicolas Maduro, who was not invited to the summit.

He said they want the U.S. to help resolve the crisis in Venezuela so they can return, but in the meantime they want asylum in the United States. They did inquire about asylum in Mexico in Tapachula, but were given an appointment for July. Through odd jobs they earned enough money to rent just one room, so they decided to join the caravan instead.

Their goal for Tuesday was to make it to Huixtla, Chiapas, a town still more than 1,000 miles from the closest point on the U.S. border. Mexican National Guard and immigration agents were visible along the route, but had not made an effort to stop the migrants. They did make those who had gotten rides on truck trailers get off and walk, apparently hoping to tire them out.

Maria Jose Gomez, 24, and Roselys Gutierrez, 25, a couple also from Venezuela, said they had left Colombia after experiencing homophobia there and suffering physical attacks.

They arrived in the southern Mexican city of Tapachula near the border with Guatemala a week ago and joined the caravan when it left Monday. Gomez was walking Tuesday with the rainbow flag and Gutierrez with that of Venezuela.

"We are very tired and want this torment to be over," Gomez said. "We have walked a lot on the trip. We passed through the Darien jungle and have been in seven countries counting this one."

Mexico has tried to contain migrants to the south, far from the U.S. border. But many have grown frustrated there by the slow bureaucratic process to regularize their status and the lack of job opportunities to provide for their families.

Mexico's asylum agency has been overwhelmed with requests in recent years as policies leave migrants few other options than to request asylum so they can travel freely. Last year, Mexico received more than 130,000 asylum requests, more than triple the year before. This year, requests are already running 20% above last year.

The phenomenon of migrant caravans took off in 2018. Previously, smaller annual caravans moved through Mexico to highlight migrants' plight, but without the stated goal of reaching the U.S. border.

But then several thousand migrants began walking together, betting on safety in numbers and a greater likelihood that government officials would not try to stop them. It worked at first, but more recently the Guatemalan and Mexican governments have been far more aggressive in moving to dissolve the caravans before they can build momentum.

While the caravans have garnered media attention, the migrants traveling in them represent a small fraction of the migratory flow that carries people to the U.S. border every day, usually with the help of smugglers.

The Biden administration had hoped to hammer out a regional agreement on managing migrant flows at the summit, but the presidents of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are not attending, a notable absence of some of the leading migrant-sending and transit countries.

Keira Lara, a 30-year-old from El Salvador, trudged down the highway Tuesday with three of her four children. She had just arrived in Mexico a week earlier and only heard about the summit once she joined the caravan Monday. She said government officials had demanded money from her at every border they crossed.

Of the leaders meeting in Los Angeles this week she asked "that they let us pass, that there isn't so much corruption in governments, because that's why people migrate."
Cambodia once again dismissed concerns China is secretly building a naval facility in the Southeast Asian nation following a report published Monday that the two sides are set to break ground on the military project this week.

Western officials are concerned the countries are concealing moves to establish a Chinese military presence at the Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand, according to The Washington Post. This follows reports in 2019 that Beijing signed a secret pact to allow its armed forces to exclusively use parts of the base, a charge that has strained relations with the United States.

While Cambodia's main government spokesman, Phay Siphan, confirmed that the Asian countries will break ground on two port-related projects at the base this week, he rejected claims that China would have any exclusive access there. The program scheduled for Wednesday pertains to the construction of a vessel repair workshop and a slipway, he said.

"We invited diplomats in Cambodia to attend, so it's nothing too secret," Phay Siphan said by phone Tuesday, adding any exclusive military use of the base would violate the nation's constitution. "Everyone can use it. We're not looking for trouble."

He said he had no knowledge of whether the ground station technology for a BeiDou navigation satellite system was located at the base as reported by The Post, which cited a Chinese official.

The situation in Cambodia adds to questions over China's intentions in the region amid existing concerns it could use a security pact with the Solomon Islands to establish a naval base there, which Beijing denies. Foreign Minister Wang Yi has also recently visited a number of Pacific island nations hoping to secure development deals.

"An exclusive PRC military presence at Ream could threaten Cambodia's autonomy and undermine regional security," Chad Roedemeier, the U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Phnom Penh, said. The latest concerns, he said "aligns with the consistent, credible reporting we have seen that the People's Republic of China is engaged in a significant, ongoing construction project at Ream Naval Base."

While the Chinese military has denied previous reports regarding Cambodia, the Biden administration in November imposed sanctions against involved companies and individuals, including two senior Cambodian defense officials for corruption related to the base.

China has described Cambodia as "iron-clad friends" and earlier this year signed a memorandum of understanding with its army, though no details were provided about what it entails.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said during a regular briefing on Tuesday the renovations at the Ream are "aimed at strengthening the Cambodian navy's ability to safeguard maritime territorial integrity and combat maritime crimes."

"Our cooperation across the board is open, transparent, reasonable and just," he said. "This not only benefits our two countries and two peoples, but also sets an example for building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind."
CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa  A little more than a year after the ordeal, a Marine first lieutenant was decorated for helping save a man from drowning after a sailing mishap off the Okinawa shore.

Brig. Gen. Brian Wolford pinned the Navy and Marine Corps Medal onto 1st Lt. Steven Ladine, 25, from Whitinsville, Mass., during a formation Tuesday at Camp Hansen.

Ladine, of the 9th Engineer Support Battalion, was walking along the beach near Onna village on May 15, 2021, when he spotted an overturned outrigger sailing canoe just offshore, he told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.

I thought for a second, they might be OK, then I said, 'You cant just flip a sailboat back over easily, so I put on my fins and goggles and swam out to them, he said.

A sudden gust of wind had flipped the 21-foot-long sailboat, tossing its two occupants, driving the mast into the sea bottom and trapping Tom Burkards right leg between the mast and the hull. Burkards sailing buddy, Marine Lt. Col. Caleb Eames, surfaced clear of the boat.

I came up out of the water, got my bearings, I looked around and I didn't see Tom, Eames told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday. "I swam around to the other side  still didn't see him. Then I started to get concerned. Then I spotted Burkard's body underneath the hull."

Eames grabbed Burkard's chin and pulled him to the surface but could only get his nose and mouth above the waterline, Eames said.

He came up yelling pretty good, and he said, My leg is stuck! Eames said.

Eames, 45, originally of Fredericksburg, Va., said he worked to free Burkard, but the boat weighed flat on the collapsed mast, holding Burkard fast.

I was giving up hope when I heard a voice say, Hey you guys need help? Eames said.

Burkard was celebrating his 63rd birthday that day and said he thought it could be his last.

When Ladine showed up and he was 10 to 15 feet away from me, his head popped out of the water, and I was just like, oh, lord Jesus thank you, Burkard told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.

The two Marines devised a strategy: Eames leaned on the upside-down keel while Ladine went underwater and pulled Burkard away from the mast. Burkard was free within 10 minutes.

The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is awarded for heroism unrelated to actual conflict with an enemy, according to the Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual.

Although many past awards were for heroism involving lifesaving, the [medal] is not solely a lifesaving medal, the manual states. However, for acts of lifesaving, or attempted lifesaving, the action must have been performed at the risk of ones own life.

Eames and Burkard were present Tuesday to see Ladine decorated.

Burkard, now 64 and a Christian missionary who builds outriggers as a hobby, said hes been sailing for 50 years and will continue to do so. The three men have been boating together since their shared ordeal.

Eames, a public affairs officer with the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade at Camp Courtney, put in the paperwork to recognize Ladine for his efforts that day.

If he had not shown up, Tom and I would not be here today, Eames said. He saved our lives, certainly Tom's life. I was not going to let my friend go under the water without me doing my absolute most to get him out and that would have likely taken my life.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  A nuclear test by North Korea will prompt a swift and forceful response, a senior U.S. diplomat said in Seoul on Tuesday, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

North Korea would face unified action by several countries should it detonate a nuclear device in violation of existing U.N. Security Council resolutions, Wendy Sherman, deputy secretary of state, told reporters, according to Yonhap.

Starting in 2006, the Security Council imposed a broad range of economic sanctions on the North for developing nuclear weapons and conducting ballistic missile tests.

The entire world will respond in a strong and clear manner, Sherman said, according to the Yonhap report. We are prepared.

She traveled to Seoul on Monday as part of a 10-day tour of the Indo-Pacific region that includes meetings with officials from South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam and Laos.

Shermans comments come as U.S., South Korean and Japanese government officials warn that the communist regime may soon conduct its seventh nuclear weapons test and its first since 2017.

Activity at North Korean test sites, including the Punggye-ri underground facility the communist regime supposedly demolished in 2018, may indicate an upcoming test, Director General Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency said at a board meeting Monday.

Grossi described North Koreas actions as deeply regrettable and urged it to comply fully with its obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions, according to his opening statement.

IAEA inspectors were expelled from North Korea in 2009.

The conduct of a nuclear test would contravene U.N. Security Council resolutions and would be a cause for serious concern, Grossis statement said. The agency continues to maintain its enhanced readiness to play its essential role in verifying the [North Korea] nuclear program, he said.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are higher following the record number of ballistic missiles fired by the North this year. The regime launched 28 missiles in 17 rounds of tests so far this year.

North Korea last launched eight short-range ballistic missiles on Sunday morning toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

The following day, U.S. Forces Korea and the South Korean military launched eight missiles of their own toward the eastern coast from an undisclosed location.

Still, the U.S. is open to talks with North Korea without preconditions, State Department spokesman Ned Price said during a press conference Tuesday.

We have made clear both publicly and privately to [North Korea] that we harbor no hostile intent towards the regime, he said. Much to the contrary, it would be far preferable if we were able to engage in that diplomacy and dialogue.
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii  Navies from 26 nations will participate in the massive Rim of the Pacific maritime exercise that kicks off later this month in Hawaii, the Navy said.

The more than two dozen nations, 38 surface ships and four submarines mark a return in full to the biyearly drills that were significantly downsized in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The exercise, held primarily on and around the Hawaiian Islands with a few events off Southern California, begins June 29 and runs to Aug. 4, the Navy said in a May 31 news release.

Slated to participate are forces from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In addition to the watercraft, participants will also send about 170 aircraft, the Navy said. The roughly 25,000 personnel involved will also include members of land forces from nine nations.

Drills this year will involve everything from disaster relief to warfighting, the Navy said.

The relevant, realistic training program includes amphibious operations, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defense exercises, as well as counter-piracy operations, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal, and diving and salvage operations, the Navy said.

Most of the participating nations were at RIMPAC in 2018, with the exception of Denmark and Ecuador.

Vietnam joined in 2018 for the first time but has not returned since.

In 2020, only Australia, Brunei, Canada, France, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and the U.S. participated in the drills, which lasted only two weeks. All events were held at sea, eschewing the shore-based activities that have always been a routine part of RIMPAC.

China participated for the first time in 2014, just as Beijing had commenced building artificial islands in the South China Sea by dredging sand onto small coral atolls, which it then set about militarizing with aircraft hangars and runways.

Chinas inclusion in RIMPAC was aimed at bringing the nation into the so-called rules-based international order that has dominated the Pacific since World War II.

China, however, continued its island-building efforts, and was disinvited from RIMPAC in 2018.

The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2022, which President Joe Biden signed in December, approved of and encouraged the invitation of Taiwan to RIMPAC. The Navy does not disclose its invitation list, but Taiwans navy is not among those announced as joining the drills.

Taiwans participation in the exercise would undoubtedly be greeted with alarm by Beijing, which considers the island just off its southeast coast to be a renegade province that must be unified with the mainland at some point, by force if necessary.
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan  An American civilian missing more than two weeks before his body was found in a housing tower on this base in western Tokyo took his own life, according to a report in an Ohio newspaper.

Trevor Balint, 34, of Hubbard, Ohio, disappeared suddenly on Feb. 1, 2021. He lived at Yokota with his spouse, Britni Balint, a Defense Department computer programmer and analyst also from Ohio.

Authorities searched Yokota from the ground and the air before discovering his body in a storage closet in the east side tower where the couple lived.

A medical examiner finalized a death certificate on the day Balints body was found, stating he died by suicide, according to the Vindicator newspaper of Youngstown, Ohio.

The report was based on records released to the newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act.

Balint died between Feb. 8 and Feb. 10, but the timing could be off by as much as two days due to lack of information about the environmental conditions in the storage closet, according to the Vindicator report.

Health records showed Balint attempted suicide four times between 2010 and 2018 and had written about it in a 2017 email, the newspaper reported.

Balints family did not respond to a message seeking comment Tuesday. The family was provided Balints death certificate and an autopsy report, according to an Aug. 16 email to Stars and Stripes from Air Force Office of Special Investigations spokeswoman Linda Card.

Yokota spokesman 1st Lt. Danny Rangel in a phone call to Stars and Stripes on Tuesday said the 374th Airlift Wing had no comment on the report.
Ukraine said it needs 60 multiple-launch rocket systems to have a chance at defeating Russia, indicating that the number of such weapons pledged by the West so far may not be enough.

Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, told the Guardian that 60 launchers would stop Russian forces "dead in their tracks." Forty would slow them down with heavy casualties, he said, while 20 would increase Russian casualties but leave the battlefield outcome little changed.

The United States and Britain recently announced plans to provide Kyiv with multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), which can hit targets up to 50 miles away. Washington is dispatching four M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, commonly known as HIMARS, though Ukrainian troops need at least three weeks of training to use them, the Pentagon said. Britain confirmed Monday that it would send an unspecified number of M270 launch systems to Ukraine.

Colin Kahl, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, in comments earlier this month left open the possibility that the United States could send additional rocket systems. No decision had been made as of Tuesday, said a U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of undecided nature of the issue.

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will meet Wednesday in the Normandy countryside in France with other chiefs of defense to discuss how best to support Ukraine, the official said. It was not clear whether the issue will be addressed then.

The Kremlin has warned against equipping Kyiv with long-range weapons. Over the weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened a wider campaign of shelling in response, even as he dismissed their efficacy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov alleged that Ukraine would use the systems to strike targets inside Russia, though the Biden administration has said Kyiv agreed to use the weapons only within its territory. (London has not said whether it has received a similar assurance from Kyiv, but its shipment was made in consultation with Washington.)

Ukrainian leaders "simply laugh at the Americans who said, 'We believe Zelensky, he promised us not to shoot Russia,'" Lavrov told reporters on Monday.

Kyiv has said MLRS shipments are a top priority as it loses ground in eastern Ukraine. Earlier in the war, Ukraine successfully repelled Russian forces trying to seize the capital and other major cities. But Moscow has notched some recent victories in the flat lands of the east with the support of its long-range artillery systems, with pummeled Severodonetsk becoming the latest city in danger of falling under Russian control.

Ukraine has used Western-supplied equipment to great effect. Kyiv claimed several high-profile battlefield victories against Russian tanks and ships with its use of materiel such as Javelin missiles and British Next Generation Light Antitank Weapons (NLAW).

Ukraine's navy said this week that it had pushed ships from Russia's Black Sea Fleet back about 60 miles from the Ukrainian coast. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said anti-ship missiles provided by the West could have helped Ukraine regain control of portions of the northwestern Black Sea.

"The war in the east at the moment is being shaped by the role of artillery," said Mick Ryan, a retired Australian army major general, adding that 60 MLRS weapons would allow Kyiv to replace potential combat losses while conducting training.

The estimated 50-mile range of the U.K.- and U.S.-supplied MLRS weapons exceeds that of the howitzers that Russia is using and would give Ukraine a "much wider area of coverage for short-notice fire missions," he said.

The Washington Post's Dan Lamothe in Carentan, France, contributed to this report.
KYIV, Ukraine  Russia on Tuesday claimed to have taken control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraine's Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow's forces hold nearly all of Luhansk province. And it appears that Russia now occupies roughly half of Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts.

After abandoning its bungled attempt to storm Kyiv two months ago, Russia declared that taking the entire Donbas is its main objective. Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian government forces in the Donbas since 2014, and the region has borne the brunt of the Russian onslaught in recent weeks.

Early in the war, Russian troops also took control of the entire Kherson region and a large part of the Zaporizhzhia region, both in the south. Russian officials and their local appointees have talked about plans for those regions to either declare their independence or be folded into Russia.

But in what may be the latest instance of anti-Russian sabotage inside Ukraine, Russian state media said Tuesday that an explosion at a cafe in the city of Kherson wounded four people. Tass called the apparent bombing in the Russian-occupied city a "terror act."

Before the February invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russia controlled some 7% of the country, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and areas held by the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces now hold 20% of the country.

While the Kremlin's forces have superior firepower, the Ukrainian defenders are entrenched and have shown the ability to counterattack.

Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, said Moscow's forces have seized the residential quarters of Sievierodonetsk and are fighting to take control of an industrial zone on the city's outskirts and nearby towns.

Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. They are among a few cities and towns in the Luhansk region still holding out against the Russian invasion, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces.

Shoigu added that Russian troops were pressing their offensive toward the town of Popasna and have taken control of Lyman and Sviatohirsk and 15 other towns in the region.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak urged his people not to be downhearted about the battlefield reverses.

"Don't let the news that we've ceded something scare you," he said in a video address. "It is clear that tactical maneuvers are ongoing. We cede something, we take something back."

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai conceded that Russian forces control the industrial outskirts of Sievierodonetsk.

"The toughest street battles continue, with varying degrees of success," Haidai said. "The situation constantly changes, but the Ukrainians are repelling attacks."

Moscow's forces also kept up their artillery barrage of Lysychansk. Haidai said Russian troops shelled a market, a school and a college building, destroying the latter. At least three people were wounded, he said.

"A total destruction of the city is under way. Russian shelling has intensified significantly over the past 24 hours. Russians are using scorched-earth tactics," Haidai said.

While insisting on Ukraine's need to defeat Russia on the battlefield, Zelenskyy said at a Financial Times conference Tuesday that he is still open to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He also lamented that Western sanctions "have not really influenced the Russian position," the FT reported.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has begun training Ukrainian forces on the sophisticated multiple rocket launchers that the Biden administration agreed last week to provide. The Pentagon said the training is going on at a base in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets, which can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). Officials said it would take about three weeks of training before they could go to the battlefront.

The war also brought a standoff Tuesday between the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and Ukrainian authorities over the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe.

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, wants to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine to help maintain its safety after it was taken by Russian troops in March.

But Energoatom, the Ukrainian state company overseeing the country's nuclear plants, said in a blunt statement that Grossi isn't welcome. It said his planned tour is "yet another attempt to legitimize the occupier's presence there."

Amid fears of a global food crisis because of the war, the Kremlin said Ukraine needs to remove sea mines near its Black Sea port of Odesa to allow essential grain exports to resume from there.

But Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that removing the mines could enable Moscow's forces to attack.

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Associated Press journalists David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv; Andrew Katell in New York; and Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this story.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark  Sweden's justice minister narrowly survived a no confidence vote in parliament Tuesday over surging crime, in a ballot that had threatened to topple Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson's minority government as the country is jockeying to join NATO amid strong opposition from Turkey.

But the key move that saved the government came from independent, Kurdish Iranian-born lawmaker Amineh Kakabaveh, who's a red rag for Turkey: a vocal critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and a former member of an armed Kurdish militant group who speaks up for the Kurdish cause.

Turkey  which as a NATO member has a blocking vote  has opposed the bids by Sweden and neighboring Finland to join NATO amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Erdogan accuses the two Nordic countries of backing militant Kurdish groups like the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a group listed as terrorist by the European Union and the U.S. that has waged a long and bloody insurrection in Turkey.

In Tuesday's ballot in Sweden's 349-seat parliament, the right-leaning opposition had secured 174 votes, one short of the required 175. After Kakabaveh abstained, there were still 174 votes against Justice Minister Mogan Johansson, 97 in his favor, 70 abstentions and eight absentees.

Prime Minister Andersson, the leader of the Social Democrats, had said that if the no confidence vote was approved her government would resign. Sweden faces general elections on Sept. 11.

In recent years, Sweden has suffered a rise in organized crime activity with several gang-related shootings in its the major cities of Stockholm, Goteborg and Malmo. Last week, the right-wing populist Sweden Democrats had called for the no confidence vote, claiming Johansson had allowed "Sweden to become a gangster country."

But Kakabaveh, 51, said the justice minister deserved to stay in office.

"I know that Morgan Johansson is a politician who cares about the rule of law. I do not trust the opposition," she said before Tuesday's vote. Kakabaveh stressed that Johansson had succeeded in, among others, fighting violence against women, including so-called honor killings.

Turkey's Ambassador to Sweden Hakki Emre Yunt claimed in an interview with Swedish news agency TT last month that the PKK has ties to certain lawmakers in Sweden who allegedly work against Turkey by taking a stance against Ankara.

"I can mention Amineh Kakabaveh since she had an agreement with the Social Democratic Party to support them," he said.

In November, Kakabaveh's vote allowed Andersson to become the country's first female prime minister.

"If women are only allowed to vote but are never elected to the highest office, democracy is not complete," she had said at the time. "Feminism is always about girls and women being complete people who have the same opportunities as men and boys."
ANKARA, Turkey  Turkey on Tuesday called on Greece to withdraw its armed forces from Aegean islands, warning that his country will challenge the status of the islands if it fails to demilitarize them.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a joint news conference with his North Macedonian counterpart, that Greece has been building a military presence on the Aegean islands in violation of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Paris Treaty. He said the islands were ceded to Greece on condition that they be kept demilitarized.

"The agreements are there but Greece is violating them. It's arming them. If Greece does not stop this violation, the sovereignty of the islands will be brought up for discussion," he said. "It's that clear. You will abide by the agreements."

Greece argues that Turkey has deliberately misinterpreted the treaties regarding armed forces on its eastern islands and says it has legal grounds to defend itself following hostile actions by Ankara including a long-standing threat of war if it extends its territorial waters.

The Turkish minister's comments come amid a new escalation in tensions between the NATO allies that have a history of disputes over a range of issues including mineral exploration in the eastern Mediterranean and rival claims in the Aegean Sea.

Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would stop talking to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, voicing displeasure at comments the Greek leader made during a recent U.S. trip, including suggestions that Congress should block Turkey's acquisition of F-16 fighter jets.

In Athens, Mitsotakis said restraint was needed on both sides of the Aegean due to the war in Ukraine.

"I think we are still very far from that point, far from the tension we had in the summer of 2020," Mitsotakis said in reference to a time when tensions flared between Greece and Turkey over gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

"Today, everyone needs to show restraint. Especially at a time when we are facing a very big challenge at NATO with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We must be united," he said.

Cavusoglu said Ankara had sent two letters to the United Nations on the issue of the militarized islands and he called on Greece to respond to the letters.

"They are getting aggressive because they cannot respond to the letters," the minister claimed.
JERUSALEM -- Ukraine's ambassador is urging Israel to sell its Iron Dome rocket interception system and provide anti-tank missiles to defend civilians against Russia's invasion.

Yevgen Korniychuk on Tuesday stopped short of accusing Israel of blocking the sale of the missile defense system. But he wants the Israeli government to back up its verbal support for Ukraine with military assistance. At a news conference in Tel Aviv, he said Ukraine wants to buy the Iron Dome system, contending that the United States would not oppose such a sale.

The United States has been financially supporting Israel's Iron Dome for about a decade, providing about $1.6 billion for its production and maintenance, according to the Congressional Research Service. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets fired into Israel.

Korniychuk also said Israel last week declined a U.S. request for Germany to deliver Israeli-licensed "Spike" anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.

Israel has limited its support for Ukraine to humanitarian aid and was the only country operating a field hospital inside the country earlier in the year. Israel fears helping Ukraine militarily would inflame Russia, which has a military presence in neighboring Syria. Israel, which carries out frequent strikes on enemy targets in Syria, relies on Russia for security coordination.

The Israeli Defense Ministry had no comment.
ISLAMABAD  Germany's top diplomat expressed concerns Tuesday during a visit to Pakistan that neighboring Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers are leading that country into a complete "downfall" and bringing about incredible suffering and hunger.

Annalena Baerbock spoke at a press conference with her Pakistani counterpart, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, after discussing a range of issues with officials in Islamabad, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Since seizin power in mid-August last year, the Taliban have imposed harsh edicts in Afghanistan, harking back to their repressive rule during the late 1990s. They have restricted freedoms and rights of women, who are now barred from going to school beyond the sixth grade, and minorities. The country has plunged into an unprecedented crisis, hurtling toward an economic meltdown as famine and hunger loom.

In Islamabad, Baerbock urged that any economic aid to Afghanistan's Taliban should be coupled with improvements in the human rights situation.

The Taliban, she said, are "leading the country into a downfall" and Afghan "parents do not know how to feed their children. Girls are deprived of their right to education. Women are almost excluded from participation in public life. Dissenting voices are brutally suppressed. The economy is grinding to a halt."

The Taliban are "heading in the wrong direction," Baerbock said. "As long as they go down this path, there is no room for normalization and even less for recognition of the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of the country."

Last week, the U.N. Security Council called on Afghanistan's Taliban rulers to "swiftly reverse" their policies and practices restricting the human rights of women and girls.

Baerbock said Germany would continue helping those Afghans who wish to leave their country and praised Pakistan for facilitating their travel to Germany.

"We will continue to provide humanitarian aid and support the people who need it the most, especially women and girls who suffer more than anyone else under the Taliban's rule," she said.

So far, more than 14,000 Afghans who were at risk from the Taliban had traveled to Germany through Pakistan, seeking to start a new life in safety and without fear.

Later on Tuesday, Germany's foreign ministry said Baerbock was cutting short her trip after testing positive for COVID-19 in Pakistan. She took a test after noticing she had lost her sense of taste at lunch, the ministry said on Twitter.

It said that all further engagements on her trip were canceled, but didn't immediately give details on the timing of her return to Germany. Bhutto Zardari and those Pakistani officials who met with the German foreign minister were protectively isolating themselves at home, according to officials.

Bhutto Zardari, standing next to his German counterpart, asked the Taliban rulers to honor the commitments they had made to the international community before and after seizing power. "It is our hope that the Afghan authorities would be responsive to the international community's expectations regarding inclusivity, respect for human rights for all Afghans, including women, and take effective actions against terrorism," he said.

Bhutto Zardari said the international community must be actively engaged with Afghanistan's rulers to prevent a humanitarian crisis. "We also believe that the release of Afghanistan's financial assets would be crucial in stabilizing the economy and giving it sustainability," he said.

Since the Taliban seized power in August, Pakistan has been urging the United States and other countries to release upward of $10 billion in frozen Afghan assets. However, the U.S. has previously said some of that money is tied up in litigation involving the survivors and the families of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaida while the group was being harbored in Afghanistan by the Taliban during their previous rule.

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Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.
NEW DELHI  India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim-majority countries after top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party made derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, drawing accusations of blasphemy across some Arab nations that have left New Delhi struggling to contain the damaging fallout.

At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Anger has poured out on social media, and calls for a boycott of Indian goods have surfaced in some Arab nations. At home, it has led to protests against Modi's party in some parts of the country.

The controversial remarks follow increasing violence targeting India's Muslim minority carried out by Hindu nationalists who have been emboldened by Modi's regular silence about such attacks since he was first elected in 2014.

Over the years, Indian Muslims have often been targeted for everything from their food and clothing style to inter-religious marriages. Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that attacks could escalate. They have also accused Modi's governing party of looking the other way and sometimes enabling hate speech against Muslims, who comprise 14% of India's 1.4 billion people but are still numerous enough to be the second-largest Muslim population of any nation.

Modi's party denies the accusations, but India's Muslims say attacks against them and their faith have increased sharply.

The anger has been growing since last week after the two spokespeople, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, made speculative remarks that were seen as insulting Islam's Prophet Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha.

Modi's party took no action against them until Sunday, when a sudden chorus of diplomatic outrage began with Qatar and Kuwait summoning their Indian ambassadors to protest. The BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal and issued a rare statement saying it "strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities," a move that was welcomed by Qatar and Kuwait.

Later, Saudi Arabia and Iran also lodged complaints with India, and the Jeddha-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation said the remarks came in a "context of intensifying hatred and abuse toward Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims."

India's Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected the comments by the OIC as "unwarranted" and "narrow-minded." On Sunday, India's embassies in Qatar and Kuwait released a statement saying the views expressed about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam were not those of the Indian government and were made by "fringe elements." The statement said that strong action had already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks.

The criticism from Muslim countries, however, was severe, indicating that insulting Prophet Muhammad was a red line.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry said it expected a public apology from the Indian government, and Kuwait warned that if the comments go unpunished, India would see "an increase of extremism and hatred." The Grand Mufti of Oman described the "obscene rudeness" of Modi's party toward Islam as a form of "war." Riyadh said the comments were insulting and called for "respect for beliefs and religions." And Egypt's Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni world's foremost institution of religious learning, described the remarks as "real terrorism (that) can plunge the entire world into severe crises and deadly wars."

The remarks made by Sharma during a TV program in India and Jindal in a tweet risk damaging India's ties with Arab nations.

India maintains strong relations with Gulf countries, which rely on millions of migrant workers from India and elsewhere in South Asia to serve their tiny local populations and drive the machinery of daily life. India also depends on oil-rich Gulf Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, to power its energy-thirsty economy.

The remarks also led to anger in India's archrival and neighbor, Pakistan, and in Afghanistan.

On Monday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry summoned an Indian diplomat and conveyed Islamabad's "strong condemnation," a day after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the comments were "hurtful" and "India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims." India's Foreign Ministry responded by calling Pakistan "a serial violator of minority rights" and said it should not engage "in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India."

"India accords the highest respect to all religions," ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Criticism also came from Kabul. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said the Indian government should not allow "such fanatics to insult ... Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims."

Modi's party also faced anger from some of its own supporters, but it was for a different reason. Many Hindu nationalists posted comments on social media saying the government was buckling under international pressure.

Anti-Muslim sentiments and attacks have risen across India under Modi. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said India was seeing "rising attacks on people and places of worship," eliciting a response from New Delhi, which called the comments "ill-informed."

More recently, religious tensions have escalated after some Hindu groups went to a local court in northern Varanasi city to seek permission to pray at a 17th century mosque, claiming that it was built by demolishing a temple. Critics say these tensions have been further exacerbated by Indian television anchors during raucous debates.

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Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Munir Ahmad and Rahim Faiez in Islamabad, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.
GENEVA  Investigators commissioned by the U.N.s top human rights body say tensions between Palestinians and Israelis are underpinned by Israel's perpetual occupation of Palestinian areas with no apparent intention of ending it.

The findings came Tuesday in the first report by a Commission of Inquiry, headed by a three-person team of human rights experts. It was set up last year by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council following an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The U.N. human rights office says the war killed at least 261 people  including 67 children  in Gaza, and 14 people, including two children, in Israel.

The commission, headed by former U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay, is the first to have an ongoing mandate from the U.N. rights body. Critics allege that permanent scrutiny testifies to an anti-Israel bias in the 47-member-state council and other U.N. bodies. Proponents say the commission is needed to keep tabs on persistent injustices faced by Palestinians under decades of Israeli rule.

The report largely recaps efforts by U.N. investigators over the years to grapple with the causes of Mideast violence and the authors acknowledged it was in part a review of previous U.N. findings.

What has become a situation of perpetual occupation was cited by Palestinian and Israeli stakeholders to the commission as the one common issue that amounts to the underlying root cause of recurrent tensions, instability and protracted conflict, the authors wrote. They said impunity for perpetrators of violence was feeding resentment among Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem.

Israels government, which opposed the creation of the commission, refused to grant its members access to Israel or Palestinian territories, and testimonies from Palestinians and Israelis were collected from Geneva and Jordan.

Israels Foreign Ministry rejected the report as part and parcel of the witch hunt carried out by the Human Rights Council against Israel.

It called the report biased and one-sided and accused the commission members of ignoring Palestinian violence, incitement and antisemitism. The Commission members, who claim to be objective, were only appointed to their roles because of their public and well-known anti-Israel stances, in direct opposition to the rules set out by the United Nations, it said.

The State Department reiterated its opposition to the open-ended and vaguely defined nature of the commission and said the report does nothing to advance the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

The report's authors cited credible evidence that convincingly indicates that Israel has no intention of ending the occupation and has plans to ensure complete control of Palestinian areas. Israels government, it added, has been acting to alter the demography through the maintenance of a repressive environment for Palestinians and a favorable environment for Israeli settlers.

They also voiced criticism of Palestinian leaders, saying the Palestinian Authority, which administers autonomous areas in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, frequently refers to the occupation as a justification for its own human rights violations. It also points to the occupation as the core reason for failure to hold legislative and presidential elections, the authors said. The PA is widely criticized for corruption and intolerance for dissent.

Despite the criticism, the Palestinian Authority welcomed the report. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the report found beyond any doubt, that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and discrimination against Palestinians are the root causes behind the recurrent tensions, instability and prolongation of conflict in the region.

As for Hamas authorities in Gaza, the commission said they show little commitment toward upholding human rights and little adherence to international law. Since seizing control of Gaza in 2007, Hamas has shown little tolerance for political dissent and been accused of torturing opponents.

Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Gaza Strip from Egypt in the 1967 Mideast war.

It has annexed east Jerusalem and claims the area  home to the citys most important holy sites  as part of its capital. It considers the West Bank to be disputed territory and has built scores of Jewish settlements there. Over 700,000 Israeli settlers now live in the two areas.

The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority seeks the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza for an independent state. The international community overwhelmingly considers all three areas to be occupied by Israel.

Rights groups have accused both Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes during last year's fighting. Israel vehemently denies the allegations, accusing Hamas of endangering civilians by using residential areas for cover during military operations.

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Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
Unspecified millions of dollars remain unaccounted for some 10 months after the Afghan government disintegrated during the frantic withdrawal of U.S. personnel last summer, a government watchdog report issued Tuesday said.

It remains unclear whether any stolen money was provided by the United States, John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, said in the interim report.

Some high-ranking Afghan government officials and staffers stuffed money into their pockets and fought over piles of cash in the final hours before the Taliban took over the country, said the SIGAR report.

With Afghan government records and surveillance videos from those final days now in Taliban hands, SIGAR is unable to determine how much money was ultimately stolen, and by whom, the report said.

The interim report is part of a probe into allegations that former President Ashraf Ghani took millions of dollars with him when he fled his palace via helicopter last August. Those allegations are most likely exaggerated, although some money was taken, the investigation found.

Its now believed that approximately $500,000, much of it belonging to the Afghan government, left the country when Ghani, his family and close allies flew to neighboring Uzbekistan on three helicopters.

Investigators are still waiting for answers from questions sent to Ghani, Sopko said.

Investigators gathered firsthand accounts from senior officials in the Afghan government in Kabul who fled the country with Ghani.

Everyone had $5,000 to $10,000 in their pockets.  No one had millions, one former senior official who flew on the helicopters told investigators.

The Afghan ambassador to Tajikistan Mohammad Zahir Agbar accused Ghani last year of stealing $169 million from the state coffers on his flight out of the country, but he declined to provide evidence at the time and to the authors of the report.

It is unlikely that much money was loaded into the helicopters, which were overburdened with family and staff, the report said. Such a sum in hundred-dollar bills would have weighed 2 tons and formed a block 7.5 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet tall.

Presidential guards left behind after Ghanis escape fought over $5 million in cash discovered at the palace, the report said.

This money was allegedly ferried out of the palace by the guards, but the authors of the report were unable to draw any definitive conclusion about the fate of these millions.

Other former Afghan security officials said the countrys spy agency and the $70 million in its coffers were looted in its final days, but the reports authors said they were unable to verify these accounts.
WASHINGTON  A U.S. service member has been identified as a possible suspect in an April explosion that injured several U.S. troops at a base in eastern Syria.

Patrick Barnes, a spokesman for the Army Criminal Investigation Division, said in a statement that the potential suspect is back in the United States, and the investigation by Army CID and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations is ongoing. Barnes did not release the suspect's name.

The U.S. military initially reported that the injuries were caused by artillery or another form of indirect fire. But it later said the April 7 attack was carried out by the "deliberate placement of explosive charges" by one or more individuals at an ammunition holding area and shower facility on the base, known as Green Village.

The blasts hit two support buildings and four service members were evaluated for minor injuries and possible traumatic brain injuries.

The U.S. has several hundred troops in eastern Syria as part of its effort to counter the Islamic State group.

No charges have been filed.
A Kansas-born woman who led an all-female brigade for the Islamic State in Syria is likely to plead guilty to federal charges Tuesday, according to a court docket.

Allison Fluke-Ekren, 42, was charged with conspiring to provide material support for terrorism in 2019 by federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia and taken into U.S. custody in January. She is being held at the Alexandria Detention Center, and the deadline for prosecutors to file an indictment is next week.

A brief entry in Fluke-Ekrens criminal case on Monday says a plea agreement hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. It is not clear to what charges Fluke-Ekren may plead guilty, and such agreements can collapse before they are finalized in court.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorneys office declined to comment. An attorney for Fluke-Ekren did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The charges against Fluke-Ekren are unusual; women make up only a small fraction of those charged by U.S. prosecutors with supporting the Islamic State, and Fluke-Ekren was alleged to have held an unusually high position.

Witnesses described Fluke-Ekren as an Islamic State member with various responsibilities, who was fluent in several languages and discussed ideas for a mass-casualty attack on U.S. soil, according to court documents filed by prosecutors.

Fluke-Ekren translated her extremist beliefs into action by serving as the appointed leader and organizer of an Islamic State military battalion, directly training women and children in the use of AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and suicide belts to support the Islamic States murderous aims, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh wrote in a detention memo in January.

She is accused of helping female members of the Islamic State prepare for a Kurdish siege of Raqqa, Syria, by training them in martial arts and packing go bags of rifles and other weapons, according to court documents.

Fluke-Ekren moved to Egypt in 2008, then wound up in Syria, where, by prosecutors account, she hosted new Islamic State recruits and helped organize services in Islamic State-controlled Raqqa. Authorities say her second husband traveled with her and became a sniper trainer for the Islamic State; he later died in an airstrike.
WASHINGTON  Ten lawmakers wrote a letter Monday to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough urging the agency to improve its websites to make them more accessible to people with disabilities.

This lack of compliance is a problem for the one-quarter of all veterans with a service-connected disability, as well as the 26% of the general public with a disability, including veterans, VA employees and people who might seek information from the department on behalf of a veteran," the lawmakers wrote in the letter dated June 6. "Furthermore, 46% of our nation's roughly 19 million veterans are 65 years or older; as a group, older veterans experience higher rates of disabilities than the general population.

The letter was signed by Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Jon Tester, D-Mont., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Reps. Mark Takano, D-Calif., Mike Bost, R-Ill., Elaine Luria, D-Va., Troy Nehls, R-Texas, Frank Mrvan, D-Ind., and Matthew Rosendale, R-Mont.

"VA has received the letter regarding 508 accessibility and will connect directly with the members to address their concerns and questions," said Gary Kunich, a public affairs specialist at the VA.

In December 2020, the Department of Veterans Affairs Website Accessibility Act of 2019 was signed into law. The act ordered the VA to conduct a report on the accessibility of the agency's websites, attached files and web-based applications for people with disabilities.

The report was supposed to identify which sites, files and applications were not accessible and were not compliant with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A plan on how the VA would address and improve accessibility was also required.

Section 508 establishes guidelines for technology accessibility and requires that any information and communication technology that the federal government utilizes, obtains, develops or manages must allow its employees or the public with disabilities access to its information and data.

The VA submitted the report in September, said Shoshana Marin, deputy press secretary for Casey.

The VAs report did not provide a timeline on when the study was conducted. However, the report found 41 of the VA's 462 internet sites, and 22 of its 350 intranet sites, were in full accordance with section 508. The report also included a list of internet sites and their levels of conformance. Eleven of the internet sites and more than 70 of the intranet sites had a conformance rate of zero.

While the VA's Veteran Health Administration was the only department to provide detailed timelines for remediation, the Veterans Benefits and National Cemetery administrations' submissions were less than a page long and did not provide any remediation plans, according to the letter.

Donald Overton, executive director of the Blinded Veterans Association, expressed concern and frustration after reviewing the VA's report.

The inaccessibility of certain VA websites and applications has negatively impacted the mental well-being of disabled veterans and forced their reliance on outside help to simply access medical information, Overton said. We advocate for restored independence for our disabled veterans, yet VA is presenting one of the greatest barriers to restoring that independence by continually ignoring accessibility standards. We hope the bipartisan congressional letter delivered to VA Secretary McDonough will serve to finally begin eliminating those barriers

The lawmakers requested the VA resubmit a revised report and include information left out in the original, such as how the VA will remediate the benefits and national cemetery administrations websites and how it will engage with groups from various classes of disabilities and be more inclusive.

The lawmakers also questioned the VA seeking waivers from Section 508 for some of its ongoing projects, including the new electronic health record system. They requested an outline for the VA's process on the need for and approving a waiver.

Given the enormous task facing the VA, the lack of substantive remediation plans and the uneven progress toward compliance spanning multiple presidential administrations, we seek information about the departments plans to improve its Section 508 compliance, the letter reads. We ask that you continue to provide our offices with briefings from the appropriate VA offices beginning in June.
WASHINGTON  Lawmakers and veteran advocates were joined by comedian Jon Stewart at a news conference Tuesday to call on the Senate to pass legislation that would expand eligibility for health care and benefits to all veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins.

The cost of this bill is about $278 billion over 10 years, but this is also about doing right by the people who served this country, said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. We have an all-volunteer military in this country, and if we're going to send a message to the next generation of soldiers that we have out there, this bill has to pass the United States Senate.

In May, Tester and Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, the ranking Republican on the committee, introduced the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022, also known as the PACT Act. The senators have called the legislation historic and they said the bill will provide long overdue health care services and benefits for all veterans exposed to toxins.

The PACT Act seeks to provide an easy path to health care and benefits for veterans who served near open-air burn pits, which were used throughout the 1990s and the post-9/11 wars to burn garbage, jet fuel and other materials. Veterans diagnosed with cancer, respiratory issues and lung disease at young ages have blamed exposure to the toxic fumes from these pits, but the Department of Veterans Affairs contended for years that there wasnt sufficient evidence to support their claims.

Moran said he expects the PACT Act to receive support in the Senate, but he added he did not know the exact number of votes for the bill to pass.

I would remind us that this bill passed the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs unanimously with an agreement that Sen. Tester and I worked out the differences, Moran said. So every Republican member, every Democratic member of the committee, has already voted yes for this, at least the broad outlines of a bill that we've now resolved, so I expect it to be broadly supported.

The bill also would improve the VAs workforce and claims processing to speed up efforts to meet the needs of veterans and establish 31 new VA health care facilities in 19 states. Additionally, the bill would expand health care eligibility to post-9/11 combat veterans and add 23 conditions related to burn pits and other toxic exposures to the VAs list of service presumptions. It will also expand the list of presumptions related to Agent Orange exposure to include Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa and Johnston Atoll, strengthen federal research on toxic exposure, and improve the VAs resources and training.

Kristina Keenan, associate legislative director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said veterans service organizations such as the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Wounded Warrior Project, American Legion, Military Officers Association of America, Student Veterans of America, and Burn Pits 360 visited every Senate office on Monday to push for the PACT Act. Still, Kennan said some senators asked what the PACT Act will cost.

I asked, 'What is the cost of taking care of sick veterans, veterans who risked their lives defending our country? Keenan said. While it's true that the cost estimate for the amended bill is lower than the House-passed bill, truly, how can anyone ask about the cost of a veteran's life? This is a cost of war.

In March, senators began negotiating a sweeping measure aimed at expanding eligibility for health care and benefits to millions of veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins. The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs discussed the PACT Act, which passed through the House in early March but was at odds with a Senate strategy to address the problem of toxic exposure health care.

House lawmakers proposed a major reform bill, but senators opted for a more incremental approach to the issue. In February, the Senate passed the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act, which would expand health care to veterans but doesnt address other benefits. The sponsors of the bill insisted the measure is just a first step in a three-phase approach that would add more benefits incrementally.

The House PACT Act would increase spending by about $318 billion during the next decade, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.

The bill is named for Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson, who was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder and lung cancer after serving with the Army National Guard in Kosovo and Iraq, where he experienced prolonged exposure to burn pits. He died in 2020.

Robinsons mother-in-law, Susan Zeier, spoke Tuesday about caring for the late veteran. Zeier said caring for Robinson became an around-the-clock effort, and she moved in with her daughter Danielle, Robinsons wife, to help.

I'm here today fulfilling a promise I made to my granddaughter's daddy, Zeier said. He begged me to continue telling his story in order to have Congress pass into law presumptive benefits, which would stop the delays and denials for thousands of burn pit veterans, many of whom you see standing here today.

Stewart said he was honored to see the various veteran service organization unite and push for the bill.

They joined together in the manner in which they actually served this country, he said. They took the lessons of their service, and they unified towards one common goal and they became unstoppable.
DENVER, Iowa (Tribune News Service)  When Bill Rector, 91, recently screened the documentary "Shrapnel Down: My Korean War Story," he was immediately transported back to his days as a young gunner's mate aboard the USS Los Angeles. During the blockade of North Korea's Wonsan Harbor, Rector watched and filmed the dramatic rescue of two downed American pilots.

"It brought back a lot of memories, especially the guys who got shot down, who were saved out there, kissed the deck. It was just like I was there again. That's a good memory to have. It still makes me weep," said Rector.

His never-before-seen footage has been made into a 27-minute documentary by Mark St. George of WSIU public television and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. The film is being distributed by American Public Television.

The Grout Museum District will screen the documentary in the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum theater from 4 to 6 p.m. June 14 on loop. Rector will attend. The screening is free, but free-will donations will be accepted to help support the museum district.

In addition, the documentary will be shown as part of Wednesday's free veterans' coffee from 10 a.m. to noon. The coffee is open to U.S. military veterans. Rector also will be present.

"They did a nice job on it," Rector said of the documentary. "They picked out the good stuff. It's nice. In fact, I've got this big picture they gave me  a poster of the movie that's like 3 feet high and 2 1/2 feet wide, and my neighbor mounted it for me in a picture frame. That's sitting in my living room."

Waterloo native and Vietnam veteran Jim Hamlyn, a neighbor of Rector, made the connection between the Korean War veteran, St. George and the Grout Museum. St. George had made some of Hamlyn's Vietnam footage into a documentary, "A Bad Deal: My Vietnam Story" in 2019.

"It's been about two years since we started all of this. I shared a lot of my memorabilia with them," Rector recalled. St. George interviewed and filmed Rector at the Grout Museum and at his rural century farm near Denver.

Rector served in the U.S. Navy from April 1952 to December 1955. During those years aboard the USS Los Angeles, the ship had three deployments to North Korea. On one of those deployments, he had a bird's eye view from his 3-inch 50 caliber gun turret as an American plane was shot down by enemy fire. The pilots parachuted out and landed on the Wonsan Harbor beach as the plane crashed into the sea.

Gun batteries aboard the Los Angeles laid down withering cover fire for the Americans as they sprinted down the beach, pursued by the enemy. The ship launched a helicopter off its fantail to rescue both airmen.

And Rector captured it all on 8 mm film.

He's looking forward to watching the documentary surrounded by other veterans. "I don't know exactly what I will think. When you're 91 years old, it's not like a young person's thoughts," he said.

Born on Nov. 21, 1930, Rector grew up on a farm near Denver and graduated from Denver High School. When he shipped out of the Navy in 1955, he returned home to begin farming and married his wife, Deena, in 1956. They raised four children.

He still actively farms and raises award-winning llamas, which he has been breeding for half a century. "I have my llamas, my swans and my ponds. I'm still getting around  better than I did 10 years ago. I've had two knees replaced and some other minor things fixed up on me, but I'm good to go."

(c)2022 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa)

Visit Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) at www.wcfcourier.com

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Monica Helms dabbled with dressing as a woman in the secrecy of her own room while serving as a crew member on the USS Francis Scott Key submarine in Charleston in the 1970s  and she was almost caught by her superiors.

Two decades later, Helms created the renowned Transgender Pride Flag in 1999.

The road to boldly expressing her creativity and love for the transgender community was arduous. Born in Sumter in 1951, Helms prayed to God when she was 5 years old to make her a girl.

As I got older, I started trying on my mothers clothes when I was 12-13, Helms said. Because I felt like I wanted to dress as a woman because it was a part of me that was missing.

While serving in the U.S. Navy and stationed in San Francisco in 1976, she went out in public for the first time dressed as a woman.

I was very quiet about it, of course, obviously. It felt natural, Helms said.

The United States military counted homosexual acts as grounds for discharge in the 1970s. After World War I, sodomy was a crime under a court-martial. Helms left the U.S. Navy in 1978.

In 1992, she began taking hormones and officially came out as a woman in 1997. Worried that her transition would upset her father, Helms mother told her she wasnt allowed back in her parents house in Phoenix, Ariz. At the time, Helms dad had Alzheimers and diabetes.

That was very painful, Helms said. That made me want to get a job out of Phoenix and go somewhere else. Thats why I came to Atlanta.

Throughout the 90s, Helms was encouraged by Mike Page, the creator of the bisexual Pride Flag, to create a transgender pride flag. She first flew it in 2000 in a Pride Parade in Phoenix.

The stripes at the top and bottom are light blue, the traditional color for baby boys. The stripes next to them are pink, the traditional color for baby girls. The stripe in the middle is white, for those who are transitioning or consider themselves having a neutral or undefined gender, Helms explained.

Although legal progress has been made in recent years to benefit the LGBTQ+ community, such as the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015, Helms said she believes the United States has a long way to go toward equality. Georgia and South Carolinas transgender community suffers discrimination under state laws, including South Carolinas recently passed ban on transgender athletes in high school sports.

Were going to have to get visited by aliens in order for trans people to not be discriminated against. Theyre trying every so often to pass laws to restrict transgender kids from getting medical help, Helms said. Its very upsetting.

She encourages anyone with a desire to transition to make sure they have a supportive community around them. Helms didnt have that while she transitioned as an adult.

I had friends, and I lost some of them. But now, I have more friends that I can count on  people I know real well  than Ive ever had in my entire life, Helms gushed.

Now, her relationship with her family is perfect. Helms said that no one in her family has a problem with her transition.

My father passed away in 2004. When that happened, my mother wanted me to come back, Helms said.

Helms founded the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) in 2003 and is proud of the organizations work to encourage the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to publish a directive for trans rights.

We received emails from trans veterans telling us that (the directive) worked. That places that they were not able to get help before are helping them, Helms said. I feel that we may have even saved lives, in that respect.

In her free time, Helms builds and launches bottle rockets. She also loves to produce videos and go camping with her wife, Darlene Darlington Wagner.

June, recognized as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, is one of Helms favorite times of the year, and she loves that the month encourages the queer community to be themselves in the face of adversity.

Were very proud to be who we are, Helms said.

Since the early 2000s, Helms has always been shocked to see her flag in various places globally.

Im always in wonder of where I see it. Im always excited to see it in different places. And, you know, (to see it) in conservative states, its just, its amazing, Helms said.

But theres one other place Helms wants to see the transgender pride flag fly.

I need to see it in the International Space Station, Helms declared.

2022 The State.

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Te Pukenga is welcoming its first 24,000 akonga (learners) and an additional 1700 kaimahi (staff), with Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology and Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) moving into the national provider.

Whakanuia celebration events were held at all eight Toi Ohomai and Wintec campuses around the Waikato and Bay of Plenty to acknowledge the milestone last week.

Te Pukenga Chief Executive Stephen Town says the events focused on acknowledging the strengths of the two Institutes of Technology, their people, learners and communities as they move into Te Pukenga.

"For the first time, Te Pukenga has akonga (learners). Were committed to providing these akonga, and those who follow in their footsteps, with a learning experience that sets them up to thrive and enables them to succeed - whatever success looks like for them. Well do that by building on the history and collective mahi that Wintec and Toi Ohomai bring to this move.

Welcoming Toi Ohomai and Wintec into the Te Pukenga whanau also brings with it benefits of unification and scale. Ahead of this move, weve seen Wintec and Toi Ohomai working together and with Te Pukenga, starting to demonstrate the benefits of working together as a network."

Through network wide sharing and collaboration, our information and insights will enable us to be innovative in all that we do - accelerating opportunity for akonga and enhancing learner outcomes.

This change also paves the way for the rest of the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnic network to transition later this year.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank outgoing Chief Executives Dave Christiansen (Wintec) and Dr Leon Fourie (Toi Ohomai) as well as their respective boards. They have led their teams through this change with courage and empathy and have been champions for the work of Te Pukenga.

"An interim reference group has been established to support Toi Ohomai and Wintec through until the Operating Model implementation. The reference group includes Te Pukenga Council members Tania Hodges and Kathy Grant as well as two additional members to enhance our Te Tiriti relationship."

Toi Ohomai Chief Executive Dr Leon Fourie will take on the role as Wintec and Toi Ohomai Transitional Executive Lead and Wintec Chief Executive Dave Christiansen will take on the role of Te Pukenga ITP Transition Lead.

Both roles will report to Te Pukenga. There are no other changes to roles as part of this transition.

Outgoing Toi Ohomai Chief Executive and Te Pukenga Toi Ohomai / Wintec Transitional Lead Dr Leon Fourie says there will continue to be a strong focus on providing high quality learning opportunities across the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions.

"Kaimahi at Wintec and Toi Ohomai have really embraced this change and are already working more closely as a network.

"They can see the opportunity to learn from each other, to take what works well in one part of the country and apply it in another. Its been a catalyst for changing behaviour in a really positive way."
Joanne Ingham  one of the infamous Ingham twins  has died in unexplained circumstances in a Wellington motel.

Police were called to the Harbour City Motor Inn on Webb St in Te Aro at about 2.40am on Tuesday after a body was found. A scene examination is being carried out by police.

The twins, Joanne and Sarah, made international headlines in 1997 when they stowed away on a Malaysian ship leaving from Tauranga. They were 18 at the time, and originally from Kaiapoi, near Christchurch.

Sarah had fallen in love with sailor Ja'afar bin Mohamed Zan, then 27, and the trio jumped from the ship after the twins were discovered by the captain. They swam 19 kilometres through shark and crocodile-infested waters off Queensland to reach shore and survived for 19 days eating only shellfish.

Sarah and Ja'afar married, and Joanne married his best friend, Hanafi Salleh, in a double Muslim wedding in 1999. Both couples had children.

The twins returned to New Zealand with their children in 2003, while their husbands were believed to have stayed in Malaysia.

The Ingham twins, Sarah in blue and Joanne in red, in Malaysia. Photo: Stuff.

The twins were no strangers to courtrooms after their return. In 2006, Joanne Ingham was convicted of assault for punching a doorman in the stomach and in 2011 she was fined $150 after admitting to walking into a Wellington supermarket and grabbing six packets of tobacco.

Sarah Ingham was charged with disorderly behaviour, resisting police and driving drunk. A warrant was issued for her arrest in 2016 after she failed to appear in court.

The Ingham twins hit headlines as teens in 1997 after stowing away on a container ship.

They jumped overboard and swam through shark-infested waters to reach the shore.

Joanne Ingham was married in a double Muslim wedding, alongside her sister, in 1999.

The twins have been plagued by legal troubles in the years since.

-Stuff.co.nz
A major storm system is developing south of NZ this week and will take until the middle of next week to finally clear away, says WeatherWatch.co.nz.

The low pressure zone this weekend is forecast to deepen into the 940hPa range and the size of the low is expected to be larger than Australia.

"While storms like this in June are normal in the Southern Ocean, the placement of the low's centre being closer to the South Island than Antarctica is not so normal and therefore increases the risks of severe weather in the NZ area (and Australia too)," says a spokesperson for the weather organisation.

SNOW:

Heavy snow is forecast in the mountains of both Australia and New Zealand, but it's the Southern Alps that could receive over 1 metre of snow in the coming week.

Snow will also get down to low levels with the potential for sea level snow flurries in Southland and Fiordland, says WeatherWatch.co.nz

"This means low level snow is likely across Southland and Otago. Canterbury may be more protected by the Southern Alps with airflows looking more westerly than southerly - this is both drier and milder and explains why this Saturday Invercargill has a high of +6C while Christchurch is on +12C.

"Heavy snow is expected down to 300 or 400m, maybe lower. Lighter flurries may get right down to sea level, or 100m, but these lower level flurries look to be more isolated and focused in Southland and Fiordland at this early stage.

"Snow at low levels isn't expected to be heavy or settle long based on data today - but higher up it will be heavy with WeatherWatch.co.nz / IBM forecasting well over 1 metre of snow for the peaks of the Southern Alps over a three day period from Thursday night to Sunday night."

COLDEST AIR

The coldest pulse of air looks to be around Saturday in Southland but a second burst on Monday/Tuesday next week may be more southerly driven and will likely be more nationwide.

"Early next week is when daytime highs drop for many places further north.

"This low pressure system south of NZ is incredibly complex and the large centre to it - interacting with other low pressure zones makes for a much busier looking weather map - this then makes it harder to see when the coldest air will be coming through."

Check your local WeatherWatch.co.nz forecast for more as the IBM supercomputer will be most accurate and locking in your coldest day(s).

HIGHWAY CLOSURES DUE TO SNOW

Snow may prove to be an issue across all Alpine Highways on the South Island over the coming week, especially this weekend and early next week when snow levels lower.

"The North Island isn't immune either, with snow possible on SH1 The Desert Road next week - although it's unclear yet if snow totals in the North Island will be enough to cause road closures around Central Plateau."

HEAVY RAIN:

This major low pressure zone south of NZ will feed a lot of W to NW winds into our country this week - which is why it won't be cold or wet for everyone, says the weather organisation.

"This airflow will encourage heavy rain on the West Coast with over 300mm forecast in the week ahead, falling as heavy snow higher up.

"This heavy western rain will also clip the lower North Island with at least 200mm coming for Mt Taranaki and possibly the ranges of the lower North Island (Tararua Ranges).

"Possibly the most dramatic difference in rainfall is from the Tararua Ranges (200mm+) and coastal Hawke's Bay (1 to 5mm) - such a short distance as the crow flies but very big rainfall differences.

"Eastern areas look mostly protected from the worst rain and snow - but may have worse winds."

SEVERE GALES:

Worst winds look to be through central NZ (upper South Island, lower North Island) but will surge up and down the entire country over the next 7 days ahead with gales, says WeatherWatch.co.nz

"Use the wind maps and our hourly forecasts to better get your head around the worst winds, but they surge off and on over the coming week, frequently from the Westerly quarter (which is windier in the east, but not as cold as a southerly)."

A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY

"We're certain of a storm forming south of NZ - but the huge size of it, compared to the size of our country (and mountains and ranges) means there is a lot of detail to still work out.

"WeatherWatch.co.nz will have daily updates from today on this developing low."

FAQs

Will it snow where I live?

"Simply look at your local WeatherWatch forecast, if snow is highly likely or heavy then a Snow icon will appear. Some snow flurries will be light and won't accumulate at lower levels - just like isolated rain showers can be hit and miss and brief."

Will it snow in Christchurch or Wellington?

"No, not at this stage - but check back for updates. It's all down to that bitterly cold southerly portion of wind. Sou'West airflows are dry for Canterbury and Wellington for the most part. Southerlies turn wetter and colder for both of these centres."

Will snow fall to sea level?

"Highly likely in Fiordland and moderately likely in Southland. Lower risks in coastal Otago and no risks (at this stage) anywhere else for sea level snow."

Will this be a repeat of the 2011 snow storm?

"Not at this stage, no. The set up is slightly different, in the fact that the most polar portion of the southerlies may actually be west of NZ over the Tasman Sea and not so directly across NZ...but this could still change, especially this weekend or early next week. But based on today's data, no."

Will everyone have a storm?

"No, but there are many moving parts - some regions in the east may be drier but windier, those in the south likely colder with snow risks, while those in the north have downpours and gales - but maybe not as cold.

"As we pointed out, some places like Napier may be mostly sunny with daytime highs in the late teens - hardly a wintry blast, but the windy westerlies may reach severe gale at times."

When can forecasters be more specific?

"Both WeatherWatch.co.nz and MetService will become more detailed and specific about severe weather risks (and general weather) in the days ahead.

"Not all of NZ has severe weather in the week ahead, but the risks for severe weather are widespread over the South Island and lower North Island. Northern NZ looks least impacted, but may still have some heavy rain and westerly gales."

Mild northerlies over many regions, windy in the South Island with rain on the West Coast moving into the western/northern North Island.

Low pressure is growing south of NZ but still much of the North Island has a mild but windy westerly. Westerlies will also likely dominate in the South Island but will be colder.

The centre of the Southern Ocean storm gets deeper and drifts very close to southern NZ. However, still many regions have milder W to NW winds blowing. This encourages more heavy western rain and more dry/sunny weather in the east of both islands, mainly north of Otago.

Now we get more of the polar southerly kicking in across NZ - although northern NZ still has W to NW winds. The further the centre of the storm tracks eastwards, the more likely a colder pulse of southerly air will move in.
Tauranga residents are invited to check-out Tauranga City Councils draft 30-year plan to support population growth in the suburbs of Otumoetai, Matua, Brookfield, Bellevue and Judea.

Take me to the future: Otumoetai 2050 collected community feedback from March to April this year to develop a plan that would support growth in the area.

The plan is to ensure the area has enough houses, suitable ways for people to get around and spaces to support community wellbeing.

Tauranga is projected to grow by around 78,500 residents by 2063, which will require about 34,400 new homes to be built.

Go to the website, click on the icons and 'join the discussion' to tell us what you think about the key projects. Image: Tauranga City Council.

Commission Chair Anne Tolley thanked participants for their feedback on what they want to see in the future on the Otumoetai peninsula.

Growth will occur across the city, but particularly across the Otumoetai Peninsula, because its central location and proximity to the water, green spaces, and commercial/retail centres make it a great place to live, says Tolley.

Right now, we are keen to get peoples feedback on where growth should occur on the Otumoetai Peninsula and how we support that growth.

Central government policy requires council to enable more housing to be built within the citys existing footprint through greater housing density - the number of homes per hectare - and increased building heights. Future changes to Taurangas City Plan would enable this.

Residents can share their feedback up until 3 July 3 2022. Photo: Tauranga City Council.

Council has identified a number of key themes and projects for the area, which have been laid out onto interactive online maps.

Specifically, we want to create liveable neighbourhoods that allow people to live close to places that meet their daily needs, says Tolley.

And were looking to provide more housing choice by allowing for townhouses and apartments in Brookfield, Cherrywood, Bureta and along Otumoetai Road.

We also need to create connected neighbourhoods that provide options for how we move around, while reducing our reliance on private vehicles.

Feedback will be used to refine the draft plan for the future. Photo: Tauranga City Council.

Another key goal is to create neighbourhoods that support a healthy environment and healthy communities by enabling people to be active in their neighbourhood, use the spaces around them and connect with others.

Residents can give their feedback on the draft 30-year plan until July 3 using the interactive maps. To take part, click on the map icons to read about the key future projects, and like/dislike them.

People can also join the discussion by adding comments and suggestions, or fill in the short survey alongside the maps. Residents and community groups are also welcome to email or post their feedback to the project team.

Feedback will be used to refine the draft plan, that is also known as a spatial plan. The final plan will be shared later this year.

Find out more at the community drop-in sessions:

Monday, June 20, 4pm-7pm, Matua Bowling Club, 108 Levers Road, Matua

Tuesday, June 21, 4pm-7pm, St Stephens Methodist Church, 9 Brookfield Terrace, Brookfield

For more information visit: www.tauranga.govt.nz/otumoetai2050
Swedish businesses are continuing to face major problems with their imports. In the Confederation of Swedish Enterprises latest survey, more than eight out of ten companies say they are encountering problems when importing, and it is mainly delays in deliveries and rising prices that they are experiencing. For more than half of the companies involved, the solution to their problems has been to increase stockpiling.

In the latest business panel by the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, conducted between 26 April - 13 May, the questionnaire asked for information on companies supply chains. The responses received make it clear that companies are encountering issues, with more than eight out of ten importing companies answering a clear yes to the question of whether they are experiencing difficulties when importing from abroad.

Just under seven out of ten businesses are facing delays in deliveries (66%), over six out of ten are experiencing increased prices (63%) and just over half are encountering shortages of goods and services (53%). Compared to the last survey, conducted in March, these figures are slightly lower; however, compared to November 2021, there has been a significant increase in all areas. Clearly, these troubling times are continuing to affect Swedish companies trade with the rest of the world.

Most of the companies surveyed have taken measures, or are planning to do so, to overcome these problems - 67% of the importing companies have confirmed this is the case.

Clearly, the most common measure is for companies to increase the size of their inventories. Over half of the companies asked say they are taking such a step or plan to do so in future. In addition, around a third of companies are increasing the number of suppliers they buy from to spread the risk. This shows that there is a clear trend towards increased stockpiling and diversification. There are however still relatively few companies who are indicating that they are moving, or are planning to move, production back to Sweden and the surrounding area (reshoring/nearshoring). The proportion of companies citing this as a preferred solution is remaining stable throughout the surveys at around 10-12%.

The industry experiencing the greatest problems

The survey also provides insights based on company size, sector and their region of operation, and it is clear that industry is experiencing the greatest problems. In addition, the percentage of respondents who say they have problems is larger for bigger companies.

Among industrial firms, three out of four (75%) say they are facing problems with delays, while 72% say they are encountering issues with rising prices. Industrial firms are also more likely to say that they are increasing their stockpiling than retailers for example - 69% versus 44%. The proportion of industrial companies saying they are moving production home, or are planning to do so, is also above average.

Finally, the results show that supply chain problems are nationwide. There are no differences between the northern, southern, western and central regions; all four reflect the national average.
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CCTV: As we understand, senior officials meetings on East Asia cooperation will be held in coming days. What expectations does China have for these meetings?

Zhao Lijian: The China-ASEAN Senior Officials Consultation, ASEAN Plus Three (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) Senior Officials Meeting (APT SOM), East Asia Summit Senior Officials Meeting (EAS SOM) and ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials Meeting (ARF SOM) will be held via videoconference on June 8 and 9. During the meetings, participants will hold discussions on the implementation of the outcomes of leaders meetings last year and future development of relevant mechanisms, and exchange views on international and regional issues of mutual interest. Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao will attend the above-mentioned meetings.

Since the end of 2021, China and ASEAN countries have been actively implementing the outcomes of the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations. Our friendly and cooperative relations have kept deepening. With the smooth entry-into-force and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, trade among member states has witnessed rapid growth and regional economic integration has made continuous progress. In the meantime, in a world that is still overshadowed by COVID-19 and undergoing profound changes in the international and regional situation, East Asia cooperation is facing complex and severe challenges.

China hopes the upcoming meetings will help to further pool the consensus among regional countries on solidarity, cooperation and joint response to challenges, stick to the right direction of East Asia cooperation, focus on post-COVID recovery and sustainable development, and deepen practical cooperation across the board. The meetings are also expected to accumulate outcomes for the series of foreign ministers meetings and leaders meetings on East Asia cooperation and make greater contribution to regional peace, development and prosperity.

The Paper: According to reports, the IAEA Board of Governors convened a meeting on June 6 and decided for the third time to discuss issues related to AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation as a formal agenda item. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: For the third time, the IAEA Board of Governors Meeting decided by consensus to set up a formal agenda item to discuss transfer of nuclear materials in the context of AUKUS and its safeguards in all aspects under the NPT as called for by China. This is a clear indication that the transfer of weapons-grade nuclear materials involved in AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation has drawn close attention and grave concern from the international community.

As China has stressed repeatedly, AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation constitutes severe nuclear proliferation risks, delivers a blow to the international non-proliferation system, exacerbates arms race, and undermines regional peace and stability. The issue of safeguards in the context of AUKUS cooperation has an important bearing on the international non-proliferation system and concerns the interests of all member states. As such, a decision on this matter should be made through discussion by all member states. The US, the UK and Australia should earnestly fulfill their nuclear non-proliferation obligations, support rather than thwart this inter-governmental discussion process, and refrain from conducting nuclear submarine cooperation before parties reach a consensus.

China calls on all member states to support and actively participate in IAEA discussions of AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation to jointly defend the international non-proliferation system with the NPT as the cornerstone and safeguard world peace and security.

Bloomberg: The Washington Post has reported that China is secretly building the Ream naval base in Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand for the exclusive use of its military. How does the foreign ministry respond to this?

Zhao Lijian: We have noted that the Cambodian side already responded to this. It said that Cambodias constitution does not permit foreign military bases on Cambodian soil and that the renovation of the base serves solely to strengthen the Cambodian naval capacities to protect its maritime integrity and combat maritime crimes. The US has ignored and maliciously speculated and smeared Cambodias position. The US has even threatened and pressured Cambodia. This is typical bullying practice.

China and Cambodia are comprehensive strategic cooperative partners enjoying open, transparent, logical and legitimate cooperation in various sectors. Such cooperation has not only delivered benefits to both countries and peoples, but also set a good example of building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind. In contrast, the US runs more than 800 military bases overseas; its military expenditure is equivalent to the total amount of the nine countries behind it; it was not at war for only 16 years throughout its nearly 250 years of history; it wantonly interferes in other countries internal affairs and sends military aircraft and warships to flex muscles at other countries doorstep. Who on earth is undermining global and regional security and stability and spreading disinformation? Anyone can tell.

Phoenix TV: A follow-up to my question yesterday. You made some comments yesterday on reports of former US diplomats posted in China who frankly revealed the US governments plot to play the Xinjiang card. However, the US has not yet given any explanation in response. Do you have any further comment? Second, Spokesperson for the US State Department Ned Price said on June 6 that Our policy is to seek dialogue, to seek engagement with the DPRK. Any country that puts the responsibility on us for the lack of dialogue, the lack of engagement, is either ill-informed or is propagating falsehoods. What is your comment?

Zhao Lijian: I think you should ask the US why it has not yet given any explanation.

I also noted some reports saying that a guest to the close-door cocktail reception held by the US Consulate General in Guangzhou for the business community posted the following on social media platform: People in the chamber of commerce all believe this is insane in private. How could making up stories about Xinjiang do us any good! I travelled to that place (Xinjiang) and it was beautiful every time. There is nothing like genocide, forced labor thing over there, what we do is just To lie though ones teeth. Things used to be not bad when Chinese were nice to us and business went well until Trump changed it. I thought President Biden would make a difference and fix the mistakes soon but nothing obvious changed. When I heard what the consulates said I finally got it. Now we are paying for their dirty and ugly decisions. I am so angry and I have tell the public.

As a Chinese saying goes, No wall is completely windtight (meaning no secret can be kept forever). Those words actually reflect the shared voice of the business community who are coerced by the political plot of the US government. What an embarrassing revelation for the US! You probably did not believe us when we said before that genocide in Xinjiang is a lie of the century made up by the US. Now you can see how this lie came about. We once again ask the US to give an explanation, stop its despicable moves of smearing Xinjiang with political manipulation.

On your second question, the US politician is known for blame-shifting. The crux of the current deadlock on the Korean Peninsula issue lies in the absence of US response to the DPRKs denuclearization efforts in 2018 following the action for action principle, and the failure to accommodate the legitimate concerns of the DPRK. The US side should demonstrate sincerity and take real steps instead of shouting empty slogans.

Yonhap News Agency: The IAEA Director General said yesterday that there are signs that the DPRK is possibly in preparation for a nuclear test. Does China have any plans to stop the DPRK from conducting nuclear tests?

Zhao Lijian: It is in the common interest of relevant parties and the international community as a whole to maintain peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and realize denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. China hopes that the relevant parties will work together and stay committed to the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue.

MASTV: The Australian Department of Defence said on May 26 that an Air Force aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese military aircraft in the airspace over the South China Sea. Do you have any more comment on this?

Zhao Lijian: You may have noted that the Ministry of National Defense has responded to this. On May 26, an Australian Air Force P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft entered the airspace close to Chinas Xisha Islands for close-in reconnaissance, and continuously approached the territorial airspace of Xisha Islands in disregard of Chinas repeated warnings. The Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command organized naval and air forces to identify and verify the Australian aircraft and warned it to leave. The Australian military aircraft seriously threatened Chinas sovereignty and security, and the response measures taken by the Chinese military were professional, safe, reasonable and legal. The Australian side sought to confound black and white and repeatedly spread the false narrative which is aimed at inciting antagonism and confrontation. China is firmly against this. We urge the Australian side to immediately stop such dangerous and provocative acts and seriously dissuade its air and naval forces from such acts. Otherwise, any serious consequence arising therefrom shall be borne by the Australian side.

I also want to stress that a sound and steady China-Australia relationship serves the fundamental interests and meets the common desire of the two peoples. Chinas position on its relations with Australia is consistent and clear. The Australian side needs to manage the bilateral relations in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit, and bring China-Australia relations back onto the right track of sound and steady progress.

Global Times: According to reports, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicated a few days ago that he would intervene with the US in order to have the charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange dropped. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: I have also taken note of relevant reports. From PRISM, Irritant Horn and Stellar Wind, to Operation Telescreen, Hive platforms and the Quantum attack system, the US has abused its advantage in internet and telecommunication technologies and, through digital surveillance, infringes on US citizens freedom of telecommunication and freedom of speech, and engaged in massive cyber attacks, surveillance and theft of secrets around the world. According to an annual report released by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI conducted up to 3.4 million warrantless searches of Americans electronic data last year. Danish media disclosed last year that the US National Security Agency spied on calls and chat messages to and from the phones of leaders of Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and other European countries. Documents leaked by Edward Snowden on the US surveillance program Stateroom show that the US has been operating a highly secretive signals intelligence collection program through almost a hundred US embassies and consulates worldwide.

The US has undoubtedly become a true empire of hacking, surveillance and theft of secrets. While abusing its technological hegemony to conduct surveillance and theft of secrets and flagrantly trample on ordinary peoples privacy, the US has used national security as a catch-all pretext to wantonly suppress foreign hi-tech companies. Such double-standard behavior is a hallmark of US hegemony. If the US government has a clear conscience, it should willingly put itself under domestic and international oversight.

AFP: I have two questions. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decried Chinas recent irresponsible and provocative actions against Canadian air force in international airspace. What is Chinas comment? And the US recently announced to suspend tariffs on solar panel imports from some Asian countries. But the measure will not be applied to Chinese solar panels. What is your comment?

Zhao Lijian: On your first question, I fully elaborated on Chinas position yesterday. UN Security Council resolutions have never mandated any country to deploy forces and conduct surveillance operations in jurisdictional air and sea areas of other countries for the purpose of identifying sanctions evasion activities. The Canadian military aircrafts close-in reconnaissance on China is flat-out irresponsible and provocative.

China firmly rejects all moves that endanger Chinas sovereignty and national security under all pretexts. Canada should respect objective facts, stop spreading disinformation and take real actions for the recovery and normal development of China-Canada relations.

On your second question, I have noted relevant reports too, and would like to refer you to competent authorities. I would like to emphasize that China urges the US to stop hobbling Chinese enterprises, quit the erroneous practice of disrupting the supply chain and industrial chain, and create favorable conditions for US-China cooperation on clean energy and climate change.

Beijing Youth Daily: June 3 is the National Gun Violence Awareness Day of the US. People across the country held activities to mourn for gun violence victims and call on the US government to take real actions to bring about change and prevent gun violence incidents from happening. What is Chinas comment?

Zhao Lijian: According to the website of the Gun Violence Archive, this year the US has seen at least 246 mass shootings, or about 1.5 shooting per day on average, in each of which four or more people were killed or injured. The tally, fresh from this morning, does not even include incidents with fewer casualties. Behind these shocking numbers are countless lost lives and broken families. Gun violence has taken more than 18,000 lives over the first five months and more this year. Within 72 hours from May 28 to 30, over 300 gun-related incidents took place nationwide, claiming more than 130 lives.

The majority of Americans call on the government to act and stop such tragedies from recurring. Latest polls reveal that most Americans view gun violence as a serious social issue. A Pew Research Center survey in April indicated that 76% of Americans viewed gun violence as a very big problem or moderately big problem. According to the research findings of the University of Michigan, guns were the top killer of US children and teenagers in 2020, and up to 75% of American youths reported mass shootings as a significant source of stress. A report by The Hill showed that two in three American parents are concerned about mass shootings at schools.

The US government needs to face up to its serious human rights conditions and governance deficit, take effective actions to put guns under control and end violence, and protect the right to life of the American people. The last thing the US should do is pass judgement on other countries and interfere in others domestic affairs in the name of human rights.

Bloomberg: Yesterday you were asked about a social media post by state media that said that two US officials have downplayed allegations of Chinas human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Those were the officials that you mentioned earlier today at the consulate in Guangzhou. Yesterday you said this is not the first time US officials spoke their true mind. Today, a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Beijing said that China should stop attributing false statements to US officials or taking other actions that might subject our diplomats to harassment. I think the specific complaint was that the social media post named the two US government officials. So did China fabricate the statements by the two US officials and whats the foreign ministrys comment on this?

Zhao Lijian: Thank you for giving us the USs explanation. As expected, they responded with a full denial. What I just quoted is not propaganda, nor is it made up by the Chinese government, but actual remarks posted on social media platform. All of us may take a close look at what has been said and decide which is true and which is false and find out which country is the empire of lies.

Bloomberg: Sri Lanka is having trouble repaying its debts and says it needs billions to ensure its daily needs are met and that the Rupee is strong enough. Will China be willing to be treated on par with other Sri Lankan creditors given its inability to repay debts?

Zhao Lijian: We have answered relevant questions related to Sri Lanka on many occasions. We feel deeply for the difficulties and challenges Sri Lanka faces and are ready to play a constructive role in the steady economic and social development of Sri Lanka. As for Sri Lankas China-related debts, China supports relevant financial institutions in discussing with Sri Lanka and properly resolving them. We also stand ready to work with relevant countries and financial institutions to continue to play a constructive role in easing Sri Lankas debt burden and realizing sustainable development. At the same time, we hope and believe that Sri Lanka will work together with the parties concerned and boost its own effort to get through the difficulties, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investment and financing partners and maintain the stability and credibility of its own investment and financing environment.
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Stationaire Engine Show Nuenen, The Netherlands



Even so, endless number of fairs, markets, all sort of events. I could visit 3-4 classic car events every day for three days and I still would not have seen them all!



As it so happens there was one event to which I had been looking forward for some time; The International Stationaire Engine Show.



https://nuenen.jtd.nl/en/over-ons/



This is what their websites says:



Quote: The international stationary engine rally in Nuenen



Well known and loved by engine collectors all over the world for its great and



Varied presentation of unique historical internal combustion engines.



Each year, some 300 engine collectors with about 500 engines meet in a relaxed and casual atmosphere to exchange experiences, tips and discoveries.



Also to be found at the showground are traders with parts, engines, tools and documentation, as well as a display of superbly built model engines.



It will be an unforgettable Nuenen, so make sure you are there (again)!



We would love to see you in Nuenen, either as a visitor or as an exhibitor!



(



This event is held in Nuenen, close to Eindhoven. About a 50 minute drive from our home. Mostly motorway. I am not sure what the exact definition of a stationaire engine is. These folks certainly dont seem to bothered by it. They are having too much of a good time, enjoying their engines and each other company.



But if I had to take a stab at it, these are engine that were used in more or less stationaire (!?) applications. As you will see a lot of these engines used to drive all kinds of farming equipment. (e.g. pumps, saws). Most of them were fairly small, or at least sort of portable. Just about all of them, few exception are diesel engines of some sort of shape or format. Some of the larger units might have been used in what we call gemaal or pumping stations (we have a lot of those as we hate getting our feet wet. An occupational hazard when you build most of the country under sea level)



It's difficult to put an exact time frame on these engines. But I would say the span from early 1900s toward late 1960s perhaps. There might have been a few modern. Most of the engines here are likely to be from the 1925 - 1955 era. But don't quote me on that.





The event is held at a massive field, in between some very nice woods. Nothing fancy, no gates or anything. Just a little market stall with some volunteer. Entrance charge for the day is Euro 6. So that is very very reasonable.



Apart from the engines, there are also a lot of market stalls selling engine related stuff. I thought I had died and gone to heaven!!



Some gorgeous models:











Some of you might remember I collect old (electrical) measurement instruments. Look at this, and there were several of these stands selling this kind of stuff!!











Found this very nice sign. But it was an original one. My RE Bullet in Delhi cost less then this sign!!







And then there are endless market stalls, with endless engine parts, for the discerning stationaire engine owner.











I found this amazing instrument. We used them in the merchant navy. ( I assume they still do). It is called an Indicator. You attach it to the indicator valve of a cilinder of the diesel engine. The little cilinder is attached with a wire to a special lever on the engine. That lever mimics the up and down movement of the piston. The indicator has a bellow that moves a scribe across a piece of paper on the cilinder as the cilinder pressure rises/falls.







It will get you a little diagram, known as the indicator diagram, something like looking like this:







The surface of the enclosed line (sort of the banana) is a measure of the total amount of horse power being generated in the cilinder. Hence the name indicated brake horspower, or iBHP). We used to have a so called planometer that would allow us to measure the exact surface and then some calculations were done and you had the answer. It is important to regularly check the iBHP per cilinder to see if the engine delivers roughly the same amount of power per cilinder.



There is all sorts of other diagrams you can draw with it. All for better understanding on what is happening inside your engine.



If you want to bruhs up on your understanding of performance measurement on large diesels:



https://dieselship.com/marine-techni...ator-diagrams/



These days a lot of this sort of stuff is done continuously and by means of various electronic sensors. But this indicator device is a good measure of what I would be seeing all day. Just plane and simple mechanical engineering. Well, actually not always that simple. You will see some very clever devices, linkages and all kinds of mechanical trickery later on and in the video.



Bottom line with these kind of engines: What you see is what you get. No electrics/electrons!!











I arrived fairly early, about 08.30. Some of the exhibitors had just arrived and were still unloading their engines:











Here is an interesting one. I spotted this unusual engine:







It was used to power a fountain!! The owner still had some original brochures showing what this had looked like originally!











Still making my way through more market stalls with more parts!







One of the things that fascinates me on these engines, are the various details. Look at these little lubricators. Every single one of them is a work of art on its own!!











You might recognise these parts; these are the huge flat belts and respective flat pulleys. They use these to deliver the power from the engine to say a pump or so.



This weekend is Pentecost in the Netherlands. It means that most folks here have an extra long weekend, with the Monday being an official Sun-/holiday. These three days are packed with all sorts of activities all over the Netherlands. Nothing to do with religion. Not sure how many people still celebrate Pentecost.Even so, endless number of fairs, markets, all sort of events. I could visit 3-4 classic car events every day for three days and I still would not have seen them all!As it so happens there was one event to which I had been looking forward for some time; The International Stationaire Engine Show.This is what their websites says:I had read and heard about this event, but never visited it. That is till this weekend. I have written about special events here in the Netherlands before. https://www.google.com/url?client=in...gs_hD-xw-Bp8qx ) Got a lot of positive response, so I thought I would make a little overview. Lots of photographs and at the very end a cool little video as well. Enjoy!!This event is held in Nuenen, close to Eindhoven. About a 50 minute drive from our home. Mostly motorway. I am not sure what the exact definition of a stationaire engine is. These folks certainly dont seem to bothered by it. They are having too much of a good time, enjoying their engines and each other company.But if I had to take a stab at it, these are engine that were used in more or less stationaire (!?) applications. As you will see a lot of these engines used to drive all kinds of farming equipment. (e.g. pumps, saws). Most of them were fairly small, or at least sort of portable. Just about all of them, few exception are diesel engines of some sort of shape or format. Some of the larger units might have been used in what we call gemaal or pumping stations (we have a lot of those as we hate getting our feet wet. An occupational hazard when you build most of the country under sea level)It's difficult to put an exact time frame on these engines. But I would say the span from early 1900s toward late 1960s perhaps. There might have been a few modern. Most of the engines here are likely to be from the 1925 - 1955 era. But don't quote me on that.The event is held at a massive field, in between some very nice woods. Nothing fancy, no gates or anything. Just a little market stall with some volunteer. Entrance charge for the day is Euro 6. So that is very very reasonable.Apart from the engines, there are also a lot of market stalls selling engine related stuff. I thought I had died and gone to heaven!!Some gorgeous models:Some of you might remember I collect old (electrical) measurement instruments. Look at this, and there were several of these stands selling this kind of stuff!!Found this very nice sign. But it was an original one. My RE Bullet in Delhi cost less then this sign!!And then there are endless market stalls, with endless engine parts, for the discerning stationaire engine owner.I found this amazing instrument. We used them in the merchant navy. ( I assume they still do). It is called an Indicator. You attach it to the indicator valve of a cilinder of the diesel engine. The little cilinder is attached with a wire to a special lever on the engine. That lever mimics the up and down movement of the piston. The indicator has a bellow that moves a scribe across a piece of paper on the cilinder as the cilinder pressure rises/falls.It will get you a little diagram, known as the indicator diagram, something like looking like this:The surface of the enclosed line (sort of the banana) is a measure of the total amount of horse power being generated in the cilinder. Hence the name indicated brake horspower, or iBHP). We used to have a so called planometer that would allow us to measure the exact surface and then some calculations were done and you had the answer. It is important to regularly check the iBHP per cilinder to see if the engine delivers roughly the same amount of power per cilinder.There is all sorts of other diagrams you can draw with it. All for better understanding on what is happening inside your engine.If you want to bruhs up on your understanding of performance measurement on large diesels:These days a lot of this sort of stuff is done continuously and by means of various electronic sensors. But this indicator device is a good measure of what I would be seeing all day. Just plane and simple mechanical engineering. Well, actually not always that simple. You will see some very clever devices, linkages and all kinds of mechanical trickery later on and in the video.Bottom line with these kind of engines: What you see is what you get. No electrics/electrons!!I arrived fairly early, about 08.30. Some of the exhibitors had just arrived and were still unloading their engines:Here is an interesting one. I spotted this unusual engine:It was used to power a fountain!! The owner still had some original brochures showing what this had looked like originally!Still making my way through more market stalls with more parts!One of the things that fascinates me on these engines, are the various details. Look at these little lubricators. Every single one of them is a work of art on its own!!You might recognise these parts; these are the huge flat belts and respective flat pulleys. They use these to deliver the power from the engine to say a pump or so.
What just happened? Elon Musk's $44 billion purchase of Twitter is looking even shakier after the world's richest person threatened to terminate the deal over a "material breach" of the company's obligations under the agreement. Once again, the issue relates to Twitter allegedly refusing to prove how many bots and fake accounts are on the platform.

Musk's lawyers made the claim in a letter to Twitter's chief legal officer, Vijaya Gadde, yesterday, alleging that Twitter is "actively resisting and thwarting" his information rights by refusing to provide information on the number of fake, spam, and bot accounts that have long been a problem on Twitter.

The letter, published on the SEC website, states that Musk made the information request on May 9 but the formal response Twitter sent on June 1 was insufficient. "Twitter's latest offer to simply provide additional details regarding the company's own testing methodologies, whether through written materials or verbal explanations, is tantamount to refusing Mr Musk's data requests," wrote law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

On May 13, Musk said the Twitter buyout was temporarily on hold until he had evidence supporting a claim that false or spam accounts represented fewer than 5% of Twitter's monetizable daily active users in Q1. The Tesla boss did add, however, that he remained committed to the acquisition but later said the actual figure could be closer to 20%.

Correct  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 6, 2022

A material breach would allow Musk to drop his takeover attempt of Twitter without paying the $1 billion termination fee, though Twitter will doubtlessly argue that the issue does not constitute such a breach, and the case would likely end up in court.

In what could amount to even more trouble for Twitter, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton said he has launched an investigation into the company for "potentially false reporting over its fake bot accounts."
Twitter's nondisclosure of the right numbers on the bots that are on the social media platform may be a massive breach of its contract and agreement, and it may be bigger than what the public realizes. The sale terms that were on paper should be explaining everything the new owner is to expect on the new property, and it is something that Elon Musk did not get before.

Twitter, Elon Musk Sale May be Misleading in its Terms

(Photo : Scott Olson/Getty Images)

A financial analyst and verified Twitter user, "Kevin," said that Musk is valid for not accepting the current Twitter deal that the social media platform offered due to undisclosed information from the company. Many arguments came from the public regarding this deal, and one of them is "due diligence" that Musk waived on his intent to buy Twitter.

However, Kevin explained that Musk has the right to reject the offer in this state, as Twitter "misled" the Tesla CEO regarding the number of bots stated in the deal.

Twitter allegedly violated SEC Rule 10b-5 regarding insider trading plans and disclosures of a certain deal, as it is filed under the law and should be clear to everyone.

Kevin stated that "fraudulent disclosures" should not be accepted despite waiving due diligence on a deal.

Read Also: Elon Musk's Twitter Deal: Advocacy Groups Urge the Takeover to Stop

Correct  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 6, 2022

Understated Bots on Twitter is a Big Issue

The tech CEO agrees with Kevin on Twitter, saying that what the user stated was "correct," and that the Twitter deal is not something that he will immediately accept due to this conflict. The undisclosed bots on the platform are a massive issue for them, and it would play a massive role in the deal for it to push through and continue in its transfer.

Elon Musk and the Twitter Sale

Many factors in the Twitter sale hindered its deal to go through and continue the agreement with Musk and the social media platform. One of the main reasons for this halt is the undisclosed number of Twitter bots that follow President Joe Biden on the platform, and it is something that the CEO found out via reports and his research of the company.

Musk would be buying Twitter with bots, and it would not be a problem if the company revealed everything to the tech CEO about what is unseen by the public, as the entire company would be his to manage. There were speculations to cut the deal and scrap it altogether for the Twitter bots alone, and it would be a valid reason to do it.

Some people might think that it is a small thing to go on about the Twitter bots and the sale to one of the top executives in the world, but it is an important one in this deal. Not having all the parameters or conditions in a sale is dangerous and misleading, something that may lead to bigger problems in the future, once he uncovers them after the sale.

Related Article: Elon Musk Voices Twitter Buyout Concerns in a Letter Citing 'Clear Material Breach' of Merger Terms

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There is good news for imported goods and products from Southeast Asia, but it would only be for solar power technology that comes into the country from the said region. President Joe Biden is removing the tariff for 24 months to meet expectations and its change to clean energy, something that would help the country's power consumption have better options.

US Tariff for Solar Power Imports from Southeast Asia Waived

(Photo : Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden smiles during the vice presidential debate at Centre College October 11, 2012 in Danville, Kentucky.

A press release by the Solar Energy Industries Association said that they recognize the efforts and actions that President Joe Biden took for improving solar power use in the country. This statement directly relates to what Biden plans for the country, particularly with the removal of tariffs for imported goods from Southeast Asia.

Solar power technology from China would normally get tariffed, but it seems that the US government would be making an exception for those coming from Southeast Asia to boost its use of these devices.

Clean energy is the highlight of the Biden administration and if what it takes is to remove the tariff taxes on the imports to improve solar power use, then it is something that the government will venture towards.

Read Also: Safe Drinking Water from Air Humidity? Solar Powered Prototype Attempts to Help Billions of People

POTUS Biden Brings 24 Months of Tariff-Free Purchases

The waived tariff for solar power goods will give those aiming to purchase and equip themselves with clean energy, 24 months of tax-free incentives from the government. POTUS Biden will soon announce this venture as part of the Defense Production Act of the US, focusing on the alternative energy source program of the country.

US Solar Power: Switch to Clean Energy

The United States is aiming for clean energy, and that is something that President Joe Biden wants to happen under his term, with many laws in place for the switch to the new power source. Alternative energy sources should be the main focus now, with other features and technology to arrive soon for everyone to enjoy in their use and needs.

There are many ventures in the country and worldwide regarding solar power and it aims to bring people many choices for their homes and businesses, for lower consumption, and for helping the environment. One of the ventures now is the energy dome that aims to store power from solar farms, and it would help distribute it evenly to power grids and offload its need for coal-power energy.

The switch to clean energy may only be happening in full blast now, something that the government highly supports, and it only shows with the waiving of tariffs for its purchase and continued subscription from many companies and individuals.

The change to clean energy should be now, something that would deliver massive steps for the massive use of power in the country and lessen the carbon footprint that it brings to the world.

Related Article: ZeroAvia Raises $115 Million for Zero-Emission Hydrogen Passenger Plane but Builds Hybrid Aircraft

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The International Space Station and Boeing's Starliner's dock happened earlier, and it celebrates a successful mission that signifies its successful take on its flights towards the station. An online personality known as Space Station Guys monitored the event and shared the look of the mission from the Earth, giving a new point of view to the mission.

International Space Station and Starliner's Dock: Photos

(Photo : Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images)

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL - DECEMBER 18: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft onboard is seen illuminated by spotlights on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 ahead of the Orbital Flight Test mission, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Space Station Guys is a group of collective individuals that focus mostly on space, but they are not your average skywatcher as they take photos and videos that bring people meaning and experience. Now, the group recently released a photo of the International Space Station and Boeing Starliner that shows what it looks like from the Earth.

The image shows something that will help people see and visualize what is happening in outer space, as many still speculate that the releases of NASA have some edits in them. At least, the image from Space Station Guys proves that there is a space station out there, and it could be seen from the ground.

It also goes to update on its current events that saw the Starliner docked to the station.

Read Also: Boeing Starliner Test Flight is a Success! Only Rosie, the Rocketeer Mannequin, Was Onboard

Space Station Photo of the Month June 2022



I do believe Gabor Sagi @Zs3ml3 accomplished the task picture perfect . International Space Station and Boeing #Starliner in the same field of view 

Please follow Gabor's twitter account, totally worth it!

https://t.co/TdWKRwOY5W pic.twitter.com/dTbsOb31m3  Space Station Guys (@spacestationguy) June 3, 2022

Boeing Starliner: How Important is its Docking?

The Starliner successfully docked on the ISS, and it is an important venture as it brings an expansion to the space program by NASA, focusing on more partners for its mission. The Starliner's capabilities open up many possibilities in the coming years, especially as it moves away from relying on SpaceX alone for bringing astronauts and their materials to space.

NASA's Commercial Crew Mission

NASA and the Commercial Crew is a massive program that aims to integrate private space agencies to take part in the missions towards the space station and bring astronauts along with their cargo to the cosmic location. Here, they would do their missions like research from the orbiting laboratory and monitor other needs of the planet.

SpaceX is one company that already delivered on its end, and Boeing is trailing now because of the many problems that the Starliner spacecraft experienced during its initial testing and checks. In late May, Boeing finally got what it was working hard for in the past months and years, focusing on making Starliner's flight successful in all aspects.

The Commercial Crew program is now complete for its partner space agencies to bring its astronauts to space, with its focus going on different companies to deliver to the ISS whenever they need it. Expect more photos and videos regarding the Starliner and ISS in the future, as it will see more of these like the ones Space Station Guys brought for everyone.

Related Article: Boeing's Starliner Finally Docks to the International Space Station! Eight Years in the Making?

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NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered a spectacular rock formation penetrating Mars' strange surface in this newly-released image by The SETI Institute's Twitter page.

#PPOD: Here is another cool rock at Gale crater on Mars! The spikes are most likely the cemented fillings of ancient fractures in a sedimentary rock. The rest of the rock was made of softer material and was eroded away. : @NASA @NASAJPL @Caltech #MSSS fredk, acquired on May 17. pic.twitter.com/RGfjmRBfI7  The SETI Institute (@SETIInstitute) May 26, 2022

"Twisted Spires of Rock"

Several twisted spires of rock rise among the shallow sands and rocks of the Gale Crater, and the spikes of sediment appear like frozen streams of water that poured from an unseen jug in the sky.

However, experts noted that the columns were most likely made of cement-like material that formerly filled old bedrock fractures. The snaking streams of dense material stayed standing when the softer rock eventually eroded away.

A camera took the stunning rock formations on board the Curiosity rover on May 17, but NASA and specialists from the SETI institute (which stands for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) only revealed it last week as part of SETI's planetary picture of the day project.

The structures, as strange as they appear, are not without precedent.

According to Science Alert, a 'hoodoo' is a tall and lanky pillar of rock created by erosion in Earthly geology. A tent rock, fairy chimney, or earth pyramid are other names for such formation.

Hoodoos are typically found in dry locations, such as Utah's canyons or southern Serbia's mountains, and the columns can possibly reach the heights of ten-story buildings!

Hard rock layers that develop up within softer sedimentary rock generate the natural structures. When the rocks erode away due to rain, wind, frost, or any disruptions, you are left with a gorgeous mold of an old crack in the bedrock.

In comparison to the ones we see on Earth, the two rock towers on Mars appear to be on the verge of collapsing, but experts note that they are definitely strong enough to endure the lesser surface gravity on Mars.

Read also: 'Doorway' on Mars: NASA Curiosity Rover Finds Something ODD in the Red Planet

Flower on Mars?

Curiosity discovered another odd rock structure earlier this year that may have been generated in a similar manner, though with drastically different effects.

This little rock resembles a piece of coral or a flower, with numerous small petals extending upwards towards the sun.

According to a NASA press statement back in March, one theory that has developed is that the rock is a form of concretion generated by minerals "deposited by water in cracks or divisions in existing rock."

Furthermore, NASA explained that these concretions could be compacted, are tougher and denser than the rock layers, and can persist even after the surrounding rock has eroded away.

Although no height estimates support the photograph of the Gale crater, the extraterrestrial spires observed by Curiosity are relatively striking from the rest of their environment.

The massive rock tombstones may appear motionless now, but their development reveals a great deal about past Martian circumstances and whether life could have thrived billions of years ago.

The Gale crater is believed to be a dried-up lake bed, albeit it may be shallower and more transient than previously thought by experts.

Related Article: NASA Curiosity Rover Presents the Earth with Rare, Breathtaking Photos of Iridescent Clouds on Mars

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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

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Researchers in the US claimed last week that the DALL-E 2 model may have invented its own secret language to communicate about objects.

Intriguing Claim

The DALL-E 2 is a new generation artificial intelligence model that can create images containing text captions, then revert the gibberish captions into its system.

The researchers concluded that DALL-E 2 thinks Vicootes implies "vegetables," while "Wa ch zod rea" alludes to "sea animals that a whale would consume" and ultimately claiming that the model has its own secret language.

DALLE-2 has a secret language.

"Apoploe vesrreaitais" means birds.

"Contarra ccetnxniams luryca tanniounons" means bugs or pests.



The prompt: "Apoploe vesrreaitais eating Contarra ccetnxniams luryca tanniounons" gives images of birds eating bugs.



A thread (1/n) pic.twitter.com/VzWfsCFnZo  Giannis Daras (@giannis_daras) May 31, 2022

These claims are intriguing because, if accurate, they could have significant ramifications for the security and interpretability of huge AI models. But do these allegations hold any truth?

Read also: AI to Improve with Vision and Language-New OpenAI's DALL-E 2 is One Promising Technology

It is True?

DALL-E 2 is unlikely to have a "hidden language," according to Aaron J. Snoswell, a researcher of Computational Law & Ai Accountability from Queensland University of Technology,

He wrote in an article published in The Conversation that it has its own vocabulary.

To begin with, verifying claims regarding DALL-E 2 and other huge AI models is difficult at this time because only a few researchers and creative practitioners have used this technology.

Snoswell further explains that any publicly posted photographs (on Twitter, for instance) should be taken with a grain of salt because a human handpicked them from a vast number of AI output images.

However, even those with access are still restricted in their application of these concepts. For instance, users of this model can create and edit images, but they are yet to interact more comprehensively with the AI system, such as by changing the code behind the scenes.

Hence, a lack of "explainable AI" methodologies can answer how these systems work, and systematic examination of their behavior is also challenging.

The Explanation

One possibility that could explain the model is that the "gibberish" sentences are derived from the non-English vocabulary. Apoploe vesrreaitais , for example, which means to conjure images of birds, is related to Apodidae, the scientific name of a family of bird species in Latin.

This appears to be a reasonable answer. DALL-E 2, for example, was trained on a large amount of data scraped from the internet, including many non-English words.

The "hidden language" could potentially be a case of the "garbage in, garbage out" concept in action. Since DALL-E 2 is unable to say "I have no idea what you're talking about," it will always generate an image from the supplied text, as explained by Snoswell.

But Snoswell also said that none of these possibilities are complete explanations for what's going on. For example, eliminating individual characters from gibberish sentences tends to cause extremely particular visual corruption. Individual gibberish words don't always combine to form logical compound visuals, it appears.

Adversarial Attack

Snoswell noted that this issue is important because the possibility of an AI model's secret language could constitute an "adversarial attack" against a machine's learning-based system.

This attack is a means to deliberately choose inputs that the AI doesn't manage well to break the system's intended action.

Adversarial attacks are troubling because they call into question our trust in the AI model. If the AI analyzes gibberish phrases incorrectly, it may also inaccurately interpret meaningful words.

Snoswell said that are security risks that come with adversarial attacks. DALL-E 2 uses a "secret language" of gibberish phrases to prevent users from creating damaging or abusive content. However, users may be able to get around the filters.

Related Article: New Artificial Intelligence Light System May Be the Answer to Traffic Congestion

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 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Unsplash/Robert Anasch) Uber Eats

Uber's food delivery service, Uber Eats, announced that it will now ship nationwide.

Customers across the United States, aside from Alaska and Hawaii, will now be able to have food delivered to their doorsteps from select merchants in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami, Florida.

Uber Eats' Launch Nationwide Delivery

The new feature comes after Uber announced a series of products under its ride-hailing service and delivery service to entice new users. Uber also wants to offer its current customers as many services as possible.

An Uber spokesperson told Engadget that both their customers and merchants requested nationwide shipping.

The new shipping feature will help merchants grow their business, and it will allow customers to get their favorite foods from across the country.

Meanwhile, Uber's delivery service, Uber Freight, which connects customers with local carriers, will not be included in the nationwide shipping feature.

Also Read: New York Passes 6 Bills to Protect Grubhub and Uber Eats Drivers

Instead, nationwide shipping will be made possible through FedEx, which will deliver foods within four to five business days.

Starting Tuesday, June 7, Uber Eats customers have access to 15 merchants. Some famous merchants are Bludso's BBQ and Gotta Have S'More in Los Angeles, Sarge's Deli and Wafels & Dinges in New York City, and Sabores Market and Doggi's Arepa Bar in Miami, Florida.

Uber said that it would expand the number of merchants in the future but did not reveal a specific timeline.

Customers who want to place an order can access the product on the Uber Eats app, where nationwide shipping will be featured on the Home screen.

After customers select the merchant of their choice, choose products from the cart and place their orders, they will get an email with FedEx tracking information.

The merchants that want to list their products for nationwide shipping can contact the account manager if they already partner with Uber Eats.

The merchants need to package and ship the products themselves. Uber Eats is there to provide a shipping label and postcard insert with all the instructions required for the customer.

Voice Recording and Autonomous Delivery

According to Restaurant Dive, Uber Eats will add pickup ordering at different stadiums, autonomous pilot delivery, launch voice ordering, and expand its Vouchers program for its customers to use for events and order food or rides.

The announcement was made at Uber Eats' Go/Get 2022 event on May 16. This is the company's way to step up its product enhancements and diversify into new segments as delivery is increasingly profitable.

With these enhancements, Uber Eats can reach more customers and find ways to provide lower-cost deliveries.

As of March, DoorDash continued to dominate the delivery segment with 59% market share, while Uber Eats followed, getting second place with 24% market share, according to Bloomberg.

Grubhub and DoorDash have been dipping their toes into autonomous delivery for years now, while Uber Eats is just starting their programs.

However, Uber Eats seems to be more confident in making big moves into stadiums than its competitors that have yet to go into this space.

Related Article: Uber Eats Pushed By Attorneys General in Two States to be Transparent With Food Costs Upon Checkout

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Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Un-gyu is at a crossroads in arrest... The key to 'investigation of the Blue House'
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Two city office towers have changed hand to Singapore-based owners as investor confidence in Melbourne rises despite the upheavals of the past two years and slow return of office workers.

CapitaLand Investment has swooped on a 22-storey tower at 120 Spencer Street opposite Southern Cross Station in a $321.25 million deal.

225 King Street is the second building in the Melbourne CBD vacated by Victoria University in six months. Credit:

And a vacant 12-storey office tower in King Street has changed hands for close to $40 million a week after its owner Victoria University opened its new $385 million city campus.

Despite the resilience of CBD office towers coming under scrutiny, CapitaLands Australian managing director Paul Toussaint said the Singapore-listed company saw significant potential for growth.
One of the worlds most influential energy researchers is tipping a boom decade ahead for oil and gas producers, including in Australia, as major European economies seek alternatives to Russian supply.

Gavin Thompson, vice chair of Asia Pacific energy at Wood Mackenzie, told an audience of Australian investors that before Russia invaded Ukraine, he thought the 2020s would be a great decade for oil and gas companies.

Andrew Forrests Australian Industrial Energy plans to import gas into Port Kembla in late 2023. Credit:NSW Government

We now think its going to be a boom decade, probably the last boom decade, but a very strong time, he said at the Credit Suisse Australia energy forum on Tuesday.

According to Wood Mackenzie, demand for liquefied natural gas delivered by ships rather than through pipelines is expected to double by 2040 if Europe weans itself off pipeline gas from Russia.
ASX-listed Victory Offices has closed another three of its co-working sites across Melbourne as it looks to stem losses and reduce costs across its remaining 14 national locations.

Due to rent issues with landlords, the flexible, co-working office operator was locked out of its four offices in Sydney in April and May, and on June 1 it closed a further three Melbourne locations at Whitehorse Road, Box Hill; 180 St Kilda Road, St Kilda, and the Walker Corporation-owned 727 Collins Street in the CBD.

Last year after being at loggerheads with landlords it was evicted from three other Melbourne sites.

Victory Offices' Barangaroo hub reception in Sydney. Credit:

In a recent trading update to investors, the group said the latest closed locations were likely to continue to operate at a loss for some time into the future and the decision to exit is expected to have a positive impact on the companys remaining portfolio of office locations.
Hot on the heels of the news that Clive Palmers federal election campaign flop cost the mining billionaire $62 million in advertising alone comes the intriguing claim that a motley group of old farts and their $860 Facebook ad had more impact on the poll than Palmers tens of millions.

Richard Whitington, a former staffer for Gough Whitlam, mobilised some well-connected friends before the election into a campaign called 1in50 to challenge Scott Morrisons Coalition.

Richard Whitington, a staffer to Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam, and Clive Palmer. Credit:Joe Benke

Supporters included ICAC commissioner Ian Temby, QC, playwright David Williamson, ex-Wallaby and anti-Apartheid activist Anthony Abrahams, historians Judith Brett and Jenny Hocking (of Palace Letters fame), ex-diplomat and former governor of Tasmania Richard Butler, Hobart-based silk and Julian Assange campaigner Greg Barns, SC, and legal affairs writer Richard Ackland.

It was from a bunch of old farts, with respect to all of them, Whitington said.
When Warren Buffett struck a high-profile investment deal with Insurance Australia Group in mid-2015, it was seen as an endorsement from the worlds most famous investor.

While the transaction with Buffetts holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, was complex, it included Berkshire taking a 3.7 per cent stake in IAG  marking Buffetts first investment in an Australian company.

IAGs share price is about 25 per cent lower than when Buffet bought in seven years ago. Credit:Kirsten Burghard

Over the next few years, IAGs share price performed strongly and it looked like Buffett had picked yet another winner.

However, almost seven years later, IAGs share price is about 25 per cent lower than when Buffet bought in, and it has also markedly underperformed the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index over the past year. Berkshire still holds about 4 per cent of the companys shares.
The murder trial for Christopher Dawson has heard another variation to events where the teacher and former rugby league player allegedly sought a hitman to kill his wife Lynette in the early 1980s.

Giving evidence in the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday, Toni Melrose-Mikeska said Dawsons second wife, known only as JC, confided in her about her husband after the pair broke up in 1990.

Chris Dawson (right) arrives at court his brother Peter Dawson. Credit:Kate Geraghty

JC told her that if she didnt make it to the police, Melrose-Mikeska was to tell them about an alleged visit to a pub in the early 1980s where Dawson handed over an envelope to a man a few days before Lynette disappeared.

[JC] said, I think he murdered his first wife, Melrose-Mikeska told the court.
An Eastern Suburbs police officer has been stood down after being charged with sexual assault and stalking offences allegedly committed over a seven-year period.

Constable Joshua Wootton, 31, was arrested on Tuesday after a police investigation into a number of alleged offences committed against two 26-year-old women.

He has been charged with nine offences including two counts of sexual intercourse without consent, three counts of stalking with intent to cause fear, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, accessing data held in a computer, public office misconduct and malicious damage to property.

According to documents before the court, the alleged crimes were committed over a seven-year period and continued until this year.

Police allege in the documents Wootton knowingly had sexual intercourse with a woman who did not consent on two occasions, once in 2014 and again in 2017.
Theres no shortage of advice for squeaky Docs (C8). Well start sensibly with Helen Cox of Mudgee who says: Con Vaitsas may be able to solve the problem of squeaky shoes by placing a clothes dryer sheet underneath the liner in each shoe. I had a similar problem with my orthotics squeaking and a dryer sheet under each orthotic silenced them. An internet search said the squeaking was caused by friction between the orthotic and the shoe. Col Burns of Lugarno says: Doc Martens are specifically designed to squeak to alert other pedestrians that a trend-setting radical, a punk or a new wave musician is approaching. These days I find Hush Puppies more appropriate; the squeaks from my ankles and knees providing adequate warning to unsuspecting youngsters that a grumpy old man is inbound.

Citing foot odour of another kind, Odille Esmonde-Morgan of Glenorchy (Tas) warns that Terry Wooldridges urine remedy would definitely work. Theyd smell so bad youd never want to wear them!

Speaking of squeaky shoes, I have recently suffered the embarrassment of squeaky thongs, reports Donald Hawes of Peel. Around the Bathurst area where I live, they are silent, but when I take them to the Upper Hunter Valley (which is often), they squeak. Even the dress thongs I leave up there are squeaking. Walking past the outdoor cafe tables, I am a particularly embarrassing centre of attention. 

I was amused to see an online weather report that the South Coast line on Monday was affected by torrential winds. says Adrian Connelly of Springwood. Im glad it was spared any gale-force rain.

Margaret Hamilton of Blackheath loved seeing Paddington with the Queen (C8). I could see another person sitting there  Barbara Ker Wilson. She discovered Paddington, and edited and published the book. She came to Australia and was a prime mover in developing our childrens book industry. She died last year. At a lunch in her honour, Paddington took pride of place.
More broadly, cycling advocates are furious about the City of Melbournes statement last Friday that the city may be pausing their bike lane rollout, an inopportune announcement on World Bicycle Day, admittedly, and seemingly in response to pressure from motorists and retailers. Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce recently floated nothing less than a temporary bike lane removal trial!

And yet, the anger! The arguments! I feel my own blood boil as I have to manoeuvre my bike past over-sized SUVs squatting in my bike lane, just as those drivers must bristle as I glide through their static convoys.

Have I lost you already? Is there anything more parochial than arguing over narrow strips of asphalt? When the future of the city itself is at stake, could there be anything more mundane?

This back and forth is not really about bike lanes, but about streets themselves. And there could barely be anything more important. Streets are the basic unit of cities. They are where cities happen. They are our largest, most distributed and certainly most active and contested shared spaces in the city. They embody what we stand for as a city, what were about.

Yet it has been the mistake of our last half-century to govern that complex brief with the narrow idea that streets are just about traffic.

A woman rides on the separated new bike lane on Exhibition Street. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Lets be crystal clear. Building healthier, safer, greener, more convivial and social streets, by reducing car use whilst supporting better infrastructures for public and active transport  including, in this specific case, separated and protected bike lanes  produces better outcomes all round, for all Melburnians and the Country we live within. Pretty much all cities are heading in this direction, for these very good reasons.

Working last year at the Swedish governments innovation agency before I moved back to Australia, I collated hundreds of research papers from all over the world as part of a project to better understand the shared value of these healthy, green, and convivial urban environments.
We just want integrity

Barnaby Joyce might be on to something (Watchdog will manacle political vision, The Age, 7/6). We voters said we wanted an integrity commission, but what we really wanted was integrity. A blatant lack of it was exposed by existing agencies (Auditor-General, Productivity Commission, media), so we voted the government out.

If the new government remembers that, then maybe an integrity commission is unnecessary  as Joyce claims. Maybe just legislation to curb political donations, and egregious election-spending.

Peter Greig, Colac Seeing through vision

The majority of Australians can see through Barnaby Joyces political vision to maintain the status quo and voted in favour of a federal anti-corruption body to ensure a clear view of political processes and decisions.

Graham Cadd, Dromana Strange priorities

Your article Heritage checks cast shadow over solar panels, The Age, 7/6), is a reminder how small government can be petty. The City of Boroondara over the years has seen massive redevelopment, and mostly not for the better, aesthetically or for the environment.

Perfectly good homes and their gardens have been demolished to make way for the McMansions we see in our streets now. Wall to wall concrete and polystyrene columns, with the token white standard roses and possibly a hedge if the developer is feeling generous. So much for the leafy eastern suburbs.

And of course if a developer gets a knockback from the council, it is off to VCAT and voila, a tick and a rubber stamp. It is truly ironic that solar panels can be deemed inappropriate but monster concrete houses with barely a tree to be seen are not. Go figure.

Kate Read, Canterbury Blinkered view

We empathise with solar panel owner Richard Barnes. Boroondara council had a similar issue with the solar panels on our roof that face the street as our house is in a heritage area. We had used up all the smaller available north-facing roof space, which doesnt face the street, and when we wanted more panels the roof facing the street was the only possibility. The panels used were a close match to the colour of the roof and set flat. We also went to VCAT, and we were successful. The difference was that our house, although in a heritage area, was only about 20 years old at that time.

Generally, the Boroondara Councils view and that of some other councils is quite blinkered, especially in their main consideration of the view of a house from the front. There is an old house on a corner block in a heritage area of Boroondara with a roof covered in solar panels that are visible from the street, but its allowed because the panels are not facing the front of the house.

There are many visible modern additions to houses that councils do not consider to take away from heritage value, including extensions, carports, electricity wires, cars in driveways, aerials, satellite discs, airconditioning units and skylights. Some houses have all of these. People looking at dwellings are quite capable of seeing their heritage value beyond its modern additions.

Jenny Callaghan, Hawthorn Easier to demolish

It seems councils have a two-prong approach when it comes to heritage. Under the current rules, it probably would have been easier to demolish the house in question than shift the solar panels.

Councils need to get their priorities clear and remember there is a climate crisis.

Nola Cormick, Albert Park

Landlords not all loaded

Your correspondent (Letters, 7/6) asks why are landlords not held accountable for buildings to be made more energy efficient. As mum and dad investors convinced by our bank manager to become landlords for one property around 10 years ago, we have experienced the replacement of mature, co-operative property managers with inexperienced, young staff.

We are now paying for compulsory yearly inspections of smoke detectors, gas and electricity audits, each at a hefty price. Fair enough.

But when tenants dont do basic maintenance of appliances and of the house, we get bills for sink unblocking, heating vent vacuuming, blind cord replacement, etc which are each in the hundreds of dollars. When we were tenants, these were our responsibilities.

Sometimes it feels like we are dealing with a tradies management agent and paying for the privilege. Dont assume that landlords are all living the high life.

Name withheld on request Time for an audit

I was shivering myself when I read the account of life in your correspondents daughters ice house at Mitcham: no insulation and high ceilings. There is probably not much opportunity in the current market to find another better-insulated rental. A good gift might be an energy audit. Renshade to reflect heat; bubble wrap for windows that are not scenic; sealing around floorboard edges and over the top of pelmets were ideas that were useful at my place. The auditor found all the draughts, and we could choose to do what we wanted ourselves. We just paid for the audit itself.

Elaine Hopper, Blackburn Do tenants want the costs?

We have had a rental property for around 18 years. The existing tenant when we purchased the property has been there for the whole of that time. The tenant hopes to live there forever, and we would like to keep him. However, the residential tenancy reforms are making that increasingly difficult for landlords. No one wants to rent out a property which is unsafe, but we are now compelled to carry out gas and electricity inspections every year, at a cost of over $700. If we want to maintain our income, the rent should increase by around $14 per week. If the gas inspector finds the distance between the stove top and the overhead kitchen cupboards is two centimetres too small in the 1970s house, we would need to remodel the entire kitchen (as has happened to other landlords). The rent would be increased to recover this cost, but we would rather sell than go to that expense and effort  leaving one less rental property available. I applauded the state governments efforts to provide more safety and certainty of tenure for tenants, but the lived reality can have the opposite effect on tenants.

Louise Kloot, Doncaster Beware the tiger

In answer to Peter Hartcher (Offer friendship, demand kowtow, 7/6), Defence Minister Richard Marles is wise to bridge the nuclear sub gap by quickly building other means of defence. Australia is under-resourced in its security capability. It needs to be better prepared as China continues to try to gain more prominence in the Pacific region using provocative means. There is an Indian saying, beware a prowling tiger as it can catch you unaware.

Glenise Michaelson, Montmorency Bamboo power

A bamboo-framed bicycle might seem a humble machine (PM pulls up socks and gives diplomacy a spin, 7/6), but add electric power and they are anything but. They can even humble the vaunted e-car in sustainable active transport mobility. Lets hope the Melbourne City Council takes note.

Michael Oxer, Fitzroy North

Tech tip off

Re: Restaurants hit a tech tipping point (The Age, 7/6), I had lunch at a city venue last week, ordering (for the first time) my meal from a food ordering platform. I was offered the option of providing a tip as part of this ordering and payment process, that is, prior to food arriving and prior to any meaningful interaction with staff. Im all for tipping for friendly service and good food, but that seemed beyond the pale.

Fiona White, Alfredton Cosmetics deeper issue

The testimonial issues in cosmetic surgery are not just skin deep (Warning over testimonials for cosmetic surgeons, 7/6). They go far deeper. The very nature of the vast majority of cosmetic surgeries are disconnected from any actual pathological processes, with the important exceptions of patients who have real deformities or disfigurements which can be either congenital or acquired. In other words most patients desiring cosmetic surgery are driven by ideas or feelings some part or parts of their bodies arent the way they would like them to be. It seems to be a peculiar 21st century phenomenon that medicine has stepped into this area. The flip side would surely be a bit more acceptance of our natural physical selves, and a bit more focus on various forms of self-improvement or self acceptance that may come in non-surgical ways.

Dr Larry Hermann, South Yarra Barriers to diagnosis

Where is the benefit in educating students to recognise early warning signs of endometriosis (Students to get pep talk on endometriosis, 6/6) if our medical profession is not equally educated? Our daughters eight-year journey was not caused by lack of knowledge or inactivity by us. Young women need doctors to be educated in dealing with endometrial symptoms, and more importantly, better research and intervention techniques. Current laparoscopic procedures do not always find endometriosis. And that is assuming you can find a gynaecologist willing to perform a laparoscopy, and you can afford to pay for it.

Name withheld on request Once were terrors

Kerri Sackvilles insightful article (I stand with Kate, some kids wont be tamed, 7/6) recalled a visit from three unruly children at my (late) husbands dental surgery. Their blustery natures and unruly and noisy actions had us holding on to what we could so that it remained intact. Their parents sat and read the magazines. Years later, these three young men are a credit to the community. Good workers, exemplary manners, and a delight to meet again. That Prince Louis ran riot means nothing.

L. Anne Kruger, Rye

And another thing Illustration: Matt Golding Credit: Barnaby Joyce

Speaking after his removal from the leadership of the National Party, Barnaby said it was a weight off his shoulders. The public reply might well be: Its a weight off our shoulders also.

Hugh McCaig, Blackburn Foreign policy

Of course Albanese should go to the G20 and tell Putin what civilised people think of his disgusting behaviour. He could even take Tony Abbott along to deliver his long-promised shirt-front.

Loch Wilson, Northcote All praise to our new defence minister for toning down the rhetoric around the potential for conflict with China. However, his use of former US president Teddy Roosevelts advice to speak softly and carry a big stick leaves me wondering where and what our big stick is!

Liz McLachlan, Eaglemont

I note that China has rejected charges of risky air manoeuvres by its pilots following our governments complaints. Surely our pilots should have dash cam footage to prove our governments complaints.

Jaya Naidu, Merrijig Australia supported independence for East Timor despite Indonesias hostilities. We should now support independence for West Papua regardless of Indonesias attitude.

John Walsh, Watsonia Furthermore

Our previous prime minister and his pals said we needed a gas-led recovery, but they forgot to tell us we would have to pay for it.

Michael Hall, Blackburn Is the Boroondara resident forced to remove his solar panels allowed to park a modern car out the front? Or is he limited to a T-model Ford?

Michael Hassett, Blackburn I guess the first of Kates style rules on show at the Platinum Jubilee (7/6) is make sure someone else pays for it.

Angus McLeod, Cremorne
The City of Melbourne will halt the construction of new bicycle lanes in the CBD for one year despite receiving more than 1000 submissions in favour of continuing with the separated bike lane rollout.

About 19 kilometres of protected bike lanes have been built in and around the CBD in the past two years, with a further 71 kilometres planned by 2030, but the City of Melbournes management recommended deferral of the further installation of protected bike lanes in the Hoddle grid because the city was still recovering from the pandemic.

Pro-bike lane protestors outside the Melbourne Town Hall on Tuesday evening. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui

At a marathon Future Melbourne Committee meeting on Tuesday night, which lasted five hours, the council voted to go ahead with the pause on building bike lanes in the CBD, but to continue with the design work for the bike lanes.

The city will instead prioritise the rollout of protected bike lanes outside the Hoddle Grid with work to start in Arden Street and Macauley Road as soon as practicable.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia must diversify its trade and economic interests away from China and build up links with countries including Indonesia and India.

On the final day of his three-day trip to Indonesia, Albanese also spoke to students at the Universitas Hasanuddin in Makassar, the capital of the eastern island of Sulawesi, about climate change, education and his appointment of the first Muslim Australians in a federal ministry  Ed Husic and Anne Aly.

Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese take a selfie with students at the Universitas Hasanuddin in Makassar, Indonesia. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Albanese has focused heavily on trade and investment links with Indonesia during the visit, bringing with him a high-powered delegation of chief executives from Australias largest companies including Commonwealth Bank, Wesfarmers, Telstra and Fortescue, and emphasising in a speech at a business dinner in Jakarta on Monday night the need for trade diversification.

It was a theme he returned to on Tuesday as he revealed former Rudd and Gillard minister Greg Combet would lead a delegation of industry super fund chiefs to Indonesia in the coming weeks to look for new investment opportunities.
Federal officials have been told to act on an extraordinary backlog in visa applications for thousands of skilled workers at a time when employers claim they will have to shut down if they cannot find a solution to chronic labour shortages.

With experts warning of gridlock in the visa system, incoming federal ministers have put the backlog at the top of their agenda in a bid to speed up decisions when the number of skilled foreign workers in Australia has slumped to half the number seen a decade ago.

People are waiting months for their visa applications to be processed. Credit:Eddie Jim

Official figures show the number of skilled foreign workers leaving Australia exceeded the number coming into the country in April, highlighting the pressure on the labour market when employers say they are waiting too long to have new visas approved.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has asked the Department of Home Affairs to act on the problem as a priority given the concerns put to him by the community before he was sworn into office last week.
In the wake of Peter Dutton unveiling his balanced shadow ministry, comprising 10 women out of 24, the message from the conservative camp reminds me of the clumsy and boorish bloke who says, hey, sorry if I was an oaf last night, I had one too many.

According to the authorised narrative of the Liberals 2022 election apocalypse, the clumsy and boorish bloke is Scott Morrison, who, while no Bob Hawke with the turps, struggled to hear the concerns of women and thus cost his party heartland seats to the teals.

The new Liberal leadership team of Peter Dutton and Sussan Ley address the media. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Hence, the Liberal Partys new deputy, Sussan Ley, announces shes heading out on a listening tour so she can be a strong voice for women. Were determined to earn back your trust and your faith, she said to them this week.

It is the reference to earning back the trust of female voters that interests me because it implies the Liberals consistently had the trust before Morrison lost it. And that Ley and a chastened party under the sensitive new-age Dutton will find it again.
Since the time of Paul Keating, it has become something of a ritual of Australian politics: the new prime minister will make their first major visit to Jakarta.

A big part of this ritual has always been to point to the untapped economic potential of the relationship between Australia and Indonesia. For years, Australias two-way trade with Singapore or New Zealand, each with populations of between 5 and 6 million, has exceeded its trade with Indonesia, a nation of 280 million people with a middle class that numbers between 50 and 60 million.

When Tony Abbott came into office in 2013, he promised his foreign policy would be more Jakarta and less Geneva, only to see rows over Australian spying and a clumsy attempt to link foreign aid money to a death penalty case sour his pitch. But from the beginning it seemed Abbotts slogan was as much about pushing back against global institutions as it was about building ties with our close neighbour.

For Jakarta, which sees itself as a key player in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the fulcrum of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, and is set to host the G20 leaders summit in Bali in November, the idea of turning away from multilateral bodies to pursue better ties with Canberra held limited appeal. So a new Australian government that has vowed to re-engage with South-East Asia and return to a global consensus on climate change action was always likely to get a warmer reception.
Berlin: Angela Merkel defended her approach to diplomacy during her 16 years as Germanys leader, saying that a much criticised 2015 peace deal for eastern Ukraine bought Kyiv precious time and she wont apologise for her diplomatic efforts.

In her first substantial comments since leaving office six months ago, Merkel on Tuesday, Berlin time, said there was no excuse for Russias brutal attack on Ukraine and it was a big mistake on Russias part.

Merkel, who dealt with Russian President Vladimir Putin throughout her chancellorship, rejected a suggestion that she and others engaged in appeasement that ultimately enabled the invasion.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel answers questions. Credit:AP

I tried to work toward calamity being averted, and diplomacy was not wrong if it doesnt succeed, she said in an on-stage live broadcast interview at a Berlin theatre .
With the Tony Awards scheduled for June 12, our critics have been predicting the winners all week. Finally, we arrive at the two big awards: Best Musical and Best Play. You can read their predictions below:

Adam Godley, Simon Russell Beale, and Adrian Lester starred in Stefano Massini's The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sam Mendes, at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre.

( Julieta Cervantes)

Best Play



THE NOMINEES:

Clyde's

Hangmen

The Lehman Trilogy

The Minutes

Skeleton Crew

Zachary Stewart:

Will win: The Lehman Trilogy

Should win: Skeleton Crew



The cynical lefty living in my brain suspects that Tony voters (many of whom are Broadway producers) will vote their class and support Stefano Massini's fairytale of American entrepreneurship (which, to be clear, I thought was excellent). But my heart is with Dominique Morisseau's incisive, timely, bittersweet ode to American workers: It says a lot more about where we're heading than where we've been.

David Gordon:

Will win: The Lehman Trilogy

Should win: The Lehman Trilogy

This is another category where there's no real suspense, and The Lehman Trilogy will rightfully take it home. For argument's sake, I'd probably vote for Skeleton Crew, which is a more "relevant" piece, and if I were a nominator, I'd have suggested Dana H., Thoughts of a Colored Man, and Pass Over instead of Clyde's, Hangmen, and The Minutes, three middle-drawer plays by their respective authors.

Hayley Levitt:

Will win: The Lehman Trilogy

Should win: The Lehman Trilogy



This year's choice for Best Play feels pretty clear-cut. Stefano Massini's sparse, yet epic march through generations of Lehman financiers (and Ben Power's beautiful translation) reaches far beyond the world of banking, touching on themes of legacy, culture, and the easily corruptible American dream. Massini even manages to educate his audiences on the mounting complexities of America's banking system without putting a single ticketholder to sleep. The play is an achievement in countless aspects, and I believe we can expect it to be duly rewarded.

Pete Hempstead:

Will win: The Lehman Trilogy

Should win: The Lehman Trilogy



From the moment I left the theater after seeing The Lehman Trilogy, I said to myself and anyone who would listen that this was the play of the year, and despite the terrific work that we saw onstage this season (some of which, such as Pass Over, did not make the nominee list), my opinion holds. The Lehman Trilogy was far and away the most riveting and exciting play to hit Broadway. It will in all likelihood win, and it should.

James Jackson Jr., L Morgan Lee, Antwayn Hopper, John-Andrew Morrison, Jaquel Spivey, Jason Veasey, and John-Michael Lyles star in Michael R. Jackson's A Strange Loop, directed by Stephen Brackett, at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre.

( Marc J. Franklin)

Best Musical



THE NOMINEES:

Girl From the North Country

MJ

Mr. Saturday Night

Paradise Square

Six

A Strange Loop

Zachary Stewart:

Will win: A Strange Loop

Should win: A Strange Loop



It's original. It's American. It pushes buttons and boundaries in a way that no other Broadway show does right now. A Strange Loop has a lot going for it; and Tony voters, who want to see themselves as part of the force driving the American musical into its next phase, will leap at the chance to support Michael R. Jackson's daring new musical with a Tony Award.

David Gordon:

Will win: A Strange Loop

Should win: A Strange Loop



A Strange Loop's Tony will go very nicely alongside its Pulitzer Prize, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards. For Six and MJ, the top prize will be the money-printing factories they build across the country on tour, which is not too shabby, either.

Hayley Levitt:

Will win: A Strange Loop

Should win: Six



Michael R. Jackson's A Strange Loop is coming to the Tonys armed with a Pulitzer Prize and rave reviews that are only a month old. Jackson unabashedly expands the genre of musical theater with his much-accoladed piece  and with it fresh in the critics' minds, it seems he's all but certain to add another trophy to his shelf. Let's not forget, however, the buzz of innovation that Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss's banger-filled Six was riding in on when it was intended to open in March of 2020. It ended up opening in October 2021, receiving the enthusiastic reviews it was always expected to earn. But even as it rides steady with healthy grosses and a thriving fan base, Six may have lost that new-show smell that voters love to reward.

Pete Hempstead:

Will win: A Strange Loop

Should win: A Strange Loop



I really enjoyed MJ, and I walked out of Six feeling like I had had a terrific night of theater, but A Strange Loop stuck with me as the most original musical on Broadway this season. It's a gut-punch that makes you laugh, a riotous carnival that makes you cringe. When something new is done so well, it deserves to be recognized.
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Michael Sussmann, a cybersecurity lawyer who represented the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign in 2016, outside of federal court in Washington following his acquittal on May 31, 2022. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo)

10 Underreported Revelations From Trial of Former Clinton Lawyer

While former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann was acquitted of lying to the FBI, a number of new details came to light during his trial. Some havent been made known or been widely reported.

1. FBI Lawyer Sussmann Met With Sought Perkins Coie Job

Sussmann passed along claims about Clinton presidential rival Donald Trump to FBI lawyer James Baker on Sept. 19, 2016, as well as data that supposedly supported the claims.

Baker gave the information to others in the bureau, triggering an investigation. The FBI and CIA both determined the claims were unsupported.

Baker, while testifying during the trial, described Sussmann as a friend whom he met when both worked for the Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBIs parent agency. Baker, who left the bureau in May 2018, revealed that he was seeking to work for Perkins Coie, the firm that employed Sussmann, soon after.

To the best of my recollection, I think it was Michaels idea, Baker said. I mean, Michael knew that I had left the bureau, and I was looking around for a jobI had a job at the time, so I was workingI was working at the time, but I was looking around at other jobs, including [at] law firms. And so somehow he became aware of that and inquired about whether I would be interested in working at Perkins Coie.

In one of many text messages the men exchanged before and after the meeting, Sussmann told Baker on Sept. 29, 2018, that it was great seeing you this week. That was a reference to a meeting that involved discussing a job at Perkins Coie, according to Baker.

While Sussmann arranged interviews for Baker, Perkins Coie never made a job offer.

Baker described a miscommunication in which a headhunter he was working with told him that the firm had essentially rejected him. But when Baker conveyed the message to Sussmann, Sussmann went and got it sorted out, Baker said, adding that the firm was actually considering offering him a job. Baker, however, ended up taking jobs at the think tank R Street Institute and CNN. He left those positions to work at Twitter, where hes currently employed.

2. Joffe Was an FBI Source, and Was Fired

The information that Sussmann took to the FBI was obtained by Rodney Joffe, among others. Joffe was a technology executive at Neustar who was one of Sussmanns clients.

Joffe was a confidential human source (CHS) for the bureau for years, it was revealed during the trial. He had regularly helped the bureau on cybersecurity matters and was even recommended for an FBI award in 2013.

But Joffe was terminated, apparently because of his actions in 2016. He was closed for cause as a source, prosecutor Deborah Brittain Shaw said.

Our understanding is that Mr. Joffe was terminated as a source for cause in 2021 as an outgrowth of this investigation, Michael Bosworth, a defense lawyer, added later.

The defense successfully got U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, to order prosecutors not to reference Joffes status again, after they claimed it was prejudicial to explore or elicit further testimony about his termination, given that it happened so late and was connected to this case.

Bosworth called Joffe one of the worlds leading cyber experts during opening arguments.

Joffe exploited his access to non-public data from Trump Tower, Trumps apartment in New York, and the White House to compile the data Sussmann eventually took to the FBI, according to prosecutors. Joffe could still be charged with crimes, prosecutors have indicated. He wasnt called as a witness because he was going to refuse to answer questions, since hes still under investigation.

3. Tea Leaves Was April Lorenzen

The group that gathered the data that Sussmann presented to the FBI also included April Lorenzen, a data analyst at a firm called ZETAlytics.

It was known that a person in the group went online and posted some of the information under the moniker Tea Leaves. The posts were made in October 2016, shortly after Sussmann met with Baker.

But the identity of the person wasnt confirmed until the trial, during which Bosworth said it was Lorenzen.

Bosworth was questioning FBI agent Ryan Gaynor, who monitored the investigation into the TrumpRussia claims from Washington on behalf of FBI leadership.

Gaynor acknowledged that, as far as he knew, nobody had tried to contact the person who posted the information online pseudonymously.

And are you aware that, if they had done so, they would have discovered that the person posting was another cyber expert named April Lorenzen? Bosworth asked.

I am not, Gaynor said.

Slate magazine, which was one of the first outlets to publish an article about the TrumpAlfa Bank claims, described Tea Leaves as a male, as did The Intercept.

Tea Leaves was mentioned in Sussmanns indictment, which also described the person Originator-1. According to the indictment, Tea Leaves was a business associate of Tech Executive-1, who has long been known as Joffe.

Jared Novick, who conducted research for Joffe on Trump associates such as Carter Page, said on the stand that Joffe had involvement in a number of companies, including ZETAlytics. Joffe previously refused to answer questions about the businesses he owned or was otherwise affiliated with during a deposition for a lawsuit filed by Alfa Bank.

Rodney Joffe, left, launching Littoral Ventures with others, including April Lorenzen, second from right, the CEO of ZETAlytics. (DOJ via The Epoch Times)

4. Multi-Pronged Effort to Seed Allegations

Lorenzen posted the data on a WordPress blog. One or more members of the group also reportedly took to Reddit to share the data, and Joffe directed Sussmann to go to the FBI with the claims, Sussmann indicated in previous testimony before Congress.

Separately, Joffe approached an FBI agent named Tom Grasso with several IP addresses that were purportedly linked to Alfa Bank, the Russian bank that Joffes group claimed had a secret backchannel with Trumps business.

Grasso said on the stand that hed been working with Joffe for years, even though he wasnt Joffes handler. He also said the situation was unusual because it concerned a matter that I normally did not work on with Mr. Joffe.

Most of the stuff I worked on Mr. Joffe with was cyber crime matters, and this was in the area of Russia and foreign influence and counterintelligence and things like that, which is why I quickly passed it off to who I thought were the people working that matter, Grasso testified.

Grasso didnt reveal Joffe was a CHS in passing along the information to others in the bureau. Instead, he described Joffe as an anonymous reporter.

During closing arguments, prosecutor Andrew DeFilippis said: This is Mr. Joffe trying to put these politically charged allegations into another part of the FBI in order to create the appearance of two different streams of information. And that makes sense with the broader plan that was at work here. They were trying to hide origins, hide the involvement of clients in order to get the FBI to investigate.

Another aspect of the effort involved promoting the allegations to the media. Sussmann, operatives with Fusion GPS, and at least one Clinton campaign staffer shared the data with reporters to try to get stories written. That plan was approved by Clinton herself, campaign manager Robby Mook said on the stand. Among the reporters was Mark Hosenball of Reuters, who emails show was in contact with Fusion operatives. Hosenball went to the FBI to ask about the Tea Leaves post.

5. Clinton Lawyers Met Regularly With Fusion

Marc Elias, another lawyer with Perkins Coie, served as the Clinton campaigns counsel after Clinton won the Democratic primary. He hired Fusion to perform opposition research and to help him with legal services. Fusion is the firm that compiled the infamous anti-Trump dossier with the help of former British spy Christopher Steele.

Elias was known to have met multiple times with Fusion co-founders Peter Fritsch and Glenn Simpson ahead of the election. But during the trial, documents entered by the prosecution show the trio convened regularly, and that Debbie Fine, a top lawyer with the campaign, was part of the meetings.

One document, titled Daily Check in, shows that meetings were scheduled every weekday for 30 minutes from June 6 until Oct. 31, 2016. Another shows a meeting of the quartet on Aug. 12 for its daily check-in. A third shows a meeting on Aug. 17.

Fine said on the stand that she communicated with Fusion operatives on average several times a week.

Fine didnt recall daily check-ins. She said that as far as she knew, only she and Elias were aware of Fusion doing research, but she didnt know why others werent aware.

I operated on the assumption that, like most of the work that I did for clients, its on a need-to-know basis, so I justI didnt share it, and I wasnt told not to share it. And I dont know whether or not Marc Elias shared it with anyone, she said.

Fine also said she didnt recall discussions about Alfa Bank. Presented with an email she asked Elias to print in October 2016, she said the email was about the TrumpAlfa Bank allegations, as laid out in the Slate article.

Elias previously told a congressional panel that Fusion was acting as my agents and that he met with the operatives on a weekly basis.

Other documents entered during the trial showed that Elias met with Joffe in his office and spoke with him by phone, and that Elias sent an article related to Alfa Bank to top campaign officials, including campaign chair John Podesta, four days before Sussmann went to the FBI.

6. FBI Leaders Were Excited About Probe

Then-FBI Director James Comey was fired up about the TrumpAlfa Bank allegations, according to internal messages entered into evidence.

Comey was interested in the case, another agent wrote.

The decision to open an investigation was made by senior officials.

Joseph Pientka, an FBI official, wrote in a message that the Chicago team must open a case because Bill Priestap, another official, says its [sic] not an optionwe must do it.

The case was opened later that day.

FBI leadership kept tabs on the probe, mainly through Gaynor, who volunteered to monitor it from Washington.

Senior FBI leaders imposed a close hold on the material, which meant that the specific information about who had provided the allegation could not be provided to the field, Gaynor testified during the trial. Leaders were also said to be behind efforts to stonewall agents who asked to interview the source.

When we said that we were interested in interviewing thewhen I say the source, I mean the author of the white paper or the source of the dataI dont know if thats different people or notbut wherever it came from, said Allison Sands, the FBI agent who was in charge of investigating the claims.

But leadership communicated that we should, at the division level, focus on the technical analysis, she added.

Headquarters was not giving us the ability to go interview these people, Curtis Heide, another agent working the case, recounted. He said he was frustrated.

Agents said that its important to know about sources political biases, such as Sussmann representing the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign.

Gaynor acknowledged he had been under investigation for violating the hold during an interview with employees of the DOJ inspector generals office during a 2020 meeting. He said he was woefully ill prepared for the meeting. He believes hes no longer under investigation.

Former FBI Director James Comey speaks via a TV monitor during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 30, 2020. (Stefani Reynolds/Pool/Getty Images)

7. Multiple Offices Worked on Investigation

Baker was based in Washington at the FBIs headquarters. Gaynor monitored the investigation into the claims from Washington. Cyber experts in Chantilly, Virginia, initially analyzed the data, then passed the probe to a hybrid cyber-counterintelligence team in Chicago.

At least one agent based in Miami worked on the case, interviewing Central Dynamics, the company to which the Trump email domain was registered, while another agent or agents in Philadelphia handled interviews at Listrak, another company.

Grasso was based in Pittsburgh.

It looks like the clearing house in London received the same white paper as the one given to Baker, or a similar one, Sands wrote in a message on Oct. 4, 2016.

8. FBI Took Months to Close Investigation

A full investigation into the TrumpRussia claims was opened on Sept. 23, 2016. The probe wasnt officially closed until Jan. 18, 2017.

FBI experts deemed the allegations likely false within a day. The team that did additional work in looking into the claims, which included contacting entities like Central Dynamics had come to a similar conclusion by Oct. 5, 2016.

The delay in closing the probe stemmed from not being able to figure out who handed over the thumb drives that contained the data, according to Sands.

The drives were serialized as 1b, which is digital evidence. When the bureau closes cases, it has to return items taken in the course of an investigation to their rightful owner.

Well, in this case, we didnt know who the owner of the thumb drives was, because James Baker wasnt the owner, Sands said. He was like a middleman or something. He had given them to us, but we didnt know who the thumb drives belonged to.

The team moved to initiate an abandonment hearing, which would enable them to destroy the drives. However, because that involved layers of bureaucracy, Sandss supervisor recommended reserializing the drives as 1a, which refers to anything an agent wants to have in a case file but isnt necessarily evidence. She cited notes taken in an interview as an example.

The reclassification allowed the FBI to close the investigation. That means it was closed when CNN reported, citing anonymous sources, in March 2017 that it was still being investigated.

9. Paperwork Had Mistakes

The document memorializing the opening of the investigation said the DOJ referred the allegations to the FBI. So did the closing document.

Heide referred to both as mistakes, or typos. He said the team had apparently conflated the FBIs office of general counsel with the DOJ.

That wasnt the only problem with files related to the probe.

The closing document said that the was a preliminary inquiry as opposed to a full investigation.

Thats a typo as well, Heide said.

Heide said he was alerted to the issues for the first time in 2018 by the DOJs Office of the Inspector General.

I believe they brought it to my attention and asked me if it was accurate, and my response was the same, that I dont believe it was accurate, he said.

10. Investigation Into Crossfire Hurricane Continues

Special counsel John Durhams team, which prosecuted Sussmann, is investigating the origins of the governments counterintelligence probes into alleged Trump and Russia links. Many of the probes utilized information paid for by the Clinton campaign.

The FBI is also conducting its own inquiry into the probes, collectively known as Crossfire Hurricane, Heide said on the stand.

And are you being investigated individually as part of that investigation? a prosecutor asked.

Yes. Myself and, I believe, others as well, Heide said.

Heide is being investigated for not identifying exculpatory information as it pertained to one of the Crossfire Hurricane investigations, he added later. There were various consensual recordings that were obtained from one of the subjects, and there were statements, I believe, used in a FISA application that werethe exculpatory information was not divulged to the FISA courtthe secretive court authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

A previous watchdog probe found the FBI committed significant errors and omissions in all four of the applications made to the court to spy on Page. The most significant may have been how an FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, doctored an email to state that Page wasnt a CIA asset when, in fact, he was. Clinesmith pleaded guilty to a charge stemming from Durhams probe and received probation.

Heide, during testimony, denied that he withheld exculpatory information from the court.

Heide, who is still with the FBI operating out of Des Moines, Iowa, worked on both Crossfire Hurricane and the Mid-Year Exam, or the bureaus investigation into Clintons use while secretary of state of a private email server to send classified emails.
A fallen tree as a result of heavy rain and strong winds is seen downtown Pristina, Kosovo on June 6, 2022. (Laura Hasani /Reuters)

2 Die as Storm Winds, Lightning Hit Kosovo

PRISTINAA man was killed and a woman injured when a falling tree hit them during a storm in Kosovos capital Pristina on Monday afternoon, police said.

Less than an hour later, another man was killed and his workmate injured when lightning hit them in a marble quarry in the southwestern town of Rahovec, officers added.

Police said they were on alert for more damage elsewhere following the fierce gusts and heavy rain. Some schools closed early.

You have to be cautious especially in parts of the city where there are trees, Pristinas deputy mayor, Alban Zogaj, wrote on his Facebook page.

Police said the man and woman, both in their 30s, were walking when high winds toppled the tree. Officers had earlier said they were in a car.

The men hit in Rahovec were both Turkish nationals, authorities said.

They were working in a marble quarry when lightning hit them, the towns police commander, Fazli Morina, told Reuters.

By Fatos Bytyci
Tower ladders pour water on a massive fire at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., on Feb. 17, 2022. (Leon Halip/Getty Images)

3 Children and 2 Adults Die in Michigan House Fire

Three children and two adults are dead and another child is injured following an early morning fire in Flint, Michigan.

Flint Fire Chief Raymond Barton told WJRT the fire broke out around 4:40 a.m. at a residence on the citys west side.

Barton could not confirm whether there were working smoke detectors in the home.

WJRT reported that a fourth child escaped the fire by climbing out of a window and was rushed to an area hospital. That childs condition was not immediately known.

Fire crews arrived to find flames coming from the homes windows. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
4-Legged Heroes Are Memorialized at New York Pet Cemetery

There are good dogs, there are bad dogs, and then there are hero dogs. The lives of deceased hero dogs are celebrated at the nations oldest pet cemetery in Hartsdale, New York, just north of New York City.

When one hears the words pet cemetery, its hard not to conjure up visions from the Stephen King horror movie of the same name. But at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, theres no horror but a lot of love in the form of monuments erected in memory of the animals that served mankind for the past five generations.

History

According to its website, Hartsdale Pet Cemetery was founded in 1896 to address the growing need for a secure and dignified resting place for the pets of New York City.

In 2012, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, making it the first and only pet cemetery to receive such status.

A pet lover visits a grave during a memorial service for military working dogs at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Hartsdale, N.Y., on June 10, 2012. (John Moore/Getty Images)

War Dog Memorial

It was in 1923 when the first memorial on the grounds was dedicated to dogs who had served in World War I.

The proprietor of the cemetery at that time was a veterinarian named Dr. Samuel Johnson. He was a Manhattan veterinarian, Mary Thurston, Hartsdale Pet Cemeterys historian, told The Epoch Times. He pitched the idea of a memorial to the dogs of war to the plot holders.

It took a few years but he raised $2,500, which is equivalent to over $41,500 today.

Johnson had a very deliberative plan, when he put the memorial at the summit of the grounds, said Thurston. Its prominent throughout the valley. The war dog looks down over the valley and people down in the valley can look up and see it. Its almost like going to the altar on the mount.

Dogs of the Great War

The U.S. military didnt employ service dogs during World War I. However, working side-by-side with the military was the American Red Cross, which employed them.

They were trained to run onto the battlefield and locate wounded soldiers and then go back to the line and lead the medics with a stretcher out onto the battlefield to collect the soldier. And they would know when the dogs had made a find because the dogs were trained to bring back a helmet, a scarf, something from the soldier, Thurston said.

At first, it was the other Allies and the Germans who employed dogs on the front lines.

But the Americans were quick to catch on how valuable they were, she said.

The life-sized, bronze sculpture of the German shepherd in the monument wears a Red Cross blanket and harness.

Hartsdale holds two annual events: one with speakers for The War Dog Memorial each summer (including veterans who handled dogs in Afghanistan) and a blessing of the animals in the fall. The War Dog Memorial and the cemetery, in general, attract annual visitors both nationally and internationally.

Robby, the Military Dog

For decades, military dogs that became too old for service or developed health problems were put down.

In the summer of 2000, Robby was at the end of an illustrious military career with a specialty in explosives detection. He was brought out before a crowd of D.C. dignitaries in Quantico, Virginia, to demonstrate his skills in apprehending a mock suspect in burlap-padded clothing. But as Robby dashed onto the field, he let out a cry and his hindquarters collapsed.

In that instant, Robby became the face of what would be an unprecedented national campaign to end Americas tradition of killing its own war dogs when they get too old to work.

Robbys handler, a 26-year-old Marine lance corporal, was told that the dog was going to be taken back to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio to undergo evaluation. He feared the worstthat Robby would be put down. The young Marine pleaded with officials at Lackland to retire Robby so he could adopt him and provide a home for whatever time he had left.

His request was denied.

Eventually, Congress passed Robbys Law, which greatly lessened the number of military dogs euthanized each year. The federal act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, although Robbys handler was never able to adopt him.

Robbys ashes are buried at the foot of the War Dog Memorial.

Before 2016, it was very difficult for handlers of dogs who served overseas in the military to bring them back to the states after the dogs retired. Most often they were left in foreign countries because retired service dogs were no longer considered on active duty and therefore werent eligible for government-funded transportation.

That changed in 2016 when President Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which included a provision for the transport of retired service dogs back to the United States.

Other Memorials

Theres a small section of the cemeterys lower lawn reserved for civilian police dogs and there are other memorials for animals who have served in medical research and agriculture.

Theres also a cenotaph to Laika, the first living creature to orbit Earth (in the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2) in 1957, and another one for a fire dog.

The memorial to Laika, the Soviet space dog. (Dave Paone/The Epoch Times)
Acute Food Insecurity on the Rise as Record 49 Million People Face Threat of Famine: Report

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of multiple looming food crises prompted by Russias invasion of Ukraine, climate shocks, and the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a June 7 report (pdf) titled Hunger Hotspots  FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity, the organizations said that acute food insecurity is likely to deteriorate further in 20 nations across the globe between now and September 2022, and called for urgent humanitarian action.

Additionally, 49 million people in 46 countries throughout the world may be facing famine or famine-like conditions unless they receive immediate life and livelihoods-saving assistance, the organizations said.

That figure includes 750,000 people already in catastrophe, which is defined as areas that have extreme critical levels of acute malnutrition and mortality.

The organizations said that Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Yemen remain on the highest alert for acute food insecurity, while Afghanistan and Somalia are new entries to this worrisome category since the last hotspots report was released by FAO and WFP in January 2022.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, the Sahel, Sudan, and Syria remain countries of very high concern due to their deteriorating critical conditions, while Kenya has been added to that list.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, West African coastal countries (Benin, Cabo Verde, and Guinea), Ukraine, and Zimbabwe have been added to the list of hotspot countries, joining Angola, Lebanon, Madagascar, and Mozambique as nations where parts of the population are likely to face a significant deterioration of acute food security in the coming months.

Along with recurring climate shocks like droughts, flooding, and hurricanes impacting farming and livestock, and dire macroeconomic conditions in some countries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global fallout of the RussiaUkraine conflict is further exacerbating conditions in some nations, according to the report.

Meanwhile, increasing energy costsanother side effect of the ongoing military conflict in Ukraineand massive public debt burdens are further worsening the situation in many nations.

We are deeply concerned about the combined impacts of overlapping crises jeopardizing peoples ability to produce and access foods, pushing millions more into extreme levels of acute food insecurity, said FAO Director General Qu Dongyu. We are in a race against time to help farmers in the most affected countries, including by rapidly increasing potential food production and boosting their resilience in the face of challenges.

Back in April, the World Bank warned of a potential human catastrophe from a food crisis due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which could see food prices jump 37 percent, hitting the poorest nations the hardest.

Food prices dropped 0.6 percent month-over-month in May to 157.4 points, just shy of the record-high 159.7 points it hit in March, according to the United Nations FAO Food Price Index.

The declines in May were led by decreases in the cost of vegetable oils and dairy prices along with sugar. However, cereal and meat prices increased.

However, given that Ukraine and Russia are major producers of the worlds wheat and corn, reduced production in the former could see prices for the key global commodities rise further.
An Easyjet Airbus aircraft takes off from the southern runway at Gatwick Airport in Crawley, Britain, on Aug. 25, 2021. (Peter Nicholls/Reuters)

Airline EasyJet Cancels Around 80 Flights

Low-cost carrier EasyJet canceled 80 flights on Sunday due to the ongoing challenging operating environment.

The European airline, in its statement on Sunday, said it was working to help customers rebook flights and find hotels.

Flight-tracking website showed EasyJet canceled 98, or 5 percent, of its flights. It also showed that 822, or 45 percent of its flights were delayed.

Earlier in May, Easyjet had canceled over 200 flights due to airport delays and other restrictions impacting travel during school holidays.

Customers are being provided with options to rebook or receive a refund as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required, it said.

The European airline has been hit by a string of problems since the removal of COVID restrictions led to a rebound in travel, with many British airports struggling to recruit enough ground staff while easyJet has also struggled with IT problems.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) Airbus A320 planes are parked at Copenhagen airport in Kastrup, Denmark, on March 15, 2020. (TT News Agency/Johan Nilsson via Reuters)

Airline SAS Shares Hit Record Low as Sweden Says No to More Cash

STOCKHOLMThe Swedish government will not inject new capital into SAS, its industry minister said on Tuesday, dealing a blow to the loss-making airlines restructuring efforts and sending its shares down 14 percent to all-time lows.

SAS said last week a restructuring plan announced in Feburary depended on it raising 9.5 billion Swedish crowns ($968 million) in cash and converting 20 billion crowns of debt to equity, warning of liquidity problems if it fell short.

But no shareholders, including main owners Sweden and Denmark with 21.8 percent stakes each in the carrier, have committed to the plan.

We want to be clear that we will not inject new capital into SAS in the future, Swedens Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson told a news conference.

The minister said he would, however, propose to parliament that SAS be allowed to convert debt it owes to the government into equity capital. Long-term, the government still wants to exit SAS altogether, he added, reiterating a years-long stance.

The airline said in a statement that Swedens decision to support the debt conversion was an important step for a transformation to succeed.

Sweden has over recent decades injected 8.2 billion crowns ($834 million) into the airline, including via loans to rescue the company from collapse during the COVID-19 pandemic when global air travel drew to a near halt.

The carrier was struggling already before the pandemic in the face of growing competition from low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and Norwegian Air, and has sought deals with labor unions on cost cuts.

The Swedish decision puts serious pressure on creditors and employees to enter into agreements, Sydbank analyst Jacob Pedersen said in a note to clients.

If the company cant attract capital, because Sweden and possibly Denmark wont invest more money, this risks being a step on the way to the grave, said Pedersen, who holds a sell rating on the stock which has dropped 67 percent year-to-date.

Denmarks finance ministry was not immediately able to comment. The Danish government has said before it sees itself as a long-term owner in the group.

CEO Anko van der Werff said last week that to attract new investors, SAS must slash costs for leased planes that stand unused due to the closed Russian airspace and slow recovery in Asia.

SAS is not alone in fighting to get back on its feet after the pandemic. Another carrier seeking shareholder backing is Air France-KLM which in May launched a 2.3 billion euro ($2.4 billion) share sale.

By Anna Ringstrom and Stine Jacobsen
All Politics, All the Time: Why?

Commentary

During a recent special visit from faraway friends, the conversation turned to politics. Our friends are more liberal than we are, but we focused on common ground and our talk remained comfortable. One observation we shared was that politics seems ubiquitous today. Politics surfaces in conversation frequently.

We both lamented this, wistfully remembering our younger years when politics would surface occasionally, but most of the time, life was about, well, life. How did we get to this point?

The short answer is: progressive ideology, a profound shift in societal values, and democracy unleashed.

Progressive Ideology

The original intent and design of the American government was to defend the rightsthe life, liberty, and propertyof the American people from foreign and domestic predations. As free people, we were left to figure out how to prosper and how to help each other.

Originally, the federal governments scope of activities was strictly circumscribed to the few powers explicitly enumerated in the Constitution. In fact, so small and unobtrusive was the federal government that President James Monroe won reelection in 1820 running unopposed. It took more than a centuryfrom the founding in 1789 all the way up through 1900for Uncle Sam to spend $16.55 billion (see Table 1.1 from the White House Office of Management and Budget). Today, by comparison, Uncle Sam spends more than $10 billion per day. Even adjusted for a larger population and a weaker dollar, todays federal government is many multiples the size it once was.

By 1900, the political movement and belief system known as progressivism had become entrenched. Millions of Americans began to believe that the federal government should do more than keep us safe and free: It should also look out for the economic well-being of citizens. During World War I, the federal government adopted measures to assist farmers. The New Deal in the 1930s extended federal economic assistance to the poor, the elderly, and the unemployed. The Great Society programs of the 1960s got the federal government heavily involved in medical care, housing, and education.

Progressive logic inexorably led to demand for more and bigger government. If Uncle Sam was responsible for helping Citizens A, B, and C, then why not D, E, and F? If its right for the federal government to subsidize medical care and education, then why not transportation, day care, maternity leave, and so on?

For decades, progressiveseven if they were socialists in their heartsdidnt openly advocate socialism. Too many Americans were firmly opposed to socialism, so progressives adopted a gradualist approach to it. Their strategy was always to call for government to do, spend, tax, and control more and more of the countrys economic activity. That strategy has been hugely successful. Government has gotten involved in many areas of life that used to be considered ones private business.

Shifting Values

The reason the progressive push for the expansion of government succeeded is attributable to a fundamental shift in our sense of right and wrong. Traditional respect for property rights has eroded. Americans still believe its immoral and criminal for an individual to sneak into his neighbors house and take some of his money, but through intellectual and moral gymnastics, millions of Americans have convinced themselves that if government takes some of our neighbors money to give to us, this is social justice.

As Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1816, It is strangely absurd to suppose that a million of human beings, collected together, are not under the same moral laws which bind each of them separately. Yet, through mutilated logic as well as moral confusion, many now believe that As right to his property can be cast aside due to Bs greater right to have As property.

Even if the money Uncle Sam takes from citizens isnt given to us, but instead to some poor, needy souls, does that make the process morally legitimate? Americans have forgotten the lesson of the Good Samaritan. Real charity is helping a person in need with ones own money. Those who, rather than relying on voluntary donations, use government to compel other citizens to fund assistance for the needy are employing an ersatz charity not worthy of the name. And the fact that government today transfers much wealth not just to those in need, but also to the well-to-do and politically connected through the base practice of cronyism is outrageous.

Democracy Unleashed

As government transfer payments became increasingly widespread and increasingly accepted over the decades, many Americans decided, If you cant beat em, join em. They might not have particularly liked the idea of government handouts, but with so many of their fellows receiving government assistance in one form or another, they rationalized that its only fair that they receive some benefit, too. Politicians quickly learned that one of the most effective tactics for wooing votes was to confer benefits on voters, and so federal spending and federal debt have continued to grow to an alarming extent.

Republicans have become the party of Big Government. In the first two years of his presidency, President Donald Trump had the advantage of a Republican-controlled House and Senate. Nevertheless, annual budget deficits increased. In 2019 and 2020, with a Democratic House, Trump capitulated without a fight to Democrats push for higher spending. He figured it would have been a losing battle.

Democrats are the party of Bigger Government. Whereas Republicans recognize the vital importance of the private sector and try to keep it from being taxed and regulated to death, Democrats simply want to control every facet of the national economy. This is how we got to all politics all the time. Democracy in the USA has become democracy of the Marxian variety. Although we choose to blame politicians for the obnoxious omnipresence of politics and our suffocating national debt, the true culprit is we the people.

Due to profound shifts in values over the decades, we have brought this mess upon ourselves. Do you see any way out? Do you see a budding majority of Americans ready to shrink federal spending massively and to stop demanding benefits and assistance from Washington? I dont. Looking at the trend in the national debt shows that officials in Washington, whether with Republican or Democratic majorities, suffer from CFIchronic fiscal incontinence.

The national debt first reached $1 trillion in 1982; $4 trillion in 1992; $6 trillion in 2002; $16 trillion in 2012; and is now $30 trillion in 2022. The momentum of this trend seems unstoppable. There appears to be no way back to the relative innocence of the era of limited government when daily life was not enmeshed in constant political preoccupations.

The only question now seems to be whether our addiction to Big Government will culminate in decades-long stagnation, a la Japan, or in a cataclysmic financial collapse worse than anything our country has experienced before.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A poll worker sorts ballots inside the Maricopa County Election Department in Phoenix, Arizona on Nov. 5, 2020. (Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images)

Arizona Woman Sentenced for Casting Dead Mothers Ballot in 2020 Election

A southern Arizona woman was sentenced on Monday for illegally casting an early ballot in her deceased mothers name during the 2020 general election, officials say.

Krista Michelle Conner, 56, of Cochise County, received three years of supervised probation and was told to pay $890 in fines and surcharges. She also has to complete 100 hours of community service.

The Arizona Attorney Generals Office previously said (pdf) in court documents Conner illegally signed her deceased mothers early ballot envelope, casing a vote on her behalf.

Said conduct occurred when KRISTA MICHELLE CONNER, knowingly signed the name of Caroline Jeanne Sullivan to a declaration under penalty of perjury located on the November 3, 2020, General Election early ballot envelope for deceased elector Caroline Jeanne Sullivan, the office wrote in an indictment.

Her mother, Caroline Jeanne Sullivan died on Sept. 7, 2020, or about two months before the November 2020 elections, authorities said. Election officials in Arizona declared victory for President Joe Biden, saying he defeated former President Donald Trump by about 11,000 votes in the state.

Conner was indicted several months ago and pleaded guilty to one count of attempted illegal voting in Cochise County Superior Court.

Authorities did not indicate whether Conner was registered as a Democrat or Republican.

The Arizona Attorney Generals Office Election Integrity Unit was the agency responsible for looking into Conners case, and it was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Todd Lawson.

In another Arizona case, a Scottsdale woman was sentenced to probation in April for voting her deceased mothers ballot in the November 2020 elections. Also this year, a 70-year-old Lake Havasu City woman was sentenced to one year of supervised probation for voting with her dead fathers name in the 2018 election.

Arizona state law stipulates that power of attorney is not a viable use for a person concerning elections, including casting ballots for another person.

It is illegal to use power of attorney as a basis for any person to conduct any procedure or transaction concerning elections, including voter registration, petition circulation or signature, voter registration cancellation, early ballot requests or voting another persons ballot, according to the state Attorney Generals Mark Brnovichs office.

Brnovich, a Republican running for Arizonas Senate seat in the 2022 elections, released a report in April saying there are serious vulnerabilities that must be addressed and raises questions about the 2020 election in Arizona.

His office also said a probe found instances of election fraud by individuals who have been or will be prosecuted for various election crimes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 31, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

As House Moves Forward on Gun Bills, Senate Seeks More Time to Find Bipartisan Agreement

Democrats in the House have put forward an array of wide-reaching gun control bills that are set to come to the floor this week, but in the Senate, which can make or break the success of most bills, Republican Party negotiators are requesting more time.

Various Democrat factions in both the House and Senate have pushed for sweeping federal legislation to change gun laws in the United States, in the wake of a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two adults dead.

House Democrats Float Various Gun Control Proposals

In the House, where simple majorities rule, Democrats have pushed for the wide-reaching Protecting Our Kids Act, which was pushed through the House Judiciary Committee in a party-line vote last week. It is expected to come to the floor for a vote later this week.

That bill, among other provisions, would ban the sale of any semi-automatic centerfire rifle or semi-automatic centerfire shotgun that has, or has the capacity to accept, an ammunition feeding device with a capacity exceeding 5 rounds to citizens below the age of 21. Currently one only needs to be 18 to buy such a weapon.

It would also codify the Department of Justices controversial ban on bump stocks, a weapon modification that increases the fire rate of a semi-automatic firearm.

In addition, the bill would make it a federal crime to possess weapons that critics have pejoratively labeled ghost gunsa term usually describing homemade or 3D-printed weapons without a serial number.

However, the real litmus test for any bill is in the Senate, where most legislation must overcome a 60-vote filibuster threshold to pass.

Foreseeing difficulty overcoming the filibuster threshold, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) put forward a bill that would bypass the filibuster entirely.

That bill, much narrower in scope than the Protecting Our Kids Act, would place a 1,000 percent tax on many types of semi-automatic firearms in the hope of making them unaffordable for most average Americans.

Specifically, the bill targets weapons like the AR-15, which can range in price from $400 to $2,000. If Beyers bill were to become law, this range would increase to over $4,000 on the low end to $20,000 on the high end.

Congress must act to prevent mass shootings, Beyer said in a June 5 Twitter post. Im writing a bill to restrict the flow of weapons of war into American communitiesincluding AR-15s and high capacity magazinesthat could bypass the filibuster and pass with just 50 votes in the Senate.

To do so, the bill uses the budget reconciliation process. This process allows bills specifically related to federal revenues and expenditures to pass through the Senate by a simple majority vote, with no need for the bill to overcome the filibuster threshold.

Democrats have already relied on the process on various occasions to overcome GOP resistance in the upper chamber.

At the beginning of 2021, the budget reconciliation process was used to advance the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to President Joe Bidens desk. Later, Democrats used it for the Build Back Better Act, which ultimately failed after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) refused to vote for the package.

However, this process too is subject to some limitations.

Because of the potential for abuse of the system, as indeed happened through the 1980s under President Ronald Reagan and the Democrat-controlled House, the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) authored a rule requiring all items in a budget reconciliation bill to be directly related to federal revenues and expenditures.

The parliamentarian, who serves as the Senates nonpartisan referee, has wide-reaching authority to accept or reject items in budget reconciliation that go beyond the bounds of this rule.

This was a power that current parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough exercised on several occasions, during negotiations surrounding immigration provisions in the Build Back Better Act.

Though Beyers bill seems to be within the bounds of the reconciliation process, Republicans could try to convince MacDonough to rule against the bill if it comes to the Senate.

So far, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democrat leaders have given no indication that the bill will be considered, however.

Senator Cornyn, Leading GOP Senate Negotiations, Asks for More Time

In the Senate as well, lawmakers have spent the past few weeks working to find a legislative response to the shooting.

Republicans, citing Second Amendment rights, have long pushed back against Democrats efforts to tighten federal gun laws. Some Republicans seem to be open to softening this stance, though most have pushed for bills to increase school security or address widespread mental illness issues instead of stricter gun control.

Most prominently, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said during an interview with CNN that he had instructed Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to negotiate with some Democrats, including Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), to try to hammer out a compromise bill.

Ive encouraged him to talk to Senator Sinema, Senator Murphy, and others who are interested in trying to get an outcome thats directly related to the problem, McConnell said, adding that he is hopeful that we could come up with a bipartisan solution thats directly related to the facts of this awful massacre.

McConnell was anxious to emphasize that he was not pushing for legislation that would advance a partisan Democrat agenda, but only to find a legislative solution directly related to the circumstances of the Uvalde shooting.

What Ive asked Senator Cornyn to do is to meet with the Democrats who are interested in getting a bipartisan solution and come up with a proposal, if possible, thats crafted to meet this particular problem, he said.

However, Cornyn has indicated that lawmakers need more time to work out any such agreement, despite a sense of anxiety on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumers (D-N.Y.) part to bring legislation to the floor as soon as possible.

Cornyn told another news outlet that negotiators will need at least a week to hammer out any such deal, and he asked Schumer to push back the deadline for reaching an agreement.

Good consensus legislation takes time. So I hope Sen. Schumer will let his members work, Cornyn said. Theres no use in rushing a vote on a doomed partisan bill like the House is expected to vote on this week.

In a June 5 ad in the Dallas Morning News, 250 GOP donors praised McConnells decision to tap Cornyn as the lead negotiator in the effort, saying Cornyn is the right man to lead this bipartisan effort, as he has demonstrated throughout his career.

It remains unclear what will come of the Senate negotiations, however.

Even with McConnells backing, any agreement reached between Cornyn and Democrats will need the support of at least 10 Republicans. And many, concerned about returning to their constituents with a gun control bill on their record, may be hesitant to back any such bill.

Further complicating the issue, progressive elements in the House may be hesitant to give their backing to a bill that does not go as far as they would like.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (C) walks after laying a wreath at the Kalibata National Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta, Indonesia on June 6, 2022. (Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images)

Australian PM Ups Engagement With Indonesia Amid Tension in the Indo-Pacific

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has turned up the diplomatic offensive in the Indo-pacific, announcing a range of new partnerships with Australias northern neighbour Indonesia during an official visit.

Albanese met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta on June 6, along with several ministers, including Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Trade Minister Don Farrell, and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen.

The prime minister pledged to work with major Australian superannuation funds (the fourth largest pension industry in the world) to explore investment opportunities. The government will also advance a $200 million climate and infrastructure partnership.

True to my governments ambitious climate targets, I want better access to affordable, reliable, and secure clean energy right across our region as we transition to a net-zero world together, Albanese said in his opening remarks at Bogor Palace, the presidents official residence.

Australia will also supply expertise to help Indonesia as it builds a brand new capital city, Nusantara, away from the existing capital Jakarta, which currently suffers from overpopulation and congestion.

Education exchange will also be expanded with Australia increasing its intake of working and holiday visas to Indonesia by another 5,000 allocations per year by 2025.

Albanese also announced 10 recover together, recover stronger scholarships for Indonesians to complete Masters and PhDs in Australia. At the same time, the teaching of Bahasa Indonesia will also be promoted locally in Australia.

Building stronger relations with Indonesia and ASEAN will continue to be a focus of the Labor government, with an additional $470 million to be delivered over four years to Overseas Development Assistance programs in Southeast Asia, and the appointment of a dedicated envoy to the region.

Albanese and Wong have embarked on high-level visits in the first few weeks of winning office, with the foreign minister also making two trips to the South Pacific.

All this comes amid a backdrop of increasing tensions with the Chinese Communist Party and also overtures from Beijing to strengthen ties with Southeast Asian and Pacific nations.

Strategic competition in the region must be well managed to avoid open conflict, Indonesian President Widodo told reporters on June 6. The culture of peace and strategic trust needs to be strengthened continuously.
Many people who are infected with COVID-19 will continue to suffer and be unable to recover completely from the disease for a long time. Some COVID-19 patients have symptoms different from those acute ones in the early stages of the disease. They are long-term, chronic symptoms, and with the amount of SARS-CoV-2 viruses constantly changing in the body, the entire recovery process also continues for a long period of time.

This is the long-term effects of the novel coronavirus, also known as the long COVID. About 10 percent to 30 percent of COVID-19 patients will develop long-term symptoms, and so far, there hasnt been any medical explanation for this.

4 Types of People Are Prone to Long COVID

It has been found that people with the following four characteristics are more likely to develop long COVID.

High levels of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the early stages: Many people dont experience serious symptoms. However, a small amount of viruses remain in their bodies during the virus elimination process.

Many people dont experience serious symptoms. However, a small amount of viruses remain in their bodies during the virus elimination process. Generation of autoantibodies after infection: These antibodies do not attack the virus, but instead the patients own body. They do not completely stop working as the symptoms subside and continue to attack the body.

These antibodies do not attack the virus, but instead the patients own body. They do not completely stop working as the symptoms subside and continue to attack the body. Activation of other viruses in the body after infection with COVID-19: for example, herpes virus.

for example, herpes virus. Having an underlying disease, such as diabetes: The viruses are more likely to remain in the body for a long time due to a deficiency in the immune system.

COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to a large number of people around the world. However, a recent article published in Nature showed that the vaccine was much less effective than previously thought in reducing the risk of long COVID, with only a slight decrease of 15 percent.

A breakthrough infection review originated from a report published in the journal Nature Medicine on May 25, 2022. The report examines the long-term risk of COVID-19 associated with vaccination on a large scale.

The study tracked 13 million people and is the largest study to date on the issue of long COVID after breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection (BTI) in vaccinated people.

According to the Nature article: The authors of the latest study also compared symptoms such as brain fog and fatigue in vaccinated and unvaccinated people for up to six months after they tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The team found no difference in type or severity of symptoms between those who had been vaccinated and those who had not.

Nature mentioned two studies that suggested long COVID happened in as many as 30 percent of cases, and a larger study that suggested it was closer to 7 percent. In any case, with some 83 million infected in the United States alone, even a small percentage of those turning into long term cases would be a staggeringly high number of people affected by a disease that remains mysterious, said nephrologist Ziyad Al-Aly, one of the report authors.

Compared to people who havent been infected by COVID, those who developed a breakthrough infection 30 days ago had:

a 74 percent increased risk of cardiovascular diseases

a 143 percent increased risk of coagulation and hematologic disorders

a 148 percent increased risk of lung diseases

a 100 percent increase in the risk of fatigue

a 69 percent increase in the risk of neurological disorders

The study looked at hospitalization as well: Risk of death increased by 29 percent for those who were not hospitalized within 30 days of the breakthrough infection, and by 169 percent for those who were hospitalized.

Long COVID Symptoms Affect Multiple Organs in the Body

Long COVID is actually a chronic disease that has various symptoms, most of which are currently unexplainable or even difficult to detect.

However, scientists have found that long COVID can affect the entire body, penetrating various organs.

Circulatory system

Many people with long COVID suffer from extreme fatigue. Some people feel fatigue coming on whenever they exercise.

Generally speaking, our heart and blood carry oxygen to our muscles and organs throughout the body, so we have the strength to stand, walk and exercise. Studies have discovered that people with long COVID have an impaired blood circulation system, which may affect oxygen delivery and lead to severe fatigue.

In the heart and blood circulation system, even the presence of a small number of viruses over a long period of time can cause chronic inflammation, resulting in poor circulation.

In addition, microthrombi caused by inflammatory responses can block the veins and capillaries, further worsening circulation. And inflammation can also damage the nerve fibers that control circulation.

Brain

The SARS-CoV-2 virus can enter the brain through the nasal cavity and blood-brain barrier, causing damage to the cerebral system. Some people have severe brain inflammation and damage even with a mild infection.

The long COVID problems in the brain may be due to over-activation of immune cells called microglia caused by the virus. This response is similar to that seen in cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, long COVID may also significantly reduce blood flow to the brain, causing brain damage.

Pulmonary

Some patients with long COVID, who have never been hospitalized, often have shortness of breath. Oddly enough, their lungs look normal after a CT or X-ray scan.

It is only when a special MRI scan is performed that damage to the lungs is discovered.

The likely cause is that these patients have microthrombosis in their pulmonary blood vessels, which leads to a lack of oxygen supply. This is why some people have chronic dyspnea, as if something is pressing on their chest, but their routine tests dont find any issue.

Best Treatment Method for Long COVID Symptoms

The British Medical Journal suggests that the best treatment method for the long COVID may be the holistic approach.

This is because the parts of the body damaged by the long COVID have too many symptoms. Many patients with the long COVID have physical symptoms as well as mental problems like brain fog. What is being sought is a way to help people reduce their symptoms and stress.

The holistic approach draws on many Eastern healing modalities, of which sitting in meditation is an excellent one.

Over the past few decades, there has been a lot of research into the effects of meditation, but very little has been done systematically.

In fact, the effects of meditation on brain waves were studied as early as the 1970s. Brain waves are the brains neural activities measured by instruments, and are divided into different frequencies, such as alpha, beta, and theta. Studies have found that at the beginning of meditation, the frequency of alpha waves decreased, while the amplitude increased, indicating that the body started to get rid of excessive anxiety and became calmer. This helps the body and mind to rest.

Nowadays, more and more people adopt meditation as a way to adjust their physical and mental health. Statistics show that people with higher rates of adoption are more educated, female or younger, as well as people with chronic diseases.

Approximately 80 percent of complementary therapies are considered as treatment options in doctor-patient discussions.

A recent study published in Frontiers in Public Health compiled a map of evidence for the effects of meditation by selecting 191 reports out of a total of over 430.

The most significant effects of meditation are stress reduction, improvement in quality of life, and reduction in fatigue. Fatigue is the most common problem for people with long COVID, and many suffer from a wide range of symptoms that significantly affect their quality of life. Under severe stress and fatigue, many people are even unable to work or take care of their families. Regular meditation can be very helpful in recovering from overall symptoms.

Meditation is also good for mental health, by improving anxiety, depression, negative emotions, ADHD, and cognitive performance. It especially has a prominent alleviating effect on anxiety and depression.

Meditation is beneficial for many chronic diseases, and it is effective in reducing chronic pain, blood pressure, and improving brain function and heart rate.

China once had a qigong fever. At the height of the Chinese Communist Partys Cultural Revolution campaign, an interesting phenomenon occurred such that in the midst of enforcing a materialistic dogma on society, people en masse turned toward a wellness trend that was deeply and firmly rooted in spirituality. Under the label of fitness, spirituality could be passed on.

In recent years, the West has had yoga fever and meditation fever. Furthermore, many traditional Eastern qigong practices have also spread to the West.

Among these practices, Falun Gong (aka. Falun Dafa) is also widely promoted in Western society. This is perhaps the most popular meditation practice in the world, with free outdoor meditation lessons seen in countries all around the globe, all of which have given people a great opportunity to improve their overall health.

We may need to break through the limitations of past thinking to evaluate at the holistic approach, which encompasses the regulation of the body and mind. This can be very effective in improving the long COVID, which is extremely complex in nature, with unknown causes and imperfect detection methods.
Bill Gates speaks during the Global Investment Summit at the Science Museum in London, on Oct. 19, 2021. (Leon Neal/WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Billionaires Twitter Spat Moves on After Gates Downplays Shorting Teslas Stock

The public feud between two of the worlds richest people keeps unfolding as Elon Musk hit back at Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, who had just played down his tune on shorting Tesla stocks.

Despite claiming that Teslas done a fantastic job, Gates said during an interview with French YouTuber HugoDecrypte that he had paid out more tackling climate change than Muskwho then responded in one wordSighvia Twitter on June 4. The Tesla CEO has recently cast doubts on Gates goodwill in fighting climate change given the latters short position against the electric carmaker.

I give a lot more money to climate change than Elon or anyone else. I give a lot of philanthropic dollars, I back companies, Gates said in his recent talk. Electric cars are about 16 percent of emissions, so we also need to solve that other 84 percent.

But somebody shorting the stock doesnt slow him down or hurt him in any way, the billionaire argued, without denying a previously-confirmed half-billion-dollar bet against the automaker, which would now require up to $2 billion to close out.

Sigh  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 4, 2022

Musk proved in April a leaked text exchange with Gates, unveiling that Gates admitted to short-selling Tesla shares. Musk also turned down the others request to discuss philanthropy possibilities.

Sorry, but I cannot take your philanthropy on climate change seriously when you have a massive short position against Tesla, the company doing the most to solve climate change, he struck back. Yet Gates told The Wall Street Journal in early May that he doesnt see how ones Tesla short or long position reflects his seriousness about climate change.

The billionaire also suspected Musks potential impact on Twitter, suggesting that the latters plan to purchase the platform would allow for more so-called misinformation to proliferate.

An analysis of the public filings and records shows that a dozen of liberal groups that pressured Twitter advertisers to boycott the platform early last monthin response to Musks potential acquisitionreceived money from entities funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Lord William Hague makes a speech during the meeting of the United for Wildlife Taskforces at St James Palace, in London, on Jan. 21, 2020. (Victoria Jones - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Boris Johnson Should Seek Honourable Exit to Avoid Uncertainty: Former Conservative Leader

Following the confidence vote, a former leader of the Conservative Party has said Prime MinisterBoris Johnson should look for an honourable exit to spare the party and the country further agonies and uncertainties as his position is no longer sustainable.

Johnson survived a vote of confidence within the ruling Conservative Party on Monday, with 211 MPs backing him and 148 wanting him to step down over the partygate scandal.

Johnson called the result convincing and decisive, and said, as a government we can move on and focus on the stuff that I think really matters to people.

Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses his Cabinet ahead of the weekly Cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London, on June 7, 2022. (Leon NealWPA Pool /Getty Images)

But William Hague, now a member of the House of Lords, is less sanguine about the prime ministers prospects.

While Johnson has survived the night, the damage done to his premiership is severe, Hague wrote in The Times.

Words have been said that cannot be retracted, reports published that cannot be erased, and votes have been cast that show a greater level of rejection than any Tory leader has ever endured and survived, Hague said.

Deep inside, he should recognise that, and turn his mind to getting out in a way that spares party and country such agonies and uncertainties.

Hague, who was leader of the Conservative Party from 1997 to 2001, said he would have regarded his position as completely untenable if more than a third of his own MPs had voted against him in a confidence vote.

He said Johnsons fairly narrow victory is the fending-off of a gathering feeling of hopelessness and is likely to be a way marker on an exhausting road to further crises of confidence.

Hague said this is the worst possible result for the Conservative Party. Logically, they should either reconcile themselves to Johnson and get behind him, or decisively eject him and move on to a new leader. It does not seem they have done either.

The confidence vote followed the May 25 publication of civil servant Sue Grays report into COVID-19 breaches in Downing Street and the remarks by the prime ministers ethics adviser Lord Geidt that Johnson may have breached the ministerial code by attending parties during the pandemic.

The vote in his favour means that Johnson is now immune for a year from any further such vote against him being triggered. However, many commentators from across the political spectrum say he may yet be forced out by other political forces.

Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Defence Committee in the House of Commons, suggested the prime minister would only survive for a matter of months.

Ellwood, who has been calling for Johnson to resign since February, said he accepts the result of the confidence motion for the moment.

But he told Sky News: This is far from a conclusive resultits not a defeat but its not a win.

Chris Summers and PA contributed to this report.
People shelter from the rain under an umbrella outside a Cineworld cinema in Leicester Square in central London on Oct. 4, 2020. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

British Cinema Chain Drops Film Nationwide Amid Muslim Protests

A British cinema chain has dropped the showing of a film nationwide after its Arabian holy legend subject matter prompted protests from some members of the Muslim community.

Bolton Cineworld was the first outlet to say it would no longer be taking bookings for The Lady of Heaven following an outcry from some Muslims in the northwest England town.

On Saturday, a crowd of Muslim men protested outside against the screening of the film, complaining that the film negatively depicts Islamic religious figures. Smaller protests have also been filmed outside Vue cinemas in Croydon and Birmingham.

But free-speech advocates have criticised the climb-down from the cinema operator as bowing down to mob rule.

We Have Pulled the Film

The $15 million film, which was written by the Muslim Sheikh Yasser al-Habib, is a tale about the heart-wrenching journey of Lady Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad. Separated by 1400 years, an Iraqi child, in the midst of a war-torn country, learns the importance and power of patience, according to the films website.

The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021.

A spokesperson from Cineworld, which owns Vue Cinemas, told The Epoch Times: Due to recent incidents related to screenings of The Lady of Heaven, we have made the decision to cancel upcoming screenings of the film nationwide to ensure the safety of our staff and customers.

Footage on social media showed the manager of a Vue cinema addressing protesters, confirming that the film had been canceled and that they would not be showing it again.

We value you all as customers, you are the heart of this community. It wasnt our decision to show this film, it came from above. We totally agree with what you are saying, the manager said.

The Epoch Times has not been able to verify if the position of the cinema manager was Cineworlds official position.

Deeply Disturbing

Chairman of Bolton Council of Mosques Imteyaz Ali told The Epoch Times that he relayed the sentiments of the wider Muslim community in Bolton to the duty manager of Bolton Cineworld. He said that it was a sensible view for the cinema to take the film down.

Any movie that is going to disrespect any religion in any way should not be shown. Although in Bolton we are a very diverse community, we respect each others cultures and values, that similar respect should be given to everyone, he said.

Ali, who said he believes it is illegal to be offensive, had written to Cineworld saying that he also believes the film is blasphemous in nature and deeply disturbing.

The Muslim Council of Britain, the UKs biggest Muslim body with over 500 mosques, educational, and charitable associations affiliated to it, said in a statement: There are some, including many of this films supporters or those engaging in sectarianism in their response, whose primary goal is to fuel hatred. We must not let them succeed.

A general view of a Vue Cinema in Leicester Square, London, on March 21, 2020. (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Do Not Cave Into These Demands

From day one of the production, we said protests are protests, The Lady Of Heavens Executive Producer Malik Shlibak told The Epoch Times.

I guess the film benefits from that as any film does. It brings more attention to the film. While we support protests should happen, we strongly disagree with their message, said Shlibak.

Shlibak added that he believes most British people will disagree with demands for the film to be taken down because free speech is a core tenet in the country. This is a demand that should not be happening in this country, he said.

Even if you are extremely passionate about it, you are free to tell people about it. But to demand others to be silent, they are demanding whatever they deem to be offensive in this film to not be spoken of, he added.

Shlibak said that his film includes many things that Muslims agree with and many are happy and excited to see in this film.

Our message is very clear, direct, and open to the public and to the cinema chains: do not cave into these demands, he said.

Freedom of Speech

Martin Daubney, deputy leader of the Reclaim Party, told The Epoch Times that nobody has the right to not be offended.

The Reclaim Party is a new political party led by English actor and activist Laurence Fox.

People have been murdered and massacred in France on this behalf. Danish cartoonists have been hounded, weve seen it across Scandinavia, weve seen it with Salmon Rushdie, said Daubney.

Daubney said Imteyaz Ali has no right to not be offended. Your speech offends me, therefore, we should remove it; thats a censorship issue, he said.

Daubney said he felt that on days like this its hard to be hopeful about the future, after he watched the footage of the cinema manager agreeing to the protesters demands.

I dont blame the cinema managers for retreating, because what would you do in this position, youd be rightly terrified, anything could have happened, you cant blame them, he said.

The problem is that there is no societal, political, or journalistic pushback to this, and in the absence of any pushback, you just have mob rule, he added.

This is an act of pathetic cowardice by Cineworld, said Toby Young, director general of the Free Speech Union, an organisation dedicated to upholding free speech in Britain.

It should not allow an angry mob to dictate what films it shows in its cinemas. The manager should have told the mob that if they dont like the film they should simply not go and see it. To try to prevent others seeing it because they disapprove of it is fundamentally illiberal. Had they done more than protest they would have quickly strayed into unlawful behaviour, said Young.
California Officials Call for Funding to Train More Asian-Language Teachers

State legislators joined a June 6 news briefing, addressing what they call an accredited ethnic language teacher shortage in California, and calling on the state to fix it with a one-time $5 million funding package.

The funding is intended to support California State Universities (CSU) Asian Bilingual Teacher Education Program Consortium, a multi-campus effort to increase the number of credentialed bilingual teachers in six Asian languages including Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Hmong, Korean, and Vietnamese.

With the additional funding support, the Consortium will share resources with both students and faculty, offer relevant courses, and provide counseling services to students pursuing an Asian bilingual authorization, according to the Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

We must invest in the California State University, Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) said at the briefing. Our university system that actually trains our teachers in the Asian bilingual teacher education program Consortium. We can help address the challenges of recruiting and training future bilingual teachers with a modest for critical $5 million investment in the consortium.

Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) speaks at a virtual press conference, calling for more funding to hire more Asian-Language teachers in California on June 6, 2022. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Teacher advocates at the news conference said the shortage is critical as less than a hundred teachers were accredited in an Asian language while over 1,000 bilingual accreditations were issued in California during 20192020 academic year.

The current system is not sustainable as it puts too much of a burden on professors and those teachers seeking Asian-language accreditation. Were calling on the legislature to provide the support needed to ensure California has a steady and robust pipeline of dual-immersion Asian-language teachers. Fay Shin, chair of the CSU Asian Bilingual Teacher Education Program Consortium and professor at CSU Long Beach, said in a statement.

Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) along with field experts and longtime asian-language teacher advocates also attended the briefing, saying the dual-immersion Asian language program could benefits students from all backgrounds.

Study after study has shown that when we are exposed to other communities, other cultures, other languages, our brain rewires in a different way that allows us to be more empathetic, more understanding, but also a lot more problem solvers, said Victoria Dominguez, the Asian Americans Advancing Justice Policy Director.

However, opponents argued that students should always prioritize learning English so it can enable them to thrive in an English-speaking country.

Teach them proper English. That will empower them. To keep teaching them in their own language is a prescription for keeping them crippled and dependent, Erick Starren wrote on Twitter.

Others have also suggested that parents involvement is essential for students to retain their ancestry language.

Bring in the parents as aids. The children will learn English just fine with their help and also retain their parents language. Ive seen it done. It works much better than highly paid bilingual teachers and classes, Twitter user Janis posted.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to members of the media after meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, at the White House in Washington, on May 31, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

PM Says Giving Guns to NZ Businesses Not the Answer, As Crimewave Grips the Country

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said arming business owners is not the answer to the recent spate of crimes the small island nation is currently experiencing, including ram raids by youth offenders, gang violence and shootings, and stabbings.

Dairy and Business Association Chair Sunny Kaushal said the government needed to acknowledge how serious the situation had become.

A sense of lawlessness is now gripping all of New Zealand, and the soft on crime approach is not working, he told Newshub.

We are calling the prime minister to declare a crime emergency in New Zealand. It is that serious.

Kaushal said many small businesses were hiring their own security, with many going to him for advice on how to get a gun.

Its become that serious because if the police and authorities are not able to save them, they have to save themselves, he said.

Ardern responded to his comments, saying that she understood the concern existed but that arming business was not the answer.

Firearms are not the answer; firearms are not the answer, Ardern said. They will never be the answer. We dont want to see people put themselves at risk.

The opposition party has repeatedly called the government too soft on crime.

National Partys police spokesman Mark Mitchell said he believes that the police pursuit policy change in 2020, where pursuing fleeing vehicles is only justified when the threat of the person fleeing outweighs the risk of harm created by the pursuit, was one of the issues behind the rising crime rates.

The police need to urgently review their pursuit policysince the change in policy, 83 percent of fleeing drivers are not getting arrested. Young offenders have realised they can steal a car or flee the scene of a crime without the risk of being pursued or stopped by the police, he said in May.

Police on patrol during Anzac Day dawn service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 25, 2022. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has since indicated that the 2020 changes to pursuit policy were currently under review.

Minister of Police Poto Williams also noted that the Labour government had increased policy funding by 35 percent since 2017, with further funding included in this years budget.

Under the 2022 budget, the government has made it a priority to increase the number of frontline police.

Further, while in line with the governments policy of being tough of crime, a programme focusing on the causes of child and youth offenders will be undertaken.

And police is increasing the focus on the unlawful behaviour of gang members through a nation-wide operation (Cobalt), which will see police districts focus specifically on suppressing and disrupting gangs, Williams told The Epoch Times.

I know police are working diligently to combat criminal activities so our communities are safe and feel safe, and have recently made a number of arrests and charges and seized a number of firearms.

Despite the record investment, New Zealand is currently experiencing a wave of crime that has led to increasingly louder calls for action.

To protect small businesses from the spate of ram raids that have occurred over several months, the government announced in late May $6 million in funding that will go towards measures including installing bollards or other protective structures.

Mitchell said the announcement had been too little, too late in addressing the explosion of youth crime in New Zealand.

Until this Labour government cracks down on crime, youth offenders, gang members, and organised crime groups will continue to behave and act with impunity, he said.

New Zealand Labour MP Poto Williams arrives for a party meeting at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Oct. 20, 2020. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Operation Dairyland

Police Minister Williams said the role of the government was to support the police in responding to gang tensions, which has escalated in Auckland between the Killer Beez and Tribesmen gangs.

The result of the rising tensions has been a string of drive-by neighbourhood shootings, with the most recent one at a home in Clover Park on Monday night that left the front window filled with multiple bullet holes. No one was injured, and no arrests have been made.

Police are investigating the incident under Operation Dairyland, which focuses on the recent wave of gang-related firearm incidents and suspicious fires across Auckland.

Many homes have been left in similar conditions, with police arriving at multiple shootings and suspicious fires throughout May. On one night, there were seven shootings.

Commander Superintendent Jill Rogers said the operation had, so far, seen 19 arrests and 25 charges made for firearms and drugs.

Since the operation began, 21 searches have been executed across Auckland with Police seizing a total of nine firearms and 341 rounds of ammunition, she said.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon said the community was seeing an intensity and aggression in gang violence that had never been seen before.

We have to acknowledge that New Zealanders arent feeling safe in their communities at the moment, Luxon told reporters on Tuesday. Weve seen a 21 percent increase in violent crime; weve seen a 40 per cent-plus increase in gang membership.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon addresses members of the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce and media during the annual New Zealand National Party caucus retreat in Queenstown, New Zealand, on Feb. 1, 2022. (James Allan/Getty Images)

Luxon said he wanted to see firearm prohibition orders that have warrantless search powers so police could crackdown on illegal guns and a dedicated gang unit.

I think most New Zealanders would be surprised to know that we dont have one, he said.

Maori Development Minister Willie Jackson said he heard the concerns about violence from the community and believed Minister Williams and the police had it under control.

I think were doing enough, I do, but this is at a scale that weve never seen before  Im worried about our communities because this tit-for-tat stuff I havent seen it before. Its unprecedented in terms of the different gangs, so were watching it very closely, he said.

However, the number of shootings and stabbings unrelated to gangs have also risen, with one person arriving at Bay of Islands Hospital with apparent gun-related injuries.

An elderly man was also stabbed at a food market on the evening of June 1 while standing up to a robbery. It was the second time the store had been robbed recently.
Canadian Airports Call for Ending Vaccine Mandates for Air Passengers and Employees

A group representing the Canadian airport industry is calling on the Liberal government to align with the international community in ending the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for aviation employees and air travellers.

The aviation community has been a supportive partner of the federal government in facilitating the vaccine mandate for travel since October 2021. However, today all Canadian provinces have removed vaccine restrictions, so there is now a different standard for aviation employees and transportation than for other Canadians, the Canadian Airports Council (CAC) said in a June 6 statement on Twitter.

Aviation is global. In order to support this industrys economic recovery and compete globally, Canada must align with the international community and join the list of over 50 countries that have already removed vaccine mandates and COVID protocols for travel.

The CAC has 56 members representing more than 100 airports across Canada, which include all of the National Airports System airports and most passenger service airports in every province and territory.

The statement came after CAC interim president and CEO Monette Pasher joined representatives from the Canadian travel and tourism sector at a press conference on June 1 in calling for the end of federal border measures.

Pasher made three demands on behalf of her group: removing mandatory random testing at airports, removing the duplicate health check questions from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) at checkpoints, and allowing unvaccinated security staff to return to work. She said lifting these obstacles will help relieve airport bottlenecks, especially with the increased traffic expected during the summer travel season.

The summer travel season is upon us and international traffic at our arrivals at our airports is projected to increase by 50 percent at hub airports this summer. We need to move quickly to resolve issues and smooth out the travel experience on arrival into our country, she said.

Pasher urged the government to help alleviate the pressures Canadian airports are facing by removing border restrictions before June 15. This came after Health Canada and PHAC announced on May 31 that existing COVID-19 measures for travellers entering Canada would be extended until at least the end of June.

Right now, foreign travellers have to be fully vaccinated to be allowed entry. Returning Canadians who do not qualify as fully vaccinated are still required to provide pre-entry tests. All travellers must use the ArriveCan app to report their health and vaccination status within 72 hours before their arrival in Canada.

Earlier last month, another trade association representing 290 of the worlds airlines also called on Canada to end its travel restrictions, citing massive delays at major international airports.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a May 24 statement that it has written to the Canadian federal government urging the ministers in charge to take immediate action to reduce the massive delays at immigration and security which are presently occurring at the countrys main international airports.

Aviation, along with travel and tourism, were hit particularly hard during the COVID-19 pandemic and even more so in Canada, due to the very strict border control measures implemented by the government. Following the easing of many of these restrictions, demand is coming back and it is clear that people want to travel, Peter Cerda, IATAs regional vice president for the Americas, said in the statement.

In light of this, Cerda said, the sector can ill afford to have passengers subjected to unacceptable wait times both on arrival in the country or on departure.

The relevant authorities must urgently consider removing the last remaining travel related COVID-19 restrictions and work with the industry on policies and processes which will allow passengers to pass through airports with no undue delay.

Noe Chartier contributed to this article.
The White House admitted that the deployment of U.S. solar modules is in jeopardy because they do not have enough supply. So to import more from Southeast Asia, the Biden administration is waiving tariffs for at least two yearsregardless of whether or not they are made with forced labor.

The cost of goods and gasoline continues to mount. Could the United States be heading toward an economic recession going into the fall midterms?

The lead Democratic senator on gun talks signals a positive message about reaching a deal soon. The House is also set to vote on a bill this week.

Culture issues, abortion, the Second Amendmentthe state of Oklahoma is in the spotlight for all three. We sit down with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt to discuss.

A postal stamp honors former First Lady Nancy Reagan. We bring you more from a ceremony at the White House today.

COVID-19 and the ability to work from home has resulted in many workers migrating away from cities. But some cities and small suburbs continue to grow. A panel of key experts discussed the reasons why.

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Commuters wear protective facemasks as they arrive at Paddington station in London on Nov. 30, 2021. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

CDC Raises Monkeypox Alert, Recommends Masks During Travel, Then Removes Advice

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday raised its alert level for monkeypox to level 2 and recommended that people wear masks when traveling, before appearing to make a U-turn on the advice.

In an update, the government agency raised the alert level to 2, encouraging people to practice enhanced precaution measures such as avoiding contact with visibly sick people, regularly washing hands, and wearing a face covering.

Cases of monkeypox have been reported in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia, the CDC wrote in its alert.

Some cases were reported among men who have sex with men. Some cases were also reported in people who live in the same household as an infected person, it added.

The health body on Monday cautioned travelers to avoid close contact with sick people, including those with skin or genital lesions, as well as with dead or live wild animals such as small rodents and monkeys.

Travelers were also urged to avoid eating prepared meat from wild game or using products such as creams and lotions derived from wild animals from Africa, where cases of monkeypox are mainly found.

Avoid contact with contaminated materials used by sick people (such as clothing, bedding, or materials used in health care settings) or that came into contact with infected animals, the health body said.

Finally, the CDC urged travelers to wear masks, noting that doing so can help protect you from many diseases, including monkeypox.

However, the advice regarding mask-wearing is no longer present on the CDC website as of June 7, while the rest of the advice for travelers remains in place.

A CDC spokesperson told The Epoch Times on Tuesday: Late yesterday CDC removed the mask recommendation from the monkeypox Travel Health Notice because it caused confusion.

Travel Health Notices inform travelers and clinicians about current health issues that impact travelers health, like disease outbreaks, special events or gatherings, and natural disasters, in destinations around the world. In countries where there is a current monkeypox outbreak, CDC continues to recommend masking in high-risk situations including for household contacts and healthcare workers, or for other people who may be in close contact with a person who has been confirmed with monkeypox.

CDC will continue to update recommendations as more is learned about this current outbreak.

Monkeypox is a rare virus believed to be transmitted to humans from animals and is endemic to Central and West Africa, typically places in close proximity to tropical rainforests.

It spreads from one person to another through close contact with bodily fluids, lesions, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials.

Scientists say the virus can cause an array of symptoms including fever, body aches, swelling of the lymph nodes, fatigue, headaches, and a bumpy rash that often occurs one to three days after the fever begins before spreading to other parts of the body. The rash can last up to a month.

As of June 6, there have been 1,019 confirmed cases of monkeypox in 29 countries around the world tied to the current outbreak, of which 30 are in the United States, according to the CDC.

The first suspected case was reported on May 7 in an individual who traveled from the United Kingdom to Nigeria and subsequently returned to the United Kingdom.

Health officials have noted that a number of cases have been found among homosexual men, although the virus itself is not a sexually transmitted infection and can be caught by anyone.

Monkeypox is fatal in as many as 1 to 11 percent of people who become infected, although previous vaccination against smallpox, which is related to the monkeypox virus, may provide protection.

In May, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna announced it is testing potential vaccines against monkeypox in pre-clinical trials as part of its commitment to advancing programs by 2025 against pathogens that pose a threat to public health.

Update: This article has been updated with a statement from the CDC.
Sailors on guard at the Cambodian Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on July 26, 2019. (Samrang Pring/Reuters)

China Building Naval Base in Cambodia to Expand Influence in Indo-Pacific: Report

Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) is reportedly building a secret naval base in Cambodia as the Chinese Communist regime seeks to expand its historic sphere of influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The base buildings are at a northern part of Cambodias Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand, The Washington Post reported on June 6, citing two Western officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

This would be Chinas second known foreign naval base; the first is located in the East Africa country of Djibouti.

A ceremony marking the expansion of the Ream base is expected to be held on Thursday, with the Chinese ambassador to Cambodia in attendance, according to one of the officials.

The second official said the expansion plan will provide the PLA exclusive use of the northern portion of the base, while their presence would remain concealed, although the claim has been denied by a Chinese official who spoke to the news outlet.

What weve seen over time is a very clear and consistent pattern of trying to obfuscate and hide both the end goal as well as the extent of Chinese military involvement, the second official said. The key thing here is the [PLAs] exclusive use of the facility and having a unilateral military base in another country.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday that China building a naval base in Cambodia is concerning and claimed that his administration communicated with the Cambodian government on the matter.

We are in regular contact with the Cambodian government and we have been consistently assured that no foreign military will be granted exclusive access at Ream, Albanese told reporters in Indonesia, the Australian Associated Press reported.

Weve been aware of Beijings activity at Ream for some time and we encourage Beijing to be transparent about its intent and to ensure its activities support regional security and stability, he added.

The PLA constructed three new building at Ream over the course of August and September last year, according to satellite images released by the U.S. think tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

The Pentagon said in a 2021 report [pdf] that Cambodia demolished two U.S.-funded facilities at Ream after declining Washingtons offer to pay for renovation of one of the facilities, which suggests that Cambodia may have instead accepted assistance from the PRC (Peoples Republic of China) to develop the base.

The PRC has likely considered a number of countries, including Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, and Tajikistan, as locations for PLA facilities, the report said.
Company Recalls Organic Strawberry Tea Possibly Linked to Hepatitis A Outbreak

An organic tea is being recalled in several U.S. states over the possibility it contains organic strawberries potentially contaminated with Hepatitis A.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the voluntary recall of Organic Revitalizing Tea Tonic Strawberry Hibiscus Rose on Sunday.

Urban Remedy contracts Youngstown Grape Distributors Inc. to co-manufacture the tea, which may contain fresh organic strawberries linked to the FDA outbreak investigation of FreshKampo organic strawberries, according to the FDA.

The recalled product is a 12oz resealable plastic bottle that was sold in retail stores in 24 U.S. between May 17 and 29. The full list of states is contained in the agencys release.

At Urban Remedy, food safety is our companys top priority, CEO Paul Coletta said.

The company asks those who purchased product with the affected lot number (LOT 1232 BEST BY 7/17/2022) to dispose of the item or return it to place of purchase for full credit.

Persons who may have purchased the affected product do not consume, if consumed consult your health care provider or local health department to determine if a vaccination is appropriate and consumers with symptoms of Hepatitis A should contact their health providers or the local health department immediately, the FDA said in a release.

No illnesses linked to the Urban Remedy product have been reported to date. Illness usually occurs within 15 to 50 days after eating or drinking contaminated food or water.

Hepatitis A is a contagious virus than can cause liver disease, which can lead to liver failure in severe cases.

Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine or pale stool. Cases can be asymptomatic in children under six.

Authorities have been investigating a multi-state outbreak of 17 cases of Hepatitis A linked to strawberries imported from Baja California, a state in northern Mexico. Those strawberries are branded as FreshKampo and HEB and were purchased between March 5 and April 25.

Anyone who purchased fresh strawberries between those dates and then froze them to be consumed later are being advised to dispose of them.

These strawberries were sold at HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joes, Walmart, Weis Markets, and WinCo Foods.

Cases are also being investigated in Canada.
Four playwrights share their experiences

As the founder and president of Stage Right Theatrics, the home of the Natural Theater and the countrys only conservative theater company, I have discovered that the more traditional voice is indeed out there among playwrights. The bravest among them are willing to challenge the status quo in the arts, even at the risk of ridicule and censure.

To further this discussion, I called upon four playwrights who have written plays produced at my annual Conservative Theatre Festival: Cece Dwyer, Mark Sasse, Gary Wadley, and Carl Williams. Each has had plays produced outside of my festival and has won writing competitions. Each writes with a conservative point of view, and each explained what being a conservative in the arts means to him or her, and why it is necessary for a different voice in the theater to be heard.

Is Conservative the Right Term?

The first issue to grapple with is whether the term conservative reflects reality in the theater. We dont talk about liberal theater, after all. I suspect we dont need to. In fact, liberal theater seems redundant along the lines of unexpected surprise or hot water heater.

But do some playwrights consider themselves conservative? Carl Williams does not consider himself a conservative playwright but rather a conservative who writes plays. Mark Sasse agrees, noting: I am a conservative, and I am a playwright, but I never call myself a conservative playwright. Playwright Cece Dwyer adds I actually did not know I was conservative until the rest of the world decided I fit the description. This seems to be the consensus: Conservative is not a label that these playwrights attach to themselves.

Scene from Safe Spaces by Mark Sasse. (Steve Sessions)

The Conservative Voice Must Be Heard

However, the playwrights agree that the conservative voice must be heard in the theater, even if they do not call themselves conservative.

Playwright Gary Wadley sees the conservative point of view as necessary to protect life and liberty:

The conservative voice leads to life, well-being, freedom, and social stability, without placing undue burdens on individual rights. Conservativism eschews relativism in favor of truth. Relativism as a social construct leads to death; truth leads to life.

Dwyer believes that all perspectives should be comfortably at home in the arts. All voices should have the ability to be heard, she says. Obviously, the arts would seem to be the one place that happens.

Sasse views the conservative message as needed precisely because it is not heard via mainstream channels:

The conservative voice has much to offer in terms of the grand American themes of love, freedom, personal responsibility, and the pursuit of happiness. I think that many people have conservative ideas yet dont even know it, and the arts is a fantastic avenue to expose people to ideas and traditions which they may not naturally hear in mainstream media or academia.

The point is that conservatives seem to be more likely to support diverse voices in the arts than even our present-day liberal caretakers of the arts.

The irony here is inescapable, but I firmly believe that this is not solely because conservatives are marginalized in the arts and simply want their voices heard. The fact is, conservatives are more tuned to support the concept of free speech in the marketplace of ideas, just as our Founders did.

We conservatives do not think in terms of silencing critics; these artists, therefore, do not either.

The Challenges Conservative Writers Face

There is no doubt that bad playwriting does not align itself with one political party or movement. But I imagine that some conservative playwrights must think themselves incapable of writing anything stage worthy as they have reported having their work rejected based on theme and subject matter alone.

Cece Dwyer, for example, talks about receiving unsigned letters calling me things Im not. She says: Playwriting classes can be brutal.  During playwriting classes sometimes my plays are found offensive, insulting, etc. Not the play of course, just the subject matter. It should be noted that Dwyers play for the Conservative Theatre Festival, The Comfort Room, was about abortionsafter birth.

Scene from The Comfort Room By Cece Dwyer. (Steve Sessions)

Gary Wadley recalls something similar:

Probably the biggest challenge is getting a truly conservative work produced. Of course, it is a challenge to get any work produced, but explicitly conservative themes carry an added burden. I did have some audience members walk out on an antiabortion play I presented on a college campus several years ago.

Scene from Crossing the Bar by Gary Wadley. (Steve Sessions)

However, others have not experienced this wholesale rejection of conservative themes. Carl Williams says:

As someone active in the theater world, I interact with people of many different beliefs, largely liberal. Many of them locally know me as a Christian. We collaborate in a collegial way, respecting each others differences.

Mark Sasse talks of something similar:

I was in Ireland at an arts center doing a reading of one of my new plays based on the 1831 Nat Turner slave uprising. At the end of the reading, I was asked how others might view this work because I wrote about the African American slave experience when I myself am not black.

Without skipping a beat, I said a writer should have no limitations to what he or she should explore, because limiting writers to their own experiences would be ridiculous. We are all human and we each can have contributing ideas about the human experience, regardless of our backgrounds. They seemed to accept that answer and overall, really enjoyed the reading.

Whats It All Mean?

What this tells me is that whats important is the ability of playwrights to develop an entertaining piece of theater, unapologetic in its stance but honest, civil, and thought-provoking in its execution.

And what is just as important is that playwrights play a major role in the development and promotion of their works. They cannot simply present their plays to producers or theater companies and expect the world to adapt. These writers must share in the effort to promote the values of conservatives in a positive and suitable manner.

The experiences of these playwrights point to a very positive trend, one that I believe parallels our countrys current debate on the primacy of free speech and the unfettered sharing of ideas. More and more, it seems as though the political dogma is being countered by reasonable people of all political stripes who defend the right to say things that might be labeled disagreeable.

There is still work to be done if the conservative artist is to be granted a seat at the table, but evidence mounts that were now at least a step or two from the room.
Ruins of a collapsed under-construction tower at the Metropol Building in Abadan, Iran on May 27, 2022. (Iranian Senior Vice-President Office via AP)

Death Toll in Southwestern Iran Tower Collapse Rises to 41

DUBAI, United Arab EmiratesThe death toll in the collapse of a building in southwestern Iran rose Monday to at least 41, state media reported, two weeks after the disaster struck.

Ehsun Abbaspour, the governor of the city of Abadan, gave the figure based on an official report, state television said.

The May 23 collapse at the Metropol Building some 660 kilometers (410 miles) southwest of the capital, Tehran, has dredged up painful memories of past national disasters and shined a spotlight on shoddy construction practices, government corruption, and negligence in Iran.

It follows weeks of sporadic protests roiling the oil-rich but impoverished Khuzestan province over skyrocketing prices after the government cut subsidies for several food staples. There have been protests in Abadan over the collapse, which have seen police club demonstrators and fire tear gas.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz glances at Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill during jury selection in the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 6, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Defense Attorneys in Florida School Shooting Try to Withdraw

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.The public defenders representing Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz tried to withdraw from his death penalty trial Monday after the judge ordered them to move forward with jury selection even though one member of their five-member team is sick with COVID-19.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer rejected the withdrawal motion by Cruzs lead attorney, Melisa McNeill. The defense then filed a motion asking Scherer to remove herself from the case, accusing her of being biased against Cruz. Scherer dismissed the request.

Judge Elizabeth Scherer speaks in court as the defense asks for a continuance due to an ill attorney during jury selection in the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 6, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill argues for a continuance due to an ill member of the legal team during jury selection in the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 6, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

The defense also filed a motion to delay Cruzs trial indefinitely, saying the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 dead has reawakened emotions in Broward County over Cruzs murder of 17 at Parklands Marjory Stoneman Douglas High on Feb. 14, 2018. They said that shooting makes it impossible for him to get a fair trial currently. Scherer did not rule on that motion.

Judge Scherer and McNeill heatedly argued Monday over the judges insistence that jury selection move forward without the presence of Casey Secor, a South Carolina death penalty defense specialist who is assisting McNeill. Scherer said Secor could watch the proceedings on a video link and communicate with McNeill by phone or text message.

Scherer accused McNeill of trying to intentionally provide ineffectual counsel to Cruz by saying her team would not participate without Secor. At one point, Scherer recessed the hearing, telling McNeill to consult the Florida Bar over what sanctions she might face if she and her team refused to participate. She said four attorneys present for Cruz in the courtroom was enough.

We are moving forward, Scherer said.

But McNeill told the judge she was the one creating grounds for a successful appeal of ineffectual defense counsel by insisting that jury selection move forward without Secor, who McNeill said has special expertise in that area. McNeill said that more than half of successful death penalty appeals are over issues that arise during jury selection. If Cruz is sentenced to death, a successful appeal would result in a retrial several years from now.

These (victims) families do not need to be coming back to this courtroom, McNeill said. She also said Scherers threat to sanction her created a conflict between her obligation to provide Cruz with the best defense possible and her obligation to her career and family not to endanger her law license.

Prosecutors found themselves in the middle. They originally agreed with the defense to delay the jury selection until Secor returned, but then told the judge she would be on solid legal ground if she decided to move forward without Secor. Scherer then adjourned court until later Monday afternoon.

With the legal wrangling taking up most of the day, the defense got what it and the prosecution agreed to at the beginning of the day  two groups totaling 36 potential jurors were only asked if any new hardships such as job or family commitments had arisen since they were last in court two months ago. The 20 who said they could still serve will be brought back Tuesday and Wednesday for further questioning.

Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder. The court for two months has been trying to pick 12 jurors and eight alternates for a four-month trial that will decide whether he is sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.

Jury selection, which originally had been scheduled to be concluded by mid-May, has slogged along, including a two-week delay when McNeill was sick with COVID-19.

An original pool of about 1,800 potential jurors has been whittled down to about 300 with the process in Phase 2 of 3. After being simply asked during Phase 1 whether their jobs and lives would allow them to serve for four months, the potential jurors are now being asked in Phase 2 their opinions on the death penalty and whether they can be fair to Cruz.

Phase 3, whenever that begins, would involve individualized questioning. Scherer is hoping to have 150 potential jurors for that phase, but right now only 35 have advanced out of Phase 2 while about 95 have been rejected.

By Terry Spencer
James Magee stands in the Sunnyvale neighborhood in New York. (Courtesy of James Magee)

Democrat Lawyer Runs for New York Assembly to Reverse Progressive Trend

New York criminal defense attorney James Magee, a Democrat, has seen first-hand how bail reform hurt the weak and vulnerable that his party vows to protect.

When his districts state assemblywoman, Catherine Nolan, a Democrat, announced her retirement in February, opening her seat up for the first time in more than three decades, Magee jumped into the race.

A refusal to prosecute crime cannot be a part of this partys platform. I am running to reverse this trend and show that the Democratic Party can govern sensibly on public safety, he told The Epoch Times.

Magee was raised by a working-class family in Sunnyside, a neighborhood on the west side of Queens borough in New York.

After graduating from law school in 2006, he worked as an assistant district attorney at the citys Brooklyn District Attorneys Office for five years before opening his criminal defense practice.

During his years working in the New York criminal justice system, he saw how the system evolved from a heavy-handed punitive approach to one that embraces treatment and rehabilitation.

Yet the bail reform just blew that up, he said.

In April 2019, five months after Democrats regained control of both legislative chambers and the governorship in New York, they crammed major criminal justice reform into the annual state budget.

The reform is often called the bail reform because it eliminates cash bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. For those offenses, defendants are to be released without paying any money.

It also made big changes to the states discovery law, requiring that prosecutors automatically turn over a large amount of evidence to defense counsel a lot faster. If prosecutors fail to honor the timeline, they risk having their cases dismissed by judges.

The New York State Capitol is seen on Aug. 11, 2021, in Albany. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

I was shocked when the bail reform was passed, Magee said. It was trying to fix something that wasnt broken.

If you must fix the criminal justice system, you should have fixed the archaic laws and punishments in the penal code itself, not the bail system or the discovery statutes.

Even before the reform, bail was rarely set in misdemeanor cases that he handled, except where the suspects had a history of missing court dates. For these people, nine out of 10 had either mental illness or drug addiction. So a cash bail helped incentivize them to come back to court and get court-ordered treatment, he said.

As to the new discovery law, it became so burdensome for prosecutors to catch up with all the paperwork that many started to stop prosecuting misdemeanor cases altogether; others simply quit under the pressure, according to Magee.

Prosecutors are racing against the clock just to keep the cases alive. They must focus on rapes, guns, shootings, and they just have no time to prosecute petty crime anymore, he said.

That means many of Magees clients are falling through the cracks. A big chunk of his business are misdemeanor cases, where mental illness and drug addictions are big drivers. About half of his clients are low-income minorities.

Prior to the reform, he placed two or three clients into court-ordered treatment programs every month. During the past two-and-a-half years, he has placed none.

For many of them, criminal prosecution is often the only incentive to get treatment, Magee said. Plus, New York has a lot of leeways to behave whatever way you want, and a lot of people with mental illness had no access to treatment until they were caught with a petty crime.

When that happens, it is a good opportunity for us to treat them, but all that is blown up now because their cases are not being prosecuted anymore.

Hundreds of delivery workers protest a surge in the thefts of their bicycles on Oct. 15, 2020, in New York. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The law hurt not only his clients, but also victims.

Petty crimes are no longer prosecuted, and people suffering from mental health and addictions are on the streetthat is why you are seeing an uptick in crime, he said. And the victims of petty crime are often small business owners and residents who dont have a lot of money to begin with.

When Nolan, the three-decade incumbent of the 37th district seat, announced her retirement, Magee and three other Democratic candidates jumped into the open primary. The primary election date is set for June 28.

Crime is a major issue in the race. Two candidates, Juan Ardila and Johanna Carmona, propose more restrictive gun laws to curb violent crime; another candidate, Brent OLeary, suggests tweaking the bail reform and stemming illegal gun trafficking.

Magee is the only candidate running to systematically fix bail reform.

He has been knocking on doors every day, talking to residents in the district. They complained to him about the graffiti in the park, drug dealing around the corner, theft of Amazon packages, and occasional shooting in the neighborhoods.

Magee tried to convince them of the link between bail reform and rising crime.

There are people now in my party who believe that in modern society, we do not need a criminal justice system. We should move toward a Utopia society, he said. I think while we should never stop addressing the root causes of crime, it is also a basic governmental responsibility to address crime once it is committed.
Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 classmates and teachers were killed in a mass shooting, on April 20, 2018, in Parkland, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

DeSantis Signs School Safety Bill

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bipartisan-supported school safety bill on June 7 that addresses gun violence in schools.

The bill, HB 1421, adds to Floridas list of school safety reforms that have been legislated since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentines Day in 2018.

Florida Democrats had begun pushing for a special session on gun violence before the governor signed the bill.

In a news release, DeSantis announced that he had signed the bipartisan-supported bill which embraces a number of recommendations by the task force that was created as a result of the shooting in the Parkland high school, where 17 students and faculty lost their lives.

Every child needs a safe and secure learning environment, DeSantis said in a June 7 press release.

The signing also comes after the recent tragedy in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were killed by an 18-year-old gunman.

In Florida, HB 1421 requires law enforcement officers to train in active shooter drills, school boards to enact family reunification plans for the aftermath of an evacuation, and for schools to have an 80 percent certification rate of personnel receiving mandatory youth mental health awareness training. It will go into effect on July 1.

Crime scene tape outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as teachers and staff are allowed to return to the school for the first time since the mass shooting on campus in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 23, 2018. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The bill will extend the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission until 2026 and revise their responsibilities from investigating system failures at the school and other previous mass shootings in Florida. They are also charged with recommending improvements to those systems and monitoring the implementation of school safety laws.

The bill will authorize the states education commissioner to enforce school safety and security compliance, permit school officers to arrest people in charter schools, and requires those officers to complete an intervention training course to improve skills to de-escalate situations on school grounds.

The bill that was passed in March during the regular session did not address gun violence or any controls on weapons and background checks as has been called for in the wake of the Uvalde Elementary school shooting as well as other recent mass shootings.

Although the bill was originally a bipartisan effort, Democrats in the Florida Legislature have asked their Republican counterparts to vote with them to convene a special session to hammer out new gun legislation.

DeSantis, at a press conference in Jacksonville on June 6, said, I think, going back to Columbine, this has become something where these deranged psychopaths have certain targets, and some of them go to schools as a way to kind of maximize the trauma to a community. Theyre very evil people.

They look for areas where they think theyre going to be able to get away with it, the governor said. The Buffalo shooter, for example, said, You know, Im going places where I dont have to worry about people concealed carry or anything like that, because he wants, they want basically sitting ducks.

In a past legislative session, DeSantis called for Constitutional Carry, vowing If they get it to my desk, Ill sign it. He wants to accomplish this before he leaves office, he said.

Shortly after the Parkland shooting, DeSantis blamed law enforcement for not responding quickly enough and subsequently removed the Sheriff of Broward County.

The shooter didnt meet the quick resistance that he should have met. And you had a lot of folks that could have been held responsible and nobody had been held responsible, DeSantis said of the 2018 shooting at the Jacksonville press conference. And so when I came in, we decided to do something about that. We removed the Sheriff of Broward County.

DeSantis noted in the release that the state budget has $140 million in it for mental health and $210 million for school safety.

Since taking office, the governor has addressed school security and other recommendations by the Parkland Commission and signed budgets to increase funding for mental health and school security.
A man stands outside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) building in Tukwila, Wash., on March 3, 2020. (Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images)

DHS Terror Bulletin Warns of Heightened Threat Environment in Lead-Up to Midterms

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a National Terrorism Advisory notice on June 7 amid what the agency calls a heightened threat environment that it says will become more dynamic heading into the midterm elections.

In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets, the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin stated.

These targets could include public gatherings, faith-based institutions, schools, racial and religious minorities, government facilities and personnel, U.S. critical infrastructure, the media, and perceived ideological opponents, it continued.

We continue to assess that the primary threat of mass casualty violence in the United States stems from lone offenders and small groups motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and/or personal grievances.

Citing several recent high-profile violent attacks, the bulletin highlighted the threat posed by lone offenders who target minority communities such as schools, houses of worship, and mass transit.

It pointed to the New York City subway shooting in April, and three violent incidents in May: the Buffalo shooting, the Uvalde school shooting, and an attack targeting a Taiwanese church.

Individuals in online forums that routinely promulgate domestic violent extremist and conspiracy theory-related content have praised the May 2022 mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas and encouraged copycat attacks, the bulletin stated.

The DHS also anticipates an increase in calls for violence by domestic violent extremists who could be inspired by false or misleading narratives regarding current events such as border security, and the Supreme Court decision on abortion.

As the United States enters mid-term election season this year, we assess that calls for violence by domestic violent extremists directed at democratic institutions, political candidates, party offices, election events, and election workers will likely increase, the statement read.

DHS also warned that foreign adversaries would continue to seek to exploit the dynamic threat environment to sow discord, undermine U.S. democratic institutions, and promote or inspire violence by their supporters.

It noted the adversaries include state actors from China, Russia, and Iran, adding that these foreign actors have amplified narratives that radicalized individuals have cited to justify violence, including conspiracy theories and false or misleading narratives promoting U.S. societal division.

As the U.S. 2022 mid-term elections approach, malign foreign actors could bolster their messaging to sow discord and influence U.S. audiences in keeping with practices during previous election cycles, the bulletin stated.

In response to such threats, the DHS said it will continue to collaborate with partners in the government and private sectors, such as the FBI, operators of critical infrastructure, the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

The notice is the sixth time the DHS has issued an NTAS since January 2021.
Test tubes labelled "Monkeypox virus positive and negative" in a photo illustration taken on May 23, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Doctors to Be Required by Law to Alert Health Authorities of Monkeypox Cases: UKHSA

Monkeypox has been made a notifiable disease in England, effective from Wednesday, meaning doctors and laboratories will be legally required to alert authorities if they identify a suspected case.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Tuesday that doctors will have to notify their local council or local health protection team if they suspect someone has the disease. Labs will also have to notify the UKHSA if the monkeypox virus is detected in a sample.

Monkeypox, a disease that is endemic in parts of Africa, has recently appeared in around 30 countries where it is not endemic.

Since May 7, at least 911 confirmed or suspected cases have been reported from Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, and Australia, with 302 confirmed cases in the UK.

Most of these cases (287) were found in England, with 10 cases identified in Scotland, three detected in Wales, and two confirmed in Northern Ireland.

The UKHSA said the legislation making monkeypox a notifiable infectious disease was laid on Tuesday.

Rapid diagnosis and reporting is the key to interrupting transmission and containing any further spread of monkeypox, Wendi Shepherd, monkeypox incident director at UKHSA, said.

Shepherd said the new legislation will support the agency and its health partners to swiftly identify, treat, and control the disease.

She also said the legislation will help with the swift collection and analysis of data which enables us to detect possible outbreaks of the disease and trace close contacts rapidly, whilst offering vaccinations where appropriate to limit onward transmission.

The UKHSA previously said it purchased over 20,000 doses of a smallpox vaccine supplied by vaccine company Bavarian Nordic and was offering them to close contacts of confirmed cases.

The MVA-BN vaccine, marketed as Imvanex in the European Union, Imvamune in Canada, and Jynneos in the United States, has only been approved in the E.U. as a smallpox vaccine, but according to official guidance published by the UKHSA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in September 2019 approved it for the prevention of monkeypox as well as smallpox.

The guidance also said the vaccine has been used in the UK in response to previous incidents.

Monkeypox does not transmit easily among humans, but being in close contact with a patient or items they used, such as clothes, bedding, or utensils, can result in transmission.
Firefighters work on extinguishing the Costal Fire in Laguna Niguel, Calif., on May 11, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Power Line Conductor Damaged Near Coastal Fire: Edison

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.Southern California Edison said June 2 an electrical conductor which connects two power lines in the area of last months destructive Coastal Fire showed signs of damage, with at least one pole that required replacement.

Other than our current understanding of such condition pre-existing the fire, it is not known when the damage occurred or whether this condition contributed to the ignition of the fire, the report reads.

Edison, the primary electricity supply company for much of the states region, submitted a report to the California Public Utilities Commission that reflects a section of a circuit relayed and reclosed approximately two minutes before the fire erupted in the canyon.

However, the electricity company said, the cause of the relay on the [circuit] has not been determined, and it may not be definitively understood until all additional information is available.

First responders gather near the South Orange County Wastewater Authority Coastal Treatment Plant in Laguna Niguel, Calif., on May 13, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

It swept through Aliso Wood Canyon, forcing around 900 residents to evacuate, destroying 20 homes, and damaging 11 others last month.

In addition to the number of homes burned down to the ground or damaged, Orange County Fire Authority assessed the damage saying two firefighters sustained minor injuries, and costs are estimated at $3 million.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Still, authorities said certain factors contributed to its rapid spread, including bad drought conditions, dry vegetation, westward winds, and steep terrains advancing on Aliso Summit Trail and into the Coronado Pointe gated community.

The Coastal Fire burned approximately 200 acres starting on May 11 at around 2:40 p.m. until reaching full containment six days later.

Firefighters work on extinguishing the Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel, Calif., on May 11, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)
A woman in Arizona officially pled guilty to using her position within the Democratic Party to illegally harvest ballots in what was described by the attorney generals office as a sophisticated ballot harvesting scheme.

This guilty plea came right on the heels of two separate events:

The first is a ballot fraud investigation launched by the Yuma County Sheriffs office. The second was a presentation given by the researchers behind the film 2000 Mules to the Arizona state legislature. And during that presentation, they presented evidence of the cell phone tracking data they were able to combine, showing how more than 200 individual devices visited the ballot drop boxes in two of the states largest countiesno less than 5,700 times during the 2020 election.

Resources

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https://ept.ms/3zBxXQ7

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https://ept.ms/3aCo0XT

https://ept.ms/39gdepU

https://ept.ms/3x7DTxm

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An illustration picture shows vials with COVID-19 Vaccine stickers attached and syringes with the logo of U.S. biotech company Novavax, on Nov. 17, 2020. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine advisory panel voted on Tuesday to recommend the emergency use of Novavaxs COVID-19 vaccine.

The advisory voted 210 with one abstention, after seven hours of discussion, agreeing that the benefits of a two-dose Novavax vaccine outweighed its risk for use in adults aged 18 and older.

Dr. Michael Nelson, professor of medicine at the Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, said that the Novavax vaccine is another tool for people who are not able to get the mRNA shots.

I do feel that it does offer something for fulfilling unmet needs including those populations who have hesitancy with regards to the messenger RNA vaccines, Nelson said. As an allergist, that offers me an additional tool for individuals who have hypersensitivity responses to initial doses of the messenger RNA vaccine.

About 22 percent of Americans have not received a single dose of the COVID-19 shot, with 78 percent who have gotten at least one dose, as of June 7, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shot is available, the FDA restricted its use in May 2022 due to the risk of developing potentially life-threatening blood clots with low levels of platelets.

Dr. Cody Meissner, chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Tufts Childrens Hospital, said that more vaccine options are needed as its not clear whether the mRNA COVID-19 injections will turn out being optimal vaccines for these viruses.

I think we still need new vaccines, Meissner said. I dont think we want to rest on just what we have at this point because theres always an opportunity to improve on a vaccine  such as sterilizing immunity and the duration of the immune response and the breadth of the immune response.

Studies have shown that the effectiveness of the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines administered in the United States wanes significantly after three months. In addition, the harmful effects of these vaccines are being observed by physicians like Dr. Ryan Cole and Dr. Richard Urso, among other doctors and medical scientists.

A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine sticker and a medical syringe in front of the displayed Novavax logo in this illustration taken on Oct. 30, 2020. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

The Novavax vaccine, if authorized by the FDA, as is expected, will become the fourth COVID-19 vaccine available in the United States and the only traditional vaccine offered.

Called NVX-CoV2373, the Novavax shot is a protein-based vaccine given in two doses three weeks apart.

Protein-based vaccine technology has been used for decadesto protect people from certain diseases like the flu and hepatitisby delivering proteins, coupled with an immune-stimulating adjuvant, directly to a persons cells to induce a protective immune response.

The vaccine was found to be 90.4 percent effective in preventing mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19, based on a phase 3 trial that involved nearly 30,000 participants, conducted between December 2020 and September 2021.

Most adverse reactions to the Novavax injection were mild to moderate that resolved in 1 to 2 days, according to Dr. Denny Kim, senior vice president and chief safety officer at Novavax.

Kim also addressed the heart inflammation, or myocarditis, detected within 20 days post-vaccination, which was flagged by the FDA last week.

He said the rates of myocarditis were balanced between the two cases in the vaccine group (0.007 percent) and the one case in the placebo (0.005 percent), adding that no pericarditis was reported.

We believe that the totality of the clinical evidence here is not enough to establish an overall causal relationship with a vaccine, Kim said.

The FDA, in briefing documents released earlier on June 3, had said that the myocarditis events raise the concern for a causal association with this vaccine, similar to the association documented with mRNA COVID19 vaccines.

About 744,000 doses of the Novavax vaccine have been administered worldwide as of April 30, according to Kim.
Fears Grow for Missing UK Journalist in Brazil as Sister Makes Appeal

The wife and the sister of a missing British journalist have called on the Brazilian government to pull out all the stops to find him after he vanished in a remote corner of the Amazon rainforest.

Dom Phillips, 57, has not been seen since Sunday morning when he left the village of Sao Rafael in the Vale do Javarinot far from the border with Peruwith an indigenous adviser, Bruno Araujo Pereira, who had recently received a threatening letter believed to be linked to his fight with illegal gangs plundering the Javari river for fish.

The pair never arrived in Atalaia do Norte and the O Globo newspaper reported that a few days earlier Pereira received a letter which warned, We know who you are and well find you to settle the score.

Phillips, who has been covering Brazil for The Guardian and several other newspapers for 15 years, was researching a book, funded by the U.S.-based Alicia Patterson Foundation, about the fight to conserve the Amazon rainforest and its wildlife.

His sister Sian urged the Brazilian authorities to do all they can to find her brother.

Phillips told The Guardian: My brother Dom has been living in Brazil with his Brazilian wife. He loves the country and cares deeply about the Amazon and the people there. We knew it was a dangerous place, but Dom really believed its possible to safeguard the nature and livelihood of the indigenous people.

The journalists wife, Alessandra Sampaio, speaking from her home in the city of Salvador, said: In the forest every second counts, every second could be the difference between life and death.

Speaking directly to the government of Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro, she said: Our families are in despair. Please answer the urgency of the moment with urgent actions.

Phillips and Pereira are understood to have spent two days interviewing indigenous tribespeople in villages near Jaburu Lake before their disappearance.

Brazils federal public prosecutors said on Monday they had opened an investigation and mobilised the Federal Police, Amazonas state police, the national guard, and the navy.

The navy has reportedly deployed a search-and-rescue team and a helicopter.

Hunters and fishermen have clashed with anti-poaching patrols in the Vale do Javari region in recent years.
The founder of National Action, Alex Davies, arrives at Winchester Crown Court in England on April 20, 2022. (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Founder of National Action Jailed for Membership of Banned UK Group

The founder of National Action (NA), a fascist organisation that is banned in the United Kingdom, has been jailed for eight years and six months.

Last month Alex Davies was convicted of being a member of the organisation after it was proscribed by the then-Home Secretary Amber Rudd in December 2016.

His trial at Winchester Crown Court was told NA was banned after it posted on Twitter congratulations to the man who murdered Labour MP Jo Cox and, in an attempt to get round the ban, Davies set up another group, NS131, which stood for National Socialist Anti-Capitalist Action.

Davies, 27, was jailed at the Old Bailey in London on Tuesday by Judge Mark Dennis QC who said, Im satisfied the defendant played an active and prominent role in concert with his trusted associates in trying to disguise the continued existence of the organisation in defiance of the ban.

Dennis told Davies, You are an intelligent and educated young man but you have held, over a period of many years, warped and shocking prejudices.

Prosecutor Barnaby Jameson, QC, told the trial NA had called for an all-out race war and spread terror in a number of towns around Britain.

Alex Davies with a megaphone at a National Action demo in York, England, at the end of May 2016. (West Midlands Police/PA)

Davies, who is from Swansea in south Wales, told the court he had been a member of the British National Party (BNP), the British Movement, and UKIP as well as the Hunt Saboteur Association.

He told he became politically homeless after the BNP imploded in 2014.

In December last year the co-founder of the group, Ben Raymond, 33, from Swindon, was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of being a member of a banned terrorist group.

Counter-terrorist police officers said Davies and Raymond had together spread an ideology of hatred which was incredibly dangerous.

The anti-Islamophobia group, Tell MAMA UK, welcomed the sentence for Davies on Twitter and wrote, National Action are a threat to all minorities across the UK and beyond.

Davies is the 19th member of the organisation to have been convicted of membership.

Among the others who were convicted were Ben Hannam, a former probationary officer with the Metropolitan Police, and Mikko Vehvilainen, a former British Army soldier who had served in Afghanistan.

In March this year Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes, head of the Metropolitan Polices counter-terrorism unit, said 41 percent of counter-terrorism arrests in 2021 had been associated with the extreme right and three out of four disrupted terrorist plots also involved the far-right.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Gascon Issues Lightweight Sentencing for Juvenile Who Plowed Into Mother and Baby

LOS ANGELESA California juvenile under the influence of drugs who plowed a car into a mother and her 8-month-old baby last year, according to investigators, will serve a 5-to-7-month sentence, following a recent ruling made by Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon.

On Aug. 6, 2021, surveillance footage showed a 16-year-old suspect crashing his vehicle into a mother and her baby in an alleyway in Venice, California. The incident was witnessed by several bystanders and the suspect was stopped a few yards down by an oncoming driver who purposefully collided with the vehicle.

Both the mother and child survived, with only the mother receiving a laceration to her elbow.

The juvenile was driving a rental car, according to investigators at the time of the incident, adding it is unknown how he obtained the car.

As initial felony charges were dropped and the suspect was released to his parents, Gascons office issued a juvenile probation camp sentence, an alternative sentence to juvenile detention meant to rehabilitate minors.

Gascons office defended the sentencing in a statement to local media outlets, claiming that the Sheriffs Department agreed with the felony charges that were filed and called the juvenile probation camp, recommended by The Probation Department, an appropriate solution.

At arraignment, the minorwho also was on probation during the time of the attack for a separate incidentadmitted two felony counts of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and one felony count of hit-and-run.

In this case, this teen will be held accountable for his actions and receive the needed services to foster positive development to keep him from committing future offenses, the statement reads.

However, LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a statement the department was never consulted as we were not the Investigating agency.

Sheriffs Investigators would never be ok with the lightweight sentencing in this hit and run case. Stop empowering and encouraging criminal behavior. Hold them accountable, he wrote in a Tweet.

Upon Gascons election, he introduced several bold steps for reform, such as no longer charging minors as adults, eliminating many sentencing enhancements (including firearms), ending the death penalty in LA County; removing cash bail for misdemeanor or nonviolent felony crimes, and holding accountable law enforcement officers who violate the law.

Critics of the district attorney say these policies have only resulted in more crime.

The mother hit by the minor, who chose to remain anonymous, said in a victims impact statement that she has never felt so victimized as I have by the system and current policies of LAs DA, George Gascon.

I thought those were the last moments of our lives, we were dead. That feeling, along with the memory of a car accelerating directly into us will haunt me forever, she wrote in a statement, according to local media outlets.

Gascon, elected in December 2020 on a promise to reform the criminal justice system, is facing a recall effort. Petitioners have until July 6 to gather 566,857 signatures from registered Los Angeles County voters, or 10 percent of that figure to qualify for the Nov. 8 ballot. Organizers have over 500,000, but will need between 650,000 and 700,000 to account for wiggle room as signatures are verified, according to the campaign.

As sad as it is, every horrific story like this helps bring attention to Gascons reckless agenda, Tim Lineberger, spokesman for the recall campaign, told The Epoch Times. The campaign should be paying Gascon for PR work at this point because his pro-criminal policies have done more to bring attention to the recall than almost anything else.

Gascons office did not respond for a request for comment by press deadline.
Gasoline prices are posted at a gas station in Washington on May 26, 2022. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

Gasoline Prices Heading For $5, Not If, But When, Says GasBuddy

Americas average gas prices have risen for the seventh straight week, and are heading towards $5 per gallon, according to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

The national average gas price was at $4.85 per gallon according to GasBuddy data compiled from over 11 million individual price reports covering more than 15,000 gas stations. This is 56 cents up from a month back and $1.81 per gallon higher than a year ago.

After a blistering week of gas prices jumping in nearly every town, city, state, and area possible, more bad news is on the horizon. It now appears not if, but when, well hit that psychologically critical $5 national average, De Haan said in a June 6 statement on Revue.

Gasoline inventories have declined even as demand softens due to high prices. In nine U.S. states, average gas prices are already above $5 per gallon. In the coming days and weeks, more states are going to see gas prices exceed $5 per gallon, according to De Haan.

The most common gas price motorists encountered was $4.49 per gallon, up 20 cents from the previous week. It was followed by $4.59, $4.99, $4.79, and $4.39 per gallon in the top five spots. The median price is $4.64 per gallon, which is 21 cents lower than the national average.

Highest gas prices were registered in California with $6.32 per gallon, Nevada with $5.46, and Hawaii with $5.45.

Georgia had the lowest price at $4.27 per gallon, followed by Arkansas with $4.39 and Oklahoma with $4.41.

At the top 10 percent of gas stations, prices averaged $4.98 per gallon. At the bottom 10 percent, prices averaged $4.01 per gallon.

Since Joe Biden became the president of the United States, gas prices have more than doubled. On Jan. 20, 2021, the average gas price nationwide was around $2.39 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). On June 6, gas cost $4.865.

The Biden administration has criticized U.S. oil companies for not pumping out enough oil to maintain supply balance. Biden has also threatened to slap additional taxes on oil companies with federal leases that do not produce enough oil.

However, the White House is also under criticism from many quarters for its lax policies on securing Americas energy needs.

The Department of Interior recently announced Bidens plan to cancel three oil and gas leases, claiming that there is a lack of interest in drilling. As a consequence, millions of acres of U.S. property are now ineligible for offshore drilling for oil and gas.

Unfortunately, this is becoming a patternthe administration talks about the need for more supply and acts to restrict it, Frank Macchiarola, senior vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, said in an interview with The New York Post.

As geopolitical volatility and global energy prices continue to rise, we again urge the administration to end the uncertainty and immediately act on a new five-year program for federal offshore leasing.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) speaks to Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on slowdowns at the Postal Service ahead of the November elections on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Aug. 24, 2020. (Tom Brenner/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

GOP House Lawmakers Criticize Biden Admin for Unlawfully Expanding Obamacare

Two House Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for what they view as an unlawful expansion of Obamacare subsidies.

The Internal Revenue Service recently issued a proposed rule that, if finalized, would unlawfully expand eligibility for taxpayer-subsidized health insurance under ObamaCare, Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and James Comer (R-Ky.) wrote in a letter (pdf) dated June 6 to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig.

In April, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to strengthen Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is also known as Obamacare. The aim was to fix the family glitch in the ACA, whereby dependents who are offered unaffordable family coverage do not qualify for coverage under the ACA.

Following Bidens order, the Treasury Department and IRS published a proposed rule in the Federal Register. The proposal would allow non-employee family members who have to pay more than 10 percent of the household income for coverage to get premium tax credit subsidies.

The Biden administration estimated that the rule change would allow 200,000 uninsured people to gain coverage, and nearly 1 million more Americans to see their coverage become more affordable.

Jordan and Comer charged the Biden administration with being politically motivated in making the rule change.

This proposed rule is inconsistent with both the statutory text and a rule that the IRS finalized nearly a decade ago, the lawmakers wrote.

The IRSs reversal is unlawful, and it is bad policy, they added. By deploying the IRS for partisan political ends, the Biden Administration is returning to its playbook from the Obama-Biden Administration in weaponizing the IRS to achieve partisan goals.

Additionally, Jordan and Comer alleged that the proposed rule is a poor policy since it will cost billions of taxpayer dollars.

The rule would mostly displace private spending with government spending as dependents replace employer coverage with subsidized exchange coverage, they wrote.

Citing a 2020 report (pdf) from the Congressional Budget Office, the two Republicans pointed out how the change would cost an estimated $45 billion over 10 years.

Sally C. Pipes, president and chief executive officer at the Pacific Research Institute, in a recent op-ed, criticized the Biden administration for trying to fix Obamacare, saying that the result will be rising premiums, fewer coverage options, and ballooning costs for the public.

Biden insists that if the Affordable Care Act isnt expanded, premiums are going to go through the roof. But theyve been doing so for years, thanks to the mandates imposed by the law itself, she wrote.

Twelve years on, the federal government continues to spend billions trying to fix Obamacares many glitches. At some point, taxpayers will need to say enough is enough, she concluded.

Comer and Jordan ended their letter by requesting all documents and communications related to this issue before June 20. They added, The Obama-Biden Administration also used the IRS to unlawfully expand an ObamaCare subsidy.

It appears the White House is again using the IRS for unlawful ends, they wrote.

Jordan is the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and Comer is the ranking member of the Oversight and Reform Committee.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House for comment.
Milo Yiannopoulos speaks during an event hosted by senator David Leyonhjelm at Parliament House on Dec. 5, 2017, in Canberra, Australia. Yiannopoulos is touring Australia with his Troll Academy show. (Michael Masters/Getty Images)

GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Hires Milo Yiannopoulos as Unpaid Intern

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has hired outspoken conservative figure and former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos as an unpaid intern in her congressional office.

Yiannopoulos, 37, announced the new job on his Telegram account Monday alongside a photo of his official intern congressional badge.

Ive finally been persuaded out of retirement. But my skills are a bit rusty, so the best role I could land was an unpaid internship with a friend. Pray for me! Yiannopoulos said.

Mummy always said Id end up in government! he wrote in an additional post.

Greenes office confirmed that Yiannopoulos is interning at her office in a statement to the Daily Beast, which first reported the news.

So I have an intern that was raped by a priest as a young teen, was gay, has offended everyone at some point, turned his life back to Jesus and Church, and changed his life, Greene told The Daily Beast. Great story!

The Epoch Times has contacted Greenes office for comment.

Yiannopoulos, a British native, rose to prominence in the mid-2010s as a gay conservative for his speeches, writings, and interviews on Islam, feminism, social justice, and political correctness, among others, many of which sparked a public backlash.

He began working for Breitbart in 2014 but resigned in 2017 following backlash over comments he made in a video in which he stated that sex between 13-year-olds and older men can be life-affirming, according to The New York Post.

At the time, Yiannopoulos released a statement thanking Breitbart for standing by him when others caved.

They have allowed me to carry conservative and libertarian ideas to communities that would have otherwise never have heard them, he said in a statement.

They have been a significant factor in my success. Im grateful for that freedom and for the friendships I forged there. I would be wrong to allow my poor choice of words to detract from my colleagues important reporting, so today I am resigning from Breitbart, effective immediately.

Following the backlash, Yiannopoulos was also dropped as a speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference, and his book deal with Simon & Schuster was also canceled.

He was banned from Twitter in 2016 and from Facebook in 2019. In that same year, he was banned from entering Australia due to comments he made about the Christchurch mass shooting at a New Zealand mosque that left 51 people dead.

After keeping a relatively low profile, Yiannopoulos returned to the limelight in a 2021 interview with LifeSite to announce that he is ex-gay and would like to help rehabilitate what the media calls conversion therapy.'

In the leadup to his recent intern announcement, Yiannopoulos has reposted a number of Greenes Twitter posts and news on his Telegram feed in which he described himself as a retired civil rights icon who is opening a clinic in Florida for men plagued by same-sex attraction.

Yiannopoulos has also attended some of Greenes public appearances in recent months, including one in April during which he was escorted with the Republican lawmaker into the Capitol building through a members only entrance, according to a video posted online.
Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez rises during question period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on May 31, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

Heritage Minister Contradicts CRTC Chair on Bill C-11 User Content, Accuses Tories of Misinformation

Is user-generated content covered by the Liberal governments revamping of the Broadcasting Act through Bill C-11? It depends who you ask.

When Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez testified before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on June 6, he insisted several times that Canadians who post content online should not be worried about falling under the regulating powers of the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

Absolutely, it is not, Rodriguez answered when asked by Liberal MP Anthony Housefather if content is regulated by Section 4.2 of the bill.

Theres people that try to make others believe that the CRTC is there, and the government through the CRTC, that we want to know what people produce, and if the videos are fine or not, and if were not happy with it, were going to take it offline. No, no, said Rodriguez.

The CRTC said it before: Theyre not interested in that content. The only thing were looking at is what becomes part of commercial content, and that is defined in criteria 4.2.

CRTC Chair Ian Scott, who testified before different parliamentary committees in recent days, echoed Rodriguezs remark that the CRTC is not interested in regulating user-generated content, but contradicted him on what powers the bill provides.

[Section] 4.2 allows the CRTC to prescribe by regulation user-uploaded content subject to very explicit criteria. That is also in the act, Scott told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on June 1.

On May 18, he told the same committee that as constructed, there is a provision that would allow us to do it [regulate user-generated content] as required.

In short, Section 4.2 of the bill says content will fall under CRTC regulations if it is uploaded to a platform and generates revenues, if it can be found on different platforms, and if it has been assigned a unique identifier.

Conservative MP Rachel Thomas pressed Rodriguez repeatedly during the June 6 committee meeting on the issue of revenue, and asked if there would be a determined threshold.

What is that revenue that youre looking for in order to know whether or not its going to be regulated? she asked.

It has nothing to do with a number, Rodriguez said, implying that anything generating any kind of revenue would fall under regulation.

Misinformation

Rodriguez told the committee he is concerned about the amount of misinformation shared by some Conservatives around Bill C-11.

They take this bill and they create a parallel debate about things that dont exist in the bill. That is what worries me, he said.

University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist, however, says Rodriguezs denials about user content regulation ring hollow and seem like a classic case of gaslighting.

His defence falls apart on close examination of the bill, wrote Geist on his website on June 7.

Numerous witnesses, including digital creators, Internet platforms, and industry associations, have all expressed concerns about the issue. Rather than respond to them, Rodriguez and the government implausibly deny that the issue exists at all.

Conservative MP and Canadian heritage critic John Nater said on June 6 his party is proposing amendments to the bill, including the removal of Section 4.2 and any provision that enables the inclusion of User Generated Content.

Nater also wants to see a financial cap on the size of businesses the bill will be applied to.

What has become obvious is that C-11 cannot be allowed to proceed in its current form, Nater said in a statement.

The Liberals have framed C-11 as a means to level the playing field between Canadian media producers and large streaming giants, and to protect Canadian culture.

Rodriguez says the bill will support artists, promote job creation in the cultural sector, make Canadian content more accessible, and force streaming platforms to contribute to Canadian culture.

The heritage minister said the bill will provide the government with $1 billion in annual revenue.

The objectives are clear: more money for indigenous productions and marginalized communities, in both official languages, he said regarding how the government intends to spend that money.
Hong Kongs Status as an Airport Tanks as Passenger Traffic Drops to 2 Percent of Pre-epidemic Levels

Many countries have eased their travel restrictions now that the global epidemic has slowed down. But this is not the case in Hong Kong under the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) zero-COVID policy. A recent report released by Natixis, the French investment bank, said Hong Kongs strict entry restrictions, continued outflow of residents, and other negative factors, have reduced passenger traffic to only 2 percent of what it was prior to the start of the epidemic. Hong Kong now seen as one of the worst sites in Asia by the aviation industry. Unless the restrictions are relaxed, the report suggests Hong Kong is at risk of jeopardizing its ability to compete in the air carrier sector.

On par with Dubai, London, and Amsterdam, Hong Kong was one of the leading international cargo airports and the fourth busiest international passenger airport in the world. Approximately 120 airlines operated routes going to and from Hong Kong and serving over 200 destinations worldwide. In 2019, 71.5 million people traveled between Hong Kong and over 200 cities abroad, as well as mainland China.

Passenger Traffic Dive one of the Worst in Asia

According to the Natixis report, the severity of Hong Kongs decrease in air travel was not unique at the start of the pandemic in 2020, as airports around the world locked down and quarantined flight crews. However, as other airports began to relax their COVID restrictions recently, Hong Kong did the opposite to combat its continuing sporadic outbreaks.

Hong Kongs departure from what other airports were doing made it stand out as one of the worst performers in Asia. Its passenger traffic volume fell to only 2 percent of what it was in 2019. Although Hong Kongs air traffic increased slightly in May, it has not yet returned to normal levels.

The co-author of the Natixis report was Alicia Garcia Herrero, the companys chief economist for the Asia Pacific region. She said air freight plays a major role in Hong Kongs external trade, accounting for 42 percent of total trade by value across all transport routes. Before the tightening of crew quarantine regulations, Hong Kongs trade activity with mainland China was growing at the same rate as other Asian countries. After the restrictions were imposed earlier this year, Hong Kongs trade activity with China plummeted 16 percent year-on-year in March. During the same period, Chinas trade activity with Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan rose 12 percent year on year. The report suggested that its border control policies may be a decisive factor slowing Hong Kongs recovery.

Citing comparative data from other airlines, Herrera noted that Cathay Pacifics 2021 air traffic in Hong Kong was equivalent to 8 percent of the pre-epidemic level but dropped to 2 percent in April of 2022. Singapore Airlines increased its traffic from 33 percent to 63 percent of the pre-epidemic level during the same period. As for air cargo, the pace of recovery was similar last year, at around 60 percent of the pre-epidemic level. But in April of this year, Hong Kongs cargo volume dropped sharply to 29 percent of the pre-epidemic level, while Singapores gradually rose to 72 percent.

Herrera also noted that in addition to the outflow of residents, the seriousness of the problem lies in Hong Kongs role in the global arena and its connection to the world. If Hong Kong keeps lagging behind other airports, the short-term pressure may become permanent, causing it to lose its competitiveness in the aviation sector.

IATA: Hong Kong Disappears from the Aviation Map

The CCPs dynamic zero-COVID policy in Hong Kong imposes a prolonged hotel quarantine on travelers, even if they test negative for the virus. Cathay Pacific Airways said its crew stayed in quarantine hotels for more than 62,000 nights in 2021 and were tested more than 230,000 times, but only 16 of the test results were positive.

In January, Hong Kong banned flight arrivals from nine countries, including Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the UK, and the United States. One week later, the Hong Kong government banned flights from an additional 150 countries and regions. During that month, Cathay Pacific carried an average of fewer than 800 passengers per day, equivalent to the full capacity of its two Boeing 777 long-haul aircraft.

Although Hong Kong has since reduced the quarantine period for overseas arrivals from three weeks to one, the hassle and cost involved is still a deterrent for many. Particularly since most other countries have abandoned their quarantine policies. Singapore doesnt even require nucleic acid testing or isolation of arriving passengers and crew.

On April 1, Hong Kong removed flight restrictions it placed earlier on nine countries, but this was insufficient to restore trade activity to pre-epidemic levels. During that month, the airport handled 126,000 travelers, double the number in 2021, but less than 2 percent of the 6.5 million travelers it handled in April 2019.

Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said in April, that Hong Kongs status as an international aviation hub has fallen due to its inbound flight restrictions and strict passenger segregation. He said, Hong Kong has virtually disappeared from the aviation map. I think its very difficult for Hong Kong to recover.
Hong Kong's Jumbo Floating Restaurant announced on May 30 that it will close down in June due to financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Song Bilong/The Epoch Times)

Hong Kongs World-Renowned Floating Restaurant to Close Down

One of the most renowned tourist attractions in Hong Kong, the 46-year-old Jumbo Floating Restaurant, will be leaving Aberdeen Harbor in June due to financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The luxurious, imperial-style, floating restaurant, which has hosted numerous notable figures and celebrities, including Queen Elizabeth II and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, was established in 1976 after four years of craftsmanship funded by two late Hong Kong business tycoons, Stanley Ho and Cheng Yu-tung.

In a May 30 announcement published on HK01, an online news platform in Hong Kong, the restaurants parent company, Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprise, said reasons, such as high maintenance costs, lack of suitable berths, and an expiring restaurant license, have made continuing the business unfeasible under the current economic circumstances.

The millions in annual upkeep costs have prevented dozens of enterprises and organizations from taking over the restaurant even if it was donated by the company. Hence, the vessel, which has been out of business since March 2020 due to COVID-19, would be sent abroad for storage and maintenance while waiting for a new operator, the company said, according to HK01.

Former Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam had promised in her 2020 policy address to revitalize the Jumbo Floating Restaurant as part of efforts to facilitate the Island South Initiative, and the Hong Kong Ocean Park would accept the restaurant as a donation.

However, it seems that negotiations between the two companies have been unsuccessful, as the Hong Kong government no longer plans to fund the operation, according to a statement made by Lam at a press conference on May 31.

Furthermore, just two days after the restaurants announcement, a 30-meter kitchen barge attached to the restaurant capsized at midnight on June 1, further exacerbating the financial strain on the company.

Seven Legislative Council members, including Lo Kin Hei, chairman of the Hong Kong Democratic Party, signed a joint letter to the Hong Kong government on June 1, asking the authorities to step in to preserve the Jumbo Floating Restaurant.

The restaurant has an important role in both cultural conservation and historical inheritance. Otherwise, we will lose another distinctively well-known and celebrated attraction site here in Hong Kong, Lo said in a statement on Facebook.
How the Pandemic Response Changed My Thinking

Commentary

Looking back to the before timesmeaning before the middle of March 2020we were all quite naive about liberty, technology, the mob, and the state. Most of us had no idea what was possible and that the dystopia in movies could become real in our times, and so suddenly. The intellectual parlor games were over; the fight spilled over from the classrooms to the streets.

Its even difficult for me to recreate the thinking behind my exuberant confidence that we faced a future of peace and progress forever, times when I could not conceive of circumstances that would disable the whole trajectory. I was previously sure that the state as we know it was melting away bit by bit.

Looking back, I had become like a Victorian-style Whig who never dreamed that the Great War could happen. To be sure, I might have been correct in my empirical observation that public institutions were losing credibility and had been for thirty years. And yet it is for this very reason that some major fear campaign was likely to come along to disrupt the trajectory. It had not occurred to me that it would succeed so marvelously.

The experience has changed all of us, making us more aware of the depth of the crisis and teaching us lessons we can only wish we did not have to learn.

#1 The Role of Information

My previous naivete, I think, was due to my confidence in information flows from my study of history. Every despotism of the past was marked by lack of access to truth. For example, how is it that the world believed that Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler were men of peace and could be skillfully managed via diplomatic relations? Why did people believe the reports emanating from The New York Times that there was no famine in Ukraine, that Mussolini had cracked the code to efficient economic planning, and that Hitler was over-the-top but essentially harmless?

My previous view has been that we did not know better because we did not have access to accurate reports. The same could be said about other egregious incidences of despotism from history. Humanity wallowed in darkness. The Internet fixes that, or so we (I) believed.

That turned out to be wrong. The speed and abundance of information actually amplified error. At the height of the pandemic response, anyone could have looked up the demographics of risk, the failings of PCR and masks, the history and significance of natural immunity, the absurdities of plexiglass and capacity restrictions, the utter futility of travel limits and curfews, the pointless brutality of school closures. It was all there, not just on random blogs but also in the scholarly literature.

But the existence of correct information was nowhere near enough. It turns out (and this is perhaps obvious now) that it is not the information availability as such that matters but peoples capacity to make sound judgments about that information. That is what was lacking all along.

Localized fear, parochial germophobia, general innumeracy, superstitious trust in talismans, meaningless ritualism, and population-wide ignorance of the achievements of cell biology overrode rational argumentation and rigorous science. It turns out that floods of information, even when it includes that which is accurate, is not enough to overcome weak judgment, a lack of wisdom, and moral cowardice.

#2 Trust in Big Tech

In the early years of their founding, companies like Google, Microsoft, Twitter, and even Facebook had a libertarian ethos bound up with the ideas of industrial disruption, free flow of ideas, and democratic participation. Legacy media was terrified. We came to see the new companies as the good guys and the old media as the bad guys. I wrote whole books heralding the dawn of the new, which in turn was connected to my confidence that more information would allow the best information to dominate public debate.

At some point in this trajectory, all these institutions became captured by a different ethos. How precisely this came to be has a mix of explanations. Regardless, it happened, and this became incredibly obvious and painful during the pandemic, as these CEOs volunteered their efforts to amplify CDC and WHO information no matter how wrong it turned out to be. The more users pushed back, the more brutal tactics of censorship and cancellation became the norm.

Clearly, I had not anticipated this but I should have. The long history of collaboration of big business with big government shows how they often work hand in glove (the New Deal is a case in point). In this case, the danger became especially pronounced because Big Tech has a very long and deep reach into our lives via location tracking and compelling notifications, to the point that nearly every American carries on his person what turned out to be a propaganda and compliance toolthe very opposite of the initial promise.

Another example of big business, and perhaps the preeminent one, was Big Pharma, which likely played a sizable role in policy decisions made very early on. The promise that the shot would fix everything turned out to be untrue, a fact which many are still unwilling to admit. But consider the expense of this misjudgment! Its unthinkable.

#3 Administrative State Revealed

There are three kinds of states: the personal state, the elected/democratic state, and the administrative state. Americans think we live in the second type but the pandemic revealed something else. Under a state of emergency, its the bureaucracy that rules. Americans never voted for mask mandates, school closures, or travel restrictions. Those were imposed by edicts by public health officials who seem delighted by their power. Further, these policies were imposed without proper consultation. At times, it seemed like the legislatures and even the courts were utterly powerless or too cowardly to do anything.

This is a serious crisis for any people who imagine themselves to be free. The United States was not founded to be this way. The administrative state is a relatively new invention with the first full deployment tracing to the Great War. It has only gotten worse.

The apotheosis of the U.S. administrative state was surely the pandemic period. These times revealed the political class to be not much more than a veneer for something far less accountable. It became so bad that when a Florida judge ruled a CDC edict as inconsistent with the law, the CDC objected mostly on grounds that their authority cannot be questioned. This is not a tolerable system. Its hard to think of a higher priority than containing this beast.

This is going to take a change more far reaching than a shift in which party controls the legislature. It is going to take foundational change, the establishment of walls of separation, paths of accountability, juridical limits, and, ideally, abolition of whole departments. Thats a tough agenda, and it simply cannot happen without public support which in turn depends on the cultural conviction that we simply cannot and will not live this way.

#4 The Issue of Inequality

With economics education, I never really took issues of wealth inequality as such very seriously. How possibly could it matter what the gap between the rich and the poor happens to be so long as there is mobility between the classes? It doesnt somehow hurt the poor that others are rich; you can even make the opposite case.

I always found the idea of class itself to be largely exaggerated and even irrelevant from the point of view of political economy, a Marxian construct that has no real impact on social organization. Indeed, Ive long suspected that those who say otherwise were seizing on class as a way of dividing up the social order that is otherwise universally cooperative.

And so it would be in a free society. That is not where we are today. And this much we know: the professional class exercises outsized influence over the affairs of state. That much should be exceedingly obvious, though Im not sure that it was to me before 2020. What we saw was the unfolding of a coercive social system that favored the professional class over the working class, a group rendered nearly voiceless for the better part of two years.

Now it is very obvious to me why a society with entrenched social classes really matters for the operation of politics. Without class mobility both up and down the social ladder, the ruling class becomes protective of its rank and deeply fearful of losing it, even to the point of pushing policies to entrench its privileges. Lockdown was one of them. It was a policy constructed to deploy the working classes as sandbags to bear the burden of herd immunity and keep their betters clean and protected. Its truly impossible to imagine that lockdown would ever have happened in absence of this class stratification and ossification.

#5 The Mob

Along with my confidence in information flows comes an implicitly populist sense that the people find intelligent answers to important questions and act on them. I believe that I always accepted that as an ideological prior. But the covid years showed otherwise.

The mob was unleashed in ways Ive never witnessed. Walk the wrong way down the grocery aisle and expect to get screamed at. Millions slapped masks on their kids faces out of fear. The compliance culture was out of control, even when there was zero evidence that any of these nonpharmaceutical interventions achieved their goal. The non-compliers were treated as disease spreaders, subjected to demonization campaigns from the top that quickly trickled down to coronajustice warriors at the grassroots.

The cultural divisions here became so intense that families and communities were shattered. The impulse toward segregation and stigmatization became extreme. It was infected vs uninfected, masked vs not, vaccinated vs not, and finally red vs bluesevere indictments of others manufactured entirely in the name of virus management. Truly, I had no idea that such a thing would be possible in the modern world. This experience should teach us that the onset of tyranny is not just about top-down rule. Its about a whole-of-society takeover by a manufactured mania.

Perhaps some form of populism will lead us out of this mess, but populism is a two-edged sword. It was a terrified public that backed the irrational response to the virus. Today the rational seem to outnumber the irrational but that could easily flip the other way.

What we really need is a system that is safe for freedom and human rights that protects those ideals even when the madness of crowdsor the arrogance of intellectuals or the lust for power of the bureaucratswants to scrap them. And that means revisiting the very foundations of what kind of world in which we want to live. What we once believed was a settled matter has been completely upended. Figuring out how to recover and restore is the great challenge of our times.

So, yes, as with millions of others, my naivete is gone, replaced by a harder, tougher, and more realistic understanding of the great struggles we face. People in wartime in the past must have gone through such similar transformations. It affects us all, personally and intellectually. Its the great moment when we realize that no outcome is baked into the fabric of history. The lives we live are not granted to us by anyone. That we must make for ourselves.

From the Brownstone Institute

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, arrested in connection with the July 1, 2015, shooting of Kate Steinle on a pier in San Francisco is led into the Hall of Justice for his arraignment in San Francisco, Calif., on July 7, 2015. (Michael Macor/Reuters)

Illegal Immigrant Acquitted of Murder Learns Outcome in Gun Charge Case

The illegal immigrant acquitted of killing a woman in California was sentenced on June 6 to time served on a federal charge.

Jose Ines Garcia-Zarate is a Mexican who was deported five times before being accused of killing 32-year-old Kate Steinle in San Francisco on July 1, 2015.

Garcia-Zarate has acknowledged firing the shot that killed Steinle but claimed it was accidental. He was acquitted of murder by a jury in late 2017, with jurors convicting him of being a felon in possession of a gun.

A few months later, the defendant was sentenced to time served for that conviction.

Garcia-Zarate was indicted on three federal countsbeing a felon and carrying a gun, being an illegal alien and carrying a gun, and criminal forfeiturearound the time of his partial acquittal, but because of various delays, including questions about the mans mental competency to stand trial, the federal case took longer to resolve.

The defendant pleaded guilty on March 14 to two counts and faced up to 20 years in prison and up to 6 years of supervised release.

But U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, an Obama appointee, on Monday sentenced Garcia-Zarate to no additional prison time.

Instead, the defendant received time served, and three years of supervised release.

If you return to this country again and you are back in front of me, I will not spare you. Let this be your last warning: do not return to this country, Chhabria told Garcia-Zarate.

The Mexican native was set to be transferred to Texas, where he could be ordered removed from the country by a federal judge for not reporting where he was after being released from jail by the San Francisco Sheriffs Department shortly before shooting Steinle.

Before the killing, Garcia-Zarate had recently completed a prison sentence for illegal re-entry to the United States when he was transferred to San Francisco to face a 20-year-old marijuana charge.

A photograph of murder victim Kate Steinle is placed on an easel as her father Jim Steinle (2nd L) prepares to testify about her murder during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on immigration enforcement policies, on Capitol Hill in Washington, on July 21, 2015. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Garcia-Zarate feels horrible about what happened, and that hes very sorry and apologizes, his lawyer, Mike Hinckley, said in court.

The judge said he does not believe that prosecutors proved that Garcia Zarate had acted with criminal recklessness in the shooting and that he likely did not understand what was happening that day when he killed Steinle, because of his mental health illness. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Chhabria also expressed sympathy for the defendant, who spent most of his seven years in county jail without treatment. That must have been hell, Chhabria said.

Steinles relatives were not present in court for the sentencing and prosecutors said her family did not want to participate in the proceedings.

A lawyer who has represented her family did not respond to a request for comment.

Stephanie Hinds, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that the case highlights the dangers inherent in illegal firearm possession.

Here, the result was the tragic death of an innocent young woman, with a devastating impact on the victims family, friends, and community. The office will continue to focus on prosecuting those who possess firearms in violation of federal law, as public safety remains our paramount concern, Hinds added.

Sentencing guidelines called for between 41 months to 51 months in prison, but defense lawyers said the defendant should receive a lesser sentence than he has already served, which would have meant possible leniency in the Texas case, J. Tony Serra, one of Garcia-Zarates lawyers, told The Epoch Times. Prosecutors said in their sentencing memorandum that they did not oppose a sentence of time served while the probation department recommended 10 years in jail.

The judge went down the middle Serra said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former President Donald Trump smiles as Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) speaks during a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, on Oct. 9, 2021. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Iowa Primary Features Key Races in Both the Senate and House

At a town hall meeting conducted by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley last week, multiple audience members interrupted the seven-term lawmaker and said he was endangering childrens lives by filibustering gun reform. Grassley told attendees that, before commenting further, he wanted to monitor negotiations between Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) as the pair discuss gun reform. At 88, Grassley is campaigning to secure his eighth term as a U.S. Senator in Iowa. Endorsed by former president Donald Trump, he is the oldest Republican serving in the Senate. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1975 and won his Senate seat in 1980.

The Iowa native and farmer, who is the longest-serving U.S. senator in the states history, faces state Sen. Jim Carlin in the GOP primary on June 7.

Carlin, an attorney, was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2017, succeeding the retiring Ron Jorgensen. Later that year, Carlin was elected to the Iowa Senate, a seat he currently holds.

The Democratic U.S. Senate primary features former Rep. Abby Finkenauer, retired Navy Adm. Michael Franken, and city councilman Glenn Hurst.

Finkenauer, who is 33, is talking about abortion access as part of her platform. She is a former two-term state representative.

It is why we need somebody standing on the floor in 2023 in the United States Senate who is a woman of childbearing age, who does actually have a personal stake in this, Finkenauer said at a May debate.

It is absurd to me that we dont have more voices standing on that floor right now.

Open Secrets reported that Finkenauer generated more than $3,700,000 for the June 14 primary and Franken topped $2,800,000.

In a TV ad aired in late May, the narrator says, Our Chuck Grassley is a conservative icon.

Grassley is expected to win the primary and the general election.

Incumbent Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is also heavily favored to win in November. She is running unopposed in the June 7 primary. Democrat Deidre DeJear and Libertarian Rick Stewart are also candidates for governor.

Other statewide races that have no primaries this year include the one for attorney general where Republican Brenna Bird will challenge incumbent Democrat Tom Miller in Novemberand treasurer, which pits incumbent Democrat Michael Fitzgerald against Republican state Sen. Roby Smith.

All four of Iowas U.S. House of Representative seats are on the ballot this year, and the Iowa Republican Party is striving to go four-for-four.

The race to watch is in the newly redrawn 3rd Congressional District, where Republicans hope to unseat incumbent Rep. Cindy Axne, a two-term Democrat.

Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa) speaks during news conference discussing the Shutdown to End All Shutdowns (SEAS) Act in Washington on Jan. 29, 2019. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

Financial services professional Nicole Hasso, Iowa state senator and Air Force veteran Zach Nunn, and farmer Gary Leffler are the challengers in the Republican primary on June 7. Hasso and Nunn lead in fundraising.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U.A. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Americans for Prosperity Action have backed Nunn, who has served in the Iowa House and the Senate.

In a recent debate, Nunn described how he voted for the most expansive tax cut package in Iowa history.

Weve proven that we can do it here in Iowa and I would use Iowa as a playbook for what we can do for the entire country, Nunn explained.

When you look at our economy, we were one of the first ones to reopen. When you look at government overreach, we were one of the first ones to put kids back in schools.

Hasso told debate audience members that I am a Christian, I am a conservative, Im a wife, Im a Mom and I guess now I am a woman and a biologist.

The woman and biologist remarks were in response to Supreme Court Justice Katanji Brown, who during her confirmation was asked to define woman. She answered that shes a judge, not a biologist.

Leffler has raised little money. He is best known for his antique tractor adorned with a patriotic theme that he brings to events. He attended the Jan. 6 events at the U.S. Capitol but was not in the building.

Axne was first elected to the U.S. House in 2018, but the territory she now represents has a different landscape.

The redrawn 3rd District gained nine counties that voted for Trump in 2020.

Dennis Goldford, a political science professor at Drake University political science professor Dennis Goldford told Iowa Public Radio that Axne could be vulnerable in November.

Voters who are angry at the condition of America under Biden could take out their frustration on Democrats.

In a way you have an incumbent but you dont have an incumbent, right? Goldford said. The fact that most national observers consider the 3rd District a toss-up is something that favors Republicans and shows Democrats in some difficulty.

On June 4, Axne wrote an article that appeared in the Perry News that proclaimed:

Im pleased to share that for the second year in a row Ive been named the most bipartisan member of the Iowa congressional delegation by the Lugar Center and Georgetown Universitys McCourt School of Public Policy.

I was also named the 20th most bipartisan member of the 435 voting members in the U.S. House of Representatives, putting me in the 96th percentile of all members.

Axne added, The Lugar/McCourt Bipartisan Index demonstrates how often a member of Congress works with those across the aisle by measuring how many bills members write that are supported by those in the other party or in turn supporting a bill written by the other party.

Since coming to Congress, Ive been laser-focused on cutting through bureaucratic red tape, lowering costs and expanding opportunities for Iowans.

Two years ago, Axne prevailed by around 6,200 votes, which was less than 1.5 percentage points. The new congressional map has moved the district to a side that is friendlier to Republicans.
Jim Fitton of Britain (L), and Volker Waldmann of Germany, center, wearing yellow detainees uniforms and handcuffed are escorted by Iraqi security forces, outside a courtroom, in Baghdad on May 22, 2022. (/Hadi Mizban/AP Photo)

Iraq: British Man Gets 15 Years Over Smuggling Artifacts

BAGHDADA British citizen was sentenced Monday by an Iraqi court to 15 years in prison on charges of attempting to smuggle artifacts out of the country, in a case that has attracted international attention.

The verdict handed down to retired geologist Jim Fitton, shocked the court in Baghdad, including his defense attorney. He and his family have argued that Fitton, 66, had no criminal intent.

I thought the worst case scenario would be one year, with suspension, Fittons lawyer Thair Soud, visibly shocked, told The Associated Press.

A German national tried with Fitton was found not to have had criminal intent in the case and will be released.

Judge Jabir Abd Jabir found that, according to the governments investigation, Fitton had criminal intent to smuggle the artifacts that he had picked up and intended to transport them out of the country.

The trial has grabbed international attention at a time when Iraq seeks to open up its nascent tourism sector. The two men first appeared in court on May 15 wearing yellow detainees uniforms, telling judges they had not acted with criminal intent and had no idea they might have broken local laws.

Fitton said he suspected the items he collected were ancient fragments, but that at the time I didnt know about Iraqi laws, or that taking the shards was not permitted. Fitton said as geologist he was in the habit of collecting such fragments as a hobby and had no intention to sell them.

In his defense, Soud said Fitton waited for weeks while in custody before hiring him as his legal counsel, arguing that this makes the point that the Briton had no idea of the severity of the case or the value of the goods found in his possession.

The judge, however, did not consider Souds arguments that laid out Fittons ignorance of Iraqi laws and the value of the items he picked up. Fitton and the German national, Volker Waldman, were arrested at Baghdads airport on March 20 after airport security discovered the items in their luggage. They had been part of a tourism expedition around the countrys ancient sites.

Their tour guide, also a British citizen who was in his 80s and in poor health, died in police custody for reasons unrelated to his detention. He was found with over 20 archeological fragments in this possession.

Fittons family grew worried when he did not arrive on a scheduled flight back to Kuala Lumpur, where he resides with his wife, on March 20. They later learned that Fitton, a well-traveled geologist for oil and gas companies, had been taken to an airport holding cell where he was still being detained, Fittons daughter Leila told the AP last month.

Fitton missed his daughters wedding in Malaysia, which took place in early May. Leila said at the time she was heartbroken by his absence.

Her hope for her fathers return home has been a near-daily fixture on her social media. Nineteen hours before Fitton was sentence she posted a photo of her parents to mark their wedding anniversary. In another, at a family hiking trip she wrote she hoped her father would be able to join them on the next venture.

Frustrated by perceived inaction on the part of the British Foreign Office to intervene and assist in Fittons case, his family started a petition that has garnered over 100,000 signatures. The British diplomatic mission in Baghdad has not commented on its involvement in the case and the British consul in Iraq, who attended the court session Monday, left following the sentencing without making any comments.

In total, 12 fragments of pottery and other shards were found in Fittons possession by Iraqi authorities, all of them collected as souvenirs, Fittons family says, during a group tourism expedition to Eridu, an ancient Mesopotamian site in what is now Dhi Qar province.

Waldmans defense team has said the German tourist had been carrying two pieces for Fitton but that he did not pick them up from the site. Both men are charged with smuggling based on the countrys antiquities laws, and could potentially face the death penalty. However, officials have said that was only a remote possibility.

Soud said he intents to appeal the sentence immediately. It is not clear if Fitton can serve out his sentence in his home country as this would require a bilateral agreement between Iraq and the U.K.

Based on Iraqi law, both men could have faced the death penalty, an outcome that legal experts said from the beginning was unlikely.

By Samya Kullab
Italian Mafia Floods Australia With Dirty Money, Illicit Drugs: Australian Federal Police

Thousands of Italian mafia figures are washing billions of dollars a year through the Australian economy in secrecy while pulling the strings of other criminal clans.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) on Tuesday launched a probe into 51 Italian organised crime gangs operating in Australia, 14 of which are the Calabrian mafiaalso called Ndranghetaone of the most powerful organised crime groups in the world.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan alleged the Ndrangheta of being responsible for 70 to 80 percent of the worlds cocaine and flooding Australia with illicit drugs such as cannabis and methamphetamine.

They mix their illegitimate money with money from their legitimate construction, agricultural or catering businesses, and all of this makes it more difficult to not only identify criminality but to prove it, Ryan said.

They are pulling the strings of Australian outlaw motorcycle gangs who are behind some of the most significant violence in our communities.

Investigators believed thousands of Ndrangheta figures, including high-profile business players, are engaging in current criminal activity assisted or directed by their colleagues in Italy.

They have been largely operating under the radar for decades, with Assistant Commissioner Ryan saying people could be living next door to members and have no idea.

The Calabrian mafia regularly collaborates with other organised crime groups, including bikie gangs and Asian triads, South American cartels or middle Eastern crime gangs to co-operate on drug importation, money laundering and violence.

Ryan said the organised Italian crime clans have become so powerful in Australia that they almost own some outlawed motorcycle gangs, who will traffic drugs for their Ndrangheta financiers, or commit violence on behalf of the Ndrangheta.

The Ndrangheta are not just an Australian problem, they are a global problem.

Ryan noted that while money laundering subverts, exploits, and distorts legitimate markets, drug trafficking weakens Australias national security and economy. He added that drug trafficking also puts law-abiding citizens at risk of becoming collateral damage in the wars of organised criminals who shoot at each other in public.

The AFP said they had obtained invaluable intelligence from ANoM, a messaging service widely used by criminals but was closely monitored by the AFP and FBI.

In collaboration with Italian authorities, the AFP has also managed to map out a family tree of the Ndrangheta in Australia.

According to investigators, the Australian Ndrangheta has been conducting money laundering since the 1970s and continues to commit crimes using bitcoin dealers, corrupt lawyers and accountants.

The AFPs press release stated that Ndrangheta figures are difficult to combat due to their strong familial relations and loyalty, international reach, and exploitation of other criminal groups ability to infiltrate people in power.
Police release tear gas into a crowd of demonstrators during clashes outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

Judge Agrees to Toss Out Charge Against Jan. 6 Defendant

A federal judge on June 7 agreed to dismiss a charge against a defendant in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, threw out the charge that Edward Jacob Lang, the defendant, obstructed an official proceeding before Congress.

The charge carries up to 20 years in prison.

Im ecstatic, Steven Metcalf, a lawyer for Lang, told The Epoch Times.

Metcalf had argued in a recent filing that the defendants actions did not meet the definition of the law that he allegedly violated.

The law prohibits interfering with an official proceeding through intimidation against a person or other means.

Lang was charged with the portion that states a person is committing a crime if they otherwise obstruct, influence, or impede any official proceeding, or attempts to do so.

But Lang entered the Capitol while Congress was counting electoral votes, which was not an official proceeding, Metcalf argued. He also said Lang did not take actions that constitute obstruction.

Metcalf cited a memorandum penned by then-Attorney General William Barr in 2018 explaining that obstruction laws dont criminalize just any act that can influence a proceeding,' but are aimed at a range of bad actssuch as tampering with a witness or juror; or destroying, altering, or falsifying evidenceall of which are inherently wrongful because, by their very nature, they are directed at depriving the proceeding of honest decision-makers or access to full and accurate evidence.

Nichols agreed. He ordered count nine dismissed without prejudice.

Nichols did not pen an order, but cited opinions he previously issued that dismissed the same count against other Jan. 6 defendants.

Nichols in March threw out the charge against Joseph Fischer and Garret Miller.

In one of the opinions, the judge said that the congressional session was an official proceeding but that the subsection of the law in question should be read narrowly, like the other subsections, which only apply to direct acts such as destroying documents.

The Court therefore concludes that  1512(c)(2) must be interpreted as limited by subsection (c)(1), and thus requires that the defendant have taken some action with respect to a document, record, or other object in order to corruptly obstruct, impede or influence an official proceeding, he said. Miller, however, is not alleged to have taken such action.

Metcalf noted the previous rulings from the judge, which he said signaled it was time to try for his client.

I saw the opportunity and thats when I took it, he said.

Other U.S. judges in Washington have rejected requests to dismiss the obstruction charge on similar grounds.

Lang still faces 12 other counts, including disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers using a dangerous weapon; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds. He faces decades in jail if convicted.
People wait in line to drop off mail-in ballots in a file photo. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

Judge Rejects GOP Challenge to Mail-In Voting in Arizona

A judge has ruled that Arizonas legislature is within its constitutional rights to allow no-excuse mail-in ballots, denying the state GOPs legal challenge ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

Mojave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen ruled against the Arizona GOP and its chair, Dr. Kelli Ward, in support of a 1991 law that permits no-excuse mail-in ballots.

Defendants for the past thirty years have applied the laws of Arizona as written, Jantzen wrote in his ruling (pdf). The laws are far from perfect and nobody anticipated thirty years ago that approximately 90 percent of Arizona voters would vote by mail-in ballot during a pandemic, but these laws are NOT in violation of the Arizona Constitution.

No-excuse mail-in ballots are not inapposite of the intentions of the framers of the Constitution, he added.

The Arizona GOP signalled their intention to explore their next steps following the ruling, including to appeal it in a higher court.

Election integrity in Arizona has been pressing issue since the 2020 general elections, the results of which have been vigorously disputed. In 2020, around 89 percent of voters voted by mail before election day.

The Republican Party of Arizona, under Chairwoman Dr. Kelli Ward, is concerned that if this ruling stands, Arizonas most vulnerable voters will be deprived of the protections to which they are constitutionally entitled, the Arizona GOP said in a statement on Monday.

The Arizona GOP said it seeks to restore mail-in ballots for the sick, elderly, and other absentee voters to ensure they have the constitutionally guaranteed protection of election officials safeguarding their votes from ballot traffickers.

We are sorry that the most vulnerable voters of Arizona will not receive the protections to which they are constitutionally entitled if this ruling standspeople who truly cannot make it to the polls versus those who find convenience voting in the comfort of their homes, said Alex Kolodin, the attorney representing the case.

Our statement on todays ruling of No-Excuse Mail-in Voting. pic.twitter.com/NBSyh4nGqm  Republican Party of Arizona (@AZGOP) June 7, 2022

The Arizona GOP argues that a lack of chain of custody when a voter votes by mail under our current system exposes the election system to weakness. They also argue that there is no possible way to ensure the secrecy of a ballot cast by mail.

Ballot secrecy is a key pillar of the states mail-in ballot laws, which Jantzen noted in his written ruling.

The language of the state constitution does not prohibit mail-in ballots yet does allow new laws concerning voting to be passed as long as secrecy in voting is preserved, Jantzen wrote.

He noted that mail-in voting began in Arizona in 1918 to allow people that could not get to the polls, mostly military people, an opportunity to vote.

These laws mandated the mail-in voter keep his ballot private, so the legislature had the right to write election laws in 1918 that maintained secrecy, and they did so, Jantzen wrote.

On June 4, Ward, who has been challenging the no-excuse mail-in voter system, said on Twitter, I want voting to occur in person and on Election Day, dont you?

I want voting to occur in person and on Election Day, dont you?   Dr. Kelli Ward  (@kelliwardaz) June 3, 2022

The Arizona legislature approved no-excuse mail-in voting in 1991, and it became effective on Jan. 1, 1992. The law states that early ballots must be returned in envelopes of a type that does not reveal the voters selections or political party affiliation and that is tamper evident when properly sealed.

Mail-in ballots must be folded and sealed in an envelope, Jantzen noted, along with an affidavit, in a way so as to conceal the vote. They are then either delivered, mailed, or deposited by the voter or the voters agent at any polling place in the county.

A state Supreme Court appeal by Ward that challenged ballot boxes and remote voting was already rejected in April, Just The News reported.
Actor Johnny Depp gestures to the gallery as he leaves for a break in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Va., on May 23, 2022. (Steve Helber/Pool via AP Photo)

Justice for Johnny: Men Can Be Victims, Too

Commentary

Johnny Depps victory is an important day for men around the world, especially those who are victims of domestic abuse. Contrary to popular belief, men can be victims, too.

In Platform, a highly-provocative novel published 20 years ago, the author Michel Houellebecq put forward a rather provocative theory.

As women become more accomplished, entering professions traditionally occupied by men, their actions and behaviorsboth the good and the badwould become more masculine in nature. Two decades on, the Frenchman appears to have been onto something.

As you are no doubt aware, Depp recently sued his ex-wife, Amber Heard, over a 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post. In that particularly explosive piece, Heard painted herself as a victim of domestic and sexual abuse. Depp sued Heard for defamation. On June 1, jurors awarded Depp $15 million in damages.

During their 15-month marriage, Heard, rather than Depp, appears to have been the real instigator of violence. The idea of a woman abusing her partner might strike some readers as odd. In reality, though, it really shouldnt. As the psychologist Christopher J. Ferguson recently noted, although most violent crimes are still carried out by men, when one examines crimes occurring among families, that dynamic changes. Profoundly so.

Actor Amber Heard arrives at the start of the day during actor Johnny Depps defamation trial against her at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Va., on May 26, 2022. (Michael Reynolds/Pool via Reuters)

When surveyed, noted Ferguson, women generally acknowledge using violence at equal levels with men. According to Ferguson, a highly-respected psychologist, for well over a decade, evidence has demonstrated that domestic violence is perpetrated by females as often as males. Rather misleadingly, female violence is often framed as reactive to male violence. Its described as being defensive, not offensive.

However, the violence is typically motivated by the same reasons that drive men to lash out violently. As the gender wage gap decreases, so does the gender violence gap.

When Depp declared that he would go public with the abuse he suffered at the hands of Heard, she responded by ridiculing him. Tell the world, Johnny, she said. Tell them, I, Johnny Depp, a man  Im a victim, too, of domestic violence. Lets see who believes you. Thankfully, the jury believed him.

Of course, one neednt be a multi-millionaire superstar to fear being ridiculed, dismissed, and viewed with the deepest of suspicion. Ordinary, everyday men are reluctant to report abuse for various reasons, including feelings of embarrassment, fear that their stories will be dismissed, and fear that the person responsible for the pain will take revenge.

To say that gender stereotypes (passive women/aggressive men) still muddy the waters of domestic violence is like saying obesity in the United States is a minor problem. In other words, an understatement of epic proportions.

According to one recent peer-reviewed study, law enforcement officers and medical professionals are far less likely to take female-on-male violence seriously than male-on-female violence. Domestic violence, its important to note, comes in many forms. It includes physical assault, emotional and psychological manipulation, financial abuse, as well as sexual violence.

Across the United States, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, male victimization is a significant public health problem. A third of American men have experienced sexual violence, physical violence, and stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime.

Rather shockingly, more than 1 in 38 men in the United States have experienced completed or attempted rape victimization in their lifetime.

An alarming number of men are the victims of female stalkers1 in 17 men, to be precise. According to recent research carried out by academics at the University of Louisville and Tennessee, at least 100,000 men are physically assaulted or raped by an intimate partner each year.

As the Johnson Criminal Law Group previously noted, the popular belief that domestic violence can only be perpetrated on a woman by a man is as dangerous as it is erroneous. An increasing number of men are now showing up in emergency rooms with serious injuries sustained from domestic violence incidents.

Its about time that the same standards that are involved in bringing a man to justice for domestic violence should apply in cases where the abuser is a woman, noted the legal scholars.

Indeed. Although men, on average, still commit more crimes than women, dig a little deeper, and youll find some interesting facts. As The Guardian reported back in 2020, while crime rates in Western countries, including the United States, have steadily declined since the early 1990s, the number of women, particularly young women, engaging in violent, criminal behavior has increased dramatically. Why?

Kelly Paxton, a U.S.-based investigator and often referred to as the Pink-Collar Crime Lady, told The Guardian that modern women now have many of the same pressures that men have had for years, decades, even centuries. Women are now the breadwinners in 40% of all households. If these women cant pay the bills, some will resort to committing crimes, including carrying out acts of violence.

Today, it seems, crime has no gender. If in doubt, just ask Mr. Depp.

Monsieur Houellebecq was certainly onto something.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Actor Kevin Spacey leaves Federal District court after a hearing on a sex assault lawsuit against him in the Manhattan borough of New York, on May 26, 2022. (Jefferson Siegel/Reuters)

Kevin Spacey Must Face Sexual Abuse Accusers Lawsuit in New York

NEW YORKA federal judge on Monday rejected Kevin Spaceys bid to dismiss a civil lawsuit in which fellow actor Anthony Rapp accused the Oscar winner of making an unwanted sexual advance during a party at Spaceys Manhattan home in 1986, when Rapp was 14.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan said there was a genuine factual dispute about whether Spacey, now 62, forcibly touched Rapps intimate parts to gratify his own sexual desire.

The judge said Rapp, who is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, could pursue claims of battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He dismissed Rapps assault claim because it had been brought too late.

Lawyers for Spacey and Rapp did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Once one of Hollywoods biggest stars, with Oscars for acting in American Beauty and The Usual Suspects, Spacey has largely disappeared from public view since being publicly accused of sexual misconduct in 2017.

Spacey said at the time he did not recall the alleged encounter with Rapp, but that if it happened he owed Rapp an apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.

Rapp has said under oath that the alleged encounter involved no kissing, undressing, reaching under clothes, sexualized statements or innuendo, and lasted no more than two minutes.

By Jonathan Stempel
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster looks on at a rally in Columbia, S.C., on June 25, 2018. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Key Primaries Looming in Four States on June 14, Special Election in Texas

The next round of midterm primaries is set for June 14, when voters in Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina will cast their ballots.

In Texas, a special general election will take place to fill the states 34th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House.

The special election is being held to fill a vacancy left by Democrat Filemon Vela, who stepped down in March to work for a lobbying firm.

Outcomes in the primaries could prove pivotal in whether the Republicans will regain control of the House and the Senate, or if Democrats cling to their majority.

Gubernatorial races play a role in whether a state remains red or blue, shifts to the other side, and draws closer to a purple state.

Maine

Northern Maine is considered Trump territory, and Democrat U.S. Rep. Jared Golden is seeking reelection in the states 2nd Congressional District. He is the lone Democrat remaining in Congress who voted against impeaching Trump and will likely face Republican Bruce Poliquin in the November general election. Golden defeated Poliquin in 2018.

Poliquin is a former U.S. Rep. in the 2nd Congressional District and he is opposed by Liz Caruso in the Republican primary.

Paul R. LePage, a Republican who served two terms as Maines governor from 2011 to 2019, is seeking another stint in the states top office. He is running against Democrat Gov. Janet Mills. They are unopposed in the primary.

Nevada

The Nevada U.S. Senate race features incumbent Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, who has criticized Biden, and Trump-endorsed Republican Adam Laxalt, the former Nevada attorney general who is the grandson of former Senator Paul Laxalt.

Laxalt held a comfortable 15-point advantage over U.S. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient Sam Brown in a recent poll from Nevada Independent/OH Predictive Insights.

Brown did win a straw poll taken by the Nevada Republican Party and his campaign is fueled by an energized grassroots base.

At a debate in early May, Laxalt said, President Trump looked into a camera and said the only person that he can trust in this state is me, and thats because I have stood consistently and concretely for our conservative values.

The Nevada Republican Party has endorsed Brown.

William Conrad, William Hockstedler, Sharelle Mendenhall, Tyler Perkins, Carlo Poliak, and Paul Rodriguez are also on the ballot.

Democrat Gov. Steve Sisolak is running against former Clark County Commissioner and Nevada State Assemblyman Tom Collins in the primary and is expected to win. If so, he will face one of 15 candidates seeking the Republican nomination. Yes, 15.

Trump has endorsed former Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, but he is challenged by Dean Heller, a former U.S. Senator from 2011 to 2019 who also served in the U.S. House and the Nevada State Assembly along with a stint as Nevadas secretary of state.

In the states 1st Congressional District, Democrat incumbent Rep. Dina Titus faces a challenge from Amy Vilela, who served as co-chair of Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential bid in Nevada.

Vilela was defeated in her bid for a U.S. House seat in 2016 and was included in a Netflix documentary with progressives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.), who won their respective elections to the House.

In the 4th Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Rep. Steven Horsford is running unopposed.

The Republican primary includes real estate agent and business owner Annie Black, who was elected to the Nevada State Assembly in 2020 and was endorsed by House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.).

U.S. Air Force veteran Sam Peters and Las Vegas City Council aide Chance Bonaventura are also running in the Republican primary.

North Dakota

Incumbent Republican Senator John Hoeven is endorsed by Trump and expected to easily win another term.

Republican Kelly Armstrong, North Dakotas only U.S. House Rep., is also heavily favored for reelection.

In this image from Senate Television video, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) delivers the Republican response to President Joe Bidens speech to a joint session of Congress in Washington, on April 28, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)

South Carolina

Tim Scott is the Senates only black Republican, and he is unopposed in the June 14 primary.

South Carolina State Rep. Krystle Matthew is the favorite to win the Democratic primary that also features Catherine Fleming Bruce and Angele Geter.

On June 10, Democratic gubernatorial candidates Joe Cunningham, a former U.S. Representative, and state Sen. Mia McLeod will meet for their lone debate before the June 14 primary.

South Carolinas incumbent Republican governor, Henry McMaster, is endorsed by former president Donald Trump and is expected to prevail on June 14 against Harrison Musselwhite, who is chairman Greenville County Republican Party legislative committee and a truck driver whose nickname is Trucker Bob.

Carlton Boyd, Calvin McMillian, and William Williams are also seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, but Cunningham and McLeod are the clear frontrunners.

McLeod is the first black woman to run for South Carolinas top office. Cunningham was defeated in his U.S. House re-election bid in 2020.

The winner will face a difficult challenge in the general election. A Democrat has not been elected governor in the state since 1998, and no Democrat has prevailed in a statewide race since 2006.

In 2020, Cunningham lost to Republican Nancy Mace, who is facing a competitive primary to keep her seat.

Mace, who is the current U.S. Representative in 1st Congressional District, and Tom Rice, who has the seat in the 7th Congressional District, are competing with challengers who are endorsed by Trump.

Rice was one of 147 Republicans in the House and Senate who voted against certifying Joe Bidens 2020 election victory. In 2021, he told Politico, In retrospect, I should have voted to certify. Because President Trump was responsible for the attack on the Capitol.

Rice was also one of 10 Republican House members who voted to impeach Trump.

In an interview that aired on NBC News This Week on June 5, Rice said that the decision was a conservative vote and I did it then. And I would do it again tomorrow.

Trump has backed state Rep. Russell Fry in a field that includes Rice, Fry, and five other candidates. If the winning candidate does not surpass 50 percent of the vote, there will be a runoff later in June. The Republican primary winner will face Democrat Daryl Scott in the general election.

Mace voted to certify the 2020 election results but did not vote to impeach Trump. She also decided to support holding Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress because he did not comply with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee.

Trump endorsed challenger Katie Arrington, a former Defense Department cybersecurity expert. In 2018, she upset U.S. Rep Mark Sanford in the Republican primary before losing to Cunningham in the general election.

Both races are expected to be close.

Texas

June 14 is the date for the emergency special election to fill Velas vacated U.S. House seat.

With help from national Republicans, Mayra Flores and her campaign have poured around $1 million into television ads. According to a campaign finance report, she has topped her closest Democratic competitor, Dan Sanchez, 16-to-1 in fundraising.

An attorney, Sanchez described this as a David vs. Goliath race, and he is David.

At a campaign rally, Sanchez said Were gonna win this June 14 without a runoff. Were gonna show those Republicans that money doesnt buy elections in South Texas.

Democrat Rene Coronado and Republican Juana Cantu-Cabrera are also running.

The special election winter will finish Velas term, which ends in January.

Vela had already said he would not run for another term before he resigned to take a job with lobby group Akin Gump.

Flores captured the Republican primary to contend for the open seat in November. U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez is the Democratic nominee who will oppose Flores to earn a full term.
Smoke and dirt rise from the city of Sievierodonetsk, during shelling in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass, on May 26, 2022. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)

Kremlin Declares Land Bridge Complete Between Russia, Donbass, and Crimea

Russias leadership claimed that its desired strategic land bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula to the Donbass region in Ukraine has been achieved.

The Russian military said Tuesday that roads and railways between western Russia and Crimea are now complete, according to state-run media.

Conditions have been created for the resumption of full-fledged traffic between Russia, Donbass, Ukraine, and Crimea on six railway sections, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a statement. Automobile communication has been opened from the territory of Russia along the mainland to Crimea.

Shoigu also stated that the ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol, the latter city destroyed after a 3-month Russian siege, had resumed their operations.

The de-mining of Mariupols port has been completed. It is functioning normally, and has received its first cargo ships, Shoigu said in televised comments.

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said that one of the current goals of Russia is to create the desired land bridge that links the two regions. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is also determined to build a land bridge to Russian-controlled territory in Moldova, located to the west of Ukraine, Haines remarked during her testimony in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

We assess President Putin is preparing for prolonged conflict in Ukraine during which he still intends to achieve goals beyond the Donbass, Haines added, claiming the United States has indications that the Russian military wants to extend the land bridge to Transnistria, a separatist region in Moldova that backs Moscow.

Also on Tuesday, Russia said that Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov seized by Russian forces were ready to resume grain shipments, but the Kremlin said Kyiv still needed to demine the approaches to its ports for exports to take place.

Russia has seized large parts of Ukraines coast in nearly 15 weeks of war and its warships control the Black and Azov Seas, blocking Ukraines farm exports and driving up the price of grain.

Ukraine and the West accuse Moscow of weaponizing food supplies. Russia blames the situation on what it says are Ukrainian mines, and on international sanctions against its own economy.

But during remarks reported by Russian state media, Shoigu said that grain exports are functioning normally at the ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol, a city that has seen heavy fighting and shelling since the start of the war in late February.

On behalf of the Supreme Commander, we are ready to load grain in these ports, Shoigu said.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Kyle Rittenhouse looks back as attorneys discuss items in the motion for mistrial presented by his defense during his trial at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Nov. 17, 2021. (Sean Krajacic/Pool via Getty Images)

Kyle Rittenhouse Prepares for Lawsuits to Make the Media Pay

Kyle Rittenhouse confirmed in an interview that he is readying to file lawsuits in a bid to make the media paymonths after he was acquitted on several murder charges in connection to the August 2020 shooting during a Wisconsin Black Lives Matter protest and riot.

Were going to make the media pay for what they did to me, Rittenhouse told Fox Newss Tucker Carlson on Monday. They made it hard for me to live a normal life.  I dont think Ill ever be able to work or get a job because Im afraid an employer may not hire me.

Neither Rittenhouse nor his lawyer, Todd McMurtry, elaborated on what media outlets or celebrities could face lawsuits, or the amount in damages he will seek.

In the interview, Rittenhouse said that hes unable to get a job or go to public places without security around him.

Certainly, Kyle was charged with a crime. News organizations are allowed to report on that, McMurtry said in the interview. But calling somebody a murderer in certain circumstances can be actionable.

The attorney said his team is looking to file a lawsuit against Meta and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Mark Zuckerberg announced in a videotape that what Kyle was involved in was a mass murder, and thats clearly defamatory, McMurtry told Carlson. He was seemingly referring to a post made by Zuckerberg in late August 2020 that address the shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

There are currently additional plans to file lawsuits against members of the media who alleged Rittenhouse is a white supremacist.

I dont know how the media can claim that they didnt make a statement made up out of thin air without engaging in actual malice or, most certainly, negligence, McMurtry said. I think we have some strong grounds to proceed.

Earlier this week, Rittenhouse said he would attend two colleges, including Texas A&M and Blinn College. The two colleges, however, denied admitting Rittenhouse as a student.

Unfortunately, the end of my high school career was robbed from me. I didnt have the time other students get to properly prepare for the future. I look forward to attending Blinn College District this year, a feeder school for Texas A&M. Im excited to join Texas A&M in 2023, he wrote on Twitter Monday.

Previously, McMurtry represented Covington Catholic student Nicholas Sandmann in his defamation lawsuits against CNN, NBC, the Washington Post, and other outlets. The suits stemmed from a January 2019 incident in which he and other students were confronted by a Native American activist in Washington, D.C.
Labor Government Says Coal Fired Power Must Be Switched on to Deal With Soaring Energy Costs

The new Australian government has called on the energy producers to bring coal-fired power stations back online as the country continues to look for ways to deal with soaring energy prices.

Resources Minister Madeline King told Radio National on June 7 that while meetings with gas producers like Santos had been constructive with some companies already releasing extra supply, she conceded Australia was still reliant on coal-fired power plants.

In the very short term, what we really need to do is to have the coal power stations come back online because that is the missing piece of the puzzle right now, King said. Theres been unplanned outages for many reasons, many beyond the control of those operatorsand I do accept thatbut I hope theyre doing their best to make sure this power source comes online as well.

She and Energy Minister Chris Bowen had spoken to operators who knew what they have to do.

She also blamed energy companies themselves saying power stations needed to be fixed so that the current 30 percent supply shortage could be eliminated.

Labor is going to let them do their work and urge them to do it as quickly and as safely as possible so we can get this power back online to feed the southern states of Victoria and New South Wales, she said.

Gas prices in Australia have risen to apocalyptic levels with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese conceding there was little to be done to alleviate the crisis which has hit during a winter polar vortex.

The energy shortage has been known about since February 2022 with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) warning that Australias gas outlook from 2022 onwards was tight unless steps were taken to boost domestic supply.

A report by the ACCC outlined that South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania would see demand exceed supply.

There is a gas shortage forecast for Australias southern states from as soon as this year, which is likely to continue next year and beyond, former ACCC Chair Rod Sims said. Southern states will be reliant on gas from Queensland until additional supply from new sources comes on.

Speaking to ABC Radio in Perth on June 3, Albanese blamed the crisis on the Ukraine War, the former Coalition government, and the local gas sectorwhich has raised wholesale prices in response to increased global demand.

The short-term challenges, the immediate challenges which are there are a product of things beyond any governments control, with regard to what has occurred with Russia and Ukraine, and the consequential significant hike in global prices are beyond peoples control, he said.

But what was in the governments control was actually having an energy policy. And weve been through nine years of no energy policy. We had a lot of rhetoric from the former government about a gas-fired recovery for year, after year, after year, and no real policy changes were put in place that are appropriate. This is a direct consequence.

However, former Coalition energy minister and now-Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor disputed the claims.

The key to this is working closely with the big gas producers, not demonising them, recognising that they are part of the answer to our energy system, including an energy system that is reducing missions and working with them to get more supply into the market, Taylor told Sky News Australia. We did that with the work we did with Narrabri, investment in extra pipeline capacity, investment in storage down in Victoria.

The former Coalition government sought to offset the current gas crisis by working to bring new gas supply into the market, including $50.3 million (US$37 million) for seven infrastructure projects across Australias east coast and the Northern Territory, as well as and a $32 million (US$24 million) loan to accelerate the Golden Beach project near Victoria.

Taylor at the time pledged to lower costs for households and businesses, saying Europe had become an example of how risky it was for countries to be over-dependent on gas imports.

Daniel Khmelev contributed to this report.
Lawyers Ask Quebec Court of Appeal to Shed More Light on Secret Trial

Lawyers for the provinces attorney general, the chief justice of the Quebec court and several media organizations went before the Quebec Court of Appeal Monday to demand details about a secret trial for which theres no publicly available record.

The existence of the trial only became public earlier this year because a police informant accused in the case appealed his or her conviction, and the appeals court issued a heavily redacted ruling in February critical of the lower court proceedings. The Court of Appeal has criticized the trial for being conducted in a way contrary to the fundamental principles of the countrys justice system.

Christian Leblanc, a lawyer for media organizationsincluding The Canadian Presstold the Court of Appeal that legal proceedings must be conducted in public.

The very confidence of the public in its legal system depends on justice being rendered publicly, Leblanc said following Mondays hearing.

Most details in the original case are sealed and being kept from the public, including the nature of the alleged crime and where it allegedly took place, the name of the police force involved and the names of the lawyers. As well, the original case had no official docket number.

We recognize that we must protect a police informant, Leblanc said. That said, once we say that, we have to draw the line at where that protection ends, and we certainly think its not a total in-camera hearing.

The police informant involved in the case was convicted of participating in a crime that he or she had initially revealed to police. The informant claimed he or she was a victim of an abuse of process, but the lower court judge disagreed. The Appeal Court panel, however, sided with the informant and stayed the conviction and the legal proceedings.

Leblanc told the panel of three justices on Monday that in his 25 years of practising law, he had never heard of a case being held entirely in camera. He also questioned how the information could be identified if basic information about the trial is revealed. The wide-ranging seal, Leblanc said, may be exaggerated.

Thats why I told the Court of Appeal that for us, these are clues, little hints that maybe the sealing order is too wide here and maybe we should have a debate so that the court can hear both sides  and review its decision, Leblanc said.

Pierre-Luc Beauchesne, a lawyer representing the attorney general, told the court his office had not been made aware of a request to stay the lower court decision, which is customary for cases that are appealed. He said his office wants the information to create a court file, noting that keeping a record of a case is not optional.

The hearing on Monday was heard in two parts. Part 1 included public arguments with the lawyers representing the attorney general, Quebec court Chief Justice Lucie Rondeau and several media organizations. Part 2 included lawyers representing the informant as well as the lawyer for Rondeau, who is also seeking further details about the case.

Mondays hearing was held before Court of Appeal justices Marie-France Bich, Martin Vauclair and Patrick Healy, the same three justices who rendered the heavily redacted ruling critical of the lower court proceedings. The Court of Appeal ruling was from February and released in March.

In their decision, the appeals court judges wrote that no trace of this trial exists, other than in the minds of the individuals implicated.

The court said at the time that it is of the opinion that if trials must protect certain information disclosed therein, a procedure as secret as the present one is absolutely contrary to modern criminal law and to the respect of the constitutional rights not only of the accused, but also of the media, and it is equally incompatible with the values of a liberal democracy.

The same panel of judges will render a decision at a later date after deliberations.

By Sidhartha Banerjee
A person walks past a sign during a runoff election for Louisiana governor at a polling station at Quitman High School in Quitman, La., on Nov. 16, 2019. (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

Louisiana to Appeal After Judge Blocks Congressional Map, Orders New Black District

A federal court judge on Monday struck down Louisianas new six-district congressional map and ordered the state redraw it to add a second majority-black district by June 20.

Following the decision by U.S. Middle District Judge Shelly Dick, Louisianas attorney general, Jeff Landry, swiftly announced the state would file an appeal.

We believe [Dick] erred in her decision and have filed a notice of appeal. We look forward to the Fifth Court halting the ruling! Landry wrote on Twitter Monday night.

A judge has ruled in Robinson, et al vs Ardoin, et al. We believe she erred in her decision and have filed a notice of appeal. We look forward to the Fifth Court halting the ruling! #lagov #lalege  AG Jeff Landry (@AGJeffLandry) June 6, 2022

In her ruling, Dick said that if the legislature failed to redraw the boundaries, the court would draw its own map compliant with the laws and Constitution of the United States, Daily Advertiser reported.

Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards said Monday that he would call a special session of the legislature to redraw the districts.

He had previously said that lawmakers should have included a second district of mostly-black voters among the six districts they approved, given the states one-third black population, according to the Associated Press.

Dicks decision comes after a lawsuit was filed in response to Louisianas GOP-led legislature overriding Edwards veto of its adopted district maps on March 30.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc. took up the issue, with President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson hailing the courts ruling on Monday.

Huge win for voting rights and fair maps out of Louisiana where we contested the Congressional redistricting process on behalf of Black voters as a violation of the Voting Rights Act. Supremely proud of our legal team, Nelson wrote on Twitter.

Louisianas voting-age population is nearly one-third Black but they comprise a majority in only one of the states six congressional districts, she added.

Nelson said black voters could easily comprise two majority districts and claimed they were unlawfully out-voted [and] underrepresented in Congress.

The Republican chairs of both the House and Senate Governmental Affairs Committees have argued the map is legal and will prevail on appeal.

Im not terribly surprised by this courts ruling because I think it was a friendly forum for the plaintiffs, Crowley Rep. John Stefanski said in an interview with USA Today Network. We have to just wait and see the appeals process through.

Echoing similar sentiments, Slidell Sen. Sharon Hewitt said she is still confident in the map as it was drawn and Im looking forward to see how it plays out in court.

Dicks ruling means the current congressional map cannot be used in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections. The state has, for now, until July 20 to 22 to qualify for Louisianas Nov. 8 congressional election.
Mentoring Program Matches Bigs With Littles

Mark B. is a lawyer in New Rochelle, a northern suburb of New York. Tysaun is a 14-year-old from nearby Mount Vernon, and is what some would describe as an at-risk child. In September 2021, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Westchester County matched them together, making Mark a Big and Tysaun a Little.

The charity is a youth mentoring organization that serves children who face adversity to help keep them in school and away from violence and drugs while assisting them to achieve their full potential in life. This mission is achieved through one-to-one mentoring relationships under a Big-Little model that matches adult volunteers with children aged 7 to 17.

A majority of these children are from single-parent households and many are from foster care.

What theyre really just lacking is a positive role model, Rikki Childs, the Westchester chapters assistant director, told The Epoch Times.

Some of our Littles, some of our kids, do come from tough households, tough homes. There may be gang violence in their neighborhood; there may be gang violence in their household, she said, noting that this is the reason parents seek out the program. Theyre looking for someone to remove them from that kind of situation.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is nothing new; its been around nationally since 1904, and the Westchester chapter has existed since 1958. Whats new is the recent COVID-19 pandemic that shut the country down for months. But that didnt stop the Westchester chapter from soldiering on, making 118 new matches during that time.

The staff knows that making the best match is what leads to success. If a Big just loves fine art museums and a Little just loves professional wrestling, theyre not going to be a good match, so the staff does its best to ensure both have similar interests. However, a part of what they do is introduce each other to subjects that they may not have considered previously.

Sometimes it doesnt happen, said Childs, whos been with the organization for 17 years. Sometimes we have three Littles and three Bigs, and theyre not compatible.

Its then that the staff reaches out to find matches for the unmatched.

The program requires a commitment of meeting four to six hours a monthor what we like to say is two outings a monthfor a commitment of no less than one year, Childs said.

At that point, the pair is asked if they would like to continue.

The majority of the matches do. Sometimes we dont even have to ask, she said, because its just a natural yes.

However, on occasion, a Big or a Little will be turned down before a match is even attempted.

In the MarkTysaun situation, Mark was looking for ways to support his black community and Tysaun was in urgent need of a positive role model. His mother witnessed his grades decline as he became involved with negative influences in the neighborhood. The match was exactly what both of them needed.

Mark knew it would take time to build a relationship based on trust with Tysaun and didnt want to come across as a nag regarding schoolwork, so their early, bi-weekly jaunts were often going out to eat, so they could talk.

Tysauns mother has expressed to the program manager that Mark is the exact person her son needed in his life and is very appreciative of what hes done so far.

Currently, Westchester has a backlog of female Bigs, awaiting to be paired with female Littles. There are about 60 Littles on the wait-list, mostly boys.

Sometimes parents contact Big Brothers Big Sisters on their own; other times they may be referred to the charity by a social worker, a doctor, or a judge. When theres a shortage of Littles, the organization will conduct its own outreach.

The cost of whatever activities a pair engages in is the responsibility of the Big. However, the organization stresses low-cost or no-cost activities, such as picnics, homework, and arts and crafts.

From the get-go, matches are required to establish three goals. Program managers follow up to see how far theyve gotten in achieving them.

There have been matches that have lasted for 10 years. The chapters retention rate is currently 84 percent, which means pairs continue past the one-year commitment 84 percent of the time.

Nationally, about 98 percent of the Littles dont engage in substance abuse, while 2 percent do.

We do a lot of surveys [with the Littles], Childs said, noting that they find good things and sometimes not-so-good things, such as experimenting with drugs.

While Big Brothers Big Sisters of Westchester reports to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the national office doesnt fund affiliates. Westchester raises its own money to operate through grants and donations and actually pays fees to the national office for use of its databases.

The question every mother asks when she signs up her child is, When am I going to get a Big? Childs finds this question difficult to answer since there are so many factors in producing a match.

Its a little hard for us to say because we dont know when that perfect Big is going to walk through the door, she said. We kind of say, It could be two days, it could be two months, sometimes it could be two years; we just dont know.'
Michigan Sheriff Sues Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Police Amid Election Investigation

The sheriff of Barry County announced he is filing a lawsuit against Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the Michigan State Police, troopers, and others and accused them of obstructing his investigation into allegations of election fraud.

The lawsuit, filed by lawyer Stefanie Lambert on behalf of Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf, alleged that the defendants interfered with his investigation into claims of election fraud during the 2020 general election.

In the filing, Leaf said he is conducting an investigation into the 2020 election and that his deputies are being allegedly intimidated by Michigan State Police officials. At least one Barry County Sheriffs deputy was subpoenaed by Michigan officials in connection to the investigation, according to the suit.

On information and belief, at approximately the same time, [they] presented an ultimatum to said Deputy and subpoenaed him to sit for an interview and/or give testimony related to his work on the investigation by and on behalf of the Plaintiff Sheriff, including requiring said Deputy to disclose details and information regarding the law enforcement investigation, all of which was and is protected by the law enforcement privileges, confidentiality, protections, and investigatory privileges, he said.

The subpoena and attempts to contact other deputies are an attempt to intimidate them, interview them, confiscate protected materials and information in their possession related to the ongoing election investigation being conducted by plaintiff sheriff, Leafs lawsuit also said (pdf).

The lawsuit seeks a court order to prevent state authorities from usurping and interfering with his offices investigation and alleges the Michigan State Police have been weaponized as an unaccountable strong arm of Michigan state officials.

Unnamed law enforcement officials told The Detroit News that Leaf and Lambert, a lawyer who was reportedly involved in Sidney Powells election-related lawsuits, are both subjects of an ongoing investigation.

State Police spokesperson Shannon Banner told The Epoch Times that the Michigan State Police has an ongoing criminal investigation regarding an incident that started in another Michigan county. Due to the ongoing nature of this investigation, we are not providing further comment, Banner added.

Local officials in Barry County, including Hastings Supervisor Jim Brown, recently complained that Leaf is wasting our taxpayers money on the election investigation, according to Bridge Michigan. We suggest you and your office concentrate on the law enforcement duties that our taxpayers elected you to do, Brown, a Republican, told Leaf in a letter after the sheriff requested township records relating to the 2020 election.

Leaf had filed a lawsuit just weeks after the 2020 election, which was shot down by a federal judge in December of that year. The sheriff eventually withdrew the lawsuit entirely.

Plaintiffs applications invite the court to make speculative leaps towards a hazy and nebulous inference that there has been numerous instances of election fraud and that defendants are destroying the evidence, Chief U.S. District Judge Robert Jonke wrote in a three-page ruling on Dec. 7, 2020, dismissing Leafs challenge.

The Epoch Times has contacted Nessels office for comment. Neither Nessels office nor Bensons offices have issued public comments on the recent lawsuit.
Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall leaves after speaking at a news conference she held outside West Block on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa on June 3, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

MP Wagantall Blown Away by Incredible Response After Being Removed From Parliament Hill for Not Revealing Vaccination Status

Mandatory vaccination for travel not in the best interests of Canadians or the economy, says the Tory MP

Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall says she was surprised by the media and public interest following her recent removal from Parliament Hill.

Wagantall was escorted off the grounds on June 3 for refusing to disclose whether she was vaccinated for COVID-19, in violation of a rule requiring those within the House of Commons precinct to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated.

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Wagantall said she had modest expectations for her impromptu press conference at 4:30 p.m. that day, both because it was a Friday and because media outlets had been given just 45 minutes notice.

We always get upset when the government does that, when everybodys going home and no ones listening, and so I honestly didnt expect a huge response.  [But] the attention to this by the media was significant, she said.

The media coverage prompted a flood of correspondence to her office.

[There were] individuals across the country, like all over the country, just saying thank you, thank you, thank you  for standing up and saying what I was going through, she said.

Ive been blown away by the incredible response.

With federal travel mandates requiring people to be fully vaccinated in order to board flights and trains, Wagantall, who has represented the Saskatchewan riding of YorktonMelville since 2015, said she has had to drive for three-and-a-half days just to get from her constituency to Ottawa.

It says on the back of our identification as members of Parliament that we have the right to enter the precinct and do our job. This is where we work, as well as in our constituency offices. So [Prime Minister Justin Trudeau] is basically making it extremely difficult for me to do my job the way that I feel I should, she said.

Having to drive instead of fly means you cant do your job as efficiently or as effectively, Wagantall says. And I think thats the intent, is to make it miserable for people who dont do or reveal what [the prime minister] wants them to.

The MP has found that shes become the champion for other Canadians who have felt chafed by the pandemic-period restrictions made by their own governments.

This is not just about me. I am here representing so many people who are at their wits end on this issue and are facing unemployment and inability to travel, plus dealing with trying to get their businesses  back functioning, but cant travel, cant get products, she said.

There are pilots, there are workers in every field. I feel so much for the nurses and the doctors who were there in the trenches through the worst of it, knowing how to do PPE [personal protective equipment] and protect themselves. And then all of a sudden, they couldnt go to work unless they were double vaccinated. Its just been so oppressive.

People Who Are at the Brink

Wagantall, 65, says her constituents and other Canadians have turned to her office to share their stories of difficulties due to the pandemic.

The whole thing is overwhelming. And I just thanked my staff because theyre dealing with people who are at the brinkvery, very [emotional] because its been so difficult. Im trying to share their story too, because theirs, quite honestly, in many ways, is more difficult than mine, she said.

I have been, as a member of Parliament, hearing whats been very, very difficult for so many people, and of course the worst of it is those who have lost their jobs. I just cannot believe that on this basis [of declining vaccination], people are losing their means of supporting their family. Theyre basically just exercising their right to make a decision in regard to their own medical treatment.

Wagantall says she tries to respond to all of the emails she receives from people who are struggling as a result of the travel requirements.

An elderly couple in her riding told her they had an unduly hard time returning from the United States, even though they did everything according to the book.

They were double vaccinated. They went down to see their new grandchild. They had the PCR test  and the information is supposed to get there in time for you to go across, and it didnt. So they said, Well, can we just wait here? And [border officials] said, No, no, you do not have what you need, so you need to go home and quarantine. And before they left, they charged them each a fine of over $6,000.

Wagantall said the couple challenged the fines in court and won, but says insane stories like these are not isolated incidents.

Thats just one [of] so many stories, so many stories of how this has impacted, and you just go, This is not in the best interest of your people, of your economy, of your country, of anything.

The MP says the rationale of the government is not sound science and shes unsure why the mandates continue.

All I know is that its irrational, totally irrational what [the prime minister] is doing. When they stand up in the House and they say its for the safety of CanadiansCanadians are not buying that, because its not, she said.

Yes, COVID still exists. Were not saying it doesnt exist, but its not at a pandemic level, and the virus is doing what viruses do. Any virus wants to continue to live and so they become less harmful, but more contagious, which is whats happening with COVID.

Wagantall believes that not only is the virus on the wane, so is the effectiveness of the governments strategy against those like her who wont declare themselves vaccinated.

Its definitely working for them as a wedge issue, although its becoming less and less effective. Obviously, with places opening up now, the vaccinated and the unvaccinated are together. Were all mixed, were all making our own choices. And people are trusting each other to do that, and thats how it should be at this point.
The Inn and Spa at Loretto is located near the Palace of the Governors and the historic Santa Fe Plaza in the heart of the city. (Richard C. Murray/RCM IMAGES, INC)

Name Recognition May Be Key to Victory in Tuesdays New Mexico Primaries

The hottest political race this season in New Mexico is the Republican primary for governorand it may all come down to name recognition.

Capitalizing on his statewide notoriety as the partys nominee for U.S. Senate in 2020, in which he garnered 45 percent of the vote, and on his exposure as a TV meteorologist, Mark Ranchetti is the recognized frontrunner in a field of five candidates.

Recent polls give Ranchetti a comfortable lead over three-term New Mexico State Representative Rebecca Dow.

Going into Tuesdays primary, Ranchetti is at 45 percent, Dow at 17 percent, and potential dark horse candidate, retired Brigadier General Greg Zanetti, is at 9 percent.

Bernalillo County Commissioner Jay Block polled around 8 percent and Ethel Maharg was at 1 percent, with 21 percent undecided as of May 23.

New Mexico television and radio programming have been saturated with attack ads fired back and forth between Ranchetti and Dow.

GOP infighting has helped turn this state Blue. In the past it has blown our chances of winning entirely, Bernalillo County Republican Chairman John Rockwell told The Epoch Times in a phone interview.

Meanwhile, Zanetti has been waging a positive campaign focusing on the issues of the border, crime, education, energy, and water.

He told The Epoch Times, New Mexico politics is a big club of which I am not a member.

Zanetti has done comparatively little advertising due to lack of funds.

He said his positive message has been resonating with the voters, if not the donors.

Supporters of the Republican Party make a human wall to demonstrate their support for the construction of the border wall between the United States and Mexico, at the border between Sunland Park, N.M., and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, on Feb. 9, 2019. (Herika Martinez/AFP/Getty Images)

Democrats

On the Democrat side, the dynamic of name recognition may also be the deciding factor in the fiercely contested primary for the nomination for state attorney general between State Auditor Brian Colon and Albuquerque Assistant District Attorney Raul Torrez.

Colon is a former chairman of the state Democratic Party of New Mexico and has been elected to the statewide post of auditor general.

At a New Mexican restaurant in Santa Fe the day before the primary, an elderly diner named Ruben said of Grisham, Im a Democrat. I like how she gave free tuition to every college student in our state.

My big concerns about New Mexico are that we should not ignore COVID-19. We shouldnt forget about it because it can still kill us. And I am concerned about how people no longer want to work.

In a phone interview, New Mexico state GOP chairman and former Congressman Steve Pearce told The Epoch Times, The important thing about this primary is we are going to pick a candidate to beat Gov. Grisham.

Republican enthusiasm is high, and we are expecting a strong turnout on Tuesday.

The Democratic Party of New Mexico was twice contacted by The Epoch Times for comment on the primary election but did not respond.

First elected in 2018, Grisham, a Democrat, is seeking her second term.

New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham speaks at a news conference in Santa Fe, N.M., on July 29, 2021. (Morgan Lee/AP Photo)

In view of the destruction of the economy of this state by Grisham, we have a good chance of defeating her, and we may pick up 11 state house seats, Pearce said.

In Albuquerque, we recently won two out of three council seats.

In Lovington, two of our candidates were elected, winning control of the school board for conservatives. The two county commissioner seats we won there gave us the majority in that body, as well.

Consistent with the national trend, Hispanics are shifting to the Republicans, as are some blacks and even some young people.

The young have discovered they dont like socialism, now that theyve seen it, he added.

Regarding the race for the U.S. House of Representatives, Pearce said, The Democrats have a couple of candidates wanting to unseat Republican Congresswoman Yvette Herrell in the Second District: Darshan Patel and Gabriel Vasquez.

New Mexico Congresswoman Yvette Herrell interviews with NTDs Capitol Report, on March 17, 2022. (NTD/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

I say to the people of that oil and gas-rich district, Just look at what the Democrats have done to the coal industry in West Virginia.

Noting that the Democrat-authored redistricting plan, which radically changed the partisan composition of the Second District in the Democrats favor, is headed for trial, Pearce said for Republicans, Its a must win-case.

Two Republicans, Peggy Muller-Aragon and Anthony Thornton, are vying for the right to challenge incumbent Democrat Lt. Gov. Howie Morales in November.

In New Mexico, the lieutenant governor nominee for each party is selected by a vote of the people in the primary election.

The winning candidate then forms a ticket with his or her respective partys nominees for governor to run as an indivisible team in the November general election.

Muller-Aragon is a retired schoolteacher and current vice-president of the board of education in the Albuquerque Public Schools.

She contends she is more electable than Thornton, who has never held public office.

She citied her 2015 win of a school board seat against an entrenched progressive incumbent and her defeat of a teachers union-backed challenger in 2019 as evidence of her electability and experience.

Thornton, who holds a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, received nearly 60 percent of the votes of the delegates at the New Mexico GOPs February pre-nominating convention, far outpolling Muller-Aragons 7.3 percent in a five-candidate field.

Thornton, an African-American who has lived in New Mexico for over 40 years, told The Epoch Times that, despite his big convention win, his candidacy has been ignored by the states media.

For those that dont know me, Im a black constitutional conservative Republican who lives by my principles of honesty, integrity, and loyalty. I am pro-gun, pro-life, pro-constitution, and a Christian, he said.

Polls open Tuesday in New Mexico at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
New Orleans Starbucks Store 1st in Louisiana to Vote Union

NEW ORLEANSEmployees at a Starbucks store in New Orleans voted to form a union, becoming the first of the coffee giants locations in Louisiana to unionize.

Ballots were cast Friday and Saturday 111 in favor of joining Workers United, which represents the unionized Starbucks stores, WWNO-FM reported. Two ballots were challenged, the station said.

The New Orleans vote is the latest in a series of wins for labor at Starbucks stores across the nation, and comes about a week after workers in Birmingham, Alabama, voted 27-to-1 to become that states first unionized Starbucks.

Barista Caitlyn Pierce and others wanted to unionize because of regular shifts where they were overworked and understaffed, the station reported.

Starbucks has fought unionization efforts, saying its 9,000 company-owned U.S. stores function best when Starbucks works directly with employees, which the company calls partners.

In a statement Sunday, Starbucks said it was listening and learning, and added, We respect our partners right to organize. The statement didnt say whether the company would challenge the vote.

Billie Nyx, lead organizer of the union campaign, was fired in mid-May for closing the store early without permission from higher management. Nyx is contesting the dismissal, saying it was in retaliation for union advocacy.

Nyx said they will meet with their lawyer and gather those still working at the store to solidify specific demands for the contract negotiations.

To win the changes they seeklike better pay and more reliable schedulesunionized stores must still sit down with Starbucks and negotiate a contract. The process can take years.

A Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, became the first in the United States to unionize late last year. Based in Seattle, the company has more than 34,000 stores worldwide.
Urooj Rahman, left, and Colinford Mattis, were charged with arson, use of explosives to commit a felony, and making or possessing a destructive device for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at an NYPD vehicle. (US Attorney's Office-Eastern District of New York)

New York Lawyers Who Firebombed Police Car in 2020 Riots Get Lighter Plea Deal

Two New York lawyers who were facing the possibility of 10 years in prison for firebombing a police vehicle during riots over the murder of George Floyd have reached a new plea deal that could significantly reduce their time behind bars.

Colinford Mattis and Urooj Rahman, the lawyers, appeared at a U.S. courthouse in Brooklyn on June 2 to withdraw earlier guilty pleas to a charge of unlawfully possessing Molotov cocktails. Then, they pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges.

The adjusted plea deal means that instead of facing up to 10 years in prison, the lawyers can receive no more than five years imprisonment.

Federal prosecutors agreed to the lighter plea deal and also agreed to recommend a prison sentence of just 18 to 24 months.

But U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan, a George W. Bush appointee, said he was not bound by the sentencing recommendations under the new plea deal. However, he said he would take it into account when he sentences the two attorneys this fall.

Rahman is set to be sentenced on Sept. 29. Mattis is set to be sentenced on Oct. 5.

They had originally pleaded guilty on Oct. 20, 2021.

Asked for comment, prosecutors pointed to a court document that outlined how the government and defendants had reached an alternative resolution of the charges in this case and that they were recommending sentences far below the 60 months advised by sentencing guidelines because of the history and personal characteristics of the defendants.

Some legal commentators were surprised by the development. Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School, said the shift represented a breathtaking reduction in charges and potential jail time.

Prosecutors initially hit the lawyers with seven counts, including possessing and making a destructive device and use of explosives. If the lawyers had been convicted on all charges, they faced decades in prison.

A woman identified as Urooj Rahman holds a Molotov cocktail in a still image from surveillance footage. ((US Attorneys Office-Eastern District of New York)

According to charging documents, Mattis and Rahman, during riots on May 30, 2020, in the wake of Floyds death, hurled Molotov cocktails at New York City Police Department vehicles, striking one. Surveillance cameras recorded the crimes. Officers pulled the lawyers over after they hopped in a minivan and tried to flee. Officers found items for making the cocktails, including a bottle filled with liquid, a lighter, and a gasoline canister, inside.

Their criminal behavior risked lives, destroyed equipment that exists to serve the community, siphoned response resources, and created a threat to those who had every right to safely assemble and express their opinion, William Sweeney, the FBIs assistant director in charge of the bureaus New York Field Office, said in a previous statement.

In a superseding indictment entered shortly before the new plea deal was reached, authorities said Rahman and others used a messaging service to plan to set fire to one or more police vehicles and that both Mattis and Rahman bought gasoline, beer bottles, and other supplies.

The pair then traveled in a van owned by Mattis to the police station in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn before hurling a cocktail at a police sedan there.

Rahman said in an interview with Loud Labs News before throwing the cocktail that this protest is a long time coming and this [expletive] wont stop unless we [expletive] take it all down, and thats why the anger is being expressed tonight in this way.

This has got to stop. And the only way they hear, the only way they hear us is through violence, through the means that they use, she also said.

Attorneys representing the defendants did not respond to requests for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Once again, it appears that the science of COVID-19 and its origins is the science that is conducted among small groups of insiders behind closed doors.

Newly released government emails from early February 2020 reveal that additional secret teleconferences took place among a group of Fauci-funded scientists in the early days of the pandemic.

Up to now, we knew of the Feb. 1 secret teleconference that had been convened by Fauci. We also knew that scientists at the Feb. 1 teleconference privately concluded that the virus most likely came out of the Wuhan lab. And we knew that by Feb. 4, those scientists had written a paper that dismissed the lab leak theory.

What we did not know is that the same scientists continued having secret teleconferences to discuss the viruss origins even after they wrote their paper. At least two of those conferences were attended by Fauci himself.

The new emails were obtained by the transparency group US Right to Know, butas is now the norm for Freedom of Information Act requests from the federal governmentthe emails are almost completely redacted.

Piecing together the newly released emails with other emails that were released earlier, we can now put together an updated timeline of events after the initial Feb. 1 secret teleconference.

Welcome to Truth over News with Jeff Carlson and Hans Mahncke.

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An employee makes chips at a factory of Jiejie Semiconductor Company in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China, on March 17, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

No Prize for 2nd Place: New Film Sounds Alarm on Chinas Quest to Win Innovation Race Against US

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is exploiting weaknesses in U.S. patent protection laws to gain the upper hand in technological innovation, according to an upcoming film, and big tech companies are helping it in the effort.

In the innovation race with China, there is no prize for second place, Luke Livingston, director of the film Innovation Race, said during an interview with EpochTVs China Insider at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver on June 4.

Chinas moved into No. 2 by stealing our innovation. But theyre not satisfied with staying there and being a leading manufacturer. They want to move from manufacturing to innovation.

The film, which premiered at the Western Conservative Summit last week, explores the threat posed to the world by a globally ascendant CCP. A key focus of the film is how the CCP is exploiting weaknesses in the U.S. patent protection system and how those weaknesses might be shored up in order to restore the United States to dominance in global technological innovation.

People think, Well, China just steals technology, thats all they do,' he said. But the American public needs to understand that China, the CCP, are not only stealing intellectual property, theyre also wanting to move from that to innovation. They want to become innovators. They want to own the technology that theyre manufacturing.

To that end, Livingston said the CCP leadership was studying 250 years of U.S. history, seeking to understand and exploit Americas successes without replicating its failures. Foremost among those failures, he said, was the countrys continual weakening of its patent protection laws to coddle Big Tech against the competition.

We have been shooting ourselves in the foot the last 10 years by weakening our patent system to allow big tech to pull the ladder up on little guys that are trying to disrupt the markets, he said.

Indeed, major tech companies such as Google have consistently lobbied the U.S. government to water down patent laws that allow inventors with new, better ideas to effectively compete with them, thus ensuring big tech companies a greater market share by effectively prohibiting small businesses from being able to make a living by creating revolutionary new technologies.

Livingston said these corporations regularly harass up-and-comers with frivolous lawsuits in order to wear out potential competitors who dont have the legal knowledge or resources to counter a flood of bad-faith attacks against their businesses and who often simply close up shop without putting up a sustained fight.

China, meanwhile, was moving to occupy the void in patent law left by big tech in order to further reshape global laws in its own favor. By exploiting weaknesses in U.S. patent protections, Livingston said, China could usurp its status as the world leader in tech innovation by better securing rights to critical and emerging technologies than the United States.

China wants to move, he said. They know they cant stay in second place.

So theyre moving toward designing, innovating, securing that global governance of intellectual property, things like that.

To that end, Livingston said the innovation race was really about ensuring that the United States could continue to lead the world in developing new technologies and thereby continue creating the tools to make everyones lives more comfortable and efficient. Ensuring such dominance is vital to preserving the liberties that the CCP is so set on destroying, he said.

People need to realize that if we lose the innovation race with China, they will control the worlds technology, theyll control the worlds economy, and theyll control you, he said.

Andrew Thornebrooke Reporter Follow Andrew Thornebrooke is a reporter for The Epoch Times covering China-related issues with a focus on defense, military affairs, and national security. He holds a master's in military history from Norwich University.
President Barack Obama speaks alongside Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson (R) following the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, October 7, 2016. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Obama Approved Accusing Russia of DNC Hack Before FBI Received DNC Server Images

President Barack Obama approved a statement by the U.S. intelligence community in October 2016 accusing Russia of stealing emails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC), despite the U.S. government not having obtained the DNC server images crucial to ascertaining whether Moscow was involved in the theft.

FBI emails recently made public during the trial against now-acquitted DNC attorney Michael Sussmann show the bureau was still in the process of requesting images of the DNC servers on Oct. 13, 2016. The server images, which are equivalent to a virtual copy of the alleged crime scene, were taken by private cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.

On Oct. 7, six days before CrowdStrike agreed to mail the server images to the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a statement accusing Russia of hacking U.S. political organizations and disseminating emails allegedly stolen through the hack. The statement was approved and encouraged by Obama, according to then-DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson.

The president approved the statement. I know he wanted us to make the statement. So that was very definitely a statement by the United States government, not just Jim Clapper and me, Johnson told the House Intelligence Committee in June 2017, referring to then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

The DHS, ODNI, and the office of Barack Obama didnt respond to requests for comment.

The Oct. 7, 2016, statement said that the U.S. intelligence community, which is composed of more than a dozen agencies including the FBI, was confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations.

The recent disclosures of alleged hacked emails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts, the statement said.

The lack of server images at the time the statement was released highlights the question of what the intelligence community used to establish Russias involvement.

On Aug. 31, 2016, CrowdStrike provided a report on the DNC hack to the FBI. The FBI special agent who reviewed the report called it heavily redacted, according to the Senate Intelligence Committees report on the Russia investigation. FBI Assistant Director James Trainor was so frustrated with the redactions that he doubted its completeness because he knew that outside counsel had reviewed it.

The outside counsel the report referred to was all but certainly Sussmann, who served as the DNCs point of contact for all intrusion-related matters. He was acquitted last month of one charge of lying to the FBI about whether he was representing the DNC when he took a white paper to the FBI that alleged a connection between then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russia. The FBI agents who reviewed the paper found the claims in it unfounded within 24 hours.

On Sept. 30, 2016, one week before the release of the statement accusing Russia of the hack, the FBI was still seeking copies of the CrowdStrike reports without the redactions. That day, FBI agent Adrian Hawkins listed copies of the unredacted CrowdStrike reports as the No. 1 priority request to the DNC, according to another email made public as a trial exhibit in the Sussman case.

The FBI never received the unredacted reports, according to a government court filing in the case against Roger Stone. According to the filing, lawyers for the DNC told prosecutors that no redacted information in the CrowdStrike reports concerned the attribution of the attack to Russian actors.

Special counsel Robert Mueller alleged that the hack of the DNC during which emails were stolen took place on or around May 25 to June 1, 2016. That time frame is significant because CrowdStrike has since told The Epoch Times that the DNC systems were not hacked during that time frame. Crowdstrike had deployed 200 sensors and other counter-intrusion technologies on the committees network within the first week of its engagement, which began on May 1, 2016.

There is no indication of any subsequent breaches taking place on the DNCs corporate network or any machines protected by CrowdStrike Falcon, the company told The Epoch Times in August 2020.

CrowdStrike President Shawn Henry, who was in charge of the firms work on the DNC intrusion, has told congressional investigators that his company didnt have concrete evidence that emails had been stolen from the DNC.

We have indicators that data was exfiltrated. We did not have concrete evidence that data was exfiltrated from the DNC, but we have indicators that it was exfiltrated, Henry told lawmakers on Dec. 5, 2017.

The alleged hacking of the DNC along with the subsequent release of the committees emails was the nexus of allegations of collusion with Russia that plagued the administration of President Donald Trump.
A general view shows an oil treatment plant in the Yarakta Oil Field, in Irkutsk Region, Russia, on March 10, 2019. (Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

Oil Prices Stable as Market Juggles Risk Sentiment With Tight Supplies

LONDONOil prices were stable on Tuesday as the market balanced risk sentiment with supply concerns and the prospect of higher demand as China relaxes its COVID-19 curbs.

Brent crude futures were down 38 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $119.13 barrel at 0926 GMT.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 25 cents, or 0.2 percent, at $118.25 a barrel, having risen by over $1 per barrel earlier in the session.

Risk sentiment is responsible for the drop, with European equity markets negative, said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

U.S. State department authorization for Eni and Repsol to start shipping Venezuelan crude to Europe from July to replace lost Russian barrels has also weighed on prices in recent days.

But analysts expect the sluggish price action to be short-lived as Beijing and commercial hub Shanghai have been returning to normal in recent days after two months of painful lockdowns to stem outbreaks of the Omicron variant.

Further bullish sentiment followed analyst doubts that last weeks production policy decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies, together known as OPEC+, would alleviate tight supply.

The groups decision to bring forward oil production rises to 648,000 barrels per day (bpd) in July and August are unlikely to improve the global oil balance as members struggle to achieve quota increase and as the rise is lower than the loss of Russian crude oil, analysts said. This is probably acknowledged by Saudi Arabia itself, PVM Oils Tamas Varga said.

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia raised the July official selling price (OSP) for its flagship Arab light crude to Asia by $2.10 from June to a $6.50 premium over Oman/Dubai quotes.

The quota increase from OPEC+ also fails to address the shortage in oil products, analysts said.

Refining margins globally suggest that demand for petrol and diesel remain in heavy demand, with the refining logjam in refined products backstopping crude prices, Jeffrey Halley, a senior Asia Pacific market analyst at OANDA.

Elsewhere, U.S. crude inventories likely fell last week, while gasoline and distillate stockpiles were seen up, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday.

By Rowena Edwards
People visit a makeshift memorial for the 21 victims of an elementary school mass shooting in the town square in Uvalde, Texas, on May 29, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Parents Need to Get Serious About School Safety, Parkland Dad Says After Uvalde

The families of 19 children and two teachers who were slain on May 24 in Uvalde, Texas, spent last week at funeral homes and gravesites, saying goodbye to their loved ones.

The parents are destroyed. Heartbroken. Theyre never going to be the same againever, Andy Pollack told The Epoch Times. Pollacks 18-year-old daughter Meadow was one of 17 people killed in the 2018 mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

The pain that theyre feeling now is a pain that never goes away. It doesnt heal with time. Its something that you just live with, he said.

Within hours of the Uvalde tragedy, many Democrats in Washington, including President Joe Biden, began to focus on introducing gun control measures, while many Republicans balked at the idea and instead talked about mental health and hardening schools.

I dont even bother with the politicians, Pollack said. Its the parents. If a parent, regardless of their party affiliation, thinks that its safe to send their children to a school without a single point of entry or police officers, then its on them. Its their children theyre sending to the schools. Its on the parentssend your kid to a safe school.

Pollack said parents need to get involved in school safetyfrom electing school board members that focus on safety, to asking questions about the safety initiatives in place.

Everybody thinks that it cant happen to them. Ive got to live with it. I sent my daughter to the schoollike these parentsand I thought it was safe there, he said.

Police Response

As with the Parkland shooting, the police response to the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, has been heavily criticized. Conflicting information added to the chaos in the first few days after the shooting, and Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin ultimately asked the Justice Department to step in and investigate the response.

Suspect Salvador Ramos entered Robb Elementary at 11:33 a.m. and was fatally shot at 12:50 p.m.almost 80 minutes later.

Police officers were inside the school building within two minutes of Ramos gaining entry through an unlocked door, according to a timeline provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The departments Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting.

Two of the officers were wounded by Ramos as he shot at them in the hallway before gaining entry to a classroom, where he then killed 19 children and two teachers.

The onsite incident commander, school district police Chief Pete Arredondo, instructed police officers to not pursue and engage Ramos.

As many as 19 officers waited in the hallway at one stage, Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw said on May 27.

There were plenty of officers to do whatever needed to be done with one exception: The onsite commander inside believed they needed more equipment and more officers to do a tactical breach at that point, he said.

The commander, McCraw said, believed that, in fact, it was a barricaded subject, that we had time, there was [sic] no kids at risk.

Meanwhile, several children in the classroom were calling 911, asking for police to come.

A team of elite Border Patrol agents ultimately breached the classroom and shot Ramos.

Red Flags

At Parklands Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz was stalking the hallways and classrooms, shooting for 5 1/2 minutes before walking off campus. The schools only armed officer, Broward County Sheriffs Deputy Scot Peterson, failed to enter the school and confront the shooter.

Additionally, the Broward County Sheriffs Office and the FBI both came under scrutiny for ignoring multiple warnings about Cruz.

The FBI released a statement on Feb. 18, 2018, four days after the shooting in Parkland, saying the agency had received a tip about Cruz the previous month.

The caller provided information about Cruzs gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting, the FBI statement said. The information wasnt passed along to the local FBI office, and no further investigation occurred, the FBI said.

These kids that are threatening peoples lives, [law enforcement] all know who they are before they commit these heinous crimes, right? Pollack said.

He suggests that current laws should be enforced before politicians look to create new ones.

When someones sick, mentally sick, and theyre threatening to hurt themselves and others, why isnt it going on their background? Thats what they should be looking at in Congress. Not making more lawslets enforce this law, he said.

Under U.S. law, its illegal to sell a firearm or ammunition to an individual while knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the person has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to any mental institution.

Pollack said the mass shooter in Buffalo, New York, last month should have been prevented from buying or possessing firearms because of his past behavior. The accused gunman, Payton Gendron, had threatened students at his high school a year ago and told a teacher he wanted to murder and commit suicide, according to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

At the time, school officials alerted police, and Gendron was taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation, but was released without any action taken under New Yorks 2019 red flag laws, Hochul told WKSE radio on May 16.

Red flag laws allow a judge to issue an extreme risk protection order that requires an individual to surrender any firearms and makes it illegal for them to possess or buy a firearm.

In this case, after Gendron had been released from the hospital, state police didnt seek to remove his firearms, and a mental health red flag didnt appear on his background check when he subsequently bought guns. Gendron is accused of killing 10 people and wounding three others in a Tops Friendly Markets store in Buffalo on May 14.

Theyre taking away from real solutions when they focus on guns, Pollack said, referring to lawmakers.

Gun Control Legislation

Biden, who visited Uvalde several days after the shooting, railed against Americans owning so-called assault rifles, referring to AR-style rifles, as well as the gun lobby.

As a nation, we have to ask: When in Gods name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? When in Gods name will we do what we all know in our gut needs to be done? the president said on May 24, hours after the Uvalde shooting.

What in Gods name do you need an assault weapon for except to kill someone? Its timefor those who obstruct or delay or block the common sense gun laws, we need to let you know that we will not forget.

Biden said he is expecting rational Republicans in the Senate to work on a bipartisan gun control bill.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated that the problem is with guns during a May 31 press briefing.

I know theres been conversation about hardening schools; that is not something that [Biden] believes in, she said. He believes that we should be able to give teachers the resources to be able to do the job that theyre meant to do at schools.

Meanwhile, Pollack says the hardening (or securing) of schools to match courtrooms, airports, or sporting events is a no-brainer.

[Biden] believes in hardening the Capitol building and protecting the people in Congress, but our children, theyre not a valuable asset? Theyre not worth protecting? he said.

Tempers flared during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on June 2 as lawmakers clashed over Second Amendment rights versus increased gun control. Members held a markup session on HR7910, legislation that was introduced just a week after Uvalde.

The bill raises the legal age of owning certain semi-automatic centerfire rifles or shotguns from 18 to 21, restricts magazine capacity to 10 rounds, and requires homemade firearms to be registered. It also adds criminal penalties related to gun storage in the home.

Texas Reaction

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has focused on mental health and school security since the Uvalde shooting, steering clear of suggesting additional gun laws.

On June 1, he requested that legislative leaders convene a committee to review and provide recommendations to prevent future school shootings on the topics of school safety, mental health, social media, police training, and firearm safety.

We as a State must reassess the twin issues of school safety and mass violence, Abbott said in the request. As leaders, we must come together at this time to provide solutions to protect all Texans.

Three years ago, Abbott enacted school safety and mental health measures designed to further harden schools against attacks and provide students with greater access to mental health services, as well as a system to identify potentially violent students.

Funds were allocated to schools to increase their safety measures, including fencing around schools, security cameras, emergency communications systems, and secured buildings.

The laws were in response to a 2018 mass shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas, during which 10 people were killed and 13 others wounded. The shooter, a 17-year-old student at the school who was armed with his fathers shotgun and a revolver, entered the art complex on campus and began shooting before surrendering to police 30 minutes later.

The school had an active-shooter plan in place and two armed police officers on campus. School leadership was also in the process of training and arming some teachers.

Four years later, in Uvalde, the shooter entered the school building through an unlocked door and was able to then enter an unlocked classroom. The school resource officer wasnt on campus.

Pollack said the Federal Commission on School Safety that was formed after the Parkland shooting came up with dozens of recommendations for school safety.

If the district in Uvalde would have read and taken President Trump seriously with his recommendations, there wouldnt have been a shooting in Uvalde. It couldnt have happened, he said.

Since he lost his daughter, Pollack has advocated for parents to become more involved in school safety. He also recently partnered with a website that focuses on what schools, parents, and students can do to enhance safety.

The first thing I like to tell parents is, If you can afford it, send your children to private school,' he said. You dont read about school shootings in private schools.  They take security seriously; you cant get into those schools.

While the tragedy in Uvalde has prompted debate about gun control, school safety, and mental illness, Warren Farrell said the absence of a father figure is being overlooked as a major contributing factor to the mental health crisis in young men.

There have been six mass [school] shootings that have killed more than 10 people.  All six of them have been done by boys who have been dad-deprivedfrom Sandy Hook right on through to the Texas shooting, Farrell, author of The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It, told EpochTVs American Thought Leaders on June 2.

The absence of an involved father is the single biggest predictor of suicide  [and] one of the biggest causes of mental illness in boys and drug addictions in boys.
A person walks past the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco, Calif., on July 23, 2020. (Philip Pacheco/AFP via Getty Images)

Pawns for Beijing: CCP Pressures US Officials to Tilt Policies in Chinas Favor

It was late February 2020, as the pandemic was heating up in the United States, when a request from China caught Wisconsin state Sen. Roger Roths attention.

It was an email from Wu Ting, wife of the Chinese consul general in Chicago.

Wu wanted Roth to help pass a resolution in support of Chinas fight against the novel coronavirus.

The Chinese government has taken unprecedentedly rigorous measures to bring [the coronavirus] under control, including locking down Wuhan, she wrote in a Feb. 26 email that has been viewed by The Epoch Times.

We have drawn up a draft resolution just for your reference, she wrote, adding that the Chinese consulate in Chicago was committed to promoting ChinaWisconsin relations, particularly mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, agriculture, and other fields and people-to-people links.

The Chinese consul general looked forward to visiting Roths beautiful state and meeting with the senator to discuss how to take our relations forward, the email said.

Regarding the draft resolution, In essence, it praised China for their openness and transparency in their handling of the coronavirus, Roth told The Epoch Times.

Wisconsin state Sen. Roger Roth

I thought this had to be a joke, Roth said. It came from a Hotmail account, of all places. It wasnt even an official thing. He discarded the email and thought of it no further, but Wu persisted. A few weeks later, she followed up using the same email, attaching the same resolution.

He had his staff verify the email address with state government sources and learned that Chinese consulate officials routinely use private email accounts. Wu, it turns out, is the wife of the Chinese consulate general Zhao Jian.

Once Roth realized the email was legitimate, he became downright angry.

I dictated a one-word response to them, and I said: Dear Consul General, Nuts. Signed respectfully, Roger Roth, he said. Not only do we respond to them with the word nuts, we even drafted our own resolution on the Communist Party of China, exposing who they really are.

That one-word reply, a nod to Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffes famous response to a German surrender ultimatum during World War II, was the last communication Roth had with the Chinese consulate in Chicago. Wu later wrote an email expressing shock at his response, which he never replied to. But that interaction pushed him onto the offensive in Wisconsin.

It awakened me to the real threats that our country is facing from the Communist Party of China, said Roth, who is running for lieutenant governor in his state.

Most people in the world probably dont even know where we are, if we even exist, but they are trying to reach their tentacles even into Wisconsin, he said.

Pawns for Beijing

Wisconsin isnt the only state where Beijing has tried to exert influence.

Around the same period as the emails to Roth, the state of Utah was approving a resolution expressing solidarity with the Chinese people. In language similar to what Wu had put forward, the resolution noted a friendly relationship and strong economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties that Utah and China share, and the unique, 14-year legislative relationship between Utah and Liaoning, referring to a legislative exchange program between the Western state and a Chinese province.

That Feb. 25, 2020, resolution also urged against virus restrictions that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade and raise fear and stigma. At the time, the Trump administration had imposed a flight ban to and from China in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, a move that initially sparked condemnation from the Chinese regime and the World Health Organization, but was ultimately adopted by the majority of countries around the world as the pandemic evolved.

States like Utah that passed such resolutions didnt know what was really happening and how they were being used as pawns, Roth said.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the bills sponsor, state Sen. Jacob Anderegg, for comment. An email to the bills sponsor in the state House, Eric Hutchings, who was a representative until last January, was undeliverable.

The states of Georgia and New York also have passed a China Day resolution.

The Georgia version, passed on Feb. 3, 2020, intended to commend the special friendship between Georgia and the Peoples Republic of China and to recognize the Consul General Cai Wei of the Consulate General of China in Houston.

Cai, prior to the resolutions passage, gave a speech on the state Senate floor touting Chinas leadership in the virus fight. The State Department five months later would order the closure of the consulate, with then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling it a hub of spying and intellectual property theft.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, listens to a question from Wisconsin Senate President Roger Roth, R-Appleton, during a question-and-answer session with state Republican legislators in the Senate chamber of the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wis., on Sept. 23, 2020. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)

The New York Senate resolution that was approved in June 2019, meanwhile, appears to be the nations first such gesture to commemorate Oct. 1, marking the Chinese Communist Partys official takeover of China.

The resolutions lead sponsor, state Sen. James Sanders, didnt respond to inquiries from The Epoch Times about whether the consulate had any role in the resolutions eventual adoption.

Coercion and Threats

For those who chose to take a stance critical of the Chinese Communist Party, the regime took direct action in a bid to thwart their efforts.

The first time former California state Sen. Joel Anderson experienced Chinese pressure firsthand was 15 years ago, when he was first elected to the California state assembly.

His purported offense was to introduce a resolution recognizing the anniversary of the introduction of Falun Gong, a spiritual belief that the regime has marked for elimination since 1999. The resolution, he said, simply aimed to welcome Falun Gong adherents to a country that recognizes religious liberty.

It didnt say anything more. It didnt say that they were the best faith, or they were better than many other faiths, he said. All it said was, you know, we welcome you.

That resolution put Anderson in the crosshairs of the Chinese Communist Party. Shortly after, he received a six-page letter from Chinese authorities branding him a terrorist.

It told me that if I traveled to China, Ill be arrested and prosecuted as a terrorist, Anderson told The Epoch Times.

California state Sen. Joel Anderson speaks in front of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco during a rally to protest Chinese regime interference in the states legislature, on Sept. 8, 2017. (Lear Zhou/Epoch Times)

Anderson, who at the time knew little about the Chinese regimes persecution of Falun Gong, said he was taken aback.

China doesnt get to dictate to the United States. Were a free country. And we allow religious liberty, he said. We allow all faiths to be practiced here in the United States.

The Chinese regimes displeasure toward Anderson didnt ease up after he joined the California state Senate years later. As a senator, he was invited on an official trip to China to promote bilateral trade relations. Recalling the threats from the letter, he mentioned the issue to the state office handling the logistics. The answer that came back was blunt: He would not be welcomed, Anderson recalled.

So I cant go to China without fear of being arrested and convicted.

What happened to Anderson was not at all a one-off incident.

Over the decade and a half that followed, he and other U.S. officials at local and federal levels would receive pressure through visits, emails, and phone calls from Chinese authorities with an eye toward bending their policies in Chinas favor.

President Joe Biden in May accused the CCP of lobbying against a bill aimed at bolstering U.S. competitiveness against Beijing.

Anderson drew the regimes attention a second time when in 2017, he introduced a resolution denouncing Beijings persecution of Falun Gong.

After the measure was approved by the state Senate Judiciary Committee with a vote of 50, the Chinese consulate in San Francisco sent a round of letters to all of Andersons colleagues, warning that the passage of the resolution could deeply damage the cooperative relations between the State of California and China and seriously hurt the feeling of Chinese people.

The flag of the Peoples Republic of China flies behind barbed wire at the Consulate General of the Peoples Republic of China in San Francisco on July 23, 2020. (Philip Pacheco/AFP via Getty Images)

That had a chilling effect on my colleagues voting forward in the future, Anderson said. All my colleagues had been voting in favor of it until they received the letter; the letter just completely flipped them from support to oppose.

They didnt let it get to a vote; what they did is they tabled it. And then they voted to table it so that it could not be heard.

Anderson tried at least 18 times in the final week of the Senate session to bring the resolution to a floor vote.

Whats so disappointing is their congressmen, who shared the same constituents, not only voted in favor of it in Congress, but they co-authored it, he said, noting that Speaker Nancy Pelosi had co-authored a bill in 1999 denouncing the persecution of Falun Gong.

So on the federal level, it was supported, on the state level, it was not, he said. His colleagues didnt want to talk about it. But the only difference between supporting it or not supporting it was the letter.

A similar story had played out in Minnesota two years earlier, when the states Senate took up the issue of forced organ harvesting, a Beijing-sanctioned practice targeting primarily Falun Gong practitioners. After introducing the resolution, state Sen. Alice Johnson received a letter from the Chinese consulate in Chicago. The consular officials also visited her and state Sen. Dan Hall in a bid to get them to drop the bill. The resolution was passed unanimously in May 2016.

Visa Blackmail

On the hot button issue of Taiwan, a self-ruled island that the regime has long desired to control, the regime has been no less aggressive.

In August 2019, then-Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant received a letter from the Chinese consulate in Houston, warning that his state would lose Chinese investment if he chose to travel to Taiwan, Pompeo said in a speech in September 2020 at the Wisconsin State Capitol.

(L-R) Then-Gov. of Mississippi Phil Bryant applauds as U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) prepares to take the stage for a victory speech during an election night event at The Westin Hotel, in Jackson, Miss., on Nov. 27, 2018. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Mirroring Bryants experience, a U.S. congressional delegation a few months later would learn that Beijing rejected their visa applications to China after they had planned a trip to Taiwan, in what Rep. Sean Maloney (D-N.Y.) described as visa blackmail.

Chinese officials told members of my staff on multiple occasions that if I canceled the trip to Taiwan, I would be granted a visa, he wrote in an op-ed in October 2019.

This was visa blackmail, designed to stanch the longstanding tradition of robust U.S. congressional engagement with Taiwan, he wrote.

As Utah adopted the pro-Beijing resolution in the early stages of the pandemic, another bill condemning the Chinese regimes forced organ harvesting appeared to hit roadblocks in the states legislature.

The measure was introduced in late February 2020 by state Rep. Steve Christiansen. Days later, however, Utah doctor Weldon Gilcrease, who had been working with Christiansen on the bill, got a call informing him that the lawmaker was backing out.

In effect, Christiansen said, Im backing out because I was told I need to talk to the Chinese community, according to Gilcrease, an oncology professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

To me, that meant he was pressured, he told The Epoch Times. He wasnt backing out because he didnt believe it was true, he was backing out because he was afraid of not listening to the Chinese community.

To me, thats the voice of the Chinese Communist Party. Those are the people that have clearly put pressure on our officials. The Chinese Communist Party has used its channels to pressure our legislators to do nothing.

While the proposal passed the third reading in the Senate, the latest update, on March 12, 2020, showed that the bill had lapsed.

Christiansen, who left office in October, couldnt be reached for comment after repeated requests via email, phone calls, and social media.

Keep the Pressure On

California hasnt seen any major legislative action relating to Falun Gong since Anderson left the state Senate in 2018.

The former state legislator, who has been advocating for the victims of Beijings persecution for years, said he still finds it hard to understand why the communist regime perceives the spiritual group as a threat.

The faith is a very peaceful faith, brings great joy to many people. And yet, if you practice the faith, you were put in jail, you were tortured, and in some cases, you had body parts harvested for medical tourism, said Anderson, now on San Diego Countys Board of Supervisors. The pressure needs to stay on China.

Roth, the Wisconsin senator, has since proposed a series of measures aimed at curtailing Chinese influence in his state, including barring Chinese military members from working in the University of Wisconsin system and curbing Chinese recruitment or propaganda programs within the university system.

As lawmakers all over the country, everything we do plays into a larger narrative, he said. And we have an opportunity, though it be limited  we have an opportunity to make a stand for freedom, and to make a stand for the freedom-loving peoples of China right now, or who are held hostage by this brutal regime.

To achieve that goal, Roth said, U.S. lawmakers need to make sure theyre not enabling the CCP.

If I had passed this resolution, that would have been enabling the CCP, and they would have used this for propaganda on their own people, he said, recalling the resolution drafted by the Chinese consulate. So right now is an opportunity for Americans to wake up and recognize this fight for freedom, which sometimes we take for granted here in the United States.

Freedom is a fragile thing.
FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok testifies at the Committee on the Judiciary and Committee on "Oversight and Government Reform Joint Hearing on Oversight of FBI and DOJ Actions Surrounding the 2016 Election" in Washington on July 12, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Peter Strzok Says He Didnt Know of Major Mistakes in Trump-Russia Probe Documents

A former top FBI official has said he did not know that the bureau wrongly said the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) conveyed sketchy claims regarding Donald Trump and Russia ahead of the 2016 election, despite being sent the documents containing the false details.

Both the opening and closing electronic communications (ECs), or documents, for the FBI probe into the claims of a secret backchannel between Trumps business and Alfa Bank said they were referred by the DOJ.

But during a recent trial, agents in the FBIs Chicago Field Office, who led the investigation, said those descriptions were not true. They described what happened as mistakes, or typos.

The actual source of the information was Michael Sussmann, a lawyer representing the campaign of Hillary Clinton and a technology executive named Rodney Joffe, who has said he was promised a position in the government if Clinton beat Trump. Sussmann took thumb drives containing data and white papers to an FBI lawyer on Sept. 19, 2016.

I was not aware that Chicago in this case, who had opened the case, was unaware of where the information came from, Peter Strzok, the former FBI counterintelligence official, said after the trial during a recent appearance on a show hosted by the Brookings Institutions Benjamin Wittes.

They put in the EC, the opening communication of the case, that it had come from the Department of Justice, which is incorrect, and they put in the closing EC, and that was obviously incorrect, Strzok added.

Strzok received the document memorializing the opening of the case, but wasnt pressed on that point by Wittes. Other bureau employees were also sent the communication, including Jonathan Moffa, another top counterintelligence official. Strzok was not sent the document that summarized why the case was being closed.

James Baker, the FBI lawyer who met with Sussmann, said on the stand during Sussmanns trial that he told Strzok soon after the meeting who he received the information from. Strzok was identified on a chain of custody form for the evidence as receiving it that same day and turning it over to another official hours later.

In his new remarks, Strzok also said he did not know that agents charged with investigating the Trump-Alfa Bank claims made repeated requests to the FBIs headquarters to interview the source of the allegations. During the trial, those agents testified that their efforts were stonewalled by officials, who were acting on the orders of senior leaders.

And Strzok appeared to confirm the recollection of FBI agent Ryan Gaynor, who described a close hold, or orders to keep Sussmanns identity secret from agents, after lawyers for Sussmann suggested there was not a hold on the identity.

I remember broadly all of these things being very close hold,' Strzok said.

Strzok was fired in mid-2018 for exchanging thousands of texts with Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer, including ones denigrating Trump and discussing plans stop the Republican from becoming president. Strzok was also the official who authored the document that opened Crossfire Hurricane, the U.S. government investigation into Trump and his campaign, playing a key role in that investigation and later helping with special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into supposed Trump-Russia links.
COVID-19 treatment pill Paxlovid in a box at Misericordia hospital in Grosseto, Italy, on Feb. 8, 2022. (Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters)

Pfizer to Invest $120 Million in COVID-19 Pill as Officials Issue Alert

Pfizer announced Monday that it would spend $120 million to expand U.S. manufacturing of its oral COVID-19 antiviral pill at its Michigan facility.

Use of Pfizers Paxlovid pill in treatment of newly infected cases has risen even as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned the pill can lead to a rebound in symptoms.

If you take Paxlovid, you might get symptoms again, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told CBS News on May 31. We havent yet seen anybody who has returned with symptoms needing to go to the hospital. So, generally, a milder course.

The possibility of quarantine even after taking the Paxlovid pill is giving people pause, according to an infectious disease specialist.

Dr. Sandra Kemmerly, an infectious disease specialist at Ochsner Health in New Orleans, said the possibility of more quarantine is not a crowd-pleaser.

For those people who really arent at risk  I would recommend that they not take it, she told Reuters.

Meanwhile, a study by Israeli researchers found that Pfizers COVID-19 pill helped reduce hospitalizations and deaths in the elderly, but it had no significant benefit for those under 65.

The U.S. government distributes Pfizers COVID-19 pill for free, with Biden administration officials pushing for its wider use.

Pfizer said the new investment will increase its capacity to convert raw materials into the active ingredients in its medicine. To date, Pfizer has manufactured around 17 million treatment courses and shipped 12 million courses of Paxlovid to 37 countries, including 5 million courses shipped to the United States.

Michigan officials have hailed the announcement as win for the states economic momentum.

Pfizers Kalamazoo facility also made some of the first doses of the vaccine, and now this proud Michigan company will play an even more critical role in the fight against COVID-19, said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, adding that it was a job-making opportunity.

The company expects the investment to create more than 250 additional high-skilled jobs at its Michigan facility and increase production to output 1,200 metric tons annually.

Pfizer CEO and Chairman Albert Bourla touted the use of billions of vaccines doses and now millions of treatment courses manufactured by the company to help battle the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Phase two of the investment will expected to expand Pfizers Modular Aseptic Processing sterile injectable pharmaceutical production facility.
Police tape hangs from a barricade at the corner of South and 3rd Streets in Philadelphia, Pa., on June 5, 2022. (Kriston Jae Bethel/AFP via Getty Images)

Philadelphia Mass Shooting: 1 in Custody, Arrest Warrant Issued for Another, Prosecutors Say

After a mass shooting in Philadelphia over the weekend that killed three people and injured at least 11 more, authorities have brought one suspect into custody and issued an arrest warrant for another.

The mass shooting on late June 4 involved multiple shooters who opened fire into a crowd on a busy street, police previously said.

The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office has approved arrest warrants for two people, and one of them is in police custody while the other remains at large, Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore told reporters.

The one in custody is identified as 18-year-old Quran Garner. He is facing multiple charges, including two counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement officers, Pescatore said. Garner didnt have a license to carry a gun, she said.

The unnamed person is also facing multiple charges. They include attempted murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, conspiracy, violation of the Uniform Firearms Act, possession of an instrument of crime, tampering with evidence, and obstruction of justice.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said the charges against Garner and another suspect, whose name has not been released, are in connection to what we anticipate are non-fatal shootings.

When asked to describe how the confrontation began, Pescatore said that Micah Townes was walking down the street in close proximity to Garner. Townes then passes down the same side of the street as Jackson and two other men, for one of which an arrest warrant has been issued.

As hes passing by, words are exchanged, she said. As words are exchanged, then Gregory Jackson takes a swing at Micah Townes, striking him in the face. Its at that point that the other malewho we have an arrest warrant forbegins in the melee at that point.

She continued: Micah Townes is then thrown against a window while they are beating on him. At some point you see Gregory Jackson, who did have a permit to carry, pull out a gun.

At that point, Townes is at the middle of South Street while Jackson starts to fire at him. Townes shot back and wounded Jackson, which ultimately killed him. The unnamed person who police issued an arrest warrant for picks up the gun that Gregory Jackson had and gives it to another male in a blue hoodie, who then leaves the scene.

The unnamed man remained at the scene and placed pressure on Jacksons wound. He also provided his name, address, and other details to police.

Its at that point that Quran Garner then begins firing down South Street in the location where this melee took place, Pescatore said, adding that the shooting happened about 20 to 30 seconds after Jackson was already down.

It was then that Philadelphia police began to shoot, after Quran Garner has a gun out and looks in their direction, she told reporters. They shoot at him, shooting his hand.

Garner fled the scene and encountered police officers at another site, where he told them about his injured hand. The officers placed him in a patrol car and transported him to the hospital, where he remains on Monday undergoing surgery for his injuries sustained that night, she said.

Townes, who police have identified as a victim and is not being charged in the case, is in serious condition at a hospital as of Monday. This is why the unnamed person is being charged with attempted murder, she said.

The gun that Garner used was a ghost gun, which had an extended magazine, she noted.

She said at least four guns were involved. Three of the guns were 9mm, and another is a 40-caliber gun.

Two handguns have been recovered from the scene.

The two other people who died were innocent bystanders. They have been identified as 22-year-old Kristopher Minners and 27-year-old Alexis Quinn.

A report released by the Philadelphia City Council in January said that there were over 2,300 victims of shootings in the city in 2021. According to the report (pdf), Victims and arrestees for shootings tend to be male, people of color, 1835 years old, and have a prior criminal history.

Of the shootings, arguments was the most common shooting motive, triggering half of the shootings, while the second most common motive was drug trafficking or transactions, at 18 percent, according to the report.

Since the mass shooting on South Street, Philadelphia, on June 4, there have been at least 10 other mass shootings across the United States as of June 6in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New York, South Carolina, and Tennessee, according to the National Gun Violence Memorial. A total of 12 people were killed and 34 others were injured due to these shootings.
Residents line up to be swabbed for the COVID-19 testing during citywide testing in Tianjin, China on Jan. 9, 2022.(Chinatopix Via Associated Press)

Refusing to Pay for Mass COVID Testing, Chinas Medical Insurance Fund Shifts Responsibility to Local Governments

As of today, at least 10 Chinese metropolises, each with a population of over 10 million people, have required regular nucleic acid testing for COVID-19 of their citizens. The public is now questioning the cost incurred as well as who should pay those costs.

Nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 are also known as PCR tests. The regular testing, as required by Chinas Zero-COVID policy, now mandates that residents must present a negative PCR test completed within 48 or 72 hours to ride the subway or enter a public facility. In other words, most people have to do 1 to 3 nucleic acid tests per week in order to maintain a normal life.

There has been chatter on Chinese social media that Chinas medical insurance fund has been covering the cost. However, China Business News revealed in a May 25 article that National Healthcare Security Administration recently issued an official notice to provincial and municipal medical insurance administrations, saying that the practice of covering mass COVID-19 testing using medical insurance funds does not comply with the current medical insurance policies, and needs to be rectified immediately.

Insiders told China Business News that in certain regions, where the medical insurance fund has a sufficient balance, local authorities allowed the medical insurance funds to pay for the testing cost for those who are covered by the insurance, and for those individuals who are not covered, the cost would be the financial responsibility of the local government.

Similarly, mass COVID vaccination in China has been covered by medical insurance funds and government treasury, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Official data shows that by the end of 2021, the cumulative balance of basic medical insurance (including maternity insurance) is 3,612 billion yuan (approx. $542 billion). The balance is mainly concentrated in relatively wealthy provinces and regions with a population influx.

Huge Cost When Mass Testing Becomes the Norm

Zhongxin Jingwei, a financial media affiliated with the China News Agency, recently used Beijing numbers to calculate how much regular nucleic acid testing would cost when the public relies on a negative test result to go about a normal life.

On May 3, the price of a single-sample COVID test was reduced from 24.9 yuan (about $3.72) to 19.7 yuan ($2.94). For mixed-sample tests, the authorities have capped the price at 3.4 yuan (about $0.51), according to the article.

By the end of 2021, excluding migrant workers, Beijing had a population of 21.886 million. In the case of a weekly test requirement and a mixed testing schemewith samples from ten people in one test-tubeBeijing would need to test at least 320,000 samples per day, and the total expense would be as high as 298 million yuan (about $44 million) a month. In the case of single-sample testing the total cost would be 862 million yuan (about $129 million) per month.

A recent research report released by Chinas Soochow Securities Research Institute also estimated that, if all first- and second-tier cities in China (with a total population of 505 million in 2021) implement regular testing in the future, based on population data in 2021, the total monthly cost for the 505 million people in these cities would be 121.2 billion yuan (about $18.1 billion), and the annual cost would be roughly 1.45 trillion yuan (about $220 billion).

Medical Insurance Funds Drying Up

The medical insurance fund is life-saving money for the Chinese people. With Chinese cities requiring regular mass testing one after another, the public is very concerned that the medical insurance pool will soon be drained.

The Health Literacy Bureau, an information platform in Chinas medical and health field, revealed in a May 26 article that there is a risk of exhausting the medical insurance funds in many provinces and cities.

Although the National Medical Insurance Administration issued a new document on May 25 limiting the price for mixed-scheme testing to no more than 3.5 yuan (about 52 cents) per person, the Health Literacy Bureau pointed out that not all provinces have the money to cover regular mass testing.

For Beijing and Shanghai, the medical insurance balances can cover the cost for more than 600 days; while in provinces with large populations such as Shandong and Henan, the current balance can only support about 70 days of testing, according to the Health Literacy Bureau.

That is to say, in these places, if the medical insurance funds that were painstakingly accumulated through centralized procurement, price negotiation, etc., are used to cover regular large-scale nucleic acid testing, they will be exhausted in a little more than two months, the article said. According to the internationally accepted medical insurance fund reserve standard, the medical insurance fund must be sufficient to cover at least 15 months of expenditures to be considered a stable fund. If all of the funds are used for nucleic acid testing, it deviates from the original intention of establishing the medical insurance fund system.

Huge Profits for Companies Involved in COVID Testing

Though a nightmare for the general public, the pandemic has turned out to be a golden opportunity for those involved in sampling and testing for COVID. Shortly after PCR testing became a routine mandate, companies producing test kits and personnel with sampling skills were in high demand.

As of May 11, 2022, there were approximately 2,400 entities involved in COVID testing in China, of which nearly 40 percent were established within the past three years. The biggest players include Shengxiang Bio, Zhijiang Bio, Jinyu Medical, Mingde Bio, Wanfu Bio, Daan Gene, BGI, Oriental Bio, and Mike Bio.

Shengxiang Bio, a COVID test kit manufacturer, achieved a whopping 65.3 fold increase in net profits from 2019 to 2020, and quickly landed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board within 177 days of the listing process launching. According to the 2020 Forbes Chinas 400 Richest list, Shengxiang Bio chairman Dai Lizhong ranked 210 with a net worth of 17.62 billion yuan (about $2.645 billion).

The revenue of Adicon Medical Laboratory Co., Ltd. reached 2.742 billion yuan (about $412 million) in 2020 and 3.38 billion yuan (about $507 million) in 2021. PCR testing accounted for 2.157 billion yuan (about $324 million) of its revenue in those two years.

Wanfu Bios revenue in the first quarter of this year was 2.625 billion yuan (about $394 million), with a net profit of 904 million yuan (about $136 million), a year-on-year increase of 4.8 times.
BREGENZ, AustriaThere are legends in many cultures that are about humanitys connection to the divine. Susanne Schulze, a journalist, found that after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts, she was reminded of our connection to the heavens.

There is this connection that the divine is not outside of us, but the connection is [within]  remember that we are divine, Ms. Schulze said.

Shen Yun is based in New York and its artists are trained in classical Chinese dance. The name Shen Yun means the beauty of divine beings dancing.

Its aesthetic, its really the dance of beauty, Ms. Schulze said.

She added that the performance shows the progression of the light through the dark times into the real God-human-cosmos-earth connection and that it is possible to liberate oneself in every system.

The music was a great match for the performance

Marcel Haltiner attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at Festspielhaus Bregenz, in Austria, on May 24, 2022. (NTD)

Although Shen Yun is dedicated to reviving traditional Chinese culture, the performance is not allowed in China by the ruling communist party.

Marcel Haltiner, the owner of an automation company, attended the performance on the evening of May 24 with his daughter. He concluded that China would be on a better path if they could revive this traditional culture more.

He shared his thoughts on how traditional culture is likely better for society than what we are experiencing now.

The old values should have continuance and modern society is not necessarily the right way. Were probably a little bit on the wrong path and the old values certainly bring more quality to life and make the world better, he said.

Every performance, the artists, the musicians, and the production team of Shen Yun pull off an impressive display of teamwork.

Well, the music was a great match for the performance. And also the stage design, that was unique. At the back there, the transition when it went from animation to live, thats superbly done, really. My compliments!

The animation that Mr. Haltiner referred to was Shen Yuns patented digital projection that allows for quick setting changes without the use of bulky scenes that are typically seen in traditional opera. The backdrop is an endless extension of the stage.

Reporting by NTD, Si Fan, and Maria Han.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
People walk in the street in Shanghai, China, after the lifting of lockdowns on June 2, 2022. (Hu Chengwei/Getty Images)

Hospitals COVID-19 Measures Contributed to Death of Shanghai Resident, Husband Says

As Shanghai reopens following two months of lockdowns, a resident and rights activist told The Epoch Times that his first wish is to unearth the cause of death for his wife at a local hospital during the outbreak.

A native of Shanghai, Yu Zhonghuan, said that his wife, Shi Ping, who had been under the care of the Shanghai Blue Cross Brain Hospital, passed away on April 28. While authorities said that the cause of death was severe lung contamination, he doubts the results.

The hospital is in the district of Minxing in the Chinese financial hub. According to its site, the hospital won accreditation from the Joint Commission International, an independent, non-for-profit organization that describes its certification as a global leader for health care quality of care and patient safety. 

Over the past years, my wifes condition had remarkably improved, Yu said of her lung condition.

However, COVID-19 hit the hospital at the end of March, and a large number of doctors and nurses were diagnosed with COVID-19. Yu believes that, due to understaffing and measures to eliminate COVID-19 transmission, his wife likely did not receive proper care or contracted COVID-19 and eventually lost her life.

At the worst moment, there was only one single doctor left [on duty] in the whole program, in charge of 50 or 60 patients, Yu said. He was too busy to care for them, many of whom were in critical condition.

The Shanghai government should also be held accountable for inadequate treatment and care for the patients during the mass lockdowns, Yu said. He added that the local government should also bear some responsibility for his wifes death.

The hospital should have been well prepared [for treatment], he said. You [the government] are effectively killing when you order more than half of the doctorsmany of whom were chief physiciansto stay in their homes while keeping so many patients waiting for hospital treatment.

Request for Autopsy Denied

Yu requested that hospital officials to conduct an autopsy for his wife upon learning the news, but was met with excuses meant to discourage his efforts, according to the activist. Two days later, they notified him that the health commission in their district had dismissed his request, too.

Hospital authorities also claimed to Yu that the lockdowns had put autopsy services on hold.

I lodged my complaints with a range of authorities, including 110 [Chinas number for calling the police] and the supervising agencies, he said. None of them accepted my complaints, just as in an anarchic state.

Rather, they urged him to agree and sign his name on their cremation plan. They even threatened to forward his wifes corpse to his own home or the call police if he refused.

Lack of Transparency Around COVID-19 Data

Yu said that he kept daily track of the official COVID-19 updates from the Shanghai Health Commission during the outbreak, and that he found that official reports contradicted with what he knew was happening even at his wifes single hospital.

This hospital wasnt placed on the list of the health commission until April 11, he said. However, they told me there had been [confirmed cases] when I traveled there on March 30.

Seven of my wifes roommates died, Yu told The Epoch Times. Their ward accommodated ten roommates in total. They all knew the situation because they had stayed there for many days.

He said that the discrepancies he saw with the official COVID-19 reports was disturbing.

The Epoch Times tried to contact the Shanghai Blue Cross Hospital without success despite repeated attempts. The Shanghai CDC and citys health hotlines could not be reached for comment.

Zhao Fenghua and Luo Ya contributed to this report.
The logo of an electric car painted on the road at Santiago, Chile, on April 20, 2011. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

Solid Power Aims to Ship First Solid-State Battery Cells by Year-End to BMW, Ford

Solid Power, a developer of solid-state batteries for electric vehicles, aims to begin shipping pre-production battery cells by year-end for validation testing by partners BMW and Ford Motor, the company said on Monday.

In an interview, Doug Campbell, Solid Powers chief executive and co-founder, said the Colorado company has set up a pilot production line to provide validation samples to automakers while looking for a manufacturing partner to begin producing its cells as early as 2026.

One prospective partner, he said, is Koreas SK Innovation, which is building joint-venture battery plants with Ford in Tennessee and Kentucky.

Long term, we do not endeavor to be a cell producer, he said.

Campbell said Solid Power has sufficient pilot production capacity to provide prototype battery cells to other vehicle manufacturers, but declined to provide specific detail.

The company, which went public through a reverse merger in 2021, drew early investments from Hyundai and Samsung, in addition to Ford and BMW.

Campbell acknowledges the intense competition in solid-state battery development among the big boysgroups like Toyota, Panasonic, Samsung, LG Energy Solution, Hyundai and CATL.

Were in a space among a lot of very prominent and credible players, he said.

Like most of those companies, Solid Powers battery cell features a sulfide-based solid-state electrolyte, the medium through which lithium ions flow between positive and negative electrodes during charging and discharging.

Battery cells with solid-state electrolytes have a significantly lower risk of catching fire from internal shorts than those with liquid electrolytes.

Campbell said Solid Powers cells, which currently use silicon-rich anodes and nickel-cobalt-manganese cathodes, have the potential to hold more energythus providing electric vehicles with longer rangeand cost less than conventional lithium-ion batteries.

Solid Power also has designed its solid-state cells to be compatible with current lithium-ion manufacturing processes.

By Paul Lienert
South Africa: SA commemorates World Food Safety Day

South Africa today joined the rest of the global community to commemorate World Food Safety Day.

The day is aimed at transforming food systems to deliver better health sustainably and prevent foodborne diseases such as Listeriosis.

This years World Food Safety Day is commemorated under the theme: Safer food, better health which serves as a clarion call for everyone to join the campaign to ensure safe food for all.

In a statement on Tuesday, the National Department of Health said that this day also provides an opportunity to strengthen efforts to ensure that the food people consume is safe.

The department said that food safety is closely linked to many other Sustainable Development Goals, including economic growth, innovation, responsible consumption and production and climate change.

In South Africa, food safety remains a shared responsibility and everyones business to prevent avoidable health risks; hence it is regulated by various governmental bodies.

Government has called upon everyone to join forces and practice food safety awareness.

The Department of Health is responsible for ensuring that foodstuffs are safe for human consumption in terms of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectant Act, which addresses the manufacture, labelling, sale and importation of foodstuffs.

On the other hand, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) is responsible for ensuring food safety in agricultural inputs such as animal feed and fertilizers, on farms and at abattoirs and meat imports. The National Regulator for Compulsory Specification (NRCS) is responsible for regulating fish and other seafood and canned meat as assigned, by the Minister of Health, the statement read.

Global burden of foodborne disease



The World Health Organisation published the first estimates on the global burden of foodborne disease in 2015, indicating that annually, unsafe food causes 600 million cases and 42 000 deaths, but concedes that there is massive under-reporting.

Foodborne diseases arise due to contamination by chemicals, viruses, bacteria and parasites, but food safety and hygiene protocols remain the best preventative methods to improve food safety systems and ensure that food is safe to eat.

However, the department said this requires sustained investment in several areas, from stronger regulation associated with good compliance and enforcement, to better laboratories, surveillance that is more stringent and better training and education.

Although, there was no evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted through food, food containers or packaging, but the pandemic has sharpened the focus on food safety-related issues, such as hygiene, antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic diseases, climate change, food fraud and the potential benefits of digitalizing food control systems, the department said.

South Africa participates in the Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, which is an international food safety organisation established to develop global standards and guidance to protect the health of consumers and facilitate fair trade in food.

The Department of Health, through the Food Control Directorate develops food safety, labelling and enhanced health and nutrition legislation. It is also coordinating and responding to food safety emergencies or crises such as international notifications requiring action or industry notifications of food recalls due to potential food safety hazards in line with the World Health Organization International Health Regulations.

As part of ongoing efforts by government to protect consumers and provide communities with healthier environments, the environmental health practitioners conduct routine inspections at food business operators such as manufacturers, restaurants and supermarkets for health compliance, food storage practices and food handling practices.

They also conduct training and awareness activities to food handlers, especially in the informal sector as well as community level, the department said.

The department has urged consumers that have concerns with the safety or food labelling to report these to their nearest municipalities.

The National Environmental Health section has developed Norms and Standards, and audits municipalities against these and is responsible to respond to any outbreak of foodborne illness.

As we review our policies and legislation, there is a need for robust monitoring, improved surveillance and detection and rapid response capabilities for food safety emergencies and foodborne disease outbreaks.

All these are imperative to protect the health and well-being of South Africas population from foodborne diseases, communicable and non-communicable diseases, the department said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-06-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Isolated Christians in Middle East, North Africa Fight for Religious Freedom

Media ministry SAT-7 USA circumvents efforts to stamp out Christians' freedom of expression, gives them a voice





RELIGIOUS FREEDOM UNDER SIEGE IN MIDDLE EAST: Media ministry SAT-7 USA (www.sat7usa.org) is providing a way for isolated Christians in the Middle East and North Africa to express their faith publicly  even as their religious freedom comes under increasing attack.



NEWS PROVIDED BY

SAT-7

June 7, 2022



EASTON, Md., June 7, 2022 /Standard Newswire/ -- A U.S. media ministry is providing a way for isolated Christians in the Middle East and North Africa to express their faith publicly  even as their religious freedom comes under increasing attack.



Globally, an estimated 80% of people of all faiths face some form of restrictions on freely expressing their religious beliefs. But Christians in the Middle East and North Africa, especially, face growing efforts to silence them.



Pressure is mounting on Christians across the largely arid region in countries like Iran, Algeria and Turkey, where churches are being closed, believers are being driven into hiding, and many face severe treatment if discovered.



Hostility against Christians in Egypt  where Jesus took refuge as an infant  has ramped up recently, with reports of violent attacks and kidnappings.



Christians Vastly Outnumbered

Across the Middle East and North Africa  stretching almost 4,000 miles from Algeria to Afghanistan  Christians make up less than 3% of the population, according to SAT-7 USA (www.sat7usa.org). The ministry broadcasts live Christian programs with local presenters via satellite and online video-on-demand, and encourages viewers to call in and participate.



Incredibly, many Christians are eager to share their faith and experiences on-air and online, even though by doing so theyre putting themselves at risk.



'Persecution Is A Crown'

"Algerian Christians are not afraid to show their faces on the screen," said Middle East-based SAT-7 CEO Rita El-Mounayer. "They say, 'persecution is a crown we wear every day. Please don't take it from us.'"



One 16-year-old Algerian girl living on the streets was thrown out of her parents' home because she became a Christian, said El-Mounayer.



"I feel my own faith is so small in front of these people," El-Mounayer said. "They want to be an example to other Christians, to say 'you're not alone.'"



Making 'God's Love Visible'

The network's satellite and online programs evade censorship, "making God's love visible" to thousands in their homes and on their phones. "It's the right of everyone to be exposed to this love that's beyond any other love, the love of Christ," El-Mounayer said.



Isolated viewers gain confidence from others' boldness  including the courage of believers in Afghanistan, who participate in SAT-7's live programs via their phone apps despite reports of continued oppression of Christians by the Taliban.



"There's a growing church in the Middle East and North Africa, and it could change the (region) forever. I see more people in the Middle East worshiping Jesus, despite all the restrictions," El-Mounayer said.



About SAT-7

Launched in 1996, SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) -- with its international headquarters in Cyprus -- broadcasts Christian and educational satellite television and online programs in the Middle East and North Africa. Its mission is to make the gospel available to everyone, and support the church in its life, work and witness for Jesus Christ. SAT-7 broadcasts 24/7 in Arabic, Farsi (Persian), Dari, and Turkish, using multiple satellite channels and online services.



SOURCE SAT-7



CONTACT: Matti Stevenson, 719-360-0586, mstevenson@inchristcommunications.com


South Dakota Experiences Low Voter Turnout

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.Low voter turnout predictions for South Dakota were on target. According to the South Dakota Secretary of States office, the weather could have been a factor in the low turnout in some parts of the state where a number of areas experienced thunderstorms.

South Dakota is split almost in half by the states eastern side operating under Central Standard Time and the western side operating under Mountain Time. In the 2020 primary election, there were almost 547,000 voters registered with only 154,000 ballots cast, resulting in a low 28.22 percent voter turnout.

In Sioux Falls, most of the people who came out to vote were Republican, which makes up most of the states voting bloc. Of the nearly 583,000 registered voters, there are approximately 286,000 Republicans, 151,000 Democrats, 2,700 Libertarians, and 141,000 with no party affiliation or independent voters.

Sioux Falls resident David Bahr and his wife, JoAnn, came to the Peace Lutheran Church in Minnehaha County on June 7 to cast their ballot under sunny skies. Both are registered Republicans and said they were casting their votes for current Gov. Kristi Noem and U.S. Sen. John Thune. However, in the U.S. Congressional race, they voted for state representative Taffy Howard because they were dissatisfied with the voting record of incumbent Congressman Dusty Johnson.

Sioux Falls resident, David Bahr stands outside Peace Lutheran Church to vote in the South Dakota Primary. June 7, 2022 (Jann Falkenstern, The Epoch Times)

I kind of moved away from Dusty Johnson, Bahr told The Epoch Times. I dont think hes really done as much as hes claiminghes taken some strange votes that I dont agree with.

Bahr said the negative campaign ads that have dominated the airwaves hurt the candidates more than it helped them and added that outside influencers have brought money into the state, something with which he disagrees.

I think it should stay in (the) state to get the word of the people to South Dakota, he said.

Voter reaction closely mirrors that of a survey conducted in May by South Dakota State University that found, in the U.S. Congressional race, incumbent Johnson led state representative Howard 53 percent to 17 percent among likely GOP primary voters.

However, in Minnehaha County at the Center for Active Generations, where voters were trickling in, Tim Shelburg said he was a registered Democrat but did not want to disclose whom he had voted for.

The state is heavily conservative, he told The Epoch Times. Voter turnout for primaries always have a low turnoutwish more people would exercise that right.

Another voter, Nancy, who did not want to give her last name told the Epoch Times that, while she identified as a Democrat, she was a registered Republican because she wanted to vote in the Republican primary.

Thats the only way you can vote in the primaries, she said.

Nancy admitted that she votes in the Republican primaries so she can vote for candidates who will do the least collateral damage. She would not disclose whom she voted for, but said she wanted someone in office that leans more toward pro-choice issues.

I dont personally believe that I could have an abortion, but I think it should be between the person, the significant other, and the doctor because theyre the ones that know the individual situation, she said. I dont believe the no-exception-for-rape or any of that.

Nancy didnt say whom she voted for but admitted that South Dakota didnt have many choices to her liking because she leans left and said [gubernatorial candidate Steven] Haugaard was too far right of Noem.

In the 2020 primary election, according to the South Dakota Secretary of States office, 112,211 absentee ballots were requested, with 88,949 received; 1,220 ballots were rejected.

Noem, who has the endorsement of former President Trump has been rumored to be a 2024 contender for the White House. She has been speaking at events such as CPAC in Florida in February and most recently the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Texas at the end of May. She is a staunch defender of the Second Amendment.

She answered her critics at the convention, If theyre attacking you, it is because youre doing something effective that scares them. So, keep it up.

Vying for his turn in the governors office, Sioux Falls attorney and former state Speaker of the House Steve Haugaard has been critical of Noem, saying she is more focused on building a national profile than tending to her duties as governor of South Dakota.

In the Senate race, three-term incumbent John Thune is being challenged by GOP hopefuls Bruce Whalen and Mark Mowry, both running to the right of Thune. Mowry was critical of Thune because he did not challenge the 2020 presidential election results and traveled to Washington DC on Jan. 6 but said he did not participate in the demonstrations at the Capitol. Whalen identifies as a true Trumper and believes the former president was robbed of the election.
The busts of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln tower over the Black Hills at Mount Rushmore National Monument near Keystone, South Dakota, on July 2, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

South Dakota to Vote on Ballot Initiative Which Raises Threshold to Approve Tax Hikes

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.A ballot initiative that South Dakotans will see on their ballot on June 7 will amend the states constitution and is described as rare, as it is appearing on the primary ballot instead of the general election ballot in November.

Amendment C or the taxpayer protection amendment, is a Republican-sponsored bill that requires at least 60 percent of the voters to approve ballot initiatives that amend the states constitution, raise taxes, or involve $10 million in spending over five years.

The South Dakota constitution currently says that a measure must obtain a majority of the votes cast to be approved. Prior to appearing on the ballot, initiatives must also receive two-thirds of the vote from the members in each legislative branch. The initiative on Tuesdays ballot would alter the simple majority rule to require three-fifths public support to approve measures which raise taxes, alter the constitution, or involve more than $10 million in spending over five years.

State Rep. Jon Hansen said during the debate over the bill in February that it should be harder for the government to tax and spend your money, as the Legislature already operates under a higher threshold.

Taffy Howard, candidate for U.S. Congress for South Dakota, in May 2022. (Courtesy of Taffy Howard campaign)

Taffy Howard, a Republican hoping to unseat incumbent Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) in the June 7 primary, said that she hopes the people of South Dakota will not listen to the naysayers of the amendment.

I hope people will see through (it)that its just smoke and mirrors, Howard told The Epoch Times in a telephone interview. Theyre trying to confuse people.

Howard explained that the state legislature currently must have two-thirds of members elect to pass tax increases.

For instance, she said that without the amendment, if 40 percent of registered voters show up to vote, the bill would pass with only 20 percent support, with the 40 percent voting effectively making decisions for the remaining 80 percent of South Dakota residents. But with the proposed 60 percent as the majority, that requirement would increase, although not by a lot.

If we increase the threshold to 60 percentusing the same exampleyou have 40 percent of the voters turn up to vote, she explained. Thats just 24 percent of registered voters making decisions for everyone. I think its still too low, but I think its a step in the right direction.

Not everyone is in support of the amendment.

Zach Nistler, campaign spokesman for South Dakotan for Fair Elections said the timing of the ballot measure is suspect, as normally amendments are placed on general election ballots, not primary ballots.

It was hastily thrown on the primary ballot, Nistler told The Epoch Times in a telephone interview. Normally this is something that they prepare for come, you know, closer to a general election.

Nistler urged voters to do their research and make up their own minds, and hoped they would vote no because the passage of Amendment C would forever change the states political legacy of citizen-backed ballot initiatives. But more importantly, he said that if something aint broke, then dont fix it.

Campaign finance reports show that a large portion of funds coming in to defeat the amendment is from out-of-state interests such as the National Education Association, which gave $450,000, and the Fairness Project, which has given a quarter of a million.

Four ladies having breakfast at a Sioux Falls diner who did not want to be identified told The Epoch Times that they had no idea what Amendment C was about and they would most likely vote against it.

I cant vote for something I know nothing about, one diner said.

Another lady agreed.

A vote is important, and you dont want to make the wrong decision, she said. Id rather vote no on something that Im not sure about just to err on the side of caution.

Another patron, Sioux Falls resident Mike Haugen, said hes not ashamed to say he will be voting for the amendment.

I think the amendment is a good one because it will take more of the people to vote yes to raising taxes, he said. But the amendment is full of legalese and takes a little more research to understand it.
A Massachusetts state trooper talked a man down from the Tobin Bridge after he threatened to jump and commit suicide last weekend.

On Saturday, June 4, at 12:04 p.m., state troopers and firefighters from Boston and Chelsea responded to a man who had scaled over the barrier of the bridges southbound upper deck and was contemplating jumping from the ledge.

Trooper Paul OConnor, joined by Sergeant Peter Sennott and Trooper Randy Roach, made contact with and spoke to the man, the Massachusetts State Police stated, while the State Police Marine Unit responded on the Mystic River below the bridge.

Tobin Bridge crossing the Mystic River in Boston. (Terry Hill/Shutterstock)

Shortly after 12:30, Trooper OConnor had talked him into returning over the fence to the road side of the bridge. A photo posted on the Massachusetts Police Departments Facebook page shows OConnor consoling the distraught man until EMS arrived. He was taken to a Boston hospital for evaluation.

Sergeant Sennott, a Troop H patrol supervisor who is also a member of the Crisis Negotiation Unit, rode with him in the ambulance. Both Troopers OConnor and Roach are assigned to the State Police Tunnels Barracks.

We wish him recovery and a safe and healthy future, the State Police stated. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please know that help is available.

They encourage those having suicidal thoughts to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or contact them at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Help is available 24/7, and the service offers a dial prompt for the Veterans Crisis Line and a Spanish line as well.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Street Fighting Rages as Kyiv Seeks to Hold Sievierodonetsk Gains

KYIV/DRUZHKIVKA, UkraineUkrainian troops battled Russians street-to-street in the ruins of Sievierodonetsk on Tuesday, trying to hold onto gains from a counter-offensive that had reversed momentum in one of the bloodiest land battles of the war.

The fight for the small industrial city has emerged as a pivotal battle in eastern Ukraine, with Russia focusing its offensive might there in the hope of achieving one of its stated war aimsto fully capture surrounding Luhansk Province on behalf of separatist proxies.

After withdrawing from nearly all the city in the face of the Russian advance, Ukrainian forces staged a surprise counter-attack last week, driving the Russians from a swath of the city centre.

Our heroes are not giving up positions in Sievierodonetsk, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an overnight video address, describing fierce street fighting in the city. Earlier, he told reporters at a briefing the Ukrainians were outnumbered but still had every chance of fighting back.

Before Ukraines counter-offensive, Russia had seemed on the verge of encircling Ukraines garrison in Luhansk Province, cutting off the main road to Sievierodonetsk and its twin city Lysychansk across the Siverskiy Donets river.

But following the counter-offensive, Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Lysychansk on Sunday, personally demonstrating that Kyiv still had an open route to its troops redoubt.

Ukraines defence ministry said Russia was throwing troops and equipment into its drive to capture Sievierodonetsk. Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Monday the situation had worsened since the Ukrainian defenders had pushed back the Russians over the weekend.

A local resident walks along an empty street with residential buildings damaged by a military strike, in Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region, Ukraine, on April 16, 2022. (Serhii Nuzhnenko/Reuters)

Refocus

Russia has been pressing from three main directionseast, north and southto try to encircle the Ukrainians in the Donbass. Russia has made progress, but only slowly, failing to deal a decisive blow or to encircle the Ukrainians.

In its nightly update, the Ukrainian military said two civilians were killed in Russian shelling in the Donbass and Russian forces had fired at more than 20 communities, using artillery and air strikes.

Britains defence ministry said on Tuesday that Russia was still trying to cut off Sievierodonetsk by advancing from the north near Izium and from the south near Popasna. It said Russias progress from Popasna had stalled over the last week, while reports of heavy shelling near Izium suggested Moscow was preparing a new offensive there.

Russia will almost certainly need to achieve a breakthrough on at least one of these axes to translate tactical gains to operational level success and progress towards its political objective of controlling all of Donetsk Oblast, it said.

The Donetsk regional governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, told Ukrainian television there was constant shelling along the front line, with Russia attempting to push towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the two biggest Ukrainian-held cities in Donetsk.

Ukraine is one of the worlds biggest exporters of grain, and Western countries accuse Russia of creating risk of global famine by shutting Ukraines Black Sea ports.

Zelenskyy said Kyiv was gradually receiving specific anti-ship systems, and that these would be the best way to break a Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports.

Moscow denies blame for the food crisis, which it says was caused by Western sanctions.

Russias U.N. envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, stormed out of a U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday as European Council President Charles Michel, addressing the 15-member body, accused Moscow of fueling the global food crisis with its invasion of Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would respond to Western deliveries of long-range weapons by pushing Ukrainian forces further back from Russias border.

By Pavel Polityuk and Abdelaziz Boumzar
A banner hangs on the Los Angeles Convention Center, the location for the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles on June 5, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Mexicos President Boycotts US-Hosted Americas Summit

LOS ANGELESMexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced on June 6 that he would boycott the Summit of the Americas, which is kicking off this week at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and not attend due to the United States exclusion of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.

I am not going to the Summit because not all the countries of the Americas are invited, Obrador said in a statement translated online. I believe in the need to change the policy that has been imposed for centuries, exclusion, wanting to dominate for no reason, not respecting the sovereignty of countries  All countries, no matter how small, are free and independent.

Lopez Obrador said he would send Mexicos foreign minister instead.

The Mexican president also said he planned to meet with President Joe Biden in July to talk about immigration.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden didnt want dictators at the summit, which was why these leaders of the three countries were not invited.

The presidents principled position is that we do not believe dictators should be invited, Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing. Which is the reason that the president has decided not to attend, she said referring to Obrador.

Activists in Los Angeles protest denouncing US President Joe Biden for excluding Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua from the Summit of the Americas, on June 2, 2022. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Doubts about the effectiveness of the conference began circulating before the Mexican presidents boycott was announced as the Biden administration declined to confirm which nations would attend this year or release an invitee list.

The Los Angeles summit marks the second time the event will be held in the United States and will promote a green and equitable recovery from the pandemic, according to one senior government official in the Biden Administration.

The U.S. Department of State said it expects the event to provide a chance to confirm shared commitments. The theme of this years conference is Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future.

Looking forward to joining [President Biden], [Vice President Kamala Harris], and other leaders from the Western Hemisphere in Los Angeles for the Ninth #SummitAmericas, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken wrote on Twitter June 6. We will discuss building a sustainable and resilient future with democracy that works for all the people of the hemisphere.

Biden and Harris are expected to attend the summit with leaders from throughout North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. Biden is slated to meet with summit attendees beginning Wednesday. The event runs until June 10.

This is the first time the summit will be held in the U.S. since 1994, when former President Bill Clinton convened the first meeting in Miami.

Clinton and fellow leaders in the Americas first brought together 34 democracies in the hemisphere to discuss a shared vision of the future. Leaders discussed strengthening democracy, promoting economic prosperity, and eradicating poverty and discrimination.

This will be the ninth summit. The conference meets once every three or four years and will address issues including immigration, climate, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

This years meetings will include Bidens Build Back Better World initiative as a central point, and its theme of gender, health and health security, and digital connectivity, according to a senior State Department official.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was scheduled to join U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Kenneth Salazar, Consul General of Mexico in L.A. Ambassador Marcela Celorio, and Councilwoman Nithya Raman for the installation of the Wings of Mexico statue at Griffith Park at 4 p.m. June 6.

Were thrilled to host the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles and to welcome leaders from across the Western Hemisphere here to focus on our shared goal to secure a sustainable, resilient and equitable future for all our peoples, Garcetti said in a statement.

The mayors office alerted airline passengers traveling to or from Los Angeles International Airport to expect rolling traffic impacts. Airline passengers were encouraged to follow @FlyLAXStats on Twitter for the latest updates on travel times.

The city also suggested commuters avoid traffic by staying away from the convention center areas between the 10 and the 101 freeways, and east of 110 in downtown Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Police Department estimated costs of an additional $3.1 million per day for extra staffing during the five-day event, totaling about $15.5 million, according to news reports.

As of Monday morning, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman told The Epoch Times it had not had any reports of protests or other issues related to the summit.

City News Service contributed to this report.
The opening of a second Taiwan Chinese Language Center in France, Paris, on April 9, 2022. Taiwan expects to expand 100 Chinese Language Centers around the world within five years to promote Chinese language education. (Courtesy of Taiwan Representative Office)

Taiwans Chinese Language Centers Expand as More Countries Close Chinas Confucius Institutes

Chinas ruling communist party went to great lengths to establish its network of Confucius Institutes across college campuses around the world. But many countries have since withdrawn their partnerships having discovered that these institutes are a propagandized extension of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)used simply as a means to promote the partys communist philosophy. As a result, Taiwan is stepping into fill the new void to deliver traditional Chinese language education, with plans to establish 100 of its own institutes within the next five years.

Starting in June 2021, Taiwan began promoting its Five-Year Plan to Add 100 Chinese Language Centers. An update to this plan was broadcast on Radio Taiwan International (RTI) by Tong Chun-yuan, chairman of Taiwans Overseas Chinese Affairs Council. He said that 45 centers have already opened, including 35 in the United States, two in each of England, France, and Germany, and one in each of Sweden, Hungary, Austria, and Ireland.

Looking ahead Tong said, We have already planned to add 20 new schools next year and the year after, and 15 more in the last year, adding up to 100 schools.

In explaining the difference between Taiwans Chinese Language Centers and the CCPs Confucius Institutes, Tong said that Taiwans schools do not promote communism, which is not a part of Chinas original culture. Taiwan is aligned with the universal values of the United States. It is a democratic, free, and open society which has allowed the country to maintain the authentic cultural heritage of China. For this reason, Tong said, Taiwans Chinese Language Centers have received favorable feedback in every country where they have been established.

Taiwans Overseas Community Affairs Council signed a joint agreement with the United States in December of 2020. Dubbed the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative, the agreement established a collaborative model for Taiwans language centers through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). The model strengthens the cooperative relationship between the two countries for language education.

Confucius Institutes Linked to CCPs Influence Efforts

In August of 2020, Mike Pompeo, the former U.S. Secretary of State said that the Department of State designated the Confucius Institute U.S. (CIUS) Center as a foreign mission of the PRC.

Speaking bluntly, Pompeo said the CIUS is an entity advancing Beijings global propaganda and malign influence campaign on U.S. campuses and K-12 classrooms. Confucius Institutes are funded by the PRC and part of the Chinese Communist Partys global influence and propaganda apparatus. He said that the U.S. government wants American students to learn proper Chinese culture and language without being manipulated by the politics of the CCP, as it is doing in Hong Kong now.

During an October 2020 radio interview on Floridas Good Morning Orlando program, Pompeo said that the Trump administration was addressing the matter by asking schools across the country to close their Confucius Institutes by the end of the year.

In a documentary film titled, In the Name of Confucius, Director Qiu Min exposed the relationship between the CCP and Confucius Institutes globally. The institutes are controlled by the CCPs Hanban, which is an agency of the CCPs foreign-looking United Front Work Department. Mention of this relationship is posted on the CCPs official website.

In February 2020, Qiu Min was invited to visit the University of British Columbia and deliver a screening of her documentary. During a post-screening panel, she said the rapid foreign expansion of Confucius Institutes was facilitated by substantial funding provided by the CCPs Hanban, making the institutes essentially free to run for the U.S. institutions.

Despite the allure of Hanbans funding, the University of British Columbia rejected the CCPs offer four times, choosing to work instead with Taiwans Chinese Language Centers. Concerning to the university was how the CCP repeatedly cautioned them, not disclose the contents of the contract and not to mention sensitive topics such as Falun Gong, the Tiananmen Square incident, or Taiwan.

A 2019 survey by the U.S. Government Accountability Office discovered that the CCP had given over $150 million in funding to CIUS. During an interview with Voice of America, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ojio) confirmed there were nearly 100 Confucius Institutes on U.S. college campuses and that 70 percent of them had not properly reported any details about their CCP funding.

Confucius Institutes Closed in Many Countries

After Secretary Pompeo declared the CIUS a foreign mission of the CCP, an increasing number of countries became wary and launched investigations. This became the impetus for the start of closing of many Confucius Institutes worldwide.

The Hindustan Times reported in August 2020 that the Indian government had begun scrutinizing Confucius Institutes after Pompeos declarations. This was a serious matter for India since the Chinese Institute of Calcutta and the University of Mumbai were both involved in an elaborate student exchange program with China.

In addition, the Indian Ministry of Education decided to review seven universities partnering with Confucius Institutes and classrooms. Most of the schools under review are well-known Indian institutions that had signed a total of 54 memoranda of understanding with Chinese universities, but these memoranda were still pending approval from the Indian central government.

Also in August 2020, Germanys Hamburg University said it would end its cooperation with the CCPs Confucius Institute by the end of the year. Concerns arose about potential political content and information leakage risks. Similarly, Germanys University of Bonn is reconsidering its relationship with its Confucius Institute.

Countries that have started to close their Confucius Institutes include Canada, Australia, and Belgium. Sweden announced in April 2020 that it was closing its last Confucius Institute, making it the first European country to cut itself off from Confucius Institutes altogether.
Family members who lost a sibling place flowers outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25, 2022. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via TNS)

Teacher Who Survived Texas Mass Shooting Says He Received No Alert About Shooter

A teacher who survived the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, described systemic failures after the shooter entered the building during last months incident.

Arnulfo Reyes, the teacher, recalled hearing a loud bang at around 11:30 a.m., telling students to get under their desks as a precaution.

The kids were yelling, Whats going on, Mr. Reyes?' he told ABC News. [The students] were going under the table, and I was trying to get them to do that as fast as I could.

When I turned around, Reyes said, I just saw him, referring to shooter Salvador Ramos.

He was shot multiple times and 11 of his students were killed. I feel so bad for the parents because they lost a child, Reyes said. But they lost one child. I lost 11 that day, all at one time.

Since the shooting, which left 19 students and two teachers dead, there have been questions about how quickly police acted when the shooter started his rampage. The head of the Texas Department of Public Safety said in late May that it was a mistake to delay the response, while he noted that the school police chief believed that it turned into a hostage situation when there was still an active shooter on the loose.

Theyre cowards, Reyes told the outlet. They sit there and did nothing for our community. They took a long time to go in  I will never forgive them.

Reyes also said that there appeared to be systemic failures at play, noting that he did not receive any messages about a possible shooter on his phone.

There was no announcement. I did not receive any messages on my phone  sometimes we do get a Raptor system, he said in reference to the emergency alert program. But I didnt get anything, and I didnt hear anything.

Last week, the Department of Public Safety, which is investigating the mass shooting, determined that the commander facing criticism for the slow police response was not carrying a radio as the massacre unfolded, a Texas state senator said.

Sen. Roland Gutierrez told The Associated Press in a brief telephone interview that a Texas Department of Public Safety official told him school district police Chief Pete Arredondo was without a radio during the May 24 incident.

Authorities have not said how Arredondo was communicating with other law enforcement officials at the scene, including the more than a dozen officers who were at one point waiting outside the classroom where the shooter was holed up. Arredondo heads the districts small department and was in charge of the multi-agency response to the shooting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington on April 30, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Tennessee Governor Signs Executive Order to Enhance School Safety, Calls for Single Point of Entry

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order on Monday to ensure working safety protocols at schools, and to evaluate training for law enforcement for handling active shooter scenarios, in a bid to fortify school security across the state after the recent mass shooting at a school in Texas in which 21 people were killed.

Parents need to have full confidence that their children are safe at school, and thankfully, Tennessee has built a firm foundation with our practical approach to securing schools, recognizing crisis, and providing confidential reporting of any suspicious activity, Lee, a Republican, said in a statement.

This order strengthens accountability and transparency around existing school safety planning and assures Tennessee parents that our efforts to protect students and teachers will continue.

For parents, the executive order (pdf) creates a School Safety Resources and Engagement Guide to provide parents with information about how to report suspicious or concerning activity to school administrators and local law enforcement. The guide would also help parents inquire about building security and compliance at their childs school, and provides parents ways to access mental health resources for their child.

Lee in the order called on parents and the community to work with law enforcement to ensure simple practices, such as ensuring a single point of entry and multiple points of exit, securing vestibules and other access points, and reporting suspicious activity.

Tennessee state agencies will also provide more guidance to help local school districts implement current school safety law. Under the law, public schools are required each year to carry out a school security assessment and submit a safety plan to the states school safety center.

The guidance will include more frequent audits of local school security assessments and safety plans, and will also provide a set of best practices for school leaders to enhance the security of a building against an intruder.

A makeshift memorial at Robb Elementary School is filled with flowers, toys, signs, and crosses bearing the names of all 21 victims of the mass shooting that occurred on May 24, in Uvalde, Texas, on May 27, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Among a slew of other measures, the executive order will ensure that educators, school leaders, and staff will have additional training and educational materials no later than Aug. 1.

For law enforcement, the executive order directs the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance to evaluate and assess law enforcement training standards and to recommend improvements to existing training for active-shooter scenarios. The department must provide a report to the governor by July 1.

The executive order will also direct the same department to review the use of armed security guards in non-public schools and, with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, report to the governor regarding the need for active-shooter training for armed guards.

At a press conference on Monday, Lee was asked by reporters multiple times about the issue of gun laws and gun violence.

There are a lot of conversations that are happening all across the country about laws that affect gun ownership and red flag laws, and waiting-period laws. And there will be those conversations all across the country. Were not looking at gun restriction laws in my administration right now, Lee said. One thing to remembercriminals dont follow laws. Criminals break laws. Whether they are a gun law, a drug law, criminals break laws. We cant control what they do but we can control what we can control and thats what were working on today.

Separately, he said, Certainly, gun violence is a serious problem in our country, and it has been a rising problem in our country. He noted that gun violence is just one aspect of violent crime. Crime is a problem, he said.

When asked again about the administrations actions on gun laws, he said: We are not talking in our administration about gun laws, gun registries. Were working on school safety, and whats been laid out and whats been laid out in this plan today.

The May 24 Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde, Texas, resulted in the deaths of 19 students and two teachers. Officials said an 18-year-old shooter entered the school via a back door that was unlocked.

Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arrendondo became the target of accusations that he was responsible for a delayed police response to the shooting, after it was revealed that officers, after having entered the building, waited about 45 minutes to breach the classroom where the shooter, as well as students and teachers, were.

Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said that Arrendondo held back officers from immediately breaching the classroom because he thought the situation was a barricaded suspect, not an active-shooter one.
Texas Lawmaker Announces Bill to Ban Drag Shows in Presence of Minors

A Republican Texas lawmaker announced on Monday he will introduce legislation to ban drag shows from being performed in the presence of minors in the state, after a recent drag show in a Dallas bar was held open to families and children.

The show over the weekend was titled Drag the Kids to Pride Drag Show. The event was advertised as a family-friendly flaunt as part of events marking Pride Month. Some protesters gathered outside the event to express how upset they were to have kids attend such a show.

Video clips of the event surfaced on social media, showing drag performers dancing while children watched and tipped them with cash. The clips, some of which went viral, prompted outrage and controversy among some viewers.

The events of this past weekend were horrifying and show a disturbing trend in which perverted adults are obsessed with sexualizing young children, said Bryan Slaton, the Republican representative for House District 2, in a statement.

As a father of two young children, I would never take my children to a drag show and I know [Texas House Speaker] Dade Phelan and the rest of my Republican colleagues wouldnt either, he said. Protecting our own children isnt enough and our responsibility as lawmakers extends to the sexualization that is happening across Texas.

The statement from Slatons office said that he plans to file legislation protecting kids from drag shows and other inappropriate displays as soon as the next legislative session begins.

I promised my voters that I would stand up for their values and fight to protect Texas Kids, Slaton said. I was re-elected on that promise, and I intend to keep it by authoring legislation to defend kids from being subjected to drag shows and other inappropriate events. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.

The event at the Mr. Misster Dallas bar was referred to as one in which Texas children were subjected to inappropriate sexual content by adults, per the statement.

After the event, the Mr. Misster Dallas bar released a statement to WFAA that said that it was more than happy to celebrate Pride in a family friendly, safe environment  because we believe that everyone should have a space to be able to celebrate who they are.

The statement said that instead of its usual Champagne Drag Brunch show every Saturday, event organizers teamed up with other community partners to host a special Pride Drag Brunch for all guests, including children, to raise money for a local LGBTQ+ youth organization. The event was alcohol-free.

The event is one of multiple related to Pride Month in Texas that are open to children attending. The first pride festival was held in Round Rock on Saturday. A pride festival is set to take place on June 18 in Pflugerville, and a pride rodeo has been scheduled for June 25 at the Dripping Springs Ranch Park.
Michael Sussmann, a cybersecurity lawyer who represented the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign in 2016, outside of federal court in Washington following his acquittal on May 31, 2022. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo)

The Sussmann Trial Never Should Have Happened

Justice delayed is justice denied

Commentary

Many people following the Durham investigation and the Sussmann trial closely wondered whether justice would finally prevail this time. Although it should have resulted in a slam-dunk conviction, alas, that was not the outcome because the trial was rigged:

The trial was held in Washington, which is filled with Democrats (95 percent of District residents voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016).

The jury pool was tainted. It included three Clinton donors, a juror whose kid associated with Michael Sussmanns kid, a juror whose husband worked for Clintons 2008 campaign, and a juror who donated to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). It seems fair (not!).

The judge may have been compromised. Christopher Cooper was appointed by former President Barack Obama after serving on Obamas transition team. He worked at the same law firm as Obamas wingman at the Department of Justice (Eric Holder). Merrick Garland (thank God we dodged a bullet that he wasnt appointed to the Supreme Court!) presided over the judges wedding. One of his wifes clients (she is, of course, a lawyer) is Lisa Page. Yes, that Lisa Page, whose texts revealed her visceral hatred forand scheming to getDonald Trump.

If this trial wasnt rigged, then there is no such thing as a rigged trial! Many commentators agreed, including Fox News Jesse Watters in this short YouTube video.

Be that as it may, Special Prosecutor John Durhams team nevertheless provided very useful information about the Alfa Bank and Trump-Russia hoaxes that have been heretofore squelched and obfuscated by the Democrat-media complex. Some of it has even been seeping out into the legacy media. But, by and large, they are doing their best to continue their efforts to provide shade to Hillary Clinton and the rest of the perpetrators.

At least these revelations are now in the record through sworn testimony. There is even speculation that the disclosures may be the foundation of a sweeping conspiracy indictment in the future. No one should fully expect that to happen. Still, Durhams team revealed facts that many independent journalists and commentators have suspected for years, but about which Democrat rank-and-file voters and other neer-do-wells are either ignorant or have denied since early 2017. Here are a few of the newly known facts:

Durhams team proved that Sussmann was guilty of making false statements to FBI General Counsel James Baker on Sept. 19, 2016.

The big bombshell: Clintons campaign manager, Robby Mook, testified that she authorized passing the false Alfa Bank information to the FBI and media. Clinton texted out the Alfa Bank hoax knowing full well it was false.

Mook himself may have committed perjury because he denied it under oath, knowing in 2016 that the Clinton campaigns legal team at Perkins Coie had retained Fusion GPS under contract. Unfortunately, for Mook, Durham has invoices from Perkins billed to Clinton campaign headquarters showing line items for Fusion GPS. Oops!

Then there is Jake Sullivan (serving at the time on the Clinton campaign), who was also aware of the Alfa Bank hoax and propagated the lies to the media. Sullivan, who happens to be President Joe Bidens national security adviser, should be forced to resign in shame immediately.

The 7th Floor of the FBIs headquarters (FBI leadership, including James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Thomas Baker, Peter Strzok, and the rest) squelched the source of the Alfa Bank allegations in order to get the FBIs Chicago field office to conduct a forensic analysis. This was done AFTER the FBI field office in New York had declared that the information was bogus. The political goal was to keep the hoax going at a critical juncture in order to justify the appointment of Robert Muellers special counsel team of Democrat lawyers to investigate Trump (and politically hamstring his presidency). Durhams team brought Comeys name (and other top FBI officials) into the public record in the context of the Alfa Bank hoax.

With the revelation that Clinton authorized the dissemination of the false Alfa Bank information, a logical question needs to be asked: what is the likelihood that she also personally authorized spreading the fake Russia dossier to deflect from her email server troubles? Probably 100 percent. Durhams team will perhaps pull that fact into sworn testimony in a future trial.

Trial attorneys from the office of special counsel John Durham, including Deborah Brittain Shaw, arrive at federal court in Washington on May 18, 2022. (Teng Chen for The Epoch Times)

And therein lies the real tale that needs to be revisited to understand why the string of hoaxes ginned up by the Clinton campaign should have never happened in the first place.

Clintons Email Server Felonies

The contrast between the FBIs attempts to investigate Trumps Alfa Bank connection and the investigation of Hillary Clintons email server in 20152016 could not be more illustrative of the complete politicization of the FBI and the DOJ (which continues to the present day).

Clinton was caught red-handed illegally accessing 22 top secret/sensitive compartmented information (TS/SCI) emails from her unclassified email server and dozens of other emails at lower levels of classification.

There are strict rules for handling classified information, particularly copying and transferring files. Two people must be involved in copying/transferring TS/SCI and/or special access program (SAP) information. Everyone accessing these highly classified files must receive training and sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) signifying acknowledgment of the personal requirement to protect the information and the penalties for not doing so. This would include Clinton and her immediate staff, who accessed TS/SCI and/or SAP information while she was Obamas secretary of state. The rules and penalties are clear to all who sign such NDAs.

Hillary Clinton speaks during the New York State Democratic Convention in New York on Feb. 17, 2022. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

In passing classified information through her unclassified email server, she clearly violated Title 18 USC-Espionage, the penalty for which includes a $10,000 fine for each offense and up to life imprisonment without parole. She and her staffers involved with that email server also violated Sections 793, 794, 790, and 952 of Title 18 USC, Section 783(b) of Title 60 USC, and EO 12356.

Many thousands of people have held SCI clearancessome for decades!and signed the same annual security certification and NDA to access the classified material. This includes military personnel, Department of Defense and other federal civil servants, U.S. lawmakers and their staff.

Clinton knew the consequences, which the signed form elucidates, yet she clearly violated her sworn oath to protect the information. And she is still criminally liable for her actions. This is because the TS/SCI NDAs carry a lifetime obligation to protect the information.

That Clinton and her inner staff, while she was secretary of state, remain free and have not been indicted yet is a travesty of justice. Those who helped let her and them off the hook are guilty of misprision and obstruction of justice. That means Comey, in particular, who exonerated Clinton in July 2016, which was just as the Trump-Russia collusion hoax was being hatched and propagated by Fusion GPS and her campaign staff. And that was the hoaxs real purpose: to distract from Clintons email server felonies.

It wasnt a question of trying to find out whether the allegations of Clintons misconduct were true. She was guilty as sin, as Comey himself elucidated during his tortuous public statement while sweeping it all under the rug.

Here is one excerpt from Comeys execrable statement in July 2016: [W]e did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.

Michael Sussmann, a cybersecurity lawyer who represented the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign in 2016, in Washington on May 16, 2022. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)

Careless is no excuse under the law, nor is it called out as acceptable in the training and NDA she signed. No excuse whatsoever precludes punishment for compromising SCI information. Clinton should have been tried, convicted, and sentenced to maximum penalties under the law. No defense of her conduct could possibly have been mounted. Yet the highly politicized FBI and DOJ bent over backward to let her off the hook.

The country would subsequently be forced to endure Clintons vindictive wrath for having been scorned by the electorate during the 2016 election: the Trump-Russia hoax, a long and drawn-out sham of a special counsel investigation, a poisoning of the political climate in the United States, and the near-destruction of a U.S. presidentall of which should have been avoided if Clinton had been held accountable for her multiple email server felonies in the first place.

Conclusion

The Durham investigation and the Sussmann trial have proven that the Alfa Bank and Trump-Russia collusion allegations were complete hoaxes hatched, funded, and propagated by the Hillary Clinton campaign, with Clinton involved in the decision to release the false information to the FBI and her stenographers in the media.

Trump was almost impeached on completely false charges associated with the Russia hoax that was facilitated by Clinton for America, federal employees in the DOJ and the FBI, and enablers in the media, while Clintons proven and indisputable criminal conduct associated with her unclassified email server was magically flushed down the DOJ/FBI memory hole.

And, here we are, forced to endure a special counsel investigation and the Sussmann trial, neither of which would have happened in the first place had Clinton been held accountable for her earlier felonies.

Justice delayed is justice denied.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet delivers a speech at the opening of a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on Afghanistan in Geneva on Aug. 24, 2021. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

The UN Fails Again on Human Rights in China

The UNs failure on China illustrates a problem that goes far deeper among human rights advocates

Commentary

The United Nations visit to Chinas Xinjiang region elicited outrage among human rights advocates and Western government officials.

Yes, U.N. Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet should long have been more forceful in her denunciations of Beijing for its genocide against the Uyghurs.

Yes, she should have refused a visit to the region unless she was going to really investigate.

Yes, Bachelet mouthed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) talking points.

Yes, she hyped what she saw rather than acknowledged that to which she was denied access.

Yes, the United Nations is overly influenced by China.

And yes, she should resign so somebody with a true moral backbone can take her place. The U.N. human rights chief should never sacrifice truth for access, which Bachelet did.

Bachelet should have called for international sanctions against China for its human rights abuse. But instead, she agreed with Beijing on more high-level discussions and working groups, which fit the CCPs take-and-talk strategy of faits accomplis while providing the illusion of progress through an active diplomatic schedule.

A security person watches from a guard tower around a detention facility in Yarkent County in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on March 21, 2021. Allegations of human rights abuses in Chinas northwest Xinjiang region are the dominant issue on a visit by the United Nations top rights official that starts on May 23, 2022. (Ng Han Guan/AP Photo)

Bachelet is a product of her milieu, composed of heads of state and U.N. ambassadors who are more concerned with increasing trade and profit in their own countries than human rights abroad. She is apparently attempting to change China through persuasion rather than the force of economic sanctions. This is unrealistic, as she should know. It leads to the increasingly dangerous illusion of progress.

Thus, the outrage among human rights organizations and Western governments who expect more of the United Nations.

But all of this, and the prediction that the United Nations would not do enough against Chinas human rights abuse, should have been obvious decades ago. In 1989, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) killed as many as 10,000 pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.

That was 33 years ago. It has since only gotten worse and more hidden. Those who are surprised by Bachelet apparently still havent learned.

It took just a couple of years after 1989 for American, European, and British businesses to convince their governments to green light their trampling of the dead and rush to keep making more money in China.

Criticism of our own corporate complicity and influence on our democratic governmentswhich give Beijing and Bachelet a pass to continue operating under a fig leaf of U.N. respectability in New York, Geneva, Paris, and Romeis missing among mainstream human rights advocates, just as real criticism of the genocide is missing from Bachelets press conference and promised but unforthcoming U.N. report on Xinjiang.

Until we grapple with corporate influence in maintaining the fiction of progress by Western and U.N. human rights organizations, and their self-serving elision of the depth of genocide in China that goes beyond Uyghurs and Tibetans to Falun Gong and forced organ harvesting, we will not address the CCPs human rights abuse in a fully honest way.

Those so-called human rights advocates who refuse to highlight the role of the CCP, refuse to call Beijings regime totalitarian, refuse to acknowledge how the Wests corporate political influence enables human rights abuse, refuse to offer prescriptions to finally defeat the CCP, and refuse to acknowledge the CCPs rights abuse against other groups in addition to the Uyghurs, including Christians, Taoists, and Falun Gong, are like Bachelet, part of an elite milieu that prefers the illusion of human rights advocacy rather than the harsh reality of unmitigated truth in all of its completeness.

Falun Gong practitioners participate in a parade marking the 30th anniversary of the spiritual disciplines introduction to the public in New York on May 13, 2022. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Human rights groups do highlight some of Chinas problems, as Bachelet did in her virtual press conference from China. She called on Beijing to increase the representation of women in politics and business, repeal arbitrary detentions, abolish the death penalty, allow for more judicial independence, transparency, and oversight, and prioritize informing Uyghur families of the whereabouts of their missing loved ones in China.

Bachelet said the treatment of lawyers, academics, the press, and human rights defenders, including in Hong Kong, is deeply worrying. She supported non-governmental organizations in China that advance gender equality and the rights of LGBTQ and the disabled. She supported broader political participation and freedom of expression. She called for more religious, educational, and linguistic freedom in Tibet.

Bachelet called on Beijing to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. She also called on Chinas civil society to monitor Beijings compliance with International Labor Organization requirements and highlight gaps.

Beijing would not have welcomed any of these messages. Bachelet did not, therefore, only mouth CCP talking points.

But as human rights advocates are falling over themselves to reiterate, none of this is enough. What she and they are doing is one step forward, two steps back. Things are getting worse in China and the world, and the business-as-usual approach to human rights must end. On a matter this important, we need the full and unmitigated truth, along with clear advocacy for the tough economic sanctions that have at least a chance of actually making a change.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Trial of 2 Former Minneapolis Police Officers Charged in George Floyd Case Delayed Until 2023

The trial of two former Minneapolis police officers charged for their role in the 2020 death of George Floyd will be delayed until January 2023, a Hennepin County judge ruled on Monday.

Former Minneapolis Police Department officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

They were due to go on trial next week but judge Peter Cahill has ordered that court proceedings be delayed until Jan. 5 next year, citing a guilty plea by a third officer, Thomas Lane, last month.

Lane, 39, pleaded guilty on May 18 to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. As part of a plea agreement, the former officer had one count of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder dismissed. He will be sentenced on Sept. 21.

In his ruling on Monday, Cahill cited publicity from Lanes plea deal as well as the February convictions of Thao, Kueng, and Lane on federal charges of violating Floyds civil rights by not aiding him on the day that he was murdered by fellow officer Derek Chauvin.

These two recent events and the publicity surrounding them are significant in [that] it could make it more difficult for jurors to presume Thao, 35, and Kueng, 28, innocent of the state charges, Cahill wrote in his ruling.

The judge added that he was postponing the trial with the aim to diminish the impact of this publicity on the defendants right and ability to receive a fair trial from an impartial and unbiased jury.

Cahill on Monday also denied a request from defense attorneys for a change of venue in the ruling and denied a motion by a media coalition to reconsider allowing live streaming of the proceedings.

Cahill ruled in April that the court proceedings would not include live audiovisual coverage after the three officers charged in Floyds killing objected to this.

Minnesotas court rules allow cameras to film during most of a trial only if all parties consent. But Cahill said he might reconsider his ruling if the Minnesota state court system revises its rules on cameras in the courts by Jan. 4.

Jury selection in the state trial for Thao and Kueng is now set to begin on Jan. 9, with questionnaires mailed to a new pool of several hundred potential jurors around Sept. 1. and opening statements on Jan. 30.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office is prosecuting the case, said in a statement following Mondays decision: Its unfortunate for the victims, the witnesses, and community that the opportunity to seek justice has been delayed. The State was ready for trial next week and will be ready next January.

Bob Paule, an attorney for Thao, said he thought the decision was a thoughtful and well-reasoned decision by Judge Cahill.

Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died after former officer Chauvin held his knee against Floyds neck and back for approximately nine-and-a-half minutes as Floyd laid handcuffed and face-down on the pavement while Lane restrained his lower body and Kueng knelt on Floyds back.

During the incident, which began after Floyd allegedly tried to use a counterfeit $20 bill to purchase cigarettes before being arrested by officers, Thao was standing nearby addressing crowds that had gathered near the scene.

Floyds death prompted mass demonstrations across the globe as protestors called for racial justice.

In April 2021, Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter charges in Floyds death and sentenced to more than 22 years in prison.

He also pleaded guilty in federal court in December to violating Floyds civil rights. In a plea agreement, prosecutors are requesting that he get sentenced to 300 months, or 25 years, in prison to be served concurrently with his 22 and a half year sentence.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A DJI Mavic Zoom drone flies during a product launch event at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City on Aug. 23, 2018. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

UK Defence Chiefs Resume Purchases of Chinese-Made Drones

Chinese drones blacklisted by the United States are being purchased by the UKs Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Contract details show the MoD placed a 132,337 ($165,936) order in March for drones and accessories from DJI, the worlds largest consumer drone company based in Shenzhen, southern China.

The recent order is believed to be the first since the United States banned its agencies from using the companys products in 2020, labelling them a potential security threat.

The MoD also suspended purchases following the U.S. ban but, as the recently published contract reveals, there has been a change of mind among UK defence officials.

We take the security of our people and assets very seriously and have robust measures in place that are kept under regular review, a spokesman told The Epoch Times.

What the new craft will be used for is unknown, though the MoD had previously deployed Matrice 300 RTKs to monitor battlefield exercises and to locate any trespassers, including unauthorized observers.

Several British police forces have also procured DJI drones for official deployment since the U.S. blacklist was drawn up.

Washington placed DJI on an entity list in 2020 following claims it was aiding the surveillance of Uyghur Muslims held in Chinese internment camps, saying the company was among those enabling wide-scale human rights abuses within China through abusive genetic collection and analysis or high-technology surveillance.

As a result, American businesses were barred from exporting technology to the company.

DJI suspended its sales to Russia in April after it was accused of selling drones ahead of President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine.

DJI drones broadcast a special signal that allows security services to identify the location of the device and its pilot, a system set up to deter rogue users from causing disruption at airports and other sensitive sites.

Ukraine claimed that Russia had obtained special equipment that allowed it to pinpoint pilots positions.

The company has also stopped selling drones to Ukraine, saying it does not market or sell its products for military use, and claims distributors and resellers of its products follow its non-military policy.

The company has previously been accused of deploying software that lets its drones send data about their flight paths back to company-controlled servers in China.

US cybersecurity experts found a DJI drone control app allowed data to be sent to Chinese servers.

DJI refutes claims its products pose security threats, saying the U.S. restrictions have little to do with security and are instead part of a politically-motivated agenda to reduce market competition and support domestically produced drone technology.

The UK sometimes declines to match U.S. restrictions on Chinese companies, though it did strip Huawei out of Britains telecoms networks in 2020 after intense lobbying from Washington.
A model plays the part of a domestic abuse victim in the shadow of her abuser in London on March 9, 2015. (PA)

UK Domestic Abusers Could Get 5 Years in Jail for Trying to Strangle Partners

Men who strangle their wives or girlfriends without killing them could go to jail for up to five years after new domestic abuse legislation came into force in England and Wales on Tuesday.

The offence of non-fatal strangulation was drawn up after the Ministry of Justice listened to domestic violence survivors who said they were strangled or choked by their abusers as part of their attempts to control or intimidate them.

Research published in the National Library of Medicine in the United States suggests partners are seven times more likely to be murdered if there have been non-fatal strangulation incidents beforehand.

Justice minister in charge of tackling violence against women and girls, Victoria Atkins, said, This government is determined to tackle abuse in its many forms, make our streets safer and better protect women and girls which is why perpetrators who strangle their partners in this way will now face up to five years behind bars for the torment they have inflicted.

The legislation came into force in England and Wales on June 7 but will also apply to British nationals abroad, for example if they are on holiday.

Later this week special measures schemes for victims of rape will be extended to 11 more crown courts and victims will be able to pre-record their evidence in order to be spared the trauma of giving evidence.

The scheme is already in use in 26 crown courts and the plan is roll it out nationwide by September.

The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, who was appointed in 2019, welcomed the new offence but said she feared it might not be used unless police officers and prosecutors were given more training.

Jacobs said police officers and other professionals need to be able to recognise tell-tale signs of strangulation, which include bloodshot eyes, or bleeding in the ear or jaw pain or a swollen tongue instead of marks around the neck.

Kate Brown, lead for domestic abuse prosecutions at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: Our prosecutors are determined to see justice done in every possible case, and where there is sufficient evidence and our legal test is met, we wont hesitate to prosecute. We are developing training for prosecutors to ensure the offences are properly identified from the outset.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson shake hands before a meeting, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 9, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)

Ukraines President Zelenskyy Very Happy Boris Johnson Survived Confidence Vote

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is very happy that Boris Johnson remains Britains prime minister after surviving a confidence vote.

Johnson survived a vote of confidence within the ruling Conservative Party on Monday evening, with 211 MPs backing him and 148 wanting him to step down over the partygate scandal.

Speaking over video link at an online event hosted by the Financial Times on Tuesday morning, Zelenskyy said: I am very happy about this. Boris Johnson is a true friend of Ukraine. I regard him as our ally, and Great Britain as a great ally.

Speaking through a translator, Zelenskyy added: Boris is supporting us. Boris is very concrete in supporting Ukraine. I do not know who was responsible for this decision yesterday but Im glad we have not lost a very important ally. This is great news. That is all I can say.

A Downing Street spokesman reacted by saying: The prime minister enjoys a very close relationship with President Zelenskyy. He believes it is vital to how the UK is able to adapt and support Ukraine in this fast-moving situation.

The relationship benefits both the Ukrainian people in being able to be responsive to the support they need but also to ensure the UK is at the forefront of providing that support, he said.

The UK has become one of Ukraines most important allies in the countrys resistance against the Russian invasion, providing both advanced weaponry and humanitarian aid.

On May 7, the UK government pledged 1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) worth of further military support to Ukraine.

Just before Mondays confidence vote, Johnson told Conservative MPs that it was the wrong time for unforced domestic political drama when the war is still raging in Ukraine.

In a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Johnson reiterated the UKs support for Ukraine, and said it is vital that Zelenskyy is not pressured into accepting a bad peace and that the world must avoid any outcome where the Russian invasion appears to have paid off.

Some Ukrainian commentators have expressed relief that Johnson survived as prime minister for now.

Mykhaylo Podolyak, one of Zelenskyys advisers, wrote on Twitter after the confidence vote: Leadership is always a heavy burden. Boris Johnson was one of the first who realised the menace of Russia & stood by Volodymyr Zelenskyy to protect the free world from barbaric invasion.

The world needs such leaders. The UK is a great friend of Ukraine. British crown is a shield of democratic world.

PA Media contributed to this report.
University Study Finds Higher Risk of Psychiatric Diagnoses Among COVID-19 Patients

A recent study published by Oregon State University discovered that COVID-19 infected individuals have a higher chance of developing psychiatric disorders within about four months of contracting the virus.

For the study, published in World Psychiatry on May 7, researchers used data from the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C). They matched 46,610 patients infected with COVID-19, which can trigger a respiratory tract infection (RTI), with control patients diagnosed with a different RTI.

This allowed researchers to specifically look into how COVID-19 affected the mental health of infected individuals. No patients with any history of mental illness prior to 21 days after a COVID-19 diagnosis were included in the study. Those with a medical record extending a year prior to their COVID-19 diagnosis were also excluded.

Researchers looked at the rate of psychiatric diagnoses in the 46,610 COVID-19 patients for two time periodsthe early post-acute phase between 21 and 120 days from the infection and the late post-acute phase between 121 and 365 days from the infection.

The study discovered that COVID-19 patients had a 3.8 percent rate of developing a psychiatric disorder in the early post-acute phase when compared to just 3 percent for other respiratory tract infections. This amounted to a nearly 25 percent higher risk for COVID-19 patients.

However, the researchers did not find such a significant difference in risk when they compared COVID-19 late postacute phase patients with individuals with other respiratory tract infections.

When researchers looked at anxiety disorders, they found the incidence proportion of a newonset anxiety disorder diagnosis was significantly higher for COVID-19 patients when compared to RTI patients. For mood disorders, such significant differences were not observed.

For people that have had COVID, if youre feeling anxiety, if youre seeing some changes in how youre going through life from a psychiatric standpoint, its totally appropriate for you to seek some help, Lauren Chan, co-author of the study, said according to a June 6 news release by Eurekalert.

And if youre a care provider, you need to be on the proactive side and start to screen for those psychiatric conditions and then follow up with those patients.

Chan stressed that not every COVID-19 infected individual is going to have such psychiatric problems. In the context of the health care infrastructure of the United States, an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients seeking psychiatric care could add more strain on the system, she warned.

Multiple other studies have also suggested that a segment of COVID-19 patients might end up facing psychological issues.

Research published in April 2021 found that 34 percent of the 236,379 COVID-19 survivors included in the study developed neurological and mental disorders in the six months after becoming infected, according to WebMD.

Anxiety was the most commonly found disorder, with 17 percent of subjects reporting it. This was followed by mood disorders at 14 percent, substance abuse disorders at 7 percent, and insomnia at 5 percent.

When it came to neurological problems, 0.6 percent reported brain hemorrhage, 2.1 percent reported ischemic strokes, and 0.7 percent reported dementia. Among patients diagnosed as seriously ill with COVID-19, these rates jumped. Of the patients admitted to the intensive care unit, 7 percent experienced a stroke while 2 percent were diagnosed with dementia.

In another study published on Feb. 16 at BMJ, researchers analyzed records of nearly 153,848 COVID-19 patients in the Veterans Health Administration (VHS) system, comparing them with individuals who had not contracted the virus.

Those who got infected were found to be 35 percent more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety following the infection than uninfected people, 38 percent were more likely to be diagnosed with adjustment and stress disorders, 39 percent were more likely to be diagnosed with depression, and 41 percent were more likely to be diagnosed with sleep disorders.

There appears to be a clear excess of mental health diagnoses in the months after Covid, Paul Harrison, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford who was not involved in the study, told The New York Times.

However, only 4.4 to 5.6 percent of individuals in the study were diagnosed with anxiety, depression, adjustment, and stress disorders.

Its not an epidemic of anxiety and depression, fortunately, Harrison added. But its not trivial.
Journalists work in the studio of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) broadcaster in Moscow on April 6, 2021. (Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters)

US Broadcaster Radio Liberty Fined $325,000 in Russia for Fake News: Interfax

LONDONThe U.S.-backed broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has been fined 20 million roubles ($325,000) in Russia for failing to delete what Moscow calls fake news about its military operation in Ukraine, the Interfax news agency reported on Monday.

According to Interfax, Radio Liberty refused to delete reports that included a tally of deaths among civilians and Russian service personnel as well as extremist statements about Russians. Russia has not provided military casualty figures since March.

RFE/RL, which also runs a news website, has been given a slew of fines in recent months and said in March that it was suspending operations in Russia after it was declared bankrupt and police pressure against its journalists intensified.

A hearing on its appeal against the bankrupcty ruling is scheduled for Wednesday.

RFE/RL said in March that it had been targeted for telling the truth, and that it planned to continue reporting on Russia from outside.

Since sending its armed forces into Ukraine in February, Russia has passed legislation that allows for prison terms of up to 15 years for journalists who intentionally publish reports at variance with Moscows account of the campaign.

Moscow says that campaign is a special military operation, not a war or invasion, and was necessary to thwart a Western attempt to use Ukraine to threaten Russia, and to protect Russian-speakers there from persecution.

Ukraine and its allies say these are baseless pretexts for a land grab that has killed thousands, flattened cities, and driven more than 6 million people to flee abroad.
A Chinese soldier stands guard in front of the U.S. embassy in Beijing on Nov. 14, 1999. (Stephen Shaver/AFP via Getty Images)

US Investors Not Required to Divest Holdings From Chinese Military Firms After Ban: OFAC

The U.S. Treasury Department has issued new guidance regarding the Chinese Military-Industrial Complex (CMIC) sanctions in response to frequently asked questions, just two days before the deadline for U.S. investors to fully divest their holdings of securities of designated Chinese military companies.

The new guidance, published on June 1, states that U.S. persons are not required to divest their holdings of CMIC securities during the relevant 365-day divestment period and may continue to hold such securities after the divestment period.

E.O. 13959, as amended, permits purchases or sales made solely to effect the divestment of CMIC securities, but only during the 365-day divestment period. Accordingly, any such purchase or sale is prohibited after the 365-day divestment period, absent OFAC authorization, the guidance reads.

This means that the 365-day divestment isnt mandatory; its an authorization to buy or sell covered CMIC securities purely for the purpose of divestment, according to Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.

The London-based law firm said that while the new policy doesnt impose a divestment obligation, U.S. investors will be prohibited from divesting any CMIC securities holdings that they retained after the divestment period ended.

As a practical matter, given the lack of certainty over how long the CMIC Sanctions Program or the sanctions against individual CMICs will last, U.S. persons and companies would be well-served to consider divesting by the divestment deadline, since their ability to divest following the deadline will effectively depend upon the Program being suspended (or on the sanctions against individual CMICs being terminated), the law firm said.

The new policy permits U.S. financial institutions to continue facilitating CMIC securities transactions for and on behalf of non-U.S. clients, although the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said that dividend reinvestment would constitute a purchase of CMIC securities and is thus prohibited under the order.

President Joe Biden signed an order on June 3, 2021, amending a Trump-era ban on U.S. investment in Chinese firms, designating 59 companies linked to the Chinese defense and surveillance industry.

The order prohibits U.S. investment from supporting the Chinese military-industrial complex; military, intelligence, and security research and development programs; and weapons and related equipment productions.

In addition, I find that the use of Chinese surveillance technology outside the [Peoples Republic of China] and the development or use of Chinese surveillance technology to facilitate repression or serious human rights abuse constitute unusual and extraordinary threats, Biden said.

Then-President Donald Trump initially issued the executive order (pdf) on Nov. 12, 2020, banning U.S. investments in Chinese companies designated by the Pentagon as having ties to the Chinese military, citing threats to U.S. national security.

The Chinese Communist Party, through its aggressive national strategy, Military-Civil Fusion, uses Chinese companies to strengthen the Chinese military, formally known as the Peoples Liberation Army, Trumps executive order states.

The Trump administration extended the investment ban in late December 2020 to apply to any subsidiary of a communist Chinese military company. The Treasury Department said that it planned to publicly list subsidiaries that were 50 percent or more owned or determined to be controlled by Chinese military companies.

Isabel van Brugen contributed to this report.
In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, U.S. and South Korea Air Force fighter jets including South Korea's F-35A stealth fighters  and U.S. F-16 fighter jets, fly in formation during a joint drill on June, 7, 2022. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)

US, South Korea Fly 20 Fighter Jets in Show of Force Amid North Korea Nuclear Tensions

The United States and South Korea performed a combined air power demonstration over the Asian countrys western sea early on Tuesday to display their combat readiness to North Korea.

The two allied nations launched 20 fighter jets in totalincluding 16 F-35A stealth fighters and four F-16 fightersover the Yellow Sea, a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between China and the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea and the U.S. have demonstrated their strong ability and will to strike quickly and accurately against any North Korean provocations by demonstrating their combined defense capabilities and posture through this combined air force demonstration flight, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday, CNN reported.

In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, U.S. and South Korea Air Force fighter jets fly in formation during a joint drill on June, 7, 2022. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)

It comes amid concerns that North Korea may soon give the green light for another nuclear test, the countrys first in nearly five years.

Officials have said that North Korea may have opened an access way to conduct another detonation at its nuclear testing ground in the northeastern town of Punggye-ri, which last hosted a nuclear test in September 2017, when it claimed to have detonated a thermonuclear bomb designed for its intercontinental ballistic missiles.

On Tuesday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman warned of a forceful response if North Korea would carry out another nuclear test as she traveled to Seoul to meet with South Korean and Japanese allies and discuss the standoff.

Any nuclear test would be in complete violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. There would be a swift and forceful response to such a test, said Sherman, The Associated Press reported. We continue to urge Pyongyang to cease its destabilizing and provocative activities and choose the path of diplomacy.

Sherman and South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong are planning a meeting with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Mori Takeo on Wednesday over the North Korean nuclear issue.

South Koreas First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong, right, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman pose for a photo during their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, on June 7, 2022. (Jung Yeon-je /Pool Photo via AP)

Tuesdays display of military readiness came just a day after South Korea and the United States launched eight short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Monday.

The move was to demonstrate the ability of the combined [U.S.-South Korea] force to respond quickly to crisis events, the U.S. Forces Korea said, reaffirming Washingtons ironclad commitment to the defense of South Korea.

U.S. forces also conducted a bilateral ballistic missile defense exercise with Japan on June 5 to demonstrate the readiness of the U.S.-Japan alliance to respond to regional threats.

North Korea launched eight short-range ballistic missiles from four locations on June 5. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the missiles traveled 110670 kilometers (68416 miles) eastward at altitudes between 25 and 90 km (15 and 55 miles).

The latest missile test marks the Norths 18th round of missile launches this year, with the previous one being on May 25, when it launched three ballistic missiles just hours after President Joe Biden wrapped up his trip to Asia.

Epoch Times reporter Aldgra Fredly contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Wooden crosses are placed at a memorial dedicated to the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on June 3, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Why Gun Control Doesnt End School Shootings in US

Commentary

As Americans debate gun control measures following the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, some politicians are using the tragedy to advance their agenda against firearms.

One day after the shooting, Democrats began using the tragedy as a vehicle to push for the types of policies they were already wanting. That effort was evident when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urged voters who want more strict gun control to vote for Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.

Senate Democrats have failed to advance their wider-reaching federal gun control legislation by falling short of a 60-vote filibuster threshold, which is needed for bills to go to the floor for a vote.

Also on May 25, Schumer blocked legislation, known as the Luke and Alex School Safety Act, that supporters say could help prevent school shootings. The bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to establish a federal clearinghouse on the best school safety practices. The bill was introduced by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and two of his Republican colleagues in January 2021.

@SenSchumer blocked this common-sense legislation in favor of his partisan agenda, Johnson wrote on Twitter. In a separate tweet, he added, Dems arent looking for solutions, they want wedge issues that they hope will keep them in power. Sick.

For former President Barak Obama, it seemed more important for him to push his narratives surrounding racism than to condemn the Uvalde shooter.

As we grieve the children of Uvalde today, we should take time to recognize that two years have passed since the murder of George Floyd under the knee of a police officer, Obama wrote on Twitter.

In the aftermath of his murder, a new generation of activists rose up to channel their anguish into organized action, launching a movement to raise awareness of systemic racism and the need for criminal justice and police reform.

On June 2, President Joe Biden, in a speech on gun control, declared that the Second Amendment is not absolute. The National Rifle Association (NRA), rebuked the presidents speech, saying, All that the President repeatedly proposes will only infringe on the rights of those law-abiding who have never, and will never, commit a crime.

One of the main arguments of the gun control lobby is that people dont need guns to defend themselves since the police protect them. Moreover, as many socialists would say, people dont need guns because their government is their greatest protector.

However, history tells us that unarmed people can be defenseless if their governments turn against them. The most infamous example in history involves the Nazis, who used the weapons laws of the Weimar Republic to seize all the guns of the Jews before starting to murder them in 1941, which marked the start of The Holocaust.

There are several other examples in history. Turkey, which established gun control in 1911, murdered 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1917. The Soviet Union, after abolishing private gun ownership in 1929, killed 20 million citizens in the years since, until 1953.

Likewise, the Chinese people have also become a defenseless population under tight gun curbs imposed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), whose former leader Mao Zedong once famously said, Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

In the case of the Uvalde tragedy, school police Chief Pedro Pete Arredondo has come under heavy scrutiny and heavy criticism for his decision to follow a barricaded subject protocol instead of the protocol for an active shooterthus delaying the police response by more than an hour. Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, has said that it was the wrong decision not to confront the shooter sooner.

Disarmament, nevertheless, is just one side of the equationthe side where the state seeks to impose a new social order by taking away peoples guns. The other side involves subverting a natural order that exists within all of usnamely moralitywhich manifests as self-restraint or self-control.

In the United States, the moral fabric of society is being destroyed, and people choose to act without moralityand for some, that means having no qualm about killing innocent school children.

Communist China serves as an alarming example of where Americans could end up if our country continues to head down its current path. The CCP destroyed the moral foundations of its society by launching the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, during which traditional ideas, culture, habits, and customs were branded the Four Olds and were eliminated.

But even after taking away peoples guns and destroying traditional morality, the Chinese regime has discovered that it still has a problem: It can only maintain social stability to the extent that it can control people using the powers of the state. In other words, the communist regime can only control people to the degree to which it can monitor people.

Police can respond to incidents, but they are reactive after a crime is committed. Typically, its going to take the police 15 minutes or more to respond. So the next step is preemption.

But the types of technologies you would need to preempt crime are things we wouldnt want to live with, involving the monitoring of citizens every action.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Joshua Philipp Follow Joshua Philipp is an award-winning investigative reporter with The Epoch Times and host of EpochTV's "Crossroads" program. He is a recognized expert on unrestricted warfare, asymmetrical hybrid warfare, subversion, and historical perspectives on todays issues. His 10-plus years of research and investigations on the Chinese Communist Party, subversion, and related topics give him unique insight into the global threat and political landscape.
Wisconsin School District Ends Sexual Harassment Probe Against Boys Accused of Mispronouning

A Wisconsin school district has ended its sexual harassment investigation against three eighth-grade boys who addressed another student with biologically correct pronouns instead of the students preferred alternatives.

Over the last several weeks, our school district and community have been greatly impacted by media attention related to a complaint involving harassment, Kiel Area School District said in a Jun. 2 message (pdf), describing the continued attention as threats to the community.

As part of the effort to resolve the issue, the district said it had issued clear directives and expectations to all students involved in this matter for the purpose of preventing bullying and harassment and ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment for all of our students.

Based on these actions, and pursuant to District policies and procedures, the School District considers this matter closed, the message read.

The public school district, located in eastern Wisconsin, made national headlines after it opened a Title IX investigation against the boys for using incorrect pronouns on a classmate, who earlier this year declared a preference for they and them pronouns. The districts reasoning is that once a student informs others of new preferred pronouns, any subsequent mispronouning will constitute sexual harassment under Title IX.

Title IX is the federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding. It is typically invoked in cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct such as rape, stalking, inappropriate touching, or quid pro quo involving sexual favors.

The boys and their families are represented by Milwaukee-based conservative legal group Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), which argued that what has been alleged against the trio doesnt come remotely close to a Title IX violation.

The use of biologically correct pronouns is not sexual harassment under Title IX, and is also speech protected by the First Amendment, WILL wrote in a letter (pdf) to the district. We do not believe that any part of Title IX applies here.

Rose Rabidoux, a parent of one of the accused boys, told ABC 2 News that the non-binary they/them pronoun preference confused her son.

Its plural. It doesnt make sense to him. I said so, I told him to call them by their names. Rabidoux said.

Both WILL and Rabidoux said they welcome the decision to end the investigation. They also want the school district to make sure that the sexual harassment complaints are taken out of the boys academic records.

While we are glad that the District has ended its investigation, this dispute should have never been escalated to this point, Rabidoux said in a press release. We expect the Kiel Area School District to ensure that this Title IX complaint is not on my sons record.
Work From Home COVID Guidance Removed in Northern Ireland

The guidance of working from home when possible was removed in Northern Ireland on Monday, meaning the regions COVID-19 policy is in line with other UK jurisdictions.

The Northern Ireland Executive said the decision came after an assessment by its COVID-19 Taskforce and it balances health, economic and social considerations and takes on board the latest medical and scientific advice.

Northern Ireland has not had a functioning executive for the last four months because a dispute over the UKs Brexit deal led to the absence of a first minister and a deputy minister, but other ministers remaining in place have endorsed the removal of the work from home guidance.

A spokesperson for The Executive Office (TEO) said the threat from COVID-19 has certainly not disappeared but has receded, making the guidance disproportionate at this point.

As with the removal of other COVID-19 measures, this should not be interpreted as meaning there is no risk from COVID or that the pandemic is over. While life continues to get back to normal, we must remain careful, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson indicated that employers may still wish to consider keeping some remote or flexible working, adding that they should carefully consider what practical mitigations might be put in place.

Attributing the reduction in the risk of serious illness from COVID-19 to vaccines and new treatments, the spokesperson said, By taking sensible precautions in our everyday lives, we can continue on the route back to normality.

Belfast Chamber Chief Executive Simon Hamilton welcomed the move to relax working from home guidance on June 6, 2022. (Michael Cooper/PA Media)

Simon Hamilton, chief executive at Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said the change means Northern Ireland is catching up with other jurisdictions.

This is good news and something which Belfast Chamber has encouraged ministers to do for some time, the former minister said.

Whilst other jurisdictions had updated their work from home guidance months ago, Northern Ireland had lagged behind so this is long overdue but no less welcome, he added.

Hamilton said members of the Belfast Chamber had invested heavily in workplace COVID-19 safety measures and they are pleased to see that fact reflected in this common sense decision.

This step in the right direction will allow many businesses to introduce new models of working and will also provide a much needed boost for businesses in places like Belfast city centre as staff return to offices on a more regular basis, he added.

The UKs central government in Westminster, which makes public health policies for England, has stopped asking people to work from home since Jan. 19.

Scotland started a phased return to offices on Jan. 31, while the government continues to encourage employers to facilitate hybrid and flexible working.

Wales on Jan. 28 lifted a legal restriction requiring people to work from home unless they couldnt.

Theres currently no guidance asking people to work from home in Wales, but official guidance for employers states that the most effective way of minimising the risk of exposure to any communicable disease in workplaces is to enable some or all staff to work from home, as often as possible, particularly during high prevalence periods (such as autumn/winter).
NEW CANAAN  First Selectman Kevin Moynihan announced Tuesday that the town will not qualify for a moratorium under the affordable housing 8-30g statute until the Canaan Parish affordable housing complex is completed.

Obtaining a moratorium for 8-30g has vexed town officials recently, as without it, developers under the state statute can bypass local zoning laws to build affordable housing. Two affordable housing applications have already been submitted to the town with another expected.

The town does not qualify for a moratorium at this time, Moynihan said. However, the town will qualify and will file an application for a moratorium once the additional 40 units of Canaan units of the Canaan Parish affordable housing expansion project are completed and occupied, which is estimated to occur in November.

The Town of New Canaan finished construction on 60 units in Canaan Parish at 186 Lakeview Ave. late last year and, after demolishing the remainder of the old units, began construction on the final 40 apartments.

The town does not currently have enough housing unit equity points to qualify for a moratorium, as expected, partially because officials miscalculated. The town had not deducted from the total number of affordable housing units, the ones that were demolished to make room for the new building, according to Moynihans statement.

At the selectmen meeting, Moynihan blamed the DOHs lack of clarity for why it did not deduct the demolished units from its initial calculations for the moratorium application. The statement also takes aim at delays completing all of the units at Canaan Parish as a result of COVID pandemic and supply chains disruptions.

The town attorneys, Berchem Moses PC, had consulted with Town Planner Lynn Brooks-Avni to prepare an application, during which the town consulted with Connecticut Department of Housing, according to a statement Moynihan read at the selectmen meeting.

Selectman Nick Williams argued that the 8-30g laws went against local control and questioned if the application process had been done correctly.

It doesn't matter if we agree, Moynihan said to the other selectmen. The fact of the matter is we now have confirmation from the Department of Housing, as to the calculation it will accept for affordable housing when the application is submitted.

Instead, he recommended that town move on. We will have a lot of work to do to make another project that will qualify for another moratorium in four years time, he said, also arguing that it will be hard to find a further location for affordable housing.

I searched in vain to try to find 2.5 acres for a police department, the first selectman said. It's equally hard to find property in town for affordable housing.

Local developer Arnold Karp recently submitted an application to the town for a 20-unit multifamily project on Main Street with six affordable housing units, in addition to an application for a 102-unit development on Weed Street with 30 affordable housing units. Neighbors near the property he owns on Hill Street are concerned that he is also planning a 101-unit development with 30 affordable housing units. Karp has not confirmed his plans for that property.
Jeff Swensen / Getty

KILLINGLY  A Rhode Island grand jury has returned an indictment against a former Connecticut priest, according to the states top prosecutor and cop.

Kevin Fisette, 66, of the Dayville section of Killingly, faces one count of first-degree sexual assault, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha and Col. Darnell S. Weaver said. The indictment was returned on May 25.
BEIRUT (AP)  The Lebanese military arrested 64 migrants as they were trying to set sail from northern Lebanon on Tuesday in an attempt to get to Europe, the army command said.

According to an army statement, the migrants  Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians  were all detained and were being questioned, except for one pregnant woman who was bleeding and was taken to hospital.
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NORWALK  Despite significant interest in the project, just a handful of people spoke out against plans to build a 1,300-unit apartment complex north of the Merritt Parkway at a recent public hearing.

More than 100 people attended the Norwalk Planning and Zoning Commissions virtual hearing last week about the proposal, which would see the construction of seven buildings on a vacant plot of land west of Glover Avenue.

Dubbed North Seven, the mixed-use development would be sandwiched between the Danbury Line spur of Metro-North and the Route 7 highway extension.

The project is being proposed by Building & Land Technology, a Stamford-based firm behind The Curb, a nearby apartment complex with 700 units.

At the hearing, seven people spoke against the proposal, expressing concern about the size of the buildings and potential traffic issues posed by the massive construction project.

Juliana Shante, a resident of Oakwood Avenue, which would overlook the complex, argued that most of the apartments would be too expensive for locals and would contribute to the gentrification of the city.

As the city grows and becomes bigger, we may be pricing out locals and gentrifying Norwalk to a point where the people who grew up here cant afford to live here, she said.

According to plans filed with the city, the firm is proposing to construct seven buildings that will tower between five and 15 stories. Most of the structures would contain about 200 apartments and some would include ground-level space for retail, cafes and fitness centers.

BLT has not announced the rates the apartments will be rented, but similar units at The Curb are priced around $2,000 a month for a studio apartment and about $2,400 for a one-bedroom, according to Apartments.com.

In addition to the apartments, developers also plan to create a centrally located town square for residents to gather and an about 2-acre park on the northern portion of the property that has access to the Norwalk River Valley Trail.

The days of corporate office parks are gone, David Waters, the firms general counsel, told the commission. What people are looking for now, what class A tenants are looking for now, are experiential environments  the live, work, play environment.

BLT is seeking the commissions approval to amend zoning rules and to create a master plan to guide North Sevens design and development. The firm has said it intends to construct the complex in three phases over several years.

According to Donald Poland, a consultant with the firm Goman + York, the development would generate $3.2 million in tax revenue for the city and create up to 365 temporary construction jobs.

Wes Haynes, executive director of the Merritt Parkway Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the 84-year-old highway, suggested the planned towers, which would stretch to upwards of 150 feet, would mar the scenic roadway and possibly distract drivers.

In deference to the parkways scenic quality and safety considerations, and out of respect to the adjacent suburban neighborhoods, the design of these tall urban buildings need to be done with great sensitivity to their existing contexts, he said.

Other speakers opposed to the project warned that the seven-building complex would simply not fit well on a nearly 17-acre site that is serviced by a single two-lane road.

Ben Hanpeter, an East Norwalk resident and the only person to speak in favor of the proposal, argued the project could help alleviate the citys housing shortage by offering hundreds of new apartments.

Housing prices are going up in not just Norwalk, but all over the northeast region, and really nationwide, he said. It's typically my assessment that more housing has beneficial effects for reducing upward pressure on rents.

The commission closed the public hearing without taking action on the proposal. Louis Schulman, the commission chairperson, said the board could vote on the application as soon as June 15.

richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com
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While the COVID-19 community level for Madison County remains at medium, the Madison County Health Department is making changes to its COVID data reporting to better reflect a growing number of cases.

As of June 1, the MCHD is no longer updating its COVID-19 dashboard, which among things, listed the number of confirmed new cases by day and by week.

It was time to do that because there are reports that suggest the actual case rate may be five to 10 times higher, MCHD Director Toni Corona said. The reality is that COVID test kits have become much more widely available, and those cases are unreported in the data that we were using.

Its not a fair number to give to the public. It makes sense that we stick with the indicators that the state and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have selected. The community transmission indicator is still the best gauge for the public to utilize when theyre assessing what they should be doing.

After being listed as low for several months, the community level for Madison County changed to medium as of May 19.

Corona said the change is reflective of many counties in Illinois and throughout the United States.

Madison County has been at the yellow level (medium) for the last couple of weeks and that means that our cases are indeed rising, Corona said. Fortunately, its not overburdening or taxing the healthcare system to any significant degree of concern.

Corona noted that for a six-day period from June 1-6, Madison County reported 578 new cases of COVID.

No deaths were reported, leaving the number of COVID-related deaths in the county at 794 since the start of the pandemic, including 143 since Jan. 1.

If you look at the CDC COVID tracker, youll see that in northern Illinois, there are multiple counties now with a community level of high, which means they are starting to see an increase in hospitalizations, Corona said. If we follow those trends, its possible that (Madison County) could be at that level again in a couple of weeks.

Its not to scare people or to cause alarm, its to make sure that people understand their situation and have awareness of it, and to make sure they take precautions and preventative measures that they feel they need to reduce the risk of severe illness.

The increase in the COVID community level serves as a reminder that people with a high risk of severe illness, as well as those around me, need to remain vigilant.

Those are the folks that really need to pay attention to that, Corona said. They should make the choice of wearing masks if they are going out in public.

You certainly need to stay up to date on your vaccines and get a second booster shot if youre eligible. Also, please get tested if youve had symptoms of COVID or if youve had a known exposure.

Corona added that both St. Louis County and St. Louis City now have a community level of high, with recommended actions including wearing a mask indoors and on public transportation. Several employers are now requiring their employees to wear masks again indoors while working.

St. Louis City and St. County County and the Metro East are too interchangeable not to pay attention to that, Corona said. There are four counties within our Illinois region (Madison, St. Clair, Bond and Clinton) with a community level of medium. St. Louis City and St. Louis County, like those counties in northern Illinois, are starting to see an increase in hospitalizations.

In Madison County, we will respond to the situation in whatever way we need to respond to make sure the community is aware of what is happening. At this point, its important for people to decide on their own what precautions and preventive measures they should take.

Still, Corona remains upbeat for the most part, despite the increase in the number of COVID cases.

Were in a different place in this pandemic now than we were two years ago or even a year ago, Corona said. We have vaccines in place and there are many options to treat COVID, such as monoclonal antibodies and antivirals, and some cases pre-exposure.

There are meds that folks can take, so this is an appropriate time for people to gauge what their comfort level is as far as what they do when theyre out in the community. Thats not to lose sight that COVID is still very much in the community and this (Omicron) variant is pretty contagious. Fortunately, with most vaccinated people, the risk of severe illness seems to be on a decline.
Nearly 20 years after it opened, the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville continues to make an impact on a national and worldwide level.

The NCERC at SIUE is a nationally recognized research center dedicated to the development and commercialization of biofuels, specialty chemicals and other bio-based products. It is the only fully integrated research facility of its kind in the world.

The NCERC opened in 2003, but its origins date back to 1992, when the Illinois Corn Growers Association created the concept for an ethanol research pilot plant.

In 1996, they went to Congress and presented this idea to freshman U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, who had just moved over from the House, and freshman U.S. Congressman John Shimkus, of an ethanol research pilot plant being located here in Illinois, said NCERC Executive Director John Caupert. The idea became reality under the research title of the 1996 Farm Bill and the ethanol research standard was born.

The following year, there was a $14 million federal appropriation and the state of Illinois put in $7 million of matching funds administered by the Department of Commerce. By the end of calendar year 1997, there was this pool of $21 million, and it was known that a national center was going to be established to work on products and technology for the ethanol industry. It was also known that it was going to go in the state of Illinois because of those $7 million in matching funds.

After four years of political wrangling to determine the location of the facility, Durbin and Shimkus finally performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the NCERC on a four-acre space on the SIUE campus in the fall of 2001.

The NCERC opened its doors two years later.

NCERCs mission was to work with industry, government, trade associations and academia in commercializing products and technologies to be used in the fuel ethanol space. In its early days from 2003 to about 2009, nearly 80% of its total funding was from public funding, including federal appropriations, state operations dollars and state capital dollars.

That changed in 2009 when the budgets at the state and federal levels got very tight, Caupert said. Since 2009, we have been completely self-supported. Today, 80% to 85% of our total funding and revenue comes in the form of contractual research that we do with companies in the private sector. That revenue is complemented by grants and those grants are complemented by what we call sponsored projects.

In the last four years, we have successfully lobbied the Illinois General Assembly for $1 million in special appropriations each year. Every dollar comes here and thats critically important for our self-initiated research and funding the folks that work on that research.

Caupert noted that as policies, technology and industry have evolved, NCERC has evolved right along with them.

In the early days of this center, 100% of the work that we did here was on ethanol from corn, Caupert said. Today, ethanol serves as the foundation of all the work we do, but in recent years weve really built upon that foundation.

The ability to adapt has been especially important for NCERC as it continues to grow while serving a wide base of clients.

Shortly after opening our doors in 2003, the first Renewable Fuels Standard was signed into law, as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT05), NCERC Director of Business Development and Client Relations Jackie Hayes said. The corn ethanol industry was experiencing tremendous growth and we were an important partner to the industry at that time.

That was a great time for us because we were able to partner with companies from across the ethanol industry. All of those people would come here to test their products. The corn ethanol industry for the past decade or so has started to mature and a lot of those companies have gained their own research assets. We still do a lot of work for the corn ethanol industry, but its just a piece of what we do now.

Hayes credits the designers of the facility for their foresight in being able to adapt to changing client needs.

The same fermenters we used to make corn ethanol several years ago are being used now to convert sugar into a biopolymer, Hayes said. Were able to do research for companies outside of the corn ethanol industry and across the bioeconomy.

Since 2003, in support of the corn ethanol industry, more than 70 technologies have passed through the doors of NCERC and are now available in the commercial marketplace, leading to the creation of more than 5,000 jobs and generating in excess of $5.6 billion in annual revenue.

Since 2003, in support of the corn ethanol industry, more than 80 technologies have passed through the doors of NCERC and are now available in the commercial marketplace, leading to the creation of more than 5,000 jobs and generating in excess of $5.6 billion in annual revenue.

Facilities at NCERC include a Fermentation Laboratory, Fermentation Suite, Pilot Plant and an Analytical Laboratory.

One of our taglines is its all here under one roof, and if your product is almost anywhere in its process, you can do all of your R and D work here. Thats kind of unique when you look at the other R and D fermentation labs across the country. Were about the only one who can provide you with access to all of these different fermenters.

Hayes noted that NCERC has visitors and clients from all over the world.

In the past six weeks, weve had visitors from Germany, Japan and Brazil. Its not an exaggeration to say that we are a global center, and we have a global footprint, Hayes said. Some of the companies we work with have facilities in the United States, but they have headquarters in other countries.

Here we are at SIUE in the backyard of Edwardsville, Illinois, and by attracting people here to do research or take tours, that also generates hundreds of thousands of dollars in hospitality revenue. These people are staying in hotels, using rental cars and eating at local restaurants.

Caupert added that the NCERCs clientele ranges from Bay Area startup companies with two employees all the way up to multinational, global Fortune 50 companies.

They may come here for similar reasons or for very different reasons, Caupert said. As a specific example, if youre a Bay Area startup and youve developed a product or technology in a university laboratory, you dont own the assets to do the validation, prove a concept and scale it. Those startups find their way here because we have assets that they dont have.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, if youre a multinational, global Fortune 50 company that can afford anything, they come here because we serve as that third-party independent facility generating the data that they use to go to market. One of our international clients calls our pilot plant a PDP, which is a process development plant or a process demonstration plant.

NCERC has 15 full-time employees plus a variety of student workers.

The student worker support can come in the form of an internship for someone pursuing a two-year degree in process technology or a four-year degree from SIUE or another neighboring university, Hayes said.

We have employment opportunities for recent graduates in the form of being a visiting research fellow, which is a nine-month appointment sponsored by the Illinois Corn Growers Association with a mission to help bring up the next generation of leaders. We also have a postdoctoral research fellowship for people who are pursuing a PhD program.

Thanks to recent legislation, Hayes expects the future of biotechnology in the state to be even brighter.

Now that the Illinois Industrial Biotechnology Partnership Act has been signed into law, were a member of that partnership, Hayes said. Were part of a statewide effort to help attract these companies to not only do research here but to build their facilities here. We want them to invest in the community and bring tax revenue and jobs.

Were starting to experience a second wave of the industrial revolution similar to what the petroleum industry experienced a hundred years ago. Were starting to feel the early waves of that in the biotech space. There is going to be tens of billions or even trillions of dollars invested in this particular sector alone over the next couple of decades and whatever the state of Illinois can do to attract those dollars, the opportunity will be there.

For more information on NCERC, visit https://www.siue.edu/ncerc/.
Oral arguments will be heard on Madison County States Attorney Tom Haines challenge of a new law creating judicial subcircuits in local courts, including Madison County.

The hearing is set for June 22 at the 4th District Appellate Court via Zoom.

This comes as early voting has already started in the June 28 primary.

Haine is arguing the law is unconstitutional and goes against 100 years of Madison County history and injects partisan politics into the judicial races.

Voters have three local judicial races in the primary.

I dont know many people who think gerrymandering our local judicial elections is a good way to go, Haine said. I am glad the County Board and the other co-plaintiffs chose to stand up and challenge this unconstitutional law in court and now on appeal. Fairness in our judiciary and the equal right for voters to have a voice in judicial elections are fundamental values we all need to protect.

The suit stems from the passage and signing of a law modifying judicial subcircuits in Cook County, and creating subcircuits in some downstate counties, including Madison County.

One of the concerns was that while the bill does not take effect in the rest of the state until the 2024 election cycle, in Madison County it will impact the 2022 election cycle, which is now under way.

It also sets up a system where the first three judges elected must come from one subcircuit, which is heavily democratic; then the next three from a second subcircuit, which is split. The third subcircuit, more heavily Republican will only have two judges and voters will be unable to vote for a judicial race for approximately 10 years, according to county officials.

The act was criticized as being highly partisan and hastily done, without any chance for real debate.

The original bill, introduced in the Illinois House in February 2021 by Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, and originally sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Rachelle Crowe, D-Glen Carbon. Both are up for reelection and are on the primary ballot, however, Crowe was nominated for and has accepted the position of U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, and is withdrawing. The party will name a new candidate after the primary.

On Jan. 5 the bill was amended by Senate President Dan Harmon, D-Oak Park, completely throwing out the old language and inserting the new proposal. It was voted on by both houses on a party-line vote and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker.

The proposal was introduced on the first day of the 2022 session and appeared to take Republican lawmakers by surprise. They argued that there had been little focus on creating additional subcircuits outside of Cook County during public hearings of the House and Senate Redistricting Committees in recent months.

Democrats, however, said the idea had long been on the table since the General Assembly passed a law mandating the redrawing of existing subcircuits following the 2020 census.

In February a circuit court judge in Sangamon County initially granted a temporary restraining order halting the implementation of the law, but later ruled against the county and other plaintiffs.
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Mass shootings in the United States are on the increase, and many of them have occurred in schools, including the one that took the lives of 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24.

Preventing such tragedies while increasing school security was the focus of the Safe Schools Summit held Tuesday at the Madison County Courthouse in Edwardsville. The meeting, hosted by the Madison County Regional Office of Education, was followed by a press conference.

Speakers at the press conference included Madison County Regional Superintendent Rob Werden, Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine, Madison County Health Board Director Deborah Humphrey and Major Jeff Connor, the Madison County Deputy Sheriff.

Werden and the other speakers were flanked by posters for Safe2Help Illinois, which is a 24/7 program for students to share school safety issues, find resources to get help and find encouragement to help others, and the Madison County Health Department resource page.

We need the publics help in this matter. I know it sounds cliche, but we need to repeat the phrase if you see something, say something,  Werden said.

Our conversation today will lead to more conversations in the future, and my office is organizing semi-annual meetings with educators, law enforcement and mental officials to assist our schools in being proactive in relation to school safety. Were doing everything in our power to ensure that our schools are doing everything required by law and more.

Werden also discussed the changes in society that have led to an increase in incidents such as the Uvalde killings, and what can be done to keep them from happening.

Times change, people change, and technology changes and we must stay current and up to date on everything in order to protect those students, Werden said. Ive seen things change for the better, but Ive also seen society move away from having a moral compass.

I dont care what your religious beliefs or non-religious beliefs are, but everybody needs to have a sense of right and wrong, and everyone needs to be loved. We need to be a more loving and caring society and that starts in the hearts of each and every one of us. Please think about that every day and focus on trying to improve and making yourself a better person.

Humphrey, meanwhile, noted that school shooters and other people that commit mass shootings tend to have some common traits extending beyond whatever mental health issues they now have.

She emphasized the need to identify those individuals and help them long before they commit such crimes.

Three-quarters of youths involved in school shootings have been bullied, harassed or socially rejected, and we need loving individuals in our community to support these youths, Humphrey said. Most of these kids are marginalized, and they dont have positive parenting or positive adult connection.

We all can see how social media plays out, and youths that have committed acts of violence are usually saying it on social media. School shooters have experienced stressful lives and they dont have the coping mechanisms to manage their emotions.

Haine felt that Tuesdays summit was a productive first step in preventing school violence on the local level.

Its a whole county approach that were attempting here, Haine said. We want to make sure that we do whatever we can to ensure that in Madison County, we dont make avoidable mistakes in the protection of our most valuable asset, which is our children.

School violence lies at the intersection of mental health and law enforcement and schools, and from my offices perspective, violent juvenile issues in our county and our society have increased. Were working together to do what we can to keep our children safer in our schools.

Haine said the conversation at the summit centered on three general areas, the first of which was coordination and preparation.

Were working continuously to strengthen our coordination across offices, throughout law enforcement and across the county and throughout all of our schooling communities, public and private, Haine said.

We want to communicate better every day. Were working together to come up with a proactive plan that accounts for new technologies and new improvements to encourage better preparedness in Madison County.

The second area, Haine added, was public involvement.

When you see or hear something disturbing, say something, Haine said. People that do violent things in our schools almost always make their intentions toward violence known in some format. Were relying on you, the members of the public, to report dangerous and disturbing comments. If we dont know about them, we cannot take action.

Finally, Haines said that his office is committed to swift action when a threat to a school is made.

A threat to a school is a crime and if its substantiated, police will make an arrest. We check whether those individuals have access to firearms, Haine said. The vast majority of these cases are juveniles, and they are determined to be attention seekers rather than actual threats.

But from the initial report, we take them all seriously, and we encourage you to know that your report will be taken seriously and handled aggressively. My office takes a zero-tolerance approach to threatening a school and those people will be prosecuted. We encourage the involvement of parents, the public, school officials and law enforcement as we continue to make our community safer every day, especially our schools.

Social media monitoring was among the other topics at the summit.

We talked about training a panel of law enforcement experts to monitor social media, and we would share that with every school in the county, Werden said. Were also looking into more training for students as well as training for staff.

The training for students and staff would be in addition to the training that is already required by state law, which includes one annual active shooter training session within the first 90 days of the school year.

One thing that we talked about today was that were required to have three fire safety (evacuation) drills each school year and weve discussed having three active shooter drills each year, Werden said. Were not policy makers (on the state level), but its something we would like the people in Springfield to consider.

Werden added that school board meetings remain the best way for parents to make their concerns and suggestions known to school officials.

Personal involvement is a key, and we want the public to be involved, Werden said. We want to ensure parents that were working actively and not sitting back and waiting for something to happen. Madison County is among the leaders in the state of Illinois in a lot of areas and I feel positive that we can be a leader in the area of school safety as well.

An increase in school resource officers through Madison County is another consideration.

Right now, there is not a school resource officer in every school, Werden said. In a perfect world, there would be, but there are budget considerations as well. Its something that is under discussion.

Humphrey, likewise, feels that positive steps were taken at the summit, especially in terms of monitoring the mental health of students.

Not all of our schools but a majority of them have mental health counselors and they primarily talk about drug abuse, but were going to be expanding it (to other mental health issues), Humphrey said. It was mentioned today that they dont always interact with the other staff members, so thats something were looking into as well.

Another suggestion was to talk more with the youths themselves. They can identify other kids who are struggling.

Humphrey said that overcoming the stigma of seeking mental health assistance is vital in helping students who could otherwise become potential school shooters.

The biggest detriment to mental health is dealing with stigma and were trying to educate the public, Humphrey said. We want to let people know as a society how we deal with mental health issues, and having more people seek help is the primary goal of what we do.

Awareness and acceptance are importance because a lot of people are marginalized and discriminated against because of mental health issues. People dont want to seek treatment because of that and that furthers the problems for a child in that school setting. Its time to make it more acceptable that its OK to seek help.

Werden noted that there are plans to host safe school summits at least twice each year.

I meet with the superintendents (in Madison County) four times a year and I try to make sure they are actively engaged, Werden said. I dont think that adding another two meetings to their plate would be an issue.
The Federal Government said Nigeria Air, the countrys proposed national carrier, has received the Air Transport Licence (ATL) to commence operation.

The Federal Ministry of Aviation disclosed this on its twitter handle on Monday.

The development comes four years after the national carrier was first unveiled by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

The ATL certificate has been presented to Nigeria Air. Congratulations! Nigeria Air is here and is going to provide quality service to Nigerians, the aviation ministry said.

In March, Nigeria Air Limited applied to NCAA for a licence to operate scheduled and non-scheduled passenger and cargo services.
Agencies encouraged to consider promoting tourism via Metaverse

BANGKOK: Relevant units are being urged to consider utilizing new innovations, including metaverse technology, to promote tourism in Thailand.

tourismeconomics

By National News Bureau of Thailand

Tuesday 7 June 2022, 03:19PM

Photo: NNT

The recommendation was made during Thailand Tourism Congress 2022 in Phuket yesterday (June 6), where the prime minister delivered a keynote address on sustainably enhancing the quality of Thai tourism.

Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha described tourism as the main revenue engine for Thailand. In addition to the metaverse, he called on those responsible for promoting tourism to look into the use of Augmented Reality (AR) and blockchain technology, reports state news agency NNT.

He also said it should be possible to attract new travelers to Thailand using virtual reality, similar to South Koreas plan to launch Metaverse Seoul as part of its Seoul Vision 2020. This would establish Seoul as the worlds first capital to be represented in the metaverse. Gen Prayut noted that Bangkok could become the second.

Additionally, the premier said his administration was ready to listen to tourism-related proposals from Phukets private sector. These will then be compiled into a white paper and submitted to the government at the end of the congress.

Phuket Tourist Association President Bhummikit Ruktaengam meanwhile proposed that the administration amend certain laws to better accommodate tourists. These would include laws requiring travelers to fill out unnecessary documents, with the aim of replacing them with more convenient online applications.
Parents plea for answers from hospital over newborns broken arm

PHUKET: Parents of a 15-day-old newborn have filed a police complaint to force doctors at Vachira Phuket Hospital to explain how their newborn girl suffered a broken arm while in care at the hospital after the mother was allowed to return home.

healthpolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Tuesday 7 June 2022, 05:14PM

The parents at Phuket City Police Station today (June 7). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The parents, who have asked not to be named, today (June 7) filed a complaint with Phuket City Police, received by Lt Col Ying Chittiwa Thanavitwilas, Deputy Chief of Investigation at Phuket City Police.

In their complaint the parents reported that their daughter was born at the hospital on May 23. However, the newborn girl had breathing difficulties. The daughter was required to stay at the hospital, where an x-ray confirmed she had amniotic fluid in the lungs.

The child had no other health concerns. The mother was allowed to leave the hospital on May 26, but her daughter had to remain in care at the hospital and was put on a ventilator.

The parents visited their daughter last Monday (May 31), as she was still on a ventilator.

When the couple returned to visit their daughter yesterday (June 6), a nurse pointed out to them that their baby was unable to raise her left arm.

An x-ray confirmed the babys left arm was broken, but the x-ray taken soon after birth showed that the babys arm had suffered no fractures at all.

The parents asked doctors at the hospital, but received no answer as to what had caused the broken arm.

The parents had continued to ask for answers, but the attending doctor said that an executive meeting had to be held before the doctor was able to give an answer.

Not satisfied with the response, the parents filed their complaint today in order for the hospital to provide an explanation.

The parents today said they just wanted to know what had happened to their child.

Dr Weerasak Lorthongkham, Director of Vachira Phuket Hospital, today confirmed he had been informed of the situation.

At this time, all relevant officers who care for children are in the process of meeting, including orthopedic physicians, to trace the root cause and will give a press conference on June 8 [tomorrow] at Vachira Phuket Hospital, Dr Weerasak said.
IS THE BOSS GOING TO EXTEND HIS EUROPEAN TOUR?

The first time Bruce Springsteen called Max Weinberg, it was to join The E Street Band.

Countless conversations with The Boss have followed, part and parcel of nearly 50 years spent drumming for one of the most vaunted rock groups on planet Earth.

However Springsteen can still surprise his band, as he did recently unexpectedly notifying Weinberg and his band mates that their sprawling, Jersey-bred outfit would finally resume touring  the E Street Bands first roadshow in six years with a tour or Europe, kicking off in early 2023.

For nearly 50 years, Max Weinberg has been on the drum kit behind Bruce Springsteen as well as playing for many other musicians but when the call goes out to The E Street Band, you best be ready!

My contracts all contain a force majeure, a legal term for an act of God  or Bruce Springsteen, Weinberg explains. That is in all of my contracts. If the Boss calls, all other considerations/engagements and put on the back burner. Part of being prepared to tour with the E Street Band is also having an intimate knowledge of 330 Springsteen songs because the Boss can call anything on the night...and you better be ready to play it!"

It seems that Bruce Springsteen is simply keen to get back to the stage, recently jumping up with Coldplay to perform "Waiting On A Dream" and "Dancing In The Dark".

Chris Martin of Coldplay told the audience that he has a tattoo of the Boss on his shoulder and that Bruce is his hero. Take a look at some fan footage of the moment when Coldplay jammed with the Boss in New Jersey.

Watch Bruce Springsteen Guest With Coldplay
BERLIN (AP)  A Catholic diocese in Germany said Tuesday that a former priest has been convicted in a church trial of sexually abusing a minor over several years almost three decades ago.

The man, who wasn't identified, was ordered to pay 10% of his income to a charitable organization that helps victims of abuse, the diocese of Limburg said.

While financial payouts have been included in confidential settlements between the church and victims of abuse, the announcement of a financial penalty against a priest as a result of a canonical investigation is unusual.

The male victim had filed a complaint about the abuse in 2018 following the publication of a study into sexual abuse within the church.

German prosecutors declined to open an investigation because the alleged crimes had passed the 20-year statute of limitations, but church authorities launched a probe.

The crimes were committed between 1986 and 1993 in the Limburg diocese.

After receiving a dossier from the diocese, the Vatican asked it to open criminal proceedings.

The diocese said that the church now considers the man to be a convicted sex offender. It said the man would have been defrocked as part of his conviction, but he left the priesthood during the trial.

The verdict can't be appealed.

The Limburg diocese made news several years ago when Pope Francis removed its bishop following an uproar over his lavish spending on a new residence complex.

His successor became the head of the German Bishops Conference, which in 2020 announced a new system to compensate survivors of sexual abuse by clergy with up to 50,000 euros ($58,400) to each.
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NEW DELHI (AP)  India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim-majority countries after top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party made derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, drawing accusations of blasphemy across some Arab nations that have left New Delhi struggling to contain the damaging fallout.

At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party. Anger has poured out on social media, and calls for a boycott of Indian goods have surfaced in some Arab nations. At home, it has led to protests against Modi's party in some parts of the country.

The controversial remarks follow increasing violence targeting Indias Muslim minority carried out by Hindu nationalists who have been emboldened by Modi's regular silence about such attacks since he was first elected in 2014.

Over the years, Indian Muslims have often been targeted for everything from their food and clothing style to inter-religious marriages. Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that attacks could escalate. They have also accused Modis governing party of looking the other way and sometimes enabling hate speech against Muslims, who comprise 14% of Indias 1.4 billion people but are still numerous enough to be the second-largest Muslim population of any nation.

Modi's party denies the accusations, but India's Muslims say attacks against them and their faith have increased sharply.

The anger has been growing since last week after the two spokespeople, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, made speculative remarks that were seen as insulting Islams Prophet Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha.

Modis party took no action against them until Sunday, when a sudden chorus of diplomatic outrage began with Qatar and Kuwait summoning their Indian ambassadors to protest. The BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal and issued a rare statement saying it strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities," a move that was welcomed by Qatar and Kuwait.

Later, Saudi Arabia and Iran also lodged complaints with India, and the Jeddha-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation said the remarks came in a context of intensifying hatred and abuse toward Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims.

Indias Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected the comments by the OIC as unwarranted and narrow-minded. On Sunday, Indias embassies in Qatar and Kuwait released a statement saying the views expressed about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam were not those of the Indian government and were made by fringe elements. The statement said that strong action had already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks.

The criticism from Muslim countries, however, was severe, indicating that insulting Prophet Muhammad was a red line.

Qatars Foreign Ministry said it expected a public apology from the Indian government, and Kuwait warned that if the comments go unpunished, India would see an increase of extremism and hatred." The Grand Mufti of Oman described the obscene rudeness of Modis party toward Islam as a form of war. Riyadh said the comments were insulting and called for respect for beliefs and religions. And Egypts Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni worlds foremost institution of religious learning, described the remarks as real terrorism (that) can plunge the entire world into severe crises and deadly wars.

The remarks made by Sharma during a TV program in India and Jindal in a tweet risk damaging Indias ties with Arab nations.

India maintains strong relations with Gulf countries, which rely on millions of migrant workers from India and elsewhere in South Asia to serve their tiny local populations and drive the machinery of daily life. India also depends on oil-rich Gulf Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, to power its energy-thirsty economy.

The remarks also led to anger in India's archrival and neighbor, Pakistan, and in Afghanistan.

On Monday, Pakistans Foreign Ministry summoned an Indian diplomat and conveyed Islamabads strong condemnation," a day after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the comments were hurtful and India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. Indias Foreign Ministry responded by calling Pakistan a serial violator of minority rights and said it should not engage in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India.

India accords the highest respect to all religions," ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Criticism also came from Kabul. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said the Indian government should not allow such fanatics to insult ... Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims.

Modi's party also faced anger from some of its own supporters, but it was for a different reason. Many Hindu nationalists posted comments on social media saying the government was buckling under international pressure.

Anti-Muslim sentiments and attacks have risen across India under Modi. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said India was seeing rising attacks on people and places of worship, eliciting a response from New Delhi, which called the comments ill-informed.

More recently, religious tensions have escalated after some Hindu groups went to a local court in northern Varanasi city to seek permission to pray at a 17th century mosque, claiming that it was built by demolishing a temple. Critics say these tensions have been further exacerbated by Indian television anchors during raucous debates.

___

Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Munir Ahmad and Rahim Faiez in Islamabad, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

Follow more AP coverage of India at https://apnews.com/hub/india
VATICAN CITY (AP)  The Vatican has long defended its World War II-era pope, Pius XII, against criticism that he remained silent as the Holocaust unfolded, insisting that he worked quietly behind the scenes to save lives. A new book, citing recently opened Vatican archives, suggests the lives the Vatican worked hardest to save were Jews who had converted to Catholicism or were children of Catholic-Jewish mixed marriages.

Documents attesting to frantic searches for baptismal certificates, lists of names of converts handed over by the Vatican to the German ambassador and heartfelt pleas from Catholics for the pope to find relatives of Jewish descent are contained in David Kertzers The Pope at War, being published Tuesday in the United States.

The book follows on the heels of Kertzers Pulitzer Prize-winning The Pope and Mussolini, about Pius predecessor, Pius XI. It uses the millions of recently released documents from the Vatican archives as well as the state archives of Italy, France, Germany, the U.S., and Britain to craft a history of World War II through the prism of the Pius XII papacy and its extensive diplomatic network with both Axis and Allied nations.

The amount of material in these archives about searching for baptismal records for Jews that could save them is really pretty stunning, Kertzer said in a telephone interview ahead of the release.

The 484-page book, and its nearly 100 pages of endnotes, portrays a timid pontiff who wasnt driven by antisemitism, but rather a conviction that Vatican neutrality was the best and only way to protect the interests of the Catholic Church as the war raged on.

Kertzer, a professor of anthropology and Italian studies at Brown University, suggests Pius' primary motivation was fear: fear for the church and Catholics in German-occupied territories if, as he believed until the very end, the Axis won; and fear of atheist Communism spreading across Christian Europe if the Axis lost.

To assuage that fear, Kertzer writes, Pius charted a paralyzingly cautious course to avoid conflict at all costs with the Nazis. Direct orders went to the Vatican newspaper LOsservatore Romano not to write about German atrocities  and to ensure seamless cooperation with the Fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini in the Vaticans backyard.

That meant never saying a word in public to explicitly denounce SS massacres, even when Jews were being rounded up right outside the Vatican walls, as they were on Oct. 16, 1943, and put on trains bound for Auschwitz.

Kertzer concludes that Pius was no Hitlers Pope  the provocative title of the last Pius-era blockbuster by John Cornwell. But neither was he the champion of Jews that Pius supporters contend.

Marla Stone, professor of humanities at the American Academy of Rome, said the book takes a position between the previous poles of historical interpretation.

Previously, the choices were either Pius XII was Hitlers Pope, deeply sympathetic to the Nazis, eager for a Nazi-Fascist victory, obsessed with the defeat of the Soviets at all costs, and a dedicated antisemite, she told a panel at the academy last month. The other historiographic position held that Pius XII did everything within his power to help those suffering under Nazi and Fascist oppression and that he was merely constrained by circumstances.

The Pope at War is one of several books starting to roll out two years after Pope Francis opened the Pius XII archives ahead of schedule. That gave scholars access to the full set of documentation to resolve the outstanding questions about Pius and what he did or didnt do as the Holocaust unfolded.

One of the first out of the gate was written in-house, by the archivist of the Vaticans secretariat of state, Johan Ickx. Perhaps understandably, it praised Pius and the humanitarian efforts of the Vatican to care for Jews and people fleeing the war, recounting the hundreds of files of Jews who turned to him, begging for help.

For the Jews it was obvious and clear that Pius XII was on their side and both he and his staff would have done everything in their possibility to save them, Ickx told Vatican News.

The Rev. Peter Gumpel, the German investigator who promoted Pius now-stalled cause for sainthood, has argued that Pius couldnt speak out more publicly because he knew it would enrage Adolf Hitler and result in more Jews being killed. He cites the case of a Catholic bishops in the Netherlands who spoke out against the deportation of Jews and the Gestapos response: deporting Jews who had converted to Catholicism.

The Vatican had already taken the extraordinary step, between 1965 and 1981, of publishing an 11-volume set of documentation, curated by a team of Jesuits, to try to rebut criticism of Pius silence that erupted following the 1963 play The Deputy, which alleged he turned a blind eye to Nazi atrocities.

But even the Vaticans own prefect of the archives, Monsignor Sergio Pagano, said recently that the initiative, while worthy at the time, now needs to be revised.

During a panel discussion hosted by a Spanish research institute in Rome, Pagano acknowledged that the Jesuits sometimes looked at half of one document, and the other half no, and that he had learned of some strange omissions that are now becoming evident. But he insisted there was no attempt at the time to hide inconvenient truths, just a lack of full access to all the files and the chaos of working quickly with a disorganized archive.

Kertzer identifies two major omissions in his book: The first was the transcripts of a series of secret meetings between Pius and a personal envoy of Hitler, Prince Philipp von Hessen, that began shortly after Pius was elected and continued for two years. The secret channel gave Pius a direct line to Hitler that was previously unknown, even to high-ranking Vatican officials at the time.

The second was the full contents of the note from Pius top diplomatic adviser on Jewish issues, Monsignor Angelo DellAcqua, responding to pleas for Pius to finally say something about the roundup of Italys Jews that accelerated in the autumn and winter of 1943. While DellAcquas opinion  that Pius should not say anything  was previously known, Kertzer says the antisemitic slurs he used to describe Jews had been excised from the Jesuits 11-volume text.

LOsservatore Romano has already come out swinging against Kertzers scholarship, blasting a 2020 essay he published in The Atlantic on some preliminary findings from the archives as strong affirmations, but unproven.

A key example of the Vaticans priorities, Kertzer says, came during the Oct. 16, 1943, roundup of Romes Jews. That cold morning, 1,259 Jews were arrested and brought to a military barracks near the Vatican, bound for deportation to Auschwitz.

The day after their capture, the Vaticans secretariat of state received permission from German authorities to send an envoy to the barracks, who ascertained that those inside included people who had already been baptized, confirmed and celebrated a church wedding, according to the envoys notes.

Over the following days, the secretariat of state drew up lists of people the church deemed Catholic and gave the names to the German ambassador asking for his intervention. In all, of the 1,259 people originally arrested, some 250 were spared deportation.

For me, what this means, and I think this is also a novelty in the book, is that the Vatican participates in the selection of Jews," Kertzer said in the interview. "Who is going to live and who is going to die.


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A former Roman Catholic priest who served at several Rhode Island parishes has been indicted on a charge of sexually assaulting a juvenile about 40 years ago
ADDIE HAUPTMANN, Wheeler, Softball, Senior; Hauptmann collected her 100th career hit in her final at-bat during a Class S playoff loss. The hit was a three-run homer. Hauptmann finished the season hitting .492 with 32 hits, including six doubles and six home runs, and 29 RBIs.

STONINGTON GIRLS TENNIS; Stonington defeated Daniel Hand, 6-1, to claim the Class M state title. The Bears finished the season 19-1 and were unbeaten in ECC play. Stonington is 99-9 in the last six seasons it has played. The 2021 was abbreviated and 2020 canceled due to the pandemic.

DEAN PONS JR., Westerly, Baseball, Senior; Pons struck out 10 and pitched a three-hitter as Westerly beat Tiverton in the Division II playoffs. The left-hander walked just one and did not allow an earned run. Pons is 8-0 with a 0.65 ERA.

WEEKO THOMPSON, Chariho, Girls Track, Sophomore; Thompson earned All-State honors in two events at the state championship meet. She was second in the shot put with a school-record toss and third in the discus.

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Shares in Serica Energy soared after it announced plans to offset a large element of the new windfall tax on North Sea explorers.

Serica, one of the UKs biggest gas producers, said it will spend around 60million on two projects in 2022, enabling it to reduce its bill.

The update came after the industry was dealt a blow last month when Rishi Sunak hiked the tax rate on oil and gas producers from 40 per cent to 65 per cent to raise cash and ease the pressure on households facing soaring energy bills.

Serica Energy, one of the UKs biggest gas producers, said it will spend around 60m on two projects in 2022, enabling it to reduce its windfall tax bill

But the Chancellor also said companies like Serica could reduce their tax bill by 91.25p for every 1 they invest in the UK.

Serica is spending the 60million on exploring a new well and boosting production at an existing well, which it expects will be eligible for the tax saving. It said: This will offset a large element of the energy profits levy that would be payable on Sericas profits this year.

Shares, which fell a fifth in the days after Sunak announced the tax, rose 5 per cent, or 12.5p, to 264p.

Chief executive Mitch Flegg warned the instability caused by the tax was unwelcome.

He said: Our industry operates within unusually long investment horizons against a backdrop of highly volatile commodity markets and business cycles.

We encourage policy makers to consider the importance of fiscal stability. Energy giants Shell and BP have both said they will review their North Sea investments in the light of the windfall tax.

Serica, which produces 5 per cent of the UKs gas annually, has been a major beneficiary of the soaring gas prices since last summer, making profits of 135.1million during 2021 compared to 12.5million during 2020.

UK gas prices remain at historically high levels, averaging 186p per therm, while oil hovered around $120 a barrel.

Stock Watch - ADVFN Shares in financial data site ADVFN tanked after it warned of a slump in sales and scrapped its dividend. In a bleak update, it said sales since the start of 2022 have been disappointing and significantly less than in the same period a year earlier. In particular, advertising sales have been disappointing reflecting among other things a softer market for financial media, the firm said, adding it now faces significant losses. Shares fell 27.2 per cent, or 20.5p, to 55p.

But energy firm Enquest slid 7.1 per cent, or 2.05p, to 27p after a stock downgrade from analysts at Barclays estimated the windfall tax will reduce its three-year cash flow by $450million (358million).

The FTSE 100 was up 1 per cent, or 75.27 points, to 7608,22 while the FTSE 250 climbed 1.2 per cent, or 233.90 points, to 20,506.80.

Susannah Streeter, markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: After the diversions of the Jubilee celebrations, a fresh round of belt tightening is likely, given the ongoing cost of living crisis, so more domestically focused consumer stocks, which dont benefit from big brand pulling power, are facing uncertain times ahead.

Insurance giant Prudential, which does much of its business in Asia, rose 4.5 per cent, or 45.5p, to 1063.5p while engine maker Rolls-Royce was up 4.7 per cent, or 4.19p, to 92.92p on hopes of a recovery in the aerospace sector.

Airlines remained under pressure, however, amid a spate of flight cancellations.

Easyjet slid 2.1 per cent, or 10.5p, to 496.9p while Wizz Air fell 2.7 per cent, or 76p, to 2778p.

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca fell 3.5 per cent, or 370p, to 10,072p despite producing ground-breaking data along with Daiichi Sankyo on a breast cancer drug  enhertu.

The drug at some point could be used to treat around half of all breast cancers.

Shares in the discount retailer B&M fell 0.2 per cent, or 0.8p, to 382.9p on the back of Deutsche upgrading the stock to hold.

On the rise was Barratt Developments, up 2.1 per cent, or 10.4p, to 510.4p, after the housebuilder began the search to replace its chairman John Allan, who will step down next year.

Shares in Clontarf Energy nosedived after the firm drilled but failed to find anything in the Western Australian exploration well.

Clontarf said the well will be permanently abandoned.

The shares plummeted 72 per cent, or 0.27p, to 0.11p.
Sainsbury's gave chief exec Simon Roberts (pictured) 2.8m in bonuses and incentives, and an 875,000 salary

Sainsburys came under fire after boss Simon Roberts pay hit 3.8million.

As shoppers struggle, the UKs second-biggest grocer gave its chief executive 2.8million in bonuses and incentives, and an 875,000 salary for the year to March 5. With benefits and pension contributions it took his package to 3.8million, up from 1.3million.

Finance chief Kevin OByrnes pay jumped to 3.2million, from 2.3million. Despite waiving his 1million bonus last year, Roberts, 51, did not do so this year, saying his focus was what we are doing for customers and for our colleagues.

He was paid 183 times more than the average Sainsburys employee.

Andrew Speke from the High Pay Centre thinktank said: claim to be standing by his customers, while accepting such a big pay rise seems hypocritical and out of touch. It should be prioritising keeping food prices low and wages high for its shop floor workers.

Sainsburys said it was investing 500million to lower prices and 100million in raising staff pay. It said: Management pay is strictly aligned with the progress we are making for customers, colleagues and shareholders.
US hedge fund Inclusive Capital Partners is attempting a hostile 1.5bn takeover of Countryside Partnerships

A US hedge fund has stepped up its campaign to take over British housebuilder Countryside Partnerships.

Inclusive Capital Partners is attempting a hostile 1.5billion takeover after being rejected twice by the board. It owns 9.2 per cent of Countryside, and has taken its 295p-per-share offer directly to investors.

It believes Countryside would be better off in private hands, which would facilitate a turnaround. The biggest shareholder, Browning West, which owns 15.3 per cent, has now written to the board asking it to kick off a sale process.

Yesterday, In-Cap, which manages billions of dollars worth of assets, said it supported such a move.

Its founders say their passion is the 'pursuit of a healthy planet and the health of its inhabitants'.

Countryside stock is up since In-Cap's interest began, and rose 2.3 per cent, or 6.6p, to 289.4p but is down 42 per cent in the past year.
Nationwide has extended its pledge to protect branches in cities and towns until 2024.

The promise to keep its doors open for an extra year  first revealed by the Mail on Sunday  comes as other high street lenders cut opening hours and axe branches by the hundreds.

But as customers grapple with the cost-of-living crisis, it said it would maintain its 625 branches to provide struggling members with face-to-face advice.

Open doors: Nationwide, led by chief exec Debbie Crosbie (pictured) said it would maintain its 625 branches to provide struggling members with face-to-face advice

Nationwide, whose status as a building society means it is owned by its customers rather than profit-hungry investors, yesterday saw Debbie Crosbie take over as the first female chief executive in its 175-year history.

Customers were wondering whether she would maintain its pledge to keep the branch network open beyond next January, when the current promise is due to expire.

In her former job as boss of TSB, Crosbie closed hundreds of bank branches. But yesterday, Nationwide said it would extend its pledge until at least 2024, allaying fears of its 16.3million members that its name may start to disappear from the high street.

Through its promise, Nationwide states that it will not leave any town or city in which it is based without a branch.

It admits that there are some circumstances in which it may be impossible to keep a branch open if there is more than one in the same town or city.

But Crosbie said: Supporting members through the cost-of-living crisis is my immediate priority.

Thats why Ive decided to extend our promise to keep branches on the high street.

As a mutual, all profit we generate is reinvested for the benefit of our members.

This gives us choices about how we best meet their needs. By extending the branch promise, members who face financial difficulties can discuss the practical support we offer in person with specially trained colleagues.

Banks are expected to close around another 500 branches this year, to cut costs and boost returns to investors.

Since January 2015, more than 4,976 locations have shut according to consumer champion Which?. Barclays has axed the most, at 841.

Lenders have blamed declining branch use as customers move online. But critics worry that by cutting physical locations, banks leave the vulnerable or those who prefer to talk to an adviser face-to-face with no port of call.

Under Crosbies leadership, TSB, which is owned by Spanish bank Sabadell, closed 244 branches during the pandemic.

Another 70 are on the block this year, meaning more than 300 will have shut in three years.

But Crosbies commitment for another year is likely to put her in members good books as she starts her role.

She said: This is the first in a number of initiatives that Nationwide will launch for members in the months ahead.
The boss of New Look has announced he will stand down from the fashion chain.

Nigel Oddy led the company during a restructuring process as it returned to profitability in recent months following the toll taken by the pandemic.

Oddy joined New Look in April 2019 as chief operating officer, following roles running House of Fraser and The Range.

Makeover: Inbetweeners star Emily Atack models for New Look whose boss Nigel Oddy will stand down after three years at the helm

He was promoted to chief executive in December that year and was in charge as the company undertook a company voluntary arrangement restructuring process and closed 39 stores.

The process to identify his successor is currently well-advanced.

Oddy said: With the business having successfully come through Covid and with a solid platform now in place for future growth, this is the right moment for me to step down.
Fixed rate savings hit 3% for the first time in more than three years: But are savers wise to lock their cash away with further rate rises on horizon?
Another US trading firm is suing the London Metal Exchange  this time for 12.2million.

Jane Street launched its lawsuit against the LME just a day after fearsome hedge fund Elliott Management kicked off its own 363million claim.

The 145-year-old exchange is under fire for cancelling a slew of nickel trades in March.

US trading firm Jane Street has launched a 12.2m lawsuit against the London Metal Exchange just a day after fearsome hedge fund Elliott Management kicked off its own 363m claim

Both Elliott and Jane Street are seeking a judicial review, hoping that a High Court judge will decide the LMEs decision to erase the trades was illegal.

The scandal occurred on March 8, when the price of nickel began to rise due to fears over Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Some investors were shorting nickel  meaning they were betting that its price would fall.

One of the largest shorters was Tsingshan Holding Group, a Chinese nickel producer accused of being an LME crony.

When the LME decided to cancel nickel trades as the price of the metal rocketed, this limited the losses suffered by Tsingshan.

But it also meant hedge funds and other City firms that stood to benefit from the rising price lost out.

Jane Street said: Exchanges function to create an orderly market and a level playing field for investors.

'The LMEs arbitrary decision to cancel nickel trades during a period of heightened volatility severely undermines the integrity of the markets and sets a dangerous precedent that calls future contracts into question.

The LMEs owner, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, said the claim was without merit and it would contest it vigorously.
Britain sells too many cutting edge chip firms to foreign companies, damaging jobs and the countrys competitiveness, according to a leading technology expert.

Alan Banks, chief executive at industry body TechWorks, told a panel of MPs the UK must stop offloading its most promising start-ups to overseas buyers if it wants to become a significant player in the global chip industry.

His comments come weeks after Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng launched an inquiry into the proposed takeover of the UKs largest microchip manufacturer Newport Wafer Fab on national security grounds.

Security probe: Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has launched an inquiry into the proposed takeover of the UKs largest microchip manufacturer Newport Wafer Fab (pictured)

The firm, based in South Wales, is being bought by Chinese-backed Nexperia for 63million.

Banks said: When we create intellectual property, were not doing enough to retain it in the UK. We are seeing acquisitions of small companies because they are struggling financially. But then we lose the intellectual property and the skill set overseas.

He also called on the Government to create a chip strategy. The UK has 25 chip manufacturing plants but they make individual parts and not finished products.

Instead British manufacturing firms buy their finished chips from heavyweights such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and South Koreas SK Hynix.

But there are increasing fears that trade between Taiwan and the rest of the world could be in danger as relations between China and the East Asian island have hit their lowest point in decades.

Banks said: We need a UK semiconductor strategy led by government to map out what products are needed.

We need to be aware of the geopolitical situation as it would take four years for the world to recreate what comes out of Taiwan.

Kwarteng is due to make a decision on Newport Wafer Fab next month amid fears selling the firm could hand China access to cutting-edge British chip designs.

Earlier this year the Daily Mail launched its Back British Tech campaign, with Tory heavyweights such as Sir Iain Duncan Smith and David Davis and City grandee Martin Gilbert backing the fight.

The campaign has also called on Cambridge-based chip designer Arm to be listed in London when it is sold by Japanese owner Softbank.
The new chairman of LV is already under pressure to fire its bungling chief executive Mark Hartigan.

Simon Moore, a former banker, was appointed to lead the board of the historic mutual insurer yesterday following a four-month hunt.

And he faced immediate calls to oust Hartigan over last year's attempt to sell 179-year-old LV to private equity predator Bain Capital.

Uncertain future: LV chief exec Mark Hartigan (pictured) is under fire over last year's attempt to sell 179-year-old mutual to private equity predator Bain Capital

John Higgins, who has been a member of the life insurer for more than 50 years, said: 'I would hope that getting rid of Mark Hartigan is top of the agenda.'

More than 1,000 readers have written to the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday calling for a no confidence vote in Hartigan at LV's annual meeting as they seek to remove him from his job.

LV is now on course for an embarrassing showdown with its members over Hartigan's future  unless Moore acts first.

If Hartigan had succeeded in his attempt to sell the company to Bain, LV would have lost its treasured mutual status  a structure which means it is owned by its customers and run for their benefit rather than for investors seeking a profit.

Members voted the deal down in December. It followed a Save LV campaign by the Mail backed by members, industry experts and politicians.

The collapse of the deal saw chairman Alan Cook pushed out. Hopes are now riding on Moore, 57, to bring in new management.

Labour MP Gareth Thomas, who leads the parliamentary group for mutuals, said: 'Given LV's disastrous attempt to sell itself last year, there's a lot of work for Mr Moore to do to rebuild trust in the company.

'Key to that will be finding a new chief executive quickly, and ending the culture of secrecy that characterised LV's communications over the past few years.'

Industry insiders reacted with caution to Moore's appointment. Three former LV board directors said they had not come across him before, and noted he had no apparent experience in working for a mutual.

Chairman: Simon Moore, a former banker, was appointed to lead the board of the historic mutual insurer yesterday following a four-month hunt

One said: 'Never heard of him, which tells you a lot. From what I hear [LV] has really struggled to find anyone to take the job  [it was] offered to lots but everyone thought it was a poisoned chalice.'

Baroness Altmann, former Tory pensions minister, said: 'I wish the new chairman well. I hope he has the right mindset for mutuality which is so important. It's a different way of working  not to worry about profit but about members.

'I hope the members will give him a chance and he won't let them down.' Altmann, who was touted as a potential chairman by some experts, was not approached for the job.

Moore claims to be committed to mutuality. He said: 'I was attracted to the strength of the LV brand and mutual ethos, and my focus will be on building a strong and thriving business for the benefit of our members, advisers and employees.' Like Hartigan, Moore began his career in the Army.

He moved into finance as a graduate trainee at Lloyds Bank, before spending six years at Chase Manhattan Bank working in London and New York across life and general insurance.

Following a brief stint at ABN Amro, he spent almost eight years at Barclays, where he became regional chairman of Wales and the South West.

Currently, he is chairman at lenders PCF Group, RCI Bank UK and Cambridge & Counties Bank, owned by Trinity Hall Cambridge and the Cambridgeshire Local Government Pension Fund.
By Trend

The transport infrastructure of Azerbaijan is ready for a sharp increase in the flow of transit cargo, Permanent Representative (National Secretary) of the Permanent Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Commission (PS IGC) TRACECA Rufat Bayramov said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

According to him, TRACECA predicts that in the current geopolitical situation, container cargo transportation from China to Europe and back through the territory of Azerbaijan will grow three to five times in 2022 compared to previous years.

Bayramov noted that today the potential of Azerbaijan's transport infrastructure has not yet been fully involved.

"For example, the Baku International Sea Port handled about five million tons of cargo last year, while its infrastructure allows it to handle up to 15 million tons, including 100,000 TEU containers. At the same time, the second phase of expanding the port's throughput capacity to 25 million tons of cargo and 500,000 TEU containers has been started. Work to expand the infrastructure will be carried out in stages, in accordance with the growth of cargo traffic", Bayramov said.

He stressed that the opening of communications in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan will help attract the flow of goods through the territory of Azerbaijan.
Bradley Miller, 43, Johnson City, is wanted on charges of first degree murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence after the body of Athena Saunders was found near the Unaka Mountain Beauty Spot on May 30.
It was all smiles as students of Alex Campbells sociology class at Elizabethton High School finally met Suzanne Johnson, the woman they worked hard to get released from a life sentence in a California prison. Shown here from left to right are: teacher Alex Campbell, Dane Carrier, Johnson, Hayley Hood, Lauren Mallasch, Jacey Fair and Bailey Tyree.
Kingsport, TN (37660)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable.
ALBANY - The state's Stretch Limousine Passenger Safety Task Force is holding a hearing in Albany next week so the public can have input on any safety recommendations included in the board's final report.

The 11-person task force was created in the wake of the 2018 limo crash in Schoharie that killed 20 people and is required to hold a public hearing and issue a final report that will be shared with the Legislature and the governor.

The hearing will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, June 13 at Empire State Plaza. The task force members will be seated at a head table and have been told that the hearing is designed as a "listening session" that will be recorded and included as part of the public record for its final report. There will not be time set aside for questions or debate.

The Schoharie tragedy, the worst U.S. highway transportation disaster in decades, happened when a group of 17 friends mostly from the Amsterdam area rented a 34-foot party limo for a birthday celebration on the morning of Oct. 6, 2018.

What the group didn't know was that the stretch Ford Excursion that picked them up was illegal and lacked any state or federal certifications to carry passengers.

Even worse, in the months leading up to the crash, the owners of the limo, the Hussain family of Wilton, had been repeatedly fined by the state for renting out the stretch limo without operating authority from the Department of Transportation.

As the driver of the Excursion was going down a steep section of Route 32, the limo's brakes failed. At the bottom of the hill was a popular tourist destination, the Apple Barrel Country Store & Cafe. Unable to stop, the Excursion was going more than 100mph when it slammed into a parked SUV in the store's parking lot during lunchtime and then flew into a ditch. All 18 aboard were killed along with two bystanders in the parking lot.

The task force is required to hold a public hearing before issuing its final report. But some, like state Sen. James Tedisco of Glenville, have questioned what the public can comment on if there is no report or recommendations that the board has decided on yet. Tedisco said Monday that he would like the task force to invite members of the families of the victims to testify to the board about their concerns. The families have testified before at the state and federal level, and have also testified in court.

Tedisco has also been pressing the state Inspector General's Office to release its findings of a probe into the state's oversight of the Hussains in the lead up to the crash. Tedisco said the IG's office, which says the probe is ongoing, should update the task force on its progress.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  Academy Awardwinning actor Matthew McConaughey made an appearance at the White House Tuesday to call on Congress to reach a higher ground and pass gun control legislation in honor of the children and teachers killed in last months shooting rampage at an elementary school in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas.

In a highly personal 22-minute speech, McConaughey exhorted a gridlocked Congress to pass gun reforms that can save lives without infringing on Second Amendment rights.

McConaughey, a gun owner himself, used his star power to make an argument for legislation in a fashion that the Biden administration has not been able to muster, offering a clear connection to the small Texas town and vividly detailing the sheer loss of the 19 children and two teachers in the second worst mass school shooting in U.S. history.

He specifically called on Congress to bolster background checks for gun purchases and raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15-style rifle to 21 from 18.

We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that wont make it so easy for the bad guys to get the damn guns, McConaughey said.

McConaughey, who earlier this year considered a run for governor of Texas before taking a pass, met briefly in private with President Joe Biden before addressing the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room.

McConaughey has also met with key lawmakers this week, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that handles gun legislation, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, and the panels ranking Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

Also Tuesday, the son of Ruth Whitfield, an 86-year-old woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a racist attack on Black shoppers in Buffalo, New York, last month, called on Congress to act against the cancer of white supremacy and the nations epidemic of gun violence.

Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires? Garnell Whitfield Jr. asked members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

McConaughey, who declined to take questions, spoke of his own connections to the town. He said his mother taught kindergarten less than a mile from Uvaldes Robb Elementary School, the site of the May 24 shooting. He also noted that Uvalde was the place where he was taught about responsibilities that come with gun ownership.

Uvalde is where I was taught to revere the power and the capability of the tool that we call a gun, he said.

McConaughey said he and his wife drove back to Uvalde on the day after the shooting and spent time with the families of some of the victims and others directly affected by the rampage.

He said every parent he spoke to expressed that they want their childrens dreams to live on.

They want to make their loss of life matter, McConaughey said.

He related the personal stories of a number of the victims.

He told the story of Maite Rodriguez, an aspiring marine biologist. McConaughey's wife, Camila, sitting nearby, held a pair of green Converse sneakers resembling those that the girl often wore.

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McConaughey said the sneakers "turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting."

He held up artwork from Alithia Ramirez, who dreamed of attending art school in Paris. And then there was Eliahna Ellie Garcia, who loved dancing and church and already knew how to drive tractors. Ellie was looking forward to reading a Bible verse at an upcoming church service when she was killed.

McConaughey acknowledged that gun legislation would not end mass shootings but suggested that steps can be taken to lessen the chances of such tragedies happening so frequently.

"We need to invest in mental healthcare. We need safer schools. We need to restrain sensationalized media coverage. We need to restore our family values. We need to restore our American values and we need responsible gun ownership, McConaughey said.

Is this a cure-all? Hell no, but people are hurting."

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

__

In a version of this story published June 7, 2022, The Associated Press quoted McConaughey saying his wife Camila was holding a pair of sneakers worn by a girl who died in the attack. The shoes were similar, but they were not the girls sneakers.
A black bear in Albanys Washington Park garnered a lot of attention last week. The bear climbed a tree in the urban park and was ultimately chemically immobilized, removed from the tree and relocated to the Catskills.

The incident raised questions about black bear management in the state, with bear sightings becoming an increasingly regular occurrence. What circumstances lead to a bear requiring relocation, what special care or attention does a bear require during such an ordeal, and what happens next for the bear?

Why did the DEC need to intervene?

The state Department of Environmental Conservation authored and maintains a document called the Black Bear Response Manual, which outlines various scenarios involving bears and how they should be handled. A bear in an urban setting, the manual explains, will often climb a tree and stay there until all perceived threats are gone, a behavior known as treeing. Onlookers are perceived as threats, and if a bear cant find a clear path out, it will stay in the tree indefinitely. The manual says a bear treed in an urban setting is one of the few instances where removal of the bear sooner rather than later is in the best interest of all concerned.

Speaking to reporters on the scene last week, Jeremy Hurst, wildlife biologist for the DEC, called the situation in Albany unusual but said that because bears do live in forested areas surrounding the city in all directions, every year or two, a bear does end up in Albany. Generally, he said, the DECs response is to try to let a bear get back to its natural habitat  more thickly wooded and forested parts of the region  on its own.

If we could just leave the bear alone, once darkness comes, it may wander out, he said. However, this is a different situation because it really is isolated in an area where it doesnt have a natural escape path.

Therefore, for the bears safety and for the publics safety, the DEC determined the best path forward was to move the bear.

How do you move a bear?

In order to safely relocate a bear, biologists and the DEC chemically immobilize it. The way that played out in Albany last week was that a staff member was raised to the bears level using a fire trucks ladder bucket; the staffer then shot a tranquilizer dart at the ursine wanderer. Only specially trained staff are permitted to chemically mobilize bears.

Its the same thing that happens when you go to the hospital and have surgery and get anesthetized, Hurst told reporters about the process. Were using drugs that will cause the bear to become anesthetized and sedated.

There are special considerations that need to be taken into account when a bear has been chemically immobilized, explained Hurst. The drugs affect the bears central nervous system, with one side effect being that it is difficult for the bear to regulate its own temperature. With temperatures in the 80s last week, that meant the bear could get too hot.

Our staff are prepared with water and ice to cool the bear down as soon as we can to maintain its body temperature, said Hurst, and theyll be monitoring [the bears] vitals as soon as they get their hands on it.

What happens next for the bear?

The bear was moved to the Catskills, but an ear tag was put on the bear before it was released. That means that if the bear finds its way into the city again  which the DEC says is unlikely  it will be clear that it is the same bear.

Why is that important? Without the tag, if another similarly sized bear were to wind up in Washington Park, there would be a question as to whether or not it was the same bear. If it were, that could be a problem.

Its unclear why or how last weeks bear was in Washington Park and therefore, theres no reason to think it was attracted to a particular food source. If it were, though, and was repeatedly going to that food source, it would be considered a nuisance bear. According to the DEC, relocation of a nuisance bear is rarely successful.

According to the DECs webpage dedicated to black bear information, a relocated nuisance bear often travels great distances, as much as 100 miles, to return to the original site. If unable to locate the original site, they will seek out new human food sources in the vicinity of its relocation site.

Bears that become seriously conditioned to settings where humans are, such as suburban or urban areas, can lead to a determination that the bear is a threat to public safety, which results in euthanizing the bear  a last resort for the DEC.

Though the Albany bear is tagged, it is not wearing a radio collar, which would allow the state to track its movement. Most likely, the bear wont be heard from again and will live out its life in the forested area of the Catskills it has been moved to. If it were to resurface, though, with the tag, the DEC will know what bear it is and would determine how to handle it at that time.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia on Tuesday claimed to have taken control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraine's Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscows forces hold nearly all of Luhansk province. And it appears that Russia now occupies roughly half of Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts.

After abandoning its bungled attempt to storm Kyiv two months ago, Russia declared that taking the entire Donbas is its main objective. Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian government forces in the Donbas since 2014, and the region has borne the brunt of the Russian onslaught in recent weeks.

Early in the war, Russian troops also took control of the entire Kherson region and a large part of the Zaporizhzhia region, both in the south. Russian officials and their local appointees have talked about plans for those regions to either declare their independence or be folded into Russia.

But in what may be the latest instance of anti-Russian sabotage inside Ukraine, Russian state media said Tuesday that an explosion at a cafe in the city of Kherson wounded four people. Tass called the apparent bombing in the Russian-occupied city a terror act.

Before the Feb. 24 invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russia controlled some 7% of the country, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and areas held by the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces hold 20% of the country.

While Russia has superior firepower, the Ukrainian defenders are entrenched and have shown the ability to counterattack.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces made no significant advances in the eastern Donbas region over the past day.

The absolutely heroic defense of the Donbas continues, he said late Tuesday in his nightly video address.

Zelenskyy said the Russians clearly did not expect to meet so much resistance and are now trying to bring in additional troops and equipment. He said the same was true in the Kherson region.

Speaking earlier to a Financial Times conference, Zelenskyy insisted on Ukraines need to defeat Russia on the battlefield but also said he is still open to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But a former senior U.S. intelligence officer said the time isnt right.

Youre not going to get to the negotiating table until neither side feels they have an advantage that they could push, said Andrea Kendall-Taylor of the Washington-based Center for a New American Security.

The Russians think they will be able to take the whole of the Donbas and then might use that as the opportunity to call for negotiations, Kendall-Taylor said at an online seminar organized by Columbia and New York universities.

Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, said Moscow's forces have seized the residential quarters of Sievierodonetsk and are fighting to take control of an industrial zone on the city's outskirts and nearby towns.

Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. They are among a few cities and towns in the Luhansk region still holding out against the Russian invasion, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces.

Shoigu added that Russian troops were pressing their offensive toward the town of Popasna and have taken control of Lyman and Sviatohirsk and 15 other towns in the region.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak urged his people not to be downhearted about the battlefield reverses.

Dont let the news that weve ceded something scare you, he said in a video address. It is clear that tactical maneuvers are ongoing. We cede something, we take something back."

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai conceded that Russian forces control the industrial outskirts of Sievierodonetsk.

The toughest street battles continue, with varying degrees of success, Haidai said. The situation constantly changes, but the Ukrainians are repelling attacks.

Moscows forces also kept up their artillery barrage of Lysychansk. Haidai said Russian troops shelled a market, a school and a college building, destroying the latter. At least three people were wounded, he said.

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A total destruction of the city is under way. Russian shelling has intensified significantly over the past 24 hours. Russians are using scorched-earth tactics, Haidai said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has begun training Ukrainian forces on the sophisticated multiple rocket launchers that the Biden administration agreed last week to provide. The Pentagon said the training is going on at a base in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets, which can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). Officials said it would take about three weeks of training before they could go to the battlefront.

In other developments, Zelenskyy said Ukraine planned to publish a special Book of Executioners next week with information about war crimes committed by the Russian army.

These are specific facts about specific people who are guilty of specific cruel crimes against Ukrainians, he said. Those named would include not only people who carried out the crimes but their commanders, he said.

The war also brought a standoff Tuesday between the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and Ukrainian authorities over the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe.

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, wants to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant to help maintain its safety after it was taken by Russian troops in March.

But Energoatom, the Ukrainian state company overseeing the countrys nuclear plants, said in a blunt statement that Grossi isnt welcome. It said his planned tour is yet another attempt to legitimize the occupiers presence there.

Amid fears of a global food crisis because of the war, the Kremlin said Ukraine needs to remove sea mines near its Black Sea port of Odesa to allow essential grain exports to resume from there. Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that removing the mines could enable Moscows forces to attack.

___

Associated Press journalists David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv; Andrew Katell in New York; and Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this story.

___

Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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WASHINGTON (AP)  The son of Ruth Whitfield, an 86-year-old woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a racist attack on Black shoppers in Buffalo, New York, challenged Congress Tuesday to act against the "cancer of white supremacy and the nation's epidemic of gun violence.

Garnell Whitfield Jr.s emotional testimony comes as lawmakers are working furiously to strike a bipartisan agreement on gun safety measures in the aftermath of back-to-back mass shootings. Ten days after the shooting death of his mother and nine others in New York, another 18-year-old gunman with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 school children and two teachers.

What are you doing? You were elected to protect us, Whitfield Jr. told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires? he asked. If there is nothing then, respectfully, senators  you should yield your positions of authority and influence to others that are willing to lead on this issue.

The hearing is the first of two this week as families of the victims and survivors of the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde appear at public hearings and events on Capitol Hill to show the human toll of Americas gun violence and urge Congress to act.

Pressing for a deal, President Joe Biden met Tuesday with Sen. Chris Murphy, a key Democratic negotiator, who has worked most of his career trying to curb the nations mass-shooting scourge after the heartbreaking slaughter of 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary in his home state of Connecticut a decade ago.

Murphy told reporters after the meeting that he was grateful to have an opportunity to update the president on the talks. Obviously weve still got work to do in the Senate," he said.

Murphy said his goal is to try to get an agreement this week, but he added that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been clear that "we need some extra time to dot the i's and cross the t's that will get it.

Also Tuesday, actor Matthew McConaughey, who is from Uvalde, made the rounds of Senate offices before heading to the White House to open the daily briefing. McConaughey, who earlier this year considered a run for governor of Texas, gave a speech on the importance of taking legislative action to make the loss of these lives matter.

We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that wont make it so easy for the bad guys to get the damn guns, he said. The 52-year-old actor and his wife drove to Uvalde on the day after the shooting and spent time with some of the victims' families.

On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee is expected to hear from more victims families and from fourth-grader Miah Cerrillo, who captured Americans attention after she described covering herself in her dead classmates blood and playing dead to survive the shooting rampage in Uvalde.

The Senate hearing Tuesday focused directly on the white supremacist ideology that authorities say led an 18-year-old gunman dressed in military gear to drive hours to a predominately Black neighborhood in Buffalo and live stream his violent rampage. The shooting left 10 people dead and several others wounded.

My mothers life mattered, Whitfield said. Your actions here will tell us if and how much it mattered to you.

Shortly after the Buffalo massacre, a bill that would have bolstered federal resources to prevent domestic terrorism failed in the Senate at the hands of Republican opposition. Even at Tuesday's hearing, Republican senators took the time to focus on the racial injustice protests that took place in the summer of 2020, citing those incidents as acts of domestic extremism.

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Since the failed vote, senators have regrouped and began to meet privately in a small bipartisan group headed by Murphy and Republican Sen. John Cornyn, trying to hash out a compromise that could actually become law.

But lawmakers have been here before  unable to pass any substantial gun safety laws in decades in the face of steep objections from Republicans in Congress, some conservative Democrats, and the fierce lobbying of gun owners and the National Rifle Association. No major legislation has made it into law since the 1994 assault weapons ban, which has since expired.

The issue for Democrats is that a number of the topics with bipartisan support would likely not have stopped either the shooting in Buffalo or Uvalde. And the ones that gun safety advocates argue would have been met with a deep reluctance from Republicans. One such proposal would raise the age requirement for gun purchases from 18 to 21. Another popular measure among Democrats would have banned assault-style rifles altogether.

Instead, the senators are focusing on incremental policy changes through a system that would send funds and other incentives to the states to bolster security at school campuses, provide more mental health services to young people and possibly encourage states to pursue red-flag laws to keep firearms out of the hands of people who would do harm.

But one thing that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seem to agree on is that inaction is not an option.

We know we wont get it all done at once, Schumer said Tuesday afternoon. But the American people want us to get something done and they want to see Republicans do something.

His counterpart across the aisle seemed to echo the sentiment. Almost everybody would like to get an outcome, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told reporters. I hope well have one sooner rather than later.

___

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Alan Fram and Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  State officials across the nation have taken on Big Tech companies in the courts and state legislatures, and federal regulators have nipped at Twitter over alleged violations of users data privacy.

Now, one state attorney general with an outsize personality and edge-skating stance nearly in the league of Elon Musk is striding into the maelstrom of Musks $44 billion now-tenuous bid for Twitter. He is launching an investigation of Twitter for potential false reporting of bots on its platform to bolster complaints Musk himself made this week in threatening to walk away from the deal.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his investigation of Twitter on Monday just hours after Musk, the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO, accused Twitter of refusing to disclose the extent of its spam bot and fake accounts.

The unexpected turn in the months-long drama of Musk and Twitter sent that company's shares down 1.5%, likely angering shareholders who had filed suit against Musk last month, accusing him of deflating the stock price. Twitter's shares have tumbled more than 20% in the last month. They closed at $40.13 Tuesday, up 57 cents.

Paxton's unusual move struck observers as singular and possibly inappropriate, though he likely has the legal authority to pursue it. In launching his investigation, Paxton suggested that Twitter might have violated Texas' Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

The state attorney general's move against Twitter is far different from the growing legal actions taken by groups of states that have joined to target alleged anticompetitive practices by Google and Meta, for example, or to investigate TikTok and its possible harmful effects on young users mental health.

Individual state attorneys general don't normally investigate a major publicly traded company over its regulatory filings. In Twitter's case, the data it submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission involve complex federal law.

The SEC has the resources and the expertise and the legal remedies for this, and I doubt that Texas has any of these, Marc Fagel, a securities law expert who was the regional director of the SECs San Francisco office, said in an interview. Its a headline-based investigation as far as I can tell.

Johnny Koremenos, a spokesman for the Republican Attorneys General Association, told The Associated Press that hes unaware of any other state attorney general who might be planning to launch a similar investigation into Twitter.

James Tierney, a former Maine attorney general who teaches at Harvard, was critical of Paxtons probe, which he sees as aiding Musk, whose electric car maker Tesla recently opened a plant in Texas capital of Austin.

Consumer laws exist to protect consumers from real harm, Tierney said. They do not exist to allow a government official to meddle in ongoing corporate transactions on behalf of a constituent.

Paxton notes that Twitter had said in its filings with the SEC that fewer than 5% of all users are bots, when, Paxton asserts, they may in fact comprise as much as 20% or more" of the 229 million total accounts. Musk contended in a May tweet, without providing evidence, that 20% or more are bogus.

Paxton demanded that Twitter turn over documents by June 27 to show how it calculates and manages its user data.

The difference could dramatically affect the cost to Texas consumers and businesses who transact with Twitter, such as advertisers, Paxton contended in his announcement. He asserted that the disparity may inflate the value of Twitter, now estimated at $30.5 billion, and raise the costs of doing business with it.

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Twitter spokespeople declined comment Tuesday on Paxton's announcement. The company said in a statement Monday that it has been cooperatively sharing information with Musk in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement.

The Texas attorney general, who has long carved out a distinctive public persona, isn't likely to mind any criticism. A Republican currently running for a third term as the state's top lawyer, Paxton has yet to have his day in court after being indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, and his career has upended what it means to be a compromised officeholder in Texas.

His critics say Paxton has become an example of how powerful public figures can drag out even normally career-threatening criminal charges and defy predictions of their political demise.

Conservative Republicans, who accuse social media like Twitter of anti-conservative bias and censoring views of those opposed to abortion and others, have embraced Musk's bid for Twitter because of his advocacy of free speech in place of the platform's content moderation. Paxton's fellow Texan U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has called Musk's move the biggest development for free speech in decades."



Associated Press writers Geoff Mulvihill in New Jersey and Acacia Coronado in Texas contributed to this report.

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Follow Marcy Gordon at https://twitter.com/mgordonap
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AMSTERDAM (AP)  Prosecutors demanded life sentences Tuesday for two men charged in the brazen killing of a popular Dutch investigative reporter last year, as his children paid tribute to a courageous journalist and loving father and grandfather.

The slaying of Peter R. de Vries triggered a national outpouring of grief and government pledges to crack down on Amsterdams increasingly violent drugs underworld.

Prosecutors accuse a 21-year-old Dutchman identified only as Delano G. of shooting De Vries at close range in a downtown Amsterdam street on July 6 last year. The campaigning reporter and television personality died nine days later of his injuries at age 64. The second suspect on trial is a Polish national, identified as Kamil E., who is the alleged getaway driver.

In a closing statement at their trial, prosecutors cited the extremely serious nature of the crime, the suspects' lack of remorse, and a string of previous underworld murders as reasons for demanding life sentences.

Judges at Amsterdam District Court reviewed a dossier of evidence prosecutors say links the men to the slaying, including telephone text messages and video footage.

In the afternoon, De Vries son, Royce, and daughter Kelly used victim impact statements to emotionally recall his campaigning journalism and the way he managed to combine his work with his family.

I can still bring myself to treat you humanely, Kelly de Vries told the suspects. Why? Because thats the way I was raised. Brought up by two wonderful parents who stood up for what was right. Even though it was not an easy path; who dared to stand up for people who had been wronged.

She called De Vries My dearest father, my buddy, confidant and caring grandfather for my child.

Royce de Vries told judges: Im convinced that if these suspects had asked my father for help that evening, he would have given it, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported. Instead, they pulled the trigger.

Lawyers for the suspects are scheduled to speak at a separate hearing next week, Judges are due to deliver verdicts July 14.

A judge in Tuesday's hearing directly asked G. if he shot De Vries, to which the suspect replied: I make use of my right to silence, according to footage recorded by NOS. The other suspect said: I did not kill that man.

Prosecutors say the two suspects were arrested less than an hour after the shooting in a getaway car on a highway near The Hague with the weapon used to shoot De Vries in the car.

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Also in the car was a mobile phone, that prosecutors say contained messages alluding to the killing. One of the judges in the case read out the messages during Tuesdays hearing.

One exchange included two pictures of De Vries and the message: You have to get this dog.

Later, a message from the phone found in the car read: Hes dead ... everyone screaming. He didnt move anymore.

Prosecutors haven't publicly identified a suspect they believe gave the order to kill the reporter, who had just appeared on a Dutch current affairs television show.

De Vries made his name as a crime journalist who reported on and wrote a bestselling book about the 1983 kidnapping of beer magnate Freddy Heineken. Later in his career, he campaigned tirelessly to resolve cold cases. Before his shooting, De Vries had been an adviser and confidant for a witness in the trial of the alleged leader and other members of a crime gang that police described as an oiled killing machine. The witness' brother and his lawyer both were murdered.

The suspected gangland leader, Ridouan Taghi, was extradited to the Netherlands from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2019 and is currently standing trial. He hasn't been charged in De Vries' killing.

____

Mike Corder contributed to this report from The Hague.
ALBANY  Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday declined to commit to signing a major piece of environmental legislation imposing a two-year moratorium on new cryptocurrency mining.

"We'll be looking at all of the bills very closely, so we have a lot of work to do over the next six months," Hochul said during a news conference.

The bill was spurred by concern over the use of former fossil fuel plants, including coal facilities, to generate the significant electricity needed to power computers that electronically generate virtual currency. The moratorium would be on new licenses issued by the state. Environmentalists argue that the fossil fuel emissions from crypto mining undercut the state's climate goals.

Crypto advocates are worried that a moratorium, which would be the first of its kind in the country, could stunt New York's ability to compete in the market and clamp down on the number of jobs created in rural communities.

"There's a balancing act involved here," Hochul said last month when asked about her stance on the legislation. "I understand the passion on both sides of the issue."

She noted that there is a balance in protecting the environment with the "opportunity for jobs that go to areas that don't see a lot of activity." Hochul said she wants to see that "energy consumed by these entities is managed properly."

Hochuls comments came as an independent expenditure committee financed largely by a cryptocurrency billionaire recently began spending money to support the candidacy of Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who faces a three-way Democratic primary on June 28. Delgado was selected by Hochul as lieutenant governor last month and they are running as a team on June 28.

Its not clear that the election spending is related to the Legislatures consideration of the mining issue. According to a spokeswoman for the independent expenditure group Protect Our Future, the spending was inspired by Delgados "pandemic response"  not by cryptocurrency business interests.

A federal PAC, also called Protect Our Future, has been principally funded by Sam Bankman-Fried, the 30-year-old founder of Manhattan-based FTX Group, a major crypto derivatives exchange. In early June, the federal PAC gave about $1 million to the new, New York-based group, which in registration paperwork listed only Delgado as among the candidates it planned to back this year in the state.

So far, Protect Our Future, which can spend and raise uncapped amounts, has spent $66,000 producing digital advertisements promoting Delgados candidacy.

At the same time, lobbying records show that in March, FTX Group for the first time retained an Albany lobbying firm, Hinman Straub, to press unspecified state crypto interests related to regulations or rulemaking. Hinman Straub is being paid $11,000 a month.

A spokeswoman from Protect Our Future, however, said the group was launched "to help elect candidates who will be champions for pandemic prevention. We're proud to support Antonio Delgado in his run for lieutenant governor of New York because he will help make sure that New York is prepared to tackle the next pandemic. In Congress, he was a champion for aggressive government action as COVID-19 began devastating New York."

On the federal level, the group of the same name has spent $22 million in seven states, aiding Democrats during the primary season. In those races, the group also cites the need to prevent a future pandemic and elect "pandemic experts" as the motivating factor.

The first-in-the-nation crypto moratorium passed by the Legislature was opposed by an industry trade group, the Blockchain Association; FTX is not listed as among that groups members on its website, and in lobbying filings through April, Hinman Straub had not reported lobbying on the bill.

Notably, the independent expenditure committee paperwork stating the group planned to back Delgado is dated May 23  well before the moratorium bill received an unexpected, last-minute bill passage in the Legislature.

In testimony before Congress in December, Bankman-Fried said that FTX had "endeavored to take ownership of our portion of the environmental costs of mining associated with public blockchains" by purchasing $1 million in carbon offsets to neutralize those costs. In addition, Bankman-Fried said that an affiliated arm of the company, FTX Climate, had created a comprehensive program to focus on the "most impactful solutions to climate change possible," and planned to spend at least $1 million per year through that program.
ALBANY  Gov. Kathy Hochul is airing two campaign ads that highlight her continued push for an amendment to the New York Constitution to protect a person's right to an abortion. The advertising blitz is taking place despite the scheduled legislative session concluding last week without accomplishing that goal.

It remains possible that the governor will summon lawmakers back to the Capitol before an August deadline to pass an amendment and ensure it can reach the ballot box by 2024. If so, it also could be accomplished ahead of the governor's potential general election race.

"With so much at stake and Roe v. Wade on the chopping block, governors are the last line of defense to protect abortion and in New York the Republican candidates want to strip it away," a TV ad that was first released on May 17 states. "But Kathy Hochul won't let that happen. She's working to amend the state constitution so that no matter how the Supreme Court rules in Washington, your right to a safe abortion is protected in New York."

The ad contrasts Hochul with her Republican opponents U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, of Long Island, and Andrew Giuliani. Hochul faces a Democratic primary on June 28 against moderate U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, of Long Island, and progressive New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, neither of whom are mentioned in the ad.

Her campaign released an additional ad Monday that emphasizes Hochul's desire to pass a constitutional amendment on abortion rights.

"Gov. Kathy Hochul is ensuring that New York always protects the right to an abortion  from health plans to the state constitution," the ad's narrator states.

On screen, it shows Hochul speaking at a rally in Brooklyn with an ABC New York quote: "The governor is also calling on the Legislature to pass the Equal Rights Amendment."

Hochul's campaign, three weeks out from the primary, deferred comment on whether Hochul still expects to see a constitutional amendment pass the Legislature now that session has concluded until the new year.

Hochul's office pointed to the work the Legislature was able to accomplish, such as legal protections for people coming from out of state seeking abortions and measures protecting the ability of physicians to prescribe emergency contraceptive treatments through telemedicine visits, including to out-of-state patients. They also pointed to the governor directing $35 million to increase staff and security for abortion providers.

Her office also suggested the constitutional amendment could still get done.

"We remain committed to further enshrining these protections into our constitution and will continue working with the Legislature and advocates to explore how best to do so," spokeswoman Hazel Crampton-Hays said in a statement.

The soonest an abortion rights amendment could make it onto the ballot would likely be in two years, if the Legislature was to find a path to approving it this year. Without voting on the language for a constitutional amendment by around August, it would likely move the prospect of a constitutional amendment to 2026.

The governor could call an "extraordinary session" this year, which would call lawmakers back to Albany to address specific issues; a "special session" would open up the Legislature to address any outstanding issue, which could lead to more controversy and debate.

"I don't think anybody would be opposed to coming back if we don't resolve it now," state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said last week, prior to the end of session.

Despite general agreement among the Democratic supermajorities in both chambers, and support from the governor, the proposed legislation did not make it to a vote due to debate over how to craft it.

An "Equality Amendment" was supported by state Sen. Liz Krueger, D-Manhttan. She said she had tried 10 or so iterations of it in the waning days of session, which limited the issues lawmakers and advocacy groups had with it down to essentially one: how to protect individual rights to an abortion while holding onto current religious rights exempted in law.

"If somebody wants to come up with language where my leader, the leader of the Assembly and the governor can all go, 'Whoopee, we've done it,' I would run back to Albany any day, anytime and drag my colleagues with me to get this done," Krueger said in an interview Monday. "But that really requires something to happen that has not yet happened."

In 2019, the state passed a protection to an abortion, which was signed into law by then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. The proposition by Krueger would go a step further by enshrining the law in the state constitution. New Yorkers are expected to retain their right to an abortion regardless of the outcome in the Supreme Court, which is expected to issue a decision this summer.

Krueger's legislation is also a broader ask than the right to a safe and legal abortion. It is intended to ensure that "no person shall be denied equal rights" based on their race, ethnicity, disability, sex including pregnancy and gender identity.

It is meant to protect New Yorkers from any erosion of a federal constitutional abortion right and also any potential rollbacks of other individual liberties, such as same sex or interracial marriage. Krueger said working around religious exemptions has become a tricky legal issue, which is why the efforts stalled before the end of session.

"We flunked that assignment just last week, but not for a lack of trying," the senator said.
Lori Van Buren

SARATOGA SPRINGS  Boca Bistro, the only non-Italian dining spot in the family of DZ Restaurants, will celebrate 10 years of serving Spanish-focused cuisine during an anniversary event starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 14.

There will be an array of tastings including tapas, paella, sangria and wine, with additional beverages available for purchase. Proceeds will benefit the Saratoga Senior Center. Tickets are $45 per person and are available online.
TROY  The avant-garde Troy Foundry Theatre is conjuring an hourlong mass hallucination inside the Hart Cluett Museum courtesy of the company's artistic forebear Samuel Beckett. If you care about Beckett, or theater, or mass hallucinations, go see it before this extraordinary evening closes on June 18.

Titled "Echo Chambers: Beckett3" and presented as three short plays each featuring a different solo female character, the production is profoundly dark, visually and metaphorically. Challenging theater to be sure  unsettling to watch, often a puzzle to follow, resistant to easy interpretation  it is immensely rewarding as well, with the precision, haunting beauty and ineffability of a requiem for human existence.

In "Footfalls," written in 1975, a woman named May (Angelique Powell, directed by Ethan Botwick) walks back and forth across the same path on a barely illuminated stage: nine metronomically precise paces one way, nine the other, each of the amplified footsteps diminishing in volume as she talks to the disembodied voice of her 90-year-old mother, who may be bedridden in another room or a creation of May's troubled mind.

"Rockaby," from 1980, finds a character identified only as W (Eliana Rowe, directing herself) on a similarly dark stage but without the freedom to walk. She's moored to a rocking chair that moves without evident effort from her feet, which remain visible and motionless on the footrest. Her own monotone recorded voice plays, sometimes with W echoing or harmonizing with the words, as she recounts moments from her life and that of her dead mother.

Given the strength of the acting, directing, Botwick's lighting and the sound design by Travis Wright, the effect of the two is powerfully cumulative, building a feeling of unease and a fear of being trapped by monotony akin to purgatory on Earth  a frequent theme of Beckett's, whose Paris apartment overlooked a prison yard. Performed in front of a black set that is meant to evoke the abstract, box-form sculptures of the artist Louise Nevelson (design by Colin McIlvaine, execution by Andy Smith of Upstate Scenic), they're a smartly crafted way to lead up to the walloping end to "Echo Chambers," Shannon Rafferty performing "Not I."

Famously difficult, for actor even more than audience, "Not I," from 1972, is a primal scream of a monologue. For 12 minutes in a pitch-black theater, you look at nothing but an illuminated mouth speaking furiously, a fusillade of words that repeats, circles back on itself and echoes and amplifies as it describes the life of the woman, who as a child was abandoned by her parents to a miserable existence that included unspecified trauma. At least that's what I've gleaned during multiple viewings over the years, but that could be wildly wrong.

Rafferty's performance is mesmerizing in the moment, haunting in memory, its phantasmagoria of syllable and diction erupting from a dynamic maw. As a slight criticism, the tiny spotlight on the mouth dimmed to near-invisibility at times during Monday's performance. If an error, it's correctable; if intentional, it diminishes the experience by making the audience strain so hard to see.

That is but a minor quibble. The initial success of "Echo Chambers: Beckett3" is that it exists at all. The Beckett works are brutally uncommercial, seemingly beyond the abilities of a community theater and fiscally risky for a more mainstream organization that needs to be mindful of a significant subscriber base. The larger success of the production is how well Troy Foundry executes it. As the company did with its opening production in 2017, an evening of Harold Pinter shorts, and six Beckett one-acts the following fall, Troy Foundry is using the masters of modern theater as the foundational aesthetic for its own experimental work. It ranges widely in those original pieces, sometimes with frustrating results, but when the company returns to its roots, Troy Foundry again shows why it's an important presence in Capital Region theater.
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How do you capture dance in a photograph? What defines a dancer when theyre not in motion? And how can a still image comment on an art form thats all about movement?

Three exhibitions of dance photography, on view in Saratoga Springs Dance Around Town: A Photographic Celebration, explore those questions through three very different lenses. Each of the photographers has a unique connection to the city, to dance in general and to the New York City Ballet (NYCB) in particular.

Merce My Way, a collection of images by Mikhail Baryshnikov, is on view at The Pines, the Saratoga Performing Arts Centers new education and event space, which started Sunday. Photos of George Balanchines great ballerinas, as part of Robert Tracy's collection, will be showcased at the Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College, on display through Aug. 21. And Ageless Dancers, a series of portraits by Betti Franceschi, opens at Saratoga Arts on Saturday, June 18.

This project was born out of the history of Saratoga as a city of dance, said Christopher Shiley, vice president of artistic planning for SPAC, NYCBs summer home since 1966. We really wanted to do something that spoke to that unique cultural component while activating different locations around the city.

Merce My Way is an homage to the choreographer Merce Cunningham, and the complexity and beauty of his work, in the words of Baryshnikov. He uses space, depth of field, unlike any choreographer in the world. The images in the series artfully convey that depth, along with a powerful sense of velocity and change.

Watching Cunninghams dances through the eyes of the camera lens is a lesson in the extremes and restraints of a dancers body, Baryshnikov said in an email interview. His works lend themselves beautifully to this medium. In photographing them, I try to decode the next movement  anticipating the dancers moves in my own little dance with the camera, a halfway medium between video or film to capture movement.

Both the dance legend-slash-photographer and his subject have NYCB connections. Baryshnikov spent two years dancing for Balanchine and Jerome Robbins in the late 1970s. Cunninghams ballet Summerspace, which was added to the NYCB repertoire in 1966 and has been revived intermittently since, will be featured during the companys run this summer at SPAC.

Tracy, who died in 2007, was a dancer, critic and partner of another ballet legend, Rudolf Nureyev. (While Nuruyev never joined NYCB, Balanchine did create a piece just for him, which debuted around the same time Baryshnikov was with the company.) Tracys ties to Saratoga come through Skidmore, where he studied dance and classics; he later donated his dance photographs to the college.

Hes such an interesting figure with an incredible connection to city of Saratoga, Shiley said. These photos are from his first book, focusing on Balanchines ballerinas, the muses that inspired him throughout his time, including Alexandra Danilova, Suzanne Farrell and Melissa Hayden (who was also one of Tracys teachers at Skidmore).

As for Ageless Dancers, the seed of this body of work can be traced back to a 1983 City Ballet season in Paris. Franceschis daughter was dancing with the company at the time, and Franceschi accompanied her for the run, which included a gala event. She was enthralled by the beauty and style of the retired ballerinas in attendance.

Three decades later, the idea for a portrait series came to her. The only problem? She didnt know how to use a camera. But once shed conquered the technicalities, her background as both a dancer and a fine artist guided her approacha dramatic portraiture style that highlights the grace and expressiveness of each dancers personality and gestures. Her subjects have included Gus Solomons, Wendy Perron, Carmen de Lavallade and many others in their 60s, 70s and 80s.

These dancers move with almost more authority than when they were young, Franceschi said in a recent interview. They never lose their sense of line and drama. Every non-dancer who is around that age and sees these images, their first reaction is joy  oh, just because Im old doesnt mean Im old.
Mayor Q earns another important national headline amid the ongoing debate over gun control, worsening U.S. violence and more mass shootings.



This passage is important because the NYT offers an apt summary of how the conversation about guns impacts life on local streets and vice versa.

Check-it . . .



With a judiciary skeptical of limiting gun rights, and no ability to force change in Congress or in Republican-controlled capitols, mayors have been left to seek other ways to tamp down violence. Austin, Texas, used funding for unfilled police positions to hire mental health workers to respond to emergencies. Cincinnati expanded partnerships with federal law enforcement on gun cases. Kansas City, Mo., sued a gun manufacturer whose license was later revoked by federal authorities.



I think what youre seeing now is a connection among a lot of us to say, Were not just moving on, said Mayor Quinton Lucas of Kansas City, Mo., a Democrat whose city broke its record for homicides in 2020, when 179 people were killed.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
This afternoon there's a great deal of info about a recent crackdown that sought to curb the exploitation of youngsters.



Here's a description of the law enforcement effort along with links to more resources . . .



"Authorities with the Department of Homeland Security said 15 of those individuals came from a sting set up in Independence, Kansas City, Jackson, Platte, and Clay Counties in Missouri, and Bourbon County in Kansas.

"From May 17 to May 19, multiple law enforcement agencies in the Wichita area teamed up for Operation Blue Ghost, which netted 17 arrests for crimes like aggravated human trafficking, promoting the sale of sex, purchasing sex acts, and more.

"Authorities in the Kansas City area banded together from May 31 to June 2 to arrest an additional 15 individuals.

"According to a release from the Midwest division of the DHS, partners in and around Independence, Kansas City, Clay County, and Platte County in Missouri, and in Bourbon County, Kansas targeted adults willing to travel for the purpose of sexually exploiting a child."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

15 arrested in child exploitation, trafficking and prostitution sting in Independence, Kansas City and across greater metro area A total of 32 people have been arrested as part of a massive child exploitation investigation across Missouri and Kansas.Authorities with the Department of Homeland Security said 15 of those individuals came from a sting set up in Independence, Kansas City, Jackson, Platte, and Clay Counties in Missouri, and Bourbon County in Kansas.

Authorities arrest 32 child exploitation suspects in Kansas, Missouri during operation KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Authorities arrested 32 people in both Kansas and Missouri during a child exploitation operation called "Operation Blue Ghost." The operation was led by the Homeland Security Investigations office in Kansas City along with the Kansas City Child Exploitation Taskforce. It started on May 17 and lasted through June 2.

32 arrested in child exploitation operation in Kansas, Missouri KANSAS (KSNT) - An undercover operation in Kansas and Missouri netted 32 individuals who have been taken into custody for crimes against children. Multiple agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Kansas City Child Exploitation Taskforce (KCCET), were involved in an undercover operation in and around Wichita from May 17 through June 2.

Developing . . .
Here's a line that we'll hear a lot this week . . .

Voters want gun control according to polling.

WRONG!!!



Even at the local level, look at politicos who win public office and that myth is easily busted.



Still . . . The line keeps getting repeated.

Today the local prog blogs are attempting to spread this bit of misinformation . . .



"The majority of Americans have made it clear that they want sensible gun control measures put into place. Measures like universal background checks, banning military style weapons, gun buy-back programs and red flag laws.



"Is the minority or the majority controlling the legislative actions or inaction when it comes to passing sensible gun control measures?



"Is Americas form of democracy one where the minority rules?"

Again . . .

We turn to none other than the right-wing, conservative and ultra-MAGA NEW YORK TIMES to verify that this notion is incorrect . . .

"When voters in four Democratic-leaning states got the opportunity to enact expanded gun background checks into law, the overwhelming support suggested by national surveys was nowhere to be found. Instead, the initiative and referendum results in Maine, California, Washington and Nevada were nearly identical to those of the 2016 presidential election, all the way down to the result of individual counties."



Translation . . .

NOBODY WANTS GUN CONTROL!!! BUT IT'S SOMETHING NICE TO SAY TO POLLSTERS!!!



Read more of a clueless missive from local political player Janice Ellis via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

A democracy where the minority often rules | Opinion * Missouri Independent America's form of democracy supposed to be one where the consent of the majority rules. But is it? This question could not resonate any louder than when it comes to passing sensible gun control measures to stop the mass killing of unsuspecting citizens with military style weapons.

Alternative from NYT - Which, despite our jokes, is actually America's most classically liberal publication . . .



Voters Say They Want Gun Control. Their Votes Say Something Different. It's one of the most puzzling questions for Democrats in American politics: Why is the political system so unresponsive to gun violence? Expanded background checks routinely receive more than 80 percent or 90 percent support in polling. Yet gun control legislation usually gets stymied in Washington and Republicans never seem to pay a political price for their opposition.

You decide . . .


Right now we take a quick peek at follow-up on a case that shocked suburbanites and reminds us all that the drug war is a waste of time . . .



Check the legal crackdown and outset of a trial wherein some newsies will make things much worse for these youngsters by attempting to champion "LatinX" rights . . .



"Johnson County prosecutors filed motions to request all four 14-year-olds be tried as adults. The two remaining teens are 13, and Kansas state law does not allow for them to be tried as adults.



"Three 14-year-olds charged with first-degree murder in the May shooting death of an older teenager in Olathe pleaded not guilty Monday in Johnson County juvenile court, according to court documents.



A fourth defendant who is 14 had a first appearance scheduled for Monday but it was rescheduled for June 15.



The four defendants, who are not being identified because they are minors, are among six teenagers who have been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Marco Cardino of Smithville. Cardino was found fatally shot in his car near Blackbob Park on May 14. He died at the scene.



The Johnson County prosecutor has filed motions to charge the four as adults. The other two will not be tried as adults because they are 13 years old.



"The 14-year-old girl involved in the crime also pleaded not guilty during her hearing.



"The Johnson County District Attorney's Office said the incident stemmed from a drug deal that led to a robbery, which then led to the fatal shooting."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Three 14-year-olds charged in Olathe homicide at Black Bob Park plead not guilty Three 14-year-olds charged with first-degree murder in the May shooting death of an older teenager in Olathe pleaded not guilty Monday in Johnson County juvenile court, according to court documents. A fourth defendant who is 14 had a first appearance scheduled for Monday but it was rescheduled for June 15.

Five teens charged with first-degree murder in Olathe slaying appear in Johnson County court Five of six teenagers charged with first-degree murder at an Olathe park appeared before a judge on Monday as they stand accused of killing 19-year-old Marco Cardino, of Smithville, in a marijuana deal gone bad.All five teenagers pleaded not guilty through their attorneys or had a not guilty plea entered on their behalf by the judge.Four of the suspects are 14.

Developing . . .
Canada's Wonderland has donated 5,000 tickets to 53 hospitals in south central Ontario, including in Toronto, as well as the Ontario Paramedic Association, as a gesture of gratitude to health care workers for their ongoing efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health care workers can enjoy all Canada's Wonderland has to offer, including the Leviathan. - Canada's Wonderland photo
Over the last two pandemic years, the city has seen a net decline of 6,570 businesses. The decline of 3,480 in 2020 was the most city hall had ever counted. - R.J. Johnston / Toronto Star File Photo
'Who has to hold them to account?': Some in Scarborough aren't satisfied with the status quo
Police are turning to the public for help in identifying a suspect in an assault investigation in North York.
Newmarket resident, Megan Wu, was killed in a tragic boating accident in Toronto on May 31. Her funeral will take place June 11 at Taylor Funeral Home, followed by a celebration of life at Cachet Supper Club. - Courtesy of William Wu
Participants take part in a parent toddler drop-in swim at Agincourt Recreation Centre. The City of Toronto says its 2022 summer programs are now listed online. Registration starts June 7. - Dan Pearce/Metroland
There are allegations, about attempts to undermine the board of directors at Eastern Credit Union.
Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya has criticized the position of politicians who advise Ukraine to make concessions to Russia in order to stop the war.

According to Ukrinform's correspondent in New York, he said this on Monday at a meeting of the UN Security Council on sexual violence and human trafficking caused by Russian aggression.

"We reiterate therefore that any 'concession' that some 'well-wishers' advise now will be only the way to a new war. With the same scope for violence and closer to our western borders," he said.

According to him, if the recently occupied territories are not liberated, Russia will turn them into new strongholds for renewed attacks.

"There's hardly any other European nation that has experienced such deep devastation by Bolsheviks-Stalin-Hitler and eventually Putler within such a short period of history," he said.

"Seventy-seven years ago, mankind united in its struggle to destroy evil. Dozens of millions of lives were lost in order for us to realize that appeasement and concessions to the aggressor do not work. History tends to repeat itself if its lessons are not learned," Kyslytsya stressed.

Putin's Russia must be defeated. For the sake of international peace and security. For the sake of the Ukrainian people who pay the highest price now. For the sake of people throughout the world, in particular those depending on grain supplies from our region. And for the sake of the people of the Russia that should return to the family of democratic nations following its 'deputinization'," he added.

Kyslytsya stressed that "there is no other option but to resolve the problem of Russia's squatting in the Soviet permanent seat."

He noted that the Russian delegation continues to show up at the Security Council meetings on Ukraine.

"Everything said by the accomplices of crimes can and will be used against them in court. Of course, they have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before they speak here for their own sake, and maybe they already do," Kyslytsya added.
A total of 263 children have been killed and over 467 injured in Ukraine since the Russian invasion started.

The relevant statement was made by the Ukrainian Prosecutor Generals Office on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

As of June 7, 2022, over 730 children in Ukraine were affected by the Russian armed aggression. According to the data from juvenile prosecutors, 263 children were killed and over 467 injured, the report states.

These data are not final, as they are being investigated within the areas of hostilities, temporarily occupied and liberated areas.

Currently, most casualties were recorded in Donetsk Region (190), Kyiv Region (116), Kharkiv Region (112), Chernihiv Region (68), Luhansk Region (53), Kherson Region (52), Mykolaiv Region (47), Zaporizhzhia Region (29), Sumy Region (17), the city of Kyiv (16) and Zhytomyr Region (15).

On June 3, 2022, two people were killed in mine explosion on the beach in Mariupol, including an 8-year-old boy.

A total of 1,940 educational institutions were damaged across Ukraine as a result of Russias daily air and artillery strikes, and 184 of them were destroyed completely.

mk
Russia has already lost about 31,360 troops in Ukraine (+110 over the past day).

The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Between February 24, 2022 and June 7, 2022, the enemys total combat losses included also 1,390 tanks (+4 over the past day), 3,416 armored fighting vehicles (+16), 694 artillery systems (+4), 207 multiple launch rocket systems (+0), 96 anti-aircraft warfare systems (+0), 212 aircrafts (+1), 177 helicopters (+1), 2,405 motor vehicles and fuel tanks (+10), 13 warships/boats (+0), 553 unmanned aerial vehicles (+2), 53 special equipment units (+0). A total of 125 enemy cruise missiles (+0) were shot down.

Over the past day, Russian troops have suffered the highest losses in the Sloviansk direction. The data are yet to be updated.

A reminder that, in the morning of June 7, 2022, Russian troops shelled the city of Mykolaiv, and battles were raging in Donetsk Region, Luhansk Region and Kherson Region.

mk
The countries friendly to Ukraine, including the Czech Republic and Poland, are shipping ammunition as part of security assistance, with various "greetings" written on the shells, addressed to the Russians.

Thats according to Oleksii Biloshytskyi, First Deputy Chief of Ukraines Patrol Police, Ukrinform reports.

For instance, the Czech Republic sends ammunition, signed "For the Shot Prague Spring 1968". The Netherlands shells read "Revenge for MH17", while Poles write "For Katyn!"

"Everyone remembers everything. Russia will rot in isolation forever," said that patrol police official.

As reported, on February 24, Russia launched a new phase of its war against Ukraine  a full-scale invasion. Russian occupiers have been shelling and bombing peaceful towns and villages across Ukraine, torturing and killing civilians. Ukraine's defense forces are fiercely resisting the Russian onslaught.
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has called on the ambassadors of the G7 countries to assist in speeding up the supply of the necessary weapons by the governments of their countries for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The relevant statement was made by the Office of the President of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to Yermak, the supply of the necessary weapons will speed up Ukraines victory in this brutal, unprovoked war unleashed by Russia.

Yermak suggested intensifying work to raise awareness of partners about Ukraines defense needs, namely through regular briefings for military experts of interested countries and visits by journalists to the front line, etc.

The issue of Ukraines post-war reconstruction was also raised at the meeting. The G7 countries were invited to take part in the initiative launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which envisages taking patronage over individual cities or regions of Ukraine by partner countries with ensuring full control over the use of financial resources.

The participants of the meeting exchanged views on the ways to resume Ukraines grain exports, namely through the Black Sea ports.

The parties agreed on the importance of holding regular briefings for G7 ambassadors, in particular with the participation of senior government officials, in order to exchange views on topical issues of domestic and foreign policy agenda.

Photo: president.gov.ua

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Poland has signed a defense contract with Ukraine worth PLN 2.7 billion (about $650 million) for the sale of Krab self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for State Assets Jacek Sasin and National Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said this during a joint press conference at the Huta Stalowa Wola steel mill on Tuesday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Right now we are signing one of the largest, if not the largest, export defense contract in the last 30 years. This is the sale of weapons to Ukrainians, to Ukraine," Morawiecki said.

He stressed that these weapons will be "very important" on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine.

He noted that Ukraine receives funds for the purchase of these weapons partly from the EU and partly from its own budget.

Sasin, in turn, noted that the contract is a "record" one for Poland as its value exceeds PLN 2.7 billion.

"There has been no such contract in the Polish defense industry for the last 30 years," Sasin said.

Blaszczak said that the war in Ukraine is not what many imagined in the 21st century, but a war as in photos and stories from World War II.

According to him, artillery plays a key role in Russia's war against Ukraine. Therefore, Poland will rely on the development of artillery.

Asked whether Ukraine does not intend to buy additional batches of Piorun MANPADS from Poland, Blaszczak said that "Ukrainians highly praise these weapons." However, he confirmed the possible new deliveries of these missile systems to Ukraine, noting that the Polish Ministry of Defense will order these MANPADS for its own army.
Ukraine is not ready to consider the option of grain exports through Belarus.

As for the Belarusians, this is open information. We were offered to go through Belarus by rail. Yes. We understand what the volume is. We understand why we were offered this. We are not ready to work in this format and help our friendly neighbors," President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on June 6.

As reported, Russian President Putin called a "bluff" the message that Russia hinders the grain exports from Ukraine, provoking a food crisis, and pointed out possible export options. In particular, the simplest and cheapest option, in his opinion, is the export through Belarus.

Earlier, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal accused Russia of deliberate exacerbation of the global food crisis, condemned the blockade of Ukrainian ports, and called on the United Nations and international partners to take decisive joint action to respond to these challenges.

According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, the occupiers steal Ukrainian grain in the temporarily occupied territories. Stolen grain is transported either to Russia (primarily from Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk regions) or through the temporarily occupied Crimea (from Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions).

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Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak invited the Republic of Korea to join the restoration of Ukrainian regions or cities affected by the actions of Russian troops.

He made an offer during the meeting with the parliamentary delegation of the Republic of Korea headed by Lee Jun-seok, leader of the ruling People Power Party, the press service of the President's Office informs.

As noted, the visit of the Korean parliamentarians and its results will help identify key areas for further deepening cooperation between the two countries, in particular during the reconstruction of Ukraine's regions, which have suffered enormous damage as a result of the war.

In this context, Yermak announced the initiative of President Zelensky to invite democracies to take patronage over a region or a city in Ukraine that needs to be restored and urged the Korean side to join this project.

The Head of the Presidents Office thanked for Korea's consistent support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty and noted that today our country's main task is to win the unprovoked war started by Russia.

According to him, Ukraine's goal is to achieve peace as soon as possible, because the longer the war lasts, the greater are the risks for the whole world. At the same time, he stressed that our country especially needs military assistance to win.

"We are confident that this will be our victory and the victory of our friends and partners," said the Head of the President's Office.

During the meeting, the parties noted the importance of the fact that the high-level Korean delegation saw the situation in Ukraine personally, as well as visited Bucha and Irpin and had an opportunity to see the consequences of horrific war crimes committed by Russian invaders.

The Head of the Presidents Office and the delegation of the Republic of Korea also discussed some promising areas of post-war cooperation, in particular in the field of innovative automotive industry. Yermak suggested discussing these and other potentially interesting joint projects during a video conference with members of the government and business representatives of the two countries.

Moreover, Yermak touched upon a multilateral agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine developed by the Ukrainian side and its partners.

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Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said in France that if Ukraine does not receive a signal about the EU membership prospect at the end of June, Putin will receive this signal.

Stefanchuk made a corresponding statement on the air of BFMTV French TV channel.

He noted that he is touring the EU to talk honestly about two main things: to thank those who support Ukraine on its path to the EU, and to talk to skeptics about what still needs to be done to make them say that Ukraine is "worthy".

It is very important for us at the end of June, on the 24th, to receive a clear signal to the people of Ukraine that their struggle is not in vain, that the sacrifices that Ukrainians make today at the altar of their European prospects, the lives they give for the European values, they are heard in Europe. If there is no such signal, Putin will receive this signal. And every European country leader should bear this in mind too," Stefanchuk said.

Ruslan Stefanchuk, le president du parlement ukrainien, de passage en France pour porter la candidature de l'Ukraine a l'Union Europeenne pic.twitter.com/D8Q2NJ5ofc  BFMTV (@BFMTV) June 6, 2022

As reported, the European Commission is to adopt a conclusion on granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership, according to which the Council of EU will make a decision on Ukraine's candidacy at a meeting on June 23-24.

According to Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the European Commission's opinion on Ukraine's compliance with the Copenhagen Criteria for EU membership will be unveiled this week or early next.

On February 28, Ukraine applied for EU membership and completed all necessary procedures.

President Zelensky believes that Ukraine has met all the necessary criteria for obtaining the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union.

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The new Slovenian government supports the European aspirations of the Ukrainian people.

Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olena Kondratiuk said this after a meeting with Slovenia's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon, according to the press service of the Ukrainian parliament.

The two discussed the issue of granting Ukraine the status of a candidate country for accession to the European Union, the statement said.

"I was glad to hear that the new Slovenian government shares the European aspirations of the Ukrainian people," Kondratiuk said, adding that Ukrainians hope to see the EU's steadfast unity on Ukraine's European perspective.

She also thanked Slovenia for its consistent support of Ukraine in the fight against the Russian aggressor.

"Slovenia is a small country, but it has a big heart and determination. Since the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine has received significant political, humanitarian and military assistance from Slovenia," Kondratiuk said.

According to her, Slovenia condemns war crimes committed by Russia, including the killing of civilians in Ukraine, and insists on bringing all perpetrators of these atrocities to international criminal justice.

Fajon, in turn, said that she would recommend the Slovenian government to support granting Ukraine the status of a candidate country for EU membership.

"Slovenia is a country of your reliable friends who wish Ukraine only victory," she said.

She also noted that Ukraine is fighting for the whole of Europe today.

"You have managed to mobilize the support of 500 million European citizens," Fajon said.

Kondratiuk on Tuesday began a working visit to Slovenia by laying flowers at the monument to Hryhoriy Skovoroda together with Ukrainian Ambassador Mykhailo Brodovych.

Representatives of the European Council will hold a substantive discussion on granting Ukraine the status of a candidate country for membership in the European Union at a meeting on June 23-24.

Photo credit: press service of the Verkhovna Rada
The EU should work together to approve the seventh package of sanctions, which must include, inter alia, a complete ban on Russian gas and petrochemicals imports.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Zbigniew Rau made a corresponding statement at a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenberg in Warsaw on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to him, the adoption of the sixth package of EU sanctions against Russia last week is "an important step towards ensuring Europe's independence from Russian energy resources."

However, Rau called it an insufficient step and urged to immediately start working on the seventh package of sanctions.

Among other things, according to the minister, it must include "imposing a complete ban on Russian gas and petrochemicals imports and cutting off all Russian and Belarusian banks from SWIFT system."

Ukraine's place is in the European Union, Rau stressed.

"Therefore, we expect a positive recommendation from the European Commission to grant Ukraine candidate status. We hope that the European Council will make a positive decision in this regard at the next meeting," Rau said.

This does not change Warsaw's position on supporting European integration of the Western Balkans, he noted.

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Estonia supports Ukraine on the military, economic, and diplomatic fronts in the fight against the Russian Federation.

"Ukraine now has three important fronts: military, economic, and diplomatic. On all these fronts, we thank the Republic of Estonia for actually fighting with us, helping us to fight against the Russian Federation," First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniyenko said at a meeting with First Vice-President of the Estonian Parliament Hanno Pevkur, Ukrinform reports with reference to the Verkhovna Rada press service.

In terms of military cooperation, Estonia has provided Ukraine with about EUR 240 million in aid, being a major part of the Estonian defense budget.

"Anti-tank missiles, artillery, light weapons, ammunition, fuel, communications, medical supplies  actually Estonia has provided everything that is at the front, except, perhaps, aircraft and submarines," Korniyenko said, thanking also for humanitarian aid and support in clearing mines in Ukrainian territories.

In addition, the First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada stressed the importance of Estonia's support for sanctions against Russia, the abandonment of Russian energy, as well as the provision of financial support to the Ukrainian economy.

According to him, the contribution of private assistance from Estonia alone has reached about EUR 14 million.

In turn, Hanno Pevkur said that he personally had accommodated a Ukrainian family in his apartment and they also had moved their parents from Melitopol.

"This shows how many friends Ukraine has in Estonia. Ukrainians receive all the necessary assistance: education, employment, even amendments in the legal framework were made to improve conditions for Ukrainians," said the First Vice-President of the Estonian Parliament.

As reported, Korniyenko and Pevkur visited Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions on June 6.

Estonia intends to lead the reconstruction of Zhytomyr region. According to Pevkur, the Government of Estonia has a list of 15 facilities in the region that need to be restored.

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The Council of the European Union has in no way explained the removal of the blockage of cloud services for Russia from the sanctions list.

At first, the EU Council announces the blockage of Russia from EUs cloud services in the Sixth Sanction Package. Then, the EU Council edits the message, removing these references. No clarifications or explanations from the officials, Mykhailo Podolyak, Adviser to the Head of the Office of President of Ukraine, posted on Twitter.

We must increase the sanctions pressure, not decrease, he stressed.

As reported, on June 3, information about new sanctions against Russia, in particular regarding consulting services, including cloud services, was published on the website of the Council.

Subsequently, the mention of cloud technology restrictions was removed from the press release on the approval of the sixth package of sanctions against Russia on the website of the Council of EU.

The sixth sanctions package also includes oil embargo, cutting off several more banks from SWIFT, suspension of Russian state television broadcasting, and personal restrictive measures.

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Ukraine emphasizes the need for effective security guarantees for the resumption of navigation which should be provided through the supply of weapons to protect the coast and the involvement of third country forces in patrolling the Black Sea.

This is underscored in the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

The Ministry notes that Ukraine makes every effort to unblock seaports to prevent the global food crisis and is currently working with the UN and partners to create a humanitarian corridor for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.

"Given Russia's recent missile strike on a grain terminal in Mykolayiv, we cannot rule out Russia's plans to use such a corridor to attack Odesa and southern Ukraine. That is why effective security guarantees are needed to resume shipping," reads the statement.

The Ministry emphasizes that such guarantees should be provided by supplying Ukraine with appropriate weapons to protect the coast from threats from the sea and by involving naval forces of third countries in patrolling the relevant part of the Black Sea water area.

The Foreign Ministry also underscores that it appreciates Turkey's efforts to unblock Ukrainian ports, noting that there are currently no agreements on this issue between Ukraine, Turkey, and Russia.

"At the same time, we emphasize that decisions must be made with the participation of all parties involved. We will reject any agreements that do not take the interests of Ukraine into account," the Foreign Ministry stresses.

In addition, the Ministry notes that Ukraine has already started supplying grain to the world market by trucks, rail and river transport, but this issue can be resolved comprehensively only by unblocking Ukrainian ports, diplomats state.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also calls on all interested partners to focus efforts together with Ukraine on finding a balanced solution that will lift Russia's blockade of ports while providing clear security guarantees for Ukraine's Black Sea coast and relevant humanitarian corridors.

On February 24, Russia launched a full-scale war against Ukraine. As a result of the aggression and the sea blockade, more than 20 million tonnes of grain destined for export remain stuck at the Ukrainian ports. This has posed a threat of global hunger, as almost half of all supplies under the UN World Food Program account for the Ukrainian grain.

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Swedish Ambassador to Ukraine Tobias Thyberg paid a visit to the village of Velyka Dymerka, Kyiv region, which had been severely damaged by Russian invaders.

Thats according to a report by the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

"On Sweden's National Day, I visited the liberated Velyka Dymerka. We have been supporting municipalities in Ukraine since the 1990s and we are aware of the strength of communities. We are now focusing our efforts on helping them recover," the diplomat said.

As reported, a National Council has been set up in Ukraine to rebuild the country after the war, which has already been supported by a number of European leaders. Each of the EU countries will have the opportunity to rebuild a particular region.

The village of Velyka Dymerka in Brovary district, Kyiv region, was liberated on April 1.

The invaders bombed a local school and multiple households, inflicting serious damage on the settlement.
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have signed several deals on economic cooperation during the trade and economic business mission of Kazakh manufacturers to Baku, Azernews reports.

A memorandum of cooperation was signed between QazTrade and Ganja Entrepreneurs PA. At the same time, contracts were signed for the supply of rolled metal products, sunflower oil, salt, rice and paint products.

Moreover, an agreement was signed between the Kazakh Institute of Standardization and Metrology and the Azerbaijani State Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Patents.

Trade turnover

QazTrade's Director-General Azamat Askaruly stated that the trade turnover between the two countries tripled in the first quarter of 2022.

In this regard, he mentioned that the trade turnover reached $100 million in January-March 2022.

"I am sure the trade turnover will reach $500 million this year and we will be able to reach $1 billion in perspective," he said.

To recall, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan amounted to $135.7 million in 2021.

Investments

Agency for Small and Medium Business Development Chairman Orkhan Mammadov mentioned that Azerbaijan's investments in the Kazakh non-oil sector from 1995 to 2021 amounted to more than $200 million, while Kazakhstan's investments in the Azerbaijani non-oil sector totaled about $100 million.

Noting that over 15,000 companies with foreign capital are registered in Azerbaijan, he emphasized that 159 of them are companies with the Kazakh capital, operating in the sphere of industry, construction, trade, agriculture, transport, and services. He added that Azerbaijani companies are also represented in the Kazakh market.

The chairman added that the agency attaches great importance to expanding ties with specialized organizations in Kazakhstan at the level of government agencies, as well as directly with the business community.

"We closely cooperate with the Damu Entrepreneurship Development Fund, and our delegations also participate in the national exhibition "Ulttyq Onim" held annually in Nur-Sultan city," he said.

Additionally, he expressed an interest in attracting Kazakh business to Azerbaijan and readiness to provide the necessary assistance.

Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan intergovernmental commission

At the same time, Kazakh Ambassador mentioned that the meeting of the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan intergovernmental commission will be held in Nur-Sultan on July 4-5.

Noting that a comprehensive program of development of cooperation until 2026 is being prepared, he added that the meeting is planned to consider a number of issues of cooperation between countries in various spheres of activity.

Abdykarimov emphasized that the Kazakh side has already formed its part of the Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan business council.

"This platform will serve the dialogue of business circles of our countries and strengthen trade, economic and investment cooperation," he said.

Trans-Caspian International Transport Route

Speaking at the event, Kazakh Ambassador Serzhan Abdykarimov underlined the necessity to work on the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. He noted that the volume of cargo transportation via this route is expected to grow six-fold by the end of 2022.

Noting that in the post-pandemic period, the trade turnover between the two countries has increased and direct flights were launched, the ambassador emphasized that conducting a trade and economic mission will contribute to an even greater growth of trade and economic cooperation.

Abdykarimov recalled that recently a memorandum on the creation of the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan Expert Council was signed.

"I invite all entrepreneurs to take part in its work. This is a good platform for the development of not only political but also economic relations," he opined.

Additionally, he said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"The visit of the president of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan is expected this year. During the visit a number of documents are expected to be signed," he said.

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor was established in February 2014 with the participation of relevant Azerbaijani, Kazakh, and Georgian cargo transportation agencies. Ukraine, Romania, and Poland have recently been mentioned. Currently, the route begins in the Chinese port of Lianyungang and passes through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, reaching further Europe either via the Georgian Black Sea ports or Turkey through the BakuTbilisiKars railway.
June 7 2022

Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University (RGU) is augmenting its Garthdee Campus with the erection of a permanent folly in the form of a miniature house.

George Watt + Stewart Architects propose to set the small home in a new concrete base within the grounds of the Scott Sutherland School for Architecture & the Built Environment to encourage interaction with the landscape.

In a supporting statement the university wrote: "RGU are looking to improve their campus by encouraging students, staff and the public to further explore beyond the buildings by promoting walking activity with destination points.

"The location selected for relocation is set to be visible from the buildings to encourage interaction and to be a focal point, but it is noted the folly is not a building and does not provide accommodation."

'House in the Woods' is an existing art installation and had been positioned in the quadrangle at Marischal College but is currently languishing in storage.
Santo Domingo, June 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Jun, 2022 ) :The Dominican Republic's environment minister, Orlando Jorge Mera, was shot dead during a meeting on Monday by a businessman and longtime friend, who has been taken into custody, the government said.

A lawyer and politician, the 55-year-old Jorge Mera was the son of former president Salvador Jorge Blanco (1982-86), and had headed the environment ministry since mid-2020.

"The information we have at the moment indicates that this morning the environment minister lost his life after he was attacked with a firearm in his office," said Homero Figueroa, the spokesman for the presidency.

"Miguel Cruz, who has been identified as the shooter, was a personal friend of the dead minister," he said.

Figueroa said the suspect was in police custody and his motive was "under investigation." The alleged shooter used his friendship with the victim to gain access to a secure area where Jorge Mera was holding a regular meeting with his deputies, ministry sources told AFP.

According to a statement from Jorge Mera's family, Cruz was "a childhood friend whom he received in his office." According to sources close to the investigation, Cruz and Jorge Mera had found themselves at loggerheads over environmental policy.

Jorge Mera had promised upon taking office in 2020 to work for the "responsible" use of natural resources, to protect ecosystems and slash pollution.

In a March interview with El Caribe and CDN, the minister said he had reported to the judiciary 2,300 cases of environmental permit violations, illegal cutting of trees and damage to mangroves.

Among those affected were active and retired military, police and business people.

The Acento website said seven gunshots were heard and shortly afterwards a heavily armed elite police unit entered the ministry.

Police did not immediately comment on the incident.

President Luis Abinader declared himself "deeply saddened" by the minister's death, offering his condolences to the victims' wife and children, while the environment ministry said it was "dismayed" by the attack.

Jorge Mera, who formed the Modern Revolutionary Party alongside Abinader, was president of the Dominican telecommunications institute from 2000 to 2004.

A lawyer, he had also worked as a television producer and presenter.

He came from a political family. His sister Dilia Jorge Mera is a deputy minister, his son Orlando Jorge Villegas is a legislator and his widow Patricia Villegas is the ambassador to Brazil.
(@FahadShabbir)

Kyiv, Ukraine, June 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Jun, 2022 ) :Street fighting raged Tuesday for control of Ukraine's flashpoint city of Severodonetsk, with the situation changing "every hour", an official said, as Kyiv warned its troops were outnumbered by Russian forces.

Just days ago, Moscow seemed close to taking the strategic industrial hub in the east but Ukrainian forces have managed to hold out.

"Our heroes are holding their positions in Severodonetsk. Fierce street fights continue in the city," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address late Monday.

Concerns about a global food crisis also grew as Zelensky warned of tightening grain supplies -- Ukraine is a top producer of the commodity -- due to what Washington described as a Russian strategy of "blackmail".

Thousands of civilians have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine on February 24.

After being repelled from other parts of the country, including Kyiv, Russia has concentrated its assault on the eastern Donbas region and had been making slow but steady progress.

Severodonetsk -- the largest city still in Ukrainian hands in the Lugansk region of the Donbas -- has been the focal point in recent weeks, and officials described a fast-changing situation on the ground.

"The situation is changing every hour, but at the same time there's enough forces and resources to repel attacks," said mayor Oleksandr Striuk on Monday.

"We have hope, we have faith in our armed forces, no one's going to abandon" Severodonetsk, he added.

Zelensky warned Ukrainian forces in the key city were outnumbered and the Russians "are stronger," speaking to journalists after visiting frontline positions in Lysychansk, across the river from Severodonetsk.

Days earlier, officials said the Russians controlled more than 70 percent of the city but then Moscow's forces were pushed back, and see-saw battles have been raging since.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War said the Ukrainians' successful counterattacks highlighted "the declining combat power of Russian forces in Ukraine".

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, combined with supply chain snarls and climate change, has triggered stark warnings of global food shortages.

Moscow has blockaded the key black sea port of Odessa, and Zelensky said Ukraine had up to 25 million tonnes of grain that could not be exported.

"In the autumn that could be 70 to 75 million tonnes," said the president, whose country was the world's fourth biggest grain exporter before the war.

In Washington, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken added his voice to the criticism.

"Right now a Russian naval blockade in the Black Sea is preventing Ukraine's crops from being shipped to their normal destinations," he said.

Blinken said it was a deliberate strategy by Putin to force the rest of the world "to give in to him," and eliminate sanctions on Russia.
Washington, June 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jun, 2022 ) :French astronaut Thomas Pesquet on Tuesday urged Europe to seize the momentum created by its newfound diplomatic unity and "start moving now" to develop its own human spaceflight capacity.

The charismatic engineer and pilot, 44, recently completed his second deployment to the International Space Station on the NASA-SpaceX Crew-2 mission, and has arguably the highest profile among the European Astronaut Corps, in addition to being a celebrity in his native France.

Though he has long extolled international cooperation in space and remains in the mix to possibly go to the Moon as part of the NASA-led Artemis missions, Pesquet said it was vital for Europe's leaders to give the European Space Agency (ESA) the funding and mandate it needs to launch its own people, too.

"That topic is gaining momentum now," he told AFP at NASA headquarters in Washington.

"In the late eighties and early nineties, we had this goal of becoming more independent as far as space access for humans, and then it didn't pan out.

Several things happened, Germany had to reunite, they had to redirect budgets etc." Russia's invasion of Ukraine has now unified Europe's once fractious member states, and Pesquest said he hoped ESA member countries will capitalize on the continent's new clout.

"These topics like European diplomacy, European defense are coming back on the table, and part of that process is also that independent human access to space," he argued.

Currently, only the United States, Russia and China have independent launch capacity, while India is looking to acquire the same.

One potential option for ESA is launching crew on a spaceship fixed to the Ariane 6 rocket, which is currently under development and is expected to make its debut launch from French Guiana by the end of this year.

"We have to start moving now, because the development cycles are long. You don't want this to happen in 15 to 20 years," he said.

-
(@FahadShabbir)

Johannesburg, June 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Jun, 2022 ) :Two Indian-born brothers who allegedly wove a web of corruption across South Africa have been arrested in Dubai and face extradition, in a landmark step in Pretoria's anti-graft fight.

Dubai police confirmed Tuesday they had arrested Atul and Rajesh Gupta after receiving a so-called red notice from Interpol, and were coordinating with the South African authorities for their extradition.

South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority confirmed the contact but gave no details, saying extradition processes were complex and involved heads of states.

The arrests took place on June 2, according to the UAE's state news agency.

They bring a glimmer of hope that the alleged masterminds behind South Africa's darkest corruption scandal will face prosecution after years of legal fog and delay.

The two tycoons are accused of paying bribes for state contracts and wielding influence over ministerial appointments in a scandal that clouded former president Jacob Zuma's administration and eventually forced him from office.

By one estimate, several billion Dollars were lost to the South African economy as a result of their activities.

After Zuma resigned in February 2018, his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa took over.

Ramaphosa vowed to make the fight against graft the cornerstone of his presidency. But prosecutions have been rare, public scepticism runs deep and Ramaphosa himself is now fighting accusations of scandal.

- 'State capture' - The Guptas came to South Africa in 1993, eventually building a sprawling empire in mining, computer technology and media. Some members of their family were granted South African citizenship.

But the pair and other family members fled the country shortly after a judicial commission, launched in 2018, started probing "state capture" -- the alleged looting of state assets -- and the brothers' influence over the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

After arduous investigations, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo this year published a report that described how the brothers became intertwined with the highest levels of government and the ANC.

The family befriended Zuma to the point where they influenced cabinet appointments and infiltrated state-owned enterprises, where they secured some of the juiciest contracts, it said.

Zuma "would do anything that the Guptas wanted him to do for them", Zondo said in his report published this year.

Zuma was last year jailed for 15 months for refusing to testify before the investigators. He was released on parole, having served just two months.

An independent investigator estimated that the cost of the Guptas' alleged illicit activities in South Africa could be as much as 50 billion rand ($3.2 billion) over the years.

Their current arrest is however for fraud and money laundering in connection with a 25-million-rand contract paid to a Gupta-linked company for an agricultural feasibility study.

Their arrests came almost a year after Interpol issued a red notice -- a global alert enabling law enforcement to arrest a person sought for prosecution or to serve a custodial sentence and hold them pending extradition.

A third brother, Ajay Gupta, is not cited in the current case, but has been named in another embezzlement and corruption case.

- Ramaphosa's problems - The ANC lauded the arrests, calling for the extradition to be expedited.

"The latest developments underscore the commitment of the ANC-led government to rigorously root out all forms of corruption," it said in a statement.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) said it hoped the detentions marked "the beginning of arrests and prosecution of those who have... looted our country for years and are directly responsible for the hardships that millions of South Africans face today".

Ramaphosa, meanwhile, is enmeshed in a growing scandal centred on the theft of cash from his sprawling cattle and game farm.

He is accused of buying the silence of the burglars, who were allegedly detained on his property.

He fiercely denies the allegations, which have surfaced as he vies to stay on as ruling party leader when his term expires in December.

"The ones who are pursuing the corrupt also have skeletons in the cupboards," said Sandile Swana, an independent political analyst, who believed Ramaphosa would probably retain his presidency despite the "Farmgate" scandal.

Julius Malema, leader of the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters, wants Ramaphosa "to step aside with immediate effect" over the farm scandal.
(@FahadShabbir)

Bamako, June 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Jun, 2022 ) :Mali's military rulers announced on Monday they would delay until March 2024 a return to civilian rule following double coups that have been denounced by countries in the region and foreign powers.

Junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita signed a decree read out on state television saying that "the duration of the transition is fixed at 24 months (from) March 26, 2022".

Mali has undergone two military coups since August 2020, when the army ousted elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Its military rulers had pledged to return power to civilians by February 2022 but subsequently extended the timetable, incurring regional sanctions.

Mali is struggling under those sanctions imposed by other countries in West Africa for its perceived foot-dragging over restoring civilian rule.

Anger at the mounting toll in the country's battle against militants unleashed protests against Keita, paving the way for the coup by disgruntled army officers in August 2020.

A second de-facto coup occurred in May 2021, when strongman Goita pushed out an interim civilian government and took over the presidency.

The violence gripping Mali since 2012 has involved attacks by militants linked to Al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State group, but also an assortment of self-declared militias and bandits.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

London, June 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Jun, 2022 ) :Britain's embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed on Tuesday to plough on with policy priorities including the economy and Ukraine, but was urged by a Conservative predecessor to quit and save the nation from further "agonies".

Addressing his cabinet a day after narrowly fending off a no-confidence vote from his own Conservative MPs, Johnson said: "We're able now to draw a line under the issues that our opponents want to talk about." But most critics and commentators disagreed, with many characterising the margin of his win -- 211 votes to 148 -- as a "Pyrrhic" victory that left the Tory leader drained of much authority.

Johnson's former employers at the Daily Telegraph branded it "a hollow victory that tears Tories apart".

"Party's over, Boris," headlined the Daily Mirror, in a nod to a series of lockdown-busting parties held in Downing Street, which saw Johnson fined by police and drew outrage from voters.

The prime minister's team tried to regain the offensive by pointing to a setpiece speech expected in the coming days on new economic support measures, as Britons struggle with a cost-of-living crisis.
(@Abdulla99267510)

Annalena Baerbock is visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-June 7th, 2022) German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is arriving Islamabad on Tuesday on a two-day visit to hold talks with Pakistani leadership on matter of mutual interests.

She is visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

During the visit, the two Foreign Ministers will hold delegation-level talks on the entire range of bilateral matters and exchange views on regional and global issues.

German Foreign Minister will also call on the Prime Minister.

The visit of the Foreign Minister Baerbock is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and is expected to impart further boost to the multi-faceted Pakistan-Germany relationship.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th June, 2022) Pakistan is committed to the Pakistan Stream gas pipeline project, Moscow and Islamabad are currently discussing legal issues, Shafqat Ali Khan, the country's ambassador to Moscow, told Sputnik.

"The exact date (when work on the project will be completed) is unknown yet. There are several legal issues. There are no particular problems. As for political will, both countries are committed to this project," the diplomat said.

The Pakistan Stream gas pipeline was originally called "North-South."
(@FahadShabbir)

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th June, 2022) The confiscation of Russian property under legislation now moving toward approval by the parliament of Canada is illegal under international law, and, if it happens, Russia would be entitled to take countermeasures, a leading US authority who has worked with the United Nations told Sputnik on Monday.

"That is the correct conclusion under international law," University of Illinois Professor of International Law Francis Boyle said. "Under the current circumstances, it would be illegal to seize Russian assets, confiscate them and then distribute the proceeds to Ukraine."

The proposed new powers are contained in the current budget implementation bill C-19 which the House of Commons, the main chamber of the Canadian parliament, is expected to pass later this month.

The measure will give the Ottawa Federal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the power to seize Russian government assets in the country and sell them off to then use the proceeds to support Ukraine.

However, under accepted international law, such action would only be legal and permissible if Canada, the United States or any other nation declared war on Russia before seizing its assets, Boyle noted.

"According to the international laws of war, it would require a formal Declaration of War by any of these states against Russia before they could seize and confiscate Russian assets.

And even then they would still be bound to observe their respective constitutional requirements," he said.

Indeed, if Trudeau's government or other nations pushed ahead with such measures that were clearly illegal under established international law, Russia would have the right to retaliate in kind, Boyle said.

"If this were to occur, Russia would be entitled to take countermeasures against states confiscating their assets in the absence of a formal declaration of war," he said.

This legal principle would also be true for the United States and European Union member states as well, Boyle added.

Earlier on Monday EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc should consider exploiting Russia's foreign exchange reserves, frozen after Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine, for reconstruction of Ukraine after the hostilities ceased.

Borrell said there is a precedent for confiscating a nation's reserve funds with their subsequent use for humanitarian efforts. Such a decision was made by the United States in March, when President Joe Biden ruled to forward $3.5 billion from Afghanistan's frozen foreign exchange assets to a fund providing humanitarian aid to the Afghan people, he said.
South Africas Bishop of Umtata Diocese and SACBC President has said that the Church in Southern Africa and Nigeria are one body in Christ: Your pain is our pain.

Vatican News.

President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC), Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, said he learnt with great shock and distress the massacre of more than 50 Catholics during Pentecost Sunday Mass on 5 June 2022, in Owo, Nigeria.

Media can do more to unearth what is going on

It is most disheartening and contradictory that when we celebrate a model of unity of humanity where nations could talk and hear each other in their own language, we are facing a situation where one group chooses to eliminate and kill ... What is concerning is the failure of the media and other stakeholders to dig deeper into the causes of these murderous conflicts so that they can be dealt with for what they are, said the Southern Africa prelate.

We stand with Nigerians in solidarity and prayers

Bishop Sipuka added, The Southern African Catholic Bishops join the Holy Father in conveying condolences to the Church in Nigeria and to the relatives of those who lost their lives. Condolences also to our many Nigerian brothers and sisters living in Southern Africa. The Church in Southern Africa and the Church in Nigeria are one body in Christ. Your pain is our pain. As you weep and greatly mourn because your innocent brothers and sisters are no more (Mt. 2:18), we stand with you in solidarity of prayer for peace. May the blood of those who died celebrating the unity of humanity on Pentecost day serve as an impetus for peace, said the Bishop of Umtata.
An aerial photo of the Javari River in Brazil's Amazonas State (AFP or licensors)

Pope Francis sends a message to participants in the 4th Meeting of the Catholic Church in Amazonia, urging them to renew their missionary outreach to proclaim the Gospel.

By Devin Watkins

As the Church in Brazils Amazonia region meets for its 4th regional meeting, Pope Francis sent his encouragement to the local Churchs ministers.

In a message released on Tuesday, the Pope said his heart was full of joy and hope to see the Christian communities in the Amazon Basin work together to help give the Church a new face with Amazonian characteristics.

Evangelization and identity

He recalled the first Meeting of the Catholic Church in the Amazonia, which was held 50 years ago in the same city of Santarem, in northern Brazil.

That encounter, he noted, set the local Church on a path of missionary evangelization and filled it with the desire for the formation of a firm ecclesial awareness.

The Meeting also helped pave the way for the 2019 Synod of Bishops on the Amazonia.

Synodality and vitality

Pope Francis went on to praise the Brazilian Church for its efforts to be with those in the Amazon Basin.

I rejoice in the commitment of the particular Churches of the Brazilian Amazonia, through their communities, to strive ahead under the indications of the last Synodal Assembly, while testifying, through the already deep-rooted and beautiful tradition of local Church meetings, to the experience of synodalityas an expression of communion, participation and missionto which the whole Church is called.

The Pope said the Bishops of Brazil filled the 2019 Synod with vitality, strength, and hope.

Courageous and audacious

Pope Francis also encouraged the Church in Brazil to be courageous and audacious and to be open to Gods action and inspiration.

God has given us Himself, he said, and inspires us through His Spirit to proclaim the Gospel with new commitment and contemplate the beauty of Creation, which is even more exuberant in these Amazonian lands, wherein we experience the luminous presence of the Risen Lord.

The Pope concluded by entrusting the Church in the Brazilian Amazonia to Our Lady of Nazareth, Queen of the Amazonia, who never abandons us in our darkest moments.
Early projections show the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party is headed for a landslide victory in the local elections held Sunday, according to early results broadcast by pro-government officials and the nations election body.

According to the National Election Committee, voter turnout stood at 80.19% by 11 a.m. local time and at 77.91% when the polls closed at 3 p.m. Some 9.2 million Cambodians are registered and eligible to vote. An official tally is expected to be released June 26.

Led by longtime autocrat Prime Minister Hun Sen, the CPP won more than 9,000 of the 11,622 council seats being contested in 1,652 commune offices nationwide, preliminary results broadcast Monday by state media showed. Of the 1,652 commune chief positions, CPP won 1,648.

The opposition Candlelight Party is projected to win at least four commune chief positions, collecting some 2,176 commune council seats nationwide, according to the partys officials Monday.

In each Cambodian commune  administrative territory equivalent to a sub-district or a sub-county  a commune council is formed to govern by the proportionate party-list elections. A councilor from the majority party will lead the council as commune chief.

Unfair elections

On Sunday, the opposition and the local rights group LICADHO reported irregularities with the ballot-counting process when the polls closed at 3 p.m. local time. It alleged a number of polling stations restricted access to onlookers, closing the doors and windows of stations from scrutiny. It also alleged intimidation tactics against opposition party representatives.

The Candlelight Party (CLP) decried the electoral process as rigged and the worst in history, citing systematic bias to the ruling party by the weak electoral authorities. On Monday, the partys leadership held a news conference to condemn the conduct but added that it would accept the seats won with dissatisfaction.

These elections are worse than the previous ones in terms of transparency and honesty. The public is not being allowed to witness the vote counting, as required by the National Election Committee (NEC), CLP founder and ex-leader Sam Rainsy tweeted late Sunday. Today, thanks to the courage and intelligence of Cambodian democrats who refuse to give up their struggle, the monopoly of power exercised by Hun Sen has been broken at the local level, despite the manipulated and unjust character of these communal elections.

However, NEC chairman Prach Chan, a former CPP central committee member, called the voting process a success. He also said election day was smooth and peaceful. Asked by reporters at a news conference Sunday afternoon, Chan defended the practice of closing the doors and windows of polling stations during the counting process as well as of local authorities writing down names of those who do or dont vote.

Last week, the U.N. Human Rights Office said, We are disturbed by the pattern of threats, intimidation and obstruction targeting opposition candidates ahead of communal elections in Cambodia on 5 June.

Last elections

The last commune elections in 2017 saw a razor-thin margin between CPP and the Cambodia National Rescue Party, with the latter claiming nearly half of either popular votes or commune council seats. CPP claimed 6,503 seats, while CNRP received 5,007 council seats. CNRP was controversially dissolved in a CPP-controlled court system, and its top 118 party members were hit with five-year bans from political activities.

In 2012, the Candlelight Party merged with the Human Rights Party to form the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which led to the historically strongest electoral performance by the opposition in the 2013 general elections and 2017 local elections.

In 2021, after the CNRP was dissolved, the CLP was reactivated and managed to field candidates nationwide, fielding a group second in size only to the ruling CPP.

However, the reborn CLP was strongly contested by embattled opposition leader Kem Sokhas HRP faction, leaving the opposition in a fractured state. Sokha's aide, Muth Chantha, told VOA Khmer on Sunday that Sokha would not vote because there was no good option for him to choose.

The commune elections, held a year before general elections, are traditionally seen as a test of the ruling partys strength.

The Sunday poll was held after CPP led a seemingly successful campaign to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccinating more than 93% of the 16 million population against the virus. It was also the first election since Hun Sen named his eldest son, Hun Manet, a three-star general and the nations army chief, as his designated successor.

Hun Sen has been in office as premier since 1985 while the CPP has been in power since 1979. The established ruling party entered the race in a position of strength against the 16 other opposition parties with firm controls on states institutions, resources, armed forces, grassroots networks, and a well-oiled propaganda machine.

In the northwestern city of Battambang, opposition supporters expressed mixed feelings about the early results.

Despite losing, we will never back down, said Soeun Ratha, who volunteered for CLP to observe polling stations in the citys OChar commune, Winning or losing is normal because we may lose today and win back in the future.

Voters speak up

In Phnom Penh, where all 105 commune-chief positions may go to the CPP, voters interviewed by VOA Khmer called for better public services and integrity in the local administration offices. Many said they preferred to consider individual candidates over party in this party-list voting system  which as the name implies, party names and not candidates names are on the ballots.

They [the commune councilors] will be tasked to be our guardians in which we can rely on because I will not look at which party they come from but at the candidates on whether they are capable of developing our community, Da Ny, a 34-year-old housewife, told VOA Khmer after voting at Phnom Penhs High School for Fine Arts Sunday morning.

Choeurn Sakhon, who voted at a polling station in Phnom Penhs Indradevi High School, said local elected leaders should be down-to-earth and take care of those in need.

They hold a noble role of serving the Khmer people, Sakhon, 87, said in referring to Cambodias hegemonic ethnic group. We must elect into power those who serve the people  regardless of which party. As long as the individual candidates can fulfill that role, it does not matter which party they come from, Ill vote for them.

Keo Chy, a Battambang resident, told VOA Khmer that he wanted newly elected local leaders to strengthen the quality of local services.

The commune leader elected to receive peoples mandate shall be empowered to provide better administrative services, organize more townhall meetings to listen more to the people and let people participate more with the authorities in the villages and the communes, Chy, 34, said.

Some other voters, when reached by VOA, declined interviews, citing fears of reprisal.

VOA Cambodian journalists, Thida Win, Sokummono Khan, Kann Vicheika, Sun Narin, Hul Reaksmey, Lors Liblib, Pin Sisovann and Nem Sopheakpanha contributed to this report.
The former top leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group and other members have been charged with seditious conspiracy for what federal prosecutors say was a coordinated attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory, authorities said Monday.



Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, the former Proud Boys chairman, and four others linked to the group are charged in the latest indictment against them. All five were previously charged with different conspiracy counts.



Tarrio, the group's top leader, wasn't in Washington, D.C., when the riot erupted January 6, 2021. Police arrested Tarrio in Washington two days before the riot and charged him with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December 2020. Tarrio was released from jail January 14 after serving his five-month sentence for that case.



The new riot-related indictments against Proud Boys members are among the most serious filed so far, but they aren't the first of their kind.



Eleven members or associates of the anti-government Oath Keepers militia group, including its founder and leader Stewart Rhodes, were indicted in January on seditious conspiracy charges in the Capitol attack.



More than three dozen people charged in the Capitol siege have been identified by federal authorities as Proud Boys leaders, members or associates.



A New York man pleaded guilty in December to storming the U.S. Capitol with fellow Proud Boys members. Matthew Greene was the first Proud Boys member to publicly plead guilty to conspiring with other members to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote. Greene agreed to cooperate with the authorities.



On the morning of January 6, Proud Boys members met at the Washington Monument and marched to the Capitol before then-President Donald Trump finished speaking to thousands of supporters near the White House.



Just before Congress convened a joint session to certify the election results, a group of Proud Boys followed a crowd of people who breached barriers at a pedestrian entrance to the Capitol grounds, an indictment says. Several Proud Boys also entered the Capitol building after the mob smashed windows and forced open doors.



Prosecutors have said the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on BaoFeng radios. The Chinese-made devices can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making it difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.



In December, a federal judge refused to dismiss an earlier indictment charging four alleged leaders of the far-right Proud Boys with conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly rejected defense attorneys' arguments that the four men  Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Charles Donohoe  were charged with conduct that is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.



Nordean, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president and a member of the group's national "Elders Council." Biggs, of Ormond Beach, Florida, is a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Rehl was president of the Proud Boys chapter in Philadelphia. Donohoe, of Kernersville, North Carolina, also served as president of his local chapter, according to the indictment.



Proud Boys members describe the group as a politically incorrect men's club for "Western chauvinists." Its members frequently have brawled with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.






Moscow on Monday warned several U.S. media outlets of retaliatory measures in response to what it views as restrictions on Russian media.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova met with representatives of a dozen U.S. media outlets in Moscow. According to a journalist with knowledge of the meeting, she made clear "that if the U.S. government doesn't change its attitude toward Russian journalists working in the United States, Russia will carry out similar action against us."

VOA is not revealing the journalist's identity for security reasons.

"During the meeting, Zakharova (said that) accreditation and, by extension, visas would be extended for only three months, and if the U.S. doesn't improve its current treatment of Russian journalists, they would ban us from working in Russia," the journalist added.

Russian authorities usually renew accreditation and visas for international reporters once a year.

The warning came after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions last month on three of Russia's state-owned stations for acting directly or indirectly on behalf of the Kremlin.

Zakharova cited difficulties for Russian journalists in the U.S., including visa renewals, blocked bank accounts and alleged harassment by U.S. intelligence agencies, two journalists with knowledge of the meeting told VOA.

She said that because of sanctions, many Russian companies had been unable to pay their U.S.-based journalists or cover other expenses.

In response to Moscow's move, the U.S. cited Russia's restrictions on media freedom and access to information.

Blocking and banning independent media outlets, threatening professional journalists and seeking to seal off Russia's population from any foreign information illustrate "the flimsiness and the fragility of the Russian government's narrative," U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said during a press briefing on Monday afternoon.

"The Russians continue to make a false equivalency," Price said. "The United States continues to issue visas to qualified Russian journalists, and we have not revoked the foreign press center credentials of any Russian journalists working in the United States."

War coverage

Since invading Ukraine, Russia has imposed several restrictions and drafted new laws affecting media.

In May, its lawmakers passed a bill that gives prosecutors the power to close foreign media bureaus in Moscow if a Western country is deemed "unfriendly" to Russia.

A separate new law carries a 15-year prison term for journalists who spread "fake" news about what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.

And Russia on Monday fined Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a sister network of VOA, $325,000 (20 million rubles) for failing to delete what Moscow calls "fake" news about the war.

The fine related to Radio Liberty's refusal to delete reports that included death tolls of civilians and Russian service personnel, Reuters reported.

The International Press Institute in Vienna says Russian authorities have arrested or filed charges against at least 72 journalists in relation to reporting on Ukraine.

Additionally, the country's media regulator has blocked access to news sites including those of VOA's Russian Service and the BBC.

Separate from the Treasury Department sanctions on the Russian outlets Russia One, Channel One and NTV, the European Union, Canada, and private distribution companies in the U.S. earlier moved to stop broadcasts of the Kremlin-backed RT.

Journalists in the Netherlands are currently protesting the EU ban, saying it puts too much power in government hands.

A Dutch journalists' union on May 25 filed a complaint with the EU Court of Justice over the ban on RT. In it, the union says that while it does not endorse the Kremlin-backed group, the EU ban was broad and allowed politicians to censor.

"We all feel that disinformation is a serious problem of our times. Censorship is an easy answer, but it's not the right answer," Reuters quoted the union as saying.

Visa threats

Russia's threat to revoke credentials of U.S. media outlets echoes one carried out during a political spat between the U.S. and China in 2020, when Beijing expelled journalists from several U.S. publications and imposed visa restrictions on some U.S. media groups

Its actions were in response to the U.S. reducing the number of Chinese nationals allowed to work at the U.S. offices of major Chinese state-owned media and limiting their authorized stay to 90 days, with an option to extend.

"By their actions, the Russian and Chinese regimes have demonstrated that they view press freedom and independent journalism as threats to their countries' pseudo-democracies," said Thanos Dimadis, executive director of the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the U.S.

He told VOA that authoritarian governments do not hesitate to target journalists and place journalism at the center of their geostrategic ambitions.

"These regimes consider journalists, and especially foreign journalists working in their countries, as agents of foreign interests and not as servants of truth," Dimadis said.

"There is no surprise in this since regimes like Russia and China are hostile to the truth, and those who report that truth, such as journalists, are also their enemies."

Some information in this report came from Reuters.
The U.S. Army has revamped its forces in Alaska, raising a new 11th Airborne Division to better prepare for future cold-weather conflicts.

The Army says the change marks the first time it has stood up an airborne division in nearly 70 years. Military leaders and Alaskan lawmakers called the move historic.

Wherever you go, you will be the most highly trained, disciplined and fit Arctic war-fighting unit in the world, ready to fight and win, General James McConville, Army chief of staff, told troops during reflagging ceremonies Monday at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks before traveling for a second ceremony at the new divisions headquarters at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.

The restructuring comes as Russia and China have increased their presence in the Arctic. Warmer temperatures are opening Arctic sea lanes for longer periods of time, providing more access to military and shipping vessels and more access to the regions natural resources.

That is going to be a critical sea lane, and we can't let Russia dominate it, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan told VOA during a recent interview in Fairbanks.

Sullivan added the U.S. is still behind the power curve of Russia and China in the Arctic, which U.S. military officials also acknowledge.

But Sullivan told soldiers at the ceremony on Monday that the activation of the 11th Airborne Division represents a sea change in the Pentagons focus in the Arctic after years of military reductions in Alaska.

More mobile

As part of the 11th Airborne Divisions new structure, the Army is replacing Alaskas heavily equipped Stryker brigade with a more mobile light infantry unit that will be better suited for operating in the Arctic environment. Stryker brigades use heavy, eight-wheeled vehicles that have not performed well in the extreme cold.

Officials say McConville hopes the changes will give the Army an upper hand in regaining Arctic dominance.

Winning matters, McConville told soldiers Monday.

The move will not change the overall number of soldiers in Alaska, even though a light infantry brigade is smaller than a Stryker brigade and will give soldiers here more of an Arctic identity, according to U.S. military officials.

The shift from a Stryker brigade to a light infantry brigade will require roughly 300 fewer soldiers, but building up the divisional headquarters at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson will require about 300 more soldiers, a U.S. military official told VOA.

McConville said the Army plans to move out the Stryker vehicles within the next few months before winter sets in.

'Arctic Angels'

The 1st and 4th Brigade combat teams previously under the command of U.S. Army Alaska now make up the 11th Airborne Divisions 1st and 2nd Brigade combat teams, respectively.

The 11th Airborne Division is a revival of a World War II-era military unit that fought in the Pacific region toward the end of the war, primarily in the liberation of the Philippines and later the military occupation of Japan. The divisions raid on a Japanese detention camp at Los Banos in the Philippines in February 1945 rescued more than 2,000 civilians.

Nicknamed the Angels, parts of the division returned to Asia to fight in the Korean War. The division was inactivated in the 1960s. The rebranded 11th Airborne Division soldiers are called the Arctic Angels and now sport an updated version of the divisions vintage insignia.

Before Monday, Alaskas two major brigades wore the Tropic Lightning patch tied to Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Divisions jungle war-fighting tactics.

Experience has told us that units that have a common unit identity is a source of pride and is extremely important, and the history of a unit and the patch matter, McConville said.

The division was symbolically stood up on the 78th anniversary of D-Day, when Allied forces in World War II stormed the beaches of Normandy. McConville called on the soldiers based at Fort Wainwright to live up to the heroic legacy of those who have gone before you.

Although the 11th Airborne Division didnt fight in Europe, McConville said it was the divisions innovation and testing that validate(d) division-level airborne operations that lead into the successful execution of D-Day.
The Biden administration announced Monday that it would waive tariffs on solar panels imported to the United States from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam for 24 months, reducing uncertainty for the U.S. solar energy companies that had been spooked by a Commerce Department investigation launched in March.

The announcement came as part of a package of measures to accelerate clean energy product development in the U.S. In addition to the waiver, President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to upgrade the electrical grid and speed up investment in the domestic manufacturing of solar panels, building insulation, heat pumps and clean energy fuels.

"The stakes could not be higher," a document released by the White House said. "Failing to take these actions would deny consumers access to cost-cutting clean energy options, add risks to our power grid, and stall domestic clean energy construction projects that are critical to tackling the climate crisis."

Solar development roadblock

In March, the Commerce Department announced it was investigating a complaint filed by a small solar panel manufacturer in California against competitors in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The company, Auxin Solar, charged that manufacturers in those countries were using Chinese-made components to assemble solar panels for sale in the U.S.

In 2011, the U.S. charged China with "dumping" solar panels in the U.S. market, a term for selling them at below cost. The Chinese imports were suffocating U.S. manufacturers, who could not profitably compete against the artificially low prices. As a result, the U.S. imposed tariffs of as much as 250% on Chinese-made solar panels.

Auxin Solar's complaint was that many of the solar panels coming from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam were really Chinese products with a misleading country of origin certification.

When the Commerce Department investigation was announced, U.S. solar projects were immediately thrown into disarray, with many halting altogether. The fear that tariffs might suddenly more than triple the cost of solar panels changed the potential costs of new projects. In addition, the fear that the government might impose retroactive tariffs made U.S. importers even more reluctant to bring them into the country.

A temporary reprieve

The administration's announcement on Monday includes language making it clear that the tariff waiver is meant to be a temporary "bridge" that will allow the solar power industry to continue to use imported panels of questionable origin until domestic production can be brought up to speed.

The White House said that President Biden is "reinforcing his commitment to safeguarding the integrity and independence of all ongoing trade investigations by career officials at the Department of Commerce and recognizing the vital role these processes play in strengthening our economy."

That language did not satisfy some in the industry who are trying to compete with low-cost imports.

'Deeply disappointed'

In a statement emailed to VOA, Auxin Solar CEO Mamun Rashid criticized the Biden administration for "interfering" with the Commerce Department's investigation.

"By taking this unprecedented  and potentially illegal  action, he has opened the door wide for Chinese-funded special interests to defeat the fair application of U.S. trade law," Rashid said. "Since filing this case, Auxin has been well under way to scaling up. If the President will follow through on his stated intent to support the U.S. domestic industry  including grants to scale and produce upstream inputs like cells and wafers  Auxin is ready, willing, and able to meet that challenge."

Arizona-based First Solar, one of the largest manufacturers of solar panels in the U.S., was sharply critical of the administration's decision.

"First Solar is deeply disappointed in today's announcement, which only benefits China's state-subsidized solar industry," Samantha Sloan, the company's vice president of global policy, said in a statement.

"Today's proclamation directly undermines American solar manufacturing by giving unfettered access to China's state-subsidized solar companies for the next two years. This sends the message that companies can circumvent American laws and that the US government will let them get away with it as long as they're backed by deep-pocketed political pressure campaigns."

Sloan also criticized the decision to use the Defense Production Act to increase domestic solar manufacturing, calling it "an ineffective use of taxpayer dollars."

Trade groups pleased

Companies in the business of installing solar power projects greeted the administration's decision warmly, however.

"President Biden's proclamation today to use the full power of executive authority to jumpstart the domestic solar industry is a bold act of leadership," Heather Zichal, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, an industry trade group, said in a statement.

"The President's announcement will rejuvenate the construction and domestic manufacturing of solar power by restoring predictability and business certainty that the Department of Commerce's flawed inquiry has disrupted," Zichal said.

In another statement, Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, another trade group, said, "While the Department of Commerce investigation will continue as required by statute, and we remain confident that a review of the facts will result in a negative determination, the president's action is a much-needed reprieve from this industry-crushing probe."

"Today's actions protect existing solar jobs, will lead to increased employment in the solar industry and foster a robust solar manufacturing base here at home," Hopper said. "During the two-year tariff suspension window, the U.S. solar industry can return to rapid deployment while the Defense Production Act helps grow American solar manufacturing
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote Monday but is weakened after more than 40% of his Conservative Party voted against him remaining in office.

In a secret ballot, 148 of the 359 Conservative Party lawmakers voted against Johnson. At least 180 would have had to vote against Johnson for him to be removed.

The prime minister has been under heavy scrutiny since revelations last year that he and his staff held parties in his Downing Street office when Britain was under strict COVID-19 restrictions.

Lawmakers across the political spectrum have voiced concerns about Johnson, and he has faced anger from the public. Some in the crowd booed him when he arrived last week for a service in the queens honor during her Platinum Jubilee.

After Mondays vote, Johnson called his win convincing and said, What it means is that as a government, we can move on and focus on stuff that I think really matters to people.

He has said he wants to focus on improving the economy and promoting conservative policies like cutting taxes.

Johnson said before the vote that if party members stuck with him, I will lead you to victory again.

Johnson became prime minister in July 2019. The next election must be held by 2024, and some Conservatives have expressed concern that the scandals will hurt the party.

However, leading Cabinet ministers have rallied around Johnson, touting his successes in implementing the countrys COVID-19 vaccination campaign and his strong support for Ukraine following Russias invasion.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, often mentioned as a possible successor to Johnson, tweeted her support of the prime minister. "Pleased that colleagues have backed the Prime Minister. I support him 100%. Nows the time to get on with the job, she wrote.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
Several hundred children marched through the streets of Cameroon's capital, Yaounde, on June 6 holding placards that called for an end to the use of child soldiers in the country's separatist conflict, as well as other abuses to children stemming from the fighting.

The majority of the child protesters were displaced from Cameroon's western regions by ongoing violence between the rebels and government troops.

Aid and rights groups organized the protest as a buildup to the United Nations' World Day Against Child Labor on June 12.



Blessing Associates for Women and Children, a group that defends the rights of vulnerable women and children, is among those that took part in the protest.

The group's coordinator, Baiye Frida Ebai, said even children displaced from the conflict areas are subjected to abuse.



"There are children between the ages of 5 to 14 who are engaged in plantation activities. It is our collective responsibility to give these children a second chance in life. These are children who are already being traumatized because of the ongoing armed conflicts. They have lost parents, they have lost their homes, so it is very, very important for us to look at this issue of child labor and stop it," Ebai said.

The U.N. and Cameroon government say children in the troubled western regions face violence, kidnapping, being forced into early marriage, and recruitment by armed groups.



Capo Daniel is the self-proclaimed deputy defense chief of the Ambazonia Defense Forces, one of Cameroon's rebel groups. He denied the U.N. and government's claim that separatists are recruiting child soldiers but admitted they have used force to shut down schools.



"Our code of conduct forbids the use of child soldiers," he said. "The few weapons we have, we give it to the best trained soldiers and all of the time, those are adults. We cannot allow Cameroon state schools to operate in our territory while we are engaged in war against the Cameroon state. As an alternative, we have opened community schools where our forces have total control."

Cameroon's military said the rebels use seized schools as training grounds for fighters.

Cameroon's Minister of Social Affairs Pauline Irene Nguene said the military has taken back many of the schools that were used by rebels.

The children protesting Monday also called for an end to early marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), and child sex trafficking.

Nguene hailed the children for demonstrating against the abuses and pushing for their fundamental human rights. She said

Nguene says she is happy that the children have come out themselves to tell Cameroonians that all children have fundamental human rights. She said social workers should educate communities that children should be in schools, not on plantations and not forced into prostitution.

She added that female genital mutilation is a human rights abuse and people who practice it will be severely punished.

Human Rights Watch in 2021 reported that government troops committed abusive counterattacks on rebels and their alleged supporters that impacted the region's children and education.

Cameroon's military denies any abuses or targeting of civilians.

The U.N. says Cameroon's separatist conflict, which began in 2017, has deprived more than 700,000 children of education.


When social media exploded in the mid-2000s, retweeting, sharing and liking posts appeared to give average citizens the power to share their opinions far and wide. The problem, according to social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, is that online social networks didnt really end up giving everyone the voice that many thought it would.

It empowered four groups who take advantage of the viral dynamics of social media. That is the far right, the far left, trolls and Russian intelligence, says Haidt, a professor at New York University's Stern School of Business.

So, these four groups have had a great time since 2009, using the new viral dynamics of Twitter, Facebook and other platforms. At the same time, the middle 80% of the country feels intimidated and attacked and discouraged and disgusted. And so, they speak up less.

Successful democracies are generally bound together by strong institutions, shared stories, and wide social networks with high levels of trust, but social media weakens all three, according to Haidt.

You go from having a merely polarized democracy, which we had in the early 2010s, to one in which the norms change to be all-out war everywhere, all the time, he says.

You can't have a deliberative democracy when there is no room for deliberation. And you can't have a liberal democracy when the illiberal left and the illiberal right dominate their respective factions.

Samuel Abrams, a professor of politics and social sciences at Sarah Lawrence College in New York and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, agrees that social media has been bad for democracy.

This stuff has been as dangerous as can be. It's been incredibly bad for the country, and incredibly bad for free speech and dissemination of ideas and real discourse and democratic norms and civility. It's been a disaster, says Abrams. It's absolutely contributing to our polarization because you're not getting multiple views. You're not getting viewpoint diversity. It's very hard to hear the other side.

Making change

If he had to venture a guess, Haidt envisions a future America that looks a lot like a Latin American democracy  that is, an unstable democracy built with flawed institutions that command little popular respect.

I think we'll have many more constitutional crises, declining trust and increases in political violence and political ineffectiveness, he says, unless we make these major changes.

The changes hed like to see include replacing traditional partisan primaries, which tend to reward politicians who cater to the extremists in their party, with single contests that are open to all candidates regardless of political affiliation. The top four finishers advance to the general election. Its already happening in Alaska, where residents voted in November 2020 to adopt open primaries and ranked elections.

The second step is to make social media less toxic to democracy, he says, by requiring identity verification. People could still post anonymously or with a fake name, but theyd have to show that they are a real person in a particular country.

Right now, anyone in the world, including Russia, could just create hundreds of thousands of accounts every day, and many of them will not be taken down and they can do what they want. That's insane, Haidt says. It's insane that we allow our public square to be so full of fake people with bad motives.

Twitter says it is working to combat fake accounts and misinformation. Last month, CEO Parag Agrawal posted that the social media platform suspends a half-million spam accounts daily and locks millions of suspected fake accounts each week. He said Twitter constantly updates its systems and rules to remove as much spam as possible and that fake accounts make up less than 5% of its users. Meanwhile, the companys head of safety and integrity announced Twitters new crisis misinformation policy aimed at elevating credible information, and slowing the spread of misleading content, during crises.

Facebook removed 1.6 billion fake accounts in the first three months of 2022, according to the quarterly transparency report the company released in May. The social media company has said its goal is to remove as many fake accounts as it can, prioritizing accounts that seek to cause harm through spam or financial motivations. In its quarterly report, Facebook said it continues to refine its oversight processes.

New generation

In the meantime, Abrams has some hope for the future. Fifteen years ago, he used to see a lot of political polarization among his students in classroom discussions, he says, but noticed that started to fade away a few years ago.

They don't like these competing narratives. They recognize they're there. They recognize they're dangerous or are unhappy with them. Data shows this is true on the left and the right, Abrams says, referring to members of Generation Z  people born between 1997 and 2012, the oldest of whom are 25 in 2022.

They're also the least politically partisan of any cohort we have right now in the nation. They're overwhelmingly centrist. They're overwhelmingly pragmatic, and they are not as interested in identity politics. So what they're trying to do is find common ground  I think this group has come of age and woken up during [the Donald] Trump [era] and they're like, This is crazy. They don't like it.

Haidt holds a different view of Gen Z, characterizing them as depressed, anxious and fragile. Either way, he says that as long as the system remains the same, it doesnt matter if young people are increasingly interested in building consensus.

As long as a small number of people can intimidate the majority, as long as a small number of people can intimidate the moderates on their side, things will not moderate, even if the average person gets more moderate, Haidt says. As long as social media is the way it is, our country is going to fail.
Six opposition leaders arrested after violent anti-French protests in N'Djamena were on Monday handed one-year suspended sentences for disturbing public order, Chad's public prosecutor told AFP.

They were also fined 10 million CFA francs, or about 15,000 euros, said prosecutor Moussa Wade Djibrine, who had sought two-year prison terms.

The swift trial opened Monday morning at a court at Moussoro, around 300 kilometers (180 miles) from the capital, with defense lawyers boycotting the hearing amid a heavy police presence.

The case comes against a backdrop of political tension with a military junta in power following the death of the country's veteran leader more than a year ago.

An authorized march in the capital on May 14 against France's military presence in Chad turned violent.

Seven petrol stations belonging to the French oil major Total were attacked and 12 police officers injured, according to a police toll.

In the aftermath, the authorities carried out a string of arrests among the march organizers, who denied any responsibility for the violence.

Those charged included Max Loalngar, coordinator for Wakit Tamma, Chad's main opposition coalition, and Gounoung Vaima Gan-Fare, secretary of the Chadian trade union federation.

The six were charged with disturbing public order and destruction of property. They had begun a hunger protest on May 23.

Trade unions, opposition political parties, armed groups and international NGOs had called for the six to be released immediately and unconditionally.

"We will appeal, a suspended sentence is still a sentence," said Wakit Tamma's lawyer Laguerre Ndjarandi.

"The court has been kind, it's not a bad thing to calm things down," communication minister Abderaman Koulamallah told AFP.

Moussoro court's public prosecutor Abdoulaye Bono Kono later announced: "The leaders of Wakit Tamma were released after sentencing."

Chad has been under military rule since President Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled with an iron fist for three decades, was killed in April 2021 during operations to crush rebels in the north of the country.

He was succeeded by his son Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, a four-star general, now the transitional president.

His junta vowed to hold "free and democratic elections" within 18 months after staging a proposed nationwide "dialogue.

A reconciliation forum should have started last month but has run into problems.

Armed groups have warned that Monday's trial further compromises the national dialogue. The political opposition has already withdrawn from the organizing process.

France has thousands of troops in the Sahel, including in Chad, under its Barkhane mission.

But in February, Paris announced it would withdraw its troops from Mali and deploy them elsewhere after falling out with the junta in Bamako.

On May 16, Deby, reacting to the violence that had unfolded two days earlier, attacked what he called "false and unfounded allegations" that French troops would redeploy to Chad.
Police in Ethiopia in the past month have arrested at least 19 journalists and are keeping them in detention centers without charge. Rights groups say the government is intentionally targeting journalists to scare them into self-censorship on the war in the Tigray region and other issues. Halima Athumani talks to a lawyer who is trying to help those detained in this report from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Camera: Yidnkeachew Lemma
In the past month, police in Ethiopia have arrested at least 19 journalists and are keeping them in detention centers without charge. Rights groups say the government is intentionally targeting journalists to scare them into self-censorship on the war in the Tigray region and other issues. Halima Athumani talks to a lawyer who is trying to help those detained, in this report from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ethiopian authorities have refused to release three detained journalists, despite a court order they be given bail.

Solomon Shumye, Meaza Mohammed and Temesgen Desalegn appeared Tuesday morning before the Federal First Instance Court and were granted bail of about $190 each.

However, the federal police force immediately appealed the judge's decision at the High Court. The High Court overruled the lower court's decision, and the three journalists were returned to police custody.

Their lawyer, Henok Aklilu, told VOA he was expecting that to happen but will continue to seek their release.

"These things have been very much common when politically motivated cases come to court, especially journalists who are very much critical of the regime," he said. "So, I was not surprised. You know, they give you bail in the lower court and it will be overturned by the higher court."

The three journalists are among 19 arrested last month in a crackdown aimed at reporters who have been critical of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government.

The government accuses the journalists of inciting violence and disturbing the country's peace through their work.

Henok told VOA it is not clear when the journalists will next appear in court.

"So, we were appealing to the court that they release this unreasonable suspicion by the police to arrest someone. But the police, you know, the police are the police. They come up with all kinds of stories, which are not substantiated by any real evidence," he said.

Authorities have accused Temesgen Desalegn, editor of privately owned Feteh magazine, of inciting violence and public disturbance through unspecified interviews published on YouTube.

Solomon Shumye, a current affairs talk show host, is accused of inciting violence on his show. It is not clear what accusations Meaza Mohammed faces.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned the arrest of the 19 and called for the Ethiopian government to unconditionally release them.

Henok said he has filed an appeal before the Supreme Court, so the case does not become a criminal matter but is instead handled under Ethiopia's Media Proclaomation Law, which prohibits the detention of journalists.


U.N. agencies are warning of famine in Somalia and a surge of child deaths across the Horn of Africa if their appeals for urgently needed funds to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of hungry, malnourished children remain unmet.



The Horn of Africa is experiencing its fourth consecutive year of failed rains  a climate event not seen in at least 40 years. If the drought persists, the World Food Program warns as many as 20 million people will be suffering from acute hunger by the end of the year.



UNICEF reports more than 1.7 million children across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are in urgent need of treatment for severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of the condition.

Rania Dagash-Kamara is UNICEF deputy regional director, eastern and southern Africa. Speaking from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, she says the risks are particularly high for children in Somalia who now are living on the frontlines of the climate crisis.



We have an estimated 386,000 children in Somalia who are in desperate need of treatment for life-threatening severe acute malnutrition. Now, if I compare this to 2011, which was a famine year, we are now exceeding the numbers we had then, which were 340,000 children that required treatment at that time, she said.



More than a quarter-million people died in the Somali famine of 2011, half of them children under age five. Dagash-Kamara says children are dying from a combination of malnutrition and killer diseases, such as measles and cholera.



She says the drought has killed crops and livestock and dried up water sources.



Children are starving and do not have the defenses to fight off the deadly impact of malnutrition and disease.



She notes the lives of children in the Horn of Africa also are at increased risk because of the war in Ukraine.



Somalia alone used to import 92% of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine, but supply lines are now blocked. And the war is exacerbating spiraling global food and fuel prices, meaning that many in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia can no longer afford the basic food stuffs they need to survive, she said.



At the same time, U.N. agencies are cash poor. They lack the money needed to run their life-saving humanitarian operations. UNICEF has received just a third of its $250 million appeal for the Horn of Africa. The World Food Program says it needs $274 million to scale up lifesaving food and nutrition for more than 4 million people in Somalia over the next six months.



The agencies are appealing for critical support from the G-7, which will meet in Germany later this month. They say the G-7 advanced countries have it within their power to stave off a catastrophe that need not and must not happen.
In post-lockdown Shanghai, open means different things to different businesses, and the only shared sentiment is the future is hard to predict.

Some local businesses are bustling back. Some foreign companies are taking a more cautious approach, with some even contemplating leaving China.

With the lockdown lifted as of June 1, this will be a critical month for all businesses, according to a Shanghai economist, who did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

In an interview with VOA Mandarin, the economist said it is too early to predict the strength of Shanghais economic recovery, in part because the metropolis of 26 million is not yet completely reopened. The biggest variable, he said, is the possibility of authorities discovering new cases throughout the city and reinstituting a lockdown in compliance with Beijings insistence on a zero-COVID policy.

Ker Gibbs, former president of American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, echoed that it is difficult to predict whats next for the reopened city given that Omicron variants are so contagious.

Gibbs said that reopening the ports and transportation hubs will be very important. But that's also where you have a lot of COVID-19 related risk. So that's going to be something that has to be managed.



He told VOA Mandarin he hopes Shanghai authorities will increase the vaccination rate, especially among vulnerable populations, to avoid another lockdown. Shanghai is the worlds largest port, according to World Shipping.

Gibbs also said that because Shanghai has a large population of migrant workers people who moved from city to city throughout China doing construction work, service jobs, and factory assembly one of the biggest challenges in the reopening will be making sure people who left the metropolis can return and that those who remained can travel to workplaces in districts other than where they live.

Complicating the return to work is the citys continuing patchwork of lockdowns. As of Monday, thousands of residents remained locked down in scattered neighborhoods and others have been placed back under these local lockdowns, according to Agence France-Presse.

Local businesses in Shanghai had varied responses to the reopening.

Jin Lei, a brand manager with Shanghai Yuyuan Tourist Mart Co., Chinas largest retail conglomerate, said some famous restaurants that operate in the groups mall, but do not belong to the group, such as the Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant and the Ningbo Glutinous Rice Ball Shop, were open throughout the lockdown, offering take-out and delivery services. While he wouldnt reveal the extent of lockdown losses, by June 1, the first day of official reopening, almost all of the malls workers were on the job.

"It's almost 80% or 90%. It's definitely a process, but [everyone will be back] very soon, because they are all restored now, the subway and traffic, they are all restored," he told VOA Mandarin.

Hu Peng, CEO of Shanghai Heyi Tech Co., a high-tech service company, told VOA Mandarin the company reopened after the Dragon Boat Festival, which fell after a two-month lockdown. During the lockdown, employees worked from home to handle long-term orders, but as workers return to the office, she said, "I can't say when we turn on the computer, everything is back right away. Shes hoping travel restrictions in the areas surrounding Shanghai will be completely removed soon to facilitate business travel so people can visit customers face-to-face.

According to the latest data from the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Statistics, the total industrial output value of enterprises above a designated size in the city reached 128.6 billion yuan (about 19.3 billion U.S. dollars) in April, down by 60% from the same period last year. Foreign companiesincluding businesses from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwanhave been hit the hardest during the two-month lockdown, and their output value is down by 70% in April from a year earlier, although they have resumed production.

Sue Yen, deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association in Taipei, said Taiwanese companies in the information and communication technology sector operating in surrounding areas of Shanghai are still facing a labor shortage, with only about 70% of workers reporting for work in early June. She predicted it may take two weeks after the June 1 reopening for Taiwanese businesses in Shanghai to fully resume work and production.

Yen told VOA, "What everyone is most worried about now is the issue of dropped orders. Buyers are asking if companies have factories in other provinces or in Southeast Asian countries, or Taiwan. If the answer is yes, the companies who place orders with you will be more at ease. However, if you dont, they may place their orders elsewhere.

She said the Taiwanese-funded factories are cooperating with Beijings determination to prevent a renewed surge by testing employees every day. Workers who test positive are moved outside Shanghai for quarantine or treatment to lessen the chances of widespread infection and factory closings, Yen told VOA Mandarin.

Darson Chiu, a research fellow at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research in Taipei told VOA Mandarin the Shanghai lockdown was the last straw for many foreign businesses, breaking their confidence in the Chinese economy as supply chain issues brought operations to a standstill. Even before the lockdown, he said many businesses felt that China was moving away from a market economy, making it harder for them to operate.

"Despite Shanghai lifting its lockdown, if relevant restrictions remain or another wave of outbreaks occurs, foreign businesses may expedite their exit [out of China]," Chiu said.

Separate surveys released by the Beijing-based European Union Chamber of Commerce and the American Chamber of Commerce in early May showed that 23% of European businessmen surveyed are considering shifting their existing or planned investment in China to other markets this year while a whopping 52% of surveyed American businessmen said that its investment in China has been delayed or reduced.

European companies have reopened since June 1 with about 50% of their workforces, according to a written response from European Union Chamber of Commerce in China to a VOA Mandarin inquiry. Delays in reopening are being caused by ensuring the air conditioning systems are clean and complying with other similar internal policies.

According to a EU Chamber of Commerce survey released in early May, 58% of its members have downgraded their 2022 revenue projections as a result of the lockdowns, with more than a third of affected members doing so by more than 15%.

The Chamber said it hopes Shanghai authorities will add to economic recovery measures, such as its 50-policy Action Plan released May 29. The plan encompassed tax breaks, rent relief and subsidies for affected businesses.

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
Germany urged the global community Tuesday to collectively tell Afghanistan's Islamist Taliban rulers that they "are heading in the wrong direction and called for strictly linking any economic aid for the war-torn country to the human rights of Afghans.

The situation is dire and the Taliban are leading the country into a downfall, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told a news conference during a visit to neighboring Pakistan.

Our influence on what happens inside Afghanistan is very limited. It depends on the Taliban making rational choices in their own economic interests and that is not what they are doing right now, Baerbock said.

The insurgent-turned-Islamist rulers seized power from the now defunct Western-backed government in August as U.S.-led international forces withdrew from Afghanistan following almost two decades of fighting with the Taliban.

The interim male-only Taliban cabinet has rolled back many human rights Afghans enjoyed over the past 20 years, particularly those of women. It has suspended secondary education for most teenage girls and prevented female employees in some government departments from returning to their jobs.

The Ministry for Vice and Virtue, tasked with interpreting and enforcing the Talibans version of Islam, has ordered women to cover up fully in public, including their faces, and barred them from traveling beyond 70 kilometers unless accompanied by a male relative.

Baerbock criticized the restrictions, saying they have almost excluded women from participation in public life.

The international community must stand united and together tell the Taliban loud and clear; you are heading in the wrong direction, she said. "As long as they go down this path there is no room for normalization and even less for recognition of the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of the country.

No country has yet recognized the new Taliban government, citing concerns the Islamist group has reneged on pledges it would respect rights of all Afghans and prevent terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, from using the country for international attacks.

An already bad humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has worsened since the return of the Taliban to power in Kabul in the wake of international financial sanctions on the group, pushing the national economy to the brink of collapse.

Baerbock acknowledged that the Afghan economy was grinding to a halt and advocated sustained humanitarian assistance to Kabul, saying it was not the Afghan people's fault that their government was overthrown by the Taliban.

But anything else above humanitarian aid must be strictly conditionalized, the German foreign minister emphasized.

Baerbock thanked Pakistan for evacuating and facilitating the transit of more than 14,000 at-risk Afghans to Germany since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. The refugees served German troops during their stay in Afghanistan.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while speaking at the joint news conference with the German counterpart, urged the world to actively engage in preventing the brewing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan threatening lives of the countrys 40 million people. He also called on the Taliban to take steps to address international concerns about the rights of Afghans.

"It is our hope that the Afghan authorities will be responsive to the expectations of the international community, including inclusivity, respect, human rights for all, including women and take effective actions against terrorism, Zardari said.

For their part, the Taliban have urged the world to show respect for Afghan values and rebuffed calls for reversing restrictions on women, saying they are in line with local religious and cultural values.

The Taliban have said public secondary schools are open in about a dozen out of 34 Afghan provinces and efforts are underway for allowing girls to return to their classes across the country. They insist a of Afghan female civil servants, or 120,000, have returned to work, included 94,000 in the education ministry and 14,000 in the health ministry.

Baerbock arrived in Islamabad on her maiden two-day tour and met with Zardari as well as other Pakistani officials but she canceled rest of her activities after testing positive for COVID-19.
U.S. homeland security officials warn the chances for increased violence or terror attacks are likely to grow over the next six months, citing a volatile convergence of pervasive disinformation, conspiracy theories and several high-profile events like the anticipated Supreme Court decision on abortion and the countrys mid-term elections.

The Department of Homeland Security reissued its National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin Tuesday, hours before the previous advisory was set to expire, citing a continued heightened threat environment despite the lack of any specific or credible threats.

As recent acts of violence in communities across the country have so tragically demonstrated, the nation remains in a heightened threat environment, and we expect that environment will become more dynamic in the coming months, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.

The Department of Homeland Security remains steadfast in our commitment to provide timely information and resources to the American public and our partners across every level of government, Mayorkas added, promising regular engagements to promote the sharing of intelligence, training and other resources.

According to the new advisory, potential targets in the United States include public gatherings, faith-based institutions, schools, racial and religious minorities, government facilities and personnel, critical infrastructure, the media, and perceived ideological opponents.

This is the sixth time that DHS has issued a NTAS bulletin since January 2021 and comes as the U.S. is reeling from a spate of deadly mass shootings, including last months rampage by a white, teenage gunman at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York who specifically targeted Black victims.

The suspect in that case, Payton Gendron, has been charged with domestic terrorism motivated by hate and 10 counts of first-degree murder.

Less than two weeks later, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, shooting and killing 19 students and two teachers, before he himself was killed.

Other deadly shootings in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Laguna Woods, California have also quickly been overshadowed.

A Washington-based non-profit organization that tracks shootings, GunViolenceArchive.org, found that since June 3 alone, more than 124 people have been killed and 325 wounded in more than 300 shootings across the U.S.

U.S. homeland security officials say they have been trying to work more closely with state and local officials, and with community organizations, to help them identify individuals who may be radicalized or motivated to engage in violence, and to help prevent and respond to attacks.

DHS has also worked with nonprofit organizations at risk of attack, providing more than $250 million in grants for target hardening and other physical security enhancements.

And officials are hoping to secure additional funding for similar programs in the near future.

We're working very closely with Congress to ensure we can increase funding so that all of our faith-based communities have what they need to upgrade their security and protect themselves against whether it's terrorism, hate crimes or other targeted violence, a senior DHS official told reporters in advance of the bulletin, briefing on the condition of anonymity under ground rules established by the department.

The department has also spent at least $77 million through a Homeland Security Grant Program to prevent and prepare for domestic violent extremist threats.

Officials acknowledge it has not been enough to counter conditions that have created what they describe as a dynamic threat environment.

It's really the convergence of that myth and disinformation with the current events that creates those conditions that we're concerned about in terms of mobilization to violence, said a second senior DHS official, also briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity.

We're seeing more kinds of actors, different types of actors that have different personal or ideological grievances, respond to events that we haven't seen in the past, the second official added. A recent example of that is the threats that we've seen related to the issue of the Supreme Court opinion [on abortion] and the extent to which we've seen actors from across the ideological spectrum attempt to use that type of decision or events to mobilize or encourage violence.

DHS officials also raised concerns about this years midterm elections, with many races already underway, ongoing grievances over the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, and possible change to U.S. immigration policies as potential triggers.

There is also heightened concern about the disinformation environment, with social media inundated by conspiracy theories and by influence operations engineered by both state and non-state actors.

Some of the most prevalent and most dangerous are ones like the so-called Great Replacement theory, which claims Western elites and Jewish people, in particular, are trying to replace white people with immigrants  a theory referenced in writing by the 18-year-old suspect in the deadly shooting in Buffalo last month.

Easy access to the content online is really fueling those personal grievances and those often-inaccurate misperceptions about current events, the second DHS official said, warning teenagers, are especially vulnerable.

It's really difficult for younger individuals to navigate the internet and understand what is considered to be credible information that they're consuming, the official said.

Information from Reuters was used in this report
U.S. President Joe Biden heads to Los Angeles, California, Wednesday to host the ninth Summit of the Americas (SOA)  a gathering that will be skipped by the leaders of Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and others amid protests of Washingtons exclusion of the governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.



The absence of six heads of government has cast a shadow over what nominally is billed as a hemisphere-wide summit to address the regions challenges, including economic insecurity, pandemic recovery, climate change, migration and political polarization.



Facing domestic political pressure, including from exile communities in the swing state of Florida, the administration concluded that Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela do not meet the requirements of the 2001 Inter-American Democratic Charter that enshrines democracy as a core value. Washington formally announced their omission from the summits guest list on June 5, the day before the event began.



U.S. officials downplayed the tensions that have arisen. Observers say the episode is emblematic of the challenges the Biden administration faces to reassert U.S. influence and repair ties that became frayed under former President Donald Trump.



Trump did not attend the last summit in Peru in 2018, but in 2019 offered the U.S. as host of the next one as his administration sought to galvanize Latin American governments to press for restoring democratic rule in Venezuela. The region was further split when Trump floated the idea of invading the country to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.



The U.S. recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuelas legitimate president after the countrys 2018 presidential election that was widely decried as flawed. A senior administration official told reporters there is a good chance that Biden will engage with Guaido during the summit.



Lack of engagement and agenda

Some observers view the boycotts as yet another sign of weakening U.S. influence in the Americas after decades of neglect shown by Washington toward the region. They say the Biden administration, while pivoting away from Trumps combative tone, continues to place Latin America lower on its list of priorities  reflected in part by about a dozen vacant ambassador positions in the Americas  as it focuses on Chinas rising influence and, more recently, on Russias invasion on Ukraine.



There is no question that right now, the region feels it is not getting the attention that it should, said Steve Liston, senior director at the Washington office of the Council of the Americas to VOA. They just haven't seen the engagement.



Biden has decades of hands-on experience with Latin America from his time on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as then-President Barack Obamas point man for the region. As president, however, Biden has been seen as slow in providing COVID-19 vaccine donations to the region, forcing countries to initially rely on Beijing and Moscow before the U.S. eventually provided 70 million doses to the hemisphere.



Juan Gonzalez is the U.S. national security council senior director for the Western Hemisphere. He told reporters Biden will launch an initiative at the summit to strengthen health systems to prepare the region for future pandemics and a new partnership on climate and energy with Caribbean nations.



Biden will also announce more than $300 million in food aid for the region and America's Partnership for Economic Prosperity to promote an equitable recovery from the pandemic, including plans for an ambitious reform of the Inter-American Development Bank, a senior administration official said during a briefing to reporters.



The partnership appears similar in format to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework that Biden launched in Tokyo in May, which does not boost access to American markets. As such, the proposed partnership may prove underwhelming at the summit, said Ryan Berg, senior fellow in the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Berg notes that many nations in the Americas seek steps toward new trade pacts or the expansion of existing agreements to include boosting digital economic activity, nearshoring and other developmental initiatives.



If the agenda was such that it was so attractive that presidents couldn't defect and not be present then we wouldn't see this kind of political theater in the hemisphere, Berg told VOA.



On the margins of the summit, Biden and other heads of government will sign a regional migration pact focusing on helping communities that are hosting migrants, promoting humane migration management, and a shared approach to mitigating and managing irregular migration, the senior administration official said.



The administration needs to be engaging the region on the root causes of migration and tie it to not only development needs across borders but the climate crisis, said Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda, associate professor in the University of California Los Angeles Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies.



We really need to find a framework that potentially ties together most importantly the question of remittances and migration and climate, Hinojosa-Ojeda told VOA. The region receives 2.4 percent of its GDP in the form of remittances  money sent home by those who have migrated to the United States and elsewhere  according to World Bank data.



Biden has maintained some Trump-era restrictions on migration to the U.S.Mexico border, either by design or as a result of court orders. His proposed $4 billion aid package to address the root causes of migration from Central America has been stuck in Congress for months.



On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced a women's empowerment initiative and a program to provide young people in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras with paid community service opportunities, mentorship, and a path to future employment.



She also announced more than $1.9 billion in new private sector commitments to create economic opportunity in northern Central America.

How can Biden salvage the summit?

Observers say Biden must make up for insufficient diplomatic groundwork ahead of the gathering by deepening connections with leaders and listening to regional concerns at the summit.



Latin American and Caribbean nations are looking for a dialogue, not direction [from Washington], said P. Michael McKinley, a former U.S. ambassador to Peru, Colombia and Brazil, in an article he wrote for the United States Institute of Peace.



So far, the only bilateral meeting the White House has confirmed is with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. The right-wing populist and admirer of Trump announced a freeze in Brazil-U.S. ties when Biden took office in January 2021.



Meanwhile, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would visit Biden in Washington next month to discuss immigration and push for more U.S. investment in Central America.



Substantive engagement, and a lot of listening followed by robust follow up is key, said Steve Liston of the New York-based Council of the Americas. Meaningful post-summit engagement would help reverse the impression left by the run-up.



Ideological fault lines within the Americas may prove too deep for adoption of sweeping initiatives at the summit, but targeted measures stand a better chance, according to Ryan Berg of CSIS. The key, I think, to the summit is building momentum for a couple of distinct initiatives, and then building follow up mechanisms to ensure that momentum is not squandered.



Beyond follow up, a new perspective that looks past the regions ideological differences and takes into greater account its diversity, priorities and political complexity is required, McKinley said. Without such a shift, the perception and reality of declining U.S. influence are only likely to deepen.



Anita Powell contributed to this report
The detention of dozens of Rohingya refugees in the north Indian city of Jammu, a north Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and the deportation of the two refugees to Myanmar has triggered panic among India's Rohingya refugee community.

In the past month, 2,000 to 3,000 Rohingya refugees have fled from Jammu, fearing that they could be jailed and deported to Myanmar, according to advocacy groups. Many refugees have crossed over to Bangladesh, while others have gone underground in different parts of India.

Noor Mohammad is a Rohingya refugee who had lived in Jammu since 2012. He crossed over to Bangladesh with his wife and three children at the end of May. "In Kashmir, the police are arresting the Rohingya at random and throwing them in jail," Mohammad told VOA.

He said even refugees holding U.N.-issued cards are not spared. "Every Rohingya is extremely scared of being sent back to Myanmar."

Mohammad said he fled Jammu along with five other Rohingya families in May. However, he said there has been a rise in the number of refugees crossing over to Bangladesh from India with more than 1,000 refugees in the past few weeks headed to Cox's Bazar.

To address the increasing number of refugees crossing from India to Bangladesh, Bangladesh's Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said they have "informed the Indian government about the development," and that they have given directions for the border guards to "push them [refugees] back to India."

An official from the Indian home ministry in New Delhi that handles issues related to refugees refused to comment on the latest crackdown on Rohingya refugees in India.

Despite many attempts VOA failed to get a response on the ongoing crackdown on the Rohingya. Police officials in Jammu did not respond to related queries from the VOA during the time of publication.

'Illegal immigrants'

For decades, minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighboring Bangladesh and other countries, including India, to escape discrimination and violence from Buddhist majority Myanmar. Three years ago, rights groups estimated that 40,000 Rohingya refugees lived in different parts of India.

In 2017, in Jammu, the Bharatiya Janata Party and other Hindu group leaders launched a campaign demanding all Rohingya be expelled from the area. The BJP-led Indian government subsequently ordered every state to identify and detain all Rohingya Muslim refugees and deport them to Myanmar.

Having not signed the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention, Indian law regards all Rohingya refugees entering India as "illegal immigrants."

Currently around 1,000 Rohingya are imprisoned in different parts of the country after being charged with illegal entry into India. A few dozen of them also have been deported to Myanmar in the past four years.

The crackdown on Rohingya refugees began days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken determined on March 21 that members of the Burmese military committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Rohingya.

"The police have arrested the male breadwinners of many Rohingya families. Those families are in miserably impoverished conditions," 36-year old Rohingya refugee Abul Kalam, who crossed over to Bangladesh in the second week of May, told VOA. "I worried that my family would face extreme miseries if they sent me to jail or deported me to Myanmar. With my wife and four children, I left Jammu and after a week we managed to sneak into Bangladesh."

Kalam said India does not recognize their refugee status. "We faced genocidal violence in Myanmar and to save our lives we fled the country," he said. "But India is not treating us as refugees. Indian police are seeking travel documents from us. We are stateless in Myanmar. How shall we get Burmese passports or Indian visas?"

Anti-Rohingya sentiments

Since the Narendra Modi-led Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or the BJP, formed the federal government in 2014, an anti-Rohingya sentiment has been sweeping across India.

The Hindu nationalist groups widely used social media to campaign against the Rohingya Muslim refugees demanding their expulsion from India. Pro-Hindutva groups accused Rohingya refugees of being associated with criminals and terrorists. They also blamed the refugees for some violent or terrorist attacks in India. Those accusations were found to be false.

India's forced return of Rohingya refugees recognized by U.N. to Myanmar, where they could be in harm's way, is outrageous, unacceptable, and must stop, Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, told VOA.

"The Indian police must cease arresting Rohingya refugees, immediately and unconditionally release those in detention, and provide protection in line with India's international human rights obligations," Robertson said.

Robertson said Rohingya refugees are fleeing from extreme danger. "No one should forget the Rohingya fled crimes against humanity and acts of genocide at the hands of the Myanmar military, which so cruelly and systematically tried to wipe them out in 2016 and 2017."

Governments around the world have strongly condemned Myanmar security forces' actions, which were so severe that Myanmar is now a defendant at the International Court of Justice for allegedly violating the U.N. Genocide Convention, he said.

"The Indian federal government must explain why it is ignoring such compellingly clear evidence that handing Rohingya refugees over to the Myanmar authorities will certainly result in rights abuses, arrests, and possibly deadly harm," Robertson said.

"The blood of the Rohingya forced back to Myanmar will be on the hands of PM Modi and his government unless they reverse course."
Iran has carried out a mass execution of 12 inmates at a prison in the southeast part of the country, an NGO said on Tuesday, as concern grows over the rising number of executions in the Islamic republic.

The 11 men and one woman, convicted either on drug-related or murder charges, were hanged on Monday morning in the main prison of Zahedan in Sistan-Baluchestan province close to the borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan, Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) said.

They were all members of the Baluch ethnic minority who mainly adhere to the Sunni strain of Islam rather than the Shiism that is dominant in Iran, it added.

Of the 12, six were sentenced to death for drug-related charges and six were sentenced for murder. None of the executions had been reported by domestic media or confirmed by officials in Iran, it said.

The woman who was executed, identified only by her surname Gargij, was sentenced for the murder of her husband and arrested in 2019, it said.

Activists have long expressed concern that executions in Iran disproportionately target members of Iran's ethnic and religious minorities, notably Kurds in the northwest, Arabs in the southwest and Baluch in the southeast.

"Data gathered by Iran Human Rights shows that Baluch prisoners accounted for 21% of all executions in 2021, while only representing 2-6% of Iran's population," IHR added.

There has also been concern over a recent upsurge of executions in Iran, as the country's leaders are confronted with protests over the increase in prices for basic goods.

According to IHR, at least 333 people were executed in Iran in 2021, a 25% increase compared with 2020.

Amnesty International, in its annual report on use of the death penalty worldwide, said executions in 2021 rose by 28% in Iran compared to the previous year to 314 but warned that the figure was likely an underestimate.

"Death sentences were used disproportionately against members of ethnic minorities for vague charges  and as a tool of political repression," Amnesty charged.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in France Wednesday - the first official visit of an Iranian president there since 1999. Rouhani flew in from Italy where he closed business deals worth $18.5 billion. He is expected to do likewise in France.

The visits come after the sanctions were lifted from the Islamic Republic as part of an agreement with six major powers limiting Iran's nuclear development.

Hes back in business. Thats the bottom line," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist of First Standard Financial company. "So hes going to sell whatever he can. Certainly Europe is the place for him to be and also in emerging markets, more so than the United States.

A charm offensive! declared Iranian expert Richard Nephew, former State Department official and now program director at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. He told VOA that a primary objective of Rouhanis presidency is to restore Irans normal ties with the rest of the world.

But Nephew is suspicious of the trade deals Iran has made: oil to China, gas to Italy, a purchase of more than 100 Airbus planes from France.

Lets see what these trade deals result in. Its one thing to announce a deal with China for $600 billion. Well see what that generates, he said.

Nephew cited previous deals in Africa, where up until now not a single penny was transacted.

Help for ordinary Iranians

Does the lifting of sanctions uplift and aid the Iranian population?

"It might not," Nephew says. "This is a billion dollar question and a lot of Iranians, as I understand, have fairly mixed expectations with a lot of hope that things will turn around but the general glum demeanor is maybe well get something, but it will be a long time and a big effort to trust people who control the economy.'

He added: I think ultimately if trade deals allow for the growth of new industry in Iran, the automotive industry , for example, you will see unemployment go down, youll see a general improvement in the quality of life for the Iranians.

The nuclear deal between Iran and the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany broke a 12- year international standoff, during which Iran was accused of developing nuclear capacity for military purposes and hit with serious economic sanctions. After an agreement was signed in July 2015 to destroy Iran's existing nuclear materials and ultimately dismantle much if its nuclear program, the sanctions were lifted earlier this month.

With the sanctions lifted, Iran was free to sell itself to the world.

De-isolating Iran

According to Columbias Nephew, Rouhanis trip this week to Italy, his trip to France, is all part of the strategy to get Iran out of international isolation.

In Italy, Rouhani met with Pope Francis in the Vatican. The pontiff talked about terrorism, and said that Iran has a role to play in bringing peace to the Middle East. According to Nephew, the most significant role the Iranians can play is halting support for terrorist groups and the use of violence for political ends.

Rouhani also made time for some sightseeing, like visiting the Roman Colosseum and the Capitoline Museums. Museum officials covered up classical Roman statues of nude human beings by building boxes around them. It was done, according to officials, to avoid offending the Iranian president.

Rouhani did request it, but he thanked those responsible for wanting to put their guests at ease.
Israel's occupation and discrimination against Palestinians are the main causes of the endless cycles of violence, U.N. investigators said Tuesday, prompting angry Israeli protests.

A high-level team of investigators, appointed last year by the United Nations Human Rights Council to examine "all underlying root causes" in the decades-long conflict, pointed the finger squarely at Israel.

"Ending the occupation of lands by Israel  remains essential in ending the persistent cycles of violence," they said in a report, decrying ample evidence that Israel has "no intention" of doing so.

Israel has in the past criticized lead investigator Navi Pillay for "championing an anti-Israel agenda," and on Tuesday the foreign ministry slammed the entire investigation as "a witch hunt."

The report, it said, was one-sided and "tainted with hatred for the State of Israel and based on a long series of previous one-sided and biased reports."

It had been published, it said, as "the result of the Human Rights Council's extreme anti-Israel bias."

The 18-page report mainly focuses on evaluating a long line of earlier U.N. investigations, reports and rulings on the situation, and how and if those findings were implemented.

Recommendations in past reports were "overwhelmingly directed towards Israel," Pillay, a former U.N. rights chief from South Africa, said in a statement.

This, she said, was "an indicator of the asymmetrical nature of the conflict and the reality of one state occupying the other."

The investigators also determined that those recommendations "have overwhelmingly not been implemented," she said, pointing to calls to ensure accountability for Israel's violations of international law but also "indiscriminate firing of rockets" by Palestinian armed groups into Israel.

"It is this lack of implementation coupled with a sense of impunity, clear evidence that Israel has no intention of ending the occupation, and the persistent discrimination against Palestinians that lies at the heart of the systematic recurrence of violations in both the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel."

Israel has refused to cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry (COI) created last year following the 11-day Hamas-Israel war in May 2021, which killed 260 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.

The United States, a staunch ally of Israel, which rejoined the Council under President Joe Biden, after Donald Trump withdrew from the body, reiterated that it firmly opposes the "open-ended and vaguely defined nature" of the COI.

"The existence of this COI in its current form is a continuation of a long-standing pattern of unfairly singling out Israel," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

In Geneva, dozens of Israeli reserve soldiers and students, some of them dressed like Palestinian Hamas militants, marched Tuesday outside the U.N. headquarters in protest.

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, who heads the Israeli NGO Shurat Hadin that organized the protest, slammed the rights council as "the most anti-Semitic body in the world."

Israel and its allies have long accused the top U.N. rights body of anti-Israel bias, pointing among other things to the fact that Israel is the only country that is systematically discussed at every regular council session, with a dedicated special agenda item.

The COI, the highest-level investigation that can be ordered by the council, is the ninth probe it has ordered into rights violations in Palestinian territories.

It is the first, however, tasked with looking at systematic abuses committed within Israel, the first open-ended probe, and the first to examine "root causes" in the drawn-out conflict.
A multinational force with troops from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad on Tuesday said it had killed more than 800 jihadis in about two months in the volatile Lake Chad region.

The four West African nations and Benin reconstituted the force in 2015 to fight Boko Haram and its rival, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) said 805 jihadis were killed on Lake Chad's islands and neighboring areas between March 28 and June 4, calling the operation a resounding success.

The vast, swampy Lake Chad basin stretches across the borders of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad, and Boko Haram and ISWAP have established bases on its many small islands.

Almost 3,000 soldiers from the four countries were involved and captured or destroyed 44 vehicles, 22 motorcycles and weapons in ground, naval and air operations, the force said.

Ammunition was seized and improvised explosive device (IED) production centers were destroyed, it said.

IEDs injured around 20 soldiers from Niger, with one in a serious condition, the military force said.

The MNJTF was set up in 1994 but had been largely dormant before 2015.

Boko Haram attacks broke out in Nigeria in 2009 before spreading to neighboring countries.

More than 36,000 people have been killed, mainly in Nigeria, and 3 million have fled their homes, according to the United Nations.
Mali's military junta will take 24 months from March 2022 to restore civilian rule after an August 2020 coup, its spokesman said on Monday, the latest move in negotiations with regional bloc ECOWAS to lift sanctions crippling the economy

The West African country's military leaders have been under pressure to restore democracy since they toppled the government and failed on a promise to hold elections in February, prompting sanctions from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

"The duration of the transition is set at 24 months," the transitional government spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga said on national television, with a start date of March 26, 2022.

Maiga said the decree followed an "advanced stage of negotiations with ECOWAS" and Mali hoped sanctions would be lifted.

"The adoption of this decree is proof of the willingness of (Malian) authorities to dialogue with ECOWAS," he added.

Mali's putsch leaders and regional heads of state have been at odds over a proposed five-year election timeline that was then revised to two - a delay that was previously rejected as too long by ECOWAS. Read full story

The ECOWAS bloc did not immediately comment on the 24-month decree adopted on Monday.

The length of the transition has also caused a rift with Mali's partners including the United States and former colonial power, France.

Maiga said both the ECOWAS mediator on the crisis, former Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan, and heads of state had been informed of the 24-month decree.

"We are hopeful... the sanctions will be lifted imminently," he said, adding that an electoral timeline would follow.

West African heads of state met in Ghana's capital Accra over the weekend to discuss the situation and agreed not to lift sanctions, which include border closures and restrictions on financial transactions, unless interim leaders proposed a shorter transition.

The leaders are expected to convene for another summit before July 3.

Military governments in neighboring Burkina Faso and Guinea are also facing similar threats from ECOWAS for dragging their feet on democratic transitions.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is holding a hearing Tuesday for President Joe Bidens pick to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

Biden in November 2021 nominated former Voice of America director Amanda Bennett to run USAGM.

As head of the agency, Bennett would oversee an annual budget of $840 million and the running of six entities including the independent news networks VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Middle East Broadcasting Networks and the Open Technology Foundation.

Former VOA director of programming Kelu Chao currently holds the position in an acting authority. She was assigned the position after Michael Pack, the last presidential appointee, resigned at Bidens request.

The role of USAGM chief executive was created with legislation during the administration of President Barack Obama as a way to make the agency more effective and efficient. The first person confirmed to the role was conservative filmmaker Pack.

But Packs tenure was tumultuous, drawing criticism from Republicans and Democrats in Congress. It also led to several whistleblower complaints, an order from the Office of Special Counsel to investigate allegations of mismanagement, and separate court orders barring him and his aides from interfering in VOA editorial decisions or installing appointees at the Open Technology Fund, respectively.

Chao testified in the lawsuit alleging editorial interference, and lawmakers in 2020 revised the agency heads powers after bi-partisan criticism of how Pack interpreted the role.

Bennett has prior experience at USAGM, where she was VOA director from 2016 to June 2020, resigning just before Pack took over.

The Pulitzer prize-winning journalist has a long career in U.S. media, including as executive editor at Bloomberg News and managing editor of The Oregonian newspaper. She was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal for more than two decades, including in Beijing.

In 2019 the National Press Club awarded Bennett its Fourth Estate award for significant contributions to American journalism.

In her acceptance speech, Bennett spoke of the role VOA plays in providing uncensored news around the world and underscored that the network is independent and not a government mouthpiece.

We dont do propaganda. And God willing, we never will, she said in her remarks.

VOAs public relations website says that under Bennett, the networks weekly audience grew by around 109 million, and she oversaw more coverage of women and refugees, expansions to include a technology beat, investigative journalism unit, the fact-checking team Polygraph and dedicated press freedom coverage.

Critics however have said Bennett allowed VOAs news coverage to become soft on China including during the coronavirus pandemic, citing a story about Beijings offer for personal protective equipment and medical supplies. Others, in columns for Washington newspapers, note that the agency scored poorly on staff satisfaction during her time.

Critics also question Bennetts decisions to cut short a live interview broadcast by the networks Mandarin service with a prominent critic of Beijing, and to dismiss Mandarin Service head Sasha Gong and others over the incident.

Gong at the time claimed VOA was pressured by Beijing to cut the interview.

Bennett disputed that, saying in a statement to staff the actions were the result of VOA leadership's attempt to enforce previously agreed-upon journalistic standards. The investigations found no evidence to support allegations that pressure from the Chinese government, purportedly driven by 'spies' within VOA, had caused the termination."

As head of USAGM, Bennett would oversee the agency at a critical time, with its journalists under pressure or restricted in countries including Russia, Belarus, Iran and China.

Supporters of Bennett say her experience in foreign journalism makes her suited for the role.

Ambassador Karen Kornbluh, a former member of the USAGMs governing board, told VOA that Bennetts media background and knowledge of USAGM from her time as VOA director make her a strong candidate. She said Bennett could set the standard for all who follow.

Her leadership is essential at a time of resurgent authoritarianism around the world  to ensure that people living under repressive regimes not only have access to accurate information but also can see models of excellent journalism in practice.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, was due to preside over Tuesdays nomination hearing with Senator John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming, as co-chair.

Committee hearings for presidential nominees take place after a White House vetting process. Candidates are also investigated by the FBI, IRS and Office of Government Ethics.

During nomination hearings, senators question the candidate to determine their suitability for the position and seek evidence of partisanship. The committee members eventually vote on whether to recommend the nominee for consideration by the full Senate.
The government of Poland, where a near-total abortion ban is in place, faced accusations Monday of creating a "pregnancy register" as the country expands the amount of medical data being digitally saved on patients.

Women's rights advocates and opposition politicians fear women face unprecedented surveillance given the conservative views of a ruling party that has already tightened what was one of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws.

They fear the new data could be used by police and prosecutors against women whose pregnancies end, even in cases of miscarriage, or that women could be tracked by the state if they order abortion pills or travel abroad for an abortion.

"A pregnancy registry in a country with an almost complete ban on abortion is terrifying," said Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bak, a left-wing lawmaker.

The matter gained attention Monday after Health Minister Adam Niedzielski signed an ordinance Friday expanding the amount of information to be saved in a central database on patients, including information on allergies, blood type and pregnancies.

The health ministry spokesman, Wojciech Andrusiewicz, sought to allay concerns, saying only medical professionals will have access to the data, and that the changes are being made at the recommendation of the European Union.

The effort, he said, is meant to improve the medical treatment of patients, including if they seek treatment elsewhere in the 27-member EU. In the case of pregnant women, he said this will help doctors immediately know which women should not get X-rays or certain medicines.

"Nobody is creating a pregnancy register in Poland," he told the TVN24 all-news station.

But Marta Lempart, the leader of a women's rights group, Women's Strike, said she does not trust the government to keep information on women's pregnancies from the police and prosecutors. She told The Associated Press that police in Poland are already questioning women on how their pregnancies end, tipped off by disgruntled partners.

"Being pregnant means that police can come to you any time and prosecutors can come to you to ask you questions about your pregnancy," Lempart said.

The new system means many Polish women will now avoid the state medical system during their pregnancies, with wealthier women seeking private treatment or traveling abroad, even for prenatal care.

Meanwhile, poorer women in Poland will face an increased risk of medical problems or even death by avoiding prenatal care, Lempart fears.

Lempart also worries that information gained by police could be shared with state media to harm people's reputations.

She already knows how that can happen. In 2020, Lempart tested positive for COVID-19, and the information was reported by state television even before she got her results.

Poland  a predominantly Catholic country  bans abortion in almost all cases, with exceptions only when a woman's life or health is endangered or if the pregnancy results from rape or incest.

For years, abortion was allowed in the case of fetuses with congenital defects. That exception was struck down by the constitutional court in 2020.

In practice, Polish women seeking to terminate their pregnancies order abortions pills or travel to Germany, the Czech Republic and other countries where the procedure is allowed. While self-administering abortion pills is legal, helping someone else is not.

Activist Justyna Wydrzynska is facing up to three years in prison for helping a victim of domestic violence access abortion pills. Amnesty International says it is the first such case in Europe.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday his Conservative Party should draw a line under our issues after he survived a no-confidence vote by his own Members of Parliament Monday evening, following months of speculation over the future of his leadership.

The prime minister held a meeting of his Cabinet Tuesday, where ministers expressed their support and claimed he had a fresh mandate to govern.

In Monday nights ballot, 211 MPs voted in favor of Johnson, with some 148 voting against him  meaning over 40% of his own MPs wanted to oust him as party leader and prime minister.

As the result was announced by Graham Brady, the chairman of the Conservative Partys 1922 Committee of backbench MPs, Boris Johnsons supporters erupted in cheers.

Move on

The prime minister put a positive spin on the outcome. I think it's an extremely good, positive, conclusive, decisive result, which enables us to move on, to unite and to focus on delivery, he told reporters.

Education Secretary Nadim Zahawi, a long-time supporter of Johnson, agreed it was time to move on - and praised the prime minister for the military support he had given to Ukraine.

We've got to deal with the backlog of the NHS (National Health Service), safer streets and of course war in Europe. What do you think (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy will be thinking tonight? He'll be punching the air because he knows his great ally, Boris Johnson, will be prime minister tomorrow morning. That's what we've got to focus on, Zahawi told Sky News Monday evening.

Politically wounded

However, the prime minister has been politically wounded by the vote, according to Anand Menon, a professor of European politics at Kings College London.

This really is a pretty bad result for the prime minister and what it means going forward I think is that prime ministerial survival will be the foundation stone of this government, Menon told VOA.

Boris Johnson delivered the Conservative Party a thumping 80-seat majority at the December 2019 election by promising to get Brexit done. His predecessor, Theresa May, was forced to resign after repeatedly failing to get a Brexit agreement through parliament.

Britain finally left the European Union weeks later, just as the coronavirus pandemic was hitting the continent. Johnsons popularity peaked around May 2020, after he survived several days in intensive care having contracted the virus.

Plummeting popularity

So what went wrong?

The latest polls show his popularity has plummeted, with some 68% of voters saying he is doing a bad job, versus 26% who approve. He and his wife, Carrie, were booed Friday by sections of the crowd at Queen Elizabeths Platinum Jubilee service at Londons St. Pauls Cathedral.

Boris Johnson being booed at St. Pauls was quite a moment, actually, says Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. One would expect most of the people who attend events like that as members of the public to be pretty traditional conservatives and for them actually to make their displeasure so obvious in public, I think is quite significant moment, Bale told the Associated Press.

Party-gate

Johnson is the first British prime minister to be convicted of breaking the law while in office, after police investigations into parties held at his Downing Street residence during COVID-19 lockdowns  so-called party-gate. A parliamentary investigation into the parties is still ongoing. Johnson had previously told MPs that no such events were held.

A number of his own MPs cited the fact that he had clearly lied to parliament as a reason for voting against him, said analyst Anand Menon. And secondly, those same MPs have seen the prime minister's popularity ratings with the British public tank.

Divisions

The prime minister denies that he lied to parliament. But his problems run deeper, according to Menon.

Whether it be party-gate, whether it be a sense amongst his own backbenchers that there is no coherent plan for government, or whether it be the fact that actually the Conservative Party is divided.

Historically, British prime ministers who suffered significant rebellions havent survived long in the job  including Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Theresa May. Boris Johnson is slightly strengthened by the fact that there is no obvious successor, Menon said.

Johnsons supporters say he got the big calls right: giving military support to Ukraine; delivering on the Brexit referendum; a fast COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

But his critics say he is now a political liability and their calls for him to resign are unlikely to die down.
The son of Ruth Whitfield, an 86-year-old woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a racist attack on Black shoppers in Buffalo, New York, challenged Congress on Tuesday to act against the "cancer of white supremacy" and the nation's epidemic of gun violence.

Garnell Whitfield Jr.'s emotional testimony comes as lawmakers are working furiously to strike a bipartisan agreement on gun safety measures in the aftermath of back-to-back mass shootings.

Ten days after the shooting death of his mother and nine others in New York by an 18-year-old gunman, another 18-year-old with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 school children and two teachers.

"What are you doing? You were elected to protect us," Whitfield told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires?" he asked. "If there is nothing, then respectfully, senators  you should yield your positions of authority and influence to others that are willing to lead on this issue."

The hearing is the first of two this week as families of the victims and survivors of the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde appear at public hearings and events on Capitol Hill to show the human toll of America's gun violence and urge Congress to act.

Pressing for a deal, President Joe Biden met Tuesday with Senator Chris Murphy, a key Democratic negotiator, who has worked most of his career trying to curb the nation's mass-shooting scourge after the heartbreaking slaughter of 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary in his home state of Connecticut a decade ago.

Murphy told reporters after the meeting that he was grateful to have an opportunity to update the president on the talks in the Senate. "Obviously, we've still got work to do in the Senate," he said.

Murphy said his goal is to try to get an agreement this week, but he added that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been clear that "we need some extra time to dot the i's and cross the t's that will get it."

On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee is expected to hear from more victims' families and from fourth-grader Miah Cerrillo, who captured Americans' attention after she described covering herself in her dead classmate's blood and playing dead to survive the shooting rampage in Uvalde.

The Senate hearing Tuesday focused directly on the white supremacist ideology that authorities say led an 18-year-old gunman dressed in military gear to drive hours to a predominately Black neighborhood in Buffalo and live stream his violent rampage. The shooting left 10 people dead and several others wounded.

"My mother's life mattered," Whitfield said. "Your actions here will tell us if and how much it mattered to you."

Shortly after the Buffalo massacre, a bill that would have bolstered federal resources to prevent domestic terrorism failed in the Senate at the hands of Republican opposition. Even at Tuesday's hearing, Republican senators took the time to focus on the racial injustice protests that took place in the summer of 2020, citing those incidents as acts of domestic extremism.

Since the failed vote, senators have regrouped and began to meet privately in a small bipartisan group headed by Murphy and Republican Senator John Cornyn, trying to hash out a compromise that could actually become law.

But lawmakers have been here before  unable to pass any substantial gun safety laws in decades in the face of steep objections from Republicans in Congress, some conservative Democrats and the fierce lobby of gun owners and the National Rifle Association. No major legislation has made it into law since the 1994 assault weapons ban, which has since expired.

The package under discussion is far short of the sweeping measures for an assault weapons ban or universal background checks that are popular with Americans and advocated by gun safety groups but rejected by Republicans.

Instead, the senators are focusing on incremental policy changes through a system that would send funds and other incentives to the states to bolster security at school campuses, provide more mental health services to young people and possibly encourage states to pursue red-flag laws to keep firearms out of the hands of people who would do harm.

"I'm optimistic we can get 60-plus votes  but the question is what that package looks like," Cornyn told reporters as lawmakers arrived back in town Monday from a week-long recess.

Cornyn was referring to the 60-vote threshold needed in the 50-50 Senate to advance legislation past a filibuster that can block most any bill.

The Texas senator said he was preparing to brief his colleagues Tuesday at their weekly Senate lunch on the status of negotiations. But he warned Democrats off rushing the process, saying "arbitrary deadlines" are no help in the talks.

While senators are reluctant to raise the age requirement for gun purchases from 18 to 21, as has been done in some states, an alternative idea surfacing is to open the records of juvenile offenders to look for problem spots before allowing adults to purchase weapons.

Murphy said that Cornyn has articulated a legitimate concern that many times law enforcement doesn't have access to juvenile records when making a decision on a background check.

"That clearly seems like something we should fix and address," Murphy said. "That's certainly a part of our talks. It's complicated because different states have different rules when it comes to juvenile records."

The proposals are gaining traction, but also raising concerns from Democrats and some advocacy groups who are pushing senators to do more, faster, to stem the tide of mass shootings across the nation.
South Africa's language authorities have denounced Irish airline Ryanair for requiring a test in Afrikaans for all South Africans before they can fly to Britain. Afrikaans is spoken by about 12% of South Africans as their first language and the country boasts ten other official ones, including the more widely spoken Zulu and Xhosa. Singling out Afrikaans also reopens apartheid-era racial wounds.

VOA asked Dublin-based Ryanair about its test, which is given to South African passport holders traveling in Europe en route to Britain.

In response, Ryanair said: Due to the high prevalence of fraudulent South African passports, we require passengers travelling to the UK to fill out a simple questionnaire issued in Afrikaans. If they are unable to complete this questionnaire, they will be refused travel and issued with a full refund.

The CEO of the Pan South African Language Board, Lance Schulz, says the board has expressed its displeasure with Ryanairs Afrikaans test because many South Africans do not understand the language.

Our view is that the decision is quite reckless and reminiscent of the apartheid systemic subjugation of speakers of other languages, mainly black people. And in essence our concern is that it creates racial as well as linguistic discrimination. We believe that not just is it in contravening our constitutional democracy as well as linguistic diversity, but its an ignorance of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, he said.

Schultz says the Board believes that Ryanair must find other non-discriminatory means to test South African passports.

Meanwhile, the CEO of the Afrikaans Language Council, Conrad Steenkamp, has written directly to Ryanair to explain how absurd their test is.

He says many South Africans would fail a test given in Zulu or one of the other official languages.

Steenkamp says he hopes that Ryanair will see the error of its ways.

Thus far Ryanair has not responded to us about our comments. We advised them to, one: immediately stop using the profiling; two: they need to start apologizing to people. People were turned back from flights as a result of this and they are in serious jeopardy, this could end up in court cases, he said.

Reuters reports that the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa said it was taken aback by Ryanairs decision to use the Afrikaans test. The department reportedly said the government had measures that it regularly shares with airlines to curb any instances of fake documents.

Ironically, news of Ryanairs Afrikaans test breaks in June when Youth Day is marked in South Africa. The day commemorates the 1976 uprising against the language.

On the 16th of this month 46 years ago, thousands of black students marched in Soweto against the white apartheid governments insistence that Afrikaans be a compulsory medium of instruction in South African schools.

Their peaceful protest was met with teargas and live ammunition fired by police, and its estimated at least 176 people died in the unrest.
South Africans were relieved Tuesday to learn that two businessmen who've been fugitives since being accused of looting billions of dollars from the state have been arrested in Dubai. But their extradition and prosecution could be a complex and drawn-out legal battle.

Atul and Rajesh Gupta are two of the most notorious household names in South Africa.

The Indian-born siblings were close friends of former president Jacob Zuma and are believed to have used that connection to influence cabinet appointments and win lucrative government contracts  a scandal thats become known here as state capture.

The siblings, along with third brother, Ajay, fled South Africa in 2018. Zuma is facing charges in a separate corruption case.

On Monday night, South Africas National Prosecuting Authority confirmed the two brothers had been arrested in the United Arab Emirates and Dubai police released a statement saying theyd made the arrest after receiving a red notice for the Gupta brothers by Interpol.

Karam Singh, the executive director of South African non-profit organization Corruption Watch, welcomed the arrests of the fugitives, whove been indicted in South Africa.

The arrest of the Gupta brothers in Dubai is a significant development in South Africas fight against corruption and seeking accountability for state capture, he said.

The National Prosecuting Authority said in its statement that it is now engaging with authorities in the UAE on the matter but cautioned that extradition is a complex process involving many role players.

So what do ordinary South Africans think of the arrests?

Fifty-seven-year-old Thabo Mamiane, who has a shop with his wife in Johannesburgs Parkview neighborhood, said he was thrilled.

This is the beginning of justice, whatever Jacob Zuma and his cronies and all that, what they did in the past there, I mean this puts some kind of confidence in our government, he said.

His wife Susan agreed.

I also think its great. I thinks its time. Its been long overdue," she said.

But Mfanafuthi Tsela, walking down Tyrone avenue, was more circumspect.

Im not sure whether its a good thing or a bad thing because usually people get caught but still like theyre not convicted. So long as the state is capable of punishing them I will be happy. I think that is what people are expecting because theyve done a lot of damage, said Tsela.

Some, however, like grocery store worker Mark, were highly skeptical.

Until we see them in handcuffs at the airport we wont believe it, he said.

For her part, Ntaoleng, a 25-year-old going to a local cafe, said justice wasnt enough and wouldnt fix the countrys ailing economy anyway.

I think my concern really is that, ok cool, we find they come back, they get extradited and then we do the whole prosecution process, but then like, are we going to get the money back because if we dont get the money back whats the point? she asked.

Mostly, South Africans want to have hope, and want to safeguard their democracy, but are fatigued by the slow-moving wheels of justice.
It was a moment Pablo Gonzalezs family had been longing for: a letter from the Spanish journalist imprisoned in Poland for 100 days on accusations of spying for Russia.



It was a thrill and a present for me and our three children, Gonzalezs wife, Oihana Goiriena, told VOA.



The four-page letter, which arrived last week, was the first contact the family has had with Gonzalez since his arrest in February.



Polands secret service alleges he used his role as a journalist as a cover for espionage, but officials have not publicly disclosed any supporting evidence. Gonzalez denies the accusation.



The journalist's family has links to Russia because his father moved there as a child after the Spanish Civil War. But Gonzalez is not part of Russia's secret intelligence service, his Spanish lawyer Gonzalo Boye said.



A court in Poland last month ordered Gonzalez to remain in custody for a second three-month period. Under Polish law, he can be held for up to a year. If convicted, he could be jailed for 10 years.



Bartosz Rogala, a Polish lawyer appointed to Gonzalez at the request of the Spanish government, said that under Polish law, he is not permitted to reveal the reasons that Gonzalez is being held longer.



"The arrest hearing was part of the preparatory proceedings (for trial) and therefore remains classified," Rogala told El Espanol, a Spanish online news site.



The lawyer said Gonzalez will appeal the detention.



Rogala can communicate with Gonzalez, but Polish authorities have denied the journalist telephone calls or visits from his Spanish lawyer. He is in a jail located about 400 km from the capital, Warsaw.



Pablo has not been allowed any (physical) contact with his family nor his lawyer. The Spanish consul has seen him three times, Boye told VOA. He is being held with one other man in a cell. He is no longer in solitary confinement. He is OK, but he is missing his family.



Gonzalez was arrested on February 28 when crossing from Poland into Ukraine, where he had been reporting the start of the Russian invasion.



Ukrainian secret service officials had earlier detained Gonzalez and accused him of spying for Russia, which he denied. He returned to Spain for a few days before leaving for Poland.



International rights organizations and commentators have criticized how Poland, a European Union nation, handled the case, and demanded that Gonzalez be afforded due process and rights.



In an opinion piece, Enric Gonzalez, a columnist for the center-left Spanish daily newspaper El Pais, likened the treatment to that of inmates in Guantanamo Bay, where the U.S. government kept terror suspects without charges for lengthy periods. The lawyer is not related to Pablo.



In Spain, a campaign led by friends, journalists and television presenters called #FreePabloGonzalez marked the 100th day of his detention on Tuesday.

More than 40,600 people signed a petition calling for the release of the experienced war reporter.



Gonzalez, 40, has covered conflicts in Ukraine and Syria for various outlets including the left-wing Spanish paper Publico and Gara, a Basque nationalist newspaper. He also provided some camera work for VOA in 2020 and 2021.



The news that he would be held for another three months was a blow to his family, who live in the Basque Country in northern Spain. But the familys first letter from Gonzalez, which arrived May 31, lifted spirits, his wife said.



The letter was dated April 9, so he congratulated our youngest, who is 7, for his birthday. Said he missed us all very much, and thanked his family and friends and supporters for all the help they have given him, Goiriena said.



Pablo said he was OK but has lost a lot of weight. He wrote a few anecdotes about his childhood and told us what he was doing. He is reading a lot, doing exercise, and things are a bit better. He says (the spying allegations) is something that will pass, Goiriena said.



Goiriena sent a package to her husband in prison containing books on the Basque language and a National Geographic magazine but said she first must have the list of contents translated into Polish.



Gonzalez has received one letter from his wife, which she sent in March. It was written in Spanish and must be translated and examined by the Polish prosecutor.



Letters from Boye must also be translated and seen by the prosecutor.

This is in case they have secret messages to (Russian President) Putin, jokes Goiriena. This is not a laughing matter, but you have to laugh or you would cry.

Osoigo, a Spanish campaign group, has called on lawmakers to campaign for Gonzalez.



Pablo is a Spanish journalist who has been detained and held incommunicado (while accused of spying) and cannot speak with his lawyer or his family. That is why we are campaigning, Yolanda Llamas of Osoigo told VOA.



For those campaigning for Gonzalezs release, his treatment in Poland has been shocking.



In May, Enric Gonzalez wrote in El Pais, I ignore whether he has spied or not, (he would not be the first journalist to do so, the frontier between both jobs is clouded), or if he is innocent. But it seems to me that in the European Union, there should not be situations similar to Guantanamo (Bay).



Amnesty International supported the campaign to free Gonzalez, tweeting: We demand that his right to a fair process and due guarantees be respected, allowing him access to a lawyer of his free choice and to communicate with his family.



Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told parliament last month that the foreign minister had been in contact with his Polish counterpart over the case.





A spokesperson for Spains Foreign Ministry told VOA, Our consul has visited him three times. We made sure that he had a local lawyer, and our ambassador in Poland is following the case carefully.



The Spanish Defense Ministry, which has responsibility for the intelligence services, declined to comment on the matter.



VOA asked the Polish embassy in Madrid for comment but received no response.



Following Gonzalezs arrest, VOA issued a statement saying it was aware of his arrest and has removed some of the content filed by him out of an abundance of caution.
A Philadelphia school teacher, an Arizona teenager, and a Chicago police officer were among hundreds of people struck down by bullets over the weekend, part of a relentless wave of shootings that has pushed gun violence to the forefront of U.S. politics.

More than 124 people were killed and 325 wounded in 300-plus shootings documented in the United States since Friday, according to GunViolenceArchive.org, a Washington D.C. non-profit that tracks shootings.

The rash of violence over the weekend came on the heels of a series of deadly mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, Buffalo, New York, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, that re-ignited a national debate over tighter restrictions on gun ownership, which gun rights advocates fiercely oppose.

After the weekend shootings, a number of big-city mayors voiced frustration over the impact of the violence on their communities.

"I'm tired of standing in front of you talking about guns and bodies," Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly told a news conference on Sunday, hours after two people were killed and 14 wounded in a shooting at a nightclub in his city.

"The surge in gun violence that we've seen across the nation and here in Philadelphia makes me not just heartbroken, but angry," Mayor Jim Kenney said on Sunday, the day after three people were killed and 12 injured when gunshots were fired into a crowded bar in the city's South Street district.

The Philadelphia shooting late Saturday night grew out of a confrontation between two men who exchanged words as they passed each other on the street, sparking a brawl that escalated quickly into gunfire involving at least four weapons, authorities said on Monday.

Two suspects, one of them shot in the hand when he opened fire into the melee, were taken into custody on Monday, according to Joanne Pescatore, an assistant city district attorney.

Kris Minners, a second-grade resident advisor at Philadelphia's Girard College, a private boarding school, was among the victims who lost their life in the shooting, according to a Pennsylvania teachers union.

"We see lives senselessly lost and those injured in yet another horrendous, brazen and despicable act of gun violence," said Kenney.

On Monday, in response to the gun violence, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed 10 gun control bills into law. Read full story.

Lawmakers in Washington D.C. are also looking at several gun control measures, but any new federal gun legislation faces steep hurdles from Republicans, particularly in the Senate. Read full story.

"Change must happen now," Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in a Tweet after a 14-year-old girl was killed and eight others wounded in a shooting at a strip mall on Saturday.

The weekend also saw police officers shot in Baltimore and Chicago. On Sunday afternoon, on Chicago's South Side, a policeman was wounded during a traffic stop, becoming the second officer injured by gunfire in the area in the last four days.

"How many officers and residents must be victims of gun violence before we act?" Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement after the shooting.
Russia claimed Tuesday it has assumed control over almost all of Luhansk province in eastern Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials said their troops are standing their ground in fierce fighting with Moscows forces in the streets of the regions key industrial city of Sievierodonetsk.

After weeks of attacks on eastern Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow's forces now control 97% of Luhansk province, part of the Donbas region it hopes to claim after failing during three-plus months of fighting to topple Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or capture the capital, Kyiv.

Zelenskyy, in his nightly video address Monday, said, "Our heroes are not giving up positions in Sievierodonetsk."

The citys mayor, Oleksandr Stryuk, told Ukrainian television on Tuesday, "Our armed forces have strengthened their positions and are holding the line."

The battle for Sievierodonetsk is crucial to Moscows attempt to assume full domination over Luhansk province. A week ago, Russian forces had captured 70% of the city, but a Ukrainian counteroffensive pushed back Moscows troops, leaving control of the city in doubt.

Both Russia and Ukraine claim to have inflicted huge casualties on each other.

Shoigu said Russian troops were also advancing toward the town of Popasna, and he said they have taken control of Lyman and Sviatohirsk and 15 other towns in the region.

He said 6,489 Ukrainian troops have been taken prisoner since the start of the military action in Ukraine on February 24, including 126 over the past five days.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak urged his people not to be dismayed by battlefield reverses.

"Don't let the news that we've ceded something scare you," he said in a video address. "It is clear that tactical maneuvers are ongoing. We cede something, we take something back."

Zelenskyy told a news conference Monday that Russian troops also intend to capture Zaporizhzhia, in the southeast, to allow them to advance closer to the center of the country.

The enemy wants to ... occupy the city of Zaporizhzhia, Zelenskyy said. The city is an industrial hub with a pre-war population of more than 700,000 people.

The Ukrainian leader said he received confirmation from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of a new enhanced defense support package, and that the two discussed ways to unblock Ukrainian ports and avoid a food crisis.

Britain announced Monday it is sending M270 multiple-launch rocket systems that can hit targets up to 80 kilometers away.

We cannot stand by while Russian long-range artillery flattens cities and kills innocent civilians, Johnson said.

Ben Wallace, Britains defense secretary, said support for Ukraine must change as Russias tactics change, and that the new rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which Putins forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities. Wallace was referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin has warned that Moscow would hit targets we havent yet struck if the West went ahead with plans to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden said last week the United States plans to send the Kyiv government $700 million in new weaponry that includes four precision-guided, medium-range rocket systems, helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, radars, tactical vehicles, spare parts and more.

Russias foreign ministry announced new sanctions Monday against 61 U.S. nationals in response to what it called constantly expanding U.S. sanctions.

Those listed include Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

Some material in this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
The United Nations warned Tuesday that Somalia is at risk of another famine, as consecutive droughts have withered crops and killed scores of livestock, and grain imports from Ukraine and Russia have dramatically dropped due to their war.

Somalia is certainly heading toward a famine, if action is not taken now, U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Adam Abdelmoula told reporters in a video call from Mogadishu.

He said if the international community waits until a formal declaration of famine to act, it will be too late.

We have been there before  in 2011, severe drought resulted in a famine that killed a-quarter-of-a-million people, partly because we were slow to act. We must not allow that to happen again, the humanitarian coordinator said.

Abdelmoula said that nearly half the countrys population, about 7.1 million people, are facing crisis-level food insecurity or worse at least through September. He said 213,000 of them would face famine-like conditions. The situation in south and central parts of the country is especially grim.

Somalia has endured four consecutive failed rainy seasons, plunging much of the country into severe drought, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency. Recent moderate rains have not alleviated the crisis.

Complicating the situation is Russias war on Ukraine.

Before Moscows February 24 invasion of its neighbor, Ukraine provided Somalia with about half of its grain imports, while Russia accounted for 35%.

Both of those import sources have come to a complete halt, Abdelmoula said. He added that global supply chain disruptions and increased fuel prices, as a result of the war, have also disproportionately affected Somalia.

In some parts of the country, food prices have risen by 140% to 160%, leaving poor families hungry and destitute, he said.

The United Nations appealed for $1.5 billion for its Somalia humanitarian response this year, but with the year half over, it has only received 18% of the funds needed. This has resulted in the shuttering of hundreds of U.N.-operated feeding centers and health clinics.

Abdelmoula said the World Food Program and partners have decreased food and cash handouts to affected communities by as much as 40% already. And of the 5.1 million people they had been trying to assist, they have only been able to reach 2.8 million.

And the rest were left out, the humanitarian coordinator said.

The situation is especially dangerous for children under five years old. Suspected cholera cases are on the rise and at least 8,700 cases of measles have been reported. Malnourished children are much more likely to succumb to those diseases.

In 2017, Somalia also faced the prospect of famine, but it was averted by concerted action by both the government and the international community.
The United States announced Tuesday several government and private sector initiatives meant to boost development and safety in Central America as part of a program designed to address the root causes of why people migrate to the U.S.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been leading the initiative, which included meeting with business leaders late Monday ahead of announcing $1.9 billion in new private projects from 10 businesses and organizations.

The announcements come as the United States hosts leaders for the Summit of the Americas this week in Los Angeles, but with notable exceptions.

The United States did not invite Cuba, Nicaragua or Venezuela to participate, with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters Monday, We do not believe that dictators should be invited.

In response, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would not attend, sending his foreign minister instead. Honduran President Xiomara Castro is also staying home after saying she would only attend the summit if all the countries of the Americas are invited without exception.

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei said he would be focusing on work in Guatemala instead of taking part in the summit.

Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala, along with El Salvador, are key U.S. partners in the effort to address migration. A senior U.S. administration official told reporters Monday that even if their leaders do not attend, those countries will fully participate in the summit, and that the absences do not undermine the U.S. approach to the region.

Among the new efforts Harris announced Tuesday, which follow $1.2 billion in similar commitments made public in December, are clothing company GAPs move to source an additional $50 million in products from Central America and auto components producer Yazakis announcement of $110 million to hire 14,000 workers in the region.

Digital service firm COATL is investing $35 million to expand high speed internet access in El Salvador, while Millicom is launching a $700 million expansion and maintenance program for its network in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

Taken together, these investments are creating an ecosystem of opportunity and helping to provide hope for people in the region to build safe and prosperous lives at home, the White House said in a statement.

Tuesdays announcement also includes a separate private sector program to empower, train and protect women in Central America, the White House said.

Its components include support for small and medium enterprises led by women, boosting womens participation in the agricultural industry, job training, and the creation of digital community centers to provide internet access, digital skills, education and mentoring.

In addition to those private efforts, the U.S. Agency for International Development is launching a program aimed at preventing sexual, gender-based and domestic violence, with components providing services for victims and holding perpetrators accountable.

USAID is also putting $50 million toward what the White House called the Central American Service Corps to pay young people in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras for community service work, and to provide them with mentoring opportunities and a path to a job.

By supporting life and job skills, offering hope, and building confidence and a sense of belonging for youth, the CASC initiative will generate leadership potential and help foster optimism among youth in Central America that a better future is possible for themselves and for their communities, the White House said.
The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said Tuesday they would coordinate with Syrian government troops to fend off any Turkish invasion of the north and protect Syrian territory.

They said the decision came after an emergency meeting of their top commanders that discussed threats by Turkey to wage a new offensive on swathes of northern Syria they control.

Meanwhile, Russia and Syrian government forces have been bolstered in northern Syria where Turkey may soon launch an offensive against Kurdish fighters, Turkish and rebel Syrian officials said, as Ankara prepares for talks with Moscow.

Turkish offensive

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said two weeks ago Turkey would launch new military operations in Syria to extend 30-km (20-mile) deep "safe zones" along the border, aiming at the Tal Rifaat and Manbij regions and other areas further east.

Russia, which warned at the weekend against military escalation in northern Syria, is sending Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks in Ankara on Wednesday.

The two countries have close ties, and Ankara has sought to mediate talks over Russia's war in Ukraine, but their support for opposing sides in Syria may test President Vladimir Putin's relations with the only NATO member not to impose sanctions on Moscow over the invasion.

Watch related video by Dorian Jones

The stakes are also high for Erdogan. Without at least tacit approval from Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's powerful ally in the Syria conflict, a Turkish offensive would carry additional risk of casualties. Russia and Turkey have checked each other's military ambitions at various points in Syria's war, at times bringing them close to direct confrontation.

There have not yet been signs of a significant Turkish military build-up in the border region but reports of rocket and artillery exchanges have become more frequent in the past two weeks.

Any Turkish operation would attack the Kurdish YPG militia, a key part of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that controls large parts of north Syria and is regarded by Washington as an important ally against Islamic State. Ankara sees it as a terrorist group and extension of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

A spokesman for the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) said Russia was reinforcing positions near Tal Rifaat, Manbij, the southern outskirts of Kobani, and Ain Issa - all towns within 40 kilometers of the Turkish border.

"Since the announcement of the operation, the Syrian regime and its Iranian militias have mobilized and [are] sending reinforcements to the YPG," Major Youssef Hammoud told Reuters.

Their intelligence had spotted Russian helicopters landing at an air base close to Tal Rifaat, he added.

Turkey's state-owned Anadolu news agency cited local sources on Saturday as saying Russia was making deployments in north Syria to "consolidate its control," flying reconnaissance flights over Tal Rifaat and setting up Pantsir-S1 air defense systems in Qamishli, a border town nearly 400 kilometers further east.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi told Reuters on Sunday Damascus should use its air defense systems against Turkish planes and his forces were "open" to working with Syrian troops to fight off Turkey but said there was no need to send more forces.

Talks with Lavrov

Ankara says it must act because Washington and Moscow broke promises to push the YPG 30 kilometers from the border after a 2019 Turkish offensive. With both powers seeking Turkey's support over Ukraine, the conflict may offer it a degree of leverage.

Washington, whose backing for the SDF has long been a source of strain in ties with Turkey, has voiced concern, saying any new operation would put at risk U.S. troops  which have a presence in Syria  and undermine regional stability.

Russia also said last week it hoped Turkey "refrains from actions which could lead to a dangerous deterioration of the already difficult situation in Syria."

A senior Turkish official said Lavrov would be asked about intelligence that he said pointed to Syrian government and Iran-backed forces either arriving at Tal Rifaat or heading there.

"Turkey will do this operation one way or another," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Asked whether Russia was strengthening positions in northern Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters it was the Syrian armed forces that "are reinforcing, to a greater or lesser extent, certain facilities on their territory."

The Syrian government does not comment on troop movements, but the pro-government newspaper al-Watan on Monday cited sources in northern Raqqa  near the Turkish border  as saying Syrian troops, tanks and heavy weaponry deployed over the weekend in response to Turkish moves.

The Turkish official and the SNA's Hammoud said attacks from SDF-controlled areas against those under Turkish and SNA control had increased. Hammoud said Turkish and SNA forces were responding.
South Korea and the United States held an air power demonstration involving 20 fighter jets Tuesday, the allies latest display of military strength amid signs North Korea may soon conduct a nuclear test.

The drill, held in the sea off South Koreas western coast, was in response to North Koreas unprecedented launch of eight ballistic missiles Sunday, according to a statement from South Koreas Ministry of National Defense.

Pictures released by South Koreas military showed the aircraft flying in a tight, triangular formation. The exercise involved 16 South Korean fighter jets  including the F-35A, F-15K, and KF-16  and four F-16 fighters from the U.S. Air Force, according to Seoul.

The ROK-US has demonstrated its strong ability and willingness to strike against North Koreas provocations quickly and accurately, the South Korean military said. The two countries are watching for further provocations by North Korea, it added.

North Korea on Sunday fired eight short-range ballistic missiles into the sea over a 35-minute period, according to South Koreas military. It was North Koreas 18th round of missile launches this year.

On Monday, the United States and South Korea responded by launching eight missiles of their own into the ocean.

South Korea and the United States have increased public displays of military power in response to intensified North Korean missile tests.

South Koreas new conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has vowed to respond quickly and firmly to what he describes as North Korean provocations.

During a summit last month, Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed holding bigger joint military exercises, which had been scaled back under the previous South Korean government.

There are also signs that North Korea could soon conduct its seventh nuclear test, a step that could further raise regional tensions.

On Monday, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said one of the tunnel entrances have been opened at North Koreas nuclear test site, possibly in preparation for a nuclear test.

Such a test, he said would contravene U.N. Security Council resolutions and would be a cause for serious concern.

North Korea is in the middle of one of its busiest ever years for weapons tests. It is attempting to make progress on a weapons development wish list laid out by leader Kim Jong Un in 2021.
An American woman who prosecutors say led an all-female battalion of Islamic State militants in Syria pleaded guilty on Tuesday in a case that a prosecutor called a first of its kind in the United States.

Allison Fluke-Ekren broke down sobbing after admitting in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, a charge that carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence.

The guilty plea resolves a criminal case that came to light in January after Fluke-Ekren, 42, who once lived in Kansas, was brought to the U.S. to face accusations that she led an Islamic State unit of women and young girls in the Syrian city of Raqqa and trained them in the use of automatic rifles, grenades and suicide belts.

It is the first prosecution in the U.S. of a female Islamic State battalion leader, said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh, who told a judge that some of the more than 100 women and girls who received training may wish to speak at Fluke-Ekren's sentencing hearing.

"Some of them may wish an opportunity to address the court because we would argue that there is lifelong trauma and pain that has been inflicted on them," Parekh said.

Charging documents in the case trace Fluke-Ekren's travels and activities in the Middle East over the last decade, though they don't shed light on what inspired her alleged allegiance to foreign militant groups.

She had been in Syria since late 2012 or early 2013, where according to one witness cited in court documents, she spoke openly about her desire to conduct an attack in the U.S., including by parking car loaded with explosives in an underground garage of a shopping mall. Another witness said Fluke-Ekren spoke about a desire to bomb a college campus.

Prosecutors say that after Fluke-Ekren's second husband, identified in court papers as a member of the militant group Ansar al-Sharia, was killed in an air strike in Syria in February 2016, she led a center that offered medical services and child care  but also advanced weapons training  to dozens of women and young girls.

Her all-female battalion, known as Khatiba Nusaybah, began operations in 2017, with a goal of teaching female Islamic State members how to defend themselves against the group's enemies, prosecutors say.

According to court documents, she continued her affiliation with the Islamic State until the spring of 2019, when she was smuggled out of IS territory. Fluke-Ekren has said she tried to turn herself in at a local police station last summer because she wanted to leave Syria, and that about two weeks later, she was taken into custody at her home and later held in prison.

A criminal complaint against Fluke-Ekren was filed under seal in the U.S. in 2019 but not made public until she was brought to Virginia in January to face charges.

Fluke-Ekren, who said in court that she had a master's degree in the U.S. in teaching, moved to Egypt with her second husband in 2008 and lived in Benghazi, Libya in the fall of 2012, when a n attack on U.S. government facilities resulted in the deaths of four Americans. Fluke-Ekren is not alleged to have played any part in that attack, but prosecutors say she helped her second husband review and summarize documents that he said were stolen from the U.S. compound there.

Fluke-Ekren admitted to the gist of the government's allegations against her, though at one point she suggested that one of the witnesses quoted in court documents was young at the time they were speaking and may have had a different understanding of their conversations. She also suggested that she had not intentionally trained young girls.
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White House says summit of American states will make progress despite boycotts by Mexican president and others over refusal to invite Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela
HARARE, ZIMBABWE  Before his arrest Monday, ZimLive editor Mduduzi Mathuthu had been in hiding for about two weeks.

He got worried after unidentified people had come to his home in the city of Bulawayo, saying police were looking for him.

But Mathuthu, who spoke with VOA before his arrest, said at that time, neither the police spokesperson nor the central police station appeared to know if he was wanted.

So I called the police spokesperson Paul Nyathi," Mathuthu said. "He didnt know anything. I sent the lawyer to go to central police station. He was informed that no one was looking for me. So it began this mysterious situation where we started feeling that perhaps the intentions of those who came to the house were not as good. We then filed a report with the police for attempted abduction or kidnapping.

Police later wrote to Mathuthus lawyers saying they wanted to interview him. And when he was taken into custody Monday, he was told the case is linked to a tweet commenting on President Emmerson Mnangagwas appearance on national television.

In that tweet, Mathuthu said the president got drunk before coming on TV.

Njabulo Ncube, of the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum, said the arrest is raising concerns of media harassment over political coverage. Cases of journalist arrests are common during an election season, Ncube said. Zimbabwe is due to hold general elections in 2023.

Its a harbinger of things to come," Ncube said. "Ed (President Mnangagwa) has actually followed the footsteps of the late president Robert Mugabe. Nothing has changed. Journalism being treated like a criminal activity. Mr. Mathuthu must be allowed to practice his journalism unhindered.

Upon taking power in 2017, President Mnangagwa  referred to some in Zimbabwe as Ed, after the initials of his first and middle names  he promised to improve the media landscape. But rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, have documented several cases of media workers detained or questioned in recent months for coverage of politics or local elections.

In Mathuthus case, the Media Institute of Southern Africa is providing legal assistance. The watchdog group says those convicted of undermining the president can face up to a year in prison.

Nompilo Simanje, from the watchdogs Zimbabwe branch, said Mathuthu has come under pressure before for his journalism, including during protests in 2020.

Mduduzi Mathuthu has been in a situation with police before when his home was ransacked in 2020 and his nephew was abducted over some accusations and MISA Zimbabwe had to intervene, Simanje said. So, following his emergency call for support, MISA Zimbabwe deployed a lawyer.

Zimbabwe authorities declined to comment on Mathuthus case on Monday, saying they will talk only when the case is resolved. The journalist is due in court later this week.

Zimbabwe authorities declined to comment on Mathuthus case on Monday, saying they will talk only when the case is resolved. The journalist is due in court later this week.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that on Monday police in Bulawayo detained Mduduzi Mathuthu, editor of privately owned news website ZimLive, and charged him with insulting or undermining the authority of President Emmerson Mnangagwa over a tweet he wrote about the presidents fiscal policies.

Quoting his lawyer Nqobani Sithole, some news reports and a statement from the regional press freedom group, Media Institute of Southern Africa, CPJ said the journalist was released about an hour later and police told him they would later set a date for a court hearing.

Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator in New York, is quoted by CPJ as saying, Authorities in Zimbabwe should stop harassing ZimLive editor Mduduzi Mathuthu, a known critic of the government, and immediately drop the spurious charge of insulting or undermining the presidents authority.

Presidents are public figures and should have a greater tolerance for criticism and debate without police having to waste resources to defend their reputations.

Mathuthu appeared for questioning at the Bulawayo Central Police Station, following a summons on June 1 in which the police said  without giving further details  that they were investigating a case against him, Sithole said.

During the questioning, police said they were charging him over his tweet, since deleted, about Mnangagwas suspendion of bank lending to private companies and government departments. CPJ has reviewed the tweet.

If found guilty, Mathuthu faces one year in jail or a fine of up to 4,800 Zimbabwean dollars (US$13.26) or both, according to the law.

CPJ called Zimbabwe police spokesperson Paul Nyathi and also sent a request for comment via messaging app but did not receive a reply.
The Head of State who is joined by First Lady Lilia Paredes affirmed that the event will allow the Government to strengthen multilateral solutions against the food crisis, poverty, insecurity, and inequalities.

"We are at a crucial moment for the world due to post-pandemic events and the war between Russia and Ukraine," he added.

In addition, he will participate in a meeting with the youth of the hemisphere, among other activities.

These include bilateral meetings with counterparts from the region. Meetings with U.S. businesspeople are also expected.

Said events seek to strengthen the international projection of Peru's foreign policy and boost the country's economic reactivation, promoting exports and investments.

Salimos rumbo a Estados Unidos para traer noticias positivas a favor del Peru y de la integracion de los pueblos en la @CumbreAmericas. Estamos en un momento crucial para el mundo por los acontecimientos pospandemia y la guerra entre Rusia y Ucrania. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/gkgIg47rWk
The family of the late academic and political blogger, Alex Magaisa, say he suffered cardiac arrest while he was undergoing treatment and tests on Sunday.

In a statement, the family said, "We the families of Alex and Shamiso Magaisa regret to announce the passing on to glory of our husband, father, brother, uncle and nephew - Alex Tawanda Magaisa. We will miss him sorely and may God grant his soul repose. Alex was undergoing treatment and tests when he suffered a cardiac arrest at 8am on Sunday 5th June.

We thank you all for your messages of love and support and now kindly plead for time and privacy as we mourn our loved one. Other developments will be announced in due course."

Magaisa, who was a writer of the hugely followed

'The Big Saturday Read' and once worked in the late Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgen Tsvangirai's office as an advisor, worked as a lecturer at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom.

Condolence messages have been pouring from many Zimbabweans, including government Information Secretary, Nick Mangwana.

In a tweet, Mangwana said, "Really saddened to learn of Alexs death. My kids went to Uni of Kent and whenever I visited my kids, Alex, Gift and I would have a meal and a drink together. We politically disagreed but it was never personal. We had many TV debates on opposing sides but remained bros. RIP Bro.

Citizens Coalition for Change leader Nelson Chamisa praised the late academic for fighting for democracy.

Chamisa summed it all about Magaisa in a tweet. A HUGE BLOW FELLOW CITIZENS! What a force, a giant! What a human being! What an intelligent man! What gigabytes of intellect! What a fine great man! What a sober mind! What a cool character! What a lovely brother! And he has not seen his hearts desire-A New Great ZIMBABWE.

London-based Zanu PF activist Simba Mavaza told VOA Livetalk that "Magaisa and l never liked each other but despite that, he played a critical role in keeping us aware of many issues in Zimbabwe."

Burial arrangements of the late academic are in progress.

Celebrating a brothers Life!!! Mukoma Alex!

Below is a special tribute written by VOA Zimbabwe Services Evans Zininga, who was Magaisas junior at a Roman Catholic Church-run school.

Alex Tawanda Magaisa (born August 9, 1975) was a United Kingdom based Zimbabwean academic and lecturer of law at the Kent Law School of the University of Kent. He served as the Advisor (Chief of Staff) of the then Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Morgan Tsvangirai from 2012-2013. Prior to becoming advisor to the Prime Minister, Magaisa had been working as a core member of a team of experts tasked to advise him on the drafting of the new Constitution of Zimbabwe. He is known for his legal, political and social commentary work on issues affecting Zimbabwe and other developing nations through his blog The Big Saturday Read. His work is sometimes featured by Zimbabwean news outlets including The Standard, Daily News, Newzimbabwe.com and The Herald.

Magaisa was born in Chikomba District, Zimbabwe (then known as Charter District, Rhodesia). He completed his high school education at a boarding school at St. Francis of Assisi High School in the Mashonaland East province. He then matriculated at the University of Zimbabwe, graduating in 1997 with a Bachelor of Laws degree. After graduating from the University of Zimbabwe, Magaisa joined one of the prestigious law firms in Zimbabwe, Gill Godlonton & Gerrans Legal Practitioners as an Associate. Later in 1999, he went on to pursue post graduate studies at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom where he graduated with a PhD in Law in 2003. Magaisa then worked as a regulatory enforcement manager for Jersey Financial Services Commission, the financial services regulator in Jersey until 2007. In September 2007, he joined the University of Kent Law School as a lecturer and researcher. His main areas of teaching and research were company law, intellectual property law and international financial regulation. Magaisa leaves a wife, Shamiso, and two sons, all living in the UK.

Wa Magaisa, as we he was affectionately known in our circle of friends, brothers, Old Boys Association, was an avid reader. In 2019, he was on a prestigious fellowship program here in the USA, for a couple of months. He had a book every time we would meet up for a drink or chat. He read everything, you would think because of his decorations academically and politically, he would be a nerd. Alex was all sorts of things. He was not an average kinsmen kind of a guy. He enjoyed a good Bourbon once in a while. We had a couple of drinks on various days during his last trip to USA.

There are very few legends from my high school -St Francis of Assisi High School - for different reasons. Some of the greatest talents in this era were groomed there and, yes, we were boys. I remember a popular saying Mukoma Alex would say, God said let there be a lawyer at St. Francis of Assisi and came Alex Magaisa. Mukoma Alex was still as profound, eloquent and expressive like always . His stories about his upbringing in Sadza, his love for his roots, village stories, like the one I always tell my new friends - Mamvura, a mad man , who promised people he was going to drive the bus one day, and fulfilled his rantings. He drove the bus away one day ! Aaah Musaigwa, as we called him when we got to some deep, inner circles, would never let an opportunity to advice and guide the younger generations. He would have a word or more for all situations. He was a preacher in that ministry. He was also very stubborn. He lived his life everyday, he would give you a run for your money if you did choose to get into a debate or argument with him. He behaved like Robert Mugabe - ready to argue anytime anywhere, sometimes I picture both of them in their hey days and wish I could have them debate from either side of the table. He would have given Bob a run for his money! No pun intended.

I joined the Voice of America at a time when Zimbabwe was going through some moment of change. You would remember the November 2017 Shenanigans! Mukoma Alex gave me the biggest support of my time, giving me political insights, analysis and commentaries as things unfolded and he remained a huge resource to my network.

On his birthday four years ago, this is what I said to him. Mukoma as you turn 44 today, please remember to never forget vafanha venyu. Please remember to go to the mens clinic as often as possible. You have seen many Christmas seasons. Please remember you dont live once, you live everyday but only die once! Please remember to always take one for the team members when ever you can. I know tomorrow is Saturday, we will see yet another Big Saturday Read. I wanted to make this week special by giving you a pre-Big Saturday Read. All I am trying to say is Happy Birthday Mukoma Tawanda. Makura Musaigwa. Be Blessed now and forever.

When former Minister of Trade and International Relations, Sibusiso Moyo, died in January 2021, Magaisa tweeted, When I wish SB Moyo well, it has nothing to do with politics but everything to do with humanity. For the past 5 years I have lived with a chronic illness, believing in the right thing. Yet for many, Magaisa is a great man. Im not. Its not in my hands. I fight like all else. This was a hint on his battle with a chronic ailment, having gone through a heart operation before, the world would have never guessed his time was coming so soon. No one would have known he was getting close to the end. It is so sad that he did not get the chance to go back home to see his beloved Mountain View of the Gandamusungo. May His Soul Rest in Peace!!!
The war in Ukraine is interpreted very differently depending on whether one is Western or Russian. Each persons previous experience conditions their interpretation of words and events. In fact, no one reacts to the same things and seeks the same information as the others. In the end, the two camps no longer have the same perception of reality. This succession of misunderstandings and misconceptions leads to a misunderstanding that can unintentionally lead to major conflict.

The Banderists

The two sides, who fought side by side against Nazism, had completely different experiences during this period and therefore have different memories of it.

The Russian press does not distinguish between Banderists and Nazis. It is a question of awakening the memory of the "Great Patriotic War" (known in the West as "World War II"). When Germany attacked Russia in June 1941, the latter was not at all ready. The shock was disastrous. Stalin only managed to unite his people by allying himself with the Orthodox Church, which he had previously fought, and by freeing his political opponents who had been sentenced to the Gulag. To evoke this period today is to commit oneself to recognizing the place of each person as long as he defends the Nation.

The Russians perceive the contemporary Banderists /Nazis as existential dangers to their people. In doing so, they are right because Ukrainian nationalists consider that they are "born to eradicate Muscovites".

Therefore, all Western attacks on the person of Vladimir Putin are out of place and ineffective. For Russian opponents, this is no longer the issue. Whether they like him or not, Putin is their leader, just as Stalin was from June 1941.

The Western press also equated the Banderists with the Nazis, but this was to put its importance more easily into perspective. In the memory of the people of Western Europe, Nazism threatened only minorities. First the mentally ill, the terminally ill and the old, then the Jews and the gypsies were separated from the pack and disappeared. On the contrary, the Slavs remember armies advancing, razing one by one all the villages they took. No one could survive. Not only is Nazism less frightening to Western Europeans, but the Anglo-Saxons are quietly suppressing symbols that might revive this memory. For example, British communications advisers changed the Azov regiments crest at the end of May. They replaced the wolfs hook (Wolfsangel) associated with the SS Das Reich division with three trident swords evoking the Ukrainian National Republic (1917-20). In doing so, they removed a Nazi insignia and replaced it with an anti-Bolshevik insignia. In the Western European imagination, however, the Soviet Union is equated with Russia, ignoring the fact that the majority of Soviet leaders were not Russian.

British communication advisors assure that the Ukrainian Banderists/Nazis are comparable to the present-day Western Nazis: fringe groups of rabid people. They do not deny their existence, but suggest that they are not important. So they make disappear both the traces of their parliamentary and governmental activity since independence in 1991 and the images of the monuments to them that have since then been erected all over the country.

From 1991 to 2014, the worlds newspapers ignored the slow reformation of the Banderists in Ukraine. However, in February 2014, during the overthrow of elected president Viktor Yanukovych, all journalists covering the "Revolution of Dignity" were struck by the central role of far-right militias in the protests. The worlds media reported on these strange "nationalists" with swastikas. But the Western press abruptly stopped investigating a month later when Crimea, refusing to allow these extremists to take power, declared its independence. To continue to report on the drift of Ukraine would have been to give reason to the Russian Federation which had accepted its attachment. From then on and for 8 years, no Western media investigated, for example, the accusations of kidnapping and torture on a large scale that were spread throughout the country. Because they deliberately ignored the Banderists during this period, they are no longer able to assess their political and military role today.

This blindness continues with the evolution of Ukrainian power during the war. The Western press ignores everything about the dictatorship that was put in place: confiscation by the state of all media, arrest of opposition figures, confiscation of property of people who mention the historical crimes of the Banderists and the Nazis, etc. On the contrary, the Russian press does not miss anything of this sudden development and is mourning for having closed its eyes for years.

For our part, we have written - belatedly - the history of the Banderists; a subject to which no book has been devoted, a sign that Ukraine from this angle did not fascinate anyone. Our work, translated into a dozen languages, has finally touched many Western military officials and diplomats. They are now putting pressure on their governments to stop supporting these enemies of humanity.

The credibility of Western and Russian leaders

There are two ways to assess the credibility of a leader: one looks at his good intentions or his record. Western Europeans, who have placed themselves under the protection of the United States, are convinced that they are no longer making history, but rather undergoing it. They therefore no longer need political leaders as they did in the last century. In fact, they only elect managers who present themselves as having good intentions. On the contrary, the Russians, after the collapse of their country during the Yeltsin years, wanted to restore their independence and finally cut with the US liberalism they had believed in for a decade. To do this, they elected and re-elected Vladimir Putin, whose effectiveness they are checking. Their country has opened up to foreigners while becoming self-sufficient in many areas, including food. They interpret NATO sanctions not as punishment, but, given that the Atlantic Alliance represents only 12 per cent of the worlds population, as a closure of the West to the rest of the world.

Regardless of political regimes, civilian leaders who seek to unite their people as widely as possible refrain from lying to maintain the confidence of their fellow citizens, while those who serve a minority to exploit the majority are obliged to lie in order not to be overthrown. On the other hand, military leaders, if they tend to take their dreams for realities, and therefore to lie, in times of peace, are obliged to stick as close as possible to realities in times of war in order to win.

Westerners are marked by a very strong trauma experienced during the attacks of September 11, 2001 and the appearance of the US Secretary of State, General Colin Powell, before the United Nations Security Council on February 5, 2003. They shook their heads during the New York attacks, seeing people jumping out of windows and then towers collapsing, before realizing that the explanations they were being given did not hold water. A mistrust was created between them and the leaders who pretended to believe in this nonsense [1]. Then they believed what a general told them because a military man could not lie about a very serious security threat. Finally, they became depressed when they realized that all this staging was only an excuse to overthrow a government that was resisting the US and to seize the oil and financial wealth of its country. General Powells speech [2] was written by civilian politicians, the Straussians of the Office of Strategic Influence (OSI), as he shamefully admitted later. This misplaced trust cost the lives of more than a million people [3]. Since 2003, Westerners no longer trust the word of their leaders; a phenomenon that is somewhat less pronounced in France, which was the only country to publicly contradict General Powell.

On the contrary, the Russians make a distinction between those of their leaders who speak the same language as the others and those who defend the collective interest. In the 2000s, they initially believed in the Western discourse and hoped that they too would experience freedom and prosperity. But they experienced a terrible collapse while watching a few thugs take over their collective wealth. They then turned to safe values: fellow citizens concerned with the general interest and trained by the KGB. They live today hoping to be delivered from what remains of this period of misguidance: oligarchs installed abroad and a certain globalist bourgeoisie in Moscow and St. Petersburg. They see the former as thieves and are happy that their assets, already lost to the country, are being seized by Westerners. As for the latter, they know that they do not exist only in their country, but everywhere in the globalized world. They see some of them leaving without regret. For the Russians, President Putin and his team have managed to solve the food problem and put them back to work. They have restored their army and are protecting them from the resurgence of Nazism. Of course, everything is not rosy, but it is much better since they are in charge.

Is NATO the largest military alliance in the world or a threat to Russia?

For Western Europeans, who were born and raised in a region under US protectorate, the unipolar organization of the world seemed to be a matter of course. Having never experienced war in their own country for the past sixty years (the French have forgotten the attacks in Paris during the Algerian war), they do not understand why the rest of the world no longer wants the Pax Americana.

On the contrary, the Russians experienced a brutal 20-year drop in their life expectancy when they elected Boris Yeltsin and his US advisors. In addition, they experienced two wars in their province of Chechnya with accompanying Islamist attacks from Beslan to Moscow. The Ukrainian Banderists had come to help the jihadists of the Islamic Emirate of Itchkeria.

For Western Europeans, it does not matter that Nato tried to eliminate Charles De Gaulle in France, had Aldo Moro assassinated in Italy or organized the coup detat of the colonels in Greece [4]. These events are known only to specialists and are not taught in schoolbooks. Nato is the largest military alliance in history and its size theoretically guarantees victory.

However, NATO refused Russias membership in the 1990s. It redefined itself not as a force stabilizing the continent, but as an anti-Russian organization, at the risk of provoking war in Europe. The West rewrites history by claiming that it never made the decision not to extend its alliance to the East. However, at the time of German reunification, French President Francois Mitterrand and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl had it written into the Treaty on a Final Settlement concerning Germany (13 October 1990) that the four victorious powers of Nazism would establish confidence-building measures in the field of armaments and disarmament in order to guarantee peace on the continent in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Final Act (1 August 1975). These principles were reaffirmed in the Declarations of Istanbul (Charter for European Security, November 19, 1990) and Astana (December 2, 2010). They establish:

 the right of each State to conclude the military alliances of its choice

 and, as a corollary, the duty of each state not to take security measures that threaten its neighbours.

This is why Russia has never contested the accession of the Central and Eastern European states to the North Atlantic Treaty, but has always denounced the installation of US forces on their soil. In other words, it does not contest the existence of NATO, but its functioning within the Integrated Command. Let us be precise: today, it has no objection to Ukraine, Finland or Sweden forming an alliance with the United States and being protected by Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, but refuses that this implies the installation of US troops and weapons on its soil.

It is not a question of preventing missile launches from its land border, as submarines could still approach its maritime border. Moscows concern lies elsewhere. Unlike most states, the Russian Federation has a small population relative to its size. Therefore, it cannot defend its borders. Since its invasion by Napoleon in 1812, it has learned to protect itself by relying on its vastness: cutting off the invaders supply lines and letting him freeze to death in the winter. This is the "scorched earth strategy" that led to the abandonment of Moscow and the displacement of its entire population to the East. However, this strategy assumes that the invader cannot benefit from rear bases in a nearby country.

This strategy is also a source of misunderstanding. Russia does not seek to have a zone of influence in Europe as the Soviet Union of the Ukrainian Leonid Brezhnev did. Nor does it have imperialist aims like tsarist Russia. It only seeks that no large army approaches. An attitude that the best informed Kremlinologists wrongly describe as "paranoid", whereas it is well thought out.

The operative art

While Hollywood war films feature heroic initiatives of a few men turning the tide of a battle, Russian war films are all about heroes sacrificing themselves to delay the enemy advance and allow the population to retreat. Russians are not ashamed to flee if it avoids a bloodbath.

This difference led the Slavic military to imagine the "operative art", halfway between strategy and tactics. It is not about thinking about the deployment of armies, nor the conduct of a battle, but what could be done to delay the enemy army and prevent the battle. Western armies have also tried to imagine an "operative art", but they have not succeeded because they do not need it.

In military terms, the war in Ukraine can be summarized as follows: the objective, publicly stated by President Vladimir Putin, was "to disarm and denazify" Ukraine. Its implementation by his staff consisted first of confusing the adversaries, then of achieving the objective once the Ukrainian army was disorganized.

The Russian general staff attacked from all possible borders; from Crimea, from Rostov, from Belgorod, from Kursk and from Belarus. In this way, the Ukrainian armies did not know where they should concentrate. In this apparent disorder, the Russian armies destroyed the Ukrainian air defenses and raided the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, from which they recovered the illegal reserves of uranium and plutonium, and several military laboratories where they destroyed containers of viruses and other biological weapons [5]. They destroyed the railroads when the Westerners offered to send weapons to the front. Then they fought against the Bandarist Azov regiment in its stronghold of Mariupol. Finally, they are cleaning up the parts of Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts that were occupied by the Ukrainians.

Meanwhile, the West believed that the Russians wanted to take Kiev and arrest President Volodymyr Zelensky, who were never among their targets, and then that they were going to occupy the whole country, which they certainly do not want. So there was a misunderstanding about the Blitzkieg. The United States believed that they had to prevent a rapid fall of the regime, while they should have defended the reserves in Zaporijjia. Then they thought they had to protect Odessa and Lviv, while Mariupol fell. The "operative art" of the Russians was exercised by reaching the announced objectives in record time, while the Westerners congratulated themselves for preventing the capture of imaginary objectives.

Westerners in general are so navel-gazing that they have not been able to think like their adversaries. The Pentagon was all the more easily deceived because most of the officers were unaware of the work of the Straussians: the structuring of the Banderists, their links with the extreme right-wing elements of many Western armies (the secret Centuria order [6]), and their secret weapons programs [7].
Photo: Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald/MediaNews Group via Getty Images

Years after he was first accused of sexual abuse, Kevin Spacey is finally set to stand trial. A judge ruled that a sexual-abuse lawsuit against the fallen star  brought by actor Anthony Rapp, the first in a wave of Spacey accusers in 2017  will go to trial in New York federal court, set to begin October 4. A judge rejected Spaceys request to dismiss the civil suit, per Reuters, while dismissing Rapps assault claim because of a statute of limitations. The remaining claims are battery and infliction of emotional distressed related to an alleged incident when Rapp was 14. He testified that the incident lasted less than two minutes and did not involve kissing or undressing; Spacey denies it happened.

The case initially involved a second anonymous accuser, who claimed to Vulture that he had a sexual relationship with Spacey when he was 14 and that the actor later attempted to rape him. His claims were dismissed after Spaceys lawyers took issue with his anonymity, given that he spoke to press about his allegations. Rapp came forward about his allegations in a 2017 BuzzFeed News interview with the actor saying the alleged abuse was just deeply confusing to me.

Spacey was recently charged with four counts of sexual assault against three men in the U.K. The charges stemmed from investigations that began shortly after Rapps initial allegation, and all incidents allegedly took place during Spaceys tenure as artistic director of Londons Old Vic Theatre. The criminal charges were announced while Spacey attended a hearing for Rapps civil suit. Spacey has maintained his innocence.
Photo: Dan Watkins for Praise Shadows Art Gallery

Our species believes that lonely pilgrimages have magical powers. In November 1974, Werner Herzog received a call from Paris telling him a dear friend there was sick and would probably die. Herzog took a jacket, a compass, and a duffel bag, according to his diary, Of Walking in Ice, and started out from Munich. Taking the most direct route to Paris in full faith, he believed his friend would stay alive if I came on foot. Anyway, I wanted to be alone with myself, he said. A few weeks later, he reached her home and the two ate boiled fish together. Later that evening, he told her, Open the window, from these last days onward I can fly.

In 2010, unable to afford airfare from her Boston home to visit her sick grandmother in Taiwan, artist Yu-Wen Wu, in a moment of Herzog-like madness and faith, Googled instructions for walking to Taipei. To her shock, a set of 2,052 directions appeared. She printed out the 95-page document. In a mystery that could only exist in the algorithm, when she returned to print out a duplicate document, the instructions were gone and never came up again. The universe had granted this navigational map from a vanishing world just once.

Over the next ten years, Wu created Walking to Taipei by cutting out and connecting each individual instruction and then arranging them in order on a handsome 20-foot paper scroll. I chanced upon the work in May, displayed under a sheet of plexiglass at the booth of Bostons Praise Shadows Art Gallery at the Independent Art Fair. It was the last work I saw at the end of an eight-hour day of looking. At first, I was bored by what appeared to be twee graphic design. But the title was fantastic. Frustrated, I wanted to see the journey all at once on one large surface. I wanted to see a huge map tracking her proposed steps. But artists have their own ways, and this elegant, odd summary diagram was all there was. And when I started to pay attention, I was floored.

Wu is instructed to first head to Canada. She crosses the Rainbow International Bridge between the two countries, with a view of Niagara Falls, then walks across Canada before veering back into the U.S. just north of Detroit. In Minnesota, she walks the Lake Wobegan Trail (a misspelling by Google) for ten hours and then along abandoned railroad tracks. She exits Montana at Thompson Pass and hikes for hours along the Trail of the Coeur dAlenes in Idaho. She heads into and across all of Washington State. At this point, I was all-in. What a Whitmanesque trip, I thought. I want to do this.

Then, near Seattle, at mile 2,924, after taking ferries, tunnels, stairs, and much more, Wu is told to go to the eastern side of Fremont Bridge in Washington State. There, in direction 731, she is encouraged to kayak across the Pacific Ocean for about 36 days and 23 hours.

Photo: Courtesy of Yu-Wen Wu

My faith was broken and restored all at once. After kayaking 24 hours a day, with no sleep, rest, eating, bad weather, navigational errors, disasters, or death, Wu is told to cross the island of Oahu. On the western shore, near Pearl Harbor, she is asked to kayak across the Pacific Ocean to Japan for 3,879 miles. After hiking Japan, instruction 2,015 says to swim across the Pacific Ocean to Taiwan. Once there, after a handful of directions, the last entry reads, Turn right and go 66 feet.

The whole trip is at once real and crazy  a mad labyrinth. The bare facts presented in Walking to Taipei  the almost naive plan to get from point A to point B, across vast stretches of ocean and land  lit up secret regions inside me. It reminded me that when I was 12 years old, I was obsessed with Charles Lindberghs multiday flight from New York to Paris in 1927. I wanted to be the lone pilot, away from the chaos of my family, on a trip that, in its similar directness, was also considered by some to be absurd, impossible. The beautiful ludicrousness of Walking to Taipei also brought to mind Edmond Rostands 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, in which the lead character recounts six ways he perfected travel to the moon, including a giant grasshopper mechanism propelled by gunpowder that leaps into space.

Even Walking to Taipeis most ridiculous suggestions have some correspondence to reality. The British Canadian adventurer John Beeden in 2015 rowed 7,400 miles across the Pacific Ocean. In 2011, six people swam from Japan to Taiwan. And in 1998, Ben Lecomte completed a 3,716-mile boat-supported swim across the Atlantic. This is journey as myth and adventure, an encounter with another reality that is right there if we choose to see it. We make voyages like this, in Emily Brontes words, to bring the unreal world  strangely near.

But if Walking to Taipei evokes feelings of awe, it is also a journey of no journey. It is without the body. Here, there is no night, hunger, Indian summers, curious cattle looking up from fields, headlights on country roads, people, places, accidents, or pleasure. It is a ghostly metaphysical message from cyberspace that almost whispers, You are not you. You feel landlocked, trapped, claustrophobic.

Walking to Taipei suggests that these warring feelings reflect the experience of the immigrant: people between worlds, with double consciousness, never at home, here and not there. Wus incredible crossing of cultures, traversing great distances while being everywhere at once and nowhere at all, puts us in touch with the cosmic force that Herzog imagined watched over all such personal pilgrimages.
El coronel Francisco Bolognesi nos dio ejemplo de lucha y patriotismo. Hoy al conmemorar la Batalla de Arica, reafirmemos el compromiso por el desarrollo del pais, trabajando de manera conjunta desde cada uno de nuestros roles demostrando nuestro amor por el Peru. pic.twitter.com/TwXMc5O7B4
?? El Peru participa de las negociaciones previas a la #COP27, para implementar el #AcuerdoDeParis. ?? Asi, #NuestroDesafioClimatico sera una oportunidad de desarrollo sostenible y de bienestar para los peruanos.#TierraSoloHayUna?? pic.twitter.com/D9L58yNcip
By Trend

The Embassy of Belarus in Georgia has recommended Belarusian cargo carriers leave the country by transit through Azerbaijan, Trend reports via the embassy.

According to the embassy, the drivers must consider alternative routes such as Tbilisi (Georgia) - Red Bridge checkpoint (Georgia - Azerbaijan) - Samur checkpoint (Azerbaijan) - Yarag-Kazmalyar checkpoint (Russia) - Gomel (Belarus), for leaving Georgia.

The embassy noted that the queues for departure from Georgia (Dariali checkpoint) towards Russia (Upper Lars checkpoint) are more than 100 km and they continue to increase, while the waiting time is at least three-four weeks.

"Vehicles moving from the ports of Georgia, as well as from the Georgian-Azerbaijani border to the Upper Lars checkpoint, before reaching Tbilisi, are placed by the patrol police in parking lots to wait for the queue. The waiting time in such places is one-two weeks, the embassy said. At the entrance to the border, a parking place has been determined to wait in the queue to cross the border, from this parking lot vehicles with perishable goods are allowed to pass through the "green corridor" for several days.




"I call for reflection on the heroic actions carried out by Peruvians who sacrificed their lives for a higher purpose. May their example encourage us to work together in order to achieve a more just and equitable Peru for all," he said.





After receiving the epaulettes (military insignia) and gangways of the corvette 'Union' returned by the Government of Chile, the Head of State said that the return of these historical relics is a valuable expression that strengthens friendship and trust as part of a future agenda to which both governments are committed.





"Today we are adding the historical relics of Colonel Francisco Bolognesi to the Cultural Heritage of the Nation. Colonel Francisco Bolognesi and the corvette 'Union' represent two bastions of Peruvian national identity," the President emphasized.





He also noted that the military objects of one of the greatest heroes in the country symbolize an example of dedication, sacrifice, honor, and principle of duty for Peruvians.





"These are values that remind us of the responsibility we have towards the country," he said.





The top dignitary pointed out that Peru is currently facing new challenges that are being met with strong conviction to promote national development.





"We are facing new challenges, which we are confronting with conviction to promote political, economic and social development. Therefore, let us look back, feeling proud that we have been building a better future for all based on it," he expressed.





(END) NDP/GDS/JCR/RMB

Within the framework of the celebrations marking Flag Day, the President of the Republic Pedro Castillo highlighted the patriotism and courage of Colonel Francisco Bolognesi and asked that his example and historical legacy encourage all Peruvians to work together so as to achieve a more just and equitable country.Published: 6/6/2022
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Six months ago, at the climate summit in Glasgow, Israels newly elected prime minister Naftali Bennett pledged to cut carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Israels small but vociferous community of environmental activists were jubilant over the reversal of the aggressive natural gas drilling of the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight In a show of seriousness, Israels Energy Ministry announced a one-year freeze on gas exploration and on further export permits. From now on, thought the green lobby, renewables would be the future of Israeli energy. It was an exciting time to be on the right side of the international environmental consensus.

That excitement came to a screeching halt last week, when the Bennett government announced a 180-degree shift in its natural gas policy. The reason was obvious. As the director-general of the ministry, Lior Schillat, unapologetically put it, The energy crisis in Europe has shuffled the deck. We are not sticking to dogma.

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The climate community was outraged. Greenpeace Israel called the decision scandalous and accused the government of bad faith. It demanded a return to the Glasgow pledge. But even many activists understand the irresistible logic of the governments decision. Israel has spent two decades creating an offshore natural gas industry. Europe has now awoken to the realization that it cant rely on imported Russian gas. Supply, meet demand.

The war in Ukraine has made it clear that its dangerous for a country to count on the goodwill of foreign suppliers for its energy needs. This is especially true for a country like Israel, a small nation in a hostile region. In the past 20 years, Israel has gone from being a net importer of fossil fuels to being self-sufficient, thanks to offshore gas drilling. The government is wise to preserve that independence and to take advantage of the demand from European nations looking for a substitute for Russian imports.

Resuming gas extraction doesnt mean that Israel is reneging on its climate obligations. Israel already is a global leader when it comes to sustainability, notably through technical innovations around fragile water supplies including desalination and sustainable agricultural irrigation. It is developing solar energy sources in the Negev desert. In Tel Aviv, Israels tech hub, myriad companies work on sustainable technologies. For a lot of Israelis, these efforts resonate more than what they view as empty and unrealistic pledges to reach carbon zero.

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Israel isnt yet a major international gas exporter. Most of the gas it produces is for domestic use, and its only foreign customers are Jordan and Egypt. But talks with European Union officials are under way to begin shipping gas by the end of summer.

Initial amounts will be small, but there are already plans for more. Increased supply will require extensive new infrastructure, possibly including a new undersea pipeline stretching across the Mediterranean. This proposal, known as EastMed, won the blessing of the Trump administration. A feasibility study is nearing completion. According to Gina Cohen, an independent energy consultant based in Israel, the pipeline could be in operation within five or six years.

But it might never happen. In January, the Biden administration withdrew support for the EastMed pipeline project for reasons that arent entirely clear. An alternative under consideration is a pipeline from Israel to southeastern Europe via Turkey. That route would be shorter than EastMed. The problem is, Israel doesnt trust Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose attitude toward the Jewish state blows hot and cold.

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Cohen cites two other possibilities. Israel could pipe gas to Egypt for liquefaction and then, in a joint venture, send it onward. The infrastructure exists, although it would need to be expanded to allow for consistent and larger volumes dedicated to export. On the plus side, this could happen relatively quickly. But the deal would be complicated for legal reasons, and there are unknowns regarding Egypts own domestic needs.

Perhaps the best solution would be for Israel to build, operate and defend its own liquefaction platform and export directly. This week, Israel moved a gas rig into Karish, a still-untapped offshore field whose ownership is disputed by Lebanon. The Israeli navy is now protecting the field in the face of threats by Hezbollah.

One way or another, Israel is going to be selling gas to Europe and other customers. Last week, the Finance Ministry announced that Israel is launching its first sovereign wealth fund. By next June, the fund will begin distributing up to 3.5% of its annual natural-resources revenue, estimated at 1.9 billion shekels, about $585 million. That money will be used for social, educational and economic projects.

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The fund isnt on par with the trillion-dollar vehicles operated by some energy powers, but it is big enough to make a difference in a country of 10 million people. Once the gas and the profits start to flow, even the most ardent enemies of offshore drilling will be hard-pressed to turn off the tap.

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Zev Chafets is a journalist and author of 14 books. He was a senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and the founding managing editor of the Jerusalem Report Magazine.

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The three Gupta brothers have come to embody the corruption that blighted South African President Jacob Zumas almost nine-year rule. They allegedly used their friendship with the president and business ties to his son, Duduzane, to influence cabinet appointments and secure illicit state contracts worth billions of dollars. They fled South Africa for Dubai in early 2018 after the ruling party forced Zuma to quit and were charged with graft later that year. In June 2022, two of the Gupta brothers were arrested in Dubai to face possible extradition and trial in South Africa.

1. Who are the Guptas?

The three brothers -- Atul, Rajesh and Ajay -- became so enmeshed in national politics under Zuma that their families and associates were collectively known as the Zuptas. The brothers arrived in South Africa from India in the early 1990s as apartheid rule was drawing to a close. Starting with a small technology company, they built a business empire spanning newspapers, cable television, uranium and coal mines. They set up a sprawling compound in Johannesburgs upmarket Saxonwold suburb, bought a fleet of luxury cars and threw lavish parties. Their public notoriety dates back to 2013, when they landed an aircraft at a high-security air-force base to ferry private guests to an opulent, four-day family wedding. In February 2018, police raided their compound, while immigration officials descended on the offices of one of the TV stations they used to own. The Guptas, Zuma and his son have denied wrongdoing.

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2. How did the arrests happen?

Dubai police said they detained Rajesh and Atul Gupta in connection with money laundering and other criminal charges in South Africa. The arrests came months after Interpol placed the brothers on its most-wanted list and issued a so-called red notice requesting the help of international law enforcement agencies to hunt them down. The charges include involvement in a questionable tender to undertake a feasibility survey on a dairy project in the central Free State province, in which a company controlled by the Guptas was paid $1.4 million.

3. What else are they alleged to have done?

The Guptas have been implicated in a litany of other crimes. An initial public investigation was carried out in 2016 by then-Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, who produced a 355-page report called State of Capture. It detailed allegations that the Guptas may have influenced the appointment of cabinet members and that a coal business linked to the family and Duduzane Zuma received special treatment at the request of top politicians. Madonsela ordered the establishment of a judicial commission to probe Zumas relationship with the Guptas. Seven months after the release of her report, a vast trove of documents and emails between the Guptas and their associates was leaked to the media, and story after story about their questionable dealings were published.

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4. What happened at the judicial commission?

Madonselas directive led to the establishment of a panel chaired by Raymond Zondo, now the countrys chief justice. After hearings that lasted more than three years, he released a series of damning reports that laid out how the Guptas were part of a wide-ranging scheme to defraud the state with Zumas tacit consent. The looting spree hobbled state power utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. and freight rail and ports operator Transnet SOC Ltd., and the economy continues to suffer the fallout.

5. How much was stolen?

President Cyril Ramaphosa said in 2019 that at least $32 billion may have been stolen during his predecessors tenure and the actual figure could be more than double that amount. State-owned companies including Eskom, South African Airways and arms manufacturer Denel SOC Ltd. were left bankrupt, while the national tax agencys ability to collect revenue was badly undermined. The plunder also coincided with a sell-off in the rand and contributed to the countrys debt being downgraded to junk status.

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6. Is Zuma facing charges?

Yes, but they arent currently related to his dealings with the Guptas. Zuma was convicted of contempt of court in 2021 for refusing to testify before Zondo and sentenced to 15 months in prison. The prisons department released him on medical parole after he had served less than two months -- a decision that was still being contested in court. Hes also facing trial on charges linked to an arms deal that dates back to the 1990s. Prosecutors were still working their way through Zondos findings and more charges could follow.

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Since the summer of 2020 the United States has been experiencing a deadly wave of violence, and New York City has not been immune. The number of homicides in the city shot up 47% in 2020, and rose another 4% last year. While the tally is down 9% so far this year there have been some shocking murders, not to mention a mass shooting on the subway that miraculously didnt take any lives.

Regular consumers of the news would thus be forgiven for believing that the Big Apple has become a terribly dangerous place. And yes, it is markedly more dangerous than it was before the pandemic. Im not here to dismiss concerns about rising crime in the city. But a little context is in order. And by a little context, I mean a lot of charts.

The historical context, which a fair number of people are aware of, is that New Yorks pandemic murder wave followed a long decline, with the citys homicide rate in 2021 still less than a fifth what it was in 1990. The geographical context, which seems to be less widely understood, is that while homicide rates fell sharply all over the the US in the 1990s, that decline slowed in the 2000s and reversed starting in 2015. In Philadelphia the homicide rate is now worse than it was in the early 1990s, and in Chicago its close. Which means theres a growing gap between New York City and most of the rest of urban America.

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New York  which is where I happen to live  isnt just safe relative to other big cities. The data in the above chart are from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local police departments, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also keep track of homicides as reported on death certificates, and one can sort them by, among other things, whether they befell residents of a county that contains all or part of the biggest city in a large (population of one million or more) metropolitan area, a fringe (suburban) county in such a metropolitan area, or elsewhere. Suburban counties in large metro areas have tended to have the lowest homicide rates, but New York Citys was even lower from 2017 to 2019 and was only slightly higher in 2020, the most recent year for which the CDC has full data.

The CDCs Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research, aka Wonder, databases, with which I have become way too familiar since the beginning of the pandemic, also contain statistics on every other cause of death listed in ICD-10, the 10th edition of the World Health Organizations International Classification of Diseases.

Some causes of death other than homicide seem pretty relevant to assessing safety. Your risk of getting killed on the subway or in a subway station is much higher in New York City than in a place with no subway, for example, but if you add up all risks related to getting to work or school or wherever else it is you need to go, its a different story. New Yorkers are only about as third as likely to die in transportation accidents of any kind as Americans are overall. Put homicide and transportation risks together, and New York starts looking like a refuge from the American carnage.

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All these accountings leave out the September 2001 terrorist attacks. If included, those would push New Yorks combined homicide and transport mortality rate for 2001 to 32. Remarkably, though, thats still only slightly higher than the rate that year for rural and small town America  that is, in counties not part of metropolitan areas (which contained 86% of the US population in 2021).(1) Rural life, in particular driving long distances on two-lane roads far from emergency services, can be a high-risk activity.

There are other accidental threats listed in ICD-10 that seem less salient in the city than in the country, and in some cases, the suburbs. To name a few: contact with powered lawnmower, drowning and submersion while in swimming pool, contact with venomous snakes and lizards, victim of volcanic eruption. So I ran the numbers again for mortality from all external causes.

The mortality-rate gap between New York City and the rest of the country is even bigger in this chart than in the last one. But the trend has been headed in the wrong direction in New York and everywhere else for a while, mainly because of the opioid epidemic.

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The explosion of drug-overdose deaths in the US over the past decade is one of the most depressing trends one encounters in CDC Wonder, but it does take us somewhat afield from what people usually have in mind when they consider whether a place is safe or dangerous. Same goes for suicides, which have also risen but not as sharply. Then there are external causes such as falls and surgical complications that are usually fatal only for the very old. If included in the calculations, they tend to make retirement communities look terribly dangerous, which doesnt seem right.

Heres what mortality from external causes looks like if one excludes (1) accidental poisoning (how drug overdoses are classified), (2) intentional self-harm, (3) falls, (4) complications of medical and surgical care and (5) sequelae of external causes of morbidity and mortality (after-effects, that is, which are also fatal mostly for the elderly).

The overall lesson seems to be that the more urban your surroundings, the less danger you face. High homicide rates in some cities mean that the central counties in large metropolitan areas are on the whole slightly more dangerous than the suburban counties, but thats the only exception. The risk of death from truly external causes, as defined here, is three times higher in rural and small-town America than in the countrys largest city.

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This is so opposite from conventional wisdom that its worth teasing out why. One obvious explanation is that murder scares people a lot more than accidents do, and homicide risk is in fact highest in urban counties  just not in New York City. Another is that, as a colleague put it to me, you may be less likely to be victim of a crime in New York City, but youre more likely to witness one. In dense urban environments you simply see a lot more of whats going on, for good and ill. Its also possible that the issue is not so much urban versus rural as it is who lives where. An affluent rural or exurban county where lots of people can work from home might be lower risk than a poorer urban one where most cant. Rural counties in Appalachia or the Deep South might have very different profiles from those in New England or the Plains states.

A look at 2020 selected-external-causes mortality by state offers some support for the latter interpretation. The Northeast is the safest part of the country, but some heavily rural states (Mississippi, Arkansas) are a lot more dangerous than others (Vermont, Iowa).

County-by-county statistics from the CDC provide added perspective, albeit with data limitations that Ill get to in a moment.

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The very safest places in America by this reckoning are very affluent suburbs. Loudoun County, Virginia, has the countrys highest median household income, at $147,111 according to the Census Bureaus American Community Survey 2016-2020 estimates. All the other suburban counties here but Hampshire County, Massachusetts (which is less a suburb than an assortment of college towns), have median incomes above $100,000. Still, there are also three New York City boroughs in the top 15, all with median incomes below $90,000 but above the national median of $64,994. Brooklyn and the Bronx, where incomes are below the national median, come in a respectable 48th and 127th place in the county mortality rankings. Living in the countrys biggest city does seem to have its advantages, even for the non-wealthy.

But lets not forget those data limitations. While CDC Wonder knows everything about mortality in the US, for privacy reasons it only shares what it knows if there are 10 or more deaths to report, and because of reliability concerns it only calculates mortality rates if there are 20 or more deaths. For the collection of external causes I selected, Wonder churned out 2020 death totals for 1,711 of the nations 3,143 counties and county equivalents (parishes in Louisiana, census areas in Alaska, independent cities in Virginia and some other states) and mortality rates for 997. It provided enough data to calculate the mortality rates for all 1,711, but I chose not to for the charts here. If I had, three more Northern Virginia cities and counties would have entered the top 10 along with Story County, Iowa, and La Crosse County, Wisconsin.

If I selected a wider array of external causes, or combined data from several years, more counties with smaller populations would enter the mix. Still, pretty much any version of the most-dangerous-counties list would be at least as heavy on rural counties as this.

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There are a couple of other data issues worth mentioning. One is that all the mortality statistics except those in the very first chart are reported by the residence of the victims, not where the accident or homicide occurred. The CDC does offer some data on deaths by place of occurrence, but not with wildly different results, at least not for New York City, where 462 residents died of homicide in 2020 and 469 homicides occurred. If one were to use the latter number, theres the question of what population to use in calculating mortality rates. New York City welcomes hundreds of thousands of commuters and tourists every day. Should they be counted in its population totals?

Also, because complete 2020 Census results have yet to be released, the CDC is still using outdated 2020 population estimates based on the 2010 census. For New York City, this estimate is 550,977 lower than the number from the 2020 census, and the CDC estimates for most of the 2010s are probably too low as well. To give a sense of the impact, the citys CDC-calculated homicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 in 2020 would drop to 5.1 using the census population. I decided to stick with the CDCs numbers nonetheless because (1) the city likely lost several hundred thousand residents in the months following the April 1 census record date, and (2) redoing all the 2020 mortality-rate calculations using census data would have introduced a lot of opportunities for error. But keep in mind that all the mortality rates for New York City in recent years in the CDC-derived charts are probably slight overestimates.

Finally, it would be nice to see this data by metropolitan area, wouldnt it? CDC Wonders most up-to-date deaths databases does not provide statistics by metro area. It is possible to download them by counties, then sort those into metropolitan areas, but with 2020 deaths data from my list of external causes available for only a little over half of US counties, that doesnt really work. By combining deaths from the five most recent available years I was able to get a more complete county list, and fill in the blanks with a little extra effort. Here, then, are the safest metropolitan areas in the US from 2016 through 2020, by my admittedly somewhat idiosyncratic definition.

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Its a mix of affluent coastal metropolises (the Worcester and Nashua metro areas are both part of Greater Boston), college towns, the Twin Cities and  the Malibu of the Midwest (Sheboygan). All nice places!

The most dangerous areas are a more hardscrabble lot, although led by an affluent coastal metro (Baltimore-Columbia) where the main city has an awful violent crime problem. The city of Baltimores homicide rate was a staggering 58.5 per 100,000 residents in 2021, twice that of Chicago and more than 10 times New York Citys.

Even the safest areas in the US remain killing fields compared with most of Western Europe. In Paris, the city described in 2016 by presidential candidate Donald Trump as so, so, so out of control, so dangerous, the homicide rate in recent years has been well below one death per 100,000 residents, and traffic deaths below three per 100,000, meaning that Parisians face a combined risk from those two sources about one-third that of New Yorkers. So theres lots of room for improvement in New York City. Theres just even more room for improvement almost everywhere else in the US.

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Data sources for charts

Safest of the Six Largest U.S. Cities: The main data sources here are the FBIs Crime Data Explorer and Census Bureau annual population estimates that I got from the Data Commons Place Explorer (for pre-2010 numbers) and the Census Bureau (for 2010-2021). I could not find city population estimates for 1985-1989 so I calculated my own by just assuming the cities grew (or shrank) at a uniform pace between the 1980 and 1990 censuses. The FBI hasnt released 2021 crime data yet so I got that years numbers either directly from police departments or from news reports based on police department data. Also, for some reason the FBIs post-2014 homicide numbers for Philadelphia are different from (and lower than) those on the Philadelphia Police Department website, so I went with the latter.

Murder in the Cities, Suburbs and Country: This is downloaded straight from CDC Wonders Underlying Causes of Death database, but there are two different ways to get homicide totals from that. One is to look under Injury Intent and Mechanism and select homicide as the injury intent, the other is to look through the ICD-10 codes used to classify all causes of death and select assault under External causes of morbidity and mortality. The former includes deaths from terrorist attacks and the latter does not, because they are classified under a separate ICD-10 category of Codes for special purposes. When this piece was first published, the chart showed homicide deaths with the September 2001 terrorist attacks subtracted out (for consistency with the FBI data and because otherwise New Yorks high 2001 rate would make the chart very hard to read); subsequently I realized it would be simpler and more consistent with the other charts to use the assault numbers, which are almost but not quite identical. Here they are by county urbanization status (I combined the two categories of nonmetro counties for the charts) and for New York City. Once you click through, youll have to agree to a couple of data use restrictions, then wait as CDC Wonder generates the data.

Car Crashes Change the Picture: This adds together assault plus transportation accident deaths as reported under External causes of morbidity and mortality. Here they are by county urbanization, and for New York City.

Safer in the Big City: This is all External causes of morbidity and mortality, by county urbanization, and for New York City.

Still Safer in the Big City: This is external causes minus the categories discussed in the text and the chart footnotes, by county urbanization and for New York City.

Safe States and Dangerous Ones: Selected external causes by state for 2020.

The Safest Counties in America, Sort Of, and The Most Dangerous Counties in America, Sort Of: Selected external causes by county for 2020.

Americas Safest Metro Areas and Americas Most Dangerous Metro Areas: Selected external causes by county for 2016-2020, which I then sorted into metro areas using the Census Bureaus March 2020 core-based statistical area delineation file. Twenty metro areas had at least one county for which CDC Wonder suppressed the deaths data because there were fewer than 10, so I went in and selected all the counties in each of the 20 to get combined mortality totals for each.

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(1) Metropolitan statistical areas are defined as consisting of one or more counties that contain a city of 50,000 or more inhabitants, or contain a Census Bureau-defined urbanized area (UA) and have a total population of at least 100,000 (75,000 in New England).

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Justin Fox is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering business. A former editorial director of Harvard Business Review, he has written for Time, Fortune and American Banker. He is author of The Myth of the Rational Market.

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Since the start of the war in Ukraine, no weapon has been more effective against Russian forces than the Javelin anti-tank missile. Drawing on a supply of roughly 7,000 US-made Javelins, Ukraines fighters have destroyed at least 400 Russian tanks and hundreds more armored vehicles. The weapons potency has helped foil President Vladimir Putins plans to overrun the country. Theres just one problem: The US stockpile is now running out.

The war has already consumed as much as one-third of the US militarys inventory of Javelins. Within months, the Pentagon will be unable to deliver new ones without emptying out its own supply. The war has also consumed one-quarter of the US inventory of Stinger shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles; Raytheon, which makes the Stinger, says it could take up to a year to restart production. (The Army has issued a $625 million contract to Raytheon to do so.) At the current usage rate, supplies could be nearly exhausted by next year.

A $40 billion spending package passed by Congress last month aims to replenish these stockpiles. But the problem goes deeper than short-term supply disruptions. Military planners and defense contractors have long prioritized spending on big-ticket platforms, such as aircraft carriers and fighter jets, over making weapons themselves. Pandemic-related disruptions in the supply chain for microchips have made the problem worse. And the erosion of the militarys industrial base has made it harder for the Pentagon to accelerate production. Defense-industry concentration, cumbersome contracting rules, and a shortage of skilled workers have slashed the number of companies in the business. A 2020 Pentagon report found that in an alarming number of cases, the military relies on a single, often fragile supplier to make critical components.

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The weakness of the Pentagons supply chain threatens not only aid to Ukraine but also Americas ability to respond to future crises  including a potential conflict over Taiwan, whose military depends on US-made hardware. To address the current strain, President Joe Biden should consider invoking the Defense Production Act, which requires manufacturers to prioritize delivering goods for defense-related needs over orders from other industries. Although sometimes misused for political purposes, the authority could in this case help to ease production bottlenecks for military vehicles and heavy weaponry.

Fixing shortages of specialized items  like the chip-powered sensors that help precision-guided weapons find their targets  will take longer. In the meantime, the US should encourage NATO allies to provide their own anti-tank and anti-air systems to Ukraine and expand shipments of newer, low-cost weapons, such as loitering drones.

Preventing future shortfalls requires broader reforms. The Pentagon should streamline the acquisition process to attract more nontraditional vendors, which could encourage innovation and broaden the industrial base. Programs to identify promising military technology companies and connect them with investors should be expanded. The US should share technology with allies that have spare manufacturing capacity, such as Australia, to bolster collective stockpiles. Congress should do its part by passing military funding bills in a more timely fashion and authorizing the Defense Department to issue longer-term contracts to weapons suppliers, which would allow them to invest in added capacity.

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As for the companies themselves? They have a special responsibility too. Theyre working with taxpayer dollars in service to the national defense. Contractors should be accountable for when stockpiles run low and keep production equipment ready to go when the need arises. All this should be part of the deal.

Biden has highlighted the countrys military support for Ukraine as a sign that the US is once again the arsenal of democracy. He needs to ensure the arsenal doesnt run out.

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ROME  Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings Monday about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The glum assessment came in a report by two Rome-based food agencies: the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

WFP Executive Director David Beasley said besides hurting the poorest of the poor the global food crises threaten to overwhelm millions of families who are just getting by.

Conditions now are much worse than during the Arab Spring in 2011 and 2007-2008 food price crisis, when 48 countries were rocked by political unrest, riots and protests, Beasley said in a statement. He cited as just the tip of the iceberg food crises now in Indonesia, Pakistan, Peru and Sri Lanka.

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The report calls for urgent humanitarian action to help hunger hotspots where acute hunger is expected to worsen over the next few months.

The U.N. agencies are also warning that war in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February, has exacerbated already steadily rising food and energy prices worldwide.

The effects are expected to be particularly acute where economic instability and spiraling prices combine with drops in food production due to climate shocks such as recurrent droughts or flooding, the joint statement from the U.N. agencies said.

Among critical areas cited is East Africa, where the United Nations said an unprecedented drought is afflicting Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. South Sudan, meanwhile, faces a fourth straight year of large-scale flooding.

The report cited other sobering climate impacts: above-average rain and a risk of localized flooding in the Sahel, a vast swath of Africa stretching south of the Sahara Desert.

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It also cited a more intense hurricane season in the Caribbean and below-average rainfall in Afghanistan. That Asian country is already suffering through multiple seasons of drought, violence and political upheaval, including after the return of Taliban rule last summer.

The report tagged six nations as highest alert hot spots facing catastrophic conditions: Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Somalia. It said as many as 750,000 people are facing starvation and death in those countries. Of those, 400,000 are in Ethiopias embattled Tigray region  the highest number on record in any one country since the 2011 famine in Somalia, the U.N. agencies said.

In April, according to a study by regional health officials that was seen by The Associated Press, at least 1,900 children under 5 died from malnutrition in the Tigray region. Western Tigray, which is under the control of forces from the neighboring Amhara region, was not included in that survey.

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The U.N. food agencies report Monday said Congo, Haiti, the Sahel region, Sudan and Syria remain of very high concern and noted that Kenya was a new entry to that list.

Joining the list of hot spot countries were Sri Lanka, Benin, Cape Verde, Guinea, Ukraine and Zimbabwe, while areas that faced continuing food scarcities included Angola, Lebanon, Madagascar and Mozambique.

___

Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate.

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Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.

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The US House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the nations Capitol is nearing a more public phase of its work. Televised hearings are set to begin on Thursday, with at least two expected to be held in prime time for maximum exposure. After that, the committee of seven Democrats and two Republicans will report its findings sometime before the midterm elections on Nov. 8. Former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies continue to call the probe a witch hunt focused on scoring political points.

1. What has the committee done?

Its conducted more than 1,000 interviews and collected more than 100,000 documents, including emails and texts. It held a public hearing in July 2021 to hear testimony from police officers at the Capitol who came under attack. Its issued at least 99 subpoenas for witness testimony and document production; in four instances where the recipient hasnt complied, the Democratic-controlled House has voted to pursue charges of contempt of Congress.

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2. What does the committee hope to learn?

Chairman Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, has said the panels work seeks to uncover the facts, tell the American people the full story of January 6th and ensure that nothing like that day ever happens again. One focus is what role Trump and his advisers played in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election -- which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden -- or to organize the events that preceded the storming of the Capitol while Congress was certifying the results of the 2020 election. Another is what explains the 187 minutes of inaction before National Guard troops and additional police were sent to the Capitol. Other areas of inquiry include why the Capitol and federal and local law enforcement agencies werent better prepared, whether any lawmaker gave a tour of the Capitol on Jan. 5 to members of the public casing the building for the next days incursion, and whether there were crimes or violations of campaign finance law in the funding of events to promote claims the presidential election had been stolen.

3. What has the committee learned?

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Much of that is private, for now. Some of the biggest early committee headlines stemmed from text messages sent or received by Trumps White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, on Jan. 6 or in the days leading up to it. The texts, provided to the committee by Meadows, include messages to him from members of Congress and others pleading for Trump to call on his supporters to stop the assault. Other texts show Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, advocating for invalidating the results of the 2020 presidential election. The committee revealed in March it had uncovered a more-than-seven-hour gap in White House telephone logs of Trump calls during the riot -- a period when lawmakers were urgently trying to get him to quell the mob. Thompson confirmed in January that the committee had inquired about a reported draft executive order -- never issued -- that would have directed the National Guard to seize ballot boxes used in the 2020 election.

4. Could the committees work lead to criminal charges?

Lawmakers arent law enforcement, and the Justice Department is already separately prosecuting more than 800 people for their actions at the Capitol. But the committee could send the Justice Department any evidence it believes shows additional criminal wrongdoing, via a so-called criminal referral. Thompson said on May 17 that the Justice Department had requested access to some of the committees interview transcripts. In legal filings on March 2, the committee suggested it may have evidence that Trump and his associates committed crimes -- including obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison -- in attempting to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 election results. Committee investigators have information on strategies by Trump advisers to audit or impound voting machines in key 2020 election swing states, for instance.

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5. How close might this get to Trump himself?

Trumps actions and inactions are central to the timeline of Jan. 6. The committees vice chair, Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming -- one of the panels two Republican members -- said on Jan. 2, 2022, that the committee has firsthand testimony now that he was sitting in the dining room next to the Oval Office watching the attack on television as the assault on the Capitol occurred. She said Trump could have, at any moment, walked those very few steps into the briefing room, gone on live television, and told his supporters who were assaulting the Capitol to stop. Not doing so, she said, was a serious dereliction of duty.

6. Who hasnt complied with the committee?

Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino, former trade adviser Peter Navarro and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon refused to comply with subpoenas seeking their testimony. So did Meadows, even as he initially complied with the committees request for text messages. Their matters were referred to the Department of Justice for potential criminal prosecution. Bannon and Navarro were indicted; Bannon is set to go on trial in July on two counts of contempt, which can potentially carry a penalty of up to a year in jail plus a fine. The Justice Department told the committee that Meadows and Scavino wont be indicted because they have been cooperating, Bloomberg reported. Also subpoenaed are five Republican House members, including the Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy resisted complying, challenging the committees legal standing. Trying to compel testimony from sitting members of Congress is legally complicated and underscores a key facet of the case: Lawmakers were participants in some of the events on Jan. 6 and have information germane to the probe.

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7. Why the lack of cooperation?

In remarks echoed by other Republicans, McCarthy argues the committee is partisan and not conducting a legitimate investigation. Some of those refusing to cooperate cited Trumps claim of executive privilege, the limited right of a president to decline requests from Congress and the courts for information about internal White House talks and deliberations. Longtime Trump confidante Roger Stone invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. Trumps onetime lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said he invoked attorney-client privilege to refuse to answer some questions. Part of what could be motivating the resistance is a desire to delay the committees progress. All 435 House seats will be on the ballot in November, and Democrats could lose their majority. Republicans have been clear that, should they gain House control at the start of 2023, they would shut down an investigation they view as a partisan waste of taxpayer dollars.

8. Why is the committee dominated by Democrats?

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The Democrat-controlled House passed legislation to create the committee after Senate Republicans blocked the creation of an outside commission, independent of Congress, modeled on the one that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Then, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to seat two of McCarthys choices for the panel, he pulled his other picks. The two Republicans Pelosi named to the panel, Cheney and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, are both Trump critics who have become regular targets of attacks from within their own party.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

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Vietnams Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong has likened his anti-graft campaign to a blazing furnace, one thats caught hundreds of senior officials, business executives and others in its blast over the years. While the countrys position has improved by more than 30 spots over the past decade on a global corruption perception index, it was still at 87th place last year out of 180 ranked. Now as Southeast Asias fastest-growing economy seeks to bolster its appeal as a destination for foreign investment in the midst of mounting trade tensions between the US and China, the fight seems to be flaring again.

1. What is Vietnam targeting?

Trong, who won a rare third term last year, said in a televised speech last year that each party cadre and member needs to shoulder the responsibility of being a role model. The higher the position and rank, the more responsibility one must take. Eight inspection teams have been set up to deal with corruption cases, including at party committees and agencies, according to the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption. More than 1,200 cases have been investigated this year, with more than 730 involving more than 1,500 defendants brought to court. Police have detained a number of executives as part of investigations into alleged stock price manipulation.

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2. Whos in the cross hairs?

In the latest round, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long and Hanoi Mayor Chu Ngoc Anh were expelled from the Communist Party for violating its rules and state regulations that caused huge losses. In April police detained deputy Foreign Affairs Minister To Anh Dung over alleged bribery while he organized repatriation flights for Vietnamese abroad during the pandemic. The following month a former deputy health minister was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a trading ring for counterfeit medicine. The Finance Ministry fired State Securities Commission Chairman Tran Van Dung for alleged serious wrongdoings, amid an ongoing investigation into stock trading. Soon after the head of the Ho Chi Minh City bourse was fired for what the Vietnam Stock Exchange called very serious shortcomings at work. Among the executives who have been detained are the former chairman of Bamboo Airways and its parent FLC Group JSC, Trinh Van Quyet; Tri Viet Securities former chief executive officer Do Duc Nam and Louis Holdings former chairman Do Thanh Nhan. Authorities have said they are also investigating cases involving a military medical university, former high-ranking coast guard officials and property fraud.

3. Whats at stake?

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Vietnam has warned that corruption could put the partys legitimacy and hold on power at risk as the public grows more intolerant of graft -- echoing President Xi Jinping in neighboring, communist China. Aside from that, Vietnam, a country of roughly 100 million people, has much to gain economically if it can bolster its image as place to do business. Global manufacturers have been exploring ways to diversify their supply chains away from China, which has been caught up in pandemic lockdowns and a trade war with the US, and Vietnam has benefited. Its exports are equivalent to more than 100% of GDP, according to World Bank data, making it one of the most trade dependent countries in the world. Vietnam has also been seeking to have its stock market classified as emerging market -- up from the current frontier status, which is the lowest and riskiest rung -- and this could bring greater foreign investment. As a participant in the USs new Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, Vietnam also has an opportunity to increase its links to its former wartime foe -- its largest export market.

4. How serious is the crackdown?

People are sitting in jail, and some have been sentenced to death. But in Vietnams closely controlled, one-party state, its difficult to say if theres any other motivation beyond building legitimacy. Freedom House, a US-based advocacy group, ranks Vietnam as not free, with a score last year of only 19 points out of 100. Human rights groups repeatedly accuse the government of tamping down on dissent. Transparency International, a Berlin-based anti-corruption group, gave it a score of 39 out of 100 last year, from 31 in 2012 -- the year then-Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dungs government was tainted by a series of scandals. Arrests picked up again after a new administration took power in 2016:

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 Nguyen Xuan Anh, party chief in the central city of Danang, was removed from his post.

 Nguyen Xuan Son, former chairman of state-owned PetroVietnam and the ex-chief executive of Ocean Commercial Joint Stock Bank, was sentenced to death after being convicted for embezzlement.

 Ha Van Tham, the banks former chairman, was given a life sentence after being found guilty of the same charges.

 Former politburo member Dinh La Thang, another former PetroVietnam chairman, was sentenced in 2018 to 18 years for violating state regulations.

In 2021 the anti-corruption committee disciplined 618 party members for corruption or intentional wrongdoings. It also reported prosecuting 390 graft cases and recovering at least $400 million in assets.

5. Will there be more?

The campaign is showing no signs of slowing. The Communist Party Central Committee on May 10 announced it was forming anti-corruption steering committees in every province. In his speech last year, Trong referenced morality some 40 times and said that hed ordered more aggressive, drastic and prompt action in the fight against graft. Tran Khanh Hien, head of research at VnDirect Securities Corp., said the governments moves this year have boosted confidence among foreign investors. But she added they would also want to see how persistent and serious the authorities are.

(Updates with latest round of probes. Earlier QuickTake was corrected in the third paragraph to make clear it was the Ho Chi Minh City bourse head who was fired.)

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Is private equitys stellar performance too good to be true? As the global stock market slump forces mutual funds to mark their holdings to market, some are getting vocal in their skepticism of private markets. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Speaking to journalists last week, Vincent Mortier, chief investment officer of Amundi SA, Europes largest asset manager, questioned how private equity firms can keep their performance aloft even as the market for initial public offerings slumps:

The vast majority of deals are currently done between private equity players One private equity player will sell to another one who is happy to pay a high price because they have attached a lot of investors.

When you know you are able to exit your stake to another private equity house for multiple of, lets say, 20, 25 or 30 times earnings, of course you wont mark down your book Thats why Im talking about a Ponzi because its a circular thing.

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Intuitively, this makes sense. Last year, with a vibrant US stock market, private equity firms hit an exit frenzy, reaping billions for their investors. But with the IPO market in a drought and strategic buyers growing more cautious, PE firms are running out of options. These days, to exit, they will have to sell their portfolio companies to each other.

A few recent deals may have caught Mortiers eye. In April, KKR & Co. agreed to buy Barracuda Networks Inc. from tech-focused Thoma Bravo LLC, in a deal that reportedly valued the cybersecurity firm at about $4 billion. Thoma Bravo can probably book a handsome profit  it took Barracuda private four years ago for only $1.3 billion.

Meanwhile, in the last two years, private equity firms have been avid fundraisers. For instance, KKR in April closed a record $19 billion North America fund, more than $5 billion larger than the previous 2017 fund. With more than $1 trillion of dry powder globally, cash-rich PE firms have plenty of room to buy stakes off each other. Thoma Bravo, for instance, this week lowered the $10.7 billion offer it made to enterprise-software maker Anaplan Inc.

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But looking at recent deal flows, Mortiers comments come across more like a warning than a reflection of reality. While about two-thirds of the exits in the first quarter were transactions among PE firms, their actual value of $43 billion is by no means extraordinary by historical standards. The same conclusion holds if we look at deal counts instead.

In other words, the conditions are ripe for what Mortier called a Ponzi scheme in the PE industry. But so far, theres not much evidence.

More likely, criticism from traditional asset managers reflects their envy that private equity firms seem to be winners in times good and bad. On a 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year horizon, private equity has generated higher internal rates of return than public markets.

Stock markets took note and rewarded private equity specialists accordingly. Shares of Blackstone Inc. and KKR have outperformed traditional money managers. such as Amundi.

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To be sure, theres a lot of room for window-dressing in the PE world. For instance, its standard practice to use public-market peers to value unrealized investments, even though theres no guarantee the PE-backed firms can fetch similar valuations.

And just like public-market investors, PE firms in recent years paid handsomely for their investments. In the first quarter, a median buyout was priced at 14.6 times EV/EBITDA, or the ratio of enterprise value to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, versus 11.9 times four years earlier, according to PitchBook.

Nonetheless, this is the beauty of private equity. It provides investors haven from a bad stock market. With all that dry powder, it can also benefit from a bear market, by taking companies private and lowering its average cost of acquisition. Managers of mutual funds and hedge funds, who have to worry about investor redemptions, are in the wrong business.

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More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion:

 Tiger Global and the Perils of Crossover Hedge Funds: Shuli Ren

 KKR Wins by Treating Workers More Like Owners: Brooke Sutherland

 Private Equity Finds Another Steal in the U.K.: Chris Hughes

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Shuli Ren is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian markets. A former investment banker, she was a markets reporter for Barrons. She is a CFA charterholder.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. VK First Deputy CEO Vladimir Gabrielyan and the companys procurement director Sergey Merzlyakov died in an accident in the Nenets Autonomous Region in Russias Arctic, the Russian social networking company told TASS.

Very sad news emerged this morning about the tragic death of Vladimir Gabrielyan and Sergey Merzlyakov in an accident. We mourn [their deaths] with their families and friends, the VK press service said.

Earlier, the Union of Reindeer Herders reported that Gabrielyan had gone missing near the village of Shoina. The all-terrain vehicle he was riding in overturned.
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Hochul signs 10 bills tightening gun limits Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed a package of 10 gun bills Monday in response to several mass shootings in recent weeks, including one in Buffalo that claimed the lives of 10 people. The regulations would, among other things, ban anyone under the age of 21 from buying a semiautomatic rifle in the state.

On May 14, a shooter killed 10 people in a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo with a semiautomatic rifle. Days later, a gunman killed 21 people, including 19 children, in an elementary school in Uvalde, Tex.

The 10 bills Hochul signed into law were passed quickly by New Yorks Democratic-led statehouse. The measures ask for a review and strengthening of the states red-flag laws, which prevent individuals who show signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing a firearm, and ban body armor sales except to those in select professions.

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Hochul, who faces several Democratic challengers June 28 in the states gubernatorial primary, said she hopes lawmakers in Washington follow New Yorks lead.

 Mariana Alfaro

Federal judge allows lethal-injection drugs

A federal judge in Oklahoma on Monday ruled that the states three-drug lethal-injection method is constitutional, paving the way for the state to request execution dates for more than two dozen death row inmates who were plaintiffs in the case.

Judge Stephen Friots ruling followed a six-day federal trial earlier this year in which attorneys for 28 death row inmates argued that the first of the three drugs, the sedative midazolam, is not adequate to render an inmate unable to feel pain and creates a risk of severe pain and suffering that violates the Constitutions Eighth Amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment.

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Jennifer Moreno, one of the attorneys for the death row inmates, said they are still assessing their options for an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver.

Oklahoma resumed lethal injections in October with the execution of John Grant, who convulsed on the gurney and vomited before being declared dead. Since then, three more executions have been carried out without noticeable complications.

 Associated Press

Judge delays trial of 2 ex-cops in Floyd case

The judge overseeing the remaining case against two former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyds killing ordered Monday that the trial be delayed until January in hopes that some additional time will improve prospects for a fair trial.

Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng were due to go on trial next week on charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the May 2020 death of Floyd. But Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ordered Monday that the trial be delayed until Jan. 5.

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Cahill denied a defense motion for a change of venue, which was requested because of the extensive publicity in the case. But he said media reports and recent events surrounding connected cases have created a reasonable likelihood of an unfair trial if it were to begin next week.

Cahill cited the May 18 guilty plea by Thao and Keungs co-defendant, former officer Thomas Lane. He also cited the February convictions of Thao, Kueng and Lane on federal charges of violating Floyds civil rights.

 Associated Press

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NICOSIA, Cyprus  Cyprus will lodge a complaint with the United Nations over Turkeys new financial assistance deal with breakaway Turkish Cypriots that demonstrates Ankaras complete control over them, the president of the ethnically divided island nation said Monday. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight President Nicos Anastasiades, a Greek Cypriot, told state broadcaster CyBC that he would also include in the protest letter Turkeys move to designate the Turkish Cypriots unrecognized, main airport as a domestic flight route, effectively turning it into a Turkish one.

Many liberal Turkish Cypriots fear that both the financial deal and the airport designation are the clearest signals yet that Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to eventually annex breakaway northern Cyprus.

I will proceed with the complaint again with the United Nations relative to the airport which ... in essence is being integrated and considered a Turkish airport, Anastasiades said. Secondly, (financial) protocol clearly demonstrates Ankaras complete control of the Turkish Cypriots.

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Turkish officials reportedly said the designation aims to make flights to and from northern Cyprus cheaper.

Hardline Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Monday dismissed Anastasiades remarks as Greek Cypriot propaganda ahead of presidential elections next year. He also hailed the financial agreement as of great importance to reinvigorate the Turkish Cypriot economy.

Turkish Cypriots declared independence in the island nations northern third nearly a decade after Turkey invaded in 1974 following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Cypriots independence. Numerous rounds of U.N.-facilitated talks over nearly a half century to reunify Cyprus as a federation composed of Greek and Turkish speaking sectors have led nowhere.

Turkish Cypriots fault a Greek Cypriot denial to equitably share power in a federated Cyprus. Greek Cypriots fear a Turkish Cypriot insistence for Turkish military intervention rights, a permanent Turkish troop presence and veto power for the minority Turkish Cypriots.

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Citing the failed peace talks, Ankara and Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar say the only feasible way now to break the deadlock is an accord based on two sovereign states  something that Greek Cypriots reject as formalizing permanent partition of the Mediterranean island.

Many Turkish Cypriots are up in arms over the financial agreement, about 240 million euros worth of grants and loans this year, or about a third of annual revenues.

Although the north has always been dependent on Turkish economic aid, the peace group United Cyprus Now says this deal compels Turkish Cypriots to introduce measures curbing freedom of speech, making it easier for Turkish citizens to buy up property and cedes more power to religious authorities.

These measures constitute a direct threat to the will, identity, culture, way of life and heritage of Turkish Cypriots, the group said.

The leader of the leftist opposition Republican Turkish Party Tufan Erhurman called the deal a protocol for the abandonment of the will of Turkish Cypriots to govern themselves.

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BAGHDAD  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani capped his state visit to Iraq on Wednesday by meeting the countrys most respected religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani a sit-down that has eluded previous Iranian presidents and American leaders alike. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The meeting signals to Washington that the religious, cultural and economic bonds that tie Iran and Iraq will not be undermined by a focused U.S. effort to isolate Tehran, analysts said. At the same time, it is likely to bolster Rouhanis standing at home.

The session came after Rouhani and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi announced agreements to boost trade, establish a rail link between the two countries and take steps to remove travel restrictions for tourists and investors. Abdul Mahdi also said Iran agreed to return to the original terms of a 1975 agreement on the sharing of an important waterway.

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Officials from both countries said that details of the agreements would be released at a later date but that the message was clear: Iraq will not be a party to renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran.

The Iranian side praised Iraqs decision that it would not be part of the sanctions against them, the Iraqi prime minister said in a statement.

Hussein Dawood of the European Council on Foreign Relations wrote on Wednesday, Through a series of high-level meetings and agreements with Irans president, the Iraqi government signaled that it is not prepared to be part of the US maximum pressure campaign against Iran.

For Iraq, Rouhanis three-day visit represented a break from Tehrans usual methods of exerting influence, which include activities inside Iraq by Iranian-allied militias and leading figures from Irans powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps. Sistani referenced these activities during his meeting with the Iranian president.

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The 88-year-old cleric, who is rarely seen in public and whose views are almost always delivered through intermediaries, said in a statement that he welcomes any steps to strengthen Iraqs relations with its neighbours . . . based on respect for the sovereignty of the countries and no interference in domestic affairs. The statement was widely interpreted as a reference to Iraqi Shiite militias that are ideologically linked to Iran, which supports them with money and weapons.

Those militias gained popular support with many Iraqis for helping to defeat the Islamic State and have since secured wide-ranging political influence through Iraqs parliament. They have also gained informal control of key Sunni Muslim regions they helped clear of Islamic State occupation.

The U.S. government and many Iraqis view the militias as Iranian proxies outside the control of Iraqs central authorities.

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In addition to representing a rebuke of Irans support for the militias, Sistanis meeting with Rouhani was important for strengthening the Iranian presidents position at home.

Iranian policy in Iraq has been dominated by the Revolutionary Guard Corp, which arms and funds the network of loyal proxy militias. Hard-line figures close to the Revolutionary Guard have recently criticized Rouhani, a relative moderate, and his cabinet of technocrats. They have denounced him as weak in the face of pressure from the United States, which reimposed sanctions on Iran after withdrawing last year from the nuclear deal.

But Sistani, a revered figure with a large following in Iran, has refused to meet with the powerful commander of the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani. Similarly, Sistani rejected a meeting with former president and hard-line politician Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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Sistani's selective engagement with the more pragmatic forces of Iranian politics could boost Rouhani's domestic standing at a time that the discredited Iranian president needs it the most, said Ali Vaez, an Iran expert with the International Crisis Group. Sistani's imprimatur on the more moderate approach in Iranian foreign policy is a badge of honor for Rouhani and his team.

Rouhanis meeting with Sistani and the generally positive reception the Iranian leader received in Iraq is a reminder of the limits of the zero-sum prism that [the United States] views much of its regional rivalry with Iran, Vaez said.

Washington has to acknowledge that Tehran has soft-power advantages that the U.S. lacks, he added. If it wants to curb Iranian influence, instead of countering Tehran, it should compete with Tehran's soft power and economic outreach by helping Baghdad become more self-reliant.

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El-Ghobashy reported from Toronto. Erin Cunningham in Istanbul contributed to this report.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Dubai police said Tuesday they arrested two brothers from the Gupta family, wanted over allegedly looting state money with former South African President Jacob Zuma. The arrest of Atul and Rajesh Gupta, who had lived for years in the sheikhdom, was the latest major extradition arrest by authorities in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai in particular has long welcomed the wealthy with little question into its luxury neighborhoods.

With the UAE now heading the international policing body Interpol, the country has faced renewed questioning over its lax checks on money laundering and reluctance to extradite suspects. That has only increased as Russian money flows into the Arabian Peninsula nation amid Moscows war on Ukraine.

Police issued a statement saying they arrested the brothers in connection with money laundering and criminal charges in South Africa. The Emirates in a later statement said police arrested the two Guptas on June 2.

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The two, as well as their brother Ajay, had been suspected of hiding out in Dubai since fleeing South Africa around the same time Zuma resigned in 2018 amid allegations he had overseen massive levels of corruption at state-owned companies.

The family has denied the allegations previously. It wasnt immediately clear if the two had a local lawyer.

South Africas City Press newspaper reported in 2016 that the Gupta family had purchased a $30 million residence in Dubais Emirates Hills neighborhood, which had 10 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, nine reception rooms, a double grand staircase, a hand-painted dome, space for 11 cars, and chandeliers in virtually every room.

Dubai police said they made the arrest after receiving an Interpol red notice warrant for the two.

The arrest reflects the continuous efforts of the UAE in combating money laundering crimes through local cooperation among the competent authorities, police said.

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Dubai police did not immediately acknowledge Ajay Guptas whereabouts. The Gupta family is originally from India.

Authorities in South Africa late Monday said the two brothers had been arrested after discussions between them and Dubai officials. However, Emirati authorities did not confirm the arrests until Tuesday.

South Africas National Prosecuting Authority said Tuesday it had assigned an experienced team of internal and external experts who were working to extradite the two men to South Africa.

The arrests come nearly one year after the UAE ratified the extradition treaty with South Africa. It came into effect in June 2021, just as Interpol issued the red notice against the two Gupta brothers and their accomplices.

The Guptas are accused of using their association with Zuma to cash in on huge government contracts and kickbacks, and were believed to be so influential they had a say in Zumas appointment of Cabinet ministers. Their names burst into public view in 2016, when an official said the Guptas allegedly offered him a $44 million bribe to become the finance minister in exchange for favors.

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The U.S. Treasury Department placed the three Gupta brothers on a sanctions list in 2019, accusing them of being members of a significant corruption network. That forbids U.S entities from conducting business with them or handling their assets.

Until they are in front of a South African court, we need to be cautious but what has happened to date should be applauded, said Karam Singh, the executive director of the activist group Corruption Watch.

Zuma, 80, was president from 2009 until he was forced to step down by his African National Congress Party in 2018 amid the graft scandal. He faces corruption charges over a state arms purchase and went to prison in July 2021 for refusing a court order to testify before a judicial inquiry.

Zumas incarceration sparked weekslong riots in parts of South Africa that killed over 300 people and saw 25,000 soldiers deployed in the worst violence since the end of the apartheid era. Zuma has been out of prison on a medical parole that was later revoked, a decision now being challenged in the courts.

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Dubais boom-and-bust real estate market, open to foreigners, has attracted investors and those fleeing conflicts from years. Just as long, war profiteers, terror financiers and drug traffickers sanctioned by the U.S. have used Dubais real-estate market as a haven for their assets.

Scrutiny also has increased after the Financial Action Task Force, a global anti-money-laundering body, placed the UAE on its grey list earlier this year, escalating its monitoring of the countrys efforts to crack down on illicit financial flows.

Over the last year, Dubai police have announced several major extradition-related arrests, typically involving suspected drug dealers and gangsters. The extraditions now appear to have stepped up into other crimes. Last week, Dubai police similarly arrested a British man wanted in Denmark over an alleged $1.7 billion tax fraud case. Sanjay Shah, who maintains his innocence, similarly had been living in Dubai for years amid court cases targeting him over allegedly masterminding the scam.

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However, theres a renewed focus on Russian money flowing in as Moscow faces Western sanctions over the Ukraine war. In the northern emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, a sanctioned Russian oligarch's megayacht now hides from possible Western seizure. That vessel, the Motor Yacht A, is owned by Andrey Melnichenko, a European Union-sanctioned oligarch worth some $23.5 billion, according to Forbes. Melnichenko has rejected the sanctions and denied being close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

___

Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Andrew Meldrum and Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this report.

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BERLIN  Angela Merkel defended her approach to Ukraine and Russia during her 16 years as Germanys leader, saying Tuesday that a much criticized 2015 peace deal for eastern Ukraine bought Kyiv precious time and she wont apologize for her diplomatic efforts. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight In her first substantial comments since leaving office six months ago, Merkel said there was no excuse for Russias brutal attack on Ukraine and it was a big mistake on Russias part.

Merkel, who dealt with Russian President Vladimir Putin throughout her chancellorship, rejected a suggestion that she and others engaged in appeasement that ultimately enabled the invasion.

I tried to work toward calamity being averted, and diplomacy was not wrong if it doesnt succeed, she said in an on-stage interview at a Berlin theater that was televised live. I dont see that I should say now that it was wrong, and so I wont apologize.

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It is a matter of great sorrow that it didnt succeed, but I dont blame myself now for trying, Merkel said.

She defended the 2015 peace agreement that she and then-French President Francois Hollande brokered in Minsk, Belarus, aimed at easing fighting in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russian-backed separatists.

Merkel conceded that it didnt fulfill all of Ukraines interests and that few people stand by it now, with some saying it was badly negotiated.

But at the time it brought calm and, for example, it gave Ukraine a great deal of time  seven years namely  to develop into what it is today, she said. If there had been no intervention at the time, she added, Putin could have wrought gigantic damage in Ukraine.

She said that sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Crimea in 2014 could have been stronger, as far as Im concerned, but added that there was no majority sentiment for doing so at the time.

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We didnt do nothing either, she said, noting that Russia was thrown out of the Group of Eight and that NATO set a target for countries to work toward spending 2% of their gross domestic product on defense.

Merkel also strongly defended a decision in 2008 not to put Ukraine directly on track to join NATO, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in early April blasted as a miscalculation.

NATO pledged in 2008 that Ukraine and Georgia would one day become members. But French and German concern over Russias reactions dashed their hopes of being granted a membership action plan that would bring them into the alliance within five to 10 years.

Merkel said that Ukraine was not the one we know today, saying it was a country very divided and dominated by oligarchs. It wasnt an internally democratically stable country, she said.

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She suggested a stronger NATO green light for Ukraine in 2008 would have led to faster Russian aggression, with Ukraine less able to resist.

I was very certain that Putin wouldnt just let it happen, she said. For him, from his perspective, that was a declaration of war ... I dont share any of this, but I knew how he thought.

Tuning to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, which she long defended against criticism from the U.S., Ukraine and eastern European allies, Merkel said Putin invaded Ukraine without waiting for it to enter service.

Current Chancellor Olaf Scholzs government halted the project in February.

His administration also decided to deliver arms to Ukraine.

Merkel said she had opposed doing that when she was chancellor because Germany and France were trying to lead diplomacy.

That is no longer on the agenda today  this is a different time, she said.

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Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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MOSCOW  Veteran Russian cosmonaut Valery Ryumin, who set space endurance records on Soviet missions, then returned to orbit after a long absence to fly on a U.S. space shuttle, has died at the age of 82. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Ryumin went into space four times, including to the space stations Salyut-7 and Mir after becoming a cosmonaut in 1973. He logged a total of 371 days in space in two short missions and two record-setting long-duration flights.

We have lost a comrade and a friend, Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Roscosmos space agency, said in a statement. This is an irreparable loss for all of us. I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Valery Viktorovich. The memory of him will forever remain in our hearts.

Ryumin, who was born Aug. 16, 1939, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, made his last flight on a Soviet capsule in 1980, then returned to space 18 years later on the U.S. space shuttle Discovery when it docked with Mir.

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After my three flights in the eighties, I was thinking it would be nice to fly for the fourth time. I thought it would be very useful for a person who has very good flight and life experience, to visit the station, Ryumin recalled in a NASA oral history quoted by the CollectSpace website. I will be able to see more details and more things compared to young cosmonauts or crew members.

Ryumin will be buried Thursday at a military cemetery outside Moscow, the state news agency Tass reported. He is survived by his wife and fellow cosmonaut Yelena Kondakova.

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DAMASCUS, Syria  The air forces of Russia and Syria conducted a joint drill over the war-torn country Tuesday, the first since Russias invasion of Ukraine began more than three months ago, Syrias Defense Ministry said. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight The ministry said two Russian SU-35 fighter jets and six Syrian MiG-23 and MiG-29 aircraft simulated facing hostile warplanes and drones. Syrian pilots dealt with them with cover and support from the Russian warplanes, it said.

All illusive targets were monitored and completely destroyed while aerial targets were hit at night for the first time, the Syrian Defense Ministry said in a statement. It also released a video of the warplanes that it said took part in the drill.

The announcement came hours after Syrian state television reported that Israeli missiles targeted Syrian army positions south of the capital of Damascus, causing material damage but no casualties.

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State TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that Israeli warplanes fired several missiles while flying over Syrias Israeli-occupied Golan Heights before midnight Monday. It added that Syrian air defenses shot down most of the missiles.

There was no comment on the strike from Israel.

According to Syrian state media, Israeli missiles targeted central Syria on May 13, killing five people including a civilian, and igniting fires on farmland in the area.

Russia became involved militarily in Syria in September 2015 helping to tip the balance of power in favor of President Bashar Assads forces in the 11-year conflict that has killed half a million people.

The Syrian Defense Ministry said that during Tuesdays drill, the Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out joint patrols along the Golan Heights and other parts of southern Syria.

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The last such joint drill was conducted a week before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. In mid-February, the Russian military deployed long-range nuclear-capable bombers and fighter jets carrying state-of-the-art hypersonic missiles to Syria for massive naval drills in the Mediterranean Sea.

Israel has staged hundreds of strikes on targets in Syria over the years but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations. It says it targets bases of Iran-allied militias, such as Lebanons militant Hezbollah group that has fighters deployed in Syria and fighting on the side of Assads government forces, as well as arms shipments believed to be bound for the militias.

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ANKARA, Turkey  Turkey on Tuesday called on Greece to withdraw its armed forces from Aegean islands, warning that his country will challenge the status of the islands if it fails to demilitarize them. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a joint news conference with his North Macedonian counterpart, that Greece has been building a military presence on the Aegean islands in violation of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Paris Treaty. He said the islands were ceded to Greece on condition that they be kept demilitarized.

The agreements are there but Greece is violating them. Its arming them. If Greece does not stop this violation, the sovereignty of the islands will be brought up for discussion, he said. Its that clear. You will abide by the agreements.

Greece argues that Turkey has deliberately misinterpreted the treaties regarding armed forces on its eastern islands and says it has legal grounds to defend itself following hostile actions by Ankara including a long-standing threat of war if it extends its territorial waters.

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The Turkish ministers comments come amid a new escalation in tensions between the NATO allies that have a history of disputes over a range of issues including mineral exploration in the eastern Mediterranean and rival claims in the Aegean Sea.

Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would stop talking to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, voicing displeasure at comments the Greek leader made during a recent U.S. trip, including suggestions that Congress should block Turkeys acquisition of F-16 fighter jets.

In Athens, Mitsotakis said restraint was needed on both sides of the Aegean due to the war in Ukraine.

I think we are still very far from that point, far from the tension we had in the summer of 2020, Mitsotakis said in reference to a time when tensions flared between Greece and Turkey over gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

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Today, everyone needs to show restraint. Especially at a time when we are facing a very big challenge at NATO with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We must be united, he said.

Cavusoglu said Ankara had sent two letters to the United Nations on the issue of the militarized islands and he called on Greece to respond to the letters.

They are getting aggressive because they cannot respond to the letters, the minister claimed.

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YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan received Ambassador of the United States to Armenia Lynne Tracy, the governments press service said.

During the meeting the sides discussed issues relating to the Armenian-American bilateral cooperation.

Views were exchanged on the main directions of the Police reforms, including the activity of the patrol service and the creation of the ministry of interior.

The ongoing works on unblocking the regional transportation communications were also touched upon.
Elon Musk is threatening to walk away from his $US44 billion ($61 billion) bid to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot and fake accounts.

Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated on Monday (US time), and Twitter disclosed it in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

If Musk walks away, he could be on the hook for a $US1 billion breakup fee. Credit:AP

The letter says Musk has repeatedly asked for the information since May 9, about a month after his offer to buy the company, so he could evaluate how many of the companys 229 million accounts are fake.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has said that Twitter has consistently estimated that fewer than 5 per cent of its accounts are fake. But Musk has disputed that, contending in a May tweet that 20 per cent or more are bogus.
Not for long, however. As the true story, laced with a few new lies, emerges tweet by tweet, Rahim goes from hero to a thundering zero in a couple of bewildering weeks. This sort of fall from grace is normal, says Farhadi, although the process is accelerated and amplified in our time by social media. Anyone riding high on sudden popularity is ready to fall  or, in current usage, to be cancelled. When we make someone an idol, we expect that person to make no mistakes, says Farhadi. And that, of course, is impossible. Basically, the mistake Rahim makes is no different from anyone else, but in that position  under the spotlight  it has more consequences. Farhadi cant remember when he first knew he wanted to spend his life telling stories. I know it happened gradually. All I know is that when I would hear stories told by members of my family, that was one of the most exciting things happening when I was young. And it still is the most exciting and interesting thing in life for me, hearing other peoples stories. Each person has hundreds of stories in their lives that many people dont know. When somebody passes, those stories pass too. Hero stories such as Rahims, on the other hand, are something of a staple in the Iranian media. Its a kind of propaganda, says Farhadi. They make that person an idol and encourage other people to act like them. But usually, they get forgotten very fast and this rapid ascent and descent ruins their lives.

Farhadi traces his own interest in this phenomenon back to university where, as a theatre student, he saw Bertolt Brechts The Life of Galileo, the 16th-century physicist who was both lauded and vilified as a heretic by the Catholic Church. I would always follow news stories about this concept of creating a hero in society. I chose one for a free interpretation in my film, based on this idea. But the news story was only the starting point, he says. The rest I made up. Loading How much he made up is the substance of a legal dispute in Iran, where a former student of Farhadis, Azadeh Masihzadeh, has accused him of copying the story from a documentary she made about a real case in which a man found and returned a bag of gold coins. Farhadi doesnt deny using the same news story but maintains it was in the public domain and widely known. Both of these films have the same idea, he says. And that idea is the idea I brought to my workshop in 2014, about the people who find something valuable, return it to the owner and then become heroes in the media. All my students tried to make a work based on this idea and stories they found in the newspapers.

Masihzadeh made a short documentary called All Winners, All Losers, which screened at a festival in 2018. Following the equivalent of a committal hearing, the plagiarism case will go to court. Possible penalties, according to news reports, include forfeiting to Masihzadeh all profits from A Hero  which was sold to Amazon in the US  or prison. Amir Jadidi plays a man whose story unravels in spectacular fashion in A Hero. Farhadi is phlegmatic about the whole business. We firmly believe that when the experts on copyright give their opinion, we will get the [right] result, he says. This is not anything special or unique. Every year in Iran, there are one or two cases like this. Perhaps he is just used to trouble. According to his long-time French producer, Alexandre Mallet-Guy, each of Farhadis films has been accused by conservatives in Iran of presenting a negative image of the country, while liberals accuse him of letting the regime off the hook. His solution has been to alternate between making films at home and abroad, Mallet-Guy told the Hollywood Reporter. Just so the situation can die down, he said. Its very difficult for him.

Farhadi says he has a sense of social responsibility in his filmmaking but within the language of cinema. And I want to emphasise the language because I dont want a social responsibility to take anything away from that, he says. Meanwhile, he steers clear of making obviously political statements, even if some of his public pronouncements might sail close to the wind at home. Loading At last years Cannes Film Festival, for example, he told the press he would like to improve something in the world, his ideal being a future where a child could ask any question freely; nothing would be forbidden in a world without taboos. A critical statement, but couched in the vaguest possible terms. He did draw the line, however, at accepting a special dispensation from former US president Donald Trumps travel ban on Muslims to attend the 2017 Academy Awards. The Salesman won the award for best foreign-language film. Iranian astronaut Anousheh Ansari stepped up to accept it with a speech given to her by Farhadi that could stand as his epitaph. It could, in fact, be the epitaph of our era. Filmmakers create empathy between us and others, he wrote. An empathy which we need today more than ever. That empathy is the guiding spirit of A Hero.
It started the moment the Albanese government was elected. The government of China started making overtures. Premier Li Keqiang sent the new Australian prime minister a note of congratulations.

It was the first direct communication between the senior leadership of the two countries in 2 years. The Chinese side is ready to work with the Australian side, he said, to uphold the principle of mutual respect and mutual benefit.

Illustration: Andrew Dyson Credit:The Age

Next, Beijings ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, said that with this new government in power we are looking forward to a possible opportunity  so that we can put this relationship back on the right track. The political relationship was the source of the problem, he said, and the onus was on the Australian side to make a concession.

On the same day, Chinas Foreign Affairs Minister, Wang Yi, said the crux of the problem lies in the fact that some political forces in Australia insist on treating China as an adversary rather than a partner and it was time to seek common ground while shelving differences.
On Saturday, I was contacted by Ted Lindsay, who was the Labor member for the federal seat of Herbert in Townsville from 1983 to 1996. He wanted to warn me: a federal anti-corruption commission would be an abrogation of democracy.

But I fear that we in the Coalition are edging towards supporting such a body in Canberra  to make happy those who did not vote for us in the May 21 election.

A caution to his Coalition colleagues ... former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Lindsay told me of a past federal inquiry, under then prime minister Bob Hawke, into a proposed form of an Independent Commission Against Corruption, such as the one in NSW. This, as we know, led to no such body  because the prevailing view was that it was not required.

In any case, the public scrutiny of federal politicians today is much more intense than for their state counterparts, courtesy of a better-resourced and more forensic media gallery and a question time that voters actually watch. Be honest. How often do you watch question time in a state parliament or see those MPs on Insiders or Sky?
Lifting a ban on patient testimonials would worsen the exploitation of young women by unscrupulous cosmetic surgeons, medical and social media experts warn.

The proposed removal of the prohibition on using testimonials in medical advertising is part of a suite of amendments to the national health practitioner laws backed by state and territory health ministers in February.

Social media expert Maddison Johnston says young women are being brainwashed by their social media idols into thinking they need tummy tucks, breast implants and liposuction.

But peak medical bodies have criticised the push to allow testimonials, particularly while the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is midway through an inquiry into the cosmetic surgery industry, which was launched after The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age lifted the lid on allegations of misconduct by some surgeons.

Social media experts Michael Fraser and Maddison Johnston, whose research has uncovered disturbing online practices by cosmetic surgeons, said the ban was already being breached daily, but its removal would worsen the problem.
London: The night before Prince Philips funeral in April last year, David Hurley  the first Australian governor-general to be born after the Queens 70-year reign began  sat nervously beside the phone in his office in Yarralumla.

The retired general and former chief of Australias defence forces had met the monarch four times in person during his long and decorated public life, and had spoken on the phone and via video link on countless other occasions. But this time it was different.

The Queen receives David Hurley, then governor of NSW, at Buckingham Palace in 2016. Credit:Getty

I had obviously written to her to express our condolences as a nation, but I didnt think that was sufficient, so I arranged for a phone call with her, thinking that it would be after the funeral, he said. I didnt expect she would make time the night before.
YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with the parents and relatives of the Armenian prisoners of war who are still illegally held in Azerbaijan, the ministry said.

Minister Mirzoyan touched upon the works aimed at presenting the issue of the release of the POWs and other persons held to international high-ranking officials, parliamentarians, human rights organizations and then answered to the questions of the meeting participants.

Ararat Mirzoyan reaffirmed that the Foreign Ministry makes all possible efforts for the quick release and repatriation of the POWs.
YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan and Head of the Armenia-Iran Friendship Group Gevorg Papoyan met with the delegation led by Abbas Moqtadaye Khurasgani, First Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy of the Majlis of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the National Assembly of Armenia, welcoming the members of the delegation, who visited Armenia within the framework of the meeting of the Council of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, Hakob Arshakyan noted that the interparliamentary format is the best platform for the discussion of issues of mutual interest.

The National Assembly Vice President informed that the official visit of the delegation led by the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan to the Islamic Republic of Iran is planned next week. The cooperation of Armenia and Iran can serve as a good example for the two countries, which are guided by the agenda of peace, development and dialogue between civilizations, Hakob Arshakyan said.

The year 2022 is also marked by the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The National Assembly Vice President noted that there is a high level of relationships between the two countries in almost all spheres. Iran considers Armenia as a reliable partner and a good neighbor. The relations with Iran are of strategic importance to us, Hakob Arshakyan underlined. He referred to the situation created after the war unleashed by the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem against Artsakh. According to him, Azerbaijan continues its provocative actions with overt manifestation of ambition towards the sovereign territory of Armenia, which endanger the stability and peace of the whole region.

The role and potential of Iran in reducing tensions and establishing stability in the region is obvious, and its clear manifestation is the clear statement of Iran on the territorial integrity of Armenia, Hakob Arshakyan said. He stated that the Armenian community in Iran actively participates in the social and political life of the country.

Abbas Moqtadaye Khurasgani thanked for the warm reception. Iran has always highlighted the territorial integrity of the countries. Iran is a large state and a neighbor of about 15 countries. Armenia is a unique and strategic neighbor for Iran, the first Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee for National Security and Foreign Policy of the Majlis of the Islamic Republic of Iran noted.

The Head of the Armenia-Iran Friendship Group Gevorg Papoyan attached importance to the interparliamentary cooperation in terms of strengthening the grounds for mutually beneficial cooperation, which plays a significant role in mutual understanding and mutual trust between the two countries. He informed that the trade turnover between Armenia and Iran increased by about 40% in the first five months of 2022. According to the Head of the Friendship Group, the implementation of several major projects in the near future will contribute to the increase of the indicator.

In particular, issues related to the opportunities for the development and expansion of the Armenian-Iranian trade turnover were discussed. The sides referred to the construction and operation of the North-South road corridor. Issues of mutual interest related to the possible cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism, mining, energy, solar energy, nature protection, water resources were discussed.
Nationally Recognized NUHOPE Suicide Prevention Program Transitions to Weber State University from Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital

June 7, 2022

OGDEN, Utah  Weber State University and Intermountain Healthcare are announcing the expansion and leadership change for an important Northern Utah suicide prevention coalition.

The NUHOPE Suicide Prevention Task Force, which began in fall 2007 with McKay-Dee Hospital at the helm, will now be led by the Department of Health Administrative Services housed in the Weber State University Dumke College of Health Professions. Over the years, NUHOPE has brought together community members, survivors and local organizations to address suicide awareness and prevention in Weber and Davis Counties.

NUHOPE currently employs six educators who will continue on under Weber States leadership. Working as guest lecturers in local junior high and high schools, the team has had a lasting impact, reaching 97,108 students with 3,440 presentations over the last 10 academic years. In addition to education outreach, NUHOPE supports the Legacy Suicide Survior Support Network and hosts the annual NUHOPE Suicide Awareness Walk in September.

Kristy Jones, community health director at Intermountain Healthcare, said she is excited to see the program continue to impact Northern Utah.

The NUHOPE Suicide Prevention Task Force has a longstanding reputation in Weber and Davis counties as a strong force in the suicide prevention realm, Jones said. This transition will ensure the NUHOPE Program will continue to expand in expertise and outreach for many years to come.

As the program transitions to Weber State with funding support from Intermountain Healthcare, plans are already in place to expand support to college students and expanded community services. Dr. Miland Palmer, director of Weber States Bachelors in Public Health program, will lead the task force.

I am so excited for this partnership and to bring NUHOPE to Weber State University. With support from the Health Administrative Services Department and the Dumke College of Health Professions, NUHOPE will be able to grow and increase in reach, Palmer said. There is still work to be done in suicide awareness and prevention in our community. It is a great honor for us to carry this legacy into the future.

Kinley Austad, a senior majoring in family studies at Weber State, said she has seen the impact NUHOPE has made on countless individuals and their families in the area.

The community programs headed by NUHOPE have saved countless lives by offering hope and providing support to those struggling with suicide, Austad said. As rates of mental health continue to rise, I believe that these programs are needed more than ever. I am excited to see how Weber State will continue in NUHOPE's mission by reaching out to struggling individuals and their families."

One of NUHOPEs biggest community outreach programs is the annual Suicide Awarenses walk. Held each September in conjunction with the Harvest Moon Festival, the walk has drawn thousands of attendees and is a chance for the community to gather to talk about suicide prevention, remember those who have been lost, and heal toghter. This years walk will be held on Sept. 17.

We invite everyone in the community who has been touched by sudicide in any way to join us on Saturday, Sept. 17th for the 15th Annual Suicide Awareness Walk, Palmer said. The walk provides an amazing opportunity for community members to gather together in a spirit of hope and healing.

For more information on the NUHOPE Program, please visit https://nuhopeutah.org/
One of the problems with an ice cream sundae is that it can be a bit of a mess. Syrups, sprinkles, whipped cream and other toppings tend to go
If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

WEEK OF JUNE 12, 2022

TERRAIN ON THE PARKWAY: 1625 Lehigh Parkway East, Allentown

Pet lovers rejoice. Among the features offered at this new apartment complex along the Little Lehigh Creek are pet wash and grooming stations for your furry friends. Perfect for getting them cleaned up after adventures on the nearby Lehigh Parkway Trails.

This "sanctuary amid the city of Allentown" offers 160 new 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments. Other amenities include a club room, fitness center, conference rooms and package lockers. Monthly rent starts at $1,575 with three-bedroom, two-bath units starting at $2,540.

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DLP CAPITAL: 835 W. Hamilton St., Allentown

The former site of the flagship Hess's department store will soon be home to another company with local roots. Lehigh Valley native Don Wenner is moving his real estate investment and finance firm DLP Capital from Bethlehem to Allentown.

To celebrate, a grand opening will be held on June 22. The event will start at 4 p.m., with live music and food trucks. Registration is required through DLP or the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. DLP acquired the Grand Plaza Building, formerly PPL Plaza, via auction last year for $15.3 million.

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WELLS FARGO: 740 Hamilton St., Allentown

While Wells Fargo has been the leader in closing banks lately, it will hold a ribbon-cutting for its new downtown Allentown office on June 30. The event starts at 11 a.m., with registration free and available through the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce website. Wells Fargo is the fourth-largest bank in the U.S. based on assets, and has about 8,000 branches.

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C&I MINERALS: South Mall, 3300 Lehigh St., Allentown

If you're in the market for sterling silver jewelry, minerals and semi-precious gemstones, this is the store for you, now operating at the South Mall in Allentown. The South Mall is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

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PPL CORP.: 2 N. Ninth St., Allentown

The Allentown-based utility company has a new approach after making two big transactions. It sold its U.K. operations, taking a lot of risk and currency complications out of its business, and bought a major Rhode Island utility.

During an investor conference Thursday, Chief Executive Officer Vincent Sorgi said the new, focused PPL is prepared to take the strategy that made it successful in Pennsylvania to its Kentucky and Rhode Island operations. Read more.

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MARTELLUCCI'S PIZZERIA: 1419 Easton Ave., Bethlehem

Ownership at this Bethlehem restaurant has changed, but the nearly half-century tradition there continues. Paul and Donna Hlavinka and their family are running the pizza place just as it has been operated for 49 years. The pizza dough and sauce recipes remain, the menu still includes a variety of sandwiches, salads and pasta, and the family feel of Martellucci's, founded in 1973, continues. Get the full story.

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KASPRENSKI FAMILY EYE CARE: 1088 Howertown Road, Catasauqua

Dr. Jacob Kasprenski's father and grandfather were both physicians in the Lehigh Valley, and now he's following in their footsteps of serving the community. His new vision-care center held a grand opening in conjunction with the Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce. Kasprenski Family Eye Care provides vision-care products and optometry services for emergency, medical and comprehensive routine eye care.

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JOSIE'S NEW YORK DELI: 14 Centre Square, Easton

This longtime downtown Easton lunch spot closed early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but it could be making a comeback. A plan to split the space with a vegan deli did not work out, but a June 13 Historic District Commission meeting includes a request for a new sign at Josie's. The downtown lunch and carry-out spot was a fixture for decades before shutting down indefinitely.

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ZEKRAFT - CURATORS OF TASTE: Easton Silk Mill, 1247 Simon Blvd., Unit N107, Easton

For owners Zeke and Elaine Zelker, their mission is "not simply about feeding or entertaining people; it's about nourishing them  body, mind and spirit." And now people in Easton will be closer to their community-minded, locally-sourced meals as their new location off 13th Street will have a grand opening on June 15, with a ribbon-cutting at 3:30 p.m.

The first Zekraft cafe was opened in Bethlehem. The restaurants' menus change frequently, with a focus on local ingredients. Selections include organic coffee and tea, tartines (toast with toppings such as smoked turkey and brie), stir fry, short ribs, soups. The Easton Zekraft is closed on Mondays, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Read more.

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MANTRA MASSAGE: 319 Main St., Emmaus

The goals at women-owned Mantra are physical and spiritual healing, and they use a holistic approach to massage therapy to help meet each individual's unique needs. Services offered include facial cupping, and massages including targeted warm Himalayan salt stone and targeted facial massage. Sessions can be customized to suit each client's activities, stress level and occupation.

The new massage and wellness spa will hold its grand opening on July 10 starting at 11 a.m. The establishment is holding the event with the Emmaus Main Street Partners and the Greater Lehigh Valley and East Penn chambers of commerce. Posted hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and Mantra is closed on Sunday and Monday.

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THE CLUB AT TWIN LAKES: 3625 Shankweiler Road, North Whitehall Township

The former Iron Lakes Country Club, constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, held a grand opening this week under its new name, The Club at Twin Lakes. The Jaindl family purchased the golf course last year, and worked with KemperSports Management to upgrade it. Renovations include improvements on the course, cart paths and a new pro shop. See the ribbon-cutting.

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PROLOGIS INC.: Proposed warehouses at 7201 Hamilton Blvd., Upper Macungie Township

Prologis, a titan in the logistics industry, is the choice of Air Products and Chemicals to own and operate three warehouses proposed in Upper Macungie Township. The industrial gas company said Prologis will use some of the former Air Products headquarters campus for the warehouses, totaling about 2.6 million square feet. The land became available when Air Products moved its headquarters about a mile down the road last year. Get the full details.

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LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL-CARBON: 2128 Blakeslee Blvd. Drive East (Route 443), Mahoning Township

Lehigh Valley Health Network on Monday ceremonially opened its first Carbon County hospital  a $78 million, 100,578-square-foot facility that officials billed as a "full-service community hospital." With final approval from the state Health Department, the new hospital opened to patients on Wednesday.

The facility, just outside Lehighton, already is being eyed for expansion  with room to double its current space for 20 in-patient beds, and to greatly expand its emergency room, officials said. Read about it.

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SWIFTWATER SOLAR: Proposed solar field in Pocono Township

Pocono Township commissioners voted Monday to approve a plan to build Pennsylvania's largest solar field on a mountain slope, despite pleas by some residents to reject the project for environmental concerns. Commissioners voted 4-1 to accept Swiftwater Solar's preliminary final plan for the $111 million, 80-megawatt field on a private 644-acre site on top of Bear Mountain that would include about 200,000 solar panels.

The property is east of Interstate 380, adjacent to Sullivan Trail and Back Mountain Road in what now is zoned as a recreational district. With approval still needed from the state Department of Environmental Protection and the state Transportation Department, construction is expected to start later this year. Get the full story.

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FIRETREE LTD.: Proposed in-patient drug- and alcohol-addiction treatment center at 440 N Claude A Lord Blvd. (Route 61), Pottsville

A company that in May withdrew a proposal to locate a drug- and alcohol-addiction treatment center in a Schuylkill County industrial park now is seeking approval for a new site.

Firetree Ltd., which is based in Williamsport and operates treatment centers for people with drug and alcohol addiction and other clients transitioning out of prison, now wants to expand its in-patient rehab operation at the former Sands Ford auto dealership at 440 N Claude A Lord Blvd. (Route 61), Pottsville.

To do that, it needs the Pottsville Zoning Hearing Board's approval regarding the use of the land, which is zoned community commercial. It has a hearing before the board scheduled for 6:30 p.m. June 16 in City Hall.

In April, Firetree proposed building a one story, 25,000-square-foot treatment center on a vacant 11.5-acre site at 10 Shultz Drive in MAJIC Industrial Park in Delano Township. However, two days before a May 4 hearing was to be held before the Schuylkill County Zoning Hearing Board, Firetree withdrew the application. Get the full story.

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DUNKIN': 400 Terry Rich Blvd., St. Clair

A Dunkin' in Schuylkill County has become just the fourth location of the donut and coffee chain to go entirely digital. The remodeled store at 400 Terry Rich Blvd., St. Clair, opened with a ribbon-cutting Monday. It has replaced its traditional order counter with two in-store kiosks at which customers place digital orders and pay using a credit card or Dunkin' gift card.

Guests will also be able to place advance orders using the mobile order feature on the Dunkin' App. The location still offers Dunkin's full menu. There only other all-digital Dunkin' locations in the United States are in Boston, Cherry Hill, N.J. and Dallas, Luzerne County. Read more.

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THE CONSERVATORY: 4059 Skyron Drive, Doylestown

A nonprofit music school in Bucks County will close after 34 years, and school officials say the COVID-19 pandemic is the cause. The Conservatory, near the Doylestown Airport, has provided education in music, performances and therapy for communities in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties since 1988. Its final day open will be June 30.

The pandemic led to a decline in enrollment and revenue, and according to a statement from the school, attempts to merge with other music schools were not successful. The Conservatory started as the Community Conservatory of Music in the President's House on the grounds of Delaware Valley College and operated in three other locations before settling at Skyron Drive in 2013. The school has 22 studios and a performance hall. Get the full scoop.

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POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN and ARBY'S: 680 Memorial Parkway, Phillipsburg

Demolition began last week at the former Ahart's Market on Route 22 in Phillipsburg. The site will not be vacant for long, Mayor Todd Tersigni said. A Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Arby's will be built on the site.

Popeyes is a fried-chicken fast-food chain with about 2,800 U.S. locations, plus another 600 more in territories and other countries. Arby's, a sandwich chain, has 3,300 locations. Popeyes and Arby's are both owned by Inspire Brands Inc., which also owns Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin, Sonic Drive-In and other restaurant chains. Check out the demolition.

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UNITY BANK CENTER FOR BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP: 119 Main St., Flemington

A historic building in Flemington, which has been a home and later was used as offices, will hold Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce offices and the Unity Bank center. The chamber will hold a ribbon-cutting at the building at 5:30 p.m. June 15. To attend the event, register through the chamber website. The building was erected in 1847 and was once the home of George Hall Large, who served as president of the New Jersey state Senate.

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PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

 Honeygrow opens Quakertown location, next to Chipotle on Route 309, on June 3.

 Dunkin' reopens remodeled restaurant at 1174 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township

 Muse Modern Med Spa at 325 Fifth St. in Whitehall Township will hold a grand opening June 4.

 Around Again, a consignment store, opened at 154 S. Main St., Phillipsburg

 Steak and Steel Hibachi, a restaurant in the works at 44 W. Walnut St., Bethlehem, still plans on opening late this summer.

 Take It Outdoors Recreation Hub has moved to a spot along the Schuylkill River Trail at Riverfront Park in Pottstown, Montgomery County

 Pedego Electric Bikes has a new outlet in Lambertville, N.J. at 13 N. Union St.

 Amanda Vachris has opened a new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St. in Schuylkill Haven.

 Easton's new West Ward Market will open Wednesday and be open on Wednesday's through the summer from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The market, created by the Greater Easton Development Partnership, will sell fresh produce on 12th Street, next to Paxinosa Elementary School.

 Ciao Sandwich Shoppe is adding a second location, this time on College Hill in Easton. Ciao plans to open at 325 Cattell St. in late summer. Ciao already operates in downtown Easton at 12 N. Third St

 Ma's Crepes and Cakes will hold a grand opening and ribbon-cutting June 16 at 46 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe. The celebration starts at 5 p.m., with the ribbon cutting at 5:45 p.m.

 Bethlehem's Back Door Bakeshop will reopen as a wholesale operation at 7 E. Church St. in the city's historic district. The business was open for nine years as a retail outlet at Broad and Center streets, before announcing in March that it would close the storefront April 3 and "go back to its origins as a wholesale business."

The Beef Baron on Catasauqua Road in Bethlehem is closed indefinitely for renovations

 The Brothers That Just Do Gutters are opening a new location in Allentown at 1302 N. 18th St.

 St. John Chrysostom Academy, an Orthodox school serving grades 1-9 starting this fall, held a grand opening at its St. Francis Center, Bethlehem, campus.

 Easton Commons, a shopping center anchored by Giant Foods at 2920 Easton Ave., Bethlehem Township, has a new name: The Shops at Bethlehem.

 Carbon County is getting a taste of Brazil at Uai Brasil BBQ at 315 Lehigh Ave. in Palmerton.

 The Keystone Pub in Bethlehem Township, at 3259 Easton Avenue, has reopened after a lengthy and expensive renovation.

 The Trading Post Depot opened at 401 Northampton St., Easton. The rustic furniture store makes custom tables for dining rooms, desktops, conference centers and more.

 The Easton area has a new gym: Homemade Fitness at 444 Cedarville Road in Williams Township.

 Il Gaetano Ristorante opened at its 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg, location.

 Ciao! Sandwich Shoppe to open second location on College Hill in Easton, replacing The Kettle Room

 Rene and Grisellies Benique have opened Ezekiel 47 Cafe at 10 S. Fifth Ave., off Fifth and Penn avenues, in West Reading.

 Alter Ego Salon and Day Spa in Emmaus is holding a grand opening Sunday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a ribbon cutting at noon.

 Origen Latin Fusion has opened at the site of the former Tomcat Cafe in Sinking Spring, Berks County.

 Sellersville Senior Residences will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 24. The Bucks County affordable-housing community for adults 55 and older has 50 apartments, with eight allocated for people with behavioral health needs.

 The House and Barn in Emmaus has opened its Shed outdoor dining and cigar bar area. The House and Barn is at 1449 Chestnut St. in Emmaus.

 Realtor Amanda Vachris and the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at Vachris's new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St., Schuylkill Haven, at 4 p.m. on May 24.

 Il Gaetano Ristorante will hold a grand opening on Friday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. The 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg.

 First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union will hold a grand opening at its new headquarters in Trexlertown, 6126 Hamilton Blvd., on May 18.

 Vinyl Press Signs & Graphics has relocated within Emmaus. The new site is 15 S. Second St., not far from the former Sixth Street location.

 Pedro's Cafe in Emmaus to close

 SV Sports (formerly Schuylkill Valley Sports) to close Quakertown location

 Flemington DIY will host a Grand Re-Opening on May 14 at 26 Stangl Road, Flemington. The celebration will kick off at 10 a.m.

 Elpedios Ristorante at Seipsville opened at 2912 Old Nazareth Road in Easton. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday.

 Uai Brazil opened at 315 Lehigh Ave, Palmerton, offering both a seated or buffet option.

 Colombian Mex Restaurant opened at 107 E Union Blvd in Bethlehem, offering traditional Colombian cuisine.

 Precision Ink opened at 161 W Berwick St. in Easton.

 King Wing opened a location in Bethlehem at 129 E. Third St., serving wings and sandwiches.
Taco Bell's newest location ditches the dining room and has four drive-thru lanes instead.

The first-of-its-kind concept, called "Taco Bell Defy," opened Tuesday in a Minneapolis suburb and is aimed at "redefining drive-thrus as consumers know it," the chain said. Customers will notice that the kitchen is on top of the two-story building and orders are delivered via a "vertical lift" to their cars.

"For decades we've been committed to providing a fast, safe and friendly drive-thru experience," said Taco Bell president Mike Grams in a statement. "Now with our bold goal of creating a two minute or less drive-thru experience for customers of this concept, Taco Bell Defy is the future."

Another advantage, according to Taco Bell, is reducing the amount of time customers spend in the drive thru. A 2021 survey from QSR magazine said that a Taco Bell order takes an average of 268 seconds, or about 4.5 minutes, to complete. With Defy, the chain is looking to shorten the process to 2 minutes or less thanks to the multiple drive-thru lanes.

Each lane will have a distinct purpose, including one for customers who order on the Taco Bell app, another for delivery drivers and the others for traditional orders that is equipped with "two-way audio and video technology service for customers to talk to team members on the second floor," the company said.

Taco Bell has experimented with a number of pandemic-prompted design changes. In 2020, the chain debuted a "Go Mobile" concept that reduced the size of dining rooms and featured two drive-thru lanes. Inside, customers see more digital kiosks in addition to in-person staff who will take orders.

The designs are in response to the changing ways consumers have been ordering fast food since the pandemic began. Digital orders and drive-thrus exploded in popularity for essentially every chain, including Chipotle, McDonald's and Starbucks.

For Yum Brands, Taco Bell's parent company, digital sales grew 15% to a record $6 billion in the first quarter for all of its brands, the company revealed in a recent earnings call. Yum Brands also owns KFC, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger.

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Navigating dirt roads and country highways, the Skipworth family drove 120 kilometres to get their twins to and from preschool most days.

Mother-of-four Fiona Skipworth is used to travelling for essential services from the family's property near Trundle, in central west NSW, but accessing preschool was particularly difficult and expensive.

The twins' preschool fees were $300 a week, on top of daycare costs and petrol.

"It's very frustrating. There's a massive gap out here to get any type of early intervention for our children, much less for families who are struggling as it is," Ms Skipworth told AAP.

Life is a little more straightforward now that her 12-year-old son, the nine-year-old twins, who have special needs, and her five-year-old daughter are at school.

A national plan to help families like the Skipworths and address early education shortages in rural areas is being unveiled at NSW Parliament House on Wednesday night.

Campaign group Thrive By Five has drafted a five-point plan to improve access and affordability, calling for a dedicated funding model for rural early education services.

The plan, backed by several rural groups including Royal Far West children's charity, also urges the childcare subsidy be made available to all children, regardless of parents' income and employment.

The push comes after a Victoria University study found nine million Australians live in childcare deserts, which are defined as areas where there are three children for every childcare place.

The shortage is stark in the country, with 44 per cent of people in inner regional and 61 per cent in outer regional areas living in childcare deserts.

Royal Far West chief executive Jacqui Emery said rural children are twice as likely to be developmentally vulnerable when they start school, compared to city kids.

"Being born in the regions shouldn't disadvantage any Australian child, hold back their development, or make it tougher for families," Ms Emery said in a statement.

Story continues

The plan also urges a review of early learning workers' pay and conditions to resolve a skills shortage.

Georgie Dent, executive director of advocacy group The Parenthood, said the sector needs this kind of shift.

"Australia should be in a position where every single child, regardless of their postcode, regardless of their parents' working patterns, should have access to quality early learning before they start school," Ms Dent told AAP.

"These five points provide a a blueprint. We absolutely need, as a matter of urgency, to look at the workforce situation."

Ms Skipworth, who works in a community family support service, said many rural children were falling through the cracks.

She said country people deserved better.

"We can't afford to live in the city. And if we're not out here, who's going to grow your food?

"We're the backbone of Australia."
Reading, PA (19601)

Today

Mostly sunny and warm but still quite comfortable for mid-June. .

Tonight

Becoming mostly cloudy and more humid with a shower or thunderstorm possible late, especially from the Lehigh Valley points west.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Mostly sunny and warm but still quite comfortable for mid-June. .

Tonight

Becoming mostly cloudy and more humid with a shower or thunderstorm possible late, especially from the Lehigh Valley points west.
Local troops from the Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways Council had a very eventful spring. They remain busy honing their leadership skills and taking part in service projects as they head into the end of the academic year and prepare for Girl Scout activities over summer break.

Troop 60311 from Auburn is working on their horseback riding badge at Healing H'Arts Equestrian Center in Union Springs. Girls are learning the basics of horseback riding, proper care and horse safety. Best of all, theyre getting ready for their first ride!

Troop 60311 also made comfort backpacks for children in Ukraine that they will send via a local supply drive.

The Auburn Service Unit recently held a Mothers Day tea. Girls enjoyed an afternoon with their moms, decorated flowerpots, took pictures and enjoyed lots of delicious snacks.

GSNYPENN staff are holding several upcoming programs and events for families interested in getting their girls involved in the Girl Scout program. Search these event titles at gsnypenn.org/events to register or connect with the designated staff member noted below. Programs in closest proximity to residents of Cayuga and Onondaga counties include:

Make New Friends: Kindergarten Jumpstart Virtual Series (begins June 14)

This four-part virtual series provides opportunities for girls entering kindergarten in fall 2022 to strengthen their competencies. Each event runs for an hour on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Girls will connect with the same friends each week, as well as staff and volunteers who will lead them through sessions around language and literacy, cognition, approaches to learning, and social and emotional learning. Caregivers are welcome to attend and participate. Contact Membership Engagement Manager Lisa Kaminski at lkaminski@gsnypenn.org for more info or to sign up.

Twilight Camp at Lakefront Park, Geneva (begins July 18)

Twilight Camp is a fun-filled hour-and-a-half evening program for girls in K-3 who love the outdoors and want to learn more about Girl Scouting. It costs $25. Learn about wildlife, play outdoor games, make butterfly feeders and more! Adult caregivers are required to stay with their girls for the duration of the program. Girl Scout membership is required and can be purchased at the same time as camp registration. Financial assistance for memberships is available. Contact Membership Engagement Manager Lisa Kaminski at lkaminski@gsnypenn.org for more info or to sign up.

Community Day Camp at Thornden Park, Syracuse (begins June 28)

This three-day day camp for girls in K-3 costs $125 and includes a fun patch; a $25 nonrefundable deposit required. This day camp is for girls who love being outside and want to play field games, make fairy houses and be frog detectives! Two colorful teams both strong and bold will work their way through fun, wet, colorful activities. Girl Scout membership is required to attend and can be purchased at the same time as registration. Financial assistance for memberships is available. Contact Membership Engagement Manager Sarah Schumske at sschumske@gsnypenn.org for more info or to sign up.

Girl Scouts serves girls in K-12. Annual membership is just $25 and financial assistance is available. To start her adventure, visit gsnypenn.org/join. To become an adult volunteer, learn more at gsnypenn.org/volunteer. To help make Girl Scouting possible for girls in your community, visit gsnypenn.org/donate.

Jaime Alvarez is senior director of marketing and communications for Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways. For more information, visit gsnypenn.org.

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For Rebecca Shiroff, it is the issue in the race for the 50th state Senate District seat.

Shiroff, a Manlius Republican, has made public safety her top priority as she challenges state Sen. John Mannion, a Democrat, in the newly drawn district that includes parts of Onondaga and Oswego counties.

In 2019, the Democratic-led state Legislature approved bail reform and discovery reforms that have since been amended twice. The goal of bail reforms was to ensure that individuals who commit low-level offenses aren't held in jail cells for long periods.

The law ended cash bail for most misdemeanor and nonviolent felony offenses. Critics, mainly Republican lawmakers and politicians, have blamed the bail changes for increases in crime. However, state data shows that most individuals who were released on bail were not rearrested, and only 2% of people who were released were rearrested for violent felony crimes.

Despite those statistics, Shiroff is motivated to act after the murder of Connie Tuori in a Syracuse apartment complex. Tuori was killed by a woman who was released without bail a week before for an attack on another tenant in the same building. The decision to release the defendant without bail was made by a judge.

Shiroff believes the bail reform measure is "the most disastrous piece of legislation ever passed in this state." She supports its full repeal, while advocating for victims' rights.

"If you can't afford bail, then how about you don't commit the crime?" she said. "That's a concept, right? But nobody thinks about the families that are left behind."

As a candidate, Shiroff has other priorities. She wants more money committed to mental health services. As the mother of a suicide survivor, she has seen the limited resources available to individuals and families in need of help  the long wait times for therapists and the backlogs to get into in-patient programs.

In addition to more funding, she supports providing incentives to people who become mental health care providers.

Addressing the region's economic struggles is the last of Shiroff's three top priorities. She has been a small business owner  she was part-owner of Metro Mattress, which has locations across upstate New York  and says she understands the frustrations of operating a business in New York.

Shiroff works as a program analyst at the Onondaga County Office of Economic Development. She said she hears from businesses about grants available so they can stay in the state.

"We have this mass exodus from these people that realize you can't survive as a business owner as a business owner in New York state unless you're at a certain level where money is no object," she said. "But that's not the majority of businesses. The majority of businesses are small business owners, a lot of family-owned businesses. They can't survive in this climate."

The race between Mannion and Shiroff should be competitive. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, won the 50th district with nearly 54% of the vote in 2020. But the district is winnable for Republicans, especially this year when the GOP is expecting to pick up state Senate seats.

Shiroff was a candidate for state Assembly before the new Senate maps were released. She was asked to run for state Senate and decided that was the better path.

"I figured I would be more effective in the Senate because I really feel we have a chance this year to either break up the supermajority or flip it," she said. "Having checks and balances at any level is incredibly important."

Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

A resolution on Azerbaijans membership of the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) has been adopted at the 47th meeting of the IsDB Board of Executive Directors in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Azernews reports, citing the Economy Ministry.

The 47th annual meeting of the IsDB Board of Executive Directors was held in Sharm El Sheikh on June 1-4. The Azerbaijani delegation was headed by First Deputy Economy Minister Elnur Aliyev. The annual meeting discussed topical issues such as building green and sustainable infrastructure, revitalizing national economics for sustainable development, and supporting human capital.

Within the meeting, the Azerbaijani delegation held a number of meetings, including with IsDB Vice President Mansur Muhtar. The parties exchanged views on cooperation in the reconstruction of Azerbaijans liberated lands, support for SMBs, financing banks, energy and food security.

Elnur Aliyev expressed gratitude to IsDB for supporting Azerbaijan and highly appreciated the cooperation with the bank.

Moreover, during the meeting with Director-General of the International Development Fund of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, information on the national priorities for socio-economic development of Azerbaijan until 2030 was presented. Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan is interested in cooperation with international financial institutions within the set objectives, and stressed the need to expand ties in the development of priority areas.

The meeting was also held with International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation Head Hani Salem Sonbol. The sides discussed the cooperation with the corporation in the development of the countrys liberated lands, as well as the corporations role in enhancing the export potential of Azerbaijan, and agreed on further joint steps in this direction.
June 7, 2007

SENECA FALLS  Many Seneca County municipal leaders expressed skepticism at the first in-depth public presentation of the proposed settlement of the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York's land claim and land-in-trust applications.

Only members of the boards of the towns of Fayette, Seneca Falls and Varick, the village of Seneca Falls and the Seneca Falls School District were allowed to ask questions Wednesday night of Brian Laudadio, an attorney with the Harris Beach Law Firm who represented Cayuga and Seneca counties in negotiations with Dan French, the Cayugas' attorney.

Kathy Russo, a member of the Varick Town Board, said the proposed settlement seemed to come out of the blue considering the defeat of the Cayugas' land claim litigation after more than 20 years of court fights.

We felt we were heard but weren't listened to, Russo said. I was totally taken by surprise. I was beginning to feel safe. I almost feel like we're being put under excessive pressure.

Around 30 local officials from the various locations attended. An audience of at least 60 residents filled the Seneca Falls Community Center's gymnasium and applauded their skeptical representatives at various points.

The future of the agreement requires acceptance by both the Cayuga County Legislature and the Seneca County Board of Supervisors.

There has been long-time resistance by the leadership of Cayuga and Seneca counties to the Cayugas having sovereign land, but the turning point toward a deal was a meeting facilitated last fall by U.S. Senator Charles Schumer with leadership from the U.S Department of Interior and leadership from Cayuga, Madison, Oneida and Seneca counties over the applications the Cayugas, the Oneida Nation of New York and other tribes have made to have their federal land taken into trust.

When the Nation's 25-year-old land claim was dismissed in federal court in 2005, the Cayugas applied to the federal government for about 180 acres in Montezuma, Seneca Falls, Springport and Union Springs to be held in sovereign trust status.

James Cason, an associate deputy secretary with the Interior Department, said in that meeting the Cayugas were in a poor position because they are the only federally recognized tribe that is without sovereign land holdings, said Laudadio as he stood at a podium between United States and New York flags.

Following the Washington, D.C., meeting, Laudadio received permission last fall in executive session from the leadership of both counties to begin negotiations, said David Dresser, the Ovid Town Supervisor and chair of Seneca County's Native American Affairs Committee.

The deal, worked out with Laudadio, French and with approval from Richard Rifkin, the special counsel representing Governor Eliot Spitzer on tribal matters, was announced two weeks ago.

Laudadio recommended the counties accept the proposed deal because the Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs is much more biased than federal courts and will probably grant some portion of the tribe's trust applications, the proposal would limit both the size and the sprawl of the acreage the tribe can take into trust; and because challenges to trust land have not been successful in other parts of the country.

The Cayugas also will open another Class II gaming facility but larger than the now-closed bingo halls in Seneca Falls and Union Springs, the attorney said.

It doesn't have tables, doesn't have craps. It has slots, a lot of them, Laudadio said.

French has repeatedly said the tribe will unilaterally buy land from willing sellers and apply for it to be taken into trust if the counties did not come to the table to dialogue.

I am making this recommendation because of current federal law. We have to work within its boundaries, Laudadio said. If it's not acceptable to the counties, we'll go forward and fight as best as we can.

 Compiled by David Wilcox

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WASHINGTON (AP)  Academy Awardwinning actor Matthew McConaughey made an appearance at the White House Tuesday to call on Congress to reach a higher ground and pass gun control legislation in honor of the children and teachers killed in last months shooting rampage at an elementary school in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas.

Actor Matthew McConaughey holds an image of Alithia Ramirez, 10, who was killed in the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, as he speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP)  Academy Awardwinning actor Matthew McConaughey made an appearance at the White House Tuesday to call on Congress to reach a higher ground and pass gun control legislation in honor of the children and teachers killed in last months shooting rampage at an elementary school in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas.

In a highly personal 22-minute speech, McConaughey exhorted a gridlocked Congress to pass gun reforms that can save lives without infringing on Second Amendment rights.

McConaughey, a gun owner himself, used his star power to make an argument for legislation in a fashion that the Biden administration has not been able to muster, offering a clear connection to the small Texas town and vividly detailing the sheer loss of the 19 children and two teachers in the second worst mass school shooting in U.S. history.

He specifically called on Congress to bolster background checks for gun purchases and raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15-style rifle to 21 from 18.

We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that wont make it so easy for the bad guys to get the damn guns, McConaughey said.

McConaughey, who earlier this year considered a run for governor of Texas before taking a pass, met briefly in private with President Joe Biden before addressing the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room.

McConaughey has also met with key lawmakers this week, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that handles gun legislation, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, and the panels ranking Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, Texas, talks about the mass shooting in Uvalde, as he joins White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Also Tuesday, the son of Ruth Whitfield, an 86-year-old woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a racist attack on Black shoppers in Buffalo, New York, last month, called on Congress to act against the cancer of white supremacy and the nations epidemic of gun violence.

Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires? Garnell Whitfield Jr. asked members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

McConaughey, who declined to take questions, spoke of his own connections to the town. He said his mother taught kindergarten less than a mile from Uvaldes Robb Elementary School, the site of the May 24 shooting. He also noted that Uvalde was the place where he was taught about responsibilities that come with gun ownership.

Uvalde is where I was taught to revere the power and the capability of the tool that we call a gun, he said.

McConaughey said he and his wife drove back to Uvalde on the day after the shooting and spent time with the families of some of the victims and others directly affected by the rampage.

He said every parent he spoke to expressed that they want their childrens dreams to live on.

They want to make their loss of life matter, McConaughey said.

He related the personal stories of a number of the victims.

He told the story of Maite Rodriguez, an aspiring marine biologist. McConaughey's wife, Camila, sitting nearby, held a pair of green Converse sneakers resembling those that the girl often wore.

McConaughey said the sneakers "turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting."

He held up artwork from Alithia Ramirez, who dreamed of attending art school in Paris. And then there was Eliahna Ellie Garcia, who loved dancing and church and already knew how to drive tractors. Ellie was looking forward to reading a Bible verse at an upcoming church service when she was killed.

McConaughey acknowledged that gun legislation would not end mass shootings but suggested that steps can be taken to lessen the chances of such tragedies happening so frequently.

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"We need to invest in mental healthcare. We need safer schools. We need to restrain sensationalized media coverage. We need to restore our family values. We need to restore our American values and we need responsible gun ownership, McConaughey said.

Is this a cure-all? Hell no, but people are hurting."

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Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

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In a version of this story published June 7, 2022, The Associated Press quoted McConaughey saying his wife Camila was holding a pair of sneakers worn by a girl who died in the attack. The shoes were similar, but they were not the girls sneakers.
OTTAWA - Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says a new bill he introduced Tuesday gives legal protection to Canada's historic sites for the first time and ensures Indigenous Peoples have a stronger voice in identifying and protecting places of historic significance in Canada.

Steven Guilbeault rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, May 12, 2022. The environment minister says a new bill he introduced gives legal protection to Canada's historic sites for the first time and ensures Indigenous Peoples have a stronger voice in identifying and protecting places of historic significance in Canada.THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

OTTAWA - Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says a new bill he introduced Tuesday gives legal protection to Canada's historic sites for the first time and ensures Indigenous Peoples have a stronger voice in identifying and protecting places of historic significance in Canada.

There are more than 300 federal historic places in Canada but it is the only G7 country without legislation to protect them.

The Historic Places of Canada Act intends to change that, while also fulfilling a Truth and Reconciliation Commission call to action to include Indigenous Peoples in the decision-making around which sites are designated as historic and how they are protected.

A decision to designate a person, place or event as historic rests with the environment minister but those decisions are based on advice from an advisory board.

The new bill designates three seats on that board specifically for First Nations, Metis and Inuit representatives.

The act also includes Indigenous knowledge as one of the sources of information the board must rely on when making its recommendations, along with community, scientific and academic knowledge.

Canada's historic places include everything from famous lighthouses like the one in Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, to military forts, canals, museums, and the homes of former prime ministers. Most of the buildings on Parliament Hill, and 24 Sussex Drive, the official home of the sitting prime minister that is currently not considered safe to inhabit, are also on the list.

Guilbeault said the bill ensures for the first time that all Canadian historic sites are "protected by legislation and any changes to the sites would require that Parks Canada be consulted in order to preserve their heritage value."

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He said the bill is also "an important step in advancing the government's commitment to recognize Indigenous history and to implement the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada."

Call to action No. 79 from the TRC requested that the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada include First Nations, Inuit, and Metis representation and that Indigenous history, heritage values and knowledge be incorporated into decisions about commemoration.

The existing Historic Sites and Monuments Act outlines in more vague terms than the new bill how the minister can both designate and mark the existence of historic sites, and sets up the advisory board.

The new bill repeals that existing legislation and expands upon it immensely, including more specific requirements to protect and conserve the heritage value of historic places, undertake scientific studies to understand and defend against threats to the sites.

In addition to the three Indigenous representatives, the advisory board will continue to have one member for each province and territory and a member from Parks Canada. But instead of appointing Canada's chief librarian and archivist, and someone from the Canadian Museum of History, the board can appoint two members from any federal institutions with relevant expertise.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2022.
CALGARY - Alberta Health Services says it has completed an investigation into why it took 30 minutes for an ambulance to respond after dogs attacked an 86-year-old woman in Calgary.

Police surround an ambulance in Calgary on May 28, 2008. Alberta Health Services says it is investigating why it took 30 minutes for an ambulance to respond after dogs attacked an 86-year-old woman in Calgary. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry MacDougal

CALGARY - Alberta Health Services says it has completed an investigation into why it took 30 minutes for an ambulance to respond after dogs attacked an 86-year-old woman in Calgary.

Police and paramedics who were called Sunday to the Capitol Hill neighbourhood in the city's northwest found the injured woman.

She was taken to hospital and later died.

Alberta Health Services, which runs emergency medical services, says in a statementthat the initial 911 call was sent to police based on the information provided from the scene.

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Spokesman James Wood says the call was initially triaged as non-life-threatening, but police notified EMS when they arrived on scene that the patient's injuries were serious.

Wood says EMS then dispatched an ambulance, which arrived nine minutes later."This tragic incident occurred at a time of very high EMS call volumes," he said. "However, once the call was deemed high priority, an ambulance was dispatched immediately."AHS is discussing these findings further within EMS and will reach out to (Calgary police) to identify any further learnings from this tragic incident."

A police investigation into the fatal dog attack is ongoing.

Police have said the three dogs, which were seized by the city, are believed to be a North American pit bull-terrier mix, a North American Staffordshire mix and an American pit bull.

Criminal charges or fines could be laid and the dogs could be put down.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2022.
When Georgia Toews first started writing fiction, she was trying to hide.

She didnt want to see herself on the page, so she wrote a family drama set on a farm, with a science-fiction bent.

"I was terrified to really put so much of myself into the story," she says via Zoom from her home in Toronto. "That first draft was me trying to be so metaphorical, and just not writing like I have the ability to in these strange, sci-fi, dystopian ideas.

SUPPLIED Georgia Toews drew upon her own struggles for her debut novel, Hey, Good Luck Out There.

"It wasnt saying what I needed to say, because I wasnt being honest."

It was her mother, novelist Miriam Toews, who encouraged her, kindly, to get real.

And so, Georgia, 32, drew upon her own struggles with alcoholism  shes now seven years sober  and her time in a 30-day rehab program to write something honest, funny, scary and beautiful about addiction, survival and what happens after rehab.

The result is her debut novel, Hey, Good Luck Out There, which was released late last month via Doubleday Canada, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and will be launched at McNally Robinson Booksellers Grant Park location on Thursday at 7 p.m. The event will also be streamed.

Our narrator is a young Toronto woman who checks into rehab after an anti-climactic afternoon pizza-party intervention. In her 30-day program, she works out her thoughts in a girlboss-type journal  neon pink, with Let Them Eat Cake! embossed in gold on the cover  given to her by her grandmother. (Georgia also kept a journal of her time in rehab, but has never revisited it. "I dont know if Ill dig it out; well see. Maybe therell be a sequel down the line.")

Book launch preview Click to Expand Hey, Good Luck Out There By Georgia Toews (Doubleday Canada, 336 pages, $27) In conversation with Jen Zoratti  McNally Robinson Booksellers, Grant Park location  Thursday, 7 p.m.  Free admission

Rehab is, for our narrator, a strange summer camp, a temporary community, a high school clique  complete with pecking orders and loyalty tests, and fast, situational friendships.

But its also a cocoon, an insular place with parameters, rules and regular drug testing, a place where your only job is to get sober.

Living sober  thats the hard part. Georgia wanted to write about that jarring drop from regimented, 30-day program to being out on your own without a job or apartment. The second half of the novel is focused on the "out there" of the title.

Hey, Good Luck Out There does not follow a sensationalized rock-bottom-followed-by-redemption-arc of many addiction narratives, instead wandering a middle ground where recovery is an ongoing process, not a destination one arrives at.

Exploring those ideas in a novel versus, say, a memoir or personal essay collection allowed Georgia more freedom.

"Because it was so personal, I just could never imagine putting all of myself out there without that safety net of fiction, and that way of just protecting myself, protecting the people that it was also inspired by, the women Ive met in rehab and in life," she says. "I wanted a way to tell the story that felt accessible for me in a safe way, where it wasnt completely me baring my soul.

"Theres a mother character there because I was pregnant with my son and I really wanted to explore that issue  kind of creating that character to show all the sides of alcoholism presenting itself in all types of classes and in women going through different things.

"If it was just personal, I would feel very boxed in and I wanted it to feel as accessible and layered as possible."

The book was written over two pregnancies  Georgias children are 11 months and three years old  which gave her some hard deadlines for both the first and last draft.

I wanted a way to tell the story that felt accessible for me in a safe way, where it wasnt completely me baring my soul."  Georgia Toews

She recalls holding a friends child when she was newly pregnant and thinking, "I can never write about the terrible things Ive seen or experienced  like, look at this beautiful baby. I just want the world to be this beautiful, safe place," she says. "And then, I felt that way again  I was pregnant and Im like, I have to get all of this out. There was that terror that all of this in my mind was a poison, almost, to this kid and that I needed to kind of put this aside and then just be able to focus."

Georgia knows that one day her kids might read this book  "as a bedtime story," she jokes  just as she read her moms books, which include A Complicated Kindness and All My Puny Sorrows, and which also draw upon personal and family trauma. (Now she not only reads them but brings them to life: Georgia narrated the audio book for Miriams latest novel, Fight Night.)

"I was not ready to read some of the things my mother wrote when I was younger. I tried to, at seven or eight years old, I tried to start reading and I was just like, This has sexy times and Im not into it," she says. "But I do think its important for (my children)  I mean, they may not want to read it, but just so they know about it.

"I never want them to think theres anything they cant read or know about me."

"I do think its important for (my children)  I mean, they may not want to read it, but just so they know about it... I never want them to think theres anything they cant read or know about me.  Georgia Toews

Bringing a different kind of baby into the world has been more of a roller-coaster than she expected.

"I really thought that, once (the book) was out, I could really walk away from it and just be like, OK, now its your problem," she says with a laugh. "But I realized I cant do that, that Im still very much attached to the book. Its a lot more vulnerable than I thought I would feel  a little bit more nervous. But Im really happy."

jen.zoratti@winnipegfreepress.com

Twitter: @JenZoratti

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Two men are facing various charges after they attempted to steal an ATM from a local business early Monday morning by tying it to the back of a truck and ripping it out of the store.

Two men are facing various charges after they attempted to steal an ATM from a local business early Monday morning by tying it to the back of a truck and ripping it out of the store.

Around 4:14 a.m., local police responded to an alarm that was triggered at Little Chiefs Place convenience store, which is located on Lyndale Drive south of the Brandon Municipal Cemetery.

Once they arrived on scene, police observed a truck had backed into the front of the store, knocking out the buildings doors and glass windows in the process.

A Brandon Police Service member snaps some photos of Little Chief's Place early Monday morning after two adult men attempted to steal an ATM from inside the building by tying the machine to the back of their truck. (Submitted)

As soon as the suspects noticed the police presence, they sped away in the truck, dragging the ATM along with them.

"However, [the ATM] fell off almost immediately when the vehicle turned south," Const. Myran Hamm told the Sun later that day.

Following a short, high-speed chase, the suspects ran into a ditch after they tried to make a right turn at Ferguson Road and became stuck in a creek bank.

While the 27-year-old suspect was arrested at the site, the second suspect, who is 34 years old, fled on foot. However, he was eventually picked up by police in the area just before 8 a.m.

A Brandon Police Service member snaps some photos of Little Chief's Place early Monday morning after two adult men attempted to steal an ATM from inside the building by tying the machine to the back of their truck. (Submitted)

When the Sun visited Little Chiefs Place around noon Monday, members of Brandon Maintenance Services were still cleaning up the mess.

Not only had the suspects allegedly punched a big hole through the front of the convenience store, but the interior of the business was also in disarray, with inventory scattered all over the floor.

Police said the suspects had also recently stolen the truck involved in the ATM heist from a business located on the 4800 block of Victoria Avenue East.

The pair are facing many charges, including breaking and entering, theft of an ATM and theft of a motor vehicle.

Members of Brandon Maintenance Services clean up the aftermath of an ATM heist that took place at Little Chief's Place on Monday morning, where two adult men tied the machine to the back of their truck and ripped it out of the convenience store. (Kyle Darbyson/The Brandon Sun)

Hamm told the Sun the suspects could be hit with additional charges, since investigators believe they are responsible for committing numerous other crimes throughout southwestern Manitoba.

Investigators suspect the string of crimes includes an attempted robbery that took place at a local Boston Pizza, located north of the Trans-Canada Highway, in mid-April.

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Similar to the incident that occurred at Little Chiefs Place Monday morning, the suspects allegedly tried to steal an ATM by reversing a truck through the front window of the restaurant and tying a rope around the machine.

While they failed to drive away with Boston Pizzas ATM, the suspects managed to evade the police that time.

But now that the suspects are in custody, Brandon Police Services Major Crimes Unit will be working alongside other law enforcement agencies to determine the full extent of their illegal activities.

The suspects appeared in Brandon court Monday afternoon and were remanded into custody for a Thursday court date.

 kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @KyleDarbyson
The trade group representing the cruise ship industry unsuccessfully pushed international authorities to water down new environmental regulations despite its members climate commitments, experts in marine air pollution warn. Late last month, the International Maritime Organization rejected a cruise industry effort that would have improved cruise ships' carbon pollution scores. Environmental groups say it also would have led to more air pollution by allowing cruise liners to continue with business as usual.

FILE - Cruise ships float at PortMiami, on April 7, 2020, in Miami. The trade group representing the cruise ship industry unsuccessfully pushed international authorities to water down new environmental regulations despite members' commitments to addressing climate change, ocean air pollution experts have warned. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

The trade group representing the cruise ship industry unsuccessfully pushed international authorities to water down new environmental regulations despite its members climate commitments, experts in marine air pollution warn. Late last month, the International Maritime Organization rejected a cruise industry effort that would have improved cruise ships' carbon pollution scores. Environmental groups say it also would have led to more air pollution by allowing cruise liners to continue with business as usual.

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has membership that accounts for 95% of global cruise trips. Its four biggest members, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises, tout their climate awareness and have all committed to drastically cutting emissions.

Yet according to a filing in April, the cruise ship association lobbied the International Maritime Organization's members to change proposed rules in a manner critics say will lead to increased emissions, while saving cruise lines money.

The International Maritime Organization is the United Nations body responsible for regulating the safety and environmental impact of shipping. Some 175 member states vote on its proposed legislation.

The proposed change would certainly have had a negative climate impact, said John Maggs, president of the Clean Shipping Coalition, an umbrella group of environmental groups that has official status at the maritime organization.

The regulations are very weak anyway, and CLIA is trying to make them even weaker, said Maggs, who has almost 30 years in the field. They are trying to water down the regulations."

But the cruise industry argues the new regulation misrepresents the efficiency of their vessels, which should not be penalized for spending more time in port than cargo ships.

Shipping emits about 2.9% of global carbon dioxide emissions, just over a billion tons of CO2 annually. Cruise liners produce more carbon dioxide annually on average than any other kind of ship due to their air conditioning, heated pools and other hotel amenities, studies have shown.

Carnival, which describes itself as sustainable from ship to shore, has committed to reducing its carbon emissions 40% by 2030 to meet the terms of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C.

Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises have each pledged to meet net zero emissions by 2050, while Norwegian Cruise Lines has spoken of a long-term goal to reach climate neutrality.

Beginning in 2023, all large ships will be assigned a Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), worked out by dividing CO2 output by the capacity of the ship and again by nautical miles traveled.

It will give ships an A to E sustainability rating. If a ship gets a poor rating, it has to submit a plan for how it will improve to at least a C, but there is currently no plan for penalties for badly-rated ships.

Nevertheless the trade group lobbied national delegations at the International Maritime Organization, which was established in the wake of the Titanic disaster, to make a special allowance for cruise ships. It argued their vessels differ from cargo ships because of the lengthy stays in port that are part of a cruise liners existence -- typically with engines running to keep the lights on. This time in port hurts cruise ships ratings, because they thus emit more carbon per mile.

As a result, in-port emissions have a disproportionate impact on a ship's carbon intensity grade, the industry told the agency.

Bill Weihl, a former sustainability chief at both Google and Facebook, who established Climate Voice, which calls on employees to pressure their companies into climate action, called it a familiar story for U.S. companies.

They say  and sometimes do  good things on climate, while behind the scenes their trade associations obstruct and delay.

Two-thirds of cruise ships leave their engines running overnight while in port to power guest facilities. That affects not only the climate but air quality in port cities. The European city most polluted by cruise ship emissions with sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides was Barcelona, topping a list of 50 affected ports, a 2019 report found. Two years previously some 32.8 tons of sulfur oxides was emitted there by cruise ships, the study said.

The cruise ship trade group argued that if its alternative proposal wasn't approved, the regulations that come into force in 2023 will create a perverse incentive for ships to stay at sea longer to improve their rating. This could result in greater total emissions, they argue.

However, experts in marine air pollution say this argument does not hold water because operators cannot be fined for bad ratings, nor ships stopped from sailing.

"Additional time at sea means spending more on fuel. So it hurts their own bottom line, said Bryan Comer, who leads the marine program at the International Council on Clean Transportation. Long term, had the trade group been successful, cruise ships would emit more because there would be less incentive for them to invest in technologies that would reduce emissions such as shore power, fuel cells, and batteries, he added.

They could continue business as usual and still receive more favorable scores that imply they are less carbon intensive than they are.

During negotiations over the legislation, Denmark, France and Germany had argued for stricter measures: that if a vessel languished in a D or E rating for too long, it should have its environmental certificate revoked, which would legally prohibit it from sailing.

Carnival spokesman Roger Frizzell denied any disconnect between the company's public statements on climate and the trade group's efforts before the maritime agency.

The company argues that complying with the rules as written could run counter to its objective to reduce real-world emissions.

We peaked our absolute emissions in 2011," he said.

The firm said it opposes metrics that could create incentives to increase overall emissions.

During a port visit, carbon dioxide produced is much lower than during a voyage, Frizzell said. Yet cruise liners' pollution ratings will be sky high. That's because the distance being traveled is zero.

A statement released by the trade group said CLIA and its cruise line members are fully committed to pursuing net-zero carbon cruising by 2050."

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They support rating vessels by rate of carbon emissions in principle, but argue the current mechanism for doing so does not measure total carbon dioxide outputs.

Our call is for the CII formula to be adjusted so it does not unintentionally work against absolute carbon reduction by potentially incentivizing cruise ships to improve their rating by traveling greater distances.

The International Maritime Organization invited the cruise ship industry to come up with a different proposal by 2026.

Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC Cruises all made no comment, instead directing The Associated Press to CLIAs statement.

-

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
BRUSSELS (AP)  Campaigning groups have launched legal action to challenge a decision by the European Unions executive arm to include 30 gas projects in a list of operations considered as beneficial to the 27-nation blocs energy market.

BRUSSELS (AP)  Campaigning groups have launched legal action to challenge a decision by the European Unions executive arm to include 30 gas projects in a list of operations considered as beneficial to the 27-nation blocs energy market.

The campaigners said on Tuesday that the European Commission has given these climate-destructive projects VIP status, in contradiction of its legal obligations.

They said the projects are worth 13 billion euros and will lock the region into dependency on the fossil fuel that EU institutions say that they want to get rid of.

The projects, which include the Baltic Pipe Project designed to bring Norwegian gas to Poland and the development of gas infrastructure in Cyprus, are part the so-called list of Projects of Common Interest. They are eligible for funding from a program designed to boost energy, transport and digital infrastructure. The fund for the 2021-2027 period allocates a budget of 5.8 billion to the energy sector.

Billions of euros are bound to be wasted on 30 major pieces of gas infrastructure," campaigners said, highlighting the EastMed pipeline  a project to create a 1,900-kilometer (1,180-mile) pipeline to connect Eastern Mediterranean offshore gas fields to Greece and Italy.

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Supporters of the gas projects argue that they would improve Europes energy security, particularly in the context of energy sanctions taken against Russia for its war in Ukraine. The bloc is seeking alternatives to decrease its dependence on Russian gas, which accounts for about 40% of the EUs gas consumption.

The environmental groups said they have launched their action using a procedure allowing individuals and independent organizations to request an administrative review of legal acts adopted by EU institutions or bodies.

They requested that the EU commission review the decision that justified the inclusion of gas projects, and threatened to ask the Court of Justice of the EU to rule on the matter if it does not amend its decision

This list amounts to a VIP pass for fossil gas in Europe, when we should be talking about its phase-out, said Guillermo Ramo, a lawyer for the ClientEarth group. The Commission did not consider the impact of methane emissions derived from gas infrastructure projects  in spite of evidence that these are substantial. Thats unlawful as it directly clashes with the EUs own climate laws and its legal obligations under the Paris Agreement.

World leaders agreed in Paris in 2015 to work to keep global temperatures from increasing more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and ideally no more than 1.5 degrees C (2.7 F) by the end of the century. Scientists say both goals will be missed by a wide margin unless drastic steps are taken to reduce emissions.

The groups' legal action came as European lawmakers on Tuesday debated proposals from the Fit for 55 package set up by the Commission to achieve the EUs climate goals of cutting emissions of the gases that cause global warming by 55% over this decade.
American adults who havent yet gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 may soon get another choice, as advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday backed a more traditional type of shot.

FILE - In this image provided by the Serum Institute of India, vials of freshly manufactured Novavax COVID-19 vaccines wait to be labeled in 2022, in Pune, India. The more traditional kind of COVID-19 vaccine moved a step closer to the U.S. market Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted to back shots made by Novavax for U.S. adults. If the FDA ultimately agrees, Novavax's option could become the nation's fourth COVID-19 vaccine. (Serum Institute of India for Novavax via AP, File)

American adults who havent yet gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 may soon get another choice, as advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday backed a more traditional type of shot.

Next, the FDA must decide whether to authorize the protein vaccine made by latecomer Novavax as the nation's fourth coronavirus shot for adults. It's made with more conventional technology than today's dominant Pfizer and Moderna shots and the lesser-used Johnson & Johnson option.

N ovavax shots are already available in Australia, Canada, parts of Europe and multiple other countries, either for initial vaccinations or as mix-and-match boosters. But U.S. clearance is a key hurdle for the Maryland-based company.

FDA's vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said another choice in the U.S. may entice at least some vaccine holdouts -- whatever their reason -- to consider rolling up their sleeves.

We do have a problem with vaccine uptake that is very serious in the United States," Marks said. "Anything we can do to get people more comfortable to accept these potentially life-saving products is something that we feel we are compelled to do.

A final FDA decision isn't expected immediately, as the agency finishes combing through the data.

Nor is it clear how widely a Novavax vaccine would be used, at least right away. Only about 27 million U.S. adults remain unvaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Eventually, Novavax hopes also to become a choice for the millions more who havent yet had a booster dose of todays vaccines, regardless of which shot people got originally.

The FDA advisory panel voted that the benefits of two primary Novavax doses outweigh its risks  but they had a lot of questions about the shots' role at this point in the pandemic.

This vaccine does indeed fill some unmet needs, such as an option for people with allergies to competing shots, said Dr. Michael Nelson of the University of Virginia.

But the FDA is considering two adult doses for now, when other COVID-19 vaccines have needed a third dose, he said.

And while this vaccine has incredible potential, theres no clear evidence yet of how well it works against the more contagious omicron variant and its siblings, added fellow adviser Dr. Bruce Gellin of the Rockefeller Foundation.

Large studies in the U.S., Mexico and Britain found two doses of the Novavax vaccine were safe and about 90% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. One complication: Those studies were done far earlier in the pandemic.

Novavax chief medical officer Dr. Filip Dubovsky said tests of a booster dose revved up virus-fighting antibodies that could tackle the omicron mutant, data that FDA will have to consider later.

This type of vaccine we think generates a broad immune response against a broad array of variants, he told the FDA advisory panel.

Trial participants generally experienced only mild reactions such as injection-site pain or fatigue, but the FDA did highlight a possible concern: six cases of heart inflammation, known as myocarditis, found among the 40,000 people who received the vaccine in studies.

COVID-19 vaccines are coming under close scrutiny for the possibility of heart inflammation after the Pfizer and Moderna shots were linked to that rare risk.

Novavax argued there were other potential causes for the reports. Other infections including COVID-19 also can cause heart inflammation. The company said more than 744,000 vaccinations in other countries so far support the shots' safety.

Several of FDA's advisers said the Novavax vaccine should come with a warning until more is known but cautioned against comparisons with the Pfizer and Moderna shots' estimated rate of the rare side effect.

I don't want to stigmatize this vaccine inappropriately, said Dr. Cody Meissner of Tufts University.

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The Novavax vaccine is made of copies of the spike protein that coats the coronavirus, packaged into nanoparticles that to the immune system resemble a virus. Then an immune-boosting ingredient, or adjuvant, thats made from the bark of a South American tree is added that acts as a red flag to ensure those particles look suspicious enough to spark a strong immune response.

Protein vaccines have been used for years to prevent hepatitis B, shingles and other diseases.

Thats very different than the vaccines currently used in the U.S. The most widely used Pfizer and Moderna vaccines deliver genetic instructions for the body to produce its own copies of the spike protein. J&J uses a cold virus to deliver those instructions.

Manufacturing problems held up Novavaxs vaccine but the company said those problems have been resolved. Novavax, a small biotech company, created the vaccine in its research lab. But the Serum Institute of India, the worlds largest vaccine maker, produces most of its shots including those slated for the U.S.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
ALBANY  New York smokers could soon find slim pickings when it comes to finding places to light up.

The Senate this week overwhelmingly approved a measure banning smoking in public parks operated by municipalities or the state. The Assembly embraced the same legislation earlier. The stage is now set for the bill to go to the desk of Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The measure would also ban smoking and vaping cannabis products in public parks.

Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, D-the Bronx, said he has been working to get the legislation passed for 11 years. Minor adjustments were made to deal with reservations, allowing the bill to hit the fast track this year.

"I want as little smoking as possible to take place," Dinowitz told CNHI. "I want there to be fewer places for people to smoke, and I want to save lives. It's as simple as that."

The measure calls for a $50 fine for violators.

The legislation exempts the Adirondack and Catskill parks. It also exempts parking lots, sidewalks adjoining parks and "any portion of a park that is not used for park purposes."

Patrick Phelan, executive director of the New York State Police Chiefs Association, said he had concerns last year when lawmakers legalized marijuana that it could expose families with children to marijuana use in parks.The fact that the ban covers both tobacco and marijuana will bring uniformity to the approach and keeps the regulations in alignment, he added.

But one unwelcome aspect of the legislation is it could create additional demands on police officers to respond to complaints involving relatively minor matters, he suggested.

Once the legislation is enacted, Phelan said, it will be beneficial to have a public education campaign to explain the prohibition, and thus lessen the potential for confrontations.

Dinowitz said he's hopeful smokers and non-smokers will adjust to a ban in parks, but agreed that government "messaging" could help explain the changes at hand.

"I've passed several no-smoking bills over the years -- no smoking in schools, no smoking near libraries -- and they have been huge successes," the lawmaker said. "And now fewer and fewer people smoke. And that's good not only for the health of the people who aren't smoking but the heath of the people who aren't having to breathe in the second hand smoke."

New York's Clean Indoor Air Act prohibits smoking and vaping in almost all public and private indoor workplaces, including restaurants and bars, according to the state Health Department.

The new legislation argues there will be less litter in parks when the ban kicks in. It notes that while tobacco is biodegradable, the cellulose acetate filters can persist in the environment for many years.

Smokers around the globe, the bill states, toss an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts each year.

While the legislative session had been scheduled to end Thursday night, lawmakers are expected to be back at the statehouse Friday.

Progressive groups have been urging lawmakers to adopt a measure known as "Clean Slate," which would seal felony conviction records seven years after the person found guilty completed a sentence. Misdemeanor records would be sealed three years after the sentence.

But the bill hit a significant speed bump in the state Assembly when the state Education Department raised objections, pointing to the difficulties it would create for screening job applicants.

The agency said its ability to conduct background checks would be limited unless its Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability and Office of the Professions were added to the list of "qualified agencies" that could access criminal history information related to applicants for certification and licensing.

"The current version of the bill does not address these concerns for the purposes of background checks for prospective school employees and certification of teachers and administrators and does not fully address these concerns for other professions," the education agency said in a statement.

Hochul has identified the Clean Slate legislation as a major priority this year.

After Senate Democrats passed the bill Wednesday, Sen. Tom O'Mara, R-Big Flats, argued the legislation is the latest in a line of Democratic measures that offer relief to violent felons while failing to address the state's public safety needs.

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Gas prices in Winnipeg surged beyond the $2 a litre mark on Monday, setting another local record at $2.07.9 for one litre of regular gasoline.

Gas prices in Winnipeg surged beyond the $2 a litre mark on Monday, setting another local record at $2.07.9 for one litre of regular gasoline.

On Monday, Shell stations posted regular unleaded gasoline at $2.07.9. It was on par with Canadas average of $2.072 per litre, according to GasBuddy, a fuel tracking website.

"What goes up might come down," said Dan McTeague, fuel analyst and president of Canadians for Affordable Energy.

Prices could drop Thursday or Friday if markets stagnate, McTeague said.

Late last week, Winnipeg gas stations began to pay about $1.95 per litre of gasoline, he said. The wholesale price per litre was $1.507, and taxes added another 45 cents, he said.

"(There was) not a lot of margin in the past week, so it looks like (gas stations are) looking to recover some of that," McTeague said.

Stations typically keep a retail margin of 11 cents per litre, which in part covers operational expenses, McTeague said.

Fuel prices might slightly decline in the short-term because oil prices dropped Monday, he said.

Still, $2 a litre could be the norm for the summer.

"I think the likelihood of (gas prices) going higher is greater than (them) falling," McTeague said. "This is probably where were going to be for the foreseeable future."

Russia withdrawing from Ukraine might bring prices down. A global recession could also knock costs back, McTeague said.

"Theres nothing here to suggest prices will go anywhere," he said.

A shortage of supply, pipeline interruptions and Canadas divestment from oil and gas have played roles in higher prices, he said.

Helen Kelly stopped at a Shell off Pembina Highway Monday afternoon. A $40 fuel-up might have filled half her Ford Escapes tank last year, she said. Now, it fills a quarter.

"(Prices are) just jumping all the time," Kelly said.

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James Pullar, at the same gas station, said hes driven his premium gas-fuelled SUV for 11 years. He called the price spikes "unfortunate but pretty uncontrollable."

"It does make you think more about electric or hybrid," he said, adding hell fly to Regina to visit family instead of driving because the cost difference is small.

Last year, Manitoba averaged $1.274 per litre of regular gas. The Shell price Monday was 80 cents higher.

British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes posted averages above $2 per litre Monday, according to GasBuddy.

British Columbia was the most expensive at $2.226 per litre.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com
TORONTO - Some of the most active companies traded Monday on the Toronto Stock Exchange:

TORONTO - Some of the most active companies traded Monday on the Toronto Stock Exchange:

Toronto Stock Exchange (20,819.09, up 28.36 points.)

Suncor Energy Inc. (TSX:SU). Energy. Up 52 cents, or one per cent, to $51.94 on 19.9 million shares.

Manulife Financial Corp. (TSX:MFC). Financials. Up 33 cents, or 1.4 per cent, to $23.61 on 17.4 million shares.

Western Energy Services Corp. (TSX:WRG). Energy. Down half a cent, or 9.1 per cent, to five cents on 15.3 million shares.

Athabasca Oil Corp. (TSX:ATH). Energy. Up nine cents, or 2.9 per cent, to $3.15 on 13 million shares.

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Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB). Energy. Up 34 cents, or 0.6 per cent, to $59.27 on 10.2 million shares.

Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. (TSX:TVE). Energy. Up 32 cents, or 5.7 per cent, to $5.94 on 8.9 million shares.

Companies in the news:

Descartes Systems Group (TSX:DSG). Up $1.18 or 1.5 per cent to $80.33. Descartes Systems Group is buying U.S. company XPS Technologies in a deal worth up to US$140 million. XPS provides cloud-based parcel shipping services to small, medium and large e-commerce shippers. It helps customers reduce transportation costs by importing orders, comparing carrier rates, printing shipping labels and tracking packages through final delivery. Descartes CEO Edward Ryan says XPS complements the company's significant investments in e-commerce fulfilment and shipping. Under the agreement, Descartes has agreed to an upfront payment of about US$65 million in cash. The Ontario-based software company has also agreed to pay up to an additional US$75 million in performance-based consideration related to revenue-based targets in each of the first two years post-acquisition.

Teck Resources Ltd. (TSX:TECK.B). Up 47 cents to $55.77. Teck Resources Ltd. says it is moving to protect 14,000 hectares of wildlife habitat in Canada and Chile. The plan includes a $2-million donation to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for the purchase and ongoing management of nearly 8,000 hectares of land in the East Kootenays of British Columbia. The company will also donate to the NCC about 162 hectares of Teck-owned land near Kimberley, B.C., plus $600,000 for the ongoing management of the land. In Chile, the company says 5,800 hectares of a wetland ecosystem near its Quebrada Blanca operations will be protected in partnership with the Ollague Quechua community. Teck also announced $10 million to create an Indigenous stewardship fund and $12 million in new funding to the Nature Conservancy of Canada to support priority conservation projects in B.C. Teck says it has set a goal of conserving or rehabilitating at least three hectares of land for every one hectare affected by its mining activities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2022.
BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Unions chief executive vowed Tuesday that Poland would get no money from the blocs vast pandemic relief fund until the right-wing government rolls back measures deemed to limit the independence of the countrys judiciary.

Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks at a joint news conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at the headquarters of Poland's Power Grid in Konstancin-Jeziorna, Poland, Thursday, June 2, 2022. The independence of Poland's courts is at the heart of a dispute with the European Union, which has withheld billions of euros in pandemic recovery funds. (AP Photo/Michal Dyjuk)

BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Unions chief executive vowed Tuesday that Poland would get no money from the blocs vast pandemic relief fund until the right-wing government rolls back measures deemed to limit the independence of the countrys judiciary.

Poland is line to receive nearly 36 billion euros ($38.5 billion) to help its economy recover from the impact of measures introduced to limit the spread of the coronavirus. But the EU has frozen its access to the funds amid concern about political interference with the judiciary.

The European Commission, which proposes EU laws and supervises the way they are enacted, insists that a disciplinary chamber for Polish judges be abolished, that its rulebook be rewritten and that judges sanctioned by the chamber have their cases reviewed.

Let me be very clear. These three commitments, translated into milestones, must be fulfilled before any payment can be made, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France.

The European Parliament has also launched action against Poland over democratic backsliding. The lawmakers have criticized von der Leyen and her commission for being too slow to act. Some are calling for a no-confidence vote on her should the commission release any funds too early.

I know that some of you are skeptical, but let me assure that no money will be disbursed until these reforms are undertaken, von der Leyen said. A first payment will only be possible when a new law is in force that ticks all the boxes under this contract, she said of a plan for Poland to access the funds.

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Von der Leyen added that Poland must demonstrate by the end of 2023 that all unlawfully dismissed judges have been reinstated. If this is not the case there cannot be any further disbursement.

Polands lawmakers are still working on changing Supreme Court regulations to abolish the disciplinary chamber. Only one of the dozens of suspended judges has been reinstated, but to a different section in his court, and has been ordered to go on leave.

Many EU lawmakers argued that Poland should have met the conditions before its action plan for access to the recovery fund was submitted. Even some senior members of von der Leyens own commission had reservations about the Polish plan.

Dutch liberal parliamentarian, Sophia Int Veld, said the commission's conditions are merely a smokescreen. Facing von der Leyen, she said: If you make any payment to Poland without all the criteria having been fully met, you lose my confidence. Its democracy.

Polands pandemic recovery plan must still be endorsed by the other 26 EU member states before the end of the month. It would pave the way for government to eventually gain access to 23.9 billion euros ($25.4 billion) in grants and 11.5 billion euros ($11.7 billion) in loans.

EU officials have said that Poland is unlikely to win access to any of the money for several months.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defence Minister Anita Anand got a first-hand look Tuesday at North America's first line of continental defence, a system experts and political leaders agree is badly in need of an upgrade.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President of the Republic of Chile Gabriel Boric participate in a joint news conference in Ottawa, on Monday, June 6, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defence Minister Anita Anand got a first-hand look Tuesday at North America's first line of continental defence, a system experts and political leaders agree is badly in need of an upgrade.

But as they wrapped up their visit, neither Trudeau nor Anand were able to offer any specifics about when details about the plans would be forthcoming.

"We have a number of initiatives on the table right now with the United States and we will be coming forward shortly with a plan to modernize Norad," Anand said. "I will leave it at that."

Trudeau and Anand, flanked by the U.S. and Canadian commanders of Norad, exchanged pleasantries with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as their visit got underway in a boardroom festooned with images of fighter jets and military insignia.

U.S. Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, the current joint commander of Norad and U.S. Northern Command, opened the meeting by professing the importance of his mission.

"I get up every single day, as do all of our other members, knowing that we have the most noble mission on the planet, and that's defending our homeland," VanHerck said.

"We need to talk a little bit about the challenges we face in the homeland. We'll talk about our strategy to address those challenges. And then we'll talk about some of the capabilities that we're pursuing."

The Canadian delegation later decamped to Cheyenne Mountain, the towering home of a concrete-walled Norad command fortress embedded deep in the rough-hewn granite of Colorados Rocky Mountains.

VanHerck presented Trudeau with a hunk of the very rock that encases the base, mounted on a platform and adorned with two of the commander's challenge coins.

"Very impressive," Trudeau marvelled as officials demonstrated the facilitys imposing blast door, a metre-thick, 20-tonne hydraulic behemoth fortified with 22 thick steel rods that slide shut to ensure an impermeable seal.

Afterward, the prime minister held up the shared responsibilities of Norad  the only binational joint-command early warning system in the world  as a perfect illustration of the unique Canada-U.S. relationship.

"We're seeing a time where the world is shifting rapidly," Trudeau said  a reference to Vladimir Putin's aggression in Ukraine, as well as the prospect of hypersonic long-range weapons being developed in Russia and China.

"Whether it's new threats, new technologies, or shifting geopolitical realities, it becomes all the more important for friends and allies like Canada and the United States to continue working so closely together."

Like so many of the federal government's recent pronouncements on Norad, however, Tuesday's visit was short on details.

Anand did mention that the discussions lingered on the threat of long-range missiles and the importance of four key principles: situational awareness, command and control, research and development and an understanding of the potential threats North America could face.

"Those four principles," she said, "will continue to form the foundation of our discussions and plans relating to NORAD modernization."

Shortly after arriving in Colorado, Trudeau, Anand and Austin walked into Norad HQ through an honour guard flying Canadian and U.S. colours, pausing for the two national anthems.

Trudeau, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly will spend the rest of the week in Los Angeles, where President Joe Biden is hosting leaders from across the Western Hemisphere for the Summit of the Americas.

On Monday, Trudeau wouldn't say explicitly whether he supports Biden's decision to exclude Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba from the summit, owing to their disdain for democratic values and dubious human rights records.

The decision generated protests from other quarters of Latin America, as well as a prominent no-show from one of the endeavour's most important partners: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Some of the hemisphere's countries are "less like-minded" than others, Trudeau acknowledged, but they all share a number of serious challenges, including migration pressures, climate change and recovering fully from the COVID-19 pandemic.

All three will be on the agenda at the weeklong summit, the leader-level portion of which is to get underway Wednesday.

Guilbeault is expected to take part in discussions about climate change, while Joly meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard.

Trudeau was guarded when asked Monday about the exclusion of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba from the summit.

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"It's extremely important that we have an opportunity to engage with our fellow hemispheric partners  some like-minded, some less like-minded," he said, stopping short of passing judgment on the decision.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, however, said the three countries should not be barred from having their voices heard at the summit simply because Biden has "different political views."

"Concerns raised around human rights are always important to consider, but that is no grounds to deny these countries participation in a Summit of the Americas. I think that was the wrong decision," Singh said in Ottawa.

"Canada should also make it clear that we support the participation of these three countries."

Other summit priorities will include helping countries bring COVID-19 under control, forging new ties on climate and energy initiatives, confronting food insecurity and leveraging existing trade agreements to better ensure more people are able to reap the benefits.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2022.
VATICAN CITY (AP)  Pope Francis announced the first appointments Tuesday under his newly reformed Vatican bureaucracy, tapping a trusted cardinal and outside financial experts to serve on a new investment committee.

VATICAN CITY (AP)  Pope Francis announced the first appointments Tuesday under his newly reformed Vatican bureaucracy, tapping a trusted cardinal and outside financial experts to serve on a new investment committee.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who leads the Vaticans laity office and is also the camerlengo who runs the Vatican in between pontificates, will head the committee assisted by four experts from Britain, Germany, Norway and the U.S., the Vatican said in a note.

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Among other things, Francis new reform calls for the creation of an investment committee to guarantee the ethical nature of the Holy Sees securities investments according to the churchs social doctrine and at the same time their profitability, adequacy and risks.

Its creation marks the pope's latest response to a financial scandal that has rocked the Vatican for several years over its 350-million-euro investment in a London real estate venture. Vatican prosecutors have charged 10 people, including a cardinal, of defrauding the Holy See of tens of millions of euros.

During a new hearing in the trial on Tuesday, prosecutors questioned defendant Raffaele Mincione, a London-based fund manager, for a second day about his management of a fund that owned the London property. He denies wrongdoing.

Francis was elected on a mandate to reform the Vatican bureaucracy, and both the trial and his new blueprint reorganizing the Curia, which went into effect Sunday, are some of the tangible effects of that reform.

The pope is expected to make more appointments in the coming days and weeks to fill out some of the newly merged offices.

Separately Tuesday, the Vatican bank issued its annual report, recording an 18.1-million-euro net profit, down from the 36.4-million profit in 2020. The Institute for Religious Works, as the bank is known, said the profit was in line with expectations based on a new business model and conservative risk portfolio.
Shopify Inc. shareholders voted to solidify founder and CEO Tobi Lutke's voting power for as long as he is at the company andensurehe, his family and affiliates will hold 40 per cent of the company's voting power.

Shopify CEO Tobias Lutke participates in the company's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Shopify Inc. shareholders will vote on whether the company should adopt a new corporate governance structure that would give its chief executive a non-transferable founder share. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Shopify Inc. shareholders voted to solidify founder and CEO Tobi Lutke's voting power for as long as he is at the company andensurehe, his family and affiliates will hold 40 per cent of the company's voting power.

The approval received Tuesday at the Ottawa e-commerce company's annual general meeting ushered in a new corporate governance structure to grant Lutke non-transferable founder shares.

The founder share will sunset if Lutke no longer serves as an executive officer, board member or consultant whose primary job is with the company or if Lutke, his immediate family and his affiliates no longer hold a number of class A and class B shares equal to at least 30 per cent of the class B shares they currently hold.

In the event of a sunset of the founder share, Lutke will also convert his remaining class B shares into class A shares.

At least one proxy advisory firm, which compiles reports for shareholders ahead of such votes, opposed Shopify's proposal. Glass, Lewis & Co told clients last month the move limits shareholder rights and inadequately protects minority shareholder interests.

"We have never been in favour of protective voting powers like that given to Tobi, as it doesn't instill best practices from a governance perspective," said Angelo Zino, senior equity analyst at CFRA Research, in a note to investors.

He warned that Lutke's age, 41, means the founder share could remain intact for decades and deter new investors, activists, mergers and acquisitions, but noted that dual class shares are not uncommon in tech and he feels Lutke has done a "magnificent" job.

"(The move) certainly consolidates a lot of power in the founder and you could say, to the prejudice of the minority shareholders," Richard Powers, associate professor at the Rotman School of Management in Toronto, said in an interview.

He sees the proposal as a way of giving Lutke his due for founding a "spectacularly successful" company that dates back to 2004, when he received an investment from his father-in-law Bruce McKean because was unable to find e-commerce software for a snowboard business he was building.

However, Powers pointed out there have been instances where giving a founder or his or her family so much power have caused trouble.

Last year, for example, Edward Rogers, the son of founder Ted Rogers, was able to replace five board members over objections from other Rogers Communications Inc. directors, including his mother and sisters, because he controlled 97.5 per cent of the firms class A shares. The feud ended up in court, with Edward Rogers winning.

"These things can blow up and there's very little investors can do when you have the founder-controller," Powers said.

Shopify shareholders also approved Tuesday a 10-for-one split of the company's class A and class B shares, which Shopify has positioned as a way to make voting shares more affordable to a broader segment of the population and diversify its ownership base.

To be approved, the share split had to garner the support of a two-thirds majority of shareholders and at least a majority of the votes cast by shareholders excluding Lutke and his associates and affiliates. Shopify did not immediately say what margin of approval it received for the two measures.

Under the new structure, Shopify director John Phillips will convert all class B shares held by Klister Credit Corp., a company the early investor owns with psychologist-wife Catherine Phillips, into class A shares.

As of March 31, Glass, Lewis & Co said Shopify had about 114.2 million class A subordinate voting shares and roughly 11.95 million class B multiple voting shares. Lutke owned 5,250 class A subordinate voting shares and 7.9 million class B shares, giving him about 33.8 per cent of Shopify's voting power.

John and Catherine Phillips jointly hold 3.75 million class B shares, representing slightly more than 16 per cent of Shopify's voting power, Glass, Lewis & Co. said.

The votes come after Shopify shares plunged from a 52-week high of $2,228.73 in November to a low of $402 in mid-May. The stock closed at $476.52 on Tuesday, up $23.98 or 5.3 per cent.

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In response to the stock drop, company executives, including Lutke, president Harley Finkelstein and vice-president of merchant services Kaz Nejatian tweeted they were purchasing shares as a sign of their confidence in the business.

Lutke posted that he alone placed a $10-million order for shares and reasoned that he made the purchase because "it's time to build," while Nejatian said he liquidated some of his family's portfolio to make similar moves.

"When everyone else has sought reward from safety, we have sought reward from serving others and from taking risks," he said in a note he posted to Twitter.

"And every year, we have gotten better and better at taking bigger risks and serving more people."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2022.

Companies in this story: (TSX:SHOP)
MADRID (AP)  Spains former king has decided to postpone a second visit home since he established residence abroad after his reputation was tarnished by financial scandal, Spanish news agency EFE reported Tuesday.

FILE - Spain's former King Juan Carlos waves before a reception at a nautical club prior to a yachting event in Sanxenxo, northwestern Spain, on, May 20, 2022. Spains former king has decided to postpone a second visit home since he established residence abroad after his reputation was tarnished by financial scandal, Spanish news agency EFE reported Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar, File)

MADRID (AP)  Spains former king has decided to postpone a second visit home since he established residence abroad after his reputation was tarnished by financial scandal, Spanish news agency EFE reported Tuesday.

Juan Carlos, 84, returned to his country last month for the first time in nearly two years to attend a sailing event in northwest Spain. At that time the mayor of Sanxenxo said that the ex-monach was planning to come back for another sailing event in the town this month.

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But according to EFE and other Spanish media, Juan Carlos has decided not to return for the second time in as many months for private reasons." He resides in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Juan Carlos was once one of Spains most respected public figures for his role in the countrys return to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. But scandals involving Spains royal family began to mount in the later years of his reign, leading Juan Carlos to abdicate in 2014 in favor of his son, Felipe VI.

Juan Carlos left Spain in August 2020 as Spanish and Swiss prosecutors investigated his involvement in alleged financial wrongdoings.

Spanish prosecutors had to shelve their case after concluding that the alleged misbehavior, involving millions of euros in undeclared accounts, happened when Juan Carlos had legal immunity as Spains king.

His behavior is widely considered in Spain as a public embarrassment that has tarnished the crown. Felipe renounced his inheritance from Juan Carlos and stripped him of his state-provided subsidy in 2020 in a groundbreaking move to distance himself from his father.

Juan Carlos still faces possible legal trouble in Britain, where a former lover who was allegedly involved in his opaque financial dealings has accused him of harassment.
WASHINGTON (AP)  State officials across the nation have taken on Big Tech companies in the courts and state legislatures, and federal regulators have nipped at Twitter over alleged violations of users data privacy.

FILE - Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition March 9, 2020, in Washington. Elon Musk is threatening to end his $44 billion agreement to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot accounts. Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated Monday, June 6, 2022 that the social platform included in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  State officials across the nation have taken on Big Tech companies in the courts and state legislatures, and federal regulators have nipped at Twitter over alleged violations of users data privacy.

Now, one state attorney general with an outsize personality and edge-skating stance nearly in the league of Elon Musk is striding into the maelstrom of Musks $44 billion now-tenuous bid for Twitter. He is launching an investigation of Twitter for potential false reporting of bots on its platform to bolster complaints Musk himself made this week in threatening to walk away from the deal.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his investigation of Twitter on Monday just hours after Musk, the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO, accused Twitter of refusing to disclose the extent of its spam bot and fake accounts.

The unexpected turn in the months-long drama of Musk and Twitter sent that company's shares down 1.5%, likely angering shareholders who had filed suit against Musk last month, accusing him of deflating the stock price. Twitter's shares have tumbled more than 20% in the last month. They closed at $40.13 Tuesday, up 57 cents.

Paxton's unusual move struck observers as singular and possibly inappropriate, though he likely has the legal authority to pursue it. In launching his investigation, Paxton suggested that Twitter might have violated Texas' Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

The state attorney general's move against Twitter is far different from the growing legal actions taken by groups of states that have joined to target alleged anticompetitive practices by Google and Meta, for example, or to investigate TikTok and its possible harmful effects on young users mental health.

FILE - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Paxton announced an investigation of Twitter on Monday, June 6, 2022, for potential false reporting of bots on its platform just hours after Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO, accused Twitter of refusing to disclose the extent of its spam bot and fake accounts. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File).

Individual state attorneys general don't normally investigate a major publicly traded company over its regulatory filings. In Twitter's case, the data it submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission involve complex federal law.

The SEC has the resources and the expertise and the legal remedies for this, and I doubt that Texas has any of these, Marc Fagel, a securities law expert who was the regional director of the SECs San Francisco office, said in an interview. Its a headline-based investigation as far as I can tell.

Johnny Koremenos, a spokesman for the Republican Attorneys General Association, told The Associated Press that hes unaware of any other state attorney general who might be planning to launch a similar investigation into Twitter.

James Tierney, a former Maine attorney general who teaches at Harvard, was critical of Paxtons probe, which he sees as aiding Musk, whose electric car maker Tesla recently opened a plant in Texas capital of Austin.

Consumer laws exist to protect consumers from real harm, Tierney said. They do not exist to allow a government official to meddle in ongoing corporate transactions on behalf of a constituent.

Paxton notes that Twitter had said in its filings with the SEC that fewer than 5% of all users are bots, when, Paxton asserts, they may in fact comprise as much as 20% or more" of the 229 million total accounts. Musk contended in a May tweet, without providing evidence, that 20% or more are bogus.

Paxton demanded that Twitter turn over documents by June 27 to show how it calculates and manages its user data.

The difference could dramatically affect the cost to Texas consumers and businesses who transact with Twitter, such as advertisers, Paxton contended in his announcement. He asserted that the disparity may inflate the value of Twitter, now estimated at $30.5 billion, and raise the costs of doing business with it.

Twitter spokespeople declined comment Tuesday on Paxton's announcement. The company said in a statement Monday that it has been cooperatively sharing information with Musk in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement.

The Texas attorney general, who has long carved out a distinctive public persona, isn't likely to mind any criticism. A Republican currently running for a third term as the state's top lawyer, Paxton has yet to have his day in court after being indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, and his career has upended what it means to be a compromised officeholder in Texas.

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His critics say Paxton has become an example of how powerful public figures can drag out even normally career-threatening criminal charges and defy predictions of their political demise.

Conservative Republicans, who accuse social media like Twitter of anti-conservative bias and censoring views of those opposed to abortion and others, have embraced Musk's bid for Twitter because of his advocacy of free speech in place of the platform's content moderation. Paxton's fellow Texan U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has called Musk's move the biggest development for free speech in decades."



Associated Press writers Geoff Mulvihill in New Jersey and Acacia Coronado in Texas contributed to this report.

__

Follow Marcy Gordon at https://twitter.com/mgordonap
OTTAWA - Canada's chief electoral officer is calling for changes to the country's election law to combat foreign interference in elections and the spread of misinformation.

Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault speaks at a press conference about Elections Canada's recommendations report from the 43rd and 44th general elections in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

OTTAWA - Canada's chief electoral officer is calling for changes to the country's election law to combat foreign interference in elections and the spread of misinformation.

Stephane Perrault has suggested creating a new offence of making false statements to undermine an election  for example, claiming that the results have been manipulated.

The recommendation is one of many made by Perrault in a report for MPs on issues arising from the last two general elections in Canada in 2019 and 2021.

The report released Tuesday said the changes are needed to "protect against inaccurate information that is intended to disrupt the conduct of an election or undermine its legitimacy."

The new offence in the Canada Elections Act would stop people or bodies from knowingly making false statements about the voting process to disrupt an election or undermine its legitimacy.

At a news conference, Perrault said the law would be applied narrowly to statements designed to undermine trust in the election or its result and would not hinder free speech by voters.

Currently, it is not illegal to deliberately mislead someone about how, where and when to vote.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association warned against too broad an application of a law outlawing statements during an election.

"You need to narrowly define what kind of falsehoods you are talking about and the intention behind the statement so it doesn't capture people making mistakes," said Cara Zwibel, a CCLA lawyer.

"What this is aimed at and trying to regulate is a statement such as 'voting got changed to tomorrow,' which is designed to mislead."

Emmett Macfarlane, a constitutional expert at the University of Waterloo, said such a law would not apply to foreign entities making such claims, and would have to be carefully crafted to make sure it does not apply to fair commentary.

The political science professor also said that proving a statement was intended to disrupt an election would be a challenge.

"Just the power to investigate can be chilling for free expression," he warned.

The chief electoral officers report, entitled Meeting New Challenges, also suggests that MPs outlaw hate groups from registering as political parties, which would give them the names and addresses of all voters.

It follows concerns raised by ministers that groups promoting racism, antisemitism and homophobia could access tax breaks and broadcast time designed for political parties.

Politicians are particularly alarmed at the prospect of giving hate groups the names and addresses of racialized Canadians. Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Elections Canada, wrote to Perrault about the issue last year.

The election chiefs report suggests that voters be able to go to court to determine whether a group's "primary purpose" is to promote hate against an identifiable group. If so, it would be banned from registering to run in elections.

The Elections Canada report also calls for an update to election laws in the digital age, recommending online platforms be required to publish policies on how they will deal with content misleading electors.

It also suggests stricter rules to stop third-parties  groups which support political parties or seek to influence elections  from receiving funding from abroad.

The report recommends a further clampdown on cybersecurity threats to Canadian elections, including from foreign states.

Since 2018, it has been illegal to use a computer system fraudulently to influence the outcome of an election. But the report suggests the offence be broadened to apply to activity designed to disrupt the way an election is run or to undermine the legitimacy of the election or its results.

The move follows former president Donald Trumps challenge to the legitimacy of the 2020 American election, which he lost but claimed was stolen from him.

"We have seen declines in trust in democracies around the world so we need to be alert to the challenges," Perrault said.

He warned that there had been "deliberate attempts to undermine confidence" across Canada, and measures were needed to respond to this.

However, public trust in the Canadian electoral system remained very high, he said, with 91 per cent of voters surveyed by Elections Canada saying they had confidence in the electoral system and its administration.

The report also recommends MPs extend current rules designed to stop foreign interference during elections to the period before the campaign kicks off.

It also recommends a series of practical updates to election laws to make it easier to vote and bring election law up to date in the digital age.

These include making it easier to vote by special ballot, including postal votes, and extending the period to register to 45 days before polling day.

It suggests that voters should be able to vote at their local polling station, even if they have previously applied to vote by special ballot.

They should also be able to vote with a political party name on a special ballot, rather than a candidate name.

The suggestion follows complaints that thousands of special ballots, including those mailed in by expats based abroad, were not counted at the last general election. At the 2021 general election, more than 90,000 special ballots were returned late and could not be counted.

The report suggests an end to a prohibition on types of election advertising  which do not currently include signs and pamphlets  on polling day.

"In Elections Canadas view, the advertising blackout period has largely been rendered meaningless in the digital age," the report says.

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It also recommends measures to ensure that the date of an election does not fall on important religious holidays.

The report also suggests tweaks to the law to make it less bureaucratic for people in care homes to vote, and simpler for people with disabilities to go to a polling station with a support person.

Also on Tuesday, Yves Cote, the elections commissioner, tabled a report in Parliament that made recommendations including broadening financial penalties for breaking elections law.

He suggested that making false claims in support of a nomination paper be made an offence, with a financial penalty, along with filling in a nomination paper knowing that it contains false or misleading information.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2022.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version misspelled CCLA lawyer Cara Zwibel's surname.
Cree elder Winston Wuttunee took out his drum and invited more than 50 new friends, nearly all of whom were sitting cross-legged on the gymnasium floor of their Winnipeg elementary school on Monday afternoon, to sing the alphabet in his mother tongue.

Cree elder Winston Wuttunee took out his drum and invited more than 50 new friends, nearly all of whom were sitting cross-legged on the gymnasium floor of their Winnipeg elementary school on Monday afternoon, to sing the alphabet in his mother tongue.

"Now I know my ABCs. Next time wont you sing in Cree!" he exclaimed, surrounded by a crowd of schoolchildren who burst into cheers after the musical wordplay.

It was a fitting way to finish another rehearsal for A. E. Wright Community Schools upcoming musical, Peynikamun Nici  a Cree phrase that translates to "Sing With Me, My Friend" in English.

ETHAN CAIRNS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Cree elder Winston Wuttunee plays a drum along with A. E. Wright School music teacher Jordan Laidlaw on guitar.

On June 16, Grade 3 and 4 students from The Maples will stage what is believed to be the first public school musical to feature Cree songs and stories in Manitoba.

Wuttunee, an award-winning musician and entertainer who is originally from Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, gave each of the six classes who are taking part in the year-end performance a unique story. Every group has since been working on a visual representation, such as a dance or tableau, to tell their respective tale alongside their teachers.

The musical will consist of story-telling, visual performances, and complementary songs composed by Wuttunee and music teacher Jordan Laidlaw, the co-creators of Peynikamun Nici.

"I hope that (my students) learn things that I never learned in school," Laidlaw said, adding he did not learn teachings firsthand from elders in elementary school or even know about the existence of residentials schools by the time he graduated Grade 12 in the early 2000s.

ETHAN CAIRNS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Wuttunee, an award-winning musician and entertainer who is originally from Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, is a co-creator of Peynikamun Nici  a Cree phrase that translates to "Sing With Me, My Friend."

"As an act towards truth and reconciliation, I think its our duty as teachers and as learners in Canada, to learn more about the First Peoples here."

The musical duo has been working on the project since January. Wuttunees speciality is making melodies, while Laidlaws is songwriting  a task the teacher said he has been undertaking with much guidance from his friend.

Among the lessons Laidlaw has learned from Wuttunee is the importance of enunciating Cree phrases with care.

"You have to speak very slowly, because its a very spiritual language," Wuttunee said, adding that the inaugural audience of their musical will be "well entertained  spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally."

ETHAN CAIRNS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS On June 16, Grade 3 and 4 students from A. E. Wright Community School in The Maples will stage what is believed to be the first public school musical to feature Cree songs and stories in Manitoba.

One of the stories in the musical is based on a tale about a young Cree boy who runs away from his community because he is bullied for being different and returns home after a magical journey of self-discovery.

Tired from being on the run, the boy falls asleep in a field and awakes to observe a butterfly  a mamikwe  unfurling itself from a cocoon. Suddenly, a kaleidoscope emerges in front of him.

"As (each butterfly) lifted in the air, he would start to sing and he was singing about who he was and where he was going, and how life was so beautiful and all that The air was full of songs," the elder recalled.

So the story goes, the boy returned home in celebration of his identity after he reflected on the enchanted encounter.

ETHAN CAIRNS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Elder Winston plays the guitar.

Self-discovery, friendship and acceptance are key themes in the musical.

Wuttunee said he hopes the students will leave the project "with love and understanding" for each other and their greater community.

"What it might do is just help them be a little bit kinder, a little bit better, a little bit more thoughtful, generous, willing to help other people," said the 82-year-old.

The original song lyrics in the musical are primarily English and Cree, but they also include French, Punjabi and Filipino terms in a nod to the diverse population at A. E. Wright.

ETHAN CAIRNS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The musical, Peynikamun Nici, will consist of story-telling, visual performances, and complementary songs composed by Wuttunee and music teacher Jordan Laidlaw.

Throughout their creative process, the co-creators have placed great emphasis on following Cree protocols.

Prior to the musical later this month, teachers involved will participate in a smudging ceremony with Wuttunee.

"I think we need to be very careful when it comes to art and cultural performance  and I think there is the risk of cultural appropriation, especially when its by white people whove never consulted the community of the music or musics of those people," Laidlaw said.

Far too often, non-Indigenous people sing or teach Indigenous songs from an old book without proper context, the music teacher said.

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"We, as teachers, are responsible to Indigenize our practice, to decolonize the ways that weve been teaching," he added.

Wuttunee echoed those comments Monday. And as far as the Cree elder is concerned, learning an Indigenous language through song is one of the best ways to do just that.

"When you do have to speak another language, you really learn how to listen," he said.

Community members are invited to watch the free performance scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Maples Collegiate on June 16.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
Amherst police are investigating a fire at a center run by an anti-abortion group as arson.

CompassCare, the organization that operates the crisis pregnancy center in Eggertsville, said the center was firebombed early today and graffiti left on the building ties the incident to the "abortion terrorist group" Jane's Revenge.

"Jane was here," was written on the side of the building, according to a web post by CompassCare.

Jane's Revenge claimed to be behind a fire set last month at an anti-abortion office in Madison, Wisc. The group has not yet formally claimed credit for this latest apparent arson.

Photos posted online by CompassCare show broken windows and extensive fire damage within the center at 1230 Eggert Road, off Main Street.

"This is the face of abortion," CompassCare CEO Jim Harden said at an early afternoon news conference, gesturing at the damaged building behind him. "They're revealing it to us."

Harden said the culprit or culprits smashed windows and set fires in two different locations in the building.

Amherst Supervisor Brian J. Kulpa said it's his understanding an incendiary device of some kind was used to set the fire.

Town police said the fire was reported at 2:30 a.m. Eggertsville Hose Company was assisted by several other volunteer companies in tackling the blaze.

Amherst police, town fire investigators and an Erie County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit also went to the scene. Fire officials say the fire caused $150,000 in damage to the structure and its contents.

Amherst police ask anyone with information about the incident to call 716-689-1322.

Rochester-based CompassCare announced in late 2019 that it was expanding into the Buffalo area and merging with three previously independent crisis pregnancy centers here.

The Christian organization said at the time that it had acquired a former medical office in Eggertsville and planned to open a center there by the end of that year.

CompassCare is an anti-abortion organization that provides basic medical care and counseling to pregnant women to encourage them to seek other options beside abortion.

CompassCare said it had retained security consultants and was in the process of installing armored glass at the office.

The organization said this came as Jane's Revenge had vowed to undertake a "Night of Rage" in response to the anticipated decision from the Supreme Court overturning the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in this country.

The federal government is preparing for a potential rise in politically motivated violence as the release of the court's ruling, expected later this month, nears. That's according to a memo from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security obtained by the Axios news site.

Threats targeting justices and other public officials, along with health care providers, "are likely to persist and may increase leading up to and following the issuing of the courts official ruling," the memo stated.

CompassCare in a blog post said organizations that oppose abortion have been targets of violence, online and off, for months. The organization complained that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, instead, earmarked $10 million to boost security at clinics that provide abortions.

Referring to today's fire and related incidents, Harden in a statement compared them to "the pro-abortion 'Kristallnacht.'"

That's a reference to "the Night of Broken Glass," a series of pogroms carried out by Nazi paramilitary forces and German civilians that led to widespread vandalism and destruction of Jewish businesses, synagogues and homes, along with the mass arrests of 30,000 Jewish men, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

"CompassCare will rebuild because women deserve better. CompassCare will not stop serving because pre-born boys and girls deserve protection," Harden said in the statement.

Harden said the organization will find temporary office space to begin providing services as soon as Wednesday at the new, undisclosed site. It will take months before the Eggert Road center, which serves about 20 women a week, is ready to reopen, he said.

Harden said he's received calls offering support from around the country in the hours since the apparent arson occurred. The building did have security cameras in place and authorities are reviewing the data recorded by the system, he said.

Speaking of the arsonists, Harden said, "We pray that justice is done upon them."

He wondered whether Hochul or New York Attorney General Letitia James would speak out to condemn the attack.

"Well, you know what? It's shameful what these abortion activists have done. But it's even more shameful that you don't hear a denunciation of this violence of pro-life pregnancy centers from the sources of power," Harden said.

Kulpa, the Amherst supervisor, said there was no justification for setting the fire and he wants to see whoever committed this crime prosecuted.

Even though it appears no one was inside the building at the time, the fire forced emergency responders to risk their own safety, Kulpa said. He noted two volunteer firefighters were treated for minor injuries, though they've since been released from the hospital.

"In Amherst, there won't be a tolerance for criminal activity and violence, from either a hard left or hard right, that this this got no place here, and won't have a home here.

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BRANDON  Robert Hughes will spend 13 years in prison before being eligible to apply for parole for the 2019 murder of his wife.

BRANDON  Robert Hughes will spend 13 years in prison before being eligible to apply for parole for the 2019 murder of his wife.

"The accused killed his spouse in their home during their separation. Betty (Hughes) suffered significant injuries and would have suffered before she died. She was beaten and cut. No effort of the accused was made to give her medical attention," Justice Scott Abel said during the Monday sentencing hearing in the Brandon Court of Queens Bench.

Robert Hughes, 65, was found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder, after a trial in December. The automatic sentence is life in prison.

While Hughes can apply for parole after 13 years, it is not guaranteed, Abel said. The judge noted Hughes will be 78 before he can make the application.

"Betty should have been safe in her home. She should have been able to make the decision and determination for herself to leave the relationship The accused, by his actions, not only took that autonomy from Betty, but also took the life of Betty. The accused could have at any time left the residence. He did not."

Crown attorney Christian Vanderhooft recommended a sentence of 17 years in prison before parole eligibility; defence lawyer Saul Simmonds recommended 10 years.

While the sentence imposed Monday is at the lower end of the range, Abel said it is not indicative of the value of the victims life.

"Bettys life had value and meaning, regardless of my determination today. That value is reflected in her support present in court, in her children and in their love for their mother," he told the court.

Hughes wore a black suit and grey striped tie as he sat in the accuseds box during the hearing. He looked at the gallery as he walked into the courtroom but not on the way out.

On Oct. 22, 2019, Brandon firefighters responded to an explosion at an east-end property. When they arrived, the walls of the house were blown out and Manitoba Hydro had to turn off the natural gas line.

Brandon Police Service Const. Travis Foster testified on the first day of the trial Betty Hughes, 63, was found inside the destroyed house, with multiple cuts and lying in a pool of blood.

Firefighters found Robert Hughes with a noose around his neck in the destroyed house, the court heard. He was transported to the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, where he was arrested by Brandon police Oct. 25.

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A pathologist testified Betty Hughes had more than a dozen injuries, but the ultimate cause of death was blood loss from an 11.7-centimetre wound that extended from her eyebrow across her temple and into her ear.

The couples son, Adam Hughes, remembered his mother for her kindness and dedication to her children in a sentencing hearing last month. He said his life has been permanently changed by the murder.

The judge said Monday he hopes the family can begin to heal as the court process comes to an end.

Family members who attended court Monday declined to comment after the hearing.

Abel also banned Hughes from owning firearms for the rest of his life and ordered him to provide a DNA sample to police.

 Brandon Sun
Its not a stampede yet. But it will have to do until the stampede gets here.

Its not a stampede yet. But it will have to do until the stampede gets here.

On Monday morning, when most journalists were still mainlining their first cup of coffee, a news release confirmed Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development Minister Scott Fielding, Tory MLA for Kirkfield Park, was leaving politics immediately to pursue opportunities in the private sector.

Almost before the ink was dry on that news release, the questions started.

In resigning his post, is Fielding an outlier, the exception to the rule for a Progressive Conservative caucus that will circle the wagons to fight for Premier Heather Stefanson? Or is this just the first in a series of high-profile Tories choosing flight over fighting for their political lives in the 2023 provincial election?

You can bet Fielding wont be the last sudden departure.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development Minister Scott Fielding is leaving politics to pursue opportunities in the private sector.

As we inch past the six-month post in Stefansons tenure as premier, the political landscape facing the Tories is just as dire as it was when then-premier Brian Pallister announced last summer he was retiring from politics.

The situation is particularly grim in Winnipeg, where elections are won or lost in Manitoba and the Tories are running well behind the Opposition NDP in polls. Its a scenario that represents peril for any Tory MLA in Winnipeg  including Fielding.

Although Kirkfield Park appears, at first glance, to be solid Tory territory, it was held by the NDP from 2007 to 2016. These days, Kirkfield Park is seen as a bellwether riding that will sway with the prevailing provincial political winds.

A steep uphill battle in the fall 2023 election is not the only thing pushing Fielding out of politics.

A steep uphill battle in the fall 2023 election is not the only thing pushing (Scott) Fielding out of politics.

In Pallisters cabinet, Fielding held some of the most senior and demanding roles in government, including families and finance. He galvanized a reputation as a capable minister who held his own in question period and rarely, if ever, got stumped by reporters questions.

He may not have been considered a "star," but Fielding did his job without generating any self-inflicted wounds. Competent without controversy is always in fashion for any political party.

Fieldings performance was so solid, he toyed with the idea of launching his own party leadership bid when the role came open year. Very quickly, however, Fielding became one of the many hopefuls in the Tory caucus steamrolled by the Stefanson juggernaut.

The current premier organized early and furiously, making it clear she would not look kindly on any minister or MLA who threw their hat in the party ring. In the end, not a single member of the elected caucus would step up to challenge her, leaving it to former federal Tory MP Shelly Glover to make it a two-person race.

The current premier organized early and furiously, making it clear she would not look kindly on any minister or MLA who threw their hat in the party ring.

Even though Fielding backed away from a leadership bid, it didnt appear to earn him any points with Stefanson. In her first cabinet shuffle in January, she moved Fielding from the coveted finance portfolio to natural resources.

There is no such thing as an unimportant job in cabinet, but this was clearly a rung down the power structure, and a message Fielding did not have a future in a Stefanson government.

If the Stefanson PCs were solidly out in front of the opposition parties in terms of popular support, and thus facing a realistic chance of re-election, Fieldings departure wouldnt mean a whole lot.

DAVID LIPNOWSKI / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES As we inch past the six-month post in Stefansons tenure as premier, the political landscape facing the Tories is just as dire as it was when then-premier Brian Pallister announced last summer he was retiring from politics.

However, when youre an unpopular leader of an unpopular government hurtling towards a challenging election, losing a member of your team who has experience and personal brand recognition hits particularly hard. And there is little doubt more Tories are headed to the door.

Families Minister Rochelle Squires (Riel), another potential leadership hopeful who didn't join the race, is the subject of rumours she may run for mayor of Winnipeg this fall. A mayoral bid would make sense given, if the polls hold through to next fall, she has zero chance of re-election in the Winnipeg riding she has held since 2016.

You could also look to the dissidents and the potential dissidents: Springfield-Ritchot MLA Ron Schuler was kicked out of cabinet for not adhering to Stefansons vaccine mandate; McPhillips MLA Shannon Martin, who won by only a handful of votes in 2019, launched daily social media salvos at Stefanson during the leadership race; Lakeside MLA Ralph Eichler and Kildonan-River East MLA Cathy Cox were inexplicably shuffled out of cabinet in January, despite supporting Stefanson.

Families Minister Rochelle Squires (Riel), another potential leadership hopeful who didn't join the race, is the subject of rumours she may run for mayor of Winnipeg this fall.

Finally, there are a host of MLAs holding ridings that are, under current party standings, unwinnable for the Tories. Health Minister Audrey Gordon (Southdale) and Mental Health and Community Wellness Minister Sarah Guillemard (Fort Richmond) top a list of the most vulnerable.

No, its not a stampede yet. And its always possible the Tories recruit a new crop of candidates that provide more curb appeal than those who jumped ship.

However, Stefanson must create a compelling reason for the electorate to support the PC party in the next election. If she cannot do that, she will also have failed to give members of her own caucus the impetus to stick around.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca

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A 53-year-old Winnipeg woman is dead, after a weekend skydiving accident at Gimli.

RCMP were called to the Gimli Industrial Park just before 7:30 p.m. Saturday, where they found the woman unresponsive on the ground, receiving medical attention from bystanders, police said Monday.

Jean du Toit worked on many Winnipeg-based film and televison productions.

An officer joined the efforts and local paramedics arrived soon after. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

RCMP said the woman, who was a "very experienced" skydiver, was wearing all the appropriate safety gear. Her parachute appeared to open at the right altitude during the jump, but she began to spin and then hit the ground, police said.

There were no issues with the aircraft, and three other people were in the plane at the time of the jump, RCMP added.

Garth Brown, president of Skydive Manitoba, which operates out of Gimli, confirmed the woman had been jumping with the centre. Brown described her as a close friend but would not confirm the womans name.

Later Monday, members of Winnipegs film community identified the woman as Jean du Toit.

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Production staff for the television series Little Bird, where du Toit had recently worked as a member of the accounting department, were stunned by the news of their industry colleagues death.

Skydiving was well-known as one of du Toits passions, one staff member said.

Du Toit, who was originally from South Africa, was a member of the Directors Guild of Canada and spent many years working on Winnipeg-based films.

"On Saturday, we had a tragic event at the Gimli Airport. We will be assisting the authorities in their investigation into this matter, and as such, it would be inappropriate for us to comment on any of the facts or opinions regarding this incident," Manitoba Sport Parachute Association president Philippe Pare said in an email to the Free Press.

"We would ask that you respect the privacy of the family and the persons involved while we process this incident."

Gimli is roughly 80 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
NEW YORK (AP)  A sex-assault civil lawsuit against actor Kevin Spacey can proceed in federal court in New York City, a federal judge ruled Monday.

FILE - Actor Kevin Spacey leaves court after testifying in a civil lawsuit, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in New York. A sex-assault civil lawsuit against Spacey can proceed in federal court in New York City, a federal judge ruled Monday, June 6. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

NEW YORK (AP)  A sex-assault civil lawsuit against actor Kevin Spacey can proceed in federal court in New York City, a federal judge ruled Monday.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said in a written ruling that the allegations that actor Anthony Rapp brought against Spacey established an issue of material fact as to whether Rapp sufficiently alleges that Spacey acted to gratify sexual desire during an encounter at a Manhattan party in 1986 when Rapp was 14.

The judge noted that Rapp has alleged that Spacey placed a clothed Rapp on a bed and briefly put his own clothed body partially beside and partially across Rapp's before Rapp "wriggled out," got up, and left the premises.

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In his lawsuit, Rapp seeks compensatory and punitive damages for what he alleges was assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Rapp testified at a deposition that there was no kissing, no undressing, no reaching under clothes and no sexualized statements or innuendo during an encounter that lasted no more than two minutes, the judge said.

FILE - Actor Kevin Spacey appears to talk in his phone as he leaves court after testifying in a civil lawsuit, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in New York. A sex-assault civil lawsuit against Spacey can proceed in federal court in New York City, a federal judge ruled Monday, June 6. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Spacey denies the allegations.

Kaplan did dismiss a common law assault allegation, saying the claim was not included in those revived by a Child Victims Act in New York state that in 2019 temporarily allowed individuals to make claims in instances in which the statute of limitations would normally have barred them.

The ruling comes two weeks after British prosecutors said they had authorized police to charge Spacey with four counts of sexual assault against three men. The alleged incidents occurred in London between 2005 and 2013.

Peter Saghir, a lawyer for Rapp, declined comment. A lawyer for Spacey did not return a message seeking comment.
A pair of otters temporarily escaped the Ochsner Park Zoo on Tuesday while two great horned owls remain missing after staff arrived in the morning to find the gates to the zoo cut and a number of animal enclosures open.

Baraboo police officers are investigating the break-in at the zoo, which was discovered around 6 a.m., as an attempt to release animals. Luckily, said Mike Hardy, director of the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, most of the animals decided to stay in their spaces rather than wander outside of the zoo.

A couple of the gates were cut and the gates to the exhibits were just open, Hardy said. They did that to a couple of other exhibits as well, but the animals chose not to leave. I think their goal was to let the animals out.

Just after 3 p.m. Tuesday, Interim Baraboo Police Chief Rob Sinden said the otters were found playing near the Baraboo River at Mary Roundtree Park. Kayakers saw them and reported it. They were brought safely back to their enclosure. Two great horned owls are still missing.

This was an intentional attempt at releasing animals, Sinden said. We dont believe there was any attempt at theft or to take the animals, it was simply just to release them.

For instance, the monkey exhibit was open, but none of the monkeys left the enclosure. There were no other signs of vandalism and none of the donation boxes were disturbed, prompting zoo staff to assume the break-in was not motivated by money, Hardy said.

Investigators believe the break-in was committed by a group of people, Sinden said, and officers are reviewing security footage from the area to identify the suspects.

Most of the animals kept at the Ochsner Park Zoo were either rescued from humans looking to raise exotic pets or rehabilitated from the wild and would have died without human intervention. Like Taglu, an Alaskan bear cub who was orphaned from his mother before becoming a year old and would have died without her guidance.

The owls are the few birds at the zoo capable of flight and have clear eyesight, Hardy said, so they would know how to find food despite being raised around humans. The hope is that they would find refuge in the nearby wooded area of the park.

Still, they were not raised to understand how to hunt for themselves or avoid altercations with other animals, Sinden said.

After talking to zoo staff, most of these animals are either rehabilitative or unable to live on their own out in the wild, Sinden said. They would likely be some animals prey, and they also dont know how to feed themselves out in the wild.

The otters were hand-raised, one from a Montana zoo and the other born in the wild but was brought up by a rehabilitator. The owls were brought to the zoo from a local rehabilitation facility.

Theyre not used to fending for themselves so they would have to learn that, Hardy said. Its hard to say if they would stick around or not.

The otters would most likely seek out the river, given their natural habitat, Hardy said, which is where they were eventually found Tuesday afternoon.

The owls are nocturnal animals, so they will be more active during the night hours. Zoo staff are searching the area and making an attempt to lure the animals back. If a member of the public sees one of the missing zoo animals, Hardy said they should not approach them, but call the Baraboo Police Department at 608-356-4895.

Ochsner Park Zoo will be closed throughout Tuesday. Staff are looking to reopen Wednesday, but could potentially be closed for another day depending on whether they feel the facility is fully secured again.

The animals that are there are all safe now, theyre all healthy, Hardy said. There was no physical damage other than the locks that were cut and a door that was kicked in.

Police are investigating the break-in and reviewing surveillance footage from the night and early morning hours. Sinden said if anyone has additional video footage from the area, the department would welcome the chance to view it.

Follow Bridget on Twitter @cookebridget or contact her at 608-745-3513.

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A Wisconsin Dells woman was released on a $1,000 signature bond Friday after being charged with drunken driving with a minor in her vehicle.

Desia Marie Salinas-Tallmadge, 38, faces a fifth offense of driving while intoxicated, as well as charges of driving with a revoked license, driving with a prohibited alcohol content with a child in the car under the age of 16, failing to install an interlock device and bail jumping.

According to a release from Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister, a deputy stopped a vehicle around 2:15 a.m. Thursday on County Highway H near Winneshiek Drive in the town of Dellona.

The deputy suspected Salinas-Tallmadge to be intoxicated after speaking with her and noted there was a 14-year-old in the vehicle as well. She was asked to perform field sobriety tests and was arrested for fifth-offense drunken driving. She was taken to the Sauk County Jail.

Sauk County Circuit Court Judge Patricia Barrett set the $1,000 bail during Salinas-Tallmadges initial appearance Thursday. Conditions of her bond include maintaining absolute sobriety, not possessing alcohol nor driving without a license. She is prohibited from possessing any controlled substances without a valid prescription and must submit to testing if asked by a law enforcement officer.

Salinas-Tallmadge is scheduled to return June 21 to court.

Follow Bridget on Twitter @cookebridget or contact her at 608-745-3513.

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JUNEAU  Although Dodge Countys insurance rates have increased 14% for the next calendar year, they are in line with most Wisconsin counties, and far below the 30% seen in previous years, according to the countys executive committee.

The rates were reported Monday afternoon by Eric Zauner, vice president of Robertson Ryan & Associates of Waukesha, at the Dodge County Executive Committee meeting held at the administration building. Coverage begins July 1 for the next calendar year.

Robertson Ryan & Associates provides coverage for the following areas:

Storage tank environmental liability ($1 million per incident and $1 million aggregate); Clearview general and professional and medical professional liability ($1 million each occurrence, $1 million each personal injury offense or advertising injury offense and $3 million aggregate); auto physical damage ($16.5 million for vehicles valued at less than $100,000 and more than $100,000; property (including buildings, property, contractors equipment and business income valued at $253.6 million).

Premiums total $315,585, up 14% from last years total of $274,969.

That seems high to me, said committee member Jenifer Hedrick.

We feel very good about the pricing structure as it stands, said Zauner. This is right in the window of 4 to 15% in our coverage pool. Clearview is one of the best skilled care facilities in the state of Wisconsin. Although the Clearview premium is up substantially, no one else can compete with the pricing we currently have.

For what its worth you see the same kind of increases in health insurance rates, said Corporation Counsel Kim Nass.

Committee member Kira Sheahan-Malloy suggested that a vehicle listing be checked to ensure that it is current, which could perhaps save some money, and Zauner said he would doublecheck.

The committee voted unanimously, thus forwarding it to the county board for final approval.

Andrew Johnson, who had been elected just previously to serve as Executive Committee secretary, gave an update on the ARPA funds awards.

Up to now we have committed $4,468,800 of the $17 million funds available to us, Johnson said. The goal was to spend about half of the money  about $8 million  and commit another $4 million before we conclude this years meetings. Next year we will work to allocate the remainder of our funds.

Johnson said that more members could be added next year to the ARPA ad hoc group if other county board members wish to join.

He also suggested that the county may limit awards in the second phase to road repair.

Were talking about $5 million, which isnt much when it comes to road repairs, he said. Ill need direction on that.

The session concluded with a lengthy discussion on county board rules. Topics include virtual attendance for committee members, a rule to prevent resolutions coming back for approval despite being denied repeatedly (approved and forwarded to board) and continuing to allow county board chairman Dave Frohling to lay over any matter on the agenda without a motion from the floor.

Debate is ongoing.

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It was the excuses that bothered him most, then-Circuit Judge John Roemer told the man who, police say, would go to Roemers rural Juneau County home more than 15 years later and shoot him to death.

You have a great deal to offer, Roemer told Douglas K. Uhde at a Nov. 10, 2005, sentencing hearing. Your personality is strong because youre gregarious, youre outgoing, but theres something about your character where you just cant admit that you screwed up, and that might be the rest of your life that youll never be able to admit that you just made a mistake.

There was little in the 58-page transcript of the hearing that would point to any specific reason Uhde, 56, would allegedly later target Roemer before turning the gun on himself. Investigators have said he planned to target other government officials as well. A list found in his vehicle Friday included Roemer, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, an official who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation told The Associated Press.

But it seems from court and Department of Corrections records that Roemers words were prophetic. In the years to come, Uhde would escape from the medium-security prison where he was serving his sentence and file appeals and court challenges disputing some of the charges for which he was convicted after he was caught.

That echoed the approach he took in Roemers courtroom that November day, when, acting as his own attorney, he simultaneously pleaded guilty to a 2001 armed burglary and suggested he didnt do it, while arguing that evidence in his case had been destroyed by investigators, preventing him from mounting a good defense.

Yes, I did plead guilty to the charge, but did I actually commit this crime, just as I stated to the Court, because a person went to the crime, is that actually a crime committed? That answer has to be no, he told Roemer.

Roemer sentenced him to six years in prison and nine years of extended supervision, or more than the five years in prison and seven and a half years of supervision Uhde and prosecutors had settled on as part of the plea agreement.

The state Department of Justice, which is investigating the shooting at the 68-year-old Roemers home at W6128 Woodland Hills Road in the town of Lisbon, did not respond to requests for comment Monday on the investigation into Uhde, who most recently lived in Michigan and as of Saturday was in a hospital in critical condition.

In the Adams County case, Uhde was charged with armed burglary, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a short-barreled shotgun and possession of a firearm by a felon for burglarizing a vacant vacation home in the town of Quincy on the night of Aug. 20, 2001, according to a criminal complaint.

Plenty of trouble

Uhde was already a convicted felon in Texas, where he had a 1986 case for forgery and a 1996 case for escaping from custody. He also has a juvenile record and a 1986 attempted burglary conviction from Michigan, according to the transcripts of his sentencing hearing before Roemer.

He pleaded no contest in the Adams County burglary case in January of 2002, online court records show. But he had his conviction vacated in October 2004 after an appeals court found  and prosecutors ultimately admitted  that the trial court had misstated elements of the burglary charge. The next year he pleaded guilty again before the new judge in the case, Roemer.

DOC and court records show Uhde was in jail or prison in Wisconsin roughly from August 2001 to March 27, 2006, when he walked away from an inmate work assignment at Circus World in Baraboo that was being conducted through the Fox Lake Correctional Institution, where he was incarcerated.

A report by the Adams County Sheriffs Office alleges he turned up a little more than two weeks later in the Friendship and Wisconsin Rapids area, where he broke into a car and stole a wallet, stole license plates off another car and tried to break into his former girlfriends home.

Police caught him on April 17, 2006, after a chase that ended when he crashed his stolen pickup truck, according to a criminal complaint in Adams County. Another filed around the same time in Dodge County, where the prison is, says that when asked why he decided to escape, the defendant replied that it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.

He just couldnt go back to the institution, the complaint says. The defendant also described how he walked away, saying he left about 1:00 pm, walked down a sidewalk, crossed over train tracks, entered a Walmart, called a friend ... and she came and picked him up.

Attempts to reach victims named in the police reports and Uhdes former girlfriend were not successful. A man who answered the door at the Friendship home where the girlfriend used to live said she hadnt lived there for years.

Nowhere to run

Uhde pleaded no contest to the escape charge in Dodge County in January 2007 and was found guilty by a jury of fleeing police and other charges in Adams County in 2008.

Appeals courts in 2009 and again in 2011 rejected Uhdes petitions for a new trial in the Adams County case, saying hed not proven that the state had denied him access to relevant evidence or that prosecutors had engaged in misconduct.

At the 2005 sentencing hearing, Roemer said Uhde was bright and articulate but had largely squandered his talents.

What have you done really? he said. Nothing. Youre 40 years old and what do you have? Well, you have a GED. Youve got a year of post-automotive, but you have nothing to your name. ... If you are Catholic faith, or whatever faith your are, you have squandered your talents, and thats a sin because God has given you so much, and to be quite frank, youve done so little with your talents.

Juneau County Star-Times reporter John Gittings and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
That two of Japan's biggest multinational companies will join hands to make a combined bid into the world of electric mobility has been known for some time but a report now states that automotive brand Honda and tech giant Sony could tie-up for an entirely new electric vehicle (EV) joint venture that could potentially take on the might of Apple that's also working on an EV.

Both Honda and Sony had confirmed earlier this year that there are plans to combine forces to work together in the field of EVs. But it has now been learnt that this could lead to the culmination of a joint venture. "We shared the view that it is better to make the joint venture independent, in the long run, rather than putting it under Sony or Honda," Sony President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida told Nikkei Asia.

Both Honda and Sony have plans of manufacturing and offering EVs by 2025 in select markets around the world, starting of course with the home base of Japan. The EV or EVs would be manufactured at Honda facility in Japan while Sony will help build the platform. What is not yet known is if the eventual model would be similar in any way to the Vision-S sedan and SUV that Sony had previously showcased in concept form.

But Sony had also clarified at the time - at CES 2020 - that it won't be manufacturing these vehicles and the eventual partnership with Honda is more than likely to give it a firm footing in the world of mobility that is seeing many consumer electronics companies - from Apple to Xiaomi - trying to create inroads.

For Honda, it could also be a potentially fruitful partnership because while it does offer a few all-electric models with Honda e being its most prominent, there is more room for the taking in the rivalry against other automotive players like Toyota, Volkswagen and even Tesla.

First Published Date:
Ola Electric is aiming to set up a battery cell manufacturing plant in India which will help it produce 10 million electric scooters annually, along with its upcoming electric car.

Tamil Nadu-based electric two-wheeler manufacturer Ola Electric is looking for partners to set up a battery cell manufacturing plant in India. According to reports, Ola wants to set up an EV cell production facility with a capacity of 50-gigawatt hours. Ola Electric aims to use this facility to produce around 10 million electric scooters every year, besides use it to manufacture its upcoming electric car as well. The cost to set up the plant may take an investment of around 7,700 crore.

Few weeks ago, it was also reported that Ola Electric is in talks with several state governments to find a piece of land where it can set up its second facility in the country. It requires around 1,000 acres of land for the EV four-wheeler factory. It is almost double of Ola Electric's only existing facility, the FutureFactory, where it builds S1 Pro electric scooters. The Ola FutureFactory is located in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu spread across 500 acres of land.

According to reports, Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO and founder at Ola Electric, is expected to meet more than 40 global suppliers who are reportedly in Bengaluru to meet him. Among the global suppliers, who will reportedly meet Aggarwal, are from Germany, Korea and Japan. Companies like Durr and Siemens are reportedly among the companies Ola Electric is in talks with. Ola Electric currently gets battery cell for its electric scooters from South Korea.

Globally, CATL, LG, Panasonic and Energy Solutions are some of the companies who are leading the battery cell manufacturing sector. They also supply their material to top EV makers like Tesla and Volkswagen.

Earlier this year, Ola Electric became one of the electric vehicle manufacturers in India to be selected by the Centre under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, worth 80,000 crore, to set up an advanced cell manufacturing facility in the next two years.

Ola Electric currently produces the S1 Pro electric scooter for the market. The electric scooter was launched in India in August last year. Ola Electric CEO had earlier revealed the company's plan to foray into the electric four-wheeler space. He had shared an image of an electric car in concept form as well. The image shared hints that Ola Electric will possibly be working on a battery electric hatchback first, which could be an affordable EV. Ola is currently working on the design of the upcoming electric vehicle. The production is likely to start in the next two years.

First Published Date:
Weather Alert

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values of 100 to 106 degrees this afternoon and 102 to 107 degrees Thursday afternoon. * WHERE...Portions of southwest Indiana, southeast Missouri, western Kentucky and southern Illinois. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Overnight lows will only fall into the mid to upper 70s, providing little relief. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On June 6th, Lynk & co introduced a new energy concept vehicle, The Next Day, powered by the companys Lynk E-Motive intelligent hybrid platform.

Photo credit: Lynk & Co

The Next Day is a four-door GT, carrying out Lynk & Cos understanding of urban opposite design language and illustrating its intelligent hybrid technology.

The automaker explained that its first-generation design language demonstrates the nighttime of cities, where as the new The Next Day is inspired by the sunrise in cities. The Next Day adopts a hand painted gradients color, representing the light fluctuation from dawn to the morning. The vehicle features a brand-new black diamond cabin, transformed from a one-piece glass.

Photo credit: Lynk & Co

The interior is composed of a wooden hover dashboard and an integrated foldable controller made from denim cloths. The velvet zero-gravity seat and hand-woven carpet create a simple yet technological theme.

The Next Day also emphasizes the digitalization. The vehicle is equipped with a digital flag-language interactive screen, external interactive display, LiDARs, and welcome lights. The functional units are all ingeniously immersed into the vehicle design.

Notably, built on the Lynk E-Motive platform, Lynk & Co plans to launch four intelligent hybrid products in 2022 and three more products within two years. By 2025, Lynk & Co aims to integrate the platform to its entire product portfolio, realizing electrification all over.
Weather Alert

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values of 105 to 112 this afternoon, and 102 to 106 degrees Wednesday afternoon. * WHERE...Portions of southwest Indiana, southeast Missouri, western Kentucky and southern Illinois. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Overnight lows will only fall into the middle 70s to around 80, providing little relief. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
Council chief executive clarifies claims children in Wrexham dont fulfil their dreams

The chief executive of a local authority has clarified comments he made on national television suggesting children in Wrexham are unable to achieve their dreams.

Wrexham Councils head of paid service Ian Bancroft made the remarks on the The One Show on BBC One as he highlighted the importance of the county boroughs bid to become UK City of Culture 2025.

Wrexham ultimately missed out to Bradford after the winner of the title was announced by the UK Government last week.

However, speaking on the magazine show last month before the decision was made, Mr Bancroft said taking the mantle wouldve helped youngsters in the area to reach their goals.

He told presenter Michelle Ackerley: Wrexham has many amazing things but often our children and young people dont fulfil their dreams.

Its about the difference City of Culture will make because culture and activity gives confidence to people.

The race to find the next City of Culture is on!  Tonight @MichAckerley travels to Wrexham to find out if theyve got what it takes to win.#TheOneShow #CityofCulture2025 pic.twitter.com/JcL9RaZ7ll  BBC The One Show (@BBCTheOneShow) May 23, 2022

Wrexham.com asked the Chief Executive about his comments at a media briefing held at Wrexhams Guildhall today.

It comes as the council holds responsibility for education, childrens social care and several other services which directly impact the lives of young people.

When asked what the authority was doing to address the issue, he said: The whole premise of our city culture bid was about raising aspirations. And thats a positive thing in terms of enabling every child and young person, as well as older persons to fulfill their dreams. Its a key part of our education work in terms of improving secondary education opportunities and outcomes.

Obviously, youve seen that progressing in terms of secondary schools improving performance over the last couple of years.

So what we will do from an educational point of view is we will look more broadly at learning outcomes, to achieve aspirations as we start to make sure we got a solid base with our school performance.

We will look in the council plan at how we increase aspirations across all the work that we do.

City of Culture isnt dead, in terms of other winners they had to bid two or three times to be successful.

Weve obviously got 125,000 from DCMS, in terms of creating a really good platform for next stages of work. Weve obviously committed to cultural activities in the years 2023 and 2025. So that work will continue culturally also to raise aspirations.

I think the quote that I gave was, anybody should or could be able to be Thomas Telford, an architect, could be Kidsmoke or Royston Club in being a band, could be an RS Thomas or an Evrah Rose a poet, or could be an apprentice or could work at Wockhardt or could work at Moneypenny.

So I think that thats the ability that we want in terms of enabling everybody to fulfill their dreams and aspirations.

Welsh education watchdog Estyn found education services in Wrexham to be an area of significant concern in a damning review published in October 2019.

The council is hoping to be removed from monitoring by autumn this year as inspectors have since noted its strong commitment to improve pupils achievements.

The performance of the authoritys childrens social services department was also identified as being of significant concern by Care Inspectorate Wales in 2020.

A more recent inspection showed improvements had been made but with the service still branded inadequate.

Mr Bancroft revealed at the briefing that a second bid is now in the pipeline for Wrexham to become City of Culture in 2029, which he said would assist in boosting childrens aspirations.

Liam Randall BBC LDR / Wrexham.com
Government ministers outline the aims for Wales to become an Anti-Racist Nation

The Welsh Government will today public an Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan to tackle systemic and institutionalised racism.

Drawing on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities experiences of racism, and race inequality, the lan sets out a series of actions from across Government to make a real difference to the lives of people.

The actions are focused on the next two years, set against the vision of a Wales which is anti-racist in 2030.

The plan adopts an anti-racist approach which means looking at the ways in which racism is built into government policies, formal and informal rules and regulations, and the way Government works.

It focuses on the ways in which racism affects the lives of ethnic minority people, such as their experience of racism in everyday life, service delivery, as part of the workforce and the lack of visible role models in positions of power.

The Goals and Actions in the plan cover policy areas across government, including, health, culture, homes and places, employability and skills, education as well as a focus on leadership and representation within the Welsh Government and across public services.

The Plan has been co-created with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, drawing from their lived experience and developed in collaboration with a wide range of communities and organisations across all parts of Wales and informed by evidence.

Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt said: The Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan for Wales is built on the values of Anti-racism, and calls for actions to be taken in terms of our policies and ways of working rather than putting the burden on ethnic minority people to act

We know we need to ensure the voice and lived experiences of Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority people need to be not just heard, but acted upon.

Were determined to ensure that this isnt just an exercise in saying the right things, this Plan is a call to action, a plan to truly deliver for people from ethnic minorities.

Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles said: I am committed to building an anti-racist education system, and work is already underway to develop a national approach to anti-racist professional learning right across the system. This is a key priority.

We will also be strengthening the collection of data on reporting of racist incidents and harassment in schools and colleges, including how they were dealt with, action taken in response and whether the incident was resolved successfully for the victim.

This will help us better understand and reflect the experiences of our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic learners in our work.

Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan said: Evidence suggests there remains a more than four-fold difference in maternal mortality rates amongst women from Black ethnic backgrounds and an almost two-fold difference amongst women from Asian ethnic backgrounds.

One of the actions to combat this is the creation of The Maternity and Neonatal Safety Support Programme, which will develop interventions co-designed and developed with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and stakeholders.

The Programme will detail and implement specific changes to maternity services that will improve outcomes and experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women and families.

Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden said: The work to deliver the goals and actions for Culture, Heritage and Sport has already begun across culture, heritage and sport organisations.

This will be supported by 4.25 million in funding over the next three years through the launch of an innovative grant scheme which will cover our sponsored bodies, a competitive grant scheme across our sectors and a ring-fenced fund specifically for grassroots organisations.

Working at a national, local and grassroots level, we aim to deliver meaningful change for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people across Wales.

Designated Member Sian Gwenllian said: We are determined to deliver for all with this plan, it is not just warm words, it outlines clear and pointed action to deliver our vision of an Anti-Racist Wales.

The vision at the heart of this plan, to deliver an anti-racist nation sends an important signal across Government, across the public sector and across society that Wales will not tolerate structural and institutionalised racism.

We commit our leadership and our resources, and our influence to deliver this vision.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On June 6, HYCAN, a Chinese EV innovator backed by GAC Group and NIO, saw its second mass-produced model, the Z03, roll off the production line at the plant of GAC Motor (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd., signifying major headway in HYCANs global deployment that integrates R&D, production, and sales, the startup announced via its WeChat account.

The HYCAN Z03 hit the market in October 2021 with four trim levels offered. In April this year, its refreshed version, the 2022 Z03, went on sale with post-subsidy prices ranging from 132,800 yuan ($19,920) to 178,800 yuan ($26,815).



2022 Z03 rolling off prodcution line in Hangzhou; photo credit: HYCAN

The 2022 Z03 manufactured at the Hangzhou facility features a wheelbase that spans up to 2,750mm. All trim levels of the model come standard with a 14.6-inch high-definition touchscreen and the front-bench seats that can be folded flat. Equipped with the Magazine battery, the BEV model features a range of 620km. Besides, the 2022 Z03 is expected to appeal to tech-savvy consumers with its smart voice control system, the HYCAN Pilot L2+ driver assistance system, and other intelligence features.

According to HYCAN, the automaker has so far accumulated over 30,000 orders of the 2022 Z03.

Previously known as a wholly-owned subsidiary of GAC Motor, GAC Motor (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd., is currently 51/49 held by GAC Motor and HYCAN, according to the corporate infomation inquiry platform Tianyancha.

After completion of the one-month retooling works, the Hangzhou-based plant now has a production capacity of 200,000 vehicles per year and allows both oil-fueled vehicles and all-electric vehicles to be built on the joint production lines.

HYCAN unveiled the CONCEPT-S and the CONCEPT-M at the 2021 Auto Guangzhou in last November. The mass-produced models based on the aforesaid two concepts models, as well as a new full-electric MPV will be introduced to the Hangzhou car manufacturing plant in the future.
English-born rock music drummer and song writer Alan White died on May 26 at his home near Seattle, Washington, at the age of 72. His family announced the death on Facebook and said, our beloved husband, dad and grandpa had passed away after a brief illness.

While he worked with many artists early on in his careerincluding John Lennon, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker and Ginger Baker, to name a fewWhite was best known as the drummer for the progressive rock band Yes, with whom he played for nearly 50 years.

He joined Yes in late July 1972 to replace founding drummer Bill Bruford, who left the band to join another pioneering English progressive rock band, King Crimson. Yes had just finished recording their fifth studio album Close to the Edge in 1972 and the band was scheduled to begin touring the US when founders Chris Squire and Jon Anderson approached White. They convinced him to join the group, and he had just three days to learn the music before the first show in Dallas, Texas.

Whites ability to pick up quickly on the work of the jazz-influenced Bruford, who was an innovator in the early days of progressive rock, as well as learning the generally more complex and challenging music of Yes, testified to his talent as a drummer. At the time of his death, White was the longest serving member of Yes, which has had many personnel changes over the years. He shared this distinction with Chris Squire prior to the bass players death in 2015.

White can be heard on most of the tracks from the popular live 1973 triple album Yessongs. His first studio work for the group was on Tales from Topographic Oceans, a double album, in 1974. Tales received mixed reviews and was the subject of derision by some critics as an example of the excesses of progressive rock. Conceived of by Jon Anderson as a recitation of four Hindu texts, the two LPs consist of four 20-minute-long tracks.

Nevertheless, the album was the first ever in the UK to reach gold status (sales of 500,000 copies) based on preorders and hitting the Number 6 slot on the US charts. Alan White is credited as a co-writer for one of the tracks on Tales, The Remembering (High the Memory), and he also played piano on the final track, Ritual (Nous Somme du Soleil).

Yes stayed relevant following the loss of progressive rocks mass audience in the 1970s and moved in the direction of pop rock. In the face of the rising popularity of disco, punk rock and MTV, White made important musical contributions to several successful Yes albums in the late 70s, 80s and 90s. The band achieved a number one hit single in 1983, Owner of a Lonely Heart.

Alan White was born in Pelton, County Durham, England, into a working class family on June 14, 1949. His father had been a truck driver and bus driver and played piano in local pubs. His grandfather also played piano and was a drummer in local dance bands. Alan first learned piano at age six and began playing drums at 12. By 13, he was developing his own style, playing for local cover bands that played songs by The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers.

White got his first real break in September 1969, when John Lennon called him to join his band for a concert that was being prepared in Toronto, Ontario. Thinking the call was a prank, as White would later explain, he hung up the phone. Lennon called back and convinced the 21-year-old drummer to join the Plastic Ono Band and perform in two charity concerts, one in Toronto and the other in London, the former of which became a hit album Live Peace in Toronto.

The success with the Plastic Ono Band led to other opportunities for White, who went on to work with John Lennon on several tracks from the 1971 album Imagine, including the hit singles Instant Karma and the title track. He also recorded with George Harrison during sessions for his first solo album in 1970, All Things Must Pass, that included playing both drums and vibraphone.

White played for 10 weeks in 1970 with Ginger Bakers Air Force, a 15-piece band that also included Steve Winwood. In June 1972, just before he was contacted by Yes, Alan White was touring with Joe Cocker. In later years, he performed with Spencer Davis, Charlie Daniels, Eddie Money and Keith Emerson. There is also the impressive list of other musicians that he worked that were part of the Yes lineup over the years including Tony Kaye, Patrick Moraz, Trevor Rabin and Eddie Jobson.

By joining Yes, White had the opportunity to work with some of the most gifted rock musicians to emerge in the 60s-70s era. All the artists in the bandincluding keyboardist Rick Wakeman and guitarist Steve Howewere so popular individually that Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records extended contracts to each of them for the recording of solo albums in the 1970s. They all took up the opportunity, including Alan White who released a jazz-influenced LP called Ramshackled in 1976.

Whites onstage presence with Yes had been restricted since 2016, according to a statement by the band, due to a number of health setbacks. That he was loved and respected by his fellow musicians and fans comes across in the numerous tributes posted on Facebook following news of his death. A particularly noteworthy comment was posted by a Facebook fan group page that said, we will miss his friendship and warmth. A true gentleman. Always finding a way and the time to talk to us YES fans. Never pretentious, though Alan White really was a rock star. A master of time with true craftsmanship. But above all, the kindest of men. Caring, loving and with compassion for those who needed it.
4,000 station and revenue staff on the London Underground struck on Monday for 24 hours. They are fighting plans to axe 600 jobs, decimate pensions and slash terms and conditions.

The strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) began at one minute past midnight, with service across much of the network ground to a halt. Service disruption is expected to continue into Tuesday morning.

RMT members on the picket line at Oxford Circus [Photo by RMT Bakerloo Branch]

Cuts to staffing and pensions are part of a scorched-earth policy against Londons transport system by Labour Party Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Conservative government. Khan has drawn up plans for 400 million worth of cuts across Transport for London (TfL) this year alone.

Up to 600 jobs will go on the London Underground, with TfL refusing to replace staff who leave. At Victoria Station for example, 91 full-time Customer Service Assistants will be reduced to just 64. Less than a decade ago, 950 station jobs were axed as part of TfLs Fit for the Future programme.

Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government has seized on the collapse of fare revenue during the pandemic to demand sweeping pro-market reforms. Cuts to central government grants mean that TfL has an annual funding shortfall of 2 billion. Like a mafia shakedown, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is using bail-out packages to force through savage cuts.

Daniel Randall, picketing with colleagues at Oxford Circus, told the BBC, As frontline station staff, the role we play in terms of accessibility, in terms of safety, is vital and the tube is going to be a worse place to travel on with 600 fewer staff on stations.

The RMT tried to talk up todays action, claiming Monday morning, Trains have remained in depots across the network and RMT activists are reporting huge attendances at picket lines despite heavy rain across the capital.

But the RMTs press statement was evasive. By confining the strike to revenue and station grades, the RMT guaranteed its impact would be limited. Service was fully halted only on the Circle, Victoria, Waterloo and City lines. A reduced special service operated on Bakerloo, Central, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, with services part suspended on the London Overground.

Transport for London service update during today's strike (Credit: screenshot-TfL)

According to TfL, 170 stations remained open as of midday, out of a possible 272. It reported good service on the Metropolitan and on the new Elizabeth line, while DLR, Tram and London bus network services were fully operational.

After the governments bail-out measures were announced last year, the RMT, ASLEF, Unite and TSSA rail unions pledged there would be a historic campaign of united industrial action to defeat the Tories cuts.

Thousands of train drivers covered by ASLEF returned a 99 percent strike vote on the London Underground last November. In January, RMT members, including drivers, platform and station grades, track maintenance and signalling workers returned a 94 percent strike vote.

Despite an ironclad mandate, not a single joint strike has been organised. Instead, the RMT and ASLEF have worked to divide their members and suppress the growing demands for unity. ASLEF allowed Novembers strike mandate to quietly expire last month, while for six months the RMT issued no public call to ASLEF members for a combined offensive to defeat TfLs cuts.

The unions role in suppressing strike action has given Khan and TfL a free hand to proceed with their plans. Former Trades Union Congress General Secretary Sir Brendan Barbers proposals for gutting pensions, a review commissioned by Khan, is being submitted to the government. Major cuts were announced last week across the London bus network with dozens of routes facing the axe and hundreds of jobs potentially threatened.

To the extent the unions had a strategy in response to the cuts, it was to use the threat of strike action to force Khan and TfL to negotiate. This was coupled with bankrupt appeals to Sadiq Khan and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to decide which side you are on.

Such worthless appeals to Labour were repeated yesterday, with RMT leader Mick Lynch declaring, we urge the mayor to stand up to the Tory government who are cutting funding to TfL rather than try to pick a fight with tube workers. Lynch told the press, We are demanding a direct face-to-face meeting with Mayor Sadiq Khan to sort this mess out.

A spokesperson for Khan told the BBC that TfL and the RMT met at conciliation service ACAS last week. The BBC reported, Over the weekend, the mayors office was in touch with RMT, and TfL had offered the RMT a meeting over the weekend, but the union declined to meet until after the strike action had taken place, the spokesperson said.

Khans position on the bail-out measures is clear: he is implementing them. The RMTs entreaties serve the sole purpose of demobilising workers and wearing down their opposition, giving Khan and the Tories the breathing space required to enforce the cuts.

The RMTs promotion as a militant and left-wing union is being exposed as a fiction. By rights, the Johnson government should now be facing a wave of strikes across the London Underground and national rail. Nearly 40,000 rail workers voted to strike last month at train operating companies and Network Rail. But the RMTs National Executive has voted to shelve strikes and enter talks via the Johnson governments Rail Industry Recovery Group (RIRG). The RIRG is a corporatist partnership between rail bosses and unions set-up to enforce the Tories Great British Railways privatisation agenda.

A statement issued by the RMTs NEC last week explained, The union has the same position as it always hasto seek job security with a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies; that any changes to structures, working practices, or conditions have to be agreed with our union, not imposed; and that our members deserve a negotiated pay increase that addresses the rising cost of living.

In other words, voluntary redundancies will be accepted, while regressive changes to work practices will be ratified so long as they are negotiated by the union.

Prime Minister Johnson felt emboldened to wade into the dispute today on the London Underground, condemning the strikes, through an official spokesperson, as deeply disappointing and issuing a veiled threat that Obviously industrial relations at TfL are a matter for TfL and the mayor but its clear that under the current funding settlement TfL must take all reasonable steps to avoid industrial action.

The unions role in dividing and suppressing strike action is handing the initiative to a government wracked by crisis. Johnsons condemnation of the tube strikes came the same day as a Tory leadership contest threatened to remove him from office. Yet the trade union leadership is concerned above all that any moves against Johnson must be confined to a palace coup, with a distant prospect of a transition to a right-wing Labour government. They are seeking to prevent the intervention of the working class, blocking any challenge to the rule of Britains financial oligarchy in the fight for socialism.
Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio rallies in Portland, Oregon, Aug. 17, 2019 [AP Photo/Noah Berger]

On Monday the US Department of Justice released a superseding indictment charging fascist Proud Boys chairman and prolific FBI informant, Henry Enrique Tarrio, and four other members of the paramilitary group with seditious conspiracy for plotting to use violence to stop the certification of the Electoral College vote on January 6, 2021, and overturn the election of Joe Biden. Over 30 members of the far-right militia have been charged for their actions on January 6.



In addition to Tarrio, who has since stepped down as chairman of the group, Proud Boy leaders Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola were also charged with seditious conspiracy. Biggs, Rehl and Pezzola are US military veterans. All five have been incarcerated since at least March of this year after being previously indicted on conspiracy charges.



Notably Biggs, like Tarrio, had a working relationship with the police and the FBI prior to the fascist attack on Congress. While Tarrio was an informant from at least 2012-2014, Biggs lawyer last year claimed his client had been providing intelligence to the FBI on alleged antifa networks since at least July 2020. The lawyer further asserted that Biggs, a correspondent on Alex Jones InfoWars program, first began communicating with FBI agents and local Florida police in 2018.



While Tarrio was not in Washington D.C. on January 6, he did meet with co-founder of the Oath Keepers Stewart Rhodes the day before the coup, in an underground D.C. parking garage. While the full extent of this meeting between Tarrio and Rhodes has yet to be revealed, previous court hearings have established that Tarrio discussed with Oath Keepers lead counsel Kellye SoRelle how to erase incriminating information from his phone, which the government was in possession of at the time. Tarrio also asked SoRelle if she knew how he could access his social media accounts so he could continue to coordinate with his Proud Boy soldiers.



Tarrio and the four other Proud Boys join Rhodes and 10 other members of the Oath Keepers in being charged with seditious conspiracy for their role in the coup. As of this writing, three of the 11 Oath Keepers charged with seditious conspiracy have already pled guilty and turned states witness. These are by far the most serious charges leveled against participants in the attack on the Capitol and underscore the pre-planned and far-reaching character of the attack.



The reason Tarrio was not in D.C. to coordinate the attack in person was because he had, fortuitously, been arrested by D.C. Metropolitan Police on January 4, 2021 for burning a Black Lives Matter banner during a pro-Trump rally in Washington D.C. on December 12, 2020.



A day before Tarrio burned the banner, on December 11, Tarrio and Nordean, in a separate rally, shared the stage with long-time Trump political fixer and honorary member of the Proud Boys, Roger Stone. Stone has yet to be charged for his role in coordinating the attack on the Capitol.



FBI Director Christopher Wray has repeatedly claimed that the January 6 attack was an unforeseen event. The fact that several leaders of the fascist paramilitary groups, who were working in coordination with Trump and his Republican co-conspirators to block the certification of the election, had multi-year relationships with the police and intelligence agencies exposes that lie.



In reality the police, military, intelligence agencies, leading members of the Democratic and Republican Party, as well as well-connected media figures knew that an attack on Congress, orchestrated by the Republican Party, was imminent prior to January 6. Yet they did nothing to stop it or warn the population of the impending threat of dictatorship.



In their indictment against the Proud Boys, the government alleged that Tarrio, Nordean, Biggs, Rehl, Pezzola and another Proud Boy, Charles Donohoe, who pled guilty in April to conspiracy and assault charges, began planning to stop the certification of Biden after Trumps electoral defeat in the November 3, 2020 election.

The government alleges the paramilitaries carried out the conspiracy by, among other things:

Engaging in meetings and discussions prior to and on the morning of January 6 in furtherance of the attack;

Encouraging participation in the January 6 Stop the Steal rally in Washington D.C. online and in private chats;

Using the internet to crowdfund for travel expenses and paramilitary equipment used in the attack on the Capitol, including body armor and encrypted radios;

Foregoing traditional black and yellow Proud Boy colors and instead dressing incognito in order to more easily infiltrate, direct, mobilize and lead members of the pro-Trump crowd onto the Capitol grounds and into the building itself, in an effort to delay the certification;

Dismantling police barricades, windows, government property and assaulting police.

Demonstrating the close coordination between Trump and his Brownshirts, the indictment notes that on December 19, 2020, Biggs sent a private message to Tarrio stating that the Proud Boys needed to get radical and get real men. This was the same day Trump tweeted out to his followers that there was a Big protest in D.C. On January 6th ... Be there, will be wild!



The next day on December 20, Tarrio created a special leadership encrypted message group called the Ministry of Self Defense (MOSD). Members of the MOSD chat included Nordean, Biggs, Rehl, Donohoe and other unnamed individuals. Tarrio explained that the purpose of the group was a national rally planning committee, which only included hand selected members.



A person identified in the indictment as Person-3 wrote in the chat that same day, I am assuming most of the protest will be at the capital [sic] building given whats going on inside, a reference to the Electoral College certification on January 6. Tarrio responded with a proposal for a video chat to take place the next day between members of the group to discuss the January 6 attack.



Throughout December, the Proud Boys leaders continued to crowdfund for the attack on Congress through social media while devising and revising their plan, no doubt in coordination with the White House, to delay certification.



Four days prior to the failed coup, on January 2, 2021, Stone and Tarrio held a protest outside of Florida Senator Marco Rubios home, demanding he join other Republican senators, such as Missouris Josh Hawley and Texass Ted Cruz, in voting to reject the certification of the election.



In March of this year, the New York Times revealed the existence of a document in Tarrios possession, called 1776 Returns which outlined a strategy for the Proud Boys to recruit at least 50 members to occupy seven federal buildings in Washington D.C. on January 6. The Times did not reveal who gave Tarrio the document, which prosecutors claimed he had in his possession since at least December 30, 2020.



The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, besides enjoying close personal connections with the police and domestic intelligence agencies, are also deeply intertwined with the Republican Party, which is transforming into an openly fascist party with a paramilitary wing.



Last month the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, (IREHR) released a report called Breaching the Mainstream, which found that more than 1 in 5 state legislators, 872 Republicans, and three Democrats, were affiliated with one of 789 far-right groups, with each politician claiming membership in an average of 2.4 groups. These groups included anti-abortion, Christian fascist, and COVID-19 denialist organizations, various militias, such as the III Percenters and the aforementioned Oath Keepers and Stop the Steal adherents.



Demonstrating that the attack in Washington D.C. was just one aspect of the far-reaching plot by Trump and his Republican allies, not a spontaneous First Amendment rally that got rowdy, the IREHR documented forty-five insurrectionist rallies that took place on January 6 in thirty-two states.



The pseudo-left argued prior to the November 2020 election that a vote for the Democratic Party and the election of Biden would put a brake on the development of fascism in the United States. But more than 16 months since the failed coup, Trump and his high-level Republican allies remain free and continue to build a far-right movement hell-bent on subverting what remains of American democracy. This exposes the bankruptcy of the reformist perspective and the necessity of the working class to organize independently of the two big business parties in opposition to the capitalist system, the source of fascism.
Michael Sussmann, an attorney for the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee in 2016, was acquitted May 31 of lying to the FBI as part of the Democratic efforts to promote an FBI investigation into alleged ties between then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and the Russian government.

John Durham

The acquittal came rapidly after a two-week trial, with the Washington D.C. jury deliberating for only six hours. The jurors asked only one question of Judge Christopher Cooper during the deliberationswhether they all had to agree on the same reason for a verdict, as well as on the verdict itself. Cooper said this would be the case for a guilty verdict, but not for an acquittal, where reasonable doubt could have a different basis for different jurors.

Soon afterwards, the jury returned its unanimous verdict of not guilty. The jury foreperson spoke with the press afterwards, although she declined to give her name. The government had the job of proving beyond a reasonable doubt, she said. We broke it down ... as a jury. It didnt pan out in the governments favor.

In response to a question about whether the case should have been brought, she replied, Personally, I dont think it should have been prosecuted because I think we have better time or resources to use or spend to other things that affect the nation as a whole than a possible lie to the FBI. We could spend that time more wisely.

The felony chargethe first brought by Special Counsel John Durham after more than three years of largely fruitless investigationwas very narrowly drawn. Sussmann was accused of lying to FBI general counsel James Baker when he met with him in September 2016 to inform him of an allegation that the Trump Organization, the business operation of the Trump family, had a private server that maintained a secret communication channel to the Moscow-based Alfa Bank.

Baker claimed that Sussmann told him that he was acting only for himself and not for any client when he brought the allegation to the FBI. In reality, according to the prosecution, Sussmann was acting as a representative of the Clinton campaign and the internet security consultant who had uncovered the alleged connection for the campaign.

The flimsiness of the casethere were no witnesses to the private meeting between the two men, so all the evidence was circumstantial except for Bakers own testimonydemonstrated its real purpose. The function of the Durham investigation from the start has been to carry out a Mueller investigation in reverse, using the resources of the Justice Department to harass and vilify prominent Democrats on bogus conspiracy charges, just as the Mueller investigation targeted Trump and the Republicans on bogus charges of conspiring with Vladimir Putin.

Trumps Attorney General William Barr appointed Durham in March 2019, after the end of the Mueller investigation, to investigate the investigators, particularly in the FBI, who took part in the probe of Trump, codenamed Crossfire Hurricane, opened in August 2016 and continuing into the first months of the new administration.

Durham has been investigating even longer than Mueller and at a comparable cost, now approaching $12 million (Mueller spent $32 million for a somewhat larger staff of attorneys). So far, like Mueller, he has proven no conspiracy charges of any kind. Two indictments have been for lying to the FBI or to Durhams own probe, i.e., crimes generated by the investigation itself. The third indictment led to a guilty plea by FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith, who admitted altering an email that was part of an application for a surveillance warrant, and was sentenced to one year of probation.

Prosecutors in the Sussmann case provided extensive evidence that the Alfa Bank allegation had been produced by the Clinton campaign, which hired the security consultant who came up with the charge. The Democrats then leaked it to the media, where the New York Times took it up enthusiastically. The campaign then cited the media reports, which it had generated itself, as evidence that there was a real security issue raising questions about Trumps loyalty to US national security.

The allegation was quickly dismissed by the FBI, which found that the supposed connections were nothing more than a trail left by spam emails. The Times reported the Alfa Bank connection on October 30, on the eve of the election, but it was buried in media coverage of FBI Director James Comeys announcement that the bureau was reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton for using a private server while she was secretary of state in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2012.

The issue was so dubious that Alfa Bank is not even mentioned in the Mueller report, which rehashes dozens of allegations of Trump-Russia connections.

The claim that Sussmann lied about his connections to Clinton and the Democratic National Committee, and that this lie had a material impact on the FBIs decision to take up the Alfa matter, is based on presenting the bureau as the unwitting pawn of nefarious political operatives, when it is actually the most political of all federal government agencies.

The FBI has a long and sordid record of carrying out politically motivated attacks on the working class and on left-wing and particularly socialist groups. It has frequently been used as an instrument of settling scores between the two parties of the bourgeois political establishment and it is known to be riven with political factions.

In 2016, for instance, the bureau conducted a massively publicized investigation into the Clinton email server scandal, and FBI Director James Comey held a press conference to announce the decision not to prosecute her. Later, agents of the New York City FBI office pushed to reopen the investigation after a laptop belonging to disgraced Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner, husband of Clintons top personal aide Huma Abedin, was found to have stored emails with some indirect references to the private server.

A conflict within the bureau led to Comeys decision to publicly reopen the FBI investigation of Clinton one week before the election, a gross violation of the bureaus long-time rule against announcing such decisions within 60 days of an election. That decision helped tip the outcome of the 2016 election in favor of Trump, who narrowly won in the Electoral College despite losing the popular vote by a margin of 3 million.

Durhams decision to prosecute Sussmann for an offense that was comparatively minor, even if proven, is in sharp contrast to the case for which he was previously best known. The long-time US attorney for Connecticut was tasked with investigating CIA torture of detainees at secret prison camps during the war on terror which followed the September 11, 2001 attacks. He wound up the investigation without bringing charges against a single agent or supervisor, then opposed allowing any records of his investigation to be made public.

The outcome of the case is a debacle for Trump, who repeatedly hyped the evidence allegedly being amassed by Durham, suggesting the special counsel would indict all his political opponents in the Democratic Party. Trump issued a bitter statement posted on Truth Social, his personal social media site, declaring, Our Legal System is CORRUPT, our Judges (and Justices!) are highly partisan, compromised or just plain scared  our Country is going to HELL, and Michael Sussmann is not guilty.

The Wall Street Journal editorial page tried to make the best of a bad outcome, claiming that Durham had uncovered evidence of a massive conspiracy against Trump, even if he failed to convince a jury of Sussmanns guilt. An earlier editorial on the opening of the trial was headlined, Hillary Clinton Did It, perhaps recycled from 30-year-old editorials in the same publication hailing the beginning of investigations into such bogus scandals as Whitewater and the death of Clinton White House lawyer Vincent Foster.

The reality is that the rival factions of the US ruling elite conduct their struggles over policy and position through the methods of back-room conspiracies and palace coups. When such intrigues fail, they can themselves become the basis for counter-conspiracies. Thus Mueller begat Durham.

The working class must not be swayed by the scandal-mongering of either side. Workers must wage an independent political struggle on the basis of our class interests, to build the Socialist Equality Party as a mass party of the working class, and fight for a workers government and socialism, against all factions of the financial aristocracy and its defenders.
Last Friday, by a large majority, the German parliament agreed to the Bundeswehr Special Fund totalling 100 billion euros, which triples the arms budget in one fell swoop. The Bundeswehr will be the largest conventional army in the European NATO system, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced.

What is the reason for this rearmaments offensive?

Officially, it is presented as a reaction to the Ukraine war. Russia has brought war back to Europe, Germany and NATO have to defend democracy and Western values, also by military means against autocracies like Russia, runs the justification, which is spread day and night via all available channels.

But this is propaganda. The Ukraine war serves as a welcome pretext, but it is not the reason why Germany is to become a major military power again after more than 75 years of enforced restraint. Plans to this effect have been under discussion for a long time and are now being dusted off.

This is particularly evident in the book Die Transatlantische Illusion (The Transatlantic Illusion) by Josef Braml, which was completed shortly before the Russian attack on Ukraine and published by C.H. Beck in mid-March.

Braml is a recognized and well-connected political scientist. He has worked for the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) since 2006, where he heads its Americas program. For the past two years, he has also been Secretary General of the German Group of the Trilateral Commission. Previously, he worked for the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), the Brookings Institution, and as a legislative aide in the US House of Representatives, among others. So, he is not writing as an outsider.

In the media, his book has garnered nothing but praise. His far-sighted recommendations for comprehensive European sovereignty are more topical than ever in view of the Ukraine war, wrote the Suddeutsche Zeitung. And the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung called his book an anticipation of the 100-billion retrofit program now announced by the coalition government.

Russia plays only a secondary role in Bramls book. He does hungrily mention that the largest country on earth in terms of area ... also possesses the worlds largest reserves of raw materials. From a European perspective, however, the goal was to integrate and contain Russia and not drive it completely to Chinas side. To this end, he proposes a policy that combines change through diplomatic rapprochement with credible military deterrence.

Braml candidly admits that Russia was driven to war by NATO. Western capitals also knew that NATOs eastward expansion to date and membership prospects for Georgia and Ukraine, as well as US and NATO military cooperation with post-Soviet states, are perceived as a threat in the Kremlin, he writes. Posing the question the other way around: Would Washington respect the free choice of alliances if Mexico formed a military pact with China?

He concludes that Europe is currently not in a position to pursue an independent Russia policy at all. Only Washington could provide the guarantees that matter to the Kremlin, he says. He also does not rule out the possibility that the US could ally itself with Russia in the future and thus present the Europeans with completely different problems.

The challenge of the US

Braml sees the greatest challenge to Germanys future foreign policy not in Moscow or Beijing, but in Washington. Germany must once again pursue its economic and geopolitical interests on its own, is the core thesis of his booknot only against Russia and China, but also and above all against the United States.

If the European Union is to be a global player and not a plaything of other powers, Germany above all must decisively correct its foreign policy toward the US as well, he demands. Germanys interests were not always identical or compatible with those of other states, not even with those of the supposed protective power, the United States.

Germany and EuropeBraml likes to write Europe when he means German interestsshould no longer give in to the transatlantic illusion that the protective power the US helps to ensure the security and prosperity of the Old World. Otherwise, they risk becoming collateral damage in the global conflict between the ailing world power, the US, and the rising China.

And further, The strategic and economic interests of their European allies now no longer coincide with those of the leading American power in a whole range of areas.

If it comes to serious conflicts of interest with the Western leading power, Europe will be left completely blank strategically, was the disturbing realization from the Trump administrations unilateral breach of the nuclear agreement with Iran, he said.

And so it goes on for pages. Under President Joe Biden, relations between Europe and the US had improved somewhat, Braml says, but domestic political developments in the US could propel Trump back into office. In addition, the Democrats are also pursuing an America First policy for domestic political reasons alone.

In retrospect, Braml also comes down rather harshly on US foreign policy. Washington had all too often merely invoked noble values to conceal an interest-driven power policy, he writes. Nowhere, he says, had this been more evident in recent decades than in the Middle East. The 2003 Iraq War was a war of aggression in violation of international law. Time and again, he says, the US had created its own enemies, as in Iran, which it subsequently had to fight at great expense.

The leading moral power, the United States, had not escaped unscathed, he sums up. During the George W. Bush administration, Washington lost its way and has not found it again to this day. For other reasons, too, Washington is currently failing as the guarantor of the liberal world order on which Germany and Europe depend.

Braml does not leave it at the charge that the US will fail as Europes protective power in the future. He accuses Washington of trying to solve its problems at the expense of Europeans.

But that did not mean, he continues, that the US will withdraw from the world. Rather, Washington will try even more to control geostrategically important regions such as Europe, the Middle East and Asia through realpolitik and conceal this approach with lofty values. Therefore, he said, Europe must be put in a position to solve its own problems.

In view of the escalating conflict with China, he says, it can be assumed that the United States will try harder than before to turn the military dependence of its allies into support for US geo-economic interests. Germany and the Europeans would therefore find it more difficult in the future to safeguard their economic, trade and monetary interests vis-a-vis their protective power, especially when it comes to China.

The US will use any means to contain or even push back Chinas rise. For Europe, this can have serious consequences, as our economy is strongly interconnected with China. In the new systemic competition between China and the US, Europe risked becoming the central loser if it does not quickly become capable of making decisions and taking action to defend its interests.

According to Braml, the alliance with the US was attractive as long as the US focuses on maintaining a liberal international order, guarantees free trade and takes care of security and stabilityin other words, as long as the German economy had unhindered access to global raw materials, sales markets and investment opportunities in the slipstream of American armies.

This was no longer the case, he said. The strategic and economic interests of its European allies now no longer coincide with those of Americas leading power in a whole range of areas. Braml explicitly warns against further indulging in the transatlantic illusion that the United States would return to its old virtues and also look after Europes interests.

The opposite is more realistic, he says. For the US to regain either its former strength or dominance would be possible in a now multipolar world only at the price that others, especially Europe, would have to pay. To avert imminent collapse and preserve its dominant world power, US leaders will do everything they can to assert their interests even more ruthlessly and to pass them on to friend and foe.

Rearming to become a nuclear power

Braml does not go so far as to call for the dissolution of NATO or withdrawal from the military alliance. In the current situation, he considers that to be security policy hara-kiri. What mattered, he says, was to embark on the path toward a European defence capability that is independent of the United States, with the long-term goal of an alliance of equals. Germany, he said, must focus on a strong and capable Europe, become stronger economically and technologically, and develop the euro into a geo-economic tool of power.

But throughout the book, it is clear that in the longer term, Braml sees not only a rupture but also an open military conflict with the United States as inevitable. That is why he urges Germany be upgraded not only to Europes greatest military power, but also to a nuclear power. He favours German participation in the French nuclear force, the force de frappe.

Frances nuclear deterrent was from the very beginning also motivated by its ambition to maintain its great power status and free itself from military-strategic dependence on the United States, he says, justifying his demand. Under international law, it would be perfectly possible for Germany to co-finance Frances nuclear weapons in order to participate in the French shield. President Emmanuel Macron had indicated his willingness to do so.

Braml also attaches great importance to the closest possible collaboration between the defence industries, especially the planned Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS), with which the Europeans would reduce not only their military but also their technological dependence on the United States and assert their own sovereignty.

Danger of a third world war

Bramls book confirms the assessment of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) that the war in Ukrainewhich has long been a NATO war against the nuclear power Russiais a step toward a third world war.

U.S. soldiers prepare to fire howitzer during exercise Dynamic Front at Grafenwoehr military base, Germany on March 7, 2018. [Photo by North Atlantic Treaty Organization / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Thirty years ago, when bourgeois propaganda celebrated the dissolution of the former East Germany and the end of the Soviet Union as the final triumph of capitalism, the ICFI had already warned that the same contradictionsbetween social production and private property, between the international character of production and the nation-state systemthat had led to numerous economic collapses and violent political eruptions during the twentieth century were once again coming to a head.

In the statement Oppose Imperialist War and Colonialism! which it issued on May 1, 1991, a few weeks after the first Iraq War, the ICFI wrote: Notwithstanding the many changes which have taken place in the form and structure of world capitalism since 1945, the same conflictsover markets, sources of raw materials, and access to cheap laborwhich led to the First and Second World Wars are leading relentlessly to the Third.

Since then, the US, backed by its NATO allies, has waged war almost continuously for thirty years, destroying not only Iraq for a second time, but also Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and numerous other countries.

Germany has played a growing role in this. In 1999, German soldiers took part in an international war mission again for the first time, in Yugoslavia, after which the Bundeswehr fought in Afghanistan, Mali and numerous other countries. In 2014, the German government openly announced the return of German militarism, and since then, Germanys arms budget has increased year after year. The 100-billion-euro special fund represents a quantum leap. And it will not be the last.

German imperialism is again confronted with the same contradictions that made it the most aggressive war party in the First and especially in the Second World War. Wedged in a tightly knit Europe and equipped with a dynamic export industry, it must dominate Europe and have access to large parts of the world to satisfy its hunger for raw materials, markets, and investment opportunities.

In both world wars, this had brought Germany into conflict with the United States. In World War I, the Kaiser sacrificed two million young men in the trenches to achieve these goals. In World War II, Hitler had 30 million Jews, Poles, Soviet citizens and prisoners of war brutally murdered. Large parts of Germany also lay in ruins at the end of the war. A third world war would leave nothing of Europe and large parts of the world.

Such a catastrophe must not be allowed to happen. The only social force that can prevent it is the international working class, which is forced to bear the cost of rearmament, militarism and war. A powerful anti-war movement must be built, linking the struggle against war with the struggle against its cause, capitalism. This requires the building of the International Committee of the Fourth International in every country of the world.
A report in Politico Monday sheds light on the ruthless and cynical effort by the Biden White House to convince Americans that the COVID pandemic has officially ended. Citing three sources, the website reports internal conversations among Biden aides as to what would be a general metric for daily COVID death figures that would be acceptable to the public and provide the basis to declare the pandemic over.

This would come from the president who declared last summer that America had entered a period of freedom from COVID, to be followed by a deluge of infections and deaths that stunned the population and pushed the health care system once more to the brink of collapse. COVID vaccines were being hailed as decisive in lifting the country out of the pandemic, but while effective, they provided only limited relief.

Medical personnel wearing personal protective equipment out of concern for the coronavirus remove a person from an ambulance near an entrance to Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, Monday, April 20, 2020. [AP Photo/Steven Senne]

Due to the sensitive nature of the issue, the three individuals who spoke to Politico did so on conditions of anonymity, knowing the explosive nature of making these calculations public. Politico reported that the discussions, which took place across the administration, and have not been previously disclosed, involved a scenario in which 200 or fewer Americans die per day, a target kicked around before officials ultimately decided not to incorporate it into pandemic planning.

Politico remarked, the discussions represented at least a nascent effort to create a framework for a post-COVID world. One of the three people involved in the conversations last year said it was an effort to gauge what the American public would tolerate. Five hundred a day is a lot. You still have 9/11 numbers in a week, the person said. People generally felt like 100 [a day] or less, or maybe 200, would be ok.

What is such talk?

These cold-blooded calculations show representatives of the White House, supposedly sworn to protect and defend the population, speaking like insurance executives who are determining the cost of their payouts versus income from premiums. It is clear from the casual character of these discussions that such barbaric mathematics are part of everyday life in the top circles of the Biden administration.

And while the death toll from COVID is calculated in the tens and hundreds of thousands, the death toll from an all-out war with nuclear-armed Russia or China will be tallied in the millions, if not billions.

The White House conversation sounds like something out of Stanley Kubricks macabre Dr. Strangelove. When General Buck Turgidson, played by George C. Scott, advocates a preemptive nuclear attack on the Soviet Union, he tells the president, Im not saying we wouldnt get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than 10 to 20 million killed, tops. Uh, depending on the breaks.

Clearly, the Biden administration is seeking to extricate itself from the COVID pandemic by relegating it to just another seasonal virus and diverting attention from the continued threat posed by SARS-CoV-2, which currently continues to infect close to 110,000 people each day and kill more than 300 daily.

At no point in the entire period of the pandemic has the US ever dropped below 200 deaths per day. Even the lowest daily deaths recorded thus far would equate to 100,000 annual fatalities. Even 200 COVID deaths per day would mean more than 73,000 COVID deaths annually, 12,000 deaths above even the worst flu season in the last decade, in 2016-2017. During the Omicron wave, 40 percent of the 170,000 deaths were among the vaccinated.

One must ask how these flunkeys who are trying to ascertain what an acceptable threshold for declaring COVID is over can square their calculations with the dreadful forecast from the same White House that this fall and winter could see 100 million COVID infections, including a significant wave of deaths among the elderly and most vulnerable.

As for children, who remain the least vaccinated for COVID, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is far deadlier than the flu, which killed a handful of children in the last two years, versus more than 1,500 dead of coronavirus. Even Dr. Ashish Jha, who has been a staunch advocate of school reopening, has recently acknowledged this, admitting that COVID has been a far greater threat to kids than the flu is.

However, few have remarked that the limited measures to contain the SARS-CoV-2 virus nearly eliminated flu for the last two years. Yet, without efforts to build the necessary infrastructure to ventilate and filter air in public spaces and ensure mask wearing to prevent respiratory infections altogether, the population will be subjected to multiple pathogens, including the persistence of the immune-evading SARS-CoV-2.

In a manner of speaking, the COVID pandemic has demonstrated the woeful state of the entire public health infrastructure, which has subjected people to unnecessary illnesses for years, not to speak of the impact of poor air quality to the cognition of school children from high CO2 levels and the impact on their pulmonary health.

More urgent for the Biden administration and the entire bourgeois political apparatus are the growing economic crisis and the constant outbreak of struggles by workers, the social crisis erupting in its most pathological form in what seems like daily mass murders, and the growing threat of nuclear war with the US-led NATO war with Russia. All these are being exacerbated by the constant reminder that the pandemic is far from finished taking its toll on the health and well-being of the population.

Indeed, the WSWSs characterization of the pandemic as a trigger event in world history is being continually affirmed by the intensifying crisis of capitalism, with the US the epicenter. The deaths of more than 1 million people, with close to 60 percent of its population infected and millions debilitated by Long COVID, are a stark reminder of the criminal policies based on the mantra that the cure cannot be worse than the disease.

To officially declare the pandemic over is to declare SARS-CoV-2 a permanent fixture of daily life and the official abandonment of public health as a social institution for the betterment of the health of the population. The impact of repeated infections with SARS-CoV-2 will mean a drastic decline in the health of the population. The CDC has already acknowledged that one in five working age adults will develop Long COVID after their infection.

What remains undetermined is how this will impact their mortality long after they have been declared infection free, but this is expected to be considerable. These figures are being pored over by financial statisticians for the banks and insurance companies, but their focus is not to provide any meaningful response to the dangers posed by COVID but to inform the markets and their CEOs on the future of their labor force and direct and indirect costs to their financial holdings.

The grotesque comments by the Biden officials on what level of death is tolerable should not come as a surprise to the working class. This is what is meant by the attempt to normalize death and force the population to acquiesce to these supposed realities. However, there is an alternative to this bankrupt nihilistic perspective. COVID can be eliminated. It has been scientifically proven, and demonstrated in practice in China. But the end of the pandemic on an international scale is a political question requiring a socialist perspective for which the working class must fight.
LOS ANGELESIn an April 26, 2022 decision by Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Eric Sawyer of the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) concerning the licensure of adult industry talent agency Direct Models, Sawyer found that revocation of the agency's license as a result of its three-year dispute with the State of California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) would be "overly harsh and punitivie."

The just-made-public decision, rendered following 14 days of testimony from over 25 witnesses, with hundres of exhibits spanning thousands of pages, also rejected assertions that Derek Hay, the principal of Direct Models, had sexually assaulted models, as some had alleged. ALJ Sawyer ordered in the 63-page ruling that Direct Models' 2018 application for renewal of its agency license be granted, and that upon the effective date of its re-issuance, it is to be immediately suspended for a period of four months so as to "allow [Direct Models'] current clients to terminate their exclusice relationship with [Direct Models], if they so choose."

While ALJ Sawyer did find that Direct Models had violated some provisions of the Talent Agent Act relating to contracts and fees, he rejected claims that Direct Models had endangered the safety of its models in some job assignments or that it had financial connections or ties to an escorting business. Instead of the license rejection or revocation that DLSE Staff Attorney Barton L. Jacka sought, ALJ Sawyer arrived at the disciplinary ruling above due to there having been no previous discipline administered against Direct Models, and in light of both the agency and Derek Hay having presented substantial evidence of positive reputation within the industry.

Under California law, DLSE will have three months to consider its options on the decision, including whether to accept or reject, or whether to allow it to be adopted by operation of law (as it did recently in a separate temporary licensing case Direct Models initiated and won).

Meanwhile, Direct Models has filed a claim for damages against DLSE as well as a separate lawsuit for damages filed April 24 in Los Angeles Superior Court for DLSE abuses against Direct Models. The complaint alleges Intentional Interference With Prospective Economic Advantage, Abuse of Process, and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress arising from DLSE's refusal to continue issuing Provisional Talent Agent Act Licenses to Direct Models on April 23, 2021, while the licensing action it had initiated was still pending.

Direct Models suit follows a 15-page determination by ALJ Cohen of the OAH (following Hearings in September 2021) that DLSE had abused its discretion in refusing to provide an ongoing Talent Agent License to Direct Models as the agency contested allegations listed in the Statement of Issues DLSE filed in 2018.

The Statement of Issues was instigated by attorney Allan Gelbard, four of whose clients testified at the lengthy hearing on the Statement of Issues. In Direct Models suit against DLSE, attorney Jacka, and Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower, it accuses the defendants of misusing the processes of the law by corresponding and conspiring with Allan Gelbard, attorney for the Jane Does, to wrongfully manipulate evidence and discovery and by directly interfering and damaging the ongoing business relationships of Direct Models with its performers in an attempt to affect their ability to operate[,] to reduce their income, [and] to limit future signings."

Direct Models attorney Richard Freeman commented: While we view some of the conclusions and findings through a different lens than ALJ Sawyer, we do think it helps to put the allegations of the 'Jane Does and their Attorneys (Barton Jacka and Allan Gelbard) in perspective given their inability to establish many facts by a preponderance of the evidence.

The Judges comments on the Claimants credibility are particularly telling and gratifying, and are only the beginning of the unraveling of the Does claims. The proposed punishment of four months suspension, not license denial or revocation, are much more appropriate for what he found to be proven. We are gratified that the Judge did reject the claims of sexual assault and impropriety against Hay as asserted by the Does.

Direct Models is currently operating under a provisional talent agent license that took effect March 14 and expires June 12. It is expected that another 90-day provisional license will be issued to the agency upon the expiration of the current one, while DLSE weighs whether to accept or reject ALJ Sawyer's decision.

View the agency's suit against DLSE here.
The Socialist Equality Group in New Zealand held an online public meeting last Saturday to launch the new book, Pike River: The Crime and Cover-up, by leading SEG member Tom Peters, published by Mehring Books. The book contains 20 articles, interviews and speeches originally published on the World Socialist Web Site, from its archive of more than 70 articles on the disaster, as well as a selection of letters from about 100 that were posted on the WSWS in support of the victims families.

The meeting attracted an attentive and engaged international audience, with participants from New Zealand, Australia, the UK and India.

The book addresses the causes of the 2010 Pike River coal mine disaster, which killed 29 workers. It also deals with the ongoing fight for truth and justice by the victims families, in opposition to the cover-up by National and Labour Party governments, which have spent more than a decade shielding Pike River Coals owners and managers from accountability for the extremely dangerous conditions in the mine. The grossly inadequate ventilation and methane gas monitoring, and lack of a second exit, turned the mine into a gas bomb waiting to explode.

Max Boddy, assistant national secretary of the Socialist Equality Party in Australia, who chaired Saturdays event, emphasised the global context in which the book appears. The Pike River mine disaster demonstrates the policy of capitalism and capitalist governments the world over: the sacrifice of workers lives for profit, he said. Nowhere was this more evident than in the millions of needless deaths from the pandemic.

In New Zealand, as a result of Jacinda Arderns Labour governments decision, backed by the unions, to abandon any pretence of eliminating the virus, more than 10 people are dying each day with COVID. Boddy said this was the equivalent of a Pike River level of preventable death, every three days.

Tom Peters outlined the timeline of the disaster and the cover-up, and spoke about the political lessons of these painful experiences. His presentation was a devastating indictment of the entire political establishment, the justice system, state regulators and the police, as well as the unions.

He focused on the role of the Ardern government and the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), now called E tu. Labour campaigned in the 2017 election with a promise to re-enter Pike River mine and search for human remains and vital evidence, in order to lay charges over the disaster. Peters said the families hopes were cruelly betrayed, as the government last year permanently sealed the mine after only exploring the drift (entry tunnel), without entering the mine workings where the men died and crucial evidence is located.

Peters drew attention to the record of the World Socialist Web Site, which warned that the Ardern government would continue to protect the company. The appointment of Andrew Little as the minister for Pike River re-entry was a blatant conflict of interest, since he had defended Pike River Coal in 2010 when he was the leader of the EPMU.

The union knew about the dangers at Pike River, but did not protect the workers. Immediately after the disaster, Little defended the companys safety record. Peters said Pike River demonstrated the need for workers to break politically from the Labour Party, adopt a socialist perspective, and to build rank-and-file committees independent of the unions, in order to protect their basic interests, including safety.

Bernie Monk, whose son Michael died in Pike River at the age of just 23, also addressed the book launch. Commenting on the failure to hold anyone accountable over the past decade, Monk said: Its all about money.

Monk criticised the official investigation into the disaster, calling it a huge cover-up. Police were refusing to cooperate or share information with the families, and had lost or destroyed evidence, he said. Monk and Dean Dunbar, whose son Joseph died at the age of 17 in Pike River, have worked with Richard Healey, an electrical engineer who has independently investigated the circumstances of the disasterincluding whether anyone could have survived the first explosion.

The meeting also heard from Malcolm Bray, a former mineworker and supporter of the Socialist Equality Party in Britain. Bray compared the cover-up of the Pike River disaster with the ongoing inquiry into the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, which killed 72 people. Despite the large amount of evidence that the apartment building was a death trap, no one responsible has been charged.

Bray also spoke powerfully about the 198485 miners strike, which he took part in. Thousands of miners fought against the Thatcher government and the police, and thousands were arrested and jailed, but the strike was isolated and betrayed by the unions and the Labour Party.

The last speaker, Terry Cook, from the Socialist Equality Party in Australia, spoke of the string of similar mining disasters in that country, which, as with Pike River, have been followed by inquiries whose purpose is to protect the companies responsible.

The SEPs investigations into the 1994 Moura mine disaster, in which Cook played a major role, exposed the pivotal role of the mining unions, not only in the cover-ups, but also in creating the highly unsafe conditions across the mining industry, he said.

Cook discussed the 2020 Grosvenor mine disaster, which left five workers with horrific injuries. Cook said the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union was well aware of the dangerous conditions underground, but took no action to protect workers, acting as an arm of the company. Despite an official inquiry hearing damning evidence against Anglo American, the state refused to prosecute anyone.

The speeches were followed by about an hour of questions and animated discussion.
Britains Home Office is pressing ahead with its brutal policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda. Exactly two months after announcing its Migration and Economic Development Partnership deal with the east Africa stateunder which people arriving illegally in the UK are to be sent 4,500 miles to have their asylum claim processedthe first flight is scheduled to depart on June 14.

According to the agreement, anyone deemed to have arrived irregularly in the UK since January 1, 2022 may be relocated to Rwanda. Once in Rwanda, if an asylum application is deemed legitimate, the person will only be allowed to stay in Rwanda, not the UK. If not, they will be deported to a third country.

UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, and Rwandan Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-Operation, Vincent Biruta sign the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (Credit: Priti Patel/Twitter)

On June 1, a Home Office statement said that it had begun issuing formal removal direction letters to those who are set to go to Rwanda. Among those being relocated there were People who have taken dangerous, unnecessary, and illegal journeys, including crossing the Channel

Under Home Secretary Priti Patels New Plan for Immigration, it is expected that tens of thousands of people will be flown to Rwanda and eventually, other states the UK finalises outsourcing agreements with.

The flights are going ahead despite being condemned as illegal by human rights groups.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is due to release its latest report, two days after the UK-Rwanda flight leaves, on the number of people who have suffered forced displacement globally. It estimates that the total number of asylum seekers worldwide is already at 100 million. UNHCR leader Filippo Grandi said that the Nationality and Borders Act under which the Johnson government developed its Rwanda policy undermines the ability of people in danger to seek refuge in the UK and weakens refugee protection worldwide.

None of this concerns the government. The Home Office statement quoted Patel threatening, while we know attempts will now be made to frustrate the process and delay removals, I will not be deterred... The Guardian noted that the first flight to Rwanda is set to align with a trip a week later by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Kigali for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting. Patels comments followed the deliberately incendiary comments of Johnson, who told the Daily Mail that he was prepared to dig in for the fight Weve got a huge flowchart of things we have to do to deal with it, with the Leftie lawyers.

Steven Galliver-Andrew, a barrister working in immigration law, told the BBC last week that the government has set June 14 as the deportation date but The law which allows the government to do this doesnt appear to come into force until the 28th of June 2022.

People thought to be migrants disembark from a British Border Force patrol boat after being picked up from a dingy in the English Channel in Dover harbour, England, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

At least 100 people have been sent letters telling them they are being sent to Rwanda. The Care4Calais charity said this week it was working with 80 out of 100 people in detention centres who have been sent notices of intent to remove them to Rwanda. Seventeen have had notices to say their deportation, the term used by the group, is imminent, of which 10 have been given the date June 14. They are all in detention centres and they are all very scared.

An article by Care4Calais notes, Refugees will not be safe. Rwanda is a dictatorship that imprisons, tortures and murders people who speak out against the government. International human rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and UNHCR have raised serious concerns. It would be impossible to ensure the safety of people the UK intends to send there.

Such is the fear over being sent to Rwanda that a group of asylum seekers detained at Brook House, near Londons Gatwick Airport, held a five-day hunger strike ending on June 3.

In their deportation letters, which are 20 pages long and only available in English, those selected for removal to Rwanda are told they have no right to appeal because of the way they arrived in Britain via a route not deemed legal. The Guardian listed the various nationalities of those being threatened with removal, including groups from war-torn countries Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq. The UK will assist in sending them back to the warzones they have fled from. The letter declares: You have the option to leave the UK voluntarily. However, should you be removed it will be to Rwanda.

An excerpt of the document given to asylum seekers by the UK Home Office to inform them they will be flown to Rwanda on June 14, 2022. (Credit: Ioannis E Kolovos/Twitter)

Patel, assisted by tabloids and other media spewing out filth for years about immigrants invading the UK via the English Channel, pledged that her Nationality and Borders Act would end the journeys, with Britain taking control of its borders. The reality is that her deportation system will be used against anyone the government wants kicked out. The Guardian noted, A significant number of those in the first group of 100 who have been targeted for offshoring to Rwanda are from Sudan.

Sudanese are not the largest nationality group to arrive in the UK on small boats in the first quarter of this year where they ranked seventh with 137 arrivals between January and March of this year. They have a 92% grant rate for asylum claims.

Signifying how brutal the Rwanda policy is, the Home Offices pledge that only single men would be deported to Rwanda is being exposed as a lie. According to Care4Calais, Two of the boys [to be flown to Rwanda] say that they are just 16 years old. The Home Office say they are 23 and 26 so it is essential that proper age assessments are done before any deportation takes place. One 16 year old saw his brother killed in front of him when his village was raided in Sudan. He escaped and went back later to find the whole village gone.

The Guardian cited Daniel Sohege, campaigns manager for Love146 UK, who said, We are seeing children as young as 14 being incorrectly age-assessed as 23. The number of children we have seen who have just had 1999 put down as their date of birth when they are clearly under 18 is highly concerning and putting young people at risk.

For several weeks, and again after surviving a vote of confidence in his leadership on Monday, Johnson has insisted that the government now move on in order to enact its Brexit agenda. This is premised on an upscaling of the assault on the jobs, pay, conditions and pensions of the working class, to be enforced, as the immigration policy reveals, by tearing up democratic rights.

The Rwanda policy and overall anti-immigration agenda is supported by every faction of the Tory Party, including the backbenchers posing as born-again moral crusaders seeking Johnsons removal.

The defence of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers is being criminalised. Next month, three people are to be tried after they prevented last year, as part of a huge crowd, police in Glasgow from taking away two immigrants for deportation. The Crown Office, Scotlands public prosecution service, said they were due in court on August 3/4. In a petition, the Kenmure Street Three demand that public order offence charges against them are dropped: While resisting this alongside thousands of others, we were brutalised, locked up, and are now facing a repressive and distressing court process. We should not have to go through this.

The disappearing of people thousands of miles away to a country which was the location of genocide on a vast scale less than three decades ago is only the latest salvo in the governments assault on democratic norms. The government announced its intention in Mays Queen Speech to do away with the Human Right Act 1998, which incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights. A new Bill of Rights is aimed at overhauling the Act, with Justice Secretary Dominic Raab stating in March that among the problematic areas it will address are the challenges in deporting foreign national offenders.
The following emergency resolution was unanimously adopted by the Third National Congress of the Socialist Equality Party in Sri Lanka, held online from May 1416, 2022. It is the first of two resolutions passed at the congress. The second resolution and international greetings to the event will be published later this week.

1. The current extraordinary political situation in Sri Lanka can properly be understood only by placing it in the context of the immense crisis of global capitalism, highly intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing US-NATO proxy war against Russia. A correct political orientation of the party towards the growing popular movement of workers, youth and rural toilers in Sri Lanka can only be developed through such an international approach.

2. The pandemic has brought to the surface the fundamental contradictions of world capitalismbetween the outmoded nation-state system and the highly globalised world economy and between private ownership of the means of production and socialised productiongiving them an intense explosive character. The US-NATO proxy war against Russia, using Ukraine as a bait, could lead to a direct conflict between the worlds major nuclear powers, posing the danger of World War III and threatening the lives of billions around the world. The Ukraine war crisis and harsh sanctions implemented by the US and its allies in Europe against Russia, as a part of their proxy war, have led to shortages and higher prices of food, fuel and other essentials globally, intensifying the class struggle internationally. This is the context in which the extraordinary political situation in Sri Lanka has developed.

Medical students joined by workers protesting at Ragama on May 9, 2022 against the attack at Galle Face [Photo: WSWS]

3. The mass protests against the government of President Gotabhaya Rajapakse over the unbearable conditions confronting the working people, youth and rural toilersmainly shortages and skyrocketing prices of essentials and hours-long power outageshave reached a turning point with the powerful intervention of the working class. This has been demonstrated by the participation of millions of workers throughout the country from all sectorsgovernment, private and para-publicand cutting across communal linesSinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Christianin two one-day general strikes on April 28 and May 6, and the latest general strike that erupted on May 9 following the government-instigated goon attack on protesters demanding the resignation of the president and his government. This is all the more significant given the decades-long record of all parties of the bourgeois political establishment to whip up various forms of communalism to divide and weaken the working class.

4. The ongoing anti-government uprising of workers and oppressed masses in Sri Lanka is part of an international upsurge of the working class, which has emerged against the onslaught of attacks unleashed by the governments and corporations on the basic social and democratic rights of workers through the imposition of the immense economic crisis of global capitalism, highly intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the US-NATO proxy war against Russia. As is the case globally, the popular uprising in Sri Lanka has further deepened the political crisis of the Rajapakse government and bourgeois rule.

5. The brutal attack carried out by goons organised by the Rajapakse government against anti-government protesters outside Temple Trees, the prime ministers official residence, and the main protest site at Galle Face Green on May 9, has indicated the vicious plans prepared by the government, behind the scenes, to unleash a major crackdown on the protesters. This was the part of the governments plan to intensify its moves towards dictatorial forms of rule, based on the military and police. The conduct of the police deployed at Galle Face Green in allowing club-wielding thugs to enter the protest site, destroy structures and brutally attack protesters, has been a powerful lesson for working people, showing that they will not have any protection from these sections of the bourgeois state, including the police and the military. Instead, the real role of the military and police is to defend bourgeois rule by suppressing any opposition from working people and the oppressed masses, as clearly shown again by the police shooting on unarmed protesters against higher fuel prices in Rambukkana, killing one worker, Chaminda Lakshan, and injuring dozens.

6. The May 9 goon attack clearly underscores the grave danger confronting the masses in their more than one-month long struggle against the government and, most importantly, the urgency for an independent political intervention of the working class to defend itself and the oppressed people from such attacks by government-instigated goons and the bourgeois state, the police and the military. This is also urgently necessary to secure working peoples basic rights and needs, including supplies of essentials used in everyday life, such as food, medicine and fuel. To spearhead the struggle of the working class for these requirements workers action committees, independent of the unions and all parties of the political establishment and their pseudo-left hangers on, need to be formed at all factories, workplaces, plantations and neighborhoods. This congress resolves to redouble the SEPs struggle to build action committees throughout the island, further expanding the partys initiative already taken in forming such committees among plantation and health workers, educators and artists. The party must be ready to provide maximum political assistance to working people, youth and students who take the initiative to establish action committees.

7. The powerful intervention by the working class into the ongoing anti-government uprising, and its potential threat for entire bourgeois rule, has terrified not only the Rajapakse government but also its parliamentary opposition, mainly the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). With the help of their pseudo-left hangers on and the unions, the opposition parties have busied themselves trying to piece together an alternative capitalist government in the form of an interim or all-party or national unity government, to trap the popular movement. The SEP strongly warns the working class that any such alternative capitalist government will not solve any of the acute problems confronting the workers, youth and rural poor. In the epoch of the decay of global capitalism, the bourgeoisie is totally incapable of assuring any social or democratic right to the masses. That is why they threaten to establish military dictatorship and fascism internally and unleash a third world war internationally.

8. The working class cannot trust any party of the bourgeois political establishment, none of which has economic and political policies fundamentally different from those of the Rajapakse coalition government. They all are committed to defend bourgeois class rule at any cost and will continue with austerity measures as dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The SJB has criticised the Rajapakse government for not approaching the IMF earlier, while the JVP and the Frontline Socialist Party have signalled their backing for the IMFs austerity measures and its debt restructuring program.

9. As elaborated in its statement of April 7, the SEP, while standing squarely behind the demands of working people: Gota has got to go!  has starkly raised the main issue that flows from this demand of the anti-government protest movement: What is to replace him? It then continues, It is not enough to demand Rajapakses removal, adding as a key step in addressing the current political crisis, the SEP demands the immediate abolition of the executive presidency, which, with its sweeping autocratic powers, holds a gun to the heads of the working class.

10. The SEP also warns the working class against the no politics directive made by organisers of the Galle Face protests, which reflects the dangerous political orientation of that movement. While reflecting the widespread hostility among the working people, youth and rural toilers towards all the parties of the bourgeois political establishment, drawn from their bitter experience of more than seven decades of rule under those parties, the slogan of no politics is used consciously to exclude the revolutionary socialist politics the working class needs to base itself on its struggle against bourgeois rule. It will politically disarm them before the brutal onslaught on their social and democratic rights by the Rajapakse government and the ruling class. While correctly rejecting all forms of reactionary bourgeois politics, working people, youth and rural toilers urgently need an alternative socialist political perspective and program to fight the Rajapakse regime and bourgeois rule.

11. The whole experience of working-class struggles in past years, and particularly the current anti-government popular movement, has clearly revealed the treacherous role of the trade unions in Sri Lanka as an industrial police force acting on behalf of the government and employers, like their counterparts internationally. The unions have worked to suppress the growing class struggle and when strikes have emerged, despite their efforts to prevent them, they have worked to betray them, seizing on bogus promises made by the government and employers. This was the case in the more than 100-day strike by government school teachers last year, and also during repeated strikes by public health sector and plantation workers. The unions have all maintained a deathly silence about Rajapakses repressive Essential Public Service Act which has banned strikes in the majority of the public sector.

12. The unions kept silent for weeks about the current and still growing popular protests against the Rajapakse government, treacherously blocking any independent intervention of the working class into this immense crisis situation. Having been forced to call two general strikes on April 28 and May 6 due to growing pressure from workers, the unions worked to limit those protest strike actions to one day. They later withdrew their earlier call for an indefinite general strike from May 11, thus strengthening the hands of the much-weakened Rajapakse government, allowing it to proceed with its brutal plans for repression, including the May 9 goon attack. The unions were forced to a call general strike on the evening of May 9 only after workers from several sections, including at the Colombo National Hospital and the Postal Department, began indefinite strikes upon learning about the attack. The unions, just two days later, have now also decided to call off the latest general strike, ordering workers to return to work, thus giving the Rajapakse government and the ruling class the upper hand to go ahead with their reactionary plans for suppressing the popular uprising of working people and oppressed masses. This entire bitter experience of workers with the treacherous role of unions strongly underscores the need for the workers to break from the unions and take matters into their own hands through the formation of action committees.

13. As elaborated in series of party statements issued from April 7 to May 10, and in response to the most recent events, the SEP advocates a program and policies to animate the work of the Action Committees to address the pressing needs of the masses. These include: workers democratic control over the production and distribution of all essential items and other resources critical for the lives of the people; cancellation of the debts of small farmers, fishermen, small industrialists and businessmen; the nationalisation of the banks, big corporations, plantations and other major economic nerve centres; repudiation of all foreign debts; and no to the austerity demands of the IMF and World Bank.

14. The struggle of the working class, organised through action committees on the above program and policies to rally poor peasants and other oppressed masses, is needed to be developed towards the establishment of a government of workers and peasants committed to the policies of socialist internationalism. This fight of the Sri Lankan working class is part of the broader struggle for socialism in South Asia and internationally, and will be conducted with the unity of their class brothers in South Asia and globally.

15. The working class needs to maintain and further consolidate its unity across communal divisionsclearly expressed in the current anti-government uprisingcountering the attempts by the Rajapakse government and other sections of the ruling class to whip up various forms of communalism. The SEP must fight to politically arm the working class on the basis of the program and perspective of international socialism to provide the necessary political articulation for this objective class unity and solidarity.

16. The SEP must take the initiative in enjoining the Sri Lankan working class to make a special appeal to their class brothers in India, the rest of the South Asia and internationally for support in its decisive battle against the Rajapakse government and bourgeois rule as a whole. On March 2829, tens of millions of workers throughout India joined a general strike against similar pro-investor economic reforms and austerity measures carried out by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This was the latest in a series of struggles entered into by the Indian working class in the past period. These developments provide a powerful basis for the unity of the working class in Sri Lanka and India in their common struggle against bourgeois rule.

Mass protest in Cairo's Tahrir Square on 4 February 2011 (Image: Wikipedia)

17. The Sri Lankan working class can draw valuable lessons from the courageous revolutionary struggle waged by its class brothers and sisters in Egypt in 2011, which was brutally betrayed by an amalgam of the bourgeois Muslim Brotherhood and the pseudo-left Revolutionary Socialists (RS), paving the way for a military dictatorship. Although the popular uprising of workers and the oppressed masses was able to overthrow the decades-long dictatorial regime of Hosni Mubarak in 2011, the military was able to take power under Mubaraks former Defence Minister Muhammad Tantawi, facilitated by the RS which politically subordinated the working class to sections of the national bourgeoisie and promoted illusions in the military. In elections held under military rule in 2012, the RS worked to divert popular opposition behind the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), helping it come to power. When mass anger developed against the MB government in 2013, the RS again backed the military, which then came to power through a coup led by Mubaraks former General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He has ruled Egypt ever since through a bloody dictatorship, detaining over 60,000 political prisoners and executing thousands in crackdowns on political opponents. Rajapakses continuous manoeuvres to reshuffle the government, while mobilising the armed forces on the streets, and the connivance of the parliamentary parties, including the JVP, and the treacherous role played by the pseudo-left Frontline Socialist Party, allows a rerun of these processes in Sri Lanka. To put a stop to such a catastrophe, the task now is to build the already-existing SEP, the section of the International Committee of the Fourth International in South Asia, as the mass revolutionary party of the working class.

18. From the beginning of this year, the working class has entered into unending struggles, including strikes and protests around globein the US, Europe, Australia, Africa and Latin America, etc.for decent wages, better working and living conditions and against ruling class moves forcing them to work under dangerous unsafe pandemic conditions and similar shortages and skyrocketing prices of essentials triggered by US-NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. The Sri Lankan working class need to see its struggles against the brutal assault of the Rajapakse government on their social and democratic rights as part of this growing upsurge of the international working class and orient to and unite with that international movement. For that, the independent action committees being built by Sri Lankan workers need to link up with the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC), initiated by the International Committee of the Fourth International.

19. What is most crucial in this extraordinary political situation is the building of the SEP as the mass revolutionary party of the working class. Towards that aim, the SEP must further develop its political and theoretical struggle for international socialism, building on the important advances achieved through the continuous active political intervention of party cadres among workers, youth and rural toilers during the current popular uprising.
On Sunday, the Australian Department of Defence announced that a Chinese military plane had intercepted an Australian P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea on May 26. This had resulted in a dangerous manoeuvre and a safety threat to Australian personnel.

Australian P-8A Poseidon surveillance plane in exercises over South Australian coastal waters

Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared he had issued a protest to the Chinese government over the incident, but said he could reveal little about what took place. Other senior Labor MPs, including Defence Minister Richard Marles denounced Beijing, while the corporate media immediately went into hysteria over Chinese aggression.

The Australians foreign editor Greg Sheridan was typical. His first paragraph blared that the Chinese planes alleged action was aggressive, reckless, dangerous, irresponsible, gratuitous and illegal. In other words, it was a typical act of Beijing policy in the Indo-Pacific.

Similar assertions could be cited from all the major corporate publications and the state-funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Not a single outlet has asked any of the obvious questions: Where exactly did this intercept occur? What was the Australian aircraft doing? Why was the incident announced ten days after it occurred? And where is the proof for the Australian version of events, including video footage?

The absence of even a shred of evidence, combined with the concerted government-media barrage, brands the interception story as a politically-motivated provocation. Whatever occurred on May 26, the frenzied response is aimed at ramping up tensions with China and justifying Australias increasingly aggressive role in the Indo-Pacific.

The context makes this clear. On May 21, the Australian election was held, after a campaign in which both Labor and the Liberal-National Coalition declared that it was necessary to prepare for war against China.

The first act of the incoming Labor administration, long before it had secured majority government, was to dispatch Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong to a May 24 Tokyo meeting of the Quad, the de facto anti-China alliance composed of the US, Japan, India and Australia.

There, the Labor leaders declared full support for the US drive to dominate the Indo-Pacific, after President Joseph Biden said his administration was willing to wage war on China if it moved to take over Taiwan.

Following the Quad meeting, the Labor leaders have been on a whirlwind mission in the region. Wong has traveled twice to the Pacific, threatening its leaders with unspecified consequences if they turn to China.

The purported intercept was announced the same day that Albanese and Wong arrived in Indonesia, for state talks aimed at lining Jakarta up behind the US confrontation with Russia and China.

Under conditions in which the Labor government has spent its first fortnight in office functioning as a US attack dog, the intercept story has provided it with the perfect opportunity to adopt the pose of an aggrieved party. On Monday, Albanese told the media in Indonesia that Australia had been the victim of an act of aggression and that his strong representations to China over the incident had gone unanswered.

The timing also suggests collusion with the US and its other allies. The Defence Department made its announcement on the alleged intercept several days after the Canadian military issued a June 1 statement accusing a Chinese aircraft of violating international safety norms.

The supposed incidents involving Canadian military planes occurred as they deployed to the East China Sea between April 26 and May 26. The operation, which involved US and other allied craft, was ostensibly to monitor shipments that could have violated the crippling sanctions regime against North Korea.

The Canadian military statement accused Chinas air force of buzzing its surveillance planes, i.e., flying in close proximity and forcing them to change path.

The Australian allegations are similar. In the fullest account of them, Defence Minister Marles claimed that a Chinese J-16 aircraft flew close to the side of the Australian P-8 surveillance plane, before letting off flares. It then cut in front of the P-8 and released a bundle of chaff, which contains small pieces of aluminium, some of which were ingested into the engine of the P-8 aircraft.

Again, Marles provided not the slightest evidence for these claims.

The Chinese authorities have pointed to this lack of evidence, together with the record of US-led provocations in the East and South China Seas.

An editorial in the Chinese state-owned Global Times on June 6 reported: [D]ata has shown that from February 24 to March 11, Australian military aircraft have visited the East China Sea north of the island of Taiwan six times this year to conduct close-in reconnaissance activities.

A day earlier, a Global Times article asserted: Warplanes of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) recently dealt with close-in reconnaissance and provocative activities by surveillance planes from Canada and Australia on China in the East China Sea and South China Sea respectively.

The article stated: It is possible that the Australian P-8 was about to enter or even did trespass on Chinese airspace, or it is also possible that the aircraft disrupted PLA maritime exercises in a dangerous manner, analysts said.

It continued: If the Chinese aircraft did use flares and chaff, it is possible that the Australian P-8 used its jamming pod to lase the Chinese aircraft, triggering the latters self-defense system which is programmed to automatically release the flares and chaff, Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times.

The publication recalled a February incident, trumpeted by then Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison as a major act of aggression. His government claimed that a Chinese naval flotilla had pointed a laser at an Australian surveillance aircraft in international waters off the coast of northern Australia. The Chinese military said that in fact the Australian aircraft had flown dangerously close to the Chinese vessels, as it dropped sonobuoys near them.

These murky incidents take place in the context of a more than a decade-long US military build-up in the Indo-Pacific, which has now assumed the form of overt confrontation with China. Over recent years, the US has repeatedly dispatched naval convoys in freedom of navigation exercises near Chinese-claimed waters in the South China Sea. It has similarly sought to ratchet-up tensions in the East China Sea.

The Canadian and Australian accusations prove nothing. But they do demonstrate that, aside from the highly-publicised freedom of navigation provocations, the US and its allies are conducting continuous military activities throughout the Indo-Pacific, behind the backs of ordinary people.

To the extent that there have been near misses between US-allied forces and the Chinese military, it only underscores the enormous recklessness of what is being undertaken by Washington and Canberra. The US war plans have created the conditions where a miscalculation or an error could result in direct military conflict with China.

This underscores the urgency of building an international anti-war movement of the working-class against imperialism and all its representatives, including Australias Labor government.
A northbound vehicle towing an RV caught fire near milepost 303 of I-17 Sunday afternoon, igniting a 30-acre wildfire in the roadside brush. The resulting Watermelon Fire was reported at 2:50 p.m. and said to be growing at a moderate speed through dry fuels. No one was injured and no structures were lost, and the Watermelon Fire was fully contained by 9 p.m.

The Coconino National Forest dispatched about 70 personnel, including a battalion, Hotshot crew, seven engines, two fire prevention patrol units, a fuels crew and a law enforcement officer, to the scene. By about 4 p.m., firefighters had stopped forward progress of the wildfire. North and southbound lanes of the I-17 remained closed from about 3 to 7 p.m.

The fire began in the undercarriage of the northbound vehicle, a blue Kia Sorento, and fully engulfed the SUV while it was towing an RV, said Bart Graves of the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). Fortunately, the driver was able to pull over to the shoulder and exit the vehicle safely.

Motorists stopped to help, Graves said. Multiple subjects on scene tried to disconnect the trailer from the SUV.

Its unclear how the vehicle fire began, but Graves said a lot of these fires are started by tires that implode when they disintegrate at a high rate of speed. He also mentioned that dragging tow chains, faulty oil lines, and any number of mechanical issues can result in vehicle fires, especially when combined with the hot temperatures and high volume of travel typical in summertime.

Winds caught the initial vehicle fire and spread it to the median and the roadside, covering the highway in smoke and forcing total closure of the interstate.

Traffic backed up considerably, Graves said.

Matt Anderson was heading northbound on the I-17 Sunday evening and detoured through Sedona when he encountered signs alerting him to the closure ahead. Traffic became a parking lot, Anderson said, and it took him what felt like hours, to go the roughly 17 miles from the Village of Oak Creek to the north end of Sedona, where he intended to take the 89A home to Flagstaff.

However, he and other motorists found that when they reached 89A, it too was closed due to maintenance scheduled by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Some motorists bailed, and took Schnebly Hill road to Flagstaff, but Anderson drove back to the I-17, which had started to let traffic through.

Flames were still visible in some spots as we drove back through the area, Anderson said.

While the Watermelon was fully contained by 9 p.m., Forest Service crews remained through Monday morning to mop up any remaining fires and hot spots.

This week continues to call for dry, hot conditions, according to the National Weather Service in Bellemont. The forecast has temperatures rising to nearly 90 degrees on Friday and Saturday, though wind conditions should be normal for this time of year.

Sean Golightly can be reached at sgolightly@azdailysun.com

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Did you miss National Safe Boating Week May 21-27?

The issue of safety issue must be on your mind yearround and that involves not only meeting the legal requirements -- do you have your whistle and are you avoiding E-15 fuel in your boat? -- but general on-the-water knowledge as well.

In 2020, 5,265 accidents were reported to the U.S. Coast Guard. There were 767 boating deaths, 3,191 injuries and approximately $62.5 million of damage to property.

The fatality rate was 6.5 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels. The number of injuries was up nearly 25% from 2019.

About 75% of fatal boating accident victims drowned, and 86% of them were not wearing a life jacket.

All boats need one personal flotation device per occupant and that should be the right size for each person. In Arizona, all riders the age of 12 and under must wear their PFD anytime the boat is underway.

Every vessel less than 65.6 feet in length must carry an efficient sound producing device -- like a whistle. Nighttime lights and warning device requirements vary by boat length.

From the Detroit Coast Guard comes this reminder: Boaters beware! A recent authorization allowing the summer sale of gasoline containing 15% ethanol (E15) at roadside gas stations presents a problem for boaters. This type of fuel is federally prohibited for recreational vessel use, causes marine engine damage, and will void marine engine warranty. Additionally, E15 fuel has been shown to make engines run hotter, increasing the potential of a catastrophic boat fire.

Signs or warning labels may not be obvious at the pump as it may simply be marked as regular 88 or regular unleaded. The convenience of filling a tow vehicle and boat at the same time may cause boaters to overlook this potentially dangerous detail. Please ensure the fuel you are dispensing into your boat contains no more than 10% ethanol (E10).

There are requirements for fire extinguishers, how to properly fuel your boat, and some boats must have an overboard engine kill switch.

There are a number of kayakers out on the water these days. I see paddlers with no PFD every time I am on the water. Why, I do not know.

Kayaks are often difficult to see on the water and should carry a signaling device beyond the whistle requirement. The concern is motorboaters not seeing the kayak until it is too late to avoid a collision or swamping the kayak. This device can be anything from a brightly colored paddle you can wave to alert a motor boater to smoke flares. A bright-colored PFD is also a good idea.

Carry a marine radio not only in case you get into trouble but to help others who do.

A knife carried on your PFD could well safe your life. A watercraft capsize is always a yard sale with debris, fishing line and ropes ready to wrap around you. Use that knife to cut yourself free.

Because the requirements vary for each vessel type as well as the length of the boat, you need to do some research to ensure you are compliant.

The website https://www.azgfd.com/boating is a great resource from the Arizona Game and Fish Department. There is a free program for paddlers, a free quiz for boaters, and numerous other programs with varying costs that provide you with a boater education card that is required in some states (but not required in Arizona).

In addition, https://www.uscgboating.org is a resource from the US Coast Guard. And this site covers regulation, safety, equipment recalls and defects, and boating statistics and safety videos: https://safeafloat.com/safety-videos.

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By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have discussed opportunities for cooperation in the field of small and medium businesses, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during a meeting between Azerbaijani Agency for Small and Medium Business Development Board Chairman Orkhan Mammadov and QazTrade JSC General-Director Azamat Askaruly, within the framework of the Azerbaijani-Kazakh business forum in Baku.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the support for small and medium-sized businesses and the organization of mutual trade missions.

To recall, during the business forum, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have signed several deals on economic cooperation. A memorandum of cooperation was signed between QazTrade and Ganja Entrepreneurs PA. At the same time, contracts were signed for the supply of rolled metal products, sunflower oil, salt, rice, and paint products. Moreover, an agreement was signed between the Kazakh Institute of Standardization and Metrology and the Azerbaijani State Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Patents.

Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan were established on August 30, 1992. Kazakh Embassy in Azerbaijan was opened on January 9, 1993, and Azerbaijani Embassy in Kazakhstan on March 1, 2004. The two countries closely cooperate in various fields of economy. Some 159 companies with the Kazakh capital operate in Azerbaijan in the sphere of industry, construction, trade, agriculture, transport, and services. Azerbaijani companies are also represented in the Kazakh market. Azerbaijan's investments in the Kazakh non-oil sector from 1995 to 2021 amounted to more than $200 million, while Kazakhstan's investments in the Azerbaijani non-oil sector totaled about $100 million. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan amounted to $135.7 million in 2021.
The three-alarm fire at Nox-Crete a week ago took thousands of gallons of water, at least 50 firefighters and a full night of tireless work to get under control.

But fire crews had additional help from a high-tech gadget: a remote-control nozzle attached to the top of a 105-foot aerial ladder.

Five fire trucks in the Omaha Fire Department fleet are equipped with this technology, which allows firefighters to operate the ladder and hose from the ground. This serves the dual purpose of keeping firefighters safe and allowing them to get the best vantage point.

"It helps so that we can actually walk around the truck and look at where the optimal place would be for the nozzle to hit," Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick said.

From the hand-held controller, firefighters can extend and retract the ladder, control the direction of the nozzle, turn the water flow on and off and even adjust the water's spray pattern without stepping foot on the rig.

In a fire like the one at Nox-Crete, a tool like this can be particularly helpful. Firefighters typically need to reach the tip of the ladder to get a good view of a fire, as the view from above often reveals the location of hot spots.

Last week's fire was not typical.

"This fire was a little different, because you can see everything from the ground," Fitzpatrick said.

The chemical storage warehouse owned by manufacturing company Nox-Crete went up in flames on the evening of Memorial Day, sending a plume of black smoke across the city and leading officials to recommend evacuations of nearby neighborhoods.

Although it wasn't the largest fire in recent years  that designation belongs to a four-alarm fire at an under-construction retirement home in April  Fitzpatrick said it was certainly the most jarring to witness. Neighbors reported a series of explosions as flames crept into the sky at various points.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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Grassroots efforts by NGOs and private citizens are helping raise millions of dollars to support Ukrainian forces, donating critical items from medical kits to bulletproof vests and even Turkish drones.

The public funds add to billions of dollars of weapons and other assistance provided by the U.S. and its global allies to support Ukraine as its war against Russia moves into its fourth month.

In the U.S., Americans and American companies have donated tens of millions of dollars to organizations that source and deliver hundreds of tons of supplies, ranging from military-grade items to medical assistance, and practical supplies like food and transportation.

The donations largely seem to benefit Ukraines Territorial Defense Forces (TDF), a civilian-volunteer force that was originally intended as a reserve, regional defense unit. Their numbers swelled to about 100,000 volunteers in the wake of Russias invasion on Feb 24.

While Ukrainian forces declared victory in the battle for Kyiv, Russia has taken control of larger parts of Ukraines east, called the Donbas, and Ukrainian forces are suffering heavy losses after weeks of punishing fighting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said late last month that between 60 and 100 soldiers were being killed each day, with at least 500 more wounded.

Russian missiles are also targeting Kyiv, as Russian President Vladimir Putin aims to disrupt the shipment of heavy weapons from the West, including mid- and long-range missiles from the U.S. and United Kingdom.

While Zelensky urges for more of the heavy weapons from the West, and war planes that the U.S. and others have not delivered, activists have stepped in to support under-supplied soldiers on the front lines.

In the early days of the war, the former civilians that compose Ukraines TDF force deployed to man checkpoints with rudimentary rifles, receiving only a few days worth of combat training sessions.

Today, they are being sent to frontline fighting in the east, but are described as the most under-equipped and under-trained forces.

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These territorial defense units, they were less experienced and, potentially, less efficient in terms of combat activities and they were less supplied with military resources, said Borys Danevych, a Ukrainian lawyer, who launched an organization, Yellow/Blue, focusing on sourcing donations from global corporations for frontline needs.

That was the reason why many different volunteer initiatives and organizations, they specifically focused on their needs and that is why, for example, thousands of vests, helmets, thermal imagers, quadcopters [drones] and some other non-lethal items were sourced and provided directly to these units.

Supplying military-grade items from the U.S. requires obtaining special licenses from the State and Commerce Departments, which can carry with it filing fees costing thousands of dollars.

Still, Ukrainian-American groups and others have, with these licenses, succeeded in sending hundreds of tons of frontline equipment since February, many streamlining their delivery methods since Russias initial invasion in 2014, supplying Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline in the Donbas.

The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) has donated $1.75 million worth of supplies  out of an estimated $15 million raised in the U.S.  that includes body armor, helmets, communication and night vision equipment, as well as vehicles, ambulances, ready-to-eat meals and sleeping bags.

Another community-based organization, Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (UACC), also holds licenses to export military-grade equipment. UACC has donated 12,000 pieces of body armor and 3,800 helmets, with a total value of $5.25 million.

Mick Safron, the senior vice president of UACC, said the organizations next major delivery is focused on eyes in the air and eyes on the ground, with thermal vision drones and night scopes.

Ukrainian defenders need eyes at night with drones with thermal vision cameras, so they can see Russians attack in advance from the air, and then they can regroup and they can move around the front line, he said, adding that such vision is also critical in monitoring humanitarian corridors to protect civilians.

This actually saves lives, the same way lives are saved with helmets and bullet proof vests. We are not providing them weapons, we are providing them tools to save lives of civilians, this is our mission, Safron said.

Other donations that supplement military equipment have focused on transportation and medical assistance.

Spirit of America, based in Arlington, Va., has delivered $20.8 million of assistance weighing 155 tons, ranging from protective gear, trauma kits and, recently, nine 50-passenger commercial busses. These will be used to transport TDF volunteers to frontline positions and evacuate civilians from conflict zones, the organization said.

Danevych, the Ukrainian lawyer, said his group focuses on raising money to purchase generators for hospitals near combat zones, which also provides cover for corporations that are cautious about outright equipping foreign militaries.

They were very happy to provide financial donations to cover the needs of such hospitals and, yes, they realized it would be potentially used also for the healthcare provided to soldiers, but that was not a question for them, he said.

John Herbst, a former ambassador to Ukraine and director of the Atlantic Councils Eurasia Center, said donations from American citizens prove two important points, practical support and a morale boost to Ukrainians, while demonstrating U.S. popular favor to Washington.

It demonstrates that support for Ukraine is substantial in American society, and so substantial that private Americans are using their resources and spending their time to help a country that desperately needs support as it faces this massive aggression, he said.

It also demonstrates to American politicians that American people are in on this.

America is a key destination for organizations to raise funds and source materials for the fight in Ukraine, as many supplies in Europe have either been bought up or the prices have become prohibitive.

Jonas Ohman, director of the Blue/Yellow organization, a prominent Lithuanian- and American-based fundraising and training group for Ukrainian forces, is buying drones from the U.S.  ranging in price between $1,500 and $10,000  and optics like binoculars and monoculars.

But he said the group has faced delays in obtaining the specific licenses to export. In particular, it has yet to receive permission to export about 200 binoculars, an issue it raised during recent meetings with the offices of House and Senate lawmakers, while also explaining how the organization has operated on Ukraines front line since 2014.

We feel theres a need to make our voice heard, Ohman said.

Blue/Yellow, and Lithuanians, in general, have stood out for their support for Ukraine. Earlier this month the Lithuanian Defense Ministry announced that Turkey had agreed to donate a combat drone  the Bayraktar TB2  after Lithuanian citizens raised nearly six million euros for its purchase.

Ohmans group has raised about $1 million in donations from the U.S. out of an estimated $30 million raised globally since 2014.

A key part of Ohmans meetings in Washington was urging lawmakers and the administration to remain engaged and keep up their support for Ukrainian forces as the fighting rages on.

Right now, we have a situation where the Ukrainian armed forces have been at war for three months consecutively. Theres fatigue, there have been serious losses, and people are basically  they have been put to their edge, he said.

The victories  relatively speaking  in Kyiv and Kharkiv, they help raise morale, he added, but called for a doubling-down on military support, through both government and nongovernmental organizations.

We try our best to do what we can, as an NGO, to be there and to aid and assist, he said.

We think were doing a good job, we think our methods are sound, they make sense for many reasons, wed like to share this with the U.S. administration.

Updated at 5:04 p.m.



For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his senior advisers likely fled Afghanistan without millions that went missing during the Taliban takeover, contrary to rumors, an oversight report has found. Since the government's records are now controlled by the Taliban, it might be hard to find the definitive culprit.

The interim report released by the special Inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction concluded that during the collapse of the government last summer, Ghani and his advisers may have taken closer to $500,000 as they left the country by helicopter, but the amount did not exceed $1 million, the report found.

This is far less than the $5 million that disappeared from the presidential palace and the estimated tens of millions that went missing from the National Directorate of Security vault during the chaos of the Taliban takeover.

The findings are in an interim report on the theft of funds from Afghanistan, and a final report is expected after the inspector general conducts more interviews. However, the interim report stated it would be difficult to determine who stole the millions since the government's records and security surveillance are now in the hands of the Taliban.

FILE: WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 25: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani makes brief remarks during a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, in the Oval Office at the White House June 25, 2021 in Washington, DC. / Credit: Pete Marovich / Getty Images

After more than 30 interviews with former Afghan officials, the inspector general ruled out in the interim report Ghani as the culprit, since he and his advisers were focused on evacuating quickly  and with more people than the helicopters were intended to carry.

The Russian Embassy in Kabul accused Ghani and his adviser of taking $169 million with them when they flew from Afghanistan. The inspector general found this was unlikely, due to the space and weight the cash would occupy.

The report assessed that $169 million in hundred dollar bills stacked end to end "would be somewhat larger than a standard American three seater couch," and would weigh nearly two tons.

The presidential helicopters were too overloaded with passengers and fuel to have made room for additional cargo, especially cargo weighing two tons, according to the interim report.

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As the Taliban quickly closed in on Kabul, Ghani's team focused on escaping with their lives.

The decision to flee was so abrupt that Ghani was barefoot, requiring an official to look for his shoes, and Ghani didn't even have time to find his passport before evacuating.

Ghani had arranged for his wife, former first lady Rula Ghani, to flee the country with senior officials, but as the security team was making arrangements, the situation for the president deteriorated. The head of the presidential security team warned the national security adviser that if the helicopters left Ghani behind, "the president would be killed," according to the interim report.

On Saturday, Aug. 14, Ghani delivered a video address from the presidential palace expressing his belief that the Taliban advance could be stopped, but by the end of the next day, he had fled, and videos of the Taliban inside the presidential palace were broadcast widely.

Ghani's Facebook shared a post Aug. 15, 2021, after he had already fled, that said in part, "Taliban had made it clear that they are ready to attack Kabul and the people of Kabul to remove me. To avoid a flood of bloodshed, I decided best to get out. Taliban won the judgment of sword and gun and now they are responsible for protecting the honor, wealth and self."

Georgia secretary of state testifies in Trump election probe

Summit of the Americas kicks off in Los Angeles

President Biden to host Summit of the Americas
An FDA panel recommended Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine be the fourth allowed for use in the USA. Matthew McConaughey urged an end to gun violence during a speech at the White House. And do male mice really hate bananas?

 What's up? Besides gas prices. Laura Davis here, comin' in hot with bad jokes and Tuesday's news.

But first, why are gas prices up again? Another week, another record high. We're breaking down what's driving the surge in prices  and it might not be what you think.

The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here.

New COVID-19 vaccine could be coming soon

A federal advisory committee recommended Tuesday that a fourth COVID-19 vaccine be authorized for use in the USA, this one from Novavax, a Maryland-based company. The vaccine, which was supported by $1.8 billion in taxpayer funding, relies on a more traditional approach than those from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, which have been used by more than three-quarters of Americans. Before the vaccine can become available, the head of the FDA must agree with the advisory panel that the benefits of Novavax's vaccine outweigh its risks. Then, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel and the CDC's director must sign off. That process is likely to take a few weeks at least. Novavax said it has millions of doses available and ready to be shipped once it receives authorization.

Another summer COVID-19 wave? Here's why this one is different.

A health care worker prepares a dose of Nuvaxovid vaccine from Novavax in Utrecht, Netherlands, on March 15. Unlike mRNA vaccines, Nuvaxovid does not need to be stored in ultra-low temperatures, giving it a logistical advantage in difficult-to-access regions.

Matthew McConaughey urges end to gun violence in White House speech

Actor Matthew McConaughey used the megaphone of the White House and his own star power Tuesday to urge leaders in Washington to address gun violence in honor of the young victims of the mass shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas. After meeting with President Joe Biden, McConaughey choked up as he shared the victims' stories and pressed for action. This moment is different. Were in a window of opportunity right now that we have not been in before, a window where it seems like real change  real change  can happen," he said. McConaughey was born in Uvalde, the town where he said he was taught "to revere the power and the capability of the tool that we call a gun" and where 19 children and two teachers were massacred at an elementary school last month.

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Actor Matthew McConaughey holds an image of Alithia Ramirez, 10, who was killed in the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, as he speaks during a news briefing at the White House on June 7 in Washington.

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2022 midterms: Seven states hold primary elections

Voters in seven states make their choices Tuesday in primary elections that will set fall matchups for House and Senate seats, governorships and a host of other offices. California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota hold primaries. The races aren't likely to offer huge drama, but congressional contests in several states feature politicians facing ethical hurdles or former President Donald Trump's disapproval. The roster of those running includes a California congressman who voted to impeach Trump, a party switcher in New Jersey who angered Trump by supporting an infrastructure bill and the last Democrat in Iowa's congressional delegation. Based on the results of primaries in May, many voters are concerned about the economy, abortion rights and gun control, and immigration and the border generally take a back seat. Here's USA TODAY's cheat sheet on what races to watch.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.

Why do bananas stress out male mice?

They're tasty. They're healthy. But apparently, bananas are pretty stressful for male mice. Scientists at McGill University accidentally discovered that bananas create stress in male mice because of a compound inside the fruit, according to an article published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances. Jeffrey Mogil, E. P. Taylor chair in pain studies at McGill University, said his team was doing experiments with male and female mice when a student noticed the male mice were doing something odd: When late-pregnant or lactating female mice were near the male mice, the males showed signs of stress and ran around their cages more than normal. Where do bananas come in? A compound called pentyl acetate is found in the urine of late-pregnant and lactating female mice, Mogil said, and a similar chemical compound is found in bananas. When the scientists tested the mice with banana oil, sure enough: stressed-out mice. Read more from the study here.

Real quick

 Tuesday's Ukraine news: US officials sail away with $325M Russian-owned superyacht; Zelenskyy says Ukraine troops "not capable of advancing" without more long-range weapons. Read the latest from Ukraine.

Now trending: Instagram adoption scams

Social media platforms are a relatively new frontier for those seeking to adopt  particularly now that the demand for newborns exceeds the supply. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter are taking on the liaison role traditionally played by adoption agencies. They live outside the bounds of most oversight and regulation, which can lead to financial scams, emotional damage and a lack of support services for birth mothers and adoptive families alike. A USA TODAY investigation found breakdowns at every point in the adoption process, including flawed home studies and a lack of mental health services. Keep reading: How social media has influenced the way people adopt kids.

Breanne Paquin of Akron, Ohio, holds a teddy bear in the nursery in her home that she thought would be for her adopted infant. Instead she was scammed out of $9,000 after matching with an expectant mom on Instagram.

A break from the news

 Treat the grillmaster: 15 Fathers Day gifts for dads who grill.

 Ask HR: Fired after a manic episode at work. Do I have any recourse?

 Still listening to the same music you did in high school? Me, too. How to see it all on your Spotify Pie Chart.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Novavax, Matthew McConaughey, midterm elections, adoption scams. It's Tuesday's news.
YERMO  A sculptor who has chiseled statues for U.S. political leaders, a British knight, and the Dalai Lama unveiled his newest work in unincorporated Yermo in a politically charged event centered around Sunday, the 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests.

Weiming Chen, who left China three decades ago and describes New Zealand as his home, was joined by a variety of Chinese separatists, U.S.-based opponents of communism and armed security guards Sunday to introduce the roughly 30-foot-tall statue CCP Virus II at his open-air High Desert art center called Liberty Sculpture Park.

A depiction of Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, the sculpture features a massive skull with COVID-19 spike proteins for hair, red-paint splatters representing blood, and the hammer and sickle, a symbol used by communists.

In 2021, Chen roll rolled out a similar depiction of Jinping, leader of Chinas government and the Chinese Communist Party. But Chen and his team allege that China sentspies (to) attack that sculpture several times, and finally, burn it down last year, referencing the fire that burned down the first CCP Virus sculpture, which the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department told the Daily Press its deputies responded to on the evening of July 23, 2021.

Chinese artist Weiming Chen unveiled the new CCP VIrrus II sculpture at his Liberty Sculpture Park in Yermo on June 5, 2022. His original anti-COVID-19 and anti-communist sculpture was burned after it was unveiled.

The person or people behind that inferno remain unconfirmed, but federal complaints unsealed by the U.S. Department of Justice in March accuse two individuals of conspiring to act as agents of the (Peoples Republic of China) government of harassing Chen and imply theyre behind the fire.

The DOJ, in a March 16 press release, said the two alleged perpetrators are residents of New York  Fan Frank Liu, 62, and Matthew Ziburis, 49.

Liu and Ziburis, among other things, made plans to destroy the artwork of a dissident artist whose work is critical of the PRC government, the DOJs release alleged, and the artists sculpture depicting Jinping as a coronavirus molecule was demolished in  2021.

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The Chinese government denies the allegations, previously telling the Los Angeles Times, The accusation of transnational repression schemes is totally made out of thin air. The U.S. attempt to hype up China threat and tarnish Chinas reputation is doomed to fail.

Chinese artist Weiming Chen unveiled the new CCP VIrrus II sculpture at his Liberty Sculpture Park in Yermo on June 5, 2022. His original anti-COVID-19 and anti-communist sculpture was burned after it was unveiled in 2021.

Standing up against dictators

Chen's updated sculpture is a bit taller than the original work, at about 30-feet tall and far sturdier than the first iteration  which now sits in charred rubble beside its replacement after being burnt down soon after its unveiling a year ago.

The CCP regime hate(s) and cannot stand freedom and human rights, and here you can see the evidence of CCP evil, a translator for Chen told the crowd of at least a few dozen people Sunday.

Whatever they do cannot stop us, the translator continued with bombast. We shall not (be) afraid of them, and we shall never quit fighting.

A drone strapped with a camera hovered over Liberty Sculpture Park at the Sunday unveiling.

A security team of volunteers roamed the crowd throughout Sundays event, said Lise King, spokesperson for Liberty Sculpture Park.

At least three men wore police-style uniforms, one of whom was clad head-to-toe in SWAT armor with what appears to have been both a Taser and a handgun strapped to his hip.

Each individual wore a laminated nametag with a graphic of Chens new sculpture, marked as STAFF, and donned various logos on their uniforms.

Visitors wave a Taiwan flag as Weiming Chen unveiled the new CCP Virus II sculpture at his Liberty Sculpture Park in Yermo on June 5, 2022. His original anti-COVID-19 and anti-communist sculpture was burned after it was unveiled.

The SWAT-armored man, identified on his nametag as Alex, on his left arm wore a patch that read free helicopter rides for communists, with a graphic of a person being thrown from a helicopter, and a patch that appeared to be the Taiwanese flag with a thin blue line across the center and on his right arm, a patch with a lightning bolt at the center of a shield-shaped outline; and a bulletproof vest with Chinese lettering on the back and a Taiwan flag on the front.

A more modestly police-uniformed man wore a hat that read The Stronach Group, an Ontario, Canada-based investment company whose most prominent holding is a horse racing firm. He donned a patch on his arm that read, Masters Patrol Private Security.

The presence of security, according to Chens colleagues, was meant to protect the sculptor and his work from attempts at sabotage or something worse.

Chinese artist Weiming Chen unveiled the new CCP VIrrus II sculpture at his Liberty Sculpture Park in Yermo on June 5, 2022. His original anti-COVID-19 and anti-communist sculpture was burned after it was unveiled in 2021.

In a recent blog post, Chen wrote that on May 25, someone went to the Sculpture Park in vain to attempt to destroy it again and was immediately arrested. A post earlier that day on the same blog, which appears to be sourced from Radio Free Asia, describes the same incident but says it occurred May 5.

Yet, the Sheriffs Department gave a more modest description of the incident when asked about each article.

On May 24, Sheriffs spokesperson Mara Rodriguez told the Daily Press, there was a report of a possible break-in of the donation box at Liberty Sculpture Park.

A short time later, another call was received that a subject was at the park and actively trying to break into the donation box, she continued in an email. Upon arrival, deputies spoke with the subject at the park who reported having mistakenly placed his public assistance benefits card in the box the day before. He was reportedly trying to retrieve his card. The subject did not gain access to the donation box. The situation was resolved without arrest.

Chinese artist Weiming Chen unveiled the new CCP VIrrus II sculpture at his Liberty Sculpture Park in Yermo on June 5, 2022. His original anti-COVID-19 and anti-communist sculpture was burned after it was unveiled in 2022.

A stronger protest sculpture

Chens newest anti-CCP statue is made with steel rebar, a far stronger material than his first version. The construction process took about seven months, his team says, and cost more than $50,000.

Half of that cost was covered by a New York-based nonprofit, the Human Rights Foundation.

Thor Halvorssen, who founded the HRF in 2005, joined the event Sunday, after 16 hours of flying from work he was doing in the Middle East, he said.

Halvorssen wants to spread Chens work far beyond the High Desert to multiple continents to expand the influence of his message  though he told the Daily Press it may be best to start with less politically-charged Chen pieces, he said.

If anyone wants a brief understanding of the difference between the red boot of the Chinese dictatorship and a free country, its this straightforward definition, Halvorssen alleged in a speech to the crowd. China gave us the virus; freedom gave us the vaccine.

Visitors gather at Chinese artist Weiming Chens unveiling ceremony for his replacement CCP Virus II sculpture at his Liberty Sculpture Park in Yermo on June 5, 2022. His original anti-COVID-19 and anti-communist sculpture was burned after it was unveiled in 2021.

How to attend

Liberty Sculpture Park, 37570 Yermo Road, Yermo, features an assortment of pro-liberty and anti-communist art just west of the Eddie World convenience store, directly between northbound Interstate 15 and the Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstows Yermo Annex.Information: (253) 221-9338

Charlie McGee covers Californias High Desert for the Daily Press, focusing on the city of Barstow and its surrounding communities. He is also a Report for America corps member with The GroundTruth Project, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of journalists in the U.S. and around the world. McGee may be reached at 760-955-5341 or cmcgee@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @bycharliemcgee.

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This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Artist Weiming Chen unveils anti-Chinese government sculpture
Pan-African digital payments company MFS Africa is acquiring U.S.-based Global Technology Partners (GTP) in a cash-and-shares deal worth $34 million, FT reported today.

There are very few deals of such manner; that is, an African tech company buying up a U.S.-based one. While it can be seen as bragging rights for some, MFS Africa made the deal out of a necessity for its next growth phase.

MFS Africas infrastructure merges fragmented and disparate payment schemes across Africa into one seamless network so individuals and businesses within mobile money ecosystems can transact across borders and currencies. The Africa-focused and London-based company connects more than 320 million mobile money wallets across 35+ African countries and 700 corridors.

But despite these connections across borders, millions of Africans cant still use their mobile money accounts to pay for subscription-based services run by international companies such as Netflix and Amazon.

GTP is a developer of prepaid and mobile payment software. According to PitchBook, its prepaid and mobile payment platform integrates several prepaid cards with a single bank account and allows users to make prepaid payments for online shopping and ATMs. Per FTs report, the acquisition gives MFS Africa an avenue to issue prepaid cards to its customers so they can perform these tasks.

Its mostly for international e-commerce platforms, which are not able or willing to create the user experience that will accept mobile, MFS Africa CEO Dare Okoudjou said. He also mentioned that MFS had struck a deal with Spotify to allow the music subscription company to accept mobile payments from customers in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa.

More than 500,000 clients in over 30 countries use GTP prepaid cards. With MFS Africas merger, the total clientele reach could reach several millions, Okoudjou said. The acquisition also helps MFS to expand its activities in the U.S., he added.

Unlike other African fintechs that enter new markets on their own, MFS is known for its acquisition-led expansions. The fintech, which raised $100 million in equity and debt, has made several of these moves in its bid to become a true pan-African player -- such as its acquisition of Baxi, an agent banking platform -- but buying GTS is its first purchase beyond the continent. Other African fintechs such as Chipper Cash and Flutterwave have explored expansion into the U.S.

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The GTP deal is a second win for the mobile money ecosystem -- regarding online payments --within days. Last week, Visa partnered with Safaricom, the M-Pesa mobile money operator, to launch virtual cards for M-Pesas 30 million users to make digital payments globally. Users can activate the virtual card through the M-Pesa mobile app or USSD. Previously, M-Pesa users could only make mobile money payments within the platforms network of 400,000 merchants.
Perry Johnson, a Republican gubernatorial hopeful who was disqualified from appearing on the ballot for the August primary, filed a federal lawsuit Monday in a last-ditch attempt to stop ballots from being printed without his name.

The Oakland County businessman was one of five Republican gubernatorial contenders who were disqualified from appearing on the ballot after state election officials found issues with petition signatures submitted by their respective campaigns.

Johnson's lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, calls for an injunction against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Michigan Bureau of Elections officials to prevent them from finalizing the August primary ballot before it is distributed to military and overseas voters June 18.

The deadline to finalize ballots for the August primary under state law was last Friday. The Bureau of Elections sent a list of certified candidates to county clerks Friday evening, according to a spokesperson for Benson.

More: Michigan Court of Appeals: Johnson, Markey don't qualify for August primary ballot

For Subscribers: Procedural step squashed 5 Republican campaigns for Michigan's next governor

In the complaint filed Monday, Johnson's campaign argues that Michigan voters would be disenfranchised if he was not placed on the ballot, writing, "it is in the publics interest to ensure that the fraudulent actions of a few do not cause the disenfranchisement of millions of Michigan voters who support and want to vote for Johnson as their Governor."

Republican gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson speaks before a Save America rally at the Michigan Stars Sports Center in Washington Township on April 2, 2022.

Johnson's suit asks the court to allow him to stay on the ballot through a slew of legal maneuvering: He wants the court to declare the law unconstitutional as applied to him; issue an order stopping state election officials from enforcing the 15,000 signature requirement for candidates to get on the ballot; issue an order putting his name on the ballot or decreasing the signature requirements, and stop the state from printing ballots until he has had the chance to argue his case.

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Johnson, who poured $2.5 million of his own money into his gubernatorial campaign, was one of five Republican governor contenders to miss the ballot after an unprecedented signature fraud scandal rocked the race.

Johnson's campaign turned in over 23,000 signatures, but Bureau of Elections staff found around 9,400 of the signatures to be invalid, leaving Johnson short of the 15,000 required to get on the ballot.

Issues with Johnson's petition included signatures from voters who had changed addresses or had been removed from the list of qualified voters for reasons like moving out of Michigan or dying, misspelled addresses and names and repeated usage of uncommon signature abbreviations, per the Bureau report.

The Bureau recommended to the State Board of Canvassers that Johnson be left off the ballot. The board deadlocked 2-2 along party lines during a May 26 vote, effectively leaving him off.

Previous efforts to get back on the ballot fell short at both the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Michigan Supreme Court last week. Court of Appeals judges ruled that the Bureau of Elections did not have an obligation to individually review each signature submitted by the Johnson campaign before determining certain signatures were invalid, and the Supreme Court declined to take up the case.

Along with Johnson, the Bureau of Elections found issues with signatures submitted by former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Grand Haven financial adviser Michael Markey, Byron Center businesswoman Donna Brandenburg and Michigan State Police Capt. Michael Brown, of Stevensville.

Brown ended his run after the Bureau reported signature fraud associated with his campaign. Craig, Markey and Brandenburg all filed unsuccessful court challenges to get on the August primary ballot.

Five Republican gubernatorial candidates have qualified to appear on the primary ballot in hopes of facing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, in November: Norton Shores businesswoman Tudor Dixon, Farmington Hills pastor Ralph Rebandt, Mattawan chiropractor Garrett Soldano, Pontiac businessman Kevin Rinke and Ottawa County real estate agent Ryan Kelley.

Free Press staff writer Clara Hendrickson contributed to this report.

Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @arpanlobo. Become a subscriber today.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Perry Johnson files federal lawsuit to get on GOP primary ballot
The University of Cincinnati had a big weekend

The Bearcats had eight players commit this past weekend, including four from Florida. Cincinnati has signed a total of five Florida players in 2021 and 2022 combined.

Cornerbacks Luke Evans and Jonas Duclona verbally committed to Cincinnati, along with running back Manny Covey and offensive lineman James Jenkins.

Rickards Keyon Brown (No. 11) returns the Pine Forest kickoff during the 6-A regional quarterfinals game in Pensacola on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021.

Pitt also landed a pair of Florida athletes in edge rusher Antonio Camon and cornerback Shadarian Harrison.

Here's a breakdown of the players around the state who verbally committed to Power 5 programs over the weekend.

Rickards WR Keyon Brown commits to Oklahoma

Brown has been steadily rising up the recruiting rankings since January. He picked up offers to Oklahoma and Alabama in the past few days and quickly settled on the Sooners. Brown has everything you want in an outside receiver. Hes long (6-foot-3, 190 pounds), can take the top off a defense, is a strong route runner and catches the ball well. Brown is No. 56 on the USA Today Florida Network top 100.

Chaminade-Madonna CB Luke Evans commits to Cincinnati

After the success that Cincinnati had with Ahmad Sauce Gardner and Coby Bryant last fall, its easy to see why the Bearcats would target Evans (No. 85 top 100). Hes got elite length for a cornerback at 6-foot-2, 165 pounds and is a strong cover corner who isnt afraid to hit. A former baseball player, Evans has only been playing football for a few years so his ceiling is very high.

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Naples CB Jonas Duclona commits to Cincinnati

Duclona, No. 98 on the USA Today Florida Network top 100, is a playmaker in the secondary. He finished 2021 with 38 tackles, four interceptions and 13 passes defended. The 6-foot, 175-pound Duclona is strong in coverage, agile and physical in run support. His dedication in the weight room should help his transition to the next level.

Tampa Bay Tech EDGE Antonio Camon commits to Pitt

Camon broke out last season with 78 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, nine sacks and four fumble recoveries for a Titans team that reached the Class 7A state championship game for the first time. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound edge rusher gets into the backfield in a hurry and has a relentless motor. He doesnt exactly have prototypical size, but he plays longer than his height.

Edgewater TE/WR Camp Magee commits to Northwestern

Magee is an athletic pass catcher who can break down a defense in many ways. The 6-foot-6, 210-pounder, primarily lined up outside or in the slot last season. Magee caught 18 passes in 2021, averaged better than 18 yards per catch and scored six touchdowns. He can stretch the middle of the field, catches the ball well and is a physical blocker.

Clay DB Jarvis Lee commits to Virginia

The 5-foot-11, 173-pound Lee, who also has official visits set up to Washington State, Memphis and Iowa State, committed during his official to Virginia. Lee, who plays both cornerback and safety for Clay, is an athletic player with good speed and the ability to make highlight-reel hits. Lee is outstanding in press coverage but also can play center field.

Bradford RB Manny Covey commits to Cincinnati

Covey has gone somewhat under the radar in the recruiting process, but he is a quick back who can be used in a variety of ways  including kick returner and flexed out as a receiver. The 6-foot, 185-pound Covey had 558 rushing yards, 399 receiving yards and scored 10 touchdowns last year. He has sudden quickness, cuts well and has good vision.

Carrollwood Day OL James Jenkins commits to Cincinnati

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Jenkins played both tackle and guard for Carrollwood Day but projects as an interior lineman in college. He is a physical, moves well and is a strong pull blocker. One of the best things about Jenkins' game is his consistency to finish blocks and play through to the whistle.

Dillard OT Rico Jackson commits to Illinois

Jackson certainly fits the mold of the prototypical offensive tackle. The 6-foot-6, 295-pound lineman was a key reason why the Panthers averaged close to 40 points per game during the regular season in 2021. Jackson is a physical blocker with good footwork. The Crib South Florida has Jackson as one of the top 10 offensive linemen in the talent-rich area.

Lakeland CB Shadarian Harrison commits to Pitt

A long defensive back at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Harrison is one of two Florida athletes to commit to Pitt over the weekend. Harrison is a versatile athlete  he played quarterback and had more than 1,300 all-purpose yards at Kathleen as a sophomore  who reacts well to the ball and is a willing tackler in run support.

Alex Martin (Naples Daily News) and Frank Tucker (The Crib South Florida) contributed to this report

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Football recruiting recap: Cincinnati lands four Florida commitments
Steve Clarke has questioned the logic of anyone calling for big changes in the wake of Scotlands World Cup play-off disappointment.

The Scots have spent the past week licking their wounds after being defeated 3-1 by Ukraine last Wednesday.

There has been criticism in some quarters aimed at Clarke for his tactics and team selection, while several players have been the subject of flak from supporters and pundits.

Scotland go through their paces in training (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Clarke insists he has paid little attention to the noise as he prepares his team to kick off their Nations League campaign at home to Armenia on Wednesday.

What criticism? he said, when asked about the reaction to the Ukraine game, before being informed that some pundits and supporters had been critical.

Theyre entitled to their opinion. I dont know what it (the criticism) was because I didnt read it, I didnt hear it, I didnt listen to it.

I deal with games and disappointments and move on. Weve all been hurting but you have to move on, so Armenia tomorrow, Im focused on that.

Clarke was keen to point out to his detractors that his team were unbeaten in eight games prior to the Ukraine tie.

Steve Clarkes side had an impressive unbeaten run before losing to Ukraine (Jane Barlow/PA)

We had a big disappointment to lose to Denmark last year and we bounced back with six wins, he said. Weve now lost one in nine and everybody wants to change what worked before  Im not sure where the logic is in that.

Clarke insists the post-mortem into the Ukraine game is now over and the focus should be fully on ensuring a positive Nations League campaign.

After hosting Armenia on Wednesday, Scotland face Ireland in Dublin on Saturday and Armenia in Yerevan on Tuesday.

Ukraine were better than us on the night, said Clarke. Analysis is what we do, thats part of the process. But you have to move on to the next game. Rather than harking back  I know you guys want to go back all the time  me and the players want to look forward.

Congratulations to Ukraine  We were opponents for 90 minutes on the pitch tonight, but continue to stand in solidarity with you now.#SCOUKR pic.twitter.com/DvTMtVLIsx  Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) June 1, 2022

You have to look at what went wrong but weve got another game coming up tomorrow so theres no point harking back to last week. Lets focus on tomorrow.

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Clarke intends to utilise his squad over the course of the next week.

With the way the calendar is structured now there are not so many friendly games so there are no real chances to experiment, although we had some friendlies in March which was unusual, he said.

Ive always said Ive got a really good squad, I enjoy the squad. I think there are people in the squad who deserve the chance to play over the next three games and hopefully youll see that.

Going into the first game (against Armenia), weve had seven days rest since the last game so its not so important in this one in terms of resting people. But over the course of the next six days weve got three games and a lot of travel, a long flight to Armenia, so Ill need to use the squad.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) winter wheat variety tour for the eastern most portion of south-central Nebraska is scheduled for Thursday, June 9, 2022 north of Fairbury. The tour provides an opportunity for farmers and others to learn more about new winter wheat varieties and other topics relevant to wheat production.

There are 35 released or experimental wheat varieties from seven companies in the 2022 trial near Fairbury. The event, sponsored by UNL, Farm Credit Services, and Knobel Seed, will begin at 6:30 p.m. in a replicated, winter wheat variety trial hosted by Mark and Jan Knobel.

The Fairbury tour is one of eight wheat variety tours this summer. Find information on other site tours in Nebraska, please visit cropwatch.unl.edu/2022/wheat-variety-trial-field-tours-across-nebraska-june. The tour near Fairbury starts with registration from 6:00 to 6:30 pm on Thursday, June 9. From 6:30 to 7:45 pm, there will be an introduction and welcome from Dr. Amanda Easterly and Dr. Brian Maust with the UNL Crop Performance Testing Program. Dr. Amanda Easterly, I, and industry representatives will tour and briefly discuss each variety. The UNL Small Grains Breeder, Katherine Frels, will discuss currently available and experimental varieties from the UNL breeding program. I will discuss recent on-farm research on precision nitrogen management of winter wheat. Dr. Stephen Wegulo, Nebraska Extension Plant Pathologist, will provide an update on wheat disease management. Dr. Amanda Easterly will wrap with closing remarks prior to the supper at 7:45 pm.

Supper will be served following the tour around 7:45 pm. Registration is not required to attend, but it is requested for meal planning purposes. To register by phone call 402-821-2151 and to register online visit croptechcafe.org/wheat-variety-tour

Driving directions to the wheat variety tour from Fairbury: Heading north on Highway 15 and turn west on 717th Road. After one mile, head north on 567th Avenue, plot is about 1.25 miles north from that intersection on the west side of the road. Driving directions from the north: Heading south of Highway 15 and turn west on 720th Road, after one mile, head south on 567th Avenue, plot is 1.75 miles south from that intersection on the west side of the road. GPS location of the tour: 40.237072, -97.199371

For more information about the wheat variety tour near Fairbury visit croptechcafe.org/wheat-variety-tour. If you are not able to attend the tour on June 9, you will be able to take a self-guided tour after the event until harvest. Lastly, we will discuss the results from the 2022 wheat variety trial at the Southeast Nebraska Alfalfa and Wheat Expo (croptechcafe.org/alfalfawheatexpo) on September 1 in Crete.

For potential inclement weather-related issues on June 9, contact Nathan Mueller at (402) 821-1722 or nathan.mueller@unl.edu. Know your crop, know your tech, know your bottom line at croptechcafe.org.

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Migrants seeking asylum take part in a caravan towards the border with the United States, in Huehuetan, Chiapas state, Mexico, on June 7, 2022. ISAAC GUZMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Fox News is playing up what it calls the "largest-ever migrant caravan."

Much of the coverage harkens back to the GOP's messaging ahead of the 2018 midterms.

Estimates cited by the network and other outlets are mostly from the border patrol officer union.

On Monday and Tuesday, Fox News ran a series of segments on what they described as the "largest-ever migrant caravan" gathering in Mexico, often citing an estimate that the group could swell to over 15,000.

The network would present the basics, though sometimes omitting or brushing over key context  particularly the entirely legal asylum process and the involvement of nonprofit organizations  as a group of some 11,000 people primarily from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba have gathered along the Mexico-Guatemala border in recent days.

Framing the migration as something the American public will have to "pay for," as "Fox and Friends" co-host Ainsley Earhardt did Tuesday morning, has little to do with the specifics of seeking asylum and more closely resembles what was briefly a fixture on the network back in 2018.

Ever since then, migrant caravans have repeatedly returned to the network as a topic that has not received the same intensity of attention outside of the conservative media ecosystem.

Title 42, a pandemic-related restriction on what would otherwise be legal entry into the united states, is the primary hurdle facing the asylum seekers. The Biden administration unsuccessfully tried to lift the Trump-era restriction, but a federal judge blocked the move last month and it remains in place.

Another aspect of the caravan that an organizer from a nonprofit told The Guardian is the goal of drawing attention to asylum policy and US cooperation ahead of President Joe Biden's upcoming Summit of the Americas.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced on Monday that he will not attend the summit after the Biden administration excluded the governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Lopez Obrador has also expressed sympathy for the migrants gathering in the south of the country, despite recent violent crackdowns by the Mexican National Guard.

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Ahead of the 2018 midterms, President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans focused heavily on an anti-immigration message before Democrats ultimately took back the House majority. Fox News echoed the talking points right up until the week of the election, but then dramatically reduced its coverage, according to a Washington Post analysis. This was also before the Trump administration implemented its "remain in Mexico" policy, which Lopez Obrador has defended since taking office.

The other major issue with the Fox News coverage is that the high end estimates they're using come from the National Border Patrol Council, the labor union for the United States Border Patrol officers and staff. While the union had been non-partisan since its inception in 1967, its leadership endorsed Trump in both 2016 and 2020.

There are no advisories citing the same statistics on the official website for US Customs and Border Patrol. Should the union's estimate come true, it would be one of the largest mass migrations in recorded history, but not nearly as big as forced migrations from Europe and South Asia that have numbered in the millions.

A Fox News spokesperson declined to comment for this story.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A former Colorado jail guard accused of being part of an elaborate murder-for-hire plot has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping the victim.

Jerry Banks, 34, of Fort Garland, Colorado, pleaded not guilty to a kidnapping charge on Thursday in Vermonts federal court, the Denver Post reports. He was arrested and charged in April in connection with the Jan. 6, 2018 murder of Gregory Davis, 49, of Vermont. The Denver Post notes that Banks was a part-time jail guard with the Costilla County Sheriffs Office at the time of the murder.

While Banks hasnt been charged with murder, a press release from the U.S. Attorney for Vermont states that the "government has alleged that Banks murdered Davis." Davis, who lived in Danville, Vermont  in the northeast portion of the state  was found dead in a snowbank several miles from his residence, according to the press release. Someone posing as a U.S. Marshal had pretended to arrest him at his home before he was taken away.

Investigators allege that biotech founder and researcher Dr. Serhat Gumrukcu, 39, of Los Angeles orchestrated the murder, paying for a hit on Davis after a 2015 multimillion-dollar oil deal between the two, as well as Serhat Gumrukcus brother Murat, turned bitter.

The Gumrukcus failed to perform on the deal and had made various claims about their attempts to perform. Davis believed that the Gumrukcus had lied to him about various matters, court records state, adding that Davis threatened to call the FBI on them.

Prosecutors allege that Dr. Gumrukcu had a strong motive to prevent Davis from reporting fraud because he co-founded the successful biotech company Enochian Bioscience in 2017. The company  which claims to be developing several drugs for diseases, including HIV and COVID-19  has Gumrukcu as the companys largest shareholder. He apparently owns over $100 million worth of Enochian stock, according to court records.

A federal grand jury in Vermont indicted both Serhat Gumrukcu and Berk Eratay, 35, of Las Vegas, Nevada last week with conspiring to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire which resulted in Davis death. Aron Lee Ethridge, 41, of Henderson, Nevada was also arrested in April on charges of conspiring to kidnap Davis. Ethridge was allegedly in communication with Banks before and after the kidnapping and murder, according to the feds.
The Franchise Group, operator of The Vitamin Shoppe health and wellness chain, has entered into an exclusive three-week period of sale negotiations with Kohls Corp.

Kohls said Monday evening that The Vitamin Shoppe had been given the three-week period to complete its due diligence and arrange financing for an acquisition of Kohls. The business is offering $60 a share to acquire Kohls.

More from WWD

However, Kohls said there is no guarantee a deal with The Franchise Group would be consummated.

Kohls provided no further details of The Franchise Groups bid.

While TFG is now the lead bidder, there have been other bidders including Sycamore Partners, as well as Simon Property Group and Hudson Bay Co., which are believed to have decided not to pursue Kohls after showing interest earlier this year. Preliminary offers from different parties were in the $60-plus range.

News of the arrangement with The Franchise Group on Thursday triggered a 13.5 percent or $5.68 jump in Kohls shares in after-hours trading to $47.80. Kohls shares had been down somewhat recently, in the low $40 range, following a disappointing first-quarter financial report.

When the stock price was higher, it was believed that Kohls was seeking offers close to $70 a share.

The Franchise Group is a platform for operating franchise retail operations. The companys portfolio includes Pet Supplies Plus, American Freight, Buddys Home Furnishings, Sylvan Learning, Badcock Home Furniture, Wag N Wash, as well as The Vitamin Shoppe. Considering The Franchise Group primarily operates franchises, its bid for Kohls is surprising considering Kohls does not operate franchise stores,

Upon reporting in May its first-quarter results, Kohls indicated that with its sales weakening, it decided to lower expectations for sales and earnings in 2022, so net sales are now expected to be flat to 1 percent ahead as compared to the prior year. The operating margin is now expected to be in the range of 7 to 7.2 percent, and earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $6.45 to $6.85, excluding any non-recurring charges.

Story continues

The company said it expects improvement in the back half, and remains committed to its long-term strategy, which is focused on rolling out Sephora shops inside its stores and continuing to build its appeal as a destination for casual and active apparel for the family, and for strong values. The $19.4 billion Menomonee Falls, Wisc.-based retailer anticipates tailwinds as recently implemented strategies take hold.

The Vitamin Shoppes remodeled unit in Edgewater, N.J.

FOR MORE FROM WWD.COM ON KOHLS, SEE:

A Bid for Kohls: Whats Simon Thinking?

Kohls Corp. Taking a Closer Look at Bids

Kohls Doubles Down on Store Experience

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Photo: NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx (AP)

During a news conference on Monday in Brooklyn, New York City Mayor Eric Adams shared this thoughts on the legal system with NYPD officials. His sights were set on judges and prosecutors, who he believes arent doing their part in upholding the law.



While singing the praises of police officers for being laser-focused on the shooters and making arrests, he insisted that the courts are negligent. The courts have to prosecute. Judges have to make sure they stay in. Everyone has to do their part. If not, they go out and come back, Adams remarked.

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Adams made no reference to how the NYPD has become notorious for racial profiling, nor did he address the racism that fuels police brutality. Instead, the former NYPD captain focused solely on criminals, whom he referred to as bad guys.

No one takes criminal justice seriously anymore. These bad guys no longer take them seriously, he continued. They believe our criminal justice system is a laughingstock of our entire country. We have to get serious about this cause innocent people are dying.

Adams also critiqued Albany lawmakers for not toughening up when it comes to bail laws. We made some victories in Albany around public safety. We would have liked to receive more, like the dangerousness standard thats so important, he proclaimed.

Im hoping that they can examine that in the next legislative cycle because we have to close some of those loopholes that are dealing with public safety. Sometimes I just feel with some lawmakers that theyre just not dealing in the reality. Idealism cant displace realism, Adams said.

Adams is oversimplifying a justice system thats full of discriminatory practices and one that punishes Black people far more harshly than any other group of people. Instead of viewing lawmakers as the ones solely culpable, Adams should be re-evaluating our system as a whole.
FILE PHOTO: The logo is on display in an office of the Russian largest lender Sberbank in Moscow

(Reuters) - Russia's Sberbank said on Tuesday Indian Potash Ltd (IPL) and Belarusian Potash Company (BPC) have been in discussions about settlement details of a potash sale deal and denied it was responsible for holding up the payments.

IPL set up a rupee account with Sberbank's New Delhi branch in early February at the request of the Belarusian company, given steadily toughening U.S. sanctions against Minsk since a 2020 election and a crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

According to two people familiar with the issue and a letter seen by Reuters, the Indian company complained to Sberbank that only a "negligible" part of its payment in rupees got converted into roubles. The two companies agreed that IPL would pay for Belarussian potash in rupees rather than dollars.

One of the sources told Reuters on Monday that Sberbank had not responded yet to the letter dated May 23.

"The information is not true. Both the seller and the buyer have been in discussions over the settlements' details, about which bank is not able to comment," Sberbank said on Tuesday in written comments to Reuters. "There have been no unfulfilled payments, nor claims, neither from the buyer, not from the seller, to the bank."

Russian news agency RIA, citing a source "familiar with the situation", said on Tuesday the parties have not been able to agree on who pays fees for the money transfer.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
President Joe Biden. Stefani Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

US allies were initially skeptical that Russia would invade Ukraine, the US director of national intelligence said.

Biden ordered intelligence to be released so the potential of an invasion could be planned for, Avril Haines said.

There was "a fair amount of skepticism" among US allies at the time, Haines said.

In the run-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden decided to declassify intelligence about Russia's plans to convince skeptical allies that Russia would actually do it, the US director of national intelligence said.

"When we explained to our policymakers and our policymakers went to their interlocutors, they found that there was a fair amount of skepticism about it," Avril Haines told the RSA cybersecurity conference on Monday, CNN reported.

"As a consequence, the President came back to us and said, 'you need to go out and share as much as you possibly can and ensure that folks see what it is that you're seeing, so that we can engage again and perhaps have more productive conversations about how to plan for essentially the potential of a Russian invasion.'"

Haines said that allies had been sharing a lot of intelligence to combat Russia, saying that the "degree of sharing that we have done during this whole process has been extraordinary," Infosecurity reported.

Sir Jeremy Fleming, the head of the UK's Government Communications Headquarters intelligence agency, similarly said in March that spy bodies were releasing "deeply secret intelligence" in an effort "to get ahead of Putin's actions."

Haines did not name any policymakers or single out any individual countries, agencies, or people for being skeptical of the idea that Russia would invade.

US officials had from late last year repeatedly warned, despite Russia's denials, that Russia was preparing to invade Ukraine as it massed troops near the two countries' border.

The New York Times noted in late January that the US was more vocal than many European countries in its warning of an invasion. Around that time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also told Biden to tone down his warnings of an invasion because it was creating unwanted panic, CNN reported at the time.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Deutsche Bank relocated thousands of people from Russia to Berlin, The Financial Times reported. Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

Deutsche Bank relocated hundreds of IT staffers from Russia to Berlin, The Financial Times reports.

Deutsche Bank feared Russia might plant spies among its relocated IT workforce, a manager told The FT.

The bank said it would wind down its operations in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

Deutsche Bank was so concerned Russia would plant government spies among hundreds of IT workers that it relocated from Russia to Berlin in the months following the invasion of Ukraine, a senior manager at the bank told The Financial Times.

"We have been operating under heightened cyber security awareness for some time, including exactly that threat," the manager said, speaking about its operations in Russia.

The bank took additional security measures including conducting background checks on relocated employees and checking code scripts written in Russia to mitigate the risk of espionage, the manager told The FT.

The FT reported that the bank offered all of its staff in Russia the option of relocating to Germany in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Three sources with knowledge of the matter told The FT about half of Deutsche Bank's 1,500-strong IT workforce in Russia accepted the offer.

Two sources also told Reuters the company has already relocated "hundreds" of staff but didn't give a precise figure.

The FT reported that including staffers' families, Deutsche Bank is relocating around 2,000 people in total.

Deutsche Bank announced in March it would wind down its operations in Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

The future of the bank's remaining IT operations in Russia are under review, a Deutsche Bank spokesperson told Insider.

The spokesperson declined to comment on whether the bank had been concerned about spies infiltrating its relocated workforce.

Thousands of highly skilled Russian tech workers have fled the country in a massive, sudden brain drain that damaged the country's homegrown tech industry, Insider reported in April.

Story continues

Four software engineers who left Russia told Insider in April they had no plans to return, citing economic uncertainty and Putin's crackdown on free speech.

Two of the engineers were actively applying for jobs at Meta or Google, with the hope they could secure an employer-sponsored visa to Western Europe or North America.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The online gamer Jordie Jordan, who has been tagged on social media platforms with the name Bernie in what started as a mean prank but has devolved into cyberbullying, on June 3, 2022. (Madeline Gray/The New York Times)

In the outpouring of grief immediately after the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, posts appeared on Twitter and other social media platforms about a man named Bernie. He was a teacher at Robb Elementary School who died sheltering his students from gunfire, the posts said. Many of the posts included a picture of a grinning, bearded man in glasses.

Some commenters piped up, saying they had seen that face, and that name, before.

On that point, they were right. Bernie and the photograph had appeared before on some Twitter accounts that looked as if they were from news organizations like CNN, Fox News and the BBC. One of those accounts said the man was a journalist executed in Kabul by the Taliban. A second one said he was an activist killed in Ukraine by a mine planted by Russian-backed separatists. A third said he was murdered in last months massacre at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.

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For those inclined toward conspiracy theories, the conclusion was obvious: Bernie was a so-called crisis actor, employed by the left to drum up sympathy for causes like gun control. His repeated appearances were used to prop up theories that major tragedies were hoaxes and that the mainstream media was complicit.

On all those points, the conspiracy theorists were wrong. There is no Bernie, hes not a crisis actor and news organizations are not behind the posts. And the photo? It is of a 36-year-old online gamer, Jordie Jordan. Hes alive, and he had nothing to do with the posts.

Instead, the posts are part of a yearslong harassment campaign against him, taking place on online platforms like Twitter, Reddit and Discord. The posts have over time spread bogus information about high-profile tragedies to the delight of many of those sharing the joke.

I have nothing to do with it, Jordan said. They just take a picture I put up on the internet, and they just put me into everything.

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Bernie  the full version sounds like a racial slur when spoken aloud  has appeared more than 8,700 times on Twitter, according to an analysis conducted last week by Zignal Labs, a media insights company. The name has been mentioned more than 1,200 times on Twitter since the shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, a nearly 6,000% increase from the prior two weeks, according to Zignal Labs.

The harassment seems to have started as a racist inside joke at Jordans expense. As the campaign has continued, misinformation researchers say, it has shown how mass shootings and other tragedies have become an amusement for a certain subset of the online world  a chance to sow confusion and then revel in it. The initial posts, intended to troll, sometimes fuel rumors that the massacres are false-flag operations or staged propaganda events carried out by actors.

The falsehoods add to the trauma suffered by survivors and victims families, tarnishing the memories of their loved ones. Sometimes, as was the case after the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the falsehoods lead to harassment from conspiracy theorists.

It really dehumanizes the events, the consequences of shootings, and makes it all into a joke, said Whitney Phillips, a longtime disinformation researcher.

Jordan, who streams himself playing video games on YouTube under the Wings of Redemption handle, has nearly 440,000 subscribers. He began playing Call of Duty for an online audience in 2008, after losing a job at a steel mill. Before that, he regularly appeared on a podcast, where he attracted some criticism for his statements, including some homophobic and racial slurs, and comments in support of lowering the age of consent. I have apologized profusely for the error of my juvenile thought process and live with the ramification of that every day, he said, attributing the comments to his shock jock routine.

He said he had first learned of the Bernie meme from Reddit posts in 2020. The photo that is used is a selfie he took on his front porch in 2018 and posted on Twitter.

He said he had barely been troubled by the campaign initially, calling it such a small thing compared with the multiple times, he said, that he was subjected to more dangerous trolling, including so-called swatting pranks, in which people place hoax phone calls to report fake crimes in an attempt to compel a response from law enforcement.

Jordan said he believed he had first became the target of serious trolling in 2018, after he raised tens of thousands of dollars from followers to undergo weight-loss surgery and then dragged his feet before undergoing the procedure. Photos that he posted from a hospital bed as proof that he had completed the operation were later used in fake reports of Bernies death.

In online chat rooms and livestreams, other gamers have suggested that the harassment began earlier, after Jordans displays of frustration and offensive comments during gaming sessions and podcast episodes.

I think this gives them a form of power, he said of the people posting his photo, often under accounts intended to look as if they belong to news organizations. Messing with somebody or making somebody feel bad, or saying that is just horrific that theyre so desensitized to, that gives them a feeling of belonging.

But what happens next is the even more insidious danger, Phillips said: The joke is taken at face value by the sizable portion of people who are already primed to distrust societys institutions.

It just exacerbates all the conspiratorial stuff that we have swirling around and sets us on a dangerous course, she said. It further corrodes our ability to be grounded in the same empirical reality.

Such pranks have a long historical precedent, researchers said. One man, a comedian, has been falsely named as the gunman in several mass killings, including a shooting in San Bernardino, California, in 2015.

I dont think you can find an event of significant magnitude where this doesnt happen in the aftermath  its almost a reflex at this point, said Mike Caulfield, a research scientist at the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington. Nowadays, people are promoting false-flag and crisis-actor theories 20 minutes after the event, and in very formulaic ways.

Caulfield described the cycle as almost factory production, happening like clockwork.

In Jordans case, his photo resurfaces in social media posts from accounts that mimic news outlets and even copy their logos. A report last year that Bernie had been executed by Taliban soldiers in Kabul was posted on Twitter from @CNNAfghan, a fake account that Twitter suspended, and then amplified by @BBCAfghanNews, another suspended account, which cited multiple reports of the death.

Bernie has also been described as a victim of a tornado in Kentucky in 2021 and an explosion in Beirut in 2020. @FoxNewsUkraine, a fake account with 17 followers that has also been suspended, claimed this year that he was a right-wing journalist who had been killed in Mariupol, Ukraine, while @RussiaCnn, which has two followers, said he was a pilot who had been shot down while flying toward Russia.

@CnnZim, in its only post, said Bernie was a journalist who had been caught in the crossfire between Russian and Ukrainian forces. The account, which has no followers, describes itself in its profile as a fake account, adding, Could delete later to prove how easy it is to dupe people. Several replies to the post chastised CNN, which is not affiliated with any of the fake accounts, for faulty journalism.

In response to an inquiry from The New York Times, Twitter said in a statement that it had suspended most of the accounts for violating its policy against misleading and deceptive identities.

In line with our abusive behavior policy, we prohibit content that denies that mass murder or other mass casualty events took place, where we can verify that the event occurred, and when the content is shared with abusive intent, Twitter said.

George Galloway, a former member of the British Parliament who hosted a program called The Mother of All Talk Shows on the Russian-owned news outlet Sputnik, said falsely on the air in February that Bernies online appearances were an example of disinformation spread by the mainstream media. As proof, Galloway cited a tweet from an account called CNN Ukraine, which posted the photo and described Bernie as the first American casualty of the Ukraine crisis. The account, which is not affiliated with CNN, has been suspended.

None of the liars that lied, the sewers that carried their lies, all the poor idiots who believed it all  none of them will face any consequences for it, Galloway thundered. The show now streams from his YouTube account, which has nearly 200,000 subscribers.

He said in a direct message on Twitter last week that it was an honest mistake in a fast-moving live show and that he was sincerely sorry and had apologized the night of the broadcast.

Around the same time, Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russias representative to the United Nations, used two reports about Bernie from fake CNN accounts to criticize the mainstream media.

Colleagues, beware, the main battle is not in #Ukraine, its with lies and fakes of MSM, Polyanskiy wrote on Twitter. CNN later debunked his claims, noting that the CNN Ukraine and CNN Afghanistan accounts behind the tweets are both phonies that have been suspended by Twitter for violating its policy against impersonation.

Asked this week about the post, Polyanskiy said in direct message that he had forgotten about it in the three months since he put it up and had no idea who Bernie was.

But if you imply that I wrongfully criticized MSM and because of these bogus accounts my criticism lacks credibility, I will not agree with it, he wrote.

 2022 The New York Times Company
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), left, has known state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (D) since they both unseated incumbent Democrats in 2018. (Photo: Getty Images/Associated Press)

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), left, has known state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (D) since they both unseated incumbent Democrats in 2018. (Photo: Getty Images/Associated Press)

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) endorsed state Sen. Alessandra Biaggis congressional bid on Tuesday, heightening the stakes of New York Democrats post-redistricting musical chairs game.

Biaggi is competing with Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D), the influential chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, for the Democratic nomination in New Yorks redrawn 17th Congressional District.

Ocasio-Cortezs endorsement of Biaggi, an ally since 2018, is the rare case of a member of Congress supporting a primary candidate running against a fellow member of the same state congressional delegation. It highlights the degree to which court-ordered redistricting has upended internal Democratic Party dynamics ahead of what is expected to be a bruising midterm election cycle for the party.

We can count on her to stand with our movement on critical issues such as abortion rights, championing the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, and fighting to raise the minimum wage, Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement. We have an incredible opportunity to continue building progressive power by electing Alessandra.

Ocasio-Cortez and Biaggi have been kindred political spirits since Biaggi ousted rogue Democratic state Sen. Jeffrey Klein in the Bronx months after Ocasio-Cortez landed her upset against former Rep. Joe Crowley. Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Biaggis run in that district, which overlapped with part of Ocasio-Cortezs.

I am an underdog in this race, just like I was in 2018, Biaggi told HuffPost.

The endorsement will signal to others, especially as we continue to coalition-build, that this is the campaign to join if you are an individual who wants to elect somebody who fights for the working people instead of somebody who puts his corporate donors first, the state lawmaker added.

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Ocasio-Cortezs blessing will come with a more immediate, tangible benefit as well. The progressive icon is using her massive campaign email list to fundraise for Biaggi on Tuesday.

In the email appeal, Ocasio-Cortez asks supporters to take advantage of an incredible opportunity to continue building progressive power by electing Alessandra.

Biaggi will need all the financial help she can get. As head of House Democrats campaign arm and a business-friendly lawmaker, Maloney is a top fundraiser. He had over $2 million in cash on hand as of the end of March.

Local voices are what matters in this race and theyre overwhelmingly supporting me, Maloney told The New York Times, which first reported the endorsement.

Maloney, who is white and openly gay, drew criticism in May when he announced that he would be running in New Yorks 17th, a suburban seat currently held by Rep. Mondaire Jones, one of Congress first two openly gay Black men. Court-ordered redistricting had moved Maloneys home into the district, but the majority of the seat was new terrain for him.

Jones ultimately decided to run in an entirely new district in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.

But progressives like Biaggi, who had been running in a different seat before new district lines were unveiled in May, were dissatisfied. She has argued that as the Democrat responsible for helping the party hold the House, Maloneys decision to abandon New Yorks 18th Congressional District  the more centrist seat he currently represents  hurt the party.

Biaggi now faces an awkward district hop of her own. She currently lives a 15-minute drive south of New Yorks 17th, but she and her husband are planning a move into the district in the coming weeks.

She is betting that the prevailing dissatisfaction with elected Democrats on issues like rising gas prices could benefit a progressive gatecrasher.

This race is not just about standing against him, but really, also about the direction of the Democratic Party, Biaggi said.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), who chairs House Democrats' campaign arm, is a formidable fundraiser. He angered progressives by deciding to run in a more liberal district. (Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press)

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), who chairs House Democrats' campaign arm, is a formidable fundraiser. He angered progressives by deciding to run in a more liberal district. (Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press)

Biaggi faults Maloney, a centrist who ran an unsuccessful campaign for New York attorney general in 2018, for voting to roll back part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law, for bills that would have repealed components of the Affordable Care Act, and for a bill restricting the admission of Syrian and Iraqi refugees to the U.S. (He expressed regret for the latter vote.)

In a district that now includes liberal suburban communities in Westchester and Rockland counties, as well as more rural towns in Putnam and Dutchess Counties, Biaggi is likely to face skepticism from some Democrats anxious about holding the seat in November. President Joe Biden carried the district by about 10 percentage points in 2020, which could put it within reach for a strong Republican contender in an especially bad cycle for Democrats. Assemblyman Mike Lawler (R), who represents suburban Rockland County, is expected to clinch the GOP nomination.

Asked about her electability, Biaggi cited her record of fighting to codify abortion rights and close background check loopholes  stances she said are popular with independents and some Republicans  as well as her willingness to criticize former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) while he was in office.

I am not a political insider or party hack, she told HuffPost.

Although there are moderate candidates challenging some progressive incumbents, at least one Democratic insider used the occasion of Ocasio-Cortezs endorsement to cast blame on progressives for fueling intra-party dissension at a time of mounting challenges for Democrats.

Responding to the news of Ocasio-Cortez backing Biaggi, Jim Messina, who advised former President Barack Obama, blasted Biaggi for running against Maloney. If we lose [the] [H]ouse its because of dumb shit like this, he tweeted.

National Republicans are understandably pleased to see Democrats fighting one another.

Sean Patrick Maloneys cowardly decision to run in NY-17 is backfiring stupendously, Sandra Bullock, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement responding to news of Ocasio-Cortezs endorsement.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
Adventure trips arent something you usually expect to find at a community college, but theyre just one of many aspects that set Northwest College apart, giving students the gift of travel experiences that stay with them forever.

Over our 75-year history, Northwest College students have traveled the world, says Carey Miller, NWC communications and marketing director. Our faculty and staff have taken students to destinations in North, Central and South America, including many islands in the Caribbean. Weve journeyed to Europe (Britain, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy) as well as locations in Africa (Morocco and Egypt). Weve been to Iceland; weve been to Cambodia; weve been to Japan; weve been to Hawaii and the south Pacific. If youre a student with a soul for travel, NWC is the college for you.

Through his Connecticut-based travel company, Diego Kraidelman has helped to organize international trips for NWC students once or twice a year since 2004. The goal? To deepen their understanding of and appreciation for other cultures through immersive tours and activities. Group rates help to keep the trip prices affordable, Kraidelmans knowledge guarantees an authentic and meaningful experience, and students can even earn field study credits while abroad.

The first trip Kraidelman ever planned for Northwest College started with an idea from Helena De Fina, the late wife of NWC professor Anthony Polvere. Helena wanted to share with students the experience of a gaucho (South American cowboy) festival in her native country of Uruguay.

She found me, and Ive been working with the school since then, Kraidelman, also originally from Uruguay, recalls.

Kraidelman personally leads all of the excursions, guiding groups through international destinations for 10 days or so at a time. The trips are open to all Northwest College students, but tend to appeal most to those who are studying photography or archaeology. Attendance varies by journey, usually averaging 25 travelers including faculty.

Student travel opportunities afforded to our students far surpass what is typical of your average community college, Miller adds. At Northwest College, learning outside the classroom is just as important as learning inside the classroom, which is just one part of a full student experience that NWC is renowned for. Our students can gain many college experiences in their two years here that are normally reserved for upperclassmen at four-year schools.

After organizing somewhere around 25 trips for NWC through the years, Kraidelman has established a meaningful bond with the school. Hes proud to have created not just memories, but also lasting relationships with the people he travels with.

Northwest College is in my heart, he says. I love the community; its my favorite school to work with. Ive done trips with many colleges, and the students of Northwest are so special to me. Ive been able to keep in touch with students who took my trips 14, 15 and 16 years ago. We stay connected on social media. Some have invited me to their weddings and other personal events.

Most recently, Kraidelman led a 10-day NWC adventure to Egypt. He remains excited to see where the road might take him next and looks forward to bringing others along for the ride.

I want every student to remember these trips forever, he says. And they do! Many never get the chance to travel like this again. Many have never even been on an airplane before. I want to give them the best experience I possibly can.

For more information about Northwest College student trips and field study opportunities, call 1.800.560.4692 or visit nwc.edu.

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.

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President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were briefly evacuated from their Delaware vacation home Saturday after a private airplane mistakenly entered restricted airspace, per PBS.

The incident took place before the small plane was escorted from the airspace after mistakenly entering a secured area, and the Bidens quickly returned to their Rehoboth Beach home. They were not in danger, per the White House, as the relocation was precautionary.

From a WH official:



A private plane appeared to have mistakenly entered the airspace, prompting a precautionary measure to be taken. The President and the First Lady are safe and there was not an attack. The United States Secret Service will have a statement on this shortly https://t.co/6Ftdrk2ale  Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) June 4, 2022

The pilot, who was not following published flight guidance, will be interviewed by the Secret Service. Restrictions were initially published earlier in the week by the Federal Aviation Administration, including a 10-mile radius no-fly zone and a 30-mile restricted zone.

The plane was escorted out of the secure area after mistakenly flying in, per Secret Service. The agency will interview the pilot, who was not on the right radio channel and was not following a NOTAM, per preliminary probe@ZekeJMiller would not approve https://t.co/fzlDu8waYb  Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) June 4, 2022

Planes in these types of situations, per PBS, are often intercepted by U.S. military jets and Coast Guard helicopters and urged to head to a nearby airfield for questioning and potential criminal charges.

Story continues

It was great to meet with you, @bts_bighit. Thanks for all youre doing to raise awareness around the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination.



I look forward to sharing more of our conversation soon. pic.twitter.com/LnczTpT2aL  President Biden (@POTUS) June 1, 2022

Earlier this week, Biden met with K-Pop super group BTS to discuss a rise in hate crimes against Asian-Americans. The tweet he shared on Tuesday, Forbes reveals, soon became his top tweet in office, as it includes a compilation of moments from the groups visit to the Oval Office.

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CHICAGO  Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will ask voters to send her back to City Hall for a second term as head of the nations third-largest city, she made official Tuesday.

In a video announcing her reelection bid, Lightfoot sought to transform the criticism of her as being too combative into a strength by vowing to keep fighting for Chicago residents as she seeks a second term. By embracing her image as a political pugilist, Lightfoot is betting that Chicago voters will see her as a righteous fighter rather than someone who throws unnecessary haymakers.

When we fight for change, confront a global pandemic, work to keep kids in school, take on guns and gangs, systemic inequality and political corruption only to have powerful forces try and stop progress for Chicago  of course I take it personally, for our city, Lightfoot said. Change doesnt happen without a fight. Its hard. It takes time. And, Ill be the first to admit Im just not the most patient person. Im only human, and I guess sometimes it shows. But just because some may not always like my delivery doesnt mean were not delivering.

Lightfoots announcement that she will seek reelection in the February 2023 mayoral race comes as no surprise. Despite wishful thinking by some Lightfoot critics that she would bow out of the race, the first-term mayor has long been setting up to defend her record and seek reelection.

The mayor currently faces five challengers, all of whom have raised questions about high crime and criticized her leadership as being unnecessarily divisive. So far, her opponents include South Side Alderman Roderick Sawyer, son of a former mayor; former Chicago Public School CEO Paul Vallas; Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner; Southwest Side Alderman Raymond Lopez; and businessman Willie Wilson.

During more than three years in office, Lightfoot has faced spikes in crime, has not run as transparent an administration as promised and engaged in constant fights with unions representing teachers and police  all while struggling to forge good relationships with politicians or leaders in the citys business community.

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Her polling has struggled in recent months, particularly with white and Latino voters, but the tough and combative mayor cant be dismissed.

Lightfoot has quietly built a strong relationship with several key labor leaders, who hail her progressive record on union issues like the fair workweek ordinance and a $15 minimum wage. Incumbency in any form also has power. As mayor, Lightfoot has earmarked roughly $3 billion in federal funds for city projects and shes launched a series of programs aimed at reversing one of the biggest criticisms of Mayor Rahm Emanuels tenure  disinvestment in Chicagos neighborhoods, especially on its South and West sides.

Lightfoot also can argue she deserves more time to finish the job after having faced the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and some of the citys most significant civil unrest since the 1960s.

Whoever becomes Chicago mayor in 2023 will take responsibility for a city with deep financial challenges, endemic gun violence and a troubling history of segregation that continues to exist and contribute to crime and inequity.

The next mayor will also navigate major changes in Chicago Public Schools, which will transition to an independent elected school board over the coming years. Lightfoot campaigned in favor of an elected school board but unsuccessfully tried to block a state law creating a 21-member body to oversee Chicago schools.

The popular consensus that Lightfoot alienates broad constituencies is a stark flip from the position she found herself in the April 2019 runoff election, when she carried all 50 wards in a landslide victory against Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who is also head of the Cook County Democratic Party.

But Lightfoots standing with voters is more complex and always has been.

In the first round of the mayoral campaign in 2019, Lightfoot emerged from a historic 14-candidate field with roughly 18% of the vote. While that was enough for her to take first place and move her to the final round versus Preckwinkle, it still shows that 4 out of 5 voters in that first round chose someone else. In that initial February 2019 election, Lightfoot rode broad support from lakefront voters on the North Side who are often liberal. This time, the mayor is expected to be strongest with African American voters  but that could be complicated by the field including strong Black alternatives.

Wilson, in particular, could be a challenge to Lightfoots fortunes as he won most of the citys Black wards in 2019 and helped boost her campaign on the South and West sides with his endorsement during the runoff.


Glasgow is to host the finals of the Billie Jean King Cup later this year as the competition returns to Great Britain for the first time since 1991.

The competition, previously known as the Federation Cup and then the Fed Cup, will be staged at the Emirates Arena between November 8 and 13.

Great Britain were beaten by the Czech Republic in Aprils qualifiers but, as hosts, will compete alongside the 11 other teams in the finals. It is a second major event for the Scottish city, which is also hosting group D of the Davis Cup in September.

The @BJKCup is coming home   LTA (@the_LTA) June 7, 2022

This is an amazing opportunity to build the profile of womens tennis and focus attention on womens sport, said Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong.

The entire team are thrilled about playing in front of a home crowd and hearing some loud support across the whole week.

Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Spain, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States are the other teams who will compete in four round-robin groups of three, with the group winners qualifying for semi-finals.

The arena has hosted several Davis Cup ties in previous years (Jeff Holmes/PA)

We have said that we were ambitious to bring more major events to Great Britain and raise the profile of tennis across the whole year, and Im delighted that Glasgow will be hosting the Billie Jean King Cup Finals as well as the Davis Cup Finals group stage this year, said Lawn Tennis Association chief executive Scott Lloyd.

This gives us a great chance to open up tennis to more people, and create special memories that we hope will inspire the next generation of players.
Need for a more reliable, accurate and cost-efficient testing platform

VANCOUVER, BC, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Microbiome Insights, Inc., a global leader for end-to-end microbiome sequencing and comprehensive bioinformatic analysis, announced today it was awarded an $881,000 contract from Health Canada to develop a testing platform to accurately identify and characterize micro-organisms found in microbial biotechnology products, and predict their interactions that could mask or enhance adverse effects to determine risks to human and environmental health. This contract follows an initial agreement completed in 2021 and is part of Innovative Solutions Canada, a competitive federal funding program for innovators and federal agencies to collaborate and further commercialize new technology.

Microbiome Insights Inc. (CNW Group/Microbiome Insights)

"Leveraging our expertise in metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, we are excited to continue our collaboration with Health Canada to develop a testing platform that will benefit both regulators and the manufacturers of microbial mixture products," said Dr. Pedro Dimitriu, the Head of Research and Development at Microbiome Insights. "The translation of microbiome science into products is accelerating and with this, there is a real need for a more reliable, accurate and cost-efficient way to determine the quality and safety of these new products."

Products with microbial mixtures have the capacity to perform novel and complex tasks in a diverse array of biotechnology applications, many of which support the goals of sustainability. The testing required for regulatory approval of these products can be costly, often relying on animal testing to understand their toxicity. There are no suitable test methodologies and novel approaches to determine the adverse effects of microbial mixtures.

As part of the Innovative Solutions Canada program, Microbiome Insights is developing a more reliable, accurate, and cost-efficient way to determine the quality and safety of these new products.

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About Microbiome Insights Inc.

Microbiome Insights, Inc. is a global leader providing end-to-end microbiome sequencing and comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, where samples from around the world are processed in its College of American Pathologists (CAP) accredited laboratory. Working with clients from pharma, biotech, nutrition, cosmetic and agriculture companies, and world-leading academic and government research institutions, Microbiome Insights has supported over 700 microbiome studies, from basic research to commercial R&D and clinical trials. The company's expert bioinformaticians and data scientists deliver industry-leading insights, including biomarker discovery, machine-learning-based modelling and customized bioinformatics analysis.

www.microbiomeinsights.com

Health Canada

Health Canada is the Federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health. It ensures that high-quality health services are accessible and works to reduce health risks. Health Canada is committed to improving the lives of all of Canada 's people and to making this country's population among the healthiest in the world as measured by longevity, lifestyle, and effective use of the public health care system.

www.canada.ca/en/health-canada.html

Innovative Solutions Canada

Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) is a competitive federal funding program for innovators and federal agencies to collaborate and further commercialize new technology. It is a key component of the Canadian government's Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year plan to make Canada a global innovation leader and prepare Canadians to succeed in tomorrow's economy.

www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/101.nsf/eng/home

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microbiome-insights-awarded-innovative-solutions-canada-contract-by-health-canada-to-enhance-regulatory-testing-for-microbial-biotechnology-product-301561636.html

SOURCE Microbiome Insights
Zaandam, the Netherlands, 7 June,2022  Nikos Lavidas has been appointed Brand President of Greek supermarket chain Alfa Beta Vassilopoulos (Alfa Beta), effective August 20th. In his new role, Nikos will lead Ahold Delhaizes brand Alfa Beta, which is part of the CSE region of Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia. Nikos will report into Jesper Lauridsen, COO Ahold Delhaize CSE Region and Brand President at Albert Czech Republic.



Nikos Lavidas has had an extensive career in food retail. In 2009 and 2010, he worked as Managing Director at Kraft Foods. After that he joined the Greek supermarket chain I&S Sklavenitis S.A. There Nikos worked for almost nine years, starting as Head of Strategy and Expansion. He led the company through a reorganization and a series of acquisitions, which allowed the company to grow into a major Greek retailer. He was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2019. Most recently Nikos worked at Upfield, a newly formed regional business unit of Unilever. As Managing Director, he held overall accountability for Greece, Cyprus and Albania and several other countries within South East Europe.









Wouter Kolk, CEO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia: This appointment is a positive step for Alfa Beta, our prominent Greek food retailer. Alfa Beta is strongly rooted in Greece, leads in food e-commerce and has a broad high quality and healthy offering and a successful customer loyalty program. With Nikos Lavidas on board, the team will be reinforced by someone with extensive experience in the supermarket sector as well as on the supplier side. Nikos is well able to weigh all interests and will ensure the best offer for customers, together with the Alfa Beta team. I wish Nikos all the success in his new role!

Jesper Lauridsen: I am very happy to welcome Nikos as Brand President of AB. He will join a strong team of retail professionals in serving millions of customers every day.

Nikos Lavidas: I am absolutely thrilled to be making such an important step of becoming part of AB Vassilopoulos, a company with such a strong legacy in Greece. I cannot wait to join my efforts with the AB team in this exciting and ambitious path to growth.





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- Ends -

Cautionary notice

This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words such as effective, will, step, prominent, leads, successful, be, ensure, to be, ambitious, path to, growth, to, drive and is, or other similar words or expressions, are typically used to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the Company) to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the Companys public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Companys management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Companys management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.

For more information

Press office: +31 88 6595134 / media.relations@aholddelhaize.com

Investor relations: +31 88 659 5213

Social media: Instagram: @Ahold-Delhaize | LinkedIn: @Ahold-Delhaize | Twitter: @AholdDelhaize



About Ahold Delhaize

Ahold Delhaize is one of the worlds largest food retail groups and a leader in both supermarkets and e-commerce. Its family of great local brands serves 55 million customers each week, both in stores and online, in the United States, Europe, and Indonesia. Together, these brands employ more than 413,000 associates in 7,452 grocery and specialty stores and include the top online retailer in the Benelux and the leading online grocers in the Benelux and the United States. Ahold Delhaize brands are at the forefront of sustainable retailing, sourcing responsibly, supporting local communities and helping customers make healthier choices. The companys focus on four growth drivers  drive omnichannel growth, elevate healthy and sustainable, cultivate best talent and strengthen operational excellence  is helping to fulfil its purpose, achieve its vision and prepare its brands and businesses for tomorrow. Headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands, Ahold Delhaize is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels stock exchanges (ticker: AD) and its American Depositary Receipts are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. and quoted on the OTCQX International marketplace (ticker: ADRNY). For more information, please visit:www.aholddelhaize.com.




MILAN  Leathership is the crasis furniture firm Poltrona Frau coined to describe its leadership in the leather industry. The Tolentino, Italy-based company has mastered the art of craftsmanship over the span of more than a century, making a name for itself around the globe through three departments dedicated to projects spanning from residential to automotive and custom interiors; through the plethora of collaborations with prominent designers  from Gio Ponti to Peter Marino  and brands from Ferrari to Loro Piana.

At this edition of Salone del Mobile, the company will celebrate its 110th anniversary with a special range dubbed True Evolution 2022 Collection, intended to equally honor its heritage and outline the drivers of its next chapter. Renditions of iconic designs will be flanked by new products as well as an innovative sustainability solution, which signals that theres no real leathership in 2022 without a sustainable commitment.

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In particular, the brand tapped Argentinian Spanish visual artist Felipe Pantone to reinterpret its signature Archibald armchair in a limited-edition drop of 110 pieces. Originally designed by Jean-Marie Massaud in 2009, for the occasion, the minimal frame of the furniture was jazzed up with an eccentric, pixelated graphic in vibrant colors splashed on the new Pelle Frau Impact Less leather. Tanned with sustainable components and with a chrome-free process that reduces the use of water and chemicals, the material sets the tone for a new strategy that will gradually see the introduction of the chromium-free tanning process in all Poltrona Frau leathers in the catalogue by the end of the year. As part of its sustainable mission, the company aims to halve CO2 emissions by 2030.

We only use natural fabrics and, starting from this year, weve also added completely recycled ones, said chief executive officer Nicola Coropulis. These are not meant to replace leather, but certainly to offer alternative solutions. He also added that through Pantones project the firm has discovered the beauty of printed leather, as the pattern was realized using the same technique usually reserved for small luxury goods rather than furniture.

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Poltrona Fraus limited-edition Archibald armchair reinterpreted by Felipe Pantone. - Credit: Courtesy of Poltrona Frau

Courtesy of Poltrona Frau

Coming with a certificate of authenticity, a custom-made clutch, a leather cleaning kit and a handmade miniature scale, the limited-edition rendition of the Archibald armchair also bears a plaque reporting the celebratory logo Poltrona Frau created for the milestone, which goes by 100+10 to highlight the last decade that has been pivotal for the firm.

The company has been able to adapt and evolve according to the big changes that the world has gone through, said Coropulis, listing radical shifts ranging from globalization to digital transformation, in addition to the more recent pandemic and war in Ukraine.

While these aspects represented the firms main challenges  especially in terms of retooling strategies in an agile, flexible way to face their disruptive force  they also opened it up to a change of paradigm and business opportunities that continue to define the Poltrona Frau strategy for the future.

Nicola Coropulis - Credit: Courtesy of Poltrona Frau

Courtesy of Poltrona Frau

We made an acceleration and became a global company: Only 10 years ago, around 70 percent of our business was done in Italy. This year, more than 70 percent is generated out of the country, Coropulis said.

The three business units of Poltrona Frau combined generated approximately 200 million euros in sales last year. The CEO said the target is to reach the 300 million euro benchmark in a near future, which makes for a realistic goal.

But I dont know whether this will happen in three or five years as it will also depend on how the external environment will evolve.The lockdowns in China are certainly creating some turbulence and disruption in the normal flow of business, said Coropulis of the market, though even through COVID-19 China has risen to become the top-performing region for the company, followed by Italy and the U.S.

The 2014 Albero bookcase design by Gianfranco Frattini and GranTorino sofa by Jean-Marie Massaud. - Credit: Courtesy of Poltrona Frau

Courtesy of Poltrona Frau

Whereas 10 years ago Poltrona Frau counted only one dealer in China, now it is available at 30 doors around the country, in addition to a directly operated store in Shanghai that will be flanked by a 16,146-square-foot unit opening by the end of the year.

Over the last decade, the firm launched six directly operated stores in other strategic locations including Milan, London, Miami, Los Angeles and Dubai, which added to the ones in New York, Washington, D.C., and Mumbai, among others. Coropulis revealed that the lease for a space in Madison Avenue and 34th Street in New York has been signed and a new Poltrona Frau store will additionally bow in spring 2023.

We have created a setup for the company that is growing.We are strengthening our local organizations in Asia but also in North America as we want to leverage all the opportunities that come from being part of a big industrial group in the U.S., said Coropulis, pointing to Michigan-based Haworth Inc., which took control of Poltrona Frau in 2014 and whose portfolio also includes Cappellini, Cassina, Kvadrat and Janus et Cie, to name a few.

To replenish the expanded retail network, Poltrona Frau has also been enhancing its catalogue, not only studying greener solutions but also revisioning color palettes and adding product categories. In the past 10 years, Poltrona Frau launched more than 200 products across 40 different lines of furniture  both for indoor and outdoor  textile collections, fashion leather accessories and contract furnishings.

The 2020 Chester Line sofa and Martha armchair designed by Roberto Lazzeroni. - Credit: Courtesy of Poltrona Frau

Courtesy of Poltrona Frau

The wider scope telegraphed a shift in positioning and perception Coropulis sounded particularly proud of. More and more, clients are looking at us not only as a manufacturer of [furniture] but as a provider of luxury lifestyle solutions, he said.

Furniture-wise, the CEO highlighted the booming demand for flexible and versatile solutions. It was a trend that already started before the pandemic, but it has been enhanced during COVID-19 as people spent more time at home to do things that typically did outside, he said, mentioning dining tables and sofas that can double as working stations, for example. We are incorporating many of these needs, including the one for a more compact type of designs.

Some of the new pieces included in the True Evolution 2022 Collection will match the trend, such as the Happy Jack sofa designed by Ludovica+Roberto Palomba. Other debuts in the 20-item range will include the Nice graphic chair and Homey minimal table designed by GamFratesi, as well as an unseen design by Tito Agnoli hailing from the companys archives. The collection will also kick off a new collaboration with Bulgarian designer and glass expert Assia Karaguizova on accessories and complements.

The Homey table and Nice chairs designed by Nice graphic chair and Homey minimal table designed by GamFratesi for Poltrona Frau. - Credit: Courtesy of Poltrona Frau

Courtesy of Poltrona Frau

We are a company that has been in business for 110 years, so we tend to prefer long-lasting relationships. At the same time, we understand that sometimes you need to add fresh blood to the group, said Coropulis. Poltrona Frau has partnered with more than 200 international architects and designers over the years, encompassing Achille Castiglioni, Michele De Lucchi, Frank O. Gehry and Renzo Piano, among others.

Other tie-ups included collaborations with international architecture firms such as Zaha Hadid Studio, Foster & Partners, David Chipperfield Architects and Studio Odile Decq, and key projects were developed with Herzog & de Meuron for the Elbphilharmonie complex in Hamburg; with Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas for La Nuvola convention center in Rome and with Jean Nouvel for the Louvre in Abu Dhabi.

Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. - Credit: Gilda Fernandez/Courtesy of Poltrona Frau

Gilda Fernandez/Courtesy of Poltrona Frau

But we have experienced with Felipe Pantone how fruitful a collaboration with an artist can be in opening new routes for the future, also considering that the world of art and design are so close and with a similar type of clients, concluded Coropulis.

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Shayne Lavery wants Northern Ireland to take out their frustrations on Kosovo on Thursday night after the weekends drab goalless draw against Cyprus.

A Nations League campaign that began with great optimism, a bullish Ian Baraclough having targeted 12 points from their four fixtures this month, has instead delivered disappointment with an opening 1-0 home defeat to Greece followed by a toothless display in Larnaca.

Northern Ireland, who started this campaign as top seeds in Group Two, head to Pristina in desperate need of a win to stem growing discontent among supporters, who have greeted the final whistles with some jeers in both games so far.

We want to use the hurt from not beating Cyprus to get the three points against Kosovo, Lavery said. I think everyone is motivated to do that.

Blackpool striker Lavery was a 77th-minute substitute against Cyprus and needed only a couple of minutes to curl a shot narrowly wide, but it was the hosts who had the better chances before Ali McCann missed from point-blank range in the final moments.

We were disappointed we did not come away with the win, the 23-year-old added. We just couldnt get that finishing touch.

If there were positives to take from Sundays substandard performance, it was a full debut for Manchester City teenager Shea Charles, who impressed with his passing and composure in the first half, while Brodie Spencer and Conor McMenamin got debuts off the bench in the second half.

It takes time to integrate players, Lavery added. However, I feel like we are moving forward and we are looking forward to the game against Kosovo.

Everyone just wants to play Kosovo now after the game against Cyprus so that we can hopefully put things right. We want to get the three points.

We are confident that we are gelling more and more as time goes on and hopefully the wins will come with it. There is loads of young talent coming through.

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Those youngsters have been needed on this trip due to the absence of several regulars, including Stuart Dallas, Josh Magennis, Corry Evans, and Craig Cathcart.

Baraclough has said the combination of integrating those new faces, plus the number of players who have not played regularly since their club seasons finished several weeks ago, was behind the disjointed play that has dogged Northern Ireland so far.

Its not an easy fix, the manager said. I can see when things break down, its frustrating, its basic stuff and it has a knock-on effect on confidence when it happens and you see that building in the players.

For me, Ive said to them about making mistakes, get on with it. If its in the final third its not a problem. Youve got to take risks.

Kosovo will be without Manchester City goalkeeper Aro Muric and Fidan Alti after both were sent off in a 1-0 loss to Greece on Sunday, a setback after they won 2-0 against Cyprus in their opening fixture.

Even so, former France great Alain Giresse has a number of talented players to call upon, including Napoli defender Amir Rrahmani, Norwich winger Milot Rashica and Mallorca forward Vedat Muriqi.

We have watched clips of Kosovo, Lavery said. They have some decent players who are good on the ball.
By Jason Lange and David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, easily won the Republican nomination to seek reelection in November, while a former member of Trump's cabinet was locked in a tight race in his Montana primary for the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Noem, known for her opposition to COVID-19 restrictions, won her primary with 77% of the vote, while former Trump Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke of Montana was locked in a tight race as he seeks the party's nomination to return to Congress.

At the other end of the political spectrum, San Francisco's progressive Democratic district attorney Chesa Boudin was recalled from office by Democratic voters frustrated with spikes in homicides and gun violence, according to Edison Research. With 80% of the expected vote in, 60% of voters opted for Boudin's ouster.

His fate could ring alarm bells for Democrats, who have been painted by Republicans as being lenient on crime ahead of November's midterm elections.

With President Joe Biden slumping in the polls and soaring inflation souring voters' moods, Republicans are expected to win control of the House and possibly the Senate, which would bring Biden's legislative agenda to a halt and give Republicans the power to launch distracting and possibly politically damaging investigations.

Just 41% of Americans approve of Biden's performance as president, near the lowest level of his presidency, according to a Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll completed on Tuesday.

The poll also showed the Democratic Party and the Republican Party were neck-and-neck in voter preferences ahead of the November congressional elections. Thirty-nine percent said they would vote for a Democrat compared to 37% picking a Republican. The difference was well within the poll's 4 percentage point credibility interval.

Voters in New Jersey, Iowa, Mississippi and New Mexico also cast ballots on Tuesday in nominating contests that will set the competitive field for Nov. 8's elections.

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In Montana, with about two-thirds of the expected vote counted, Zinke held 41.5 percent of the vote and Al Olszewski, a former Montana state senator, had 39.3%, according to Edison Research. The race was too close to call.

Zinke's primary came months after an inspector general report accused him of using his position as head of the Interior Department to advance a development project in his hometown and lying to an ethics investigator. He has denied wrongdoing.

South Dakota's Noem beat former state House speaker Steven Haugaard 77% to 23%.

Noem has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential running-mate if Trump seeks election again in 2024 or as a White House candidate in her own right if he does not.

Republicans are favored to easily win the South Dakota governor and Montana House races in November.

HOUSE CHALLENGERS PICKED

Republicans also nominated candidates to take on embattled House Democrats, setting the stage for contests that will help determine control of that chamber.

New Jersey Republican Tom Kean Jr. won his party's nomination to challenge embattled Democratic Representative Tom Malinowski in November, as voters cast ballots in primary elections across seven U.S. states, according to Edison Research.

Kean, the son of popular two-time Governor Thomas Kean, had more than 45% of the vote, far ahead any of his field of rivals. Malinowski, who is viewed as one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the country, also secured his renomination.

"I am both humbled and fully committed to flipping this seat in November," Kean said in a tweet after winning his primary.

In Iowa, former state Senator Zach Nunn outpaced two other Republicans to seize the party nomination to challenge embattled Democratic Representative Cindy Axne.

Nunn, the only Republican contender who has held elective office, boasts a string of endorsements from high-profile party luminaries including Trump's former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and several sitting House Republicans.

CALIFORNIA SHAKEOUT

While Boudin lost his fight against a recall in San Francisco, Rick Caruso, a billionaire developer and former Republican, battled U.S. Representative Karen Bass and a host of other liberal candidates in the Los Angeles mayoral election.

Caruso was leading Bass with 41% of the vote to 38% with some 40% of votes counted, signaling they were headed to a run-off election in November.

Caruso, who has spent more than $30 million of his own money in the campaign, made crime the centerpiece of his candidacy in a city where homicides reached a 15-year high in 2021. That forced Bass, a longtime progressive champion in Congress, to move to the center and pledge to put more police on the streets.

A replacement for Boudin will be chosen by San Francisco's mayor, London Breed, a Democrat who has criticized the prosecutor but did not take a stance on the recall.

(Reporting by David Morgan; Additional reorting by Jason Lange, Eric Beech, Kanishka Singh and Richard Cowan; Editing by Scott Malone, Mary Milliken and Alistair Bell)
WASHINGTON  A U.S. woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to organizing and leading a female military battalion in Syria, which experts said is rare.

Allison Fluke-Ekren, 42, a former resident of Kansas, traveled overseas and engaged in terrorism-related activities in Syria, Libya and Iraq from September 2019 through May 2019, according to prosecutors.

She eventually served as leader and organizer of a military battalion known as Khatiba Nusaybah, where she trained women to use AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and suicide belts, according to prosecutors. More than 100 women and children as young as 10 were trained by Fluke-Ekren.

Fluke-Ekren pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema set sentencing for Oct. 25, when she faces 20 years in prison.

This undated photo provided by the Alexandria, Virginia, Sheriff's Office in January 2022 shows Allison Fluke-Ekren. Fluke-Ekren, 42, who once lived in Kansas, has been arrested after federal prosecutors charged her with joining the Islamic State group and leading an all-female battalion of AK-47 wielding militants. The U.S. Attorney in Alexandria announced Saturday that she has been charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization.

International terrorism charges against women are extremely rare, according to experts, because men tend to dominate the misogynistic groups such as al-Qaida, the lslamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, and related groups in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world.

But a dozen cases over the last decade of U.S. citizens or permanent residents revealed women shedding traditional caretaker roles to recruit fellow warriors, train others to use rifles and explosives, and even kill.

More: Allison Fluke-Ekren is a rarity to experts: A US woman alleged to have a senior role in ISIS

Fluke-Ekren moved to Egypt in 2008 with her second husband, a now-deceased former member of the terrorist organization Ansar al-Sharia, according to prosecutors. She moved in 2011 to Libya, where she had lived with her second husband, who claimed to have removed at least one box of documents and an electronic device from the U.S. Special Mission and CIA Annex in Benghazi, when it was attacked Sept. 11, 2012, according to prosecutors.

Fluke-Ekren and her second husband moved in 2012 to Syria, where he became a leader of Islamic State snipers, according to prosecutors. In mid-2014, Fluke-Ekren told a government witness about plans to bomb a U.S. shopping mall or college, according to prosecutors.

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In mid-2016, Fluke-Ekren led and organized an effort to establish a Womens Center in Raqqa, Syria. The center provided medical services, educational services about the Islamic State, childcare, and various training to women and young girls.

As the centers leader, Fluke-Ekren also provided and assisted other female ISIS members in providing training to numerous women and young girls on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and explosive suicide belts, according to prosecutors.

In late 2016, the ISIS Wali of Raqqa approved the creation of the Khatiba Nusaybah  a military battalion to be comprised solely of female ISIS members. Witnesses said the battalion also provided certain members with instruction on physical training including martial arts, medical training and religious classes, and how to pack and prep a travel bag with rifles and other military supplies, according to prosecutors.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gibbs led the prosecution in the eastern district of Virginia.

Anne Speckhard, the director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism, questioned whether Fluke-Ekren should have been charged with or pleaded guilty to such serious terrorism charges.

The fact that she admits to being the leader of the Khatiba Nusaybah and organized weapons training for women is a damning confession, said Speckhard, who has worked with U.S., NATO and United Nations counter-terrorism agencies. She has personally interviewed at least 273 ISIS members, mostly in Iraq and Syria.

However, as it appears from her statements that she organized these trainings mainly on behalf of self-defense, this brings the battleground context into mind as we all know that ISIS was a heinous and brutal terrorist organization but few realize that (Syrian President Bashar) Assads armies, government and prisons have carried out far more atrocities in Syria than ISIS ever did," Speckhard told USA TODAY.

Assads soldiers were known to rape, so it would stand to reason that Fluke-Ekren would organize weapons training and self-defense for the women  perhaps not in the name of offensive terrorist acts but for self-defense, especially since ISIS men would typically spend two weeks in battle leaving behind the women and children.

That said, Ive heard from one of the ISIS women Ive interviewed, who knew her, and it appears the FBI knows the same, that Fluke-Ekren made statements of being capable and desiring to organize an ISIS attack inside the U.S, Speckhard said. As her case proceeds it will be interesting to learn how much a terrorist she really was and what price she will pay for it.

Contributing: Josh M

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US woman, Allison Fluke-Ekren, pleads guilty to helping Islamic State
Voters who never received their absentee ballots show up in the mail still have two options to vote before polls close Tuesday at 8 p.m.

In-person voting will take place at MetraPark all day Tuesday, starting at 7 a.m. Voters who didn't receive their absentee ballot can go to the Metra and cast a provisional ballot.

The other option is to visit the Yellowstone County Election Office at the county courthouse, which sits on the corner of N. 27th Street and 3rd Avenue North, and request a replacement ballot.

The elections office can print a new ballot, which voters can then fill out and cast there in the office. A visit to the elections office also allows voters to double-check their absentee voter status or register for by-mail voting for the fall if they're not listed as an absentee voter.

Bret Rutherford, elections administrator for the county, said his office has fielded a number of questions about missing absentee ballots.

"The lack of a poll election for almost four years has created a lot of confusion," he said by email on Monday.

Montana moved to all-mail elections in response to pandemic shutdowns beginning in spring of 2020. Rutherford explained that every voter got a ballot in the mail during that time until this year. As a result, some voters assumed they were signed up for absentee voting when in reality they weren't.

"Most of what we are seeing is people (who) have registered since 2018, did not select the absentee option, received ballots for all mail elections for a couple years and then wonder why they didnt get one (this year)," he said.

A discussion last week on the Billings' Reddit page saw a handful of voters complaining about not getting their absentee ballots in the mail and the hassle of having to travel to the elections office to get it straightened out. Some believed they had been dis-enrolled from mail-in voting.

"Those folks will need to vote at their polls tomorrow (Tuesday) but can sign up for mail ballot for the fall while there," he said.

Tuesday's primary election has drawn a lot of attention from voters. On the ballot is a question of whether to overturn legalized recreational marijuana sales in Yellowstone County.

Yellowstone County commissioners voted in December to take the question back to voters, a change from their position earlier in the summer.

In August the commissioners narrowly decided to let legalized pot sales stand and not return to voters.

And then in November Billings officials went to voters to ask whether recreational marijuana storefronts should be allowed within city limits. Voters said no, rejecting storefronts by a healthy margin, 55% to 45% favoring of the ban.

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Laurel Demkovich's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspapers managing editor.
Bitterroot native Lara Weatherly Tomov already knew there was nothing simple about the challenges people face in her home state.

What she learned over the last year is there are folks from all walks of life willing to set their differences aside and try to find common ground thats both good for the landscape and their communities.

Earlier this week, the Missoula filmmaker put the finishing touches on the last two of 19 podcasts of the "Life in the Land" project that documents those efforts.

The projects four 35-minute films that focus on four different regions of the state are already receiving acclaim from viewers.

The overarching theme in all of them is this concept of holistic approaches and community-driven initiatives that benefit both the health of the landscape and to communities, Tomov said.

This first round of the series includes films and podcasts about ongoing collaborative work happening in the central Montana plains, Seeley-Swan Valley, Big Hole Valley and the Blackfeet Nation, which was co-produced by Lailani Upham of Iron Shield Creative.

The project traces its beginnings to a 2020 meeting in Colorado of the Western Collaborative Conservation Network. A group of Montanans came home inspired to find a way to feature the success stories of diverse groups coming together to make a difference in their own state.

In that same year, Tomov started the website Stories for Action, which featured both original and curated content about people working together to find solutions to environmental and social issues.

'Life in the Land' turned into a much larger project than what the group and I originally thought, Tomov said. I think thats probably because of me. I didnt realize how complex all of these concepts were going into this.

Initially, the idea was to focus on the concept of collaborative conservation. But it didnt take long for everyone to realize that for that to happen, healthy relationships have to develop between diverse groups of people and the land where they live.

Thats often not a simple task.

People all have different values and priorities that become apparent as soon as they sit down around the table, Tomov said.

Having grown up in the Bitterroot Valley, Tomov thought she knew the concepts and pressures Montana was experiencing and the different dynamics of the state.

I learned that everything is far more complex when you get down on the ground level, she said. Issues like landscape health, water and social challenges are often painted as very black-and-white and polarizing.

Hopefully, this project will create a kind of antidote to that division and idea that these issues are black and white by showing the nuances and importance of speaking to people at the ground level who are dealing with these specific issues, she said. Whether its the way of stewarding the land or challenges dealing with social-economic pressures or drought, we hope our project will help humanize these concepts instead of slapping generalized labels on communities or sectors.

It just taps into that need to communicate with each other, especially people with different ideas and lives, Tomov said. Even within a community, one neighbor to the next will have very different experiences that need to be considered.

There have been two screenings of the films so far. On was at a Watershed of the West workshop hosted by MSU at the Museum of the Rockies. The second was in Dillon last week.

Both were met with good reviews.

Its Tomovs hope the films and podcasts will be used to help generate interest in groups working together in support of the landscape and their communities.

The films can be used as a tool to kick off workshops, events, or gatherings, she said. They hopefully will offer insights for community conversations on how community-driven approaches can be applied.

The project could also fit as a curriculum for colleges and universities or for governmental agencies looking for ways to create trusting relationships between themselves and the communities they serve.

I think they serve as a way to show the importance of the need to understand each other and challenges and pressures that we face, Tomov said. We need to seek each other out, have conversations with each other and really listen to what others are saying.

The project has been partially funded for a second season and donations are currently be accepted.

Tomov said the second season will be somewhat scaled down to two 15-minute films and four podcasts.

One will likely focus on community development work occurring in Wyola on the Crow Reservation. The second will probably focus on the impacts of growing recreational use on Montanas rivers.

Last year was our pilot year, Tomov said. We had the opportunity to see what we could do on a limited budget. Its been nice to see the project is already getting a good reception and that folks feel the need for this kind of narrative to continue.

The films and podcasts dont offer solutions and definitely are not trying to tell the whole story because the story is endless with these concepts, she said. I hope that it will help people further the dialogue in their own circles and their own work.

"The Life in the Land" project can be found at LifeintheLand.org

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More high-elevation snowfall over the weekend means it might take until Friday for Montana Department of Transportation crews to plow the Beartooth Highway to the state line.

They got more snow last weekend than on Memorial Day weekend, said Lori Ryan, information officer for MDT. Over Memorial Day weekend, parts of the pass accumulated 4 to 6 feet of snow.

From the Montana-Wyoming state line, the National Park Service has the task of clearing the roadway down to its junction with Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (Highway 296). A parks spokesperson said the agencys crews are working on plowing the route with a goal to have it open sometime later this week.

The Beartooth Pass is a key and scenic route linking Red Lodge to Yellowstone National Park's Northeast Entrance.

Likewise, the upper section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park is still winter-like. Over Memorial Day weekend multiple snow avalanches occurred at Triple Arches, delaying plowing progress, the National Park Service wrote on its Facebook page. Additional hazards include increased rockfall this weekend due to the predicted precipitation.

When the route may open is still undetermined.

Narrow margins

The snowy passes are evidence of a cool, wet May and early June that has helped ease some of Montanas water and drought woes.

Parts of the state are in really good shape, said Michael Downey, Drought Program Coordinator for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

He pointed to the Stillwater River drainage west of Billings as an example. There, the snowpack is at 168% of average for this time of the year, a gain of about three weeks of snow, Downey said, calling it significant.

The map can be confusing when it shows the Helena Valley at 685% above normal, because when you look into the details theres only 2.2 inches of snow on the ground.

A word of caution is necessary when referring to snowpack percentages this time of the year, said Eric Larson, a hydrologist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, last month. Snowpack percentages indicate how conditions compare to previous years for a given date, but these percentages can be misleading early and late in the water year.

Drought

Even so, with a state so starved for moisture every little bit is worth celebrating, Downey said. Especially when compared to last year at this time as temperatures were already soaring into the 90s. When a place like Helena only gets 10.5 inches of rain in a normal year, it doesnt take much to make things look better, Downey added.

The margins are pretty close, he said, between grasslands and sagebrush-dominated lands.

Unfortunately, much of the state still remains in moderate to severe drought, and lands in the north-central part of the state, swinging down along the Rocky Mountain Front as far south as the Musselshell River valley, remain in extreme drought.

Those same areas show up as struggling for soil moisture on the National Integrated Drought Information System, burnt brown patches next to less severe red and yellow areas on the map.

Blaine and Hill counties are super dry, Downey said, noting that even with 4 inches of moisture there was little improvement because the ground was so parched going into winter.

Our soil is so dry that it is just sucking everything up, he said. We didnt see a blip in improvement."

Streams

Downey pointed to the U.S. Geological Surveys streamflow conditions as emphasizing the disparities in water across Montana. The Teton River below the South Fork near Choteau, for example, is flowing at less than half its normal rate for this time of the year.

Even with more snow in mountains like the Beartooths, streamflows that rely on the snowpack were slow to climb until heavy rains hit, the USGS site revealed. The Yellowstone River at Livingston had been dropping below normal since the end of May before turning the corner after Friday through Mondays heavy rains. By Monday it had climbed to 16,300 cubic feet per second compared to a long-term median flow of 13,400 cfs.

The Big Hole River near Maiden Rock also saw flows climb to 4,490 cfs compared to the long-term median of 4,170 cfs, again boosted by the wet weekend storms.

Higher streamflows, and probably a lessened demand for irrigation water as it has rained, has resulted in a 5-foot climb in the elevation of Canyon Ferry Reservoir, which is still 6 feet lower than at this time last year. Fort Peck Reservoir, on the other hand, continued to drop through the month of May, down to an elevation of 2,221 feet compared to 2,233 at the same time last year  a 12-foot difference.

Bighorn Reservoir, on the Montana-Wyoming border, has an elevation thats 12 feet above the minimum launch level at Horseshoe Bends boat ramp near Lovell, Wyoming, which is always good news for local boaters.

Looking ahead

The monthly temperature outlook through this month from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts equal chances of cool, wet weather for Montana.

Right now, it looks like well maintain cooler weather through the end of the month, Downey said.

Its the three-month outlook that turns more grim, with drier and warmer weather likely in July and August, which isnt unusual for Montana.

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The cabinet has decided to set up a fund for protecting the cap on utility bills and is introducing a tax on extra profits to finance it, Marton Nagy, the minister of economic development, said in an interview to public radio on Sunday.

This year the fund will be worth 800 billion forints (EUR 2.04bn), while next year it will reach 1,000 billion forints, he added. The details of the decision will be published in the Hungarian Gazette at the weekend, he said.



Nagy said the new tax on banks, energy and trading companies and airlines, among others, would be temporary and targeted.



Companies will be monitored to ensure that they dont pass on the cost of the tax to consumers, he said.



Nagy said ministry budgets are being cut by 10%, with savings of 581 billion forints expected this year and 500 billion the next.



Also savings of 1,150 billion forints will be made in 2022-2023 by rescheduling and postponing certain public investments, he added.



Meanwhile, financial support packages will be focused on households, Nagy said, noting that local councils and businesses would no longer enjoy government subsidies.



Related savings are targeted at over 2,000 billion forints per year, with a view to hitting the budget deficit target of 4.9% of GDP this year and 3.5% in 2023.



Govt Pledges to Protect Families, Pensioners, Jobs in Hungary



The cabinet held a three-day away session in Sopron, in western Hungary, and adopted measures concerning the new tax on extra profits levied on large companies as well as the 2023 national draft budget.



It reviewed urgent tasks in connection with the protracted war in Ukraine and the threat of a global economic crisis, the prime ministers press chief said.



The goal is to protect families, pensioners, jobs, and the cap on household utility bills, while we will make large companies that have been accumulating huge profits recently contribute a large part of these to finance the cap of utility bills and protection funds, he said.



The government is committed to meeting this years 4.9% deficit target and the 3.5% target for 2023, he added.



MTI Photo: Zoltan Balogh
A pro-government columnist lambasts the EU for proposing sanctions against the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church. A conservative critic, on the other hand, accuses the government of whitewashing Putins regime.

According to multiple media reports, the European Union finally excluded the spiritual leader of the Russian Orthodox Church from the 6th sanctions package on Russia to avoid a threatened veto by Viktor Orban. European Commission Vice-President Fans Timmermans excoriated PM Orban for not showing solidarity with the EU, and urged the European Union to show strength and end Orbans gimmicks.



Magyar Nemzets Tamas Pilhal sees the exclusion of Patriarch Kirill from the EU sanctions list as another victory for Prime Minister Orban  and a slap in the face for the EU. The pro-government columnist finds it absurd that the EU wanted to impose a travel ban and an asset freeze on the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.



He contends that the proposal was part of the EUs series of crazy proposals that included facilitating immigration, recklessly promoting green energy, teaching kindergarten kids gender issues and planning to cut off Russian gas.



Pilhal suspects that the EU is acting against its own interests in order to promote US geopolitical and economic agendas. Pilhal concludes by suggesting that Prime Minister Orban cannot save the EU from itself on his own.



In Valasz Online, Andras Stumpf finds it sad that the Hungarian Prime Minister defended a man he defines as a former KGB agent and Russian President Putins strategic ally.



The conservative pundit, who is sharply critical of the government, dismisses the governments argument that by defending Patriarch Kirill it was supporting freedom of religion.



Stumpf suggests that Patriarch Kirill accrued a fortune thanks to the network he established as a KGB agent under Communism. He thinks that the EU made a mistake by yielding to Mr Orban and accuses it of becoming complicit in whitewashing an influential war-monger and, consequently, the Putin regime.



This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher.

Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online.

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LINCOLN  Jim Linderholm, York High School 1957 graduate and York High School Hall of Fame inductee, has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The college presented this award for the first time during its recent Celebration of Excellence event.

After graduating from York High School, Linderholm earned his bachelors degree from UNL in 1961, studying geology and working with the U.S. Geological Survey.

After being commissioned as First Lieutenant with the US Air Force, he worked at Strategic Air Command in Omaha, then joined HWS Consulting Group in 1965, eventually becoming president and chief executive officer. During his career, Linderholm assisted with the airport, the Haymarket Arena, the Beltway, and university campus in Lincoln as well as communities across Nebraska.

He has also served on community boards and advised Lincoln mayors and Nebraska governors. He received the Governor's Distinguished Service Award for Workforce Development in Nebraska in 2004.

Linderholm has led and currently serves on the Dean's Advisory Council. He has also been a member of the department's Alumni Advisory Board (AAB) for over 50 years where he helped establish a mentoring program for alumni and students, several endowed funds and a specialized computer lab.

Linderholm has also established private funds to support the college and department.
An Air Arabia flight from Chittagong, Bangladesh, to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), was diverted to Ahmedabad when one of the plane's engines failed mid-flight, according to senior officials from India's aviation regulator, the DGCA. Officials said on Tuesday that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated an investigation into the situation.

The flight landed at the Ahmedabad airport at approximately 9.25 pm on Monday after one of the engines "stalled" mid-air and the engine failure warning came on, they added. Due to the warning sign, the crew had to make a "mayday" call and the aircraft was allowed to conduct an emergency landing at the airport, the officials noted.

None of the passengers or crew members were injured and the aircraft landed safely, they said. A DGCA team from its Mumbai regional office, in consultation with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), has been sent to Ahmedabad to conduct the probe, the officials added.

Also read: Boycott Qatar Airways trends on Twitter after Nupur Sharmas remarks

With inputs from PTI
Twitter has been recently flooded with tweets having Boycott Qatar Airways as hashtags, taking the phrase on the trending list on Twitter. The series of incidents taking the phrase among the trending ones started from the comment of BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and the reaction of the middle eastern country to it. Now, the twitteratis are saying that the country that gave citizenship to Maqbool Fida Hussain (MF Hussain), who made pictures showing nude and obscene photos of Hindu deities is advising India on blasphemy over a statement by Nupur Sharma.

Qatar Airways has now become one of the companies which the Twitteratis want to get banned in India as the company belongs to the middle-eastern nation. One of the Twitter users said, "Please tell us the name of companies like Qatar, Arab, Iran etc, which we can ban in our country."

Please tell us the name of companies like Qatar, Arab, Iran etc which we can ban in our country

#BycottQatarAirways  vikas pandey (@VikasPa01157099) June 6, 2022

Earlier, the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal and handed him an official note, expressing disappointment and condemnation of the controversial remarks made by an official in the ruling party in India against Prophet Muhammed ANI reported quoting Qatar MOFA.

Also read: Delhi Airport to induct 62 electric vehicles to cut greenhouse gas emissions within four months

It is to be noted that along with Qatar, other middle-eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Kuwait also condemned the remarks made by Nupur Sharma on the Prophet Muhammed and hence there are demands of banning companies hailing from these nations as well.

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways and IndiGo recently reactivated their codeshare partnership after India resumed regular international passenger flights on March 27. In a codeshare partnership, each carrier on its distribution system can sell seats for other's flights. IndiGo had in November 2019 signed the codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways.

should break all political, diplomatic, commercial, etc. relations with & these countries should be taught a hard lesson for insulting the PM of the world's largest democratic country. #BycottQatarAirways



Follow : @bhav_pn pic.twitter.com/wDaUUSKPh3 June 6, 2022

On April 19, their joint statement said, "As part of this expanded code-share agreement, Qatar Airways will be placing its marketing code on IndiGo operated flights between Doha and Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, starting from April 25, and Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Kozhikode, starting from May 9."
Go First (formerly known as GoAir) has announced the commencement of daily direct flights from Kochi to Kuwait and Kochi to Muscat starting June 1, 2022. Go First has added these flights to strengthen international connectivity between India and the Middle East. The new flights to Kuwait and Musact from Kochi, in the southern state of Kerala will offer connectivity and convenient travel options to blue collar workers and migrant working class flying abroad for employment, said Go First in a statement. Here's the daily flight schedule from Kochi, effective 1st June 2022:

The flight G8 67 will fly daily from Kochi at 20:15 hours and will land Kuwait at 23:05 hours. The same flight bearing G8 68 number will return from Kuwait on the same day at 23:55 hours and will reach India (Kochi) at 07:15 hours the next day. Situated on the western front of Asia, Kuwait is a country in the Middle East that has rich cultural and commercial heritage.

Furthermore, the flight G8 65 will fly everyday from Kochi at 21:00 hours and will land in Muscat at 23:05 hours. The flight will then return bearing the number G8 66 from Muscat at 23:50 hours and will reach Kochi at 05:00 hours next day. Muscat, wedged between the mountains and the sea, is the capital city of Oman and also a trade capital for commerce across the Indian Ocean.

Also read: SpiceJets 90 pilots to undergo re-training after DGCA imposes fine on the airline

Speaking on the development, Kaushik Khona, Chief Executive Officer, Go First, said: As we eventually come out of the pandemic, we are pleased to strengthen our international presence and commence operations between Kochi to Kuwait and Kochi to Muscat. We believe that the situation is improving, and we are hopeful that this will further ease travel between India and Middle East.

Live TV
New Delhi: With the ongoing pandemic, remote as well as hybrid working are expected to be new norms for businesses across sectors. Since digital is the future, the demand for tech-savvy and digitally skilled workforce is at an all-time high. This need for trained workforce in emerging technologies will indeed surge in the times to come. In order to bridge the talent supply gap, organizations are now eager to tap tier 2 and 3 cities and source talent from the rural areas.

Various firms are eyeing a robust pan India presence and are keen on expanding their footprints in tier 2 and 3 cities including Jaipur, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Indore, Kochi, etc. just to name a few.

Shveta Raina, Associate Vice President ( Communications & People Strategy) at AVIZVA said, "India being a celebrated hub of exceptionally skilled technophiles, we aim to make the most of the remarkable potential held by the several young techies residing all across the country. As a first step towards this, AVIZVA is all set to mark its presence in a Tier-2 city with the opening of our new Workforce Centre in Indore."

"We believe that while many Tier 2 cities have exceptional infrastructure, it is the sheer lack of employment opportunities which hinders them from retaining young talent. As we scale and expand our presence across all such ambitious and futuristic cities, we not just intend to amplify our regional diversity but we also aim to provide a myriad of job opportunities to the many promising young minds located there," she added.

Suresh Kumar Chitralayam, Director of People and Operations at Vuram, shared: Vuram is expanding its global presence by opening three more offices in India and an office in the United Kingdom in 2022. In India, we have offices in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Tiruchirappalli.Further, Vuram has upcoming offices in Coimbatore, Jaipur, and Hyderabad by 2022. With over 60% of our people from rural backgrounds, expanding to Tier 2 cities help them work closer to their homes. Besides, focusing expansion to Tier 2 cities comes with a host of benefits, including happiness at work, improved quality of life, freedom from the congestion in the metros, a calmer working environment, and indirectly stimulating the local economy. At Vuram, we have a work from any office policy so our people in metros can explore working from tier 2 cities to experience life and culture across the nation."

Attracting, retaining, and engaging the workforce incurs additional expenditure for organizations. In such a scenario, onboarding talent to cater to the workforce requirements for remote jobs, firms are resorting to tier 2 and 3 cities. Tapping these cities gives companies access to a wide talent pool.

These regions have entry-level talent in abundance that are enthusiastic and willing to put in their best. Amidst reverse migration and hybrid working to be the future trends, it can be rightly said that tier 2 and 3 cities are gradually emerging as employment hubs.
Bismarck's Renaissance Zone Program will expire at the end of July after the Burleigh County Commission rejected renewing the program.

The board on Monday denied a key letter of support that would reauthorize the program for five years. There was no vote, but commissioners declined to take action on issuing a letter after a lengthy debate, citing concerns about rising property taxes.

Bismarck's City Commission, School Board and Park Board had all issued letters of support.

The program for revitalizing communities with residential and commercial development through tax incentives will expire July 31 and cannot be renewed, though the county board could revisit issuing a letter of support before that date.

The 1999 Legislature created the Renaissance Zone Program. Bismarck's zone was established in 2001. The zone encompasses downtown Bismarck and a length along Main Avenue.

Bismarck Renaissance Zone Authority Chairman Jim Christianson told the Burleigh County Commission the program "is the only economic development tool that Bismarck has, and like it or not, we do compete with Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, Jamestown and other cities for developments and projects."

Fifty-seven cities statewide have Renaissance Zones, including North Dakota's 10 largest cities, according to Christianson.

Since inception in Bismarck, the program has led to 136 completed projects and six approved or under construction, and has generated a total investment of $83.2 million and another $23.2 million in proposed investment underway, Christianson said.

A recent Renaissance Zone project is the Trestle apartment building and commercial space under construction near McDonald's on Main Avenue.

Bismarck's Renaissance Zone last year generated over $383,000 in net property taxes, distributed to the local park district, schools, city and county, according to a program study.

Renaissance Zone projects receive up to five years of tax breaks, but do continue to pay property taxes on the land value during the exemption period.

County Commission Chairman Jim Peluso raised concerns about the impact of the program's tax incentives, accuracy of the program's impacts and costs, and projects that appear to have strayed from the program's intent, saying, "It's running amok, I think."

"I don't think it's fair to the people building east, west, north, south," Peluso said. "I don't think you can compete building an apartment building in north Bismarck with one that's being built downtown under -- and who knows how much government help they're getting, other than the Renaissance Zone."

Commissioner Kathleen Jones told representatives of the state Commerce Department she's "all in favor of what we have done here in Bismarck," but suggested "somebody sit down" and review the Renaissance Zone law's changes over the years "and start over."

North Dakota's state Commerce Department manages the Renaissance Zone programs. Deputy Commerce Commissioner Shawn Kessel said review of the law has already begun, including gathering input from cities "to understand better how the Renaissance Zone could be applied within their communities."

"It is our intent to bring forth a new version of the Renaissance Zone" for the 2023 Legislature to decide, Kessel told the county board.

Commerce's recommendation will include allowing expired Renaissance Zones to be restored, he said.

Five of the 57 communities with Renaissance Zones no longer have the program. Two "regret that decision," being Watford City and Carrington, "who would love to get their Renaissance Zone back," Kessel said.

Programs in Kenmare, Rolla and Westhope expired in 2021.

Commissioner Becky Matthews said she sees the program as an improvement in quality of life for residents, seeing a need for more residential area and citing the tax impact.

Bismarck developer Ron Knutson spoke against the program's renewal, saying local investors and taxpayers "have had over 20 years, and that's enough." He said non-Renaissance developers can't compete and also see their taxes raised, "so it's a double whammy."

"Level the playing field. Let the capitalism that was invented in this country work, and it will," Knutson told the board.

Downtowners Association Chief Operating Officer Kate Herzog said a variety of government funds "go into developments everywhere within the county," including roads outside of downtown Bismarck.

"To say that it's a level playing field or to get there, we would have to basically change our entire development system within the city and county about how everything is paid for, so I think really that's (what) levels the playing field downtown," Herzog told the board. "And also I think the point of the zone is that you're building on areas with existing infrastructure."

Commissioner Mark Armstrong said he thinks the board not issuing a letter of support "will get the attention of the legislative (assembly), so the program could be back in by, what, next July 1."

Bismarck City Commissioner Greg Zenker, who sits on the zone authority, pointed out the city commission's vote was unanimous for a letter of support.

He told the Tribune that while the Renaissance Zone took several years to produce a return on investment, "it quickly gathered momentum and now there is a return on investment."

Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com.

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New Delhi: Radhika Gupta has come a long way from being bullied to becoming one of the country's youngest chief executive officers. Gupta, the CEO of Edelweiss MF, opened up about her journey over the years in a recent post by 'Humans of Bombay,' an online photo-blog where residents, especially from Mumbai, share their lived experiences.

"I was born with a twisted neck," says the narrator. If that wasn't enough, I was constantly the new kid, shifting nations every three years," writes the 39-year-old in a blog post. "In seventh grade, I was the awkward new kid, surrounded by peers who mocked my heavy Indian accent. "They called me 'Apu,' after the Simpsons character," she adds. Read More:

Torticollis, or "crooked neck," as Gupta describes it in the post, is an uncommon disorder in which the neck muscles tighten and cause the head to twist to one side. Read More:

Gupta then recalls how her self-esteem was harmed at an early age when she was compared to her mother, who worked at the same school. "People constantly commented on how unattractive I was in comparison, and my self-esteem sank. Over time, I learned to suppress my insecurities, but they never went away "she explains.

"Years later, when I was 22, and had received my seventh job rejection, I gazed out the window of my dorm room and declared, "I'm going to jump." My friend, alarmed, requested assistance. I was taken to a psychiatric facility and labelled with depression, Gupta continues.

"They only let me go later because I stated, "I have a job interview - this is my only chance." And later that day, I got the job - at McKinsey!"

She left her work in the United States three years later and returned to India to start her own asset management company with her husband and a friend. "I felt compelled to try something new after surviving the financial crisis of 2008; I didn't want to become complacent. So, at the age of 25, I left my work in the United States and relocated to India."

Edelweiss MF purchased her company a few years later. "I started working my way up the corporate ladder. In a room full of suits, I became a saree, but it didn't stop me from reaching out for opportunities, "Gupta continues.

She also discusses how her spouse pushed her to apply for the CEO role at Edelweiss MF. "I paused for a moment. 'Why would they hire me?' I wondered. 'You're the best person for the position!' my spouse reassured me."

"And then, at the age of 33, I became one of India's youngest CEOs! I was giddy with joy! "she explains.

Gupta also mentions an occurrence that "changed her life" in the essay. "I talked about my childhood worries about my appearance, my problems with rejection, and my eventual suicide attempt. I let go of all the baggage I'd been carrying around with me. And my words spread far and wide, earning me the moniker "the girl with the shattered neck," she continued.

Despite her many accomplishments, Gupta feels her most significant is "accepting her flaws and recognising that they do not make her any less attractive." 'Limitless,' a book by Gupta, is also available.

"Now, when people comment on my appearance, I merely answer, 'Yes, I have a broken neck and a squint in my eyes.'" 'What makes you special?' Gupta says his goodbyes.
New Delhi: The Income Tax Department on Tuesday said software services provider Infosys has been directed to look into the issue relating to malfunction of search option on the e-filing portal.

After many users complained of issues while accessing the I-T portal and reported that it was hacked on Tuesday, which also happens to be the first launch anniversary of the portal, the department said Infosys is resolving the issue on priority. Read More: WWDC 2022: iOS 16 announced at Apple event; Check new features

"Issue relating to the search functionality of the e-filing website has come to our notice. The Income Tax Department is seized of the matter. @Infosys has been directed to look into it & @Infosys has confirmed that they are resolving the issue on priority," the I-T department tweeted. Read More: Loan borrowers alert! Be prepared to pay more EMI as HDFC Bank hikes lending rates

The finance ministry officials also assured that there has been no data breach on the portal. Incidentally, Tuesday is the first anniversary of the launch of new Income Tax portal.

In the past year, the portal functioning was marred on several occasions which prompted the government to extend due date of filing tax returns and related forms for all taxpayers.

The new e-filing portal www.Incometax.Gov.In, launched on June 7, 2021, had a bumpy start since the beginning with taxpayers and professionals reporting glitches and difficulties in its functioning. Infosys was in 2019 given the contract to develop the portal.
After days of brainstorming and ideation, six B.Tech Mechanical Engineering students from Sanskriti University decided to create an electric buggy for their final year project. This electric buggy is a lightweight off-road vehicle specifically built for travelling in sandy as well as off-road terrains. A vehicle that will not just reduce pollution but is aimed at posing a strong challenge to the current generation of many off road vehicles.

The overall objective of designing and fabricating this electrical buggy is to promote the reliability and advancements of electrification in the automobile sector. The buggy has been designed to carry a load of upto 500 kgs. The biggest advantage of the buggy is that it is totally emission free and can run at a speed upto 40 kms per hour and can run upto a distance of 80 kms approximately.

The students from final year B.Tech Mech 2022 passing out batch - Thokchom, Deepak Kumar, Satish Kumar, Monu Poddar, Akhilesh Kumar Pal and Jivan Rajak - were led by Professor Anshuman Singh and other faculties and lab staff of Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University.

Also read: Volvo XC40 Recharge electric SUV to be locally assembled in India

"The students had done EV last year. The idea for buggy was zeroed in for two reasons. One was of course, this one running on electric will be definitely better, emission free compared with the current buggies that are conventionally run on diesel or some such fuel," Singh told IANS over phone.

Second, it is also useful for racing and the students were very keen on it as the Sanskriti University takes part in the all India Universities racing competition held by GoKart, Singh further explained.

The future prospects of this buggy model are to integrate this model with non-conventional energy resources and make it fully automated, he said. Soon, a patent in the name of students would be applied for with the University as their sponsors. Further, the University also has an incubation centre under the Micro, Small and Medium (MSME) Enterprises sector with the Government of India, which will help take this project into commercial venture.

As it is an internal project, it is the Chancellor of Sanskriti University Sachin Gupta who funded this venture. Gupta said: "Governments worldwide are likely to promote the use of electric vehicles in the coming days as a measure to control air pollution. Recognising this, the students at our Sanskriti University dedicatedly designed an electric Buggy for travelling in sandy as well as off road terrains."

(With inputs from IANS)

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After bagging the biggest ever EV order from BluSmart, Tata Motors today announced the deliveries of 51 electric vehicles including 9 Tigor EVs, 39 Nexon EVs, and 3 Nexon EV MAX in Nagpur. The deliveries took place in the presence of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari who handed over the keys of all the Tata electric vehicles to the respective buyers.

With over 25,000 Tata EVs on road, Tata Motors is taking the lead in electric mobility. Further, to boost the production and make EVs more accessible for the people, the company is working closely with other Tata Group companies like Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata Auto Components, Tata Motors Finance and Croma, to contribute to the faster adoption of EVs in India through its EV ecosystem called the Tata uniEVerse.

"Tata Motors is taking active steps towards the rapid electrification of mobility, and it is heartening to see renowned fleet aggregators joining the green mobility wave with us," Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Managing Director Shailesh Chandra noted.

Also read: Tata Motors gets biggest ever electric vehicle order; to supply 10,000 XPRES-T to BluSmart

The company recently bagged an order for the supply of 10,000 XPRES-T EV units from BluSmart Electric Mobility. With deliveries starting soon, these vehicles are an addition to the 3,500 XPRES-T EV order, which was signed by both the companies in October last year, and will be used across the country for commuters, in turn, helps minimise the carbon footprint.

In July 2021, Tata Motors launched the XPRES brand, exclusively for fleet customers and the XPRES-T EV is the first vehicle under this brand. The XPRES-T electric sedan comes with two range options: 213 km and 165 km (ARAI certified range under test conditions).

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New Delhi: Lashing out at the Centre saying that it is 'using' government agencies for conducting searches at Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain's residence, the AAP government on Tuesday said that the 'rumours' of cash and gold coins being seized from Jain's residence are being spread by the Centre to save their face as nothing was recovered from him. This came after the ED shared pictures of the almost Rs 2.8 crore cash and 1.8 kgs in gold coins seized from the aides of Jain who were raided on Monday.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwa said, "If you raid a jeweller's house, you will get only gold. What was found in Satyendar Jain sir's house? nothing, they (Centre) are lying."

"ED searched the house of Satyendar Jain from 7 am to 2 pm on Monday. Nothing was found at his house. ED's raid failed. The respect of the Modi government was tarnished at the international level recently. Now, BJP is spreading lies that crores of rupees and gold coins were found," he said.

"Nothing was found during the raid. So how to save face? They spread fake rumours that cash and gold coins were recovered. They are not saying what was found in Satyendar Jain`s house. The seizure memo of the ED raid was given to the wife and daughter of Satyendar Jain. In the memo, it was mentioned that various documents, one digital device, and Rs 2,79,200 was recovered during the search. However, the same was not seized," he said.

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it has seized Rs 2.85 crore cash and 133 gold coins weighing 1.80 kg from Health Minister Satyendra Jain`s aides during its day-long raid conducted on Monday.During the search, various incriminating documents and digital records were also seized, said the ED.

The ED said that the total movable assets were seized from an "unexplained source" and were "found to be secreted" in the raided premises.

The assets were seized during a search operation carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 at the premises of Satyendar Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, and his accomplices and other persons who had either directly or indirectly assisted him or participated in the processes of money laundering.

Those who assisted the Delhi Minister in the money laundering are named as Ankush Jain, Vaibhav Jain, Naveen Jain and Siddharth Jain (Directors of Ram Prakash Jewellers Pvt Ltd), G S Matharoo (Chairman of Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust which runs Prudence Group of Schools), Yogesh Kumar Jain (Director in Ram Prakash Jewellers Pvt Ltd), father-in-law of Ankush Jain and Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust, said the ED.

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New Delhi: Amid the Covid-19 fourth wave scare, Maharashtra Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad on Monday (June 6, 2022) confirmed that the schools in the state will reopen next week. Gaikwad said that the schools will open with all necessary precautions on June 15.

"Schools will open with all necessary precautions on June 15 which has been the date for reopening of schools (after summer vacation)," the minister said.

She also stated that students in grades 1 and 2 have never been to schools due to the coronavirus pandemic for the last two years.



ALSO READ | Offline classes in Mumbai school postponed for 3rd time, parents demand fee back



It is notable that Maharashtra has been witnessing a surge in daily Covid-19 cases in the past few days. Monday was the fifth consecutive day when the state witnessed 1,000 plus infections.

Wearing masks not mandatory but...: Maharashtra health minister

As Covid-19 cases spiral in Maharashtra, state health minister Rajesh Tope on Monday said that wearing masks is not mandatory but people should use them voluntarily to contain the spread of coronavirus.

"The government has not taken any decision on making the use of masks mandatory but we are urging people to wear masks. Instead of falling ill, citizens should observe hygiene, wear the mask and follow social distancing," Tope said.

The health minister also appealed to people to undergo tests in case of any Covid-19 symptoms.

Maharashtra reports over 1,000 Covid-19 cases for fifth straight day

Maharashtra on Monday reported 1,036 new coronavirus cases, the fifth consecutive day when the state recorded over 1,000 coronavirus infections. The caseload in the state has now risen to 78,94,233, while the death toll remained unchanged at 1,47,866.

Maharashtra, the worst Covid-19-hit state in India, currently has 7,429 active Covid-19 cases, including 5,238 in Mumbai and 1,172 in neighbouring Thane. The state's positivity rate presently stands at 0.064 per cent.



ALSO READ | Will fourth wave of Covid-19 hit India? Heres what health expert has to say



The highest 933 new cases were reported from the Mumbai circle which includes the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region, followed by Pune (72), Nashik (12), Latur (6), Nagpur (5), Kolhapur (3), Akola (3) and Aurangabad (2).

(With agency inputs)
Assam HSLC Result 2022: The Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) is scheduled to announce Class 10th High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) exam results 2022 today (June 7, 2022). The Assam Board Matric result 2022 will be released at 10 am. The Assam Board Class 10 students can check their HSLC exam result 2022 on the official websites of SEBA at https://sebaonline.org and resultsassam.nic.in.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on June 3 confirmed that the SEBA HSLC result 2022 will be declared on June 7.

Results of High School Leaving Certificate examination will be announced on 7th June 2022  Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) June 3, 2022

HSLC Result 2022: Check SEBA Class 10th exam results on these websites

Students can check SEBA HSLC Result 2022 on the following websites - https://sebaonline.org, resultsassam.nic.in, or results.sebaonline.org.

Results for HSLC Examination 2022 will be declared on June 7, 2022. Visit https://t.co/dZc8IQCweG or https://t.co/ogcYv23Tlg or any of the mentioned websites to download results.



Visit https://t.co/bVzFZobchb to download the app.#SEBA #HSLC pic.twitter.com/eaYq2Nt9M9  MyGov Assam (@mygovassam) June 4, 2022

Assam HSLC Result 2022: How to check SEBA Class 10 results

Visit SEBA's official website - https://sebaonline.org.

On the homepage, click on the "HSLC/ AHM Examination, 2022 Results" link 1 or link 2.

Enter your credentials including your roll number.

Your Assam HSLC result 2022 will be displayed on the screen.

SEBA to announce Assam High Madrassa (AHM) exam results 2022 today

The SEBA will also announce the Assam High Madrassa or AHM exam results 2022 today.

According to reports, around 4.19 lakh students had appeared for the Assam Class 10th exam this year, while over 11,000 students took the SEBA's AHM exam.
Several Islamic nations have protested against a BJP spokesperson's comment on Prophet Mohammad that came during a TV debate. In total, 15 Muslim nations have registered their protests against India so far. However, the reaction from these many countries is a flabbergasting affair, as these nations kept mum on big issues that otherwise saw protests from the Indian Muslim community. These issues include CAA, Hijab row, scrapping on article 370 and so on.



Not only this, the biggest irony of this matter is that Islamic nations that are known for their partisan policies against minorities and women, and even the ones that till date have a monarchy, are lecturing India on equality and democracy.



In today's DNA, Zee News Editor In Chief Sudhir Chaudhary exposes the hypocrisy of several nations that made remarks on India's democratic and secular values. The list of nations that have protested against India includes Qatar, Kuwait, Iran, Pakistan, Maldives, Libya, Indoneshia, Jordan, Oman, UAE, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Some of the governments and societies in these countries are known for their blatant discrimination against women and minorities.



For example, Afghanistan is a country where even news anchors are forced to wear a Burqa and minorities have almost no rights compared to those who practice Islam. Qatar, for example, has lectured in India on religious equality. However, in Qatar itself, a person can be jailed even for promoting other religions.



Same is the case with Saudi Arabia - a nation that gives its citizenship only to Muslims. In Iran, adopting to a different religion amounts to capital punishment. All in all, there all these nations have much reforms to do in their own system when it comes to democracy and religious freedom



Watch DNA with Sudhir Chaudhary to understand in detail the reasons behind Islamic nations' protests against India.
Johannesburg: The South African government on Monday said that law enforcement authorities in the UAE have arrested Rajesh Gupta and Atul Gupta of the Gupta family. It remains unclear why the third brother -- Ajay -- was not arrested. The Gupta brothers are accused in South Africa of using their relationship with former president Jacob Zuma to profit financially and influence senior appointments, charges that they have vehemently denied. In 2018, the Gupta family went into self-exile in Dubai after looting billions of rands from parastatal institutions in South Africa, authorities said.

"The ministry of justice and correctional services confirms that it has received information from law enforcement authorities in the UAE that fugitives of justice, namely Rajesh and Atul Gupta have been arrested," the South African Department of Justice and Correctional Services said in a statement on Monday.

"Discussions between various law enforcement agencies in the UAE and South Africa on the way forward are ongoing. The South African government will continue to co-operate with the UAE," it added.

Interpol had issued Red Notices to the Gupta brothers, who had also been declared persona non grata by the US and the UK. Red Notices are issued for fugitives wanted for the prosecution to alert law agencies globally to arrest such persons pending extradition.

The family fled South Africa in 2018 when the net closed in on them as huge public protests eventually led to the ANC removing Zuma and appointing Cyril Ramaphosa as the Acting President.

Earlier, South Africa had also appealed to the UN to get the Guptas back to South Africa when negotiations with the UAE did not yield results because there was no extradition treaty between the two countries.

The treaty was ratified in June 2021, when South Africa immediately began the process of requesting the extradition of the Guptas.

The Guptas told the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture in 2018 that they were not prepared to return to South Africa to testify after a number of witnesses implicated them and Zuma in corrupt cases.

The brothers called the South African authorities 'recklessly incompetent' in their affidavit to the commission.

A number of witnesses testified the role of the Guptas in looting huge amounts and also influencing the appointment of Cabinet ministers during the nine-year tenure of Zuma as the South African president.

Although the arrests were widely welcomed, analysts cautioned that the public should not expect a quick resolution to the case against the Guptas, as this could even take a few years while they exhaust all the avenues available to them to fight their extradition.

Wayne Duvenhage, CEO of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, said their investigations had revealed that almost 15 billion rands were looted by the Guptas before they fled the country.

The Gupta family originally hail from Saharanpur in India, and entered South Africa by setting up a shoe store in the early 1990s. They soon expanded to include IT, media and mining companies, most of which have now been sold off or closed.

The Bank of Baroda (BoB) also became involved in the scandal when it emerged that they had assisted the Guptas by opening accounts for them when all South African banks stopped dealings with the family.

BoB later shut down its South African operations, citing a global cutback of operations.
New Delhi: A few days ago, NCR had reported a suspected case of monkeypox in Ghaziabad. A 5-year-old girl's samples were sent for testing to ICMR NIV Pune to detect if she was infected by monkeypox after she complained of itching and rashes. The girl has tested negative for monkeypox according to National Institute of Virology in Pune as reported by ANI. The suspected case had created a bit of panic among people as speculations of monkeypox reaching India were abuzz.

The suspected case of monkeypox from UP's Ghaziabad has tested negative, the sample was sent for testing to ICMR - National Institute of Virology in Pune: Sources to ANI pic.twitter.com/JQTjIXgyPm  ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2022

Reacting to this, government health sources had said that it is "unnecessary panic mongering" and that no cases of the disease have been reported from India so far." The sample of a suspected monkeypox case in Ghaziabad has been sent for testing, but it's unnecessary panic mongering. No monkeypox case has been reported in India so far," the government sources told ANI.

Last week, the Union Health Ministry had issued "Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease" to ensure advance preparedness across the country, in view of the rising reports of monkeypox cases in non-endemic countries.

The guidelines further explained in detail about raising awareness and educating people about the measures for monkeypox virus-like avoiding contact with any material of the sick person, isolation of the infected patient from others, practising good hand hygiene and using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for patients.

(With agency inputs)

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Fargo-based Flag Family Media announced Tuesday it has purchased the McKenzie County Farmer, the weekly newspaper based in Watford City in North Dakota's oil patch.

The sale includes the newspaper, online properties, social media accounts and business property in downtown Watford City. The company previously owned by Neal and Lisa Shipman will operate under the newly formed McKenzie County Media LLC.

It's the company's first purchase of a nonradio entity. Flag Family Media owns "The Flag" radio stations in Fargo and Tioga, as well as three stations in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

The ownership transition takes effect July 1. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This is an exciting day for our company, Flag Family Media President and Managing Partner Steve Hallstrom said in a statement. The McKenzie County Farmer has a rich tradition, serving the Watford City area since 1908. The city has gone from 1,500 people to 10,000 people in just six years, making it one of the fastest growing cities in the country. We know this community well, and our neighboring radio assets give us a wonderful opportunity to combine forces and serve the readers and business community."

The Farmer formed in 1908 in Arnegard. Neal Shipman is the third generation of his family to run it.

He worked as a "printer's devil" until he graduated from high school in 1970. He returned in 1983 to take over as editor and publisher, where he's been ever since.

"Im 70 years old, I want to spend some time with my kids and grandchildren and enjoy Watford City without having a camera around my neck and a notebook in my pocket," he told the Tribune.

He said he's "really excited to see what will happen here" with the new owner.

Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com.

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Chennai: Member of Parliament and DMK leader, TKS Elangovan has raked up a controversy stating that Hindi is the language of underdeveloped states and implementing that language in Tamil Nadu will make Tamil people `Shudras`. The MP on Monday said that Hindi is the native language in underdeveloped states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.

He also said that states like West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat do not have Hindi as their native tongue and added that these states were developed states. Elangovan also said, "Hindi will convert us to Shudras, will not do any good for us".

The DMK leader has allegedly used a casteist slur while attacking the Hindi language.

Earlier, there were protests across Tamil Nadu against the statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that Hindi should be used as an alternative to English and not regional languages. He was addressing the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language committee in New Delhi a few months ago.

Tamil Nadu Education Minister K Ponmudy had also stirred a controversy when he said job prospects for Hindi speakers in the state were weak as most of them sold pani-puris and did menial jobs.
'I will not allow Bengal to be divided till I have blood in my body.' This is how Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee warned the BJP about the division of Bengal from a meeting in Alipurduar. She alleged that the BJP threatened to divide Bengal as soon as the vote came. On the second day of her visit to North Bengal, Mamata Banerjee held a meeting in Alipurduar. From that meeting, the Chief Minister protested against the demand of a section of BJP's North Bengal leaders for the partition of Bengal. Mamata Banerjee claimed that there was no development in North Bengal during the Left regime.

The Chief Minister said, "There has been a lot of development in North Bengal in the last 10 years. Now the people of North Bengal do not have to go to South Bengal." A number of BJP leaders, including John Barla, have raised the issue of a separate North Bengal, mainly alleging under development. On this day, Mamata Banerjee said, 'Before the polls, they said that we will do Gorkhaland. Some people in the BJP are saying that we will make North Bengal separate. We will remain united. As long as there is blood in my body, I will not allow Bengal to be divided. The BJP does the politics of division. We don't divide, we grow together."

Meanwhile, Bengal Chief Minister gets threats.from the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) chief Jibon Singh. He said, "I am telling Mamata Banerjee, dare not set foot in Koch Kamtapur. You cannot interfere or oppose the formation of koch Kamtapur." After this, the Chief Minister said, "He is saying that if we do not divide North Bengal, he will kill me. If you have the power, put a gun on my chest. I have seen a lot of guns."

Mamata has repeatedly visited North Bengal and tried to blunt the BJP's allegation. She had gone to Darjeeling a few days ago. The day of the GTA elections has also been announced. The hills are also very calm now. Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri, who were most vocal in the demand for a separate Gorkhaland, are also on the backfoot. In this situation, the Chief Minister does not want to indulge in politics over the BJP's demand for a separate North Bengal.
Srinagar: Jammu Kashmir police claimed to have cracked the IED blast case of Shopian and Four terrorists/ associates have been arrested in connection. The "IED" blast happened in the wee hours of June 2 in the Sedaw area of Shopian in which one army soldier was killed and at least two others were injured. IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said  Shopian Police cracked recent terror attack case in which terrorists used IED in a vehicle at Shedow area of Shopian, in which one soldier was martyred and others were injured. All 04 terrorists/associates have been arrested.

The blast took place at approximately 2:50 AM on June 2. According to an army statement, it occurred while an army party was moving from Sedaw to lay a cordon and search in the Patitohalan area. While moving to the target area, at approximately a km away from Sedaw, an explosion took place in the civil hired vehicle, being used by the team, resulting in injuries to three Indian Army soldiers, the army had said in a statement issued on the day of the blast.

The statement further reads The blast is very likely to be from either an IED or a grenade or a battery malfunctioning in the vehicle. Details are being ascertained, One soldier among the three injured personnel died later.



BSF defuses magnetic IEDs brought down from drones in Jammu



The BSF claimed that three magnetic IEDs, attached as payload with a drone, were brought down and defused at Dayaran area of Kanachak in Jammu. They were fitted in three tiffin boxes.

In a handout, it said Last night BSF observed a drone activity in Kanachak area and fired some shots towards the drone. Immediately police party was deployed, and they followed the anti-drone SOP in the general area,

It further reads At around 11 pm at Dayaran area of Kanachak, the party observed the drone activity and fired at it again, The payload attached with the drone was brought down. However, the drone could not be brought down.

The payload contained three magnetic IEDs packed inside children tiffin box with the timer set to different timings of 3 hours, 8 hours, etc, it reads The IED has been deactivated and diffused through a controlled explosion. A case has been registered and investigations were taken up.

It's the second such attempt in the last one week earlier a drone was shot down by Jammu police and recovered 7 magnetic IED bombs and 7 UBGLs. After the continuous such happening at the border, the vigil is intensified to foil any such drone infiltration keeping in view the upcoming Amarnath yatra.

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Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is on North Bengal visit now. Mamata Banerjee will hold trinamool (TMC) workers' conferences in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri today. Tomorrow, on Wednesday, she will also participate in a programme of tribals in Alipurduar. Earlier, Mamata Banerjee is touring the district to take stock of the trinamool's organisational preparedness before next year's Panchayat elections. Meanwhile, Bengal Chief Minister gets threats.from the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) chief Jibon Singh. He said, "I am telling Mamata Banerjee, dare not set foot in Koch Kamtapur. You cannot interfere or oppose the formation of koch Kamtapur."

Ahead of Mamata's visit, Jibon Singh, the head of the separatist organisation KLO, demanded a separate Koch Kamtapur state. In the viral video, he directly threatened the Chief Minister. The names of three BJP MPs like John Barla, Nishith Pramanik and Jayanta Roy also came up in the video of the KLO chief. Zee News, however, did not verify the authenticity of the video.

Jiban Singh can be heard saying, "If Mamata Banerjee imposes the rule-exploitation-torture-oppression-colonial rule or anti-national hatred of the outer west Bengal on Koch Kamtapur forcibly, the consequences will be terrible. We will dedicate millions of lives to this Koch Kamtapur or for the motherland. There will be flood of blood everywhere. We don't recognise the West Bengal government."

There have been agitation for Kamtapur state from Malda to Assam border demanding a separate Kamtapur state. The All Koch Rajbanshi Student Association of Assam demanded that the area from Lower Assam to Malda be kept within the proposed Kamtapur state. Coochbehar became a battleground in 2008 over the demand for a separate state.
Medininagar (Jharkhand): RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday morning had a narrow escape as a fire broke out in a room of the circuit house in Jharkhand's Palamu district where he was staying. Prasad, 73, was having breakfast in his room around 8 am when the wall-mounted fan caught fire, said a PTI report. The fire was immediately doused by his aides.

"The fire was caused by a short circuit and electricity supply to the premises was snapped after the incident," PTI quoted Deputy Commissioner of Palamu Shashiranjan, who further said that no one has suffered any injury due to the incident and no significant damage has been reported

Palamu Deputy Commissioner said that the short circuit has been rectified and the fan that caught fire was removed.

Lalu Prasad arrived in Medininagar on Monday to appear before a special court on Wednesday in connection with a 13-year-old case pertaining to the violation of the Model Code of Conduct during elections.

The RJD chief is slated to appear in the court of special judge Satish Kumar Munda. Prasad's counsel Prabhat Kumar reportedly said that the case was later transferred to Ranchi and then to Medininagar.

A case under IPC sections 188, 279, 290, 291 and 34, and section 127 of Representation of People's Act was registered against him in Garhwa district after his chopper landed in a paddy field allegedly owing to the mistake of the pilot, instead of the scheduled helipad in Medininagar, during the 2009 assembly polls in Jharkhand.

Lalu Prasad asks court to release passport

Meanwhile, Lalu Prasad has appealed to a special CBI court for the release of his passport in order to renew it as he may need to travel abroad for a possible kidney transplant, his counsel said on Monday.

On April 22, Jharkhand High Court granted bail to the RJD chief in the Doranda Treasury case involving embezzlement of over Rs 139 crore in which a CBI special court had sentenced him to five years in prison.

"Lalu Prasad has prayed for the renewal of his passport. He has pleaded before a special CBI court that his passport be handed over for renewal. The application mentions that after renewal the passport will be submitted to the court," Prasad's counsel Prabhat Kumar told PTI.

Kumar said: "He has taken the plea that it is a case of kidney failure and he may be required to go abroad for treatment or transplant" and added: "If we get an appointment from the doctor then we will pray for passport release and permission to go abroad for treatment."

The next date of hearing has been fixed as June 10. Lalu Prasad suffers from multiple ailments, including renal problems. He is a patient of stage-4 kidney ailment, PTI report said.

(With PTI Inputs)
New Delhi: Chairperson National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma on Tuesday informed that the NCW has taken cognizance of Hyderabad's Jubilee Hills gang-rape case, citing that minor girls are being targeted. Sharma, while speaking about two minor rape cases in Hyderabad, said, "We took cognizance in the first case where minor was gang-raped in a car by children of political people. The matter is serious because minor girls are being targeted."

She further added that a second case has come to her notice today, and the NCW would take cognizance of the same. As many as five rape incidents involving minors were reported in Hyderabad in a week.

BJP MLA booked for revealing rape case victim's identity

Meanwhile, in the Jubilee Hills gang rape case, Hyderabad police has booked Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Raghunandan Rao for allegedly revealing the identity of the 17-year-old victim.

Rao has been booked under 228A (disclosure of the identity of the victim) of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly releasing the videos and photos of the minor victim.

A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped when she was returning home after a party in the Jubilee Hills area of Hyderabad on May 28. Following the incident, the minor girl's father submitted a complaint to the police regarding the incident.

ALSO READ: Hyderabad gang-rape case: 'Names of rapists being guarded', BJP leader alleges

Following the complaint, a case was registered against five accused involved in the case under sections 354 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 9 read with 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The security footage which is viral on social media purportedly showed the girl standing with the suspected attackers outside the pub where she had met them. The boys had offered to drop her home. Instead, she was assaulted inside a parked car in the city. Her attackers took turns raping her while the others stood guard outside the car.

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New Delhi: The opposition on Monday (June 6, 2022) stepped up pressure for legal action against Nupur Sharma and demanded the arrest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader for her controversial statement on Prophet Muhammad. Dismissing the saffron party's suspension of its spokeswoman Nupur Sharma and expulsion of its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal as mere "drama" and "sham", the opposition parties called for strict legal action against the two. They also slammed the BJP-led Centre and accused it of denting the image of the country.

Congress, while asking why those responsible for putting out offensive comments had not been arrested yet, said it was unacceptable for the nation to apologise for such mistakes.

"Instead of doing a drama of action against anti-social elements in the party who have defamed India at the international level, it should immediately arrest them," Congress said.

"With their hate-mongering propagandist politics, BJP hasn't just shamed the country but put the nation which once stood for peace and harmony on trial for the whole world to see," it added.

"Divided internally, India becomes weak externally. BJP's shameful bigotry has not only isolated us but also damaged India's standing globally," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Divided internally, India becomes weak externally.



BJPs shameful bigotry has not only isolated us, but also damaged Indias standing globally.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 6, 2022

Senior party leader and former union minister P Chidambaram said it was not domestic criticism but an international backlash that pushed the BJP to take action against its functionaries.

AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that the BJP has led the country to such a situation that even "small countries are now challenging the great nation of India".

               ?



                ,      Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) June 6, 2022

Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) also demanded the immediate arrest of the BJP functionaries and said that the country's image has been dented internationally due to the "wrong policies" of the BJP.



ALSO READ | 'Those who express bigotry at home should be...', Shashi Tharoor slams BJP



National Conference vice president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah also said that the statements made to pander to a local audience have damaged Indian interests in a part of the world that is crucial to the country.

The opposition parties also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) hit out at India for the comments by the two BJP functionaries.

The Left parties also alleged that the BJP was "forced to act" and suspend Nupur Sharma due to pressure from other countries.

"Nupur Sharma publicly thanked party leaders Amit Shah, PMO, and others for support. Now under pressure from other countries, they are forced to act and suspend her. These are patrons of hate speech," CPI-M said in a tweet.

Nupur Sharma publicly thanked party leaders Amit Shah, PMO and others for support. Now under pressure from other countries they are forced to act and suspend her. These are patrons of hate speech.

Condemn Isolate Defeat them

Save India  CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) June 6, 2022

Meanwhile, the diplomatic fallout of the row over Nupur Sharma's statement against the Prophet continued as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Indonesia, Jordan, UAE, Maldives, Oman and Afghanistan joined several Muslim nations in condemning the alleged derogatory remarks.

(With agency inputs)
Mumbai: The ruling Shiv Sena has decided to shift its MLAs from a resort in suburban Malad to a five-star hotel in south Mumbai as part of a strategy to ward off poaching, ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls. All the Sena legislators have been summoned to Mumbai where they will stay together till the polls on June 10, a senior party leader told PTI on Tuesday.

"We were in 'The Retreat' (at Madh island in northwest Mumbai) and all our ministers too were present there. That was part of our strategy. We will be moving to hotel 'The Trident' (in south Mumbai) today," PTI quoted Sena MLA and party spokesperson Sunil Prabhu as saying. The Trident is at a stone's throw from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly where voting will take place for the six Rajya Sabha seats.

The Sena has 55 MLAs (one MLA had died due to a heart attack last month) in the 288-member House. Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray reportedly met the party MLAs as well as others supporting it on Monday.

After more than two decades, the state will witness a contest in the Rajya Sabha polls as there are seven candidates in the fray for six seats. The Sena has fielded two candidates -- Sanjay Raut and Sanjay Pawar, while the BJP has nominated Union minister Piyush Goyal, Anil Bonde and Dhananjay Mahadik.

The NCP (Praful Patel) and Congress (Imran Pratapgarhi) have fielded one candidate each. The contest lies for the sixth seat between Pawar and Mahadik.

Given its strength in the Assembly, the BJP has enough votes to win two seats, while the Sena, NCP and Congress can win one seat each.

The Sena (55), NCP (52) and Congress (44) -- all constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi-- have enough votes together to ensure the victory for the second candidate of the Sena. Two NCP MLAs- Anil Deshmukh and minister Nawab Malik- are currently in jail, while one seat is lying vacant in the 288-member House.

Apart from the four main parties, the Assembly has 25 MLAs from smaller parties and Independents. The Sena decided to corral its MLAs after accusing the opposition BJP of "horse-trading" and using Central agencies to pressure independent MLAs.

Owaisi claims no one from MVA contacted AIMIM for RS poll support

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has claimed that no one from the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra has contacted them for support in the upcoming elections to six Rajya Sabha seats from the state. "If they want our support, they should contact us," Owaisi told reporters in Nanded.

The All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has two members in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, which forms the electoral college for the Rajya Sabha polls, scheduled on June 10.

Notably, after more than two decades, the state will witness a contest in the Rajya Sabha polls as there are seven candidates in the fray for six seats.

(With Agency Inputs)
Eight persons have been arrested for allegedly running an illegal parking lot in Gurugram`s upscale Galleria Market and extorting money from vehicle owners, police said on Tuesday. The racket was running for about two months in Gurugram. The accused were allegedly extorting money from the car and two-wheeler owners who would park their vehicles in vacant public places, the police said.

According to the officials, a joint team of Chief Minister Flying Squad and the District Town Planner (Enforcement) Gurugram, conducted a raid on illegal parking which was running without permission on the service road in front of the market. Printed receipts from POS electronic machines that were being handed out to the vehicle owners in the fake parking lots were recovered by the raiding team on the spot.

Police arrested eight men, Paramjit, Mulayam Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Mahesh Kumar, Omkesh Singh, Sanjeev Singh and Sanjay Kumar.

The men used to extort parking charges at the rate of Rs 20 per hour from four-wheelers and Rs 10 per hour from two-wheelers. Six POS electronic machines were also recovered from their possession.

"The men used to run the parking lots even if they did not have any contract for the purpose from the concerned authority. They were extorting money from cars and two-wheeler drivers. We are trying to ascertain who was taking the parking money. We are investigating the issue," a police officer told IANS.

An FIR has been registered under IPC sections 384 (extortion) and 34 (common intention) against the criminals at the Sector-29 police station.
Srinagar: In a predawn anti-terror operation in the border district of Kupwara in North Kashmir on Tuesday, two terrorists belonging to LeT were killed. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the spot. IGP Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar said. "Two terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT including one Pakistani terrorist namely Tufail killed. Search still going on in the area to ensure that no more terrorists are hiding."

#KupwaraEncounterUpdate: Two terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT including one Pakistani terrorist namely Tufail killed. Search still going on: IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar pic.twitter.com/yUGW1ngiCO  ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2022

It was the second encounter in the last 14 hours, as one Pakistani terrorist was earlier killed in Sopore Baramullah. The terrorist was identified as Pakistani resident Hanzalla of Lahore. One AK Rifle, 05 magazines along with ammunition were recovered from possession. Three ultras including two foreign terrorists and one local managed to give a slip to the security forces in Sopore on Monday.

Today, a predawn operation was launched in the Kandi area of the border district of Kupwara in North Kashmir.

IGP Vijay Kumar said, "A joint team of Police and Army launched a cordon and search operation in Kandi after we got intelligence Input about the presence of terrorists in the area" adding "As the joint searching team of cordoned the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired upon the party, they fire was retaliated, and encounter started".

It may be noted here that it was the 58th encounter of this year, wherein, security forces have managed to kill 91 terrorists including 28 Pakistani in these operations. They have also arrested 44 active terrorists and 184 of their associates.

Notably, 17 civilians and 16 security personnel have lost their lives in Kashmir this year in terror incidents.
If so many of the catchphrases from George Orwells dystopian classic seem cliched today, its because there is endless fodder for their application. And while not everything he feared came true, Orwells greatness lies not in predicting the future but in changing it. []

June 8 marks the anniversary of George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four. That a greater gap separates us from 1984 than 1984 from Nineteen-Eighty Fours 1949 publication staggers.

The book, at least in terms of pundits invoking it, seems so very 2022 even if the script dictated that its peak as a cultural touchstone would occur in 1984. And that year, scientists named an asteroid after Orwell; John Hurt (Winston Smith), Suzanna Hamilton (Julia), and in his last big-screen role Richard Burton (OBrien) starred in a well-timed if less well-received cinematic treatment of the novel; and Ridley Scott directed a memorable commercial portraying the Apple Macintosh defying Big Brother as represented by the IBM PC. Yet the books relevance, like a Christmas song charting in June, strangely grew as the calendar drifted from that titular date.

One grasps the reasons for Orwells importance to 20th-Century Man. Christopher Hitchens, an admirer-imitator, noted in Why Orwell Matters that the great subjects of the twentieth century were imperialism, fascism, and Stalinism. Ignoring why Hitchens shifted from genus to species in the last example, the sentence helps explain Orwells pre-1984 salience. He wrote slim books about big issues. If Nineteen Eighty-Four falls vaguely under fantasy, it strikes as the furthest thing from escapist literature.

Most of the reasons why the prime of Orwells afterlife came after 1984 also seem obvious. The most important reason, partly because it questions Orwells role as a prophet and partly because it offends rather than flatters us, remains obscured by reasons both common and conspicuous.

How did this terribly fragile man endure? In terms of literary quality, George Orwell finds himself eclipsed by contemporary countrymen P.G. Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh. But people read Orwell more and, more significantly, reference him more than the politically aloof comic novelist he defended from treason charges and the traditionalist Anglo-Catholic author he admired and met six months before his death. Yes, Jeeves became a synonym for butler and The Daily Beast became an actual publication. But few know their derivation. Even people who have never read Orwell know him by cultural osmosis.

T-shirts read 1984 Is Not an Instruction Manual. Big Brother, now watched instead of watching, boasts versions broadcast in 62 countries over its 23-years-and-counting run. Always some ungood scribe somewhere references doublethink, unperson, joycamps, and other entrants in the Newspeak glossary. Just as namedropping Martin Heidegger represents a way for insecure highbrains to announce their status, namedropping Orwell increasingly allows overconfident dim writers to announce theirs. Orwell ranks as the anti-intellectuals intellectual. In Platos theory of the soul, the consumption case ironically strikes as not the big-brained egghead or the greedy guts governed by his appetites but instead the big-chested man exuding thumos. As the success of Kurt Vonnegut, Ernest Hemingway and Jack Kerouac suggests, readers love authors who lived a story atop writing one.

His intransigent popularity stems in part from this infinite flexibility. Eric Blair became a bit like God in that we call him by various names, and his votaries quote his books for all sorts of competing and contrary ends. Consider that in just one chapter of The Road to Wigan Pier, his admirers on the left may approvingly quote his assertion that Socialism is such elementary common sense that I am sometimes amazed that it has not established itself already, while his conservative admirers cite the passage, One sometimes gets the impression that the mere words Socialism and Communism draw towards them with magnetic force every fruit-juice drinker, nudist, sandal-wearer, sex-maniac, Quaker, Nature Cure quack, pacifist, and feminist in England.

Brevity, the friend of most writers, helped his reputation though not him. We root for a guy who died before he could enjoy late-in-life riches, raise the child he adopted (and with the wife who shockingly died shortly after the adoption), consummate his second marriage, and benefit from the tuberculosis-defeating drugs just coming to market. He anticipated much in fiction. He arrived too late for much more in his 46 years. The tubercular mans query to friends, Do you think one can die if one has an unwritten book in ones mind?, makes him the literary equivalent of a Gale Sayers, John F. Kennedy, or Buddy Holly.

The Grim Reaper thankfully permitted him, perhaps because he wrote from a farmhouse on the remote Scottish island of Jura inhospitable to such exotic visitants, to complete the profoundly insightful novel that enabled contemporaries around the world to understand their station, in Orwells words, as born, alas, in an evil time.

Friend and journalistic colleague T.R. Fyvel noted:

Orwell in November 1948 sat feverishlyhe really had feverclean-typing Nineteen Eighty-Four, including the Appendix on Newspeak. If he really did it in less than a month, he must have typed 5,000 words a day, a considerable effort even for a perfectly fit man. For Orwell with his fever and his fast-deteriorating left lung, it was heroic but disastrous. Not surprisingly, after finishing the typescript and sending it off to Warburg in early December, he had another horrible collapse and this time, as I think he half guessed, it was critical. He was not to rise from his bed again.

Readers rightly appreciate Orwell for writing from a practical perch that eschewed abstract theory rather than uncharitably regard him as hypocrite for his part in phenomena he later denounced or, worse, an idiot for learning in the dear school of experience. Orwell spent his formative years in India and worked as a policeman who occasionally kicked his servants in Burma before writing Shooting an Elephant, A Hanging, and Burmese Days. He first slummed it and then authored Down and Out in Paris and London. The authenticity of Homage to Catalonia owes to the bullet that passed through its author-soldiers neck. His work as a wartime propagandist in the BBCs broadcasting bureaucracy provided an authentic color to Nineteen-Eighty Four.

He advanced truth in a time of lies. His publisher Victor Gollancz refused to print Homage to Catalonia, which sold under 600 books during Orwells life, and Animal Farm out of worry it might offend Joseph Stalin. On similar grounds did New Statesman editor Kingsley Martin block his articles on Spain as an exclamation point to Communists there marking Orwell for extermination. Decades later, Martin compared Orwell, who not only fought for the so-called Republicans but told the truth about the fratricide in Spain, to the chief propagandist of the Nazi Party. I would no more have thought of publishing them than an article by Goebbels during the war against Germany, he reflected. Peter Smollett, an agent of Stalin working for the British governments ministry of information, persuaded Jonathan Cape to forgo publishing Animal Farm. By the time of Nineteen Eighty-Fours 1949 release, Stalin had gobbled up Eastern Europe, and the widespread Western flirtation with the dictator had run cold. Masses and Mainstream, the successor publication to the New Masses(itself successor to The Masses), titled its review Maggot-of-the-Month, but by then most recognized Orwell, as they do now, as an extremely clever man who stood up to bullies.

All this does not fully explain the present fascination with Orwell, which often manifests itself in that great enemy named in Politics and the Art of Writing: the cliche. But we keep citing Nineteen Eighty-Four because civilization keeps making us feel like Winston Smith. That predictable staleness, then, comes not from references to a midcentury dystopian novel but from the powerful persistently seeking to impose their conformist stamp on others a la Ingsoc. When such emulation ends, perhaps social commentators will revert to citing Ignatius Donnellys Caesars Column or William Dean Howells A Traveler from Alturia.

Commentators earlier this spring observed that the Biden administrations Disinformation Governance Board, now on pause and with its signing director (her feigned accent itself sounds like misinformation) resigning, took after the Ministry of Truth. Unlike the Ministry of Truth in George Orwells 1984 that became a derogatory comparison point, neither the board nor [Nina] Jankowicz had any power or ability to declare what is true or false, or compel Internet providers, social media platforms or public schools to take action against certain types of speech, assured the Washington Post. Even a number of Democrats, aware Republicans someday could populate the board, found this less than assuring and came to regard politician fact checkers as an oxymoron.

While the governance boards return looks unlikely, Connecticut outlined a job listing for a security analyst to combat election misinformation. As the New York Times reported: With a salary of $150,000, the person is expected to comb fringe sites like 4chan, far-right social networks like Gettr and Rumble, and mainstream social media sites to root out early misinformation narratives about voting before they go viral, and then urge the companies to remove or flag the posts that contain false information.

No offense to the Nutmeg State, but Connecticut does not frighten like a facial cage containing hungry rats in Room 101 does. Even the federal government, despite its nuclear arsenal, wears Big Brothers mustache uneasily here. But because Orwell depicted the state as Big Brother, his readers interpret within that framework. Nineteen Eighty-Fours author failed to envision government as not only not the most powerful entity in every category, but not even the most powerful entity in every category under the alphabetical heading G.

Does Washington offer a version of 2 + 2 = 5 creepier than Google autocompleting men can with get pregnant, lactate, menstruate, and breastfeed? Twitter and Facebook tossing the Hunter Biden laptop story down the memory hole by censoring posts and freezing accounts during the 2020 campaign represents a more effective form of suppression than anything ever dreamt up by Anthony Comstock. And the ability of Microsoft or Amazon to snoop on our private interests surely beats that of the National Security Agency. Like the telescreen, the internet watches us.

The loudest unmentioned parallel between Nineteen Eighty-Four and our situation now involves neither Big Tech nor Big Government but a mercurial, judgmental, easily manipulated Big Public. George Orwell called it the Two Minutes Hate; we call it cancel culture. We are the Big Brother Orwell warned us about.

The sight of not Emmanuel Goldstein but Amber Heard and Johnny Depp provides America with its current Two Minutes Hate.

In five years, the United States swung from a country in which any accusation equaled guilt on he-said/she-said matters to one so tired of reputations dragged through the mud that a jury awarded $15 million in a defamation case brought by a man never specifically named in the libelous material in question. For reasons to varying degrees relating to Heards oblique allegations, Warner Bros. fired Depp from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, Disney announced excluding him from any future Pirates of the Caribbean installments, and Universal disappeared him from The Invisible Man. Now Amber Heard, whose popularity ranks somewhere below Yoko Onos among Beatles fans but above Meghan Markles among royalists, becomes the unperson to Hollywood.

The horrible thing about the Two Minutes Hate was not that one was obliged to act a part, but that it was impossible to avoid joining in, Orwell wrote.

Within thirty seconds any pretense was always unnecessary. A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in with a sledge hammer, seemed to flow through the whole group of people like an electric current, turning one even against ones will into a grimacing, screaming lunatic. And yet the rage that one felt was an abstract, undirected emotion which could be switched from one object to another like the flame of a blowlamp.

Sound familiar? After Louis C.K., Will Smith, Garrison Keillor, Matt Lauer, Chrissy Teigen, and the rest, the impulse to react, like Julia did, with laughter to our Two Minutes Hate eventually overwhelms. The more disturbing concurrence between fact and fiction involves the publics seemingly personal connection with these distant strangers, just like Winston Smith and OBrien, and the desire to seek love and approval from the agents of Big Brotherism. We long to remain in the good graces of the cancel mob. And Big Tech need not black-bag-job their way into our private lives. We overshare pictures, TMI timestamp our whereabouts, and hashtag activities mundane and intimate. We live in an era of exhibitionists more than voyeurs.

Just as Orwell saw pneumatic tubes as the instrument of the information age instead of digital code, he failed to see other bigs beside Big Government becoming Big Brother. Most inhabitants of the countries comprising Oceana encounter creepy, deceitful, power-hungry governments but not ones as brutal as that found in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Alas, comparing authors to Nostradamus or even Jimmy the Greek seems unfair.

Orwells greatness lies not in predicting the future but in changing it. Totalitarianism, in vogue during the 1930s, became detested by midcentury. Orwells writing, particularly Nineteen Eighty-Four, helped reorient thinking.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. But translation into more than 60 languages and 30 million copies sold indicates a trend. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a face buried in a copy of Nineteen Eighty-Fourforever.
New Delhi: The Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari was in Patna, Bihar to inaugurate the eastern flank of reconstructed Mahatma Gandhi Setu over River Ganga in Hajipur. He laid the foundation stone of national highway projects worth Rs 13,585 crores as per a PTI report. Ahead of the inauguration, the Union Minister was spotted in a bus at Patna airport with other Ministers of Bihar including Shandilya Giriraj Singh, Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi.

Gadkari had taken to his official Twitter handle to share the photo.

Gadkari also appealed to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to set up industrial clusters and smart cities along the expressways in the state.

The 5,750-metres-long Mahatma Gandhi Setu was inaugurated in 1982 by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi as the country's longest river bridge. It underwent repairs from 1999 to 2016, when the Centre approved its reconstruction plan.

Gadkari had on July 31, 2020 flagged off traffic on the western flank of the reconstructed bridge, the lifeline between North and South Bihar.

The entire MG Setu reconstruction project was executed at a cost of Rs 1,742 crore.

He also laid the foundation stone for 10 other projects, including the four-lane greenfield 124-km Munger-Bhagalpur-Mirza Chowki highway and the six-lane 70-km Aurangabad-Chordaha highway during the day.

Addressing the gathering, the chief minister said, "The Bihar government has already fast-tracked the ongoing construction of all mega road, bridge and highway projects and officials have been instructed to ensure completion within the specified time frame. The state administration is also very specific about maintenance of roads, bridges and highways."

"We are thankful to Gadkari Ji for sanctioning several mega road, bridge and highway projects in Bihar, and also for completing several major projects," he added.

Gadkari landed at Patna airport around 11.30 am and met Kumar at his official residence, and then went to Hajipur for the event.

(With inputs)

Live TV
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh police has issued a list of 62 `new` gangsters that are now on its radar. The police said that it is closely monitoring the activities of these goons who will soon be booked under the Gangsters Act.

ADG (law and order) Prashant Kumar said, "In the past three months, we have prepared the list and we are planning a crackdown soon. In May, the police took action against 788 gangsters under the Gangsters Act and attached their property as per legal provisions."

He said that the state police had, so far, attached properties worth Rs 662 crore under the Gangsters Act between March and May this year. Of this, properties worth Rs 250 crore were attached in Meerut alone.

Besides the 62 criminals identified for action, there are also 30 land mining mafia, 228 liquor mafia, 168 cattle mafia 347 land mafia, 18 education mafia and 359 others who will be facing action soon.

FIR lodged after RSS man gets bomb threat

An FIR has been registered at the Madiyaon police station in Lucknow on Tuesday morning, hours after a bomb threat was made to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) offices in Lucknow and Unnao.

The Lucknow Police said, "An FIR was registered at Madiyaon PS in connection with a bomb threat to the RSS offices in Lucknow and Unnao. A WhatsApp message threatening that the RSS offices will be blown up was sent on Monday night. With the help of the Cyber Cell, the number that sent the message is being traced."

The messages from international numbers were sent to Sangh member Neelkanth Tiwari in Hindi, English, and Kannada. The threats came days after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat called for communal harmony while speaking at the concluding ceremony of the third year Sangh Shiksha Varg (officers` training camp) in Nagpur.

The RSS chief said no community should resort to extremism, but also claimed that there has been less "intimidation" from the Hindu side.

He said, "Hindus should realise that Muslims are descendants of their own ancestors and their "brothers by blood relation". If they want to come back, then we would welcome them with open arms. Even if they do not come back, it does not matter, we already have 33 crore gods."
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath joined spiritual leader Sadhguru in his Save Soil Movement. On Tuesday (June 7), UP became the third Indian state to sigh an MoU with Isha Outreach to Save Soil after Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Sadhguru reached Lucknow on Tuesday for a Save Soil event and met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He also handed the Save Soil Revitalization Handbook to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. Yogi Adityanth expressed his trust and promised that more than 25 crore people of the state will join the movement.

Sadhguru is on a 100-day, 30,000-km 'Save Soil Movement' to talk about his initiative and its importance in the coming years.

The movement, till date, has touched 2.5 billion people while 74 countries have agreed to act to save their nations soils. Over 15 lakh children in India have written to the Prime Minister as well, requesting him to take action to save the nations soil and their collective future.

The primary objective of the Save Soil Movement is to urge all nations of the world to mandate a minimum of 3-6% organic content in agricultural soils through urgent policy reforms. Without this minimum organic content, soil scientists have warned of the imminent death of soil, a phenomenon they are terming as soil extinction.

In India, nearly 30% of fertile soils in the country have already become barren and are incapable of yield. The United Nations has warned that at current rates of soil degradation, 90% of the earth could turn into desert by 2050- less than three decades from now. To avert this catastrophe, Sadhguru initiated the Save Soil movement in March this year, and travelled across 27 countries meeting leaders, politicians, scientists and citizens to galvanise support to Save Soil.

The Save Soil Movement is supported by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN World Food Programme, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Live TV
New Delhi: A woman in United States has been charged for murdering her "boyfriend" after she hunted him down using an Apple Airtag, as per media reports. The 26 year old woman, identified as Gaylyn Morris followed Andre Smith whom she reportedly called as her boyfriend using Airtag to a bar called Tillys Pub in Indianapolis. She used Apple AirTag and GPS tracking system to trace the location of her purported boyfriend.

According Fox News, Morris apparently told a witness that she was Smiths girlfriend. She further said that Smith was cheating on her. Investigators at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department upon further probing the witnesses were told that Morris wanted to hit the other woman with an empty wine bottle during an altercation among the trio. However, her bid to attack the other woman was foiled by Smith, at which point the pub management asked them to leave the premises. (Also read: Apple launches watchOS 9 with Afib History feature, Medications app at WWDC 2022 )

It was once they moved out of the pub, Smith was mowed down by Morris' car. Fox News reporting the recount of another witness wrote, she "pulled forward and clipped the victim (Smith), and he went down, at which time... (Morris) then backed over him and then pulled forward and hit him for the third time". (Also read: Apple WWDC 2022: MacBook Air, M2 chip, iOS 16 and more, heres everything Apple announced)

Apple had introduced AirTag in April 2021. AirTag is an iPhone accessory that provides a private and secure way to easily locate the items with Apples Find My app. Whether attached to a handbag, keys, backpack, or other items, AirTag taps into Find My network and can help locate a lost item, all while keeping location data private and anonymous with end-to-end encryption. AirTag can be purchased in one and four packs for just Rs 3190 and Rs 10900, respectively.
NEW DELHI: Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was questioned by the Delhi Police over a threat letter that was recently received by Bollywood megastar Salman Khan and his father, writer Salim Khan, official sources said on Tuesday.

According to the sources, Bishnoi has denied any involvement in the said death threat and maintained that he has no hand in it.

Bishnoi was questioned by the Special Cell as he had previously, a few years back, vowed to kill Salman Khan for the latter`s alleged involvement in the infamous black buck poaching case.

The Mumbai Police said that Salim Khan, 87, was handed over an unsigned, hand-written threat letter on Sunday morning around 7.30 a.m. by an unknown person on a bench where he normally rests after jogging at the Bandra Bandstand promenade, and it was addressed to him and his son Salman.

The letter is signed off with some initials which the police are probing and also attempting to unravel if they are linked to any past incidents targeting Salman Khan.

The police are also scouring CCTV footage of the area for clues and questioning locals for further leads on the threat letter.
New Delhi: The central government employees are eligible to get incentive for acquiring fresh higher qualifications. The incentive amount for the employees who have acquired higher degree like Ph.D. is as high as Rs 30,000. The Central Government Servants acquiring fresh higher qualifications after coming into service are granted this incentive in the form of one-time lump-sum amount as per the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission.

Central Government Servants acquiring fresh higher qualifications after coming into service are granted incentive in the form of one-time lump-sum amount ranging from Rs 2000 to Rs 10,000, as provided in this Department of Personnel & Training Office Memorandum dated 2019 after the 7th Pay Commission reviewed the rates of incentives.

It was decided in 2019 by the government that in supersession of all the existing orders/OMs/instructions/guidelines on the subject of granting incentive for acquiring fresh higher qualifications, the following one-time lump-sum rates as incentive for acquiring fresh higher qualification by a Government employee shall be permissible for courses in fields that are directly relevant to the employee's job: (Also read: Indian rupee with Mahatma Gandhi's face to be replaced by watermarks of Tagore, Kalam? RBI says THIS)

Ph.D. or equivalent. Rs 30,000 PG Degree/Diploma of duration more than one year, or equivalent. Rs 25,000 PG Degree/Diploma of duration one year or less, or equivalent. Rs 20,000 Degree/Diploma of duration more than three years, or equivalent. Rs 15,000 Degree/Diploma of duration three years or less, or equivalent. Rs 10,000

However, the OM said that the incentive will not be available for the qualifications which are laid down as essential or desirable qualifications in the recruitment rules for the post.

No incentive shall be allowed for acquiring higher qualification purely on academic or literary subjects. The acquisition of the qualification should be directly related to the functions of the post held by him/her, or to the functions to be performed in the next higher post. There should be direct nexus between the functions of the post and the qualification acquired and that it should contribute to the efficiency of the government servant.

The incentive would be given only for higher qualification acquired after induction into service and it shall be limited to maximum two times in an employee's career, with a minimum gap of two years between successive grants.
New Delhi: Garena Free Fire releases redeem codes on everyday basis. The 12-digit redeem code consists of alphabets and numbers. Players can get rewards such as skins for in-game weapons and characters to improve their gaming experience.

Garena Free fire is banned in India. However, if you are located outside India, you can access the reward codes and redeem them. For that you will be required to visit official Garena Free Fire reward site and log in to your Facebook, Google, Twitter IDs to access the Free Fire redemption page. (Also read: Gold prices today: Gold rates jump, check prices of yellow metal in your city)

Check out the Garena Free Fire Redeem Codes for June 7, 2022

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Also read: Apple WWDC 2022: MacBook Air, M2 chip, iOS 16 and more, heres everything Apple announced

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LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a confidence vote on Monday but a large rebellion in his Conservative Party over the so-called "partygate" scandal dealt a blow to his authority and leaves him with a struggle to win back support. Johnson, who scored a sweeping election victory in 2019, has been under increasing pressure after he and staff held alcohol-fuelled parties in his Downing Street office and residence when Britain was under lockdowns to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The vote was a blow to Johnson, with 41% of his lawmakers casting ballots against his leadership after months of scandals and gaffes that has raised questions over his authority to govern Britain and knocked his standing among the public.

But Johnson, a master of political comebacks, instead described the vote as a "decisive result" meaning that "as a government, we can move on and focus on the stuff that I think really matters to people".

"We can focus on what we`re doing to help people with the cost of living, what we`re doing to clear the COVID backlogs, what we`re doing to make streets and communities safer by putting more police out," said Johnson, who for weeks has tried to move the national conversation away from "partygate".

We need to come together as a party and focus on what this government is doing to help people with the cost of living, to clear the COVID backlogs and to make our streets safer.



We will continue to unite, level up and strengthen our economy. pic.twitter.com/vIWK81dDJC  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) June 6, 2022

It is a change of fortune for Johnson and underlines the depth of anger against him. He was met with a chorus of jeers and boos, and some muted cheers, at events to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth in recent days.

Several lawmakers said the vote, which saw 211 lawmakers cast ballots in favour of Johnson against 148, was worse than expected for a prime minister, once seemingly unassailable after winning the Conservatives` largest majority in more than three decades.

"Boris Johnson will be relieved at this vote. But he will also understand that the next priority is to rebuild the cohesion of the party," David Jones, a former minister, told Reuters. "I am sure he will be equal to the challenge."

Others were less optimistic, with one Conservative lawmaker saying on condition of anonymity: "It is clearly much worse than most people were expecting. But it is too early to say what will happens now."

Roger Gale, a long-time critic of Johnson, urged the prime minister "to go back to Downing Street tonight and consider very carefully where he goes from here".

12-MONTH REPRIEVE FOR BORIS JOHNSON

By winning the confidence vote, Johnson has secured a reprieve for 12 months when lawmakers cannot bring another challenge. But his predecessor Theresa May scored better in her 2018 confidence vote only to resign six months later.

Dozens of Conservative lawmakers have voiced concern over whether Johnson, 57, has lost his authority to govern Britain, which is facing the risk of recession, rising fuel and food prices and strike-inflicted travel chaos in the capital London.

But his Cabinet rallied around him and highlighted what they said were the successes of the government: a quick rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations and Britain`s response to Russia`s invasion of Ukraine.

A majority of the Conservatives` lawmakers - at least 180 - would have had to vote against Johnson for him to be removed.

Earlier, a spokesperson for Johnson`s Downing Street office said the vote would "allow the government to draw a line and move on" and that the prime minister welcomed the opportunity to make his case to lawmakers.

Johnson, a former London mayor, rose to power at Westminster as the face of the Brexit campaign in a 2016 referendum, and won the 2019 election with the slogan to "get Brexit done".
London: British health officials have so far reported more than 300 monkeypox cases, including 77 infections on Monday, across the country. Beyond Africa, the UK Has the biggest identified outbreak of the disease, with the vast majority of infections in gay and bisexual men, according to an AP report. Health officials have issued a warning that anyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, is potentially at risk of catching the disease if they are in close contact with a patient, their clothing or their bed sheets, said the report.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday said that more than two dozen countries that haven't previously identified monkeypox cases reported 780 cases, a more than 200% jump in cases since late May. No monkeypox deaths outside of Africa have yet been identified. The UN Health agency said most cases in Europe and elsewhere have been spotted in sexual health clinics and "have involved mainly, but not exclusively, men who have sex with men."

There have been more than 1,400 monkeypox cases and 63 deaths this year so far in four countries where the disease is endemic- Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo and Nigeria, said the AP report citing the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Genetic sequencing of the virus hasn't yet shown any direct link to the outbreak outside Africa.

WHO said the sudden and unexpected detection of monkeypox in numerous countries "suggests that there might have been undetected transmission for some unknown duration of time followed by recent amplifier events." Last month, a leading adviser to WHO reportedly said that the outbreak in Europe and beyond was likely spread by sex at two recent raves in Spain and Belgium.

WHO estimated the risk posed by monkeypox to global health was 'moderate,' saying this was the first time that so many cases and clusters were reported across the world. Until last month, the disease had not been known to cause large epidemics beyond central and west Africa, where it has mostly affected people in rural areas who come into close contact with infected wild animals.

The ongoing outbreak of monkeypox in Europe and elsewhere, including Canada, Australia, Israel and the US, marks the first time the disease has been known to spread among people who have no previous travel links to Africa.

Last week, Britain's Health Security Agency reportedly said that most cases have been in gay or bisexual men ranging in age from 20 to 49 and that "investigations to date have identified links to gay bars, saunas, and the use of dating apps in the UK and abroad."

Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.

Last week, WHO's top expert on monkeypox, Dr Rosamund Lewis, said she doubted the disease would trigger a pandemic, but said actions should be taken quickly to curb its spread so it doesn't become entrenched in new areas.

780 cases of monkeypox reported till June 2: WHO

A total of 780 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported or identified since May 13 and as of June 2 from 27 countries across four WHO regions that are not endemic for the monkeypox virus, the World Health Organisation has said. The UN's health agency said that while epidemiological investigations are ongoing, most reported cases so far have been presented through sexual health or other health services in primary or secondary health care facilities and have involved mainly, but not exclusively, men who have sex with men (MSM).

While the West African clade of the virus has been identified from samples of cases so far, most confirmed cases with travel history reported travel to countries in Europe and North America, rather than West or Central Africa where the monkeypox virus is endemic.

Monkeypox endemic countries are Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana (identified in animals only), Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone. Benin and South Sudan have documented importations in the past. Countries currently reporting cases of the West African clade are Cameroon and Nigeria, the WHO said.

The sudden and unexpected appearance of monkeypox simultaneously in several non-endemic countries suggests that there might have been undetected transmission for some unknown duration of time followed by recent amplifier events. WHO assesses the risk at the global level as moderate considering this is the first time that many monkeypox cases and clusters are reported concurrently in non-endemic and endemic countries in widely disparate WHO geographical areas.

Notably, the majority of cases were reported from the WHO European Region (20 Countries). Confirmed cases have also been reported from the Region of the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean Region and Western Pacific Region.

(With AP/PTI Inputs)
Washington/Mexico City: The White House on Monday excluded Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua from the US-hosted Summit of the Americas this week, prompting Mexico`s president to make good on a threat to skip the event because all countries in the Western Hemisphere were not invited.

The boycott by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and some other leaders could diminish the relevance of the summit in Los Angeles, where the United States aims to address regional migration and economic challenges. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, hopes to repair Latin America relations damaged under his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, reassert US influence and counter China`s inroads.

The decision to cut out Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua followed weeks of intense deliberations and was due to concerns about human rights and a lack of democracy in the three nations, a senior US official said. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the Biden administration "understands" Mexico`s position, but "one of the key elements of this summit is democratic governance, and these countries are not exemplars, to put it mildly."

Biden aides have been mindful of pressure from Republicans and some fellow Democrats against appearing soft on America`s three main leftist antagonists in Latin America. Miami`s large Cuban-American community, which favored Trump`s harsh policies toward Cuba and Venezuela, is seen as an important voting bloc in Florida in the November elections that will decide control of the US Congress, which is now in the hands of the Democrats.

Lopez Obrador told reporters that his foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, would attend the summit in his place. The Mexican president said he would meet with Biden in Washington next month, which the White House confirmed. "There can`t be a Summit of the Americas if not all countries of the American continent are taking part," Lopez Obrador said.

Lopez Obrador`s absence from the gathering, which Biden is due to open on Wednesday, raises questions about summit discussions focused on curbing migration at the US southern border, a priority for Biden, and could be a diplomatic embarrassment for the United States.

A caravan of several thousand migrants, many from Venezuela, set off from southern Mexico early Monday aiming to reach the United States. But a senior administration official insisted Lopez Obrador`s no-show would not hinder Biden`s rollout of a regional migration initiative. The White House expects at least 23 heads of state and government, which the official said would be in line with past summits.

US Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat and chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized the Mexican president, saying his "decision to stand with dictators and despots" would hurt US-Mexico relations.

CUBA CRITICAL

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing populist and Trump admirer who leads Latin America`s most populous country, will attend after initially flirting with staying away. The exclusion of Venezuela and Nicaragua had been flagged in recent weeks. President Miguel Diaz-Canel of Communist-ruled Cuba said last month he would not go even if invited, accusing the United States of "brutal pressure" to make the summit non-inclusive.

On Monday, Cuba called the decision "discriminatory and unacceptable" and said the United States underestimated support in the region for the island nation. The United States invited some Cuban civil society activists to attend, but several said on social media that Cuban state security had blocked them from travel to Los Angeles.

Having ruled out Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the Biden administration expects representatives for opposition leader Juan Guaido will attend, Price said. He declined to say whether their participation would be in person or virtually. The senior administration official, asked whether Biden might have a call with Guaido during the summit, said there was a good chance of an "engagement," but declined to elaborate.

Washington recognizes Guaido as Venezuelas legitimate president, having condemned Maduros 2018 re-election as a sham. But some countries in the region have stuck with Maduro. Also barred from the summit is Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla who won a fourth consecutive term in November after jailing rivals.

Most leaders have signaled they will attend, but the pushback by leftist-led governments suggests many in Latin America are no longer willing to follow Washington`s lead as in past times.

Faced with low expectations for summit achievements, US officials began previewing Biden`s coming initiatives. These include an "Americas partnership" for pandemic recovery, which would entail investments and supply-chain strengthening, reform of the Inter-American Development Bank, and a $300 million commitment for regional food security.
By Trend

Honey produced in Azerbaijans territories liberated from Armenian occupation [in the 2020 second Karabakh war] and other regions of the country is planned to be exported under Karabakh brand starting from October this year, the Chairman of the Azerbaijan Beekeepers Association Badraddin Hasratov told Trend.

According to Hasratov, from the beginning of the year, nearly 20,000 bee colonies have been set up in the liberated lands.

"This process is ongoing. We forecast placing 30,000 bee colonies in the liberated lands, which have favorable conditions for the development of beekeeping, he said.

Beekeeping on the liberated lands will develop rapidly, and soon well not only meet the country's domestic needs for honey, but also export it, added the associations head.
Indicted on charges of fraud years ago, but not yet having stood trial, Texas AG Ken Paxton is demanding Twitter provide him data regarding spam and bot accounts. This number and Twitter's methods for estimating and reporting it are unremarkable and unlikely to help Elon "Pedo Guy" Musk back out of his commitment to purchase the site.

Ars Technica:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday stepped into the Elon Musk/Twitter battle by launching an investigation into whether Twitter is hiding the extent of its spam-account problem. Paxton announced the investigation in a press release that echoes Musk's claims and sent Twitter a letter demanding the same types of data on fake accounts that Musk hasn't been able to get.

"Twitter has received intense scrutiny in recent weeks over claiming in its financial regulatory filings that fewer than 5 percent of all users are bots, when they may in fact comprise as much as 20 percent or more," Paxton's announcement said. Paxton's press release says that an inaccurate estimate of bot accounts may "inflate the value of the company and the costs of doing business with it, thus directly harming Texas consumers and businesses."

Though Paxton's press release didn't mention Musk, the "intense scrutiny" has been driven by Musk claiming that Twitter's spam-account estimate is wrong. Additionally, Paxton's concern that incorrect spam data would "inflate the value" of Twitter comes amid Musk's attempts to get out of or renegotiate his $44 billion deal to buy TwitterMusk agreed to pay $54.20 per share, and Twitter's stock price was $39.59 at market close yesterday.
The latest issue of The New Yorker has Patrick Radden Keefe's incredible story about Joshua Schulte, a former CIA coder who is threatening to expose CIA secrets if the government decides to pursue child pornography charges against him.

From a New Yorker press release:

In "King Josh," Patrick Radden Keefe unwinds the surreal case of Joshua Schulte, a disgruntled coder accused of exposing the C.I.A.'s digital arsenal, whose 2020 trial revealed great detail about life inside a top-secret C.I.A. unit. On March 7, 2017, the Web site WikiLeaks launched a series of disclosures that were catastrophic for the C.I.A. More than two billion pages' worth of data had been stolen from the agencythe single largest leak of classified information in the agency's history. The trove, billed as Vault 7, exposed the C.I.A.'s hacking methods. F.B.I. agents quickly zeroed in on the Operations Support Branch, the C.I.A.'s secret hacker unit, in which a cadre of elite engineers create cyberweapons. Keefe draws on the court testimony of several employees, who describe a frat-house vibe within the O.S.B. The coders were mostly young men, and they came up with nicknames for one another (one unit member, who got braces as an adult, became known as Train Tracks). They sometimes shared sensitive details on Post-it notes, and used passwords that were laughably weak, including 123ABCdef. Some O.S.B. guys brought Nerf guns to work, and they would occasionally shoot darts at one another from their desks. As the F.B.I. interviewed members of the O.S.B., a suspect came into focus: Joshua Schulte. Keefe chronicles Schulte's time at the C.I.A., during which he filed a restraining order against a colleague in a Virginia state court; he tracks the F.B.I.'s investigation into Schulte, which turned up an enormous trove of child pornography and photographic evidence of him committing sexual assault; and he interviews several former classmates who recall Schulte's sexually inappropriate behavior. (Presented with these allegations, several attorneys who have represented Schulte had no comment.)

The first criminal trial of Joshua Schulte commenced on February 4, 2020, at the federal courthouse in Manhattan. A decision had been made to postpone the child-pornography indictment and the sexual-assault charge; the government focussed on Vault 7, issuing ten charges, ranging from lying to the F.B.I. to illegal transmission of classified information. It had taken federal prosecutors three years to assemble the evidence that they would present in court, in part because of the official secrecy involved and in part because they intended to summon more than a dozen C.I.A. officers to testify, under oath, about Schulte's tenure at the O.S.B. "This was a delicate and highly unusual strategy. To speak in public about what happens on the job is to violate one of the signature prohibitions of an agency career. It was an indication of how seriously C.I.A. officials took Schulte's alleged offenses that they were prepared to forgo this traditional reticence for the purposes of a trial," Keefe writes. On March 9, 2020, the jury convicted Schulte of two lesser chargescontempt of court and lying to the F.B.I.but hung on the eight more serious counts, including those accusing him of transmitting national-security secrets to WikiLeaks, and the judge declared a mistrial. A new trial is scheduled to begin on June 13th. Schulte, who opted to represent himself, "might well attempt to force the disclosure of so many secrets that the authorities will feel compelled to drop the charges against him or to offer an attractive plea deal. There may be some threshold of disclosure beyond which the C.I.A. will not venture," Keefe writes. Schulte's mother, Deanna, told Keefe that one reason her son had elected to serve as his own counsel is that he wants to "put it all out there." In a June 2nd court filing, Schulte suggested that if the government goes to trial with the child-pornography charges he plans to make it maximally painful for the C.I.A. Keefe writes, "In a contest between the dictates of official secrecy and the imperatives of justice, odds are that secrecy will win."
Although Paris is the City of Love, Disneyland Paris is the Kingdom of Ruined Marriage Proposals.

This video shows a man and woman standing on a platform with Fantasyland's princess castle in the background. Taking a knee, he offers a small black box, the kind that holds engagement rings. As the woman looks surprised and excited, she puts her hands to her mouth. From out of nowhere, a Disney employee appears just when the man is about to pop the question. The mouse-ear staffer sprints across the stage and runs right between the startled couple, grabbing the diamond box before running down the steps. His confused victims follow him down the steps.

The worker hands the box back to the man and says, "Yes, that's great, but over here will be even better." Unfortunately, it will not be even better, since the couple is now at the bottom of the steps against the fence, a much less romantic location than the platform. What a bummer!

Disneyland Paris has since apologized for the weird interruption.

From Yahoo News:

A spokesperson for Disney says the theme park has since communicated with the couple and apologized. "We regret how this was handled," a Disney spokesperson told Newsweek. "We have apologized to the couple involved and offered to make it right."
In Mysuru, India, a judge reflected on a recent case in which a husband and wife divorced because "the husband said his wife did not know how to prepare any food other than Maggi (instant) noodles."

"It was noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner," Judge ML Raghunath said the man told him. "He complained that his wife went to the provision store and brought only instant noodles."

The divorce was mutual consent. Bet he's now cooking himself instant noodles.

From the New Indian Express:

"Divorce cases are increasing drastically over the years. Couples have to stay together for at least a year before seeking divorce. If there was no such law, there would be divorce petitions filed directly from wedding halls," he said. Courts have received divorce cases by couples just a day after their marriage, for not talking with the partner, for putting salt on the wrong side of the plate, for stitching the wrong colour wedding suit, for not taking the wife out and other such reasons.

Sounds to me that the real box to tick here is: "jackass husband."
New York State Electric & Gas has proposed rate hikes that would add about $15 to $18 a month to the average residential customers' bills, starting next year.

NYSEG said the higher rates are needed to modernize and upgrade its aging network of power lines and natural gas pipelines across portions of upstate New York.

NYSEG's proposal to state regulators would increase the average electricity customer's bill by $18.31  a 22% increase.

The increase would take effect May 1, 2023, but needs approval from state regulators.

NYSEG is a subsidiary of Avangrid. A NYSEG sister company, Rochester Gas & Electric, has also proposed rate hikes.

In a letter to regulators, Avangrid said the proposed rate hikes would support investments that "are necessary to address increasing systemwide exposure to equipment failure driven by aging infrastructure and to address growing exposure to tree-related outages, particularly given the increase in weather events and heightened expectations around outage restoration times."

The proposed rate hike also would raise delivery charges by 15.6% for gas customers, or an average of $14.94 a month.

Gov. Kathy Hochul blasted the proposed increases.

"It's outrageous and unacceptable that utility companies are proposing the largest rate increase in recent history for more than 1.2 million consumers in upstate New York," Hochul said in a statement. "The Department of Public Service is legally required to review all proposed rate increases, and I urge them to scrutinize every number and word of this proposal to protect New York families from unjustified and unfair rate increases."

Avangrid contended that even with the proposed hikes, "the companies will continue to have among the lowest electric and gas rates in New York."

While Avangrid's filing with the PSC is for a one-year plan, the company said in a letter to state regulators that it believes a multiyear settlement would be preferable.

The proposed rate hike only covers the cost of delivering electricity or natural gas to a customer's home or business. The actual cost of the energy is included in a separate charge that rises and falls with electricity and natural gas costs.

Rate hikes proposed by utilities are routinely reduced by the Public Service Commission during the review process. Last January, the PSC approved rate hikes for National Grid's upstate New York customers for the next three years, after cutting the utility's proposed request by more than one-third.

Matt Glynn

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.
Imaging contrast is hard to come by right now

The health care industry in Western New York and beyond is grappling with yet another shortage.

No, we're not talking about workers this time, though that remains a huge issue that won't get resolved any time soon.

This time, we're talking about imaging contrast dye.

What's that, you ask?

It's a substance that is either swallowed by or injected in a patient so that radiologists can better visualize blood vessels, tissues and organs, helping them to diagnose potential problems.

You might be familiar with it if you've had a computed tomography (CT) scan where your provider used contrast to highlight certain areas of your body. Not all CT scans, however, require contrast dye.

What's causing the shortage?

The recently lifted Covid-19 lockdown in Shanghai, China, took a GE Healthcare plant there temporarily offline.

The plant is a major supplier of iodinated IV contrast dye.

And, as we know by now, any change in the supply chain has ripple effects  such as potential delays in the roughly 50 million exams with contrast agents that are done annually in the United States.

GE Healthcare said on June 2 that it expected production capacity from its Shanghai facility to be close to 100% starting June 6.

But it will take a while to stabilize the global supply of its iodinated contrast media, an imaging agent that contains iodine.

How are providers adapting?

The good news is Western New York's health care providers have had a lot of practice during the pandemic of quickly pivoting.

Dr. Michael Mineo, interim chief medical officer at Kaleida Health, said the system put its stakeholders together as soon as it learned the shortage was going to happen.

That plan has included looking at alternatives such as doing exams without contrast when the imaging agent is not needed.

Kaleida also partners with Great Lakes Medical Imaging, which Mineo said uses a different company, Bracco, as its supplier and was not hit as hard by the shortage. That allowed Kaleida to shift some of its outpatient imaging to Great Lakes.

"We've been able to come up with ways to mitigate the effects to our patients," Mineo said.

Dane Franklin, director of imaging services at Catholic Health System, said the system has resorted to contrast conservation methods and also has pushed its outpatient contrast CT scans to some imaging providers that use different suppliers within Catholic Medical Partners, a partnership between Catholic Health and a network of associated physicians.

"We are starting to see some contrast come over," Franklin said. "It's just not as much as we're historically used to receiving."

In an FAQ on its website about the shortage, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center notes that other types of imaging, such as MRIs and ultrasounds, are not affected. It also noted that there is often acceptable alternatives to a CT scan with contrast in many cases.

The cancer center expects the shortage to linger well into the summer months.

"On a national level, we need to make sure this supply issue is short-lived," said Dr. Ermelinda Bonaccio, Roswell Park's chair of diagnostic and interventional radiology. "We need the heightened awareness this situation has brought to the importance of better planning and coordination for critical medical resources like these contrast dyes."

This shortage is yet another example of how brittle the supply chain can become, especially when manufacturers consolidate so much of their production into one facility and when health care facilities purchase a product from a single source for efficiency and better pricing.

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.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Who: Cassandra Church, chief nursing officer at Kaleida Health's Oishei Children's Hospital, has accepted a job as executive vice president and chief nursing officer for Children's Health, a major pediatric health care provider in Dallas. Church, Oishei's chief nursing officer since January 2020, will remain with the Buffalo institution through the end of July to ensure a smooth transition  and, as a side benefit, I'm sure, to enjoy a Buffalo summer before diving into the Texas heat.

Who's next: Christina Mills, director of perioperative services for Oishei, has been named interim chief nursing officer. A search for a permanent chief nursing officer will begin immediately, with the goal of naming a permanent successor by the fall.

What's the boss say: "This is an incredible growth opportunity for Cassie and a true testament to her leadership and skills that she has passionately shared with OCH and our entire community since 2016, when she joined the team to oversee the clinical training and education of the move of Women & Childrens Hospital of Buffalo to the new Ellicott Street location," Oishei President Allegra Jaros said in a statement.

THE LATEST

Catch up on news tied to Buffalo Niagara's economy

Four of the 22 large-scale renewable energy projects across the state will be in Western New York, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who announced plans for powering more than 620,000 homes for at least 20 years.

A Cheektowaga-based stainless steel pipe maker wants to expand its Walden Avenue warehouse in Lancaster as part of a $7.65 million project and is asking the town's industrial development agency for tax breaks to help pay for it.

Longtime president and CEO of the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County Michael Weiner will retire at the end of 2022, after 13 years in the post and a 48-year career in health and human services in Western New York.

After a series of recent mass shootings, including one at the Tops on Jefferson Avenue, a coalition of business groups in the state, including the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, is chiming in on the issue, calling for Congress to reinstate an assault weapons ban.

Facing default on the $237 million loan it owes on the Walden Galleria property, mall owner Pyramid Management Group has reached an agreement on a three-year extension with its lenders.

The Seventh-Day Adventist Church at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Genesee Street purchased three key parcels of land from the City of Buffalo for $100,000. The land is needed for the building of a sanctuary for the Emmanuel Temple Church.

Russell Salvatore Jr., the grandson of one of Buffalo's most prominent restaurateurs, wants to construct a two-story building with 11 apartments and 5,200 square feet of commercial space at the corner of Main Street and Winding Lane in Clarence, as well as a separate farmers market building.

A new network of emergency medical physicians, dubbed the Emergency Physician Response Program, will be available to respond to high-severity 911 calls and mass casualty incidents in Erie and Niagara counties.

Redevelopment of a derelict and fire-damaged industrial property on the shores of Scajaquada Creek by Savarino Companies hit a snag after neighbors and Buffalo Planning Board members raised concerns about the increased traffic and safety risk that it might cause.

In an effort to remain competitive in a growing venture capital landscape, Buffalo startup accelerator 43North will invest $1 million in five companies as part of this year's annual competition.

Former 43North company Rally, which specializes in bus ridesharing for events, will become publicly traded later this year after entering into a business combination agreement with Americas Technology Acquisition Corp. Rally won $500,000 in the 2019 startup contest.

A large grocery store won't be coming to the proposed Elmwood Crossing after Ellicott Development Co. and Sinatra & Co. Real Estate eliminated it from their ambitious $150 million project to convert the former Women's and Children's Hospital of Buffalo into a mixed-use community.

Between the gas tax initiatives by both the county and state, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he expects gas prices in the county to go down by up to 30 cents a gallon.

The University at Buffalo's Jacobs School is one of the institutions that's been chosen to take part in a clinical trial of Paxlovid, a Covid-19 medicine being evaluated by Pfizer in children ages 12 to 17. Research has already shown it reduces the risk of hospitalization or death in adults by 88% if given within five days of the onset of Covid-19 symptoms.

The owners of the Eastern Hills Mall in Clarence will save more than $2.4 million in property taxes over 10 years after reaching an agreement to lower the property taxes on the struggling mall while they work to redevelop it into a mixed-use town center.

Buffalo Next reporters Jonathan D. Epstein, Jon Harris, Natalie Brophy, Matt Glynn, Janet Gramza and Mike Petro contributed to this roundup.

ICYMI

Five reads from Buffalo Next:

1. 43North aiming to attract high-growth companies to the region: Sam Eder moved to Buffalo from Austin, Texas, in January after his company Big Wheelbarrow won the 43North startup contest. Stipulating winning companies set up shop in Buffalo for at least a year is an important aspect of 43North's mission.

2. Mixed-use development coming to Old First Ward: Developers Karl Frizlen and Michael Masters are in the midst of turning the former Barcalo Manufacturing plant into Barcalo Living & Commerce, a mixed-use community in the Old First Ward that dozens of tenants soon will call home.

3. Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue will reopen, but what that will look like is uncertain: As Tops officials plan for the reopening of its Jefferson Avenue store after a tragic mass shooting, when and how it will do so is still being considered as some community members want a new Tops store at a different location on Buffalo's East Side.

4. Doctor recognized for providing aid in strife-torn regions: Dr. Aaron Epstein has been splitting his life between surgical shifts in Buffalo and leading the humanitarian aid group he founded in 2015. Now, he's in line for one of the nation's top civilian awards.

5. Rachel's Mediterranean grill expands beyond Buffalo home: Rachel's has made it big in Western New York, and the family-owned business is now trying to expand the concept down the Thruway in New York and in larger markets such as Fort Worth, Texas.

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.

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It comes as little surprise that in the wake of the mass shooting May 14 at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue, Democrats in New York moved quickly to pass a raft of new legislation aimed at making it more difficult for anyone to replicate that day's horrors.

But when the leaders of some of the largest business groups in the state followed suit in calling for such restrictions, even they agreed it was not a typical decision.

"The time to act is now," Heather Briccetti, president and CEO of the Business Council of New York State, said Monday. "It is a business issue, it is a human issue."

The move from a coalition of business groups that is typically more likely to weigh in on areas such as taxes and regulations came the same day Gov. Kathy Hochul surrounded herself with state and local government leaders to sign 10 bills that enact sweeping new controls in New York State ranging from age limits on purchase of military-style weapons to banning the purchase of body armor for civilians.

The unified message from Democrats in New York stands in comparison to little or no movement on the issue nationally  including a local Republican congressman's decision to abandon his race for re-election as he lost key GOP endorsements following his call for some gun regulations. Hochul said the message is that in New York, at least, measures to address gun violence remain a priority.

"We are constantly reminded of the scale of this across the nation. Shots ring out, flags come down and nothing ever changes," she said during a bill-signing ceremony at a Bronx YMCA that included Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown. "Except here in New York."

The package of bills stem from action during the waning days of the State Legislature's just-concluded session. The new legislation now requires anyone purchasing a weapon like the AR-15 used at the Tops assault to be 21 years old, and not 18 like the alleged white supremacist shooter. The package also calls for identifying some ammunition to be "micro-stamped" with identification, strengthening red flag laws that target potential lawbreaker and requiring social media providers to monitor their content for hate messages.

The new bills also ban the sale of body armor like the equipment used in the May 14 killings for ordinary civilians, and widens directives for sharing data among state and local authorities.

Hochul repeatedly noted that the Senate and Assembly quickly enacted the new laws to address loopholes that became more evident following the massacre at Tops. She contended that no state ever responded with such a "sense of urgency," and urged officials in Washington to embrace the same haste on a federal level.

"It's an investment in prevention," she said. "That's how you beat this at the front end."

The assemblage of officials gathered in the northeast Bronx to witness the new laws' enactment seemed to underscore the political will of the state  at least from the Democrats who control the levers of New York government. Hochul was joined by Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Attorney General Letitia James. State Sens. Timothy M. Kennedy and Sean M. Ryan of Buffalo also stood behind Hochul as she signed the bills.

During the ceremony, Brown noted his city is "still hurting, still grieving, and in pain" over the events of May 14. He also urged more federal action on guns, which continues to face stiff opposition from Republicans.

"I also hope it serves as a message to states all across the nation and to lawmakers in Washington that enough is enough," the mayor said. "The time for real gun reform at the federal level is now.

Buffalo police commissioner, mother of shooting victim to testify at House hearing Joseph Gramaglia and Zeneta Everhart will join witnesses from Uvalde, Texas, at a hearing of the House Oversight and Reform Committee at 10 a.m. Wednesday, the panel's chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, announced Friday.

"This is the day the families of the victims in Buffalo have asked for ... for hearing the voices of the people," he added. "This sets an example for the rest of the nation. We will keep the pressure on in Congress."

That pressure is being applied by business leaders as well, who argue that reasonable gun legislation would have far-reaching effects.

"While gun control may not be a typical lane for chambers of commerce, there is no avoiding the impact gun violence is having on our country and in our communities, and we have an obligation to be part of solving this American problem," said Dottie Gallagher, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

The partnership was joined by four other business groups in supporting a reinstatement of a federal ban that expired in 2004: the Business Council of New York State; the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce; the Business Council of Westchester; and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

"This is unprecedented that you would come forward as a group representing a lot of business leaders and taking seriously this issue of gun violence," Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, told the coalition members in a virtual news conference.

The business groups wanted to act while Congress was still in session, and "lend a new voice to this discussion, to get this out of an individual rights conversation and more to a community rights conversation," Gallagher said.

Rep. Chris Jacobs withdraws from re-election bid amid gun control outcry Rep. Chris Jacobs, an Orchard Park Republican, said Friday that he was withdrawing as the GOP and Conservative candidate for Congress in the newly redrawn 23rd District, acknowledging that his newfound views on gun control place him at odds with the parties that endorsed him.

Higgins and Briccetti both alluded to Rep. Chris Jacobs' decision last week to not seek re-election, after he took a stand in favor of an assault weapons ban. Jacobs said he subsequently lost Republican leaders' endorsements, which led to his decision to leave the race.

Briccetti said she and Gallagher felt it was time for the business community to speak up, and brought other groups into the fold.

"At this point, I think (lawmakers) need support so that they don't feel like they have to not run for office in order to take a principled stand on an issue like this," Briccetti said. "I feel it's very important that we point out, this is about the ability for people to be free in the workplace, to be free in their lives to grocery shop and to go to school. And we aren't free if no action is taken."

Gallagher said she expects the assault weapons issue to become a regular part of the Partnership's advocacy agenda if it isn't resolved in the current session of Congress: "This isn't a one-and-done situation."

During the bill signing ceremony in the Bronx, James singled out the Republican Party for taking too far its defense of the Second Amendment.

"The Second Amendment is not absolute," James said. "We cannot wait for another child, another victim, to have their face blown away."

While not as direct in her effort to pressure gun control opponents, Hochul also referred to the reports of mass carnage in the Jefferson Avenue Tops as well as to the Texas elementary school where 19 children and two teachers were gunned down by an 18-year-old armed with an AR-15.

"Heaven help you if you look a those images and not have a change of heart," she said.

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Niagara Falls Mayor Robert M. Restaino on Monday defended his administration's decision not to tell the public that city police had shot a suspect for 29 hours, although he acknowledged that was far from ideal.

"There is no question that in this incident, we were ferreting through some facts that were somehow not connecting. And so what we didnt want to do is we didnt want to walk out with a set of facts that we were ultimately going to have to retract," he said. "And so, yes, it took far longer than we would have wanted, and far longer than the public would like to know, but we wanted to make sure because it does involve an officer-related shooting and we wanted to make sure we were accurate."

Suspect shot after knife attack on Niagara Falls police officer According to the report from Ann Harenda, a spokesperson for Mayor Robert Restaino, the suspect charged at officers, stabbed one of them in the back and was shot as he attacked another officer.

More than three days had passed by Monday afternoon since Niagara Falls police on Friday shot a 29-year-old man who is now in critical condition at a Buffalo hospital.

But other than specifying that the man first attacked officers, the police and mayor have provided the public with little information. Basic details, such as the names of those involved and whether the injured man was charged with a crime, have not been released by Restaino's administration.

Restaino said Monday that he expects to hold a news conference on the shooting Tuesday.

That pace contrasts with the speed that other local police departments have provided the public with information following shootings that involved police. It may also be contrary to industry best practices for releasing information during controversial shootings.

After speaking at a tourism news conference Monday afternoon, Restaino told a Buffalo News reporter that authorities are "still unpacking a couple of things," and the investigation is continuing.

"I want to make sure that before we stand in front of members of the media, that we've got all of the information," Restaino said.

What is known

What is known is that the shooting occurred around 5 p.m. Friday.

At 10:44 p.m. Friday, a city spokesperson sent news organizations an email stating that hours earlier, police responded to a domestic call in progress near Niagara Falls Boulevard and 80th Street.

When responding officers arrived, she wrote, a person pulled a knife and stabbed an officer. At that point, officers on scene responded to the assault. The officer was taken to a local hospital. The suspect was also transported to a local hospital.

In the statement, police gave no indication that one of its officers shot the suspect or why the man needed to be taken to the hospital.

Saturday afternoon, Police Superintendent John Faso declined to comment on what happened the night before, telling a Buffalo News reporter that "all press inquiries must go through Mayor Restaino's public information officer."

Ann Harenda, the spokesperson for Restaino, sent out a statement Saturday at 10:10 pm  about 29 hours after the incident  in which police acknowledged that officers "shot an armed suspect."

While responding to a call for a suspicious person, the release stated, "officers approached a suspect behind the Rite Aid at 80th Street and Niagara Falls Blvd. During that interaction, the suspect tried to get away from officers and refused to comply with commands. Officers used a taser, with no effect on the suspect."

"At that time," the statement continued, "the suspect pulled a knife from his pocket, charged at officers, and stabbed an officer in his back. The suspect then attacked a second officer, at which point other responding officers shot him. Officers on-scene immediately began rendering first aid until medical personnel arrived."

The officer who was stabbed sustained minor injuries to his back and arm, police stated, while the suspect  a 29-year-old man  was taken to Erie County Medical Center in critical condition.

The police statement did not name the suspect or police officers involved.

On Sunday, a Buffalo News reporter followed up with city officials, but neither Restaino nor Faso spoke about the shooting.

Monday morning, Harenda sent another email to the news outlets with an update stating that the suspect remained in critical condition and two officers had been placed on administrative leave.

"We are not releasing names of anyone involved yet due to the investigation," the email stated.

Later that morning, Harenda said it was unclear whether the 29-year-old man had been arrested or charged with a crime. She also said the races of the suspect and the officers were unclear.

A News reporter asked Harenda why releasing the names of the involved parties would hamper the internal investigation.

"Since it is a police-involved shooting, before we release too many specific details, we just really want to make sure that everything is by the book," she said.

Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman declined Monday to comment on the case.

'Timely release' enhances public trust

Niagara Falls' approach contrasts with other departments that provided information to the public after controversial encounters with police.

The day after Buffalo Police shot a knife-wielding man outside a Hertel Avenue apartment building in March, the department released the names of the man who was shot and the officers who were involved. Within four days, Buffalo Police also released body camera footage of the incident.

In February, a state trooper shot and killed a man in after a car chase that ended in downtown Buffalo. State Police released the man's name two days after the incident and the State Attorney General's Office released body camera footage the next month.

Law enforcement guidelines on best practices for shootings involving police encourage departments to make such information public as soon as possible.

A guidebook developed by the U.S. Department of Justice and the International Association of Chiefs of Police states that a police shooting, especially when it results in the death of a civilian or officer, "garners intense interest and scrutiny among the media and the public. In addition, the longer the law enforcement agency withholds this information, the greater the appearance that the agency is protecting its own personnel at the expense of transparency within the community."

The guidebook states that as soon as the preliminary results of an investigation are completed, "the investigator should then prepare a staff memorandum that provides the general facts of the incident. The department should post or distribute this memo to all personnel as soon as possible; as long as it will not jeopardize the investigation, it should also provide this information to the media."

But law enforcement agencies have not reached consensus on an exact time when the names of officers should be released, the guidebook states. The "timely release" of the names "serves to enhance public trust in the investigative process, and adds to the transparency and perceived integrity of the investigation."

However, it acknowledges that releasing the names of officers "in this time of heightened police scrutiny and public dissent has also become a matter of greater concern for officer safety."

Will AG investigate?

It also remains unclear whether State Attorney General Letitia James will investigate the Niagara Falls shooting.

In April 2021, the AG created an Office of Special Investigations to probe "every incident in which a police officer caused or may reasonably have caused the death of a person, whether the person is armed or unarmed, and whether the officer is on duty or not."

Restaino said representatives of the AG's office were at the scene Friday.

A spokesperson for James stated in an email, "As far as we know, the individual is alive. Please note that we only have jurisdiction if a civilian dies."

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Charlie Specht News Staff Reporter Charlie Specht is a member of the Watchdog Team. A Buffalo native, he has won state, regional and national awards for investigative reporting. Follow Charlie Specht 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
Three and a half weeks after the racist mass killing at the Tops Friendly Markets grocery store on Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said he hopes the time has finally come for Washington to act on gun violence.

"We need some change," Gramaglia said Tuesday at Buffalo Niagara International Airport before flying to the nation's capital, where he is scheduled to testify before Congress on Wednesday. "We need to make our streets and communities safer."

Gramaglia and Zeneta Everhart, whose son Zaire Goodman was wounded in the May 14 massacre, will join witnesses from Uvalde, Texas, at a hearing of the House Oversight and Reform Committee at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Gramaglia, a 28-year law enforcement veteran who was appointed commissioner in March, will speak on behalf of Buffalo and the Police Department and also as a representative of the Major City Chiefs Association, which advocates for "sensible gun policy." That includes reinstating the assault weapons ban, adopting universal background checks for all gun sales, strengthening the national criminal instant background checks system, supporting red flag legislation to keep guns out of the hands of people with mental illness and histories of violent behavior, and banning bump-stocks and high capacity magazines.

Gramaglia said he planned to speak about the massacre in Buffalo as well as policies that could help reduce gun violence.

"We need some changes to happen," he said. "It's an honor," he said about speaking before Congress.

Still, "I'm very conflicted about it because it's an honor to have this opportunity to speak, but I'm being called to speak because of this racist massacre that happened here locally. I'm going to go there and try to speak for the 13 victims of Buffalo."

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The safe was tucked into the corner of an upstairs bedroom at a home on Grote Street. Robert Galbraith, a deputy with the Erie County Sheriff's Office, found it under a pile of clothes and boxes. D.J. Granville, chief of the Erie County Sheriff's narcotics and intelligence squad, yelled downstairs to police officers and deputies standing guard over a Buffalo man who was handcuffed, sitting in the kitchen.

A few minutes later, someone yelled up a five-digit combination. Galbraith put the numbers in and he saw a pile of handguns.

"There's like five," he told Granville. All were loaded: a revolver and four semi-automatics, including an FN 5.7. "That's like a rifle," Galbraith explained. "Extremely rare and expensive." They would later discover it was reported stolen in Pennsylvania.

Law enforcement officials say that it's increasingly common to find multiple guns while executing search warrants  a sign of the proliferation of guns.

"I've been doing this 23, 24 years," Granville said after the raid. "We're seeing more guns now that we ever have."

That fact was brought home in the most horrific way possible on May 14 when a gunman wearing body armor and armed with an AR-15 opened fire at Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue, killing 10. With that tragedy and one the following week in Texas fresh in the public consciousness, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia is preparing to testify before Congress on Wednesday about the toll that guns have taken on Buffalo.

"We need some change," Gramaglia said Tuesday morning at Buffalo Niagara International Airport before flying to the nation's capital, where he is scheduled to testify before Congress on Wednesday. "We need to make our streets and communities safer."

Gramaglia and Zeneta Everhart, whose son Zaire Goodman was wounded in the May 14 massacre, will join witnesses from Uvalde, Texas, at a hearing of the House Oversight and Reform Committee at 10 a.m.

Cities across the United States saw a dramatic increase in gun violence over the last two years. Buffalo has been no exception, with a rise in shootings in 2020 and first half of 2021, according to Buffalo police data.

The rate slowed in the second half of 2021 and the first part of this year seemed promising as police employed new tactics and the pressures of the pandemic began to ease.

The events of May 14 erased any positive feeling about progress.

Then, more gun violence erupted in cities across the U.S. last weekend. Three were killed and 12 more wounded in a mass shooting in Philadelphia. Three were killed in Chattanooga, Tenn., and 14 more were hurt.

Since the massacre at Tops, Buffalo saw a respite from the day-to-day violence on the streets. But it hasn't stopped.

There has been one new homicide since May 14 when a man driving a car was shot in the back before he crashed his vehicle into a building on Genesee Street.

Gunning for the guns: Police cracking down in Buffalo to reduce shootings They are going after the "trigger pullers and the gun traffickers," Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said.

Monday evening, a 35-year-old man who had been shot showed up in a civilian car at Erie County Medical Center. Police think it happened around Walden Avenue and Harmonia Street. And at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, a man was shot inside an apartment complex on Linwood Avenue. He was listed in critical condition at ECMC.

Reducing gun violence has been a top priority of law enforcement in Buffalo.

Gramaglia, who was appointed commissioner in March, has been employing two basic strategies  getting guns out of the hands of criminals and preventing shootings by being more visible.

The raids like the one on Grote Street on May 12 are aimed at people involved in guns and drugs.

"Those are specific targeted raids on identified individuals," Gramaglia said.

The Buffalo Police Department's Intelligence Unit works closely with the the sheriff's narcotics and intelligence unit, the state police and the FBI to identify people who are trafficking drugs and guns.

The agencies have conducted multiple rounds of raids over the past couple of months and have not been shy about showing off their bounties. Late April, Buffalo detectives laid out two tables covered with revolvers, semi-automatic pistols and assault rifles, three of them considered ghost guns which are assembled from parts and don't have serial numbers.

But the police realize that the raids can be alarming. To address that, teams of cops from return to the same streets later on the same day of the raids and go door-to-door to talk with neighbors, explain what happened earlier and answer questions.

Capt. Tommy Champion, who oversees the Buffalo police Neighborhood Engagement Team and other community policing programs, said the hope is to break down barriers and be more available to the public.

'The time to act is now': Gun violence tops agendas in New York following Buffalo massacre The move from a coalition of business groups that is typically more likely to weigh in on areas such as taxes and regulations came the same day Gov. Kathy Hochul surrounded herself with state and local government leaders to sign 10 bills that enact sweeping new controls in New York State ranging from age limits on purchase of military-style weapons to banning the purchase of body armor for civilians.

"Sometimes, people want to talk one on one," he said. "Many people don't want to go through 911. They feel intimidated walking into a police district. So we want to bring it to them. Find out their complaints and serve."

On Grote Street the afternoon after the raid, Buffalo NET officers Vincent Humphrey and Matt Inglut, joined by Clint Winters, the FBI supervisory special agent of the Safe Streets Task Force, walked up to the porch where a woman and her mother sat.

"I don't know anything," Terry Cotto told them.

"We're just in the area," Winters assured her.

The officers handed her some pamphlets on safety, including information on the confidential tip line and advice on preventing car thefts.

Buffalo police are also trying to deter crime by dispatching patrol officers to specific addresses and blocks in between responding to 911 calls. Dubbed "directed patrols," the locations have been identified as spots where there has been previous criminal activity, such as reports of shots fired.

The patrol officers park their marked vehicles, switch on their flashers and try to talk to anyone who is around. They're not there to make arrests and issue tickets, but if a crime happens nearby then they're ready to act.

The idea is to "be present and engage with the community," Gramaglia said. "The more we can be seen at various spots in identified hot spots, the better opportunity we have to prevent crimes where they have been traditionally occurring."

"The whole point is to reduce gun violence and make safer neighborhoods," he said.

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By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater has staged "Intizar" opera to mark the 75th anniversary of the national composer, People's Artist Frangiz Alizada, Azernews reports.

"Intizar" is an opera about the history and events in Karabakh, it tells about the struggle between good and evil. This large-scale work embodies the thoughts and aspirations of the Azerbaijani people.

The author of the libretto is the rector of the Baku branch of the Moscow State University, academician Nargiz Pashayeva, and composer - People's Artist Frangiz Alizade.

The leading soloists of the Opera and Ballet Theater, Honored Artists Inara Babayeva (Melek), Ramil Gasimov (Arif), Ilham Nazarov (stranger), and other famous vocalists took part in the ballet staged as part of the festival dedicated to the composer.

The production is presented under the baton of the principal conductor and musical director of the Opera and Ballet Theater, Honored Artist Ayyub Guliyev. The performance was received with great interest by the public.

Meanwhile, the composer's birth anniversary was also widely celebrated at the State Academic Philharmonic.

The soloists of the concert were Swedish cellist Markis Kuplais and the People's Artist of Azerbaijan, vocalist Gulnaz Ismayilova, who were accompanied by the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra performed under the baton of the People's Artist Fakhraddin Karimov.

The concert program featured music pieces composed by Frangiz Alizade including the work "Nizami Cosmology" performed for the first time in Baku.

Speaking at the event, Culture Minister Anar Karimov noted that the chairman of the Azerbaijan Composers' Union Frangiz Alizada successfully promotes the Azerbaijani musical culture abroad.

The minister stressed that the composer made a significant contribution to the development of Azerbaijani music, enriching the art of composing and classical music.

Her works have been performed at the international festivals in Stockholm, Warsaw, London, Heidelberg, Amsterdam, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Frankfurt, Berlin, Zurich, Bonn, and Cologne.

At the same time, the composer's works have also been performed at the International Mugham Center as part of a festival.

The concert program included chamber works - five works by the composer, each of which was distinguished by its originality.

The concert began with a music piece for string orchestra "Metamorfosis" composed for Berliner Philharmoniker (Germany).

After its premiere, this work has firmly entered the repertoire of many chamber orchestras. During the festival, the work was performed by the Gara Garayev State Chamber Orchestra.

The composition "Sirius" for vibraphone solo plunged the listeners into a wonderful world of music.

The title of the composition, associated with one of the brightest stars in the galaxy, is addressed to the famous English percussionist Evelyn Glennie.

The composition was performed by the soloist of the State Symphony Orchestra Boris Pashkin.

The music piece "Deyishme II" for double bass, tabla, and chamber orchestra features European double bass and the traditional Indian tabla instrument.

The composition was first performed at the opening of the German festival Morgenland, and in Baku, it was performed for the first time.

The music piece was performed by the Turkish bassist Onur Ozkan, drummer Vusal Bayramov, and the Gara Garayev State Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Samad Suleymanli.

The composition "Oyan!" for cello solo, one of the most beloved instruments of Firangiz Alizade, is also included in the repertoire of famous virtuosos of the world.

Written in 2005 by order of Mstislav Rostropovich for the 8th International Cello Competition held in Paris, it was first performed at the final concert of the competition.

Swedish cellist Markis Kuplais performed the music piece in Baku as part of the festival.

The concert ended with a piece for chamber orchestra Dance (2016). It is one of the composer's most popular opuses.

The concert ended with a music piece for chamber orchestra Dance (2016). The music piece is one of the composer's most popular opuses.

The work performed by the State Chamber Orchestra totally captivated the audience.

The gala concert ended with a long-standing ovation and applause.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.az, Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az.
The Lake View litterbug is officially sorry.

Larry Pope, the 76-year-old Hamburg man accused of dumping hundreds of used McDonald's coffee cups on the front lawn of a former co-worker, has written a letter of apology to the homeowners and has sent them a check for about $2,800 to cover their expenses in trying to catch whoever was doing this to them.

Those were two of the conditions that, once fulfilled, would bring to a close the local littering case that gained international attention last year.

"I think he's learned his lesson," said Edward Patton, who, with his wife, Cheryl, received the apology and check late last week.

The Pattons say someone in a passing vehicle tossed hundreds of empty and half-filled coffee cups onto the lawn of their home on Versailles Road over a period of several years. They eventually filled about 10 large plastic bags with the cups, some containing cigarette butts.

Edward Patton invested in powerful binoculars and a video surveillance system to try to record the car's license plate number. He learned the litterbug's nightly routine but never could get a clear view of the plate.

Lake View litterbug whose case drew national attention must take part in neighborhood cleanup Larry Pope was back in Hamburg Town Court on Friday, when Town Justice Gerald P. Gorman agreed to a six-month adjournment in contemplation of dismissal that comes with several additional conditions.

"I can actually see, like, his arm would come out the window and the cup would land on the lawn and bounce," he said.

Finally, in April 2021, a group of neighbors set up a sting to catch the trash-tosser in the act the next time he drove down the street.

"They stepped in, they put together a plan of action  like a military thing  and they got him on the first night," Edward Patton said.

They shared what they learned with a Hamburg police officer, and the Pattons were surprised to discover the vehicle belonged to Pope, a disgruntled former co-worker of Cheryl's.

Hamburg police then waited for Pope to come back and pulled him over after watching him toss a cup onto the Pattons' lawn.

Pope was charged with harassment, a violation, and was cited for a traffic infraction for throwing refuse onto a roadway.

The odd case drew widespread notice after The Buffalo News reported on it following Pope's arrest. Numerous news organizations reached out to the Pattons to find out more about what happened.

"I have relatives living in Texas, and places like that, and they say, 'Oh, my God, you're on the radio this morning'  you know, they recognize my voice," Edward Patton said.

In October, Hamburg Town Justice Gerald P. Gorman agreed to dismiss the charges if Pope stayed out of trouble for the next six months and fulfilled several additional conditions.

Those requirements included the letter of apology, restitution of $2,776.47 for money the Pattons spent on the surveillance system and 20 hours of community service performed with an organization that focuses on cleaning up neighborhoods. Gorman also granted the Pattons a six-month order of protection.

Pope's attorney, Jeffrey Magavern, didn't respond to messages Monday. A Hamburg Town Court clerk on Tuesday morning confirmed Pope completed the conditions of his case.

Edward Patton said Town Attorney Lisa Poch forwarded the letter of apology and the check to the Pattons and they received the items last Thursday.

Edward Patton said he was glad he didn't have to sue Pope in small claims court to get the money. He said the apology signed by Pope was just four lines.

"I would like to apologize to Mr. and Mrs. Patton for my compulsive behavior of littering. I meant no harm," Pope wrote, in part, according to Edward Patton. "I'm very remorseful for any problems that I may have caused you or your family. I have learned a valuable lesson for my poor judgment."

The Pattons haven't seen a cup on their lawn since the day of Pope's arrest.

"I've had one candy wrapper since this whole thing started," Edward Patton said.

They still have four or five large bags filled with the cups in their garage that they'll now put in the trash.

Edward Patton quipped that he had considered selling them on eBay to raise money for charity, maybe charging extra for cups that he signed.

"Official crime scene evidence from the great cup caper, you know?" he said.

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An unprecedented amount of state spending planned for Buffalo's East Side was in the pipeline before last month's racially motivated mass shooting that killed 10 people at Tops Friendly Market and traumatized a community.

But the gunman's grim toll on May 14 and the reason why he picked the East Side  where 78% of residents are people of color  cast a greater light on inequity and disinvestment on the East Side.

"Hopefully, this will open the entire region's eyes to the urgency of redeveloping and revitalizing the East Side for the very residents who live there," said Paul Tronolone, vice president of policy and planning for Empire State Development, the state's development arm.

New York officials say the $225 million  $185 million from the state, with $41 million from philanthropies and $9 million from the City of Buffalo  will follow a planned, step-by-step approach that began several years ago. Those on the giving and receiving ends point to signs the public funds will be well spent.

"I'm 39, and this is the first time I've seen an intentional, large-scale investment for the East Side," said Brandi Barrett, a lifelong Fruit Belt resident who is operations director of the Fruit Belt Community Land Trust. "They want to do the right thing, and they want to do it from a community level. That's unheard of."

The spending stands out for its size and scope:

$76 million for expansion of Northland Avenue Belt Line Corridor and Northland Workforce Training Center.

$61 million for Central Terminal improvements.

$37 million for the Broadway Market.

$30 million for the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor.

$15 million to bolster commercial corridors.

$6 million to restore greenhouses at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

"I know this community's needs better than most people would, and therefore I thought this was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to just give that community hope and a far better future than they would experience otherwise," Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

The projects on the East Side are being led by Empire State Development.

"Back in the day, the government would build something for you and toss you the keys and say, 'OK, here you go  take care of it,' " Tronolone said. "Now, it's 'Let us help you do it.' "

That's an approach appreciated by Terry Alford, executive director of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission.

"The smart thing they did was instead of just showering these organizations, including ours, with money, they first decided to provide all the mechanisms to make us successful," he said.

The state's approach on the East Side is prudent, said Patrick Orecki, director of state studies for the nonpartisan Citizens Budget Commission in New York City.

"We have seen plenty of state economic development spending that hasn't worked, so there are certainly models for that," Orecki said. "Obviously, trying to be more integrated and concentrated and also localized is a more likely scenario for positive results."

Forging a framework

The state's focus on the East Side began with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Buffalo Billion program, which in 2012 committed to what would become $60 million to create workforce training and a light industrial hub in the Northland Avenue Belt Line Corridor.

Advice from East Side leaders proved invaluable, Tronolone said, as Empire State Development crafted the plan with Buffalo Urban Development Corp.

"They included the neighbors, the community, at every level of their decision-making," said Beverly Crowley, past president of the Northland Beltline Taxpayers Association. "We were on an advisory committee, and they made sure we had a seat at the table."

Hochul was at Northland for ribbon cuttings for years as lieutenant governor.

"She's a greater champion and cheerleader for Northland than anyone," Tronolone said.

The vision for the East Side broadened with Buffalo Billion II, also launched by the Cuomo administration. A $65 million, five-year fund announced in March 2019 was created for the same East Side projects the state is now building on.

"That started from a blank sheet of paper," Tronolone said. "We were very intentional that we couldn't drop this from the sky on the East Side. It had to grow up from the community."

Key was the formation of East Side Avenues, a group of philanthropies and banks. Working with University at Buffalo Regional Institute, they created an $8.3 million fund to help with organizational development and operational costs.

"The participants in East Side Avenues first wanted to be reassured that the state was going to really do this, and that it wasn't just another announcement," Tronolone said.

To avoid pouring money into projects without results, Empire State Development and its partners created a framework around the resuscitation of four north-south commercial corridors  Bailey, Fillmore, Jefferson and Michigan avenues.

The goals included strengthening small businesses, promoting community-based real estate development, repairing infrastructure and, through a partnership with Preservation Buffalo Niagara, reviving historic assets and stabilizing at-risk buildings.

Consultants were brought in to help not-for-profit organizations with staff and board development, day-to-day expenses, deferred maintenance and master plans.

City officials also played a role.

"The mayor was integral in identifying the policy directive for the East Side starting with Northland, and then going to the commercial corridors," Tronolone said.

Forty meetings with community groups and other stakeholders contributed to the plan's focus on the commercial corridors. Their input also helped steer the focus to training for advanced manufacturing and other jobs in demand, providing job placement and offering day care and bus passes to remove attendance barriers.

Small grants for businesses became a priority.

Ahmed Saleh, owner of Mandella Market at Jefferson Avenue and East Ferry Street, used a grant for a new storeroom and kitchen to provide fresh produce and prepared foods.

But over time, it became clear efforts to help small business owners were being hampered by the state's inability to pay contractors directly or allow nonprofits more autonomy, Tronolone said. Small business owners didn't necessarily have the out-of-pocket money for repairs, couldn't get financing on their own or maybe didn't know how to.

"Our rules don't work for a lot of small businesses and property owners," Tronolone said.

Empire State Development is trying to do things differently, but it's going to take more time, he said.

The projects didn't fit the agency's mold, said Johanna Walczyk, a senior project manager at Empire State Development. "Everything I've heard is that what we are doing on the East Side isn't ESD's normal wheelhouse."

Walcyzk said she's been struck by the community's appreciation for the work they are doing.

"When we talked to our commercial district nonprofits, all Black women, they said we are so moved and touched that you would make these changes for our community because these are neighborhoods that are forgotten in Buffalo," Walcyzk said.

"If we can give them state resources to make changes where it's deserved the most, I believe that will really be something," she said.

Tronolone said the goal is to help the neighborhoods and allow people to stay where they want to live.

"We don't have all the answers, but we're being intentional in trying to do reinvestment without gentrification," he said. "It's literally a work in progress."

Building off of the public-private model with East Side Avenues, four foundations, including the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, have followed suit. They have committed $81 million to support the East Side projects, as well as projects to address economic disparity in Niagara Falls and Rochester.

The collaboration will provide a major impact in these communities and represents "a huge culture shift moment in the Buffalo community," said Jim Boyle, the Wilson foundation's vice president of programs and communications.

Banding together

The African American Heritage Corridor Commission had been ineffective for years in turning the corridor into a destination where people could learn about the Niagara Movement or Buffalo's role in the Underground Railroad.

"When they came in to talk to us during a listening session, the commission came in, and then each of the individual entities came in separately," Tronolone said, referring to the Michigan Street Baptist Church, the Colored Musicians Club, the Nash House and WUFO radio.

"It was a perfect example of how there was an opportunity for them if they all worked together," he said.

East Side Avenues is covering operational expenses for five years at a cost of $850,000. That includes two staff members for what had been an all-volunteer commission, and a consultant experienced in organization building to work with the commission and each of the anchor organizations.

"If it wasn't for East Side Avenues, we wouldn't have an endowment with the Ralph Wilson Foundation right now," Alford said, referring to the $100,000 a year that the organization and the four anchors will evenly split for operational expenses.

"We couldn't have done that on our own," Alford said. "We didn't have that cachet."

Empire State Development also gave the anchor organizations $3 million for deferred building repairs from Buffalo Billion II, with $4 million more to follow.

Hochul's announcement included millions to implement key provisions of the master plan, which cost $250,000 to develop.

"This corridor has had master plans in the past but they didn't go anywhere," Alford said. "We have all the necessary tools to make us successful, but without Empire State Development and East Side Avenues, we'd just be spinning our wheels."

Central Terminal

The nonprofit Central Terminal Restoration Corp. has spent 25 years caring for the 1929 art deco building, until the past several years as an all-volunteer endeavor.

Empire State Development provided $5 million from Buffalo Billion II to make upgrades to the main terminal building and $400,000 to develop a community-driven master plan.

East Side Avenues committed $1 million over five years to support daily operating costs, including the salaries of two employees and a consultant.

Last week's announcement that the state will be providing $61 million to make improvements to the Central Terminal is something supporters of the iconic space had long dreamed of.

The public-private partnership has brought a needed "systematic approach" to the Central Terminal and the East Side, said Monica Pellegrino Faix, executive director of the Central Terminal Restoration Corp.

"It's a solid, supportive belief that the city's future is tied to the East Side's future," Faix said.

Broadway Market

Empire State Development gave $4 million to the Broadway Market during Buffalo Billion II to implement improvements, help with strategic planning and develop a master plan, completed in 2021.

The plan, which cost $350,000, recommended a not-for-profit operate the market. That process is now underway and should be completed this summer, said Lisa Hicks, director of development in the city's Office of Strategic Planning.

Empire State Development is paying consultant Aaron Zaretsky, who developed the plan, to help shape board composition, fundraising and tenant outreach.

"One thing that's wonderful about Empire State Development is that they raised the money to do the initial planning work that was needed to be done," Hicks said. "It was critical to establish the needs of the market and the cost, but they didn't just leave it at that. They doubled down on the investment and the planning and the strategy, and raised additional funds to get this going."

'You can't understand'

Barrett, the Fruit Belt resident, was among those who took the real estate training program.

She wanted to understand the forces at play around development and find her niche as a community developer.

"I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to rub elbows with professionals and teachers that you wouldn't necessarily have access to otherwise," Barrett said.

She plans to open an ecofriendly laundromat in the Fruit Belt, and she has applied for a grant from a fund Empire State Development set up for people who complete the course.

"It's been years of disinvestment and to have something that literally says 'East Side initiative,' you can't understand what that feels like," she said.

Mark Sommer covers preservation, development, the waterfront, culture and more. He's also a former arts editor at The News.

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When it comes to providing emergency food aid after a catastrophe, World Central Kitchen has a well-established method  fly in, set up sites to provide hot meals at least twice daily until the crisis eases, then fly out  sometimes leaving a community kitchen in the hands of local chefs and volunteers.

But after the mass shooting that killed 10 and wounded three people May 14 at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue, that doesnt apply. Tops, which is still closed, has been the only source of fresh food on Buffalo's East Side.

World Central Kitchen brings hot meals, love to Buffalos grieving East Side food desert The way World Central Kitchen mobilized in Buffalo shows how the organization quickly taps a network of staff and volunteers to find people in a community who can help and puts them to work getting meals to people in need.

Normally with a natural disaster, we know what to look for to transition out  things like the power coming back on, restaurants reopening, the community getting back on its feet, World Central Kitchen senior vice president for policy Elliot Kaye said during a visit here Monday. We dont want to disrupt the local economy long-term, so we step out and let it recover. But this is totally different."

World Central Kitchen set up shop on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and East Utica Street on May 18 and has twice extended its stay to serve a community that has come to rely on it, Kaye said. The agency wanted to finally pack up Monday, but instead, Kaye and two other officials flew in from Washington, D.C., to talk with local leaders about how to keep it going and set up services to replace it.

Kaye, along with chief operating officer Erich Broksas and vice president for relief Jason Collis, bagged produce supplied by the African Heritage Food Co-op and handed out meals in between meetings with representatives of the mayors office and the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

But their main goal is to gauge what the community needs from World Central Kitchen, including how long it should stay in Buffalo, Kaye said.

A May 24 Civil Eats opinion piece by the University at Buffalo Food Labs Food Equity Scholars, led by professor Samina Raja, called for community-driven structural investments, not fly-in, fly-out charity.

Kaye said he reached out to the group to start the conversation with East Side community leaders, local and state government and grassroots food providers about a community-led way for us to do whats best for the community before we leave.

The conversation will include World Central Kitchen potentially staying on at least until the Tops reopens, Kaye said.

Also addressing the neighborhood's food crisis was Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who visited the Resource Council of WNY to support its efforts, as well as those by FeedMore WNY and other local entities.

"The work being done has really made a difference," Gillibrand said prior to a news conference and after chatting with volunteers distributing fresh produce, boxes of groceries and toiletries in the parking lot at the Resource Council.

She said that children are often the hardest hit with food insecurity, particularly during the summer months without access to school breakfast and lunch programs that are available to them during the school year.

In addition to extending increases that were made to federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the pandemic and waiving some provisions that are about to expire so that more people in need can get access to food, Gillibrand talked about some long-term responses to the food insecurity in the community that the Tops served.

"We should be calling on all the different supermarket chains to put in a new supermarket in our community, and I will do that. I will make calls to all of those supermarket chains to come here," Gillibrand said.

Gillibrand was joined at Monday's news conference by Masten Council Member Ulysees O. Wingo, who represents the neighborhood that was served by the Jefferson Avenue Tops, along with Catherine Roberts, president and CEO of the Resource Council of WNY, and Catherine Shick of FeedMore WNY.

Shick said that food insecurity has been a problem in Buffalo long before the massacre at Tops left the East Side community without a supermarket.

"While community members urgently need access to fresh, nutritious food in the wake of this horrific tragedy and the closure of the Tops supermarket, we must also remember that food insecurity has been a longtime problem within the City of Buffalo, and throughout Western New York," said Shick.

In 2019, she said, more than 18% of Buffalo residents were food insecure.

"In other words, these individuals lacked consistent access to enough food to lead a healthy life. And we know that when the donations slow down, this problem will remain unless we commit to lasting change," Shick added.

Meanwhile, Kaye said the World Central Kitchen officials will be leaving Buffalo on Tuesday evening, but the conversation with the community will continue.

We dont want to stay too long, he said, and we dont want to leave too soon.

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Janet Gramza Higher Education Reporter I'm the new Higher Education reporter on The Buffalo News business enterprise team. I previously worked at The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com and Syracuse's Rosamond Gifford Zoo. I'm a Rochester native with family in Buffalo. Email me at jgramza@buffnews.com. Follow Janet Gramza 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
PHOENIX (AP)  An Arizona prisoner made a last-minute request to the U.S. Supreme Court to delay his execution scheduled Wednesday for his murder conviction in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl.

Frank Atwood made the request Tuesday after a lower court rejected his arguments that the execution should be called off because his degenerative spinal condition would make it excruciatingly painful for him to be strapped on his back to the gurney he will lie on during the lethal injection.

Atwoods attorneys also told the Supreme Court in court filings that the aggravating factor that made his crime eligible for the death penalty was invalidly applied. He was convicted in 1975 in California for lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under 14 and convicted of killing Vicki Hoskinson in 1987.

Atwood is scheduled to be lethally injected with pentobarbital Wednesday at the state prison in Florence, Arizona, for his conviction in the girl's killing.

The execution would be Arizonas second in less than a month, following an eight-year hiatus attributed to both on the difficulty of obtaining needed lethal injection drugs and criticism that a 2014 execution was botched.

Death penalty opponents worry that Arizona will now start executing a steady stream of prisoners who have languished on death row, but state officials didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on their future execution schedule and no more are currently scheduled. Arizona has 112 prisoners on death row, including Atwood.

Earlier on Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a request to delay Atwood's execution.

In addition to arguing that Atwood would suffer while strapped to the gurney, his lawyers questioned whether the state had met a requirement that the lethal injection drugs expiration date falls after the execution date.

And even though he didnt pick lethal gas as his execution method, his lawyers still challenged the states procedures protocol for gas chamber executions.

The appeals court in its ruling said it was deferring to a lower-court judge who concluded that accommodations made by the state  allowing a pillow and tilting feature on the gurney to be used to prop up Atwood to alleviate his pain  prevented a ruling that the lethal injection protocol creates a risk of severe pain.

The appeals court also concluded Atwood lacks legal standing to challenge the lethal gas protocol because he will be executed by lethal injection.

Prosecutors have said Atwood is trying to indefinitely postpone his execution through legal maneuvers.

Atwood's lawyers said would suffer for an extended amount of time even before the lethal drug is injected.

In a statement, Atwood attorney Joseph Perkovich said the lethal injection procedure will intentionally inflict extreme pain for what will likely be an hour before, in the best-case scenario, he succumbs to the execution chemicals.

Authorities have said Atwood kidnapped Hoskinson, whose remains were discovered in the desert northwest of Tucson nearly seven months after her disappearance. Experts could not determine the cause of death from the remains, according to court records.

Atwood maintains that he is innocent.

Last month, Atwood declined to choose between lethal injection or the gas chamber, leaving him to be put to death by lethal injection, the states default execution method.

Even though he didnt pick the gas chamber, Atwood challenged Arizona's lethal gas procedures.

His lawyers said Atwood has a right to choose between methods of execution that are constitutional and suggested that the state switch its lethal gas from hydrogen cyanide gas to nitrogen gas because nitrogen would produce painless deaths. Arizona prosecutors say nitrogen executions are untried and untested.

Atwood's attorneys said the state's lethal gas protocol calling for the use of hydrogen cyanide gas  which was used in some past U.S. executions and by Nazis to kill 865,000 Jews at the Auschwitz concentration camp alone  is unconstitutional and would produce agonizing levels of pain in executions.

Arizona, California, Missouri and Wyoming are the only states with decades-old lethal-gas execution laws still on the books. Arizona, which carried out the last gas chamber execution in the United States more than two decades ago, is the only state with a working gas chamber.

In recent years, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Alabama have passed laws allowing executions with nitrogen gas, at least in some circumstances, though experts say its never been done and no state has established a protocol that would allow it.

On May 11, Arizona executed Clarence Dixon for his murder conviction in the 1978 killing of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old Arizona State University student.

It was the first execution carried out in the state since the July 2014 execution of Joseph Wood, who was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over nearly two hours.

Wood snorted repeatedly and gasped before he died. His attorney said the execution had been botched.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Thomas Lammeyer/imageBROKER/Shutterstock (5052226a) Bright Angel Trail, South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA, North America VARIOUS

Thomas Lammeyer/Shutterstock

A woman from Canada died while on the Grand Canyon Trail just before her wedding day and birthday.

Melanie Goodine was hiking on the Bright Angel Trail above Three-Mile Resthouse on June 2 when she became distressed, the National Park Service said.

The 41-year-old had hiked along the Colorado River earlier that day. Someone alerted the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center at 5:50 pm. local time and rescue personnel tried to resuscitate her. Witnesses also gave her CPR but "all attempts were unsuccessful," the NPS said.

NPS is currently investigating the death along with the Coconino County Medical Examiner.

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"All visitors to Grand Canyon should ensure they are drinking plenty of fluids, resting in shade during the heat of the day, watching for signs of distress in traveling companions, and dressing appropriately for the weather, which includes light-colored and loose-fitting clothing. The NPS does not recommend hiking from the rim to the river and back in one day," the NPS added.

Goodine, who is from the Niagra Region in Ontario, died just before her 42nd birthday. She wanted to do one more hike before her wedding day, which was set for July 15, her fiance Steven Spicer told CTV News Ottawa.

RELATED: New Jersey Man Dies at 19,700 Feet on Alaska's Mt. Denali, North America's Highest Mountain Peak

"It was something she had to do and I had to do it with her," Spicer said.

During their hike, temperatures reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

A warning was also issued on Sunday as temperatures in the canyon were likely to get as high as 106 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Ottawa Citizen.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"She did get very tired on the last half-mile and somebody said they were going to call 911 and she said she wasn't going to let anybody help her over [the ridge] unless it was me. She wouldn't give up. What happened happens instantly," Spicer told CTV News.

Story continues

The couple had less than three miles left on their trek.

Spicer shared that he and Goodine had dreams to head south and open a bar. They already owned property in Belize.

"It was just her. I've never met anybody who could compare to her."
(Bloomberg Markets) -- Cheers greeted China President Xi Jinping as he toured Beijings Renmin University of China in April, telling students and teachers: We must continue to promote the modernization of Marxism. Social science research, he said, should have Chinese characteristics and contribute to Chinas independent knowledge system.

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It was a notable contrast to 11 years earlier, when Hu Jintao, Xis predecessor, visited the same campus, listening carefully to discussions on macroeconomics. That was in Chinas boom years. The economy was growing faster than 10% a year, and private entrepreneurs in sectors such as real estate and technology operated with more autonomy than ever. Corruption and pollution were rampant. Karl Marx wasnt mentioned.

Now, Xi was meeting with two political economistsLiu Wei, the universitys president, and Zhao Fengwho blend Marxism with elements of Western economics. The visit highlighted Chinas pivot to funding and supporting researchers who are suspicious of the power of private business, with some advocating barring private capital from entire sectors. The message was clear: In todays China, Marxism is back, and investors had better take note.

The intellectual shift hasnt happened overnight, but it has become more evident in the past two years. Since the end of 2020, when Chinas Communist Party began vowing to rein in the disorderly expansion of capital, a regulatory onslaught has swept through the economy and stock market. Beijing reduced the power of the countrys largest internet and video game companies with new rules backed by tough fines and launched a campaign to slow debt growth, choking the private-sector-dominated real estate industry. Then the huge industry offering for-profit tutoring to schoolchildren was outlawed entirely.

Story continues

At first, economists at investment banks interpreted the partys statements on disorderly capital expansion as a call to rein in the power of big companies that was similar to antitrust efforts the US and Europe were bringing to bear on tech platforms. But political economists empowered by Xi have seen it differently: as calling for a wholesale revamp of the relationship between the state and private business.

What Xi is trying to do is use the state to order away the problems of capitalism, says Yuen Yuen Ang, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan and an expert on Chinese policy.

Xi and thinkers in his circle dont put it that way, of course. Capitalism doesnt officially exist in Chinas socialist market economy. Any scholar who wants to publish openly must not deviate too far from the party line.

The partys definition does capture something important: China combines state planning and ownership in critical areas such as heavy industry and finance with a more hands-off approach to sectors seen as less strategic. Since the 1980s, under the influence of Western theories that markets promote efficiency, Beijing allowed companies to determine prices and production for almost all products based on supply and demand. The state hardly intervened in labor markets, except through the hukou policy that bars migrant workers from social security benefits available in cities. With little redistribution of wealth, rich entrepreneurs often exerted influence on policy, some developing cronyish ties to local officials.

The model endured for more than three decades, but soaring inequality and corruption eroded its legitimacy. With his intense crackdowns on graft and calls for common prosperity, Xi has put key elements of it in questionand hes not done yet.

Read More: What Common Prosperity Means and Why Xi Wants It

Xi, who turns 69 in June, formed his early political views in the 1960s, at the high point of Marxist influence on China. Although he made his name running provinces with some of Chinas largest private businesses, he remains true to those early lessons. Marx and Engelss analysis of the basic contradictions of capitalist society is not outdated, Xi said in one of his last major speeches as party leader before becoming president in 2013. Nor is the historical materialist view that capitalism is bound to die out and socialism bound to win.

By 2015, Xi was calling for a break from the stranglehold of Western-influenced economics, urging academics to summarize the nations experience into a new body of theory, which he referred to as Chinese Marxist Political Economy. The 2008 financial crash had already convinced many that Western economists no longer had the answers. With the party in charge of universities, the new theory has become a major research priority for academics, who now refer to it as Socialist Political Economy With Chinese Characteristics (SPECC).

Money is flowing in. Before 2016 a handful of political economy studies appeared on the annual list of social science research projects eligible for the central governments support. By 2019 the number had risen to 18. Beijing created seven SPECC research centers at the countrys top universities, where researchers write policy suggestions and draft textbooks. Both of the economists Xi met during his April university visit were from the colleges SPECC center, led by Liu.

Western economics cannot be blindly worshipped or simplistically copied, states a SPECC textbook for undergraduates. Marxist theories such as exploitation and surplus value are used to explain the economy.

Chinas political economists arent calling for a wholesale nationalization of the economy, but some are calling for sectors to be closed off to private business. According to the SPECC textbook, since capitalist profits represent exploitation of workers, the fact that state-owned companies profits are owned by the state (and used to benefit the people) makes Chinas system superior to capitalism. Zhao, one of the political economists who met Xi in April, says that only in a society of public ownership can common prosperity be realized.

In 2021 investors struggled to predict which industries the regulatory storm would hit next, shaking confidence and adding a headwind to economic growth. This year, Xi and top leaders vowed to create a traffic light system to provide a clearer guide. Political economists are likely to shape that system.

Bruce Pang, head of macro and strategy research at China Renaissance Securities, says he watches the output of research institutes at leading Chinese universities and think tanks that operate under the State Council, the body that runs the government on a daily basis. They act as channels for information and intelligence gathering and for policy testing and dissemination. Regulatory pressure could be the new normal, he says.

After the party introduced the phrase disorderly expansion of capital, Jiang Yu, one of the younger generation of SPECC theorists (he was born in the 1980s), explained that it was meant to warn private entrepreneurs against challenging the partys policies.

The fundamental criterion for judging whether there is disorderly expansion of capital is whether capitals role has crossed the bottom line of the socialist system, wrote Jiang, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council. The bottom line includes not jeopardizing the partys leadership.

Jiang started his career by researching Chinas health-care system, which has been progressively opened to private-sector ownership since the 1990s. When I first studied Western economics, I thought that the market could have a guiding role in the health-care sector. But on-the-ground investigation changed my viewpoint. I saw that privatization was hurting patients, he wrote in 2019. Now, legislation should keep profit-seeking capital out of the medical service system, he argues. Such sentiments indicate health care could be a possible target for future regulatory campaigns.

Other SPECC economists argue that the expansion of capital relates specifically to the financial system, which they refer to in Marxist terms as fictitious capital. Entrepreneurs are speculating on financial assets and real estate to make quick returns instead of investing in the real economy, such as manufacturing, they say. Their views provide intellectual heft to Xis battle to reduce leverage in the economy and make housing for living in, not for speculating oneven at the cost of slower economic growth.

Some political economists are more positive about the benefits of private business, however. And lately there are signs Xi is leaning toward this camp as coronavirus lockdowns and a property slump weigh on the economy. In early May, veteran economist Liu Yuanchun, who provided macroeconomic forecasts to Hus administration, was summoned from Renmin Universitys SPECC center to lecture the partys top decision-making body, the Politburo.

Liu has highlighted Marxs view that capitalism, though bloody, created more wealth than human beings have ever seen, and points to European-style welfare states as a model for taming the free-market system. He also looks to early 20th century Americas Progressive Era, with its efforts to rein in monopolistic corporations, tackle corruption, and avert credit-driven booms and busts through tougher financial rules. For now, China should strike a relative balance between labor and capital, not taking one side or the other, he argued in a recent article.

Following the meeting, Xi repeated the mantra about preventing the disorderly expansion of capital and warned that failure to regulate its growth will cause inestimable damage. But he added that it is necessary to stimulate the vitality of capital of all types, including nonpublic capital, and give full play to its positive role. Chinese capitalists breathed a sigh of relief. For now.

Hancock is the senior reporter covering Chinas economy for Bloomberg News.

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Tribe Property Technologies Inc. (TSX-V:TRBE) said it has partnered with Wyse Meter Solutions (Wyse), a Canadian leader in smart submetering, ESG (environmental, social and governance) Reporting, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and utility expense management solutions.

The company said the partnership will introduce Wyse's innovative services to Tribe buildings across Canada, boosting environmental sustainability, smarter operations, and a superior experience for residents.

"Utility submetering offers multifamily residential buildings a system to fairly distribute utility costs among their residents and can result in significant savings for residential rental properties, condo boards and strata corporations, as well as developers," Tribe Property CEO Joseph Nakhla said in a statement. "Wyse Meter Solutions not only offers solutions for the current needs of energy management, but the company is pioneering technology to solve growing environmental issues including sustainable in-suite heating and cooling and electric vehicle charging deployment.

Tribe said Wyses submeters, which are designed to easily integrate into a building's digital ecosystem and physical space, measure and bill utility consumption of individual suites in bulk-metered buildings.

"We are excited to be teaming up with Tribe to bring convenient and effective energy management solutions to their growing portfolio," Wyse CEO Peter Mills added. "Introducing submetering to provide residents with more visibility and control of their utility consumption is the most effective way to reduce utility costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions in the building. We are excited to commence this partnership and we expect to see it develop quickly to offer additional services tailored to making residents lives easier and the world a little greener.

Tribe manages approximately 40,000 homes made up of more than 100,000 residents. The company's proprietary community management software Tribe Home is integrated into every community with its ability to connect, inform, educate, and protect through the digitization and simplification of residential community living.

Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com
South Stars Santa Cruz graphite mine in Brazil and Ceylon graphite mine in the United States are expected to provide the graphite feed stock for the facility

South Star Battery Metals Corp. (TSX-V:STS, OTCQB:STSBF) has announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Graphex Technologies (OTCQX:GRFXY, HKG:6128) to jointly develop a manufacturing and processing facility for battery anode material.

South Star said the parties intend to develop a definitive agreement by October 31, 2022, to share expertise and technology for the design, construction, and operations of the facility.

It is expected that graphite feed stock will be provided by South Stars Santa Cruz graphite mine in Brazil and its Ceylon graphite mine in the United States.

The goals of the joint venture are to have a centrally located, vertically integrated supply chain for active battery anode and value-added materials supplied by two high-quality, scalable graphite operations in two strategic and stable jurisdictions in the Americas.

South Star CEO Richard Pearce said the company is pleased to be further developing a long-term strategic relationship with Graphex at a critical moment in the energy transition revolution.

This partnership will benefit both parties and allow us to quickly deliver critical battery anode and other value add materials for clients in strategic locations around the world, Pearce said.

Reliable, secure supply chains are the key to the worlds ability to execute on the exciting energy transition revolution underway, and South Star is pleased to be part of this paradigm shift.

Graphex CEO John DeMaio added that the collaboration with South Star will allow the parties to explore the exciting prospects of diversifying the upstream supply of graphite to the global EV system.

The volume, quality, and stability of supply from their assets in Brazil and the US, coupled with our proven expertise in delivering high-volume, high-quality anode material would have significant positive impact on the industrys ability to meet production projections for EVs in the coming years and decades, DeMaio said.

South Star Battery Metals is a Vancouver-based battery metals company focused on the acquisition and development of near-term production projects in the Americas.

Contact Emily at emily.jarvie@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @emilyjjarvie
Master more than cooking with Weekend Culinary Workshops at Ecole Ducasse in India

New Delhi | Published : June 6, 2022



India 's first E cole Ducasse campus began Weekend Culinary Workshops at its world-class institute in Gurugram. The introductory workshop held on June 4th at Indian School of Hospitality (ISH), Gurugram, hosted members of the Spanish Embassy. As the guests were keen on understanding local cultures through cuisine, a demonstrative workshop was curated specially for them by the institute. In the class, they learnt the art of Indian cooking, prepared several dishes, and discovered the history of traditional food.The workshop conducted by Dr. Zubin D'Souza, Dean of Culinary Studies, E cole Ducasse ISH Gurugram, introduced participants to various knife skills, cooking concepts and techniques. From 'farm to table' to sustainable sourcing, the workshop also covered the latest trends of vegetarian cuisine. Members learnt to blend exotic Indian spices, identify quality produce and prepare them in the best ways possible. Additionally, they were taught the art of food presentation as they served up authentic Indian dishes.Similar to the programs taught on campus, the workshop was designed around immersive learning experiences. Participants gained exposure in professional work settings while improving their cooking skills. The session included all ingredients, recipes, utensils, and equipment and was conducted at the campus' professional training kitchens.Here's what the Dean of Culinary Studies, Dr. Zubin D'Souza, had to say about the workshop, "The first workshop celebrated the rich heritage of Indian cuisine as members of the Spanish Embassy learnt to prepare popular local dishes. Whether it was the distinct flavors of the North, the spicy dishes of the South, the fresh seafood of the East or curries of the West - the weekend workshop introduced them to all that and more.The workshops are now open to the general public and will be taught by renowned chefs and culinary pioneers. Students, stay-at-home-moms, working professionals, or anyone with a flair for cooking can enroll in the course. Exclusive culinary workshops for corporates, high schools, and children between 8 to 12 years are to be curated as well. Through these sessions, we aim to build a community around food and bring together chefs, producers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. Participants get a chance to explore international cuisine, create unique dishes and discover their inner chef in the short-term workshops. Such hands-on training forms the perfect platform for a flourishing career in culinary arts. At the same time, it allows each participant to enter the world of Ducasse and experience the first Ecole Ducasse campus in India."Food enthusiasts from around the country are invited to come and experience culinary excellence at Ecole Ducasse ISH Gurugram, which is located at Indian School of Hospitality's campus. Participants will get to work with the latest cooking equipment in the finest facilities and training kitchens. The workshops usher in a broader rollout that will see the establishment of E cole Ducasse Studios across key cities and a second campus in India.About Indian School of Hospitality, the India's first Ecole Ducasse campusIndian School of Hospitality (ISH) is the finest educational institute for hospitality management and culinary arts. The first Ecole Ducasse campus in India is located at Indian School of Hospitality, Gurugram. ISH is part of Sommet Education's global network of 18 campuses across 8 countries. At its ultra-modern campus in Gurgaon (Delhi NCR), ISH offers degree, diploma and certificate programs in hospitality management and culinary arts at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. Their culinary programs are offered with the expertise, know-how and industry recognition of the global E cole Ducasse brand, that is founded by multi-Michelin starred chef Alain Ducasse. The hospitality management programs are offered in alliance with Les Roches, one of the world's leading hospitality business schools. All three institutes, Indian School of Hospitality, Ecole Ducasse and Les Roches are members of Sommet Education which is a major international group for hospitality and culinary arts.

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By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

A full-length animated film will be produced for the first time in Azerbaijan.

Speaking about the upcoming project, the head of the Culture Ministry's Audiovisual and Interactive Media Department, Rufat Aliyev, stressed the importance of the production of more films for children in Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

Rufat Aliyev pointed out the involvement of new specialists in this field.

"At present, there are about 20 professionals in the field of animation in our country. Currently, preparations are underway for the presentation of a full-length animated film" Garingulu "and relevant work is being done in this direction," said Aliyev.

Rufat Aliyev noted that Azerbaijani cinema is currently in transition and new steps have been taken to develop the animation field in accordance with national and international practices.

Notably, the creation of animated films in Azerbaijan began in the 1930s.

In 1933, the "Azerbaijanfilm" studio carried out preparation for making this kind of cinema in advance and brought materials from Moscow.

During the shooting of documentary films "Lokbatan" and "The Symphony" (directed by B. Pumpyanski) they used technical animation.

And the instruction film "Cat" was fully animated. Thus, the film was considered the first work making cartoons in Azerbaijan.

The film was demonstrated on the screens of the Soviet Union until 1938. After the release of the film, a group of initiators in the studio for the first time decided to make an animated film.

The theme for the film was taken from Azerbaijani folk tales. A. Popov wrote the script. The scenario called "Unluckiness of Abbas" was directed by E. Dikaryov.

Nowadays, animation in Azerbaijan is continuing its development with great success.

In 2013, only two to three animation films were screened in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's first national animation film "Jirtdan and Tapagoz" made in 3D format was released in 2012.

In 2018, the first International Festival of Animation Art (ANIMAFILM) was successfully held in Baku.

Over 80 applications from 22 countries were submitted for participation in the festival.

Among them were films from France, the U.S., Iran, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Canada, Spain, Japan, etc.

Thematic evenings, seminars and master classes, children's programs, and other events were held as part of the festival.
A 34-year-old man who jumped in Tempe Town Lake to evade police drowned as three officers watched but failed to help, an Arizona police transcript shows.

Im not jumping in after you, an officer tells the man in a partial police transcript provided to Arizonas Family and other news outlets, advising him to swim to a nearby pylon.

Please help me, the man begs, according to the transcript. Please please please.

Sean Bickings drowned in the incident on Saturday, May 28, a Tempe city news release reported.

The three police officers involved are on non-disciplinary suspension as an investigation continues, the release said.

Police responded to reports of a fight between Bickings and his wife at 5 a.m. local time, the release said. The couple cooperated and denied any altercation had taken place.

Officers told the couple they were going to search police records for any warrants, and Bickings climbed over a 4-foot railing into the lake, the release said.

Police told him he was not allowed to swim in the lake, but Bickings swam 30 to 40 yards before beginning to struggle, according to the release.

An officer asks him, So whats your plan right now? and Bickings replies, Im going to drown. Im going to drown, the police transcript said.

The officer tells him hes not drowning and suggests he swim to a pylon. Bickings says he cant and pleads for help as the officers discuss calling for a boat.

His wife asks them to save Bickings and officers advise her to encourage him to swim to shore. An officer tells her that if she doesnt calm down, hell put her in his patrol car.

Im just distraught because hes drowning right in front of you and you wont help, she says. The officers continued arguing with her after Bickings went under, the transcript shows.

One officer told his wife: The officer is going to get the boat right now, according to the transcript.

Bickings did not resurface, Tempe officials said in the release. His body was later recovered from the lake.

City Manager Andrew Ching and Police Chief Jeff Glover called his death a tragedy and Glover met with the mans mother, the release said.

The state Department of Public Safety and Scottsdale Police Department are investigating.

Tempe is a city of 180,000 people southeast of Phoenix.

2022 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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It was the excuses that bothered him most, then-Circuit Judge John Roemer told the man who, police say, would go to Roemers rural Juneau County home more than 15 years later and shoot him to death.

You have a great deal to offer, Roemer told Douglas K. Uhde at a Nov. 10, 2005, sentencing hearing. Your personality is strong because youre gregarious, youre outgoing, but theres something about your character where you just cant admit that you screwed up, and that might be the rest of your life that youll never be able to admit that you just made a mistake.

There was little in the 58-page transcript of the hearing that would point to any specific reason Uhde, 56, would allegedly later target Roemer before turning the gun on himself. Investigators have said he planned to target other government officials as well. A list found in his vehicle Friday included Roemer, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, an official who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation told The Associated Press.

But it seems from court and Department of Corrections records that Roemers words were prophetic. In the years to come, Uhde would escape from the medium-security prison where he was serving his sentence and file appeals and court challenges disputing some of the charges for which he was convicted after he was caught.

That echoed the approach he took in Roemers courtroom that November day, when, acting as his own attorney, he simultaneously pleaded guilty to a 2001 armed burglary and suggested he didnt do it, while arguing that evidence in his case had been destroyed by investigators, preventing him from mounting a good defense.

Yes, I did plead guilty to the charge, but did I actually commit this crime, just as I stated to the Court, because a person went to the crime, is that actually a crime committed? That answer has to be no, he told Roemer.

Roemer sentenced him to six years in prison and nine years of extended supervision, or more than the five years in prison and seven and a half years of supervision Uhde and prosecutors had settled on as part of the plea agreement.

The state Department of Justice, which is investigating the shooting at the 68-year-old Roemers home at W6128 Woodland Hills Road in the town of Lisbon, did not respond to requests for comment Monday on the investigation into Uhde, who most recently lived in Michigan and as of Saturday was in a hospital in critical condition.

In the Adams County case, Uhde was charged with armed burglary, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a short-barreled shotgun and possession of a firearm by a felon for burglarizing a vacant vacation home in the town of Quincy on the night of Aug. 20, 2001, according to a criminal complaint.

Plenty of trouble

Uhde was already a convicted felon in Texas, where he had a 1986 case for forgery and a 1996 case for escaping from custody. He also has a juvenile record and a 1986 attempted burglary conviction from Michigan, according to the transcripts of his sentencing hearing before Roemer.

He pleaded no contest in the Adams County burglary case in January of 2002, online court records show. But he had his conviction vacated in October 2004 after an appeals court found  and prosecutors ultimately admitted  that the trial court had misstated elements of the burglary charge. The next year he pleaded guilty again before the new judge in the case, Roemer.

DOC and court records show Uhde was in jail or prison in Wisconsin roughly from August 2001 to March 27, 2006, when he walked away from an inmate work assignment at Circus World in Baraboo that was being conducted through the Fox Lake Correctional Institution, where he was incarcerated.

A report by the Adams County Sheriffs Office alleges he turned up a little more than two weeks later in the Friendship and Wisconsin Rapids area, where he broke into a car and stole a wallet, stole license plates off another car and tried to break into his former girlfriends home.

Police caught him on April 17, 2006, after a chase that ended when he crashed his stolen pickup truck, according to a criminal complaint in Adams County. Another filed around the same time in Dodge County, where the prison is, says that when asked why he decided to escape, the defendant replied that it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.

He just couldnt go back to the institution, the complaint says. The defendant also described how he walked away, saying he left about 1:00 pm, walked down a sidewalk, crossed over train tracks, entered a Walmart, called a friend ... and she came and picked him up.

Attempts to reach victims named in the police reports and Uhdes former girlfriend were not successful. A man who answered the door at the Friendship home where the girlfriend used to live said she hadnt lived there for years.

Nowhere to run

Uhde pleaded no contest to the escape charge in Dodge County in January 2007 and was found guilty by a jury of fleeing police and other charges in Adams County in 2008.

Appeals courts in 2009 and again in 2011 rejected Uhdes petitions for a new trial in the Adams County case, saying hed not proven that the state had denied him access to relevant evidence or that prosecutors had engaged in misconduct.

At the 2005 sentencing hearing, Roemer said Uhde was bright and articulate but had largely squandered his talents.

What have you done really? he said. Nothing. Youre 40 years old and what do you have? Well, you have a GED. Youve got a year of post-automotive, but you have nothing to your name. ... If you are Catholic faith, or whatever faith your are, you have squandered your talents, and thats a sin because God has given you so much, and to be quite frank, youve done so little with your talents.

Juneau County Star-Times reporter John Gittings and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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In the near future, David City residents may see improvements to the wastewater treatment plant.

Members of the David City Council voted at their May 25 meeting to proceed with the possible rehabilitation of the citys wastewater treatment facilities. Bob Veenstra Jr. of Veenstra and Kimm was on hand to present an evaluation of the wastewater treatment plant and recommendations for how the city should proceed.

The citys wastewater treatment facilities have struggled to meet state and federal regulations since at least 2008.

Currently, as explained by Veenstra, wastewater flows into the headworks building which performs basic operations before the sewage is pumped into Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBRs) which is an activated sludge system for wastewater treatment. After that process, the water is sent to the anaerobic lagoons.

Veenstra said his firm looked at two goals when starting the study last summer  the physical condition of the wastewater treatment plant and what needs to be done to meet permit limits. The study was largely impacted by AGPs announcement earlier this year that it will build a soybean crushing facility near David City.

What the firm found, Veenstra said, is that the basic structure is in good condition but the equipment is old.

That facility (headworks building) was built in the late 1950s, so it's a little over 60 years old, Veenstra said. It's reached the end of its useful life. The ventilation is inadequate, the electrical system is a safety hazard. And even more importantly, it really isn't large enough to handle the flow.

Veenstra said he recommends constructing an entirely new headworks building, which would be the most cost-effective option. The current one is not repairable and its hard to repair something when youre continuously running sewage through it, he added.

The new building would be close to the current one, which is located near the lagoons. It would have the same treatment processes, Veenstra said, but with newer technology. Capacity would be increased at the pump station to ensure the facility can handle all of the wastewater flowing into it.

With increased water capacity, less rehabilitation would be needed, he added.

Veenstra also suggested building a new force main from the headworks building to the SBR, which would solely pump AGPs waste.

Veenstra said the two existing SBR units would be rehabilitated and two new units added in, which will help the wastewater treatment facilities maintain permit limits if one or more of the units would happen to break down.

The way the SBR treatment process works, it's what really provides the guts of the treatment. Those tanks alternate, so you fill up one and use that one in your processing and (it goes) back and forth, Veenstra said, noting that equipment is also old and nearing the end of its lifespan.

Increasing the number of SBR units would require more positive displacement blowers and he said he recommends placing the electrical equipment in a separate room with its own air conditioning. Currently, the blowers are in the same room as the electronics which shortens the lifespan of the electrical equipment due to how hot it gets in there.

The lagoons were originally intended to store excess flow, not be a primary part of the treatment process, Veenstra noted.

The problem we have is that those lagoon cells oftentimes actually make the water less clean, coming out and going in, he said. So the SBR unit actually does a better job, we put it in the lagoon and we're actually going backwards.

According to an October 2021 Banner-Press article, when theres too much water flow, discharges into the Keysor Creek have been necessary to keep the wastewater system and facilities from getting overwhelmed, though that violates regulations.

The SBR process and anaerobic lagoon dont really work well together, Veenstra noted. And, he added, even with AGP taken into account, the citys waste strength is way below what would normally be considered for anaerobic treatment.

Also, the city has irrigation agreements and if water was disposed of by irrigation, it would not flow into the creek, lessening Environmental Protection Agency regulation, he said.

The goal would be April 2025 for the project to be completed, meaning it would need to be under construction around August 2023.

According to Veenstra, the estimated cost of the project in its entirety is $12 million. City officials have been in touch with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, both of which urged completing an application for funding due to an incoming infrastructure bill.

A second option would be just doing the bare minimum  about $7 million to $8 million  but then the city wouldnt be able to meet AGPs needs if the soybean plant increased its load, Veenstra said. He also suggested the city increase its rates, its been eight years since the city has done so.

Mayor Alan Zavodny said a concern is that the citys sales tax is maxed out. At a minimum, the city would have to wait until 2030 before it can go to the taxpayers and ask for a sales tax increase.

Also, Zavodny said, tax increment financing dollars are being planned for water and road projects. At best, city officials would need to research what forgivable loans are available and consider the use of American Rescue Plan Act funds.

I would like to see rate increases be as minimal as possible to the citizens here, Zavodny said. Look at in 2030, evaluate whether this governing entity will have to vote to put it on the ballot from the taxpayer say you're going to need maybe some sales tax to get you over the finish line.

Hannah Schrodt is the news editor of The Banner-Press. Reach her via email at hannah.schrodt@lee.net.

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Mary Loftis knows folks born in 1957 or 1958 are probably getting lots of mail right now.

And that mail is most likely about Medicare insurance.

Such mail can leave recipients wondering if theyre going to fill out paperwork correctly. It can be tough for parents or friends trying to help a loved one wade through the paper blizzard.

Thats where Loftis can help.

Loftis is a Nebraska State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor and shes planning an informational presentation on pre-Medicare issues.

The public is invited to the program starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 23, in the UNL Nebraska Extension in Dodge County office, 1206 W. 23rd St., Fremont. This is a free, informational program and nothing will be marketed or sold.

Topics include:

 How and when to apply for Medicare.

 Do you want to keep working and delay Medicare, then what?

 What is meant by Part A, Part E and Part D?

 What are those Medicare Advantage plans that are on TV?

 Do you need Medicare or supplemental insurance?

 What do you need to consider when choosing a plan?

Information also will be provided on how people can protect themselves from scammers.

Medicare is confusing with all the different options, Loftis told the Tribune. Attending one of these SHIP-sponsored events will provide you with unbiased options and information. Absolutely no selling.

Loftis encourages attendees to bring a friend or sibling.

Four ears are better than two to understand Medicare options, Loftis said.

Space is limited. To provide an adequate number of handouts, please RSVP by noon, Thursday, June 23, to the UNL Extension in Dodge County office at 402-727-2775 or UNL Extension in Burt County at 402-374-2929.

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Wyoming Banking Commissioner Goes Web3, Joins Fortress Blockchain Technologies

Disclaimer: The text below is a press release that was not written by Cryptonews.com.

LAS VEGAS, NV; FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Fortress Blockchain Technologies revealed today that Albert Forkner, state banking commissioner with the Wyoming Division of Banking, has joined Fortress Trust Company as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He heads up the regulatory entity powering the Fortress Web3 B2B infrastructure ecosystem.

Fortress provides a suite of API-driven B2B financial, regulatory and technology solutions to NFT and crypto innovators. These trailblazers are setting up to transform the world thanks to Web3 initiatives and badly need a trusted foundation from which to build their businesses.

Albert explains, The goal of Fortress Blockchain Technologies is to provide a suite of Web3 infrastructure products and services for NFT and crypto innovators. With the embeddable wallet from Fortress Wallet, or the minting engine from FortressNFT, to payment rails, compliance services and digital asset custody solutions from Fortress Trust, we exist to support and/or provide solutions for our customers to build extraordinary businesses around NFT's and crypto.

Forkner brings over 20 years of experience as a banking regulator and was heavily involved in the Special Purpose Depository Institution (SPDI) bank charter, the first such framework for digital assets.

Albert continues, ...a lot of things were working through the state system, through our state legislature. And then my job was to administer the laws that were passed as they dealt with digital assets, banking, blending the traditional financial services and digital assets together. I spent the last four years doing that and figuring out how to allow and foster innovation, but still do it in a safe and sound manner.

About Fortress Blockchain Technologies and Fortress Trust Company

Fortress Blockchain Technologies is a software development firm and holding company that is purpose-built to create infrastructure for the rapidly emerging Web3 space. Fortress Trust Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fortress Blockchain Technologies and is a full-retail Nevada-chartered financial institution.
Information is from police reports and may be incomplete depending on the status of an investigation. Phone numbers are nonemergency.
A scientific analysis commissioned by the FBI shortly before agents went digging for buried treasure suggested that a huge quantity of gold could be below the surface, according to newly released government documents and photos that deepen the mystery of the 2018 excavation in western Pennsylvania.

The report, by a geophysicist who performed microgravity testing at the site, hinted at an underground object with a mass of up to 9 tons and a density consistent with gold. The FBI used the consultants work to obtain a warrant to seize the gold  if there was any to be found.

The government has long claimed its dig was a bust. But a father-son pair of treasure hunters who spent years looking for the fabled Civil War-era gold  and who led agents to the woodland site, hoping for a finders fee  suspect the FBI double-crossed them and made off with a cache that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The newly revealed geophysical survey was part of a court-ordered release of government records on the FBIs treasure hunt at Dents Run, about 135 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, where legend says an 1863 shipment of Union gold was either lost or stolen on its way to the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia.

Dennis and Kem Parada, who co-own the treasure-hunting outfit Finders Keepers, successfully sued the Justice Department for the records after being stonewalled by the FBI. Finders Keepers provided the FBI records to the Associated Press. The FBI subsequently posted them on its website.

The technical survey data collected by geophysical consulting firm Enviroscan gave credence to the treasure hunters own fieldwork at the site  and prompted the FBI to excavate in a secretive operation that lasted several frigid days in late winter of 2018.

John Louie, a geophysics professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, unconnected to the dig, reviewed Enviroscans report at the request of the AP and said the firms methods were very good, and their conclusions represent a physically reasonable hypothesis that gold was buried at the site.

But he said the subsurface gravity anomaly that Enviroscan identified did not definitively establish the presence of gold. There are other technical reasons Enviroscans data could have turned out the way it did, Louie said.

Thus, it is also entirely reasonable that the FBI did not find anything at the site, because there was not really any gold there, he said via email.

Enviroscan co-founder Tim Bechtel declined to comment about his work at Dents Run, saying the FBI has not given him permission to talk. The FBI would not discuss Bechtel but said that after the dig, agents did not take any subsequent steps to reconcile the geophysical-survey findings with the absence of gold or any other metal.

Other documents in the just-released FBI case file raise still more questions.

A one-paragraph FBI report, dated March 13, 2019  exactly one year after the dig  asserted agents found nothing at Dents Run. No metals, items, and/or other relevant materials were found, the report said. Due to other priority work ... the FBI will close the captioned case.

Anne Weismann, a lawyer for Finders Keepers, cast doubt on the FBI reports credibility. She cited its brevity, as well as its timing  it was written after Finders Keepers began pressing the government for records.

It does not read like one would expect, said Weismann, a former Justice Department lawyer. If that is the official record in the file of what they did and why they did it, it says almost nothing, and its crazy.

She said if the government does not produce a fuller, more contemporaneous accounting of its search for the gold, it will heighten my view that this is not an accurate record and this was created as a cover-up. And I dont say that lightly.

In response, the FBI said the single-page document is representative of the standard summaries filed when formally closing an FBI investigation.

The agency has consistently denied it found anything.

Agents acted on information that Dents Run may have been a cultural heritage site containing gold belonging to the United States government, the FBI said in a statement, but that possibility was not borne out by the excavation. The FBI continues to unequivocally reject any claims or speculation to the contrary.

The trove of documents turned over to Finders Keepers also included nearly 1,000 photos, in grainy black-and-white, that show some  but certainly not all  of what the FBI was doing at the dig site, according to the treasure hunters.

Residents have previously told of hearing a backhoe and jackhammer overnight between the first and second days of the dig  when the work was supposed to have been paused  and seeing a convoy of FBI vehicles, including large armored trucks.

The FBI denied any work took place at the site after hours, saying the only nighttime activity was ATV patrols by FBI Police personnel, who secured the site around the clock for the duration of the excavation.

Parada suspects the FBI retrieved the gold in the middle of the night and then showed the treasure hunters an empty hole on the afternoon of the second day.

Its very curious why the FBI is going to such an extent to misdirect and be so obstructionist on this, said Warren Getler, who has worked closely with the treasure hunters. They worked that night under cover of darkness to evade, escape our knowledge of something were supposed to be partners in.

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Cara Delevigne hit the beach for work.

The model was seen on the set of Diors latest campaign on Tuesday. The shoot was set on the beach in Portofino, Italy. For one of her looks, Delevigne wore a light, breezy orange and white top over a bathing suit. The button-down top featured long sleeves and she paired it with a matching silk scarf worn on her head. She also accessorized the beachy look with a simple necklace and black sunglasses.

More from Footwear News

Delevigne on set for a Dior campaign on June 7. - Credit: Oliver Palombi / MEGA

Oliver Palombi / MEGA

The Footwear News cover star was also seen in an additional outfit on set. She wore a matching jacket and shorts in a light peach and white colorway. She paired the set with a white button down that she tucked into the shorts. She added a black Dior belt to add contrast and also wore a tan bucket hat. Delevigne also wore a pink crossbody Dior bag and black sunglasses.

Delevigne on set for a Dior campaign on June 7. - Credit: Oliver Palombi / MEGA

Oliver Palombi / MEGA

When she does don footwear, Delevingnes shoe styles vary between edgy and elegant. On the red carpet, the star can be seen in platform sandals and pointed-toe pumps by Jimmy Choo, Casadei and Christian Louboutin, among other top brands. Her off-duty style includes Chanel, Golden Goose and Puma sneakers, plus RTA combat boots and Ugg slippers. Delevingne is a longtime fixture in the fashion industry from her modeling background, as well as brand ambassador roles for Dior, Tag Heuer and Puma.

Launch Gallery: Cara Delevingne's Chic Street Style Evolution

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Adrian Wojnarowski: As the franchises coaching search nears an end, the Charlotte Hornets are set to bring Mike DAntoni to meet with owner Michael Jordan later this week, sources tell ESPN. DAntoni will follow Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson, whos expected to meet with Jordan on Tuesday.

Source: Twitter @wojespn

Whats the buzz on Twitter?

Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn

As the franchises coaching search nears an end, the Charlotte Hornets are set to bring Mike DAntoni to meet with owner Michael Jordan later this week, sources tell ESPN. DAntoni will follow Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson, whos expected to meet with Jordan on Tuesday.  11:16 AM

Rob Perez @WorldWideWob

Radio Roulette is LIVE @UnderdogFantasy

 #NBAFinals Game 2

 Michael Jordan Poole

 Celtics role players Jekyl & Hyde

 Celtics turnovers deep dive

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Join us!

youtube.com/watch?v=Dyz4fi  10:41 PM

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania

Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson has emerged as a front-runner for Charlottes head coaching job and will meet again next week with Hornets officials, this time including owner Michael Jordan, sources tell me and @Sam Amick.

Story at @TheAthletic: theathletic.com/news/hornets-c  1:15 PM

More on this storyline

Amid some mixed signals in recent days about who is in the lead for the leagues last current coaching vacancy in Charlotte, rumbles persist, at the very least, that the Hornets will choose between Mike DAntoni or Kenny Atkinson to succeed the ousted James Borrego. -via marcstein.substack.com / June 3, 2022

No candidate has met with Charlotte principal governor Michael Jordan, sources said, believed to be the final step in the Hornets search process. That round of interviews could begin as early as this week after Jordan returns from an out of market vacation. -via Bleacher Report / May 31, 2022

Adrian Wojnarowski: The Charlotte Hornets are planning to conduct a second interview with Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson for the franchises head coaching job, sources tell ESPN. -via Twitter @wojespn / May 17, 2022
It's like you're fishing on land: Here's what it's like to go truffle hunting in Croatia

"If you damage a white truffle, you can't sleep for five nights. A half-kilo piece is worth 1,000 euros," says Luka Raspolic.

Raspolic is one of the truffle hunting team at Karlic Tartufi, Croatias biggest exporter of the sought-after fungi. He's taking me out hunting with him, alongside Lila, the Labrador.

Most people would assume that the tasty Alba white truffles are an archetypally northwest Italian fare  but, in fact, the best place in Europe to consume and hunt for rare fungi is the Croatian region of Istria.

Like many foodie tourists, just eating the delicacy in Istria wasn't enough to satisfy my curiosity. I wanted to see the woodlands where the truffles grow and find out just how the region became a serious contender in the truffle world.

There are four different truffle species commonly found in Croatias Northwestern most state, Istria: Three black truffle types and the fabled, rare Alba white truffles, tuber magnatum.

Truffles have long been big business, but thanks to Netflix's "The Truffle Hunters," truffle hunting is having a big cultural moment.

24 HOURS, 5 RESTAURANTS: What I learned about San Diego's food scene after a day in the city

The white truffle was made famous in the '30s when Italian inn-keeper Giacomo Morra served newspaper journalists a plate of the dish from his kitchen in Alba, Piedmont. The rarity grows in Italy, as well as Croatia and Slovenia, where the climate is optimally warm while the soil is drenched for much of the year.

"There (are fewer) truffles in Italy these days as Croatia keeps their own," explains Ivana Karlic Ban, Raspolic's cousin and one of the managers at family operation, Karlic Tartufi. "Twenty years ago or so, when tourism began in earnest in Croatia, the tides changed."

Karlic Tartufi is one of a number of truffle companies in Northern Istria that now take eager tourists out on a hunt  where you can opt to join a group or select a private tour.

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The forests of Motovun and Buzet are the region's thriving hub, with the largest white truffle on record found just over the valley in Livade, weighing 1kg 31g.

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Luka's driven us to the piece of woodland owned by Karlic and Lila is hard at work, sniffing around tree stumps in search of the treasure she's been so well trained to find. I'm kitted out in walking boots and a hunting jacket, my dad's old Parkour. Full-length trousers and covered arms are necessary to avoid branches and bugs.

"I like to compare this job with fishing. It's all about timing," says Raspolic. "The truffle is a very mystic mushroom; they don't smell all the time. We could be standing on truffles but not know it. You'll never find everything; it's not possible.

Truffles close up on the white

We are in black truffle season, the tasty but less rare tuber aestivum. Lila claws at the earth when she's found one, and Luka uses his trowel to carefully extract the loot from under the ground, being careful not to break it. We cover the hole with soil, ready for the next batch, as the spores stay in the hole to grow for next season  and Lila gets a treat on discovering one.

"Truffle hunting is a very secretive job. If you find a large truffle, you can't tell your neighbor. So it was good back when Istrian truffles were a secret, but it's better for the truffle hunting business and the gastronomy business now."

Story continues below.

After the hunt, we go back to the dining room at Karlic to feast on our finds. Ivana's team have prepared scrambled eggs with truffles, truffles and cheese on bruschetta and a board of truffle-infused cheeses, hams and white truffle spreads.

My truffle day ends in Croatias first museum dedicated exclusively to truffles, on Karlic Tartufis farm.

"My brother and I promised my Grandpa, Ivan Raspolic, we'd make a truffle museum one day and here it is," explains Karlic Ban, the third generation of truffle hunters in her family.

The farmhouse-based galleries are full of vintage equipment and photos and some interactive displays designed to help the visitor recognize different truffles' scents. It's a delightful homage to her family heritage  and the paterfamilias of the most successful truffle outfits the country's ever seen.

Truffle hunting tours at Karlic Tartufi start from $85 during black truffle season and $115 during white truffle season.

Lucie Grace is a British freelance travel writer, currently based in Croatia.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Truffle hunting in Croatia: What you need to know
By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

The Azerbaijani State Film Fund has founded a personal archive fund for the People's Artist, national actress Amaliya Panahova.

The fund includes 80 unique photos, books, personal documents, newspapers, and magazines dedicated to the actress. The creation of her personal archive fund is timed to coincide with the actress' birthday (June 15).

The actress performed more than 500 roles in theater and cinema, as well as 20 theater productions.

In 1992, she established the Baku Municipal Theater, which attracted talented actors.

Amalia Panahova was also the chairman of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Commission on Culture, Tourism and Information.

Panakhova significantly contributed to the work on the law "On the theater and theatrical activity".

In 2015, Amalia Panahova was awarded the "Honorary Diploma of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan" for her great contribution to the Azerbaijani culture.
Missouri corrections officers would receive a back pay settlement and future payments worth more than $100 million under an agreement to end a long-running claim the Department of Corrections was underpaying officers.

Under the proposed settlement, the corrections department does not admit any wrongdoing but accepts that the payments are reasonable considering the likely result of going to trial. The plaintiffs, a class of corrections officers represented by three individuals, are happy as well, attorney Gary Burger of St. Louis, wrote in an affidavit supporting the settlement.

The agreement is the result of hard-fought, arms-length negotiations, Burger wrote, and represents a recovery of nearly 33% of the damages projected by experts as the best possible day in court for the Settlement Class, and 95% of the damages projected by MDOCs June 2022 trial expert.

If there was no settlement, Cole County Circuit Judge Cotton Walker had set aside eight days for a trial scheduled to begin June 7. He is expected to give preliminary approval for the settlement that day, Burger said.

We believe this is a fair and good result for the class, Burger said. We obtained a recovery for past damages and are getting officers paid for pre- and post-shift activity for at least eight years in the future.

The department is pleased with the settlement as well.

This issue has been a concern among our staff for several years, Director Anne Precythe said. Were happy for them, happy to have the matter resolved and happy to be part of the solution.

The corrections officers will accept as a settlement the $49.5 million appropriated by lawmakers for the coming fiscal year to cover back payments. The department also agreed to add 15 minutes to each shift worked by corrections officers and corrections sergeants over the next eight years.

The officers will receive an estimated $54 million in total in their paychecks, and the extra pay will cost the state $65 million including benefits, Burger wrote in the affidavit.

With past and future damages, plus attorney fees payments, the full cost to the state is between $117.5 million and $128.5 million, Burger wrote in a court filing.

For his firms work on the case, Burger will receive $16.5 million from the settlement fund plus his expenses for the case initially filed in 2012 and a little over $1.7 million a year, or $13.8 million toal, for negotiating the extra 15 minutes pay.

The three class representatives, Thomas Hootsell and Oliver Huff, both of Farmington, and Daniel Dicus, of Potosi, will each receive a service award of $25,000.

Payments to corrections officers from the fund will be based on the amount of time each officer worked since August 2007. Each class member will be paid a share based on their share of the total amount of covered time worked by all employees in the class.

The agreement sets aside 20% of the settlement fund to pay disputed claims. When all payments have been made, any remaining balance will be distributed on a prorated basis as a second payment to class members.

The lawsuit claimed the corrections officers should have been paid for the time they spent within the prison from the moment they entered until they left. The department had only paid officers for the time from their arrival at their duty station to the moment they left at the end of a shift.

At the start of every shift, corrections officers must log their arrival, most go through a security screening for weapons and contraband and report for their duty assignment. They obtain keys and radios and walk through the prison to their post.

While walking to their post, corrections officers must be ready to respond to any emergency or security incident that occurs anywhere in the prison.

At the end of the shift, they must walk to the exit, pass on any information needed by the next shift, turn in keys and radios and log out. Some have other duties, such as officers who patrol in vehicles, who must inventory the equipment in the vehicle at the end of every shift.

At a trial in August 2018, a Cole County jury awarded the corrections officers $113.7 million in compensation. Burger, pushing to get the award paid, filed to garnish the state treasury in 2019. While that was unsuccessful, the verdict was upheld by the Western District Court of Appeals in October 2019.

The Missouri Supreme Court in June 2021 ordered a new trial, however, to determine exactly which activities should be compensated.

Obtaining radios and walking to their post is clearly an activity that should be compensated, Judge Patricia Breckenridge wrote in her opinion for the court.

For pre-shift activities, each activity must be evaluated in chronological order until an activity, standing alone, is compensable as a matter of law, she wrote. Any activities occurring before the first compensable activity need not be compensated, but all activities after the first compensable activity must be compensated.

That trial created uncertainty that made settling the case the better choice, Burger wrote in a memo to the court.

Even if the plaintiffs prevailed at the second trial, Burger wrote, plaintiff faced the potential hurdle of immediate appeal, and the uncertainty (and lengthy delay) that they had already experienced after the verdict in the first trial.

This story was originally published online by the Missouri Independent.

Rudi Keller covers the state budget, energy and the legislature for Missouri Independent. Hes spent 22 of his 30 years in journalism covering Missouri government and politics, most recently as the news editor of the Columbia Daily Tribune. Keller has won awards for spot news and investigative reporting.

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The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded contracts for Southeast District projects during its regular meeting on June 2. Awarded contracts include a high friction surface treatment, pavement improvements, bridge improvements, and sidewalk improvements.

Contracts include:

 A $218,218 contract was awarded to The Truesdell Corporation, for a high friction surface treatment on the ramp curves at the I-57 and I-55 interchange in Scott County.

 A $8,754,427 contract was awarded to Magruder Paving LLC for resurfacing Route 67 from Route 221 to Route 72 in St. Francois and Madison counties, and areas of northbound and southbound Route 67 from Cherokee Pass to County Road 303 in Madison County.

 A $3,410,412 contract was awarded to Keeley & Sons Inc. for bridge rehabilitation on Missouri Route 51 over the Mississippi River (Chester Bridge) in Perry County.

 A $2,285,000 contract was awarded to West Plains Bridge & Grading LLC for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements on various routes in several towns in the Southeast District, including Lesterville, Ironton, Winona, Mountain View, Eminence, Thayer, West Plains, Mountain Grove, Norwood, Willow Springs, Houston, Raymondville, and Mansfield.

 A $1,075,539 contract was awarded to J. M. Scheidle LLC for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements on various routes in the Southeast District.

 A $7,440,386 contract was awarded contingent on receiving the additional funding from the partnering entity to H.R. Quadri Contractors LLC for Phase 1A of the U.S. 67 (Future I-57) project. The project will upgrade U.S. 67 from Route 160 to County Road 360 in Butler County. Phase 1A received $2,724,976 in funding through Gov. Mike Parsons cost share program and will receive funding from the city of Poplar Bluff.

 A $2,080,301 contract was awarded to N.B. West Contracting Company for paving, rumble strips and adding shoulders to Route M from Route 61 to Route N in Ste. Genevieve County.

The MHTC did not award the contract for the Ingram overpass over U.S. 60 in New Madrid County, as bids were deemed excessive.

Additional information, regarding timelines and impacts to traffic, will be released prior to the start of construction.

For more information, contact MoDOTs Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636).

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Raytheon Technologies said Tuesday that it is moving its global headquarters to Arlington County, making it the second large aerospace company in recent weeks to establish its corporate offices in Northern Virginia near federal government customers.

The announcement comes a month after Boeing said it would move its headquarters to Arlington and marks a second major economic development victory for Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a former corporate co-CEO who was inaugurated as governor five months ago.

"With four of the top five major U.S. aerospace and defense leaders now based in Virginia, this decision to headquarter in Arlington demonstrates that the commonwealth is the best destination for the aerospace and defense community," Youngkin said in a statement on Tuesday.

The governor also promised that "Virginia is committed to being a partner in their mission to build a safer, more connected world."

Raytheon said it has not "accepted or sought" any financial incentive from state or local government to choose Arlington for the headquarters, which currently is based in Waltham, Mass. The new headquarters will be based in Rosslyn, directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. and next to the Raytheon Intelligence & Space business.

"The location increases agility in supporting U.S. government and commercial aerospace partners and serves to reinforce partnerships that will progress innovative technologies to advance the industry," the company said in its announcement. "Washington, D.C., serves as a convenient travel hub for the company's global customers and employees."

Raytheon operates 600 facilities in 44 states and territories, with each of the company's four business units already located in Virginia.
A panel of federal judges has granted Virginias request to dismiss a lawsuit seeking new House of Delegates elections this year after ruling the plaintiff in the case, Democratic lawyer Paul Goldman, lacked standing to bring the case.

In a 31-page opinion released Monday, three judges agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice and said the case is now closed, though the opinion seems to acknowledge the possibility another party could step in to try to pick up the fight where Goldman failed.

While other groups have shown interest in Goldmans legal battle, it took nearly a year for the court to rule on the basic question of whether Goldman had standing to sue, raising doubts about whether a new lawsuit could be filed and heard in time to conduct new elections this fall. If no other legal challenges or appeals emerge, the House would be up for election again on new maps in 2023.

The judges ruled Goldman, who claimed the 2021 House elections were unconstitutional because they were held on old district lines that hadnt been updated to reflect 2020 U.S. Census data, couldnt show his particular rights had been violated either as a voter or a candidate.

Attorneys for the state had argued the case should be dismissed partly because Goldmans 2021 district was underpopulated. That meant, according to the argument the judges agreed with, Goldmans vote technically counted for more than the votes of Virginians who live in the most overpopulated districts and could not have been diluted by the states failure to draw new maps before the 2021 races.

The court didnt fully reject Goldmans claims that the late census data might have violated Virginians voting rights by allowing impermissibly large differences in populations of Virginia House districts. But Goldman himself cant credibly make the claim, the judges wrote, because he did not suffer a particularized injury in fact that would furnish him standing to pursue this case as a voter.

Voters who live in districts with populations larger than the ideal district likely have standing, because they are underrepresented when compared to the ideal, U.S. District Court Judge David J. Novak wrote in the opinion. Concurring with Novak were judges Stephanie D. Thacker and Raymond A. Jackson.

The court ruled Goldman also lacked standing as a potential House candidate, because legislators and candidates have no cognizable interest in the composition of their districts.

Virginia author Jeff Thomas had sought to join Goldmans lawsuit, but the court also dismissed his motion to intervene. In a footnote, the court advised Thomas that if he chooses to pursue his own lawsuit, he should note the relationship to the Goldman case.

Though Virginia Democrats lost control of the House last year, the party has shown little appetite for a do-over in 2022 and did not formally intervene to assist Goldmans case. The administrations of former Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, and current Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, defended the state in the lawsuit.

The 2021 Virginia elections were legal and constitutional, Miyares said in a news release. Record numbers of Virginians went to the polls to vote and had their voices heard. Im glad that the court agreed with my office, that there is no more uncertainty for voters and legislators, and that we were able to protect the sanctity of our 2021 elections.

In a statement, Goldman emphasized that the largely procedural ruling slashes the right to equal representation in the state legislature, adding important constitutional issues remain unresolved. In a phone interview, Goldman seemed skeptical of pursuing an appeal given the time constraints.

It is a lesson to people: Youre going to have to defend your own rights, he said. I did everything one person could do. With any kind of help, read the opinion, it basically says itd be a different result.

The Virginia Mercur y is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. www.virginiamercury.com
An Albemarle County Circuit Court judge has officially dismissed a lawsuit against the county school divisions anti-racism program in an order filed last week.

Judge Claude Worrell dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning that the complaints cant be refiled in the circuit court. The order is in line with how Worrell said he would rule during an April hearing in the case. The lawsuit alleged that the school divisions anti-racism policy discriminated against students and created a culture of hostility in schools.

At the hearing, Worrell said that although the policy in question is not perfect, the case laid out in the lawsuit was not strong enough to continue.

The law doesnt support you, he told the attorneys representing the plaintiffs.

Worrell ruled that the plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit lacked standing to bring their claims to court and didnt state a cause of action under Virginia law that allowed them to bring the case to court. The plaintiffs objected to the order, according to the filing.

Filed in December, five families claimed the school division violated their civil rights, including freedom of speech and freedom from religious and viewpoint discrimination, when it implemented the anti-racism policy it adopted in 2019. The families, whose children attend schools in the western feeder pattern, are represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, an Arizona-based nonprofit.

The complaint was largely based on anti-racism lessons piloted at Henley Middle School that focused on bias, race, identity, culture and empathy through readings, activities and question prompts. ADF also is representing a former Albemarle employee who is suing the school system for alleged retaliation and harassment she experienced after complaining about an anti-racism training.

More recently, ADF sued the Harrisonburg City Public Schools over its policy outlining the rights of transgender and gender-expansive students.

Since the April hearing, a few of the plaintiffs have spoken out about the policy in interviews with the NY Post and in appearances on Fox News. The parents suing the Albemarle County district are Carlos and Tatiana Ibanez, Matthew and Marie Mierzejewski, Kemal and Margaret Gokturk, Erin and Trent D. Taliaferro and Melissa Riley. Their children were identified only by initials.

Riley said on Fox News about her son who is an eighth-grader at Henley Middle School, started having racial issues after the Henley lessons.

Hes seeing himself just as a Black man, Riley said on Fox News about her son. Hes seeing things that dont go his way as racism and he is finding safety in numbers now.

She added that the lessons changed his perspective. When she asked her son to clean the house or do chores, her son would claim racism, she said.

Hes using it as an excuse because they told him thats how people see him, that as a Black man, the world is against him now, she told Jesse Watters.

ADF said Tuesday that the ruling was disappointing and promised to appeal it.

Every student deserves to be treated equally under the law, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or religion, Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Kate Anderson said in a statement. Public schools cannot attack or demean students based on these or any other characteristics. We look forward to continuing to represent these parents and students as they stand up against a school district that continues to ignore their legitimate interests and legal rights.

Richmond-based attorneys from Harman, Claytor, Corrigan and Wellman are representing the School Board and division.

The School Board has argued the lawsuit should be dismissed because the plaintiffs lack standing to sue and failed to show how they were discriminated against or harmed. Additionally, the provisions of the Constitution of Virginia that the plaintiffs allege the School Board violated cannot be enforced without an underlying statute, according to the School Boards attorneys.

The schools attorneys outlined their positions in several motions filed in January, including a 16-page demurrer, which is similar to a federal motion to dismiss.

Worrell agreed with that position, sustaining the defendants plea in bar, a motion that sought to bar the complaint in its entirety, and part of the demurrer that disputed the plaintiffs claim that parents have a fundamental right to control their childs education under the Constitution of Virginia.

Worrell didnt rule on the other motions in the case, which he said were no longer relevant after the dismissal.

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Saved forever. Today, that can finally be said of the bloody ground where the Battle of Fredericksburgs fate was sealed 159 years ago, now peaceful farm fields in Spotsylvania County just south of the city.

Sixteen years after it began, the American Battlefield Trust has completed the largest private battlefield-preservation effort in the nations history. The nonprofit announced Monday it has fully paid for the $12 million purchase of Slaughter Pen Farm.

When we began this journey, the goal was beyond audacious, Trust President David Duncan said in a statement. It was orders of magnitude beyond anything we had attempted, but the unparalleled historic significance of this land demanded that we stretch beyond what had then been considered possible. This is a milestone moment in the historic preservation movement.

The battle is best known for the doomed Union attacks on Maryes Heights, as thousands of visitors to the citys National Park Service sites along Sunken Road would attest.

But the fight was decided farther south, as Union troops confronted Confederate commander Thomas J. Stonewall Jacksons defenses on Prospect Hill. When that Union assault failed on Dec. 13, 1862, soldiers and local residents named the site the Slaughter Pen Farm.

The field is critical to understanding the battle, said National Park Service historian Frank OReilly, author of The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock.

The Slaughter Pen is the very heart and soul of the Fredericksburg Battlefield. Without it, nothing makes sense, OReilly wrote in his definitive study. This is the point where the battle was won and lost.

But in 2005, the battlefieldwhere five Union soldiers heroism earned them the Medal of Honor, the nations highest award for valor under firewas just another chess piece in the Fredericksburg areas suburban sprawl. It was marketed as the most desirable property for industrial development in Virginia.

But then-Trust President Jim Lighthizer and his boardwith help from history lovers and open-space advocatesaverted development of the 208-acre tract.

Early on, the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, a local nonprofit, pledged $1 million. In 2011, CVBT fulfilled its commitment.

The preservation community is strongest when we work together, CVBT President Tom Van Winkle said. It is what allows us to take on the most meaningful work and what ensures we leave a permanent legacy.

Ultimately, nearly half of the $12 million to buy Slaughter Pen came from private funds, mostly donations from Battlefield Trust members.

The trusts loan required annual payments of $400,000. So, many donors scheduled recurring gifts to help pay down the balance, knowing that until the debt was settled, the land wouldnt truly be preserved.

The trust was due to finish its fundraising in 2024. But a longtime, anonymous supporter challenged the group. If individual donors could cough up the next $400,000 annual payment, he would contribute all of the $800,000 remaining on the loan, paying it off two years early. Trust members answered the call and the final debt payment was made in May.

Now that Slaughter Pen Farm is owned free and clear, preservationists can turn toward celebrating the milestone. A Twilight Tour is scheduled for mid-July, with a larger event planned for the fall, the trust said.

Since acquiring the farm, the trust has worked to add interpretive features and restore the landscape to its Civil War appearance. It removed a number of derelict outbuildings and built a 2-mile educational walking trail. Since 2009, that circuit has been popular with families, dog walkers, amateur historians and military units studying leadership and tactics.

Some 9,000 men were killed, wounded or disappeared during the intense, see-saw fighting at Slaughter Pen, which Jacksons artillery and infantry swept with shell and shot. The Unions one chance of winning the miles-long battle along the Rappahannock River was capturing Prospect Hill, key to the Confederate right. Casualties at Slaughter Pen were about equal to the losses at its other end, on the plain below Maryes Heights.

Here, two Union divisions of about 8,000 troops attacked about 10,000 Confederates. Troops led by Brig. Gen. George Gordon Meade, who would later become the hero of Gettysburg, punched through Jacksons line, but couldnt hold the ground for lack of timely reinforcement.

Today, that land near the Slaughter Pen is occupied by retail supplier idX Corp., which redeveloped a defunct GM Powertrain factory. The trust tried repeatedly to buy the Meade-breakthrough site, but couldnt secure a contract on the GM Powertrain property after discussions with local officials and General Motors. The old GM plant is opposite the Fredericksburg Country Club, the site where Meade arranged his command for the attack.

In the 1930s, the Confederate line along Prospect Hill was added to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. The Slaughter Pen, the open plain below, stayed a dairy farm. As time passed, it was hemmed in by a railroad, a small airport and Routes 2 and 17.

In the 2000s, developers sought to build a hospital and an elementary school on the farm, proposals opposed by the trust.

When the farms longtime owner died in September 2005 at 86, his niece planned to sell it. Trust leaders worried she might reject their cash offer.

They reached out to Tricord Homes, a local builder with which theyd crafted a preservation compromise on Spotsylvanias Chancellorsville battlefield. Tricord agreed to buy the farm and sell it to the trust at cost.

We love this community and know that its rich history is part of what makes the Fredericksburg region so special, said Tricord Homes co-owner Mike Jones. Helping protect this battlefield land was the right thing to do then, and we would make the same decision today.

The trusts campaign received significant governmental support, including a $2 million matching grant from the American Battlefield Protection Programstill one of the largest awards ever made by that National Park Service entity. Virginia contributed $300,000, which in 2006 led it to create the nations first state matching-grant program for battlefield preservation.

SunTrust (now Truist), the trusts longtime banker, agreed to fund the whole transaction. But SunTrust could reap land-preservation tax credits in Virginia, a program begun in the 1990s. By keeping their property in field or forest, landowners can get tax credits worth a percentage of the lands value, which they can sell to others to offset state income taxes.

Once the trust put a conservation easement on Slaughter Pen Farm, its value plummeted, creating $5 million in tax credits the trust sold over the next three years to help pay down its loan. As a nonprofit, the trust also tapped tax-exempt financing and refinanced its debt as a long-term bond issue.

Created by a handful of historians and advocates in Fredericksburg 35 years ago, the trust has protected 54,000 acres from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War.
A panel of three federal judges on Monday rejected an attempt to hold Virginia House of Delegates elections this year, finding that the Democratic activist who brought a lawsuit did not have standing.

Paul Goldman of Richmond sued state election officials in June 2021, arguing that Virginia's 100 House of Delegates seats should be up for election this fall. (The 100 House seats and 40 state Senate seats are up for election in 2023).

Delegates in the House are elected every two years, and the election for the House was held in fall 2021. But Goldman challenged the constitutionality of the 2021 House elections.

District lines are drawn every 10 years based on federal census data, but the 2020 data were released late in 2021, and a new state redistricting commission couldn't agree on new lines in time for the 2021 election. Goldman argued the election was held under lines that were outdated and was unconstitutional.

The Virginia attorney general's office represented the state elections officials in the case and argued that Goldman's suit should be dismissed.

The 2021 Virginia elections were legal and constitutional," Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a statement Monday in response to the court's opinion. "Record numbers of Virginians went to the polls to vote and had their voices heard."

And he said the ruling ends uncertainty for voters and legislators about when the next state House election will be held.

The court's opinion was written by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanie D. Thacker and Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson joined the opinion.

The opinion examined whether Goldman had standing as a voter and potential candidate to bring the lawsuit. The court ruled he had not shown that he suffered "individualized disadvantage" due to living in an underrepresented House of Delegates district.

The court found the House district Goldman lives in had fewer people than the ideal in the 2021 election, meaning he actually benefited from over representation.

"Plaintiffs claim to voter standing fails, because his theory of standing rests on the population variances between districts other than his own," the opinion said.

The judges wrote that the case "languished for far too long" because of piecemeal filings by the state and "unorthodox" and "improper" filings by Goldman.

The Virginia State Conference NAACP, ACLU, League of Women Voters and Arlington County Democratic Committee were among organizations backing Goldman.

Democrats lost control of the House of Delegates in 2021 to Republicans, who have a 52-48 edge while Democrats retain control of the Senate, 21-19.
Hong Kong: 489 virus cases detected

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 489 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 53 are imported while the rest are locally infected.

It also noted that from today, for cases reported via the declaration system for individuals tested positive for COVID-19 using rapid antigen test (RAT), only those which have been verified with positive nucleic acid test results will be announced as positive COVID-19 cases.

This decision was made in view of subsequent negative nucleic acid test results obtained from some positive RAT cases on the declaration system, the centre explained.

Among the 489 new cases, 231 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests while 258 RATs were verified.

A total of 1,203,303 people have contracted the virus since the onset of the fifth wave of the epidemic, involving 9,176 deaths.

This afternoon, the Government made a restriction-testing declaration to cover Sik Man House of Ho Man Tin Estate in Kowloon City. People in the restricted area are required to undergo compulsory testing before the specified deadline.

As there were positive sewage test results with relatively high viral loads in several areas of Yuen Long, Sai Kung and Sha Tin districts, the Housing Department and respective district offices will distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to relevant residents as well as cleaning workers and property management staff working there.

Separately, Qatar Airways flight QR818 from Doha, Qatar on June 4 had one passenger on board who failed to comply with the requirements under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances & Travellers) Regulation, and three passengers who tested positive upon arrival. As the flight triggered the relevant criterion again within 10 days, the Department of Health has prohibited the landing of the airline's passenger flights in Hong Kong from Doha from June 7 to 11.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Governments dedicated webpage.

This story has been published on: 2022-06-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Azerbaijani president's top foreign policy aide Hikmat Hajiyev is visiting the USA, where he had already a meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, according to his tweet.

Today at the White House I had a fruitful and friendly conversation with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on the Azerbaijani-United States partnership and regional issues, Hajiyev tweeted.

Earlier, reports were around that Hikmat Hajiyev was to meet US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried in Washington and that "the meeting will be closed to the press", though the State Department did not provide any details on the agenda.
Tommy J. Wright was appointed as Dothans new Public Works director during Tuesdays city commission meeting.

The Dothan City Commission approved a recommendation from City Manager Kevin Cowper to name Wright to the post. Wrights appointment was approved 5-0. City Commissioners Aristotle Kirkland and Bradley Bedwell were absent.

A licensed professional engineer, Wright has over 20 years of experience in the transportation and traffic control industry, according to a news release from the City of Dothan. He has held leadership positions with municipal agencies and has managed statewide Department of Transportation projects, including statewide signal upgrades and active management of state signal systems.

The City of Dothans Public Works Department includes the engineering division, environmental services division and landfill, street division, and a traffic engineering division. Assistant City Manager Randy Morris has been overseeing the department until a permanent director was named to take his place.

Wright received his bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama and is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in both Alabama and Georgia.

Wright is married to his wife, Lydia, and they have two sons.

Peggy Ussery is a Dothan Eagle staff writer and can be reached at aussery@dothaneagle.com or 334-712-7963. Support her work and that of other Eagle journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at dothaneagle.com.

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By Azernews





By Orkhan Amashov

That Russia believes the EU presumes too much in terms of its role in bringing Azerbaijan and Armenia together is no longer a tentative assumption, but an indubitable certainty. Not yet discombobulated or flummoxed, Moscow is nevertheless undeniably vexed that Brussels is apparently taking over what the Kremlin is convinced is its rightful brainchild - the original trilateral format.

Related, but not intertwined

The truth is, there are two related, but not intertwined, trilateral formats, the original being born with the Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal on 10 November 2020. It enjoyed near-uncontested supremacy for a full year, addressing both the issues pertinent to the unblocking of communications and the delimitation and demarcation of the interstate border.

This, coupled with the Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in Karabakh on a five-year basis, tempered only by the joint Turkish-Russian monitoring group in Aghdam, gave the Kremlin an upper hand compared to what is currently dubbed the collective West.

It was when Charles Michel suggested a trilateral convocation, to be held in Brussels in early November 2021, that Moscow first smelled a rat. When the date of the EU-mediated meeting was set for 15 December, Russia arranged an early get-together in Sochi, scheduled for 26 November. That must have been the defensive reaction of the Kremlin to curb the ambitions of an interloper and attempt to reassert its leverage on the state of affairs.



In December 2021, the newly-emerged Brussels format appeared to be complementary to the Kremlin. The impression the author of this article had was that Moscow would focus on the key aspects of the interstate normalisation agenda, and Brussels would content itself with the humanitarian domain.

Not exactly rendering this perceived balance topsy-turvy, the war in Ukraine has augmented Brussels role. The second trilateral meeting, mediated by Charles Michel on 6 April, was a clear indication that the centre of gravity had already tilted towards the West, which remains the case, to date.

Russian lines of objection

At first, diplomatic and aloof in its view of the EU involvement, Russia now seems to be open about its misgivings. In the first instance, there was a feeling in Moscow that its foundational role in building the post-ceasefire architecture is not duly acknowledged by Brussels. It has not been lost on the Kremlin that the last two post-meeting statements made by Charles Michel contained no mention of Moscow or its role.



Brussels begs to differ. Toivo Klaar, Special Envoy of the EU in the South Caucasus, has rejected this criticism, suggesting that no-one questions the legitimacy or importance of the Moscow-brokered ceasefire, or the 11 January and 26 November statements.

Nevertheless, Moscow wants its centrality to be acknowledged, not as a past accomplishment but as a relevant consideration, defining the present. It does not just want the documents to be prepared and adopted with its participation referenced, but for its active participation and contemporary clout to be recognised.

Secondly, the Kremlin is mindful of a possible EU-engendered novelty. On 8 April, Russian Foreign Russia Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the fundamentals of the Azerbaijani-Armenian peace process had already been established through its mediation, and these fundamentals should not be altered.

The Kremlin seems to be of the opinion that the regulatory framework of the journey to peace is to be guided by the three trilateral statements, and Brussels should not permit itself the liberty to deviate from this logic.

Another streak in the official Moscovite reasoning is that the EU has taken a lot on its plate and the assumed rubric is excessively all-embracing. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharovas 25 May briefing is a case in point. It is evident that the first meeting of the border commissions on 24 May, a direct result of the 22 May meeting, was received with some caution by Moscow.

The EU praised this as a sign of tangible progress and US State Secretary Antony Blinken, in his telephone chat with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, offered the services of his country towards undertaking bilateral work on border delimitation.

Russia appears to be adamant to ensure that improvement through the Brussels track does not undermine its role. It is in this light that Zakharova stated that the concept of a bilateral commission with the Russian consultative assistance, as envisaged in the 26 November statement, is still in force. The spokesperson went on to accuse the EU of trying to wear Russian shoes and claimed that the EU lacked delicacy.

The line maintained by the Kremlin is that the region constitutes its neighbourhood, it knows better than Europe what is needed, and Moscow has the best experts, cartographers, and maps available to address the issue.

Russia also finds the EUs proactive role in economic and transport projects as an attempt to muscle in where it is unwelcome. The 3 June meeting of the trilateral commission on the unblocking of communications has addressed myriad issues, including what was referred to as the Nakhchivan route in the press release of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Reciprocal acknowledgment, but no cooperation

The misbegotten OSCE Minsk Group was a unique case of West-Russia cooperation that lasted almost three decades. At present, the Moscow and Brussels trilateral formats do not cooperate, but they acknowledge each other. Both platforms function on the basis of the 2020 ceasefire deal, and they are in unison, in a sense. They deal with the same thicket of subjects, but function autonomously.

The International Crisis Group, for instance, has suggested that the EU and its member states should facilitate diplomatic efforts, support Moscow's role and agree on steps towards a final "settlement".

The article published in the French Causeur magazine suggests that, at the present juncture, Brussels is more attractive to the parties, as the EU has a smaller whip and a bigger cake. The purported meaning here is that, since neither Baku nor Yerevan aims to become a member of the EU, the leverage that Brussels has over the two nations is relatively limited, but what it can offer is considerable. However, the reverse is true in the case of Russia.

In the meantime, the task with which Baku and Yerevan are encumbered is the same - to chuck away the toxic remnants of the past and forge a new future. This is to be achieved with or without a mediator. Yet, given that mutual trust is in short supply, the supreme criticality of a fair mediator remains of paramount importance.
Our popular high-steppin pistol-totin Gov. Kay Ivey won a very impressive reelection victory on May 24.

Ivey turned back eight GOP primary challengers to win the Republican gubernatorial nomination without a runoff. She garnered an amazing 54% of the vote and carried every county in Alabama. That is a feat not often accomplished, especially considering she had eight folks running against her.

However, her popularity is probably the reason she had no serious thoroughbreds challenge her in the gubernatorial derby.

Any knowledgeable political pro could look at the odds of defeating one of the most popular incumbent governors in the nation with plenty of campaign resources and walk away from that uphill battle.

After all she had beaten a more impressive field in 2018, which included Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, without the need for a runoff.

Six of her male opponents were also-ran unknown and still unknown candidates. The seventh male in the race, Tim James, whose claim to fame is that his daddy was governor, is becoming a perennial candidate. He has run three times and finished third three times. He got a respectable 15%, but he spent $5.7 million to get that amount. If he tries again, he will be considered in the Shorty Price category.

The only female in the race was first-time candidate Lindy Blanchard. She finished second to Kay Ivey with 18%. Therefore, the two females running for governor finished first and second. However, there is a world of difference in getting 54% and 18%. Lindy is a nice lady. If you meet her, you cannot help but like her. She spent an amazing $11 million of her own money. That equates into about $100 per vote. That may be a new record. That should tell her that she just might not be cut out for politics. She nor Tim James never got any traction or resonated.

The fact that Blanchard and James spent most of their $16 million combined on negative ads, and I might add disingenuous ads against Governor Ivey, is even more of a testament of how popular and resilient Ivey remains.

I said from the get-go that Ivey would win without a runoff and felt that way to the end. I have to admit that the night of the election when it appeared that the turnout was going to be lighter than expected, I wondered privately if she might dip below 50%. However, she outperformed and got about 54%.

Kay and her team ran a flawless campaign. Her TV ads were folksy and effective. She did not take anything for granted. She never said a bad word about any of her opponents. In fact, she never acknowledged them or called their name. Even in her victory speech, she said we have got to keep running hard against our Democratic opponent. Even though winning a statewide gubernatorial race as a Democrat is extremely unlikely. Winning the GOP primary for governor in the Heart of Dixie is tantamount to election.

Kay Iveys 2022 reelection victory is almost as remarkable as her mentor and idol and our only other female governor, Lurleen Wallaces 1966 landslide victory.

There are several other constitutional offices that will be decided on June 21. The Secretary of State runoff race will be the closest to watch. State Rep. Wes Allen, and two-term state auditor Jim Ziegler are notched in a dead heat. Both got about 40%. Ziegler has name identification having run a dozen times statewide. Wes Allen has the qualifications. He has been a probate judge for over a decade prior to his House term. This one will be close and interesting.

The state auditors job will be filled by either Florence state Rep. Andrew Sorrell or Kimberly preacher Stan Cooke. The Rev. Cooke did benefit from having run for this job before, and he also received a significant hometown vote from Jefferson County.

Our two incumbent conservative PSC members, Chip Beeker and Jeremy Oden, have liberal green-leaning opponents in the June 21 runoff.

Greg Cook won an impressive 55-45 victory over Anniston Circuit Judge Debra Jones for Place 5 on the Alabama Supreme Court. He will fit in well with our current conservative and well-credentialed state high court.

We will discuss the monumental runoff contest for our open U.S. Senate Seat next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabamas leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
$56m plant will target expanding Indian automation market

Mitsubishi Electric is investing aound 2.2 billion Indian rupees ($56.6m) to build a new plant in India that will manufacture inverters and other factory automation (FA) products. The factory, due to start operating in December 2023, will meet growing demand in India where the FA market is expanding at an annual rate of about 8%  mainly in industries such as automobiles, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals and textiles. Further growth is expected in the future.

The development will make India Mitsubishis third major base for manufacturing automation products, in addition to Japan and China. The company recently announced a $110m plan to build another FA factory in Japan. Mitsubishi hopes to double its current Indian sales of around $76m by 2025, and to start exporting products from the sub-continent to South-East Asia and Europe.

The new double-storey 15,400m2 factory will be built on a 40,000m2 site near Pune, Maharashtra. It will incorporate technologies such as LED lighting and high-efficiency air-conditioning aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by reducing CO 2 emissions. The site will also aim for sustainability by re-using wastewater via an underground filtration treatment plant.

As well as helping Mitsubishi to meet local demand for FA products, the factory will diversify Mitsubishis supply chain and contribute to the Indian governments Make in India initiative.

Mitsubishi entered the Indian FA control systems business in the mid-1990s. In 2012, it acquired a local manufacturer of FA control systems, and has established a local engineering team, expanding its service and support capabilities. In 2013, it started to manufacture FA products locally.

Mitsubishis new Indian plant for manufacturing factory automation products is due to come on stream by the end of 2023

In the year to March 31 2022, Mitsubishis industrial automation division generated revenues of 1,460 billion Japanese yen  a 17% increase on the previous year  with an operating profit of 96.8 bn yen. This represents 32.6% of the corporations total global revenues and makes factory automation its largest single segment.

Mitsubishi Electric: LinkedIn Facebook
Workers install solar panels at a plant in Ninh Thuan Province in February 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Joe Biden has waived tariffs on solar panels exported from Vietnam and three other Southeast Asian countries for two years amid rising demand for renewable energy in the U.S.

The tariff exemption will also apply to panels from Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand and serve as a "bridge" while U.S. manufacturing ramps up, the White House stated Monday.

Solar energy is among the fastest growing sources of new electric generation in the United States, and Southeast Asia made up around three-quarters of solar modules imported to the U.S. in 2020, the White House said.

Vietnam has risen as a solar power hotspot in recent years thanks to the governments incentive feed-in tariffs to attract investors.

In the first four months this year, solar plants accounted for 10.9 percent of total power production, according to state-owned utility Vietnam Electricity.

Hong Kong-based Jinko Solar, one of the largest solar panel manufacturers in the world, received an investment license for its $498 million project in northern Vietnam last year and launched its plant in January.
Nguyen Thanh Long was arrested Tuesday, hours after he was dismissed as health minister for his involvement in a Covid-19 test kit fraud.

Long, 56, is now under investigation for "abuse of power or position in performance of official duties."

His arrest happened several hours after he was dismissed from the minister's position by the National Assembly, which also removed him as a member of the parliament.

Long was expelled from the Communist Party on Monday.

The Party's agencies concluded that he had violated the Party and the State's regulations, "causing severe consequences, losses to the money and assets of the State, undermining the Covid-19 fight, causing social unrest and affecting the reputation of the Party, the health ministry and science ministry."

The Central Inspection Committee had said in March that the Party Committee and officials of the health and science ministries in the 2016-2021 term had been negligent in their management, allowing violations in the ministries and their units regarding the approval, management and sale of Covid-19 test kits.

According to inspectors, Long had "intervened and supported" Viet A Technologies JSC in the process of granting temporary and official circulation registration books, negotiating prices, and checking negotiated prices for test kits provided by the company.

Long had issued notices on the price of biological products and medical equipment for diagnosing Covid-19 that violated regulations.

Phan Quoc Viet, general director of Viet A, admitted in January that he had inflated the price of test kits by 45 percent, bribed certain individuals and paid around VND800 billion ($35.2 million) as "bonus" to company partners.

Long, 56, a native of Nam Dinh Province, took over as Health Minister in November 2020. He spent this time directing Vietnam's fight against the Covid-19 epidemic while also serving as the Head of the Central Committee for Health Care.

He held the highest position among officials implicated so far in the Viet A scam.

Nguyen Huynh, Longs secretary when he was deputy health minister in 2020, was arrested May 25 pending investigation into the charge of "abuse of power or position in performance of official duties." When he was detained, Huynh was head of the Medical Equipment and Projects Division of the ministry's Drug Administration.

Investigators under the Ministry of Public Security said Huynh had abused his power to illegally approve the distribution registration number of the Covid-19 test kit of Viet A. The approval for distributing Viet A's test kits in the country was made against the rules, the investigators said.

They said Viet A's director Viet had taken advantage of the complicated Covid-19 situation across the country to sell the firm's test kits to cities and provinces at prices much higher than the market price.

In the six months since the investigation into Viet A was launched, more than 60 officials at health departments and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 16 cities and provinces have been investigated.

Two former health ministry officials  Nguyen Nam Lien, head of the Planning-Investment Department and Nguyen Minh Tuan, head of the Department for Medical Equipment and Facilities  were arrested last December.
Ebisu Bridge that crosses the Dotonbori River in Chuo Ward of Osaka City. Photo by Flickr/Heruman

A Dominican national was sentenced to 12 years in prison in Japan for the murder of a Vietnamese man in August last year.

Brian Alberto Cabrera Cruz, 27, beat a Vietnamese man and pushed him into Dotonbori River in Osaka, the local district court ruled Monday, as reported by MBS News.

The Dominican said he had acted in self-defense. Prosecutors however denied his claim, saying despite the fact that the victim had shown signs of exhaustion, Cruz continued his assault and threw the Vietnamese into the river, ABC News reported.

"It was an excessive and violent attack," prosecutors held.

In August last year, Osaka Prefecture Police said a Vietnamese man had been beaten and kicked into the river to drown. In a statement sent to the Consulate General of Vietnam in Japan, police said the incident had occurred near the pedestrian Ebisu Bridge, crossing Dotonbori River in Chuo Ward of Osaka City.

The victim was rushed to hospital but died shortly afterward. An autopsy revealed the cause of death was suffocation due to drowning, with many bruises recorded to the victim's head and neck.

The victims family in Hanoi said he had studied in Japan from 2019.

Cruz was later arrested by police, who found him in Nishirari Ward of Osaka City. Investigators said Cruz and the victim had been drinking near the scene before their conversation escalated into a quarrel, resulting in a scuffle. Cruz left the scene immediately after committing the crime.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, who was reprimanded recently in connection with a Covid-19 test kit scam, has decided to quit.

A source from the Health Ministry said Son has submitted his resignation letter and the government is considering it.

Son, 58, who is from HCMC, was appointed deputy health minister four years ago when he was director of HCMCs Cho Ray Hospital, the largest public health facility in the south.

He was highly reputed as a doctor, especially for his contributions to the development of organ transplant techniques in Vietnam.

One of four deputy health ministers, he supervised the Covid-19 fight in major hotspots like Da Nang in mid-2020, Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces in early 2021 and in HCMC in late 2021.

In November last year he received an official rebuke from the Central Inspection Committee of the Communist Party for violations committed by his ministry's Drug Administration Department.

Last month the committee issued him a warning, a higher punishment, for his involvement in Viet A Company's test kit scam.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long was expelled from the Communist Party on Monday for his involvement in the scam, and the National Assembly is in the process of expelling him from the House.

The Central Inspection Committee had said in March that the Party Committee and officials at the health and science ministries had been negligent in 2016-21, and allowed wrongdoing in the approval, management and sale of Covid-19 test kits.

Phan Quoc Viet, general director of Viet A, admitted in January that he had inflated the price of the kits by 45 percent, bribed certain individuals and paid around VND800 billion ($35.2 million) as a "bonus" to company partners.

Several officials including high-ranking military generals and directors of provincial branches of the Center for Diseases Control have been arrested or placed under criminal investigation for their involvement.
Home to a UNESCO-recognized geopark and Southeast Asia's largest waterfall, Cao Bang remains off the beaten track and less busy than neighboring Sa Pa or Ha Giang.

BEST TIME TO VISIT The cool climate of Cao Bang Province that borders China ensures that you can come here all year round. The best time to visit Cao Bang is during the dry season from October to May with little rain. If you want to see white frost and ice covering mountainous areas in Phia Oac, the second highest peak in Cao Bang, you better come there from November to January as the temperature could drop to below zero degree Celsius.

WHERE TO STAY For budget-friendly travelers, Yen Nhi Homestay, Khuoi Ky Homestay and Lans Homestay Ban Gioc offer prices of VND200,000 ($8.71) a night. Some downtown addresses that should be considered are Primrose Homestay Cao Bang, Son Tung Hotel, Jodevi Homestay Cao Bang, and Jeanne Hotel with prices of VND300,000 a night.

Homestay options in Cao Bang. Photos courtesy of the homestays

If you want to enjoy a luxury stay, Saigon-Ban Gioc Resort near Ban Gioc Waterfall in Trung Khanh District with 53 rooms could be an option, as the only four-star accommodation facility in Cao Bang. WHAT TO EXPLORE For a three-day itinerary in Cao Bang, here are some places not to be missed. The first place during your journey should be Non Nuoc Cao Bang, a geopark founded in 2015 and covers 3,000 square kilometers. Its collection of fossils, sediment, volcanic rocks and karst landscape is believed to illustrate 500 million years of the earths history.

Ngoc Con Commune in Trung Khanh District, part of Non Nuoc Cao Bang geopark, during the golden rice season. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Khoa

Once a remote and lesser-known destination on the tourism map, Non Nuoc Cao Bang, which literally means mountains and water of Cao Bang, catapulted to global fame since it was declared a new global geopark by UNESCO in 2018, making it the second of its kind in the country after Dong Van Plateau in Ha Giang Province. With 90-percent mountainous terrain, the area is inhabited by nine different ethnic minority groups, including the Nung, Tay, Hmong, Dao and San Chay. Inside the geopark are scenic spots like Ban Gioc Waterfall, Pac Bo Cave, Thang Hen Lake and Phia Oac eco-tourism area.

Pac Bo Cave (also known as Coc Bo) is named after a small village in Cao Bang that served as President Ho Chi Minh's residence in the winter of 1941 following his return after 30 years in exile. It has become a popular tourist attraction with the Ho Chi Minh Shrine, Lenin Creek and Karl Marx Peak.

A pool with turquoise water at Lenin Creek where swimming is banned. Photo by Shutterstock/Jimmy Tran

The first thing that catches the eyes of visitors is the turquoise water of the famous Lenin Creek with the signboard that said President Ho Chi Minh used to sit there fishing after work in 1941. Swimming is strictly forbidden in Lenin Creek as it is sacred to Vietnamese. Ban Gioc Waterfall, which straddles the China border 30 kilometers from the central market of Cao Bang's Trung Khanh District, is the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia and the worlds fourth largest along a national border after Iguazu, Victoria and Niagara. The waterfall is 53 meters high and 300 meters wide and has three levels of smaller waterfalls. There is a small sloping path to the waterfall. Buses with a seating capacity of 25 or less can travel down the path while bigger ones drop their passengers off at a parking lot at the Vietnam border station for them to walk down.

A raft carries tourists to visit Ban Gioc Waterfall in Cao Bang. Photo by VnExpress/Tran Bao Hoa

Three kilometers from Ban Gioc Waterfall lies Nguom Ngao, a stunning cave with stalactites in various shapes and sizes. Created by an underground river, it runs several kilometers and was where villagers sheltered during the country's 1979 border war with China. It takes around one hour to walk through Nguom Ngao. Locals discovered the cave in 1921, but it was not opened to tourists until 2006 when paths were built for visitors.

Inside Nguom Ngao Cave in Cao Bang Province. Photo by Shutterstock/Jimmy Tran

In the language of the Tay ethnic minority group, "Nguom Ngao" means tiger cave. It is believed that this cave used to be a habitat for tigers, hence the name. Based on data published by British Caving Association in 1995, Nguom Ngao has a total length of 2,144 meters with three main entrances and thousands of caverns. Inside is a collection of tiny limestone cliffs and unique stalactites that took millions of years to form. Thang Hen Lake is 30 kilometers north of Cao Bang's capital town, but since the road there is twisting, it can take around an hour to reach. The lake is made up of 36 smaller lakes that are all connected through caves and underground passageways.

Thang Hen Lake in Cao Bang Province. Photo by Kieran Turner-Dave

During the dry season the water level drops, showing the 36 distinct lakes. The best time to visit is the monsoon season (from May to October) when the water level rises and links all of them into one big lake. Unlike other lakes that turn brown during the rainy season, Thang Hen stays blue all year round since it is fed by clear pure water from a cave above. At a height of 1,931 meters above sea level, Phia Oac mountain is the second highest mountain in the province after Phia Da.

During the winter season from November to January, tourists always flock to the mountain range to admire the white frost as temperatures plunge to sub-zero degrees Celsius.

Phia Oac Mountain in Cao Bang.

Cao Bang is dotted with small villages hidden in valleys, the countryside and mountains with some even dating back to French colonial times. You can visit Phia Thap Village to see the traditional way of making incense or Pac Rang Village, famous for its blacksmiths. The incense making craft of the Nung ethnic minority in Phia Thap Village has a long history. Phia Thap incense is made entirely from natural materials, including bamboo, the bark of the cotton tree and sawdust and the leaves of a wild tree named "bau hat" to make the glue for bonding the materials together.

A woman makes incense in Phia Thap Village, Quang Uyen District, Cao Bang Province. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Khoa



Hoang Van Ut, a local, said after drying the sticks his family would dye their bottom red and tie them into bundles to sell in mountain markets. Visitors can buy three bundles for VND10,000 ($0.43). Nestled at the foot of Phja Cao Mountain in Ha Lang District, around 100 kilometers from downtown Cao Bang, Na Vi Village is surrounded by the green color of bamboo groves and rice fields. This area is close to Quay Son River, forming a natural border with China to the north.

A Tay family sit in their stone house inside Na Vi village in Cao Bang. Photo by Ha Cuong

The village is home to 100 ethnic Tay families living in centuries-old stone houses. Na Vi is one of the few places to retain traces of Mac Dynasty (1527-1595), a royal family in Vietnams feudal history. Local authorities plan to develop community-based tourism in the locality. WHAT TO EAT Banh ap chao, or fried duck meat cake is served at a stall in Cao Bang Town. Photo by Anh Tu

Banh ap chao, or fried duck meat cake, is a popular street food in Cao Bang. The crust is a dough mixture of rice flour, glutinous rice flour and soybean. Locals use newly harvested rice, soak it in water for half a day to soften and grind it into flour. Soybeans and egg yolks are added to the flour to make a batter. The filling is made from duck meat deboned and marinated just like roasted duck. It is then deep fried in a large wok in hot oil and flipped over until golden brown on both sides. Ms. Hac's stall at 116 Hien Giang Street is one place to try this.

Trung Khanh chestnut. Photo by Mac Kham For snacks, one can try Trung Khanh chestnuts from Trung Khanh District. Since the district enjoys cool weather and ideal soil, chestnuts here have a subtle richness unlike the mild taste one would normally associate with them. Roasted, steamed or dried chestnuts are all ideal for the rainy season. People also add chestnuts to pork to make a stew or grinding it to a powder for use as cake filling. Vit quay bay vi, or roasted duck with seven flavors, is another famous culinary specialty of Cao Bang.

A plate of roasted duck with seven flavors in Cao Bang. Photo by Vi Yen

The seven flavors refer to seven spices and condiments used to marinate the duck - ginger, garlic, dried onion, pepper, honey, tofu, and dried leaves of clausena (mac mat in Vietnamese) that grows in Cao Bang's forests. The duck is then roasted with crispy golden-brown skin outside and tender meat inside.

Sour pho is a specialty one should not miss in Cao Bang. This dry pho is different from the southern version thanks to a combination of herbs, roasted peanuts, pork, duck, and a sour sauce made from lime.

A plate of sour pho in Cao Bang. Photo by Shironeko

It's not difficult to find stalls selling this treat in Cao Bang but Ms. Quyen's stall on Ly Thuong Kiet Street and another stall near Hien River Bridge in Cao Bang Town are highly recommended. HOW TO GET THERE You can book a ticket for VND200,000 ($9) at My Dinh Bus Station for an overnight bus that leaves Hanoi at 10 p.m. and arrives in Cao Bang at 5 a.m. In Cao Bang you can hire motorbikes at many homestays and hotels for around VND150,000 per day.



Quay Son River is surrounded by golden rice fields and karrst limestone mountains in Cao Bang Province. Photo by Tran Bao Hoa
American tourists visit Hoi An ancient town in central Vietnam in April 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh

The volume of international searches on Vietnam's tourism after reopening has surged by 50-70 percent, the fourth highest growth in the world after Greece, Italy and the Philippines.

Ten countries with the highest number of searches on Vietnam tourism were the U.S., Singapore, Australia, Japan, India, France, Germany, Thailand, Canada and the U.K., the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said Monday, citing data from Google's Destination Insights.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's busiest metropolis, was the most searched destination by international visitors, followed by Hanoi, Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Hoi An and Nha Trang.

Data from Google showed the international search volume for flights increased by three times between March and May.

The search volume for accommodation in Vietnam also increased more than four times from the beginning of April to mid-May.

On March 15 the government allowed quarantine-free entry and resumed its visa waiver for citizens of 24 countries, including Japan, South Korea and some European ones.

It has also removed most other entry restrictions like medical declaration and Covid tests.

In the first five months of this year the country received 365,000 foreign visitors, according to the General Statistics Office.
A parking structure at the University of California San Diego uses innovative solar trees to collect renewable energy from the sun in 2011. Photo by Reuters/Mike Blake

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday will suspend tariffs for two years on solar panel imports from four countries and invoke a key power to compel domestic manufacture of clean energy technology, the White House said.

The moves are aimed at boosting renewable capacity and combating climate change, a priority for the president whose green ambitions have met with mixed success.

"Today's clean energy technologies are a critical part of the arsenal we must harness to lower energy costs for families, reduce risks to our power grid, and tackle the urgent crisis of a changing climate," the White House said in a fact sheet.

It added that, compared to when Biden took office, the United States was on track to triple domestic solar manufacturing capacity by 2024, from 7.5 gigawatts to 22.5 gigawatts, enough to enable 3.3 million homes to switch to solar each year.

Duties will be lifted on certain solar parts from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam -- but not China -- as a "bridge" to ensure the United States has access to sufficient parts to meet electricity needs while domestic capacity scales up.

China is excluded as the Commerce Department investigates whether some Chinese companies are circumventing US customs duties by assembling parts in the four countries.

At the same time, Biden's administration will invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) to accelerate production, and use the federal government's purchasing power to increase demand.

Solar panel parts, building insulation and efficient heat pumps are all targeted under the DPA.

Former president Donald Trump used the same powers during the Covid pandemic to increase production of medicines and equipment, and it was also invoked during World War II.

Most recently, Biden used the act to help baby formula makers to overcome a production shortfall.

The administration will also look to permit more clean energy projects on public lands, including both solar and wind.

"The fact is with a stronger clean energy arsenal, the United States can also be a stronger power partner to our allies all around the world, especially in the face of Putin's war in Ukraine," a senior administration official told reporters.

"The stakes are high and the president is taking action."

Biden has succeeded in getting Congress to pass a bipartisan infrastructure law, a pillar in his climate policy, but has failed to pass a second proposed law, the Build Back Better act.

At the same time he has been criticized by environmental groups for plans to resume oil and gas drilling on public lands, reneging on a campaign promise.
After Russias troops were forced to retreat from Kyiv and its surroundings in March and April, Russias military forces have been regrouping and refocusing their efforts on Ukraines south and east. At the same time, the Kremlin is focusing its political plans on the same area, Michael Carpenter, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the OSCE, told reporters in Washington.



Ambassador Carpenter said, Were now seeing that Russias playbook is being tailored for what it plans to do in the south and east of Ukraine. He pointed to reports of the abductions of mayors and other local officials, as well as enforced disappearances of school directors, journalists, and local activists. There are also reported plans by the Kremlin to impose a Russian school curriculum and to force the local population to use the ruble. Russian forces have reportedly cut off internet and some cellular phone access in the south and east in order to disable the flow of reliable information.



In addition, said Ambassador Carpenter, we believe the Kremlin may try to hold sham referenda to try to add a veneer of democratic or electoral legitimacy. . .They organized these sham referenda, as you know, in Crimea, in Luhansk, in Donetsk and in other places.



Just as the Kremlin engineered these quasi statelets, the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic, Ambassador Carpenter said, the United States believes Russia may be trying to organize a Kherson Peoples Republic in the Kherson oblast.



The international community, he said, including the OSCE, where I work as ambassador, has been very clear that such referenda, such sham referenda, fabricated votes, will not be considered legitimate, nor will any attempts to annex additional Ukrainian territory.



The OSCE and other multi-lateral fora, Ambassador Carpenter declared, will continue to expose Russias actions, isolate it diplomatically, work to get humanitarian assistance to the populations in need across Ukraine, and call for an end to this monstrous war of choice that Russia has waged on Ukraine.
By Azernews





The EU and UNDP will provide Azerbaijan with technical aid to demine its liberated lands, Azernews reports per Azerbaijani National Mine Action (ANAMA) Deputy Chairman Samir Poladov.

Poladov made the remarks at the June 6 presentation of a joint EU-UNDP project aimed at facilitating the de-mining process in the liberated lands, the report adds.

He said that 39 people have been killed and 184 were injured as a result of mine explosions in the liberated regions since November 2020, when the trilateral statement was signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian leaders to end the second Karabakh war. He further added that the total number of mine incidents stood at 223.

"The de-mining process was initially focused on key infrastructure important for livelihoods. Since the launch of the process, 32,000 hectares of high priority lands have been cleared of mines, while 60,000 mines and ordnance have been detected," he added.

Addressing the event, UNDP Resident Representative Charu Bist stressed that acceleration of the de-mining process in Azerbaijans Karabakh will contribute to peoples general well-being.

"This project will become a powerful impetus for the development of integration, education, and agriculture," she noted.

Mines and unexploded ordnances, she claims, pose a major threat to livelihood and hinder people from accessing their agricultural lands.

"The project will provide direct immediate short-term support to 1,500 individuals and their families who depend on agriculture," Bist added.

The Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) jointly organized the international conference on the theme "Humanitarian mine action and sustainable development goals (SDGs)," in Baku from March 31 to April 1, 2022, to address mine problems in Azerbaijans liberated lands.

The conference aimed at bringing together key players from the international community, mine action operators, government agencies, and civil society to discuss the importance of humanitarian mine action in combating the threat of mines to people's lives and livelihoods.

According to the EU ambassador to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko, European Union (EU) allocated 2.5 million for demining Azerbaijans Karabakh region liberated from Armenias 30-year occupation.

Moreover, countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Turkey, and Japan also supported Azerbaijans demining activities in the liberated regions.
Arizona continues to distinguish itself as major player in the global mining space. In fact, Arizona was the number one non-fuel mineral-producing state in the U.S. in 2021 according to the United States Geological Survey.

While the primary minerals produced include copper and molybdenum, Arizona also has abundant rare earth minerals, lithium, manganese, lead, silver, gold, potash, and helium. These are critical minerals needed to meet the needs of the future and ensure economic development and technology advancement for not only our state, but the entire United States and beyond.

Its not a surprise that Arizona is known for its copper production. An impressive 72% of the nations copper comes from our great state of Arizona. Moreover, Arizona is fourth in the world in production of copper after Chile, Peru, and China. This is significant because copper is vital to cell phones, laptops, electric cars, appliances, life-saving medical devices, microbial disinfectants, and national defense systems. To put this into perspective, the AH-64 Apache helicopter manufactured here in Arizona requires eight miles of copper wire to produce.

Not only is copper important to the economy here in Arizona, but it plays a significant role in our countrys ability to stay competitive in the global economy.

Arizona is ranked the second-best jurisdiction for mining investment in the world according to the Frazer Institute. That is an excellent position to be in given the mineral endowment that Arizona was blessed with.

Despite all of this, the reality is that the federal process to permit a mine changes constantly depending on the administration, and is subject to political challenges and third-party lawsuits resulting in a staggering average of 10-12 years to permit an average project. Just let that sink in.

Just how important are these critical minerals? They are essential for the quality of life we have come to enjoy, transitioning to a green economy, our national security, and the ability to compete in the global economy. Everything from computers to mobile communications, electric vehicles, batteries, and weapon systems cannot be made without critical and even non-critical minerals.

Based on the recent changes made by the Department of Interior in February of 2022, there are now 50 minerals on the critical minerals list; up from 35, an indicator that we are importing more of these materials than we are producing domestically. The U.S. and Arizona have significant critical minerals, but there are considerable technical, political, and regulatory obstacles involved in accessing them.

The U.S. was 37% import reliant on copper in 2020, and 45% import reliant in 2021. Arizona produces approximately three quarters of our copper in the U.S. each year, adhering to strict production and safety regulations.

It is imperative to understand that many critical minerals we are importing are completely controlled by foreign governments that lack rigid environmental standards, meaningful worker safety programs, anti-corruption laws or ethical leadership. For instance, China currently controls the production of 80% of rare earth elements, 70% graphite, 59% lithium and 36% cobalt.

As it pertains to our national defense, when U.S. companies build military weapons systems, they rely heavily on a few dozen minerals, many of which are mined and refined almost entirely by other countries. Building a single F-35A fighter jet, for example, requires 950 lbs. of rare earth elements alone that come primarily from China.

By 2050, it is projected that the demand for copper will increase 200% and there will be a staggering 450% increase in demand for battery metals such as graphite, lithium, and cobalt. As the regulatory temperature stands today, this means that we could become two to four times more reliant on foreign governments to meet our domestic needs. This is not a good position for the U.S.

A recent poll indicated 87% of people believed that our material supply chains should be sourced from U.S. mines. While security and certainty of sourcing materials may be one reason for this, it may also be due to our focus on employee safety, the environment and overall responsible mining practices in the U.S.

Current and future challenges include but are not limited to supply chain issues, land access, need for science-based regulations, workforce development, timely authorizations, the lack of manufacturing and domestic production.

Arizona is blessed with tremendous mineral resources. With common sense reforms and responsible access to minerals, Arizona mining could deliver renewable energy minerals, assist in supply chain issues, and create high-paying jobs. This can only be done by embracing efficient permitting processes, ensuring fiscal and regulatory policies that encourage investment in mining, recognizing the role of federal lands in reducing import reliance and acknowledgment that Made-in-America means Mined-in-America. 

Steve Trussell is the executive director of the Arizona Mining Association.

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ELKO  The Mining Expo will take place this week as the Elko Convention & Visitors Authority gets back to full speed. Along with the return comes another change: The ECVA Board has announced a new executive director.

Annette Kerr, a local with a great deal of community experience, has already begun taking the helm under the guidance of current executive director Katie Neddenriep.

The ECVA board of directors selected Kerr during a special meeting on June 3. Her background includes both public and private-sector experience. She served as CEO of the Red Lion Inn & Casino when it was owned by McClaskey Properties. She then spent several years working for the Elko County Sheriffs Office as their emergency manager before joining the Spring Creek Association as vice president.

Kerr has lived in Elko for more than 29 years.

I raised my kids here, she said.

When I first moved here, I started out as the sales and marketing director for what was then the Red Lion Inn and Casino, Kerr said. I was there for several years.

Kerr was then recruited to the Fire Science Academy.

I was a co-director at the Fire Science Academy for a couple years. Then Mr. McClaskey called me back and requested I become his CEO of all his properties. I came back in February of 2001. I was over his hotels in Elko, Winnemucca Wyoming and Bishop, California. Plus, we had the airline, Casino Express.

Kerr went on to buy the Eleventh Street Deli. Simultaneously, she looked for investors and found them to build the Marriott Hotel. She is still a silent partner with the Marriott.

During that time the sheriff, Dale Lotspeich, talked with me about becoming involved with the Community Emergency Response Team and then applying for a position with the sheriffs office as their office manager, Kerr said.

She then became the County Emergency Manager. She was with the County for about eight years.

Then Jessie Barr, the president of the Spring Creek Association, talked to me about an offer to come out with them for a few years, Kerr said.

That was right about the time Covid-19 hit and she was lent out back to the County to help with setting up Covid management.

From January to August I was kind of doing two jobs, she said. I was running as the interim emergency manager because they did not have one and then still working at the association.

She has been at the SCA since that time.

Kerr said rebuilding after two years of Covid will be a challenge, but she is very optimistic.

I think that is what this Mining Expo is all about, she said. We have 380 vendors who have come back and five local vendors with food trucks. As far as rebuilding they started last year and this is just working on that.

Kerr said she has a 90-day plan. The first 30 days will be devoted to learning the ropes, and getting to know her coworkers, the expectations of the board and what community members want. After that, she will start looking at a strategic plan and work toward it.

There are a lot of new opportunities for venues and working together in collaboration is the key right now because everyone is trying to get back on their feet, Kerr said. [I want to] try to look at expanding those events. If we have a bull sale at the fairgrounds, maybe we can work with them and bring in tractors and farming goods. I am looking forward to working with these organizations.

This is the community focal point, Kerr said. This is where a lot of events started. Halloween Highway, the science fairs, concerts, and I know we and other locations are expanding with new locations and events, but that is where that collaboration needs to be.

I am just really excited to put my feet on the ground and start running, Kerr said. Katie has been wonderful and has been mentoring me and showing me all the ropes. I am very impressed with what she has had on her plate. She has done a phenomenal job.

The pandemic brought about unprecedented challenges for the travel, tourism, meetings and events industry, which impacted Elko as well as the rest of the State, said ECVA Board Chairman David Zornes. Katie has done an exceptional job in the midst of the obstacles she has had to overcome. She will be greatly missed, and we wish her the best.

Kerr said she is always interested in what the community likes. She wants to hear about their ideas and priorities. When we start our strategic plan, I hope to have some community meetings to listen to what they think.

Annette is going to do a great job, said Neddenriep. This is just another great opportunity for the organization to continue the recovery, post-pandemic. I know Annettes going to do a great job of leading it through its next phase of operation and ongoing success.



Festival of Trees 2021:

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the delegation respectfully expressed their deep gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh's merits and sacrifice for the people and country. (Photo: VGP)

In a solemn atmosphere, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his delegation observed a minute of silence to express their respect and infinite gratitude for the great merits of President Ho Chi Minh, who spent his whole life for the people, for the country, for the cause of national liberation and reunification. The delegation members vowed to work together to realize his will, to continue to study and follow Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality and style, to build a strong, prosperous, and happy life of the people.

The Prime Minister also visited the exhibition "Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in the early 20th century - where Nguyen Tat Thanh came and went to find a way to save the country".

111 years ago, on June 5, 1911, witnessing the brutal exploitation of the colonialists and feudal minions, the suffering of the working people, from Nha Rong Wharf - at the port of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), the young Nguyen Tat Thanh left the country on the ship Admiral Latouche-Treville, starting his journey to find light for the path of national liberation and national liberation.

After 30 years of finding a way to save the country, in 1941, he returned to his fatherland, led the Vietnamese revolution, successfully carried out the August Revolution, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam).

In fulfillment of President Ho Chi Minh's wish, the entire Party, army and people have successfully carried out the resistance war against the French colonialists and the American imperialists, building a socialist Vietnam to its current potential, position and international prestige./.
Visitors to the exhibition (Source: hanoimoi.com.vn)



The exhibition was held by the Su That (Truth) National Political Publishing House in coordination with Nha Trang University.

The books focus on the potentials and strengths of Vietnam's seas and islands, the countrys effort to safeguard national sovereignty over its seas and islands, and sustainable development strategy for Vietnam's maritime economy.

The event is among the activities in celebration of Vietnam Sea and Islands Week (June 1 to 8), World Oceans Day (June 8), and the 70th anniversary of the book publishing  printing and distributing sector. It will run until June 8/.




General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong holds online talks with President of the Liberation Front of Mozambique (FRELIMO) and President of the Republic of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi. (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnamese Party leader made the affirmation during his online talks with President of the Liberation Front of Mozambique (FRELIMO) and President of the Republic of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said Vietnam consistently pursues its foreign policy of diversification and multilateralisation of relations, and attaches importance to cooperation and traditional friendship with African nations.

He spoke highly of Mozambiques role, position and contributions to development in Africa, saying Vietnam welcomes the countrys candidacy for non-permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council for 2023-2024.

He also proposed measures to enhance cooperation between the two Parties and countries in the time ahead.

Nyusi, for his part, thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their solidarity, friendship and support to African countries in general and Mozambique in particular during their past struggles for national liberation as well as the present cause of national construction and development.

He congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in national development and improving its role, position and prestige in the international arena, and expressed his admiration to the Vietnamese Party and State for their sound policies and guidelines in dealing with difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring social welfare, economic recovery and international integration.

Vietnam is a priority in Mozambiques foreign policy, the leader said, expressing his hope for stronger cooperation and friendship between the two countries and Parties.

The leaders shared the view that Vietnam and Mozambique should optimise their strengths to support each other, and tighten and deepen the bilateral ties.

They also agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two Parties, step up meetings and exchanges through Party, Government and National Assembly channels, as well as people-to-people exchanges.

The two sides should make use of their potential and strengths to boost collaboration in politics-diplomacy, education-training, tourism, culture and people-to-people exchange, while intensifying their coordination at regional and international multilateral forums, for the sake of their people, and for peace, stability and prosperity.

On this occasion, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong noted his wish that the 12th congress of FRELIMO, slated for September, will be a success, and invited Nyusi to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time.

The Mozambican leader accepted the invitation with pleasure and invited the Vietnamese Party chief to visit his country./.
Ukraine has denied Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi a visit to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant until it is liberated, Energoatom reported.

"The Ukrainian side did not invite Grossi to visit Zaporizhia NPP and previously refused him such a visit, stressing that a visit to the plant would be possible only when control over it is returned to our country," Energoatom said on Telegram on Tuesday.

The report from Grossi that he received an invitation from Ukraine to visit the occupied ZNPP was called by the company another attempt to get to the plant by any means in order to legitimize the stay of the Russian occupiers there and, in fact, approve all their actions.

"There will be conclusions from the IAEA, such as "the plant continues to operate safely, the radiation background is normal, there are no radiation leaks, nuclear materials are kept safe, the Russian military and representatives of Rosatom take care of this, and there are no complaints against them"," Energoatom warns.

At the same time, they explained the situation with Zaporizhia NPP's terminating online data transmission to the agency on the state of affairs with nuclear materials, by which Grossi, in particular, explained the need for his visit.

"Loss of communication between ZNPP and the IAEA was caused by the actions of the Russian invaders, who disconnected the Ukrainian operator Vodafone in Energodar, and the IAEA has a data transmission contract with Vodafone," Energoatom described the situation.

At the same time, the company noted that all data collection points and servers that were under the control of the agency were closed and sealed. The information itself is accumulated on the server and will be transmitted when Vodafone is turned on.

"It seems very likely that it was the Russian side, by prior agreement with the IAEA, who made sure that the agency "lost control" without having access to this information, which means that the IAEA director general had a reason to come to the station," Energoatom admitted.

In addition, they expressed the opinion that Grossi's previous visits to Ukraine did not bring any benefit.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has called on journalists, politicians and all Ukrainians to talk more about Ukraine in the world so that it remains in the top of global attention.

The Head of State announced a new series of his appeals and communication with the political and expert communities of the world in order to guarantee Ukraine the support it needs.

"This is a constant process  the preservation of attention, and it cannot be stopped for a moment. And this applies to everyone. Every modern person knows well how the media works. It is very difficult to keep attention on one topic for a long time," Zelensky said in a video message on Tuesday night.

He stressed that in order not to reduce attention to Ukraine and its struggle for freedom, Ukrainians should continue to talk about what is happening in the country.

"Please spread the information. Support our needs. Naturally, first of all, this concerns journalists. And today I want to wish them not to focus only on the internal Ukrainian context. The more you talk about Ukraine, the sooner we will be able to end the war and liberate our land," he said.

"Naturally, this also applies to all representatives of the state and Ukrainian politics. Work for our defense. In unity and at full strength. But do not forget that business, culture and ordinary people can also do a lot to ensure that Ukraine remains in the top of global attention," the president added.

As an example, he used the postage stamps presented to him, made in Spain in support of Ukraine.

"It would seem that what can a postage stamp change? But it is a symbol of attention to our struggle, which millions of people will see. To create and inspire the creation of such symbols, to talk about Ukraine and encourage such conversations is what will help us in negotiations with representatives of different states about concrete and important assistance that Ukraine needs so much today," Zelensky summed up.
President of the European Council Charles Michel says that by attacking Ukraine, Russia attacked not only one country, it attacked the values of the United Nations.

"The Kremlin may prohibit and prosecute the use of the word war, but that does not change the heartbreaking reality. Thousands of dead Ukrainian women, children and men. Atrocities. Rapes. Countless Ukrainian cities bombed into rubble. This is a war. A barbaric war waged by a permanent member of this Council," he said in New York on Monday, speaking at a meeting of the Security Council.

Addressing the Ambassador of Ukraine to the UN, Michel assured that the EU "will continue to support your country and your people. And we will continue to pressure Russia and confront Russia with the truth." "Russia is attacking one country, one people, Ukraine. But Russia is also attacking the values and principles of this house. Human dignity, tolerance, multilateral cooperation and international law. These are our shared values, the bedrock of this house. So this is more than a war against one nation. It is a war against all that we have built over generations since World War II, " the President of the European Council said.

At the same time, he assured that the EU's commitment to the UN principles is "unwavering." "The European Union is a reliable, loyal and respectful partner. We will continue to cooperate on the global stage to build a safer, freer and more prosperous world," Michel stressed.
By Azernews





By Sabina Mammadli

On November 10, 2020, Armenia accepted its defeat in the 44-day-long second Karabakh war and signed a trilateral statement initiated by the Kremlin, Azernews reports.

The trilateral deal heralded a new era, that is, the occupation of the Azerbaijani lands that lasted nearly 30 years ended under the crucial strikes of the Azerbaijani national army, and the occupied lands came under the control of the real owner.

However, as the Azerbaijani army restored control and mounted the national flag in the liberated lands, another bitter truth came to light, that is, the outcome of the scorched earth policy of the Armenian occupation razed to the ground everything created by men throughout the history of existence on these lands.

Before the signing of the historic deal, dubbed the act of capitulation, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, towns, and historic Shusha city - the pearl of Karabakh.

During the 30 years of bloody occupation, Armenia destroyed and vandalized the Azerbaijani territories, leaving once prosperous, rich lands razed to the ground and littered with mines planted to kill innocent people and deter their return to homes after 30-year long hiatus.

The scale of destruction and massacres on Azerbaijan's formerly occupied territories is shocking, implying deep hatred and animosity toward the Azerbaijani people, with many experts describing these mass destructions and killings as genocide.

The country's war-torn Aghdam region alone is seen as a stark example of Armenian hatred and enmity. Aghdam, known as the "Hiroshima of the Caucasus" shocks and traumatize visitors, who arrive at this scene to see with their own eyes infamous scenes of ruin and destruction.

UNESCO

Throughout the 30-year-long occupation and in the post-war period, Azerbaijan has repeatedly appealed to international organizations to dispatch fact-finding missions to register war crimes on the scenes. Among international organizations, designed and financed by its members, to deal with and react to the destruction of monuments of culture is UNESCO. Azerbaijan has repeatedly invited UNESCO to send its mission to Azerbaijan to record Armenia's destruction in the territories occupied by Armenia for decades. Alas, numerous calls went unheard by this international organization with the mission first of all to react to the destruction of cultural facilities and monuments.

Furthermore, Azerbaijani NGO leaders also asked UNESCO to send an expert group to assess the current state of Azerbaijan's centuries-old cultural and historical heritage but to no avail.

NGOs said that by pursuing a policy of both ethnic and cultural genocide, Armenia has purposefully erased all traces of Azerbaijanis, aboriginal inhabitants of these territories, by plundering, destroying, embezzling, and distorting the Azerbaijani people's cultural legacy. At the same time, ancient toponyms in those areas were changed with Armenian ones.

In this regard, on February 4, during a virtual conference, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, French President Emanuel Macron, European Council President Charles Michel, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan achieved an agreement on UNESCO missions to be sent to Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In the Foreign Ministrys statement to UNESCO on February 11, they stated that a number of precise facts in earlier appeals to UNESCO have been provided to them. Such as the fact that more than 300 mosques located in Armenia were deliberately destroyed, appropriated, or used for other purposes in the early 20th century. It was noted that only the Damirbulagh Mosque functioned as intended until 1988, but it has now been completely demolished and replaced by a high-rise building.

U.S. State Department

While some try to toss aside the factual information about Armenias three-decade war crimes, the recent U.S. State Departments report highlighted that hundreds of sites, including most mosques, shrines, and cemeteries used by the regions ethnic Azerbaijani communities  approximately 400,000 people  were looted, vandalized, desecrated, and/or destroyed while under Armenian occupation.

The information was published in a report on the departments website, titled 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom under the section Armenia.

The report noted that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has condemned the damage and destruction for which Armenia was responsible in the areas previously controlled by Armenia-supported separatists, which became again under Azerbaijan's control.

Under the report, the assembly stated that the long-running conflict has had a catastrophic impact on the cultural heritage and property of the region.

The assembly condemned the damage and destruction for which it said Armenia was responsible in the areas previously controlled by Armenia-supported separatists, which became again under Azerbaijani control, and in particular the almost total destruction and looting of Aghdam, Fuzuli, and other areas over the last 30 years, as well as the transfer of cultural heritage, the report said.

It was noted that graves were desecrated; in some instances, holes were dug out to rob graves, while other sites showed evidence of the destruction and exhumation by heavy construction equipment.

"The methodical vandalism of headstones left few individual graves untouched. Many graves had the carefully hewn faces of the deceased (carved into gravestones) destroyed by hammers or similar objects. Additionally, the remains from Azerbaijani graves were exhumed and gold teeth removed, leaving skulls and bones strewn across Azerbaijani cemeteries or in some cases completely removed," the report stated.

Furthermore, it was stressed that extensive mining of the territories returned to Azerbaijan made it impossible to access a vast majority of hundreds of religious sites in towns and villages, and the extent of any damage to these sites might remain unknown for years.

The report noted such examples of the damage to significant religious sites as the 19th-century Haji Alakbar Mosque in Fuzuli District, which was destroyed, and the Juma Mosque in Aghdam, which was vandalized with Armenian-language graffiti and whose mehrab (the niche in the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca) was riddled with bullet holes.

Moreover, it was stated that western diplomats visiting Martyrs Alley reported seeing holes where bodies were once interred and that only one broken headstone remained in the cemetery. Because religion and ethnicity are closely linked, it is difficult to categorize many incidents as being solely based on religious identity.

"Cemeteries throughout Aghdam were desecrated, looted, and/or destroyed, including the sacred and historic 18th-century tombs of Imarat Garvand Cemetery, the citys Martyrs Alley, the report added.
President of the European Council Charles Michel is confident that those responsible for the atrocities committed by the Russian military in Ukraine will be punished.

Speaking in New York on Monday, as part of a meeting of the Security Council, he recalled that a few weeks ago he visited Borodyanka, "where atrocities were committed by Russian soldiers. War crimes. Crimes against humanity."

In this regard, he welcomed the preliminary measures of the International Criminal Court and expressed support for the Prosecutor in investigating these crimes, recalling that the EU also helps the Ukrainian Prosecutor General and representatives of the civil community in collecting evidence.

"Women, peace, security. This is a critical and timely subject. Two years ago, Secretary-General Guterres called to end violence both on the battlefield and in homes. Yet as we speak, we hear reports of Russian forces wielding sexual violence as a weapon of war. Sexual violence is a war crime. A crime against humanity. A tactic of torture, terror and repression. Shameful acts in a shameful war. And this must be exposed to the light of day and prosecuted without impunity. This war has also caused millions to flee their homes and seek refuge outside Ukraine, mostly women and children. I met many of them when I went to Ukraine, when I went to Poland, when I went to Moldova. And they are particularly vulnerable to human traffickers. We, the EU, are committed to protecting them and to keeping them safe, without any discrimination," the President of the European Council said.
Bodies of Azovstal defenders transferred to Kyiv, where forensic examination to be carried out

The bodies of the defenders of Azovstal, who had been previously swapped, were transferred to Kyiv, the Association of Families of Defenders of Azovstal reported.

"Among the bodies of the dead, one third of them are soldiers of the Azov regiment. The affiliation of other bodies to different units is being clarified," the Association said on Telegram.

The patronage service of the Azov regiment and the doctors examined and described the bodies.

The forensic examination can last up to three months. An identification procedure will also be carried out with the participation of relatives of the victims.

As reported, Ukraine and Russia exchanged the bodies of killed servicemen.
It is planned to increase the number of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus to 80,000 people, the General Staff of Ukraine reported.

"The threat of missile and air strikes from the territory of Belarus remains in Volynske and Poliskey directions. As part of the creation of the southern operational command, it is planned to increase the number of the armed forces of the republic in Belarus to 80,000 people. The acquisition of military units with equipment and weapons is planned to be carried out from the technical means that are in storage," the General Staff said in a morning summary on Tuesday.

At the same time, the enemy did not carry out any active actions in Siverske direction, no signs of the creation of strike groups were found. In order to demonstrate the presence and restraint of the defense forces, it continues to hold up to three battalion tactical groups in the border areas of Bryansk and Kursk regions. Mortar attacks were carried out from the territory of the Russian Federation on units of Ukrainian troops in the areas of the localities of the village of Khodyne and Velika Pysarivka, Sumy region.

In Kharkiv direction, the enemy focuses its main efforts on the positions occupied by it, the border areas north of Kharkiv and restraining the advance of Ukrainian troops. It is conducting remote mining of the area in the direction of the offensive of the defense forces on Rubizhne.

In Slovianske direction, the enemy focuses its main efforts on continuing the offensive in the directions of the localities of Izium and Sloviansk. He is trying to move in the direction of Dovhenke and Dolyna.

Also, the enemy is shelling the positions of Ukrainian troops in the areas of the localities ofBazalivka, Brazhkivka, Hrushuvakha. In order to clarify the position of the units of the defense forces and adjust the artillery fire, it carries out aerial reconnaissance using UAVs.

In Donetsk direction, in addition to artillery shelling, the enemy launched airstrikes from airplanes and helicopters. The aggressor concentrated its main efforts on Severodonetsk and Bakhmut directions.

The enemy did not conduct active hostilities in Lymanske direction. He launched a missile strike on the settlement of Mykolaivka, four kilometers east of Sloviansk.

The enemy continues the assault on Severodonetsk, the fighting continues. Ukrainian fighters inflict losses on the enemy.

In Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian troops successfully counteracted and repelled the enemy's offensive in the directions of the localities of Nahirne, Berestove, Krynychne, and Roty.

In order to strengthen the grouping in the directions of Popasna, Mykolaivka, the enemy is relocating units.

The enemy did not conduct active military operations in Avdiyivske, Kurakhovske, Novopavlivske and Zaporizhia directions.

In Pivdenno-Buzke direction, the enemy focuses its main efforts on improving its tactical position, maintaining occupied positions, replenishing ammunition and fuel and lubricants.

In addition, enemy troops tried, with the support of artillery and army aviation, to carry out offensive actions in the direction of Lozova  Bila Krynytsia [Kharkiv region], but they were not successful. They conducted aerial reconnaissance using UAVs to clarify the positions of the Ukrainian troops.

Also, the General Staff warns about the readiness for the use of missile weapons in the Black Sea, where there are three enemy carriers of sea-based cruise missiles of the Caliber type.
The Russians continue to attack Severodonetsk, and in the direction of Novoakhtyrka and Voronov, the Ukrainian military repelled enemy attacks, said head of the Regional Military Administration Serhiy Haidai.

"Now the enemy continues to storm Severodonetsk, the fighting continues. The assault of the Russians in the direction of Novoakhtyrka and Voronov was also reflected. In the area of Belohorivka, the enemy uses sabotage and reconnaissance groups," Haidai wrote on Telegram.

Also, according to him, the enemy fired at a market, a mining college and a school in Lysychansk, where two people were injured.

"For several hours, rescuers had been eliminating the fire of the market's trade pavilions with a total area of 1,000 square meters. The flames were curbed only in the late afternoon," he wrote.
About 600 people are being held hostage in Kherson region, mostly journalists and public activists, said Tamila Tasheva, permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

"According to our information, there are about 600 people in the territory of Kherson region who are actually hostages and are placed in specially equipped basements, in fact dungeons In Kherson, in these basements, there are, according to our information, about 300 people, the rest are on the territory of Kherson region. It is worth noting that they are really mostly journalists and activists," she said at a briefing at the Ukraine Ukrinform media center on Tuesday.

At the same time, Tasheva clarified that it is about those public activists who organized pro-Ukrainian rallies on the territory of Kherson and the region and were responsible for communication with large groups of people.

"According to our information, they are being held in inhumane conditions, they are being tortured. Witnesses report the screams they heard while passing by the places where such illegal activities are taking place against our citizens," the permanent representative stressed.

In addition, according to her, some people are being taken from the territory of Kherson region to Crimea.

"This is both the Simferopol pretrial detention center and Sevastopol. There are both civilian hostages there, and, according to our information, there are also prisoners of war. Or some of the people who left Mariupol, during filtration measures on the administrative border with Crimea, were also detained and taken to the Simferopol pretrial detention center," Tasheva explained.
Scholz opposes lifting sanctions against Belarus in exchange for transit of grain from Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejects a possibility of lifting sanctions against Minsk in exchange for the transit of grain from Ukraine through Belarus.

"This in no way means that we should abandon the sanctions that we imposed on Lukashenko," Scholz said in Vilnius on Tuesday at a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Latvian and Estonian Prime Ministers Krisjanis Karins and Kaja Kallas.

According to the chancellor, Western countries are looking for ways to safely export these agricultural products from Ukraine in order to avoid food shortages in the world.

"It is Russia's responsibility that grain cannot be taken out of Ukraine... We will try to find a solution, the UN is also trying to find a solution," Scholz said.

He also noted that when unblocking the port of Odesa, it is necessary to ensure that "Russia does not abuse such decisions."

The possibility of exporting Ukrainian grain through Belarus was previously rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that while some western sanctions had already dealt a severe blow to the Russian economy, they "have not really influenced the Russian position."

He said this on Tuesday at the FT's Global Boardroom conference, the Financial Times reported.

According to him, Moscow was constantly finding ways to circumvent sanctions. He also suggested that some western governments were already tiring of the economic fallout from sanctions on Russia and were looking for ways to soften the impact to protect their own commercial interests.

Zelensky said that the result of the sanctions will be able to see over the time. At the same time, he called for the imposition of sanctions in full immediately. "We need to switch off all Russian banks from SWIFT," he said.

"They are supporting Ukraine but also checking what can be done to weaken sanctions so business doesn't suffer," Zelensky said. On UN-led talks to restore access to Ukrainian Black Sea ports, Zelensky was willing to back the idea of a maritime corridor to enable grain exports from Ukrainian ports as long as no access was given to Russian ships. There was no need for a dialogue with Moscow to resolve the blockade given that the only threat to world food supplies was coming from Russia, he said.

"Russia has stolen a certain amount of our grain, and took it on their ships abroad, their ships entered some countries, but we were able to find out this information But you understand the gravity of the precedent," he said.

He once more appealed for western military support to restore his country's territorial integrity. "We are inferior in terms of equipment and therefore we are not capable of advancing," he said.

Zelensky said pushing Russian forces back to positions occupied before the February 24 invasion would amount to a "serious temporary victory" for Ukraine but full sovereignty over its territory remained his ultimate goal.

He said "victory must be achieved on the battlefield." But he also insisted he was open to peace talks despite atrocities committed by Russian troops during their 100-day onslaught.

According to him, any war should be ended at the negotiating table. However, peace negotiations would have to be face to face with President Vladimir Putin, because there was "nobody else to talk to" but the Russian leader. Zelensky hit out at what he saw as attempts by some western allies to explore the terms of a ceasefire without involving Kyiv. "We need abiding interest from the west, western support for Ukraines sovereignty. There cannot be talks behind Ukraine's back anytime. How can we achieve a ceasefire on the territory of Ukraine without listening to the position of this country? This is very surprising," he said.

He said his allies could do more to bring Russia to the negotiating table by supplying Ukraine with arms and by toughening economic sanctions on Moscow, including a complete oil and gas embargo.

According to him, they should not be mere mediators, but should be ensuring that Moscow ended its hostilities and would honour any ceasefire.

Zelensky took issue with French president Emmanuel Macron's warnings to the west not to treat Russia in the spirit of "humiliation." Macron knew very well about Russia's failure to implement earlier peace agreements under the so-called Minsk process which failed to end the fighting in Donbas since 2014, Zelensky said. "I don't really understand humiliating Russia. For eight years they have been killing us. What are we talking about here?" he said.

By contrast, Zelensky said it was "great news" that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had survived a no-confidence vote by Conservative MPs on Monday night. "I am glad we have not lost a very important ally."
Poland and Ukraine will sign one of the biggest arms contracts over the past 30 years, Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki has said.

"Now we are signing one of the biggest arms contracts over the past three decades  sale of weapon to Ukrainians, Ukraine. This weapon is well tested and we know today that it will be a very important weapon on the battlefield," the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland quoted the prime minister on its Twitter page on Tuesday.
Ukrainian Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Taras Kremin has said he supports the proposal of the Cabinet of Ministers to grand English the status of business communication language in Ukraine.

"I support any initiatives in favor of increasing the level of foreign languages among the citizens of Ukraine. Granting English the status of business communication language in Ukraine is one of important steps with which Ukraine reaffirms its aspirations towards being a European country. There is a well-known truth  as many languages you know, as many times you are a human being," the press service of the ombudsman quoted him as saying.

Membership of Ukraine in the European Federation of National Institutions for Language (EFNIL), which Ukraine gained on March 21, 2022, is important in this context, he said.

Kremin also said that granting English the status of business communication language could also help to improve the level of teaching foreign languages at the higher education establishments.

As reported, earlier Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said that the government was considering the issue of granting English with the status of language for business communication in Ukraine.
The European Council, for unknown reasons, excluded the mention of cloud technologies from the approved sixth package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the head of the President's Office, said.

"At first, the EU Council announces the blockage of Russia from EU cloud services in the Sixth Sanction Package. Then, the EU Council edits the message, removing these references. No clarifications or explanations from the officials," Podoliak said on Twitter.

"We must increase the sanctions pressure, not decrease," the adviser to the head of the President's Office said.

As reported, on June 3, the website of the European Council published information about new sanctions against the Russian Federation, in particular on consulting services, including cloud ones.

The next day, the mention of cloud services disappeared.
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani Defence Minister Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov is off to Turkiye for a working visit at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar, Azernews reports per the Defence Ministry.

As a part of the visit, Hasanov will watch the Efes-2022 international drills, where the Azerbaijani servicemen are also taking part, as well as attend an exhibition organized by the Turkish Defence Industry Ministry.

Azerbaijan is being represented by servicemen of the Separate Combined-Arms Army of Naxcivan and the Naval Forces in the drills in Izmir, Turkey, which will last until June 9.

The Efes-2022 multinational exercises are planned to be held in four stages. The participants have already successfully completed some stages of the drills.

On the instructions of the high command, activities are being carried out to improve the professional skills of the Azerbaijani armys military personnel.

Earlier, the ministry underlined that Azerbaijani servicemen will participate in over 30 international drills and competitions in the 2022 academic year.

Apart from Efes - 2022, the servicemen will join the Eternity - 2022, Indestructible Brotherhood - 2022, Winter Training  2022, International Army Games - 2022, and other international training and competitions, which will have a positive effect on the improvement of their professional skills, the ministry said.

Moreover, the servicemen are expected to participate in various international seminars and conferences in 2022 as well.
The Ambassadors of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the EU in Cairo announced on Tuesday that the G7 countries are supporting Egypt in the current grain crisis that hit the world following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
``Like I always say, we'll come down on them suddenly one night. And we must,'' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on his plane following his Saturday visit to Azerbaijan.

Without giving a specific timeline, Erdogan said that Turkey would launch a cross-border operation against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, which it considers a terrorist group linked to an outlawed Kurdish group that has led an insurgency against Turkey since 1984. That conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, has killed tens of thousands of people.

However, the YPG forms the backbone of U.S.-led forces in the fight against the Islamic State group. American support for the group has infuriated Ankara and remains a major issue in their relations. Turkey considers the PKK and the YPG to be one and the same.

``All coalition forces, leading with the U.S., have provided these terror groups a serious amount of weapons, vehicles, tools, ammunition and they continue to do so. The U.S. has given them thousands of trucks,'' Erdogan said.

He warned that Turkey wouldn't need anyone's permission to fight terror.

``If the U.S. is not fulfilling its duty in combating terror, what will we do? We will take care of ourselves,'' he declared.

Ankara has launched four cross-border operations into Syria since 2016. In 2019, an incursion into northeast Syria against the YPG drew widespread international condemnation, prompting Finland, Sweden and others to restrict arms sales to Turkey. Now Turkey is blocking the two Nordic countries' historic bid to join NATO because of the weapons ban and their alleged support for the Kurdish groups.

Turkey has stepped up military operations against the PKK in northern Iraq where they are based. The PKK is considered a terror group by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.

``Just as we are conducting operations in northern Iraq against the PKK and PKK's offspring, the same situation applies even more to Syria and is much more important,'' Erdogan said.

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Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has urged enhancing coordination and close cooperation between the state's ministries and relevant bodies to expedite the activation of the newly-launched partnership industrial initiative with the UAE and Jordan.





In a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Wednesday, El-Sisi urged starting implementing the projects included in the initiative in various sectors to achieve economic integration between Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE.

The president's remarks come days after the three countries launched joint initiative of integrated industrial partnership for sustainable economic development in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

The initiative was launched in a tripartite meeting during a visit by a delegation from the Egyptian government headed by Madbouly to the Emirati capital.

As part of the initiative, the UAEs government announced on Sunday that it is allocating an investment fund of $10 billion for joint projects with Egypt and Jordan.

The fund will be run by Abu Dhabi Development Holding (ADQ) to support and accelerate the projects arising from the initiative.

During his meeting with the premier, El-Sisi underlined the importance of the three-way cooperation with Jordan and the UAE, saying the partnership initiative manifests the hoped-for goal of achieving Arab economic integration.

The newly-launched initiative focuses on several strategic sectors, most importantly pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food, petrochemicals, metals, minerals, and textiles with the aim of achieving economic sustainable development and contribute to supporting industrial integration between the three Arab nations.

The partnership aims to achieve self-sufficiency in the three countries and ensure food and health security and is also expected to provide industrial opportunities with added economic value estimated at billions of dollars in the near future.

The combined GDP of Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan is approximately $800 billion, Emirati Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber said earlier this week.

The three countries are rich in different resources that can be promoted through this new partnership, he added.

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Egypt will donate 30 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to African countries, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced on Sunday while addressing Africa Health ExCon, the first African health conference, which is being held in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

El-Sisi said this initiative will be coordinated through the African Union, and he expressed Egypts readiness to cooperate with African nations in different domains, saying we are not a state with huge resources, but we can cooperate with Africa and all world as well.

The cooperation can extend to training programmes, education, treatment, transfer or exchange of expertise, and drug manufacturing, El-Sisi pointed out.

Running till Tuesday, Africa Health ExCon kicked off earlier today at Al-Manara International Conference Centre in New Cairo.

Around 2,000 delegates representing government health entities from Africa and the Middle East are participating in the conference, which is organised by the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement (UPA) and is the biggest medical exhibition and conference on the continent.

Over 350 companies operating in more than 102 countries are also taking part in the conference, and will be unveiling the latest medical technologies and outlining the best practices for sustainable healthcare on the continent.

During his speech, El-Sisi told drug companies that Africa represents "a promising" market, as its population is expected to hit 2.5 billion in 20-30 years, up from 1.3 billion at present.

The president stressed that a shortage of resources in Africa is no obstacle to achieving goals or addressing besetting challenges as long as there is a "relentless" will and resolve.

El-Sisi also reviewed the Egyptian efforts in handling medical challenges, saying that those who suffer a lack of resource and scarcity of money have nothing but ideas.

The country's economic resources don't allow offering health care for over 100 million citizens at global standards, but these circumstances have never demotivated the country, which sought over the past few years for other alternatives.

Egypt, he noted, has launched several initiatives to solve certain problems, including the 100 Million Health initiative and its subgoal of the early detection of Hepatitis C virus, which until recently was one the country's biggest public health threats.

The 100 Million Health Initiative was launched in 2018 to screen and eliminate hepatitis and non-communicable diseases. In July 2020, the country announced it was free of Hepatitis C.

Egypt also has launched a national campaign to decease the waiting time for patients awaiting state-funded surgeries and critical medical interventions, noting that the country has performed around 1.3 million surgeries at an average cost of EGP 100,000-400,000.

Egypt may not be able to roll out inclusive health insurance in a short space of time, but it seeks to do so within 10 years as scheduled in the country's Universal Health Insurance System.

The six-phase healthcare scheme, launched experimentally in 2018 in five governorates, is set to be completed nationwide by 2027, with the second phase kicking off between 2021 and 2023.

As for water challenges, El-Sisi said Egypt's share of water, which amounts to 55 billion cubic meters annually, has never changed over time, even since Egypt's population was only 3 or 4 million people.

Egypt has never been in conflict with fellow African countries to increase this share, but has rather focused on initiatives to maximise its water resources, including water treatment programmes, the president added.

Egypt is working on providing alternative sources of drinking water through desalination in coastal governorates and the reuse of treated water.

In September 2021, Egypt inaugurated the water treatment plant of Bahr Al-Baqar, the largest of its kind worldwide, at a cost of EGP 20 billion and with a production capacity of 5.6 million cubic metres per day.

Egypt will be the number one or two country in the world in maximising its water resources, El-Sisi noted.

Challenges have never been obstacles, but opportunities, and Africa is able to surpass any problem, the president stressed.

El-Sisi also spoke about the importance of maintaining stability, asserting that the only challenge that cripples any state is instability and insecurity. He also stressed that losing security and stability in any country diminishes investment opportunities.

No company would venture to invest in an unstable country for fear of destruction or sabotage to its infrastructure, El-Sisi explained, noting that even the state itself would not be capable of providing infrastructure projects and so the state would plunge into an endless cycle of crises and suffering.

The conference will include 350 sessions and 20 workshops featuring more than 800 international medical speakers and experts, with the aim of showcasing the latest technologies in the field of medicine as well as initiatives that support Africa ExCon as a sustainable platform that connects international healthcare partners.

Also attending are Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and acting Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, and Presidential Advisor for Health Affairs Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din.

Africa Health ExCon will help put Egypt on track to becoming Africas health technology hub, said Bahaa El-Din Zidan, chairman of the UPA.

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As attackers opened fire on worshippers inside a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria, other gunmen waited outside to kill those who tried to flee, church officials and witnesses said Monday.

At least 50 people including children were killed in the attack, according to a state lawmaker from the area.

Worshippers were attending Pentecost Sunday Mass when gunfire erupted at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Ondo state.

Bishop Jude Arogundade of the Ondo Diocese said there were gunmen inside the church but also other gunmen outside who then killed churchgoers fleeing in terror.

Steven Omotayo, who lives near the church, rushed to the scene upon hearing the gunshots.

``I saw a lot of dead bodies, both young and old, even children,`` he said. ``The people came in and started shooting from the gate.''

He said the church has three entrances and the main entrance was said to have been locked, making it difficult for many to escape.

``They were just shooting. If they see anyone trying to escape or stand up, they will just shoot the person,'' he said. ``Everybody standing was bombarded with bullets.''

It was not immediately known who was behind the church massacre and authorities said the gunmen managed to flee the scene.

While northern Nigeria has battled an Islamic insurgency for more than 13 years, Ondo state has long been considered one of the most peaceful states in the country.



Ondo State governor Rotimi Akeredolu (3rd L) points to blood on the stained floor after an attack by gunmen at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo town, southwest Nigeria on June 5, 2022. AFP

Hospital workers struggled to treat scores of wounded following the attack. The Nigeria Medical Association in Ondo state directed all available doctors to head to the hospitals to offer any help to dozens of critically wounded.

``At a stage, even the blood got exhausted at our blood bank and we had to be pleading for blood,'' said a doctor at the Federal Medical Center in Owo who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.

``Even as a physician, I have attended to a good number of casualties but what I saw yesterday was far beyond whatever I have seen before in my life and in the practice.``

State Police Commissioner Oyeyemi Oyediran said security forces were ``on top of the situation.''

``A team pursued the assailants along with the military but unfortunately, we could not catch up with them,'' he said.

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Ukraine's president says Russian troops intend to capture Zaporizhzhia, a large city in the country's southeast, which would allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a news conference on Monday that peace talks with Russia stood at ``level zero,'' and in the meantime ``the most threatening situation'' has developed in the Zaporizhzhia region, parts of which have already been taken by Russia.

``The enemy wants to ... occupy the city of Zaporizhzhia,`` Zelenskyy said.

In the south of Ukraine, Russia has already seized the large Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Mariupol.

The Zaporizhzhia region, with the population of 1.6 million, is one of the biggest industrial hubs of Ukraine's southeast. The city itself has 722,000 people.

Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian troops are still fighting in the eastern part of the country known as the Donbas.

In the Luhansk region, which is part of the Donbas, the Ukrainian resistance continues in Sievierodonetsk, one of the two key cities in the region still not in Russia's hands, he said.

``There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on this direction,'' Zelenskyy said.

In the northern Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian army ``step by step de-occupies our lands'' from Russian invaders, Zelenskyy said.

In the meantime, Kyiv is hoping to create secure corridors that would allow its ships to export grain that has been blocked inside the countries by the fighting.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is in talks with countries like Turkey and the UK about security guaranties for Ukrainian ships carrying much needed grain for export.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has disrupted food supplies for many nations in the world, causing prices to soar.

``It is important for us that there is a security corridor ... that the fleet of this or that country ensures the shipping of the grain,'' Zelenskyy said. ``If now we have 22-25 million tons blocked there, in the fall we might have 75 (million tons).''

``What are we going to do? he asked. ''That's why we can't do without the ports.''

His government has previously accused Russia of stealing tons of grain from territory it has occupied in Ukraine.

The issue of blocked grain will be on the agenda Wednesday during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to Turkey.

Ankara is involved in efforts by the United Nations to reach an agreement for shipping Ukrainian grain out amid an escalating global food crisis.

Zelensky said Kyiv has not been invited to the talks, possibly because Turkey wants to get security guarantees for its ships from Russia first.

He explained that Ukraine can't export large shipments of grain via railways because of long delivery times, even though Kyiv has been in talks with Poland and the Baltic nations.

Exporting grain through the neighboring territory of Russia's ally Belarus is also not an option, he said.

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Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry headed on Tuesday to the German city of Bonn to sign the agreement for Egypt to host the 27th UN session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27), which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh in November.

The agreement is scheduled to be signed on the sidelines of the 56th session of the subsidiary bodies  in which COP27s President-Designate Shoukry is participating  that is taking place from 6 to 16 June 2022 at the World Convention Center in Bonn, the foreign ministrys spokesperson Ahmed Hafez said in a statement.

The 56th session of subsidiary bodies aims to lay the groundwork for success at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, according to the UN, as governments in Bonn will focus on work in the key areas of mitigation, adaptation, and supporting developing countries, particularly financially.

The statement noted that Shoukry is expected to meet a number of high-ranking international officials concerned with the climate change issue, in addition to representatives of non-governmental organizations that are certified in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said last month that Egypt will spare no effort through its presidency of COP27 to relentlessly seek to move from the stage of commitments and pledges to actual implementation of quick and tangible measures.

COP26 took place in Glasgow, where nearly 200 nations came together and discussed the work needed to undertake to reach the 1.5-degree Celsius goal under the Paris Agreement.

Speaking to delegates at the opening of the Bonn sessions, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa said the world is going to have one question in Sharm El-Sheikh: what progress have you made since Glasgow?

We urgently require political-level interventions and decisions in each of these areas in order to achieve a balanced package. Doing so will send a clear message to the world that we are headed in the right direction, Espinosa said.

The UNs top climate change official warned that climate change is progressing exponentially. With the world currently on track to more than double the 1.5 Celsius goal of the Paris Agreement by the end of the century, ambition must urgently be raised to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, and immediate action and progress in Bonn are needed.

We must move these negotiations along more quickly. The world expects it. They know that while nations made a commitment to meeting the Paris Agreements goal of reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius, that commitment entailed accelerated action and increased climate ambition. It is not acceptable to say that we are in challenging times  they know that climate change is not an agenda we can afford to push back on our global schedule, she said.

COP27 in Egypt will primarily focus on implementation, and nations are expected to show how they will, through legislation, policies and programs, and throughout all jurisdictions and sectors, begin putting the Paris Agreement into practice in their home countries, according to the UN.

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Egypt's highest state awards in art, literature, and social sciences for 2022 were announced on 7 June, with writer Ibrahim Abdel-Meguied, director Dawood Abdel-Sayed, and late Iraq thinker Qais Azzawi winning the top honour, the Nile Award.

In a meeting chaired by Egypts Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem, members of Egypts Supreme Council for Culture (SCC) voted on the top awards.

The members voted on 53 prizes worth a total of EGP 7.5 million (around $374,632) divided into four sections:

Here is the full list of winners:

The Nile Award

The Nile Award is granted to three people in the fields of literature, arts, and social sciences. Each winner receives EGP 500,000 and a gold medal. A new award for the most creative Arab personality was added for the first time in 2018.

The Nile Award in Literature was given to writer Ibrahim Abdel-Meguied.

The Nile Award in Arts was handed to director Dawood Abdel-Sayed.

The Nile Award in Social Sciences went to the late lawyer and head of the lawyers syndicate Ragi Attia.

The Nile Award for the Most Creative Arab personality was awarded to late Iraqi thinker Qais Al-Azzawi, who died in 2022.

The Nile Award for a creative Arab personality was launched in 2018 in a bid to strengthen ties between Egypt and Arab creative minds.

Appreciation Awards

The award carries a prize of EGP 200,000 and a gold medal.

The Appreciation Award in Arts went to actor Rashwan Tawfik, architect Suhair Hawass and Ahmed Nabil Suleiman.

The Appreciation Award in Literature was awarded to writers Mohamed Abulfadl Badran, Youssef Hassan Nofal and Kamal Ruhayem.

The Appreciation Awards in Social Sciences were awarded to Said Ismail, Abdel-Salam Abu-Qahf and Moataz Sayed Abdallah.

Excellency Awards

The Excellency Award in Literature was granted to writer Reem Bassiouny and Amr Fouad Dawara.

The Excellency Award in Arts was handed to Gamal Yaqoot and Ahmed Abdel-Kareem.

The Excellency Award in Social Sciences was handed to late judge Tahany El-Gebaly, Iman Amer, and Ahmed Hassanien.

In addition to the previous awards, the SCC granted 32 encouragement awards, each one of them worth EGP 50,000.

Factbox

There are 52 prizes worth a total of EGP 7.5 million (around $374,632) divided into four sections:

Thirty-two Encouragement Awards worth EGP 50,000.

Seven Excellency Awards worth EGP 100,000 and a silver medal.

Ten Appreciation Awards worth EGP 200,000 and a gold medal.

Four Nile Awards worth EGP 500,000 and a gold medal.

The 32 Encouragement Awards are divided as follows: eight for the arts, eight for literature, eight in social sciences, and eight for law and economic research.

Of the seven Excellency Awards, two are for the arts, two for literature, and three for social sciences. Political analyst Ammar Ali Hassan and economic expert Ahmed El-Naggar were among the winners of the prize last year.

The vote also includes 10 Appreciation Awards: three for the arts, three for literature, and four for social sciences. This award was granted for the first time in 1999. Novelists Khairy Shalaby and Gamal El-Ghitani, poet Mohammed Afifi Mattar, and critic Gaber Asfour are among the past winners.

Finally, the four Nile Awards are divided as follows: one for the arts, one for literature, one for social sciences, and one for the Most Creative Arab personality. The Nile Award was originally named the Mubarak Award, but was changed in the aftermath of the 25 January 2011 Revolution that ousted president Hosni Mubarak from power.

Poet Abdel-Rahman El-Abnoudi, writers Bahaa Taher, Ibrahim Aslan, and Waheed Hamed, and cinema director Youssef Chahine are the most prominent figures to date who have won the Nile Award.

The State Awards were launched in 1958 and have only been cancelled once, in 1967, during the Six-Day War between Egypt and Israel.

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Egypt condemns in the strongest terms the horrific attack that targeted a Catholic Church in southwestern Nigeria on Monday, and resulted in the death of tens of victims in addition to the injury of others, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement stating that the Egyptian government and people express condolences to the government and people of the sisterly Federal Republic of Nigeria including the families of victims and wish the injured a speedy recovery.

The statement also confirmed Egypt's full solidarity with Nigeria in facing all forms of violence. The Foreign Ministry added that Egypt will stand by Nigeria through these painful circumstances.

At least 50 people  including children  were killed and others injured, when gunmen attacked worshippers attending the Pentecost Sunday Mass at St. Francis Catholic Church in the state of Ondo, according to the Nigerian authorities. Meanwhile, another group of gunmen waited outside the church and attacked worshippers fleeing the scene.

The authorities stated that it is still unknown who was behind the massacre as the gunmen managed to flee.

While northern Nigeria has witnessed an Islamic insurgency for more than 13 years, Ondo has long been considered one of the most peaceful states in the country.

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Ethiopian officials have revealed their true colours on the building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, explicitly rejecting the interests of the downstream peoples.

They dont concern us. This is how blatantly Kiffle Horo, project manager of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), put it when asked how his country would respond to the concerns of downstream Egypt and Sudan as far as the third filling of the GERD is concerned.

Horo took over after the life of Simegnew Bekele, the former project manager who was widely seen as leading the colossal project, ended tragically in a yet-to-be-settled murder, even as official accounts still hold that he committed suicide.

During the decade-long negotiations on the GERD, Ethiopia has been sailing under false colours. Now, the GERDs new project manager has thrown caution to the winds, saying that the interests of the downstream peoples and any existential threat that they would face as a result of the building of the dam are not Ethiopias concerns.

Worse, Horo also pinpointed what Egypt and Sudan have long feared. He said that during droughts, water would be collected in the GERDs reservoir to complete its filling and no water would be allowed to flow from the GERDs single gated spillway.

As a result, Ethiopia, under its ineffective Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, himself facing charges over orchestrating barbarian war crimes committed in Tigray during Ethiopias ongoing Civil War, has once again made it clear to the world that the issues raised by Egypt and Sudan during the talks on the GERD were not what Addis Ababa has labelled as rhetoric. On the contrary, Ethiopias unilateral actions would cause irreparable damage that neither the people of Egypt nor that of Sudan would be able to sustain.

To the GERDs project manager and his government that has ruptured the countrys feeble social fabric, given the day-to-day ethnic clashes and the brand-new phenomenon of sectarian Muslim-Christian strife taking place in Ethiopia today, the GERD is a holy mission that needs to be accomplished, even to the detriment of Sudan and Egypt.

One must wonder. For an ailing economy like that of Ethiopia where the government strives hard to make ends meet mainly because of the structural flaws the economy of this Djibouti-heavily dependent country suffers from, what does Addis Ababa anticipate achieving from marching ahead with its irresponsible unilateral actions?

If there is one thing the Civil War in Ethiopia has revealed, it is that the system in the country is so fragile that it has not been able to win an offensive launched by a supposedly well-equipped military against an unprepared guerilla group, namely the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF). Had Ethiopia not received support from various powers, the TPLF could have entered the capital Addis Ababa and toppled the Ahmed regime.

What is Addis Ababa betting on? In practice, none of the powers that have supported Ethiopia will continue to back the landlocked nation if their interests with Cairo enter onto a collision course. At a certain point, they will back off.

The structural reforms Egypt has been undertaking for several years have enabled its economy to act like a swing bridge: the movement of heavy trucks can cause momentary shaking, but the bridge never falls. In other words, Egypt is a power that the world now needs to substitute for its imports of Russian gas that have been severely affected by Western sanctions. This is thanks to a recent Egypt-Israel deal with the EU to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced in Israel but processed and shipped through Egyptian facilities.

Does the incumbent Ahmed government in Ethiopia think the world will put at risk relations with Cairo for the sake of whimsical adventures by one who once dreamt of being emperor? Above all, could Ethiopia sustain the damage of a direct confrontation with Sudan and Egypt? Definitely, no. What is left, then, for Addis Ababa apart from stopping going round in circles and sitting down at the negotiating table to agree on a binding and win-win legal agreement on the GERD?

Whatever the case may be, Egypt will not give up its inalienable rights to the Nile water and will continue to defend the right of the Egyptian people to life. In no way will the country forfeit a single cubic metre of its legally enshrined water quota, that is, if it does not work on doubling it to suffice the growing needs of its population.

Whether or not this appeals to the GERDs project manager or to the Ethiopian leaders at large, this does not concern us. What concerns Egypt is the uninterrupted flow of the Nile, its continued access to the Nile water, and other countries abstaining from erecting future installations on the Blue Nile without prior consent, as is stipulated in the legally binding historical water agreements.

These may constitute the basis for a permanent settlement of the issue of the Nile water without which Ethiopia will continue to be at loggerheads with the downstream peoples in Sudan and Egypt. Indeed, Cairo possesses all the means to impose it on the ground. For a decade, Ethiopia has been thinking that Egypt would remain helpless in the face of arrogant statements and behaviours by unseasoned politicians and officials like Kiffle Horo and others. Rest assured that this is a tragic flaw. If the worst comes to the worst, Khartoum and Cairo will act accordingly.

Egypt-Sudan relations are at their best today thanks mainly to the huge support Sudans leaders have received from Egypt to stand up to potentially lethal crises and difficulties that are engulfing the nation. Sudan will not risk the support of Egypt for the sake of the propaganda put out by anti-Sudanese Revolution Islamists and supporters of the ousted regime of former Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir.

The GERD will not shift the lives of the Sudanese or bring them more water for cultivation or cheap electricity, as the media affiliated with Al-Bashir used to claim. Instead, it will inflict incalculable damage on the peoples of Egypt and Sudan. It will make them lose thousands of hectares of their limited arable land due to water scarcity. Therefore, the two nations need to make common cause to defend the very existence of their peoples.

Moreover, the GERD will not change the lives of the Ethiopians themselves, as they face pressing issues which cannot be swept under the carpet. These are the issues that the Ethiopian government needs to heed, instead of slipping further down a slippery slope that will lead to unthinkable damage to the peoples of Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia itself.

* The writer is a former press attache in Ethiopia and an expert on African and international affairs.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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By Trend

Mentioning the destruction of monuments, shrines, and cemeteries belonging to the Azerbaijani people, and the unprecedented acts of vandalism committed by Armenia during occupation of Azerbaijani lands in the US State Departments report on religious freedom is commendable, Azerbaijani political expert Elchin Mirzabayli told Trend.

According to Mirzabayli, nevertheless, the facts contained in the report cover only a small part of the monuments which were desecrated or destroyed during the occupation.

Even the ruins of Carthage are incomparable with the ruins in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from the Armenian occupation [in the 2020 second Karabakh war], because Armenia didnt preserve anything in these territories. To erase traces of Azerbaijani heritage from these lands, it resorted to unprecedented acts of vandalism, he said.

According to the expert, some people while talking about vandalism in the modern era remember blowup of a giant statue of Buddha by the Taliban militants in 2001, or destruction of the archaeological sites of Nimrud, Hatra, and the cultural samples of the Sumerian, Assyrian and Babylonian cultures by the ISIS terrorist group in Mosul.

The manifestations of Armenian vandalism are even more ruthless, because it destroys everything in its path - not only cultural monuments, but also mosques, other shrines, cemeteries, residential buildings, all infrastructure, and social facilities, Mirzabayli noted.

He also noted that along with the destruction of historical, cultural and religious monuments on the Azerbaijani lands during their occupation, Armenia also destroyed Azerbaijani monuments on its territory, trying to erase the traces of the Azerbaijani people there.

"At the same time, the facts of Armenian vandalism on Azerbaijani lands, which shocked all civilized mankind and were reflected in the report of the US State Department, havent attracted the attention of UNESCO. The Azerbaijani side's appeals to this organization, made even before the second Karabakh war, remain without response," he said.

Lack of reaction to the facts of Armenian vandalism by the international organization engaged in the preservation of the heritage belonging to humanity, creates the background for new precedents of the destruction of heritage belonging to certain nations and religious confessions," Mirzabayli said.

Mirzabeyli also said that unfortunately, the US State Department's report does not mention the destruction of monuments belonging to the historical, cultural and spiritual heritage of Azerbaijanis in present-day Armenia, and the destruction of not only mosques, but also Christian monuments not belonging to Armenians or the Gregorian Church.
It is said that, whenever he addressed international relations issues, Charles de Gaulle would always ask for a map. The geopolitical and geostrategic dimensions were crucial to presenting his analyses and what decisions he felt might be both feasible and beneficial. In this part of the world, what the map tells us is that a whole sea and a gulf lay between Egypt and Saudi Arabia: the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. Since antiquity, these bodies of water have never prevented the movement of people between the two countries. They never stood in the way of commercial relations, shared cultural evolution and religious unity. This is why it did not surprise me to find Pharaonic statues among the items on display in the exhibition of Saudi history in Houston. Perhaps the Mosque of Amr Ibn Al-As in Cairo, the location of which still stands in commemoration of the famous Arab conqueror of the seventh century, best epitomes this ancient bond. In that long history, there were bound to be moments of tension. However, time testifies to the fact that geography and history have always prevailed over ephemeral difficulties.

In the modern era, maps played their part in bringing the two countries closer together. Saudi-Egyptian relations improved steadily since the Treaty of Friendship signed in 1926. The treaty was a means for the kingdom to express its support for Egypts nationalist demand for the evacuation of British forces. In the 1940s, the two countries worked together to establish the Arab League and they have generally shared the same stances in international forums. On 27 October 1955, they concluded a mutual defence agreement and on 27 August 1956, Riyadh gave Egypt $100 million after the US withdrew its offer to build the High Dam. After the June 1967 War with Isreal, Saudi Arabia helped compensate Egypt for the closure of the Suez Canal. Then, on 17 October 1973, following the military victories Egypt achieved on the Sinai front and other Arab armies achieved in other occupied territories, the Saudi monarch, King Faisal Abdul-Aziz deployed an alternative weapon to guns. He called an emergency meeting of Arab oil ministers in Kuwait, which resulted in a collective Arab decision to lower oil production by 5 per cent per month until Israel withdrew to the pre-June 1967 borders. King Faisal also donated $200 million to the Egyptian army while, during the October war, the current monarch, Salman bin Abdul-Aziz, founded a committee to collect donations for it. When Iraq under president Saddam Hussein occupied Kuwait and threatened Saudi Arabia, Egypt marshalled its political and military energies to counter the threat and contribute to the liberation of Kuwait. After the June 2013 Revolution in which Egypt ousted the Muslim Brotherhood, Riyadh once again leaped to Egypts side with generous support.

Egyptian-Saudi relations are, in a word, deep, and this spirit is further exemplified by two recent military exercises in which Egypt took part: Red Sea 5, which aims to strengthen the security of the Red Sea; and Faisal-12, which brought together the Saudi and Egyptian air forces for several days of manoeuvres in Saudi Arabia. The two drills are a continuation of the long and multifaceted military cooperation between Cairo and Riyadh as further exemplified by the Morgan, Tabuk and other joint exercises which aim to share and transfer knowledge and expertise and strengthen the interoperability of their forces. Saudi and Egyptian forces have also taken part in various multilateral international manoeuvres such as North Thunder, Gulf Shield, Eagle Salute and Bright Star. All these are an important part of the two countries defence strategies. But, more than that, they contribute to enhancing regional security in the Red Sea and the Middle East as a whole. This security dimension is essential to safeguarding the profound reform processes unfolding in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which are driving them to increasingly extensive and diverse economic cooperation.

The historic visit to Egypt undertaken by King Salman Abdul-Aziz in 2016 was a landmark in the evolution of agreements and frameworks for bilateral cooperation. These have led to more than 60 agreements, protocols and memorandums of understanding covering cooperation in virtually all domains and ensuring closer mutual coordination and consultation. The Saudi-Egyptian Coordination Council, which emerged from that visit, set the roadmap for economic cooperation in housing, energy, education, agriculture and health. In addition, there were ten MoUs on funding new development projects in the Sinai. These included the establishment of King Salman International University as well as 13 agricultural complexes. In concrete figures, the agreements have resulted in $6.12 billion in investments by 30 January 2020 in 6,017 companies with a total capital of $22 billion, making Saudi Arabia the second largest foreign partner after the UAE in development projects in Egypt. Egyptian investments in Saudi Arabia by October 2020 came to $1.38 billion across 555 projects.

According to the figures of the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) on bilateral trade between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the first 11 months of 2021, the volume of trade rose to $8.3 billion, up from $5 billion for the same period in 2020. That is a 66.1 per cent increase. Egyptian exports to Saudi Arabia rose 21 per cent from $1.6 billion in the first 11 months of 2020 to $2 billion in the same period in 2021 and Egyptian imports from Saudi Arabia rose 88.2 per cent from $3.4 billion to $6.3 billion in the same period. Remittances from Egyptians working in Saudi Arabia rose 12.4 per cent from $8.5 billion in 2018/2019 to $9.6 billion in 2019/2020. By contrast, remittances from Saudis working in Egypt fell by 17.6 per cent from $21.4 million in 2018/2019 to $17.6 million in 2019/2020. In 2021, bilateral trade for the whole of 2021 climbed to $9.1 billion compared to $5.6 billion in 2020, or a 62.1 per cent increase. Also in 2021, Egyptian exports to Saudi Arabia came to $2.2 billion and its imports from Saudi Arabia came to $6.9 billion, up from $1.9 billion (17.3 per cent) and $3.7 billion (84.5 per cent), respectively, in 2020.

In short, take a look at the map.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The small brown bird that frequently perches on my home windowsill suddenly captured my curiosity. I had just landed a copy of an (already sold out) first-of-its-kind guidebook on the birds of Egypt, which promises to help readers identify just about any bird in the country.

I wait for the bird when I am at home in the morning, hoping to observe the now study-worthy creature with new eyes, knowing that it is not just a bird.

Flipping through the compact guidebook, The Birds of Egypt and the Middle East, I stop at page 140. Spotted flycatcher seems to resemble my bird. But no, the book tells me, this one merely passes through Egypt during its migration and breeds in the Levant.

In a country known for its often-arid landscapes and hot weather, Egypt can sometimes evoke images of sepia-coloured deserts and sand dunes rather than of wildlife and nature. For this reason, a guidebook devoted to Egypts birds might seem like a distant subject, a luxury even. We are not, after all, a nation that is consciously aware of its birds. In fact, we know so little about the feathered creatures that the book even draws attention to it.

On the cover of the book there is a photograph of a Senegal thick-knee, long-beaked bird with yellow eyes, noticeably prominent knees, and disproportionally long legs that both looks and sounds foreign. Few people would know that this bird is none other than the iconic karawan, though under a different name, a bird often poetically referred to in Egyptian fiction, cinema, and song lyrics, but hardly ever visualised.

How many Egyptians do you know who have seen a karawan, Richard Hoath, a leading British naturalist and author of the book, asked me rhetorically last week. By choosing a karawan for his cover image, Hoath, who has been studying, writing about, and drawing these birds for 30 years, perfectly captures Egypts indifference to its avifauna. Not only have I never seen a karawan before, I was unaware of my own obliviousness until I read Hoaths book.

Egypt, according to the books introduction, has a staggering species list approaching 500 birds. This is comparable to Britains 626, a country in which bird-watching is a popular and inexpensive pastime, as it is in many other parts of the world. Even though it is not easy or advisable to be going around in a security-conscious state carrying binoculars and a camera, bird-watching is not exactly part of Egyptian culture. It is certainly an unusual hobby here, Hoath admits.

The 176-page book is published by the AUC Press in Egypt and also appears internationally as a field guide to the birds of the Middle East including Egypt, the Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula. Its compact size and inevitably tiny font, necessary to fit in all the 280 species of birds described, contains comprehensive lists and stunning photographs.

A brief 120-word description for each bird includes its size, sound, habitat and distribution with its English name in bold. This is because the English name is the most widely accepted name across the literature, the book explains, which generally follows the name used in the official Egyptian Ornithological Rarities Committee (EORC) checklist of Egyptian birds.

Hoath, who also authored and illustrated A Field Guide to the Mammals of Egypt in 2009 and has published many other books and articles on the regions wildlife, says he wrote the birds guidebook because there wasnt one available. It is designed to just throw in a knapsack when going out to the countryside or for a day out in the city.

It is a book for anyone familiar with natural history, Hoath said in a telephone interview. Its readers need not be professionals, just people interested in identifying birds to a species level. You flick through the photographs, which are the key to this, and see what comes closest to what your bird looks like. Then you will know if its a heron, an egret, a perching bird or a bird of prey, etc.

LANGUAGE OF THE BIRDS

However, The Birds of Egypt and the Middle East is still an English-language book selling in an Arabic-speaking country, and this being so its promise of identifying the countrys avifauna might appear to be a marketing misjudgement or a kind of glossy oxymoron.

Weve looked into this, Hoath says, but there are no specific Arabic names for species-level identification. For instance, the house sparrow is asfour, which is just a bird in Arabic. So, for most people it is more helpful to have the English name but also  and that transcends all languages  the birds scientific name.

The book is also aimed at the tourist market. Millions of tourists, particularly from Europe, flock to Egypt, and they bring their hobby of bird-watching with them, he says. People come over here, and theyll want to know what bird theyre seeing.

He also feels that the book could raise awareness of the wealth of Egypts birds. At LE300 ($16) the book is reasonably priced. I think anybody flicking through the book will look at some of those photographs and say, wow these are found in Egypt?

The bee-eater is here in the middle of the city, but you have got not just to keep your eyes, but also your ears, open, Hoath says. This devoted naturalist who lives in Cairos Garden City district on the eastern side of the Nile describes a likely scene in his bustling neighbourhood where the bird could be seen.

You hear kru kru kru and you look up, and there it is, flying around. Then you see how beautiful it is: chestnut above, turquoise below, yellow throat and black bandit mask.

The metropolis as a whole is not lacking in bird species. Herons and egrets are easily found down river, where they stay throughout the summer. South of Cairo, in the Maadi district, Wadi Degla is home to desert birds like the sand partridge, the black raven, and the lanner falcon. Hoath says he has recorded over 50 species of birds on the AUC campus in New Cairo, including 13 that breed in the gardens.

In Fayoum, 100 km southwest of Cairo, the diverse agriculture and desert environment is home to cattle egret, the little green bee-eater, and the hoopoe among others. Lake Fayoum at its western end is an open theatre for winter flocks of flamingos.

The introduction to the book explains that since Egypt has no natural borders, its birds are not exclusive to it, and nor do they recognise modern-state frontiers as they soar across the region. The twice-yearly spectacle of bird migration in spring and autumn, where Egypt, especially the Red Sea, is a key place of passage, remains one of the countrys greatest and possibly underrated attractions.

Hoath argues that Egypts uniqueness lies in the accurate portrayal of birds at species-level that has been taking place for millennia. Egypt has had this perspective over thousands of years that no other country has on their wild life. Even if youre not seeing the birds alive, youve seen them on the walls of tombs and temples, he says.

While many of these ancient birds are known to modern Egyptians, including the kestrel (the falcon-headed god Horus), other birds like the sacred ibis (venerated as the Thoth, the god of scribes) have become extinct in Egypt.

According to Hoath, this happened in the late-19th century due to habitat destruction.

The Nile Valley and the Delta is a largely artificial environment now. It is the result of a long series of the draining of swamps and the development of the valley for agriculture. The only area in modern Egypt featuring original Nilotic vegetation is a small group of protected islands, the Saluga and Ghazal, in Aswan.

Everything north of there is a largely man-made environment because of agriculture and now urbanisation. The papyrus swamps have completely disappeared. Everywhere south of there has been flooded by Lake Nasser behind the Aswan Dam.

Hoaths research on ancient wildlife inscriptions is the subject of another book project, a photographic guide to the animals of ancient Egypt. Because thousands of years ago the ancient Egyptians portrayed animals and birds in such detail on the walls of tombs and of the Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Hatshepsut temples, modern naturalists can identify them to species level.

In many ways, Egypt perhaps has the oldest history of bird-watching in the world, he says.

Flicking through the guides glossy pages, I failed to find the small bird perching at my window. But heeding Hoaths advice to open my senses, I successfully recognised the melodic sound of the bulbul at the break of dawn.

With the guides help, I recognised another windowsill visitor, which I had assumed was a pigeon, but learned is in fact a laughing dove. The description matched: a six-syllable call, doo doo doo doo doo doo.

The dove, which lives in a tiny public garden opposite my apartment, was determined to nest on  and damage  my new geraniums for weeks on end. The audacity of the birds indifference to my human presence and attempts to shoo it away was startling. Page 88 of the guide explains why.

In Egypt, very common resident throughout Delta and Valley Habitat and habits: farmland, orchards cities Very familiar even in large urban centres such as Cairo and Alexandria.

Yep  that would be my bird.

Richard Hoath, The Birds of Egypt and the Middle East, Cairo: AUC Press, 2021, pp176.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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More efforts are being made to break down barriers faced by female entrepreneurs in Egypt, but funding remains a matter of concern,.

According to a report by the Boston Consulting Group, a US management consulting firm, access to funding is unequally distributed among female and male entrepreneurs worldwide, further widening the gender gap in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Female-led companies received just three per cent of global start-up funding in 2019, while only two per cent of venture capital deployed globally went to female-owned businesses, the report said. The rest has been primarily reserved for male business owners.

The report suggests that integrating women further into the economy would boost global GDP by some US$5 trillion. However, for this to become reality, action is needed from different groups in society, including financial institutions, nonprofit organisations, and corporations.

Things are changing, however, and the private sector in many countries is playing a significant role in facing this predicament, with banks and financial institutions stepping up to support women in business and cater to the financial needs of female entrepreneurs.

British multinational bank HSBC announced the launch of a Female Entrepreneur Fund on 17 May worth $1 billion to finance female-led businesses in 11 markets, including Egypt.

The fund aims to address the challenges and bias that female leaders face, Sam Cooper-Gray, head of market strategy at HSBC Business Banking, said in press release, adding that the recent impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic had further skewed an already unbalanced market.

According to Crunchbase, a platform for business information about private and public-sector companies, funding for female-founded startups globally has been slashed by 27 per cent due to the pandemic.

The level of funding received over time by female-led businesses is significantly lower than male counterparts, while the recent impacts of the pandemic have seen these same businesses disproportionately affected, Cooper-Gray said.

HSBC has also introduced an initiative enabling female entrepreneurs to access masterclasses hosted by experienced business leaders, tailored networking sessions with major companies, insights from investors and the opportunity to pitch to angel investors, and a bespoke advisory for female entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has allocated $5 million under an EU-supported facility, the Women in Business (WIB) Programme, to expand access to finance for women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Egypt.

This comes under a financing package worth $25 million announced on 19 May to support SMEs in Egypt. The package includes business advice and training for female-owned SMEs.

The EBRD earlier said that it would also provide a senior debt facility of $20 million to the Commercial International Bank (CIB) dedicated to lending to private SMEs led by women in Egypt. It will give the final greenlight for the facility on 9 June.

Many banks now have quotas to fund SMEs as well as women-led businesses, which helps explain why funding female entrepreneurs is now taking centre-stage, director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the AUC School of Business Hala Barakat told Al-Ahram Weekly.

In March, a regional call for proposals in three African countries, namely Egypt, Tunisia, and Senegal, kicked off under an investment mechanism created by German Development Bank KfW dubbed the Facility Investing for Employment (IFE) with the aim of focusing on women in business.

Only businesses that are majority-owned by women, with women as majority management, with majority employment of women, or whose services and products are primarily in demand by women, are qualified for a grant from the IFE.

Barakat said that the centre she directs at the AUC has a role to play in implementing capacity building, training, and education to help empower Egypts women entrepreneurs.

Although there may still be culturally embedded stereotypes about women applying for loans to open businesses, this is slowly changing, backed by directives from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). Now when we do programmes related to women, several banks approach us to reach out to these women, Barakat said.

The AUC Centre, an NGO, depends on external donors and funds, Barakat said, explaining that through these it designs human-centric programmes that cater to different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Some donors want to target certain governorates or certain profiles of women, and as a result each programme is tailored to its own objectives. For instance, women-empowerment programmes in underprivileged communities vary from those targeting university students or graduates.

Rabeha, the Arabic for winner, is one programme providing women in Egypt with the means, knowledge, and confidence to harness their potential either as entrepreneurs, early-stage businesswomen, or as paid employees.

The Rabeha programme, run jointly by the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and UN Women, aims to significantly boost womens economic empowerment in Egypt by mid-2024. It is funded by Global Affairs Canada and is being implemented in partnership with the National Council for Women, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Development Agency.

In line with the Egypt Vision 2030, the joint programme aims to increase the economic participation of at least 6,300 women in Egypts private sector across growth-oriented sectors in seven governorates.

Although the number of women in business is still lagging, the informal sector includes many female workers and breadwinners that are not accounted for in the official figures, Barakat said, though even including these women the gap between men and women in business is still wide.

One of the AUC Centres research projects found that most programmes for women entrepreneurs had a maximum age limit of 35. We recommended that the age limit be extended to reach a wider target, Barakat said, stressing that women aged between 40 and 50 years old or more could be excellent businesswomen.

However, gender biases still persist in the process of funding. For instance, some women reported that when they pitched to venture capital (VC) or angel investors, they were asked gender-related questions to assess how much they would be committed to the business, Barakat said.

Menna Shahin, co-founder of TeKeya, a food waste management startup, told the Weekly that access to funding was not easy. To find the right sponsor, one should always be prepared with the data and traction, showcasing the product-market fit, she said. Because most founders are males, females go through extra scrutiny and their chances of succeeding are slimmer, she says, adding that one needs to test the product in the market and show that it is scalable. She believes that institutions just need a leap of faith, because otherwise, many people fail to have funding as a result.

Entrepreneur, author, and interior designer Heba Shunbo commented that as women, I think we still face some stereotypes in Egypt  that we cant be as dedicated as men when were mothers, or that we need to be more aggressive to be able to push the business forward.

According to research analysing video transcriptions of 189 question-and-answer sessions, businessmen and businesswomen were asked entirely different questions by investors when pitching their startup ideas. For example, men would get asked, how do you plan to monetise this? while women would get asked, how long will it take you to break even?

For this reason, women founders began seeking out VC firms with women at the table. According to a report by Wamda, a platform of programmes and networks that aims to accelerate entrepreneurship ecosystems across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Flat6Labs, which has at least one female founding member, was highlighted last November as pouring the most investment into womens businesses.

Flat6Labs is a leading seed and early-stage venture capital firm in the MENA region.

The way forward is to increase awareness and push women to establish their own startups, Barakat said. Women often have multiple responsibilities, and they may be obliged to go out of business because of family obligations. Our role is to give them technical, financial, and moral support to continue their journey, she concluded.

Shunbo, a co-founder with her three sisters of the business Four Fat Ladies, said that we must work harder to prove our relevance, as a simple setback can unravel all of our hard work over the years. The mindset is more geared towards men in this part of the world, and your authority is always being questioned as a result. Women are not taken as seriously as men, so we need to impose ourselves more and hustle more to be heard and respected.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Egypt is leveraging its relations with Arab Gulf countries to offset the negative impacts of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, CEO of the General Authority for Free Zones and Investment (GAFI), paid a three-day visit to Qatar this week at the head of a business delegation. The aim of the trip, he said, was to advance bilateral investment and economic cooperation between the two countries.

According to Dohas state news agency QNA, the delegation met with Qatars Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Mohamed Al-Thani for discussions on investment legislation.

Abdel-Wahab also met with Faisal bin Qassem Al-Thani, president of the Qatari Businessmen Association.

We decided to exchange visits and open direct channels of communication between our respective business communities. Building on the opportunities that exist for economic cooperation and investment will help contribute to economic growth and absorb the economic shock of ongoing global crises, particularly the three-month war between Russia and Ukraine, said Abdel-Wahab. He noted that there are more than 350,000 Egyptian nationals in Qatar and their remittances represent a key element of Egypts foreign exchange reserves.

In a meeting with Mansour Ibrahim Al-Mahmoud, CEO of the Qatar Investment Authority, ways to increase Qatari investments in Egypt were discussed. GAFI is working to attract Qatari investments to Egypt, particularly in the fields of agriculture, energy, tourism, food security and food industries, and the water, communications and information technology sectors, said Abdel-Wahab.

Abdel-Wahabs visit to Qatar came two days after Finance Minister Mohamed Maait met his Qatari counterpart Ali bin Kawari in Sharm El-Sheikh on the sidelines of the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Islamic Development Bank Group. A statement following the meeting said the two ministers discussed the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Arab economies and how cooperation could mitigate the fallout.

The growing exchange of visits between Egyptian and Qatari officials follows the signing of a $5 billion investment deal between Cairo and Doha in March during a landmark visit of Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdul-Rahman Al-Thani to Egypt. Al-Thani met with President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli, and the two countries agreed to form a joint higher committee, headed jointly by their foreign ministers, to advance the process of building confidence.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain allied against Qatar in 2017, accusing Doha of funding and sponsoring terrorist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood. The four countries subsequently restored diplomatic, economic, and travel ties with Qatar in January 2021.

Within hours of the rapprochement Qatars Diar Real Estate Company officially opened the St. Regis Hotel in Cairo. President Al-Sisi appointed a new ambassador to Doha in June 2021, and a month later Qatar appointed its first ambassador to Cairo since the rift.

Al-Ahram political analyst Hassan Abu Taleb says Egypts growing economic relations with oil-rich Arab Gulf states reflect the strength of political ties. Cairos alliance between Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain against Qatar between 2017 and 2021 led to a boom in political and economic relations, resulting in flourishing joint investments and military cooperation between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Now, with the war between Russia and Ukraine negatively impacting the Egyptian economy, Egypt is looking to leverage its political relations with oil-rich Arab Gulf countries and secure financial and investment support to soften the shock of the war.

The Russia-Ukraine war led to a dramatic spike in oil and energy prices, which means huge foreign exchange revenues for the Arab Gulf countries, but also huge financial pressure and economic woes for Egypt, said Abu Taleb.

President Al-Sisi paid a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia in March, after which King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz ordered a $5 billion deposit with the Central Bank of Egypt. The deposit comes as part of the rigid bonds and close cooperative relations between the two countries and is a gesture confirming their deep-rooted relations, said an official Saudi statement at the time. The step underlines the solid bilateral relations between the two countries at all levels and illustrates Saudi Arabias commitment to supporting Egypt in all circumstances.

Speculation has been rife in recent days that Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman is planning to visit Cairo. According to press reports, Saudi officials are still discussing the exact dates of Bin Salmans visit, and sources in Egypt have told the media that Egypt and Saudi Arabia are expected to sign a number of economic and investment deals during the crown princes trip.

The Saudi press has also reported that a Saudi delegation, including representatives from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), will soon visit Egypt to sign $10 billion worth of deals with the Sovereign Fund of Egypt (SFE).

SFE President Ayman Suleiman said this week that the PIF has been looking to invest $10 billion in Egypts healthcare, education, agriculture, and financial services sectors as part of a Saudi package to support the Egyptian economy.

Cairo is also looking to capitalise on Egypts political relations with the UAE to help the local economy weather the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

When Prime Minister Madbouli visited Abu Dhabi in May to sign the Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Growth agreement with the UAE and Jordan the UAEs Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan said the deal heralded a new era of opportunity for the three countries to boost economic growth in five key sectors  food and agriculture, fertilisers, pharmaceuticals, textiles, minerals, and petrochemicals.

Press reports at the time quoted Jamal Saif Al-Jarwan, secretary-general of the UAE International Investors Council (UAEIIC), saying that the UAE is looking forward to increasing its investments in Egypt to $35 billion over the next five years.

Emirati investors will be your partners forever, said Al-Jarwan.



*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Egyptian political forces preparing themselves for the national dialogue proposed by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi on 26 April reject any participation by Islamists, particularly the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

The rejection followed a series of statements issued in recent days by a number of Islamists and Muslim Brotherhood officials living in Turkey and some European capitals.

The first statement came from Youssef Nada, a Muslim Brotherhood millionaire living in Switzerland. Nada said the door of the Muslim Brotherhood group is open for dialogue with the regime in Egypt We are ready for the possibility of dialogue with the Egyptian presidency and to forgive injustice without pre-conditions.

Nada is a loyalist to the Muslim Brotherhoods wing in London, led by the groups de-facto supreme leader Ibrahim Mounir. In October 2021, the Muslim Brotherhood leadership split into two factions, one based in London and led by Mounir, the second based in Istanbul and led by the groups secretary-general Mahmoud Hussein.

Political analyst Abdallah Al-Sennawi said in a recent TV interview that the Brotherhoods London-based factions approval of the national dialogue shows that its leaders recognised the group has lost enormous amounts of ground and sees the dialogue as a way of regaining the spotlight. He argued that Nadas statement was intended to test the waters and determined whether dialogue presents an opportunity for the Brotherhood to regain a toehold in Egypt political life.

Al-Sennawi concluded that any invitation to Brotherhood representatives to participate in the dialogue was at best improbable, and any hopes the Brotherhood has of reaching some kind of deal hopelessly misplaced.

Fattouh Heikal, a political consultant with the London-based Trend Centre for Research and Consultations, pointed out that this is not the first time the Brotherhoods London-based faction directs a message of reconciliation to the ruling regime in Egypt.

The Istanbul-based faction issued its own statement welcoming the dialogue as a good political tool while noting confidence-building measures are a pre-condition for the success of the dialogue.

Heikal views both factions responses as symptomatic of the severe crisis affecting the Brotherhood. Not only have they split into two warring factions, but they have been facing intense financial pressure over the last two years. Some of their leaders have been expelled from Turkey and their Istanbul-based TV channels have been closed, while Qatar, which used to be a safe haven for the Brotherhood in the past, has chosen to mend fences with Egypt, says Heikal.

A third statement, from the Islamist party Building and Development, the political arm of Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya, saw the partys former chairman Tarek Al-Zomor say he welcomed participation in the proposed dialogue with the stipulation it should be serious and leads to tangible political reforms.

Al-Zomor was a member of Islamic Jihad which carried out the assassination of president Anwar Al-Sadat in October 1981. Al-Zomor and his brother Abboud were sentenced to life in prison following the assassination of president Sadat only to be released after the 2011 January Revolution. In July 2013, when millions took to the streets to protest against the Brotherhood rule of Mohamed Morsi, he fled to Qatar.

A fourth statement came from secular politician and manager of the Istanbul-based Al-Sharq TV channel Ayman Nour. The 58-year-old, who has been living in Istanbul since 2013, said all politicians should welcome the idea of a national dialogue but as chairman of the Union of Egyptian National Forces I should stipulate that pre-conditions are needed for the dialogue to be a success.

Al-Sennawi revealed in his interview that Ayman Nour has sent a secret message to officials in Egypt asking them to allow him to return from Turkey and participate in the dialogue and that Nour is a sympathiser and confidante of the Muslim Brotherhood and wants to act as the groups front man for them in the dialogue.

Nour dismissed any suggestion that he had engaged in secret contacts with Egyptian officials, though he added that he was a friend of the Muslim Brotherhood and the elected chairman of the Egyptian National Forces which includes the Brotherhood as a major member.

Groups across the political spectrum in Egypt have voiced their rejection of any participation in the dialogue by Islamist figures.

Farid Zahran, chairman of the Egyptian Socialist Democratic Party and an appointed senator, said that when President Al-Sisi issued his call for the national dialogue and said that political forces would attend he meant civilian and secular opposition forces based in Egypt which have never been involved in violence or have blood on their hands.

Tarek Radwan, chairman of parliaments Human Rights Committee, agrees that President Al-Sisis call for dialogue was directed to political forces representing the left, the right, and the centre, but not to groups which have been designated as terrorist or involved in violence.

When you call for dialogue, you are addressing forces which want to build the country, not those who want to disrupt it, he said.

Sayed Abdel-Aal, chairman of the Tagammu Party, told Al-Ahram Weekly that he had been taken aback by Muslim Brotherhood leaders living in Istanbul and London issuing statements. How can they square their descriptions of President Al-Sisis regime as dictatorial and the result of a military coup and at the same time welcome the dialogue, he asked.

Abdel-Aal also argued secular figures like Nour who have chosen to live outside the country and obtain money from hostile forces in return for attacking the regime should be excluded.

Mohamed Abul-Ela, chairman of the Arab Nasserist Party, told the Weekly that the call for national dialogue should be limited to civilian forces that participated in the anti-Muslim Brotherhood 30 June Revolution in 2013.

These forces revolted against political Islam in general and rejected any attempts to turn Egypt into a religious state, he said.

Khaled Okasha, head of the Egyptian Centre for Strategic Studies, told Abu Dhabi-based Al-Ain website that the Muslim Brotherhood has been heavily involved in terrorist activities via military offshoots like Hasm and Lewaa Al-Thawra, and is responsible for the murder of many soldiers and police personnel since 2013, a fact that precludes the opening of political channels to the outlawed group.

Okasha attributed the groups welcoming of the dialogue to internal crises and strife and the desire of its leaders to show Western media that it is a political force that rejects violence.

At an event held to mark Eid Al-Fitr on 2 May, President Al-Sisi said that the Muslim Brotherhood had repeatedly threatened to target the army and sow chaos across Egypt. He mentioned that the Brotherhoods deputy supreme guide Khairat Al-Shater had threatened him personally when the group ruled the country.

Al-Shater is currently in prison after having been found guilty in several cases, including on charges of spying for foreign parties.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The effects of the failure of the Iran-US nuclear talks may go far beyond the waves of conflicts currently reverberating across the region.

Talks on the revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal may be stumbling after several weeks hiatus, threatening the collapse of an agreement that could restrain the Islamic Republic from advances in its nuclear programme.

The talks seem to have become a casualty of the war in Ukraine, which is forcing the administration of US President Joe Biden to review its Middle East policies to meet challenges from Russia and China to US leadership in the region.

Speculation over the closure of the negotiations has come on the heel of reports of the honeymoon that the Biden administration has started to enjoy with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and other key Arab countries following a hiccup in the relationship over a variety of disputes.

The complete collapse of the Iran nuclear talks, however, could potentially trigger cascading risks across the region.

Talks on Irans nuclear programme have been swinging back and forth for more than a year, haunting international efforts to revive a deal that would prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons and softening the sanctions on Tehran.

The nuclear accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), limited Irans nuclear programme while granting the country billions of dollars in sanctions relief. Former US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed biting sanctions on Iran.

The talks to revive the deal under Biden broke off in March with no agreement over the terms of a new deal and both parties putting the onus on the other to take the decision to finalise an agreement.

While Tehran has set conditions that include no new sanctions, guarantees by the US Congress not to quit any new deal, and the sanctions lifted under the reinstated deal not being reimposed, Washington has balked at these requests, leading to an impasse in the negotiations.

The talks have also stalled over a number of issues including a US terror designation against Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and illicit demands from Israel and some Arab Gulf countries to include Irans missile and drone programmes in the deal.

The question now is whether the high-water mark of a nuclear deal has been reached, or if all this is part of a real-world negotiation strategy to outwit and outmanoeuvre Iran in order to get a better one.

Several signs have emerged that suggest the negotiations have reached a critical moment and hopes for salvaging the 2015 deal may be fading.

One sign is that the Biden administration, under pressure from Republicans in the US Congress as well as Israel and its regional allies, has become tougher on Iran by refusing to make concessions rejected by Irans regional opponents.

Beyond the nuclear deal, Biden is also recalibrating Washingtons role in the Middle East, including by reestablishing closer ties with Israel and other regional allies and abandoning his previous intention to downsize the US footprint in the region.

Biden will reportedly visit Riyadh next month and meet Saudi Crown-Prince Mohamed bin Salman, abandoning a campaign pledge to make Saudi Arabia a pariah in the wake of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashogji.

The trip has prioritised Bidens need to bring oil prices down by securing a Saudi pledge to pump more oil and thereby punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine over his stand on human rights.

A meeting with the leaders of nine Arab countries which was also reported to take place during the tour will underscore a more anti-Iran stance by Biden.

A second indicator that the negotiations with Iran have reached a critical point are the closer ties being built between the UAE and Israel, the latest effort by the two countries to use their historic normalisation deal in 2020 to reorient the regional geopolitical landscape.

The UAE last week penned a multi-billion-dollar free-trade agreement with Israel with a declared target of increasing annual bilateral trade to more than $10 billion over the next five years.

The agreement, the largest ever between Israel and any Arab country, comes a few days after the UAE signed a $10 billion investment partnership with Egypt and Jordan that will focus on food security and industrial integration in the region.

A third signal of the fragility of the negotiations with Iran came in the shape of the massive military drills that the Israeli army conducted in Cyprus last month.

The exercise, bringing thousands of troops by air and sea to the Mediterranean island, was designed to simulate a military ground offensive deep inside Lebanon in a potential war against the Lebanese Shia group Hizbullah, Irans main regional ally.

A fourth sign is Israels proposal to the Biden administration and the E3 group of Britain, France, and Germany to offer Tehran a new deal in which economic sanctions would be lifted, but not the restrictions on its nuclear programme.

The proposal is aimed at tightly restricting Irans nuclear activities to prevent it from benefiting from the so-called sunset clauses in the JCPOA, which from 2025 onwards would free the Iranians of most of the constraints on their nuclear programme.

Meanwhile, the deadlock in the talks in Vienna over the deal has raised concerns that the failure to revive the Iran nuclear accord could pose much greater danger amid an already turbulent backdrop of regional conflicts and exacerbated global tensions over Ukraine.

This conclusion is shared by members of the Israeli intelligence community, who told the Jerusalem Post last week that not reviving the Iran nuclear deal could result in more imminent nuclear danger for Israel and its allies.

Yet, the anti-Iran camp seems to be betting on keeping the sanctions against Iran in place in order to force the Islamic Republic to make concessions. This line of thinking assumes that continuing with Trumps maximum pressure on Iran, which has been triggering economic protests across the country, will eventually bring Iran to its knees.

But so far Irans leaders seem to be unwavering, at least in public. They have warned that they will resist efforts by the US and the E3 group to condemn Iran at this weeks board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The nuclear watchdog has said that Iran has not clarified questions about the presence of nuclear material found at three undeclared sites.

At any rate, a failure to revive the Iran nuclear deal could result in more imminent nuclear danger to US allies in the region, with Iran said to be only weeks away from being able to enrich uranium to levels of around 90 per cent, which is what is required to build a nuclear weapon.

On the ground, Iran has stockpiled a large quantity of enriched uranium and nearly 20,000 centrifuges that the IAEA has estimated to be more than 18 times the limit laid down in Tehrans 2015 deal with the world powers.

Western intelligence sources say that this is enough to create eight to 10 bombs if Iran decided to rush to make a bomb without a deal in place. It would need two to three months before it had enough weapon-ready uranium to build its first nuclear weapon.

Many analysts doubt that a new deal could reverse Irans advances in uranium enrichment, a process that could produce fuel for bombs, while others question if the countrys enemies are capable of delivering lasting damage to Tehrans nuclear facilities.

Irans reaction to the failure to conclude a new deal could also include more interventions in the region, either directly or through proxies it is already using to boost its regional influence and power, with potential scenarios emerging in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.

By all accounts, the whole thing about Irans nuclear programme seems to be messy and the collapse of the talks on a new deal would herald a new era in the Middle East that would be fraught with uncertainty and possibly chaos. This scenario is plausible enough that should make policymakers worry about its consequences.

For any mistake made by the enemy, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground by the order of the supreme leader, warned Irans army ground forces commander Kiumars Heydari on Tuesday.

This could be dismissed as usual Iranian bombast, but escalation scenarios are plausible enough that should make policymakers worry about its consequences.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The US Agency for International Development (USAID) launched in Egypt on Tuesday the Womens Economic and Social Program with the goal of providing 200,000 women in seven Egyptian governorates with increased job opportunities, expanding financial inclusion, and reducing violence against women and girls.

The USAID-funded $39 million program will be implemented from 2022 to 2027 in the governorates of Assiut, Beheira, Minya, Cairo, Sohag, and Qena.

According to USAID, the program is part of a broader US strategy to empower women and girls in Egypt in coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of International Cooperation, Ministry of Social Solidarity, and the National Council for Women.

Such cooperation aims to advance the Government of Egypts key policy priorities, including the Sustainable Development Strategy, National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030, and the Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator, the USAID statement read.

International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat said during the launching ceremony that the program comes within a framework of the strategic economic partnership between Egypt and the United States under which the Inclusive Economic Governance bilateral assistance agreement was signed.

Al-Mashat pointed out that women's empowerment is one of the main goals on which the international cooperation ministry works to achieve cooperation with multilateral and bilateral development partners.

US Charge dAffaires Nicole Shampaine underscored the significance of the program, saying that since1978, the US government has invested over $30 billion to support Egypts economic development.

This five-year $39 million (approximately EGP 727 million) program builds on that support and strengthens the United States and Egypts longstanding partnership to empower women and girls, she stated, adding that through this program, the US will continue to partner with the Egyptian public and private sectors to increase womens access to jobs, financial services, and protection from violence.

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Aisha Fahmy Palace

1 Aziz Abaza St, Zamalek, Tel 02 2735 8211

The Complex of Arts

The Egyptian Art in the Twenties of the Last Century, a group exhibition of masterpieces by legendary Egyptian artists such as Mahmoud Mokhtar, Mahmoud Said, Ragheb Ayyad, Youssef Kamel, George Sabbagh, Mohamed Hassan, Emmy Nemr, Suzanne Adly, Shaaban Zaki and others. The show includes a selection of their most important artworks nearly 90 by twenty artists whose works shaped the features of that important period of the history of Egyptian art

(1 June - 1 August).

Art Talks

8 El-Kamel Mohamed St, Zamalek, Tel 0100 3970141

The Phoenix Rises exhibition of paintings is a tribute of the internationally-acclaimed, multi-dimensional Egyptian artist Omar El-Nagdi (1931-2019) on the 3rd anniversary of his passing

(31 May- 31 June).

Cairo Opera Complex

Gezira Exhibition Grounds, Zamalek

Salah Taher gallery

Tel 02 2739 0132/0144

A miscellaneous exhibition by Art Guild (closing 9 June).

Exhibition of paintings by Mohamed Abdel-Galil (12-18 June).

Music Library (Ziad Bakir) gallery

Exhibition of oil paintings by artists Inas Ammer and Aliaa Rafiaa

(closing 9 June).

Exhibition of paintings by Camilia El-Zorqany (12-18 June).

Palace of Arts

The seventh round of the Cairo International Forum for the Arts of Calligraphy, which bears the slogan Pioneers Renovators in a Hundred Years (1922 - 2022), in cooperation with the Egyptian General Assembly for Arabic Calligraphy headed by the great calligrapher Khoudeir El-Borsaidi. The forum witnesses the participation of 150 Egyptian and foreign guests and artists, including 63 Egyptian artists and 27 foreign artists from the countries: Serbia, China, Tunisia, Pakistan, Iraq, Japan, Thailand, Algeria, Indonesia, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, India, Uzbekistan, and Nigeria (6-20 June).

Cordoba

3A, Degla St, off Furat St, Mohandessein, Tel 01111 665868

Generations of Art a group exhibition of painting by the likes of Salah Taher, Mohamed Rizk, Hend Hegazy, Wahid El-Kelesh, Madih Taher, and many more (closing 9 June).

Contemporary Image Collective (CIC)

27 Talaat Harb St, 2nd Floor, Downtown, Cairo, Tel 02 2396 4272

Retrieving Absence exhibition brings together the latest articulations of three ongoing artistic projects by artists Nadia Mounier, Hagar Ezz Eldin, and Rawya Sadek. Through biographies, household materials, and family albums, the artists evoke the women they associate with through their biographies, photographs, and the handcrafted furniture of their homes. The three projects take research as a starting point, and produce, sometimes reproduce, what is absent or the time that has passed. The exhibition is accompanied by a series of events in collaboration with the artists (22 May - 30 July, open daily from Saturday to Thursday from 12-9pm).

Italian Cultural Institute

3 El-Sheikh El Marsafy St, Zamalek, Tel 02 2735 5423/2735 8791

We Love Art. Vision and Creativity Made in Italy contemporary art exhibition, an innovative project by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Italian Cooperation, in collaboration with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Foundation. Eight works ranging from sculpture to painting and photography, created by eight young artists who interpret a complex reality where humanism, innovation and technology interact with each other, demonstrating how the meeting between art and business is not only still possible, but necessary, as the herald of new and stimulating visions for a sustainable development of the country, the planet and our daily life. The exhibition is open to the public from Sunday to Thursday, from 10am-4pm (1 June- 15 July).

Italian/Egyptian Centre for Restoration and Antiquities (CIERA)

31 Al Suyuffeya St, Al Helmeya, Cairo, visitors are welcomed by appointments so contact the manager Mr. Salah Ramadan 0100 8716067

Architectural complex of the Mevlevi Dervish Samaa Khana, Restorations and Restorers permanent exhibition of the activities of the working/formation sites for the restoration and recovery of the monuments. Visitors are welcomed during the opening hours determined by the Ministry of Antiquities.

Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art

15 Mahmoud Bassiouny St, Qasr Al-Nile, Downtown, First Floor, Tel 02 25750353 / 0100 1704554

Belly of a Mountain: Offerings and Plaques (2014 - 2020) exhibition of sculpture by Sherif El-Azma (closing 2 June).

A Journey in Panoramic Land, a photo exhibition by Patrick Godeau. The French photographer exhibits for the first time in Egypt a selection of 40 astonishing photos taken in different southern countries over 35 years. Mostly focusing on landscapes and ancient monuments, Godeau began to look for the masses, the volumes that blend and oppose each other at the same time, the richness of the colours, and then to wait for the light, this light that is so essential in photography, this glow that enlightens the conscience, the spirit and that sharpens our intellectual curiosity and our contemplative inclinations (5 - 30 June)

Picasso East

Villa No 39 Al Narges 35th settlement, 90's St, in front of Lake View Compound, New Cairo, Tel 0122 0000035

Hall I

Time Travellers exhibition of paintings by Lina Osama on fragile existence and persistent hopes for change (closing 11 June).

Hall II

Full of Memories, paintings by Mounir Eskandar on the Egyptian folk and rural life (closing 11 June).

Samah

13 Brazil St, 1st Floor, Zamalek, Tel 0111294 7336

Semi-detached, paintings by Rania Khallaf (11-23 June).

Tahrir Cultural Centre (TCC)

AUC Tahrir Square

Margo Veillon, Future and Legacy Galleries

Liquid Gaze - Senior Projects Exhibition 2022 is the 2022 final projects exhibition produced by the students of the Visual Arts programme at the AUC. The show presents several multimedia art projects by eleven students. Most projects follow a contemporary artistic experimental methodology with a philosophical reference. The projects started in the fall of 2021, where students developed their unique ideas and conducted visual/knowledge-based research. In addition, there is also a printed book that documents all the creative and production practices throughout the year (14 May-25 June, 5pm-9pm).

(Due to Covid-19, seats are limited, and entrance is based on a first-come, first-served basis. Proof of vaccination is a must upon entry).

UBUNTU

20 Hassan Sabry St, (entrance from Ibn Zinki St), Zamalek, Tel 0100 2792223

Wissa Wassef - The School of Instinctive Creativity exhibition is showcasing a unique Egyptian experience, as well as distinguished and rare collection of wool and cotton tapestries made by the schools weavers (1-21 June).

ZAGpick

F8, Strip Mall-Sodic, Waslet Dahshour Road, Beverly Hills, Sheikh Zayed, 6th of October, Tel 02 38863961/0111 2304440

The Summer Group Exhibition features artworks by Mohamed Sabry, Ibrahim El-Tanbouly, Shaaban El-Hosseiny, Emad Ibrahim, Sameh Ismail, Hany El-Sayed, and many more

(23 May-15 September).

ALEXANDRIA

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Chatby, Alexandria 21526, Tel (03) 4839999

Archeological Museum

A permanent exhibition on the results of the Archaeological Mission of the University of Turin in Nelson Island.

Honorary Consulate of Italy

25 Saad Zaghloul Sq, Mahatet El-Raml, Alexandria

Exhibition of paintings by rising artist Aya Aziz (9-15 June).

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Authorities in southwest Nigeria's Ondo state said Tuesday that 22 people were killed and 58 others were injured in a recent attack by gunmen at a church.

The violence at St. Francis Catholic Church in the city of Owo during Sunday mass was a rare assault in a region usually considered safer than others in the country, and drew widespread international condemnation.

"Hospitals in Owo were filled with the injured, most of who were in critical conditions... Unfortunately the death toll is 22," Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu said in a broadcast, adding that 56 people were still in hospital and two had been discharged.

"The most unfortunate part is the lives of innocent children cut down in their prime and some severely injured by the mindless attackers," he added.

The governor described the gunmen responsible for the "vile and satanic attack" as "blood thirsty terrorists".

Police had said earlier that the gunmen hid among the worshippers inside the church and also opened fire on the congregation through the windows from outside.

"Investigations revealed that some of the gunmen disguised as congregants, while other armed men who had positioned themselves around the church premises from different directions, fired into the church," the police said in a statement.

Fragments of explosives and three unexploded improvised explosive devices were found at the scene.

Father Andrew Abayomi who conducted the service told AFP that some worshippers managed to close the church door and hide in the vestry with others, including children, for about 20 minutes before emerging to scenes of carnage.

Two days later, the anger is still palpable in Owo, the governor said, urging residents not to take the law into their own hands.

"I can assure you that security operatives have been deployed to monitor and restore normalcy to Owo," he added.

The state has declared a seven-day mourning period and ordered the national flag to be flown at half-mast in Ondo.

Pope Francis was "deeply saddened" by the "horrible attack", his number two, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, wrote in a telegram to the bishop of Ondo.

The pope assures "all those who are affected by this unspeakable act of violence of his spiritual closeness", he said.

The attack came a day before Nigeria's ruling APC party started primaries for its candidate in the 2023 election to replace Muhammadu Buhari, who steps down next year after two terms in office.

Security will be a major challenge for whoever wins the race to govern Africa's most populous country and the continent's largest economy.

Nigerian security forces are battling jihadist groups in the northeast, criminal gangs in the northwest and centre and separatist stirrings in the southeast, among other challenges.

There has been no claim of responsibility for Sunday's attack.

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With no end in sight to the war in Ukraine countries of the Middle East are working to circumvent the political and economic repercussions of the conflict.

On 14 June, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, is expected in Cairo for talks with President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi. Economic cooperation, especially in the energy sector, will be high on the agenda of the visit though, according to Christian Berger, EU ambassador to Egypt, Von der Leyen will also consult with President Al-Sisi on a wide range of political issues relating to regional stability.

On 19 June, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri is expected in Luxembourg for a meeting with his EU counterparts to adopt changes to the Egypt-EU Partnership Priority Document. According to Berger, the six-page text covers three chapters related to cooperation on political, economic, and governance issues for the next seven years.

According to government officials in Cairo, while 2021 saw major advances in relations with the EU after a lengthy period of stagnation, the war in Ukraine has lent further momentum to cooperation, with the push coming from both sides.

Ukraine and Russia are key suppliers of grain and of tourists to Egypt. The war has led to spiralling costs of wheat, and a collapse in the numbers of Ukrainian and Russian tourists arriving in Egypt, both of which have seriously impacted Egypts foreign currency reserves. Cairo is keen to secure economic assistance from the EU to boost its food security, while the EU wants a deal with Israel and Egypt covering gas supplies.

During her visit in Cairo, Von der Leyen is expected to attend the signing of a three-way gas deal bringing together Egypt, Israel, and the EU. The Israeli minister of energy is expected to be in Cairo for the occasion, and for a ministerial meeting of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum.

According to government officials, Egypts European partners are also proving supportive in the ongoing negotiations Egypt is conducting with the International Monetary Fund for a new programme to help overcome the economic disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic. They say that both Europe and the US recognise the need to keep the Middle East as stable as possible to avoid having two explosive spots simultaneously, a realisation that has spared Egypt and other Arab countries from pressures over matters of governance.

I think governance will remain an issue for discussion with our partners in Egypt and elsewhere in the region but for now it is trumped by concern over the stability of Egypt and of the region as a whole, said one Cairo-based European diplomat. He added that there is no telling when the war will end and that what the West needs now is to ensure the stability of the east and south Mediterranean and the Middle East in order not only to secure stable gas supplies but to avoid any possible waves of migration.

Prioritising stability over conflict is also impacting US relations with its traditional Arab Gulf allies. According to a Gulf-based political source, while several Arab Gulf capitals, especially Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, remain unhappy about the political position of the current US administration vis-a-vis their security and political concerns, there are signs of rapprochement.

There have been unannounced talks, at quite a high-level, in an attempt to prioritise cooperation over disagreement, he said, and there are already signs of success  he cited not only the positive statements of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the US administrations desire to work towards better relations with its regional allies, but also OPECs agreement to increase output in July and August.

According to another Gulf-based source, the delay of Bidens visit to the region, where he was supposed to meet with the leaders of the GCC, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, should not be viewed too negatively. He argued that the delay has as much to do with the troubles of the Israeli government  Israel was scheduled as Bidens first stop  as anything else.

The visit may take place in July or even later, but it will take place. One of the effects of the war on Ukraine is that it has reminded both the US and Gulf countries just how much they depend on one another, said the source. He added that leading Arab Gulf capitals have realised that the US that left Afghanistan late last year amid chaotic scenes is not as weak as they thought it was.

The US secured a solid trans-Atlantic coalition in the face of Russian aggression and has not pulled its diplomatic punches at the UN General Assembly which has passed resolutions condemning the Russian war against Ukraine, he said. At the same time, he added, Washington has realised that it cannot count on its Gulf allies to pump more oil whenever Washington wants.

He argued that one result of the war will be a higher level of US engagement in the region that goes beyond the nuclear deal with Iran and will include both the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Lebanese fronts.

Not that there is any panacea in sight. The region can still expect political hiccups, especially in Syria and Libya, areas from which the worlds attention has strayed. And the economic crisis, provoked by the war and the pandemic, shows no signs of abating anytime soon.

Senior financial consultant Wafik Grais believes the food crisis will worsen if war goes on much longer because Ukraine will not be able to plant a new crop. This will have a social impact on the everyday lives of citizens.

Grais noted that there are no obvious alternatives to Ukrainian and Russian wheat, especially given the trend to ban exports by some grain producing countries. States in the region, he says, will have to use as much clout as they can muster to persuade exporters like India and China to release more of their harvests.

Grais also warns of the effect of the war on the regions debt. Rising commodity prices and falling hard currency revenues will lead to widening budget deficits which in turn increases the need to borrow, yet servicing debt is becoming ever more expensive given the tightening monetary policy of the US Federal Reserve.

We will emerge with much more debt if the countries of the region do not boost their exports, Grais said.

Additional reporting: Niveen Wahish

A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

In 2022, Azerbaijan marks the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations with the subjects of international relations - both individual states and international organizations.

Azernews - the nation's first English language media outlet - is launching a new project, designed to cover the major points of the 30-year-long diplomatic ties between Azerbaijan and individual states.

The geographically distant Spain, with a lot in common with Azerbaijan, comes first with no special preference for it.

Nowadays, Azerbaijan and Spain are marking the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. The prevailing good relations Baku and Madrid have managed to establish are based on successful foreign policy courses of the two nations with interests in their national and international interests.

Over the period of the diplomatic relations, the two geographically distant nations have forged a bond of trust, paving the way for strong and solid friendly ties based on dialogue and mutual understanding.

The good relations between the two countries are a vivid example that the West and the East are not so far apart as some may think. The Azerbaijani-Spanish relations have been longstanding, consistent, expanded, and filled with new content year after year.

High-level political dialogue and cooperation within the international organizations always give impetus to the development of relations and Baku and Madrid never let the opportunity slip to this effect. Cooperation between the two countries covers political, economic, energy, cultural, tourism, and sports. And for the convenience of our readers, we are trying to shed light on specific aspects of the relations in a Q&A format.

Q: When did Azerbaijan and Spain establish diplomatic relations? What do we know about the history of ties?

A: Spain recognized Azerbaijans independence on December 31, 1991, and diplomatic relations between the two states were established on February 11, 1992.

The first high-profile meetings between Azerbaijani and Spanish top officials were held in 1995 and in 1995-1996 official meetings of foreign ministers took place.

At the end of 2005, Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Madrid, and a diplomatic mission of Spain in Baku has been operating since 2014.

Q: What are the common points between the two states regarding the territorial integrity issue?

A: Azerbaijan and Spain, guided by the norms and principles of international law, support and respect each others territorial integrity, sovereignty, and inviolability of both countries' internationally-recognized borders.

Both countries have suffered from separatism. Both cases, in an illegal and criminal way, were going against the UN resolutions, as well as the international law in the case of Karabakh and the national laws of Spain in the case of Catalonia. To recall, on October 1, 2017, a referendum on independence took place in Catalonia despite the opposition of Spanish central authorities and the lack of constitutional support. At the same time, for almost 30 years, Armenia kept under occupation some 20 percent of Azerbaijans territory, which the victorious Azerbaijani army liberated in the 44-day Second Karabakh War back in 2020. Throughout the 44-day Second Karabakh War, the whole world including Spain closely followed the situation surrounding the conflict. Currently, Spanish companies are exploring the possibility of participating in the reconstruction of Azerbaijans liberated lands.

Q: What is the current state and spheres of economic cooperation between the two countries?

A: Spanish companies operate in various sectors of the Azerbaijani economy, from oil and gas, mechanical engineering, transport infrastructure to agriculture.

The introduction of the Spanish capital to Azerbaijans oil sector began late in the 1990s. The Spanish company Repsol was engaged in oil exploration in Azerbaijan, more precisely, the companys share in the international consortium for the development of the Kurdashi oil field was 5 percent. Currently, some Spanish companies are also working on the modernization of refineries in Baku. At the same time, in 2014 Spain's Enagas acquired a 16-percent share in an important part of the SGC- Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

The economic cooperation between the two countries is not only limited to the oil and gas sector. There are also good cooperation opportunities in various sectors of interest, such as construction and building materials, architecture and urban planning, power plant renovation, the medical sector, and hospital network.

During the period from 2010 to 2020, Azerbaijan and Spain signed various cooperation agreements, including memorandums of cooperation in the fields of sports, culture, education, science, information, and communication; an agreement on the cancellation of a short-term visa regime for citizens holding diplomatic passports; convention for the avoidance of double taxation; as well as memorandums of understanding between the diplomatic academies and the foreign ministries of the two countries.

Additionally, in 2021, the Azerbaijani-Spanish trade turnover amounted to $645.8 million.

Q: How do the two countries cooperate in international, cultural, and other spheres?

A: International cooperation between the two countries is carried out within the framework of international organizations, of which they are members. Thus, Spain supports Azerbaijan's position in the European Union within the framework of the Eastern Partnership strategy.

A relatively important stage in the development of relations between Spain and Azerbaijan was marked in April 2014, during the visit to Baku of an official delegation led by Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo. The Spanish minister was received by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who noted the importance of cooperation between the two countries in political, economic, and cultural spheres.

In the same year, Baku played host to the symposium titled Azerbaijani-Spanish relations: the scientific view of economic development. The conference, which was organized with the support of the Spanish Royal Academy of Economic and Financial Sciences, discussed issues such as an exchange of qualified personnel and the development of cooperation in the education sector.

With the continuation of bilateral relations development, in September 2020, the "House of Azerbaijan" opened in Barcelona with the support of the Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with Diaspora.

The past years and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Spain give grounds to say that there are great opportunities to further strengthen and deepen cooperation between the two nations.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia discussed on Monday ways of boosting bilateral ties in different domains as well as cooperation on a host of regional and international issues of mutual interest.

This came during a meeting held in the Saudi capital Riyadh between representatives of the Egyptian-Saudi Follow-up and Political Consultation Committee, according to a statement released by the Saudi foreign affairs ministry.

The meeting was co-chaired by Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab Affairs Alaa Moussa and Saudi Assistant Minister for African Affairs Sami bin Abdullah Al-Saleh and a group of officials from both countries.

The committee's last meeting was held in Cairo in December 2021 between Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Saudi counterpart Faisal Bin Farhan, in the presence of officials from both countries.

The meeting witnessed exchange of views concerning regional and international issues as well as the stances of both countries regarding threats against stability and security in the region.

In joint press conference between the Egyptian and Saudi foreign ministers, Shoukry said that Egypt was working closely with Saudi Arabia to achieve the security and stability within the region.

The committee was founded as per a memorandum of understanding between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in June 2007 to promote coordination and cooperation between the two sides.

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The Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism (AOCE) is calling on the international community to urgently find solutions to tackle the causes of irregular migration, urging host countries to support and integrate refugees.

Earlier this week, the AOCE issued a report on refugees' conditions, stating that "the horrific statistics and numbers of victims represent a blow to the era of technology and human rights". It also demanded Mediterranean countries increase their capacities to address drowning accidents, calling on the United Nations to endorse legislation that forces countries to prioritize saving lives.

By 2022, worldwide conflicts have been leading to new waves of irregular migration as more countries export refugees, the report said.

The report mentions that wars and conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, and other African countries, as well as the Ukrainian-Russian war, have led to an increase in refugee numbers around the world, heralding a major humanitarian disaster.

AOCE also mentioned statements by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which state that in 2021, the number of displaced Ukrainians had exceeded 7.7 million with an estimated 1,924 deaths due to the Russian-Ukrainian war.

"The number of dead and missing refugees is expected to double in 2022 compared to 2021," the report said, quoting the UNHCR.

The Observatory lauded Egyptian efforts in hosting migrants, especially Syrians. It also stated that UNHCR representative in Egypt Pablo Mateu has praised the Egyptian government's decision to allow Syrian refugee children to join public schools.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said in late 2021 that he does not allow his country to be a transit point for irregular migrants seeking to reach Europe, stressing that Egypt hosts almost 6 million refugees from Africa and "other unstable countries".

El-Sisi stressed that, with a human rights-based approach, Egypt has no camps for refugees but treats them as guests, allows them to join schools and universities, and includes them in the coronavirus vaccination campaign.

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Africa Heath ExCon, the first African Health Conference, concluded its first edition on Tuesday with the launch of an initiative to increase African capabilities in producing vaccines as well as 12 recommendations for African governments to improve health conditions on the continent.

The initiative launched at the conference, which was held at Al-Manara International Conference Centre in New Cairo, aims to expand African human and financial capabilities to produce vaccines, medical tools, and supplies by 2030.

The initiative also aims to boost the negotiating position of African countries in importing medication and medical supplies that are not produced on the continent.

The recommendations called for the elimination of Hepatitis B (HVB) and C (HVC) by administering HVB vaccination right after birth and learning from the Egyptian experience in fighting HVC.

The conference called for exchanging expertise between North Africa and southern African countries in maternal and child health, with the start in expertise exchange to take place between Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Morocco.

The recommendations also include implementing training courses for healthcare providers in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO) over the next two years and publishing a multi-language booklet in 2024, with the most important educational materials taught in this field to be used continentally.

The conference also called for a continental strategy to use Artificial Intelligence in the medical field as well as the launching of a unified database between all African countries to facilitate continental cooperation in medicine on the level of experts and countries.

The recommendations also included an agreement to double efforts to localise medical industries, vaccine manufacturing, and medical supply production in Africa and to boost continental cooperation in the early phases of production and supply.

The conference called for studying over in the next two years the possibility of launching a unified system for managing medical institutions.

It also agreed to boost the cooperation between the different African health authorities as well as to launch joint research and exchange medical tourism and medical reports across the continent.

The recommendations also encouraged research bodies to study a suggestion to register and price medicine in a unified way.

The conference also recommended upgrading medical syllabuses and courses as well as unifying methods for evaluating doctors licenses and their mutual recognition between African countries. Egypt and Nigeria will be the first to cooperate in this issue.

Africa ExCon was inaugurated in Cairo by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday.

Around 2,000 delegates representing government health entities from Africa and the Middle East participated in the conference, which is organised by the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement and is the biggest medical exhibition and conference on the continent.

Over 350 companies operating in more than 102 countries took part in the conference, unveiling the latest medical technologies and outlining the best practices for sustainable healthcare on the continent.

The conference included 350 sessions and 20 workshops featuring more than 800 international speakers and medical experts, with the aim of showcasing the latest technologies in the field of medicine as well as initiatives that support Africa ExCon as a sustainable platform that connects international healthcare partners.

According to Acting Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, Egypt will host the second edition of Africa Health ExCon on 8 June 2023.

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Egypt's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said on Tuesday it is monitoring the rates of rainfall at the headwaters of the Nile River, to determine the quantity of water reaching the reservoir at Aswan High Dam.

Such procedures are essential for forecasting the different scenarios of the upcoming flood, according to a statement by the ministry released following a meeting of the Permanent Committee for Regulating the Niles Revenue.

The Niles annual flooding  which takes place August-October  is caused by heavy rains in the Ethiopian highlands.

Over the past year, according to a previous statement by the ministry, Egypt has built over 1,500 facilities to protect the country from heavy rainfall as well as store water for Bedouin communities that suffer from water scarcity, the ministry said in previous statements.

Egypt has also established a flood-forecasting centre to monitor rainfall and floods as well as study climate change and its impact on the country.

On Tuesday, the committee held a follow up meeting to keep abreast of the situation concerning the output of the Nile River in the current water year.

The committee meetings, held regularly throughout the year, aim to ensure water resources are optimally managed to provide for the country's water needs.

Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati, who chaired Tuesday's meeting, said the ministry seeks to efficiently provide for the country's water needs and to handle any complaints immediately, the statement added.

The minister issued directives to the ministrys departments to remain on high alert and follow up on the water situation to maintain safe water levels in canals and drains and guarantee the readiness of water-lifting stations and emergency units nationwide.

Some 85 percent of river waters in Egypt flow from the Ethiopian highlands through the Blue Nile  one of the Niles two main tributaries along with the White Nile.

Egypt, which is considered one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, receives around 60 billion cubic metres (bcm) annually, mainly from the Nile. However, its needs stand at around 114 bcm, placing the 102-million-plus country well below the international threshold for water scarcity at 560 cubic metres per person annually.

The large gap in water resources in Egypt is overcome by importing 54 percent of its consumption and reusing 42 percent of its renewable sources, Abdel-Ati said in an earlier statement.

Access to the Niles waters is one of the outstanding points in the long-running Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute between downstream countries Egypt and Sudan, from one side, and the upstream country Ethiopia, on the other.

Cairo and Khartoum have been involved in decade-long talks with Addis Ababa over the massive mega project in an attempt to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam.

Downstream countries do not oppose the project but seek to reach a binding deal with Ethiopia. Egypt fears an impact on its water supply and Sudan is concerned about regulating flows to its own dams.

Ethiopia, however, has been intransigent in its negotiations with the two downstream countries.

In the absence of the desired deal, Ethiopia had unilaterally completed the first and second filling of the dam, and recently announced that the first turbine of the GERD has begun generating power.

It seeks to start the third filling in August and September, according to remarks by Kiffle Horo, the project manager of the GERD.

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Egypt is expected to experience a heat-wave starting Wednesday due to the Indian seasonal thermal depression according to the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) forecast.

Egyptian governorates will witness an increase in temperatures as of Wednesday 8 till Monday 13 June, according to the EMA. Greater Cairo, South Sinai, and other Southern cities will experience hot conditions during the day, while moderate temperatures are expected at night nationwide.

Temperatures in Greater Cairo will record between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius, while in Upper Egypt they will exceed 40 degrees Celsius.

Thanks to Egypt's geographical location, the heat wave will be less severe than other countries in the Middle East.

The EMA stated that this heat wave is due to the impact of Indias seasonal depression that is affecting countries in the Middle East such as Kuwait, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula, causing the rise of temperatures.

The EMA added that the temperature in Al-Jahra, Kuwait has recently recorded more than 50 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature on earth.

The EMA report says that Indias seasonal depression passage over the Mediterranean raises the humidity levels and therefore increases the feeling of heat.

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Soldiers killed nine civilians including a baby in one of Cameroon's conflict-scarred anglophone regions last week in a "misunderstanding", the defence ministry said on Tuesday.

Four troops were searching for a missing colleague on June 1 when they encountered "a group of frenzied villagers", the ministry said in a statement.

They opened fire and killed four women, four men and an 18-month-old girl, it said, describing their reaction as "inappropriate, ill-suited for the circumstances and manifestly disproportionate".

The incident took place in Missong in the Northwest Region, it said, adding that the troops had been detained.

The Northwest and neighbouring Southwest Region are home to a large minority of anglophones in majority French-speaking Cameroon.

After years of chafing at perceived discrimination, anglophone militants declared an independent state in the two regions in 2017, triggering a crackdown by the authorities.

The spiral of fighting has claimed more than 6,000 lives and prompted more than a million people to flee their homes, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank.

Separatists have targeted police, soldiers, officials and schools, which they deem to be symbols of the state, often carrying out kidnappings.

However, civilians have suffered abuses committed by both sides, according to international NGOs and the United Nations.

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Iran has carried out a mass execution of 12 inmates at a prison in its southeast, an NGO said on Tuesday, as concern grows over the rising number of executions in the Islamic republic.

The 11 men and one woman -- convicted either on drugs-related or murder charges -- were hanged on Monday morning in the main prison of Zahedan in Sistan-Baluchestan province close to the borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan, Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) said.

They were all members of the Baluch ethnic minority who mainly adhere to the Sunni strain of Islam rather than the Shiism that is dominant in Iran, it added.

Of the 12, six were sentenced to death for drug-related charges and six were sentenced for murder. None of the executions had been reported by domestic media or confirmed by officials in Iran, it said.

The woman executed -- identified only by her surname Gargij -- was sentenced for the murder of her husband and arrested in 2019, it said.

Activists have long expressed concern that executions in Iran disproportionately target members of Iran's ethnic and religious minorities, notably Kurds in the northwest, Arabs in the southwest and Baluch in the southeast.

"Data gathered by Iran Human Rights shows that Baluch prisoners accounted for 21 percent of all executions in 2021, while only representing 2-6 percent of Iran's population," IHR added.

There has also been concern over a recent upsurge of executions in Iran, as the country's leaders are confronted with protests over price rises for basic goods.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran, outlawed in the country, also said that the 12 executions had taken place in Zahedan on Monday.

"Facing expanding popular protests, the clerical regime has intensified repression and killings, setting an unprecedented record in executions," the NCRI said.

According to IHR, at least 333 people were executed in Iran in 2021, a 25-percent increase compared to 2020.

Amnesty International, in its annual report on use of the death penalty worldwide, said executions in 2021 rose by 28 percent in Iran compared to the previous year to 314 but warned that the figure was likely an underestimate.

"Death sentences were used disproportionately against members of ethnic minorities for vague charges... and as a tool of political repression," Amnesty charged.

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Milans famed La Scala opera house on Monday announced the celebration of next seasons gala premiere with the Russian opera Boris Godunov, a move it hopes will underline the separation of culture from politics

La Scalas 2022-23 calendar, set long before Russias invasion of Ukraine, also features a host of Russian stars singing roles in Boris Godunov as well as other titles, including soprano Anna Netrebko in Macbeth.

We hope that we will have a St. Ambrose (feast day) that will also celebrate peace, said Mayor Giuseppe Sala, who is president of La Scalas board, calling the opera by Modest Mussorgsky a masterpiece.

He referred to the Dec. 7 feast day for Milans patron saint, when La Scala holds its gala season opener each year, one of the most anticipated events of the European cultural calendar.

La Scala general manager Dominique Meyer emphasized that the choices were made two to three years ago, in keeping with the opera worlds practice of drafting calendars and booking stars years in advance.

The announcement of the rare Russian premiere comes months after La Scala became one of the first opera houses to exclude Russian conductor Valery Gergiev after he failed to respond to their appeal to denounce Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Opera house management was quick to separate Gergiev from other Russian artists who will be performing in Milan, noting his position as the general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg puts him close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

We considered him like a politician. The others, no. He is almost culture minister. It is another case, Meyer said.

Boris Godunov, which the La Scala program calls a disturbing fresco on the brutality and solitude of power, opened the 1979-80 season, conducted by Claudio Abbado.

Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov, who sang in last years season premiere, will sing the title role in Boris Godunov, while Russian tenor Dmitry Korchak headlines Czech composer Antonin Dvoraks Rusalka, which is making its La Scala debut.

Chief conductor and musical director Riccardo Chailly, who assisted Abbados 1979 premiere of Boris Godunov, said he has long been pushing for more Russian music on La Scalas calendar, which is historically heavy on the Italian repertoire as the premier opera house in the birthplace of lyric theater. Giuseppe Verdi is by far the composer most represented on the Dec. 7 gala season opener.

It would be serious to penalize the artistic aspect for the tragedy that we are all aware is happening in Ukraine, Chailly said. It seems to me necessary, in light of what we are living unfortunately for more than 90 days, (to say) that great music can live independently, as it should be.

It is important to distinguish the two things. Give merit to those who deserve it and to bring back to life masterpieces completely independently of events.

The 14 operas on La Scalas calendar also include Lucia di Lammermoor, starring American soprano Lisette Oropesa in the title role opposite Juan Diego Florez. The Donizetti opera was supposed to open the 2020-21 season, but was delayed because of pandemic restrictions.

La Scala is also reprising Umberto Giordanos Andrea Chenier, which opened the 2017-18 season, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the late stage and film director Franco Zeffirellis birth with his staging of La Boheme, and premiering Leonardo Vincis Neapolitan opera Li Zite Ngalera as part of a project to relaunch Italian baroque opera.

Netrebko, who performed to rave reviews last week at La Scala, will sing four dates of Verdis Macbeth, alternating with Belarusian mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk.

The ballet season opens with Rudolf Nureyevs choreography for The Nutcracker, marking the 30 anniversary of the Russian dancers death. The program, which includes both classics and contemporary choreographies, contains another homage to Nureyev, with his choreography to Tchaikovskys Swan Lake.

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More and more people are aiming to consume less and take a slower approach to their everyday and professional lives

Whether you are decluttering your home or slimming down your apparently never-ending shopping and to-do lists, now could be the right time to try leading a simpler and more meaningful style of life.

Whether or not you are burnt out by the fast pace of life, running from chores to job and then heading to the gym only to end up sleeping on the couch with a burger meal to look forward to, today could be the right time to step aside and start prioritising your values, goals, and how to make the best use of your time.

Slow living is a lifestyle philosophy that aims to de-glamorise being busy and devalue the culture of consumerism that goes with it. It calls for taking a slow approach to all aspects of life to try to enjoy and value everything we do at work, at home, and even in our leisure time more than we currently manage.

The concept began in Italy in the 1980s when fast-food companies started to appear in the country and consumerism began to creep into its culture. The Italians threw pasta feasts to protest against the commercialisation of their society and wrote a manifesto that went on to inspire the slow living movement.

Slow living calls for eating well, playing well, working well, and even resting well. It is mainly about enjoying the quality of life and not just the quantity, said Ahmed Al-Guweili, an Egyptian community pharmacist and Internet influencer.

Slow living is about taking things slowly. We should not aim to sacrifice everything else for the sake of the job, but should try instead to find time to spare to be with our family. We should try to exercise well and listen to music, meditate, and contemplate, Al-Guweili said.

The concept is related to Islam and Christianity, which call on us to work efficiently and to live competently. We should care about our family, friends, and society and should not be driven by consumerism or materialistic values, added Al- Guweili, recalling a hadith of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) in which he said that whoever among you wakes up secure in his property, healthy in his body, and with his food for the day, it is as if he has been given the entire world.

Sometimes society can make people feel pressured towards attaining a certain social class or buying a luxurious apartment in a compound, or even buying the latest mobile phone or television just because it is on offer. If you feel attracted to all this, just stop and think what your priorities are. Do you actually need this stuff? If you are in debt, you need to get out of this materialistic lifestyle because you have been sadly trapped, Al- Guweili said.

Concerning the need for a more spiritual life, Haytham Abdel-Aziz, a Cairo dentist, agrees with Al-Guweili that a slower style of life can make you experience more, something he found after his pilgrimage in 2017. Though he could have waited to afford a better package a year later, he preferred to go a harder way at less cost and find a more spiritual and life-changing experience.

I put myself in Gods hands in every sense I could. I walked six km every day to reach the holy site and spent as much time there as possible to pray and worship God and meditate on the surroundings, Abdel-Aziz said.

He also had to stay with six different men from different social classes in one apartment and share the same bathroom. He learned a lot about equality in Islam and minimalism in life. I learned that sometimes the hardest road is more rewarding than the easiest or the most luxurious one, he added.

Abdel-Aziz has also adopted a slower lifestyle in his professional life as his career changed when he knew better what he wanted to focus on. I used to run from place to place, working two jobs, learning many languages, and taking too many courses in the medical and sociological fields. This was when I realised that I was actually doing nothing and working too much for zero product, he added.

After this massive realisation, he took decisions in his career that enabled him to leap forward, focusing on what he really wanted and excelling in a cutting-edge specialisation. It is not only about quitting jobs you had imagined you couldnt, but also about believing in yourself to prioritise the most important things and the achievements you really want to attain, he said.

SLOW LIVING: The concept of slow living is not learned or taught but is inspired by people who are thinking outside the box.

It is believed in by people who want to lead their lives in the most satisfactory way they can. These are sometimes people who do not wish to lead a corporate life, but who simply want to move to a quiet place, lets say a farm, and raise cows or its equivalent, as Youmna Halawa, a 22-year-old student, said.

Many members of Generation Z who are digital natives may be fed up with the corporate lives many are living. Who said we should go to school and then university and then join companies just to get promoted and get a higher salary? Do we have to live in this endless circle until we die, asked Naira Shalabi, 22, a student and artist.

We are brought up to think there are certain achievements you have to do in order to fit in. If you do not fit in, you are not successful. But when society defines what success is, you have to take a leap of faith and just start thinking of what makes you successful instead, Halawa said.

Shalabi and Halawa have been thinking about how to lead more interesting and enjoyable lives, lives which are not busy but are productive and lives that do not make them feel burnt out but that they can enjoy. These should be lives not dedicated to fulfilling materialistic needs, but instead be about cherishing time as it passes and making memories.

For such reasons, they thought the concept of slow living might suit their graduation project, a documentary about the concept and how some people have adopted it in Egypt. The two students, both at the College of Language and Communication in Alexandria, shared their idea with their team members who were equally excited to research and produce the documentary.

It reveals the kind of love-hate relationship people may have with the city and follows a group of people who travel to Nuweiba in Sinai. Through their journey, viewers become familiar with Dar Jan, an art and farming space run by Khaled and Gihan, a couple who decided to leave the bustling urban life of Cairo and start an organic space instead in Sinai.

By featuring Dar Jan, we had the opportunity to feature the real story of a couple who had no idea of how to start this kind of life at first. They were both engineers who used to work in big companies, but they quit it all to follow their passion and start a totally new life elsewhere, Shalabi said.

We are not calling on people to quit their jobs or go travelling in the desert, but the documentary is meant as a wake-up call to all of us to question our habits and the style of life we have grown up to know, Halawa said.

You can have a stable job and practise slow living, and you can live in the desert and not practise slow living. What we should do is prioritise our goals and understand our values in order to know better what best fits with our lives, she concluded.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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In his first interview since taking office, UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt Alessandro Fracassetti explains to Al-Ahram Weekly the organisations efforts to support Egypt in its development projects, including on adapting to climate change and improving environmental protection.

Since he assumed office in November last year, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Egypt Alessandro Fracassetti has been busy with plans to help Egypt face up to climate change and the shift to a green economy.

Last weekend, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, he took part in launching the Scaling Up Climate Ambition on Land Use and Agriculture (SCALA) programme in Egypt, which over the next three years aims to support transformative climate action in land use and strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change in 12 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

A few days earlier, he joined the ministers of environment and tourism, Yasmine Fouad and Khaled El-Enany, in launching new guidelines to strengthen green development in Egypts tourism sector.

The launch of Egypts National Strategy for Climate Change 2050 last month was also hailed by Fracassetti as a way of planning long term to deal with climate change. This is a must, he said, which is why it is imperative to have a national strategy.

Nearly half the global population is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels, increased droughts, and more intense weather events, and climate change worldwide could drive an additional 100 million people into poverty. It is therefore essential that all nations have long-term strategies.

These can serve as a compass or direction for countries to commit to certain goals like decoupling economic growth from the use of fossil fuels, he said. In Egypt, the UNDP is proud to have supported the Ministry of Environment in drafting such a strategy, he added.

It is an important milestone to show Egypts commitment to climate action right before the COP27 meeting in November, Fracassetti said.

He pinpointed a couple of points about the strategy itself. First, it provides a guide for different sectors, important for mobilising resources from national and international partners for climate action. Any organisation Egypt approaches for funding in its efforts to face climate change will want to see the planning or directions in the related sector, he noted.

Second, it reflects the governments commitment to joining the global efforts to fight climate change and its adherence to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) agreed on in the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, part of an action plan to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts.

Each of the Paris Agreements 192 signatories is required to establish NDCs and update the agreements secretariat every five years.

Asked about the role played by the UNDP in helping Egypt to counter the effects of climate change and facilitate access to sources of finance, especially in preparation for COP27, Fracassetti pointed to a number of projects that are currently being implemented with the government, on top of which is the installation of solar plants on rooftops.

We have installed solar plants on 129 buildings, including private and state-owned buildings, he said. The UNDP is working on this project in 15 governorates with a total capacity of 11 Megawatts (MW) and a total saving of electricity to 17.6 Gigawatts (GW)/year.

It is also giving a hand to government plans to strengthen the finance and management systems of 19 protected areas across the country, including two in Sharm El-Sheikh, where COP27 will be held, Al-Naqb and Ras Mohamed.

In preparations for COP27, he added, the UNDP is helping with a number of projects in Sharm El-Sheikh including two hotels in which solar panels have already been installed and another eight that have signed contracts to install electricity-generating solar panels.

There are 10 other hotels in the Red Sea resort that are waiting to sign similar contracts, in addition to installing solar power in Sharm El-Sheikhs airport and main hospital. By focusing on Sharm El-Sheikh, Fracassetti said, the city could become a model of the energy transition in Egypt and set a good example for other cities to follow.

We also support the Foreign Ministry with training, capacity building, best practices, and logistics to be able to be effective in preparation, negotiations and consultation during COP27, he added.

OTHER PROJECTS

Casting light on other longstanding projects in Egypt, Fracassetti pointed to the UNDP Nile Delta project. In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change, wrote that the Nile Delta is one of the most vulnerable areas when it comes to sea level rises and extreme weather conditions.

The region, Fracassetti said, accounts for more than half of Egypts economic activities through agriculture, industries, and fisheries, and it contributes 20 per cent of Egypts GDP. As a result, the government has worked with international partners to find solutions to protect the Deltas vulnerable areas and the people whose lives might be affected.

With the support of the UNs green climate fund, Egypt started the widest adaptive programme in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to establish 70 km of a low-dike system to protect the low-lying land in the Delta from coastal flooding. It provides a nature-based solution that works with natural elements and helps protect the lives and livelihoods of over 17 million people as well as increasing the values of property.

The UNDP also plays a role in helping the government to realise the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Fracassetti said that the SDGs require trillions of dollars to be implemented, so it is not possible for the government on its own to implement them and requires the support of the private sector.

The UNDP, he added, considers the SDGs as a whole, but it urges every government to set priorities according to its own needs. In Egypts case, the UNDP has focused on the area of fighting poverty in recent years.

In doing so, it prioritises inclusive growth, which looks at vulnerable groups or those that are more at risk of being left behind. It supports the government in areas like job creation, addressing inequalities, and trying to ensure that no one is forgotten.

One approach to creating jobs, Fracassetti explained, was made in partnership with the government and the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA) to provide financial and technical support for SMEs in Egypt. Through this partnership, the UNDP has managed to disburse LE2.9 million, which has helped 630,000 enterprises and created over 960 jobs. In 2019 alone, the partnership managed to create 260,000 jobs for some of the most vulnerable groups in society. The number is expected to reach 700,000 by the end of 2022.

Fracassetti also hailed Egypts Decent Life initiative as one of the most ambitious development programmes that we know of from any government to address poor villages.

Within the framework of the initiative, the UNDP is involved in two programmes. It has started an EU-funded programme with the Ministry of Local Development to pilot, modernise, and decentralise local administrative systems in four governorates, Fayoum, Beni Sweif, Luxor, and Aswan. The programme is worth seven million euros and covers a total of 33 districts. The first phase comprises nine districts that are included in the initiative. The majority of the remaining 24 districts will be included in the second and third phases.

The other programme is being implemented with the Ministry of Social Solidarity to support the gender and social-protection component of the Takaful and Karama (Solidarity and Dignity) programmes to support vulnerable groups, especially women and people with disabilities, to get better access to social-protection services. The programme, funded by the EU and UK, included 585 women rural leaders who play an influential role in their communities.

They were trained within the framework of the Waai (Awareness) programme for community development, launched in 2020, that aims to enhance awareness and knowledge on issues like child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), abandonment, health and education issues, the rights of the persons with disabilities (PwDs), and the economic empowerment of the poorest marginalised families.

Another UNDP contribution is the long-standing programme that started in 2012 in collaboration with the Egyptian Network for Integrated Development (ENID), a NGO, and the ministry of international cooperation to develop viable and sustainable employment opportunities in Upper Egypt, especially for women.

In a follow-up field visit, Fracassetti went to the Qena governorate two weeks ago within the framework of the programme. The beneficiaries are mostly women, including those who work in garment factories and others who have opened their own small businesses. We help women start their businesses, train them, find funds for them, and connect them to the market, he said.

He also mentioned UNDP cooperation with the National Council for Women (NCW). Earlier this year, we produced together with UN Women and UNFPA the first report on women victims of violence in Egypt, he said, expressing the hope that this will be a reference work to policy-makers who cater for the needs of women and girls with disabilities.

CHALLENGES

Asked whether the UNDP found some SDGs more challenging than others, Fracassetti reiterated that his organisation looks at them as a whole. The UNDP formulates Country Programme Documents (CPDs), five-year plans that guide it through what is most needed and what the government and other partners are requesting.

In the current CPD, running from 2018 to 2022, the UNDP looked at a number of priorities including eradicating poverty, SDG1, accelerating structural transformation and building resilience to crises and shocks so as to leave no one behind. This also means adaptation to climate change or anything to do with disaster prevention and dealing with the whole issue of resilience, he said.

Fracassetti said that the results of the current CPD will be revealed soon. The UNDP is currently preparing the next CPD from 2023 to 2027.

With regard to strategic innovation and digital transformation, Fracassetti referred to UNDP administrator Achim Steiners words during the recent World Economic Forum in Davos. Our future is digital; if youre not part of it, youre out of it, Steiner said.

Thus, digitisation is not something that can be avoided, and it has an impact on all aspects of development. In Egypt, Fracassetti said, the UNDP has worked with the government on the process of digital transformation in the post office, serving millions of citizens. Some 5,000 branches that employ 50,000 staff were provided with internal audit functioning to improve risk and management systems.

The Yalla application was also launched to help people get access to their money online and perform other services. This project, he added, is very important in Egypt, given that nearly half the population does not have bank accounts.

In the area of digitisation, together with the Ministry of Communication, Fracassetti explained, the UNDP has encouraged social entrepreneurship that has helped create new jobs with 25,000 SMEs and social entrepreneurs as well as improving their digital skills. These projects have already reached 30 million people through a range of online and offline services.

The UNDP is the leading UN organisation fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Fracassetti, a national of Italy, started his post as UNDP resident representative in Egypt in November last year. Before that he was resident representative in Azerbaijan.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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By Azernews





By Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has said that the alliance of Azerbaijan and Turkiye, which is of great political and economic potential, aims at further strengthening peace, security, and economic development in the region.

The remarks were made during an event dedicated to the "30th anniversary of diplomatic relations with friendly and brotherly countries" organized at the National Library of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Turkiye on June 6.

In his speech, the minister spoke about the high level of development of relations between the two countries over the past 30 years, stressing that Turkiye has always supported Azerbaijan's just position based on international law, especially the political support provided by the brotherly country to Azerbaijan at all levels during and after the Patriotic war.

It was noted that this support of the brotherly country was highly appreciated by the Azerbaijani people and the president.

Further, Bayramov noted that in accordance with the spirit of the statements of the great leader of the Turkish nation Mustafa Kemal Ataturk The joy of Azerbaijan is our joy, their sorrow is our sorrow and the national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev One nation, two states, over the past three decades, relations between the countries successfully developed from the strategic level to the level of alliance with the conclusion of the historic Shusha Declaration.

Quoting the words of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Bayramov emphasized that today the Azerbaijani-Turkish relations have reached their historic peak and are at the highest stage.

Speaking about large-scale joint regional projects implemented by the brotherly countries, the minister pointed out the great contribution to the further expansion of trade and economic relations at the bilateral level, as well as at the wider regional level of the projects in the fields of energy, transport, and logistics.

Speaking about the recent collaborations such as the opening of the Rize-Artvin airport and the opening ceremony of the TEKNOFEST Azerbaijan festival, Bayramov noted that they clearly demonstrate that the current level of the fraternal ties does not need any explanation.

Noting the merits of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavushoglu in the development of relations between the countries, the minister thanked his counterpart in this regard.

At the end of his speech, Bayramov expressed confidence that the fraternal and allied relations between the two countries will continue to develop in the interests of its peoples.

In turn, speaking at the event, the Turkish foreign minister emphasized that Turkiye supports Azerbaijan's steps to establish peace in the region.

According to Cavusoglu, the relations between the two countries are an example for everyone.

He noted that the liberation of the Azerbaijani lands from Armenian occupation has opened up a new opportunity for sustainable peace and prosperity, which shouldn't be missed.

"Happy to see brotherly Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Ankara. Turkiye highly appreciates the exemplary ties with Azerbaijan, as well as ongoing regional processes. We'll keep lending our full support to brotherly Azerbaijan," the minister later tweeted.
It has been almost six weeks since President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi promised a national dialogue to allow for a consensus to emerge over ways to tackle pressing political and economic issues.

Alongside the euphoria and scepticism articulated in political quarters, meetings and consultations with political parties, syndicates and state bodies have taken place with the aim of drawing up an agenda for the dialogue, a number of activists in administrative detention have been released and others who had received prison sentences have been freed after receiving presidential pardons.

Journalist and commentator Abdallah Al-Sennawi has been keeping a close eye on the developments. Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly over the weekend, hours after a fresh round of activists were released, Al-Sennawi argued that events already reveal the intentions of the executive and the possible path of the political process.

There is a committee for the presidential pardons and it has clearly been working, Al-Sennawi said before adding he would like to see more and faster releases to allow us to turn a painful page.

Many activists, said Al-Sennawi, did not use violence or terror nor did they incite terror, meaning the charges against them can be qualified as being political in nature.

The whole issue, he suggested, could be resolved with a single decree, from either the office of the president or the prosecutor-general, the latter being the competent authority to order the release of people held in administrative detention.

According to the information I have, the committee compiled a list of 1,074 names eligible for release of which 250 [prisoners and detainees] are being released gradually. It is a process and some are on a priority list, he said.

According to Al-Sennawi, any judgement on the work of the Presidential Pardon Committee and the rate of the release of activists must take account of the context  the complex situation in the country and of the accumulations of recent years.

The release process has been met with aggressive resistance from some quarters and must therefore be managed prudently and carefully. The important thing is to keep the releases coming at a reasonable rate, he said. While it would have been better for all of the releases to have happened at the same time, given the constraints on the process one can only hope it continues as quickly as possible and without any hiccups.

Given the context, Al-Sennawi says there have been several positive signs, including the prompt release of Yehia Abdel-Hadi Hussein, founder and coordinator of the Civil Democratic Movement, who was arrested in 2019 and then released days after receiving a prison sentence of four years.

Al-Sennawi believes the sequence of releases has been gauged to pave the way to the dialogue because, for any political dialogue to be constructive and result in

productive state-building, people must believe that their freedom of expression is uncompromised.

An atmosphere of freedom is an essential requirement for any productive dialogue, he stressed, and we are waiting for more releases so that we can move from the phase of preparing for the dialogue to the actual process. It will, Al-Sennawi thinks, be around two months before the actual dialogue starts.

Meanwhile, consultations that involve the state, political parties, public figures, and others is ongoing. The Civil Democratic Movement is trying to reach a draft of [a paper] that reflects its views and its proposed agenda for the dialogue and to agree to its representatives to the dialogue, he added.

According to Al-Sennawi, the plan at the moment is that the opposition will have five seats on the technical committee that will oversee the national dialogue, with another five seats allocated to parties in alliance with the government, while the role of the National Training Academy (NTA), a body established in 2017 and affiliated to the office of the president, will be restricted to providing logistical support.

Al-Sennawi refutes suggestions the NTA will be in charge of the dialogue, insisting it will not interfere in the content or the path of the dialogue. Indeed, he argues that it is a positive sign that the body in charge of preparing for the dialogue is directly affiliated to the presidency.

Al-Sennawi is unsure whether state officials will be present in dialogue meetings or whether the government will be represented by political parties and public figures of choice.

It is far from easy to come up with the name of a political figure who could manage the dialogue. Such a figure will need to have the confidence of the state, especially of the president, and the respect of the opposition, and be capable of efficiently managing the process in a way that produces concrete, consensual conclusions.

Al-Sennawi argues that Hamdeen Sabbahi, the Nasserite political figure and a presidential candidate in 2012 and 2014, and other opposition figures involved in paving the way towards the dialogue have been doing a good job in conducting a reasonable, clear, and logical process of negotiations [with the state].

According to Al-Sennawi, a lot of ideas are being floated and it is important to realise there will be two types of dialogue  the social and the political. The first will have a wide-ranging mandate and address many problems that we face through meetings conducted by syndicates, parties, and so on and should produce concrete and consensual ideas.

The second, he argued, should have a fixed timeframe of between two to six months and will require tight structuring. Participants in this dialogue should not exceed 200 in order to ensure it is productive and not just an open-ended sharing of views and there must be clearly defined ceiling and criteria for both representation and the timeframe.

As for the expected conclusions of the dialogue, Al-Sennawi thinks it too early to make predictions given that political parties are still in the process of compiling their ideas and proposals.

The aims of the dialogue, however, are clear. It should result in a broad national accord that allows for the consolidation of ranks at a critical juncture when Egypt, faced with serious economic crises, cannot afford security disruptions.

The situation across the region is frail, though details of specific foreign policy issues, including the operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam which Ethiopia is constructing over the Blue Nile, the major source of Egypts share of Nile water, are unlikely to appear on the agenda of the national dialogue.

Al-Sennawi warned against turning the dialogue into a space for political point scoring.

This is not what we want to do. We need to address pressing risks and work out how to steer Egypt out of harms way. Only when the big crises are averted, he said, will it be time to revisit all policies of concern though even then the revisionism should not descend into provocation and squabbling.

While Al-Sennawi accepts that some political forces have questions on the process and possible conclusions of the dialogue, he insists that all political forces with any weight have shown interest in the dialogue with or without conditions.

It is only logical, Al-Sennawi said, for political entities to put forward their ideas about what makes a political dialogue productive and none of Egypts political forces are completely opposed to the proposed dialogue.

He argued that it will take time to take stock of recent political developments and for all parties to be reassured that this is a serious political process. Let us wait and see, he says. What really count are the measures being taken on the ground and how serious and meaningful they are.

According to Al-Sennawi, there is already an interest from the international press to learn about what is actually happening in Egypt and that such interest is quite positive. The proposed political dialogue is receiving more attention from the international press than the launch of the National Strategy for Human Rights in 2021 and will garner more attention on Egypts political ambitions than any PR campaign, no matter how costly, could deliver.

What Egypt needs is for things to be said and then to be done. This is how credibility is built, which is why the recent releases are so important. We can change the image of the country by implementing concrete and tangible measures on the ground.

To change Egypts image we need to have liberties, including freedom of the press. We want the media to have more space in which to operate. We want modern and democratic laws that allow for public elections to be conducted.

Al-Sennawi argued that many of the goals political forces want to attain via the national dialogue are already enshrined in the 2014 constitution, but in a situation where politics have all but dried up it will take time to build a modern constitutional state.

It would be wrong to assume that all the objectives can be secured at once. Nothing gets done overnight and the important thing is to put a process into motion and move steadily forward.

It is possible, Al-Sennawi argues, for the government to suspend some of its economic plans that have raised concerns, including its privatisation drive, pending a process of consultation that could produce innovative ideas to help boost the economy while keeping state assets as intact as possible.

While Al-Sennawi is fully aware of the reaction to recent jail sentences against former presidential candidate Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh and the debate about the number of death sentences passed in Egypt in recent years, he does not want to see such issues derail the dialogue.

He said that recent sentences of 10 to 15 years handed down to Abul-Fotouh and other activists, including Mohamed Al-Kassas, a prominent figure in the now defunct Strong Egypt Party, were already scheduled.

Khaled Dawoud, former chair of the Dostour Party, proposed a [political] truce whereby nobody would be arrested for expressing their political views and I am hoping that soon this will happen.

Al-Sennawi is unwilling to speculate about whether decision-making circles have really changed their mind about the need for ultra-strict security measures.

Let us hold on to what we have now. Something positive is happening. We are seeing a certain willingness, which is still to be explored, to allow politics to come back to life.

The real test will be acts on the ground and the conclusions that emerge from the dialogue.

Amendments to the 2014 constitution, Al-Sennawi argued, are unlikely to be welcomed by the state despite speculation on the issue. Nor, he adds, would they help lead to a successful dialogue. Indeed, they will immediately undermine the dialogue. We should not tamper with the constitution.

In April 2019 several amendments to the 2014 constitution were passed. They extended presidential terms from four to six years each. Cumulatively, the amendments extended the presidents term until 2024 and allowed him to run for re-election that year.

Unwilling to dwell on the 2019 amendments, Al-Sennawi said underlining the [concept of] a constitutional republic should be the most important outcome of the dialogue.

We are now talking about a civil modern republic with social and economic rights.

Freedom of the press is the core of all public liberties. If freedom of the press is compromised then there is no point talking about public freedoms. The press is about public scrutiny and if it is compromised it means that people are not allowed to speak their mind, leading to political sclerosis.

The credibility of the press in Egypt has been undermined not just in relation to political context but also by a decline in professional standards. Today we need to move forward and open windows for liberties, though again, this is something that is going to take time.

In terms of the economic crisis  possibly one of the reasons behind the invitation to dialogue  Al-Sennawi believes there is a need to invite leading economists to pitch in their ideas. Some ideas are already being promoted, including a temporary suspension of mega projects and revision of priorities.

There is a need to underline the rule of law to allow investors and entrepreneurs to work with greater confidence and within clear guidelines without being subject to unexpected or unpleasant surprises.

And what of the ultimate goal of the dialogue?

By the end of 2022 Al-Sennawi is hopeful that concrete steps will be in place along a path that will lead to reclaiming the dream of a modern and civil state as articulated in the January 2011 and June 2013 revolutions.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Car prices worldwide are increasing due to rises in the prices of raw materials on the back of the war in Ukraine as well as the shortages of electronic chips that intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The global car market is witnessing a continuous rise in prices due to the escalation of the electronic chip crisis, the decline of production in many factories around the world, and the prolonged crisis in Ukraine, said Alaa Al-Sabaa, a member of the Cars Division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce.

Al-Sabaa said that the semiconductor chips crisis was one of the main factors that has affected car production worldwide, leading to delays in production and in importing new shipments of cars.

In Egypt, sales of passenger cars dropped by as much as 20 per cent in April, according to figures released by the Automotive Information Council (AMIC), the industry association to which most distributors report sales. This followed a nine per cent decline in March compared to the same month in 2021.

There are many reasons for the decline, since not only did prices jump due to global factors but also the devaluation of the Egyptian pound in March pushed prices up by 17 per cent, and there have been changes in the Central Bank of Egypts (CBE) import rules.

The CBE launched a new initiative in February stipulating the use of letters of credit rather than the simpler and less costly document collection system that earlier had been employed.

According to the CBE decision, Egyptian banks are now intermediaries between the importer and the bank of the supplier of the goods, including cars, guaranteeing that goods conform to the relevant national specifications and assisting suppliers in obtaining their full financial rights as soon as the importers receive their goods.

Although the moves are considered to be important to ensure controls over the quality of goods and regulation within the banking sector, the new rules have made importing a more complicated and costlier procedure.

Al-Sabaa said that Egypt imports about 100,000 cars annually at a cost of $1.5 billion, but foreign companies may stop exporting cars to Egypt for at least three months due to delays in sending letters of credit.

According to local media outlets, a number of international car manufacturers have already frozen their exports to Egypt as importers and distributors are no longer able to secure the needed transfers.

The Al-Mal financial daily quoted sector officials as saying that up to 13 foreign car manufacturers including Peugeot, Citroen, and Fiat are among those that have started to look for alternatives to the Egyptian market.

Al-Sabaa said there were currently no new cars available for reservation in the local market and that available cars are sold at prices higher than the official distribution prices due to the short supply.

The Egyptian Customs Authority also decided last week to increase the customs exchange rate to LE18.65 from LE17, which will translate into a two to eight per cent increase in the price of imported cars, with the least affected being those of European origin as they are custom exempted and only pay taxes.

To deal with the spiraling increase in prices and distributors inability to deliver cars, Egypts Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) has directed agents and distributors to adhere to the vehicle reservation form that guarantees consumers rights.

Anyone who had paid the full value of a car before12 April should receive it without bearing any additional burden, the Agency said. Anyone who paid a down payment should get back what they paid in addition to 18 per cent interest, according to CPA directives.

The government is taking steps to prepare a national strategy for the auto industry that will include a number of incentives for car manufacturers in Egypt, especially of electric cars, and the companies feeding them and will work on developing a competitive local market.

During the Egypt Can with Industry Conference last week, Jihan Saleh, an advisor to the prime minister on economic affairs, said that all the ministries concerned with the auto industry had participated in setting out the national strategy for the localisation of the auto industry in Egypt.

She said that Egypt annually imports cars worth about $4 billion, more than the figure given by Al-Sabaa, and said that the new strategy aims to reduce imports and increase the volume of exports by providing incentives to investors to support the industry.

The size of these incentives is related to the volume of investments, as well as the local components and added value, in addition to the extent of the reliance on clean technology. There is an incentive in the form of repaying customs dues that is calculated according to these figures, Saleh said.

Egypt has 17 factories manufacturing and assembling cars that together produce 100,000 cars annually. There are also 300 smaller factories in the feed industries and 80 larger ones, with some of their products being exported abroad, especially brake discs and some electronic parts.

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Volker, leave! Youre German. The solution belongs to Sudan. So chanted hundreds of protesters outside the UN mission headquarters in Khartoum last week. The rally, organised by Islamist groups, was in opposition to efforts by UN Envoy Volker Perthes to resolve the political crisis that has gripped the country since 25 October 2021, when General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan dismissed the government of prime minister Abdallah Hamdok, dissolved the Sovereignty Council and assumed exclusive power. He thus ended the military-civilian partnership that had prevailed during the transitional period following the grassroots mass uprising that overthrew the Omar Al-Bashir regime in 2018.

A bumpy path lies ahead for UN mediators. The Islamists are not alone to oppose their efforts and differences over them are many, although the main bone of contention concerns the parties involved and their aims. While the mediation began as a UN-sponsored process, it eventually took on board the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), becoming what has been termed a trilateral mechanism. It soon turned out that these three partners had differing conceptions and aims, which further complicated matters.

Siddiq Tawer, a member of the former Sovereignty Council, believes that the AU is biased in favour of the military and trying to sideline IGAD. The AU came into the process with its mind set on a pro-military solution, he said. Volker Perthes had made it clear from the outset that he does not have an initiative of his own and that he merely wants to help the Sudanese reach a solution. When the AU mediator entered the picture, they began to speak of a trilateral mechanism aiming to restore the partnership with the military.

On the other hand, Mubarak Al-Fadil Al-Mahdi, chairman of the Umma Party, claims that the UN envoy is biased in favour of the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC)-Central Council, and that his aim is to bring them to power rather than to forge a new transitional administration. This, it seems, was the crux of the dispute between Perthes and the AU, which erupted during their meeting with the political parties.

Some political forces have stated their conditions for taking part in the dialogue while others, including the Islamists, reject the process in its entirety. Capitalising on the countrys fragile circumstances and the military-civilian conflict to reassert themselves, the Islamists hope to commandeer the transitional period and position themselves to resume power.

The radical Islamist preacher, Mohamed Ali Al-Jazouli, the chairman of the State of Law and Development Party in Sudan and the coordinator general of the One Nation Current, said that the UN envoy has no chance of succeeding in Sudan. Volker Perthes initiative is doomed to fail, he said, because it is condescending, rash and comes from a person who is not from Sudan and does not know the nature of the Sudanese people. He is not welcome here at all. The anger against him is more social than political, he said.

Al-Jazouli claims to advocate a third way that involves neither the military nor the FFC. This is to appoint a non-partisan government of technocrats, with the army remaining at the head of the Sovereignty Council for the rest of the interim period, which would culminate in general elections in 18 months.

Tribal leaders also warned the head of the UN mission not to violate Sudans national sovereignty. Mohamed Al-Amin Turk, chairman of the Supreme Council for Beja Tribal Leaders in East Sudan, held that Perthes had no knowledge of the affairs of East Sudan. He threatened to close off the region if Perthes continues his exclusion.

Perthes launched his initiative in January. In a briefing to the UN Security Council in March he expressed concern over rising human rights violations perpetrated by security forces, noting that 16 women had reportedly been raped during protests in Khartoum in the period preceding 22 March, although the figure could have been under reported. This angered Burhan so much that he released a statement denouncing the UN envoy and threatening to expel him. Perthes responded that he was appointed by the Security Council, not by the Sudanese government. As though to back him up, the Security Council then renewed the mandate for the mission Perthes heads, the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), for a year until 3 June 2023.

The military authorities also lack confidence in the trilateral mechanism, which is why they tried to include other civilian parties in the dialogue, to offset their former Sovereignty Council partners, the FFC. According to a civil official close to Sudanese military leaders, the leftists in the civilian organisations are trying to undermine the state with calls for restructuring the army. This is to weaken, diffuse and paralyse it, they told Al-Ahram Weekly, Theyre serving a foreign agenda. The solution, in my opinion, is for the army to assume power.

On 29 May, General Burhan lifted the state of emergency he had imposed in October and ordered the release of political detainees. Regional and international powers welcomed his decisions as an important step towards creating a climate conducive to dialogue and a peaceful political solution to Sudans crisis. These powers also urged the Sudanese political forces to engage constructively in the political process under the trilateral mechanism.

The FFC-Central Council, which has indicated that its participation in the dialogue hinges on which other parties took part, stated that Burhans recent steps were only part of a set of measures that needed to be implemented in order to provide for a democratic climate. FCC spokespeople stressed that these measures also included halting the implementation of the retrograde decrees that followed the 25 October coup, which re-empowered figures from the old regime.

Subsequently, FFC spokespeople said they would boycott the dialogue process unless they saw Burhans decisions translated into realty on the ground, with political detainees including Bashir regime paragons released.

The main aim of any political process, the FCC stated, should be to end the consequences of the 25 October coup and to constitutionally establish a new transitional process based on an exclusively civilian authority to carry out the tasks of the December Revolution. The parties of this process must be clear and not hidden behind artificial facades. To fill the dialogue process with former allies of the Bashir regime of the past and allies of the army today would only turn it into a dialogue of the deaf or a shouting match.

The resistance committees, which have led grassroots protests, since General Burhans actions of 25 October reject out of hand any partnership or negotiations with the military. Their stance is supported by the Sudanese Communist Party, which believes that it is pointless and futile to attempt to reconstruct the failed partnership between civilians and the military.

According to Sudanese experts, in remarks to the Weekly, the talks spearheaded by the trilateral mechanism are not intended to discuss the roots of the problem in Sudan but rather to help the Sudanese reach a political settlement. Power sharing and the quotas involved will always be an important point in the process, which means that there will always be a chance of failure.

The international community has tried to encourage and stimulate Sudanese dialogue in the hope it will achieve a desperately needed breakthrough. As Perthes pointed out in his March briefing to the UN Security Council, time is not on the Sudanese peoples side. The longer the current political impasse, the greater the risks for the Sudanese people who are already suffering of economic dire straits and instability. The situation could worsen if a civilian government is not formed by mid July. Over $4 billion in international aid could be frozen and, worse, Sudan could be staring once again at the kind of international sanctions the Bashir regime frequently courted.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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More and more Western voices have started to ask realistic questions about how the war will end in Ukraine, writes Hussein Haridy

With the overzealous all-out mobilisation for war that we saw in the US-led West during the first three months of the war in Ukraine, no one, particularly in the early phases of the war, asked the inevitable question of when and how war fatigue would start to take hold, not only in public opinion but also among leaders, governments, the media, political parties, civil society and NGOs.

At the same time, the Western media, encouraged by leaked assessments, sometimes from unnamed military sources and other times from US, British, or other Western intelligence services, stressed what it said would be the inevitable defeat of the Russian military campaign in Ukraine and the ultimate victory of the Ukrainian army. The end of the war was predetermined by well-rehearsed public appearances by the Ukrainian president, who, with enviable bravado and the kind of grandstanding that is rarely seen, sent out the same message: give us weapons and we will do the job.

If you provide us with the most lethal weapons in your arsenals, we will even be able to inflict a larger defeat on the Russian forces and retake all the territory that Russia brought under its control in 2014, including the Crimea, the Ukrainian president said. For one reason or another, the West obliged at huge and disastrous cost to Ukraine and its people. The irony today is that the same Ukrainian president declared a few days ago that Russian forces had occupied almost 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory.

The unnecessary war in Ukraine could have already ended if the West and the government of Ukraine had been more rational in dealing with the crisis from the outset. As it is, most actors in this war today are facing a dilemma  how to climb down without losing face or appearing to be on the losing side?

The New York Times has led the way in raising questions that should have been under serious considerations two months ago. In an editorial entitled The War in Ukraine is Getting Complicated, and America Isnt Ready, it said, and rightly so, that unrealistic expectations could draw the [US and NATO]... ever deeper into a costly, drawn-out war.

Addressing the US administration, the paper called on US President Joe Biden to make clear to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his people that there is a limit to how far the United States and NATO will go to confront Russia, and limits to the arms, money, and political support they can muster.

The editorial had a word or two of advice for the Ukrainian government. It is imperative that the Ukrainian governments decisions be based on a realistic assessment of its means and how much more destruction Ukraine can sustain, it said. If there is one indictment of how the Ukrainian president and his people have managed the crisis with Russia and the war, this is it. Let us hope that Kyiv will start acting more rationally, now that the prospects of war fatigue could turn the tide in the West against the Ukrainian government.

Other Western voices have also started asking relevant question about how the war will end. Another pertinent question as far as the US strategy is concerned is what is the end game of the Biden administration? One person who recently tried to provide answers to this question was Biden himself.

In a guest column published by the New York Times on 1 June, Biden wrote about the red lines that the US would not cross in dealing with the war in Ukraine. The message that he was trying to send was intended to reach four parties.

The first, of course, was US public opinion and the US establishment. The second was the Kremlin, with the article meant to reassure it that the US would stop short of supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine that could enable Ukrainian forces to strike inside Russia itself. Biden made it clear in his essay that the US weapons provided to Ukraine are meant to enable it only to repel Russian attacks inside Ukraine. The other party, or parties, are those NATO countries, especially the Baltic countries and Poland, which have been calling for defeating Russia using any means and whatever the cost.

The title of Bidens column speaks for itself  What America Will and Will Not Do in Ukraine. I wish Biden had written it weeks ago, since in it he specifies the aims of the US strategy in Ukraine. Americas goal is straightforward, he writes. We want to see a democratic, independent, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine with the means to deter and defend itself against further aggression. I guess no one would argue against these objectives, which are worthy of support, generally speaking, whether we are dealing with the present situation in Ukraine or that of any other country that could face a similar one in the future.

The most interesting part of the column is the clear linkage that Biden draws between the huge US military assistance sent to Ukraine and the ultimate negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. We have moved to send Ukraine a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition so it can fight on the battlefield and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table, he says. Later in the column, he stresses that the US will continue to support [Ukrainian efforts] to achieve a negotiated end to the conflict.

Whether the Ukrainian government will interpret these words rightly or wrongly remains to be seen.

The other significant part of the column from a broader strategic point of view is the affirmation that the US will not try to bring about his [Russian President Vladimir Putin] ouster in Moscow. This lays to rest any doubts that the Kremlin may have had as to US intentions to oust the Russian president from power after Biden had said on two previous occasions that he would welcome the removal of Putin from office.

In the same vein, Biden reiterated that the US is not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders by supplying it with weapons. This is a welcome statement that is intended to avoid the Russians misreading the true intentions of the US in Ukraine, lest such a misreading lead to miscalculations on the part of the Kremlin in managing US-Russian relations. These have deteriorated at an alarming rate over the last few months to a level that neither Washington nor Moscow deems sustainable in the medium or longer term.

It would be interesting to see a similar column by Putin in the pages of the New York Times laying down clearly and unambiguously Russian conditions for ending the fighting in Ukraine and for a negotiated peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine.

Russia stands to gain by engaging Ukraine in meaningful and serious peace talks.

The world can no longer bear the costs of being held hostage to this needless and unnecessary war, a war that will have no winners or victors.

* The writer is former assistant foreign minister.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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With mass shootings and racist killings apparently routine events in the US today, can Americans learn to live in peace with each other again, asks Azza Radwan Sedky

More than ever before, Americans are split in terms of vision and make up. In fact, the society at large is at odds with itself as people succumb to seething rage only to be followed by sentiments of bitterness and dread. How did the worlds most important global power see its citizens reach this level of animosity?

Americans are polarised. Their perspectives on many issues are poles apart. Racism, gun control, and abortion, to name only a few, are starkly controversial and contentious issues resulting in intertwined and substantial fury. This fury then morphs into mass shootings, protests, and various forms of defiance.

The US is far from being unique in having a troubled history of race relations, but the current situation is on a different scale altogether. Despite being considered one of the most racially diverse societies in the world, America today is facing turbulent times due to that same diversity.

White supremacy may be the root of much of the systemic racism emerging in the US. It exists in mainstream politics and overflows onto the streets. Former president Donald Trump voiced his racism in his speeches and his actions, and he may have prompted the Capitol Hill riots in January 2020.

George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was choked to death in 2020 while under police custody in the US. Then, between Floyds murder and the shooting that occurred in the predominantly black neighbourhood of Buffalo, New York, in 2022, hundreds of acts of racism left Americans in anguish and despair. They also left hundreds dead.

The authorities in the US have tried to bring the countrys ethnic minorities to the forefront, putting them on a more even footing with the white majority to the extent that a black president was elected in 2009.

However, it seems that these moves have not gone far enough, for the racial barriers in the US remain as high as ever. Black Lives Matter, a political and social movement that seeks to highlight discrimination against blacks, has become one of the largest movements in the history of the US. After every incident in which police brutality and racially motivated violence occurs against blacks, massive protests follow.

In the meantime, rural whites in the US are sensing the change in demographics and believe they are no longer in control. They feel threatened by any empowerment provided to minorities and assume anti-white prejudice is on the rise. The frustration on both sides is spewing onto the streets of the US, which are filled with guns and hatred.

The Second Amendment to the US Constitution states that a well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. This makes access to guns lawful and easily attainable in the US today. In fact, because of safety fears, gun ownership is even surging. According to the UK magazine the Economist, gun-ownership in America is diversifying, because of safety fears [and] concerns over safety lead more women and minorities to arm themselves.

Undoubtedly, this surge in gun ownership has led to an increase in the number of shootings in the US, which rose by 96.8 per cent between 2017 and 2021. Shootings on the streets, in small stores in small towns, at hospitals, and in schools and colleges are pervasive in America today. Only a few weeks ago, an 18-year-old youth shot 21 young children and two adult teachers at a school in Texas. Mass shootings in the US have become a recurring nightmare.

Politically, rifts are also widening in the US, and each presidential election increases the divisiveness further. According to the US polling organisation the Pew Research Centre, in 2021 52 per cent of Democrats held unfavourable views of Republicans, while 52 per cent of Republicans disliked Democrats. This reveals the level of hostility and friction amongst the citizens of the same country.

The catastrophe is that Democrats and Republicans in the US today not only do not think or act alike, but they are actually so far apart as far as ideologies and principles are concerned that a dysfunctional democracy now characterises the American landscape. The end result is that Americans distrust policy-makers and are angry at their leaders and at one another.

Republicans and Democrats remain at one anothers throats, each thinking of nothing less than destroying the validity and legitimacy of the other while ignoring what may be the good of the US itself. Hardly ever do they unite their forces or ignore their differences for the sake of the well-being of US citizens.

Since the late 1970s, a perennial tug of war has also existed in the US over abortion and between pro-choice and pro-life advocates. But had the society not been imploding upon itself, there would not have been killings committed on this issue. In 2009, George Tiller, a physician from Kansas, was murdered by anti-abortion extremists. The war over the issue goes on today, as Republicans have sought to restrict abortion, while Democrats have sought to ease restrictions.

Today, the US Supreme Court is about to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that allowed abortions in the US. Under rational circumstances, both sides would sit down and communicate to one another the reasons why they stand behind one or other point of view on the issue, but emotions and self-indulgence leave no room for negotiations or logical outcomes.

In the meantime, the world looks on horrified at the dysfunctions of American society and its bitter conflicts as the unbalance within the country threatens to challenge American global dominance.

Can the Americans patch up their rifts and coexist with each other? They have been able to do so in the past, but today it looks like an ambitious desire. As fear and anger continue to manipulate the American public, peaceable coexistence looks unreachable.

* The writer is the author of Cairo Rewind on the First Two Years of Egypts Revolution, 2011-2013.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Cinema was hailed as the art of the century for more than 100 years.

They called it the seventh art, following the six arts of architecture, sculpture, painting, literature, music, and performing.

It was a lucky number, lending joy to families for so long. In fact, it was often referred to as the greatest of the arts because it could embrace them all, making them accessible to viewers who would have otherwise never heard a symphony, watched a ballet, read a great novel, or seen a fabulous painting.

Cinemas greatest asset was not only its capability, but the number of people it could reach, in the millions, perhaps even billions. What other art could do that?

Not only was it a combination of all arts, it incorporated technology, industry, and commerce.

It was the art of the people, of democracy, of those who did not possess the means to attend a symphony orchestra or a great theatrical performance.

It was all right there on the big screen for you to enjoy at a reasonable cost.

It has been the primary art form, educating and entertaining rich and poor alike.

What a thrill it once was to escape the drudgery of our daily lives and enter a darkened room, with hundreds around you, sharing a sort of camaraderie, as they were all present for the same reason. We all roared with laughter, gasped in horror, held our breath, stared in amazement as we shared the emotions of the protagonists on the screen.

They were real; they were exciting, glamorous, beautiful, elegant, daring, romantic  oh, how we wished to be like them. We all tried.

Something happened along the years that is putting at risk this fine treasure and pleasure of the century.

Many believe that the villain is that nasty coronavirus that destroyed many industries with ignoble fury. Was it, as they say, the final nail in the coffin of a dying art? There was after all a 66 per cent decline in attendance at movie theatres. Not so.

The coffin was already there. It was home-viewing that killed the beast, so to speak. Television happened. When boredom of TV became obvious Blockbuster and brothers came to town  more home viewing.

In the US, 60 per cent of Americans regularly went to the movies, in 1940. By 1970 only 10 per cent showed interest in the big screen. Ownership of TV sets had increased and everyone predicted it was the end of the motion picture industry.

Quite the contrary, it propelled it to improve. Filmmakers added stereo sound, improved cinematography, provided wider screens, making TV seem puny in comparison. Off with the robe and slippers and back to the theatre. The green mountains of Austria, the voice of Julie Andrews made the hills come alive only on a big screen.

Television was challenged to improve its product. For many years, both mediums challenged each other, to our delight.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, as in a Hitchcockian script, an indomitable villain appears: technology.

It seemed to favour television, providing a set of special effects, digital access, streaming and the like, giving little reason for us to abandon those slippers, put on our dancing shoes and fly off to the nearest movie theatre.

Not content with boosting TV viewing, technology provided the public with so many choices  Internet, lap-tops, IPhones, etc, leaving film lost in the crowd.

What was once a grand and noble art, the primary source of pleasure to all families, an escape tool from the mundane, was struggling for survival. Cinema was the only riveting and compelling experience, collectively. If you are climbing the Himalayans that is another story.

The art form had survived serious attacks throughout the century, but still could gross $700 million with the latest release of Spiderman. There was still life in this old art, not ready for the coffin yet.

The grandeur of film, the power of the big screen and the stunning images of the fantastic travels in outer-space is still its forte without equal. More and more such films are enticing even the young to experience this uniquely glorious sight.

The short attention span of young and old is not to be ignored.

Social media accustomed us to enjoy tid-bits of this and that, making a 90-minute focus on a movie rather impossible, especially with that IPhone in your purse or pocket, calling, messaging, texting, quite a distraction to say the least.

Home-viewing is similar. You cannot give the subject 100 per cent attention, running for coffee, a snack, a pillow  all is lost.

Does film, therefore, have a future or is it a relic of the past?

It depends on us. All the arts have sponsors and we the public are the sponsors for the cinema. If indeed we attend a movie theatre, pay for our ticket at the box-office, head for the concession stand for some candy, pop and a large bucket of popcorn, we provide revenues for movie theatres which in turn help finance the production of such films as Titanic and relate the experience to others.

Have you ever seen Titanic on TV? Ninety per cent of the chills and thrills are lost.

Cinema will rise again to live another day. It will re-create itself and its product as it has through the century and once again, going to the movies, will not be a thing of the past.

A film is never good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet.

Orson Welles (1915-1985)

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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A satellite Pyramid of Khufu was found at the southeast corner of the Great Pyramid in Giza in the early 1990s. It had not been expected to find a pyramid in that location because the site had been excavated fully by Petrie in 1881, and another clearance had been done in 1940.

The satellite pyramid is in a T-shaped style similar to the subsidiary Pyramid of Khafre located at the south side of the second pyramid in Giza. The superstructure consists of only about three courses of limestone located on one side of the burial chamber of the pyramid. Nothing has been found in the burial chamber except two large stones, a medium sized one and a small one, and a hole was cut in the ground. The ceiling of the burial chamber seems to be vaulted over the south and north walls.

There are boat pits located on the south of the subsidiary pyramids G1A and G1B. The boat pit to the south of G1B is also located on the immediate east of G1D, the recently discovered pyramid. One may suggest that this boat belonged to the satellite pyramid because of the location of the boat pit near it. But the problem with this idea is that G1A has a boat pit on the south, and this boat pit is located on the south of G1B and nothing has been found on the south of G1C. The southern side of G1C was excavated down to the solid rock, but nothing was found.

One may also suggest that the boat pit located on the north side of the subsidiary pyramid G1A belonged to it and not to the main Pyramid of Khufu because this period in Khufus reign was experimental and thus a boat pit was made for each pyramid. The problem with this theory is that the boat pit on the north side of pyramid G1C is so large that it cannot fit with the small size of the pyramid. The ancient Egyptians preferred symmetry. Also, it is located to the north of the causeway of Khufu, which breaks its connection with GIA.

Furthermore, the boat pit located north of the causeway is similar in size to the two boat pits that flanked the upper Temple of Khufu. Therefore, this boat pit must be one of the architectural components of the Khufu Pyramid Complex.

It has also been suggested that the trial passage was intended to be the substructure of the satellite Pyramid of Khufu. It was abandoned because of the enlargement of the upper temple, and then the satellite pyramid was moved and built in the southeast corner of Khufus Pyramid.

The problem with this theory is that the interior of the trial passage is exactly like the interior of the Great Pyramid, though shorter, and the substructure of the new satellite pyramid has a T-shape. However, I do not think that this is significant because Khufus reign initiated the development of the Old Kingdom architectural components of the pyramid complex and was an experimental period. It seems that the small area available for the satellite pyramid and the limited time in which to build it made it necessary to have a T-shaped style, not a trial passage. It seems that the new satellite pyramid was constructed in a hurried manner.

The function of the satellite pyramid is not known and has been debated among scholars. The most frequently cited possible functions are that it was a dummy tomb connected with the sed festival, a burial for the kings ka, a symbolic burial for the king as king of Upper and Lower Egypt, a burial of placentas, a tomb for the viscera, a solar symbol, temporary storage for the body, and a tomb for crowns.

The southern tomb of the Djoser Pyramid Complex is a prototype of the Old Kingdom satellite pyramids. The reliefs on the panels in Djosers southern tomb represent the king wearing the white crown and running holding the flail, with these scenes in the southern tomb being interpreted as representations of the sed festival. Therefore, I propose a new theory about the function of the satellite pyramid: that it was used as a changing room for the ritual of the sed festival.

THE SED FESTIVAL: There is a very interesting sequence among the wall reliefs on the pyramid complexes of the Old Kingdom.

The first scene shows the king in his palace with his officials and courtiers. Alternatively, he is seated in his chapel. He wears the crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. He wears his robe and carries the flail to show his power over the Two Lands. The second scene shows the king wearing the skirt and holding the flail and dancing or doing the ritual of the sed festival. The last scene in the sequence always occurs in the offering room and shows the king receiving offerings and divinity. He is accepted by all the gods and becomes equal to them because he has accomplished what the gods required him to do on earth and now he is rewarded by becoming a god himself.

The kings duty is to build a tomb for himself and temples for the worship of the gods, to unify Upper and Lower Egypt, to give offerings to the gods, and to smite the enemies of Egypt.

The scenes of the sed festival occur on the walls of the southern tomb, which is a prototype of the satellite pyramid. The scenes also occur in the wall reliefs of the pyramid complexes from Dynasties IV to VI of the Old Kingdom. Therefore, it is proper to suggest that there is a connection between the sed festival and the satellite pyramid.

The sed festival is a subject of debate among scholars. It held an important meaning for the reign of the living king, as is known since the reign of Narmer in Dynasty I. The wall reliefs of Khufus Pyramid Complex and other Old Kingdom Pyramid Complexes illustrate the activity of the king during this festival and picture the king as the primary figure.

The ancient Egyptian term for this ceremony is hb sd, which has been translated incorrectly in Greek as a regal jubilee that the king celebrated every 30 years after his accession in order to renew his power and strength. But the sed festival is not a regnal jubilee because it was celebrated at irregular intervals, there being no fixed years for its celebration.

The scenes of the sed festival that are depicted in the reliefs of the Old Kingdom illustrate three types of rituals involved: the donning of the sed robe, the king sitting on his throne in his chapel wearing his crown, and finally the cultic dance, when the king took off his robe and danced in his short kilt. The rituals differ because there was one for Upper Egypt and another for Lower Egypt; however, the robe is a very distinctive feature that always occurs in any scene depicting the ritual activity of the sed festival.

The relationship of the sed festival to other festivals and to the kings duties can be interpreted through the wall reliefs. It is related to the Libyan defeats, the victory and glory of the king, his coronation, his appearance in front of the gods, and also the strength of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Different Egyptologists have taken different views. Bleeker, in the conclusion to his study, explained that this festival marked a critical phase in the kings relationship to the gods. He pointed out that it was a ritual that made a highly dramatic impact. It was not a sacred drama, but it had a magical aspect. It also renewed the office of the king as the high priest. Finally, the kings glory was shown when he wore the sed robe.

Other scholars have commented on the function of the sed festival. Brinks believed that it confirmed the king as the ruler by the renewed presentation of the sceptre, as well as the bow and arrow. Bonnet described it as an overwhelming presentation of royal power. Horning stated that the sed festival was intended to guarantee royal power. Arnold suggested that the sed festival was a renewal rite for the life and strength of the king.

I believe that the sed festival is the celebration by the king when he has finished all that the gods asked him to do. The rituals showed that he had completed them all and now he was happy celebrating.

The wall reliefs depict the powers that are renewed through the festival, and which entitle the king to carry it out. The king celebrates good government, as is documented by scenes of the estates that produced offerings for the cult as well as scenes of victories over enemies. Such scenes are repeated throughout the pyramid complex. The king appears on the throne in his sed festival robe to represent his role as ruler. This scene appears in various places in the upper and sometimes the lower temple. The king is received by the gods as a divine equal. This appears in many places in the complex. The king appears celebrating a dance. He is shown taking off his robe and wearing only a skirt and dancing joyfully because he has accomplished what the gods required of him.

The function of the satellite pyramid is that the king used the burial chamber of it as a changing room. He took his robe off and left his crown in the burial chamber. He wore the skirt and held the flail. Then he emerged through the entrance to go outside to perform the sed festival, to announce to the gods that he had finished all that they had asked him to do.

Therefore, the function of the satellite pyramid during the Old Kingdom was as a changing room for the sed festival rituals.

THE PYRAMIDION: On the south side of the satellite pyramid, a large limestone block was found which had three inclined sides. We knew that there must be a missing part on the north to make it square. This block was the base of the pyramidion.

We never expected to find the missing part of the pyramidion, but my assistant Alaaeddin Shaat found it by accident in 1993, a year after the discovery of the satellite Pyramid itself. The pyramidion was lying on the north side of the pyramid.

Nevine Mohamed Mustafa, an architect working at the Giza Pyramids, was responsible for the restoration of the satellite pyramid. She also moved the limestone block found lying on the south side of the pyramid and put it in front of the north side about four metres from the entrance. The block and the restored missing part were then joined together and put above a stone to show how the pyramidion had topped the pyramid.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Ukraine on Tuesday accused Russian forces of detaining some 600 people, mainly journalists and pro-Kyiv elements in the southern region of Kherson, which Moscow's military now holds in its grip.

"According to our information, some 600 people are ... being held in specially converted basements in the region of Kherson," said Tamila Tacheva, the Ukraine presidency's permanent representative in the Crimea, the peninsula to the south of Kherson which Moscow annexed in 2014.

Tacheva said the bulk of those being held were "journalists and militants" who organised "pro-Ukrainian gatherings" in Kherson (city) and the region around it after it was occupied by Russian forces in the wake of the invasion launched in late February.

"According to our information, they are being held in inhuman conditions and are victims of torture," Tacheva added without giving further details.

Some Ukrainians held in the Kherson region -- civilians but also detained combatants -- have been sent to jails in Crimea, she added.

Straddling the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, the Kherson region was home to around a million people before the invasion.

However, thousands have fled the key port on the Dnipro River since the Russians targeted the city, which became the first major urban centre to fall in the first week of March.

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Russia on Tuesday claimed to have taken control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraine's Donbas, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow's forces hold nearly all of Luhansk province. And it appears that Russia now occupies roughly half of Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts.

After abandoning its bungled attempt to storm Kyiv two months ago, Russia declared that taking the entire Donbas is its main objective. Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian government forces in the Donbas since 2014, and the region has borne the brunt of the Russian onslaught in recent weeks.

Early in the war, Russian troops also took control of the entire Kherson region and a large part of the Zaporizhzhia region, both in the south. Russian officials and their local appointees have talked about plans for those regions to either declare their independence or be folded into Russia.

Before the February invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russia controlled some 7% of the country, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and areas held by the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces now hold 20% of the country.

While the Kremlin's forces have superior firepower, the Ukrainian defenders are entrenched and have shown the ability to counterattack.

Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, said Moscow's forces have seized the residential quarters of Sievierodonetsk and are fighting to take control of an industrial zone on the city's outskirts and nearby towns.

Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. They are among a few cities and towns in the Luhansk region still holding out against the Russian invasion, which is being helped by local pro-Kremlin forces.

Shoigu added that Russian troops were pressing their offensive toward the town of Popasna and have taken control of Lyman and Sviatohirsk and 15 other towns in the region.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak urged his people not to be downhearted about the battlefield reverses.

``Don't let the news that we've ceded something scare you,'' he said in a video address. ``It is clear that tactical maneuvers are ongoing. We cede something, we take something back.``

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai conceded that Russian forces control the industrial outskirts of Sievierodonetsk.

``The toughest street battles continue, with varying degrees of success,'' Haidai said. ``The situation constantly changes, but the Ukrainians are repelling attacks.''

Moscow's forces also kept up their artillery barrage of Lysychansk. Haidai said Russian troops shelled a market, a school and a college building, destroying the latter. At least three people were wounded, he said.

``A total destruction of the city is under way. Russian shelling has intensified significantly over the past 24 hours. Russians are using scorched-earth tactics,'' Haidai said.

While insisting on Ukraine's need to defeat Russia on the battlefield, Zelenskyy said at a Financial Times conference Tuesday that he is still open to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He also lamented that Western sanctions ``have not really influenced the Russian position,'' the FT reported.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has begun training Ukrainian forces on the sophisticated multiple rocket launchers that the Biden administration agreed last week to provide. The Pentagon said the training is going on at a base in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets, which can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). Officials said it would take about three weeks of training before they could go to the battlefront.

The war also brought a standoff Tuesday between the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and Ukrainian authorities over the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe.

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, wants to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine to help maintain its safety after it was taken by Russian troops in March.

But Energoatom, the Ukrainian state company overseeing the country's nuclear plants, said in a blunt statement that Grossi isn't welcome. It said his planned tour is ``yet another attempt to legitimize the occupier's presence there.''

Amid fears of a global food crisis because of the war, the Kremlin said Ukraine needs to remove sea mines near its Black Sea port of Odesa to allow essential grain exports to resume from there.

But Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that removing the mines could enable Moscow's forces to attack.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov began a two-day visit to Turkey on Tuesday for talks on unblocking grain exports from Ukraine, which have been stalled by Moscow's offensive.

The plane carrying Lavrov landed at the airport in the Turkish capital Ankara, an AFP photographer saw.

This is Lavrov's second trip to Turkey after meeting his Turkish and Ukrainian counterparts Mevlut Cavusoglu and Dmytro Kuleba in Antalya on March 10.

Lavrov was forced to cancel a visit to Serbia on Monday after several of its neighbours prevented his plane from passing through their airspace.

At the request of the United Nations, Turkey has offered its services to escort maritime convoys from Ukrainian ports, despite the presence of mines -- some of which have been detected near the Turkish coast.

Lavrov, accompanied by a military delegation, will meet with Cavusoglu on Wednesday.

At the heart of the negotiations is the opening of a security corridor to ship Ukrainian grain -- cereals and wheat in particular -- blocked in the war-torn country's ports.

Turkey's Agriculture Minister Vahit Kirisci hinted that Ankara and Kyiv reached an agreement for the purchase of cereals 25 percent below the market price, local media reported.

"But they (Ukrainians) have a dilemma about security and export. They want us to be the arbitrator here as Turkey. Negotiations continue under the auspices of the UN," he was quoted as saying.

"Both Russia and Ukraine trust us."

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed grain export with Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

"The defence ministers discussed in detail the issues of safety of navigation in the Black Sea in connection with solving the problem of grain export from Ukraine."

No meeting with Lavrov

The Ukrainian embassy in Ankara denied some media reports of a possible meeting between the ambassador, Vasyl Bodnar, and Lavrov.

"That's not true," an embassy spokesperson said.

"There's no scheduled meeting tomorrow for our side with Russians."

Bodnar on Friday accused Russia of "shamelessly" stealing Ukrainian grain and sending it overseas including to Turkey.

His argument was supported by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who said reports of Russia stealing Ukrainian grain were "credible".

Turkey has positioned itself as a neutral mediator between its two Black Sea neighbours, as it maintains a delicate balancing act.

It has provided Ukraine with armed drones but has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia.

In a phone call last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Moscow was ready to work with Ankara to free up maritime shipping blocked during the war.

Russia's offensive in Ukraine and Western sanctions have disrupted supplies of wheat and other commodities from the two countries, fuelling concerns about the risk of shortages and hunger around the world.

Russia and Ukraine produce 30 percent of the global wheat supply.

Dozens of container ships are blocked in Ukrainian ports surrounded by Russian forces, choking off exports of wheat, sunflower oil and other foodstuffs, as well as fertiliser for crops.

Black Sea navigation has also been hampered by mines placed by both Russian and Ukrainian forces.

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By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has stated that his country is ready to support the Azerbaijani-Armenian peace talks in multiple ways, Azernews reports, citing the White House.

Sullivan made the remarks at a meeting with the visiting Azerbaijani presidential aide on foreign policy, Hikmat Hajiyev, the report added.

Sullivan hailed Azerbaijan and Armenia for their substantial and historic diplomatic efforts toward sustainable peace and expressed support for negotiations under the aegis of European Council President Charles Michel.

He expressed the United States' willingness to engage closely and assist progress via a variety of channels, including as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The two men also hailed the 30th anniversary of the U.S.-Azerbaijani relations and expressed their willingness to further strengthen bilateral ties. They also underlined their common resolve to assist Ukrainians in responding to Russia's unwarranted actions.

Sullivan praised Azerbaijans long-standing commitment to European energy security and spoke about measures to diversify the regional energy supply. The two discussed the ramifications of the Ukrainian crisis for the rest of the region. Sullivan expressed the United States' commitment to peace, security, and development in the South Caucasus region.

Similarly, Turkish ambassador to the U.S. Hasan Murat Mercan hosted Hikmat Hajiyev as well, the embassy tweeted.

They reaffirmed the brotherly relations between Turkiye and Azerbaijan and exchanged views on regional issues, the report said.

In the meantime, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told the Turkish news agency Anadolu that Azerbaijan has voiced support for the rehabilitation of Turkish-Armenian relations at the highest level.

We are very positive about the appointment of special representatives of Turkiye and Armenia for the normalization process and held three meetings, Bayramov added.

This, he added, is an example of constructive messaging from Turkey and Azerbaijan to Armenia.

"We support the creation of normal neighborly relations with Armenia, and if this country takes the appropriate steps, it will respect international law, it will recognize the reality in the region, and it will be possible to achieve good results," the top diplomat stressed.

Underlining the critical importance for Armenia, the minister said that the nations have yet to accomplish concrete outcomes on this project.

"Armenia keeps dragging out the issue on one pretext or another. It's the country with the most limited communication capabilities in the region. Therefore, the implementation of the Zangazur corridor is important for Armenia as much as for other South Caucasus states," Bayramov said.
Egypt is hosting the first Africa Health EXCon, the first African health conference in New Cairo, with the participation of around 2,000 delegates representing government health entities from Africa and the Middle East as well as over 350 drugs companies operating in more than 102 countries.

The event aims at showcasing the achievements of the health sector in Egypt, especially its success dealing with several issues, including the elimination of hepatitis C, which until recently was one the country's biggest public health threats, Tag El-Din said in a TV comment on Monday.

Egypt also has several drugs companies, including the Egyptian medical city GYPTO Pharma, that are producing biotechnology drugs that can meet the needs of the country and all Africa, he added.

Egypt is one of the six African countries that were chosen to produce coronavirus vaccines.

Africa has production capabilities that can cover the entire continent, the presidential adviser said, noting that doing so requires "consensus, integration, trust between African nations one another."

The continent has experienced a shortage of drugs and medical equipment on the heels of the coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, he added.

The latest global circumstances demonstrated the need to boost pharmaceutical production across the continent.

Tag El-Din also called for adopting the Egyptian experience with unified procurement at the continent level, echoing comments made by president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi during the inauguration of Africa Health EXCon, where he said such a step could reduce the cost of drugs coming from abroad.

The Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement (UPA), established in 2019, is a government body responsible for purchasing all the state's needs, including drugs and medical equipment, from local and international markets.

The presidential adviser pointed to the advantages of buying in bulk, saying that buying 1,000 pieces of medical equipment would cost less per unit than the cost of only buying 100 pieces.

During the inauguration of Africa Health EXCon, El-Sisi announced Egypt will share 30 million doses of coronavirus vaccines with African countries.

Tag El-Din said El-Sisi's initiative is part of the support Egypt offers to Africa in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, noting that the continent is still suffering.

At the time when many countries have met the 70 percent vaccination target, only around 17 percent of Africa's population have received the vaccine, he explained.

The current situation is not due to a refusal to be innoculated, or even the lack of money, but due to the unavailability of the vaccines, he further noted.

During the inauguration of Africa Health EXCon, the Egyptian president expressed Egypts readiness to cooperate with African nations in different domains

We are not a state with huge resources, but we can cooperate with Africa and all world as well, he added.

The cooperation can extend to training programmes, education, treatment, transfer or exchange of expertise and drug manufacturing, El-Sisi pointed out.

Africa Health EXCon is set to conclude on Tuesday.
Such procedures are essential for forecasting the different scenarios of the upcoming flood, according to a statement by the ministry released following a meeting of the Permanent Committee for Regulating the Niles Revenue.

The Niles annual flooding  which takes place August-October  is caused by heavy rains in the Ethiopian highlands.

Over the past year, according to a previous statement by the ministry, Egypt has built over 1,500 facilities to protect the country from heavy rainfall as well as store water for Bedouin communities that suffer from water scarcity, the ministry said in previous statements.

Egypt has also established a flood-forecasting centre to monitor rainfall and floods as well as study climate change and its impact on the country.

On Tuesday, the committee held a follow up meeting to keep abreast of the situation concerning the output of the Nile River in the current water year.

The committee meetings, held regularly throughout the year, aim to ensure water resources are optimally managed to provide for the country's water needs.

Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati, who chaired Tuesday's meeting, said the ministry seeks to efficiently provide for the country's water needs and to handle any complaints immediately, the statement added.

The minister issued directives to the ministrys departments to remain on high alert and follow up on the water situation to maintain safe water levels in canals and drains and guarantee the readiness of water-lifting stations and emergency units nationwide.

Some 85 percent of river waters in Egypt flow from the Ethiopian highlands through the Blue Nile  one of the Niles two main tributaries along with the White Nile.

Egypt, which is considered one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, receives around 60 billion cubic metres (bcm) annually, mainly from the Nile. However, its needs stand at around 114 bcm, placing the 102-million-plus country well below the international threshold for water scarcity at 560 cubic metres per person annually.

The large gap in water resources in Egypt is overcome by importing 54 percent of its consumption and reusing 42 percent of its renewable sources, Abdel-Ati said in an earlier statement.

Access to the Niles waters is one of the outstanding points in the long-running Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute between downstream countries Egypt and Sudan, from one side, and the upstream country Ethiopia, on the other.

Cairo and Khartoum have been involved in decade-long talks with Addis Ababa over the massive mega project in an attempt to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam.

Downstream countries do not oppose the project but seek to reach a binding deal with Ethiopia. Egypt fears an impact on its water supply and Sudan is concerned about regulating flows to its own dams.

Ethiopia, however, has been intransigent in its negotiations with the two downstream countries.

In the absence of the desired deal, Ethiopia had unilaterally completed the first and second filling of the dam, and recently announced that the first turbine of the GERD has begun generating power.

It seeks to start the third filling in August and September, according to remarks by Kiffle Horo, the project manager of the GERD.
The federal government must do more to support the resurgence of travel and tourism to ensure the industry rebuilds to be "more resilient, sustainable and equitable," according to the draft strategy document seen by Reuters.

"There are a lot of industries that are well past COVID -- travel and tourism is not," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in an interview.

The "National Travel and Tourism Strategy" sets a goal of 90 million international visitors by 2027 who will spend an estimated $279 billion annually, topping pre-pandemic levels, the department told Reuters.

The U.S. Commerce Department on Monday will unveil a new strategy aimed at boosting international tourism hit hard by COVID-19 and government travel restrictions by streamlining the entry process and promoting more diverse destinations.

In 2019, the United States had 79.4 million international visitors, a figure that plummeted to 19.2 million in 2020 as the pandemic hit and rose to just 22.1 million in 2021. International visitors spent $239.4 billion in 2019, but just $81 billion in 2019, the Commerce Department said. Before COVID, tourism supported 9.5 million U.S. jobs and generated $1.9 trillion in economic output.

One of the strategy's goals is to modernize entry procedures for visitors to enter and travel within the United States. "We need to streamline the entry process," Raimondo said. "It's cumbersome and very paper-based and we want to move to a more digital process."

Other goals include promoting more diverse U.S. tourism experiences beyond coastal states, reducing tourism's contributions to climate change and building a sector that is resilient to natural disasters, public health threats and the impacts of climate change.

One reason tourism fell so sharply was the United States lagged many other countries in lifting COVID border restrictions that barred much of the world from entering. The U.S. rules were not eased until November 2021.

The United States still requires foreign nationals to be vaccinated against COVID and nearly all international air passengers to test negative before travel. U.S. airlines say nearly all other countries they serve are not requiring testing.

Raimondo acknowledged testing is a "barrier" to tourism and that the United States is an "outlier" but did not forecast when those rules might be relaxed. "I hear a lot about it from industry and I have been expressing that to the administration," Raimondo said.
Korea is ready to launch its first lunar orbiter, Danuri. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute said on Monday that it has successfully completed final checks, clearing the way for it to be transported to its launch site in Florida. The orbiter is set to depart Korea on July 5 and blast into space on Aug. 3.

"Danuri will use Ballistic Lunar Transfer (BLT), a 'low-energy' transfer from the earth to the moon using the gravity of the earth, the moon and the sun. The method uses less energy and thus saves the use of fuel by about 25 percent, but takes longer to reach the destination," KARI senior researcher Kim Dae-kwan said.
South Korea and the U.S. fired eight ballistic missiles into the East Sea early Monday morning in response to a volley of eight short-range ballistic missiles North Korea launched the previous day. It was the first matching show of force by the two allies in response to North Korean provocations, which have been getting ever more frantic this year even as the regime battles a coronavirus outbreak with scant resources.



A ballistic missile is being fired into the East Sea on Monday. /Yonhap

"South Korea and the U.S. fired eight surface-to-surface missiles for about 10 minutes from 4:45 a.m. Monday" in response to the North's eight launches from multiple locations the previous day, the Joint Chiefs of Staff here said. "The joint firing displayed the two allies' ability and readiness to maintain a round-the-clock surveillance and immediately strike with pinpoint accuracy any location where a provocation was launched," the JCS added.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Keon-hee (center) salute during a ceremony marking the 67th Memorial Day at the National Cemetery in Seoul on Monday. /Newsis

"The North's nuclear weapons and missile programs have grown to a point where they are a threat to peace in Northeast Asia and the world as well as on the Korean Peninsula," President Yoon Suk-yeol said in a Memorial Day address Monday. He pledged his government will "sternly respond to any kind of North Korean provocation."
Suspicions are growing that North Korea is speeding up preparations for another nuclear test.

A recent sign is that the North is restoring the nuclear test site in Punggye-ri, which it ostensibly blew up in 2018, according to Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"At the nuclear test site at Punggye-ri we have observed indications that one of the [entrances] has been reopened, possibly in preparation for a nuclear test," Grossi said Monday.

The U.S. is likely to respond with a regional show of force. It has already deployed about 40 stealth fighter jets, including the world's most powerful F-22 Raptor stealth fighters and F-35 A and B fighters, at its base in Japan. Many of these fighters are expected to join South Korean fighter jets in drills over the Korean Peninsula if the North conducts a nuclear test.

The U.S. also deployed four B-1B "Swan of Death" Lancer bombers at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam last week.

On Sunday North Korea launched a volley of eight short-range ballistic missiles, and South Korea and the U.S., in response, fired as many ballistic missiles the next day.
The more educated a woman in Korea today the more likely she is to have children, a study suggests, turning the received wisdom on its head.

The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs analyzed census data and interviewed 1,779 couples who were married for one to seven years to see which socioeconomic factors contributed to their decision to have children or not.

To the researchers' surprise, they found that the chances of choosing to remain childless were higher among women with high school diplomas or less than women with university degrees. By the same token, the higher the monthly salary of a woman, the lower the chances of her having no kids.

The working hours of women also had no an effect on their decision to have children.

"Until the 1970s, the level of education was inversely proportional to the number of children a woman had, but the opposite has been happening since the 2000s," the researchers said. "The orthodox view is that a more educated woman's opportunity costs increase when she has children, but in Korea, women decide against having children not because they value their careers but because of the high cost of raising them."

The husband's role also played an important part. The more a husband contributes to household chores, the lower the chance of a woman delaying childbirth or deciding to remain childless. Also, the happier a woman is in her marriage, the lower the chances that she would not have kids.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 7, 2022 - 21:36 | All, World

Ukraine needs strong military backing by the international community to completely defeat Russia's invasion or face further land grabs by its President Vladimir Putin, says Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

The top diplomat said in an interview Monday in Tokyo that Kyiv must be the one to determine how to achieve victory in the war in Ukraine at a time when European leaders are divided over how to end it.

"It is not up to us to say when Ukraine should stop fighting. We need to make it very clear that we will be providing the weapons and providing assistance until Ukraine has gained the victory that it seeks," Landsbergis said.

As the war drags on past its 100-day mark, Britain and Poland were taking a hard-line stance toward Moscow, while France and Germany were encouraging Kyiv to seek a cease-fire.

"Russia and Putin have to lose the war. And Ukraine has to win, and we have to make sure this happens," said Landsbergis, whose country has provided weapons and humanitarian assistance.

"Giving concessions to the aggressor means further invitations to war," he said, pointing out that Russia's invasion of Georgia in 2008 was followed by its 2014 annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.

Lithuania, a post-Soviet republic, is concerned about possible Russian attacks. The Baltic state shares borders with Russia and Belarus, which is headed by Putin ally President Alexander Lukashenko.

Landsbergis said that if Russia were to attack the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's eastern members, it would likely do so from Belarus.

With the situation on the eastern flank changing "very significantly," according to Landsbergis, Lithuania is demanding more defenses and permanent deployments of NATO troops on its territories, as well as for fellow former Soviet republics and members Estonia and Latvia.

The three Baltic countries, along with Slovakia, have called for Ukraine's reconstruction to be funded by Russian assets frozen under sanctions.

"It's much easier to prove that this money comes from the aggressor state and it can be used to rebuild the country that is a victim," Landsbergis said. "I think that would be one of the ways that justice is served."

Around $300 billion of foreign reserves of the Russian central banks, as well as assets belonging to Russian individuals and entities, are already frozen in Europe.

Lithuania has frozen Russian and Belarusian assets totaling 62 million euros ($66 million).

Related coverage:

U.S. announces new $700 mil. aid to Ukraine, including rocket systems

Former Ukraine leader Poroshenko says "maniac" Putin cannot be trusted

Russia declares full control of Ukraine's Mariupol
KYODO NEWS - Jun 7, 2022 - 12:24 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

The government said Tuesday it will ask foreign tourists to wear face masks and take out insurance to cover medical expenses in the event they contract COVID-19 as Japan restarts accepting visitors in stages later this week.

The tourism ministry has compiled guidelines for travel agencies and hotels ahead of Friday's resumption of accepting arrivals for the purpose of tourism. Entry will be initially restricted to guided tours from 98 countries and regions presenting the lowest risk of infection, including the United States, Britain, China, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand.

"Understanding of the guidelines and compliance will lead to the smooth resumption of inbound tourism and its expansion," Tetsuo Saito, minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, told a press conference.

Under the guidelines, travel agencies will gain the consent of tour participants to comply with the measures by explaining upon sales or reservation of tours that they will not be penalized for failing to comply but may not be able to take part in tours.

The guidelines also state that travel agencies will set tour routes to avoid crowded areas and select facilities that thoroughly implement antivirus measures, and gather information on multilingual medical institutions and hotels for isolation.

While in Japan, the agencies will transport tour participants found to be infected with the novel coronavirus to medical institutions and support them until they leave the country. They will also ask participants to notify them if they are found infected with the novel coronavirus within a week after returning home.

The agencies will keep records of the tours, including places they visited and where they sat in public transportation, so that if participants are found to be infected they can quickly identify close contacts who need to be isolated.

Those who are not close contacts will be able to continue their tour.

Ahead of the resumption of tourist travel, Japan has conducted test tours for inbound travelers from the United States, Australia, Singapore and Thailand. The Thai group's tour was suspended after a participant tested positive for the virus.

The country has been gradually easing restrictions on the entry of foreign visitors, seeking to match other Group of Seven nations after coming under fire at home and abroad for its tough border controls.

But it is likely to take some time for the country to reopen its borders to individual tourists as concern lingers within the government over the potential resurgence of infections.

Japan on Wednesday doubled its cap on daily arrivals to the country to 20,000 and allowed most to forgo COVID-19 tests and quarantine periods. The forthcoming guided tour participants will be included in the 20,000-per-day arrival quota.

Related coverage:

Japan expands daily arrival cap to 20,000 as COVID fears recede

Record-low 90,300 Japan visas issued in 2021 due to pandemic
KYODO NEWS - Jun 7, 2022 - 23:44 | All, Japan

Japan and the United States conducted a joint fighter jet drill over the Sea of Japan on Tuesday for the second time in two weeks, days after North Korea's latest missile launches amid growing fears of a possible nuclear test.

The exercise, following Pyongyang's test-firing of eight short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Sunday, was intended to showcase "strong will of Japan and the United States to respond to every situation" and the two countries' "close collaboration," and to further strengthen their alliance, Japan's Defense Ministry said.

Four F-15s from the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force's Chitose base in Hokkaido and two F-16s from the U.S. Air Force base in Misawa in Aomori Prefecture took part in "a variety of tactical training," the ministry said in a press release.

On May 25, the two countries conducted a similar joint exercise after North Korea launched three ballistic missiles off its east coast earlier that day, including one of intercontinental range. It also came a day after China and Russia flew six strategic bombers in total over the Sea of Japan.

If Pyongyang conducts its seventh nuclear test, it would be its first since 2017. The reclusive nation has carried out 17 missile tests since the beginning of this year, including firing of cruise missiles.

Washington is concerned that Pyongyang could carry out a nuclear test "in the coming days," State Department spokesman Ned Price said Monday.
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

The Azerbaijani Armys rocket and artillery units have conducted live-fire tactical drills, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry.

The drills, which were held in line with the approved training plan, involved the crews of self-propelled howitzers of the Land Forces rocket and artillery units, the report added.

Under the training plan, the forces providing fire support moved from their usual deployment locations to the assembly point and occupied reserve firing, as well as starting positions, the ministry said.

The servicemen effectively completed the tasks of finding and eliminating fictional enemy targets with precise fire during the drills, which were conducted under realistic combat situations.

The major goal of the drills was to strengthen the rocket and artillery units management skills, improve servicemen's planning abilities during combat operations, and coordinate interoperability with other types of troops.

Azerbaijan periodically holds drills to improve its military personnels combat readiness.

The drills also aim to improve interaction and combat coordination between the servicemen during operations, as well as to develop commanders' military decision-making and unit management skills.




Students from the University of Namibia's Confucius Institute make zongzi celebrating the traditional Dragon Boat Festival in Windhoek, Namibia, June 3, 2022. (Photo by Musa C Kaseke/Xinhua)

I have been trying new Chinese cuisines and this is part of our learning curve to better our command of the Chinese language and culture, says Gabriella Stadhauer, a fourth-year student of political science at the University of Namibia.

WINDHOEK, June 4 (Xinhua) -- With a unique roll of bamboo leaves to cater for a firm stuffing of sticky rice and meat fillings, students from the University of Namibia's Confucius Institute (CI) got the ropes to make their zongzi at an event held in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, Friday.

The student enrolled at the CI had the opportunity to make and prepare their unique Chinese cuisines Friday as they celebrated the traditional Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu Festival, which traditionally falls on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. Traditions such as eating zongzi, or glutinous rice dumplings with various fillings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, and wearing perfume sachets are also observed on the day.

Speaking to Xinhua, Wilka Nuule, 21, said she was eager to absorb more of the Chinese culture and tradition through the preparation of the dishes, which further gave her more insight into Chinese culture and festivities.

"It was not easy to prepare zongzi, but this was interesting because I had fun and managed to prepare something beyond our borders, that one does not see or prepare daily in our country," she said.

Students from the University of Namibia's Confucius Institute make zongzi celebrating the traditional Dragon Boat Festival in Windhoek, Namibia, June 3, 2022. (Photo by Musa C Kaseke/Xinhua)

During the preparation of the dishes which included zongzi and other meat dumplings, the students interacted with their teachers through songs and communicated in the Chinese language, which presented a different learning process.

Wilka said this was an interesting event to further grasp the Chinese language and culture.

Another 4th-year student Gabriella Stadhauer, who is studying political science, could not contain her excitement to be part of the activities.

Stadhauer enrolled at the CI as she believes what she is studying can be beneficial in her future endeavors as she believes China is destined for bigger and better opportunities.

"I have been trying new Chinese cuisines and this is part of our learning curve to better our command of the Chinese language and culture," she said, while she further unpacked her previous experience of the Dragon Boat Festival, where she stated that her high school had embarked on boat races to mark the day.

Stadhauer, who at first was hesitant to try zongzi because it seemed different, was later spotted enjoying a handful of the food as the students joyfully participated in the event.

Chinese lecturer at the CI in Namibia Lin Wang told Xinhua that the experience of the event was fulfilling for both students and teachers as it was more fun and interactive, rather than the traditional way of learning in class. 




BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to subdue, Beijing further loosens epidemic response restrictions and is steadily returning to normal. The new rules take effect on Monday in all districts except Fengtai District and some areas of Changping District.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Sanitation workers clean the site of a bicycle bomb explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 6, 2022. Several people were wounded following a bicycle bomb explosion in the central part of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan on Monday, the capital police confirmed. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

KABUL, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Several people were wounded following a bicycle bomb explosion in the central part of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan on Monday, the capital police confirmed.

The incident occurred roughly at 6:00 p.m. local time (1330 GMT) in Police District 4 of the city, Khlid Zadran, spokesman of Kabul police, said on social media.

The Taliban security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures. An investigation was underway, the spokesman added.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet. 

Policemen direct traffic near the site of a bicycle bomb explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 6, 2022. Several people were wounded following a bicycle bomb explosion in the central part of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan on Monday, the capital police confirmed. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

Policemen stand guard near the site of a bicycle bomb explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 6, 2022. Several people were wounded following a bicycle bomb explosion in the central part of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan on Monday, the capital police confirmed. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
JERUSALEM, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Israel's ruling coalition on Monday failed to pass a bill extending legal protections to Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

The fragile coalition -- made up of eight parties with diverse ideologies, including pro-settler nationalists and Dovish parties -- could not gain the majority needed to approve the bill which extends the emergency regulations with which Israel applies Israeli law to settlers. It was rejected with 58 lawmakers voting against it and 52 in favor.

Two members of the coalition voted against the bill -- Mazen Ghanem with the Muslim Ra'am party and Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi with the liberal Meretz party. They condemned the regulations as enabling an unfair legal system under which Israelis and Palestinians are subject to two separate sets of laws in the same occupied territory.

The opposition, which includes mainly right-wing parties that support the settlements, also voted against the bill, in an attempt to bring down the coalition.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the pro-settler party of Yamina, was seen leaving hastily the floor of the Israeli Knesset, or parliament, right after the vote. "This bill will pass. If not today then tomorrow, if not tomorrow then the day after tomorrow," he told Channel 13 TV news. "This government goes on."

Israel has used emergency regulations that applied Israeli law to some 500,000 Jewish settlers who live in the occupied territory.

The emergency regulations, first enacted in 1967, the year in which Israel captured the West Bank in a war, will expire at the end of June unless the government passes a law to extend them.

If the regulations expire, settlers would not get social benefits, while the government, the police and other government agencies will lose their authority in the West Bank. 
DAMASCUS, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces launched missile strikes from Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and targeted military sites south of the capital Damascus on Monday night, the Syrian army said in a statement.

It added that most of the missiles were successfully intercepted, and the attack caused no casualties.

On the opposition side, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Israeli attack targeted sites in the Kisweh area south of Damascus where pro-Iran Shiite militias are located.

The Britain-based war monitor added that the Syrian air defenses successfully intercepted most of the missiles but missed two, which slammed the base. 
TAIPEI, June 7 (Xinhua) -- This year's Taipei International Book Exhibition concluded on Tuesday after six days of exhibitions and various activities held against the backdrop of COVID-19 prevention and control.

More than 360 publishing houses from 31 countries and regions participated in the long-awaited event, which had been suspended for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year's book fair, the 30th edition of its kind, incorporated 10 themed sub-exhibitions and 250 activities like reading salons and lectures, according to the organizer. It was anticipated to help boost confidence in Taiwan's publishing industry.

Statistics show that the output value of Taiwan's publishing industry has dwindled from 36.7 billion new Taiwan dollars (about 1.2 billion U.S. dollars) in 2010 to less than 18 billion new Taiwan dollars in recent years.

About 30 percent of exhibitors opted out as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic in Taiwan. So far, Taiwan has reported more than 2.5 million local infections, according to the island's disease monitoring agency. 
BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, held a phone conversation on Tuesday with Takeo Akiba, secretary general of Japan's National Security Secretariat.

Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan relations, and that bilateral relations have reached a significant historical juncture.

In October last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reached an important consensus on the building of a China-Japan relationship that meets the requirements of the new era, providing guidance for the development of bilateral relations, Yang said.

At present, old and new issues are intertwined in China-Japan relations, and the difficulties and challenges facing bilateral relations cannot be ignored, Yang noted.

The two sides should hold on to the right direction, adhere to win-win cooperation, bear in mind the long-term and general situation, enhance mutual security trust, make joint efforts to bring a stable, healthy and strong China-Japan relationship into the next 50 years, and jointly safeguard regional peace and prosperity, he said.

For his part, Akiba said the Japanese side is ready to deepen cooperation with China, properly handle differences and strengthen communication on sensitive bilateral issues and international hot issues, so as to jointly build constructive and stable Japan-China relations.

Yang clarified China's principled positions on issues involving Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Diaoyu Islands.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. 
ISLAMABAD, June 6 (Xinhua) -- On the invitation of Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is scheduled to pay an official visit to Pakistan from June 7 to 8, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

During the two-day visit, the two ministers will hold delegation-level talks on the entire range of bilateral matters and exchange views on regional and global issues, the ministry said in a statement.

The German foreign minister will also call on the Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, according to the statement.

"Germany is a valued partner of Pakistan, both bilaterally and in the context of the European Union," the statement said, adding that the two countries have long-standing and cordial relations marked by mutual respect and close cooperation.

The two sides attach special importance to strengthening bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, including trade and investment, energy, defense, and people-to-people contacts, said the ministry.

The visit of the German foreign minister is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and is expected to further boost the multi-faceted Pakistan-Germany relationship, according to the statement. 
UNITED NATIONS, June 6 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday warned against constantly providing weapons to Ukraine or imposing sanctions on Russia.

The international community should not stop at eliminating sexual violence and human trafficking. Only through cease-fire and the restoration of peace can the trauma of conflict for women and children be fundamentally avoided, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

"The international community should work together to promote peace talks, and encourage Russia and Ukraine to come back to the negotiation track," he told a Security Council meeting on sexual violence and human trafficking in the context of the Ukraine conflict.

Constantly providing weapons or imposing sanctions and pressure will not solve the problem, but will only perpetuate and expand the conflict, he warned.

People in Ukraine and other developing countries should not pay the price for geopolitical and bloc confrontations. At a time when humans have a shared future and when global security is indivisible, no country can or should seek its own absolute security at the expense of the security of others. And international and regional security cannot and should not be guaranteed by strengthening military blocs and cutting off supply and industrial chains, said Dai.

"China once again calls on the parties concerned to put international and regional peace and security first and to play a constructive role in the proper resolution of the crisis in Ukraine," he said.

The conflict has taken a heavy toll on the Ukrainian people. The security risks faced by women and children are particularly worrisome. Parties to the conflict should comply with international law and take measures to protect civilians from all forms of violence, including sexual violence and human trafficking against women and girls, he said.

The use of sexual violence as a tactic of war is a serious crime. Any allegations should be investigated impartially on the basis of facts, he said.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, 6.8 million Ukrainian people have crossed borders into neighboring countries for refuge, the vast majority of whom are women and children. China appreciates the humanitarian spirit shown by Ukraine's neighbors in providing safe shelter and basic livelihood for women and children refugees. Meanwhile, the growing number of cases of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse is disturbing, he said.

China calls for immediate international cooperation to identify and punish relevant criminal acts. The relevant UN agencies should strengthen monitoring and analysis and provide professional and technical support to combat human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and sexual abuse against Ukrainian refugees, he said. 
UNITED NATIONS, June 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday strongly condemned Sunday's church attack in Ondo State of Nigeria, which resulted in scores of casualties, said his spokesman.

"The secretary-general condemns in the strongest terms the heinous attack in the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 5 that resulted in the death and injuries of scores of civilians as people gathered for the Pentecost service," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

"The secretary-general emphasizes that attacks on places of worship are abhorrent. He urges the Nigerian authorities to spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators to justice," said the statement.

Guterres extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. He also expressed his sympathies to, and solidarity with, the government and people of Nigeria, it said. 
RTHK: US Democrats: gun deal possible, won't end bloodshed

Democrats in the US Senate said on Tuesday they were encouraged by talks with Republicans on gun-violence legislation, but warned that any compromise would fall short of the steps they say are needed to tackle the problem.

"Every day we get closer to an agreement, not farther away," said Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who working with Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas on a possible deal.

The Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, said he hoped the two sides would find common ground after a wave of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York; Uvalde, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and elsewhere.

"We're hoping to actually get an outcome that will make a difference," he said at a news conference.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he would give negotiators until the end of the week to reach a deal.

The talks have raised hopes of a rare bipartisan agreement on gun-related issues in Congress, which has failed to act after similar mass shootings over the past decade. Most Americans support stronger gun laws, opinion polls show.

Democratic President Joe Biden last week called for banning assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines, or at least raising the minimum age to buy those weapons from 18 to 21.

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is expected to approve some of those proposals on Wednesday, but they are unlikely to clear the evenly divided Senate as many Republicans are opposed to tighter gun controls.

"Obviously, an agreement that we reach with the Republicans won't come close to the full list of things that I think are necessary to curb this epidemic. But the Americans people are looking for progress," Murphy said. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-06-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
By Trend

Uzbekistan removes all restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic for those arriving in the country, Trend reports via the Uzbek Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage.

According to the decision of the Special Republican Commission of Uzbekistan, from June 10, 2022, temporary restrictions related to coronavirus will be lifted on entry into Uzbekistan for tourism purposes by air, border railway stations and border checkpoints.

In this regard, the rules requiring foreign tourists to provide a negative PCR test result for coronavirus, a rapid test for coronavirus antigens and a vaccination certificate or passport are canceled.

This decision was made on the basis that the commission took into account the dynamics of the spread of coronavirus in Uzbekistan, the number of hospitalized and discharged patients, a positive change in the number of quarantined citizens, as well as the epidemiological situation in the country, recommendations from WHO and the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage.
Employees of Bula Mushroom company unload Juncao from a vehicle in Nadi, Fiji, May 11, 2022.(Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing)

In Fiji, Juncao has become popular as "the happy grass from China" as the Juncao project is with low cost and quick rewards, benefiting many ordinary people.

SUVA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China's Juncao project has been benefiting Fiji since 2014 when it was introduced in the Pacific island country, Fijian officials and farmers said.



The Juncao technology, literally meaning fungi and grass, was invented in the 1980s by Lin Zhanxi, a professor at China's Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, who is also the chief scientist for the China-Fiji Juncao Technology Cooperation Project launched in 2014 after the Chinese and Fijian governments signed an agreement to start agricultural cooperation.

In Fiji, Juncao has become popular as "the happy grass from China" after the two phases of the project have witnessed a sound success. Now the third phase of the project will be implemented as scheduled.

Staff members of Bula Mushroom company check the condition of mushrooms in Nadi, Fiji, May 11, 2022.(Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing)

Lin Zhansen, head of the Chinese experts team based in Nadi, the third largest city of Fiji, told Xinhua that Juncao has been warmly welcomed in Fiji, as it not only helps develop a low-cost mushroom cultivation industry, but also produces cattle feed and minimizes soil erosion in the island nation.

"The Juncao project is a low cost one with quick rewards and it has benefited many ordinary Fijians," he said.

According to Lin, the Chinese experts have so far trained 1,704 Fijians, including female farmers, disabled persons and even tour managers who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, they have sent 45 officials of Fiji's Ministry of Agriculture and technicians to be trained at China's Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University.

The country currently has more than 600 mushroom farmers and Lin's team has helped establish two model villages of mushroom cultivation in Fiji.

Photo taken on Feb. 17, 2021 shows employees working at the Juncao demonstration center in Nadi, Fiji.(Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing)

Mushroom cultivation is a new concept in Pacific countries like Fiji and not many people know how to grow or use them before the introduction of the Juncao technology to Fiji. The technology enables farmers to grow several types of nutritious mushrooms from dried, chopped grasses, instead of trees or woods, giving them a stable source of income thereby helping boost their livelihoods.

Fiji imports more than 120 tons of mushroom annually. There is an existing demand for the commodity, and increasing popularity is seen in local markets, namely supermarkets and restaurants.

"I believe that Fiji has a great potential of mushroom growers in the years to come," Lin said.

Tagiyaco Vakaloloma, 28, is a senior technical assistant for mushroom research and development from Fiji's Ministry of Agriculture. she hailed the Juncao project and expressed gratitude to China.

"It has benefited our people in their living and produces cattle feed," Vakaloloma said.

Seruwaia Kabukabu, 44, is a famous female entrepreneur in Serea village of Fiji's Naitasiri province. Owning a dairy farm with 50 cattle, she has improved her family's livelihood through profit from mushroom cultivation since 2019, after being trained at the Juncao demonstration center in Nadi.

"Mushroom is easy to grow, highly nutritious, with a high market value. The mushroom farming is more suitable for women as it entails less intensive labor and could provide a consistent source of income to support our families," she said, adding, "I have used the money to buy refrigerator, blender, straw mats and etc. I also have built a new toilet and bathroom for our family."

The woman encouraged her fellow villagers to follow suit.

Marika Uluinacera (L), a 68-year-old disabled man who plants mushroom, is seen during an interview with Xinhua at home in Serea village of Naitasiri province, Fiji, May 19, 2022.(Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing)

With her help, 68-year-old Marika Uluinacera, a disabled man and 15-year-old Vilimaina Nokonokosere, a school student, had also planted mushroom. The latter bought herself a new pair of school uniform, bag and new pair of sandals with the money she gained from selling mushroom. Local press reported the girl's story of planting mushrooms for her school needs.

Describing it as "a very good project," Kabukabu said that she wanted to thank the Chinese government and the Chinese people for the project which enables Fijian women to have a better life.

Kabukabu said that she, along with her fellow villagers, will do more mushroom cultivation in the years to come.

Sunita Vikashni Lata, 39, is a Fijian farmer who lives in the Lomawai village, about 45 km from Nadi. she really appreciated the chances for being trained twice in China's Fujian province and working for the Juncao demonstration center for five years. She also cultivated mushroom in her spare time.

She told Xinhua that the income from the salary and mushroom cultivation has helped her pay electricity and water bills, and buy TV, freezer and kids needs.

Chaya Kumar and Vinit Lal, a couple, have recently launched their Bula Mushroom company in the Nadi-based Vocational School of Agriculture, Votualevu College. This made the school the first in the nation to include technical teaching in mushroom cultivation.

The couple told Xinhua that they have produced around 200 kg of fresh mushrooms that have been sold to supermarkets and restaurants.

"We have good market demand here for mushroom, we are doing well and hope to expand our business, even export our mushroom in the near future," they said, adding "We want to thank China for the Juncao project and the Chinese experts team's training for us."

Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Qian Bo told media that China's assistance to the Pacific island countries like Fiji is to "meet their urgent needs, to teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime, and to promote their capacity building."

"There is no doubt that the Juncao project is a great success as it has provided a new way with ecological and economic benefits for environmental protection, employment improvement and poverty alleviation," he said. 
Teachers cheer for examinees at an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

A teacher cheers for an examinee at an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Examinees wait to enter an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

Examinees wait at an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

An examinee waves to teachers at an exam site in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng)

Examinees review before exam at an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

An examinee prepares to enter the exam site in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Teachers cheer for an examinee at an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Examinees enter an exam site in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

Examinees wait to enter an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

Teachers cheer for examinees at an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Examinees enter an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

An examinee claps hands with her teacher at an exam site in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng)

A parent carries an examinee with motorcycle towards an exam site in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Examinees enter an exam site in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

Examinees queue for temperature check before entering an exam site in Chifeng, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Examinees enter an exam site in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

An examinee reviews before the exam at an exam site in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Photo by Wu Zhizun/Xinhua)

An examinee hugs her teacher before entering an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Teachers cheer for an examinee at an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

An examinee reviews before the exam at an exam site in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

An examinee claps hands with her teacher at an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Examinees take selfies with their parents before the exam at an exam site in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Examinees enter an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

An examinee prepares to enter the exam site in north China's Tianjin, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

A teacher cheers for an examinee at an exam site in north China's Tianjin, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Examinees enter an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

An examinee hugs her mother before entering an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

A teacher checks stationery and admission tickets of examinees in Wushi County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

An examinee reacts with a teacher before entering the exam site in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 7, 2022.

China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

Examinees enter an exam site in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 7, 2022.

China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)

An examinee waits to enter the exam site in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, June 7, 2022.

China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)

A teacher cheers for an examinee at an exam site in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 7, 2022.

China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

An examinee reacts with a teacher before entering the exam site in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 7, 2022.

China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

An examinee prepares to enter the exam site in Zhangjiachuan Hui Autonomous County of Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, June 7, 2022.

China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Examinees review before entering the exam site in Jianye District of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

A teacher cheers for an examinee at an exam site in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

A teacher cheers for examinees at an exam site in Dahua Yao Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

Examinees take the national college entrance exam at an exam site in Dahua Yao Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

An examinee enters an exam site in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

An examinee scans the health tracking QR code as he enters an exam site in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

A man cheers for examinees at an exam site in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

An examinee and her parent are pictured at an exam site in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

Examinees clap hands with teachers before entering the exam site in Dahua Yao Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

Examinees enter the exam site in Jianye District of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

Examinees review before the exam at an exam site in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

An examinee reviews before the exam at an exam site in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

A staff member checks information of an examinee for epidemic prevention and control at an exam site in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Examinees enter an exam site in Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Yang Chenguang)

An examinee enters an exam site in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

An examinee enters an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

An examinee prepares to enter the exam site in north China's Tianjin, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

An examinee reviews before the exam at an exam site in Jianye District of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

An examinee enters the exam site as his parent watches in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

An examinee enters the exam site as her parent waves in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

Examinees queue up to enter the exam site in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

Examinees enter an exam site in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

A mother uses a portable electric fan to help an examinee cool off in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

A police officer cheers for an examinee at an exam site in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

An examinee hugs his parent before entering an exam site in north China's Tianjin, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

An examinee prepares to enter the exam site in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

An examinee enters the exam site in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 7, 2022. China's national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, started Tuesday this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)

Related:

Students prepare for national college entrance exam in China
Photo taken on June 7, 2022 shows the 116th United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council Meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The 116th United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council Meeting kicked off Tuesday in Jeddah, focusing on boosting the recovery of global tourism. (Saudi Ministry of Tourism/Handout via Xinhua)

RIYADH, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The 116th United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council Meeting kicked off Tuesday in Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, focusing on boosting the recovery of global tourism.

During the meeting, the First Vice-Chair of the UNWTO Executive Council Ahmed Al-Khateeb, who is also the Saudi tourism minister, called for greater collaboration between member states to accelerate the sector's recovery.

Tourism is a vital driver of growth, opportunity, and development, said Al-Khateeb, noting that the sector could create 58 million jobs in 2022.

On the side-line of the meeting, the Saudi Tourism Ministry launched a new program to equip 100,000 young Saudis with the key hospitality skills needed to pursue careers in the kingdom's burgeoning tourism industry.

Tourism is one of many sectors that Saudi Arabia has been developing to diversify its economy and become less dependent on oil revenues.

The UNWTO is a United Nations specialized agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. 

First Vice-Chair of the UNWTO Executive Council Ahmed Al-Khateeb (2nd L), who is also the Saudi tourism minister, attends the 116th United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council Meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on June 7, 2022. The 116th United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council Meeting kicked off Tuesday in Jeddah, focusing on boosting the recovery of global tourism. (Saudi Ministry of Tourism/Handout via Xinhua)

Photo taken on June 7, 2022 shows the 116th United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council Meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The 116th United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council Meeting kicked off Tuesday in Jeddah, focusing on boosting the recovery of global tourism. (Saudi Ministry of Tourism/Handout via Xinhua)
People visit a medical equipment during the Africa Health ExCon in Cairo, Egypt, on June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)



by Mahmoud Fouly

CAIRO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- At a vast exhibition center on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital Cairo, several Chinese pharmaceutical and medical companies have drawn the interests of visitors who were seeking business opportunities in one of the largest medical exhibitions and conferences in Africa.

People visit medical tools at a booth during the Africa Health ExCon in Cairo, Egypt, on June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)



The Africa Health ExCon, which was held from June 5 to 7, features various products including vaccines, medicines and medical equipment, and hosts some 350 companies from over 100 countries.



Among the firms participating in the event was China's biopharmaceutical company Sinovac, which jointly produces COVID-19 vaccines with Egypt's state-owned vaccine producer VACSERA.

People walk past a poster about China's biopharmaceutical company Sinovac during the Africa Health ExCon in Cairo, Egypt, on June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)



"Sinovac is here to show our services, present our portfolio and also to show our interest in business collaboration with local partners and introduce more Chinese pharmaceutical products, including vaccines, to Egypt and other African and Middle East countries," said Zhang Qichao, Sinovac's senior director of international business in Africa and the Middle East.

Through the "successful cooperation" with VACSERA, China seeks to help Egypt become a hub for vaccine production and distribution in Africa and the Middle East, Zhang told Xinhua.

Photo shows vaccines jointly produced by China's biopharmaceutical company Sinovac and Egypt's state-owned vaccine producer VACSERA during the Africa Health ExCon in Cairo, Egypt, on June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)



The Sinovac's booth attracted many visitors from Egypt and other African states during the three days of the event.

Egyptian veteran pharmacist Essam Halim Demetrios was one of them, who showed interest in establishing cooperation between Sinovac and his pharma company in Egypt.

"We can cooperate with Chinese pharmaceutical companies in the fields of marketing, manufacturing, import, etc. We will see! We are open to all kinds of cooperation with Chinese firms," said Demetrios.

"As a pharmacist, I see very good potentials for Chinese companies to be present in our markets like European companies, which take a large share in the markets of Egypt and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries," he added.

People visit the booth of Chinese firm Mindray during the Africa Health ExCon in Cairo, Egypt, on June 6, 2022.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)



At another booth in the expo, Chinese firm Mindray exhibited various medical imaging devices including fixed and hand-carried diagnostic ultrasound systems, under the slogan of "Healthcare Within Reach."

Zhifeng Liang, general manager of Mindray international sales and marketing in Egypt and North Africa, said that the Chinese company started business in Egypt a long time ago.

"We offer a very big product portfolio in Egypt including medical imaging systems and diagnostic laboratory solutions for operation rooms, intensive care units and emergency departments," the Chinese manager told Xinhua.

Photo shows the interior of an ambulance during the Africa Health ExCon in Cairo, Egypt, on June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)



For his part, Omar Abdel-Aziz, director of the Egypt's Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) technical bureau, said that the medical exhibition and conference seek to gather all players in the medical field to discuss challenges, solutions and partnership opportunities.

He said that the UPA welcomes the participation of Chinese companies and did its best to connect the Chinese companies with the Africa side.

"Chinese companies are leading in the fields of medical and pharmaceutical manufacturing and their participation in this year's expo was strong," the Egyptian official told Xinhua, hoping for further Chinese participation in the coming years. 
DAMASCUS, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Syrian and Russian warplanes on Tuesday carried out military drills amid increasing Israeli strikes, according to a military statement.

The drills and patrols took place near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in southern Syria and also in the northern and eastern parts of Syria, the statement said.

Two SU-35 Russian jets and six Syrian MiG warplanes took part in the drills, in which they confronted hostile virtual planes and drones.

Parts of the drills were carried out in the evening for the first time, where the Syrian jets succeeded to destroy virtual targets, the statement read. 
Pedestrians walk past a COVID-19 testing site on Times Square in New York, the United States, May 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Evidence suggests the new subvariants are yet-more contagious versions of Omicron, which may be able to dodge antibodies from earlier infection well enough to trigger a new wave, health experts said.

LOS ANGELES, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Two new Omicron subvariants are on the rise in the United States, adding to concern of health experts whether they may fuel a summer surge in COVID-19 cases.

The subvariants, known as BA.4 and BA.5, were estimated to make up nearly 13 percent of all new U.S. COVID-19 cases in the latest week ending June 4, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday.

BA.4 made up 5.4 percent of the new cases, while BA.5 made up 7.6 percent, according to CDC estimates.

The two subvariants represented the highest percentage of cases in a region that includes Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, according to the CDC.

Another subvariant BA.2.12.1, which remains the dominant variant in the country, made up 62.2 percent of all new U.S. cases in the past week following months of steady growth.

The BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants were added to the World Health Organization's monitoring list in March and designated as variants of concern by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

CDC data showed they were present in all U.S. regions.

Evidence suggests the new subvariants are yet-more contagious versions of Omicron, which may be able to dodge antibodies from earlier infection well enough to trigger a new wave, health experts said.

A volunteer takes photos for visitors at an event marking Memorial Day at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York, the United States, on May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan)

"BA.4 and 5 may end up becoming the dominant Omicron lineages in the coming weeks or months," said Nathan Grubaugh, an associate professor of epidemiology at Yale University's School of Public Health.

The United States is currently averaging about 108,000 COVID-19 cases and 300 deaths each day, the latest CDC data showed.

Health experts believe the real number is significantly higher as increasing at-home testing results had not been tracked.

Some epidemiologists warned surging cases may put people with compromised health at risk and can also expose many infected people to long-term health problems. 
ADDIS ABABA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Ethiopia's northern Amhara region on Tuesday disclosed they have intercepted 72 Ethiopians in a suspected case of human trafficking.

In a press statement, Bati district communication office of Amhara region said the 44 males and 28 females were recently being transported secretly on a freight truck, and they were intercepted at a local security checkpoint.

The statement said the individuals who were believed to have neighboring Djibouti as their final destination plan were intercepted during a security operation carried out jointly by local police and the Ethiopian army.

"The individuals were given orientation training on the dangers of human trafficking and thereafter repatriated to their home areas respectively," the statement from Bati district communication office further said.

Although there are no exact estimates on the number of Ethiopians trafficked annually to foreign countries, it's estimated thousands of Ethiopians are trafficked to foreign countries annually.

The human trafficking goes through three different routes, with the northern one going through Sudan, Libya and Mediterranean Sea to reach the European mainland.

The second route goes east through Somalia, Djibouti and the Red Sea to reach Saudi Arabia.

The third one goes south through Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique to reach South Africa.

Ethiopia has in recent years toughened its child welfare laws and anti-trafficking legislation to protect thousands of minors and youths that are estimated to be trafficked to various foreign destinations annually. 
GABORONE, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Botswana is likely to enter its fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, health authorities warned Monday, as the numbers of the cases have been on the rise.

Pamela Smith-Lawrence, health services director in Botswana's Ministry of Health, revealed this when appearing before the southern African country's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana.

"The country was seemingly entering a fifth wave," Smith-Lawrence stated to the PAC, the body made up of Botswana's legislators, as a measure to ensure public financial accountability.

Grace Muzila, the permanent secretary in Botswana's Ministry of Health, also told the PAC that health authorities were seriously concerned about the numbers of cases and admissions in recent weeks.

According to the Ministry of Health, 635 new cases were reported during May 22 to May 25 with 2 deaths. As of May 31, Botswana has reported 30,126 cases.

The Latest figures indicate that the rate for fully vaccinated people has been stagnant at 62 percent for some time now while for boosters is still less than 40 percent. 
TRIPOLI, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday that 675 illegal migrants were returned to Libya after being rescued off the coast last week.

From May 29 May to June 4, "675 migrants have been disembarked back on Libyan shores," IOM said in a statement.

So far in 2022, a total of 7,742 illegal migrants have been rescued and returned to Libya, including 557 women and 300 minors, IOM added.

Meanwhile, 143 illegal migrants died and 547 others went missing on the Central Mediterranean route, it said.

In 2021, a total of 32,425 illegal migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 662 died and 891 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, IOM revealed.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. 
MOGADISHU, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Four United Nations agencies on Monday warned of looming terrible hunger in Somalia as the risk of famine increases amid the historic fourth failed rainy season.

The agencies including the World Food Programme, UNICEF, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) jointly called on donors to urgently increase their support to avert famine.

"We must act immediately to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. The lives of the most vulnerable are already at risk from malnutrition and hunger, and we cannot wait for a declaration of famine to act," El-Khidir Daloum, WFP's Country Director in Somalia, said in a joint statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

Daloum said it's a race against time to prevent famine, adding that WFP is scaling up as much as possible, prioritizing the limited resources to save those most at risk.

"But as these new figures show, there is an urgent need for more resources to meet this escalating hunger crisis," he said.

The UN agencies said a historic fourth consecutive failed rainy season, skyrocketing prices, and an underfunded humanitarian response have resulted in a 160 percent increase in people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity, starvation, and disease in Somalia.

With no end in sight to the devastating drought affecting the country, the agencies warned that the risk of famine looms larger than ever.

Adam Abdelmoula, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator said Somalia is in danger of entering an unprecedented fifth consecutive failed rainy season, meaning hundreds of thousands of people face the risk of famine.

"We are staring at a potential calamity; failure to act now will be tragic for scores of families in Somalia," Abdelmoula said.

He said famine cost the lives of 260,000 Somalis in 2010-2011, adding that this cannot be allowed to happen again in 2022.

"It is urgent that more is done to avert this risk and done now," the UN official said.

The UN agencies and partners are now focusing their limited resources on famine prevention to protect the country's most vulnerable, as meteorological organizations warn that another below-average rainy season could follow later in the year.

Angela Kearney, UNICEF Somalia Representative said the UN children's agency has supported the treatment of more than 114,000 children with severe acute malnutrition between January and April.

"This is a child crisis. It's not only about water or nutrition, but also about children losing education, falling vulnerable to child protection issues and having poor health; all impacting their future," Kearney said.

According to the UN, about three million livestock have died due to the drought since mid-2021, and the decline in meat and milk production has also led to worsening malnutrition, particularly among young children in pastoral areas who are dependent on local supply.

FAO said the grim food security situation is unfolding as humanitarian funding from the international community has so far fallen short of coming close to what actors need to avert a famine in the country.

"The support required has not yet fully materialized, and hundreds of thousands of Somalis are at a very real risk of starvation and death," said Etienne Peterschmitt, FAO's Representative in Somalia. 
By Trend

The meeting with the participation of official representatives of Turkiye, Russia, Ukraine and the UN on delivering ships loaded with grain from Ukrainian ports may be held this week in Turkish Istanbul, Trend reports citing TRT Haber.

Moreover, Turkiye and Ukraine expressed readiness for negotiations.

"The date of the fourth meeting in Istanbul will be clarified after receiving a response from Russia," said the statement.
ADDIS ABABA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government on Tuesday called on the public to take precautionary measures against the rapid spread of malaria across different parts of the country.

The urgent call was made by the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, warning the public about the deteriorating precautionary measures leading to an increase in the spread of malaria.

Ethiopian State Minister of Health Dereje Duguma told journalists during a briefing Tuesday that malaria outbreak has intensified during the past four months, particularly in Ethiopia's Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region (SNNPR), Amhara, Oromia and South West regions.

Poor insecticide-treated bed nets usage, lack of strong emphasis on the disease by authorities and the community, as well as insecurity in parts of the country were said to be among the contributing factors to the latest rapid spread of malaria in the East African country.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Health also emphasized that the heavy rains following the prolonged drought have created conditions conducive to the spread of malaria.

Noting ongoing efforts undertaken by the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and concerned stakeholders to control the current malaria outbreak, Duguma called on the public to take the necessary precautions.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

The 2021 Africa Malaria Progress Report revealed that malaria remains a major threat to health and development in Africa, and African countries account for 96 percent of the global malaria cases and 98 percent of global malaria deaths in 2020.

Africa did not achieve the African Union's 2020 target of reducing malaria incidence and mortality by 40 percent, compared to 2015, and is not on track to eliminate malaria in Africa by 2030, according to the report. The report indicated that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is further compounding the challenges of ending malaria.

The report, however, indicated that some 24 African countries have made strides toward establishing national End Malaria Councils and Funds to drive multi-sectoral support and keep malaria high on the financing and development agenda. 
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah announced a reshuffle of the government on Tuesday afternoon in a special speech broadcasted nationwide.

Several senior government ministers including Haji Awang Abu Bakar, Brunei's minister of home affairs, Haji Ali, minister of primary resources and tourism, and Haji Suhaimi, minister of development, stepped down. 
CANBERRA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The value of Australian agricultural exports is expected to hit a record high in the next financial year, according to government projections.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) recently published the latest Australian Crop Report, revealing that agricultural exports will hit 65 billion Australian dollars (46.6 billion U.S. dollars) in the financial year 2022-23.

Crop exports alone are projected to account for 39.8 billion Australian dollars, 61 percent of the total, and livestock the remaining 25 billion Australian dollars.

Grain prices are projected to be exceptionally high driven by poor conditions in growing regions and the conflict in Ukraine.

The total value of Australia's agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries is expected to surpass 80 billion Australian dollars for just the second time.

"Soaring fertilizer costs and access to farm labor and imported machinery will continue to challenge many Australian farm businesses, but Australia has shown throughout the pandemic that we are a reliable and resilient food producer and exporter," Jared Greenville, executive director of ABARES, said in a media release.

"Reduced confidence in international markets is a concern for Australian producers as they are central to both global food security and the long-term prosperity of Australian agriculture." (1 U.S. dollar equals 1.40 Australian dollars) 
JAKARTA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian police have arrested a top figure from the suspected treason group Khilafatul Muslimin, Abdul Qadir Baraja, in Lampung province, an official said on Tuesday.

A spokesperson of Metro Jaya Regional Police Endra Zulpan said the organization was campaigning for an ideology that was against the Indonesian constitution and wanted to establish an Islamic state in this archipelagic nation.

"This group also invites people to hate the legitimate government," Zulpan said.

An investigation was carried out based on viral videos on social media showing how the group was in convoy using motorbikes featuring the revival of the Islamic state in several areas, including Jakarta, West Java, and Central Java.

Baraja is a former convict of terrorism cases, who is close to terror groups such as the Indonesian Islamic State and the Indonesian Mujahidin Council.

Further investigation is underway. 
People get food from a social worker during the World Food Safety Day in Agartala, the capital city of India's northeastern state of Tripura, June 7, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)

People eat food distributed by a social worker during the World Food Safety Day in Agartala, the capital city of India's northeastern state of Tripura, June 7, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)

People get food from a social worker during the World Food Safety Day in Agartala, the capital city of India's northeastern state of Tripura, June 7, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)
NEW DELHI, June 6 (Xinhua) -- India on Monday successfully test fired the training launch of an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile "Agni-4" from the eastern state of Odisha, confirmed an official statement.

"The successful test was part of routine user training launches carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command," added the statement.

The launch validated all operational parameters as also the reliability of the system. The successful test reaffirms India's policy of having a Credible Minimum Deterrence Capability, it stated further. 
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah announced an early reshuffle of cabinet ministers on Tuesday in a special speech broadcasted nationwide.

Effective from Tuesday, the new cabinet will serve for a term of four years.

Hajah Romaizah was appointed as the minister of education, becoming the first female minister ever in the Brunei government.

Senior ministers, including Minister of Home Affairs Haji Awang Abu Bakar, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Haji Ali, and Minister of Development Haji Suhaimi stepped down.

The Sultan himself retains the top posts as the country's prime minister, minister of foreign affairs, minister of defense and minister of finance and economy.

Among others, several old faces including Minister of Religious Affairs Haji Awang Badaruddin, Second Minister of Finance and Economy and Minister at the Prime Minister's Office Haji Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Haji Erywan, and Minister of Health Haji Md Isham, will continue to serve in the new cabinet with their respective assignment unchanged.

While announcing the new cabinet line-up with new cabinet ministers and deputy ministers, the Sultan in his speech reiterated that the appointments are a trust that must be carried out with full loyalty and responsibility.

The move of the early cabinet shakeup aims to inject more vitality and energy into the administration system while maintaining stability in major fields of domestic and foreign affairs, a local media analyst who declined to be named told Xinhua.

Brunei's government was last reshuffled in January 2018 with a five-year term, when several veteran ministers were replaced. 
BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine:

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that an additional 61 U.S. citizens have been barred from entering Russia in response to the sanctions repeatedly imposed by Washington.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm are among the blacklisted.

- - - -

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is not holding talks with third parties over a peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Ukrinform news agency reported on Monday.

"I do not have any negotiations about any plans. Such negotiations are at zero level today," Zelensky told reporters on Monday during a press conference, while commenting on media reports that the European Union (EU), the United States and Britain allegedly discussed a peace plan for Ukraine.

The international community is having growing fatigue over the conflict, Zelensky said, adding that some countries are trying to convince Ukraine to make unfavorable concessions.

- - - -

The ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet were pushed back 100 km from the Ukrainian shore, the press service of the Navy Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Monday.

The Russian fleet has lost complete control over the northwest part of the Black Sea, which has turned into a "gray zone," the Ukrainian navy said in a statement on Facebook.

Russian forces aim to regain control of the northwestern part of the Black Sea by deploying coastal defense missile systems "Bal" and "Bastion" in the Crimea and Kherson region and by transferring additional forces to Snake Island, the statement said.

- - - -

Italian President Sergio Mattarella said Monday Italy is "called on" to play a key role in ensuring peace is maintained once the conflict in Ukraine draws to a close.

The head of state spoke during a ceremony to celebrate the 208th anniversary of the founding of the Carabinieri, Italy's special paramilitary police.

The Ukraine crisis "is undermining the foundations of coexistence in the world," Mattarella said, adding that Italy will be "called on to ensure peace, security and progress" when the Russia-Ukraine conflict is over. 
ANKARA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akara announced that "a lot of progress" has been made on a plan for resuming grain exports from Ukrainian ports, semi-official Anadolu Agency reported Tuesday.

Turkey coordinates the work among Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations on issues regarding clearing off sea mines floating off the port of Odesa and elsewhere along Ukraine's coast, according to Akara.

"We are making efforts to conclude this as soon as possible," the Turkish minister was quoted by Anadolu as saying.

"Everyone wants to be sure of something mutually. We are working to ensure that trust," he added.

Given the current challenges in the global food market, Russia would be able to export the necessary volumes of fertilizers and agricultural products if Western sanctions were lifted, the Kremlin said earlier.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to visit Turkey's capital Ankara on Wednesday for talks on creating a sea corridor for exporting Ukraine's goods as its ongoing conflict with Russia has led to the blocking of its ports.

Ankara has said it is ready to take on a role within an "observation mechanism" if a deal on Ukraine's grain exports is reached.

Local media reported that Turkey's navy can escort tankers leaving Ukraine which will then pass through the Turkish straits to reach world markets. 
By Trend

Russias COVID-19 case tally rose by 3,259 over the past day to 18,358,459, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Tuesday, Trend reports with reference to TASS.

In relative terms, the growth rate reached 0.02%.

As many as 1,866 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, up 181.9% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients increased in 71 regions, while in seven regions the figure decreased. The situation remained unchanged in seven other regions. A day earlier, 662 people were rushed to hospitals.

Moscows COVID-19 cases surged by 167 over the past day versus 189 cases a day earlier, reaching 2,772,365, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center. St. Petersburgs COVID-19 cases increased by 251 over the past day versus 242 a day earlier, reaching 1,531,391.
KIEV, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is not holding talks with third parties over a peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Ukrinform news agency reported on Monday.

"I do not have any negotiations about any plans. Such negotiations are at zero level today," Zelensky told reporters on Monday during a press conference, while commenting on media reports that the EU, the United States and Britain allegedly discussed a peace plan for Ukraine.

The international community is having growing fatigue with the conflict, Zelensky said, adding that some countries are trying to convince Ukraine to make unfavorable concessions.

"Everyone surely wants to push us, step by step, towards some result that is for sure unprofitable for us, but beneficial for certain parties that have their interests," he said.

Meanwhile, he stressed that Ukraine must continue its partnership "with all European countries and the world powers."

Turkey can become a mediator in the talks on unblocking Ukrainian ports for grain exports, Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine did not participate in the Turkey-Russia negotiations on the issue.

"I have not been invited. The minister of foreign affairs has not been invited, as of today," he said.

Zelensky said that Kiev is not considering any alternative to the EU membership, and that its possible agreement with Britain on a defense union is part of Ukraine's security guarantees.

The situation in Ukraine remains unpredictable, and hostilities may erupt anywhere if Ukrainian forces lose ground in Donbass, Zelensky said.

He added that more than 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers from the Azovstal steel plant were captured by Russia following the end of the battle in Mariupol in May. 
LOS ANGELES, June 6 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. Navy fighter jet crashed in the Southern California desert, killing the pilot, authorities confirmed Sunday night.

According to a press release from the U.S. Navy, pilot Lt. Richard Bullock, who was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 113 based at the Naval Air Station Lemoore of California, was killed when his F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed in the vicinity of Trona, about 260 kilometers north of Los angeles downtown, at approximately 2:30 p.m. Friday local time.

Bullock was flying a routine training mission at the time before his aircraft went down in a remote, unpopulated area, the Navy said, adding no civilians were harmed as a result of this incident, which was under investigation and the scene of the crash had been secured by Navy and local authorities.

The crash site was near the Navy's test range at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, USNI News reported Monday, saying "the Navy uses China Lake and an area by Death Valley for pilot training. In the past three years, there have been three other crashes with one resulting in the death of the pilot around the area."

In October, an F/A-18F crashed in Death Valley, resulting in pilot injuries. In 2020, a pilot crashed an F/A-18E in China Lake. In 2019, a pilot died after an F/A-18E crashed in Death Valley during a training flight. 
HAVANA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- There is no single reason to justify the U.S. government's "undemocratic and arbitrary exclusion" of any country of the hemisphere from the 9th Summit of the Americas, the Cuban government said Monday in a statement.

The U.S. government, abusing its privilege of being the host country, decided at a very early stage to exclude Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua from the summit, read the statement.

Washington used pressure, threats and blackmail against governments in the region, it said.

"Cuba appreciates and respects the worthy, courageous and legitimate position of numerous governments in defense of the participation of all, under equal conditions," said the statement.

The United States underestimated the support Cuba enjoys in the region when it attempted to impose its unilateral and hostile policy towards the Caribbean nation, said the statement.

"Our region demands cooperation, not exclusion; solidarity, not meanness; respect, not arrogance; sovereignty and self-determination, not subordination," it added. 
WASHINGTON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The chasm between U.S. congressional lawmakers over the gun issue has deepened after each mass shooting, The Hill recently reported.

Democrats believe there should be "fewer guns in fewer hands," for the sake of protecting the public from violent outbursts they consider preventable, according to the report.

Republicans, however, are more likely to view gun rights as sacrosanct and any effort to restrict them as unconstitutional. "Their answer to the latest massacre is not fewer guns but more of them, particularly in schools," the report said.

The impasse has meant that thousands of mass shootings have taken place in recent years with virtually no legislative response from Congress.

"The stalemate has infuriated gun reform advocates, who are all but accusing Republicans of being complicit in murder for their rejection of tougher gun laws," it added. 
SANTO DOMINGO, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The Environment Minister of the Dominican Republic, Orlando Jorge Mera, was shot dead Monday morning in his office by an assailant described as a "personal friend" of his, the office of the presidency confirmed.

Miguel Cruz, "a personal friend of the deceased minister," is already "in the custody" of the National Police and the Public Ministry, the presidency said in a statement.

The Dominican government expressed its condolences to the minister's family, adding the incident "is already under investigation" and its findings will be released to the public in a timely manner.

Environment Ministry sources cited by local daily "Acento" said the assailant entered Mera's office alone, and then between six and seven gunshots were heard.

The incident led to the evacuation of the ministry, and ambulances and police patrols arrived at the scene.

Mera, 55, was the son of former Dominican President Salvador Jorge Blanco, who ruled the Caribbean country between 1982 and 1986.

He became minister at the start of President Luis Abinader's term in August 2020, pledging to pursue the "responsible use of natural resources, the protection and conservation of ecosystems, the reduction of pollution, and the effective management of solid waste." 
Students wearing bulletproof vests hold a rally near the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., the United States, June. 6, 2022. A group of student activists gathered in Washington, D.C. on Monday afternoon, calling for actions from U.S. politicians in the wake of mass shootings over the past few weeks. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, June 6 (Xinhua) -- A group of student activists gathered in Washington, D.C. on Monday afternoon, calling for actions from U.S. politicians in the wake of mass shootings over the past few weeks.

Members of Students Demand Action, an advocacy group committed to ending gun violence in American communities, held a rally near the Capitol Reflecting Pool.

With dozens of teenagers wearing bulletproof vests standing on the stage, speakers took the podium one by one to discuss the issue of gun violence.

"How many more of us have to die to get the attention of those in office? How many more funerals do we have to attend?" said Manny Macedo, leader of the Los Angeles affiliate of Students Demand Action.

The protesters chanted at one point, "Senators, please act. Don't look away. Don't look away. Don't look away."

On the north lawn overlooked by the Washington Monument at the National Mall was the Gun Violence Memorial made up of rows of white vases with white and orange flowers.

Organizers said the memorial remembers victims of gun violence across the United States, urging the Congress to find the courage to act.

A national debate on gun control has been renewed following a spate of recent mass shootings, including a carnage at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two teachers dead last month.

Shannon Watts, founder of the gun safety group, Moms Demand Action, tweeted in response to the Uvalde rampage that school shootings are not acts of nature, like hurricanes and tornadoes.

"They're man-made acts of inaction, of cowardice, of corruption by all lawmakers who refuse to pass laws PROVEN BY DATA to stop preventable, senseless shootings like in Uvalde," Watts wrote.

Senate Democrats and Republicans have engaged in gun talks but a comprehensive reform is an uphill battle given the political and ideological divides on Capitol Hill.

The demonstration in the U.S. capital on Monday came on the heels of another deadly weekend riddled with gun violence. At least 17 people were killed and 62 others injured in 11 mass shootings across the United States over the past weekend.

Early Sunday morning, a shooting outside a nightclub in Chattanooga, Tennessee, led to three deaths and 14 injuries.

Hours earlier in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, several shooters opened fire at a crowd in a popular nightlife area, killing three while wounding 11 others.

The United States has suffered 247 mass shootings over the past five months or so, with more than 18,700 lives lost to gun violence, according to the latest data from Gun Violence Archive. 

Students wearing bulletproof vests hold a rally near the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., the United States, June. 6, 2022. A group of student activists gathered in Washington, D.C. on Monday afternoon, calling for actions from U.S. politicians in the wake of mass shootings over the past few weeks. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

Students wearing bulletproof vests hold a rally near the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., the United States, June. 6, 2022. A group of student activists gathered in Washington, D.C. on Monday afternoon, calling for actions from U.S. politicians in the wake of mass shootings over the past few weeks. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)
Amsterdam: In Muslim-majority countries, the statement made by the suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma about the Prophet is being condemned, while a Netherlands MP Girt Wilders has openly supported her (Nupur Sharma). Girt Wilders said that it is very ridiculous that Arab and Islamic countries are furious over Indian leader Nupur Sharma telling the truth about the Prophet. He asked why India should apologize? He advised the Indians to defend Nupur Sharma.

It is ridiculous that Arab and Islamic countries are angered by Indian politician #NupurSharma @NupurSharmaBJP for speaking the truth about #ProphetMuhammad who indeed married Aisha when she was six years old and consumed the marriage when she was nine. Why does India apologize?  Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) June 6, 2022

Netherlands MP Girt Wilders tweeted: "Appeasement never works. It makes things worse. So, my friends from India, you should not come under threat from Islamic countries. Stand up for freedom and take pride and stand firm in the defence of your leader Nupur Sharma, who spoke the truth about the Prophet. After this tweet, Girt Wilders started receiving death threats. "From Pakistan to Turkey, I have been receiving death threats, but nothing will be gained from this threat. I won't stop telling the truth.''

Earlier, more than 10 Muslim countries, including Qatar, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Indonesia, had criticized the statement on the Prophet. Saudi Arabia has also criticised Nupur Sharma's remarks on Prophet Mohammed. According to Saudi Arabia's dialogue committee SPA, the Ministry of External Affairs criticised and publicly condemned Nupur Sharma's statement, saying, "The Ministry of External Affairs criticizes and publicly condemns the remarks made by a former BJP spokesperson insulting prophet Mohammed." Saudi Arabia, at the same time, reiterates its rejection of the predilection of the symbol of Islam and all religious figures.''

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TEL AVIV: Israel's ruling coalition government has failed to enact a law giving Jewish residents in the occupied West Bank legal protection.

The coalition, which is made up of eight parties with diverse ideologies, including pro-settler nationalists and Dovish parties, was unable to gain the necessary majority to pass the bill that extends the emergency regulations under which Israel applies Israeli law to settlers, as per reports.

It was defeated, with 58 parliamentarians voting no and 52 voting in favour. Mazen Ghanem of the Muslim Ra'am party and Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi of the liberal Meretz party were the only members of the coalition who voted against the bill.

They denounced the regulations for allowing an unequal legal system to exist in which Israelis and Palestinians are subjected to two sets of laws in the same occupied land.

In an attempt to bring down the government, the opposition, which mostly consists of right-wing parties that favour the settlements, voted against the law. After the vote, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the leader of the pro-settler Yamina party, was seen hurrying out of the Knesset, or Parliament.

"This law is going to pass. If not today, then tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, then the next day, "On Monday night, he told the local press.

Iraqi Parliament enacts Legislation to criminalise normalisation of ties with Israel

Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz to visit India next week

Palestinian and EU parliament Presidents discuss states' rising conflicts
BAMAKO: Mali's interim President, Assimi Goita, has signed a decree extending the country's political transition for another two years.

According to the Xinhua reports, the decision occurred following the 6th Extraordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Accra, Ghana.

The West African leaders were unable to reach an agreement on the easing of Mali's sanctions. On July 3, they also decided to re-examine the situation in Mali, while suggesting that the discussion be continued in order to secure "a gradual easing of sanctions" as "the transition criteria are met."

Following the coup on August 18, 2020, Mali began an 18-month political transition on September 15 of that year. Since then, the transitional authorities have been working with the ECOWAS to extend the deadline.

Since toppling the government in 2020, the Malian transitional administration has been charged with restoring constitutional order. It failed to follow through on a promise to hold elections in February this year, prompting the ECOWAS to impose broad sanctions.

Interim Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga announced in April the commencement of a 24-month transition period in which the country will have free and transparent presidential elections.

Philippines evacuates residents after a volcano erupted, spewing ash, steam

Wales defeated Ukraine to win after many years

Putin plans to expand Russia's economic sovereignty in the 2020s
Bhubaneswar: A High-Level Study Mission from Nepal lauded the successful implementation of food security provisions in the State of Odisha. The high-level interactive session was held in State Lokseba Bhawan under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, members of the Team delved into the details of Odisha's planning, execution, and monitoring of food security programmes.

According to an Odisha Government statement, the high-level study team came to Odisha to learn about the state's unique techniques and strategies for providing food security for all poor and vulnerable people. "No poor will go hungry is the motto of our Government and Governance," Chief Secretary Mahapatra told the Nepal team.

Food security and consumer welfare, women and child development, agriculture and farmers' empowerment, scheduled tribe and scheduled caste development, social security and disability empowerment, water resources, Panchayati Raj and drinking water, housing and urban development all work together to make this motto a reality on a long-term basis, Mr. Mahapatra said. "The state is implementing a national food security scheme, a state food security programme, and social security measures for the elderly, the disabled, and the poor," he added.

With the implementation of technology, database ground-truthing, data sanitization, and dynamic data monitoring on a real-time basis, Odisha's public distribution system (PDS) has recently been upgraded to a higher level.

Odisha Govt Hikes Pre-matric Scholarships For ST/SC categories

Odisha CM offers 6T mantra to new ministers, asks to tour more

Patnaik asks PRI members to protect rights of poor, women, weaker section of people
By Trend

The US Treasury Department announced in a press release on Monday that "Members of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) sanctioned 16 individuals, entities, and groups affiliated with a variety of regional terrorist organizations, Trend reports citing Mehr News Agency.

The sanctions targeted "16 individuals, entities, and groups affiliated with a variety of regional terrorist organizations."

According to the press release by the Treasury, "All of these targets have been previously designated by the United States. The targets also included three individuals associated with Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF)."

The Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) is a joint center comprised of seven states of the United States, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Iran has said it will not give in to the pressures, while its economy is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and the US sanctions at a fast pace.
MANILA:: Local inhabitants were evacuated as the Bulusan volcano in the Philippines' Sorsogon province erupted in ash and steam, blanketing adjacent towns and villages in ash, according to authorities.

According to news report, Mark Timbal, a spokeswoman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), villagers are being evacuated from the 4-kilometer danger zone. The move is still in progress. "Everyone must escape the danger zone," he said late Monday to local media.

After Sunday's "phreatic eruption," the Philippine Coast Guard reported it assisted 58 households in Juban town in evacuating. A phreatic eruption happens when water underthe earth or surface is directly heated by hot rocks or fresh volcanic deposits, or indirectly heated by magma or magmatic gas.

Bulusan continued to release steam all day Monday, according to Renato Solidum of the government's volcanology institute. "This would reveal the volcano's active hydrothermal activity," he said.

Solidum claimed that in the last 24 hours, the institute has recorded 29 volcanic earthquakes, which he attributed to continuous hydrothermal activity. Bulusan, located 390 kilometres southeast of Manila, has erupted 15 times since 1885, making it the Philippines' fourth most active volcano after Mayon, Taal, and Kanlaon.

Philippine ferry catches fire at sea, 7 Dead, 120 others Rescued

N. Korea to face 'swift, forceful' response in nuke test: Wendy Sherman

Putin plans to expand Russia's economic sovereignty in the 2020s
New Delhi: Taliban-ruled Afghanistan has now joined the Muslim countries that condemned the expelled BJP spokesperson's derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad. There has been an uproar in Islamic countries over the alleged statement. Qatar, Iran and Kuwait were rightly seen by several Gulf countries who had given objection letters to ambassadors condemning the expelled leader's statement from the BJP.

In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns the use of abusive words against the Prophet of Islam by a leader of the ruling party in India. "We request the Government of India not to allow such fanatics to insult the holy religion of Islam and incite the sentiments of Muslims. The statement comes at a time when a high-level delegation of the Ministry of External Affairs led by Joint Secretary JP Singh visited Afghanistan and met External Affairs Minister Amir Khan Muttaki a few days ago with the aim of restoring relations with the Kabul government. India is providing wheat, medicines and corona vaccine to the people of Afghanistan. The team had also inspected the development projects being run by India there.

How radical is the Taliban themselves?

Let me tell you that, this is the same fundamentalist Taliban, who broke the statue of Buddha in Bamiyan, calling paganism a sin in the name of Islam while in power. This is the same Taliban, whose people in Afghanistan, mostly Muslims, started migrating as soon as they came to power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. Even today, the radical Taliban has banned men from eating together in restaurants and going to the park together. But it is ironical that the Taliban, a terrorist organization that threatened Afghan Sikhs and Hindus with Islam, or leave the country, is today advising India.

Alarming report on diabetes, millions of children have been victimized

Pakistan issues 163 visas to Sikh pilgrims

The groom was waiting on the night, then something like this happened, everyone's senses were blown away.
Description

"Join us as the SUMAQ Peruvian Food Festival and the Cradle present the 1st Peruvian Artisanal Craft Fair in New York!

Friday through Sunday, June 24-26, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

This indoor craft fair will showcase textiles, jewelry, ceramics, and more of the variety of Peru's craftsmanship.

On Sunday from 3:00-5:00 pm, see history come to life with a special performance of Linti Raymi - Festival of the Sun, that includes colorful cultural dances and processions to celebrate the Inca new year.

This event is free!"



Cradle of Aviation
Precedence Research

According to Precedence Research, the global air defense system market size is expected to be worth around US$ 65 billion by 2030 and expanding growth at a CAGR of 5.25% from 2022 to 2030.

Tokyo, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global air defense system market size was reached at US$ 41 billion in 2021. The demand for the air defense systems is expected to grow significantly across the globe owing to the rising geopolitical instabilities, territorial disputes among nations, changing nature of warfare, and technological advances in the missile and air defense technologies. The rising adoption of various lethal, untraceable, and agile autonomous weapons has necessitated the development of advanced air defense systems and its demand is rising rapidly across the various developing nations. The rapidly rising defense and military expenditures in nations like India, China, Pakistan, and Vietnam is significantly driving the growth of the global air defense system market.



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The rising geopolitical disputes among nations across the major regions like Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East are expected to boost the growth of the market. The rapid adoption of various latest technologies like radars and sensors is driving the adoption across the globe. Furthermore, the growing need for upgrading the old and outdated air defense systems is expected to fuel the demand for the air defense systems in Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. The surging investments by the market players in the research and development of advanced air defense systems are further fueling the market growth.

Report Highlights

Based on the platform , the land segment dominated in 2021. The huge demand for the land based air defense systems to ensure the safety of the personnel and ground station from any aerial attack has boosted the adoption of the land based systems across the globe. The US, Russia, and Israel are the major suppliers of the land based air defense systems.

Based on range, the medium range air defense (MRAD) systems dominated the global market in 2021. The rising disputes among the major nations and their neighbors have boosted the demand for the MRAD systems. Most of the disputes are among the neighbors and hence the MRAD systems are considered to be an effective tool for defense.

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Scope of the Report

Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2021 USD 41 Billion Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 65 Billion CAGR 5.25% from 2022 to 2030 Base Year 2021 Forecast Year 2022 to 2030 Key Players Hanwha Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bae Systems PLC, Saab AB, Rheinmetall AG, MBDA, Kongsberg Gruppen, Aselsan A.S., General Dynamics, Thales Group, L3 Harris, Elibit Systems

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Regional Snapshot

Asia Pacific dominated the global air defense system market in 2021. This dominance is attributed to the increased demand for the air defense systems in the nations like India, China, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Taiwan. China has border disputes to all of its neighbors and most of the nations close to China considers it a potential threat. The rising government defense expenditures is propelling the adoption of the air defense systems and the rising number of geopolitical disputes in the region is fueling the market growth significantly. The disputes in the South China Sea are rising and hence the demand for the air defense systems is growing rapidly in this region. The major exporters of air defense systems like US, Israel, and Russia are seeking for growth opportunities in the Asia Pacific region.

Europe is expected to witness the fastest-growth during the forecast period. This growth is attributed to the rising demand for the air defense systems in the Nordic countries to counter any potential adversaries from Russia. The ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine owing to the rising influence of NATO in Europe have led to the increased demand for the air defense systems in Europe.

Market Dynamics

Driver

Growing number of conflicts around the globe

The rise in conflicts among the various nations such as China-Taiwan, China-India, China-Japan, Russia-Ukraine, Middle East nations and Israel is boosting the demand for the air defense systems. India and Turkey recently received their first batch of S-400 air defense systems from Russia. In February 2020, Russia delivered the second regimental set of S-400 Triumf long-range interceptor-based air defense systems for Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Hence, the rising demand for the advanced air defense systems is expected to boost the market growth during the forecast period.

Restraint

High costs involved

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, US Department of Defenses missile defense costs could reach a massive value of US$186 billion between 2022 and 2030. The significantly high costs associated with the acquisition of advanced air defense systems are a major factor that restricts its adoption in the developing and underdeveloped economies.

Opportunity

Rising defense budgets

According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the defense expenditure has reached around US$1,981 billion in 2020 across the globe and it is growing by 2.6% year on year. The significantly rising defense budgets in the developing nations like India, China, and Vietnam is presenting a lucrative growth opportunity for the market players.

Challenge

High government intervention

The intervention of government is very high as the air defense systems and other warfare equipment are acquired and sold for serving the national interest. The companies are under the direct supervision and control of the government and the manufacturers cannot sell their products as per their will.

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Recent Development

In November 2018, Saudi Arabia and US entered into an agreement wherein US was to supply 44 THAAD missiles and launchersto Saudi Arabia for US$15 billion.





Market Segmentation

By Platform

Land Based

Sea Based

Air Based





By Range

Short Range Air Defense System

Medium Range Air Defense System

Long Range Air Defense System





By Type

Missile Defense System

Anti-Aircraft System

Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) System





By Component

Weapon System Turret Systems Missile Launching System

Fire Control System Air Defense Radar Electro-Optic & Laser Range Finder

Command and Control System

Others

By Geography

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa (MEA)





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Precedence Research is a worldwide market research and consulting organization. We give unmatched nature of offering to our customers present all around the globe across industry verticals. Precedence Research has expertise in giving deep-dive market insight along with market intelligence to our customers spread crosswise over various undertakings. We are obliged to serve our different client base present over the enterprises of medicinal services, healthcare, innovation, next-gen technologies, semi-conductors, chemicals, automotive, and aerospace & defense, among different ventures present globally.

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ReportLinker

Major players in the aquafeed market are Cargill Incorporated, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Alltech Inc, Purina Animal Nutrition, Ridley Corp Ltd, Nutreco N. V, Aller Aqua A/S, Biomar A/S, Beneo GmbH, Biomin GmbH, Coppens International B.

New York, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Aquafeed Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284272/?utm_source=GNW

V, Nutriad, De Heus, Biostadt India Limited, Dibaq Aquaculture, Evonik Industries, SONAC, Marubeni Nisshin Feed Co., Ltd, Japfa Comfeed, Cpf Plc, Growel Feeds, and Sonac.



The global aquafeed market is expected to grow from $75.55 billion in 2021 to $82.2 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8%. The market is expected to grow to $110.09 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6%.



The aquafeed market consists of sales of aquafeed by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that refer to the feed for aquatic organisms as part of aquaculture.Aquatic feed is a complex mixture of ingredients designed to fulfill the nutritional requirements.



The growth, health and reproduction of fish and other aquatic animals are primarily dependent upon an adequate supply of nutrient, both in terms of quantity and quality, irrespective of the culture system in which they are grown.



The main types of aquafeed includes vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes, acidifiers, and binders in dry, wet and moist form. These products are distributed through direct sales, indirect sales, hypermarket/supermarket, wholesalers, online, others.



Asia Pacific was the largest region in the aquafeeds market in 2021.North America is expected to have the highest CAGR in aquafeeds market.



The regions covered in the aquafeeds market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.



Increasing seafood consumption is expected to propel the growth of the aquafeed market.Aquaculture production plays an increasing role in satisfying the demand for human consumption of fishery products.



According to the study published by Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), human consumption of fish is expected to increase by 180 Mt by 2029.The increase in demand for seafood or fishery products is expected to boost demand for high-quality aquafeed to maintain the quality of the products to the customers.



Therefore, increasing seafood consumption is driving the growth of the aquafeed market.



Technological advancement is a key trend gaining popularity in the aquafeed market.The companies operating in the aquafeed market are focusing on developing innovative products with better nutrition and improved feed conversion.



For instance, in February 2019, Aller Aqua, a Denmark-based manufacturer of aquafeed, developed new feed technology PowerRAS to meet the requirement RAS feed in terms of feed efficiency, fish growth and water quality.



In March 2021, BioMar, a Denmark-based producer of fish feed products has acquired the majority of shares in Viet-Uc for an undisclosed amount.Through this acquisition, BioMar is expected to grow the market for high-end feed products focusing on sustainability, traceability, quality, and performance.



Also, BioMar is expected to expand its aquafeed business in Vietnam which is the worlds one of the leading shrimp-producing countries with a production of close to 500,000 tons of shrimp. Viet-Uc is a Vietnam-based aquafeed company that specializes in the hatchery, nurturing, and incubating shrimp through several phases.



The countries covered in the Aquafeed market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284272/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




Precedence Research

The global autonomous aircraft market size is expected to be worth around US$ 35.5 billion by 2030 and expanding growth at a notable CAGR of 20.25% from 2022 to 2030.

Tokyo, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to Precedence Research, the global autonomous aircraft market size was estimated at US$ 6.75 billion in 2021. The rising technological advancements in the aviation industry, growing adoption of novel technologies like artificial intelligence and internet of things, rising number of air passengers, and growing demand for unmanned aircrafts from the military are some of the major factors that are significantly driving the growth of the global autonomous aircraft market.



The rising globalization of business has led to a rapid growth in business travel and the growing number of tourists is boosting the demand for the efficient aircrafts. The surging applications of the autonomous aircrafts for various purposes such as air medical services and cargo and delivery are boosting the demand for the autonomous aircrafts across the globe.

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The rising investments by the top market players in the research and development and adoption of the AI and IoT technologies has led to the rapid growth of the autonomous aircrafts market across the globe.

Moreover, the rising need for controlling air travel costs and increase efficiency of the aircrafts is boosting the adoption of the IoT and AI technologies. Further, the rising government investments in urbanization and building air connectivity infrastructure is boosting the number of air travelers, which is expected to support the market growth in the foreseeable future.

Scope of the Report

Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2021 USD 6.7 Billion Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 35.5 Billion CAGR 20.25% from 2022 to 2030 Commercial Aircraft Market Share in 2021 25% Largest Share Holder North America Key Players AeroVironment, Inc., Airbus S.A.S, Raytheon Company, BAE Systems, Saab AB, Northorp Grumman Corporation, Elbit Systems, Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Embraer S.A.

Report Highlights

By aircraft type , the rotary wings segment dominated the market. The less space required by this type of aircraft owing to its vertical take-off and landing features has boosted its demand. Moreover, the high demand for rotary wings aircraft for combat and surveillance activities has led to its dominance.

Based on component , the hardware was the dominating segment in 2021. This is attributed to the high prices and wider range of hardware components required in developing an autonomous aircraft.

By end user, the commercial aircraft segment led the market in 2021. The rising number air passengers and growing demand for cargo and delivery of goods and services across various destinations has led to the growth of this segment.





Story continues

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Regional Snapshot

North America led the global autonomous aircraft market in 2021. The rising investments by the major aircraft manufacturers in US in the research and development of the autonomous aircrafts and the surging adoption of the AI and IoT technologies to foster the development of autonomous aircraft manufacturing process has led to the growth of the North America autonomous aircraft market. The demand for the cargo and delivery aircrafts, personal aircrafts, and combat and ISR aircrafts is significantly high in US. The presence of various major market players like Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corporation, and AeroVironment and various strategies adopted by them significantly influences the market growth in a positive way, which has led to the dominance of this region in the global autonomous aircraft market.

Asia Pacific is estimated to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The surging demand for the unmanned aircrafts among the military in various nations like China, India, and Indonesia are significantly driving the growth of the Asia Pacific autonomous aircraft market. The significantly rising defense budgets of the countries like India and China are expected to offer huge growth opportunities to the market players in the foreseeable future.

Market Dynamics

Driver

Rising investments in the cargo and delivery of goods

Various countries like Singapore, US, China, and UAE are increasingly using the autonomous aircrafts for delivering goods and services. Moreover, in case of any medical emergencies, the autonomous aircrafts are also used as air ambulance. The advanced features and increased capabilities of these aircrafts has higher efficiency, they are cost-effective, reliable, and high speed aircrafts. These major features are solely responsible for the growing demand for the autonomous aircrafts across the globe. Moreover, the multi-purposes served by these aircrafts is expected to drive the market growth during the forecast period.

Restraint

Complexities in design, and difficulties in testing and certifications

There is an extensive requirement for testing and certifications for ensuring safety of the components and software, which are complex. The rising need for making the aircrafts cost-effective leads to the complexities in design. Moreover, there are strict government regulations pertaining to various factors such as passenger safety, environment protection, onboard safety requirements, and other purposes. These regulations are the major hindering factors for the global autonomous aircraft market.

Opportunity

Rising need for eliminating human errors

The development of advanced hardware and software has encouraged the development of the autonomous aircrafts. These unmanned aircrafts can significantly reduce the number of air accidents by eliminating the human errors with the use of AI and IoT technologies and can save lives of the pilots. The growing adoption of these aircrafts and rising technological advances are expected to offer several growth opportunities to the market players.

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Challenge

High costs of the autonomous aircrafts

High costs are associated with the acquisition of the advanced aircraft hardware and software. Moreover, the engine and aerodynamics of the autonomous aircrafts has complex designs. Furthermore, the adoption of AI and IoT makes it vulnerable to cyberattacks. Therefore, ensuring safety involves a huge cost.

Recent Developments

In August 2019, AeroVironment signed a US$45 millioncontract with US Department of defense for Raven autonomous aircraft systems.





Market Segmentation

By Aircraft Type

Rotary Wing

Fixed Wing

By Component

Radars &Transponders

Propulsion Systems

Cameras

Sensors

Actuation System

Air Data Inertial Reference Units

Flight Management Computers

Software

Others





By Technology

Increasingly Autonomous

Fully Autonomous

By End User

Air Medical Service

Commercial Aircraft

Combat & ISR

Passenger Air Vehicle

Personal Air Vehicle

Cargo & Delivery Aircraft

Others





By Geography

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa (MEA)





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Precedence Research is a worldwide market research and consulting organization. We give unmatched nature of offering to our customers present all around the globe across industry verticals. Precedence Research has expertise in giving deep-dive market insight along with market intelligence to our customers spread crosswise over various undertakings. We are obliged to serve our different client base present over the enterprises of medicinal services, healthcare, innovation, next-gen technologies, semi-conductors, chemicals, automotive, and aerospace & defense, among different ventures present globally.

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LANSING  A company that manufacturers equipment to charge electric vehicles will open its first U.S. plant in Auburn Hills, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the company's CEO announced Tuesday.

FLO, based in Quebec City, Canada, plans to complete by next fall a facility that will cost $3 million and create 133 jobs, said CEO Louis Tremblay.

The project is tied to an $800,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp., said Quentin Messer, CEO of the MEDC.

Michigan has long been a center for manufacturing of vehicles with internal combustion engines. Now, "this transition to electric represents a tremendous opportunity," Whitmer said at a news conference in Lansing. "Drivers are ready for this transition and they want to participate."

FLO, a subsidiary of AddEnergie, offers home charging equipment for both single-family houses and multi-unit residential buildings, as well as access to thousands of public charging stations, according to the company website. It also provides systems to property managers, business owners, employers and municipal administrators who wish to support EV adoption by supplying charging services, the website says.

The project is expected to create 133 jobs next year. The company expects to produce 250,000 EV chargers by 2028 for the U.S. market, according to an economic report accompanying a FLO news release.

FLO is based in Quebec City, Canada.

Tremblay said the Auburn Hills facility will manufacture chargers for both residential and commercial use.

We are proud to welcome FLO to Michigan and serve as the home for their very first manufacturing facility in the United States, Whitmer said in a news release.

As we look toward growing our economy, investing in our workforce, and creating good-paying jobs, we know the importance of leading the transition to electric vehicles. FLOs presence in Oakland County builds on our tradition of automotive manufacturing with an eye toward our electrified future."

Tuesday's announcement is the latest in a series of automotive-related economic development announcements by the Whitmer administration, with most of the spending related to EV technology.

Story continues

More: GM to invest historic $7 billion in 4 facilities across Michigan, creating 4,000 jobs

More: Ford investing $3.7B to create 6,200 jobs in Michigan, Ohio, Missouri

Last Thursday, on Mackinac Island, Whitmer joined Ford officials in announcing investments of more than $2 billion across the companys Michigan plants, which the company said are expected to create more than 3,200 jobs. The investments in five plants, contingent on approval of about $101 million in state subsidies, were intended to advance Ford's electric vehicle future in the state while also securing its existing internal combustion vehicle operations, Ford said.

In a $7-billion January announcement, GM said it would spend $2.6 billion to build a new battery factory in the Lansing area and $4 billion to convert its existing factory in Orion Township to make electric pickups, on top of spending about half a billion dollars to make upgrades to its two existing vehicle assembly plants in Lansing. The company said the projects, tied to about $824 million in state incentives, would create 4,000 jobs.

In February, Whitmer created the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification and the Council on Future Mobility to coordinate all auto and mobility-related initiatives.

Whitmer's 2023 budget, still working its way through the Legislature, would provide a $2,000 rebate for the purchase of an electric vehicle on top of the $7,500 federal credit and a $500 rebate for at-home charging infrastructure.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.

Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Canada's FLO to build $3M EV charger plant in Auburn Hills
Acquisition marks CLI's fifth investment in Australia within six months

SINGAPORE, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI) has acquired a freehold office tower in the Western Core of Melbourne's Central Business District for its flagship regional core-plus fund, CapitaLand Open End Real Estate Fund (COREF). The acquisition marks CLI's fifth investment in Australia within six months. This is COREF's first acquisition in Australia, and its fourth in Asia Pacific with total investment amounting to approximately US$900 million since the fund's establishment in August 2021.

The 22-storey office building, 120 Spencer Street, has a net lettable area of 32,000 square metres (sqm). The property is strategically located opposite the Southern Cross Station, a major public transport hub that connects to the wider Melbourne region, with intra-city tram lines at its doorstep. It also benefits from the recent revitalisation of the Western Core, led by the development of the Docklands precinct, the addition of new premium grade office towers, refurbishment of existing assets and migration of tenants, including many prominent occupiers, to the precinct.

Mr Paul Toussaint, Managing Director for Australia, CLI, said: "Australia is one of CLI's focus markets where we see significant potential for growth. CLI has invested about A$1.5 billion in five quality assets in the country held through its private and listed funds in the past six months. 120 Spencer Street is CLI's latest deal in Australia, sourced and executed by our experienced local team. In view of the post-COVID recovery and companies' steady return to work, we believe that the Australian office market is showing signs of growth that will overcome the near-term challenges of vacancy and tenant incentive levels. 120 Spencer Street is well-positioned to capitalise on this given its strong WALE, vibrant location benefiting from the area's rejuvenation, and potential for enhancements."

Story continues

Mr Simon Treacy, CEO of Private Equity Real Estate, Real Assets, CLI, said: "Leveraging CLI's deep expertise and extensive network in the Asia Pacific, we continue to build up COREF's portfolio with high quality assets across gateway cities in Japan, Singapore and now Australia. The Australian office sector presents relative value, and our highly experienced local team has been able to capitalise on the window ahead of the post-COVID recovery to capture this opportunity. CLI adopts a disciplined approach in pursuing assets that offer value to investors. With ESG principles central to our investment process, we will continue to actively enhance our portfolio of assets to generate quality returns for our stakeholders."

Building a diversified portfolio of quality assets for COREF

Mr Kevin Chee, Managing Director, Private Funds, CLI, said: "COREF's acquisitions are aligned with its focus on key investment themes of regionalisation/decentralisation, emerging locations, evolving workspace solutions, digital economy and sustainability. COREF's entry into Australia is in line with its strategy of building geographic exposure to institutional grade, income-producing assets across developed markets in Asia Pacific early on before diversifying into other sectors."

120 Spencer Street has a strong committed office occupancy of 97.5% and long weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of 6.7 years. Its tenant base includes WeWork and prominent local educational institutions such as Central Queensland University and Redhill Education. Over the longer-term, the property has strong embedded value given its prime island site with triple street frontages and a potential 22,000 sqm of unutilised gross floor area. Over the past five years, the property has undergone A$30 million of upgrading including the recent installation of energy-efficient mechanical and engineering equipment. Since 1 November 2021, 120 Spencer Street has operated fully on green electricity and has contracted to do so for the next 10 years. It has also received the NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System)[1] Energy 4-Star and NABERS Water 5.5-Star certifications.

CLI's strong presence across multiple asset classes in Australia

CLI has a diversified portfolio of approximately S$6.9 billion of assets under management in Australia[2], comprising office, business space, logistics and lodging assets across eight cities. CLI Australia currently manages 36 logistics properties and business parks, and two Grade A office buildings. Following completion of the acquisitions of the 120 Spencer Street office tower and the integrated development at 101-103 Miller Street, North Sydney which comprises an office tower and the Greenwood Plaza retail component[3], CLI Australia will add another two offices and a retail centre to its assets under management.

CLI's wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott) and its hospitality trust, Ascott Residence Trust, have about 150 serviced residences, coliving properties and hotels with about 13,000 units in Australia. On 2 June 2022, Ascott announced the acquisition of its first lyf-branded coliving property in Sydney, lyf Bondi Junction Sydney, via the Ascott Serviced Residence Global Fund[4]. Concurrently, Ascott opened its first lyf property in Australia, lyf Collingwood Melbourne.

[1] NABERS is a national rating system that measures the environmental performance of Australian buildings and tenancies, initiated by the New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment on behalf of the Federal, State and Territory governments of Australia. [2] As at 31 March 2022. Excludes CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust's (CICT) 50% interest in an integrated development, which is pending legal completion. [3] Acquisition announced by CICT on 23 December 2021. [4] Ascott set up the US$600 million Ascott Serviced Residence Global Fund in July 2015 through a 50:50 joint venture with Qatar Investment Authority.

About CapitaLand Investment Limited (www.capitalandinvest.com)

Headquartered and listed in Singapore, CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI) is a leading global real estate investment manager (REIM) with a strong Asia foothold. As at 31 March 2022, CLI had about S$124 billion of real estate assets under management, and about S$86 billion of real estate funds under management (FUM) held via six listed real estate investment trusts and business trusts, and 29 private funds across Asia-Pacific, Europe and USA. Its diversified real estate asset classes cover integrated developments, retail, office, lodging, business parks, industrial, logistics and data centres.

CLI aims to scale its FUM and fee-related earnings through its full stack of investment management and operating capabilities. As the listed investment management business arm of CapitaLand Group, CLI has access to the development capabilities of and pipeline investment opportunities from CapitaLand's development arm. Being a part of the well-established CapitaLand ecosystem differentiates CLI from other REIMs.

As part of CapitaLand Group, CLI places sustainability at the core of what it does. As a responsible real estate company, CLI contributes to the environmental and social well-being of the communities where it operates, as it delivers long-term economic value to its stakeholders.

Follow @CapitaLand on social media

Facebook: @capitaland / facebook.com/capitaland

Instagram: @capitaland / instagram.com/capitaland

Twitter: @capitaLand / twitter.com/capitaland

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/capitaland-limited

YouTube: youtube.com/capitaland

Issued by: CapitaLand Investment Limited (Co. Regn.: 200308451M)

Important Notice

The admission and listing of CapitaLand Investment Limited on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited was sponsored by J.P. Morgan (S.E.A.) Limited. J.P. Morgan (S.E.A.) Limited assumes no responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

31630-AFM-Paul Toussaint

SOURCE CapitaLand
In early June a few selected Canadian media representatives will explore two of the most beautiful and enchanting agricultural jewels of Europe

TORONTO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- " The Charming Taste of Europe " is pleased to announce that it will host an exclusive press trip to discover the delicious kiwis from Kavala and cherries from Rachi Pieria in Greece throughout early June.

Coming out of Northern Greece, the production of cherries in the country is ranked 10th in the world. In particular, the regions of Pella, Imathia and Piera are the most prominent fruit producing regions throughout Greece. Established in 1987, The Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pierias, "AGIOS LOUKAS" , has a cherry grove of 200 hectares and 250 participating members. Throughout the trip, participants have the opportunity to speak with the producing organization "O AGIOS LOUKAS" about production methods, the cherries themselves and the market. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to visit the cherry fields.

Arriving in Europe during the 19th century and cultivating themself is Greece in the early 1980's is the kiwi. During the past twenty years kiwi production throughout Greece has grown exponentially, in fact, it has become a national product specifically in Kavala, an area positioned on the northern coast of Greece. Here the production of the Kiwi fruit is approximately 50,000 tons, 10,000 of which are produced by KAVALA COOP . During the press trip, participants will have the opportunity to visit "Kavala COOP" Cooperative where they will see the kiwi fields, facilities and speak with the producing organization about the product. Following, participants will be able to explore the city of Kavala as a whole.

Started in 2021, The Charming Taste of Europe is a three-year campaign promoted by the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kavala (Kavala COOP) , the Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pieria ("Agios Loukas") the Vini d' Abruzzo consortium and the Union of Sweet Bordeaux Wines , co-financed by the European Union. This campaign focuses on raising awareness of these high-quality products in the American and Canadian market.

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The Charming Taste of Europe aims to educate participants on the beautiful and enchanting jewels of Europe through a hands-on experience of two of the exceptional agricultural products of the country.

About the Charming Taste of Europe:

Europe, a place with timeless charm, is the birthplace of some of the highest-quality products in the world. The Charming Taste of Europe is a special project that introduces exquisite specialties to the United States and Canada, such as Italian and French wines, and fresh fruits from Greece, that showcase Europe's charm, beauty, culture, history, art, heritage and unmistakable tastes.

The mission of the Charming Taste of Europe, co-funded by the European Union, is to increase awareness of the merits and quality standards of select European wines and fresh fruits with promotional activities in the competitive markets of the U.S. and Canada. The Charming Taste of Europe is promoted by the Consortium for the Protection of Wines of Abruzzo, the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kavala (Kavala COOP), the Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pieria "Agios Loukas" and the Union of Sweet Bordeaux Wines. These European agricultural products, famous around the world for their outstanding qualities, will continue to be promoted with initiatives and events for consumers, journalists and trade professionals. For more information visit charmingtasteof e urope.eu

To Follow The Charming Taste of Europe Campaign:

Website: charmingtasteofeurope.eu

Facebook: @CharmingTasteofEU

Instagram: @charmeu_canada

YouTube: The Charming Taste of Europe

Hashtags: #thecharmingtasteofeu and #charmeu

The content of this promotion campaign represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission and the European Research Executive Agency (REA) do not accept any responsibility for any use that may be made of the information it contains

SOURCE The Charming Taste of Europe
Project reflects companys commitment to PAO business, doubles production capacity in Europe

THE WOODLANDS, Texas & DIEGEM, Belgium, June 07, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Chevron Phillips Chemical ("CPChem") announced today plans to expand its polyalphaolefins (PAO) business with the construction of a new unit in Beringen, Belgium. Once local permits are approved, this significant investment will double the companys PAO production capacity in Belgium (to 120,000MT) upon targeted startup in 2024.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005224/en/

Chevron Phillips Chemical's Beringen plant in Belgium. Photo credit: Chevron Phillips Chemical.

For over 40 years, CPChem has been a leader in the development of high-quality PAOs, which are marketed under the Synfluid brand. PAOs are specially designed chemicals made from alpha olefins. They are used in many synthetic products such as lubricants, greases, and fluids and have emerged as essential components in applications including automotive, industrial, cosmetics, technology, and military use.

"Our Beringen plant has a long history of safe, reliable production of PAOs and of serving our customers with excellence," said Mitch Eichelberger, executive vice president of polymers and specialties. "The construction of a new unit near our existing assets will allow us to benefit from strong local expertise and leverage Belgiums central position to meet customer needs globally."

Synfluid PAOs offer strong advantages due to their unique properties, and they support the companys commitment to accelerating change for a sustainable future. PAOs help reduce energy consumption through efficient lubrication; by reducing friction, they can lower fuel consumption and emissions. The growing demand for PAOs is fueled by the performance of these molecules at extreme temperatures, and also by new applications such as electric and fuel-efficient vehicles and heat transfer fluid.

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"Increased production from this new investment will be critical to support growing demand at a time of great innovation in several sectors that require PAOs," said Antoine Janssens, Europe Africa region general manager.

Ideally located in the heart of Europe, the new PAO unit will enjoy significant advantages in infrastructure, feedstock availability, and operational expertise. CPChem already operates PAO units in Beringen, Belgium, and Baytown, Texas. With this new investment, the company is reinforcing its commitment to being the supplier of choice for its growing global customer base.

About Chevron Phillips Chemical

Chevron Phillips Chemical is one of the worlds top producers of olefins and polyolefins and a leading supplier of aromatics, alpha olefins, styrenics, specialty chemicals, plastic piping and polymer resins. With approximately 5,000 employees, Chevron Phillips Chemical and its affiliates own nearly $18 billion in assets, including 31 manufacturing and research facilities in six countries. Chevron Phillips Chemical is equally owned indirectly by Chevron Corporation U.S.A. Inc. and Phillips 66 Company, and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. For more information about Chevron Phillips Chemical, visit www.cpchem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter: @chevronphillips.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005224/en/

Contacts

News inquiries:

Erica Miller

erica.miller@cpchem.com

+1-832-813-4279
By Trend

The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan has amended Decree No. 210 on granting privileges for passengers of Baku-Nakhchivan and Nakhchivan-Baku flights as of December 27, 2007, Trend reports.

The discount rate for each Azerbaijani citizen, which has earlier been 20 manat ($11.77), has been reduced to 10 manat ($5.88) from this day forward.
(Bloomberg) -- China appears to be shifting its strategic focus toward Southeast Asia and Africa, Sri Lankas President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said, noting that South Asian countries in financial trouble arent getting the same attention from Beijing as before.

Most Read from Bloomberg

In an interview on Monday, Rajapaksa said that Sri Lanka couldnt tap a $1.5 billion credit line from Beijing and has yet to hear back on his request to President Xi Jinping for a $1 billion loan to buy essential goods. He said China indicated it would help Sri Lanka, while adding that usually they dont like lending out more money to cover earlier debt payments.

My analysis is that China has shifted their strategic focus into Southeast Asia, Rajapaksa said in an interview Monday at his official residence in Colombo. They see more strategic interest in Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, that region, and Africa.

They have less interest in this region, he added. I dont know whether I am right or wrong, even the focus on Pakistan has gone down. That shows that their interest here is not like earlier. Their interest has shifted to two other areas.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan have been some of the biggest recipients of Chinas largesse over the past decade, with Beijing extending billions of dollars in credit to build ports, power plants and other infrastructure. In recent months, however, Beijing has taken its time reissuing a loan to Pakistan and has hesitated in responding to Sri Lankas request for fresh credit as the International Monetary Fund negotiates lending programs with both nations.

China has assured Sri Lanka that it will back the country in going to the IMF for support, Rajapaksa said, moving in step with the US, India, Japan and Australia. More importantly, he added, China has indicated that it will not insist on preferential repayment of loans and is willing to treated as at par with other creditors of Sri Lanka.

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Sri Lanka and Pakistan have both seen changes of government in recent months, with Rajapaksa removing his brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, as prime minister following weeks of sometimes-violent street protests over shortages of essentials like food, fuel and medicine. Pakistans new government, which took power in April, has hiked petrol pump prices to meet a key IMF condition -- a move that ousted leader Imran Khan is seeking to capitalize on to return to power in an election that must be held before next August.

Sri Lanka has reached out to the IMF and major Asian economies for assistance as it battles the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948.

Yet China has stopped Sri Lanka from tapping an existing $1.5 billion credit line on concerns the IMF may designate this as a loan and add it to the debt stock, a government adviser said last week, adding that decision may force delays in repayment.

India went out of its way to push the IMF to expedite the process, Gotabaya Rajapaksa said, adding that he wrote letters and spoke to Xi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Sri Lankan leader also said he personally reached out to counterparts in the Middle East to secure long-term oil supplies to alleviate shortages due to a lack of dollars.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa said the main mistake Sri Lanka made was waiting too long to go to the IMF on the expectation that tourism and remittances would recover before reserves diminished significantly. If we had gone at least six months or one year earlier, it would have not come to this state, he said.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Seamless Access to DE-CIX Enabled by Transport to Peering from Data Center and Network Edge Locations throughout Texas

NEW YORK, June 07, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DE-CIX, the worlds leading neutral Internet Exchange (IX) operator, announces it has established an interconnection with LOGIX Fiber Networks (LOGIX) in Dallas. LOGIX Fiber Networks is the largest fiber network provider in Texas serving more than 3,000 enterprise buildings and nearly 100 data centers throughout the state. The NNI enables LOGIX customers to gain turnkey access to DE-CIX Dallas, fortified with extended reach, via the DE-CIX GlobePEER Remote service, to Chicago, New York, Phoenix, Richmond, and to thousands of networks connected across the US and the companys globally interconnected platforms throughout Europe and the Middle East. The DE-CIX neutral interconnection ecosystem spans North America, Europe, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia.

LOGIX Fiber Networks footprint spans throughout Texas with key data centers in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Fort Worth. By interconnecting its network with DE-CIX Dallas, LOGIX customers can now leverage transport connectivity for turnkey access to DE-CIXs multi-service platform, with direct access to cloud providers, content networks and other network-based service providers. The interconnection serves as a seamless gateway, eliminating third-party connectivity costs in Dallas and traditional colocation requirements, and enables enterprise and wholesale networks direct access to DE-CIX Dallas, the fastest growing neutral IX in the Texas market.

Traditional data center-owned IXs typically require colocation and cross connection fees that require networks to buy and manage remote equipment, on top of the IX platform fees. With a transport to peering connection offered by LOGIX to reach DE-CIX Dallas, networks can peer in Dallas with only the cost of the LOGIX transport connection, dramatically lowering costs of the peering solution. For networks where a traditional IX interconnection requiring colocation does not make sense, a transport to peering connection can easily become a strong value proposition due to the dramatically lowered cost of the total solution.

"We are always looking for ways to enhance our network services and capabilities, and an interconnection with DE-CIX Dallas does just that," comments Craig Collins, chief executive officer from LOGIX Fiber Networks. "Through this partnership, LOGIX customers now can leverage our Texas-based transport network to access DE-CIX, helping companies procure the most direct route for connectivity and ultimately enhance performance while streamlining costs."

"We continue to develop better ways for networks from throughout the region to connect to DE-CIX Dallas," comments Ed dAgostino, VP and General Manager of DE-CIX North America. "This partnership with LOGIX is yet another step forward in allowing DE-CIX Dallas to serve the entire region, not just networks with PoPs in Dallas. DE-CIX Dallas provides an array of network optimization and security capabilities for ISPs, content providers, enterprises, educational and research institutions and more. Now enabled through LOGIX, we look forward to welcoming even more networks to our quickly growing ecosystem."

DE-CIX Dallas is the largest carrier and data center neutral Internet Exchange serving the Southwest region and now ranks among the top 20 largest IXs in the United States with reach to over 110 networks including carriers, ISPs, content, cloud, and other networks that help optimize the delivery of content at the edge.

LOGIX is a pure business-to-business fiber provider, and its network has plenty of capacity to help carriers and provide connectivity solutions. For more information about LOGIX Fiber Networks visit www.logix.com. To learn more about DE-CIX Dallas and how new networks can qualify for a risk-free trial of DE-CIXs leading Internet Exchange capabilities, visit https://www.de-cix.net/.

About LOGIX Fiber Networks

With a 35-year history and known for its outstanding Texas-based customer service, flexible and fast connectivity options, and best-in-class reliability due to its built-for-business fiber network, LOGIX offers a broad range of business voice and data options. Services include Business Voice, Business Internet, Business Ethernet, Business Wavelength, Business Voice Cloud, Business Voice Trunks, Data Centers, SD-WAN and Cloud Connect. For more information call 281-336-9006 or visit logix.com.

LOGIX Fiber Networks operates its business fiber network across Texas, providing highly secure fiber-based data, voice services, and data center access to 10,000 enterprise and carrier customers and connecting nearly 100 colocation data centers.

About DE-CIX North America

DE-CIX North America Inc., established in 2013, is a wholly owned subsidiary of DE-CIX International AG, the international arm of DE-CIX, the worlds leading Internet Exchange operator. Together, the DE-CIX Internet Exchanges in New York, Dallas, Chicago, Richmond and Phoenix create the largest neutral interconnection ecosystem in North America. DE-CIX is providing network and data-neutral peering and interconnection services in North America. With access to DE-CIX North Americas Internet Exchanges, customers gain more control of their networks and access to world-class content providers, as well as IP transit, Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Blackholing services to mitigate the effects of DDoS attacks.

DE-CIX New York is the 5th largest Internet Exchange in the US, it is a carrier and data center-neutral and Open-IX certified. The IX platform is distributed across major carrier hotels and data centers throughout each metro region it serves. DE-CIX operates more access points than any other Internet Exchange in North America.

For more information, please visit de-cix.net.

About DE-CIX

DE-CIX (German Commercial Internet Exchange) is the worlds leading operator of Internet Exchanges. In total, in its 30+ locations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia, DE-CIX interconnects more than 2500 network operators (carriers), Internet service providers (ISPs), content providers, and enterprise networks from more than 100 countries, offering peering, cloud, and interconnection services. The combined connected customer capacity of all DE-CIX locations worldwide exceeds 100 Terabits, making it the largest neutral interconnection ecosystem in the world. DE-CIX in Frankfurt, Germany, with a data throughput of more than 11 Terabits per second (Tbps) and over 1000 connected networks, is one of the largest Internet Exchanges in the world.

Further information at www.de-cix.net.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005028/en/

Contacts

Media Contact LOGIX Fiber Networks:

Molly Bateman

pressroom@logix.com

512.344.2607



Media Contact for DE-CIX North America

Ilissa Miller

DE-CIX North America

Phone: +1.914.315.6424

Email: Ilissa.miller@de-cix.net
ReportLinker

Dehydrated Vegetables Market Research Report by Product (Beans, Broccoli & Onions, and Cabbage), Source, Form, Technology, End User, Region (Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa) - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19

New York, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Dehydrated Vegetables Market Research Report by Product, Source, Form, Technology, End User, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06259169/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Dehydrated Vegetables Market size was estimated at USD 37.82 billion in 2021 and expected to reach USD 39.48 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 4.56% to reach USD 49.44 billion by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Dehydrated Vegetables to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Product, the market was studied across Beans, Broccoli & Onions, Cabbage, Carrots, Mushroom, Peas, Potatoes, and Tomatoes.



Based on Source, the market was studied across Inorganic and Organic.



Based on Form, the market was studied across Flakes, Minced & Chopped, Powder & Granules, and Slices & Cubes.



Based on Technology, the market was studied across Air Drying, Drum Drying, Freeze Drying, Spray Drying, and Vacuum Drying.



Based on End User, the market was studied across Food Manufacturer and Food Service & Retail.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.



This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Dehydrated Vegetables market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Dehydrated Vegetables Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Dehydrated Vegetables Market, including Baobab Foods, Inc., Catz International, DMH Ingredients, Inc., FutureCeuticals, Inc., Kanegrade Ltd, Mevive International, R. J. Van Drunen & Sons, Inc., Real Dehydrates, Rosun Natural Products Pvt. Ltd., and Silva International, Inc..



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Dehydrated Vegetables Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Dehydrated Vegetables Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Dehydrated Vegetables Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Dehydrated Vegetables Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Dehydrated Vegetables Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Dehydrated Vegetables Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Dehydrated Vegetables Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06259169/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




Marketing Club of New York

Professional organization says name change and new logo recognize how direct marketing, data, accountability and measurability have transformed the marketing discipline

MCNY Marketing Club of New York Logo

MCNY Marketing Club of New York Logo

NEW YORK, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Theres a new name to an established professional organization, based here in New York City: Marketing Club of New York. Previously known for four decades as the Direct Marketing Club of New York, its members chose to rename itself based on several marketplace realities and perspectives, according to 2022-2023 Marketing Club of NY President Alicia Wiedemann, partner and head of client strategy at Summer Friday, an independent strategy, creative and content agency.



All the attributes that have traditionally made direct marketing powerful  data, accountability, measurability  really apply, or should apply, to all marketing today, Wiedemann said. Brands demand it and during the past several years  particularly in this digital age  we see performance metrics governing the work of all marketing practitioners. This is not to discount the attention to testing and science that have long been table stakes for direct marketing. Rather, to bring these concepts full-forward to all of marketing and all forms of branded storytelling.

In conjunction with the name change, Marketing Club of NY also announced the winner of a student competition among area universities to devise a new logo for the organization. A submitted logo from a team at Pace University  Lubin Business School (Manhattan, New York City)  composed of Revati Aloni (areas of study: social media/mobile marketing), Ruhani Dalal (marketing analytics), Riti Seth (marketing analytics) and Saloni Waradkar (social media/mobile marketing) -- was chosen from among submissions. In upcoming months, a new web site and social media accounts will be rolled out reflecting the new brand.

We are thrilled to have students involved in our rebranding, Wiedemann said. Education support is central to our organizations mission. It goes hand in hand with the professional development we seek throughout our careers. Its why we come together as a New York community of marketing practitioners.

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In a recent letter to club members announcing the name change, Wiedemann cited specific drivers for the name change:

Direct marketing, though media agnostic in discipline, is often associated with direct mail, which remains an important component of accountable, measurable marketing. Yet direct marketing encompasses all channels: print, broadcast, digital, streaming, mobile, out-of-home, contact centers, and experiential  with data science, strategy and creativity working in unison to motivate consumer (and business) behaviors.

Much of todays marketing is accountable and measurable, long the tenets of direct marketing. Thus, marketing has evolved and been influenced by this heritage of data and science, testing and analysis.

Our mission statement remains true to our organizations historical, education-led purpose: Marketing Club of New York is a nonprofit organization that provides education, networking and idea exchange for professionals interested in data-driven communications. We actively support current and future industry leaders through scholarships, awards, and recognition. Thus, these commitments will continue with our name change.

New York itself is a global hub for marketing. Today, that encompasses data and direct marketing, digital marketing, adtech, martech, agencies, brands and publishers, and innovation finance. Each contribute to the professional development of todays successful marketer.

Todays successful marketing professionals understand how data science and marketing are interdependent, and how both effect business results. This recognition is in part attributable to the success of the direct marketing discipline of prior decades, and the rise of chief marketing officers, who are held accountable to meet business objectives.

Marketing Club of New York Board members also voiced support for the name change as reported in its in-house online publication, MKTGinsight. Area marketers may explore membership in Marketing Club of New York here.

About Marketing Club of New York

Marketing Club of New York (http://www.dmcny.org) has served the direct marketing field since the clubs founding in 1926  and today encompasses all facets of integrated, data-driven marketing across all media categories. Serving the Greater New York region through its luncheons, networking and online resources, Marketing Club of New York is a leading source of current education and information in the field of measurable marketing. Marketing Club of New York also provides financial support in the form of scholarships to several New York City colleges and universities marketing programs.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c31c82a6-4715-4439-8fe8-39091ea82d29

CONTACT: Media Contact: Chet Dalzell, PR Consultant for Marketing Club of New York 917.608.2251 | chet.dalzell@yahoo.com




CEO of Tesla Motors Elon Musk speaks at the Tesla Giga Texas manufacturing

The Texas Attorney General has announced that he is investigating how Twitter could be misleading Texans about the number of bots on its platform.

Texans rely on Twitters public statements that nearly all its users are real people. It matters not only for regular Twitter users, but also Texas businesses and advertisers who use Twitter for their livelihoods, said Attorney General Bill Paxton.

If Twitter is misrepresenting how many accounts are fake to drive up their revenue, I have a duty to protect Texans.

In the announcement of the investigation, the Texas Attorney General said that Twitter had received intense scrutiny in recent weeks over claiming in its financial regulatory filings that fewer than 5 per cent of all users are bots, when they may in fact comprise as much as 20 per cent or more.

This criticism comes most notably from Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, who made a bid to buy the social media company for $44 billion in April.

Tesla relocated its corporate headquarters to Gigafactory Texas in December 2021, and has opened a Tesla factory outside of Austin this year. Mr Musk personally lives in Texas, and SpaceX runs a major manufacturing and launch facility there.

In the months following, however, Mr Musk has claimed that his proposed takeover of the social media platform was on hold after he suggested that he did not believe Twitters own estimate that less than five per cent of the active accounts on its platform were automated or spam accounts.

Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal published a long thread explaining how the social media company calculates the number of bots on its platform. In response, Mr Musk tweeted the poop emoji to Mr Agrawal.

Mr Musk waived due diligence when he agreed to buy Twitter at $54.20 per share. Twitters board has previously said that it intend[s] to close the transaction and enforce the merger agreement.

In the demands made to Twitter, Mr Paxton is asking for Twitter to send all public statements you have made quantifying the number of Twitter users, and documents that contradict Your public statements that fewer than 5% of false or spam accounts are included in Your monetizable daily active users metric.

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Marc Fagel, a securities law expert who previously served as regional director of the Security and Exchange Commissions San Francisco office, told CNBC that this investigation is unusual because such matters are not typically handled at the state level.

States arent necessarily equipped to do this sort of sophisticated investigation, Mr Fagel said. Its one thing if youre dealing with a local company, but if youre talking about a national, publicly traded company in another state, thats the province of the SEC.

Twitter declined to comment.
(Bloomberg) --

Most Read from Bloomberg

Exxon Mobil Corp., TotalEnergies SE and ConocoPhillips are among a group of Western energy companies poised to win stakes in a multibillion-dollar project to boost Qatars gas exports, people with knowledge of the matter said.

State producer QatarEnergy may announce its decision as soon as this weekend, according to the people. Several other firms including Shell Plc also bid to be part of the expansion. Exxon shares rose as much as 4.4% in New York trading.

The advance of Qatars project, one of the largest ever in the natural gas industry, comes as Europe rushes to wean itself off Russian supplies in the wake of Moscows attack on Ukraine. Josep Borrell, the European Unions chief diplomat, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck and other officials have visited Qatar in recent months in a bid to secure commitments of extra gas.

The investments will help the Persian Gulf state fund a plan costing at least $30 billion to raise annual output of liquefied natural gas to almost 130 million tons by 2027. Qatar may initially announce partners for the first phase, some of the people said. That part will see QatarEnergy build four liquefaction units, known as trains, each with a capacity of 8 million tons per year. The first gas flows arent expected until 2026, according to Qatars emir.

Exxon declined to comment, referring questions to QatarEnergy. TotalEnergies and ConocoPhillips declined to comment. QatarEnergy didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Shell would be delighted to be selected, it said in a statement, adding that the expansion will provide much-needed gas supplies to global markets.

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QatarEnergy invited journalists to a press conference in Doha on Sunday, without stating the reason. Patrick Pouyanne, TotalEnergiess chief executive officer, and officials from Exxon may attend the event, according to several of the people.

Exxon rose 4% to $102.79 by 2:28 p.m. in New York, near a record high, and was one of the days best performers on the S&P 500 Index. ConocoPhillips climbed 3.4%. TotalEnergies reversed losses in European trading to close 0.4% higher.

Saad Al-Kaabi, Qatars energy minister and CEO of QatarEnergy, said last year that talks about a sale of equity stakes were under way with Chevron Corp., as well as Exxon, TotalEnergies, ConocoPhillips and Shell. Italys Eni SpA has also said its keen to take part.

In June 2021, Kaabi said the bids were double what we requested.

Qatar, which vies with the US and Australia to be the worlds biggest LNG exporter, has delayed the decision for at least two years. It previously said it had enough money to complete the project alone and would only choose equity partners if it got decent offers.

Exxon, TotalEnergies, Shell and ConocoPhillips all have stakes in Qatars existing production facilities.

For TotalEnergies, a deal may allay concerns among investors that its growth in LNG is stalling. The companys retreat from Russia has seen it stop funding the major Arctic LNG 2 project, while in Mozambique it has suspended construction of a large gas complex because of an Islamic State-linked insurgency.

(Updates with ConocoPhillips in headline, first paragraph.)

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Asia Pacific is estimated to register the fastest CAGR during the forecast period due to the presence of some of the most well-known technology-enabled metropolises in the region which include China, South Korea, and Japan

New Delhi, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the study undertaken by Astute Analytica the global aluminum casting market is anticipated to register a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period 2022-2030. The global aluminum casting market was valued at US$ 61.3 bn in 2021 and is forecasted to reach US$ 108.6 bn by 2030. In terms of volume, the market is estimated to record a growth at a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period.

Aluminum casting is a type of metalworking process that involves pouring liquid metal into a mold or form, that has been shaped by a pattern of the desired final product. Some of the common molding methods for producing castings are die casting, permanent mold casting, investment casting, and sand casting.

Download Free Sample Report Now @ https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/aluminum-casting-market

Aluminum casting plays a major in the automobile industry, the industry is the largest user of aluminum casting. Aluminum die casting is heavily used in making vehicle chassis, wipers, and some intricate components of the braking assembly of vehicles. However, one of the main factors that are challenging the aluminum casting market growth in the automotive industry is the magnesium alloy. As magnesium alloys are 30% lighter than aluminum, they can help to decrease the weight of vehicles and can help to reduce fuel consumption.

Iron product segment dominates the market and is projected to maintain its dominance over the forecast period, by growing at a CAGR of 7.1%. Most iron casting manufacturers combine casting along with another process that tends to be more efficient or better suited for the requirements of a particular project. In terms of distribution channel, OEM is the most favored channel in the market.

Story continues

Regional Analysis

North America holds the third-largest share in the Global Aluminum Casting Market in 2021

In North America region, the US holds the maximum share in 2021 and the automotive industry is the largest user of aluminum casting. The majority of products produced by die casting companies in the US are for the automotive and construction industries. According to the report of the Aluminum Association, over US$ 3.50 billion of aluminum die castings were shipped by American die casting plants in 2019, as compared to US$ 3.81 billion in 2018. Due to Covid-19, the shipments declined in 2019 and 2020.

Germany dominates the Europe Aluminum Casting Market

Germany is the highest shareholder country in the Europe Aluminum Casting market, accounting for 20.2% share in the market. Germany has one of the most refined aluminum die casting industries. However, the with car production and sales in Germany have been hard hit by the Brexit thereby, slumping the by US$ 18.40 bn (14.64 bn) in 2021. This can have a drastic effect on the Germany Aluminum Casting Market as the automotive sector is the highest end-user of the industry.

Asia Pacific holds the maximum share in the Global Aluminum Casting Market

Asia Pacific is estimated to register the fastest CAGR during the forecast period due to the presence of some of the most well-known technology-enabled metropolises in the region which include China, South Korea, and Japan. China is the major driving country for the large-scale import and export of primary aluminum from the Asia Pacific to western countries. China's annual aluminum output rose 4.8% from the previous year to a record in 2021, reaching 38.5 million tonnes. In India, the auto-component industry holds up to 7% of Indias GDP and supports or employees as many as 19 million people. Many western and top Asian (China, Japan, and South Korea) companies are now looking at India for Components & Part Designing.

Die casting segment has the highest CAGR in the Middle East & Africa Aluminum Casting market

Most of the aluminum casting is used in the automotive and construction sector. According to the Automotive Production Development Plan - Vision 2020, South Africa plans to produce over 1.2 million vehicles, which can open many favorable opportunities for the aluminum casting market in South Africa where most of the aluminum casting is done for body panels. With the increasing demand for aluminum wheels in the South Africa automotive industry, the demand for aluminum casting has increased significantly.

Brazil is the highest shareholder in South America Aluminum Casting Market

According to Brazilian Foundry Association (ABIFA), the aluminum casting market is largely driven by the automotive sector. Over 1,043.5 MT of aluminum casting was produced in 2021. The growth of the foundry market in Brazil is the main propellor for both automotive and aluminum casting markets in South America. According to LK group, a Hongkong-based designer and manufacturer of die casting machines, Brazil is one of the most important primary die casting product suppliers. It holds 10th rank in the world for total die casting product volume. It is home to over 1170 die casting companies and 57,000 die casting personnel. As die casting holds a major share in the market, owing to the increasing production volume in Brazil, it is playing an important role in the die casting industry among BRICS countries.

Directly Purchase a copy of report with TOC @ https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/aluminum-casting-market

Report Attribute Details Market Size Value in 2021 US$ 61.3 Billion Market Outlook for 2030 US$ 108.6 Billion Expected CAGR Growth 6.8% Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2030 Top Market Players Arkema SA, Arrmaz, BASF Corporation, Dupont De Nemours Inc., Dynacast Deutschland GmbH, Honeywell International Inc., Huntsman Corporation, Kao Corporation, Ingevity Corporation, MartinreaHonsel Germany GmbH, Alcast Technologies Inc., Kraton Corporation, Nouryon and Sasol Limited among others Segments Covered By Product, By Method, By Industry, By Region

Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, Middle East & Africa Customization Options Get your customized report as per your preference. Ask for customization

Competitive Landscape

Alcast Technologies Ltd., based in Canada, provides a wide range of adaptable sand molding processes & techniques to meet aluminum casting requirements.

ArrMaz Products, Inc. is a specialised chemical manufacturer for agricultural nutrition, mining, infrastructure, oil and gas, and other rapidly increasing industries. The company was acquired by Arkema S.A. on July 1st, 2019.

BASF SE is a German Multinational Chemical Corporation that produces non-cellular polyurethane casting compounds for all kinds of mold including epoxy, aluminum, silicon, and others.

DuPont de Nemours, Inc. provides bonding solutions and die casting solutions. The company supports a globally linked network of regional application development experts who work with customers throughout the value chain to develop innovative solutions in automotive, packaging, construction, consumer goods,

Dynacast International Inc. produces high-precision zinc, aluminum, and magnesium die-cast components around the world to fulfil customer needs. They have 22 manufacturing plants across 16 countries globally.

Huntsman Corporation extensive portfolio of hot- and cold cast elastomers, hot casting machines and TPU elastomers and develop solutions to meet specific needs. The strategic outlook of the company is to see chemistry as a way to address some of today's most serious societal issues.

Segmentation Overview of the Global Aluminum Casting Market

The following are the different segments of the Global Aluminum Casting Market: -

By Product Segment of the Global Aluminum Casting Market is sub-segmented into:

Silicon

Iron

Copper

Magnesium

Zinc

By Material Segment of the Global Aluminum Casting Market is sub-segmented into:

Die Casting

Permanent Mold Casting

Investment Casting

Sand Casting

By Industry Application Segment of the Global Aluminum Casting Market is sub-segmented into:

Aerospace Commercial Transport Planes Airframes Fuselages and Wings Space Station Shuttles/Structures

Construction And Architecture Power Grids and Electrical Transmission Lines High Rise Buildings

Site Furnishings (Removable Bollard Applications)

Food And Beverage (cans)

Electrical and Electronics Equipment

Automotive Lightweight Aluminium Frames Body Panels Engines Sensor And Airbag Housings Seat Belt Retractor Spools Lock Barrels Connectors for Autonomous Vehicles Steering and Braking Systems Others

Agriculture Crankcase Housings

Others

By Region Segment of the Global Aluminum Casting Market is sub-segmented into:

North America The U.S. Canada Mexico

Europe The UK Germany France Italy Spain Poland Russia

Asia Pacific China Taiwan India Japan Australia & New Zealand ASEAN Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa (MEA) UAE Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of MEA

South America Brazil Argentina Rest of South America



To gain more insights into the market with a detailed table of content and figures, click here: https://www.astuteanalytica.com/industry-report/aluminum-casting-market

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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.

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GLOBAL BIOENERGIES

Global Bioenergies receives first orders from a number of major cosmetics players totalling several tonnes of Isonaturane 12

Paris, 07 June 2022  Less than two months after the commissioning of the Pomacle commercial production unit, Global Bioenergies has received its first orders totalling several tonnes of Isonaturane 12 from a number of major cosmetics players, including LOreal.

Isonaturane 12 is the trademark registered by Global Bioenergies to designate its naturally sourced isododecane product. Isododecane is one of the most important molecules used in the cosmetics industry, both in the make-up segment, where it is the only molecule able to deliver longwear properties, and in skincare and haircare, where it endows textures with lightness and softness. Thanks to Global Bioenergies, this compound is now available in a bio-sourced version that meets ISO 16128 requirements in terms of naturalness in cosmetics products. Isonaturane12 is manufactured entirely in France from locally sourced raw materials.

For LOreal, Global Bioenergies leading shareholder via the companys BOLD (Business Opportunities for LOreal Development) investment fund, these first orders of Isonaturane will contribute to support the Groups efforts in terms of naturalness of its make-up products and are in line with the ambitious objectives of its Sustainability program LOreal for the Future.

Ana Kljuic, Vice-President R&I LOreal for the Future & Green Sciences, explained: Our investment in Global Bioenergies is at the core of our commitment to achieve 95% bio-based ingredients, derived from abundant minerals or circular processes in our formulas by 2030. Thanks to its breakthrough technology that is now becoming an industrial reality, Global Bioenergies drives forward the cosmetics sector in its quest for naturalness and, beyond cosmetics, helps it to make a broader proactive contribution to the environmental transition.

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Daphne Galvez, Global Bioenergies Commercial Director, added: Today, longstanding discussions with specific key players come to fruition. A further spate of orders is under preparation: at In-cosmetics, the world-leading event for cosmetics ingredients held last month in Paris at which we launched Isonaturane 12 on the market, we held around a hundred discussions with a range of stakeholders including brands, tollers and distributors.

About GLOBAL BIOENERGIES

Global Bioenergies converts plant-derived resources into compounds used in the cosmetics industry, as well as the energy and materials sectors. After launching the first long-lasting and natural make-up brand LAST in 2021, Global Bioenergies is now marketing Isonaturane12, its key ingredient, to major cosmetics companies to improve the naturalness of their formulas whilst improving their carbon footprint. Its process has numerous applications in specialty chemicals and polymers. In the long run, Global Bioenergies is also aiming at cutting CO 2 emissions in the aviation sector and thereby curb global warming. Global Bioenergies is listed on Euronext Growth Paris (FR0011052257 - ALGBE).

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DelveInsight Business Research LLP

The medical aesthetic devices market is anticipated to expand due to an increase in the global aging population. Moreover, shifting preferences toward minimally invasive or noninvasive cosmetic procedures could also bolster the demand for newly developed medical aesthetic devices in the upcoming years.

New York, USA, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Medical Aesthetic Devices Market to Surpass USD 25 billion by 2027 | DelveInsight

The medical aesthetic devices market is anticipated to expand due to an increase in the global ageing population. Moreover, shifting preferences toward minimally invasive or non-invasive cosmetic procedures could also bolster the demand for newly developed medical aesthetic devices in the upcoming years.

According to the latest report published by DelveInsight, Medical Aesthetic Devices Market Insight, the global medical aesthetic devices market is likely to grow significantly due to an increase in various cosmetic procedures, either surgical or nonsurgical, globally. In addition, factors such as an increase in trauma injuries, different types of cancer requiring reconstructive surgeries following the treatment, a rise in obesity among the population, and growing technological advancement in the product arena are expected to add to the market growth. This report will provide an in-depth understanding of the medical aesthetic devices market, further benefiting the competitors or stakeholders operating in the medical aesthetic devices market.

Key Takeaways From the Medical Aesthetic Devices Market

DelveInsight expects North America to dominate the global medical aesthetic devices market during the forecast period.

The leading aesthetic medical device companies such as Johnson & Johnson, HansBioMed., AbbVie Inc., Sebbin, Sientra, Inc., POLYTECH Health & Aesthetics GmbH, Suneva Medical, Hanson Medical Inc., SurgiSil, Surgiform Technologies LLC, Alma Lasers, Candela Medical., Lumenis., Cutera., Sciton Inc., Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bausch Health Companies Inc., Venus Concept., TRIA BEAUTY, Cynosure Inc., and GALDERMA , are currently working in the medical aesthetic devices market.

In May 2021, GC Aesthetics, Inc. , a privately-held medical technology company providing aesthetic solutions, launched its next generation of breast implants, PERLE.

In February 2021, Galderma received the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Restylane Defyne for the augmentation and correction of mild to moderate chin retrusion for adults over the age of 21.

In November 2020, Lutronic Introduced Intelligent Care in Muscle Stimulation with IntelliSTIM  a third-generation body sculpting device.

Thus, due to such developments in the market, rapid growth will be observed in the Medical Aesthetic Devices market during the forecast period.

Story continues

To read more about the latest highlights related to aesthetic medical devices, get a snapshot of the key highlights covered in the Medical Aesthetic Devices Market Report

Medical Aesthetic Devices

According to the US FDA, medical aesthetic devices are used to treat or enhance a persons appearance. There are various minimally invasive or noninvasive medical aesthetic devices for various treatments, including skin resurfacing, noninvasive lipolysis, skin laxity, excessive fat, cellulite, scars, moles, and others.

A rise in the number of various cosmetic procedures worldwide because of an increase in the population who are conscious of their appearance is expected to augment the demand for these devices.

Medical Aesthetic Devices: Market Insights

Geographically, the global medical aesthetic devices market is studied for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. North America currently leads the global medical aesthetic devices market in revenue share and is projected to hold its market position during the study period. North Americas domination stems from various factors, such as the rising burden of breast cancer, trauma injuries, and an increasing prevalence of obesity.

In addition, the rising aging population in the region who are likely to lose skin laxity, sagging jowls, wrinkles, and others is expected to increase the demand for aesthetic procedures, thereby increasing the need for medical aesthetic devices. Thus, the rising geriatric population in the region coupled with various external factors that hamper a persons appearance are likely to increase the regional Medical Aesthetic Devices market.

To know more about why North America is leading the market growth in the Medical Aesthetic Devices market, get a snapshot of the report Medical Aesthetic Devices Market Analysis

Medical Aesthetic Devices Market Dynamics

The medical aesthetic devices market is expected to grow significantly with the rise in the global elderly population. Furthermore, increased efforts by major players to develop and introduce new and innovative products and active manufacture of various aesthetic devices to cater to the target demographic are expected to drive development in the medical aesthetic devices market in the coming years.

However, the high cost of these devices and procedures, clinical risks and consequences associated with medical aesthetic treatments, and a lack of reimbursement regulations in some countries are some of the factors constraining the global medical aesthetic devices market.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has slumped the medical aesthetic devices market due to the canceled or denied elective surgeries across the globe to curb the transmission of the infection. However, due to the approval and administration of numerous COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, the medical aesthetic devices market is projected to regain normalcy during the post-pandemic.

Get a sneak peek at the Medical Aesthetic Devices market dynamics @Medical Aesthetic Devices Market Dynamics Analysis

Scope of the Medical Aesthetic Devices Market Report

Coverage : Global

Study period: 20192027

Market segmentation by product type - Energy-based aesthetic devices (laser-based aesthetic devices, radiofrequency-based aesthetic devices, light-based aesthetic devices, others), non-energy based aesthetic devices (botulinum toxin, dermal fillers, dermabrasion, and microdermabrasion, implants, others)

Market segmentation by application - Skin resurfacing and tightening, body contouring and cellulite reduction, hair removal, facial aesthetic procedures, breast augmentation, others

Market segmentation by end-user - Hospitals, dermatology clinics, others

Market segmentation by geography - North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World

Key aesthetic medical device companies - Johnson & Johnson, HansBioMed., AbbVie Inc., Sebbin, Sientra, Inc., POLYTECH Health & Aesthetics GmbH, Suneva Medical, Hanson Medical Inc., SurgiSil, Surgiform Technologies LLC, Alma Lasers, Candela Medical., Lumenis., Cutera., Sciton Inc., Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bausch Health Companies Inc., Venus Concept., TRIA BEAUTY, Cynosure Inc., GALDERMA, among others

Porters five forces analysis, product profiles, case studies, KOLs views, analysts view

DelveInsight Analysis: The medical aesthetic devices market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.46% to reach about USD 25.80 billion by 2027.

Which MedTech key players in the Medical Aesthetic Devices market are set to emerge as the trendsetter explore @Top Medical Aesthetic Device Companies

Table of Contents

1 Report Introduction 2 Executive summary 3 Regulatory and Patent Analysis 4 Key Factors Analysis 5 Porters Five Forces Analysis 6 COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Medical Aesthetic Devices Market 7 Medical Aesthetic Devices Market Layout 8 Global Company Share Analysis  Key 3-5 Companies 9 Medical Aesthetic Devices Market Company and Product Profiles 10 Project Approach 11. About DelveInsight

Interested in knowing the medical aesthetic devices market by 2027? Click to get a snapshot of the Aesthetic Medical Devices

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Allied Market Research

Increase in demand for versatile building materials and rise in concern toward robust construction drive the growth of the global ready-mix concrete market. Based on application, the commercial & infrastructure segment generated the highest share in 2020. By region, LAMEA would grow at the fastest CAGR by 2030.

Portland, OR, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global ready-mix concrete market was estimated at $448.0 billion in 2020 and is expected to hit $704.2 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 4.5% from 2021 to 2030. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the top investment pockets, top winning strategies, drivers & opportunities, market size & estimations, competitive scenario, and varying market trends.

Increase in demand for versatile building materials and rise in concern toward robust construction drive the growth of the global ready-mix concrete market. Moreover, construction companies are adopting environment-friendly and cost-effective housings & buildings to ensure the highest standards and uniform quality, which in turn increased the demand for ready-mix concrete even more, thus supplementing the market growth.

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Covid-19 Scenario-

Construction activities across the world had slowed down during the period, and there was a steep decline in demand for ready-mix concrete, which impacted the market negatively.

However, the market has almost recovered at a full pace.

The global ready-mix concrete market is analyzed across type, application, mixer type, and region. Based on type, the transit mix concrete segment contributed to nearly three-fifths of the total market revenue in 2020, and is projected to lead the trail by 2030. The shrink mix concrete segment, however, would exhibit the fastest CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period.

Story continues

Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the ready-mix concrete market : Request Here

Based on application, the commercial & infrastructure segment generated the highest share in 2020, accounting for more than half of the global market. The residential segment, on the other hand, would also cite the fastest CAGR of 5.1% from 2021 to 2030.

Based on region, the market across Asia-Pacific held the major share in 2020, garnering more than four-fifths of the global market. LAMEA, simultaneously, would manifest the fastest CAGR of 5.3% throughout the forecast period.

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The key market players analyzed in the global ready-mix concrete market report include Barney & Dickenson, Inc., CEMEX S.A.B. de C.V., CRH plc, Vulcan Materials Company, Holcim Ltd., SIKA Group, Vicat SA, ACC Limited, UltraTech Cement Limited. These market players have adhered to several strategies including partnership, expansion, collaboration, joint ventures, and others to prove their flair in the industry.

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Cement Mixer Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2029

About Allied Market Research:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

The construction of the Shukurbayli-Jabrayil-Hadrut highway, one of the road infrastructure projects being implemented in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur economic regions, is underway, Azernews reports per the State Agency of Automobile Roads.

The 39.7-kilometer-long Shukurbayli-Jabrayil-Hadrut highway begins from the Hajigabul-Minjivan-Zangazur corridor and travels via the Jabrayil region's Shukurbayli village to the Khojavend region's Hadrut settlement.

The highway is being developed in line with the first technical category, with four lanes, under Karabakh's development plan. The highway measures 14 meters in width. The asphalt-concrete pavement and artificial structural building on the 14-kilometer segment of the road are nearing completion.

In the 25.7 km section, the construction of a 21.5-meter-wide roadbed and road base in accordance with the first technical category, the construction of the road base, and the laying of a smooth asphalt-concrete pavement are being carried out in the areas where the roadbed is ready.

To get the normative width of the road traveling through a hilly location with challenging terrain, rocks are cut in certain areas by machines, and a new roadbed is formed by blasting mountains.

In order to reduce the negative impact of the road on the environment, including fauna, 85 percent of the construction work on 37 round pipes, 95 percent on nine rectangular water crossings that are designed to ensure the transfer of water along the road, as well as 93 percent on seven underpasses and 80 percent on reserve crossings, have been completed.

The construction of six road bridges on the 2nd, 19th, 20th, 27th, 31st, and 39th km of the Shukurbayli-Jabrayil-Hadrut highway is underway. The construction of bridges at 2.19 and 39 km is nearing completion. One of the bridges is designed at the intersection of the Hajigabul-Minjivan-Zangazur corridor. The bridge will provide easy access to and from the highway.

The construction work is carried out under the direct supervision of the Azerbaijan State Agency of Automobile Roads in line with the requirements of the Construction Norms and Rules. The road's construction is scheduled to be finished in 2023.

The Shukurbayli-Jabrayil-Hadrut highway passes through the liberated Khojavend, Fuzuli, and Jabrayil districts. The highway covers about 20 settlements in the region, including Hadrut settlement and Jabrayil city.




GlobalData UK Ltd

The global naval vessels and surface combatants market size is valued at $38.7 billion in 2022.

LONDON, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The naval vessels and surface combatants market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 3% during the forecast period, 2022-32. The North American region, supported by the US Navys multi-year procurement programs, is expected to maintain its leading position globally, exhibiting a steady pace of growth over the forecast period. Modernization drives initiated by leading countries across the globe to project naval power and increase regional influence will drive naval vessels and surface combatants market growth over the next decade.



The Naval Vessels and Surface Combatants Market Research Report 2022-2032 offered by GlobalData Plc covers industry analysis including the key market drivers, trends, emerging technologies, and major challenges faced by industry participants. It also offers insights regarding key factors and government programs that are expected to influence the demand for naval vessels and surface combatants market over the forecast period.

To unlock the naval vessels and surface combatants market forecast, download a free report sample

Major Naval Vessels and Surface Combatants Market Drivers and Trends

Many countries across the world have initiated naval modernization programs to replace the aging vessels that are in active service. The navies of countries such as Russia, China, India, the UK, Italy, France, and Canada consist of fleets which are rapidly aging and require replacements, as many of the vessels are expected to be decommissioned in the coming years. For instance, Russia neglected its naval requirements for more than a decade after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. However, it has initiated extensive naval modernization and procurements in 2011.

Various countries across the globe are focusing on the indigenous development and maintenance of their naval vessels to reduce their dependency on imports. Indigenously built ships can be customized, maintained, repaired, and overhauled in a domestic facility without depending on a foreign supplier for spare parts and other accessories. Furthermore, the government will be able to retain and generate a huge number of jobs in the shipbuilding sector, which in turn will contribute to the growth of the countrys overall economy. The indigenous shipbuilding initiatives also facilitate the advent of a strong industrial ecosystem. This also enables the local enterprises to integrate new functionality and weapons systems throughout the entire life span of the vessel.

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Naval Vessels and Surface Combatants Market Segmentation by Region

North America

The Middle East

Europe

Latin America

Africa

Asia-Pacific

North America is set to be the largest market for naval vessels and surface combatants over 2022-32. The US accounts for the largest market for naval vessels and surface combatants in the North American region. The remaining share is anticipated to be held by Canada over the forecast period. The USs dominance in the naval vessels market is influenced by the countrys affinity for advanced military platforms in order to maintain an edge over its adversaries. The country is presently undertaking multiple high-value programs to procure new-generation naval vessels.

Naval Vessels and Surface Combatants Market Analysis, by Regions

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Naval Vessels and Surface Combatants Market Segments

Frigate

Destroyer

Light Combat Vessel

Auxiliary Vessel

Amphibious Ship

Corvette

Aircraft Career





The frigate is anticipated to be the largest segment in the naval vessels and surface combatants market during the forecast period followed by the destroyer and the light combat vessel segments. Between 2022 and 2032, Asia-Pacific is set to account for the largest share of the frigate segment, followed by Europe, and the North America. The frigate segments growth in the Asia-Pacific region is majorly attributed to Australias Hunter-class (SEA 5000), Japans 30DX Multi-Mission, and Chinas Type 054A frigates procurement program.

Naval Vessels and Surface Combatants Market Analysis, by Segment

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Leading Naval Vessel and Surface Combatant Companies

Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc

General Dynamics Corp

Damen Shipyards Group,

Naval Group

Fincantieri SpA

BAE Systems Plc

United Shipbuilding Corp

China State Shipbuilding Corp

Navantia SA

Cochin Shipyard Ltd.

To know more about leading defense companies in the naval vessels and surface combatants market, download a free report sample

Naval Vessels and Surface Combatants Market Overview

Market Size 2022 $38.7 billion CAGR >3% Forecast Period 2022-2032 Key Regions North America, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific Key Segments Frigate, Destroyer, Light Combat Vessel, Auxiliary Vessel, Amphibious Ship, Corvette, and Aircraft Career Leading Companies Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc, General Dynamics Corp, Damen Shipyards Group, Naval Group, Fincantieri SpA, BAE Systems Plc, United Shipbuilding Corp, China State Shipbuilding Corp, Navantia SA, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. Ltd, and Cochin Shipyard Ltd.

Naval Vessels and Surface Combatants Market Scope

Market size and drivers: Detailed analysis during 2022-2032, including highlights of the demand drivers and growth stimulators. It also provides a snapshot of the spending and modernization patterns of different regions around the world.

Recent developments and industry challenges: Insights into technological developments and a detailed analysis of the existing naval vessels and surface combatants projects being executed and planned worldwide. It also provides trends of the changing industry structure and the challenges faced by industry participants.

Regional highlights: A study of the key markets in each region, providing an analysis of the key segments of the market that are expected to be in demand.

Major programs: details of the key programs in each segment, which are expected to be executed during 2022-2032.

Competitive landscape and strategic insights: analysis of the competitive landscape of the global naval vessels and surface combatants market. It provides an overview of key players, their strategic initiatives, and financial analysis.





Reasons to Buy

Determine prospective investment areas based on a detailed trend analysis of the global naval vessels and surface combatants over the next ten year

Gain an in-depth understanding of the underlying factors driving demand for different naval vessels and surface combatants segments in the top spending countries across the world and identify the opportunities offered by each of them

Strengthen your understanding of the market in terms of demand drivers, industry trends, and the latest technological developments, among others

Identify the major channels that are driving the global naval vessels and surface combatants market, providing a clear picture of future opportunities that can be tapped, resulting in revenue expansion

Channelize resources by focusing on the ongoing programs that are being undertaken by the defense ministries of different countries within the global naval vessels and surface combatants market

Make correct business decisions based on an in-depth analysis of the competitive landscape consisting of detailed profiles of the top naval vessels and surface combatants solution providers around the world. The company profiles also include information about the key products, alliances, recent contracts awarded, and financial analysis, wherever available

FAQs

What is the naval vessels and surface combatants market size in 2022?

The naval vessels and surface combatants market size is valued at $38.7 billion in 2022.

What is the naval vessels and surface combatants market growth rate?

The naval vessels and surface combatants market is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 3% during the forecast period.

Which are the key regions in the naval vessels and surface combatants market?

The key regions in the naval vessels and surface combatants market are North America, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

What are the key segments in the naval vessels and surface combatants market?

The key segments in the naval vessels and surface combatants market are frigate, destroyer, light combat vessel, auxiliary vessel, amphibious ship, corvette, and aircraft career.

Which are the leading companies in the naval vessels and surface combatants market?

The leading companies in the naval vessels and surface combatants market are Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc, General Dynamics Corp, Damen Shipyards Group, Naval Group, Fincantieri SpA, BAE Systems Plc, United Shipbuilding Corp, China State Shipbuilding Corp, Navantia SA, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. Ltd, and Cochin Shipyard Ltd.

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Company's Open Kitchen Platform Delivers Unprecedented Operational Improvements for Inspire locations

NEWTON, Mass., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Powerhouse Dynamics, the leading provider of Internet of Things (IoT)-based solutions to improve restaurant and retail performance, has received a Maverick Award from Inspire Brands, Inc. as the company's most innovative equipment supplier.

Photo Credit: Frank Gibson Photography, Inspire Brands, Inc.

Powerhouse Dynamics President Jay Fiske and his colleague Robb Stanek accepted the award during a recent Inspire Brands Supplier Awards Ceremony and Reception in Atlanta.

The recognition is based on Powerhouse Dynamics' achievements with various Inspire Brands companies, including Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Dunkin'. Powerhouse Dynamics' Open Kitchen platform is installed in more than 3,000 Inspire locations. The solution connects HVAC, refrigeration, cooking, and other equipment to cloud-based analytics and controls to drive operational efficiencies and utility savings, along with enhanced food safety, reduced labor content, and consistent product quality.

Peter Cryan, Vice President of Equipment and Automation, Inspire Brands, praised Powerhouse Dynamics for their "innovation and support," noting that "they set themselves apart by  doing what's never been done before."

"We are thrilled to be recognized for helping Inspire find new ways to delight their customers while increasing efficiencies and savings," said Mr. Fiske. "It is an honor to be recognized by their accomplished team."

About Powerhouse Dynamics

Founded in 2009 and acquired by The Middleby Corporation in 2019, Powerhouse Dynamics of Newton, MA is the leading provider of "Internet of things" (IoT)-based solutions to connect, analyze and control equipment to deliver enterprise-wide operational efficiencies. To learn more, visit powerhousedynamics.com.

About Inspire Brands

Inspire Brands is a multi-brand restaurant company whose current portfolio nearly 32,000 Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, Rusty Taco, and SONIC Drive-In locations worldwide, including more than 9,200 restaurants outside the United States. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit InspireBrands.com .

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Powerhouse Dynamics Logo (PRNewsfoto/Powerhouse Dynamics)

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SOURCE Powerhouse Dynamics
Investing RM 600 Million in Infrastructure

Expansion of facilities to drive development in the local economy and across the region

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- J&T Express ("J&T"), an international express logistics company, announced today it has completed the acquisition of a 30-acre parcel of land in Bandar Rimbayu, Selangor, Malaysia. The land will be used to build an integrated logistics center for express distribution, logistics and transportation and warehousing to meet J&T's growing business needs in Malaysia.

Charles Hou, Group Vice President of J&T Express, said, "As a global integrated logistics service provider, J&T Express is committed to providing customers with more efficient and convenient services. It remains our emphasis to strengthen our leadership position in Southeast Asia through expanding our presence in existing markets. The new facility will be fitted with our advanced technology, which enables us to better tap on our existing networks to meet the growing demands of the burgeoning e-commerce industry in Southeast Asia.".

"Rimbayu is the golden triangle of Selangor, we believe in the future development potential of this area." CEO of J&T Express Malaysia, Roy Zeng said, "This year marks the fifth year since J&T Express commenced operations in Malaysia. With diversified expansion and the strong momentum thanks to the continuous growth of the regional market, we have decided to invest RM 600 million to purchase a parcel of land and build a logistics centre in Malaysia. In doing this, we hope to drive the development of the local economy, provide jobs for the community, and play an active role in the development of the local logistics industry and the long-term development of the community."

Founded in 2015, J&T Express' localized express network now spans twelve countries including China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Mexico, and Brazil, serving over 2 billion people.

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- End -

About J&T Express

J&T Express is a global logistics service provider with leading express delivery businesses in Southeast Asia and China, the largest and fastest-growing market in the world. Founded in 2015, J&T Express' network spans twelve countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, China, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Mexico and Brazil. Adhering to its "customer-oriented and efficiency-based" mission, J&T Express is committed to providing customers with integrated logistics solutions through intelligent infrastructure and digital logistics network, as part of its global strategy to connect the world with greater efficiency and bring logistical benefits to all.

SOURCE J&T Express
Nearly seven million Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia invaded in February. The United States established Uniting for Ukraine in April as a fast-tracked pathway for displaced Ukrainians to come to the U.S.

The program allows those who have been displaced by the war to seek refuge in America, with a U.S-based sponsor to financially support them for two years.

More than 40,000 sponsors have submitted applications according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Weve had folks calling say I want to sponsor a Ukrainian immigrant, which is great. It's a great sentiment, but you cannot just sponsor anybody, Alessandra Ceccarelli of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee told Knox News.

Noting that Uniting for Ukraine requires U.S. sponsors to know the Ukrainians they want to support, Ceccarelli says, in East Tennessee, the program is mostly being used by the large Ukrainian communities in Knoxville and Sevier County.

What we're seeing is that those are family members mostly sponsoring folks abroad. Youre sponsoring your parents, your siblings, maybe a cousin. Youre sponsoring them because it's your family and you want them to be here.

The two-year financial commitment is a considerable burden. Sponsors must financially support the displaced individual or individuals while theyre in the States.

Federal poverty guidelines are being used as a general guide in determining if a sponsor has the appropriate financial resources. DHS is looking for at least 100% over the poverty lines. Household size also is a factor.

Ceccarelli is not discouraging those without familial ties from sponsoring a displaced Ukrainian, but she does offer other ways people can help, such as by donating to local resettlement agencies.

Refugees wait for humanitarian coaches at a transport hub May 11 in Lviv, Ukraine.

Any donation is appreciated because the more we can support our work, the more families we can help. And I'm sure that every refugee service would appreciate donations, she says.

A few agencies and organizations helping refugees in East Tennessee include Bridge Refugee Services and Catholic Charities of East Tennessee; the city of Knoxville has a helpful list of organizations assisting refugees and immigrants, as well. The Tennessee Office for Refugees and Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition offer help statewide.

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Here is more information on the Uniting for Ukraine program and how you can become a sponsor:

What is Uniting for Ukraine?

In late April, the Biden Administration unveiled a program that would fast-track Ukrainians and their families seeking refuge due to Russias unprovoked invasion. With a U.S. sponsor willing to house and financially support them, Ukrainian refugees would be granted parole  temporary residence in the U.S.  for up to two years. They could also apply for employment authorization.

How can Americans apply to sponsor Ukrainians?

U.S.-based sponsors who are willing to house and financially support Ukrainian refugees must file a Declaration of Financial Support (Form I-134) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services online for each individual seeking sponsorship. This is the first step of the application process.

Organizations and multiple supporters can team up to show financial support for a refugee. However, only one individual can file Form I-134.

If the U.S. sponsor passes the vetting process (which includes proving sufficient financial support and the U.S. government protecting against exploitation and abuse), the Ukrainian identified on Form I-134 will be notified of the next steps they need to take to be authorized to travel to a U.S. port of entry.

How much does it cost?

There is no cost to U.S.-based sponsors or Ukrainians to apply. However, once authorization is approved, Ukrainians must find and fund their own way of travel to a U.S. port of entry.

Supporters also must prove to the government they have sufficient financial resources to provide for the Ukrainians they have committed to support. The Department of Homeland Security is looking for at least 100% over the federal poverty guidelines and supporters must demonstrate they can maintain this financial responsibility for two years.

Multiple supporters can combine their financial resources to support a Ukrainian refugee, or multiple refugees. Organizations can do this as well. However, only a primary individual can file the Declaration of Financial Support form.

What is parole?

Parole allows temporary residence status in the United States to noncitizens on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.

The secretary of Homeland Security is granted the authority to parole noncitizens through the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Ukrainians approved through Uniting for Ukraine will be paroled into the U.S. for up to two years.

What is the process?

The process for Ukrainians seeking parole through Uniting for Ukraine immediately begins once a U.S. based supporter files Form I-134 with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services online.

DHS has streamlined the overall process for it to be quick. However, there is no definitive timeline.

Here is a list of steps from applying to being granted temporary parole:

Step 1  U.S.-based supported file Form I-134 at my.uscis.gov and demonstrate financial support

Step 2  Ukrainian beneficiary creates an account at my.uscis.gov and submits biographic information

Step 3  Confirm prior vaccination against COVID-19, measles, and polio. (First dose of required vaccines needed prior to travel to U.S. if not fully vaccinated).

Step 4  Applicant notified of approval (valid for 90 days) or denial travel to U.S.

Step 5  Each individual inspected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at a U.S. port of entry and undergo additional screening and vetting.

Step 6  Approved for parole for up to two years, may request Application for Employment Authorization (Form I-765) with USCIS.

For more information

Please check with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services websites if you have additional questions regarding Uniting for Ukraine.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How to sponsor refugees through Uniting for Ukraine program
2022 Cohort Includes Medical Device, Diagnostics and Digital Health Startups From Across the Globe Developing Innovative Technologies to Improve Patient Care and Outcomes

LOS ANGELES, June 07, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MedTech Innovator, the worlds largest accelerator of medical technology companies, today announced the 50 companies selected to participate in the organizations flagship four-month Accelerator program, featuring medical device, diagnostic, and digital health technologies from around the globe. As 2022 Cohort members, these startups will get unparalleled visibility and access to leading medtech manufacturers, providers, investors, and other industry stakeholders. At the conclusion of the program, MedTech Innovator will award $500,000 in cash and in-kind prizes in the final competition held at The MedTech Conference, powered by AdvaMed in Boston this fall.

"Over the past nine years, MedTech Innovator has established a unique track record of identifying and supporting leading startups, with 95% of our graduates either still in business or having been acquired," said Paul Grand, CEO of MedTech Innovator. "The 2022 MedTech Innovator Cohort represents a diverse and focused group of innovators, and we are excited to work with them alongside our corporate partners and industry advisors to ensure their success in addressing important unmet needs and improving patient care."

The tenth annual program launches June 15-16, at the invite only MedTech Innovator Summit in Mountain View, California. Leadership teams from each of the 50 startups will convene to attend networking events and workshops with MedTech Innovator Partners and other industry leaders. The 2022 Cohort will also be featured June 17 at the WSGR Medical Device Conference in San Francisco.

As in previous years, the selection process for the 2022 Accelerator program was extremely competitive, with a 5% acceptance rate. The top 50 were selected from a record pool of more than 1,000 applications representing 49 countries and 43 U.S. States. From that group, MedTech Innovator with its corporate partners and over 400 industry judges, evaluated pitches from 170 candidates to select this years cohort of 50 startups representing 10 U.S. states as well as Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Ireland, Luxembourg, Singapore, and the UK.

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A subset of 28 early-stage companies will participate in MedTech Innovators corporate mentorship program, in which medtech startups are matched with senior industry leaders to receive continual in-depth, customized mentorship and support.

The program culminates at The MedTech Conference, powered by AdvaMed, on October 24-26, where all 50 companies will present in Showcase panels and gain access to industry and investor partnering opportunities. During the conference, five startups from the Accelerator cohort will compete for the Execution Award, and another five companies will advance to compete in the Grand Final competition. An audience vote will determine the winner of the $350,000 non-dilutive grand prize and the title of 2022 MedTech Innovator. Additional cash and in-kind awards will be presented, including incubator space from Johnson & Johnson Innovation  JLABS.

MedTech Innovators 2022 Top 50 companies include:

52 North Health*  Cambridge, UK

Ad Vital*  Houston, TX

Anumana  Cambridge, MA

Aqua Medical*  Pleasanton, CA

Augment Health*  East Northport, NY

Bright Uro*  Aliso Viejo, CA

Cardiacare*  Nes Ziona, Israel

CARI Health*  San Diego, CA

Clearcut Surgical*  Boston, MA

CloudMedx  Palo Alto, CA

ConKay Medical Systems*  Pleasanton, CA

CorNeat Vision  Raanana, Israel

Corveus Medical*  Houston, TX

DermaSensor  Miami, FL

Digma Medical  San Diego, CA

Discure Technologies*  Herzlyia, Israel

Endiatx*  Redwood City, CA

Endoluxe*  Manhattan Beach, CA

Endoron Medical*  Kfar Saba, Israel

Epineuron Technologies  Mississauga, Canada

EvoEndo*  Centennial, CO

Fluid Biomed*  Calgary, Canada

Garwood Medical Devices*  Buffalo, NY

Gradient Denervation Technologies*  Paris, France

Gravitas Medical*  San Francisco, CA

Healthcare X.0  Hamburg, Germany

Lazurite Holdings  Cleveland, OH

Leadoptik*  Milpitas, CA

Limax Biosciences*  Somerville, MA

Liquet Medical*  Glen Allen, VA

LiveMetric*  Luxembourg

Meacor inc.*  Ayer, MA

MicroGEM US  Charlottesville, VA

MindMics  Cambridge, MA

Moon Surgical*  San Carlos, CA

Neurovalens  Belfast, Ireland

New View Surgical  Andover, MA

Oxford Endovascular  Oxford, UK

Phagenesis  Manchester, UK

Phiex Technologies*  Boston, MA

PopCheck Technologies*  Memphis, TN

RevBio  Lowell, MA

SafeBeat Rx*  Manteca, CA

SafePush*  Marrero, LA

Suturegard Medical*  Corvallis, OR

SymPhysis Medical*  Galway, Ireland

TrackX  Hillsborough, NC

Tricog Health  Singapore, Singapore

Woven Orthopedic Technologies  Manchester, CT

*Company is also participating in MedTech Innovators corporate mentorship program.

Joining the Top 50 in this years cohort are five companies selected for the Pediatric Accelerator track: CorInnova  Houston, TX; Innovation Lab  La Palma, CA; Prapela  Biddeford, ME; Tympanogen  Richmond, VA; and Xpan  Concord, Ont.

Since 2013, MedTech Innovator has reviewed more than 7,000 startups and graduated 421 companies that have gone on to raise more than $4.5 billion in follow-on funding and have brought over 135 products to market. MedTech Innovator works closely with stakeholders across the industry to promote the growth of early and mid-stage startups. In collaboration with 35 corporate partners, as well as a broader network of more than 1,000 industry executives including investors, business development representatives, and other stakeholders, MedTech Innovator provides startups with individualized mentorship and feedback, funding opportunities, and continual engagement with peers and advisors.

MedTech Innovators founding sponsors are Johnson & Johnson and RCT Ventures. Annual program sponsors include NIPRO Medical Corp., Olympus Medical Systems Group, Asahi Intecc, Becton Dickinson & Company, Edwards Lifesciences LLC, Dexcom, Fujikura Ltd., Jabil Healthcare, Nissan Chemical America Corporation, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Alira Health, ERI Group, Figure Technologies, Greenlight Guru, Integrated Computer Solutions (ICS), Medmarc, Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC), NAMSA, Oliver Healthcare Packaging, Proxima Clinical Research, Silicon Valley Bank, SMART-TRIAL, Syneos Health, Three Bridges Management & Consulting, TriNet, Velentium, and Veranex. The organizations additional industry partners include AdvaMed, Pazanga Health Communications, MedTech Strategist, DeviceTalks, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

About MedTech Innovator

Based in Los Angeles, MedTech Innovator is the worlds largest accelerator of medical technology companies and the premier nonprofit startup accelerator in the medical technology industry. Its mission is to improve the lives of patients by accelerating the growth of companies that are transforming the healthcare system. MedTech Innovator matches healthcare industry leaders with innovative early stage and emerging growth medtech companies for mentorship and support.

For more information about MedTech Innovator, visit https://medtechinnovator.org/ and follow @MedTechAwards on Twitter and MedTech Innovator on LinkedIn. To receive industry insights and highlights about MedTech Innovators portfolio companies, subscribe to its monthly newsletter.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220607005636/en/

Contacts

MEDIA CONTACT:

Joe Duraes

Pazanga Health Communications

jduraes@pazangahealth.com

(917) 687-6419
City council members in Memphis, Tennessee, are calling for the municipal government to decline any request to provide former president Donald Trump a police escort when he visits the city for a speaking engagement next month, citing the ex-presidents long history as a deadbeat who has stiffed local governments after using local police resources.

In an interview with a local NBC affiliate, Councilmember Martavius Jones said politics have nothing to do with why hes calling for the city to refuse a police escort for the former president and his Secret Service detail.

Hes notorious for not paying, he said. When you talk about these rallies, there are huge expenses that various jurisdictions have to pay, and these expenditures are not being reimbursed by the Trump campaign or Trump organization.

According to the Centre for Public Integrity, Mr Trumps campaign ran up nearly $2m in unpaid bills for police services and other services provided by local governments during his 2020 re-election campaign.

More than two years later, officials in El Paso, Texas say the Trump campaign still owes $570,000 for costs associated with one of his 2019 campaign rallies.

The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico also reportedly sent a bill directly to the ex-presidents Florida home after his campaign refused to pay a $211,000 bill incurred when city employees had to be given paid time off to vacate their workstations during a Trump rally, which also required city expenditures for police overtime and security barriers.

Another city council member, JB Smiley, said he and Mr Jones would introduce a resolution asking the Memphis Police Department not to provide any resources for Mr Trumps visit.

As we know, the Memphis Police Department is already experiencing a shortage of officers to patrol our communities. I do not believe that it is a prudent use of police manpower and Memphians taxpayer dollars to escort the former president to an event in Mississippi, Mr Smiley said in a statement.
Six students to be awarded $10,000 per year and paid summer internships for up to four years

WALTHAM, Mass. and BROOKLYN, N.Y., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- National Grid today announced the launch of a scholarship program aimed at increasing diversity in engineering across Massachusetts and New York. The Company will begin accepting applications today and will select six candidates for the 2022-2023 academic year to each receive a $10,000 scholarship and a paid summer internship in National Grid's Massachusetts or New York business. Scholarship and internship recipients who continue to meet the program's criteria may continue receiving these benefits for up to four years.

Students studying renewable energy

"As one of the biggest drivers of the delivery of a clean energy future, we know we must also invest in the workforce needed to achieve net zero," said John Pettigrew, Chief Executive Officer, National Grid. "I strongly believe that National Grid can be a force for doing good. This scholarship fund is part of our continuing commitment to ensuring that our workforce is diverse and ready to bring fresh new ideas to fight climate change, the generational challenge we all face. I can't wait to bring these engineering students on board and support them as they prepare to lead the future."

Core to National Grid is the Company's Responsible Business Charter and an explicit commitment to forging a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive talent pool. National Grid is also committed to creating a culture where every colleague is valued for their unique skills, backgrounds, expertise, and insights. Diversity of identity brings fresh thinking and innovation, which is why National Grid is committed to achieving fifty-percent diversity across all Company new talent recruitment programs as well as among the senior leadership group by 2025.

National Grid Engineering Scholarship Program Criteria:

Be high school seniors, high school graduates or current college undergraduates residing and attending school in New York or Massachusetts

Plan to enroll or be enrolled in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited four-year college or university in New York or Massachusetts for the entire upcoming academic year

Maintain a GPA score above 3.0 during scholarship program

Come from a home with a household income of less than 80% of the HUD median

Accepted into an engineering program

Accept a paid summer internship with National Grid in the summer of 2023 and each subsequent summer that the engineering student remains in the scholarship program

There is no requirement for the scholarship students to apply for or accept a position at National Grid, post-graduation

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The deadline for applications is June 30, 2022. The program will be administered by Scholarship America. All interested parties can apply at: https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/ng-chargingourfuture/

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our fossil-free vision. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram

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SOURCE National Grid
CENTENNIAL, Colo., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NioCorp Developments Ltd. ("NioCorp" or the "Company") (TSX: NB; OTCQX: NIOBF) is pleased to announce that Jim Sims has been promoted to Chief Communications Officer, a new position.

NioCorp is developing a critical minerals project in Southeast Nebraska that will produce Niobium, Scandium, and Titanium. The Company also is evaluating the potential to produce several rare earth byproducts from the Project. (PRNewsfoto/NioCorp Developments Ltd.)

Mr. Sims has served as Vice President of External Affairs since joining the Company in November 2015. In this new position, he will continue to manage investor relations, government relations, and public relations, and will provide support to capital markets initiatives.

"The Board and I are pleased to announce this well-deserved promotion for Jim," said Mark A. Smith, CEO and Executive Chairman of NioCorp. "Jim works tirelessly at NioCorp on multiple fronts to help advance our Elk Creek Project, and he is a key member of the management team. His energy and dedication to success are critical attributes that help keep our shareholders very well informed."

Prior to joining NioCorp, Mr. Sims was VP of Corporate Communications for Molycorp, Inc. A former news reporter for the Des Moines Register and Tribune, he is the former President of the U.S. Geothermal Energy Association and Western Business Roundtable and was Chairman of the Rare Earth Technology Alliance. The former White House Director of Communications for the Energy Policy Development Group, Mr. Sims served for 11 years in the U.S. Senate, including as a Chief of Staff, and he held a top-secret security clearance. He is an honors graduate of Georgetown University.

@NioCorp $NB.TO $NIOBF #Niobium #Scandium #ElkCreek #rareearth #neodymium #terbium #dysprosium #JimSims

For More Information

Contact Jim Sims, Chief Communications Officer, NioCorp Developments Ltd., +1 (303) 503-6203, jim.sims@niocorp.com

About NioCorp

NioCorp is developing a critical minerals project in Southeast Nebraska that will produce Niobium, Scandium, and Titanium. The Company also is evaluating the potential to produce several rare earth byproducts from the Project. Among other things, niobium is used to produce High Strength, Low Alloy ("HSLA") steel, a lighter, stronger steel used in automotive, structural, and pipeline applications. Scandium is often combined with aluminum to make alloys with increased strength and improved corrosion resistance. Scandium is also a critical component of advanced solid oxide fuel cells. Titanium is used in various alloys and is a key component of pigments used in paper, paint and plastics and is also used for aerospace applications, armor, and medical implants. Magnetic rare earths, such as Neodymium, Praseodymium, Terbium, and Dysprosium are critical to the making of Neodymium-Iron-Boron ("NdFeB") magnets, which are used across a wide variety of defense and civilian applications.

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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this document may constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause a change in such forward-looking statements and the actual outcomes and estimates to be materially different from those estimated or anticipated future results, achievements or position expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause NioCorp's plans or prospects to change include risks related to NioCorp's ability to operate as a going concern; risks related to NioCorp's requirement of significant additional capital; changes in demand for and price of commodities (such as fuel and electricity) and currencies; changes or disruptions in the securities markets; legislative, political or economic developments; the need to obtain permits and comply with laws and regulations and other regulatory requirements; the possibility that actual results of work may differ from projections/expectations or may not realize the perceived potential of NioCorp's projects; risks of accidents, equipment breakdowns and labor disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions; the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated expenses in development programs; operating or technical difficulties in connection with exploration, mining or development activities; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities of grades of reserves and resources; the risks involved in the exploration, development and mining business, and the risks set forth in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators at www.sedar.com and the SEC at www.sec.gov. NioCorp disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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SOURCE NioCorp Developments Ltd.
VANCOUVER, BC, June 6, 2022 /CNW/ - June 6th, 2022  Prospect Ridge Resources Corp. (the "Company" or "Prospect Ridge") (CSE: PRR) (OTC: PRRSF) (FRA: OED) is pleased to announce the appointment of Yan Ducharme as the new company President, Nicholas Luksha as the new Executive Vice President, and the start of the 2022 field operations with prospecting crews picking up where they left off at the end of the 2021 field season.

Prospect Ridge Resources Corp. Logo (CNW Group/Prospect Ridge Resources Corp.)

Yan Ducharme brings over 25 years of experience to the company in greenfield and brownfield exploration projects. He started his career with SEMAFO in Guinea, Western Africa, on the Jean-Gobele exploration project which later became the Kiniero mine. In Quebec, he joined Cambior at the Sleeping Giant mine, then to the exploration office where he took care of exploration projects in the four corners of the Abitibi and in the James Bay area. Mr. Ducharme was also part of the exploration team at the Rosebel Mine in Suriname, South America for Cambior/Iamgold. Yan spent several years working NioGold's Marban project which reached 1.5M oz of measured and indicated resources (32Mt at 1.48 g/t Au) and 600k oz of inferred resources (16.5Mt at 1.13 g/t Au; NI 43-101 August 15, 2013). He was Vice-President of the company when it was bought by Oban mining, now operating as Osisko (TSE:OSK). He was regional exploration manager for Canadian Malartic until the Kirkland Lake project was acquired entirely by Agnico-Eagle (TSE:AEM), and then became exploration manager for SOQUEM. Most recently, Mr. Ducharme was exploration manager for Wesdome Gold Mine's (TSE:WDO) Kiena site. Mr. Ducharme obtained a Master's degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Quebec in Montreal.

The Company is excited to be back in the field. The prospecting crews mobilized and started collecting more channel, chip, and grab rock samples across the Holy Grail and Knauss Creek properties. The crews started by targeting known zones with high grades of gold, silver, and other metals to help to prepare for drilling which is slated to start during the summer. The crews will then mobilize to other areas of the vast properties to sample and earmark future drill targets. With the assistance of a Lidar survey, the vast system of logging roads and helicopter, we will continue like last year with a very aggressive program to find more high-grade occurrences of gold to generate drilling targets. Mr. Ducharme's leadership will prove to be valuable with the prospecting crews and the drilling program when started.

Mr. Luksha will continue to oversee and manage an array of the companies' corporate responsibilities from his newly appointed role as Executive Vice President. It is with great excitement and anticipation that he hands the presidential reins to Mr. Ducharme.

Michael Iverson, CEO states, "Having Yan Ducharme come on as President and run the field operations will be a huge asset to our team and shareholders. My many years of working with Yan in the past gives me a great deal of confidence that he will expediate our coming results in proving up our resources. He's a homerun hitter and this will be his next grand slam as we get the field operations going. Welcome to the team Yan."

Qualified Person

All scientific or technical information included in this news release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Rein Turna, P.Geo., a consultant to the Company and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Holy Grail & Knauss Creek

The Holy Grail and Knauss properties start about 10 kilometers north of the town of Terrace in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. They are easily accessible by two highways and a network of logging roads. They are contiguous and form a horseshoe covering about 730 square kilometers.

The southern tip of the Golden Triangle arrives just northwest of the properties. The Bower Lake and the Hazelton Groups hosting most of the deposits and mines of this area are also underlying the Holy Grail and Knauss Creek properties.

A few gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc occurrences where found in the past. The most notable is the Dorreen mine where three levels were developed and it is believed that around 700 tons of ore were mined out at an average grade of more than 10 g/t Au.

The properties hold more than 10 very interesting gold showings, sometimes with silver, copper, lead and zinc.

About Prospect Ridge Resources Corp.

Prospect Ridge Resources Corp. is a British Columbia based exploration and development company focused on gold exploration. Prospect Ridge's management and technical team cumulate over 100 years of mineral exploration experience and believes the Holy Grail and Knauss Creek properties to have the potential to extend the boundaries of the Golden Triangle to cover this vast under-explored region.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management's expectations and intentions with respect to, among other things, positive exploration results at the Knauss Creek and Holy Grail projects and the Company's use of proceeds from the Private Placement. These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that future exploration results at the Knauss Creek and Holy Grail projects will not be as anticipated and that the Company will use the proceeds from the Private Placement as anticipated.

In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that future exploration results at the Knauss Creek and Holy Grail projects will be as anticipated and that the Company will use the proceeds from the Private Placement as anticipated.

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.

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SOURCE Prospect Ridge Resources Corp.

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Deloitte, a leading professional services firm in the world, has strengthened its leadership team in the Middle East with the addition of 56 new partners in the last year.

With this the firm has enhanced its capabilities across a range of offerings including digital transformation, cybersecurity, M&A, ESG and corporate tax advisory. The new Partners, who bring a wealth of skills and expertise, will further position Deloitte Middle East as leading advisors for governments, sovereign wealth funds and corporates across the region, said a statement.

Mutasem Dajani, CEO, Deloitte Middle East, said: The Middle East continues to offer tremendously exciting opportunities for professional services advisors and technology services businesses. Our partner admissions this year are a reflection of the dynamic market landscape, and our new Partners should be exceptionally proud of their achievements. This is a huge career milestone and I very much look forward to serving our clients together while contributing to the regional economic and social transformation.

I am very pleased to welcome new women leaders into the Partner group including Jazala Hamad, our first Emirati woman Partner. We continue to enhance diversity and drive inclusion across our business to bring the best mix of talent, skills, and backgrounds to our clients he added.

Rana Ghandour Salhab, People and Purpose Partner, Deloitte Middle East, commented: The new world of work is upon us and in this past year, we made significant strides in our talent priorities. New women partners formed 23% of our internal partner promotions in the region, and we aim much higher. We asked our people what was important to them to continue building a strong value proposition and introduced many talent initiatives. These included flexibility under HybridWorks, mental well-being support under new employee assistance programs, a culture of recognition and inclusion through new rewards, sponsorship and allyship programs, and as importantly increased opportunities for them to serve our communities through new CR&S programs and a volunteer hub. - TradeArabia News Service
Sarah Guo is the latest woman to depart their position at a venture capital firm with plans to launch one of their own.

On Tuesday, Guo announced on Twitter and LinkedIn that she is stepping down from her position as a general partner at enterprise-focused Greylock Partners to continue investing in startups as she works to build something new. Sources confirmed to Axios that Guo is planning to launch her own fund.

Guo joined Greylock in 2013 as the firms first woman partner and will now transition into the role of board partner. In her decade at the multistage VC, she invested in numerous startups, including health tech Cleo, online metaverse startup Portals and meeting transcription software Reduct.Video. She also is a board director at Mystery and 0x Labs.

Guo didnt respond to a request for comment.

Guo becomes the latest woman to leave a position at an established venture firm to become an emerging manager amid a wave of women spinning out to launch their own funds. Its important to note that women still make up just 14.3% of check-writing roles in the industry, according to data from non-profit All Raise.

Just last week, Sydney Thomas announced her departure from Precursor Ventures  which focuses on first-time founders  six years after becoming the firms first hire. She wouldnt share too many details about her new endeavor, but she did disclose to TechCrunch that shes hoping to invest in companies at the pre-seed stage before doubling down in the seed round.

The past year has also seen many of these new women emerging managers find fundraising success, too.

In May, Julie Wroblewski (formerly Pivotal Ventures) and Joanna Drake (formerly Core Ventures Group) closed on $52 million for their debut fund focused on the care economy. In March, Kathryn Haun (formerly Andreessen Horowitz) raised $1.5 billion for Haun Ventures debut crypto fund.

This latest cohort comes years after trailblazers like Aileen Lee, who launched Cowboy Ventures in 2012 after working at Kleiner Perkins for 12 years, and Mary Meeker, who spun out of Kleiner Perkins in 2019 to launch BOND, paved the way.
Smart Global Governance will be present at the FIC International Cybersecurity Forum in Lille, France, from June 7 to 9, 2022

SOPHIA-ANTIPOLIS, France, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart Global Governance, a global player in Integrated Risk Management, used daily by 200,000 professionals in 100 countries, presents its new module to meet worldwide compliance needs in cybersecurity.

Smart Global Governance receives the French Tech Rocketship Awards 2022 from the UK Government

Many organizations still use spreadsheets and specialized software that operate in silos, unsuited to the constraints of consolidation and updating; the consequences: work overload, redundancies, manual and repetitive tasks, lack of a single source of information, lack of global and real-time visibility on risks and their mitigation.

The plug and play cybersecurity risk management module allows organizations to:

Natively integrate information from existing software.

Promote collaboration between teams and third parties

Identify areas of governance where capacity gaps exist

Progressively strengthen capacity, monitoring and implementation of the roadmap.

Obtain a global view of the governance posture, updated in real time

Olivier Guillo, CEO:

"We are excited to add 47 cybersecurity standards to Smart Global Governance's integrated risk management platform to enable cybersecurity professionals and IT departments to comply with global cybersecurity standards and use their data more effectively."

About Smart Global Governance:

It is a software platform helps companies better manage their risks in a coordinated, cross-functional, real-time manner, enabling them to achieve significant productivity gains, manage compliance projects faster, collaborate with auditors, and ensure ongoing compliance with various applicable regulations and standards.

The platform covers risks including: Data & Privacy, Digital & Cyber, Third Party, Compliance & Ethics, Internal Audit, Health & Safety, Quality, CSR ESG, Legal.

The Smart Global Governance platform can be hosted in 80 countries or on site to respect data sovereignty.

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https://www.smartglobalgovernance.com/en/smart-global-governance-expands-the-coverage-of-its-cybersecurity-risk-management-module-to-47-global-security-standards/

Contact: hello@smartglobal.com

Smart Global Governance

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SOURCE Smart Global Governance
ReportLinker

Surveillance Radars Market Research Report by Waveform (Doppler and Ultra-Wideband Impulse), Type, Platform, Frequency Band, Dimension, Range, Component, Application, Region (Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa) - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19

New York, June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Surveillance Radars Market Research Report by Waveform, Type, Platform, Frequency Band, Dimension, Range, Component, Application, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06253733/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Surveillance Radars Market size was estimated at USD 7,722.96 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 8,362.45 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 8.45% to reach USD 12,570.12 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Surveillance Radars to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Waveform, the market was studied across Doppler and Ultra-Wideband Impulse. The Doppler is further studied across Conventional Doppler Radar and Pulse-Doppler Radar.



Based on Type, the market was studied across Air-To-Air Surveillance Radars, Air-To-Ground Surveillance Radars, Airborne Maritime Surveillance Radars, Airport Surveillance Radars, Battlefield Surveillance Radars, Coastal Surveillance Radars, Ground-Based Air Surveillance Radars, Ground-Based Space Surveillance Radars, Shipborne Surveillance Radars, and Space-Based Synthetic Aperture Radars.



Based on Platform, the market was studied across Airborne, Land, Naval, and Space. The Airborne is further studied across Aerostats/Balloons, Combat Aircraft, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.



Based on Frequency Band, the market was studied across C-Band, Hf/Uhf/Vhf-Bands, Ka-Band, Ku-Band, L-Band, Multi-Band, S-Band, and X-Band.



Based on Dimension, the market was studied across 2D, 3D, and 4D.



Based on Range, the market was studied across Long-Range Surveillance Radars, Medium-Range Surveillance Radars, Short-Range Surveillance Radars, Very Long Range, and Very Short Range.



Based on Component, the market was studied across Antennas, Digital Signal Processors, Duplexers, Graphical User Interfaces, Power Amplifiers, Receivers, Stabilization System, and Transmitters. The Antennas is further studied across Active Scanned Array Antennas, Parabolic Reflector Antennas, Passive Scanned Array Antennas, Planar Phased Array Antennas, and Slotted Waveguide Antennas. The Duplexers is further studied across Balanced Type Duplexers and Circulator Duplexers. The Graphical User Interfaces is further studied across Control Panels, Displays, and Graphic Panels. The Power Amplifiers is further studied across Solid-State Power Amplifiers and Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers. The Solid-State Power Amplifiers is further studied across Gallium Arsenide and Gallium Nitride. The Receivers is further studied across Analog Receivers and Digital Receivers. The Transmitters is further studied across Microwave Tube-Based Transmitters and Solid-State Electronics.



Based on Application, the market was studied across Commercial, Defense & Space, and National Security. The Defense & Space is further studied across Isr & Battlefield Surveillance, Military Space Assets & Hostile Satellites, and Perimeter Security. The National Security is further studied across Border Surveillance, ISR, and Search & Rescue.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.



This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Surveillance Radars market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Surveillance Radars Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Surveillance Radars Market, including Accipiter Radar, ASELSAN A.?., Blighter Surveillance Systems Ltd., Detect, Inc., Easat Radar Systems Limited, Elbit Systems Ltd., Flir Systems, Inc., G.E.M. Elettronica Srl, Harris Corporation, Hensoldt Holding GmbH, Honeywell International Inc., Indra Sistemas, S.A., Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., Japan Radio Co. Ltd., L&T Defence, Leonardo S.p.A., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Raymarine PLC, Raytheon Company, Reutech Radar Systems, Saab AB, Src, Inc., Terma A/S, and Thales S.A..



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Surveillance Radars Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Surveillance Radars Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Surveillance Radars Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Surveillance Radars Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Surveillance Radars Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Surveillance Radars Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Surveillance Radars Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06253733/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




Texas's Attorney General, Ken Paxton, has launched an investigation of Twitter over concerns of "potentially false" reports related to the number of bots and other fake accounts on the social network. In a press release Monday, Paxton claims inauthentic accounts may be helping to "inflate the value" of Twitter  thus he intends to pursue the investigation under the state's Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which protects against misleading advertisers, businesses and everyday users.

Paxton's office is pursuing the case just as Tesla CEO Elon Musk is seemingly attempting to scuttle his own bid to purchase Twitter. Musk has, for several weeks, been suggesting the platform's bot numbers may be far greater than its current leadership are reporting. It's interesting timing for Musk and Paxton's interests to align: Tesla just opened a Gigafactory in Texas, and is moving its headquarters to the region. That's a lot of potential business, and it comes as the state has offered tax breaks to companies building local facilities. For whatever it's worth, Paxton has previously been accused of abuse of office over allegations of bribery, but was eventually cleared by his own office.

Twitter has been ordered to provide unredacted documents detailing the company's active user counts since 2017, the volume of "inauthentic" accounts over that period and the methods used to calculate the ratio of fake accounts. It also has to outline its advertising model, including the revenue it generates in Texas.

It's also notable that Musk's hopes of boosting free speech on Twitter sync with Republic aims to reverse alleged censorship of conservative viewpoints on the site. Twitter has long rejected claims of ideological bias, and sued Paxton over claims of political retaliation that infringed its First Amendment rights.

We've asked Twitter for comment. The company has previously maintained that fake accounts represent less than five percent of users, but Paxton echoed Musk's currently unsupported concerns that fakes might represent 20 percent or more of all Twitter accounts.

The Attorney General has sued multiple tech companies over their practices, including Google (for its ad business) and Meta (over facial recognition). It's not clear yet if Paxton intends to pursue a lawsuit against Twitter as well.
TopLine Federal Credit Union

Jim Kaster, Honored by the Minnesota Credit Union Network

TopLines Former Board Chair, Jim Kaster, Named Director of the Year

TopLines Former Board Chair, Jim Kaster, Named Director of the Year

MAPLE GROVE, Minn., June 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jim Kaster, former board chair of local member-owned financial cooperative TopLine Federal Credit Union, was honored with the Outstanding Director of the Year award from the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN). The Outstanding Director of the Year award is given to one extraordinary credit union board member who best exemplifies the credit union spirit through dedication to, and belief in, the credit union movement. Conditions for nomination include involvement in the credit union movement at local and state levels and participation in other activities that support the credit union mission of People Helping People.



Jim Kaster has been a member of TopLine Federal Credit Union since 1969 and has been involved with the credit union in various volunteer capacities for over 38 years, including 27 years as a Board member and the last 16 years as Board Chair. He began his volunteer service as a member of the Credit Committee for 9 years from 1984-1993 and chaired the committee for 4 years. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1995, served as Treasurer from 1997-2000, Vice Chair from 2000-2005 and for the last 16-years, since 2006, has been the Board Chair. Jim retired from the TopLines Board of Directors in April 2022.

Jim has proven himself to be a gifted leader throughout his years on TopLines Board of Directors, and especially in his position as Board Chair by consistently making a positive impact on the success of the credit union. During his 38-year tenure TopLine has grown from $43 million assets, serving 13,777 members from 1 branch location to over $650 million in assets, serving over 46,000 members from 5 branch locations and with digital access. All through this time of growth, Jim also maintained a careful eye on other success metrics, especially maintaining capital and assuring that member service is the primary focus of TopLines management and staff. Very importantly, Jim is well known to TopLines membership and staff as both a member and a Director who is supportive and appreciative of their efforts in assuring the success of TopLine.

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Jims primary focus has always been on how to serve the growing financial needs of members, financial consumers and communities. Jim has experienced the many changes that have and are taking place in the financial services industry. His forward thinking and support for growth has led the credit union to continually look for ways to strengthen member relationships, provide premium level service, offer the products and services members need along their financial journey, support community outreach efforts and promote a collaborative work environment that is shaped by honesty, integrity, respect and trust.

Jims style is that of a servant leader, and with that approach applied so effectively over the years, he has set a high standard in how to make a positive, lasting difference as a credit union Director, said Tom Smith, President and CEO, TopLine Federal Credit Union. He has never lost sight of the true meaning of being a financial cooperative; he is a true believer in putting members best interest above all else, responsibly meeting fiduciary obligations and providing an environment where employees and members are treated with the utmost trust and respect.

The Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) honored Jim Kaster with the award at their annual conference which took place April 21 & 22 at the Radisson Blu Mall of America in Bloomington. MnCUN also created a showcase video featuring Jim that was unveiled at the conference as well as shared online.

The Minnesota Credit Union Network is the statewide trade association that works to ensure the success, growth and vitality of Minnesota credit unions. For more information, visit www.mncun.org.

TopLine Federal Credit Union , a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesotas 13th largest, with assets of more than $678 million and serves over 46,500 members. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit cooperative offers a complete line of financial services, as well as auto and home insurance, from its five branch locations  in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Plymouth and in St. Pauls Como Park  as well as by phone, mobile app and online at www.TopLinecu.com . Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington Counties and their immediate family members. Visit us on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TopLineFederalCreditUnion. To learn more about the credit unions foundation, visit https://www.toplinecu.com/foundation.

CONTACT:

Vicki Roscoe Erickson

Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications

TopLine Federal Credit Union

verickson@toplinecu.com

763.391.0872

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ffd058a8-3617-4a8d-9be1-6554f2b58d73




Walmart became the latest retailer to pull Chaokoh coconut milk from store shelves and online shopping because of forced monkey labor allegations.

Walmart follows retailers like Kroger, Costco, Target, Wegmans, Walgreens and Stop & Shop who have stopped stocking and selling the coconut milk after an investigation from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals accused the Thailand-based supplier of using chained monkeys as forced labor to pick coconuts.

"The coconut trade uses social monkeys as chained-up coconut-picking machines, depriving them of any opportunity to eat, play, or spend time with their families," PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a statement. "With one PETA expose after another confirming cruelty on coconut farms, retailers are dropping Chaokoh left and right. Kudos to Walmart for its kind decision."

PETA added Walmart received 86,000 emails from their supporters to make the decision.

Walmart joins other retailed in getting rid of Chaokoh coconut milk.

Chaokoh coconut milk: Kroger joins Costco, Target in dropping Chaokoh coconut milk over PETA allegations of monkey labor

Retail slowdown: Target cuts vendor orders, slashes prices as it looks to unload inventory

USA TODAY has reached out to Walmart and Theppadungporn Coconut Co., the company that produces the product, for comment.

PETA began pushing for the coconut milk to be pulled from shelves since 2019, when investigators based in Asia visited eight farms in Thailand and found monkeys were forced to pick coconuts and were "abused and exploited," with the animals chained and confined in small cages.

In 2020, an audit done by Bureau Veritas Certification (Thailand) Ltd., contracted by Theppadungporn Coconut Co., involved investigators randomly visiting 64 of its 817 farms and found no monkeys were being used to pick coconuts. PETA claims another investigation proved the audit was "misleading and inadequate" and companies and consumers were being lied about the use of monkeys.

Story continues

In total, 45,000 stores have cut ties with Chaokoh coconut milk, PETA said. The organization added they are still pushing for other retailers to pull Chaokoh coconut milk from their shelves.

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Walmart pulls Chaokoh coconut milk as PETA claims monkey labor is used
Every year, librarians from area middle schools team up with librarians from Central Rappahannock Regional Library to talk about books with seventh and eighth graders over the course of a semester. This special partnership, Cafe Book, has been going since 1996, even through COVID (when it had to go virtual for a while). Students read from a list of 16 titles selected by all the librarians, have lively book discussions over lunch, and at the end of the semester, vote on their favorites. This years Cafe Book Top Teen Picks have the teen stamp of approval.

City Spies by James Ponti. Sarah Martinez, a 12-year-old computer whiz, is facing some serious consequences after hacking into New York Citys juvenile justice computer system to bring to light the truth about her foster parents offenses. When a stranger shows up and gets her released into his custody, Sarah has no idea what is happening. When the stranger offers her the opportunity to become part of a group of teenage spies, she figures it cant be real. But the Secret Intelligence Service is real, made up of teens from around the world, specially trained and secretly brought together by MI5. Sarahs life has been difficult and she is wary of trusting anyone, but as she trains with this group of smart and talented teens, some meaningful friendships begin to develop.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Avery is a high school junior, living out of her car and trying to figure out her future, when she learns that she has inherited billionaire Tobias Hawthornes estate. But Avery doesnt know Tobias Hawthorne, so how could she be his heir? Everyone in Hawthornes family has the same question. In order to receive the inheritance, Avery must live with Hawthornes family in his mansion. Not an easy thing to do when everyone in the house treats her with feelings ranging from suspicion to hostility. As Avery gets to know more about Mr. Hawthorne and his penchant for games and riddles, she begins to wonder if she is simply part of a final puzzle for his family.

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen. Twelve-year-old Tien and his mother, Helen, read fairytales aloud to each other as a way for his mother to practice her English. It is a bonding time that Tien cherishes, as his mother works long hours and sometimes Tien struggles with how to talk with his mom about difficult subjects. Helen has had a difficult life as an immigrant, caught between her memories of home and her new life in the United States. Through sharing fairy tales they learn more about each other and share insights into their lives. This beautiful graphic novel conveys the love between parent and child, even when they dont totally understand each other.

Millionaires for the Month by Stacy McAnulty. When seventh graders Felix and Benji find billionaire Laura Friendlys wallet while on a school field trip, they take $20 for lunch, then return the wallet. Because they didnt return Friendlys wallet as they found it, she gives them a challenge: spend $5 million in one month, and she will give them millions in return. The challenge comes with restrictions, of course, which means the boys have to get creative on how to spend the money, and keep the challenge a secret. It leads to conflicts with their families and friends, and threatens to change what the boys value.

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, were separated from their mother as they fled violence in Somalia. They ended up alone in Dadaab, an enormous refugee camp in Kenya. There is never enough food, there isnt much to do, and the days are incredibly long and dull. When Omar is given the chance to attend school, he aches to do so, but worries about being away from his special needs brother, who he has taken care of since their escape from Somalia. With encouragement from friends in the camp, and realizing that school might be the only way toward a life away from Dadaab, Omar begins attending school, which leads to changes in Omar and Hassans lives that they must deal with together. This graphic novel shows the sorrow, monotony and occasional humor of the lives of these refugees, as they work to make the best of their lives when faced time and time again with circumstances that are out of their control.

Darcie Caswell is Youth Services Coordinator at Central Rappahannock Regional Library.
Within days of accepting the job, the new president of James Madisons Montpelier reinstated the professional staff members fired and suspended by the Virginia historic sites former executive, the home of the fourth U.S. president revealed Friday.

Interim President and CEO Elizabeth Chew shared the news Friday afternoon with Montpeliers friends and supporters via email.

The last few months at Montpelier have presented many challenges, Chew wrote. We know it has been difficult for our supporters to watch Montpelier receive negative media attention and lose valued members of the team.

Today, I am happy to report that following the establishment of structural parity between The Montpelier Foundation Board and the Montpelier Descendant Committee, our recently terminated and suspended colleagues are back onsite doing their jobs.

Dr. Chew, who took office May 25, swiftly reinstated four staff members who on April 18 were terminated or suspended by the previous administration. She herself had been terminated from her former role as the plantations executive vice president and chief curator.

Backed by The Montpelier Foundations new board of directors, Chew lifted the suspension of Mary Furlong Minkoff, assistant director of archaeology and curator of archaeological collections, and field director Chris Pasch, on May 26.

Matt Reeves, director of archaeology and landscape restoration, and communications director Christy Moriarty were rehired effective Monday, May 30, according to a post on montpelier.org, website of the Madison familys Orange County seat.

Now committed to an equitable relationship with the Montpelier Descendants Committee, Montpelier is poised to offer the public a more expansive history, the historic site declared Friday.

The staff members reinstatements follow The Montpelier Foundations accomplishment of a historic milestoneinstitutional empowerment of those descended from the plantations enslaved community, it said.

I am so excited to be back at Montpelier working with the people and artifacts that I love! said FurlongMinkoff, who joined Montpelier as its curator of archaeological collections in 2015. I cant wait to work with the descendants, the board, my colleagues and our amazing archaeology volunteers to find new and innovative ways to tell the stories of the over 3 million artifacts in our collection.

Im delighted for the opportunity to rejoin the Montpelier communityand it truly is a community in every sense of the word because I received so much support during the weeks I was gone, said Moriarty, who began her career at Montpelier in 2013 as tourism coordinator. There is much work to be done, and Im eager to collaborate with my colleagues and the new board to move Montpelier forward into the next chapter.

Chew expressed optimism that Montpelier will recover from recent controversy over how the home of the Madisons and several hundred of their enslaved workers would, or would not, share governance with the slaves descendants.

The foundation board promised equal power-sharing with the MDCa first for any presidential siteon June 16, 2021, withdrew the commitment on March 27 of this year, and finally kept its pledge on May 16.

Im so appreciative that after all that has happened, Chris, Christy, Mary, and Matt were willing to come back right away to continue the important work they have been doing, Chew wrote. The entire staff has been through so much these past few months, and their return has done much to boost morale and generate hope that as an organization, Montpelier will continue in the right direction.

James French, the foundations newly elected board chair, expressed similar thoughts.

The board has the utmost respect for, and confidence in, these dedicated staff members who have worked for so many years to ensure that at Montpelier, we are telling whole-truth history, French said. We are grateful for their devotion to this mission and, more recently, for their support of the foundations commitment to achieving structural parity between the foundation board and the MDC.
A Petersburg man was sentenced Thursday to serve two years in prison for breaking into an Ettrick business in the first conviction of its kind in Virginia based in part on the use of a liquid nanotechnology known as SmartWater CSI.

The odorless and invisible substance can be used by residents and merchants to mark property that could be stolen.

After a hearing in Chesterfield County Circuit Court, Judge Jayne Pemberton sentenced Christopher S. Gaines, 53, to 10 years in prison with eight years suspended for his earlier guilty plea to burglary in the April 11, 2021, break-in at the Ettrick Deli at 3608 E. River Road.

The punishment was in the mid-range of discretionary state sentencing guidelines, which called for an active term of incarceration of between one year and nine months and four years and four months.

Gaines, who has an extensive record of theft, burglary, forgery and other property-related crimes, became a suspect in the Ettrick burglary after police, using a special ultraviolet light, observed that his clothing was covered with yellowish-green smears of SmartWater  a special traceable liquid coded with a unique signature for each user.

Gaines was sprayed with the fluid when he entered the business. A spraying device had been installed weeks earlier after two previous break-ins at the deli.

The Chesterfield Police Department is so far the only law enforcement agency in Virginia to use the technology, but SmartWater is widely used in dozens of localities in the Miami-Dade County, Broward County and Palm Beach areas in Florida, where it was first introduced into the U.S. in 2013 from England.

Chesterfield Police Chief Jeffrey Katz essentially imported the idea from Boynton Beach, Fla., where he served as police chief before being hired by Chesterfield in January 2018. SmartWater is used in more than 70 localities in Boynton Beach, a company official said.

In a pilot program, Chesterfield police selected three neighborhoods that crime data indicated could benefit from the SmartWater program based on problems with break-ins and thefts.

Police met with residents to introduce the program and provided free SmartWater kits to those interested that allowed them to mark some of their property. Signs were posted that the technology was being used.

Residential burglaries went from 39 break-ins to 16 in the Broyhill Pointe subdivision during a time frame that compared a 37-month period before SmartWater was introduced with a 37-month period after it was implemented. Break-ins dropped 69%, from 49 to 15, in Mason Woods subdivision during a similar time frame, county police said.

Burglaries dropped 9% in the Bensley community, from 22 to 20, during a time frame that compared a 24-month period before SmartWater was introduced with a 24-month period after.

When applied, the liquid provides information to police about an individual items place of origin. Law enforcement can then use this provenance in court when an arrest is made.

Every person arrested in Chesterfield is now scanned for traces of SmartWater on their person, clothing and belongings, as the county  through the police and sheriffs departments  has expanded use of the technology.

The Sheriffs Office, which operates the Chesterfield jail, installed a SmartWater detection camera in a small vestibule where all new prisoners pass through before they are booked on charges.

In the Gaines case, officers responded to the Ettrick Deli at 11 p.m. in response to an alarm triggered at a window in the delis shed. The shed, which is used as the delis office, has a locked door and is completely enclosed by a locked gate and fence, according to prosecutor Jennifer Nesbitts summary of evidence.

Upon arrival, officers observed a person inside the shed and ordered him to come out. The man exited but then climbed onto the roof, ignoring commands to come down. He eventually led officers on a foot pursuit before they apprehended him at gunpoint, Nesbitt said in her summary.

Police recovered $162.67 on the man, along with a flashlight. The man was wearing a mask pulled up over his nose and ears as well as a fishing cap down over his eyes. The man told officers that he was looking for food because he was homeless, but did not explain why he didnt take any food that was inside the shed.

The officers then scanned Gaines with the UV light, and the invisible SmartWater luminesced on his body, clothing, personal items and the money he had stolen, Nesbitt said.

This defendants problem is that he has a very serious addiction, and to date has not taken it seriously  and he acknowledges that addiction, Nesbitt told the court, noting that Gaines extensive criminal record is a reflection of his abuse of cocaine, alcohol and marijuana. He has continued to be his own worst enemy. Hes 53 years old and hes spent over a decade of his life in jail or incarcerated as a result of his behavior.

The judge ordered that Gaines undergo substance abuse counseling while serving his sentence.
First Lutheran Church, 3200 E. Military Ave., Fremont, will host a Red Cross Bloodmobile from 7:30 a.m. to noon Sunday, June 12, in the fellowship hall.

The need for blood is great. An appointment to donate blood may be scheduled at redcrossblood.org and enter the zip code 68025 or enter keyword First Lutheran. An appointment may also be made by calling Lucy at 402-317-9763.

Power red appointments will be available. Power Red donors give a concentrated dose of red blood cells during a single donation, allowing them to maximize their impact.

The Red Cross is having a June promotion. Blood donors will be automatically entered for a chance to win a VIP trip to Memphis and Graceland for two. This trip includes round-trip air fare for two to Memphis, a three-night stay at The Guest House at Graceland and Elvis Entourage VIP tour, courtesy of Graceland, a $500 gift card for expenses and a custom-wrapped Gibson Epiphone guitar. Donors will also receive a $5 e-gift card to a merchant of their choice.

To save time one may complete the pre-donation reading and health history at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or with the Blood Donor App before the appointment. If you have eligibility questions call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org.

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Muscat Municipality has awarded a contract for the design and construction of a dual carriageway which extends from the roundabout of Khoud district 6 to the traffic light intersection located in front of gate No. (2) of the Sultan Qaboos University.

The scope of work includes developing two lanes in each direction, with a total length of 3.5 km, accompanied by side lanes for pedestrians in both directions running 7 km long as well as installation of side barriers and water crossings, reported Times Of Oman.

Also as per the contract, the existing roundabout at the sixth district of Al Khoud will be converted into a four-way intersection with light signals, in addition to the setting up a new intersection with light signals in front of the entrance leading to the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital.
Mark Jensen will have Nebraska Medical Marijuana ballot initiative petitions available to sign at this Thursdays Concert in the Park on June 16.

There will be petitions available for Dodge County residents as well as residents of many surrounding counties. Jensen will be set up by 6 p.m. in John C. Fremont Park at Ninth and Broad streets in Fremont.

The Nebraska Medical Marijuana ballot initiative is entering its final month. All petitions will need to be turned in to the Secretary of State by July 7.

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NEST 529 has launched Future Career Sweepstakes. Nebraska children selected as winners will have the opportunity to be paired up with a professional in their field of interest for an hour-long job shadow opportunity.

Parents and guardians can now enter the sweepstakes at NEST529.com/FutureCareer. Entries will close on June 30, 2022. Winners will be announced in August 2022.

Selected children will be paired up with a professional in their field of interest for an hour-long job shadow opportunity. In addition to the job shadow opportunity, the winners will receive $529 toward a NEST 529 savings account, helping them on the path to their future.

A NEST 529 plan provides potential tax benefits when saving for higher education expenses. NEST 529 College Savings Plans can be used for everything from four-year universities to two-year technical schools. Opening a NEST 529 account doesnt require a minimum deposit to get started, and contributions can be managed online. Visit NEST529.com to read more about the benefits of a NEST 529 College Savings Plan.

The Nebraska State Treasurer serves as the Program Trustee. All investments, including the portfolio structure offered through the NEST 529 program, are vetted and approved by the Nebraska Investment Council.

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The Lincoln Police Department on Tuesday announced that it has arrested an 18-year-old Omaha man in connection to a fatal crash on O Street that killed two women over Memorial Day weekend.

Kyvell Stark turned himself into police Tuesday morning and Police Chief Teresa Ewins said he would be charged with two counts of manslaughter and two counts of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol causing serious bodily injury, all felonies. Stark had not been formally charged in Lancaster County Court as of 10 a.m.

Ewins said the crash investigation revealed Stark was driving a Ford Taurus "close to 90 mph" moments before colliding with a Toyota Corolla at 52nd and O streets at about 10:45 p.m. May 29. Ewins said investigators used "black box" data to determine the Ford's speed. It's unclear what speed Stark was driving at the time of impact, the chief said.

Two Cozad women, Emily Siebenhor, 20, and her passenger, Edith Hermosillo, 22, died in the crash.

"The Lincoln Police Department continues to extend its condolences to the families and friends of the two young lives taken from this community," Ewins said.

Police said in the crash report that results of a breathalyzer test of Stark were negative. Ewins on Tuesday said testing at the scene helped police determine Stark was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash, which she indicated contributed to his reaction time as Siebenhor turned in front of his fast-approaching vehicle.

"I don't know if he was braking at the time," the police chief said. "Again, that's part of the investigation. But no matter what, when you're impaired, your reflexes and taking action to stop is slowed."

It's unclear if Siebenhor was under the influence of drugs or alcohol when she turned in front of Stark's Ford. Ewins said that detail is "part of the investigation" and will be released later.

Twenty others  all there watching the annual unsanctioned cruise night festivities  were injured when both vehicles jumped the curb following the crash. Ewins said two people remained hospitalized as of Tuesday morning. Stark could face additional charges if either patient ultimately dies, Ewins said.

Ewins maintained Tuesday that Stark was not involved in the cruise event taking place over the Memorial Day weekend, but also said investigators aren't yet sure what Stark had been doing before barreling down O Street on that Sunday night.

According to the crash report, Stark was headed west as Siebenhor attempted to turn from eastbound O Street onto northbound 52nd Street as the light for O Street traffic turned yellow.

The department is still seeking additional video or witnesses of the crash, Ewins said.

"There were a lot of people that were out that day," she said. "And we really wanna make sure that people come forward and tell us what they saw. It's all part of this. It is a long investigation."

Siebenhor's and Hermosillo's families were notified of Stark's arrest before Tuesday morning's news conference, Ewins said, adding that the crash was a tragic loss of life.

The incident was also difficult for first responders and witnesses, Ewins added, noting chronic staffing shortages at the police department have added to the burden on officers who responded to the chaotic crash scene.

"There's a lot of people that saw things that night that they'll never un-see," Ewins said, urging anyone who was there to seek mental health care, which the department is providing to responders.

"When incidents like this happen, there's a cost to them," she said. "And this is part of it."

This is a developing story. Stay with JournalStar.com for updates.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley

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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says the international community must make the Taliban government in Afghanistan aware that it is going in the wrong direction.

"Our influence on what happens inside Afghanistan is very limited. It depends on the Taliban making rational choices in their own economic interest, and that is not what they are doing right now," Baerbock said on June 7 during a visit to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.



"It is not the Afghan people's fault that their government was overthrown by the Taliban," she added, while warning of a possible humanitarian disaster in the war-torn country.



The Taliban took control of the country in August 2021 as international forces withdrew from Afghanistan following two decades of fighting.



Most of the world's countries do not recognize the Taliban-led government amid concerns that the militants are not living up to their promises of respecting human rights.

However, on March 17, the United Nations Security Council voted to establish official ties with Afghanistan.

Hours after the statement, Baerbock was forced to cancel the rest of her meetings in Pakistan and cut her trip short after testing positive for the coronavirus.



"Baerbock had a positive screening test after lunch today after noticing a loss of taste," the German Foreign Ministry said on Twitter, adding she had tested negative as recently as earlier in the morning on June 7.



Pakistan was the first stop on Baerbock's tour, which was also scheduled to stop in Greece and Turkey.
PARWAN, Afghanistan -- Armed Taliban fighters stopped at Ahmads home last week, ordering his family of six to immediately leave their village in Afghanistans northern province of Baghlan.

They didnt even allow us to take any of our belongings, Ahmad, who did not reveal his real name for fear of retribution, told RFE/RLs Radio Azadi. He said the Taliban fighters forced his family into a military vehicle in the Pol-e Hesar district and dropped them off in another area of the province.

Ahmad and his family are among the hundreds of civilians that have been forcibly evicted from their homes in recent weeks in Baghlan, the scene of intensifying clashes between the Taliban and resistance forces, residents and activists say.

The recent surge in fighting in Baghlan and the neighboring province of Panjshir has prompted allegations of widespread Taliban abuses, including extrajudicial killings of civilians, torture, and forced displacement.

"The Taliban are forcing families to flee without even asking what they did wrong, said Ahmad, who did not reveal his current whereabouts. The telecommunications networks are limited here so people cant get their voices heard. The Taliban can do whatever they want."

Ahmad said the Taliban has turned many of the homes it has seized into military posts and barracks.

Zabihullah Farahmand, an activist in Baghlan, said the Taliban has forcibly evicted at least 50 families from their homes in the districts of Pol-e Hesar, Deh Salah, and Andarab in recent weeks. The districts comprise the long, narrow Andarab Valley.

"They have been forcibly relocated by the Taliban and no assistance has been provided to these refugees, says Farahmand. These families find refuge in other northern provinces with a lot of hardship. They need help and care."

The National Resistance Front (NRF), an anti-Taliban militia, claimed that at least 70 families have been evicted from their homes in the Andarab Valley in recent weeks.

Mawlawi Hezbullah, the Talibans governor of Baghlan, suggested that the militant group had forcibly evicted civilians from their homes in some mountainous areas of the Andarab Valley but rejected claims that the problem was widespread.

The Taliban captured Baghlan and Panjshir in early September, weeks after toppling the Western-backed Afghan government and seizing power in Kabul. Since April, deadly clashes have erupted between resistance forces and the Taliban in both provinces.

Last month, heavy clashes broke out in parts of Panjshir, a traditional hotbed of ethnic Tajik resistance to the Pashtun-dominated Taliban. Residents alleged that some civilians accused of having links with the NRF were executed. Others were beaten and tortured in Taliban custody, they said.

People Are Fleeing

Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, in a May 26 statement expressed concern about allegations, which require verification, that civilians have been exposed to violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

He said that included arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, torture, and forced displacement in Panjshir and other northern provinces.

In the latest incident, the family of a 40-year-old farmer in Panjshirs Bazarak district said he was arrested and tortured to death by the Taliban. The militant group admitted that Munir Ahmad had died in its custody on June 2. l

"This is not the first time that local people have been arrested, tortured, imprisoned, and even killed, a relative who did not want to be named told Radio Azadi.

Meanwhile, locals told Radio Azadi that the Taliban detained more than 100 civilians in the Paryan district of Panjshir in the past week. Their whereabouts are unknown. Earlier, the Taliban said it had detained an unspecified number of people accused of having links with the NRF.

Locals have also alleged that Taliban fighters have recently beheaded several NRF fighters who were captured, a claim the Taliban has rejected.

The ongoing fighting has forced thousands of people to flee their homes in Panjshir.

"It is a battlefield and war is raging, said a resident of Panjshirs Dara district who did not want to be named for safety reasons, adding that many residents were on the run.

Some people were beaten and killed by the Taliban, he added. People are fleeing with their families out of fear."

Among those who have managed to escape Panjshir is Anisa, a resident of the Shutul district. Two weeks ago, clashes forced her family of six to flee their home.

She said that her family trudged for day through the mountains by foot. Once they reached the main road to Kabul, they were able to catch a ride to the capital.

"We left our homes because of the fighting, said the 35-year-old. We came to Kabul from the mountains with just the clothes on our backs. We left all our belongings behind.

Based on reporting in Afghanistan by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. The correspondent's identity has been withheld for security reasons.
Colorado Republican candidates for Governor: Heidi Ganahl and Greg Lopez. Republican Primary debates at Grizzly Rose in Denver, Colorado, on Saturday, May 21, 2022. Photo StevePeterson.photo
The Associated Press file A motorist heads toward a ballot drop-off site outside the election commission headquarters in Denver in 2017.
WSP Middle East, a leading professional services consultancy, has announced the next phase of The Red Sea Projects Multimodal Operational Readiness Plan as momentum shifts gear towards embedding new mobility solutions within the regenerative tourism destination.

With a view to inspiring uptake from the worlds and the regions top mobility operators, this phase involves expressions of interest from operators to ultimately supply and operate transportation modes across three modal packages throughout the project  in addition to one package for a Mobility Operations Manager  as it prepares to open to guests in early 2023, said a statement from WSP.

The latest step of The Red Sea Projects sustainable mobility journey follows the creation of a blueprint for decarbonized future mobility to help enable sustainable, seamless journeys for guests, employees and logistics to the flagship tourism destination, it stated.

As a global leader in mobility, sustainability, digital-integration, and commercial advisory, WSP Middle East pointed out that its industry-leading advisory and mobility experts were engaged in helping The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) identify land, sea and air transport requirements for the development and its operations, underpinned by the latest advances in green mobility.

Andreas Flourou, Executive Director, Operations (Mobility) at TRSDC, said: "The Red Sea is the worlds most ambitious regenerative tourism project. The destination is on track to be powered solely by 100% renewable solar energy, saving upwards of 500,000 tonnes of CO2 entering the atmosphere every year."

"As such, weve set out to be equally ambitious in our mobility operations and are seeking the very best industry partners to help us in realising this vision. Our portfolio of projects on the Red Sea coast is expanding, least of all with the equally ground-breaking Amaala, and as such, the partnership opportunity could be extensive for first movers," noted Flourou.

WSP Middle East Managing Director (Advisory Services) Kathleen McGrail said: "As a regionally-renowned trusted advisor with global scale, WSP Middle East is proud to be playing a pivotal role in empowering The Red Sea Projects vision for smart and sustainable transportation."

"By successfully binding the worlds of technical and advisory together, our distinctive capabilities in the mobility arena are enabling us to assist TRSDC with the operationalization of its mobility strategy as well as help champion the step change required to bring world-class, future ready solutions to the fore in the kingdom," explained McGrail.

"In line with TRSDCs aspirations to be net-zero, our goal is to set the benchmark for safe, smart, sustainable journeys which elevate The Red Sea Project as the worlds foremost regenerative tourism destination," she added.

Noor Hajir, Head of Transport Planning & Mobility at WSP Middle East, said: "WSP is proud to be a trusted advisor assisting TRSDC to develop a resilient mobility implementation model that can be scaled to accommodate the phased approach of The Red Sea Project and used as a benchmark for future projects across the kingdom."

"As the first Private Investment Fund project expected to open its doors to tourists, a project of this calibre requires regional and international mobility operators to come onboard and showcase their niche, innovative approaches towards facilitating clean mobility solutions and high calibre service that elevates the guest experience," stated Hajir.

According to TRSDC, the creation of a bespoke, first-of-a-kind mobility operating model for The Red Sea Project  which considers unique development and operational strategies for megaprojects in Saudi Arabia  will balance efficiency of operations and commercial viability whilst attracting globally-renowned operators to ultimately provide a world-class service throughout the tourism development.

Since The Red Sea and Amaala are sustainable tourism projects, there is a high demand for electric vehicles at both destinations.

At full build, their fleets will boast approximately 800 electric vehicles for guest transportation, a further 450 electric buses for staff, and more than 300 electric vehicles for logistics.

Going green in mobility will not only support The Red Sea and Amaala with their carbon neutrality goals but will further support Saudi Arabias ambition to reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, stated Flourou.

"With TRSDC rapidly expanding its portfolio of projects along the Red Sea coast, coupled with the delivery of several other giga-projects in the Kingdom, there is a real first mover advantage for those willing to navigate the complexities of entering a new market and the associated challenges," added Flourou.-TradeArabia News Service
Jurors determining the fate of Jean-Joseph Danger Le Chiffre delivered guilty verdicts after nearly two weeks of his murder trial.

Le Chiffre  who changed his name from Patrick Joseph Sandoval partially as an ode to the James Bond villain from Casino Royale  was found guilty Friday on all charges, including first-degree murder, in the 2020 killing of his father, Gilbert Sandoval, according to court records.

Le Chiffre was accused of having conspired with his mother, Marcella Sandoval, to kill her husband in a plot to collect money from Gilbert Sandoval upon his death. Along with first-degree murder, he faced charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and second-degree assault.

After the pair went through with the plan to kill Gilbert Sandoval in July of 2020, Marcella Sandoval had a change of heart and confessed to police that her son, Le Chiffre, had killed Gilbert Sandoval, and she helped.

Court records show that Marcella Sandoval pleaded guilty to accessory to murder and was given two years probation.

The defense during the trial attempted to cast doubt over the credibility of Marcella Sandoval's testimony. The defense and Le Chiffre even brought up the possibility that others could have committed the crime, including his brother Mark Sandoval.

I think Mark (Sandoval) killed my dad, Le Chiffre said in his testimony Friday.

This was not enough to convince the jury though, as he was found guilty on all charges just a few hours after closing arguments.

Le Chiffre will have a sentencing hearing at 9 a.m. June 14. A conviction on first-degree murder in Colorado carries a mandatory life sentence in prison.
The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday concluded its censure of a former judge for racial bias and professional misconduct does not mean she actually was biased in a child welfare proceeding.

In April 2021, the Supreme Court censured and accepted the resignation of then-Arapahoe County District Court Judge Natalie T. Chase, who admitted to saying the N-word in front of court personnel and to disparaging one of her colleagues. The court's order came as two parents were appealing Chase's decision to terminate their rights, and they soon asked for a review of Chase's potential bias in their case.

After a different trial judge overturned Chase's termination decision based in part on the censure, the Arapahoe County Department of Human Services asked the state Supreme Court to intervene. The justices agreed with the county that Chase's admission of bias could not serve as grounds to vacate her decision without something more.

"We disagree with the district courts broad observation that 'any bias or prejudice to one person is bias and prejudice to all,'" wrote Justice William W. Hood III in the June 6 opinion. "To be sure, bias inflicted on one person can pollute space shared by others. But thats not the issue here."

The parents, identified by the initials S.S. and D.P., had their case begin in November 2019 when Arapahoe County claimed they were using and selling heroin in their home, where they had a three-year-old daughter. Chase presided over the case and quickly placed the girl with her grandparents, where she still resides.

Despite multiple failures of the parents to appear, Chase made supportive or encouraging comments to them throughout the case. Finally, in September 2020, the human services department moved to end S.S. and D.P.'s parental rights. Chase allowed S.S. to have a new lawyer, despite her concerns the request was a delay tactic. The judge granted a four-month postponement, then terminated the parental rights at a hearing in January 2021.

Three months later, the Supreme Court censured Chase.

"You acknowledge that your use of the N-word does not promote public confidence in the judiciary and creates the appearance of impropriety. Although not directed at any person, saying the N-word has a significant negative effect on the publics confidence in integrity of and respect for the judiciary," the court summarized at the time. Colorado Politics' review of the entire allegations showed Chase reportedly used the N-word both on and off the bench when asking why Black people could use the word but white people could not.

In a review of Chase's termination order after the censure, Kenneth M. Plotz, a retired chief judge from another judicial district, determined Chase's admitted behavior as a judge plus some of her specific actions in S.S. and D.P.'s case were grounds to overturn her decision.

Bypassing the state's Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court chose to hear the appeal of Plotz's findings directly. Hood explained in the court's opinion that while judges should recuse themselves if they appear to be or are actually biased, only actual bias will cause the justices to question an outcome.

"The party asserting that a trial judge was biased 'must establish that the judge had a substantial bent of mind against him or her'," wrote Hood, quoting from a prior case on the subject. The justices determined that S.S. and D.P., who are white, had not shown Chase was biased against them.

"And without a showing of actual bias, the trial court lacked any legal basis for questioning the proceedings result," Hood concluded.
The city of Colorado Springs is exploring new regulations that could hold trash collection companies accountable for failing to communicate with customers.

Colorado Springs City Councilman Randy Helms said he is interested in helping residents who can't reach companies that fail to pick up trash after seeing numerous complaints about the problem on social media.

"Nobody answers, nobody calls back, nobody emails," he said of unresponsive trash companies.

Right now, the city doesn't license trash companies and can offer no accountability or assistance to residents who are paying businesses, but are not receiving services. Residents can switch companies if they are dissatisfied.

Poor trash service was particularly problematic last year, when many residents took to social media to voice their frustration, as The Gazette previously reported.

Some residents wrote:

"Now its been two WEEKS since theyve shown up. We have made calls and left messages and have not heard back."

"Rats and raccoons are getting into my bins and I dont have anywhere else to put it."

A licensing program for trash haulers could ensure that if companies fail to respond to customers they could face fines, Helms said.

Councilwomen Nancy Henjum and Yolanda Avila joined Helms at a planning meeting Monday morning to discuss the need for an ordinance that would regulate trash companies and they asked the staff to research the best approach.

Avila has been in favor of greater regulation on trash haulers for years, in part, because in some parts of the city, trash trucks from different companies roll through every day.

"One of the issues I have is the wear and tear on our roads," she said.

Homeowners associations can contract with a single trash company to limit the number of times trucks roll through, Helms said. But he is unsure how the city would regulate trash truck trips in older parts of town. He is not interested in limiting the number of companies that can operate locally. About six residential trash haulers operate in Colorado Springs.

The city also needs to determine the cost of a licensing program and whether it could pay for itself through fees.

The City Council would have to vote on the creation of a new licensing program for trash haulers and that has not been scheduled.
A Fountain man suffering from dementia who was reported missing early Monday has been found safe, according to a police department spokesman.

Fountain police made a public plea for assistance in finding Dennis Allen Johnson, 75, who had gone missing at about 7 a.m. Monday and was presumed to be driving a dark blue 2014 Jeep Patriot. Because of his condition, Johnson is not supposed to drive.

Colorado Springs police found him at a King Soopers supermarket on Marksheffel Road and Constitution Avenue, according to police spokesman Mark Cristiani.

"He actually called 911 himself when he realized he was lost," Cristiani said. "Colorado Springs police took care of him, and he's safe now."
President Joe Biden has nominated Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk Taylor as U.S. Marshal for Colorado, the White House announced in a news release on Monday.

The U.S. Marshals Service serves as the enforcement arm of the federal courts.

Taylor has been serving as sheriff of Pueblo County since 2007. He previously served as an investigator for the 10th Judicial District Attorneys Office in Pueblo. A veteran of the United States Navy, Kirk was a patrolman for the Alamosa Police Department from 1987 to 1992.

In a joint statement, U.S. Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet welcomed the nomination, noting they recommended Taylor for the post, which will require the U.S. Senate's confirmation.

Sheriff Taylor has served Pueblo County with integrity and a commitment to justice, Hickenlooper said. Were glad President Biden has selected him to be the U.S. Marshal for Colorado.

Bennet echoed the sentiment: Sheriff Kirk Taylor has diligently served Colorado for over 35 years to help keep our communities safe. Im confident that he will continue to pursue justice as a U.S. Marshal for the District of Colorado. I look forward to supporting his nomination throughout the confirmation process.

Taylor has a law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law.
South Korean utility giant Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) has partnered with its plant subsidiary Korea Western Power and construction major Samsung C&T Corporation - to build a green hydrogen and ammonia production plant at an investment of $1 billion in Abu Dhabi.

The plant is being set up in co-ordination with Petrolyn Chemie, a joint venture between the UAE energy companies Petrolyn and Chemie-Tech, within Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad).
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Emirates Steel Arkan Group, the UAEs largest listed steel and building materials company, has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi University (ADU) to establish the UAEs first metallurgical laboratory specialised in steelmaking.

The laboratory will contribute to enriching the educational experience in this discipline and conducting advanced studies and research in metallurgy and the science of iron and steel.

Emirates Steel Arkan Group had signed an MoU last year with Khalifa University to implement collaborative research projects, provide scientific and professional training and development programmes, and offer technical consultations and student internships at Emirates Steel Arkan premises.

The group said it will offer comprehensive scholarships to 20 undergraduate Emirati students covering the four-year study, in addition to providing ADUs College of Engineering faculty, staff and students with access to the companys machinery for advanced research and getting acquainted with the equipment and tools used during steel manufacturing operations.

"The agreement with ADU is a continuation of our fruitful partnership following the success we have achieved together through the development of a Metallurgy concentration as part of the degree in Mechanical Engineering at ADU in 2020," remarked Group CEO Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi after signing the deal with Professor Thomas J. Hochstettler, Provost of ADU, in the presence of top officials from both parties.

"Our collaboration plays a fundamental role in fostering scientific research and providing hands-on training programmes for ADU students at our premises in Abu Dhabi," Al Remeithi said, adding that partnership boosts the industrial sector and prepares qualified cadres to lead the sector in the future in line with the UAEs economic diversification plans," he added.

ADU Chancellor Prof Waqar Ahmad said: "The lab will support our ABET-accredited programme Mechanical Engineering concentration in Metallurgy, developed in collaboration with the Group and will be a great addition to our existing state-of-the-art facilities."

"It will further support ADU's research and innovation and provide our students with the research tools and hands-on experience they need to excel and develop their skills in metallurgy, giving them a competitive edge in the job market," noted Ahmad.

"This partnership comes as part of our strategy to work closely with industry to provide industry-relevant experience to our students and continually develop and update our programmes to ensure our education is relevant to the job market and respected by employers," he added.
FILE PHOTO: A Palestinian flag flies as the ruins of houses, which were destroyed by Israeli air strikes during the Israeli-Palestinian fighting, are seen, in Gaza Strip, May 25, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
An initial review by the Secretary of State's elections division determined that a campaign contribution from lobbyist Michael Fields to attorney general Republican candidate John Kellner may have violated state campaign finance laws.

However, the initial review also gave Kellner an opportunity to "cure," or fix the violation, which Kellner has already done by returning the $500 contribution.

Fields, a registered lobbyist for Advance Colorado Action, gave three contributions during the legislative session to three Republican statewide candidates. Two of those contributions may have violated campaign finance laws.

State law bars professional or volunteer lobbyists from giving contributions to statewide candidates during the legislative session. That prohibition applies to candidates or incumbents for governor, secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general, as well as to state House or Senate candidates.

Emily Curosh of the elections division wrote that the division made an initial determination that the complainant, the Democratic-leaning advocacy group, ProgressNow Colorado, had identified one or more potential violations of Colorado campaign finance law. Under Colorado law, professional lobbyists are prohibited from making contributions to a candidate for attorney general when the General Assembly is in regular session, Curosh wrote.

But under state law that was changed several years ago, candidates have the opportunity to fix the violation before a penalty is assessed. Kellner has 10 days to respond. As noted earlier, he he has already returned the contribution.

"If I was aware of it, I obviously wouldnt have done it," Fields, who has been a lobbyist for various Republican-affiliated groups since at least 2019, earlier told Colorado Politics.

The $500 contribution to Kellner occurred on Jan. 27. Kellner, who is currently the district attorney for the 18th Judicial District, is poised to become the Republican party's nominee for attorney general in the fall general election.

Fields also contributed $200 on April 9 to Logan County Commissioner Byron Pelton, the Republican nominee for Senate District 1. Pelton, when notified of the contribution by Colorado Politics, said he would return it immediately.

Kellner was not immediately available for comment.

Editor's note: This story will be updated.
Capt. Saif Al Mheiri, MD of Abu Dhabi Maritime, and the head of AD Ports Groups delegation at IAPH2022 in Vancouver, (right), receiving a gift from t

AD Ports Group, the leading facilitator of global trade, logistics, and industry in Abu Dhabi, today (June 6) announced that Abu Dhabi will serve as the host city for the 2023 edition of the IAPH World Ports Conference.

Marking the first time that the UAE has hosted such a prestigious maritime event, IAPH World Ports Conference 2023 is expected to draw a host of the worlds leading port operators and will feature a speaker line-up comprising the industrys most influential personalities, AD Ports group said in a statement.

The event will also include a variety of focus sessions, workshops, and discussion panels covering several topics including leading trends and challenges impacting the industry today and shaping its future in the years to come, it added.

Capt Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO, AD Ports Group, said: It is our great pleasure and privilege to announce that for the first time, Abu Dhabi has been selected to serve as the host city for the 2023 edition of one of the worlds most prestigious maritime events, the IAPH World Ports Conference.

AD Ports Group are proud to welcome leading port operators from across the globe and to provide them with a unique platform that will see the exchange of ideas and the forging of novel partnerships aimed at tackling the industrys pressing challenges and future opportunities.

Thanks to the vision of the UAEs wise leadership and their continued support over the years, AD Ports Group has helped secure Abu Dhabis position as one of the leading hubs for global trade and a gateway to emerging markets in Asia and Africa, while also serving as an excellent choice for the next edition of this prestigious event for our industry.

Dr Patrick Verhoeven, Managing Director - International Association of Ports and Harbors, said: We are delighted to hold next years World Ports Conference in Abu Dhabi. Together with AD Ports Group and our conference partner S&P Global, we are preparing an exciting programme covering the generational challenges that ports are facing, including resilience, digital transformation and energy transition.

In doing so, we build on the agenda that was set at this years conference in Vancouver. I am most grateful to Capt. Al Shamisi for being our host sponsor next year and I look forward to working with him and his team at AD Ports Group in creating a successful event.

The announcement of next years conference follows IAPH World Ports Conference 2022, which was held as a live-in-person event from 16-18 May in Vancouver, Canada.

This years iteration of the reputed industry event touched upon the key dynamics currently impacting the worlds ports and maritime supply chains, including, supply chain resilience, port innovation, energy transition and port leadership through diversity, and highlighted solutions aimed at elevating global seaport competitiveness and accelerating the movement of international cargo.

IAPH organises the World Ports Conference in partnership with S&P Global, market leader in delivering data, technology and expertise that accelerates progress.TradeArabia News Service
Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, social entrepreneur and prominent activist in the sustainability, gender equality, and international development sectors, has received the 2021 Windtower Award.

The award was presented by the Executive Committee and Advisory Board at the Academy of International Business in the Middle East and North Africa (AIBMENA) hosted by the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG).

Windtowers are a quintessential staple of the regions traditional architecture. It represents resilience as it stands in a place and faces whatever the elements can throw at it, said Dr Immanuel Azaad Moonesar, President of AIBMENA.

Inspirational leaders

This is what AIBMENA looks for in an inspirational leader, especially during times of uncertainty. Leaders must inspire strength, resilience, and stability; they give guidance, motivate others to learn from the past, and remain calm in times of trouble. The Windtower Award aims to recognise and celebrate these inspirational leaders from around the region.

Sheikha Shamma commented: "This award is particularly special as it symbolises the beautiful architecture of our forefathers and foremothers, who paved the way by incorporating sustainable practices into their everyday lives. I would like to thank AIBMENA for this recognition, as well as all those who have shared and supported my mission to preserve, restore and regenerate the planet for generations to come. The impact of our actions is determined by the extent of our collective efforts, and I am grateful to have forged partnerships with organisations and individuals here in the UAE, and globally, that facilitate real change where it is needed the most."

High-impact social enterprises

Melodena Stephens, Founder and Former President of AIBMENA, noted: Sheikha Shamma is a remarkable leader who has founded numerous high-impact social enterprises, such as Wanna Read or Beacon of Hope, further she demonstrates an unwavering commitment to gender equality through Aurora50, as well as a passion for sustainability through her involvement with Alliances for Global Sustainability. Sheikha Shamma is undoubtedly a role model for the young leaders in the UAE, Mena, and the world, and truly embodies what the Windtower Award was designed to represent.

AIBMENA is hosted and championed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) since 2017. The focus of this partnership has been on international business policy. MBRSG is the leading public policy and governance think tank in the region, offering four master level programs in this area: Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Policy, Master of Innovation Management and Executive Master of Public Administration.

The Academy of International Business was founded in 1959, is a non-profit based in the US and a leading association of international business scholars and specialists. The mission of the academy is to create, nurture, and empower a global community of scholars focused on creating, advancing, and disseminating knowledge in international business research, education, policy and practice.-- TradeArabia News Service
Hancock County supervisors pressed a number of concerns about the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline during a project update from Derek Montgomery on June 6.

Montgomery noted partnering with 32 Iowa ethanol plants and communicating with several others about joining the project. He said one goal is to keep ethanol plants open and keep (corn) prices high. He noted ethanol plants are required to reduce carbon scores, which is vital to them remaining open.

Supervisor Sis Greiman argued that Hancock County, with its rural agricultural emphasis and abundance of crops, is not contributing to carbon concerns.

New York maybe does have a carbon footprint, but we dont with our plants, Greiman said. So, dont tell us we have a carbon problem.

Greiman noted Hancock County has more drainage districts than most Iowa counties and thus could be more adversely impacted by a pipeline.

I would say were one of the counties with the most drainage districts, said Greiman, saying probably only much-larger Kossuth County has more. When you get to the lower counties, they dont have hardly any. Other than Kossuth, we probably have some of the most ditches in northern Iowa.

Greiman also voiced concerns about how payments for crop damages would be reduced each year for a period of about three years. She continued by saying this is a unique county with a high number of drainage districts. Were also farmers. We all farm. We know you have compaction issues.

Summit is willing to negotiate, said Montgomery. Thats what theyve been doing. Theyre an agriculture company and supportive of farming.

Supervisor Gary Rayhons noted it is an issue of concern if farmers have to work around pipe in the ground.

We have a lot of peat ground, said Rayhons, noting he had talked to local farmers with concerns about the depth of cover over the pipe. You can go deeper (than required), but in 20 years, its not going to be there. Thats the thing.

Greiman asked what will happen when tile hundreds of yards away from the construction site blows up, potentially much later or on a lateral of a drainage district.

Any damage caused by the project, Summit Carbon Solutions will be on the hook for it, Montgomery said. We will take responsibility for any damage we cause.

Montgomery noted that the project is estimated to generate $1.2 million in additional property taxes, which would be paid to the county by Summit. When questioned, he said there could be some depreciation of the figure in future years.

Montgomery also cited the jobs and economic stimulus pipeline construction will bring to the area. He said workers would stay in local motels and utilize local services.

These are good-paying jobs that will be coming into the community, said Montgomery, but supervisors expressed concerns they wont come to Hancock County.

We hire locally, Montgomery said. They will also bring people from out of state. The more they can hire locally, the better. Its lower cost for them.

Montgomery said pipeline construction could begin by August 2023. He said that an Iowa Utilities Board decision on the permit application is anticipated by June 2023.

Were allowing any landowners to have their own tile contractor and then Summit will pay for that, said Montgomery, noting the companys right to determine they are well qualified.

Montgomery said the company will continue to negotiate with landowners up until the time of construction. He noted land acquisition across the proposed route in Hancock County and other parts of Iowa has increased in recent months.

Meeting attendee Bob Kern said what the company isnt saying is that landowners have to apply in advance for approval if they want to use a private contractor.

Montgomery said the company would have to get back to supervisors about whether permits would allow carbon dioxide to be taken back out of storage for various uses. He said the same about Rayhons request to see the number of dollars spent on easements in the county.

Montgomery said the pipeline company plans to provide quarterly updates on the project to county officials going forward.

Rob Hillesland is community editor for the Summit-Tribune. He can be reached at 641-421-0534, or by email at rob.hillesland@globegazette.com.

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Court records allege Matlock was involved in a verbal argument with a woman who is seven months pregnant at a Russell Road home Monday morning. He then kicked her in the stomach and put his hands around her neck, records state. Before he left, he pulled out a pistol, pointed it at her and told her to get out of the way or she would be dead, records state.
The Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce has awarded four existing businesses with a total of $50,000 to assist in the expansion of their services.

The Rev Up Danville Pittsylvania program encourages and supports entrepreneurship in Danville and Pittsylvania County. This program partners with the River District Associations Dream Launch initiative which has been impactful at expanding entrepreneurship in the region. The partnership allows the chamber and the RDA to capitalize on shared resources to provide capacity-building opportunities for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Rev Up participants must complete a six-week Dream Launch Boot Camp to qualify for the pitch competition. Each participant is assigned a mentor to assist with business plans and pitch pep.

These businesses are in the city of Danville (outside of the River District) and Pittsylvania County.

The 2022 mentors are: Varun Sadana, The Launch Place; Kelvin Perry, Danville Office of Economic Development; Lin Hite, Small Business Development Center; Michael Duncan, Small Business Development Center; Vince Decker, Averett University; and Jess Edwards, Dan River Region Entrepreneur Ecosystem.

Of the nine businesses that pitched, four were awarded 2022 Rev Up funding at the awards event sponsored by The Launch Place and Hunt & Co. Restaurant & Catering, located in Chatham.

The four businesses that received funding are:

Crown to Soul, owner Brittany Slade, $20,000;

Dads Garage, owner Debra Burd, $12,000;

Bodied by K, Owner Kenya Elliott, $10,000; and

The Historic North Theatre, owner Wayne Allen, $8,000.

The Chamber is thrilled to be a catalyst for growth and a voice for entrepreneurs and small businesses in our region, said Anne Moore-Sparks, president and CEO of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce. Removing barriers to entry by providing gap funding for businesses is critical to the economic vitality of our region. Through collaboration and partnerships our region will continue to grow and prosper.

Funding for the 2022 Rev Up Program was made possible by the city of Danville and the Dan River Region Entrepreneur Ecosystem, funded by the Danville Regional Foundation. The Launch Place has been a staunch supporter since the inception of the program.

Rev Up, now finishing the second year of the program, has seen 19 business plans pitched to judges of the Rev Up Pitch Competition for a total of $100,000 in funding to businesses located in Danville and Pittsylvania County.

The third year of the program, the 2023 Rev Up Danville Pittsylvania, will open for registration in the fall with classes beginning in January.
The public health emergency that has expanded eligibility for Medicaid for more than two years will be extended past the middle of July and likely into October.

It has also allowed increased benefits for recipients under SNAP, or the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provides food assistance for poor families who qualify.

About 6,800 people in Danville receive SNAP benefits, and 13,395 residents benefit from Medicaid, said Tess Moss, benefits manager with the Danville Division of Social Services.

But Danville Social Services could not provide numbers for how many current Medicaid recipients are only eligible due to the public health emergency. They will not know until Medicaid eligibility reviews are done after the public health emergency ends, Moss said Monday.

Expanded Medicaid and enhanced SNAP benefits have helped out those affected by the COVID pandemic, Moss said.

Its been beneficial because of the loss of income and jobs when there were layoffs, Moss said.

Those who got sick from COVID-19 but had Medicaid in place have not had to worry about whether to go to the hospital or their doctor due to the expense, she said.

Workers laid off or whose hours were cut could still feed themselves and their families with increased SNAP benefits, she added.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has renewed the public health emergency several times since first declaring it in January 2020. Under the declaration, the U.S. can give emergency authorization of drugs, vaccines and other countermeasures, and administer them at no out-of-pocket cost.

The department extended the emergency on April 16 for another 90 days, continuing it through mid-July. it will likely be extended again to October, Moss said.

States will receive a 60-day notice in the event of termination of the public health emergency.

As for reviews of Virginia Medicaid beneficiaries eligibility, the federal government in March 2020 offered states extra funding if they halted them. Virginia agreed and received more than $1 billion in additional federal money and added 500,000 people to its Medicaid program, VPM/NPR reported May 18.

There are more than 1 million Medicaid cases to review in the state, Moss said.

Danville residents may apply for benefits by completing an application and leaving it at 510 Patton St., or by mailing it to: Danville Social Services, PO Box 3300, Danville, Virginia 24543.

Applications are available at the Danville Social Services office during regular office hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Applications can also be downloaded from the Virginia Department of Social Services.

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Headlines about interactions between police and people in North Carolina and around the country ending in injuries, lawsuits and even deaths have raised questions about what officers are allowed to do and what rights people have.

Whether youre pulled over, stopped on the street or find police at your door, you do have rights that you can exercise in your interaction. Still, there are things police do have the authority to do.

If you feel that police have overstepped, there are also actions you can take to get accountability.

Heres what to know about your rights when interacting with police in North Carolina:

What are your rights when police come to your home in North Carolina?

If police come to your home, you do not have to let them in unless they have certain kinds of warrants, the ACLU of North Carolina advises.

Ask the officer to slip the warrant under the door or hold it up to the window so you can inspect it, the group recommends.

If police have a search warrant, they can enter the address listed on the warrant, but officers can only search the areas and for the items listed. If they have an arrest warrant, they can enter the home of the person listed on the warrant if they believe the person is inside.

Even if officers have a warrant you have the right to remain silent, the ACLU adds. If you choose to speak to the officers, step outside and close the door.

If arrested, you should ask for a lawyer, the ACLU recommends, and you have the right to a free one if you cant afford one.

If you feel your rights were violated, the ACLU says, you should make note of the details of the incident and report them to the ACLU or file a complaint.

What are your rights when pulled over in North Carolina?

If youre being pulled over, you need to put on your turn signal and pull off to the right as soon as you can safely do so, the North Carolinas drivers license handbook says. If theres not an obvious safe space to immediately stop, you should put on your flashers and slow down to signal that youre aware of the situation and looking for space to pull over.

Once pulled over, the ACLU recommends turning off your car, turning on your cars internal light, opening your window part way and putting your hands on the steering wheel. You should also turn off the radio, the states handbook says.

If youre being pulled over by an unmarked vehicle, the state handbook says, you may call 911 to report your name and location in order to verify that an actual law enforcement officer is conducting the traffic stop.

Police can ask to see your drivers license, vehicle registration and proof of car insurance. Per the state handbook, you should also disclose immediately if you have a weapon in your car.

You can refuse to consent to a search of your car, per the ACLU, but if police believe your car contains evidence of a crime, your car can be searched without your consent. You also still have the right to remain silent during a traffic stop.

Passengers also have the right to remain silent and may ask police for permission to leave, the ACLU adds.

Again, if youre arrested the ACLU recommends getting an attorney immediately and noting the details of any issues that need to be reported to the ACLU or reported in a complaint.

What about if youre stopped on the street?

If youre stopped by police, the North Carolina ACLU recommends that you stay calm and not try to argue, run away or resist, even if you are innocent or police are violating your rights.

You can ask if you can leave and, if told yes, do so calmly, the ACLU says.

You also have the right to remain silent and cannot be punished for refusing to answer questions. If you wish to remain silent, tell the officer out loud, the ACLU adds.

You dont have to consent to searches of yourself or your belongings, but police may pat down your clothing if they suspect a weapon.

You should not physically resist, but you have the right to refuse consent for any further search, the ACLU says. If you do consent, it can affect you later in court.

If you are arrested, you can and should ask for a lawyer, the ACLU recommends.

And if you feel your rights have been violated, you should take notes of the details of the incident and file a written complaint or call your local ACLU.

What about officers in schools?

Students also have rights when approached by school resource or safety officers, the ACLU of North Carolina says.

If stopped or questioned, students can ask if they can leave and, if yes, calmly and silently walk away, the ACLU says.

Students also have the right to remain silent and can also ask to have a lawyer, a parent or another adult present before you are questioned, the ACLU adds.

Searches must be related to the crime that youre suspected of committing, and officers cannot search you based on a feeling, a rumor, the color of your skin, or the clothes youre wearing.

Police and school employees are never allowed to strip search you, the ACLU adds.

Students also have the right, per the ACLU, to take pictures and video of on-duty police in public areas at your school as long as you dont interfere with what theyre doing and phones are allowed in the school.
WILMINGTON  Five years after the states initial investigation of GenX turning up in the Cape Fear River, Gov. Roy Cooper and his environmental chief unveiled a three-pronged strategy Tuesday to address further efforts to reduce and remedy a broad category of forever chemicals in water sources.

Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Elizabeth Biser said there remains more to do to protect human health and the environment from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances  better known as or PFAS.

Weve come a long way in the last few years in identifying these chemicals, stopping the polluters and charting a path forward, Cooper said at a news conference in Wilmington near where the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear rivers merge. The challenge of PFAS is bigger than any one company or any one chemical.

A state investigation that began in June 2017 found that The Chemours Co. of Delaware had discharged a type of PFAS called GenX from its Fayetteville Works plant in Bladen County into the air, water and groundwater for years.

GenX is used in the manufacturing of nonstick coatings and for other purposes.

Chemours said in 2017 that it would stop discharging the chemical into the Cape Fear River  the drinking water source for several hundred thousand people in southeastern North Carolina, including Wilmington. But groundwater seepage means high PFAS levels are still showing up downstream and in private drinking wells. Public utility systems are upgrading their infrastructure to remove those high levels.

Studies have linked PFAS exposure to increased cancer risk, developmental delays in children and damage to organs such as the liver and thyroid, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

We want to ensure that in the future, no community experiences what you have already been through, Biser said. We are all working toward a common goal  protecting North Carolinians and their access to clean drinking water.

The states investigation led to a consent agreement finalized with Chemours in early 2019 that included a $12 million penalty, the sampling and replacement of drinking water supplies for private well users and measures to reduce drastically air emissions and other PFAS pollution from leaving the plant.

The Department of Environmental Qualitys PFAS action plan focuses on identifying people across the state who may face a health risk from PFAS; proposals for setting groundwater, surface water and drinking water standards to avoid unnecessary human exposure; and setting remediation goals for contaminated sites.

Biser said the plan builds on past work and is designed to complement or supplement action that is expected on PFAS from the federal government, particularly thorough the Environmental Protection Agency. Last fall, EPA chief Michael Regan  Bisers immediate predecessor at the Department of Environmental Quality  announced a road map to address PFAS nationwide.

Biser and Cooper also both urged state lawmakers to pass proposed legislation debated last week that in part would require Chemours to pay for public water system improvements designed to remove the chemicals or reduce concentrations, not the ratepayers. Two Wilmington-area utilities have said they are spending roughly $150 million on aggregate improvements to address PFAS pollution.

Chemours said last week that the company has spent or committed to spend $400 million on improvements such as on-site emissions control technology at the plant and remediation.
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The top official in the Montana Office of the State Public Defender will retire at the of the June, as the legal fight over the agency's recent delays in assigning counsel to defendants continues in the state Supreme Court.

Rhonda Lindquist will retire June 30 after four years with the agency, according to press release issued Tuesday. Development and operations bureau chief Brett Schandelson will take the lead as the acting director of OPD during the search for Lindquist's replacement.

Rhonda has dedicated her life to public service, and I appreciate all she has done to modernize OPD, resolve challenges the office has faced, and ensure all Montanans constitutional right to counsel is protected, Department of Administration Director Misty Ann Giles said in the release. As the state recruits and hires a new OPD director, Brett will oversee the offices operations.

The Department of Administration, under which the public defenders office is housed, will hire Lindquist's replacement. Belinda Adams, spokesperson for the department, said in an email Tuesday the transition will not affect the agency's Supreme Court case, and the department will begin recruiting for Lindquist's position within the next week.

OPD represents individuals most in need of help and provides critically needed accountability to the justice system, Lindquist said in the release. "Im humbled to have been a part of this amazing agency, and I will miss it. But after a long career in public service, its time for me to step back, and I know the agency is in great hands moving forward.

Lindquist was named director of the state public defenders office in 2018, a position created in a package of reform bills passed by the state Legislature a year earlier. That legislation replaced a commission atop the agency with a director to oversee the four divisions within OPD.

The shake-up followed the work of a task force in 2015 intended to address existing budgetary and operational problems. Before that 2017 session, the department's chairman and chief administrator had resigned following a financial audit that found the agency was $3.5 million over budget. In recent months, Lindquist helped secure higher pay for public defenders and contract attorneys.

While OPD's turbulence largely continued, the 2021 Legislature was the first time in 15 years the agency came to the session without having to ask for supplemental funding, typically done when an agency overspends its budget set by lawmakers two years earlier. However, by the end of the 2021 session, OPD returned to the legislative budget committee asking for an additional $850,000 to help squash the growing caseload pileup largely bottlenecked by the COVID-19 pandemic's slowdown in the court system. Lawmakers declined the funding request.

While the agency reported being hamstrung with its existing budget, a Yellowstone County District Court judge held the agency and Lindquist in contempt in September after learning more than 650 defendants had not been assigned public defense. The agency paid $15,500 in fines imposed by the court, but later failed to meet Judge Donald Harris' order to assign attorneys to indigent defendants within three days, and in November the judge held Lindquist and the agency in contempt again.

The agency challenged Harris' second contempt order in court, arguing the judge cannot sanction an underfunded agency into compliance. Harris has stood by his order in the case before the Supreme Court, which remains ongoing.

The agency finally moved the needle on its wages for attorneys after a group of contract attorneys announced in April they would no longer take cases on behalf of OPD due to a higher pay rate afforded to contract attorneys in Yellowstone County, where the agency's needs are highest. In late April, OPD announced contract attorneys would receive a statewide bump from $56 per hour to $71 per hour. The next day, OPD and the public defenders' union agreed to an $11,000 pay hike for new employees, perhaps the largest investment in the agency's history.

"Making prudent, responsible investments in public defense is an investment in our justice system and in ensuring our constitutionally guaranteed rights are upheld," Lindquist said at the time.

Prior to her being named director at OPD, Lindquist, a Helena native, was the centralized services administrator for the Governor's Office in the Bullock administration, where she was involved in policy, communications, financial management and strategic planning.

Schandelson, who will begin serving as OPD's acting director on July 1, spent a decade in litigation practice before joining the agency in 2018. He graduated from the University of Montana School of Law in 2008.

OPD is in a great spot, with a solid structure and foundation, said Schandelson. Weve got more work to do, but weve got a plan, a great team, and the most compassionate, hardest-working employees and contractors in the state.

-This article will be updated.

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Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte on Tuesday appointed Judith Basin County Attorney Heather Perry to the district court bench.

The 10th Judicial District over which Perry will preside covers Judith Basin, Petroleum and Fergus counties. She replaces Judge Jon Oldenburg, who is set to retire July 2.

A graduate of Geyser High School and fourth generation rancher, Heather brings a wide breadth of experience and local knowledge to the court, Gianforte said in a press release Tuesday. She respects the role of the court in interpreting laws, not making them from the bench, and I look forward to all she will accomplish for folks in Fergus, Judith Basin, and Petroleum counties.

Perry has been the Judith Basin county attorney since she was first elected in 2014 (elected again in 2018), but only moved into that role in a full-time capacity in 2020, according to her application submitted to the Governor's Office. She has since ended her work in private practice, making criminal and local government 100% of her practice since moving into the full-time position with the county.

Before July 2020, when the county attorney position was not a full-time job, Perry's law practice focused primarily on estate planning and probate administration for rural agricultural clients, according to her application. Clients were almost always owners of small rural businesses, farms or ranches.

The 10th Judicial District is the venue of a case that could have reverberations statewide for wildlife management and elk hunting. In April, the group United Property Owners of Montana filed suit against Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, arguing that the states elk management had caused numbers to surge in areas of limited hunting permits for bull elk. The lawsuit asks the court to mandate state wildlife managers throw out hunting regulations and develop a new plan to drastically reduce elk numbers particularly in central Montana.

The state has filed a response to the lawsuit, denying the allegations. A coalition of hunting and access groups have also filed a motion to intervene in the case.

Perry graduated from the University of Montana School of Law and was admitted to the bar the same year. After graduation she clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Sam Haddon. She was a partner with Hubble Law Firm, which has offices in Stanford and Lewistown, from 2007 to 2019.

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Technip Energies, a leading engineering and technology firm, has been awarded a Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) contract by Viridian Lithium for the construction of the first lithium refining and conversion plant in Europe.

Located in Lauterbourg, France, the plant will produce up to 100,000 tonnes of battery grade lithium chemicals per year  which is the equivalent capacity to power 2 million electric vehicles  to enable a secure and sustainable battery supply chain for the transition to electric mobility.

The contract consists in a Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS), and a preferential right on the construction of the plant and its three foreseen extensions.

Industrial partnership

Laure Mandrou, Senior Vice President Carbon-Free Solutions of Technip Energies, commented: It is the beginning of an industrial partnership that is fully in line with Technip Energies' strategy of engineering a sustainable future. We are committed to support Viridian Lithium in the creation of the first French and European Lithium stream.

Remy Welschinger, Co-Founder & President of Viridian Lithium, said: We are very pleased to partner with Technip Energies to develop a clean and reliable supply chain for batteries to empower the transition to electric mobility.

Purified lithium chemicals are non-substitutable materials for lithium-ion batteries and are strategic materials for the European automotive industry. The project will increase the supply chain autonomy of our electric vehicle industry. Lithium is one of the four key metals of the energy transition.-- TradeArabia News Service
There is growing attention being paid to Scope 3. And no, it is not the third generation of a common mouthwash.

The term Scope 3 began frequently appearing in the business world recently when the Securities and Exchange Commission alerted the publicly traded companies under its purview that it wants investors in those firms to be well aware of the impact those companies have on the climate. While that may seem to be an issue appropriate for annual reports, the SEC used the term Scope 3 to extend upstream and downstream from those corporations.

Farmers are downstream from companies like Archer Daniels Midland Co., Tyson, and 2,400 others that purchase farm commodities, and those corporations would be required to collect climate-impacting information from farmers if that farm wants to continue selling grain or livestock or any other farm commodity to that company.

This requirement would go well beyond just providing a name, address, and tax identification number for an IRS form. It would require details on agronomic practices, fertilizers applied, diesel fuel burned and contents of exhaust vapors from tractors, combines, hog barns, and rainwater runoff from fields.

For farmers to stay compliant with the companies that purchase their products downstream, this could mean producers will need to track and disclose on-farm data regarding individual operations and day-to-day activities. Unlike large corporations currently regulated by the SEC, farmers do not have teams of compliance officers or attorneys dedicated to handling SEC compliance issues.

The American Farm Bureau pushed back on the proposed SEC rule, and requested six months to study the impact on agriculture. The SEC extended the May 20 deadline by only 30 days, and so there may soon be a reckoning on the issue. However, over 100 members of Congress signed a joint letter to the SEC contending how burdensome it would be on farmers. But so far, the SEC has not relented.

While the most widespread Central Illinois impact would generally be on farmers who sell grain to ADM, ADM officials announced a creative answer to mitigate some of the paperwork burden on farmers, and in the process, noting that it was in response to the Scope 3 requirements of the SEC.

ADM will be committing $20 million over the next four years in support of farmers who participate in a Midwest Cover Crop Initiative managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The program will extend across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan and Minnesota, with the goal of establishing a half million acres of cover crops during the life of the program.

Sustainability is a pillar of ADMs growth strategy, and a foundation of our purpose as a company, said Greg Morris, president of ADMs Ag Services and Oilseeds business. Thats why we committed last year to working across the entire food and ag value chain to significantly reduce our Scope 3 emissions, and why were scaling up our work to promote regenerative agricultural practices.

That relieves some of the potential burden on some farmers, if the SEC pursues its plan. But Washington bureaucrats may not be done yet. Keep that Scope mouthwash handy.

Stu Ellis is an observer of the Central Illinois agriculture scene.

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Today's highlight:

On June 7, 1965, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Griswold v. Connecticut, struck down, 7-2, a Connecticut law used to prosecute a Planned Parenthood clinic in New Haven for providing contraceptives to married couples.

On June 7:

In 1712, Pennsylvania's colonial assembly voted to ban the further importation of slaves.

In 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia offered a resolution to the Continental Congress stating "That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States."

In 1848, French painter and sculptor Paul Gauguin was born in Paris.

In 1892, Homer Plessy, a "Creole of color," was arrested for refusing to leave a whites-only car of the East Louisiana Railroad. (Ruling on his case, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld "separate but equal" racial segregation, a concept it renounced in 1954.)

In 1929, the sovereign state of Vatican City came into existence as copies of the Lateran Treaty were exchanged in Rome.

In 1942, the Battle of Midway ended in a decisive victory for American naval forces over Imperial Japan, marking a turning point in the Pacific War.

In 1967, author-critic Dorothy Parker, famed for her caustic wit, died in New York at age 73.

In 1981, Israeli military planes destroyed a nuclear power plant in Iraq, a facility the Israelis charged could have been used to make nuclear weapons.

In 1993, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that religious groups could sometimes meet on school property after hours. Ground was broken for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

In 1998, in a crime that shocked the nation, James Byrd Jr., a 49-year-old Black man, was hooked by a chain to a pickup truck and dragged to his death in Jasper, Texas. (Two white men were later sentenced to death; one of them, Lawrence Russell Brewer, was executed in 2011 and the other, John William King, was executed in April 2019. A third defendant received life with the possibility of parole.)

In 2006, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al-Qaida in Iraq, was killed by a U.S. airstrike on his safe house. The U.S. Senate rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

In 2012, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump claimed their parties' presidential nominations following contests in New Jersey, California, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and South In 2012, Attorney General Eric Holder clashed with Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee seeking more information about a flawed gun-trafficking investigation in Arizona known as "Operation Fast and Furious." Bob Welch, a former member of Fleetwood Mac who went on to write songs and record several hits during a solo career, died in Nashville.

In 2017, President Donald Trump announced his choice to replace James Comey a day ahead of the ousted FBI director's congressional testimony, tapping Christopher Wray, a white-collar defense lawyer with a strong law enforcement background. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a stunning pair of deadly attacks on Iran's parliament and the tomb of its revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Keith Urban picked up four CMT Music Awards in Nashville, including video of the year.

In 2021, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled that thousands of people living in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons were ineligible to apply to become permanent residents. Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul Murdaugh, 22, from a prominent South Carolina legal family, were found shot and killed on their family's land. (In the aftermath of the deaths, Maggie Murdaugh's husband, Alex Murdaugh, would be jailed on dozens of charges, including the theft of millions of dollars in legal settlements.) An express train barreled into another train that had derailed minutes earlier in southern Pakistan, killing more than 60 people.

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DECATUR  A repeat Decatur child sex offender with a string of convictions for breaking sex offender registration rules was sent to prison for five years after being caught entering a school campus.

Jessie L. Walker, 61, appeared Monday in Macon County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to being a child sex offender present in a school zone in yet another violation of the rules for convicted sex offenders.

The plea was part of a deal negotiated by defense attorney Caleb Brown that saw a further charge of violating the Sex Offender Registration Act dismissed by Judge Rodney Forbes.

The plea deal capped any prison sentence imposed at five years and Forbes said that was what Walker deserved considering his terrible criminal history.

Walker had a conviction for criminal sexual assault of a child under 13 in 1994 for which he served nine years and a conviction for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child under 13 in 2002.

And since his first conviction, he has racked up seven convictions for violating the sex offender registry rules. These have been punished with prison sentences ranging from 18 months to five years, adding up to a total of 21 years with the last sentence of five years imposed in 2018.

Assistant States Attorney Timothy Tighe said Walker is an offender who refused to learn his lesson. There is a string of failure to register and report (to police as a sex offender) that goes back to 1994 and hes had over 30 years to learn how this works, added Tighe.

The latest offense dates to Nov. 18 of 2021 when teachers at Dennis School Kaleidoscope Campus noted Walker picking up a young girl, the daughter of a relative, to escort her home.

Walker, who shuffled into court in a Macon County Jail jumpsuit and appeared frail, said he was too ill to read a statement to the court after being stabbed in the head in an incident in 2009.

Brown read it for him instead, and Walker told the judge he truly apologized for the mistake Ive made of going on school grounds.

He added: It will never happen again, sir  Ive learned my lesson and I am just trying to better myself and be a better father to my teenage sons 

His defense attorney said Walker was not doing anything malicious or evil in this latest offense, just picking up a child to help her family out. Brown pleaded for a sentence of either probation or, at the most, 18 months imprisonment.

But Forbes said the public had to be shielded from offenders like Walker and he must go back to prison.

The court does find that an extended term is necessary to protect the public from this behavior, he added. I find that the defendant has repeatedly and knowingly and voluntarily engaged in criminal and antisocial behavior.

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

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Hogg, 22, and several of his high school classmates met with law makers, and organized a Washington, D.C., rally that led to some Florida gun controls. He fielded MSNBC interview questions with poise and professionalism that I could have only dreamed about at his age.

One political party is not only expected to win big in Novembers election, but also gain momentum into 2024. That party might want to consider a new generation of voters adept at communicating legitimate anger, impatience, and an evolving view of Second Amendment rights. Theyre the latest mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore generation and I think they mean it. The generation that watched repeated violent acts against their peers knows who in Congress is serious about gun control  and who isnt.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 99F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low around 75F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph.
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn.  Business leaders and elected officials were in Blountville on Monday for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at the new Advanced Call Center Technologies (ACT) facility where the company announced 650 new jobs for locations in Kingsport and Bristol/Blountville.

Bob Rolfe, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, made the announcement, calling it a great win in Sullivan County for the company to bring great, family-wage jobs to the region.

We in Tennessee are judged by the brands of the companies that call our state home, and this is a great company, Rolfe said.

ACT announced 350 jobs for Kingsport and an additional 300 jobs in Blountville.

Founded in 1997, ACT already employs more than 2,000 people in the area through two operations in Johnson City, where the company has had a footprint for two decades. The company needs to hire more than 560 people this month in the Tri-Cities, according to Tiffany Clanton, ACTs vice president of recruiting.

Sean Dineen, chief people officer at ACT, said the employee-owned companys growth over the years has had much to do with its operations in Northeast Tennessee.

We are a rapidly growing customer service company, Dineen said. This relationship and partnership weve had here in the region is part and parcel to that rapid growth that weve seen over the last 20 to 25 years  strong partnerships within the community, a great, skilled workforce and just a welcoming place where people are wanting to come and work and grow.

With company headquarters in Philadelphia, ACT serves some of the worlds top companies, including Fortune 50 companies, and specializes in customer experience as a service, said Zabrina Doerck, chief marketing officer.

Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable emphasized Monday the rarity of such an announcement.

In my experience in economic development, announcements like this are few and far between in this country, Venable said. Any company that locates here realizes that we are a region, and we are a strong region with a strong work ethic and a strong record of success.

Rolfe also praised what Sullivan County brings to the table for its residents and employers.

This northeastern part of our state truly is second to none, Rolfe said. The quality of life index  its about workforce, its about quality of people, its about wages, and at the end of the day, its about what people do on weekends and their opportunity to enjoy such a great community. The great news is Sullivan County offers all of the above.
BRISTOL, Va.  City and state officials formally broke ground Monday on the citys first new school in 50 years, a project once considered all but impossible given the citys indebtedness.

Joined by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and state lawmakers, city and school officials recounted the yearslong process to reach the finish line to fund a $25 million school adjacent to the existing Van Pelt Elementary. The facility will replace three aging elementary schools that will be shuttered when it opens in August 2024.

In 1998, the Virginia Department of Education urged the closure of two city elementary schools  Highland View and Washington-Lee. It was 2011 when the city School Board first voted to close those and Stonewall Jackson Elementary, with plans to consolidate all elementary students into Van Pelt and a new building, Superintendent Keith Perrigan said.

When the 2017 board hired me, they tasked me with making this impossible dream come true, Perrigan said. In 2017, we began the process to make it happen. In 2018, our board approved building a school on this site. Unfortunately, the City Council at that time didnt approve it in a really close vote. But our board didnt give up; they kept the faith, and they pressed on.

The matter came back before council in 2019, and it was approved at that time, but there was concern about finding a better funding model. The plan was delayed and then put on hold due to the global pandemic in 2020.

The current board has remained steadfast to the original vision, and they have set an excellent example for our students on the importance of grit, resilience, tenacity and doing right by the people that we serve, Perrigan said.

Current board Chairman Randy Alvis was first elected in 2010 and part of the original 2011 vote.

In 2011, we voted to go to a two-school elementary system, and I thought, this is cool, were going to have a new school real soon. Boy, was I mistaken, Alvis said. When we hired Dr. Perrigan, in the interview process, one of our questions was how are you going to get us a new school? I think we chose the right bulldog for that; Keith is tenacious in everything that he does.

The citys Industrial Development Authority took on the task of issuing the bonds to fund construction. The school system expects to make most of the annual payment through savings of closing three schools, with the balance coming from a city appropriation.

Once the new building opens, it will include about 650 second through fifth grade students while about 400 prekindergarten and first graders will occupy the present Van Pelt building.

Gov. Youngkin provided Mondays keynote address and talked about the collaboration needed to make the project a reality.

This is what happens when people come together, ask for help, and then they go to work. Its extraordinary, the governor said. Twenty-five years ago, the message started  we need new elementary school facilities. Here we are today. Thats about persistence.

Del. Israel OQuinn, R-Bristol, who carried the school construction funding legislation, called Monday a momentous occasion.

The [state] budget conferees fully funded this school construction approach above and beyond what probably had been our wildest hopes and dreams. The bill is going to fund $400 million in school construction modernization grants, $450 million in new construction assistance and $200 million in literary fund loans to finally make that program accessible, OQuinn said, adding the programs will rely on casino tax revenues for continued funding.

State Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Abingdon, said the school funding bills were a truly bipartisan effort to address a problem that affects communities across Virginia.

Youngkin thanked the General Assembly for a budget that includes funding for school construction and improved teacher pay.

Today we celebrate a huge milestone. It recognizes community engagement, and it recognizes the most important asset that Virginia has  our kids. Our kids, the governor said.

He also talked about new funding for school resource officers and the need to assure school safety in the wake of recent shootings in Texas and other places.

Our children should feel safe, and every parent should have the confidence when they drop their child off in the morning they come home in the evening just as safe, Youngkin said.

The governor praised the application of the Virginia Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act and cited new state funding in the budget for school construction as critical for the states future.

George Martin, the attorney who managed PPEA portion of the funding process, said he never doubted the project would occur.

This is undoubtedly the most rewarding project I have ever worked on, Martin said. This project is important for a whole host of reasons but especially for the students. What were saying to the students is, you matter. What were saying to their parents is, you matter. And what were saying to the teachers and administrators is, you matter, and to the larger community that education is a priority in Bristol.

Shari Brown, representing contracting firm J.A. Street, said their company looks forward to building the facility.

Were thrilled to be part of this impossible dream, which is not quite so impossible anymore. We are proud to be part of that journey, proud to have a little piece of educating the children and students of Bristol, Virginia for the future. What an honor, Brown said.

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Mastercards new Digital First Programme delivers an innovative and secure experience that makes it easier to pay and enjoy the value of the card in ways that matter personally.

Backed by the speed and security of Mastercards global network  including the Mastercard Processing platform to enable instant issuance  the Digital First Programme offers consumers the ease of applying online, instant digital card issuance, real-time card management and secure, straightforward online payments.

Mastercards Digital First Programme gives consumers a whole host of options in making payments - from ecommerce to contactless to QR, using any digital device of their choice. It also enables consumers to have control to manage their finances, as well as enhanced security for peace of mind. Not to mention, consumers get to interact with card benefits and offers, that deliver real value in moments that matter to them.

Digital by default

With consumers making a rapid and lasting shift to a digital by default mindset, Mastercards research shows that 73% of consumers in the Middle East and Africa are shopping more online since the onset of the pandemic, while 66% have started to bank online.

Another Mastercard study indicated that 9 in 10 consumers in the MEA region are considering using at least one emerging digital payment method such as cryptocurrency, biometrics, contactless, QR code or digital wallets.

With this greater demand for digital experiences, Mastercard is enabling its customers to innovate faster by providing a network of partners that support each step of the consumer digital journey  from acquisition and card usage to management and engagement, with a physical card option. Building a robust network of qualified enablers is helping customers quickly launch digital products from the ground up.

Providing choice

Digital First is all about providing choice and convenience across the digital payment landscape. This region is embracing the digital revolution to realise its true digital potential and that is exciting news for the whole ecosystem, from consumers and small businesses to financial institutions and governments.

Mastercard is looking forward to growing the digital economy through our partnerships and continuous innovation in the Middle East and Africa, said Gaurang Shah, Head of Products EEMEA (Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa), Mastercard.

For the Digital First Programme across EEMEA, Mastercard network includes a cohesive list of Digital First partners. These technology and fintech partners have the expertise to simplify the process of bringing best-in-class capabilities into the issuer environment. Mastercard customers in EEMEA, can leverage the excellent global partnerships with end-to-end Digital First enablers, such as Thales, Network International and Verestro, along with regional partners with stellar reputations, such as FOO, Ukeshe and Paymentology

Optimal and secure

Together with Mastercard, these players work with issuing banks to ensure the foundational requirements of the Digital First Card Programme are met, which has been built to deliver an optimal and secure consumer experience by focusing on the following key areas:

*Online Application: Enables consumers to apply online and receive card information almost immediately upon issuer approval.

*Near-Instant Issuance: Gives cardholders access to their card information almost immediately to begin making purchases online, in app and at the point of sale through digital wallet offerings. A physical-optional card with a sleek, flexible design is also available to the cardholder.

*Quick Access to Card Details: Offers quick access to card information, including the 16-digit PAN, CVC2, expiration date and customer service information via digital environment, eliminating the need for it to be displayed on the physical card and enabling the cardholder to access it securely with ease.

*Simple and Easy Management: Allows cardholders to manage their payment credentials digitally, including access to transaction history and balance information, alerts, and access to card benefits.

*Enhanced Engagement: Enabling cardholders to access and receive benefits, offers, and loyalty solutions  that are highly personalised and relevant - through a digital environment

Industry-wide shift

The expansion of Mastercard's Digital First Card Programme signals an industry-wide shift to providing consumers with end-to-end payments options at scale.

By enabling processors with the technology and go-to-market strategy, more and more cardholders can experience the benefits of the Digital First Card Programme.-- TradeArabia News Service
Reports that then-President Donald Trump reacted favorably as the Capitol mob chanted Hang Mike Pence on Jan. 6, 2021, is a fresh reminder that Trump is, at his core, an aspiring anti-democracy strongman  one who still has a realistic prospect of winning the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

For years now, Republican politicians who support Trump, either tacitly or explicitly, have mastered the art of shrugging off these kinds of blaring red warning signals.

They shouldnt be allowed to. For starters, every one of the 21 Missouri Republicans seeking the partys U.S. Senate nomination should face demands from their audiences and the media to respond specifically to this, and to Trumps continuing refusal to accept the judgment of voters in 2020.

Trumps fury at Pence, his own vice president, stems from Pences refusal on Jan. 6 to invalidate Joe Bidens election victory. Pence had no power to do so  the notion that a vice president could unilaterally hand the president (and thus himself) an unearned second term is constitutionally ludicrous on its face  but some of the more squirrelly characters around Trump fed his delusion. Pence, to his eternal credit, refused to even entertain this deeply un-American idea, thus drawing Trumps public condemnation and the mobs violent chants.

That much has been long established. The new information, based on leaks from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, is that Trump, watching the melee on TV in the White House, remarked that perhaps Pence should be hanged.

Trump issued a statement denying the allegation, but coming from the most demonstrably dishonest president in Americas history, his denial means exactly nothing. The revelation came from a former White House staffer quoting Trumps own chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who related Trumps comment to others in front of witnesses. The witness (unlike Trump) testified under oath. Meadows has declined to comment but pointedly hasnt denied it. Put it all together  along with what the country knows of Trumps personality  and it probably happened.

Which should put the spotlight on former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, U.S. Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long and Missouris other GOP Senate candidates. They and most of the field have either explicitly allied themselves with Trump (in the cases of Greitens and Long) or have notably refused to publicly disavow him.

The fact that Trumps allies and enablers can pretend not to notice each new example of Trumps unfitness for office is a measure of how the party has normalized his deeply abnormal behavior. As long as he remains a viable 2024 presidential prospect who offers his coattails to other Republicans, those candidates have an obligation to either disavow him, or explain how they can possibly defend him. With democracy at stake, silence shouldnt be an option.
Port slowdowns in Asia have given U.S. ports a brief reprieve from the flood of shipping vessels and containers that they struggled to offload during the winter and spring months. That being said, panelists on the May 18 Hoards Dairyman DairyLivestream are already anticipating the deluge of ships sure to return to American shores as the Asian ports ramp up their loading and unloading following the most recent COVID-19 related shutdowns.

One such port is the Port of Shanghai that is beginning to fully reopen following a two-month lockdown due to COVID-19. Well over 500 ships are waiting to berth and unload inbound cargo to China.

The Port of Oaklands Andrew Hwang described a few of the changes in American ports that are directed toward helping manage an influx of shipping containers in future months. Highlighting the list of port improvements are the use of pop-up shipping yards.

We took about 22 acres on one of our pieces of land at the port, Hwang said in description of Oaklands pop-up yard. We've actually leased it out to a terminal operator who has come in and acquired container handling equipment. This space can be used to not just park chassis and containers, but also to take containers off the chassis and be able to stack them.

The pop-up yards cannot load directly onto ships, but they are instead used as a staging area for both empty containers and those ready to be moved to the ocean terminal for loading.

Ideally, what we want is for exporters to pull containers from this location to go out to load and then come back into the actual ocean terminals to stage to load on to vessels, Hwang explained. The benefit is that you are freeing up chassis to the market, and chassis are one of the big components of the bottlenecks.

By my estimate, we have probably freed up anywhere between 1,000 and 1,200 chassis to the market just through this pop-up yard in the last 30 days, he continued. So, it is contributing to the fluidity in the market.

Empties are essential

Freeing up empty containers is critical for those that are trying to export products. Reloading the containers and returning them to the port can be a long process, so ease of access is critical. To understand a little of the scope of the process, Hwang described the logistics of a normal system.

If you use normal traditional figures when things are not congested  and using the example of a very simple Shanghai to LA service vessels to make that ride back and forth we need one container on each ship, and then you need one and a half in Shanghai, one and a half in LA, or unloading. That is to maintain a fixed a weekly service, he said.

Under current conditions, Hwang expects that a business would need an additional 20 containers to ship the same quantity of product each week.

To follow this thought a little further, it can take anywhere from 36 to 48 hours to load and unload a smaller vessel. For vessels in the 14,000 to 15,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent unit) size, it can take around six days to load and unload.

As you get into the even larger-size vessels, depending on how many cranes you can put up against the vessel, youre minimally seven to eight days on those. It all depends on which port you are in and the efficiencies of how fast they can load and unload the ships, Hwang detailed.

While the pop-up yards provide a great opportunity to free up containers and port space, there is still opportunity to optimize their use.

There are many components to making the pop-up yard successful, Hwang explained. The first one is ensuring carrier participation. So, the ocean carriers need to make sure that they want to participate because there is an actual real cost to them to put the containers in there. I know USDA has been having conversations, we've been having conversations, and I always implore all the shippers to talk to their carriers, too.

To watch the recording of the May 18 DairyLivestream, go to the link above. The program recording is now also available as an audio-only podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and downloadable from the Hoards Dairyman website.

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The next broadcast of DairyLivestream will be on Wednesday, June 15 at 11 a.m. CDT. As of January 2022, we moved to a new system. If you have not yet, you will need to re-register to continue receiving email updates and links to the webcasts. You can sign up here now. Registering once will sign you up you for all future events.

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June 2, 2022
RALEIGH  The artwork of 13 elementary school students will be featured in the 2022-23 North Carolina Farm to School calendar. This is the 11th year for the calendar, which features daily agricultural facts and highlights the N.C. Farm to School program and agricultures role in food production.

Its important for kids to learn that their food starts on a farm, and in creating artwork for the calendar and using the calendar during the year, they gain a better understanding that all food begins with farmers, said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. When our students are able to enjoy the fruits and vegetables that are on the school lunch menu through our Farm to School program, everything they have learned about farming comes full circle.

The N.C. Farm to School program is a cooperative effort of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Food Distribution and Marketing divisions. These divisions secure orders from school nutrition directors, and source and deliver locally grown fruits and vegetables for school lunch programs. To date this school year, the Farm to School program delivered around $1.1 million in produce to 79 school systems across the state.

Winning entrants are:

Daniel Garcia Flores, a third-grader at Magnolia Elementary in Robeson County; Teacher Valerie Thomas.

Samuel Burleson, a fourth-grader at Beverly Hills Elementary in Cabarrus County; Teacher Madison Price.

Turner Lewis, a fourth-grader at Vanceboro Farm Life Elementary in Craven County; Teacher Rachel Roccuzzo.

Evelyn Cheshire, a fifth-grader at Dilworth Elementary School in Mecklenburg County; Teacher Jamie Speice.

Jack Swift, a first-grader at Cove Creek Elementary in Watauga County; Teacher Donna Martin.

Billy Creed, a fifth-grader at Copeland Elementary in Surry County; Teacher Hank Whitaker.

Andrew Dawkins, a second-grader at Hopewell Elementary in Randolph County; Teacher Cori Cagle.

Audrey Bailey, a kindergartner at Chicod Elementary in Pitt County; Teacher Kathy Bello.

Jospeh Savarese, a third-grader at Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary in Brunswick County; Teacher Theresa Reiter.

Alexa Perez, a kindergartner at Hurley Elementary in Rowan County; Teacher Michelle Allen.

Jaelynn Sutherland, a second-grader at Meadow Lane Elementary in Wayne County; Teacher Terri Thompson.

Charlotte Hunt, a fifth-grader at New Hope Elementary in Wilson County; Teacher Jeanine Kittinger.

Surya Asam, a fifth-grader at Morrisville Elementary in Wake County; Teacher Lisa Woodside.

The calendar contest was open to public school students in kindergarten through fifth grade. There were 4,246 entries submitted from 56 counties. Winners and their teachers received gift cards from the N.C. Farm to School Cooperative. Prizes were awarded at a winners reception May 20 at the Got to Be NC Festival in Raleigh.

School systems will receive a minimum number of calendars before the start of the school year. Additional copies will be available through NCDA&CS on a first-come, first-served basis. A printer-friendly version can also be found at www.ncfarmtoschool.com.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side.

That saying is appropriate if you've ever come to regret making a job change. It's a topic that Rick Kyte and Scott Rada tackle in their latest episode of The Ethical Life.

Many people have changed jobs during what's been called the Great Resignation during the COVID-19 pandemic, but those moves haven't worked out for everyone.

The conversation may give you pause if you're considering a career move.

Moving money around

This week on PennyWise, host Teri Barr spoke with Chanelle Bessette of NerdWallet about a study that shows four out of five Americans are choosing to reallocate their savings from a traditional account. They talk about the study and a few signs to keep an eye on if you are considering other savings options.

Can one film save theaters?

We all know that movie theaters have been hurting since the start of the pandemic, but there was a growing movement to turn living rooms into home cinemas thanks to increased streaming options even before 2020 shutdowns.

So can "Top Gun: Maverick" save the movie industry? It's a point co-host Bruce Miller makes during the latest episode of Streamed & Screened. It's an interesting thought that centers on whether studios should focus on fewer, but better blockbusters.

The crew also touch on other new releases, the Hulu series "Pistol" and the upcoming film on Elvis Presley.

An uneasy history between presidents and the press

The latest episode of the Utterly Moderate Podcast sheds some light on the often tense relationship between the press and sitting presidents. In fact, the two sides have clashed since the beginning of American history, and it's by design as First Amendment protections in the Constitution were put in place so a free press could hold government officials, regardless of political party, accountable.

The discussion shifts to shrinking local media coverage (there's no shortage of national reporting) and what can happen when local governments are left to operate unchecked.

Another storm season begins

June 1 marked the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, so the Lee Weather Team gathered to discuss the topic in the latest episode with special guest Joel Cline from the National Weather Service.

Benefits of medical cannabis

The Arizona Daily Star recently launched a podcast called Here Weed Go! that looks at the marijuana industry, and not just in Arizona as national topics are addressed, including pain management. The most recent episode looks at cannabinoid-based research and findings from three experts from the University of Arizona Health Sciences Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center.

Daily news updates

And don't forget our daily news podcast Hot off the Wire that offers new episodes Monday through Friday as well as periodic bonus episodes on breaking news and enterprise topics. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

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Only a small fraction of eligible adults have received their second COVID-19 booster dose in North Carolina, according to data from the state Department of Health and Human Services.

About 12% of North Carolinians older than 50 have been double boosted, a statistic that is particularly worrisome as the state faces an impending surge fueled by omicron variant BA.2.

In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended second booster doses for adults older than 50 and those immunocompromised older than 12. Adults who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson series and a booster are also eligible for a second booster.

Studies have shown that immunity generated from a COVID-19 vaccine wanes in a matter of months. Dr. Cameron Wolfe, infectious disease specialist at Duke Health said that decline happens faster in older adults. As adults age, their bodies get worse at using immune cells, called T-cells, to remember viruses they have been previously exposed to. The result is a forgetful immune system that needs more frequent vaccines to bolster protection. Wolfe said the immune response doesnt forget everything its learned from vaccines  unboosted, vaccinated older adults are still far less likely than their unvaccinated counterparts to end up in the hospital.

The added benefit of receiving the second booster is less than that of the first vaccine dose many received in 2021. Its probably true to say that the second booster is very much about the convenience of not wanting a break-through infection to derail what were doing, or for you to go on and infect someone else, he said.

Still, the added protection is important when COVID-19 is spreading so rampantly in the Triangle. All counties in the Triangle either have medium or high levels of community transmission, according to metrics from the CDC.

In the Triad, CDC data shows Guilford County at medium and Forsyth County at a high level of community transmission as of Thursday. Counties surrounding Guilford are at various levels: Alamance (high), Davidson (medium), Rockingham (low) and Randolph (low).

Wolfe said the number of older adults without their second booster who need to be hospitalized for COVID-19 has been steadily rising as well. Whats occurring is youre at the junction of reducing antibody levels and just a ton of COVID, he said. Its both of those things together that add up.

Researchers dont know precisely how much second-boosters reduce hospitalizations  too few people have received their second boosters for them to run an analysis. Wolfe said the first booster dose offered a significant reduction and most researchers expect the second booster to do the same.

He said the booster also dramatically reduces the risk of infection in the first place. Second boosters wont completely eliminate breakthrough infections, Wolfe said.

But it occurs a hell of a lot less frequently than the people who hadnt had that second dose, he said. Wolfe said he thinks the low interest in second boosters is partly COVID-19 fatigue and partly a fatigue with constantly changing vaccine recommendations.

Its very hard for me to sit back now and say what someones booster schedule will be in six to 12 months because I dont know those factors yet, he said.
A police officer was indicted for manslaughter and fired by the Greensboro Police Department on Monday  the same day that the father of a 29-year-old man filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and the officer in the November 2021 death of his son.

Officer Matthew Hamilton was among officers responding to a "wanted person call" when he found Joseph Lopez in a storage shed behind a Cloverdale Drive address in north Greensboro. The resident of the home, according to police, requested help after an individual attempted to enter.

"While confronting the subject, one officer discharged their weapon striking the subject," a news release from police said at the time.

Officers and EMS personnel attempted life-saving measures before Lopez was pronounced dead.

Attorney Amiel Rossabi described Hamilton as a 15-year veteran with an "exemplary" record and one of 10 responding officers that Friday night.

"The officer is facing a serious felony charge for doing his job in accordance with training and experience that he has received from the Greensboro Police Department," Rossabi said after the indictment. "That is an absolute travesty."

Attorneys representing Lopez's father, who is suing on behalf of his son's estate, say they are pleased that Hamilton has been charged. Flint Taylor, a high-profile attorney who specializes in police brutality cases, said Joe Lopez has been dealing with the loss of his son while fighting for answers.

"It was not only frustrating, but it was something that made people pessimistic about whether justice would be done in the sense of an indictment," Taylor said.

Greensboro City Attorney Chuck Watts and Mayor Nancy Vaughan said they could not comment on the lawsuit, which they had not seen.

Earlier in the day, civil rights activists stood with Joe Lopez on the grounds of the Beloved Community Center before the indictment was made public. Some of those present were instrumental in keeping the death of Marcus Smith, a homeless Black man, and others in the public eye after accusations of excessive force by police.

The Smith family's wrongful death suit against the city and Guilford County over excessive restraining was settled last year for just over $2.5 million.

"It doesn't seem to matter how many times we say enough is enough  it never really stops," lamented Hester Petty, who could often be found as part of the "Mondays for Marcus" protest in front of City Hall.

Joe Lopez did not speak at the press conference, but Taylor called for Hamilton to be indicted  setting into motion what could be another controversial battle between the city and community over police treatment of people officers are supposed to serve and protect, particularly minorities.

The city is being sued in Lopez's death, according to the lawsuit, because of failing to properly train, supervise and discipline officers and an "unconstitutional pattern and practice of using excessive and deadly force disproportionately against persons of color."

"He was shot down by Matt Hamilton, but also the policies and practices of the Greensboro Police Department," Taylor said.

According to the complaint, which was drafted with details from police body camera footage that co-counsel Graham Holt was allowed to view, officers arrived at the Cloverdale Drive residence and found Joseph Lopez in a small room located at the rear of a two-car garage. Hamilton opened the door of the room with his police dog on a leash, according to the suit.

It would be the second time in a week Lopez had been found on the property, but he surrendered peacefully the first time after talking with a Guilford County Sheriff's deputy. This time, law enforcement would find him sitting in a chair behind two couches.

"Greensboro police," Hamilton can be heard saying on the video. "If you're in there, make yourself known."

Lopez replied: "Yes, I'm here."

According to the lawsuit, Hamilton told Lopez to come out with his hands up or that he would send his dog inside.

Lopez said he would come out when it was safe.

Hamilton then released the police dog into the room where Lopez was sitting on a chair, according to Holt's description of the video.

The lawsuit claims that, seconds later, Hamilton walked through the door, drew his handgun and shot Lopez in the face.

Taylor says Hamilton is later seen on video, telling other officers he saw something in Lopez's hand  which the attorney claimed was the beginning of a cover-up.

Rossabi, who represents Hamilton, says the lawsuit misrepresents key details and that there was no cover-up. For instance, prior to the shooting, police were especially cautious because of an earlier interaction involving Lopez, who had been charged in the days before the incident with possession of a firearm by a felon and assault with a deadly weapon.

Also, he says, Lopez ignored Hamilton's commands to leave the shed.

"As a result, Officer Hamilton released his K-9 partner, which normally yields an immediate result," Rossabi said.

Because the K-9 hadn't signaled Lopez was under control, Hamilton continued to give commands and ultimately entered the shed, Rossabi said.

"Mr. Lopez immediately turned towards Officer Hamilton with a black object in his hand that resembled a handgun and pointed it towards Officer Hamilton," Rossabi said.

Hamilton fired one shot, killing Lopez.

It was later discovered, however, that Lopez didn't have a gun.

Rossabi pointed to state statutes about the use of deadly force and said that his client followed them all.

"Police officers need to know that they can do their jobs under the protection of North Carolina laws," Rossabi said.

After the shooting, Hamilton was placed on administrative duty, which is department policy.

Rossabi said he was "disappointed" that District Attorney Avery Crump did not give his client adequate notice so that he could present evidence before the grand jury. Crump could not be reached for comment.

"It was unfair to subject Officer Hamilton to this grand jury process when all of the evidence shows that he followed the law," Rossabi said. "The fact that Mr. Lopez ended up not having a gun on this occasion is immaterial."

Taylor said the lawsuit would proceed in hopes of changing the culture of the city's police force.
CHARLESTON  Concerned citizens, a team of firefighters and a utility department employee worked together Tuesday morning to rescue a kitten stuck in the storm sewer below Lincoln Avenue.

Charleston Fire Department Chief Steve Bennett said his department was called out to the road when passers-by heard a kitten in the storm sewer.

Bennett said his team tried to locate the animal using search cameras but were unsuccessful. The utilities department was then called in to assist with a remote controlled camera that was used to get the kitten to an area where rescuers could grab the animal.

The concerned citizens who made the kittens rescue possible, Rachel White and Brittany Cook, praised the departments for their hard work and care in getting the kitten out safely.

White said she was taking her dog for a walk late Monday evening when she heard a kitten making noise and called for assistance from the police who said they could not help.

Calling back in the morning, White was able to get help from the fire department which then rescued what she hopes will be her new pet cat Carl. The cat will be named after the man who helped get the kitten to an area where he could be rescued, utility department employee Carl Ball.

It is not known how long the kitten was stuck in the drain.

White said she will be going to the vet to have the kitten checked out but it did not appear he was injured.

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A brother and sister of first-generation Colombian Americans are sharing their love of empanadas throughout the Triad.

Mike Ortegon, 34, and sister, Karen Ruiz, 40, grew up in New Jersey, the children of two Colombian natives.

MO Empanadas got started earlier this year, with Mike as chef and owner and Karen as business manager. It already has made repeat pop-ups at such places as Ziggys in High Point and Poppyseed Provisions in Winston-Salem. It also was one of the local vendors at the May 21 Paul McCartney concert at Truist Stadium in Winston-Salem.

MO Empanadas  which stands not only for more empanadas but also Mike Ortegons empanadas  is not a food truck, but a mobile-food business that does its prep at the commercial, inspected kitchen at Short Street Gastro Lab in Kernersville. It does the final cooking of its empanadas on-site.

After their mother, Libia Montoya, retired in the Triad, they moved down here. We came down here to visit my mother, and we loved it, Ortegon said. Its just so much more peaceful here.

Want to know more? Instagram: @MOEmpanadas Website: moempanadas.com

Ortegon has kicked around in a lot of different industries, but he has always loved cooking. Im the business side, Ruiz said. Mikes the chef in the family.

From 2009 to 2011, Ortegon studied in the culinary program at the Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham. More recently, he had been working as a butcher at Food Lion.

Ortegon said he had tired of working for big corporations. My sister was always saying I worked too hard. One day she sat me down and said, Youre working too hard for something thats not yours, Ortegon said.

He began to think of the empanadas he grew up eating, and how much he loved them. My mom would make them. But you also can go to a Colombian bakery every morning in Jersey and get them, he said.

I started making them at home for friends. Then I would go back to Jersey to visit and try as many as I could.

Now, Ortegon is devoting himself full time to his empanada business, with help from his sister and her husband, Brad Bodenhamer, both IT engineers.

MO Empanadas makes just three empanadas: chicken, beef and lentil.

These are recipes passed down through generations, Ruiz said, except for the lentils  thats the only one we developed ourselves.

The traditional chicken and beef empanadas have a precooked corn-flour (masarepa) dough. The filling has slow-cooked meat mixed with potatoes and onions.

The lentil empanada, also made with masarepa, is a vegan recipe. Im a carnivore, but my sister is more interested in health. I have to give her credit: Shes the one who said, 'Why dont you try one with lentils?'

The vegan empanada has not only lentils, but also carrots, potatoes and onions.

Empanadas are made all over South America but vary slightly from country to country.

Because Colombian empanadas are typically made with corn flour  and thats how Ortegon makes them  MO Empanadas menu is gluten-free.

The corn dough is nice and crispy, he said.

The empanadas come with aji sauce. Its like a salsa verde. Its cilantro-based, Ortegon said. I make mine spicier than my mom ever did, but its not what you would really call spicy.

The only other item that MO Empanadas sells is sweet plantains ($4), available with a sprinkle of cotija cheese (the only dairy ingredient that the business uses).

The empanadas sell for $5 apiece. A combo of two empanadas and plantains costs $13.

Ortegon makes all his empanadas in advance, then deep-fries on-site. Because the filling is already cooked, he generally can fry the empanadas to order  they take only about 4 minutes. Because theyre fully cooked, Im just getting them hot and nice and crispy, he said.

Ortegon wishes there were more authentic Hispanic food businesses, but that foods like empanadas are labor-intensive. There is a lot of Mexican here, but not much else, he said. But these empanadas are a two-day process. It takes eight hours minimum to cook the meat, six hours to cook the chicken and the lentils soak for 24 hours.

Its a process to make them, but its a labor that I enjoy because Im bringing something different to people around here.

Ortegon and Ruiz said that in the future they may look into selling the empanadas frozen in stores for people to cook at home. Our goal is to get into distribution, Ruiz said. These freeze really well. And they work really well in an air fryer. This way, people could have them at home because not everyone can come to events.

But for the moment, Ruiz and Ortegon are busy building the brand, getting the MO Empanadas name out there.

We do want to distribute these at some point. But Im a kitchen guy. I like being in the kitchen, cooking, Ortegon said. I want people to try them. I have a lot of faith that if people will just try the empanadas, theyll love them.

336-727-7394 @mhastingswsj

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BURLINGTON  One person is dead and another was hospitalized in critical condition after a house fire Monday night, Burlington fire officials said in a news release.

At 8:50 p.m., responding firefighters found heavy fire throughout the home in the 400 block of Hood Street. They arrived in just over two minutes from the time of dispatch and quickly located one of the occupants inside. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene, fire officials said in the news release.

Firefighters located another victim who had attempted to go into the fire to find the first victim and received substantial burns to his extremities. Alamance County EMS transported the second victim to a local hospital for treatment. He was listed in critical condition Tuesday morning in the burn unit at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, according to a spokesman for the fire department.

Further information about the victims was not immediately available.

It took firefighters approximately 20 minutes to ensure the fire was under control. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home reportedly did not have any working smoke alarms, a spokesman for the fire department said in an email Tuesday morning.

The Burlington Fire Department and Burlington Police Department investigators are being assisted by the North Carolina State Fire Marshals Office because the fire involved a fatality.

The house was a total loss as it was completely destroyed by the intense heat of the fire. The American Red Cross was among the agencies that responded to the fire, according the news release.
The recently concluded The Hotel Show Dubai, the largest business event for the hotel and hospitality industry, welcomed over 22,000 visitors across all of its co-located shows, bringing regional and global attendees together.



Elaine OConnell, Vice President, Design & Hospitality, dmg events, said: We are so proud to see how this event continues to bring people together, not only from the region but globally too. 20% of our total visitors at The Hotel Show came from international markets while 80% came from the UAE, showing that as we move into a new phase following the pandemic, the importance of in-person connections are more important than ever, and collaboration is a key element of the industrys recovery.



We are also delighted to have showcased the latest in design and interior trends through INDEX 2022 and Workspace alongside The Leisure Show and HITEC Dubai, which bring together every aspect of the hospitality industry to discuss innovation, sustainability and technology.



The event was held at the Dubai World Trade Centre and showcased the latest industry innovations, while serving as the definitive meeting place for hospitality suppliers from throughout the world and Middle East.



Across the event, conferences, seminars and features offered visitors in-depth analysis, live culinary experiences and inter-industry debates, helping to drive the industry forward.



The Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals association (HFTP) brought together technology professionals for HITEC Dubai, an intensive education programme planned by an expert Advisory Council. HITEC Dubai, bought together world-renowned hospitality-tech experts from some of the regions leading hotels and resorts with themes including cybersecurity, financial management, tech innovation and IT operations.



The Hospitality Leadership Forum brought together hotel owners, operators and managers in the wake of the most challenging and disruptive period in recent decades. Experts shared knowledge and expertise on how to move into a new era of hospitality. Key themes in the 2022 programme included the latest innovations, the impact of the Metaverse on hospitality and sustainable and ethical hospitality.



This years programme has been so diverse and really marks the turning point in the industry, said Elaine OConnell, Vice President, Design & Hospitality, dmg events. In spite of the last two years being the toughest time in decades, there has been a huge sense of positivity and camaraderie among the attendees which offers a bright future to the industry as we move beyond the pandemic.



Other conferences included the F&B Stakeholders Summit, UAE Professional Housekeepers Group Meeting, the Hospitality, Lifestyle, Wellness and Spa Forum and the Hospitality Engineers Middle East Annual Conference.



Competitions and challenges such as the Chefs Table and Housekeepers League of Champions saw teams from some of the biggest hotel groups battle it out over the course of the events three-days showcasing the regions talent and honouring the industrys unsung talent. Taking away the award for the Chefs Table were Radisson Blu, Deira and Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi took the crown for Housekeepers League of Champions.



We envisage the industry will be in a much different place as we come together next year with key changes such as sustainability and innovation as we move forward as an industry, said Elaine OConnell, Vice President, Design & Hospitality, dmg events. These are changing times and innovation is at the heart of this period.



The events strategic partners included Dubais Department of Economy and Tourism, Hama MEA (Hospitality Asset Managers Association) and The Dubai Restaurant Group.  TradeArabia News Service
Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines said Monday that city residents are being advised  but not mandated  to resume wearing masks indoors.

Joines cited the recent uptick in new daily and weekly COVID-19 case counts  mostly the BA.2 omicron subvariant  in making his recommendation.

Our current daily case count is over 140 per day, Joines said in a statement. As you may recall, our target is fewer than 10 cases per day. Therefore, I am urging our citizens to take precautions to protect themselves and others by wearing a mask indoors.

This is particularly important when you are in large groups or in a close setting.

Forsyth County residents have a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 than they have had since early March, according to Fridays federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update.

Other Triad and Northwest N.C. counties with high community levels of COVID-19 are Alamance, Alleghany, Davie, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin.

Theres not likely enough time for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools to reinstate mask mandates considering Thursday is the last day of school for students.

It is the first time that Forsyth has been listed in the high category since Feb. 25, which was during the peak of the omicron variant locally and statewide.

Forsyth had been in the low category since March 10 before being shifted to medium on May 27. The medium listing lasted just one week.

Joines continued his appeal to unvaccinated residents to get their first dose as soon as possible, and if vaccinated to get a booster shot.

If we work together, we can contain the spread of the virus and prevent the adoption of more stringent requirements.

Mondays recommendation came two days after Joines said he had no plans at this time to request reinstating the citys mask mandate.

As the local and statewide peak from the omicron surge was fading by late February, Joines ended the mandate March 1.

Gov. Roy Cooper recommended a March 7 end to K-12 school and local government mask mandates.

Background

The COVID-19 community level is determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

With the shift from medium to high, the CDC recommends residents of Forsyth wear a well-fitted mask in indoor public spaces and on public transportation, regardless of your vaccination status.

Respirator and surgical masks offer the most protection.

People in Forsyth also should stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines; get tested if you have symptoms; and, if at high risk for severe illness, consider taking additional precautions, according to CDC recommendations.

New COVID-19 cases rose again in Forsyth last week, but at a much lower rate of increase, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services update Wednesday.

Forsyth had a 4.3% uptick in weekly cases to 1,119, along with one additional COVID-related death. Thats compared with a 25.8% jump for the week that ended May 21 and a 19% hike for the week that ended May 14.

Weve seen week-over-week increases in cases the past two months, but its been a slow increase for the most part, Forsyth health director Joshua Swift said Thursday.

The increases have not been as steep as we saw with omicron and delta.

Weekly COVID-19 test levels in Forsyth have remained steadily below 1,000 since the omicron variant surge, though modestly higher the past two weeks.

Swift stressed that the DHHS weekly case totals include only laboratory-confirmed cases, and dont include most individuals who determine they are positive with an at-home test. Individuals are not required to report their positive tests to county health departments.

However, Swift said the department has seen an increase of people who test positive from an at-home kit that choose to verify the result through a test administered by the department.

Swift said, based on his conversations with infectious diseases experts, the actual positive case test rate could be six to eight times higher than DHHS updates reflect.

Forsyth has had 825 COVID-related deaths since the onset of the pandemic in mid-March 2020. In all, Forsyth has reported 97,564 COVID-19 cases.

Forsyths positive test rate was at 21.6% as of May 31, according to the CDC.

Although that is up considerably from about 3% in April, its still only about half the 40%-plus range Forsyth saw during the peak of the omicron variant surge.

Our percentages are what we are seeing across the state and other local counties, Swift said.

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A North Carolina sheriffs office announced a $3 million settlement on Monday in a lawsuit filed by the family of an unarmed Black man who was shot and killed in his car by sheriffs deputies more than a year ago.

The family of Andrew Brown Jr. had filed a $30 million civil rights lawsuit in 2021, saying the man died because officers showed intentional and reckless disregard of his life.

Brown was killed on April 21 of last year by Pasquotank County sheriffs deputies while they were serving drug-related warrants at his Elizabeth City home. Several deputies surrounded Brown in his BMW before his car backed up and moved forward. They fired several shots at and into his vehicle. He was killed by a bullet to the back of his head.

District Attorney Andrew Womble had said at a news conference last year that Brown used his car as a deadly weapon, causing deputies to believe it was necessary to use deadly force. But lawyers for the Brown family said the shooting was unjustified because Brown was trying to drive away  not toward the deputies and that he posed no threat.

After viewing body camera footage of the shooting, they said Brown was sitting in his stationary car with his hands on the wheel when the first of numerous shots was fired.

The settlement was approved by the Pasquotank County Board of Commissioners. It includes a special $1 million appropriation to go along with $2 million from the countys insurance policy, which was supplied by the North Carolina Counties Liabilities Pool, according to a statement from the sheriffs office provided to The Associated Press. That amount is at the limit of the policy.

The settlement was reached over several weeks last month in the case overseen by a federal magistrate in U.S. District Court in Raleigh, the news release said.

The countys payment resolves potential liability against the defendants and any individual officers who were either named or could be named as defendants in the lawsuit, the news release said. The family also entered into a stipulation in which it dismisses all claims against the defendants, namely Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II and three sheriffs deputies, as well as other potential claims arising from Browns death, the news release said.

Browns children will share in the proceeds of the settlement as heirs of his estate, the sheriffs office said.

Andrew Brown Jr. was a devoted father who wanted his children to have the things he didnt, said a statement from the five attorneys representing his family. While no settlement could ever fill the hole his death left in their hearts, this agreement is about providing for those childrens futures, securing their education and ensuring their dreams didnt die with their father.

At the time, the lawsuit filed by the Brown family was the latest in a string of federal civil rights lawsuits following high-profile police shootings of Black and brown people. Many ended in settlements that often included money but specified no admission of guilt. Some of the lawsuits end up in court where a jury can award massive settlements that are reduced on appeal.

An independent autopsy commissioned by the family said Brown was shot five times, including once in the back of the head. Family members who were privately shown a portion of the body camera video afterward said Brown was trying to drive away when he was shot.

The shooting sparked days of protests in the city in rural northeastern North Carolina.
The state Senate cleared Monday a historic vote on legislation that legalizes marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Bipartisan Senate Bill 711 was approved by a 37-6 vote on third reading after receiving a 35-10 vote on second reading Thursday that had eight Republicans and two Democrats in opposition.

There was no discussion of the bill before the third vote.

SB711 has been sent to the N.C. House, where legislative experts say it faces an uphill battle to be heard during the current session.

Republican leadership is projecting an early July end to the 2022 session, with much of the remaining focus on changes to the 2022-23 state budget.

Jordan Monaghan, press secretary for Gov. Roy Cooper, said Monday that studies have shown medical marijuana can offer many benefits to some who suffer from chronic conditions, particularly veterans.

The governor is encouraged that North Carolina might join the 36 other states that have authorized it for use. The governor will review this bill as it moves through the legislative process.

SB711 is designed to help people who often cant help themselves, Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick, the primary sponsor of the legislation, said during Thursdays floor debate.

Although Rabon did not use medical marijuana as part of his treatment for cancer, he said his own experience, coupled with discussions with other cancer patients, convinced him of the need for making the option available.

It can help a number of people at the end of their life at a time that they need compassion  what time they have left should be as comfortable and as easy as they can be, Rabon said. Theres not anyone in this room who has not had someone in their family, or a close friend, that could have benefited from this legislation.

Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe, attempted to amend SB711 to allow more North Carolina hemp growers, manufacturers and retailers to participate in the medicinal marijuana pipeline. Her amendment, submitted during Thursdays floor session, was tabled at the request of Sen. Ralph Hise, R-McDowell.

Legislative analysts caution that House Republicans tend to be more conservative on social issues, such as medical marijuana.

If all 53 House Democrats voted for the medical marijuana proposal, it still would require eight GOP votes for SB711 to pass the chamber in its current form.

If SB7111 is addressed before the end of the current session, it is likely House GOP leadership would alter the bill, which would require the Senate to approve those changes or reject them. A rejection likely would lead to a concurrence conference for the chambers in an attempt to reach a compromise.

The Senate bill is a much narrower version of the bills we have been filing, Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, said Thursday.

I was hoping it is narrow enough that it could garner the necessary House support, but it does appear that the Republican caucus is very split on the issue.

That said, it is long past time to enact this important legislation that could provide needed relief for many North Carolinians.

Potential opposition from House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, and House majority leader John Bell IV, R-Johnston, could derail the vote during the current session, said John Dinan, a Wake Forest University political science professor and national expert on state legislatures.

At this point, we have to rely on the comments of (Moore and Bell), who have cast significant doubt on plans to consider medical marijuana legalization or Medicaid expansion this session, Dinan said.

That increases the likelihood that the bills would be considered again next year by newly elected House and Senate members.

12-year journey

SB711 is the latest in numerous attempts over the past 12 years to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes.

The bill has been on an arduous path since being introduced during the 2021 session.

It requires the medical marijuana system to pay for itself following initial money to set up the system.

The funding would come mostly from license fees and a monthly fee equal to 10% of the gross revenue derived from the products sold at medical cannabis centers.

The bill previously was amended to reduce the number of medical cannabis centers from eight to four, two of which would be located in the states 20 Tier 1 counties  likely Mecklenburg and in the Triangle.

Forsyth and Guilford counties are in Tier 2.

During Thursdays floor debate, bipartisan sponsors and supporters pointed to examples of how medical marijuana could benefit constituents.

Opponents expressed concern that the legislation would serve as a gateway to legalized marijuana in North Carolina by 2024; that the licensing fee for vendors is too low; that a license should not be be sold; and that the potential profit levels need to be lowered.

Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, who has been among the bills skeptics, was not present for Thursdays vote.

Sen. Paul Lowe, R-Forsyth, who is a co-sponsor, voted yes.

Rabon called SB711 the tightest, best-written bill, seeing what other states did wrong and trying to omit those pitfalls.

We had to jump through a lot of hoops to do this, and we jumped through them the right way, Rabon said. We have been calculating, methodical, written and rewritten, taken things out, taken advice to come up with a final product that every person in the legislature can be proud of.

That included his amendment Thursday that would bar physicians from advertising that they offer medical marijuana. It also addressed potential conflicts of interest between physicians, independent testing laboratories and suppliers.

It will be, from start to finish, traceable and trackable to every single supplier, grower, manufacturer  Rabon said.

Lowe said his support comes from his belief that the use of medical marijuana will help many North Carolinians with their chronic and debilitating health issues.

Our citizens should be able to take part in medicine that will help them, compared with using opioids as painkillers, he said.

The N.C. Medical Cannabis Association, which has former Forsyth Democratic House member Ed Hanes as its founder and lobbyist, applauded the Senates approval of SB711 for stepping forward and leading in an area that has been a source of concern and debate for well-meaning North Carolinians.

North Carolina is one step closer to a safe, legal and natural medical alternative.

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The heightened debate over gun violence following the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, is leaving out one critical element. The debate starts at the wrong end.

Isaac Newtons Third Law of Thermodynamics states: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

While Newtons laws were about physics, the concept of action and reaction, of cause and effect, could be applied in other areas, such as violent people who use guns to kill others. Notice I said violent people, not gun violence.

Instead of starting with guns, we should begin at the beginning. If voters elect liberal district attorneys and liberal judges who release dangerous criminals, sometimes with low or no bail, that is an action. The opposite reaction is that many of them will commit new crimes.

As the conservative Heritage Foundation notes, The most prominent rogue prosecutors are George Gascon in Los Angeles, Chesa Boudin in San Francisco, Kim Foxx in Chicago, Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, Marilyn Mosby in Baltimore, Kimberly Gardner in St. Louis, and Rachael Rollins in Boston.

There are others, like Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm.

The U.K. Daily Mail reports that Chisholm told an interviewer: Is there going to be an individual I divert, or put into a program, whos going to go out and kill? You bet.

Chisholms office gave a deferred prosecution to a convicted drug dealer. After his release, reports the Mail, that dealer fatally injected a 26-year-old woman with heroin and then tried to hide her body. The man, Darrell Brooks, was caught but released on $1,000 bond. Within a few weeks, Brooks drove through a Christmas parade, killing five people. He previously had been convicted of a felony for running over the mother of his children.

Once again, an action (low bail for a dangerous criminal) produced a reaction (the deaths of innocent people).

In our schools and culture, if the action is to refuse to teach right from wrong, the reaction will be the creation of a generation of people who behave as they wish.

The McGuffey readers were used in many American public schools from 1836 to 1936. They contained sayings and lessons designed to conform young people to a standard of behavior that was good for them, their families and the wider culture. These values included patriotism, respect for parents, honesty and hard work as a path to success.

They also promoted the necessity of religious faith as the foundation for a better life. Heres one excerpt from the 1879 edition: Religion: the only basis of society. How powerless conscience would become without the belief of a God. Erase all thought and fear of God from a community and selfishness and sensuality would absorb the whole Man.  Man would become what the theory of atheism declares him to be.

Again, action and reaction. Teaching moral absolutes and faith produced one kind of person. Failure to teach these values, in fact their opposite, has predictably created a different type of human in modern times, the type who shoot up schools and kill children. Can anyone credibly assert that the concepts contained in those old books failed to create adults who respected the law, life and the property of others as opposed to what is being taught  and not taught  in schools and by culture today?

Attempts to ban certain guns will not solve the problem. Recalling and teaching ancient truths will help. That will require a different kind of action than what we have experienced in recent years. Restoring those time-tested values is more likely to produce a different reaction we claim to want, but are unable to get by passing more laws.

Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.
The 18-year-old Omaha man who police say killed two women when he crashed his Ford Taurus into another car on O Street over Memorial Day weekend could face close to 20 years in prison after he was charged with four felonies Tuesday.

Kyvell Stark turned himself in to authorities Tuesday morning and was charged with two counts of manslaughter and two counts of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol causing serious bodily injury.

Lincoln Police Chief Teresa Ewins announced Stark's arrest at a news conference Tuesday morning.

Ewins said the crash investigation revealed Stark was driving "close to 90 mph" moments before colliding with a Toyota Corolla at 52nd and O streets at about 10:45 p.m. May 29. Ewins said investigators used "black box" data to determine the Ford's speed. It's unclear what speed Stark was driving at the time of impact, or whether he attempted to brake, the chief said.

Two Cozad women, Emily Siebenhor, 20, and her passenger, Edith Hermosillo, 22, died in the crash.

"The Lincoln Police Department continues to extend its condolences to the families and friends of the two young lives taken from this community," Ewins said.

According to the crash report, Stark was headed west as Siebenhor attempted to turn from eastbound O Street onto northbound 52nd Street as the light for O Street traffic turned yellow.

Police said in the crash report that results of a breathalyzer test of Stark were negative. Ewins on Tuesday said testing at the scene helped police determine Stark was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash, which she indicated contributed to his reaction time as Siebenhor turned in front of his fast-approaching vehicle.

"No matter what, when you're impaired, your reflexes and taking action to stop is slowed," the chief said.

It's unclear if Siebenhor was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Ewins said that detail is "part of the investigation" and will be released later.

Twenty other people  all there watching the annual unsanctioned cruise night festivities  were injured when both vehicles jumped the curb following the crash. Two people who remain hospitalized were identified for the first time when the affidavit for Stark's arrest became public Tuesday.

Hannah Wadiso suffered life-threatening internal bleeding and a fractured pelvis, and Aaron Swanson fractured his leg, requiring surgery, police said in court records. Both bystanders are Lincoln residents.

Ewins maintained Tuesday that Stark, who was driving on a learner's permit, was not involved in the cruise event that has become a Memorial Day weekend tradition in Lincoln, but she also said investigators aren't yet sure what Stark had been doing before barreling down O Street that Sunday night.

Stark, a recent Omaha Bryan High School graduate, was formally charged Tuesday afternoon and appeared from a jail cell via Zoom in Lancaster County Court, where Judge Thomas Zimmerman set his percentage bond at $50,000. Stark must post $5,000 to be released.

Prosecutors had asked for a bond double that amount, but Stark's attorney, Mike Bianchi of Omaha, advocated for a lower cash payment, arguing Stark had never received so much as a traffic ticket before the May 29 crash.

As a part of Stark's bond conditions, Zimmerman ruled that the teen must be fitted with an electronic-monitoring device, be barred from possessing or consuming alcohol or non-prescription drugs, subjected to substance testing and prohibited from driving.

The manslaughter charges against Stark each carry a potential penalty of 20 years in prison if he is convicted, and each DUI charge could add up to three additional years. The state's good time law would prevent Stark from serving more than 19 years in prison, even if he was convicted and received the maximum sentence on each charge.

Stark's initial court appearance came hours after Ewins asked additional witnesses, who may have video, to come forward with information about the crash.

"There were a lot of people that were out that day," she said. "And we really wanna make sure that people come forward and tell us what they saw. It's all part of this. It is a long investigation."

Siebenhor's and Hermosillo's families were notified of Stark's arrest before Tuesday morning's news conference, Ewins said, adding that the crash was a tragic loss of life.

The incident was also difficult for first responders and witnesses, Ewins added, noting chronic staffing shortages at the police department have added to the burden on officers who responded to the chaotic crash scene.

"There's a lot of people that saw things that night that they'll never un-see," Ewins said, urging anyone who was there to seek mental health care, which the department is providing to responders.

"When incidents like this happen, there's a cost to them," she said. "And this is part of it."

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley

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A school tip line that state officials say has successfully thwarted shootings in Nebraska will be funded for another year with federal COVID-19 aid.

But officials with the Nebraska Department of Education said Friday that they will eventually make a case to state lawmakers that its worth receiving state funding.

Members of the Nebraska State Board of Education voted Friday to approve a one-year, $809,445 contract with Boys Town to operate the Safe2Help line.

The money is coming from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund.

Brian Halstead, assistant Nebraska commissioner of education, said the law that created the program calls for collecting data and reporting back to the Legislature.

We think we can show and justify why this is a wise investment for everyone to continue to fund this with state general funds," Halstead said.

Jolene Palmer, director of school safety with the Nebraska Department of Education, said the line has received 1,300 reports, including 41 for weapons in school and 59 for alleged attacks.

The anonymous line gives a voice to the voiceless, so that they can have somewhere to go with the information, Palmer said.

LB322, passed last year and signed by Gov. Pete Ricketts, expanded the reporting system statewide, giving students, staff and parents an anonymous way to make reports.

The reports can be made via phone, website or email.

The reports are fielded by trained crisis counselors, managed by Boys Town.

Reports are directed back to the local district or nonpublic school, where school-based threat-assessment teams evaluate the report and, if necessary, take action.

If theres an immediate threat, then the crisis counselors can alert emergency services, law enforcement or child protective services directly.

The most common reports were about someone considering suicide, followed by bullying.

Other concerns reported were dating violence, and threats against people and property.

In more than 80% of violent school incidents, someone leaked information before the actual incident. In other words, 4 of 5 times someone knew what was about to happen.

Our goal is to save lives, and our other goal is to make life better for kids, especially, like, if theyre being bullied, Palmer said.

She said the tipline is serving about 40% of the students in Nebraska. Lincoln has a site for safety concerns, Safe to Say.

Chad Denker, superintendent with David City Public Schools, said he was initially skeptical about joining the state's Safe2Help line. Now he thinks it was one of the districts best decisions.

He said his district took a leap of faith, assembled a threat-assessment team to field the calls and trained students about the program.

He said theyve received reports about teachers providing vaping materials to kids and about kids harming themselves.

Weve had kids call in and say, My friend has been talking about committing suicide," Denker said. "And so weve been able to prevent some of the self-harm.

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A redevelopment agreement with the city would authorize $3.3 million in tax-increment financing for a major expansion of a longtime high-tech company in the Haymarket.

J.A. Woollam Co., which makes light-measuring instruments called spectroscopic ellipsometers, is planning to more than double the size of its existing headquarters at Seventh and M streets  a project that would help connect a future downtown park to Haymarket South.

The expansion plan is among the first projects announced since the city unveiled a master plan to draw people to Haymarket South and better connect the area to the South Salt Creek neighborhoods.

The Cotswold Building, which was built in 1894, sits at the edge of the planned South Haymarket Park and houses J.A. Woollam Co. The company's charitable foundation donated $1 million to the park project in 2019.

This project has been a long time coming, said Hallie Salem, redevelopment manager with the citys Urban Development Department. The company, she said, has been considering an expansion since 2014.

It is investing $16.9 million in redevelopment of the existing building and a 57,000-foot expansion, as well as additional parking, Salem said.

When its finished, the building will be valued at about $18.6 million, she said.

The tax-increment financing, a tool that allows developers to use the increased future property taxes a project generates to pay for certain upfront costs, will be used for environmental remediation, rehabilitation of the buildings historical facade, and a landscape boundary wall near the park.

The companys plans  including 35 parking stalls on the north side of the building  will help integrate the area with the future park planned for a plot of land at Seventh and N streets.

During the day, those parking stalls will be used by employees and at night and on weekends the lot can be used by park patrons. Plans also include pedestrian access to the park.

The company plans to add a three-story addition to the west side of the Cotswold Building at 311 S. Seventh St., which has been the company's home since 1997, 10 years after it was founded by John Woollam as a spinoff of research he was doing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Cathy Rustermier, the company's human resources manager and daughter of its founder, said the company employs 67 people who all have college degrees or are working on them, and 85% of those employees graduated from Nebraska schools.

The building was originally three stories and was used as a factory and warehouse for a paint company, then later became a grocery store. In 1944, most of the building was destroyed by fire and it was renovated into a one-story building. A second floor was added in 1991.

The council will vote on the redevelopment agreement at its June 13 meeting.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSreist

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RACINE  If a loved one was missing, after how many years would you give up hope and stop searching?

Never, Trenna Anderson Jossart said. Absolutely never.

Jossart is the aunt of Rachel, Cameron and Kyle Anderson, who went missing along with their mother in April 2000, after the family left Racine and moved to Fulton, Mississippi. Rachel, Cameron and Kyle were 13, 12 and 9 at the time.

Ever since, for more than two decades, the Anderson family has been working to find them.

The exact date the Andersons went missing is unclear, but their family was able to narrow down the timeframe earlier this year when they received information they had long been trying to obtain: the last day the children were in school in Fulton.

Rachels last day was April 5, 2000. Kyles last day was two days later. Cameron never returned after April 10.

Adding to the mystery, the Anderson kids two older siblings (their mom had two children from a previous relationship before having Rachel) are apparently still alive in Mississippi.

The Anderson family is currently engaged in another campaign to spread the word of the missing family in hopes that someone, somewhere, will remember something. Perhaps someone in their hometown of Racine can help.

Last call

In 2000, Jeff Anderson, the father of the three missing children, was preparing for the summer visit he was due to receive as part of the custody agreement with his ex-wife, Leslie.

He remembers the last conversation he had with one of his kids, Cameron, who had called on a Wednesday.

Jeff reminded his son he would talk to him on Saturday, per the court order that allowed phone calls between Jeff and his kids only on Saturdays.

He had been in trouble with his ex-wife once before for calling Rachel on weekdays while she was in school.

Jeff told his son he did not want to get in trouble with Leslie for violating the court order.

He remembers Cameron saying something like, All right, Daddy, I love you. It would be the last time he spoke to any of his children.

Jeff attempted to call his children on Saturday but did not get to talk to them. He was put off for months by the property owner where the family was staying with excuses such as, Theyre not here right now.

The Journal Times could not independently verify the property owners name.

The property owner  who is apparently still alive and living with the two older Anderson siblings  was also from Racine and the group had moved south together in 1997 or 1998.

The two older children were from a previous relationship of Leslies and were later adopted by Jeff. Both of the children have mental disabilities.

Support the search For more information: Facebook.com/andersonfamily1999

Fulton

After months of excuses, the property owner told Jeff that Leslie did not like Mississippi, packed up three of her kids and left with a truck driver. According to Jeff, the property owner said Leslie left her two older kids with him.

Jeff said he never believed Leslie just left with the three younger kids, leaving the two oldest behind.

Jossart pointed to the staggered days the three children stopped going to school and said, They did not just leave in the middle of the night.

Investigation

What has followed is a two-decade long effort to track down Leslie, Rachel, Cameron, and Kyle.

The initial efforts in Mississippi were hindered, Jossart said, by local officials who treated the missing Andersons as a parental abduction case and not a missing person case.

She claimed one Mississippi officer said, Sometimes people do not want to be found.

However, officials in Ohio County, Indiana, where Jossart lives, were successful in having the names of the missing Andersons entered into the National Crime Information Center database, even though the family disappeared in another jurisdiction.

The family worked with a private investigator. Additionally, the pictures of the family were featured on the wall of Walmart back when the store still featured the photos of missing children, and their pictures were also featured on the back of tax booklets issued by the federal government.

The Johnson family has also worked closely with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

However, they have not been able to see the two remaining children, still living on the same property in Mississippi. The Andersons attempted to talk to them in 2002, but the property owner called the police and had Jossart, Jeff Anderson and their mother removed, they claimed.

Because they are adults, they cannot be made to visit with their adoptive family.

In the time since Leslie was last seen in Fulton, Mississippi, her social security has not been used for employment and she has not registered a car.

Additionally, the childrens school records from Wisconsin were never requested by any other district.

Jeff said he hoped someone would come forward with information.

I miss my kids dearly, he said. I missed them growing up.

I would appreciate any help from anybody, no matter how small it may seem to be, Jeff said. It may be the last piece of the puzzle.

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RACINE  Dr. Jones Elementary School will remain open for the 2022-23 school year.

During a meeting Monday, the Racine Unified School District Board of Education had an item on its agenda to reconsider the closing of the school. No board member made a motion to vote on the item though, so it died, meaning the school will stay open.

There is no motion. Dr. Jones will not close, said Board President Jane Barbian.

The RUSD board voted last December to keep the school open for the 2022-23 year, months before it was confirmed that the districts $1 billion referendum had passed.

However, new information brought the potential closure of the school back to the board.

RUSD Superintendent Eric Gallien said declining enrollment and upcoming staff vacancies at Dr. Jones will create challenges at the school. Gallien also said significant maintenance work is required to keep the school operating.

According to an RUSD administration presentation, the enrollment at Dr. Jones near the end of the 2021-22 school year was 268 students. Next school years projected enrollment is 187 students. Also, according to the presentation, 15 teachers will not return to the school in 2022-23, which is about two-thirds of its teaching positions.

Because of those factors, RUSD administration recommended closing Dr. Jones, 3300 Chicory Rd., after the 2021-22 school year.

Dr. Jones will remain open, though, and Gallien and school board members all said the choice to do so was difficult.

It is never easy to close a school that the children have loved and the families have loved, Barbian said. Its agonizing, and thats why weve gone through so much process as we reinvestigate this decision.

Dr. Jones serves a large portion of economically disadvantaged students, who made up 86% of the student population in 2020-21. English learners also accounted for 36.9% of its students in 2020-21, according to the state Department of Public Instruction.

Closing the school would have saved RUSD an estimated $2.7 million in the 2022-23 school year.

Before Barbian asked for a motion on the item, board members discussed the factors they were considering on whether or not to close the school.

Barbian said the school districts financial health was her main concern. She noted that by keeping Jones open, RUSD will likely have to eliminate other teaching jobs.

My decision is all about the financial pace and the money that can be saved, Barbian said. Unfortunately were looking at if Dr. Jones stays open and we have to cover that amount somehow, were going to lose teaching positions at our other schools.

Gallien said that the longer the elementary school is kept open, the worse the impact will be when it closes.

RUSD administration has done everything we possibly can do to keep this (closure) from happening, Gallien said. Its not easy to do, and you definitely want to factor in the effect its going to have on families. But what I would like to caution the board on is that if the vote is not moved forward to close Dr. Jones, were in essence putting our families in a worse situation down the line. At some point, were going to have to make a decision, and whether we do it today or we do it next year, or whenever we do it  the longer we delay this, the worse it becomes.

Board member Matthew Hanser, who in December supported closing the school, said he would have voted to keep the school open if the board had voted Monday.

While I did not support, individually, the action of this board in December, I also cant in good conscience change my vote, Hanser said. I realize that it puts us in financial difficulties potentially, but the relationship with our families is much more important to me  We made a commitment to the community, good or bad, in December. I need to stand by that.

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Chandra Riberich had led Safe Harbor, the open admission shelter at 7811 60th Ave., for the past six years.

Bill Bohlman, president of the Board of Directors, said Riberich was recently asked to resign. He said she faced harassment by disgruntled former staff and volunteers over her leadership style.

We asked her to tender her resignation. We felt that it reached a point where everything that was going on was beginning to affect her ability and her performance. She was still doing everything well, administratively, but we just felt it was time for different leadership, Bohlman said.

Bohlman also said there was too much extraneous problems going on, not with her, but with other things. She was no longer happy in her job and she expressed how disappointed she was in some of the ways things were going.

A person unhappy in their job or things like that then they maybe cant function exactly interpersonally as well as is required when you have a crew like that, Bohlman said.

Three volunteers and four former staff members spoke to the Kenosha News on the record about what they described as troubling experiences at the nonprofit animal welfare organization.

When questioned about such concerns, Bohlman said there has been a drumbeat of harassment against Riberich.

Shes a tough boss, and people dont like a tough boss, Bohlman said. We heard people complaining but we assessed the situation by seeing how things are being done.

Bohlman also said Riberich did a great job in the difficult job.

Bohlman said the animals have and are receiving quality care because everything we do there is just for the animals.

We have a live release rate of over 90%, which is outstanding for an open admission shelter, Bohlman said. We have almost 3,000 animals a year come in here.

Questions over euthanized animals

Bohlman said that in more than six years there have not been any adoptable animals euthanized. Riberich expressed similar sentiments in a statement emailed to the Kenosha News.

I enjoyed my time at Safe Harbor. I am very proud that I was able to help the organization grow, work with rescues and veterinarians to improve to a live release rate from an average of 70% prior to me to over 90% during my time as executive director, she wrote. I will miss working with the staff and animals at Safe Harbor, however, I am excited about the new opportunities in front of me.

Bohlman, whose been on the board for 22 years, said he believes the complaints are coming from people who have rescue groups, (or) they run their own little rescues or they work in the shelter and they assume that every single animal can be saved.

There were people who were just upset with Chandras management style, Bohlman said. Thats what it was. There was a lot of people that were just upset with her management style and as soon as they didnt get satisfaction with their complaint then they decided to escalate it higher. Thats just my opinion on this.

Bohlman said neither Riberich nor the shelter is being investigated by a government agency.

The state comes in and we pass with flying colors, he said.

Former staff, volunteers upset

Kristen Thompson said she served as a foster coordinator from October 2019 to September 2020. She said shes deeply concerned about the nonprofit.

What I saw there was veterinary decisions being made by people who are not qualified to make them, Thompson said. That has been the root cause of everything that has gone wrong. The animals are suffering because there is not a licensed veterinarian in charge of them.

Thompson said she would not surrender an animal to the shelter at this point.

We need a leader who will actually listen to the people who come to them, she said. All of us signed up to deal with the problem with the animals. We didnt sign up for a manager that treated us the way we were treated.

Longtime volunteer Cori Pfister said so many people have left because they havent been listened to or theyve been dismissed as not important or your opinion doesnt matter.

Chris Daugherty said she was fired from the nonprofit in September 2021 by Riberich. Daugherty said she was a former front desk receptionist and adoption counselor.

Daugherty said she was asked to do things she did not feel comfortable doing before she was let go.

I could not do that, I would not do that, I refused to do that, Daugherty said. I want change for that place.

When questioned about reports of a toxic environment, Riberich offered the following: As the executive director it was my job to implement a professional work place and unfortunately some people couldnt adhere to the standards of attendance and responsibilities. Some people may have had difficulty with this level of accountability.

Riberich also said the allegations of improper treatment of animals were brought to the board, investigated, and found baseless.

Amanda Cutler is serving as interim executive director.

Facing financial struggles

Bohlman said the organization is facing some financial difficulty.

Over 60% of our animals come from the City of Kenosha but under 20% of our revenue comes from the City of Kenosha. We exist entirely on donations, he said.

The nonprofit is also without a resident veterinarian. The part-time veterinarian, Alycia Eisenstein, recently left the organizational over an unfortunate situation on her own accord, Bohlman said.

There are no veterinarians available. Weve been advertising for a full-time vet for three years. Theres a massive shortage of vets in the United States, he said. Most shelters dont have vets. Theyre just not available. And the problem we have is we cant offer the package a private veterinarian service can offer.

He said a vet comes in a couple hours each week for shots and their animals are transported to an area veterinarian for spaying and neutering.

That costs us thousands of dollars to do that, Bohlman said.

Staffing shortages are also exacerbated by the low pay the nonprofit can pay staff.

We cant pay people the wages that are being paid in this town because we cant get the money from the municipalities, he said. All our money depends now on donations and bequests.

Bohlman said the shelter is open and operating normally.

Were hoping now to move forward and continue providing the services and the care (for) the animals that weve been doing, he said. Im proud of our facility.

Riberich said the nonprofit provides a wonderful and difficult service for the Kenosha community and is currently facing a very difficult financial and employment environment.

I hope the Kenosha community continues to show its support for the organization going forward, she added.

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Exo Travel Group, a leading destination management company, and Elaf Group, a leading hospitality, travel and tourism brand in Saudi Arabia, have signed an agreement to partner to create a joint tourism venture in Saudi Arabia.



The new company will offer bespoke travel programs showcasing Saudi Arabias little-seen natural, cultural and historical wonders in major destinations throughout the Kingdom and, in doing so, will capitalize on the incredible opportunities and potential of Saudi Arabia as a burgeoning tourism destination.



Exo Travel CEO, Hamish Keith, said: We see Saudi Arabia as being the next big story in travel and a natural next-step for Exo Travel. Combined with Elafs vast experience in the Saudi market, our ability to attract international tourists to the Kingdom will allow us to achieve the ambitious goals of both parties.



Ultimately, our goal is for Exo Saudi Arabia to be the leading DMC in Saudi Arabia and the absolute reference for quality service, creative product design and excellent on-the-ground delivery, he added.



Elaf Group CEO, Dr Adel Ezzat, said the partnership will enhance Saudi Arabias position on the world tourism map, generate opportunities for local job creation, and ultimately serve the countrys Vision 2030 ambitions to diversify the countrys economy through tourism.



Dr Adel emphasized that Exo is one of the world's leading companies in the field of international tourism experiences and a world-renowned innovator of international travel experiences. The new joint venture company with Elaf Group will help create a host of new jobs for Saudi nationals, in line with the groups Vision 2030 objectives.



Exo Saudi Arabia will be the tenth destination for the Exo Travel Group and marks an important step in the companys post-covid recovery and expansion plan.  TradeArabia News Service
A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the states health department can release data on businesses where multiple COVID-19 cases occurred, closing the loop on a nearly two-year-old public records case pitting businesses right to privacy against the publics right to information.

In a 4-3 decision  with conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn siding with the courts three liberal justices, Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet and Jill Karofsky  the court ruled against Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the states largest business organization. WMC filed the lawsuit in October 2020 after Gov. Tony Evers and the state Department of Health Services announced plans that summer to release information pertaining to positive COVID-19 cases at businesses in order to comply with public records requests from media outlets.

The issue is whether the public records laws general prohibition on pre-release judicial review of decisions to provide access to public records bars WMCs claims, Dallet wrote for the majority. We conclude that it does, and therefore affirm the court of appeals decision.

Conservative justices Annette Ziegler, Patience Roggensack and Rebecca Bradley dissented, with Ziegler writing that the state is prepared to release individuals personal medical information to the public and saying the majority makes no mention of the perhaps unintended consequences of its action.

It closes the courthouse doors to anyone who may wish to challenge the release of personal medical information, Ziegler wrote. This is egregious error.

Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, said the decision reaffirms the publics right to know pandemic-related information collected by a public health authority. He also pushed back on Zieglers comments, noting that all that is being released is the names of businesses and number of confirmed infections gathered as part of the states response to a public health crisis.

To try to frighten people into believing that their most personal medical information is now open for all to see seems irresponsible, Lueders said in a statement.

WMC, along with the Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce and New Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, filed the lawsuit in Waukesha County Circuit Court to block release of the records after DHS announced plans to release the names of more than 1,000 businesses with more than 25 employees where at least two workers had tested positive for COVID-19.

Wisconsin businesses said releasing the information to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other media outlets that requested the information, including the Wisconsin State Journal, would have severe impacts on companies already struggling through the pandemic.

The business groups also alleged the information they want blocked is derived from diagnostic test results and the records of contact tracers, and that such information constitutes patient health care records that must be kept confidential under federal law.

A Waukesha County judge issued multiple restraining orders in 2020 preventing the state health department from releasing the information. The Fourth District Court of Appeals eventually reversed the lower courts decision last April, prompting WMCs appeal to the state Supreme Court.

Kurt Bauer, president and CEO of WMC, said in a statement the organization disagrees with the courts decision, which has opened the door to massive public intrusion into private medical records possessed by state agencies.

The governors attempt to shame and embarrass Wisconsin businesses is wrong, and the Supreme Court is equally wrong to allow it, Bauer said.

DHS spokesperson Elizabeth Goodsitt said Tuesday the requested documents would not be made available until ordered for release by the circuit court. The state Supreme Court remanded the case back to the lower courts.

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1. Yes. Tying up the courts and filling jails over small amounts of pot is unacceptable.

2. Yes. As long as there are exceptions for connection to felony charges, its a good idea.

3. No. Taking away law enforcements options is wrong. Police should have some discretion.

4. No. An ordinance that conflicts with state law is wrong and shouldnt be adopted.

5. Unsure. It seems to make sense in some ways, but it could prove problematic.

Vote

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KEARNEY  A Grand Island man led a Nebraska State Patrol trooper on a pursuit Sunday at speeds that exceeded 140 mph.

The man, Andy S. Paneda Portillo, 21, of Grand Island, eventually was stopped, arrested and charged in Buffalo County Court with felony operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, and willful reckless driving, no operators license, operating a motor vehicle without registration, no proof of financial responsibility, false reporting and speeding, all misdemeanors.

The incident began Sunday when a trooper was involved in a 116 mph pursuit with a black motorcycle driving east on Interstate 80 near Overton. Due to heavy traffic the officer couldnt keep up with the motorcycle, court records indicate, and radioed ahead for assistance to another trooper who was sitting in the I-80 median near Elm Creek.

As the motorcycle went by the second trooper he clocked the bike traveling at 122 mph, and began a pursuit. The bike passed in between motorists and on the shoulder of I-80, until turning off at the Kearney interchange and heading south on U.S. Highway 44 where he continued to drive recklessly at speeds of more than 140 mph. About two miles south of Kearney, in Kearney County, the driver stopped and was arrested without incident, records indicate.

Portillo was arrested, and Judge John Rademacher set his bond at $5,000, which Portillo posted, and was released.
The areas first Scooters Coffee drive-thru is expected to open by the end of this month north of the Dairy Queen restaurant in Onalaska.

And the owners of that coffee business plan to build a Scooters Coffee with inside and outside seating as well as a drive-thru, by the end of this year at the current location of Jim Carlsons Auto Center at 1410 S. Holmen Drive, just north of the new WNB Financial bank building in Holmen.

Zach Mueller and Randy Mumm, two of the partners in Scooters Coffee franchisee Northern Grounds LLC, said they hope to start construction in mid-August on their second La Crosse-area location at the northwest corner of Hale Drive and Holmen Drive in Holmen. That site is across Holmen Drive from a Kwik Trip store and a Festival Foods store.

The two Clear Lake, Iowa, men said they continue to look at other potential La Crosse-area locations for additional Scooters Coffee places.

We were impressed with the growth in Holmen, Mumm said of their decision to open a Holmen location. We think theres a lot of potential in that area.

The Holmen store will have inside seating as well as an outdoor patio with seating, Mueller said. But he and Mumm think drive-thru customers will account for most of the Holmen locations sales. They said they wont need all of the land they are buying from Carlson, and plan to put what they dont need up for sale.

The Scooters Coffee under construction at 715 Second Ave. S. in Onalaska will be drive-thru only, with no seating. For more information about Scooters Coffee, which is based in Omaha, Neb., visit www.scooterscoffee.com.

With the Scooters Coffee franchisee about to buy his property, Jim Carlson told me he has been looking for a new location for Jim Carlsons Auto Center.

Im trying to find a place to go, said Carlson, who started his business in August 1976. Were going to downsize a lot.

He plans to continue selling late-model used cars and collector cars, and continue doing appraisals of such cars for insurance companies. And I have a huge parts business for collector cars that will continue, Carlson said. He plans to reduce the amount of service work that his business does, and discontinued collision repair work about two months ago.

Its been a good ride, Carlson said of his nearly 46 years in business.

Coalition Skateboards opened May 22 at its new location at 1022 La Crosse St., just east of Rudys Drive-In in La Crosse, 1  years after closing at 200 Mason St. in Onalaska.

Carl and Lisa Johnson own the business, which sells skateboards, longboards, scooters, apparel and accessories. It also offers tune-ups and repairs. The board shops roots date back to the 1985 opening of Pro Skate.

It closed in October 2020 because I couldnt get any inventory because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Carl Johnson said last week. And he also became very busy as a partner in Coulee Auto in La Crosse.

I was keeping my eye open for a new location (for Coalition Skateboards) if the opportunity were to present itself, and it did, Johnson said. Finding the La Crosse Street location was ultimate the catalyst to proceed with reopening.

Johnson noted the new location is near the Lueth Park skate park, and near the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Western Technical College campuses. And being next to Rudys Drive-In isnt a bad thing, either, he said.

The board shops hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and closed Monday. While the Johnsons and shop manager Ryan Lawson havent set a date for the event, Johnson said that Im thinking late June for a grand opening celebration.

For more information, call the board shop at 608-782-4300 or visit its Facebook or Instagram pages.

Strive Medicare will mark its new name and new location with a grand opening celebration and open house from 8 a.m. to noon Friday in Suite 202 on the second floor of the Social Security Administration building at 210 S. Seventh St. in downtown La Crosse.

As of March 28, Strive Medicare is the new name of the business that had been known as Senior Market Solutions. It is owned by its CEO, Rick Teska, who formed Senior Market Solutions in 2008 and has been a Medicare insurance broker for nearly 40 years.

Teska said he feels the new name is more reflective of the products and services that the business provides to people new to or already on Medicare.

The business describes itself as an independent Medicare brokerage that works with more than 20 of the top-rated insurance carriers. Its advisors can help customers get quotes from multiple top insurance carriers. It can help customers compare and evaluate plans, so they can choose the one thats best for them.

For more information, call 800-784-8969 or visit www.strivemedicare.com or Facebook.

Rushford State Bank opened its new Houston, Minn., branch office on May 16 in the former Bremer Bank building at 108 E. Cedar St.

Based in Rushford, Minn., it bought the building from St. Paul-based Bremer Bank, which announced in January that it planned to close its Houston branch on April 15.

From Monday through Thursday, hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for drive-up and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for the lobby. On Friday, hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for drive-up and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for the lobby. On Saturday, hours are 9 a.m. to noon for both drive-up and the lobby.

The Houston office has a drive-up ATM machine and its full-service lobby has a coin counter.

For more information, call the Houston office at 507-896-7755 or visit www.rushfordstatebank.com.

The opening of the planned LAX Food Hall at 508 Jay St., in the Exchange Building in downtown La Crosse, has been delayed until fall, according to a post Wednesday on its Facebook page.

The post cited construction delays at the food hall, which was originally expected to open June 1. The food hall also announced the signing of an additional restaurant, The Plaid Pineapple. Restaurants announced earlier were PHO 608, Fibonaccis Pasta and Mama Sols Comfort Kitchen.

For more information, visit www.laxfoodhall.com or Facebook.

Steve Cahalan can be reached at stevecahalan.reporter@gmail.com.

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Kentucky state Rep. Savannah Maddox entered the 2023 Republican primary for governor on Monday evening, portraying herself as an authentic conservative" who resisted COVID-19 restrictions from the beginning in an effort to outflank her GOP rivals.

Her entry into the race ensures that Kentucky Republicans will have choices between a traditional brand of conservativism and candidates like Maddox from the party's far right.

Maddox criticized Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and moderate Republicans alike as she announced her candidacy in a spirited speech to supporters in northern Kentucky  her home territory and a key battleground in any GOP primary. She didn't specifically mention her GOP rivals, but her combative comments ran counter to pleas from others within her party to avoid criticizing fellow Republicans amid fears that the crowded primary could turn into a slugfest.

We are going to give the citizens of Kentucky a real choice in this primary," Maddox said. "We can maintain the status quo of being disappointed by moderate Republicans who straddle the fence. Or we can choose an authentic conservative who has a proven track record of fighting every day for our freedoms.

Maddox said that from the beginning she staked out her opposition to restrictions that the governor imposed to try to contain the spread of the coronavirus. She condemned the temporary closing of businesses and schools and mask-wearing mandates  steps she denounced as COVID tyranny.

Our constitutional rights never go out the window just because theres a virus going around, or under any circumstances, Maddox said Monday evening.

Beshear, who is seeking a second term next year, maintains that his aggressive approach saved lives. His restrictions were in place mostly when COVID-19 vaccines were not available or not yet widely distributed  though the GOP-led legislature later severely limited his ability to respond when virus cases surged again. Beshear says his actions reflected guidance from the White House coronavirus task force when Republican Donald Trump was president.

This year, Maddox unsuccessfully pushed for legislation that initially would have barred employers, including in the private sector, from requiring their employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

State Democratic Chair Colmon Elridge responded Monday that Maddox declared war on the health, safety and wellbeing of Kentuckians in an attempt to score political points.

Her entrance into the race ensures the year-long Republican primary will be even nastier, more extreme and more expensive, he added in a statement.

Other Republicans running for governor have denounced Beshear's handling of the pandemic.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron, now among the gubernatorial hopefuls, led the legal fight against Beshears pandemic restrictions. Cameron won the case in the Kentucky Supreme Court, clearing the way for new laws enacted by the GOP legislature to limit the governors emergency powers.

In announcing her candidacy, Maddox touted her staunch opposition to abortion and support for gun-ownership rights. In 2019, she successfully championed legislation to allow legal gun owners in Kentucky to carry a concealed handgun without a separate permit or training.

Maddox also set out libertarian-leaning themes in her speech.

I believe that Kentuckians, by and large, are God-fearing people, who just want to live a peaceable, prosperous life in which they are free from undue interference from their government, she said.

Maddox framed herself as a staunch defender of the constitution and stressed her alignment with Trump, saying the former president "brought strength to the Oval Office.

Protecting your constitutional rights and liberties trumps all other interests and institutions, she said.

Her devotion to Trump comes as members of the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection are promising to lay out how Trump and his allies worked to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election, spreading lies about widespread voter fraud that fueled the assault on the nation's Capitol.

The governors race on the GOP side includes three statewide officials  Attorney General Daniel Cameron, state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles and state Auditor Mike Harmon. Others in the race include retired attorney Eric Deters. Several other prominent Republicans are considering bids for governor.

Recent polling shows Beshear remains popular in GOP-trending Kentucky. The governor has touted his stewardship of Kentuckys economy, pointing to the states record-setting economic development pace for job creation and business investments. He has landed the states two largest economic development projects ever  both battery plants.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
It was the excuses that bothered him most, then-Circuit Judge John Roemer told the man who, police say, would go to Roemers rural Juneau County home more than 15 years later and shoot him to death.

You have a great deal to offer, Roemer told Douglas K. Uhde during a Nov. 10, 2005, sentencing hearing. Your personality is strong because youre gregarious, youre outgoing, but theres something about your character where you just cant admit that you screwed up, and that might be the rest of your life that youll never be able to admit that you just made a mistake.

There was little in the 60-page transcript of the hearing that would point to any specific reason Uhde, 56, targeted Roemer before turning the gun on himself, and investigators have said he planned to target other government officials as well. A list found in his vehicle Friday included Roemer, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, according to an official who was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly.

But it seems from court and Department of Corrections records that Roemers words were prophetic, because in the years to come Uhde would escape from the prison where he was serving his sentence and file appeals and court challenges disputing the charges he was convicted of after he was caught.

Such actions echoed the approach he took in Roemers courtroom that November day, when, acting as his own attorney, he simultaneously pleaded guilty to a 2001 armed burglary and suggested he didnt do it, while arguing that evidence in his case had been destroyed by investigators such that he did not believe he could get a fair trial.

Yes, I did plead guilty to the charge, but did I actually commit this crime, just as I stated to the Court, because a person went to the crime, is that actually a crime committed? That answer has to be no, he told Roemer.

Roemer sentenced him to six years in prison and nine years of extended supervision, or more than the five years in prison and seven and a half years of supervision Uhde and prosecutors had settled on as part of the plea agreement.

The state Department of Justice, which is investigating the shooting at the 68-year-old Roemers home at W6128 Woodland Hills Road in the town of Lisbon, did not respond to requests for comment Monday on the investigation into Uhde, who most recently lived in Michigan and as of Saturday was in a hospital in critical condition.

Watch for updates to this story at lacrossetribune.com

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An attorney representing a man accused in a May 22 shooting that killed a La Crosse Logan High School student said Monday that his client acted in self-defense.

Sage Hicke, 18, Ontario, was charged Monday in La Crosse County Circuit Court with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of 15-year-old Storm Vondrashek. Hicke was also charged with a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct by use of a dangerous weapon.

Hickes attorney, Andrew Martinez, said his client has a strong self-defense case and asked Circuit Court Judge Todd Bjerke to set bail at $10,000, considerably less than the $100,000 requested by assistant county District Attorney Jessica Skemp.

There is the possibility of significant mitigation in this case, Martinez said. The altercation began when the decedent struck Mr. Hicke with a gun.

Martinez said Hicke voluntarily turned himself in, has no prior convictions and no significant ties outside the La Crosse area.

Bjerke set bail at $50,000. He agreed that there may be some mitigation factors, but said significant cash was still justified.

Obviously, going to a gunfight with a gun sets you up for these types of things to happen, Bjerke said.

Skemp argued that the possibility of a life sentence without parole gives Hicke an incentive to flee. She said Hicke was hiding out, possibly out of state, until he turned himself in Friday.

According to the criminal complaint, La Crosse police responded to a shots fired call around 1:30 a.m. at 1900 S. Seventh St. and found Vondrashek lying in the driveway. Police checked Vondrashek for a pulse but couldnt detect one. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

Police found a firearm on the ground near Vondrashek, but police dont believe it was the weapon that killed him. Among evidence collected at the scene:

A Kel-Tech 200 firearm with a 34-round magazine containing 32 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.

Seven Hornady 9 mm shell casings.

Two S&B 9 mm shell casings.

An intact bullet without a casing found underneath Vondrasheks body.

A canvass of the area discovered two bullet holes  one that struck a garage and one that hit a garbage container.

Police interviewed multiple witnesses and determined that Hicke and Vondrashek were on opposite sides of an argument that had broken out on social media between two groups of people. Vondrashek and Jackson Greengrass, 17, La Crosse, learned the location of the other group, drove to the South Seventh Street address, exited their vehicle and waited outside. Hicke exited the apartment, and a confrontation occurred between Hicke, Greengrass, and Vondrashek.

Police interviewed witnesses who corroborated Hickes claim that Vondrashek attacked him with a weapon. The first witness said Vondrashek was carrying a shotgun, approached Hicke and said, Sage, is that you? The witness said Vondrashek ran toward Hicke and struck him in the back of the head.

The witness said Vondrashek attempted to fire the shotgun but couldnt get it to work. The witness said Greengrass fired a weapon toward Hicke, who then fired multiple rounds at both Vondrashek and Greengrass.

A second witness said that Vondrashek pistol-whipped Hicke prior to the fatal shooting.

Another witness told police that Hicke appeared to be under the influence of an intoxicant. The witness described Hicke as jumpy or touchy and that he was wide eyeing everyone. The witness also saw Hicke brandish a gun several times before the shooting.

After the shooting, the witness said Hicke returned to the apartment and said, I think I just killed him. The witness said Hicke attempted to pass off the gun in the hallway of the apartment but couldnt get anyone to take it.

The witness said there were no visible signs of injury to Hickes face.

Another witness told police that Hicke and Greengrass appeared to have a long-standing feud because Sage is the one who shot up Jacksons house.

Hickes next court appearance is a June 14 preliminary hearing.

La Crosse Tribune reporter Steve Rundio can be reached at steve.rundio@lee.net.

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Turkish Airlines has started its operations to Bukhara, ancient city of Central Asia with its history spanning over 2,500 years and listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO.



The airlines TK266 flight operated with A321neo type aircraft landed in city on June 7 for the first time, welcomed with water salute.



Turkish Airlines General Manager Bilal Eksi said: We are happy to add Bukhara, the city that invites travellers to an historical journey. As our flights to the city that lives past and present together supports the economic and sentimental ties between Turkiye and Uzbekistan, it also ensures Uzbekistans historical streets are even more accessible to travellers from all around the world.



Starting from today (June 7), reciprocal flights between Istanbul Airport and Bukhara International Airport will be operated two days of the week (Tuesday and Friday) and they will depart from Istanbul Airport at 01:30 and from Bukhara International Airport at 09:10.



Bukhara drew the interest of millions of travellers over the course of history with its rich history of knowledge, culture and Islamic fiber. Strengthening its ties to Turkish-Islamic world throughout history, Turkiye is aiming to increase the allure of the region with the flights operated by the flag carrier.  TradeArabia News Service
In an effort to help lessen the impact of invasive species that harm Wisconsins ecosystems, June was proclaimed as Invasive Species Action Month by Gov. Tony Evers.

Evers acknowledged the economic and environmental consequences of invasive species. Environmentally, invasive plants and animals have the ability to out-compete other species in an ecosystem, resulting in a loss of biodiversity. This loss can cause flooding and fires, and negatively impact animals who rely on that particular ecosystem to survive.

Economically, Evers said the state spends millions of dollars each year on the control of invasive plant and animal species in Wisconsins waters, wild lands, agricultural lands and urban areas.

While many people may be familiar with well-known invasive species, like garlic mustard and zebra muscles, it is also important to understand species that impact local ecosystems.

Meredith Thomsen, dean of graduate and extended learning at the University of WisconsinLa Crosse and an expert in invasive species, brought attention to three invasive plants and an animal that impact the upper Mississippi River basin.

The wild parsnip is one species that has increased in the La Crosse area in recent years, Thomsen said. Yellow in color, this invasive plant species not only causes damage to ecosystems, but also poses a health risk to humans.

The sap of the plant causes chemical burns when it comes into contact with the skin and then exposed to sunlight.

Thats a bad combination for something you might just brush out against if youre walking through a meadow field or even along a path and its growing alongside it, Thomsen said.

The wild parsnip is often found along roads or in grassy areas, she said.

Bohemian knotweed is another invasive plant found in the upper Mississippi River basin that can harm its surrounding ecosystem.

An herbaceous plant, bohemian knotweed is tall with heart shaped leaves and red coloring on the stem. Thomsen said it can be very difficult to control the plant because it can spread from small pieces of underground stems and roots.

It is commonly found near lakes and along creeks or rivers.

There is also evidence that bohemian knotweed can poison the soil around where it grows, Thomsen said.

Its sort of like chemical warfare with plants where they can pump stuff into the soil that then makes it hard for other plants to grow, she said.

One invasive animal species impacting the La Crosse area is the faucet snail. About one centimeter in size, the snails are commonly eaten by ducks and waterfowl.

However, the snails carry a parasite that is especially harmful to waterfowl and can cause them to die off. While the snail itself is not dangerous, the parasite has greatly impacted some bird species over the past 10 years, Thomsen said.

During the fall migration is when theyre especially susceptible to it, and were talking areas of water covered with dead ducks, Thomsen said. Its kind of dramatic and sad to see that.

While it can be difficult to reverse the spread of invasive species once they take hold on an ecosystem, Thomsen said general awareness about the dangers of moving plants and animals around can help lessen the impact.

Thomsen said it is also important to acknowledge that invasive species are not always non-native and can originate from a variety of locations, and change over time as a result of evolution and human interference.

For example, there are some plant and animal species that originated outside of Wisconsin, that are not invasive. There are also some species that have only adapted to become invasive in recent years, despite a long evolutionary history, she said.

Nothing stays the same in ecology, its always a shifting balance and a moving baseline, Thomsen said.

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscows invasion.

Dozens of the dead taken from the bombed-out mills now Russian-occupied ruins have been transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where DNA testing is underway to identify the remains, according to both a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment.

The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

It was unclear how many bodies might remain at the plant.

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to fight for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows goal of completing the capture of the industrial Donbas region.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces were holding their positions in the city amid fierce fighting in the streets as Russia tries to deploy more forces.

But it is the 103rd day, and the Ukrainian Donbas stands. It stands firmly, he said in his nightly address to the nation.

Zelenskyy also said Moscow's forces intend to take the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, home to more than 700,000 people, a move that could severely weaken Ukraines standing and allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

In the Zaporizhzhia region ... there is the most threatening situation there, Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian fighters' dogged defense of the steel mill frustrated the Kremlin's objective of quickly capturing Mariupol and tied down Russian forces in the strategic port city.

The defenders' fate in Russian hands is shrouded in uncertainty. Zelenskyy said more than than 2,500 fighters from the plant are being held prisoner, and Ukraine is working to win their release.

The recovery of their remains from the Azovstal ruins has not been announced by the Ukrainian government, and Russian officials have not commented. But relatives of soldiers killed at the plant discussed the process with The Associated Press.

Ukraine on Saturday announced the first officially confirmed swap of its military dead since the war began. It said the two sides exchanged 320 bodies in all, each getting back 160 sets of remains. The swap took place Thursday on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Anna Holovko, a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment, said all 160 of the Ukrainian bodies turned over by the Russians were from the Azovstal ruins. She said that at least 52 of those bodies are thought to be the remains of Azov Regiment soldiers.

Maksym Zhorin, a former Azov Regiment leader now co-commanding a Kyiv-based military unit, confirmed that bodies from the steel plant were among those exchanged.

The brother of an Azov fighter missing and feared dead in the steelworks told the AP that at least two trucks of bodies from Azovstal were transferred to a military hospital in Kyiv for identification.

Viacheslav Drofa said the remains of his elder brother, Dmitry Lisen, did not appear to be among those recovered so far. He added that some of the dead were severely burned.

The mother of a soldier killed in an airstrike on the plant said the Azov Regiment telephoned her and said her sons body might be among those transferred to Kyiv. The mother did not want her or her son to be identified by name, saying she feared that discussing the recovery process might disrupt it.

She tearfully referred to her son as a hero. Its important for me to bury him in our Ukrainian land," she said.

In other developments Monday, Ukraine's efforts to fight off Russia's invasion loomed large over D-Day commemorations in France, where the 78th anniversary of the Normandy invasion was marked.

"The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy.

He added: Its about maintaining the so-called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead who are buried here at this cemetery."

American D-Day veteran Charles Shay, 97, was at Omaha Beach to mark the the anniversary of the June 6, 1944, landings and pay tribute to those who fell that day. Asked about the war raging on the European continent, Shay said, "It is a very sad situation.

In 1944 I landed on these beaches, and we thought wed bring peace to the world. But its not possible, he added.

Meanwhile, the president of Ukraines separatist Donetsk Peoples Republic said that the pro-Moscow region is putting on trial three British men alleged to have been mercenaries for Ukraine. If convicted on the charges, including of trying to seize power, the men could get the death penalty.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree granting lump-sum payments of 5 million rubles ($81,000) to families of Russian National Guard members who die in Ukraine. Guard members have taken part in such operations as the seizure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The lump sum is roughly six times the average annual Russian salary.

On the battlefield, Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was repairing armored vehicles, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while Russian artillery struck 431 military targets, Konashenkov said. His claims could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian forces put up resistance in Sievierodonetsk and other areas.

"There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on this direction, Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian artillery fire could be heard outside the city of Bakhmut, southwest of Sievierodonetsk.

Ukrainian tanks moved back and forth from the front line, carefully hiding under trees after firing at Russian positions. One of the tanks was a T-80 captured from Russian forces. Its crew hacked bushes with hatchets and covered the vehicle and its main gun with branches.

Associated Press writers David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine; Andrea Rosa in Bakhmut, Ukraine; and Sylvie Corbet in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, contributed to this story.

Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the states health department can release data on businesses where multiple COVID-19 cases occurred, closing the loop on a nearly two-year-old public records case pitting businesses right to privacy against the publics right to information.

In a 4-3 decision  with conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn siding with the courts three liberal justices, Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet and Jill Karofsky  the court ruled against Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the states largest business organization. WMC filed the lawsuit in October 2020 after Gov. Tony Evers and the state Department of Health Services announced plans that summer to release information pertaining to positive COVID-19 cases at businesses in order to comply with public records requests from media outlets.

The issue is whether the public records laws general prohibition on pre-release judicial review of decisions to provide access to public records bars WMCs claims, Dallet wrote for the majority. We conclude that it does, and therefore affirm the court of appeals decision.

Conservative justices Annette Ziegler, Patience Roggensack and Rebecca Bradley dissented, with Ziegler writing that the state is prepared to release individuals personal medical information to the public and saying the majority makes no mention of the perhaps unintended consequences of its action.

It closes the courthouse doors to anyone who may wish to challenge the release of personal medical information, Ziegler wrote. This is egregious error.

Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, said the decision reaffirms the publics right to know pandemic-related information collected by a public health authority. He also pushed back on Zieglers comments, noting that all that is being released is the names of businesses and number of confirmed infections gathered as part of the states response to a public health crisis.

To try to frighten people into believing that their most personal medical information is now open for all to see seems irresponsible, Lueders said in a statement.

WMC, along with the Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce and New Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, filed the lawsuit in Waukesha County Circuit Court to block release of the records after DHS announced plans to release the names of more than 1,000 businesses with more than 25 employees where at least two workers had tested positive for COVID-19.

Wisconsin businesses said releasing the information to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other media outlets that requested the information, including the Wisconsin State Journal, would have severe impacts on companies already struggling through the pandemic.

The business groups also alleged the information they want blocked is derived from diagnostic test results and the records of contact tracers, and that such information constitutes patient health care records that must be kept confidential under federal law.

A Waukesha County judge issued multiple restraining orders in 2020 preventing the state health department from releasing the information. The Fourth District Court of Appeals eventually reversed the lower courts decision last April, prompting WMCs appeal to the state Supreme Court.

Kurt Bauer, president and CEO of WMC, said in a statement the organization disagrees with the courts decision, which has opened the door to massive public intrusion into private medical records possessed by state agencies.

The governors attempt to shame and embarrass Wisconsin businesses is wrong, and the Supreme Court is equally wrong to allow it, Bauer said.

DHS spokesperson Elizabeth Goodsitt said Tuesday the requested documents would not be made available until ordered for release by the circuit court. The state Supreme Court remanded the case back to the lower courts.

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Cambodia has denied that it will permit any Chinese military presence after the expansion of its naval base on the Gulf of Thailand.

On Tuesday, government spokesman Phay Siphan described the expansion of the Ream Naval Base as cooperation between China and Cambodia. He said the Chinese ambassador to Cambodia, along with Cambodias defense minister and top military officials, will lead the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday.

However, he denied a report in The Washington Post newspaper that said an area on the northern side of the Cambodian naval base would be used in part by the Chinese military. The newspaper said the information came from an unnamed Chinese official.

Siphan said it would be a violation of Cambodias constitution to host a foreign military power and there had been no change in the countrys agreement with China.

I think thats a strong accusation, he told the Associated Press.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday said the work would be a renovation of the Ream Naval Base. The aim of the project, he added, is to strengthen the Cambodian navys capability.

But the expansion of the base has led to concern in the United States and Asia-Pacific countries that it will become a port for Chinese naval forces.

Ream is on the Gulf of Thailand, near the South China Sea. China has claimed nearly all of the waterway. Several nations, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines, also have claims in the area.

The U.S. has refused to recognize Chinas claim and carries out what it calls freedom of navigation exercises. The goal is to establish that the area remains international waters.

A Chinese base in Cambodia would be close to the important Malacca Strait. Ships sailing between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean pass through the strait.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price on Monday confirmed reports of Chinese building activities at Ream Naval Base. He added that the Chinese military presence at Ream could threaten Cambodias autonomy and undermine regional security as well.

China recently signed a security deal with the Solomon Islands and tried to reach agreements with other South Pacific island nations.

Zhao, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, accused the U.S. of bullying Cambodia. He said it was ignoring Cambodias denial that Ream would be used for Chinese military purposes. He also noted the U.S. network of military bases around the world.

The United States has more foreign military bases than any other country, including several in the Asia-Pacific area.

China has said it has one foreign military base in the African country of Djibouti. But observers believe that China is establishing its own foreign military network without using the term base.

Cambodias leader, Hun Sen, has long had close ties with China. He reportedly signed a secret agreement in 2019 permitting the Chinese to establish a base at Ream.

China has already been dredging the port to let larger ships enter. It is building new structures on the naval base. Last month, Hun Sen suggested that the water was still not deep enough for any warships.

Why would we need foreign forces, for what? What Cambodia really needs at the moment is foreign investment, not foreign forces , he said.

The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative shared satellite images in January of two machines working in the harbor. The group is part of the Center for Strategic and International Studies based in Washington, D.C. It said Ream could only hold small ships at this time. But it added: A deep-water port would make it far more useful to both the Cambodian and Chinese navies.

Im Ashley Thompson.

David Rising and Sopheng Cheang reported this story for the Associated Press. Hai Do adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

groundbreaking adj. describes a ceremony marking the beginning of a building project

renovation n. to make changes and repairs to something that is old (such as a house or building) so that it is in good condition again

autonomy n. the power or right of a country to govern itself

bullying n. the act frightening or threatening someone who is weaker

dredge v. to remove dirt and mud from the bottom of a lake or river to deepen it

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An Air Arabia flight from Chittagong (Bangladesh) to the UAE capital Abu Dhabi was diverted to Ahmedabad in India's Gujarat state when one of the plane's engines failed mid-flight, according to senior Indian aviation officials.

The incident took place on Monday night. None of the passengers or crew members were injured and the aircraft landed safely, said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials.

DGCA is conducting a probe into the incident.

Since twin-engine aircraft can land safely on one engine, flight 3L-062 operated on Airbus A320 (A6-AOT) did so by diverting to Ahmedabad where it landed safely, said a report.

The flight landed at the Ahmedabad airport at approximately 9.25pm on Monday after one of the engines "stalled" mid-air and the engine failure warning came on, they added. Due to the warning sign, the crew had to make a "mayday" call and the aircraft was allowed to conduct an emergency landing at the airport, the officials noted.
Mexico says the United States discriminated against Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua by excluding them from an upcoming leaders gathering.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Monday he would not attend the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California.

Lopez Obrador noted that the U.S. had not invited all of the areas leaders. He said, There cant be Summit of the Americas if not all countries  are taking part.

Lopez Obrador also said he would meet with U.S. President Joe Biden in July.

The decision to cut Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua from the meeting was due to concerns about human rights and a lack of democracy in the three nations, a top U.S. official said.

Mexico is sending Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard to the gathering. On Tuesday, he sharply criticized the United States.

Ebrards opinion piece appeared in the Mexican newspaper Excelsior. He wrote that the U.S. does not treat countries equally in connection to their human rights situations.

"The so-called democratic clause, Ebrard wrote, is used when it is convenient to the U.S. He pointed to the countrys membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, as an example. Among ASEAN's members are military-ruled Myanmar, and Vietnam, under single-party rule.

U.S. officials said the meeting is for nations that have strong democratic and human rights records.

The summit is taking place in the U.S. for the first time since the first such gathering in Miami, Florida in 1994. The U.S. wants to regain its place as a regional leader. It is expected to share concerns and ideas at the meeting about Chinas growing influence. President Joe Biden will likely seek support for efforts aimed at blocking that growing power.

A U.S. official said the decision to ban Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela only came after weeks of thought.

Ned Price is a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department.

He said the U.S. understands Mexicos concerns, but those three nations are not a strong example of democratic leadership.

Without Lopez Obrador, some observers wonder how productive the meeting will be. One of the main subjects of the talks is how to slow migration into the U.S. from the border with Mexico.

A U.S. official, however, said the Mexican presidents absence would not hurt the talks. There will be 23 leaders present, which is close to the number at past summits.

One U.S. lawmaker, Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, said, Lopez Obradors absence would hurt the relationship between Mexico and the United States.

One leader who will attend is Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. He had seemed unsure whether to accept the invitation at first.

The ban of Nicaragua and Venezuela has been talked about recently, with Cubas president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, saying he would not go even if invited.

Cuba called the decision to ban the three countries discriminatory and unacceptable. Both Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega were not invited.

The U.S. instead invited opposition leaders and activists to attend.

The Biden administration said it expects representatives for Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to attend either in person or over a video connection.

While most leaders from nations in the Americas will be in Los Angeles, the pushback has observers wondering if the U.S. will continue to be influential in Central and South America.

Some of the other discussion subjects expected include a pandemic recovery partnership, reform of the Inter-American Development Bank and a $300 million plan for regional food security.

Im Caty Weaver.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by Reuters.

Write to us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page.

Words in This Story

clause  n. an exception or separate part of a legal document

convenient adj. allowing you to do something easily and without trouble
The recent mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, has brought new attention to the issue of how to keep children in American schools safe.

The attack by a teenaged gunman on May 24 killed 19 students and two teachers. Many details remain unclear.

Many measures have been proposed to prevent gun violence at schools in America. Democratic Party lawmakers have called for banning some kinds of guns, increased security investigations of gun buyers and other measures. Republican Party lawmakers have supported increased security for schools including permitting volunteer teachers to carry weapons.

Many years ago, Wayne LaPierre, the head of the National Rifle Association, a gun rights group, spoke in support of more guns. He said: "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."

Many teachers, however, do not support the idea of being armed. A 2018 opinion study by the Gallup organization found that 73 percent of American teachers did not want to carry guns in school.

A.J. Allegra has been a public school teacher in the city of New Orleans for 15 years. He said: "Children, teachers and education belong in schools  not guns. Imagine your oldest teacher when you were in school firing a gun several times within feet of 25 kids. The image is as preposterous as the idea.

Jenna Whitesell Carson has worked at a public high school in South Carolina for four years. She said she was appalled by the idea of arming teachers to prevent future school shootings.

"My first thought was that this is not at all what I signed up for," Carson told VOA. "I became a school librarian to educate young minds, not to carry a gun."

She added: "My second thought was that they definitely don't pay us enough for this.

Some teachers see the issue differently.

Jason Winder is a history teacher who carries a legal, concealed firearm, or gun, at school.

He said: "It's not about seeking out an active shooter. It's about giving me the best tools to keep my students and myself safe. I can't speak for everyone, but a firearm in my hand will be a lot more effective at stopping someone trying to harm my kids than us hiding in a corner."

Some teachers say attention should be placed on other answers. They call for better mental health care and keeping school buildings safe.

Many schools already have armed workers, known as resource officers. This was the case in the Parkland, Florida shooting in 2018 in which the officer failed to prevent the attack.

"The resource officer is the first line of defense," said Keith Mott. He is an officer of the Los Angeles Police Department. Mott said: "Teachers, on the other hand, have enough to do just trying to educate our children. That's their goal, and there's no reason they should be armed

Teachers do not agree on the answers, but most share a goal.

Angelica Garcia teaches English to children who do not speak it as their first language (ESL) at schools in Saginaw County, Michigan.

"The goal is to make sure our children feel safe, but also to ensure they are safe," said Garcia. "At the end of the day, we all just want to go home to our families, for our families to come home to us, and for us all to live to see another day," she added.

Im Gregory Stachel.

Matt Haines reported this story for VOA News. Matthew Caputo adapted it for VOA Learning English.

Quiz - Teachers Debate Carrying Guns to Protect Students in US Schools Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

librarian  n. a person who works in a library

appall  v. to cause (someone) to feel fear, shock, or disgust

preposterous  adj. very foolish or silly

conceal  v. to hide (something or someone) from sight

ensure  v. to make (something) sure, certain, or safe

What do you think of arming teachers? Do you think school faculty should carry firearms? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
South Korea and the United States held an air power exercise involving 20 fighter planes Tuesday. The allies latest demonstration of military strength comes as North Korea is showing signs it may soon test nuclear weapons.

The training was held in the sea off South Koreas western coast. South Koreas Ministry of National Defense said it was an answer to North Koreas launch of eight ballistic missiles Sunday.

Pictures released by South Koreas military showed the airplanes flying in a small, triangular formation. The exercise involved 16 South Korean fighter planes  including the F-35A, F-15K, and KF-16  and four F-16 fighters from the U.S. Air Force, said South Korean officials.

South Korea and the U.S. showed its strong ability and willingness to strike against North Koreas provocations quickly and accurately, the South Korean military said. The two countries are watching for further actions by North Korea, it added.

North Korea on Sunday fired eight short-range ballistic missiles into the sea over a 35-minute period, South Koreas military said. It was North Koreas 18th round of missile launches this year.

On Monday, the United States and South Korea answered by launching eight missiles of their own into the ocean.

South Koreas new conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has promised to answer quickly and firmly to what he calls North Korean provocations.

During a meeting last month, Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed holding larger joint military exercises. There had been fewer exercises under the previous South Korean government.

There are also signs that North Korea could soon carry out its seventh nuclear test. Another nuclear test could further raise tensions in the area.

Rafael Mariano Grossi is head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. He said Monday that one of the tunnel entrances has been opened at North Koreas nuclear test site. That may be in preparation for a nuclear test, Grossi said.

Such a test, he said would contravene U.N. Security Council resolutions and would be a cause for serious concern.

North Korea is in the middle of one of its busiest years ever for weapons tests. It is attempting to make progress on a weapons development wish list created by leader Kim Jong Un in 2021.

Im Dan Novak.

Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by William Gallo of Voice of America.

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

provocation  n. an action or occurrence that causes someone to become angry or to begin to do something

contravene  n. to fail to do what is required by law
The cause of death of a 17-month-old girl in Albany was drowning, according to a social media post from the Albany Police Department.
Jayathi Y. Murthy will be the next president of Oregon State University, the OSU Board of Trustees announced Tuesday morning, June 7.

The vote was unanimous.

She will begin her role Sept. 9, succeeding interim-president Becky Johnson, who has led the university since May 2021. The board voted on a five-year employment agreement with the university.

Murthy will be the first woman of color to lead OSU.

This is the right place and right time, Murthy said in a news release. I am very impressed by Oregon State University. OSU is well-positioned to address the many challenges in how higher education will be best provided in the years ahead thanks to the universitys excellent faculty, staff and leaders, and its commitment to student success, inclusive excellence and its long experience and leadership in online education.

Her annual base salary will be $423,000. The board approved supplemental compensation with an annual amount of $227,000 funded by the universitys foundation. The board may approve increases to the base salary supplement.

Murthy is the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. She is the first woman dean at UCLA Engineering and started the Women in Engineering at UCLA program, which supports the full participation of women in engineering.

She grew up and received her undergraduate degree in India. She received her masters and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Washington State University and the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, respectively.

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Murthy and the other presidential semi-finalist, Charles R. Martinez, visited the OSU-Corvallis campus May 23 and 24 to give presentations and answer community members questions. Those who attended, both virtually and in person, had the opportunity to fill out a community input form to aid in the trustees decision.

The presidential search process was much more open this time around than it was for the selection of F. King Alexander, who resigned in March 2021 after a report came out revealing King contributed to systemic failures in responding to sexual and relationship violence during his time as president at Louisiana State University

Kings hiring was not made public until the board had already voted to offer the position to him.

Chief diversity officer Scott Vignos said the openness and transparency of the search process was crucial in selecting the right candidate.

"The opportunity for community members to meet with and engage with the candidates added incredible value to the process," Vignos said. "It gave students, faculty and staff the opportunity to think about the candidates expertise in relation to their work."

Faculty Senate President Kate MacTavish said the open process made OSUs shared values of accountability and integrity clear to those who applied. In the height of the Alexander controversy, the Faculty Senate had called for his resignation about five days before his resignation.

I am very excited about the leadership President Murthy will bring to OSU, MacTavish said. Her strong commitments to student success, vision around research excellence, and experience in development within higher education will guide us well as we move into our next chapter as a public, land-grant university.

Murthy said she plans to grow faculty research, scholarship, creativity and innovation by continuing to hire and retain excellent staff. She also hopes to advance diversity, equity and inclusion by expanding college access and providing already enrolled students with strong support services.

I do not believe in exclusivity or in excluding certain students, she said. Thats not the future I see for OSU. I see broad access for all qualified learners.

Joanna Mann (she/her) covers education for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6076 or Joanna.Mann@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @joanna_mann_.

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Our loving husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather and friend to many, left us to be with his creator on June 2, 2022. Although we will miss him tremendously, we know his pain is a million miles away and the fish are aplenty.
Editors Note: This is the fourth of a multi-part series about Don Magnusons service as an airman in World War II and the letters he wrote home, now compiled into a book by his sons.

Rest, Recoveryand More Missions

After surviving their B-24s crash into the Adriatic Sea on July 15, 1944 and being rescued and taken back to base, Don Manguson and the surviving crew were given time to recover.

Three days later, Don penned a letter to his parents and said in an understatement, either to spare his parents feelings or avoid the censors pen, I guess Ill have to tell you that Im in the hospital from a little misfortune we had and Im O.K. Never got hurt hardly at all. Just my feelings hurt. I should be out real soon.

Don was complimentary of the doctor and nursing staff that care for them. He also wrote to his parents saying they had daily visits from Madeleine Carroll, an English actress who was known for her role in Alfred Hitchcocks The 39 Steps, released in 1935.

I can say now that she is my favorite. Ive talked to her quite a bit and she is very nice. I have an autographed picture of her to me. Ill send it one of these days, but I want to take it back to show some of the kids in the squadron.

Don also told his parents Lexington native Ernie Quitmeyer came by each day to see him. Dons pilot, Lt. Mercer Markman, who had survived the crash, also visited him.

For his wounds from the crash, Don was awarded the Purple Heart.

As part of his recovery, Don got to spend some time on the island of Capri in the Mediterranean Sea. He wrote to his parents on Aug. 15, saying, Its one of the most beautiful places Ive ever been or have seen. The weather is perfect and the trees and flowers are every place. Ive never dreamed of such a perfect place. Its so peaceful here.

Don noted while he was writing, they heard word about big news of the invasion. He was referring to Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of southern France that took place two months after the Normandy invasion.

Writing on the night of Aug. 22 Don noted, I am sorta mad tonight. They put us up to fly missions right away, so we are going back to flying and finishing the missions out. I would like to get a lot of sleep tonight though.

Dont worry about the rest of the missions over what has happened. I think its all going to be ok. Lt. Markman has flown a couple missions while we have been away. Even if anything should happen, we have still got a pretty good chance like Joe. If everything goes as it has, maybe the war will be over before we have a chance to finish. I hope.

Don referred to his pilot Lt. Markman getting more missions in than he did. That would mean he would finish before Don did.

Paul and Jim Manguson, Dons sons, said he and Markman were close and that Don was nervous to fly with another pilot after they had been through so much after setting off from Colorado Springs as a crew.

Jim said on one occasion, Don was flying with a new pilot and noticed the aircrafts angle of attack was too high and they were going to stall, which in a B-24 would certainly mean a crash. Don rushed forward to correct the controls. After landing, Don told his superiors he would keep flying, but they could not make him fly with that pilot again.

Dons first combat mission after the crash into the sea took place on Aug. 23 over Ferrara, Italy. A man in Dons squadron, Robert Hejtmanek, noted there was fairly accurate and intense flack that hit one B-24 and only five parachutes were seen.

Don noted of the mission, We went to northern Italysort of a milk run, some flak. Ill take some more just like that, but I imagine we will get a few doubles before we finish up. They count up fast but are sure long trips.

Later that night, Don wrote to his parents, Well I have another mission since I last wrote to you. It was sure hard to start flying again, but since it started its about the same old routine.

I cant get over how fast the time is going. It just doesnt seem possible that it is about the end of August. The 19th of Aug. a year ago I graduated from Sheppard Field. Sure never dreamed then that I would be in Italy. I thought I would be a mechanic on the line some place.

Throughout the rest of late August, Don took part in missions over the Kolin Oil Company, Czechoslovakia, Blechhammer oil refinery in Germany, a railroad bridge in Ora, Italy and another over southwestern Czechoslovakia.

On Aug. 31, Don noted he had a total of 32 missions under his belt, I shouldnt be braggingbecause I still have several to go. He noted Lt. Markman was six missions ahead of him.

Ive never told you about the different countries Ive seen here, so Ill name them, Don wrote, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, a tip of Bulgaria and I think maybe a tip of Albania. I wish I could see them from the ground.

As the calendar turned over to September, Don continued to take part in bombing missions. On Sept. 6, Don said their number three engine died on them. Without full power, they would have trouble keeping up with the formation, where there was more protection from enemy fighters.

You will never know what it means to be able to call an escort when you are in trouble. We were away back by ourselves, sweating it out as to whether we would get jumped by fighters before the escort got there, Don wrote, Then presently, or a few minutes after we sent in the call, eight P-38s came out of nowhere and stayed with us until we got clear of enemy territory.

Its the most wonderful feeling to know you have protection with those P-38s flying all around and over you, ready to strike at anything that comes close, Don wrote.

He also noted, Im still sweating out my missions, even though we have the best equipment and best escort and all. I dont like flak popping, its got me scared.

On Sept. 7, Don wrote a letter to his parents saying, I am writing to you from the wild blue yonder this afternoon. I had to fly a practice mission this morning and another one this afternoon, so I decided I would be busy about all day and if I didnt write you while flying, I wouldnt have much time.

I sure get tired of flying all of these practice missions, but there isnt much I can do about it, he wrote.

Don told his folks a little about his routine during a flight.

I just looked at the altimeter and I see we are about six thousand feet going up. So Ill have to get ready for altitude in a few minutes, which consists of putting on my sheepskin boots, my electric heated suit, my helmet and oxygen mask. Then I have to hook my oxygen mask to another hose in the ship that comes from the oxygen system. I have to hook up my earphones and microphone up there, and then plug in my heated suit if I need the heat, which makes four things we are practically tied up with. That along with life vest for water, parachute, flak suit and steel helmet when on a real mission that just about weighs a person down until they cant move much.

Thats the main reason I like and insist on taking waist position. We have lots of room, Don wrote.

It was during a September mission that Dons aircrafts hydraulic system was inoperative and that meant they had no brakes for when they landed. Don, again thinking on his feet, borrowed two parachutes from the crew and threw them out of the waist gun windows so they could create enough drag to help slow the big bomber down.

On Sept. 12, the night after an eight hour combat mission to bomb the Lechfeld airfield in Germany, Don wrote home saying Lt. Markman had finished his missions. We have to fly with other pilots and we have been fortunate to get in with good pilots and in the lead ship.

The lead ship in the bomber formation was usually the safest, as after a head on pass, most enemy fighters would target the bombers in the Tail-End Charlie position.

If Don was worried about the remainder of his missions, he had good reason to be.

For his last mission on Sept. 13, Don would be returning to the oil refinery at Odertal, Germany, near the Polish border.

The last time they had flown a mission to this location, Don said the flak close to target was, the worst we were ever in.

Don later recalled, On my very last mission the radio operator and I flying with another crew went back to this target (Odertal). Obviously we were very fearful. We knew if we got back we would get to go home.

Don noted in the past months if the radio operator, Harold Van Fossen, nicknamed Red, and seen any of the men reading their little Army Bibles or prayer books, he would make a big issue of it. He would say it wouldnt do you any good, you didnt read them at home and it wasnt going to do you any good over here.

However, on route to the target, with heavy anti-aircraft fire in their near future, Don passed through the radio compartment and saw Fossen hunched over the radio table looking at something. Don glanced over his shoulder and saw him reading his prayer book. I was so pleased that I never let him know I saw him, Don recalled.

15th Bombers Blast Synthetic Oil Works, read the headline of an Associated Press article written about Dons last mission.

In a letter written the next day, Don titled his letter FLASH EXTRA, mimicking the news wire of the time. I am a happy man tonight. I am all through. Fifty missions to my credit, so Ill be coming home in the near future, however, Ill be laying around until my orders come through. All of us are through except the co-pilot and tail gunner.

Five days after completing his last mission, Don wrote home saying, Its pretty nice being able to lay here in the morning and hear these planes take off and circle over our tent and we just lay here.

Old Red, our radio operator, rolled over this morning and said, give them hell boys, as the planes went over. Then he went back to sleep. For some reason that struck me as funny, Don wrote.

Don would be coming home soon.
WAHOO  Jason Smiths love of instrumental music was developed as a student at Ashland-Greenwood High School.

For the past 10 years, he has been the band director at Wahoo Public Schools. His hard work was recognized recently when he was named the 2021 Music Educator of the Year by the Nebraska Music Education Association.

I was speechless, he said.

The 2021-22 school year began with a stellar season for the high school marching band, which earned superior awards in all five of the competitions in which it was entered, including the State Marching Band Contest.

It was the first superior at state since I restarted field marching nine years ago, he said.

The school music program also received recognition from the Nebraska Music Education Association for a high level of participation in music. Smith said 41% of the students in grades 9 to 12 are involved in some form of band or choir.

While growing up in Ashland, Smiths love of music was fostered by his grandmother, who couldnt read music but could play the piano by ear.

She really encouraged us to stay involved in the arts, he remembered.

He knew in high school that he wanted to be a band teacher.

In my junior year of high school I caught the bug, he said.

Supportive teachers suggested the saxophone player learn to play multiple instruments.

I just started learning more and more and picking up other instruments and trying new things, Smith said.

After graduating from Ashland-Greenwood in 2004, Smith enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He graduated in 2009 with a degree in music education and recently completed his masters of education in curriculum and instruction at Wayne State College.

Smith taught for two years at Bancroft-Rosalie Community School before coming to Wahoo in 2012.

He was excited for the chance to be closer to his parents, who still lived in Ashland, but also to be back on familiar ground as far as school size.

I always saw myself teaching in a school or a position much like the one I grew up in, he said.

Since taking the position of band director for grades 5 to 12 at Wahoo, Smith has moved the music program in a positive direction. He credits great leadership at the student, teacher and administrative level for the success.

The culture of this school and the music program is very good, he said.

Adding field marching has helped bring more students to band. He has also created more occasions for students to perform and experience music outside of school by adding performances at senior living centers, creating opportunities for the band to perform at places like Worlds of Fun and adding more field marching competitions.

Smith has also brought in clinicians  college professors to work with small groups to improve their performances.

He also encourages his students to participate in honor bands and attend clinics.

Smith, too, has fostered a mentoring program where high school students talk to middle school students about band.

Allowing middle school students to ask high schoolers what band is like opens avenues and opportunities for those kids to be a part of the band family, he said.

The hard work is paying off. The middle school and high school jazz band programs have grown, and Smith is seeing increased interest in auditioning for honor bands.

The community has also helped the program grow by supporting the construction of the Performance Learning Center at the high school 10 years ago.

Investment in the arts here at Wahoo has paid dividends for our programs, he said.

The music program, and Smiths success, also is shown by the number of students that have gone on to careers in music education or to perform in college or university bands. He has also mentored three student teachers in recent years, including one who was hired as the new band director for Raymond Central Public Schools.

The students who participate in music have the opportunity to learn more than just how to read music. Music incorporates the ideas of art, math, science and history, Smith said.

Wherever you go, music is a part of the human experience and its important that students are educated consumers of music and ideally participants, he said.
LEXINGTON  Avamere at Lexington will be closing effective July 31 after the property was sold to a limited liability company from Roswell, New Mexico. The loss of the assisted living facility from the community has been called, detrimental.

Avamere at Lexington, an independent and assisted living community, has announced their permanent closure, effective June 1, 2022. Avamere Communities oversees the management of the building and was notified by ownership of the closure as Chevalier Capital sold the property. The community will be closed effective July 31, 2022, according to press release from Thomas Cloutier, Chief Marketing Officer with Arete Living.

Avamere at Lexington was proactive in assisting employees and residents through this transition, assisting them in finding new employment and homes. Maria Barajas, Executive Director of Avamere at Lexington, was instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition, according to the release.

We sincerely thank our employees for their dedication to our residents, stated Sarah Silva, President of Avamere Communities. Your work directly impacts lives, and I extend my heartfelt thanks for your selfless service. To our residents, thank you for choosing Avamere as your home. Our team has loved getting to know you and serving you, per the release.

Avamere at Lexington consists of 23 independent living suites and 52 assisted living suites.

Executive Director Maria Barajas was reached for information about the number of residents and staff affected by the closure but the messages were not returned by press time.

According to Dawson County real estate records, the sale of the Avamere property took place on Monday, May 23. It was sold to United Partners, LLC, of New Mexico, which is registered to Narendra Mistry, per the New Mexico Secretary of State.

Mistry was attempted to be contacted about his plans for the location, but could not be reached by press time.

According to the Roswell Daily Record, Mistry is a Roswell businessman with 28 years in the hospitality industry. In March 14, 2020 he purchased a former Avamere facility in Roswell with the intent of turning it into a hotel.

Kirsten Faessler Chief Operating Officer at Lexington Regional Health Center stated, The closure of Avamere exacerbates an already critical situation around having a safe place that delivers high quality care for our community residents when/if the time comes that they need this level of assistance.

Faessler said LRHC, currently has an extremely difficult time in finding a facility that is able to take our patients from the hospital setting, when they need to transition from their home to a new living facility, that provides additional services and care for them. The loss of Avamere to our community would be detrimental.

Faessler represented both a resident at Avamere and as the COO of LRHC when she attended a meeting called by Avamere to notify residents and their families, or representatives of the situation.

It was a shock to hear corporate staff from Avamere state that the city and the hospital were made aware of the situation and were unconcerned. That statement is false.

Lexington Mayor John Fagot said the City of Lexington had not been made aware of the situation prior to June 3 and no information had been shared with city staff from Avamere.

When asked about the effect of the facility closing, Fagot said it would have a negative impact on the community. He said there are discussions to see if a new provider can be found before the facility closes, but was unsure if that was a possibility.

Fagot noted these types of assisted living facilities have been closing all over the country due to a variety of factors, including lack of staff. He said these facilities are important in providing care to residents and ensuring they can stay close to their families.

As someone who has worked in healthcare my entire professional career advocating for patient and patients rights is something I do on a daily basis. I can assure you that myself, the hospital administration, and every hospital employee were astounded and devastated by this announcement, Faessler said, We promise you we will be doing everything we are capable of to advocate for the residents of Avamere, the facility, the Avamere staff, and this community.

Avamere at Lexington has been in the community since 2018 after it took over ownership of the facility from Brookdale Senior Living Solutions, Brookdale was formerly Park Avenue Estates. The building itself was constructed in 1994, according to the Dawson County GIS site.
AMHERST  For the past 10 years, Bob and Vera Giffin have had a standing date every Saturday night. They glide around the floor at the local country dance.

Last Saturday evening, the Giffins were among 15 or 20 couples continuing a 127-year tradition. After being held in Miller for decades, the dances moved to the Amherst Community Center in January.

This event started in 1895 and is still going strong, pausing only briefly for COVID-19 two years ago. Attendance is rebounding, and veterans like the Giffins keep coming. We know some people here, and we get to make new friends, too, Vera said.

Theres no alcohol, just music, laughter, cookies, popcorn and whatever snacks attendees bring to share. Admission is just $5 per adult; children and teens are free.

As the Giffins and others danced, Jim Cudaback smiled and watched. His foot was in a cast due to a recent fall, but he no longer dances. He just likes to come.

I love the people. I have fun just watching, he said. I remember when people would come and dance for four hours. Now they just dance for three hours. The crowd is younger now, too.

He said the dances were held in the Miller community hall for at least 80 years, maybe even 100 years, but he said the new location is working out quite well.

Years ago, Cudaback played the keyboard at the dances. He remembers Ray and Nadine Winz of Holdrege, who began coming to the dances 50 years ago. Their grandkids used to come on stage when I was playing. A few years ago, one of them sat by me and watched me play. One fell asleep and hit his head on the keyboard, Cudaback said.

Young leaders

As dancers begin arriving last Saturday, Henry Cooper sat at a table selling tickets. He and his wife Martha oversee the event. They are in their 20s and live north of Mason City.

Martha Cooper began attending the dances with her parents in 2015 and kept coming with Henry after they began dating. We were looking for something do. Its fun. We like to talk to the people, Martha said.

The couple married in 2019. Now, they schedule the bands and set up and clean up the community center. Its a 45-minute drive from their home to Amherst every Saturday night, but it was 40 miles to Miller, Martha said.

During the week, the Coopers drive a truck for Mason City Enterprises, doing custom manure spreading, but on the weekends, they love to dance. They canceled the dance due to weather just once last winter. The people are pretty determined to come, Martha said.

As the band lit into Under the Double Eagle, Cudaback chatted and joked with the Coopers until they headed onto the dance floor. These are good young kids. Theyre doing a great job, he said.

Band plays on

At the north end of the room, the band Classic Country played on, with a floor lamp illuminating their music. Band members include guitarists Darold Ostendorf and Steve Young of Gothenburg, and drummer Cliff Keslar of Kearney. They play here every five weeks or so, and they love it.

The band played pop tunes, beloved oldies, a few western songs and more. Judy Smith sat at a nearby table and kept an eye on three-ring binders of music the band brought in. The music and the dancing never stopped.

Other regular bands include Lead Me Home, a worship group from Kearney; Curt Pfeil and Friends from Alma, and Ray Mullen, among others. Martha Cooper said bands are always eager to play.

Happy dancers

About 40 to 60 people show up every week, people like David and Charlotte Lang, who live close to Ravenna. They were a colorful couple Saturday night. David wore a deep aqua shirt and a cowboy hat. Charlotte, a Mary Kay consultant and wedding cake baker, wore a fringe-sleeved jacket and a rose skirt. Theyve been coming to the dances for four years.

We enjoy the people, the bands and the music. Plus, theres no alcohol, David said. Charlotte added, Its a wonderful place to come and meet people.

Out on the dance floor, Connie Ward of Grand Island glowed as her friend Randy Leach led her around. Lillian Larsen showed off her fancy cowboy boots. She and her husband Bruce, married for 57 years, live in Clay Center. Theyre regulars here, too.

Halfway through the evening, the Coopers turned on the lights. The band paused, and the dancers sat down at tables for a brief intermission. The Coopers drew ticket numbers; winners received passes or discounts at future dances. Attendees helped themselves to cupcakes and popcorn, homemade peanut butter cookies and other goodies set out on a table up front. Other desserts were for sale, with the money going to help pay the band.

Dim lights

Then the lights dimmed again. Around three sides of the dance hall, tiny twinkling white lights were strung from the ceiling and cast a sheen on the dance floor. The crowd wont dance if its too bright, Martha said.

The Coopers love to dance. They took dance lessons from Kirby and Ronda Anderson for four or five years and learned to do the cha-cha, the waltz and more. They have a group of eight friends who frequently dance, too.

The couple spreads the word about the dances through the Kearney Hub, Facebook and email. They also print about 15-20 fliers each month and post them throughout the area.

Finally, at 10 p.m., Classic Country set down their guitars. As they do every week, the crowd gathered in a circle on the dance floor, clasped hands and sang God Bless America. They bumped fists and said good night.

This is the only place for dances like this. Its a lost art, Martha said. We just like to see people having a good time.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Deli, which opened last September at 511 State St., has closed.

The PBJ Deli has decided not to renew our State Street lease and is now closed, reads a sign on the door. Weve enjoyed serving you.

It encourages customers to visit the original Peanut Butter & Jelly Deli in the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis or online at thepbjdeli.com.

Owner Mike Hottinger didnt respond to calls and text messages seeking comment.

He opened the West Allis shop, specializing in grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, in February 2018, although under the shops logo it says est. 2017.

Hottinger called Madison the best place to grow his brand, before opening last year. I cant think of a better street than State Street in Madison. I mean, in the entire state.

He said his customers arent just young families and college students. Its really everybody, he said then. We see little kids with grandparents, we see families, we see businessmen. College kids love our product and our service.

Read more restaurant news at: go.madison.com/restaurants

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On Thursday, the team of Jane Reynolds and Steve Braunginn will sign off the air one last time on WORT 89.9 FM. But first, there will be a party.

The celebration Wednesday of their long-running jazz show, Strictly Jazz Sounds, is expected to attract a whos-who of the Madison jazz scene to Cafe CODA, 1224 Williamson St. Starting at 7 p.m., the gathering will be filled with performances by names such as Hanah Jon Taylor, Johannes Wallmann, Darren Sterud, Nick Moran and others.

Jane and Steves show has been indispensable for the Madison jazz scene, said Wallmann, who is facilitating Wednesdays show and promises a thrilling mosaic of jazz styles on the Cafe CODA stage.

Over its 17 years, Strictly Jazz Sounds has attracted a loyal local radio audience, as well as online listeners from as far away as Australia, Europe and South America.

And along with other shows on WORT, its helped to fill a jazz void on the local public radio spectrum, said Wallmann, the John and Carolyn Peterson Professor of Jazz Studies at UW-Madisons Mead Witter School of Music, who calls Strictly Jazz Sounds exemplary.

Among the performers in the show Wednesday will be Reynolds, a jazz pianist herself, who is also marking 37 years as a volunteer show host on community radio station WORT.

In 1985, Reynolds had been studying with Madison jazz greats Joan Wildman and Richard Davis and wanted to shine a brighter light on the talent that was right here at home. With her new solo show on WORT called Jazz Sounds, I had a lot of local musicians coming into the studio, not only for interviews but to perform live on the air, said Reynolds, who turns 73 in July. I wanted to give exposure to local musicians.

That same year she helped found the Madison Music Collective and created a weekly community jazz calendar. Reynolds was 20 years into doing her weekly radio show when the work of researching and programming Jazz Sounds on her own started to feel overwhelming  and she began to think about leaving.

New partner

Thats when Braunginn, who many years earlier hosted a show on WORT called Strictly Jazz, came to the station and volunteered to work as an on-air sub. As Reynolds was training him in the studio, the lightbulb went off: Why not join forces and share the work of a jazz show as co-hosts?

They combined the names of their solo shows  Jazz Sounds and Strictly Jazz  into Strictly Jazz Sounds or SJS, which is also Steve and Janes Show, Reynolds said with a laugh. We were such a good team. Im a musician, and he has a journalism background.

Over the years, Strictly Jazz Sounds grew to be one of our most popular jazz shows and is among the most respected programs on WORT, said Sybil Augustine, the community radio stations music director.

The two hosts have a special synergy that endears them to performers and listeners alike, Augustine wrote in an email. Weve heard from many, many listeners and supporters about how much theyre going to miss them both.

A life of jazz

A lifelong activist, Braunginn, who earned his masters degree in the field of broadcast journalism and communications, spent a long and varied career in Madison  starting as WORTs news director in the 1980s. (His first major interview for his solo show Strictly Jazz was with a young Branford Marsalis.) He went on to work as a Madison schoolteacher, served on the Dane County Board for six years in the 1990s and from 1998 to 2004 was president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Madison.

Braunginn, now 67, grew up with jazz on the radio, and bought his first jazz album when he was about 15. Despite health challenges through the years  he first went on the air with Strictly Jazz Sounds while he was still on oxygen  what really kept me alive was jazz, he said.

I live with jazz, said Braunginn, who on June 18 will conduct a free live interview at Memorial Union with Grammy-winning drummer and composer Brian Blade as part of the Madison Jazz Festival. I listen to it every day. It helps me thrive.

Even as a teen, I couldnt get enough of it, Braunginn said. I loved the way it felt. Jazz is about how it feels, how it moves you.

New horizons

Later this month, Braunginn and his wife will be moving to Columbus, Ohio, to be closer to their 5-year-old granddaughter. Once settled in their new home, Braunginn expects to start a jazz podcast focused on up-and-coming musicians, also called Strictly Jazz Sounds.

Reynolds, who will remain in Madison, wants more time to teach and perform. And shes confident that jazz will continue to thrive in Madison, thanks to solid institutions such as Cafe CODA and active jazz presenters such as Bluestem Jazz.

The 2 to 5 p.m. time slot at WORT on Thursdays will be taken over by a new jazz show hosted by Theresa Cuccia and Matt Marcus, Reynolds said.

Both Reynolds and Braunginn will host the last broadcast of Strictly Jazz Sounds, at 2 p.m. Thursday. Braunginn programmed the penultimate edition of the show on June 2 (available for streaming at wortfm.org until June 16) with a special salute to John Coltrane. Reynolds will program the June 9 edition (available for streaming until June 23), most likely featuring the music of Charles Mingus.

Simply Jazz Sounds was shaped by a love not only for the music, but for the people who wrote that music and those who played it. Interviews were marked by the deep research the hosts did, said Braunginn, adding, We have had a journey that has been a hell of a ride.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  Primary voters will decide Tuesday whether to add a provision to South Dakota's constitution making it more difficult to pass ballot measures that raise taxes or significantly expand government funds, a showdown over direct democracy in the state that pioneered voter-initiated laws.

The proposed constitutional amendment, which will appear as Amendment C on ballots, would place a 60% vote threshold on citizen-initiated ballot measures that raise taxes or spend more than $10 million within five years of enactment.

As Republicans have come to dominate politics in the state where the initiative and referendum processes were first enacted in 1898, the Legislature has tussled in recent years with voter-initiated measures. Supporters say they are necessary to pass popular law proposals that lawmakers are unwilling to take up. But lawmakers who proposed the constitutional amendment say it would protect from new citizen-proposed taxes by instituting a similar vote threshold the Legislature faces to levy a new tax.

Taxes are kind of like constitutional amendments, they last a long, long time, said Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, an organization supporting the campaign for Amendment C. They are such a big deal they should command a super-majority.

The Amendment C proposal was sparked by a separate citizen-proposed constitutional amendment to expand federal Medicaid eligibility, which will appear on ballots in November's general election. Republican lawmakers, anticipating the Medicaid expansion fight, pushed Amendment C to the primary ballot, even though fewer voters will almost certainly decide on it than if it had also been placed on the general election ballot.

During the 2020 election cycle, for example, the number of primary ballots cast was roughly one-third of the general election. Turnout also skewed Republican, with GOP-registered voters casting 63% of primary ballots despite making up 48% of registered voters.

Changing the constitution shouldnt be taken lightly, said Amy Scott-Stolz, the former president of the League of Women Voters, which joined the opposition campaign under her leadership. Letting the people decide on the issues is a South Dakota tradition and should be kept the way it is.

The vote on the constitutional amendment has drawn some of the state's most powerful political groups, with the state Republican party actively campaigning for it and the Democratic party hosting phone bank events to try to dissuade people from approving it.

The National Education Association and hospital systems  which are among the state's largest employers  have funded a $1.5 million opposition campaign called South Dakotans for Fair Elections; while Americans for Prosperity, a fiscally conservative organization, has spearheaded a $500,000 campaign called South Dakotans Against Higher Taxes.

It will take a simple majority of Tuesday's vote to enshrine the requirement in the state constitution.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
It was the excuses that bothered him most, then-Circuit Judge John Roemer told the man who, police say, would go to Roemers rural Juneau County home more than 15 years later and shoot him to death.

You have a great deal to offer, Roemer told Douglas K. Uhde at a Nov. 10, 2005, sentencing hearing. Your personality is strong because youre gregarious, youre outgoing, but theres something about your character where you just cant admit that you screwed up, and that might be the rest of your life that youll never be able to admit that you just made a mistake.

There was little in the 58-page transcript of the hearing that would point to any specific reason Uhde, 56, would allegedly later target Roemer before turning the gun on himself. Investigators have said he planned to target other government officials as well. A list found in his vehicle Friday included Roemer, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, an official who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation told The Associated Press.

But it seems from court and Department of Corrections records that Roemers words were prophetic. In the years to come, Uhde would escape from the medium-security prison where he was serving his sentence and file appeals and court challenges disputing some of the charges for which he was convicted after he was caught.

That echoed the approach he took in Roemers courtroom that November day, when, acting as his own attorney, he simultaneously pleaded guilty to a 2001 armed burglary and suggested he didnt do it, while arguing that evidence in his case had been destroyed by investigators, preventing him from mounting a good defense.

Yes, I did plead guilty to the charge, but did I actually commit this crime, just as I stated to the Court, because a person went to the crime, is that actually a crime committed? That answer has to be no, he told Roemer.

Roemer sentenced him to six years in prison and nine years of extended supervision, or more than the five years in prison and seven and a half years of supervision Uhde and prosecutors had settled on as part of the plea agreement.

The state Department of Justice, which is investigating the shooting at the 68-year-old Roemers home at W6128 Woodland Hills Road in the town of Lisbon, did not respond to requests for comment Monday on the investigation into Uhde, who most recently lived in Michigan and as of Saturday was in a hospital in critical condition.

In the Adams County case, Uhde was charged with armed burglary, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a short-barreled shotgun and possession of a firearm by a felon for burglarizing a vacant vacation home in the town of Quincy on the night of Aug. 20, 2001, according to a criminal complaint.

Plenty of trouble

Uhde was already a convicted felon in Texas, where he had a 1986 case for forgery and a 1996 case for escaping from custody. He also has a juvenile record and a 1986 attempted burglary conviction from Michigan, according to the transcripts of his sentencing hearing before Roemer.

He pleaded no contest in the Adams County burglary case in January of 2002, online court records show. But he had his conviction vacated in October 2004 after an appeals court found  and prosecutors ultimately admitted  that the trial court had misstated elements of the burglary charge. The next year he pleaded guilty again before the new judge in the case, Roemer.

DOC and court records show Uhde was in jail or prison in Wisconsin roughly from August 2001 to March 27, 2006, when he walked away from an inmate work assignment at Circus World in Baraboo that was being conducted through the Fox Lake Correctional Institution, where he was incarcerated.

A report by the Adams County Sheriffs Office alleges he turned up a little more than two weeks later in the Friendship and Wisconsin Rapids area, where he broke into a car and stole a wallet, stole license plates off another car and tried to break into his former girlfriends home.

Police caught him on April 17, 2006, after a chase that ended when he crashed his stolen pickup truck, according to a criminal complaint in Adams County. Another filed around the same time in Dodge County, where the prison is, says that when asked why he decided to escape, the defendant replied that it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.

He just couldnt go back to the institution, the complaint says. The defendant also described how he walked away, saying he left about 1:00 pm, walked down a sidewalk, crossed over train tracks, entered a Walmart, called a friend ... and she came and picked him up.

Attempts to reach victims named in the police reports and Uhdes former girlfriend were not successful. A man who answered the door at the Friendship home where the girlfriend used to live said she hadnt lived there for years.

Nowhere to run

Uhde pleaded no contest to the escape charge in Dodge County in January 2007 and was found guilty by a jury of fleeing police and other charges in Adams County in 2008.

Appeals courts in 2009 and again in 2011 rejected Uhdes petitions for a new trial in the Adams County case, saying hed not proven that the state had denied him access to relevant evidence or that prosecutors had engaged in misconduct.

At the 2005 sentencing hearing, Roemer said Uhde was bright and articulate but had largely squandered his talents.

What have you done really? he said. Nothing. Youre 40 years old and what do you have? Well, you have a GED. Youve got a year of post-automotive, but you have nothing to your name. ... If you are Catholic faith, or whatever faith your are, you have squandered your talents, and thats a sin because God has given you so much, and to be quite frank, youve done so little with your talents.

Juneau County Star-Times reporter John Gittings and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A 21-year-old Monona man was sentenced to a year in jail Monday for killing his teenage passenger while driving drunk more than two years ago, and will have to contact the Madison School District about talking to students about the experience, according to online court records.

Donovan Luz-Torres pleaded guilty to homicide by drunken driving in February for the April 19, 2020, crash that killed Justin D. Wixom, 18, of Fitchburg. As part of his plea, a second charge, driving with a revoked license causing death, was dismissed.

Luz-Torres told police he was kinda wasted when he crashed into the back of a parked semitrailer truck on Hayes Road on Madisons Far East Side, according to a criminal complaint. Court documents state that a breath sample indicated Luz-Torres blood alcohol concentration was more than 0.17%, which is more than twice the 0.08% limit for Wisconsin drivers.

A witness told police he saw Luz-Torres white Nissan Sentra coming up behind him with only its parking lights on and traveling at speeds of between 45 and 50 mph. When it passed him on the left, the witness said, the passenger had his head and upper torso sticking out of the front passenger-side window, the complaint states.

Just before the car struck the truck, the witness said, the passenger pulled his body back into the car, according to the complaint. Luz-Torres told police he was driving straight on Hayes Road when he struck the semi truck, which he said was parked right there in the middle of the street.

Homicide by drunken driving carries up to 25 years of combined prison and extended supervision. Under a recent change in Wisconsin law, Circuit Judge Ellen Berz was required to sentence Luz-Torres to at least five years in prison, unless she makes specific findings that such a sentence is not required.

On Monday, she imposed but stayed an eight-year sentence for Luz-Torres  made up of three years in prison and five on extended supervision  and instead ordered him to serve five years of probation, with the year in jail a condition of that probation.

Other conditions of his probation include a five-year driving ban, psychological treatment and 100 hours of community service in each year he is on supervision, conducted at a nonprofit of the victims familys choosing.

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Eleven high school seniors from Dane County were named college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship winners, with each receiving between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years toward their college education.

Three of the students attend school in the Madison School District, two attend Edgewood High School, and there is one from Madison Country Day School, Middleton High School, Monona Grove High School, Oregon High School, Stoughton High School and Waunakee High School.

The 11 students from Dane County were among more than 2,600 winners of the college-sponsored scholarship award from across the country.

The scholarship winners were selected from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the National Merit Scholarship competition and each were judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

Officials from each sponsor college selected scholarship winners from among the finalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. This year, 155 higher education institutions are providing awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program. Those institutions include 82 private and 73 public colleges and universities located in 42 states and the District of Columbia.

Scholars entered the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program when they took the 2020 preliminary SAT, which served as an initial screener for potential scholarship recipients. More than 15,000 finalists were designated across the country as the highest-scoring students in each state and represented less than 1% of the nations high school seniors.

Recipients of the corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships were named in April, recipients of the $2,500 National Merit Scholarships were named in May, and winners of the second round of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be named in July. About 7,500 finalists will have earned the Merit Scholar title and received a total of nearly $28 million in college scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Competition by the end of 2022.

Dane Co. honorees

Madison School District: Regan E. Banaszak; Sorin D. Caldararu; Thavida Johnston

Edgewood High School: Sarah Lauren Cook; Isaac M. Thelen

Madison Country Day School: Colin C. Young

Middleton High School: Harsha Chilakapati

Monona Grove High School: Daniel W. D. Hawker

Oregon High School: Sophia R. Davidson

Stoughton High School: Annaliese L. Skerpan

Waunakee High School: Thomas N. Troester

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The Madison School District plans to make permanent a moratorium on out-of-school suspensions for elementary school students while characterizing actions like cutting class and starting fires on school property as more severe infractions, according to policy changes presented to the School Board Monday night.

But board members expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of input sought by the administration from the board regarding changes to the Behavior Education Plan, or BEP, aside from a vote planned for the end of this month. The board had previously approved a temporary halt to out-of-school suspensions for elementary school students in October but planned to revisit that this month.

Other proposed changes would further align the BEP with Title IX  which prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance  and elevate the disciplinary action necessary for elementary students who cut class, start fires or attempt to start fires on school property.

There were a couple of instances this year where elementary schools felt very strongly that the severity of the behavior and the safety risk that it poses would benefit from a change in levels, to push that up one level, said Leia Esser, district interim director of student and staff support.

The district collects feedback from staff annually regarding the BEP, Esser said, and much of that involved asking for help to make the plan more effective for students and staff.

But board member Nicki Vander Meulen pushed back against the proposed changes, saying the district hadnt sought board input until the policy was finalized.

The Behavior Education Plan needs to be formed with the board who runs the policy, not the administration. It has to be done with us, together, Vander Meulen said. (The BEP) doesnt work, and our students who are most vulnerable are the ones who are getting bullied, the ones who arent feeling safe at school, are the ones who are paying the price.

Board member Nichelle Nichols expressed concern about the lack of data presented along with the policy revisions and asked for a contingency plan if the district isnt adequately staffed to make the BEP effective in the coming school year.

I do need you to know that Im not certain that I could vote for this later this month, she said. The things that you have outlined are very clear. It just feels like theres still something missing.

Board member Laura Simkin pushed for changes that would effectively limit the use of cellphones by students in classrooms during class time, asked for data from the administration on what staff members need to effectively implement the plan and data on the effectiveness of the use of restorative justice in the district.

And Chris Gomez-Schmidt expressed concern with the lack of data regarding the moratorium on out-of-school suspensions for elementary school students.

We dont have anything that youve given us to show us what these changes in policy have done in practice in the schools, she said. I dont feel comfortable making a bunch of changes that codify this ... without actually knowing how this is working in our schools and the effect that its having.

The current moratorium on elementary school suspensions does not have an expiration date and will continue even if it is not codified at the end of June.

The BEP was adopted in the 2014-15 school year to focus on what the district calls a more restorative and progressive approach to school discipline. Prior to Mondays proposed changes, minor revisions had been made to the plan between its implementation and the 2018-19 school year. A new version was implemented in the 2019-20 school year, and no changes were made to the plan the following year due to the pandemic.

The most recent change to the plan was the moratorium on out-of-school suspension for elementary students in the fall of 2021.

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A Wisconsin judge has extended a hold on a ruling that could limit the states ability to enforce pollution laws.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren granted a request Tuesday from the Department of Natural Resources to extend the stay while an appeals court reviews his April ruling that the DNR cannot require cleanup of toxic PFAS compounds without first going through a process to define them as hazardous substances.

The ruling was issued in a case brought by the states largest business lobby, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, and an Oconomowoc dry cleaner, which sought to block the DNR from requiring cleanup of the chemicals that have polluted groundwater in sites across the state, including Madison, Marinette and La Crosse.

The plaintiffs claim the DNR is subverting the law by requiring polluters to clean up spills without first defining what substances are hazardous. Bohren agreed but put his ruling on hold so the parties could sort out the implications.

While conceding that extending the stay would harm the plaintiff, he concluded that did not outweigh other concerns in a case likely to end up before the state Supreme Court.

Im satisfied it protects everyones interests, Bohren said.

Assistant Attorney General Gabe Johnson-Carp argued that Bohrens order would upend more than 40 years of the status quo, creating regulatory uncertainty, economic losses and harming families with contaminated wells.

Halting cleanups could also jeopardize about $90 million a year in tax revenue generated by the redevelopment of cleaned-up brownfields.

If the states authority were suspended, Johnson-Carp said the federal government could assert its jurisdiction, resulting in slower, more costly cleanups.

Where have all the walleye gone? Before long, anglers may have to make do with bluegills The DNR estimates Wisconsin has more than 420 lakes with the cool, dark waters where walleye thrive. By 2089, may be just four.

Midwest Environmental Advocates argued that lifting the stay would cause irreparable harm to some 1,300 Wisconsin households with polluted wells who would no longer receive bottled water from the DNR.

Those who cant afford to buy their own would be forced to drink contaminated water or consider moving, the group argued.

The group said Bohrens order could also stall cleanup efforts, allowing PFAS contamination to spread even further.

WMC attorney Lucas Vebber argued nothing in the order would stop the DNR from carrying out its remediation program or providing bottled water as long as the agency first drafts rules, a 2-year process subject to approval by the Legislature.

Environmental advocates say that would hamstring the DNRs authority to stop pollution.

Homeowners associations hinder solar deployment, despite Wisconsin law Wisconsin law says homeowner associations cant restrict peoples rights to install solar panels on their property. Many do it anyway.

State law requires anyone responsible for spilling a hazardous substance to clean it up under the oversight of the DNR.

But there is no definitive list of hazardous substances, which can include toxic chemicals as well manure, corn, or even milk spilled in a creek  anything that can cause harm to human health and safety, or the environment, because of where it is spilled, the amount spilled, its toxicity or its concentration.

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A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the states health department can release data on businesses where multiple COVID-19 cases occurred, closing the loop on a nearly two-year-old public records case pitting businesses right to privacy against the publics right to information.

In a 4-3 decision  with conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn siding with the courts three liberal justices, Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet and Jill Karofsky  the court ruled against Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the states largest business organization. WMC filed the lawsuit in October 2020 after Gov. Tony Evers and the state Department of Health Services announced plans that summer to release information pertaining to positive COVID-19 cases at businesses in order to comply with public records requests from media outlets.

The issue is whether the public records laws general prohibition on pre-release judicial review of decisions to provide access to public records bars WMCs claims, Dallet wrote for the majority. We conclude that it does, and therefore affirm the court of appeals decision.

Conservative justices Annette Ziegler, Patience Roggensack and Rebecca Bradley dissented, with Ziegler writing that the state is prepared to release individuals personal medical information to the public and saying the majority makes no mention of the perhaps unintended consequences of its action.

It closes the courthouse doors to anyone who may wish to challenge the release of personal medical information, Ziegler wrote. This is egregious error.

Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, said the decision reaffirms the publics right to know pandemic-related information collected by a public health authority. He also pushed back on Zieglers comments, noting that all that is being released is the names of businesses and number of confirmed infections gathered as part of the states response to a public health crisis.

To try to frighten people into believing that their most personal medical information is now open for all to see seems irresponsible, Lueders said in a statement.

WMC, along with the Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce and New Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, filed the lawsuit in Waukesha County Circuit Court to block release of the records after DHS announced plans to release the names of more than 1,000 businesses with more than 25 employees where at least two workers had tested positive for COVID-19.

Wisconsin businesses said releasing the information to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other media outlets that requested the information, including the Wisconsin State Journal, would have severe impacts on companies already struggling through the pandemic.

The business groups also alleged the information they want blocked is derived from diagnostic test results and the records of contact tracers, and that such information constitutes patient health care records that must be kept confidential under federal law.

A Waukesha County judge issued multiple restraining orders in 2020 preventing the state health department from releasing the information. The Fourth District Court of Appeals eventually reversed the lower courts decision last April, prompting WMCs appeal to the state Supreme Court.

Kurt Bauer, president and CEO of WMC, said in a statement the organization disagrees with the courts decision, which has opened the door to massive public intrusion into private medical records possessed by state agencies.

The governors attempt to shame and embarrass Wisconsin businesses is wrong, and the Supreme Court is equally wrong to allow it, Bauer said.

DHS spokesperson Elizabeth Goodsitt said Tuesday the requested documents would not be made available until ordered for release by the circuit court. The state Supreme Court remanded the case back to the lower courts.

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TOKYO (AP)  Japanese and NATO officials agreed Tuesday to step up military cooperation and joint exercises as they shared concerns that Russias invasion of Ukraine is causing a deterioration of the security environment in Europe and Asia.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said at the beginning of his meeting with NATO Military Committee chief Rob Bauer that Japan hopes to strengthen its ties with European countries and welcomes NATOs expanded involvement in the Indo-Pacific region.

The security of Europe and Asia are closely intertwined, especially now with the international community facing serious challenges, Kishi said.

Bauers visit in Tokyo comes as Japans Maritime Self-Defense Force is participating in NATO naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.

Later Tuesday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet approved an annual policy plan that calls for a drastic strengthening of defense capabilities and spending within five years, citing growing tensions involving Taiwan and a commitment by NATO members to spend 2% of their gross domestic product on defense  twice as much as Japan's current military spending of just over 1% of GDP.

The plan calls for pre-emptive strike capabilities as well as the development and strengthening of space, cyber and electromagnetic defense and of unmanned weapons  a major shift that critics say goes beyond Japan's self-defense-only principle.

Kishida, during a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden last month, expressed his determination to bolster Japan's defense capability and spending. The policy paper, the first under Kishidas eight-month-old government, also covers economic security, energy and other key issues.

Japan has been increasing its military capabilities and cooperation with Europe, in addition to its alliance with the United States and partnerships with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, in the face of Chinas rise.

On Tuesday, Japanese and U.S. fighter jets conducted joint flight drills over the Sea of Japan amid an increasingly severe security environment, such as North Koreas repeated ballistic missile launches, Japans Defense Ministry announced.

The joint exercise, which involved four Japanese F-15 fighter jets and two U.S. F-16s, was aimed at demonstrating the two militaries' strong commitment and close cooperation in responding to any emergency, while further reinforcing the strong alliance," it said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been invited to the NATO summit later this month, and is reportedly considering attending the meeting, which would make him the first Japanese leader to do so.

In May, Japanese Military Chief of Staff Koji Yamazaki joined a meeting of NATO counterparts in Belgium for the first time.

Bauer praised their increased engagement in tackling shared security challenges.

Japan quickly joined the United States and Europe in imposing sanctions against Russia and providing support for Ukraine, saying the crisis affects not only Europe but also could further embolden China to increase its assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Progressive Jessica Cisneros is requesting a recount in her tight runoff election against nine-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar that remained too close to call nearly two weeks later.

Cuellar was leading Cisneros by 187 votes, or 0.4 percentage points, out of 45,429 ballots counted as of Monday night, according to an Associated Press count. The AP will not declare a winner until the recount is completed.

Our movement was never just about one politician  it was about taking on an unjust system that rewards corruption and corporate profits at the expense of the needs of working people, Cisneros said in a statement to the Texas Tribune that she retweeted to her followers. Our community isn't done fighting, we are filing for a recount."

She added, I owe it to our community to see this through to the end.

Cisneros, a 29-year-old immigration attorney, forced the runoff in March after she came within 1,000 votes of Cuellar. She also ran against him in 2020, losing by 4 percentage points. She is a former intern in his Washington office.

Cuellar, one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in Congress, was endorsed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and others. Cisneros had the backing of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The winner of Texas race will face Cassy Garcia, who won the Republican runoff for the seat.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
MIAMI (AP)  State Sen. Annette Taddeo announced Monday that she's leaving the Democratic primary for Florida governor to run for a U.S. House seat in South Florida.

Taddeo said she will run for Floridas 27th congressional district, which includes all or part of Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables and Kendall in Miami-Dade County.

The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who took office after winning her 2020 election. Taddeo faces Miami Commissioner Ken Russell and community organizer Angel Montalvo in the Aug. 23 Democratic primary.

Families in Miami need a representative in Congress who will stand up for them, hold Washington politicians accountable and make sure we finally tackle issues like the cost of living, gun violence, and defending a womans right to choose," Taddeo said in a statement. "Im a small business owner and a mother with a daughter in Miami-Dade Public Schools so I live with these issues every single day.

Taddeo, 55, is the founder and CEO of LanguageSpeak, which offers translation services in more than 240 languages. She was born in Colombia to an American father and Colombian mother and spent the first 17 years of her life in the South American country.

Taddeo first ran for office in 2008, losing to then-incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen. She ran for Congress again in 2016, losing a close primary to former Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia. She won her state Senate seat in a 2017 special election for a district a Republican won by 10 percentage points the previous election.

With Taddeo leaving the gubernatorial race, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, who previously served as Florida governor as a Republican, and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried remain the strongest candidates in the Democratic primary.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
RACINE  Kelly Wittes favorite magazine while attending Horlick High School was Teen Vogue.

It showed her the glamorous side of fashion.

Youd never see anyone around here wearing clothes like in the magazine, the Caledonia native said. You dont see people in Horlick walking down the halls in the strangest outfits. If I had worn something like that, people wouldve thought I was really weird.

About a decade later, she was featured in Teen Vogue. But not for her fashion  for her artwork. The piece featured was entitled Our Bodies Our Choice and depicts a womans uterus. It was on display at the Angry Women Exhibit in a New York gallery. Having an image of that work published in the magazine made things full circle for her, she said.

The 2010 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside works primarily with painting and printmaking techniques. She creates bold and vividly colored pieces influenced by pop art, surrealism and retro imagery. Witte was recently selected as the Racine Art Museum 2022 Emerging Artist.

Four $3,000 Artist Fellowships and one $1,500 Emerging Artist Award are presented, which may be used for any expenses that will assist in the development of new work and advance their artistic careers, i.e. equipment and supply purchases, studio rental or travel. The recipients were selected based on quality of artwork submitted.

All five recipients will be featured in solo exhibitions presented at RAMs Wustum Museum of Fine Arts. A full-color exhibition catalogue will be printed to accompany the RAM Artist Fellowship and Emerging Artist Exhibition 2023, Aug. 30-Dec. 2, 2023.

RAM Curator of Exhibitions Lena Vigna said the jurors recognized and responded to Wittes singular aesthetic, appreciating her dynamic, arresting use of color and commitment to exploring issues related to femininity and representation.

Her clarity of vision was remarked upon  important within her recognition as an Emerging Artist winner, Vigna said in a statement.

Very vintage

Witte, 33, grew up in the 1990s in a 1963 ranch-style home in Caledonia that was furnished with its original fixtures and decor.

Instead of watching Saturday morning cartoons as a child, she enjoyed classic sitcoms. I Love Lucy. Leave it to Beaver. Father Knows Best. The Dick Van Dyke Show.

She enjoyed rummaging through her mothers collection of vinyl records and admiring the album cover art, and developed a nostalgia for a pop culture she was never able to experience first-hand.

Through her artwork, shes able to highlight her love of all things vintage.

Her art series Decade Daydreaming is a celebration of her interest in vintage clothing, hairstyles, decor and sitcoms.

I feel like Im old school, she said.

She strives to create over-the-top and whimsically feminine mixed media works that are visually dense with a nostalgic flair.

She pairs decorative patterns with sweet hues to create kitschy compositions, she said. She uses a combination of linocut prints, silkscreen prints, watercolor paint and transparent acrylic inks to depict women adorned in styles of yesteryear.

As she continues to develop her Decade Daydreaming series, she intends to further refine her printmaking skills and explore the use of flamboyant embellishments such as glitter, faux pearls and rhinestones to construct multi-layer collages.

Current work

I was very excited, Witte said of the moment she found out she was chosen as an Emerging Artist, the first time shes been picked for any kind of fellowship. I read it a few times, thinking: Wow, did this really happen?

Some of the past winners were Wittes high school and college instructors.

To be right up there with my mentors means a lot, Witte said.

In the fellowship, as Emerging Artist, she plans on keeping up with her Decade Daydream series, exploring more vintage fashion and hairstyles and creating more mixed media.

She plans to take a maximalist approach, making for very bright and whimsical pieces. Shes still in the planning process.

Witte creates handmade broaches and sells them at ArtWorks Kenosha, 4513 Sheridan Road.

She plans to continue making these; she swaps out items quarterly. Theyre hand beaded and embellished, which makes for a labor-intensive project, but she said she enjoys it immensely.

Shes also always pursuing other exhibition opportunities and is currently doing a collaborative sponsorship with a startup art supply company on Instagram.

Starting in art

Witte said art is something she always enjoyed, ever since she was small. Her mother encouraged her and bought her art supplies to nurture her creativity.

I liked making messes, she said. I enjoyed the hands-on aspect of printmaking and painting murals, immersing myself and being messy. I just love the idea of making a mess and seeing what happens.

Besides reading fashion magazines, it was at Horlick that Witte was able to sign up for as many art classes as she could take, including AP (advanced placement) art classes. She graduated from Horlick in 2006.

That really got me going, and looking at pursuing art in college, Witte said. I could start to see art was a career path that you can take.

Witte said she did well in academic classes, but art was always the clear way to go.

Her inspiration for her artwork comes from researching former fashions, sometimes looking through library books and sometimes going through old family photos.

Shes pulled hairstyles, home decor, starburst shapes, leopard print, polka dots and color swatches and incorporated them into her work.

Its really interesting to see how fashion has evolved, Witte said. Whats old is new again. Its interesting to see how things cycle.

A busy artist

Shes participated in the Downtown Racine Corporations public art event every year since 2004.

I feel like Ive grown up with it, I was still a 15 year old kid when I started, Witte said. I was just a high school kid who loved art, I was really honored.

During the last five years or so, shes completed five murals in Kenosha, one of them being on the Kenosha North Pier Lighthouse.

Besides southeastern Wisconsin, shes also exhibited nationally in Chicago, New York City, Indianapolis, Dallas, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Oakland. Internationally, shes exhibited in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Venlo, The Netherlands; Kista, Sweden; Wroclaw, Poland and Castlemaine, Australia.

My artwork has definitely traveled more than I have, she said, laughing.

Besides Teen Vogue, her artwork has been featured in publications such as Huffington Post and The Columbia Chronicle.

Ive worked really hard, she said. I feel very fortunate that I can keep pursuing what I love doing.(tncms-asset)b9128d17-b13c-587f-89ff-1335161a205d[5](/tncms-asset)
BURLEY  The city is ready to move forward with relocating its airport and is asking Cassia County and Minidoka County to allocate 10% of tax funds to build and operate the new airport. That will come next year after the Burley Development Authority closes out urban renewal allocation areas.

Closing the two urban renewal allocation areas will increase tax revenues for the city and both counties and will allow the Burley Municipal Airport to be relocated to a safer area.

With that weve put the airport as an item to move forward, City Administrator Mark Mitton said.

According to a letter dated May 4, written to the Cassia County Commissioners, and signed by Burley Mayor Steve Ormond, the city of Burley will make up the difference in the new airport funding out of its portion of the same tax funding increase.

Mitton spoke with the Cassia County Commissioners during a Monday meeting and said the city intends to meet with Minidoka County to discuss the proposal soon. To underline the need to move forward with the project, Mitton cited an April 13 aircraft fatality, where UPS pilot Brittany Infanger, 30, was killed when her plane struck a smokestack at Gem State Processing as it was trying to land at the airport.

Report: UPS plane hit smokestack in fatal Heyburn crash Pilot Chelsea Brittany Infanger, 30, was delivering packages for UPS on April 13 when her plane crashed on the roof of the Gem State Processing plant.

The city as been trying for more than two decades to move the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration is no longer funding the airport due to safety issues surrounding the length of its runways.

The city previously said without FAA funding, the city will be forced to close the airport at its existing site.

The runways are shot, Mitton said, because there has been no federal funding to provide any maintenance for years.

There has not been any maintenance performed at the airport in 12 years, except for a little crack fill, he said.

It would take millions of dollars to rehab the runways, he said.

The city, supported by the two counties, tried to introduce legislation three years ago that would have allowed the two counties to join together to form an airport authority taxing district, after it was approved by voters.

Idaho airport authority laws allow three or more counties to join together to form an airport authority, but Cassia and Minidoka counties do not have another adjoining county that does not already have an airport  and the legislation would have granted an acceptation.

Mitton said on Monday that the legislation is dead and did not move out of committee this session.

He said the city has prepared a scope of work to perform another feasibility plan to move the project forward with a previously selected airport site east of Declo.

In 2016, a task force with members from both counties identified two possible sites for a new airport, including the preferred site south of Interstate 84 and Exit 216.

Cassia County Commissioner Board Chairperson Leonard Beck asked Mitton if the request for county funding would become a permanent obligation.

Yes, wed do a contract with the city and both counties, Mitton said.

Mitton said the city will take responsibility for the new airport, just like it does currently.

He said the county assessors office and state tax commission currently have differing tax amounts for the two urban renewal areas that will close, but as soon as a final numbers are available, they will be forwarded to the county.

Commissioner Bob Kunau asked if the FAA was still moving forward with its master plan for the airport.

The mayor and I met with the FAA and they want us to move forward with it, Mitton said. And they want us to remain open until we get a new airport or decide we cant do it.

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North Idaho Rep. Priscilla Giddings was sued over allegations that she illegally withheld copies of communication with Aaron von Ehlinger, a former state lawmaker convicted of raping a legislative intern. But, the lawsuit was dismissed by an Ada County judge in May.

Ada County District Judge Peter Barton dismissed the suit with prejudice after he said there is no evidence that public records are being improperly withheld from a member of the public, Barton wrote in the judgment obtained by the Idaho Statesman.

Since Barton dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, it cannot be brought back to court to be reheard.

A White Bird Republican, Giddings was sued by Erika Birch, an attorney representing the now 20-year-old legislative intern von Ehlinger raped. The Lewiston Tribune first reported on the dismissal.

Before his resignation from the legislature Giddings, who lost the primary race for Lt. Governor to Idaho House Speaker Scott Bedke, supported 40-year-old von Ehlinger.

Additionally, fellow lawmakers reprimanded Giddings  removing her from a legislative committee  after she shared an article from a conservative news site that identified the former intern by name even though the persons identity was kept anonymous throughout the ethics hearing to determine if von Ehlinger engaged in conduct unbecoming, according to previous Statesman coverage.

In August 2021, Birch requested communication between Giddings and von Ehlinger and between Giddings and David Leroy regarding the intern, the Statesman previously reported. Leroy was Idahos Lt. Governor from 1983 to 1987 and is now a Boise-based attorney who represented von Ehlinger during the ethics hearing.

Giddings denied that the records existed in a January newsletter and added that the lawsuit was politically motivated, the Statesman previously reported. Giddings did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

Giddings stood by that assertion in April when she swore under oath that she never had any written communications with Aaron von Ehlinger about the requested topics, according to the May judgment. Giddings said she had two written communications with Leroy about the topics in May 2021 but deleted them many months before receiving Birchs record request.

According to the judgment, Birch did not seek any relief from her lawsuit regarding Giddings decision to delete the two emails from Leroy. The Idaho Capitol Sun reported that Birchs attorney Wendy Olson, filed a response in May, before the judgment, that Giddings did not comply with Birchs request because the Idaho Public Records should have included other means of communications aside from Giddings legislative email. Its unclear whether Giddings searched through different communication platforms.

Olson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

According to Idahos Public Records Law Manual, a request for written information could include handwriting, typewriting, printing, photographing and every means of recording. The manual includes email and text messages but does not address social media.

The Lewiston Tribune detailed in 2021 that it is common practice among lawmakers to delete varying forms of written communication and there are no safeguards in place. Its unclear if Idahos legislature has any plans to address this concern next legislative session.

Giddings state-provided lawyers did not directly respond to a request for comment but provided the Statesman with a copy of the judgment through spokesperson Scott Graf.

Another leg of Birchs complaint included a request for Giddings to pay attorney fees and litigation costs. Birch also argued that Giddings acted deliberately and in bad faith by denying the records, and because of that, Giddings should face a civil penalty of up to $1,000. Both those requests were denied, as Barton said Giddings proved she didnt refuse to provide copies of the records.

Attempts to reach Birch were unsuccessful as the Boise-based lawyer is on sabbatical.

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Journalism has always been a tough way to make a living. Its generally offered low wages, the constant threat of layoffs and consolidations, and the opportunity on any given day to enrage just about everyone who might disagree with the facts and observations you share.

So why am I such an optimist about this business? Its true that the facts about this essential branch of democracy are grim. Since 2004, about 1,800 newspapers have closed in the United States. More than 100 local newsrooms closed just during the COVID pandemic. Hedge funds that buy publications have left a path of destruction in their wake, with furloughs, layoffs and cutbacks.

Many newspapers have become a shadow of their former selves. News deserts are spreading around the country, places where people have lost access to trusted local news sources, and where local coverage has disappeared.

But it isnt journalism thats failing. Its the old business model that funded news outlets for more than a century by relying too heavily on paid advertising.

Four years ago, as a senior editor at the Denver Post, I was faced with a choice. I could accept the inevitability of that decline and help a hedge fund dismantle our Pulitzer prize-winning newsroom piece by piece, laying off friends and colleagues, while investors pocketed the profits. Or I could try something new.

I co-founded the digital-only Colorado Sun with nine Post colleagues and we launched in September 2018 with zero subscribers, zero members and a full-time staff of 10. But we also had plenty of determination and know-how.

Today, we have more than 200,000 subscribers, nearly 17,000 paying members, and a full-time staff of 25. We have been recognized as one of the best news outlets in our region for our public service and high-quality journalism.

We started with the premise that news matters, that readers  our democracy even  deserved more than the hedge funds were willing to provide. Theres a reason the Founding Fathers enshrined freedom of the press in the First Amendment to the Constitution.

They knew that a healthy democracy depends on informed citizens, on journalists who ask uncomfortable questions and serve as a watchdog to those in power. Vladimir Putin understands the same thing all too well, which is why he has clamped down on and targeted the press in Russia.

The Colorado Sun developed a business model that is so simple it sounds naive: Give readers non-partisan journalism that is deeply reported, well written and well edited. Treat readers with respect. Dont bombard them with pop-ups that get in the way of reading stories. Dont lure them in with clickbait headlines or offer thinly rewritten press releases. Hold the powerful accountable. Celebrate the beauty around us and spotlight the people trying to make this a better world.

Our journalism is free to read for those who cant afford to pay. We ask readers to support our work at whatever level they choose and to share our work with family, friends and colleagues. Our paying members provide most of our financial support, with the rest coming from philanthropy and sponsors.

Im proud of what weve accomplished in four years, and Im absolutely thrilled at the response not only from readers, but from journalists around the country who have been inspired in part by our success, just as weve been inspired by the Texas Tribune and others who came before us. Many have reached out seeking advice and tips as they contemplate creating their own news outlets. Were happy to help.

The Poynter Institute, which studies, champions and supports journalism, says more than 70 local newsrooms launched in the United States in 2020 and 2021. More than 50 local newsletters started publishing in that time.

Its difficult to see proud legacy newspapers in decline. But there is new energy and excitement all around us. Journalists, readers and philanthropists are talking about how news matters, how we all suffer when quality journalism goes away. I see growing support for new forms of journalism as we realize how important the profession is to our lives.

Thats cause for us all to be optimistic.

Larry Ryckman is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring conversation about the West. He is the editor and co-founder of the Colorado Sun in Denver.

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As McDowell Countys clerk of Superior Court, Ruth B. Williams was a trailblazer and a public servant who embodied fairness, respect and kindness in all aspects of her tenure.

That is the consensus of those who well remember Williams and her many years of service to the people of McDowell County. She died Sunday at the age of 80.

Born Jan. 1, 1942, in Marion, she was a daughter of the late Ercel Lee Barlowe and Pearl Day Barlowe Chapman. She graduated summa cum laude from Mars Hill College with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and received a Master of Public Affairs degree from Western Carolina University. She also received an Associate in Applied Science degree in business accounting from McDowell Technical Community College, according to her obituary.

In 1966, she started working in the McDowell County Superior Court as a deputy clerk and then worked her way up to become assistant clerk.

In September 1973, Williams was appointed to become the new clerk of Superior Court for McDowell. She was the first woman to hold that office and at 31, she was the youngest clerk of court in the state of North Carolina at that time. At her swearing-in ceremony, she was joined by N.C. Supreme Court Justice J.W. Pless Jr. and Judge G.L. Jackson.

In 1978, Williams became the first clerk of court from McDowell County to serve as the president of the statewide N.C. Association of Clerks of Superior Court. She was selected as an Outstanding Young Woman of America in 1978. A Democrat, she won six elections during her 25-year tenure.

Marion attorney and former City Council Member Mike Edwards worked with Williams when he was a young assistant District Attorney.

Ruth set a standard for excellence in public service that I have never seen equaled, in all the many counties that I have worked in, and especially in McDowell, Edwards told The McDowell News. She was a yellow dog Democrat to the core, yet she led not by politics, but led by doing what was right. The voting records show that she was respected by both parties throughout her long and distinguished service as our clerk. She could have served as long as Queen Elizabeth, had she wanted. As a young assistant District Attorney, her door was always open to give me counsel and advice. I always followed what she told me, which made me a better lawyer, and, a better person.

Edwards added the thing that he remembers most about Williams is how much she loved going to Walmart, which is something most folks dont know.

I ran into her there almost as much as at the courthouse, he added. This memory reminds me of what kind of servant she was for McDowell County. She understood our county and was simply one of the people. She went where we go. She served all our citizens exactly the same way, and was truly one of us.

Marion City Council Member Chet Effler remembers her from when he was a magistrate. In addition to serving on council, Effler is now a state law enforcement chief. He said most people dont know that Williams taught as a professor at Gardner-Webb University in management and business.

She was an extremely intelligent lady, Effler told The McDowell News. Ruth Williams was a trailblazer for women not only in the judicial system, but in leadership. She had a kind but stern disposition that always sought to protect everyone that presented before her.

In 1998, Williams retired after a total of 32 years of working at the McDowell County Clerk of Courts office. She had served 25 as the clerk, longer than any of her predecessors. Upon retirement, she became involved with genealogical research and volunteer work.

In August 2004, she was honored by the Marion City Council as Citizen of the Month. Mayor Pro Tem Steve Little, who is also a Marion lawyer, selected her for this honor.

I value Ruth Williams as a dear friend and as a mentor, one I could turn to, said Little in August 2004.

On Monday, Little, who is now mayor, said Williams was an exceptionally smart and wise woman.

Ruth showed fairness, respect and human kindness to everyone, he said to The McDowell News. She excelled as clerk of Superior Court because of her strong sense of justice, fairness and equity. I will always remember her hearty laugh and broad smile. But I also will always remember seeing her flare when others were trying to take advantage of the elderly, the disabled, children and families of deceased persons. When she knew she was right, she would not be moved by anybody. Even when she ruled against someone in a court proceeding, she never was unkind. Ruth was a dear friend, loved, admired and respected by all who knew her.

Marion lawyer Fred Coats said on Facebook that Williams was a fine person and an outstanding Clerk of Court. He thanked her for training him when he was a young lawyer.

Your kindness, guidance and advice was always appreciated, said Coats on Facebook. Rest in peace.

Melissa Adams now holds the office of Clerk of Superior Court for McDowell. Adams said Williams made a huge impact on the office and her career too.

Ruth Williams was a great clerk of Superior Court, who had a tremendous impact on my life, Adams told The McDowell News. She hired me in 1991 as a deputy clerk. I will never forget, I was expecting my twins, didnt have maternity insurance and somehow she got the state to cover my pre-existing condition. But that was Ruth, she could get things done and was highly respected by the Administrative Office of the Courts, the judicial community and most definitely the girls she employed. We knew we could count on her and she was always there for us. Ruth will be greatly missed.

She was a member of Pi Gamma Mu (International Honor Society in Social Sciences), and was a member of First Christian Church in Marion. Her funeral service will be held on Thursday, June 9, at 11 a.m. at Beam Funeral Service. A private ceremony will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery, according to her obituary.
Togo announced that it will shortly open a Consulate General in the Moroccan southern city of Dakhla, reiterating thus its support to Moroccos territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The announcement was made by Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Dussey, following talks in Rabat this Tuesday with his Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita.

Togo reiterates its support for Moroccos territorial integrity and for the autonomy plan it proposed to settle the regional dispute over the Sahara and announces the forthcoming opening of a Consulate General in Dakhla, said a joint statement made public following the Rabat talks.

The Togolese Foreign Minister insisted that the Autonomy Plan constitutes the one and only credible and realistic solution to the resolution of this dispute.

According to the joint statement, the head of Togolese diplomacy hailed the efforts of the United Nations Organization as an exclusive framework for achieving a realistic, practical and lasting solution to the dispute over the Sahara.

He likewise expressed Togos support for the search for a lasting solution that preserves the territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty of Morocco, under the exclusive aegis of the United Nations and in compliance with decision 693 of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union of July 2018.

Bourita, on his part, welcomed the participation of Togo, in the person of Mr. Robert Dussey, in the Ministerial Conference to Support the Autonomy Initiative under the Sovereignty of Morocco, held virtually on January 15, 2021 at the invitation of Morocco and the United States of America.

The two officials insisted on the imperative to comply with the standards and procedures within the organs of the African Union, and reaffirmed the relevance of decision 693 of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in July 2018, which consecrated the exclusivity of the UN as a framework for the search for a solution to the regional conflict around the Moroccan Sahara.

The Togolese Foreign Minister is visiting Morocco to partake in the first Ministerial Meeting of African Atlantic States, which will bring together 21 countries of the Atlantic coast, including about fifteen represented at ministerial level.

This event, held in Rabat, will provide opportunity to develop a common African vision on this vital space, to promote an African Atlantic identity and defend with one voice the strategic interests of the Continent.

The ministerial meetings debates will focus on three themes, namely, Political Dialogue, Security and Safety; Blue Economy and Connectivity; and Environment and Energy.

Togos Consulate General will bring to 26 the number of consular representations opened in the cities of Dakhla and Laayoune.
A Chadian court has sentenced six leaders of Wakit Tama opposition party to a one-year suspended prison sentence.

The six opposition leaders had been arrested just after the violence and other damage against French interests in particular, during Wakit Tama demonstrations in Ndjamena on May 14.

The eyes of the whole of Chad were on the Moussoro prison, some 300 km from Ndjamena, where the trial took place Monday under heavy security. While the prosecutor had requested a heavy sentence, the court just handed them 12 month- suspended prison sentence, a fine of 50,000 CFA francs (75 euros) and 10 million (15,000 euros) in damages to be paid jointly and severally.

A Chadian magistrate deemed the rather lenient verdict as translating a desire to calm things down, given the charges against the six leaders of Wakit Tama, mainly unauthorized gatherings, arson, assault and battery, and disturbing the peace

The six men were facing a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, according to judicial sources.

On the side of Wakit Tama, it is a relief, even if they assure that they will not give up. The president of the bar association has already assured that they will appeal. In the meantime, the six leaders of Wakit Tama should be released from the prison of Moussoro, this Tuesday at the latest.
Tanzania announced Friday night it was lifting the six-year-old ban on wildlife exports imposed in 2016 to protect the countrys mammals and birds.

Wildlife authorities announced they would lift the ban for an initial six months from June 6 to December 5 for traders to clear stocks of animals that they were unable to sell under the ban.

The ban had been imposed in 2016 to safeguard the countrys protected animals and birds who were illegally being shipped abroad.

The government justified the ban at the time by irregularities in the wildlife trade, including the shipment of protected species abroad.

However, on Sunday, the decision was reversed after the announcement triggered an uproar in the east African nation, and an online backlash, with many Tanzanians calling for its review.

Actually, in a swift U-turn, Tourism Minister Pindi Chana reinstated the ban to allow for further consultations.

There was an announcement which permitted the export of wildlife but as a responsible minister, I immediately stop this, she said.

There will be no exporting of live animals as we consult further and until the government decides otherwise.

Conservation group WWF warned that this lifting of the ban should not mortgage the progress made in terms of protection of wild animals, especially against poaching, which has declined in recent years.

Good monitoring procedures are needed to support these types of decisions, said Amani Ngusaru, director of WWF Tanzania.

Famous for its archipelago of Zanzibar, its safaris and Kilimanjaro, Tanzania attracts many tourists. In 2010, at least 116 mammals and 16 birds, some of them protected species, were illegally exported from the country aboard a Qatari plane.

They included at least four giraffes, several different types of antelope, hornbills and vultures, according to local media.
The Forces for Freedom and Change (FLC), Sudans main civilian political bloc, said on Monday it refused to talk to the military as the country sinks into a deep crisis since the army chiefs coup last October.

Spearheading the Sudanese revolution  which overthrew Omar al-Bashir in 2019 after 30 years of dictatorship  the FLC said it had received an invitation from the UN, the African Union and the East African regional organization IGAD to a technical meeting with the military on Wednesday. But they apologized and said they would not attend, according to an FLC statement, while the military accepted the dialogue proposal.

After the fall of Omar al-Bashir, the FLC signed an agreement with the army, marking the beginning of a transition period, providing for power sharing between civilians and the military and leading to elections.

The transition was abruptly interrupted in October 2021 by the coup of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, who seized power from civilians, including the FLC, and imposed a state of emergency.

Since then, the international community has repeatedly made the return of civilians to power the sine qua non condition for resuming aid to Sudan, one of the poorest countries in the world. It is also calling for an end to the repression that has already left a hundred or so pro-democracy demonstrators dead.

Although General Burhane lifted the state of emergency at the end of May and said he was in favor of dialogue to relaunch the democratic transition, the repression of the anti-putsch protesters remains fierce. In their statement, the FLC said they would not participate in the national dialogue until political prisoners are released and the use of violence against demonstrators is stopped.

Requests that seem rather unattainable as on Monday, police fired tear gas canisters at hundreds of protesters who took to the streets of Khartoum once again to demand civilian rule.
Togo has reiterated its support for Moroccos territorial integrity and for the autonomy plan proposed to settle the regional dispute over the Sahara and announced the forthcoming opening of a Consulate General in Dakhla.

The Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey reiterated, Tuesday in Rabat, the support of Togo for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco and for the Autonomy Plan which constitutes, he said, the one and only credible and realistic solution to the resolution of this dispute.

In a joint statement made public following his discussions with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, the head of Togolese diplomacy hailed the efforts of the United Nations Organization as an exclusive framework for achieving a realistic, practical and lasting solution to the dispute over the Sahara.

The Togolese official announced, on this occasion, the upcoming opening of a Consulate General of his country in Dakhla.

In the same vein, Mr. Dussey expressed the Togos support for the search for a lasting solution that preserves the territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty of Morocco, under the exclusive aegis of the United Nations and in compliance with decision 693 of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union of July 2018.

Bourita, on his part, welcomed the participation of Togo, in the person of Mr. Robert Dussey, in the Ministerial Conference to Support the Autonomy Initiative under the Sovereignty of Morocco, held virtually on January 15, 2021 at the invitation of Morocco and the United States of America.

The two officials insisted on the imperative to comply with the standards and procedures within the organs of the African Union, and reaffirmed the relevance of decision 693 of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in July 2018, which consecrated the exclusivity of the UN as a framework for the search for a solution to the regional conflict around the Moroccan Sahara.

The Togolese Foreign Minister is visiting Morocco to partake in the first Ministerial Meeting of African Atlantic States, which will bring together 21 countries of the Atlantic coast, including about fifteen represented at ministerial level.

This event, held in Rabat, will provide opportunity to develop a common African vision on this vital space, to promote an African Atlantic identity and defend with one voice the strategic interests of the Continent.

The ministerial meetings debates will focus on three themes, namely, Political Dialogue, Security and Safety; Blue Economy and Connectivity; and Environment and Energy.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Imagine watching "The Batman" movie back-to-back four times every day or driving a whopping 390 miles each way on a daily commute. Either uncomfortable choice will take about 12 hoursor the same amount of time most Americans stay seated throughout any day.

The dangerous consequences of prolonged inactivity in humans are widely known. Too much sitting leads to an increased risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and other chronic illnesses, including depression. To offset the severe side effects of a sedentary lifestyle, doctors recommend adults complete at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise a week.

However, a new study from San Diego State University, published in JAMA Network Open, found that doing lighter intensity daily activities such as household chores can significantly reduce the risk of stroke.

"Light-intensity physical activity can include vacuuming, sweeping the floor, washing the car, leisure strolling, stretching, or playing catch," said Steven Hooker, dean of SDSU's College of Health and Human Services and lead researcher of the cohort study.

"We observed that both physical activity and being sedentary independently impacted stroke risk. Our research demonstrates that strategies for stroke prevention should focus on both."

Hooker and his research colleagues measured both the amount of time participants were sedentary and the duration and intensity of physical activity in 7,600 adults ages 45 and older and then compared the data to the incidence of strokes in participants over seven years.

They found those who were sedentary for 13 hours or more a day had a 44% increased risk of having a stroke.

"The findings are more potent because the activity and sedentary behaviors were measured with an accelerometer, providing substantially more accurate data than previous studies that relied on self-reported measures," said Hooker, a former coordinator of the California Active Aging Project with a history of research into healthy lifestyles for older adults.

Study participants wore a hip-mounted accelerometer, a sensitive motion detector that precisely recorded physical activity and the duration of sitting and inactivity.

Even though smartphones and smartwatches valiantly attempt to motivate Americans to move more, a shocking percentage of adults don't exercise enough. The CDC reports only 23% of U.S. adults meet the weekly recommendations for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity.

But, if 10,000 steps a day or closing an exercise ring on your watch seem out of reach, Hooker said getting up and doing even ten minutes of light to moderate physical activity a few times throughout the day is an effective strategy in reducing the likelihood of having a stroke.

"For overall heart and brain health, move more within your capacity, and sit less," said Hooker.

Explore further Reducing sedentary time mitigates the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases

More information: Steven P. Hooker et al, Association of Accelerometer-Measured Sedentary Time and Physical Activity With Risk of Stroke Among US Adults, JAMA Network Open (2022). Journal information: JAMA Network Open Steven P. Hooker et al, Association of Accelerometer-Measured Sedentary Time and Physical Activity With Risk of Stroke Among US Adults,(2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.15385
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The Global COVID-19 pandemic has been marked by a significant minority of people expressing conspiratorial beliefs. Now a new study has shown that these beliefs may be harmful, especially to those who are prone to anxiety and depression. This work is presented at the European Congress of Psychiatry, with simultaneous peer-reviewed publication in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

Surveys have shown that huge numbers of people are open to conspiratorial beliefs about COVID-19. Survey in the US found that around a quarter of Americans believe that the outbreak was "intentionally planned by powerful people." In major European counties (Germany, France, Italy and the UK), between 30% and 40% of people believe that government is taking the chance to control citizens, or working with the pharmaceutical industry to conceal vaccine effects.

"These polls show that tens of millions of people are open to belief in some level of conspiracy as a result of the COVID epidemic" said lead researcher Dr. Pawe Debski (Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland). "Our work now shows for the first time that these people are more at risk of more serious anxiety or depression symptoms than the rest of the population. And as the WHO has indicated, false beliefs may also put the rest of the population at risk."

The research group, from several Polish Universities, recruited nearly 700 volunteers (585 female, 110 male, 5 other, average age 24.8) and asked them about their beliefs. They developed and validated a new way of measuring belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories, the COVID-19 Conspiratorial Beliefs Scale. The researchers used this in conjunction with other questionnaires such as the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale (which measures how much one believes in general conspiracy theories, such as major international decisions being taken a secret group, or covering up evidence of aliens), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (which measured the level of anxiety and depression). Combining the analysis enabled them to see how belief in COVID conspiracies is higher in those who believe in other conspiracies, and also to correlate belief in COVID conspiracies with levels of anxiety and depression.

Dr. Debski said, "We see that the severity of anxiety can be increased in those who express a belief in conspiracy theories. However there is a very significant increase in the severity of depression symptoms. At this stage, we are unable to say whether a belief in conspiracy theories cause more anxiety and depression, or whether people who are more anxious and depressed are more attracted to these theories."

The COVID-19 Conspiratorial Beliefs Scale suggests a series of 10 scenarios and asks the volunteers to rate their belief from 1-5. The most widely believed COVID-19 conspiracy theories (in order of belief) were:

SARS-CoV-2 tests are unreliable, they may be positive in the case of infection with another virus (with 3.114 out of a possible 5 points maximum) Governments deliberately spread false information about COVID-19 in order to conceal the actual state of the pandemic (3.034 out of 5) Vitamins and minerals supplementation can cure SARS-CoV-2 infection (2.616 out of 5)

Pawel Debski said, "This is a fast moving field. COVID has only struck us in the last couple of years, and developing the tools to evaluate the mental health effects takes time. Our recruitment was via the internet, and we need to develop better recruitment methods. Our next steps are to see whether beliefs are related to specific psychological traits, and whether any pro-health messages can help."

Professor Umberto Volpe (Universita Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy), Chair of the European Psychiatric Association, who was not involved in this work, said, "Conspiracy theories and misinformation during infectious outbreaks are nothing new, as they have always proliferated in the history of human epidemics. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the exponential growth of digitalization and social media has made new 'virtual spaces' available. Social media has been important in compensating for the lack of personal contact, but the wider use of digital media may also have helped spread misinformation more rapidly, and to amplify harmful messages. This 'infodemic' may be generally stressful, as well as causing people to doubt public health messages, but, as this study highlights, it may pose also an additional mental health risk for those who are more prone to false beliefs."

More information: Pawe Debski et al, Conspiratorial Beliefs About COVID-19 PandemicCan They Pose a Mental Health Risk? The Relationship Between Conspiracy Thinking and the Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among Adult Poles, Frontiers in Psychiatry (2022). Pawe Debski et al, Conspiratorial Beliefs About COVID-19 PandemicCan They Pose a Mental Health Risk? The Relationship Between Conspiracy Thinking and the Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among Adult Poles,(2022). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.870128

Provided by European Psychiatric Association
American farmers are at increased risk for tick bites, but new research shows they are doing little to defend themselves against the insects and the illnesses they cause.

Tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, Powassan virus, anaplasmosis, tularemia, ehrlichiosis, heartland virus and Alpha-gal syndrome, and these diseases cost the U.S. health care system up to $1.3 billion a year, the investigators said.

Farm workers have a high risk of exposure to ticks due to the large amount of time they spend outdoors, so scientists from the University of Illinois created an online survey to learn more about their knowledge about ticks and how to prevent tick bites.

To date, 36% of farm workers who have participated in the survey said they have a low level of knowledge about ticks. Fifty-six percent said they rely on friends and family for information about ticks and the diseases they carry; 48% rely on medical professionals, and 40% rely on university extension education programs.

Only 38% of respondents say they are concerned about tick-borne diseases, but 90% do self-checks for ticks.

"This is one of the simplest things one can do if going out of doors," said project researcher Sulagna Chakraborty, an ecology, evolution and conservation biology doctorate candidate.

Other recommended precautions include: wearing a hat, long-sleeve shirt and long pants; tucking pants inside boots, and wearing light-colored shirts.

Only 2% of survey respondents said they use tick repellent, and only 10% wear permethrin-treated clothing. Nearly one-quarter said they take no precautions. Only 28% of respondents use tick repellent on their animals.

When they find a tick attached to them, 76% of respondents say they would use the recommended practice of removing the tick with tweezers; 42% remove with their hands; 8% would consult a physician.

"By knowing the knowledge gap, we can provide specific training to fill the gap," Chakraborty said in a university news release.

Climate change has increased the range of ticks seen in the United States: The nation has seen a 10-fold increase in the number of tick-borne diseases since 2006, according to Rebecca Smith, an associate professor of epidemiology in the university's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Explore further How to protect yourself from ticks

More information: For more on avoiding ticks, see the For more on avoiding ticks, see the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

QIMR Berghofer researchers have found that nearly a third of melanomas picked up during routine skin checks may not be harmful.

The findings highlight the need for further research to determine why some melanomas appear to stay dormant and undetected for long periods of time. This finding may lead to more accurate diagnostic tools which might spare some patients from the anxiety associated with a melanoma diagnosis.

Professor David Whiteman, who led the study, said researchers followed a large cohort of Queenslanders over seven years, and found melanoma detections were significantly higher among the group who had their skin examined by a doctor before enrolment in the study.

"The results suggest that up to 29 percent of the melanomas detected during skin checks may never have come to light if that person wasn't screened," Professor Whiteman said.

"It suggests that skin examinations and biopsies are picking up things that look and feel just like melanomas, but they don't always behave like them or cause harm.

"Melanoma can be a very dangerous cancer and our study does not lessen the importance of good prevention, screening and treatment at all. But it does open up some exciting research possibilities to improve diagnosis and treatment of the disease."

The observational study, which is being published in the British Journal of Dermatology, offers the first estimate of potential melanoma overdiagnosis using individual patient data.

Professor Whiteman said that if researchers could address the issue by delivering improved diagnostic tools, it would benefit patients, doctors and the health system.

"Patients diagnosed with melanoma have to live with the fact they have a potentially fatal cancer, and endure ongoing check-ups and scans. It's a life-changing event," Professor Whiteman said.

"Fortunately, most people diagnosed with melanoma in Australia can expect an excellent prognosis, as doctors in this country are world leaders in the detection and treatment of this disease.

"If we can find a way to distinguish the melanomas with a good prognosis from the very nasty melanomas, we might be able offer patients better information about their condition and more appropriate treatment options.

"It would also help alleviate pressure on the healthcare system as melanoma treatment is very, very costly."

The research involved more than 40,000 participants from QIMR Berghofer's QSkin, the largest study ever conducted on skin cancer.

The QSkin Study Team includes genetic researchers at QIMR Berghofer who are investigating whether there are particular genes that influence the behavior of melanoma and the development of more serious disease.

Cancer Council Australia recommends that people regularly examine their skin and consult their doctor if they notice any changessuch as a new spot or changes in the size, shape or color of an existing spot.

More information: David C. Whiteman et al, The effect of screening on melanoma incidence and biopsy rates, British Journal of Dermatology (2022). Journal information: British Journal of Dermatology David C. Whiteman et al, The effect of screening on melanoma incidence and biopsy rates,(2022). DOI: 10.1111/bjd.21649

Provided by QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A new study presents a novel approach to drug repurposing that incorporates two-stage prediction and machine learning. The study is published in the peer-reviewed OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology.

Drug repurposing is a method of developing new therapeutic use(s) for existing drugs, for which safety and pharmacokinetics have already been demonstrated in humans. This can significantly reduce the time, cost, uncertainty, and side effects associated with drug development.

Toshinori Endo, Ph.D., from Hokkaido University, and coauthors, propose a two-stage approach to drug repurposing. First, diseases are clustered by gene expression, with the thought that similar patterns of altered gene expression imply critical pathways shared in different disease conditions. Second, drug efficacy is determined based on the ability to reverse altered gene expression, and the results are clustered to identify repurposing targets. The investigators applied their approach and identified disease-specific gene expression and 20 drugs for repurposing.

"In this study, we took advantage of the large-scale identification and integration of different levels of information and biological insights that machine learning offers," stated the investigators. "The efficiency and accuracy of drug candidate calculations were superior to those of previous studies, effectively improving the likelihood of successful drug repurposing, since all drugs were derived from agents effective against other diseases that clustered together in the same group."

"Drug repurposing is of interest for therapeutics innovation in many human diseases including COVID-19. This study brings together three strands of methodological innovation: machine learning, unsupervised clustering of gene expression, and two-stage prediction. It is a timely contribution to the drug repurposing scholarship that should broadly inform life sciences discoveries, clinical trials, and translational medicine," says Vural Ozdemir, MD, Ph.D., DABCP, Editor-in-Chief of OMICS.

Explore further Researchers develop deep learning model to predict adverse drug-drug interactions

More information: Yi Cong et al, A New Approach to Drug Repurposing with Two-Stage Prediction, Machine Learning, and Unsupervised Clustering of Gene Expression, OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology (2022). Yi Cong et al, A New Approach to Drug Repurposing with Two-Stage Prediction, Machine Learning, and Unsupervised Clustering of Gene Expression,(2022). DOI: 10.1089/omi.2022.0026
Monkeypox causes lesions that gradually spread over the infected persons body. Credit: Jean-Marc Zokoe, Fourni par l'auteur

One thousand confirmed cases of monkeypox, a disease originating in Africa, have been recorded since early May across at least 30 non-endemic countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, France, the United States, Australia, United Arab Emirates and Israel. But what is this virus? Who is affected? And should we be worried about this recent surge in cases? In a bid to answer such questions, we caught up with Camille Besombes, a medical doctor specialist in infectious diseases, has been involved for the past three years in Afripox, a project that aims to gain a better understanding of the virus in its endemic region. She is currently conducting Ph.D. research within the unit headed by the project's coordinator, Arnaud Fontanet, a leading medical epidemiologist and emerging infectious disease specialist at the Pasteur Institute.

The Conversation: What exactly is the monkeypox virus?

Camille Besombes: Monkeypox is a virus belonging to the genus Orthopoxvirus, a family that also includes smallpox. Like smallpox, it is a large DNA virus with a particular appetite for skin tissue. However, smallpox only affected humans, which meant that we were able to eradicate it through worldwide mass vaccination, whereas monkeypox is carried by an animal viral reservoir. And despite its name, the natural reservoir is not actually monkeys.

The term "monkeypox" was coined when the virus was first identified in captive primates (in Denmark back in 1958), but in nature, the virus is most often found in squirrels and other rodents. In 1970, the first human case of monkeypox was documented in a nine-month-old child in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, amid increasing efforts in the campaign to eradicate smallpox.

There are two strains of monkeypox that we know of. The type that affects Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cote d'Ivoire is the so-called West African strain, with a case-fatality rate between 1 to 3%. This is the one that was detected in the recent cases in Europe. The second is the "Congo Basin" strain, which circulates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic (CAR), and Gabon. Both strains are now circulating in Cameroon: recently, cases of infections implying the West African strainimported from Nigeriahave been reported. Associated with more severe clinical forms, the Congo Basin strain has a case-fatality rate of around 10%.

We must also keep in mind that these figures are taken from countries where medical care is somewhat lacking, particularly in more remote regions. As for Europe, several patients are currently in hospital with the disease, but no death and no severe form of it have been detected on the continent.

TC: What are the symptoms of this disease?

CB: Following a relatively long incubation (usually lasting around 6 to 13 days, and up to 21 days), it presents its first onset symptoms during a two-day period known as the "prodromal" phase. These symptoms may include high fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes (which are a sign that distinguishes it from smallpox), muscle pain, and fatigue. It is at this stage that patients are considered to be contagious.

Next, the patient develops a rash, usually starting on the face and gradually spreading over the rest of the body. This rash causes pain and intense itching due to the inflammation that occurs around the skin lesions. In the West African strain, these lesions can be initially rather infrequent and discreet, and may therefore go unnoticed. The disease typically lasts two to four weeks and tends to go away spontaneously in the majority of cases.

The main complications of monkeypox include dehydration due to water loss from numerous and more widespread lesions, secondary bacterial infection of the lesions, sepsis, and corneal or other ocular lesions that may lead to vision loss. On top of these, cases of encephalitis (ed. note: "inflammation of the brain") have also been documented, most notably in a child during the 2003 US outbreak.

Children who have been infected with monkeypox are more likely to experience complications and therefore have a higher fatality rate than adults. It is also assumed that immunocompromised individuals (particularly those who are HIV-positive) have a higher risk of developing a severe form of the disease, but there is not enough data yet to know this for certain. During the 2017-18 Nigerian outbreak, four out of seven people who died from the disease were HIV-positive. Pregnant women could also be affected by less moderate forms and we noted instances of mother-to-child transmission.

Treatment of the disease is largely symptom-based and involves methods like disinfecting the lesions, administering antibiotics in cases of secondary infection, and rehydration. Research is currently being conducted into whether certain antiviral molecules (such as tecovirimat could be effective against monkeypox, but the results are not yet conclusive.

TC: Is this the first time that the virus has spread outside of the African continent? How many cases have been recorded so far, and where?

CB: No, it isn't the first time. Although the Congo Basin strain has never travelled beyond Africa, the West African strain managed to reach the United States in 2003 by way of imported animals that had been infected. More recently, however, a number of countries have reported several cases brought in by humans.

Back in 2003, number of individuals in the United States caught the virus from infected prairie dogs purchased from pet shops where the animals had been in contact with monkeypox-carrying Gambian pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus) imported from Ghana. A total of 47 suspected cases of human infection were recorded, all the result of zoonotic (i.e., animal-to-human) transmission. There were no instances of interhuman transmission. At the time, the US authorities were concerned that the virus might take over a reservoir of local species, but this did not happen.

Then, in September 2017, a more severe outbreak occurred in Nigeria, which had not experienced any monkeypox epidemic in the preceding 39 years. This particular epidemic is still ongoing, sustained by sporadic, regular transmissions that are both zoonotic and interhuman. To date, at least 500 suspected cases have been declared (215 of which have been confirmed). Reassuringly, albeit regrettably, only 8 deaths have been documented in the past 5 years.

However, the Nigerian epidemic had marked a major change in monkeypox epidemiology and should have acted as a warning to us. Whereas the virus had tended to thrive in forest regions with little connection, in 2017, it hit the country's more urban areas and at a larger scale. This is how it managed to spread more easily beyond the continent, with cases popping up in 2018 in Singapore, Israel, and England, brought back by travellers returning from Nigeria.

In the case of England, a local human-to-human transmission occurred when a British healthcare worker became infected while cleaning a patient's bed. There was no endemic viral circulation at the time, but more infections emerged in 2021, again linked to travellers coming back from Nigeria and occurring both in the UK and in the United States (where two cases were recorded).

In the UK in 2018, scientists also studied the risk of emergence of an endemic animal reservoir. Species such as the common squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and domestic mouse (Mus musculus) were thought to be particularly prone to the virus, while rodents (vole, dormice, mice, hedgehog) were also considered as potential reservoirs.

TC: What is different about the current context?

CB: The situation is very different this time around. We know that the first case of the current epidemic, recorded on 7 May in the UK, was that of an individual travelling back from Nigeria. However, several other UK cases have since been confirmed that are apparently unrelated to one another or to this 7th May case. No instance of foreign travel (to African countries) associated with the infections has yet been proven and the direct chains of transmission have not been identified, suggesting the existence of several chains of transmission and a local circulation of the virus.

As of 6th June, 1,000 cases had been detected in at least 30 different countries, worldwide, with the largest number of cases located in the United Kingdom (287 confirmed), Spain (189 confirmed), Portugal (143 confirmed). French authorities have reported 51 confirmed cases. For now, all of the recorded infections outside of Africa have been mild. Only a few patients have been hospitalised and no death or vital threat has been reported. A non-negligible proportion of cases were reported among HIV+ patients.

That said, these local circulations of the disease are unprecedented. Another new aspect is that the cases have almost exclusively been reported among young males, primarily among homosexual men (in the UK, the authorities emphasised that "currently most cases have been in men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with men"). Only six suspected and confirmed women were declared in Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, the United States and United Arab Emirates. These last two women were not linked to the European cluster following mass gathering events, but returned from Western Africa, suggesting something is up with the Nigerian epidemic that is exporting the virus.

TC: Why is this new? What are the usual channels of infection?

CB: Monkeypox epidemics most often arise from animal-to-human transmission, although the exact details of how they occur are unclear and it has not yet been possible to isolate the same viral strain in animals and in humans. It may come from direct contact with a living animal when hunting or eating bush meat.

One thing we have noticed from our research in the CAR is that the outbreaks tend to be seasonal. This would suggest a link with certain seasonal activities like the harvesting of edible caterpillars, which involves individuals entering the forest, where they would be more exposed to local wildlife.

Even though scientists have been tracking the viral reservoir since the 1970s, it has, as of yet, only rarely been isolated in wild animals. The first instance was in 1985 in the DRC and involved a species known as a Thomas's rope squirrel (Funisciurus anerythrus), thought to be the reservoir of the virus. The next was that of a sooty mangabey monkey in 1992 (Cercocebus atys) in Cote d'Ivoire. Then, two decades later, the virus was isolated in a Gambian pouched rat and another rodent species (Stochomys longicaudatus), as well as in another rope squirrel (Funisciurus _bayonii) and a shrew (Corcidura litoralis). As things stand, the prime suspects for the viral reservoir are rodents, including squirrels.

Interestingly, monkeypox was also found in chimpanzee feces in Tai National Park, Cote d'Ivoire, during an outbreak among primates, which implies the possibility of environmental contamination.

Aside from zoonotic transmission, there's also human-to-human transmission, which occurs as a result of direct and prolonged contact with infected individuals through exposure to bodily fluids or contaminated materials (e.g. clothing, bedding, or surfaces). Such infections most often take place within the home.

Transmission through inhalation of respiratory droplets has also been considered, but this point is difficult to ascertain. Generally speaking, infections take place within the family home, where there is closer human proximity and modes of contact are numerous and diverse. Africa has also seen some cases of hospital-acquired infection.

In a detailed case description of the 2017 Nigerian outbreak, a large proportion of individuals suffered genital infections (68%), suggesting for the first time that the virus could be transmitted through close skin-to-skin contact during sex. Our data also shows that the rate of such infections is very high among cases recorded in the CAR.

The Funisciurus anerythrus squirrel is the suspected reservoir of the monkeypox virus. cherifikoukomon, CC BY-NC

Close, intimate contact during intercourse may be behind the new increased frequency in interhuman transmission of monkeypox, a virus that is usually thought to present low transmissibility. This theory is supported by the fact thatat the time of writingthe "non-African" cases of recent weeks have mainly affected young men who have sex with men or who identify as homosexual. It should be noted, though, that such transmissions could also occur during heterosexual intercourse.

Italian researchers have recently detected significant amount of monkeypox virus in the semen of 3 patients. However, the authors stressed that these findings "cannot be considered definitive evidence of infectivity". The implications for transmission are not clear either.

TC: Should we be worried about this disease becoming widespread? What can we do to prevent this?

CB: For now, we can't say for certain what will happen. The problem is that the chain of transmission of these new cases has yet to be identified. As indicated by the daily evolution of the virus, and due to its relatively long incubation period, there is a real risk that new infections could emerge within the coming days and weeks, whether in countries that are already affected or elsewhere.

Numerous cases in Spain and Europa appear to be linked to two festivals, one in Belgium between 4 and 9 May and one that took place in the Canary Islands between 5 and 15 May. The latter was attended by 80,000 people, potentially making it a "super-spreading" event.

In order to prevent the spread of the virus, we need to raise awareness among the communities and individuals concerned, and among doctors, so that we can quickly identify each case and trace their contacts. One difficulty facing doctors is that monkeypox lesions resemble those caused by chickenpox and, when they occur on the genitals, they can be mistaken for symptoms of some STIs (like syphilis and herpes). A monkeypox diagnosis can be confirmed by a PCR test and isolation of the virus, but only a few specialist laboratories are equipped for these types of analysis.

Nevertheless, we can find some reassurance in the fact that monkeypox outbreaks resolve spontaneously and relatively quickly. The longest chain of transmission ever identified was carried over seven generations, meaning that seven humans passed on the disease consecutively before transmission ceased.

It is unclear why spreads simply stop like this. One hypothesis is that, until recently, these outbreaks would occur in small villages within restricted communities where some individuals might have already been immune, so the virus would contaminate only those who had never been in contact with it. But the 2003 epidemic in the United States also ended quickly and without any secondary human-to-human infection.

It remains to be seen where this new outbreak will take us.

TC: Could the smallpox vaccine protect against this virus?

CB: We know that a natural infection of smallpox offers cross-protection against monkeypox. In the 1980s, it was shown that the smallpox vaccine could also provide cross-protection at a rate of around 85%. However, these estimates were made just a few years after the mass-vaccination campaign to eradicate smallpox. It is now believed that its efficacy is closer to around 63% against severe disease.

Moreover, smallpox vaccination was suspended in the 1980s once the disease was wiped out. Today, only a handful of healthcare professionals are vaccinated (in case of bioterrorist threats, while the virus is stored under high surveillance at a number of laboratories) and the first generation of the vaccine is no longer used, due to significant side effects.

At present, if ever necessary, the most suitable vaccine for a roll-out would be the "third-generation" version known as Imvamune (or Imvanex or Jynneos). This is an attenuated vaccine that can be administered to immunocompromised people, unlike older vaccines. It has already been given to healthcare professionals and contact cases in Israel, Singapore, and the UK, and its effectiveness is currently being assessed among healthcare professionals in the DRC.

There are also a number of fourth-generation "subunit" vaccines in development. These do not contain the attenuated virus and instead have only fragments of it. They are also being assessed for their effectiveness.

Vaccines can be administered as either a pre-exposure (i.e., before contact with the virus) or a post-exposure treatment. With regards to the latter, US guidelines recommend that it be given preferably within 4 days and up to 14 days after exposure. On 27 May two French individuals received post-exposure vaccination for the first time after a high-risk contact with confirmed cases.

TC: Could we see other variants of monkeypox emerging? Is the genome of the virus currently circulating in Europe identical to the West African strain?

CB: Monkeypox is a DNA virus, which means that it is less likely to mutate than an RNA virus like SARS-CoV-2.

It is actually quite simple to determine whether we are dealing with a West African or Congo Basin strain. We just need to sequence out short sections of its DNA. But given the large size of the viral genome, it takes time and effort to obtain a complete sequence. We need this complete sequence in order to detect differences in sequences more precisely, which would allow us to identify chains of transmission and find out how cases are linked. However, if our experience with SARS-CoV-2 has taught us anything, it's that a large-scale global effort can be of great help in moving things along.

Initial sequencing carried out on samples from a Portuguese and a Belgian patient have shown the genetic proximity of the virus to strains isolated in Nigeria and during the previous out-of-African spread of the virus in 2018, with genomes of the ongoing outbreak being highly similar. This is in favour of a single introduction followed by community spread in Western countries after superspreading events.

More detailed genomic analyses comparing 2022 strains to those of 2018 identified around 40 mutations (fivefold the expected rate of mutations) with a pattern specific of the action of an antiviral enzyme called APOBEC which may reveal the sustained circulation of the virus in a new animal intermediate host, or in humans. This observation, possibly indicating a recent increase in viral circulation in Nigeria, matches the documentation of cases in peri-urban areas of Nigeria like Abuja, together with increased frequencies of overseas exportation of cases.

A recent article hypothesises that Nigerian synanthropic rodent populations (i.e., undomesticated rodents that live in close association with people and benefits from their surroundings) have increased in recent years as a result of land conversion and high urbanisation leading to increased human-rodent contact.

Further sequencing is required to address remaining questions, like genome adaptation toward increased viral transmissibility. But, for the time being, there has been no evidence to suggest this.

In a more exceptional way, what looks like a relapse of the monkeypox disease was reported among one of the 2018 UK patients, with an increased lymphadenopathy, a recurrence of rash and a transient shedding of monkeypox viral DNA following initial complete recovery. This hypothesis requires further study to be exploited.

TC: In 2019, the Institut Pasteur came together with partners in France and the CAR to launch the Afripox project, driven by a goal to increase understanding of the monkeypox virus and its spread. What exactly does the project involve?

CB: Afripox is a cross-disciplinary project that was set up in light of an increasing number of monkeypox outbreaks in the CAR, as reported by Emmanuel Yandoko Nakoune, Director of the Laboratory for Arboviruses, Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers, Emerging Viruses, and Zoonoses at the Institut Pasteur in Bangui, the country's capital.

In the past few decades, monkeypox outbreaks have been more numerous and frequent in Africa overall, with the disease also expanding into areas where it was not endemic before. Improved medical monitoring and reduced immunity (following the end of smallpox vaccinations in 1980) are likely to have contributed to this figure, but the phenomenon may also reflect a growing viral circulation in a region of the world currently experiencing major ecological disturbances.

Faced with the many uncertainties surrounding the epidemiology of monkeypox, the idea for this project was to rely on the CAR's existing national medical monitoring system to develop a One Health approach toward the monkeypox virus, encompassing all its aspects in epidemiology, ecology, zoology, anthropology, and virology.

For instance, through our partnership with researchers from the French National Museum of Natural History, we are attempting to identify its animal reservoir. Meanwhile, along with the SESSTIM team in Marseille, we are exploring the disease's ecology in order to better understand why it spreads more in forest areas, pinpoint how deforestation affects outbreaks, determine whether or not there is a seasonal aspect, and so on.

In the near future, the Afripox project also hopes to use on-the-ground PCR diagnostic tests that are currently being developed by the Emergency Biological Response Unit ("Cibu") team at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. For now, suspected case samples are analysed in Bangui, but these tests would allow for reduced diagnosis time and quicker implementation of the appropriate measures.

Lastly, the epidemiological and anthropological aspects of the virus are being explored by the teams at the Institut Pasteur Paris (namely, the Emerging Diseases Epidemiology Unit and the Emerging Diseases Anthropology and Ecology Unit), in collaboration with local researchers. Their goal is to precisely determine the risk factors of zoonotic or interhuman transmission and ascertain why monkeypox has been on the rise since the 1980s.

While it is essential to identify the mechanics of this latest human-to-human epidemic of a relatively new format, it is also vital to understand how monkeypox emerges and circulates in its continent of origin.

When Afripox was launched three years ago, few could have imagined that this disease would one day spread beyond the African continent and across the planet. The current epidemic has highlighted once more the importance of investing in scientific research over the long term, so that we can be better prepared for any and all eventualities.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The most effective intervention to prevent preterm birth is the administration of a natural hormone, progesterone, in patients at risk for premature delivery. Two categories of patients have been eligible for this treatment: those with a short cervix and those with a previous preterm birth.

But research published this week in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology by researchers of the Perinatology Research Branch at the Wayne State University School of Medicine indicates that progesterone is not effective in reducing the rate of preterm birth in women with a history of such birth.

In the article, "Does vaginal progesterone prevent recurrent preterm birth in women with a singleton gestation and a history of spontaneous preterm birth? Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis," the researchers call for revision of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine guidelines that recommend the use of progesterone in women with a history of spontaneous pre-term birth.

"We have advocated that vaginal progesterone reduces the rate of preterm birth in women with a short cervix. This evidence is solid and derived from multiple studies including randomized clinical trials, meta-analyses and implementation research," said Roberto Romero, M.D., DMedSci, chief of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Perinatology Research Branch and Professor of Molecular Obstetrics and Genetics at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. "Some people believe that vaginal progesterone is effective not only in women with a short cervix but also in patients with a prior history of preterm birth. We have completed a systematic review and meta-analysis that shows that this is not the case."

The effective use of vaginal progesterone in women identified with a short cervix via sonograph to prevent pre-term birth was identified and developed by the PRB in 2010. But extrapolating these findings to patients with a prior history of preterm birth is not correct, the latest findings show.

Women with a history of spontaneous preterm birth have a 2.5- to four-fold increased risk of subsequent such issues compared to women with no history of pre-term birth. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recommend the use of vaginal progesterone or 17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate for all pregnant women with a history of pre-term birth.

Credit: Wayne State University

"We believe it is important to understand the limitations of a successful strategy to avoid overtreatment. We advocate for universal screening of cervical length and the identification of patients who may benefit from a specific intervention. In other words, individualized medicine and not one size fits all," said Dr. Romero, who published the findings with Agustin Conde-Agudelo, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., adjunct professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and head of the Unit of Perinatal Epidemiology, Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses.

The team reviewed findings from 10 randomized controlled trials that compared vaginal progesterone to placebo or no treatment in asymptomatic women with a singleton gestation and a history of spontaneous preterm birth. They found no convincing evidence that the use of progesterone prevented pre-term birth in these women.

Preterm labor, Dr. Romero explained, is a syndrome associated with multiple mechanisms of disease, including infection and/or inflammation, decidual hemorrhage and vascular disease, uterine overdistention, cervical disease, disruption of maternal-fetal tolerance, maternal stress and decline in progesterone action. The syndromic nature of preterm labor explains why a single method of intervention does not prevent all or even predict most cases of preterm birth, he said.

Explore further Vaginal progesterone reduces the rate of preterm birth

More information: Agustin Conde-Agudelo et al, Does vaginal progesterone prevent recurrent preterm birth in women with a singleton gestation and a history of spontaneous preterm birth? Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (2022). Journal information: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Agustin Conde-Agudelo et al, Does vaginal progesterone prevent recurrent preterm birth in women with a singleton gestation and a history of spontaneous preterm birth? Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.04.023
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The recent emergence of hundreds of cases of monkeypox worldwide has already triggered a flood of misinformation online, much of it modelled on conspiracy theories that have been circulating since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

AFP Fact Check examined three claims that have arisen in the month since monkeypox cases began being recorded outside of areas in western and central Africa where it is endemic.

Not a vaccine side effect

Social media posts shared across the world have incorrectly claimed that the recent monkeypox cases are a "side effect" of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

The claim is linked to the fact that AstraZeneca's jab uses a chimpanzee adenovirus vector.

But health experts told AFP that this idea "has no basis in fact", in part because the viruses belong in different familiespoxvirus for monkeypox, and adenovirus for the COVID vaccine.

The vaccine "cannot generate new viruses inside humans and cause something like monkeypox," said Professor Eom Jung-shik, an infectious disease expert at the Gachon University Gil Medical Center.

The adenovirus is the vaccine vector, which means it is only a vehicle to transport genetic instructions to the body to trigger the production of a spike protein similar to that of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This then prompts an immune response so the body can fight a real infection.

As in other viral vector vaccines, the chimpanzee adenovirus has been altered so it does not infect humans or replicate.

Professor Yoo Jin-hong, an epidemiologist at the Catholic University of Korea, said the AstraZeneca claim "appears to stem from the idea that chimpanzees are broadly referred to as monkeys, but this is a very ignorant rumour with no basis in fact".

Monkeypox was given its name because it was first discovered in a group of macaques in 1958 that were being studied for research purposes, but they are not the only animals that catch the disease.

Rodents are the most likely natural reservoir of monkeypox, according to the World Health Organization.

Pfizer does not have a monkeypox vaccine

Social media posts have also claimed that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new monkeypox vaccine from pharma giant Pfizer, which developed the first available COVID vaccine.

This is false; the only vaccine for the prevention of monkeypox in the United States was approved by the FDA in 2019, and Pfizer does not manufacture it.

Abby Capobianco, a press officer at the FDA, told AFP that the vaccine, called Jynneos, was "licensed by FDA for the prevention of smallpox and monkeypox disease in adults 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk for smallpox or monkeypox disease."

Jynneos is not a new vaccinethe FDA approved it in September 2019.

Pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic, which produces Jynneos, announced on May 18, 2022 that the US government had placed a $119 million order for freeze-dried doses.

Jynneos is the only FDA-approved vaccine for monkeypox, however data has shown that a smallpox vaccine is 85 percent effective in preventing the disease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pfizer told AFP that the company does not have a monkeypox vaccine.

False Canada shingles claim

Social media posts shared an image of a purported article from Canada's CTV News claiming that 95 percent of the monkeypox cases investigated by Canadian officials turned out to be shingles.

However Rob Duffy, CTV News manager of communications at its parent company Bell Media, told AFP that the network "never published such a story and that the screenshot does not show an authentic article from CTV News".

While some symptoms might be similar in cases of shingles and monkeypox, they are not caused by the same virus, according to Isaac Bogoch, professor at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

"There may be some overlap in their clinical presentation," but "monkeypox and shingles are two completely different infections," he told AFP.

Explore further EU eyes smallpox vaccine for monkeypox: regulator

 2022 AFP
Open-source automated insulin delivery (AID) systems are an effective and safe way for people with type 1 diabetes to control their blood sugar levels, researchers say.

The AID systems combine an insulin pump, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and an algorithm that automatically adjusts insulin delivery every five minutes to keep glucose (sugar) levels in the target range.

Open-source AID systemsdeveloped by people with diabetes and shared openlywere available for years before commercial AID systems. Even though open-source AID systems are used by people worldwide, they are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In a new study, researchers compared the efficacy and safety of the most widely used open-source AID system to sensor-augmented pump therapy (SAPT).

The 24-week multicenter, randomized, controlled trial included 48 children and 49 adults ranging in age from 7 to 70. Many had little or no experience with AID.

The primary outcome was the percentage of time in target glucose range (TIR) between open-source AID and SAPT during the last two weeks of the trial.

The TIR improved among both children and adults in the open-source AID group, but not among those in the SAPT group. The TIR target of >70%set by international guidelineswas met by 60% of those in the open-source AID group, compared with 15% of those in the SAPT group.

No severe hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) or diabetic ketoacidosis events occurred in either treatment group. There was no increase in overall hypoglycemia, according to the study, which was presented Monday at an American Diabetes Association (ADA) meeting. Research presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

"We were encouraged to see the greatest improvements in time in range were in those who had the lowest time in range at the start of the study. This supports the finding that a wide range of people with diabetes who want to use this technology could benefit from it, regardless of their outcomes with previous therapies," said study author Dana Lewis, a diabetes researcher and founder of the open-source artificial pancreas movement.

"Our findings demonstrate that this is a safe and effective technology and adds to the body of evidence supporting use of open-source AID for improving glycemic outcomes," study lead investigator Dr. Martin de Bock, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Otago, in Christchurch, New Zealand, said in an ADA news release.

Explore further FDA approves UVA-developed artificial pancreas

More information: There is more on type 1 diabetes at the There is more on type 1 diabetes at the JDRF

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Many research groups are trying to find non-pharmacological solutions to help control resistant hypertension, and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could be an option, according to a study recently reported in an article published in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine.

Resistant or refractory hypertension is high blood pressure that does not respond to aggressive medical treatment, defined as daily administration of at least three classes of antihypertensive drug (including a diuretic) at maximally tolerated doses. Patients with the disease are at high risk of cardiovascular complications, including stroke and heart failure.

At the University of Campinas's School of Physical Education (FEF-UNICAMP) in Sao Paulo state, Brazil, the researchers evaluated the effects of a single session (acute stimulation) or ten sessions of tDCS on peripheral and central blood pressure in 13 volunteers with resistant hypertension. Six months before the start of the trial, the patients were assessed for adherence to medicational treatment, which was maintained throughout the study, as well as body weight, height and resting blood pressure, and for other clinical conditions that could influence blood pressure.

"Following acute stimulation, 24-hour systolic pressure measured by ambulatory monitoring fell in some patients by 15 mmHg [millimeters of mercury]. A reduction of this magnitude significantly mitigates cardiovascular risk," Bruno Rodrigues, principal investigator for the study told Agencia FAPESP.

With a first degree in physical education, a Ph.D. in physiopathology and a postdoctoral fellowship in cardiology at the Heart Institute (InCor) of the University of Sao Paulo's Medical School (FM-USP), Rodrigues is currently a professor at FEF-UNICAMP.

"This was a small study, and more robust research is needed," he said. "With a larger body of evidence to corroborate our findings, it will be possible to think of tDCS as emergency-room treatment for hypertensive crisis patients."

Tolerance

The results of the clinical trial also showed that the longer period of tDCS did not lower brachial blood pressure, measured on the brachial artery in the doctor's office and monitored for 24 hours. "One possible explanation is that stimulation for ten consecutive days led to a higher level of tolerance and only worked initially, with blood pressure rising again thereafter," Rodrigues said.

Previous research conducted by the group and also supported by FAPESP had revealed tDCS's potential as a method of modulating control of the autonomic nervous system and lowering blood pressure in patients with mild to moderate hypertension. This pointed to the possibility of its use to treat resistant hypertension.

The recently reported study was double-blind and randomized, meaning that the patients were randomly divided into groups and neither they nor the researchers knew which type of treatment they received. It was also a crossover, a type of clinical trial in which all participants receive the same two or more treatments, but in a different order, depending on the group to which they are randomly assigned.

In both the acute and longer protocols, the effects of 20-minute sessions of actual and sham tDCS were compared. Patients randomly selected for sham stimulation received electric current only during the first three minutes, remaining for 17 minutes with electrodes on their skin in sham treatment, while the others were stimulated for the full 20 minutes. After a one-week break, they were all submitted to ten consecutive sessions. After another break, those who had received sham treatment were given the full treatment and vice-versa.

The researchers also tested the effects of tDCS on the autonomic nervous system (which controls functions such as breathing, circulation, temperature and digestion, and comprises the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems), and measured biomarkers associated with blood pressure, such as cortisol, noradrenaline, acetylcholinesterase and cytokines.

Hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for responses to danger or stress, including higher heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate) is considered one of the main causes of hypertension and plays a particularly significant role in resistant hypertension. In patients with this disorder, it is associated with the risk of arrhythmia, vasoconstriction, and remodeling of the blood vessels and heart. Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for calming the body's responses when resting or feeding) has been linked to improved cardiac functioning, lower blood pressure and less inflammation.

The study was conducted in partnership with Heitor Moreno Junior, who heads the Resistant Hypertension Clinic at UNICAMP's School of Medical Sciences.

The researchers acknowledged that some of the effects of tDCS require further study. "Both acute and more prolonged stimulation brought about a reduction in modulation by the sympathetic nervous system and boosted vagal [parasympathetic] modulation," Rodrigues said. "These findings may also be associated with increased levels of an anti-inflammatory cytokine in blood plasma, such as interleukin-10." Cytokines are proteins secreted by immune system cells.

The next step will be to find out whether tDCS can modulate the autonomic nervous system directly.

Explore further Brain stimulation no better than escitalopram for depression

More information: Bruno Rodrigues et al, Acute and Short-Term Autonomic and Hemodynamic Responses to Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Patients With Resistant Hypertension, Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine (2022). Bruno Rodrigues et al, Acute and Short-Term Autonomic and Hemodynamic Responses to Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Patients With Resistant Hypertension,(2022). DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.853427

Provided by Agencia FAPESP
Cancer  Histopathologic image of colonic carcinoid. Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0

People who had weight-loss surgery were 37% less likely to develop colorectal cancer compared to individuals with obesity who did not have the surgery, according to a new study presented here today at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Annual Meeting (#ASMBS2022).

The American Cancer Society estimates that this year more than 150,000 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Having obesity or overweight increases the risk for many types of cancer including colorectal cancer, as well as other life threatening diseases and conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

In a meta-analysis, researchers from the Military Institution of Aviation Medicine in Warsaw, Poland, Texas Tech School of Medicine in El Paso and the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, MN examined data from 13 previous studies on weight-loss surgery and colorectal cancer that followed more than 3.2 million patients for up to 10 years. The included studies were published between 2008 and 2021, which researchers say covers a longer and more up-to-date period than previous systematic reviews on the subject.

"Bariatric surgery may offer significant protection against colorectal cancer in individuals with obesity that extends at least 10 years, the length of follow-up in several of the studies we analyzed," said study co-author Michal Janik, MD, a general and bariatric surgeon at the Military Institution of Aviation Medicine. "This is an important finding because colorectal cancer takes time to develop and even over decade the protective effect is still there."

The study did not account for risk factors other than obesity and did not measure weight loss or correlate findings to any particular method of weight-loss surgery. Researchers say future studies should take into account the difference in the incidence of colorectal cancer among the different types of bariatric surgery and in patients with different durations of obesity.

"This study shows that when you treat obesity with weight-loss surgery, you may also be preventing colorectal cancer at the same time, not to mention a whole host of other diseases and conditions that are improved, resolved or prevented," said Shanu Kothari, MD, President, ASMBS, who was not involved in the study.

Provided by American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
Chris Fanuzzi calls it his genetic library.

Seed descriptions, batch logistics and references to growers and cultivators who supplied some of the seeds are all noted in the heaps of pages of mostly handwritten notes in his trusty binder.

There are more than 400 recipes for Fanuzzis renowned rotating cannabis menu items, including the famous original Montana Silvertip, a hybrid strain. In the cannabis industry, the term strain refers to a variety of the cannabis plant and can include characteristics such as chemical profile, appearance and effects on consumers.

Maintaining the integrity of the original seeds over time is incredibly difficult for any cultivator, said Fanuzzi, owner and founder of Lionheart Cannabis, Montanas leading medical and recreational cannabis provider. Its an art to be able to sustain a particular genetic makeup of any one plant, especially when you consider these plants are growing alongside one another with the ability to pick up characteristics of the plant strains located, literally, right next to them. And that doesnt even take into account trying to maintain a completely stable environment from year to year, all against a backdrop of legislation that is constantly changing.

But Fanuzzi has made it work. His company is renowned for its focus on quality, top-of-the-line products, compassionate patient care and educational awareness among clients.

Lionheart currently produces myriad oils, edibles and tinctures in a variety of flavors, strengths and price ranges. In addition to its headquarters in Bozeman, the company has five cultivation facilities throughout the state, as well as dispensaries in Billings, Butte, Helena, Great Falls (Herbal Bliss), Kalispell, Livingston and Missoula.

With 50 to 60 strains on the shelves at any one time, Lionheart is set to roll out scrolling digital menus that will provide customers with real-time product availability and pricing. The company is also enhancing its on-site customer experience by redesigning retail space to include more open floor plans and visual product display areas.

We want to encourage our customers to spend as much time as they want with our budtenders when they are onsite, to look at every jar to find that bud that is really going to work for them, he said. The online menu will only complement that experience.

But back to Montana Silvertip. A genetic cross between Purple Urkel (also known as Granddaddy Purple) and Super Silver Haze, the sativa-dominant bud has a THC level anywhere from 20% to 30%, with an earthy pine and blueberry taste.

Its an absolutely beautiful strain with hues of bright lavender and frosty white, Fanuzzi said. We continue to cross-pollinate its seeds with some of our other renowned strains such as Wedding Crasher, Mandarin Cookie, Purple Punch and Meathead, resulting in some really incredibly viable genetics with lots of different properties that are very popular with our customers.

Other favored staff picks include Do Si Dos, Kimbo Kush, Blue Dream, Lucky Charms, Key Lime Pie and Ginger Tea. And while consumers should note the THC potency levels listed on the product packaging, Fanuzzi said other things to consider include terpene profiles, how the buds are stored (glass jars and turkey bags are best), the smell (too much moisture results in a moldy odor) and feel (should feel spongy like a marshmallow when squeezed). If the bud is too dry, it will crumble. Also, buds stored in sunlight lose their potency more quickly.

Fanuzzi said as his recipe library for strains continues to grow, it also includes notations for those strains that have been bred out over time, including one of his most legendary" strains, the Papaya. Unfortunately, I developed it back in 2007 and never cloned it. So once it was gone, it was gone, recalled Fanuzzi.

Strains today represent combinations and cross-breeding of some of the best products and varieties people like. There are only so many families of land-raised genetics out there, so you continue to fine-tune until you achieve what you think is the perfect combination.

At that point, Fanuzzi adds another page to his binder.

Visit lionheartcannabis.com for more information.

Information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and does not supersede any medical advice given by a physician. Cannabis is still considered a schedule 1 controlled substance and is illegal under federal law. Adults who consume cannabis must keep cannabis products away from animals and out of reach of children. Note that the intoxicating effects of cannabis can sometimes be delayed, so do not operate a vehicle or machinery after consumption. Use of cannabis during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may be harmful. By purchasing cannabis from a dispensary, you are assuming the risk of any damage or loss that occurs during its use.

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.

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Its all in a name. At Lionheart Cannabis, quality, top-of-the-line cannabis products, compassionate patient care and educational awareness among clients have been the focus since day one.

The word heart pays homage to the passion and love for the plant and acknowledgment for the compassion we have for the medical patients, respectively, said Chris Fanuzzi, founder and owner of Lionheart. We are providing them with safe, quality products and services that maybe they never had access to before. We can't give medical advice, but for clients with a medical cannabis card, our staff will answer questions from the doctor and patient to assist them in finding the right combination of products for that individual.

Lionheart's high standard for quality care also extends throughout the community.

Since our inception in 2007, our overall mission here is about the positive well-being of our Montana communities, and by that I mean its more than developing quality products, but also providing jobs for area residents, supporting local charities and immersing ourselves in ongoing community outreach at all levels throughout the state. We are all responsible for each others safety and well-being.

To that end, the company invests heavily in various causes and supports charity events annually. And for Fanuzzi, that includes supporting individuals suffering from debilitating medical conditions. In fact, now through June 31, 2022, Lionheart will donate 5% of all cannabis gummy sales to benefit Autistalline, a nonprofit organization currently in the midst of a $500,000 fundraising campaign.

Lisa Clifford, executive director of Autistalline, said money raised will go toward her organizations efforts to develop and produce sensory overload glasses for individuals on the autism spectrum. Clifford said the glasses will help block different light frequencies entering the eye, eliminating the sensory overload of sights and sounds that can be overwhelming to individuals on the autism spectrum. The organization plans to distribute the sensory overload glasses free of charge.

The pandemic has added unwanted stress and anxiety to these individuals, explained Clifford. Anytime their day to day is disrupted, it results in a sensory overload and they are unable to perform many of the tasks they would normally do.

For Fanuzzi, to help in any way is essential.

In addition to autism, we have a lot of patients come through our doors who are experiencing conditions ranging from epilepsy and cancer to glaucoma and neuropathy, he said. Anything we can do to raise awareness about any of these debilitating conditions will, hopefully, help lead to more acceptance and less misunderstanding.

We serve and support individuals from every demographic, from millennials to seniors, who represent all socioeconomic backgrounds, he said, and because of that we continue to see the positive economic and health benefits of this industry on our communities as it continues to grow both in Montana and nationwide.

Fanuzzi said that while medicinal cannabis use has been legal in Montana since 2004 and recreational adult-use since 2020, residents in Yellowstone County will head to the ballot box on June 7 to vote on whether recreational cannabis sales can remain in their community.

Our team cares about the measures we have in place to ensure we are providing individuals a safe industry, with safe products, dispensed in a safe manner, Fanuzzi said. Together we can create a more loving, caring and accepting community through all of our actions.

For more information on Lionheart Cannabis, click here.

Information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and does not supersede any medical advice given by a physician. Cannabis is still considered a schedule 1 controlled substance and is illegal under federal law. Adults who consume cannabis must keep cannabis products away from animals and out of reach of children. Note that the intoxicating effects of cannabis can sometimes be delayed, so do not operate a vehicle or machinery after consumption. Use of cannabis during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may be harmful. By purchasing cannabis from a dispensary, you are assuming the risk of any damage or loss that occurs during its use.

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.

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TUESDAY, June 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For individuals with obesity, tirzepatide is associated with lasting weight loss, according to a study published online June 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, held from June 3 to 7 in New Orleans.

Ania M. Jastreboff, M.D., Ph.D., from the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues conducted a phase 3 trial involving 2,539 adults with a body mass index of 30 kg/m or more or 27 kg/m or more and at least one weight-related complication, excluding diabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to receive once-weekly subcutaneous tirzepatide (5, 10, or 15 mg) or placebo for 72 weeks in a 1:1:1:1 ratio.

The researchers found that the mean percentage change in weight was 15.0, 19.5, and 20.9 percent for the 5-, 10-, and 15-mg weekly doses of tirzepatide, respectively, and 3.1 percent with placebo. The percentages of participants with a weight reduction of 5 percent or more were 85, 89, and 91 percent for the 5-, 10-, and 15-mg weekly doses of tirzepatide, respectively, and 35 percent with placebo; a reduction in body weight of 20 percent or more occurred in 50 and 57 percent of participants in the 10- and 15-mg tirzepatide groups, respectively, and in 3 percent of those in the placebo group. In all prespecified cardiometabolic measures, there were improvements observed with tirzepatide.

"Obesity should be treated like any other chronic disease -- with effective and safe approaches that target underlying disease mechanisms, and these results underscore that tirzepatide may be doing just that," Jastreboff said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to biopharmaceutical companies, including Eli Lilly, which manufactures tirzepatide and funded the study.

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In South Dakota, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem has tried to shape the Legislature to her liking. And in last week's primary, she publicly backed at least a dozen candidates, including several challengers to incumbents who are part of a contrarian group of Republicans. But two-thirds of the governor's favorites lost, and some of the lawmakers who survived her efforts to defeat them wonder why a governor they generally agree with went to such lengths to try to oust them. While endorsements often draw attention and financial resources, they don't always translate into voter support. Its a lesson that Noem ally Donald Trump is learning as he falls short, notably in Georgia, in trying to punish Republicans who've crossed him.
TUESDAY, June 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Tens of thousands of breast cancer patients could safely go without radiation therapy after their tumor has been removed, a new study argues.

Gene testing helped doctors identify a group of women who skipped radiation therapy because their cancer showed very low risk of coming back following surgery, according to findings presented Tuesday at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held in Chicago.

Forgoing radiation therapy worked out well for them, it turned out.

The patients had a little more than 2% risk of their breast cancer returning, said study leader Dr. Timothy Joseph Whelan, chair of breast cancer research at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Between 10% to 15% of breast cancer patients in the United States and Canada fit this genetic risk profile, he said, meaning that 30,000 to 40,000 North American women a year might be able to skip radiation therapy without worrying about their cancer returning.

"The results are pretty dramatic," Whelan said. "The risk is very low. It's comparable to the risk of developing a new cancer in the other breast. So we feel it could be practice-changing."

Previous studies in women over 70 years of age found that their risk of recurrence was 4% to 5%, according to an ASCO news release. These findings suggest the risk is even lower in younger women with luminal-A breast cancer.

The study involved 500 women aged 55 and older who were chosen to forgo radiation because they had low-grade luminal-A breast cancer, a genetic subtype that is slow-growing and less likely to spread.

An estimated 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year, according to ASCO. Luminal-A is the most common subtype, representing 50% to 60% of all breast cancer cases.

"We've noticed over the last couple of decades that the risk of cancer coming back in the breast has been substantially decreasing," Whelan said. "And this has been attributed to detecting smaller cancers through screening, better surgical techniques and more effective hormonal therapy. So it raised the question: Do women need radiation if they're having surgery and then endocrine therapy?"

The researchers screened women for a protein marker called Ki67, which is associated with more aggressive cancers.

Participants had biomarker results showing that 13.25% or less of their tumor cells carried Ki67. They also had low-grade tumors smaller than 2 centimeters.

Women had their tumors surgically removed, and then began taking hormone therapy to reduce levels of estrogen in their bodies.

After five-years of follow-up, the women who didn't undergo radiation therapy had a 2.3% risk of their cancer coming back in the same breast and a 1.9% risk of cancer developing in the opposite breast, the findings showed.

The overall survival rate for participants was 97%, the researchers reported.

"We believe that we've identified a group of women who could be spared radiotherapy," Whelan said.

Dr. Julie Gralow, chief medical officer for ASCO, said this is wonderful news for this set of women, given the inconvenience, side effects and lasting damage caused by radiation therapy.

"Having treated lots and lots of breast cancer patients over a 25-year career, some patients do well with radiation and others have real-long term problems with breast shrinkage and radiation damage," she said. "I think patients will be very excited about the option of not needing radiation."

The question for doctors now will be whether to use Ki67 or some other biomarker to accurately identify younger women who have a low genetic risk for breast cancer recurrence, Gralow said.

"I think we will all buy there's a whole bunch of people who don't benefit from radiation after lumpectomy," she said. "We can expand that. Previously, we kind of thought that the age cut point was 65 or 70 that you didn't need radiation, and now we're going to lower down to 55."

But, she predicted, the discussion and debate will center on the best way to identify those patients.

"Do you need Ki67? Could there be other ways of predicting that?" she said.

Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

Tampa General Hospital has more about luminal-A breast cancer.

SOURCES: Timothy Joseph Whelan, MD, chair, breast cancer research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Julie Gralow, MD, chief medical officer and executive vice president, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, Va.; presentation, American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, June 7, 2022

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WASHINGTON (AP)  State officials across the nation have taken on Big Tech companies in the courts and state legislatures, and federal regulators have nipped at Twitter over alleged violations of users data privacy.

Now, one state attorney general with an outsize personality and edge-skating stance nearly in the league of Elon Musk is striding into the maelstrom of Musks $44 billion now-tenuous bid for Twitter. He is launching an investigation of Twitter for potential false reporting of bots on its platform to bolster complaints Musk himself made this week in threatening to walk away from the deal.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his investigation of Twitter on Monday just hours after Musk, the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO, accused Twitter of refusing to disclose the extent of its spam bot and fake accounts.

The unexpected turn in the months-long drama of Musk and Twitter sent that company's shares down 1.5%, likely angering shareholders who had filed suit against Musk last month, accusing him of deflating the stock price. Twitter's shares have tumbled more than 20% in the last month.

Paxton's unusual move struck observers as singular and possibly inappropriate, though he likely has the legal authority to pursue it. In launching his investigation, Paxton suggested that Twitter might have violated Texas' Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

The state attorney general's move against Twitter is far different from the growing legal actions taken by groups of states that have joined to target alleged anticompetitive practices by Google and Meta, for example, or to investigate TikTok and its possible harmful effects on young users mental health.

Individual state attorneys general don't normally investigate a major publicly traded company over its regulatory filings. In Twitter's case, the data it submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission involve complex federal law.

The SEC has the resources and the expertise and the legal remedies for this, and I doubt that Texas has any of these, Marc Fagel, a securities law expert who was the regional director of the SECs San Francisco office, said in an interview. Its a headline-based investigation as far as I can tell.

Johnny Koremenos, a spokesman for the Republican Attorneys General Association, told The Associated Press that hes unaware of any other state attorney general who might be planning to launch a similar investigation into Twitter.

James Tierney, a former Maine attorney general who teaches tat Harvard, was critical of Paxtons probe, which he sees as aiding Musk, whose electric car maker Tesla recently opened a plant in Texas capital of Austin.

Consumer laws exist to protect consumers from real harm, Tierney said. They do not exist to allow a government official to meddle in ongoing corporate transactions on behalf of a constituent.

Paxton notes that Twitter had said in its filings with the SEC that fewer than 5% of all users are bots, when, Paxton asserts, they may in fact comprise as much as 20% or more. The state attorney general demanded that Twitter turn over documents by June 27 to show how it calculates and manages its user data.

The difference could dramatically affect the cost to Texas consumers and businesses who transact with Twitter, such as advertisers, Paxton contended in his announcement. He asserted that the disparity may inflate the value of Twitter, now estimated at $30.5 billion, and raise the costs of doing business with it.

The Texas attorney general, who has long carved out a distinctive public persona, isn't likely to mind any criticism. Paxton has yet to have his day in court after being indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, and his career has upended what it means to be a compromised officeholder in Texas.

His critics say Paxton has become an example of how powerful public figures can drag out even normally career-threatening criminal charges and defy predictions of their political demise.



Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvihill in New Jersey contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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The logo of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is seen at its headquarters in Vienna, on June 7, 2021. [Photo/Agencies]

At a meeting on Monday the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency set up a formal agenda item on the transfer of nuclear materials in the context of AUKUS on the proposal of China.

This is the third time the nuclear submarine issue has been included in the IAEA's agenda since the United States and the United Kingdom announced they would transfer nuclear submarine technology "to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine fleet for Australia" under the trilateral security pact.

The short announcement the three countries issued on their cooperation last year was like a thief throwing a stone over a wall to see if there are watchdogs before sneaking into a courtyard.

They hypocritically claimed that the purpose of the deal was to strengthen "both the nuclear non-proliferation regime and Australia's exemplary non-proliferation credentials", knowing that, to the contrary, they are setting a dangerous precedent for a non-nuclear state to acquire the materials and technologies necessary to transform it into a nuclear power.

If the transfer goes ahead as planned, Australia could use the naval reactor program as cover for the development of nuclear weapons as it will become the first country without nuclear weapons to exploit a loophole in the non-proliferation regime that will allow it to remove its nuclear materials from the inspection system of the IAEA.

The NPT requires non-nuclear-weapon states to declare all their nuclear materials and tasks with the IAEA verifying that none of this material is used to build nuclear weapons. The NPT does not prohibit non-nuclear-weapon states from building or operating nuclear-powered vessels, however. This is the loophole that the three countries are exploiting. In doing so, they are setting a bad precedent that goes against the spirit of the NPT, and which will likely encourage other countries to follow suit.

Brazil has already initiated discussions with the IAEA, aimed at clearing the way for it to use nuclear fuel in a submarine for the first time.

That said, nuclear capabilities may also become a reward for joining the anti-China club the US is setting up, irrespective of the implications for nuclear non-proliferation.

The nuclear weapons' materials and technologies involved in the trilateral nuclear submarine cooperation should not be kept outside the IAEA inspection system. The US, the UK and Australia must fulfill their obligations under the treaty and immediately and comprehensively report to the IAEA all relevant information on the transfer, despite the US trying to put the transfer outside the remit of the NPT by claiming it is for "non-explosive military use".

The IAEA on its part must ensure that the deal does not undermine the international non-proliferation regime.
A group of government agencies and nonprofit mental health partners in Missoula are working to open what will be only the second dedicated short-term emergency mental health facility in Montana.

The Western Montana Mental Health Center plans to overhaul what used to be the River House day treatment center into an ambulatory crisis receiving center. It should be open by early next year.

"The day treatment service that was previously operated out of River House was actually suspended as a response to COVID," explained Levi Anderson, the center's CEO. "We've taken the last year, working with stakeholders on how to best meet the needs of the community, to identify what is the biggest gap of mental health care in Missoula."

Anderson said the result is the plans for the new facility. They're already fairly far along on remodeling the River House space. The new center will follow the "crisis now" standard of care, which has been identified as a national best practice by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. He said Missoula has all the components in place for that standard, with the exception of an ambulatory crisis receiving center.

"It's a system and service designed to be a single point of access for individuals experiencing a mental health emergency," he said. "That means law enforcement can drop people off, emergency services can bring people in, or people can present and meet on site."

The facility will be open 24/7 and will have at least three full-time staff members on at all hours. There may be nurses, mental health therapists and peer support specialists on site at any given time.

"It's really designed to provide a safe space for individuals so they can be assessed and triaged for various levels of care," Anderson said. "The goal is really to assess individual needs for those who present there to ensure they're safe and find out what care they could benefit from most."

Anderson said they're working with St. Patrick Hospital, Community Medical Center, Missoula Mayor John Engen, Missoula County Commissioner Josh Slotnick and Partnership Health Center on the project.

Called the Strategic Alliance for Improved Behavioral Health, the group has also gotten input from local law enforcement and emergency services.

The facility will be at the center's headquarters near the intersection of Wyoming and Russell Street.

"I think it's a huge need," Anderson said. "The numbers that we're able to track demonstrate that. The Missoula Mobile Support Team's level of interaction certainly also substantiates the need for this type of service."

He said the idea is for most people to spend about 7-10 hours in the facility, but it will always be on a case-by-case basis. The target capacity is 16 patients at any given time.

Right now, most people experiencing a mental health crisis end up in the emergency department or interact with police. The center also operates the Dakota Place Crisis Facility, but that's a longer-term inpatient center for people who have higher-acuity needs.

"The vast majority of people dealing with a mental health emergency need a safe and quiet place to de-escalate," Anderson said. "Many of those individuals can be safely returned to their homes or other residences after a fairly short period of time."

The only other ambulatory crisis receiving center in Montana is in Billings, he noted.

"There's not a lot of funding made available for these types of services," Anderson noted. "We have a collaborative group, a really strong group of folks working toward this common solution."

Anderson noted that the federal 988 program, an alternative to 911 for mental health issues, will go live across the country and in Missoula on July 16. That will help people who have mental health issues avoid diverting law enforcement from other calls.

Not everyone is happy about River House closing. David Cockrell of Missoula said he got sorely needed substance abuse treatment at the facility and said it's tragic to see it shut down.

"This is a huge loss for the mentally ill in this community," he said. "And now, a lot of people who have psychiatric illnesses will be isolated and may be left to deteriorate."

However, Anderson said there are still day treatment facilities and options in Missoula. The change is needed to fill in the last remaining gap for people in need, he explained.

"There are many other locations that provide similar (day treatment) services," he said. "But with this new facility, we will be the first community in the state of Montana that has the full continuum of service within the mental health crisis space."

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It may be the off-season, but a big capacity expansion project is underway at Missoula's local ski hill.

A helicopter and its crew spent Sunday installing a new triple-seat chairlift at Montana Snowbowl, and it might be a little bit more exhilarating than your average lift when it's ready for riders this upcoming winter.

"According to the engineers, it'll be one of the steepest lifts in the country," explained Brad Morris, who owns and operates Snowbowl with his family. "The lift is 1,700 feet vertical and 3,800 hundred feet long. It's kind of an interesting lift."

By comparison, the Snow Park lift that was installed on the mountain a couple years ago is the same length but only rises 1,300 feet.

"I was down at Big Sky (ski resort) this spring and rode their Swift Current lift they say is the fastest lift in North America," Morris recalled. "It goes up about 1,600 vertical feet and the ride time is, I think, seven-and-a-half or eight minutes. This lift (at Snowbowl) is going up 1,700 feet and the ride time is nine minutes. Ours is a much shorter lift but the vertical feet per minute is going to be fast."

The new lift will run from the base area to near the top of TV Mountain, Morris explained.

Riders will load at the bottom of a run called "Go Big", which is near the base lodge. The new lift will run parallel to the existing T-bar and will carry people up to the top of a run called "Two Thumbs Up" in the Snow Park area. From there, they can either ski down to the bottom of the Snow Park lift or ski down the north-facing slopes of TV Mountain toward the base lodge.

Work is underway to clear timber to create a few new ski runs.

"Right now, we have three runs scheduled for this summer," he said. "One on the north side of TV Mountain and a couple that would be on the east side there with the lift. We have a few more that would go in eventually."

Morris said they'll be gladed runs.

"They'll be similar to 'Far East' and 'Twilight Zone,'" he explained, referring to other runs on the mountain with a similar mixture of open space and trees. "They'll be open enough so you don't have to worry (about having to navigate tight trees)."

Unlike the new terrain in Snow Park, the new runs won't be for beginner skiers and snowboarders.

"They'll be steep runs," Morris explained.

Morris called the new triple a "turn key" lift that they bought new, he said. Its nine-minute ride time is the same as the Snow Park lift. Right now, Griz Chair is the only chairlift that gets skiers and riders up the mountain from the base area. Also, the new chair will be the first lift at Snowbowl that can carry more than two riders in a chair.

Snowbowl owns the area immediately surrounding the base lodge but leases the area where the ski runs are from the U.S. Forest Service. Morris said workers from the Forest Service are scheduled to begin groundwork on the new runs on June 15.

A "spider excavator", a machine with "legs," will walk up the mountain in the coming week for work.

"It's going to walk up pretty steep terrain, and we're going to dig the holes for the new towers with that," Morris explained. "The next thing will be they'll fly in the footings. That will be a pretty substantial amount of lumber."

The lift is being installed by an aerial lift technology company called Skytrac.

Snowbowl starts its summer season on June 24. The bar, restaurant, ziplines and chairlift for mountain bikers and hikers will all be open then.

Lookout Mountain ski area, on the Montana/Idaho border west of Missoula, is also adding a new quadruple chairlift this summer that will go to the summit of Eagle Peak. There will be 14 new trails and 500 more acres of additional terrain.

Its 500 feet higher than the current terrain and already has a reputation for great snow, said Lookout's chief marketing officer Matt Sawyer. I would say it takes us from what I would say is a small regional ski area to the next stage, which is a mid-size ski area.

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Editor's note: This story previously reported Ryker Webb as 4-years-old. Per an update on the Lincoln County Sheriffs Facebook page, Webb is 3-years-old.

Searchers found a missing child on Sunday morning in Sanders County after an extensive effort that stretched the weekend.

Ryker Webb, age 3, was missing for roughly 48 hours after disappearing from his family's yard, Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short said in an interview with the Missoulian.

He was reported missing to the sheriff's office on Friday afternoon at 4:53 p.m. A concerned neighbor called 911 and said Webb might have gone missing in the Bull Lake area, south of Troy, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff's office.

He was last seen Friday afternoon playing with a family dog in the yard outside of his home near mile marker 18 along Highway 56 on the eastside of Bull Lake.

Short said the neighbor called it in while Webbs family were out looking for him.

Law enforcement and David Thompson Search and Rescue responded. They determined Webb had already been missing for over two hours.

An initial clothing description given to law enforcement proved to be inaccurate  it was unknown what Webb was wearing, the post stated.

Search managers deployed ground crews and ATV riders, along with several drones, dog teams and a boat unit on the lake. On Saturday, two Montana National Guard helicopters joined search efforts and drones from Flathead County and the Spokane Police Department responded along with more dog teams.

Dense vegetation, rain and poor visibility made search conditions difficult, the post stated.

A red alert was sent out to neighbors notifying them to search their own properties and structures. A missing person report was also disseminated nationwide.

On Sunday, about 53 search personnel were out looking for Webb when law enforcement was notified he was located.

Deputies responded to Pine Ridge Road off South Fork Bull River Road in Sanders County. According to the post, Webb was in good spirits and healthy when deputies found him, but he was hungry, thirsty and cold.

Short estimated Webb was found about 2.3 miles away from where he went missing from. He found refuge in a log cabin shed. Short thinks the thunderstorm that set in Friday evening prompted the 3-year-old to seek shelter.

Short was able to ask Webb simple questions about what happened, and determined Webb wasnt with anyone while he was missing.

Roughly 12 agencies responded including: the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office, David Thompson Search and Rescue, Bull Lake Volunteer Fire Department and Bull Lake Volunteer Ambulance, Flathead County Search and Rescue, the Flathead County Sheriffs Office, the Spokane Police Department, the Bonner County Sheriffs Office, North Valley Search and Rescue, Two Bear Air, the Montana Air National Guard, Libby Volunteer Fire Department and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

Several outdoorsmen and families also assisted in the search.

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The United States and its Asian allies flew dozens of fighter jets over waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday in a show of force as their diplomats discussed a coordinated response to a possibly imminent North Korean nuclear test.

The flights came as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman traveled to Seoul for discussions with South Korea and Japanese officials over the gathering North Korean threat and warned of a swift and forceful counterresponse if the North proceeds with a nuclear test explosion, which would be its first in nearly five years.

If staged, the test could be another leap forward in North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns goal of building an arsenal that can viably threaten regional U.S. allies and the American homeland. That would escalate a pressure campaign aimed at forcing the United States to accept North Korea as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

While the Biden administration has vowed to push for additional international sanctions if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, prospects for robust punitive measures are unclear because of divisions between permanent United Nations Security Council members.

Any nuclear test would be in complete violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. There would be a swift and forceful response to such a test, Sherman said after meeting with South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong. We continue to urge Pyongyang to cease its destabilizing and provocative activities and choose the path of diplomacy.

Sherman and Cho are planning a three-way meeting with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Mori Takeo on Wednesday over the North Korean nuclear issue.

Extending the countries' joint displays of military might, four U.S. F-16 fighter jets flew in formation with 16 South Korean planes  including F-35A stealth fighters  over waters off South Koreas eastern coast, an exercise aimed at demonstrating an ability to quickly respond to North Korean provocations, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The United States and Japan conducted a separate drill involving six aircraft  four Japanese F-15 fighters and two American F-16s  above waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, Japans Defense Ministry said.

The flights came a day after U.S. and South Korean forces fired eight surface-to-surface missiles into South Koreas eastern waters to match a weekend missile display by North Korea, which fired the same number of weapons from multiple locations Sunday in what was likely its biggest single-day testing event.

North Korea has conducted 18 rounds of missile launches in 2022 alone  including its first demonstrations of intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017  exploiting a favorable environment to push forward weapons development, with the Security Council effectively paralyzed over Russias war on Ukraine.

North Korea may soon up the ante as U.S. and South Korean officials say it is all but ready to conduct another detonation at its nuclear testing ground in the northeastern town of Punggye-ri. Its last such test and sixth overall was in September 2017, when it claimed to have detonated a thermonuclear bomb designed for its ICBMs.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, U.S. special envoy for North Korea Sung Kim said Washington and its allies were increasingly concerned by not only the unprecedented number of ballistic missile launches but also because senior North Korean officials have used rhetoric that could suggest the use of tactical nuclear weapons. He did not elaborate.

Since taking power in 2011, Kim has accelerated nuclear weapons development despite limited resources and has shown no willingness to fully surrender an arsenal he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.

Experts say with its next nuclear test, North Korea could claim an ability to build small bombs that could be placed on a multiwarhead ICBM or fit on short-range missiles that could reach South Korea and Japan.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Monday there are indications that one of the passages at the Punggye-ri testing ground has been reopened, possibly in preparation for a nuclear test.

Hours before Shermans meeting in Seoul, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters in Washington that the United States believes North Korea could seek its seventh test in the coming days.

The Biden administrations punitive actions over North Koreas recent weapons tests have been limited to largely symbolic unilateral sanctions. Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution in the Security Council that would have imposed additional sanctions on North Korea over its previous ballistic tests on May 25.

We have called on members of the international community, certainly members of the U.N. Security Councils permanent five, to be responsible stakeholders in the U.N. Security Council as a preeminent forum for addressing threats to international peace and security, Price said.

Unilateral actions are never going to be the most attractive or even the most effective response, and that is especially the case because we are gratified that we have close allies in the form of Japan and the ROK, he said, referring to South Koreas formal name, the Republic of Korea.

North Korea's state media have yet to comment on Sundays launches. They came after the U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan concluded a three-day naval drill with South Korea in the Philippine Sea on Saturday, apparently their first joint drill involving a carrier since November 2017, as the countries move to upgrade their defense exercises in the face of growing North Korean threats.

North Korea has long condemned the allies combined military exercises as invasion rehearsals and has often countered with its own missile drills, including launches in 2016 and 2017 that simulated nuclear attacks on South Korean ports and U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Nuclear talks between the U.S. and North Korea have stalled since 2019 because of disagreements over an easing of crippling U.S.-led sanctions in exchange for North Korean disarmament steps.

Kim's government has so far rejected the Biden administrations offers of open-ended talks, and is clearly intent on converting the dormant denuclearization negotiations into a mutual arms-reduction process, experts say.

Kims pressure campaign hasnt been slowed by a COVID-19 outbreak spreading across his largely unvaccinated populace of 26 million amid a lack of public health tools. North Korea has so far rejected U.S. and South Korean offers of help, but there are indications that it received at least some vaccines from ally China.

We seek dialogue with Pyongyang without preconditions, U.S. envoy Sung Kim told reporters on a conference call. He said North Korea has not responded. Instead, we have seen a marked increase in the scope and scale of their ballistic missile tests.

South Korean activist Park Sang-hak, a North Korean defector who for years has launched anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets by balloon across the border, said his group on Tuesday flew 20 balloons carrying medicine, masks and vitamin pills to help North Korean civilians.

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Follow APs coverage of the Asia-Pacific region at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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How many mass shootings must we bear before we change our behavior? In the wake of every shooting, we point to politicians and government and policy changes but fail to look at our own behavior as influencing tragedy. We continue to gloss over the hard stuff, aiming instead to place blame and look at the government for a solution to societal problems. The Uvalde shooter was an 18-year-old who, when confronted with adversity  the news he was not eligible for high school graduation  chose to shoot his grandmother in the face and then murder 4th graders in the school closest to his home. The common denominator for these tragedies is young men unable to cope with adversity or grievances they have against segments of our population. Government cant implement empathy in our children. Government cannot teach children to address their grievances constructively. Government cannot create a sense of community and belonging.

We can put law enforcement in every school, metal detectors in entryways, and add bulletproof windows and doors, but none of that will address the root cause of mass shootings. You can crack down on the availability of guns, only to have criminals surreptitiously obtain illegal weaponry to perform their murderous acts. You can implement red flag laws only to address the mentally infirm who express their homicidal ideation. You can train cops to intercede early when warning signs are made public. But none of these acts will address the root causes underlying the choices these murderers make.

The hard work is teaching our kids to overcome adversity. The hard work is to ensure healthy parents actually parent their children. The hard work is teaching children to think of how their actions impact others. Because somewhere along the line, the Uvalde shooter and the other murderers decided that they were entitled to harm others because they felt bad about themselves or a situation.

Montana has thus far escaped this tragedy because our students, staff, and law enforcement have successfully detected murderous plans before they are implemented. But its only a matter of time before one misstep, one flaw in the strategy creates an opportunity for tragedy. Looking to the government to address societal failures is an exercise in futility. As parents and community members, it is our obligation to provide the foundational skills lacking in our youth who do not have the luxury of a quality home life and childhood. We model the behavior we expect in others. The shooters tell us throughout their childhood that they are suffering. Add to their suffering: watching adults behave in an uncivil manner, bullying other adults or children, with entitlement to accost one another over political disagreements, its not all that surprising that an otherwise salvageable child turns to rage to address their feelings. No law in the world will fix what is broken in our society. Will we?

Tammi Fisher is an attorney, former mayor of Kalispell and the host of the Montana Values Podcast.

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One person has died and seven others were injured after a shooting at a graduation party in Clarendon County, South Carolina on Saturday night.

Those wounded consisted of children, teenagers and adults aged 12, 13, 14, 17 and 36, as well as two 15-year-olds.

One 32-year-old woman who was shot later died, reported CNN, citing a Sunday morning statement from the Clarendon County Sheriffs office.

Authorities said the shooting took place when two cars approached a lawn party where around 150 people had gathered.

One of the cars drove into the lawn and at least 60-70 rounds were fired, the sheriffs office added.

Authorities have not clarified whether the shots were fired at random or at specific targets.

It is also not clear whether there was return fire.

Officers believe the incident is gang related.

Senseless acts wont be tolerated. Theres absolutely no reasoning whatsoever for things like this to be happening, Clarendon County Sheriff Tim Baxley was quoted as saying by WLTX.

This was a school graduation party and youve got all these innocent children that were there that were hit by gunfire.

The US has endured seven mass shootings in just the last 48 hours, including the one in South Carolina. The total number of deaths from the shootings reached 10, while 49 people were injured.

In one of the shootings, three people were killed and 11 others injured in a mass shooting in Philadelphia late on Saturday after a gunman opened fire into a large crowd.

In Chattanooga, Tennesse three people were killed and 14 others were injured after a shooting near a nightclub, according to the police.

The shootings come weeks after a horrific elementary school shooting in which 21 people, including 19 children, died in Uvalde, Texas.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 246 mass shootings in the US this year.
The statue was removed in 2013 but is set to be re-installed (AL-WATAN DOHA/AFP via Getty Images)

Qatar plans to re-install a sculpture immortalising Zinedine Zidanes headbutt during the 2006 World Cup final, which had been removed in 2013 after a domestic backlash.

The five-metre bronze work was removed days after its unveiling after people in the conservative Muslim country criticised it for promoting idolatry and others said it encouraged violence.

Evolution happens in societies. It takes time and people may criticize something to begin with, but then understand it and get used to it, Qatar Museums chairperson Sheikha al-Mayassa al-Thani said on Monday.

She said the original site on the capitals seafront corniche was not right and that the sculpture would be remounted at a new sports museum in Doha, which is hosting footballs World Cup later this year.

Some conservative Muslims believe artistic depictions of human forms should be forbidden to avoid idolatry. Although statues are on public display in many Muslim countries, they are less common in the Arab Gulf.

The sculpture by Algerian-born French artist Adel Abdessemed depicts the moment during extra time in the 2006 World Cup final when Zidane headbutted Italys Marco Materazzi. Zidane was sent off and Italy went on to beat France on penalties.

Al-Mayassa told reporters the aim of displaying the work was to promote conversations about stress on athletes...and the importance of dealing with issues of mental health.

The statue was removed in 2013 (AFP via Getty Images)

Zidane is a great friend of Qatar. And hes a great role model for the Arab world, she said. Art, like anything else, is a matter of taste. Our goal is to empower people.

The sculpture was not the only one to stir controversy in Doha. A series of 14 giant bronze ones depicting the gestation of a fetus, unveiled on the grounds of a maternity hospital in 2013, was concealed behind giant wooden hoardings before they were removed in 2018.
Authorities allege that Brice Allen Boyd and Katheryn Florence Schimming of Anaconda collaborated last year to repeatedly poison the food and drink of Schimmings ex-husband with antifreeze.

The alleged poisonings occurred during the summer of 2021.

Boyd, 37, and Schimming, 38, allegedly targeted her ex-husband, Jeffery Shuck. Boyd allegedly poured antifreeze into soft drinks or used a syringe to inject antifreeze into food, such as a McDonalds hamburger, prosecutors allege in charging documents.

Schimming allegedly drove Boyd to McDonalds to buy food for Shuck that Boyd would then add antifreeze to, records show. Schimming told investigators that she had known Boyd was feeding Shuck antifreeze, according to court records.

A woman who lived with Schimming told police she had witnessed the doctoring of Shucks food by Boyd on several occasions, records show. She said she also had observed Shucks reaction  becoming ill and vomiting after unknowingly ingesting the antifreeze, according to court documents.

Schimming also allegedly gave Shuck excessive doses of prescription medicines, records show. Shuck is described in court documents as suffering from schizophrenia.

Court records reported that witnesses said Schimming wanted to get rid of Shuck and that Boyd was jealous of the relationship Schimming had with Shuck.

Last month, Boyd pleaded not guilty to attempted deliberate homicide in connection with the case and remains jailed in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, where he also faces multiple charges of child sex abuse for allegedly abusing three children.

Schimming was charged initially with conspiracy to commit the offense of deliberate homicide. As the case moved toward trial, Boyd began writing letters to Schimmings attorney, Kathleen Foley, according to charging documents.

In at least one of these letters he disclosed his involvement in attempting to poison Shuck with antifreeze during June and July. He described in detail putting the antifreeze on nachos, drinks, and in other fast food that was purchased for Shuck, court records show.

On May 11, in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County District Court, Schimming agreed to enter an Alford plea to a charge of accountability for attempted deliberate homicide. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges the state likely has enough evidence for a conviction. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to dismiss four felony counts of intimidation and to recommend a prison sentence of 10 years at the Montana Womens Prison. District Court Judge Ray Dayton ordered a presentence investigation and Schimming remains jailed in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County.

Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol.

According to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, ethylene glycol ingestion can cause serious or fatal toxicity. It can affect neurological function, respiration, cardiovascular performance and more, including liver and kidney function.

Court documents report that Shucks medical records showed a marked decrease in kidney function during the time in which Schimming was driving Boyd and the food laced with antifreeze to be fed to Jeffery Shuck.

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Last month, the state of Wyoming and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new bipartisan Partnership to Support Big Game Working Lands Conservation in Wyoming to encourage the voluntary conservation of migration corridors on private working lands. Both the Trump and Biden administrations have prioritized working with western states on migration initiatives, and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed an executive order directing the state to protect ungulate migrations.

To be successful, these efforts  in Wyoming and throughout the West  must harness voluntary cooperation and engage the ranchers and farmers who provide essential habitat along these migratory routes. Private working lands in the West are essential for the survival of migratory elk, pronghorn, and mule deer. Private land covers 6 million acres, or 30 percent, of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and elk spend as much as 80 percent of their time on private land during the winter. And living with wildlife often comes at an economic cost, making it harder for ranchers and farmers to scrape by and maintain the open spaces the wildlife depend on.

Instead of creating burdensome regulations or designations, state and federal leaders are committing to work with landowners and partners to provide incentive-based tools for conservation on private lands. This is an important step to joining with property owners as partners, not targets, in providing habitat for migratory wildlife.

Last year, the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) joined with other conservation organizations to highlight the need for federal agencies to, in the words of USDA Undersecretary Robert Bonnie, do conservation with private landowners, not to private landowners, when undertaking efforts to protect migration corridors. The tools announced for use in Wyoming capture this essential distinction. In addition to expanding existing approaches including conservation easements and financial and technical assistance, state and federal officials are starting a new voluntary opportunity for conservation leasing.

Whereas a conservation easement involves a public entity or conservation group purchasing development rights from a landowner in perpetuity, a conservation lease is a shorter, tailored, 10- to 15-year agreement whereby the landowner is paid to provide wildlife habitat. Its a new tool that respects an individual landowners unique needs, while being short and flexible enough to adjust for changing circumstances. Under this pilot program the Department of Agriculture and landowners can choose to enter into a base conservation lease, and then private conservation organizations can negotiate and compensate landowners for any additional conservation efforts on top of the base agreement.

PERC and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition recently entered into Montanas first elk occupancy agreement, a private version of a conservation lease, with a ranching family outside of Yellowstone National Park. Under this agreement, we were able to quickly negotiate a deal that worked for the family to conserve nearly 500 acres of elk winter range. In exchange for payment, the ranchers are using 1.25 miles of wildlife-friendly fencing to exclude livestock and allow for the free and unrestricted movement of elk while also managing and enhancing habitat. PERC is also working with conservation partners to establish a privately run brucellosis compensation fund for Paradise Valley. The fund would offset a large portion of the disease costs borne by ranchers for having elk utilize their property.

The new habitat leasing program being piloted in Wyoming and the privately-funded incentive pilots being offered by PERC and its partners will provide a framework for collaboration that landowners and conservation groups across the West can work together to build off of. Our work on the elk occupancy agreement demonstrates the conservation benefits that can be achieved when the unique situational needs of wildlife and landowners are addressed.

Too often, private working lands are depicted as the colorless, featureless areas on a map. Conserving migration corridors will require giving color to this essential habitat not by designation or regulation, but through voluntary incentives and market signals that reward landowners for conservation. By working together, we can help turn wildlife into an economic asset instead of a liability to ensure that both rural communities and wildlife populations can thrive.

Brian Yablonski is the CEO of PERC (the Property and Environment Research Center) in Bozeman.

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In April, the United Property Owners of Montana (UPOM) filed suit against the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) and Wildlife Commission (Commission) claiming (correctly) that elk are over population in some hunting districts, that excess elk are a hardship for farmers and ranchers, and that defendants have an obligation to reduce elk numbers in specific ways.

There is little argument on the first two points. There are a lot of elk in parts of the state, and their numbers are impacting some farms and ranches. The third is more problematic because of multiple complicating factors and lack of agreement about how to address the problem.

Plaintiffs protest defendants consideration of social factors in management decisions, although they lie at the heart of the matter. It is impossible to manage wildlife populations occupying a patchwork of public and private land with conflicting interests. When some landowners refuse to allow public hunting and mange elk herds to produce trophy bulls, those properties become havens for elk. Inevitably, some jump the fence and consume their neighbors crops.

Plaintiffs allege that policies favoring landowners who do allow public hunting violate private property rights by forcing others to allow public access. No FWP policy has ever forced landowners to grant access to private property. Actions have consequences, and if some landowners refuse to do their part in reducing elk numbers, it is unreasonable to expect the state to (somehow) do this for them.

Plaintiffs contend that defendants have exceeded their authority and that only the legislature is authorized to determine hunting regulations, defying both precedent and common sense. Virtually every state in the country delegates wildlife management to an appropriate department including professional biologists. Legislators, most of whom have no training in wildlife biology, are (or should be) too occupied with more important matters to be distracted by the details of wildlife management.

Plaintiffs allege that defendants are violating their statutory obligation to manage elk, despite lack of agreement about what management means. No policy requires FWP to eliminate elk from properties that dont want them, or to make more tags available to private interests so they can benefit from what is a public resource according to the Montana constitution.

One must wade through 30 pages of innuendo to find the real purpose of this actioneliminating limited drawing tag requirements in areas with elk populations above arbitrary objectives, providing more tags for outfitted hunters. This action would also increase the number of all hunters in areas where tags are now limited. More hunters with less private land to hunt will mean more hunters on public land, displacing elk onto the ranches now experiencing depredation.

Elk numbers are reduced by harvesting cows, not trophy bulls. The best approach to overpopulation is for more landowners to voluntarily allow more hunters to harvest more elk, including cows, which are of no interest to outfitted trophy hunters. The matter is now before the court, but all Montanans should pay attention whether or not they hunt elk.

Don Thomas of Lewistown writes about the outdoors for numerous national publications.

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Nearly 300,000 Montanans, including 128,000 children, rely on Medicaid for their health care coverage. Nearly 2 in 3 businesses have an employee who is covered by Medicaid, making it a critical support for Montanas small businesses and entrepreneurs who cant afford to compete with big corporations on worker benefits. Medicaid keeps our families healthy and our economy running, so why are we choking it with new red tape?

Because thats whats happening right now  unnecessary bureaucracy is growing in Medicaid, not shrinking. During the last session of the Legislature, Montana Republicans pushed forward legislation that requires Montanans to continuously prove their eligibility for Medicaid  every few months, you must report your income to the state government, despite the fact that you already told them when you signed up for Medicaid and youre already required to reapply every year like everyone else with insurance does. Montana Democrats fought against these new requirements, but the Republicans were dead set on adding additional superfluous red tape to one of the states largest and most critical insurers.

Within the next few months the state will kick off this eligibility redetermination for working Montanans covered by Medicaid. This could have serious and far-reaching consequences for the hundreds of thousands of Montanans who are covered by Medicaid. You might rely on Medicaid to cover your insulin or the cost of your kids inhaler, but if you dont jump through a hoop when the government tells you to, you might be out of luck.

No matter that youre working two jobs, or picking up extra shifts, or have moved from your old address when your landlord jacked up your rent. If you miss that notification in the mail or dont respond right away, youll lose your familys health care. No matter that you work seasonal jobs where your income fluctuates from month to month. If you dont fit in the governments narrow eligibility box at the random time they decide to force you to prove it, youll lose your familys health care.

And lets say you get kicked off your health care even though you still qualify for it. The wait times on the state phone line to fix that problem can take days, so good luck trying to get signed back up again. The state government is currently undertaking a so-called red tape review to supposedly cut down on government bureaucracy, but theyre completely ignoring the source of quality, affordable health care for a third of Montanans. Instead of working to lower the costs of living for working families, they're stringing up more red tape in Medicaid and letting Montanans get clotheslined by it. Its unconscionable and it needs to change. Red tape doesnt belong in Montana  and especially not in our health care.

For many Montanans, Medicaid is the difference between life and death. Nothing made this more clear to me than my tenure as Director of the Department of Public Health and Human Services. I spent hours on the phone with folks across Montana who needed help navigating the eligibility process, who had fallen through the cracks because they missed the deadline; or the paperwork got sent to their old address; or they worked three jobs and didnt have time during working hours to call with questions.

One case in particular has stayed with me for years. A working mother received health insurance under Medicaid, and because of her coverage, was able to catch her cancer early. Finding the time to navigate the eligibility paperwork for Medicaid, while balancing working, cancer treatment and taking care of her children, was nearly impossible. I was happy to help her through the process. But not everyone is lucky enough to get that kind of help.

The changes the Gianforte administration will implement this summer make an already complex system more burdensome. Adding red tape and redundant eligibility requirements will make it easier for Montanans like the mother juggling work, child care, and cancer treatment to fall through the cracks and lose their health care coverage.

If we are serious about removing red tape in state government, the solution is simple. Roll back these cumbersome, ineffective bureaucratic requirements and provide hardworking Montanans with the health care theyre eligible for.

Sheila Hogan is the executive director of the Montana Democratic Party and former Director of the Department of Public Health and Human Services.

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Whether or not Sam Clemens ever bought a shave or haircut in Muscatine, theres every chance he knew Alexander Clark.

A 2012 Iowa PBS documentary devotes one-and-a-half minutes (out of 27) to speculation about their acquaintance.

Narrator Simon Estes: Could it be that the man Clark aided, Jim White, was the basis for one of the most important figures in American literary historythe escaped slave Jim who evades capture by traveling down the Mississippi with Huck Finn? There apparently is nothing published to suggest this, but, in the early 1850s, only a few years after the Jim White case, another young man briefly moves to Muscatine to work on a local newspaper. His name is actually Samuel ClemensMark Twainwho, of course, is the author of Huck Finn. Sissel fancies that Clark and the young Clemens might have crossed paths then and talked about the case.

Kent Sissel, present-day owner of Clarks house: If Sam Clemens happened to know Alexander Clark, more than likely the story of Jim White of Muscatine would have been told.

Young Clark had learned the barbering trade from his uncle, William Darnes, at Cincinnati before working on a riverboat and then settling here in 1842. His barber career would continue until future son-in-law George Appleton took over in 1868.

Local boosters tout young Clemenss brief stay in 1854. For several weeks, maybe as long as three months, having followed elder brother Orion from Hannibal, Mo., he resided at Orions home along with their mother and younger brother Henry. Orion had sold his Hannibal newspaper and bought a part interest and co-editorship of the Muscatine Journal.

Henry worked as a clerk at R.M. Burnetts book storein the same block as Clarks barber shop. Sure, I can picture them all trading yarns.

In the documentary, historian Paul Finkelman says: Being a barber is very important in antebellum America. The safety razor has not been invented, so shaving is a semi-suicidal task for many men. So a lawyer or a doctor or a businessman would have to go to a barber on a regular basis for a shave. So Alexander Clark is shaving all the important men in town. Black barbers tend to be very high up on the internal Black social scale because they have access to the power structure of white people; they talk to white people. They learn about investments.

Sissel adds: I think he moved into an absolutely unusual position within the community. I dont know how any young Black man, at the age of 22, could have positioned himself any better. And I think he had a great deal of support in taking on a role he lived the rest of his life.

And the inspiration for Jim? We posed that theory in 2013 when Muscatine Community College presented its third in a series of Alexander Clark lectures. The speaker was Terrell Dempsey, author of Searching for Jim: Slavery in Sam Clemens's World (2003). Lets just say nobody has proved Kent wrong.

The brother whose slavery views intrigues me is Orion, John Mahins partner at the newspaper. He and Clark were the same age, and older than Samuel by 10 years.

Mahin introduced the new co-editor on Sept. 30, 1853just three months after having set Clarks name in print for the first time, having reported in July that A. Clark (barber) will represent the colored population of this placein the National African Convention at Rochester, N.Y.

On November 4, in an editorial titled Slavery, Orion wrote: The main difference between Missouri and Iowa consists in the presence and absence of slavery.  It is Free State interference which will hold the negro in slavery in Virginia, in Maryland, in Kentucky, in Missouri, for twenty or more years to comeperhaps a half or whole century. Not exactly Free State interference, either, but of that small portion who violently insist upon abrupt, unconditional emancipation.

He got married and moved to Keokuk in 1855. A Lincoln supporter, he later served as the first Territorial Secretary of Nevada and took Sam west with him.

Muscatine Journal, Feb. 10, 1940: Plans for moving the [Clemens] dwelling from its present location at 108 Walnut street to a permanent site at Riverside park, where it will be preserved as a landmark, were announced here today by Mayor Samuel G. Bronner.

But the Old Mark Twain Home did not get saved after alla story for another time.

In 1906, in his unfinished autobiography, the elderly Mark Twain recalled the elder brother: To gain a living in Muscatine was plainly impossible, so Orion and his new wife went to Keokuk to live, for she wanted to be near her relatives.

And he said: Born and raised among slaves and slaveholders, he was yet an abolitionist from his boyhood to his death.

Next time: Emancipation Jubilation

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MUSCATINE  Throughout June, Muscatine businesses and organizations will be going purple for Alzheimers and Brain Awareness Month.

People plan to wear purple, use purple lights in their businesses, place purple paper flowers and decorations in windows, and share purple posts with the hashtag #ENDALZ on social media.

By going purple, these groups will not only help spread awareness for the month and the disease and other dementias that its named after, but they will also show support to those who may be living with Alzheimers or other dementias.

The most important thing is to show support, Megan Francis, committee chair for the Muscatine Walk to End Alzheimers, said. You may not know that a co-worker or friend has a family member who is struggling with this disease, and to use the purple to give that support to people in our community who may not be ready to ask for help or who may be dealing with it in their own way is just a way for us to show that they arent alone.

The going purple movement was encouraged by the Alzheimers Association Iowa Chapter, a group that focuses on spreading awareness and education, inspiring action and offering guidance and support. Muscatine Mayor Dr. Brad Bark also made a proclamation at last Thursdays City Council meeting, where he further encouraged Muscatine businesses to show their support by going purple.

This month of support and awareness will culminate on June 21, the summer solstice, where people all across Iowa will be encouraged to fight the darkness of Alzheimers on the day with the most light as they fundraise for Alzheimers research.

In order to do its part in showing support and spreading awareness, Muscatine Power and Water has recently announced that it will light up the Norbert F. Beckey Bridge with purple from June 17 to 21. Some of the other businesses that are going purple this month include Senior Resources, Inc., the Muscatine Center for Social Action and Impact Fitness & Nutrition.

Were so excited that the Norbert F. Beckey Bridge is lighting up purple this month, said Lauren Livingston, a spokeswoman for the Alzheimers Association Iowa Chapter. Having such a well-known and prominent landmark in the community go purple helps spread awareness for the fight to end Alzheimers and dementia, which is critical to finding future treatments and ultimately a cure.

According to the Alzheimers Associations research, there are 66,000 currently living with Alzheimers or other dementias, with 73,000 family and friends also being affected as they take care of their loved ones who are living with these diseases.

Its a disease that affects so many people across Muscatine, the state and the entire nation, Livingston continued.

Were really encouraging local businesses to wear their purple on the 21st and blast it on social media, Francis added. Everybody that weve talked to have shown a lot of interest in getting involved, and youd be surprised at how many people have been impacted (by Alzheimers) that you dont realize, and just starting that conversation allows them the opportunity to share their story.

For more information on Alzheimers and Brain Awareness Month or to register for the Longest Day fundraising event on June 21, residents can go to alz.org/thelongestday or alz.org/abam. As for other local businesses or groups that are interested in going purple this month to show their support, they can contact Michelle Kelman at mkelman@alz.org or call her at 319-237-4900.

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DES MOINES  Iowans votes will be counted Tuesday as they help winnow the list of candidates seeking to represent them in the nations Capitol, the state Capitol and local boards of supervisors.

June 7 is primary Election Day in Iowa, where voters pick candidates in partisan races to advance to the Nov. 8 election. There are a number of noteworthy campaigns on the ballot, from federal races to the statehouse.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.  an hour earlier than previous Iowa elections after a change in state law.

County elections officials across the state also will count the early ballots that were completed in-person or submitted by mail. Also under the change in state law, those early ballots are required to arrive at elections offices by the time polls close.

A newly reduced window for early voting, passed as part of the change, is already impacting Iowa voters. The Iowa Capital Dispatch on Sunday reported 461 requests for early ballots arrived too late in four of Iowas largest counties  Polk, Linn, Scott and Black Hawk  after another new and earlier deadline established by Iowa Republicans.

Those 461 voters will not be able to vote early in this primary election. They can still vote in-person on Election Day, if they are able.

The primary campaign that has captured the most attention statewide is on the Democratic side, where the partys voters will chose which candidate to run this fall for the U.S. Senate, likely against longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

There are three Democrats vying for the partys U.S. Senate nomination: former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer of Cedar Rapids, U.S. Navy veteran Mike Franken of Sioux City and physician Glenn Hurst of Minden.

Grassley must first survive a Republican primary challenge of his own, although it is widely expected he will win comfortably. His challenger is Jim Carlin, a lawyer and legislator from Sioux City.

There is only one competitive primary among Iowas four congressional districts.

That is in Central Iowa, where three Republicans are seeking their partys nomination. Those GOP candidates are legislator and Iowa National Guard officer Zach Nunn of Bondurant, financial services professional Nicole Hasso of Johnston and construction consultant Gary Leffler of West Des Moines.

The winner of that primary will face Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne this fall.

Voters will weigh in on the other three congressional races in the November elections. In Eastern Iowa, those include Democratic legislator Liz Mathis taking on incumbent Republican U.S. Rep Ashley Hinson in the 2nd District, and Democratic legislator Christina Bohannan challenging Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the 1st District.

While there is no primary drama in the race to be the states next governor  Republican incumbent Kim Reynolds and Democratic challenger Deidre DeJear are their partys only candidate  there are a couple of competitive primaries for other statewide offices.

Two Democrats, Joel Miller of Robins and Eric Van Lancker of Clinton, are running for secretary of state. The winner will face Republican incumbent Paul Pate. And two Republicans, Mary Ann Hanusa and Todd Halbur, are running for auditor. The winner will face incumbent Democrat Rob Sand.

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Apple unveiled the most significant overhaul to its popular MacBook Air laptop in more than a decade, bringing a fresh design, new colours and a speedier M2 processor from its homegrown chip line.

The company showcased the updated laptop Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference, an event thats otherwise focused on software updates for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and other devices.

The new Air adds yet another machine to the companys lucrative lineup of computers, which has seen revenue jump since a switch away from Intel Corp. chips in 2020.

The new MacBook Air loses the tapered shape of the previous version and instead uses a design that looks similar to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros launched at the end of 2021.

The machine has a 13.6-inch screen, up from 13.3 inches on the previous model, and  like the MacBook Pro  a 1080p camera with twice the resolution of the previous model.

The updated computer includes an M2 processor, the biggest generational leap for Apples Mac chips since its in-house components for computers debuted in November 2020.

The MacBook Air update is the first since then, when it was one of the earliest Macs to get the M1 chip. The latest version will be 40% faster, Apple said.

The new M2 chip also is coming to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the company said Monday. The new Air model will start at $1,199, while the Pro price begins at $1,299.

The Mac lineup generates a fraction of the sales that Apples iPhone does, but its been a solid performer in recent years. It accounted for nearly 11% of revenue in the last quarter, more than the iPad and Apples wearables and home products.

The last major MacBook Air overhaul was in 2018 when the company added a Retina display. Still, the device looked similar overall to the 2010 model  previously considered the most significant redesign in the laptops history.

The MacBook Air was first launched in 2008 by Steve Jobs, when the Apple co-founder pulled the ultrathin laptop out of a manila envelope.

Apple intended to launch the revamped MacBook Air in 2021, but it was delayed by supply-chain snags, the chip shortage and internal design challenges.

Bloomberg reported earlier this year that it would launch at the Apple developer conference along with the new MacBook Pro.

The latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are two of several next-generation Macs in testing with variations of the M2 chip.

Apple is also working on new Mac Pro desktop, high-end MacBook Pros, Mac minis and an iMac for release over the next year or so.
Elon Musk formally and forcefully revived his assertion that Twitter Inc. has a serious bot problem, and threatened to walk away from his deal to buy the company if the social network doesnt do more to prove its users are real people.

Legal experts widely speculated that Musk is using the bot issue as an excuse to abandon or renegotiate the deal, which has looked better and better for Twitter as the broader stock market has taken a dive in recent weeks.

In a securities filing on Monday, Musk said he thinks Twitter is breaching their agreement by not meeting his demands for more information about spam and fake accounts.

But behind the scenes, the deal is proceeding, according to people familiar with the matter.

Both sides have been meeting regularly and sharing information, said two of the people, who werent authorized to speak publicly.

Hes jockeying here  hes trying to create a paper trail, said Andrew Freedman, a partner at the law firm Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP, who is an expert in activist investment.

The unfortunate thing for Musk is that termination provisions under merger agreements dont allow for buyers remorse.

Last month, Musk said he was putting the deal on hold until the social media giant can prove bots make up fewer than 5% of its users, as the company has stated in public filings.

Musk has estimated that fake accounts make up at least 20% of all users.

But Twitter said it has indeed shared information with Musk on how it calculates the number of spam accounts on the service, and executives have told employees that Musk cant just put the deal on hold as the two sides have signed a merger agreement.

On Monday the company reiterated that it will hold Musk accountable to the terms of his proposed $44 billion takeover, a suggestion that even the company believes he may be trying to blow up the deal.

In a statement, Twitter said it has and will continue to cooperatively share information with Musk.

The company said it believes the deal is in the best interest of all shareholders and intends to close the transaction and enforce the merger agreement at the agreed price and terms.

Its possible that Twitter could try to sue Musk to complete the deal if he tries to walk away from the acquisition.

The board of Twitter is going to get tired of this and file a lawsuit in Delaware and say, I want a declaratory judgment saying that I am not in violation of the agreement and that Musk has to complete the deal, said Brian Quinn, an M&A professor at Boston College Law School. Thatll be Twitters next step.

Twitters shares slumped 1.49% on Monday, suggesting increased skepticism that Musk will finalize his $54.20-a-share offer and further widening the gap between the markets expectations and the billionaires price.

The shares have barely  and only briefly  surpassed $50 since Musk sprung his buyout plan on April 14. The deal came together at breakneck speed in part because Musk waived the chance to look at Twitters finances beyond what was publicly available.

Twitter Chief Executive Officer Parag Agrawal has sparred with Musk publicly on Twitter about bots.

Agrawal has said the company has human reviewers look at thousands of accounts to determine the prevalence of bots, but added that he couldnt share more specifics because of privacy concerns.

Unfortunately, we dont believe that this specific estimation can be performed externally, given the critical need to use both public and private information, Agrawal wrote in May.

In the filing Monday, Musk sharply disagreed with Twitters assessment on bots.

Twitters latest offer to simply provide additional details regarding the companys own testing methodologies, whether through written materials or verbal explanations, is tantamount to refusing Mr. Musks data requests, Musks lawyer wrote in a letter to Twitters top lawyer, Vijaya Gadde.

Twitters effort to characterise it otherwise is merely an attempt to obfuscate and confuse the issue. Mr. Musk has made it clear that he does not believe the companys lax testing methodologies are adequate so he must conduct his own analysis. The data he has requested is necessary to do so.

Musk believes the companys resistance to provide more information is a clear material breach of Twitters obligations under the merger agreement and Mr. Musk reserves all rights resulting therefrom, including his right not to consummate the transaction and his right to terminate the merger agreement.

Making such a filing wasnt legally necessary, said Jill Fisch, an expert on business and law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. This is him using the SEC filing to reach the capital markets with this statement.

Complicating Musks claims, though, is the fact that he has been publicly complaining about Twitters bots since before he made an offer to buy the company.

He obviously was aware of the bots issue  he was open about that as something he wanted to fix, as an area to create value, said Freedman.

He would likely have to demonstrate that Twitters methodology is reckless or negligent in order to force the company to renegotiate the deal.

The proposed takeover includes a $1 billion breakup fee for each party, but Musk cant just walk away by paying the charge.

The merger agreement includes a specific performance provision that allows Twitter to force Musk to consummate the deal, according to the original filing.

That could mean that, should the deal end up in court, Twitter might secure an order obligating Musk to complete the merger rather than winning monetary compensation for any violations of it.

Musks lawyer, Mike Ringler of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, said Twitter must cooperate by providing the data requested so that Musk can secure the debt financing necessary to consummate the deal.

That claim is also complicated by the fact that numerous financial institutions have handed Musk commitment letters for debt financing, said Quinn.

Musk likely has a different experience with bots on the platform than most.

Those designing automated accounts program them to follow popular users on a site, so that they fit in with the crowd and look more human.

Musk, with a following of 96 million, probably attracts a higher percentage of bots than most users. His image has also been used by cryptocurrency accounts to run scams.

Though many outside estimates put portion of Twitter bots above the 5% threshold that the company has claimed, their assessments and methodologies vary.

Andrea Stroppa, a former data consultant for the World Economic Forum and a veteran of scrutinizing online counterfeit goods, estimates that bot accounts have accounted for about 10% of Twitters global audience over the past nine years.

The rate rises to as much as 20% for some specific topics such as cryptocurrencies, the researcher said, and above 30% for accounts engaged in certain conspiracy theories.

Theres a lot of money on the table, so he would have to have a lot of evidence to make it worth Twitters while to give up rather than fight for the original price, said Ann M. Lipton, an associate professor in business law and entrepreneurship at Tulane University Law School in New Orleans. It could be an ugly court battle.
Online publications in South Africa have seen tremendous growth over the last two years, and advertising budgets have subsequently moved from print to digital.

Magazines and newspapers were already experiencing a decline in readership and distribution before 2020, but the Covid-19 lockdown accelerated its decline.

The strict lockdown in March 2020 was a deadly blow to many print publications.

Associated Media Publishing, which published Cosmopolitan, House & Leisure, Good Housekeeping, and Women on Wheels, shut its doors on 1 May.

Shortly afterwards, Caxton announced it was withdrawing from magazine publishing and associated businesses in South Africa.

This decision, Caxton said, was needed because of the steady decline in advertising spend in the magazine media sector.

In June 2020, Media24 announced big changes to its magazine and newspaper operations, which resulted in significant job cuts.

As part of these changes, Media24 shut down numerous magazines and newspapers. These include prominent titles like Son op Sondag and Sunday Sun, Mens Health, and Womens Health.

The magazine and newspaper sections in retail outlets like Spar, Checkers, and Quick Shops have shrunk to a fraction of what they used to be.

Online news revolution

While print publications suffered during the lockdown, online publications experienced tremendous growth.

The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns pushed South Africans to online news publications to keep updated with the latest developments.

The behaviour change  regularly checking online news sources  became permanent.

Online news publications in South Africa experienced record readership numbers in 2020, and these audiences are still there.

The growth in online news audiences resulted in companies spending a more significant percentage of their advertising budgets on online media.

The growth in revenue means online publications had more money to invest in their operations and journalism.

The result is that South Africans now enjoy the best online news offerings ever in South Africa and that these are set to continue to improve in years to come.

Online readership trends

South Africas top news and business publications  News24 and BusinessTech  illustrate online readership growth since the lockdown hit.

The charts below show the readership, in unique monthly browsers, of News24 and BusinessTech between January 2018 and May 2022.
Effective this June, the St. Helena Historical Societys Heritage Center museum will be open only on the first Saturday of every month, from noon to 4 p.m.

According to Historical Society President Stephen Taplin, While we have been gratified by museum visits from both locals and visitors, we havent received enough traffic to justify our being open every week."

We will continue to focus on our popular programs and rotating exhibits at the Heritage Center. Weve been collecting artifacts, memorabilia and photographs for 20 years, and we remain committed to sharing these with our community," Taplin said.

The Historical Society plans to stage new rotating exhibits tracing the diversity and history of the St. Helena area. They are partnering with the Napa County Historical Society on Hilos Visibles ("Visible Threads"), a quilt-square exhibit about local Latino/Latinx history that will open in October.

The Historical Society was recently awarded a City of St. Helena nonprofit grant, and part of the award will go toward staging this exhibit. Also in October, the Historical Society will stage its 16th annual Spirits of St. Helena Cemetery Discovery Walk featuring St. Helena's Italian settlers.

The Historical Society was founded in 2002, and the organization is celebrating its 20th year. Many of the founding members are still members of its board of directors. The Heritage Center is at 1255 Oak Ave.
Monday, May 30

1025  A caller complained about construction work occurring on a holiday near Madrona/Oak. The caller said work has also been occurring on Sundays.

1054  Police received a complaint about construction on Stockton Street.

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1233  Police were told to be on the lookout for a drunk bicyclist heading from Crane Avenue to Silverado Trail.

2245  Lift assist on Los Robles Court.

Tuesday, May 31

1041  Public Works turned in property found at the Little League field.

1328  Report of a solo vehicle accident on Highway 29 near Whitehall Lane.

1725  Report of a suspicious person in an idling SUV on Meadowcreek Circle.

Wednesday, June 1

0649  A caller said her son was being released this morning and she didnt feel safe when him coming home. Police agreed to provide civil standby if necessary.

0910  Someone left graffiti in one of the bowls at the skatepark.

1138  Report of a suspicious man asking for a lighter at the skatepark. Police arrested the 48-year-old Napa man on suspicion of possessing drugs, possessing drug paraphernalia, and a misdemeanor warrant.

1232  Police issued two parking citations on Grayson Avenue.

1414  There was gravel in the street on Crinella Drive. Public Works was en route to clean it up.

1453  Police issued a parking citation near Adams/Money.

1854  Report of a loud party on Church Street.

1907  Following a traffic stop near Main/Sulphur Springs, police cited a 24-year-old Fairfield woman for an outstanding warrant.

2238  Report of drunk people being loud and in one case urinating all over Church Street during a party.

Thursday, June 2

0231  Police contacted a bicyclist near Main/Mitchell and arrested the 24-year-old St. Helena man for an outstanding warrant.

0833  Public Works found an abandoned bike near the Signorelli Barn.

1231  Non-injury lift assist on Grayson Avenue.

1240  Police cited a vehicle parked in a blue zone on Main Street.

1316  Police cited a vehicle parked in a blue zone on Main Street.

1833  A caller asked police to check on her elderly mother.

1843  Report of two loose border collies on Madrona Avenue. They soon entered the backyard of a nearby house, but the caller wasnt sure if they belonged there.

1844  Non-injury collision on Spring Street.

Friday, June 3

0409  Lift assist on San Ardo Court.

0517  Police cited an unlicensed driver on Main Street.

0732  Someone cut a hole in the fence surrounding the city corporation yard.

0851  A vehicle with expired registration was towed from the Main/Grayson area.

0923  Report of a reckless driver swerving, slamming on their brakes and cutting off another car on Main Street. Police stopped the car and determined the driver was not drunk.

1221  Report of a reckless driver cutting people off and passing over double yellows. It was last seen on Pope Street. Police stopped the car and cited the driver.

1528  A broken-down car was blocking the northbound lane of Main Street.

1601  A vehicle owner reported a dispute with a business over vehicle maintenance.

1655  Report of an unwelcome person in the lobby of a Pine Street business.

1758  Report of a drunk driver putting air in his tires on Main Street.

2208  Report of a suspicious man in a reflective vest parked outside a Chiles Avenue home.

2235  Police contacted two juveniles in a car on College Avenue and notified them that overnight camping and parking are illegal in St. Helena.

2304  Police contacted three people in a car at Crane Park. The juveniles were admonished about being at the park after hours and driving without a license.

Saturday, June 4

0110  Three juveniles on foot near Grayson/Crane were returned to their parents/guardians.

0116  Solo vehicle accident on Main Street. The driver said he dozed off and hit a parked car. Nobody was hurt.

0632  Report of an assault on Pope Street. Police arrested the 48-year-old Napa man on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

1134  Report of a driver swerving on Highway 29.

1400  An officer cited someone following a traffic stop near Mitchell/Main.

1725  Report of multiple reckless drivers now parked near St. James/Mitchell.

1750  Medical aid for a woman whod been choking on Main Street.

2003  Medical aid for a woman choking and briefly losing consciousness on Main Street.

2351  Report of loud music and singing on College Avenue. The people agreed to shut off the music.

Sunday, June 5

0034  Medical aid/lift assist for a man having trouble breathing on San Ardo Court.

0938  Report of a loose dog running along Highway 29 in the elm tunnel.

1140  Medical aid on San Ardo Court.

1233  Police were asked to check on a woman whod been asking for a ride on Spring Mountain Road. The caller said the woman seemed disoriented and might need help.

1253  A Trek bike was left at Crane Park.

1652  A caller reported getting strange texts/calls from an unknown man asking about a skid loader the caller has for sale. The man kept asking for the address of the yard where the skid loader was being kept, but he was elusive about his name and when he was willing to meet. The caller was concerned that the man might try to break into the yard.

2045  Medical aid on San Ardo Court.

Monday, June 6

1428  Report of cars speeding on Pratt Avenue in the afternoon.

1546  A gray Trek bike was reported missing from Hillview Place about two weeks ago.

1754  Report of a drunk man passing out at the bar of a Main Street restaurant.

1810  A man said his phone company was asking for money and telling him he had a warrant out for his arrest. Police told him it was a scam and advised him not to give out any personal information.

1908  Report of loud humming equipment audible from Pope Street.

1928  A stray dog running around on Main Street was reunited with its owner.

2045  Report of a multiple vehicles revving and racing out of the Meily Park parking lot. Police checked the area.

2322  A Hudson Avenue resident heard a loud noise at the back of their house.

Tuesday, June 7

0015  Report of a dog barking for two hours on Sylvaner Avenue. It was quiet when an officer arrived.
California is investing heavily in full-service community schools, an equity-focused education model that attempts to integrate community resources into schooling to improve student outcomes. As such, the California State Board of Education recently approved sending out initial allocations of $649 million in grants to support community schooling, and some of those funds are headed to Napas school districts.

Local school districts that currently include community schools will be receiving several million dollars in five-year implementation grants from the California Community Schools Partnership Program as a result. So, the Napa Valley Unified School District will receive $5.225 million for four schools, Calistoga Joint Unified School District will receive $2.6 million for two schools, and the Napa County Office of Education will receive $712,000 for one school.

That funding is supposed to be used to continue or expand existing community schools or create new ones, according to the California Department of Education website. And schools that serve at least 80% low-income students are being prioritized for the funding.

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Howell Mountain Elementary School District  which doesnt have any community schools at the moment  will be receiving a two-year, roughly $200,000 planning grant from the state.

NCOE associate superintendent Julie McClure said in an email the state funding going to the county education office will be used to support and expand services at Camille Creek Community School, which serves students from grades 6 to 12 whove been expelled or referred from Napa Countys middle and high schools for truancy or behavioral issues. That population is among the countys highest-need students, she said.

Camille Creek Community Schools mission is to empower Napa Countys most disenfranchised youth toward a productive future through restorative relationships, targeted instruction and inspiring opportunities for growth, McClure said in the email. Taking a whole-child approach, the school will use this new funding to expand and deepen their offerings to students and their families, including earlier identification of student/family needs and more direct support to parents, such as home visits, education and referrals to community services.

Camille Creek fits the community school mold, McClure wrote, through deep community partnerships, particularly with the Cope Family Center, and because its run as a partnership between the NCOE and other Napa County departments and agencies. The school currently provides services, expanded learning opportunities  such as a culinary program  and family and community engagement, as well as collaborative leadership and practices for educators, according to McClure.

This model has created a continuum through family support teams, enabling the school to identify needs early and work with families to prevent some of the impact of the pervasive challenges experienced by our secondary school youth, McClure wrote in the email. Family liaisons meet regularly with partner agencies to discuss strengths and challenges in serving/referring students and families and develop a collaborative strategy for getting families the services they need.

The NVUSD funding is for four elementary schools: McPherson, Snow, Phillips and Shearer. An NVUSD spokesperson didnt respond to multiple requests for comment by press time.

The Calistoga district funding is for Calistoga Elementary School and Calistoga Junior/Senior High School. Jenny Ocon, executive director of Upvalley Family Centers, said the Calistoga district joined with the nonprofit and other partners in 2014 to create the Calistoga Community Schools Initiative, which now includes more than 30 partners that help provide services and resources.

Weve held town halls and done a variety of things over the years to understand the things students and families would like to see more of and then kind of design services related to those needs, Ocon said.

Ocon added that the state funding will be used to sustain the implementation of the initiative and expand services offered by it. According to a grant proposal the district and nonprofit both worked on, the funds will be used for several new positions, expand therapy services, provide family support for special-needs students, and more.

I think the point of the community schools initiative is to use schools as a hub to engage students and their families in various opportunities to allow students to have the future that they want, and we do that through collaborative partnerships, Ocon said.

With the first round of grants, there are still plenty of funds in the states $3 billion Community Schools Partnership Program, which was approved by the California Legislature last year. And there could be more to come; Gov. Gavin Newsom is currently asking for a $1.5 billion increase to the program in his revised 2022-23 state budget proposal.

You can reach Edward Booth at 707-256-2213.

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According to a tweet published by Jean-Dominique Merchet on June 3, 2022, France could send Exocet anti-ship missiles built by MBDA to the Ukrainian Forces.

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Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti-ship missile (Picture source: MBDA)

The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The Exocet saw its first wartime launch during the Falklands War.

Development began in 1967 by Nord as a ship-launched weapon named the MM38. A few years later, Aerospatiale and Nord merged. The basic body design was based on the Nord AS-30 air-to-ground tactical missile.

The sea-launched MM38 entered service in 1975, whilst the air-launched AM39 Exocet began development in 1974 and entered service with the French Navy five years later in 1979.

The relatively compact missile is designed for attacking small- to medium-size warships (e.g., frigates, corvettes, and destroyers), although multiple hits are effective against larger vessels, such as aircraft carriers.

It is guided inertially in mid-flight and turns on active radar homing late in its flight to find and hit its target. As a countermeasure against air defence around the target, it maintains a very low altitude while inbound, staying just one to two meters above the sea surface.

Due to the effect of the radar horizon, this means that the target may not detect an incoming attack until the missile is only 6,000 metres (3.7 mi) from impact.

Its rocket motor, which is fuelled by solid propellant, gives the Exocet a maximum range of 70 kilometres (43 mi; 38 nmi). It was replaced on the Block 3 MM40 ship-launched version of the missile with a solid-propellant booster and a turbojet sustainer engine which extends the range of the missile to more than 180 kilometres (110 mi; 97 nmi). The submarine-launched version places the missile inside a launch capsule.
According to a statement published by the Swedish MoD on June 2, 2022, Sweden has decided to offer new military aid to Ukraine including the donation of Robot-17 (also called RBS-17) short-range anti-ship missiles. In this article, discover the combat capabilities of the Swedish RBS-17 anti-ship missiles, based on Hellfire AGM-114 explained by the Navy Recognition editorial team.

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Robot 17, or RBS 17, anti-ship missiles during a training (Picture source: Swedish MoD)

Basically, Robot 17 is an American Hellfire AGM-114C, which has proven to be effective in combat. The American robot was then modified by the Swedish industry to suit Swedish conditions and subsequently given the name Robot 17.

Robot 17, like the other Hellfire variants, is controlled by the reflection of a laser that illuminates the target. The amphibious unit is the unit that has the task, with the help of an illuminator, of illuminating the target for which the robot is intended.

The robotic system is currently transported by combat boat and carried ashore by amphibious soldiers. Both the robot and the illuminator can be mounted on boats and vehicles, which is being investigated as part of the development of the system.

Each Hellfire missile weighs 47 kilograms (104 lb), including the 9 kilograms (20 lb) warhead, and has a range of 7.111 kilometers (4.46.8 mi) depending on the trajectory.
The Summit of the Americas will adopt five documents following the meeting, including on migration, the coronavirus pandemic and other issues, said high-ranking representative of the US administration, speaking on Monday at a breifing dedicated to the Summit of the Americas opening in Los Angeles.

The summit is an opportunity to come together as a hemisphere and address key issues for the peoples of the region, including those related to achieving and maintaining economic prosperity, climate change, the migrant crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

The United States and governments in the region have worked diligently over the past few months to reach a hemispheric consensus on political commitment in five key areas: democratic governance, health and sustainability, climate change and environmental sustainability, clean energy transition, and digital transformation. Five documents will be adopted, reflecting an ambitious consensus within the hemisphere on everything from civil society to strengthening digital ties, the official added.

He said that the US president will also announce over $300 million in aid to combat food insecurity in the region.
On June 3, stun grenades were fired at people in this area, in the immediate vicinity of the EU office. Opposition MP Aram Vardevanyan stated this during the Resistance Movements demonstration Tuesday in front of the office of the European Union Delegation to Armenia.

"I believe this is another shameful page of these authorities, too. What is surprising is that the EU embassy does not talk about it. It does not talk about the tens of hundreds of citizens who sustained injuries, it does not say that [stun] grenade was used against the peaceful rally," he said.

Then Vardevanyan read the statement by the two opposition factions in the National Assembly, after which it was passed to Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia.

Aram Vardevanyan expressed hope that this statement will be properly responded to by the EU envoy.

"I do not understand when the police are violating all the provisions of the Convention on Human Rights in front of the EU embassy, and the EU embassy remains silent. This is the most unacceptable double standard. The same embassy used to disseminate several announcements during the day in 2018 in the case of human hair bending, whereas now it is silent. And with that silence, it encourages police atrocities," the opposition lawmaker said.
YEREVAN.  Minister of High-Tech Industry Robert Khachatryan received a delegation led by Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopirkin, the Ministry of High-Tech Industry informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Khachatryan stressed the constructive cooperation between the Russian embassy in Armenia and his ministry, the importance of programs of mutual interest, and expressed readiness to implement them consistently.

Ambassador Kopirkin, in turn, noted that high-tech industry is of special importance in terms of the development of Armenian-Russian relations and the strengthening of cooperation.

The minister presented to the envoy the course and programs of cooperation with the Russian side in additive technologies.

Robert Khachatryan and Sergey Kopirkin touched also upon matters related to the participation of the Ministry of High-Tech Industry of Armenia in the international economic forum to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia, in June.

Minister Khachatryan noted that recently Russian IT companies have shown great interest in working in Armenia, and said this can be a stimulus for intensifying competition in the respective local market of Armenia.

Khachatryan and Kopirkin reflected also on the importance of developing space services. In this connection, the minister briefed the Russian envoy on a number of details related to the first space satellite of Armenia.

During the meeting, the parties discussed also matters of mutual interest aimed at expanding cooperation and developing sectoral cooperation.
The hunger strike of convicted leader of the "Muslim Unity Movement" Taleh Bagirzadeh was supported by a number of other convicted believers in Azerbaijan. They are protesting against the use of torture in the police facility and the blasphemy of law enforcement officers, Turan reported.

According to Polad Aslanov's wife, her husband reported that he had started a hunger strike since June 6 and officially notified the management of Colony 1 about it. Another member of the "Muslim Unity Movement" Jabbar Jabbarov went on hunger strike in the same colony.

In Gobustan prison, another activist of the "Muslim Unity Movement," Abbas Huseynov, started the hunger strike, his relatives reported.

Bagirzadeh himself has been on hunger strike for the fifth day. "Yesterday, Taleh and I spoke on the phone; he is on hunger strike for the fifth day. He drinks only water, says that he still feels normal, but his voice was strained. The administration of the colony insists on stopping the action; however, Taleh rejects it. Despite the hunger strike, he was not isolated, he remains in a regular cell," said his wife.

The prison service remained unavailable for comment.

Recall that Taleh Bagirzadeh, leader of the "Muslim Unity Movement" (MUM) who is serving a long prison sentence, began a hunger strike on June 3. He protests against the torture of believers in the police and insults by law enforcement officials to Allah.

On May 23, at a press conference, two religious activists who had been detained on May 20 in front of the Baku Court of Grave Crimes said that the law enforcement officers had tortured believers and insulted Allah.
The European Parliament will not remain silent on the latest violations of fundamental freedoms in Turkey, no matter what geopolitical role the country plays, said Nacho Sanchez Amor, MEP Turkey Rapporteur.

Turkey has problems with democracy, but the Turkish government is to blame, not Turkish society, Amor said during a plenary debate on the report on Turkey.

Turkey is not Erdogan, and Erdogan is not Turkey, he said.

The European Parliament is to vote on Amor's latest report on Turkey.

The EU remains a club of advanced democracies and the report is based on the current disastrous state of democratic standards in Turkey, Amor said. More seriously, its not just about her poor condition, but also about the tendency to worsen, he said.

According to Amor, Turks are witnessing their democratic hopes spiral down the drain in an authoritarian spiral that seems to have no end.

Authoritarian character is state policy, fully thought out, programmed, and carried out with terrifying coldness by the ruling elite. The repression against an increasingly helpless society, supported by the media, proves the pathology of nationalism, which puts the rights of the nation far above the happiness of its citizens.

In a few months, it is likely that the third party in the country, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, which has received nearly 6 million votes and almost 100 mayoral posts, will be considered illegal, Amor said.

All this is just to get through the elections with fewer obstacles, he said.
Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the digest of top news of protests in Yerevan as of 07.06.22:

The wave of protests continues in Yerevan with activists camping outside government and embassies buildings.

The participants in the Resistance Movement have started a march from France Square, in downtown Yerevan, to the office of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Armenia.

Resistance Movement coordinator Ishkhan Saghatelyan said on Monday that they are going to present all the violence that has taken place in Armenia these days.

As opposition MP Aram Vardevanyan noted on June 3, stun grenades were fired at people in this area, in the immediate vicinity of the EU office.

What is surprising is that the EU embassy does not talk about it, he noted.

Vardevanyan later read the statement by the two opposition factions in the National Assembly, after which it was passed to Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia.

The MP expressed hope that this statement will be properly responded to by the EU envoy.

A delegation, led by the President Claire Bazy Malaurie of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, will pay an official visit to Armenia, from Wednesday to Friday, at the invitation of President Arman Dilanyan of the Constitutional Court of Armenia.

This visit will be not only one of Malaurie's first official foreign visits, but also the first official visit by the head of the Venice Commission to Yerevan since 2018.

US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson issued a statement on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivans meeting Monday with Foreign Policy Advisor of Azerbaijan, Hikmat Hajiyev.

Sullivan conveyed the commitment of the US to peace, security, and prosperity in the South Caucasus region.

Mr. Sullivan expressed support for talks hosted by President of the European Council Charles Michel.

He conveyed the readiness of the US to engage closely and support progress through a variety of means, including in our capacity as a Co-Chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group.

There is information that Azerbaijan wants to ask the Russian side so that the Armenian clergy of Dadivank Monastery are replaced by the clergy of the Russian Diocese of Baku. According to Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, Primate of the Artsakh, this information is completely in line with Azerbaijan's policy pursued today.

They do everything to bring what they want to fruition and remove our clergymen from Dadivank, he added.

The Primate of the Artsakh Diocese added that intensive talks are underway to resume the entry of Armenian pilgrims to Dadivank.

The hunger strike of convicted leader of the "Muslim Unity Movement" Taleh Bagirzadeh was supported by a number of other convicted believers in Azerbaijan.

They are protesting against the use of torture in the police facility and the blasphemy of law enforcement officers, Turan reported.

Bagirzadeh has been on hunger strike for the fifth day. He protests against the torture of believers in the police and insults by law enforcement officials to Allah.

On May 23, at a press conference, two religious activists who had been detained on May 20 in front of the Baku Court of Grave Crimes said that the law enforcement officers had tortured believers and insulted Allah.

The prison service remained unavailable for comment.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto agreed with the opinion of the speaker of the Hungarian parliament, Kover Laszlo, that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has "psychological problems".

"While tens of thousands of people are working in Hungary to help Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian politicians are constantly talking about Hungary in an unacceptable tone, provoking us, making up lies and trying to smear us. Not a single word of gratitude has been uttered. Based on all this, Kover is absolutely right, even if Ukrainians are outraged," he wrote on Facebook.

Earlier, Kover said that Zelenskyy is struggling with "psychological problems."

"Those who need help ask politely. Insistently, of course, but always ask, never demand, and even less threaten. Usually, a person threatens his enemies, not those whom he wants to attract as friends," he noted, explaining this as a "personal psychological problem" of Zelenskyy.
The Swedish portal Blankspot was provided with documents that give a unique insight into how the negotiations took place in the aftermath of the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh during the time of Ann Linde as chairman of the OSCE. Among other things, they show that the allocation of additional resources to reach a peace agreement was not a priority.

Earlier, the portal wrote about the cooperation of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs with ISDP, a research institute receiving money from Azerbaijan. This cooperation took place when Foreign Minister Ann Linde served as OSCE Chairperson in 2021 and was responsible for initiating peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Blankspot has reviewed publicly available documents reflecting the initial peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Approximately 75-80% of the documents are classified, and the rest of them were edited after checking the secrecy in the Foreign Ministry. Despite this, documents show intense negotiations and the presence of Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde at the initial peace talks between the warring parties.

At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave money to the research institute ISDP, which has far-reaching ties with Azerbaijan.

In a dossier sent to the MFA registrar, Blankspot requested all correspondence with accompanying attachments between MFA officials for the OSCE chairmanship and Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as correspondence with the Minsk Group chair countries (Russia, France and the United States).

In response, Blankspot received 6 documents:

1. E-mail correspondence with the American delegation of the Minsk Group on November 2, 2020, a week before the signing of the ceasefire statement.

2. Briefing for Ann Linde from the Minsk Group on November 12, 2020, three days after the ceasefire.

3. Briefing by the Ambassador of Sweden to Azerbaijan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 25, 2020. This was before the Swedish chairmanship of the OSCE.

4. Summary of Ann Linde's visit to Azerbaijan on March 14-15, 2021, when the OSCE was supposed to initiate peace talks.

5. Summary of Ann Linde's visit to Armenia on March 16, 2021 for the same purpose.

6. Summary of Ann Linde's talks with the ambassadors of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the continuation of peace talks, 13 May 2021.

In short, the documents reveal trust issues between the warring parties and the OSCE, as well as differing views on such important issues as the status of Armenian prisoners of war. The data also shows that the OSCE considers Russia's presence in Nagorno-Karabakh to be consistent with the previous 2009 peace talks (Madrid Principles).

In addition, the documents serve as a timeline of how the initial peace talks developed within the OSCE.

The first document relating to the final stages of the war (November 2, 2020) states that Sweden has started negotiations with the co-chairs of the Minsk Group (France, Russia and the United States) and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman Andrzej Karspzyk. The latter acted as the closest adviser to Ann Linde during the OSCE chairmanship.

It appears from the correspondence that the American co-chair Andrew Schofer wanted to make sure that Ann Linde during the Swedish chairmanship would stick to the same line as the Minsk Group had up to this point.

Among other things, the issue of a Scandinavian peacekeeping force instead of a Russian one was raised. The American co-chair of the Minsk Group stressed that Russia plans to deploy its own peacekeeping contingents. The United States preferred to find alternatives, or at least be able to offer them in the long run.

It also appears that the United States was disappointed that three previous ceasefire attempts during the war were quickly thwarted. The US delegate states that they believe Armenia wants an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian operations, while the Azerbaijani side does not want a ceasefire until a package agreement on "substantial negotiations" is concluded.

The US delegate also called it "ridiculous" to continue negotiations on a ceasefire when the warring parties did not follow what they had already agreed to.

In addition, it appears that both warring parties wanted to increase the budget for the OSCE's efforts in the peace talks to ensure that more confidence-building measures are taken. The representative of Sweden rejected the request.

Finally, Karspzyk criticizes both sides for not being afraid of the fact that the war threatens the "existence of the OSCE".

On November 12, three days after the signing of a ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan with Russian help, Ann Linde requested a briefing from the Minsk Group.

The American co-chair said at a briefing that it is useless to start peace talks between the parties until they are "genuinely" ready to take this step. Surprisingly, it is also noted that the parties have several points in common, although these points are confidential.

The document notes that the deployment of Russian peacekeeping forces is in line with the 2009 Madrid Principles agreed within the framework of the OSCE. One of the points was that Nagorno-Karabakh would be guarded by international troops until a referendum on the status of the region was held.

The document says that the idea of a Scandinavian peacekeeping force was abandoned. This is mainly due to the fact that, as Ann Linde notes, "Sweden is not neutral, it is non-aligned. In addition, she adds "we would need to carefully consider any future inquiries  a process that requires time."

It is noted that the role of Ann Linde as OSCE Chairperson is to coordinate the implementation of the field presence with the participating States and initiate peace negotiations.

The November 25 email correspondence, in which Swedish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Christian Camille describes his preparatory meetings, is almost entirely confidential. The only thing that is clear is that he met with assistant Mehriban Aliyeva, who is also the wife of President Ilham Aliyev, and vice president. This indicates that Azerbaijan is curious about what Sweden's position will be during its forthcoming OSCE chairmanship.

The statements of Azerbaijan on March 14-15 and those of Armenia on March 16 are more complete. Previous documents indicated that the OSCE was not going to meet with the parties unless they were sincerely interested in negotiations, and Ann Linde's visits to countries led to the first such high-level talks since the war.

Ann Linde met with the top leadership and foreign ministers of both countries.

The meeting with Ilham Aliyev in Azerbaijan was held in "good spirits," writes Ambassador Christian Camille. Much of the text is confidential, but Ann Linde emphasizes that the Minsk Group format is suitable for "facilitating" peace efforts.

In addition, Ann Linde touched upon the issue of the treatment of prisoners of war, which was one of the most acute problems of the post-war period.

Shortly after the war, Armenia handed over all the prisoners of war to Azerbaijan, and up to 200 Armenians remained in Azerbaijani captivity. Several human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have accused Azerbaijan of failing to comply with the rules regarding prisoners of war. At a meeting with Ilham Aliyev, Ann Linde emphasizes the importance of their return in accordance with international law.

The documents also state that in a subsequent press conference the next day with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Ann Linde raised the issue again, but Bayramov took the floor and stated that the Armenians were captured after November 10, so they are not considered prisoners of war. .

The way Ilham Aliyev discussed this issue in a conversation with Ann Linde is confidential. However, from the video recording of the conversation between the Aliyevs and the Erdogans, it became known that the prisoners of war were considered a good trump card against Armenia.

Since then, there have been several exchanges of prisoners of war in exchange for Armenia providing Azerbaijan with a map of minefields.

Since then, Ann Linde, like the International Committee of the Red Cross, has referred to prisoners of war as "prisoners". However, the Red Cross has indicated that the status of the prisoners must be resolved between Azerbaijan and Armenia and is ready to ensure a safe transfer. The difference between the status of "prisoner" and "prisoner of war" is whether the detainee is subject to the provisions of the Geneva Conventions.

From the documents of the March 16 meetings in Armenia, it appears that Ann Linde, in addition to meetings with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and then Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan, also held a brief informal and undocumented meeting with representatives of Stepanakert.

In a conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the importance of adding additional resources to the peace negotiations was emphasized, which was also announced on November 2, 2020 and then rejected by the Swedish delegation. Ayvazyan also stressed the fear of the resumption of a full-scale war, which could lead to a new Armenian genocide.

During the conversation with Pashinyan, he again raised the issue of prisoners of war, and also expressed the hope that the Swedish chairmanship in the OSCE would contribute to the final settlement of the conflict, taking into account the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Ayvazyan also expressed concern that the Armenian cultural heritage is under threat from Azerbaijan in the large territories seized by Baku.

As Blankspot reports, those fears came true in February 2022. And this despite the fact that the issue was raised at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Finally, Ann Linde emphasized that a final peace agreement was not Sweden's priority during the OSCE chairmanship, but rather stated that the ceasefire was respected.

Here is what is written in the documentation: Swedens priorities within the presidency were mentioned. The ceasefire agreement was only such, not a final peace agreement. Here, the OSCE could contribute with further conflict resolution efforts.

The latest document dated May 13, 2021 states that Linde called for relevant meetings with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The reason is reports of Armenia accusing Azerbaijan of invading the Armenian region of Syunik on May 12.

While the Armenian foreign minister highlighted the importance of the world community distancing itself from Azerbaijan's actions, the Azerbaijani foreign minister argues that the borders are not clear after the 2020 war.

Blankspot asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about priorities during the presidency of the OSCE. An email to press secretary Ann Linde mentions reports that the budget has not changed despite the war and that Linde, during her visit to Armenia, announced that a ceasefire is taking precedence over a peace deal.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded as follows: "Sweden and the EU welcomed the ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan as it put an end to the fighting. However, the ceasefire was only a first step towards a peace agreement. During the Swedish Presidency, the work for the parties to take further steps towards a peace agreement was a high priority. It was hard work shortly after an armed conflict with many dead and with great human suffering. The Minsk Group and the Presidencys personal representative have made efforts to move the process forward."